I apologize for not responding to many people from the last chapter. Things have been hectic and the small amount of free time I've gotten has gone into trying to type this and my Akame Ga Kill chapters. These will definitely be the last chapters of the year, possibly until mid to late January. But, I will respond to all reviews through PM. I implore everyone to make an account since I can only respond to guest reviewers through Authors Notes like these. I would respond through the review section, but that feels like cheating and review bloating. For now, I'll address the Guest reviewer under Randoms.

Randoms: I can't promise that Glynda won't make it into the harem. It's not set in stone yet, though. I do agree on you with Yang primarily. She's not one of my favorite characters, but I hope to write her more realistically. I want everyone to be both likable and unlikable in some regards. Or at the very least, for them have good and bad points.

As for Weiss and Blake, neither of them are 'head over heels' for Jaune at all. Blake is being more observant in an optimistic way, and maybe she has a small crush developing. Being physically attracted to someone doesn't mean she's in love with him either. Weiss also is only starting to think that maybe she should change her attitude towards Jaune. It's not even really a crush yet.

Either way, since this will be the last of the year, Happy New Years everyone!

Dancing is revealing...

Chapter 5: Silver haired f(r)iend

The sound of her heart beat thundered in her ears.

It made the blood that spilled from her wounds splash the ground, but her adrenaline kept her awake.

Her father held the door shut with his back, his terrified eyes shifting between her own and the woman that held her.

It was a look of regret.

Even at her age, she knew what it meant.

He couldn't protect them.

The wooden door began to splinter, one of the shards puncturing the mans shoulder.

He didn't cry out in pain. Only gritting his teeth as the look of regret faded into acceptance.

Looking up at the woman that held her, she flinched as a tear fell onto her face.

Sadness.

An emotion she was familiar with from her mother. Yet, that sadness was often bereft of caring. Her tears were for her father.

If she looked down to the little girl she held, would those tears turn to resentment?

That answer wouldn't come immediately as the sound of the door exploding to bits drew her attention.

In a wave of black, they poured in, covering the man. In an instant, his cries were drowned out by the savage sound of flesh tearing and bones snapping. His eyes locked onto hers for his final agonizing moments.

Time seemed to slow as several of the black beasts, nothing more than blurry shadows to the little girl, began to leave the corpse of her father and focus their attention on the two remaining people in the small building.

Their growls of desperation showed that the meal they had indulged did nothing to sate their unending hunger.

The shadows would rip, tear, and devour, until there was nothing left...

Not even a second later did a gunshot ring out.

The first of the shadowy beasts exploded into dust. The rest turned their attention back towards the door they had burst through. Several more gunshots and more and more of the shadows disappeared.

But no light replaced those shadows.

Only the gruesome sight of what once was her father; back torn open to reveal a partially devoured spine. His body split in half as his lower body had been drug partially out of the door, fought over by the smaller shadows that could not get in. Viscera and gore, his intestines pulled to the door frame. His lifeless eyes still hung open, staring deep into his daughters again.

She didn't even realize that the sound of the shadows had all but disappeared. Even as complete silence enveloped them, she simply continued to stare into the glassy eyes of her father.

The sight would be burned into her memory for the rest of her days, even as darkness finally overtook her…

She awoke to the gentle movement of a carriage, the creaking of wooden wheels a familiar sound. As her eyes began to adjust to the dim light around her, she found herself unceremoniously on the hard floor of the vehicle. The moon sat high in the sky, the darkness around them pierced by its celestial rays.

"Hmph…"

A sound she was also used to hearing.

She turned her gaze to her mother, the blonde woman eyeing her with the resentment she had come to expect.

The little girl shrunk in on herself as her body ached. Looking at herself, she saw that her wounds had mostly been healed. She also felt a power within herself that wasn't there before. It felt similar to the power her father was able to use. Something called aura…

"Welcome back to the realm of the living young one." The voice of a male startled her and she turned her head to the opposite side of the carriage to find a young man with silver hair and yellowish eyes.

Her immediate reaction was to scoot back away from him, placing her back against the low seat in the carriage. The man didn't seem to mind. His gaze held an amused glint for only a moment before a frown marred his face. His eyes seemed to flash from behind his glasses.

"It is alright, young lady. My name is Ozpin. The nightmare you have faced has been quelled." The man now known as Ozpin held her gaze, giving her a small smile to ease her fear.

"Don't be rude. This man saved us." Her mother spoke up with a cold bite. The woman folded her legs and arms and looked away from her daughter as she looked up at her.

Ozpin's small smile faltered momentarily. "Ms. Goodwitch, I understand the tragedy that has befallen you is hard to take in. Don't you believe your daughter may feel the same?" His tone was sharp. Though the little girl noticed, the older blonde woman didn't seem to.

"Please, Mr. Ozpin. Just call me Evillene." The warmth of her words made the little girl shiver. She spoke in a way reserved for her husband…

At that thought, the memories flooded back into her. The tears started to fall before she realized, and she felt herself in someones arms.

She clung to Ozpin, finally letting out all the pain and sorrow that she couldn't. Solace in the arms of a stranger. Something she didn't truly understand.

"Mr. Ozpin...there's-"

"Please, Evillene." Ozpin interrupted curtly. "If you are too hurt to console your child, then allow me." The silver haired man knew the woman wasn't too hurt to console her child. The bubbling rage he was starting to feel was well hidden.

With a deep breath, he held the girl until she had all but cried herself to sleep again. When she was reduced to sniffles and clinging limply to him, he moved them back to his seat, holding the girl as if she were his own daughter.

"Pray tell, what is your name little one?" Ozpin finally asked.

"Glynda…" The little girl answered sleepily.

"And how old are you Glynda?"

"Six…"

She felt his grip tighten for a second before relaxing.

"Daddy is...daddy is…" She began to tear up again.

Ozpin just held her closer, enveloping the small girl with his warmth. "Shh...do not think of it. Sleep now, child, and we will grieve together in the morning."

The warmth spread. It became all encompassing. Once more, she began to drift into unconsciousness. Before she had completely succumb to sleep, she heard the man speak once more.

"Charon, we will be going to the Hollow instead of the Emerald City. Make haste."

She would once again awaken some time later. This time she found herself in a small bed. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as a blanket fell from her body. Her gaze wandered in the dim light; a candle on the small wooden desk next to her almost burned to naught.

The walls around her looked to be natural wood. Almost as if she were on the inside of a tree. Gazing about more, it didn't take long to realize that it was most likely the case. The desk across from her seemed to grow right out of the wall and leaves and vines lined various parts of the room. Everything seemed to be made from the same material as the walls, sans things like the small red carpet on the floor and the bronze drinking cauldron in the corner.

Before she could ponder anymore, the door to the room opened and the silver haired man from before stepped in. He paused when he saw her awake, matching her own surprised look.

Glynda fidgeted backwards in the bed slightly. She wasn't completely afraid of the man any longer, but she still knew nothing of him.

Ozpin just smiled warmly before holding up the candle stick he held, a fresh candle already burning its wick.

"I'm surprised you're awake so soon. It's only been a few hours. Are you hungry?" The man moved to the nightstand and snuffed out the light of the used the candle before replacing it with the new one.

Before the little girl could answer, her stomach did so for her. The rumbling made Ozpin chuckle while the girl looked down sheepishly.

"It's quite alright. It's been a long night and morning is almost upon us. Would you care to join me and your mother for breakfast?"

The mention of her mother made the girls mood drop even further. The man took note and his smile fell.

"Glynda, do you love your mother?"

The blonde girl looked up in fear, her eyes wide. She looked around the room almost in a panic. Ozpin swiftly sat down on the bed and placed a hand on the girls head.

"It's alright. No one is going to hurt you here. Your mother is asleep." His words had the desired effect of calming the girl.

However, it also let Ozpin know his intuitions had been correct. There was more to the scene of a hoard of grimm attacking a lone cottage in the wild. Grimm didn't ransack singular homes as they had no real need to eat. But they would definitely attack a place if negative emotions ran rampant.

"Glynda, I promise I won't tell anyone what we discuss here. But is your mother a good mother?"

The blonde little girl seemed to curl up, still seemingly afraid to answer. Ozpin released a bit of the warmth from before, not just to coax the girl, but to help her keep her inner turmoil to a minimum. Such anguish inside of such a small child didn't sit well with him.

"She's…mommy. And mommy is always right." A dead answer as dead as her voice. It sent a shiver down Ozpin's spine.

"Has mommy ever hit you?" Ozpin pressed.

"Only when I deserve it!" Glynda blurted, her eyes once again shining with fear.

"Why would you deserve to be hit Glynda?"

The fear that etched itself onto her face would haunt Ozpin. It was a clear sign of trauma and abuse.

"I...I can't. Mommy will be angry. You'll be angry too..."

"Glynda, I promise I won't be angry."

"But…but…"

The tears that were welling in her eyes broke Ozpin's heart. He had a feeling he knew what the girl was hiding but he needed to be sure.

"How about this." Ozpin started, getting up and standing before the little girl. I'll share my secret with you first. And then if you're comfortable, you can share your secret too, okay?"

The sniffling child rubbed her eyes and looked up at the man curiously. Ozpin smiled before holding up a hand and making the flame from the candle fly to hover above his palm.

The little girls eyes widened as she looked between the flame and the man holding it. Ozpin didn't move and intently watched what the girl would do. A little to his surprise, but what he was hoping for, the girl cupped her hands as if she were holding water.

The flame moved from Ozpin's palm to the girls outstretched hands.

Glynda looked up at Ozpin with bated breaths. Ozpins smile grew and he sat in a chair at the desk. "Would we happen to have the same secret?" He asked a bit cheekily.

For the first time since he met her, Ozpin was treated to a small smile gracing the girls lips.

Glynda went on to explain that she was able to do things that no one could explain ever since she was four years old. She didn't have access to aura or dust crystals, but some people still passed it off as a semblance. However, when she was able to start manipulating fire and water, people saw it for what it really was.

Magic.

Instead of seeing it as a miracle, though, most people began to call the girl cursed. Their small family was forced to leave the small village they lived in to a secluded cabin in grimm infested lands on their own. Unfortunately, her mother began to resent her for her abilities, calling her a demon. Evillene told her to never use her abilities again; that they were powers of grimm kind somehow.

Ozpin was livid.

But just as much, Ozpin was thrilled. Through all his life, finding others that could naturally use magic was beyond rare. Including Glynda, he had only ever met three people that weren't related to the maidens somehow that could use magic. Even after all that time, he never understood what made them so different. Why did people exist that could naturally use magic, to varying degrees at that?

Glynda, at only six years old, was extremely gifted.

Ozpin began to explain to the little girl what magic was, or at least, what he knew of it. It was an ancient power that existed before modern aura and dust; A power humans and faunus had that would begin to fade away as time went on.

He told her the story of the maidens, explaining how they were some of the last few vestiges of real, undiluted magic.

Primarily, he explained that there was nothing wrong with magic. That she was no demon. Her power was just as natural as any persons semblance, just far more rare.

The little girl grew more comfortable with him as they talked and played around with their magic until the sun was up.

Sensing Evillene awaken, Ozpin cut their time short and escorted the girl to what looked to be a kitchen.

Glynda was sure shew as inside a tree as every portion of the building they were in looked just like her room. It reminded her of some of the fairy tales her father would read her before bed. Before her mood could fall at the thought of her father, the sight of her mother did the deed first.

Evillene moved into the kitchen with a smile that turned into a flat lined frown as she laid eyes on her daughter. Glynda tried to make herself as small as possible, slightly hiding behind Ozpin's leg. The silver haired man moved forward and gestured to the small table in the room.

"Please, have a seat. Breakfast will be ready momentarily." He turned and knelt before Glynda. "Would you like to help prepare it?"

The girl nodded quickly, wanting nothing more than to not have to be around her mother.

It was all done in silence. The cooking, the eating. A tension had built that even the six year old could feel. Evillene kept shooting daggers at the girl and questioning gazes at Ozpin. Once they had finished eating, the woman finally broke the silence.

"Mr. Ozpin, you must know the truth of what happened yesterday." Her voice cracked a bit. As much disdain as he had for the woman's apparent treatment of her daughter, he wasn't so blind as to see the grief the woman held for the loss of her husband.

"I have an inkling. But if you were to shed more light on the situation, if you are comfortable."

The woman nodded. "It was her." She spat with venom, her eyes locked onto Glynda. "She's a demon, sir. With powers of dark magic born of grimm. She was the one to draw those monsters to our home. The reason our life was uprooted once before. The reason my husband is gone…" She began to cry as she spoke.

As her tears turned into racks of sobs, Ozpin merely sat silently. The look on his face was indiscernible, with his usual small smirk never leaving.

After letting the woman compose herself, Ozpin stood and moved back towards the kitchen area. "Madam, do you drink coffee?"

The woman rose an eyebrow. "I...I do...but-"

"Cream and sugar?"

"No, thank you. Sir, I-"

Ozpin set a bronze cup on the wooden counter hard enough to silence the room. The pressure that filled the room was palpable as even Glynda began to hold her breath.

The silence remained as Ozpin made three cups of coffee, making one for the six year old Glynda extra sweet. Though he usually wouldn't give a child coffee, he would make an exception this once.

Once he returned to the table and placed the cups in front of everyone, he sat back down and immediately took a sip. He motioned for both Evillene and Glynda to do the same.

Glynda smiled at the sweet tasting drink, though she still preferred hot chocolate.

Once Evillene had taken a sip Ozpin placed his own cup down. "Evillene, as you may well know, grimm are attracted to negative emotions. Fear, anger, and sorrow primarily. Magic, is not something that garners their attention usually."

The womans eyes widened as Ozpin held a hand up and made all the candles in the room ignite. The woman stood from her chair but stumbled backwards. Her vision began to blur and she felt woozy.

"From what I have gathered so far, the grimm were attracted by those three things. The fear your daughter must have felt from her own mother. The anger you displayed at an innocent little girl. And the sorrow that your husband internalized at failing his family. By this logic, you are the cause of the grimm attack last night. And it is a miracle it had not happened sooner."

"What did...you do…" The woman was slumping to the floor.

Ozpin looked to Glynda to see her still entranced with her own cup of coffee. Her eyes seemed hazy, as if she weren't aware of what was going on.

"Your daughter has a gift that makes her far more valuable to this world than you could ever know. What happened last night could have taken an important piece from the board." He trailed off as he slowly approached her, the flames from the candles around the room growing. When he stood over Evillene, his eyes shined with a sinister glow.

"Your ignorance will only cause more harm than good. As such, I believe Glynda would be better off without you in her life any longer."

The wall behind Evillene began to twist, branches and vines snaking their way outwards to wrap around the woman. Whatever she had been drugged with prevented her from shouting. Her eyes landed on her daughters, their similar jade eyes meeting.

There was clarity in Glynda's eyes.

The branches and vines began to pull Evillene into the wall. Ozpin sipped his coffee as he watched the woman disappearing. Her frantic and fear filled eyes landed on his as her face was the only thing left. "The Hollow shall be the grave for your actions. Do repent, and find peace in the next life."

With his words, the woman was swallowed whole.

Jaune shivered at the story. Even with what Izanami had told him, he didn't think Ozpin was that ruthless.

"What did Ozpin do to you? How do you remember all of that if he drugged your drinks?"

The blonde woman looked down sadly. "He did more than that. Once he realized the drink didn't put me to sleep, he instead used a spell to lock those memories away. He told me my mother tried to leave afterward and had been killed by grimm."

Jaune grit his teeth. Though he understood Ozpins actions on getting rid of Evillene, he also knew the man had ulterior motives for Glynda. A random child with seemingly strong capabilities could only be an asset.

"As he taught me magic growing up, I stumbled upon a spell that incidentally ended up removing the block he had placed on my memories. It turned out it wasn't the only time he had manipulated me." The bitterness in her voice dripped with venom and sadness. Jaune wanted to hug the woman. He had never seen her look so fragile.

She took a moment to take a large sip of her coffee before relaxing. "There were several times I questioned Ozpin on the way he would sacrifice people who trusted him to further his goals. I've seen him send many people on suicide missions without batting an eye as long as the results were in his favor. Though I know he isn't evil and his intentions are for the greater good, the collateral for his actions are far too great in my opinion."

Jaune could understand that. Salem was without a doubt the enemy of human and faunus kind. However, war never changed. Casualties were expected, especially in the situation with the grimm. But it seemed like Ozpin was desperate.

"From what you've told me, he cared for you."

The woman nodded. "Of course. If he didn't I'm sure I would have been just another sacrificial pawn."

The teens brown furrowed. "The relics make a little more sense now…" He spat disdainfully.

"He has calmed considerably over the last few years, especially with the advancements in technology." Glynda motioned to the room. "When Beacon was being built, it was the happiest I had ever seen him to be honest."

Jaune leaned back and rose an eyebrow. "When Beacon was built...Glynda...how old are you exactly?"

The headmistress blushed brightly, her eyes widening. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. Jaune grinned at her.

"That's…" She stuttered, trying to find the right words.

"It's alright if you don't want to say. I'm aware that the more in tune you are with magic, the more it extends your life span."

Her blush began to fade at his words. "You know more than I assumed." She paused for a moment, somewhat uncomfortable with the secrets coming out all of a sudden. But it was more uncomfortable with her own actions. She had almost been about to use Jaune just as how she thought Ozpin was using her. "I'm 124 years old."

Jaune nodded sagely. "Yet you don't look a day over 25."

The minute blush that appeared on Glynda's face faded quickly. "Digressing." She started over. "The reason I'm willing to come to you so openly is essentially like why Ozpin came for me. But I'll be more forthcoming with you." Not like she had a choice with the contract spell, she thought. "Ozpin has been more distant lately due to a somewhat recent event involving one of the four maidens."

She took a moment to see if Jaune was aware of the maidens. He nodded for her to continue and Glynda was no longer surprised at how much he seemed to know.

"I feel like Ozpin is regressing back to his more ruthless self, and I don't want to know what he would be willing to sacrifice now to get the upper hand over Salem." The woman set her cup down and leaned forward, locking eyes with Jaune. "I suppose I'm just as desperate to end up in this situation. My curiosity for how you know what you do is overshadowed by the fact that I see you as an invaluable asset in helping stop Salem and Ozpin from causing any more harm."

Those were the words he was looking for.

Ozpin was obsessed with stopping Salem, while it seemed that Glynda had her own agenda of ending all the conflict that both of them caused.

It solidified the fact that he needed to learn more about Ozpin and Salem. If he was being truthful, he didn't know as much as he wanted to. Mainly because Izanami either didn't know more, or simply wouldn't tell him. Glynda would have more information, in which case, allying with her was a boon he hadn't accounted for.

"Now Jaune." The woman spoke up. "Will you tell me how things have come to this?"

The blonde teen smiled. He would tell her everything.

He knew they would want answers.

After Nora had walked in on him in the weight room earlier, he was sure half the school would know about his new found physical abilities. He was thoroughly surprised the usually hyper active girl had kept things to herself. Though he knew her better than most, there were still things his team kept to themselves.

It made him frown for a moment. It was a conclusion he had come to while training with Izanami.

He didn't truly know his friends.

Blake had been the one he knew the least about which is why he had wanted to confront her first. He thought that if things went smooth with her, it would be easier with everyone else.

Wishful thinking on his part. Even after he'd had a moment with Blake, he still felt he knew very little of the girl. Granted, he was sure they would be much better friends from that point on, but it made him understand change couldn't happen immediately.

When he came to his senses, he noticed he had been standing in front of his teams door for the better part of five minutes.

'Subconsciously stalling…' He thought with a sigh. 'Welp, let's get this over with.'

Opening his door, he wasn't surprised to see his teammates all prepared for bed, but looking wide awake.

Nora was on her bed studying, which wasn't as uncommon as one would think. Ren was watching something on his scroll, his books to his side showing he had already finished whatever assignments had been given. Pyrrha sat at the desk in the room, her hair down and her pajamas on. However, she looked worried. When he entered, her eyes lit up and the worry seemed to drain from her features.

"Jaune, where have you been? We haven't seen you since combat class!" Pyrrha stood and made her way to Jaune but the blonde teen held a hand up.

"I know you all have a lot of questions, and as much as I want to answer them all, some things will have to wait. For now, ask away and I'll answer what I can as truthfully as I can. Whether or not you choose to believe what I tell you is a different story."

His words gave them all pause.

Pyrrha was the most disturbed. He didn't speak with a coldness, but it was a boldness that she wasn't used to. One that she liked, but it also scared her a bit.

"You know the question we all want to know Jaune." Ren spoke for everyone. "Combat class."

"That's one of the few things I can't answer completely, sorry."

Nora closed her book and looked at Jaune with hurt in her eyes. "Why not fearless leader? Don't you trust us?"

"Believe me, I trust you all implicitly. Which is why I will tell you guys everything. But as of right now, I'm not allowed to."

Pyrrha rose an eyebrow. "Not allowed to? By who?"

"Miss Goodwitch. For good reason. Believe me, I didn't agree with her at first, but there's a lot going on behind the scenes that none of us are aware of." He partially lied. He had a very good picture of what was going on between what Izanami and Miss Goodwitch told him. "Just know that it won't be long before I can tell you guys everything. Most likely over the break."

"But that's still a few weeks away!" Nora argued.

Jaune frowned and looked down. "I know...but can you guys trust me?"

The silence that fell made Jaune's stomach churn.

"I trust you Jaune." Pyrrha was of course the first to speak.

"Same." Ren followed.

"I do to but it's going to bug me until you tell us the truth!" Nora folded her arms and pouted.

The blonde let out a sigh of relief. Part of him knew it was all just words. They wanted to trust him, but he knew they couldn't completely. He didn't blame them either. He was sure the entirety of the school had questions. Which brought his mood down again. After his discussion with Miss Goodwitch, he knew he was already on Ozpin's radar. It was foolhardy of him to showcase so much in combat class, even if Izanami had told him not to hide everything.

"If you can't answer that, Jaune, can you at least tell us where you went last night?" Ren stood from his bed and looked Jaune in the eye sternly.

Jaune froze, swallowing the lump in his throat. The shocked looks on Pyrrha and Nora didn't help.

"You...were awake?"

"From when you left to when you came back. You were gone for several hours and I just wanted to make sure you weren't leaving us." The dark haired teen folded his arms, giving Jaune the truth and expecting the same.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha spoke his name with uncertainty.

Another silence filled the air as Jaune leaned back against their door, a sigh of exasperation escaping his lips. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he formulated how to explain things to them.

"I…" He started and looked at his team. Nora was curious, Ren was slightly accusing, but Pyrrha looked like someone had stolen her candy. She looked crestfallen. "I went back to the Forever Fall Forest."

"You did what?"

"WHAT THE HELL JAUNEY?"

"Why?"

The panicked cries of Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren in that order may have woken up their entire floor. Jaune rose his hands as all three of his friends almost bum rushed him.

"Hold on and let me explain guys!" He called desperately. The trio still all had varying looks of worry and anger. However, there was a deep sadness in Pyrrha's eyes. He knew she was coming to the right conclusion.

Once he saw that they were all listening, he continued. "I know it was a dumb idea. Hindsight and all that." He scratched the back of his head. "I'm not going to lie. I needed to prove something to myself. Or maybe just confirm something…"

"What in the world could you possibly need to prove Jauney?" Nora asked, her voice quivering. "You killed an Ursa Major to save Cardin! What more do-"

"I DIDN'T!" Jaune snapped. The orange haired girl flinched at his outburst. Jaune held her gaze for a moment before turning his eyes to Pyrrha. The myrmidons eyes widened before she looked down. "I didn't kill the Ursa...at least not on my own. Isn't that right Pyrrha?"

Pink and sky blue eyes fell on the red head. The girl still refused to look any of her team in the eyes. She clutched her left arm, trying to make herself as small as possible.

"What is he talking about Pyrrha?" Ren asked.

The myrmidon looked up at Jaune with tears in her own eyes. "What was I supposed to do, Jaune?" She asked, the sadness mixed with confusion and anger. "You were handling yourself well. You're better than you believe. You made a single mistake and I helped. Was I supposed to just let that Ursa cleave into you?"

Jaune shook his head. "I'm not angry you helped me Pyrrha. I'm not angry with you at all." His eyes softened as he took a step towards her and hugged her. "I was angry with myself. That I needed to be bailed out again. That it's always someone else saving me, even if I had made progress."

The girl shook in his grip, all of her emotions in turmoil. "But...you wanted me to tell the truth…" She answered her own question.

Jaune nodded. "Realizing what happened made all the praise everyone was giving me feel bitter and hollow. So I decided to go out to Forever Fall to prove that it wasn't just a fluke…"

"That's really dangerous and dumb Jaune." Ren chastised.

The blonde chuckled. "Yeah, I know." He released Pyrrha, but the girl clung to him, her arms around his neck and her face buried in his neck.

"Jaune...I'm sorry. I promise I only wanted you to feel good about your progress." He could feel her tears on his neck, her breath sending shivers down his spine.

"It's alright Pyr. It was my decision to go do something so stupid. But it lead to something great."

The girl looked up at her partner in confusion. The small smile on his face made her blush at their proximity. She slowly took a step back, thankful for the semi-darkness of the room. "What is that?"

"I can't explain everything just yet, but I did unlock my semblance!"

Jaune easily connected his aura to his teammates, at a surface level. It was just enough to let them feel his own aura and he held back a laugh at their shocked expressions. All of them opened and closed their mouths like fish out of water.

"This is just the surface of what I can do. But in general, I use a connection like this to subtly feel the flow and rhythm of my opponents movements. It even works on grimm, so its not just aura based." Jaune gave a severely watered down version of what his semblance could actually do. "It's how I was able to keep up with Ruby during combat class."

"So much aura…" Pyrrha breathed out. She knew he had a lot of aura when she unlocked his during the initiation, but she hadn't felt it so intimately.

"Jaune...this is...incredible…" Ren conceded.

"I definitely want to spar with you now!" Nora cheered, though she swayed on her feet at the feel of Jaune's aura.

"Then let's get to sleep. We can do a morning jog and then have some fun." Jaune offered.

Without a word, Nora plopped face down in her bed and began snoring. Jaune just laughed at the girl before nodding to the other two, reigning in his semblance.

"There's more to it than just that isn't there Jaune?" Pyrrha asked. Ren gave a look showing he wanted to know the same.

Jaune began to get ready for bed, the mirth from earlier falling away. "A lot more. And I'll explain it all later, I promise."

No more words were spoken as the rest of team JNPR retired for the night.