Chapter 8
Things had been rough for Jaune. He had let out his feelings of inadequacy to Pyrrha, told her about his fake transcripts, pushed her away for wanting to help, and was then blackmailed by Cardin for the transcripts. He hasn't even been able to talk to Asher about everything since Cardin told him not to. In fact, it's been one bit of bad news after another. He hasn't been able to train, since he's been doing Cardins work along with his own, and he's been lonely, since he can't talk to any of his friends about what's been happening. He had just gotten back from another long day of working for Cardin, bone tired from everything he had to do for the bully. He was finally getting back after the days work, and cracked open the door to hear his team talking about him.
"How come Jaune gets home so late?" ah there's Nora, the crazy valkyrie. She and Ren spend a lot of time together, for not being together together.
"He's become rather scarce since fraternising with Cardin." and there's ren, the quiet boy that Jaune could count on to have an idea.
"I'm sure our leader knows exactly what he's doing." that one hurt. Pyrrha had been his closest friend besides Asher since he got here. She saved him in the emerald forest and even unlocked his aura, it felt bad to let her down.
"Hmmmm… I guess so." hanging his head in shame Jaune closed the door quietly, and sank down to the floor, wallowing in his self pity.
Hey, Jaune!" Jaune jumps a bit on the ground, looking for the cheery voice, and finding Ruby Rose in her pajamas standing over him, "Long time, no see! Did you lock yourself out again?"
"Oh, uh, nope! Got it here! hehe…."
Ruby takes a seat next to him, seemingly settling in for a long conversation. "So! Where have you been lately?"
Sheepishly jaune starts to scramble for an answer, "I, uh…"he heaves out a sigh, why even lie to her? " I messed up. I did something I shouldn't have, and now Cardin has me on a leash, and Pyrrha won't even talk to me, and… I'm starting to think coming to this school was a bad idea. I'm a failure."
"Nope!"
Looking surprised at her rebuttal, he looks over at the red reaper, and doesn't see pity or anything he was expecting. "'Nope?'"
"Nope! You're a leader now, Jaune. You're not allowed to be a failure."
Laughable logic aside, whatchu talkin bout girl? "But... what if I'm a failure at being a leader?"
Ruby seems to think on this one for just a few seconds, then responds with, "Nope!"
Jaune gives out a laugh, if nothing else this whole situation is kinda funny, "You know, you're not the easiest person to talk to about this kind of stuff."
"Nope!" Here, she really seems to think about what she's going to say next, and out of the mouths of babes flows wisdom, "Jaune, maybe you were a failure when you were a kid..." a groan from Jaune, "... and you might've even been a failure the first day we met!" another groan, this time, Jaune sinks into himself, "But, you can't be one now. You know why?"
"Uhhh, because...?"
"Because it's not just about you anymore. You've got a team now, Jaune. We both do! And if we fail, then we'll just be bringing them down with us. We have to put our teammates first, and ourselves second. Your team deserves a great leader, Jaune. And I think that can be you. Have a good night, Jaune!" Ruby gets up, and starts to head inside of her dorm room, before turning back and telling Jaune one last thing, "You know, Asher's been kinda distant, almost as much as you. I think he would like it if you talk to him about this. He's kinda smart."
Jaune shakes his head, he had noticed Asher's behaviour too, but had been too focused on himself to do anything. "Ha, alright Ruby. I'll talk to him when I get the chance."
With new energy, Jaune pushes himself off the ground and faces the door, ready to turn the knob and face his team, but his Scroll beeps and he pulls it off of his side to open it, seeing Cardin's contact relaying a message.
"Hey! It's your buddy Cardin! I know you're probably busy with that Dust project I gave you, buuuut I'm gonna need you to go out and get me a bag of Rapier make sure they've got some really big stingers! It's important, so don't screw this up!"
Jaune groans about the fact that he has more work to do before he can get to sleep, or even talk to his team, but with what Cardin has on him what can he do? Jaune turns around, and heads to where he must.
Xx(A/N I hate it but I have to do this since FFN won't recognise lines…)xX
The flight to Forever Fall was quiet. The only conversation on board was between Nora and ren, which was about whether or not Nora was allowed to eat the sap they were going to get. Oddly enough, she was not allowed to eat the sap, but that wouldn't stop her from trying. Asher and Lee were sitting in a corner of the ship they were in, both seeming to try and get a nap on the flight with little success. Meanwhile RWBY were all sitting together either looking outside or, in the case of Weiss, alternatively looking at notes of classes, and taking peeks at a certain smithy. Weird. CRDL on the other hand… well… Jaune didn't want to think about them, or even look at them.
Forever Fall was beautiful. Like a constant… well… fall? Jaune was never good with descriptions. But the sight out of the ship was amazing, enough to take the breath out of anyone looking out the windows.
When they landed all of the students calmly walked out of the ship… except for Nora, who, oddly enough, seemed like she was floating out. They continued walking through the forest going even further into the dense woodlands. Everyone was ogling the trees around them, enraptured by the natural beauty.
"Yes, students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful. But we are not here to sightsee. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so." Die?! But Jaune was too young to die! He still had his whole life in front of him and-
"Oof!" ah that would be Cardin's back, the bully looked back at jaune with a burning gaze, as if daring him to try something like that again. Jaune decided the best rebuttal would be nonchalant whistling.
"Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap. However, this forest is full of the creatures of grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here at 4 o'clock. Have fun!" oh yes, fun. Forget the promise of quick death if you wandered off. Jaune tries to use the quiet moment after the announcement to try and sneak over to his friends, hoping to spend at least some time with them. But that hope is dashed to pieces when Cardin grabbed him by the back of his shirt.
"Come on, buddy. Let's go!" Damnit! Jaune just wanted to be with his friends, was that too much to ask for? According to Cardin, yes! Jaune looks miserably over at his team, matching gazes with Pyrrha before hanging his head in shame. He then looks over at Asher who is giving him the stare-down of a lifetime. Jaune breaks eye contact with his first friend, who shakes his head at Jaune. But unseen to jaune, there's a trace of a grin on his face. Jaune had just hit the turning point of his destiny.
(again I hate to do this, sorry, until I figure out this hellsite)
Jaune returned to the clearing CRDL was resting in, after their not so hard hard days work. He collapsed on the ground, dizzy from collecting all the sap, which he thinks he might be allergic to. Cardin moves forward near Jaune, on the ground, and looking down on him with a smirk on his face.
"Hey, great work, Jauney boy! Now that wasn't too hard, was it?"
"I think I'm allergic to this stuff..."
Cardin's smirk grows ever wider the more he talks, "Greeeeat, great, great. So, Jaune, I bet you're asking yourself, 'Why did my buddy Cardin ask me to collect six jars of tree sap when there's only five of us?'"
Jaune is still on the ground, but finds enough energy in his body to give a weak nod, "That is one of the many questions I have asked myself today, yes."
Jaune gets up from his position on the ground, coming to a sitting position, all the while Cardin keeps talking."Well, come with me, and you'll find out."
Jaune gives a weak moan, but still picks himself up off the ground to follow his blackmailer.
They make their way back to the others, or at least, near them. CRDL and Jaune look overa crest of a hill, watching the other students gathering the bounty of the forest. But it seems that someone holds Cardins singular attention, someone who has stood up to him consistently and been a royal pain in his ass since the first days of classes.
Jaune turns to look at Cardin, worried about why they are there. "Cardin, wh-what's going on?"
"Payback." the object of Cardins desire for vengeance is lying under a tree, his teammate talking to jaunes teammates, creating a distraction for Nora to do her dirty deeds, and devour the sap they worked so hard to get. Cardin's target, meanwhile, seems to be sleeping.
This was the first time in a long while Jaune had seen his friend look so at peace, "Asher...? Wh-what are you-?"
Cardin pounds his fist into the ground, "That's the bastard. Damn animal-lover… he's humiliated us too many times. Alright, boys..." here, he pulls out a box with a "w" on the top, "Last night, old Jaune here managed to round up an entire box of Rapier Wasps, and now, we're gonna put him to work."
Russell roughly grabs Jaune by the shoulders, either to steady him, or make sure he doesn't try to run. Although since they're all still on the ground, the gesture is more than likely meant to intimidate Jaune more than anything
"Now, according to one of the essays you wrote for me last week, these nasty things loooove sweets." Cardin turns to look at Asher, still napping under the tree with sunlight crossing his face. "And I think it's time we taught this animal lover what happens to people who cross us.
The members of CRDL get up. Cardin offers his hand to Jaune, only to painfully yank him up on his feet and shove the jar into his grasp.
"And Jaune here is gonna do it."
Jaune looked at Cardin in confusion, "Do what?"
"Hit him with the sap!" He leans in close to Jaune's face, sneering all the while, "Either that, or I'll have a chat with Goodwitch, and you'll be on the first airship out of Beacon."
Jaune looks down at the sap in his hands, thinking about how he got there. He had joined Beacon to prove something to himself, that he was not useless, he was not a damsel in could be a hero! And the first person to believe in him had been Asher.
"I believe you'll do better than me someday."
"You really think that?"
"Absolutely, and never doubt it."
Asher believed in him. Pyrrha believed in him. His friends were counting on him.
"No."
Cardin was shocked, this weak little coward was telling him no?"What did you say?"
Jaune put more force into his voice this time, steeling himself for what was about to come. "I said... NO!"
He turns and throws the jar at Cardin, instantly recoiling his hands to himself as he looks at Cardin's breastplate covered in sap. The other team leader, however, just looks at himself and laughs darkly. "Oh, you've done it now..."
Jaune laughs to himself again, this time with real humor. He had just stood up to Cardin! He was never going to be afraid of someone like him again.
WHAM
Well that wouldn't stop him from getting punched by the bully.
"You know that wasn't very smart, Jauney boy." Jaune feels Cardin grabbing him by the front of his shirt, lifting him up for a beatdown, "I'm gonna make sure they send you back to mommy in teeny tiny pieces."
Jaune could barely move, just getting hit that one time hurt a lot, but he couldn't just sit back and do nothing, his pride wouldn't let him."I don't care what you do to me..." with his remaining strength Juane lifted his head so he could look Cardin in the eye. "... but you are not messing with my friends."
Cardin feels momentary shock, but then sees a moment to hurt Jaune in a more meaningful way, "What? You think talk like that makes you tough? You think you're a big strong man now? You know he's not really your friend right? Someone like him, I've seen it a dozen times before. You're nothing to him. You're a tool for him to use, to make him seem compassionate."
Jaune feels like he's been slapped in the face, Asher isn't his friend? That's nonsense. Asher has been his friend since he first got to Beacon. Hsi first real friend who wasn't his family. And Cardin says he's using him? No, he wouldn't, Asher is his friend! And damned if he would ever doubt someone who has faith in him!
"You're wrong! Asher believes in me, and he's been my friend since day one! And I won't let you slander him!" Jaune was then hit, in the face, really hard. He thinks Cardin may have punched him.
"You little shit, let's see how much of a man you really are then." Jaune was on the ground now, holding himself up by the elbows. Cardin reached for his shirt again, his other hand rearing back to punch him once more, the rest of his team watching form the side, making sure no one interrupted them. But as Cardin was reaching a bright light broke through the clearing, blinding everyone there for a few seconds. And when they opened their eyes Jaune was standing in front of them, looking as if he had not been punched twice in the face, with no bruises to speak of. Cardin on the other hand, was nursing his right arm, the arm that had been reaching for Jaune. It felt to him as if he had been burnt.
"You bastard! What did you just do?!"
Jaune looked down at his hands confused over what just happened. He felt fantastic! Better than he had in awhile, any aches and pains he had from working all day yesterday and most of today were gone, leaving him feeling refreshed. "I-I don't know."
Cardin starts to growl under his breath, "Grab him." the rest of his team moves forward, Sky and Dove grabbing Jaune by his shoulders and holding him roughly as Cardin gets ready to whale on him for all the disrespect he's had to suffer today.
GRRRRRRR
What was that?
Dove and Sky were looking behind him at something, something really big from the position of their heads.
"That's a big Ursa…." oh… shit…. Cardin turned around to look behind him, and saw the biggest Ursa he had ever seen. Honestly, it was a crime for something to be that big! The Ursa started to stomp its way across the clearing, clearly headed toward Cardin, who looked down t his chest, that was covered in sweet, and fragrant, sap.
"Shit."
The ursa roared out a challenge, seemingly rearing itself up to attack. All of team CRDL wsa scared, anyone with eyes could see it. That wasn't to say that Jaune wasn't scared too though. Russel, Dove, and Sky all ran away, leaving Jaune and Cardin to fend for themselves. Cardin roared at his teammates, angry that they would leave him, and angry at himself for not having the willpower to move with them, "Cowards, come back!" The Ursa was already bounding across the clearing, with each step the earth shook a little. Cardin tried to steady himself, holding his mace in a two handed grip. But the grimm beast merly smacked the weapon out of his hands, leaving him defenseless for its next attack, which smacked him across the face, throwing him into a tree not too far from Jaune.
Jaune the whole time this was going on, was having a battle of will inside himself.
We should run! With cardin distracting it we could make it back to our friends and he wouldn't ever bother us anymore!
That's not right, if we leave him here we're no better than him!
Exactly! He would do it to us! Now let's leave and we never have to see him again!
This isn't what a huntsman would do.
Damn the huntsmen! I just want to live!
The whole point of coming to this school was to train, to save people. Have we done either of those yet. Now is the time for a decision.
Survive!
Live.
Jaune looked around him dueling with his thoughts, thinking over what to do when he saw him. Asher was watching from the treeline. How did he get over there so fast? His gaze was intense, as if he knew exactly what Jaune was thinking, and his whole body was exuding a powerful aura, something that felt like it couldn't be challenged. But there wasn't only Asher, there was something behind him, something even more dangerous than the grimm, but for some reason Jaune knew he was in no danger. The other presence was lurking in the dark, but Jaune could see its eyes, they were appraising him, measuring him up. He looked even further, and saw his team, standing at the front was Pyrrha, holding out her hand as if to help him up, a smile on her face. Behind her were Ren and Nora, Ren giving him a thumbs up, and Nora cheering him on in her own boisterous way. Then further behind was team RWBY, all of them, except maybe Weiss, were cheering him on. He felt his heart swell, his friends were here and he wouldn't let them down.
Jaune charged the grimm monster, hitting it with his shield like he had seen Asher do, then he went for a side swipe with his sword. The beast recoiled from his shield blow, but avoided the sword, and reared a paw back to take a swipe at him. He ducked under the claw, swinging his sword upward trying to cut the offending limb, but only managed to scratch it, but the damage was done. The ursa roared in anger at the tiny man-thing daring to challenge it this way and threw its whole mass at him, but out of nowhere seemingly of its own accord, Jaune's shield lifted itself up, holding back the monstrous beast. Jaune exerted his strength holding the Ursa up entirely with his shield, then his sword began to move, trusting it was his instincts, he followed through with the attack it was leading him to, cutting off the head of the bear like creature in one swing, Jaune roaring in defiance all the while. As the grimm fell and began to dissolve, Jaune looked to where he saw his friends earlier, wanting to thank them for the support. But where he saw them earlier in their places were trees. Any trace of their presence long gone, or perhaps, never there in the first place?
Jaune turned to look at Cardin, who was still sitting on the ground leaning on a tree after being hit there by the Ursa. Jaune put his hand out, willing to pick up the bully, who gladly accepted the gesture. Jaune lifted him up with relative ease, his confidence adding to his newfound strength. Jaune pulled Cardin in closer though, closer than either would have preferred but one of them had a point to make. "You leave me and my friends alone."
Cardin numbly nodded his head, only a little scared that Jaune was able to handily beat the beast, when he had been knocked around. "Right…."
The two started to head back to the others, running into Goodwitch on the way, and her followed by Asher, calmly walking along the path without a care in the world. The long suffering frown on his face replaced with a small, knowing, smirk. He quickly moved beside Jaune, almost half a foot taller now, which was odd since when term began they were the same height almost, he looked at his friend and nudged him with his shoulder, "so what happened? Heard there was an ursa." and so Jaune regaled his tale to his friend. They talked all the way back to the airship, meeting their friends and teammates back at the ship. Pyrrha was there… Jaune had some talking he needed to do tonight.
A/N Heyo! So to make up for the super late update I did the other day, here's the next part. Please don't hate me….
Anyway! So yeah, things are going good. Schools good, writings fun, finals are coming, OH JESUS FINALS ARE COMING
I'm fine. Expect more of this over winter break,Although the week of christmas I will be taking a break from writing to hang out with family and friends for the holidays
So again! R&R pm me if you have any suggestion, question, or OC's you think you want to make an appearance! I'm taking at the least four for Vytal, to make it a little more fun for you readers! Just a general description, some personality, and their weapons! Have a blessed day and happy holidays!
