The halls of Beacon were filled with the best and brightest young minds from all across Remnant. They were the cream of the crop, the best of the best, the upper echelon.

And then there was Team LILY. Team LILY, who were the last team to pass the initiation. Team LILY who collectively had the worst combat record in their year. Team LILY, who were the subject of a dead pool ran by several students and a few teachers. They were the dregs of Beacon, the chaff, the dead weight, the cannon fodder.

Like always, Team LILY's morning began with a faint sense of irritation that permeated the dorm room. Lotus woke up first, feeling a faint burning under her skin.

"Again?" she said, clearly upset.

"Sorry," Yasmin said. "We're working on it."

"Well work harder. I haven't had a good night's sleep since I got to this place."

"Don't be so hard on them, Lotus," Iris pleaded. "You know how hard she's been trying."

Lotus rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm taking the first shower." Lotus stomped into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Yasmin sighed. "Thanks, Iris."

Iris smiled. "You know Lotus is worried too. She just doesn't want anyone to know she actually cares about people. I know how hard Lala's been working. We all want her to get better." She looked longingly at the bathroom. "I think Lotus is gonna be a while. I'm gonna shower in the school."

Iris grabbed her things and left the room. Yasmin went to the bed where her partner was still sound asleep.

"Come on, Lala, it's time to wake up," Yasmin said, gently nudging Lala.

Lala grumbled. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you too." Yasmin handed Lala a small white bottle. "Here."

Lala took the bottle with a grimace. "How much more of this poison must I consume?"

"You know you have to take it, Lala."

Lala opened the bottle and shook out two pills. Frowning all the while, she swallowed them.

"There, all gone," she said. "These pills rob my life of its color. If this is the cure then perhaps the disease is more preferable."

Yasmin wrapped her arms around Lala. "I know you hate taking them, but it's better than the alternative." Lala grabbed her bag from beside her bed. "Come on, we have to get ready for class."

After showering and changing into their uniforms, Lala and Yasmin passed by another group of students in the hall. They would have passed by without saying anything, but one of them turned when they recognized Yasmin.

"Hey," the student shouted. "I remember you. You're that girl who fought Weiss, right?"

Yasmin turned to look at the girl who called her out. "Yes. Can I help you with something?"

"I just wanted to tell you how awesome you looked. The way you swung that sword was so cool! It was like one of those old martial arts movies."

Yasmin nodded. "Thank you. I work at it every day."

Lala chuckled. "Do not be fooled by her false modesty. She is quite pleased by your compliment, especially when it comes from one as skilled as you, Nora."

"Thanks," Nora said, her smile slowly fading. "But wait, how did you know my name?"

Yasmin quickly stepped forward. "We learned when they were assigning teams. Everyone in the school wants to know about Pyrrha's teammates. You all must be very skilled to stand alongside The Invincible Girl."

Nora puffed up with pride. "Of course, we're one of the best teams at Beacon."

"I'm sure." Yasmin looked over the rest of Team JNPR. "I am pleased to meet you. I am Yasmin of Team LILY. This is my partner, Lala."

Jaune took a step forward and extended a hand. "My name's Jaune. It's always nice to meet new people."

Yasmin shook Jaune's hand. He extended it towards Lala, but when Lala moved to return it, Yasmin grabbed her hand. She looked at Lala and shook her head.

Lala sighed. "I nearly forgot, I must keep contact with others to a minimum. I am a dangerous creature, after all."

Yasmin felt a faint sense of frustration, like insects gnawing at her skin. From the way the others reacted she knew that Team JNPR could feel it too. She grabbed Lala by the arm and sped off.

"Sorry, I'd love to talk more but we need to get to our class."

"What were you thinking?" she whispered.

"Please forgive me, I was just a little angry," Lala said.

"I know you're angry, but you have to keep your emotions under control."

Lala turned away pouting. "I thought that was what the medicine was for?"

Yasmin clenched a fist. "The medicine does its job, but you have to try too. I know you don't want to go back to Atlas, and I don't want you to either."

"That is true. I have become a fixture in your life. You would be lost without me."

The two of them entered class and saw Iris waving at them. They took their seats next to her and listened in on Professor Port's lecture.

Today's lesson was about Ursa. To his credit, the professor managed to stay mostly on topic, keeping the lecture to things that related to the topic at hand. When he wasn't bragging about his exploits, he proved himself a fount of knowledge.

Port turned towards the class. "Now then, there is one more thing about Ursa that many overlook. What might that be? How about you, Miss Star?"

Iris stood up in her seat. "Ursa are big, but they can be really fast. If they charge into you it's like getting hit by a car."

Port nodded. "That is correct, if strangely worded. The average Ursa weighs nine hundred pounds, and Alphas are even larger. Although they lack the extreme speeds of a Boarbatusk, they are still extremely dangerous. Many Hunters have lost their lives by underestimating a charging Ursa."

Iris smiled knowing she had the right answer.

"Now then, since you got the correct answer, how about you perform the practical application this time?"

Iris' smile quickly fell off of her face.

"D-do I have to?" she said.

"Of course. I assure you there is nothing to be afraid of. I'll give you some time to retrieve your weapon."

Iris sighed and slowly trudged out of the room. Several minutes later something ran into the classroom door with a thud. The door swung open and Iris stumbled in. The class broke into laughter that swiftly went silent as they saw what Iris had dragged in behind her.

Iris' weapon was an axe, on paper anyway. In reality it was a mangled, ugly mess of scrap metal that someone stuck a handle in. It hurt to even look at the thing. Iris hefted that monstrosity as if it was completely weightless.

Iris stood in front of the caged Grimm, trembling all the while. When Port opened the cage and the giant black bear Grimm lumbered out Iris cowered behind her axe. She shuffled backwards with her eyes wrenched shut. The Grimm closed in. She tightened her grip on her weapon, but her body refused to move no matter how much she willed it to.

"Come on, Iris, hit it already!" Lotus shouted.

Iris finally swung her weapon. It was a wild, unfocused swing that missed its target by several inches. The class broke into laughter. It was too comical for words.

Three people, instead of laughing, simply rose from their seats in the front and moved towards the back of the class.

"Where are you guys going?" a student asked.

"Out of the splash zone," Yasmin replied.

Iris' blind barrage continued. She swung her axe as fast and hard as she could. Each strike sent large gusts of wind throughout the room. None of her attacks were even close to on target. But something in the room changed. People began to notice that despite her fear, Iris handled her axe like a veteran fighter. She never lost control of her weapon, no matter how hard she swung, even switching hands to change her angle of attack. Eventually, Iris stopped attacking. She slowly opened an eye and saw the Ursa still standing. The giant black bear saw an opening and charged. It slashed out with its claws, its nails inches from Iris. Iris screamed and swung with all her might. Her strike destroyed the Ursa's body, sending chunks of flesh and sprays of blood all over the room, including the front rows of students. The room suddenly filled with the fetid stench of Grimm blood. Several students were pelted with bits of flesh and sprayed with blood. The stench, stickiness, and for a few very unfortunate individuals taste, assaulted their senses.

Iris heard the screaming and slowly opened one eye. "Is it gone?"

In the back of the classroom, Lotus was doubled over with laughter.

"So that's what it looks like from the outside," she said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"She certainly is something," Yasmin said.

"Such beautiful flowers," Lala mused.

Professor Port cleared his throat. "Well done, Miss Star. Now then, that is all the time we have today. And don't worry, the viscera will dissolve shortly."

XxX

The day ended with sparring like always. The matches played out as normal, and the class was slowly drawing to a close.

"We have time for one last match for the day," Glynda said as she addressed the students. She pressed a button on her scroll and selected two more students.

"Our final match will be Russel Thrush versus Lotus Chahna."

Lotus stood on the stage, a look of obvious disgust drawn across her face. Even for a man, Russel looked like a complete scumbag. Everything from his green mohawk to his ratty clothes to those ugly knives he was so proud of screamed asshole.

Russel either didn't notice the way Lotus was looking at him or didn't care. He slowly licked his lips as his eyes slowly made their way up and down her body.

"You're pretty hot. Hows about you and me have a little more fun after this?"

Lotus' eyelid twitched.

"Begin!" Glynda shouted.

Russel made the first move, rushing forward and slashing with his knives. Lotus easily dodged every attack. He was fast, but she could read him like a book. His rhythm was simple, obvious.

Russel reared back to stab her, but Lotus kicked him on his side just below the ribs, burying her toes in his flesh. Russel immediately fell to his knees, his aura taking a massive hit. Lotus grabbed Russel by the shirt and raised her arm. With a crack, she elbowed Russel hard in the back of his neck. Lotus let of of the unconscious Russel and let him drop to the floor. She rejoined her teammates without even waiting for Glynda to call the match.

"The winner is Lotus Chahna," Glynda announced. "Who can tell me what the deciding factor of this match was?"

In the audience, Pyrrha raised her hand. "The strike to Russel's liver. There are some things aura can't protect you from, like pain, and nothing hurts more than that."

Glynda nodded. "Correct. Understanding the human body is also an essential part of being a hunter. There may come a time where a drawn out battle is out of the question, in which case a swift strike to an enemy's vital areas is your best option."

Glynda looked at her watch. "It seems we have more time than I thought. One last match, then."

She selected two more combatants.

"Interesting. Our final, final match will be Lala Lamb versus Pyrrha Nikos."

Lala's face lit up with excitement. "A duel with a true warrior, I can't wait."

"Be careful," Yasmin said.

Lala rushed to the stage gripping her spear.

Pyrrha smiled and waved at her opponent. "Hello again. I hope we both can enjoy this."

Lala raised her spear and thrust it into the floor.

"Let all eyes be drawn to the stage!" she shouted. She turned around and looked up into the stands expectantly.

Yasmin closed her eyes and inhaled.

"For two souls are to be joined in battle! Witness the clashing of spirits!" Yasmin's voice boomed throughout the arena.

Lala pointed her spear at Pyrrha. "Today, two stars shall rise, and one shall fall. I pray that you are worthy of my spear."

"Begin!" Glynda shouted.

Lala slowly inched towards her opponent, her spear held high above her head.

Then the thrust came, faster than anyone, even Pyrrha could have seen. It crashed into Pyrrha's shield, sending her sliding back.

Lala's attacks were fast and relentless, but every single one missed by a hair. No matter the speed or angle of attack, Lala couldn't land a single hit. But unlike many in the past, Lala was far from discouraged. In fact, she looked like she came to a realization.

"Very interesting. I must change my approach."

Lala took a stance and stood still. She winked at Pyrrha, waiting for her reaction. Pyrrha took her invitation and proceeded to attack.

The two soon found themselves locked in a stalemate. Lala's attacks were incapable of reaching Pyrrha, while Pyrrha was unable to break through Lala's defenses.

This troubled Pyrrha greatly. Lala had that same distant expression she always did, but the way she moved was like she knew which attacks were coming before they happened. Pyrrha wondered if this girl was hiding her true strength.

But all things must end, and this battle was no exception. Little by little, Pyrrha broke Lala down, and was able to seize victory. Pyrrha stood over her defeated opponent, her reputation as unrivaled intact.

"The winner is Pyrrha Nikos," Glynda announced. There was a smattering of applause in the theater.

Pyrrha grabbed Lala's hand and helped her to her feet.

"That was a wonderful battle," she said.

"It seems that I still have far to go," Lala replied.
Lala left the stage humming to herself and was immediately mobbed by a concerned Yasmin.

"Are you okay?" she asked, poring over Lala searching for injuries.

"Of course, I have suffered worse injuries."

Yasmin sighed. "I know. I'll wait for you to change and we can go back to the room together, alright?"

Lala nodded. "Of course."

XxX

After class had ended, Pyrrha went to the showers to wash the sweat and dirt from her body. Looking around she noticed that the only other student in the showers was the girl she had just fought.

Pyrrha didn't know what to make of this girl. She was an eccentric, but her skills were genuine. Pyrrha looked at the girl's body, covered in dark purplish bruises. Her eyes traveled to the large, jagged scar across the girl's back. She felt a faint heat beneath her skin. Shaking her head she turned the hot water down and resumed her shower. It was then that she heard something fall to the floor. Pyrrha turned and saw that Lala had fallen to the floor. Again, Pyrrha felt like she was running a fever. Ignoring it, she rushed over to the fallen girl. With every step she took, the room grew hotter and hotter. The heat became unbearable, like the inside of an oven.

Pyrrha knelt down next to Lala and extended a hand towards her.

"Are you okay?" she said.

She placed a hand on Lala's shoulder, and at that very moment Pyrrha's body was engulfed in flames. The room suddenly filled with smoke and the smell of burning flesh. Pyrrha looked at her body as her skin blackened and sloughed off of her body. The pain was indescribable. Her lungs filled with smoke. Pyrrha fell to the floor struggling for breath. She stared unblinking at the ceiling, begging for an end to the agony she found herself in.

Seconds later, everything went black, and Pyrrha didn't feel anything anymore.

XxX

Pyrrha slowly opened her eyes. She wasn't in the shower room anymore. From the smell of antiseptic she realized that she was in the infirmary. The blinding white lights burned her eyes.

"What happened?"

"You're okay!" Jaune shouted. He ran to her bed and grabbed her hand.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha groaned. Her eyes snapped open and she jerked her hand free. She ran her fingers over her face and over her body. Her skin was just like she left it, free of burns and still attached to her body.

"What's wrong?" Jaune asked.

"I, how did I get here?" Pyrrha asked.

Nora jumped forward. "Glynda brought you. You were late getting back to the room and we got worried. We were about to look for when she called us."

"She said you were passed out in the showers," Ren said. "What happened?"

"I think it'd be best if I explained that," someone new said.

Pyrrha recognized the girl from that morning. She was uneasy as she stood, gripping at her skirt. She couldn't meet Pyrrha's gaze.

Jaune gestured towards the girl. "She was here before we were."

Yasmin sighed. "I can guess what happened: you felt this heat, and then you felt like you were burning, and then you passed out. Am I correct?"

Pyrrha nodded. "Yes, but how did you know that?"

"I know because I went through the same thing when I first met Lala. It was her Semblance."

"Her Semblance?" Jaune said. "What kind of Semblance does that?"

Yasmin swallowed loudly. "Lala has the ability to link her mind with other people. She doesn't have the best control over it, so its power fluctuates. Sometimes you just feel faint sensations or emotions, while at other times the connection becomes so powerful that you experience her memories. That is what happened to you."

Pyrrha gasped as realization hit her. "Wait, that was her memory? What in the world happened to her?"

Yasmin bit her lip. "I can't tell you. I just want you to know that it wasn't Lala's fault. She can't turn off her Semblance. I'm working with her to help her control it, so if you want to blame anyone you should blame me."

Pyrrha looked at her hands. Even though it was all in her head, she could still feel her skin cracking apart and smoke burning her lungs.

"I don't blame you, or her. Tell Lala that I hope she gets better."

"Thank you," Yasmin said. She turned and left the infirmary.

Jaune sighed. "That was way too heavy."

Ren looked deep in thought. "Isn't it rather dangerous to have someone like that roaming the school. She could have killed you, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha shook her head. "I don't think she's a bad person."

"What makes you say that?" Nora asked.

"If she wanted me dead, she would have done it earlier, and no one would have even known it was her. And then there was what she said before our match. Those words were from a play I saw when I was a child. She has to be a fan. Lala uses a spear just like the heroine of that play, she even dresses like her."

"She must be a fan," Jaune said.

"I think she's incapable of hiding who she really is. When it happened, I felt everything she felt. I felt all of her pain, but I didn't get a single trace of malice. I think we can trust her."

"Still," Nora said, "It can't be easy having a power like that. How does she even manage it?"

"Can she?" Jaune asked.

XxX

Later that night in Team LILY's dorm, Yasmin sat next to Lala's bed. Lala laid in bed, trying and failing to fall asleep.

"Are they mad?" Lala asked.

"No," Yasmin replied. "I explained it to them. I didn't tell them everything, but it was enough. You won't have to worry about Ozpin either. I explained everything to him. He understands that it wasn't your fault."

"Thank you. Are you going to tell the General what happened?"

"I have to. You know that, Lala. Don't worry, we both expected something like this to happen."

"I see. Are you mad at me, Yasmin?"

Yasmin sighed. "No, I'm not. I know it wasn't your fault. I'm going to get something to eat. Do you want me to bring you anything?"

Lala turned away from Yasmin. "I'm not hungry."

Yasmin went to the door. "Alright."

Yasmin gently closed the door behind her. Lala sighed and pulled a blanket over her head.

"There's no point in lying, Yasmin."