On the stage, Jaune was fighting Cardin Winchester. His arms were exhausted, holding his sword and shield. He looked up at the Cardin, who laughed at him. He had burnt-orange hair that is combed backward with a slight peak at the front and indigo eyes. He was wearing silver-gray armor with a gold trim. The chest plate sports a bird with its wings outstretched. Underneath the armor, a black shirt with red trimmings and black pants with a red belt tied around his waist.
Jaune charged forward and swung his sword at Cardin, but Cardin easily dodged. Jaune looked in shocked before his shield got hit by Cardin's Mace. Luckily, Jaune's shield saved him from that attack, but it was knocked out of his hand. He held the handle of his sword with both hands, before he charged forward again to attack Cardin, but Cardin blocked the attack.
"This is the part where you lose." Cardin said as he overpowered Jaune.
"Over my dead…" Jaune said, but groaned in pain for being hit in his stomach by Cardin's knee and fell down to the ground. He messed up again. He didn't think of the strategy, but it's too late now. He sees Cardin lifted his Mace in the air above his head and going to hit him. That is when the stage started to light up and a buzzing sound made him stop.
"That's enough, Cardin!" Glynda yelled as she walked toward them. "Students, as you can see, Mr. Arc's aura has now dropped into the red. In a tournament style duel, this would indicate that Jaune is no longer fit for battle. This would indicate that Jaune is no longer fit for battle and that the official may call the match." She then looked at Jaune as she commented. "Mr. Arc, it's been weeks now. Please try to refer to your scroll during combat. Gauging your aura will help you to decide when it is appropriate to attack or when it's better to move to a more… defensive strategy." Jaune took out a scroll, reading his own life bar of Team JNPR. His life bar is red means almost out of aura. "We wouldn't want to be gobbled up by a Beowolf, now would we?" Glynda asked, still looking down at Jaune.
"Speak for yourself." Cardin said as he walked off the stage.
"Remember everyone! The acts Festival is only a few months away. It won't be long before students from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing! Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale." Glynda said, with me knowing that I wouldn't be able to take place in it as I was a one man team.
Looking over at Team RWBY, I watched as Yang punched the air and couldn't wait until tournament start, Weiss's body is shaking with excitement and the same went for Ruby, Blake simply smirked.
'I expect great things from them, all of them.' I thought with smirk as the bell rang started, and everyone walked out.
Later, the cafeteria
"There we were… in the middle of the night…" Nora said as she was telling us about her dream.
"It was a day and..." Ren said
"We were surrounded by..."
"They were Beowolves."
"Dozens of them!" Nora yelled as she stood on the table.
"Two of them…"
Yang was excited while listening to Ren's story. Blake didn't pay attention very much while reading her book peacefully. Weiss was filing her nails. Ruby, and Pyrrha looked at Jaune poking at his food with his saddened expression.
"But they were no match and in the end… Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs!" Nora said with a large grin on her face.
"Ah... She's been having this reoccurring dream for nearly a month now..." Ren informed, with me nodding.
Pyrrha looked at Jaune and decided to speak. "Jaune, are you okay?" She questioned, and He popped up and faced her.
"Uh? Oh, yeah! Why?" He asked, playing dumb.
"It's just that you seem a little... not okay..." Ruby said, shrugging her shoulders as she said that.
"Eh, guys, I'm fine... Seriously, look!" Jaune said as he gave a thumb up before he released a nervous laugh.
"Jaune, I know you're not fine. Cardin has been bullying you a lot." I said before hearing the sound of laughter from Cardin.
Everyone turned their attention to Team CRNL. What I saw, pissed me off. We saw a girl with long brown hair and rabbit ears surrounded by team CRDL, with holding on to her ears.
Getting up, I stormed over to them and held my hand out, with Cardin and his team grabbing their throats as they were lifted up in the air. "Get this through your thick skulls!" I said, making them all look at me. "Velvet here, saved my life last year, and if it wasn't for her and her team, I wouldn't be here!" I said, making a fist, with me seeing their faces turn blue. "You mess with her, you mess with me, and I will show you no mercy!" I said, dropping them on the table, where I took their food and dropped it on them. "Velvet." I said, looking at the scared fannus. "Tell Coco and the rest I said thanks, and that they should deal with team CRDL, themselves." I said, walking past her and leaving the cafeteria.
Later
"Have any among you been subjugated or discriminated because of your Faunus heritage?" Professor Oobleck asked as he looked at everyone in the class.
Looking around, some of the students raised their hands. Looking at Velvet, who was sitting next to me, raised her hand as well, and seeing the saddened expression she had made me angry.
"Dreadful, simply dreadful! Remember, students, it is precisely this kind of ignorance that breeds violence!" Oobleck said as he took a sip of his coffee. "I mean, I mean, I mean just look at what happened to White Fang! Now, which one of you young scholars can tell me what many theorists believe to be the turning point in the third year of the way?"
Weiss raised her hand. "The battle at Fort Castle." She answered, with him nodding.
"Good answer! And, who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagune's forces?" He asked, looking around.
"Hey!" Jaune protested before it draws the attention Oobleck who zoom in front of him.
"Mr. Arc! Finally contributing to class! This is excellent! Excellent! What is the answer?" Professor Oobleck asked a question.
Jaune didn't know what the answer was because he was asleep. He tried to think, but he soon sees his partner, Pyrrha is trying to give him the answer.
"The answer… The advantage… of the Faunus… had over that guy's stuff…" He started as he sees Pyrrha cups her hand around her eyes, "Binoculars!"
The class started to laugh at him at hearing the silly answer. "Velvet." I said, with said girl looking at me. "About earlier... I'm sorry I acted that way." I said, keeping my eyes forward. "Ever since my team... I've been... moody?" I said, trying to find the right word.
"Its ok, you lost your friends, and if I was in your situation... I'm sure I would be just as angry as you." She said, with me nodding as she was kind of right.
The bell rang, where we all started leaving the classroom. Seeing team JNPR, Nora, Ren, and Pyrrha, I walked over to them.
"You go on ahead. I'll wait for Jaune." Pyrrha said as her teammates went ahead, with me stopping next to her. She released a sigh because Jaune stayed in the classroom for laughing at Cardin.
"Pyrrha." I said, surprising Pyrrha a bit as she jumped.
"Dakota!" She said in a surprising voice as she looked at me.
"You waiting for Jaune?" I asked, with her nodding.
"Yes, I want to talk to him." She said, with me nodding as I wanted to talk to him as well.
"Jaune. I watched him a fight with Cardin, his sword skill were horrible. I don't think he will survive against a Grimm in one on one." I said, rubbing my chin in thought.
"I know that. That's why I want to help him. Train him." She said, with me nodding.
"So, you plan on teaching him then." I said, as I knew he needed training, and she was the closest to his fighting style.
At that moment, Jaune finally walked out of the classroom, but was pushed by Cardin as he laughed. Pyrrha helped him up, glaring at Carlin who pushed him.
"You know, I really will break his legs." Pyrrha said, with me smirking at that.
"Pyrrha, Jaune. I have something that I need to take care of." I said, walking after Cardin.
Later
"Cardin!" I called out, with said man flinching. Seeing him turn to me, I held my hand out, stopping him from running, or moving at all. "Final warning, and if I catch you doing it again, I will shatter the bones in your legs, do I make myself clear?" I said, pulling him towards me, getting in his face.
"Ya, man, I gotcha, no more picking on Jaune or the bunny girl!" He said, with me narrowing my eyes at him. "Ok, in general!" He said, with me pushing him back, watching as he hit the ground.
"If I see you pick on Velvet, I will break your legs. If I see you pick on Jaune, I will break your legs. If I see you picking on anyone, I will break your legs!" I said, standing over him. "Change your attitude, and your teams, or so help me, I will break all of your legs!" I said, walking past him as this conversation was over.
Few days later
"Yes students, the Forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful. But we are not here to sight-see. Professor Peaches asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest. Dakota and I are here to make sure that none of you die while doing so." Glynda said as she stopped, as well as everyone else. Jaune was carrying the jars and the white case before he bumped into Cardin's, who glared at him.
"Cardin, pay attention!" I warned, not wanting him to start a fight or draw on any negative emotions as it could and would draw in Grimm.
"Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap." Glynda said as she showed them a jar of red sap. "However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here at four o'clock. Have fun. Oh, and Dakota."
"Yes?" I asked, looked at Glynda with a raised eyebrow.
"Keep an eye on team RWBY and JNPR." She said, with me nodding as I followed after the two teams.
"Come on, buddy, let's go!" I heard Cardin, with me looking at him, then at Pyrrha. She saw what happened, but turned her back on him, with me knowing something happened between the two, and I was going to get to the bottom of it.
Later
Standing behind Pyrrha, I looked around. "Pyrrha, what's going on between you and Jaune?" I questioned, with her looking up at me. Pyrrha looked at me, then back at the jar she was filling up. She wasn't in the mood to talk about her leader, meaning that he did something that she didn't like. I narrowed my eyes at her, not like being ignored. If I wanted information, I could make her tell me. Yet, I wasn't my sister. Pulling on the darkness within, that's what I had been doing.
I gently grabbed the jar from her with my aura and put the lid on it. "Thank you, Dakota. I could of done it myself!" Pyrrha said, narrowing her eyes at me a bit as she said that.
"I don't like asking twice." I said, where she turned away as she walked to another tree. Stopping in my pursuit, I looked over at the hill, could feel something was up there. Feeling the negative emotion that was going on, I turned to Pyrrha who started on another jar for Jaune. That's when I felt a spike in aura. "Yang! You and Blake, go get Professor Goodwitch!" I yelled out as everybody looked at me in confusion as I started waling towards the hill.
"What? Why?" Yang was going to ask, but she sees the members of Team CRDL were running towards us, away from the roar of an Ursa.
"Ursa! Ursa!" Dove cried as he ran into Yang before she grabbed his collar.
"What?! Where?!" She asked as I ran passed them, pulling out my saber and igniting it.
"Pyrrha, Ruby, and Weiss, you're with me!" I said as the three followed behind.
"Ren and Nora, you go with Blake and Yang. There could be more of them!" Pyrrha said as she looked back at her team.
Later
We made it in time to see Cardin until they see Cardin running away, but Cardin got hit by its paw and was knocked down. Luckily, his chest armor saved him.
"Oh no!" Ruby said in panic expression as I ran forward.
Cardin tried to get up and crawl away from the Grimm bear before it'll kill him. It raised its paw and swiped down to him yet... a shield blocked the attack for Cardin.
Jaune saved his life.
However, he struggled to defend Cardin as the paw was pushing him back.
Reaching Cardin and Jaune, I used my aura and pushed the Grimm away, with Jaune looking at me with wide eyes. "Pyrrha, get Cardin out of here!" I said, looking Jaune over, seeing that he was alright. "Ruby, cover fire! Weiss, block it in!" I said, keeping my eyes on Jaune. "Jaune, cover me!" I said, shocking him.
"Cover you?" He asked, with me nodding.
"I need your shield. You want to be a huntsman, get used to taking order and giving them. One wrong step, and you are dead. One right more, and you become a hero." I said, with us seeing that Weiss had created a ice path on both sides of us, with Ruby shooting the Ursa. "Lets move!" I said, with both of us rushing forward.
Seeing it charging at us as well, I slowed down and watched Jaune blocked its strike, with me jumping over him and taking the paw. Seeing it spinning around, I watched as it swung its last paw at me, with me pushing it back, with it spinning around. Once it came back my way, I saw that its head was missing, catching me off guard as I didn't expect to see it headless.
Looking up, I saw the head in the air for a bit, where it then vanished. Jaune was heavily breathing, because of the run and the power swing he used to cut off the head of the Ursa. Ruby and Weiss were surprised to see Jaune finished it off. "Uhh… What happened?" I asked, walking over to him through the body of the Ursa as it was vanishing. "How did you…?" I started, then stopped. "You really surprised me with that." I said, patting him on the shoulder. "Come on, back to your team!" I said, with him nodding and following me.