It had been a few days since. Weeks? Jaune couldn't be sure. The hours blurred along at a dizzying pace, a steady routine appearing before him. Wrapping him up and letting him lose himself in this life of his. Sending the letter to his family lifted a weight off of his shoulders, helping free him from the choking miasma that had clouded his vision. A set routine settled in.

First he would wake up, often due to the antics of Ruby or sometimes Weiss. Then it would be time to make breakfast, typically after dealing with some kind of misunderstanding. Weiss was improving as a cook, so long as she was closely watched. Classes would follow. He had been pitted against Ruby in Tyrian's class, but the 'match' became more of a game of tag. If Tyrian was upset by this, Jaune wasn't aware.

Hazel had been instructing them in proper human hand to hand, Jaune feeling stronger and stronger as the days went by. Watts frequently paired him with Yang, presumably to tutor the girl. Wiser than she looked, yes, but she still had very little in the way of book learning. Not that Jaune was much better off. Cinder seemed to avoid his gaze, he wasn't sure why. After classes, Weiss would sometimes disappear for 'personal research', whatever that entailed. She'd always return eyeing him oddly before taking her turn in the shower. Some nights she would be especially clingy.

Blake still hung around. Slinking here, stalking there. He wasn't sure where she was at present, but he had found several dead birds in his locker, arranged in the shape of a heart. He'd consider it sweet, if he wasn't concerned about where she had managed to find said birds. Today was special, Tyrian had mentioned an important lesson was coming up. For Jaune though, that didn't matter as much as his training with Ruby after. She was making great strides and they were so close to a break through.

Just a bit more of a push. That's all she needed. A push on his shoulder signaled someone wanted to talk with him. Looking up, he was met with a curious sight. Yang was waiting in the stands, looking bored, pushing his shoulder with her foot.

"Yang?"

"That's the name." She continued to push him with her foot.

"...what are you doing?"

"Being bored." She pushed him harder.

Jaune had half a mind to slap her leg away. "Why aren't you down there?"

She shrugged. "Tyrian didn't want me to go today. Said today would have a special event. Load of bullshit really."

Jaune gritted his teeth as her foot against his shoulder grew in pressure. "So you're going to take it out on me?"

Yang smirked. "What, you going to take yours out on me?"

Jaune blinked. "What does that even- Ruby!"

Suddenly Ruby was by his side, leaping up into the stands. Almost as suddenly, Yang had withdrawn her leg. The elder sister nodded to the younger, who leaned into Jaune's torso. Rubbing her horns on his arm, Ruby looked him in the eye.

"I can't wait to see what happens today after class."

Jaune smiled. "Yup."

Weiss made her presence known by a series of horn pecks to the back of Jaune's neck, Jaune grimacing.

"Hello to you too, Weiss. Finally cleaned up after the BBQ?"

Looking back, he saw that she had not fully accomplished the task. Small dark stains adorned her lips still, even as the haughty hybrid rolled her eyes.

"Of course. You did not tell me that marinating meat in vats of liquid spices would produce such delicious food."

Jaune shrugged. "You weren't supposed to eat that until tonight. The meat was still mostly undercooked and the sauce didn't get to really set in right."

Weiss eyed him critically. "The meat could have tasted better?"

Jaune nodded. "Well, yeah. BBQ is supposed to cook for much-!"

Cut off by Weiss shoving herself into his face, her horn parting his hair and she angled it just enough to miss, Jaune went silent. She was extremely close, her left leg between his own, her smaller body pushing into his to get as close as possible. Yet he could tell she wasn't trying to do anything intimate from the look in her eye.

"You will make this for me. Soon."

Jaune gulped. "Y-yes, ma'am."

A satisfied smirk came to her features, her eyebrow quirking up. A very different look seemed to settle on her face as she leaned in closer.

"Ma'am. I think I could get used to that."

"That's enough of that!" Ruby kicked Weiss in the side, sending the shorter girl off onto the floor.

Weiss surged up, glaring murder at Ruby. "Jaune! Tell her that was unacceptable!"

Jaune froze.

Ruby looked back at Jaune briefly before resuming her glare at Weiss. "Tell her that you won't let her walk all over you like that anymore!"

Jaune realized this, this was the nadir of his time here. This was the lowest point he could have ever reached. Now, now he was going to die. Die without experiencing so much. Without ever getting to see his family again. He knew for a fact, when girls tried to bring you into their argument, you could only lose.

To his utter surprise, his savior was none other than Tyrian himself.

"Now, now Mistresses," came his sing-song voice. "We're all one big happy family here. Save the sparring for the ring."

Weiss and Ruby returned to their spots, Yang cracking up behind him. Jaune didn't even get to let out a breath of relief when Tyrian continued.

"Please, Master Jaune, join us in the center of the ring for a most special occasion."

Ruby clasped him on the arm. "Get out there! You'll do great, especially with how you've been kicking butt in Hazel's class!"

Jaune, stepping into the arena floor, hoped she was right. Most of the hybrids nodded in understanding, though this didn't help Jaune at all. What was the madman doing?

"Today, my beloved student, is what I lovingly refer to as Doubles Round. One hybrid may volunteer, if any so wish, to be your partner. Your lifeline, in a fight against a very unique hybrid." Tyrian was so close to breaking out into a giggle fit, Jaune could almost hear it. "Yang is not allowed. She has already faced these two before now, so nothing new would be learned."

Jaune blinked. Really? Who could have survived fighting Yang? Jaune looked back into the stands, expecting with some dread for Brawnz or Cardin to stand. Neither did. If anything, Cardin looked uneasy. Jaune's eyes narrowed. Why would that be?

"Sky, Russell, if you would be so kind."

Jaune did not know those names. Suddenly, a noise could be heard at the doorway. It sounded like stone cracking. Jaune turned, barely raising his shield in time to block the debris that was sent flying his direction, impacting the shield and driving him back. A low growl, doubled with the sound of a light, groggy moan, helped Jaune clear the stars out of his eyes. To his horror, the hybrids approached through the dust.

Or rather, the hybrid. Most hybrids were mostly flesh, with some Grimm substance making up a limb, or some kind of appendage. This one, the core of their mass was pitch black murk, twisting and writhing with rib bones extending and retracting with every conjoined breath. Three human legs were fused into their lower mass on one side, with two spider-like limbs taking up the slack on the other side. Quivering flesh, an ashen grey rather than the white of a normal hybrid, twisted up along the edges of the black mass that was their torso. Four arms jutted out of the thing's sides and back, but they were not directly attached. Instead they rested at the end of the bubbling mass that was their body, their position changing, shifting.

Two heads, or what was left of their heads, were at different points of their torso. Lower, in the middle of the chest, was the one eyed head of a young man who had once had a mohawk. The remnants of green hair going down a strip of flayed flesh was all that told Jaune this. The other near the top of the mass, to the side of where it should have been, might have been handsome once, but the concave skull and ever split jaw destroyed his visage. The wild red eye of the center head landed on Jaune.

"Flesh. Fresh flesh. To rebuild. To be ours." The skin of their upper arm rippled as ivory claws tore apart their fingers. "Give, us. Flesh."

Terror filled Jaune, his arms shaking. What was this, what in the Gods names was this! Stumbling back, he heard Yang holler from above.

"Hey! I killed those two assholes a while ago! What gives!"

Tyrian flashed a brilliant smile up at Yang. "Our dearest Headmistress, the greatest Goddess Salem, saw fit to give them another chance. If only we should all be so lucky! Of course, you did not leave much of them left to work with, so..."

The top head, what few strands of blue hair clinging to his head whipping around, began to scream skyward. Their topmost left arm convulsed, clawing at their own shoulder mass, blood bubbling up. It then snapped forward, the mass surrounding what had been a neck moving in tandem like a series of cords. No words could issue from its ruined face, only blind gurgling and black bile.

"She made do."

Faster than Jaune could have been prepared for, the hybrid swatted him into a wall. Crying out in pain, Jaune felt the stone crack behind him. His vision went blurry, stars in his eyes, as he fell to the ground. Only for one of the spider legs pointed tips to drive him deeper, the stonework shattering beneath him. Screaming, Jaune felt the limb tear into his aura and batter his spine. Rearing back, the creature dragged Jaune through the ground into the wall, and then immediately up that very well. Tearing a groove through the stone using his body, the top most head twisted in idle fascination, black bile dripping from his ever opened mouth.

Jaune hadn't even drawn his weapons yet when the assault began, as the creature pulled him away from the wall still on the back of one of its legs. The skeletal claws drew back to stab Jaune in the face, he barely managing to grab hold and stop it. Gritting his teeth, Jaune pumped his aura higher, brushing against his semblance. He had to break away. He had to. Pushing the limb back, the Sky-Russell creature drew the limb back the rest of the way. Jaune held tight, allowing himself to be pulled along with it.

Digging his foot into its shoulder, Jaune kicked away. Sadly he was still not the most proficient at landing on his feet, hitting his side hard across the room. Scrambling, Jaune reached for his still holstered sheath. This hybrid was barely coherent, this wasn't a sparring contest at all! He had barely grasped his weapon's hilt when the creature was already on him, ready to rend and tear. That was, until a spiral of white spun through the air. Smashing into the thing's upper head with both feet, pony tail spinning behind her, Weiss made her grand entrance.

"I shall be his partner!"

The Sky-Russell staggered briefly, Weiss summoning her mighty blade from whatever space Grimm stored their weapons. She looked back at Jaune who quickly got to his feet, opening his shield to its full size.

"You better appreciate this. I don't work with just anyone." She flipped her hair for effect.

Jaune smiled through the pain. "You're the best."

Weiss shook her head. "Idiot, I already know that."

Jaune shouted, Weiss leaping away, the creature rushing forward. This time, with both combatants aware that the fight was on, it managed to strike neither of them. Bringing its three human legs up to slam into the wall, the creature kicked off, spinning on its two oversized arachnid limbs. Weiss, snarling, launched herself at the beast, sinking her weapon into its mass, aiming for the center head.

Except the center head jerked away, dragging itself through the muck of its own body as Weiss only pierced Grimm-flesh. Swearing, Weiss had to abandon her weapon as the ribs closed in around her like disjointed teeth, kicking off of the creature. Jaune, making use of her distraction, rushed at the thing from below, aiming to hack its legs in half. What he did not count on was for the creature to be able to multitask, its lowest left arm lashing out.

Skidding back, the slash sparking against his shield, Jaune grimaced. Weiss landed near him, annoyance rolling off of her in waves.

"This thing is too fast."

"Seems kind of unfair." Jaune agreed.

The creature screamed and groaned, grabbing at Weiss' weapon. Pulling it free, hellish red burning within its mangled form, a glint entered the remaining eye it had.

Weiss cocked her hip, pointing at the creature. "I'm going to want that back."

Faster than Weiss could imagine, faster than Jaune could react, the Sky-Russell speared her through the abdomen, throwing her across the room. Her weapon impaled on the far wall through her, her body hanging limp on it, feet off the ground, Weiss' head fell.

Jaune stared in confusion. The Sky-Russell was on him, bringing both of its upper arms swinging down. Jaune barely, dazedly, blocked that with his shield, acting more on instinct than actual desire. What had just happened? Weiss couldn't just be-! The creature brought both of its lower arms up into Jaune's exposed abdomen, driving him into the air only to smack him right back down again with its upper arms.

Jaune landed hard on the ground, his shield falling away. His sword, however, he clung to. A grip that tightened with anger, his entire body quaking as shock gave way to rage.

"How dare you!" Jaune, body burning white as his semblance pushed him as far as he could, screamed. "Why her!"

If the creature gave any sign of comprehension, it could not show it. Yet, some of the hybrids would speak of the confusion shown as Jaune, driving his sword into the undermass of the beast, managed to lift the creature just enough to hurl it into the far wall.

"I will kill you! I will absolutely destroy you! You damned abomination- I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

A mass of jumbled limbs, the creature's heads twisted in confusion at the same time. Yet it surged forward all the same, meeting Jaune's own charge into it. Jaune felt the blows land into his back and side, even as he cleaved into the monster's upper head, obliterating it.

Reeling back, the creature reared back to smash Jaune into the ground once again- only for both of its upper arms to be speared together, behind itself into the wall Jaune had driven it into.

"Thank you..." came the ragged breathing from Weiss, stumbling forward, one hand clutching the gaping wound at her chest. "For giving it back."

Jaune, without missing a beat, plunged his sword forward into the remaining, screaming central head. Driving the blade in to the hilt, he felt the Sky-Russell monster shift around him, trying to grab him and throw him away. So, he twisted the blade, destroying the head utterly.

Like an overripe boil, the mass of the monster's body erupted, covering Jaune in a thick, black ichor. The Grimm flesh burned away as the limbs, and little else, fell to the ground in meaty chunks. Trying to find his breath, he realized Weiss was still alive.

Rushing back, he tried to grab her up into his arms, only for her to push him away.

"I'm fine. This is... nothing." Weiss glared past Jaune at Tyrian. "Nothing!"

Tyrian bowed to his mistress. "Of course. As expected of such a perfected child."

Weiss glowered at the man for a moment longer before turning back to Jaune. "I'm going to our room to shower. You," she dug her finger into the base of his throat. "Owe me one hell of a breakfast for this."

Jaune couldn't keep the smile off of his face, fighting back tears. "Of course. Of course. I'm so sorry, I didn't..."

Weiss shut him up with a whip of her hair to his face. "Like I told our teacher, this is nothing. For a hybrid, Salem will not allow even death itself to keep us from our destined duty. As those two should attest."

Jaune nodded. Looking back, he realized something. That thing, it had been like Weiss once. They had been. Whatever they were now, they were once human.

And he had killed them.

But they would have killed him. They tried to. They nearly killed Weiss.

In an instant, she was so nearly taken from him. He couldn't bear to think of that. Jaune lowered his head, stumbling away. Tyrian was saying something behind them, but Jaune couldn't be bothered to listen. Leaving the classroom and heading straight to the locker room to cleanse the filth from himself, he fell into the shower stall, hoping to wash away this day.

Sometime later, Jaune emerged from the shower, towel around his waist. Weston grunted at him as he went by, taking his place in the largest shower. Brawnz was getting dressed, catching sight of Jaune emerging. An expression on his face that Jaune couldn't place accompanied him as the slender hybrid abruptly left.

"Move, meat."

Turning, Jaune found Cardin was behind him. A completely stark naked Cardin. Eyeing his body, a patchwork of iron bands holding together scarred flesh, one injury above all else got his attention. Jaune winced, looking away from Cardin. No wonder the guy seemed perpetually pissed.

Cardin began pulling on his armor, clicking plates and leather over his body. Watching Jaune, he approached.

"I do not appreciate you eyeing me, meat. If you have a question, ask it."

"How are you able to pee?"

Jaune went dead still. Why, why had that slipped out? Of all the things to ask, why that? He looked back at Cardin, hoping that he would be blasé on the subject. The almost literal fire in the larger man's eyes said otherwise.

"...you said to ask."

"You listen here you little shit! I'm still a perfect breeding bull!"

Jaune supposed they could extract the needed material with a syringe. Such a thought, silly as it was, both made him wince again and made him laugh.

"You find this funny? What that blonde bitch did!"

He looked over the aggressive, larger hybrid. "I mean, a little. Cosmically. I don't know man, I'm not with it right now. That fight-"

"That fight!" Cardin's voice rose higher before lowering. "That fight is the only reason I'm letting you leave this room alive. If you didn't put that affront down, I would have."

There seemed to be actual emotion to the boy's voice, not just the blind anger. Genuine loss and sadness. Evidently, he had a history with the two unfortunate souls within the mass of the monster.

"Go back to your freak, breed her while she's still alive. If I get you or her in the ring, I won't think twice. I will kill you."

Jaune's breath caught, his sympathy arrested all at once. Cardin pushed past, going deeper into the showers. He had killed the monster, but could he kill an actual hybrid? He didn't think so.

Yet a quiet voice in the back of his head incessantly reminded him-he had. He just did. They had been alive. He took that from them. He took their lives, without hesitation. Frowning, Jaune pushed past it.

He had to get to Ruby, and he couldn't be in a mood like this. He had to be there for her. Today was her day. Later, he would pamper Weiss.

Now belonged to Ruby.

"Jaune..." Ruby gasped. A ragged breath shot through her lips. "I can't last much longer."

Her face was contorted with desperate effort. One of her hands reached up to take hold of his own, squeezing down on it with such force that the boy thought his bones would shatter.

"It's okay, Ruby," he said as he looked down on her. He squeezed back, hoping to offer as much comfort to her as he could. "I'm here with you."

"I'm so close..."

No. That would not do. She had to last longer. For her sake. For all of their sakes.

"Think happy thoughts, Ruby," he encouraged. "Think about who and what makes you happy. You can do it. I know you can."

Ruby's eyes were closed, and her brow was scrunched in concentration as she sought to maintain her human form. Her cute, and quite frankly very pretty human form. Silver eyes were hidden from his sight, but her pale, normal-colored flesh was plain to see. Much more than that, however, was the absence of her horns. The complete absence of them. Ruby looked like a normal girl. She could walk the streets of Vale and no one would have batted an eye.

Jaune couldn't suppress his smile as he looked at the adorable girl practically shaking as she sought to maintain the form. He'd lost track of how long she had been able to hold it, but he knew it was undoubtedly a new record for their training.

"Yang," Ruby said softly. "You. Weiss. I love my sister so much. I love my friends. Even if Weiss won't admit it, I know she's my friend!"

A small, joyous laugh slipped out of his mouth. Yes. This was what she needed to do. These were the kinds of thoughts she needed to think. She needed to get in touch with her human side. Not only to help maintain her human form, but to remember who she once was. What she once was. A human being just like him. Not a prisoner and a slave to that monster Salem.

Jaune was surprised when the small girl before him tugged on the hand she squeezed, bringing him close enough so that their bodies were touching. She wrapped her free arm around his waist, holding him to her as her flawless human forehead rested against his chest.

"I love spending time with you," she continued. "I love sleeping next to you. I love it when you praise me. Could you please praise me, Jaune?"

The blond felt his heart racing in his chest from the sudden physical action of Ruby. From her even more sudden words. Considering how he spent every night sleeping with both her and Weiss, their current circumstances were oddly intimate. It was hardly the first time he had held the girl in his arms, but when combined with what she was saying... he wanted nothing more than to bend down and place a kiss atop her beautiful red-black hair.

If it would help her be more human...

Jaune leaned in, bringing his lips close to her ear. "I think you're incredible, Ruby," he whispered gently. "You're so kind and sweet. You're the best friend I ever could have asked for."

It was the truth. And from his own selfish point of view, it was one of the most heartbreaking parts of this whole situation. He and Ruby would have gotten along amazingly out in the real world. Their personalities just meshed. He wouldn't have been surprised if she would have enjoyed things like video games and comic books. He wished he could introduce those things to her, but he had no way of going out and obtaining them. Maybe Hazel or even Tyrian would be able to venture out into the real world to get them.

Or maybe not Tyrian. With his track record, the man would probably buy them some sort of Mistrai pornography disguised as a graphic novel. Blake would surely love all the tentacles though...

Those thoughts were driven from his mind when he felt Ruby's shaking cease. As he peered down at her, the girl took a step back and looked up at him with shining silver eyes. The sweetest smile imaginable was plastered on her lips.

"You really mean it?" she asked hopefully. There was no trace of struggle or effort on her face.

She still maintained a vice grip on his hand, and he gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I do." A pair of fingers came up to brush a few errant crimson locks away from her eye. "Look at you. You're doing it. You're in your human form and you're not even trying."

In a flash Ruby's head dipped down, taking in her body as she looked it over back and forth. "I am..." she whispered. "I am! I'm doing it! And I'm not even trying!"

Jaune's heart swelled with pride with this victory. And he made no mistake about it, this was a victory. Not for Salem and her plans to train an army of hybrids to infiltrate the kingdoms of men. No, this was a victory for Ruby. For her own happiness and wellbeing. For her own chance to break free from this misery and live a normal, happy life. If he could help facilitate that, then maybe coming here to this school hadn't been a mistake after all.

"You're doing it," he agreed happily. Tears threatened to well up in his eyes as he saw how happy she was. "I'm so proud of you, Ruby."

"I'm a human!" she stated proudly. Tragically. Deep down she really was a human, and she didn't even realize it.

"You are," he agreed. "You're absolutely human."

She came back to him, releasing his hand only to pull him into a bone-crushing embrace. Both her arms came around his torso, and if not for his Aura his spine would have surely been snapped. "Thank you, Jaune," she said happily as her head once more found his chest. "Thank you..."

What else could he do but return her hug? It wasn't just for show. It wasn't done out of obligation. He wanted to embrace her. He wanted to make her feel warm and loved. He wanted to stoke the embers of the human that existed somewhere inside her.

Jaune held Ruby close to him, not feeling at all awkward or self-conscious as he held her for long seconds. As his hands found their places on the small of her back. As his cheek came down to rest atop her hornless head. He wanted nothing more than to stay like this forever. To shelter this incredible girl in his arms. To protect and save her from the horrors that had been wrought upon her.

Sadly, however, life had chosen different fates for them both. Life had determined that they would be trapped in this school, and with everything that came with it.

"Jaune," a familiar gravelly voice sounded from behind him.

Reluctantly letting Ruby slip from his embrace, Jaune turned to see the hulking form of Hazel standing in the doorway. His face betrayed no signs of emotion. There was no indication that what he had been doing with Ruby would be seen as wrong in the man's eyes. He merely stood there as stoic as ever.

"Professor Rainart!" Ruby squealed excitedly. Without a care in the world that she had been caught red-handed acting so human with Jaune. "Look at me! Look how human I am!"

Then again, maybe that was the point. Maybe Hazel would be silently thrilled that Ruby was making so much progress in furthering Salem's plan.

A guttural noise sounded in the man's throat. "I see," he said neutrally. "In any case, Salem wants you to speak with the prisoner."

The prisoner? Jaune hadn't been aware there was anyone else like him here at the school. Was he in some strange sense fortunate that he was being treated like any of the other hybrids rather than a prisoner?

Ruby nodded, and Jaune noticed how her earlier excitement had left her face. "Okay," she said, almost as emotionless as Hazel himself.

"Should I come too?" Jaune asked warily. He wanted to know more about this prisoner. Moreover, he wanted to be there for Ruby in case she was indeed apprehensive about speaking to them.

"No. Salem has ordered me to bring you to see her."

A cold chill ran down Jaune's spine. The last time he had spoken to that woman...

The image her of fist punching through his armor and ribcage filled his mind. Salem was a monster he never again wanted to be in the presence of. Regardless of how much or how little violence she inflicted upon him.

"Aw, lucky!" Ruby pouted. "Here I have to go talk to this woman, and you get to talk to Salem? I guess you really are the top student here..."

Lucky. Top student. Everything Ruby knew about him was a lie. Just like everything she knew about herself.

"Well, I'll see you in a little while," the redhead said as she began walking. "Have fun with Salem!"

He knew that would be impossible regardless of how optimistic he tried to remain.

Hazel motioned with his head for Jaune to follow, and Jaune did just that. It wasn't like he could refuse his or Salem's orders.

Traveling the familiar halls of the school, Jaune soon reached a point that he had not been to since his first days at the academy. A place he would have never dared venture to of his own volition. Peering up an impossibly high spiraling staircase, another shudder ran through his body at the thought of what and who he was about to encounter.

"You know the drill," Hazel said as he stopped short of the first step.

Jaune nodded. Despite it have being so long ago, he remembered all too well what the man had told him. "High as I can go," he stated, using Hazel's own words from the first encounter. "There might be some Grimm on the way."

The burly man nodded. "Right. Though at this point I don't think a few Seers or Beowolves will be much of a problem for you."

Seers. He was unfamiliar with that kind of Grimm. It was more likely he just couldn't associate the name with the type of creature. However, what Hazel had said was interesting. Did the man really believe that Jaune was capable of fighting off the beasts of Grimm on his own? With his just sword?

Jaune glanced down to his left him, and his hand instinctively moved to feel the hilt of his family's blade. At least he wasn't entirely defenseless here.

"I guess I'd better get going..." he said, more thinking aloud than wishing to part ways with Hazel.

A grunt of confirmation cemented his decision. Taking the first step, Jaune began to ascend the staircase to once more meet with the monster who was responsible for not only his plight, but the conditions of every other student in this school.

His head was on a swivel as he walked up the stairs. Around him those strange tentacled jellyfish Grimm hung impossibly in the air like helium balloons. They didn't seem inclined to attack him, just as they hadn't the last time. Instead, strange clicking and chittering noises sounded from unseen orifices, and Jaune was all too happy he could not see their mouths. If their strange appearance bore a resemblance to Blake...

Jaune pushed the thought of her toothy grin from his mind as he continued upward. He had to stay focused on the task at hand. And probably the stairs as well. Light was a precious commodity around here, and one false step could send him plummeting down hundreds of steps to meet a terrible end.

As he reached the top, his hand was finally removed from the handle of Crocea Mors. No Grimm had accosted him, and for that small gift he was thankful. However, now he had to face the Queen of the Grimm herself. He would rather face down a hundred creatures of Grimm than that terrifying woman.

The familiar double doors stood closed before him, and just like the last time he raised his fist to knock. Just like the last time, the door eerily opened on its own.

"Enter," the smooth, dark voice from within sounded.

Taking a deep breath, Jaune forced himself inside the chamber of Salem.

The woman's back was to him, showing no detail of her features other than the elaborately styled hair atop her head. The woman's flowing black dress pooled around her feet, giving the appearance that she did not even possess legs. The way she seemed to glide across the room when she moved would have supported such a theory, had it not been so preposterous to begin with.

Jaune took a few steps into the room, not wanting to approach the woman any closer than necessary. "You asked to see me?"

Salem did not move her body, but her head turned to peek at him with one glowing red eye. "I did," she said coolly. "Come," she beckoned with a single word.

Jaune nodded, and swallowed as he approached the woman. Moving to stand by her side, he saw that she was gazing into one of the jellyfish Grimm. In its strange, almost glass-like surface, he saw his and Salem's reflections. Did it serve as some sort of living mirror? No, surely there had to be more to it than that.

"You're making quite an impact here," she stated. "I have seen what you have done with some of my more... rambunctious children."

Was he in trouble? A pessimistic part of him didn't think so. No, if he had been in trouble, Salem would have had him killed by one of her lackeys. Or by the Grimm themselves. She wouldn't have demanded an audience with him just to tell him that he was doing too much with the other students.

"It's what you wanted me to do, isn't it?" he asked.

"Indeed," she confirmed. "I saw your training session with young Ruby. It must have been quite a touching moment for you, to see how far she had come since first meeting her. To see how happy and human she was in that moment."

In all honesty, it was. Jaune was incredibly proud of the progress Ruby was making. That they all were. After what Yang had told him the other day, he knew that the secret to the hybrids holding their perfect human forms was to feel more human themselves. The fact that Ruby had achieved what she had earlier spoke volumes to how far she had come. How much he had been able to affect her.

Still, Jaune didn't know what he was supposed to say here. He didn't know how Salem felt about that. She certainly didn't seem angry. He couldn't imagine what an enraged Salem would look or sound like, but the very idea of it was utterly horrifying.

He hadn't noticed before, but a piece of paper with in Salem's hand. She brought it up to read from it. "Dear, Salem," she began, her tone making it obvious that the words were not her own. "Jaune said I should write to you to tell you how much you mean to me. You're the coolest mom ever! I really hope I can help you make all the humans see how great you are too. Thanks for giving me the chance to go to school here with my sister and meet people like Jaune. I've been having such a good time since he showed up..."

The words hurt his heart. Yes, he had told Ruby to write a letter to her 'mother', that being Salem in this case. However, he never knew that hearing Ruby's own thoughts on her situation would make him feel so sad. He never knew her own complacency in living this life would trouble him so much.

"It's cute, in its own way," Salem continued, lowering the letter as to make it clear that she was sharing her own thoughts now. "Ruby has always been a particularly special case. A hybrid unlike any other due to her unique... gift."

Thinking back to when he had first met her, Jaune recalled how Ruby had been ostracized by her peers. How she herself thought that she was defective in some sort of way. There had never been any truly definitive proof of that before. It had always just been Ruby's own thoughts and beliefs. There may have been a little bit of animosity between her and some of the other hybrids, but hearing it from Salem's own mouth all but confirmed it.

Still, he wondered just what gift Ruby had that made her stand out from the rest of the hybrids.

"Look into the Seer's orb," she ordered him. Seeing how the only orb was the one of that jellyfish Grimm floating before him, he could only assume that was a Seer. At least that unasked question had been answered.

He did as he was told, and for long seconds he saw only his reflection. Was this some sort of test? To stare at his own face and tell her what he saw?

To his surprise, both his and Salem's reflections vanished in a swirling mist within the Seer's body, and was quickly replaced by an all too familiar sight. An all too familiar girl.

With Ruby.

"I'm sorry," the girl said. How was he seeing and hearing her through the Seer? "I just don't remember."

Ruby was standing next to what looked to be a prison cell. A dungeon, more likely. The prisoner that Hazel had spoken of was on the other side of the bars. It was clearly a woman, her face bound by a thick black blindfold. And while it was difficult to tell with the purple-black color of the Seer's orb, her hair looked oddly... familiar.

"Please, Ruby. You have to remember," the prisoner pleaded. "You have to try to remember who I am. Remember who you are. You're my baby girl, Ruby. My precious baby girl."

Jaune's eyes went wide in shock. Her baby girl.

Ruby's mother. Her true, biological mother.

What kind of sick, twisted depravity was this? He glanced at Salem.

"Summer Rose," she said indifferently, as if reading his thoughts. "Ruby's true mother."

His heart rate spiked as he continued to watch the scene unfold before him in the Seer's orb.

"I think you have the wrong girl," Ruby said emotionlessly. Robotically. "Salem's my mother."

The woman who shared Ruby's unique hair shook her head wildly. "That monster is not your mother. I know it was so long ago, but you have to try to remember the bedtime stories I used to read to you. Remember the cookies you used to love me baking for you."

Ruby gripped her arm. "I don't know who you are."

It was too much. Thankfully with the wave of her hand, Salem banished the images from the Seer's body.

Jaune's hands were shaking as he stared at his reflection once more. Lips parted and eyes wide, he could not conjure up any sort of thoughts in his mind. All that existed was rage. Hate. Pure, unadulterated hate.

In an instant his right hand returned to the handle of Crocea Mors, and he ripped the blade out of its scabbard. With Aura-fuelled strength and speed he gripped the sword in two hands. He cried out as he swung, the only thought in his mind being the giant woman who stood next to him.

The blade struck deep and true, sinking into Salem's flesh and stopping only when it hit the vertebrae of her neck. A fatal blow if he had ever seen one. The pale woman's head hung limply where only half of her tissue still kept it attached to her body. Had it truly been so easy? Had he vanquished her with a single strike?

Jaune was panting heavily from anger and exertion. Pulling Crocea Mors out, he found it odd that the woman hadn't collapsed to the ground yet. And then he found out why.

Salem' head turned, and tilted down to meet his gaze. "Better men than you have tried to end me."

Jaune's eyes were impossibly wide as ghostly white flesh began to mend itself right in front of him. Tendons and veins knitted and healed themselves where his sword had bit into her skin and meat.

"Does your anger make you feel powerful?" she asked. "Does it feel good to lash out against those who have wronged you?"

Within seconds Salem was whole once more. Unscathed. How, he could not explain. All he knew was that he had gambled, and that he had lost. Now he had to face the consequences.

"You're developing quite the killer instinct, Mr. Arc. First one of my hybrids today in Tyrian's class. Now you sought to kill me." Her eyes betrayed no anger of their own for him attempting to cut her down where she stood. "I wonder, is it you who will change my children? Or will they be the ones to change you?"

"You're a monster," he snarled. His hands still gripped Crocea Mors tightly. A part of him considered it odd that she had not disarmed him, but then again, did it matter if he could not harm her? "How can you be so cruel?"

"Cruel," she mused. "You know nothing of injustice or cruelty. You could not possibly fathom what those words truly mean."

"Why then?" he asked incredulously. "Why would you do that to Ruby? Why would you show me that?"

Salem held up the letter she had received from Ruby once more. "You may teach them to act more human," she explained. "But that is all it will ever be. An act. You cannot change them. You cannot save them. They are mine. They may grow fond of you, but they will never love you. All you can do is play your part here, and hope that you never outlive your usefulness to my cause."

Irrational hatred once more coursed through Jaune's veins. He didn't care if he had failed before. Salem may have been able to heal her wound, but could she possibly heal herself if he hacked her head clean off?

He swung once more, focusing all of his Aura and Semblance into his arms to power his strike. To decapitate Salem cleanly this time. To not give her the opportunity to regenerate as she had done before.

A single hand reached out, stopping his arms and his blade in their tracks. Black and white fingers laced around his wrist, and in one simple motion snapped it.

Jaune screamed as he stumbled backwards, Crocea Mors clattering to the ground as his good hand held his broken wrist. The pain was unbearable, and his breathing came out in desperate gasps as he struggled to use his abilities to heal it. The pain blocked his focus, making the task incredibly difficult.

"You amuse me, boy," Salem said calmly. "But be careful. Do not think that you may act so recklessly in the future and not face consequences."

Jaune said nothing as he tried to channel all of his Aura into healing his shattered bones. A bright white glow illuminated the dimly lit room as it went to work.

The tendrils of the Seer Grimm scooped Crocea Mors off the ground and presented it to him. It didn't matter to Salem whether or not he was armed. She could overpower him with a single hand. And even if she couldn't, she could simply heal any wound he inflicted on her.

Jaune ceased his efforts to mend his wrist, taking the sword in his good hand. It would not do to refuse Salem's gesture. The weapon felt heavier than it had before.

"Go now, we're done here," the woman ordered. "And put to rest any further thoughts of trying to kill me. I'm sure your new friends would be devastated to learn that you would no longer be attending this school."

Jaune was in no position to argue. No position to fight back. His throbbing wrist made all thoughts of resistance or protest evaporate from his mind. All he wanted to do right now was escape the horrifying presence of the Headmistress of this academy.

He stumbled through the double doors of Salem's chamber, slumping against the nearest wall once he was outside. Sliding down onto his backside, he set Crocea Mors down and continued to cradle his injured limb in his good hand, silently willing his Aura to do its healing work.

Around him the Seers chattered, floating ominously as they seemed to regard him with interest. The howl of a distant Beowolf filled his ears, but he could not place a location or even a direction of where it might be. If it came for him, he needed to be ready. He needed his sword arm to be at full strength.

He wasn't ready to make the trip down the stairs yet. As he continued to mend his wrist, all he could think about was how much he hated this place. How much he hated that monster of a woman. How much he felt for Ruby. For Weiss. For all the victims who were being so unknowingly tortured for Salem's own twisted plans.

Despite what he had seen today, his resolve had not been dampened. If anything, it had only been strengthened. He had always wanted to be a huntsman. To be a hero. To live up to his family name and protect those in need.

He would save his friends or he would die trying.

When Jaune had finally summoned the strength to return to his room, he hadn't expected to see Weiss standing outside of it.

As he approached her head snapped up, and glowing red eyes gazed in his direction. He was still too far for her to hear him approach, and he silently wondered how she had been aware of his presence from such a distance.

The white-haired hybrid stood with her arms folded across her chest, and the undershirt of his that he had 'gifted' to her showed no signs of the wound she had suffered earlier in the day. He knew it was still undoubtedly there, however. Despite the enormous durability that hybrids possessed, he knew that she still had to be feeling that injury.

The question was, why was she outside? And why did she look so... uncomfortable?

As seconds passed by and he grew nearer, he could make out an all too familiar frown on the girl's face. If she was feeling physically bad, she should be inside. She should be resting and recovering. A part of him wanted to try using his Aura on her, but he had no idea how that would interact with a Grimm hybrid. Or any true Grimm period. The risk of further injuring Weiss crossed his mind, and it was a risk he was not willing to take.

Perhaps he would ask Hazel about that the next time they spoke. As the academy's resident expert on Aura, he would be the most likely to know. Outside of Salem, that was. However, Jaune would never want to speak with her about anything even if he was offered the opportunity.

"Weiss?" he asked, concern lacing his voice as he neared her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" she snapped. One of her folded hands clutched at her torso, betraying the words she spoke.

Jaune knew he shouldn't press the issue. If Weiss did not want to admit to being injured, then he would not bring it up. If it wasn't life-threatening for the girl, it was probably more of a matter of pride. Weiss would not want to be shown up by him. She would not want to be in a position of weakness or inferiority in front of him.

"Why are you outside?" A chill suddenly ran through his body. "And where's Ruby?"

Her lip twitched, and red eyes shifted to regard the door. "She's inside."

Now it was Jaune who frowned. He knew that Ruby and Weiss had their issues at times, but it had never before kept either of the girls from being in the same room together. Especially after their current living arrangements had been established.

Without wasting another moment, Jaune grabbed the door's handle and pushed it open.

The sounds of muffled crying filled his ears.

Ruby sat on their bed, her face buried in her hands as she wept. Horns stuck through her hair, and her skin had returned to its normal pallor. It was heart-wrenching to witness. After what Jaune had seen earlier in Salem's presence, his chest hurt to Ruby in such a state.

"Fix this," Weiss growled as she stood next to him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, already knowing the answer in his mind. He wanted to hear Weiss' take on it, however. "Why is she..." he didn't know if Weiss knew what crying meant or why it happened. "Why is she acting this way?"

The smaller girl shook her head. "I don't know. I don't like it though."

That made two of them. However, it surprised Jaune that Weiss was upset, or at the very least uncomfortable with Ruby's behavior. He knew that his friend had been set apart from her peers due to her positive attitude. So it stood to reason that the other hybrids would like the fact that she was crying.

Yet Weiss didn't.

"Fix it," she repeated, taking a few steps away from him.

"I will. But where are you going?"

"To my old room," she said softly, turning to regard him. "I need... privacy for tonight."

He made no move to stop her, nor did he voice any protest. Her actions once more spoke louder than her words.

Weiss' hand still gripped her body as she slunk away, like an injured animal retreating to lick its wounds. Perhaps Weiss felt that if she displayed any weakness in front of him that he would judge her? Or worse, try to kill her in a moment of weakness? He knew that weakness was not tolerated in this academy. Maybe she felt as though she had to seclude herself from others until she was fully recovered?

She would be fine. He knew that. By tomorrow Weiss would be recovered and back to her old self. Right now though it was Ruby who needed his help. She was suffering from a wound that her advanced durability, nor his Aura, could heal.

Jaune stepped inside their room at long last, prompting Ruby to look up at him. Liquid red eyes regarded him, and her cheeks were wet and glistening from where the tears had flown down them.

He did not hesitate as he approached, dropping to a knee as he took her human hand in his own. "Ruby?" he said softly. "What's wrong?"

Again, he could already answer his own question. And again, he wanted to see what she would say in response.

"I don't know," the girl croaked. "That woman. Whenever I see that woman I get this way and I don't know why..."

Jaune knew why. That woman, that prisoner, was her mother. He knew he couldn't very well tell her that though. At least not now. She probably wouldn't have believed him on a good day, and in her state of mind he wasn't sure how she would react to such a revelation.

"I... I... I don't know why I'm feeling like this," she continued to whimper. "Am I broken, Jaune? Why can't my eyes stop doing this?"

Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. It was too much for Jaune to bear. Without even thinking he acted.

Large arms wrapped around the sitting girl, pulling her close to his chest. Like one of his little sisters who had fallen and scraped her knee, Jaune held the crying girl against him. Arms squeezed firmly around her back offering a sense of warmth and security for the girl.

"You're not broken, Ruby," he whispered soothingly. "You're not. None of this is your fault."

Ruby's face buried into his chest as her sobbing resumed. He felt the sharp heaves of her back, prompting his hands to tighten around her even more. If it was too much Ruby made no sounds of protest. Her arms came around him as well, squeezing him with equal amounts of pressure.

He didn't know how long he knelt in front of her like that. He didn't know how long he held her before one of his hands came up to gently stroke her hair as he did. All he knew was that he would do so for as long as he needed to. He would stay with her like this all night if she needed him to.

Anger and hatred had been replaced with care and compassion. Thoughts of vengeance against Salem had fled from his mind. Right now his only concern was his friend. He only wanted her to feel better.

"I'm here for you, Ruby," he spoke gently into her ear. "I'll always be here for you. You're not alone anymore."

Jaune grunted as her arms tightened around him so much as to cause him pain. Yet he didn't care. If his body was what Ruby needed to feel better, then he would deal with the pain now and heal any injuries later.

With one hand in her hair and the other rubbing soft circles around her back, his friend's breathing seemed to stabilize. The sobs which wracked her body lessened in intensity and frequency until finally stopping entirely.

Her head came up from his chest, and eyes surrounded by puffy gray skin regarded his own. "Jaune..."

He smiled weakly at her, trying his best to stay positive around her. Hoping that some of it would rub off on her. "It's going to be okay, Ruby," he offered soothingly. He gently wiped a tear away from her cheek with his thumb.

"I know," she sniffed. "I feel better now that you're here."

His heart swelled with pride. To know that his very presence had made a positive impact on her told him that being at this academy was not a waste of time. He hated to imagine Ruby having to go through this alone. To speak with her mother, and then have nothing and no one to turn to afterward when she felt like this.

Glistening eyes continued to gaze into his own. Vulnerable eyes. Eyes that should have forewarned him of what was coming next, and yet still came as a shock to him.

Ruby's lips pressed against his own, and one of her hands shifted to the back of his head in order to keep him in place. Despite the shock of the sudden action, Jaune made no move to pull away. Instead he lived in the moment, returning the kiss to the girl with passion and care equal to what she was giving him.

After a few seconds Ruby parted from him, and her tongue darted out to lick her lips. The softest hint of a smile played on those voluptuous lips of hers, making Jaune's breathing spike for just a split second.

"It feels good to kiss you," she spoke softly. "Like how we did before."

Jaune remembered all too well the 'kissing lessons' the two had shared. He had enjoyed it. She had as well. The noises she had made back then proved as much.

"Y-yeah," he said nervously. "It does."

Yet in this moment, Jaune felt guilty about kissing her. She was in a bad place, and he couldn't help that he was taking advantage of her despite the fact that she had been the one to initiate it.

But at the same time if it helped her feel better after what she had been through, then was giving her the care that she wanted really such a bad thing? Kissing was after all an act of affection. He wanted Ruby to feel loved right now. He wanted her to feel safe and secure. If she pressed the issue, how far would he go along with it?

"I'm glad we have the room to ourselves," she continued. "Like the old days."

Warning bells sounded in Jaune's mind. No. She couldn't be suggesting what he thought she was about to.

"Like the old days," he agreed. "Well... other than..."

His mind wandered to what lay under the bed. He wondered if Blake was there right now, feasting on the negative thoughts that Ruby was emitting.

Ruby tugged on Jaune's hand, and he stood in order to follow where she wished to guide him. "Maybe tonight we can do more kissing..." she offered bashfully. White cheeks blushed a pale gray as she spoke. "While we're cuddling in bed."

It wasn't as far as he feared she would go, and for that Jaune was thankful. Still, the thought of holding her in bed, his arms around her and hers around him while kissing her, would surely cause his own hormones to react very aggressively.

He wouldn't let things go that far. Not while she was this vulnerable. Not just that though. The very thought of doing anything like... that was not something he was ready for. Even if she wanted it.

However, if she wanted to... practice kissing a bit more in order to feel better after what she had just endured, then who was he to deny her of that simple comfort? It wasn't anything they hadn't done before. They cuddled every night. They had just kissed only moments ago. If doing both of those things at the same time tonight would help her, then he would rise to the occasion.

"Only if you want to," he said softly, as Ruby shifted on the bed to allow him to lay next to her.

Once he was settled in, her arms came around him once more, and her head moved to rub her horns against him affectionately as she often liked to. It was a far more adorable gesture than Weiss' sharp pecks.

"It made me feel better," she admitted. "So let's keep doing it."

Jaune didn't get a chance to protest before her face rose and her lips once more met his. His arms took her body into them in turn, and in seconds Jaune found himself lost in the moment as Ruby continued to kiss him.

He had to admit that maybe she was on to something here. It did feel good to do this. She wasn't the only one in need of comfort too. If they could help each other in their mutual times of need, it wouldn't hurt to do so.

Author's Note: Wow, this chapter was certainly longer than anticipated.

A good old mix of comedy, violence, romance, and drama. Par for the course with this story. Add in a little twist, and you get a chapter nearly 10,000 words long!

My thanks as always go out to Burkion and Lightningstrxu for all their hard work. Burk in particular is the mastermind behind all these grotesque hybrids and their burtal fights. So major props to him for his creative mind.

And of course my thanks go out to all of the fans of this story. Your support truly means so much to me.

I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.