99

Chapter 99:

I feel...so heavy... Jaune blinked, his vision blurring. Why am I lying down?

His face was resting against the sun-warmed concrete, leaving him with a tilted view of the world. Right now, most of what he was seeing consisted of feet and moving shadows. Up ahead, he could see the wheels of a car of some kind. Moving his head seemed impossible, even moving just his eyes was taking an absurd amount of effort. His entire body just wanted to go to sleep. Everything was too much work. But something was keeping him awake.

His gaze rising, Jaune saw it. There was Ruby, suspended between two black-suited men, one having wrapped his arm around her torso to pin her arms, while keeping a hand clamped firmly over her mouth. The other was wrestling with her legs. Ruby thrashed and kicked furiously, her eyes wide with panic, while muffled screams escaped from between the fingers of the hand over her mouth. Her body and spine undulated as she tried to shriek for help.

They're...taking her, thought Jaune, his mind fighting against the haze.

His ears were filled with a dull throbbing sound, but he was still just barely able to hear Ruby's cries...and other voices.

"Dammit! Why's she fighting so hard?"

"She must not've gotten the full dose!"

"Just get her in the car! We can inject her with more, if we have to!"

"I dunno, I kinda like 'em feisty. The boss said we get to play with her first."

"Then get her in the car already, idiot!"

I can't let them, thought Jaune, groaning, his limbs twitching as he fought furiously to move them. I won't let them take her. I won't let them hurt her.

His mind went back to a couple of weeks ago, when he'd come to, sitting bound to a chair in the middle of an abandoned building, Cinder on his scroll, calling Ruby, threatening him to draw her out. Ruby had shown up without hesitation, fought against Cinder and her lackeys, all to save him. Now, here she was, about to be carried off by someone's goons, goons who weren't going to just stop at kidnapping her, if their words were any indicator.

I need to...I need to get up! Jaune wanted to, but the haze was threatening to claim him entirely. He couldn't afford to pass out here. Inhaling as deeply as he could, Jaune turned his focus inward, feeling his Aura. The feeling was muted, but still present. Kyo said I have the power to enhance my own healing ability. I need to do that...now!

Taking another breath, Jaune condensed his Aura inward, then Projected it through his body. Its power flooded through his limbs, carrying his desire to sear the torpor from his system. His entire body flushed hot, Jaune feeling as though he was burning up from inside. But it was working. His vision snapped back into clarity. His limbs no longer felt as though they weighed tons each. Getting his arms under himself, Jaune pushed himself up, rising to his knees, getting his feet under him.

Up ahead, he could see that Ruby's captors were maneuvering her into the backseat of their car. The one holding Ruby's mouth and arms was going in first, while the other occupied himself by keeping her legs pinned together.

With an angry shout, Jaune leapt at the man holding Ruby's legs. There was no time for strategies, no chance to worry about technique. At the moment, action was the only thing that mattered. He caught the man in a fierce tackle, bowling him over. It took an extra second for the man to realize he needed to let go of Ruby's legs, so Jaune's tackle resulted in Ruby being pulled halfway back out of the car.

Having her legs freed encouraged Ruby to renew her struggles with a vigor. Her other assailant was pulled off-balance by the sudden weight from the other side, and was now struggling to keep hold of her, while also trying to find the leverage he needed to pull her the rest of the way into the backseat by himself. He didn't dare let go of her arms.

"Dammit! Hurry up!" shouted the driver. "The bystanders are gonna start chipping in any second now!"

This had been supposed to be a quick grab. Ruby's unexpected struggling had prolonged things more than they'd expected. There were other people on the street. The suddenness of the kidnapping attempt, combined with the fact that they had no relation to Ruby and Jaune, had prompted them to freeze in place. However, their brains would soon catch up to what was happening, and somebody would step in.

Jaune slammed his opponent against the ground, pushing off as quickly as he could, lunging back towards Ruby.

"No you don't!" growled her other captor, preparing for the tug-of-war that was sure to ensue when Jaune got his hands on Ruby's legs.

But pulling Ruby free wasn't on Jaune's mind. Instead, he pressed his hand, glowing white with his Aura, against her calf, Projecting his Aura into her, willing it to do for her, what it had done for him.

Jaune wasn't prepared when a heavy fist collided with the side of his head, knocking him right over. The man Jaune had tackled had wasted no time getting back to his feet, not even stunned, given that Jaune hadn't so much as attacked him as knocked him down. Now the man went on the attack, throwing another punch. Jaune tried to block, but was too slow, finding his head snapped to the side again as he was knocked over.

"Think you can beat me, you runt!" shouted the man, aiming a kick at the downed boy.

"Forget him! Help me get the bitch inside!" shouted the other man from the backseat.

Ruby's body jolted, as though Jaune had run an electric current through her. Her spine arched, and her eyes went wide, an intense scream escaping from her lips, though that too was muffled by the hand over her mouth. All at once, the lethargy her own limbs were suffering from was burned away. A sharp, searing pain flashed through her. But the pain brought clarity. Ruby latched onto that, and went into action.

Abruptly, a cloud of red petals exploded out from her shoulders, filling the backseat area, and spilling over into the front as well.

"What the hell!" exclaimed the driver.

"I thought she couldn't-!" the one restraining Ruby began to shout.

His sentence went unfinished, as Ruby triggered her technique, countless miniature thunder cracks filling the car's interior, as though someone had set off a string of firecrackers. Crackling arcs of electricity blasted through Ruby's attacker and the driver, causing both men to spasm in pain, the one holding Ruby letting her go.

Ruby knew she didn't have much time to work with. Immediately, she lurched into motion, throwing herself forward to get her legs under her, while her Aura produced more petals, which swirled together around her neck and shoulders to form her cloak and hood, her sudden motion forward bringing her hood up and over her head.

"Shit!" exclaimed the man who'd punched Jaune, looking up to see Ruby launch herself out of the car, leading with a powerful kick from one leg that knocked him back away.

Ruby landed on her feet, getting her bearings for a second. Glancing over, she saw Jaune on the ground, groaning as he tried to get up again.

"R-Ruby..." he grunted, looking up at her.

"We need to get out of here," said Ruby, bending down to offer him a hand, before her body lurched slightly.

"Ruby...!" Jaune exclaimed, feeling the weakness from before threatening to overcome him. But I thought I healed... Then he noticed something else. Ruby was bleeding.

It wasn't coming from any wound on her body. But blood was trickling down from the corners of Ruby's mouth, two more streams flowed from her nostrils, while more blood emerged from below her eyes and ran out her ears. A painful, tingling sensation ran through her body. Her cloak dissolved back into petals, and Ruby transitioned from bending over to falling over, causing her to collapse directly onto Jaune, whose own body gave out from the weight, despite his desire to catch her and help her back up. The two of them collapsed back onto the pavement, barely able to move.

"What the hell was that?" asked the man Ruby had kicked, getting back to his feet.

There was a cough from inside the car. "D-doesn't matter...Grab the bitch! We need to get out of here!"

"R-Ruby," groaned Jaune, shifting, trying to get ahold of her. His arms could barely move. Through his fading vision, he saw the suited man, bending down, reaching for Ruby. Come on...one more time! I won't let them take her! If nothing else, he'd grab onto Ruby, and make sure nobody could take her away from him. But his arms weren't responding fast enough. I'm gonna lose her!

Then a blur rushed in from beyond Jaune's field of view, a fist colliding with the suited man's jaw, the punch knocking him completely off his feet, and sending him sprawling.

"Just what do you think you are doing to our friends?" demanded a familiar voice, thrumming with anger.

Rain Elric stood over the prone pair, his right arm raised for another punch. He might not have had his weapon with him at the moment, but he was prepared for a fight. The sight of a student-Huntsman that hadn't been incapacitated was enough for the would-be kidnappers.

"Shit!" shouted the driver. "Let's get out of here!"

There was no time for the man in the backseat to even try and close the door, the driver stamping down on the gas pedal, the car pulling away from the curb with an angry screech from its tires. The engine roared as it began to speed off down the road. However, the fleeing kidnappers found the way ahead of them blocked.

Ciel stood in the middle of the road, her pata-sword already equipped on her left arm. A tap of her finger against the glowing screen of the watch-face, now set into the gauntlet, turned the screen white. Ciel raised her sword, standing firm against the vehicle threatening to run her down.

The car stopped cold, its front end crumpling against the hemispherical barrier of hard-light that appeared between it and Ciel. The driver screamed, his head snapping forward, before his face slammed into the exploding airbags. The passenger, who hadn't had a chance to strap himself in, was slammed against the back of the front seat. The car rocked forward, its rear wheels lifting off the road for a few seconds, before slamming back down. The whole scene went strangely quiet, a hiss of steam escaping from beneath the car's hood.

Her blue eyes blazing with anger, Ciel stepped around the front of the car, staring in through the now-broken driver's-side window. "I would say that you are under arrest, but that's going to have to come later," she said, glaring at the unconscious men in the vehicle.

She looked up to see the man Rain had punched groaning on the ground, while Rain tended to Jaune and Ruby. Ciel quickly walked over to the man, who saw her coming and tried to get back up. Ciel was already tapping the screen on her gauntlet again, turning it yellow. When she came into reach, she didn't even hesitate, jabbing the man lightly with the tip of her sword. The man's body lurched as yellow arcs of electricity crawled over his body, prompting his limbs to spasm wildly. Ciel disengaged, and the man slumped bonelessly to the ground, not moving again.

"The attackers have been secured," said Ciel, turning to Rain. "I've contacted Beacon already, and a bullhead has been dispatched. Reinforcements should be arriving momentarily." She walked over to see Ruby and Jaune's condition for herself. "How are they?"

"They will be all right...I think," said Rain, a tiny bit of hesitation in his voice. "I have no idea what drugs were used on them. But it does not seem to be anything lethal."

"They should be able to handle the rest at Beacon's infirmary," said Ciel.

"The infirmary...?" said Rain, confused. "But the hospital is closer, is it not?"

"That might be true, but something tells me they will be safer at the infirmary," said Ciel, casting her gaze over the unconscious attackers.

There was something about the way they were dressed, the nondescript suits and equally-nondescript car; the impressive speed of the kidnapping attempt, which was only thwarted by Jaune's unexpected recovery. This wasn't an average kidnapping attempt, and Ciel felt that Jaune and Ruby would be more secure if they were brought to Beacon for treatment, rather than one of Vale's hospitals.

On the ground, both Jaune and Ruby were fading fast. Jaune, using the last of his strength, guided by his flagging consciousness, managed to wrap his arms around Ruby, holding her tight against himself. I've got you, was his final thought as unconsciousness claimed him. I won't let anyone take you.

The last thing he heard was the faint sound of a bullhead's engines.

The Man looked up from his work at the sound of his scroll ringing. Picking it up, he answered the call, bringing the device to his ear. "Yes?"

"Our first operation was a failure," said the woman on the other end of the line. "The target remains at large."

"Disappointing," mused the Man.

"I warned you that there was a high chance of failure," replied his cohort. "This was a slapdash operation at best. Had we more time to prepare..."

"If you say so, then there's no helping it," said the Man, adjusting his glasses. "I had thought this a fine opportunity, when you reported it to me."

"Your requirement that she be taken alive complicates matters," replied the woman. "I am still of the opinion that we should simply eliminate her, and dispose of the evidence."

"We cannot afford to cut off a potential source of information," countered the Man. "If she really is an infiltrator on behalf of the Mibu, we need to learn what she knows, and determine what their plans are."

"Securing her will definitely be more difficult now. Ozpin will be aware that she is being targeted, and take measures to protect her."

"That fool..." grumbled the man. "All he seems to care about is people's combat potential. He must know about that girl's affiliation, yet he permits a security risk like her to remain at Beacon."

"I'm sure he has his own reasons. He's difficult to understand, but not naive."

"How did the operation go wrong?"

"Thanks to the short notice, the agents I requisitioned were, to be frank, not the best. I made certain…allowances…to ensure their full obedience. It would have been helpful for interrogation purposes as well. Aside from that, the girl seems to have not taken the full dose of the drug we applied. I believe she might have noticed it in her drink."

"You told me that it was tasteless."

"To most people. Perhaps she has advanced training in that area.

"In any case, her companion was also with her. I am told that he was tranquilized, per the plan. But he somehow managed to fight off the effects and help the target do the same. Between the two of them, they were able to hold off their attackers just long enough for a pair of visiting students from Atlas, who happened to be in the vicinity, to provide aid. After that, our agents were subdued and captured, while the target and her companion were extracted by a bullhead."

"Remind me why you didn't just tranquilize them both. Going through the trouble of drugging her through her food seems unnecessarily convoluted."

"With her training, the girl likely would have sensed being targeted, and could have avoided any shots we took. A drugged milkshake carries no bloodlust or intent. However, even that doesn't seem to have worked as planned, and things only snowballed out of control from there."

The man hummed softly to himself, scratching his chin. "It sounds just as much like bad luck as anything else."

"Perhaps. A daylight abduction, in the open, was bound to be risky. It's unfortunate that there were two other students close enough to notice the commotion and take action."

"You said our agents were captured. Have you...?"

"Already done."

"Good enough, for now. Take what you have learned, and try to determine more about the target's strengths and weaknesses."

"Of course."

"Farewell for now."

"I will contact you, when I have more information."

The woman hung up, and the Man slowly lowered his scroll back down onto the desk. Bringing his hands to his head, he massaged his temples. "What a disappointment."

Jaune blinked slowly, his head throbbing as his eyes opened. He found himself staring up at a darkened ceiling. He was lying on a bed somewhere, a light sheet over him. His head was pounding, so it was hard to take in too many details of his surroundings. However, the very first thing he was truly conscious of was that the weight he'd had on top of him, when he'd passed out, was no longer there.

"R-Ruby...!" he groaned, struggling to sit up, though his limbs continued to refuse to respond properly to his brain's command.

"She's here," said a familiar voice in a gentle tone. "She's safe."

A shadow fell over Jaune, and he found himself looking into a familiar pair of Crimson Eyes, which glowed faintly in the dark room, making them stand out starkly. "K-Kyo...?"

"Yes," replied Kyo. "You're in Beacon's infirmary. You can't see her right now, but Ruby-chan is in the bed next to yours."

Kyo sat down in the chair beside Jaune's bed, smiling at him. "Thank you for protecting my sister. I'm glad you were there for her."

"I...I..." Jaune twitched, trying to move his head to look, and confirm Ruby's safety for himself.

Kyo reached over and used his hand to carefully turn Jaune's head for him, allowing Jaune to see Ruby's unconscious form on the next bed over. She looked to be in worse condition, a mask resting over her face, and an IV hooked up to her arm.

Kyo turned Jaune's head again, so that he was looking up once more. "W-why...I thought I...I thought..."

"You thought you healed her?" Kyo guessed. "...And yourself as well?"

Jaune nodded weakly.

Kyo breathed out slowly, giving Jaune a rueful smile. "Let me guess. You used your healing technique and ability to restore your strength. However, before long, you found yourself succumbing to the drug again."

"Y-yeah," replied Jaune.

Kyo patted Jaune's shoulder. "Your healing skills are still extremely basic. Physical harm is one thing. What your technique did was heal the symptoms of your drugging, temporarily restoring your body's functions. Actually removing the drug would require a more advanced technique, one that Sasame can hopefully teach you, when she arrives for the festival. Because the drug remained in your system, you soon succumbed again. When you used your technique on Ruby-chan, it was the same. She was able to fight for a little, before she too began to succumb."

"B-but why is she...so much worse?" asked Jaune.

Kyo's smile vanished, and the look he gave Jaune was frighteningly sober. "As much as it pains me to say this...that is your doing, Jaune-kun."

The bottom dropped out of Jaune's stomach, and he suddenly felt as though it was hard to breathe. "Wha-what?!"

Kyo sighed. "In your panicked rush to give Ruby-chan a fighting chance, you flushed your Aura through her too strongly. You forgot the basic tenets of the Healing Arts, namely that you cannot simply channel your Aura into your patient recklessly. It requires a gentle touch.

"As a result, even as it temporarily purged the symptoms of the drug from her body, your Aura was also received as an attack on Ruby-chan's body, resulting in extensive, if mild, internal damage, particularly to her capillaries. It is nothing life-threatening, but enough to cause her to collapse quite quickly after exerting herself."

"I...I hurt...her..." Jaune's mouth worked and tears began to leak from his eyes. "I hurt Ruby...!"

"In some ways it was unavoidable," said Kyo, giving Jaune's shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "Even after healing yourself, you were not in the best shape to control and channel your Aura into the act of healing. The situation itself was quite frantic as well, so Ruby-chan was not in the best condition to receive your Aura either."

"But I still hurt her," said Jaune.

"Yes, you did," agreed Kyo. "However, even if that was the outcome, it was also the outcome that your efforts were what saved her as well. You bought the two of you just enough time for Soleil-san and Elric-san to intervene and subdue your attackers. Ruby-chan is hurt now, but she will recover. Even if she was injured as a result, you still saved her, Jaune-kun. Please don't lose sight of that."

Kyo's words were encouraging, but they didn't do much to assuage the miserable feeling Jaune was experiencing. He averted his eyes, unable to meet the gaze of Ruby's brother.

"Jaune-kun..." Kyo continued, "...there's no helping that you're still a novice. You did the best you could, under the circumstances. I know Ruby-chan doesn't hold it against you. You gave her a chance to fight back."

"I...I guess," said Jaune halfheartedly.

Kyo's eyes narrowed. "Jaune-kun...do you love Ruby-chan?"

"I..." Jaune blinked slowly, his mind reeling at the question. It was something he'd been afraid to ask himself. Was he romantically attracted to Ruby? Absolutely. Did he care deeply for her? Beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Do I love her? The thought made him reflect back on all the feelings he'd experienced, going all the way back to his very first meeting with Ruby, when she'd been nothing more than a kind girl who'd alleviated his motion sickness. His mind rushed through all the time they'd spent together, all the effort and care Ruby had poured into helping him become stronger, become someone actually worthy of being at Beacon. He thought of how he'd become addicted to her presence, of how the mere sight of her smiling face made it worth getting up every morning to face the day. The thought of staying by her side had been a driving force behind his desire to get stronger. Before he'd realized it, she'd become the most important person in his life.

"I do," said Jaune, surprising himself with how firm his own voice sounded.

"I thought as much," said Kyo.

Jaune narrowed his eyes. "And what good has that done?" he growled.

"What do you mean?" asked Kyo.

"This whole relationship...it isn't balanced," said Jaune. "I...It...It's supposed to be give and take, right? But all I've done is take. I've taken her time, her energy, her health..."

Frustration welled up inside him. Ruby had rescued him during the initiation, sacrificing precious Aura to keep him from being splattered across the Emerald Forest like a rotten fruit. She'd given up so much time, hours that she could have devoted to her own training, all for the sake of helping a reckless novice like him become strong enough to not get himself killed. And now, he'd taken that further than ever before...he'd hurt her, actually injured her.

"Jaune-kun," said Kyo firmly, "I advise you to listen carefully."

Jaune swallowed nervously at the steel he heard in Kyo's voice.

"You say you've only taken from Ruby-chan, but I know that's not the case," said Kyo. "Do not underestimate the things you've given her."

Jaune thought back to their conversation, shortly after the fight with Cinder, Ruby reminding Jaune how he'd given her the courage to go through with the initiation, despite being faced with the prospect of having to go to school in the same class as Yang.

"Martial strength is one thing," said Kyo. "It will be some time, before you can properly take your place as Ruby-chan's equal on the battlefield. But that is not the only kind of support that she needs, nor is it the only kind that you provide. You might not yet be a shield protecting her. But you are, without a doubt, a pillar supporting her; her most-valued, precious, cherished person. Just as you love Ruby-chan, I can tell that she loves you."

"R-really..." said Jaune, sniffing, fresh tears spilling from his eyes. "Sh-she does...?"

"She does," Kyo assured him. "She loves you, Jaune-kun. And despite how little you might think of yourself at times, as her brother I can say, without a doubt, that you are more than worthy of her love."

Despite the pain he felt at having hurt Ruby, Jaune couldn't help but feel his heart soar at those words.

"And so," said Kyo, tightening his grip on Jaune's shoulder again, "you should also know that such feelings come with the potential for inflicting terrible harm.

"You inflicted injuries on Ruby-chan's body, yes. You made a mistake. Such mistakes are a natural course in a relationship, especially one between two such exceptional people as you. This will not be the last time either, I'm sure.

"However, you also need to be aware that, if you try to turn away from this, be it out of guilt or a misplaced desire to protect her, you will do her far greater harm, even if the signs of it will not be visible. She needs you, Jaune-kun. She needs your care and support.

"And so, as Ruby-chan's brother, I implore you not to give up; not on her...and definitely not on yourself."

Jaune was silent for a moment, his mind going through all the things Kyo had told him. "I...I won't," he said finally.

Kyo let out a relieved sigh. "I'm glad," he said. "I trust your heart, your love, and your strength of character, Jaune-kun. You are fully-deserving of her love, just as she is privileged to have yours."

"I feel like it's the other way around," said Jaune.

"That is also true," agreed Kyo with a soft laugh. "You are both privileged to have met. In my homeland, we call such an incidence enishi, what you might call destiny; a chance meeting, a crossing of paths."

"So we were meant to fall in love?" asked Jaune.

Kyo chuckled. "Not so much that," he said. "I would say that you were meant to meet, and find something with each other that you were lacking before. Now, it is up to you to use your choices to bind your fates together. Enishi brought you together. What you make of it is up to you."

"I like the sound of that," said Jaune, his voice getting weaker.

"Good," said Kyo. "Get some more rest. The drug isn't fully out of your system. The doctor proscribed rest, and nothing more."

"And Ruby?"

"The same," said Kyo. "Because of her injuries, her recovery will take a little longer." His smile widened. "Though maybe not so much longer, as you will be able to help, once you yourself have recovered."

Jaune nodded, his heart fluttering worriedly at slipping off, after what had happened.

"I will remain by your sides," said Kyo. His expression darkened, and Jaune saw a look of pure conviction that would have reduced him to a gibbering mess, had Kyo's anger been directed at him. "Rest assured, if anyone approaches you and Ruby-chan with malice, I shall wipe them from existence." He relaxed a little. "Staying out of Ruby-chan's battles is one thing, but allowing someone to come after her while she's recovering from injury is another…for now."

"Wha-what about Amber?" asked Jaune.

Kyo's expression softened. "Amber-san understands," he said. "She was worried too. I know she's happy to give up a little bit of freedom for the assurance of Ruby-chan's safe recovery." He brought his hand to Jaune's forehead. "No more questions. Rest."

Jaune sighed, letting his eyes drift closed. His thoughts slipped silently away.

"Where is he!? Where is that blonde worm!?"

"Yang! Please stop!"

"Not a chance! That bastard hurt Ruby! After everything she's done for him, he had the gall to go and injure her? I'll snuff that ungrateful noodle like a candle!"

"It was an accident, nothing more. There was no intention behind it."

"Not good enough!"

"Pyrrha!"

Yang suddenly lurched to a halt, her upper body jerking backwards as the bracelets around her wrists, the compacted form of Ember Celica, glowed black, freezing in place, then pulling back, Pyrrha using her Semblance to keep Yang from advancing forward.

"Let...me...go..." growled Yang, her Crimson Eyes shining with rage.

"You're not going anywhere," said Pyrrha. "We aren't going to let you hurt Jaune."

Yang growled, struggling against the whole of Pyrrha's Semblance. She strained her anger feeding her extra power as she pulled forward another step.

Then Ren was in front of her. His hands blurred as he struck with a series of jabs with the first two fingers of his hands extended, striking several points across Yang's body. Abruptly, Yang felt her limbs give out, going numb and tingly. Her legs went out from under her, and she dropped to the ground, not even able to use her arms to push herself into a sitting position.

"What did you do, Ren?" asked Weiss, staring at the prone Yang in shock.

"Pressure points," said Ren. "I figured that learning this might be a helpful way to keep Nora in check at times. I didn't think I would need to use it on Yang."

"Me neither," agreed Blake, coming to stand next to her leader, while looking disappointedly down at her partner. "Of course, I'm also surprised by Yang. I thought she'd grown out of her 'Overprotective-Big-Sister' phase."

Yang growled angrily from the floor.

"I guess saying that Jaune accidentally hurt Ruby was maybe not the best way to phrase what he did," said Pyrrha.

"Do we have a better way?" asked Weiss.

Pyrrha thought it over for a moment, then shrugged. "I'm having trouble thinking of a more tactful way to put it." The only other option she could have thought of was omitting some of the truth, and simply leaving it at "Ruby was injured". That might have worked. But, had Yang found out that the truth was kept from her (which was a substantial possibility) would have only been even more angered, especially by the feeling of her teammates conspiring to keep her in the dark, however warranted such a conspiracy might have been.

"So...what actually happened?" asked Nora, a bit confused.

"From the sound of things, Jaune tried to use his healing ability to alleviate the effects of Ruby's drugging," said Ren. "But he didn't do it properly, so he wound up injuring her in the process. From the sound of things, Ruby's injuries aren't severe, and his actions did help her to fight back, which was what allowed Ciel and Rain to intervene."

"So Jaune saved Ruby," said Nora. "He was just...kinda messy about it."

"That's one way to put it," said Blake.

"In any case, Ruby wouldn't forgive you for hurting Jaune over this," said Ren, looking down at Yang with a severe look.

"Don't care," growled Yang, trying to lift her head off the floor. "I was right about that bastard the first time. He's a threat to Ruby. She put her trust in him, and look where that's gotten her."

"From the sound of things, her trust in him is what saved her," said Rain, he and Ciel coming up behind the others. Penny had already gone ahead to visit Ruby at the infirmary, with Piper accompanying her.

"What do you mean?" asked Pyrrha. "Not that I doubt that Ruby was right to trust Jaune, but..."

"Jaune was hit with a tranquilizer dart that should have knocked him unconscious within a minute," said Ciel, going over the report of the incident on her scroll. "His application of his Semblance…or whatever it is…allowed him to fight off the effects, which enabled him to hinder Ruby's attackers, while also doing the same for Ruby herself. This allowed Ruby to fight back briefly, before she succumbed to the drug she'd ingested, and the injuries that Jaune accidentally inflicted in the process. Because of that, we were able to arrive on the scene in time to help and capture the attackers."

"Sure was lucky you were so close," noted Blake wryly.

Ciel and Rain both blushed lightly. "We were on a date of our own," said Rain. "It was chance that we happened to be in the area, and heard the commotion."

"Several bystanders were also about to intervene, so it's unlikely that the attempted abduction would have been successful," said Ciel. "However, it's also more likely that the culprits would have gotten away."

"In any case, things seem to be well enough," said Rain. "The official report said that Ruby's injuries are not life-threatening, or even severely inhibiting. She should recover from them quickly"

"Even more quickly, if Jaune can use his Semblance on her properly, once he recovers," noted Ciel.

"Not a chance!" snapped Yang, still on the floor. "That bastard isn't going to touch Ruby again, if I have anything to say about it!"

"You don't," said Ren, glaring down at Yang. "If you can't behave yourself, then I won't allow you to visit Ruby at the infirmary, and you will have to wait at the dorm, until the rest of us get back." The last thing they needed was for Yang's lapse to destroy the relationship she and Ruby had been building up, after they'd reconciled. Ruby had made it clear there wouldn't be any second chances after all.

Yang growled.

"I've been studying," said Ren severely, holding up a finger. "I hit points, and utilized my Aura to stun your limbs for a few minutes. With the proper technique, however, I can render you completely immobile for multiple hours. Do not try my patience right now."

"Besides, you can't possibly beat up Jaune as bad as he's probably beating himself up, right now," added Pyrrha. "He has to be mortified by what he did to Ruby."

"It certainly wasn't intentional, and he did more good than harm, in the end," added Weiss.

"So lay off the noodle," finished Nora.

"Jaune isn't much of a noodle anymore," said Pyrrha, looking at Nora.

"He has indeed developed a...rather impressive figure," added Weiss, her cheeks turning pink.

"Oooh!" squealed Nora, a sly grin on her face. "Someone's been watching. Does Ruby have competition? Thinking of sharing Jaune with Ashley, maybe?"

"Absolutely not!" barked Weiss, glaring at Nora.

Pyrrha was blushing too. "One tends to notice such things, when one shares a room with someone. We've gotten to see him with his shirt off fairly often."

Pyrrha and Weiss' friends snickered softly.

"Are you gonna let me up or what?" demanded Yang from below.

"That depends," said Ren, returning his gaze to her. "Are you going to behave yourself?"

Yang was silent for a moment. "Yes," she said finally.

Ren sighed softly. "Nora, Blake, can you hold her up?"

"Sure thing," said Nora. She and Blake hefted Yang up by her arms, suspending her between them.

Ren took a deep breath, sinking into a stance, thing he abruptly lashed out with another succession of finger-strikes. Yang yelped, feeling flooding back into her limbs, along with a painful tingling that made her feel as though they'd had circulation cut off for a while. Still, when Nora and Blake released her, she was able to remain upright with out assistance, gently massaging her upper arms and shoulders, before shaking out her legs.

Behind Yang, Pyrrha and Weiss watched her warily, Pyrrha ready to deploy her Semblance again, should Yang reveal herself to have been lying to get Ren to let her up again. Yang's eyes had returned to their normal hue, but her expression remained rather angry.

"Now that that's over with, let's go see how they're doing," said Weiss. "At the very least, I hope they'll recover by tomorrow, it wouldn't do for them to miss too much class because of this."

"That's our Weiss, always with her priorities in place," said Blake wryly.

"Geez, your leader was almost kidnapped, and you're worried about her missing class?" groused Nora.

"W-well, it's a valid concern," countered Weiss. "Missing too much class is always a bad thing, no matter what the reason."

"It is indeed a valid concern," said Ciel. "This attack could be an attempt to negatively affect Ruby's Grade Point Average."

"That would be a rather...drastic...way to go about it," said Rain hesitantly. "At this point, we can only grasp at the reasoning behind this event."

RYNB, Weiss, and Pyrrha all traded uneasy glances, thinking back to the events of the past few months, including the conspiracy against Beacon and Vale that they had managed to derail. Given what they'd been involved with, it wasn't out of left field that someone had tried to abduct Ruby. However, they had been led to believe that the conspiracy had been dealt with.

Granted, members of the White Fang were still at large. But Blake had informed everyone that Sienna Khan herself was suing for peace with Ozpin. On top of that, Ciel's report had revealed that all of the attackers were human. They couldn't quite rule out Torchwick's involvement. But that didn't seem right in this situation either.

Someone was after Ruby. But they were completely unsure of who and why.

Unfortunately, Jaune and Ruby were both still resting, when the group reached the infirmary, which resulted in them being politely turned away at the reception area. They were given the encouraging news that Ruby's condition was stable, and she was recovering. However, she'd been out for most of the day, waiting for the drugs to metabolize out of her system. Her Aura was already beginning to mend her injuries. All Ruby really needed was time.

Ruby and Jaune's friends were disappointed, and a little worried. The nurse at the desk informed them that Kyo was staying with and watching over the pair, and had promised to ensure their safety. Of course, that confused Ruby's friends a little, as this was the same Kyo who'd actively held them back from helping Ruby, when she'd been fighting Cinder's group. However, since Ruby was incapacitated, and wasn't actively fighting, this wasn't something that Kyo considered training.

In the end, all they could do was wait for Ruby to recover on her own...with a little help.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Jaune, hovering worriedly over Ruby.

Looking down on her made his stomach twist. The doctor had removed her mask and IV. Her skin was no longer so pale, and the bruising from the internal bleeding had faded, not that there had been much to begin with. But looking at her was another reminder that this was his fault, a result of his weakness and carelessness.

"The doctor has pronounced you fully-recovered," said Kyo. "The tranquilizer has run its course, so you are not inhibited in any fashion. Now all you need to do is what you have done before."

"B-but...wha-what if I hurt her again?" asked Jaune, trembling.

"You've already healed her multiple times," Kyo pointed out. "Only once have you injured her as a consequence, in an extremely frantic situation, under considerable duress, when you were further inhibited by your own drugging. This is as ideal a set of circumstances as we could wish for, so you should have no trouble."

"But still..." Jaune looked at his hands, which shook furiously.

"You need to control your fear," said Kyo. "Fear is a defensive emotion, one that signals a sense of threat. If your fear is in your Aura, when you send it into her, it will be a defensive action, one that her body will treat as an attack."

"But how do I...?" Jaune lowered his head. "All I can think about is what could happen if I mess it up again."

"That's actually quite simple," said Kyo. "You love her, right?"

"I do," agreed Jaune.

"You want to see her get better?"

"More than anything."

Kyo patted Jaune's shoulder. "Instead of worrying over whether or not you're doing it right, focus on those feelings, on your love for Ruby-chan, and your desire to see her get better. Focus completely on those, and there is no way your Aura could ever do her harm."

"I...I'll try," said Jaune. He closed his eyes, calling up the warm feeling that filled him when he saw Ruby, when he talked to her, when he held her, when he kissed her...

It made things much easier. His shaking subsided, and the Aura in his hands took on that warm quality that seemed to be characteristic of the healing arts. But there remained a tiny, niggling doubt in the back of his mind. What if he hurt her again?

"Jaune..."

Jaune's eyes snapped open, and he found his blue eyes meeting Ruby's silver. The sight of them was indescribably beautiful. She was smiling weakly up at him, almost seeming to be privy to his thoughts and worries. So she showed him a look of complete trust.

"Ruby," gasped Jaune, relief flooding through him at the sight of her waking up.

"I know you can do it," she said.

"A-are you sure?" asked Jaune.

"I trust you," said Ruby with complete certainty. "And I love you too."

Jaune sniffed, tears seeping from his eyes.

Behind Jaune, Kyo's smile widened. "You know, you don't necessarily need to use your hands, in this situation."

"What do you mean?" asked Jaune, looking back at Ruby's brother.

"Well, your hands are generally for when you want to focus your work to a specific location," explained Kyo. "There is more nuance to it, depending on which of the Healing Arts you are using. But Sasame can fill you in on that. For a more general healing, like this, any physical contact would do...like say...a kiss."

"So I should...?" said Jaune, his eyes widening.

"Focus your Aura into your lips, and lay one on her," said Kyo cheerfully.

Jaune blushed furiously at the thought. He had to admit it sounded appealing though.

He just wished that he could do something about the awkwardness of the situation, given that it was Ruby's brother encouraging him to make out with her.

Ruby giggled weakly below him, prompting Jaune to look down at her. "I like the sound of that," said Ruby, giving him a small grin. "So give me a kiss to make it all better."

Jaune found himself smiling back. "You know...I think I can do that."