White Sheep

Chapter 13 - While Shepherds Watch

Here is another chapter of White Sheep, I hope you enjoy. We move into the next story arc now, but enough prattle from me.

College Fool only really got a chance to beta half of this due to problems on my end. My car has started to play up and may need to be replaced soon, which means all sorts of irritating drama as I try to find time for that. Cars are not my forte. Never been interested in them and can't even tell what brands are good or bad, etc...

Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Kegi Springfield

Chapter 13 – While Shepherds Watch

"Oh, thank god," Yang gasped as she staggered out of the classroom. "Any longer listening to that and I think my brain would have abandoned me and run off to Vacuo. Oobleck's class is the worst."

"Hey," Jaune complained, feeling a little offended on behalf of his favourite teacher. "I think he's a good teacher. He's really passionate about his job and he definitely knows his stuff." Plus, the man was always willing to go off on a tangent and explain something, so long as it was history-related. He could have made them work from books but didn't.

"Jaune, you're one of the only people who can actually understand him," Pyrrha giggled.

Really? Jaune looked towards the others in confusion, but they all nodded along. Well, all except for Blake, who was engrossed in another one of her books. "I'm not sure what's not to understand," he said. "I mean, he just talked about the faunus war. I didn't think it was anything too hard."

"Less the content and more the delivery," Yang sighed. "He talks at a thousand words per minute. I've no idea how you can keep pace."

"One of my Uncles, Watts, used to get just as fast when he talked about the things he was interested in." Usually politics, though the focus was more on how to subvert and manipulate than to actually work in it. "I guess I must have picked it up from him."

"It's still not good that a teacher speaks too quickly to be understood," Weiss said. "He should slow down to the level most people can work at. How are we supposed to learn, otherwise?"

"Read?"

"It's the principle of the matter."

"Enough about lessons," Nora decided. "We've got all afternoon off and the evening too. We should do something. We should have an adventure, visit Vale, or maybe hold another game tournament. Renny wants to face off against Jauney again, don't you?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Ren chuckled. Despite that, he didn't say no, and he shot an expectant look towards him. Jaune wished he could accept, but...

"We've got team training," Ruby said, crushing Nora's dreams in an instant. "Sorry."

"Wha-? But there's no class."

"That's no reason not to try and improve ourselves," Weiss lectured. "We're going to do some personal training our own to identify weaknesses and see how we can address them as a team."

Jaune nodded along, having known the general plan from the morning. What Weiss didn't say, and what he was secretly looking forward to, was that she'd actually organised the training to help him after his loss against Cardin. She phrased it as the reputation of the team, but Ruby had been quick to point out it was more likely because Weiss cared about her partner and didn't want to see him knocked around. He could still remember the look on Weiss' face when he asked if that was true. She claimed it wasn't, and that she was simply making sure he wasn't a moron, but they did say actions spoke louder than words. Maybe she wasn't as cold and demanding as he'd first thought. Maybe she just pretended to be like that, and in reality, she was as sweet and kind as his mother.

"We can still do something," Yang grinned and knocked her arm against Nora's. "This could be a good chance to train Blake up for a rematch on our next game night."

The girl in question heard her name mentioned and stashed her book away, eyes wide. "What? Yang, you trait-"

"Great idea!" Nora cheered and hooked an arm around her partner's neck. "Come on, Blake. We'll make a master out of you yet."

Yang had the good grace to look guilty as Blake was dragged away, though not too much. She waved and headed off after her team, Ren shaking his head as he brought up the rear, but sent Jaune a polite, if competitive, nod. It was nice to see them all getting along so well. Not to mention how Nora was willing to go out of her way to help her partner like that.

"Ruby, your sister is a pest," Weiss said as the four of them walked together down the hallways and towards the training areas.

"I know..." Ruby sighed. "You should try living with her. She used to tease me all the time when I was younger. She was the worst!"

"I know what that feels like," Jaune said. "I guess older sisters are the same no matter where you are."

"You have an older sister too?" Ruby asked. "Is she like Yang?"

"Some of them are, especially physically. Most of them have blonde or white hair," and all of them could change that at will, but he didn't want to mention that. "With Yang's eyes and hair, though, she could have passed as one of them pretty easily. Then again, Weiss could too."

"Xiao-Long and I look completely different! How does it even make sense for us to look related?"

Oops. He'd forgotten about the skin colour difference, which was a bit of a non-point because when they transformed, their skin turned to almost snow-white. Luckily, Pyrrha came to his rescue.

"Some of them?" the redhead asked. "Do you have many sisters, Jaune?"

"I have seven," he said proudly. "Well, eight, I guess – but only seven are biological." The news didn't quite get the response he'd expected. Ruby and Weiss stared at him as though he were insane, while Pyrrha's cheeks had turned a dusky red.

"W-Wow," she said. "That's... well, that's a big family."

"Seven!?" Weiss echoed. "How could... I'm not even sure how a single woman could handle that, not to mention the timing. Do your parents not even know what contraception is?"

"Contra-what?"

Weiss slapped a hand to her forehead. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Remy?" Jaune asked internally.

"I've not heard of the phrase... perhaps a weapon of some kind?"

His delay in answering was enough for Weiss, who groaned into her hand. "This makes far too much sense. Arc... Jaune... I know you are a little sheltered, but you do know what sexual intercourse is, correct?"

The blood ran to his cheeks but he nodded. "Of course I do. I'm... I don't know much about the outside world, but I know how things work. Besides, mom and dad have sex all the time. It's kind of hard to not know sometimes."

Plus, his mother was always trying to get him interested in Cinder. Then there was Coral... which was about enough said, to be honest. He still shivered when he recalled asking her what she was reading one day and her invitation for them to read together. He should have known... she never smiled like that normally.

"Somehow, your parent's enthusiasm doesn't surprise me. Not with that many children. Still, thank the heavens for small mercies. I thought I'd have to give you the talk for a moment there."

"What's the talk?" Ruby asked innocently.

Weiss looked horrified, but quickly scowled when Ruby tittered and covered her mouth. In the background, Pyrrha smothered her own giggles. "Very funny, Ruby." the heiress growled. "Jaune, contraceptives are what people use to prevent pregnancy or to prevent someone getting with child. Maybe your mother called them something else?"

"Wait... you can prevent pregnancy?"

"Or, maybe you really don't know," Weiss sighed. "This explains far too much."

"No! I mean, I'm pretty sure my mom never knew."

"Jaune," Remy sighed. "This is Salem we're talking about. Even if she knew, I'm not sure she would condone of such things. You do remember what she wants you to do, right?"

"Crush the world under my heel?"

"And...?"

"Provide at least fifty grandbabies." He mentally sighed. Okay, yeah, when put like that, maybe his mom did know what they were, but if she did, there was no way she would have ever told him. Not if it got in the way of her plans.

"This is madness." Weiss shook her head. "I suppose this answers how you have seven sisters, even if it doesn't answer why she wouldn't know anything about this. Your mother runs a real estate business, does she not?"

"Yeah, but... well, I don't think mom was the kind of woman who ever expected to have children." That was certainly one way of putting it, given that she was the Queen of all Grimm. The whole 'destroying the human race' thing tended to put a damper on good relationships, or so she said. Jaune smiled and continued. "I know that Sapphire, the eldest, was an accident, but... well, I guess mom was so amazed that she could actually have a child that she didn't want to stop."

When he looked up from the short story, it was to see the three girls watching him with awed expressions. "W-Well," Weiss stammered and glanced aside. "It's hard to fault something like that, I suppose."

"That's so sweet," Pyrrha said, and it honestly looked like she might cry for some reason.

"Is that when your dad swooped in like the heroic huntsman and swept her off her feet?" Ruby asked. "I bet he saved her from some evil Grimm and won her heart, just like in the fairy tales."

Uh...

How was he supposed to answer that one?

"Well, he didn't save her from some Grimm per se. Mom's not exactly one to feel threatened by them."

"A strong woman," Weiss looked impressed.

"You could definitely say that... I mean, I wasn't around when it happened, but from what I hear, she actually captured my dad trespassing on her land."

"Oh my," Pyrrha gasped. "Wasn't he a huntsman, though?"

"Yeah, but... well, I guess you could say he worked for the competition and mom was worried he was there to spy on her for them."

"Industrial sabotage," Weiss growled. "We are no strangers to it. Was it true? Was he working for her competitors?"

"He was," Jaune confirmed, to a surprised sound from Ruby and Pyrrha. Well, it was true. Actually, from the exact story, he could remember that his father apparently saw a woman surrounded by Grimm and rushed in to save her, only to be picked up by her instead. Apparently, it had been too dark to see properly, but his dad did tend to look a little embarrassed whenever Salem pointed out it was the middle of the day. "Anyway, mom kept dad in her dungeon for a few da-"

"Your house has a dungeon!?"

"Well, sure... yours doesn't?"

"No!" Ruby answered. "Whose would?"

Weiss coughed awkwardly, and then flushed when Pyrrha and Ruby turned to stare at her. "It's more of a security wing," the white-haired girl admitted, "but it does have cells and... well, people who handle the interrogation."

"Ugh, Weiss..." Ruby groaned, head in her hands.

"I never said I condoned it!"

"Right, so, apparently, it's normal to have a dungeon," Ruby sighed. "What happened next? Did he fight his way out?"

"No. He wouldn't have been able to. From what I'm told, mom basically found out what she wanted from him and was trying to figure out what to do with him. Dad asked her if he could have one request. Mom was amused at the idea and decided to grant it, just to see what it was he wanted."

"What was it?" Ruby asked.

Jaune's cheeks darkened and he coughed. Ruby didn't seem to immediately get it, so he did it again – a little more obviously. It took a few seconds, but they all seemed to gather what Nicholas' wish had been at the same time.

"Oh my," Pyrrha gasped.

"For the love of..." Weiss sighed and covered her face with one hand.

"Yeah," Jaune chuckled, still feeling a little awkward about it. "So, mom granted his final request and... well, decided that she wanted to grant it again later, I guess. A few months of granting and she got pregnant and..." he waved one hand, "the rest sorted itself out, I guess."

"That has to be the worst way I've ever heard of two people meeting one another," Weiss said. "I take it your father no longer works for her competitors?"

"No, he still does."

Weiss threw her arms in the air and turned around, apparently done with the insanity. That left Pyrrha to laugh nervously and ask, "Isn't that a bit... doesn't that strain the relationship?"

"Mom has a no work at the table rule," he explained, "at least when dad is home, anyway. It can be awkward at times, but there aren't that many arguments. They never talk about what the other is doing, and honestly, whenever dad visits, he spends time with us or he spends it with mom, and I don't think much 'discussion' is involved when they're alone in a room together."

Pyrrha looked like she might faint. "And everyone is okay with this?"

"Eh, not everyone. Dad and Uncle Tyrian practically hate one another, but that's because my uncle keeps talking about how my mom is a goddess and he wants to worship her. I think that gets on dad's nerves." Especially whenever Tyrian made blatant mention of the cruel things he'd gotten up to in order to earn her favour.

"Oh my," Pyrrha repeated, for what felt like the tenth time. "That's... I can't believe he'd say that, and right in front of your father. How bold... that or just blunt."

"Oh, uncle Tyrian is definitely blunt," Jaune agreed. "But other than that, it's awkward at times, but mom and dad don't let work come between them. He does keep it all secret from the people on his side, though. They probably wouldn't like it very much if they knew about it."

"I hope you don't feel offended if I say your family is... a little strange sounding."

Jaune laughed and waved a hand. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Even I know we're a little different from most people. Mom never expected to be a mom and it kind of shows, while dad didn't exactly imagine he'd meet her, either. Honestly, I'm lucky I turned out the way I did."

"This is lucky?" Weiss asked. "I dread to imagine what unlucky might have been."

"Well, it wasn't like anyone knew how to raise a child, let alone eight in quick succession. I remember Uncle Watts telling me mom didn't know what to do or think when she found out she was pregnant. When Sapphire, that was her first, was six, she said she wanted to read some books. Mom instantly panicked and bought an entire library for her." The same one he spent most of his days reading through, in fact. "She didn't ask what books Sapphire wanted, just... bought thousands. Fantasy books, children's nursery rhymes, cookery books, auto biographies of famous politicians." He shrugged. "Apparently it wasn't unusual for her to go a bit crazy at first and over react to everything. She's calmed down a lot since then, though."

"That's adorable," Pyrrha crooned with a soft smile. "I don't think it's unusual for new parents to spoil their children, especially if they're not used to having any or didn't expect they would ever be able to."

That probably made sense, especially in his mother's case. He could still remember the disaster when he'd read a fairy tale about the tooth fairy and professed wanting to meet it. She'd instantly gone and created a new subtype of Grimm, then let it into his room in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, it went for the teeth still in his mouth and he'd woken up to it trying to crawl between his lips.

Cinder had been forced to put up with him sleeping in her bed for weeks, all the while Salem sulked and brooded in the background. He'd never asked to see the tooth fairy again. Back then, it had been terrifying, but nowadays, it brought a smile to his face. "She tries her best," he said. "You can't always say mom knows what to do, but she puts all her effort into every little thing she does, even raising us."

"You sound like you really love her." Ruby said, with a wide and happy smile.

"I do," he said. "I disagree with her... business goals, but I love her all the same."

"Your father disagrees too, apparently, Weiss said with a roll of her eyes. "What a complicated mess. Oh, thank god, we're here. I'm not sure my brain could have taken any more of this. How did we even get onto this topic?"

"You were asking Jaune about condoms," Pyrrha supplied.

"What's a condom?"

"It's a contrace- oh, screw it," Weiss said. She jerked a thumb towards the separated changing rooms. "Jaune, get changed and ready to meet us in the training zones. Try not to start a family en route if you can help it."

"Weiss!" Ruby giggled. She waved at him too as she slipped into the women's side, leaving him to head in alone.

"Well, that was a bit of a weird conversation."

"It was handled well enough." Remy said, as Jaune started to get changed into his combat gear. "Nothing you said was technically a lie, other than that I'd add how Cinder isn't exactly fond of your father, either."

Jaune blinked and looked up, even if Remy was technically inside him. "She isn't?" he asked, surprised. "Why do you say that? Dad adores her. He hugs her all the time."

"I think that's the problem. Your 'big sis' is hardly the touchiest of people."

"I'd disagree on that."

"I meant touchiest as in touchy-feely, not irritable."

Oh... in that case, he totally agreed. Well, it wasn't like she would do anything to his dad, or that uncle Tyrian would, either – or that any Grimm would, in fact. Whether he realised it or not, Nicholas Arc was pretty much the ultimate huntsman now. The only way he was going to die would be if he tripped over and broke his neck trying to fight a Beowolf which kept conspicuously missing him with its claws. The worst part was, he didn't think his dad realised.

"Hey Remy... do you ever think I'll find someone like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like how mom did."

"Someone to kidnap and torture into a state of sexual submission?"

"A little less on the torture and kidnap, a little more on the love and family..."

"I don't see why not. You're surrounded by plenty of girls here. Maybe one of them will come to think of you in that way."

"Do you think so?"

"No," Remy deadpanned, "but hey, can't hurt to dream, right?"

"You suck, Remy," Jaune sighed out loud and strapped Crocea Mors to his waist. He checked himself in the mirror and struck a pose. He looked... okay, he guessed. It wasn't like he had a lot to compare himself against, or any idea of what girls really liked. What he knew they didn't like, however, - and Weiss especially – was to be kept waiting. He pulled away from the mirror and jogged back towards the door, slipping out.

He crashed into someone.

"I'm so sorry," he stammered. He'd bowled the person straight over and was laid half on top of them. "I wasn't paying much attention. It's my fault." He pushed himself up off the person and held a hand out. "Are you okay... erk..."

"Uh-oh..."

"I am fine," the beautiful woman said. "How are you, Jaune? It wouldn't do for you to have hurt yourself. Not when we have so much to talk about."

"Remy, you're my advisor, right? I could really use some life advice right now!"

"Rewind time and reconsider your choices?"

Not helpful, but probably about all that would save him. Jaune cringed as he felt Cinder's look him up and down, a quasi-critical, quasi-concerned inspection. "Well, you're in one piece and still alive," she said. The tone of her voice made it clear she'd expected neither. "How long that will last once your mother gets hold of you is up for debate, but there's something to be said for making it this far."

A faint spark of hope fluttered to life inside of him. "There is...?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes. That you're a reckless fool."

The guilt he felt at her disappointment was crushing, more so because of how much he wanted to avoid it. She'd always had that power over him, the same way his mother did. Angry words and critique stung, but nothing was worse than his big sis looking down on him with that look which said he hadn't upset her... he'd just disappointed her.

But this was his choice, his decision, and disappointment or not, he was going to see it through. He forced himself to meet her eyes, those golden orbs that pierced into his soul. "I'm not going back, Cinder," he said, with far more confidence than he actually felt. "You can't make me return home. I've made my decision and I'm going to see it through."

He knew she would be angry. He knew she would be annoyed at his stubbornness. She raised one eyebrow at him, and that was enough to make his mouth feel dry. She opened her mouth, and he awaited his damnation.

"Okay."

Wait, what!? His surprise – no, his absolute shock – must have shown on his face, for she smirked down on him with her superior gaze.

"If you're so keen to make that decision, so be it. It is hardly my place to decide your future. Of course, your mother will be upset... perhaps even annoyed."

And that thought terrified him more than he cared to admit. He squared his shoulders, however, taking what strength he could from the fact she hadn't dragged him out of Beacon already. "Let me deal with my mother," he said. "For now, I want to continue here at Beacon. You can go back and tell her that."

"Actually, I cannot."

"Eh?"

Cinder took a step back and held her arms out wide. "If you haven't noticed the uniform, I'm now a student of Beacon Academy as well. As such, I'm not going anywhere, Jaune."

Oh crap...

"I really think it would be a good time to start re-evaluating those life choices, Jaune. How about we re-evaluate our stance on this too, as in standing elsewhere – say, a hundred miles away?"

He wished he could.

"In fact," Cinder purred. "We could use someone to show us around Beacon... teach us where the various points of interest are. Why not come with us, and then we can have a nice, private talk in my room afterwards. It would be a good chance to... clear the air, as it were."

Jaune's eyes roamed the corridor in a panic. Yep, she was angry, alright, she was just hiding it like she always did. For a moment, he'd dared to think otherwise. Wow, Weiss was right, he was naïve. Still, it was his big sis and he couldn't refuse her, could he?

"Jaune...?" a voice from a little further down the corridor piped up. Pyrrha stood there, her weapons in hand. "Is there a problem?"

Oh, right, the training! He slapped a hand against his face and turned to Cinder. "Ah, sorry, I need to get some team training down. How about I come by later this afternoon to talk?"

Cinder's smile didn't fall, but her eyes did become a little sharper. "I really think we should talk now, Jaune. I'm sure your companion can wait."

And make Weiss wait? He didn't think so. "Sorry Cinder," he laughed and turned away. "I really can't keep my team waiting. I'll catch you later, though." he called as he jogged over to Pyrrha. By the time he reached them, Ruby had stepped out as well, and was eyeing Cinder with a wary eye.

"Who was that?" Pyrrha asked.

"Just someone I know from before Beacon," he answered. "Don't worry about it."

Ruby and Pyrrha's eyes narrowed, but neither said any more.

/-/

Cinder Fall was not a woman used to being... dismissed. Not from the most dangerous of criminals, not the worst of murderers – and certainly not from Jaune. It was not a welcome sensation, and it was all she could do to stand there, flabbergasted, as he walked away with those two little girls. He'll meet me later? Later!? Since when does he not do anything I suggest?

"So, that's the guy?" Emerald asked nervously.

"That is he," Cinder said woodenly, still a little shocked.

"I thought he was supposed to be wrapped around your finger," Mercury added.

Her temper flared. She spun about to stare at him. He flinched back, but not fast enough to avoid her ire. "Do you have something to add, dear Mercury?"

"Um, no... nothing."

"That's what I thought."

Jaune was wrapped around her finger. She'd spent the better part of seventeen years ensuring it was so, even beyond the relationship he had with his real sisters, he craved her regard more than any other, bar except his mother and father. Her words carried weight. A subtle compliment here, a warm look there, all designed to ensure he worked in her best interest.

All of that, compromised by some little... Cinder gritted her teeth together and tried to hold back the snarl that threatened to break loose. She was not angry. She was not... bothered by this development. It was a setback; that was all. They were interfering with her plans, the carefully laid schemes she had worked on for over a decade.

And really, what did it matter if he made a few little acquaintances? They would help to distract and perhaps even protect him while he was in Beacon. It was nothing to be concerned about. It was not like they would replace her position in his life.

Her hand twitched.

"Mercury, Emerald..."

"Yes ma'am?"

"I believe we need to find out as much as we can about these friends of his."

"Isn't it our job to protect him?" Mercury sounded confused. "I thought you said we didn't have to try and convince him to return because we want to be here. What's the point of chasing after them?"

"His friends might become a threat to his safety," she said, "in which case, they must be watched as well."

Mercury looked like he didn't quite believe her. He knew better than to argue, however. His belief was not necessary, only his service. She knew the truth of her own actions, and if he thought it petty jealousy, he was sorely mistaken. She was not a woman to feel threatened by school children. The very thought was preposterous. It was idiotic.

She was simply gathering information on those affiliated with Jaune. That was all. He'd caused her enough trouble as it was without some nasty surprise catching her off guard. She wished to be prepared, nothing more. Jaune could surround himself with as many people as he wished. She was still the woman who helped raise him. She was still the most important unrelated woman in his life - no, the most important person. She ranked even above his beloved uncles.

Nothing would change that.

"Man, what a drag," Mercury sighed. "Still, at least that redhead was pretty hot. He's a lucky guy being teamed up with someone like her."

Cinder's eyes narrowed.

Yes, that new team of his certainly deserved some investigation.

/-/

Pyrrha slouched on the outskirts of the training ring, her body covered in sweat, but a contented feeling inside her. The victory over Ruby was expected, perhaps, but the difficulty in achieving it was not. Naturally, she hadn't used her Semblance, but it was still a welcome surprise to find that Ruby's speed gave her a natural advantage. It was just another example of how she wasn't quite so exceptional or special as everyone else claimed.

Although honestly, given what was going on in the ring, that title might as well belong to someone else anyway.

"Hit me!" Weiss roared, all pretence of patience gone as she stood before Jaune with sweat dripping from her hair. Her shoulders rose and fall as she panted for breath. "You can't just defend all day. We've been at this for almost an hour."

"I'm trying!"

"Try harder!"

Jaune sighed but hefted his blade and charged in. His every movement telegraphed his attack, and even as exhausted as she was, it was a simple matter for Weiss to deflect and push the attack aside. His sword struck the mat with enough force to dent it, but when Weiss slammed her weapon down atop his head, it had the same effect it had for the last forty or so minutes. None... or rather an amount so low on the aura meters that it might as well have been none.

"I said, hit me!"

"I just tried. You blocked it!

"Of course I blocked it, you ignoramus. Who in their right mind is going to sit there and take it!?"

"But then... how am I supposed to hit you?"

Weiss' patience snapped for what felt like the tenth time. With a vicious growl, the girl summoned numerous pillars of ice and started to chase Jaune around the arena with them. Pyrrha would have been worried if this hadn't happened fifteen times before.

"His fighting style is definitely... unique," Ruby said.

"I'm not sure it's even a style."

"That's why it's unique."

Pyrrha chuckled and wiped some sweat away from her brow. "I can't argue with that. You did well, by the way, Ruby. I was hard pressed."

"Not good enough, but I'll get better," Ruby chimed. The younger girl shot her a cheeky glare. "I have two years to catch up, after all."

It was surprisingly how proud she felt at her partner's attitude. So many others whined and complained, especially about fighting one as strong as Pyrrha Nikos, but Ruby took the loss on the chin and wanted to get better. If this was how strong she was with two years less training, then she had a feeling Ruby would achieve it.

"Hey, Pyrrha..." Ruby mumbled.

"Hm?"

"What did you think of that woman outside?"

Pyrrha's smile fell, replaced with a deep-set frown as Ruby touched on the same topic that plagued her mind. "The one Jaune was talking to? I'm not sure... I don't think I've ever seen her before. He said she was someone he knew before Beacon."

"But he didn't know anyone before Beacon," Ruby pointed out. "Didn't he live out in the wild lands with his mother?"

"With her business, Ruby. Remember, he said she had several estate agents working for her. That woman might be one of their children, perhaps someone he grew up with."

"A childhood friend?"

The innocent idea was like an arrow to Pyrrha's heart. She could even imagine that woman, beautiful with ashen hair, stood with bow in hand. You're over-reacting, she told herself. He only talked to her. He didn't even do anything, yet you're jumping to conclusions. Don't be silly.

"There was something about her," Ruby mumbled. "I don't know what it is... but... but I don't like her." Ruby sounded surprised at her own admission, but her face twisted into a fierce pout nonetheless. "I don't like her one bit."

Ouch, there came the second arrow – this time fired by Ruby, and lodged beside the first. She'd almost forgotten her partner's feelings towards him, which echoed her own so well. Could she really step forward to try and steal her first real friend's crush like that? Ruby had been so good to her, so patient and kind... everything she'd ever dreamed for in a partner. Did she repay that by stabbing her in the back like this?

"Well, maybe it's nothing," Pyrrha said. "She might just be a person he bumped into the day before Beacon, like your sister."

"Maybe..."

The sound of cracking ice and a whoosh of flame made Pyrrha look back towards the fight, in time to see Jaune struck in the chest by a great fireball. It consumed him from head to toe, and caused a great explosion that blasted air out of the arena and towards them. Fifty minutes earlier, Pyrrha would have gasped at such force used in a friendly spar.

Now, she tilted her head and wondered how much lien such an attack cost. Was it even worth it at this stage?

"Hey," Jaune coughed and hacked as the smoke cleared. "I thought I was meant to attack you. Is this dodging practice now?"

"Dodging practice?" Weiss seethed, shoulders rising and falling with each laborious breath. She looked like she wanted nothing more than to go over and wring his neck, but knew how fruitless it would be. "It would be dodge practice," she said, "if you even dodged! You haven't managed to avoid a single attack since this started!"

"Well, maybe you're just really good."

The compliment didn't do much for Weiss. Her entire body shook with rage, before she lunged in to try and skewer him once more. Jaune's defence was... well, it was about six foot something of aura and muscle.

Admittedly, it was a pretty good defence. The sword he waved around was an added bonus, though it neither blocked a single one of Weiss' rapid attacks, nor managed to strike the agile fighter. It might as well have been a paperweight for all the good it did. Pyrrha's eyes narrowed at that. There's no way he's as unskilled with that as he acts. Jaune was able to defeat that Nevermore, not to mention cut down the Deathstalker. The simple fact he's here at Beacon means he must be hiding his strength, but why? I can understand acting weaker to not draw unwanted attention, but is it really worth it to do that to us? Weiss's howl of fury as she chased him around the arena was enough to make them flinch. Okay, maybe he's just doing it to tease her.

"Didn't Jaune say he ran away from his home?" Ruby asked.

"Yes," Pyrrha answered, eyes still on the duel. "Why?"

"Well, if he ran away from home, then why would he come to a place where someone from his home studied? Wouldn't that just get him caught by them?"

"True... maybe they weren't students here, though. We're already a few weeks in and this is the first time we've even seen him talk to anyone not on our team. Well," Pyrrha giggled, "other than Cardin. Maybe they're a new team joining the school."

"To find Jaune," Ruby finished. "But... wouldn't that mean they wanted to take him away?" Ruby's voice shook. Her eyes were wide as well, with a panicked light that spoke of intense worry.

Pyrrha felt nervous too. It wasn't something she'd considered, but now that Ruby pointed it out, her gut started to twist. Whomever that woman was, she was from her teammate's previous home, which meant she'd likely come to Beacon because of Jaune. Whether that was to try and take him back home or for something else, it spoke of changes for their team. Sometimes change was good, like when she'd come to Beacon and discovered her wonderful team... but if a change threatened that? She didn't like the idea one bit.

Ruby clearly didn't either, if her expression was any indication. Even though the woman was nowhere to be seen, the shorter girl glared in the direction she'd once been.

"I'm sure Jaune won't abandon us," Pyrrha said. "He came here for a reason, after all. It wouldn't make sense for him to make that big step, then give up the moment someone from his home appears."

"I-I know," Ruby stammered. "I'm just... what if she tries to take all of his time away from m-us?"

Is she jealous? Pyrrha wondered. I suppose it makes sense. If Ruby has feelings for him, she might feel threatened by that woman. Compared to Ruby, that woman was definitely a little more... developed.

"It will be okay, Ruby," Pyrrha whispered. "Whatever happens, I'm sure she won't be able to take his eyes away from you."

"His eyes...?" Ruby blinked and tilted her head to the side. "Why would I be worried about his eyes being on-" Ruby panicked. Her cheeks quickly turned crimson. "Pyrrha!" she gasped. "I didn't mean it like that. J-Jaune's a friend, not... not like that!"

"It's okay, Ruby," Pyrrha winked. "I'll keep it a secret."

"What? No! There is no secret!" Ruby growled under her breath and tried to look intimidating, which wasn't helped much with how red her cheeks were. "You've got it wrong," she said, "I don't like him that wa-"

A muffled thump cut through Ruby's protest, drawing Pyrrha's eyes back to the arena. Oh, had the fight finally come to an end?

"Does this mean I win?" Jaune asked, stood near Weiss' form, which was face-first on the floor. The poor girl was covered in sweat, and her entire body heaved as she drew in great gulps of air. Even through that, however, she managed to stir at the innocent question and slap Myrtenaster weakly against his leg.

"We should go help Weiss," Pyrrha chuckled.

"P-Pyrrha, you do believe me when I say it's not like that, right?"

"Of course," she lied. She wasn't sure whether her partner believed that or not, but the younger girl did follow as she strode into the ring and crouched down beside the technically defeated opponent. It had to be technical since Weiss' aura meter was still in the green, and very much so at that.

It was the exhaustion that did her in... a full hour of intense combat against an opponent who seemed to have a limitless amount of stamina. In all honesty, Pyrrha was impressed Weiss managed to go on for so long. She doubted she could have managed that. "Are you okay, Weiss?" she asked.

"R-Ran out of... dust..." Weiss said. Each word was gasped between desperate breaths of air. "Just... shrugged it all... off..."

Poor Weiss... it really was an amusing sight, but the girl didn't deserve to be laughed at. Pyrrha placed both arms beneath the heiress and lifted her up. She was surprisingly light, built for speed in a manner similar to her own partner. Come to think of it, this meant Jaune had carried Ruby back to their rooms and now she'd carry Weiss. A mischievous part of her wondered if she should ask Weiss not to give her a love bite, but she doubted Weiss – or Ruby – would appreciate the reminder.

"Hey, this means I won." Jaune cheered.

Weiss growled weakly and tried to hit him with one arm. When that didn't work, the pale limb flopped uselessly at her side. "I hate him," Weiss whispered. "I hate him so much."

"You don't mean that," Pyrrha said.

"Right now, I think I do... I want to stab him so badly."

"That's probably just frustration talking. We'll need to find a way to improve his training, though. I don't think Miss Goodwitch will appreciate his fights taking up the entire lesson."

"Forms," Weiss sighed. The heiress was still limp in her arms, and her eyes closed as she tried to regulate her breathing. "He needs to learn sword forms. He... seeing him swing his weapon around like that makes me infuriated."

Pyrrha hummed at the thought. Weiss was probably onto something there. Whether Jaune hid his ability or not, it was pointedly clear his physical conditioning wasn't an issue. "That's not a bad idea. We'll figure something out, Weiss, maybe after you get a rest."

"A rest... sounds good. Can you...?" Weiss trailed off, unsure how to ask.

Pyrrha thought she understood, though. She nodded and turned to the others. "Training is over for the day. Good work everyone. We're headed back to get some rest, but other than that, I think we're free all day."

"Yes!" Ruby laughed. "Maybe I can see if Nora's finished training Blake to play games better." Ruby's silver eyes took on a competitive edge, one more competitive than the looks she'd given her in their fight. An idea seemed to from in her head, though, and she turned to Jaune with a wide smile. "Do you want to come along again? I bet Ren would be up for a rematch."

"Ah, well, I can't," Jaune balanced on one leg and tried to look inconspicuous. The fact that Pyrrha could tell that spoke of his failure. "I've got... uh... I've got something to do on my own for a bit."

Something to do...? Confusion settled over her for a moment, but it didn't take long to guess what it was. He was going to see that girl they'd interrupted him speaking with earlier. Pyrrha wasn't sure what she thought about that, but she was fairly sure what Ruby thought, since the girl's cheeks puffed out and her eyes glared at him. So much for not being jealous, Ruby, Pyrrha thought with a smile.

"I could come with you?" Ruby offered.

"No, no, there's no need. You should go and enjoy yourself. I'll be back later. I just need to read something... in the library." His excuse was as unconvincing to Ruby as it was to Weiss and herself, apparently, for they all raised eyebrows in his direction. Jaune didn't seem to notice, however. "I'll see you all later," he waved and headed back to the changing rooms.

Ruby let out a long, frustrated breath as she watched him go.

Weiss sighed. "Okay," she said, "I'll bite... what was that about?"

"We'll tell you all about it on the way back to the dorm," Pyrrha said, moving to the side and signalling for Ruby to follow.

"Whoah, whoah," Weiss said. "You're not going to carry me through Beacon like this, are you? People will say things!"

"I can put you down if you think you can walk." Pyrrha offered.

Weiss' silence was telling. She tried to move one of her legs but the effort seemed too much. With a growl, she gave up. "If anyone asks... please tell them you did this to me. I don't think my ego could handle them knowing the truth."

"I'll tell them it was an epic and powerful duel," Pyrrha chuckled, "and that you came close but for my vast experience."

It was the least she could do, after all. Still, as the three of them made their way back towards their dorm, Pyrrha couldn't help but think on their missing teammate's unusual absence. Ruby still looked irritated, in the way a scorned puppy might, but Pyrrha didn't feel much better.

One thing was for sure. That new team deserved some investigation.

/-/

It took Jaune over an hour to get changed back into his uniform. Okay, maybe that was stretching it a little bit. It took him five minutes to get changed and then fifty-five to realise he couldn't hide in the changing rooms forever because his big sis would get annoyed and come find him. It was a nice dream while it lasted, though. If only the spar could have lasted longer... say, until ten at night so he'd have an excuse to not talk to her until the morning.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. Delaying this would only make it worse. Cinder wasn't exactly the most patient of people, especially when she was in a bad mood. Did running away, blocking her scroll number and then likely ruining all her plans count as enough to annoy her?

Eh... he had a suspicion it might.

In fact, the moment he'd nervously unblocked her number, a message popped onto his scroll with a little pinging noise. It was her room number in Beacon, along with a single word; "Come."

"Technically speaking, you outrank her. You could try pushing that."

"Are you insane, Remy?"

"No more insane than you, delaying the issue. You realise she'll be angrier the longer she has to wait."

He knew that. He was just... wondering if Weiss was okay, and if he should maybe go back and make sure Pyrrha got her back to the dorm okay. In fact, yeah, maybe he should go do that right now. It was always best to be safe, right?

It took a monumental force of will to reject that fear and keep moving forwards.

It's going to be okay, he told himself. Cinder already agreed to let me stay here, so she can't go back on that. His big sis was many things, but a liar was not often among the list. She was too self-assured, too confident to bother with such, especially around him. That still didn't mean she wouldn't chew him out, though, especially for doing all of this without informing her or leaving as much as a message.

It took him another thirty minutes to find her dorm, though again, that was due to him dragging his feet and finding every conceivable reason to be distracted along the route. If a bird chirped, he wanted to make sure it wasn't injured, if there was someone a hundred metres away, he'd stop to hold a door open for them. Cardin had even crossed his path at one point, and Jaune had been about to run up and talk to him but for the man seeing him, going white, and then walking quickly away with his hands over his rear end.

Weird...

Either way, no distraction proved strong enough to stay his path, and eventually he came upon the portal to the abyss that was her dorm, shared with a team, no doubt. Come to think of it, he hadn't even introduced himself to the two that were with her earlier. That was pretty rude... he should do something about that. Yeah, maybe he should go off and come up with a way to apologise to them and then come back when he had something, maybe in a few months' time.

"Just knock on the door," Remy groaned. "Maybe she'll be merciful if you stop faffing around."

"Easy for you to say..." Jaune growled. Even so, Remy was right. This would only get worse the longer he waited. He swallowed his fear, ignored the parasite squirming inside him, and reached out to knock on the door.

It swung open almost immediately.

"Hello Jaune," Cinder greeted. She was leaning with one hand on the door frame, the other having opened it. His big sister smiled... the same smile she wore when she was pleased, but also the same one she wore when she was angry, in a bad mood or about to tear him to pieces over something. He wasn't sure if it was just an expressive smile, or whether he was just terrible at reading her. "It's good that you could make it... finally."

Panic, panic, panic – it was like a siren going off in his head. She was irritated; all Jaune's to battle stations. His brain, trained to an almost instinctive degree by not only Cinder but his mother and sisters, went into the standard operating procedure for when he'd done something wrong or upset them. "Hey Cinder. Wow, you look beautiful in that uniform. How are you doing?"

Her smile grew, but it wasn't for the right reasons. It spoke of someone who knew exactly what he was trying and found herself amused by the helpless gesture. "I'm doing well, and thank you. How are you?"

"Me? I'm great. I mean, not as great as you, obviously, but who is? Did I mention how stunning you look in that uniform?"

"I think you might have." Her lips curled up as she tilted her head to the side, to better allow her raven tresses to fall across her face. "Would you like to come in so we can have a private chat?"

Nope.

"Nope."

"Nope."

"Sure," Jaune said. "I mean, we could, but didn't you say you wanted a tour around Beacon? Maybe we should do that and talk at the same time."

"That would make it difficult to speak on certain topics, don't you think?"

He did. That was kind of the point. "True, but we could always do that another day. It would be terrible if you got lost tomorrow morning and missed class."

"Tomorrow is a weekend."

"-missed breakfast." he amended.

"One of the teachers, Miss Goodwitch, was kind enough to supply us with a map."

"It's not quite the same as knowing the route yourself, though. If you got lost, you might not get enough food and I wouldn't want you to get sick and feel bad. It would ruin your complexion, which, I might add, looks perfect today."

Cinder's smile grew. "You seem nervous, Jaune. Is there something bothering you?"

"Me? No, pft, no way – that's crazy."

"Then come on in."

"It's just, isn't it a great day? We should go outside, smell the gardens an- erk." Cinder's hand weaved itself into his tie, coiling the fabric between her fingers as her eyes danced before his. He swallowed and did his best not to panic. "Or we could talk right here, in the hallway?"

"I'd much rather speak inside, Jaune," Cinder said, in a deliciously dark and positively terrifying way. "After all, it's been so long since we've spent time with one another. We have much to catch up on..."

Her hand tightened as she stepped back and drew him within. The door, his last chance of escape, slammed shut behind him.

"It was all Remy's idea!"

"You son of a bitch!"

/-/

Yatsuhashi Daichi looked about cautiously as he lowered the newspaper he'd held in front of his face. Beside him, another newspaper lowered, as his companion, Fox revealed himself. The tanned student's eyes were locked on the door the first year had passed through, as were his own. A gentle huff escaped the large man, who rolled his newspaper up and stashed it under a muscular arm.

"It seems our target has eluded us for now, my friend," Yatsuhashi said.

"Hm," Fox agreed.

Their quarry, the elusive Jaune Arc had been difficult enough to find, but now appeared out of their reach. That might have frustrated lesser men, but balance was something he had attained long ago. Fox, apparently, did not quite share the same point of view, for he scowled and crossed his arms.

"Worry not, Fox. The man who rages when a fish escapes the line is the man who goes home hungry."

"More philosophy, Yats?" Fox rolled his eyes, as unimpressed with the philosophical words as he ever was. All sudden movements and impetuous emotions, Fox was much like Coco in that regard. There could be no faulting them, however. They were, after all, his beloved teammates.

"We will corner this first year another time," Yatsuhashi said, "and then enquire as to his intentions towards our dear Velvet."

Fox nodded, and seemed to calm down a moment. Fox tossed the newspaper aside.

Yatsuhashi caught it easily. It would not do to cause undue trouble for the janitors. Still, as he looked back to the door where they witnessed Velvet's 'interest' be dragged away by an admittedly stunning woman, he could not help but feel some uncharacteristic concern. The look on her face, the words – not to mention her sultry smile, for a moment, it had been enough to make even his blood race.

"To be clear," Fox said, "We're not telling Velvet about this, right?"

Yatsuhashi looked towards his companion with a surprised frown. To conceal information from one's teammates was a grave suggestion. He was about to explain so, and to ensure Fox knew the way of being a good teammate, only to pause. His eyes traced back to the door.

He then imagined Velvet's reaction.

"I... believe you speak wisdom here, Fox."

Cinder has arrived, Fox and Yatsu are after Jaune and Blake is being forced to become a better gamer. One of these is perhaps more important than the others, but soon you shall Blake take on her mantle as the Gamer, as this completely reverses into a Gamer fic with Blake as the protagonist. Or not...

Anyway, I can imagine that a lot of people wanted to see the Cinder x Jaune conversation, but I felt it would have done it a disservice to try and rush and squeeze that into a thousand words or so at the end, here. It can be the highlight of next chapter and get the content it deserves. When it comes to Cinder, I'll pre-face with the same advice I gave people in Stress Relief. She is a liar, so you'll need to look at what she "does" and not take what she "says" at face value. Actions speak louder than words, after all.

On Jaune's Intelligence

I just wanted to answer some repeated concerns from some and explain why Jaune understands some things but not others. I did mention it in dialogue in chapter 10 or 11, but some seem to have missed it. Jaune is... book smart, but has no common sense. A lot of people have asked how he even knows what sex or children are if he doesn't understand well-known things like "sleep with" or "hickey".

The thing is, much of that comes from knowledge gained in a social environment. As an example, I was around 9 when I learned what a blowjob was, and it wasn't from Sex-ed or my family. It was from a friend telling me about it on the playground during lunch (ironically, he got it wrong and said it was when you blow in a woman's ear mid-climax. ikr?). Anyway, the point I'm making is that we get a lot of our understanding of slang, shorthand and social norms from – you guessed it – being in socially rich environments. That's why some people who are home schooled all their life can come across as very repressed or have unusual views, because they simply haven't developed in the same way and don't understand a lot of things other people take for granted.

Jaune knows what sex is, and he knows how reproduction works – but if someone asked him to "show them a good time" then he would suggest they go play video games. Similarly, if someone asked him to "sleep with them", then he will get into his pyjamas.

He's just being literal because he has no experience of anyone being anything but that with him. Another example is the contraceptives dialogue I put in here. By the end, Jaune knows what contraceptives are, but still doesn't know what a condom is, because understanding the word "contraceptive" doesn't mean you know every little detail about them, or the different types of them.

I hope that helps people understand a little.

Next Chapter: 12th April

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur