Chapter Twelve
Sparks of Synergy

Ruby has been excited for Combat all day, rambling endlessly to Weiss about what they should practice during it. They'd accidentally lost track of time during the weekend, debating on upgrades for their weapons and what they were and weren't willing to change.

(Weiss was adamantly against the 'chain-sword' Ruby suggested, and Ruby found she can't make Crescent's Dust blade work unless she shortens her and she refuses to do that. It was actually really fun to debate with each other, even if Ruby can tell they're both nervous about another potential fight. It's frustrating, but she guesses this is just part of the process when both of you are socially awkward.)

So now they could get a start on that, Ruby had thought. But when she walks into the arena and spots not just Professor Fall in the stands but also Ozpin, a sense of alarm travels up her spine. She hadn't seen Ozpin since the first day, which she guesses isn't a total surprise considering he's also a councilman on top of being a headmaster, but she can't stop her mind from going back to their first meeting.

"You have silver eyes."

It bounces around in her head like an echo in a cave. She can see Mom's photo in the album, the same silver eyes looking back. Why would something like eye colour be worth pointing out? How is it any different from Yang having Dad's eye colour? She grips the hem of her skirt, looking down at her boots with an uncertain frown. She's bothered that she's still fixated on those words. But it just sticks out as such a weird thing to say to somebody before even saying hello.

Yang gently pushes on Ruby's back to get her moving again, making Ruby jolt as she didn't even realize she'd stopped. She sits down, eyes occasionally glancing at Ozpin as Goodwitch waits for the students to settle.

"Today," she says, idly tapping her riding crop into her palm, "will be very different from your past classes. So far you have sparred one-on-one, learning and adapting your own skills. But you have teams and partners for a reason. This class, you and your partner will be sparring against another pair chosen at random."

Ruby's blood runs cold. She anxiously glances at Weiss, who looks back with an even, calm expression but Ruby has a feeling it's just a facade. Especially with Weiss' foot tapping. On Ruby's right, Yang has the decency to try and hide her amusement behind her fist in a cough.

"Maybe you two shouldn't have been nerds all weekend." Her decency won't stop her from teasing, though.

"We got distracted!" Ruby whispers in a blush.

"It shouldn't be too bad," Bella, at least, has sympathy as she leans around Yang. "It's unlikely whoever you face will have that much more experience than you."

Ruby's body begins to relax, since Bella's right. The only teams she can think of who have proper training are CRDL (ew) and-

"First round," Goodwitch says, shushing the worried whispers around the arena, "will be Miss Nikos and Miss Politan versus Miss Rose and Miss Schnee."

Ruby's pretty sure she and Weiss stop breathing at the same time as Bella winces. "Or I could be wrong."

"You will have five minutes to prepare," Goodwitch continues, ignoring the wave of relieved sighs from everyone but team RWBY. "Once the match begins, it will not end until five minutes have passed or both partners have their aura knocked below ten percent."

Yang gently nudges Ruby's stiff shoulder. "Can't keep 'em waiting. You'll do great," she encourages softly, but Ruby's head fills with static as she shakily rises and follows Weiss towards the changing room.

"This'll be a short match." Ruby cringes, shoulders shooting to her chin as she feels the eyes of every student borrowing into her. She glances behind her, and is reminded of when Weiss had fought the Boarbatusk on the first day; every student has already decided that they're going to fail without giving them a chance. Ruby's heart pounds as she heads under the stands, tripping on the last step.

Weiss hears a gasp behind her and whirls around without thinking, thankfully quick enough to catch Ruby's arms and steady her before she hurts herself. She eases Ruby down the last few steps as the younger girl lowers her head, her short hair shadowing her wide, unseeing eyes.

"What are we gonna do?" she utters, shaking. "We're going to lose-"

"Ruby..."

"-and Ozpin and Goodwitch and Professor Fall will see we haven't been practising-"

"Ruby."

"-and they'll be so mad they might even expel us and we won't get to be Huntresses-"

"Ruby!" She jolts when hands jostle her shoulders, head snapping up and vision clearing. Once Weiss has her full attention, she pulls back and crosses her arms. "First of all, if somebody like that cad Cardin isn't going to be expelled for his horrid behaviour, we aren't going to be expelled for losing a spar. Second, of course we're likely to lose. We haven't fought side-by-side since the Bauson, and we all know how that disaster ended," Weiss shuffles on her feet, well aware she's at fault for the elongated rift. "But I won't allow anyone to dismiss us and declare we have no hope of winning, not them and certainly not you," she points a finger at Ruby's face in declaration, other hand on her hip. "You're the leader, you can't just give up on us when the odds are stacked against us. Pyrrha Nikos may be the best combatant in our year, but the Barren Hills will flourish before we lose to her and Neo without making them earn it."

Ruby closes her eyes, taking a deep shaky breath. Weiss' confidence shatters entirely as anxiety spikes, her hand faltering. Brother's Grimm, she hadn't meant to make Ruby feel worse! Why is she so bad at actually being nice to people? She looks seconds away from crying!

"Ruby, I'm sor-"

Ruby lightly smacks her own cheeks, stunning Weiss for a moment, before pumping her fists, eyes opening and shining with a reignited spirit. "Right! Sorry, Weiss! I shouldn't have panicked like that. I made the same mistake when I first fought Pyrrha," she laughs, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "So, thank you!"

Blinking away the remains of her stun, Weiss tosses her braid over her shoulder and raises her chin as haughtily as she can manage, knowing Ruby can see right through her all the same. "What else am I here for?" she asks. To take her mind off of her horrid overreaction, she picks up Myrtenaster and spins her chamber. "So, what is our plan, leader?"

Ruby bites her lip, bouncing on her heels. "I think we should play defensive, let them approach us first. Pyrrha has long range, but prefers to fight up close. So if we wait for openings to attack her, we might be able to take nicks out of her aura. She didn't have a lot of experience with Dust last we sparred, and I dunno if she's gotten much since then," Ruby taps her chin, holding her elbow with her other hand. "With your skill in Dust, you should be able to keep her guessing and make her a bit hesitant. I dunno how long that can last, she adapts quickly. Maybe fight erratically, don't get caught up in patterns."

"Yes, I can do that," Weiss nods, even if it may be tough for her to be 'erratic'. "But don't let Pyrrha distract us from Neo. She's dangerous, too. I've only seen her fight a few times but she certainly has experience fighting other people, and I have no idea what her semblance could be. Not to mention how difficult it is to notice her when she's just sitting in class," she leans to one side, gazing at the floor thoughtfully. "She'll likely take advantage of my blind spot in an active fight."

"If I spot her there, I'll give you a shout," Ruby says. "I might not be able to catch her every time, but if I do it should give you enough time to react, right?"

Weiss wonders if she'll ever get accustomed to Ruby's casual kindness. She'd swiftly gotten used to how her family and Atlas treated her after her trial, either like her eye was a mark of disgrace she should be ashamed of or worse as something to pity. But Ruby doesn't do that, she's nonchalant yet thoughtful about it, and doesn't let it paint her perception of her.

The only significant person (before Ruby at least) who's opinion she cared about is Winter, but she hadn't seen her sister before leaving for Beacon. Truthfully, she's a little afraid what Winter will think of it. But that's an issue for another time. Here and now, she's left equal parts grateful and awkward as warmth spreads through her chest and she shuffles on her feet.

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

Any further planning is interrupted by the chime of a bell.

The partners grip their weapons, nodding briefly at one another before walking out into the arena.

Ruby falters a step under all the attention, especially when she makes eye contact with Professor Ozpin, but Weiss lightly taps her on the leg with Myrtenaster. Out of the corner of her mouth, Weiss whispers, "Ignore them. Show them why they're wrong to dismiss you."

"Go, Rubes! Go, Weiss!" Yang hollers from the stands, up on her feet with her fists in the air.

"Kick their asses, guys!" Nora matches Yang's energy, and Ruby can see her manic grin.

Ruby smiles, small but earnest, raising her head higher to emulate Weiss beside her. On the other side of the arena, Pyrrha gives them a friendly wave and Neo casually twirls her parasol on her shoulder. Huh, Ruby hasn't gotten the name of Neo's weapon yet. She'll need to ask after the match. She wonders if Neo is planning to be a bounty Huntress, since her bladed parasol isn't made with Grimm in mind.

"Quiet, please," Goodwitch tells Yang and Nora, who exchange unashamed grins and sit down. Goodwitch looks between the two pairs, nodding at them.

Ruby takes in a deep breath.

"Ready your weapons."

"Let's aim for that timeout," Weiss says, brandishing Myrtenaster with a flourish.

"I'll take even lasting a minute," Ruby giggles, unfurling Crescent and twirling her behind her back.

"Have some faith in us."

"Begin!"

0o0o0

"I'm surprised Glynda allowed you to rig the lots," Cinder says under her breath, nonjudgmental, as Pyrrha rushes towards Ruby and Weiss, tossing her shield in a wide arc. Neo hangs back a second, but Cinder suspects that what she sees is simply one of her echoes, and the real Neo is watching and waiting for an opening. A small glyph ricochets the shield and Ruby twirls her scythe to knock it further away. Yet it returns to Pyrrha without issue. Just what is the reason?

"This is merely a lucky draw," Ozpin says casually, sipping his coffee. He knows she knows the truth. "I'm surprised you took the time to join this class today. Usually you're so caught up in your work." Pyrrha reaches Ruby and Weiss, the two of them going on either side of her and attacking, testing for openings. Pyrrha deflects both blows, retaliating with a swift and powerful spin. Ruby bursts out of range and Weiss vaults over with her glyphs, the two of them at each other's side again once they're behind Pyrrha.

"I found I had completed all my current obligations. So I thought I could spend some time observing at least one of our newest classes," Cinder says. She knows he knows the truth. Ruby and Weiss get some meagre distance from Pyrrha, but the champion is swift to charge them, launching her spear at them as she tries to slam her shield into Ruby, who twirls her scythe like a helicopter blade to absorb some of the hit, aura ticking down on the screen above. The spear returns to Pyrrha's hand mid-air, as if recalled by gravity Dust.

"Then I'm glad to have you here," Ozpin smiles. Ruby raises her arms, weapon still spinning, and swipes at Pyrrha as Weiss stabs the ground, coating it in a layer of ice. Pyrrha's foot skids, but she's too fast in recovery and even uses the impact of Ruby hitting her shield to slide backwards, back on safe, solid ground. Weiss melts the ice, steam rising, and Ruby pulls her scythe back into a defensive stance. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yes. Already, our students have improved a staggering amount. I doubt just a month ago anyone could match Miss Nikos, but even as her own power grows the others have begun to catch up," Cinder folds her hands behind her back, smiling. Ruby glances around and yelps a warning at Weiss, who turns to her left and barely parries the sudden attack from Neo, who's revealed after her strike. "It is most fascinating."

Ruby bursts past Weiss' side, hitting Neo with the butt of her scythe, then grabbing Weiss' forearm to spin them around. She lets it happen, the two of them now back-to-back as Pyrrha approaches for a pincer. Ruby yells to duck, then swings her scythe in a large circle around her, letting the heavy weight of the scythe's blade to deter the advance. Pyrrha just raises her shield, the blade bouncing off harmlessly, and when Weiss tries to use the opening, Pyrrha just twists her spear into a sword and swipes low at Weiss' face. She flinches back, but creates a glyph behind her back to straighten herself.

"I am relieved to see them working so well together," Ozpin hums, a finger tapping his cane. "It was worrisome at first, but they truly bring out the best in each other." Neo has disappeared again, leaving no trace behind as the duo focus their attention on Pyrrha again, determined to play defensively as she attacks them in a flurry of shield and spear. It appears Pyrrha prefers that form of her weapon.

"I was admittedly skeptical if Miss Schnee was the best partner for her," Cinder says, glancing at Neo as she reappears some distance away, watching the fight, waiting for an opening. And not utilizing Pyrrha's prowess to her advantage. "But I chose to believe in destiny long ago, and so it is that they truly are an impeccable pair."

When Pyrrha gets several solid hits between the spin of Ruby's blade and the power of Weiss' glyphs, Ruby hooks her elbow into Weiss' and bursts herself backwards, pulling her along and out of Pyrrha's range.

"Friendship blooms in unlikely places," Ozpin smiles, sipping more coffee.

Pyrrha runs at the duo, throwing her spear between them and tossing her shield at the same time. This forces them to dodge in separate directions, and Pyrrha follows up with a return of her shield and going after Weiss, who Cinder supposes is the bigger threat with her unique Dust-centred combat style. Ruby tries to help her partner, but is impeded when Neo skids in front of her, smirking and thrusting. Ruby bursts to the side, smacking it away.

Cinder is pleased to see Ruby doing so well. A thrill shoots up her spine when Ruby manages to surprise Neo by shooting the ground to bounce into the air, coming down like a comet to slam her scythe into Neo's back. The girl is innovative and swift, with an unconventional weapon and a way to wield it that is surprisingly graceful for such a large and heavy thing.

She hasn't been able to observe Ruby's progress so clearly before, and now she is more than satisfied seeing Ruby taking her teachings to heart. Ozpin did well allowing her an early entry, she is indeed a young prodigy with untapped potential. It may have initially thrown off Cinder's school planner, but in the end it will prove a truly magnificent decision.

Their plans will come to fruition, and Cinder looks towards the future with great anticipation.

0o0o0

Ruby bursts behind Neo with a half-hop, slashing at her back. Her heart stutters for a moment when her blade cuts through Neo, but then shards of glass bounce off the dirt and a warning from Weiss has her turn around and clumsily block the incoming strike from Neo.

Already, Ruby's fascinated by such a semblance. When did Neo replace herself with the image? It happened so seamlessly, all Ruby had done was blink and then poof! Gone! How can she move so quickly, or is there a second part to it that allows her to shift positions? Is there a proximity limit? Is it similar to Bella's shades? Why does it turn into glass? What does Neo call it?

"Neo, you're amazing!" Ruby grins as she blocks a jab with the flat of Crescent's blade. "Your semblance could distract Grimm and keep your team safe for a few seconds! Can you make more than one clone? Can you make clones of others?" she bursts back a few steps then circles Neo, testing for an opening.

Neo raises a brow, pointedly glancing between their duelling blades and the surrounding arena, as if to ask if this is really the best place to have a conversation.

"Well I never get to talk with you otherwise!" Ruby shrugs, unable to deflect a jab that strikes her in the shoulder. She uses the moment to hit Neo back, but only shatters a clone. "Wow, how do you do that?" she excitedly asks, seeing Neo approaching from the side and swinging, only for it to shatter as well and receive a jab in the ribs. "Oh, so you can make more than one! That's so cool!"

She fires a shot at Neo's torso, managing to hit the real her and jerking them both back a few meters before they rush into the middle again. Ruby glances at Weiss and Pyrrha, noting that even while trying to be erratic Pyrrha is picking up on Weiss' Dust patterns by watching the chamber. Seeing Pyrrha also spurs Ruby to speak to Neo.

"You know," she nicks Neo's shoulder, flipping over her next jab, "you should really try to be a partner to Pyrrha." Ruby swings from low to high, knocking the parasol away from her face. "I dunno how you think or feel, since, you know, you never interact with us." Neo's form shatters at the next hit and Ruby feels a whack to the head by the side of the parasol. Wow, that's hard! "But if you two worked together you would've taken us both out by now. Between your cloning semblance and skills, coupled with Pyrrha's skills? You'd be unstoppable!"

Neo's eyes flicker between pink and brown as her nose wrinkles in displeasure. Her jabs rapidly increase, aiming for Ruby's torso alone. Clearly she doesn't like being told what to do, but if she wants to be a Huntress she's gotta put that pride aside.

"We're all here to be Huntresses," Ruby says, bursting to and fro to avoid getting hit. She can feel the drain on her aura, but this is important. Neo only becomes more fearsome, eyes sharpening, "and we can only do that if we're willing to change." Ruby thinks of Weiss, blocking another jab with Crescent's handle before hitting Neo in the leg. "Whatever it is that's holding you back, just think about opening up to Pyrrha, okay? I know it won't be easy, but she's constantly worried about you."

"And..." Ruby grunts when the parasol smacks into her stomach, momentarily winding her even through her aura, "then you won't be alone anymore. We'd gladly be your friends if you just let us, Neo."

Neo's eyes flash fully pink, expression suddenly becoming completely blank and uncaring. But her body trembles in rage as she advances on Ruby, and Ruby can only feel sad that Neo won't accept help. But Ruby didn't give up on Weiss, so she won't give up on Neo, either. But for now, she keeps quiet and concentrates fully on their fight.

Although, as Neo breaks past Crescent to be completely in Ruby's space, she's aware she's at a severe disadvantage with Crescent's longer reach. And now Ruby can't seem to escape Neo's own range, nearly tripping over herself trying to keep the worst of the jabs at bay.

Panting heavily, she finds her footing for a second long enough to burst backwards away from Neo, further propelling herself away with a shot aimed at Neo, which hits and lets skid to Weiss' side. "Switch!" she cries, deflecting a blow from Pyrrha as Weiss ducks and weaves to stand behind Ruby in the same motion, raising Myrtenaster in time to parry Neo's coming attack. She follows with a kick to Neo's midsection, missing but getting her to back off for a moment. Weiss rushes at her, at the last second summoning several glyphs to run up and flip over Neo's next thrust, exploding a cloud of fire Dust at Neo's face.

Neo has already escaped, however, the glass shards of her clone hardening under Weiss' fire. Weiss lands with a roll and springs back to her feet, almost choking on a gasp when Neo appears in front of her and jabs at her shoulder, landing a sharp hit. Even if Weiss' aura absorbs the injury, the blow itself jerks her shoulder back and lets Neo advance undeterred.

Weiss feels rather clumsy and foolish as she brings up Myrtenaster to parry the next volley of attacks, very suddenly caught at a disadvantage as Neo's jabs become swifter and more vicious. It takes all of Weiss' concentration to keep the worst of the jabs away, sacrificing some of her aura to do so.

A jab rushes at her face and Weiss brings Myrtenaster up at the last possible second, but then in that same second Neo flips her parasol and hooks the handle on Myrtenaster's hilt, twirling and yanking her out of Weiss' hand. Weiss hears her rapier land somewhere behind her as she dodges to the side, narrowly avoiding the follow-up stab at her midsection.

Neo's eyes flash, and something deep inside Weiss screams danger. Heart drowning out the crowd in her ears, vision narrowing in on her opponent, all that courses through Weiss is the knowledge that her life is in genuine peril. It's as if everything is in slow motion as Neo stabs at her stomach. Fuelled by panic, Weiss hops straight up into the air, tucking her legs in close to her center and watching Neo's eyes widen in surprise. The world speeds back up to normal as she kicks into Neo's sternum hard, launching herself backwards with the momentum and landing with a slight bounce in her step.

Neo is flat on her back and Weiss bounds towards her, knowing she won't have enough time to grab Myrtenaster. She reaches Neo just as she gets up, but as she already suspected all she kicks is a clone. The sense of danger intensifies and she hears a distant warning, turning left and jerking to the side with barely enough time to react. She falls into a roll and hops back to her feet, just as a voice pierces through the roaring in her ears.

"Weiss, catch!"

She turns her head and raises her hand just in time to snatch Myrtenaster from the air. It was a clumsy retrieval, but now she and Neo are back on more even ground. As they parry and dodge each other, the arena seems to come back into clarity and the strange sense of danger fades, leaving her baffled by its presence at all.

But she has little time to think about it. Weiss purposefully locks Myrtenaster with the parasol, letting Neo try and take it again, and hides her free hand behind her back. A glyph wraps around Neo's ankle, making her stumble and giving Weiss the chance to land a final kick that lands her on the ground as a loud buzzer sounds.

"Miss Politan, please step out of the arena," Goodwitch says.

Neo scowls, but Weiss pays her no more mind and bounds towards Ruby, who circles around Pyrrha in bursts, swinging low to keep her legs moving. Pyrrha swings with Miló and forces Ruby back, tossing Akoúo̱ at Ruby as she turns to Weiss to parry the on-coming attack from behind.

Ruby panics for a moment, realizing Akoúo̱ will hit her and she won't have time to move to the side. So instead, she runs to meet it and at the last second bursts through it, goosebumps crawling across her skin as she phases through. She's never gone through something the long way before, it feels like she's just eaten a heavy meal. She stumbles a bit once she passes, but retains her speed and slashes across Pyrrha's back while she's distracted with Weiss.

Ruby distantly hears the audience muttering and gasping, but she ignores it as Pyrrha turns to strike her with a back hand. Ruby ducks under the swing, ready to try another attack when she hears, "Behind you!"

Just in time, Ruby awkwardly rolls across the ground to avoid Akoúo̱'s return. Weiss grunts as Pyrrha continues to parry her, and unlike Neo, Pyrrha doesn't seem to extend any effort to do so. A stressed irritation builds, as she stares up at this absolute warrior who far surpasses any skill Weiss could ever hope to accomplish.

You won't make the top of the class.

You'll go back to Atlas.

You're a failure.

You're weak.

Weiss grits her teeth, a low rumble reverberating through her chest and throat. The noise catches herself off guard completely, eyes widening in surprise and leaving her unable to deflect when Pyrrha's right arm moves and her eye can't keep track of it. She braces for impact, hoping she can buy Ruby at least a couple seconds.

Ruby jumps to her feet from her roll and darts forward, moving before her mind can register. She sweeps Crescent low, then up, hooking Pyrrha's wrist and tugging. She hardly budges her arm, but the scant second gives Weiss a chance to leap backwards and avoid the swing.

Ruby is hit with Miló and tumbles across the dirt, sweat pouring into her eyes and fearfully glancing at the screen.

She's very close, but she's not yet below ten percent.

Sighing in relief, she advances on Pyrrha again. "Offensive!" she shouts behind her at Weiss, switching tactics. They don't have the stamina to continue playing defence, and if they have any shot at timing out then they need to put the pressure on Pyrrha.

Weiss hesitates, just for a moment, as her actions catch up to her and she feels immense shame flood in. She'd let herself lose control, badly. All she can hope is that no one picked up on it, as she runs to aid her leader as best as her mediocre skills can manage.

0o0o0

"So what do you think of our students this year?" Ozpin asks, smiling at the display below. Nikos is doing exceptionally well against her two opponents, and he's glad to see Rose is matching her intensity, if not her skill and experience.

Cinder crosses her arms. "It may be presumptions, but this may very well be the best set of students I've seen since Team CFVY." Schnee ducks and stabs the ground to cover it in ice, just as Rose vaults over her back and bursts forward to swing at Nikos, who stabs her weapon into the ground to stabilize herself and blocks the blow with her shield confidently.

"You believe that only after a single month?" he smiles curiously. Rose flips over Nikos' head, kicking off her shoulders and bursting to the ground as Nikos pushes her shield towards Schnee, who jumps awkwardly backwards to avoid it. What an odd girl, she was moving far more smoothly mere moments ago, and yet now she's stumbling over herself again. Ozpin may need to look deeper into it, seeing as she will benefit Rose in the long run.

"A month may seem to pass quickly to us adults, but for students it often feels as if it lasts years," Cinder reminds him. Rose rushes Nikos from behind with a shot of her rifle, just quick enough for her scythe to glance off Nikos' armour. Nikos' aura on the overhead screen decreases only slightly, but now is below half.

"Ah, yes," he says quietly, sipping his tea thoughtfully. He's well aware how easily he can lose track of time, as it often blinks by in a moment, and is eternally grateful to allies such as Glynda and Cinder who keep him grounded. He considers them a blessing. "Thank you, Cinder. And I suppose having Miss Rose be in this class has nothing to do with it."

"I will admit, Miss Rose and team RWBY intrigue me." Nikos backhands Rose with her shield, flipping her weapon to aim a shot at Schnee, missing but keeping her back for another moment. "Team RWBY has struggled from the beginning to overcome their differences, far worse then any team I've seen, and yet..."

Rose lets the shield hit the snath of her weapon, using the swing as momentum to be pushed around Nikos and burst to Schnee's side. With only a brief word, the two of them rush at Nikos in unison. Nikos flips her weapon into sword mode, bracing herself, and then a series of glyphs appear in front of her like steps and Rose bursts into petals. Just a few feet away from Nikos, the next series of glyphs turn into a ramp and Rose soars above Nikos' head, even as Schnee continues the advance.

"They're excellent," Cinder exhales in awe, passion burning in her eyes.

Rose swings at Nikos' head and Schnee bends her legs, preparing to jump as for a moment, the entire arena feels suspended in time, completely silent.

Nikos reverse-grips her sword and swings up into Rose's side, and bashes her shield forward into Schnee's stomach just as she jumps, tossing both of them aside as two loud buzzers go off.

"Victory goes to Miss Nikos and Miss Politan," Glynda announces, snapping her riding crop. Rose has already gotten to her feet, wringing her hands together as she checks the screen, her worried expression blooming into a bright smile. She jogs over to Schnee, who is stood but staring at the screen with a neutral expression, the young lady looking seconds away from tackling her partner to the ground.

"We almost timed out, Weiss! Look!" Rose points, bouncing on her heels. Indeed, they had twenty seven seconds remaining. Ozpin hides his smile behind his coffee, glad to see she hasn't taken the defeat hard. In such a match there will always be a loser, but that doesn't correlate with failure.

"You all fought well," Glynda says. No one will notice, but she's pleased with the results as well. "We will review the spars next class, you may all clean up."

"They have a bright future," Ozpin says, locking eyes with Rose for a moment, which seems to startle her as it did before, and she offers a tiny shy wave before running into the change rooms behind Schnee. Nikos doesn't notice Ozpin, caught up in staring at Politan's back as she stalks away.

"Miss Politan would if she followed directions," Cinder sighs under her breath. "I've already encouraged her to reach out to her teammates, yet she remains distant and stubborn."

"Do not be so harsh on her, Cinder," Ozpin chuckles fondly. "If I recall, I received many a call from a dear friend about one of his students being particularly stubborn." To this day, Ozpin wishes he could have brought Cinder to learn at Beacon, Lionheart hadn't known how to teach such a gifted prodigy. But Cinder had been so very focused and invested in her studies that uprooting her would have hurt in the long run. Ozpin counts himself lucky that Cinder chose to teach here on her own later.

"Perhaps you have a point," Cinder chuckles with a fond smile of her own.

"The pieces are falling into place," Ozpin drums his fingers on the head of his cane. "We have our candidate and our secret weapon. With them and their allies, we may be a step closer to the end."

"Of course, sir," Cinder smiles. "They will serve our cause perfectly."

For once in his long, long life, Ozpin feels a surge of hope rekindle in his chest. Anticipation lingers in his heart, a sense that a great change will occur soon. He closes his eyes, picturing a world free of the Grimm, and with such promising assets, he looks forward to that future as well.

0o0o0

"-hidden to leave whoever you're fighting guessing!" Ruby is rambling as she and Weiss return from the change rooms, having missed two matches.

"Yes, although I'd have to be careful not to mistake which chamber I'm currently on myself," Weiss taps her chin. "Also, since you don't want to actually shorten Crescent, why not make a second, smaller weapon? That way you could actually fight people like Neo who get into your face. In addition, you'd likely make easier work for your Dust blade."

"Oh, of course! Never one solution!" Ruby grins and Weiss rolls her eyes as the partners take their seats.

"You two did great!" Yang beams, ruffling Ruby's hair. "You're really starting to give Pyrrha a challenge!"

"We are?" Ruby gasps in delight.

"Yeah, obviously. Both of you were able to hold her off all on your own for a bit," Yang laughs, catching Ruby in a headlock. "You doubt my judgment?"

"Not really," Ruby shrugs, too tired to 'try' and escape Yang's hold. "I just didn't think about it until now! I was more happy to almost time out."

"My form was rather clumsy," Weiss mutters absentmindedly, chewing on a nail. "I could hardly hold myself together. That won't do."

"I mean, it was your first time going up against Pyrrha, 'hardly' is pretty damn good," Yang points out.

Weiss blinks, as if coming out of a trance and suddenly looks startled at being addressed. "Oh, my apologies. I was thinking out loud. I was talking more about the fight as a whole. I let myself fall into habits."

"But you did great!" Ruby chirps over Yang's arm. "C'mon, Weiss! Have confidence!"

Weiss regards her for a moment, then relents with a sigh. "Fine. But I'm still unsatisfied," she scowls with light taps of her foot.

"Then use that as motivation! Also, Yang get offa me!"

Blake half-listens to the siblings begin to fondly bicker, watching the current match without really seeing it. Her mind is stuck on a specific part of Ruby and Weiss' fight, the moment playing on loop in her head. On the whole, she'd been carefully observing the spar to see exactly how the pair work, fascinated by their (admittedly still awkward) coordination. How they switched opponents mid-swing impressed her the most.

And then she couldn't take her eyes of Weiss after she jumped Neo's attack.

It confused as much as it intrigued her, jumping is essential for a Huntress and if you can't evade you'd best hope to be sturdy like Yang. But there was something about the way Weiss jumped and moved while engaging Neo that is frustratingly familiar. The answer feels on the tip of her tongue, yet it's as if her own mind is stopping it in its tracks.

Regardless of the reason, Blake can't help but compare how Weiss fought during that moment, which extended into fighting Pyrrha for a good portion thereafter, to past combat and even the end of the match. Weiss is always graceful, but there's a certain rigidity to it, as if half her mind is always focused on how she moves. Of course, that could just be due to changing styles, and Blake herself knows how difficult it is to fix a habit.

But then there were times where she was put under pressure and became somewhat clumsy. Of course the Bauson comes to mind first, but she'd also struggled against the Boarbatusk. During those moments, it's almost as if all her concentration is poured into her movement, which makes little sense. In desperate times it's always best to rely on what you know and correct it later.

That didn't happen this time, Weiss had responded by moving like a whole different person. There was no rigid stance, there was no clumsy footwork, she'd moved smoothly and evaded as if in a dance. Twirling and hopping on ever-moving feet, keeping Neo on the defensive, and then using that against Pyrrha.

And then in the blink of an eye it was gone, and Blake noticed Weiss hesitate right before jumping at the end. Blake frowns to herself, and realizes it feels less like Weiss is correcting bad habits, and more like she's fighting her instincts. Which makes even less sense, if she's trained in this particular way for so long for it to be instincts, then going through the effort to change that for no discernible reason...it leaves Blake wondering.

Wondering what, Blake can't fully pin down. That familiarity whispers at the back of here mind, taunting her. But nevertheless, all this does is raise more questions.

Why is Weiss holding herself back by avoiding her instincts, especially in dire circumstances? Why is she altering her style at all, if it had helped her against Neo and Pyrrha? Why risk getting hurt to change it? It makes absolutely no sense and leaves Blake with in frustrating confusion.

And yet, it also strikes a chord in her. She presses a hand to her chest, frowning lightly. Where could such a feeling come from? Weiss is the last person she ever expected to sympathize with, not to this degree. She can admit she was wrong about her initial judgment of the heiress, but that doesn't mean she finds any common ground between them. They're from entirely different worlds and by all logic, she shouldn't feel an odd bit of kinship with Weiss.

("You can't trust your own judgment.")

Blake shakes her head. She's just making a big deal out of nothing, like she always does. The bottom line is that in the future, she'll need to keep a sharp eye on Weiss in any serious fights. She won't let her get hurt or killed due to being clumsy.

"Hey, you secretly a pilot?" Yang leans over to whisper, effectively bringing Blake out of her thoughts with a quirk of a brow. "'Cause your head seems stuck in the clouds."

"Ha ha," Blake rolls her eyes. "Just thinking about their match," she speaks lowly as well, to avoid interrupting Ruby and Weiss as they continue their discussion of weapons and Dust. "Do you think we'll do as well on our turn?"

"With our whole single practice session? We're practically masters," Yang proudly places a hand on her sternum, grinning cheekily. "But, honestly, I think we'll do fine. We got our tricks, we got our basic understandings. Plus, we worked fine together as a team before, what's so different now?"

"We're friends."

"Yep, total upgrade! Now," Yang rubs her hands together eagerly, "who do you think we'll get to fight? I really want it to be Ren and Nora, those two are an absolute blast to fight! Plus, it would be funny if all of RWBY and PNNR sparred."

"It would, but personally..." Blake glances at Winchester, many chairs away and scowling at the matches impatiently, "I'd like the excuse to legally kick Winchester's ass."

"Oh, even better," Yang nods sagely, punching into her palm.

"Next," Goodwitch says, "will be Miss Black and Miss Xiao Long versus Mister Winchester and Mister Thrush."

"Huh, maybe I should become a devout worshipper," Blake muses as she stands.

"Or you're secretly a prophet," Yang teases, lightly elbowing her side as they enter the change rooms. "Or even better, Goodwitch rigged the lots to watch us get revenge."

"I highly doubt someone like Goodwitch would willingly rig sparring matches for first years," Blake says. "It seems rather pointless."

"Maybe so, but it's funny to think about. So!" Yang clips Ember Celica in place. "What're the chances Winchester's gonna pull something stupid to try and out your blackmail during the match?"

If he rips her headscarf off, that's all he'll need. But then he'd have to catch her, and she isn't about to let that happen. "He can't do anything," she tells Yang, more bothered that she doesn't feel guilty for lying to her. "He'll probably still target me, though. He's been dealing with being defied for a while, and I don't think his rich boy pride will let him focus on you. But that's what he has Thrush for. He's the evader of their team, light on his feet and somewhat effective with his daggers."

"He's also kinda the weak link," Yang notes, punching her fists together. "Doesn't hit very hard, but he'll chip away our aura bit by bit until all it takes is one hit from Winchester to take us out. Honestly, once he improves CRDL'll be a pretty big threat."

"But since then isn't now..."

"We're so gonna win!" Yang raises her fist, and Blake bumps it with shared eager smiles as they enter the arena.

"He's gonna charge ya," Yang mutters, watching Winchester prepare for a sprint. "Stay still 'til the last second and I'll catch him in a fight, and keep him there."

Blake struggled with that during their spar, unable to fully trust that Yang would be there when she needed. But she nods sharply, determined to prove to Yang that she has complete faith in her.

"Ready your weapons," Goodwitch calls. "Begin!"

As Yang predicated, Winchester does indeed charge at them, with Thrush lagging behind. Blake inhales slowly, waiting, waiting, waiting, and at the last possible second Yang gently grabs her arms and switches their spots, bringing her arms up to absorb the impact of Winchester's mace, while Blake scoots around him to swipe Thrush's daggers away, attacking aggressively to force him back and away from Winchester, who turns his head to scowl at her.

"Hey, Whinechester," Yang uses his distraction to punch him in the throat with a powered fist, one of the only parts of him not covered by armour. "Don't get tunnel vision, you gotta worry about all your opponents."

"I see she's just a coward," his presence seems to grow bigger, darker, aura becoming a threatening force. Yang finds her legs locked in place, giving him a free hit to her stomach. "Letting others fight her battles for her."

"There's a difference," Yang grunts, letting the hit heat up her body and shake off the locked limbs, "between fighting for her and fighting with her."

She punches into his torso, firing off a shot that thankfully winds him slightly. Then Winchester staggers when a shot comes from behind him, ice coating his armour from where Blake took the opening, and immediately leaps over Thrush's attempts to hit her.

Blake ducks and bends her spine to evade each of Thrush's attacks, reminded of the sap-throwing. His aim truly is abysmal, and she wonders why he hasn't seemed to improve at all. She's dodging with even less spent energy than before, and she's still not near where she was athletically before leaving the Fang. Is team CRDL just that confident that they don't think they need to actually train to be better Huntsmen? It wouldn't shock her if that was their thought process.

Thrush manages a small nick in her side, and with him this close she slams her palm into his nose, getting him to back off. She glances at Yang and sees Winchester attempting to break free from her, and sends a shade at him to make him jolt, giving Yang an opening to slam her fists into his side.

Yang muses that their one session really did do them wonders, as she takes a shield to the side of the head to flare her aura more. "Y'know, I figured you'd learn that hitting me as hard as you can is a bad idea," she grins, tackling him to the ground to pummel any part she can reach, face, neck, shoulders, torso.

And best of all, she can't get in trouble for it, as long as she stops once he's out.

0o0o0

"Miss Xiao Long is much more aggressive than I originally thought," Ozpin murmurs in concern.

"You cannot entirely blame her," Cinder says, watching the spar with only passing interest. "Winchester has been constantly harassing her and other students, and from what I can tell hardly anyone cares about him getting some karma," she sweeps her gaze across the arena, where only Cardin's teammates wear worried expressions. Every other student either watches in amusement or disinterest at best, even as Cardin manages to shove Yang off with a hard hit, which of course she takes. Cardin will not win any allies if he continues to act like a spoiled bully.

"Even so, I would have hoped that Qrow would help her reel in her temperament," Ozpin sighs.

"He likely encouraged it," Cinder smiles. She's only met Qrow a handful of times, but he seemed the sort to support his nieces' strengths. For Yang, that just so happens to be aggressive and somewhat underhanded tactics.

"I would also hope that Mister Winchester matures soon," Ozpin frowns, a rarity from him. "He will not achieve his goal as a Huntsman if he continues down this path."

Cinder believes he only chose this career for a sense of power, and to have that supposed power be mocked by peers just as strong or stronger than him will definitely impact his ego and critical thinking.

She should approach him about ways to improve. Even if he doesn't take the lessons to heart, she wants all her students to excel. He has such strength, it would be a shame to see his potential go to utter waste.

0o0o0

Winchester swings his club, and Yang raises her arms up to block it, letting the heat flash through her as she swings her arms apart to knock him off balance. She struts forward and grabs his recovering wrists, headbutting him hard in the nose and kneeing him in the groin. The combination of attacks leaves him stunned as he stumbles back, taking a swing at her that she 'falls' backwards to avoid, catching herself with her hands and swiping his legs to trip him up.

She kicks back into a stand and smirks at him as he rises to his feet, scowling at her. "Didn't expect you to fight dirty," he wheezes, flaring his semblance. The intimidation does lock her legs, which is annoying, but if he's willing to waste time talking she's happy to oblige!

"No such thing as a clean fight," she shrugs, bouncing on her heels to get them loose again. They circle each other, slow and methodical. Good, stay focused on her. Ignore everything else. You dumbass. "Especially with people like you. So don't try to act all righteous here. We all know what you're like, so don't think for a second that any of us are on your side," she narrows her eyes, letting her hair flare out as the heat in her bones becomes overwhelming.

She rushes him, and he raises his shield. But instead of hitting him, she jumps and slams a fist into the ground at his feet, kicking up a cloud of hot dust. She feels her fingers crack and shakes her hand with a hiss, as a mace swings at her face from the smoke. She winces when she catches it with said hand, but smirks as his surprise.

A ribbon wraps around his forearm as a shadow darts towards them, obscured by the dust. Winchester raises his shield, tugging at his mace to try and react, but is too slow as a shade passes harmlessly through him, leaving him confused before the ribbon grows taut in the other direction and forces his arm behind his back, just as Blake kicks into him from behind and pins him to the ground, a buzzer going off.

The dust clears and Thrush has had his daggers stolen by a shade, and it flips them cheekily from where it sits on the edge of the arena wall. Thrush still has aura left, but looking between Yang and Bella, he raises his hands in surrender, signalling the end of the fight.

"Didn't even last two minutes," Yang observes loudly, making sure Winchester knows she's talking to him. "We did well!" she chirps at Bella, strutting towards the change rooms with her hands in her pockets, taking a page out of her partner's book and ignoring the bully.

She can feel is glare burrowing into her back as they leave his sights, and she giggles.

"We did it!" Yang cheers, much more genuinely this time as she fists pumps the air. She turns to Blake's shade, holding up her palm, "You were amazing! We won thanks to you!"

The shade, perking in absolute delight, uses the hilt of its dagger to return the hi-five. Somehow, Yang's beam grows and she whirls around to Blake. "I love it. I never asked, does it have a name?" she looks between Blake and her shade, unsure who to address.

Blake giggles lightly, feeling a little light-headed from the elation of finally, officially, beating Winchester in some way. And Thrush, she guesses... "No, it's never expressed any interest." She addresses it, "Let me know if that changes."

It gives a thumbs up before dissipating, Blake catching the dagger with her foot and flipping it into her hand before sheathing it in her belt.

"It's so cool, this is like we have a secret fifth member," Yang grins. "Team RWBYS, and just keep adding 'S's with each shade."

"Technically it is all one entity split into multiple copies," Blake says. Or at least that's how Goodwitch best described it. Even she admitted she doesn't have a lot of knowledge on the subject of sentient semblances, so Blake's sort of learning on her own. And it also doesn't take the shade into account, but that's a much more private aspect Blake isn't ready to share yet.

Yang is still giddy, bouncing on her heels. "Can I hug you?" she asks, and how can Blake say no to that face? She nods, feeling her face betray her in a harsh blush as Yang envelops her. She then squeaks into a giggle when Yang picks her up off her feet and spins the both of them around, laughing alongside her boisterously. When she's put back on her feet, she shoots Yang a playful glare which only earns her a cheeky wink.

"What? I gotta hear your laugh as much as possible, it's too cute to be contained," she teases, trying to take her mind off how Elder-damned thin Blake is. She could feel her ribs.

"So, you fight dirty?" Blake asks, surprised. While Yang obviously isn't exactly a rule-abider, she always seemed the honourable sort when it came to a fight, and even during their spar she never gave away she could do such a thing.

"Yep!" Yang grins, filing Bella's concerning weight away for later. Now isn't the time to lower the mood. "There's no such thing as a 'clean' fight," she looks down at her hands, clenching them. "Huntsmen schools like to teach us that honour is a central part of being a Huntress, that when facing insurmountable odds, having good morals will see you through to the end. But ya gotta be willing to do anything to survive, and if that means fighting so-called 'dirty', then fight damn dirty," she knocks her fists together with a determined steel in her eyes, remembering all the lessons Qrow taught her. "Fight until you're caked in mud and blood and worse, and fight more until whatever is threatening your survival is eliminated. 'Cause you can worry about things like honour once you're back home with a hot shower."

As if coming out of a trance, Yang blinks and flusters. "Ah! Sorry," she rubs her head with both hands, mussing up her tangled hair to hide her face. "That was too intense, sorry. I know a lot of people don't exactly share the sentiment."

"No, it's fine," Blake insists, warmth spreading through her chest. "I share it, actually."

Of course she understands. And finally, she's met someone else who gets it. That doing what it takes to survive isn't all about being a perfect paragon of a person, that it takes grit and uncertainty and a desperation to just see tomorrow's sunrise. Blake, still high on adrenaline and victory, allows herself to fantasize about a world where she tells Yang everything and she isn't met with disgust and judgment, but understanding.

(what a foolish fantasy even for you)

But Blake chose to believe in Yang once, maybe one day she can do it again.

0o0o0

"I personally would'a aimed for his kneecaps," Nora tells Yang as teams RWBY and PNR walk to the mess hall together. She's still pumped from her and Ren's victory, a fight which lasted only a minute. And still, hardly anyone praised them over it, more focused on Pyrrha. She tries to reason that it was the final spar for the day and everyone was too exhausted to properly congratulate them, but bitterness still sits in her gut."If anyone needs them shattered, it's that guy."

"I'll leave the honours to you," Yang shrugs with a grin. "You can use plausible deniability, it's hard to 'accidentally' break someone's bones with your hands."

"I fear we may have to ensure they don't end up committing a felony together," Pyrrha leans to whisper to Ruby, who giggles and she skips along at her side.

"It wouldn't be Yang's first!" Ruby says like she mentioned the sky was cloudy. That greatly concerns, but doesn't surprise Pyrrha. Ruby looks ready to say more, but quiets down suddenly deep in thought. Pyrrha lets her gather them, enjoying seeing Ren awkwardly start a conversation with Bella about different knife techniques, who just as awkwardly responds. Pyrrha's gotten a little better at reading him and finds it amusing that he is as awkward with social interaction as Ruby, but just hides it better.

She's fairly certain that's just what happens when you've been friends with one person for most of your life. She and Nora like to tease him about it.

"Pyrrha, can we talk for a minute?" Ruby gently tugs at her arm, nodding towards a quiet courtyard. Pyrrha worries that perhaps Ruby is more upset about the loss than she initially felt, what with the faded adrenaline. So the team leaders tell their friends to keep going as they veer away.

Pyrrha was prepared to comfort Ruby and offer some advice, but the moment they're out of ear-shot Ruby turns on her heel to face her with a bright fire in her gaze.

"Pyrrha, you can't wait for Neo to approach you first!" Ruby blurts, pumping her fists to encourage herself. Pyrrha blinks at her forcefulness. "Because she isn't going to. The only reason it worked out for me and Weiss, and Yang and Bella, is because we all wanted to form that bond, but didn't know how right away. Neo...she doesn't seem all that interested in anything. And if you want her to be your partner, you gotta be proactive and talk to her about it!"

Pyrrha rubs her arm, unsure. That isn't the whole issue, exactly. Even if she did walk up to Neo and demand they sort things out, how can she be sure it isn't because of her title? Just today, everyone was singing her and Neo high praise, and hardly anyone made mention of Nora and Ren beating their opponents in a mere three minutes. Even when she isn't directly involved, Pyrrha still overshadows her friends. And she's still so scared they'll become bitter and turn out to hate her.

And she can't burden Ruby with all that. This is something for the Invincible Girl's shoulders only.

"Pyrrha," she tenses when Ruby stares at her, as if reading her mind, "you know you can talk to me, right? I wanna help you, but you gotta talk to me."

Maybe... maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Ruby might be younger, but she's still a leader and if anyone could understand without judgment, it would be her. Hesitantly, Pyrrha gathers her thoughts and sighs.

"If I just approach Neo, I'm afraid I'll impose my championship over her. In fact, I'm scared I'll overshadow my team for the rest of our lives. All eyes are on me, always, and only me. What if they realize it isn't worth being close to me if it means I'll always outshine them?"

Ruby tilts her head, eyes squinting as she thinks. "Is that...really a bad thing, though?" she asks. "I mean, if all eyes are on you, it just means Nora, Ren and Neo can use that to their advantage, right? Just think about it!" Ruby's face brightens. "Ren has a semblance that nullifies all his emotions! And since he's a stealthy guy, that makes him completely invisible to Grimm!" she claps loudly. "And Neo! She moves so fast with her clones that even I can't keep up with them! She's just gone before I can even blink! And don't forget that Nora hits hard, and even if she is loud and everything, just the fact that you draw more attention means even she can come as a surprise to enemies!

Don't you get it, Pyrrha? You're the perfect leader for PNNR!" Ruby grins, spreading her arms out at her sides. "You shine so brightly and that's just what your team needs! And it isn't like you didn't earn it, either! You become a champion because you worked so hard for it, Nora told me you practice every single day to improve and to the rest of us?" Ruby waves her arms out around them, as if to gesture at the whole world. "You're at the peak!" she raises her arms above her head, standing on her toes, her smile only growing with excitement. "You're the best of us by a long shot, and yet you keep finding a new peak to climb! Your teammates might be a peak or two behind, they might be hidden by your mountain, but that's the perfect dynamic for you four!"

Pyrrha feels an uncomfortable twist in her gut. Ruby makes it almost convincing with her genuine enthusiasm, but Pyrrha has to recognize that Ruby also idolizes her. What she's saying might be a truth to her, but to Pyrrha it only illustrates why she's so worried about her past overshadowing her very own future. Even someone like Ruby who doesn't care so much about titles and fame isn't exempt from seeing Pyrrha with, well, rose-tinted glasses.

And yet, Pyrrha forces a smile on her face with a mask, fairly sure Ruby won't be able to call it out. The last thing she wants is to hurt Ruby's feelings by sharing her grievances, not after she poured her guts out trying to help her.

"Thank you, Ruby," Pyrrha thinks of their fight to make the words sound genuine.

"But you gotta talk to them," Ruby says, planting a fist on her hip and pointing at Pyrrha, doing her best to appear stern despite the goofy grin still on her face. "Ren and Nora are your friends and you gotta trust them. And I think Neo can come around. Understood?"

Pyrrha giggles, honestly. "Understood. I'll try," she promises, doubtful she'll be able to keep it and feeling guilty for it.

"Don't forget that we're friends, too!" Ruby's eyes almost seem to shine. "Just imagine it! Teams PNNR and RWBY fighting Grimm and saving lives together! No one could match us!"

Pyrrha likes to imagine that, feeling warmth in her chest. Even with her hesitation and uncertainty, just knowing she has friends to rely on lifts a little of that overbearing weight.

"When that day comes," Pyrrha reaches her hand out to Ruby, who clasps it and they pump their elbows, "we'll shine together."

A/N: I feel bad about Yang and Blake's parts being shorter than Ruby and Weiss', but I hope the two of them being cute together makes up for it.

And in other news, we get a sneak peak at Cinder's and Ozpin's thoughts! I hope the transition of them talking and watching the fight went as I envisioned, I thought it would be more fun than have the whole fight just be from RWBY's pov, but let me know if it worked or not. Combat is hard for me to write if it doesn't advance the characters or story in some way ;_;

And Ruby finally gets that talk with Pyrrha! Obviously it isn't an insta-fix, but it certainly planted the seed for Pyrrha to talk about her gosh-darn woes.

Construction criticism is welcome and encouraged! Thank you for reading!