Story first, self-indulgent AN later. BTW, Prologue has also been rewritten but is not required to re-read

Lost Leaders

"So I told him that he can't handle a girl this hot without getting burned. Then I lit myself on fire with my Semblance. You can bet that was the last time he tried to grab my butt."

Blake shook her head as she walked down the hallway with her new partner at her side, a bowl of fish soup clutched tight in her hands. She'd been ecstatic to the point of nearly drooling all over the table when Yang pointed out the pot to her.

The same Yang who somehow kept up an entirely one sided conversation the the entire trip to the cafeteria and back. Blake wondered if the girl even stopped to breath at times. She filled the air with all kinds of pointless stories and absolutely terrible jokes.

"Why all the extra food," Blake asked, finally breaking her silence after listening to Yang babble on endlessly for the past fifteen minutes. "I know Huntresses need a lot of calories, but don't you think you're overdoing it a little?"

"Aw, you looking out for my figure?" Yang said with a wink that Blake deigned to only acknowledge with a roll of her eyes. "It's not for me, silly. I eat a lot, yeah, but no where near this much."

"So why exactly did you grab all of that?" Blake asked drily, waving a hand at the extra bowls of stew Yang had haphazardly balanced together in a somewhat impressive architectural wonder. "And why are we bringing it back to the hospital?"

"I knew it!" Yang shouted, spinning around. Blake eyed the leaning tower of stew bowls as they wobbled dangerously close to her head. "I knew you weren't listening to me!"

"I- what?" Blake asked in alarm as Yang shoved an accusing finger towards her. Her pulse quickened, and she instinctively hunched over to make herself a smaller target. "No, I swear I was listening. About what's-his-name? And something about fire?"

Yang glared at her for a second longer, finger still pointing in wordless accusation before she started to snicker. Blake scowled as her blonde partner broke into outright laughter, trying to silently calm her own ragged breathing.

"Oh wow, you looked so worried there for a second, Blakey," Yang forced out between laughs. "Dust, I didn't expect you to freak out so much."

"Yang..." Blake growled in warning, a mixture of frustration and embarrassment painting her cheeks. She blinked, startled when Yang suddenly nudged her with her hip.

"Hey there," Yang said with a friendly smile. "I'm just trying to get you to relax a little is all. Letting your hair down won't kill you, ya' know."

"Easy for someone like you to say," Blake muttered bitterly. "Relaxing out in the Wilds only gets you killed, or worse.."

The Faunus clapped a hand to her mouth the second the words slipped past her lips, but she still watched as Yang hesitated and her cheerful strut came to an abrupt halt. An uncomfortable silence descended on the pair for the first time.

"I mean, uh…" Blake trailed off.

Yang silently worked her jaw, searching for a response. The two new partners stared at each other, at a loss for words. Blake cursed her own, traitorous tongue.

"Well, hello awkward moment, I'm Yang. Nice to meet you," Yang said quietly after a moment. Blake turned to apologize to the other girl.

"Yang, I'm sorry-"

"It's okay. I kinda' put my foot in my mouth on that one too. I think that's gonna' come with the whole 'new partner' territory at first. Probably best if we just move past it, yeah?" the blonde said with a small smile. "So, to answer your question, we're getting this food for everyone else."

"Everyone else?" Blake repeated dumbly.

"Well, there were eight of us. Ruby's off talking with Professor Ozpin, prissy little Princess is probably getting her nails done again," Yang said. "That still leaves four other people who were in that screw up of an Initiation. So..."

Yang hefted her tower of stew yet again. "Four extra bowls for the others. Simple math."

"But you don't even know them," Blake pointed out.

"Doesn't matter," Yang said with a shake of her head. "They fought and almost died with us. In my book, that makes us at least friends."

"Right..." Blake said hesitantly.

Yang swung her lilac gaze over to Blake with a playful glint in her eye, half questioning and half accusing. "You do know what friends are, yeah?"

"Yes, of course," Blake scoffed, "Why would you even ask that?"

Yang kept her eyes locked on Blake's despite still walking forward with her arms filled with their haul from the cafeteria. That level of confidence was either impressive or bordered on reckless, Blake thought.

Yang raised a single blonde eyebrow. "Really?"

"What are you giving me that look for?" Blake frowned, "Stop that."

The other eyebrow joined it's twin in disbelief. "Reaaally?"

Finally Blake cracked, "Fine! I didn't have any time for friends. I mostly read books to stay busy when I could get my hands on them."

"Ha," Yang crowed, "I knew it."

"Whatever," Blake growled, trying to push past her partner. To her displeasure, the blonde kept an even pace next to her, even with the tower of bowls clutched in her arms.

"Well, the first rule of having friends is making sure they're not hungry. Especially after fighting Grimm."

"Your parents expect you and your friends to fight Grimm a lot?" Blake asked, more to direct the conversation away from her own past then any real interest. "That's not something I'd expect from a family living in a kingdom, much less living in Vale.

"I grew up on Patch actually," Yang said. Blake filed away that little detail. "It's pretty peaceful being an island and all, but it's still got its own fair share of danger."

"And it's something that my, uh," Yang trailed off. Blake barely noticed the blonde biting down hard on the inside of her cheek, but the tiny action pulled her attention.

"Let's just say it's something someone special taught me a long time ago and leave it at that, okay?"

The unexpected hitch in Yang's voice caught Blake off guard. "Yang...?"

Yang glanced at her briefly from beneath her long bangs, eyes piercing through Blake.

The Faunus blinked. When did Yang's eyes turn crimson? A shiver climbed its way up her spine. The unexpected angry gaze caught Blake off guard, forcibly reminding her of the way Ruby Rose glared at her during Initiation. The family resemblance, and the unnatural sense of danger that radiated off both girls, was undeniable.

Blake dropped her gaze submissively, something she'd grown increasingly accustomed to doing before she left the White Fang, keeping it away from the furious crimson until Yang turned away.

The Faunus watched the girl in front of her surreptitiously, noting the way her shoulders tensed. Yang sighed, and the tension drained away. Blake jumped when Yang turned around suddenly, but the blonde's eyes only held an apology.

"Sorry, Blake. It's not something I like talking about a lot," Yang said, flashing a weak grin over her shoulder. "Any chance we can add it to the list of things we don't want to bring up yet?"

Bake offered her an uncertain smile in return. If her new partner was willing to let Blake's secrets stay hidden without question, then she surely could do the same for Yang. "Of course."

"Thanks, partner. Oh, we're here!"

Blake smashed into the blonde's back, almost spilling her precious soup all over. She hissed as a drop of the priceless liquid slipped over the edge of her bowl and splattered on the floor. Then Yang's words registered in her head. "How do you know?"

"Oh, I just know everything because I am the ultimate Huntress," Yang said with the cheesiest grin Blake had ever seen. She simply stared at the blonde. "Okay fine, rain on my parade, party-pooper. I checked the directory in my Scroll. Here!"

Yang tossed half of her collection of food at Blake. it was only thanks to the slight warning and the Faunus' own well honed reflexes that allowed her to catch each bowl without dropping any of them or her own soup.

"Yang, what-?"

"Wow, that was super cool. You were like a ninja," Yang gushed, before pursing her lips and thinking. "Is it racist to say you have cat-like reflexes?"

"Yang..." Blake growled.

"Okay, sheesh. Kill a girl for trying to lighten the mood."

"Yang!"

That's the room with the green ninja guy and the pink haired girl with the mega hammer, Ren and Nora I think?" Yang cut Blake off, stabbing a thumb at the door nearest them on the left side of the hall. "You were the one helping them out, so I figured they could probably use a friendly face."

The thoughtfulness of it caught Blake by surprise and her frustration with her partner drained away. She asked dubiously. "Do you think they'd even want to see me?"

"Well, duh!" Yang cried, "You're the one who saved Nora right? I bet they can't wait to thank you. So get your butt in there before I throw you in."

"You're a nuisance," Blake sighed as she pushed the door open. "I want it noted that I'm doing this under duress."

"Yeah, yeah, you love me anyway, Blakey." Yang shot back, holding the door for her partner and closing it behind the Faunus after she entered the room. "Have fun!"

Blake shook her head wryly, glancing around the sparse hospital room before settling on the pair of curious pink eyes watching her entrance from the sole bed in the center of the room. Recognition flashed in them as they focused on Blake's face.

Blake's own gaze roamed over the tall, shirtless boy, taking in the crimson stained bandages wrapped around his right shoulder. She also noted the multitude of other scars dotting his skin. They ranged rather drastically in size from a mere white line marring his arm to a larger ropy scar that wound it's way up the side of his torso like an angry dragon.

A vague flicker of jealousy burned ever so briefly in her heart at the way he could so easily expose all his scars to the world, without shame or fear. Her own were closely guarded secrets, each the mark of a story she would never, could never, tell. Ren wore his own as badges of honor where she hid hers like record of her sins they were.

She shook away those less than pleasant thoughts, lifting the stew in her hands up. "I brought food-"

She cut herself off abruptly when Ren suddenly raised a finger to his lips. He silently pointed down.

Confused, Blake followed his finger. A splash of recognizable ginger hair lay in his lap. Nora curled around Ren's legs, clutching them tightly in her arms. Her torso rose and fell silently, slowly.

"I brought food," Blake said again, this time in barely a whisper. She lifted the bowls in her hand. "Just some stew. Do you want some?"

Ren nodded, accepting the offered food. He took a bite, pausing to savor the thick flavors. A small, contented smile crossed his face.

Blake stood uncertainly, still holding the other bowl of stew awkwardly. She glanced at Nora's sleeping form. "Should we wake her up or...?"

"No, she only just fell asleep five minutes. I'm enjoying the silence," Ren whispered. He ran a thumb gently through her hair and the girl snuggled closer to his legs with a tightening grip. "Though she will be quite frustrated with me when she realizes I let her sleep through your visit, Blake."

Blake's gaze shot back to Ren, startled. "You know my name?"

Ren gave her a tiny half-smirk. "Your partner, Yang, I believe? She's rather loud."

Blake sighed. Her cheeks heated as she placed the second bowl on the bedside table. "Confound it, Yang..."

"I understand completely," Ren assured her, gesturing at the chair next to the bed in invitation, "This is the quietest I think I've ever seen Nora, and I've known her almost my entire life."

"And I've barely known Yang for a day and I'm ready to pull my hair out," Blake complained good-naturedly. She sat in the ridge chair, taking her first bite of the fish soup. Her tastebuds sang its glories to her.

Ren smiled at Blake. "You'll adjust."

They fell into a companionable silence as they each ate, letting the warmth of the fresh meal infuse their bodies. But when her spoon started to scrape the empty side of her bowl, Blake finally asked the niggling question that grew in the back of her mind.

"Why would she be upset that you let her sleep?"

Ren swallowed his last bite. He reached to place the bowl on his nightstand only to wince as his shoulder refused to support the weight and the ceramic slipped from his fingers.

Blake caught the bowl before it fell and shattered, placing it safely to the side. She frowned. "And shouldn't the doctors have healed your shoulder with Aura by now?"

Ren shook his head. "Unfortunately, the Elder Grimm had one last secret. Something about its essence prevents the wound from healing. It rejects Aura."

That shouldn't have been possible, Blake thought to herself. The idea was chilling at the very least. One of humanity's greatest strengths in face of the Grimm was their ability to survive and heal all but the most fatal of wounds through only the power of their own souls.

She even knew quite a few White Fang foot soldiers who wouldn't still be alive if not for the healing properties of Aura.

"That's… That's horrifying," Blake whispered. She shuddered to think what could happen if the more common types of Grimm started to exhibit the same capability. The creatures could push Humanity even farther back into its crevices and strongholds.

"I believe I'll consider myself the lucky one," Ren said, touching his bandage briefly. "Even healing the old fashioned way will not take long. Not everyone was as fortunate."

He rested the hand back in Nora's hair, still gently running his fingers through it. "As for why Nora would be upset. She wanted to be the first to thank you and she'll be quite cross that I was able to first"

Blake blinked dumbly. "Thank me for what?"

Ren leaned forward in bed, his pink eyes piercing her. "Blake, you saved Nora's life. Twice."

She blinked again, asking expectantly. "Twice?"

"And mine as well. When she was injured, I was not thinking clearly," Ren admitted slowly. A shadow, something dark and haunting, passed over his expression. "I behaved… foolishly. And it quite nearly cost us our lives."

His gaze focused again and he looked at Blake. "If you hadn't helped when she dislocated her arm, I would've either passed out trying to heal her, or fell to the horde of Grimm when they reached us."

Blake sat stock still in the chair.

"And during the explosion," Ren leaned back against the pillow, wincing both when he jostled his shoulder and when Nora snorted and shifted in her sleep. "You protected Nora when I couldn't."

"I just reacted. I didn't really think..." Blake muttered, wondering who she was trying to justify herself to.

"It doesn't matter," Ren said, "You still saved her."

Blake watched as he ran his hand through Nora's hair again. She shifted, a soft smile spreading across her face.

"Have you ever had a true partner before?" Ren asked quietly. "Someone you trusted with your life and beyond?"

Blake froze. Adam floated to the forefront of her thoughts. His old, crooked smiles. The warm meals she'd find waiting beside her bedroll after training or on their early missions.

Then his uncaring, angry eyes glaring down at her from behind the Grimm mask he started to wear at all time as she struggled to stand, to prove she wasn't a waste. Cold steel drawing lines of fire across her skin.

"What about the crew members?"

"What about them?"

"I used to think I did..." Blake admitted softly. She clenched her hands in her lap, nails biting into the fabric of her leggings.

Ren paused. He looked down at the girl sleeping on top of his legs. He spoke just as softly. "A true partner means the world to you, Blake. I would simply not be able to live the same without her."

"And you saved her," he said, returning his gaze to Blake. "For that, I owe you a debt that I can't repay. We both do."

"It's nothing," Blake tried to dismiss the very idea. Her foot tapped at the floor, filled with a need to move. To do something.

"Pathetic."

"It's everything," Ren shot back quickly. "To us, at least it is. I have nothing else to offer. So thank you, Blake. For saving her. If you ever need anything, please just let us know."

Blake stood abruptly, the buzzing that filled her chest driving her mad. She mechanically collected the two empty bowls, words tumbling from her mouth faster than she could string them together. "I have to go. Need to go. To check on my partner, Yang. I'll let her know you're both okay. Goodbye."

Wind rushing in her air as the train pulled away, Adam's betrayed eyes glaring at her from beneath his mask.

"Goodbye."

She nearly sprinted from the room, her chest heaving as she hyperventilated, under Ren's curious gaze.

Yang nudged the door into Jaune's hospital room open with a finger, unsurprised at the bright red hair spread messily across his sheets. Pyrrha sat in the only chair in the room, her face pressed awkwardly against the mattress next to Jaune's body. Her chest rose and fell, with the tiniest whistle escaping her lips.

The boy himself lay motionless in his bed, bloody bandages wrapped around his chest. His skin was so incredibly pale and his body so eerily still that Yang could have sworn she was staring at a corpse if it weren't for the soft beeps of the heartbeat monitor.

But he was alive, at least for now. And that's what mattered in the end. Yang learned that one from experience.

The blonde slipped inside, careful to keep the stew in her hand level lest she spill it all over the floor. Tiptoeing her way across the room, she slid the bowls onto the nightstand. She rubbed a hand up and down the Mistrali's shoulder.

"Pyrrha?" She called softly in the other girl's ear, "Hey, Pyrrha, wake up."

The girl awoke with a jerk. She snapped upright in her chair, blinking sleep from her eyes as she glanced around somewhat wildly. "Jaune…?"

"Sorry, Superstar, just me. I brought food though," Yang said. She nabbed a bowl and waved it towards Pyrrha, letting the warm aroma of the stew waft to her nose.

The delicious smell cut through the haze that shrouded Pyrrha's mind. Yang smirked, watching the girl's pupils zero in on the source of the scent even as she tried to respond. "Oh, thank you… Yang, was it?"

"Yup, though we weren't actually introduced. Kinda' busying killing Grimm earlier. And not dying. That stuff usually takes a priority." Yang waved the bowl back and forth, watching Pyrrha tracking it intently. "You seem a little hungry there, Superstar."

"It has been a while since I ate," Pyrrha said distractedly. Yang jerked the bowl back and forth, giggling as Pyrrha's head followed suit. Wasn't that just adorable?

"Here, eat. Before you end up biting my hand," Yang said, thrusting the stew towards the champion.

Uncoordinated hands accepted the proffered bowl, and the Mistrali took a massive spoonful of the thick liquid. Yang bit back a loud snort as the redhead devoured the simple meal in seconds, sending tiny droplets of stew sailing through the air. "Geeze, not one for table manners, are ya'? You must be starving."

Pyrrha paused suddenly and her cheeks exploded with a blush just the right shade to match her hair.

Yang snickered when Pyrrha tried to surreptitiously wipe the excess stew from her lips only to make even worse of a mess. Taking pity on the tournament champion, Yang handed her one of the napkins she nabbed from Beacon's kitchens as well.

"I'm so sorry," Pyrrha said after wiping her mouth, "You must think I'm quite uncouth."

Yang laughed. "Nah, nothin' worse than my baby sister. That girl can't eat anything without making the biggest mess possible."

The blonde pursed her lips and tapped her chin. "Actually, she kinda' makes a mess out of everything. I guess you probably noticed that during Initiation though."

Pyrrha tilted her head to the side, pondering. "Your sister would be…?"

"Ruby, cute little brat in a cloak with the giant scythe. Ring any bells?"

Green eyes widened. "She is your little sister? How old is she?"

Yang smirked. She enjoyed taking pride in Ruby's accomplishments. "Only fifteen."

Pyrrha blinked and stared at Yang in surprised. "Fifteen…?"

Yang laughed. "I know, right? She's only fifteen and she's already showing me up in everything. Rubes' always been a bit of a prodigy though."

Maybe even more than Yang originally thought. She always knew Ruby was skilled beyond her age, but the way she danced around the Griffon during Initiation unnerved Yang. Particularly how incredibly easily Ruby accepted a massive scar across her face in order to trade strikes with the monster. It reminded her of someone else, though Yang couldn't place who.

"She's not just a prodigy," Pyrrha mused.

"Sorry, what?" Yang said, torn from her own thoughts.

"Well, it may be that Ruby is much more than a simple prodigy, if one can call being a prodigy 'simple'," Pyrrha explained further.

"It may sound rather boastful of me, but I am extremely skilled," Pyrrha explained. "There's a reason I'm a four time tournament winner. But Ruby fights like some of the veteran hunters I've had the opportunity to train with, not a Huntress still in training."

"I'm not really following," Yang admitted. Pyrrha sit her empty bowl aside, clasping her hands in her lap as she considered her next words.

"It's mostly in the way she moves," the redhead started off slowly, contemplatively, "There's a… a familiarity I'd say, in it. The way she dodges or strikes, so completely sure of herself. It's not unlikely how my old combat instructor moved."

"Was he super badass?" Yang asked curiously, sitting on the edge of Jaune's hospital bed down by his feet. "Cause I'll be honest. Don't see how a pipsqueak like Rubes is gonna' match up with a super badass like twice her height."

"Not at all actually. My teacher was, well, remarkably unremarkable," Pyrrha said, "But he fought with a such a practiced ease. He once told me that a true warrior must know themselves as well as their enemy, and it was because he knew his own abilities so intimately that he simply never doubted what he could or could not do in a battle."

"And ya' think Ruby fights the same way?" Yang asked. Pyrrha shook her head.

"I know she does. Against that Griffon, Ruby threw herself at it without fear. She fights just like my teacher, like someone with years of experience," Pyrrha summarized. "To be honest, it's rather inspiring, in a way. I'd admire her for it."

"Sounds like you got a bit of a crush on my baby sis', there," Yang said slyly, smirking at the embarrassed blush blooming on Pyrrha's face.

"I what-!? No, I didn't mean admire like that! Just that she's worthy of admiration for how well she fights! Not that she's not worthy of being admired in other ways, but I didn't actually mean-" Pyrrha stammered, before cutting herself off and burying her face in her hands.

"Relax, I'm just messin' with ya'," Yang laughed, smacking the Mistrali on the shoulder. "Though she could do a lot worse than a Mistral Tournament Champion."

"I shall pretend I only heard the first part of that," Pyrrha mumbled into her fingers. "For my own sanity at least."

Yang chuckled, sliding the extra bowl of stew she'd brought for Jaune onto the bedside table. "You can pretend all you want, Superstar. How's sleeping beauty doing?"

Pyrrha stared morosely at the comatose blond boy. "His heart is steady, but he still hasn't moved. If he weren't still breathing, he'd look de…"

The Mistrali trailed off, unable to bring herself to utter the last word for fear that simply saying it might make it a reality.

"Hey now," Yang said softly, "Don't go burying him just yet. He's gonna' get through this."

"How can you be sure?" Pyrrha asked quietly, her gaze drifting off to the crimson stained bandages on his chest.

"I'm not, not really," Yang said, shrugging at the redhead when she whipped her head back around in surprise. "But Arc's a fighter. He wouldn't have gotten into Beacon if he wasn't. You just gotta' believe in him"

"You make a good point," Pyrrha admitted with a long sigh. "I just worry."

"That's natural," Yang said, "I worry about Ruby all the time. But I believe in her too. She's strong and she can take care of herself. And when she can't, that's when I'm there to beat the crap out of whatever the problem is."

She waved a hand towards Jaune. "Hero boy is the same. You gotta' believe he can get through this, and then be there when he can't. Heck, I'll help you with that, I owe Jaune too."

Pyrrha shot Yang a watery smile. "Thank you, Yang."

"Hey, what are friends for right?" Yang chuckled, grinning at the redhead.

Pyrrha "We're friends?"

Yang pursed her lips "Well yeah, you don't nearly die fighting Grimm together without being friends afterwards."

"Is that… how making friends normally works?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly. Yang shook her long blonde mane.

"I mean it's always worked well for me," she said, tilting her head quizzically, "Why? How did you make friends up till now?"

The Mistrali shuffled her feet, clutching her hands self consciously in her lap. "Yang, I… While I may have been gifted with above average abilities in combat, I've always been somewhat wanting in terms of social grace."

Yang blinked. "Uh, sorry, meaning what exactly?"

"I've never actually had friends before," Pyrrha said with strained smile. "I'm rather... inexperienced when it comes to this."

"Huh. First Blake, now you. Maybe it's a Beacon thing," Yang muttered to herself.

"I'm sorry…?" Pyrrha asked

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud," Yang said with a dismissive gesture. Then she smiled, wide and bright, and clapped Pyrrha on the shoulder. "Of course we're friends, Superstar."

Ever so slowly a tiny, hesitant grin spread across Pyrrha's face. "Thank you, Yang."

"Not just me either. I know Jaune wants to be your friend. I mean he's your partner how can't he?" Yang rambled, "Oh, we can get my partner Blake too. And I bet Ruby could use another friend."

Yang dropped her voice to a conspiratorily whisper and leaned closer to Pyrrha. "She's probably as bad at making friends as you are. But no funny business, Arkos. I know you got a crush on her."

Pyrrha froze briefly before she started to giggle quietly into her hands. "Yang, you are impossible."

"I try."

The door creaking open grabbed both their attention and a single silver eye peered through the thin gap.

"Huh," Yang mused, "Speak of the devil. Hey Rubes."

The blonde winced as the door swung wide, revealing Ruby's blood encrusted face and the new scar slicing its way across her nose and cheek. Heat stirred in her chest and Yang clenched her fists tight., desperately trying to control her temper.

"Hi Yang, Pyrrha," Ruby said quietly, padding softly into the room. "How's Jaune doing? Did he wake up yet?"

Yang grit her teeth, exhaling slowly and hoping her eyes wouldn't flash angry red. Ruby was safe, she told herself over and over, Ruby was okay.

Pyrrha shook her head. "Not yet, but he's been resting."

"And his…" Ruby trailed off as she stopped by the far side of Jaune's bed, pointing to the bloody wrappings around Jaune's chest. Pyrrha shook her head.

"It's still not responding to Aura. The doctors said he should live, but if he doesn't wake up…" the Mistrali trailed off, looking down at the floor miserably.

"He'll make it through this," Ruby said, with such surety even Yang felt herself nodding in agreement. "I know he will. You just gotta' believe in him, Pyrrha."

Ruby's unabashed faith helped push down her protective instincts. Yang shot the redheaded warrior a smirk and mouthed, "Told you so."

Ruby suddenly appeared in front of both of them in a swirl of petals. The shorter girl looked them up and down critically even as Yang leapt to her feet. "You both look better. You got something to eat right Pyrrha?"

"Ruby!" Yang hissed. Pyrrha nodded her head in answer and lifted the empty soup bowl. "You can't just waste your Aura on your Semblance like that when you're still healing."

"Surprisingly, that's exactly what I said to her," a dry voice said from the door.

Yang bit her lip as bubbling anger built in her chest again. This time, she had less of a desire to control it whatsoever. She glared at the white haired girl standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and nose upturned. "What do you care, Schnee?"

Icy blue eyes meet her gaze, flinching as Yang's shifted between red and violet. Yang smirked. Point to her. "Because she's my partner, Xiao-long. I wouldn't be able to graduate Beacon without her, so I need to make sure she takes care of herself."

Yang straightened to her full height, a considerable head above the smaller Heiress, and crossed her arms in just the right way to make her biceps bulge. "I think you might have a few other problems graduating."

She tapped a pondering finger against her lips. "Like, maybe learning the difference between fire and ice dust? That'd probably be a good place to start, don't ya' think?"

Weiss inhaled sharply, nails biting into the sides of her arms. Yang watched her arm spasm towards the sword hilt at her waist, a vein throbbing in Weiss' temple.

Exhaling slowly, the blonde let the fire building inside start to spread. Ember floated from the tips of her hair, casting flickering shadows across the room even in the mid afternoon sun cutting in through the windows. "If you wanna' pick up where we left off earlier, be my guest."

"Yang, stop it."

The blonde frowned. Ruby stepped directly in front of her, mouth set in a hard line. She stared down at her baby sister. "What?"

"Stop trying to pick a fight with Weiss," Ruby said sternly. She poked Yang in the chest. "You promised me you wouldn't fight, remember?"

Yang glanced between Ruby and Weiss. She huffed. "Technically I said I wouldn't fight her during Initiation, but fine. It's probably not worth my time anyway."

She let her Aura sink back into her body, snuffing out the little flames licking at the edges of her blonde locks. Grabbing a chair from beside Pyrrha, she collapsed into a relaxed slouch and kicked her feet up onto the edge of Jaune's bed. "But just 'cause you gotta' pretend to be nice to her cause she's your partner doesn't mean I gotta'."

"I'm not pretending," Ruby insisted with a frustrated pout. Yang blew her bangs out with a disbelieving sigh.

"Whatever ya' say, Rubes. It'll be our little secret," Yang said, closing her eyes.

Ruby growled, turning away from her sister and standing next to Pyrrha at Jaune's side. He cautiously slipped her hand in his, leaning over and reaching out to place her palm against the boy's forehead.

"He still feels like he's overheating," she whispered.

Weiss stepped hesitantly into the hospital room, making her way over to the far side of Jaune's bed. She glanced at the vital monitors before looking to Pyrrha. "Has there been any improvement in his status?"

Pyrrha shook her head sadly. "No, but he made it through the operation which is a good sign. Now, we must simply wait for him to wake up."

Weiss chewed the inside of her cheek. "Pyrrha, if there's anything I can do to help, maybe with the hospital bills or something, just say the word and I'll have them taken care of."

The Mistrali sent her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Weiss, but I believe Beacon is responsible for covering any costs. One of the benefits of being a Huntsman in training."

Weiss seemed taken aback. "Oh, right. Of course. I mean, that would make sense considering the prestigiousness of an academy like Beacon. I'd expect them to place a priority on their students"

"Yeah, surprisingly you can't just throw your money at everything to make it better," Yang quipped, still with her eyes shut.

"Yang."

"Oh c'mon Rubes. I'm not wrong," Yang said, opening one gimlet eye to stare at her baby sister. The shorter, crimson haired huntress frowned back at her. "Am I?"

"At least she's trying," Ruby shot back before Weiss could open her mouth to respond. The Heiress sent a dumbfounded look towards her new partner, unsure how to react to the younger girl leaping to her defense.

"Would've been awesome if she could've tried a little harder during Initiation…" Yang mumbled. Ruby either didn't hear her muttered discontent, or chose to ignore it. The younger girl slipped both hands into Jaune's, weaving her fingers between the blond's limp ones.

Weiss drew herself up to her full height, straightening her back and stepping stiffly towards the door. "Well, if there's anything else I can help with please let me know."

"Wait a sec, Weiss," Ruby exclaimed, "Where are you going?"

Weiss glanced back at Ruby over her shoulder. "I can see clearly where my company is not wanted, Rose-"

"Good riddance," Yang scoffed quietly. Pyrrha shot her an exasperated look.

"...But at least I will not make a nuisance of myself or disturb Arc while he's recovering," Weiss continued tersely, "Unlike some people…"

Yang rocketed to her feet, the chair clattering on the floor behind her. "You wanna go, ya' little brat?"

"Yang!" Ruby said harshly. A pulse of Aura caught the other three Huntresses off guard, raising the hairs on the back of their necks and sending an eerie chill down their spines. "That's enough!"

Stunned, Yang stared into the stern silver eyes feeling like a guilty little girl with her hand caught in the cookie jar. She worked her mouth, searching for something to say. Disappointment weighed heavily on her shoulders as she stared into Summer's eyes.

"I…" Yang stuttered, only to halt as a groan broke the awkward silence. Gunmetal orbs spun away from Yang, and the blonde realized she could breathe again.

Jaune shifted in his bed for the first time in hours, groaning again as he moved his head. The heartrate monitor slowly started to beep faster. Fingers weakly gripped Ruby's.

"Jaune?" Ruby asked tentatively, squeezing his hand gently. Elation shot through her when his fingers weakly tightened around her own and a jolt of painfully familiar Aura ran up the length of her arm.

"Ruby…" Jaune croaked, his voice little more than a raspy whisper. Her face split into a massive, glowing smile.

"Hey Jaune," Ruby said, "You scared us pretty badly for a second there."

"Ruby… why can't I see?"

Ruby's heart plummeted into her boots.

For a brief moment. Then she sighed, covering her face in exasperation. "Jaune, you gotta' open your eyes first."

Silence filled the hospital room, only broken by the constant beeping of the equipment tracking Jaune's vitals. "Oh. Right"

"Superstar, I think your partner is a bit of an idiot," Yang stage whispered to Pyrrha. The other girl clamped a hand over her mouth in a futile attempt to stifle a fit of relieved giggles, moving from her chair to stand next to Ruby as Jaune's eyes cracked open.

"He might be, but I don't believe I would trade him for anything," the redhead said with a gentle smile. Sky blue eyes blinked through the haze, slowly focusing on them.

"Hey Pyrrha," Jaune said blearily. He glanced slowly around the room at Yang and Weiss. "Hey guys. Where are we?"

Jaune tried to sit up and a flash of pain exploded from his chest. Wincing, he slowly lowered himself back down. "And why do I feel like I got stabbed?"

The color drained from Pyrrha's face. Ruby poked her fingers together. "Well… uh, you see Jaune…"

"Because you were stabbed," Weiss said brusquely. "Well, impaled through the chest, to be more exact. You should consider yourself lucky to be alive."

"Weiss!" Ruby cried, turning to her partner "I was gonna' get to that part! Eventually…"

"There's no point in hiding the truth from him or pitying him," Weiss said coldly with a stern glance at her erstwhile partner. "He deserves to know exactly what happened."

Jaune stared at the Heiress, almost uncomprehendingly.

"I was… impaled?" He repeated. Weiss nodded.

Jaune looked down at his chest, finally noticing the thick, scratchy bandages wrapped around his torso. He touched the tips of his fingers to the red splotch in the center.

"That's where…" Jaune stumbled through the words around a thick tongue. The back of his throat tasted salty. "I almost died?"

Weiss nodded again. Jaune's face paled to a mottled gray and he swallowed shakily.

"Some bedside manner you got there, Princess," Yang said snidely. "Promise me you'll never be the one to give me bad news."

Jaune lurched, sitting up abruptly and leaning towards the side of the bed. Pyrrha and Ruby, recognizing the danger, both twisted away as the blonde boy puked onto the floor and splattered Yang's boots with vomit.

"REALLY?! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!"

Jaune coughed, lurching around in his bed, before collapsing with his cheek just hanging over the edge of his blankets. "Ugh, I don't feel so good."

"TWICE IN THE SAME DAY!"

"Obviously," Weiss muttered with pursed lips. Pyrrha and Ruby carefully sidestepped the pool of vomit as well as Yang's raging tantrum. "If you have to puke again, Arc, I'd personally appreciate it if you kept it pointed that way if you please."

"Whatever ya' say," Jaune groaned, fighting back a heave. Pyrrha wrapped an arm around Jaune's shoulder, slowly shifting the boy back into a sitting position.

"OH GOD I CAN FEEL IT SOAKING INTO MY SOCKS! EWW!"

"You will need to rest and 'take it easy', while your body heals Jaune," she advised, resting the blond against the pillows. "There is no sense in pushing yourself."

"I guess you're right," Jaune said, swallowing thickly. "At least we got passed Initiation, so they gotta' give me some time to get better before classes start."

Another awkward silence filled the room as sudden realization swept through the others, lasting long enough that Jaune looked up at the others. Even Yang, as furious as she was about the foul mixture covering her feet, fell quiet. The four girls in the room staunchly avoided meeting Jaune's eye.

"We… passed Initiation right?" Jaune asked hesitantly.

"Technically, no," Pyrrha mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest and rubbing at her side uncomfortably. "None of us were able to retrieve a pair of relics."

"We failed?" Jaune asked, horrified, "We went through all that and we failed?"

"Not exactly?" Ruby said. She placed what she hoped was a reassuring hand on Jaune's arm, letting her Aura reach out and touch his briefly. "Things went a little side ways-"

"A 'little side ways'? Really?" Weiss asked in disbelief.

"Okay, fine, a lot side ways-" Ruby retorted.

"I think things 'went side ways' when she had to partner with you, Schnee…" Yang shot back.

"How dare you-"

"Fine! We blew a crater into the Emerald Forest, the entire class had to be pulled out of Initiation and we all basically almost died so they had to rush us back to the hospital but none of us did die and we're all a nice big, HAPPY team," Ruby rushed out, glaring back and forth between her sister and partner. "Yay. Go team."

Yang and Weiss stared daggers at each other for a moment longer, before they both decided to look anywhere else in the room. Ruby sighed, looking at her sister and former best friend in dismay. Why was this happening?

Clicking footsteps drew Ruby's attention as Weiss strode to the door, yanking it open with a little more force than strictly necessary.

"Weiss, where are you going?" Ruby called out. The white haired girl stopped briefly in the doorway.

"Arc needs to be seen by a doctor," she said without turning back, "And as no one else present seems to possess the thought to get one, I will take it on myself to do it for you."

She vanished with a dismissive flick of her ponytail, letting the door snap shut behind her. Yang opened her mouth to say something no doubt insulting, but froze at the hard glint in Ruby's silver eyes. The blonde settled for a grunt, kicking off her vomit covered boots and sitting at the end of the hospital bed.

"Scootch your feet over a bit, Hero boy," she said as she pulled her feet up and curled them beneath her. "I'm not sitting near whatever it was you had for breakfast."

"Yang…" Ruby groaned.

"What?" Yang exclaimed, "It's not my fault that someone who shall rename nameless but is most definitely the second hottest blond in the room puked all over my shoes."

To Ruby's surprise, Jaune just smiled and shifted himself to make room. "Yeah, no problem Yang."

"Are you feeling any better, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, resting a concerned hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I don't feel as bad as when I just woke up," Jaune replied after a moment. "I don't think I can walk though."

"We'll just carry you then," Ruby said.

"You mean Pyrrha and me will carry him," Yang said with a smirk. "You're like half his size, sis."

Ruby frowned, and in a moment that made her feel like she actually was fifteen again, stuck out her tongue at the blonde. "I can carry Jaune. I'm plenty strong enough. I drink milk."

"Sure, sure. Whatever you saw Ruby," Yang said, waving her hand at Ruby idly.

"Ah, Mr. Arc. Good to see you've woken up," a female voice said from the door. Ruby spun, a lance of adrenaline already racing through her body even as her conscious mind realized she wasn't about to be attacked in the middle of the Beacon hospital.

"Professor Goodwitch?" Ruby said questioningly.

Glynda turned her gaze onto Ruby and she repressed the urge to shiver. Her former professor's eyes regarded Ruby with something distinctly different than she'd ever seen in them before. Something calculating and contemplative. It was the same look she saw whenever Glynda had spoken of Salem.

That alone unnerved Ruby more than anything else, particularly coming from someone she thought of as a comrade, maybe even a friend at times. The worrying sent her reeling and she caught her hands flexing agitatedly, her mind searching the room for the best improvised weapon. Ruby killed that train of thought, exhaling it with a slow, deep breath.

"Miss Rose," Professor Goodwitch said in acknowledgement.. She looked at the other two girl. "Miss Xiao-Long, Miss Nikos. It's good to see you all survived relatively unscathed."

"Depends on your definition," Yang mumbled, glancing towards Ruby.

Professor Goodwitch followed her glance to Ruby and paused. "Indeed."

Refocusing her attention to Jaune, Goodwitch made her way into the room and grabbed the chart with the blond boy's medical information from the end of his bed. "I was surprised when I ran into Miss Schnee on my way down here and she claimed you were awake and moving about your bed."

Weiss slipped quietly into the room. Ruby slid next to her partner, nudging her and trying to give her a discreet thumbs up. Cold blue eyes stared at her. Ruby let her hand drop back to her side dejectedly.

"To my understanding, the doctors involved in your surgery claimed you would be bedridden for weeks. Months even, since your body was not accepting Aura to heal your wound," Glynda continued, flipping through the sheets on the chart with a trained eye.

"Yeah, well, I guess I got really lucky," Jaune said with an awkward smile, wincing as he absently rubbed the back of his head.

"Mr. Arc, I have my own medical expertise to rely on as well, and based on the results of your surgery, I would have said you would have never woken up again," Professor Goodwitch said bluntly, setting the clipboard down on a bedside table.

Jaune's smile turned forced, and Pyrrha inhaled sharply. "I'm really, really lucky?"

"I would say so, yes."

"Oh, cool," Jaune said. His head hit the pillow behind him with a soft thwump. "That's great."

"It is, actually," Goodwitch said casually. She pulled out her riding crop, swishing through the air experimentally. "You've survived something unprecedented, without Aura to heal you. That, if nothing else, is a testament to your own strength."

"Woo," Jaune said weakly, waving his finger in the air. Ruby snorted and a pained expression slid over Goodwitch's face.

"Be that as it may," Professor Goodwitch continued on despite Jaune's less than thrilled response, "We will still need to keep an eye you for the foreseeable future. Even a legendary huntsman can not heal from a wound like that overnight."

"I don't know, professor," Yang piped in, "He looks pretty good considering he just took a bone to the chest."

"Yes, strangely…" Goodwitch said, cupping her chin as she set down Jaune's medical chart. She stepped to the side of his bed. "Mr. Arc, if you would, I'd like to examine the sutures."

Jaune hesitated for only half a moment, looking awkwardly around at the four other girls in the room. His cheeks darkened ever so slightly. Pyrrha's face glowed a similar color, Weiss lifted her nose into the air with a sniff, Ruby gave him a completely oblivious thumbs up and Yang just waved cheekily.

Professor Goodwitch sighed. "Mr. Arc, I do not have time for teenage hormones. May I remind you that you are already shirtless?"

"Oh, uh, right," Jaune mumbled as Yang laughed at him. He pushed himself back into a full sitting position on the bed. "So what do you need me to do?"

"Just remain still. I'm going to slowly remove your bandage. Let me know if you feel any discomfort," Goodwitch said, bringing her riding crop to bear.

Jaune gulped but nodded shakily. A twitch of the crop sent purple aura dancing over the bandage and the medical tape holding it in place. The tape slowly peeled away from Jaune's skin, and the bandage lifted free from his chest.

Ruby gasped and her fingernails bit hard into her palms

Blackened flesh now filled the once gaping hole in Jaune's chest, parts of it faintly glowing with an unearthly red hue that seemed to emanate from beneath the skin. Tiny pinpricks of white bone poking through the skin sat scattered over the area and thin, black veins radiated outward across the skin of Jaune's torso.

The phantom scent of blood and fire swept around Ruby like a thick cloak. She swallowed past a dry throat with the memories of ice and cold burning at her fingers and legs.

Crimson covered her hands, her arms, her chest. Blood everywhere, drenching her. Only some of it was hers. Each breath came short, fast and painful. She collapsed, her knees smashing into the hard earth. Malevolent laughter filled her ears.

Ruby blinked, trying to drag herself back to the present as Jaune glanced at each one of them in turn. "Guys, why is everyone staring?"

Yang finally broke the silence, pointing at the boy. "What is that?"

Jaune looked down, and all the blood in his face drained away in an instant.

Ruby couldn't tear her eyes from the spider web of veins splaying out, crawling across Jaune's chest and towards his shoulder.

"This is… unexpected," Professor Goodwitch said slowly as she stared at the corrupted flesh. She looked up, catching Jaune's attention. "Mr. Arc, do you feel any pain?"

Jaune shook his head, not trusting himself to speak.

"Would you mind if I examine it more closely?"

The pale boy nodded, his lips moving wordlessly. Goodwitch leaned closer, gently pressing on the black skin with her riding crop in different places

"Do you feel anything now?" she inquired. "Any pain or unusual sensations."

"No," Jaune said as his voice cracked. He swallowed before continuing. "No. I mean... It just feels like you're poking me, I guess?"

"Hmm," Goodwitch pursed her lips and glanced at the medical monitor next to Jaune's bed. "Your Aura levels are... abnormally high considering what you've just been through."

"That's... a good thing, right?" Jaune said hesitantly. "Aura can help me, and stuff."

"Jaune," Pyrrha said quietly, "You almost died because that wound rejected your Aura. You would've died out in the forest if Ruby hadn't transferred Aura to you."

Jaune looked at his partner, then Ruby, dumbstruck. "Oh."

Ruby forced herself not to flinch at the blank look on his face.

Blank blue eyes stared at her, the light quickly fading from them. Lips moved soundlessly, trying futilely to push a few last words past a throat filled with blood. The laughter grew louder, Ruby grew colder, and one all-encompassing thought consumed her.

Cinder.

Ruby screamed, and the world dissolved into ice and silver.

The sharp tip of an elbow bit into Ruby's side and the memories faded away as she jolted. Weiss stood beside her, still standing with perfect posture and rapt attention on Professor Goodwitch.

A single pale eye glanced at her briefly and Weiss whispered out of the corner of her mouth, so quietly that Ruby could barely even catch it. "Don't zone out like a dolt."

Ruby smiled wanly at the old insult-turned-nickname, but couldn't bring herself to do more than nod back. She didn't trust herself not to break down into a blubbering mess.

"As hesitant as I am to advise this, try to stand Mr. Arc," Professor Goodwitch said, taking a step back to give Jaune room., "But slowly, please."

Jaune awkwardly shifted himself to the edge of the bed, clearly trying to avoid putting any weight or pressure on his right side. He winced as his bare feet touched the cold floor, but with the utmost care he stood up from the hospital bed.

Almost immediately, his legs started to crumble under him. Pyrrha leapt to his side, ready to take his weight on her shoulder but the blond waved her off. "It's okay Pyrrha. I gotta' do this."

Pyrrha backed away uncertainly. "Are you sure?"

"Aw, don't worry about him Superstar. You got this, Jaune!" Yang cheered.

Bracing himself against the bedframe, Jaune straightened his legs again and stood, taking a shaky step away from his last support. Standing free, though with a noticeable wobble, Jaune looked back at Professor Goodwitch.

"Remarkable," she said finally after a long silence. "Mr. Arc, I've been a Huntress for a long time, and I've seen individuals with less severe wounds take much, much longer to heal. What you've just done is nothing short of miraculous."

"Nah, Professor G, it's 'cause he's Hero Boy and nothing's gonna' stop him," Yang said. A shiver went down the blonde's spine as Goodwitch's sudden glare pinned her.

"Ms. Xiao-Long, while you may not officially be my student yet, I can still give you detention from now until you graduate if you refer to me as 'Professor G' again."

"Uh, right, Professor Goodwitch, sir- I mean, ma'am! Won't happen again, Professor Goodwitch ma'am," Yang stuttered. She sighed with relief when Goodwitch, satisfied with Yang newfound respect, looked away.

"See that it doesn't," she admonished, turning back to Jaune. "Considering you're up and moving Mr. Arc, I shall escort all of you to the Initiation Ceremony. Mr. Arc, please dress yourself and all of you will follow me. I will be waiting outside."

With that final order and a snap of her crop, Professor Goodwitch walked out of the hospital room.

Jaune turned to Pyrrha, a bead of sweat on his forehead. "Hey, Pyrrha?"

"Yes, Jaune?"

"I could... kinda' use that help now if you don't mind," he said through gritted teeth as his legs started to shake violently.

"Oh. OH," Pyrrha leapt to her partner's side and wrapped an arm around his shoulders to brace his weight. "I am so sorry."

"It's okay," he said, "I'm pretty pathetic, heh."

"You also survived being impaled," Weiss said. "That's hardly something I'd call pathetic."

"And award for the most snobby compliment goes to..." Yang muttered, before she turned to the others and pouted. "Also, way to help me out with Professor G there, guys."

"You dug yourself into that," Weiss said shortly, "You can dig yourself out. I prefer not to irritate one of my professors before they even start teaching me."

Yang opened her mouth to argue, but cut herself off at the pleading looking Ruby shot her. "Bleh, whatever. You're not even worth it."

"So, not to be awkward but I kinda' gotta' change but I can't really stand that well so I could sorta' use a hand..?." Jaune said, trailing off at the elated look Yang shot him.

"I know who can help you!"

"Uh oh," Ruby mumbled to herself.

"Uh... on second thought..." Jaune started to say but Yang cut him off as she swung a hand to point directly at the Heiress standing by the door.

"Weiss can help you!"

"WHAT!?" the Heiress screeched. The irritated gleam in Pyrrha's eye made Ruby snort.

"She's can give you all sorts of 'hands'," Yang said with a smirk and a wink.

"Xiao-long, no one will find your body, I swear," Weiss seethed.

"Maybe we should just get a nurse to help?" Pyrrha suggested, following up quietly with a muttered, "Preferably a male nurse..."

"Oh, I see," Yang said knowingly. "You're more of a guy on guy type of girl, eh Pyrrha? I catch your drift."

"That's not exactly... I didn't mean that," Pyrrha said, flustered with a growing blush.

"Yang, you're the worst," Ruby sighed.

"Ruby!" Jaune said desperately, "Help?"

"Oh, so you want to go back to my sister, huh Hero Boy?" Yang said with a dangerous grin. "Last night was just so good you couldn't stay away?"

Ruby groaned. "Yang, not this again."

Weiss turned suddenly to her in object horror. "You had... intimate relations... with him?"

Ruby stared back at Weiss. "What? Wait, that's not-"

"No, you're underage. Absolutely not. I will not have my partner disgracing herself in such a way," Weiss said with a stamp of her boot clad foot.

"Oh-ho-ho, and what right do you have to tell Rubes what she can do?" Yang said. Her eyes flashed crimson ever so briefly. "I don't remember you being Ruby's older sister."

"Yang c'mon-"

"Wait a sec' Yang. Are you saying you want me to do things with Ruby then?" Jaune asked in confusion, completely oblivious to the bright red glow coming from his own partner's face.

Yang immediately started back pedaling. "Wha- No. I mean of course not- Like Ruby can do whatever she wants, just except for that..."

She couldn't help it. After the strangest twenty four hours of her life involving time travel, defying death, practically no sleep, and the ultimate second chance, she finally snapped.

Ruby burst out laughing, falling to the floor and curling into a giggling ball as tears prickled at the corners of her eyes.

Beacon's ballroom filled slowly as students poured in, both current and the exhausted Initiation survivors shuffling their way through the sets of double doors. Ozpin stood on the stage erected in the center of the room, hands resting on top of his cane. His brown eyes took in each one carefully, noting every new injury. Every new cut and scrape on his new students.

He blinked, catching a flash of crimson out of the corner of his eye, no doubt Ms. Rose's cloak. He burned the fresh scar spread across her face into his memory like all the rest. They were, ultimately, his mistakes that they now bore.

Some were more subtle. Those that had no physical wounds. Only dark bags and blank eyes where there had once been bright eyes and smiles.

Or worse, those that he remembered but who never walked into the door.

The last students entered. At the back of the room, Glynda nodded to him and with a snap of her crop the doors slammed shut. The children milled about, murmuring. Ozpin let the drone wash over him for a moment longer.

They were all so young. They deserved to have this brief time at least.

"Good evening," Ozpin said, his amplified voice cutting through the chatter. "Thank you all for your patience."

Ruby bounced on the balls of her feet as Ozpin started his speech, trying to burn off even a tiny portion of her anxiousness and resisting the urge to scratch at the pink tissue stretching over her cheek and forehead.

Weiss stood to one side, wearing a mask forged from a mix of poise and pretentiousness. Yang slouched to Ruby's other side with her back against one of the ballroom walls. Even further down, Blake lurked in the shadows of the room's massive window curtains.

The Faunus girl had materialized from the shadows without warning when they'd picked their spot at the back of the hall. Blake hadn't said a word since then, ignoring all of Yang's attempts to draw her into a conversation.

"This Initiation has been rather.. unusual," Ozpin said to the crowd of Hunters-to-be. "Due to circumstances far beyond your own control, this Initiation was cut short and many of you were unable to complete your goal."

There was a wave of uncertain, hushed whispers through the crowd. From the whispers, Ruby got the feeling that the fact that an Elder Griffon crashed through the entrance exam to Beacon hadn't been widely spread.

"However life itself is often just as cruel and unkind. To those of you who were unable to find a partner, I apologize, but there will be no place here at Beacon for you."

Cries of outrage and disbelief interrupted Ozpin. Ruby frowned at the old Headmaster.

"You will all be afforded another chance come the next Initiation to prove yourselves," Ozpin continued on, forcing himself to be heard over the churning frustration. "Until then, practice and focus yourselves."

"For those of you who found a partner, do not believe for a moment that your position is secure," Ozpin cautioned. "You will be placed in a team and may attend Beacon on a probation period for this coming semester, but you still failed your objective. You did not collect a relic."

Suddenly, Ruby felt immensely uneasy. Things were changing much faster than she expected, and she had no control over it. Beside her, she felt Weiss stiffen.

"Come the end of the semester, all our freshman teams will be tasked with a second Initiation exam. One befitting that of a true team of Huntsmen and Huntresses." Ozpin tapped his cane against the stage with a crack, silencing all hushed conversation.

"Only then, and only if you pass, will you truly be able to consider yourself Hunters in training," Ozpin let his gaze roam over the crowd. "For now though, we shall announce your temporary teams. Please come to the stage when your name is called."

"Well, this is gonna' be fun," Yang muttered petulantly as Ozpin called the first team up on stage. "What if you get stuck with a crap team? I'm not gonna' give up being a Huntress just 'cause my teammates suck."

"I hardly expect you to contribute much to a team either," Weiss muttered out of the corner of her mouth.

"Can we please not do this here, guys?" Ruby asked. "Pretty please, with sugar and strawberries?"

"I bet I'll do better on a team than you will," Yang shot back with a nasty smirk. She jerked her thumb at Blake. "At least I got a good partner."

"Leave me out of your bickering, please," Blake said. Ruby noticed her bow twitch.

Weiss arched an eyebrow. "Are you saying that your own sister isn't a good partner?"

"Nah, Ruby's a great partner," Yang said, patting her Ruby on the shoulder.

"Thanks?" Ruby said uncertainly.

""I'm saying she got stuck with you. Fat lot of good that'll do for her," Yang finished.

"Of all the nerve!" Weiss hissed, ignoring Ruby's attempts to placate her. "I shudder to think what your team leader will have to deal with."

"Who says I won't be the team leader?" Yang retorted, "You're not so perfect yourself anyway.

"I never said I was perfect," Weiss snarled. "But a goldfish would have a better chance of a being leader than a brute like you."

"Oh, is that so?" Yang crossed her arms.

"Yes!" Weiss growled.

"Fine then, we'll see who's laughing when I'm team leader," Yang said with a triumphant smirk. "And if you're on my team, princess, you'll have to deal with it. I'm thinkin' bathroom cleaning duty with a toothbrush?"

"I think I'd rather die then follow your orders," Weiss scoffed.

"That could be arranged too."

Ruby ears perked up as she heard Ozpin call out. "Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren."

"Guys, shut up," Ruby whispered to her partner and sister, waving her hands to the stage. "I wanna' see this!"

The group moved up onto the stage gingerly. Ren clutched his shoulder, clearly making an effort to avoid moving it as much as possible. Nora glued herself to his side, making sure to help guide the taller boy forward.

And Jaune. Ruby's chest burned angrily when she thought about the black flesh covering his chest. She bit down the violent urge creeping its way up her throat.

He leaned heavily against Pyrrha, letting her support him as they both stepped to the center of the stage. The thankful smile he sent towards the Mistrali, followed by the redhead's equally red cheeks, sent a tiny flutter of happiness through Ruby's heart.

The time traveler turned a gimlet eye towards Ozpin, daring him to try and change anything. She'd worked so hard to make sure Teams RWBY and JNPR ended up together. If he didn't announce the same teams, she'd have to do something drastic. Like hang him off Beacon cliff by

"The four of you saved each other's lives. Your team was forged in battle. From this day forward you will be known as Team JNPR, Juniper," Ozpin stated. "Led by Jaune Arc!"

Ruby's loud clapping rose above the applause, but she didn't care about the angry hiss from Weiss or the strange looks those closest in the crowd sent her way as she cheered for her old sister team.

"And finally, our last team," Ozpin said as the applause died away. "Weiss Schnee, Yang Xaio-Long, Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna. Please step forward."

Weiss strode stiffly onto the stage, with her other three teammates following behind her. Ruby frowned when she noticed Yang hide a vindictive snort as Weiss stumbled and nearly tripped. Ruby's Semblance placed her at Weiss' elbow in a fraction of a second.

"Need help?" she asked, touching Weiss' arm softly. Weiss scowled, glancing at her briefly before turning her head away in a clear dismissal.

"I'll be perfectly fine on my own," Weiss muttered under her breath, brushing away Ruby's hand on her shoulder.

The four girls presented themselves to the staff and the crowd. Ozpin raised his voice. "Your team was the only group to actually collect a single relic, albeit a broken one."

Ruby tilted her head to the side. Her hand slipped into her pocket and found the cool, cracked body of the piece she'd absently snatched off the ground in the Emerald Forest. But how had Ozpin known?

"For collecting the white knight, and achieving your objective despite all odds, you will be henceforth known as Team WYRB, Wyrvern."

Ruby's eyes snapped back to Ozpin. That wasn't right. Where was the announcement for Team RWBY? She stared at Ozpin, wondering what the old man could possibly be playing at.

It didn't even make any sense either. Wyvern started with a 'W', and the team's always started with the leader's name-

Ruby's thoughts ground to a sudden halt.

Oh. Oh no.

"Led by Weiss Schnee!"

Polite applause filled the hall, swallowing up the angry exclamation from Yang. "What!?"

Ruby turned to look at her reformed team, eyes traveling down the line of three girls. Yang was furious, red eyes glaring at their new leader. Fists clenched at her sides and muscles tensed. If it weren't for the public setting, Ruby swore Yang would be quite literally tearing into the white haired girl.

Further down, Blake looked as if she had just shut down, eyes completely blank and staring straight ahead. The Faunus occasionally mouthed "Schnee" in near silent horror. She stood stock still, eyes flitting around, not unlike a terrified cat.

And then there was Weiss, staring straight back at Ruby with shocked baby blue eyes and a mouth hanging open so wide that a Nevermore could've made a nest inside.

It would've been funnier if Ruby's own emotions didn't feel like a swirling storm of confusion. A single word came to Ruby in a moment of clarity.

"Huh..."

Perhaps not as much clarity as she'd hoped.

So yeah. This took obnoxiously long and I kinda hate myself for it. No real excuse, I just didn't make time for writing in my life and paid the price. A few portions, the ones I wrote last basically, are more or less unedited because I honestly just wanted to get this out for you guys, so fair warning if you see some issues here and there.

Also one of the more expensive fanfic chapters written, on 3 airplanes (2 in first class), in 2 hotels, and I'm literally posting this from about a block away from RTX in Austin. (speaking of which, if any of y'all are here and social butterflies, come say hi if you spot me. I'll be wearing mainly Netflix tshirts, hopping around the expo and smaller panels saturday and you can bet your butts I'll be at the RWBY panel on sunday.)

As mentioned, I also did a full rewrite of the prologue. It's really not a 'required' re-read, as no major events really change, but (in my humble opinion) it's worth checking out if nothing else because I was able to bring Salem a little more in-line with her actual character instead of a melodramatic caricature. It's also a bit more world building, a bit of a better fight, and like twice the length.

In order to keep more regular posting, I'm probably going to be decreasing chapter size going forward. These have been getting unwieldy. In theory the next one should be ready within a few weeks (instead of months). In practice... Offer up a sacrifice to the elder gods to get me to write faster?

Overlord Swarm departs.