Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY

Chapter 20: Revelations of All Kinds

Dawn broke over Beacon Academy and while many students were taking advantage of the weekend to sleep in, one group had stayed up all night and had no plans to head to bed any time soon.

Outside the Nurse's office, the members of Team RWBY and JNPR sat on the various chairs and small couches that lined the hallway. They had been waiting for what felt like hours and while they had all dozed off a bit, Ruby especially, none of them could or would fully rest until they knew Ren was all right.

This overriding concern stopped any discussion about what they had learned, both about the Red Fang and Ren.

They wanted to talk about it, to ask Nora, who certainly knew what was going on, but it was clear she wasn't ready to talk. She had been so firm and decisive when it came to bringing Ren here but afterwards, she had become quiet and withdrawn.

Yang had delivered Nora and Ren to Beacon in record time, and Nora had carried her partner to the Nurse's office with desperate haste.

The Nurse seemed to almost be waiting for them, and after a quick examination to see if Ren needed to be sent to the hospital, she took the injured student into the medical room, leaving Yang and a sullen Nora outside.

It was sometime later when the rest of the group arrived, their progress slowed by having to travel discreetly on foot while carrying the injured Ruby. They managed to return to Beacon without incident and found Yang and Nora waiting outside the Nurse's office.

Sitting around and waiting wasn't Sun's usual MO, especially after the adrenaline rush of the fight and the frustration of having to slowly sneak back to school. He wanted answers and was ready to either bust the door down or confront Nora directly.

That was the last thing Nora wanted and seeing where this was heading, Blake kindly but firmly suggested that team SSSN head back to their dorms. They had been a great help, but they shouldn't stick around and potentially get into trouble.

Sun wasn't an intentionally selfish or insensitive person, but he could be very brash and short-sighted when his blood got pumping and he was about to argue the point when Neptune put a hand on his shoulder.

The blue-haired boy agreed with Blake's suggestion and told Sun they should leave, a motion seconded by Scarlet. The yellow monkey was confused and disappointed but agreed and Team SSSN quietly left.

For Weiss, Neptune's behaviour was strange. Unlike his leader, he had been able to read the room and make the right call. That only made his attempts to flirt with her when they first met despite her obvious disinterest all the more bizarre.

Something was up with Neptune, that was for sure.

But there were far more important matters to deal with, which somewhat ironically involved them just sitting around.

At least, just having a chance to sit was a relief for Ruby. On the way to Beacon, Weiss and Blake checked and double-checked her condition, but other than exhaustion and soreness, she was fine.

Finally, the door opened, and the Nurse stepped out.

"Lie Ren's condition is stable," she said to the relief of everyone. "They received a concussion and several minor fractures to the ribs, but otherwise there was no major damage… remarkably so. My recommendation is for them to rest and let their body and Aura do the healing."

The Nurse paused, looking at the students, seeing both the relief and the unasked questions on their faces.

"There are, of course, some other issues that have emerged but perhaps it would be better if someone else explained," the Nurse looked past the students, "Isn't that right, Professor Ozpin?"

The group whirled around and saw the grey-haired Headmaster standing behind them with a cup of coffee in hand and a small smile.

"Yes, I can take over from here. If you could quickly examine Miss Ruby and ensure she is all right, I will explain the situation with Lie Ren."

The Nurse did as she was instructed, quickly looking Ruby over and coming to the same conclusion as her sisters, that she had severely strained her body but would be fine after some rest. After this, she quickly excused herself, leaving the students with the Headmaster.

"Well…" Ozpin said after a long moment of silence, "It appears that you all had an exciting evening."

"Professor, we were just…" The Headmaster halted Jaune's attempt to make an excuse immediately.

"Please, Mr. Arc, there is no need to obfuscate the truth. While I may not be omnipresent, I have eyes and ears in several places. Those eyes and ears noticed you all leaving the school today for some unknown purpose. This is followed by a police report of a machine matching the description of the prototype Atlesian Paladin rampaging through the city before being destroyed by parties unknown. Then you all return with clear signs of being in quite a battle."

The older man took a sip of his coffee, gaze never leaving the assembled teens.

"No definitive recordings or eyewitnesses could prove who was responsible, but one plus one usually equals two."

Ozpin held up one hand, forestalling the imminent rush of hurried explanations and attempts to take responsibility from the students.

"There's no need to worry. I'm aware of your good intentions and that, remarkably, no innocents were hurt. By all accounts, you managed to put a dent into this criminal group, and I can hardly reprimand you for that. If you all can keep quiet about your extracurricular activities, then I will do the same."

RWBY and JNPR all sighed in relief before Pyrrha spoke up.

"Thank you, Professor, but…ummm…what about Ren?"

The group all looked at Ozpin expectantly, all except Nora, who just stared at her feet.

"Yes, Lie Ren," Ozpin took another sip before continuing, "I can't give you all the details, as it isn't my place. I can say that Ren grew up in a small village outside Mistral and, like so many before, lost everything to a Grimm attack. Ren was one of only two survivors…the other being Miss Valkyrie."

Everyone glanced at Nora, who steadfastly continued to look sullenly at the ground.

Ozpin continued.

"The event left deep emotional scars. Deep and severe enough, they have taken some very drastic measures to deal with them and to… 'rectify' what they see as personal failings."

"Lie Ren was born biologically female, as you are now aware, but has presented themselves as male after the tragedy. Their biological gender is a matter of their medical records, and thus is known to the Beacon staff but is a very complicated issue."

Ozpin looked over the group.

"Tell me…are men better than women?"

The students were confused by the sudden question and looked at each other.

"No…" Yang said, thinking this had to be some trick question.

"Are men stronger, smarter, more capable than women?" the headmaster asked.

"No," Weiss said, racking her brain to see what Ozpin was getting at.

"Are men overall superior to women?" Ozpin looked directly at Jaune.

"No, of course not," the blonde replied, almost offended that he was asked something like that.

Ozpin smiled at these responses. Things had certainly come a long way. A few centuries ago, the answers would have been much different.

"You are right, of course, but thoughts to the contrary do persist in some parts of the Kingdoms and remote villages. I can't say if such views were prevalent in Ren's village or family, but it appears that they hold to that belief in some fashion."

Ozpin then grew serious.

"Let me be absolutely clear. If Ren had come to use with the earnest and sincere conviction that they were a male born into a female body, then we at Beacon would have gladly aided them in their transition, up to and including gender-affirming surgery once they reached legal adulthood."

The group was surprised by this acceptance. They knew Beacon was a fairly open institution, but they hadn't heard of anything like this from any Huntsmen Academy before.

"We are not as open about these policies as I would like, "Ozpin said, seeing their surprise. "Beacon keeps these policies somewhat occluded due to…traditional elements of the Council. However, the staff is always ready and willing to aid any student that has issues with their gender identity. It's a fact that when a person's body and soul are in harmony, their Aura can reach its full potential. If you pull up any list of 'Greatest Huntsmen and Huntresses', I can guarantee that more than one of them was born in a different gender than what they are recorded as being."

Ozpin sipped his coffee, letting this sink in for the student. While the Huntsmen Academies weren't as open as he would have liked, and Huntsmen who transitioned were pressed to stay quiet about the help they had received, it was still a far cry from the intolerance of the Great War. There was much left to do, but Ozpin had faith that humanity would continue to progress toward a better future.

But there was still the issue at hand, and Ozpin adjusted his glasses before focusing on the students again.

"The issue with Lie Ren is that they do not identify as being transgender. Indeed, Ren claims that they are biologically male and have always been male. They refused to acknowledge their current biological gender and reject all suggestions about transiting. It appears that at least some part of Ren believes in the notion of men being stronger than women and thinks that they could have saved their parents and home if they had been a boy and not a girl. I can't say what a little boy could have done that a girl couldn't, but Ren has used this belief to deal with their loss."

"So, you just let this all happen to Ren? You didn't try and help them?" Jaune asked, his voice bristling with anger.

Getting angry at the headmaster was usually a quick way to get expelled but Ozpin saw that it was coming from a good place, that Jaune was upset that Ren had been suffering in silence for years. Next to him, Pyrrha was visibly shaking, biting her lip to contain her emotions while the Xiao Long sisters were distraught over their friend's pain.

"Believe me, Mr. Arc, that I wish we could have done more. The full extent of Ren's condition only became known to us shortly before they came to Beacon, as they have proven very good at hiding these issues. This pain is so deep that if we tried to deal with it directly and force Ren to confront it, it could cause even greater harm and simply make things worse. Our plan…our hope, was to provide Ren with a safe and secure space where we could, softly and slowly, open them up to the help they need. Unfortunately, things seem to have exceeded our expectations, as they often do."

Ozpin was leaving a lot of details out, like how there had been an early attempt to make Ren confront themselves when they were young, and that it had left Ren near-catatonic for days. Things had only improved thanks to Nora, who continuously stayed by Ren's side until they recovered. No progress had been made and no further direct action was taken again.

There was also the complicated issue of jurisdiction, as being an orphan made Ren a ward of the state. While Ozpin had, with Professor Lionhart's aid, moved Ren and Nora to Vale, the two had first been placed in a local orphanage before being into Bonfire Academy when they were old enough.

This meant that Ozpin didn't have full oversight until they entered Beacon. There had been a general underestimating of Ren's underlying issues, helped by their otherwise sterling academic record and later disagreements over how best to handle the situation. This ranged from the aforementioned direct approach to simply 'wait and see', as it appeared to not affect Ren's skills as a Huntsmen and to some, that was all that mattered.

Ozpin only learned the full extent of all this when Ren and Nora applied for Beacon, at which point a quick and easy solution if such a thing was ever possible, was not an option.

Despite the sheer volume and magnitude of Ozpin's work, public and otherwise, making keeping an eye on one child impossible, he still felt guilt over this oversight, over how Ren had become yet another child to fall through the cracks.

Even without all the details, Ren's friends got the gist of it. Their stoic but always kind friend was in immense pain, and they hadn't known. They all felt anger and guilt over it, their lack of knowledge did not assure them.

"I…what do we do now?" Jaune asked, dejected. "I mean, what happened tonight?"

"What happened indeed? Perhaps you can elaborate more on how Ren ended up in this state?" Ozpin asked, directing their thoughts in a more productive direction.

Jaune explained what happened to Ren, being somewhat vague on how exactly Ren was smashed through a concrete pillar. Even with Ozpin knowing about what they had been up to, it wouldn't help to openly admit it. He did fully describe the strange phenomenon that happened to him, and how he seemed to transfer energy to Ren and Ruby, which seemed to help before Ren suddenly started choking.

Ozpin rubbed his chin, analyzing the information before answering.

"I can't be sure, but I believe you have unlocked your Semblance, Mr. Arc. I theorize that you can transfer your Aura to another, to help fuel their own Aura and allow its protective and healing properties to continue beyond their normal limits. The fact that Ruby and Ren have only minor injuries despite what they endured is a testament to this."

"Wait, if I was healing them, then why did Ren suddenly start having trouble breathing?" Jaune asked.

"That was the result of you healing them," Ozpin answered, shaking his head sadly. "For several years now, Ren has taken to binding their breasts, to affect a traditional male appearance. This has caused serious damage that Ren chose to endure. When you transferred your Aura, you inadvertently healed their entire body, not just the wounds they received in the battle. The tight chest binding thus became unbearable and Ren struggled to breathe until they were removed by Miss Valkyrie."

The group was silent at this information, saddened and horrified by the pain Ren put themselves through. They realized that Ren must have been forcing their Aura to not heal their breasts for years and this had only happened due to them being unconscious. The shame they felt towards themselves for not noticing grew.

"Please, don't blame yourself," Ozpin consoled, seeing their thoughts. "This is a difficult situation that can't be solved easily. Please, don't blame Ren either; they were trying to do what they believed was the right course of action, no matter the consequences. All of this…is just a long series of unfortunate events, beyond the power of anyone to simply stop or correct."

Ozpin then straightened and focused back on the group.

"Still, this is perhaps the best opportunity for Ren to finally heal those wounds in their soul. Having strangers trying to help is one thing, but teammates and good friends are another. I think you all can help Ren as no one else can. I ask you to, softly and gently, help Ren accept their reality, reconcile their past with their present and help them to finally understand what they truly want in their life. This will be the first step in helping Ren be the best possible person they can be. I know you all care about Ren and will do your best to help."

The students looked at one another, sorrow turning to determination, and they all nodded firmly to each other and the Headmaster.

"Good. You may go in and see Ren now. They're asleep but I'm sure they'll wake up soon. They'll have to spend the rest of the day here but should be good to return to the dorms afterwards."

Ozpin gave the students one last nod before turning to leave.

"Good luck," he said softly, just loud enough for all of them to hear.

Then he was gone, leaving Team RWBY and JNPR with a new, difficult task to undertake.


The Headmaster of Beacon quickly moved through the halls of his school, eventually making his way to his office at the top of Beacon Tower. He brewed a new cup of coffee before sitting at his desk. There was much work for him to do, both for the school week and the upcoming Vytal festival. This was coupled with the ever-present politicking with the Council, and it all made the issues with Lie Ren just one of the things on his plate and a fairly small one at that.

Sheer necessity made it hard for Ozpin to directly deal with this, as much as he would like to. Ren had gone through such hardships, as all these kids had, and he wanted nothing more for them than to find peace and balance, but simply forcing a solution would only make things worse.

Whether through fate or coincidence, Ren had managed to acquire a strong support network, with his teammates in JNPR and friends in RWBY. Not one of them was the sort to abandon a friend and Ozpin could trust they would stand by Ren no matter what.

Though…if Ozpin was being honest with himself, his interest in the welfare of Teams RWBY and JNPR wasn't entirely altruistic. The never-ending war against Salem forced him to constantly view people as either assets or threats, no matter how much he hated having to do so. These two teams of first years had piqued his interest at Initiation and in the short time they had been at Beacon had solidified to Ozpin that they were truly special.

The potential of the Xiao Long Sisters was obvious, with their stellar records from Signal continuing in Beacon. Their skills were amazing, but it was their teamwork, their coordination, that made those girls something exceptional.

Beyond her combat skills, there was also the matter of Ruby's silver eyes. They were an invaluable weapon against the Grimm, provided she learned to use them and could overcome the 'curse' of the Rose bloodline. Her mother had managed to mitigate the effects, so Ruby too may be able to deal with this inherited burden.

Ozpin dearly hoped she could.

The other Xiao Long Sisters weren't lacking in potential either. Yang's strength was phenomenal, and it seemed she had inherited the fighting skills and spirit from both her parents.

Raven was an ever-present shadow, with her location and intent unknown. She could prove an Achille's heel to Yang, whose emotions were her greatest asset and liability.

Weiss's intelligence and skill were astonishing, coupled with her creative use of her semblance and physical strength that belied her size, making her a formidable warrior.

This was matched by her 'twin', as Blake's dexterity and cunning made her dangerous and she wasn't lacking in strength or intelligence either. She was equal to her sister, in her unique way.

Those two had a huge obstacle to overcome; their past. He had read Qrow's report of his investigation in Atlas and the results were…disturbing. He hoped Weiss could be spared for some time, but the issue with her birth family was sure to come to a head sooner or later.

There was no hard evidence for Blake, only personal suspicions on Ozpin's part. If they were right, then Blake had a complicated past to confront, which would likely be just as difficult for her, albeit for different reasons than Weiss.

The Xiao Long family had already gone through so many hardships and seemed destined to endure more. Ozpin could only hope those girls could handle what the world was going to throw at them.

The fate of the world may depend on it.

But Ozpin was not one to put all his eggs in one basket and there was another team that had just as much potential, and just as much baggage, as RWBY.

Team JNPR seemed like a very odd assortment from the outset, with different backgrounds and personalities that might clash, but they bonded very quickly instead. Their team cohesion, the current dilemma notwithstanding, was remarkable and was beyond all the other first years besides Team RWBY.

Ozpin tapped a few keys on his computer and brought up the files of Team JNPR's members.

Jaune Arc had been born and raised by a loving family, in a peaceful area just outside of Vale. He had received no training from his family, nor had he attended a combat school, instead faking his transcripts to come to Beacon, all for a personal desire to emulate his ancestor and be a 'hero'.

Normally, such a naïve goal and lack of prior training would have seen Jaune fail Initiation outright, or be forced to leave Beacon once the full reality of what being a Huntsmen was hit him.

Instead, Jaune persevered and was beginning to thrive. While his grades and combat performance were far from the best, they had vastly improved since he started. If plotted on a graph, one could see that Jaune was improving exponentially, and if he continued at this rate, he would eventually reach the top echelons of the class. Combined with his natural aptitude for leadership, Jaune Arc`s potential appeared limitless.

Jaune wasn`t some secret genius, however. He wasn't miraculously gaining new information or intelligence but instead, it seemed to be that he was absorbing and processing new information at an astonishing rate. It wasn`t absolute or similar to having a perfect memory, as Jaune was still getting only half of the answers right, but it was still an incredible leap from where he began.

He was able to take various pieces of information and analysis them. His strong sense of empathy and compassion allowed him to use his newfound knowledge to make effective leadership decisions.

Knowledge

Ozpin tapped a key and a video began to play on the screen. It was security footage from the lobby of the CCT Tower, showing a large crowd surrounding a single figure, a young woman with long red hair.

He had to admit, this little plan to steal information from the CCT servers was quite genius. Distracting everyone with a `celebrity` appearance while Weiss hacked the servers, it was nearly flawless.

Ozpin could see through it, as he knew these students well enough that Pyrrha wouldn`t just walk into a place and deliberately draw in a crowd, with Lie Ren was dressed up as a bodyguard. Then a non-descript worker ignored the whole spectacle and headed down to the server room despite no maintenance being scheduled that day. There was only one of the group who could crack the CCT network security, so he was certain of the white Xiao Long`s involvement.

The CCT staff and the Atlas military would certainly be interested in this little break in their security but Ozpin decided to keep this to himself for now.

More than the hacking, it was Pyrrha`s distraction that intrigued Ozpin. While any normal celebrity was likely to draw in a crowd, the fact that the insecure Pyrrha managed to gather and hold such a large number of people without putting on a performance or wild display, was astonishing. She managed to keep every eye in the room on her and her alone by what seemed like willpower alone.

Ozpin would have to do a private investigation, and subtly interview the staff present to find out what was going through their minds, but he already guessed what happened.

Every person in that space had a choice, to leave, go back to their business or do any number of other actions. But one choice had been planted foremost in their minds; to focus solely on Pyrrha Nikos.

This wasn`t mind control or brainwashing by any means. It was more akin to looking at a multiple-choice question, with one of the options highlighted. It pushed the person in a certain direction, making one choice seem like the most natural to follow.

Choice

Another button was pressed, and a grainy video started to play. Ozpin lied when he told the students that there was no surveillance footage of their battle against the Paladin. There had been one camera nearby that managed to capture some of the fights. Ozpin had uploaded the footage to his private database and scrubbed the original before the police could find it. Having his most promising students taken in by the police wouldn`t be beneficial, so Ozpin was willing to bend some rules here.

The footage itself was quite interesting, capturing the moment Ren was knocked down. As they struggled to rise, a strange shadowy figure appeared. No details could be made out before Ren started screaming and made that ill-fated charge against the Paladin.

In Ren`s eyes, the figure was likely more detailed and far more personal, than what Ozpin could make out. It seemed that Ren`s fears and anxieties were being made manifest. They were…creating images out of thin air.

Creation

Finally, there was Nora Valkyrie, whose power was so blatant and obvious, despite all efforts to hide it. The destructive force she wielded was unparalleled, calling on the force of the storms themselves, whether she wanted to or not. Hers was the power to reduce all before her to ruin and barren nothingness.

Destruction

Just as metal is shored off a blade as it is being forged, so too were pieces of raw power cast off during the forging of the Four Relics and scattered across the world.

These fragments of the Four Gifts were only a shadow of the Relics themselves but still contained formidable power. Their impact could be charted through human history if you knew what to look for. Ozpin didn`t know how these powers were transferred or the exact form they could take. Nora`s for example seemed to be tied to some intelligent will within some aspect of nature itself, `The Face in the Storm`.

Four fragments of the Four Gifts, held by four new students, all at the same school and on the same team.

That wasn`t a coincidence, it couldn`t be. This had to be fate, to bring these four together at this time and this place, for them to become close to one another and the equally exceptional Team RWBY, it all had to be the work of something greater.

Ozpin turned from his computer and towards his office window. Being at the top of the tallest building in the Kingdom gave him an unparalleled view of Beacon and Vale. This was the school and city he had spent lifetimes building and protecting. All of humanity was his responsibility but this place was precious to him.

If Fate was gathering those with such amazing powers and potential to Beacon, then that could only mean something big was going to happen, something that would shake the foundations of this kingdom.

It was only a gut feeling but Ozpin knew there was a terrible storm coming and these young students would be at the centre of it, of that, he was sure.

He could only hope and pray that they would be ready.


Back outside the Infirmary, the members of RWBY and JNPR stood in awkward silence for several minutes after Ozpin left, their minds racing and swirling with all the new information they had just received.

Jaune finally broke the silence, glancing at Nora as he stated an observation he just made.

"I guess…this explains why you refer to Ren with `They/Them' pronouns when…he…never did."

"You noticed that? No one ever brought that up before…just another quirky thing from quirky Nora."

Nora let out a joyless laugh that cut deep into the others. They had all noticed the same thing but had chalked it up to, as she said, Nora being quirky.

The Valkyrie looked towards the Infirmary door.

"To me…Ren isn't a boy or a girl. Ren…is just Ren. We've been together so long, just the two of us…we…" Nora let out a shuttering breath, "We support each other but we also enable one another. This whole mess is just as much my fault as anyone else."

"Nora…" Pyrrha whisper, looking sadly at her friend, a look shared by everyone else.

"Is that why…" Ruby spoke up, her breath hitching for a moment before she could continue. "Is that why Ren is always coughing? He…they're trying to keep their voice low?"

A small nod from Nora was enough of an answer, and another wave of guilt hit the group: they had dismissed such a thing without realizing what was happening."

"W-what…do we do?" Pyrrha asked, wringing her hands.

That was the golden question. Now that they knew all this, what did they do next? What could they do? They had the training to kill Grimm, but this was a different beast.

Any doubt or hesitation was pushed aside as Jaune addressed the group.

"We do what we always do…we support our friends."

With that, he strode to the Infirmary door, opened it and walked in.

The others followed a moment later, Yang and Weiss helping Ruby to walk.

The lights were set low, and all the beds were empty except for one along the far wall, furthest from the door and thus the most private.

Ren was laying on the bed, sleeping soundly with a thin blanket covering them, it would have looked like there was nothing out of the ordinary if not for the fact that the blanket rose noticeably around Ren's chest, rising and lowering slightly with each breath.

Jaune's determined march faltered as he approached the bed, stopping a little short. The others joined him, Ruby sitting down on an empty bed close by.

The group was silent again, the reality of the situation, of Ren, hitting them again, harder than before.

"Ren…he…they…" Weiss croaked, swallowing before being able to continue, "They were hiding that, all that, for years?"

She had tied down her breasts for a few hours to infiltrate the CCT and had found it almost unbearable. To do that for years was…too much.

"Ren is…amazing," Nora whispered, her eyes focused on her sleeping partner. "They can do almost anything they put their mind to, they're whole focus and being towards. It's…not that hard to make people see what you want them to see, make them believe what you want them to believe."

Nora turned to look at the others, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Still, it helps to have an accomplice. People are less likely to pry into the quiet, reserved boy with a loud, explosion-prone girl soaking up all the attention. I was also on hand to help deal with and cover up any… 'feminine' issues that cropped up."

She looked away.

"I helped to keep this whole thing going for so long, long enough that when it blew up, Ren ended up like this. It's all my fault."

"Nora…" Jaune said, his heart aching at the suffering his Queen was putting herself through.

Any further discussion was put on hold as Ren began to stir, their eyes slowly fluttering open.

"Wha…what happened? Where am I?"

The injured member of JNPR tried to sit up but was gently pushed back down by Nora.

"Hey, easy there. You're safe and sound. We're in the Infirmary back at Beacon. You…took a bad hit back there." She explained.

"I…wait, what happened to Torchwick and the others, did we win?"

"We…we managed to fight them off, and Nora smashed that mech suit into scrap metal, but they managed to get away," Jaune answered, keeping his voice level.

"Damn it! I messed up, didn't I? We need to think of a new plan…give me a minute to get up…" Ren firmly pushed Nora's hands away and sat up, the blanket falling off.

Ren's head cleared enough for him to notice how everyone, especially Jaune, suddenly looked away. He was puzzled for several moments before finally looking down, seeing that he was bare-chested.

His breasts…their breasts…their…shame…

A high pitch scream echoed through the Infirmary, as Ren covered their chest and curled into a ball, trying to hide the truth from those present.

"There's nothing there! Absolutely nothing! Don't look, don't look!"

The pure panic and terror Ren expressed shocked and pained the assembled students. They understood how much this whole thing meant to Ren but to see the raw fear on their friend's face was devastating to see.

Ren was beginning to hyperventilate. They had always been so careful, be it in training or everyday life, to never let anyone see them like this. Sometimes it seemed like they could hide it just by sheer force of will, but it wasn't working this time.

That it was Jaune, Pyrrha and RWBY made it even worse. These people were the ones Ren respected and admired more than anyone else. They had no real close friends other than Nora for so many years, and then suddenly had six people in their life who were so amazing and kind that it left Ren dumbstruck. To appear so weak and pathetic in front of them was shameful…as shameful as how weak they had been when their parents died.

A pair of hands gently grabbed their face, and a soft voice began to repeat 'You're okay, everything is okay', over and over. It took a moment for them to realize it was Nora, calming them down as she had done so many times before.

"Look at me. We have to be brave. We'll keep each other safe."

She repeated the words they had told her years ago when the Grimm had torn Kuroyuri apart. While those words had almost been proven false right after saying them, it remained the point where their relationship, for good and bad, had begun.

It was a lifeline and Ren took it, gradually getting their breathing and heart rate under control. Nora shuffled back a bit and offered the fallen blanket to Ren, who took it and covered themselves quickly.

With great reluctance, Ren looked toward the others and, to their surprise, didn't see the looks of disgust or anger they expected. Instead, there was acceptance, resolve and sadness, sorrow for Ren.

"Ren…it's your body, so you can do what you want, none of us will judge or hate you for it," Jaune spoke up. "We're your friends and will support you no matter what. We just don't want you to be hurting yourself."

The others all nodded, sharing the sentiment. They weren't going to abandon Ren over this, not by a long shot.

Stunned, Ren swallowed before asking.

"How…how much do you know?"

"Ozpin gave us a general overview," Weiss answered, "But it's far from the whole story."

The rest was left unsaid, the obvious question is why? Why goes through all this? The Headmaster's explanation laid out the basic facts but hearing it from Ren was vital for them to truly understand.

Ren hesitated, as this was the biggest secret in their life, the one thing they focused on keeping hidden above all else. They wanted to run away or make something up, anything to get out of revealing the painful truth.

Looking at their friends, Ren realized that they would accept anything they said, accept whatever Ren presented as the truth, even if they knew it was a lie. They wanted the truth not just for their curiosity but because they cared about Ren.

They…deserved the truth, and gathering their resolve, Ren told them.

"My home, Kuroyuri, was a small village outside of Mistral. It was a traditional place; the men went out to do the farming or hunting or crafted needed goods while the women tended to the home. It wasn't enforced harshly or anything, it was just how life had always been for as long as anyone could remember."

"My… father was a hunter. He was one of the village's strongest and most capable men and was deeply respected by everyone. He wanted me to be strong and assertive and…and…he wanted a son!"

Ren curled up tighter, their hands clenching the blanket tighter while tears began to form in the corner of their eyes.

"He wanted a strong son and…and it's my fault I was born this way! I should have been a boy, then I could be strong and…and I could have saved my family!

"Ren…that's not true. There was nothing you or anyone else could have done to prevent the Grimm from attacking when they did. Boy or girl, there wasn't anything more you could have done," Nora said, gently.

"No, I should have done more," Ren replied. "If I had been what my father wanted, I know I could have. Boys are just…stronger than girls…" The last part was spoken softly, with only partial conviction but still loud enough for the others to easily hear.

Yang stepped forward and stood in front of Ren.

"If that's true, do you think that any guy here is just automatically stronger than me?" Yang flexed her arms, her muscles bulging and on full display. Her flashed red for a moment, anger not at Ren but the sentiment in general.

Ren couldn't deny what they saw. Yang was all power, all strength and all woman. She was undeniably one of the physically strongest students in the whole school.

Yang gesture to her sisters.

"What about my sisters? Do you think they're weak just because they're girls?"

Again, Ren couldn't say no to that, having seen their strength and skill displayed over and over during the course of the school year.

'I…I…yes…I know…" Ren stammered out.

"What about Nora? She smashed that Mech like it was nothing and that far from the first time she was uber-strong," Blake said.

"I know that…"

"And Pyrrha is a champion fighter and almost undefeated here at Beacon, with none of the boys being able to so much as scratch her," Weiss added.

"Of course…" Ren fumbled.

"So how can you possibly think-"

"I KNOW!" Ren screamed, their voice shrill. "I know, I know, I know, I know! I know that and I knew it back then too. No one said things like that in my village, but it was just…My father wanted me to be a boy and I wasn't and then everything went wrong so…that has to be the problem…"

Ren trailed off. This is what they had earnestly believed for years but saying it out loud now made it seems less ironclad.

"Ren…there something I've been meaning to tell you…for a long time," Nora said, bringing everyone's attention to her. She cleared her throat before continuing.

"After we first met, when those boys in Kuroyuri were bullying me and your father chased them off…I…followed you back to your home and watched you for a while."

Ren blinked several times at this information.

"You…were stalking me?"

"What? No! I was just…watching from a distance and making sure you didn't see me."

"Nora," Blake spoke up, "I can assure you from personal experience…that is stalking."

"Shut up, it's fine!" Nora waved it off before proceeding. "I didn't mean anything bad by it, I just wanted to know more about you and your family. I saw you and your parents and…I just don't think your father was the kind of person to think or say those kinds of things."

Ren was silent for a moment before they flushed with anger.

"How would you know?! He was my father! Mine! I know who he was! I was right there when…when…when…" Ren trailed off, their voice growing quiet after that loud rush.

"…when he died…Oh God! I'm traumatized, aren't I?"

Ren buried their face in their hand, shoulders shaking as they tried to hold back the sobs.

The others could only look on with sadness, unsure of what to do or say. Jaune and Pyrrha both made to reach out and comfort Ren but pulled back, not wanting to make things worse.

Again, Nora took charge, gently stroking Ren's cheek and speaking softly.

"You are perfectly fine. You are strong, capable and beautiful. You've taken such a harsh blow in life and yet you still stand back up, moving forward in the best way you could think of. No matter how hard it was, you kept going…that's amazing." Nora smiled, looking at her partner deeply. "That's why I love you so much."

Ren jolted up, eyes wide.

"You lo…lov…lov…" They struggled to speak as if something was caught in their throat.

Nora cupped Ren's head and looked deeply into their stunned eyes.

"Oh Ren, you silly head. I've been head over heels in love with you since the moment you came back to save me in Kuroyuri."

Tears now flowed freely from Ren's eyes, and they hugged Nora tightly, crying into her shoulder. Nora rocked Ren back and forth, comforting them as they let all their pent-up emotions, both sadness and joy, flow out. The others smiled at this display, happy for both of them to finally say what they had all known they were feeling.

Nora turned to look at Jaune, Pyrrha and RWBY.

"I've felt this way for a long time, but I could never bring myself to say anything. Being with you guys helped me to realize that I can't just keep it all tucked away inside and expect things to just keep going; I needed to finally make my stand. Thank you…you guys are amazing."

Both Jaune and Pyrrha felt their hearts flutter at Nora's words and could only bashfully smile in return. The Xiao Long Sisters also smiled brightly, warm feeling swelling in their chests.

Several minutes passed as Ren calmed down, swiping their eyes and resting their head on Nora's shoulder. There was still a whole host of emotions and issues swirling around but they were feeling better.

"Ah, I should have asked this a bit sooner," Jaune said. "I think we may have jumped the gun but what pronouns do you want to go by?"

Ren raised an eyebrow, surprised by the question. Part of them wanted to say 'he/him', just as they had done for years but something was stopping them…them …they

Only now did Ren realize what and how they had been referring to themselves in their mind and answered.

"They/Them will work for now. That's…where my head is for the moment. That…that might change though, depending on things," they hastily added. This was all new territory for them.

"Of course. Whatever you want. If you want to change them, just let us know and we'll accept it."

Ren was taken aback by the sheer acceptance Jaune was displaying, reflected in the others as well. It was such a simple thing but was also so wonderful.

Glancing over at Nora, Ren finally realized that she had been using 'They/Them' since almost the beginning. Ren had noticed but never rebuked her or got annoyed. It was like…she had known all along…and Ren did too, deep down.

"You know, you don't need to hide anything from us," Yang said. "We're not going to toss you out or something. You can just be yourself with us, with your body and your voice."

Ren realized that they hadn't been deepening their voice; it had become like second nature after all this time. It wasn't too noticeable, as they had a deep voice already, but Ren still had the urge to force it, even knowing it would bring on a coughing fit.

They had also kept a tight hold of the blanket covering their chest and even if the positive atmosphere in the room, the idea of letting any of them see their breasts was terrifying.

It was nice, very nice, to not have such pains in their throat and chest anymore but the notion of being open was…too much.

"I…I…I'll try. It's just that I've been hiding all of this for so long that just being me is…a lot. I'm sorry."

Yang quickly reassured them that it was fine. She and the others weren't trying to force them to do anything.

Nora closed her eyes, deep in thought before nodding to herself and standing up.

"I'll be right back" she announced before quickly leaving the room.

The others were puzzled by this but decided to leave her to her own devices.

"At the very least, you shouldn't bind your chest as much," Blake continued with the previous topic. "It seems to be restricting your breathing too much. You'll need to loosen them up a bit or you might find yourself in a bad spot."

"I know…I…I've known that for a long time now," Ren said, looking down and holding the blanket tighter. "I've been having trouble breathing for a while now, but I can't bring myself to simply…not tie them down. It just…too much all at once…I'm sorry."

"Well, it's not like we're asking you to completely change or anything. Just some small steps to make things easier for yourself." Jaune said. "You could wear some more baggy clothes; I could lend you my sweater if you want."

"I could make something for you as well," Weiss said, hand under her chin in a thinking pose. "I've never made anything quite like that before but I'm sure I can tailor something that will work for you."

Again, Ren was stunned by the acceptance and open generosity their friends were showing. They had always been kind and open people but this was a lot to take in all at once and yet they treated Ren with such thoughtfulness.

Before Ren fully respond to the offer, the door opened and Nora returned, holding a school binder in her arms. Her schoolbooks and supplies were all back in the dorm, meaning she must have dashed to JNPR's dorm and back in record time. Whatever this was must have been important.

"Hiding things for too long can make telling the truth difficult, no matter how much good it would do," she said, looking at the binder before turning to her friends. "We're asking a lot of Ren, so it's only fair if I reveal a secret too, something I've been hiding for a long time."

Everyone raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what Nora could be talking about. All except Jaune, who after a moment of shock, looked on with a smile.

"I'm…a lot smarter than I look. Very smart in fact. I've kept it to myself because I didn't want people to pry." Nora fidgeted a bit as she gave this confession but stayed resolute.

"Oh Nora, no one here thinks you're an idiot or something," Weiss said, going to her friend and placing a hand on her shoulder. "We all know you're an intelligent and capable person. If anyone said otherwise, I promise I will be the first to kick their ass and force them to apologize before I-"

"She got a perfect score on Professor Peach's test," Jaune said, interrupting Weiss.

"Bull fucking shit she did!" Weiss roared, turning to look at Jaune with rage born of disbelief. There were several fundamental truths in the universe like how Sun rose in the East, that water was wet, and that Professor Peach's tests were brutal affairs that were impossible to get perfect marks on.

Weiss whirled back towards Nora, meaning to get the truth to this ridiculous claim, only to have Nora holding the aforementioned test in front of her, the '100%' mark on full display. The white Xiao Long calmly took the piece of paper and quickly looked over it.

"Ohhhhh, so that's what the answer to that question was," she said, more to herself, and passed the paper to Blake before taking another test that Nora pulled out.

The many tests, assignments and quizzes they had taken were passed along through the group, each one marked with a perfect score. Everyone looks at these marks with amazement; they had known Nora was no clueless idiot, but this was beyond their wildest imaginations. The papers passed from person to person, ending on the bed next to Ren, who looked over them with a tight look on their face.

After thoroughly looking over the last paper and handing it off, Weiss got down on her knees and bowed toward Nora.

"Teach me, oh wise master."

Nora laughed at this display, a moment of levity that was very much needed. The Xiao Long Sisters laughed as well, with Weiss getting up with a big grin on her face. She was only half-joking, thought. She fully intended to pick Nora's brain the next time they studied together, wanting to know the full extent of her knowledge.

Nora looked over at Ren, seeing the conflicted look.

"Ren…"

"I…I thought…you were…you needed…" Ren fumbled, not wanting to give voice to what they were thinking. They hadn't known at all about Nora's grades and to their shame, had probably the lowest opinion of her intellect. They didn't want to think that way, but they had completely bought the impression Nora had been giving for years.

Nora moved to Ren's side, laid a hand on their shoulder and looked once more into their magenta eyes.

"Maybe I don't need you to help me with my homework or to take notes in class, but I still need you. More importantly…I want you. I want you to be who you are…just Ren."

Ren again had to fight back tears, strong and conflicting emotions fighting within them.

"I…I promise to be there for you, in whatever way I can. I just don't know…who Ren is or what they can do. I just don't know anymore," Ren's voice faltered a bit, uncertainty weighing heavily on them.

Nora kept her gentle smile on.

"That's okay, we'll find out together."

Ren felt something they hadn't felt in a long time…hope. Pure hope that things would finally get better.

"But why were you hiding how smart you are?" Ruby asked. Having three extremely talented and intelligent sisters as she did, who didn't hide their accomplishments and, in Weiss's case, openly flaunted her brilliance. She just couldn't understand why someone would avoid being all they could be.

Nora and Ren looked at each other for a long moment, worry and concern on Ren's face while Nora's briefly flashed with fear before determination won through.

"It's…because of these," Nora stepped back and held up her arms, her bracelets simmering in the faint light.

"These aren't simply jewelry or decoration. There are Limiters, meant to keep my power and Semblance in check. If they're turned off or knocked off, my strength is increased massively; you've seen what I can do."

Nora turned and walked away a few steps, her back to the group.

"But it's not just my physical strength that can get out of control. I also lose my grip on my mind. I can go completely crazy, not caring who or what I destroy. I…am a monster…"

"YOU'RE NOT A MONSTER!"

Nora whirled around, both at the words and the volume of them. All seven of her friends had shouted simultaneously, with an equal look of anger and determination on their faces. They fully believed what they had said and weren't going to let Nora say that about herself.

Ren almost leapt out of the bed, the blanket falling off.

"You…are not a monster. You are…Nora…amazing, wonderful Nora."

It was time for tears to come to the Valkyrie's eyes, though they were coupled with a smile.

"Thank you…thank you."

Ren nodded before realizing their state and quickly retrieving the blanket and covering it up again. A brief moment of silence ensured before Pyrrha spoke up.

"I can…understand a bit of what it's like… not having control over a part of your life," Pyrrha looked and started wringing her gloved hands together. "I…I had a big brother…he…he died and my parents they…they made me take his place. They…they needed me to be perfect. They…hit me when I failed…they beat me… starved me…forced me to be their perfect, unbeatable champion. I…hated it…I hated all of it!"

The others could only stare, shocked beyond belief. They knew there had to be some behind Pyrrha odd behaviors, but they never imagined this.

Yang's sisterly instincts kicked in and she moved to hold Pyrrha, to comfort her. Just before she could embrace the redhead, Pyrrha suddenly lashed out with a punch. The blonde would have been knocked out if she didn't duck back quickly, a shocked look on her face.

That look was mirrored by Pyrrha, who griped her arms and retreated.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I…I…I can't help it. Any time someone touches me or gets close, I lash out automatically. That's just how my body reacts...it's just how I am…"

"That's how you were, but you are changing that, right?" Ren said, holding out their hand. The colour around it was faded, indicating they were using their Semblance.

Pyrrha slowly reached out and, hesitantly, took their hand. Her grip was gentle at first but grew firmer until she was almost squeezing. Tears began to stream down her face, broken by the bright smile she was giving.

"I…I am changing. I am getting better…all thanks to you. I'm so thankful to you Ren, thankful that you are you. I want you to just be you, not anything or anyone else. I'm so happy that I met you and I hope…you will continue to help me just as you are…the wonderful, kind and amazing Lie Ren."

Ren squeezed Pyrrha's hand in reply, unable to speak. They smiled while again fighting back tears before slowly letting go of Pyrrha's hand.

"I have an announcement to make!"

Everyone turned, seeing Weiss standing in the middle of the room as if about to give some grand proclamation.

She was, in a way. Seeing how JNPR was laying out all their deep, personal secrets, it was clear that this was the right time to finally reveal her sexual orientation to her family and friends.

"I want to say…that is what I need to…with you're full understanding being appreciated, ummm…given the current economic situation and…with how fine the weather is and…and…I …"

She was floundering. Weiss knew that this was the time to speak up, but the small nugget of doubt that had stopped her from speaking earlier crept up again. She wanted to speak this fundamental truth, but the fear that she would be rejected held her back. She closed her eyes, not knowing what she should do.

She opened them again as she felt pressure on both of her shoulders. Looking up, she saw that Yang and Blake each had placed a hand on their sister's shoulders. This was followed by Ruby moving around Weiss and wrapping her in a soft hug, her cheek nuzzling into Weiss's back. The look from the two sisters before her and the feeling from the youngest was clear; that of unconditional love and support, the same they had given her since the beginning.

They knew…of course they knew. How had she ever thought she could keep something like this a secret from the one who mattered the most, the people who knew her the best?

"Thank you," Weiss said, a small but truly relieved smile on her face. "I love you."

Yang and Blake just smiled in return, with Ruby squeezing her sister a bit tighter in response.

Jaune held up a hand.

"While I am happy for this endearing family moment, do you mind filling in those who aren't part of your close-knit sisterhood on what is going on?"

The rest of JNPR was equally confused and was hoping for some clarification.

"I'm gay," Weiss said, steeling herself. "I'm a lesbian. I like…I really like girls."

The white Xiao Long let out a long breath, feeling a weight lifted from her shoulders at finally saying these words, to fully acknowledged and be acknowledged for this large part of who she was.

Yang glanced toward JNPR.

"That's…not a problem…is it?"

The four members of JNPR all had confused looks on their faces. They looked at one another before turning back to RWBY.

"No…why would it be?" The four said in unison.

Perhaps it was foolish or even rude to ask that after all that JNPR had said in the last few minutes, but it was important for the words to be said, nonetheless.

"No reason. It's no big deal or anything…hell, I like girls too," Yang said, casually flipping her hair back with one hand as she stepped away from Weiss.

"Same here," Blake replied in the same tone.

"Well of course," Weiss started, "It's only natural that…wait…WHAT?"

Realizing what they had said, Weiss could only stare at her sisters with her jaw open.

"What?" the black and yellow Xiao Longs said, their neutral expressions betrayed only by a faint smile on their lips.

"You…you two are bisexual?!"

"Yeah, that's not a problem, is it?" the Bumblebee pair replied, hands on hips.

"What? No of course…damn it! When did this happen?" Weiss's genius-class brain was struggling to process all this.

"From the beginning, as this is who we are," Again, Yang and Blake kept the same neutral tone.

"I know that, but…"

"I didn't really notice it until the last year or two of Combat School," Yang interrupted. "There were some nice-looking girls on the track team. Shame that none of them asked me out, as I would have gladly given them a chance."

"Same here, there were some fine female specimens in the gymnastics club. I almost plucked up the courage to ask one of them out, but it never seemed right. Then it was graduation, and I was too busy being a Huntress first and foremost." Blake said, adding her side of the story.

Weiss just looked back and forth between her sisters, jaw still hanging.

"Why…why didn't you ever tell me?"

Blake and Yang just stared back at Weiss.

"You never asked."

Weiss stared for a few moments before hanging her head in defeat. She had been so worked up with her situation that she hadn't even considered what her sisters were feeling. She had known they had been dating guys and had assumed, falsely as it turned out, that there was nothing more to it. She couldn't help but feel a little bit ashamed of not seeing what had been so obvious to the others, but she had made herself blind to.

Ruby, who was still hugging Weiss from behind, lifted one hand and patted the top of her sister's head.

"There, there."

Weiss let out a big sigh before helping Ruby shuffled back to the bed. Yang and Blake made sure to give their own head pats and kisses on the cheek, making it clear that they had no grudge against Weiss or anything of that sort. This whole thing was Weiss being Weiss and they loved her for it, no matter what.

Jaune watched the Sisters, smiling at the scene. It reminded him that perhaps he should clarify an important aspect of his life as well.

"Well, I guess we have something in common there…I like girls too," he said, looking at RWBY before moving his eyes around the room. "I also like boys…and everything in between…and everything above and beyond those terms. Love has no borders or boundaries… that's what my family always said and it's what I firmly believe in."

Everyone, save Nora, raised an eyebrow at this admission, surprised but not shocked. With how open-minded and kind he had been so far, this just seemed to fit with who Jaune Arc was.

But coming out as pansexual was still a big thing, just as it was with Weiss. Smiles and nods of pride and acceptance were given by everyone present, happy to embrace Jaune just as he embraces all of them.

Jaune scratched the back of his head, embarrassed and more relieved than he had expected to be. While he wasn't ashamed of his preferences, he had kept it a secret from all but his family for as long as he could remember, afraid of being rejected by others.

"T-thanks. I just want you all to know that I don't have any prejudges or anything. I'll accept you or anyone else for who they are, no matter what." Taking a moment to collect himself, Jaune quickly went over to Ren, taking their hand into his.

"That includes you too. I will accept and support you in whichever direction you want. You can be whoever you want to be because you'll still be Ren. I'll help you be the best possible version you can be, with everything I have, no matter what."

Ren could stare back, a blush forming on their face at both this declaration and the sudden physical contact and proximity.

"I…ummm…yes, t-thank you…that…ummmm," Ren couldn't speak, their chest filling with a strange yet warm feeling.

The Xiao Long Sisters look at the scene and had the same thought.

"Smooth Arc, real smooth"

Jaune finally realized Ren's condition.

"Hey, your face is red, are you feeling well?"

"I'm just…. ahhhhh…"

"Maybe you're not fully recovered? This blanket is pretty lightweight, I'll get some more, and you can warm up," Jaune stood up and made his way to the other empty beds, taking off the blankets to give to Ren.

Ren used the time to get calm their nerves and get their breathing under control.

The Xiao Long Sisters again were sharing the same thought.

"Smooth…but completely clueless."

Nora and Pyrrha had strange feelings about this scene. Seeing Jaune, for all intents and purposes, flirting with Ren caused something to stir within them. It wasn't jealousy, as they didn't want it to stop, and it wasn't a bad feeling in the slightest.

They…like seeing Ren and Jaune together. They liked seeing their teammates together with each other, no matter the combination. Seeing these unique connections was just…amazing. It was so strange and neither knew actually what it meant.

Strange didn't mean bad, so the rest of the day continued apace, with Jaune making sure Ren was bundled up nice and warm, with the Ninja only able to let out a weak thanks. More important matters were discussed, like if Ren would be able to return to classes on Monday or if they should take a leave of absence.

Ren ruled that out, as not only was being a Huntsmen still their goal but they still had a mission to stop Torchwick and Adam Taurus. They weren't going to back out of this and leave their friends hanging. They were going to help, they were going to be a part of this, no matter what.

The conversation thus turned to practical affairs, of how Ren would get back into action. They also went over all the information they had managed to uncover before the fight with the Paladin broke out. They quickly found the common link and had an idea of what to do next, but they would still need time to do more research and be better prepared.

Many secrets had been revealed and laid bare that day. For some, it would have been overwhelming and in a way, it was, but these eight young adults managed to push through. With kindness, understanding and acceptance, they emerge with an even stronger bond.

It wasn't the end, not by a long shot, with Ren especially having issues to resolve and overcome, but it was a beginning.

The beginning of something great.


This brings this chapter to a close, with a lot of new information and revelations being made. I will state again that I plan to explore different kinds of sexual and gender identities in this story. I hope to be respectful while introducing some unique and interesting new aspects to the characters. Let me know what you think or if I've crossed a line somewhere.

The next few chapters will probably be short, perhaps even another series of short vignettes. I've been considering putting in some omakes, alternative scenes and such involving different numbers and compositions for the Xiao Long Sisterhood. They'll probably be put in if a chapter is especially short but there is nothing definitive yet.

That's all for now. Leave a Review or PM and let me know what you think.

A/N : For those who are disappointed that this story is focusing so much on JNPR at the expense of RWBY, I apologize. Team JNPR is a major and equal part of this story, and the current part of the story is where JNPR's issues are coming to the forefront. I don't believe I could have written or structured these chapters any differently to make it not the case. RWBY and the Sisterhood remain the central element of the story, with many other aspects and characters revolving around them. I hope and plan to have RWBY take center stage again soon and hope you will stick around until then.

Thank you.