White Knight Errant
A RWBY fanfic by Andrew Joshua Talon
DISCLAIMER: This is a fan based work of prose. RWBY is the property of Rooster Teeth and WB Animation. Please support the official release.
The Forever Fall Forest was breathtaking. Honestly, it was. Every tree's leaves were red, and piles of said leaves littered the region in big piles. The light fog over the mountains added a hint of beautiful mystery to the place, like they were entering a land out of fantasy.
Too bad they were here to do chores.
"Now students," Glynda Goodwitch stated, bringing the attention of all the students onto her, "You are here to harvest sap from the trees. This sap will be used for multiple culinary applications for the school, and will be sold to the general market."
"So, we're basically free labor for the school's budget purposes," Jaune muttered, as he arranged his bottles in a box, "Fantastic."
"There are creatures of Grimm in the forest," Glynda continued, "So stay with your team, and stay in contact with one another. No wandering off."
She nodded to a group of older students, just disembarking from a bullhead. A tall, red-haired man with brown skin in an elaborate jacket with a high collar led a cocky, grinning blond wolf faunus man in a martial arts gi, a pale but lovely green-haired woman wielding a bow, and a purple-haired human woman in white and violet witch-like clothing onto the ground in front of the gathered groups of first years.
"Team SLVR, our student-teachers for the year, will be coordinating things under my command. If you need help, ask them," Glynda said.
"Don't hesitate to ask," the leader called out. "I'm Simin Megistus, by the way."
"Lycan Arcadia," the blond wolf Faunus introduced him with a toothy grin.
"Vella Moisia," the green-haired girl said next with a friendly smile, "Let's all work hard!"
"... Ragoria Cinarum," the witch girl finally said. She summoned a large purple demon head, causing many students to gasp... Before Ragoria calmly hopped onto it and sat down like it was her easy chair.
"Team SLVR," Weiss breathed, "They're the top students at Beacon. They've been on a lot of missions, some for the Headmaster personally!"
"Aw, and here I thought you only had eyes for Pyrrha," Ruby teased. Weiss shot her a venomous look.
"It's not like that, Ruby! Shut up!"
Ruby laughed.
After they received their supplies, Jaune led his team into the forest, RWBY accompanying them. Ruby herself began walking alongside him with a bright, eager smile.
"Ohh... There's so many piles of leaves, I just wanna jump in all of them!" She giggled. Jaune couldn't help a fond smile at that, but he became serious once more.
"We can frolic later," he said. Ruby pouted.
"I don't wanna frolic! Well... Maybe..."
"As long as you stop rambling, this will almost be tolerable," Weiss muttered with a sigh.
"I don't ramble! I just talk a lot!" Ruby protested.
They reached a long corridor of trees, cut by loggers judging from the tracks left behind by heavy machinery. Jaune nodded in approval and started handing out gear.
"Okay. Pyrrha? Use your Semblance to tap the trees."
"On it, Jaune," Pyrrha said. She used Polarity to make all the metallic taps float and then sent them flying into multiple tree trunks.
"Nora and Ren? You guys put the bottles to the taps. Go!" Jaune said.
"On it, Fearless Leader!" Nora saluted, grabbed some bottles, and rushed off at high speed. Ren followed, slightly slower but not breaking any bottles.
Jaune himself began to walk along the logging road with Pyrrha alongside, both monitoring the bottles as they began to fill up. Nora hummed and looked around carefully... Before she moved a bottle aside and stuck her tongue out to catch the sap.
"Mmmm-!"
"Ren, bonk her," Jaune ordered. Ren complied.
"OW!" Nora scowled. "HEY!"
"Mind on the job, Nora," Jaune stated.
"Why didn't you bonk me, then?" Nora pouted.
"Because Ren bonks you, not me," Jaune said, with a nod to Ren. Ren almost smiled, as Nora hummed and thought it over.
"That's fair!" Nora said cheerfully. "I only want Renny to bonk me!"
"As it should be," Jaune said. Pyrrha giggled softly.
"They're quite a pair, huh?" She murmured. "I'm not sure if they're siblings or lovers."
"Same," Jaune muttered back. There was a crash, and both looked over at Team RWBY. A pile of broken glass lay between Yang and Weiss.
"SERIOUSLY YANG?!" Weiss shouted. "You broke all the bottles?!"
"Hey, it's pretty shattering to me, too," Yang snickered with a shrug, "We're not being graded on this, Weissy, chill out!"
"We have a job to do and we should do it properly!" Weiss protested. Ruby nodded.
"Seriously big sis, not cool," Ruby sighed. Weiss glared at her.
"And you're drinking the sap!"
"I only had a little!" Ruby protested. "Honest!"
Weiss twitched and growled. Ruby held up her hands.
"Okay, okay, it's fine Weiss. Yang and I will go get more bottles. You two just stick with JNPR, okay?"
Weiss' grimace became even more pronounced, but she nodded along with Blake.
"We'll be back in a sap!" Yang joked, as she and her little sister headed off. Weiss sighed heavily and rubbed her temples, as Blake went off to read her book in the shade of another tree.
"It's all right, Weiss," Pyrrha said encouragingly. She walked up and patted her on the shoulder. "It's not the end of the world."
"No, but it's extremely aggravating," Weiss sighed. She huffed. "Honestly... Even though I'm not team leader, I feel like I have to act that way a lot of the time."
"Then talk to Ruby about it," Jaune interjected. Weiss shot him a glare.
"Don't you know not to eavesdrop on people, lout!"
"It's not eavesdropping if you're complaining out loud, dumbass!" Jaune shot back. Weiss growled.
"Dumbass?! You crude, insolent-!"
"Blah blah blah," Jaune sighed. "Look: You probably want to solve your issues with your team leader since you want to do well. But if you do or don't, doesn't matter to me. What does matter to me is Ruby and Yang. So if you've got problems, solve them, 'cause problems like those can get people killed. Especially out here."
Weiss gaped at him, her jaw moving up and down without sound coming out. Pyrrha had a proud smile on her face. Jaune nodded to the Schnee Heiress.
"Good, stay like that."
Weiss glared death at him.
"Do you always have to ruin the moment?!" She snarled.
"Oh, sorry. Were we having a moment, princess?" Jaune deadpanned. Weiss's pale cheeks flushed.
"Wh-What-?!"
"Well I can't call you 'Bitch' in public," Jaune said, "That tends to aggravate a lot of people."
"You spiteful lout!"
"Spoiled sow!"
"Uncouth guttertrash!"
"Snowflake!"
"B-BASTARD!"
Jaune... Clapped with a wide grin.
"Hey! You finally used a word with punch! I'm proud of you, Sweetheart!"
"GRAH!" Weiss tried to attack him, but Pyrrha again held her back.
"Calm down, Weiss, he doesn't mean anything by it," Pyrrha consoled the furious heiress.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Nora chanted. "Then kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"
Weiss's entire face lit up like a tomato. Jaune grimaced.
"That's not how it works in real life, Nora!" He shouted back. Nora grinned.
"That's not what my Mistralian comics say~!" She giggled. Jaune glared at her.
"Nora... Were you drinking sap?"
"Wh-What? Me? Nooo! Nooo, of course not! What-What gave you that idea? You're silly, Jaune-Jaune! Super silly!" Nora laughed nervously, her eyes darting left and right.
Jaune pointed to his cheek.
"You've got some leftover there," he said dryly.
"NO! I WIPED IT ALL UP-!"
"Ren, bonk her."
Ren dutifully complied.
"OW! Rennyyyy~!"
Jaune went over to scold Nora some more. Weiss glared after him, as Pyrrha giggled at their antics.
"You really should loosen up," Pyrrha said, "He only attacks when someone attacks him first, after all."
"His entire existence is an attack on me," she grumbled, "I know his type. Think that they can get me to lower my guard, lower my standards, just because he doesn't treat me like a princess. And then... Then... He swoops in and takes me for everything I've got, acting like a-a rough-hewn savior!"
Pyrrha blinked.
"Jaune isn't anything like that," Pyrrha said, "After all, he already has money. He's an Arc. Out of Radian."
Weiss blinked herself.
"W-Wait... He's one of those Arcs?!" Weiss hissed. "Doctor Isabel Arc's son?!"
Pyrrha nodded with a smile, as Nora tried to put Jaune in a headlock.
"ARGH! NORA! THAT'S IT! NO MORE PANCAKES FOR DINNER FOR A WEEK!"
"THAT'S NOT FAIR! RENNY, JOIN MY MUTINY AGAINST OUR LEADER!"
"No thank you."
"DARNIT RENNY, YOU TRAITOR!"
Weiss shook her head in utter disbelief.
"I thought they were refined, brilliant healers and scholars," she muttered, "He's one of them?"
"He's just finding his own path," Pyrrha said with a gentle smile, "Not unlike you, right heiress to the Schnee Dust Company?"
"I... I guess so," Weiss murmured, staring at him.
"So maybe you two do have something in common?" Pyrrha pushed.
"Maybe," Weiss murmured. "Wait... Does that mean...?"
Weiss gaped in horror.
"Was he flirting with me this whole time?!"
Pyrrha's smile became more than a little brittle and terrifying.
Jaune went off a little ways to start collecting some full bottles. Nora and Ren he sent out to patrol (and to stop attempting mutiny). Weiss and Pyrrha had gone off to see what was taking Yang and Ruby so long. He paused when he saw Blake already up and collecting the full bottles of sap with him. He nodded in thanks, and she gave him a brief nod in return.
Weird, he thought to himself, she also looks really familiar... Where have I run across her before?
He racked his brain over the question for a while as he collected the bottles into his crate. When it was full, he set it down carefully near their packs and supplies, before he picked up another box. He turned... And nearly jumped when he saw Blake right there.
"Guh! ... You do sneak around a lot," He observed. "Gonna have to put a bell on you!"
The girl narrowed her eyes... And her bow twitched. Jaune blinked. His mind put some facts together, and he wondered how he'd missed it before.
"Oh. Sorry... Also, your ears," he said, gesturing to her bow. Blake blinked back, then looked aside.
"I don't know what you-"
"Your ears... Are moving... Your bow," he said softly, but with emphasis. Blake's eyes widened. He held up a hand.
"Relax... You've got your reasons for hiding it, so I won't say anything," he murmured, "But you might want to mind your emotions better."
"I... Th-Thank you," she muttered. Jaune shrugged, heading to the next set of trees with full bottles.
"We've all got our secrets," he said. Blake followed along, helping to retrieve bottles.
"Yes, I suppose so," she mused quietly. "Thank you."
"Hm? For what?" Jaune asked.
"For... Not saying anything," she said. "And for... Standing up for Velvet."
Jaune shook his head, grabbing another bottle and setting it down in his crate with a loud clink.
"That was just to get Cardin off my case," he said, "Entirely selfish. Either he gets a girlfriend and chills out, or he's dealing with stupid drama and leaves me alone. Either way, I win."
"Do you believe that? Or do you just use that bluster as a cover?" Blake asked softly. They stared at each other intently for a moment. Jaune shook his head.
"Everyone lies," Jaune finally said, "You lie. I lie. It's how the world works."
"Because the truth can be terrifying," Blake agreed, "And some people won't see it for the truth, no matter how much evidence is put before them."
"Yeah," Jaune said quietly, staring at her. He was sure he had seen her before somewhere. It just wasn't coming to him.
"So, what's the truth here then?" Jaune asked her. "What truth are you seeking, Blake Belladonna?"
Blake stared back at him, and then out at the rich, red forest.
"I don't know," she said at last. "Does anyone?"
Jaune chuckled and resumed pulling bottles down.
"I guess not," he said. "Maybe we know it when we find it."
"Maybe," Blake agreed.
Geez, this is surreal, Jaune thought, this is probably the longest I've ever spoken to her-Hell, might be the most words she's said since we started. And why do I keep thinking I know her...?
Radian. That's where Blake knew him from. Her father had been injured in a protest turned riot. The police had deployed with lower-power Dust bullets, but they were still hard-hitting enough to cause a lot of injuries. She'd ended up in the local hospital and had been forced to wait in the waiting room as humans went to work on her father's injuries. He had taken a shot to the gut that had caused internal injuries, necessitating surgery. Her mother was outside, talking to the press and dealing with the police.
A little blond boy had walked up to her, as she sat alone on an uncomfortable plastic chair in a cold, hostile waiting room. He smiled.
"Don't worry... My mom's working on your dad," He had said, "Nothing bad will happen to him. She's the best!"
He'd stayed with her, reading some magazines with her and generally trying to cheer her up. It worked.
She still remembered how happy she had been to see her father emerge from surgery, alive and smiling. She hugged him tightly, as a tall blonde woman in glasses patted her son on the head.
"You'll be fine in a few hours," the doctor had said, "Just try not to overexert yourself."
"You sound like my wife," Ghira laughed. He looked down at little Jaune. "You took care of my little girl?"
"Yes sir!" Jaune had said. Ghira chuckled and ruffled his messy hair.
"Thanks for that. What a polite young man. Say goodbye, Blake."
"Bye," she had said.
"Bye," he said back, with a happy wave. They had been forced to run that night, to avoid jail time. It was the last time she would ever see him... Until now.
He probably doesn't remember, Blake thought to herself. So much the better. He was shrewd enough to see through her disguise. As kind as he might be behind all that sarcasm and bile, she doubted that he would be kind to even a former White Fang terrorist.
Still... After all she had seen and done, it was nice to have reminders that not all humans were terrible people.
It kept her from turning into Adam.
Cardin Winchester grumbled as he retrieved another full bottle of sap. He tossed it down to Dove, who put it into his crate.
"Geez... Can we at least get a Grimm attack or something? This is so boring," Cardin grunted.
"Yeah," Dove muttered, adding the full crate to the large stack they had built up, "A little action would be nice. Take our minds off of things."
Cardin shot Dove a glare.
"You want to explain that?"
Dove coughed, and looked aside. Sky and Russel looked at their boots awkwardly, as though the dirt on the ground was the most interesting sight in the world.
"Spit it out, damnit!" Cardin demanded. His three teammates looked at eachother, in silent conversation. Dove apparently lost the debate, sighed, and looked Cardin in the eyes.
"Cardin, bro... Why didn't you tell us you were sweet on that rabbit girl? Why'd you have Arc help you out?"
Cardin's face burned bright red.
"I-I'm not! I didn't! There's nothing to tell!" He growled.
"So, what," Russel scoffed, "You're telling us that he just randomly decided to help try and hook you up with that hottie?"
"She's a faunus!" Cardin said, "I-I can't date a faunus! You have any idea what my parents would do if I did?!"
"Man, your parents won't care," Sky insisted, "When's the last time you actually talked to them? Like a month ago?"
"They will care, and-and I'm not even sweet on her!" Cardin growled. He waved his hands. "It's some weird mind game by Arc! He's messing with me! Trying to make me look bad!"
"He hooked you up with a hottie to make you look bad?" Dove asked slowly, his eyes and tone full of doubt. Cardin looked almost desperately for support from his other friends, but they were just as incredulous.
"Look! Stop that, right now! There's nothing going on! I don't have any feelings for her, I'm not interested!" He insisted. He shook his head angrily. "Now get back to work!"
The three Hunters-in-Training, still shooting him dubious looks, got back to work on the tree sap collection. Cardin sighed and turned around. He scanned the area, as he had been trained. The other teams were still at it, harvesting sap or lazing around. A few had broken out lunches.
... And a certain rabbit faunus was approaching, carrying a large bag. She smiled warmly and waved as she approached.
"Hi Cardin!"
Cardin ground his teeth.
He could feel his team members staring at his back.
"Hello Velvet," he managed in a neutral tone. Velvet blushed.
"Ah... It's uh... It's almost lunch time," she said, "And I'm my team's cook... And I made some extra, so I was wondering if you'd like to, uh... Eat with me? Just... Just us...?"
Cardin stared intently at her. Her ears wiggled a bit in her anxiety.
His stomach growled.
Shit, that's cute, his brain again betrayed him.
"... Fine," he said. Velvet lit up, which did things to his stomach.
"G-Great! Uh... I mean... We could call it a date... Or not call it a date, wh-whatever you want!" She said quickly. "Um, I-I have a blanket set up over there, so we can sit together-!"
"That's fine," Cardin said, "I'll... I'll be there in a second. Just gotta take care of my team."
"Great!" Velvet beamed, and fairly skipped off towards the tree in question. Cardin slowly turned to his team, who were all looking in opposite directions.
"I'm hungry and she's offering, that doesn't mean anything!" Cardin growled. "And if you guys say anything, I'll beat you all into the ground!"
"Sure thing, Cardin," Dove said, trying (and failing) not to smirk.
Cardin groaned, turned, and stormed off towards the smiling, waiting rabbit faunus. First Arc, then Velvet, and NOW his team?!
When did the world decide to go insane?!
Ruby hated being bored. Boredom was the enemy, the absolute worst. If there was a Grimm responsible for causing boredom, she would eliminate it posthaste without a shred of mercy!
At the same time, boredom did let her brain move in different directions. And that could sometimes pay off.
Like now. She and Yang were carrying crates full of empty bottles to replace those Yang had broken. They couldn't go very fast or risk smashing them all up again, so that left Ruby and her big sister alone in the quiet. Bored.
And so Ruby's mind began to wander, into new directions and frontiers, making connections just to stave off the horrible, crushing boredom!
Possibilities were considered, discarded, and reworked... Until one of these thoughts finally decided it needed to be known. It needed to be shared with the world.
Or more specifically, one person in the world.
"Yang?"
"Yeah?"
"You should date Jaune."
Yang's jaw dropped. She nearly lost her grip on the crates of new boxes stacked in her arms as she gaped at her little sister.
"Wha-What?!" She laughed incredulously. "Do you-Is this your idea of a prank, little sis? Because I can think of a lot better than-"
"No, no, I'm serious!" Ruby insisted as they stood in the path facing each other. Well, facing each other around the crates of empty glassware.
"Okay, you got my attention," Yang admitted, "Now the next part is... Why?"
"You see how he has to deal with Pyrrha's weird obsession, and Weiss's tsundere stuff!" Ruby said earnestly, "He doesn't like it! He went through some stuff those three months, and those two are making him feel bad!"
"Uh huh," Yang said skeptically, "And?"
"And," Ruby said, "You should date him so they'll back off."
"I'm not sure they'll back off, Ruby," Yang said dryly, "Especially not Pyrrha."
"Well, okay, maybe not, but you can at least help keep them away from him!" Ruby insisted. "I-I mean, I'd do it myself but..." She frowned.
"He doesn't, ya know... See me that way..."
For all her flirting and hugging, he still looked at her the exact same way: Like a little sister. And that hurt, in ways Ruby wasn't entirely sure she understood yet.
"You are underaged, Ruby," Yang pointed out, "If he did try anything, I'd beat the shit out of him-"
"But-But he's not! Because he's a good guy!" Ruby insisted. "And because he's a good guy, and my best friend, I don't want him to have to suffer! He wouldn't date me, but he'd totally date you!"
"And what makes you think I even want to date anyone?" Yang laughed. "Especially Jaune?"
Ruby sighed heavily, and looked her sister dead in the eyes.
"Yang... When Mom died, you stepped up," she said, "You took care of me. You worked so hard for us, for me. I'm not stupid, I know that you beat up anyone who made me cry at Sanctum."
"Well of course I did that-!" Yang protested, but Ruby went on.
"So you didn't really get to go have as much fun as you should have," she said. "I'm sorry about that, sorry I was such a-"
"Ruby."
Yang held her crates with one arm, while the other reached out and rested a hand on her little sister's head.
"You're my little sister. You were never a burden, and you never will be," Yang said, calm but firm as a mountain. Ruby flushed, and looked down.
"Th-Thanks," she murmured, and she beamed down at the ground. She looked back up with a determined expression.
"Which is why you should date Jaune! We know he's a good guy, and you two can go have fun! You protect him from those... Those crazy girls, and you get to have some fun on your own!" She beamed.
"It's win-win!"
"And maybe when you're older, you can get a chance at dating the Crybaby after I've trained him into boyfriend material?" Yang asked, her loving smile back to a cocky smirk in an instant. Ruby blushed as red as her cape.
"M-Maybe... I-I know it's not like in fairy tales, I'm not stupid... But um... That would be nice...?"
"And if Jaune says no?" Yang asked. "I can't make him do anything."
"At least try, Yang? Please?" Ruby begged.
Yang sighed heavily, and readjusted the crates in her arms.
"... I'll ask him out as friends, and we'll go have fun," she said, "I want to know what all he's been up to anyway. But that's it, all right?"
Ruby beamed.
"Thanks Yang... I really appreciate it!"
"And you have to promise to snipe Weiss and Pyrrha if they try to murder me."
"They won't! ... Probably!"
"Seriously, Vel?"
The rabbit faunus frowned up at her teammate as she finished the last of her preparations for her picnic date with Cardin.
"Seriously what?"
"You didn't honestly buy that story Arc sold to you about Winchester liking you, right?"
Velvet huffed. "Not this again, Coco. You're just being overprotective."
"I'm really not. That guy came up to you the other day in the middle of the cafeteria and tugged on your ears. Why would he do that?" Coco asked, giving the other girl a stern look.
"Because he wanted me to notice him!"
"And you don't think it's weird that he chose THAT method? Acting like a racist prick?"
"Hey, let he or she who has not acted weird or rude to hide their feelings from a crush cast the first stone." Velvet replied with a smile as she stretched her legs on the blanket she'd set down. "I actually once threw rocks at a boy I liked in elementary school because it was the only way I could think of to get his attention. It was dumb too. That thing with Cardin was just the same! It was like pulling pigtails, like Jaune said!"
"That's… you know how ridiculous that sounds, right?" Coco gave an exasperated sigh at her best friend's logic. "We're not kindergarteners at a playground. We're practically adults here. There were SO many other better ways he could've gotten your attention. I'm telling you, that guy is-"
"Dammit Coco, let me have this!" Velvet snapped, making the fashionable girl blink at how waspish the faunus had gotten all of a sudden. "You attended the same huntsman prep school as me, so you know what I was like before!"
Coco tilted her head in confusion. "What does that have to do with-"
"I was a total nerd! A dork! I still am, and I only stopped looking the part after I finally caved and gave you control of my hair and wardrobe last year!" Velvet pouted before an excited smile made its way to her face. "I-I've never had a boy notice me before! Not only that, but he's tall, and muscular, and, and looks like all those jocks that used to ignore me all the time-"
That just confused Coco more. "But you always talked about how lame those jocks were and I-"
"I just said all that stuff because I wanted to feel better! OBVIOUSLY I want to have handsome boys notice me!"
Coco just gaped at that confession. She'd befriended Velvet during the tail end of their prep school years and looking at the rabbit faunus's slender build, tight covered legs, and long chocolate colored hair, a stranger would have never guessed the girl had once been a frumpy looking girl with messy hair who didn't believe in wearing makeup and had almost always worn a heavy jacket and baggy jeans everywhere she went because she preferred being comfortable over being fashionable.
It was a mindset that was a cardinal sin in Coco's eyes, and finally taking Velvet to a salon and customizing her wardrobe had been one of the greatest days of Coco's life. But Coco had NEVER known that Velvet had ever felt like this, not when she had initially been completely unwilling to put effort into her looks because she preferred to use that time reading books, taking pictures, or working on her weapon.
To think that she'd been this hungry for attention from the opposite sex this whole time was something of a shock.
"So now that it's finally happening, don't mess it up for me!" Velvet pleaded, eyes widening when she spotted Cardin approaching from over Coco's shoulder. "H-Here he comes! Go back to Fox and Yatsu! Shoo, shoo!"
Coco nodded numbly and meandered back over to where Fox and Yatsuhashi were sitting a few meters away. The two other members of Team CFVY noticed their leader's nonplussed expression as she sat down between them.
"...I take it your discussion with Velvet about her possible paramour didn't go the way you thought it would?" Yatsuhashi ventured after a moment.
"...She's convinced herself that the guy's being genuine." Coco muttered, watching with hawk eyes as Cardin sat down on the blanket Velvet had spread out for them. "Tch, guy could look a little more enthusiastic…"
Velvet was all smiles, chattering excitedly while the young man in armor sat across from her with his arms crossed over his chest. While normally Coco would be both proud of Velvet for coming out of her shell and snaring a man, it wasn't a spectacle she could enjoy since the picture of Cardin roughly tugging on her friend's ears the other day was still fresh in her mind.
"That jerk tries anything funny or gets rough with her, he's gonna get it." Coco growled under her breath, one of her hands drifting toward her handbag.
She couldn't wait for Winchester to give her an excuse. There were few things in life more entertaining than bringing a handbag along to a fight, then looking at the expression on her victim's face when her best accessory transformed into a giant turret gun.
She was more than prepared to turn Winchester into a fine paste if he hurt her best friend.
Beacon is making me insane, Cardin thought to himself as he sat down onto the picnic blanket.
It was the only explanation for why he suddenly found himself sitting down in front of a filthy faunus as she handed him a can of soda and a sandwich wrapped up in some foil. The girl was beaming at him as she got herself settled, taking out her own drink and sandwich from the basket at her side.
This was all Arc's fault! His teammates had all gotten the wrong idea, and now he was suddenly sitting down for a picnic with some cute faunus girl.
Not cute! Cardin reminded himself in his head, quashing the previous thought that had suddenly popped up. Remember, she's a faunus! She's probably a White Fang sympathizer or something! Her pretty face and long legs are just there to trick you! Don't let her fool you!
He just had to set the record straight. Given the way she was smiling, this Velvet girl had gotten the wrong idea about him just the same as everyone else. She'd somehow actually bought into Arc's idea that he had a crush on her. Well, he had no problems shooting her down! He'd tell her to her face how little he was actually into her and show this faunus her place!
A loud groaning noise came from Cardin's stomach.
Just as soon as I finish eating, Cardin promised himself, flushing a little at the knowing smile the rabbit girl shot him after his stomach spoke up before he could. Walking around the forest in heavy armor took its toll, and it wasn't like he or any of his teammates had brought anything to eat themselves. Not one of them knew how to cook, and while they could've packed some snacks, they'd all woken up a bit late and didn't have time to grab anything before they rushed out of their dorm room.
Being a little hungry was better than incurring Goodwitch's wrath for being late to this field trip.
"Go ahead and eat up!" Velvet smiled, gesturing to the wrapped sandwich Cardin was holding. "Er, you're not allergic to cheese or anything, are you? Or any dairy?"
"I don't have any food allergies." Cardin replied gruffly.
"That's good then. My uncle is allergic to some dairy products. It was really scary when he tried out one of my dishes when I first started cooking and his face got all swollen." Velvet said with a laugh. "I'm glad I don't have to worry about that with you. Take a bite and tell me what you think!"
Cardin scoffed and unwrapped his sandwich, eyeing the ham and cheese he could see between the bread. Looked edible enough.
"No carrots?" Cardin smirked, patting himself on the back for the dig at her animal parts.
"Nope! Just some ham, bacon, cheese, a little honey, and some greens!" Velvet smiled, his insult going completely over her head.
Cardin growled under his breath. That was a missed opportunity, but he had another chance. Once he'd taken a bite out of her sandwich, he'd throw it to the ground and show her just what he thought about her and her cooking.
Smirking at the thought, Cardin took a large bite out of the sandwich and chewed.
Holy shit.
Cardin's eyes fluttered and he let out an involuntary groan as his tastebuds sang in chorus. The huntsman-in-training's fingers curled slightly harder into the foil wrapping, as he was suddenly struck with an intense fear of accidentally dropping it. Forget his mom's homemade tuna melts or that hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop that he and Russel had found last week. The combination of bread, meat and veggies that was in his hands right now put them all to shame. Cardin wished that he had a semblance that allowed him to reverse time so that he could experience and savor that first bite again.
This doesn't make any sense. A sandwich shouldn't taste this good! Cardin thought as he wrestled back his senses, noticing that Velvet was fidgeting nervously in front of him.
"I-I hope it came out okay. To be honest, I slept in a bit this morning and was kinda in a rush when I made it." Velvet confessed sheepishly. "I might have overdone it with the cheese."
She made this in haste and it still came out as a piece of perfection? Cardin would have demanded what kind of witchcraft Velvet had performed to make it taste so good but he was too busy chewing.
"It's really good." Cardin said around his mouthful, too swept up in flavor paradise to even think to lie about the taste.
Cardin felt his heart beat a little faster in his chest as the smile his comment elicited from the girl.
"That's a relief to hear! I'm pretty proud of my sandwich-fu." Velvet joked as she shuffled closer to him and gave a little wink. "The secret ingredient is spicy pepper jam. Don't tell anyone, okay?"
...Shit, that's cute.
Cardin turned his head away from the girl and wished that it wasn't so hot outside. His face was feeling pretty hot.
"So while I admit the sandwiches were a rush job, these weren't!" Velvet said proudly as she reached into her bag and pulled out a bag of cookies. "These are what'll really knock your socks off! Um, if you'd like to try them, anyway."
Cardin knew the correct move was to slap the offered cookie bag away. But after tasting the sandwich, he REALLY didn't want to. Especially when those cookies looked like…
"Those oatmeal cookies?"
"Yep!"
Dammit, those were his favorite kind.
"Well… I guess I wouldn't mind a couple." Cardin allowed, taking the bag out of her hands and pulling
Seeing Velvet's smile, Cardin tried to convince himself that the squishy feeling in his stomach was just from the good eats, and absolutely WASN'T because seeing the rabbit girl happy made him feel good or anything.
"Ah, dammit, it's hot out here today!" Cardin complained loudly to distract himself.
"Well, you are walking around in all that armor." Velvet commented as she peered up at him. "I mean, I understand why when there are Grimm out and about, but we're just eating right now so… m-maybe you could take the chest piece off? To cool down?"
"...Yeah, that might be good." Cardin nodded, reluctant to admit that the faunus's idea was sound. Reaching up, he unclasped the straps on his shoulders before unbuckling the straps around his chest, giving a sigh of relief as he set the armored chestplate down at his side.
The sound of a shutter going off made Cardin blink.
Turning, he saw Velvet pointing a fancy looking camera in his direction. Lowering it down from her face, Velvet gave a sheepish smile as her ears drooped. "Ahaha… sorry, I guess I should've asked for permission before I snapped a pic?"
"...What were you taking a picture of just now?" Cardin asked suspiciously. Was this it? Was she showing him her true colors? Was this an attempt at blackmail?
Cardin felt his anger surge, and insults were ready at the tip of his tongue, but Velvet ducked her shoulders and answered before he could start shouting.
"Y-You just looked really cool just now. Regal. I had to get a picture."
The insults he'd been about to fling at her died on his tongue and Cardin felt his face heat up even more at the girl's words.
"Cool? R-Regal…?"
"Y-Yeah. Just y'know, with you taking off your armor, and the angle… sitting against a tree, looking off to the side while you place your equipment down… it's kinda like a hardworking knight taking a minute to appreciate the beauty of nature." Velvet explained with red cheeks, shuffling closer to him as she took out the picture her camera had spat out. "Take a look. I think it came out really well!"
Looking at the image, Cardin's mouth fell open at how… picturesque he appeared in the photo. At the moment of the shot his arms were off to the side and his head was turned at a forty-five degree angle, giving the impression that he was observing the area around him. The relieved smile he had after removing his armor looked soft and melancholy, and with the forest as a backdrop and leaves fluttering around him, it really did look like a picture out of those old knight stories his dad used to read to him as a kid.
Cardin had never thought much about photography until this moment, seeing it as a lame hobby or a fake profession. Now though…
"I look epic." Cardin heard his own voice say.
"Right? I'm totally gonna put this in my portfolio!" Velvet grinned before she ducked her head. "Er, I mean, if you don't mind. I did take it without your permission so-"
"N-Nah, it's fine. It's a damn cool photo of me." Cardin grinned, actually a little flattered at the thought of her showing off a picture of him. "You're uh… pretty good at this photography thing."
"T-Thanks! A lot of people think it's silly and Coco doesn't really get it, but I love it!" Velvet smiled with a cute blush. "Um, I actually brought a photobook with me. S-So I have a place to store any photos I take out here. It's actually got some old photos I took in it and maybe I could… show you some? If you're interested…?"
"...Bring 'em out." Cardin replied, surprised by his own answer.
He was even more surprised by the pleasant feeling in his stomach when his words earned a big smile from the rabbit-eared girl.
"O-Okay!" Velvet cheered, practically leaping over to her bag and pulling out a book before she returned and plopped back down so she was sitting hip to hip with Cardin. "A month back me and my parents took a trip to Vacuo to celebrate my getting into Beacon. People say its just a city of sand, but there's some really neat places to visit if you look!"
Cardin leaned over and looked at the photo Velvet displayed as she talked about where she'd taken each photo and how she'd taken them, and if there were any famous landmarks she'd share a bit of trivia she'd learned. Cardin hummed and nodded as she flipped through the photos, munching on his delicious sandwich and enjoying cookies as they relaxed.
It was only after ten minutes of listening to her talk that Cardin realized the error he'd made.
Dammit, why am I getting along with her?!
Beacon really WAS making him go crazy! This was all Jaune Arc's fault!
Cardin steadfastly ignored the sense of gratitude that had welled up inside him.
There were times when Simin Megitus regretted accepting the position as a student-teacher. Granted, it was quite an honor to be selected. He and his team had worked hard over the past three years to be recognized as the best Beacon had to offer. And after fighting alongside his team for so long, he was proud and happy to call them his friends.
But... That didn't mean they couldn't still be annoying.
"Uggggghhhh," Lycan Arcadia moaned, kicking his feet up like an impatient puppy, "Why did we get stuck with babysitting duty for these brats?"
Simin sighed, relaxing in the shade of a tree as he watched the first-year students hard at work harvesting sap.
"Ya know, we were brats just like them not too long ago," Simin reminded him.
The wolf Faunus huffed, finally settling back in the grass and glaring at the children all over the clearing.
"Nah," Lycan snorted, "We weren't."
"Geez Lycan, chill," Ragora Cinarum stated, resting comfortably on the head of her familiar, Cormo. The giant purple demon head floated peacefully nearby, as its mistress rested her Arc Fire Shot Glaive, Hexentanz, against its prominent teeth. "It's not every day we get a mission just to relax and boss around the newbies."
"It's still work," Lycan grunted. Simin laughed.
"Man, you haven't lifted a finger!" He pointed down at the fourth member of their team, "Vella's been the only one running around doing anything!"
The aquamarine-haired girl was tending to the various crates of red sap-filled containers, taking down the numbers each team had collected and their names with a friendly smile. She zipped about like a bird on the water, a creature of absolute grace.
"Oh, that's wonderful Shade! Yes, yes, very good Coco!"
Simin watched her intently, a small smile on his face. Lycan grunted.
"So... You gonna keep gawping at her like an idiot, boss?"
"I'm not gawping at her," Simin immediately said. Ragora snorted.
"You should have asked her out years ago. What's stopping you?"
Simin shook his head.
"Look... Team leaders can't date within the team. It leads to disaster, every time," he stated firmly. "I mean... We all agreed it would be bad, right? If any of us dated and broke up, that could kill the team dynamics."
He shook his head.
"And that can get us killed."
"Right," Lycan agreed, "Ain't like Ragora and I have that problem. Despite the fact we have banged multiple times, I still find her personally repulsive."
"Love to hate you too, Wolfy darling~," Ragora laughed in a witch-like cackle, "But you and Vella? You have that problem. It's not going to go away."
"First off, when did this happen?!" Simin demanded, throwing his arms out wide. "You two banging?! It had better not have been in the dorm room! And second? No, we don't."
He fixed his eyes on the pale, green haired sniper. She caught his eyes, smiled, and waved. He waved back, using the high collar of his Synchronized Dust Projection Jacket to hide his red cheeks.
"I can smell that you're lying, you know that, right?" Lycan asked, deadpan as always.
"I don't even need that, I have eyes," Ragora snickered.
"Oh shut up, both of you," Simin grumbled. "Act your age! You're carrying on like those kids down there!"
"You mean the ones actually acting on their feelings?" Lycan asked. He jerked a thumb over to a small corner of the clearing, where a brown-haired rabbit faunus girl was sitting on a picnic blanket with a tall, armored human boy. The wolf Faunus made a face.
"Ugh! I can smell their awkward pheromones from here!"
"The sweet scent of love," Ragora sighed, clasping her hands together, "It's so precious! Bet Vella would love to have a picnic with you under the trees!"
"No she wouldn't," Simin grunted, "She prefers being by the lake or other bodies of water for picnics... Or so I've heard."
"You're killing us, Boss," Lycan sighed, "You're really killing us."
"Hey!"
"Just because you dress like a monk doesn't mean you have to act like one," Lycan grunted, "Believe me, if you just asked Vella out, she'd say yes. Then maybe you two could stop acting like the world's most boring soap opera."
"'Will Simin and Vella get over themselves long enough to fuck and maybe act like normal people? Find out in three years and counting!'" Ragora stated in a TV announcer's voice. Both she and Lycan laughed. Simin rolled his eyes.
"I can't murder them... Gotta graduate... Can't murder them... Gotta graduate..."
"Hey Simin!"
Simin started, and stood up. Vella stood there with a nice, warm smile.
"Hey Vella! What's up?"
"I could use some help with some of these loading programs for the bullhead cargo lifts," she said. She shrugged helplessly. "Three years of this stuff and I'm still terrible with computers! Silly, huh?"
"Yeah, silly," Simin said with a nod. "Sure, I would love to help."
He shot a glare at Lycan and Ragora.
"That doesn't mean anything else."
"Of course it doesn't," Ragora chuckled, now spinning in a slow circle.
"Like we'd ever think something might happen," Lycan teased.
Simin and Vella wore nearly identical blushes. They turned and headed back to the cargo pallets, walking close together... But not too close together.
Lycan growled and rubbed his eyes.
"Oh for... Can't we just get them drunk and lock them in a closet or something?! This is really starting to piss me off!"
"Patience, Lycan, patience!" Ragora laughed. "It's much more satisfying when they finally just let loose of their own free will."
"I swear if they don't start humping and making me some nieces and nephews, and keep up this high school bullshit, I am gonna kick both their asses," Lycan growled. He glared down at the faunus rabbit girl and human in armor.
"Even the first years are making more progress than Boss and Vella! It's just embarrassing for us upperclassmen!"
"Right," Ragora nodded, "We should all be a pack of raging, hormonal teens wrestling in broom closets like in trashy young adult fiction."
"Damn straight!"
Weiss was still in some shock as she walked with Pyrrha on the path. A few red leaves spun in front of her, and if not for her reflexes they'd have smacked right into her face.
It was just... Incomprehensible. She'd seen so many ridiculous things but even with all that, this just flummoxed her entirely!
"He's... One of those Arcs," Weiss said.
"Mmhm," Pyrrha said with a nod.
"B-But that's impossible!" Weiss insisted, "My father hired Doctor Arc to give my siblings and I yearly check ups! She's one of the best doctors in the world! That... That ruffian is her son?!"
She glared back over her shoulder, as though the delinquent could feel her contempt.
"Her only son," Pyrrha corrected, her smile still tense. Weiss shook her head.
"How did he turn into that? Why isn't he home, becoming a doctor? I've seen his Aura, I've seen his power! If she trained him, he could be...!"
She had seen Doctor Arc's work. Her father insisted she know who was a potentially valuable asset, and who wasn't. Doctor Arc was counted by him as a 'very valuable asset'. She'd been kind and professional every time she'd seen her. There was a warmth in her eyes she seldom saw with her family or their servants.
A warmth that her son didn't share. Not with her, anyway.
"One might say the same thing about you, Miss Schnee," Pyrrha said, her smile still friendly but that edge was unsettling. Weiss stopped and stared intently at the champion.
"What are you talking about?"
"Well," Pyrrha said, shrugging, "Being a Huntress or being a wealthy heiress... It doesn't seem like a hard choice, does it? So why are you here?"
"I..."
Weiss frowned deeply. Pyrrha continued, whether because she thought Weiss was thick, or because she wanted to twist the knife.
"I was offered the chance for private training. To continue onto the professional dueling circuit," Pyrrha said, "Live a life of luxury. Billion lien deals, 'the adulation of millions', I was told. Yet I'm here, too."
Pyrrha's green eyes focused intently on Weiss'.
"Why do you think that is?"
Because it isn't what I wanted... Because I wanted to be more than an extension of my parents...
Weiss froze for a while. She watched the leaves flutter through the breeze. She felt them crunch under her boots. She looked up at Pyrrha, her smile still polite but strained.
Weiss, as it turned out, had a great deal of familiarity with smiles. Smiles in her world were screens, polite fictions. Yet you couldn't hide everything.
Maybe that's why she had kept going. She was used to smiles not meaning anything. Or hadn't cared enough about the people wearing them to press further.
Exactly like how... Her father...
She looked intently into Pyrrha's eyes and bowed her head.
"I'm... I'd like to apologize," she murmured. "I just... I stormed in, and tried to butter you up, all for my own agenda... And didn't think of you as a person. That was... Shameful of me."
She lifted her eyes back to Pyrrha, slowly.
"Could... Could we possibly... Um... Start over?"
She very slowly held out her hand.
"Hello, I'm Weiss Schnee. It's very nice to meet you, and... And I hope we can be friends."
Pyrrha blushed.
"I um... I would... I would like that. Y-Yes! Certainly, if you would too?"
She slowly reached out and took Weiss' hand in hers, she smile awkward but far more genuine looking.
"I'm Pyrrha Nikos, and I would very much like that."
Weiss beamed, immediately grasping Pyrrha's hand in both of hers.
"You won't regret this. I promise, I'll be an amazing friend-A-A real friend! It will be so great-!"
She saw some tension in Pyrrha's face, and she coughed.
"Ah... S-Sorry. I am genuinely a big fan of yours."
"I-I know. I appreciate that," Pyrrha stuttered, "And uh, thank you?"
"You're welcome!" Weiss beamed, letting go of Pyrrha's hand.
"That's great," Pyrrha sighed.
She paused for a moment, then spoke again carefully.
"Um... There's someone else you need to apologize to."
Weiss stared at Pyrrha for a moment... And then groaned.
"Arc? Seriously?"
"Sorry, but if you want to be friends with me, then yes, you absolutely need to," Pyrrha stated. Her smile was still up, but there was a dangerous glint in her eyes. Weiss blinked a few times.
"You... I mean... You and he-?"
Pyrrha blushed.
"N-No! We're just friends! R-Really! For the moment! Possibly! Kind of!" She insisted. "And he's not that bad once you get to know him, he's very genuine, and um...!"
Weiss held in a sigh. That wouldn't help this fragile moment.
"All right... But I reserve the right to hit him if he's being a brute!"
"No. No, you don't," Pyrrha stated, her eyes narrowing. Weiss coughed.
"If he hits me first?"
"He won't," Pyrrha stated firmly.
Geez... What could she possibly see in him to react that way?
Well, she was going to have to find out, it seemed.
"HEY WEISS!"
Weiss turned and let out her sigh, though this time it was one of relief, as Ruby and Yang approached with crates full of empty glass bottles.
"Finally! Come on, let's go," she stated. "I will not allow Team RWBY to fall behind anyone in sap collection!"
"All righty, Second in Command Weissy!" Ruby cheered.
"Second in command, huh?" Weiss mused. Ruby nodded.
"Yup! Right after Executive officer Yang!"
"Wha-THAT'S THE SAME THING!" Weiss shouted.
"Nuh uh!"
"Don't be jealous, Weisscream," Yang laughed, "It's just the Yang of command~!"
"GAAAH!"
Now she understood a bit of Arc's desire to lash out with violence at these idiots!
Nora was having some fun as she swung her hammer around one hand, looking about the nice red leaves and pale trees as Ren kept pace behind her. They were following the Lazy River, a local large stream that wound its way through the Forever Forest with clear blue water that sparkled in the sun. Bright red leaves drifted along on the river that split the forest into two, with a wide, flat riverplain littered with a few boulders between the sides. It was nice and open, allowing for a clear view of any Grimm that might be around.
It also allowed Nora to bounce rocks over the running water, as she sang loudly.
"On patrol... We're on patrol~... Super duper on patrol~!" Nora sang. "Gotta keep positive~! So no Grimm show up~!"
She frowned and slowed her walk and swinging.
"Wait... If I'm being positive, then the Grimm will stay away... But if they stay away, I won't get to smash them and so I'll be sad... Wouldn't that attract the Grimm anyway? If I'm being sad about being happy, but then happy about being sad...?"
Nora hummed and considered this great conundrum with her most serious face, getting into a crouch. She looked up at her steadfast companion with a pout.
"Rennn... My brain hurts! I'm trying to figure stuff out!"
"That was your first mistake," Ren deadpanned. Nora pouted harder.
"You don't haveta be so mean!" She huffed, stood up, and hugged him tightly. "There there. You're a grumpy pants, but you're my grumpy pants."
She patted his head affectionately. Ren's deadpan look became more deadpan.
"I'm not grumpy," Ren stated, "Jaune is the grumpy one."
"I'm not gonna cuddle Jaune," Nora grinned. "Well, maybe if he's super grumpy. I think Pyrrha or Ruby want to do that more though! Don't wanna horn in on their gig!"
She hummed and shot him a saucy grin.
"Ya know, Goodwitch is grumpier than everyone put together~! Maybe I should cuddle with her, huh?"
Ren stared unnervingly into Nora's eyes, not even blinking as certain images raced through his mind.
"If you wish," Ren said. Nora cheered and held up her hammer.
"YAY! I shall plan to cuddle with her immediately!" She declared.
Ren allowed himself the smallest of smirks.
"You'll get detention."
"CUDDLE DETENTION!"
"No, just the regular kind," Ren said, the slightest hint of a smile on his face. He and his best friend set off again. She held his hand in his, swinging it merrily.
Despite his apparent detachment... Ren squeezed her hand back. Not too tightly, though: She tended to make that a contest, and he just didn't have the raw strength to compete with his best girl.
A loud sound cracked through the woods, and both teenagers broke apart, weapons out in an instant.
"Large caliber rifle, don't recognize it," Ren stated.
"Came from the southwest, maybe a mile away," Nora murmured, choking up on her hammer.
It was then that several Grimm erupted from the trees-A few Ursa, Beowulves, Boarbatusks, and many others-All stampeding in a wild, massive rush right for the river...
Towards them.
Nora grinned.
"YAY! I'm gonna have a LOT of fun today!" She cheered. "No more philosophical headaches!"
Ren hit his Scroll as Nora charged into battle, bringing her hammer down on the head of a Beowulf and squashing it flat with a very loud crunch.
"Jaune, this is Ren. We have massive Grimm movement in the forest, some kind of stampede. Alert everyone else, now!"
He should have gotten Miss Goodwitch's contact information, but a look from Nora had squashed that idea. Yet she wanted to cuddle with her.
Women were extremely confusing creatures, indeed.
One of the bigger irritations about RWBY? How empty the world feels. I know they had limited budgets for animation but COME ON. Do some more world-building! Give us some names of people offscreen! Make the world seem less like a big, empty stageplay!
So, we have Team SLVR of YouTube fame filling in as senior students helping Glynda out with security for our first years. Glynda, Port, Oobleck, and the never seen Professor Peach can't do everything by themselves, after all. So they get student-teachers to handle certain tasks and fill in for them when they're out sick or otherwise indisposed.
Given they're at Beacon though, they also go on missions for Ozpin, sometimes against the organization Pandora, which has its own nefarious and mysterious agenda. But we won't get much into that. It's just good to have some upperclassmen about.
Parts of this story were written by UnknownAnon, the Cardin/Velvet date in particular. He's very good, and highly recommended.
Yes, Jaune's mentor last chapter was based heavily upon Puss in Boots, in particular the Dreamworks iteration.