Chapter 17 - CHAPTER 016 = ∆

"My own sister?" Yang shook her head. "I should be used to being betrayed by now but what do you know, I'm not. Go on then, shoo – hurry up, you're in the way."

Ruby poked out her tongue and followed Weiss. The rest of Team JNPR cleared out, sitting beside Ruby, Weiss and Blake, who was now drooling on herself as she swayed back and forth in her seat. Pyrrha giggled at the sight before focusing on her opponent, deploying her weapons with practiced skill.

"Weiss is right," Pyrrha said. "I will not be using my maiden powers."

Yang looked disappointed but understanding at the same time. "Yeeaah, I guess that is for the best. We don't need Goodwitch on our ass because you accidentally knock the school down. But don't hold back otherwise, got it? I've been looking forward to this for a while."

Pyrrha nodded, even though she knew that to keep the fight competitive, she would need to hold back substantially. That wasn't arrogance speaking, it was facts. Her semblance combined with Yang's weapons meant that Pyrrha could disable her in an instant if she really wanted to. More so than any of their friends bar Jaune, who wore armor and was easy pickings for her polarity. Ember Celica encircled her wrists and when deployed, her hands. It wouldn't take much at all for Pyrrha to tie her up like a pretzel if she were so inclined.

Pyrrha paced away until there was a sizable space between them before turning to face her. Yang shook her arms and danced from foot to foot, loosening up before throwing her arms down and activating her weapons. They snapped into place, mecha-shifting smoothly before she raised her fists. Their scrolls synced with the overhead display, their profiles from class appearing alongside their aura bar.

"Ready when you are," Pyrrha called out, raising her shield.

There was a moment of tense silence as Yang sized her up before she exploded into motion. The blonde crossed the distance in a couple of quick strides, blazing forward at incredible speed. Akoúo̱ rang loudly as Yang struck swiftly, her fist slamming into the shield with tremendous force. Pyrrha tanked the blow expertly, tilting the face of her shield to bleed off any power before stepping back to avoid the follow up, Ember Celica whizzing by her face. Her fists were a blur as she went on the complete offensive, shotgun blasts roaring.

Picking her moment, Pyrrha ducked and swept at the legs. When Yang leapt to avoid the kick, Pyrrha continued to spin and executed a perfect rising cut, the now airborne Yang unable to evade. Her blade clashed against her gauntlets, throwing Yang back and creating space. Within seconds her sword mecha-shifted into a rifle, and Pyrrha aimed down the sights and fired.

To her credit, Yang readjusted and dodged, blocking what shots she couldn't avoid with her weapons. Leaping forward, she increased her speed by blasting back with her gauntlets, the recoil carrying her into Pyrrha's guard. Without missing a beat, Pyrrha's rifle transformed back into a sword, parrying Yang's furious assault. When the blonde overextended, Pyrrha punished her with a vicious knee, slamming it into her chest and forcing her away.

Yang grunted, a rush of air leaving her lungs as her aura flared from the hit. Regaining her feet, she rushed in once again, ducking and weaving before firing off a blistering combo. Pyrrha blocked each strike with poise, twirling her weapon rapidly. Yang leaned back, the sharp point passing by her eyes, a streak of red and bronze. Before Pyrrha could press any advantage, Yang slammed her fists into the ground and discharged two shots, the force flinging her up and over the champion fighter's head.

Suspended in the air above, Yang fired shot after shot down at her as she somersaulted, forcing Pyrrha to cover up. Landing with a spin, Yang darted in low, roaring as she chambered a powerful uppercut. It hit nothing but air, Pyrrha's crimson hair trailing behind as she pulled back before surging in.

Pyrrha slammed her forearm into Yang's face before driving the edge of her shield into her chest. As Yang stumbled back in pain, Pyrrha spun and executed a perfect side kick, morphing her sword into its spear form. With the longer reach, she carved a swath of Yang's aura away with cleaving strikes before finishing it by driving Miló into the ground and using it as a pole, swinging around it to gather momentum and driving both of her feet into Yang's head in a dropkick.

Yang grunted as she hit the ground and tumbled, aura protecting her from most of the damage. Slamming her hands into the floor, she bounced up, scowling. Eyes burning red, she flew back in, teeing off with wide, looping punches.

Pyrrha avoided each one with ease, knowing that the haze of anger that accompanied Yang's semblance was beginning to descend, making her attacks sloppy in exchange for brute force. When Yang threw her next punch, Pyrrha stepped inside her guard and drove her elbow in under Yang's ribs before spinning, hip checking her and sending Yang sprawling. Before she could press on to victory, Pyrrha was forced to retreat as Yang exploded in a wreath of red hot flame.

One moment Yang was on the ground and then the next, she was in Pyrrha's face. The first punch that impacted her shield was felt across her entire body, passing through muscle and bone and reverberating in her core. The floor cracked as Pyrrha deflected two more rapid strikes, aura flaring at the strain. Even with her shield, she was taking damage by halting Yang's outrageous strength, fueled by her semblance, and so when the next punch came, Pyrrha slowed it just enough with her polarity that when it crashed into Akoúo̱, it no longer felt like her shoulder was in risk of being dislocated.

"Come on," Yang roared as she swung wildly, her speed increased just as much as her strength. Her fists resembled pistons as they shot at her opponent again and again. "Dance with me, P~!"

Yang was a literal fire storm, sparks flying as metal fists clanged against her shield with punishing force. A halo of fire surrounded them, Yang's hair igniting further. Pyrrha didn't try to meet her strength, stepping back as Yang advanced in a frenzy. Mentally counting down, Pyrrha timed each punch and then when she had the timing down, went on the offensive.

Yang's next punch missed her cheek by less than an inch, Pyrrha tilting her head just right. Stepping forward, she stomped down on Yang's foot and bashed the face of her shield against Yang's chest. The blonde gasped and tried to pull back but with her foot trapped, she stumbled and Pyrrha was on her like a vengeful goddess.

The first strike landed across her face as she furiously attempted to regain her footing, Yang's aura blazing in protection. The next was a brutal stab to the heart, followed by the edge of her shield against her jaw. Disorientated, she could do nothing as Pyrrha systematically picked her apart, rocked by every blow. Pyrrha finished it off in style, flipping in the air in a sideways corkscrew and driving her heeled boot down into Yang's stomach, slamming her into the ground with force. The stage shook and Yang choked on a combination of saliva and blood as her aura exploded in a shower of golden light.

The match was finished.

A picture of calm on the outside, the exhilaration of a well fought bout thundered beneath the skin. Heart pounding and blood surging, Pyrrha inhaled deeply as she stared down at the groaning form of her friend before stepping back, removing her foot from Yang's stomach. The glorious rush and thrill of the fight continued to fill her, heightening all of her senses.

Another fight, another victory.

"Hell yeah~!" Nora screamed, clapping wildly. "That's our Pyrrha. Com-plete annihilation~!"

Nora wasn't the only one clapping, all of her friends delighting in her triumph. Ruby jogged over and peered down at her sister, while a now very much awake Blake joined her.

"You got your butt kicked," Blake said bluntly.

Yang simply groaned in response, panting and gasping for breath.

Pyrrha felt Jaune long before she heard him, hyper aware of her surroundings.

"Beautiful," he said, and Pyrrha felt her heart squeeze as she met his eyes. He didn't elaborate and it didn't matter to her if he was only talking about her fighting technique or something else. The way he was looking at her scorched her down to her soul.

"Thank you," she said, beaming at him. She then offered her hand to Yang. "Well fought, Yang."

The downed girl groaned again and grabbed Pyrrha's hand, grunting as she was pulled up.

"Man," Yang whined. "I couldn't even hit you."

She was despondent for all of three seconds before she smiled ruefully.

"Fuck, you were awesome," Yang conceded, already over her loss. She wiped at her sweaty brow. "Damn it. I've got to train even harder now. I need to close the gap. This is bullshit."

"Brilliant as always, Pyrrha," Weiss nodded to her in respect before smirking at her teammate. "I hope this serves as a lesson, Yang – that is what a real champion looks like."

Yang responded by giving her the middle finger.

Ruby and Jaune fought next, a showing of complete opposites – speed verses stamina, sublime technique versus unrelenting drive. Crescent Rose afforded Ruby a reach advantage, and coupled with her semblance, she wasn't an easy opponent to face. She wasn't a heavy hitter like Yang, though – Ruby relied on blistering combo attacks to defeat her enemies, meaning that Jaune's semblance had time to regenerate and amplify his defenses. It was like watching a moth continually test an open flame. Eventually it was going to get burned.

One mistake and Jaune capitalized, his backfist catching the younger girl in the face as he spun to meet her. Reeling from the punishing blow, Crocea Mors carved through her aura in powerful sweeping slashes. She got her own licks in, her scythe collapsing into its compact firing form and blasting Jaune point-blank with heavy caliber rounds. Anyone else would have sustained heavy damage but the bullets crumpled upon the enhanced shielding of his amplified aura, flaring brightly as it protected him from harm. Ruby scattered in a cascade of rose petals to escape but the screen above showed that she was well into the red.

"Aww," Ruby pouted furiously, annoyed when she saw Jaune's aura bar not even below 80%. "I hate your semblance."

He laughed in reply, infuriating her even more.

"You just gotta hit him harder, sis," Yang mocked. "You need a little more muscle on those twiggy arms."

Ruby scowled.

Weiss and Nora matched up next with Blake and Ren finishing it up, ending with two wins for Team RWBY and tying the series, as it were. Everyone was in good spirits as they moved onto practicing combination attacks.

"Hey," Jaune said as they went through the motions. "I was thinking – instead of going down to Vale, I thought that maybe we could do something together, just the two of us. That is if you want to? I mean, you are probably looking forward to hanging out with everyone."

Pyrrha perked up.

"But I thought we could just hang out, catch up – as partners," he continued, swinging his sword lazily. "You know, if you want?"

"That sounds lovely," Pyrrha agreed at once.

"Yeah?" he looked pleased. "Cool – um, I'll let the others know."

Alone time is just what Pyrrha desired most. With none of their friends around, it would be the perfect opportunity for her to finally confront that which had been brewing between them for so long. Butterflies erupted in her stomach, a sudden bout of crippling nerves that made her feel sick. She was a world renowned fighter, athlete and Fall Maiden, and yet this was the most nervous she had ever been in her life.

As they finished up their training, they all went their separate ways. While the rest of their friends went to shower and get ready, Jaune grabbed her hand and led her through the school. Pyrrha's cheeks flushed scarlet when he laced their fingers together, tugging her along as they simply walked around campus. She couldn't help but think that if anyone saw them at this moment, they would believe they were a couple, walking hand-in-hand like this.

She liked it. She liked it a lot.

Beacon had many courtyards and gardens, and Jaune led them through several of them, admiring the full bloom of flowers and enjoying the warmth of the sun. They didn't speak, simply walking and enjoying each other's presence. The mad scramble in her stomach had lessened somewhat but a well of anticipation began to swell deep inside, waiting for something. Jaune wasn't the silent type. Whenever he got like this, it was because he was contemplating something important.

"Are you hungry?" he suddenly asked.

Pyrrha nodded. "I must admit, I am rather famished."

There was a nice little grassy area behind the groundskeepers shed, a small meadow blanketed with wild flowers that very few people knew about. They sometimes trained there when it struck their fancy and that is where Jaune took her, much to her confusion. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest when she spotted the picnic basket and folded blanket, having been set up beforehand.

"When did you...?" she questioned, perplexed. He'd been with her all morning. How could he have set this up?

"Nora," he answered, grinning. "When I told the others that we were staying behind, I got her to set this up for us. Do you... do you like it?"

Pyrrha almost kissed him right then and there.

"I think it is wonderful," she said, meeting his eyes. "Truly."

Jaune shook out the blanket and spread it along the ground before kicking off his shoes and removing his armor. Pyrrha followed suit, unclasping the armor that adorned her legs and pulling off her heeled boots. They set their weapons aside and sat, Jaune opening the picnic basket and pulling out their lunch. It was nothing elaborate. There were sandwiches, salads and small cups of fruit salad, alongside a large bottle of juice – and cake!

Pyrrha loved cake.

It was all food taken from the cafeteria, nothing special. But the food at Beacon was high quality and when Pyrrha bit into her sandwich, she hummed in appreciation. It was good. The bread was soft, baked just that morning and filled with ham, lettuce, tomato, onion and more. The fruit was also fresh and juicy, and Pyrrha relished the sweet taste as her teeth punctured the soft flesh of an orange piece, the juices exploding across her tongue.

They ate quietly. Pyrrha watched him carefully, eyes constantly on the move. She traced the cut of his jaw line, the width of his shoulders, broad and strong, and down further across his arms. He had removed his hoodie, wearing a plain t-shirt and it left his forearms exposed.

Pyrrha had a thing for arms; specifically the forearm, and even hands. The way they shifted and rippled, even when completing such mundane tasks did things to her that she couldn't control, even if she wanted to. Every time he moved to bring his sandwich to his lips, the muscles would twitch and make her breathless. Branching veins ran from the insides of his wrists to the insides of his elbows, and when he leaned back to support his weight, they would bulge attractively. He had large hands and long fingers; powerful hands, dexterous fingers.

They would feel amazing on her body.

She knew it.

She wanted to find out just how good.

And then he shuffled closer, until their shoulders nearly touched. Pyrrha froze when one of those magnificent hands brushed against her cheek, cupping her tenderly and directing her eyes with a gentle nudge. The heat in his gaze caused something to shake loose inside her, something liquid and hot. It started in her chest and finished low in her belly, a velvety sensation that instantly made the hairs on her neck stand on end.

"I want to tell you something," he said, and suddenly she couldn't breathe. "Something that I should have told you the last time you were back."

His fingers lightly stroked across her cheek and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Pyrrha shivered, ticklish – and it was that action that completely undid her. Before he could say anything else, lay bare the words she was dying to hear, she crashed into him with a passionate lunge, sealing her lips to his. Jaune made a sound of surprise as he rocked back and she followed him, chasing his mouth with a sudden overwhelming hunger. Throwing her leg across his hips, she settled heavily into his lap.

He tried to speak but it was swallowed by her mouth, her teeth latching onto his lower lip and biting down. Tugging on the feather soft skin, she sucked it into her mouth and rolled her tongue over it before coaxing his mouth open. She'd never kissed anyone before but she did her best, cupping his jaw with her hands as she did her level best to devour him. His shock as her sudden ardor was short lived and before she knew it, he was kissing her back, his tongue battling with hers at he chased it back into her mouth. Pyrrha moaned as their tongues writhed together, his taste and scent overwhelming her.

His mouth was so hot and wet, and lewd smacking sounds filled the air as they made out. Seeing as this was her first time, it didn't take long before she realized that she hadn't been breathing and her lungs were burning furiously, desperate for air. Pulling away with a gasp, Pyrrha panted as she stared into blue eyes blown wide with desire.

"I love you," Jaune uttered, breathing heavily. "Pyrrha – you mean everything to me. I should have told you sooner but-"

She rushed back in and silenced his words, kissing him wetly. Something hard quickly grew between him and Pyrrha shuddered as his growing erection pressed in under her skirt and right against her panty clad core. Rolling her hips, pleasure shot up her spine. Wetness gathered between her legs, silky and hot. Rutting against his covered length, Pyrrha mewled into Jaune's mouth.

He pulled away and stared into her eyes with hunger, his hands settling on her waist and giving her a tender squeeze. She arched against him, biting her lip.

"Tell me to stop and I will," he said, flexing his hips against her. Her clit throbbed as his covered dick pressed on it, stimulating her sensitive bundle until she wanted to cry.

"Don't you dare," she ordered, shimmying her hips side to side. "Don't you dare, Jaune Arc."

That was all the prompting he needed.

Pyrrha squealed in delight as he lifted her up, spinning her around until she was underneath him. Bracketed between her spread thighs, he grinded against her core and relished the look of wanton desire on her beautiful face. He had dreamed of this moment for so long, how she would taste, how she would smell and look. His imagination hadn't done her justice. Emerald eyes darkened with lust gazed up at him like twin gems, scorching him right down to his very soul. Powerful thighs squeezed his hips as he rutted against her, her skin silky smooth as he palmed her legs and rubbed his way down under her skirt to grip her ass. It was soft and full, and when he squeezed harder, she bucked into him, his cock throbbing in excitement.

They were both dressed in too many clothes.

Pyrrha watched with glazed eyes as Jaune pulled his shirt off, revealing his rock hard chest and abs. Her belly clenched with want, her panties flooding with desire and she hastily grabbed at his belt, unlatching it and pulling it through the loops. She sat up and allowed him access to the back of her corset, and Pyrrha felt her heart rocket into her ribcage as it loosened around her bust. When it fell away completely, her chest was covered in a plain strapless bra, barely containing her breasts. Instead of unhooking it, he simply pulled it down to her waist, freeing her chest.

There was a moment, a very brief one where embarrassment flared and she almost covered up. No one had ever seen her like this before, bare and open. But one look at his face and instead she thrust her chest out, giving it a little shake. Her breasts were large and shapely, bottom heavy with real weight. They swayed from side to side, her nipples puffy and wide. Jaune groaned at the sight, palming one of her tits and giving it a squeeze. Her nipples crinkled in an instant, pebbled and ready, the areola dusky and plump.

He had never seen a more beautiful sight in his life. Her skin was pale and perfect, a wonderful contrast to her bronzed arms, face, neck and upper chest. His eyes followed those tan lines across her body, down to her belly which was an attractive olive and well muscled. It drove him mad with lust.

Leaning down, he captured one of those sexy nipples between his lips. Pyrrha moaned loudly, balanced on one arm while the other rose, threading fingers through blond hair. Clutching his head to her chest, she struggled for breath as he sucked and licked the sensitive peak until it was throbbing. Squirming, she tightened her hold on his hair and directed him to her other breast. This time he bit down hard before soothing it with his tongue, and more wetness gushed heavily into her panties, her core clenching.

"Mm, J-Jaune," she hissed as he sucked hard, pulling his head back at the same time. Her raw nipple popped free and it stung, the very tip rock hard and throbbing. When he pinched it between his fingers, rolling it gently, she almost sobbed.

"Beautiful," he said, grabbing her breast roughly and giving it a shake. "Fuck, Pyrrha, you're so beautiful. Mm – these tan lines are so sexy, you have no idea."

She had a bit of an idea, feeling his erection throb between her legs.

She unbuttoned his jeans while he feasted on her tits, licking and nipping at the skin of her cleavage. When his pants were loose, she helped them down with her legs, hooking her feet against the material and pulling them. Jaune then placed a hand on her chest and forced her down until she was lying flat, breasts heaving as he unclipped her skirt. She brought her legs up and together so he could pull it free, revealing her sodden underwear for the first time.

That was when she noticed his bulge, straining heavily against his boxer briefs. Even though it was covered, she could tell that it was large and excitement flooded through her like a spike of adrenaline, leaving her dizzy. Any nerves were buried underneath countless months of desire and when she grabbed his clothed cock, it throbbed within her grasp.

"Oh~!" Pyrrha made a sound of surprise, biting her lip as she stroked him slowly. Jaune pressed against her hand, insistent. "Mm – look at this. Did I do this to you?"

Jaune nodded. "You always do this to me."

"Oh?"

"You have no idea how many times I've stroked off to thoughts of you," he confessed, his voice low and dark. Deep in her core, something pulsed darkly. "Those weeks and months you are away, hoping for your return."

"I touch myself," she admitted, rubbing him harder. Her voice was rough, husky. Any hesitation, any of her reserved nature was blown away. There was no room for hesitation or shame. "I'll slip into a hot bath at an inn and finger myself until I can't think, fantasizing about what you would do to me."

Their lips came together again, frantic. His long, strong fingers dipped down and traced over her pussy, rubbing her plump labia through her ruined panties. Cupping her completely, he used his palm to grind down on her mons and clit, and Pyrrha shuddered, pulling her mouth free and tipping her head back in bliss.

They touched each other for several moments, Pyrrha stroking his still hardening length while he teased her overheated quim. Peeling the crotch to one side, she moaned as his bare fingers touched her cunt for the first time. Jaune rubbed up and down each side, pinching her vulva lightly before stroking up the middle, his fingers coming away sticky and wet. When he lightly teased her urethra, Pyrrha squirmed.

She was so wet and hot, and Jaune loved it. He focused on her reactions, testing out what she liked. Her inner labia were small and curled, grasping at his fingers whenever he rubbed them. Dipping down, he inserted the tip of one of his fingers and wiggled it, marveling at the texture of her inner folds. They clamped around his digit firmly and he knew then that when he replaced that finger with his cock, it would be exquisite.

Just like her magnificent tits, her pussy was untouched by the sun; flesh soft and pure creamy white, as were her upper thighs.

The hand on his cock continued to squeeze and stroke him through his underwear, frustrating him. He wanted more – and so he quickly kicked off his jeans that were still looped around his ankles and yanked his boxer briefs off, freeing his member.

Pyrrha stared in wonder as she saw his cock for the first time. She'd seen pictures before and knew what they were meant to look like. While she didn't watch porn, she'd seen a picture or two – it was impossible not to in this day and age, with the internet connecting all of Remnant. But this went beyond any of her understanding, any of her considerable imagination.

The first thing she noticed was that it was long. It bobbed between his thighs as he knelt between her legs, stretching out towards her. If he laid it against her belly starting at her pussy, it would easily touch her belly button and her core trembled at the thought. It was also thick, the shaft wide and covered in countless bulging veins, the base ringed in a light blond dusting of hair. The head was thicker still, a little like a mushroom cap; rounded with a prominent ridge and flushed red with arousal. The tip was wet, a thick string of pre-cum dangling from the end, threatening to touch her skin.

She had to have it; this vision and symbol of masculinity, of virility. She was witnessing the cock of a man, primed and ready to take and pleasure its woman. She was its woman.

Her fingers curled around his length and Jaune groaned, his cock flexing. The strand of pre-cum slipped free and dripped on her belly, and Pyrrha delighted in the heat. Despite how it looked with all its bulging veins, the skin of his shaft was smooth and soft, her hand gliding up and down as she stroked him. When the curl of her fist met his flaring crown, his cock tensed further.

"Does this feel good?" she asked breathlessly.

He nodded wordlessly.

It wasn't long until her hand was slick with his wetness. Whenever her hand passed over his glans, his cock would twitch and flex powerfully, leaking large amounts of pre-cum. It was surprisingly heavy in her hand and when she added a second hand, it easily dwarfed her grip.

He was perfect.

He was going to ruin her and she welcomed it, gladly. There would be no other. Jaune was hers – and she was his. Yang, Blake – they would never have this, as much as they wanted it, as much as they desired it. This cock and the man it belonged to would never be theirs.

"Mm, Jaune – you're so long and hard," she teased the end with a finger, tickling the very tip. The head swelled and a drop of pre-ejaculate beaded, sticking to her finger. "Tell me what you are going to do with it?"

"What?"

"Tell me," she commanded, feeling bold. "Tell me what you are going to do to me."

Jaune stared at her, pupils blown wide. "I'm going to fuck you."

"Uh huh~"

"I'm going to fuck that pretty little pussy of yours until you beg me to stop," he continued, his body growing taut as her hands sped up. One hand focused on the shaft, pumping up and down firmly while the other twisted around the head, the pleasure sharp and electric. His eyes settled on her tits and the way they shook as she pleasured him, plump between her working arms. "I'm going to take you every way you can take a woman, and I'm going to cum inside you even if you tell me not to."

Her womb pulsed at the thought.

"Is this cock mine?"

"All yours."

"And no one else gets it," she grabbed his heavy balls, rolling them. "Just me?"

"Just you."

"Yang and Blake – they can't have it."

Jaune blinked at her. "What?"

"They fuck you with their eyes, every chance they get," Pyrrha clutched his testicles firmly yet carefully, wishing to cause pleasure, not pain. "Surely you see it? They fantasize about you, about you taking this thick, long cock and fucking them senseless."

If possible, his cock became even harder.

"Do you like that?" she asked darkly. "That they desire you? That they want you to mess their pussies with your burly cock. That they act like sluts around you, hoping for just a crumb of your attention? And you don't even notice, do you? They are so desperate for your attention and you can't even see it."

Pyrrha wasn't sure where this was all coming from, the words spilling from her lips without thought as possessiveness reared its head. The hand still on his length moved furiously, gliding effortlessly.

"I bet they touch themselves, thinking about this thing right here. Does that turn you on?"

Jaune grabbed her thighs and squeezed, pulling her along the ground. Pyrrha gave a squeal of surprise when he loomed over her, trapping his cock between their bodies as he kissed her furiously. He was out of control, plundering her mouth as his length burned against her abs. He kissed her until she felt like she was about to pass out and when he finally pulled away, his eyes were dangerous.

"I love it when you're jealous," he said, and she shivered when he created a bit of space, grasping the base of his erection and pointing it directly at her burning quim. "But you have nothing to be jealous about. I want you. I only want you."

Jaune admired her body, stretched out underneath him as he rubbed the tip of his cock against her springy labia. As they parted around his glans, he groaned at how wet and pink she was, unfurling before his eyes. Above her beautiful cute pussy, an attractive strip of crimson red hair sat neatly trimmed. Gripping her panties and pulling them further to the side, he lightly pressed into her, massaging her thigh as she tensed.

She was tight.

Her entrance was small and resisted his push, his cock gliding up along her clit. Pyrrha arched as pleasure spiked up her spine, her wonderful tits shaking. She was still wearing her circlet, as well as the bronze gorget around her throat and the thick cuff around her upper arm. It only added to his arousal – he was about to fuck a warrior, the best of them, the Invincible Girl and Fall Maiden, and he tightened his hold on his cock to keep it steady as he attempted to penetrate her once again.

Pyrrha hissed as his head popped inside her, stretching her pussy wide. There was a sting of pain as her body was forced in a way it had never been before, his length cleaving her insides as he thrust deeper. The curvature of his length pressed it against the top of her passage, and when he grinded on a shallow spot only an inch or so in, she clenched around his invading cock furiously, a groan of pleasure spilling from her lips.

"Do you like it here?" he asked roughly, pausing. His eyes were blue flame, licking at her flesh with a hungry desire to devour. He pulled back slightly before thrusting gently, focusing on that spot that caused her such delight. Pyrrha's hips trembled, her legs snapping shut around his body as he slowly fucked his way into her.

Wetness gushed from her tightly packed cunt, drooling down over her ass. Jaune stared at her stretched pussy, at her pointed clit as it stood on end. Wetting his thumb, he brushed it in tight circles as he pressed up against her g-spot, timing it to perfection. Pyrrha gasped and writhed along the blanket, cupping her own breasts and squeezing them viciously, her fingers sinking into the pillowy flesh.

"Oh~! Uunngh~! Jaune, fuck me~!" she called as molten heat bloomed low in her belly, the pleasure overwhelming. Any discomfort and pain from losing her virginity was gone, leaving only ecstasy in its wake. "Haaah~! Haaaannnh~! OooouH~!"

"Do you want me to go deeper?" he asked, keeping his hips controlled. Emerald eyes consumed his body, locking onto his abs as they shifted and stretched with every thrust. "Do you want all of my cock?"

She did, she wanted it so much – but he was already driving her crazy with just this. If he fucked her deeply, she would break apart at the seams. Every time his glans grinded on her g-spot, her inner walls vibrated and clutched desperately at his rod. When he slipped in a little deeper, his thumb still circling her clit, a whine lodged in her throat, choked. Her eyes rolled up, her hands aggressively mauling her chest.

Icy pleasure settled in the base of his shaft, his balls thumping in delight. Watching his partner lose control was incredibly erotic, she who was usually so composed and full of poise. Her beautiful muscles contracted whenever he pressed in, her face and chest flushing red as her eyes became hazy with lust. Pulling her legs further apart, he thrust deeper, forcing more of his cock inside. Sweet cries filled the air as half of his shaft entered her, then three-quarters, her heat embracing him. Her folds were plentiful and rough, the texture stimulating him beyond reason. When he bumped against the entrance to her womb, Pyrrha locked up, a silent cry upon her lips. She squeezed around him furiously, trapping him as deep as he could go. Only about half an inch remained, almost entirely buried within her molten snatch.

"Fuck," Jaune swore, trying to retreat but her pussy refused to let him go without a fight, his glands catching on every fold. He made it about halfway before rocketing forward, smacking into her cervix and driving the breath from her lungs.

"So deep~!" Pyrrha sobbed, gasping desperately. "Ouuuh, you're so deep~! Mmm, fuck me, fuck me harder, please."

Gritting his teeth, he planted his knuckles on the ground and set a relentless tempo from the start, thrusting into her powerfully. His cock flexed in joy, almost numb with pleasure as she throbbed and coiled around his shaft, milking him from root to tip.

"You feel so fucking good," Jaune grunted, their flesh clapping together lewdly. Their thighs were drenched in her wetness and every time he pulled back, it stretched between them, their skin sticking together. "Fuck, Pyrrha – you feel so damn good. You're so fucking hot. Mmm – do you like my cock?"

"I love it," Pyrrha cried, her hands curling in the blanket so she didn't slide, holding her hips steady as he pistoned into her. Every time he struck her womb, she shook wildly, her core pulsing faster. "I love it, I love it, Jaune – mm, ouuuhn~! Fuck me deeper~! I want it deeper."

Grasping her hip in a punishing hold, he yanked her against him whenever he bottomed out, pounding on her uterus with everything he had. Pyrrha howled and thrashed, her feet kicking against the ground and lifting her hips, tilting them just right. She was doing her level best to wring his balls dry and he felt the approaching end already, his testicles pulling tight against the base of his cock.

"Kiss me," she demanded. "F-Fuck, kiss me."

Leaning forward, he captured her lips in a punishing kiss, his hips sealing against her pelvis. Pressuring her cervix, he gently rocked back and forth, grinding her deepest spot as he swallowed her desperate pleas. His cock swelled, stiffening further as icy hot pleasure bloomed on the tip.

Pyrrha panted between kisses, her lungs on fire. Her skin tingled as her insides tightened, a knot of sensation growing larger in her belly. It felt like his cock was prodding at it, attempting to coax it open and whenever he grinded on it, her heart quaked in her chest, pounding furiously. His hard pelvic bone mashed against her clit, the dual assault almost too much.

And with it, a more familiar feeling crashed through her body like an unstoppable wave. Emerald fire erupted from her eyes, magic surging. Jaune felt it tickle against his cheeks and he pulled away, staring down at her in surprise as he continued to pound her without remorse, lengthening his glide until he was fucking her with the entire length of his dick. The sky above their head darkened as clouds gathered, a dim rumble of thunder sounding as wind gusted.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked, fucking her harder.

"Don't you dare," she hissed, face twisted in rapture. The combination of her building orgasm and the flaring magic of her maiden powers mixed together, a heady cocktail of power and womanly fulfillment. Pyrrha rolled her hips in tempo with his thrusts, crying out sharply. "D-Don't you fucking dare~! Hnnng~!"

Their picnic basket was whisked away in a powerful gust, a louder crack of thunder booming above head. Leaning back on his haunches, Jaune seized her wide hips and lifted them off the ground, her upper body still stretched along the ground. He fucked into her even harder, their bodies clapping loudly as she gushed around him. A sudden flash and an arc of lightning tore through a nearby tree, the trunk splintering in a mess of scorched wood chips.

"Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me," she screamed, his cock knocking on her womb relentlessly. That tight knot was on the verge of snapping, her mind consumed by nothing else. The ground cracked around them, ruptured stone erupting in a shower of dirt as Jaune felt the beginning of the end.

"Oooh, Pyrrha, I'm gonna cum," he groaned, body straining as he clapped into her. "Fuck, your pussy is going to make me cum so hard."

Pyrrha's back bowed aggressively as her cunt tightened like a vice, her chest shaking – and then with a shout of ecstasy, that knot broke open like a runny egg yolk and spilled through her body. She could do nothing but writhe and howl in bliss, her vagina spasming and contracting wildly in orgasm, her muscles clenching down again, and again, and again.

Jaune pounded her through her climax, his balls aching as his cock jerked in bliss. His groan started deep in his stomach, roaring out into the world as he spat hot, fat streaks of molten cum straight into her womb. Even though he was cumming, he didn't stop fucking her, his glans a pin point of pleasure as he unloaded shot after messy shot, filling her up with his seed. Another flash and another bolt of lightning hit the earth, wind screaming in a vortex around their shattering forms.

They weren't sure how long they remained like this, lost in the throes of pleasure, their bodies rocking together as wave after wave pulsed through them. Pyrrha felt her magic flowing out of her with an ease she had never felt before, pouring into their surroundings and wreaking havoc. If she was in her right mind, she would have attempted to reign it in, but she wasn't and she didn't. It felt too good, her tight control loosened for what felt like the first time in her entire life.

Eventually the dark clouds receded and the wind died down, Jaune's flexing cock reduced to simple throbbing as Pyrrha squirmed through the aftershocks of her mind blowing orgasm. Jaune collapsed onto her sweaty form, their skin slick with perspiration. Pyrrha hummed low in her throat, a small whimper escaping as he cradled her exhausted body against his chest. When his still hard cock jostled inside her sensitive quim, her body jolted.

"J-Jaune?" she whispered, a little out of it. "Jaune?"

"I'm here," he whispered in return, massaging the back of her neck as he rolled them to the side, and then her body on top of his. He cupped her ass and squeezed in reassurance, keeping her tight against his rock hard frame. "I'm here."

His seed was hot in her belly, burning her from within as it settled deep in her uterus. The mantle of the Fall Maiden fizzled beneath her skin, a feeling of fulfillment resonating deep within. Pyrrha kissed his chest, licking at the salty sweat and delighting in the taste.

This was her man. Jaune was her man.

"Um – I think we might be in trouble," Jaune mused, and when Pyrrha found the energy to raise her head, she looked around and understood what he meant.

Upturned dirt surrounded them in a perfect circle, spikes of rock jutting from the meadow like claws. Several trees had been felled, their thick trunks obliterated by lightning, wood smoldering with a deep orange glow as they burned from within. The wind had torn the roof off the groundskeepers shed, carrying it beyond their sight.

"Oh," she uttered, completely astonished. "Did we do this?"

Jaune couldn't help it; he laughed.

"S-Shut up," she muttered, embarrassed. Pinching his side, he grunted and retaliated by slapping her on the ass, the sharp crack deafening.

"Hey," Pyrrha tried to sound stern but it came out in a moan, squirming. "Don't spank me."

"Naughty girls get spanked."

His smile stole her breath away.

"We better get moving," he then said, and she frowned at him.

"What happened to having me every way you can have a woman?"

Jaune tweaked her nose, amused at her annoyance. He found it cute.

"The entire school would have just heard this happen," Jaune gestured at their surroundings. "If we stay here, we are going to get caught."

Pyrrha made a sound of understanding.

"I suppose you are right."

"He is indeed, Ms. Nikos."

They both froze, a feeling of dread killing their blissful mood. Turning as one, the stern visage of Glynda Goodwitch greeted them.

"I am happy to see that you have returned safely from your trip," the blonde woman continued, "but next time, try not to damage school property when you desire some alone time with Mr. Arc."

They both wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

Ozpin had no idea what to expect as he walked into Vale's city hall for an emergency session of the Council. He rolled his eyes, emergency session, please. No doubt it would just be Cedric Winchester complaining about how the Breach had affected Dust deliveries to the upper class quarter, or something else that was equally irrelevant.

Ozpin had no idea how wrong he was.

His first clue was when he was greeted by Cedric's incredibly smug personal assistant.

"Why, Professor Ozpin, I've never known you be late to a Council meeting?"

With a fluid motion, Ozpin took his pocket watch out and checked the time. It was five minutes before the meeting was supposed to start. That meant they had either changed the time on him to make him look bad, or they hadn't wanted the chance to talk without him there. Neither option was particularly appealing.

Discretion was the better part of valor, and Ozpin knew very well how to pick his battles, and verbal jousting with this glorified day planner wasn't one of them. "My mistake, I suppose."

Before the assistant could respond, Ozpin swept into the conference room to find the rest of the Council waiting for him, not to mention the temperature dropping from how chilly the stares he received were.

Councilman Kodiak, the Faunus councilor, usually greeted Ozpin warmly, even in the most dire of circumstances. Which meant that this was definitely not good. It didn't help that Ozpin spotted that his claws were out, which Kodiak did subconsciously if he was bracing for a fight.

Likewise, Councilman Hunter and Councilwoman Magnolia wore grim expressions, their respective dark green and cream colored suits adding a marginal bit of contrast.

Then there was Cedric Winchester.

Like the others, there was a frigid stare etched upon his face, but the corner of his mouth was just barely quirked up into a smile. That was most certainly not a good sign.

"My apologies for my tardiness," Ozpin said, "I was coordinating repair efforts with General Ironwood."

"We've been looking into why the Breach occurred, and if we could've done anything on our end to prevent it." Magnolia said, "And we've noticed some... discrepancies."

Ozpin turned towards the gray haired woman, "I don't think there's anything we could've done to prevent it, and without the intervention of teams RWBY, JNPR, and CFVY, it would've been an unmitigated disaster."

"No one's doubting your students' commitment, Oz." Hunter said, "But it's RWBY and JNPR that are concerning."

Ozpin's eye twitched.

"How was team RWBY even on the mission that put them in contact with the White Fang?" Kodiak asked, a slight growl entering his voice as he mentioned the terrorist organization, "The Mountain Glenn mission was only available to second year students, was it not?"

"That is correct, but team RWBY had been involved in an incident with the White Fang the previous week, and I believed that they deserved that chance to follow through on their efforts."

Cedric narrowed his eyes, he smelled blood in the water, "Did you know that the Fang would be at Mountain Glenn?"

Ozpin shook his head, "Not at all, I simply knew that Miss Schnee wouldn't allow her team to break rules unless there was a good reason for it."

"So, you just allowed it." Kodiak said, his disdain apparent.

"And I was right." Ozpin said, "If team RWBY hadn't run into the White Fang, then the Breach would've been so much worse, as according to them, there were bombs on the train that broke into Vale's main square."

"Be that as it may, Ozpin, but there are rules for a reason." Hunter said, scratching at his balding head, "For example, why was team JNPR allowed to retask themselves?"

"The Breach was in progress." Ozpin said, incredulity slipping into his voice, "Would you have stayed away back in your Academy days, Hunter?"

"That's not the point!" The older man snapped, "The point is that the village that they were supposed to go to didn't respond when I attempted to call them. In fact, I just received word from the Hunters that I dispatched that the village was wiped out."

Ozpin winced, that was unfortunate, but without JNPR intervening at the Breach, things would've been worse.

"As you know, Ozpin, information on your students' transcripts is public knowledge." Cedric continued, "Would you like to tell us what we found out about Ruby Rose and Jaune Arc, or should we just tell you?"

Ozpin adjusted his glasses, "I'd imagine that you found that Miss Rose was admitted two years early."

Cedric tapped the table insistently, "And Mr. Arc?"

Blast, they had him over a barrel. Nothing to do now but admit it. "His transcripts are fraudulent."

"Why was this allowed, Ozpin? Why did you even let the boy in the damn door?" Kodiak seethed, "To inflate your enrollment numbers?"

"That's ridiculous." Ozpin asserted.

"Ozpin, we'll be blunt, this needs to stop." Magnolia said. "Your creative admissions practices have ended in heartbreak before. Don't you remember Gretchen? We do."

All four of them stood up, and passed judgment. "Professor Ozpin, it is clear to us that two of your creatively admitted students are to blame, in part, for the Breach." Cedric pronounced, "As such, you must immediately cease your liberal interpretation of Beacon's attendance policies and make an example of either Miss Rose or Mr. Arc, or we will take steps to replace you. This council meeting is adjourned."

Ozpin remained seated as the rest of the Council left, as he dared to hope that they didn't realize their mistake.

They forgot to specify what sort of example he was suppose to make of his students.

Jaune was decidedly nervous. To his knowledge there had been nothing that he had done to cause them to be called to Ozpin's office. Had Yang and Nora destroyed the cafeteria with another hour long arm wrestling match?

Ever perceptive of her partner's moods, the ones he wore on his sleeve, anyways, Pyrrha offered some comfort, "It will be alright, Jaune. I'm sure Professor Ozpin just wants to thank us for our part in the Breach."

Nora rolled her eyes, "Yeah, even if team CFVY stole the show."

Weiss shook her head, "I'm inclined to agree, Nora. I mean, playing atrocious rock music over a Bullhead's PA system? Could they possibly get any more tacky?"

As they walked into Ozpin's office, Ren was the first to notice it. The grim look on Ozpin's face, the paperwork on his desk... nothing good was going to happen here today.

Ozpin gave them a few moments more to joke around, and waited for the assembled students to calm down to the point where they would listen to him. "Thank you for coming, and thank you for your efforts in containing the Breach event. Your actions prevented a grievous loss of life, and I am proud of each and every one of you."

Pyrrha turned to Jaune and beamed, her hand resting lightly on his back, "See, Jaune? It's just like I told you."

Ozpin pressed his lips together. This was not going to be pleasant. "Unfortunately, the Vale Council does not see it that way, and are taking the opportunity to force me to stop using my... creative admissions practices, for lack of a better term."

Jaune felt a fist clench around his heart, without Ozpin's ability to impose his whims on admissions, he probably would never have made it in the door.

Ozpin continued, "In addition, they are demanding that I make an example of one of my creatively admitted students."

Ruby's eyes grew wide with panic. That meant her. "No! You can't make me leave!"

Weiss hugged herself, even though she would never admit it to anyone ever, Ruby truly was her bestie better than the restie, and the prospect of having to watch her leave Beacon expelled, because of politics made her skin crawl. "You... might not have a choice, Ruby."

Ozpin sighed, "No, Miss Rose, you will not be leaving this Academy just yet."

Pyrrha was the first to put the pieces together, and reacted... poorly. "No! You can't do this! He's gotten so much better the past few months!"

Sensing a threat to those she considered family, Nora instinctively reached for Maghnild, only to remember that they were wearing their school uniforms, and didn't have their weapons. "Sure, Jaune faked his transcripts, but you let him in anyways! So what?" Nora shouted.

Ozpin looked at Jaune, "I'm sorry, Mr. Arc, but due to your fraudulent transcripts, I must expel you to meet the Council's demands." He pushed his glasses up onto his nose, "However, due to the fact that this is due to outside forces, and not as a result of error on your part, this does leave you grounds for an appeal."

Hope lived again, and Jaune seized it with both hands, with no hesitation. "What do I have to do?"

"You will have to pass a rigorous multi-stage initiation, called The Crucible. Not only will your combat ability be tested, but your knowledge of history, and the creatures of Grimm. I am sorry to say, that if you attempted to undertake this now, you would surely fail."

Jaune deflated, "So, that's it then? Because I'm not ready for this now, I'm just done?"

Ozpin shook his head emphatically. "You may attempt the Crucible up to one year from your expulsion date. Normally it would be up to you to find a Hunter willing to train you, but I have already found one."

Jaune perked up again, "Really? Who?"

Ozpin took a drink of his hot chocolate, then leaned forward.

"Me."

Yang whistled, "Damn, that's not something you see every day."

"But, who will run the school while you're out training Jaune?" Weiss asked, "With the Council breathing down your neck, now doesn't seem like the best time to take a... sabbatical, Professor."

Ozpin turned to Ruby, "Miss Rose, if you ever have to deal with politics, do make sure to take your partner's advice." He turned his attention back to Weiss, "Professor Goodwitch is more than capable of handling the Council for a time, and Signal Academy is willing to lend us two of their professors that half your team is very familiar with."

Ruby jumped for joy, despite the circumstances, "Yeah, dad and Uncle Qrow!"

Ozpin smiled, "Indeed, I've been meaning to shake things up, anyways. Now, I need to go over some things with Mr. Arc. Paperwork and such."

In other words, he wanted them all to get out.

"Hold on, when does Jaune leave?" Pyrrha asked.

"Tomorrow morning, bright and early." Ozpin said, "As will I."

Yang snapped her fingers, "In that case, we're having dinner tonight, all of us. It's gonna be the last time that we're going to be together for a while, and we're going to savor it!"

As team RWBY with Ren and Nora in tow left, Pyrrha hesitated, she wanted to spend as much time as possible with Jaune before he left.

"Miss Nikos, I appreciate wanting to spend as much time as possible with your partner before his departure, but I must ask you to leave."

Jaune met Pyrrha's eyes, saw the almost indescribable sadness in them, and finally figured it out. Why she had always been willing to help him, why she had always been ready to stand by him, even during the Cardin incident. And he remembered how they had danced at the Beacon Ball, how they had only stopped when they shut off the music...

He had been an idiot, and he was now acutely aware of how little time they had.

"Alright, Professor." Pyrrha said. Her gaze lingered on Jaune for a brief moment more before leaving Ozpin's office.

Jaune frowned, "Of all the people here you could train personally, why me?"

"Because I hate nothing more than wasted potential," Ozpin explained, "And you have too much of it to risk not cultivating it."

Jaune blinked, that didn't sound right at all. "How do you figure that, Professor?"

"Do you remember your... incident with Mr. Winchester during the trip to Forever Fall?"

Jaune shuddered, that was something he was probably not going to forget for longer than he cared to admit. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with-"

Ozpin cut him off, "Do you remember a moment that there seemed to be a blinding light emanating from you?"

Jaune nodded, "Yeah, he tried to punch me, but then my Aura got really bright and then he was on the ground instead of me."

Ozpin paused for effect, this was definitely going to have an impact on Jaune. "I believe that you unconsciously activated your Semblance."

"Wait... my Semblance?"

Ozpin simply nodded, "But that's a topic for another day. Now, let's get this paperwork done so you can spend the rest of the day with your friends."

Jaune then subjected himself to the mountain of paperwork that came with his situation. Acknowledgement that yes, he knew he was being expelled, a declaration of intent to attempt the Crucible sometime in the next year, and a statement that any possessions that he didn't take with him would be sent to the address on file.

"That should be everything, Mr. Arc." Ozpin said, "Please use your remaining time here wisely."

Jaune walked out, and Ozpin took another drink of his hot chocolate. There were still things that needed to be arranged before their departure tomorrow. He needed to actually inform Glynda about the situation,he needed to ask Ironwood to come up with some sort of reason to postpone the Vytal Tournament for a few months, and he needed to have provisions for at least four months delivered to his retreat.

He reached for his Scroll to start making the calls, no time like the present.

Since Pyrrha was only marginally better than Weiss in the kitchen, she had abandoned the task of preparing dinner to those more suited to the task, like Yang and Ren. Instead, she headed back to JNPR's dorm room, hoping that Jaune was there. Every remaining moment that she could spend with him was precious, and she didn't want to waste a single one.

When she got to the door, she noticed it was ajar. She almost went in, until she heard a voice from inside.

"Look, dad, I'm doing the Crucible, whether you think I have to or not!"

Jaune was talking to his dad, that was rare by itself, and Pyrrha didn't want to stop it. She had never pushed him in to talking about it, but she had gotten the idea that Jaune was treated as the runt of the litter, so to speak.

"Who's going to train you, Jaune? Because I'm certainly not, not so you can throw your life away in that death trap!" Pyrrha started to tremble. Other Hunters saw the Crucible as a death trap?

"Ozpin is going to train me himself."

There was dead silence from the other end of the line for a few seconds, before Mr. Arc spoke again, "You'll have to try a better lie, Jaune. Why would Ozpin waste his time on you?"

Pyrrha's heart broke. Were all of Jaune's friends, and herself of course, the first people who had ever believed in him?

"It's not a lie, dad!" Jaune snarled, "Ozpin hates wasted potential, so he's making sure that the Council's backroom crap doesn't make mine go to waste."

"Fine, Jaune. Do whatever you think you need to do, and when you fail and come home, that WILL be the end of it, am I understood?"

Pyrrha clamped her hand over her mouth to keep any sound from escaping, no no no, that couldn't happen! If that happened, Jaune would be lost to her forever!

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not going to fail then." Jaune declared, "I can't let Pyrrha down."

Mr. Arc hummed, and his tone of voice became softer, "You need to tell her how you feel before you leave, Jaune." Pyrrha froze. What did he just say?

"Is that a good idea, dad?" Jaune asked, "I mean, I leave tomorrow, how is that fair to her?"

"Take it from someone who's seen others make the mistake you're about to make. Live without regrets. They're too heavy for us Hunters to keep too many around."

The call terminated after Jaune said good bye, and he resumed what Pyrrha could only assume was packing. After counting to five to build some semblance of courage, she opened the door and walked in.

On Jaune's bed was a traveler's pack, it was clear that he was planning on packing light, and having Beacon ship everything else to his parents. Resting by his pack was his Pumpkin Pete hoodie. He was wearing a t-shirt in place of it.

"Oh, hey Pyrrha!" He said, his smile just barely failing to hide the turmoil he was going through, "Is dinner ready already?"

Pyrrha shook her head, "No, I just..." want to spend every possible moment until you leave with you "I just wanted to check on you, see how you're doing."

Jaune chuckled before rubbing the back of his head, "I'm... okay and not okay at the same time. On one hand, I have to leave everyone because of backroom political nonsense, but on the other, I've got a chance to come back. I'm gonna do it Pyrrha, I'm gonna make it back to everyone." I'm going to make it back to you.

Pyrrha bit back tears, that could come later, would come later, but now wasn't the time for it. "Good, we'd be lost without you." I'd be lost without you.

They lapsed into silence, neither of them quite sure what to say. Eventually, Pyrrha couldn't handle the silence any longer. "So, why aren't you packing your hoodie?"

"I wanted to talk to you about that, actually." Jaune said, "Whatever training Ozpin is going to put me through is probably going to be super intense, and I don't want to risk it being damaged. So... could you look after it for me?"

If Pyrrha's jaw had not been connected to her head, it would've hit the floor. The only thing more precious to Jaune than that hoodie was Crocea Mors.

"I know that you could probably get me hundreds like it from the Pumpkin Pete guys, but this one... it's special, you know?" Jaune said.

Her hands ghosted across the fabric before she picked it up, "I do know, Jaune. It's special, just like you."

She looked back at Jaune to see him fighting back tears, "I'm so sorry, Pyrrha. I only figured out how you feel today, if I had known how you felt, I never would've wasted so much time chasing Weiss, I would've asked you to the dance properly-"

Pyrrha placed a finger on his lips. "It's okay, Jaune. Every moment that we ever spent together is precious to me, no matter the context."

Of course it was at that moment that Jaune's Scroll went off. He fished it out of his pocket, clearly annoyed that something had interrupted them, "It's Nora, she says that dinner's ready. Ooh, homemade pizza!"

Pyrrha smiled, "That'll be grand." She looked at he hoodie in her hands, and without even a iota of hesitation, put it on.

Jaune froze in place. "Pyrrha, you... we need to talk more before tomorrow. Meet me on the roof later?"

The roof. Where it had all began, in a way.

Pyrrha smiled, "Of course, Jaune, now let's go eat." She extended her hand to him.

Jaune would've had to be a fool to not take her hand, and he didn't feel like being a fool today

It still didn't feel real.

With everyone sitting around the table in the communal kitchen for student use, making a point to not let anything be different from any other time in the mess hall, it didn't feel like Jaune had been expelled, or that he would be leaving tomorrow to go train until some date within a year. Any onlooker would just see eight Hunters in training enjoying each other's company, but they knew better. It was the little things that gave it away.

The sadness in the eyes of Ruby Rose and Nora Valkyrie, the two of them never quite used to having to hide their emotions before.

Yang Xiao Long laughing just a bit too loudly at her own jokes, hoping to provide everyone shelter from the pain they were all feeling. Lie Ren becoming impossibly still multiple times through the meal, using his Semblance to mitigate the sorrow of soon having to bid farewell to the only man that he deemed worthy of the title of Brother.

In some ways, seeing Blake Belladonna without a book in her hand was the most telling of all, as she was perfectly capable of holding a conversation with her nose in a book.

Out of all of them, only Weiss Schnee, trained in reading body language as she was, noticed that Jaune and Pyrrha were holding hands underneath the table. Throughout the evening she had to excuse herself more times than she would care to admit to regain her composure.

Soon enough, Jaune and Pyrrha excused themselves, still holding hands as they went, leaving the rest of their friends behind to deal with the aftermath.

"It's not fair!" Nora said, tears leaking from her eyes, "They finally admitted how they feel and now Jaune has to leave!"

Weiss sniffed, dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve, "You're right Nora. It isn't fair."

Blake shook her head, "It just seems so cruel, for them to finally reallze, and then only have this night together before he leaves."

"It would be far crueler not to." Ren said flatly.

"Ren's right." Ruby said, "Especially now, they have to make sure not to regret anything they did or didn't do."

"You hit the nail on the head, Rubes," Yang said, "The best thing we can do is to stay out of their way."

Jaune sighed as he sank to the ground, his back against the wall, facing the setting sun. Pyrrha settled in beside him, wrapping her arms around one of his. "It's certainly shaping up to be a beautiful night tonight, isn't it?" Pyrrha said.

Jaune couldn't help but agree, coming up to the roof had been s good idea, for more than the nostalgia. The sky was clear, it didn't seem like it was going to get very chilly, and it certainly didn't hurt that Pyrrha was there with him.

"Yeah, it is." Jaune said.

Neither of them wanted to say anything about tomorrow. Was it inevitable? Yes, it was, and sooner or later they would have to face reality.

"You know that I'm going to worry about you, right?" Pyrrha said.

With that single question, the spell was broken, and reality came rushing back to fill the cracks. Jaune slipped his free hand into one of hers, smiling as his thumb brushed across the calluses left behind from years of training. He breathed in, and his proximity to Pyrrha let him actually smell her for the first time. She smelt of cinnamon and leather oil. Had she been doing equipment maintenance earlier?

"Yeah, I know." Jaune said, "It'll be fine, though. I doubt Ozpin will let me get too far over my head."

Pyrrha hummed noncommittally before laying her head on Jaune's shoulder, "Do you know where Ozpin's going to be taking you to train?"

Jaune shook his head, "Nope. For all I know there won't be any Scroll service, either."

Pyrrha's face fell, "That's probably for the best. No distractions." She tightened her grip on his arm as venomous what-ifs bounced around her mind. He could get hurt, or die, and she wouldn't hear about it for weeks at best. Or even worse, he could meet someone out there, and then weeks later, she could get a Dear Jane letter...

"Hey, Pyr?" Jaune asked, "Can you promise me something?"

Outwardly, Pyrrha perked up immediately, but anyone who knew her well enough could see the pain in her eyes. "Of course, Jaune. What is it?"

Jaune took a deep breath before continuing, "While I'm gone, can you make sure to figure out what makes you happy that isn't me?"

Pyrrha blinked at him. Twice. "Excuse me?"

Jaune quickly explained, "It's just that ever since we came to Beacon, you've used basically all of your free time to help me, whether it's helping me with homework, or training me, you never really took time for you."

Pyrrha opened her mouth to protest, and promptly shut it, as Jaune was completely correct. She had been so focused on helping him that she had completely forgotten to take time for herself. "Okay, Jaune." She said, "I'll make sure to do that."

Jaune let out a sigh of relief, he had seen more than enough of his sisters' relationships go up in flames to know what to avoid, and Pyrrha effectively living only for him was a big red flag, especially with the forced distance that they would have to endure. He looked back at the sunset, and saw that it was nearly gone. "We should probably go back, it's getting late." He said.

Pyrrha further tightened her grip on Jaune's arm. "No." She asserted, "Just... little bit... longer."

Jaune was half convinced that she was faking falling asleep, but in the end, decided that it didn't matter. He extricated his hand from their handhold and pulled out his Scroll to set an alarm, only to find a message from Ozpin.

"Our Bullhead leaves at eight AM tomorrow, do try to be on time. Although I'll understand if you're a little late."

Jaune almost said something to Pyrrha, but when he turned to look at her, he could only smile softly. She had relinquished her grip on his arm and settled in his lap. He gently brushed her hair out of her face, and his smile turned into a slight frown. She wasn't wearing her crown. The only time she didn't wear it was when they were in their dorm room, she would even wear it to class, and she had worn it at the dance. Was it part of her contract with the Pumpkin Pete guys?

"You know, you look more beautiful without the crown." Jaune whispered, not caring if Pyrrha heard him or not, "More like... you. The real you, not the image everyone expects."

With the alarm on his Scroll set, he slipped his hand into one of hers, a smile returning to his face as she returned the pressure from his grip. With nothing more to delay tomorrow's reckoning but time, Jaune let sleep take him.

The only downside to Jaune's Scroll alarm was that it resulted in a rather rude awakening, and of course, a rather familiar scream.

"AHHH!"

Despite being awakened by both his Scroll alarm and Pyrrha's unholy screech, Jaune could only laugh as he switched off his Scroll alarm. "At least there's no metal around, right, Pyrrha?"

She turned her head just so she could pout at him, then snuggled back into him. "Five more minutes."

Jaune glanced at his Scroll, he didn't have five more minutes. He was already cutting it close. "I need to finish getting my stuff together, Pyr."

Pyrrha let out a small groan of protest before getting up and offering Jaune a hand up. Which he took, grabbing her forearm instead of her hand, just like she taught him. Their eyes met, and each could see the pain the other. They both knew that their eleventh hour confession would only make the events that had to occur in minutes all the more painful.

And they both knew that they didn't care, because now, even though they would be separated for longer then either of them cared to admit, they were united, and no one could take that from them.

"I'll meet you at the airfield, Pyrrha." Jaune forced out, "I have to go get my things."

Pyrrha had half a mind to ignore him and stay with him until the end, but in the end, nodded her assent.

As he returned to the team JNPR dorm room, Jaune quickly realized the difference between yesterday and now. Yesterday had felt like a dream, a dream that he would never wake up from, thereby preventing time from progressing any further.

Today was simple, stark reality. It took Jaune approximately three minutes to make it back to his dorm room. Much too fast in his opinion, but there was no way to slow it down. Time would move on with or without him, and there was no point in trying to fight it.

"I'll be back." Jaune muttered as he strapped on his armor, "I'll be back, better than ever. Nothing's gonna stop me."

As he shouldered his pack, and attached Crocea Mors to his belt, there was a knock at the door. Jaune rolled his eyes, it was just as well that he was ready to go with minutes to spare.

He opened the door to find Cardin Winchester.

"Cardin, I literally do not have the time for your crap." Jaune said.

Cardin held his hands up in defense, "I'm not here for that, Arc." He shuffled his feet for a second as he figured out what order he needed the words to go in, "I... overheard what's happening."

Jaune scowled, "Well, at least you'll get top marks in intelligence gathering in Safety and Security."

Cardin winced, "Okay, I deserve that. Look, as far as I'm concerned, the Council is full of shit, and that includes my uncle. You might not have earned your way in like the rest of us, but you still earned your spot here. I mean, hell, you saved my life! When the rest of my team ran for it, you still..."

Cardin broke off, obviously not wanting to do something that he considered unmanly, like crying. Jaune stared right at him, and asked him a question. "Cardin, can you do something for me?"

He shrugged, "I guess I do owe you one. Lay it on me."

"Try to be a better person."

Cardin rolled his shoulders, "So, just more of what me and my boys have been doing since Forever Fall? Sure, we'll just kick it up a notch."

"Alright." Jaune said as he walked past the former bully, "I'll see you when I see you."

Once again, Jaune was reminded of just how precious little time he had left at Beacon, as he arrived in the entrance hall in the space of only a few more minutes. There he found, Ozpin, Pyrrha, the rest of his team, and all of team RWBY, all dressed in their combat gear.

"Ah, Mr. Arc." Ozpin said, "Are you ready?"

He glanced at Pyrrha as she slipped her hand into his once more, intent on making use of every last second they had. "No, I'm not."

Ozpin smiled one of his knowing smiles, that made it seem like he knew exactly what you were thinking, but at the same time, had so much sadness behind it. "Be that as it may, it is time."

They began the short walk to the airfield, much too short in Jaune's opinion, and quickly found themselves in front of the Bullhead.

Jaune turned to the others, "Well, this is it. Take care of yourselves."

As much as they would try to hide it, all of them were crying, even Ren, the most stoic among them had tears in his eyes.

"Dammit, you guys! Why are we all crying?" Nora asked, "This isn't goodbye forever, Jaune's just not going to be here for awhile. Cause he's gonna come back, and he's gonna kick the Crucible's ass!"

That got a smile out of everyone, but the moment had come, and there was no sense in delaying it further. "Pyrrha, you need to let go." Jaune said, his voice cracking.

"Not yet." Pyrrha said, spinning him around so he was facing her, then she paced one hand on his cheek and one on his chest, then recited the chant that Jaune would never forget.

"It is by passing that we gain immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee." She drew in a shuddering breath as she let her hands drop from him. "Go, Jaune, become a paragon of virtue and glory. Then come back to me."

"I will, I promise." Jaune said, "And an Arc always keeps his word."

With that, Jaune turned and boarded the Bullhead, followed by Ozpin. "Alright, guys! Jaune's gonna be working to get better, so we have to do the same!" Ruby crowed. A chorus of affirmations followed, and they returned to the school.

All but Pyrrha.

As she watched the Bullhead take off, and fly towards the rising sun, she knew deep in her heart that everything would be alright. In might only take a couple of months, it might take a year, but Jaune would be back, stronger than ever.

He promised, after all.

His expulsion had been a quick matter. Like ripping a bandage off, perhaps destiny had deemed it best for the pain to be over quickly.

His friends had tried their hardest to get him to stay. In their eyes, he was as much like them as they were just like him. But try as first-year students might, try as a Headmaster did, it didn't matter anyway. In the end, there was nothing Ozpin nor the others could do; once his secret was out, the fact that he had faked his way into Beacon, all their hands became tied.

He could barely remember that day, now, and yet at the same time, it was also as clear as yesterday. He barely remembered the reason anymore, something about keeping the status quo and preserving the integrity of Huntsmen everywhere, but what he could remember was the promise he made to his friends, to his partner, that he'd one day come back and it'd be like he had never left.

All had admitted his potential. And yet, even his own hands were tied. He simply wasn't meant to walk a normal path.

And so Jaune left with that pain, yet with some hope that it would get better. That he could return, as did all his friends and all his teachers.

He decided to go for greener pastures in Mistral. He sought hope in places Pyrrha had walked; her last gift to him, her last lesson with a tearful smile. With any luck, he'd regain his honour there and be able to face her, all of them, with his head held high.

But alas, that wasn't how things had turned out. For Mistral then became the start of everything.

Jaune had first started by fighting in several less-than-reputable rings to earn some reputation. And then, to his delight, he was approached by Leonardo Lionheart, the nervous Headmaster who had turned coats and sided with an evil he at that time didn't know. And when Leo had met him, he had offered him all smiles, offering him a mission as a pseudo-initiation to enter Haven Academy.

He had taken that mission, and by sheer luck and grit, had managed to survive what turned out to be Leonardo's underhanded attempt to rid Ozpin of a potential ally. And in doing that, had discovered the first clues of the shadow war between Ozpin and Salem.

And seeing the plot for his friends that he had left, a plot to make the Kingdom of Vale Fall, how could he have stood still and done nothing?

And when Leonardo was thwarted, when the conflict grew, when the stakes rose and the fight became more desperate, how could he even think of involving his friends, when he wasn't worthy of them in the first place? When he was still out there, when he'd only put them in danger? When he was still unable to face them with his head held high?

When, later down the road, he was forced to make desperate sacrifices? When he had to bury so many graves because of his mistakes? When in the end, he had robbed them of their very dream?

He was just a worthless expelled student. Someone who was always doubted by his own family. A person who lied for his selfish dream's sake, a person who burdened his friends with his liability and weakness, a person who forced his own partner to pick up the slack and become a leader when she didn't want to.

He had never escaped the whispers of the sea of people who doubted him, the many eyes that judged him even though seven pairs of eyes kept supporting him.

Liar, cheat, faker. Worthless.

That had been the start of his descent. The Beginning of the End.

That mission had been a lie. He was meant to die there, a way for Leo to nip him in the bud, a way to weaken Ozpin of a useless yet potential pawn. Jaune could still remember the day he was given that mission. The day his life would change… and the day he met her.

He had walked along the halls of Haven with shoulders hunched, having felt self-aware and shy amidst the sea of legitimate, real Huntsmen-in-Training. Arriving at a class that Leonardo had directed him to, Jaune opened the door and saw a raven-haired, red-dressed woman sitting in a chair and holding his mission's dossier.

"Hey there," Jaune had said, "Uhm, well, Headmaster Lionheart told me to come here… to get my mission?"

The woman had smiled; her golden eyes shining ever so slightly and had quirked her eyebrow. "Oh? So… you're Jaune?"

His heart had flared with hope – perhaps this was his chance, he had thought, to enter another Academy. He didn't know how foolish he was and had answered with innocence.

"Y-yeah, that's me… Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue…" Jaune had rubbed the back of his neck, "And you're…"

The woman had smiled, waving his dossier at him tauntingly, and said, "Call me Cinder."

It was a shame that he didn't notice Cinder's devilish intent behind her lips. If he had… then perhaps he might not've taken that mission.

SOMETIMES LATER 

THE KINGDOM OF VALE 

THE CITY OF VALE 

4:00 PM 

PO

He was dying.

There was no other way to put it. His Aura was shot, his legs were broken, and the cuts in his body and arm were bleeding all over. Jaune bit back a curse as he tried to move despite it all.

A part of Jaune felt regret that this was the way he was going to go. In the middle of a ruined village which he had been too late to save, way out in Mistral without anyone knowing where he was. And most of all, dying knowing that he had been played.

Because there was no mission. There had been no urgent people who needed saving.

Because the village had already been razed when he came.

Bandit tribe members and Grimm had been standing side-by-side, the flames of innocent deaths surrounding them. He didn't know how or why they had been so in the first place, only knowing that they had been waiting for him and engaged him as one.

And through that fight that he had barely survived, Jaune had caught snippets of information. Information that tribe members had let slip in their cockiness, spontaneous words that came out both from the heat of the moment and from their anger.

That Headmaster Lionheart had organized this himself. He had used these tribe members often, giving them partial control over the Grimm to thin out the Huntsmen and Huntress population of Mistral. To betray his very own kin. For what, Jaune didn't know.

It was only the miracle that Jaune had trained first in those less-than-reputable tournaments that he was able to take them all on. Had he been the same lad that left Beacon, had he not taken the time to improve himself before he met Headmaster Lionheart… he would've been as good as dead.

Well, technically, he was now. No use denying the truth…

Jaune could do nothing but collapse as his body gave out under him. He gasped as he felt his vision darken. He regretted the fact that he couldn't inform anyone else in Haven, couldn't tell them that Headmaster Lionheart was betraying them.

He regretted the fact that he would have to break his word. All because he was too weak…!

If his Team and friends were here, they wouldn't have laid dying like he was. They would've been able to march back to Haven and save the day…

But then, a high-pitched cry broke his thoughts. A cry that was getting louder and louder, growing into a sob and a wail… a cry that sounded an awful lot like a little girl's cry.

Jaune's breath hitched. The earlier threats of passing out suddenly left him, a new energy flowing through his veins as he struggled to stand back up. Was there- was there a survivor?

Was there someone that needed saving…?!

"Grk!" Jaune forced his body to get up, standing on broken feet and shuffling closer and closer to the source of the cry. He was sure now – that was a little girl's voice!

"Waaaahhh!"

"H-Hold on…!" Jaune bit out. With each agonizing step, he waded through the rubble and ruin, stepping above the bodies and smoking Grimm corpses that he had left. Eventually, Jaune came upon the broken-down remnants of- of an orphanage,one with its pillars crushed and its walls singed with black soot.

And yet, before its ruined entrance, a young girl sobbed, a girl who seemed to barely be a toddler. Jaune gasped as he saw her breaking down in front of what must've been the bodies of her former friends and caretakers. She had her face in her hands as her body shook, either from sadness or the coldness of the night air or maybe both.

Jaune took a cautious step forward. The sound knocked the girl out of her thoughts. She turned around with wide, fearful eyes and fell on her butt. She crawled back with her arms in front of her, tear-stained cheeks being the first thing that Jaune noticed.

"S-stay back…!" The girl whispered. "P-Please, mister… d-don't kill me…!"

Jaune felt his heart clench, his brotherly instincts taking hold as he quickly sheathed his weapons. A new flame lit beneath his heart, both rage and spirit bursting forth as he looked at this girl – at this innocent soul that Leonardo had harmed!

"I'm not here to hurt you," Jaune said in his best calming tone. He took a knee – oh, how it hurt to move! – and approached the girl with open, reassuring arms.

"I'm…"

'Jaune Arc.' The failure of a Beacon student, a disgrace that had been sure that he would die here.

'The Rusted Knight.' An alias he had begun using in those tournaments, something to shield himself from his shame. A title that he hadn't known would end up being a reality, being manifested as his destiny from the tales.

'A Huntsman.' Yeah right, a real Huntsman would've been able to take down those Grimm and bandits with no problem.

"…I'm the one who's gonna get you out of here." Jaune settled on. It was the truth; for he may not have been anything else, but he would get her out of here. He would save this life, make sure she was okay, forever and after.

That, he was willing to give his word to.

Jaune's eyes went to the girl's appearance. Red eyes and blond hair, her body small and frail and malnourished, shivering from the cold that her tattered and thin clothes barely shielded her from. And to a nametag that was almost totally covered in dirt, just barely legible.

A nametag with words that Jaune instantly memorized.

And with it, Jaune gained a new will to live. A new reason to keep going… another person he swore to protect.

"Come on, Akane." Jaune said with his best caring tone. "…I'll keep you safe." …Why did those scared eyes remind her so much of her own?

Killing the runt had been Leonardo's prerogative. It was supposed to be easy, for he had done it against much more skilled Huntsmen before. A trap, a combination of Grimm and a bandit raid, and the runt would die with none the wiser of their plans.

Tonight, Cinder cursed herself for ever letting herself trust the old fool.

He had underestimated Arc, and had elected to send less forces than usual. As a result, he had survived and had crawled his way back to Mistral. Now the runt was resting in one of the Kingdom's many hospitals, under critical care. The fact he was passed out was the only saving grace that hadn't made their secret blown open.

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TO BE CONTINUED