Once more with an update... Gonna hold these to once a day minimum on FFN as there is a weird bug going on and it's not updating properly.

So, unexpected concept that just kind of came to life... May have been partially inspired by comment on the last chapter...

And then it fused with an idea I already had, so...

So this is a Velvet concept for sure, but Cinder is involved as well.

The question now is will she be part of the ship or Velvet's antagonist?

So let's get to the concept of...

Confidence and Desire.


A silence fell over the room as sparks and metal fragments shattered and particles of blue light dispersed throughout the enormous room.

A shattered remnant of a broken shield scraped and skidded onto the floor as one of the combatants was driven to their knees, a bent sword gripped in her hand.

Emerald eyes shimmered as she gazed past a blue blade that resembled her sword pointed downward toward her and into a vibrantly shimmering brown gaze that sharply bored back into hers. "Concede."

Her eyes flickered at those words, almost in defiance. She had lost?

The very notion was foreign to her. She was known as the Invincible Girl. Never once before had she experienced defeat. She was hailed as gifted like no one before. She had stood toe-to-toe with Huntsman and Huntresses who had challenged her, and she still came out on top.

Yet she lost to another student… Who easily bested her… By matching her and negating the usefulness of her Semblance?

Strands of red hair fluttered before her eyes as she stared up at the victor of this mock battle, and Pyrrha had no chance but to accept the terms of this defeat. "I concede…"

"You won this match, Velvet."

A hush filled the small arena packed with students. What had they just witnessed?

It all was shattered by a voice exclaiming her surprise, followed by a meaty smack of wood. "Did Velvet seriously just win by copying Pyrrha's weapons and being faster and stronger than her… While using them?!"

"Yang, stop broadcasting yourself," Blake muttered and sighed, pulling her teammate down after her display. "You're making us stand out…"

"Heh, she's only mad because she didn't Pyrrha when she had the chance." Ruby giggled, earning a death glare from her sister. "What? It's the truth…"

"You lost to her too, dolt. We all did." Weiss rolled her eyes before exhaling at the excitement at the two sisters.

"You didn't have to bring that up!" Ruby wailed before she shrunk in her chair as daggers were glared at her from her sister.

"You brought my loss up, Rubes! Eat it!"

"Everyone loses to Velvet." A voice echoed and drew their attention behind them several rows.

Leading their gazes to fall onto the ever-so-smug leader of team CFVY, Coco, grinning proudly. "Been a tradition here for the last years since we arrived. Everyone gets shown just who the best is. I guarantee you that by the end of this year… CFVY will stand on top as the Vytal Festival's champions for Beacon."

While many of the older students grumbled, all having suffered the same fate, Velvet's ears curled at her confident leader's words. "Could you stop putting that pressure on me… I have to get past him first."

As her sword and shield of light dispersed in her hands, Velvet's expression softened. Extending her hand to Pyrrha in a show of sportsmanship to assist her fallen opposition. "You did great, ya know. I felt you had me throughout most of the match."

Pausing before accepting the hand, Pyrrha shared the smile, shaking her head as Velvet helped her to her feet. "No, you had control of that fight as soon as you showed your weapon… I never thought I would have to fight against someone using something other than metallic gear who matched and surpassed my speed and strength. I need to train harder…"

Velvet simply continued to smile. "Is that a bad thing? Self-improvement is always for the best. That's what I learned from the best instructor around."

Pyrrha smirked at the comment. Moving to sheath her sword, Pyrrha's face dropped. She would have to spend a lot of time fixing her gear…

"So, who taught you, if I don't mind asking?" Pyrrha beamed, feeling energized despite the defeat and intrigued at who could have possibly trained Velvet. She supposedly had the best tutors in the world, so who assisted her…

"Minato Namikaze," Velvet replied brightly, causing Pyrrha to double over, choking on her spit.

The man considered the strongest of all Huntsman?! He trained Velvet?! How in the world did such an arrangement ever come to be?!

Yet before Pyrrha could ask the inevitable, Velvet's ears curled and rolled up on themselves as a slow clap filled the room. Her attention darted up toward where the source came from, and found it.

He descended the stairs with three individuals trailing behind him, one individual peculiarly flanking his right hip a little too closely. And they all were clothed in Atlas uniforms. "Well done. I've seen you kept up your training… Bunbun."

She recoiled at the name before her posture shrunk, and she timidly glanced toward him. "So your team has entered the Vytal Festival again… Naruto?"

If it was silent before, it became deathly, so as they descended the stairs, cerulean eyes gleaming before Coco broke the silence with a deflated groan. "Fuck me! The defending champs NMEC are still in it? I forgot they were second years when they won it last time!"

"Of course we are." The silver-haired member behind Naruto sinisterly grinned before rubbing the back of his neck. "Think we would miss a chance to kick more ass? Nah, gonna own all of you that decided to join!"

"You're too confident, Mercury." The ebony-skinned and mint-haired squad member rolled her eyes and chastised her arrogant partner. "Naruto and C…"

"Ah, shaddup Em! Don't bring up the small details! We're better this time!" Mercury passively waved Emerald, who scowled at her partner.

"It is considered in bad taste for students from other Academies to interrupt class," Glynda glowered, her piercing gaze causing Emerald and Mercury to flinch as amber eyes glistened in amusement. "Much less arrive late for class."

"Apologies for that! This is our first day here, ya know? Cut us some slack, would ya?" Naruto scratched and rubbed his head, his fluffy fox ears twitching in response. "Would have been here on time… If someone didn't take her time getting dressed, Cinder."

Cinder huffed, turning her nose up and away from Naruto, her eyes gleaming attentively toward him as she did. "I won't apologize. I dedicate the appropriate time and attention to details to stay this beautiful."

Her gaze never trailed from his form.

"If you say so…" Naruto squinted his gaze and sarcastically responded before his attention was diverted back toward Glynda.

"I will allow lenience for today." Glynda glowered only deepened, her gaze boring holes through each of them despite only two members being affected by the pressure she asserted. "Now, if you would take your seats so we can continue…"

"Ah, yes! Apologies for the interruption!" Naruto chirped, bowing respectfully before poking Cinder in the side to follow suit. "You too, Miss Late-for-everything!"

Barely complying with his request with the slightest bow, Cinder acquiesced just enough to satisfy his request. Her eyes were still entirely focused on him as she did.

Catching her gaze, Velvet scowled, her gaze narrowing at the amber eyes of the Huntress in his squad, the glint of her eyes shining vividly. And then, in an instant, it finally broke and met hers—a smirk gracing her lips.

Velvet bit her lip and back a snarl. She was doing this on purpose?!

"Ah, it was good seeing ya again, Bunbun!" Naruto chirped, placing his hand on his hip as he and his team moved up the stairs.

Velvet demurely withdrew into herself and frowned. "You know I hate it when you call me that."

"I know!" Naruto chuckled lightly, flushing ever-so-slightly as he did. "Sorry about that… Catch up later?"

Returning his laughter with a dazzling beam, Velvet nodded. "Sure… Foxy Woxy."

"Mah! Don't call me that!"


Just as a reminder, the more feedback a particular chapter gets, the chances improve of it becoming its own story.

To peel back the currents here a little, I take input from both FFN and Ao3 and look at the context of the comment.

Even if you say you like all the concepts, if one stands out the most in that comment, that's what draws my attention.

Something needs to stand out.

So, even as it pains me as maybe a story I liked the concept more than the others, it may get left at the wayside (sadly gazes at Sunshine).

This isn't what I would do for a active story, it simply gauging what my audience prefers for future ventures and if something doesn't pop off, I'm not gonna consider it.

So for now, I do hope you are having a good day and these little short concepts of mine can at least make someone's day.

Peace.