So, after watching V4 Episode 9, this came to my mind, and i needed to write it! A friend of mine helped me with the cover! we worked both in this fanfic and all that, so yeah, we hope that you like it, you can found her as Amelia Grimmie in DeviantART if you want to take a look at her art! She's pretty good.
Anyway, i hope you guys enjoy this one shoot...and i apologize if my bad english is hard to understand, any problem just tell me and i'll fix it fast as i can! Leave your review with your thoughts and... That's all!
"You don't know what..."
Those were the last words Jaune said, and Ruby didn't reply... All the path to Kuroyuri has been silent, Jaune didn't seem like he wanted to talk neither, he remained silent, just looking forward... Ruby in the other hand, wanted to say something, something to cheer him up, something that could help, but nothing came to her mind, and she hated that, the feeling of can't be able to do or say anything to make her friend feel better was painful, and she could feel a knot in her stomach just for that.
Ruby turned around to see her Uncle still coughing, his skin getting paler, and that scared her, she just hoped they can find something in Kuroyuri that could help her Uncle, or maybe Ren and Nora can find someone or another place close to them… And then she looked to Jaune, he didn't seem to notice that she was looking at him, his face was so… off, like he didn't even know where they were heading to.
"That's it…" Ruby thought to herself now determinate.
"Jaune…" The scythe wilder called for him.
"…Huh? Uh, yes Ruby?" Jaune looked at her blinking a few times, looks like Ruby took him out of his thoughts.
"…I know that you're worried, but… can you try to be more positive? Everything will be fine, you'll see it." The little red haired girl tried her best to find the right words looking at him, giving him a small smile.
"Ruby, how could you know everything will be fine?" He asked in a cold mod, and then Ruby felt worst, feeling that she was just annoying him.
"I'm just trying to trust them… Ren and Nora can take care of themselves, don't they?" That smile was no longer in her face, but at least she tried to sound like the way Jaune answered didn't hurt her.
"I know bu-" The blonde knight was about to reply when he got interrupted by the coughs of Qrow, he was getting worst.
"Uncle Qrow…" Ruby said looking at Qrow, her voice almost cracked by the state of his Uncle. "We should hurry…"
Jaune just sighed and then nodded "Alright, we shouldn't be so far away from Kuroyuri now…" And with that both of them started to walk a little bit faster, been careful to not trip and make Qrow fall.
"We are not done talking" Ruby said returning to the subject. Jaune looked at her again, a little surprised for the way she said it. "Jaune… I know that something is bothering you, all I want is help… Please tell me."
Jaune didn't reply, he looked to the ground, thinking, Ruby clearly wasn't going to leave just like that right now, but… It was the best moment? They were carrying a poisoned person right know after all, and he didn't want to make things tenser, then he looked back to Ruby, still waiting… But at the same time, worried.
"I'm going to regret this… I know…" Those were the thoughts that came to Jaune mind. "I just… don't want to lose anyone else… I'm scared of losing Ren or Nora….Or worst, both of them."
"Jaune… I know that, but…" Ruby was about to say more but cut her off.
"But that's not all." Jaune quickly said making Ruby blink in surprise, but deep inside her she know there was more. "It's your Uncle, is he even telling us ALL the truth?"
"What do you mean?" Her tone was now more serious looking Jaune right to his blue eyes.
"You know what I mean Ruby" Jaune looked back to her silver eyes, he was been serious too. "If they already sent a guy like that Tyrian, how can we be sure they won't send more? And know that we are split up, it's easier for them to kill us and capture you!"
"And what does have to do with my Uncle and all what he said?" Ruby asked him, with a tone quite…Serious, more serious than usual. But it was normal after all, he was talking about her Uncle.
"Because he used you as bait!" The blonde answered yelling not so loud, the eyes of the knight were still looking at the eyes of the scythe wilder, he could noticed something… She was…getting upset? "He knew they will come for you, and he waited until they came for you, because HE KNEW IT. He could prevent that, but he didn't, and I bet that there were a lot of thing they could prevent or find any different solution but they didn't."
"Why you believe that Jaune? Why do you have to think of my Uncle in that way? I know there's a lot of take in after what he told us…" Her silver eyes keep looking the blues eyes of Jaune, more than just upset… she was disappointed. "But all of these things you're saying… It's just because of Pyrrha, doesn't it?"
Jaune didn't answer… The silent answered by itself, the knight just looked away, trying to avoid the look Ruby was giving him. And again the silent returned, Jaune was looking away and Ruby was staring at him waiting for him to say something, but he didn't say any word… so Ruby spoke again.
"Why do you keep all of this by yourself?" She asked, but he didn't answered. "Why you never talk about this?"
Jaune again put the same face, Ruby HATED that face, Jaune looked so…off, like he didn't even cared about what was going on around him. But that's the face Jaune used to have when he was thinking about that night again.
The flashbacks coming to his mind, looking at that girl… that poor girl suffering behind that machine, Ozpin activating it, and then Pyrrha getting inside, he really didn't know what was going on, he was worried and scared… Then Cinder appeared, killing that girl…that maiden, and taking all that power, it didn't matter how he trained, he was useless against her, and funny…he knew it, even so, he tried, because he wanted to protect Pyrrha, just like she always protected him…And he failed, and that same night… He lost her. And know, everything that happened that night, and the days before that, and the way Pyrrha was acting so weird…It started to make sense now.
After a few more moments of silent again, Jaune finally started to talk again.
"…If they were 4 Maidens, then they could find the others 3, don't you think? Or maybe found another solution." Those were the words from Jaune finally turning to see Ruby again.
"You can't blame my Uncle for that." Ruby said directly with a firm voice, already knowing what he was getting at.
"…Ruby I'm serious, forcing Pyrrha to do something like that, doesn't sound like a pretty good solution to me." Jaune insisted.
"He already told you Jaune! They didn't force anything! It was her choice!" Ruby declared yelling at him, she wasn't going to let Jaune blame her Uncle just like that.
"Her choice? Or what the pressure made her choose?" The blonde argued, making Ruby open her eyes in surprise, for a moment the red haired girl didn't know how to respond, he was kind of right after all… No, no, no. He wasn't right, Ruby know her Uncle better than anyone, even if he hide things, Qrow will never push someone to do something like that, never.
"My Uncle said that you were there the moment she made her choice… If Pyrrha really didn't wanted to do it, she could just refused." Now Ruby argued back, and for her surprise Jaune seemed to start getting upset too.
"You don't know that!" Jaune yelled, he stopped walking looking to Ruby, no devout that he was upset now. But worst, he said those words again, and this time he was yelling at her… That really hurt her deep inside. "You haven't been there with Pyrrha like me… She was…. She was acting so weird, something was bothering her, scaring her, and now I know what it was! Don't talk like you could know how she was feeling!"
Ruby remained silent in surprise by the way Jaune was yelling at her, she could fill something burning on her chest, gritting her teeth's , she tried her best to not yell him back with everything what was coming to her mind. It could make things worse.
"C'mon Ruby tell me" The blonde called again, now he was waiting for her to respond. "Do you believe you could know how Pyrrha was feeling? Tell me!"
"I don't know!" Finally Ruby yelled back, but the Reaper tried her best to remain calm and not let her emotions take control over her and begin to yell things that probably will regret saying. "I don't know Jaune okay!? I probably wasn't there for Pyrrha like you! But something I do know, is that Pyrrha always wanted to do the right thing! And if she made that choice, was for a reason! Try to understand her and stop trying to find any culprit for something that no one has fault!"
"No!" Jaune shouted back "She didn't have any other options like YOUR Uncle and the others did have!"
"That's the only thing your closed mind can see because you try to blame someone else that YOU COULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO AVOID PYRRHA'S DEATH!, STOP TRYING TO BLAME SOMEONE ELSE FOR THE GUILT THAT YOU FEEL!" Ruby didn't believe what she just said, quickly the reaper covered her mouth with one hand looking in shock at Jaune, who opened his eyes in surprise.
"J-jaune I'm sorry…" Ruby tried to say, but her voice stuttered. "I'm…I didn't mean to say it like that, I'm s-sorry Jaune."
"No, no, don't be, I mean, the point already has been made, right? It's my fault that Pyrrha died because I'm weak, is that it doesn't?" Jaune was mad, the blonde knight didn't even looked like he was thinking what he was saying at this point, but he didn't care. He lowered the makeshift stretcher where Qrow has been carried, Ruby did the same, she wasn't able to carry her Uncle by herself after all.
"Jaune, please we don't have time for this! I'm sorry!" Ruby tried to say, but Jaune didn't listen.
"It's because that I'm weak that Pyrrha die, right!? Because I keep getting behind from all of you, I'm not able to do anything! Right!? So tell me Ruby, why did you told me to come!?" He asked her yelling, Ruby stepped back putting both of her hands in her chest.
"B-because you're my friend an-"She tried to reply, but Jaune didn't let her again.
"No! Because your teammates split up! And you decided to take the second option, those were me, Ren and Nora! If they were here, I bet that you wouldn't care to tell us to go, neither me, because I'm SOO DAMN WEAK AND I COULDN'T PROTECT ANYONE RIGHT!?" Jaune yelled again more loud now, Ruby keep stepping back while Jaune was yelling until he finish, she stopped pressing her hands in her own chest, she couldn't take it anymore.
"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT STOP!" Ruby closed her eyes and know she was about to give him a piece of her mind. "Jaune, I!" Once again she got interrupted, but not because of Jaune this time, both of them heard something coming to them.
Grimm's, Beowulf's were running to them from different directions, their little "fight" seems to have attracted these creatures.
"…We'll finish this later" Jaune said looking at the Beowolfs coming to their direction.
Ruby looked to Jaune who was taking out Crocea Mors from his sheath, and then he expanded it turning it in his shield.
"No." Ruby said taking Crecent Rose and preparing herself too, turning his weapon in his Sniper mode. "We ARE NOT done talking yet, I already told you that before Jaune." The reaper then jumped away, dodging the claws from one of the Beowolfs and started to shoot to the Grimm in the head killing it instantly.
"What!? You want to keep doing this right know!?" Jaune blocked one of the Beowolfs and then he pushed it away cutting his head off.
"Yes Jaune! I still haven't said anything!" The red haired yelled again dodging every attacks from the Beowolfs, she did a quick back flip jump, now with Crecent Rose in her Scythe mode. The Reaper landed behind 2 of the creatures cutting them in half.
"Tell me what!? That you believe in the words of your Uncle!? That I'm wrong!? That isn't their fault what happened!?" The knight turn in a defense position blocking the claws from one of the Beowolfs, another one tried to attack him from behind, he noticed this and dodge quickly making that Beowolf hit the other one in the face with his claws, then the blonde knight took the advantage and stabbed the one who was still standing in the chest killing it.
"Stop saying that! My Uncle and Pyrrha just wanted to help the people in Remnant!" Ruby was furious cutting more Beowolfs in half and then shooting the ones who tried to jump at her.
"I'm saying this again, HE USED YOU AS BAIT." Jaune said once again and then turned to her after cutting the chest of another Beowolf.
"Stop saying that! He already told us the reason why! It's his Semblance Jaune!" Ruby then stopped shooting and made a quick reload, she turned to see Jaune again.
"Right his semblance, that's a perfect excuse to do just wait until a bunch of murders come for you, don't you think?" Jaune gave a quick swing with Crocea Mors cutting in two another Beowolf.
"It's NOT he was trying to protect us!" Ruby blocked the bite of other Beowolf with Crecent Rose and then she kicked him in the gut pushing him away, The Reaper aimed to the head shooting instantly.
"Like he and the rest of them protected all of us the night that Beacon fall, right? How could you trust him!?" After finishing that line, a really upset Ruby aimed close to him, and then she shoots, he thought for a moment she tried to shoot him, but then he turned to noticed that he had a Beowolf behind him… He didn't see it coming, then the knight turned again to look at Ruby now in front of him.
"Because HE'S my family! And even if he hide things, he doesn't do it to hurt me or others! He never did, HE SAVED us back at Oniyuri from that Tyrian guy! But you don't see it! You only want to look a culprit for Pyrrha's death! You're not the only one who is afraid of losing anyone else, you're not the only one who suffered after all this Jaune! You are right, MY teammates aren't with me anymore, and even my own sister leave me! But blaming my Uncle or Ozpin or anyone else WON'T make anything better! That's not the solution, and even if all of this scares me, and hurts me… I'm trying my best to make things better, to try to not fall and lose the hope! I have lost my Mother before Jaune, and I lost two friends that night too…" That's all she had left to say, leaving Jaune with out words just looking at her.
To their misfortune, that little discussion bring even more Beowolfs, without say nothing again both of them returned to fight to the incoming Grimm's.
Neither of them said a simple word, Ruby didn't noticed how an Alpha Beowolf was getting closer to them, she was so distracted fighting the Grimms in front of her, that she forgot about Qrow, the Alpha Beowolf was getting even more closer, the creature locked already his first objective, it was preparing his claws to attack Qrow, who wasn't able to fight back.
The grunting's of the creature finally made her turn around, The Reaper eye's opened in horror, watching how the creature was about to land his claws in Qrow.
The sound of metal clashing made surprised her, watching Jaune blocking the attack with his shield. The blonde started to fight against the Alpha Beowolf by his own, this type of Beowolfs were stronger and able to resist more hits, it wasn't going easy for Jaune to kill it by himself.
Ruby was about to help him until the lasts Beowolfs were in front of her, getting in her way "Not now!" were her thoughts, without losing more time she started to kill the creatures.
Meanwhile Jaune was dodging the attacks from the Alpha Beowolf, the blonde was thinking how to beat this creature.
"If I stab him right in the chest with one strong hit I'll kill him… I just need to approach to him…." He thought looking at the creature growling and preparing for another attack. "Here goes nothing…" The blonde whispered to himself, he put his shield in front of him to block again the claws of the Grimm, then he started to push tackling him with his shield pushing him away from Qrow. "HAAAAAA!" He screamed stabbing the Grim right in the chest, the Alpha started to grow in pain, Jaune was pushing Crocea Mors deeper until the Grimm pushed him away in one hit.
Jaune fell on his back, Crocea Mors was still in the chest of the chest of the Alpha Beowolf, and his shield was on the floor, the blonde knight looked at the Grimm approaching to him, he didn't have any of his weapons to defend himself.
Ruby was about to kill the final Beowolf until she saw the exact moment when that giant creature jumped to the knight attacking him with his claws wildly.
"JAUNE NO!" The Reaper screamed in horror, she quickly cut the Grimm in half and started to run to them preparing his Scythe.
The sound of the Alpha growling in pain made her stop right in front of them, she took a look and saw how Crocea Mors crossed complete the chest of the Grimm. Jaune was able to give the final push to his sword and finally kill it.
Now the blonde was there, panting tired and scared.
"…I did it, oh my God, I did it… I… I thought I was going to die…! "Jaune said looking at the scratches in a few parts of his arms and in one of his cheeks, his new armor protected him from all the damage. "... I'm so glad I decided to upgrade my armor… I can't thank enough to that blacksmith" He said in relief.
Ruby was standing there looking in surprise how he manage to survive and kill that Grimm, she was so scared that Jaune was going to die right there in front of her. At the moment the blonde started to get up Ruby without any thought hugged him, she gave him a tight hug not wanting to let him go.
"Huh…? Ruby?" Jaune was confused, not so long ago they were fighting after all. But he didn't push her away… It would be a lie say that he wasn't enjoying her hug.
"…I'm sorry Jaune… For all that I said… I'm so sorry." Those were her words, the blonde felt a little surprised, but ashamed… She didn't have anything to apologize for.
"Ruby…Please, you have nothing to apologize." He said hugging her back pulling her closer to him.
"I do! I was forcing you to talk about this… and we started fighting… and them the Grimms… For a moment I was scared of losing you too Jaune, I thought you was going to die." Ruby was sobbing, seems like know she was crying, and know Jaune felt more stupid.
"No… Ruby hear me out." Jaune called her with a soft voice, she looked him at his eyes once more, her silver eyes looking to his blue eyes, but this time, they were calm. Not upset, not mad, not in pain or anything like that… just calm. "I wasn't thinking right… all that I say… was stupid, you were right, I can't blame your Uncle or anyone else for what happen to Pyrrha, neither those words…about your Team… I was just stupid and blind to see it… And I'm sorry, I'm not the only one who suffered that night after all… Can you forgive me?"
Ruby didn't answer, she took his time still looking at his eyes.
"…I'll forgive you, just with one condition." Ruby finally said, and that beautiful smile returned to her face.
"Anything you ask for." The blonde now was smiling too.
"I'll forgive you… If you forgive me too, because even if I was right or no… The way I said it… Was kinda rude… and this clearly wasn't the best moment to talk about that, I'm part guilty too for bringing this right now and ended like this." The red haired girl said, and then she hugged him tight again.
"…Alright, It's a deal then." Jaune said smiling hugging her again too.
They stay like that for a few more seconds before pulling out, both of them looked at Qrow who was still alive for they fortune, both of them took the Stretcher again and started to walk carrying Qrow in it.
"…Hey Jaune" Ruby called for him turning to see him again while they were walking.
"Yes?" Jaune was wondering what she had to say now.
"I want you to know, that you can talk with me… that you can trust me, if theres anything that you want to talk or if you don't feel well… You can come with me, for anything…" The scythe wilder offered looking at him with a warm smile.
"…I know, and I promise that I will from now." He nodded smiling at her too. "But… Only if you do the same with me, deal?"
"Deal" She responded, but still looking at him. "One more thing."
"Uh, yeah?"
"Don't say that you're weak or that you can't protect anyone… You killed that Alpha Beowolf and you protected my Uncle… Thank you Jaune." And with that Ruby returned to look forward, but with that smile still in her face.
Jaune didn't expect that…But she was right, he did that by himself.
"Yeah… I guess I did." Jaune was proud of himself right know… and he bet that Pyrrha where ever she is right now, was proud of him too.
There! i...tried my best, i'm still learning to write, and write in english so, any opinion just say it!
And the reason why i made them fight...It's because i think they deserve feel more emotions you know? It's normal to be scared in times like that, but with Jaune been upset with Qrow, i wanted to try something like this.
Hope you guys liked it, and if you didn't tell me why, and i'll try to wor harder the next time i write something.
Adios!