Someone pointed out a while back that I do too much with Jaune and not enough with Ruby, even though they are both main characters. Yeah, that's kind of true. I'm a guy and thus I can write better from a guy's perspective. However, this chapter really needed more focus on Ruby, so guess who's the main character? That's right, Neo. Nah, just kidding, but I hoped for a second you believed that. Sadly, no dance this chapter. It's most likely the next one unless something else comes to me before that. Other than that, thanks to nBappo for being a reliable Beta for me.
If you continue to enjoy my stories, feel free to check out my p a treon.
P a treon . com (Slash) DarkBetrayer
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
"My feet still hurt." Ruby complained the next morning as they got up and she slipped into her combat boots. "Ahhhh, much better."
"You only tried them on and walked a few steps in each pair." Weiss rolled her eyes as she brushed her hair in front of the mirror before tying it in her side ponytail.
"But a thousand pairs plus several steps is like a mile!"
"Wow, you can do basic math." Weiss commented, barely listening. "More than Yang can do."
"Chill, Ice Queen." Yang kicked her chair as she passed. "You know my grades are fine."
"It's just the trouble she gets in with Nora that keeps her in detention." Blake smirked from her bed, already dressed and reading a book. "Also Ruby, it was thirty two pairs of shoes and a couple dresses."
"You were keeping track?" Ruby stared at the raven haired girl in shock.
"Wasn't much else to do." The girl shrugged. "I figured you would have ducked out after an even twenty, so you surprised me."
"I don't care if your feet hurt, Rubes." Yang yawned, plopping down on the bed and pulling out her Scroll. "I'm not kissing them to make them feel better."
"Yang kisses your injuries?" Weiss raised an eyebrow.
"Not since I was like five!" Ruby cried out, her face red. "Stop treating me like a kid, Yang!"
"I'm not, that's why I said I wasn't going to." Her sister smirked at her and Ruby was at a loss for words.
"It's just some light teasing, Ruby." Blake assured the young leader. "It's part of being in a team. We did it all the time while you were gone."
"Yang did it you mean." Weiss corrected Blake sternly.
"Didn't you rig the shower with Ice Dust once to shock Yang when she wouldn't stop leaving her clothes all over the floor?"
"THAT WAS YOU?!" The blonde roared. "You said we were out of hot water!"
Ruby was starting to have fun with her team again, enjoying a good laugh at her sister's annoyed expression. Fortunately, Yang took it in stride and let it slide, but Weiss might find herself the target of a few more pranks in the coming days. Ruby pondered whether she should intervene, but she decided that as long as they didn't go too far, it would be okay. After all, she believed that having fun was essential for team bonding, and everyone needed to feel free to be themselves.
A part of her realized she had a lot of lost time to make up with them. While a little over a month might not seem like much to many, living together made that time quite noticeable. Ruby missed her team deeply, and if it weren't for Jaune and her uncle, she might not have coped as well mentally. Upon returning, she was relieved to find her team exactly as she remembered—no one had killed each other at least. Ruby had done her best during their limited phone calls to stay connected and share updates.
However, a small twinge of jealousy lingered as she discovered her team had grown closer in her absence.
She knew it was inevitable, yet Jaune had needed her support more. Just like if Weiss were feeling down and needed Ruby, she'd be there, even if it meant spending less time with her other friends. When she returned, they delved into detailed discussions about her adventures and theirs. Blake was doing okay after revealing herself, but Ruby, knowing what had transpired, still wanted to give her friend a hug. Many hugs were exchanged over the day she returned.
So as hard as it was, they didn't sit with Team JNPR today.
They were more focused on their team.
"I hope I get to fight in Goodwitch's class today." Ruby told her team over her plate of cookies for breakfast. "I didn't get a chance last time."
"She alternates fighters because there's not enough time for everyone with the students from the other schools." Weiss pointed out as she eyed Ruby's plate. "And haven't you learned to eat healthier?"
"I did, and it was awful." Ruby huffed. "Have you ever eaten those Atlas Ration bars? They are like chalk. Even Uncle Qrow hates them."
"And he eats just about everything." Yang pointed out.
"They aren't that bad!" Weiss protested. "My sister told me about them. They are lightweight and have everything a healthy body needs to operate at peak performance."
"They are the worst tasting thing that tries to call itself food." Blake muttered and looked up as everyone stared at her. "I've had them before, during… my time outside the city."
They all knew what that was code for.
"It makes people lose moral." Ruby nodded quickly, switching the topic.
"You two are over exaggerating." Weiss rolled her eyes.
"I think there's one in my pack back in the room," Ruby smirked at her. "Why don't you try it for yourself and then tell me we're exaggerating."
"Fine, I will!" Weiss slapped her hand on the table. "But after I do, don't insult Atlas technology anymore."
"Nice to see Ruby standing her ground." Yang's lilac eyes twinkled. "Uncle Qrow's rubbing off on you."
"Not too much," Weiss glanced at the blonde. "What do we do if she starts drinking?"
"I've already drunk before." Ruby puffed out her chest. "And nothing bad happened."
"Uh huh." Yang eyed her suspiciously. "Don't do it too often. You'll get addicted to it."
Ruby had told them about meeting Mint at Juniors and Yang was not happy about it. Though there wasn't much she could do about it. Ruby left out some of the more personal details like exactly how she acted. She just said Jaune and Qrow were there and they drank a little before heading out. Which was technically true. All three of them drank. Lying didn't make Ruby feel very good but she had to because Uncle Qrow's mission was top secret.
"You're one to talk!" Ruby shot back and pointed at her sister. "How many times did dad ground you for bringing alcohol into the house."
"Exactly, I made mistakes and learned from it." Yang crossed her arms smugly. "And I'm passing that knowledge onto her."
"Does that mean we can throw away the alcohol you have hidden in the closet?" Blake asked, amusement in her voice.
"Pretty sure we can." Weiss nodded with her own expression of amusement.
Ruby laughed as Yang argued with their teammates. As long as Yang wasn't getting wasted and causing problems, Ruby wasn't going to be a strict dictator. Technically students could drink legally. If they were willing to fight with their lives on the line against Grimm, they could be treated like an adult. Of course, Glynda would punish any drunk students in the halls or class severely. Ruby would have to get involved long before that occurred.
They then headed off to class, still chatting away, just like old times. Ruby began to feel like she really hadn't been gone that long. Things were just so normal among their team. Though she had to put her foot down a couple of times during the teasing. Yang seemed to be respecting her a little bit more too. After all, they had apologized when they thought Ruby had been joking about nearly dying to Tyrian. It had to be because they saw her more of a leader now that she had experience!
Even Weiss was complaining less than usual. Still complaining some, but that was just her personality.
"Good morning, class." Glynda greeted after the bell rang and everyone settled down. "I hope you're all doing well today." She pulled out her tablet and scrolled down. "I don't have any announcements today, so let's get started. Today our first compatents will be… Miss Rose…"
"Yes!" Ruby cheered softly, fist pumping.
"...verus Miss Nikos."
"Huh?" Ruby looked up in surprise.
That was an unusual matchup for her. Ruby had only sparred with Pyrrha once before embarking on her apprenticeship with Qrow. Typically, Pyrrha faced off against top combatants, such as Yang. Glynda usually pairs individuals with similar skill levels, so did this imply that she believed Ruby had significantly improved? The professor hadn't witnessed Ruby's fighting abilities since her return. Could it be that Glynda factored in Jaune's noticeable improvement and assumed Ruby had progressed similarly?
"Good luck." Yang told her. "Remember her Semblance and try to figure out a way to avoid it."
It suddenly dawned on Ruby what happened.
Her team had mentioned it to her already. Ever since Pyrrha's Semblance had been revealed, most of the class refused to fight her. Nearly everyone at Beacon, and most of the other schools, used metal weapons and or armor. Pyrrha's Semblance pretty much made it so she could win instantly by pushing aside the weapons and throwing people around by their armor. Pyrrha never used her power so openly before it was discovered. A lot of the class told Glynda that they wouldn't fight her as it wouldn't be a match and just a way for her to show off.
A lot of detentions later, the students still refused to fight her. Only a handful were willing, which mainly consisted of Ruby's team, Jaune's team, and Mercury's team. With Glynda usually trying to put different teams against each other, that left two teams for Pyrrha to face. Blake and Weiss were strong, but Yang was still probably the strongest of them, so that was a reason Pyrrha mostly fought her or Mercury.
Right, Ruby needed to design her sister some gloves that couldn't be magnetized.
Her gaze swept across the classroom as she strolled toward the locker room, intending to retrieve her weapon and change into combat gear. The majority of the class offered well wishes, a gesture that left Ruby feeling a bit awkward. It seemed they were simply hoping to witness Pyrrha's defeat, not particularly concerned with Ruby herself. However, amidst the sea of strangers, Jaune stood out. He waved from a distance and silently mouthed 'good luck,' a sincere gesture that held more value for Ruby than all the other well-wishers combined. Heartened, she reciprocated with a wave to her team and Jaune before grabbing her belongings from the locker.
Entering the arena always brought a sense of nervous anticipation.
While Ruby enjoyed sparring for the exercise and fun it provided, along with the opportunity to enhance her skills for combat against monsters and protecting the innocent, the arena in Combat Class amplified the pressure. The eyes of a considerable audience were fixed on her, and Ruby wasn't comfortable being the center of attention. Tournaments held no appeal for her, despite her enjoyment of watching them. Unlike Pyrrha, who thrived in the spotlight, Ruby could only concentrate on her opponent, disregarding the spectators—much like she did during sparring sessions with Jaune in the Faunus town.
Silver eyes locked onto emerald ones.
A shiver ran down Ruby's spine.
Pyrrha's gaze, usually warm, now emanated a cold intensity, a departure from the kind girl Ruby knew. While she anticipated Pyrrha's seriousness in a competition, the outward hostility surprised her. Perhaps Ruby was reading too much into it. Clutching her beloved Crescent Rose tightly, she took her position. Pyrrha, with one knee bent forward, raised her weapons, her eyes fixated on Ruby. It went beyond the usual fighting mental state. Ruby's mouth went dry as she slowly realized that the hostility wasn't just her imagination.
"Are you two ready?" Glynda asked.
"Ready!" Ruby waved and then quickly grabbed the hilt of her scythe.
Pyrrha nodded in affirmation as she kept her starting position steady. Her weapons Miló the spear and Akoúo̱ the shield raised up.
"Begin!" Glynda raised her hand to announce the start of the fight.
Something clicked in Ruby's mind the moment the teacher signaled the start of the match. The rustle and bustle of the crowd dulled to nothing as her focus zoomed in on her opponent. There was no time to worry about who was watching. If you lost focus on your opponent, you would make a mistake. Ruby had seen and felt first hand what happened when she made a mistake. The wound in her stomach where Tyrian stabbed her still stung from time to time. If Ruby ever wanted to defeat evil people like him, she needed to get stronger.
Which meant trying her best in class to learn where she needed to improve.
Ruby flickered, seemingly vanishing the moment she stepped forward. While Beacon students were already familiar with her Semblance—super speed—those from other academies hadn't witnessed it in a fight. Gasps and shouts went unnoticed by Ruby as she zipped forward at inhuman speeds, appearing right behind Pyrrha so rapidly that some might have mistaken it for teleportation. Raising her beloved scythe, Ruby brought the blade down toward Pyrrha's back.
She caught only air as Pyrrha twisted to the side, pushing her shield against the flat of Ruby's scythe. Using that leverage to increase her momentum, Pyrrha spun around on one foot, her arm thrusting her spear forward for a devastating counterattack. While others might have panicked, Ruby's experience fighting various opponents allowed her to adapt quickly. Her finger twitched, and she pulled the trigger on her weapon handle.
A loud bang echoed from the top of her scythe, where the blade began to turn down. Her high-powered rifle shot out, not aimed at Pyrrha. Due to Ruby's small stature and the caliber of the bullets, firing in mid-air would propel her backward. With this sudden change in direction, Pyrrha's spear missed her by a fraction of an inch. As Ruby flew backward, she spun her scythe and aimed behind her before firing another shot. In a split second, she not only dodged Pyrrha's counter but was now launching her own counterattack.
Ruby's scythe blade struck down against Pyrrha's shield. The champion wouldn't succumb to a simple attack, but Ruby wasn't finished. Not by a long shot. Employing a circular motion, akin to what Jaune learned from Qrow, Ruby's blade spun around at high speeds, relentlessly striking back. Pyrrha was forced onto the defensive, adjusting her shield and spear to deflect each of Ruby's attacks, avoiding direct impact and preferring to mitigate the force. This worked to Ruby's advantage, as her scythe's speed increased with each spin, uninterrupted but a direct block.
Her ears caught the sound of gear shifting, and she noticed Miló had retracted from its spear form to its sword form. On paper, it seemed like a disadvantage, as a spear could match Crescent Rose's reach. However, Ruby knew better. Pyrrha, a champion fighter, wouldn't make a move that put her at a clear disadvantage. While keeping a vigilant eye, Ruby continued her assault, spinning her scythe around her body in a flurry of strikes that came from all directions, creating a relentless barrage rather than sticking to constant vertical or horizontal attacks.
Sparks flew and Ruby felt a shiver running down her weapon into her arm. Rather than trying to break through the constant barrage of attacks, Pyrrha hooked her sword under the curved blade of the scythe and slowed the attack down the moment she adjusted herself to the side to avoid it. The sparks were from the blade skitting along the metal. It wasn't enough to stop Ruby's attack due to the momentum from constantly spinning while attacking. What it did though was slow her spiral attack down enough for Pyrrha to push forward though the wall.
Pyrrha's shield slammed into Ruby's shoulder so swiftly that the young leader could barely turn in time to avoid a direct hit to her arm. Qrow's training echoed in her mind – her lack of physical strength made her vulnerable to well-placed blows, especially in her arms, a tactic Qrow had employed countless times until it became second nature for Ruby to dodge such attacks. Though she didn't relish being hit, some strikes were inevitable, even for someone as fast as her. Fortunately, Pyrrha's use of the shield's flat lessened the impact, and Ruby's Aura absorbed it all.
However, Ruby wasn't Jaune; she couldn't endure repeated blows, no matter how light.
Without hesitation, Ruby stepped back to create some distance, but Pyrrha's emerald eyes narrowed as she matched each of Ruby's steps. The strategy became clear – close the distance. While Pyrrha's sword, Miló, could transform into a spear and rifle, Ruby excelled at ranged combat. Her speed allowed for hit-and-run tactics. Pyrrha aimed to nullify that advantage by keeping the fight up close, even gaining an edge. Reluctantly acknowledging that in a direct melee competition, Pyrrha would likely prevail, Ruby knew she had to understand her limits. Rushing into battles without caution led to injuries, as demonstrated when she confronted Tyrian without heeding Qrow's advice. Ruby wasn't a coward, but she learned the importance of assessing her strengths, weaknesses, and limits during her time travels.
Facing Pyrrha required Ruby to maximize her speed and adaptability in her attacks. Thinking on her feet, Ruby made the decision the moment Pyrrha closed in. The sword blade thrust forward, and Ruby managed to parry it with a spin of her scythe. Pyrrha quickly adjusted, turning her weapon into an upward slash.
Yet, all she hit was air, surrounded by swirling petals.
Ruby had repositioned herself on the far side of the arena, her scythe now in gun form. Bracing herself and aiming, she fired a couple of rounds. Pyrrha raised her shield, deflecting two shots before expertly swinging her sword to intercept a third. Pyrrha's focus wasn't on Ruby or tracking the bullets; she fixed her gaze solely on the gun's barrel. With that information alone, she could anticipate the bullet trajectories and block them accordingly. Leaning forward, Pyrrha kicked off the ground and charged, her shield raised for protection. Ruby grinned down at the rifle's sight as she swiftly swapped the bullet cartridge.
While Ruby loathed several aspects of her travels—constant walking, bugs, early mornings, sleepless nights, uncomfortable ground, and unpredictable weather—one major inconvenience was the necessity to conserve ammunition. A significant part of her combat style involved sudden mid-air direction changes using rifle blasts. During her journey, all her ammo was reserved for Grimm that she or Jaune couldn't reach with their blades. Unfortunately, she couldn't use the new Dust Rounds she acquired before the trip, as she hadn't had the opportunity to test them.
Yesterday, she finally had a chance to test them with Weiss.
And there were some interesting effects.
The bullet flew through the air and Pyrrha raised her shield to intercept it. Just as Ruby planned. The moment the Dust Round hit Pyrrha's shield, electricity flared up. Pyrrha's eyes went wide as she felt the electricity run up her arm. Ruby's smile widened as she knew why Pyrrha was surprised. The Electric Dust ammo shocked the target and paralyzed muscles. Aura gave protection against the piercing effects, but it still allowed the electricity to numb muscles. Pyrrha was finding her hand and part of her arm losing feeling. If it became completely numb, she wouldn't be able to hold her shield. Like when you sleep on an arm wrong and can't feel it so it just flops around uselessly.
The second Electric Dust Bullet whizzed through the air, prompting Pyrrha to leap to the right, deftly dodging the projectile. Her champion instincts warned against allowing those electrified bullets to connect. With her metal shield conducting the electricity too easily, blocking them wasn't a sustainable option. Relying on her agility and flexibility, Pyrrha adopted a strategy of evasion, zigzagging towards Ruby, making it difficult for her opponent to line up another clean shot. Ruby, recognizing Pyrrha's advantage in direct confrontation, sought to draw her into a head-on engagement by retreating at a faster pace.
A whizzing sound caught Ruby's attention, followed by a clang as Pyrrha tossed her shield to the side. The abrupt movement caused Ruby to divert her gaze momentarily. Pyrrha's actions were always purposeful. The shield sailed through the air like a metallic frisbee, colliding with the arena wall before bouncing off at an angle, hurtling straight toward Ruby. Narrowing her eyes, Ruby leaped out of the way, but in that split second of diversion, she momentarily lost sight of Pyrrha. It was all the red-headed champion needed to close the gap.
Ruby spotted the sword thrusting powerfully towards her. Panic surged as she instinctively raised Crescent Rose to parry. Metal collided with metal, producing a loud clang before Pyrrha deftly slid her blade upwards, cutting into Ruby's shoulder. While Aura absorbed most of the damage, Ruby keenly felt the strain on her protective shield. Pyrrha's strength was formidable, and even a single hit had a noticeable impact. To make matters worse, Pyrrha continued her assault, raining down a continuous barrage of attacks as Ruby found herself on the defensive.
Knowing what to do, as her uncle overpowered her many times, Ruby flickered away to put distance between them. Panting, she saw Pyrrha reach out and grab her shield as it bounced back to her, perfectly positioned. Ruby frowned as she thought what to do. Qrow told her she needed to plan her attacks more and not just charge forward. But what could she do against someone who seemed to have a perfect defense? The arena wasn't that big so Ruby couldn't retreat and find a vantage point. No, she had to give it her all in close to medium range combat. Plus, there was one thing Ruby still had as an advantage over Pyrrha.
Speed.
With her Semblance, she could attack fast enough that Pyrrha shouldn't be able to defend against. Not a suicidal charge, where she either succeeded and won or failed and lost. Her uncle would never approve and all or nothing attack like that. Taking a deep breath, Ruby narrowed her eyes and darted forward right at Pyrrha. The champion quickly pulled back to defend and set up a counter attack in response, which is what Ruby expected. It wouldn't be Pyrrha if she didn't react instantly. However, even she had the limits of her body. The tip of Ruby's scythe scraped the service of Pyrrha's shield, but that wasn't the attack. Instead, Ruby darted to the side with Pyrrha's shield, preventing Pyrrha from stabbing back with her sword. Spinning her scythe, the blade slipped over the metal wall and came down right at Pyrrha's upper arm.
A direct hit!
Or it should have been.
Her scythe jerked to the side without warning and the attack only whizzed through the air, missing Pyrrha completely. Ruby's eyes widened at the weird event. Then it suddenly occurred to her what happened. This was Pyrrha's Semblance! The ability to magnetize things. Ruby completely forgot about that in the heat of the moment, thinking if she attacked fast enough, she could avoid any counters. Pyrrha's Semblance was too powerful though. The force caused the weapon in Ruby's hand to lurch forward, carrying the small girl with it as she wouldn't let go.
Leaving her open.
"Oomph!" Ruby gasped as Pyrrha delivered a spinning kick into her gut. All the air was forced out of her lungs as the blow smashed into her. Pyrrha didn't let up though. In a vicious series of pinpoint strikes, Milo delivered blow after blow into Ruby's body as the girl was still in the air. The sword form shifted into the spear to give her more reach as gears grinded. Ruby did what little she could to block some of the stricks with the hilt of her weapon, but in her position there wasn't much.
The attack lasted only a few seconds before she flew out of Pyrrha's reach. A few seconds that felt like an eternity. Ruby slammed to the ground and slid across the floor. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself up and scrambled to her feet. Ruby raised her scythe defensively in preparation for Pyrrha's follow up. The red head was already moving forward and Ruby had just enough time to check her Aura on the screen.
'51%. She took out almost half of it already.'
Even with Ruby's less than stellar Aura reserves, she still had a reasonable amount when not compared to Jaune or her sister. Using her Semblance all the time could tax her Aura and she loved moving at high speeds to save time. Ruby began to panic a little as the timer started to run down. It was then she remembered her training. Panicking and acting rashly was a surefire way to get killed. She needed to do this carefully since she was at a disadvantage.
Taking a deep breath, Ruby stepped forward and swung her scythe as Pyrrha closed in. Pyrrha smoothly dove under the horizontal attack, her shield raised in anticipation of a potential vertical follow-up. Simultaneously, she pulled her arm back, thrusting her spear forward with remarkable speed. Most wouldn't react in time, but Ruby wasn't one of those people. Just as the spear neared her chest, she vanished in a flurry of petals. Pyrrha, surprised for the first time, spun around instantly to find Ruby behind her, the scythe's horizontal swing continuing as if it had never been interrupted.
At that moment,for the first time, Ruby saw Pyrrha's panic.
Crescent Rose came to a sudden stop, then flew in the exact opposite direction of Ruby's swing. Pyrrha's Polarity Semblance revealed its incredible strength to everyone in the audience. In an instant, she could stop any attack and reflect it effortlessly.
With a split-second decision, Ruby made a choice that might upset Qrow. At that moment, it was all she could think of. As her weapon was pushed back, Ruby committed the ultimate taboo.
She let go of her weapon.
With Pyrrha's Semblance, clinging to her weapon would only hinder her chances of winning. Treating this spar as a real fight became the only way for Ruby to give her best. If her life was on the line, she had to do whatever it took to win. Pushing off the ground, she decided to pull a Yang, emulating exactly what her sister would do in such a situation.
Charge forward.
Using her full speed, Ruby bolted straight at Pyrrha, catching her off guard as the champion turned around. Pyrrha, having waved her hand to halt Ruby's weapon, found her shield out of position. A moment of hesitation and pure confusion overtook Pyrrha's expression. Those who knew Ruby understood her weakness in hand-to-hand combat. Disarmed, she could be vulnerable, despite some training with her uncle. Ruby had only basic martial arts skills; Qrow aimed to help her build enough muscle so she could still fight if disarmed.
Ruby was not a big girl. She was rather short and relied more on speed than physical strength. Even a direct tackle wasn't guaranteed to do much against a strong physical fighter. Yang could easily catch her for an example and was used to it when they were growing up. Pyrrha wouldn't be and even though Ruby considered the possibility Pyrrha could catch her, she probably wouldn't. Her instincts would be to dodge if she couldn't block with Akoúo̱. At the least, counter attack with Milo and use her Semblance to push the attack away.
But Ruby didn't have metal on her anymore so Pyrrha's Semblance was useless. All that left was for the champion to make the call to either dodge, block, or parry. With a normal opponent, Pyrrha would have plenty of time to make a decision. Against Ruby's Semblance? The short distance between them was covered in a blink of an eye. With Ruby not needing to swing her weapon, there was no delay between slowing down and swinging her scythe. Pyrrha had no way of dodging it with them being at such close range. There was just one thing Ruby didn't consider. Actually two things.
First, Pyrrha would still move slightly which did change the location Ruby would collide.
The second was that Ruby didn't fully understand momentum. Momentum force was equal to mass times velocity. Even being small, Ruby's body still had mass and with her Semblance, her velocity was very, very high. When multiplied, the impact was quite powerful. Not only that, due to Pyrrha's movement, Ruby's tackle changed into something completely different. Sure she managed to collide with the girl, but the impact was much greater due to where she hit.
Ruby's head collided with Pyrrha's jaw.
A perfect headbutt.
Red and scarlet Aura's flashed from the impact and Ruby's vision blurred. Her head felt like it was splitting open. She might have even blacked out for a little bit. One moment she was colliding with Pyrrha, the next she was laying on the floor. Her vision slowly came back as she sat up really quickly. That was a mistake as her head started pounding even worse. Blinking rapidly to clear the blurriness from her eyes, she finally saw Pyrrha, sitting on the ground, rubbing her jaw.
A little blood was coming out of the corner of her lip. People were cheering in the background, but their voices were muffled by the blood pounding in Ruby's ears.
"Winner, Pyrrha Nikos!" Glynda announced, stepping into the ring.
"Interesting outcome, but the ending could use some work." A male voice commented.
"Huh?" Ruby rubbed her head. "I think I'm hallucinating… is that Uncle Qrow?"
"It is Squirt, nice to see you're conscious enough to recognize me." Ruby turned her head to see Qrow walking behind Glynda. "That was some hit."
"When did you get here?!" Ruby gasped, shocked to see him.
"Shortly after the fight started," The man shrugged. "You were too focused on your opponent."
"Oh… I guess I was… HUH?!" Ruby suddenly realized what Glynda said. "I lost?!"
"Your Aura hit the red." Glynda answered. "That last attack you used was a double ended sword." Ruby's eyes flickered up to the screen.
23%
The threshold in combat class was 30% to make sure there were no accidents. Ruby had taken a hell of a hit to her own Aura to protect her head during that collision. Her eyes went wide as she realized that. If she took that much damage, how much did Pyrrha take? Ruby turned to see her opponent's leven on the screen.
81%
Almost 20% against someone with higher Aura levels than her, while she took a good 30%. But no matter how good of an attack it was, she still lost. Slumping down, she was disappointed before slapping her cheeks and standing up. This was training and there were no hard feelings for her. Pyrrha was also getting up and picking up her sword.
"Good fight, Pyrrha!" Ruby smiled and held out her hand. Pyrrha didn't answer, but she did shake Ruby's hand, though she didn't smile. Her face was expressionless.
"Excellent fight." Glynda complimented. "Miss. Rose, your technique has improved greatly and I'm glad to see the apprenticeship yielded results." She seemed to purposely ignore Qrow's smirk. "When you were disarmed, you adapted quickly and did a counter attack with what you had at your disposal. I just suggest you avoid all or nothing attacks like that. With Miss. Nikos' Aura levels being significantly higher than yours, it was riskier for you than for her."
"But she managed to hit Pyrrha!" Someone called out.
"She's not invincible anymore!" Another person yelled.
"Go Ruby!"
In a normal situation, Ruby would have been happy with the praise. Her team was cheering with the others, but they were cheering for her, not against Pyrrha like everyone else. Things were worse than she imagined. No wonder Pyrrha didn't seem happy even though she won. Ruby glanced at Jaune's team to see how they reacted. None of them looked happy, even Ren looked annoyed at the other people's reactions. Jaune was glaring at Cardin's team as they were the ones who led the attacks on Pyrrha.
"Quiet!" Glynda declared loudly, shutting down the other students. "That is quite enough! Ah hem, Miss. Nikos. You need to be more aware when people are pushed into a corner. They can exhibit some surprising strength. When you disarmed Miss. Rose, she was forced to improvise and you nearly were knocked unconscious along with her, regardless of Aura."
"If you fall unconscious in a fight, you should expect to lose." Qrow added. "A second is it takes for a Grimm or a criminal to take you out."
"I untherthand, thank you." Pyrrha nodded and rubbed her jaw. It looked like she might have bitten her tongue. From the force of their impact, it was a surprise there wasn't more damage to her jaw.
"Take your seats." Glynda told them. "I have an announcement to make."
"Yes, professor." Ruby and Pyrrha nodded, picking up their weapons and heading back to their teams. They could put their weapons away in the lockers after class. As Ruby walked up the steps to her team, several other people were giving her thumbs up and waves. It was almost like she was popular. That just made her a little embarrassed since Ruby didn't like to be the center of attention.
"Amazing job, sis." Yang whispered as Ruby sat down. "First time I've ever seen Pyrrha that shell shocked."
"It was a little reckless though." Blake added.
"And dangerous, but we can't deny it was effective." Weiss actually smiled. Ruby couldn't believe it. Her grumpy partner actually smiled! And it was because of something she did! Best day ever!
"It was a spur of the moment kind of thing." Ruby admitted sheepishly, before she had to remain quiet due to Glynda speaking to the class with Qrow next to her.
"Most of you may remember Qrow Branwen," Glynda announced, gesturing with one hand to Qrow. "He stepped in for a short time to observe our class before. As of now, he will be taking over some of the combat classes as your professor for the foreseeable future."
"REALLY?!" Yang blurted out. "Uncle Qrow is going to be a teacher! Awesome!"
"I've always been a teacher, Firecracker." Qrow scoffed. "One of the best."
"Miss Xiao-Long!" Glynda snapped harshly. "He may be your uncle, but during class, you will refer to him as Professor Branwen." Her eyes then snapped over to Qrow. "And you need to address our students properly by name."
"Nah, I'll give them all nicknames and when they do well, I'll reward them with their real names." The man responded with a smirk, making several of the students snicker. The guys in the class already thought he looked cool and most of the girls thought he was hot. "Sup, kids. Yeah, I'll be teaching you all a thing or two. I don't beat around the bush, so when you suck, I'll tell you so."
Ruby and Yang had to deal with that all through Signal. It was so humiliating to see their friends and classmates crushing on their uncle. By now, they were pretty much used to it. Ruby was just glad Weiss saw him as a drunk instead of a hot teacher. Of course, she preferred that her partner saw her uncle as a cool Huntsman, but she was thankful for small victories. Glancing up at Jaune, Ruby saw the boy roll his eyes at her uncle's introduction.
"Seriously?' Weiss sighed. "We have to deal with him?"
"Didn't you say Ruby improved a lot during her fight with Pyrrha?" Blake whispered with a grin. "Doesn't that show he knows what he's doing?"
Ruby beamed at Weiss, who blushed and looked away as Yang snickered.
Things were really weird for Ruby that day. Something happened to her that never occurred in her life before. She had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. After class, people were taking the opportunity to talk to her. To compliment her fighting skills against Pyrrha and her weapon. Not only other kids from Beacon, but from other schools too.
In short… She was popular!
And she didn't know how to deal with it.
"Okay, go away!" Yang growled at a couple boys who had just asked Ruby if she had a date for the dance. "We're busy!" No one was foolish enough to deal with an enraged Yang and the boys quickly dashed away. Something that Ruby was thankful for because she didn't like to be the center of attention. "Sheesh, Ruby's gone for a month, comes back as a kick ass Huntress and everyone wants a piece of her."
"There's still room for improvement, but she's definitely above where she was when she left." Weiss admitted. "Though I think it's more-...gak! Ruby! What have I told you about surprise hugs?!"
"Awww, you noticed how hard I've worked!" Ruby cooed, happy for the compliment from her bestie.
"Yes, yes, but that doesn't excuse the no surprise hugs rule!" Weiss was pushing Ruby away, her hand in the young leader's face.
"Was it my imagination, or did Pyrrha look really upset when she was paired against Ruby?" Yang asked the others bluntly.
"Yeah. I noticed that too." Ruby muttered and noticed the rest of her team staring at her. "What?"
"Eh…" Blake looked at Yang to explain.
"It's more you aren't the most… socially aware person." Yang elaborated slowly. "The fact you noticed that was a little surprising."
"I would be a little upset if I didn't know what you said was fact." Ruby pouted, knowing it was true. "But why is she upset?"
"It's because… I guess the best way to explain it would be you took Vomit Boy away from her." Yang shrugged. "I just didn't expect it to show so much."
"Took him away?" Ruby blinked in surprise. "I just asked him out recently! It wasn't like I was trying to steal him from her! She's the one who ruined her chance with him! Not even counting all the times she could have asked him out and didn't!"
Weiss and Blake exchanged glances in shock at Ruby's candid revelation. Yang, while appearing somewhat surprised herself, had a shadow of a smile on her lips, almost like she wanted to beam at her sister.
"And that's why she's upset," Yang continued, putting her arm around Ruby's shoulder. "It's irritation at herself for missing her opportunity. Even if she knows it's her fault, she can't help but be upset at the person who took her place. With Pyrrha and Jaune's troubles, they probably lost any chance of being together. Glad we delayed making that pool at the start of the year on when those two would hook up."
"Oh..." Ruby fell silent, contemplating the situation. What she said rang true after all. She didn't intentionally try to take Jaune away. He was her best male friend and her first friend at Beacon. Someone who shared many of the same interests and allowed her to geek out about weapons. Jaune always asked questions that Ruby would happily explain, even though they both knew he didn't understand most of what she said.
Reflecting on it, why didn't she ask him out earlier?
Oh, right. She would have died of embarrassment at the time and was too busy being excited about being at Beacon. Her journey around Remnant had truly opened her eyes, teaching her to observe her surroundings and think critically. So much knowledge had been absorbed in a short period of time. Half of what she learned didn't fully sink in until moments like this. Her uncle had indeed taught her well.
"I would rather be friends than enemies." Ruby continued softly. "But I don't think that's possible right now."
"I would probably advise talking to her about it for a bit." Blake agreed with a nod. "At least until she stops glaring at you. Asking Jaune to the dance is fresh in everyone's mind." She grinned as Ruby blushed at the memory.
"We're training tonight, right?" Weiss asked, noticing Ruby's discomfort and changing the topic for her. Of course, she preferred constructive conversations over just teasing Ruby most of the time.
"Right!" Ruby pointed at Weiss, happy to talk about anything else. "Jaune and I are going to take Mint into Vale for the ice cream we promised her, but after I get back, we'll do some training. I have so many combination attacks we haven't tried yet!"
"I still want to know where you found time for all those ideas if you were training the entire time yourself." Yang muttered, remembering the big notebook.
"We hiked a lot and when you're just walking, you have a lot of time to think." Ruby puffed out her chest. "There were lots of times when we were fighting Grimm that I thought how you three would kill them and came up with ideas based on that."
"That's… very impressive." Weiss conceded and then side stepped another one of Ruby's surprise hugs. "Nope. I told you no."
"You're so mean!"
Yang chuckled and playfully elbowed Blake, who smirked in response. The four of them were back together, and although they had grown closer during Ruby's absence, she found herself seamlessly slipping back into the group. Regular conversations over Scrolls had helped bridge the distance, and her strategic push for Weiss to assist Blake during the big reveal had further strengthened their bonds. Everything was going great!
Until she spotted Jaune walking down the hallway with Cardin.
This surprised Ruby more than anything else that day. It didn't appear as if they were fighting, and Jaune wouldn't let Cardin bully him nowadays. So, what were they doing? Though she knew she shouldn't spy on them, curiosity got the better of her. As long as they didn't notice her, she reasoned, no harm, no foul, right? Ruby was aware that spying was against Jaune's wishes; he had been hurt before when people discovered his secrets and shared them. Of course, Ruby wouldn't tell anyone; she just wanted to ensure her best friend was okay. All she had to do now was separate from her team for a little bit.
"I'll catch up in a minute, bathroom!" Ruby partially lied, zipping away. None of her teammates questioned her, continuing on their way to the next class. This allowed Ruby to trail after Jaune and Cardin, discreetly hiding around a corner and peeking out to monitor their movements. They strolled down a hallway and slipped into an empty classroom. With no one else nearby, Ruby snuck forward silently and pressed her ear against the door, intent on eavesdropping.
"…does it matter?" Cardin asked, his voice sounding like he was sneering. "Don't you and Nikos hate each other?"
"We don't hate each other!" Jaune snapped. "And I told you to stop bullying people! Insulting her in class is still bullying!"
"Everything I said in class was true," Cardin huffed. "Her Semblance is pretty much cheating when she fights us. Some of us care about our grades, and all Goodwitch does is punish people when they lose to her."
"She's trying to get you to improve," Jaune shot back. "Why don't you just get better!"
"Fucker, I'll kick your ass!" Cardin shouted.
"Tomorrow, same place?" Jaune proposed. "I didn't tell anyone about yesterday, so I'm keeping my promise. I'll fight you every day until you realize how messed up your thinking is."
"Fine, and I'll make you regret it! You got lucky once!"
"Twice if you put it like that."
Heavy footsteps approached the door, and Ruby had only a split second to dash away around the nearby corner to hide as Cardin left the classroom. A short moment later, Jaune walked out, looking annoyed. Ruby wanted to ask him what he was doing but couldn't come out of her hiding place. She knew she wasn't supposed to be spying on them in the first place. The main reason she followed them was that she was curious and worried for Jaune. However, their conversation had been so brief that she didn't gather much information except that they planned to fight.
Which didn't make sense as Jaune hated Cardin.
'Why would those two set up fights then?' Ruby wondered, silently, heading to her next class. 'I want to ask Uncle Qrow if he knows what Jaune might be thinking, but I can't spill Jaune's secrets.' There's no way she would ever tell his secrets after he had been hurt by that before.
She was left to think about it most of the day.
"Are you sure this is okay?" Ruby asked Jaune, as she sat at Vale's best ice cream shop with Mint sitting next to Jaune across from her, as the mute girl pointed at the menu to the waitress.
"Yeah, it's fine." Jaune told her. "Get anything you want. My treat."
"But I was the one who offered…" Ruby continued to object, but Jaune cut her off.
"I told you, I got this." The boy grinned at her. "I got a bit of some surprise money, so enjoy yourself."
"If you insist." Ruby turned to the waitress. "I'll have the same thing as Mint."
"Very good." The woman wrote it down and headed back to the kitchen.
"Where did you get the money from?" Ruby asked, turning back to Jaune.
"Secret." Jaune answered, miming zipping his lips with his hand.
"Not fair!" Ruby huffed and crossed her arms as she slouched into the booth. "We're supposed to tell each other everything."
"A guy's got to have some secrets." The boy winked at her and she stuck her tongue out at him. Little did Ruby know that Jaune got some extra money from Qrow. It was a reward for doing well, but there were things he couldn't tell the poor girl. So Ruby was left trying to figure it out and eventually settled with Jaune just saving his money to buy his friends a treat now and then.
Mint looked between them curiously, her green eyes eventually focusing on Jaune. She waved a hand at him to get his attention and then started gesturing at him. Jaune chuckled and then shook his head.
"No, I didn't steal it or rob a bank, Mint."
The girl continued to sign at him with her hands.
"No, I didn't do that either."
"Hey!" Ruby realized she was being left out of the conversation. "What's she saying?"
"She's just making jokes about how I got money." Jaune rolled his eyes. "She's lucky Qrow trained me not to get embarrassed so easily anymore from jokes." Mint snickered from next to him and then picked up her Scroll to type a message for Ruby.
'Sorry, just like having someone who knows sign language.'
Ruby suddenly felt like a jerk. Mint was mute and couldn't talk so she had to type to people who didn't know her gestures. Jaune actually knew sign language and she was able to communicate better. The reason Ruby felt like this was she was used to people treating her like a kid and talking about things in a way they knew she didn't know or deliberately hide things from her. Not like Jaune or Mint were purposely doing it, but she couldn't help how she felt. People treated her like a kid too much.
"Hmmm, how about if we have time, I can teach you a bit?" Jaune suggested. "You'll be able to communicate easier with Mint. You don't mind helping, do you?" He addressed the last question to the girl in question.
Honestly, Ruby was a little surprised at Mint's action. The girl seemed shocked Jaune was asking her something like that, though thinking about it for a moment, Ruby kind of understood. Learning sign language was a chore for many people who didn't have to use it. Mint was probably used to having to type to communicate with people and feeling like an outsider. Once she met Jaune, Mint had someone who she could talk to easily and now Ruby wanted to learn how to talk to her? It must have been surprising.
"Yeah!" Ruby grinned happily. "It will be easier for us to talk!"
Slowly, Mint nodded, looking between the two, as if assuring herself that both of them were real.
"Awesome!" Ruby exclaimed, her enthusiasm evident. She would have hugged Mint if she wasn't on the opposite side of the table. "We'll be able to talk about all sorts of fun things we can't tell Jaune about."
"Hey!" Jaune protested, feeling left out, as Mint snickered. "Don't be like Yang, Ruby."
"I'm the only one who can use that saying!" Ruby declared, pointing at him. As the two of them playfully bickered for fun, Mint was still laughing, even if it wasn't audible. Ruby could tell how amused she was by her expression. It felt good to make other people happy, especially a new friend.
Even if they got off to a rocky start.
"Here you go." The waitress arrived, holding a tray and setting down the food. "One banana split?"
"That's mine." Jaune raised his hand and the woman put the desert down. It was a pretty standard banana split, with chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice cream over a spiced banana with chocolate, strawberry, and caramel syrup, whipped cream, and cherries.
"And you two ladies must have ordered the Special Supreme Sundaes?"
"Yep!" Ruby confirmed and looked up at the last two items on the tray. Mint was nearly drooling at the sight.
Both of them had ordered the special and most expensive item on the menu. Ruby had checked with Jaune many times and he assured her she could order it without hesitation. She still felt a little bad, like she was taking advantage of him. It was huge! Like a full dinner bowl huge. The sundae included chocolate brownies, bananas, rainbow sprinkles, lollipops, whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, marshmallows, gummy candies, and vanilla and chocolate gelato. It was something that would cause diabetes instantly in children.
The moment the sundaes were set down, Ruby began to dive in.
"Mmmm!" Ruby put a hand on her cheek with her eyes closed as she happily took a bite. It was sooooo good. Worth every Lien. When she opened her eyes, she noticed Jaune staring at her with a grin on his face. "What? Something on my face?"
"No… just glad you're enjoying it." Jaune looked down at his treat and took a bite, avoiding her eye contact. His face seemed a little red for some reason. Mint meanwhile, was taking a picture of the sundae with the Scroll before looking up at Ruby. She saw the girl's eyes looking at Jaune and a devious grin appeared on her face. She grabbed the boy's arm and pulled him over. "Woah, hey!"
Click.
Mint snapped a selfie of the two of them behind the sundae.
"You could have asked," Jaune sighed, rolling his eyes.
Mint tapped her chin, then turned to Ruby with big, sad eyes, as if pleading.
"You want a picture?" Ruby asked, uncertain of Mint's request but taking a guess. The black and white girl nodded, seemingly having learned a lesson from Jaune. "Sure, but send me one!" Mint agreed, leaning forward on the table as she held up the camera. Ruby grinned and made victory signs with her fingers as Mint snapped the picture. Ruby got her to send it to her and chuckled. "I'm going to send this to Yang and Weiss. They are going to be so jealous!"
"Not Blake?" Jaune wondered.
"Blake doesn't like sweets that much, but she'll get it too." Ruby grinned evilly as she sent her team the picture. "Yang's been wanting to come here forever and I beat her!"
"Not sounding like a super villain there at all."
"Shush you!"
Meanwhile, Mint pulled up her contacts on her Scroll. A person labeled "Green Annoyance" received the picture of her and Ruby. Grinning at the anticipated jealousy of the recipient, Mint then sent both pictures she took to a contact named "Bitch" for a different reason. It showcased how close she had gotten to the two new targets. It had been oddly easy, and neither of them seemed to suspect a thing. Or if they did, they were adept at hiding their true intentions.
However, a peculiar feeling washed over her. Mint found herself oddly... happy? Since her adoptive father had been put away not too long ago, she had been lonely. When Ruby expressed a desire to learn sign language to communicate with her, it was a gesture she wasn't accustomed to. No one else had been willing to learn to talk to her; they expected her to communicate on their terms, not hers. As she enjoyed her ice cream, which had a calming effect on her stomach, she eyed Jaune and Ruby carefully.
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish to ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.
nBappo: If anything's off be free to put me through the wringer. I usually love doing battles and such but I've been dealing with some stuff lately. Though I feel like it's pretty good. Either way, we understand Pyrrah, we wait for Cardin to eat shit again, and I'm interested in the sudden change in Mint.