122

Chapter 122:

"You want me to what?" exclaimed Jaune, staring at Sasame in shock.

"I want you to come back to Onmyo with us," said Sasame firmly. "As you guessed, last time we spoke of your potential as a healer, training as one requires specialized instruction. Though the overall methodology is different in the Kingdoms, you would still be learning the medical arts, the understanding of human and faunus bodies, and how to treat their ills. And, of course, there are the more specialized techniques to healing that are beyond what little you are capable of now.

"Sadly, there just isn't enough time for me to do it over the course of my visit, and I won't be able to come back for a considerable length of time, after I return home. Therefore, it is my intention to bring you back with me, so that I can handle your instruction back home, while fulfilling my duties."

"I...I'm honored by the offer," said Jaune, bowing his head to Sasame, who'd pulled him aside amidst the commotion following Oscar's match with Natsuki. "But I can't leave Beacon. I have my team, my friends, and Ruby here. I know that it's her homeland, but she doesn't have a reason to come back with you." He paused. "Not to mention that I don't think missing a year's worth of class would be a good idea for my chances at graduating with my teammates."

"I suppose that's true," agreed Sasame. "I also imagine it wouldn't be a major trial to defer your full training until after your graduation." She folded her arms, frowning thoughtfully. "Perhaps I got ahead of myself. But I still believe it would work better if I simply took you back with me, rather than giving you incomplete instruction now, and trusting in that to carry you through the remainder of your time here."

She stood silent for a moment, fox-tail gently swaying back and forth behind her, deep in thought for a moment. The silence stretched on long enough for Jaune to begin feeling uncomfortable, shifting uneasily as he waited for her to say something, before beginning to wonder if he just ought to excuse himself and rejoin the others.

Abruptly, Sasame straightened up, her tail shooting up behind her, its hairs standing on end, gasping in excitement; her sudden, breathy exclamation startling Jaune, prompting him to yelp and jump back in surprise.

"I just had a wonderful idea!" declared Sasame. "It covers so many bases. I can't believe I didn't think of it before. It's positively brilliant, if I do say so myself...which I do."

"Uh...great," said Jaune. "Care to fill me in on your brilliant idea?" Maybe it's something sensible, like having her instruct me over the CCT. He'd momentarily forgotten that the Mibu didn't have access to the CCT.

"Why don't I just bring all of you back with me," said Sasame.

"Huh!?" That's even crazier!

"It's perfect," said Sasame, talking mostly to herself now. "It'll work as an exchange program. Beacon students coming over to Onmyo would give the people more examples of outsiders to interact with and see. You and your friends will get a better engagement with our Aura techniques, including instruction by masters. Ruby-chan will be able to visit her friends and family. Both Vale and the Mibu will have a record of interaction to help drive us ultimately leaving our isolation."

Jaune's head whirled at the ideas Sasame was spouting. There was a logic to it that he could understand. But, at the same time, he was wary. The revelation of the Mibu, or even the mere fact that someone raised and educated by them was a student of Beacon, had been something that a member of Vale's Council had been willing to stoop to kidnapping and murder to prevent. If the Mibu really pushed themselves out into the open, who was to say that the resulting response wouldn't be even more extreme, especially considering the threat the Mibu, and their Aura abilities, represented to the Dust industry.

On the other hand, it had several potential advantages. Jaune had to admit that, despite his reluctance to leave Beacon behind for a year or more to properly learn how to work as a healer, he still wanted desperately to master the arts that he was mostly learning from basic advice from Ruby, who herself was a mere novice in the craft, without any intention of advancing her learning further; mostly to avoid accidentally injuring her again. Besides that, he knew that he and his friends would only benefit from more specialized instruction in Aura-techniques. Ruby was always uneasy about how good a job she was doing instructing them in the mere basics of the craft, and was completely clueless as to how to help them master the full nuances of Manifestation. While Sasame was also stumped on how to help people who'd already unlocked their Semblances develop proper Manifestations, perhaps other experts might be able to hammer out some kind of answer to that conundrum.

Of course, the whole notion was ridiculous. Jaune knew full well that there was no way that Ozpin would ever approve simply handing over two teams' worth of his students to a group of people who weren't even an official Kingdom, who were completely isolated from the rest of the world, and were historically at odds with the actual Kingdoms, Vale in particular.

Yeah...no way Ozpin would ever agree to this, thought Jaune.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," said Ozpin.

Jaune's jaw dropped in nearly perfect time with his sheathed weapon, clanging to the floor of Ozpin's office. Sasame had been so excited by the notion that she'd practically dragged him across campus, through the festival grounds, and up into the tower. Everyone else (Oscar and Maria included), seeing their dramatic departure, rushed to follow, spilling out of the elevator just in time to hear the tail-end of Sasame's proposal. Their panicked rush to keep up with an exuberant Sasame had even drawn Miyu and Setsuna out of the crowd, like iron filings with a magnet.

"A-are you serious?" asked Jaune nervously.

Ozpin chuckled. "Though her enthusiasm might be a little…off-putting, Ms. Mitarai's reasoning is actually quite sound. An exchange program is an excellent way to build congenial relations between Vale and the Mibu. More to the point, the skills you could learn and develop there and, subsequently, bring back, might well be priceless."

Ruby was beginning to gape too, just as shocked as Jaune was, possibly more-so because she hadn't even heard Sasame's full idea before now. Sasame had expressed an intention to bring Jaune back to train him, but she'd never suggested such a dramatic idea as bringing the whole of RASP and RYNB over to Onmyo. Her gaze went to Glynda, standing silently behind Ozpin. Ruby expected the stern woman to be ready to deliver a dramatic objection. However, to Ruby's amazement, Glynda remained silent, instead appearing to give the idea serious consideration.

"There is a mild academic concern," continued Ozpin. "However, I am certain that we could make some arrangements for course credits, as well as treating the affair as an extended mission, which would take care of your mission credits for the year as well."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," said Weiss incredulously.

"This idea has my full approval..." said Ozpin, "...is what I would like to say. However...I'm afraid that there are still complications that would prevent us from going through with it, as things currently stand."

"Oh...?" Sasame raised an eyebrow, her excitement fading in the face of Ozpin's disappointing statement, but still recognizing that there was yet more to learn about the situation.

"First and foremost, such a program requires the full and informed consent of its participants," said Ozpin, his eyes sweeping out over the assembled students. His gaze paused fractionally as his eyes came to rest on Oscar, seeming to notice the boy's presence for the first time. "Such a program represents a dramatic shift in their experiences. I have no desire to force my students to uproot themselves to participate in an exchange with a foreign land. Therefore, before any such idea can be approved, it requires their input and approval.

"Therefore, the first thing we must have is a detailed plan as to just what this exchange will consist of. What will the students be learning? Who will they be learning from? When does it start and end? These must be ironed out.

"The second is that the students must be informed of all the details, then allowed to make their own decisions on the matter. Those who wish to stay at Beacon cannot be pressured into changing their decision, even if it means splitting teams."

Sasame nodded soberly, feeling a bit contrite, if anything, about her previously rash attitude.

"The final complication is the most difficult one to deal with," said Ozpin, "largely because it is heavily governed by outside factors that I have limited influence over.

"The Mibu, officially, are a political non-entity. No one in any official capacity acknowledges their existence. Thus, the idea of initiating an exchange program with a political entity that does not exist would be treated as utterly ridiculous. Unofficially, the relationship between the Mibu and the Kingdoms, Vale in particular, is quite rocky, thanks to their history of past conflict. Such history makes those in power rather disinclined to change their minds on the idea of engaging with the Mibu in a more official capacity. There is also the threat to the importance of Dust represented by the Mibu's Aura-skills."

"Well, if we're talking about threats to Dust," said Weiss, stepping forward, "that might actually be leverage in our favor, considering Father's past actions."

Weiss' friends stared at her in shock, mainly at the idea of Weiss offering support to Sasame's, still somewhat-radical-sounding, idea.

"That...is an excellent point, Ms. Schnee," said Ozpin, smiling at her statement. "However, the other points remain rather difficult to clear. In order to shift matters so that the Council of Vale would be willing to approve such a course of action, we need to take steps towards amending their attitudes towards the Mibu. Mason Ayers was, undoubtedly, the primary antagonistic element within the Council, but the remaining members, as well as whoever replaces Ayers, will be dubious of the proposal at best."

"But I thought Beacon was run independently," said Pyrrha. "You don't need the Council's approval for an exchange program, do you?"

"Considering the aim of said program is to build a relationship with a group that the current government of Vale does not wish to acknowledge, I have less leeway than usual," said Ozpin. "If the Council decides that I am not suited to the position of Headmaster, they do have the power to vote me out, and appoint one more to their liking in my place. Ayers was gathering evidence to try and bring about just such an action, when we apprehended him.

"Considering that I have already admitted a student who is affiliated with the Mibu, and am currently hosting one of the most-wanted criminals in the world, I have, unfortunately, strained my credibility a great deal. Ms. Rose has produced magnificent results to offset that, but putting this plan forward, as things stand now, would most likely push things past the edge, and potentially lead to my ouster."

Sasame sighed softly. "That is rather troublesome. I can claim that things would at least be easier on my end. The Taishiro, and the majority of the Goyosei, favor an end to our isolationism. However, several prominent families and clan members are strongly, some fanatically, opposed, and the general attitude of the populace is still rather dismissive of outsiders in general."

"Well, with the heads of your government on your side, it should be easier to make an exchange program work, in any case," said Ozpin.

"So then...the best approach would be some form of demonstration of goodwill," mused Sasame. "Along with that, perhaps some way of demonstrating the potential of the Mibu arts that people would otherwise be dismissive of."

"Yes," agreed Ozpin. "It would be best if such a demonstration was public, something visible, and dramatic..." His voice trailed off, eyes widening behind his spectacles. Abruptly his smile returned, looking distinctly sly and making the people before him (with the exception of Sasame) a little uncomfortable. They got the distinct impression that Ozpin had just come up with a diabolical plan.

"You seem to have thought of something," said Sasame, more than a little unnecessarily.

Ozpin chuckled. "Why yes...I believe I did just have a rather excellent idea. You see...the Vytal Festival Tournament begins tomorrow. However, due to the fact that a certain team of participants has...dropped out...there is an opening in the tournament roster."

Jaws all around the room dropped, including Glynda's this time, as Ozpin began to outline a proposal that sounded downright outlandish.

"Unfortunately, due to complications with organization, there wasn't an opportunity for any of the Academies to front a team to replace the one that has been lost," continued Ozpin, "which means that that slot remains open. As things stand, in the process of the tournament, one of the teams currently participating would be randomly paired with this empty slot, and advanced to the next round automatically. However, I feel that would be rather unsatisfying for the audience, and especially the team being advanced, as two of its members would miss the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in the first round.

"However...we presently have, staying in our guest dorms, multiple representatives of the Mibu, all of whom-according to you, Ms. Mitarai-are trained in combat. Though they are younger than the norm for Academy students, if their capabilities are near those of Ms. Rose, they would make for substantial competition for any of the teams currently participating."

"Ozpin! The Council would never approve!" protested Glynda.

"Luckily, the Council has placed James and I in charge of all affairs concerning the tournament," replied Ozpin.

"And you think that James would agree to this?" asked Glynda skeptically.

"James has been coming around to the potential that the Mibu represent," said Ozpin. "I imagine he might be more amenable to this than you might think." He looked across the desk at Sasame. "Well then, Ms. Mitarai, what do you think? You and your charges would participate in the tournament, and demonstrate what the Mibu are capable of. Also, participating in the tournament also serves as a gesture of goodwill, and the Mibu's willingness to engage with the other Kingdoms."

"I like it," said Sasame, her tail waving back and forth more energetically than before. "There is but one issue."

"And that is...?" prodded Ozpin.

"My participation is out of the question," said Sasame simply. "I am older than any Academy students and, by all rights, would be considered a full graduate in your system. It would not be appropriate to pit me against mere students in such a context, and would be considered tantamount to cheating...which leaves us with another complication. Because of that, there are only three of us visiting Mibu who would be eligible to participate in this tournament. I understand that the first round is supposed to involve teams of four. Would a team of three be acceptable?"

"Unfortunately not," admitted Ozpin. "Tournament guidelines do require a team to have a full roster of four members to be eligible, a matter that has been debated, but not resolved, and definitely not in time to be applicable to the current tournament. We would indeed require a fourth member to fill out the roster."

"A fourth member..." mused Sasame. "Unfortunately, the only other representative of the Mibu here, who is eligible, would be Ruby-chan. But having her represent both teams would be just as problematic."

"Considering the circumstances, I would permit a substitute, if you can find one," said Ozpin. "I would even permit someone from Beacon or any of the visiting students not actually participating in the tournament."

"Yeah, but we don't really know anyone like that," Ruby pointed out.

After all, all the teams they knew personally; CFVY, CRDL, SSSN, CPPR, and now ABRN; were all participating in the tournament. Even amongst the other students, those who weren't participating weren't in RUBY or RASP's social circle, to say nothing of students from outside Beacon.

"Hmmm..." Sasame canted her head, expression pensive. "Does it have to be an Academy student?"

"Not necessarily," said Ozpin. "If they are someone that has the capacity to participate in the tournament; so long as they are not, like you, too old; then I would be willing to accept them, seeing as your charges are not Academy students either."

"So...we would need somebody young, with Huntsman training..." Sasame began to smile in a manner reminiscent to how Ozpin had been smiling earlier. "They would have to be somebody capable of holding their own..." Her head turned, her gaze coming to rest on a certain young man, who'd been silent throughout this whole affair, mostly because of his complete lack of involvement in what was going on.

It took Oscar an extra second to realize that Sasame was looking at him. A second later, all eyes in the room were on him, and Oscar tensed, blushing automatically, uneasy with the sudden scrutiny. "Wha-? Me?"

Sasame's smile became a grin.

"Tha-that's crazy!" exclaimed Oscar. "I-I mean...I'm way too young. Sure, Natsuki and the others are fifteen, but I'm thirteen! I've only been training for a year, for crying out loud. Me? Participate in the Vytal Festival Tournament?"

Oscar yelped at the cackle that exploded from Maria, who'd been standing behind him. "Well well, that sounds like an entertaining idea. Imagine your aunt's reaction, when she sees you in the ring."

"Sh-she'd kill me," Oscar whimpered.

"Oh, she'd probably have some stern words with me for allowing such madness," said Maria. "But it would be a good experience for you."

"How would being humiliated in an official tournament broadcast across the entire world be a good experience?" Oscar wanted to know.

"You're assuming you would be humiliated," said Sasame cheerfully. "I've already taken your measure, Oscar-kun, thanks to your match with Natsu-chan. I would say that you are not as unfit as you think yourself to be. Besides, even if you are lacking in training and experience, you would have a trio of allies with both supporting you."

Oscar lurched forward as a weight struck his back, a pair of arms wrapping around his shoulders from behind. Natsuki rested her chin on his shoulder, grinning at him from the edge of his field of vision, the contact of her body pressing against his back making Oscar flush even redder.

"This sounds great!" exclaimed Natsuki. "This tournament sounds like fun, and I'd get to fight alongside you, Oscar-kun."

"Um...uh..." Oscar blinked, his rational process shutting down, due to the pretty girl literally hanging off him.

"I can't help but notice that no one asked us what we thought about this," said Setsuna, glancing sidelong at Miyu.

"Do you have any objections?" asked Miyu, glancing back.

"It sounds entertaining," said Setsuna with a shrug. "I have no issue. It's definitely better than simply sitting back and playing spectator the whole time."

"I feel the same," said Miyu, nodding in agreement.

Natsuki finally released Oscar, who stumbled a bit, turning around to grin at her two friends from home. "So you're okay with having Oscar-kun on our team."

"Sasame-sama mentioned that he fought a match with you," said Miyu. "How was he?"

"Really good," said Natsuki, nodding to herself. "You'd never think he'd only been training for a year."

"I have no problems with it then," said Miyu, Setsuna nodding his agreement alongside her. "Though, it would be the best if the two of us also got an idea of Oscar-kun's ability, before we throw ourselves into the ring."

"Which brings up the other issue," said Marai sternly, "teamwork. You three may know each other well enough that you could fight alongside one another in the ring. But Oscar would trip things up by virtue of the fact that he has never been a part of your group dynamic."

"Truth be told, the three of us don't have a lot of experience fighting together either," admitted Setsuna. "The best you could say we could do is that we know how to stay out of each other's way."

"Not good enough," said Maria strictly. "Even if your skills are the real deal; which I don't doubt, after seeing the young lady fight; ad-hoc teamwork won't be enough to carry the day in the Vytal Festival Tournament. You four need time to learn one another's abilities, skills, and individual quirks, and iron out at least some idea of how you'll fight together. The issue is that we don't know how much time you have. The selection process is random, and you could be paired up with your opponents as early as the first round tomorrow."

"Actually, we can help with that," said Ozpin. "Considering the obstacles facing such a sudden inclusion, it would only be natural to make reasonable amendments. Therefore, we can...tweak...the selection process. As such, your team will be assigned to the final match of the team rounds, which means that your opponents would remain a random factor. That would give you three whole days to develop your team dynamic."

"A-are you sure that is permissible?" asked Glynda nervously.

"I believe that James and I would be able to make it work," said Ozpin.

"Again...I'm a little troubled that you are assuming James' cooperation," said Glynda uneasily.

"He's certainly learned to be more reasonable," said Ozpin. "I think I can talk him around." His gaze went to Oscar, who flinched nervously as it settled on him.

Ruby shivered. Though she wasn't the recipient of that feeling, she couldn't help but feel a sense of...interest...in the boy from Ozpin. It reminded her the feeling she'd gotten when she'd first met Kyo's father, and again, when she'd met Maria. Ozpin looked as though he were seeing something familiar, and seemed...strangely sad, though it was very subtle, and she suspected that only a tiny number of other people in the room could pick up on it.

"What is your name, young man?" asked Ozpin.

"O-Oscar Pine," said Oscar, straightening nervously.

Ozpin smiled gently, giving him an almost grandfatherly air. "I have no wish to force this upon you, Mr. Pine. I have only just met you, but I can tell that this situation is completely beyond your expectations for what the festival entailed. If you so wish, I will allow you to withdraw. No one here would think less of you for it, if you wished to do so. This does represent a substantial risk, after all."

Oscar looked down at his boots. "Risk, huh..."

That was an understatement. By agreeing to participate in the tournament, Oscar would be putting his face and name out for the entire world to see. If he made a good showing, even if if he didn't wind up winning, then it was practically a ticket to success as a Huntsman. Whether he went to an Academy or did as his teacher had done, and went straight into taking the licensing exam, he'd be pretty much assured of success.

On the other hand, if he went down like a chump in the first round, he'd be a laughingstock, the little boy who'd thought he could play with the big kids. If he made a fool of himself, then he could expect himself to be in for hell, if he ever went to an Academy, assuming any Academy was willing to accept someone who'd pulled a stunt as stupid as he had.

And it was a risk. Everyone seemed to think he was skilled for his age and level of training. But Oscar knew better than to let that go to his head (Maria had been very stringent in beating that tendency out of him from the very beginning). It didn't change the fact that, if he agreed, he'd be going up against people several years older than him, who'd been training for that much longer. The idea that he could measure up against that, just because he was a little better than average, was arrogant in the extreme.

On the other hand, Oscar was now no stranger to risk. He'd already taken the tremendous risk of coming to Vale in the first place. He'd put so much on the line for the chance to see Ruby again, to tell her about how he felt. That chance hadn't paid off, unfortunately. But Oscar had once again come to realize that this represented another opportunity, a potential chance that, if he didn't seize it, he might look back on with regret.

Oscar glanced behind himself, seeing Natsuki standing there, hands clasped behind her back, watching him with a hopeful expression. He couldn't even begin to understand why a girl like her was so interested in him. He hadn't gotten the full scoop on the Mibu, but he was aware that they were isolated from the other Kingdoms, and that the repercussions of what happened here weren't likely to have much of an effect on her life back there, for the time being. Fighting in the tournament wasn't some kind of ambition for her, and the reason she was so eager to have him on her team was...

"I guess I'll do it," said Oscar. In for a penny...I guess.

"I'm glad to hear it, Mr. Pine," said Ozpin. "Since you are visiting from abroad, I assume you have accommodations in Vale, correct."

"Yes," said Oscar.

"Then I will suggest that you move into the visitor dorms with your new teammates," said Ozpin. "Beacon will cover the expense of your accommodations, including the cancelation fee, as well as provide you with additional financial support, while you are a participant. In gratitude for your assistance, I will also be happy to cover the cost of your return trip to Mistral."

"That's...thanks," said Oscar, genuinely relieved by the idea. That would certainly ease the strain on his finances, and allow him to go back without having spent as much of his aunt's money as he'd anticipated, something that would hopefully mollify her, once she saw him participating in the tournament. He still wasn't looking forward to her reaction to learning that though.

"I think it would be best to spend some time getting acquainted with your new teammates," said Ozpin. "I look forward to seeing your performance, young man."

That makes one of us, thought Oscar with trepidation, not looking forward to the prospect of tripping up and making a fool of himself.

The group filed out, needing multiple trips with the elevator to make it down. Finally, Glynda and Ozpin were left alone in the office.

"Who is that boy?" asked Glynda. "What is it about him that interests you so?"

"Someone whose actions will one day become important in the future," said Ozpin cryptically.

Glynda sighed, resigning herself to the fact that she probably wouldn't get a better explanation from the man.

"This has to be the craziest thing that's ever happened to me," said Oscar, feeling numb as he perched on the edge of the bed that had been assigned to him in Beacon's visitor dormitory.

Though the building itself was roughly the size of the dorm used by Beacon's own students, the visitor dorm was made to accommodate fewer visitors, by virtue of the fact that the only students staying there were participants in the tournament. Because of that, the visitor dorms had the luxury of double and single-rooms, as opposed to requiring all four students of a team to room together. Oscar was grateful for that, and for the fact that he would be sharing a room with Setsuna, not knowing how his heart could handle being in the same room as Natsuki and Miyu.

"I can understand how you'd feel that way," said Setsuna, setting his kama atop one of the room's two desks. "I hope you don't feel like you were badgered into this."

"I don't," said Oscar. "I hope you're okay having to babysit an amateur like me."

"I don't think we'll be babysitting," said Setsuna, giving him a smile. "Natsu-chan's been singing your praises, which means you're pretty special all right."

"Does she know what she's talking about?" asked Oscar a little dubiously.

Setsuna chuckled. "She knows enough. She lives by the old saying, 'If you can't say anything nice, then it's better to say nothing at all.' She's not the sort to be really frank about a person's failings, but she's honest about their good points, and not the sort to exaggerate...much.

"She's also perceptive."

"How so?" asked Oscar.

Setsuna sat down on his bed, looking across the space between their mattresses.

"When Ruby-chan joined our class, nearly all of us were pretty cold towards her," said Setsuna, averting his eyes. "She was an outsider, and a lot of us grew up around people who talked about them with nothing but scorn. I thought myself to be pretty open-minded, Miyu too. But neither of us could work up the willingness to feel anything past ambivalence towards her.

"Natsu-chan, on the other hand, welcomed Ruby-chan from the minute she came into that classroom. She was Ruby-chan's friend from day-one. It's just as though she sort of...knows people, whether they're good or bad. She was the one who pointed Ruby-chan to Miyu and I, and Ruby-chan was able to befriend us as well.

"If Natsu-chan could be said to have one overriding talent, it's her ability to see...I don't know what you'd call it...the heart of people, I guess. So, when it comes to her judgment for people, I have complete faith in it."

Setsuna focused his gaze on Oscar, who found himself shifting nervously under it. "From what I can see, you don't need to have such a low opinion of yourself. I can tell that we can make it work."

"Thanks," said Oscar, feeling a bit better.

Abruptly, Setsuna's eyes went to the door of the room. Getting up from the bed, he was already halfway to the door when someone began to knock on it. Pulling it open, he favored the girl on the other side with a small smile. "Hey, Ruby-chan," he said, "what is it?"

"Hey," Ruby greeted back with a warm smile. "Can I talk to Oscar for a bit?"

Setsuna stepped away from the door to look at Oscar, who was blushing again, when he saw that Ruby was there, and even more when she said she'd wanted to speak to him.

"It's up to you," said Setsuna simply.

Oscar nodded, then nervously got up and headed to the door.

Ruby led him through the visitor dorm's hallways. Though the rooms were distributed differently, the overall layout was the same, including when it came to common areas, and little private spaces where people could talk without having to worry too much about interruption. As such, Ruby led Oscar out on a rooftop that was nearly identical to the one in her dorm. There was a room underneath it, but the window was closed, and its occupants were all asleep, so the chances of them overhearing were just about nil.

Ruby turned to look Oscar in the eyes. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Oscar looked down. "I'm not sure. There's a lot going on, and I don't know what to think about it. I came here for one thing, and now..."

"That one thing..." said Ruby, feeling a bit nervous herself.

"I know Jaune told me not to, but I can't really let go of what I feel," continued Oscar, turning away from her a little more.

"If you still want to say it, I'll listen," said Ruby.

"Y-you will?" asked Oscar, shocked, looking up at her in amazement.

Ruby nodded slowly. "It's really brave that you came so far. So it doesn't feel right that you have to give up, before you even got to say how you feel. I know I can't return your feelings, but I won't deny them either."

Oscar sighed. "Thanks." He took a deep breath, before turning around to look Ruby right in her eyes. "I'm in love with you, Ruby Rose. I have been ever since the day you changed my life! I...I've been in love with you all this time."

Ruby's smile was both sad and grateful. She brought her hand up to brush some tears out of her eyes. "Th-thank you," she said, more moved than even she thought she'd be. "I...I'm really glad I get to see you again, Oscar. I'm sorry we can't be more, but...I want you to know that it wasn't for nothing, and that I do still care about you."

"But only as a friend, right?" asked Oscar.

Ruby nodded. "Honestly, I don't know who would make me happier, you or Jaune. But it doesn't matter. It wouldn't be right, for either of you, if I was willing to abandon one to take up the other, just on the chance that he would make me happier. What Jaune and I have, we made for ourselves, and I won't abandon it."

"I...understand," said Oscar.

"But that doesn't make it hurt any less, does it?" asked Ruby.

Oscar shook his head.

Ruby pulled Oscar into a hug. "I'm glad you're here," she said. "Seeing you again is a reminder that this is the right way for me, that I haven't been living my life the wrong way. Thank you." She planted the softest of kisses on his cheek, before releasing him and walking towards the door. "Good night, Oscar. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Y-yeah," said Oscar, his hand going to his cheek. "G-good night."

Ruby was gone, and Oscar found himself staring off into the night, a confused jumble of feelings tumbling around in his gut. There was pain to be sure; the pain of rejection, however gentle and kind it had been; but also relief, a feeling of closure. Ruby had listened to him, and accepted his feelings, even though she couldn't return them. That alone made this trip worthwhile for him.

He was so distracted that he almost missed the click of Maria's walking stick, until she spoke up from directly behind him. "Your taste in girls is too good," she said softly.

"Yeah," agreed Oscar. "She was way out of my league."

"Hardly," said Maria. "But, like I said before, if she was the kind of girl to drop her current boyfriend, just for a chance with you, she'd be beneath you. It's sad, but that's the way it works sometimes."

"Did you ever have someone like that, Ms. Maria?" asked Oscar.

"Can't say that I did," said Maria. "Though that was more my fault than anyone else's."

After the assassination attempt that had stolen her eyes from her, Maria had lived her life in perpetual fear of someone coming along to try and finish the job. That fear had kept her from forming connections with others, on the basis that any one of them might be an enemy agent, trying to trick her into lowering her guard. She hid her life behind a veil of suspicion, looking at everyone she encountered as a potential enemy. Because of that, the thought of growing close to someone, and the fear that they might one day betray her, had been more terrifying than any other. So Maria had lived purely for herself...until recently.

"Come on, it's time for bed," said Maria, gently prodding Oscar with her cane. "You'll have plenty of work in the morning. We've got until the last round on Thursday to whip this team of yours into shape. Sorry to say that you're probably gonna get to see less of the festival than you reckoned."

"Yeah," agreed Oscar, turning towards the door. Strangely, he didn't think he'd mind.

Ruby sniffled, pressing her face against Natsuki's shoulder, while her oldest friend brushed fingers through her hair. "I feel so awful," she said.

"It'll be okay, Ruby-chan," said Natsuki, nuzzling her cheek against the top of Ruby's head. "You're not bad for turning him down. And I think Jaune-kun is a great guy. You're not wrong."

Ruby nodded, before pulling away and looking Natsuki in the eyes. "Would you look after him for me?" she asked.

"Of course I will," said Natsuki, beaming at Ruby. "Oscar-kun's a friend now. I'll do my best to help him feel better."

"Thanks," said Ruby, pulling herself up against Natsuki again, the two of them clinging tightly to each other. "I missed you, Natsu-chan. I'm sorry I didn't come back."

"Well, you couldn't help it," said Natsuki. "We've always known how much this meant to you, Ruby-chan." She chuckled. "After all, you wouldn't stop talking about it."

"Y-yeah," admitted Ruby, flushing with embarrassment at the memory of just how much and how often she'd gushed about her dream of being a Huntress in front of her friends back home.

"Go back to your team, Ruby-chan," Natsuki assured her. "Leave Oscar-kun to us."

"Okay," said Ruby, giving Natsuki another smile. "Good luck, Natsu-chan."

Natsuki gave her an excited grin. "Maybe we'll get to face off against each other in the tournament. I'm sure you've been getting stronger at Beacon, Ruby-chan. But so have I. If we see each other in the ring, I'll show you what I've learned."

"Me too," said Ruby. She took Natsuki's hands in her own, giving them a friendly squeeze, before going along her way.

Natsuki watched her go, a content smile on her face, glad that she and Sasame had been able to convince her parents to allow them to go on this trip, to say nothing of Miyu and Setsuna's families. This opportunity had been everything she'd hoped for and more.

The next day saw the four members of the newly-minted team assembled in one of the larger sparring rings. Thanks to the beginning of the tournament, Beacon itself was practically deserted, the vast majority of the students and staff having headed off to Amity Coliseum to see the first day's matches. Fortunately, that left the four newcomers with plenty of time and privacy. Sasame had accompanied RASP and RYNB up to the coliseum, on the off chance that either of those teams was going to be among the participants in that day's matches, promising to send word, so that Oscar and the others could watch, if that was the case. That left the four of them to Maria's supervision.

"Now then," said Maria firmly, resting her hands atop the skull that capped her cane, "time for us to get started. We don't have a lot of time, so the four of you are gonna have to use what time you can to get as familiar with each other, and what you can and can't do, as possible, and determine the best way to fight together in the ring."

"Any advice you could give us in that respect would be quite welcome," said Miyu politely.

"Well...I'm not going to be all that much help," said Maria, sounding slightly disappointed by that. "When I was an active Huntress, I was more of a lone wolf-type than anything else, so I don't have a huge amount of experience with teamwork. I had to work with some others on occasion, but it was something I tended to avoid."

"So it's going to be more trial and error on our part, than anything else," mused Setsuna.

"'Fraid so," said Maria. "Sorry, youngster."

"It's fine," said Natsuki.

"Still, I can give you a little advice," said Maria. "To start with, one of the most important things is gonna be formation."

"Formation?" Oscar canted his head in confusion.

Maria nodded. "Where you are in relation to each other. Those times when I did have to work with someone else, this was pretty important, so that we didn't trip each other up. Beyond that, you'll have to come up with a formation that allows you to support each other, if you need to.

"Battle is a chaotic thing, and the coliseum's ring is plenty big, so it won't be much of a surprise if you four wind up spread out, fighting your own battles. But, even if that's the case, you're gonna need to keep track of both your opponents and each other. In that situation, this might be your best approach."

"How so?" asked Miyu.

Maria rapped the end of her cane against the floor. "It's only natural that your opponents are gonna have better teamwork than the four of you. If that's the case, then the best approach might be to engage them individually, and push them apart with the intent of keeping them from working together."

"That might work," said Setsuna.

"Though I doubt it will be that even," added Miyu. "As combat goes, my specialty lies in the Healing Arts. Though I am capable of fighting, my offensive abilities don't measure up to the others."

"Well, considering the nature of combat in the tournament, I doubt there will be much in the way of injuries for you to treat," said Maria. "That does make things a bit trickier."

"There are other ways her skills can be used though," said Setsuna firmly. "There are only a few techniques of the Healing Arts that have been approved for battle, of which Miyu is only proficient in one, but we shouldn't depend on that. But Miyu's support skills will be a big help though."

"Support skills...?" The shutters on one of Maria's prosthetic eyes opened a little bit wider, an approximation of what a raised eyebrow would look like.

Miyu held a hand out and beckoned to Oscar. "Let me demonstrate. Come and stand in front of me, Oscar-kun."

"O-okay," said Oscar, doing as he was bid. A second later, he found himself standing in front of Miyu, nervously watching her.

"Turn around," instructed Miyu.

Oscar did so, facing Setsuna and Natsuki. Behind him, Miyu raised a hand to press it between his shoulder blades. Her Aura was the same dark-red color as her hair, flowing into Oscar's body. However, as it entered his body, her Aura began to wash the same emerald-green color as Oscar's, making his outline begin to shine brightly.

Oscar gasped. Even though he hadn't done anything yet, his body felt so much lighter. His arms and legs were bursting with strength they'd never had before, strength he wouldn't know without another several years' worth of training.

"Try doing a little sparring with Natsu-chan and Setsuna," advised Miyu, gently pushing Oscar forward.

Natsuki grinned, drawing her kodachi. Beside her, Setsuna also drew his kama, the two of them sinking into crouches. Oscar drew his own kama, feeling strangely confident. The power that surged through him seemed to wash away his unease and inadequacy, leaving him ready to fight.

Oscar charged his two opponents, shocked by his own speed. Before he even realized it, he was in front of them. It was so sudden that it took him an extra second to realize he needed to swing his weapons, before he simply wound up barreling into them. When he did, the speed he used was such that it more than made up for his fractional hesitation. Natsuki and Setsuna both raised their weapons to block. Even though Oscar was striking at the two of them at the same time, one arm for each, the pair were still sent sliding back by the force of his blows.

Oscar chose to focus on Setsuna, going in with sequential slashes of his kama, jumping and whirling to put the force of his body behind them. Setsuna was driven back by the fierce onslaught, his own, smaller kama working furiously to keep Oscar's attacks at bay.

Natsuki was behind him in a flash, the flicker of motion out of the corner of his eye being the only indicator to Oscar. His training kicking in, he lashed out with he left kama, slashing it behind him. Natsuki stopped herself, letting the attack slip by her, Oscar's own speed actually causing his attack to come too early to compensate for the timing of Natsuki's arrival. However, he quickly adapted, using his attack to put his body into a spin that allowed him to bring his other weapon around, momentarily abandoning his offensive against Setsuna. Attacking furiously, Oscar forced Natsuki back, before whirling to intercept Setsuna, before the other boy could renew his offensive.

The exchange went on furiously for at least two long, frantic minutes, Oscar switching between his two opponents to keep them from coordinating their actions against him. However, his limbs gradually began to feel heavier, as though he was trying to fight his way through thick mud.

Then Miyu entered the fray, slipping easily past both Natsuki and Setsuna, her presence barely even registering to them until she was standing behind Oscar, her back pressed gently against his own. Through that contact, her Aura flowed into Oscar's body again, and the heaviness vanished. Oscar found himself moving even faster, often needing to correct his attacks to make up for the fact that their speed had increased. Even though he twisted and turned about to keep fighting Natsuki and Setsuna at the same time, Miyu stayed with him, almost seeming glued to his back, her movements so smooth and well-timed that he hardly even registered her presence.

Finally, Miyu spoke out. "That should do it for now."

Both Natsuki and Setsuna flashed away, and Oscar froze for a second, before lowering his weapons. Miyu stepped away from him, and Oscar was left with the feeling of weight steadily returning to his body. Fatigue stole over him faster than he'd ever felt before, and he found himself toppling over backwards, as the muscles across his entire body burned with agony.

"Owwwwwww..." he groaned. Fortunately, Miyu caught him as he fell, gently lowering him down and laying his head atop her thighs. She brought her hands to rest on his temples, and her Aura flowed into him in a soothing wave that cooled the burning heat of his muscles.

"My word," gasped Maria. "What was that?"

"The Aura-enhancement technique of the Healing Arts," said Miyu, finishing her treatment, but continuing to allow Oscar to rest his head atop her legs. "By channeling my Aura into another person, I can supplement their own, raising their abilities temporarily. So long as I can maintain contact, and have Aura to lend, I can continue using it. There is a price, of course."

"I can see that," said Maria, looking down at the exhausted Oscar.

"The greatest issue is that it allows the person enhanced to move beyond their normal physical capabilities," said Setsuna, crouching down beside Miyu and gently clasping Oscar's shoulder. "But, if it is used for an extended period of time, that continuous action produces strain on the body similar to the kind produced by extreme exercise. Oscar-kun was beginning to tear his muscles at the end there. If Miyu hadn't stopped when she had, he'd be dealing with snapped tendons, maybe even cracked bones."

"That's rather dangerous," noted Maria.

"If he'd been trained in controlling his Aura more, he'd be able to control the enhancement himself somewhat," said Miyu, "which would allow him to enhance the areas that he needs to, without overburdening his body. But, like this, it's essentially a general enhancement to his physical abilities."

"But, because he's moving faster than he's used to, it makes it tricky to adjust," added Natsuki. "He can move faster and fight harder, but he hasn't trained to fight at those speeds yet, so he could mess up the timing on his attack and defense."

"But it's still a huge help," noted Maria, "for all that it comes with drawbacks."

Miyu nodded. "That being the case, if we're talking about formation, then the key of it should be that I stay with Oscar-kun. I'll use my technique to enhance his ability throughout the match, and help him fight at a level that will better match that of the other participants."

"And, in the process, you'll keep Miyu covered," added Setsuna, looking down at the tired Oscar.

"Besides teams, I've also heard that students in the Academies partner up in pairs," said Miyu. "Therefore, for the purposes of this tournament, I shall be Oscar-kun's partner."

"That means me and Setsuna-kun are gonna team up," said Natsuki eagerly.

"Setsuna-kun and I..." Setsuna corrected under his breath.

Maria grinned. "That sounds like a plan," she said.

"There is another advantage to this approach," said Miyu, looking down at Oscar. "The healing arts tap into the body's own recovery ability, the same ability that allows you to bounce back and realize the gains of hard exercise, essentially compressing the time it takes for such recovery to occur. Therefore, if we continue to train like this for the three days remaining for our match..."

"I'll get stronger?" said Oscar, his eyes widening.

"Is that how you train back home?" asked Maria, looking at Natsuki and Setsuna.

"Not really," said Natsuki. "Healers are always in demand, so using one as a personal trainer is kinda..."

"Not to mention that it's a bit of a cheat," added Setsuna. "A healer could usually only work with one person at a time like that, so it'd be pretty rude for one student to monopolize one of them like that."

"However, given the special circumstances in play, we can make an exception," said Miyu, smiling down at Oscar. "I will help you raise your ability by making you fight beyond your limits for a while. On top of that, you'll also be acclimating to the increase in speed and strength you experience from my technique, so that you can adjust your timing accordingly during the match itself."

"R-right," said Oscar.

"We'll give you a little bit longer to rest, then start again," said Miyu.

"It'll be the same thing as before," said Setsuna.

"Getting a chance to fight us will show you what we can do," added Natsuki. "That way, we'll be better able to work together when our match comes. Are you okay with that, Oscar-kun?"

"Yeah," said Oscar.

Maria cackled. "Well, it seems you four don't need me for much after all," she said. "If this keeps up, I think you'll have a better chance of advancing than I thought. I look forward to the end results."

"We look forward to showing them to you," said Miyu.