Clanging echoed throughout the training room, as Pyrrha's Miló and Akoúo̱ clashed against the blades of Ren's Stormflower. Sparring against him instead of Nora was as different as day and night. Nora's war hammer possessed power and reach, and her hyperactive and battle-loving persona made her an unpredictable opponent. Ren's fighting style was instead faster and more agile, possessing amazing footwork and an uncanny affinity toward unarmed combat.
Pyrrha tried to focus on the battle, but was unable to do so, as if something inside her head was tugging at a nerve, begging for attention, like an incessant nagging from an unseen source. Too late did she notice Ren's foot coming toward her face. The clanging stopped as she was kicked down on her back.
"What's the matter, Pyrrha?" asked Ren.
"Huh?" she uttered in confusion as she stood up, wiping away a couple of sweat drops. "What do you mean?" she asked.
Ren stood at a distance and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Your reflexes are slow, and your footwork is shoddy. I know you can perform better than that. Are you feeling well? Do you want us to take a break?"
Pyrrha bit her lower lip. So he's noticing my poor performance. How humiliating. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking though," she said with a thin smile.
The two of them had sparred against each other before. Even though Ren could definitely put up a good match, the victor had so far always been Pyrrha. Since the beginning of their latest sparring match, however, Ren was clearly holding the upper hand. She figured she could gain the advantage if she were to use her Semblance, but the two of them had agreed on not using their Semblances so that they may focus on practicing their physical skills.
I must step up! Focus, Pyrrha! She raised her sword and shield, resuming her battle stance. "Come on, let's have another go."
Ren nodded while observing his sparring partner. Her stance was resolute, ready to attack or defend, but her eyes were not as vigilant as they should be. Ren got into a graceful battle stance, becoming still like a statue, holding his breath and keeping his magenta eyes fixated upon the red-haired girl. His silent and tranquil posture was broken the moment he dashed forward. He raised Stormflower and fired several, short bursts at her.
Pyrrha steadied her shield in front of her just as the hail of bullets rattled against the metallic surface. Ren increased his speed further and threw himself down on his knees, using the momentum to slide on the smooth floor and swing a leg toward Pyrrha's knees. She jumped straight and far up into the air. In mid-air, she switched her weapon's form into a semi-automatic rifle and squeezed the trigger multiple times in rapid succession. Ren pursued her by kicking himself off the floor, blocking each shot with Stormflower's blades. Pyrrha made haste to transform Miló back into a sword just before it parried a powerful dual swing.
As gravity began to pull the two fighters back down to the floor, Ren somersaulted and swung his leg vertically down in the shape of axe-kick. Pyrrha raised the shield over her head and grunted in response to the heel slamming into it. The powerful impact shook her off balance and propelled her descent back to the floor. She managed to recover and land on her feet, albeit in a clumsy manner, whereas Ren's landing was as graceful as a cat's.
Pyrrha grit her teeth and tightened the grips around her armaments. Why can't I keep up with him? Has he surpassed me?
She knew he had worked hard to improve his poor stamina, a weakness that made him ill fit for extended or physically taxing fights. Then, what about the rest of his combat skills? Had he honed them as well?
Maybe my own training has been bad lately…
After a brief respite, Pyrrha ran toward Ren and attacked him with a rapid flurry of her sword in conjunction with her shield. Similar to an exotic and elegant dance, Ren ducked, jumped, and twisted away from her swings and thrusts. He became smooth like water and untouchable like the wind. It was as if she was trying to cut an annoying Rapier wasp buzzing around her. His movements changed as he began to attack her in return. Pyrrha found herself being assaulted by what could be described as a vicious, green-colored tornado armed with blades that forced her back.
Methodically and precisely, Ren fought his way through her guard until he exposed an opening. Pulling his right arm far back, a purple glow surrounded his hand. Ren slammed his Aura-empowered palm straight into Pyrrha's sternum. She cried out as she was thrown off the floor, feeling as if she was hit by a speeding car. After having been knocked against the wall like a ragdoll, she collapsed on her hands and knees, panting. The Aura gauge on her Scroll emitted a warning signal, telling her that her Aura was almost depleted.
I've been… beaten. It was an almost non-existent occurrence for her.
Ren lowered his weapons and took a breath, composing himself after the intense sparring match. Pyrrha expected to see a look of satisfaction on her opponent's face for doing something many considered to be impossible, but all Ren's expression showed was muted concern.
"I'll ask again, Pyrrha. What's the matter?" he asked, putting more weight into his words this time.
Pyrrha sighed and silently admitted defeat to herself. There was no point in lying to Ren anymore. "Let's have a break first," she said and got up.
The taste of defeat felt bitter, but she knew she had only herself to blame. At least she was glad that the only one who had witnessed it was Ren. If her strict parents had seen her humiliating defeat, they would have berated her, telling her to go over her recent mistakes and train hard to ensure she would never repeat them ever again. Pyrrha sometimes wished she would lose a battle in front of thousands of her fans. Then, her title as 'The Invincible Girl' would be shattered forever, allowing her to relax and live her life more simply without needing to worry about her reputation.
She and Ren walked over to a corner of the training room and sat down on a bench to rest. While she was drinking some cold and refreshing water, Pyrrha noticed how Ren was glancing at her expectantly. He was waiting for her to say something, anything that could answer why she had lost.
"A combat teacher once told me that you can learn much about someone by fighting them," said Ren.
Pyrrha silently agreed with the wisdom from his idiom. Curiosity made her ask, "And what did you learn by fighting me?"
"It was as if I was fighting your body only," he tapped his dark-haired head with his fingers twice, "And not your mind. Are you okay, Pyrrha? Is something distracting you, preventing you from focusing?"
Pyrrha could hear a vague, yet touching amount of concern in his composed voice. Even if Ren was the least talkative member of the team, he was always willing to share his voice when needed to care for his friends.
"Ren," she began and paused to look into his eyes, "Is it okay if I ask you a personal question about Nora?" She thought it was shameful of her to ask Ren about Nora. She knew she should instead be asking Nora herself.
Ren showed no discomposure about the thought of talking about his friend. "I'll do my best to answer, as long as it's not too personal. What would you like to know?"
Pyrrha hesitated, not knowing if her question would be too personal or not. "This might seem like an odd question, but, have you ever seen Nora in a bad mood before?"
Ren crooked an eyebrow. "Bad mood?" he echoed. "Can you elaborate?"
"Yeah, I mean, have you seen her, like, angry, annoyed, or envious?"
"I have," said Ren with a single nod.
"Really? I don't doubt you. It's just that, I can't even imagine someone as cheerful as her to ever be in a bad mood. She can look at things positively no matter what happens. Remember last month's mission when we were travelling across an open landscape on foot? It rained intensely, and we didn't have any umbrellas or raincoats. We got completely…soaked." Pyrrha felt a shiver roll over her skin that left goose bumps behind. She could handle rain back then without feeling too uneasy, but that was before she fell into the pool. What would happen to her the next time she stepped out during a downpour?
Ren nodded once again. "Nora said we didn't need to shower or wash our clothes. Plus, we got to refill our near-empty water bottles." His lips spread into a small smile. Though uncommon, he could be humored by Nora's attitude and jokes.
"That was some fresh and delicious rain water, wasn't it?" Pyrrha chuckled. "And then there was the time when she sprained her right wrist, and she said it was a good moment for her to practice doing things with her left hand instead. She giggled even the moment she was hurt. That's some odd pain tolerance."
"That's our Nora all right. But, to answer your question, I have indeed seen Nora in a bad mood. She can get grumpy from withdrawal if she hasn't had any soda or candy for more than a day. Trust me, Pyrrha, you do not want to be near Nora on the second day." Ren then continued speaking a bit more cautiously, breaking his eye contact with her, "Um… she once told me that she's envious… of you."
The surprise made Pyrrha choke on some water from her bottle, spilling a few drops on her clothes. "Me? Why?"
His pale cheeks turned rosy, shifting on his seat slightly. "Something about your… torso…which I prefer not to talk about." He paused to clear his throat in an awkward manner. "What I'm saying, Pyrrha, is that Nora is no stranger to emotions other than happiness."
"Does that… include crying?" asked Pyrrha carefully, feeling that her questions were starting to get too personal.
"It does, if tears of joy count."
Pyrrha chuckled softly. She could not tell if Ren was jesting or not, because there were no signs of mirth in his near-blank expression. "Funny, Nora once said the same thing," she mentioned, recalling her moment with Nora at the cafe. "I meant, have you ever seen her sad? You don't need to answer if I'm starting to step over the line with my questions."
Until now, Ren had answered all of her questions with little to no doubt. Now, however, he hesitated before replying with a more somber tone, "I have. Has she mentioned anything particular sad to you before?" he asked, choosing his words carefully.
Pyrrha could only recall one sad thing Nora had said. "Yeah, she did. She told me her mother left her shortly after she was born. She was raised by her father alone."
"I figured she would tell you that eventually. She sees you as a good friend."
The empathy she felt for Nora hit her hard as always. She sighed and dropped her shoulder, feeling her stomach tense up. "I get heartbroken just thinking of her growing up without knowing why her own mother left." She saw Ren's eyes shift, a minor flaw in his stoic expression.
"Is... that what she said?" he asked hesitantly.
His body language and response triggered a feeling of curiosity within Pyrrha, which she could not ignore. "Yeah, what about it?"
"It's…," Ren shook his head dismissively, "It's nothing. I misheard what you said."
His explanation, however, failed to convince Pyrrha and turned her curiosity into suspicion. Ozpin may have told me that I'm a bad lair, but I can tell that Ren is not being honest with me.
"Ren," she placed a soft hand on his shoulder and spoke to him with a soft voice, "I know you and Nora have been best friends since you were kids, but I see her as a good friend, too."
"What Nora said or didn't say to you about her past, I'm sure there was a reason. Maybe she will explain it better to you another time," he answered neutrally, following a diplomatic path.
Pyrrha respected his answer and did not attempt to pry. She knew he respected Nora too much to tell people things that she may not approve of. She regretted having asked him. Doubting the details of a friend's tragic story felt wrong, but she could not simply throw the doubt away.
What reason could Nora possibly have to lie about her mother?
It was now Ren who decided to ask her something, "Pyrrha, I don't think it's a coincidence that you've been asking me these questions about Nora. What happened between you and her while Jaune and I were away?"
Pyrrha hesitated as she thought of what to say. She had assumed that Nora had already told him everything about her not fully appreciating Nora's friendly intimacy. "She… she did something that I disagreed with. We talked about it… and I told her to please not do it again," she explained. "It's not as serious as it sounds, really." Her reaffirmation felt like a lie, not only to Ren but to herself as well. Pyrrha decided not to mention any more details, not for her own sake, but for Nora's. She knew Ren and Nora were very close, but she did not want to take any unnecessary risks.
"If you say so," said Ren as he stood up. "I thank you for the sparring match, Pyrrha, but I think that's enough for today. Let's head back to the dorm. Even though you were not fully focused during the match, I can give you feedback about your performance."
"Does that involve you making your unique and delicious pancakes?" asked Pyrrha with a grin. I wonder how Nora and Jaune are faring with their own sparring match…, she thought while collecting her things.
"Woah!" yelled Jaune just as he ducked from a fast swing of a war hammer that grazed the top of his blonde hair. He immediately followed by rolling to the left, just as the same war hammer came crashing down into the floor. He hurried to get back up on his feet and raised his shield. "Slow down a bit!" He threw the words out of his mouth as quickly as he could. The only response came in the form of a girly giggle.
"You think silly words like that will work on the Grimm? Think again, Vomit Boy!" Nora quipped loudly. She spun her whole body around, building up momentum for Magnhild. Despite her war hammer's size, she wielded it as effortlessly as if it was a plastic toy. With an excited war cry, she swung her weapon in a wide, horizontal arc.
Jaune steadied his shield arm, dug his feet into the ground and tried to make himself as immovable as a mountain. A thunderous clang resonated as the hammer struck the shield, followed by him yelling as he flew across the room.
Nora chuckled heartily as she watched Jaune fly up into the air like a living projectile. Her gaze followed his descent back to the floor, his Aura shielding him from what looked like an uncomfortable landing. If Pyrrha had not trained Jaune in how to defend himself more efficiently, Nora would have had defeated him by now. His apparent large amount of Aura helped in extending the fight a bit, much to her delight.
I know he grew up with seven sisters, but that does not mean he is ready to handle one like me, oh and Maggy, too! Just as he got back up on his feet, Nora transformed Magnhild from a war hammer into a grenade launcher. She steadied it against her shoulder and took aim at him.
"Wait!" Jaune raised both his hands up to emphasize his words. "Before you shoot, you're using training grenades, right?"
His reaction made her smile turn into a toothy grin. "I dunno! Let's find out! Bombs away! Duck and cover, Jaune!" she replied before she pulled the trigger. A spinning canister adorned with a pink heart was shot out of the launcher's nozzle.
Jaune gasped and raised shield in front of him. The grenade hit the shield, but instead of a pink colored explosion, there was instead just a small puff of smoke. The spent training grenade dropped harmlessly to the floor by Jaune's feet. He sighed in relief and lowered his shield again, only to be hit in the head by a second grenade that bounced off his Aura. "Ow! Hey!" he protested.
"Boom! Headshot!" yelled Nora victoriously. She knew how to have fun with dummy grenades, too.
It was not much of a sparring match from her point of view. To her, Jaune was like a living training dummy that she used to vent out some bad energies. He had, to her amusement, futilely tried to attack her. After having sparred several times against Pyrrha, Nora recognized her sword and board style that Jaune was trying to copy. His stabs, swings, and shield bashes were nearly the same as his mentor's, but slower and less refined. He had gotten close a couple of times to land a hit. It was cute to watch him try.
Nora opened Magnhild's cylinder and began inserting live grenades into the empty chambers. "Alright, Jauney! Are you ready for my finishing move? I call it Nora's super-awesome-funky-magical-rainbow blessing attack!" she exclaimed just as she pushed the cylinder back into position. She was forbidden from using live grenades due to the risk of property damage, especially after having 'accidentally' put a small hole through one of the training room's walls. She was, however, allowed to use them for Magnhild's war hammer form to boost her swings or propel her movements.
"Here I come!" Nora dashed toward Jaune, moving her legs as quickly as she could. As she jumped, she triggered a blast from her war hammer behind her that propelled her forward and quickly closed the distance between her and Jaune. She landed just a few feet from him, the momentum causing her to slide closer to him. She used that same momentum to spin her body around while triggering another blast, then a second and a third in rapid succession, greatly increasing the speed and power of her swing.
Just as Nora was about to deliver the strike, a white, and solid object appeared in front of her face seemingly out of nowhere. Her attack was interrupted just as Jaune bashed her face with his shield, sending her swing off course and her feet staggering away from him.
"You… you hit me…," whispered Nora after becoming still, keeping her back to Jaune. Did… Vomit Boy actually get lucky, or had Pyrrha's training actually paid of?!
She saw Jaune's proud grin quickly die as she turned around and looked at him with a trembling lower lip and the world's saddest, puppy eyes. "H-how could you! I'm a girl!" she wailed at him.
"I'm so terrible sorry! Are you oka-" Jaune was interrupted by a war hammer to the head that sent him sliding across the floor.
"Gotcha!" yelled Nora, grinning and pumping her fist. She hoped he learned a lesson not to lower his guard whenever a sparring opponent feigns sadness.
Jaune sighed to himself while Nora laughed heartily. "Man, Nora, that was a cheap shot. Do you treat your boyfriend like that, too?"
"Hmm? My boyfriend?" she echoed with a playful smile. "Who would that be?"
"You know, Ren?"
Nora burst into a lengthy giggle, really drawing it out to tell him how much he had screwed up. "Oh, you silly goofball! Ren's just my best friend."
"Really? Forget I even asked," said Jaune in apparent humiliation.
"Speaking of boyfriends," said Nora melodically, "how are things going with you and Weiss? Can I get some juicy gossip fresh from the source? Been on a date with her yet?" she asked teasingly, waggling her eyebrows at him. The one-sided romantic interest between Jaune and Weiss was a humorous subject that people at the academy liked to talk about, much to Weiss' chagrin.
Jaune looked hesitant to answer. "Well, no, not a date, but I feel that I'm making progress. I'm thinking about writing a new and better song to her, or maybe I should try a poem instead? I wonder if she would like flowers or chocolate the best? Maybe both? What do you-" his babbling was interrupted as Nora put her finger on his lips, shutting him up as he looked at her with a surprised expression.
"Jaune, listen, if you chase someone's heart too much, they may… distance themselves from you even more. You wouldn't want Weiss to do that, now would you?" she asked with a caring smile, tilting her head. "What happens when you eat ice cream too fast?"
"Um... oh!" He blinked as the answer came to him. "Brain freeze and tummy ache?"
"Sucks, huh? That's why we savor it slowly."
Jaune rubbed his chin as he went silent for a brief moment. "Sooo… you're saying I should take things with Weiss… more slowly?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, as if not entirely sure he had correctly understood Nora's wisdom.
Nora nodded.
"Thanks, Nora. I'll try it."
"Anytime, partner!" She grinned and gave him a thumbs up.
"Truth to be told, I didn't think you knew so much about that kind of stuff, because I thought you had been together with Ren since forever."
She broke eye contact with him, feeling her gut tense up. "I… I speak from experience."
"Really?" asked Jaune curiously, looking at her with apparent curiosity in his blue eyes, wanting to hear more.
"Uh huh! You seeeee, there was someone that I… liked once. I was too brash to win the person's heart, and didn't realize my mistakes until it was too late." She was accustomed to sharing jokes, laughter, teasing, and exaggerations with Jaune. It was the first time she told him anything remotely sad.
"Sorry to hear that. I mean it," he said.
Nora waved at him dismissively. "Oh, it's fine. It's history now." Her smile returned, but her gaze still lingered elsewhere. As they began walking toward the locker room door, Nora said, "Hey, Jaune. You forgot something."
"What?"
As he turned around, Nora raised her hammer and grinned manically. "The sparring match isn't over until one of our Auras blinks red!" she explained and took a swing.
Later that day, as Pyrrha stepped into her team's dorm, she could not see any of her teammates. She did, however, hear some noises coming from the bathroom. "Hello," she called out to announce her entrance.
"Oh, hey, Pyrrha," said Jaune, his voice coming from the bathroom.
After putting her things aside, Pyrrha walked up to the open bathroom door and saw Jaune standing in front of the mirror. As he turned to look at her, her eyes widened in shock.
"Jaune, what happened to you?" she asked and walked up to take a closer look on his injured face. She saw a small cut on his cheek. A part of his upper lip was slightly swollen. There was partially blood dry below his nose. The sight of it skyrocketed her concern, as well as her anger. "Was it Cardin and his lackeys?" she asked, gritting her teeth. "I swear, I will find them and-" Her rising hunger for retribution were swiftly dispersed by Jaune shaking his head.
"Nah, you're looking at Nora's handiwork," he said and chuckled. "She sure packs a mean right hook."
"Why would she hurt you?" She grew worried there had been a dramatic and violent clash between Nora and him.
"It was my fault. We were sparring, and as my Aura went red, I asked if we could fight for a bit longer with no weapons. You know, hand-to-hand combat? The last of my Aura ran out just before she landed a triple hit combo right in my face."
"Oh, Jaune…" She smiled while shaking her head. "Let me help clean you up. Can't have you look like that at the dinner table." She used some toilet paper and wiped Jaune's bloody nose clean. She then took out a plastic bottle from a cabinet and squeezed out a clear liquid onto a piece of paper, which she pressed against the small, open cut on his cheek. "Sit still, you big baby," teased Pyrrha after seeing his face twitch in response to the stinging disinfection.
"Does it look worse than it is?" he asked.
"Well, you shouldn't be getting any scars to brag about. After we eat, you should get some rest and focus on recovering your Aura so that you can heal faster, just to be safe. Did anything else happen between you and Nora? Did you talk about anything interesting?" she asked to distract them from talking further about his wounds. It was not the first time she saw blood and bruises, but to see her friends like that was unpleasant.
"She gave me an advice on dating. She said she learned it's better to take things more slowly to show romantic interest instead of rushing it. She apparently scared someone she liked a lot away by going too fast."
"Oh, did she, now?" Pyrrha paused as she took in the news. Nora told him on the second day of their partnership about someone she used to love? Why has she not mentioned that to me before? We even talked about boys just days ago. She wondered if she should ask Nora about it, rather than wait and hope that Nora might eventually tell her instead.
She finished treating Jaune by putting on a Band-Aid onto the cut cheek. "There. Good as new."
"Thank you."
"Anytime. You ready to go to the kitchen? I think Ren should be finished with the pancakes by now. I think I can already smell the aroma."
The aroma of freshly made pancakes lingered in the air. Nora was sitting by a table in a kitchen shared between her team and the girls from team RWBY, resting her chin on her hand while she idly poked around the single, relatively untouched pancake on her plate with a fork. Under normal circumstances, she, the self-proclaimed 'Devourer of Pancakes' would gluttonously stuff her mouth full and then ask for more while still chewing.
Having given Jaune advice on how to approach girls more slowly had reminded her of her own mistake. I moved too quickly too win Pyrrha's heart… now the heart is out of reach for me.
"Are the pancakes not moist enough?" asked Ren, who was cleaning the kitchen after having made the last batch of pancakes for his team. "You want more maple syrup? Or, jam perhaps? There's chocolate sauce, too."
Nora shook her head and smiled thinly. "Nah, Ren, the pancakes are delicious as always. It's just that…," her voice trailed off to sigh. She was usually happy to talk to Ren about anything, but now she was not sure what to say at all. It had been a long time since she had felt so down. Unhappiness was like cancer for her.
Ren looked at her from the kitchen. "It's about Pyrrha, isn't it? Did she turn you down? Nora nodded slowly. He walked to pull out a chair and sit down next to her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to tell me what happened exactly?"
Nora placed her hand on top of his and squeezed it gently. "I screwed up," she whined. "I… I cuddled with Pyrrha, gave a simple kiss even, and then, she…," It felt painful for Nora to remember Pyrrha's words that had shattered her heart. She needed more than a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. She stood up from her chair to instead sit down in Ren's lap, embracing him. "She said… she wants to be touched by someone who loves her… and not by a friend wanting to play around," she whispered into Ren's ear, resting her chin on his shoulder.
Ren stroked her back, trying his best to comfort her. "Is that what she thinks you're doing? Playing around? Did you try and tell how you truly feel?" he whispered back to her.
Nora pulled her head back, talking to him face to face. "I was gonna!" she answered, raising her voice a bit. "The words were at the tip of my tongue!" She leaned her forehead against Ren's, her eyes staring down. Her fingers tightened their grips on his shoulders. "And then… I thought of him." Her whisper was lined with traces of contempt as bad memories began surfacing in her mind.
"You mustn't let him stop you from being happy."
Nora grunted and shook her head in an attempt to get those memories of her head. "Let's not talk about him, 'kay?"
"Do you want me to talk to Pyrrha for you? I could tell her straightly how you feel, or give her some hints," asked Ren.
Nora did not even take a second to ponder his suggestion. "What's the point? Pyrrha said she doesn't know if she's attracted to girls."
Ren raised an eyebrow at her response. "She doesn't know? Isn't that better than her saying she's not into girls at all? Perhaps she needs more time to think where she stands. Remember all the things you went through to find out who you really were? How confused you were about your sexuality? You even wanted me to kiss you, to test yourself."
As Nora took in his words, she felt a small amount of hope return. She believed there was still a chance for her to have what her heart desired. "Thanks, Ren." she said and pecked his forehead. "You're the best!"
As they heard footsteps approaching, Nora moved away from Ren's lap and sat down on her chair again, just before Pyrrha and Jaune stepped into the kitchen. Nora smirked as she saw Jaune's bruised face.
"Do I smell something delicious?" asked Jaune. He hungrily gazed at the freshly made collection of pancakes just waiting to be eaten. After he and Pyrrha took their seats, Ren began serving everyone.
"Thank you, Ren," said Pyrrha with a smile just as a few pancakes were placed on her plate.
Nora's appetite was reinvigorated, thanks to Ren, as she began to eat like a starved child. While she was stuffing her mouth full, she looked at Pyrrha across the table. As their eyes met, Nora smiled warmly at her without saying anything. Her smile proved infectious, as Pyrrha beamed. It always felt good to share a smile with her.
Author's note: Maybe some of you are a bit worried that the story is not as much about Pyrrha and Nora anymore. Don't worry, I promise that the story will continue focusing on them.