Chapter Two
Ruby woke up feeling emotionally drained. She had wept until sleep took her, and Weiss had stayed with her the entire time. She rubbed her eyes and rolled over. Weiss was still asleep, shock of white hair the only thing visible from under her covers. Ruby felt a wave of love at the sight. She remembered when Weiss had hated her, but now they were like sisters.
Ruby sat up and looked at the dresser. She didn't like the idea of wearing an Atlesian uniform, but her combat outfit did need to be cleaned. And she kinda smelled. She sighed and sifted through the clothes, trying to find her size. Armed with fresh fatigues, she set off for the showers.
It took her a moment to figure out the token system that permitted her allotment of water. When she finally had one, she dropped her clothes off in a hamper, labeled it with her name and room number, and sent it down a dumbwaiter with forlorn regret.
The water, when it came spraying out of the showerhead, was cold. She eeped and got down to soaping and shampooing as quickly as she could. She had just barely finished rinsing, and the water was just starting to get warm, when it shut off. She toweled herself dry and put on her new outfit. Navy blue trousers and a white shirt emblazoned with the crest of Atlas. Not at all her style.
If I have a chance to get into the city, I need to pick up some spare clothes, she thought as she plucked at the stiff fabric. Once back outside of her room she hesitated and looked at Yang and Blakes door. There was still a conversation that she needed to have there. Better get it over with, Ruby. No time like the present.
She steeled herself, knocked briskly at the door, and then went inside. "Yang, Blake, I needed to"- She stopped, blood rushing to her face as she realized her mistake. Yang was sitting up, stretching her arms and blinking in the morning light. She was not wearing a top. Ruby could see Blakes ears sticking up from under the blanket next to her. "Ohmygosh, Yang I'm an idiot sorry sorry sorry!" And disappeared back out the door, leaving a handful of rose petals swirling in her wake.
She shut the door and sank to the floor, face flushed with embarrassment. Stupid Ruby stupid! You know better than to just open a door and go into a room. Even if Yang was her sister and Blake her friend, and even though they had shared living quarters and camps for the better part of the last two years, the dynamic had changed. She knew that the dynamic had changed. That was what she had wanted to talk about. And then she messed it up anyway.
Oh I hope they aren't mad at me, she thought, heart still racing. She was never going to live down this embarrassment.
Back inside the room, Yang watched in amusement as her younger sister vanished back out the door. Ah Ruby, she thought. Still such an innocent.
Beside her Blake stirred and sat up. "What was that?" she asked sleepily.
"Oh, just Ruby learning a lesson about personal space. She'll be ok." She watched as Blakes cat ears flattened and twitched in realization.
"Oh. Ummm. We should get dressed." She hurriedly got out of bed and started pulling on clothes.
Yang called out "Give us just a minute, Rubes. We'll be out in jiffy."
A few minutes later, they were all seated in Ruby's room. Weiss had woken up and was sitting on the end of one bed, brushing out her hair. Ruby was still an impressive shade of scarlet. She had apologized profusely, and Yang and Blake had both told her not to worry about it. "Live and learn, little Sis," Yang said. "So, what did you want to talk to us about?"
"Uh. Well. I wanted to talk about you and Blake. And how you're together, and how I'm happy for you, and how I'm sorry that I yelled at you about it before. And I'm still sorry for just barging in like that."
Blake, who was light pink herself, said "It's ok Ruby. We're really the ones who should be apologizing to you. I don't think any of us quite knew how bad you were feeling at the time. And we know you didn't mean anything by it."
Yang had lost her amused expression. "Blakes right, Ruby. I've been a pretty terrible sister. Yes, I was happy, but that doesn't excuse me from not noticing your pain. I know I'm usually the first to joke about things, and that sometimes I might seem like I'm a little too carefree, but if you ever, ever feel like the only way out is to take your own life, promise us you'll talk to each of us first." There were tears in her eyes as she embraced Ruby. "Just, let us know before it gets that bad again, K? I couldn't stand losing you. And I'm sorry it took you yelling at us for us to notice."
"I promise." Ruby squeezed Yang back.
From the other bed, Weiss chimed in. "And promise us to share the load, ok? We can help. You don't have to do it all yourself."
"I promise that too." Ruby was rubbing her eyes again. "Ugh. I feel like all I've been doing is crying."
"Hey, crying is healthy. Nothing wrong with letting it out. We're all just glad you're ok." Yang still had an arm around Ruby's side. "So, what's the plan for team RWBY today?"
Blake, who like the others was dressed in spare clothes that the Atlas military had provided, said "Clothes shopping, please." She scratched at the starchy fabric as she said it.
"Theodore said something about assignments last night," Ruby said, looking for her scroll.
"Oh, don't worry about that. Our assignment is literally 'R&R,' I already checked. It seems Headmaster Theodore, and Qrow, both want us to take it easy for a little while. Qrow specifically requested that you and Jaune meet with him at ten o'clock in the armory." Weiss directed that last part at Ruby. "And we've all been given a huntsmen account that entitles us to free meals in the 'mess' (Weiss frowned over this), and a set amount of Lien to spend on whatever we deem necessary."
"That settles it then! Breakfast, some light training, and then a day on the town. C'mon guys." Yang got up, pulling Ruby with her, and walked out the door with her arm still wrapped supportively around her sister.
Breakfast turned out to be dried fruit, mellow white cheese, a small piece of crusty brown bread, and oatmeal. They also had their choice of water, tea, or coffee. Yang ate with gusto, Blake and Weiss ate more delicately, and Ruby picked at her food.
Part way through the meal, Jaune, Nora, Ren and Oscar joined them. The dining hall was relatively empty, and Ruby guessed that most of the huntsmen in the academy had eaten earlier or were out on missions. Jaune looked at her picked over food and said, "You need to keep your strength up Ruby. Even if you don't have an appetite, your body needs fuel."
Nora sidled over and handed her a small jug. "I, uh, liberated this from the kitchens. It's honey. Makes the oatmeal wayyyy tastier."
"Thanks Nora. I guess I'm still just worried about everything that's going on. Should we really have a day off?" She unstopped the container and poured a small measure of honey into her bowl and stirred it in. Nora was right, it did taste much better.
"You can't keep fighting if you don't get rest. Someone important to me made sure I understood that, once upon a time." Blake looked at Yang with affection over her cup of tea.
"Hear hear!" Yang drained the last of her coffee. "So what are you lot up to today?"
Oscar replied, "We have some down time as well. Theodore tries to keep teams rotated, so you have some time to yourselves between missions. We can show you all around, if you'd like."
"That would be great, Oscar." Weiss was daintily wiping her mouth with a napkin. "We were going to visit the training facilities and armory, then head out to the city for a bit."
"Yeah, I wonder what Uncle Qrow wants with us." Ruby looked at Jaune, whose gaze was lingering on Weiss.
"Oh. I dunno, maybe he just wants to show us around too. I do wonder why he specified just us two, though." His eyes finally moved from Weiss to meet Ruby's gaze. Blake, who had been watching Jaune as well, smiled into her tea, and Nora's eyes were moving from Weiss to Jaune with suspicion.
"Maybe because we're the team leaders?" Ruby ventured.
"Maybe. Though Ren, if you want to keep it I won't argue," Jaune said.
"No, the team is yours. I'm glad to step back," Ren said. "I prefer to be out of the spotlight, thank you."
"Hey, Oscar, did Theodore give you a license? I noticed that you're on the roster as an official part of Ren's team," Weiss asked.
"He gave me a provisional license. Any student that applied for one got one. We need the manpower, and those of us that got provisional licenses were assigned to teams with full huntsmen. They make sure we don't go on high-risk missions, and we all get field experience," Oscar said, shrugging.
"Do you think that this is something you would have done, if things hadn't happened the way they did?" Blake asked him.
"I don't know. I was happy enough on the farm, but there was a part of me that wanted to see the world, and I've definitely seen quite a bit of it now," Oscar said.
Everyone got quiet for a moment, thinking about how Oscar didn't have much longer as Oscar.
Ruby broke the silence that had fallen. "Well, it's almost the time he wanted to see us. We should probably get going." There was a murmur of agreement as the two teams rose from the tables and set off.
Shade had dedicated most of the third tier of its structure to training and combat facilities. It was dominated by a large sand-filled arena where huntsman could square off against any number of foes, from fellow students to practice drones. There was an armory that doubled as a machine shop where huntsman could tune up their weapons and armor, and a weight training and fitness center.
Qrow was waiting for them, leaning against a wall and flipping a coin. "There you are. Ready to get started?" He pocketed the coin with a grin.
"We're gonna look around. We'll catch up with you two in a bit." Yang and the rest of the group split off, leaving Ruby and Jaune with Qrow.
"What did you want to see us about, Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked.
"Wanted to show you something, actually. Follow me." Qrow went through the door he had been waiting next to. The room he went into was filled with a variety of standard weapons, from swords and shields to spears and bows. Qrow walked past all of these to another door that had a keypad mounted on it. He punched in a code and the door slid open with a hydraulic hiss.
Ruby's curiosity was truly piqued now. She had always been a huge geek when it came to weapons, and wondered what sort of things Shade thought important enough to keep behind locked doors. The inside was even better than she thought.
There were weapons lined up along both walls, enshrined in glass and lit with lights. "These are the retired armaments of some of Shade's best and brightest," Qrow said. "Kept here until a Hunter or Huntress with the skill to use them comes around again. I've been given permission to show them off, just for you guys. I may have mentioned your obsession with weaponry." He winked at Ruby.
Ruby had stopped in front of a maul that was bigger than she was. 'Foehammer' was inscribed on the plinth. Crafted by Gregor 'Hammerhand' Jet, whose semblance granted superhuman strength and stamina. She wondered what it weighed. Nora's hammer, Manghild, weighed enough as it was, and this Foehammer was almost twice its size.
The next case held a pair of Chakram. They were beautifully inscribed with an old Vacuan mantra, and the craftsmanship was exquisite. Fox and Dove. Crafted by Xivia Silksong. The unique alloy used in the construction allows various elements to be imbued into the blades, whether via dust or semblance.
Ruby spent the next fifteen minutes happily bouncing from case to case, softly exclaiming over various things. Jaune hadn't seen her this happy in a long time and was glad that Qrow had brought her here.
"This is cool, but I get the feeling you wanted me for something else," Jaune ventured while Qrow watched Ruby gush over a crossbow that implemented magnetic slides to make it operate somewhat like a rail gun.
"Yeah, I was actually hoping you and I could spar. I have a theory I want to test out, and you're the perfect candidate."
"Oh. Ok, sure. I can do that." Jaune was surprised. Qrow was a superb fighter, and Jaune didn't know what he expected to get out of the exchange.
"Why don't any of the other academies do anything like this? This is the coolest idea, to showcase your kingdoms history through the implements they used to defend against the grimm!" Ruby beamed.
Qrow chuckled. "Glad you like it kiddo. C'mon, let's hit the arena. You ever want to come in here again just let me know, k?"
"Ohh, I would love to get some hands-on time with some of these beauties." There was a slight bounce to Ruby's step as they left the secure armory.
"Thinking about swapping out Crescent Rose? I'll see if I can swing it with Theo. I don't see why you couldn't," Qrow said with a wink.
"No! Crescent Rose is my baby! I just think the best way to appreciate these things is to get acquainted with them. And the best way to get acquainted with weapons is to swing them around." She enthusiastically demonstrated, slashing the air with an imaginary sword.
Jaune listened to this fondly, remembering a conversation he had had with Ruby a lifetime (to him, at least) ago. They had just met on their first day at Beacon, and Ruby had told him his sword and shield combo were cool, because people just didn't have an appreciation for the classics anymore. Jaunes weapons weren't flashy, they didn't turn into guns, and they were several generations old.
As they entered the arena floor, Jaune was surprised to see not just his team and the rest of RWBY, but Headmaster Theodore and Winter as well. As Ruby joined them in the stands, Jaune asked, "What's everyone doing here?"
"Like I said, I have a theory," Qrow said as he unlimbered his weapon, Harbinger. "And they're invested in the results." He began to twirl his sword, moving his feet through various stances as he did so.
Jaune took out his own sword, Crocea Mars. It had been broken in his fight with Cinder, and as he looked down at its riven length, a memory of the sword covered in blood flashed through his mind. He thrust the memory roughly back into the back of his mind. Now wasn't the time for that. He clicked the button on his shield to extend it from its stowed state, rolled his shoulders, and took a couple slow swings, moving much more deliberately than Qrow.
The two combatants slowly circled each other, moving with the easy grace of practiced fighters. Qrow eyed Jaunes truncated sword. "Y'know, you should think about getting that thing fixed up, or replaced. We were just in an armory."
Jaune looked again at his broken blade, and the moment he took his eyes off Qrow the other man dashed forward, sword angled straight at Jaune's throat.
Jaune twisted, raised his shoulder, and let the sword glance off the face of his shield. Without breaking momentum, he planted his feet and bashed with his shield, trying to force Qrow off balance. Qrow, wily as he was, spun with the blow and came at Jaune from the back. The next few exchanges came in a flurry of attacks from Qrow, while Jaune steadfastly weathered them. Even on the defensive, he didn't seem to be off kilter at all. Every block, every move of his feet, every deflection with his sword came with a practiced economy of motion. He wasted no energy, using every move as a segway into the next.
Qrow backed off, reassessing. There was a glint in his eyes that Jaune couldn't interpret. "You just gonna play turtle all day? Hard to win fights like that." He flipped Harbinger up and fired a blast from the underslung shotgun. Jaune ducked behind his shield again, slightly peeved at Qrows antics but otherwise still calm. He tends to attack in sequence, so the next blow should be... he jumped. Sure enough, Harbinger slashed the empty air where his ankles had just been. Qrow didn't give him a chance to reset and hit him squarely in the back with a shattering punch. His aura soaked the blow, but as he turned to face Qrow, Harbinger, now fully extended to its scythe mode, hooked behind his shield and ripped it from his grasp. It spun away from him, well out of his reach.
"There. Now we can have a proper swordfight," Qrow smirked.
Jaune was starting to get mad. His shield was laying behind Qrow on the sand, and he would be open to attack if he tried to retrieve it. Qrow had a significant advantage in reach, and Jaune had lost his defensive tool. He had thought this was going to be a friendly match, Qrow had said he wanted to test something, but Qrow was fighting for keeps. Fine then. Jaune let his mind slip into a focused state of awareness. Qrow was treating this as a real fight, and so would he.
Background noise faded to a buzz, time slowed, and he assessed his options. Qrow had reach. What did you do when an opponent had more reach than you? You closed the distance and got inside of it. His advantage was that he had an immense aura pool and could take a significant amount of damage before it broke. Ok then. Qrow wanted a fight, he'd get a fight. He lowered his center of gravity, shifted his stance, and charged.
After Ruby and Jaune entered the armory with Qrow, the rest of the group checked out the forge. Adjacent to the armory, it had everything a hunter needed to maintain and upgrade their armaments. You could even craft a new piece if you desired. They had all upgraded their equipment in Atlas, but Jaune's had understandably taken a beating in his intervening time. As Weiss looked over a selection of ingots infused with various dusts, she wondered if Jaune would want to replace or repair his worn gear. She knew it meant a lot to him because one, it was a family heirloom, and two, he had incorporated some of Pyrrha's armor into his own.
Her mind wandered to the night before, and her kiss with him in the moonlight. She didn't know if she had been too forward with him. It had been an impulsive thing to do, but she hadn't been able to help herself. She sighed internally. What was done was done. And it had been a nice kiss, she thought.
Weiss nearly jumped out of her skin as Nora suddenly appeared at her elbow. "Hi Weiss!"
"Nora! Sorry, I was lost in thought, I didn't see you." Weiss was flustered.
"You're looking kinda pink. And Oscar mentioned that Jaune was out late last night. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" Nora was looking at her far too slyly for her liking.
Weiss gave Oscar her best glare, who looked appropriately sheepish, then turned back to Nora. "We were just talking. As friends. Nothing more."
"AH-HA! So you were with him. Yang said you've been making mooneyes at him ever since you saw him with that beard in the Ever After." Nora's eyes were bright and mischievous.
It was Yang's turn to receive the glare. Yang just grinned. "Well, you have. He certainly has matured. And that beard looked good on him."
Ren, Blake, and Oscar were watching from the sidelines as Weiss exploded in indignant fury. Ren chuckled. "It amazes me how Nora can pick up on something like that, but not realize you and Yang are together now. Congratulations, by the way." He smiled at Blake.
"Thanks, Ren. I'm glad to see you and Nora making progress too." Blake smiled back.
"She's an amazing woman, that's for sure. I spent so long compartmentalizing my feelings I didn't see what was right in front of me." He sighed. "She had to nearly die to make me realize what I would lose. I hope you and Yangs epiphany went more smoothly."
"It was pretty textbook fairytale, honestly. I'll have to fill you in on the details later, I think we've been rumbled." Weiss was gesticulating towards Yang, who was still standing there, arms crossed, grin wider than ever. Blake walked up to her and slid an arm around her side.
"Why are we even talking about this when these two are already together!" Weiss was still pointing angrily. "You're really going to tease me about Jaune when you haven't even noticed the perpetual 'will they, won't they' pair finally connected?"
Nora paused, looking at Yang and Blake. The two women stood there, arms around each other's waists, and Blake gave her an apologetic shrug and a smile. "You- when, OHMYGODTHISISINCREDIBLE!," she exclaimed happily. "You two! Things just keep getting better! We have to double date. Maybe triple if Weiss makes her move." Nora was bubbling over with enthusiasm as she hugged each of them. Weiss was spluttering again at the last remark, and a bright shade of red.
"If Weiss makes what move?" Winter and Theodore had entered unnoticed during the commotion. Winter was looking at her sister inquisitively.
"Winter! I, well, um"-
"It's good to see you youngsters in such high spirits!" Theodore stepped forward, beaming at the group. "I'd like you all to accompany us to the viewing area for the arena. I do believe Mr. Arc and Mr. Branwen will be putting on a display for us, and a good show deserves an audience."
Winter was still watching Weiss. She had rarely seen her sister this flustered. The Schnees had a well-earned reputation for being cold as ice, and were usually great at keeping their composure. She had an inkling of an idea of what had gotten Weiss worked up, but would have to approach the situation delicately given that Weiss's friends had already gotten under her skin. They've been back less than a day and already brought so much energy into Shade. Winter felt a blossom of hope in her heart, the first she had felt in a long time.
In the stands, Oscar watched Jaune and Qrow circle. He had a good idea as to what Theodore and Qrow were up to, and Ozpin agreed. If Mr. Arc has truly spent that much time fighting for the people of the Ever After, he should have the skills to back it up. You put a man with decades of experience into a younger man's body, a body still approaching its prime, and that man can do incredible things. Oscar was inclined to agree. He and Ozpin were in a comparable situation, and while Oscar had improved immensely as a fighter, Ozpin could still do things while in control that made Oscar seem like a clumsy initiate.
Ruby sat down next to him. She was smiling a bright, cheery smile, and he smiled in response. He hadn't seen that genuine a smile on her in a while. "Have a good time in the armory?"
"It was great! There were so many cool weapons, and cool designs, and little blurbs about the hunters who had used them." She swung her legs as she talked. "How do you think Jaune is going to do against Qrow?" Down on the sand, Qrow had just ripped away Jaune's shield, and Ruby winced slightly.
"I think Jaune is going to surprise us all. I believe in him."
Ruby considered this for a moment. "Me too," she said as Jaune charged back into the fray.
Oscar had trouble following the next exchange between the two. Jaune had... intensified. It was the only word that came to mind. Qrow had always been a flashy fighter, employing quick-change tactics to keep his opponents off balance. Jaune knew this and wasn't giving him room to breathe. Without his shield, and with a broken sword his only offense, Jaune got into Qrow's face and stuck to him no matter what. He was using his off hand to block and punch while his sword arm hewed mercilessly.
And it was working, Qrow was getting pushed into the defensive. Jaune was using his above average aura pool to take hits that most people would avoid. Hell, he was taking hits that would floor most people. And he was gaining momentum.
Qrow slashed with his scythe and Jaune ducked into it, left arm pistoning towards Qrow's midsection. Qrow spun out of the attack and Harbinger boomed out a point-blank shotgun blast. Lightning quick, Jaune spun Crocea Mars up to deflect the spray of lead and followed through with a slash at Qrows face. Qrow fell into a backwards handspring and kicked a spray of sand into Jaune's face as he did. Jaune bulled forward, undeterred, and nearly caught Qrow with another punch.
Qrow sucked his gut in and got his scythe behind Jaune, and then ripped it forward. Jaune grunted, scythe edge grating against his armor, and decked Qrow with the pommel of his sword. Oscar heard his companions cheering and looked at Ruby. She was on the edge of her seat with a mixture of anxiety and elation on her face.
Qrow shook his head and spat. Oscar could tell that the blow had rattled him, but he wasn't done yet. He started to spin his scythe, faster and faster until it made a horrible keening noise that rent the air, then tore back into Jaune with a terrific flurry of blows. He spun in, scythe flashing high. Jaune blocked it with his left vambrace, but Harbinger kept moving, shrieking as its edge tore along Jaune's armor. Jaune threw his head back, narrowly dodging the scythe blade, but now he was off balance. Qrow didn't give him a chance to recover and Harbingers haft clocked him in the temple. Qrow kept spinning the scythe and hit Jaune in the midsection, then caught the blade edge around Jaune's ankle and pulled his feet out from under him.
Jaune hit the sand hard. He rolled, and the scythe crashed into the ground where he just was. The cheering had hushed. Jaune scrambled back to his feet, and he was positively radiating energy. No, he actually is radiating energy, Oscar thought.
Ozpin mused; it seems Mr. Arc has physically manifested his aura. I've never seen it this powerful before. Remarkable.
Oscar knew that Jaune's semblance was Aura Amp. He could magnify the aura of others and make them stronger. He had used this to great effect bolstering his teammates, but had never used it on himself. Oscar hadn't known he could use it on himself. He thought Jaune had to use his aura as a sort of battery to charge up others. You couldn't charge a device using its own power supply, that was a paradox. But something was happening. There was light, like a golden mantle, flowing down Jaune's back. There was a shield of the same shimmering golden light on his left arm, and Crocea Mars was whole again. He looked like a knight straight out of a fairy tale.
Well, he is, Oscar. He's the Rusted Knight from the 'Girl Who Fell Through the World,' remember? We're seeing the proof of that right now. He is an incredible young man. Ozpin sounded satisfied.
On the battlefield, Jaune leveled his sword, and charged. Qrow spun Harbinger and dashed forward himself. When the two collided, there was a flash of intense golden light. Qrow's aura crackled and shattered as Crocea Mars slammed into him. He stumbled and yelled, "I Yield, Jaune." He leaned on his scythe, breathing hard.
As Jaune approached Qrow, Qrow stood and clapped him on the shoulder. "You did good, Jaune. Great, even. Gods, but that punch of yours hurts." He rubbed his jaw ruefully. "So, did you know you could do that?" Qrow gestured towards the shimmering light that cloaked Jaune.
"I... no. My aura has never manifested like this before." As he talked, the light began to fade, and he visibly sagged as fatigue hit him.
Everyone in the stands made their way down to the pair. Yang, Ruby and Nora got to them first. "That was incredible Jaune! You beat Qrow!" Ruby exclaimed, bouncing up and down.
"I went easy on him." Qrow sounded indignant, but he was chuckling.
"You kicked ass, vomit boy!" Yang laughed. "Honestly though, that was impressive. I've never seen Qrow scramble so much in a fight." She gave Qrow a friendly punch to the shoulder as she said it.
Nora was examining the fading mantle. "How'd you get all glowy? That was awesome, the way you just made weapons and armor out of light like that."
Theodore stepped before Jaune, brimming with enthusiasm. "Excellent fight, Mr. Arc, quite excellent. I had half a mind to join in myself, but I didn't want to spoil the chivalry of the one-on-one battle. How do you feel?"
"Well, tired, but otherwise pretty good." Jaune rolled his shoulders. "Surprisingly good, really. I thought I would be more worn out after using so much aura, but I'll be fine as soon as I catch my breath."
"You were great Jaune," Ren smiled at him.
"Remind me not to get on your bad side," Blake grinned and patted him on the back.
Winter was watching Weiss hover at the edge of the cluster of people. She nudged her sister and said, "Go to him. There's no shame in liking a man like that. He's got my approval."
Weiss reddened, but looked at Winter, searching her face for any sign of teasing. Seeing none, her face softened, and she quietly said, "Thank you Winter. It's just, confusing, you know?"
"I wouldn't, I've never had time for a relationship. But you deserve happiness. And don't think I've forgotten how you fawned over the Rusted Knight when you were a girl." She ruffled Weiss's hair as she said this.
"Oh, please stop. My friends are going to give me no end of grief as it is. They don't need to know that fact as well. At this rate I don't think my face is ever going to go back to its normal color."
"I'm done, I promise. I love you, Weiss. Now go."
Weiss gave her sister a quick hug. "I love you too, Winter." She stooped to pick up Jaune's fallen shield, straightened her shoulders, and went over to him.
Winter watched her go with a smile on her face. Qrow and Headmaster Theodore had been right. Jaune had grown, and Qrow had managed to push him into a state that had unlocked his semblance to a higher level. Now to make sure he's mentally capable as well, after his ordeals. Ozpin's up to bat next. And, maybe, she thought with a smile, Weiss.
After the battle in the arena, the two teams were called back to Theodore's office. He had told them he had information to impart to all of them. As they arrayed themselves before his desk, he paced back and forth, full of energy.
"I'm sending you all data that I believe will be relevant to your current assignment. Winter, you have the afternoon off. Take Weiss to see your family, they're overdue in knowing that she's back among the living.
"In a similar vein, Miss Belladona, I'm forwarding you the location that your parents are operating from. They have been indispensable in distributing food and aid to our people. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see you.
"Miss Rose, Miss Xiao Long, I'm afraid you'll have to wait to reunite with your father, but rest assured, Taiyang is doing well. I'll have more information for you later.
"Mr. Arc, your family is not currently in Vacuo. We're working on discovering their whereabouts. I understand that you have a sister in Argus, and Argus still stands. A message is on the way to her as we speak.
"Mr. Ren, Miss Valkyrie, and Mr. Pine, I've given Miss Sustrai her freedom. She's proven cooperative, and I believe it's in our best interest to catch her up to speed. She will operate as a member of Team JORNE. Mr. Arc, you will resume leadership of this team.
"Dismissed, Hunters. Enjoy your day."