With the 9 Days of Lancaster starting today, I figured now would be a perfect time to release this new chapter. Last chapter pretty much ended Volume 1 for this story. Volume 2 starting will now have its own fair of trials and tribulations. Jaune is now in Ozpin's circle of trust, so there's going to be some interesting problems arising there. Then of course the most important thing with Jaune and Ruby finally together. With Volume 2, I wanted to add some adventures outside the main storyline, not just skip to the Vytal festival. Of course, the Vytal festival is going to play a big part in all this eventually. It kind of has to. There's too much potential there and I already have the ending for it planned.
Special thanks to nBappo for Betaing.
If you continue to enjoy my stories, feel free to check out my p a treon.
P a treon . com (Slash) Dark Betrayer
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Jaune yawned in Professor Peter Port's class as the portly professor droned on with his story. When he and Ruby first returned to Beacon, it had been easy to stay awake and listen to the lectures without dozing off like most of the class. At first, it was interesting to catch the hidden clues their teacher shared through his experiences. But over time, the professor's words slowly lulled him into a sleepy haze. Jaune's resistance weakened, and his brain grew tired of trying to stay focused on the mix of boring and interesting parts. It would have been better if the stories were more straightforward, like how Qrow was always blunt and to the point.
A folded piece of paper landed in his lap.
He glanced over at Ruby, who was sitting next to him. She winked and grinned before pretending to go back to writing in her notebook, all while Weiss glanced over at her suspiciously. Curious, Jaune unfolded the paper and had to cover his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing. It was a drawing of Professor Port with an even rounder body and a comically huge mustache that was bigger than his whole body. It seemed Ruby had been just as distracted as he was during class.
Ruby caught his eyes and he grinned back.
She was an amazing girlfriend.
It was kind of weird, though. Now that everyone knew Jaune and Ruby were dating, nothing really changed. At first, there were some congratulations, a few whispers, and some pointing and staring, but everyone stopped caring after a day or two. Things went back to how they were before the dance, and Jaune and Ruby mostly acted the same around each other. Over the weekend, they didn't do much except watch a movie with their teams, though Pyrrha skipped out. The only difference was Ruby sat next to him on the bed and laid her head on his shoulder, something she might have done before they were together when she was tired.
The only public display of affection they shared was some hand-holding when they thought they were alone. Yang caught them once, and Jaune thought she was going to kill him, but she just left without making a fuss. That was honestly the weirdest thing of all. Even when Ruby laid her head on his shoulder during the movie, Jaune knew Yang saw them and didn't say anything. She wasn't unaware because her eyes flashed red for a moment. The older sister didn't even give the usual older sibling protective speech that Jaune had expected!
When asking Ruby about her sister's strange behavior, the girl only smiled and gave him a simple answer.
"We had a talk."
That explained a lot and while Jaune was happy for Ruby for standing up for herself, he hoped it didn't cause any friction between her and Yang. His girlfriend seemed happy enough and Weiss and Blake were acting like normal, so maybe he was overthinking it. Jaune certainly was happy. How many other people could say their partner was their best friend? Literally, even before going out. As a bonus, his life wasn't in danger due to an overprotective sister. Ruby's might, so Jaune would have to make sure when Ruby met the rest of his family, she was protected before being swarmed.
"... and so that's why, this week, you all will be spending four days and three nights on a survival exercise!" Peter declared. "Doesn't that sound like a blast?"
Heads began to rise as the man's words penetrated the fog over the class.
"What was that?!" Yang blurted out. Everyone turned their attention to her as something in Professor Port's lecture had clearly caught her off guard.
"Ahem, let me repeat myself since some of you were obviously still distracted by my manly adventures from earlier," Port chuckled, twirling his mustache as his belly shook. "Normally, after the dance that splits the semesters, all first years would take their first mission. However, due to this year's highly skilled students, first-year missions were completed earlier than in previous years. With an open period in your schedules, the headmaster decided to try something new in the curriculum. Professor Ozpin believes it would be excellent training for you all to survive in the wilderness for an extended period of time."
Most of the class had expressions of disbelief, as if they couldn't fully understand what they were hearing.
"Er… What exactly does that entail, sir?" A girl with purple hair sitting with three other girls asked as she raised her hand. Jaune forgot her name but knew she was from Mistral. Out of the rest of the class, her team looked the most unhappy with the news, though plenty of other students didn't look thrilled either.
"Excellent question!" Port pointed at her. "Well, Miss Violette, since you were bold enough to ask, let me explain. Each team will be dropped off in the wilderness with a map, and your assignment will be to reach your destination by the fourth day. We will, of course, provide you all with an emergency beacon to call for help if you get into trouble, but I'm sure that won't be necessary. You've all proven to be quite capable fighters. There will even be bonus points if you reach your destination ahead of schedule."
"Just a map... in the wilderness?" Cardin asked, not looking thrilled at the prospect.
"You are allowed to bring anything you can carry," Port assured him. "Beacon will provide basic supplies. In fact, here's a list of recommendations the headmaster himself put together." He opened a drawer on his desk and took out a large stack of papers. "Take one and pass it around. The supplies listed at the top are what we advise, while those at the bottom are additional suggestions. What you choose to take with you is up to you. But beware: those who use the beacon to call for help and end their mission early will get the pleasure of extracurricular lessons with me. Ho ho!"
Yeah, not a single person there wanted to fail now.
"Cool, it's like camping, but where we keep score!" Nora cheered.
"Shouldn't be too difficult," Ren agreed calmly.
"Are you used to reading a map?" Pyrrha asked, sitting next to him.
"Yeah, when Nora and I were traveling as kids. We got lost a few times while I was learning."
"That was fun, Renny," Nora giggled. "We discovered all sorts of places and got to fight a bunch of Grimm." She then turned to Jaune. "Think they decided to do this because of you and Ruby?"
"Oh, I don't doubt that for a moment," Jaune whispered back, careful to keep his voice low so others wouldn't overhear. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to blame him for this. Most of their classmates looked like they might strangle him if they knew. The problem was, it was kind of his fault because he remembered this exact conversation with Ozpin about it. "It's not going to be a cakewalk, Nora, but we got this."
"Yeah, we do!" Nora lightly punched him in the arm. "With you and Ren leading the way, nothing can go wrong."
"Ugh!" Jaune slammed his head on the table. "Why did you have to say that!? Now everything will!"
Team RWBY was a little less than thrilled, to say the least.
"Why…?" Weiss moaned, her already pale face devoid of color. "Four days in the woods? That sounds horrible."
"Hey!" Ruby huffed. "I spent nearly two months out in the wilds and survived."
"Didn't you love going back into town to shower?" Blake smirked.
"That's… that's not the point!"
"It's not going to be that bad, Ice Queen," Yang said, trying to hide her own worries by biting her lip. "Ruby and I've been camping before. It's just a little longer, with more hiking… without a path… and more bugs. But at least we can beat up Grimm."
"No hair care products unless you want to carry them all," Weiss reminded her with a malicious smirk, taking one of the papers as it was passed to them. "Hmm… nope. No hair care products, even in the optional section."
"Shut up," Yang snapped. "Same goes for you. How are you going to carry your twenty suitcases without a butler? Wait, are you going to hire one?"
"Don't be stupid!" Weiss shot back. "Unless you need the money, I'll give you the Lien today."
"Please, you couldn't afford me," Yang retorted with a grin.
"Sorry, you had to deal with those two all this time without me," Ruby apologized to Blake. "Must have been tough."
"Not really," the raven-haired girl shrugged. "I learned to tune them out. It was more complicated at the beginning, but once Weiss and I had a talk, those two gravitated toward each other."
"Do you take sides?" Ruby wondered, glancing at Weiss and Yang, who were still arguing.
"Only when it's funny." Blake's amber eyes twinkled.
"You're supposed to be the serious one!"
"And I'm very serious about that."
"You… I hope it rains all week so you won't be able to laugh at me."
"You shouldn't wish that on people," Blake whispered, her amusement fading. "Out of anyone, you should know how terrible that is."
"Hehe, yeah, you're right," Ruby conceded, looking a bit sheepish. "There's no way Professor Ozpin planned this when it's supposed to rain."
"Let's hope not," Blake said, softening. "But we should be prepared just in case."
Yang and Weiss, having reached a temporary truce, joined the conversation again. "What are you two whispering about?" Yang asked.
"I'm just hoping for good weather," Ruby replied quickly.
"Right, because that's something we can control," Weiss added with a roll of her eyes.
"Hey, positive thinking can go a long way," Yang said, putting an arm around Ruby's shoulders. "And besides, we've got this. Rain or shine."
"Exactly," Jaune addressed his team, feeling more confident as he heard Team RWBY's positivity. "We're a strong team. We can handle whatever comes our way."
Nora jumped in, her energy infectious. "Yeah! Bring on the wilderness! We'll show it what we're made of!"
After class, Team RWBY went back to their dorms to figure out what they had on the list because anything they didn't have would have to be either borrowed from Beacon or purchased. Weiss was methodically going through the list and checking everything they had off. Ruby just pulled out her backpack she used during her adventures with her Uncle and Jaune. All her supplies were pretty much still there.
"Okay, we need to get tents and food." Weiss looked up after crossing something off. "Along with extra ammo and Dust. We don't know how many Grimm we'll face, so we need to be prepared."
"We don't need tents." Ruby dismissed, counting her bullets. "Some hammocks and lightweight tarps will be more than enough."
"You want us to spend four days out in the wilderness without tents?" Weiss said incredulously to the team leader. "Are you insane? Insects, rain, and who knows what else?"
"Aura protects us from insect bites." Ruby commented absentmindedly as she flipped her bag over and rummaged inside looking for something. "Tents are heavy, even the lightest ones. Hammocks keep us off the ground and tarps protect us from rain. It's not going to get cold enough, we'll need anything besides light sleeping bags."
"Dang sis… you sound so professional." Yang complimented with a grin.
"Jaune and I complained about it at the start too." Ruby giggled. "That's what Uncle Qrow told us."
"You suggested we don't take anything extra and you still want to bring a hammock." Weiss crossed her arms. "Make up your mind."
"Actually, Weiss." Blake interrupted. "Check the bottom of the list. A hammock is under the optional section."
"What?!" Weiss glanced back at the list and her eyes widened. She had been so focused on the mandatory supplies she didn't fully examine the optional ones. Hammock was indeed listed. "You have to be kidding me…"
"Port must have liked Ruby's explanation why hammocks are valuable." Blake shrugged and her eyes fell on the list again. "A lot of these seem to be substitutes."
"I'm going to be miserable either way, so I'll follow Ruby's lead." Yang smiled at Ruby, who was a little surprised at how accommodating Yang was. It's not like Yang hated camping. She just could only handle so much at once. When they were younger she liked it more but once she hit puberty and cared more for her hair she stopped doing it as much. What Ruby didn't know was that Yang had an ulterior motive. Not a sinister one in any sense of the word though.
Yang was trying to show she supported her sister's judgements.
While making up for her actions after Ruby got together with Jaune.
"Come on, Weiss!" Ruby pushed. "You need to trust me!"
"I've heard that before." The heiress muttered.
"No one's died because of any of my ideas!"
"Yet."
"We killed the Nevermore in initiation!"
"And one slight miscalculation would have had you falling down that cliff with it."
Blake and Yang weren't participating in the argument, just turning their heads back and forth as Weiss and Ruby debated. There was no real anger between them, so no one was genuinely upset. Well, Ruby was a little frustrated because Weiss wouldn't trust her that a hammock could be better than a tent.
"If you want to bring a hammock, that's up to you," Weiss insisted. "I'm going to follow the advised list and bring a tent. If you don't want one, I'll bring a personal one to reduce weight."
"Fine," Ruby shrugged, knowing how stubborn Weiss could be. Arguing with her rarely worked out well, and she didn't want to upset her best friend. If Weiss preferred a tent, she could have one. "But if you change your mind, I'll bring an extra one."
"If you must." Weiss didn't tell her not to, and in fact, she continued to relent. "I'll listen to most of your ideas, but I insist on a tent. You have experience, and if you can survive for over a month in the wilds, we can survive a couple of days."
"I'm happy to share my knowledge and experience with you!" Ruby replied eagerly. "With all the mistakes Uncle Qrow let Jaune and me make…" Weiss' eye twitched, but she held her tongue. "...I can make sure we don't make the same ones."
"That's good to hear at least." Weiss said with a nod.
"Like what kind of mistake?" Yang asked curiously.
"One, never pack Atlas Ration Bars." Ruby recited. "Those things can't be called food. Anything else is better."
"Here. Here." Blake agreed, looking relieved. "I had those once before, Ruby. Never again."
"Finally!" Ruby gestured to Blake with both hands. "Someone who understands!" They had this conversation before fleetingly, but now that it was involved in an important discussion, things had to be emphasized.
"They aren't that bad." Weiss crossed her arms. "They were designed to be nutritious, lightweight, and provide energy for soldiers and Huntsmen out in the field."
"Oh yeah?!" Ruby's silver eyes sparkled. "Time to put your money where your mouth is!"
"And that's a lot!" Yang blurted out, unable to resist as Ruby rushed to the closet and started rummaging around.
"I know there was one left… where is it… Please say I didn't throw it away…"
"What are you doing, dolt?" Weiss demanded to know.
"She's going to make you eat your words, Weiss." Yang grinned. "You know Ruby's not a pushover anymore."
"Didn't you have to find that out the hard way?" Blake smirked at Yang. Before the blonde could respawn, Ruby jumped up in celebration.
"FOUND IT!" The next moment, Ruby was standing in front of Weiss, holding out a white package. "I knew I kept this thing for a reason. So Weiss! If you don't think it's a big deal. Eat it."
"Oh snap!" Yang laughed from behind them, earning a glare from Weiss.
"Wha-... we just had dinner!" Weiss protested. "I don't want to eat that."
"One bite won't kill you." Ruby pushed the tip into Weiss' cheek, despite the heiress stepping back automatically and looking annoyed. "Prove these aren't awful. One bite."
"One bite won't kill you." Blake repeated, looking more engaged in their conversation than any other outside of one that involved the White Fang or Ruby's return. "Remember when you said… and I quote… 'They aren't that bad.'"
"Do it, Weiss!" Yang cheered. "Show us you're right… unless you know you're wrong. You couldn't be lying to us, right?"
Weiss bit the corner of her lip as she stared at Ruby, who was beaming back at her with a big smile and shining eyes. The expectant gaze of her teammates weighed heavily on her, making it impossible to back out. With a resigned sigh, Weiss swiped the ration bar from Ruby's hand and began to unwrap it slowly. The crinkling of the wrapper seemed to echo in the silence as she peeled it away, revealing the chalky white bar inside.
She shot a glare at Blake and Yang, who were watching her with amused curiosity, but she deliberately avoided Ruby's eager eyes. The bar looked unappetizing, like compressed dust. Weiss took a moment to muster some saliva in her mouth before taking a hesitant bite. The dry, gritty texture of the ration bar made her grimace slightly.
That didn't help.
"Well~?" Ruby asked in a singsong voice. "How is it?"
"She looks like she wants to spit it in the trash can." Yang remarked with a grin and then high fived her sister.
"But of course, she would never do that." Blake nodded solemnly. "After all, that would be so unladylike and an insult to Atlas' food production."
If looks could kill, Weiss would have murdered all of them. She continued to chew and forced herself to swallow before finally talking. There was no way she would talk with her mouth full.
"It's a little dry and bland, but perfectly edible." Weiss then let out a small cough, which just amused everyone else. "But I suppose Ruby, if you have other preferences, as long as they fit our dietary needs…"
"Yeah, she doesn't like them either." Yang whispered super loudly to Blake so everyone heard.
"No one does, but they are cheap and sustain life." Blake shrugged. "Perfect for the military."
"Sure, bestie!" Ruby grabbed Weiss' arm with her right one and then used her left to point toward the sky out the window. "I'll get us the best rations we can get!"
"Fine, we'll leave food to you." Weiss still looked a little skeptical about this.
"Anything else we need for this survival camping trip?" Yang asked the others. "And are we sure I can't bring some extra stuff?"
"A comb if you really want, but you really don't want to bring sprays and conditioners." Blake warned her. "It's not like we will have a shower or bath out there."
"I'm not stupid, I know that." Yang snapped, not looking happy again now that the Weiss teasing had finished.
"Could always jump in a river." Weissp pointed out. "It would cool off your hot head."
"Don't start or I'll make you eat the rest of the bar."
"Yeah, it's going to be a lot of fun!" Ruby assured her team, trying to raise morale and prevent an argument from breaking out. "I know it can be tiring, but once you get used to it, you'll realize how great of training it is! We'll be fighting Grimm, getting to know each other more, and be able to come up with super cool combo attacks together." She suddenly fidgeted and tapped her fingers together. "It will let us catch up on all the team bonding i missed…"
"Oh…" Yang pulled Ruby into a tight hug. "You'll always be our leader and we missed you a lot. Especially when Weiss tried to lead and make us get up early." No matter how much she liked teasing Weiss, hugging Ruby was always a thousand times better.
"Hey!" Weiss cried out. "You're the one who kept moping around!"
"Hehe, you really missed me." Ruby tightly hugged her sister back. "Who's the kid now?"
"Okay, you asked for this. NOOGIE ATTACK"
"NOOOO!"
Ruby couldn't escape her powerful older sister's grip as Yang suddenly rubbed her head aggressively. Weiss rolled her eyes, but didn't object. Things were back to normal. While she wouldn't come out and admit it easily, she had missed Ruby. There were things the young girl did to annoy her, but there was plenty of stuff Ruby did Weiss appreciated. Acting as a buffer to Yang was just one of her important tasks.
Meanwhile, Blake was surfing her scroll and frowned.
"You might want to check the weather report for this week." The quiet girl commented, drawing the other's attention. "It doesn't look good."
Weiss was the first one to grab her Scroll and checked the weather for Vale.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me!"
"Is it bad?" Ruby asked, peaking over her partner's shoulder. When she saw the report, her eyes widened in horror. Even a veteran of survival training outdoors like herself didn't like the forecast.
Rain.
The entire week.
Back in Team JNPR's room, the atmosphere was a little better, but not by much. The team had also learned it was going to rain that week. Nora tried to keep their spirits up, but Jaune and Ren looked crestfallen. Both knew the horrors of traveling in the rain. Nora did too, but her upbeat attitude suggested she either really liked the rain or was putting up a front with her usual energetic self. The only one of them who hadn't done any long-distance traveling in that kind of weather was Pyrrha. Since she had trained as a fighter from a young age, nearly all her competitions were held in arenas.
"Is this all you had with you?" Nora asked, looking at the list Jaune made for them. "There's barely anything on here."
"It's only going to be four days," Jaune shrugged. "We'll survive. Keeping to two sets of clothing will reduce the weight—one for traveling and getting dirty, the other for sleeping."
"Hey, I'm super strong!" Nora protested, flexing her muscles. "I could carry a truck the entire trip."
"You know traveling is different than just moving something," Ren reminded her calmly, a small smile playing on his lips at the mental image. He wasn't the only one amused—Jaune laughed, and Pyrrha gave a begrudging smile as she pictured it too. "Every pound we carry is magnified with every step we take. It's better to travel light. Plus, more room in our packs means more food we can bring."
"As long as it's not Atlas rations!" Jaune blurted out.
"Eww, yeah, those things are awful!" Nora shuddered. She would eat almost anything, but when she had been curious as to why Jaune disliked them so much, he let her try a bite of his extra one. The ginger instantly realized why their leader talked so badly about them. Coughing and rolling on the ground like she was dying, Nora had a flair for the dramatic.
"Duly noted." Ren chuckled. "I'll be in charge of food if it's okay with you." Neither Jaune nor Nora had any objections. "Anything you want to add, Pyrrha?"
"No, I'm good with whatever the team decides," Pyrrha answered simply. She wasn't smiling, but she didn't seem unhappy either.
"Are you okay with hammocks instead of tents?" Jaune asked. "We're still going to bring tarps to make shelters since it's going to rain."
"It's fine. You're the one with experience," Pyrrha assured him, meeting his eyes. "As I've said, I don't have experience camping for more than a weekend. If everyone else is fine with hammocks, so am I."
Pyrrha's being agreeable wasn't unusual. Before the 'incident,' she was always happy to go along with what Jaune or Nora suggested. During Jaune's departure, Pyrrha had been on her own since Nora refused to spend any time with her. She dedicated herself to training and homework, staying out of the dorm as much as possible. Now, Pyrrha was willing to work with them as a team member, even if there was still some distance. This should have been good news, but it only made Jaune worried. Her words seemed to focus on what the 'team' decided and what the 'team' wanted, not what she wanted.
Either she truly didn't mind, or she was being incredibly passive-aggressive due to what had happened between them.
She had been hanging out with Mercury lately, and while Jaune thought Mercury was cool, he was known to be a bit of a jerk. Especially to Emerald, his own teammate, though not a bully like Cardin. Some of his tendencies might have rubbed off on her. There was also the possibility that this was Pyrrha's way of apologizing—not just with words but through actions. It was too early for Jaune to tell. He would just have to go along with it because there was nothing technically wrong with what she said. Jaune might have been overthinking it.
"Okay, then I think we have everything else," Jaune said, checking off the list. "It should be a pretty easy mission if it's just getting from Point A to Point B."
"Renny can read a map," Nora pointed out to her partner. "He was the one who led us so we wouldn't get lost when we were younger."
"Hmm, you know, did Professor Port ever say we would be getting a map?" Jaune wondered. At his words, the rest of his team paused and thought about it.
"I do not believe he did," Ren admitted slowly. "But if they expect us to get to a specific point, then they would have to, right?"
"Most likely, they'll give it to us on-site, so we won't have time to plan ahead," Pyrrha pointed out. "We would have to use valuable time to figure out where we are and where to go."
"Ugh… That's going to suck!" Jaune groaned. "It's one thing to follow a map; trying to figure out where you are on a map is so hard."
"No point in worrying about it!" Nora hopped on her bed. "We got this! It's going to be a cake and when we get back, we can rub it in all the other teams faces!"
"Nora… do you and Yang have a bet?" Ren asked.
"Noooooo…" Nora looked away.
"What did you bet?" Jaune facepalmed.
"Nothing…"
"Nora…" There was an interesting voice Ren had the others noticed. When he needed to get Nora to confess, that tone was used and no matter how much Nora tried to keep a secret, she would spill it. Not that Ren ever abused that power to find out things like surprise parties.
"Alright… but it's nothing bad!" Nora waved her hands in front of them. "We just get each other's desserts for a week afterwards. And no, pancakes are not desserts but entrees. We made that clear." Probably for the best as Yang knew how territorial Nora was about them.
"If you're okay with it, that's up to you."Jaune shrugged. "Nothing wrong with having a little fun."
"What about you?" Nora piped up, happy for the fact that her team leader understood her. "Have you had fun coming up with a name?"
"A name?" Jaune tilted his head. Glancing at Ren and Pyrrha, he found out he wasn't the only one confused.
"Uh… what are you talking about?" Pyrrha asked. "We have a team name." Even if the team was slightly splintered still, they were all talking again in the same room.
"Not a team name, silly." The hyperactive ginger shook her head, her eyes alight with excitement. "It's for Jaune's cool new attack!" Glancing at her teammates, she noticed their confusion and continued, determined to clarify. "You know, Jaune's Aura slash. Every awesome move needs an equally awesome name to match. It's all about inspiring your friends and striking fear into your enemies!"
"Nora… we've had this discussion in the past when you wanted to name some of my attacks." Ren sighed, with a hint of a smile. "When you shout out attack names, you're telegraphing your next move."
"There's a reason people don't announce their attacks, Nora." Pyrrha added. "A second or two can make all the difference in a close match. Revealing an attack gives your opponent a chance to counter."
"But you can fake it too!" Nora protested. "Like pretend you're doing one thing and doing another."
"Code Phrases aren't a bad idea, but they don't work more than once or twice against an opponent." Jaune smiled at the memory of his and Ruby's Cheat Codes. They were handy in a fight with strangers by communicating without telegraphing their actions. "But did you have some ideas for names?"
Humoring Nora a little wouldn't hurt and would make her happy.
"Hmmm, I got one!" Nora bounced up and down on her bed excitedly. "How about Wind Scar!"
"It's Aura, not wind." Jaune pointed out. "False advertising." A little fun on his end wouldn't hurt and he thought he saw Pyrrha's lip twitch from behind Nora before the girl focused on her Scroll.
"Tetsuga Gensho then?" Nora pushed forward.
"That sounds copyrighted." Ren mused. "Isn't that from one of your mangas?"
"But it needs to sound cool." The ginger protested. "White Cloaked Dimension Slash?"
"Again, false advertising." Jaune reminded her. "No dimensions being slashed."
"You're no fun." Nora pouted and flopped down on the bed as the gears in her brain turned. "You can at least say One Blow, One Hundred Grimm Felled."
"I don't think he can use his Aura Manifestation that well." Pyrrha pointed out.
"Not yet!" Nora cried out and pointed at Jaune. "Once he trains it, there's no limit to what he can do with his Semblance boosting it!"
"On a more serious note," Ren interjected, his contemplative tone cutting through the conversation, "Your Aura Amplification does pose some interesting theories using Manifestation. I'm curious as to how they will interact. Did you have any luck with your training with Qrow lately?"
"Nah, he just likes to demonstrate how good he is with his scythe and knocks me around," Jaune admitted, rubbing his arm where a hidden bruise lay beneath his shirt. "Sometimes, I think he enjoys it…" He paused, realizing the truth. Who was he kidding? Qrow got off on it. "…but he did warn me it wasn't going to be easy," he added, keeping the extent of his struggles concealed from the others. "Ren, do you think you can give me some pointers while we're out?"
"I can tell you what I know, but it took me years to be able to do that," Ren cautioned him. "It's not easy. Since you have a larger pool of Aura combined with your Semblance…"
"Qrow and Ozpin said some similar things to that," Jaune recalled, his thoughts drifting back to their previous conversations. "Guess all I can do is keep trying until something works." Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the ceiling. "I keep hoping there's really just a faster way to learn everything. Every time I learn one thing, I find out there are three other things I need to work on."
"Doesn't your Semblance do that?" Pyrrha interjected, her voice breaking through Jaune's introspection.
"Huh?" Jaune turned to his partner, momentarily caught off guard.
"Your Amplification allows you to recover Aura faster than normal, even during sparring," Pyrrha reminded him. "Which means you can train far longer than you should be able to without breaks. You condense a week of training into a day or two."
"You… have a point…" Jaune conceded, thinking back. His training with Qrow was tough, but there was no doubt he got additional training beyond Ruby because he had more to learn. "After I unlocked it, Qrow and I sparred a lot more and I would also spar with Ruby too. It really helped my endurance."
"Plus he can make himself recover super fast midfight!" Nora gleefully added, not realizing the atmosphere changed. "The other teams at the Vytal Festival won't be able to take him down easily."
"And yet no one calls his Semblance a cheat." Pyrrha muttered under her breath.
Only Ren heard those words as Jaune was focused on Nora.
Ren understood Pyrrha's frustration all too well. Her Semblance had been revealed, and instantly, everyone turned against her. They refused to even spar with her, convinced they wouldn't stand a chance against her control over their weapons and armor. Some even went as far as to accuse Glynda of punishing them with lower grades because of it. It was a prime example of how once people made up their minds about something, it was nearly impossible to convince them otherwise. It is easier to blame others than accept their own weaknesses.
On the other hand, Jaune's Semblance wasn't as flashy as others'. Ruby's speed, Weiss' glyphs, and Yang's energy absorption and release were all more visually striking. But flashy didn't necessarily mean unbeatable. What upset people about Pyrrha's Semblance was the sense of helplessness it instilled—watching her manipulate their weapons and armor as if they were toys. Jaune's Semblance, meanwhile, only made him stronger. With rumors of his fake transcripts circulating at the school, many assumed they could still take him down.
Was it fair? Not at all.
Ren was grateful that Jaune and Nora hadn't overheard the gossip. Pyrrha's newfound friendship with Mercury seemed to have opened her up somewhat, enough for her to spend time with them again. But the wounds inflicted by her treatment as an outcast ran deep and had yet to fully heal. Perhaps spending time together in the wilderness would provide the opportunity to mend those bonds. Jaune certainly seemed eager for that chance. As for Pyrrha, Ren wasn't entirely sure what she truly wanted.
The morning of the survival exercise dawned with a collective sense of gloom hanging over all the students. The reason? Torrential downpour. Remnant itself seemed to mock the Beacon students, as the rain fell in relentless sheets. Lightning occasionally illuminated the horizon, adding to the dismal atmosphere. Stepping off the pavement resulted in an unpleasant squelch as feet sank into the sodden mud. It was the worst-case scenario come to life, and to make matters worse, the rain showed no sign of letting up anytime soon.
Despite the widespread complaints, Glynda and Port remained resolute in their insistence that Huntsmen must be prepared to navigate and combat adverse conditions. Glynda swiftly quashed any further protests by promising additional survival lessons with Port.
Due to the limited availability of Bullheads, some teams were forced to wait at Beacon until their turn arrived. In a strange twist of fate, Jaune found his team and Team RWBY among the last to depart. The coincidence seemed too convenient to ignore. Were they being deliberately paired together, or was there another reason behind the delay? Jaune couldn't shake the feeling that something unexpected was about to unfold. Was it possible that Qrow would suddenly appear and dispatch them on a top-secret mission?
At the thought, a small smile graced his lips at the absurdity.
"What's so funny?" Ruby asked from next to him. The two of them were sitting on a bench inside the main hallway, avoiding the rain for as long as possible. Their team members were chatting with each other a little bit to pass the time, with occasional glances out the front door to see if the rain was letting up.
Spoilers: It wasn't.
"Oh, just thinking of things." Jaune replied. "Like how much I'm glad Qrow isn't leading us."
"Snrk." A snort escaped the young girl. "Hehe, yeah, I can imagine what he would say." Ruby put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. "You kids are scared of a little rain? Just for that, we're going to march until you're no longer afraid!"
"If you complain, we're going to walk up hills both ways!" Jaune added, causing them both to burst out laughing.
The rest of their teams looked over at them, wondering how the two could be so positive in a situation like this. It was thanks to the most important lesson those two learned from Qrow and the late Manny. No matter how bad things get, don't let yourself fall into despair. You need to stay positive. Jaune and Ruby had to take that to heart long ago. Rain was common in the wilds and there were no hotels or hot showers. The best they could hope for was finding a cave to take refuge in for a little while. If time was of the essence, they would have to keep moving, no matter the weather.
"Not a completely inaccurate representation." Came a soft amused voice. If it had been Qrow, both of them would have jumped up from their seats.
"Professor?" Jaune looked up to see Ozpin standing near them, sipping his coffee. "Sorry, sir. We didn't hear you approach."
"You two seemed to be engaged in a conversation and I simply didn't want to interrupt too soon." Ozpin replied with a small smile. "Are you prepared for your excursion?"
"You bet!" Ruby piped up. "It's going to be just like before, but Uncle Qrow won't be there, but we'll have our teams, so it's the next best thing!"
"Glad to hear the optimism, many of the other students seemed less than thrilled." Ozpin commented mildly.
"I wonder why!" Yang called out from where she was standing. "Seriously, prof! Couldn't you have picked a better week?"
"I believe Glynda explained the reasons we were not delaying your survival exercise?" Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry, should you decide that it would be unwise to continue, you may radio for help. A Bullhead will come to pick you up."
"Are we being monitored?" Weiss asked.
"We've concocted this exercise as a means to test how you would behave in a supervision free environment." Ozpin smiled, sipping his drink some more.
"I bet the teachers want to just have a few days break!" Nora 'whispered' loudly.
"Per the teachers union contract, I am forced to oblige that request. Have a nice trip."
"Are you serious?" Weiss blurted out before looking at her team. "Is he being serious?" No one answered because the rest of Team RWBY and Team JNPR were busy staring transfixed at the headmaster. Sure, the man was known to be rather laid back, a few small jokes to lighten tension, but this… This felt a bit too true. It didn't help that not a moment later, another man came into sight, smelling of a full distillery.
"The clubs reserved, Oz! We're ready to go when the brats… oh… they're still here?" Qrow paused and looked around. "Dang, thought you would have kicked them out by now."
"They have a few minutes before their ship arrives. Feel free to say goodbye to your apprentices," Ozpin announced before turning away with a sigh. "I have matters to attend to. It seems like no matter how much time one has, there are never enough hours in the day."
"So, brats," Qrow chimed in with a wide grin, arms outstretched. "Looking forward to a nice leisurely hike?" His words were punctuated by a nearby thunderclap and a sudden increase in rain.
No one seemed amused.
"Pssh, no sense of humor," Qrow muttered under his breath. "Fine, be that way." He then fixed his gaze on Jaune. "What? You look like you want to ask something."
"Out of curiosity, did you spike Professor Ozpin's coffee?" Jaune asked seriously. "He was in a bit too good of a mood."
"Probably just glad to have some peace and quiet for a couple of days," Qrow chuckled. "I know Glynda is." Leaning forward, he added, "But to answer your question, no, not today. I've done it a couple of times, and every time, it's been hilarious."
"Are you sure your uncle's a Huntsman?" Weiss asked Yang incredulously.
"Yep, how else would he have managed to do that without being caught?" Yang laughed.
"Shame you can't come with us," Ruby sighed wistfully. "It would be like old times."
"Just because you two are riding the same Bullhead doesn't mean you're being dropped off at the same spot," Qrow warned. "This is a team exercise, so teach Mini Ice Queen there some social skills—"
"HEY!" Weiss interrupted, stomping her foot. "You're incorrigible!"
"And maybe that bookworm there; she hasn't said a single thing since I got here."
"You smell, so I wanted to stay further away," Blake deadpanned.
"Never mind, she's fine," Qrow shrugged, amused.
Blake smirked and returned to staring out the door, looking thoroughly bored. She couldn't bring any books with her, and even if she could, the rain would make it difficult to read.
"So when do you think you'll be able to teach Jaune-Jaune his Aura Sword Slash?" Nora zoomed up next to Qrow eagerly.
"Easy there," Qrow chuckled. "You're just like Ruby here. Too much sugar. He's coming along, but maybe once he's back out in the field, he'll remember some of our more fun adventures."
"The spider, murderer, or the Chill?" Jaune moaned.
"Shame I'm not going with you, we might be able to get all three together." Qrow smacked him on the back.
"Eep!" Ruby's face paled at just the thought. Jaune managed to keep his mind from imagining that, but it was sure to resurface at the worst time. Like when he was trying to go to sleep that night.
"Ride's here." Ren announced. "We probably should get going."
The only one besides Blake who really didn't talk was Pyrrha. Weiss had been chatting with her earlier, but for the most part, the redheaded champion stood away from the others. Close enough to still be within earshot, just not enough to show she was actively trying to be involved. The fact Qrow didn't comment on that shows that even when acting silly and being a dick, he still had limits. After all, the man knew Jaune's complete history, including what happened between him and Pyrrha. By not saying anything, Qrow wasn't making the situation worse.
"Have fun!" Qrow waved. "If you survive, I might treat my two favorite nieces."
"Can Jaune come with us?" Ruby asked instantly, causing Pyrrha to scowl.
"Sure, why not?" The man shrugged. "Bring your boyfriend."
"He doesn't want to admit that sometimes he gets drunk and thinks I'm his nephew." Jaune assured the others, causing most of them to snicker. Weiss merely shook her head and of course, Jaune's partner didn't react much.
"Not my fault you look so much like Tai." Qrow rolled his eyes. "Guess it's true girls go for a father figure."
Yang's eye twitched at that, but Ruby wasn't paying attention to the last part. She was already clapping her hands and looking at her team.
"Ponchos ready!" The young girl called out. "Let's get going, Team RWBY! We need to be first!"
"Need to be?" Blake raised an eyebrow.
"Well yeah, because we're the best. Duh!" Ruby explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"After us of course." Jaune stepped past her. "Team JNPR, assemble! We can't let them beat us!"
"Wooo! It's time to show everyone why we're number 1!" Nora bounded forward, wrapped up in a light pink poncho that seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Ren was already right behind her, moving with a steady stride. Without missing a beat and fearing being left behind, Pyrrha strutted forward too. Though not as enthusiastic as Nora, she possessed a competitive streak and wouldn't purposely lose a challenge.
The Bullhead was warm and dry, and the two teams only had to endure a short run through the rain to board. Once inside, the door panels shut tightly, and the engines roared to life. There was only one pilot on the ship, and he was already set up and ready to go. As the Bullhead ascended into the air, Jaune glanced out the window at the endless dark gray sky.
"It's not going to let up anytime soon." Jaune grumbled.
"Shut it!" Weiss snapped. "I don't want to think about it."
"Let us enjoy the last few hours dry in peace." Yang growled from next to her.
"Don't mind them," Ruby patted his arm. "They're just nervous."
"This is going to be so much fun!" Nora beamed, glancing out the window.
"Is she serious?" Weiss asked Pyrrha.
"No idea." Pyrrha answered stiffly. "She may just be trying to keep her spirits up. Ask Ren. I can't say I'm looking forward to this weather." Ren must have heard them because he turned to his partner.
"Nora, you might want to conserve some energy. You know how difficult it is to hike in the rain."
"We were young then, Renny." Nora scoffed and dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand. "It's going to be way easier now."
"If you say so." Ren tried to smile but it was forced. The quiet, reserved boy didn't want to go out in this weather either.
"So did you get everything?" Ruby asked Jaune, scooting closer. "We got Weiss a tent, argued about food, but nothing major."
"We're going with pure hammocks." Jaune replied. "And may have brought extra food. A hungry Nora is an angry Nora."
They both snickered before resuming their conversation as if nothing had happened. To them, heading to a location to be dropped in the wilderness was a normal occurrence. Blake and Ren were sleeping lightly in their seats, hoping to get a few more minutes of rest. Nora was focused on looking out the window, occasionally poking Ren's shoulder to get his attention. Yang sat with crossed arms, her eyes watching Ruby and Jaune ramble away. This left Weiss to engage in conversation with Pyrrha.
"Is Mercury's team prepared for this trip?" Weiss inquired, attempting to start a conversation.
"Yes, Cinder would make sure of that," Pyrrha replied, tearing her gaze away from the window to meet the heiress's eyes. "She's always on top of things, and you can't get anything past her. But with how Mercury and Emerald bicker…" Her lips twitched. "They remind me a little of you and Ruby, Weiss."
"I like to think we're… better than we once were," Weiss sighed, glancing over at Ruby. "She's improved a lot, but she's still so energetic."
"Some people are just like that," Pyrrha agreed, casting a glance at Nora. "But once we finish this, Mercury and I are planning to celebrate in Vale privately." A faint pink tinge colored her cheeks.
"Oh… OH!" Weiss gasped, covering her mouth. "You aren't moving too fast?"
"Not like that!" Pyrrha shook her head, her eyes widening as she realized the unintended implication. "We just want to have a nice date." Her hand gripped her pants, a subtle admission that she didn't entirely dislike the suggestive thoughts that crossed her mind.
"Well, have fun with that," Weiss smiled. "I heard some rumors about Mercury, but if he makes you happy…"
"The rumors are grossly exaggerated," Pyrrha dismissed. "He's rough around the edges. That's all. He's not a bad person."
Several hours later, the pilot addressed them.
"We're approaching the drop zone for Team JNPR!" the man announced. "Here is the map and your instructions on where to go." Jaune took it from the man and examined it. The map covered a vast area, as indicated by the legend in the bottom right corner. A small location was marked with a circle to indicate their goal. "And here's the radio communicator in case you run into trouble." The device was small and lightweight, perfect for traveling.
"So how long until we land?" Jaune asked the pilot.
"Land?" The pilot let out a loud laugh. "Once we're over the drop zone, you just need to jump out."
"Wow, awesome!" Nora gasped excitedly. "It's initiation all over again!"
"Sweet!" Yang high fived her.
"Do you have parachutes for us?" Jaune asked, already knowing the answer.
"The headmaster said you all had landing strategies."
"...Great."
"You're in a good mood, Oz." Qrow commented once all the kids had left and the two men began walking back through Beacon. "Amber doing well?"
"Better than we could have hoped." Ozpin nodded. "James is already planning our next step. Amber's vitals are strong and outside of the remaining damage to her soul, her body's in perfect condition. If we can find a way to wake her up, we can discover the information we need to catch her attacker."
"Then we have the joy of tracking them down with whatever she remembers." Qrow sighed, looking out the window. "You'll have to keep me updated then. I have to leave shortly."
"Hmm?" Ozpin stopped and raised an eyebrow. The man could tell his friend was unusually serious. "What happened?"
"This." Qrow shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. "We might have a slight problem." Ozpin took the paper and flattened it out so he could read it. Every line he scanned, his eyes grew narrower. When he finished, he seemed to ponder something before looking back up at Qrow.
"Can you explain the specifics of what Raven is declaring?"
"In short, she's declaring a Blood Rivalry." Qrow crossed his arms. "It's a situation when a master and apprentice declares another master and apprentice as a personal enemy. Not quite a Blood Feud, in which she declares she's going to make sure Jaune and I die a slow and painful death."
"Hmm, you mentioned the Trial by Blood before." Ozpin considered, thinking back. "There seems to be an underlying theme."
"Pssh, yeah our ancestors weren't very original in naming things in the tribes." Qrow rolled his eyes. "Most of them have Blood or Death in them."
"So how dangerous is this Blood Rivalry?" Ozpin questioned, looking back at the paper. "You didn't ask me to keep Jaune's team back from the Survival Exercise."
"I don't believe Raven will try to kidnap him again," Qrow admitted slowly, though he bit the corner of his lip. "She's just butthurt because Jaune and Ruby escaped her clutches. In any other situation, I wouldn't care too much about it. It's just with Raven's pride that I think she'll intervene at the worst times. The Rivalry itself is more of... I can't say it's really purposely deadly, but people do die. It's mostly used for two masters to train their apprentices by having them fight against each other."
"Sparing with no holding back, I take it."
"Right in one. Having a rival is a way to keep pulling yourself upward and grow stronger. It's why I instructed Jaune to deal with that Winchester kid as I did. I'm not going to be around to wipe his ass forever, and while he and Ruby will spar and train together, he needs someone who he really wants to beat. There's a drive there that he can't get with his friends. With Raven and that Vernal girl? It's more personal, so attacks that strike vital areas will be the norm."
"What do you plan to do about it?" Ozpin asked. "Anything I can do?"
"Raven will wait until he's tired or in a situation that she can use to her advantage," Qrow considered. "That's how she operates. Brute force is easy for her, but she's not an idiot. She can plan too, which is why she's so annoying to deal with. Not to mention her Semblance. I'm going to tail Jaune and his team to make sure she doesn't appear. You have his coordinates, right?"
"I can provide you with a copy immediately," Ozpin assured him as they headed up to his office. "If you had told me beforehand, I could have made an excuse for his team to stay behind. Risking a student's life when Raven's after him…there's no need to do so."
"So if there was a need, would you do it?" Qrow raised an eyebrow.
"If there was no other option, yes."
The words had a negative impact on Qrow. Ozpin's tone was serious but also carried a hint of sadness. The man never wanted to send kids off on dangerous missions. There just wasn't a choice. Remnant was a dangerous place, and in order to survive, people had to be trained and prepared for those challenges. Just like how Qrow used Jaune and Ruby to bring Tyrian out of hiding. No matter how he felt, he took the best option available to him. Even if there was a terrible taste in his mouth afterward, should Qrow say anything, he would be the world's biggest hypocrite.
And his cheek throbbed where Jaune had punched him for that.
However, there was one thing on his mind.
"Is it also because he's too valuable to risk losing?"
Ozpin's steps faltered and he sighed.
"James would certainly think so, but I rather no one have to risk their lives if it can be avoided."
A diplomatic answer. An evasive answer. It was just like Ozpin, who avoided answering in a straightforward way. The skill was most likely gained from dealing with politicians and council members. With Qrow, it normally wasn't so obvious. Ozpin tended to answer questions better than that when they were alone. A frown formed on Qrow's lips as he followed the headmaster. Without saying it, the implication was more than enough. James might have been more direct about it, while Ozpin avoided taking a side out in the open. One thing was clear, though.
Jaune was too valuable to lose right now.
"Here you go." Ozpin pulled out a map from his desk. "This is Team JNPR's location. If you hurry, they shouldn't get far."
"Here I was hoping the rain would die down before I had to leave." Qrow glanced out the large window of the office, where the rain was hammering against it. "Just my luck like usual. Glad I never let Jaune amplify my Aura."
"At some point, you should test that just to be prepared." Ozpin suggested, sitting down behind his desk. "There may be a time where you two need to go on missions together. He's inside the circle and there's no doubt our enemies will eventually discover that. You need to make sure he is ready for this."
"Unless you want me to take him for another couple of months, there's limits on what I can do."
Silence followed his statement.
"Oz… you can't be serious?"
"We'll discuss options later." Ozpin finally spoke. "For now, you should get going. They are young, so the path we would take, they may decide to go adventuring on their own route."
"Heh, I know what path Jaune will take." Qrow laughed, hiding his true feelings from just a moment earlier. "It shouldn't be too hard to find him. I've had practice locating him before too. This time, there will be tracks to follow." He turned around and strode toward the door. "We'll talk when I get back, Oz. And I want a raise."
"You'll have to tell Glynda that. She keeps track of Beacon's finances."
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: Here's to hoping for more comedic moments in the next chapter, rain and slippery terrain is the perfect setting. As enjoyable to read as always. Though as an editor my opinion is invalid ;-;. Up to the readers.