Well, there were some gripes about the previous chapters and after reading a good number of comments, I felt like I should address a few things.

First, no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't justify Jaune really putting up a fight against Mercury. That guy defeated his dad, an elite assassin, and who has been fighting and killing his entire life. Jaune trained for a little over a month starting from no skills, plus he just faced off against another student, even if Cardin wasn't nearly as strong as Mercury.

Now the main gripe I've been seeing is with Cardin. I read all the comments and I do see how this looks. It's not nearly as satisfying, but I never said this was a last face off Jaune and Cardin would be having. Think about this. Bullies like to pick on people who don't fight back. We are told to ignore them and they will go away, but as many people can vouch, that's usually not the case. When we fight back, the bullies tend to leave us alone… and find another target to pick on. If Jaune managed to kick Cardin's ass in combat class, sure, he might not be bullied anymore, what do you think will happen? Cardin might take his frustration out on others.

But now that Jaune hit Cardin where it hurt the most, his pride, what do you think Cardin is going to do? Ignore Jaune and bother someone else… or laser focus on him? I'm pretty sure there will be a round two in the future without rules or safety guidelines.

Then what we have all been waiting for, Jaune and Pyrrha talk! Seriously, really thanks to nBappo for reviewing this. We spent days rewriting this one scene until we were both satisfied with it. A lot of going back and forth during that time. I think I might have to gift him some Discord Nitro as a bonus. We hope you enjoy our finished work. Some people will find it satisfying, others won't, but hopefully understand why we went this direction.

If you continue to enjoy my stories, feel free to check out my p a treon.

P a treon . com (Slash) DarkBetrayer

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

Jaune hated how he couldn't say the words he wanted to. The awkwardness, the embarrassment, the knowledge that he had been in the wrong, all weighed down on him. He knew what he wanted to say, but actually saying those words was way more difficult than he had envisioned. Pyrrha barely glanced in his direction once and seemed to be focused on an interesting stain on the rug. Jaune's hands clinched reflexively on the bed as he took another deep breath.

He had to stop being a coward.

If you made a mistake, it was up to you to correct it.

"Pyrrha…" The boy croaked out. "I'm… sorry. For everything."

Just a couple of words. The hardest couple of words he had ever said before. Yet those simple words had a profound effect on the redhead girl. Pyrrha's green eyes widened as she spun her head so quickly toward him that there was a crack. Like Jaune, she knew they needed to have this conversation. It wasn't one they could avoid if they ever wanted to be friends again. But an actual apology? Even the champion didn't expect that so early. Part of her didn't expect one at all, even as she knew Jaune had forgiven her. Though she really didn't do anything that needed forgiving.

Protecting someone wasn't a bad thing.

"You're… sorry?" Pyrrha repeated slowly, unsure if she heard correctly.

"When we last spoke face to face, before I left…" Jaune had to say this. He had been completely wrong in his actions and Pyrrha deserved the apology. "I was angry and yelled at you, along with saying things I shouldn't have. That was not only rude, it wasn't something you deserved."

For the first time, he looked up and Pyrrha was staring at him, her face full of surprise.

"I realized what you were trying to do," Jaune continued. Now that he started, he found it easier to keep going. Like a snowball rolling down a slope. "That anger was me lashing out because I knew you were right. I wasn't ready for Beacon or being a Huntsman. I thought I could just cheat my way in and catch up with everyone else. But traveling with Qrow? Everything I've seen and experienced? It showed me how naive and stupid I was. That you have to train seriously for a long time to even have a chance."

Jaune looked down at the ground.

"I was tired of being protected, tired of being held back. This was something I wanted. Something I knew deep down I had to do. But I went about it the wrong way. I risked your life as well as mine. Every time I fought in class against Cardin and got beaten badly, it was just a reminder of what I lacked. Then you came to me and offered to help me. I thought at the time I had to do everything myself to earn my place, so I rejected you. Then when I heard you told Ozpin, I suddenly was reminded of my parents going against my dream of being a Huntsman. All that anger I felt welled up. It was misplaced anger that you didn't deserve."

"I really didn't want to tell him," Pyrrha finally spoke up from her side. "I tried to tell you that back then. If you had accepted my help in training, I wouldn't have said anything, but when you declined and didn't seem to have any backup plan, I was terrified. I've heard so many stories of people who try to get stronger quickly and take risks before ending up crippled for life or dead. I… didn't want that, Jaune. All I wanted was to protect you. My first real friend at Beacon."

"I wouldn't have been at Beacon if things didn't work out how they did." This time, Jaune was in control of himself. He wouldn't be yelling at her again. There had been plenty of opportunities to go over everything he did wrong and realize his own faults. Talking about others' mistakes before fixing his own was childish. "I was lucky. Actually, I can't count the number of times I was. Beacon taking my fake transcripts, you saving me during initiation, actually passing initiation, and now this..."

"Do you hate me?"

The question came so suddenly, Jaune instantly stopped speaking as words caught in his throat. Pyrrha was staring at him, her green eyes seeming to be piercing his very being. The boy didn't know how to respond at first.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you hate me?" Pyrrha repeated softly. "For nearly destroying your future as a Huntsman?"

"I…" Jaune began, before closing his mouth. It was time for honestly, to get everything out in the open, and only then could they find a way back. "Yes… yes, I did."

Pyrrha's green eyes widened in shock and her lip began to quiver slightly, before she realized what Jaune had just said had been in past tense.

"You… did?" Pyrrha tentatively asked.

"I did," Jaune repeated seriously. "Like I said, I was mad. Lashing out at everything. At the time, I wasn't thinking straight. All I cared about was the fact you had just ruined my chance at being a hero. Someone for others to look up to. Someone who could help people. I was about to be a nobody, another small fish in the sea. At that moment, I did hate you. Once I had a chance to calm down, got some distance between us, and had time to think, I realized I didn't really hate you. I hated myself. My stupid, selfish, weak self. You only did what you did because you cared."

Jaune gripped his hands together in front of him.

"Traveling with Qrow, all the stuff I saw… It made me realize how unprepared I was. Even more so than initiation. From Grimm, to bandits, slave traders, even psychopaths. Every step I took out there made me understand how weak I was. Qrow and Ruby helped me so much during that time, like you did during initiation." Jaune looked up at Pyrrha. "One mistake was all it would take. One instance of bad luck and it would have been over for me."

"I wish I had talked to you, Ren, and Nora first too." Pyrrha admitted, also feeling pathetic. "Then none of this would have happened. We wouldn't have been so divided."

"As much as I would have preferred otherwise, joining the apprenticeship was definitely needed." Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "I doubt I would have improved half as much if I stayed here, even with you teaching me." Pyrrha twitched slightly at these words. "Living and breathing training every day, no breaks except maybe a bed if we get back into town. It was tough, but we learned so much and got to help a lot of people."

"Ren kept me updated about your progress." Pyrrha admitted, her voice a little emotionless. "You went through quite a lot, and even discovered your Semblance after only unlocking your Aura recently."

"It's been so useful!" Jaune exclaimed and looked up at the ceiling. "Who would have thought I would be a healer." He chuckled, finally finding some humor that evening. "With a sword and shield, I might as well be a Paladin." Remember what was happening when he unlocked his Semblance quickly sobered him up. "All jokes aside, it helped me save multiple people. Ruby, Tobias… and who knows who else in the future?"

"It was lucky you instinctively knew how to activate your Semblance." Pyrrha pointed out. "Most people use it once by accident and then have to figure out how to activate it again. I did for sure…" All the times random metal objects in her house flew at her made her paranoid for months when she was younger. "I didn't have that initial control over my own."

The fact other students were upset at her for using her Semblance, part of herself she practiced for years to control properly, caused a twinge of anger in the champion.

"Qrow had me practice just amplifying myself constantly, nearly 24/7." Jaune explained. "It started to become second nature, like breathing. It's how I withstood all of Cardin's attacks. He was so slow compared to Ruby that it was easy to block him and avoid any direct hits."

"You and Ruby must have trained a lot together." Pyrrha's smile looked almost forced, but Jaune didn't seem to notice.

"We had to learn while sparring with Qrow nearly every day." Jaune groaned. "He didn't go easy on us. I got more injuries from him than most Grimm we faced. But living and training together with someone everyday, you begin to understand them. Ruby and I really learned how to work as a team. We even got some good hits against him a couple of times."

Pyrrha's fingers tightened on her skirt. She hadn't gotten the joy of working with another person like that. To grow stronger together. Nora and Ren kept her at a distance.

"That sounds… wonderful…"

"Ruby snores in her sleep too, didn't know that." Jaune continued. "Was kind of surprised the first night."

"Can we talk about something else besides Ruby?" Pyrrha interjected, her stomach twisting into knots. "Like what we're going to do from here?"

"Right…" Jaune rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Sorry." Talking about Ruby just felt nice and he got carried away, but Pyrrha was right. They had more important things to talk about right now then his friendship with Ruby. "So… I know Nora wants us to reconcile."

"She only recently started talking to me again…"

"Really?" Jaune bit the corner of his lip. "I did ask her to try to get along with you."

"It was more… we just didn't talk to avoid any fighting." Pyrrha looked away. "Nora was… is… very attached to you. She used to be that way with me too…"

"Ren explained why she is to me…"

"He did to me too, so I know why she's acting like that." Pyrrha quickly shut Jaune down. There was no reason to discuss it. "What I want to know… do you think we can go back to what we were? Before all this started?"

Jaune opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

He wasn't sure what to say. What he wanted to say was obvious, but part of him, the nagging voice in the back of his mind, flared up once more. His silence told Pyrrha more than any words the boy could possibly come up with. Realizing this, the girl hung her head in dejection. Disgust at himself flared within Jaune as he saw her disappointed look.

"I want to," Jaune finally told her. "I really do. But…" Yeah, there was always a but. However, Pyrrha needed to know the truth. Giving false hope might as well be torture. Once she had all the facts, she could make her own decision. "Part of me feels like I'll probably be keeping a distance from you, even if I don't mean to. We used to talk a lot and tell each other all sorts of things, but now I think I'll probably be hesitant to tell you anything personal anymore. Worried you might tell others."

"Jaune… that was a completely different situation then telling me something embarrassing!" Pyrrha protested. "Lives were on the line! You said so yourself that you realized how dangerous the world is outside the city walls. Can't you see how… how childish it is to compare the two?"

"I know it is!" Jaune threw his hands up into the air. "Of course, I do. But I can't shake that feeling. I'm stupid and selfish, but I can't help it."

"I see…" Pyrrha trailed off. She was afraid of this and just like a part of Jaune couldn't move on, a part of her understood the boy's reasoning. Once someone shares another person's secret, it's hard to trust them again. That didn't mean it was fair to her. Yes, she revealed the information about his transcripts, but it was to save a life. Surely that was an exception? Her stomach twisted again slightly. "I understand, Jaune. We'll have to see what fate has in store for us." It was hard to keep her emotions down, but she couldn't risk this exploding into a shouting match.

"Fate seems to have a twisted sense of humor." Jaune muttered and then let out a long slow sigh. "But maybe you're right. You telling Ozpin was probably one of the best things that happened to me."

Pyrrha's stomach twisted once more.

"I mean, I finally got the training I needed, even if only for a short time, I unlocked my Semblance, got to help people, and now can even beat Cardin." Jaune felt a grin forming on his face. "Sure, there were some tough times, but I wouldn't have gotten where I am without Qrow and Ruby."

Another uncomfortable feeling ran through the girl as her stomach churned violently.

"It wasn't a picnic for me either." Pyrrha grumbled, lost in thought.

"Huh?" Jaune blinked. "Ren did mention some people were jealous about finding out your Semblance, but it wasn't that big of a deal, was it?"

"It's always been a big deal!" Pyrrha snapped and then covered her mouth with her hand. "You don't understand at all."

"Pyrrha?" Jaune was surprised at that outburst. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Pyrrha looked away while answering.

"We may have fought and haven't seen each other in over a month, but I can tell you're upset." Jaune crossed his arms. "If we want to clear everything, we need to be open about it."

"There's nothing to clear." Pyrrha continued to look away at anything except Jaune. "We both apologized for our mistakes."

"There's still something bothering you." Jaune pushed on. "I can tell. What's wrong?"

"I told you, it's nothing!" Pyrrha replied a little more forcefully than she intended.

"Pyrrha… if you hold it in, it's just going to burst out at the worst possible time." Jaune explained, trying to sound understanding. In a way, he did understand. Back when he felt weak and powerless, he never told anyone and kept it bottled up. Then Pyrrha came up and offered to train him, but Jaune snapped at her instead of accepting the much needed help. "I had to talk everything out with Qrow and Ruby…"

"Good for you!" Pyrrha's tone was sharp, much sharper than she meant. "Not everyone has people to talk to!"

She accidentally revealed the root of the problem. If Ren hadn't told Jaune about issues in class revolving around Pyrrha, the poor boy would be clueless. But because he knew, he was about to piece the picture together.

For weeks, Pyrrha had been an outcast.

"Fine!" Pyrrha continued, her irritations bubbling up. "I'll tell you why it's a big deal." Taking a deep breath, she began to let out her feelings. "I worked hard every day for years perfecting my combat skills. I put aside any social life and dedicated myself to the craft. I managed to win multiple tournaments, even against other very strong opponents. But it ended up costing me. Do you know what that was?" Her hands moved around her, gesturing her frustration and her anger, her face showing anguish and her eyes revealed the loneliness she had felt. If it wasn't for frustration she might even start crying.

"Close friends?" Jaune guessed, his mouth dry.

"Exactly!" Pyrrha crossed her arms. "My life revolved around training. If my mother wasn't so supportive, I might have gone crazy. But the worst thing? There were people who wanted to be friends, but not because they liked me. No, they wanted things from me. Either asking for money or trying to use me to learn my techniques and secrets. Many of them would sell stories of me to the press for a quick Lein. Do you know what that does to a kid? I started guarding myself, never letting people in, focusing only on my family."

The girl let out a small smile, radiating sadness in contrast to the action.

"I was conflicted with Weiss when we first met," Pyrrha muttered. "If anyone should understand my struggles, it was her. Though my first impression of her… was less than ideal. It seemed like she wanted to use my fame too or at the very least, partner with me because I was strong. Then you showed up. Someone who never heard of me and was treating me like everyone else. Not a single desire to use me for your own gain. Even after learning about my past, it didn't change the way you treated me at all. Having you, Nora, and Ren as friends was everything I dreamed of and more."

"Pyrrha…" Jaune repeated her name slowly, but she finally started spilling the secrets that had been eating her away from the inside.

"You have no idea what I went through after you left," Pyrrha's voice was soft, but her words held strength, though it was getting progressively louder. "After I told Ozpin, I felt awful and even admitted it was me to Nora and Ren. Do you know what I got for trying to help? Nora refusing to talk to me, yelling at me, thinking I'm an awful person. Ren was more controlled, but I could see his disappointment. He tried, I'll give him credit for trying, but he always would gravitate toward Nora."

Jaune could do nothing but sit there as Pyrrha continued her rant. Every bottled emotion finally bubbling to the surface, gushing out like a geyser.

"I left Mistral for Beacon for a fresh start, and then I found myself alone again! The only person who really talked to me was Weiss and she's exhausting! I don't know how Ruby does it. But I found myself without a team I could talk to, so I did the only thing I could. Immerse myself in studies and training. I kept forcing myself to do better. Then everyone found out about my Semblance and they started thinking I'm a cheater! Or I'm truly invincible and don't even try against me! Every day I found myself more and more of an outcast."

Those sparkly green eyes were filling with water.

"You shouldn't have taken that." Jaune pointed out.

"What was I supposed to say?" Pyrrha asked, wiping her eye with her arm. "They were right about a lot of stuff. With my Semblance, anyone with a metal weapon or armor was pretty much a pawn I could manipulate at will. Most people I can take without using my Semblance at all. I did try to avoid relying on it all the time because it was useless against Grimm, but also to prevent people from growing dejected. I already heard of many opponents who quit competitions because they said after they faced me, they knew we lived in different worlds. A place they could never hope to reach."

Pyrrha gripped the bed sheets so tightly her knuckles went white. It was a surprise the fabric didn't tear.

"Do you know how that made me feel?" The girl asked him. "How it feels crushing the dreams of others? Even if I didn't do it on purpose."

"That's entirely on them though!" Jaune waved a hand randomly toward a wall. "If they gave up just because you beat them, they wouldn't last long as a Huntsman!"

"Yeah, that sounds nice when you say it out loud, but it doesn't change the fact that the kingdoms need all the talented fighters they can get," Pyrrha countered simply. "We don't think rationally all the time. We aren't adults. If you crush a kid's dream, they won't continue to pursue it. For a Huntsman, a couple years of training when we're younger is essential. Ignoring that makes it so they are too far behind to catch up."

It was Jaune's turn to feel a twinge of annoyance. While Pyrrha was right, it was a slap to the face because that was him to a T.

"Obviously Ozpin and Qrow don't believe that." The boy pointed out, his tone firm.

"You can't argue that you are behind others because you weren't able to receive training as a kid." Pyrrha countered with an obvious fact.

"I do recall getting told that…" Jaune gritted his teeth for a moment before relaxing, not sure why he was so on edge.

"I kept my Semblance hidden from others for the reason I didn't want to separate myself even further from everyone else," Pyrrha moved back to her story. Since Jaune told her everything, she was ready to tell him everything. "To be put on a pedestal that others believed was impossible to reach. Though I did use it occasionally to help dodge some attacks, I never openly revealed it and only practiced it privately. It was my closely guarded secret. Then Cardin found out somehow after I revealed it during our mission at Mt. Glenn."

The girl took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling.

"People constantly talk bad about me when I walk down the halls, talk about how I chased away my partner, believing I only win because I'm gifted, and most won't even spar with me anymore." Pyrrha continued, her voice quivering. "Everything I dreaded came to pass. I was isolated, with no one to talk to about it. Nora would barely tolerate being in the same room as me. I didn't have… a partner… so I was all alone. All because I did what I thought was best to help you… and was punished for it." Those last few words had a bit of a bite to them.

There was a pause as Pyrrha wiped her eyes with her sleeve again.

"Mercury and his team have been a blessing," The girl went on seriously. "They have been really supportive and Mercury actually likes me for me. He doesn't care that I'm a great fighter, or what other people think about me. We just enjoyed hanging out. Sometimes, I wish he had been my partner!"

Ouch, Jaune felt that sting, but he couldn't blame her for saying that. He hadn't been a good partner so far. To Pyrrha's credit, she did cover her mouth with her hand and looked away.

"Ren only mentioned there were some problems. But I didn't know they were so severe."

"Some problems, hah!" Pyrrha burst out laughing for a moment. Not a friendly or amused laugh, but a dark cold one. "Do you know what it's like being an outcast? To be thought of so perfectly that no one wants to associate with you except to gain something?"

"No…" Jaune had never had that problem. If anything it was the opposite. "No one ever thought I was perfect, but an outcast? Yeah. I did feel that. You know… when you told Ozpin about my transcript!"

The last part came out more forcefully than he intended.

"I only told Ozpin and our team!" Pyrrha countered. "Cardin overheard us and spread it around the school."

"But I expect something like that from him!" Jaune waved a hand to the door as if pointing to that bully from a distance. "The reason it hurt so much when I found out you did it was because you were a friend. A close one, like a sister."

"And I wanted to be more, but I told you I couldn't risk you getting killed due to lack of training." Pyrrha protested. "I had to make that tough choice. A choice I didn't want to make, but I had to!"

"We all have a choice, just like I chose to lie my way into Beacon." Jaune grumbled, looking away from her. "We have to accept that those choices have consequences. Not that I can really talk. I wasn't thinking about them."

"Are you saying being an outcast at Beacon, losing my team, are all consequences of my trying to save your life?" Pyrrha asked, her voice cold.

"Yes…! I mean no… maybe?" Jaune spluttered. "Didn't Ren say he wished you talked to them first?"

"Don't go trying to bring Ren into this." Pyrrha cut him off. "Ren has actually tried, even if it was an uphill battle being best friends with Nora. But if we're talking about consequences of our actions, maybe you should think about yours! Not just the what ifs, but what actually happened."

"I accepted my part," Jaune couldn't believe she was implying he didn't realize he had messed up. "I was prepared to be expelled but was given an opportunity. Sure it was risky and I almost died multiple times, but it was a choice I made! Just like it was my choice to sneak into here. I did what I had to do to achieve my dream!"

"You broke the law, risked your own life and others, and you know what happened?" Pyrrha asked softly, her voice deeply upset. "You were rewarded for it. Granted an opportunity others don't normally get because of some reason by the headmaster." She then put a hand on her chest. "I was punished, not by the school, but by everyone around me for doing what I was supposed to do. Protect people as a Huntress. Do you think that's fair? I keep hearing so much about my Semblance or skills not being fair to others, but what about me? Is all this fair to me?"

"You don't deserve to be an outcast, but you could have guessed how Nora and Ren would have reacted," Jaune countered immediately. "And people will always make excuses for themselves. I used to too until I had time to actually look deep within myself. I'm not going to make excuses for cheating my way in. I did what I had to do at the time. Now? I'm finally strong enough to face other students. I'm earning my place here."

"Because you were given an opportunity that others weren't."

"Isn't that the case for most people?" Jaune actually felt a little insulted with that. "Weiss has tutors. Yang and Ruby have a dad and uncle who taught them. You had trainers back in Mistral. A lot of people have advantages others don't have. Don't you think that's kind of unfair? It wasn't like my improvement was handed to me on a silver platter."

"You're missing the point, Jaune." Pyrrha's voice was slowly rising higher. "You lied your way into Beacon and risked your life and others. Other students have trained for years to get where they are and you got in because you were lucky."

"Since I'm now catching up to them, does that mean I deserve to be here now?" Jaune asked, his eyes narrowing. "Do you think I don't belong here?"

"No, you belong here… as Ozpin said, you passed initiation." Pyrrha fumbled slightly. "But you can hardly blame people for how they act when they find out."

"No, but I would expect people who I thought were my friends to at least discuss things before trying to get me into trouble!"

The moment those words left him, he knew he messed up. Qrow kept saying he needed to learn to control his temper. Emotions were running high, with both he and Pyrrha airing their grievances. Both of them said things that upset the other one, but his last statement was crossing the line. It was important for them to be honest, to reveal their true feelings or else those unresolved issues would smolder and fester until they exploded at the worst time. In Jaune's case, that was now.

Pyrrha looked like she had been slapped before her expression grew stern and sharp. Her emotions were already spilling over, but when Jaune started to raise his voice, it acted like the catalyst to cause a chain reaction.

"And I would expect my partner to be honest and actually work his way into Beacon!"

"Then why don't you go request a new partner then!?" It had been Jaune's turn to feel that slap. "It's obvious you don't trust me!"

"You're the one who doesn't trust me!" Pyrrha shot back.

"Because you told my secret and nearly got me kicked out of Beacon!"

"To save your life!" Pyrrha bit the corner of her lip and looked away to let herself calm down slightly. "That was really all I was thinking about, Jaune. Really…"

"Maybe… maybe I don't fully trust you yet…" Jaune revealed. "I forgive you for what you did… but it still hurts. I won't be able to tell you things the same way I used to."

"Forgive me!?" Pyrrha stood up and her hands clenched. He wasn't listening to her. "There's nothing to forgive. I realize now I did the right thing and I'm suffering for it because I care what others think. Maybe Mercury was right and I should be focusing on myself instead of pleasing others." She began to march toward the door. "Unlike you, he trusts me enough to share his secrets now and didn't lie his way here."

"Are you going to share secrets with others!?" Jaune shot back childishly, anger flaring up within him.

Pyrrha didn't answer and simply marched toward the door of the room and yanked it open. Slamming it behind her, her footsteps vanished as Jaune sat there, his actions weighing down on him. How did things go so wrong? He forgave her, understood why she did what she did, and yet he still found himself getting so upset at her. Why? Why was he so stupid!? Everything was being aired out so shouldn't they be at a better place?

Pyrrha never did return to the dormroom that night.

"Why are we focused on this Jaune Arc guy?" Emerald asked, as she and her nefarious teammates discussed the day's events and future plans from the safety of their dorm. "Mercury kicked his butt handedly. Is he really that big of a threat?"

"If the rumors are to be believed, Jaune Arc faked his way into Beacon by delivering falsified transcripts," Cinder explained. "He was caught and instead of being expelled, Ozpin sent him on an apprenticeship with a Huntsman. That alone would be strange enough to investigate, as this never happened to a first year as far as I could tell. But the Huntsman in question is Qrow Branwen, a thorn in our side. What makes this worse is he's sticking around here it seems." The woman turned to Mercury. "What did you think of his skills?"

"It was like kicking a sack of lead." Mercury admitted. "If I had real feet, I probably would have injured myself. His attacks were so-so? A little predictable, but he did have a few interesting combos. Nothing I couldn't handle though. I thought about letting him strike me, but there were some wind gusts after he attacked. Taking a hit would have been painful."

"You probably should have to make yourself look weaker, but that's over and done with." Cinder rubbed her chin. "Did he seem like someone with very limited training?"

"Hard to tell." Mercury admitted, crossing his arm. "His defense was top notch and his reaction speed was pretty good. If anything, his offensive agility was his weak point. He could hit hard, but he's slow in that regard. Usually, people learn how to attack first before anything else. So I say he's been trained… just differently."

"Hmm, that's an interesting assessment, but you've always been good at reading people's skills." Cinder mused, seeming to be taking the boy's words to heart.

"So what?" Emerald asked. "You think the rumors of his expulsion were fake? That he was skilled and was put with Qrow on purpose?"

"According to Pyrrha, he really wasn't trained and was at the bottom of his class before he left." Mercury pointed out. "And she can't lie to save her life, so it has to be true, or at least she believes it to be true."

"So either Jaune Arc has enormous potential and was able to improve drastically in a little over a month… or he's a spy planted by Ozpin to watch for us from within the students at Beacon." Cinder didn't like either of those options. "It seems we need to consider him a threat. We'll need to investigate him closely."

"Want me to?" Mercury asked. "I can act all buddy-buddy."

"No!" Cinder cut him off harshly. "You need to remain close to Pyrrha and make it seem that you will always support her over him. Don't get pulled between them or you risk not being able to stay near either."

"Should I do it then?" Emerald asked. "I can act all sweet and innocent with him."

Mercury snorted and she gave him a death glare.

"It will have to be either you or me." Cinder mused, taking out a picture of the boy and tossing it onto the desk. "We'll have to be careful and make it look natural."

Revealing that picture caused the fourth member of their team to glance up from her bed. The girl in question hadn't been really paying attention. She hadn't attended many classes and didn't know who this Jaune Arc was they were all curious about. It wasn't really her concern even if the name sounded familiar. However, the moment she saw that picture, her mismatched brown and pink eyes widened as she sat up instantly. Hopping off her bed, the short girl instantly drew the attention of the rest of her team. The black haired twin tailed girl with a black and white outfit waved her hand excitedly.

"Neo?" Cinder raised an eyebrow. "You want to take point… why?"

Mint… or Neo as she was called now, shrugged and gestured with her hands.

"This is suspicious." Emerald warned. "Neo never wants to do anything for us. She's just here to fill our numbers."

"You do understand if I let you do this, you have to find out about him, give nothing away, and actually attend classes because he'll notice if you don't." Cinder warned. "Can you handle that?" She crossed her arms and stared at the short girl.

Neo nodded excitedly. Too excitedly for actually being assigned to do some work. Cinder was also suspicious about this. Something was off, but Neo wouldn't do anything to mess with their plan. She knew what would happen if she tried. Still, Cinder's plans could be ruined if Neo did something unnecessary. Why was she so interested? It wasn't like she knew who Jaune was.

"Fine, I'll give you a shot." Cinder relented.

"What?!" Mercury and Emerald gasped.

"You're going to trust her?!" Emerald continued, gesturing to the white and black girl. "She's going to mess it up!" Neo covered her heart and pretended to be wounded at the accusations.

"Neo is very capable when she wants to do something." Cinder explained slowly. "Of course, Emerald will keep an eye on you to make sure you don't do something you might regret." Cinder leaned forward toward Neo. "Understand?" One of Cinder's eyes began to glow with a flame. Neo gulped and nodded, looking at the ground. "Good. See, Emerald? She knows her place."

Neo's hands made tight fists for a moment.

"Alright, if you say so." Emerald muttered. "I'll believe she won't get us found out."

"It's easy, those guys are so easily fooled." Mercury laughed and then grinned at Neo. "You just have to act sympathetic and they eat it up…"

A knock on the door suddenly made them all grow quiet.

"Who's that?" Emerald asked, turning to face the door with the others. Neo's eyes quickly changed back to both being green with nothing more than a flicker. Cinder frowned and gestured at the only boy in the room.

"Mercury, answer it."

The boy walked over to the door and opened it. To his surprise, Pyrrha was standing there, shifting awkwardly, her hands behind her back. Her eyes were a little red, as if she had been crying. Mercury quickly changed from amused due to the earlier conversation to worry in an instant.

"Pyrrha?" Mercury didn't have to fake being surprised. "What are you doing here so late?"

"Sorry about this… but is it okay if I stay the night?" Pyrrha asked quietly. "Things did not go well with my team."

One quick look back at his team leader leading to Cinder giving him a very small nod, Mercury stepped back and gestured her in.

"Jaune… you look terrible." Ruby pointed out the following morning as they left the cafeteria. She had separated from her team temporarily to meet up with him.

"Thanks, Ruby." Jaune glanced over at his friend with exhaustion etched on his face. "People love hearing that. How often do you tell Yang that in the morning?"

"Not much, she's a thrower." Ruby admitted bashfully, her cheeks pink. "But really, you do. What happened last night?"

"Pyrrha and I finally had our talk…"

"Oh… it didn't go well did it?"

That was an understatement. Jaune had been up most of the night, unable to sleep as he relieved that conversation, his stupidity and anger, and the betrayed look on Pyrrha's face. At the same time, she struck at him in his weak points too. The two of them used to be so close and now they were not quite enemies, but close. Their friendship seemed all but over. When Nora and Ren returned, they found Jaune lying on the bed and Pyrrha nowhere to be found. It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened. Nora had given him a big hug for comfort, but didn't ask any questions.

Something he really appreciated.

That next morning, when Pyrrha still hadn't returned, they didn't have much choice but to head down for breakfast at the cafeteria. There they found Pyrrha sitting with Mercury and his team. It took a lot of effort on Jaune's part to ignore her for now and give his partner space. Jaune, Ren, and Nora went to the far side of the cafeteria to avoid seeing them. Ruby and her team had shown up not long after, but couldn't get a seat near them due to the crowd.

Seems Team RWBY woke up late like usual and were rushing everywhere at the last minute.

Of course, Ruby had made some time before class to check on him after noticing how he was acting.

"No…" Jaune answered. "No it did not. We both apologized at first and it seemed to be going well then things fell apart." The boy hung his head and looked depressed, before raising his head and forcing an obviously fake smile. "What about you? You look tired."

"Oh… My team and I were up late talking and trying to catch up." Ruby felt a little bad with how well things went with her team when Jaune's team was falling apart. She purposely downplayed their fun last night. They had gotten all sorts of snacks, played games, and just celebrated their reunification. So many stories were shared from both sides. It had been amazing and Weiss didn't yell at her once! Things were perfect.

For her team.

Not so much for her best male friend.

"That's good to hear. Nora barraged me with questions all day when we weren't in class… actually, she was whispering during class too, so never mind." Jaune chuckled weakly.

"Jaune… remember? It's going to take time. You both had a really deep talk and emotions were probably high…"

"That's an understatement…" The boy muttered under his breath.

"But if you need someone to talk to, I'll be here, okay?" Ruby put a hand on his arm. "I know you two will make up at some point. But you might need to give her space to process your talk. You too."

"Thanks, Ruby." Jaune smiled for real this time. "You're always there when I need you. I have to admit, it was weird not having you sleep nearby after all this time."

"Hehe, I felt the same way when we finally did go to bed." Ruby giggled, glad she could cheer Jaune up. "I woke up looking for you a couple times before I remembered where we were."

"Don't tell Yang that." Jaune warned seriously. "She'll get the wrong idea."

"Oh, don't get me started on what weird things she thinks happened." Ruby rolled her eyes as they approached the classroom. "Thankfully Weiss and Blake help me cut her off before she starts rambling."

"Oh, ho! If it isn't Mr. Arc and Ms. Rose back from their expedition!"

Jaune and Ruby were greeted by Beacon's Professor, Peter Port. The pudgy man had short gray hair and a gray mustache with a rather large belly. He wore a double-breasted burgundy suit with gold piping and buttons.

"Hello, professor!" The two kids greeted back.

"I heard from Glynda you two returned yesterday!' The man boomed in his loud, confident voice. "I take it your travels went well? Qrow is a very capable Huntsman and I have no doubt he taught you both quite a lot."

"He did," Jaune confirmed. "We learned a lot more than just about fighting Grimm."

"Though we did get to learn a bunch of kick butt moves." Ruby added happily.

"Indeed, well come on in," Peter stepped back and let the two enter the classroom before closing the door as the bell rang. Ruby joined her team and Jaune joined Ren and Nora. "Good morning, students! I had some exciting stories to share before we dive back into the best way to defeat our quarry, but I think this time, we'll do things a little differently."

The entire class actually picked up at his words. Peter's stories tended to be long winded and about himself beating up Grimm and saving women. But the man had a way of making even stories that should be exciting, downright boring. He droned on and on about stuff that didn't seem to have any real purpose. Most of the class would fall asleep in about five minutes. Only some of the most serious students, like Weiss, could pay attention the entire period. Though even she admitted she finds it difficult sometimes. Since Peter announced he was going to skip those boring stories, the class was curious as to why.

"As you all are aware, two of our students returned recently from their exciting adventures in the Grimm Wilds outside of civilization, shadowing a fully licensed Huntsman." Peter gestured to Ruby and Jaune as he spoke. Jaune forced himself to smile and waved, while Ruby sank in her seat. A super Grimm killing machine she may be, but being the center of attention to other people? That was not something she enjoyed. "I thought this would be a perfect opportunity for them to regale us about some of their exciting adventures! Mr. Arc, Ms. Ruby" Would you like to come up here and share a couple stories with the class?"

Ruby's eyes went wide and she froze. If Peter had asked her to fight a Grimm, that would have been easy and she would have rushed up front. Giving a speech in front of a bunch of strangers? She would rather give up cookies. Almost. Jaune knew this and decided to take the heat off her. Besides, he could talk and tell a story. Being an older brother meant he had to tell his younger sisters all sorts of bedtime stories, including ones he made up when they got bored of the classics.

"I have one or two they might like," Jaune replied, standing up and walking down the aisles to the front of the class, aware people were watching him curiously.

"Excellent!" Peter laughed. "It's important for a Huntsman to be able to inspire others with their deeds. Not only does it help give birth to the next generation of warriors, but also lift their spirits to keep Grimm at bay. Now, my lad, what exciting tale do you have in store for us?"

"Well, probably our best one was when we were in Mistral due to a request from Atlas to clear out an Arachna Nest." Jaune debated which story to tell and decided on this one. The Chill was a little too weird and unbelievable for his class, people would think he was lying, while facing Tyrian probably shouldn't be discussed. The Arachna fight was exciting and, while he would have to omit some details about who was involved, it still would sound believable.

However, mentioning Arachna's caused a couple students to flinch.

"Are you serious?" A girl with dark skin, platinum blonde hair, and fierce olive-green eyes. "You actually went after an Arachna nest? Willingly?" Jaune didn't know her name. In fact, he didn't know most of the transfer student's names due to just arriving yesterday. He hadn't paid attention too much when Glynda called them in class. His mind on other things.

"How big was it?" A boy with yellow hair, an open shirt that revealed chisel abs, and a monkey tail the same color as his hair asked eagerly.

"Several miles minimum," Jaune tried to estimate. "It covered a good chunk of the mountain range. The nearby Lumberyard really underestimated its size. Even after realizing it, we still marched forward."

"What's an Arachna?" Someone in the back called out.

"Arachna's are large spider Grimm that reside mostly in Mistral," Peter took the opportunity to teach. "Unlike most other Grimm, they are a colonial species that focuses around a Queen. The Queen acts as the central hive mind and will constantly lay eggs to breed more brood. As their numbers increase, their nest gets bigger. Entire mountain ranges can be made inhospitable if they are left alone."

"They are incredibly dangerous." The dark skin girl spat out. "Easily swarming small settlements."

"They are also GIANT FREAKING SPIDERS!" A girl with windswept green hair next to the first girl interjected. "Living Nightmares."

Most of the girls in class shudder at that, as well as a good number of guys.

"So how did you beat them?" The monkey Faunus boy asked.

"A lot of fighting and some dumb luck." Jaune chuckled, rubbing his neck. "We entered their nest and were swarmed by dozens, if not more, of them. Literally climbing up the side of the cliff to ambush us." Time to turn this into an exciting adventure story. "Every one we struck down, another took their place. Ruby was shredding through them like a machine, while I kept their attention. However, one eventually tackled me from my blind spot and I was thrown off the edge."

Jaune paused for dramatic effect and a good number of the class was staring at him intensely, eager to hear more.

He was beginning to realize how much fun his teacher had doing this.

"Luckily there was a river to break my fall, but the Arachna wouldn't let go." Okay, embellishing a little wouldn't hurt, would it? To make it more entertaining? "I managed to break its grip and toss it into the rocks, before I realized up in front of me was a waterfall. The current was pulling me towards it faster by the second."

"Bullshit!" Cardin shouted from his spot. "You're full of it!"

"He's telling the truth!" Ruby slapped her desk and shouted.

"How would you know!?" Cardin shot back. "If we believe him, you weren't there."

"He's got you there." Russel laughed.

"It's rude to interrupt, Mr. Winchester." Peter admonished. "Let Mr. Arc finish his tale."

"Luckily, I had my trusted hammock that I managed to toss over a low hanging tree and escape." Jaune continued, smirking at Cardin, who was gritting his teeth. The boy was glaring daggers at him but couldn't do anything about it in class. After Glynda's class, Cardin seemed to have it out for him. "Seriously, that item is like the most useful thing ever. It lets you sleep off muddy or hard ground, works as a net, rope, or bag, and can even tangle up Grimm. Incredibly versatile for being so compact."

"Good you realized that," Port nodded. "When traveling, one doesn't always have the luxury of a car or Bullhead to carry their supplies. You survive off what you can carry along with what you are able to forage out in the wilderness."

"Luckily we won't have to do that anytime soon." A girl with purple hair muttered.

"Don't be so sure, Ms. Violette." Peter warned. "It's actually customary for first years to have their own introduction to wilderness survival. In fact, I usually plan where we're going and what supplies you all can take with you. It's usually a couple days and a great chance for everyone to go out and learn to survive without the comforts of the city. Puts hair on your chest." He pounded a fist against his own for emphasis.

Several girls shuddered and covered their eyes.

"So what happened with the Arachna nest?" The Monkey Faunus boy asked.

"Oh, right." Jaune nodded and remembered where he left off. "Falling into the river was a blessing. I slipped behind the expansion line the Grimm were moving so I had a perfect opportunity to strike at the Queen. Little did I know just how fearsome a Queen Arachna was. It was like two stories tall, and more than just a spider. It was like someone had slapped a fusion of a spider and a person on the front half. Four smaller arms that still had the strength to spear through trees. Mandibles that might as well have been giant knives. As you said…" Jaune pointed to the girl with green hair. "It was a nightmare incarnate."

"Seems you did indeed meet one." Peter confirmed it seriously. "Most people don't know that Queen Arachna actually look quite differently than any other subspecies of Arachna. How did you defeat such a monster, my boy?"

"An incendiary grenade and shoved it into a crack on its faceplate." Jaune answered, partially telling the truth. "After hitting some joints, the body, even the head, it wasn't going down, so I went all in. The webs caught on fire and spread out a bit, but it didn't burn down half the forest."

"I never had the joy of facing a Queen myself, but I remember when I was younger dealing with a large group of Arachna's." Peter huffed and twirled his mustache. "They ambushed me in the middle of the night, but luckily, I had just cooked my supper over an open fire. I took the burnt wood and stabbed the creatures, causing them to flee while being set on fire. Then I took my trusty blunderbuss and laid waste to their legs, preventing them from escaping and threatening the nearby village. Of course afterwards, the lovely ladies there saw fit to reward me."

It really was an incredible talent how he could make exciting stories sound so boring.

This time though, Jaune noticed something. Arachna's had a very potent weakness to fire. Something with their body made them extremely flammable. While the professor didn't say it outright, Peter did mention that he used fire to defeat Arachna's. He also mentioned using his gun to attack the legs, which tended to be a weak point on the larger Spider Grimm as once they lost their legs, they couldn't move at all. Some Grimm could still drag or slash at people with their clawed arms, but not the spiders.

Jaune also vaguely remembered Peter talking about different Grimm he faced during their first lesson, before Weiss had faced that Boarbatusk. Thinking hard, Jaune was now sure Peter mentioned knocking a Boarbatusk on its back and killing it. The teacher was talking about their weak point without specifically mentioning them outright?

Was that the purpose of Peter's long winded stories? For the students to figure out the hidden meanings in them? The talk earlier with Glynda about having students standing up for themselves and others was kind of like this. The professors at Beacon taught things in a more roundabout fashion, as if they were training students to be more observant in their surroundings and lessons. Maybe that really was it. Unlike Jaune and Ruby, who had to learn to identify their surroundings along with potential threats, Beacon was having students do it a different way. It wasn't like everyone was being attacked in class.

On one hand, that was pretty fascinating to Jaune.

On the other hand… he wished they were more direct. How many students missed the point of the lesson completely? Velvet has been bullied since the start of the year. People just sleep in Peter Port's class. Cardin doesn't seem to care that he's seen as an asshole and people just let him do what he wants. Raven might have a point that Ozpin wasn't as capable as others made him out to be.

"Thank you for regaling us with that thrilling tale." Peter smacked Jaune on the back. "Now have a seat, my boy, and we'll start the lesson."

"Anytime, but it sure was fun getting back with most of my clothes burnt off." Jaune laughed, heading back to his seat. He was aware of many eyes examining him, more with interest than anything else. Most of them didn't know how true his story was or even who Jaune was. Just that he returned from a special apprenticeship with Ruby. Speaking of Ruby, the girl was mouthing multiple 'thank yous' to him for taking all the attention off her. Smiling, Jaune gave her a small subtle wave letting her know it was fine and then took his seat.

As Peter began talking and lecturing, attention slowly began to flicker away from Jaune into the random activities people did to avoid falling asleep in class. While Jaune actually did try to listen and see if his theory on Peter's teaching style was true, it was difficult to remain focused for a long period of time. He was talking about the physiology of some Grimm in Vale, ones Jaune was already familiar with. Since Jaune knew them well enough, his attention began to focus on other things.

Like Qrow and his advice at combat class.

When Qrow first mentioned his plan, Jaune was all for it. It was a way to not only show off how strong he got, but to put some humility into the boy that constantly bullied him for being weak. A part of him would have preferred to beat him down though. He probably could have after they traded those initial blows. Glynda wouldn't have gotten mad at him at least. Or sent Mercury to beat some humility into him like Jaune wanted to do to Cardin. Subconsciously rubbing his arm, Jaune suddenly felt depressed.

He had trained so hard to grow stronger with Qrow, and still lost badly.

Thinking about it, it was kind of optimistic to think he could rise to the top of his class after just a short time training. Many of his classmates and students from other academies have been training since childhood. It was kind of a miracle he could beat Cardin. Though… if Cardin thought he was still weak, then maybe he was holding back. Was Jaune really that much stronger?

No!

Shaking his head silently, Jaune mentally smashed those negative thoughts. He had gotten stronger. There was no doubt about it. Blows from Cardin that would have sent him sprawling across the arena were now easily blocked. Mercury on the other hand was insanely strong. Each of his kicks were like being hit by a sledgehammer. His Aura amplification couldn't even keep up. It was like fighting a male version of Yang that used his legs more than his fists. The guy seemed pretty cool from their brief meeting, but for some reason it didn't seem like he cared for Jaune very much.

The boy in question was whispering to Pyrrha under his breath in the seat next to her as Jaune's eyes locked onto them.

A twinge of regret churned in his stomach. That could have been the two of them if they weren't in the middle of a fight. If Jaune hadn't left to train with Qrow. Pyrrha did say Mercury had been nice to her since the rest of the class ostracized her for no real reason. They were upset that she, ironically, kept a secret about her Polarity Semblance. Jaune still felt it was kind of stupid, as Semblances weren't banned, but he understood their frustration. Thinking they had a chance only to find out they were just being toyed with due to how skilled Pyrrha was.

Sighing to himself, he forced his thoughts and gaze away from his partner.

Unknown to the boy, worried silver eyes were eyeing him. Ruby noticed Jaune staring absentmindedly at Pyrrha with a wistful look on his face before eventually looking away. The girl really wished she could help her friend. There was nothing she could do though. It wasn't like Ruby could go up to Pyrrha and ask her to get along with Jaune. Nothing would come of that except making her look childish. Asking Yang for help wouldn't amount to much either, as both of them were outsiders. Jaune and Pyrrha had to settle their differences together. Qrow made sure to emphasize that to her on their travels and to not try to force Jaune to get over it.

She just could be there for him if he needed to talk.

That didn't stop Ruby from thinking of things to cheer him up. Of course they needed to spend time with their team, but maybe she could drag him to Vale and they could go to an arcade together or something. Both of them had missed playing video games. While Ruby got to play some with her team last night, it didn't seem Jaune was as lucky.

Yeah, I'll invite Jaune out and we can play together to cheer him up.

Just as Ruby was beginning to plan the outing and figuring out what to tell her team, her Scroll beeped. To her surprise, it was Qrow messaging her.

'We need to talk after you get out of class.'

Ruby's eyes widened as she read the short message. What could her uncle want? Were they leaving Beacon already? He did tell them they might not be staying here very long, but Ruby thought it would be at least a couple of days to catch up with her team. Gulping, she knew this was a possibility and her team knew it too. Her eyes darted over to Jaune, who was looking at his Scroll. He also got the message. Slipping her Scroll back in her pocket, Ruby was nervous the rest of the class period.

"Uncle Qrow said he needs to see me and Jaune." Ruby told her team as they exited the classroom. "I have to go meet up with him."

"About what?" Yang asked, looking almost as worried as Ruby felt.

"I don't know," Ruby admitted softly. "We might be leaving, or he might just be telling us something."

"It's probably best not to guess," Blake told her reasonably. "Find out what it is first and then we can decide how to go forward."

"It might be nothing," Weiss added reasonably. "Don't fret over a simple text."

"Right!" Ruby nodded and made a fist in determination. "I'll tell you if anything changes. Thanks for being so understanding." One arm wrapped around Weiss and the other around Blake. "I'll see you all soon!"

Ruby darted off down the hallway and caught up to Jaune. He didn't have any idea what Qrow wanted to tell them either, but his thought process was similar to her own. The two of them decided to wait and see what their teacher was going to have them do. Both of them were worried and a little excited because it was never a boring day with him around.

"Sup, brats." Qrow waved to them from the chair in the empty classroom. "Enjoying being back in school?"

"About as much as expected." Jaune admitted. "Though… I kind of regret listening to you when dealing with Cardin. Not that I disliked actually beating him. I just wished it was more direct."

"You used the environment and the rules to your advantage," Qrow shrugged and didn't look apologetic this time. "Nothing wrong with that. You two know first hand that adapting to your opponent and environment are key elements to winning a fight. But did you really think I was throwing you to the wolves, kid? I backed you up."

"There was the time with the Beowolves…" Jaune remembered early on in their training.

"That had a purpose and when I suggested fighting that kid as you did, there was a reason for that too."

"What was the reason?" Ruby asked eagerly, wanting to know too.

"I wonder…" Qrow pretended to think. "Maybe I'll tell you later if you can't figure it out. But I have a couple important things to tell you two. I bet you're wondering why I called you here."

"Well, yeah." Jaune agreed.

"You just randomly texted us a very vague message!" Ruby huffed.

"It's about how long we're staying here." Qrow told them and both of the kid's hearts sank into their stomach. This was the moment they were dreading.

"Are we moving out?" Ruby asked softly.

Jaune remained quiet, mostly because he wasn't sure if it would be better or worse if they were.

"...No, we're staying here." Qrow finally answered.

"Really?!" Ruby bounced on her feet in excitement.

"Why?" Jaune blurted out before he could stop himself.

"The people we are searching for… we have evidence they are in Vale" Qrow answered. "Sneaking in during the Vytal festival would make the most sense. With countless students and civilians arriving, it would be child's play to blend in. Ozpin wants me close by in case something happens like the attempted Breach. So the good news? We're staying here."

"What should we do?" Ruby asked, determination in her gaze. "We can help! That's why you've been training us!"

Qrow let out a short amused laugh.

"Remember, Squirt? These people aren't run of the mill thugs like those slave traders. They will be people like Tyrian. If you fight them one on one, you're going to lose. And lose badly. For now, I want you two to live as normal students and keep up your training. You got a lot of catching up with non combat related classes."

"Maybe not Grimm Studies." Jaune muttered before growing serious. "So are you just leaving us? I thought this internship was supposed to be longer."

"Couple months, so yeah, it got cut short." The man confirmed with a shrug. "Not much we can do about it." Then Qrow grew serious. "And who said I was leaving you two brats? I'm going to be around, hanging out in Beacon when I can. I can still stop by and smack you two around every couple days. Think of it as… an extracurricular class. Can't have my apprentices getting rusty. If anyone asks, just say I'm helping with the Vytal festival and training you two when I can."

"YOU… ARE… THE… BEST!" Ruby cheered, her eyes sparkling as she jumped into her uncle's arm and hugged him tightly.

"Yeah, yeah," Qrow chuckled, patting her on the back. "We all know that."

"Nice," Jaune felt relieved, but he wasn't as amused or happy as Ruby. "I definitely need extra classes. Mercury showed me that even if I improved, I still have a long way to go to catch up to everyone else."

"And that's why Glynda did that," Qrow stated seriously, letting go of Ruby. "She thought I was rubbing off on you and giving you a big head."

"Aren't you?" It was Ruby's turn to blurt out her thoughts without thinking. In response, Qrow grabbed her and began to give her a noogie. "NOOOOOO, STAWWWWP! Mercy!"

Jaune now realized where Yang learned that technique.

"But why did you have me do that?" The boy couldn't resist asking. "Would it be better to have me fight Cardin normally to show Goodwitch how much I've improved?"

"Kid…" Qrow let go of his niece, who started to flatten her hair with her hands as she glared at Qrow like a wet puppy. "Have I ever had you do something without purpose?"

"Umm…" Nothing came to Jaune's mind. "I guess not?"

"Then trust me, kid. In the long run, this is going to be more beneficial… for both of you."

"Both of us?" Jaune repeated in a daze, as his brain tried to process this. "How…?"

"Later." Qrow interrupted and brushed off his question with a wave of his hand. "Right now, Ozpin wants to meet with each of you to talk a bit about your apprenticeship. Separately. Jaune, you're going to be first."

"Separately, why not together?" Ruby wanted to know.

"Because you both get different things out of this," Qrow answered simply like it was obvious. "He wants to know what you personally got out of your training, not what both of you together did. Remember, these apprenticeships are usually met for one person at a time. This was a bit of an experiment with two."

That made sense to the teens.

"Sure, I'm free right now." Jaune agreed. "I'll apologize for what you made me do in class too."

"Pssh, Oz would find that hilarious." Qrow slapped him on the back. "You two have a lot to discuss."

Ruby watched the two head out before leaving the used classroom herself. Part of her felt left out with how Qrow seemed to prioritize Jaune. At the same time, she knew that was stupid. Her uncle spent plenty of time training with her, joking with her, and answering any questions she had. Jaune just needed a little more help than she did now. Even if Qrow did see Jaune as a nephew of some sorts, it didn't mean he would forget about her.

"I'm being stupid," Ruby muttered to herself, shaking her head. "I just want Jaune to pay attention to me." Her face suddenly felt warm as she slapped her hands onto her cheek. "I can't believe I just said that…" She felt so hot. Why did she feel this way?

Could she…

No. It couldn't be. Jaune was her best friend. There's no way she would have feelings for him like this. Should she talk to Yang? Her sister might know something. Was it worth asking her? How much teasing would she be forced to endure? It might be better to ask Weiss or Blake. Blake read all those romance books and Weiss was smart. They might be able to help. Yang might feel left out though and be hurt, something Ruby didn't want to do.

"How do I ask them?" Ruby whispered as she made her way back to her dorm room. Eventually, she decided this was a conversation for another time. The more important conversation was about how she would be staying at Beacon with her team! Reaching her dorm room, the girl pushed it open and smiled broadly. "I'm here to stay!"

"Really?" Yang jumped off her bed and ran to hug her sister. "That's great!" The hug was tight, but felt nice so Ruby didn't struggle to get out immediately.

"No more traveling?" Weiss asked, turning around in her chair from her desk.

"Nope!" Ruby shook her head as Yang let go. "Uncle Qrow is going to stick around to help out with the Vytal festival and train me and Jaune when he's free!"

"Sweet!" Yang fist pumped. "He's going to be sticking around. Maybe I'll see if he'll spar with me now and then."

"He might, but you'll end up beaten and bruised." Ruby giggled. "He doesn't go easy on us."

"What does Jaune think of this?" Blake asked curiously.

"He's happy too!" Ruby knew that for sure. "He'll be able to get some more training outside of classes. Well, he would be at least."

"What's wrong with him?" Yang asked, hearing Ruby's tone grow dark.

"It's… personal." Ruby wouldn't give up Jaune's secrets. She knew a lot of his secrets that he both told her and ones where he didn't realize she was listening in. After what Pyrrha did, there was no way she would do something like betray that trust.

"So he and Pyrrha aren't reconciling." Weiss guessed correctly. Ruby didn't say anything or even nod her head, but that was an answer in itself. "We figured that would happen."

"You did?" Ruby looked around the room.

"It's complicated," Blake was the one to answer. "You probably know more about it than we do. Weiss has been talking to Pyrrha more than the rest of us. Until she started hanging out with Mercury and his team. It's not like she's been having an easy time here. Nora refusing to talk to her, the class getting upset at her hiding her Semblance, and sort of being a social outcast with no one to talk to. I would be surprised if she didn't have any negative feelings. Then Jaune had his own when Pyrrha told Ozpin about his transcripts."

"Blake's been really insightful in all this." Yang acknowledged to Ruby.

"I'm… just good at reading people." Blake looked away.

"Just wish I could do something to cheer him up." Ruby mumbled, sitting on Weiss' lower bunk bed. The white-haired girl didn't object. "I was thinking of inviting him to an arcade in Vale for a bit. You know, normal stuff we used to do. But I kind of want to do more. Something to make him look only at me. Knowing I think about him and his happiness a lot." She was staring at the floor as her jumbled feelings spilled out in words.

Yang's mouth fell open as her eyes went wide. She wasn't the only one. Weiss had a similar expression of shock on her face at the honesty. Only Blake seemed more amused than surprised. Her amber eyes locked with Yang and Weiss, who suddenly returned to their senses after the surprise confession by their young team leader. Ruby finally seemed to have come to terms with her feelings. As her big sister, Yang wanted to tease her a bit, but resisted. Instead, she decided to live up to her reputation as the best big sister in the world.

"We… might have an idea." The blonde slowly said, causing Ruby to look up. "There's an event at Beacon coming up."

"What kind of event?" Ruby asked eagerly, staring at Yang with a hopeful expression.

"A dance." Blake answered. "We didn't mention it before because we didn't know you would be at Beacon for it. Then we were catching up so much yesterday, it never came up. You could ask him to it."

Ruby sat there as her brain processed this information. She wasn't a big fan of dances, but there was no doubt it fit what she wanted. If she and Jaune went together, he would focus on her as his date, right? Her cheeks flushed as she thought about it and she quickly covered her head with her cloak. Yang almost cooed at how cute her sister was, but resisted the temptation. It was important to be serious now and laugh later.

"Wait…" Ruby looked up at them, peeking from under the red hood. "I thought boys were supposed to ask girls out?"

"What year do you think this is?!" Weiss huffed, annoyed. "Of course girls can ask boys out. There's no law against it. Just go ask that dunce out. We all know you want to."

"There is just one small catch." Yang added quickly, the corner of her lips twitched.

"What?" Ruby suddenly felt dread wash over her.

"If you ask and he says yes," Yang explained slowly. "You'll need to… get a dress for the dance. Along with… a pair of heels."

Ruby's eyes widened in horror. She hated lady stilts and Yang knew that. Ruby preferred combat boots and tennis shoes. There were a few times she did wear dresses, but she was always uncomfortable. Combat skirts were okay though and there was a huge difference. But heels? That was pushing the line and Yang knew it. Weiss was used to them and Blake had worn pairs in the past. Ruby had not. Agreeing to that was a trial and Yang seemed prepared for an argument.

"Okay!"

It was Yang's turn to be shocked at the statement. Ruby had leaped to her feet and seemed determined.

"I'm going to ask him if he wants to go," Ruby continued. "If he says yes, I'll… I'll… wear those devil shoes!"

Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish to ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.

nBappo: Wow. That convo was a ride. Jaune is still immature, and it infuriates me because Pyrrha doesn't deserve none of what is happening. That is all. Also, fuck Mercury once again. Try not to have Ruby fall face first after trying the high heels on, or, better idea, have her face plant into concrete. It'll be a good learning experience.