166AN: Hey, everyone! I know it's been quite a while since this story's been updated. We'll try to not take so long next time. It's mostly because this is quite possibly the longest chapter I've ever written, at over 13,000 words. And it's got a lot of action in it, which if you know me, takes a long time.
Anyway, onwards!
Chapter 10
"Come on guys, we're gonna be late!" Ruby said, excitedly leading Team RWST, BRYK, and Aerith down the halls of Beacon. Since they were headed to combat class, they didn't have to wear their uniforms, so they wore their usual set of clothes.
Tifa chuckled. "Calm down, Ruby, it's just combat class."
"I know, but I can't help it," Ruby said. "Combat Class is just so exciting. You get to test your skills against fellow Hunters and form bonds that will last a lifetime!" She sighed happily. "It's my third favorite thing about being a Huntress."
"Well, you're sure acting different from when you first got here," Cloud said. "What happened to 'I don't need people to help me grow up'?"
"That was mostly about talking. But in combat class, there's no talking, only fighting. Which is way better."
"I have to admit, I'm a little excited, too," Aerith said. "I'm curious to see how well I'd do against an actual opponent."
"Ha!" Weiss barked a derisive laugh. "You'd probably only last a minute."
"And you'd probably only last a second," Aerith said.
"Are you doubting my skills, flower girl?"
"Well if the tiara fits, princess."
"Yo, calm down you two," Reno said. "We're heading to combat class, not Cat Fight class." He laughed, only for Aerith and Weiss to turn and glare at him, making him flinch. "Uh, never mind."
The group spotted Team JNPR and Marlene up ahead, but walking in the opposite direction. "Hey guys," Yang called out. "Why aren't you heading to combat class?"
"Mrs. Wallace is the instructor, so on these days Marlene's class is canceled," Ren said. "No other teacher is able to sub for her."
"Hey, no big deal," Yuffie said. "Just bring the kid to combat class. She'll probably get a kick out of you guys duking it out."
"I can't," Marlene said with a pout. "Pyrrha said no."
"What?" Reno asked. "Pyr, why ya gotta be a wet blanket all the time? Let the kid see some action, yo."
"Sorry, but I just don't Marlene is ready to see these kinds of battles yet," Pyrrha said. "They can get quite… intense."
"What? No they don't," Ruby said. "They're perfectly fine."
"Yeah, me and Ruby used to watch these kinds of fights all the time when we were Marlene's age, and we turned out alright," Yang said.
"The jury's still out on that," Cloud said.
"Hey!" the sisters shouted.
"Well, we just think it would be better this way, for now at least," Jaune said. "But we do plan on making it up to her when we get back, with a movie about talking animals." He turned to Marlene. "Doesn't that sound fun?"
Marlene turned away with a huff and a pout, causing Jaune to sigh.
"Well I hope you found someone to watch her during class," Aerith said.
"Of course we did," Nora said. "…We just need Blake's help in convincing him."
"My help?" Blake asked. "Why would you nee—it's Red, isn't it?"
"We're sorry," Pyrrha said. "We just don't know anyone else who can watch Marlene."
"And since he has to stay in your dorm, Red is our best choice to keep Marlene safe while we're gone," Ren said.
Blake sighed. "…Alright, I'll see if I can convince him to watch Marlene for the day."
"Thanks, Double B," Nora said. "You're the best." She picked up Marlene and put her on her shoulders. "Come on, Marles, let's get to you to your wolf sitter."
Blake, JNPR, and Marlene headed down the hall in the opposite direction, leaving the rest of the group behind.
"Well, since Blake's gone, I guess this technically makes me the temp leader of Team BRYK," Yuffie said.
"No it doesn't!" Blake shouted from down the hall.
"Awwww," Yuffie said with a pout. The group kept moving towards their class, with Ruby sticking by Yuffie's side.
"I think you'd make a good leader, Yuffie," Ruby said.
"Aww, Ruby, that means so much to me," Yuffie said, giving Ruby a hug. "Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"Whoa, this place is huge," Yuffie said as the remaining members of the group walked into Combat Class, taking in the large arena that stood before them.
"It's definitely bigger than Sanctum's," Yang said.
"I can't believe I'm actually going to fight in the Beacon arena!" Ruby gushed. "This is so cool! But what should I do? Should I challenge someone to a match or let the teacher pick for me?"
"How about we find a place to sit first?" Cloud said.
"Oh yeah, probably a good idea." The group began walking down the steps to find spots to sit. Yang and Tifa lagged slightly behind as they talked.
"So, Tifa," Yang said. "Nervous?"
"No," Tifa said. "Why should I be?"
"Cause you might get challenged by a certain blonde today."
"Oh, eager to lose again, Yang?" Tifa taunted.
"Ha, you wish. I've been training non-stop since our last fight and I've been very eager to wipe the floor with you."
"So does that mean you're not gonna throw a tantrum this time?" Tifa asked.
"I don't throw tantrums," Yang said.
"Really? Then you won't mind if I pulled some strands from your rat's nest again?"
"Ok, that's it!" Yang shouted. "I was planning on going easy on you, but now I'm gonna give you the hundred-percent package!"
"Oh, like how you 'hundred percent' lost our last fight?" Tifa asked.
"That was a draw, you bar floozy!"
"Bar floozy?!" Tifa exclaimed in offense. "Now you're just asking for a broken jaw, hair dye!"
"Excuse you?! I'm a natural blonde!"
"Could've fooled me, you arrogant little—"
Ruby cleared her throat. The two brawlers turned to see her standing before them with a glare and her arms crossed.
"But she—" they both tried to say, only for Ruby to intensify her glare. Yang and Tifa sighed in defeat before turning back to each other with forced smiles on their faces.
"Good luck out there… Tifa," Yang said through grit teeth.
"Thanks, you too... Yang," Tifa said.
The girls walked away from each other, their fake smiles disappearing as they sat with their respective teams.
After several minutes, more students began filing into Combat Class, including Blake and Team JNPR.
"Thanks, Blake," Nora said. "We owe you one."
"No problem," Blake said.
Team JNPR found a place to sit, while Blake sat down with her team.
"So, B, were you able to convince Red to watch Marlene?" Reno asked.
"I was, after a little… persuading," Blake said.
"I'm guessing he wasn't too happy about getting stuck with babysitting duty," Yuffie said.
"No, he wasn't. But I was able to get Red to watch Marlene for today at least. Though I had to cut a deal with him to do so."
"Well sometimes leaders need to negotiate with people, so you're already getting some practice in," Yang said. "But just for curiosity's sake, what deal did you make with old fire tail?"
"You'll find out when we get back," Blake said. The sound of doors swinging caused the students to turn towards the arena. They watched as Mrs. Wallace walked towards the ring, holding a large Scroll in one hand and her riding crop in the other until she stopped in the middle of the arena.
"Good afternoon class," she said. "As you know, I am Professor Glynda Wallace and I will be your combat instructor. In this class, you will face your fellow students in order to stay fit and improve your current capabilities. Yes, a Hunters' main duty is to deal with Grimm and other creatures that roam our world, but there will be times where you and your team may face threats such as bandits, rouge Hunters, and possibly even the White Fang." Blake and Yuffie tensed up discreetly. "Now, any questions?" Ruby quickly raised her hand. "Yes, miss Rose?"
"Are we allowed to challenge students to a match?" Ruby asked.
"Yes, but not today. We will be using the randomizer to decide what matches will take place. But next week you will be allowed to issue challenges. Any more questions?" No one raised a hand. "Then let's proceed to the first match." She pressed a button on her Scroll and a large screen descended from the ceiling. She inputted a command and pictures of students began to flash across the screen. "And the first combatants will be…" The first picture to appear was Cloud's. "Cloud Strife and…" The second picture was of… "Jaune Arc."
"…Me?" Jaune muttered nervously.
"Gentlemen, please head to the locker room to and grab your weapons and equipment."
"Wooo!" Nora cheered. "Go get him, fearless leader!"
Cloud got up and headed down to the locker room, but Jaune lingered. "M-m-Mrs. Wallace, could I-I drop out o-of this match, please?"
"If you are unable to fight, yes. Are you unable to?"
"N-no, but I—"
"Then head to the locker room to change, Mister Arc."
"But, but," he stuttered before sighing. "Y-yes ma'am." He reluctantly headed to the locker room, but was stopped by Ruby.
"Don't worry, Jaune," she said. "Cloud isn't that tough. Play it safe and I know you can win."
"Thanks, Ruby, but I don't think that's gonna be enough," he said before continuing to the locker room.
"Do you really think Jaune could beat Cloud?" Tifa asked.
"Of course," Ruby said. "Anything's possible."
"But realistically, do you honestly believe Jaune has a chance?" Weiss asked.
"Uhhh… So, what are you guys doing this weekend?"
"Thought so."
After a few minutes of waiting, Cloud and Jaune exited the locker room with their weapons and met Mrs. Wallace in the center of the arena.
"Now listen, everyone," Mrs. Wallace said. "Matches will follow tournament rules and will end when your Aura is reduced to 25%, you're knocked out of bounds, or your opponent concedes the match."
"Um, what if one of us loses a weapon?" Jaune asked.
"If your weapon falls out of bounds, you will be unable to retrieve it and the match will continue."
"Oh, okay. G-good to know."
"Now gentlemen, shake hands and go to the opposite sides of the arena," Mrs. Wallace said. "The match will begin on my mark."
Jaune and Cloud shook hands as instructed.
"Good luck, Jaune," Cloud said.
"Thanks. I'm definitely going to need it."
The swordsmen turned and walked to opposite ends of the arena. Nora jumped up and started waving a pair of pom-poms around. "Jaune, Jaune, he's our man! If he can't do it, no one can!" she cheered, before turning to Pyrrha and Ren. "Come on guys, show some JNPR spirit!"
"Oh, of course," Pyrrha said. "Fight well, Jaune!"
"You can do it," Ren said.
Jaune and Cloud reached the sides of the arena and faced each other. Cloud pulled out his Buster Sword and assumed his usual combat stance. Jaune pulled out his sword and held up his shield, though Cloud couldn't help but notice that Jaune's stance looked very sloppy.
"Combatants ready?" Mrs. Wallace asked. Cloud and Jaune tensed up as they stared each other down. "…Begin!"
They charged at each other, Jaune rapidly slashing his sword wildly, forcing Cloud black. Cloud ducked under a slash and delivered a kick to Jaune's midsection, causing him to stumble backwards. Cloud closed in and swung his sword, forcing Jaune to block with his shield, but the force still knocked him onto his back. Cloud leaped into the air and attempted to bring his sword down on his fellow blond, but Jaune rolled out of the way just before the impact. He managed to quickly get back up to one knee, only to get hit across the face by Cloud's sword and knocked across the arena floor.
"Ow, that had to hurt," Ruby said as she and the rest of the team watched on.
"This is embarrassing," Weiss said. "Jaune isn't even fighting. He's just swinging his sword around."
"Maybe he's trying to trick Cloud and attack at the right moment?"
"I don't know about that, Roses," Tifa said. "From my point of view, Jaune is outmatched.
Jaune slowly got to his feet while Cloud watched on. Jaune's technique is very sloppy, Cloud thought. It's almost like he doesn't know how to fight. He either didn't get enough rest or his nerves are getting to him. He looked up at the screen and saw that Jaune's Aura level was near yellow. In any case, I'm not going to prolong this match any further. I'm gonna end it now.
Jaune got to his feet and turned to face Cloud.
"Jaune, I think it would be best if you concede the match," Cloud said.
"…Nah, I'm good," Jaune said, clearly out of breath. "…I can… do this all day."
"Yeah, you tell him, Jaune!" Nora cheered.
Cloud sighed at Jaune's stubbornness and took a ready stance. Jaune took a few deep breaths and charged at Cloud, preparing another slash. Just when Jaune was in range to strike, Cloud dodged and got behind the blond knight before delivering a kick to his back, knocking Jaune out of the arena and onto the floor.
"…Ow," Jaune said.
"And that's the match," Mrs. Wallace said. "Winner, Cloud Strife!"
Cloud spun his sword and put it on his back as students clapped for his performance. He saw Jaune sitting up and rubbing his head. He walked over to the defeated blond and offered his hand to help him up.
"You okay, Jaune?"
Jaune took Cloud's hand and was pulled to his feet. "Yeah, I'm fine. Getting hit with a sword isn't as bad as getting thrown into a tree, though it's a close second."
Cloud smiled at Jaune's lack of hard feelings.
"Mr. Strife," Mrs. Wallace said. He turned towards her as she approached them. "That was an excellent performance. While your sword technique could use some refinement, your quick thinking and strategizing were notable."
"Thank you, ma'am," he said.
"And Mr. Arc, your performance was very questionable. Your technique was non-existent and you left yourself wide open on multiple occassions. I expect improvement during your time here, understand?"
"Y-yes, ma'am," Jaune said.
"Good. Now, both of you go put your weapons back in your lockers." Cloud and Jaune walked off the arena and back towards the locker room. "As for the rest of you, let's proceed to the next match."
In Team JNPR's dorm room, Marlene sat against the headboard of Nora's bed playing a game on Ren's Scroll, while Red lied comfortably on Ren's bed. Having grown tired of the game, Marlene turned off the Scroll and flopped flat onto the bed with a groan.
"Something wrong, little one?" Red asked.
"I'm just bored," Marlene said. "I was so excited to go with Ren and Nora to their class today. But now I'm stuck in here."
"Patience. Your guardians will return shortly. You just need to wait."
"But I don't wanna wait," Marlene whined. "I want to go outside and play and explore. Doesn't that sound like fun, Mister Red?"
"It does, but that would go against Ren and Nora's instructions."
"Oh come on," Marlene said before laying face down on Nora's pillow. Red saw how frustrated she was and felt some sympathy for her, so he hopped down from Ren's bed to console her.
"I know it may seem unfair that you have to stay here while they get to leave and mingle with their compantions," Red said. "But, Ren, Nora, and the others are only trying to keep you safe. They don't want to see you get hurt."
"I know," Marlene said. "I just don't like being alone."
"A feeling I know all too well. But JNPR won't be gone long. They'll be back before you know it and you have me to wait alongside you."
Marlene smiled at him. "Thank you, Mister Red."
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door that got both of their attention. "Hm. They returned sooner than I expected," Red said.
Marlene got up and walked over to the door. "Hello?" she called out through the door.
"Hey, can I come in?" a girl's voice said.
Marlene turned back to Red. "It's Betty," she whispered. Red nodded. "Uh, sure," she called back to her friend. "Just wait a second." She opened the door, and Betty gave Marlene a hug upon seeing her.
"Hi, Marlene!" Betty said.
"Hi, Betty. What are you doing here?"
"Well, since my Mom is busy with her fighting class, I thought I could give you your very own tour of Beacon."
"Really?" Marlene asked. "Thanks, but I promised Ren and Nora that I'd stay in the dorm."
"Don't worry. I'll get you back here before they do so you won't get in trouble. So come on, let's go have some fun."
"Hmmm… Okay," Marlene said. "Let me get my shoes on." She closed the door and walked over to her shoes, sitting down to put them on.
"This isn't a wise decision, Marlene," Red whispered. "I think it would be best if you stayed here."
"I know, but it's not anything bad," Marlene whispered back. "And Betty said she can get me back before Ren and Nora, so everything will be fine."
"Just because your friend says she can, doesn't mean she can actually do it."
"Oh please let me go with Betty. I promise none of us will get into any trouble," Marlene said, giving Red a puppy dog face.
Red sighed after a few moments. "Very well, but be careful."
"Yes!" Marlene said, still whispering. "Thank you, Mister Red." She gave him a hug before going back and opening the door. "Okay, I'm ready."
"Alright, let's go," Betty said.
Marlene closed the door before she and Betty ran down the hallway, laughing and giggling along the way.
Sky Lark hit the ground hard as Weiss stood over him, pointing her rapier down at her dark-haired opponent.
"And that's the match," Mrs. Wallace declared. "Winner, Weiss Schnee."
"Way to go, Weiss!" Ruby cheered.
"Yeah, that's how it's done!" Tifa yelled out.
"Whoo, that's my girl, yo!" Reno shouted excitedly. Weiss turned and glared at him as she put her rapier away. "Uh, I mean, that's their girl! Yeah, that's what I meant."
"Sure you did, lady killer," Yang said.
"Settle down, everyone," Mrs. Wallace said before turning back to Weiss. "Well done, Miss Schnee. You fought with elegance and precision."
"Thank you, Mrs. Wallace.
"As for you, Mister Lark, there is room for improvement. Now, both of you go put your weapons away so we can proceed to the next match." Weiss and Sky walked off the arena and towards the locker room.
"Oh man, I can't wait any longer," Yuffie said. "I wanna fight now."
"Relax, Yuffie," Blake said. "We're only two fights in. Besides, it's no big deal if we don't fight today."
"But we gotta represent our team, sis. Plus, I wanna show everyone my awesome ninja moves."
"I'm with Yuf," Yang said. "Watching a fight is fine and all, but being in a fight is way more fun. And I'm getting eager to punch something."
"Yo, you two better be careful what you wish for," Reno said. "You guys might get matched up together."
"And that would be awesome, but I'd definitely win," Yuffie said.
"Oh, and what makes you think that, ninja girl?" Yang asked.
"Hello, I can teleport. How are you gonna hit me when you can't even touch me?"
"Not even you would be fast enough to dodge my fists, with or without teleporting."
"Well, we'll just have to wait and see, little dragon."
Weiss and Sky exited the locker room and walked back to their seats.
"Now, on to the next match," Mrs. Wallace said, starting the randomizer while Yang watched eagerly with crossed fingers.
"Me, me, me, me, me," Yang muttered.
"And the next combatants will be…" The randomizer stopped. "…Cardin Winchester and… Yuffie Kisaragi."
"Woo hoo!" Yuffie cheered. "Oh yeah! Time to show why Team BRYK is the best!"
She got up and walked down the stairs to the locker room with a bright smile. Blake's eyes followed the young ninja with a worried gaze, until she noticed Cardin as he talked with his team. Using her cat ears, she listened in on their conversation.
"Look like I'm going fox hunting, boys," he said.
Dove chuckled. "Yeah, I guess we'll have to find a nice place to hang her tail up." The rest of Team CRDL laughed as Cardin walked towards the locker room with a smug smile. Blake tightened her fists in anger and glared at Cardin as he walked away.
"Well, at least one of us gets to fight," Yang said.
"I guess we'll just have to wait a little longer, yo," Reno said. "Though I wonder if Yuf can fight someone as big as this Cardin guy."
"Well she tried to fight a Zolom by herself, so I'd say she can take."
"That or she'll get knocked silly."
"Eh, it could go either way," Yang said with a nonchalant shrug. "What do you think, Blake?" Blake didn't respond. "Blake?"
Yang and Reno looked at Blake and saw that she was glaring at the rest of Team CRDL. "Yo, B, you okay?" Reno asked. She still didn't answer.
"Blake!" Yang shouted, startling the ravenette.
"Huh? W-What's wrong?" Blake asked.
"I think we should be the one asking you that, yo," Reno said.
"You were giving Cardin's team the death glare," Yang said. "What, did they hit on you or something?"
"It's—It's nothing."
"Nice try," Reno said. "Now, spill the beans."
Blake sighed. "I'm just worried about Yuffie."
"You don't think she can beat Cardin?" Yang asked in surprise.
"No. It's just… yesterday before Leadership Class, Ruby confronted Cardin when he tried to assault Jaune. This led to Cardin using some slurs against her."
"What!" Yang shouted, her eyes turning red. "And you didn't tell me?!"
"Because I had a feeling you'd tear Beacon apart trying to find Cardin," Blake said.
"You're damn right I would! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a bastard to pummel." Before Yang could get up, Reno grabbed her arm and pulled her back down into her seat.
"Woah there, slugger. I'm pretty sure you'll get detention for starting an unsanctioned fight."
"Does it look like I care?"
"What about getting expelled?" Blake asked.
Yang thought about it for a moment and sighed in defeat, her eyes reverting back to lilac. "Fine. I won't kick Cardin's ass… today."
"Thank you," Blake said. "But now you can see why I'm worried about Yuffie."
"Yeah, we get it, yo," Reno said. "Douchebags like Cardin would look for any excuse to hurt a Faunus."
"True, but from what I saw during initiation, I'm pretty sure Yuffie is gonna take the win," Yang said. "So I wouldn't worry too much, Blake."
"I hope so," Blake said.
After a few minutes of waiting, Cardin was the first to exit the locker room with a large mace in hand, making his way towards the arena.
"Wooo, you got this, Cardin!" Sky called out.
"Show her what CRDL is all about!" Dove shouted.
Cardin gave his team a confident smile as he reached his side of the arena. "Alright… shrimp," he called out to Yuffie, clearly stopping himself before he called her a slur. "Get out here already! We don't have all day!"
In a puff of smoke, Yuffie appeared in midair with Juji in her hand and landed on the other side of the arena. "Ha ha! Fool! Prepare to face the great ninja of Team BRYK, Yuffie!"
Yuffie struck a "cool" pose, but was met with silence from her fellow students, except for…
"That was so cool!" Ruby cheered.
"Awesome entrance, Yuffie!" Nora said.
Yang laughed. "Wow, you gotta respect her confidence."
"Yeah, she definitely gets an A for style," Reno said.
"Please stop talking," Blake said, putting her head in her hands in embarrassment.
Mrs. Wallace cleared her throat. "Are the combatants ready?"
"You bet," Cardin said.
"Okay over here," Yuffie said.
"On my mark…" Mrs. Wallace said. Yuffie and Cardin took a ready stance as they stared each other down. "Begin!"
Yuffie and Cardin charged at each other. Yuffie threw Juji at the brunette, forcing him to dodge out of the way. But Yuffie teleported behind him to catch the giant shuriken and dashed towards Cardin to attack while he was facing the wrong direction, but he blocked it at the last second.
The two fighters exchanged blows, with no one landing a single hit. They then locked weapons and tried to overpower each other as they looked in each other's eyes.
"Better give up now, mongrel, or you're gonna get put down," Cardin said.
"Funny, I was gonna tell you the same thing," Yuffie said. She backflipped and kicked Cardin in the jaw, staggering him. Seeing an opening, the young ninja closed in on Cardin and delivered a combo of attacks, ending with a strike across his face using Juji, and following it up with a spinning back kick that knocked Cardin down.
Her friends began giving their support, cheering her on. Feeling pretty confident, Yuffie decided to bow to them like she had just finished a performance.
"Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week."
Unbeknownst to Yuffie, though, Cardin began to get up and charged at the young ninja.
"Yuffie, look out!" Blake shouted.
"Huh?" Yuffie asked, turning around, only to be met with Cradin striking her across the face, his mace exploding upon impact and sending her to the other side of the arena
"Oo, that had to hurt, yo," Reno said.
"Come on, Yuf, you got this!" Yand shouted.
Yuffie began to get up, shaking the cobwebs out of her head until Cardin slammed his mace down on her back, forcing her back down and doing it a few more times.
"Hey, fight fair you jerk!" yelled Ruby.
Blake was about to jump down and help, but was stopped by Reno. "Whoa there, Blake, calm down."
"But he's-!"
"I know, I don't like it either. But he's not breaking any rules, and you'll be the one in trouble if you interfere. All you need to do is have faith in her." Blake turned back to the match and watched with great anxiety.
Cardin stopped slamming his mace into Yuffie and placed it on his shoulder. He looked down at her with a smug smile before kicking her in the stomach and flipping her onto her back.
"Ow," she said. "You're a lousy chiropractor."
"Ready to give up?" Cardin asked.
"Nope," Yuffie said, putting her hand in her pocket. "I still have something cool to show you."
"Fine, have it your way," Cardin said. He attempted to bring his mace down on Yuffie, but she smiled and teleported before it struck. The brunette turned towards the sound of Yuffie's teleport, only to see no one there or in the arena, period. "Heh, well I guess the 'great ninja' ran off. Guess that means I win, right, teach?"
"Wrong," Mrs. Wallace said. "Miss Kisaragi has not forfeited the match."
"What? Then where is she?" Unknown to Cardin, a hand making bunny ears rose behind his head, getting some of the students to chuckle. "Hey, what are you laughing about?" Two hands rose behind Cardin's head and made it look like he had antlers, getting the students to laugh again. "What's so funny?!"
"Cardin!" Sky shouted, getting Cardin to look at his team. "She's behind you!"
Cardin looked behind himself and saw nothing, not noticing Yuffie following his movement as he turned back. "No she's not."
Yuffie leaned close to Cardin's ear and whispered," Yes, I am."
"Huh?" Yuffie swept Cardin's leg, knocking him to the ground before back flipping a good distance away as the brunette got to his feet and glared at the young ninja. "H-How the hell did you do that?!"
"Uh, hello," Yuffie said, showing him Juji and revealing a yellow materia embedded in its center. "Stealing Materia. Makes you quieter than a mouse."
"Heh, well if you're using Materia, then I might as—" he said, checking his pockets, only to find them empty. "What?! Where's my-?!"
Yuffie cleared her throat. Cardin looked at her in disbelief as she held his fire and earth Materia in her hand with a cheeky smile. "Did you not hear me say 'Stealing Materia'?"
"You dirty rotten thief!"
"Aww, you're too kind." Cardin charged at Yuffie and furiously swung his mace at her, only for the young ninja to casually dodge his attacks. "Miss, miss, miss, and miss," she taunted. "Are you even trying to hit me?" Cardin swung again, forcing Yuffie to duck. "Hey, think fast." She threw Cardin's Materia into the air, getting the brunette to shift his attention to the colored objects. With Cardin distracted, Yuffie rushed towards him, grabbed him arm, and leaped onto him. She wrapped her legs around his throat and bent his arm at an awkward angle, successfully securing him in an armlock and headscissor combo hold.
"Woo, that a girl, Yuffie!" Yang cheered.
"Don't let him go, yo!" Reno shouted.
Relief washed over Blake upon seeing Yuffie in a dominant position.
Cardin grabbed one of Yuffie's legs and tried to pry them off his neck, but was unsuccessful.
"So, ready to give up?" Yuffie asked, throwing Cardin's words from earlier back in his face.
"G-go to hell," Cardin strained to say.
"So stubborn." She tightened her legs and pulled his arm further, causing him to drop his mace. The boy's legs began to shake until he collapsed to his knees.
"Come on, Cardin, get out of there!" Sky shouted.
"Don't let her beat you, man!" Dove said.
In one final, desperate move, Cardin grabbed Yuffie's tail and pulled it.
"OW!" Yuffie shouted. "Now that's just rude!" She pulled Cardin's arm as far as it would go, causing him to growl in pain. After a few seconds more, Cardin reluctantly tapped Yuffie's leg in surrender.
"And that's the match," Mrs. Wallace announced. "Winner, Yuffie Kisaragi!"
Yuffie released Cardin from her hold and let him fall to the ground as she basked in the applause of the other students.
"Oh yeah, and that's why Team BRYK is the best!" Yuffie shouted. "Now when I say Yuf, you say fie! Yuf!"
"Fie!" Yang, Reno, Ruby, and Nora called back.
"Yuf!"
"Fie!"
Blake shook her head at Yuffie's showboating, but couldn't help but smile.
"Miss Kisaragi," Mrs. Wallace said, interrupting Yuffie's celebration.
"Huh?" Yuffie turned and saw her teacher and a very unhappy Cardin looking at her.
"Could we perhaps continue with the class?"
"O-oh, right. Sorry," Yuffie said sheepishly.
"Now, Miss Kisaragi, you fought with great tenacity and used your wits to outsmart your opponent to secure the win."
"It was nothing, really," Yuffie bragged.
"However, your confidence left you open to attack, and it seemed you were more interested in putting on a show rather than fighting."
"Eh, I knew I was gonna win. So no big deal."
Mrs. Wallace got close to Yuffie and loomed over her, frightening the young ninja. "If this was a real fight, your opponent would not hesitate to exploit your cocky attitude and take your life. Now, you can be confident in yourself, but don't let it make you think you're invincible, or it will be the last mistake you'll ever make. Understand, Miss Kisaragi?"
"Y-yes, Mrs. Wallace."
"Good. And as for you, Mr. Winchester, you were doing quite well in the beginning of the match. But near the end, you let your anger get the better of you which led to your defeat. A Huntsman must always have a clear mind during battle and mustn't let their emotions control them."
"I'll… do better next time," he said.
"Good. Now put your weapons away."
Yuffie and Cardin headed to the locker room, but Blake noticed that Yuffie still looked a little shaken from Mrs. Wallace.
She couldn't help but worry.
After a few minutes of waiting, Yuffie and Cardin exited the locker room and went back to their seats. Blake noticed that Yuffie still looked a little shaken up, something that went unnoticed by Yang and Reno.
"Way to take that dick down, Yuffs," Yang said.
"Yeah, you really taught him a thing or two, yo," cheered Reno.
"Thanks, guys," Yuffie said as she sat down. Yang and Reno finally took notice of how spooked she looked.
"Uh, is everything okay?" Yang asked.
"Oh, I'm fine," Yuffie said. "Just a little tired after that fight."
"Yuffie," Blake said, putting a hand on the fox Faunus's shoulder. Yuffie looked at Blake and saw how worried she was.
She sighed. "Alright. It's just, what Mrs. Wallace said brought back some… not so happy memories."
"What do you mean?" Reno asked.
"Well, sis and I used to know… this guy at our old school, who took things… a little too seriously. And during training, he would get on my case about not taking anything seriously. So, Mrs. Wallace's lecture reminded me of him." Blake grabbed Yuffie's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.
"Man, he sounds like a real jerk," Yang said.
"Yeah, he kind of was."
"But I wouldn't worry about him. That guy is who knows where, so don't even give him a single thought."
"Yeah, yo," Reno said. "And if he was here, Mrs. Wallace could scare him a lot more."
Yuffie chuckled. "Yeah, his hair would turn from red to pale white."
Yuffie, Reno, and Yang laughed at her joke. Yuffie turned to look at Blake, who smiled and gave her a little chuckle, but stopped when their professor spoke up.
"Alright, children, let's move on to the next match." She pressed a button on her scroll again, and the portraits began to rotate. "And the next combatants are… Russel Thrush, and… Aerith… Gainsborough."
"Oh, I wasn't expecting to fight today," Aerith said.
"Are you alright to compete, Aerith?" Mrs. Wallace asked.
"Of course. I was just hoping to fight someone else," Aerith said, glancing at Weiss who glared back at her. "But it's fine. I'll be back with Striker real quick."
"Actually, I think you might need more than just Striker."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, you'll see once you open your locker."
"Did you get me something, Aunt Glynda?"
"I can't say, but do take all the time you need to get ready."
Aerith looked at Mrs. Wallace with playful suspicion as she walked to the locker room.
"Aww, that's so sweet of Mrs. Wallace," Ruby said. "I wish I got a gift before one of my matches."
"What would you want for a gift?" Tifa asked.
"Maybe a new part for Crescent Rose, a Beowolf plushie, or maybe even a box of—"
"Let me guess, a box of cookies?" Cloud interrupted her.
"You know me so well."
"Why would you want cookies as a gift?" Weiss asked.
"Cause they're the perfect desert. Plus, someone as sweet and adorable as me needs something just as sweet to eat."
"Oh please, like anyone could get anything for being 'sweet and adorable'."
Marlene and Betty exited the cafeteria and walked down the hall, each holding a cookie in their hand and a smile on their faces.
"Thanks, Mrs. Pastel," Betty said.
"These taste amazing," Marlene said as she ate her cookie. "Do you always get free cookies?"
"Yep. But don't tell my mom."
"Okay. But what about your dad?"
"Who do you think told me about the cookies?" Betty asked, causing both girls to giggle until they heard the sound of a camera going off. They turned on an upcoming corner and peaked from behind the wall to see a tall teenage girl with long brown hair and rabbit ears taking a picture of a bird through an open window.
"Who's that?" Marlene asked.
"That's Velvet," Betty said. "She's a second-year student."
"Does Beacon have a photography class?"
"No. She just likes to take pictures." An idea then popped into Betty's head. "Would you like to meet her?"
"I don't know," Marlene said. "She looks busy."
"Don't worry, she's really nice."
"Well, I guess…"
"Great!" Betty said, grabbing Marlene's hand and running towards Velvet. "Hey, Velvet!" The young photographer turned towards the two girls and smiled at them.
"Hello, Betty," she said. "Who's your friend?"
"This is Marlene," Betty said. "She lives here with another team."
"Hello, Miss Velvet," Marlene said. "It's nice to meet you."
"Well, hello to you too, little one," Velvet said. "Are you enjoying your stay at Beacon?"
"Mm hm," Marlene nodded. "It's really big though."
Velvet chuckled. "I thought the same thing when I first arrived. So, what are you two doing wandering the halls?"
"I'm just showing Marlene some of the cool stuff Beacon has," Betty said.
"Oh, I can help with that."
"You can?"
"Yep, watch this." Velvet placed a box on the ground and pressed a button on her camera, activating a hard light projector and showing the image of a bird, much to the girls' amazement.
"Wow," Marlene said before turning to Betty. "Did you know she could do this?"
"No, I just thought she liked taking pictures."
"I knew you two would like it," Velvet said. "But I really shouldn't be showing you this. Me team leader doesn't want me wasting my Hardlight Dust."
"I think I can let it slide this time," a new voice said. Velvet quickly turned around and saw a fashionable brown-haired young woman wearing a beret and sunglasses, looking at her with a confident smile.
"Coco!" Velvet said in surprise. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to see you show off," Coco said.
"I-I wasn't showing off."
"Whatever you say, Bun-bun," Coco said before looking at Marlene. "So, what's your name, short stuff?"
"Marlene. It's nice to meet you, Miss Coco."
"I'm not that old, kid. Just call me Coco. Now that we know each other, mind telling me why you're hanging out with this little monster?" Coco asked, pointing to Betty who stuck her tongue out at her.
"She was giving me a tour of Beacon and I didn't want to be alone."
"Why weren't you with that team of yours, JNPR I believe?" Velvet asked.
"They're in Mrs. Wallace's class and… didn't have anyone to watch me."
"That makes sense," Coco said. "But lucky for you I have a solution. How about you and Bets here hang out with me and my team until Mrs. Wallace's class is over?"
"Um…"
"We'd love to!" Betty said.
"But Betty," Marlene whispered. "They're strangers."
"No they're not," Betty said. "Coco and her team used to help Aerith babysit me. It was fun. Just don't mess with Coco's clothes." She lowered her voce to a whisper. "She's brutal with timeouts."
"You would know, Betty," Coco said. "So, Marls," she lowered her sunglasses. "Wanna hang with the cool kids?"
"Um… okay?" Marlene said.
"Alright, follow us and stick close," Coco said. "We don't want you two getting lost."
"I wouldn't get lost," Betty said.
"Don't you remember last year, Betty?" Velvet asked.
"T-That wasn't my fault!" Betty said
"What happen—"
"Nothing!" Betty shouted, interrupting Marlene's question. "Nothing happened! Let's just go to Coco's dorm."
Coco and Velvet laughed at Betty's embarrassment as they led the younger girls to their dorm room.
Russel stepped out of the locker room, leaving everyone waiting for Aerith to finish getting ready.
"So, what do you guys think?" Ruby asked. "Can Aerith win?"
"It's hard to say," Cloud said. "We've never seen her fight. So this battle could go either way."
"You're probably right," Tifa said. "But, seeing who her opponent is…" Russel twirled his short swords in his hands, only to drop one of them. "I think Aerith's got a chance."
"Hm, what do you think, Weiss?" Ruby asked, only for the heiress to not respond. "Weiss?" Ruby, Cloud, and Tifa looked towards Weiss and saw her looking at her Scroll. "Uh, what are you doing?"
"Oh, just checking my video space," Weiss said.
"Why?" Tifa asked.
"So I can record the flower girl's beating."
Ruby gasped. "Weiss, she's our friend!"
"Correction, she's your friend. She constantly insults me, and I can't wait to see her served some humble pie. Though I wish it was me doing it."
"Come on, Weiss," Cloud said. "Don't you think you're being a little petty?"
Weiss put her hand to her chin pretending to think about her answer. "…No."
Ruby rolled her eyes at Weiss before turning her attention to Team JNPR. "What do you think, Jaune?"
"I think she has a good shot at winning," he said.
"I… wouldn't be too sure of that," Pyrrha said.
"What do you mean?"
"W-well, she doesn't really have the appearance—"
"She doesn't look like a Huntress!" Nora interrupted her, voicing what Pyrrha clearly wanted to say, but was too nice to.
"Nora," Ren scolded.
"What?" Nora asked. "Pyrrha was gonna say the same thing."
"While I wasn't going to put it like that, Nora's right," Pyrrha said. "Aerith doesn't really have… the physique of a Huntress who's trained for years."
"But what about me and Weiss?" Ruby asked. "We don't look that strong, either."
"Hey!" Weiss shouted.
"Uh, Ruby, you twirl a giant scythe around," Jaune said. "But, you do have a point." He looked back to Pyrrha. "What about that saying 'never judge a book by its cover'?"
"That's true," Ren said. "A Hunter who appears harmless could bring down an enemy's guard. But, we don't know what Aerith is capable of, or what her Semblance is."
"I can answer that," Yang said, jumping into the conversation. Everyone turned towards her. "She can heal people."
"Heal?" Weiss asked.
"Yeah. She used her Semblance on me after I met… Tifa."
"You mean after I beat you?" Tifa asked with a smug grin.
"Met you. But yeah, Aerith has a healing Semblance."
"Huh, I guess I'll just need 30 seconds of space," Weiss said.
"Well, I'm confident that Aerith will do just fine in her fight," Ruby said.
"Didn't you say the same thing about Jaune before he fought?" Weiss asked.
"This is different."
"How?"
"Jaune agress with me."
"Yeah!" the blond knight shouted.
Weiss merely rolled her eyes at Ruby's argument. Suddenly, the locker room doors opened and everyone turned to see Aertih exit, and were very surprised at what they saw. The flower girl had changed into a black sleeveless leather shirt, black leather pants, and knee-high brown boots. She had red detached sleeves that ended in fingerless gloves, and red half-cape hanging from the right side of her waist. With a smirk, Aerith flicked her ponytail and made her way towards the arena as her classmates' eyes followed her.
"Tifa whistled. "Man, Mrs. Wallace sure knows how to pick an outfit."
"It'll definitely give her more mobility than that dress of her's," Cloud said.
"And it looks so cool!" Ruby gushed. "She even has a red cape like me!"
"Oh please, that outfit is not that impressive," Weiss said. "I saw similar-looking ones at a thrift shop."
"You sound a bit jealous, Weiss," Tifa said.
"I am not! I just don't ogle someone just because they changed clothes!"
"Yeah, you're jealous," Tifa said, causing Weiss to growl at her in irritation.
"Okay, now she looks like a Huntress," Nora said.
"This new outfit does seem more fit for combat than her previous one," Ren said.
"Yes, and the leather armor will give her a little more protection from attacks," Pyrrha said. "Don't you agree, Jaune?" He didn't answer. "Jaune?"
Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren looked over at Jaune and saw him staring at the arena with his mouth agape.
"Uh, are you okay, Jaune?" Nora asked.
"I, uh, um…" Aerith noticed Jaune staring at her and winked at him, causing him to blush. "Um, um, um…"
"Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted, startling him.
"Huh, what, who?!" He spluttered. "What were we talking about?"
"Aerith's outfit," Pyrrha said.
"Oh, right. It looks fantastic and it goes great with her hair."
"What about it's durability?" Nora asked.
"Yeah, it looks like it can take a beating."
Aerith entered the arena and was greeted by Mrs. Wallace.
"So, what do you think?" Mrs. Wallace asked.
"I love it, Aunt Glynda," Aerith said. "But, I think it might be a bit much."
"Nonsense. Nothing is too much for you, my dear."
"Hey!" Russel shouted. "Is this a fashion show or combat class? Let's get this fight started."
"Alright," Aerith said. "If you insist." She grabbed her staff, extended it, and twirled it before taking a combat stance. Mrs. Wallace walked up to Aerith.
"Remember, Aerith," she whispered. "If the match gets too much for you, there's no shame in conceding."
"Shouldn't you be telling him that?"
"Just keep that in mind." Mrs. Wallace walked off the arena.
"So, hot stuff," Russel said. "How about I take you out on a date as a consolation prize?"
"Oh, thanks, and how about I give you some bandages as your consolation?"
"Oh, feisty. I like that."
Aerith turned to look back at Mrs. Wallace. "Aunt Glynda? Requesting permission to kill."
"Denied," she said. "And Mister Thrush, please refrain from speaking to Miss Gainsborough that way."
"Uh, sure," he said, withering under the professor's glare. "N-no problem."
"Good. Now, combatants ready…" Aerith and Russel took a ready stance. "Begin!"
Aerith and Russel charged at each other, but the punk performed a spinning dash attack and knocked the brunette down. He then leaped into the air and tried to bring his blades down on Aerith, but she rolled out of the way at the last moment. Before Aerith could get her bearings, Russel was on her in a second and attacked again, forcing the flower girl to block his blades and fall to her knees.
Russel pushed Aerith's bowtaff down on her with ease while she struggled to hold him back. As the greenette looked down at her with a cocky smile, determination flowed through Aerith, and she used every ounce of strength to get to her feet before delivering a kick to Russel's stomach that knocked him slightly back. Aerith then followed it up by striking him across the face with her bowstaff and rushed forward to continue her onslaught.
"Nice hit, Aerith!" Yang cheered. "Don't let up!"
"Keep… hitting him really hard!" Jaune shouted.
"Woohoo! Go Aerith!" Ruby yelled before looking to Weiss, who began filming the battle with her Scroll. "Still think she doesn't have a chance?"
"She still hasn't won yet," Weiss said. "Those were just lucky hits at best."
"Whatever you say, Weiss."
"I do say."
Russel was put on the defensive as Aerith attacked him with a series of blows. However, she quickly lost her momentum when she overextended an attack that allowed Russel to duck under and quickly get behind her, forcefully pulling her weapon up to her throat and locking her in a hold.
"Oh no, she's caught!" Jaune shouted in concern.
"Don't worry, Jaune," Pyrrha said. "I'm confident Aerith will be fine."
"How do you know?"
"If the fighter is experienced, they could escape that hold in a few different ways. And from the looks of it, Russel hasn't locked in the hold yet, which means…"
"He's full of himself?" Jaune asked.
"Over confident, but yes."
Aerith struggled to escape from Russel's grasp, as he leaned close and whispered into her ear. "Looks like I got ya, sweet cheeks. You might as well give up now."
"Not on your life," Aerith said.
"Your choice." Russel tightened the hold, bringing the staff closer to Aerith's throat and causing her to gag a little. On the sidelines, Mrs. Wallace looked on with worry. She considered calling the match to keep Aerith safe, but banished the thought immediately, knowing that it would be an abuse of her power and Aerith would get quite upset with her for making such a call.
"Aerith, do you wish to concede the match?" she asked.
"No…I… Don't!" Aerith shouted, stomping on Russel's foot, causing him to cry out in pain and loosen his hold. She then slammed the back of her head into his nose, finally freeing herself from his grasp.
With renewed vigor, Aerith leaped into the air and brought her staff down on Russel's head like a hammer, disorienting him. She then swung her bowstaff and hit a switch on the handle, revealing Combustion Dust at the end of her weapon just before she hit Russel and caused an explosion that sent him flying out of the ring.
"And that's the match," Mrs. Wallace said. "Winner, Aerith Gainsborough!"
The students gave Aerith a round of applause, with team's RWST, BRYK, and JNPR being the loudest supporters. But Aerith noticed Weiss wasn't cheering and was completely dumbfounded while holding her Scroll.
"Hey, Weiss, did you get my good side?" she asked with a smirk. Weiss responded by turning away with an annoyed huff, getting a chuckle from Aerith. Mrs. Wallace walked up to Aerith and began closely examining, much to the flower girl's confusion. "Wha—Aunt Glynda, what are you doing?"
"Making sure you're not hurt," Mrs. Wallace said.
Aerith blushed. "But I have Aura, it heals wounds."
"You can never be too careful."
"I'm fine. Please, stop."
Mrs. Wallace cleared her throat. "Of course."
Russel groaned as he walked towards them.
"Ah, Mister Thrush, so good of you to join us," Mrs. Wallace said.
"You're… welcome," Russel said.
"Now, let's go over the match. Mister Thrush, during the entire match you weren't taking Aerith seriously. It looked like you were more interested in getting her number than fighting her."
"W-well, can you really blame me?" he said, only to wither under the professor's glare.
"If you're distracted simply because your opponent is female, then you won't get far as a Huntsman." Mrs. Wallace then turned to Aerith. "And as for you, Aerith, you fought valiantly and managed to win the match. However, you tried to overpower an opponent who was physically stronger than you."
"But I did overpower him," Aerith argued.
"Yes, you did. But doing so resulted in you wasting some of your stamina. When fighting a stronger foe, don't try to overpower them. Out-maneuver them with your speed and agility. Do you understand, Aerith?"
"Yes, Aunt Glynda."
"Good. Now, go put your weapons away." The two combatants turned and walked towards the locker room.
"Wow, I'm so happy Aerith won," Ruby said. "And she was so cool."
"Yeah, she even managed to win her first match," Tifa said. "Most would have taken a few losses before that could happen."
"Well, she does live at Beacon, so she was probably taught how to fight by the teachers," Cloud said. "Probably the best training anyone could get."
"Wess, anything you'd like to say?" Ruby asked.
Weiss sighed. "Alright, I will admit she might have some skill and she fought very hard to win."
"Aww, that's so nic—"
"But, seeing that her opponent seemed to be a brute that wanted her Scroll number, it was an easy win. If Aerith was fighting anyone else, say me, she would have definitely lost."
"You know you could've just stopped at the beginning, right?"
"You wanted me to say something, so I did."
Ruby sighed in disappointment. "Yeah, I did."
"Alright children," Mrs. Wallace said. "We have time for one more match, so let's move on to the final combatants." She activated the randomizer once again and it cycled through the students' photos. "And the next combatants will be…" The first image stopped. "Pyrrha Nikos."
"I guess combat class is ending with a bang today," Tifa said. "Though whoever's gonna be her opponent is gonna get stomped."
"Not if it's Cloud," Ruby said. "You guys could have a rematch. Doesn't that sound like fun?"
"I wouldn't mind having another fight with her, but I doubt it'll be today," Cloud said.
"Yes, it will probably be some random student we don't know," Weiss said.
The randomizer stopped again. "Ruby Rose," Mrs. Wallace announced, silencing everyone.
"…What?" Ruby asked.
"Go grab your weapons and meet in the arena."
"I—I—I get to f-fight Pyrrha?" Ruby asked. "Awesome! This is gonna be so cool!" Ruby excitedly sped up to Pyrrha, startling her. "Isn't this exciting, Pyrrha? You and I get to fight! I mean I would have liked to challenge you a little later, but better now than never. Oh, I'm just so-!"
"Miss Rose," Mrs. Wallace interrupted. Ruby turned to see the professor looking at her with a stern gaze. "We are on borrowed time and there won't be a match if you and Miss Nikos don't retrieve your weapons."
"Oh, right," Ruby said, clearing her throat and turning back to Pyrrha. "Let's have a good match and give it our all, Pyrrha." Ruby offered her a handshake, which the redhead accepted with a smile.
"I promise to give you my best," Pyrrha said.
They walked down the stairs and headed towards the locker room.
In the locker room, Aerith had just finished getting dressed and put her combat uniform in her locker. As she turned to leave, she spotted Ruby by her locker and putting ammunition in Crescent Rose.
"You got picked, Ruby?" Aerith asked.
"Yep. And you won't believe who my opponent is."
"Who is it?"
Ruby gestured to the other side of the locker room. Aerith looked over and spotted Pyrrha checking her weapons, much to the flower girl's surprise. "Pyrrha? That's gonna be quite the challenge. Are you nervous?"
"Maybe a little," Ruby said. "But I'm mostly excited cause I get to show everyone Crescent Rose. I know I probably won't win, but at least I get to have fun."
"Well, you never know. You could beat her. And if not, there's always next time. Either way, me, Yang, and your team will be rooting for you."
"Thanks, Aerith," Ruby said, sharing a quick hug before the flower girls exited the locker room.
Aerith walked back to her seat, while Teams RWST, BRYK, and JNPR talked among themselves about the upcoming fight.
"So, it will be Mistral's three-time champion versus Beacon's own prodigy," Ren said. "I must say, that's quite the interesting match up."
"And it's gonna be awesome!" Nora said. "I bet that the whole arena is gonna have to be replaced after Pyrrha wins."
"You're right about that," Yang said. "But I hate to break it to ya, but I'm pretty sure Ruby is gonna take the win."
"Uh, excuse you. What makes you think Ruby can beat Pyrrha?"
"Well one: I'm her sister," Yang said. "And two, I don't think Pyrrha has ever fought anyone like Ruby before."
"Yeah, plus she dragged a Nevermore up the side of a cliff," Yuffie said. "You have to be crazy strong to do that."
"But Pyrrha was undefeated for three years," Jaune said. "That's gotta be a little more impressive than lifting a… big bird, right?"
"It would, if she wasn't beaten by Cloud," Yang said. "Speaking of Cloud, do you mind jumping into the conversation?"
"…I can't be sure who's actually gonna win," Cloud said. "but I can say that Pyrrha's skills make her a very difficult opponent. As for Ruby, she's quite skilled in her own right, but I can't be certain that she'll win."
"I think she's got a chance," Tifa said. "Roses is a quick thinker, and she's got the fighting spirit of a Grimm. So I have faith that she'll come out on top."
"You are far too optimistic, Tifa," Weiss said. "Ruby is an impressive fighter, but against Pyrrha she'll most definitely lose."
"Ha! Suck it, Xiao Long!" Nora shouted.
"You better watch your mouth, Valkyrie," Yang said.
"Make me."
"Calm down, you two," Blake said. "This is just combat training. There's no need to argue."
"Don't worry, B," Reno said. "I know how to calm everyone down?"
"How exactly are you going to do that?" Blake asked.
"Simple, let's place some bets."
"Seriously, gambling is your solution?"
"You bet," he said. "And Ruby vs Pyrrha is the best fight to place wagers, yo."
Weiss scoffed. "Oh please, Sinclair, this is a Hunter Academy, not some dive bar. No one is actually going to—"
"Twenty-five Gil on Ruby," Yang declared.
"Thirty on Pyrrha," Nora said, before turning to Ren. "Ren, can I have thirty Gil?"
"No," he said.
"That's twenty-five for Ruby and thirty for Pyrrha," Reno said.
"Are you two actually placing wagers?" Weiss asked.
"What?" Yang asked. "It's the best way to make some quick cash."
"Unbelievable. You two are poor excuses for—"
"Forty-five on Ruby," Tifa declared.
"Wha—Tifa?!" Weiss stuttered.
"Fifty-five on Pyrrha," Yuffie said.
"Traitor!" Yang yelled.
"Hey, I wanna win the big bucks, too."
"But you don't have that much Gil, Yuffie," Blake said.
"No, but you do," Yuffie said, holding up Blake's wallet with a smile on her face, before it was snatched away from her.
"I can't believe all of you would place wagers on your fellow students," Weiss said.
"What's the matter, Weiss?" Tifa asked. "Scared you'll lose your allowance?"
Weiss glared at Tifa for a brief moment. "200 on Pyrrha," she said, shocking everyone.
"Damn, Schnee is not holding back, yo," Reno said. "This is why I want to date ya."
"Never gonna happen."
Suddenly, the locker doors opened and everyone turned to see Ruby and Pyrrha walking towards the arena.
"Woo, go Ruby!" Yang cheered.
"You got this, Roses!" Tifa shouted.
"Take her down, P-Money!" Nora yelled.
Ruby and Pyrrha reached the arena and stood opposite to one another, both in a ready stance.
"Are both combatants ready?" Mrs. Wallace asked. Both girls nodded. "On my mark…" Ruby and Pyrrha stared at each other in determination, each waiting for the word to strike. "…Begin!"
Ruby used her Semblance to speed towards Pyrrha in a zigzag pattern and brought her scythe down, but it was blocked by Pyrrha's shield. The spartan then swung her sword, forcing Ruby to leap back and fire her weapon while in midair. Pyrrha dodged most of the shots and blocked the last before rushing towards the young reaper.
Ruby blocked Pyrrha's swing, but was hit with a kick that knocked the her back. Pyrrha attempted to attack again, but Ruby used her Semblance to dodge before using it to charge forward and attacked Pyrrha with a series of fast strikes, forcing the champion to either block or dodge.
As she attacked, Ruby spotted an opening in Pyrrha's defense. She went for a big strike, but Pyrrha brought up her hand to block and the scythe blade missed its target, causing Ruby to stumble forward.
W-What?! She thought.
Seeing an opening, Pyrrha brought up her knee and nailed Ruby in the stomach and caused her to gag before slamming the young reaper with her shield, knocking her back with a disorienting blow. With Ruby wide open, Pyrrha ran in and delivered a combo of fast sword swipes that the younger girl was unable to defend herself from. The combo ended with Pyrrha performing a backflip kick that knocked Ruby into the air, before quickly grabbing her leg and slamming her face-first into the arena and creating small cracks.
The audience audibly winced upon seeing Ruby getting slammed, especially her friends.
"Ouch," Yuffie said. "That had to hurt, even with Aura."
"Pyrrha did promise she'd give Ruby her best, and she's definitely delivering," Blake said.
"Yeah, and it's like watching a puppy fight an Ursa, yo," Reno said.
"Relax guys," Yang said. "The fight's not over yet."
"How are you so calm?" Yuffie asked. "Pyrrha just made a Ruby-shaped crater in the ground."
"Because Ruby is just getting started."
"What do you mean?" Reno asked.
"When it comes to fighting, Ruby doesn't quit," Yang said. "She'll give it her all against an opponent, not matter who it is or what they're capable of. You could say that she's stubborn, but I see it as determination at its fullest."
"Well, let's hop her determination gets her through this fight, yo."
Ruby rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, her blurred and seemingly making the lights above shine brighter. Slowly, she began to sit up and heard a faint voice that sounded miles away. The voice grew louder and louder until…"
"Miss Rose," Mrs. Wallace said.
"Huh?"
"Do you wish to concede the match?"
"Oh, no," Ruby said, getting up. "I still wanna fight,"
"Very well. The match will continue."
Suddenly, Ruby head Pyrrha let out a battle cry, and looked up to see the spartan girl falling towards her. Ruby quickly activated her Semblance and dodged out of the way, letting Pyrrha land on the ground. But Pyrrha turned her sword into a rifle and began firing at Ruby, forcing her to dodge with her Semblance.
Okay, I knew Pyrrha would be tough, but this is a whole other level, Ruby thought, stopping to look at the screen. I'm already near yellow, while she's still green.
Ruby was pulled out of her thoughts by Pyrrha charging at her. The champion swung her sword, but Ruby ducked and used her Semblance to gain some distance.
But how? She thought. How did I miss that last strike? That's never happened before.
"You actually think that miss was your fault?" a voice said. "So naïve."
"Wha…"
Pyrrha's shield suddenly came flying and nailed Ruby in the chest, causing her to stumble back. Pyrrha charged at her and tried to bring her sword down, only for Ruby to block the attack with Crescent Rose, but the young reaper struggled to hold Pyrrha back with her strength.
"Attack her again and watch your blade very closely."
Pyrrha suddenly dropped low and swept Ruby's legs out from under her. Pyrrha then tried to bring her sword down on Ruby, but the reaper rolled out of the way and used her Semblance to gain some distance, before charging right back at Pyrrha before she had a chance to grab her shield.
Ruby unleashed another barrage of strikes, forcing Pyrrha to dodge and block with her sword and forearm guards. Once again, Ruby saw an opening and went in to attack, but this time she paid close attention to the blade of her weapon as it headed towards its target. Pyrrha brought up her arm to assuredly block the attack, but to Ruby's shock Pyrrha brought her hand up to the blade and seemed to move it before it hit her.
I didn't miss, Ruby thought. She moved it.
"Exactly." Ruby jumped back before she could lose her balance. "Now that you know her strategy, use it against her. Move with the redirection."
A determined look appeared on Ruby's face and she went in to attack with a big swing. Pyrrha brought up her arm to "block" the attack and move it away. But to the champion's shock, Ruby moved with the redirection and swung her legs around to nail Pyrrha across the face, causing her to stumble back and the audience to let out a collective gasp. With Pyrrha left wide open, Ruby rushed in and delivered a combo that ended with a big swing with Crescent Rose, knocking Pyrrha to the other side of the arena. But she landed on her feet right by her shield.
Everyone went quiet with shock at what they just saw as the two combatants stood across from each other. Ruby took this time to catcher her breath and looked at the monitor. She was shocked to see that Pyrrha's Aura had gone down.
I-I hit her. I actually hit Pyrrha!
A confident smile spread across Ruby's face. On the other side of the arena, Pyrrha caught her breath as well, and brought her hand up to her face to feel the spot where Ruby hit her. The feeling of getting hit by an opponent by an opponent was still a new feeling to her, and she believed that Only Cloud could have gotten past her Semblance, but that had only been because it didn't work on his weapon. No one had managed to get around her Semblance through sheer skill before. Until today.
She… hit me, Pyrrha thought. She actually hit me.
An excited smile spread across Pyrrha's face, matching Ruby's. After a brief pause, Pyrrha slammed her foot on her shield and caught it before she and Ruby charged at each other to resume their battle.
The next several minutes were quite the spectacle for the audience, as the combatants clashed with a series of blows. So many sparks flew that many thought it would cause a fire, but eventually the battle died down and the two girls began circling each other like territorial animals. Only there was no animosity between the two, just the enjoyment of a good fight.
"I must admit, Ruby," Pyrrha said. "I haven't had this much fun in battle since I fought Cloud."
"Yeah, I'm having a lot of fun, too," Ruby said. "Too bad I'm going to have to kick your butt."
Pyrrha chuckled. "Don't get too confident. You haven't won yet."
"True. But I've been saving something just in case, and it might even be too much for you."
"If you're so sure, then please, show it to me." Ruby pulled out her Fire Materia and put it inside Crescent Rose, before activating it and setting her scythe's blade ablaze. But Pyrrha didn't falter. "Hm, Fire Materia. It fits you quite well. But don't think it will make this battle any easier."
"No, but it's gonna get harder for you."
Ruby and Pyrrha prepared to charge at each other again, until the bell went off, signaling the end of Combat Class.
"That's it for today, everyone," Mrs. Wallace said. "This match is a draw."
The audience groaned in disappointment as they began to leave.
Mrs. Wallace turned to Ruby and Pyrrha. "Miss Nikos, you fought masterfully. Even when your opponent caught you off guard, you didn't falter. Well done."
"Thank you, Mrs. Wallace," Pyrrha said.
"And Miss Rose," Mrs. Wallace said, looking at Ruby. "At first, you seemed to struggle against your opponent, and I honestly thought that Miss Nikos would be victorious. But you surprised me. Not only did you manage to land a hit on your opponent, you managed to last until the end of class. Though there is room for improvement, I look forward to seeing more surprises from you."
"Thank you, Mrs. Wallace," Ruby said. The professor walked away, and Ruby suddenly flopped down and sat on the ground, much to Pyrrha's surprise.
"Are you okay, Ruby?" Pyrrha asked.
"Yeah, I just used the last of my strength to listen to Mrs. Wallace. Now I can't move."
Pyrrha chuckled. "I bet. You really gave me a run for my gil. I wasn't expecting that counter."
"Thanks, Pyrrha," Ruby said. "But it kind of sucks that our fight ended in a draw."
"We can always have a rematch if you want."
"Eh, could we maybe wait until next year so I can get a little more EXP?"
"Deal."
"Yo, Rubes," Yang said. Ruby and Pyrrha turned to see their friends walking towards them. "You survived your fight. How do you feel?"
"I can't feel my legs," Ruby said. "Help me."
"Alright, alright, hang on," Yang said, reaching down to help Ruby up.
"See, I told you guys not to underestimate Roses," Tifa said.
"Yeah, yeah, you were right," Yuffie said in disappointment. "I just wish I could've won the big bucks."
"Big bucks?" Pyrrha asked "Did you all place bets on our match?"
"Yep," Reno said. "Weiss even bet 200 on you, cuz."
"I-I was pressured into it," Weiss said.
"Suuuuuure you were," Nora said, grinning at her.
"Yeah, nothing says pressure like getting taunted by one person," Yang said sarcastically. "Right, Weiss?"
Weiss turned away with an embarrassed huff.
"Anyway," Cloud said. "Ruby, you were struggling pretty hard against Pyrrha, then suddenly you hit her with a surprise attack. How did you form a strategy so quickly?"
"Well, when I first attacked Pyrrha, I just suddenly missed her and didn't know why," Ruby said. "I was stumped, until I had an idea. I attacked her again and paid close attention to the blade and saw her move it away without touching it. So, I just decided to move with the redirection."
"Redirected your attacks?" Aerith asked. "Do you have an ESP Semblance, Pyrrha?"
"Uh…" Pyrrha said, suddenly looking very nervous.
"Come to think of it, I don't think I saw you use your Semblance during our fight," Cloud said.
"I actually did, it just didn't work for some reason."
"What do you mean?" Cloud asked.
"My Semblance is Polarity," Pyrrha said. She raised her hand over some shell casings sitting on the ground and levitated them. "I can manipulate most forms of metal and move them in any directions I want. Though for some reason my Semblance had no effect on your sword, Cloud."
"Probably because it isn't made from traditional metal," Cloud said. "My mentor told me that my sword was made in Midgar. Apparently they don't use standard steel to make their weapons, but no one knows what they use."
"That would explain it," Pyrrha said.
"Wait, so for all your fights you've used your Semblance against your opponents?" Reno asked.
"Yes."
"And you used it by redirecting their attacks so you wouldn't get hit?"
"Yes?" Pyrrha said, getting confused at what her cousin was getting at.
"Isn't that technically cheating, yo?"
"W-what?!" Pyrrha exclaimed. "No, of course not."
"Then why don't you just use your Semblance to lift your opponent and throw them out of the ring?" Reno asked
"Because that wouldn't be fair," Pyrrha said. "I try to use my Semblance as little as possible so that my opponent has a chance."
"So instead of showing off your Semblance, you only use it subtly without your opponent knowing so you don't get hit?" Yang asked.
"Yes," Pyrrha said.
"Yeah, sounds like cheating," Yang said.
"Kind of hard to argue, P-Money," Nora said.
"Ha!" Reno cheered. "See, I told you, Pyrrha. You cheated."
"Wha—no I did not!" Pyrrha insisted. "I won my battles fairly."
"Still cheated," Reno taunted, doing a stupid dance.
"No I didn't. And stop dancing like that."
"You cheated, don't get heated, get your stank face treated," Reno said.
"Please stop rhyming," Pyrrha said.
"Don't worry, I'm done. Cause my rhymes are depleted!" In an instant, Pyrrha used her Semblance to move Reno's goggles over his eyes and tighten the strap. "Gah, not again! But worth it!"
"Guys, leave Pyrrha alone," Ruby said. "She isn't a cheater, she won her fights fairly and there's no rule saying you have to show off your Semblance."
"Thank you, Ruby," Pyrrha said, grateful that someone was on her side. Ruby smiled at her, and Pyrrha returned it.
"Well, today's been fun," Aerith said. "But, I would like to head back to my dorm and relax."
"Amen to that, sister," Yang said. "Watching other people fight is exhausting."
"We also need to check on Red and Marlene," Ren said.
Nora gasped. "Oh my gods! I totally forgot about our little angel! She must be suffering and dying of boredom!"
"Weeee!" Marlene cheered as the third member of Team CFVY, Yatsuhashi, lifted her up into the air repeatedly with one arm. He was a large young man with big muscles, so he was able to do it with ease. Velvet stood by and looked on with some worry, while Coco laid on her bed reading a magazine.
"C-careful, Yatsu," Velvet said.
"Don't worry, I got her," he said.
Meanwhile, Betty sat on the floor while her hair was combed by Team CFVY's final member, a blind and heavily-scarred young man with red hair named Fox.
"Thanks for doing my hair, Fox," Betty said.
"You know you could have your mother or Coco comb your hair, right?" Fox said.
"I know, but you were available," Betty said. "And Coco is not allowed to touch my hair again. She always hurts me."
"You want to get knots untangled, you gotta do it right," Coco said.
"Alright, playtime's over," Yatsuhashi said. "I need to rest." He carefully handed Marlene over to Velvet. "Here you go, Velvet."
"Aww, really?" Marlene asked. "Can't we play for a little more?"
"Sorry, but even a guy as strong as me needs a break."
"Oh, don't be so modest, Yatsu," Coco said. "I think you could do a few more reps with Marls."
"Why not take his place, Coco?" Velvet asked. "After all, you carry a gatling gun around like a purse."
Coco chuckled. "Alright, I get your point."
Velvet looked out the window. "Oh my, look at the sun," she said, noticing that it was beginning to set. "Time really flew by. What time is it?"
Coco looked down at her watch. "About 5:30."
"What?!" Betty asked in alarm, quickly standing up off the floor. "Marlene, my mom's class is over!"
"Oh, no!" Marlene said.
"We gotta go now!"
Betty and Marlene quickly put their shoes on before heading towards the door.
"It was nice meeting you and your team, Coco," Marlene said.
"Same here," Coco said. "See ya around, kid."
Betty grabbed Marlene's hand. "Come on, Marlene, we gotta go."
"Right," Marlene said. The girls left team CFVY's dorm and quickly ran down the hall.
"Don't worry, I know a shortcut that can get us back to the first-year dorms before they—" Betty was interrupted by bumping into a pair of armored legs. They looked up to see Team JNPR looking down at them, with teams RWST, BRYK, and Aerith standing behind them. "…Do."
"Uh-oh," Marlene weakly said.
There was a slight rise of tension in the air between JNPR and Marlene that the others could feel.
"Uh, we'll give you guys some space," Ruby said. "Right, guys?"
"Yes, I think that would be for the best," Blake said, the two teams plus Aerith quickly walking away from the awkward situation and rounding a nearby corner. Marlene got behind Betty to try and hide herself from Team JNPR's gaze.
"Marlene, what are you doing roaming the halls?" Ren asked.
"Um, well…" Marlene stuttered.
"Don't get mad at her," Betty said. "It was my idea. I wanted to show her around Beacon."
"While that's nice of you, Betty, we specifically told Marlene not to leave our dorm," Pyrrha said.
"Yeah, it's dangerous for kids to wander the halls by themselves," Jaune said. "What if something happened to you two?"
"W-well, we would've…" Betty said.
"Don't worry, they were safe," a new voice said. Team JNPR looked ahead and saw Coco standing in her dorm's doorway with her arms crossed. "Me and my team kept an eye on them."
"C-Coco?" Jaune asked.
"Hey, Arc. So, this is your team?"
"Yeah. This is Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha. Guys, this is Coco. We met during leadership class."
"Nice to meet you," Pyrrha said. "Sorry you had to take time out of your schedule to watch Marlene."
"It was no problem," Coco said. "My team and I have experience watching kids from helping Aerith. Isn't that right, flower girl?"
Aerith stuck her head out from behind the corner. "It's true. I needed all the help I could get watching Betty."
"Wait, I thought you and the others left?" Nora asked.
Yang poked her head out, too. "No, we said we'd give you some privacy. Didn't say anything about leaving."
They ducked their heads back around the corner.
"Anyway," Coco said. "Since you guys don't seem to have anyone to watch Marls, how about my team and I watch her when you're gone?"
"Oh, we couldn't ask you to do that," Jaune said.
"Do you know anyone else who can watch her?"
"W-well, uh…"
"No, we don't," Ren said.
"So…"
Ren sighed. "Very well. You can watch Marlene."
"But, you and your team have to take good care of our little angel," Nora said. "Because if you don't, I will break all your legs."
"That's fair," Coco said before turning to Marlene. "Well, short stack, looks like you and my team are gonna hang out a lot more than we thought."
"Can Betty join us?" Marlene asked.
"I don't see why not."
Marlene gave Coco a hug. "Thanks, Coco."
"Don't mention it, squirt."
"Alright, Marlene, it's time to go," Ren said. "Say goodbye to Coco and Betty."
"Bye Betty," she said. "Thanks for giving me a tour."
"You're welcome," Betty said. "Next time, I'll show you the swimming pool."
"Not without our supervision, of course," Pyrrha said.
Team JNPR and Marlene turned and began walking back to their dorm.
"Hey, Marls, I almost forgot," Coco said. She pulled a bullet from her pocket and threw it to Marlene, who caught it. Marlene looked at the bullet and saw that it had the letters C.A. carved into its side. "Just a little housewarming gift from me."
"Thanks, Coco," Marlene said, before she and Team JNPR headed back to their dorm.
"Man, I'm beat," Yang said, wearing her sleep wear as she stepped out of the bathroom and into her team's dorm room as they were getting ready for bed.
"Yeah, nothing tires you out faster than beating up jerks," Yuffie said.
"You said it. And I can't wait to have a nice, long—" Yang stopped talking as she spotted Red laying in her bed.
"Yes?" Red asked.
"Wha—I thought we already went over this?" Yang asked.
"We did. But Blake promised me I could sleep here tonight."
"Promised y—Blake!" Yang said, looking at her leader.
"Yeah, remember that deal I made with Red to get him to watch Marlene?" Blake asked.
"Your deal involved giving him my bed?!"
"It was the only thing I could bargain with, and it's just for one night."
"But where am I supposed to sleep?" Blake glanced off to the side, and Yang followed suit, seeing that Blake had gestured towards the makshift bed Yang had made for Red. "Oh, come on!"
"Well, you and Red could sleep in the bed together, yo," Reno said.
"No way," Yang protested. "I don't want my hair to get covered in red fur."
"Well, it's either that or you sleep in your constructed bed," Red said. "No matter the choice, you'll have red fur in your hair."
Yang growled angrily at Red.
"You can bunk with me, Yang," Yuffie said. "I wouldn't be a good partner if I didn't help you out."
Blake sighed. "No, Yuffie. I bargained Yang's bed without her knowledge, so she should bunk with me tonight."
"Yeah, I should," Yang said. "Now scootch over." She climbed into Blake's bed, who made room for her, though it was still a tight squeeze. "And just letting you know, I snore. So have fun sleeping through that."
"I had a feeling there would be a downside to this, but I do deserve it."
Yang got comfortable and let out a sigh of relaxation. "Goodnight."
Blake reached over and turned off the light.
AN: And there we go, the first combat class and a whole bunch of fights. By the way, Aerith's new combat outfit is the Rosy Battle Suit from Ever Crisis.
Next time, the semester goes on.
As always, thank you very much for reading, and I'll see you all next time!