A/N: ...sorry for what some are calling a filler chapter. I really did try. This isn't my best chapter, I'm still not feeling well and I ran out of time. Silence only hurts... T_T
Every review really does help, large or small...any feedback is better than nothing at all.
I went back and improved everything, too, but alas, no one seemed to notice...
If it helps, consider this the continuation of last chapter, this is what I didn't have time to add last week; that chapter was meant to be MUCH longer.
As ever, the fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others. I own no references, quotes, memes or themes! They're all tributes to legends far greater than me. I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that. In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know in the comments~!
Once more, hopefully I captured the feeling of a proper RWBY episode from the good 'ol days of Volume 1-3.
I'll leave that to you, the reader, to determine. I do hope you're prepared for a few more curveballs.
After all, the story prides itself on being unpredictable~! Hope you savor this crazy chapter~!
In other news, I've also seen the Netlfix version of DMC.
Wanna write something so bad...
"Enjoy these precious moments of peace while you can; for they are my gift to you. Use them well. In the meantime, gather your allies. Marshal your forces. Prepare every trick and trap that you possibly can.
Stack the deck in your favor. Rig the game. Break the cycle. Yank the rug right out under my feet and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Surprise me...if you can.
I expect nothing less. So hold nothing back. Keep nothing in reserve. Prove yourself worthy of the Arc-Uzumaki name once and for all.
I know you will.
After all... you're my son.
I'm so very proud of you, Jaune."
~?
Just a Little Present
"Nice dress~!"
Pyrrha took Nora's praise and clung to it as one would a life raft in a storm.
Why, yes, it WAS a rather nice dress, wasn't it? She'd chosen a sleeveless red turtleneck gown that left much of her back exposed. It swept down to her ankles on her flank just under the knees at the front before revealing a visible slit near her left leg, the better to showcase her toned calves. She'd spent hours agonizing over it -and the price!- before finally caving and buying the damn thing.
She had to look her best for the Dance tomorrow.
That said, she felt grand. Powerful. Strong. Strange as it might sound, she'd been amazing since she and Jaune got together. Faster. Better. Stronger. Some might call that a placebo effect and maybe it was, but damn if she didn't notice the difference. Being in love was a wonderful thing.
She'd chosen a wonderful partner.
Jaune was...a bit dense if she was entirely honest with herself, but that was fine. It meant she could surprise him.
Speaking of dense, he hadn't asked her to the Dance yet.
Worry nagged at her; was something...wrong?
Should she ask him? Did he expect her to?
Stifling that little flicker of fear deep within her heart, Pyrrha preened in the mirror anew, basking in the solace of JNPR's dorm. And why shouldn't she? After all, she was fixing for a fight, perhaps the greatest night of her life. For a huntress on the prowl, a dress was armor. She knew how she must appear; after all, she stood head and shoulders -literally in some cases!-above most girls, with more muscle besides. Her arms certainly spoke well of that. Did Jaune like muscles, she wondered?
He certainly didn't have any complaints last night...Focus!
She considered her heels with a grimace, knowing the obstacle they presented; she was more of a fighter than dancer, but weren't both the same? Each involved fine footwork, reflexes, and hand-to-eye coordination paired with a good sense of rhythm. She possessed all three in spades. Surely it couldn't be that hard to match someone's movements, right?
.
..
...right?
Turning left, then right, she angled her hips toward the latter and found no flaws in sight.
.
..
...excellent. She'd need to be in top form for this. Near perfect really.
Not truly perfect mind you, perfection was a lie, there was no such thing as being perfect; but she'd come as close as she could without making a fool of herself, and Pyrrha Nikos was no fool. Improvement was something all warriors should strive for on a daily basis; better aura, better instincts, better reflexes and strength besides; everyone was always trying to eke out that extra percent, pushing themselves past their limits and reach the top; become the best of the best. But perfection was never truly achieved - and why would you even want it?
It was so very lonely at the top.
Fame, like perfection, was dangerous; pursuit of such could ruin your life if you weren't careful; drive all your friends away, or worse corrupt them outright. And then they weren't your friends anymore at all, were they? Instead they became parasites, greedy leeches clinging onto your coattails, trying to squeeze fame and influence from you, even lien in some cases.
Her competitions were worse; if only because the true damage wasn't done in the ring, but outside it.
She had lost lifelong friends and rivals whom might have become friends in time; seen others break down after one loss too many, endured bitter rants, been outright ghosted in some cases by those she thought she could trust above all else. In time her spirits dropped and her walls went up, refusing to let anyone near for fear of losing them.
Until Beacon. Jaune. Her team. Her new friends.
Before them, she'd come to despise her moniker as the Invincible Girl in the first place. Even now she wasn't terribly fond of it. Invincible? Her? Ha! Strong for her age perhaps, but not invincible. Far from it. Invincibility implied she couldn't be beaten; that she was unstoppable, that she had no weaknesses, when she very much did. A proper Huntsman could -and would!- pick her apart like a rank amateur. Headmaster Ozpin had done just that when he'd evaluated her for Beacon. She'd been tossed around like a rag doll; left wasted and gasping for air.
At the end of the day, there was always someone harder, better, faster, stronger. Simple fact of life, that.
So, yes, perfection didn't exist. And if by some chance it did, it was far too costly to maintain.
Pyrrha pitied people like Weiss; misguided fools who thought they could actually attain it. That poor girl. She'd spent most of her life living a lie, swallowing what she was fed and believing it without a second thought. Her time in Beacon would be the much the same until she learned the bitter truth.
Jaune had done much to open her eyes, but honestly, the heiress still seemed a bit of a brat; and a brat she would be 'till someone knocked that last little bit of arrogance out her skull.
"Perfection is a myth, you silly girl. Try your utmost; be the best in all that you do, but NEVER perfect. You'll destroy yourself."
Mother said that once and she'd done her best to honor those words ever since.
But that didn't mean she couldn't gird herself for battle.
For was Love not a battle?
One might even call it a hurricane.
Oh yes, the war had begun and she while she wasn't necessarily aiming to win it -such was impossible- at the very least she would emerged ahead of the pack.
Angling her hair over one shoulder, she considered binding it back in her customary ponytail, then thought better of it at the last moment.
Weiss wore her hair like that. Weiss was insufferable. Weiss had dragged her partner out to meet her family. She didn't want to think about the Schnee right now.
Granted, said Schnee could be reliably beat down in a fight, perhaps even have some sense talked into her.
Not so Winter, not according to Jaune.
Not.
At.
All.
No good manstealing SCHNEE...!
"Uh, Pyrrha?" Nora's voice chimed behind her, dragging her from her doldrums. "Remnant to Pyrrha! You're doing it again!"
The raging redhead blinked and pivoted, drawn from her restless reverie by the ginger bombardier's frazzled exclamations. "Doing what?"
Ren pointed.
She followed his finger.
Balked now at what she found there.
Every metal object in the room was currently levitating. Not polarity, nothing involving opposing poles or any such thing, but actually hovering a good three inches off the floor. Her teammate's weapons were no exception-their owners currently performing maintenance on them- poor Magnhild and Stormflower drifted helplessly in the air, tumbling end over end.
Even the metal bedframes -and the beds with them! were hovering in the air!
Nora poked at a tumbling hairclip and got promptly shocked for her troubles. "Heh," she giggled, unfazed. "Tingly. Kinda need Magnhild back now, though." she glanced down at her hovering mattress, to the floor with an impish grin, then the window beyond. "Althouuuugh I wouldn't say no to a flying bed...
Pyrrha's hands flew to her face, alarmed. "I'm sorry!"
With that, the moment passed and she lost control; everything dropped as one, beds included.
Nora whined into a pillow. "Awwww...I wanted a magic carpet ride!"
"That wasn't normal." Ren retrieved Stormflower from the air before it could fall and ignored Nora's nonsensical ramblings, as he was often wont to do. "Are you alright?"
Of course...not!
She was very stressed!
Really, she had every right to be!
Some of said distress must've shown through into her expression; because those pink eyes of his narrowed in further contemplation. "I believe your semblance may be...evolving."
Pyrrha perked up at that, intrigued despite her own mortification. Hers had been acting up as of late; even in the cafeteria she'd managed to utilize in in a way she hadn't before, launching volumes of soda cans at Team RWBY with ease. She HAD been training hard as of late...and enjoying other things of a decidedly hard nature recently...
Ahem! Bad brain! Focus up, girl!
Vigorously shaking her head, she fixed him with a pointed stare. "Please tell me you're not yanking my leg...
Her semblance evolving, while not precisely pivotal in the greater scheme of things, might help grant her an edge against Winter.
Magnetism, true magnetism-exactly what she'd just accidentally displayed!- was easily ten times better than her admittedly limited control of metal.
And if it dialed into the electromagnetic spectrum...as Nora's little shock just now would suggest...well...
"Its entirely possible." Leave it to Ren to be the calm one; he remained unflappable as ever. "Semblances are known to evolve under emotional duress or during moments of great distress. "Were you angry?"
Very much so~!
Shame seared through her a moment later even as she thought it.
She looked away, clasped both hands behind her back and kicked at the carpet. "No...?"
Nora poked her head up. She's lying~!
"Nora!"
"Not sorry!"
"Semblances often change as we do." Ren stowed Stormflower and crossed both legs beneath himself atop his cot. "You know what mine is, just as you know Nora's. As for Jaune...well...
He shrugged, not quite finishing that sentence.
They all knew their "fearless leader" honestly didn't have a semblance; he simply allowed people to believe that he did, and in doing so, used that as a shield while he pulled off all manner of miracles with his chakra. It was a humbling secret, and one they would take with them to their graves, if need be.
If he ever did unlock his semblance, it was going to be monstrously powerful.
"Regardless," Ren raised a finger, "If your Semblance is in the process of evolving-assuming it hasn't done so already-you ought be careful. Magnestism is far more dangerous than polarity."
No need to tell her twice.
She couldn't wait to tell Jaune.
Just as soon as he got away from those silly Schnees!
Truth be told, she didn't entirely mind the idea of him having other partners -his heart was just that big and his energy too boundless to possibly contain- but that didn't mean she thought Weiss worthy of him and certainly not Winter for stealing that kiss. For all she knew, their mother might well be more of the same. Jaune deserved someone who would honor him.
Take Blake for instance.
At least she would respect Jaune; if only because she'd been granted a glimpse of his true potential. She'd seen it in her golden gaze; the way those same eyes went lidded whenever he drew near.
But Weiss? Aha, no.
There would be a time and place for her later -one that would end with Weiss Schnee pinned to a wall!-one that uld come soon.
For now...
She glanced back to Nora seeking reassurance in the bubbly girl's smile. "Do you think he'll like this dress?"
"Like it?" Nora flicked her her thumbs up. "Girl, he'll be all over you.
Among other things.
Nevertheless, Pyrrha pouted and clasped both hands over her stomach; she simply couldn't help herself; she was that nervous. "And yet he hasn't asked me to the dance...
Ren tutted. "Our fearless leader does have a job to do that night. He told us himself, remember?"
Heat crept into Pyrrha's face.
Nora giggled. "She totally forgot."
Pyrrha pelted her with a pillow and she went down with a squawk.
Alright, maybe she had forgotten about that -and she didn't much appreciate him being bait!- but surely that didn't mean they couldn't have a little...fun beforehand.
Oh dear.
He really had ruined her, hadn't he?
She bit her thumb, stifling a little shiver of delight.
Yikes, this is bad. I think he's ruining me for anyone else...
Not that she could see herself with anyone else mind you, her focus was very much fixated on tall, blond and handsome. So much energy! So much vitality! She simply couldn't keep up! It was wonderful, yes, but it was also exhausting in its own way, even if she wouldn't trade for the world. Hence why she wasn't entirely opposed to other...partners for him. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak, and she could only take so much, after all.
Weiss might be involved in thar, given time.
Emphasis on might.
She didn't hate the Schnee. On the contrary, she pitied her.
Once she wouldn't have minded being on a team with her. But now she understood her. That girl didn't know what she wanted. She had been like that once, new to her fame, uncertain what she wanted from the world. Until she found said something, hunted it down, and pinned it to bed.
Weiss, meanwhile, thought she knew what true fame was. Yet she didn't. She had been born into it, molded by it. She didn't see normality until she was well into her teens, by then it was blinding.
Pyrrha treasured being normal; if only because she'd experienced that feeling and subsequently lost it. Fame had taken so much from her. She wished she'd never become the Invincible Girl.
Which was where Jaune came in. Compared to him, she was just your average run-of-the-mill student. He made her feel like an ordinary girl; for her, such a feeling was priceless.
And Weiss believed she could just make him hers, did she? She thought she knew him? Ha!
Maybe that was rude for her, but she was his teammate, she was first, and if that little snit wanted to experience even a fraction of the bliss she had, and she could come begging on her knees.
Perhaps that would humble her precious pride.
She wasn't sorry.
But back to business, she needs to focus on the task at hand.
"In any case!" Nora righted herself atop the bed. "We should help Jaune with this mission of his...
Uh-oh. She knew that tone.
Ren heaved a sigh. "Nora, no...
"Nora, yes! Their resident ginger perked up, eyes, sparkling, having donned dark sunglasses from gods knew where. "Secret agent Nora is a go!"
Two pairs of pillows flew forth and pelted her face.
She retaliated in kind.
Somewhere amidst the pillow fight that followed, Pyrrha felt her scroll ring against her hip.
She picked it up, almost without thinking, have expecting it to Jaune.
"Pyrrha, dear..." a voice soft as satin came through the other end, practically preening with pride. "Why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend?
It was not, in fact, Jaune; a fact that caused said Nikos to blanch.
Her face went brighter than her hair
"Mom?!"
(.0.0.0.)
Miles away in Vale, Weiss Schnee sneezed.
"Why do I have the distinct feeling I'm in danger all of a sudden?
"Nonsense dear," Willow pushed another dress into her hands, having already chosen her own. "Here, try this one, dear. Jaune will love it."
She blanched at once, face flushing redder than Ruby's closk. "He'll be able to see my legs...
Winter rolled her eyes, idly adjusting the straps of her gown. "Work with what you have, sister.
The veiled barb registered a moment later. "Are you calling me flat?!
"I'm certainly not calling you for supper."
Weiss sputtered anew.
(.0.0.0.)
Velvet stared herself down in the mirror and took a brisk breath for courage.
It didn't help.
Not at all.
She couldn't find a dress she liked, and it showed, as did her nerves.
Coco's chin plonked down on her shoulder, wearing a gigawatt smile. "What's got your tail in a twist bun bun?
She heaved a heavy sigh. "Coco, I don't have a tail."
"But if you did, it would be in a twist, right?" she mimed finger guns at her. "Aaaaay!"
Her right ankle twitched once, longing to lash out in a mule kick.
No, no, bad Velvet. No violence. Not towards teammates.
Must not kick.
Velvet loved her team, really, she did, but they could be absolutely insufferable when it came to boyfriends.
Or potential boyfriends. She hadn't really made up her mind just yet.
What was the human saying?
"Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern?"
Twice now, Jaune Arc had swooped in to save her without thought for his own well-being. Twice now, she had chickened out and run away like a frightened rabbit. Granted, she didn't think there would BE a third time with Cardin; not after the beating Arc gaved him. Supposedly he'd broken almost every bone in his body and tossed him into the Emerald Forest. Doctor Oobleck had been forced to both find and carry the broken boy to the infirmary; by all accounts, Winchester wouldn't be leaving there anytime soon.
It wasn't enough.
Velvet wished he was dead; wished someone would hunt him down and finish what Arc started.
See how liked it when someone made him feel weak, small, like NOTHING...!
"Vel?"
Tamping down that dark thought, she flicked a was smile Coco's way. "Its nothing. Help me try on another dress?"
Her partner brightened. "That's the spirit! Here, this one has has those long sleeves you like...
Velvet humored her partner quietly and endured the dress up, thoughts silently swimming.
Twice wasn't enough with Jaune Arc; she had to be sure of his intentions.
...screw it. No more. She would make the third time herself, if need be.
Surely she couldn't have that much competition...
.
..
... right?
(.0.0.0.)
Amber regarded herself in the mirror.
Twirled once, nodded now as she held up her dress.
The gown was lovely; near perfect, really. Victory would be hers.
Now she had but to wait.
Soon.
(.0.0.0.)
Did she, or didn't she?
It was a rather confusing conundrum for Blake Belladona.
Should she pursue him, or give up the chase once and for all?"
In all fairness, she had been benevolent since the incident at the docks. And that wasn't a word she often used to describe herself! She was normally far more impatient than this, downright curious once something caught her interest.
Jaune Arc had very much done so.
She knew what he was capable of; had been granted a glimpse of his true potential. The others had no idea. But she did.
It intrigued her, frankly.
More than that, she owed him; in equal parts for both his assistance and his silence. He could've turned her over to the authorities; but he'd done no such thing. Because of him, she had learned the truth. Because of him, she had her team back. Because of him, she still had a place in Beacon.
She owed him; but rather than leverage that debt over her head to make her do his bidding, he'd simply shrugged and moved on.
He wasn't saying yes to her, but he certainly wasn't saying no, either. Which was it?
She must know.
Jaune was strong. But he had secrets of his own, mysteries he was in no hurry to share. She liked that. He was an enigma, one she wanted to puzzle out like a good novel.
What did he call those copies of his? Shadow clones? Just how many of them could he make?
Her mind performed a quadruple backflip and dove straight into the gutter.
Filth. Filthy thoughts. Dark filthy thoughts indeed.
And yet, they lingered still.
Pyrrha seemed the only real competition for the time being, Nora was more interested in Ren, though there was that rabbit faunus upperclasswoman, and Amber, to say nothing of the older Schnee.
Not Weiss; she wasn't honest with herself, Yang wasn't looking for anything. serious, and Ruby... too young. Jaune have done his upmost to keep her at arm's-length, and she respected that. She remembered what it was like to be taken advantage of, by someone older than her, to go along with them and think it was okay...
Adam.
No, don't think about him. He was far, far away from here.
Unless he wasn't. There were White Fang at the docks, and White Fang present at the site of the breach - or so there had been until the Grimm devoured them.
Those plans reeked of desperation; of something big.
Surely he wasn't that stupid...?
.
..
... who was she kidding, the man was all anger and spite and need and greed. He would do as he pleased.
She paused and leaned against the wall, thoughts veering down a different avenue for the moment.
If there was going to be another attack, and all signs pointed to it, it would be soon; possibly during the festival. Not the dance, that was unlikely. There wouldn't be enough of a crowd for that. The White Fang lived and died on its recruitment; if they didn't do something to step up, and soon, they would lose momentum.
Adam might be angry and reckless, but he was strong.
Stronger than Jaune?
She couldn't be sure. Not without seeing them face off against one another; and that was an outcome she had no desire to experience. Nor did she want her thoughts to dwell on Adam. Beacon was her second chance; a new life, one in which she could make amends and maybe...just maybe...find herself happiness.
What did she have to lose?
Nothing ventured, nothing gained after all.
It wasn't love, not yet, but found herself admittedly fond of the blond.
She paused, touched a finger to her chin in quiet contemplation, then relented with a shrug.
Maybe she had a thing for blondes.
Semantics.
Living in fear was no way to live at all. She was here to perform, redeem, renew herself.
And what better way than a fresh start?
The dance was only a day away. He didn't have a date, insofar as she knew.
Her decision made, she bounded upright.
Time to hunt.
(.0.0.0.)
Opportunity knocked.
To be honest, it had been knocking for quite a while now, but Yang hadn't really paid it much mind.
But after watching Arc beat the living daylights out of Cardin, and the foodfight that followed...yeah, she had more of an open mind about things.
There had been a brief moment there back in the cafeteria when she'd grabbed his arm and he'd glared at her; blue eyes blazing hotter than any flame, the beginnings of a snarl set upon his handsome face. She'd gotten a glimpse of the monster beneath the man and to be perfectly honest...
...mama liked what she saw.
Just thinking of it made her rub her legs together.
A girl could get used to that kind of attention focused on her.
Had he been holding back all this time?
Common sense said yes, you never gave it all in a spar, if only for fear of hurting someone. She was a prime example of that; if she ever hit Ruby with full force, she'd break her like a twig. Jaune could take it though. Had taken it. He'd thrown Cardin out like yesterday's trash. She'd seen the medics haul his hide out the Emerald forest.
Poor bastard would be in a cast for months.
Heh. Puttin' the beatdown on bullies.
Mama like VERY much~!
"Sis, you've got that look in your eye again...
Yang raised her gaze from Ember Celica, halfheartedly finishing the last of the reloading process. Her badass shotgun-gauntlets clicked shut as she fed the final shell into each chamber, then collapsed them back into her bracelets, which she lazily donned in return. Safe and sound, where they should be.
Only then did she deign to look Ruby's way.
Her adorable baby sister was looking her way from putting the finishing touches on Arc's weapon -in their own dorm no less!- but she couldn't see her face due to the fact that she was wearing a freakin' welding hood for crying out loud. If that wasn't dedication to her craft, she didn't know what was. Her baby sis knew her way around weapons.
What had she said earlier? Bitches love cannons, or something like that? Yeah, that was the one.
Aw, crap, she was still staring her way. Had she figured her out? Better say something.
"Dunno what you mean; I wasn't thinking about Arc at all."
Ruby growled adorably, the sound muffled by her heavy equipment. "I didn't say Jaune."
Shit. She'd been rumbled. No, she'd rumbled herself!"
"Ooops?"
Ruby realized her intent and flipped up her hood to scowl at her, cheeks puffed out in an indignant pout. "Yang, no! I saw him first!
Yang blanched at the insinuation. "Rubes, you're fifteen. He's my age. That's a big no-no...
Her little sister puffed out her cheeks further still. "I'll get older! I drink milk!"
Yang coughed into a fist. "That's not the only problem...
"I'll get bigger then!"
Yang very much doubted that; make no mistake, she absolutely adored her baby sister, truly, but Ruby was small. Frail. Petite. Tiny. Summer was a great mom and she'd given the both of them everything she could and more, but at the end of the day she really didn't have the best genes in that department. A few years wasn't likely to make much of a difference.
Raven, on the other hand...
.
..
...well, she'd had certainly inherited something from her, and it wasn't her bitchy attitude.
Wow, it had been a long time since she thought about her not-mom.
Did it matter? She was losing both the battle and the war, sure she had made some good strides toward Arc there at the beginning, but he didn't seem to notice.
Meanwhile, Weiss had -insofar as she knew- apparently decided to drop her whole family on Jaune's head. Three Schnees, herself included! THREE!
How the hell was she supposed to compete with that?!
How to get his attention then...?
How...?
Yang bit her lip, and worried it between her teeth, chewing thoughtfully for a moment.
It was a bad idea. Crazy, really. Downright demented in fact.
But the best ones always were, weren't they?
Ruby relented, mildly concerned. "Yang...?"
Yang rubbed her hands together. "How soon can you finish that upgrade...?"
(.0.0.0.)
Someone was stalking him.
Jaune used the word stalk rather delicately, because while he wasn't exactly being hunted down like a stag-not in the traditional sense-he was very much being followed. Whoever was tailing him was actually fairly decent at it, unlike Yang, or Ruby. Weiss wouldn't bother with such things; she would just storm up to him and demand answers. Conversely, Pyrrha, Amber or Winter would've simply dragged him aside and asked to speak with him.
Penny wouldn't have bothered with any of it and just tackled him outright.
Now, who did he know that preferred to skulk in the shadows like a certain cat of the sneaky sort?
Three guesses. First two didn't count. Rather obvious, really.
Blake was trying to hard; he almost found it funny.
After soloing an ice dragon, he welcomed the distraction. Miss Willow -better call her that lest his mind go places he wasn't prepared for- had piqued his interest and while he nominally preferred to think he'd secured her assistance against Dad, he knew any aid on her part would come with several strings attached.
To say nothing of "pretending" to be Weiss' boyfriend. He still hadn't forgiven he for that. Maybe he wouldn't.
But...
.
..
...
Allies. He needed them. Needed them so very quickly.
If it came to that, he was prepared to make some sacrifices. Surely it couldn't be that bad.
A flicker of movement in his peripherals served as his only warning.
He was more than ready for it.
Ducking around a tree, his right arm snapped up and with it, his palm, catching the black ribbon of Gambol Shroud between his fingers. From there he drew the cloth against the back and yanked, forcing her to step out the shadows or risk losing her weapon to him entirely.
She chose the latter surprisingly; he felt the cloth go slack, allowing him more leeway mere moments before Blake emerged with a smile.
"And here I thought you weren't aware of me at all. That's rather impressive, Jaune."
It really wasn't, he'd reacted on instinct.
Dad was far faster, anyway.
Not that he'd say so.
In the end, Blake took the initiative from him; as he look on she stepped up, retrieved her weapon and pushed it against his chest.
"We need to talk."
He thought about saying no, then paused. Less than two days now, and he still had no real way of a securing team RWBY's assistance. He had tried his best with Weiss, really, he had, but she clearly had a lot on her mind. He didn't know how to approach her after today's disaster.
"You're right." he took some small satisfaction in the way her eyes widened. "We do...and I need your help."
Blake's gaze went half-lidded as she stowed her weapon. "Not the way I'd phrase it, but alright...
Now, then; how could he phrase this without sounding insane?
There was no reliable to do so.
Screw it.
Clasping both hands together, he bowed his head to her and began his plea. "I need you to help me kick my dad's ass before he drags me out of Beacon!"
Blake's brow vanished into her hair. "Pardon?"
"Look," growling, he straightened up and dragged a hand through his hair. "It a long story and I don't have time to repeat myself. Ask Weiss if you want the details. Will you help me or not?"
"Of course."
Now it was his turn to blink. "Just like that?"
Really? He had a whole argument prepared, too...
"You helped me when no one else would," she stepped to him and laid a hand on his shoulder, surprising him. "Its only fair that I repay the favor."
He recoiled at the very insinuation. "This isn't about favors, I don't need you to repay me-
"I insist." she pushed a finger against his lips, silencing him. "A favor for the favor. Although..." Considering him further, she tilted her head. "While we're on the subject, you are attending the Dance, no?"
Jaune recalled Ozpin's words with a grimace. "Against my better judgement."
Ozpin had exactly told him to keep it a secret, now, had he? He had already told his team. What was the harm in telling another? The more allies the merrier, right? If Blake knew about the impending attack and the White Fang, that knowledge would trickle over to Team RWBY. Blake had an axe to grind against the Fang, too, so that would secure her by his side as an ally against the coming storm, surely-
"Jaune, you fool! Whatever you do, don't mention the White Fang right now!"
'Why not?'
"Trust me, just don't. Not here and not now. You'll ruin the moment."
'Moment? What moment?'
Kurama sullen refused to answer him.
...fine. He had a bad feeling about this, but the old fox knew best..
"Good." Blake stepped back as quickly as she came, head bobbing like she'd just confirmed something. "Oh, and Jaune?"
He looked back just a tad too slowly; in that moment of inattention, her lips brushed against his cheek.
Blake stepped back, cheeks dusted pink. "Don't be late. And tell Pyrrha I'm sorry."
She turned and fled before he could answer.
...Kurama."
...yeeeessss?"
"I hate you so much right now."
Almost on cue, his scroll rang.
Jaune glanced at it.
Frowned, now.
"Ruby...?"
(.0.0.0.)
His weapon upgrade was finally ready.
Jaune found the timing a tad suspicious, the location even moreso, but he didn't sense any danger, and so readily agreed to meet.
.
..
...even if said meeting place was just a tad spooky.
Tonight, the Emerald Forest was silent as the grave, not a Grimm in sight. Fog clung to the ground, swirls of mists threading against his ankles while he walked, like ghastly ghosts trying to drag him down.
Dad would've freaked out here. He hated ghosts.
Somehow the complete and utter lack of enemies only left Jaune even further on edge.
He wasn't entirely sure why Ruby had insisted on meeting way out here in the first place, but he supposed the rowdy reaper had her reasons. A surprise, most likely. Hopefully a good one. He'd endured more than enough shocks to his system this week and he didn't think his frazzled nerves could handle another.
That said, she'd chosen a familiar place; where they'd first rounded up the relics -chess pieces- and formed their teams during initiation.
It was...nostalgic, if nothing else. Really, it felt like so long ago now; when in truth it hadn't even been a year.
Time flies, huh?
All the more reason not to let himself be dragged away. He was stronger now. He'd learned from his mistakes. He would prove himself...
.
..
...but until Ruby arrived, there was nothing for him to do but wait.
Positioning himself atop one of the crumbling plinths, he crossed both legs beneath himself and settled in. From there he began to meditate, just as he'd been taught. With it came a much-needed peace. Shallow breaths became large once as he inhaled and exhaled, allowing his eyes to drift shut. His senses expanded almost immediately in response and to his initial chagrin he found that there were Grimm about, but they were scattered to the winds; far and wide and away, lingering on the outskirts of the Forest.
As if they were scared too approach.
What could scare a Grimm?
Did they even feel fear?
No, wait there was something else, someone closer. He could almost see them in his mind's eye...
A rustle in the undergrowth caught Jaune's attention.
His eyelids snapped open.
Almost immediately a blizzard of red petals assaulted his vision, forcing a brief blink from him as he found himself buffeted by the barrage. When it cleared he beheld a familiar red cape and cloak, the latter of which was soon tugged down to reveal a familiar pair of silver eyes framed by an equally familiar face, beaming ear to ear.
"Sorry I'm late~!" Ruby granted him a grin, carefully keeping both hands clasped behind her back. "Had to take Zwei for walkies."
Who or what on Remnant was a Zwei? And what was she hiding in her backpack?
She beat him to the punch by tilting her head. "Whatcha doing?"
"Meditating."
Her brow furrowed. "Looks boring."
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "It isn't, really; it helps me focus and keeps me calm."
"Any chance you could teach me?"
"You?" he almost laughed but thought better of it. "That would require sitting still...
She pouted, indignant. "I can sit still...
A lone blond brow rose.
...for a little while?"
Jaune quirked the other eyebrow in quiet consternation.
"Anyway, your weapon is ready~!" Realizing she was on the back foot, Ruby changed tact; out came her hand from behind her backpack -which continue to wriggle as though something were moving within- to reveal his weapon in question, sword neatly sheathed in what appeared to be a slightly bulkier scabbard. "Tada~! I added a ranged equivalent, just like you asked!"
Uncrossing his legs, Jaune hopped down from the plinth. "So soon?"
"Yup." her head bobbed.
"It hasn't even been two days!"
Another nod. "Yuup."
It looks almost completely the same!
"Yuuup."
Okay, now she was doing that on purpose! She must've had help, but from whom? Semantics, he supposed. And she had done as he asked...
Jaune reached for it. "Let's see-
Ruby zipped back out of reach. "Just a second!"
.
..
...of course she wasn't willing to give it up for free.
"Is this about lien?" he fished out his wallet. "I can pay you. Name your price."
Ruby drooled for a moment -much to his amusement- but quickly rallied. "N-No," she shook her head frantically, "Its not that. Its about Weiss."
His smile died an ugly death.
Ruby saw it, but rallied, bless her simple soul. "Can the two of you just make up already?"
The question nearly floored him; it took almost all he had to put on a happy face rather than sigh. "Ruby, no."
She latched onto his sleeve. "Please, please, please!"
He glowered at her. "We actively hate each other."
"No, you don't! I can tell!"
"And how is that?"
"W-Well!" She whined a little -so cute!- and went on the attack again. "She wouldn't have asked you to be your boyfriend otherwise!" Just speaking the words seemed to pain her. "So there!"
"Ruby," he tousled her hair in a vain attempt to mollify her, "Its literally a fake relationship. She's trying to save face in front of her family. That's all."
Her face fell. "Oh...
"We haven't done anything." he reassured her quickly, feeling an odd stab of guilt as he did so. "Haven't even held hands, really."
She looked up at him with shining eyes "...are you going to let that Neptune guy take her to the dance tomorrow, then?"
His brow furrowed. "Who?"
When he didn't respond further, an awful thought dawned in her head; he saw it in her eyes. "Are you even going?"
He set his jaw with a sigh. "I'm starting to think I shouldn't...
"JAUNE!"
...but yeah, I'm going." he averted his gaze to hide the brief flash of anger there. "Can I have my weapon back now?"
"That depends." Ruby edged back, full prepared to bolt again if he made a grab for her. "Will you at least TRY to be nice to Weiss?"
When did his life get so complicated? Girls were weird. Truly, they were. He relented with a long sigh. "Only if she extends the same courtesy to me. And tell her I said that."
"Deal~!" she bounded over to him and offered Crocea Mors up to his waiting hands. "Tada~!"
It felt...heavier than before. He noticed at once. Not enough to throw off his balance, but enough to make him adjust his stance all the same. A cursory swing confirmed that yes, it was still the same weapon, but at the same time it wasn't. Something had been changed. Altered.
"What did you do?
Ruby preened, both hands on her hips. "Hold it tight and press the trigger near the hilt."
Against his better judgment, he did.
The blade split and the chakra saber came alive in his hands, same as before. No visible change. It was a bit brighter than before perhaps, nothing more.
When he turned a questioning gaze Ruby's way, her grin only grew. "Now extinguish the sword, hold it across your arm, then sheathe it!"
That was a strangely specific set of commands, but alright, he'd humor her.
"Sure."
He did and found another additional trigger there; it required a good bit of force on his part to press and he soon saw why.
Sword and sheathe alike began trembling violently before both suddenly folded, outward, gaining mass and metal in a matter of moments. As he looked on aghast, the entire weapon transformed into something absolutely massive, sheathing his arm in a gray gauntlet of some sort, from which a massive black cannon barrel spawned, nearly as large as he was tall. Both sword and sheathe-shield had become this and now he could see why it had so much more weight to it; It was a capital B-I-G whatever it was, easily the length of his arm, but not so heavy that he couldn't lift.
Or maybe it was heavy, and he was just that strong. Who could say?
Didn't change the fact that that he was holding an absolute unit of a weapon...and he had the strangest feeling he'd seen this in a comic somewhere before.
Ruby clasped her hands and gazed up at him, eye shining like so many stars. "Do you like it?"
He didn't hate it, but then again, he didn't quite know what it was, either.
"Ruby.
"Yeah?"
"What is this?
She squealed. "It's a fusion canon!"
Kurama wheezed. "Of all the things...!"
...it certainly explained a lot. "Was Yang involved?"
Ruby tented her fingers and looked away. "...maybe?"
The gauntlet had her written all over it. No, literally, she'd written her name on the metal near the base of the cannon and plastered a smiley face next to it. He could see both.
Ruby scratched the back of her head. "That'll wash off, don't worry."
Jaune twitched.
To be fair, he had asked for a ranged equivalent, and this certainly fit the bill. After all, there was no kill like overkill.
Maybe a little too much, though!
"Did you let Penny help you with this?"
Ruby looked away. "Maybe...?"
He had many sisters. He knew that tone. "How much did she help..."
Ruby warbled once and burst into tears. "She said her dad designed your weapons! I thought she knew what you wanted!"
Well, this was certainly...something. He didn't hate it, just wasn't sure if he could use it properly. Which meant...
Ruby saw the spark in his eyes and jumped on it to save herself. "Wanna test it out?"
Despite his initial reservations, yes, he did.
Taking aim at the first thing he could find, Jaune depressed the trigger and brandished his new ranged armament at a nearby tree. With a ponderous whine, the gauntlet powered up...
.
..
...and fell silent.
There was a moment of silence, broken only Jaune's hopes and dreams.
Ruby scratched her cheek. "Huh? That's weird. Where's the bang? There was supposed to be an earth-shattering BA-
Abruptly the canon atop his wrist bucked; the next thing Jaune knew his ears were ringing, while his eyes were stinging. Also, his mouth was terribly dry...and for some reason, there was a terribly large mushroom cloud in the sky in the distance
He'd blown up that tree alright, and several others besides!
"Ha!" Ruby pumped a fist into the air. "I knew it would work! Bitches love cannons!"
Jaune fired again.
A second mushroom cloud joined the first.
"On second thought," she paled at his side, sweat running down her brow, "Maybe we should nerf it a little...
Jaune glanced at her, not sure he'd heard quite right. "What was that? I couldn't quite hear you...
She quailed. "Nevermind~! Don't tell Yang I said anything."
"Said what?"
"Exactly." she pointed a finger at him. "You didn't hear anyyyything."
"No, really, I'm having trouble hearing you." He thumped the right side of his head with a chakra-coated hand until his hearing restored itself. "But thanks," he turned a grateful smile his way. "I like this." And then, because he knew she was craving praise, "Thanks, Ruby. You're the best!"
"Heh~!"
She squirmed happily, but his thoughts were already elsewhere. "How do I change it back?"
"Oh, that?" she scrambled over and bid him lift his elbow. "Right there, under the wrist. Twist your arm and-
With the sound of countless meshing gears,
He'd already grown accustomed to the weight, both in sword and cannon form.
A ninja always kept an ace or two up their sleeve.
Dad wouldn't know what hit him.
...is it true, then?"
Something in Ruby's tone gave him pause just then.
Jaune looked down to find his fellow team leader staring at the ground, idly scuffing a boot against the dirt. Her smile had dimmed; the euphoric glee in her gaze nowhere to be seen.
"Is what true?"
She looked up at him, silver eyes shining, not with stars this time, but tears. "...Your family...are they really taking you away?"
Jaune quietly clasped his hands and whispered a prayer of thanks to the heavens.
Trust Blake to run right to her team with the news.
Clever girl.
Still made him feel like dirt seeing Ruby so upset, though.
He could lie to her. Make her feel better.
Dad wouldn't.
He blew out a breath and looked away. "They're gonna try, yeah."
She latched onto his armor, face fierce. "I won't let them!"
He balked, alarmed by her vehemence. "Ruby...?"
"No!" Her fingers curled against him. "I won't!"
Jaune grimaced. "It might not be that easy-
He didn't have a chance to ask why; Ruby didn't give it to him.
Instead, she burst upright upon the very tips of her toes in a flurry of red motion and...!
Something brushed his lips.
Jaune recoiled.
"Ruby...?"
Before he could think to get another word in, she surprised him once more. Her eyes flitted left, then right, widening in panic. "I...um...well...!"
He couldn't think, couldn't move, couldn't breathe.
She reacted accordingly.
Ruby ran.
(.0.0.0.)
Ruby Rose kept running, barreling headlong into the Emerald forest.
She kept running, until she was certain her crush was long gone.
Certain he wouldn't give chase, wouldn't find her.
Then she kept running some more, pushing her semblance to its utter limits until her knees begged for mercy and her boots creaked. He might've called out after her, shouted something at her back, but he didn't follow her, and that was all that mattered.
Still she forged on, darting deep into the Emerald Forest, deeper than she'd ever dared to go.
Had to be sure. She knew the way back. Must be sure.
Finally, she could run no more.
Her legs buckled and betrayed her, all at once, rendering her run a stumbling lurch. In turn, she darted behind a tree for cover, hiding for dear life.
A moment passed.
Then another.
Another.
No signs of pursuit. No signs of anything at all. The trees were quiet.
Strange as it might sound, the world was at peace.
Not for long.
Ruby bent double and howled into her hands; the sound of which had birds bursting from the trees, squawking angrily.
"Idiiiiiooooot~!" she wailed against her palms, stomping her boots into the muck over and over. "What were you thinking?! You fumbled the bag! Fumbled it so hard! Bad Ruby!"
That was her chance! She'd had him alone, all to herself, and what had she done?!
She'd kissed him and run!
Buffoon! Dunce! Fool!
Zwei poked his head out her backpack and barked once.
She glared over her shoulder at the precious pup. "Some help you were! You hid the entire time! You were supposed to help me with him over!"
Another bark.
"Not forgiven, mister!"
Something rustled in the brush ahead of her.
Something noisy.
Something big.
Ruby rounded on it with a hiss and unfurled Crescent Rose. "Please be a Grimm. I NEED to kill something right now."
Be careful what you wish for.
Zwei whimpered and ducked back into the bag.
It was her only warning; because then the Grimm emerged and her heart damn near stopped.
Ruby found herself looking at a dog. At least, she thought it was a dog. A large Grimm-kinda-dog with a short, wide snout, teeth overlapping over its brutish jaw. It lacked visible eyes, but possessed canine ears and quill-like spines on its back, one of the former notably having been seemingly sliced off; it possessed a tar-like body, dripping liquid from its maw and shoulders.
But that wasn't the worst of things; if it were, she would've attacked without a second thought.
It had...a presence.
There was something about it; whatever it was left her knees locking up and Crescent Rose trembling in her hands.
Eerily enough, the Grimm stared at her despite the aforementioned lack of eyes.
Ruby stared back, aghast, frozen by sheer terror.
Wait, why wasn't it attacking?
It tilted his head and sniffed once, regarding her curiously.
Another sniff, accompanied by a low rumble.
"...?"
Something shifted in hits body; she saw a shift in its throat and heard the awful wet crack that followed.
And then she heard it; a low, deep voice issuing forth from its throat.
"Arc."
Her heart began beating again with gusto, threatening to break out her chest at any given moment. Did it just freakin' talk?! Wait did it smell Jaune on her? And what did that have to do with anything? Jaune wasn't a Grimm! He couldn't even act grim, he was just so darn nice!
Another sniff as it crept closer.
"Girl."
Still talking! What was going on here?! And why did she get the feeling it had something to do with him and Saphron?
Without warning the beast surprised her.
"Protect the girl."
It sat.
Ruby blanked. Rubbed her eyes. Blinked for good measure. "Okaaaaay...this is new."
It's tail began wagging.
Zwei poked his head out her back to bark.
Ruby hissed. "Zwei, no! Back in the bag, now!"
The Hound cocked its head, an unmistakably lupine act. "Friend?"
Zwei mirrored him and hopped out her backpack, tongue lolling out his mouth as he panted happily.
"No!" Ruby flung up her arms, aghast at them both. "No friends! This is not happening! Zwei you get back here right now or so help me-ACK?!"
The Hound bounded forward, cutting her off mid-sentence as it ducked under Crescent Rose and tackled her to the dirt, driving her down beneath its bulk. Before she could even think -or hope!- to defend herself, those strong jaws seized her trusty weapon by its haft, that great wrenched itself to the right, and her scythe was summarily cast it aside. Ruby cried out and flung up a hand in a vain attempt to ward her attacker off, only for the beast to pin both her arms beneath its powerful paws. Howling its victory, it dove down with a mighty noise, jaws gaping wide.
Well, that was that, then.
She was doomed.
Dead.
Ruby closed her eyes. At least I had my first kiss...!
Something wet lapped across her face.
The weigh on her arms fell away.
Her brain fizzled.
'Eh?'
Hoping against hope, she dared to hold out a hand creak her eyes open again. Almost immediately, something rough and heavy and raw dragged itself across her palm, followed by her face, much to her dismay. The act caught her completely off guard; so much so that she froze; that proved to be a mistake; because the beast instantly went after again. She immediately flailed both hands to try and ward it off, to no avail.
It would not be denied.
"Gah?!" she sputtered as the Hound licked her again, unable to defend herself. "Bad doggy! Down! Blech!"
The Grimm barked and licked her yet a third time.
Ruby Rose wailed. "Stooooop!"
A/N: The Hound Arrives~!
Surely this can only bode well.
In other news, goodness, Pyrrha's becoming the mistress of magnetism. What could possibly go wrong there?
I know some readers are frustrated with the pacing of the story at the moment; that's entirely understandable and I apologize for that-it's temporary. There's a lot going on in the background that we can't just ignore, all of which is building up to the climax of this "arc". Heh, been hanging around Yang too much...
We also have Jaune's time limit; has much to do, and little time in which to do it, less than two days now.
Once the Dance comes around-and the chaos that follows-things are going to move hard and fast, so much so that many might wish for the slow chapters again. We have at best, two-likely one-more slow chapter after this, and then we jump back into the thick of things. Several of the scenes in THIS chapter were originally meant for the last chapter, one but if we had delayed things even further after missing last week's update, folks would've gone berserk.
Next chapter title should be something along the lines of: Just a little...?
Soon comes the Dance and the Vytal Festivaaaal~! Looking forward to the Vytal Festical so we can properly introduce teams NDGO, FNKI, ABRN, SSSN, BRNZ and the like~! And let us not forget Ciel~! She has a starring role in Far From Home, but its oh-so-nice working with characters who are essentially a blank slate!
As ever, these glorious misunderstandings remain glorious. Are we going for the single route, or the harem ending? I suppose that depends on you, the reader. We're not quite done with the story yet, we still have a bit more to go, not to mention the other continents, Lionheart, the Crown, and the like, to say nothing of the Brother Gods and our Impostors! Or we could just end this after the imminent attack on Beacon.
Your choice! Find out next time, on Practice Makes Perfect!
Once again, reviews are my fuel. Without them I simply cannot write.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...Review...Would You Kindly?
Next chapter will be bonkers.
Everyone's gonna laugh~!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
(Preview!)
"whatever you did, fix it!"
Jaune blanched. What did I do?!
x
The attack came without warning.
"There you are~!"
Pyrrha pushed her against the wall. "I wasn't aware MY boyfriend had another girlfriend ...?"
Weiss gulped up at her.
How did she know?!
Pyrrha smiled.
It was not a nice smile.
Weiss whimpered.
x
Only those who have truly lost all connection to their world are truly free to fight for a different one. Of course, one can also argue the opposite. Those who care for both worlds are prepared to fight for each of them. Bonds are a funny thing, aren't they? I never truly understood them, but looking at you now, I can almost begin to understand.
x
I have places to be, you know.
Blake blinked quickly. "Then lend me one of your clones. You get their memories when they dispel, right?"
"Yes...?"
Good.
That...wasn't a bad idea.
She was one of few in Beacon who knew he could, anyway.
His clone granted him a long-suffering look, but otherwise didn't protest before Blake yanked him backwards into the dark.
Their sacrifice would be remembered.
x
You again?!
Neo waved merrily.
...what do you want."
She bounced in place on her heels, pointing past him.
...Ice cream? Seriously? You're a wanted criminal!
x
"I don't mind."
Ruby's head whipped around. "Yang...!"
"What?" she received a shrug. "Dad did it. Twice. Technically."
"Now who's making excuses?!"
x
"Pssst! You awake?"
He certainly was now.
Against his better judgement, Jaune creaked an eye open. "...Yang...?"
She was leaning over his bed.
"Hey, sparky. You wanna do something we're not supposed to?"
He eyed her warily, eyes glowing in the gloom. What are you up to?
"Shhhh! She shushed him and held up a finger, silencing his protest. "Not so loud...
x
Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose as he finished his story "...aaaaand that's where he came from. I'm thinking a certain someone might've sent it to look in on me... it scared Ruby half to death...
The hound barked.
"Yeah, no, we can't bring you with us."
The hound whined.
Pyrrha cooed softly. "He wouldn't hurt a fly"
In an instant the beast surrounded on her.
"Protect."
"See? He's a good boy."
Nora grimaced. "I dunno...he seems kinda Grimmy."
It sniffed, almost indignantly. "Tolerate."
"Well, excuse me!"
Aw, don't be like that it's kind of cute in a bit of a gross sticky way.
Ren flung up his arms. "IT IS A LITERAL GRIMM!"
The Hound sniffed indignantly and turned its head away.
"Ignore."
Ren absolutely twitched.
Jaune sighed.
"It can stay in the Emerald Forest, that's close enough to the school."
Nora and Pyrrha whined.
Ren put his foot down. "absolutely not!"
EDIT: Hope you enjoyed this! Have a great day and may it be filled with lots of luck!
Warm regards,
~Nz.