Ok, hey guys. Ah, another chapter is here. Get ready for a talk. A Loooong talk. But not the talk. You know, not the one with the… Birds and the… Ok yeah, I think you get it! Anyways… (I do not own RWBY at all) (Revision done by JMK2 on 3/21/16)
The roar of the Bullhead died down after landing at the Beacon air docks. This specific ship carried just two passengers back to the school. A blonde knight, and a redheaded spartan. One of them already had a decent prediction of what this meeting would entail, the other was not as certain.
Jaune remained still, his queasiness ceasing to bother him now that they were grounded. He sat in a seat mounted on the wall next to the ship's side opening. His stare was locked on the floor, not budging for anything. I had no other choice, it was the only way for me to go here. Why can't I just fight the way others can? They make it look so easy, I just don't understand... He heard a shuffling noise by his side, but paid no attention to it. What will my friends think when they find out?
He frowned in self-disappointment. Will they take the information easily like Pyrrha had? Ruby and Yang will probably take it lightly, considering the Initiation thing. Nora will most likely be fine after a couple of pancakes. But Ren is stricter and more adherent to the rules, he won't be as forgiving. He rubbed his eyes, covering them in shame, not being sure how Weiss and Blake would react.
"Jaune?" His beautiful partner snapped him out of his worry. He had been too distracted to notice her stand up in front of him. She looked down at the boy with sad eyes, "Did you hear me?"
Feeling disoriented after the sudden interruption in his thoughts, he replied, "Uh… Y-yeah, totally…" His shaky voice would not have been able to fool anyone, especially not Pyrrha.
She raised a questioning eyebrow, "Then, if I may ask, what did I say to you?"
He racked his brain, searching for a reasonable answer, "You said…" She crossed her arms, tilting her head to the side. He gave in, crooking his neck down to tell the truth, "I guess I might not have been listening…"
"I thought so," she refrained from cracking a joke at a time like this, and decided to inform him on what he had missed. "I asked if you were planning on accompanying me to the meeting or staying here, leaving me to go alone." She spoke neutrally, "Though, I do believe this meeting was intended for you rather than me."
"Y-yeah let's go," the lump in his throat deterred him from saying anything else. Plus, after that fight he had little left to give.
The usual brightness in the girl's face had long since faded into a dim pout. She exited the Bullhead first, waiting for her partner to follow. The sun was almost completely sank over the horizon, so the path leading onto the school grounds was lit by pale lamps that sensed the lack of light. The bulbs gave off slightly green tinted rays on the two as they walked.
Jaune followed behind Pyrrha, listening to the heels of her boots clack against the concrete, breaking the evening silence. His hands crammed into his pockets and his gaze fixed on the ground as he moved along. The guilty conscience that burdened him threw him into a sulky mood. He couldn't help feeling this way, he did something wrong, and now he was going to pay for it.
In the distance the mechanical rumble of approaching Bullheads reached his ears. Probably just the others getting back after the trip. Jaune's lowered stare had been too focused on the hard floor to realize that they already had arrived at the elevator. He collided into Pyrrha's back, not budging the girl at all, yet managing to fall on his own rear clumsily.
The spartan turned to him, looking down at her partner with pity. Under normal circumstances, she might have let loose a laugh at the accident-prone boy for the mistake, but now was not the time for that. She knew this situation was serious. After helping him up, the elevator dinged to signal it had arrived. The students entered the metal transport slowly, the doors closing immediately behind them.
Jaune was biting his lip and his eyes widened in anxiety. I don't want to leave…
Pyrrha gave a sidelong glance at him, offering sympathy his way. "Jaune, it'll be okay," truthfully, the girl had no idea what was going to happen, or if would be good or bad. She just wanted to see him calm down, it was dismaying seeing the knight so disturbed. Unfortunately, her words had little to no effect on him. His worry eating all of the joy out of him.
Another ding went off, showing that they had reached the top floor. This time, the sudden noise nearly caused Jaune a heart attack. The doors pulled to opposite sides to let the partners in, opening to reveal an almost entirely empty room bathed in pale green light. It was mainly based around clockwork gears and glass. The different gears working to continuously move, producing not a single noise in the process. The ceiling of the room was covered in glass, more of the intricate pieces cooperating for an unknown purpose.
One of the few pieces of furniture was a strangely shaped desk with gears interacting together under the glass top, it had a stable base that was supported by curved silver legs. Two plain black chairs sat on the side of the table closest to the teens. The back of a rotating chair formed out of stacked silver metal rectangles seated the owner of the of the peculiar room. Not to mention the owner of Beacon Academy. The silver-haired man gazed off into the distance through a large circular glass window, as if staring off into another realm, located in a faraway place. The window had numerals secured on it, turning it not only into a spectacle to view the school grounds, but also a convenient clock.
Jaune and Pyrrha walked silently into the room, with every step taken their dreadful anticipation increased. Once they reached the two chairs, they halted and stood there awkwardly, not certain if they should take a seat or remain standing.
A brief sip broke the silence as the headmaster spun his chair to face the duo, lowering the mug from his face and nodding towards the two chairs. "Please, take a seat," he said with an affable tone, "It would be rude of me to not offer the both of you a seat."
Pyrrha rushed to sit, while Jaune took his time, wishing there was some way to avoid this discussion. He looked down at his hands, awaiting the imminent dreaded words that would end his dreams of ever becoming a Huntsman. The words that would end his dreams of following in his father's footsteps. On the bright side, I might still be able to help people out… And maybe my new friends will visit me at home while they have time off from their Huntress duties… Resorting to those thoughts only caused a frown to pull at his lips.
"So… You two seem to have had a rather interesting day," he stated knowingly, focusing his deep brown gaze through his odd glasses on Jaune, "Glynda passed on information from Mr. Winchester, of specific details regarding your application to Beacon, Mr. Arc." His voice came off as stern and disapproving, then switched to a more pleasant (but not too pleasant) tone, "But that is only one of the few matters we must discuss here tonight."
Ozpin's words sparked the boy's interest, calling him to raise his now curious eyes at the man. What? Why are we here then? He didn't dare ask aloud, that would be disrespectful to the headmaster and would not help his situation.
The stoic man shifted his look over to Pyrrha, "And you Ms. Nikos, how are you feeling? Anything… Out of the ordinary?" He raised an inquiring eyebrow at the girl, looking forward to her answer.
"I feel perfectly fine, n-nothing unusual at the moment. Why do you ask?" Her voice trembled, she couldn't help feeling intimidated by the man. He only nodded and gave a small hum in response to the question. Her eyes locked with his, it took every bit of her strength to not break contact with the wise man.
His ears easily picked up on the girl's panic, "There is no need to fear me. After all, I have no intention of expelling anyone for today."
Jaune gawked at the man, his hands clenched the armrests, his mind whirling as if his thoughts were twirled in a tornado of shock. Pyrrha almost leapt out of her chair in excitement and relief, now being certain that the blonde knight would remain at Beacon, he'd stay on her team, and most importantly continue to stand by her side. She beamed brightly at her partner, subconsciously betraying her emotional constraints by resting a soft hand on his. She mentally thanked whoever or whatever set their paths of fate on a course that lead to them being brought together in this way.
Jaune attempted to speak, but choked on his spit in his eagerness to talk, drawing an embarrassed blush from him as he cleared his throat. Pyrrha hummed a gentle giggle next to him, pulling her hand back to stifle the laugh. The headmaster let a subtle smirk loose. Before the teens had a chance to catch him in the act he hid it with a plain face. The boy's clumsiness reminded him greatly of a friend from his past…
"Although I do not condone your methods of entering this prestigious academy, I do not feel the need to expel you, Mr. Arc." He then spoke with a slight sense of approval, "You obviously have proved your worth during Initiation by your sacrifice to save Ms. Rose. In your past as just a boy, you expressed similar heroism when saving a young Ms. Belladonna from bullies, and an innocent Schnee heiress from a deranged murderer." Ozpin was aware of Adam's mental state and his infamous criminal organization, but felt that now was not the time to discuss those matters.
Jaune wasn't sure if he should feel honored or creeped out that this man knew his past so well. "Uh, h-how do you know all of that?" His grip tightened on the chair, whitening the knuckles of his fingers.
The silver-haired man placed his mug on the glass table, stirring the iced coffee and leaning back slightly in his chair, taking his sweet time to reply. Jaune and Pyrrha sat on the edge of their seats, waiting for the man to speak already. Finally, he said, "I have been observing over you since the day you were born, Mr. Arc. Only due to the fears held by Leonidas Arc."
"My dad?" Jaune tilted his head, puzzled on why his father was brought into this conversation. Ozpin nodded shortly.
"Indeed, your father and I maintained a longstanding friendship throughout the years. We stayed in contact after becoming acquainted at a young age." The man glanced up, inspecting the gears as they shifted and operated, reminiscing the interesting memories linked to this knight's father. "In fact, if I recall correctly, he owned a similar clumsy nature that you now possess. Never a dull moment…" He lowered his eyes to look back at the boy.
Jaune remained quiet, Pyrrha shifted in her chair to gain a more comfortable position. Both of them held the same desire to hear more from the man. He spoke in a grim and lower tone, "The day that he passed, I immediately was aware of the loss." He furrowed his brows and looked to the ground in respect for the fallen knight. "I felt it…"
The boy looked into the wise man's eyes, realizing how close the two had been. He frowned, missing his father. He wished that he was capable of going back in time to see him again. His father was the best dad in the world, always being there for the family and fighting to make the world a better place for the ones he loved. At least that's what mom said. I'll believe it no matter what. I will always remember him as a hero.
It was then that Pyrrha chirped up, her beautifully innocent voice breaking the dead silence, "What was it that you felt, sir?"
"Detachment."
The two had previously thought it impossible for him to look any more serious, they were very wrong. With the pause he was motionless, not a single hair on his body stirring as he added, "By losing my dearest friend, the bond between us was severed. Leaving behind a dreadful and undying emptiness that continues to linger over me to this moment in time. Inexplicable." He set his scrutinizing gaze on Jaune, with a strange look of what he could only assume was curiosity. As if he wanted to ask something important. His face had remained neutral for the entire duration of his talk, and he carried it along when saying, "Your mother brought to my attention her experiences of a feeling close to mine. I suspect that you are also subject to this undesirable result of the loss," he raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
Jaune's heart began to race, thumping a booming beat that he feared they could hear. He thought it would burst right out of his chest from the all of this confusing new information. Why is he telling me this? It doesn't need to be discussed anymore…
His partner looked at him with soft eyes, sensing his internal strife. She was wary of speaking out of turn at the meeting to comfort him, but her gut instinct told her to go ahead and offer him help. "Jaune, it's okay. There's nothing to be worried about, Professor Ozpin is only trying to help you," her words were sympathetic and honest, putting him at ease. At least I'm fairly certain he is helping.
Ozpin admired the girl's care for Jaune, he saw that she held great feelings for the blonde, and somehow those emotions easily eluded him. He really was his father's son.
"I-I did feel that way. But with Weiss's support the gap in my heart left by Blake and my father began to be less painful." He spoke simply and quietly, calming himself down with a deep breath and scratching the scruffy hair on the back of his head.
Whatever Jaune had said obviously sparked surprise from the headmaster, the only indication being a glint that was now present in his wizened brown irises. Like the all-knowing man had heard something unexpected, which was not at all common. He leaned forward, propping his elbows on the glass surface and clasped his hands together in front of him.
He seemed a tad impressed by the recovery the boy went through. "Mr. Arc, you seem to be the only being in this world adept in amazing me."
Jaune ignored his last comment and spoke without thinking, "I don't understand why any of this matters, why are you bringing this all up?" He was oblivious to how impolite he came off as.
"It is essential for me to inform you because I believe you possess a Semblance related to your father's." He remained cool and stern while the boy grew a face that seemed to ask something along the lines of 'Wait, what did he just say?'
The teens felt like a million years had passed before the man finally began, "As you two already know, Aura is the manifestation of one's soul. Used to protect us from harm or enhance our ability to inflict it." This was not new information to them, they have heard this countless times in the past. Ever since they had their own power's unlocked. "Each individual shielded by Aura is able to pool their energy to a fixed amount, this being the greatest extent of their force." Ozpin paused, much to the dismay of the others. He was completely aware of how neither of them wished to wait longer for an answer, but he had never been the type to rush through things. He was always patient, observing every situation presented to him carefully, not missing a single sign. "Yet a very small few have the potential to receive excess power, expanding the maximum of their reserves from their deep bonds created with others. In turn, this allows them to buff their force in fighting, or restore a wounded ally to health."
A dawn of realization overcame Pyrrha as she soaked in the information. Jaune asked, "So I can do that? And how are these bonds actually made?" He had hundreds of questions in his head, but refrained from asking them so that he could receive some answers first.
"This intimate attachment seems to be formed by frequent interaction between the owner of the power and another individual. As time progresses, the trust of this individual becomes cemented in the other, and a bond begins to develop. At least that is what I am able to ascertain from my previous relationship with Leonidas." Ozpin required a break from all the talking he had been doing. He lifted his mug and took a quick sip of his dark beverage, then resumed his neutral expression with the asking of another question, "Tell me young man, do you recall your Aura acting unusual following the cold reunion you had with Ms. Belladonna?"
The blonde adopted a look of confusion, "Yeah. It was like I had taken a beating without actually fighting." His partner had already more or less put the pieces together on what Ozpin was getting at, but he still had not.
The professor nodded knowingly, as if he had predicted that answer accurately. "That is a consequence of losing the support of a friend." He had a serious look upon his face, "The night of the ceremony, she severed the connection shared with you, resulting in your Aura level reducing a tenth from its greatest."
"How do you know all of this?" Jaune fidgeted in his seat, he was uncomfortable from how much the man knew about him. It does make sense though, why else would I have felt so physically hurt after that?
"Following the mishap in Initiation, I took it upon myself to keep a constant, around the clock monitor on your Aura levels. Wherever you may be, we will be aware of irregularities involving your energy that are identical to what occurred in Forever Fall today." He spoke as if he had not intruded on Jaune's privacy, which only made the boy feel all the more violated.
Pyrrha built up the courage to ask a worried question, "Excuse my asking, but what would happen to Jaune if he were to somehow lose the trust of multiple friends at once?" Her hands were clasped tightly together in her lap; her body stiffened. The look on her face consisted of a tiny frown that added to her troubled appearance.
A slightly pleased smile crossed Ozpin's face, she really had taken a special fondness toward this knight. "Ah, yes. The one significant difference between you and your father's Semblance that I have discovered, though there is bound to be other inexplicable aspects," he took a swift swig from his mug, leaving the duo in anticipation yet again.
Does he take some sort of pleasure in making us wait for his answers? Jaune squinted his eyes curiously. Pyrrha bit the inside of her cheek nervously, hoping that this difference would work to the benefit of her friend. And thankfully, it did.
"After Glynda and I studied your Aura more closely, we discovered that there is a limit to the harm done by trust being broken." He sighed internally before saying, "Yet we still have not been able to precisely determine that base line." He said with a hint of frustration that went undetected by the partners.
Before they could continue asking, the elevator rang, announcing the arrival of the aforementioned professor. "Right on time, as always," the man announced, unsurprised.
The strict woman strode over to Ozpin's desk, her heels sharply clicking against the cold floor with every step, acting as if he had said nothing. She slapped her Scroll onto the surface which projected a transparent blue hologram as she crossed her arms. The image appeared to be a line graph that shifted phases to the right, exposing another slide every five seconds. The vertical label marked the energy levels, the maximum being one hundred fifteen. That was the maximum level of Aura for the average person: one hundred and fifteen. On the horizontal axis was the time for each instance of change.
She turned to Pyrrha with the usual uptight frown placed on her lips, "Ms. Nikos, would you please place your Scroll next to mine?"
The spartan had no hesitation at all. She shakily removed her device from the pouch on her left hip and set it beside the other one on the table. As soon as is it made contact with the glass, it projected a similar graph that synchronized time with the first.
"The data displayed by my scroll is a representation of Mr. Arc's Aura during his latest encounter, the other shows the levels of Ms. Nikos."
On Jaune's blued information, the course began with a stable Aura level of one hundred and forty-five, while Pyrrha's only started at one hundred and fifteen. So, he wasn't lying about the friends… But who trusts me that much? He thought to himself as the images began to shift phases. Over the next couple of slides his levels appeared to diminish, hundred thirty-five, hundred and one… He winced in remembrance when he saw it plummet greatly, that must have been when he hit that tree. Thirty-seven. His line had faded from the pure green into a dark red. Twelve… Zero… His bar had flattened to the base of the graph, now a solid black, showing that his power had completely drained.
For the duration of Jaune's lowering, Pyrrha's remained completely full. The point where the girl's began to drop was almost immediately after her partner's had blackened. It adjusted gradually, lowering one percent every second, until reaching a yellow color.
Then both levels skyrocketed, blasting past the limit of one hundred fifteen easily, putting that number to shame. The lit hologram then was whisked away in darkness, both devices were off. Only the pale green light of the room reflected off the screens. The duo stared at the air where the images had previously been, aware of what the sudden jump had represented.
Glynda held her left wrist in her right hand behind her back, standing straight, blinking in disbelief of how such a thing could happen. "Unbelievable…" She now stood by the headmaster's side, taking her place at second in command of the academy.
Ozpin took another sip of his drink then spoke, "Are you both… Feeling well?" He raised an eyebrow and seemed a tad uneasy, as if he was not sure about something. They both nodded back to him quickly.
"W-what happened with us in the forest exactly?" Jaune asked shyly.
The headmaster sighed in weariness, preparing himself to have possibly one of the most vital conversations of his life. He paused for a long moment before leaning his elbows onto the table, leaning toward the company he had. The man spoke in a lowered voice, like he feared someone was eavesdropping on their discussion, "Are either of you familiar with the stories of the Transcendence of Color?"
His words sent shivers down Pyrrha and Glynda's spines, their skin prickling in a peculiar feeling. The spartan elicited a near silent gasp excitedly, she loved this tale ever since she was a little girl, but had not heard it in a long while, causing her to be uncertain on the specifics. Jaune blinked at the man vacantly, he was especially lost now. He had never been told of these tales by his parents or siblings, and for good reason.
Ozpin let the tiniest of smiles tug at his lips. Jaune's partner obviously already knew somewhat about the subject, but he was going to need more explanation. Thus, he began the tale, "It is believed widely that man was born from dust, cast down into an unforgiving world of inevitable darkness. Years of immense effort to survive proving fruitless. The onslaught of the most wretched of beings ripped whatever groundwork humanity established apart, leaving them with nothing countless times. These creatures, appropriately named Grimm, became intent on eternally expelling man to the void from which they arose."
The youth sat there, heeding to every word like children listening closely during story time. Even Glynda appeared to be drawn in by him. They have all heard the history of humanity's origin on Remnant, but this tale deviated from the ones in text books.
"Attack after attack by the Grimm resulted in the number of our kind dwindling, only six able-bodied warriors left, no more, no less. Yet one cold night, where the sky was clear and unobscured by the naturally nocturnal shroud of gloom, the star's piercing brightness visible to them for the first time. An unidentified orb of light shone down upon the remaining six, filling them with wonder." As if on cue, the moon became visible to the duo from behind Ozpin through his window.
He spoke in an enchanting storytelling voice, one that captivated his audience, "A deafening crack boomed through the air, the world began to shake beneath their feet, causing them to investigate the source of this uproar. The reason was discovered in the ring of light that had previously attracted their attention. Except now they found this round brightness divided, shattered by an unknown force from above. The remnants lingered near to where they once had been assembled, all but seven."
A tingling feeling passed through Jaune's veins, he had not blinked a single time during the story because he wanted to concentrate completely. A couple of times he forgot that he must breath, the only thing reminding him to was the lightheadedness brought on by a lack of oxygen. Pyrrha had an enticed expression on her face, while Glynda stood by the man, yearning for more of the 'fabled' story.
"These fragments were set apart from the others, they glowed with a far more supernatural light as they followed behind each other, streaking across the night sky in. This phenomenon regarding the seven remnants illuminating the sky is now sparsely known today as the Transcendence of Color." Jaune blinked at the last three words, feeling finally enlightened by this knew knowledge.
"According to the legends, as the seven streaked across the sky, they expressed each color of the spectrum. Hence the name it received. But who can be certain that actually happened? Keep in mind, this is simply a fictitious legend," a strange sparkle in his eyes along with a hint of a smirk told them otherwise.
He almost immediately returned to his place in the story after taking a quick breath, "Only the head of the seven separated, some prefer to believe it was the yellow fragment since it is indeed the most luminous of the spectrum. It beamed toward the few humans left at unbelievable speeds, the blur clashed with our world, leaving behind a yellow smoldering crater."
"And in this crater, a child. A gracious gift offered by the mysterious creators of Remnant. A born leader, who with the assistance of his abilities, would light the path for mankind. Leading them through the darkness to discover dust, which only made the process of establishing civilization go more smoothly."
Ozpin felt parched after the lengthy story, he took another drink from his mug. Somehow it still was not empty, despite his constant use of it during the meeting. Glynda broke the silence that followed the story, "These types of heroes born during the Transcendence of Color wield extraordinary power, that normal people are unable to imagine possessing."
"They progress to become skilled strategists, valiant leaders capable of standing up against seemingly unbeatable odds, succeeding in overcoming them and reigning victorious. But these beings are not capable of doing this on their own, for their strength lies in empowering those around them, however that may be." The headmaster stated as he laced his fingers together and rested his hands atop the desk.
For the first time in ages Jaune spoke slowly, with much less energy than before, "So… Someone at Beacon is one of those?" His partner turned to look at him with her concerned eyes, he looked downright exhausted. His eyes were half-lidded, he was talking slower and dimmer than usual, and his shoulders sagged. It made sense for him to be this way after the kind of day he had suffered through.
Pyrrha began to put the pieces together of the fight in the forest and the reason for the professors telling them this. It all makes sense! "Jaune, I think they're saying that you are the chosen leader," her excitement clear to them.
His sleepy eyes shot right open at that, an awkward and drowsy sounding laugh tried to dismiss this, "Heh… Uh, w-what?"
"Throughout history, when the world of Remnant is in dire need, a noble hero is born. Arriving to serve their true purpose and lead us through our darkest times," Glynda replied, thinking that the boy would understand how important he truly was. "And these are indeed dark times."
"Wait, so I came from the moon? Like an alien?" A weird tone in his voice; this was by far the most impressed in himself he had ever been.
The woman pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, hoping that this was just his tiredness speaking. How? Just, how does he not see the point of this?
Ozpin let out a brief and quiet chuckle, "No, young man. You are as much human as Glynda and myself are. Only in your case, a tremendously unique event occurred during your birth, gifting you with unfathomable power."
"Why didn't anyone tell me of this? Why was I left in the dark for so long?!" His aggravation was evident as he raised his voice to a yell, uprooting himself from the chair and clenching his fists. This anger was caused by all of the things he could have done in the past if he was aware of this power. What could I have stopped?
"It was in our best interest to keep your potential a secret, in order to minimize the amount of unwanted attention you attracted. Yet our efforts proved useless when word spread of your saving of Ms. Schnee." Ozpin's voice was cool and smooth, not at all affected by the boy's rage. "However, we must continue to do our best at keeping your abilities hidden. If we fail to do so, we may risk the chance of certain individuals attempting to…" He paused, fearing what could happen. "Alter your course."
Jaune immediately thought of the dreams, but refrained from mentioning them. I'll never give in to them, no matter what. Yet the blonde knight had no clue what his future held… He suddenly realized the amount of pressure on him. The weight of the world had been forced upon his shoulders, crushing his spirit. "What if I don't want to be special?" He spoke dejectedly as he looked to his sneakers. Pyrrha offered him support by standing beside him, placing her warm hand on his shoulder.
"Mr. Arc, you do not understand the complete situation. There will be a day in which you and your friends will be required to do something no one else is capable of…" Ozpin looked as if he was about to say something else, but his Scroll received a message. He checked it quickly, then looked up to Jaune saying, "You are excused young man. Return to your team immediately. And please, try to be discreet about this new information."
Jaune scratched the back of his head, sounding puzzled, "Okay… Come on Pyrrha, let's go."
They turned to walk away, but were halted by the man adding, "There are still matters we must discuss with Ms. Nikos." He now held his cane while sitting, poking the ground with the tip.
She whirled to return back to her seat in an instant. She wished to stay with her partner and talk more with him, but that appeared to be out of the question at this point. Before leaving, Jaune threw a hesitant glance back. He felt worried to leave her alone but wasn't sure why. As the thick elevator doors closed, he was able to hear his name brought up between the three.
He frowned, feeling left out for them excluding him from the rest of their conversation. What could they have to talk about without me? The elevator reached the bottom floor, opening up to allow him to exit. It had to be very late, no students were anywhere to be seen, the halls were silent, and outside it was much darker than it had been at their arrival.
The trip to his dorm took less than five minutes, and he still had not seen a single soul. Once he arrived at his room, he heard whispering coming from the other side of the door. He knew that something was up, Nora was not the whispering type of girl. When he tried to hear if Team RWBY was still awake, he didn't pick out any talking coming from their room.
He raised an eyebrow to himself, wondering what was going on here. He opened the door slowly, causing an annoying creaking noise that he feared could draw the attention of the world. His eyes focused on the ground as he entered the darkened room with tiny light steps.
When he looked up, the rainbow of eye colors from RWBY and the other two members of JNPR latched onto him, making him feel uncomfortable since they were all just waiting there. "Jaune!" Both Nora and Ruby squealed, they were standing on Nora's bed while Ren sat on his, Yang sat on Pyrrha's along with Blake, and Weiss sat on Jaune's.
Jaune felt as if their looks could burn holes right through him. "Hey guys, what's the occasion for you all being here?" He scratched his head sheepishly.
"Sleepover!" Nora shouted enthusiastically as she and Ruby leapt up into the air simultaneously, high-fiving midair. He could already tell that those two were going to be the best of friends, they were so alike in their energetic nature and more childish attitudes.
The blonde boy gave a lighthearted smile at the two, then Ren spoke politely, tilting his head quizzically, "I do not recall agreeing to this…" The two bouncy girls laughed at him, not giving up on their plan.
"Actually, we were waiting for you and Pyrrha to come back. So we decided to come here so that we knew exactly when you were back." Weiss pointed out calmly. She was dissatisfied with Ruby and Nora, but lately she had been more lenient with her excited partner, and not as harsh as she used to be.
Yang looked past Jaune through the still opened door and into the hallway, "Speaking of which, where's Pyr?"
His smile transitioned into a disturbed frown, "She uh, had to stay for something else." He still was bothered that they had something to say about him that he couldn't listen to.
Everyone in the room sensed the boy's upsetting thoughts. Ruby and Nora relaxed and sat down on the bed, now completely silent. Blake finally spoke up, "What was this meeting about?" She locked her caring eyes with his, wanting to find out why he was so down.
He cooked up a lie, trying to hide his newly discovered abilities but not wishing to tell of how he made it into Beacon. Unfortunately, he was not as convincing as he thought he was. "They j-just wanted to know more about Pyrrha's Semblance, polarity. I-it's pretty cool actually, she can move around metal and—"
"Jauney, do you really think we're believing that?" Yang crossed her arms, Blake had already done the same.
Weiss felt hurt that he was trying to lie, after how long they have trusted each other, "You're not the best at being dishonest…" She dropped her gaze to her hands that rested in her lap.
"Yeah Vomit-Boy, you've gotta work on that," Ruby couldn't help snickering at his failure, she covered her mouth to lessen how loud she laughed.
He sighed, preparing himself for whatever reaction they might have to his disgraceful method of coming to the school. "I'm just going to keep this short," they all nodded, "I made it into Beacon by using some fake transcripts because I couldn't get past the combat exams." He scrunched his eyes tight after exhaling the words hastily, expecting to be torn apart by their wrath, but it never came. There was silence.
The boy opened only a single eye to assess his situation, then flicked the other open too. Weiss appeared to understand, for she had already known his difficulties of fighting another person. Ren narrowed his eyes, now suspicious of what else Jaune had lied about. Nora looked surprised and was not certain how she should feel. Ruby and Yang did not seem bothered at all by this. If he had not gotten into Beacon, Ruby most likely would be dead.
Blake sat there, her expression unreadable. She averted her eyes from him, now looking at the ground in front of her. "Why?" Her disappointed voice made him feel cold inside as he looked down in shame. "Couldn't you just have practiced like the rest of us and earned your place?" Out of the corner of her eye Blake saw a flash of white, moving toward the door where Jaune was.
"He can't fight the way we do, Blake," the heiress said defensively. The black-haired girl found the Schnee now standing beside Jaune, looking up at him.
"What do you mean?" She lightened her voice, making the boy feel a bit more welcomed by her.
"I mean, that he is unable to physically hurt someone without a probable cause to do so." A vivid memory came back to her. She recalled the man at the club and Jaune's outrage. All to protect her…
Ruby was confused and tilted her head, "So does that mean you're a pacifist?"
He chuckled slightly, "No, I can fight monsters. Just I can't fight people unless someone is in danger or they have done something horrible."
The redhead murmured, accepting his response as she laid on her back.
"Well, it looks like we will have to do some work prior to the Vytal Festival Tournament," Ren gave one of his reserved smiles, filling Jaune with joy that his teammate accepted him even after hearing about his past mistake. Though a part of him dreaded the approaching festival.
Yang cracked her knuckles with a mischievous grin, "Yeah, I won't be going easy on anyone, not even you, Lady-Killer. I guess I'll help you if it means a better fight."
"Heh, good luck. Once Jaune is battle ready, we're gonna crush you!" Nora gave an evil smirk, one that was somehow more scheming than Yang's.
The knight looked to Blake, hoping that she was not still upset with him. A cute smile rose on her beautiful face, a nod from her relieved him.
Maybe with their help I'll be able to fight. How hard can it be? He reassured himself, feeling a bit more confident that his friends all supported him. "I'm going to get a breath, it feels a bit too stuffy in here," he turned his back to them, about to walk out the opened door.
"Are you sure you wish to go alone?"
He looked back to see a pouting heiress, her pleading eyes begging to tag along. He shook his head while smiling, "I need a bit of silence." As he exited the room and closed the door, he managed to catch Ruby and Nora continuing to push for a sleepover. He began to walk away from the room, hearing a triumphant roar of cheers. Tonight is going to be interesting…
The blonde knight stood above the dorms on the rooftop, his eyes focused on the shattered moon. This was the place at which he snapped at Pyrrha, he still regretted acting so hostile toward his beautiful partner.
He thought back to the tale of the legendary hero, letting his mind drift, imagining himself as one. It made him laugh aloud, it all sounded so ridiculous. Yet the more he thought it over, the more it made sense. His humor covered up the subtle footsteps, making him unaware of the approaching girl.
"Feeling alright, Jaune?" A sweet and melodic voice filled his ear from his right side, startling him inwardly.
"Yeah, just needed a bit of alone time." He said, not turning to look at her, for he already knew it was the caring and brave redhead who had saved him earlier.
She had a mischievous smile and teased, "Oh, so I guess I should be on my way…" The girl turned, pretending to leave him there.
"N-no!" He sputtered out urgently, "T-that's not what I meant!" He softly grabbed her arm, tugging her to him, earning a deep blush from the spartan. "I need to tell you something…"
Pyrrha felt her heartbeat intensify, her body heating up as she stood facing the handsome blonde. She craned her neck up slightly to look into his deep blue eyes with hers glistening in anticipation. "Yes, Jaune?" Only a whisper was necessary to get her message across.
He peered back into her orbs, speaking in an apologetic tone, "I'm sorry for being such an idiot earlier, I didn't see that you were just trying to help me." A horrible guilt was weighing him down ever since their argument.
"Jaune, I knew you were just frustrated, it happens to all of us every now and then," she smiled forgivingly, enjoying this moment where they are so close.
"So… Are we okay now?"
The giggled and replied as if it was a silly question, "Of course, although I thought we were the whole time."
"Really?" He asked in surprise and received a nod of approval from her. He stood there for a moment, still maintaining eye contact, admiring how accepting and forgiving his friends have been toward him. "Do you think maybe that… Your offer still stands? To help me become more accustomed to fighting people and to push me to improve?" He was afraid to ask this because he rudely refused her before. "The others already know about my issue and they're willing to—"
"Yes!" She interrupted with unrestrained joy that she quickly subdued, giving way to a more collected voice, "I would love to." She beamed brightly up at him.
He lurched forward, pulling the redhead into a tight embrace, "You're the best, Pyrrha!" The boy noticed none of the effects he had on her.
Her mouth hung open, shocked that this was happening. She was unfamiliar with this situation, not knowing if she should hug him back. She would be content with simply melting away in his warm hold right now. This is even better than I imagined, a dream come true…
Her eyelids shut as she let down her barriers, hugging him back, a loving smile became present on her lips, "Y-you owe me. After this and saving you, I think I deserve a reward." She had not imagined there was any way he could take her joke seriously. But of course, if there was a way to do something that seemed impossible, Jaune would find it.
The boy succeeded in making Pyrrha's world explode into fireworks by one nervous question, "H-how about I make it up to you, next Friday when we don't have classes?" She pulled her head back to look into his eyes, searching them to see if he was serious. All he did was crack a goofy smile.
Jaune, please tell me you were not joking…
Well there we go. The most difficult part of this chapter was trying to figure out Ozpin's way of talking and storytelling, I hope that it wasn't too awful to read. Though I made sure to not forget his coffee. Never forget Ozpin's coffee.
Thank you for reading and dropping all the follows and favorites on the story, you guys are amazing. And of course, thank you JMK2 for helping me out. Leave a review if you can, and want to tell me what you thought. I'll see you again in the next chapter.