31

Chapter 31

Yang and Ruby got back to their dorms late. They'd talked so late that they'd decided to put off sparring till the next day, and they'd both grabbed a quick dinner in the cafeteria together before they'd gone back to their dorms.

They hadn't really figured out a plan yet. Yang wanted to help, but even with the long talk, Yang felt like she only had bits and pieces of the story. There was a lot she still didn't really understand. Ruby needed her help, and she'd do what she could, but for now, she still felt like they were on shaky ground.

All they'd agreed upon was that, for now, they were going to take things slow. No more revelations, no trying to convince everyone that Ruby was a time traveler. They needed to gain their teams' trust first. And that meant time.

Ruby was anxious about it. She felt like her main advantage was her foreknowledge. Knowledge that was becoming less and less useful as time went on. She felt that... if she was careful, she could sit everyone down, tell them what she knew, and prove to everyone's satisfaction that she really did know the future. But Yang wasn't convinced, and Ruby had to admit, her sister's own reaction had not been as positive as she'd hoped.

Blake and Weiss especially would be difficult to convince, Ruby thought. Weiss's temper could prove a problem, and Blake could easily end up making a run for it if she got frightened. Ruby thought that Pyrrha, at least, would listen to her. She might not BELIEVE her. Pyrrha might even assume Ruby was crazy, but Ruby thought that Pyrrha would, at least, be willing to listen. And if she listened long enough... Ruby knew she could convince her. Nora also seemed like she'd be comparatively easy to convince. Nora was so laid back about the most insane things sometimes. But then again, Ruby didn't really know Nora, or Ren, as well as she knew everyone else. Even Jaune she had a bit more of a connection to than the pair of orphans, despite only really knowing him through her first timeline.

It was... insanely tempting to use her foreknowledge, however. There were SO many things she'd learned in the first few weeks here at Beacon that she could use to prove her case to them. But by becoming friends with everyone again... most of those things would come out naturally, as they had the first two times, and they'd all become useless to her.

Ruby considered just 'mysteriously' knowing things. Of just leaving hints here and there of her foreknowledge, and of letting her friends make up their own minds as to how. But she'd already screwed up more than once. With both Blake and Weiss, she'd made mistakes. They were probably already a bit spooked with how she'd known the names of their weapons. Yang had tried to cover for her with Blake, but telling Blake that she'd talked in her sleep wouldn't reassure the ex-terrorist. It would worry her more. Blake would be paranoid about revealing her past. Ruby knew her girlfriend... ex-girlfriend now, she supposed, she knew BLAKE well enough to know that Blake would be extremely careful not to let anything else slip. Yang's comment about her talking in her sleep could easily end up making things worse in the long run.

So... Ruby went back to her team, and did her best to act normally. They got ready for bed soon after she got back, and before long, Ruby was lying awake in her bed. Pyrrha was several feet to her right, Jaune was to her left, and Weiss was on the other side of Pyrrha. Ruby had never gotten the chance to suggest bunk beds, and she wasn't sure she wanted to this time. Weiss had certainly been against them at first, and while Ruby thought she could convince Pyrrha to go along with it, she wasn't so sure about Jaune. If Weiss was against something, she thought Jaune might just go with the heiress's opinion. Although as for that... Jaune hadn't hit on Weiss once so far, which was kind of weird. Jaune liked Weiss. It was a fact. Or it had been. The fact that the blond would-be knight hadn't approached Weiss with a single cheesy pick up line so far felt bizarre.

Ruby let that go, and tried to get to sleep. She felt... remarkably lonely for being in a room with three other people. She missed Blake. She missed the cat faunus cuddling up to her from behind, holding her as they slept. Blake usually was the big spoon at night, although often by the morning Ruby would find herself having turned to face her girlfriend in the middle of the night. She'd often wake up laying partially on top of Blake. They would touch constantly throughout the night. Ruby could admit that she hadn't slept quite as soundly every night once she'd started sleeping in the same bed as Blake. She sometimes found it a bit more difficult to sleep with the feeling of Blake wrapped around her, Blake's warm skin against her own. They'd usually slept in a little... or got to bed a little early to make up for it, and Ruby wouldn't have had it any other way. She'd always woken up so happy after a night spent in bed with her love.

But now, she was alone. And that wasn't likely to change. Even if she somehow managed to convince Blake to fall for her again, there was no way Blake and she could share a bed. They weren't even on the same team anymore. Weiss would never accept Ruby having someone sleep over. Ruby considered ways of convincing the heiress, but nothing came to mind. Not to mention, sleeping mostly naked in bed with another girl would almost certainly be out of the question while sharing the room with Jaune Arc. Ruby liked Jaune. He'd been her first friend at Beacon, and he was a genuinely nice guy. And a gentleman when it came to most things... but... there was no way she'd be comfortable wearing so little while in the same room as the boy. And sleeping with another girl? It would be majorly weird with him around. She thought Jaune might be OK with it. He didn't seem like the sort of boy who'd think she was weird for liking another girl. But that didn't translate to her being OK doing sexy stuff anywhere Jaune might observe her.

Probably. Ruby turned on her side, and hugged her pillow to her chest. Ruby was ashamed to admit it, but she really missed Blake. Enough that she'd be willing to try nearly anything if only she could have her back.

Ruby somehow kept herself from crying. Weiss would be annoyed, and Pyrrha and Jaune would want to help, but there wasn't anything she could tell them. So she kept her pain tight to her chest and eventually managed to fall asleep despite it.

/-/

Ruby and Pyrrha went out jogging a half hour earlier than they had the previous day, and they got back in time to have breakfast with their team before class.

Classes went uneventfully. Ruby had to struggle to keep herself focused in most of their academic classes. This was her third time through, and while she'd been struggling the first time, and she had been enjoying being able to ace her classes the second time, this time, it was just dull, sitting through all the same lectures. And yet, Weiss kept frowning at her whenever she was on the verge of spacing out or dozing off in class, and she DID want to keep Weiss's good opinion of her.

Weiss seemed annoyed at Jaune as well, although the blond boy seemed more oblivious to it. He seemed to be trying to pay attention in classes, but it was rather obvious that he was struggling quite a bit. Ruby frowned at Jaune in concern. She remembered, if a bit faintly, how poorly Jaune had done in the first few months at Beacon during her first time through. It wasn't just his combat skills they'd need to work on, it was his academics. She brightened slightly. But, this time through, she COULD help him with both. She knew what was coming in each class, and she could help Jaune with his classes during the day, and help train him in combat at night. It might even help keep her from being so bored! Ruby nodded to herself, pleased now that she had a plan for, at the least, how to spend her time during classes. Having something constructive she could accomplish made a world of difference.

When they finally got to Combat Class at the end of the school day, Ruby was feeling a bit better about how she'd spend her time at school. Combat Class was also her favorite class of the day, even though by now she knew the fighting styles of all of her classmates well enough to be able to predict the outcome of any fight between them, it was still fun.

As everyone made it into class, Professor Goodwitch strode into the middle of the arena and addressed the gathered students once more. "Now students, as I mentioned last evening, if anyone can defeat me in the arena, they will be allowed to skip the rest of these classes with an automatic passing grade. Do I have any takers?"

Cardin Winchester, with a bit of egging on from his team, strode forward. "I'll have a go, Professor!" He said with a grin and a swagger. Ruby bit back a giggle. This was going to be good. Cardin's eyes narrowed as he heard her aborted laughter and he snorted. "I'll do better than some little girl..." he bragged, his eyes flashing toward Ruby in anger. Ruby's eyes widened. She'd forgotten how much of an idiot Cardin could be. Did he have no skill at reading his opponents at all?

Weiss snorted. "He's certainly sure of himself." She said dismissively.

Pyrrha smiled slightly. "Well, perhaps he has the skill to back up his words?" She opinioned mildly.

Ruby snorted. "Nope. Cardin doesn't even have his semblance unlocked. Professor Goodwitch can beat him pretty much instantly." She whispered so as to not be overheard beyond their small group, but from the snickers nearby, she figured she'd failed.

Nevertheless, Professor Goodwitch instructed Cardin to retrieve his weapon and join her on the stage. The large boy quickly did so, getting his mace, Executioner, from the locker room and striding on stage with a look of self importance. Professor Goodwitch smiled politely at the boy, then tapped at her scroll to bring her own Aura reading onto the screen. Then she helpfully walked Cardin through the process to do the same for himself. Something that took him quite a while, despite having been told how to do so in their previous class.

Once Cardin figured it out, she gave him a short nod. "On the buzzer, we shall begin." She held her riding crop loosely at her side and waited patiently. At the sound of the buzzer, Cardin lurched forward, raising his mace above his head. Glynda Goodwitch flicked her riding crop at the large boy, and Cardin found himself floating upwards off the ground. Glynda held him six feet off the floor with no discernible effort on her part while Cardin strained and flailed, but the large boy had no leverage, and no ranged weaponry. It quickly became evident that he had no way of freeing himself.

Professor Goodwitch raised an eyebrow at that point. "Now, Mister Winchester. What have you learned?"

Cardin frowned. "What do you mean, what have I learned? If you weren't using this cheating semblance..."

Professor Goodwitch's gaze turned frosty. "The use of semblances is naturally permitted in tournament matches... as well as in any combat in real life. You WERE watching my match with Miss Rose yesterday, were you not?"

Cardin hesitated, the look on Goodwitch's face warning enough that he moderated his answer. "Yes Professor."

Professor Goodwitch nodded. "Therefore you should have known something about what I am capable of. In the future, I suggest you think more seriously about how you would counter someone's abilities before challenging them to a match."

Cardin frowned. "My Aura's not into the red! I can still fight."

Professor Goodwitch raised an eyebrow. "Mister Winchester... please take a look at the Aura gauges to your right."

Cardin glanced at the Aura monitors in confusion. "OK... both our Aura's are in the green, so..."

Professor Goodwitch spoke up. "Now, it may interest you to know that extensive use of one's semblance tends to slowly drain one's Aura."

Cardin blinked, glancing at Goodwitch's Aura bar on the monitor, which hadn't changed perceptibly. "Um... OK?"

Professor Goodwitch smiled softly. "You'll notice that my Aura has not taken a significant drain?"

Cardin looked confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Goodwitch sniffed. "It means, Mister Winchester, that I can keep this up all day. I am perfectly capable of sustaining this level of strain for several hours. I am also able to exert significantly greater force for a somewhat shorter period of time." She waved her riding crop and Cardin flew to the edge of the arena outside the boundary line and was set gently on his feet. "In any event, Mister Winchester, you have left the arena, and therefore, you have lost this match."

Nobody else seemed willing to challenge Professor Goodwitch, so the Combat Instructor began the class for the day. "Now then, during these first few weeks, I will be pitting you against each other in one on one matches in order to get a sense of your individual levels of skill, and your ranking within this class. At least a few of your number are likely to want to enter the Vytal Festival next semester, and I will be determining which student teams will be allowed to enter the tournament, so I expect to see your best efforts."

She consulted her scroll. "Now, would Sky Lark and Blake Belladonna please step into the arena? You two will be our first match."

As Blake left to collect her weapons, Yang leaned in from behind Ruby. "So... any guesses as to who wins this one?"

Ruby snorted. "Blake, in about twenty seconds. Sky's... decent... but Blake's much faster than he is."

Weiss looked at her team leader in suspicion then settled down to watch the fight. As predicted, Blake used her greater speed and maneuverability to dominate her fight, defeating Sky in well under a minute.

As the next few matches progressed, Ruby quietly predicted the outcome each time, commenting on the various fighting styles or weapons each combatant used in a whisper for her and Yang's team.

By the end of the class, Ruby was feeling pretty cheerful. Jaune hadn't had to fight yet, and she'd be able to at least get him a little training before his first match, assuming Pyrrha was still amenable to the idea.

Her mood was spoiled, however, when, as they left the class, Weiss grabbed her by the arm and pulled her aside. "How did you do that?" The heiress hissed at her under her breath. Most of the other students were filing by, not paying them any attention. It was the last class of the day, after all, and most of their fellow students were more interested in getting away from the classrooms. The rest of Ruby's team paused to listen, however, as did Yang and Blake, although Ren and Nora went off without the rest of them after only a moment's pause.

Ruby blinked at her in confusion. "How did I do what?" She asked as most of the other students got out of hearing range.

Weiss gestured back at the class. "You predicted the outcome of every fight! You knew all their moves, their semblances... how?"

Ruby blinked several more times, trying to think up an answer. "I'm good at reading people?" She tried.

"Nobody is that good at reading people." Weiss insisted. "Did you manage to get a hold of everyone's transcripts somehow?"

Ruby frowned. "No. How would I even do that?"

Weiss growled at her. "You told us your father is a teacher, so is your uncle. Are they helping you?"

Ruby blinked again. "No, Weiss. My uncle is on a mission, and my father is on Patch. They're not helping me with anything."

Weiss snorted. "A likely story."

Ruby sighed. "What do you want me to say, Weiss?"

Weiss frowned. "I can't believe you're so blatantly... cheating."

Ruby looked annoyed. "It's not cheating." She hesitated. "Is it?"

Pyrrha spoke up. "Studying your opponents before a match is a perfectly valid tactic." She commented softly, then looked curious. "Although I would be interested in knowing how you have been so accurate in your predictions so far."

Ruby hesitated, then sighed. "I don't suppose you'd believe that I'm a time traveler, and I've just seen everyone fight before?"

Weiss snorted. "If you're going to make up some ridiculous story..."

Ruby shrugged. "I'm sorry, but I don't have any other explanation I can give." She shrugged. "If it helps, I'm willing to share what I know. I'll give you advice on your future matches, Weiss, if you want?"

Weiss frowned. "Why can't you simply admit that you're cheating?"

Ruby shook her head. "Nobody helped me Weiss. I promise you that. I haven't gotten help from anyone else. Everything I've learned, I learned through my own efforts."

Weiss wrinkled her nose. "Hmmph. This isn't over, Ruby Rose." Then she stalked off.

"Weiss!" Ruby called after the heiress plaintively, but the white haired girl didn't slow her pace and quickly stalked out of sight.

Yang looked after the white-haired girl, and with a shrug to Ruby, she started after her, Blake following close on Yang's heels.

Jaune was looking at Ruby with the strangest look on his face. "You are kind of... strangely good at... everything, Ruby."

Ruby shrugged sheepishly. "I'm just... experienced. I've gone over all our class subjects, and I've studied weapons and fighting styles all my life. I... I know I have a lot of unfair advantages, but... I'm not going to handicap myself... or our team, by not using what I know."

Jaune nodded slowly. "OK." He said doubtfully.

Ruby smiled. "In fact, I think we should get started on that. We don't have any more classes today, Let's go to the combat room Miss Goodwitch assigned us and get some practice in."

Jaune blinked. "You mean... now?"

Ruby grinned. "You didn't have to fight today, right? So you should have plenty of energy."

Jaune hesitated, then shrugged. "Well... OK."

Ruby looked at Pyrrha. "You'll come help?"

Pyrrha nodded immediately. "Of course." Ruby smiled at her and began to lead the way to the combat room Professor Goodwitch had given her access to.

/-/

Yang caught up to Weiss near their dorms. The heiress whirled on her when the blond brawler was about to catch up with her. Blake hung back a bit, seeming content to simply watch for the moment.

"What do you want?" Weiss snapped angrily.

Yang threw up her hands defensively. "Hey... I'm not here for a fight."

Weiss glared at her suspiciously. "Did your sister send you after me?"

Yang shrugged. "Not really... although I got the feeling Ruby was worried about you. I think she'd have gone after you herself if it wasn't obvious it was her you were mad at."

Weiss frowned. "Why would she have done that?"

Yang shrugged again. "Because Ruby cares about you. About everyone on her team."

Weiss frowned. "Why? She hardly knows any of us."

Yang hesitated. "Because that's what a team leader is supposed to do? Ruby... she wears her heart on her sleeve, you know? It's obvious that she didn't want to upset you."

"If so, she failed." Weiss said flatly. She pointed at Yang. "You know how she's doing this, don't you?"

Yang hesitated. "Ruby didn't lie to you." She told her after thinking about it for a moment. "She's trained hard. And she... she's more experienced than you'd think from her age, but... our dad... our uncle, the teachers... they're not helping her." She scratched behind her head with a frown. "Truthfully, I wondered about that myself, but... if Ruby says nobody is helping her, then I believe her. She wouldn't lie about that."

Weiss snorted and stomped away again. This time, Yang didn't follow.

Blake had been watching the exchange passively till Weiss was out of earshot. "Well, that didn't go very well."

Yang sighed. "Yeah." She looked curiously at Blake. "You seem to be handling things well enough."

Blake shrugged. "The heiress is just upset that anyone is outshining her this badly. I'm sure if she could have found out everyone's fighting styles and weapons ahead of time, she'd have done it. She's just pissed because Ruby's smarter than her."

Yang snorted back a laugh. "Well, you're probably not wrong about that."

Blake frowned darkly. "Weiss Schnee has had everything she's ever wanted handed to her on a silver platter. She's never had someone else put ahead of her. What makes it worse for her is that her daddy's money can't buy her the kind of talent your sister earned through training. She's got some nerve, complaining about an unfair advantage." Blake sighed. "Sorry... I just. I came here to Beacon without having the benefit of getting to go to a combat school. I didn't have the sort of expensive tutors that Weiss had... or a family full of hunters to give me personal instruction..."

Yang's expression darkened at that. "Hey...!"

Blake's face softened, and she held up a hand. "Sorry. I'm not saying this right..." She wrinkled her nose. "What I'm saying is... none of us can help where we're from, or what advantages we might have begun with. It might not be fair... but life isn't fair. I don't hold it against you or your sister that your parents were huntsmen. On the contrary... you're upholding a proud tradition. There's nothing at all wrong with that. My point is... we all come here with different advantages. So long as we do our best with what we're given... what does it matter how we started?"

Yang smiled at that. "Well... that's decent of you."

Blake raised a finger. "The difference is that your sister seems to be trying to use what she knows to help. She's sharing information... tactics. She's going to be training that boy she partnered to make up for his lack of training, right? And she seems more than happy to help us as well. Weiss, on the other hand, doesn't seem like she's out to help anyone. She just wants to be the best. And when she finds out she's not, she'd prefer to tear the people in her way down rather than work harder herself to improve."

Yang wrinkled her nose, remembering Ruby's notes on the Schnee heiress. "Well... it's too early to say that for sure."

Blake shrugged, looking unconcerned. "It doesn't matter to me. As far as I'm concerned, I'm just going to stay out of her way."

Yang shrugged back, companionably. "Not the worst plan I've ever heard." She grinned at Blake. "You might not have come from a combat school, but I've seen you fight. You've got skills. And our team is going to be awesome. You'll see."

Blake grinned at her. "That sounds good to me."

/-/

Weiss changed course before reaching her team dorm room and headed for the teacher's offices instead. She found Professor Goodwitch's office without much trouble and noted with some satisfaction that the intimidating combat professor's office hours were clearly listed on her door, and that the teacher herself was within, as apparently she held office hours after each of her class periods for a couple hours each day.

Weiss knocked politely. "Come in." The professor's voice came through her door with an officious tone, but Weiss had heard much worse from her father, or her father's secretary. In comparison, Professor Goodwitch's professional detachment seemed almost friendly.

Weiss entered the room and nodded politely to the professor. "Professor Goodwitch, may I speak with you?" She requested in her best silkily polite manner.

Goodwitch raised an eyebrow, and nodded at the chair in front of her desk. "Of course. I maintain office hours each day for just that purpose. Now... Miss Schnee... how may I help you?"

Weiss winced imperceptibly at her family name, and gave the professor her most charming smile. "I appreciate your time regardless, Professor Goodwitch. I understand how busy you must be. Beacon is the premier combat academy in the world, after all, and as deputy headmistress in addition to your role as combat instructor, I'm sure you have a full workload."

Professor Goodwitch raised an eyebrow archly. "Flattery is unnecessary, Miss Schnee. Why don't we get to the point? How can I help you today?" She repeated calmly, but with a tiny hint in her voice that she didn't like asking the same question more than once.

"Of course." Weiss straightened herself. "I... I'm afraid I have some concerns about my... team leader, Ruby Rose." Goodwitch's eyebrow raised again, this time in a clear interrogative, and Weiss felt sufficiently prompted to continue. "I'm concerned that she may be... cheating."

Professor Goodwitch blinked in mild surprise. "That is a rather serious allegation to be making, Miss Schnee. Do you have any proof of this?"

Weiss frowned. "Not... exactly. But what other explanation is there?"

Professor Goodwitch looked at her sharply. "Perhaps you should go into greater detail?"

Weiss wrinkled her nose. "Well, for starters, Ruby apparently knows the fighting style, semblance, and weapon of every student in our class. She correctly predicted the outcome of every match in class today, and she knew how each person would fight. She's known the name and function of every weapon... I don't even know how she knew Myrtenaster's name..."

Professor Goodwitch blinked. "I assume that's the name of your rapier?"

Weiss nodded. "It's ridiculous! And her fight against you! You have to agree that she's cheating somehow! How else could she give Beacon's combat instructor such a difficult battle!"

Goodwitch's calm demeanor chilled noticeably at this point. "Miss Rose has had the opportunity to see me in combat just a few days before term started, Miss Schnee. While her skills are certainly impressive, there is nothing unusual about the ability to correctly gauge one's opponent before a match. Certainly such skill can be rare in one so young, but that is no indication of anything untoward."

Weiss blinked at the revelation that Ruby had seen the professor in combat, then frowned. "But nobody is that good! Not a child like that! And how does she know what everyone's weapon is called?"

Professor Goodwitch shook her head. "I haven't a clue. But... let me be clear, there is nothing in the school rules that prohibits researching your fellow classmates. If Miss Rose is rather more adept than average at such skills... it only seems to fit with her overall level of competence. You might be wise to learn from your team leader, rather than complain that she has put forth effort that you have not."

"But... that's... it's not even remotely...!" Weiss sputtered, trying to protest. The trouble was, she couldn't think of anything specific to protest.

Professor Goodwitch waited till Weiss had stopped speaking, then sighed. "Weiss. You have benefited from a top notch education. The finest tutors, the best equipment, did you not?"

Weiss frowned. "Well... I'm not sure why that matters?"

Professor Goodwitch raised an eyebrow. "Can you not? Few students come to this academy with the advantages you have been given. If one of them came to me and complained that you had an unfair advantage, how do you think I should respond?"

Weiss hesitated. "I... I didn't choose to be..." She frowned. "I will not apologize for my upbringing."

"And nor should you." The professor agreed. "Miss Rose also grew up with certain advantages. Her parents were particularly talented students here at Beacon. Their team was the most talented I've seen so far. Ruby Rose has twin advantages of being born to talent, and having the benefit of a family that is entirely devoted to the profession she wishes to enter. In addition, it seems obvious that she works very hard to live up to the legacy she has been left." Goodwitch looked over her eyeglasses at Weiss. "Perhaps, Miss Schnee, rather than questioning others, you should work harder to improve yourself instead."

Weiss's back stiffened. "I... yes. Of course, Professor."

Professor Goodwitch nodded to her once. "Was there anything else I could assist you with?"

Weiss stood. "That was all, Professor. Thank you for your time." She said stiffly, then stalked from the room. Weiss was fuming as she left, but as she made her way back to her team dorm room, she began to calm. She couldn't deny that Professor Goodwitch had a point. Ruby had tried to make the same point. Was it really wrong for Ruby Rose to use the advantages she had been given? And the Professor had been right about something else. Even with all the help Ruby had obviously gotten from her family, it was impossible that she'd achieved the kind of skills she obviously possessed without a great deal of effort on her part. As much as it galled her, Weiss had to admit to herself that it was hardly fair for a Schnee to be complaining about favoritism. Of course, in her place, her father would probably do so regardless. After all, advantage was to be used... and taken away from others that had it. But she didn't want to be like her father. She'd come here to take back the honor of the Schnee name. Tearing down Ruby Rose was not the right path towards doing that.

Weiss sighed and opened the door, finding the dorm empty, somewhat to her surprise. Where could they all be?

/-/

Pyrrha reached down to offer Jaune a hand up off the floor. "Your stance needs to be wider and lower to the ground."

Ruby grinned and moved up nearby. "Oh! Hit me, Pyrrha! I can show him!"

Pyrrha's eyes twinkled and she abruptly turned and gave Ruby a hard shove in the shoulders. Ruby rocked slightly with the push but didn't fall.

Pyrrha gestured to the small girl. "Just like that. Jaune, did you see how Ruby was standing?"

Jaune frowned slightly. "I'm not sure, could you do that again?" Ruby nodded encouragingly, and Pyrrha shrugged and gave Ruby another hard shove. Jaune moved over next to Ruby and imitated her stance.

Pyrrha looked at how he had placed his feet and shook her head. "Close... but you're taller than Ruby. Your stance needs to be wider than hers." Jaune blinked and slid his legs apart a bit, lowering himself by several inches. Pyrrha walked around him once and nodded. "Better." She gave him another shove, and he wobbled a bit, but stayed on his feet. "Good." She decided. "Let's work on your footwork next."

Pyrrha started showing Jaune the basic footwork a beginning swordsman used for stability in a fight, and how to transition from stance to stance to maintain both stability and be able to move easily. Jaune paid attention, and he managed to imitate the proper footwork and stances with only a little correction, and Pyrrha had him start practicing moving from stance to stance, doing the footwork for advancing, retreating, lunges, etc...

After about ten minutes, however, Jaune was frowning. "I've seen you and Ruby fight..." Jaune said in confusion. "And you two don't fight like this."

Pyrrha smiled at him. "We don't, but this is the footwork I used when I was learning, Jaune. And these fundamentals are still part of my style. And if you see me in a duel verses another student, you'll notice that I do, in fact, start in such a stance, and use that sort of footwork when I'm standing to face a foe with a similar weapon style to me..." She looked at Ruby. "Ruby... could you help me demonstrate?"

Ruby nodded, and moved over to face Pyrrha. "So... you want me to use the same sword fighting stances you're teaching Jaune?"

Pyrrha nodded. "You know the basics?"

Ruby nodded again. "I trained with the sword for awhile in Signal, when I was trying to figure out what kind of weapon I wanted to use. My Uncle Qrow's Harbinger is a greatsword as well as a Scythe."

Pyrrha smiled. "Alright then. Why don't we show Jaune how to maintain the proper distance while using the proper footwork?"

Ruby nodded, and Pyrrha gave her a steady look, then started quickly walking towards Ruby. Ruby rapidly backpedaled, all the while using the footwork they'd showed Jaune. Pyrrha then came to a stop, and started moving backwards herself, causing Ruby to follow after. For about a minute, the two moved back and forth. It took a while, but Jaune noticed after awhile that Ruby seemed to want to be closer to Pyrrha than Pyrrha liked, so that Ruby would constantly try to close the distance while Pyrrha was constantly trying to keep Ruby a bit farther away. Nevertheless, both girls seemed to concentrate on keeping their distance relatively even the entire time. They moved quickly, easily, always using the footwork they'd showed him, and Jaune found himself imitating them a bit here and there, shuffling backwards or forwards occasionally while continuing to watch Pyrrha and Ruby. After about three minutes of this, Pyrrha stopped moving, and her stance relaxed, causing Ruby to do the same.

Pyrrha was smiling widely. "Very good, Ruby!" She told the smaller girl in a pleased voice. "You really do have a talent for combat."

Jaune spoke up. "Could you explain what you were doing, exactly? I get the idea that you were both trying to keep yourselves a certain distance apart... but it wasn't just that, was it? It was like you were... fighting over what that distance was?"

Pyrrha turned to Jaune, looking pleased. "That's exactly it. Ruby has a shorter reach, so her ideal distance is a bit closer than mine is."

"With a sword." Ruby corrected. "But that's the style we were using."

Pyrrha nodded. "That's right. So what Ruby and I were doing, was that we were both trying to get into the perfect position for a strike. Since our reaches our different, Ruby wants to be a bit closer to me than I would want to be to her."

Jaune looked interested. "Does that mean you'd normally have an advantage in a sword fight, Pyrrha? Because you have longer reach?"

Pyrrha nodded slowly. "Greater reach is an advantage, although if someone with shorter reach gets inside your guard..." She waved at Ruby. "Ruby... get inside my guard, please?" Ruby nodded, got back into her sword fighting stance, and moved smoothly up to Pyrrha so that she was a couple feet out of reach of Pyrrha's arms if Pyrrha didn't move. Pyrrha reached out towards Ruby as if holding her sword, and nodded. "Now, if you imagine we're both holding swords..." Ruby brought up her own hand, cupped around the hilt of an imaginary sword as well, and Pyrrha grinned. "Yes, like that." She made a slashing motion as if she was going to cut Ruby with her invisible sword, and Ruby twisted her hand slightly, bringing her own hand into the path of Pyrrhas, blocking Pyrrha's hand, then made a thrusting motion with her own invisible sword as if plunging the non-existent weapon into Pyrrha's chest.

Pyrrha nodded appreciatively. "So... as you can see, if I attacked from this distance, it would be easier for Ruby to defend and counterattack. And her attack would be at the perfect position for her, and therefore harder for me to defend against."

Jaune wrinkled his nose. "I think I see?"

Pyrrha looked thoughtful. "Perhaps we should get our weapons for a proper demonstration?"

Ruby grinned. "We can demonstrate with unarmed combat... like this." She stepped in even closer, so that Pyrrha could easily reach out and grab her, and put up her hands into fists. "Say... if we were... boxing." She moved in even closer and jabbed at Pyrrha's stomach. "Pyrrha doesn't have the room to get a good punch in when I'm in this close."

Pyrrha stepped back quickly and brought her own hands up. "That's a good example, Ruby." She said cheerfully, throwing a few jabs and swings at the smaller girl, moving constantly away to keep Ruby from closing the gap into her reach. "So in most fights, if our weapons are equal, Ruby will want to get in a lot closer than I will. I'll be at an advantage so long as I can keep her farther away, but she'll have the advantage if she can get inside my own reach." Pyrrha and Ruby boxed for twenty seconds or so, Pyrrha easily keeping her distance and tapping Ruby with light jabs almost at will, while Ruby struggled to get inside Pyrrha's guard. Then Ruby blurred into rose petals for just a second, appearing well inside Pyrrha's guard, and hammered Pyrrha's ribs with a dozen punches in under a second before Pyrrha could step clear.

Pyrrha leapt back, laughing. "Of course, with Ruby's semblance, closing the distance doesn't seem to be an issue!" Ruby giggled and zipped in again, but this time, when Ruby started hammering on her ribs, Pyrrha grabbed her around the head and shoulders, going for a clinch. Ruby blurred into rose petals again and zipped around behind Pyrrha and kicked her in the back of the knee, sending the larger girl to the ground.

Ruby then waggled a finger at Pyrrha with a twinkle in her eyes while Pyrrha rolled quickly over and started getting back up. "I think you'll find I'm not so easy to get a hold of, Pyrrha." She chuckled. "Besides, we were boxing, not wrestling."

"Clinches are legal." Pyrrha protested, but her own eyes were shining with mirth. "But you're right. We WERE trying to demonstrate how to use the footwork properly."

Jaune was gaping at them, but he smiled as well. "I think I get the general idea. So... you want to stay at a distance where you can attack easier than your opponent?"

Pyrrha nodded at him. "That's the general idea. Once you've practiced attacking for awhile, you'll get a good idea what distance is best for you." She shrugged her shoulders. "But in any event, while you're practicing the basics, you'll want to use the footwork we've been showing you as much as possible while maintaining your distance. If your footwork is good, then you'll be able to attack or defend quicker, and more successfully. You want to always maintain your balance and keep your center of gravity low and center."

Jaune frowned. "But... you don't fight like that at all. In the forest, against the Grimm, neither of you used any kind of footwork I could see! You were both dashing around all the time... or shooting around like a really sharp missile in Ruby's case."

Ruby giggled at the description. "That's true, Jaune, but I do use those stances... or similar ones, while using Crescent Rose. Also... fighting Grimm is a bit different than fighting people. Against Grimm you sometimes have to be more... aggressive. Most Grimm aren't smart enough to be able to read your stance and use a lack of balance against you. They generally have patterns of behavior that you can exploit... they move in predictable ways because they fight instinctively. At least most Grimm do." She pointed at Pyrrha, then herself. "When you're fighting other people, though, they're going to watch how you move, and take advantage if you're off balance. They'll strike when you're not ready. Against people, footwork is even more important than against Grimm, but even against Grimm, you want to have the basics down really well, so you can know when you want to use more aggressive footwork and when you should be more careful."

Pyrrha was nodding along. "Ruby's correct. And we'll work on how to fight Grimm eventually, but for now, it's very important that you have the basics down. Which means lots and lots of practice, I'm afraid. You'll want to have the basics down to the point you can move without thinking about how you should move."

Jaune nodded hesitantly. "Exactly how much practice?"

Ruby shrugged. "My dad says that it takes about five thousand repetitions to get a single move down to the point where it's muscle memory. Once you can do all the basic footwork and stuff without thinking about it you can start improvising more."

Jaune sighed. "Right. Lots and lots of practice."

Pyrrha gestured to Ruby. "Ruby, why don't you stand opposite Jaune and mirror for him? That way he can practice maintaining distance while keeping proper footwork, and I can watch and correct his form when he needs it?"

Ruby nodded immediately and moved to stand facing Jaune. "Right! Let's do this!"

Jaune shrugged and got himself into the first stance they'd shown him. "OK. If I've got to practice, we might as well practice."

/-/

Jaune did his best to pay attention and focus on what he was doing, but after about an hour, his concentration was obviously lagging, and Ruby called a halt. "We'll bring our weapons tomorrow night." She decided. "We'll go over blocks and strikes, so that you can figure out what your proper distance is. It'll help you stay focused better once you have a better idea of what your best distance is."

Pyrrha nodded agreeably. "That seems like a good suggestion." Jaune was more than happy to agree to taking a break for the night.

As they walked back to their dorm, Ruby went on. "You're going to get bored if we just do the same thing constantly." She told him. "So here's what I want you to do..." She looked thoughtful as she spoke, walking along beside him and Pyrrha. "First, Pyrrha and I have been jogging in the mornings. I want you to join us. You need to work on your endurance, and jogging is great for that."

Jaune nodded slowly, torn between dreading having to wake up early and being happy that he'd be able to go jogging with a couple cute girls.

"Then, after Combat Class, we'll come here, and we can spend an hour or so on footwork, and another hour or so on basic blocks and parries and strikes..." Ruby decided. "I think you'll want to work on your upper body strength as well. Swinging a sword for long enough can help with that, but maybe you'll want to hit the weight room some?"

Jaune blinked. "The weight room?"

Ruby nodded. "We're going to try and turn you into a proper tank... which means you've got to be able to take some heavy hits without getting knocked around. And some Grimm hit pretty hard. Also, the harder you can hit, the more damage you can do, so... strength training has to go in there somewhere."

Pyrrha was nodding along. "I can show you how to use all the machines, Jaune." She said with a helpful smile.

"Yang's an expert on strength training too." Ruby added. "I bet she'd be happy to help!"

Pyrrha's smile faded slightly, becoming just slightly forced. "Yes... more help would not be... unwelcome." She agreed, trying for sincerity and mostly succeeding. In any case, neither Jaune or Ruby seemed to notice her hesitation on the subject.

Jaune sighed. "Am I going to have time for classes and homework with all of this training?"

Ruby patted him on the shoulder. "I'll help you with your homework. Right now, getting you strong enough to handle yourself in combat class should be our priority, I think."

Jaune sighed. "Right."

Pyrrha patted his other shoulder. "We'll be here to help, Jaune."

Jaune sighed again. "Right... thanks." While his words were polite, his voice had become less than enthusiastic.

"What's wrong, Jaune?" Ruby asked seriously.

Jaune sighed a third time. "I... I don't know." He paused before continuing. "I just... I just thought when I got here, I'd be the hero... not the sidekick. I feel like I'm just going to be holding you back."

Ruby shook her head. "You won't. I already told you, didn't I? Teaching you the basics helps us keep the fundamentals fresh for ourselves. Pyrrha and I won't suffer for it."

Pyrrha nodded. "Certainly not. I would go over my basic forms on a regular basis whether or not I was helping you, Jaune. Ruby's right. Training you will be helpful for me as well. It is no bother."

Ruby spoke up. "Besides... we're a team. And that means a lot, especially here in Beacon. Eventually we'll be going on huntsman missions together. The stronger you are by then, the safer we'll all be."

Jaune sighed. "It sounds like you'd be better with someone who's already strong, though. You... and Pyrrha, and even Weiss are all so much better than I am. I'm always going to be holding you back."

Ruby hesitated, trying to think of what to tell him to cheer him up. "Jaune, unless you know how to travel through time, we can't rewrite the past." She grinned slightly at her private joke. "And even if you could, I don't think it'd be as easy as you might think to make things better instead of worse." She shrugged. "But this is the team we have. We can make it a good one. Losing you...? It'd just make our team worse. Initiation is over. There are no do overs. You're stuck with us, Jaune."

Jaune sighed. "Don't you mean you're stuck with me?"

Ruby smiled at him. "It doesn't feel like that to me. I like you, Jaune. I'm glad I can have a friend for my partner. We're going to be together for a long time, Jaune. Isn't it better to do that with friends?"

Jaune thought about that. "Well... when you put it that way..."

"I agree." Pyrrha said with a nod. "Jaune, you may not have the skills that Ruby or I do yet, but I can tell you have a great deal of potential. By the end of our time here at Beacon, I have no doubt you will be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the very strongest of us."

Ruby grinned. "Exactly! We've got four years, Jaune! You're going to be great! I know it!"

Jaune smiled slightly at that. "Yeah. Sure." He nodded. "Four years. That's tons of time."

Ruby nodded, then winked at him. "Not that I'm going to let you slack off. If we're going to turn you into the best huntsman in Beacon by the end of our time here, we'll have to work hard!"

Jaune chuckled. "Best in Beacon huh? Does that mean I'm going to be better than you?"

Ruby giggled. "Best huntsMAN." She emphasized the last syllable. "I'm obviously going to be the best huntRESS."

Jaune nodded agreeably. "I can live with that."

Pyrrha looked at Ruby with a grin. "Well, we can agree on half of that, at least."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Pyrrha nodded with a smile, eyes twinkling. "We will help Jaune be the best huntsman in Beacon. But perhaps there might be a BIT of competition for who will be the best huntress."

Ruby grinned. "I like a challenge."

Pyrrha's eyes twinkled. "So do I, Ruby Rose." Ruby held a fist out to Pyrrha behind Jaune's back, and Pyrrha punched the smaller girl's fist with her own.

/-/

Weiss was in their dorm, sitting at the desk between their beds, going over the book for their Grimm Studies class. As they entered, she turned to face them, scowling slightly.

"Where have you three been?" Weiss asked crossly.

"Training." Ruby said with a nonplussed expression. "I told you we were going to train after combat class, didn't I?"

Weiss blinked, then frowned. "Ah... I... apologize. I was to serve as a sparring partner for Mister Arc."

Ruby raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. "It's OK. We're still working on the basics for now, Weiss. We'll probably need your help in a week or two though."

Weiss nodded. "Please let me know when you'll need me." She took a deep breath, then sighed. "I... apologize, for my behavior earlier, Ruby."

Ruby waved her off. "It's OK, Weiss."

Weiss shook her head. "No, it isn't. You do not deserve... anger for your having been better prepared than I. In fact, you are to be commended for your hard work. In the future, I will... attempt to aim toward bettering myself instead."

"We're all part of the same team, Weiss." Ruby said. "We'll all get stronger together."

"Of course." Weiss agreed automatically. Even if she wasn't quite sure she understood the younger girl, the sentiment was reasonable enough. For the fourth time that night, Weiss reminded herself of the upcoming Vytal tournament. With prodigies such as Pyrrha Nikos and... she had to acknowledge the truth, Ruby Rose, she could practically feel the winning trophy in her hands already. And victory in the most famous tournament on Remnant would surely show her father the worthiness of her choice to come to Beacon, would it not? And for that, the stronger each of them was, the better.

She looked at Jaune Arc with a frown. "And how are Mister Arc's... fundamentals?"

"He's a quick learner." Ruby said reassuringly. "He's going to be great."

Weiss sniffed dubiously but let the statement go, going back to studying her textbook. Ruby had reminded her that while she had some passing familiarity with the Grimm native to Atlas, she was quite a bit less familiar with the ones in the area of Vale, which she'd be more likely to encounter. She wanted to correct that deficiency as quickly as possible.

Weiss continued to study as Ruby, Pyrrha and Jaune did their own thing. Ruby appeared to be drawing in her notebook, Pyrrha had their history text open, and Jaune was apparently enjoying a comic book. Weiss sighed, but did her best to ignore them.

After half an hour, Ruby stood. "We should grab dinner from the cafeteria before it gets too late!" She announced. Jaune looked up from his reading, nodding, and Pyrrha put her own textbook away with a smile.

"That sounds good." Pyrrha agreed before glancing at Weiss curiously.

The champion didn't say anything, however, seeming a bit hesitant to disturb her, but Ruby Rose was anything but hesitant. "Want to come with us, Weiss?" Ruby invited cheerfully.

"No thank you." Weiss answered primly. "I believe I will continue studying a while longer."

"OK Weiss." Ruby answered without any apparent loss of enthusiasm. "See you soon!"

Weiss rolled her eyes but didn't answer, and soon, the three of them were gone once more. Weiss sighed, and considered making a call to her older sister, Winter, to ask her about her own experiences in Atlas's combat academy. Winter had been the leader of HER team, Weiss recalled, and wasn't sure she wanted to broach the subject, worried that Winter would be disappointed that Weiss hadn't done the same.

Still, it wasn't like Winter wouldn't find out eventually, and Weiss really did feel like she could use the advice. She checked the time. It wasn't too late in Atlas yet, so Weiss dialed her sister's scroll number.

"Hello Weiss." Came Winter's reassuringly familiar voice. Her face on the screen was calmly impassive, but there was just a hint of interest.

"Hello Winter." Weiss replied calmly, although she couldn't help smile a bit. It had been a while since she'd last spoken to her older sister, and she missed her. "I've missed you." She blurted out abruptly, then blushed at the admission.

"And I have missed you as well." Winter replied with surprising warmth. "Now... why don't you tell me how you are doing at Beacon? I assume that's why you are calling?"

Weiss hesitated. "Yes... or rather, I wanted to ask your advice."

"Oh?" Winter looked curious now. "What is troubling you?"

"It's my team." Weiss admitted. "I'm not sure how to... deal with any of them."

Winter frowned slightly. "Father never really gave either of us much chance to socialize with young people our own age as we were growing up." She admitted softly. "Outside of formal events. However, I will give you what advice I can. First... why don't you tell me about your teammates?"

Weiss hesitated before answering. "Well... my team leader is a girl called Ruby Rose." She sighed. "She's only fifteen, but... I have to admit her skills... at least in combat, are... impressive."

Winter raised an eyebrow. "Only fifteen? And they made her the leader of your team?" She looked mildly incredulous. "She must be a prodigy."

Weiss frowned. "She's... driven, I think. Her older sister implied that Ruby has had... extensive combat experience, and... well, what I've seen so far would seem to bear that out. She fought our Combat Instructor, Professor Goodwitch, during our first combat class... she lost, of course, but not before she took Professor Goodwitch down into the yellow."

Winter's eyes went wide at this. "Goodwitch? As in Glynda Goodwitch?"

Weiss nodded, curious now. "Yes?"

Winter licked her lips. "I know Glynda. She is... most formidable."

Weiss looked curious. "Have you ever fought with her?"

Winter shook her head. "No, although I have seen her in action. For your team leader to take her into the yellow... she must indeed be quite the prodigy."

Weiss nodded slowly. "So it seems. Apparently Ruby's whole family is made up of hunters and huntresses. Her father and her uncle both teach at Signal academy, apparently."

Winter nodded at that. "Well... if she's that skilled then I suppose she might make an adequate leader. What about your other teammates?"

Weiss smiled. "Well, actually, I managed to get partnered with Pyrrha Nikos during initiation."

Winter blinked. "THE Pyrrha Nikos? I wasn't aware she'd be going to Beacon academy." She looked interested. "And how do you find her?"

Weiss smiled a bit wider. "She seems very nice. Polite, well spoken. Obviously she's very strong..."

Winter smiled back. "That's good." She shook her head slightly. "You seem to have surrounded yourself with extremely capable people, Weiss."

Weiss sighed. "So it would seem. More capable than myself, it seems."

Winter looked at Weiss calmly. "From what I've heard, and what I know of Miss Nikos, both she and Miss Rose have dedicated most of their lives to their profession, while father... indulged your desire to become a huntress only reluctantly, if I recall." She raised an eyebrow. "You have talent, Weiss. With time, and effort, you will become every bit as skilled as your teammates." She paused. "And what of your fourth?"

Weiss sighed. "Jaune Arc. He's... barely adequate. In fact, I don't think he's had any formal combat training. Ruby apparently plans for us to take turns giving him combat lessons in the evenings after class."

Winter frowned thoughtfully. "Well... not everyone has the benefit of being born to huntsman parents, or having private tutors, Weiss. You are at Beacon to learn after all..."

Weiss sighed. "Ruby has... requested that I act as a sparring partner for the boy, as he uses a sword. I agreed, of course... but... it's rather annoying to have to waste my time..."

Winter raised an eyebrow. "A sparring partner, even an unskilled one, will hardly be a waste of your time, Weiss. If he lacks skills, you can polish your own by giving proper instruction. As he grows, so will you."

Weiss sighed. "I suppose. I worry that he will drag the rest of us down."

Winter smiled. "They say a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link... but you're still at school, Weiss. There's plenty of time for you all to get stronger." She nodded once. "From the sound of it, your teammates will be able to help you get stronger as well."

Weiss nodded. "You're probably right." She sighed. "It's just... I didn't expect to find myself... so overshadowed this early. Ruby is... terrifying in combat... and Pyrrha only seems encouraged by that. I have the feeling that the two of them will drive each other to ever greater heights of skill. I don't know if I can keep up."

Winter looked thoughtful at that. "The strong attract the strong, Weiss." She told her. "But do not be discouraged. You have a great opportunity here. Learn from your teammates. Work hard on mastering your semblance. It is your most formidable weapon. In time, you will be every bit as strong as I."

Weiss smiled at her sister. "I'll work hard."

Winter nodded. "Good." She sighed. "Unfortunately, I cannot talk any longer. I am due at a meeting..."

Weiss shook her head. "That's fine. Thank you for speaking with me. It was good to hear your voice."

"Yes." Winter agreed. "It was good to hear from you as well. Until next time."

With a final smile and nod, Winter cut the connection from her end. Weiss sighed and sat back on her bed. Soon afterwards, Ruby, Pyrrha, and Jaune Arc returned, chatting companionably, and causing Weiss's temper to rise again. They were APPARENTLY becoming fast friends. Naturally she would be excluded from their company. She really shouldn't expect anything different. She sighed, remembering what her sister had told her about learning from her team. But how could she learn from them if she was always excluded?

Ruby set a steaming cup of coffee down next to her, and a plate holding a single croissant. "I thought you might want something." Ruby said with a small smile.

Weiss frowned down at the coffee. The smell was actually rather tempting, and a croissant actually would hit the spot right about now... but no doubt her overly cheerful team leader would have failed to prepare her coffee correctly. Nevertheless, Winter was right. She needed to learn from her teammates, which meant she needed to be on good terms with them, so the least she could do would be to pretend that she appreciated the gesture.

Weiss picked up the cup and took a tentative sip. Then a longer pull. Somehow... Ruby had gotten her coffee perfectly on the first try. Weiss turned to look at the younger girl in confusion, her mouth opening to ask. Then she closed it. No doubt she knew her coffee preferences through whatever method she'd used to learn the name of her weapon. Perhaps Ruby had paid off an informant within her father's staff? Such tactics were hardly unknown in the circles she was used to. She hadn't expected someone so... outwardly cheerful to be quite so ruthless in their methods, but so far, she at least seemed to mean well. Weiss took another sip of her coffee, taking the perfect taste as yet another warning not to underestimate her team leader.

Weiss raised the cup to the girl. "Just the way I like it. Thank you." She said mildly.

Ruby just beamed.