Weiss woke up with a silent scream… That nightmare again.
Weiss subconsciously felt the area where that spear had pierced her. She felt nothing but the smoothest of skin, not even a tiny scar. There was no evidence of the event, so why is she still feeling the pain and the horrible dreams?
After some research, it was akin to phantom limb syndrome. It was something that caused the person to feel like they still had their limb, except in her case she just felt the pain of the spear going through her body.
An involuntary shiver ran down her spine. She needed to take her mind of that traumatic event. It had been at least a week after their battle at Haven, but the events were as fresh as ever in her mind.
Placing at least a robe over her nightie, she paced out of the bedroom silently. As soon as she closed the door to their room, she just wandered aimlessly.
Her fingers played with the skin again and was still amazed at how flawless that area was. Aura was an amazing thing, considering how she nearly died.
She blanched at the thought. No, Weiss should not think about that, she was here now and it didn't need to be said. She smiled as the memories of their reunion flash in her mind, feeling like she was home at last.
Her subconscious jerked her back to reality as she heard grunting and the clanking of metal. Peering around the corner, she saw Jaune.
He was fully suited up in his gear, shield splayed out and his sword at the ready… Was that a woman's voice? Weiss peered around until she saw the scroll on the bench, a blob of red from as far as she could see.
Her thoughts were jerked back to the present as Jaune began to move to the instructions given by the woman… Who would be training him?
Inching closer, the voice became painfully familiar… Pyrrha.
Weiss gave Jaune a pitiful look. Even after all of this, he's still training under her tutelage, it was sweet and somewhat inspiring. That after everything that has happened to him, he still finds the drive to improve himself.
But his face wasn't at peace… Every time Pyrrha spoke, his face contorted in sadness and his mind appearing elsewhere as he acted like he knew the whole routine off by heart. He slashed when commanded, splitting the air with the force. He switched his position when commanded, and brought his shield up.
'We often think that we've lost so much, that we forget that there are others who have lost more.' The thought raced through her mind.
In fact, if it wasn't for Jaune and his Semblance, she wouldn't be standing there as he toiled under Pyrrha's tutelage.
The snow haired princess looked down in sadness as she realised how horrible she was to him during their first year at Beacon. She foolishly thought that he wanted the perks of her last name, not even registering that if he didn't know who Pyrrha was then he probably wouldn't know how powerful her surname truly was.
The Ice Queen automatically brushed him off and his advances were ignored. Her face winced, memories coming back to her stating something along the lines of saying that she didn't want to have anything to do with anyone wanting the perks of the Schnee name. She had just lumped him in with the same suitors, all because she made herself expect that out of any man who came calling.
"Weiss?" His soft voice cracked her out of that train of thought. Obviously during his exercise he noticed her.
"Hi Jaune."
He motioned for the Scroll to pause before placing Crocea Mors against the bench. "Are you ok?"
Even after everything that has happened to him, and how she treated him, he still cared for her. That was the man that Jaune Arc was: selfless and caring.
"I just couldn't sleep and went for a walk. What about you? Are you ok?" Her voice was tinged with concern as she stepped out of the shadows and got closer to him.
The blonde knight smiled before digging his sword point into the ground, but the smile never reached his eyes. "Yeah, just learning the routine that Pyrrha set me. Can't continue to be useless, gotta learn how to carry my weight somehow." He laughed, but it was without mirth.
Weiss knew that, for she had been around people who fake laughed all the time. But it didn't stop her for feeling sympathy. "Jaune, I know we haven't been on the best of terms, but please. We're all friends here and I'm concerned about you… Are you ok?"
He gestured around wordlessly before his gaze fell upon the scroll, Pyrrha's face smiling at him. "No, Weiss. I'm not. But I have to be for us, for you and for the rest of you guys." A sigh escaped from his lips, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
He straightened himself up and placed a small smile on his face… It was a facade. "What was the dream?"
She shuffled a bit and wrapped her arms around herself before looking away. "It was about what happened at Haven." He stiffened somewhat as did his eyes.
"Weiss, if you're coming here to thank me, there is no need to. I would do it again and again and again. Because in my mind there was no way that if I had the choice to prevent you from dying, I wouldn't choose to do so." He went to grab his scroll and shut it.
She shuffled again, nervous. "How can you rebound so easily? Even after everything that has happened to you. You still fight. I'd even wager that you've suffered more than most of us."
"It's so her efforts don't die in vain. I'm sick of being the victim, so sick of being hopeless as my friends fight to the death. I had enough when I saw you on your knees, so I acted. I'm sick of being the useless weight, the thing that drags all of you down." He looked at her with a hard stare, clearly uncomfortable with how this was going.
"Jaune, there's no shame in being useless in your situation. We are literally fighting superhumans and mutants that only want to kill us. You aren't useless Jaune, you have that amazing head of yours that can think of a strategy within a heartbeat. You have that heart, a spark that Ruby has that brings us all together. You may not be at the front of the lines, but you are certainly the strategist and the drummer who leads us to war." She reached out and grabbed a handful of his hoodie.
He closed his eyes and chuckled. "That is the first time I've ever been called a drummer."
She smiled somewhat before tilting her head. Her smile grew into a look of sadness. "Jaune…. There is something I have to say."
He turned his whole body towards her and waited for her to continue. "I'm so sorry Jaune… I'm so sorry for shooting you down, so sorry for thinking that you just wanted me for my last name, I'm so sorry for acting so cold and so short sighted for not realising that you legitimately fancied me for my personality and not for the perks of my surname"
He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. He gave her a brief smile. Ocean blue met sapphire blue. "It's fine Weiss, I don't hold it against you.
"How can you still like me when I've acted so cruelly to you in the past?"
He chuckled before shrugging. "I probably realised that your actions were just a defensive measure against greedy jerks. So it really didn't bother me down the track… But, I thank you for apologising nonetheless."
He paused a moment before looking at her in the eyes. "I'm just glad I could save you when I did. I lost Pyrrha, I didn't need to lose someone else I cared about, especially not when it was my fault."
"It wasn't your fault Jaune, I'm certain it wasn't." She gazed over at where the scroll once was. "You miss her, don't you?"
He stiffened before letting her go, looking at the emblem on his shield. "More than you could ever know. If I wasn't so clueless or if we had more time together, there were so many things I wish I could've said…"
Two people, whose lives have been turned upside down. Two people, who fate just keeps kicking them down but they kept rising up to face it down again and again.
"Jaune. I know I can never replace Pyrrha, nor do I want to." He looked at her, confused. "But please know that I am here for you, as is everyone else. You don't have to face your demons alone."
He smiled at her. "Weiss, when did you become such a warm and fuzzy person?" She opened her mouth in mock anger and slapped his shoulder lightly.
She smiled before becoming serious again. "Pyrrha would be proud of you, Jaune. Not only have you tried your hardest to improve yourself, but you've been there for your friends and teammates. It's what drew her to you."
He smiled before looking up at the stars, tears began to fall down his face. Everything… Every moment in his life came crashing down upon him. His heart ached for Pyrrha, for her to know that he loved her. But his chance at happiness was gone….
But then there was Weiss, his original crush. He didn't fancy her that way anymore, but he held her in the highest regards. And here she was, comforting him.
"Thank you Weiss, for everything."
"Don't thank me for anything, you big dolt. I just hope I can pay back the debt for saving my life."
He chuckled heartily again. "Weiss, there is no such debt. That's what friends are for." He reached down and kissed her on the cheek before grabbing his gear and walking away. Stopping he looked over at her. "Well? Are you coming?"
She had a red tinge to her face, and she smiled as she walked to his side.
They both went down the halls and stopped at their respective dorms.
They looked at each other, both feeling admiration and respect for the other.
"Goodnight Weiss."
"Goodnight Jaune."