Jaune quickly found the other members of JNPR gathered around a table with their sister team RWBY. They had settled on a table fairly far away from the kitchen and underneath the banner proudly displaying their school's colors. The rays from the setting sun peeking through the large window behind them cast long shadows over the floor and distorted them across the tabletop. He plopped down next to Ren, giving the boy a small nod of thanks for saving him a seat. With a small grin, he returned the gesture and prevented Nora from jumping over his side to tackle Jaune in a one-armed hug. That was probably for the best, considering that any type of hug from Nora was bound to crush a few ribs.

She practically vibrated in her seat as she settled on flicking him in the shoulder. "Oh, fearless leader! We were waiting for you, but it looks like you and Ruby were getting busy without us, huh?"

A small 'eep' sounded from Ruby as a laughing Yang tried to drag her baby sister upward and stop her slow descent to the cafeteria floor. Pyrrha and he shared a glance, and Jaune just pantomimed that their ginger-haired friend was crazy. That earned a muted laugh from the champion.

Ren ran a hand down his face. "Nora, please don't tease the two of them like that."

"Oh, but c'mon, Renny. Just look at them all hot and sweaty coming back from–"

"Combat class," Jaune interrupted. "And speaking of which, where the hell were you, Yang? I sure could have used that killer advice you promised me."

The brawler flipped her prize locks over her shoulder, lilac eyes giving off a semblance of innocence that didn't match her infuriating smirk. Besides, if he could sometimes manage the kicked-puppy dog look Ruby had perfected then he could deal with Yang's poor imitation. She must have realized that because her smirk widened, and she started tapping on the table. Blake glared at the offending digits, but the blonde didn't pay her any attention.

"Sorry, sorry. You know how Blakey here can't deal with the rough and tumble lifestyle of being a Huntress without a little pick-me-up from time to time." She ruffled her teammate's hair, careful to avoid the black bow that flicked with agitation. "I keep trying to get her to kick the habit, but you know how stubborn our girl can be."

Jaune felt that Blake was entirely justified with the smack she gave the other girl. Weiss, similarly used to the girl's antics, only sighed and drew her blue jacket tighter over herself. "You are an absolute disgrace, Xiao-Long."

Yang quirked an eyebrow. "Then what are you still Yanging around for?"

"Yang…" Ruby whined.

Blake snorted and turned another page of her carefully concealed novel. "That was terrible."

Weiss shut her eyes. "Only the sweet relief of death will save me from these puns."

Jaune once again found himself agreeing, turning to Yang with the best glare he could muster. Sure, it probably couldn't scare even a student training at a preparatory academy, but damn it, he was trying. "So, the real reason you abandoned me to my demise is?"

A shrug of the shoulders was his answer. "Miss G. probably would have strung me up from the ceiling if I told you what to do step by step during a fight. Besides, I left my super cute sister there to support you. What else could you want from me?"

"I wanted you!" he shouted before realizing what he had said. "No, wait, I meant–"

All his supposed friends appeared mildly amused at his slip-up while Nora looked like Christmas had arrived early. "You're going for both the sisters?"

Her loud squeal of excitement attracted a few looks in their general direction. Their interest waned fast, however, after Nora had already made a name for herself amongst the newest additions to the school. She already found herself with the esteemed title of the 'Hammer of Madness.' It was one of the few things that had managed to bypass the dampening effect of Ren's Semblance entirely, and he had laughed until he couldn't breathe. They also were busy with their own discussions, likely on what these new teams would entail and not on his lack of love life.

Yang waggled her eyebrows. "That's pretty bold for a guy who hurled on my boots when we first met. Let's see how this plays out for you."

Following Ruby's example, Jaune had started to slide to the ground. Hopefully, he would be able to recover whatever was left of his pride down there. He bolted up suddenly when a gentle tapping reverberated around the cafeteria. The silence was immediate, and the headmaster waved a hand in greeting. His eyes were covered by the dark spectacles that usually rested lower on the bridge of his nose while his hair was slicked back. The green scarf that was always present was gone, replaced by a green tie, and his hands were in white gloves resting atop his cane.

Professor Port and Oobleck were also in pressed suits, flanking the headmaster on either side and looking pleased to be doing so. At least as far as Jaune could tell. It could be rather difficult to get a read on the former with the corners of his mouth hidden underneath his bushy moustache. And Oobleck was bouncing on the heel of his feet–with all the coffee he drank throughout the day, Jaune was shocked that was all he was doing–mouth in a straight line and eyes hidden under the glare of his glasses. Professor Goodwitch was leaning on a pillar opposite the headmaster of Beacon, arms crossed under her chest and drawing a few scandalous looks from some of the bolder exchange students. They would learn in time she wasn't someone to trifle with, yet that still gave him very little to go off of. All he could assume was that Ozpin and the men beside him had come directly from a meeting with some rather important people.

"Our headmaster cleans up nicely," Yang stage-whispered to Ruby.

Her sister's face went as red as her beloved cape. "Yang, for the love of god, no! Bad! Very bad!"

Whatever she was going to say was thankfully cut off by the headmaster speaking since Jaune wasn't sure he wanted to hear any more on that particular topic. "Welcome, future protectors of Remnant. I know there must be a good amount of confusion about this newest policy that you may have only heard the vaguest whispers of. Rest assured that I am here to explain in as much detail as possible. But first, a question for all of you. What is the purpose of the upcoming Vytal Festival?"

Nobody dared to jump on the question, even though Weiss was stirring in her seat, no doubt raring to blurt out the dictionary definition of said event. It was how the headmaster had asked it that had everyone on edge. Was it a trick question, rhetorical, or was he simply looking for what the students truly thought? Once again, Jaune had nothing to go on, which was why he should have kept his mouth shut.

For some reason, fate had other plans for him.

"Well, i-it's like…" Seven pairs of eyes stared at him and his stuttering form, along with the countless others across the cafeteria. Ozpin gave him a small smile and motioned for him to continue; Jaune swallowed the lump in his throat, prayed for a second catastrophic food fight to break out instantaneously, and when that failed him, he carried on. "F-for us, I th-think it's a lot about our fights. Bringing glory to our school and our homeland is cool and all, but I want to be able to show off to pretty girls and brag to all my friends and family about how awesome my team and I were out there." A few laughs and cheers met him, and he felt bolstered to carry on. "The games and the fair should be pretty fun too. Of course, remembering that we are doing this to remind everyone of the peace our kingdoms share is important."

"More important than impressing these pretty girls you mentioned, Mister Arc?" Ozpin asked, his smile growing a smidge larger. Port let out a full-bellied laugh beside him, launching into what would no doubt be a long-winded tale of his youth if Professor Goodwitch hadn't glared him into shutting up.

Jaune wrung his hands in his lap. "Yes, sir."

Yang nudged him under the table with her foot, winked at him, and gave him a thumbs-up. He slumped in his seat when Nora did the same, and silently made a note to ask Ren how badly he had damaged his reputation with this little stunt later. Graciously, the headmaster ignored the display with a professionalism that few could emulate.

"I can see it was good of me to ask this question. I'm afraid being as old as I am tends to dilute my thoughts when it comes to all of you. It feels like it's been centuries since I was a teenager." He chuckled a little like he was telling an inside joke. "Regardless, I appreciate your honesty in answering me, and I think you all will come to see the importance of what we are going to do from here until the end of the festival. Now, some of you may not like it, some of you might appreciate it as a fresh start, and some of you might not care at all. In the end, however, the decision is outside of my hands. In fact, it may be outside of the Council's hands at this point."

A few murmurs rose up at this, and he hushed them with another casual wave of his hand. "I don't mean to say that Vale was cow-tied into this or something so sinister. Rather, all of the academies and the four kingdoms decided this was something immediately worth pursuing. And while I admit to having a key role in pushing this prospect, I can only hope all of you will come to see its purpose in time. I realize I'm being cryptic, and I apologize. I will turn it over to my colleague, Doctor Oobleck, to further explain everything."

While Ozpin took a step backward, the eccentric doctor took one forward, energy practically radiating off in waves. "Yes, thank you, headmaster. And while I would love to regal you all with a history of the importance of the Vytal Festival, and the tentative peace surrounding it, I fear that I will start a small mutiny should we keep you in the dark any longer. And as such, here is what we are doing. Each of you will be assigned to a new team with members outside of your kingdom of origin. You will bunk together, train together, forge relationships together, and compete in the tournament together. And if all goes well, hopefully, you can pick up some pretty girls as Mister Arc is so keen on."

Jaune groaned and slunk even further in his chair while he considered the words of Professor Oobleck. He had spoken much faster than during classes, and he almost had to parse out the meaning of everything. When Pyrrha let out a quiet gasp that almost seemed to resound around the room as others did the same, Jaune came to a startling conclusion.

He would not be competing in the Vytal Festival as a member of Team JNPR.

Ruby looked frantically around at her teammates, and even the typically unreadable Blake appeared shaken. Nora started a chant about busting kneecaps that some students nearby had taken up, unsure at first, but growing louder and louder in demand of a better explanation. None were forthcoming and it simmered to a loud boil until Professor Goodwitch unleashed an ear-piercing whistle. She lowered her fingers from her lips and scowled. "Headmaster Ozpin may have called you the future protectors of Remnant, but all I see are children playing at it. That is not to say I don't respect what each and every one of you is doing. There is no nobler profession, however, one cannot hope to be a protector if you refuse to serve everyone. If Beacon were to fall to Grimm at this very moment, how many of you would pledge to defend it to your death? I have a feeling our students would, but what about the rest of you?" She slowly looked around the cafeteria, the people ducking their heads providing more than enough of an answer for her. "And don't think the same goes for the students here. Would you be willing to fight off an army of Grimm in a far-flung village in Atlas if duty called? Would you be able to work with the teams from across Remnant, or would your own fear and distrust eat you alive?"

Nobody had anything to say after that. Ruby always wore her heart on her sleeve, and her glum expression nicely summed up the atmosphere in the room. An odd mixture of shame, helplessness, and wanting to prove oneself better rose up from the ashes.

Ozpin cleared his throat and shot his deputy a meaningful look. "While what Professor Goodwitch says is certainly true and something to consider, it is not something to lose sleep over. You are all students for a reason, and you still have much learning to do. No doubt, this will serve as a wake-up call for many and provide further motivation to improve. I know that each of you will make the best of it. Now, if there are no further inquiries, I think it's best to let everyone retire to bed. Further details of team and room assignments will be sent to your Scrolls."

When nobody stirred, the headmaster bowed out, with the other professors turning to usher the rest of the students to their rooms. It was organized chaos, with low rumblings, complaints, and worries filling the air. Yet, no one dared go directly against what would be the intermingling of teams for the coming weeks. How could they? The pressure Goodwitch herself exerted was enormous, not to mention that, apparently, all four kingdoms stood together in unison on the proposal. No, everyone would have to bite the metaphorical bullet and make the best of a tough situation.

And Jaune could only hope that fortune's favor would smile down on him.


Thank you for the support on the first chapter of this story and to everyone who followed, favorited, and left a review! I was pleased to see that many were interested in the premise, and I will do my best to not disappoint. The next chapter will be up on Sunday, and I hope you enjoy!