Sorry for not updating lately. I needed a break from the stories. The Gravity Falls with Hope chapters will be released as soon as they can. Also, I will be releasing a new story. I can't wait to release it. Enjoy the three late release chapters and a 300 reads celebration chapter.
We open to Jaune getting pushed to the ground of Forever Fall, groaning as he looks up and sees a sap-covered Cardin looming over him. The bigger warrior picks Jaune up by his front and grins while punching him back to the ground.
Cardin says, "You know that wasn't very smart, Jauney boy." He picks up a bruised Jaune again while the rest of Team CRDL watches. "I'm gonna make sure they send you back to mommy in teeny tiny pieces."
Jaune says while his head is hanging back, "I don't care what you do to me..." He looks at Cardin with fury. "... but you are not messing with my team."
Cardin looks momentarily shocked, but then asks, "What? You think talk like that makes you tough? You think you're a big strong man now?"
Jaune smiles in defiance. An enraged Cardin roars and raises his fist again, but just as the hit connects, a bright light shines from Jaune, and when the white fades, Cardin is crying out in pain as he holds his hand. Jaune, now back on the ground but completely healed, looks confusedly at his hands as they faintly glow white. While he stares, though, Sky kicks Jaune in the back and gets him on his stomach, but he looks up and glares at the approaching Cardin.
Cardin says, "Let's see how much of a man you really are..."
Just as he says this, a low growl is heard, and a surprised Team CRDL turns around and sees a large paw crash onto the scene, belonging to a huge Ursa Major with dozens of jagged spikes sticking out from its wide back. It leaps forward and stands over the terrified students, lifting its head in the air to smell the sap on Cardin's breastplate. It lands back on its forelegs and roars at Cardin while his teammates heroically flee.
Russel yells, "That's a big Ursa!"
Cardin is rooted to the spot when the Grimm swings its claws and knocks him sideways, revealing Jaune cowering behind him. The Ursa continues to sniff, uninterested in Jaune and following its nose to Cardin. He watches at it towers over Cardin, who gets his wits and pulls out his mace weapon only for the monster to swipe it away to Jaune's feet. He looks conflicted, wondering whether to fight or run away.
Meanwhile, the roar of the giant Ursa is heard by the members of Teams RWBY, IVRY and JNPR, still collecting sap on the other side of the forest.
Ruby gets up, and asks concerned, "Did you guys hear that?"
Rebels ears twitch as she says, "That sounded like an…"
Suddenly, the remaining members of Team CRDL are seen running the other way from the roar through the other students.
Russel yells while looking back, "Ursa! Ursa!" He runs into Yang accidentally.
Yang asks, "What?!" Completely unfazed by his collision, she picks him up by the front of his shirt. "Where?"
Russel, struggling and still running in air, but points back from where they came, "Back there! It's got Cardin!"
Pyrrha, dropping her jar of sap, says, "Jaune!"
Ruby, going into leader mode, says "Yang! You and Blake, go get Professor Goodwitch!" Dropping Russel, Yang and Blake nod before following the orders.
Pyrrha says to Ren and Nora as she and Ruby activate their weapons, "You two, go with them! There could be more!"
Ivory says, "Vanessa, come with me! Yvette, you and Rebel go with the others!"
Yvette nods and replies, "You got it!"
Cardin is attempting to run from the following Ursa, but it leaps over its prey and claws him away. He tries to get up and crawl away.
Cardin says to himself, "Crap! Crap, crap!"
Pyrrha says as she, Ruby, Ivory, Vanessa, and Weiss come on to the scene, "Oh, no!"
They watch as the Ursa leans over the helpless victim, raising its paw and swiping it down... only to be blocked by Jaune's shield, Crocea Mors. He struggles to defend a stunned Cardin from its attempts to lean on him, but Weiss lifts Myrtenaster as she prepares to go help.
Pyrrha says to Weiss, "Wait!"
Jaune takes the shield out from the Ursa's paw and slashes at its stomach, causing it to lash out and try to crush him. He rolls out of the way and jumps over its swipe at his feet, but he is unprepared for when it launches a claw at him in midair. He lands far away, yet is immediately back on his feet and passing Cardin as he charges again. The Ursa knocks Jaune behind it when he tries for a leaping attack, and he looks at the Scroll in his shield to find out that his Aura level is in the red. He grows angry again and starts to run at the Ursa as it also begins to dash towards him.
As they are just about to clash in slow-motion, Pyrrha sees that Jaune has left himself completely open to the Ursa's attack, and lifts her hand out to him, gathering dark red energy in her arm. Just as the Ursa is about to hit him, the glow surrounds Jaune's shield and makes it lift up to block the swipe. Jaune uses the surprise defensive move to lean on the ground, push his shield back up, and swing his blade right through the Ursa's neck. The head falls to the ground as the body slams onto the ground.
Ruby asks as Pyrrha's hand stops glowing and she smiles, "Uhhh...What?"
Ivory asks, "What was that?"
Weiss asks, equally amazed, while Vanessa has a shocked look on her face, "How did you...?"
Pyrrha replies, "Well, Ruby has her speed, you have your glyphs, Vanessa can spot weak points, and Ivory can see outlines even though she's blind. My Semblance is polarity."
Ruby whispers, "Whoa, you can control poles..."
Weiss replies, "No, you dunce! It means she has control over magnetism!"
Ruby, still impressed, whispers, "Magnets are cool, too..
Ivory says, "I never expected that."
Weiss, noticing Pyrrha start to leave, asks, "Wait, where are you going?"
Ruby adds, "Yeah! We gotta tell them what happened!"
Pyrrha replies, "We could...Or perhaps we could just keep it our little secret?" She walks away again as the girls smile to each other in understanding and a bruised Jaune sheathes his weapon before going over to Cardin.
Cardin, still covered in sap, looks up at Jaune as his savior offers a hand. Cardin smiles as he takes it and is lifted back up on his feet.
Cardin says, "Holy crap, Jaune!"
Jaune says, threateningly, "Don't ever mess with my team, my friends, ever again." As Jaune stares Cardin dead in the eye, "Got it?"
Cardin looks intimidated, possibly even apologetic. With his order spoken, Jaune turns and walks away from a frozen Cardin.
Later that night, on top of the dorm building, a uniformed Jaune stands on the edge and looks into the distance at the green lights of Beacon.
Pyrrha asks, "No Cardin tonight?" She walks to his side. "I thought you two were best buds."
Jaune says, turning to her, "Pyrrha...I'm sorry. I was a jerk. You were only trying to be nice, and...I had all this stupid macho stuff in my head-"
Pyrrha says, "Jaune! It's okay!" As they smile at one another, she adds, "Your team really misses their leader, you know." She begins to walk to the exit. "You should come down! Ren made pancakes! No syrup, though, you can thank Nora for that!"
Jaune smiles, but holds out his hand and calls out, "Wait!" Pyrrha turns around, and Jaune looks sheepish. "I know I don't deserve it after all that happened, but...would you still be willing to help me...to help me become a better fighter?"
Pyrrha turns around so a worried Jaune won't see her satisfied smile. She goes up to Jaune and suddenly pushes her leader to the ground.
Jaune whines, "Hey!"
Pyrrha stands over him with her arms on her hips and says in an evaluating tone, "Your stance is all wrong. You need to be wider and lower to the ground." She offers him her hand, which he graciously accepts, and they continue to hold on to and grin at each other. "Let's try that again."