Team HAZL, or rather the AZL part of the team, were in Team JNPR's dorm room. Thanks to Anne and Leonidas being Faunus, they were able to hear General Ironwood talking with Team RWBY, more specifically with Yang regarding what she had done to Mercury.

Jaune: "I'm almost scared to ask how it's going." He was tad apprehensive regarding what he had seen at the end of Yang and Mercury's fight. While he knows Yang can be pretty aggressive, in and out of a fighting situation. And he definitely knew not to mess with her hair. She would leave any poor soul bruised and broken if that happened.

Leonidas was leaning up against the wall that the dorm room's door was on that lead to the hallway, arms crossed and eyes closed, focusing in on the conversation. "Yang seems to be trying to plead her case that Mercury had attacked her, but Ironwood isn't having any of it, stating that there is video proof stating otherwise."

Nora: "In other words, not very good."

Ren: "I think that's putting it lightly, Nora."

Anne and Leonidas recoil in pain, something that JNPR take notice of.

Zion: "You guys good?"

Anne: "We're good. Ironwood just yelled again." Her mood turned solemn. "He just disqualified them."

Team JNPR gasped at that knowledge. If they expected any contestant from Beacon to make it far in the Finals, aside from Pyrrha, they suspected it to be Yang or even someone from Team CVFY, if they had won against Mercury and Emerald that is. Knowing that now the only other student left from their academy was Pyrrha, they didn't need to be an expert to know she had a lot of pressure on her. She didn't even know if she could beat Hedge, mainly because it was unknown just how powerful he was in his full power state. And considering he could fight without using Chaos and Destruction, she couldn't really use her semblance to throw him off. Maybe with his limiters since they were metal she could, but she told Hedge how her semblance worked already, so he could find ways to work around it.

On the flip side, his semblance was so versatile, that he could use his teleportation at any given time. Yes it gave an audio queue when he would reappear, but he could do any type of attack to break through his opponent's defenses, whether that be a sword strike, or another semblance ability. And don't get her started on his dark evolutions boosting all of that greatly.

Little did they know, she also had something else to think about on her mind that didn't pertain specifically to the Vytal Festival.

Leonidas: "Well that leaves 4 of our friend group still in the tournament. Funnily enough, it's one from each academy: Hedge from Shade, Penny from Atlas, Sun from Haven..." He looks over at Pyrrha for the last one. "...And Pyrrha from Beacon." Said red-head looked at him with a smile, though behind it, she was feeling the pressure. She didn't want to feel like she was on a pedestal like with all the tournaments she had won before coming to Beacon.

Mumbling could be heard outside of the room, so Jaune got up from his bed and opened the door to find the RWB part of Team RWBY outside. Needless to say, they could see things weren't exactly good regarding Yang.

Jaune: "Hey." Getting the girls' attention. "She doing okay?" His face showing worry, along with the rest of his team and AZL. He didn't need to specify who he was referring to.

Blake: "She's doing the best she can." She sports a genuine smile, happy that her friends care so much about her partner.

Ruby: "I heard Mercury and his team rushed back to Haven to be with his family. So until they land, nobody can question him on what had happened," trying to shine some light on the situation.

Ren: "If there's anything we can do, please don't hesitate to ask." The rest of Team JNPR sharing his statement.

Anne: "The same goes for us." Zion and Leonidas nodding in agreement.

Ruby: "Well in that case, Pyrrha..."

Pyrrha: "Hmm?"

Ruby: "Be sure to win one for Beacon."

Weiss: "It's what Yang would want."

Pyrrha looked a little apprehensive, but was able to force a smile to them. "I'll...do my best."

Ruby: "I'll be sure to watch tonight in case you're picked." While Ruby stated that with the utmost enthusiasm, Pyrrha looked anything but enthusiastic. With this, the red reaper ran down the hall, leaving the conversation.

Blake: "I think that's enough fighting for me." Weiss sharing her stance on the matter and asking if she wanted to get something to drink, her offering coffee. "Tea, actually."

Weiss nodded and then turned to address the rest of HAZL. "Sorry if we were basically asking Pyrrha to beat Hedge."

Blake: "Yeah, we wish him luck in his matches too."

Zion: "Ah, don't worry about it. Knowing him, he'd probably welcome the challenge."

Leonidas: "But we'll be sure to relay that over to him."

With that, both Blake and Weiss waved goodbye as they headed off to the fairgrounds, the door closing behind them. Shortly after, Anne and the boys head off too, Zion and Leonidas walking in front of Anne, while she is running her hand over her stomach, thinking about Hedge.

Anne: "I wonder how Hedge is doing?"

--

Speaking of the hedgehog Faunus, the scene fades out from Anne to some of the buildings around Beacon, with Hedge being seen standing on one of the rooftops, arms crossed, overlooking the school.

Hedge: "Yang isn't someone to just attack someone unprovoked...even if Mercury is kind of a douche." He chuckles to himself at that particular comment. "He made no movement to indicate he was to going to attack her, so what really happened? Did someone else intervene or somehow brainwash Yang into doing so? She seemed fine before the fight began."

Doctor Badnic: "Trying to decipher things, Hedge? You won't succeed." The doctor's voice is heard within his head with a condescending tone.

Hedge's face contorts into a scowl and he growls. "You have no control over me Doctor. Whatever it is you're planning, I'll stop it."

Doctor Badnic: "Oh really? And pray tell how you plan on doing so? Even if you do figure out what is going on, who's going to believe you? People are afraid after your little transformation during the Doubles round. If anything, they'll think you're crazy."

Hedge: "I'll have my friends and teammates backing me up."

Doctor Badnic: "Ha! You mean your so called 'friends' that are also afraid of what you are capable of? News flash, kid, they were debating on even allowing you to proceed into the Doubles and Finals after both of your little outbursts. Some friends they are if you ask me."

Hedge is shocked at this revelation. "You...you're wrong! They know how much the tournament means to me!"

The Doctor's plan to rile up Hedge appears to be working. "Oh don't get me wrong. They do realize that, I think even your main squeeze even tried defending you on that matter while you were unconscious." Hedge felt touched that Anne would do that for him. "But at the same time, even she was in on debating if she should be the one to go onto the Finals instead of you."

Hedge looked like he was having an internal crisis going on, but all of a sudden he heard running heels and crying. He snapped out of his funk, and looked down toward the sound of the heels to see Pyrrha running by.

Hedge: "What's wrong with Pyrrha? I know she likes Jaune...did he say or do something to make her cry?" He decides to follow her while using his shoes to hover in the air while jumping from building to building, until she stops by a tree. She leans her back up against it and slumps down to the ground. Hedge tries to land on a branch and not make any noise to draw any attention...

Pyrrha: "I know you're there."

Hedge, now that his cover is blown, jumps off the branch toward the ground, using his shoes to hover in the air close to the ground to slow his descent. "You know, Anne is usually the one to figure things out when any of us are keeping secrets or hiding from her. Learn any tricks from her?"

Pyrrha knew what he was trying to do, alleviate her spirits. She smiled and wiped away her tears. "You don't have to worry about me turning into another Anne. You weren't exactly silent."

Hedge crossed his arms with a smile on his face. "What gave me away?"

Pyrrha: "Your shoes. They aren't exactly quiet."

Hedge looks down at them. "Note to self: find a way to make them quieter," he muttered. Pyrrha giggled at that. "So, what's wrong? Do I need to beat up Jaune or something? Or Cardin, I wouldn't mind that." The bully in question hasn't been as bad as he was in the first semester, much to Hedge's sadness. He always liked ruffing him up in Goodwitch's class whenever he got the balls to challenge Hedge. Goodwitch would tend to reign Hedge in if he went too hard on Cardin with his attacks, but even she knew Cardin was...not a good student, especially with all his bullying to the other first years and every Faunus in the academy.

Even Anne got bullied a bit from Cardin, even though she was 3 times his senior, and Cardin learned to never mess with her OR Hedge when said Faunus leader found out. Needless to say, Cardin stayed in the medical wing for quite some time.

Pyrrha got nervous and made sure to set things right. "No! Nothing's wrong with either of them. It's just..." She really debated on speaking with Hedge regarding what is was she was thinking about. She knew not to speak with anyone about it unless it was specific people. Those people being Ozpin, Goodwitch, the General, or Ruby and Yang's uncle, Qrow. But then again, Hedge was older than her, maybe he knew more about the subject, despite his upbringing. So, she tried to reel him slowly, taking a deep breath. "Hedge, do you know the fairy tale regarding the seasons?"

Hedge's face contorted into shock for a brief moment. He didn't think the reason for her acting the way that she was, was because of THAT. "You mean regarding the Maidens?"

Now it was Pyrrha who took on an expression of shock. "You...know about them?"

Hedge: "Eh, to an extent. I have the Doctor to thank for that. He had a tendency to have all his notes spread out on his desks in his lab, and I had found out about them the same night I found out what his plan regarding me was. After that, Anne shared with me her copy of that very fairy tale during our time at Shade.

Pyrrha: "My mother loves the story," she says with a smile. "And what do you think about it after reading it and the Doctor's notes?"

Hedge: "If I'm being honest, I think there's merit in the tale, but I can't say exactly." He noticed her demeanor change. "I take it that they're real, aren't they?"

Pyrrha: "Yes. I couldn't really believe it, but that way that Ozpin and the rest of this secret group were explaining everything to me, I started to really believe it."

Hedge: "And I'm assuming that if you were told all of this information, you were chosen to take on the mantle of one of them?"

Pyrrha nods. "Specifically the Fall Maiden. In regards to my...demeanor, was because I tried to get Jaune's opinion on the word "Destiny." He gave me his meaning, but then I started getting sad about talking about why I was chosen to take up the mantle."

Hedge: "And that was?"

Pyrrha grew timid, but she had already divulged a lot of info to Hedge that she knew she shouldn't have, but she trusted Hedge. "She was attacked, and half of her power was stolen. Assailants unknown and in the wind. They want to merge her aura with mine, as they are afraid that if she just passes as normal, the powers may seek out the other half. But at the possible cost of me not being...me anymore."

Hedge was shocked to hear this. From what he could gather, these Maidens were really strong, and had powers people could only dream of. But to hear that one of them was attacked and had half of her power stolen, well he wondered how that was even possible. He remembered though, Anne had stated before that she had done some "extra research" into them, but he knew better that it seemed more than just that. What if she was asked to be one of them?

Hedge: "I see."

Pyrrha: "What should I do?" Hedge could see it in her eyes that she was scared, and hear it in her tone too. In all honesty, he didn't know what to say.

Hedge: "I'm not sure what I can say will truly be the right answer. But, this decision, albeit a tough one, is your decision alone. Just know, me and the rest of my team will back you up with whichever decision you choose." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "And I'm sure the rest of your team will be too." Pyrrha has tears in her eyes as she looks at Hedge. He spots a smile on his face, she wipes her eyes of the tears, and returns the smile. "Come on. It's almost time for the next match of the Finals to start. We wouldn't want to be late."

Pyrrha: "That's if we can make it to a ship."

Hedge just chuckles and raises an eyebrow at her. "Did you forget that I could teleport?"

Pyrrha just looks dumbfounded that she forget he could do just that. It probably was because of her mind being so focused on the Fall Maiden, and she meekly nods at him, confirming his question.

Hedge: "I don't blame you after what you just told me. I just hope things don't escalate further." She places her hand on his shoulder and both of them disappear with the sound of a lightning strike.