A Charity Event
It was midnight when Team RWBY’s dorm door was suddenly assaulted by an inexplicable sound.
A soft strumming of a guitar.
A sharp shake of a tambourine.
And, most concerningly—
A rhythmic clap that was eerily in sync with whatever was about to happen.
Inside the dorm, Blake’s cat ears twitched as she lifted her head from her book.
Yang, who had just finished brushing her hair, stared at the door with a frown. “What the hell is this now?”
Ruby, already paranoid from previous Jaune-related incidents, immediately grabbed Crescent Rose and strapped it tightly around her hip. Her eyes squinted at the door.
Weiss, arms crossed, sighed heavily. “If it’s who I think it is, then we are about to suffer.”
A knock echoed.
Then a second knock.
Then—
Jaune’s obnoxiously cheerful voice.
“Weiss! Open up! We have an important mission that requires your voice!”
A long silence followed.
Then Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose before finally opening the door.
What she saw gave her a headache.
Jaune stood in the hallway, a guitar slung around his shoulder, looking way too proud of himself.
Next to him was Penny, smiling ear to ear, holding a tambourine like it was a divine relic.
Beside her was Ciel Soleil, her face bright red, looking like she regretted every life choice that had led her here.
And then—
The backup crew.
Sky and Dove, standing at Jaune’s flanks like loyal goons, already nodding their heads to an imaginary beat.
And Ren.
Wearing shades.
Weiss blinked. Then, slowly, she turned to Jaune. “What. Is. This.”
Penny stepped forward, clutching her tambourine. “Weiss! It must be done.”
“…What must be done?” Weiss asked warily.
Jaune cleared his throat. “It’s simple! We’re forming a charity event to bring joy to the children’s hospital in Vale! And for that, we need your voice, Weiss!”
Weiss’ expression turned to pure disbelief.
Blake, still lying on her bed, closed her book with an audible snap.
Yang raised an eyebrow. “Okay, okay, hold on. Why are Ren and Ciel here?”
Before Ren could answer, Ciel, her face redder than a tomato, muttered, “I… have been assigned to dance… maybe?”
Silence.
Yang grinned.
Weiss crossed her arms.
“…Alright, I’ll bite. I don’t even wanna know what lead to this. But Helping children is a noble cause, but why are all of you idiots, no offense, Penny and Ciel, involved?”
Penny, beaming, clapped her hands together. “Oh! That is simple! We have decided upon this to tric—I mean persuade you in giving us a few tips!”
Weiss blinked. “... What persuade?”
Penny raised a finger. “Jaune provides instrumentation.”
Jaune strummed his guitar with an exaggerated flair. “We’ll be doing the concert!”
Penny continued. “I provide percussion.”
She gave the tambourine a dramatic shake.
Sky and Dove simultaneously gave jazz hands.
“I don’t know what we provide,” Dove admitted.
“I think we’re just here as backdrop,” Sky muttered. “But we’re good at instruments too.”
“And Ren?” Yang asked, grinning.
Ren slowly adjusted his shades.
Ciel, embarrassed beyond belief, mumbled, “He’s here to…provide the beat.”
Yang choked on a laugh. “You mean he’s going to dance?”
Ciel looked away. “I… have no idea actually.”
Ren gave a confident nod.
Jaune clapped his hands together. “Alright! Since everyone is assembled, let’s begin what we practice!”
He gripped his guitar, struck a pose, and—
Started playing.
The moment Jaune strummed the first chord, it was already clear that this was going to be a disaster.
It was the melody of Mirror Mirror.
But different.
Weiss immediately recognized it, but before she could question it—
Jaune started singing.
Badly. With different lyrics.
“Who am I? Am I not unique?”
Weiss physically recoiled.
Jaune, completely unfazed, continued belting out the lyrics.
“Maybe I’m not here at all~”
Penny shook the tambourine.
Sky and Dove harmonized horribly.
Ren, still wearing the shades, clapped to the beat with soulful precision.
Ciel, trapped in a fate worse than death, swayed awkwardly.
Jaune, completely ignoring Weiss’ expression of betrayal, went full power.
“But the fakers… BLIND US ALLLL~”
Penny was into it.
Ren was into it.
Ruby was unsure how to feel.
Weiss was furious.
And Yang?
Yang was recording it.
Jaune was then finished.
“So, how about it Weiss, can we do this? We’re hoping to get your permission to sing your song— Oh are you excited?”
Weiss was trembling.
Not out of emotion.
Not out of appreciation.
But out of pure, unfiltered rage.
“HOW DARE YOU. DO YOU WISH TO EMBARASS ME? I SHALL SHOW YOU HOW IT IS DONE!”
Jaune blinked. “Huh?”
Weiss snatched the guitar.
Jaune yelped. “Wait—!”
Weiss took a deep breath.
Then—
She played the correct melody.
And then started singing it correctly.
Penny, starry-eyed, clapped with excitement, then whispered. “She has accepted the transaction!”
Jaune, defeated but proud, nodded. “Mission success.”
Ren gave a thumbs-up.
Ruby, still holding Crescent Rose, watched them whisper, but listened to Weiss’s singing voice.
Blake just sighed, opening her book again. “I knew staying up was a mistake.”
Yang, still recording, smirked. “Oh, she’s definitely got baited. Not bad Jaune, not bad.”
And Ciel, whose soul had left her body, nodded along.
And so a deal was struck...
A week later.
Jaune Arc stood backstage, adjusting the tie of his suit, glancing at the grand stage before him. The ballroom, originally meant for small gatherings, had somehow transformed into an elaborate concert venue.
“Is the venue secured?” Jaune said on his headset.
Then he saw the Cabin boys, in their suits and ties, flashing Jaune their Club’s hand sign and then an okay sign, who all volunteered to be part of this endeavor.
At the front rows upon rows of lights framed the stage, giving the entire space an ethereal glow. The audience was supposed to be only for the children, but because of some unexpected events, an army of Weiss and Pyrrha superfans had donated thousands of Lien just to witness this rare performance.
At the very front, dozens of children sat, their eyes wide with excitement. Many of them clutched small plushies of Weiss and Pyrrha, giggling and whispering among themselves.
Jaune turned to Weiss, who stood tall in an elegant blue dress, her poise completely unwavering despite the sheer number of people staring at her.
Next to her, Pyrrha Nikos, face completely red, fidgeted in her flowing red dress.
Pyrrha still didn’t understand how she had been roped into this. It was always a whirlwind with Jaune nowadays, and all of them were taken for a wild ride.
She even started to believe that there was some great cosmic event that made silly things like these… possible.
Jaune smirked, leaning toward her. “Go break a leg.”
Pyrrha’s emerald eyes narrowed.
She whispered back, voice dangerously sweet, “If I mess up, I’m breaking your leg.”
Jaune gulped. “Duly noted.”
Behind them, Ren adjusted his shades, crossing his arms. “We stick to the rhythm. No improvising. No nonsense. Just as practice”
Jaune opened his mouth to say something stupid—
But Ren silenced him immediately with a one-inch aura punch to the ribs.
Jaune doubled over, coughing. “Okay! Okay! I get it! No jokes!”
Penny giggled, shaking her tambourine as she stood in formation with Ciel, Sky, and Dove, all of whom were dressed in matching suits for the background accompaniment.
Ciel adjusted her glasses. Taking it seriously. “This is a formal event. Conduct yourselves accordingly.”
Jaune, still rubbing his ribs, muttered, “Yeah, tell that to Ren and his killer punches.”
Ren didn’t react. He simply cracked his knuckles.
Jaune immediately shut up.
As the curtains rose, the entire hospital ballroom fell silent.
Weiss stepped forward first, her icy blue dress shimmering under the lights. She held the microphone with grace, her expression serene.
Then Pyrrha stepped beside her, still flustered but undeniably stunning, the deep red of her dress making her stand out in the spotlight.
The moment the first note played, the audience held their breath.
Then Weiss sang.
“Tell me something…
Tell me who’s the loneliest of all?”
Pyrrha joined her, their voices intertwining like silk and steel.
“Mirror, what’s inside of me?
Tell me, can a heart be turned to stone?”
Jaune, despite everything, felt his breath catch.
They sounded… perfect.
Penny shook her tambourine softly, adding to the gentle rhythm. Sky and Dove, completely serious for once, provided a slow instrumental backing.
Ren played the keyboard, his fingers moving with precision, adding a soft, melancholic depth to the song.
Ciel remained stiff, but played her part flawlessly.
The audience watched in complete silence, completely entranced.
Children swayed gently to the song, some holding their Weiss and Pyrrha plushies close.
The fans in the back? They were already crying.
The lyrics continued, carried by Weiss’s ethereal soprano and Pyrrha’s deep, emotional alto.
“Mirror, mirror, what’s behind you?
Save me from the things I see.
I can keep it from the world…
Why won’t you let me hide from me?”
Jaune glanced at the crowd.
The doctors, nurses, and patients who had been working through tough days… they looked softer now.
The children, who had been through so much, looked so happy.
This… this was exactly why they did this.
Jaune grinned.
Even if Ren almost cracked his ribs earlier, even if Pyrrha might actually break his leg later, and even if Weiss might murder him for turning this into a full-scale event…
It was worth it.
As Weiss and Pyrrha reached the end of the song, they sang the final lines in perfect harmony.
“Mirror, mirror…
Tell me something.
Who’s the loneliest of all?”
A pause.
Then, soft as a whisper—
“I’m the loneliest of all.”
The final note lingered in the air.
Then—
The auditorium erupted in applause.
Children cheered, their laughter ringing through the air. Fans stood up, clapping wildly, some even wiping away tears.
Even some of the doctors clapped, clearly moved by the performance.
Jaune leaned toward Ren. “See? We didn’t even mess up.”
Ren adjusted his shades, completely unreadable. “If you made a joke on stage, I would have broken your ribs.”
Jaune wisely said nothing.
Weiss turned to Jaune and his band. “You… actually pulled this off.”
Pyrrha, still blushing, crossed her arms. “I still don’t know how I got roped into this.”
Jaune gave her a thumbs-up. “Hey, Pyrrha, no hard feelings, right?”
Pyrrha smiled sweetly.
Jaune felt a chill down his spine.
“…Right?”
“I’m still breaking your leg,” Pyrrha said, punching his shoulder just enough to make him stagger. “Cuffs maybe?”
Jaune shivered.
He turned and flashed a gang hand sign at Penny, who then imitated the hand sign too.
As the rest of the night was played by the other musicians Weiss hired.
The hospital remained filled with laughter, joy, and music.