82

"So...I assume you have questions for me."

Yang blinked, and flinched sharply, as Kyo settled onto the bench next to her, sitting far enough on the other side that they weren't touching. He calmly rested his sheathed sword against his left shoulder, its handle extending out above and behind his head. His sudden interjection into her thoughts had completely thrown Yang for a loop. She hadn't even sensed his approach.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, gesturing to the small section of the courtyard she'd taken for herself, deciding that she needed some time to think things over. "Shouldn't you be hanging out with Ruby?"

"I could ask you the same question," said Kyo. "Ruby-chan has told me that the two of you reconciled. I figured you would want to spend more time with her."

"Reconciling doesn't mean she likes it if I get too clingy with her," said Yang sighing sadly, "especially since her new boyfriend is the guy I started out threatening, earlier this year."

"Ah, I see," said Kyo, chuckling to himself. "I can understand that being a bit of an issue. So you were worried about her being in such close company with a boy?"

"Well...yeah," said Yang. "I mean, the last thing I remember about Ruby was her being this idealistic girl, who wanted to save everyone she could. I was crazy worried about her sharing a room with a guy, a guy who clearly had a thing for her."

"Well, Ruby-chan is still very idealistic," noted Kyo. "But being idealistic is not the same thing as being naive, though idealism and naiveté do go hand and hand, often enough."

"And why aren't you with her?" asked Yang, bringing the conversation back to where it began. "I thought that was the entire point of you visiting, after all."

Indeed, Ruby had spent the the full day following her team's return to Beacon in Kyo's company. But a day later, it almost seemed as though Ruby had already tired of her brother's presence.

Kyo laughed lightly. "Well, Ruby-chan and Jaune-kun are in Vale right now. It's rather ironic that, despite having been officially 'together' for the better part of two weeks now, the pair of them have not been on an actual date yet. They'd made plans, during the remainder of their voyage, and I certainly have no wish to be an impediment to those. My arrival already prompted Ruby-chan to delay their plans by a day, so I didn't want to set them back any further."

This prompted another flinch from Yang, thanks to the visceral reminder that her baby sister was in an actual relationship...with a boy. She supposed that, as far as boys went, Jaune was about as safe as they came, so there shouldn't have been anything to worry about. Jaune would never try to force Ruby into anything she wasn't comfortable with (and Ruby was more than capable of beating the crap out of him if he ever did try). Besides, going on dates was something girls did with their boyfriends, so there was no reason she should have seen it as something ominous and unsettling.

"How come you're taking this so easily?" asked Yang.

"Well, when you've trained your senses as well as I have, you can learn to sense people's intentions through their Auras," said Kyo, smiling serenely at Yang. "Ruby-chan is quite capable of that as well, by the way. The moment I met Jaune-kun, I could sense his feelings towards Ruby-chan. I sensed a great deal of respect and admiration, genuine friendship, and a very strong affection. It helps that Jaune-kun is obviously not very practiced in masking his feelings. As such, it wasn't hard to see that they would do well by one another."

"Good to know," said Yang dubiously. "But then...what brings you to me?"

"Well, as I said, I believed you might have some questions," said Kyo, "questions that do not necessarily pertain to your sister."

Yang met his gaze finding herself momentarily lost in those luminous crimson orbs of his. It was disconcerting, seeing those eyes on someone else. It was the same unease that seeing her mother unmasked had inspired, the sight of something strange, yet familiar. "What's with your eyes?" she blurted out, before she could stop herself, abruptly looking away, her cheeks turning red at her sudden indiscretion.

Kyo burst out laughing, loudly, lurching forward in his mirth. "W-well now...you certainly don't mince words," he said, after recovering enough control to speak.

Yang's embarrassed blush only intensified.

"Or perhaps the more appropriate question, the one you are truly seeking the answer too...is what is with your eyes...and your mother's eyes," observed Kyo, after calming back down.

"So you know about her," muttered Yang.

"Ozpin-dono did show me images of the two of you," said Kyo.

"So...what's the deal?" asked Yang.

Kyo leaned back on the bench, his gaze sliding up towards the sky. "What you and I-and your mother-possess is a trait that we, in the Mibu, have long referred to as the Crimson Eyes."

"Well...that's kinda...lame," said Yang.

Kyo chuckled. "I suppose it is a rather uninspired name," he said. "However, the main point is that it is a trait that is found primarily within the Mibu Clan."

"So...we're Mibu?" asked Yang, referring to herself and her mother.

"Not truly," said Kyo. "You are distantly...very distantly...descended from our ancient ancestors, but that is not so unusual a thing. That you have the Crimson Eyes is far more remarkable, seeing as the trait is extremely rare, even within the current Mibu Clan, even amongst families that can trace their lineage back through millennia, not to mention that your Crimson Eyes manifest in both eyes."

"They don't usually?" asked Yang.

Kyo slowly shook his head. "On the rare occasions they do manifest, those who possess the Crimson Eyes could instead be said to possess a Crimson Eye. Either the left or the right eye will transform. Only someone coming from an extremely distinguished lineage is likely to manifest them in both their eyes."

"Wow...so I'm from a distinguished lineage, huh?" mused Yang, thinking about what she'd recently learned about Raven's "family," during this last mission.

"From a bloodline perspective, yes," said Kyo. "Though I couldn't give you any kind of genealogy, as said bloodline has probably been separated from the rest of the Mibu Clan for countless generations."

"Not surprised," said Yang, sighing. Then she frowned pensively. "Hold on...how come Raven's eyes are always red, while mine are usually like this?" She gestured to to her own, currently-lilac, eyes. "Yours too," she added after a second.

"That's hard to say," said Kyo. "With regard to Raven-san's eyes, it's possible that she's so accustomed to drawing on them that she is able to maintain their manifestation constantly." Although there's probably a different reason, he thought, remembering his own experiences with Raven.

"As for me...it's a familial trait. My family line is distinct amongst the Mibu. Children of our line are always born with the Crimson Eyes active. It's been that way for generations."

"Why?" asked Yang.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you," said Kyo.

"Can't...or won't?" asked Yang warily.

"...Yes," said Kyo, drawing a frustrated growl. "As it's something specific to us Mibu, it would be pointless for you to know. All you need know is that our family is...distinct.

"That being said, there is more significance to the Crimson Eyes than mere family history. The Crimson Eyes are an atavistic trait, the recurrence of an inherited trait that has been long lost to most."

"So...I'm a throwback," said Yang, frowning.

"That is not a bad thing," said Kyo. "Long ago, all the members of the Mibu supposedly possessed the Crimson Eyes. With those eyes came immense power. Both the occurrence of the eyes, and the power they conveyed, dwindled with the passing of ages, until they were all but forgotten."

"So...wait a second!" Yang perked up. "You're saying that these eyes are like...some kind of superpower?!"

"Something like that," said Kyo, chuckling again. "Their presence and appearance means that you possess yet-untapped potential. Learning to invoke that power could allow you to unleash strength previously unknown to you."

"Really...?" Yang inhaled slowly, bringing her fingers up to trace the skin beneath one eye. "That's...kinda awesome!" She looked at Kyo. "I always thought my eyes were a part of my Semblance."

"Not quite," said Kyo, "though they probably aren't unrelated. Tell me...what is your Semblance?"

"When I take hits in battle, my Semblance charges up," said Yang. "When I tap into it, I can use all that power to basically pay back what my opponent did to me...plus interest."

"Impressive," said Kyo, scratching his chin. "Is that all there is to it?"

"W-well...it's not just damage," said Yang. "My Semblance can be powered up by my feelings, particularly when I get angry. When I'm really swept up in it, that's when my eyes turn red."

"Ah!" said Kyo sharply. "There's the connection."

"What connection?"

Kyo smirked. "The conditions you just described, your feelings running high, your blood hot in your veins...those are the conditions that typically bring out the Crimson Eyes for those who haven't yet learned to control them. Those feelings, those moments, are when you are overriding the unconscious limiters your mind and body place on themselves, and are beginning to tap into your full potential power."

Yang's eyes went wide. "So that's it," she said, almost breathless. "But...what does that mean? What can I do with this?"

"I'm sure that Ruby-chan has told you about what Semblances are," said Kyo, "and what they aren't."

"You mean that stuff about Manifestation?" asked Yang. Seeing Kyo nod, she nodded back. "Yeah. She told us about that. I mean, it's a bit hard to believe, seeing as it goes against most of what we've been taught our entire lives. But, after seeing what Ruby can do..."

"Your Crimson Eyes could most definitely affect the development of your Manifestation," said Kyo, "particularly its potency."

"How so?" asked Yang.

"Well, I imagine that it's been a bit of a conundrum for you all," said Kyo. "With the exception of Jaune-kun, the rest of you have already acquired Semblances, so that makes it difficult to figure out how to produce a Manifestation."

"Yeah," agreed Yang. "Sasame was kinda at a loss too. She said she wasn't sure what kind of advice she could give us." She paused. "I mean, the training we've been doing with the basics of Aura-control has been a pretty big help on its own. But...creating some kind of new ability..." She shrugged.

"Well, all things considered...perhaps the best approach for you is not to look towards developing some wholly new ability, but instead steering the development of the ability you already have in a direction of your choosing," suggested Kyo.

"What would that look like?" asked Yang.

Kyo grinned. "Considering what you've told me, your current Semblance could refined in multiple ways. First and foremost, with refinement, it might be possible for you to absorb the energy of incoming attacks without actually taking damage from them."

"That would be nice," said Yang, considering that was the biggest drawback of her Semblance. To power it up all the way, she often had to get beat down right to the edge. In matches according to official rules, that often brought her right to the brink of being defeated by Aura-level. It was something her father and other teachers had often chided her for, as it was the kind of practice that encouraged recklessness on her part. If there was a way for her to reap the benefits of her Semblance, without having to suffer the drawbacks, then she was all for it.

"The other approach to refinement would be to boost your Semblance's 'return', so to speak," said Kyo. "You said you pay back the damage you receive 'with interest'. But, by refining your ability, you could potentially increase that 'interest' dramatically. In fact, that's where I suspect the potential of your Crimson Eyes may lie."

"Really?!" gasped Yang. "That would be awesome!"

"Of course, it would be best to explore both paths," said Kyo, chuckling. "Imagine being able to to render incoming attacks harmless, before sending that power back, inflated by an order of magnitude."

"Pretty damn awesome!" agreed Yang. "Where do I start?"

"In some ways, you've already started," said Kyo. "First and foremost, you need to continue practicing the three basic exercises you've already learned."

"Awww, come on!" exclaimed Yang frustratedly.

Kyo chuckled. "I'm sorry, but that much is the truth. As I once told Ruby-chan, I know those exercises come off as tedious and boring, and it can seem like you're practicing them to no real end. But the benefits will be there, if you are diligent.

"Temper and Projection both work to cultivate your Aura, increasing its volume; gradually, in the case of the former, and more rapidly, in the case of the latter. Suppression cultivates control of your Aura's inward and outward flow. Through that kind of practice, you will be able to 'get to know' your power, so to speak. Once you do, you will be able to start affecting its shape and its capabilities."

"Um...what is that like...exactly?" asked Yang.

"Not telling," said Kyo in a cheeky tone.

"What?!" exclaimed Yang, glaring at him.

Kyo laughed. "I'm sorry, but it's very difficult to put that sensation into words. And it's unique to each person who does it. More to the point, you will be exploring the shape and color of an ability you already have, rather than creating one from whole cloth, so your experience will be far removed from mine or Ruby-chan's.

"My best advice is to practice usage of your Semblance, under controlled circumstances of course, and turn your focus inwards. How does it feel, when that power builds within you? How can you divorce that accumulation from actually taking damage from incoming attacks? Maybe you should even examine what happens to that power, if you do not expend it. Imagine simply accumulating more and more power over time, a continuous reserve of extra strength that you could tap into at will."

"Yeah...that would be pretty cool," said Yang, smiling a little. "Thanks, Kyo."

"Yes, well..." Kyo scratched his cheek. "You are Ruby-chan's other sister, after all. So, by extension, that would make you my sister as well."

"Um...I'm not sure about that," said Yang, her tone flat. "I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of a guy like you being my brother."

"So harsh," said Kyo with another laugh. "Yet Sasame told me that you accepted her offer of sisterhood. You're making me feel left out." He fake-pouted at her.

"Yeah, well, Sasame's different," said Yang decisively.

"That she is," agreed Kyo. "However, that is only by certain degrees. You've only been exposed to her better sides, for the most part."

"Better sides...?" repeated Yang skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

Kyo's smile became a smirk. "Sasame has the capacity to be just as violent as I am, sometimes. She too is capable of killing with little hesitation or remorse after the fact. She hasn't killed as many people as I have, but that's mostly because she's more often in the back, healing those we are protecting from those who become my victims. Any of those who have made it past me to threaten those people then become Sasame's victims."

Yang shuddered, feeling a chilling sensation washing across her skin. Abruptly, she was reminded of the first day she and the others had met Ruby's other sister, and subsequently learned that one of the first things Sasame had done, upon coming to Beacon, was brutally torture Cardin Winchester. Granted, it had been Cardin who had started the whole thing, threatening and violently harassing Sasame for being a faunus. But that didn't change how disturbing it had been to hear how Sasame had broken Cardin's bones, only to heal them immediately afterwards, only so that she could break other bones in their place.

"I can see you have some sense of what I'm talking about," said Kyo. "Had it been Sasame who had come upon the White Fang in those caverns; doubtless, as a faunus; she would have received a much warmer reception. However, once she learned what they were up to, I can assure you that there would be just as many corpses as a result...if not more. Sasame dislikes those who threaten the helpless and innocent even more than I do."

"Even though she's a healer?" asked Yang.

"More because she's a healer," Kyo replied. "Because she heals the hurts of others, she is far more conscious of the pain they suffer. Because of that, her tolerance for those who would willingly inflict such pain is extremely low."

"Huh?" mused Yang. "Weird. She certainly tolerated those jerks who tried to attack Weiss, while they were together."

"Yes, well, Sasame was most likely trying to avoid causing complications for your friend," said Kyo. "Her way of killing is even more messy than mine."

Thinking back to those dismembered bodies in the catacombs of Mountain Glenn, Yang threw Kyo a skeptical glance.

"Sasame can hit very hard," said Kyo. "Hard enough to splatter a person's body like an overripe fruit."

"Oh..." Yang fought down the churning in her stomach, imagining such an event.

"Still...if you don't really feel up to calling me 'Kyo-nii,' like Ruby-chan does, I'm fine with that," said Kyo, his sheepish grin returning. "At the very least, I'm glad we had this chance to talk, Yang-san."

Slowly, Yang nodded. "Yeah...me too." Then she paused. "Wait a second! What about Uncle Qrow?"

"What about him?" asked Kyo.

"Raven and I; our eyes are inherited," said Yang. "But Uncle Qrow's never shown them."

Indeed, while Qrow's eyes were a dull kind of rusty-red. They weren't the same bright, luminous color that Yang and her mother sported.

Kyo shrugged. "Such is the nature of atavistic traits. They can disappear completely, only to pop up generations later. In the case of siblings, the trait can manifest in one, but not the other. Given that your mother and uncle are twins, that would be quite curious...except for the fact that they are fraternal twins, so their genetics are not identical. Either that, or Branwen-san simply hasn't fulfilled the conditions to activate them, the way his sister has."

"I guess that makes sense," said Yang.

"Did you have any other questions?" asked Kyo.

"Well...now that you mention it..." Yang suddenly found a crafty grin spreading across her face. "...any embarrassing stories about Ruby you'd care to share? As her big sister, I feel like I'm in need of some good teasing material."

Kyo returned her grin. "Well...I can certainly help with that."

"You okay?" asked Jaune.

Ruby had abruptly jolted, a shudder running in a wave from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, leaving goosebumps in its wake. I'm getting the feeling I'm missing something I should be heading off at the pass, she thought. Out loud, she said, "It's nothing."

Jaune's expression was skeptical, but..."If you say so…"

"It's fine," said Ruby, giggling, the briefly troubling sensation passing with nary an aftereffect, indicating to her that it wasn't anything dangerous or threatening. She reached across the table to take Jaune's hand in her own.

Jaune smiled back at her, before letting go so that they could return to their meal.

Their first real date had been miles better than their outing, during their mission to find information on the location of the stolen Paladins. It helped that there was no overt threat of danger looming over their heads. They didn't have to worry about waiting for that call from Blake, saying she'd located the White Fang's rally. They certainly didn't have to worry about tripping over Ruby's father again. All that was left was to spend the day as they saw fit.

They'd both dressed down (or up, depending on how one saw it) for the day, Ruby wearing the outfit that Weiss had bought for her during their first outing as a team in Vale, while Jaune had gone with a dark-blue, collared shirt; and a pair of surprisingly decent-looking tan slacks. As usual, Ruby felt a little exposed, wearing a top that showed off so much of her shoulders and back, not to mention a bit of her cleavage. However, she couldn't deny the giddy feeling that had accompanied her blush when Jaune admitted that it was his favorite outfit to see her in.

They'd started fairly early, going out for breakfast at a diner, before heading to a movie. Ruby still blushed, when she remembered Nora's suggestion.

"Pick a movie that's kinda boring," Nora had said. "That way, when the two of you start necking, you won't be missing out on anything."

There were two problems with Nora's suggestion. First, neither Ruby nor Jaune had much interest in going to a boring movie. Second, they didn't feel nearly comfortable enough yet to start...necking. So they'd instead settled on an action movie that looked rather entertaining.

And entertaining it was, though, as a pair of Beacon students, the pair of them actually found the movie's fight scenes to be more comedic than exciting, both of them having fun at poking holes in the moves used by the actors on the screen...in hushed tones, of course, though they might have attracted one or two glares from their neighbors.

By the time the movie wrapped up, they were a good ways into the afternoon. From there, they had simply spent their time touring the city, entering any shop that caught their eyes. Since the movie had lasted through noon, they'd decided on an early dinner at a small cafe, which had been a recommendation from Blake.

As first dates went, it had been wonderful. They'd enjoyed the sensation of holding hands as they walked, even exchanging the occasional quick kiss. Neither of them felt ready for anything overly intimate, for all that they had slept in the same bed on multiple occasions already, so their interactions were mostly chaste and innocent.

As they ate their meal, they shared stories from their childhood. Ruby talked about some of the adventures she'd been on with her friends. Jaune shared the more pleasant stories of things he had done with his sisters. While he might have rightfully resented them for backing up his parents in doing everything they could to block him from becoming a Huntsman, and outright bullying him in the case of one of them, he still had fond memories of them all playing together.

They'd just wrapped up dinner, and were moving on to dessert, when Jaune's scroll buzzed. "Oh! How about that," he said, mostly to himself.

"What is it?" asked Ruby, leaning forward.

"Saphron wants to talk," said Jaune. "She wants to know when I'm free to take a terminal call."

"Saphron?" Ruby canted her head slightly.

"My oldest sister," said Jaune. "I told you about her, didn't I?"

"I think so," said Ruby, trying to pick out which one of his sisters he was talking about.

Jaune smiled fondly. "She's the only one of my sisters who moved away from home. She settled down in Argus, got married, and even has a son now. I'm an uncle." That last statement was made with only the kind of pride that a truly loving brother could produce.

"Did she ever try to discourage you, like your other sisters?" asked Ruby.

"Saph...nah," said Jaune, shaking his head, still looking at the message on his scroll fondly. "Part of it was that she'd already moved out by the time I really started arguing with our family over all that. I like to think she would've taken my side, if she had been there. She used to tell me that she looked forward to the day I'd be a great hero."

"What's she look like?" asked Ruby.

"Well, let me see...I think I have a more recent picture of her," said Jaune, flipping through saved images on his scroll. "Here it is. Her wife's in the picture too."

The moment Ruby looked at the picture, she could tell which one was Jaune's sister. Saphron had the same blonde hair and blue eyes as her brother, though her hair cascaded down past her shoulders in flowing waves that Yang would have probably been envious of. She was wearing a relatively simple khaki-colored vest, which left her arms bare.

She was seated next to a woman with a somewhat darker complexion, sporting dark-brown hair that had been cut just above her neck, with a single smooth bang drifting across her forehead, just over her dark-brown eyes, over which she wore a pair of red-framed glasses with rectangular rims. She wore a navy-blue button-down shirt, over which she also wore a light-blue cardigan. The two of them were both smiling, beaming pleasantly at the camera.

"She looks nice," said Ruby. "Do you have any pictures of their son?"

"Not yet," said Jaune, taking his scroll back. "I'll ask, if I get the chance." He grinned across the table at Ruby. "If she can do it, wanna go talk to her, after we get back to Beacon?"

"A-are you sure?" asked Ruby. "I mean...doesn't she want to talk just to you?"

"Well, she sent the request just for me," said Jaune. "But that's just because she didn't expect me to be with anyone else. I'd love to introduce my partner and girlfriend to her."

Ruby blushed furiously, but she was also pleasantly surprised that Jaune was so eager to introduce her as his girlfriend to the one sister he seemed to get along with, at the moment. "Sure," she said.

"Great," said Jaune. Someday, I'd like to introduce her to Mom and the other girls...when they aren't trying to pretend I'm some kinda fragile china doll that'll break with a light touch. He quickly tapped out a reply to his sister on his scroll. Only a few seconds passed before a reply came back, confirming the time.

"So, we'll talk to her in about an hour," said Jaune. "That'll give us time to enjoy dessert, before we have to grab an airship back."

"Sounds good," said Ruby.

A moment later, she was cooing as their desserts arrived, eagerly sharing tastes of hers with Jaune, before trying his own. After that, they settled their bill, then headed out to the docks for their airship.

As they walked, they continued to chat amiably with one another. A short ways out from the dock, Ruby became conscious of a familiar, darting shadow, lingering at the edge of her senses. Neo? She couldn't be sure, but she thought the diminutive girl might have been following them for a while, possibly even before they'd gone into the cafe for dinner.

"Something wrong?" asked Jaune, noticing Ruby's momentary distraction.

"Not really," said Ruby. "I can sense Neo."

"Huh?" Jaune tensed, feeling more than a little vulnerable, seeing as he'd left his weapons in his locker, back in Beacon; unlike Ruby, who, as usual, was wearing her sword.

"It's okay," said Ruby, taking his hand. "She's watching us, but I don't sense anything malicious about it."

Instead, all Ruby felt was that same wary curiosity she always seemed to sense from Neo, almost as though the shorter girl expected something from her, and was waiting patiently to see if Ruby could deliver. It always made Ruby wonder just what Neo was looking for, though she doubted she'd get an answer until she got the chance to ask Neo herself.

Once they arrived at the docks and boarded their airship, Neo's presence slipped away, as they left her back behind in Vale. That left Ruby and Jaune free to relax for the time being. So they leaned against each other, basking in the peace and quiet of the nearly-empty airship, enjoying their time before Jaune would introduce Ruby to his eldest sibling.

Jaune fidgeted anxiously as he stared at the terminal screen, watching the spinning icon of the official symbol of Vale, which served as a screensaver. After arriving at the tower, they'd been directed to a terminal, where they'd waited while the CCT routed through the tower in Mistral to reach the relay in Argus, where Jaune's sister was hopefully also waiting.

Finally, the image of Vale's symbol was replaced by the face of Jaune's sister. She looked pretty much identical to her appearance in the picture that Jaune had showed Ruby. At the sight of her brother, Saphron Cotta-Arc broke out in a radiant smile. "Jaune!" she cheered. "It's so good to see you. How've you been doing, Baby Bro?"

"I'm not a baby," groused Jaune, smiling nonetheless. "I'm doing great, Saph. How're Terra and Adrian doing?"

"Oh! Adrian is growing like a weed," said Saphron. "He's such a bright boy! You don't have a picture, right? I'll send one right away."

Saphron and Jaune plugged their scrolls into their respective terminals. A few seconds later, not just one photo, but an entire small album was downloaded onto Jaune's scroll.

After that was taken care of, Saphron's expression softened. "So...you did it. You actually made it into Beacon."

"Yeah," said Jaune, before freezing. "Wait! How do you know about that?"

Saphron smirked, holding up a finger. "One...you're calling me from the CCT Tower in Vale, not one of the call centers in town. That's what the Caller ID says, anyway. Since the tower is the centerpiece of Beacon's campus, the only ones with access to it are students."

A second finger joined the first. "Secondly, your shirt isn't doing a good job of hiding the fact that you're looking pretty ripped. Someone's been working out hard. If I weren't into girls, I might be developing a brother complex right now."

Jaune blushed furiously at that, while Ruby tittered behind him.

Saphron's ring finger joined her index and middle fingers. "And finally...you've got that pretty little thing standing behind you, wearing a sword. That's a Huntress student, if I've ever seen one. And we live within a stone's throw of Sanctum, so I've seen a few." She paused, looking Ruby over pensively. "She looks familiar too..."

Even as she blushed at Saphron complimenting her looks, Ruby exchanged a glance with Jaune. "Isn't Sanctum where Pyrrha came from?" asked Jaune, Ruby nodding.

Saphron's eyes widened. "That's right!" she exclaimed, startling the pair. "That's the girl who fought the Pyrrha Nikos to a draw! Pretty illustrious company you've got there, Baby Bro."

Ruby's face flushed bright-red, while Jaune laughed awkwardly, rubbing his hand behind his head. "Yeah...Ruby's my partner."

Saphron's eyes went wider.

"And...She's my girlfriend now," Jaune added, his cheeks turning pink.

For a long moment, Saphron was silent. Then... "That's awesome Jaune!" she exclaimed, grinning hugely. "Congratulations! Looks like you managed to snatch a real winner! You've got to give me the skinny on how that went down."

"Well...sure," said Jaune.

"Actually...hold up!" said Saphron, holding up a finger again. "Let's do better and start from the beginning. I want to hear how you actually managed to get into Beacon. This has gotta be a story for the ages."

"Oh, it's a story all right," said Ruby, giggling as Jaune's blush darkened.

"Yeah...I didn't get off to the best of starts," commented Jaune.

He went through the whole thing as best he could, starting with meeting Ruby on the airship, befriending her, then the two of them going through the initiation, complete with her saving him from being splattered across the Emerald Forest, then learning about his history and unlocking his Aura. After that, he gave a brief overview of their first couple of semesters at Beacon, the training he'd undergone to start reaching the level of an actual Beacon student. He glossed over a few things, namely their altercations with the White Fang, and the clandestine missions they'd done on behalf of Ironwood and Ozpin. He did give a brief overview of their most recent mission, including a story of their battle against the pirates, though he left out the part where he'd killed some of them, not feeling comfortable telling Saphron that. Ruby chimed in where she could, helping fill in a few extra details. He also related the story of how he and Ruby had gotten together, a story that had Saphron cooing and squealing.

"Wow!" she said, once Jaune had finished. "You're really going places, Little Bro."

"Thanks," said Jaune.

"I sure hope the two of you aren't getting busy just yet," teased Saphron. "I may be a mother now, but I'm not ready to be an aunt."

"S-Saph!" sputtered Jaune, his and Ruby's faces turning red at the implication, prompting a burst of laughter from Saphron.

"I'm just teasing you. You know that." Her expression sobered a little, though she was still smiling. "So...you did it. You really did it. I'm so proud of you, Jaune. I knew you had it in you."

"Thanks," said Jaune. "You were probably the only one."

Saphron's smile wilted. "Have you talked to the others?"

"I talked to Dad...once," said Jaune, a harsh edge creeping into his tone.

"Oh...I'm guessing that didn't go over well."

"When I told him I got in...he laughed at me," said Jaune. "He straight up accused me of lying, then went on another of his patronizing monologues. He even froze my account. It's a good thing that I thought to set up a separate account to hold my stipend, or I'd probably be in trouble."

"Oh Jaune..." said Saphron, a sad edge in her voice. "What about Mom and the girls?"

"Well...they've tapered off," said Jaune. "They still send me the occasional text, telling me there's no shame in owning up and coming back, like I've been lying, every time I told them I actually got in. None of them believe me."

Saphron sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that. Even if they mean well, that's a stupid way to go about it."

"I just wish I knew what they had against me becoming a Huntsman," said Jaune. "I know for a fact now that Dad was deliberately scrolling it in when he was 'training' me."

Saphron's face fell. "I might know," she said.

"You do?" asked Jaune.

Saphron nodded. "Dad and I disagreed on it. But Mom always backed him up, so did the other girls. You probably don't remember, but, when you were first born...you weren't exactly the healthiest little baby."

"I...wasn't?" Jaune blinked furiously. This was news to him. Behind him, Ruby squeezed his shoulder worriedly.

Saphron nodded, her expression grave. "When you first came out...the prognosis wasn't good. You were premature, barely breathing, and your vitals were very weak. The doctors weren't sure you would even last the first night. They called it something of a miracle, when you pulled through."

"I...I never knew that," said Jaune, sitting rigidly upright in his seat, his hand coming up to rest over the one Ruby had placed on his shoulder.

"Even after that, you were a sickly little thing," continued Saphron. "For that first year, you kept getting sick from one thing or another. The doctors said you had an immune deficiency. They predicted that you might not even be able to function properly, if you lasted past infancy. You might not be able to walk, or even have more than the most basic motor skills. I remember that time pretty well. Mom and Dad were practically living on pins and needles, and the rest of us weren't much better.

"Then...right around the time you turned one...you suddenly got better. The doctors said it was nothing short of a miracle. It seemed that, out of nowhere, you were as healthy as you should've been, and all was suddenly right with the world. They just couldn't explain it."

"That's..." Jaune didn't know how to respond. "No one ever told me about that."

Saphron averted her eyes slightly, looking abashed. "Yeah...well...we weren't exactly comfortable talking about it. That was a scary time for all of us. Us older girls were terrified that we were about to lose our new baby brother forever...and it was scary as hell. It was even worse for Mom and Dad. They were there for every fit, for every single time your little body collapsed, every time whichever doctor they took you to delivered a more ominous prognosis than the last. Even after you recovered, we were all on the lookout, worried that whatever it was that was wrong with you might suddenly make a comeback, though that seemed less and less likely, as the years went on, and you grew into a perfectly normal and healthy boy.

"If I had to guess, I think Mom and Dad haven't grown out of that worry. They might still remember you as that weak little thing, always on the verge of dying. The thought of the child, who they had spent so long being terrified of losing, suddenly wanting to go into the most dangerous profession in the world...I can understand why they'd be reluctant, even if I can't condone it."

"And where does the part about treating me like some walking punchline come in?" wondered Jaune angrily. "They could've explained this to me, talked about their worries. Instead, they just spewed a bunch of patronizing garbage, kept telling me that I 'didn't have it in me,' or whatever other excuse they wanted to make up. My little sisters basically laughed at me and mocked me for even trying."

"Well, speaking for our younger sisters, obviously they weren't there," said Saphron. "Mom and Dad swore us older girls to silence on the whole thing. They never had to live through that fear, and they had no idea what'd happened to you. So, seeing how Mom and Dad treated you, without context, I guess they kind of got it into their minds that it was because you were incapable in general. That's definitely not fair to you, of course, but it's on Mom and Dad for not setting the record straight.

"As for Mom and Dad, I think I can understand, if I can't excuse it. After they spent so much energy worrying about your fate, wondering if each and every day was going to be your last, you went through your miracle recovery, but they never stopped worrying. Then this unbelievably lucky boy of theirs; a boy lucky to reach his second year of life at all, a boy they continually worried about losing; decided he wanted to go into a line of work that carried a serious chance of injury, or even death. Even if you had no idea of what they'd been through, and they'd never told you, it might almost seem like you were spitting on all the fear they'd put themselves through. I think, unconsciously, they may have resented you for that, maybe even seen you as...well...stupid...despite this all being something you had no idea about."

"So...I'm apparently an idiot because I unknowingly reminded them of all the trauma I went through...which I never could have known, because no one ever told me?" asked Jaune.

"Maybe," said Saphron. "Like I said, I can understand it. But I won't excuse it. I just think that's why. Mom and Dad never really let go of that memory of you as a helpless, frail child, and they couldn't stomach the thought of that child going through all the risk of trying to become a Huntsman."

"God..." whispered Jaune, Ruby squeezing his shoulder from behind.

"I'm sorry," said Saphron. "It definitely wasn't fair to you. I mean, you've been perfectly healthy ever since. Heck! I can't even remember the last time you had so much as a cold. If anything, I think you were even healthier after all that than most kids. But I should've at least told you about all this sooner. Someone should have. That wasn't fair to you at all, holding stuff you had no control over, and no knowledge of, over your head like that. I...I should've done more. And I'm sorry for that."

"It's okay," said Jaune, his smile returning. "Thanks for finally telling me, Saph."

"I'm glad to help, even if only a little," said Saphron. "I'd ask if that might make you more inclined to talk with the others, but I won't pressure you."

"I need to think about it," said Jaune.

"That's all that I can ask," said Saphron, smiling fondly. "Still, if you called them up, with that lovely young lady standing behind you, it might finally sink in that their little fledgling has really left the nest."

"Maybe worth a try," admitted Jaune.

They were silent for a few seconds, before Saphron clapped her hands together. "Well, enough of that depressing topic. Let's talk about something else. Are you gonna be in the Vytal Festival Tournament, Baby Bro?"

"You know it," said Jaune.

As they ended the call and left the building, Ruby go the impression that there might have been something she'd forgotten about. However, it quickly faded into the back of her mind.

"Wow! What a day," groaned Jaune, stretching his arms over his head as he and Ruby made their way out of Beacon Tower.

"Yeah," said Ruby. "That was a lot of fun. I can't wait 'til we go on another date."

"I'm looking forward to it too," agreed Jaune, wrapping an arm around Ruby's shoulders and pulling her up against his side. Ruby let out a soft sound, almost like a purr, nuzzling into his embrace.

By the time they'd wrapped up their conversation with Saphron, night had fallen, and they found themselves making their way back to the dorms under the light of the lampposts. The scenery carried a peaceful ambience, fully conveying the warmth of the passing summer, the falling of night having cooled things down pleasantly, without it being chilly.

The pair took their time making their way back to the dorms, savoring each slow step they took, leaning into each other, almost as though they needed one another's support to keep upright. Jaune was deliriously happy, barely able to comprehend the fact that he had such a beautiful, brilliant, and strong girlfriend at his side. It felt truly miraculous.

Ruby was equally giddy, having nursed a strong crush on Jaune for a while now. While he might have been weaker than her by a substantial degree, she'd always found herself admiring the strength of his character, his spirit, his willingness to give it his all to become strong enough to really earn his place at Beacon. He always seemed to know how to put a smile on her face, or how to make her feel at ease, when she was feeling stressed. The feeling of being wrapped up in his arms, held in a comforting embrace, was literally a dream come true.

They arrived at the dorms to find that Weiss and Pyrrha were still out, doing whatever it was they were doing with their time off. Knowing Weiss, she was probably forcing herself through extra study sessions, in an unnecessary effort to raise her grades, as though she weren't already at the top of the class in academics. That, or she might be spending some time with Ashley and her family.

Pyrrha was harder to figure out. It was strange, but Ruby couldn't quite remember Pyrrha having any particular hobbies. It was hard to think of what she'd do with so much free time on her own, except train, maybe. Ruby hoped that Pyrrha had found something to spend her time on.

At the moment though, the pair's main concern was that they had the the room to themselves, for a little while at least. Not wanting to pull apart from each other just yet, Ruby and Jaune settled down next to each other on Jaune's bed, Jaune's arm still wrapped around Ruby's shoulders.

"So...now what?" asked Jaune.

"Well, I am tired," said Ruby. "But I don't quite feel like going to bed yet."

"Me neither," admitted Jaune.

The truth was, despite how tired they were feeling, neither of them really wanted this night to end. They lounged together in an easy silence, though it was slowly becoming weighed down by a burgeoning tension between them. That tension had Ruby slowly turning her head towards Jaune, who matched her movement so that the two of them were staring into each other's eyes.

Jaune moved first, dipping his head down, taking Ruby's lips in a sweet, gentle kiss. This hadn't been like the brief pecks they'd exchanged throughout the day, or any of the previous days of their relationship. It was more like that first kiss they'd shared, when Jaune had asked Ruby to be his girlfriend. However, there was a greater intensity to it, the two of them leaning into the action, pressing their lips together harder...until simply massaging one another's lips wasn't enough.

It was Ruby who made the next move, her lips parting slightly to let her tongue slip out. It brushed against Jaune's in a gentle caress. His sensitivity maximized by the excitement of the moment, Jaune perceived the brief contact, and opened his own lips slightly, granting entrance to Ruby's tongue. His own tongue slipped out to meet it, their tips brushing against each other, before slowly rubbing and slithering against each other.

After a dizzying moment, they pulled apart, panting slightly, still staring at each other. Abruptly, Ruby squeaked as the arm Jaune hadn't draped over her shoulders wrapped around her midriff. A second later, he'd pulled her up and onto his lap. Ruby found her head tilted back as Jaune leaned his almost directly down to kiss her with increased vigor, their tongues twisting and rubbing wildly together, sometimes slipping past one another to explore the contours and textures of the other's mouth. The intensity and excitement rushing through Ruby prompted a husky moan to escape from her lungs, bleeding out between their lips.

Their latest kiss coming to an end, the pair pulled away from each other, breathing even harder now. Both of them sported a faint shine of sweat, their bodies feeling heated from the intimacy and excitement, as though they'd just concluded a brief period of intense exercise.

"Wow..." breathed Ruby.

"Yeah," Jaune agreed, before giving her a dopy grin that had Ruby giggling helplessly.

"Oh! You think it's funny, do you?" growled Jaune playfully. He turned Ruby on his lap, so that her back was now pressed up against his chest, while his arms wrapped tightly around her stomach, holding her in place.

"Jaune! What are you doing?" Ruby squirmed in his hold, struggling reflexively, albeit more playfully than anything else.

She got her answer when she suddenly felt Jaune's lips on the bare skin of her back, just above the fabric of her top. Ruby let out a slight shriek, her body lurching in her surprise, though it wasn't enough to escape Jaune's grip, which he held as he peppered her back with kisses, slowly climbing higher with each one. Several light pecks later, his lips found the curve of her shoulder, Jaune starting by almost seeming to walk his lips along her skin, finally pulling away when he reached the strap that held up her halter-top.

However, the pause only lasted long enough for him to transfer his affections to the opposite shoulder, and resume his progress inward and upwards. When he reached the strap of her top this time, he continued, kissing his way up her neck, leaning forward to let his lips trace the line of her jaw, before pulling back along her cheek, finally reaching the lobe of her ear, Jaune finishing with a quick lick, which had Ruby shivering with delight, and squealing at the same time.

"Th-that's playing dirty," Ruby growled, throwing a mock glare over her shoulder at him.

Jaune smirked at her. "All's fair in love and war," he said.

They stared at each other again. Ruby had to admit that she was feeling...hot, like someone had stoked a furnace in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't the only one feeling the effects of the exchange. Her squirming in Jaune's lap had caused a certain part of him to harden, and begin pressing against the crease of her toned behind. Suddenly, Ruby's clothes were starting to feel too restrictive, and she began to feel the impulse to pull them off. Another part of her mind wondered if Jaune was feeling the same way, and imagining what it would be like if he took his clothes off too, what it would feel like to press skin against skin, to...

Suddenly, the hands that Ruby had latched onto Jaune's arms let go, and she brought them up to her face, slapping them against her cheeks, the sharp sound of impact jolting both her and Jaune out of the lustful daze they'd found themselves in. Coming all the way back to her senses, Ruby let out a long breath.

"I think we should stop here," she said, albeit reluctantly.

A faint groan sounded from within Jaune's throat, and his legs shifted anxiously, prodding his member against her behind again, threatening to stir up Ruby's own passions again. However, Ruby took a deep breath, then released her Aura from her body, projecting it out through her back in slow, soothing waves, using the same trick of the healing arts she'd once used to soothe a frightened and traumatized Velvet. Now she used it to slowly and gently calm Jaune, bringing him down out of the emotional high they'd found themselves in.

Jaune let out his breath in a slow stream, before pressing his face into Ruby's hair, kissing the top of her head. "Sorry," he said, relaxing a little, though he kept his arms wrapped gently around her, "guess I got a little carried away."

"We both did," said Ruby, smiling back at him. "It's fine. So long as we know where to stop, there's no problem. I liked that." She blushed. "I'd...I'd like to do more stuff like that, sometime."

"Me too," agreed Jaune, dipping his head to press his face into her hair again.

"Let's get ready for bed," said Ruby. "We get to sleep together tonight too."

"Yeah," agreed Jaune.

One of the many benefits of having a few days between the end of their mission and the resumption of their classes was that they were free to share a bed every night, until Sunday evening. Weiss had been reluctant to allow such a luxury, but had to admit that it was within the bounds of the rules that she had set for them, and thusly had no grounds for objection.

So Ruby and Jaune took their turns getting ready for bed, before slipping beneath the cover's of Jaune's bed, wrapping each other up in their arms once more, and drifting off to a peaceful, well-earned rest.