"You said earlier that you wanted to talk with me?" Ruby asked Pyrrha, as the two walked through the hallways of Beacon Academy, leaving the rooftop above the main first-year's classroom/lecture hall block, and a very upset (and obstinate on not accepting assistance) Jaune Arc on said roof.
"I did, but… That can wait. I'm a bit more worried about Jaune right now." The Mystralian Champion admitted. "Though, I did want to ask…" She trailed off for a moment. "You said back there," She spoke up again after her and Ruby had walked a few meters, "That there's no records of your existence before a few months ago? What did you mean by that?" I should not have said that.
"I meant…" Ruby trailed off, coming to a halt and glancing up and down the hall. No one else was visible, even to her enhanced senses. "This does not go further than the two of us, understood?"
"Okay…" Pyrrha halted too, and was looking at the Knight with an expression of curiosity.
"Ruby, when you've got a minute, let me know. Vita's suggested something, and I want your opinion on it." Hayate's voice spoke in the back of Ruby's consciousness.
"As far as the records of the four Kingdoms are concerned, I did not exist until approximately six months ago. Before then, there is nothing indicating my existence. Anything that predates that is a backdated fabrication." "I will, Mother."
"What? Why?" The other girl was genuinely confused, Ruby could see that quite plainly on her face.
"Aww, you're getting so formal again… Why can't you just call me Mama?" Hayate pouted for a moment, though Ruby could tell she wasn't being serious about it.
"My apologies, but that is classified." Ruby told Pyrrha, before turning and resuming her walk back to the dorms, allowing the conversation with Hayate to fade out for the moment.
"Is it related to the fact that you're a robot girl?" Pyrrha asked, stepping up to her side and keeping pace easily. I was hoping to not have this conversation until much later.
Ruby stopped again, turning to look Pyrrha in the eyes.
"Two things. One, I am a cyborg, not a 'robot girl'." Though, at this point, the difference is mainly academic. "Two; that fact is classified as well." Pyrrha's expression cycled through a mix of emotions before a voice interrupted them.
"What's going on here?" Yang asked, her voice echoing in the empty hall. Ruby glanced over, noting that she was still halfway down the corridor, and thus unlikely to have overheard anything.
"Oh, hello, Yang. We were just talking—" Pyrrha began, before Ruby cut her off.
"Pyrrha knows about my cybernetics, but came to the wrong conclusion. Evidently she was under the impression that I'm a gynoid." Ruby told Yang, switching to Mid-Childan for the second sentence. "Also, Jaune has declared that he didn't get into Beacon legitimately."
"Yeah, I already guessed that about him." The blonde brawler stated, also in Mid-Childan, as she came to lean up against the wall nearby, arms crossed. "And you told me that she probably knew about your cybernetics, too."
Pyrrha just looked back and forth between the two, as they spoke a language she wouldn't have heard before, except from the two now speaking it.
"Umm… Excuse me?" The Mystralian Champion, tall and impressive as she was, proved that she could still appear very meek when she wanted to. "What are you two…?" She trailed off as both Ruby and Yang turned to her.
The blonde brawler glanced at Ruby, one eyebrow raised in an unspoken question. Ruby shook her head before vocalizing her response. Don't think I didn't hear that… Or do you not care?
"No, we're not telling her. At this point, it's simply not worth the risk." I am quite glad Rosenkreuz and I taught you Mid-Childan.
"Fair enough." Yang nodded. "I can't say I like leaving people in the dark, but with secrets like the ones surrounding you… I can understand why. Especially given what I've seen from your history. And technology."
"Quite." With a glance over at the thoroughly bewildered Pyrrha, Ruby switched back to Valian. "My apologies, Fraulein Nikos, but some topics of conversation are best had in a… Different language, when one is concerned about eavesdroppers. Of course, this particular eavesdropper is not one I think I need to be overly concerned with." She raised her voice slightly as she spoke, and said eavesdropper rounded the corner behind Yang. Pyrrha stiffened up as the Headmaster of Beacon Academy came into view.
"My apologies, I can't say I intended to eavesdrop. I was simply on my way to speak with Peter—Professor Port." Ozpin corrected himself, gesturing slightly with his ever-present mug. I can smell the hot chocolate from over here. And that explains why you weren't even trying to be quiet.
Ruby chuffed lightly in amusement. "Yang and I have discussed nothing you do not already know. Though, I do have a question. Jaune has forged transcripts, is that a problem?" She asked, ignoring Pyrrha shooting her a look of horror and betrayal.
"No." Ozpin casually answered, taking a brief sip from his mug, gesturing slightly with his cane. "He passed the entrance exam, after all."
Pyrrha's expression was one of immense relief, mixed with disbelief."You, you mean?"
"I'd already figured out that his transcripts were forged before the school year started, but I had full confidence that he would complete Initiation. And he did, didn't he?" The elder Knight asked, rhetorically.
"You're not—you're not angry?" The mystralian champion still seemed utterly bewildered.
"Not really, no." Ozpin shrugged lightly. "Jaune had a problem and found a solution. That shows problem-solving skills and initiative, and that he'd try at all also speaks to his bravery. He could have been a bit better in his selection of forgers, but for that I don't blame him."
Pyrrha looked utterly relieved at that.
"Thank you, Professor. I was… Quite worried about him." Pyrrha confessed, to the surprise of no one in the hallway.
"It is only natural to be worried about one's friends." Ozpin observed. "Now, if you will excuse me, I do need to meet with Port. Have a good evening, you three." With that, Ozpin left down the hall in the direction of Professor Port's classroom.
"He's not mad…" Pyrrha trailed off, slight disbelief still evident in her voice.
"Well, that does sound like Ozpin; skirting or outright ignoring the rules if it makes for a more desirable result." Ruby offhandedly noted. "Shamal, I take back what I said earlier. You were dead-on."
***
"Well, you have been rather scarce as of lately. Where have you been the last week?" Ruby asked Jaune as she cornered him outside his dorm room, still dressed in his armor.
"Oh, uh, hi, Ruby." Jaune replied, rather than answer, which Ruby proceeded to comment on as she doffed the hood of her habit.
"That is not an answer. Where have you been?" The Knight repeated.
"I, uhh…" He trailed off briefly, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, before hanging his head and replying. "I messed up. Cardin heard the thing on the roof, and now he's got me on a leash, and Pyrrha won't talk to me, and…" Jaune trailed off again, leaning against the door to his team's dorm room, before he sighed. "I'm starting to think coming to this school was a bad idea. I'm a failure." The blonde slid down the door, ending up on the floor.
"That is untrue, and you know it." Ruby told him.
"I've screwed up everything I've done here." He countered.
"Incorrect." She replied.
"I fail at everything I try here."
"You are still learning."
"I can't even do that right." Jaune had rearranged himself into a sitting position on the floor as they spoke.
What would Nanoha do? No, beating the depression out of him isn't an option right now… What would Vita do? Ha. I don't even have to ask her that.
***
Jaune was absolutely confident that this was all a horrible idea. Oh, sure, attending Beacon Academy had sounded all well and good in his head, but he'd had to get his hands on some not-inexpensive forged transcripts to do so, and he'd neglected to tell his family where he was going or even that he'd left, instead sneaking out in the night, stealing his grandfather's sword and shield as he did so.
And now it was all falling apart. He was almost flunking most of his classes, his team was only spared from being the worst in the year by the virtue of Pyrrha's skill, and now the school bully knew about his fake transcripts, which would get him expelled for sure if any of the professors learned about it, thus making him the guy's gofer. And on top of it all, he'd angered the only person who might be able to help him. Sure, Ruby might be helpful, but he didn't see any real way the nun could do anything, or even see any real reason for her to try.
He sighed again, waiting for her to leave.
So he was completely taken by surprise when, instead of leaving, she responded by adopting a tone more associated with military drill sergeants, though her strange accent stayed.
"On your feet!" She barked at him, and he found himself responding automatically, standing up straight before it even occurred to him to think about it. The heck?
The nun put her hands on her hips, looked him up and down once, before locking gazes with him as she stared, bewildered in her sudden change in behavior from gentle-but-firm church girl to military trainer.
"Now, then! Herr Arc! What did I tell you at the beginning of this week!?" She demanded. Jaune stared down at her, befuddled, before replying. Herr?
"That I'm bad at fighting?"
"Wrong!" She emphasized the word by jabbing him in the breastplate with a gloved finger. "I told you that you need training! That you are not expected to be an ace immediately! And yet! You are acting as it the fact you have not become one in a few short months is a sign that you should not even try!" She jabbed his breastplate again. "And that is your mistake! Herr Arc! You keep comparing yourself negatively to your father and grandfather! How long did they train!?" This is utterly weird.
"Umm, several years?" He hesitantly responded.
"Exactly!" Ruby nodded sharply, managing to avoid losing eye contact. "And," She jabbed him a third time, "That!" Another jab, "Is!" Another. "The!" Jab. "Point!" Jab. "I!" Jab. "Am trying!" Jab. "To get!" Jab. "You to!" Jab. "Understand!" One last jab before her hand dropped to her hip again. "Herr Arc! No one expects instantaneous results! But! That is not an excuse to not try! And you are not trying!"
"But every time I try, I fail!" Jaune protested, gesturing to himself in emphasis.
"And! Your point is?! As I fail! To see both the relevance! And the proof! Of that!" She brought her hand up again to keep jabbing him. "I! Do not see a failure in front of me right now! Herr Arc! Do you think I would waste time on a failure!? Do you think Fruline Nikos would waste hers!? Do you think Ritter Ozpin and Fraulein Goodwitch would waste theirs!?"
"Well, no…" Jaune hesitantly responded. Okay, I'm really getting weirded out by this.
"And that is my point! Now! I will not have you sitting around feeling sorry for yourself! Doing nothing to correct the situation! Herr Arc! Here is what you are going to do! You are going to go into your dorm room! Apologize to Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora for neglecting them as team leader over this last week! Then, you are going to get some sleep! So that you can lead your team properly on the trip tomorrow! And then you and I shall see if Frauline Nikos' offer still stands! And if it does, you are going to take it! Am I clear?!"
"Yeah—Yes, Ma'am!" Jaune nodded at the drill-sergeant-nun's words. "But, uh, what about Cardin?" This is just too strange.
"I will deal with him, if and when he becomes a problem! Now, dismissed!" With that, Ruby's hands left her hips, and she turned to her own dorm room.
"I meant what I have said, Jaune." She threw over her shoulder as she opened the door, speaking in her normal, soft tone. "Goodnight." What. Was. That.
***
"Yes, students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful. But we are not here to sight-see. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so." Professor Goodwitch told the assembled students as Teams RWBY, JNPR, and CDRL followed the deputy headmaster through the bright-red-leaved trees.
Goodwitch stopped, and turned to the students as she continued.
"Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap," She stated, raising a jar full of what Ruby presumed was the red sap in question, "However, this forest is full of the creatures of grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here at 4 o'clock. Have fun." With that the deputy headmistress promptly turned and left the students standing around.
Ruby turned to her team.
"So, any ideas on why this is presumed to take several hours?" She asked, half-joking. Yang shrugged with a grin, Blake did the same without one, and Weiss just stared down at the jar in her hand.
"Ah, well. We may as well do the assigned task. I am going to go talk with team JNPR." The Knight announced.
***
"No."
"What did you just say?" Cardin Winchester narrowed his eyes at the blonde boy in front of him.
"I said no." Jaune repeated himself, crossing his arms to keep the fact his hands were shaking from showing.
He'd actually taken Ruby's drill-sergeant-pep-talk from the previous night to heart, and while it hadn't completely smoothed things over with Pyrrha when he'd apologized, it had started doing so.
More than that, he'd actually been thinking about what she'd said, and had come to the conclusion he'd been being an idiot. She was right, Ruby and Pyrrha and the staff at Beacon wouldn't waste their time on a failure. The teachers, at least, were probably way too good at spotting failures to bother with one, and probably so were Ruby and Pyrrha, so therefore, he couldn't be one. At least, not too big a failure to fix, anyway.
"Jaunie boy, are you really sure that's what you want to do?" Cardin asked him, stepping forward in a threatening manner.
"Do whatever you want to me, but I won't let you hurt my friends." Jaune jutted his chin out slightly as he spoke.
"Alright, we're doing this the… Hard… Way?" Cardin trailed off as his eyes focused on something behind Jaune. "Hey! Who are you?" He shouted. His team joined him in looking confused.
Jaune risked a quick turnaround to see what had caught CDRL's attention.
A young woman was walking across the clearing towards them, a woman Jaune didn't recognize.
She wore a short robe-dress, obviously armored but without sleeves, though she did have armored gloves that reached most of the way up her arms. A strange visor of some sort covered the upper part of her face, framed by short brown hair.
"Hey!" Cardin pushed past Jaune, walking towards the woman. "I'm talking to you!"
The woman raised her right arm to the side as she continued across the clearing,
"Are you—" Cardin stopped and began to back away as the woman's arm from the elbow down morphed into a blade significantly longer than the arm had been.
"Umkommen." Her voice was cold and flat, but at the same time, her tone was absolutely chilling.
With a sudden burst of speed that was too quick to see, she crossed the clearing, and swung the arm-blade down on a frozen Cardin.