123

Chapter 123:

The crowds roared as Professor Port's voice boomed throughout the arena. "And with that devastating finish, Arslan goes down. The winners are Team Raspberry of Beacon!"

Ruby let out a breath of relief, sheathing her sword behind her, before going over to where her opponent had collapsed. Arslan had definitely been the toughest member of Team ABRN, holding out a lot longer than her teammates, keeping close to Ruby in an effort to keep the other members of her team from providing assistance. Thanks to that, it had been up to Ruby to defeat ABRN's leader.

Aside from that, Reese had been a strong contender, though her style, which revolved around her blade-armed hoverboard, which could transform into a pair of handguns, was a little rough around the edges, which had led to her defeat, when a misstep on the ice-field led to her losing her footing, leaving herself open for Weiss to knock her out of the ring with a fist from her Arma Gigas Summon. Unfortunately for ABRN, both Bolin and Nadir hadn't been much to write home about, the former quickly being taken down by Pyrrha, while the latter was beaten by Jaune, right at the outset.

RASP's victory had been pretty much overwhelming, with no significant damage being taken by any of its members, and all four of ABRN's members losing due to ring-out, Aura-level, or both, though Ruby definitely found herself with a healthy respect for Arslan's skills.

Ruby held a hand out, which Arslan accepted gladly, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet. "Dang, you're tough," said Arslan, smiling at Ruby.

"I could say the same," said Ruby, giving her former opponent a cheery grin. "Are you feeling okay?"

Arslan shrugged. "Eh, could be better. I'm not exactly jumping for joy at us losing in the first-round, but someone has to be the loser in a match. You're one heck of a fighter, Ruby Rose."

"Thanks," said Ruby.

Meanwhile Weiss went over to help Reese to her feet. "My butt..." groaned the green-haired girl, rubbing her behind with the hand that Weiss wasn't holding to pull her up.

"Well...it seems your style could still stand to get some kinks ironed out," said Weiss.

"I hadn't noticed," groused Reese sarcastically.

"Still, that board of yours is an impressive piece of technology," said Weiss. "Did you make it yourself?"

"Yeah," said Reese, stooping to pick up the weapon in question.

"That level of miniaturization is used in drones a lot," said Weiss. "But I'm especially amazed that you've managed to incorporate it into a weapon that's used for melee. I can't imagine how you managed to design a shock absorption system to keep it from breaking down."

"That's pretty high praise," said Reese, rubbing her nose. "Having a Schnee compliment my design like that makes me feel pretty good."

"You're welcome," said Weiss with a titter.

Reese sighed, her expression falling and her eyes averting. "But yeah, you're right about my style. I put most of my time into learning how to fight with my board, so I'm a bit rough on even the basics of other kinds of combat."

Weiss nodded, remembering the exchange well enough. Reese had transformed her weapon in midair, bombarding Weiss with gunshots all the way down. However, upon landing, Reese's foot had slipped on the icy field that had been their battleground, dumping her on her tailbone, which had nearly completely incapacitated her. As it was, Weiss had been able to easily remove her from the fight after that. However, she'd also noted that Reese's posture and balance, when she'd landed, had been such that she might well have fallen over, even if they hadn't been fighting on ice.

The two teams made their way out of the arena to the roar of the crowd, heading for their respective locker rooms, luxurious spaces equipped with a variety of modern amenities for use both before and after the match; including showers, laundry facilities, and even a luxurious lounge to relax in. They were given a set amount of time both before and after the match to enjoy the amenities, before they were forced to leave to make room for the team participating in the next match.

Emerging from her shower stall in a soft, white robe (complimentary garments supplied to all participants), Ruby was in the process of toweling off her hair. She settled herself onto one of the lounge's couches with a relaxed sigh.

"Good job," said Jaune, wearing his own robe, holding out a glass of juice, which Ruby gratefully accepted.

"You too," said Ruby, grinning.

Jaune settled onto the couch and Ruby leaned against him, the two of them relaxing in each other's company. A couple of moments later, they were joined by Pyrrha, then Weiss, who'd spent nearly a full half-hour in the showers. At the moment, there was nothing left for them to do, except wait while the staff finished laundering their outfits, one of the major benefits of Amity coming with its own fully-staffed laundry facility, its employees trained in all the nuances of how to handle the bewildering variety of outfits that Huntsmen and Huntresses wore.

A tone sounded from the door. Ruby excused herself for a moment to go answer it. At her approach, a screen appeared over the "Open" key, showing an image of who was waiting outside, in the hallway. Ruby's smile became a grin as she saw a small group of familiar faces out in the hallway. She opened the door.

"Congratulations on your win, Ruby-chan," said Sasame, upon entering.

"You were awesome!" added Ashley eagerly.

"Thanks," said Ruby, exchanging a hug with her friend.

Her eyes went to the last member of the group. Her godfather, Yukimura, smiled down at her, before reaching out to gently ruffle her hair. "Your mother would be proud," he said.

"Thanks," said Ruby, enjoying the feeling of fatherly affection, something she'd been missing for a long time.

"And the rest of you were just as wonderful," said Sasame, moving on to address the rest of the team. "It's good to see that your training has been paying dividends."

"Sure gave us an opportunity to knock the other team for a loop," said Jaune. "I'm still amazed I didn't get knocked out in the first few seconds."

"You don't give yourself enough credit," said Yukimura, moving to clasp Jaune's shoulder. "You've been working hard, and it shows." He chuckled softly. "I know what it's like to flub your Vytal Festival debut well enough, so I can say that you did nothing of the kind."

"You fought in the Vytal Festival Tournament?" asked Pyrrha, leaning forward to regard Yukimura excitedly.

Yukimura chuckled. "Yes...though we never managed to take home the title, I'm afraid. Our first run in the tournament was...shall we say...underwhelming."

"How so?" asked Ashley, settling in next to Weiss, the two of them taking each other's hands.

"We made it through the team round by the skin of our teeth," said Yukimura, reminiscing fondly. "We were soundly trounced in the doubles round. Our second run in the tournament, we managed to make it all the way to the semifinal round, but I wound up losing that match."

"That's too bad," said Ruby, having been hoping to hear tales of her godfather's success.

Yukimura laughed. "Well, that's how it goes. This tournament is between the best of all four years of all four Academies. So, when a pair of first-years go up against a pair of fourth-years, winning is a…tricky…thing to pull off. We did better in our third year, but the fourth-year I faced off against in the semifinals was even better. She went on to take the title, by the way."

"I guess we got lucky, going up against fellow first-years in our first round," noted Jaune.

"Mayhap," said Yukimura. "I can't help but notice, actually, that this year's roster seems to consist mainly of first and second-year teams. Only one of the teams participating is in their fourth year, and there are three in their third year. Out of thirty-two, that's a rather odd distribution."

"Is it always like that?" asked Ruby.

"There's usually more of a spread," said Yukimura. "How each Academy selects the teams to represent it tends to vary, but they do try to pick out the teams with the best chance of making it all the way. If the selection for this year's tournament skews younger, then that would mainly be because they see more potential in their first and second-years than their older students, which suggests that many of the students accepted into the Academies in the past two years are inordinately talented."

Unconsciously, the members of RASP found themselves sitting a little taller.

"Were Natsu-chan and the others able to watch?" asked Ruby, looking to Ashley.

"I sent Oscar a message," said Ashley. "They couldn't make it to the arena on time, but they managed to get to a holoscreen to watch it."

"I'm glad we didn't go up against them," said Pyrrha.

Ruby nodded. Of course, Team RASP intended to go all the way, aiming to take the tournament for themselves, like pretty much every other team there. But it was something of a relief that they hadn't wound up going against any of their closest friends in the first round, as it would have been a disappointment to have to knock out (or be knocked out by) their friends in their very first match.

So far, it was only the second day of the tournament, with Team RASP having been selected for the third match of the day. Team RYNB had been selected for the first round of the same day, completely crushing Team BRNZ, from Shade Academy, in their match. Aside from that, none of the other teams they were friends with, save ABRN, had been tapped for their matches yet. Ruby felt a bit relieved that she would be able to enjoy the remaining two days worth of matches, without having to hold her breath, wondering when Team RASP would be called up.

"So..." said Yukimura, turning the course of the conversation back to the victorious students, "...how was your first taste of the Vytal Festival Tournament?"

"Exhilarating," said Weiss simply.

Pyrrha nodded. "I love all the different possibilities for the biomes. It really makes the match so dynamic to include a terrain factor."

"I'm glad we're still on speaking terms with Team Auburn after that," said Jaune. He scratched his head. "I know it's supposed to be 'may the best man win' and all that. But I feel a little guilty that they can't go any further."

"That's how it is in a competition," said Sasame. "It's good that your first set of opponents were such good sports."

Ruby and her teammates nodded. While it seemed that most of the teams that had lost so far had been able to accept their losses rather gracefully, there had been a fair few participants who had been despondent about their defeats, and one notable case of a member of a losing team throwing what amounted to a temper tantrum, and accusing the victors of cheating.

"It helps that the participants are frequently reminded that they are acting as representatives of their respective Academies," said Yukimura. "Poor sportsmanship is unbecoming, and reflects badly on their institution. Thus, most of those who lose are capable of swallowing their disappointment, at least in public."

The others nodded. It had been something that Glynda had repeatedly reminded all the participants of, the repetition growing with each week the festival crept closer.

"By the way," said Yukimura, his gaze going to Weiss and Pyrrha. "While I'm here, I would like to conduct a quick customer survey. Is your new footwear still working out for you?"

"I feel so much better," said Pyrrha, Weiss nodding alongside her.

At Ruby's recommendation, they'd visited her godfather to see what he could do to provide footwear that would be more compatible with the kind of footwork Ruby had been teaching them. To that end, Yukimura had come up with an elegantly workable solution, producing perfect facsimiles of their original footwear, minus the heels. Surprisingly, the soles of said boots were remarkably supple, really enhancing their control, and enabling them to move even more effectively. Really, the only thing Weiss regretted about the change was that she lost the boost in height that heels provided. However, the advantage the change had provided far outweighed the costs.

Weiss, Pyrrha, and Jaune were still only nascent in their proficiency with Shukuchi, only really able to use it in a movement straight ahead. Of all of them, only Jaune had been able to execute more than three steps in succession, something that had allowed him to really get an edge in their match.

"It's fantastic," said Pyrrha, actually relishing that she was able to leave her heels behind, something that had originally been forced on her by Holly to help improve her image. Learning how to fight in those abominations had been one of the biggest chores between her second and third runs in the Mistral Regional Tournament.

"I have to admit that it was an excellent idea," said Weiss, having been rather shocked herself at how much resistance she had originally put up to the notion of abandoning her heeled boots. Like Pyrrha, she too had been thoroughly schooled in the importance of proper comportment, even on the battlefield. Heels' influence on her appearance and posture had been a critical factor. A Schnee was supposed to maintain her bearing and dignity, regardless of the circumstances. But the one thing that all of Weiss' experiences had taught her was that effectiveness trumped all.

"So, what are your plans, once you get out of here?" asked Ashley, looking at Weiss.

"Well, I'm planning on coming back for the last match of the day," said Weiss. "But, until then, if you wanted to go around the festival grounds together..."

"I'd love to," said Ashley.

The other members of RASP exchanged smiles, glad to see that Weiss and Ashley were able to be a bit more open about their relationship. For the most part, they still played the part of merely-close friends in public, a pair who had bonded under the shared burden of being targeted by the White Fang, with Weiss playing the part of the sympathetic Schnee, helping to improve the appearance of her family and company (while continuing to deflect her father's suspicion).

"What about you?" asked Ashley, looking at the other three members.

"If Team Cardinal isn't selected for the final match for the day, Dove and I will be doing much the same," said Pyrrha. "We've talked about going out to dinner together."

"Sounds like fun," said Ruby. "I'm gonna check on Natsu-chan and the others, and see how they're doing."

"I'll join you for that," said Jaune. "We can figure out what to do for ourselves afterwards."

Ruby nodded eagerly. There were plenty of food stalls set up throughout the festival grounds, providing a bevy of options for dining.

"And now that you don't have to worry about fighting for the remainder of the first round, I can begin your training, Jaune-kun," said Sasame, a happy, yet slightly sinister, smile on her face.

Jaune gulped, and then slumped tiredly. "I should've seen that coming," he said despondently.

"Well...you did ask for it," said Ruby, giving his arm a sympathetic pat. "There'll still be time to see the rest of the festival."

"Yeah," agreed Jaune. He knew Ruby was right, just as he also knew that he needed to fully train in the Healing Arts, so that he could better support his friends in the field, and avoid accidentally injuring someone again. Even though proper training would take a year or more, Sasame had decided that it would be best to do what training they could while she was still in Vale. Jaune was still a little dubious at the idea of going to the Mibu Clan's lands to train, but felt more mollified by the idea of an exchange program, and that his friends would be coming along as well.

For the time being though, they were at least free to bask in the warmth of their victory, continuing to enjoy the lounge's impressive amenities until their cleaned outfits were returned to them. Afterwards, they took their leave of the room, seeing as their time limit was close to being up, heading their separate ways.

Weiss and Ashley were the last members of the group to leave the locker room, having taken advantage of the privacy to exchange a few gestures of affection, after their friends and teammates had left. While they knew they didn't need to hide their relationship from their friends, it was nice to have a quiet moment completely to themselves.

Following that, they made their way down the hallway, heading for the docks, and the air-busses that would ferry them back down to the festival grounds below. The docks formed a ring around the lower level of the conical-structure of the coliseum, looking deceptively dangerous, given a conspicuous absence of railings, and the docking platforms for the busses themselves extending out several meters into the open air. Of course, that danger was completely mitigated by the presence of invisible safety barriers, similar to the kind that shielded the spectators from stray rounds in the arena itself.

Walking through the hallway leading from the locker room to the docks, Weiss and Ashley would have liked to hold hands, but knew well enough that, even in this relatively empty portion of the coliseum, there were still any number of eyes that might well still catch their interaction. It was frustrating, but it was something they had signed up for. Weiss was still uneasy over what would happen, when their relationship inevitably came to light, and her father forced her to cede her inheritance to Whitley. She hated the idea of giving up on the SDC, essentially discarding her responsibility as the heir, and allowing her younger brother to take it instead. It felt like she was shirking her duty as a Schnee, solely to pursue her own self-satisfaction. Still, to her mind, Ashley was worth it.

Entering into the more public hallways of the coliseum, they found themselves surrounded by numerous other people, whom were making their way to and from the coliseum. The crowds had tapered off considerably, given that the next match wasn't for a couple hours yet, and the initial rush of departures following the last one was well over. But it was still a stark contrast to the nearly-empty hallways that Ashley and Weiss had left behind them.

The pair turned towards the nearest dock, preparing to make their way onto the next available bus, when Weiss was arrested by a familiar voice calling her name. It was low and gruff, a voice that filled Weiss with a nearly giddy happiness.

Turning around, Weiss' eyes widened at the sight of a stocky, slightly portly man. The lights gleamed off the top of his balding head, highlighting the dark-brown hair that ringed his smooth crown, and the bushy mustache beneath his nose. He was dressed in a sleeveless, gray vest, with matching dress-pants, over a white, collared shirt, with a light-blue tie.

"Klein!" exclaimed Weiss, a radiant smile appearing on her face. She immediately rushed towards her family's butler.

Klein blinked and, to Ashley's amazement, when his eyes opened again, they had changed from light-brown to yellow. "Oh! My happy Little Snowflake!" he exclaimed, his voice abruptly rising at least an octave. "It's so good to see you!"

Weiss immediately wrapped her arms around the man in a tight hug, which he gladly returned. Ashley was stunned to see her girlfriend openly show so much affection to anyone, in such a public setting. Even amongst her friends, Weiss still tended to be the most reserved, especially when other people were watching. Even Pyrrha had loosened up more than Weiss had, when it came to public displays of affection.

Ashley walked a little closer, curious about the person that Weiss was so close to.

Weiss pulled away, looking into Klein's eyes, which had returned to their previous brown. "I can't believe you're here," she said.

"I saw your match, Weiss," said Klein. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you," said Weiss. "What are you doing here, though? I didn't think you'd be coming down for the festival."

"Well..." said Klein, his gaze lowering down to the side.

"Klein was accompanying me, naturally," commented another familiar voice, this one making Weiss' hackles rise. "Did you think he would be here on his own?"

Weiss and Ashley looked past Klein to see the figure of a slender young man, the color of his skin, hair, and eyes marking him as someone definitely related to Weiss, from Ashley's view. He stood with a slightly-relaxed posture, arms folded behind his back. He was flanked by a pair of black-suited bodyguards, whose heads were mounted on a constant swivel as they surveyed the area around them for potential threats. "Hello, Whitley," said Weiss, pulling away from Klein, affecting the most neutral tone she possibly could, fighting to keep the ire from her voice. The sight of the smug smile that her younger brother seemed to have perpetually plastered on his face made that more than a little difficult.

"Hello, Weiss," said Whitley in a pleasant, polite tone, carrying a vague note of condescension. "It's good to see you again. Allow me to congratulate you on your performance in the tournament. I am sure you've done your trainers proud."

"Yes...I'm sure," said Weiss, finding it increasingly harder to keep her irritation at bay.

Whitley's gaze drifted past Weiss, coming to rest on Ashley, who felt a shiver go down her spine at the feeling of his eyes on her. "And you must be Weiss' friend, whom I've heard so much, yet so little, about."

In spite of herself, Ashley's throat bobbed as she swallowed nervously. Whitley's gaze made her feel as though he'd seen right through her, as though he already knew what she and Weiss really were, and was filing that information away for when it could be most conveniently put to use. "I-it's nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Ashley Forrest."

"A pleasure," said Whitley, bobbing his head to her ever so slightly. "I hope we get a chance to get to know each other better. There's a great deal that's been said about you, but very little from Weiss."

Said...about me...? Ashley felt a fresh shiver going down her spine, as she wondered just who was doing the saying that Whitley was talking about.

"Whitley!" snapped, Weiss, her face tense with anger. "Have you been spying on Ashley?"

"Me...hardly," said Whitley dismissively. "But Father has, as you knew he would. I have access to all the information that his people have obtained. None of it is very interesting, which I suppose is to your friend's benefit. At the very least, we know she isn't a scandal waiting to happen...I'm sure."

Yeah...I'm sure, thought Ashley silently. At least there was some reassurance that Jacques' spies hadn't uncovered the truth about her and Weiss' relationship for the time being. She imagined that Whitley would find such information "interesting" indeed.

"Right..." said Weiss dubiously. "What are you doing in Vale, Whitley?"

"Smoothing some ruffled feathers, as it were," said Whitley with a sigh. "I'm sure you're aware that Father's little stunt, prior to your mission, did not exactly make our distributors down in Vale all that happy. So, I am here to assure them that the SDC was operating in their best interests."

"Yes, by holding Vale's Dust supply hostage, in order to pressure Beacon into sending me on a mission with an ulterior motive on Father's part," groused Weiss.

"And securing our supply lines," added Whitley. "After all, our distributors would be just as destitute, had the pirates continued their...pirating...as they would have, had Father not taken action to ensure that they were dealt with."

Ashley could tell that Weiss still wasn't mollified, but doubted that placating her had been Whitley's intention.

"And what are you doing here?" asked Weiss, meaning Amity Coliseum. "You've never had any interest in tournaments before."

Whitley laughed softly, making Ashley's skin crawl. It was a hollow-sounding laugh, the kind that was clearly for effect, and not any sincere expression of mirth. "Come now, Sister Dearest, I enjoy a good spectacle as much as anyone, and your match was quite...spectacular. Besides, I have been curious about the company you keep, and saw this as an opportunity to see your teammates in action. They were all quite remarkable. You must be quite proud, having managed to obtain Pyrrha Nikos as your partner."

Weiss winced subtly, though Ashley managed to see it. Weiss' initial interactions with Pyrrha were still something of a sore point for her, a reminder that she had initially approached Pyrrha with purely selfish intentions, aiming to take full advantage of Pyrrha's status and skills, something Weiss had dealt with from other people, and disdained when it was tried on her, a bout of hypocrisy that Weiss still felt guilty over.

Whitley continued on, seeming not to notice Weiss' response. "Still, the one who interested me most is your team leader. I heard that she'd been invited into Beacon early, and she certainly lives up to the kind of skill and talent that would warrant such an invitation. On top of that, she is quite lovely. I do not believe that I would mind the opportunity to get to know her better."

"I'm sure you wouldn't," agreed Weiss, silently resolving to do whatever it took to keep Ruby well away from her brother. Not that she had to worry about Ruby falling for Whitley's silver tongue, given how devoted she and Jaune were to each other. "Sadly, I'm afraid there's no point. Ruby already has her own attachments."

Whitley shrugged. "Well, that's a disappointment. With the clout she gained for fighting Ms. Nikos to a draw, Father might actually approve of her."

He would, until he found out she can do all her fighting without a speck of Dust, thought Weiss wryly.

"Ah well, so much for that," said Whitley, not sounding remotely disappointed. "On to other affairs. I'm glad that we managed to run into you before you got lost amidst the rabble, Dear Sister."

"Oh, and why is that?" asked Weiss, immediately tensing.

"Given our family's position, it is only natural that we host at least one or two...soirees...while the festival is in progress. It's an opportunity for us to build our relationships with other prominent business owners and people of status, both those here in Vale, and the ones visiting from the other Kingdoms. The first of these will be taking place this Saturday."

"And what does that have to do with me?" asked Weiss.

"Well...as the prospective heir to the Schnee Dust Company, your attendance would, naturally, be assumed," said Whitley. "Consider it a chance to solidify your position. Father would certainly approve, especially if you make a good showing of yourself. It would do more than winning the entire tournament could to ensure that the people who matter would accept you as the next head of the company."

"How...helpful of you," said Weiss dubiously, not believing for a second that Whitley was doing this for her sake.

"Of course, I would also like to extend an invitation to your 'friend,'" continued Whitley, his gaze returning to Ashley. "In fact, I would strongly recommend that you bring her along."

Ashley shifted nervously.

"And why would I subject her to the racist snobbery of those...people?" asked Weiss, knowing full well just what class of human attended such parties.

"Well, mainly because it continues to reflect well upon us, the SDC that is," explained Whitley. "After all, it is important to continue to show solidarity in the face of the White Fang's aggression, even if it has tapered off somewhat. Your friend has the experience of being a victim of persecution by the White Fang, with the added factor that she herself is a faunus, living proof of the organization's hypocrisy. The two of you attending together will make a strong statement that the SDC has the best interests of the faunus at heart."

"I'm sure it will," said Weiss.

It was all lies, of course. Whatever publicity-friendly things Weiss and Ashley did together, none of that would keep Jacques from continuing to ruthlessly exploit the faunus working his mines. They could treat the symptoms all they wanted, but the disease marched merrily onwards.

"And so, it is my hope that you will join us in the ballroom at The Grand Silmaril, said Whitley. "While you are both certainly free to decline, I don't know that such a thing would go over well, once word gets back to Father."

Weiss scowled at her brother, seeing the blackmail for what it was. She already figured that this was just another scheme to publicly humiliate her, and ensure that he became the next heir. Worse still, it seemed that he was planning on having Ashley smeared along with her, something she wouldn't abide. And yet...she wasn't ready yet to fully renounce her claim. If she planned to do so, it would be on her own terms, and not before she did everything she could to ensure that she had some lasting impact on the way the SDC did business.

"Well now," said Whitley, nodding to them. "The invitation has been delivered. I certainly hope to see you both at six-o-clock, Saturday evening. It will most certainly be a memorable experience, I assure you."

"Right..." said Weiss uneasily.

"Have a pleasant day, Weiss," said Whitley, bobbing his head towards her. He turned and began to saunter away, his bodyguards falling into step behind him. "Go ahead and say your goodbyes for now, Klein. You'll see her again soon."

Klein looked after Whitley, then sighed before turning back to Weiss. As Whitley walked away, the butler's reserved and formal demeanor, which he'd held during their conversation with the boy, relaxed, and he smiled, stepping in to hug Weiss.

"No matter what happens, know that I'm proud of you, my Happy Little Snowflake," he said.

"Thank you," said Weiss, basking in the presence of the man who had been more of a father to her than her biological father had ever been.

Klein pulled back. "I'm also glad to see that you've found someone who can make you happy," he added, before throwing a cheeky wink at Weiss, who blushed furiously at the implication that Klein had also seen through the veneer of Weiss and Ashley's "friendship".

"What is Whitley up to?" asked Weiss.

"I wish I truly knew," said Klein, looking down. "But Master Whitley hardly confides in me at all. I'd warn you to be on your guard, but you probably know that already."

Weiss nodded.

Klein patted her arm, smiling fondly at her one more time, before turning to hurry after Whitley. Weiss watched him go, Ashley standing slightly behind her.

"I'm not looking forward to Saturday," said Weiss, feeling a bit uneasy.

Ashley came to stand next to her, once again wishing that she could reach out and take Weiss' hand. "Whatever it comes, we'll get through it together," she said firmly.

Weiss nodded. The two of them took a few extra seconds to regather their composure, before resuming their trip back to the dock to take the next air-bus down to the festival grounds.

"How are you feeling?" asked Ruby, glancing sidelong at the person accompanying her and Jaune, as they wandered amidst the stalls in the fading light of evening.

"I'm doing fine," said Amber. "A good long walk doesn't tire me out anymore. Kyo's been helping me train back up to fighting shape anyway."

"That's good," said Jaune.

Amber looked around, taking in all the sights. "I just wish he could be here too."

"Maybe next time," said Ruby.

If there was a downside that came to being the girlfriend of one of Remnant's better-known criminals, it was that it would make public outings with him something of a trial. Even if he wasn't all that well known inside Vale itself, there was no way that Kyo wouldn't cause a stir by going about in the open, while the festival was in progress. No polite fiction of him being a "prisoner" of Beacon would be bought by anyone with half a brain. The sad consequence of this was that Kyo was essentially confined to the inside of Beacon, while the festival was ongoing.

And, while Amber was under no such burden of infamy, the fact of the matter was that she was still on the road to recovery from her coma. While she'd recovered the bulk of her strength and stamina, she still wasn't up to serious combat yet. Even with the Vytal Festival in full swing, and countless witnesses to be found everywhere, the possibility that someone from Salem's faction would make another attempt to seize the Fall Maiden's power was a looming issue. Even if Amber was able to go out without Kyo, she couldn't be allowed to go out alone.

Jaune and Ruby didn't mind accompanying her. In Ruby's case, she wanted to spend more time with the girl who had gotten so close to her brother. Before long, Amber would become one of Natsuki's teachers in magic as well, so it really was for the best to be on good terms with her. Besides, Ruby liked Amber plenty on her own merits.

They took their time, meandering from stall to stall, mostly window shopping. They weren't feeling all that hungry yet, so they were waiting for the crowds to taper off a little, before finding a place to eat. Amber, used to the open road, was a little discomfited by the crowds. Ruby wasn't much of a fan either. However enthralling she had found the sight at the beginning of the festival, the novelty had quickly worn off, and she was reminded of how little she enjoyed being stuck trying to move through a packed mass of people. Even at their most crowded, the streets of Onmyo were never this busy. The only time they came this close was when the annual Water Festival was held, and participants came from all around Leng to attend. But the Mibu's relatively low population couldn't compare to the massive crowds that surged in from every corner of the four Kingdoms during the Vytal Festival.

Of course, the noise was on another level as well, which was why Jaune didn't hear the voice calling his name immediately. It took a few repetitions for him to realize that someone was shouting his name, barely audible over the crowds of people around them. Straightening up, Jaune looked around for the source. "Huh?"

"Jaune!" came the shout, more clearly this time, clear enough that Jaune was able to actually make out who was speaking. As he did, his eyes widened.

"Saph!"

Sure enough, his eldest sister appeared, edging between the numerous festival goers. Saphron broke into an exultant grin at the sight of her little brother as she approached them, cradling an infant boy in her arms. As they approached, the light-brown-skinned child observed with with wide, brown eyes, beneath a head of short, ruffled black hair.

"I found you!" declared Saphron proudly, coming to a stop before them. "I figured it would take a few days to find you in this crowd, at least."

"I can't believe you're here," said Jaune, before turning his attention to the boy. "And this is..."

"Yep," agreed Saphron, hefting the infant up so that they could see him better. "Say hi to your nephew, Adrian. Adrian, sweetie, this is your Uncle Jaune."

Jaune smiled extending his hand and allowing Adrian to grasp his index finger. All the while, Amber and Ruby cooed, their eyes shining in starstruck expressions as they watched the little boy, utterly adorable in his blue and white striped shirt, and denim overalls.

"Where's Terra?" asked Jaune, looking around.

"She was behind me a minute ago," said Saphron, looking around. "I hope we didn't lose her." She adopted a sheepish look. "I...got a little excited, when I spotted you."

"Lot of that going around," mused Ruby, remembering that Oscar had done the same thing to Maria before.

"Saphron!" As if on cue, another woman's voice called out from the crowds, and a woman with hair, eyes, and skin matching Adrian's emerged from the crowd, her eyes glinting with frustration behind the lenses of the red-framed glasses she wore.

"H-hey, Terra," said Saphron, grinning nervously. "I found Jaune."

"I can see that," said Terra, folding her arms and regarding her wife with a wan look. "I figured that much, when you went tearing off on your own without a word."

"S-sorry," said Saphron, now sweating bullets at Terra's ire.

Terra let out a slow breath, then shook her head. "Honestly..." Then she turned to Jaune with a smile. "It's good to see you, Jaune. I haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah," agreed Jaune, smiling pleasantly at his sister-in-law.

"And you've really filled out," observed Terra, looking him up and down. "Like the outfit, by the way. Really makes you look the part."

"Thanks," said Jaune, rubbing the back of his head and blushing.

Saphron moved past Jaune to greet Ruby. "It's so nice to finally see you in person," she said, her voice becoming a giddy squeal. "You're even cuter in person. If I didn't already have Terra, I'd be tempted to steal you away and keep you for myself."

Ruby laughed nervously. It spoke to Saphron's enthusiasm that Ruby couldn't quite tell how serious she was.

"And who's this?" asked Saphron, moving to regard Amber, who took a hesitant step back. "Is my little brother building a harem?"

"What!? No!" sputtered Jaune, even as Amber's jaw dropped. "This is Amber. She's a friend of ours. She was recovering from a serious injury, so we've been hanging out with her so she can see the festival without anyone worrying about her."

Ruby silently beamed with approval at Jaune's answer, spinning just enough of the truth together to be fairly airtight. From the looks on Saphron and Terra's faces, Ruby could tell that they'd bought it...much to her relief.

"It's nice to meet you," said Amber, managing to recover enough of her composure to smile and bow her head to Saphron and Terra.

"Good to meet you too," said Terra. "Don't mind Saphron. She's an incorrigible tease."

"Guilty as charged," said Saphron, giving Amber a cheery grin. She gave Amber a closer look. "You know, you seem a little old to be an Academy student. What is your position here?"

"I'm just visiting," said Amber, giving partial truth with ease. "Like Jaune said, I was injured out in the field. Beacon was the best place for me to recover."

"How did you meet my brother?" asked Saphron.

"It's...a bit complicated," said Amber.

"Some of it involves confidential stuff we're not supposed to talk about," added Jaune, again using partial truth to good effect.

"Okay," said Terra.

"Are you sure you're not interested in my brother?" asked Saphron, leaning in to give Amber a scrutinizing look, Amber leaning back nervously.

"Saph!" protested Jaune.

"Actually, she's dating my brother now," said Ruby.

"Huh?" Saphron pulled back to look at Ruby in confusion, while Amber blushed. "Then why are you out here with her, and not him?"

"It's...complicated," said Ruby, not sure the truth was something that she should say out in the open like this.

"Look, don't worry too much about it," said Jaune, stepping back in. "The point is that Amber's a friend, and we're just making sure she can have fun during the festival too."

"I can appreciate that," said Terra. Beside her, Saphron nodded, before freezing for a second, then looking intently at Jaune with a mischievous smile.

"We got to see your match, by the way," added Saphron. "You were lookin' good out there, Bro. You should've seen the way the other girls' jaws dropped. Mom was thrown for a loop too."

"That's nice-Wait!...Mom...The girls...?" Jaune's entire demeanor changed as the meaning behind Saphron's words stole over him. "They're here?"

"They sure are," said Saphron. "Dad flew them all over himself."

"Great..." said Jaune, not sure how to feel about that.

Saphron's smile faltered, and she shared a sober glance with her wife. "Jaune...well...I don't know what to say, honestly. Dad told them all what you've been up to. Some of the girls didn't buy it, right up until they saw you in the ring this afternoon. Mom almost up and fainted, when she saw you in the ring."

"Oh..." said Jaune.

"Dad's been keeping them busy for now," continued Saphron. "He figured it would be best for them to see the truth, before they came to see you. And now..." she shrugged. "We're a bit at a loss for what to do."

"I am too," said Jaune, looking down with a pensive frown. Part of him was still more than a little irritated by the way his mother and sisters had treated him, much like there was a part of him that still resented his father for refusing to believe him, until Ozpin had literally shown him the truth. He loved his sisters dearly. But, after years of putting up with their teasing him for wanting to be a Huntsman, and their constant assertions that he didn't stand a chance, to say nothing of what Aurea had done, he wasn't sure that he was in the right mind to face them without letting those frustrations get the better of him.

Saphron passed Adrian to Terra, then stepped forward to pull her brother into a loving hug. "I understand," she said. "The way they all treated you wasn't fair at all. I don't blame you for still being mad, especially since it took them seeing you fighting in the tournament to actually accept it. But I think we're too strong a family to let something like that drive us apart."

"I..." Jaune hugged Saphron back. "I know. I just don't know what to say or do."

"I think they feel the same," said Saphron, pulling back to grin at her brother. "After all, they're being forced to eat at least a few years' worth of crow. You don't have to see and talk to them right away. The festival is three weeks long, after all, and we're here for the whole thing. Just...don't take too much time. Dad can only keep the girls on a leash for so long."

Jaune nodded gravely, wondering when and how he could speak with the rest of his family, especially in such a way that didn't involve a massive confrontation. Meeting them out here, in the festival grounds, the same way he'd encountered Saphron and Terra, probably wouldn't go well. The last thing he wanted to do was air all his grievances in a middle of a crowd of spectators.

Saphron sighed. "Well...now that that's out of the way..." She immediately brightened up. "...let's all get dinner together. I want the full scoop on everything you've been up to at Beacon, and I want to get to know your girlfriend better."

Jaune slumped with a resigned sigh, while Ruby giggled softly. Whatever else, it seemed that his eldest sister was a force of nature.

Pyrrha and Dove took their time, enjoying what the Vytal Festival had to offer. They were quite content to walk quietly, hand in hand. It was a pleasant experience to be able to take in the festival with her boyfriend. The reminder that Dove was her boyfriend, and not merely a friend who was a boy, gave Pyrrha a giddy feeling. It had always seemed like something that had been out of her reach. So many of the boys she'd encountered in the past had been intimidated by her reputation, shying away from her, feeling inadequate in her shadow. Those that weren't were generally schemers, aiming to take advantage of her fame for their own purposes.

Dove was neither of those. Even though he had never won a bout against her, he continued to work doggedly in pursuit of that goal, not because he thought he needed to beat her, but because he respected her strength, and continuously strived to match it as much as possible. Even though Cardin was his team's leader, Dove was unquestionably Team CRDL's central pillar, the one whom their main strategies revolved around.

As they walked, there were a few people, here and there, who took notice. Pyrrha even caught the occasional flash of a scroll in the corner of her eye, certain that more than a few people speculating about the Invincible Girl's significant other. Perhaps pictures of them together would pop up in some gossip rag or another, along with the customary speculation about who Dove was, and why she had picked him. Pyrrha had already decided that she didn't care what the papers had to say. If her sponsors didn't like the fact she was with a boy that didn't suit her image, then that was their problem. Dove had no connections in that world, so there was little concern that he would suffer much in the way of backlash for their relationship, save for the occasional angry letter. If someone was stupid enough to actually attack him for it...Dove was more than capable of handling himself.

"Have you decided who you're going to send to the doubles round, if you win your match?" asked Pyrrha.

Dove smirked. "You talk as though it's not a given that we will," he said.

Pyrrha giggled at his confidence. "Well, while you're more than capable, your team still has...Cardin."

"Yeah," agreed Dove with a chuckle. "But he's shaped up a lot. He's got solid judgment. Now that he's not making an ass of himself, I can see why Ozpin made him leader. I may be tough on my own, but Cardin has a damn good eye for what other people can do, which makes him a better leader than I would be."

"If I recall, you have a pretty good eye for what other people can do yourself," noted Pyrrha, recalling that Dove had realized Jaune's lack of training after watching him practicing.

"Maybe, but Cardin's better, now that his blinders are off," said Dove.

"But that still doesn't tell me who you're sending to the doubles," said Pyrrha, giggling.

"Maybe I don't want to tell you," suggested Dove teasingly. "Maybe you're only prying so that you can get a leg up on your strategy."

Pyrrha giggled harder. "Maybe I am," she conceded. "I do know that, regardless of who goes to the doubles, there's no question that you're the one going to the singles."

"If you say so," said Dove, playing at being cryptic.

"Oh you..." Pyrrha protested playfully, turning to mock-glare at Dove, only for him to dart forward and take her lips in a swift kiss.

"Have I mentioned how much easier it is to do that, now that you don't have those heels anymore?" asked Dove rhetorically.

"Maybe once or twice," said Pyrrha playfully.

"Pyrrha!"

Pyrrha nearly jumped out of her skin at the unexpected sound of someone calling her name, the familiarity of the voice in question, and the affronted tone the speaker had used. Jumping away from Dove, she turned about, her eyes going wide, a feeling akin to panic rising within her. "Mom!?"

Pyrrha's eyes widened as Phoinix pushed her way between various festival goers, an upset scowl on her face as she stalked closer. Behind her, Pyrrha saw the familiar figure of her father, following in his wife's wake.

"What are you doing here?" asked Pyrrha, aghast to actually see her parents in the flesh, after so much time spent only seeing them on the screen of a CCT console (and it had been a while since she'd seen them in even that context as well).

"I could ask you the same question," scoffed Phoinix, crossing her arms under her substantial bust, glaring disdainfully at Pyrrha. "Just what are you doing? Do you have any idea how much damage you've already done to your image? And now you're sullying it further by consorting with a person below your standing."

"Agreed," said Anatolius, folding his arms in a bid to look imperious. "Someone of your stature needs a more suitable partner." Unfortunately for him, his build was rather lacking. He was fit, but didn't have the bulk needed to really pull off an intimidating posture. Pyrrha had long ago stopped being frightened of her father's attempts at being authoritative.

"I don't think your parents like me much," Dove commented to her wryly.

"That's an understatement," said Pyrrha with a sigh. She turned back to her parents, raising an eyebrow. "Honestly, I don't care what you think of my boyfriend," she said. "I've made it clear that I will be making my own choices, from here on out."

Anatolius was furious, baring his teeth. Beside him, Phoinix's expression softened, and she switched gears, her tone going from irate to cajoling. "Pyrrha...dear...please...You have to understand, this boy clearly only wants to be close to you for the sake of your reputation-"

"Considering how much longer I've been around him, I have a better idea of his motivations than you do," said Pyrrha, resting her hands on her hips. "Also...that's rich, considering the kind of boys you've tried to set me up with. You were perfectly fine with them trying to mooch off my reputation, and they were definitely plenty open about it. All that mattered was that they might have something you wanted."

Phoinix gasped, while Anatolius leaned forward. "How dare you?!" He snarled. "We've tried so hard to prevent you from making foolish mistakes, and you have the gall to talk back to us?

"And you...!" He rounded on Dove, who raised an eyebrow at Anatolius' venom. "...Don't think you can get anything out of this. We have the final say in the distribution of our daughter's funds. Don't think you'll see a single penny from us."

A snort from Pyrrha disrupted her father's attempt at intimidation. She began to giggle, trying to muffle it behind her hand, though the sounds quickly worked their way out. Her body quaked and convulsed in her attempt to hold back her laughter. Finally, she gave in, laughing rather loudly, nearly doubling over. Dove was smirking himself, while her parents were thunderstruck by their daughter's reaction.

Turning to face Dove, Pyrrha smiled radiantly. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Darling. My parents have declared that I have no dowry to provide. All that I ask is that you accept me as I am, a poor Huntress of humble means. Even knowing that I cannot provide for your fortune, will you still take me? All I can offer is the wealth of my love for you."

Dove grinned. To compliment the act, he took her hands in his own, bringing them up to the level of his chest. "My Lady, I never dreamt of anything else, for I too am a Huntsman of humble means. Come, let us go off together and shop for a nice, affordable apartment in town. 'Tis a terrible shame that we won't be able to afford a mansion. But, so long as we have one another, we shall endure in our love. For you art the pearl of my heart, and your love showers me with wealth beyond measure."

Phoinix and Anatolius were silent, gaping unashamedly. However, their silence was filled by the sounds of laughter from the crowds around them. All four of them looked around to see that their altercation had attracted an audience. And now, more than a few people were laughing at Pyrrha and Dove's over-the-top declaration of affection, and many of them were applauding as well. Pyrrha and Dove blushed, glancing around sheepishly, but still smiling, seeing that their unintended audience had enjoyed their performance.

Pyrrha's parents were blushing as well, but their expressions were horrified by the spectacle they'd made of themselves. They also got the keen impression that the people around them were not on their side.

"Oh dear...this won't do at all," said a tan-skinned woman, edging through the crowd behind Pyrrha's parents.

"Holly..." said Pyrrha, an angry edge to her voice, her previous mirth falling away.

"Hello, Pyrrha," said Holly, smiling pleasantly. "I apologize. This was not how I intended for your reunion with your parents to go. There is no need to make a spectacle of this. Let us adjourn somewhere quieter, where we can discuss this matter a bit more openly."

Pyrrha frowned, but her anger softened. Holly had a good point. Even if the people around them were amused at her and Dove's play-confession to one another, Pyrrha didn't want to turn her family drama into a literal drama, to be aired in front of everyone. Perhaps it was for the best if they took this somewhere more out of the way...

"Nah," said Dove casually, draping his arm over Pyrrha's shoulders. "Sorry, but we've got plans. If you really want to talk business so bad, you should schedule an appointment."

Pyrrha felt as though she'd come out of a daze. For a second, her anger flared that Dove was brushing this off so lightly. But then she almost immediately realized that he was on her side in this. And he was right. They were here to enjoy the festival as Beacon students. Pyrrha was under no obligation to console her parents, and definitely under no obligation to try and get them to accept Dove. She had made it clear that she was the one making the decisions in her life now. Her parents had gotten tired of her refusing to talk to them about this over her scroll or the CCT, and were now trying to force the issue by confronting her face to face.

She gave her boyfriend a grateful smile. "That's right," she agreed, before turning to regard her former manager and her parents. "If you came all this way just to try and talk me into continuing to do celebrity work for you, then I'm afraid you've wasted your time."

"Pyrrha...!" gasped Phoinix, shocked.

"It's too bad," said Pyrrha, sighing disappointedly. "I love you both. In truth, I'd like nothing more than to show you around my school, introduce you to all my friends, and show you everything that I've made of myself and for myself here. But I can't do that to my friends, not when you're behaving like this. If you're willing to think about what you've done, and actually come to see me as your daughter, rather than your meal ticket, then I'll be happy to listen."

She ducked out from under Dove's arm, wrapping her own around it as it descended, and began to lead him away. "Let's go."

"Sure thing," said Dove.

"Pyrrha!" thundered her father. "Get back here, right now!"

"Ignore him," said Dove softly.

"I intend to," replied Pyrrha in the same tone.

They left Pyrrha's parents behind, her father blustering with impotent anger, her mother mortified by the embarrassment of being rejected by her daughter. Beside the two of them stood Holly...with a small, barely perceptible, smile on her face.