Team JNPR woke up the next day and walked off to classes. Much to Jaune's dismay, they were joined by team RWBY. Seeing Weiss reminded him of what he witnessed last night. He felt a flutter of joy when he saw how pleased she looked, but was sobered by the memory of why that was. He, of course, had no intention of pursuing her any further. She liked Neptune, and Jaune didn't want to ruin things for her. And even if he did pursue her further, he knew there was no chance of Weiss giving him the time of day, especially when she was going to the dance with someone who was much more charming. Trying to hide his dejection, at least until class ended, he halfheartedly talked to Ruby and Pyrrha about the latest X-Ray and Vav comic, trying to sound enthusiastic. Pyrrha, however, noticed that he kept glancing over at Weiss. She could tell that things had gone badly. Ruby was too engaged in the discussion to take note, her voice chipper as always. It helped Jaune a little, hearing how happy she sounded. Her cheerfulness was always contagious.

"And then it was like 'boom!' And then, Vav said 'guess you should have brought your...headlight fluid.' And X-Ray said-" Pyrrha laughed at her enthusiasm, interrupting her.

"As riveting as your retelling of the latest issue is, we've arrived at class," she said kindly.

"Oh...sorry! I kind of got caught up in the story. Team RWBY, to me! It's time to learn! Weiss, you will take notes for me again, right?" Ruby, who sounded so confident originally, spoke the last part in a whisper, looking expectantly at the heiress.

"The deal is up. I've paid you back for repairing Myrtenaster; now you need to pay attention in class, as a leader should. You are a leader, correct?" She replied.

"Yeah!"

"Sometimes, I find that very hard to believe."

"Weiss!" The two bickered to their seats and were followed by Blake, Yang, and team JNPR. The cat faunus, to everyone's delight, seemed in a better mood than she had been the past weeks. Yang kept flashing her knowing glances, as if they'd shared a secret that no one else knew about.

"What happened, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, her emerald eyes wide in concern. Classes had ended, and now, team JNPR was getting ready for the coming night, not bothering to rehearse their group dance. After realizing how many people would be at the dance, they gave up hope. There would be no way that they'd have the space to pull off their elaborate routine, something that had disappointed all of them. Nora was especially heartbroken, but quickly got over her sadness when Yang promised that the dance would have pancakes. Weiss did as well, but mostly to stop Nora from destroying everything in her vicinity. As she and Ren tried on their formal attire, Jaune and Pyrrha sat in the JNPR dorm.

"Well...I found Weiss, but she was asking Neptune to go to the dance with her. I mean, I'm happy for her and I think that Neptune's very lucky, but I can't help being sad for myself. I know, I know; I have enough issues with self-pity and this isn't helping. But...I really can't explain it. It's just depressing," Jaune replied, looking downcast. Pyrrha could empathize with his feelings more than he could know, and she wanted to tell him why, but couldn't bring herself to. She didn't feel right, expressing her feelings for him when he was still trying to get over what happened with Weiss. She knew that Yang would disapprove, but she wanted to wait a little longer, so as not to seem like she was taking advantage of his sadness.

"It's okay. I know what you're talking about, Jaune. I've been there," was all Pyrrha said. He smiled.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better, right?"

"No, of course not!"

"...It's fine, really. I'll be fine. I mean, you're Pyrrha Nikos! You're like, the most amazing person here! I bet even girls have asked you out," Jaune said, smiling. Pyrrha smiled back, but quickly tried to assure him that she was being very serious.

"I mean it, Jaune. I want you to know that I understand what you're trying to say."

"I find that hard to believe. If you don't have a date to the dance, I'll wear a dress. For real." At this, Pyrrha couldn't help but burst out laughing. Jaune looked a little worried after a while, afraid that she was having some kind of fit, but she looked fine when she recovered.

"A...dress? That...that's the funniest thing I've heard all week!"

"Really? Wow. Must have had a boring week, huh?" Jaune said, still surprised that Pyrrha had found what he said to be so amusing. She shook her head.

"On the contrary, it's been quite exciting. And it's all coming full-circle with the dance tonight. Oh, by the way...I'm sorry that things didn't work out. Weiss is a great person, and I hope that Neptune cares about her just as much as you do," she told him, smiling as she picked her dress off of her bed and went to the bathroom to change. Left to his own devices, Jaune looked at the clock. It was only an hour until the dance, and he needed to get ready. Hoping that Pyrrha wasn't a fast changer, he went to slip on his tuxedo in the middle of the dorm. Sad thoughts of Weiss still floated around in his head, but the approaching dance kept them at bay.

"Yang! No, Yang! Stop it! I don't wanna wear a dress!" Ruby shouted in her team's dorm. She stubbornly refused to change even though her three teammates had already done so. Weiss had gone to make last-minute preparations; Blake was looking for Sun, who she intended to apologize to for snapping at him when he asked her to the dance, and that left the two sisters to chase each other around the room.

"You have to! Think of how cute you'll look!"

"I don't wanna look cute!"

"Too bad, because you are."

"I hate dresses! How can you fight in a dress? How can you do anything in a dress? They suck!"

"You're not fighting today, sis! You're gonna go have fun and dance with cute guys and drink fruit punch till it comes out your nose!"

"Ugh...that's kind of gross."

"It's happened to me before, and the punch doesn't feel that bad."

"I was talking about the dancing with guys part. It would be kind of cool if punch came out of my nose!" As Ruby said this, her thoughts drifting to hypothetical scenarios of drinks and nasal leakage, Yang took the opportunity to seize her younger sister.

"Yang, that wasn't fair! Let me go!"

"You're gonna put on this dress and you're gonna like it!"

"At least don't make me wear the heels!"

"Heels?" At this, Ruby's eyes widened with hopelessness and fear. Weiss had gotten her high heels to wear and she had forcefully refused them. Now, they lay under her bed, never to be seen again. Or so she hoped. Yang, after fighting for her right to successfully slip Ruby into her dress, went to find the heels. She tried to sneak out of the room, but it was too late. Her hiding places were common knowledge to her older sister.

"Put them on, Cinderella, because you're going to the ball!"

"Please don't make me do this...please! No! Nooooooooo!"

A very clumsy Ruby walked into the building where the dance was being held. She looked like she was on a tightrope, constantly wobbling and holding out her hands for support. A few people laughed as she walked by, and she gave them a friendly but uncomfortable smile as she made her way to the building's entrance. Able to use the tables for support, she immediately went for the punch bowl and vowed to not move a single step when she got there. She took in the music, lights, and the doilies placed on tables that surrounded her, and smiled. She was impressed by Weiss and Yang's hard work. Despite her dismay at wearing fancy clothes, she was happy. She saw Yang dancing with a Huntsman in training that she didn't recognize at first, but quickly realized that it was Sage from Sun's team. Nora was practically dragging Ren around on the dance floor, and he was trying his best not to knock into people. Even so, he looked happy. He flashed Nora a big grin as they danced, and she moved even faster. He had no trouble keeping up in terms of speed, but her strength was a little much for him and he often lost balance. Ozpin was talking to Ironwood and Glynda for a few seconds before quickly making his leave. Glynda looked annoyed at his absence, but Ironwood took the opportunity to ask her to dance. she reluctantly agreed, and the two gracefully made their way to the center of the room. Ruby chuckled. Despite Glynda's attitude towards him, they were clearly close. She tore her eyes off of them and tried to see if she could spot Weiss, hoping to see her with Neptune, and instead found Jaune standing next to her at the punch table.

"Hey, Crater Face."

"Hey, Vomit Boy." The two then laughed, and Jaune poured Ruby a glass of dark red fruit punch. She smiled and took it.

"No date, huh?" He asked her.

"Nope. Dates are just not my thing."

"I'm with you there."

"Really? I thought someone would want to go with you," Ruby said in surprise. She had thought that Pyrrha would have told him how she felt and they'd be dancing away.

"I...I kind of hoped so too," he replied, his grin fading.

"You okay, Jaune?" Ruby asked, noticing his change in expression. He sighed.

"I guess. I mean, the dance is nice, but I'm a little disappointed. I wanted to ask out this one girl and she's going with another guy...it's complicated, but she seems to like him, so I'd rather not interfere."

"Complicated, huh? People are complicated. I prefer fruit punch."

"You said it. Three cheers for the socially awkward, huh?"

"Yeah! Three cheers for us." As Ruby and Jaune clinked glasses, the blonde noticed a streak of blue hair. He stared more intently at it, and noticed who it was. It was Neptune, laughing with Scarlet and some Huntress he didn't recognize. Putting his glass down more roughly than he intended, he walked over to him.

"Jaune?" Ruby said, confused, until she saw Neptune herself. Sighing, she looked around for Weiss. A certain heiress probably needed comforting.

"We have to talk." Jaune pulled Neptune up to a nearby balcony, and he waved at his friends before letting himself be dragged off. Jaune roughly let go of him when they were fully outside, the starry sky hanging above them like a blanket.

"Jaune, right? What's the big idea?" He asked, looking annoyed but calm.

"What's the big idea? I'll tell you what the big idea is: Weiss asked you to the dance and here you are going with some other girl! What the hell?" Neptune sighed at Jaune's words and infuriated tone.

"Look, I...I called it off with Weiss. I just didn't feel comfortable going with her. And the girl I was with is a friend, nothing more."

"Comfortable? How couldn't you be comfortable? Weiss is a great person, and she deserves to have fun like everyone else!" Jaune retorted, getting louder as he spoke.

"What? No, that's not it. She's a nice person; I'm just not into her. If you want her, she's all yours," Neptune said, backing up to the edge of the balcony, clearly not interested in continuing the conversation. While he was intending to avoid a bigger argument, his words had the opposite effect. Jaune's eyes narrowed like daggers, and although Neptune knew that he lacked the skill to be a threat, he couldn't help but feel a little scared.

"Want her? What, like how you want a toy or something? You know, I thought you were so cool. You charmed Weiss, and that's not easy to do. But you're not, are you? I'd love to go out with her, believe me. I'd want nothing more than to dance with her all night. But she's interested in you, and I respect that. I respect her. It's a shame you don't feel the same way!" At this, Neptune, with a burst of courage, revealed a secret that he hoped would clear up the whole misunderstanding. He didn't want to, but he also didn't want to be seen as a womanizer, either. He also didn't want to cause a scene, which would put quite the damper on an otherwise fun dance.

"I can't dance, okay? I can't. I was embarrassed, so I broke it off with Weiss at the last minute. Please don't tell anyone!" He said, urgently whispering his secret to the blonde. Jaune blinked a few times, trying to register what he'd just heard. Neptune, one of the supposedly coolest guys at Beacon, couldn't dance. He had a hard time digesting the information, but eventually did. After a few seconds, he laughed.

"What, seriously? That's what's stopping you? You have the chance to go out with Weiss, one of the strongest, smartest, prettiest, most confident and even kindest people at Beacon and you let it slip through your fingers because you...you can't dance? Wow. You're even dumber than me, and that's saying something. But I won't tell anyone, don't worry." Neptune looked relived at Jaune's words, but that look quickly changed.

"If, of course, you go out and make the night of a certain white-haired Huntress in training. Yeah, that includes dancing. So basically, you can either have me blab your secret to the whole school, or you can go out and make an idiot of yourself on your own terms. Your choice." The only noise that could be heard for a good thirty seconds was the blaring of the music back in the building. Neptune stared at Jaune, wide-eyed, and the blonde looked back with an unflinching, uncompromising gaze. He was as still as a statue. After the long silence, during which Neptune straightened his tie and smoothed out his hair, he smiled weakly.

"You're one hell of a guy, Jaune. Your team's lucky to have you." Jaune smiled back and held out his fist.

"Do you do fist-bumps?" He asked. Neptune made a fist of his own and the two gently tapped their knuckles together, their fingers touching as well.

"Alright, time to look like a complete idiot," Neptune sighed, waving to Jaune before going to find Weiss.

Yang was having a great night. As she had predicted, she was turning heads left and right, and she'd been dancing quite a bit. A few girls even offered to dance with her, and she politely accepted their offers. She even convinced Ruby to dance with her for a little while, although that ended abruptly when the younger girl fell on her face after trying to do a spin. Yang got her up and propped her at a table, a table which happened to house both Weiss and Neptune. Ruby supposed that Jaune had done his job. Yang, satisfied with her sister's happy expression, went to get some food when she spotted Pyrrha, who was talking to Oobleck.

"Yes yes yes! I think it would be simply splendid if-"

"Sorry, Professor, but could I, uh, borrow Pyrrha for a minute?" Yang asked, interrupting the green-haired Huntsman.

"It's not polite to interrupt, Ms. Long...but I could care less! Have a wonderful night and be sure to drink plenty of coffee! The dancing is far from over!" Oobleck waltzed off, offering to dance with a nearby Professor, who agreed.

"Hello, Yang! Are you having a pleasant night?" Pyrrha asked. Yang frowned at her.

"Are you?" At this, the redhead hesitated to answer.

"I...I am."

"Then what are you doing here? I thought you'd be with Jaune by now."

"I saw him talking to Neptune, and I didn't want to interrupt. I didn't know if they were talking about Weiss or not, and..." Pyrrha trailed off. Yang knew what she meant, though. She playfully poked the famous Huntress in training in the middle of the forehead, smirking.

"I swear, if you were any sweeter, I'd be sick. Neptune's hanging with Weiss, so your leader is free to be wooed. Have fun, you man-killer you," she said, walking away. Pyrrha waved to her, smiling widely, and went to see Jaune. Today would be the day. She would make her feelings known, for better or for worse. She'd been putting it off as long as possible, her nerves almost failing her, but Yang had given her a push in the right direction.

Jaune sighed, looking out at the sky. Despite his insistence that Neptune try and make things right with Weiss, he still felt badly. It was as if he'd locked up a part of himself and thrown away the key. He knew that things with Weiss would never work out. She liked Neptune, and he had most likely blown his chances with her with his flirtation, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for himself. He cared so much for her, and ever since initiation, he knew that his feelings were true. Schnee or not, she was amazing. As he kept on thinking about what had happened with Neptune, a welcome voice helped him to dull the pain of his thoughts.

"Hello, Jaune."

"Pyrrha? Oh, hey." He turned around and grinned at her, but she could tell that something was off.

"That was an incredibly selfless thing you did, Jaune. You gave up your chances with Weiss because you knew she liked someone else. You really are amazing, you know. No matter what people say and no matter what you may have done in the past, you always have been. You just didn't know it." Jaune's smiled seemed to freeze on his face, the compliment making him embarrassed. It was a few seconds before he replied.

"Uh...it's nothing special, really...I just did what I thought was best. There's nothing amazing about that."

"Yes, there is. You did what you thought was best for someone else. There's something very amazing about that."

"Pyrrha, where are you-"

"I'm here without a date, Jaune. No one asked me to the dance."

"You-"

"I'm very sorry for interrupting you, but I promise this will be the last time. I just have something I desperately need to say." Jaune nodded and let Pyrrha continue on.

"I wrote the letters in your locker because I thought you might know they were from me. I started dancing with you because I thought it would bring us closer, and I'm here tonight to tell you that I love you and I have for quite some time. Well, maybe it's been less than a year, but it's been quite a few months, anyway. I've been trying to give you vague signals and hints, scared of rejection. Trust me...I have never been more scared of anything in my life. I've talked to Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang, and I've asked them for advice. Recently, I got some great advice from Yang. She told me to tell you how I felt, just like what you were going to do with Weiss. I tried to wait, to see how she would respond to your feelings and to respect your decision, but I don't think I could have done what you did. I couldn't have just given you up. I couldn't have looked Weiss in the eye and told her that being with her would make you happy. Jaune, I'm not perfect. I'm far from perfect. I know that, when you were talking to Ren, you said that no one looks for perfect. I can't say for sure if that's the reason you never showed any interest in me, or perhaps you just think of me as a friend. That's why I'm telling you how I feel about you; because I want to know how you feel about me. Don't feel pressured to say that you love me. If you don't, don't force yourself to. Please, be honest." Pyrrha finished her long-winded speech, breathing a little more heavily than usual. Jaune, for his part, looked as if he was starting into the headlights of a car. So much was going through his mind at once and he had no idea how to process it.

"Perfect?" That was all he said. Pyrrha looked nervous, wondering what he meant by it, but she decided that it would be best to speak until he was able to.

"The invincible woman, the Mistral regional tournament champion four years in a row, a cereal mascot...I'm known as a lot of things, Jaune, and those things put me on a pedestal. They put me in a position of honor and admiration that leaves me isolated. Before you...I didn't have any friends. I had people who liked me, yes, but they were too scared to approach me. When you're constantly praised, when you're see as perfect, you can't build bonds with other people. No one feels like they could ever be good enough for someone like that. People raise me to a level that I don't deserve or want. In their eyes, I'm not a person, not really. I become an idea; the idea of perfection, of victory, of fame. You were the first person to treat me like a human being. You treated me like a flesh and blood person, like someone who had flaws and who could make mistakes. You allowed other people to see me in such a light, and I think that's why I have so many wonderful friends today. You showed people that I was just like anyone else. And, at the same time, you showed me the exact same thing about you. You are the most human person I know, Jaune, and that is the highest compliment I could ever pay you."

"So, Neptune...why did you come back? You told me that you weren't ready to have a serious relationship...why did that change?" Weiss asked. Ruby held back a snicker at her tone. A far cry from her usual sour expression and cold attitude, the heiress was the picture of innocence. Her voice sounded almost like Ruby's, and she tried her hardest to make a natural smile.

"Jaune talked some sense into me. He told me some things I didn't exactly want to hear and I realized that I needed to make some changes. He's a great guy, Weiss, and he's really looking out for you. Honestly, you just have great friends all around. Like Ruby, who seems to be listening to us," Neptune answered. Weiss sighed and turned to her teammate.

"Must you? This is a private moment."

"I must. This is something you don't see everyday. You should try being this nice more often," Ruby replied. Neptune waved at her, and then got up. Weiss, much to Ruby's surprise, smiled at her before doing the same. She knew what was going to happen.

"Shall we dance?" She asked. He nodded, looking embarrassed.

"I should warn you, Weiss...I can't dance to save my life."

Despite the cold weather outside, Jaune felt as if he'd been set on fire. His whole body was uncomfortably hot, and his face was as red as Pyrrha's hair. He exhaled a few times, trying to say something but finding that only air would come out of his mouth. Pyrrha had finished speaking, and he now had a lot to say, yet couldn't find the words to say it.

"Jaune?" He still said nothing. Mentally he kept screaming at himself to speak as Pyrrha's look grew more and more worried. He desperately wanted to make the words come, wracking his brain for something to say.

"I-I'm fine...I'm just surprised. I can't believe how much of an idiot I am!" Jaune sputtered out finally.

"Jaune, you're not-"

"Yeah, I am. I can't believe I didn't notice a single thing! You were going to team RWBY for help and I had no idea what was going on! And now I suddenly feel horrible about all those times I flirted with Weiss and you were right there...anyway, to get back on topic...I just had no idea. I didn't see anything weird or pick up on any signals. Maybe you were right, Pyrrha. Maybe I thought that you were so perfect that there couldn't be any way that you would love me, some idiot who faked his way into Beacon. But...I'm more than that. You helped me see that. I can do this. I can be a leader, I can be a Huntsman. And you...you're more than just the invincible woman. I've always known that, but I guess part of me couldn't imagine you and me...ever being a thing." Jaune spoke unevenly, as if he was still trying to sort out all of his thoughts. Pyrrha could tell that he was still trying to come to terms with what she said, and she waited patiently.

"Pyrrha, I'll be right back. Do you mind waiting in the building? There's something I want to show you," he said suddenly, his voice more clear now. He seemed to know what he wanted to do now, and Pyrrha nodded excitedly.

"What's he wearing?"

"Is that a dress?"

"He's gone crazy, hasn't he?"

"Ooh, that's a nice dress!"

"I didn't think Jaune was this in touch with his feminine side." Ren and Nora were among the group of people who beheld the night's greatest event: Jaune Arc in a dress. It was white with a blue bow at his waist, and it looked completely and utterly ridiculous. It bulged slightly, not designed to contain a wearer of his muscle mass, and many felt a little uncomfortable with the amount of skin that was revealed.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune shouted. The crowd parted to reveal her, patiently waiting, and when she saw Jaune, she doubled over laughing. The laugh was even harder than the one she had in the dorm before the dance. This time, she ended up having a coughing fit and started hacking loudly like a cat with a hairball. Jaune went over to help her, but she recovered on her own with a massive smile on her face. For the first time in his life, the blonde was glad that his sisters liked sending him dresses as a prank.

"What are you wearing that for, Jaune? It was just a joke; you didn't have to go through with it," Pyrrha told him, unable to hide her glee that he had worn it anyway.

"I wanted to prove a point. I always mean what I say, Pyrrha. I said I'd wear this dress and here I am...so you know that I mean it when I say I love you." Everyone in the crowd, even Weiss, gasped. Then, after a short pause, they all began to clap. Even Cardin and his team clapped, if only because Nora was standing near them and they had no desire to incur her wrath.

"You two should kiss!" Sun shouted.

"You two should go back to your dorm and-ow! What was that for, Ice Queen?" Yang grunted, about to say something wildly inappropriate when the heiress pinched her.

"There will be no indecent talk at this dance, do you understand? Anyway, I think it's time for the main event. Jaune...you were teaching your team a group dance number, correct?" Weiss asked him. He gaped at her for a few seconds before answering, surprised at her new tone. She sounded kind, even caring. She'd never sounded like that when addressing him before.

"Uh, yeah...can I ask why you're being so nice to me? It's great and all, but to be honest, it's a little weird. Also, how do you know about the dance?"

"You made an incredible amount of noise practicing," Weiss replied angrily, interrupting herself to glare at Nora, the chief offender.

"Anyway, Jaune, I've realized something about you tonight. First of all, I have always known that you're a bumbling idiot. I apologize to both you and Pyrrha for saying so, but it's true. It really is. However, as I've learned, you're an honest, well-meaning bumbling idiot, and I think both you and Pyrrha have earned a dance. And besides, if this means that you'll cease your inane attempts to woo me, then I think a celebration is in order. Everyone, give team JNPR ample space!" As Weiss directed everyone off of the dance floor, Jaune beamed at her with a look of gratitude, his heart still skipping a beat at the sight of her. He couldn't will his feelings for her to go away, but they were overshadowed by the realization that the person who loved him most had been closest to him the whole time. Suddenly, with a loud battle cry that only Ren would recognize as her sloth call, Nora grabbed him, Jaune, and Pyrrha, hurled them all into the center of the dance floor. Team JNPR's cross-dressing leader quickly got up to lead them, and Yang played some more suitable music.

"Ren, can we-"

"Nora, they're sharing their first kiss."

"But-"

"We are not taking pictures."

"Why not?"

"Jaune has already humiliated himself in front of the entire school by wearing a dress, and Pyrrha spent quite a long time trying to build up the courage to tell him how she feels. They deserve their moment."

"Then what are we going to do?"

"We can go get something to eat."

"Like pancakes?"

"If you insist." Ren and Nora, in their pajamas, stood outside team JNPR's dorm. They peacefully left to give Jaune and Pyrrha some privacy, time they chose to spend french kissing so furiously that they appeared to be eating each others faces. At least, Ren had left peacefully. He had to lure Nora out, lock the door, and was now trying to get her to give their two teammates some time alone. Ren led her to team RWBY's dorm, where he hoped she'd be able to focus on something else. He knocked quickly on the door, not wanting Nora to try and make a run for it.

"Who's there?" Yang asked.

"Ren and Nora. We were wondering if we could converse and eat pancakes."

"Alright! Come on in, you two!" Yang swung the door open to allow them entry. Team RWBY, minus their leader, all stood around with their pajamas on. Nora skipped into the room, immediately giving Weiss a big hug. Yang and Blake didn't bother to hold back their laughter.

"Thanks for clearing the dance floor, Snow Angel!"

"Get...off...of...me!" The heiress said with difficulty, finding it hard to breathe. She was quickly put down, dusted herself off, and stood far away from Nora.

"Sorry about that," Ren said. She nodded to him politely, glad that he was always around to restrain or apologize for Nora's behavior.

"So...where's Ruby?" Nora asked.

"She had some business to attend to. Ironwood said that it was important that he talked to her. Apparently, she got involved with something important. We have no idea what happened, but I suppose that we'll be informed when she comes back," Weiss replied stiffly, still angry about the hug.

"Well, more pancakes for us! Ren, get to cooking!"

"Will do."

"Weiss, get the doilies!"

"I don't take orders from you!"

"I'll hug you if you don't!"

"Ugh...Very well."

"Yang, do the thing!"

"I'll get right on that as soon as I find out what that is.

"Blake, uh...Blake can, um, uh, do the...can you juggle?"

"I've never tried before."

"Will you?"

"I'd rather eat." Nora grinned, flopping down on Weiss' bed. The action made the heiress even more angry, but the threat of a hug still loomed on the horizon and she went to find leftover doilies. Ren hurried off the make the pancakes, Yang tried to claim Weiss' bed for herself, and Blake went back to reading. It was hard for them to believe that they still had energy to have a mini party, but there was no stopping Nora. All anyone could do was go along with her and hope she got bored. Ren could already feel himself feeling bad for bringing team RWBY into her craziness, but it was either them or his two teammates, and he felt that they deserved some peace.

And there you have it! Help has been concluded! I feel kind of bad that it took so long to write a measly five chapter story, but to be fair, I do tend to write long chapters. I wish I was able to shorten them somewhat, as I know that it's easier to digest smaller ones when you have to constantly scroll down on a screen, but there's a lot I want to write, I guess. Feel free to offer criticisms and advice, as always. I think I've put that in every author's note I've written. It probably goes without saying, as this is a piece of work that I put out for public viewing, but I want to stress how important it is to hear critical feedback. It gives me a lot to think about for future stories, and the fact that anyone would take time to review my work at all is much appreciate! Hell, just knowing that people read this is much appreciated!

Honestly, this story went in a much different direction than I had envisioned, namely, it had a lot more Arkos and basically became a retelling of canon events with more importance placed on Pyrrha. Jaune took a very central role this chapter, but I want to stress that this is her story. Her struggles are at the center of it, and she's the one who brings everything together (with a lot of Help. Hah, puns!).

Also, I'd like to explain some things. Throughout this chapter, Jaune basically does what it took Pyrrha the whole story to do and more: he comes to terms with his feelings. I totally understand if that feels wrong to some people, and I admit that it rubs me the wrong way a little. It seems lazy. But I actually have a reason for this. Multiple, really. First of all, Pyrrha has been nursing her feelings for Jaune for almost the entire length of the show; it's unclear at what point Jaune realized that his for Weiss were serious. She'd been dealing with it for a longer amount of time.

Second of all, Pyrrha is an emotional person. Jaune is too, but when it comes to helping others, he's like Ruby. He usually does so out of impulse, not thinking about the consequences. Pyrrha is different. She broods on her actions. She consciously tries to put the needs of others before those of herself, going out of her way to shoot herself in the foot and give Jaune advice on how to approach Weiss. Not to say that the other characters in the show don't care for other people, but Pyrrha has the fiercest attachment to her friends and even her enemies. She expresses the most vehement disgust for team CRDL when they bully Velvet and offers the most support to Jaune in his time of need. That attachment can cloud her judgment.

Final point: Jaune doesn't have Pyrrha's social anxiety. Sure, he's awkward, but he doesn't worry about forming relationships like she does. He may be socially inexperienced but has never been cut off from forming attachments. Pyrrha, on the other hand, has been closed off to relationships because she was raised onto a pedestal. In a way, she's similar to Weiss. Weiss, too, values her friendships because she's a lonely person, even if it isn't always apparent in her case. The White trailer tells us as much (and I hope to see more of that side of her in volume 3!).

Anyway, those are my points. People can make of them what they will. I hope everyone enjoyed Help, and I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping that Arkos prospers!