Special Note Going to be putting a hold on this. I am off my outline and really need to fix some things structure wise. I feel like I'm beating my head against the wall and feel like it's easier to just admit how bad I screwed the pooch structurally. I'm not abandoning but will be extensively reworking it starting next year. I know reworking a fic is a waste of your time, but if you bare with me I'd honestly appreciate it. Until then feel free to read and critique tell me what you thought worked and what most certainly did not.

Weiss really did appreciate Ruby. Understandably, Ruby could never be allowed to learn of this fact. If her partner ever ascertained this critical information, the heiress would never be granted another quiet second until the day she died. Possibly beyond even that. Still, Weiss really did appreciate Ruby. Even if Weiss would never allow herself to show it. At this point in time, nothing the heiress could conceive of would make her do so. Some people, take Arc for instance, were just too incorrigible.

So Weiss wouldn't allow a show of her appreciation. Not in the face of the wonderful homey smell that currently filled the room. Not in the face of a specially made breakfast of chocolate chip cookies. Not in the face of a tall glass of ice cold milk. Not even in the face of numerous cookie crumbs scattered across the far too large serving platter. Clear evidence that there had once been a great many more cookies and likely not so long ago. No, Weiss wouldn't show it. Not even to honor the memory of all those missing cookies. Weiss's control of her face was nearly absolute at this point of her life, and doubtlessly that control was saving many precious quiet moments in the heiress's future. Still, just to be clear, not showing something was not the same as not feeling something.

Weiss did allow herself to smile politely, "Would you like to share?"

Ruby's returning smile threatened to take in her ears.

Weiss's control of her face was near absolute, but Ruby pulling a second glass from behind her back was very nearly too much. To hide any possible slips, Weiss quickly barked, "Desk! You are not getting crumbs in my bed!"

Ruby promptly saluted, somehow managing to not spill her milk in the process. How she managed this, given the milk was in her saluting hand, was something of a wasted miracle.

"Daww!" Yang cooed loudly from her own bed. Smiling at what the too tall brawler liked to call the little half of Team RWBY.

Weiss didn't bother to glare at Ruby's gargantuan sister. It would only encourage the blonde Neanderthal. Instead she divvied up the cookies into four separate stacks of five cookies each. There was one extra and she silently placed that extra cookie into Ruby's hands, "Ruby, please get a glass for Yang and Blake." Ruby again saluted, although this time neither of them were quite so lucky with her milk, splashing Weiss in the nose. In the face of Weiss's ensuing glare, RWBY's Team later beat a hasty retreat into the kitchen, vanishing in a flurry of rose petals. Weiss sighed, really just to keep herself from grinning, dabbing her face with the hem of her night gown. Weiss did decide, considering the rose petals now strewn about the room, Ruby had just volunteered to do the vacuuming today. Even in the face of warm cookies.

There was a loud thud as Yang's feet hit the ground with the subtle quiet of a falling boulder. Yang's precarious bed trembled, but somehow did not fall. Weiss's eyes narrowed; she wasn't quite sure how Blake and Yang engineered the ridiculous eye sore, but it never actually fell. Not even when Yang's snoring grew loud enough to vibrate Weiss's own bed completely across the room.

Weiss saw Blake wake when Yang's huge feet attempted to dent the floorboards. The heiress was quite pleased to see Blake woke with a smile this morning. Weiss was quite displeased with the bow Blake was wearing. Weiss noted how the bow was still being worn even in Blake's sleep. Even though everyone in the room knew the truth. Weiss wanted to ask Blake to take it off, but she didn't. Instead she said, "Ruby made us all cookies. I highly suggest you grab some before they all mysteriously disappear leaving rose petals as the only clue." Ruby squawked at the implication. In quiet reply, Weiss smiled in feigned sweetness at her partner; then indicated the rose petals that were now scattered about the room.

Ruby nodded glumly, muttering, "Stupid semblance," as she poured two more glasses of milk and topped off her own. Ruby knew they'd disappear in a few minutes time, but also knew Weiss wasn't one to wait for them to do so.

Blake laughed quietly, but she also was rather quick to snatch her share of the morning's breakfast. The quality of Ruby's chocolate chip cookies could not be denied. In fact, Yang, Blake, and Weiss had each individually come to the conclusion that those cookies would probably be world famous at this point… excepting one important fact. They really did tend to just mysteriously disappear, usually at alarming rates, and often in a flurry of rose petals.

There was a wonderful few moments wherein the dorm was filled only with the sounds of teenage girls eating a breakfast of cookies while sipping ice cold milk. No one spoke. No one really felt the need. It was nice. In a way, it was home.

Then Weiss's scroll started chiming from her nightstand, ruining the moment. Yang took the interruption as a signal it was appropriate to belch. Rather impressively in fact. The barbarian obviously did so simply because she could and likely because Ruby would giggle…

Ruby giggled, and despite her giggling yelled, "Yang, that's so gross!"

Blake again laughed in near silence. Weiss just shook her head, careful to show no amusement at the childish display of her teammates. Even if the heiress wanted to join in. Especially since she could belch every bit as resoundingly. A singing career had taught her wonderful breath control, strengthened her diaphragm, and thusly yielded a couple of unexpected side-effects. Weiss let a small smile curl up. Briefly imagining the blonde's expression should she be one-upped, especially given the dorm room's surprisingly decent acoustics.

Weiss smile faded when she crossed the room and glanced at her scroll. Her eyes bugged out a bit when she read the name of the incoming call. She waved her hands wildly for silence. Her team, who really were rather on the quiet side already (especially by team RWBY standards), looked at Weiss in confusion. Weiss had no time to fill them in.

"Winter!" Weiss beamed as she answered, before forcing a more serene tone, "What an unexpected pleasure, Sister."

The cool expression of Weiss's most treasured family member washed over her. "Weiss. Why aren't you ready for your day. Are you ill?"

Weiss glanced at the clock, it was near 9:00 AM! To be so lazy on a day when Winter called! "No Sister, my team and I were just taking some extended recreational time this morning, given the absence of classes this week." There that was reasonable wasn't it?

Winter's eyes hardened. Apparently not. "How underwhelming. As a Schnee and as a team leader, you should set a proper example." Ruby half squawked at Winter's assumption, but Weiss silenced her partner with a glare. Winter absently started typing on the edges of her scroll. "Perhaps a lesson in hard work will help enforce this. I am forwarding you our treasured Grandfather's treatise on the proper procedure for dust refinement. I expect a full summary this afternoon and a proper report no later than tomorrow at oh-eight hundred hours," Winter's expression was cooler than her namesake, "That is oh-eight hundred Atlas, standard time, Weiss."

Weiss quailed at what would doubtlessly be an all-day thing. Possibly an all-night thing as well. Grandfather Schnee was many wonderful things, but succinct was not one of them. The group had planned to go into town and enjoy their break. Unwind a little after the drama of the last weekend. The most ambitious thing planned was seeing the new Spruce Willis movie, something they all kind of wanted to do even though the previews looked terrible and the reviews were worse. This was a significant set-back in their meticulous plans for idleness.

The matter was not helped when Yang decided to throw energy propellant on the fire, "Wait?! Did she just give you homework?"

Weiss's scroll dinged as a rather large file started downloading. Page one of… drat. Winter glanced at Yang's direction but the Blonde was saved from incineration due to the limitations of screens on scroll devices. Never-the-less, Winter's stern voice continued, "Given the substantial size of the treatise, It would be more accurate to state, 'That I gave all of you homework.'"

Ruby was aghast, "Can she do that?!"

"I'm an Atlas Specialist, a noted guest instructor on dust manipulation, and also a Schnee. Thus I can indeed 'do that.' Really Weiss, your team should be able to grasp such basic concepts by now."

Yang snarled, her hair glowing brighter, Weiss looked at RWBY's volatile giant with trepidation, "Weiss I really don't like your sisters very much."

Winter blinked, and somehow seemed to soften, "Ah. That explains much. I see you ran into Bleiss already."

Weiss, who had been trying to wave off Yang, rounded on her scroll. Fixing Winter with a glare, it became Weiss's turn to snarl. An act that took Winter aback, "Don't you dare start calling her that!"

Winter blinked, obviously surprised. Then inclined her head in subtle, but honest acquiescence, "Apologies Weiss, I should have remembered the issue had become something of a sore point between the two of you." Winter sighed, "I will, under the given circumstances, be willing to extend the deadline for your full report until Friday." Weiss perked up at the concession. RBY considerably less so, as they were still unsure if Weiss's sister was actually allowed to assign homework.

There had to be an appeals process right?

Weiss's felt her rising mood crash back to ground level, "Weiss, I called primarily to inform you that Blume will be attending Beacon until, and indeed through, the Vytal festival." Weiss quailed at the news, and her eldest sister was indeed sympathetic, "I honestly attempted to persuade General Ironwood to reconsider. I was… unsuccessful."

Weiss swallowed hard, "I… I understand."

Winter nodded once in farewell. The screen went dark, well except for the loading icon stating the job was 73% complete.

Yang's arms encircled the heiress from behind. Weiss wasn't big on being touched, but for the moment, she was willing to make an exception. "We got your back, Weiss," Yang whispered above her head. There was something comforting in the big brute's embrace, even if the blonde colossus really was inappropriately tall.

Unheard by the heiress, Ruby whispered to Blake, "I'm really starting to dislike Weiss's family."

Blake, the former White Fang member, noted the irony of who Ruby confessed to. She also knew it was probably lost on her Team Leader. "Agreed."

/\

Nora strode into the arena with a bit of exaggerated swagger. Her hammer swung casually in a display of strength designed to intimidate. Pyrrha had hefted the thing herself once. While lighter than it looked, doubtless due to the head's hollow nature, that did not mean Pyrrha could replicate the simple display of strength before her… well not without using her semblance.

Then it dawned on Pyrrha. Someone was actually trying to intimidate her! Pyrrha's eyes narrowed. When was the last time someone dared… attempted… to use intimidation tactics against her? Two years maybe? And then it had been completely feigned, hollow bravado from that giant whose name Pyrrha had barely bothered learning. Jacks wasn't it? That sounded close. Anyways, the one whose ridiculous spear Pyrrha had shattered.

Unlike the near forgotten giant, Nora wasn't feigning her confidence. Nothing about Nora's walk, nothing about her expression, nothing at all in her bearing reflected anything less than absolute belief in her ability. Every movement shouted that JNPR's sparkplug believed she could win in a match between the two of them. No, it wasn't that Nora thought she could win. Nora believed she would win. Deep inside, something that made Pyrrha a champion started to rise in response. The hoplite rushed quickly to put a mental lid on dangerous inclinations.

"You know," Nora began with an off-hand tone, "I've been looking forward to doing this for years." Nora slung Magnhild across her shoulders. She then proceeded to lock her legs straight, bending double; Nora's short orange hair brushing her shoe tops. "Going toe-toe with the Invincible One. Seeing if she lives up to the title." Nora's voice sounded odd, but that might be because she was currently speaking into her own shins.

Pyrrha felt her own hostility bubble at the unliked title; the lid on her anger rattling just a bit. Pyrrha's face remained pleasant though, even if it felt a bit plastic. It wasn't like Nora knew what Pyrrha's title truly implied. "I'm not really in the mood right now Nora, another time perhaps."

"Nope." Nora grinned into her shins as she promptly pulled a Ruby. Pulling a Ruby was rapidly gaining a powerful reputation in Beacon for being a remarkably useful tactic in getting your own way.

Pyrrha mentally forced the mental lid down, using both mental hands. "Nora please, I just want to spend some time alone…"

"Nope."

"You're being childish."

"Nope."

Pyrrha closed her eyes, counted backwards from ten, and then opened her mouth, "..."

"Nope."

Pyrrha, the lid on her anger venting copious amounts of steam now, started roughly packing up her gear. The champion planned to extradite herself before said lid "flipped" and she did something both she and Nora would regret.

"You know I trained for two solid years to face you." Pyrrha tried to tune Nora out, a feat kind of notoriously difficult to accomplish. "Yep. Two years. But Coach never gave me the shot. 'No one can beat Pyrrha Nikos,'" Nora's voice tried to hit a baritone and failed miserably. "Coach Chiron was pretty crushed by the way you humiliated Ajax. That was really kind of mean by the way. But that wasn't what really made Coach despair. What you did to Hector? Oh that killed a chunk of Coach's soul."

Pyrrha looked hard for Akoúo. Pyrrha didn't really want to talk about tournaments. She definitely didn't want to talk about Hector Trois, whose name she wouldn't ever be allowed to forget. She was completely done with tournaments, even if she hadn't quite gotten around to convincing Jaune to stay out of the Vytal festival…. Thinking of Jaune instantly flustered the already distracted champion. An angry gaze swept to floor, where could it have gone, Akoúo was just here… The Spartan wasn't particularly pleased when she finally located her shield as Nora was standing on top of it.

Pyrrha forced herself to keep from scowling, "You're standing on my shield."

Nora looked down, blinking in comical amazement, "So I am." Nora also didn't move. "Anyways what were we talking about? Ah yes… Ajax Aegean and his buddy Hector Trois." Nora shifted her weight causing the bronze disk beneath her feet to grate irritatingly against the arena floor. "Do you remember Bulwark's metaphorical Bulwark? Big guy, so big he could almost bench press as much as me. Had a spear that really looked like he was overcompensating." Pyrrha refused to give an indication either way. She knew which way Nora's rambling was heading. Might as well wait for both shoes to drop.

Nora continued, "I was there you know. When you cracked the big lug's spear, making him quit without even bothering to hit him once." Nora paused, "When you decided to humble him in front of everyone in Mistral."

Pyrrha thought of the giant. How he had almost stood on her toes. How he held that stupid impractical weapon of his aloft, playing to the cheering crowd. According to the experts, he was her first real test in Pyrrha's sophomore outing in the Mistral Regionals. Some test. Pyrrha remembered his eyes were filled with hesitation. So much bluster, so little bite. The fight was over before it even started. Ajax was a waste of her time. So Pyrrha had made a bit of an example of him. Pyrrha wanted the other competitors… no more than that. Pyrrha had wanted the competitors, the crowd, the whole world to know in whose ring they were standing. Who the giant was daring to face. She wanted it known how much the fool was lying to those chanting his name. When the tournament was over, Pyrrha wanted it so no one was going to chant another's name. Not while Pyrrha Nikos stood in the arena.

Nikos stood for victory once upon a time. Pyrrha had damned well meant for the name Nikos to be synonymous with victory again.

"You're point?" Pyrrha was actually shocked at the bite in her tone. When was the last time anyone got a rise out of her?

"Don't worry, we're almost there!" Was Nora's equally biting response. The tension now palpable in the room. "For the record, I wasn't able to qualify at Bulwark's trials that year. Not even as an alternate. But Coach Chiron wanted me to be there to I could watch and learn. I learned from that fight was just how much better than Ajax you were. It was sad. You could have easily beaten him a dozen different ways. A dozen ways that would have been kinder." Nora looked hard at Pyrrha, "Hector was, probably still is, Ajax's best friend. You had to expect some kind of response. Though, I guess, given what followed, Hector having a response was the plan all along."

Pyrrha thought of Hector Trois, she often did even if she usually hated herself when doing so. He really wasn't worth the energy. Hector Trois was many things: very wealthy, extremely arrogant, quite competent, sore loser, etcetera. All those things were embodied by the young man she had faced in the finals that year. Unfortunately for Hector, at least at that specific time and place, Hector had the one thing Pyrrha really wanted. A trait Pyrrha had ripped from him with a great deal of gusto. Renown. Until the finals, Hector had been holding the renown that Pyrrha had so desperately craved. Pyrrha humiliating Ajax, who was Hector's friend and training partner, had led to that year's finals being one of the most watched matches in the Tournament's history. Tickets, just to get through the door, had been over five thousand lien. Who knows what they went for arena side.

Hector had been Mistral's Champion two years previous, winning the title at barely fourteen years of age. A Phenom who had smashed through his opponents in one of the most convincing tournaments in years. He had missed the previous tournament, Pyrrha first entry, due to his father's illness. More than Pyrrha herself, Hector's absence had been the talk of the tournament. Since Pyrrha's first title hadn't involved facing him, the win had been viewed with a bit of an asterisk. Talented fighter, but… Worthy of praise, but… Wonderful win, but…. Youngest champion ever, but…. BUT…

Yes Pyrrha had expected a response. She had craved one.

The lid on Pyrrha's boiling anger came off. Nothing could hold it down anymore and Pyrrha wasn't even inclined to try. "As I recall, it wasn't much of a response. I remember empty promises, followed by empty threats, followed by quite a lot of empty bluster… ultimately leading to me standing over him in one minute and eleven seconds."

Nora nodded happily, "Yep, the most one-sided final in a decade. He didn't even enter the tournament the next year, not even in doubles or quads. Of course that wasn't really the complete end of it, was it?"

Miló now came out of Pyrrha's bag. Pyrrha's knuckles whitened a bit as she squeezed. Nora noticed Pyrrha's complete change from her normal demeanor. This wasn't the polite, somewhat awkward girl that sat on her bed and quietly pined for her Team Leader. This was the woman who had never seen her aura drop into the yellow. This was the one and only 'Invincible One.' Nora happily kicked her teammate the bronze disk she had been standing on.

Pyrrha was grinning as she readied herself, a grin that was all teeth and menace, "Are you going to also accuse me of cheating?"

Nora smirked. Pyrrha really was rather predictable. Nora would admit to being angry. She still planned on dealing with Jaune. Ren had been right last night. Things didn't really add up with her Team Leader, and Beacon was an important part her and Ren's dreams. Dreams they had fought too hard for to see ripped apart by the other half of their team. First thing was first though. Noodle was nail number two, and hadn't really started the current crisis. Nail number one was the first in line for a good old fashioned hammering.

Nora answered Pyrrha's question the way she had always intended. Pyrrha had waltzed right into it.

"Whatever convinces you to fight is good enough for me." Nora insulted her teammate deliberately, even casually. Nora also didn't stop there. Nora was too angry to stop. Nora Valkyrie wasn't normally a liar, but she lied here. She was angry enough to want this particular nail to see the swing coming. The lie was accomplished with gusto and competence. "I think 'The Invincible Girl' is a cheat."

Formal war was declared.

Pyrrha's return smile was full of smug confidence and dark threat. It gave no inclination that she saw through the lie. "Nora, I've reconsidered. I think a spar sounds grand."

Pyrrha was unaware that the smile she now wore hadn't been seen on her face for over two years. Nora was aware though. Something deep in Nora laughed maniacally. Something that had enabled a homeless orphan to reach out and grasp the future she had always wanted. That something had once looked in the eyes of a twelve year old Ren. "Are you willing to take a big risk?"

Fuck yes she was.

/\

Bleiss watched Jaune relax, obviously relieved to let it all out. "You really didn't even know what aura was?" The voice was Landon's.

Jaune smiled happily at the dumbfounded faunus, "Not a clue."

"And Corcea Mors was just locked in a trunk in the attic?" Landon continued.

"Kind of?" Jaune smiled beatifically, "The trunk wasn't locked at all. I just thought it was a bunch of old family stuff. Memento's and such."

"Crocea Mors…"

"Yep."

"The Sword of the Warrior King. The rallying symbol Vale's newly crowned monarch. The one he wielded when he united all of Vale."

"Yep."

"United them in the memory of you ancestor, the Martyr Alabastos Arc," Landon continued on.

"Yep."

Bleiss would have liked to think she was a little less flabbergasted, but she really wasn't. She was actually thankful Landon was spelling it out. "The sword the Warrior King of Vale used to decapitate Mantle's General Picton, thus starting the route on Vacuo's golden plains."

"Yep."

Landon just kept staring as he kept reciting a bit of well-known history, "The plains that actually gave the sword its namesake, Crocea Mors… Vacuan for yellow death..."

"That very one." Jaune smiled ruefully, "Yep, found out last night while doing a scroll search."

Landon held up both hands, "You didn't even know…" he breathed deeply. "HOW THE FUCK DID YOU NOT KNOW?!"

Jaune's smile never wavered, but his eyes grew harder. Perhaps even dangerous, "That is a question I will be sure to ask my father very soon." Bleiss shivered a bit. It was a shiver of appreciation. She rather liked that tone, especially aimed at shit fathers.

Jaune's voice lightened up almost immediately. "So there you have it. An idiot from the hick town of Ansel, one that didn't know the first thing about being a huntsman, the ramifications of his last name, and certainly not that the old sword from the attic is famous, gets ahold of some fake transcripts. Using them he then successfully sneaks into a premier Huntsman Academy. All done on a selfish whim. Bet I top all challengers in the 'Stupidest Things Ever Done' category right?"

Bleiss thought about some of her own comic misadventures. She smiled, "You said they had a catapult launch you off a cliff at initiation, right?"

Jaune beamed happily, "Yep."

"They did this before your partner unlocked your aura?" Bleiss asked.

"Yep."

"Were you the first to get catapulted?"

Jaune laughed hardily, Port would have been proud. "Nope! Dead last in fact."

Bleiss smiled, stood, and dropped into a completely proper curtsey, "Indeed we have a new champion. I know when I've been bested."

Landon laughed, he stood, and then he bowed. "Truly, I have also been humbled this day."

Jaune stood, politely bowed himself. He then raised both his arms high, accepting his justly due accolades. "Thank you all."

"Soleil is going to take it hard though," Bleiss mused to herself.

Jaune blinked at her, "Who's Soleil?"

Landon laughed, "Our team leader and your stiffest competition. Don't worry we'll introduce you sometime."

Jaune laughed, seemingly just happy to be in on a joke between the two Atlas teammates. Bleiss thought Jaune looked free. "Freedom is being able to live with the consequences." It looked like Jaune had learned the lesson Willow had ingrained in the heart of her dark haired daughter. Jaune now looked ready to take on the world, even that corner of it that held the tournament champion that was his partner. Seriously, how had she thought Mistral's Champion was a porn actress? Shit, she must have been spending way too much time with Soleil.

Bleiss's scroll chimed. It was only her alarm, but was still an unwelcome reminder that the day wasn't fucking over yet. However, even though she had important appointments to keep, Bleiss was a bit loathe to leave blonde, sexy, and just the right amount of fucking crazy. Not just yet anyways. The short huntress crossed over to him. Standing on her tip-toes, he really was rather tall, Bleiss gave him a quick peck on the lips. A small promise she sure as fuck was planning to collect on. Jaune blinked in surprise, but his blooming smile was something to behold.

"I have to go." Bleiss's smile was a bit more restrained than normal. Not much, but a bit. "But, I'll be at Beacon starting next week. Don't you fucking dare become a stranger."

Landon, for his part, watched Jaune blush. The Blonde straightened, but didn't actually puff up. Too cute, Landon thought with just a little passing lament. Then he saw Bleiss blush and thought. Oh fuck, she's got it bad.

/\

The fight didn't start instantly. Both Pyrrha and Nora's scrolls had been clicked into the main aura reader nearly a minute ago. Neither was in a rush, and neither spoke.

They paced the ring. Pyrrha claimed the center. Nora conceded the favorable ground without challenge, deciding to hang back on the outer third. Magnhild was in its grenade launcher form, but Nora refrained from actually opening fire. Pyrrha thought of how many canisters the weapon had. She was pretty sure it was eight. Somewhat embarrassingly, she didn't know what dust those canisters contained, only that they popped with pink smoke. It could be anything, Nora seemed highly partial to pink after all.

Pyrrha's rifle flicked up, she fired off a round cracking Nora between the eyes. Standard energy propellant, a round that was easy to manufacture, reliable, practical, and did steady damage. Nora's return fire was somewhat more spectacular. Pyrrha learned exactly what Nora packed Magnhild's rounds with, the hard way. A proximity fuse lit a very specifically designed explosion, one that affected a three chambered system in the canister round. Fire, ice, and electricity were ignited in specific order, generating a super-heated steam dancing with plasma.

Pyrrha foolishly chose to block the round with her shield and instantly regretted it, biting her tongue at the surging pain. The heat and electricity were obviously designed to bypass aura. Sometimes Pyrrha forgot Nora was giving Weiss a run for her money in Peach's class on Advanced Dust Science.

Nora, used Pyrrha's painful distraction to quickly close distance. Pyrrha, no longer interested in trading rounds at range, was eager to oblige. Pyrrha collapsed Miló into its sword form.

Nora had a major gap in her melee. Despite her strength, she had a bit of a slow wind up. Not Cardin slow, but definitely exploitable. Pyrrha stepped into Nora's swing before she could really get Magnhild's head moving. Thus Akoúo deflected the hammer's first swing fairly easily. She scored a solid hit Nora's lead leg, easily ducking the hammer's next pass. Stepped around a third swing she hit Nora' in the bridge of her nose with her shield's edge. Nora didn't look like she even noticed. The hammer came back around. Magnhild was moving much faster now, and they both knew one solid contact would make Nora the winner in the exchange.

The champion did not intend for that to happen.

Pyrrha ducked in. She ate a glancing blow as Nora used the heavy counterweight at the end of the haft to try and forcefully remove Pyrrha's teeth. But the move also left Nora a bit overextended and Pyrrha stepped fully into Nora's guard. Miló in sword form, was much heavier than it looked. As a spear it was nearly seven feet in length, and none of that mass went away in its more compact variant. With a little nudge from polarity, her Xiphos could also be blindingly quick when Pyrrha needed it to be. Thus Pyrrha landed a heavy blow to Nora's chest as they came together, punishing the smaller woman's aura, dropping Valkyrie into the yellow with one devastating strike. Pyrrha instantly regretted that decision.

That Nora was physically stronger wasn't ever really in doubt, but Pyrrha quickly learned just how vast that disparity was. Nora released Magnhild's haft with her left hand, easily maintaining control of the heavy weapon with only her right. Nora's free hand seized Pyrrha weapon arm at the wrist. The grip was instant, iron, and inviolate. One handed, Nora yanked Pyrrha in close, pinning Miló between them. Pyrrha had no say in the matter, too much of her weight was on her forward foot and so she had no leverage to even attempt resistance. To Pyrrha's horror, Magnhild was already shifting back into its grenade launcher form. The barrel of which was rapidly coming back in line. Pyrrha did manage get her shield up enough to keep Nora from aiming the barrel at her face, but that was likely never Nora's real intention. Barrel pointed right at the Spartan's feet, Nora, pulled the trigger. Twice.

The blasts knocked them apart, and both took significant damage to their auras. Pyrrha got the worst end of it though. Her legs didn't feel broken but the pain emanating from them could not be denied. The skin was raw from the heated steam, and her muscles were spasming badly for the massive dose of electrical dust. The impact of the explosions had hurt as well, but were nothing compared to the other two factors. She glanced at the aura readers, an action only desperate competitors did. Nora was now reading well below half, Pyrrha significantly better at around seventy percent, but aura wasn't everything and both combatants knew it.

Nora was up and aiming within seconds. Pyrrha growled and managed to stand, forcing her spasming muscles to obey. A fourth dust canister flew at the Spartan, it was filled with pain Pyrrha had no intention of experiencing again, ever. A slight brush of polarity sent it flying just wide. Unfortunately, it must have been rather obvious.

Nora frowned.

Nora looked questioningly at her errant canister, then paused, took careful aim, and fired on Pyrrha's center of mass. Pyrrha didn't even try to hide the use of her semblance this time. Stopping the canister in midair. Pyrrha let Nora get a good look and the hanging grenade, then crushed it, forcing it to detonate.

"Ah. So you have a semblance after all. Is it telekinesis? No not that, you'd just fling me from the ring if that was the case. Polarity? It's polarity isn't it."

Pyrrha was in a bad way. If she opened fire with Miló, Nora would charge. Pyrrha's legs were too battered to stand long against her. If Nora ran out of ammo, Nora would also charge. She had been forced to reveal her ace in the hole. All Pyrrha could do was stall.

Pyrrha shrugged, neither confirming nor denying. If Nora was talking, she was giving Pyrrha time. Time for aura to help heal her legs enough so she could fight. Time enough so Pyrrha could still claim victory. To rip that fucking hammer right out of Nora's smug hands. Not now though. Now would be a bad decision. If she did it now, Nora would charge with her fists and Pyrrha didn't think she could win that fight yet either. Yet.

"Strange you never told anyone what it is. Not even your teammates." Pyrrha shrugged, just wanting Nora to keep talking. Technically Weiss and Ruby knew what Pyrrha's semblance was. In the end, the champion had been forced to reveal it in Forever Fall. To gamble so Jaune could have his moment. A moment Pyrrha had leveraged to help him grow into… well the answer she desperately hoped him to be.

"Want me to give you another minute or two? Your legs are still kinda twitchy."

Pyrrha glared, "If you think that's wise then do so."

Nora casually leaned against her hammer. "Let's make a deal. I agree to give you some time to recover, to not just come over there bare handed and drive you straight into the ground with my fists. You agree that if I wait until you're ready, your semblance leaves Magnhild alone. You can continue to use it to help your noodle arms swing Miló all you want, but Magnhild is one hundred percent off-limits for the rest of the spar." Pyrrha glared. Nora smirked, "I'll even promise to keep it in hammer form if you refrain from using your rifle. What do you say?"

Pyrrha, whose blood was boiling at this point did the only thing she could. "Agreed."

"Good, only have two more rounds in the chamber anyways," Nora admitted with a laugh as she started to stretch her muscles out again. Whistling like there wasn't a thing wrong in the world.

Pyrrha collapsed as her cramping legs got the better of her. She was much less amused.

/\

A scroll ringed. A rather large man answered.

"Junior?"

"Yeah Roman."

"What's our status?"

"Miltia's on board. Your plan's a go."

"Excellent."

Special Foot Note

Like I said above. This is going to get a rework. It's just gotten too far sideways. I'll be spending some time over the holidays streamlining it to get the plot moving again. There is way too much exposition and I tried to fix a major gaff by bending the fuck out of Nora's character. Feel free to critique, tell me what I did poorly, what I may have done okay. Thank you for your time, I know you owed me not a second of it.

I also have a Jaune/Winter story that was largely plotted by 264th Wolfgarde and a few others. I'll have a bit more in time. Hopefully be updating more regularly now that I'm not spending six days a week on the road. I also have a DANMACHI story I plan to return to.