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"So, would one of you kindly remind me of how this happened?"
All they had been trying to do was have a pleasant day out. That was all.
Jaune had planned a full afternoon of activities and outings for him and his partners, but evidently the world was not having it.
"For once, I promise you that this was not our fault."
So there they were, minding their own business, debating whether or not to enter their third candy store of the day, when a young boy rounds the corner.
Ren, being the observant person he is, quickly noticed the boy and realised that he was sobbing, looking around at his surroundings frantically and appearing entirely lost.
Jaune and Nora had already entered the store, leaving Pyrrha to gaze behind her and realise that her raven haired team mate was, in fact, walking in the opposite direction. It was only when he stopped in front of the child that she realised where he was going.
"So then who's fault was it, Mr Arc?"
He approached slowly, making sure to walk in the boy's line of sight before speaking to him.
The boy was lost, there was no doubt about that, but his blubbering of the phrase, 'I can't find daddy,' repeatedly through his tears served as certain confirmation.
Jaune and Nora exited the store, candy in hand, to find their partners crouched on the other side of the street, interacting with something. But alas, their backs did not serve as a good window to determine what it was they were interacting with.
The red head bounded excitedly across the road, thinking the thing in front of them was a cat or some other form of animal, but when she was met with a high pitched scream of fear, and a rippling and tearing feeling in her semblance, she realised that no, it was not a cat.
Nor any other type of animal.
"You're telling me an infant switched your semblances."
"Unfortunately, it appears so."
And now, having returned from their escapade significantly earlier than they were planning to, they were sat in Professor Goodwitch's office, receiving a frankly rather unfair scolding.
"With all due respect, Professor," Pyrrha started, "this was an accident. None of us could've forseen this."
"Exactly!" the fiery red head spoke up, irritated, "and besides, we got the kid back to his dad! So it's not all doom and gloom!"
Goodwitch sighed, removing her glasses and pinching the bridge of her nose, "Yes, you helped a lost child return to his father, and while I appreciate that, your manner of helping this young man resulted in you scaring the boy so much so, that he involuntarily activated his semblance, which just so happened to be the ability to switch semblances," she paused, replacing her glasses, "which, with all due respect, is going to be rather difficult to cope with, considering you are training to be Huntsmen."
Jaune inhaled, ready to reply before he stopped himself, realising that Goodwitch was very much correct.
This situation would make training significantly more difficult.
"The boy's father said that the effects would likely last only a week or so, no?" Ren spoke up, eyes flitting over to his team before landing on his teacher again, "it wouldn't be detrimental if we missed out on only a week of training. Would it?"
The professor sighed once more, pondering for a moment, "I suppose not," she raised her hand before any of the students could respond, "But that does not excuse your carelessness today. You should be aware by now that dealing with children is something that needs to be treated with care. You know all too well of what happens when negative emotions grow out of control."
The four nodded solemnly.
"Imagine if this same situation were to have happened while in a forest somewhere. A child became separated from their parents while travelling, and you four stumble upon them. And the first thing you do is scare the living daylights out of them, not only eliciting severe negative emotions, but also very loud screaming and crying.
"In that situation, you would be attacked. There are no 'if's or but's' about it. Not to mention the fact that if, while in that situation, the child switched your semblances."
JNPR winced at the implications.
As much as Jaune hated to admit it, she was right. No matter how much of an accident it was, it was still careless. And in a line of work such as theirs, they couldn't afford to make mistakes like this again.
But at the same time, Nora was also right. It wasn't all bad. At least, it didn't have to be.
Jaune shakily raised his hand, "Professor?"
Glynda's glare was ice cold, "What is it, Mr Arc?"
The leader gulped, "I- I have an idea for how we could turn this situation into a- erm," he struggled to find the words he was looking for, " a not so bad one."
Though Goodwitch did not look at all convinced, she still gestured for him to continue, albeit reluctantly.
"I've been thinking since this whole thing happened, what if we continued to train?" The professor looked thoroughly appalled, but Jaune continued before she could interject, "not with the rest of our class, but if we had an hour or so after classes for us to train together as a team. Using each others semblances to try and learn more about each other, and how we fight, and what each of our limits are.
"I think it might help us work better as a team once we've got our actual semblances back."
The leader looked to his side to see each of his team mates smiling, approving the idea.
For the umpteenth time that day, Glynda sighed, thinking the concept over while massaging her temples. Migraines had become all too common for her; having to deal with this particularly troublesome group of first years was taking its toll.
"Are the rest of you... on board with this idea?" She spoke slowly, still partially mulling over the suggestion.
The three quickly nodded their heads, Nora adding a loud exclamation of "duh!"
Glynda stood, circling to stand in front of her desk, "very well, then. However, you will not be doing this without adult supervision. I will meet the four of you inside the training arena after your final period tomorrow. Do not be late."
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In concept, switching semblances would be a fun learning experience. In practice, it turned out to be much more of a challenge than originally thought.
On the first day of lessons, Glynda had forbidden them from sparring just yet, and instead decided to let them coach each other on the use of their powers.
Although, Pyrrha and Jaune had slightly more success than Ren and Nora in the area of coaching.
Where Pyrrha was slower, and more gentle in her approach, Nora was far more abrasive and had more of a learn-on-the-job attitude. And although Ren, after knowing Nora for a significant portion of his life, was now used to this hard headed attitude, it didn't seem to help his current predicament.
It wasn't hard to see how Pyrrha had become such a fierce warrior.
Even though Jaune was still at no where near the level of combat skill Pyrrha was, and had only had a day of lessons learning how to control her semblance, he was still proving a formidable enemy.
If this was the level Jaune was at now, then it wasn't surprising that Pyrrha had been given the label 'the Champion'.
Ren leapt to the left, landing in a roll behind a piece of debris set up on the makeshift battlefield, narrowly avoiding becoming acquainted with business end of a flying Crocea Mors.
The weapon circled back around, attacking from the other side and forcing the ninja back out into the open.
Ren continued to sprint across the area, ducking momentarily behind every other piece of debris, each time avoiding another onslaught of attacks from a floating sword and shield.
He kept his Stormflower in his hands, firing only when he was out of cover and in clear view. Based on the surprised cries he kept hearing from the taller boy, his weapons were certainly helping.
Making his way closer and closer towards his target, he began having to use more evasive manoeuvres as the weapons finally began to make contact with his body, colliding off of his aura, but slowly wearing it down none the less.
Ren spared a glance at the screens above them.
Jaune's aura levels still remained higher than his, even when he had landed so many hits with his bullets. Not to mention the fact that Ren's legs were beginning to burn, the effects of moving so constantly finally beginning to wear him down as his heart raced a mile a minute.
At this rate, he wouldn't last much longer at all.
But as he ran back into the open once more, he realised that he was in definitive range to finally use his new semblance.
He brought his mind back to the various pep talks his partner had given him the previous day. None of them really provided any massively useful information, but Nora had managed to convey a feeling to him.
A feeling that Ren intended to replicate.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Keep your eyes on your target.
Feel the electricity running through you.
Feel your heart beat faster.
Feel the sparks on your fingertips.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
He felt the energy as it passed through him, pulsing through his muscles and veins as his whole body burst alight with a magnificent, sparking pink lightning, a pinpoint blast erupting from his fingers.
It struck the floor directly in front of Jaune, the shockwaves sending the boy flying backwards and colliding with a piece of debris.
Ringing throughout the arena, a buzzer sounded.
Sitting up as he rubbed the back of his head, Jaune groaned, knowing the buzzers significance.
Although the blast hadn't broken his aura, it had apparently bought it below appropriate levels. If it had broken his aura, there would be an issue.
Of course breaking your opponents aura is never the aim during sparring such as this. The point in which there is a winner and a loser is determined by whoever's aura drops below the line displayed on the screens first.
And in this case, unfortunately, that person appeared to be Jaune.
It wasn't exactly surprising that the leader lost, considering how much more fighting experience Ren had, but for a second there Jaune was sure he had his team mate on the ropes.
He'd been doing so much training recently, and was working so hard to catch up to his classmates.
He was hoping that in this battle, with the addition of Pyrrha's semblance at his disposal, that he might stand a fighting chance. Maybe he'd been too hopeful.
Of course, despite being disappointed by his own loss, he still felt elated at his boyfriend's win.
Based on the screaming coming from the stands, or more specifically, his shorter girlfriend, he could tell that they were just as pleased as him.
Ren was a quiet soul, and his semblance reflected that. It wasn't flashy or loud, and was defensive rather than offensive.
So to see him explode in a show of light and sound was nothing short of incredible. It was an absolute spectacle, even when Jaune was on the receiving end of an attack. One might even say it was rather attractive.
His train of thought was halted by sounds of high heels quickly approaching from behind him. Expecting them to stop at his side, he was surprised to find Goodwitch completely ignoring him and marching on by. That was odd. He was the one who lost, shouldn't he be the first person she'd check up on?
He spared a glance upwards to check just how low his aura levels were, but he was just left more confused. The screens said that his aura was still above the line. He was still able to fight.
So why on Remnant had the buzzer sounded?
He gazed upwards towards the line above his own, representing Ren's. His eyes widened.
Jaune whipped his head back down, and he fought to locate his boyfriend through the cloud of dust that still remained from the blast. It parted just in time for him to watch the light pink glow of Ren's aura shattering, and his boyfriend topple forwards, the only thing stopping his limp body from colliding with the floor being Glynda's semblance.
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"It was my semblance that did that to him?"
The past hour had been incredibly stressful for the remaining members of team JNPR, along with Professor Goodwitch, as Lie Ren's aura spontaneously shattered and left him careening towards the ground.
He was very quickly taken to the infirmary, rested safely in Jaune's arms, Pyrrha and Nora at his either side, Glynda leading the way. And for the past thirty five minutes, the team had been sat outside, waiting for any sort of update on Ren's condition, or what even caused his collapse in the first place.
Eventually, they were invited inside, and were met with the sight of Ren unconscious on the bed, looking very pale, and very tired. A heart monitor hummed steadily beside him, beeping in a rhythm.
The nurse quickly assured them that he was just asleep, and that he'd been awake for a few minutes only a short while before hand.
With some quiet and rest, his aura would heal itself in due time.
To their relief, he was going to be just fine. Although that didn't mean that the three were going to leave his bedside, at least not until he awoke again.
"That's the only logical explanation I can think of," the nurse stated, "you four are under the effects of a semblance, correct? It swapped all of your powers around?"
They nodded.
Glynda continued for the nurse, "That last move he did with your semblance, Miss Valkyrie, though he had the ability to do it, does not mean he had the power to do it.
"It was only your semblances that swapped, not your auras. Meaning that the amount of aura you had remained the same."
It was then that the pieces began to click into place.
Ren always had less aura than the rest of the team, but it hadn't occurred to any of them how much aura it would require to use a semblance like Nora's.
A wave of guilt washed over them as they realised how this incident could have been avoided, had they been more careful.
"I think it would probably be a good idea that we stopped these training sessions," Pyrrha supplied.
"Yeah, that- that would probably be a good idea," Jaune leant forward in his seat, resting his elbow on the side of the bed, while his hand rested in Ren's. Nora was sat on the ravenette's other side, holding his other hand, stroking her thumbs gently across his knuckles.
Her gaze hadn't left his still face since she'd asked her question earlier, and she was oddly quiet.
Pyrrha had placed herself beside Nora, her hand on the shorter red head's back.
Whenever Nora became silent like this, it was only ever because she was sad.
When she was happy, she was loud.
When she was angry, she would shout it to the world.
But when she was sad, she would go quiet, hiding any and all of her emotions until she was happy or angry again.
However, even though she wasn't now yelling her feelings for everyone to hear, it didn't make her any less hard to read. At least, not for her partners.
If her question earlier had been any indication, it wasn't difficult to work out what her mind was stuck on.
Glynda and the nurse excused themselves from the room, instructing the students to call for them if they needed anything.
Once the door had clicked closed, Pyrrha spoke up, bringing Nora out of her trance, "This isn't your fault, you know that, don't you?"
Jaune added, "None of us knew what would happen, no one was to blame for this, Nora."
"It was my fault, though," Nora spoke, "it was all my stupid fault. I was the one that scared that kid. If I hadn't've done that then none of this wouldn't happened in the first place."
And there it was, out in the open.
As usual, it didn't take long for Nora to express herself. It never did when her partners were involved.
Pyrrha lifted her hand to Nora's face, turning it to look at her as she spoke, "That was an accident, Nora. You know that if Ren was awake right now he'd say the same thing as well."
The shorter girl sighed, eyes downcast, "I know."
"Then what's the use in bein' all mopey, you big goof," Jaune smiled, reaching his free hand across Ren's middle to take Nora's as well as his unconscious boyfriend's, while Pyrrha pulled her into an embrace, chuckling softly.
"He's gonna be just fine," the taller girl said into a head of red hair.
"I know," Nora mumbled into her shoulder, her voice tight from holding in her tears.
Pyrrha hugged her tighter, feeling her shoulder begin to dampen, the shorter girl's body shaking slightly.
Jaune offered whatever support he could from the other side of the bed, squeezing Nora's hand every so often to remind her that he was there.
In truth, he was just as worried as Nora was.
He felt just as at fault as his shorter girlfriend did, because after all, he was the one in the arena with Ren. Jaune was the one fighting him. Maybe if his aura hadn't have been so worn down already by the blonde's attacks, then he would've been able to make his lightning attack without shattering his own aura.
It was a difficult situation, without a doubt, though Jaune did try to heed Pyrrha's words.
It was an accident.
It was no one's fault.
There was no way any of them could've predicted this, or prevented it. They couldn't go back and change it now, all they could do was be present for their team mate.
It was then that Ren began to stir, groaning as he was brought back into consciousness. Nora pulled away from Pyrrha at the speed of light, the three of them returning all of their focus back onto Ren as he slowly blinked open his eyes.
He mumbled as he woke, though his words were inaudible.
"Hey, Renny," he turned his head to face the short girl, "how're you feeling?"
He pondered his answer for a moment, while Jaune scooted his chair closer to the head end of the bed, "tired."
"Yeah, I bet," the blonde added, "you're not in any pain though, are you?"
Ren pondered again, for slightly longer this time, "I don't... I don't think so," he spoke quietly, his voice shaking.
Pyrrha's eyebrows furrowed, "do you remember what happened?"
The bedridden boy blinked slowly, "I... I remember using Nora's semblance, I think," he paused, looking to Jaune, "we were sparring, right? And- and I used the lightning, and then... and then..." He stopped, struggling to find the information he was looking for. It was no wonder, considering the next thing that had happened was him passing out.
"You collapsed, buddy," Jaune supplied, stroking his thumb across the back of Ren's hand.
Ren lifted his gaze to stare at the ceiling, "well that explains why I can't remember anything else, then."
It wasn't supposed to be a joke, but he was glad to find that his deadpan comment seemed to alleviate the tense atmosphere of the room, even if only a little, as his team mates giggled softly.
His vision was still tinted with the thin glass of sleep, blurring the world around him. He blinked a few times, attempting to right it, however quickly lost focus on this endeavour as his eyes fell on Nora. Even with a slight blur, it was hard to miss the drying streaks down her face.
"Have you been crying?" He inquired, concerned. Though the concern didn't translate very well through his slightly slurred speech, it seemed the ginger picked up on it anyways.
"It's all good, Renny, I promise," she assured, "I was just worried about you, is all."
Ren frowned, squeezing her hand as tightly as he could with his current lack of strength.
He realised he didn't actually know what was wrong with him. If Nora had enough reason to be concerned that she was crying, then whatever was wrong with him must be serious.
A sudden flicker of fear brought up his heart rate, picked up on the heart monitor he was connected to.
"I- I'm okay, right?" he whispered.
The trio's faces dropped. Pyrrha quickly rushed to assure him, "yes! Yes, you're perfectly okay. Or you will be."
Ren's heart did not slow down.
Nora scrambled to calm him, "you passed out cause you used too much of your aura, is all! I promise you're okay, Renny. I'm so sorry for scaring you."
Jaune gently rubbed his hand up and down the shorter boy's arm, a soothing technique that they used on the ravenette in the past when bringing him down from nightmares, "You're okay, Ren."
The heart monitor slowed.
"I was just upset 'cause I was angry at myself, Ren," Nora continued.
The boy gave a questioning look.
"I was blaming myself for what happened, 'cause I was the one who scared the kid, and it was my semblance you were using," Nora continued before her partner could interject, "but I know that it's not my fault, and you don't blame me, 'cause it was an accident and all that."
Pyrrha smiled, "plus I think we all were just a little stressed after that whole thing."
Jaune nudged Ren's arm playfully, "Yeah, man, don't go scaring us like that again, got it? Seeing you collapse like that was not fun."
Ren huffed a laugh, glad to know that he was alright, for the most part, "sorry, I'll bare that in mind for next time I shatter my aura."
They laughed, and suddenly it was as if everything was normal again.
The ravenette hummed, "I am sorry for scaring you, though," he was talking to all of them, but his eyes were on Nora as he spoke.
The ginger smiled, "There's nothing to apologise for. Pyrrha and Jaune said earlier that it was an accident, and none of us could've predicted what happened," she pointed an accusing finger at the boy, "so if I don't get to be sorry, then you don't get to either, mister."
The bedridden boy raised his hands in front of him defensively as he chuckled, "Of course. My bad."
There was a comfortable silence for a few moments, as Nora situated herself in Pyrrha's arms, her back against the taller girl's front, and Jaune shuffled his chair closer to the head of the bed.
"You should get some more sleep, bud. You need it," the blonde spoke up, pushing a few stray strands of hair out of Ren's face.
And with that, the shorter boy was reminded of just how tired he was, realising how heavy his limbs felt, even while he was laying down, his back tilted upright slightly in the infirmary bed.
The ravenette hummed contentedly, closing his eyes and leaning his face towards Jaune's hand. The taller boy took the hint, and gently cupped his boyfriend's face, stroking his thumb across his still rather pale cheeks.
"Go to sleep, Renny," he whispered, his own face only a short distance away from Ren's.
Pyrrha and Nora gazed fondly at the scene before them, watching as Ren was slowly lulled to sleep by Jaune carefully grazing his cheek with his thumb. It wasn't long before the ravenette was asleep again, his breathing having evened out. The blonde carefully removed his hand from the boy's face.
He turned his head to find Pyrrha and Nora still gazing at him, a love he couldn't even begin to put into words shining in their eyes.
None of them dared speak, for fear of waking up their exhausted, slumbering boyfriend, but they didn't need words to confirm the fact that none of them would be leaving his bedside.
Not until he awoke, at least.