I'm so so sorry this took so long. My apologies for making everyone wait.

So a warning beforehand, there are some themes that revolve around traumatic experiences here. Just a heads up.

The slope was gentle as the boy moved along. The air was cold as it threatened to bite beneath his large brown coat. Winds blew harshly and threatened to send him off balance into the forest's abyss far below.

It was rather peaceful, until. a chorus of loud screeching was heard behind him. He turned and faced a blackened army of griffons that descended upon him.

Dashing from dive bombs of the aerial griffins that tried to snatch him up for a meal. He ran while equipping his bow and notching an arrow.

He aimed and released his arrow and it sunk into the eye socket of one, puncturing all the way through. The griffon dropped from the air, crashing into one with it's full weight. But it was hopeless.

They swarmed in numbers that blackened the sky. They screech and roared as they knew he was no match, and he knew it too.

Choosing to live he ran, farther up the mountain. The steep cliffside crumbled beneath his footing as every step sent a few small pebbles far into the thick of the snowy forest at the bottom.

Failing to notice an ambush, one snatched him. He dangled by his legs and had a new view of the world as he laid upside down. A few arrows dropped from his quiver and he barely held onto his bow and ax as he was dragged higher and higher into the sky.

Deciding it was enough that the griffon was roaring in victory. He lashed his ax into the belly of the beast. It screamed out in pain as it failed to stay in the air. Plummeting down with him in tow.

Kicking himself free, another grimm decided that it would finish where the other one had failed. With its bleak wide open, it went for the kill.

What it didn't expect was for him to twist his body in mid air. He sunk his ax into the joint between the upper and lower beak.

The griffon flailed in the air trying to dislodge the heavy weight. But he reached up and grabbed a few feathers, pulling himself higher.

While the sudden shift in its weight caused it to struggle in the air, he ripped the ax out and savagely impaled it into the joint of the wing.

They both fell, and one more tried it's luck. The racing of bodies in the air made the griffon forget that the prey had a range option.

He turned his body in the air, his bow loaded with one of the few remaining arrows. A quick release of blinding light sailed through the body of the dark beast.

The rest stayed in the air, watching as the boy envelope himself in a dark shadow, crashing through the trees.

But into the eyes of the boy, the ground raced closer and closer.

He was wrapped in warmth as he dived closer and closer to what seemed like his demise.

The ground flashed itself for a second and he was the warmest he's ever been on the cold mountain. He decided to stop trying to fly with his arms and let them remain still.

And then he woke up.

"Is he alright?" Weiss asked with a worried tone.

A week after the incident in Forever Fall the announcement of the Vytal Festival was given to the students and the whole school was excited.

It was a little past seven on the three day weekend they were granted by the headmaster. While the sun started to rise in the distance, the three females were woken up rudely from their slumber by a noise from somewhere in their room. Deciding to find the source of the disturbance and quieting it they were greeted to the sight of their leader.

Jaune, he was shaking in his bed. His upper body was covered beneath his blanket. His face was frustrated as his eyes were still closed, a light coat of sweat clung to his face. He lashed a bit in his state of unconsciousness, his arms moving as if he was fighting something or someone. A few mumbles and grunts were heard and they knew what was wrong.

It was the obvious sign of a nightmare.

"I don't know, we should wake him." Yang suggested. Before she could reach down and shake him awake Blake grabbed her hand.

"Don't," she warned. Her teammates looked at her wondering why she had stopped them. "He might lash out."

"We gotta do something." Yang whispered rather harshly. Blake nodded her head in agreement.

"I know," she looked down to him. "Let me, I think I know how to deal with him."

For her it was a lie, but that was their whole act in Beacon. A lie, their teammates were under the impression that they had been traveling together for a long time. As far as they knew, they survived together out in the wilds.

Kneeling down beside his bed, she grabbed his left hand as it was the only one that wasn't covered and hadn't moved for a while. Placing her hands in his, she wrapped her fingers around. Not a moment later his fingers wrapped around her hand.

When they connected, all of his movements and noises ceased. A calm visage presented itself on his face.

The struggling stopped and the air ceased of all tension. The three girls let out a breath of relief they didn't know they were holding.

"Does he usually have nightmares?" Weiss asked Blake. The black haired girl looked to Jaune. Removing her hand from his, she stood up and looked to the pale girl.

"Not normally, I don't know-" Suddenly Jaune shot up from his resting position, giving the girls a good startled shout. His blanket was dropped from cloaking his body while he backed itself against the headboard of the bed. His eyes were wide as dinner plates and frantically scanning the room for signs of dangers. His chest heaved up and down grasping for breath that may have been robbed from him. Instinctively his arms moved to the front of his face as if he was protecting it from something.

"Jaune! Jaune! It's us!" Yang all but shouted to him. Jaune's eyes connected to her then moved to Weiss', then to Blake's. A few more deep breaths he calmed himself and relaxed. He took a glimpse at the three females surrounding his bed and blushed a deep red.

"Hey guys...did you uh...need something?" He asked as if nothing was wrong.

"You alright," Yang was the first to ask the questions on their minds. "You looked like you were having a nightmare."

"Yeah, I'm good." He replied while standing from the bed. Unfortunately for him, he didn't realize he was shirtless as he stretched his arms above his head. After his joints gave audible sounds that they had been relieved, he noticed the girls were staring deeply at him.

Yang stood there with a Cheshire grin on her face, Weiss froze up with a deep red that overtook her pale complexion, all while Blake widened her eyes and her bow flattened a little against her head as she focused specifically on a spot below his head.

"Lookin' good there lady killer." Yang complimented him with a sly voice. Jaune's head slowly turned downwards and he froze a bit before his arms frantically moved to cover his chest. He finally realized he was only wearing his black pajamas bottoms.

"Hey! Eyes up here!" He blushed as he turned his body away from them. Yang started to laugh loudly and Blake snickered a little at his embarrassment.

'Well I didn't know he was that toned…' Blake thought. Yang grabbed him by the shoulders and started to push him towards the bathroom.

"Let me get my clothes first!" Jaune argued as he tried to push his weight against Yang, it only ended up skidding across the floor while Yang pushed.

"Don't worry, you wear the same three shirts and two pairs of jeans anyway, I'll pass you them once you're done." She stated. After a few words of protests she shut the door on him. A moment later the water was heard from behind the door.

"I suppose we might as well get ready, the cafeteria will soon start serving breakfast." Weiss said. The rest of the girls agreed as they all went to their respective areas to gather their clothes for the day. While Blake was pulling out another similar outfit, Yang spoke up.

"You too Blake? " she asked.

"Wha-"

"You and Jaune wear the same thing in our free time." Yang had disapproval in her voice.

"I don't see what the problem is?" Blake shot back. Yang shook her head as she spoke.

"You need variety in your clothes," She turned her head to Weiss. "Weiss, we need to get them some more style in their wardrobes, don't you think?"

The girl in question looked over and hummed a bit before saying her thoughts.

"My allowance is allotted for necessities, but I can assist with the purchase of a few items." The pale girl stated.

"See even Weiss agrees, so that's the first thing we are doing today." Yang smiled.

"Jaune and I don't have much lien to spare-" Blake defended.

"Me and Weiss got you two covered." Yang offered, putting her hands on her waist.

"I don't want to carry around clothes all day." Blake shot back while crossing her arms.

"That's why we have Jaune." Yang pointed to the bathroom.

"He isn't a mule." She defended Jaune.

"We've all seen how toned he is, don't tell me you haven't wanted to see his muscles at work." Yang teased her with a wink and a sly grin on her face. Blake sighed, she wasn't going to win this argument with Yang.

Yang was hard headed and stubborn when it came to things like this. While she didn't mind that she wore the same clothes, she wasn't sure about Jaune.

While she was confident that an oppressed faunus was one of the worst lives to live. She would say that orphaned children who lost their parents and loved ones to tragedy were even worse. While Jaune was adopted by others, he never got to have a childhood with his real family. Even more that they would suffer and wouldn't be able to function properly in society.

Jaune lived with the traumatic event that took away his family. If his nightmare was an indication, he was living proof.

'Jaune never had the privilege of a wider selection of clothes it seems. It would do him some good.' She thought as she eyed the door that separated them from the bathroom.

"Fine, a few outfits." She huffed and threw her arms in the air.

"That's the spirit!" Yang cheered with a wide smile on her face.

"And nothing expensive." Blake pointed a finger in warning to Yang.

"Fine, fine, sheesh." Yang said. With that the shower stopped and a knock was heard.

"Can I get my clothes now?" Jaune asked as he poked his head out the door.

He changed into one of his usual outfits, which consisted of a black t-shirt, one of the two pairs of blue jeans he had and his pair of boots.

After stepping out of the room to allow the women of team ABYS privacy. He was in deep conversation with the twins' spirits in his head.

'First we were going to just explore this Vytal Festival, and now we are shopping.' He groaned internally. He wasn't disappointed that the plans had an additional task, but he was a bit peeved at what was to come.

All the books he read, all the villages he visited, and all the men he talked to all pointed to one thing, intentionally or not.

Women loved to shop, and when they brought a man along, that man was a baggage holder for them.

"Oh don't be overdramatic about it Jaune."

"You might get to see Blake in some swimwear, or even lingerie~." Wolf added his daily teasing. Jaune fought the blush at the thought of seeing Blake in such compelling clothes. Even in her kimono she wore to sleep was an invitation for Wolf to tease and make fun of him.

'Wolf, I don't think she is the type to wear something like that.'

"I suppose you're right Jaune, fishnets seem to be more her style." Wolf said as if he corrected himself with an even more devious tone.

'Wolf…' Jaune groaned once more while actually blushing. With Wolf's words implanted in his mind, he started to imagine Blake and her long slender legs-

'No! Stop!'

"Have you heard of the virgin killer sweater?" Wolf asked him.

'Yes! Yang showed me it! I don't need that image!' Jaune shouted to him. Wolf laughed until he started to run out of breath.

'Is it possible to make you laugh to death?' Jaune snide at him. Wolf laughed even harder and Lamb started to speak.

"Wolf, that is enough, our Shepherd will die of a nose bleed if you keep this up." Lamb chuckled along.

"Come now dear Lamb, don't you think having those dreams would be better than being plagued with nightmares." Wolf defended his actions. Lamb hummed to Wolf's word. Jaune's eyes widened when he realized that the specific tone she used was one that she used in agreement. Wolf chuckled a little knowing he secured a small victory.

"Well I have taken a look at her books, Ninjas of Love I believe the title is. In one part that she had book marked, the female main character falls asleep in a kimono, while waiting for her male friend." Lamb began.

'No, no Lamb don't! I am begging you!' Jaune pleaded. While the image started to form in his mind.

"While wearing nothing else." Lamb finished. Jaune's face went as red as Ruby's cape at the implication.

"I wonder if Blake tries to emulate her." At Lamb's final words his body collapsed against the wall.

'La la la! I can't hear you!' Jaune tried to drown them out, but the problem with having voices in his head is that they were always there, and they continued to laugh at his embarrassment. They were the only sound in the hallway until the door to team RVRN started to open.

'Oh, look there's a distraction.' He smiled.

"Another part where the female protagonist is captured and bound in tight-"

'Shut up!' Jaune shouted. The door finally opened to reveal Ren and the only male of his sister team.

"You're growing up little Shepherd, it is natural to feel an attraction to someone."

"Oh, good morning Jaune." Ren greeted him while blissfully unaware that he interrupted the gods in his head.

"Hey Ren, giving them the privacy they need?" Jaune asked. Ren sighed as he sat crossed legged across from where Jaune was.

"I am, you don't look so good Jaune." Ren said. Jaune sighed and looked to the ground.

"I'm fine, just losing a war with the voices in my head." He mumbled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you?" Ren raised his eyebrow.

"I'm fine," Jaune repeated "Just going to have a long day, were heading out into Vale today."

"That doesn't seem too bad." Ren offered his words.

"To do some shopping…" Jaune told him.

"More the merrier…" Ren drew out. Jaune looked at him with a surprised look.

"You too?" He asked. Ren nodded his head slowly.

"As long as the girls don't join forces, we will be fine. Be strong my friend." Ren spoke to him with resolve in his voice.

"To you as well," Jaune spoke kindly back. "To breakfast and then to the arduous day ahead."

"They serve pancakes everyday, my only hope is that I can control Nora's intake." Jaune shuddered at his words, remembering the few times she had a little too much.

For a while they sat in silence until the rest of their teams exited their respective rooms.

When he looked to Blake for a brief moment, Wolf made his opinion known.

"Definitely some form of leggings with high heels." Wolf spoke out loud.

Blake gave him a quizzical look as he blushed and turned his head upwards to avoid any sight of her lower half.

'It's going to be a long three day weekend…'

Breakfast was the usual time for the two teams to gossip and chat. Well at least for Yang, Ruby, Pyrrha and Nora. Jaune and Ren quietly ate their food while the former was conversing with the two spirits in his head, Blake read her books and Weiss would either file her nails or read through some notes.

"So Yang, what are you guys doing today?" Ruby asked her older sister after swallowing her food. The question was innocent but if Jaune was paying attention to their conversations, he would've noticed. Instead he was in an audience with the gods in his head.

'Hey guys I got a question?'

"We're going to explore the Vytal Festival and do some shopping Rubes, what about you?"

"What do you require Jaune?" Lamb replied to him.

"Oh! We are doing the same! Can we go together, me and my team are looking for some upgrades for our weapons. Are you doing that as well?" Ruby asked her older sister.

'You two are in my head constantly, do you guys see my dreams?' He asked as he took another bite of his breakfast. Before he could get his reply he was suddenly pulled into a headlock by Yang.

"No nothing as cool as that, we are going to help get Jaune and Blake some new clothes." Jaune realized he was still in company. He scanned his eyes as he noticed both teams had their eyes on Yang and himself.

'Maybe we'll talk about this when we have some privacy.' He told the two in his head.

"As you wish, oh Shepherd of ours." Wolf simply said.

"We do have plenty of time in the day, we should make some trips to weapon and dust shops, even if to make sure we have plenty of dust." Weiss offered up. While the girls were agreeing with the white haired girl, he looked to Ren who only silently sighed in defeat.

'Well, it could be worse.' Jaune thought.

"I don't see a problem with that, I think it's a good idea." Jaune said to them after removing his head from Yang's hold.

"Well it's settled then, unless anyone has any objections?"

"Well if we are spending the day in Vale together, then I will have to change into something more inconspicuous." Pyrrha said. Jaune looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you see Jaune," Pyrrha began. "I am the four time champion of Minstral. So I do have a rather large following."

"So people like you?," Jaune took notice of the others' surprised looks, there was an annoyance that crossed Weiss' features but quickly faded. "I don't see the big deal."

"What she means Jaune, is that paparazzi will hound her for interviews and fans are most likely going to ask for autographs and pictures with her." Weiss explained.

"Well if that happens, we'll break their legs for interrupting our day to ourselves!" Nora slammed her fist on the table.

"Easy Nora." Ren stated as he inspected the table and sighed when he saw a small crack.

"I appreciate the notion Nora, but I would rather not have it come to that." Pyrrha waved her hand towards her.

"Offer still stands." Nora offered.

"It makes sense now…" Wolf chuckled.

"What does, dear Wolf?"

"The champion is lonely, so she seeks out friends that see her as a person, not as a champion." Wolf explained, Jaune nodded along as he took a bite of his food.

"Of course, now I see it. She lacks the basic needs as a person. Reminds me of a few of our own Shepherds long past…" Lamb stated.

'What do you mean?' Jaune questioned the two.

"Humans and Faunas aren't made for living alone, Jaune, they are meant to come together…"

"Both are meant to help one another, through our time we noticed that is what the world needs. To connect." Both explained. Jaune stole a glance at Pyrrha but returned to the food on his tray.

'How was she lonely then? If she was surrounded by people who liked her, shouldn't she have had plenty of company?' Jaune questioned them again.

"She was most likely placed upon a pedestal as she grew, those who surrounded her only saw her as what she is. A champion."

"Then nothing more, she yearns for normalcy. To be the girl who is approached for her looks, or known for her favorite dish or a petty fear of certain insects or pests."

"A common theme amongst a few Shepherds of past times."

"She does remind me of Arteus in a way." Lamb spoke of a past Shepherd.

"Ah, but Arteus had Pylas as an equal…" Wolf paused. "Jaune...Yang is trying to get your attention."

Jaune was snapped out of the conversation with the two as Yang's hand was waving in his face.

"Jaune you okay? You kinda spaced out there."

"Yeah I'm good, just thinking." he reassured his teammate. He didn't miss the flash of worry in Blake's eyes.

"You only ate half of your food Jaune," Pyrrha said. He looked down at his tray and noticed the remaining scraps. "Are you okay to go to Vale today?" In hindsight it probably was a good idea to eat lightly, with the short but tortuous flight in due time.

"I'm okay Pyrrha, thanks for asking." he reassured with a gentle smile.

"We'll if you say so-"

"What are we waiting for then? The bullheads start leaving soon." Yang spoke as she stood up with her tray.

The flight wasn't as long or as bad as he originally thought. From exiting the bullhead he soon found himself upon the Vale streets once more. Walking off the motion sickness didn't take long with a change for the view of the streets. The obvious change today was the sight of decorations on the buildings. Balloons and banners welcoming incoming tourists to Vale.

Many working citizens were seen placing more and more decorative items amongst the city. He spotted an elderly man placing a sign up.

'Welcome to Vale, I like it.' Jaune thought as a small smile graced his face.

"This is nice, I like the decorations." Jaune started with the seven that traveled. Placing his hands in his black hoodie front pocket while his bow and quiver was slung over his shoulder He elected to leave behind his coat and axe as he didn't want to be weighed down on a warm day. As much as it pained him to do so, Wolf was in great despair for a little bit. If the earlier conversation, which was about an hour ago, was anything to go by.

(an hour ago)

"Why must you hurt me like this, oh dear Shepherd of mine?" There was a whine in Wolf's gravelly voice that Jaune could have never thought possible. He had just opened up his locker only to grab Last Whisper. He felt bad, it really did. He wasn't actually leaving Wolf behind.

'It isn't that bad Wolf, I don't like it either but-' Jaune looked to the mask on his belt.

"Please dear Shepherd, do not abandon me here in this cold metal prison!" Lamb sighed then groaned at the drama of Wolf.

"Wolf, we aren't leaving you behindand you do remember that these lockers can fly?" Wolf stopped his crying before he said the words.

"Oh...right." Jaune physically sighed at the antics of Wolf while Lamb chuckled.

(Present)

"The Vytal Festival is a big deal for a lot of the Kingdoms, there is so much that goes into the planning and organization for such an event is simply breathtaking." Weiss spoke. There was a bit of awe in her voice as he noticed that she was actually smiling.

"Leave it up to you to make it boring Weiss." Yang sighed. Jaune chuckled as they continued walking.

"I don't think it is that bad. Besides the cooperation from various parties that work together is something to admire." Jaune defended. Weiss nodded her head and Yang sighed again.

"Yeah, but it is strange to see Weiss smile," Ruby hid behind her sister when Weiss glared at her. "It's kinda weirding me out."

"Anyway, our team is here for Jaune and Blake first, I took the liberty of finding a clothing store that is fairly reasonable in prices." Weiss explained to the group.

"Let's go then," Yang grabbed both Jaune and Blake by the shoulders. "We don't have all day!"

"It's pretty early in the morning Yang, I'm sure we have plenty of time in the day." Blake had a deadpan tone with her voice. Jaune couldn't help but smile, Yang invasion of personal bubbles was with good intentions.

"Yang is right Ren! Let's go! To the arcade!" Nora shouted as she dragged him down the street. Ruby slumped over and sighed while Pyrrha giggled as she had elected to stay by her partner's side.

"We'll see you guys later." Ruby simply said as she sped off chasing Nora and her hostage.

"You know Jaune, you should buy Blake something." Lamb suggested. Jaune took a peak at Blake, only to see her glare at Yang with the close proximity. Blake wasn't liking it one bit with the way she glared at Yang and looked to him for help.

"A grand idea Lamb, I suggest something along the lines of what she reads." Wolf offered his suggestion. Blake pushed Yang off her and crossed her arms, only to receive Yang sticking her tongue out.

'We'll stop by Tukson's place, she has been reading the same romance novels. Something new will definitely make her day.' Jaune spoke internally to the two inside his head. Lamb and Wolf snickered.

"Romance for sure, right Lamb?" Wolf forcefully coughed as he struggled to hold back laughter. Jaune groaned internally as he remembered their earlier conversation.

"Yes Wolf, pure romance." The two couldn't hold back anymore and started to laugh. Jaune rolled his eyes and elected to ignore the two. Falling behind Weiss and Yang as they led the way, he gently nudged Blake with his elbow. He caught her eyes when she looked at him from the side.

"After lunch, do you want to stop by Tukson's and look for a new book?" A question that earned him a small smile while her eyes widened with a little sparkle of joy.

"I would like to Jaune." her reply said all he needed to know she accepted. He nodded and the two teammates continued to follow behind the two others that led the way.

The store was a simple name of Daybreak Outfit, many items were separated into respective sections. Lining from women's to men's and to children, there even a few items for small animals as well. Jaune browsed the selections of the male form with Weiss while Blake was off with Yang, no doubt annoyed with Yang's little banter and teasing.

The few racks that Jaune found himself between as Weiss led him through the store were stocked with various and colorful clothing items. A few shirts were held up to his body by Weiss before either being put back or held in his arms. There were a few items he liked, but Weiss was the expert on his fashion at the moment.

"Weiss, none of these seem like they would be durable in any way fighting the grimm." He stated.

"These would be ripped to shreds by the dullest of claws, what use are these rags, to be used as fancy bandages?" Wolf voiced a legitimate question.

"Of course not Jaune, these are meant for outings and leisure comfort. There are a few huntsmen stores here in Vale if you're looking for something like that," Jaune looked down at the items in his arms. A few pairs of blue jeans followed by a few plaid shirts. "If you want we can stop by a store I know of that is trusted by the huntsmen and huntress community." She said as she held up a black leather jacket with red stripes going down the arms. A small logo on it specified with an 'N7'.

"It would be some use to find a place that can properly repair your items instead of relying on whatever threads and needles we find," Lamb voiced her thoughts. "Also that isn't real leather."

"Sadly this one doesn't suit you, anyway let's have you try these on." Weiss instructed as she showed him to the changing rooms. He closed the door behind him and set the clothes on the small bench that was inside the slightly cramped area.

He undid the mask that was around his belt before he unslung his bow and quiver and set them in the corner and removed his hoodie after. He stared at the clothes for a brief second, the jeans were a bit on the lighter side of the dark ones he usually wore, and the shirts were a varying colors of blue and red. He picked up one of the shirts and inspected it, It was a light blue with varying colors of greys as the lines.

"Sleeves are a bit long." he stated as he looked in the mirror. The head of Lamb poked over his shoulder as she too looked at the piece.

"Here, my dear Shepherd, allow me to help you with that." She spoke as she grabbed the shirt.

'Thanks Lamb, hey back to my question at breakfast…' he started.

"Ah yes, about your dreams…" Wolf spoke in his head. Lamb hummed a little as she began to roll the sleeves while Jaune changed into a pair of jeans.

"We can see your dreams…" Lamb answered without him having to ask once more.

'Okay, then can you enter them?' Lamb stopped and looked at him with the shirt. She handed it over, as he took it and started to put it on she spoke.

"We can to an extent, but we choose not too dear Shepherd." Lamb put her hand on his shoulder when he began buttoning it up.

'Why is that?' It was a question, his simple curiosity.

"It's not our place to enter, to force ourselves into your mind without your permission would be wrong and would violate the trust you have in us...unless you say otherwise oh Shepherd of ours." Wolf spoke, Jaune nodded his head as he looked at himself and Lamb in the mirror. Her hand went up and stroked his hair with a comforting feel like many times before.

'Well if that's the case, could you wake me up if I'm having a bad nightmare like this morning?' Lamb hummed once again before looking at him and nodding her head.

"Very well Jaune, if you want us too."

"What brought this question on? If you don't mind me asking dear Shepherd." Wolf asked as he appeared around his other shoulder.

'Just curious Wolf, nothing more.'

"Are you afraid you may dream…," Wolf nuzzled him and spoke with sadness, "...of Ionia again?"

'When Blake asked about Ionia and Ahri, I couldn't help but see her where Blake stood…' Jaune grabbed another shirt from Lamb, this time red with white as the details. Lamb held his cheek as she looked at him with her white eyes.

"I understand. You're afraid of losing your team as well then, afraid of losing Blake. It's natural to compare past experiences to your present scenarios." Wolf moved to his front.

"Remember, your professor, Dr. Obleck offered you his counseling services, you should talk to him about this. But we will stay true to your wishes dear Shepherd." Wolf said as he faded from sight.

'Thanks guys and you're right. I'll talk to him whenever he is available.' Jaune said to them while looking himself over in the mirror.

'Thankfully the others don't have to deal with anything like this.'

"What about this one?" Yang asked as she held up another shirt. She would honestly be fine with anything, but not the suggestions that Yang had. It was another v-neck that cut a little too low and had strings that connected the sides of it. A little too suggestive for her liking. The only difference this time, it was a darker shade of pastel purple.

"No." She simply said as Yang huffed. She crossed her arms at the ideas that Yang came up with.

"Come on Blakey, you've said no to everything that we've seen." Yang ruffled through the rack before holding up another top. This time it was a purple short sleeve button up that had white lines running vertically.

'I supposed that i could wear a shirt underneath…' Blake thought.

"That can work I guess." Yang pumped her arms in the air as Blake took the shirt.

"Great, now let's find you some shorts to go with it and maybe some shoes." Yang grabbed her arm and dragged her along. It was a few more minutes of denying Yang's idea of shorts as short shorts before she decided on a pair that came down to the middle of her thighs.

Blake soon stepped into the female changing room as she closed the door she heard Yang from behind the door.

"Hey Blake, can I ask you a question?"

"Whatever it is, the answer is no." Blake replied as she took off her vest.

"No, no, a serious one this time no teasing or anything, it's about Jaune." Blake stopped as she was fiddling with the buttons.

"What about him?"

"Well he is an easy going guy but I wanted to know, back in the room I saw his scars. The one on his collarbone and on his back, if you don't mind me asking, how did he get them?" Yang asked in a low voice, a tone that spoke of simple curiosity.

She had seen them some nights prior when she was still awake reading. The lines and bullet holes. She had an idea, after all she had seen what he could do in his fight against Adam, the grimm during initiation and Forever Fall. She had wondered briefly but shoved them down as she didn't think twice or to remember until now. It was poking at her curiosity...

That's when his words rang out in her head.

'I hate killing anything that isn't grimm.'

'I had the displeasure of encountering groups of unsavory individuals from time to time.'

'I am not going to lie, I have killed before Blake...Either in self defense or in the defense of others, I always tried to give them the choice to walk away to stop whatever madness they planned.'

It was clear to her that she had an idea,it was grimm and people that gave him his scars. She didn't know the story behind them, it was his story and he alone she concluded. It was his story of life and death, of life and death that could've left him with more trauma that she could ever know. It ran deeper the more she thought.

'Oh…'

"Sorry, I don't know Yang, and if I did I...I wouldn't tell you. It's not my place, no disrespect." She said, there was a small hope Yang wouldn't press on.

"It's cool Blakey, I just figured I would ask you since you knew him longer and he is your you think he would get upset if I asked him, I won't do it in front of everyone, I promise."

"Maybe Yang, but I wouldn't press him if he doesn't want to." Yang hummed in agreement. There was a split second of silence before Yang asked her another question.

"What if you ask him?" Blake stopped once again at her question.

"Why?" She asked back.

"Well, those types of scars look like they would've killed him." Yang paused. "I mean three bullets in the back to where his heart is, he got lucky there…sorry if I'm poking too deep..." Yang went silent. Blake thought for a second, it wouldn't hurt just to ask, but she respected his privacy as he has respected hers.

Ever since the beginning of Beacon, he hasn't once asked why she is covering her ears. He had made no subtle remarks about them, he didn't even glance at them. He just let it be, and she went to him. Her hands reached up and felt the arrowhead necklace he had given her.

She has asked so many questions to him but he has never asked about her. She preferred it like that. To know about him but not have him know her. She squeezed the necklace a bit harder, the sharp edge poking her skin.

'Is that selfish of me?' She asked herself. She thought about what Yang said. It did seem like he got off lucky, one too many times in fact.

"I'll think about it Yang." She looked at herself in the mirror. The loose shirt and the shorts were a bit more comfortable and allowed more breathing room. But her mind wasn't on that as she was thinking more about Jaune.

'I'll answer any questions he has about me, it seems fair.' She thought as she stepped out and let Yang inspect her.

"You look so cute, hold on...hey Jaune take a look at Blake and tell us what you think!" Blake immediately felt her cheeks heat up a little as she saw Jaune in his clothes. a rather plain blue plaid button up with his sleeves rolled up to his forearms. It hugged his frame a bit snug to show off his size.

He looked over at her, his eyes scanning her up and down. He raised his hands and gave two thumbs up.

"I like it, it looks good on you." He said as he went back inside the changing room to switch out again. Yang looked at her with a grin.

"You hear that, he likes it on y-oof…" Blake nudged her in the ribs. "Okay I'll stop." Yang began chuckling at her. Blake rolled her eyes as she stepped back into the changing room to change back into her regular outfit. A few minutes later she was at the register with the others with the items in her hands.

When the total came up Jaune attempted to pay but Weiss and Yang shot him down. With reluctantly he allowed them as the woman behind the cash register looked on with confusion. Yang had promptly given her bag of clothes to Jaune to carry. To her surprise he didn't argue and just agreed.

When they exited the store Blake spoke up.

"I can carry it if you want me to Jaune." He looked over at her and just chuckled.

"It's alright, I knew this would happen anyway." He said.

"If you're sure then Jaune." Blake dropped the topic.

Certainly, Jaune was indeed an enigma, a novel of mystery at the surface. She would try to unravel him while giving him the same courtesy.

Small talk was made while they walked down the streets to the destination that Ruby had texted Yang. After a few more blocks they came across the other four outside the arcade.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Yang greeted them. Ren only looked at them and sighed

"Nora broke too many whack-a-mole machines to try to win a giant stuffed teddy bear.," He pointed to her as she held a pink, five foot tall stuffed bear. "She did get what she wanted but at the cost of the arcade closing down early."

He pointed to the door, an old man with a sign stated it was closed for maintenance. Jaune could see Ruby peering through the window with Pyrrha comforting her.

"Nora, how could you…" Ruby whined.

"I said I was sorry, but moles don't move that fast." Nora said.

"I was so close to beating every high score on the marksman games." Ruby whined. Jaune chuckled a little.

"Ah, so the slivered eyed child is sad because Nora stole the opportunity for her to get her kills.," Wolf chuckled "You'll have your day child." Jaune looked to Yang who had her head in her hand slowly shaking from side to side.

"Is she always like this?" Weiss asked her. Yang nodded her head and sighed.

"Back in Patch, she would routinely beat her own high scores on shooters until she got the maximum high score. It's almost religious to her to do so." Yang explained.

"Well she is good with her rifle, makes sense in a way." Pyrrha said. Ruby brushed herself off.

"Thanks Pyrrha, anyway, how about lunch? I saw a few sweet shops, a few-" Ruby began.

"How about some actual food Ruby?" Yang asked. Ruby huffed and crossed her arms.

"Fine." She pouted.

Some of them laughed at her expense. After a discussion it was agreed to a small dinner near the port.

Jaune had simply ordered a glass of water. To his left Blake had sat, followed by Yang and Weiss. While opposite from him was Pyrrha followed by Ruby, Nora and Ren.

For his order he followed Blake's lead on a fish fillet, rarely ever having any and only in taverns and inns that offered him rooms during his travels.

"So who is excited for the Vytal festival?" Yang had asked. Nora, Ruby and Pyrrha raised their hands along with Weiss.

"Sure am, can't wait for the tournament to start." Ruby said.

Jaune nodded his head, from what he understood his team would be up against other teams from the other schools, all fighting for the championship.

As Wolf once told him, it would be a bloodbath, Lamb had told him it would give him a good understanding of his strength as to how strong he had grown.

But to him it means that he needed to double down on his leadership roles and make sure the cohesiveness in his team was better than any other team. A basic lesson he had received from both the gods in his head and his leadership 101 class he shared with Ruby.

"What about you Jaune?" Pyrrha had asked from across from him. He looked up from his meal.

"Well it would be my first, so I actually am really excited to see what the other kingdoms have to offer." He answered. Ruby and Pyrrha looked at him in confusion.

"It's only your first Vytal Festival?" Ruby asked innocently.

"Jaune lived most of his life out in the wilderness Ruby." Weiss explained.

"Ohhhh, don't feel bad Jaune, it's me and Ren's first Vytal Festival as well." Nora hugged Ren.

"It'll be a spectacular sight to behold, I'm sure." Ren nodded to him. There was a bout of silence while they ate before Weiss spoke.

"Some of the transfer students for the Vytal Festival will be arriving shortly, specifically the Vacuo students will be arriving by ship. And a sign of good will may I suggest that we greet them when they arrive."

"Boring~!" Nora replied.

"It does seem like an opportunity, to catch a glimpse of what the competition will be." Lamb agreed.

"To stalk the prey before we tear them apart, please dear Shepherd we must!" Wolf begged. Jaune looked to his teammates, Yang just raised her eyebrows and Blake shrugged.

"Sorry Weiss, but Pyrrha had some ideas for upgrades for Crescent Rose, we were gonna go shop for some parts." Ruby said.

"Sorry." Pyrrha only said. Jaune looked at Weiss and smiled.

Yang, Blake and Jaune all looked at each other.

"Your call Jaune, I don't mind." Yang said. Balke just shrugged her shoulders once again. He pondered a bit, with the words on Lamb and Wolf in mind.

"I think it's a good idea, spy on the competition, good thinking Weiss."

"That's not-"

"I knew it." Blake said. He could see a tick appear on Weiss' forehead.

"Not true, you can't prove it!" Yang and Jaune started laughing.

"I guess we'll see you back on the flight to Beacon Rubes." Yang said to her sister.

Once again, Jaune was denied paying for the meal, his and Blake's paid for by Weiss.

'I'll have to pay Weiss back at some point.' He said to himself.

"So we're spying on the competition, any idea of what to look for?" Yang asked Jaune as they walked down the road.

"We are not spying. Simply observing them." Weiss spoke up. From behind them.

"Same thing Weiss just different words." Blake objected.

"Anything really, from their appearance, their weapons, the way they carry themselves every tiny detail, even their scars." Jaune explained. He was focused on the road ahead and missed the look that Blake and Yang shared.

"Scars?" Yang questioned. Jaune scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well scars can tell a story of where they've been hit and how much punishment they can take, I'm talking eye catching ones." He cleared his throat. "Usually it's bigger people with them, I know it's kinda dark but it can paint a picture."

"Huh…I think I understand." Yang only words were.

"If we see them I'll explain, kinda hard to do it without an example." Jaune said as they rounded the corner. A ship could be seen from a distance, and soon enough a ship's horn could be heard in the distance.

"There they are." Jaune smiled. As he stared out into the blue ocean. He propped himself onto the railing that kept people from falling into the sea. The others could see it just as well as he could.

While his attention was on the ship Blake tapped him on the shoulder. He looked at her and she pointed him in a direction. When he looked to where she was pointing and his eyes widened.

Not too far from them, a store had a shattered window down and a door full of yellow caution tape of the Vale Police Force. He looked around the ground and could see that the window was shattered from the inside of the store.

"Whoa…" Yang said softly. The four of them looked at each other.

"Let's go see what happened." Jaune suggested to the group. The girls nodded their head as they followed him to the two men that were talking and writing into their notepads.

"Excuse me, what happened here?" Asked the man. The man looked at him through his sunglasses, noting the weapon on Jaune before looking back to his notepad.

"Robbery. Second dust shop to be hit this week." He sighed before closing his notepad. "This place is turning into a jungle." Jaune tilted his head.

"Could it have been involved with Roman Torchwick?" Jaune asked him.

"Could've been, it's hard to say. You kids from Beacon?" He asked all of them.

"Yes." Jaune answered. The man nodded his head. A second man approached him and started talking.

"They left all the money again." Jaune looked to his team who were just as confused as him.

"Doesn't make a lick of sense. Who needs that much dust." The man opened his notepad and wrote down a quick line.

"I don't know, an army?"

"You thinking the White Fang?" The second man removed his sunglasses before sighing.

"Yeah, I'm thinking we don't get paid enough."

Jaune stopped at the words White Fang. A brief flash of anger flooded his mind. Remembering the fire they caused, the people in Ionia that died because of them.

'If the White Fang tries anything here-'

"Calm yourself dear Shepherd, being angry won't solve anything. Hunting them down will." Wolf spoke. He took a deep breath before turning to his teammates noticing Blake and Weiss arguing.

"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths." She crossed her arms with a much more serious look on her face as she spoke. "They're a collection of misguided Faunus."

'Oh, right…'

"Blake was once a member. She would have a bit of insight in her." Lamb spoke.

"Misguided? They want to wipe Humanity off the face of the planet!" Weiss argued back

"So then they're very misguided. Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale!"

"Alright, enough!" Jaune spoke loudly, catching both of their attention. Standing between Blake and Weiss he calmed them.

"Blake does have a point, a few months ago me and Ruby ended up crossing paths with Roman Torchwick who was doing the same thing. The police never caught him." Weiss huffed before speaking again.

"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum." As she spoke he could see the anger in Blake's eyes grow. "Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal. I mean the evidence is right there." She pointed right at the destroyed shop.

"That's not necessarily true…" Yang tried to interject. But her words were drowned at some commotion on the dock behind them.

"Hey, stop that faunus!" Jaune turned his head and ran to the top of the dock to see two sailors running after someone. A teenager just as old as him was running, he was a blonde haired boy with an open button up shirt and a golden monkey tail was running along the top of the boat. He jumped up to the railing and began running along that.

"Thanks for the ride, guys! Haha!"

Right before the two sailors could catch him he jumped from the top of the ship and landed on the dock and began running.

"You no-good stowaway!" One of the sailors shouted.

"Oh, just a stowaway, no harm done." Lamb said. The boy climbed a lamppost and hung from it by his tail. He pulled a banana from his shirt and peels it.

"Hey! A no-good stowaway would've been caught! I'm a great stowaway!" He shouted back as he began to eat the fruit.

"Haha! He does have a point." Wolf laughed.

Jaune watched a stone sail past the faunus' eye snapped to the two men who were throwing rocks at the boy.

"This is awesome!" Jaune said much to Weiss' ire and Blake's agreement.

"Hey! Get down from there this instant!" One of the men commanded. The boy decided not to, he dropped the banana peel on the detective's face, who growls in return.

"Hahahahaha! That boy is hilarious!" Wolf exclaimed. The monkey faunus twirls up to crouch on the lamppost. He laughed in amusement. He jumped from the lamppost and hit the dock running.

Passing his team, time slowed. He caught a good glimpse of the blue eyes the boy had.

But amusement turned to something he couldn't comprehend. The boy looked to Blake while smiling. Time came to a stop when he saw him wink at her. As soon as he was there he was gone, sprinting down the street, separating himself from them.

"Lamb! He did not just…" Wolf growled.

"...I think he did dear Wolf." Lamb whispered.

He could feel Wolf's anger rise in him and was sure he didn't have any rise up in him. Yang waved her hand in front of his face and Weiss'.

"Well, you two wanted to see the competition, and there it goes..." she pointed to the faunus fleeing further and further.

Before Weiss could speak he shouted.

"Let's go! Now!" He shouted as he sprinted leaving his three teammates a little bit behind as they sprinted after him.

"I got his scent Jaune! We won't lose him! Keep running!" Wolf growled in his mind. Jaune said nothing as he turned another corner. He was catching up slowly, he saw the boy turn his head and his eyes widened and began to pump his legs harder.

He watched the boy turn another corner.

"Jaune! Faster!" Wolf instructed. Jaune turned the corner and slammed into something, rather hard. He tumbled down the sidewalk a few good feet before skidding to a stop. Jaune groaned before Wolf began shouting curses.

"Jaune, Wolf, your antics caused you to run into someone. You should apologize to her." Jaune looked up to see a girl staring up at the sky, no doubt in shock with what just happened. His teammates turned the corner as he was picking himself up.

"He got away guys." He said to them as he picked up the bags of clothing he didn't realize he was still carrying.

"I still have his scent, it's still fresh!" Wolf exclaimed.

'Let it go Wolf, he's not worth it.' Jaune said. As he began walking to the orange haired girl. Her hair was short and curly that came down to her chin. Her skin was light and freckles were present, while her eyes were bright green. She wore a rather old fashion dress that was off white. He reached down with his hand to help her up.

"Sorry about that, here let me help you." Jaune apologized. But felt his body lock.

"Something is not right here…" Lamb warned him. It was a low tone, one she used before she would let her arrows fly. "She has a soul…"

"But she has no flesh! She's an automaton! An amalgamation of machine and spirit!" Wolf snarled and growled. "Destroy her dear Shepherd, she must be destroyed!"

'What...she has prosthetics? You know we've come across people who had prosthetics before right?' Jaune questioned them.

"No! She is not human!" Lamb shouted at him. Before he could question, he realized the girl had never taken his hand. Instead she stared at them with a wide smile on her face.

"Sal-u-ta-tions!" She greeted them. Jaune and his team could only stare back.

"Uhh...hi?" Jaune greeted back.

"Are you...okay?" Yang asked, obviously questioning the girl. As she had yet to take Jaune's hand to get back to her feet.

"I'm wonderful! Thank you for asking." The four of them looked at each other in bewilderment before Yang spoke up again.

"Do you... wanna get up?" The girl seemed to think about it for a moment.

"Yes!" Jaune flinched back as the girl leaped back to her feet in a blink of an eye. "I'm Penny, a pleasure to meet you."

"An automaton, a machine with a soul! No right to exist!" Wolf snarled, his growling ever growing. Jaune ignored him for a second, he made a mental note to talk to them later about what they were sending.

"Okay then...I'm Jaune." He introduced himself.

"I'm Weiss." He turned to Blake who seemed to be staring at him, she shook her head.

"Blake."

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head." Blake then hit her side with her elbow. "Oh, I'm Yang." The girl was starting to creep him out.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"But it is not our pleasure, machine." Lamb snidely remarked.

"You already said that." Weiss stated. The girl paused a second time.

"So I did." He looked to his teammates who were just as confused and flabbergasted as him.

"Forget the faunus Shepherd, she must be destroyed!" Wolf once again snarled loudly.

"Well, sorry for running into you Penny," Jaune began his apology. "It was also a pleasure to meet you too. Take care now."

"To you as well stranger-Jaune!" She smiled back as she passed them. Watching her walk away with an almost bleakly like motion. He waved it off as having an injury from him crashing into her. Walking away from the scene, Yang spoke.

"She was...weird." Jaune shrugged it off.

"Everyone has their own personality."

"Not her, she was built and a soul was forced into her."

'Can we talk about it later, seriously what do you two have against prosthetics?'

"Nothing, but she wasn't human…" Wolf growled. He could feel him watching out the back of his head.

"Wait a minute! She must have seen where that faunus ran off to!" Weiss exclaimed. Before she turned around and started running back to the strange girl. "Excuse ahh!"

Only to find out the girl was right behind them.

"Yes?" The girl known as Penny asked. Weiss took a breath.

"Did you happen to see where that monkey-tailed rapscallion go?"

"The who?" She questioned before Weiss sighed.

"The filthy Faunus from the boat!" Weiss clarified to no avail as the poor girl seemed to still be confused. Jaune felt his eye twitch at Weiss. But Blake stepped up and spoke what he was thinking.

"Why do you keep saying that?!" She nearly screamed. Weiss turned to face her.

"Huh?" He felt another twitch. Weiss was calm a few hours ago, but now she was starting to get on his nerves. No doubt pushing Blake to her limits.

"Stop calling him a rapscallion! Stop calling him a degenerate! He's a person!"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Penny seemed to be confused as Weiss motioned to objects around her. "Would you like me to stop referring to the trash can as a trash can? Or this lamppost as a lamppost?"

"Stop it!"

"Stop what? He clearly broke the law. Give him time; he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang!"

"Jaune, don't do anything brash." Lamb spoke.

The mention of the Fang was the straw that finally broke his back. He drew a deep breath

"Enough!" Jaune had shouted, releasing a bit of energy. "Enough out of both of you damn it!" He looked over to Yang who only held her hands up in surrender. He placed his head in his hand as he rubbed away the headache he started to get. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

"You are both arguing like children right now, stop it.," Jaune said, he looked at Weiss who seemed shocked at his outburst and Blake who seemed…

Scared.

'Fuck.'

"How about this." He looked at Yang. "You take Weiss and go do whatever you guys want while me and Blake go our way, we will meet you guys back in the room." He looked back at the other two."It'll give you some time to clear your heads. Okay?" It was his offer, if they didn't like it, it would be team leader's orders at that point. Blake and Weiss looked to each other before nodding their heads.

With his free hand he grabbed Blake's and led her away from Yang and Weiss down the road. When they were out of earshot he spoke to Blake.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that." He apologized.

"It's...it's fine Jaune, you were right…" she went silent.

"I know, you were getting upset, after all with your past. But you left that behind you, didn't you?" He glanced at her out of his peripheral.

"Yes, I did." Blake answered.

"Like you said, if you want to make a change you do it right. That's good enough for me Blake." He said. Blake nodded in agreement.

"Let's go to Tucson's shop." He suggested.

"I'd like that Jaune." She said.

The walk was silent and in peace until he felt his hand get squeezed by Blake. He looked down to see that he still had her's. He immediately let it go.

"Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean-" Blake began laughing.

"It's fine Jaune, thank you for giving me my hand back."

"Haha! Yes!"

'Shut it Wolf!'

The familiar bell rang again as he opened the door for her. As soon as he closed it he could hear him from the back walking closer.

"Welcome to Tuscon- oh it you two!" He greeted with a smile on his face. "Come in! How are you two doing?" He asked.

"Doing fine Tucson, you?" Jaune asked as he began browsing the literature collection.

"After you left, I had to start taking care of everything again, any chance I can have you back full time?" He asked from behind the counter. Jaune began laughing, followed by the store owner himself.

"I'm afraid not, Beacon is full time as it is." Jaune explained. "You got anything on myths?"

"In the fiction section, what are you two doing here anyway? Came by to chat with old me?" He asked as Jaune moved to the shelves with his favorite topic.

"Well, we came by to get Blake and I a book or two and to check up on you as well." he explained as he pulled out a copy of the book he read to Blake from Beacon. Satisfied already he placed it on the counter.

"Very thoughtful of you two. How about you Blake, are you doing okay?" Blake popped her head from between the shelves.

"You know my Tuscon, I'm better when I'm surrounded by books." She said. Jaune immediately noticed her change in attitude from earlier, whether it be when surrounded by books or familiarity, it was good to see her better. Tucson nudged him with his elbow.

"The book worm that one is, ain't she?"

"Sure is."

"I can hear you two." Blake spoke aloud and the two men laughed.

Time went by as she browsed the store while Jaune and Tucson made small talk about what has been happening since Jaune went to Beacon. Catching up and Jaune continuously thanking him for his hospitality.

"It's fine kid, you did right by Blake and by extension, me." He pointed to himself. "Wouldn't have it any other way, and you weren't a freeloader either. You helped me out a lot too. I honestly should've done more." Blake placed her selection from the obviously romance section on the counter.

"Anytime. How much will this be?" The store owner nodded and began to add up to total. Jaune tried to barter to keep the price at full while Tucson applied several discounts. Causing the total to be half the price of what it would be.

After a few minutes of arguing, Jaune caved in. Giving him the total amount that Tuscon said he was owed.

"Thanks Tucson." Blake said as she exited the store.

"Take care Tucson." Jaune said shortly after.

Soon the two found themselves on the flight back to Beacon by alone. With the silence deafening and Jaune was sitting across from her feeling a bit queasy.

"Jaune?" Blake asked.

"Yeah?" He groaned out.

"This morning, after you woke up…" he looked at her, giving his undivided attention. "The scars you have, can I ask you where you got them?" To her surprise, he chuckled a little.

"You saw them, knew I should've worn a shirt.," He leaned forward. "How many did you see?" He asked back.

"All of them, if you want, I'm not forcing you too-"

"It's fine Blake." He said as he pulled his collar down a little to give a glimpse of the one on his collar bone. "This was my first one, I got this after trekking across the Sanus mountain range and fell off." Blake's eyes widened at that.

"I survived but my aura was shattered, after picking myself up I kept moving. After a few hours of travel I came across this woman who was running in the forest. She was scared." He let his collar go and it slid back up to cover it.

"She was being hunted by the White Fang," he took a deep breath. "Apparently I had landed on the outskirts of Ionia." He looked down at the floor.

"Three men were chasing her down, and I got caught up in it. By the time I realized what was going on it was too late." He rubbed his chest.

"It was this alligator faunus, he shoved a blade into my chest. I don't remember much after that." Blake could only stare at him.

"Sorry, it's not some grand tale but that was the first time I met Ahri. I chased off the men and she dragged my bleeding body back to Ionia where it took me a week to wake up." He looked down in shame.

'It all goes back to Ionia, that place must have meant so much to him. Then the White Fang destroyed it. Took it all away from him.' Blake thought.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up a sore topic." She apologized, she felt her ears flatten against her head.

"It's okay Blake-"

"No! It's not okay!" She stood up, realizing her mistake she covered her mouth. She sat back down. "I keep asking you all these questions about your past-"

"It's fine Blake, you aren't causing me harm, it does feel good to talk about it. Just a little bit at a time." He interrupted by raising his hands. "Besides, if you think I'm going to hold you responsible for what happened there, don't. Not all faunus are bad." She looked down at the floor. She felt his hand on her shoulder.

"If you need to vent to me you can Blake, you're my teammate and my friend." He said with a smile on his lips. She nodded.

"Okay."

'What is wrong with me?' Blake asked herself.

When they had entered their room the sun had just set. The air in the room was awkward as Weiss and Blake had glared at each other. He had told them to stop before things got out of hand again and he had announced he would be taking a shower.

He washed his body with ease and just let the water soak him. He didn't know how long he was in there until Lamb snapped him out of it.

"Are you alright dear Shepherd, today has taken a toll on you." Lamb spoke.

'I'm just a bit conflicted with them Lamb, something I guess I have to work out.'

"Take examples of leaders in past times, how they spoke to their hearts rather than the minds."

'I will Lamb, I will, thank you.' He shut off the water and started to dry himself. He put on his sweat pants and started brushing his teeth.

"Uh oh, they're going at it again." Wolf warned him. As soon as he spit, he heard Blake and Weiss arguing again.

'Come on…' he groaned as he put on a plain white shirt. He opened the door to hear Weiss.

"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem!"

He looked to Yang and she just watched the other two girls argue from their beds right across from each other.

"That is the problem!" Blake shot back at Weiss. He groaned as he moved to his bed just to let them get it out of their system.

"This may turn bad Jaune, you should stop this." Lamb suggested.

'I tried to earlier, it is probably better to let them get it out.'

"Very well dear Shepherd."

"You realize you are defending an organization that hates Humanity, don't you? The Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!" Weiss said standing up from her bed, Blake followed shortly after.

"There's no such thing as pure evil! Why do you think they hate Humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin, people like you, that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!"

"There is pure evil out there, it tastes great." Wolf commented while watching the spectacle.

"People like me?"

"You're discriminatory!"

"I'm a victim!" Jaune perked up at that. He started to stand as Weiss leaned into Blake, neither backing down as they stared. She leered at her and spoke.

"You want to know why I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly trust the faunus?," Weiss turned away and moved to the windowsill. "It's because they've been at war with my family for years. War, as in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear; board members executed; an entire train car full of Dust, stolen. And every day, my father would come home, furious. And that made for a very difficult childhood." With her final word she bandaged her fist on the windowsill.

With that Jaune decided enough was enough. He moved in between the two girls, his first focus on Weiss.

"There are two sides to every story dear Shepherd. She isn't acting irrationally, just emotionally." Lamb voiced.

"Weiss, let's take a moment-"

"No!" She exclaimed as she pushed past him and got into Blake's face.

'Damnit.' Jaune groaned internally. As he pushed himself between them, creating space before it turned to worse.

"You want to know why I despise the White Fang? It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!" Weiss exclaimed.

That's when he saw it, the moment Blake broke.

"Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!" Blake rang silence in the room. Weiss started to back up father away without him needing too. Yang stared at Blake, while Blake had her eyes darting from each individual in the room. Her eyes locked with Jaune.

"I...I…" Blake stammered out.

"Blake stop." Jaune commanded with no avail, with a burst of speed she spun around and darted from the room. Slamming the door in Jaune's face as he attempted to chase after her.

He placed his head against the door and banged his fist against it. There was a bit of anger and he wanted to lash out at Weiss. But hearing her explain just a bit ago changed his mind.

"Remember, I can find her, she carries our mark." Wolf comforted him.

"Shit." Jaune said as he turned around to see Weiss glaring at him.

"You knew, didn't-"

"Shut the fuck up Weiss." He said in a low voice. Her accusatory tone set him off.

"Excuse-"

"I get it, you had a bad childhood because of the White Fang, I had some bad experiences myself.," He interrupted her. "Hell, I fucking killed a few of them." He ignored the looks he received from Yang and Weiss as he put his boots on.

"But I've also killed a few humans as well, you wanna know why?" He finished lacing his boots as he stood up. She didn't say anything so he pressed on.

"Because they would've killed others Weiss. Only in self defense or in the defense of others I had done so. I sure as hell didn't enjoy it." He removed his shirt to show her his scar he showed Blake earlier.

"I almost died after I got this one. You want to know how I got it, I got it from saving a faunus from being raped by the White Fang." He put his shirt back on and walked back over to the door.

"You would have to be pretty damn naive to believe faunus won't do awful things to their own kind, let alone humans." He stared back at her with fury in his eyes.

"Choices are what make us Weiss. My choice right now is to try to fix this team, and if you're concerned about the truth I'll get you the truth, if you get off your high horse."

He looked over to Yang.

"Sorry you had to deal with this Yang." With that he opened the door and left.

Another night in his tower.

Another night where he was doing paperwork and reading reports.

Another night of wait for Qrow to let him know he arrived in Argus.

It would be if he wasn't distracted with a book in his hands.

'Tales of Remnant: Fairy Tales, Legends, and Myths'

He read through a few pages before closing it. It would serve him well in the upcoming choice. He looked back to his computer with the team ABYS pulled up, specifically the females. He could chuckle, no doubt be killed a few times by the Kindred spirits. For many it was a once in a lifetime chance, but not for him. He would gladly suffer if it meant they were on his side.

He looked down at the book's author. Written in gold. The author, the mysterious Jarro Lightfeather.

But he knew him by a different name, when he was a student here not too long ago.

Ezreal.

Ezreal Arc.

The father of the student Jaune Arc.

'I'm sorry Ezreal, you were a great explorer.'

That's when his scroll rang, and with a press of a button

"Oz, I'm in Argus. What now?"

So i took a break, that turned into a vacation and that turned into me missing.

I just wrote and kept writing and was satisfied with this, hopefully you all are too. I want you all to know I read every review and take your advice to heart.

Thank you, each and every one of you for sticking with me in these rough times. I know 2020 has been one hell of a fucking year and i hope every one of you is safe.

And in hindsight, this probably wasn't the chapter to post with what has happened recently.

God bless every single one of you beautiful souls.