Author's Note:

This one and the previous chapter took the longest to write. That's mainly the reason for not posting anything for awhile. Finally, Chapter 10 should be up on Sunday. I hope you enjoy.

Nothing About

Ch. 9: Wandering Neither Way of Light or Darkness, Maybe

I hope Nora doesn't go overboard with her training.

Since helping out with Jaune's training that morning, she had been wandering around Beacon aimlessly. It was rare that she had such a stretch of free time with no commitments looming ahead of her to influence the activities that she would or even could pick. In fact situations like this, ones she was unused to and unsure how to handle, had been popping up and presenting themselves to her ever since she came to Beacon Academy.

Sometimes she did not know how to deal with it.

Everything was usually planned and there were so many limitations that she wasn't able to really go crazy or do anything that would interfere with her work. At Beacon she didn't have such rigid restrictions. Here she was just another student, even though not everyone saw or treated her like that. Still, with this new found freedom, the possibilities were endless!

And she had no idea whatsoever on what to do.

Usually there was someone around that she could spend time with. Mostly she would go along with whatever was suggested but there was the rare time she would have her own suggestion. Today however, everyone else had something they were preoccupied with.

Nora was training Jaune and had asked if she wanted to participate. She helped out a bit but decided to bow out shortly after when she found she couldn't put forth the effort that she felt both of them deserved. Ren was doing something that according to Nora required seclusion. She had been quite insistent on that point so Pyrrha decided to heed her warning and not disturb their quiet teammate. With team RWBY, Ruby and Weiss were taking the day to explore Vale and had left early in the morning. Yang and Blake were trying to get caught up on studying so she thought she would let them concentrate on that instead of tying them up with her own selfish needs.

So here she was. Wandering around with no direction. Going wherever her feet took her. Maybe I should have took them up on their offer this morning. Almost as soon as that thought had finished she shook her head. No, no. I made the right decision. It will be good for them to just spend time together and develop a better bond. They don't need anything interfering with that.

Is was a nice day out so it hadn't been too bad just walking around but she still had the same question that had been on her mind for most of the day: What should she do? So many possibilities and she couldn't decide what to do. Should I just go back to the room? I feel like all I'm wasting time out here. At least back there I might get some sort of activity done or complete something! Maybe I missed an assignment. She didn't though and she knew that.

Unimpressed with her self-convincing attempt she sighed to herself. Quickly giving the area a once over again she saw an unoccupied spot enveloped in shade and made her way over to take a seat. She spent the next few minutes just taking in the environment around her, trying to clear her mind. Trying to come to peace.

Am I wasting my time here? Were they right? Again she sighed and continued her staring at nothing in particular.

"Are you alright, Miss Nekos?"

The sudden voice coming from out of her range of sight, regardless of the words spoken, gave her a startle. Tensing, she grabbed for her weapon and stabbed at her attacker. Her weapon failed to reach its mark as it was stopped mid thrust. Quickly, she swung her shield upward to protect herself from the oncoming attack. This again failed in its intention as she suddenly found herself hoisted slightly in the air and pushed back against a wall. She struggled against whatever it was that held her in place but it was futile. Try as she might she could not dislodge herself from her predicament.

"Calm yourself child. I am not an enemy."

The haze that she hadn't even realized enveloped her cleared, freeing her battle focused mind of its planning, allowing her to process who it was that she took to be an assailant. For the most part, she was mortified at whom it was. Another part though, one she didn't want to really acknowledge the size of, wished she didn't know. That she would have continued.

"Now, are you going to try to attack me again?"

That part deep within urged her to respond to the condescending remark. "No, Miss Goodwitch," Pyrrha shakily replied. "I don't think I will."

"Good," Glynda replied as she lowered Pyrrha slowly to the ground. "I would have been upset with myself if I had been forced to send you to the infirmary."

Pyrrha was glad to be back on the ground after her short trip. Though not highly suspended, it was disconcerting to be off the ground and within the air under someone else's authority. I'm glad I didn't end up sending you there, or worse. She took a moment to compose herself before she faced Glynda again. "I'm so sorry for trying to attack you Miss Goodwitch. I don't know what came over me." Liar.

Glynda motioned for Pyrrha to join her as she sat down. "It's fine. Neither of us are hurt. While it's something you're not quite familiar with, I am. It's something that is not that hard to figure out once you have more experience. You, Miss Nekos, are a warrior. More so than most of your classmates which is why I am not surprised you haven't had much exposure to this kind of event. That mentality, that way of being, is simply natural to you. It is such a part of you that it is practically second nature for you, almost an involuntary response in a way. You are still training so you haven't yet refined it. Honed it."

Pyrrha frowned at her teacher's words. "I'm afraid I don't fully understand what you're talking about."

Glynda gave her a slight smile. "I know. You will come to though the more you learn and with the more you experience. If that still doesn't help you understand then I'll try to explain it better." Seeing no complaint raised, she continued. "You see, it's something you usually find in experienced Hunters or those that have experienced battle many times. A honed battle sense that has been cultivated, that allows you to be a better fighter in a way. Some ways this manifests is through better reflexes, such is your case here. While you were caught off guard by my arrival you responded very quickly with a drive to subdue what your more battle leaned mind thought to be an enemy. This is something that with time and experience will become more defined, more able to sense between someone with more hostile intent and someone who is an ally."

Pyrrha thought on what her teacher had said. "I see, I think."

Glynda just smiled at her responded, "Don't worry. Like I said, even though you don't understand right now, you will come to."

"Yes."

Something about her response didn't sit well with Glynda. After a pause she told Pyrrha, "You still haven't answered my earlier question."

"I-I didn't?" She tried to act surprised but her quick glance to the teacher let her know that she failed. Instead of waiting for a response she said, "No, I know I didn't." So your first response is to lie? "I was trying to avoid answering it. Trying to avoid thinking of it." You just reinforce what I've told you.

"What are you trying to avoid?"

"That all I really know is fighting. About how much I enjoy it." Liar. You love it.

"There is nothing wrong with either of those points I hope you know."

"Sometimes I like to think I believe that but other times, I can't help but think there should be more I enjoy doing. My life is all about fighting and I wonder if it shouldn't. I look around and observe others around me and they have more to them. Shouldn't I have something more? Is there something wrong with me?" You crave it.

"There is nothing wrong with you. Even if fighting dominated your life as much as you believe it too, there is nothing wrong with you. Besides, you have your friends. Doesn't that show that you that there is more than just fighting?"

Pyrrha let out a half-hearted chuckle. "They're friends that I have made at an academy dedicated to combat." Remember the feeling?

"Touché,' Glynda conceited.

Pyrrha's smile wasn't completely happy as she continued, "See?" She sighed. "This is just another thing that leads me to asking myself, am I just friends because they are all fighters in their own right? They could all become exceptional warriors in the future."

"I'm not sure I agree with you when you say all of them."

"You're talking about Jaune, yes?" Goodwitch's look told her as much. "Well I believe that he has vast pool of potential that he just hasn't tapped into yet." Don't you want to experience that again?

Glynda may have made a sound those that are uninformed may have mistakenly identified as a snort. They would be wrong though. Yes they would. "You are not the only one who believes that. I have yet to see that for myself."

This time her smile was brighter. "I'm trying to help him to that point. I'm sure that one day, you'll see it." That high?

"Maybe," Glynda smiled. "Do not speak a word of this to anyone else, but I hope to be proven wrong. Not because of what he can do, but because you achieved what you set out too." She paused. "To get back to the original point l, don't you also help your other friends? In matters not just of fighting?"

Pyrrha considered her words. "...yes, I have. How did you know?"

"It may not seem like it but we do try to monitor the students. Sometimes we are successful." After saying this Glynda turned to stare Pyrrha in the eyes. "Do you see? Even if there is a connection to fighting, you still have friends and are helping them in your own way. If you were as obsessed with fighting like you think your are, you might want to help anyone. Especially if it wasn't somehow connected to fighting."

Both went still once she had finished. Pyrrha seemed to be thinking things over and Goodwitch was being mindful to give her space. Moments, maybe minutes, passed before Pyrrha spoke again. "I'm sorry but I'm still having trouble accepting what you've been telling me, though I'll admit that I see the logic behind them, I still feel like they don't fully apply to me."

"That's fine. Somethings take time and even then you might find that it doesn't apply to you. But in considering the possibilities and differences in yourself, you will be able to fully understand yourself. It's important to give yourself time to come to these realizations. Don't rush it. I've seen people do so before and they have regretted that. Sometimes it's instantaneous and other times it has been later in life." As she said this Pyrrha's face grew inquisitive. To head this off before it had a chance to fester she said, "No, I won't tell you who I refer to. That is something you do not need to know."

"Sorry," Pyrrha sheepishly responded.

"It's fine. Just take my suggestions into consideration. I would be highly upset if I let you fall into that."

"I promise to try." Do you really?

Goodwitch smiled lightly. "That's the best we can hope for sometimes." Finally she stood up. "Well, if you won't be needing anything else, I'll be going. Good luck, Miss Nekos."

Pyrrha nodded and also took to standing. "Thank you, Miss Goodwitch."

As chance would have it they both ended up walking in the same direction for the most part until splitting up in the hallways of the dorms. Pyrrha was making her way back towards JNPR's room when suddenly Blake went running by, seemingly unnoticing her. Seconds later Blake once more ran past her, this time joined by Glynda. Also, a hose. Perplexed by the odd sight she decided to see what was going on. Or maybe it was because her dwelling was right next across from RWBY's and it wouldn't take really any time out of her exhaustingly boring day.

Nearing the now busy intersection she overhead Yang saying, "Look Blake, you made me all wet." You could practically feel the innuendo dripping from the comment. Like a slap.

Glynda's tone was biting and dared the punstress to retort. "Detention Miss Xiao-Long for two weeks. I will not tolerate inappropriate behavior. Report to my classroom tonight." Though she couldn't see it, she could almost feel Goodwitch's glare from where she was a bit further down the corridor.

Seconds later the door to RWBY's accommodations slammed shut. As she passed her, levitating hose in tow, she simply grated out, "Good evening, Miss Nekos."

After taking a moment to process the events that had just transpired, she went back to her now short journey. Standing outside the room she wanted to just enter, she felt a nagging urge to check in on her comrades. This conflict raged within her until a victor was chosen. I feel like I'm to nice sometimes.

Slowly making the very short cross from her doorway to the other, she knocked politely. Blake was the one to open the door, enough that she was able to see into the room. "Pyrrha? Do you need anything?" It wasn't too damaged but there was soot and burn marks at one spot in the room. One could safely assume it was related to fire, whatever had happened. Curiously, Yang was soaking wet. Why?

"I just wanted to check in on you after I saw Miss Goodwitch." She was really mad. I wonder what happened to make like that. "Is, uh, is everything alright? Do you need anything?"

Blake sharply glared at Yang cutting off what sounded to be affirmation to her request. Not taking her eyes off her partner she told Pyrrha, "No, we're alright. It's was just a little issue with some fire."

Her eyes widened at the news, though it was along the lines of what she was thinking it could be. "Are you sure you don't need anything? Maybe some extra towels? Or cleaning supplies perhaps?"

Blake seemed to be ready to respond similarly to what she had already said but then she sighed and her face softened partly. "We could use the extra towels, please."

Pyrrha nodded and quickly went and retrieved them. Blake mumbled her thanks, the sentiment echoed by Yang, as she took them and shut the door. Staring a tad blankly at the closed door she thought to herself, I think I'm just going to rest for the remainder of the day. That'll be good.

Sure. It'll give you time to think about everything. We've got a lot to do.