Okay, new chapter! So, we're gonna try and get through meetings, entrance ceremony, and it'd be nice to get through Initiation.
Wächter des Lichts
There were many reasons Jaune was thankful that he had been given another chance.
He could save thousands by preventing the Fall. He could save both Ozpin and Oscar.
He could save Pyrrha.
But there was one advantage the he had not foreseen, and yet was incredibly happy for.
I'm on a Bullhead. And I am not hurling. I'm not even thinking about it.
A small grin blossomed on his face as he watched the beautiful scenery of Vale fly by, for once not clouded by his motion sickness. But, other matters drew his attention.
"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!"
Yang seems surprisingly happy that Ruby got into a firefight with someone who is instrumental in the Fall of Beacon. Even if she doesn't know that part, Roman is a notorious criminal.
Jaune gently pried Ruby from Yang's death grip, allowing the Rose to breathe as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm proud of you Ruby. You stood your own against a very dangerous criminal and probably saved that old man's business."
Ruby blushed a little and scuffed her boot on the ground, playing with the fringe of her skirt.
"But you're still an idiot."
He had expected the somewhat gob smacked expression from Ruby, but not the almost pissed off look from Yang.
"Let me ask you something Ruby. I'm a lot weaker than Roman Torchwick, right? I mean, there is almost no chance I actually beat him in a real fight." A nod from them both. "Okay. And if you and me fought, do you think you would win? Don't tell me what you think I want to hear, tell me what you believe."
Ruby looked away from him, mumbling her answer out.
"I… I think I might come close. I mean, I'm pretty good, and I'm fast, and I did win our last spar."
Jaune sighed as he placed both hands on her shoulders.
"Ruby, I didn't say spar. I asked if you could beat me in a fight." He could see his point wasn't making it through with subtle words.
"Ruby, do you think you could take my life?"
Her horrified expression hurt more than Jaune was ready for. She isn't the Ruby you travelled Remnant with, remember? She hasn't watched her friends die in front of her.
"Ruby, I really am proud of you. You did the right thing, and you protected the innocent. That's what a Huntress does. But these kind of people? They don't care. Your life means nothing to them, nobody's life does. They will kill you without so much as a second thought. Next time, and I pray there won't be a next time, call for backup. It's more important you make it out alive, that way you can try again, okay?"
Ruby nodded, though her mood did not lift. Jaune kicked himself internally for his slip up.
If you can't even hold a conversation with the ones you've lived with, how are going to deal with meeting the others. What'll happen when you see Weiss and Pyrrha?
Thankfully, the rest of the flight went without incident, Jaune even managing to restore the lighthearted mood from before.
This part Jaune remembered, though he was impressed at the speed that Yang ditched them both.
Wait, isn't this when…
"What do you think you're doing?"
Despite his mental preparations, Jaune wasn't ready. He wasn't ready to hear her voice. Not after watching her dive into that pit. Not after consoling Ruby with the loss of her partner.
Keep cool, Jaune. Don't think about the past. You have her back, is that not enough?
"I'm sorry!"
As Jaune finally turned to face her, Weiss was already into a lecture and shaking dust in Ruby's face.
Funny, it's ice dust. Coulda sworn it was fire dust they used last time.
"Achoo!"
And now I'm frozen. Thanks Ruby.
"You dolt! Now look what you did!" Weiss was as peeved as ever, dressed exactly as Jaune remembered.
"Well, excuse me princess."
"It's heiress, actually."
Oh boy. Kinda thought she wouldn't come over.
Blake Belladonna strode forward, confident as ever, holding a vial of dust that had been thrown by the explosion. The three continued their tirade until both Weiss and Ruby remembered their frozen third party. Blake's reaction was understandably more severe.
"I'm sorry about this. I don't know how she managed to do it."
"I didn't do it on purpose!"
Jaune sighed as he placed a hand on both of the girls shoulders.
"Relax, the both of you. Weiss, Ruby didn't mean any harm. She got a little overwhelmed and lost her balance. Try to be more understanding. Ruby, Weiss is upset because you blew her up. That's pretty understandable, don't you think? And she's right, you need to do better about being aware of your surroundings."
Having diffused the situation the best he could, Weiss left after reintroducing herself to Ruby. Jaune turned to look where Blake was, fully expecting her absence.
He let out another heavy sigh as he slung an arm around the saddened Reaper.
"Come on, Rubes. Time for the entrance ceremony."
Seeing Ozpin back in his older form was odd. Both strange and disorienting, but also comforting in some weird way. It was always unnerving to see the young Oscar's eyes light up with ancient wisdom.
Jaune sighed again as he listened to the headmaster's speech.
Just like last time. And now, I can see all of us. Pyrrha's about a yard and a half to my left and had already looked at me a few times. Ren and Nora are off to the right, Ren somehow having snuck pancakes in here to keep Nora quiet. Yang and Ruby are right next to me, Weiss too. And Blake…
Jaune's ears twitched and he closed his eyes slightly as he took a slower breath.
Directly behind me. Smart as ever, she's downwind of me and completely out of my line of sight. She's far enough that I won't sense her and it's loud enough that I can't hear her. And she's cloaking herself from my aura.
Too bad that creates a giant empty space in a room full of people with aura unlocked.
Jaune kept his posture relaxed, calmly listening to the speech he heard a lifetime ago. The amount of reminders of his old life threatened to drive him crazy.
I gotta find some time to myself.
As soon as the students had been dismissed, Jaune had wandered into Beacon's garden. Larger than his house, it was filled with plants from all over Remnant.
Blanc would be having a field day here.
Jaune sat himself on a bench in the middle of the garden, letting the sunset warm him and the scents of nature soothe him.
"Excuse me."
Oh for Monty's sake. Just an hour, is that too much?
Jaune opened his eyes, meeting the emerald gaze of Glynda Goodwitch.
"Yes Ma'am?"
As far as Jaune could remember, this was gentlest he'd ever seen Glynda. Even when she was just walking around the halls, she had always looked so focused.
"All students are to report to the Ballroom for the night. I know Beacon is impressive, but we can't have anyone wandering around."
She seems way too calm about this.
"I understand Professor Goodwitch. I was just a little overwhelmed, and I needed some place to clear my head."
"Ah. I can certainly sympathize young man, but I'm afraid I still have to ask you to make your way to the Ballroom."
Ha! Young man. I never actually figured out how old Goodwitch was. Technically I'm seventeen, but if I include my past life I should be Twenty-Seven, give or take a couple years. We might actually be pretty close in age.
"Thank you for your understanding Miss. I'll head to the Ballroom, but could I have just a few more minutes? The sunset is just perfect."
Glynda looked like she wanted to tell him to leave, but she couldn't bring herself to deny his point. Sunset was her favorite time of day, and this one was particularly relaxing.
"You could always join me, if you like. After all, it would make sense for you to help a new student find his way to the Ballroom after getting lost in the garden."
Glynda cocked an eyebrow at the young man's apparent lack of concern, yet she was definitely tempted. After all, headmistress was a stressful job.
Jaune smiled a little as he felt Glynda settle onto the bench next to him, an appropriate distance between the two. He lent back and let nature surround him.
Maybe I can pull this off.
Jaune growled a little as he entered the Ballroom. He and Glynda had spent enough time in the garden that it was already night, and most people had claimed their spots.
In fact, there was only one open spot that Jaune could see. And, of course, it was right…
Next…
To…
Blake.
I mean, I had planned on dealing with that issue, but not this quickly. Oh well, it's not like I really have a choice.
Jaune walked as silently as he could, letting Ruby and Yang provide a distraction for him. By the time Blake looked up from her book to see what the sisters were doing, Jaune had made it next to her.
"Belladonna."
He couldn't help but feel a little satisfaction at just how much he startled Blake. Familiar golden irises turned to meet his own eyes, emotions whirling through her.
"Jaune." Her voice was the smallest he'd ever heard her. If he were being honest, Jaune had wanted to be angry at her. To hold it against her that she had left him.
Jaune couldn't be angry though. Not when she was looking at him with tears in her eyes.
He fell to his knees next to her, wrapping her against himself.
"I missed you, Blake. So much."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Jaune."
Jaune pulled back just enough to look her in the eye.
"Hey, it's okay. You're back, right?" A nod. "Then it's okay. I'll always have your back Blake."
Blake didn't say anything, just pulling Jaune even tighter.
"Uh, Jaune? Everything okay?"
Taking care not to separate with Blake until she was ready, Jaune looked to see Yang cocking an eyebrow at him. Oddly enough, both Ruby and Weiss were nearby too.
"Yeah, we're okay. She's an old friend that I never thought I'd see again. Circumstances weren't the best when we separated."
Interestingly, it was Ruby who accepted the quickest. Jaune was confident she was remembering her mother and was grateful that she wouldn't inquire further. Yang gave him a look that he knew meant he would have to explain later. Weiss just looked confused, and probably a little curious about the two of them.
Keep forgetting she's probably a little off balance around me. Not like I used to be.
The rest of the night was spent close together, Yang and Ruby nearby with Weiss being reluctantly dragged in, Jaune and Blake being pressed close together.
When Jaune woke it was barely dawn. It was clear why he had woken up.
Their heartbeats… They sound wrong. One's too fast, one too erratic, another too strong, and one almost silent. Were they like this before? Was I that blind?
Jaune looked to Blake, curled along his right side, with her hair covering her face. She was breathing quickly, her body warm, and her heart beating as if she had just gone through Initiation.
Despite having spent so much time with her, Jaune still hesitated. Was he being too forward? Would she appreciate that he just wanted to help?
Blake's whimper made Jaune's mind up for him.
Can't just do nothing.
Jaune put an arm around her, pulling her a little closer to him. He reached up to her head and loosened her bow just a little, enough for him scratch the base of her ears. Slowly but surely, her whimpers were replaced by soft purrs.
Well, that's one fixed. What about the others? It's only just dawn, they could still get another few hours of sleep.
Jaune focused his ears to find the quietest one. He was almost afraid when he looked at Weiss. It barely sounded like her heart was beating, and she was laying stock still. Jaune carefully untangled himself from Blake, silently thankful that she was still purring when he did.
As he approached Weiss, he realized he didn't really have a plan for this.
We… never really hung out. I was a schmuck, she was stuck up, then we were fighting a war. We kinda skipped that whole, 'Let's hang out' thing.
Jaune didn't know what else to do, so he just did what Violet always did for him. He gently cleared Weiss' hair from her face, running his hands down her scalp and following it to the middle of her back. He softly massaged her back until he felt her relax, her heartbeat returning to normal and her brow unfurrowing.
Jaune couldn't help but smile when he saw Weiss' lips quirk upwards.
I'd say that worked pretty well. And it sounds like Ruby's heart has already slowed down. Now, what about Yang?
The brawler's heart sounded like it would burst from her chest at any second. Her breathing was steady but deep, her eyes flickering beneath their lids. This time, Jaune was completely lost. Yang always acted like the den mother for their group, even if she did tease them, and she always helped everyone keep a straight head in after Haven.
"Hey, Yang… Yang, wake up." Over the time he spent with her, Jaune learned that Yang woke up one of two ways. The first way was her springing from the bed and being as happy as the sunrise.
The second way was more heartbreaking. The few times Jaune had been around when Yang had nightmares, he had been almost as hurt as her. She wouldn't wail or jump out of her bed.
She just cried, quietly. She made herself as small as possible, cried, and tried not to wake up anyone with her misery.
Like she was now.
"Yang, come here." It had taken awhile for Yang to trust him enough, but Jaune had a little experience with calming her down in the morning.
Yang buried her head into his shoulder, silently sniffling. Jaune whispered quietly, stroking the back of her head. It took almost an hour before she was finally calmed down, and when she had she finally met Jaune's eyes.
"Hey… Good Morning Sunshine."
Yang sniffled one last time, reaching up and poking his forehead.
"Morning Pup. Thanks."
"You ready for Initiation?"
"I think so. Think Ruby will do okay?"
Jaune pulled her into another hug, gently bumping his head against hers.
"Of course she will. Come on, you've seen her skills. Besides, she's always got you."
"She's got you too. I know you'll always help her."
Jaune let her go and helped her stand up, the sunlight strong and bright by now.
"I'll always be there, Yang. For all of you." For more than you realize.
Okay, sorry it took me longer to get this out. Let me know what y'all think. Oh! Real quick like; Would you guys rather me mess with genders or leave them be? Would you guys rather me mess with teams or leave them be? And lastly, would you guys rather me mess with villains or leave them be?
