Cabbage Cabrera, metalknight10, DubWubs, Spangle Jenks, IWEYC, fer gp, and guest.

Thank you all for your reviews and support.

I don't own anything.


Jaune's POV

I fall hard and fast. I don't have time to catch myself. The back of my head bounces off the ground, and all the air is forced from my chest. My vision blurs slightly and I gasp as I desperately try to replenish my empty lungs. My body screams for rest, but I don't listen. I jump to my feet and quickly ready my sword and shield. I brace myself and wait for my opponent to strike again. But the strike never comes.

"I think that's enough Jaune." says Pyrrha for the third time since we started sparing.

"No, I can keep going." I say while refusing to lower my guard.

"We've been sparing for more than two hours straight." She says.

"I'm fine. I can keep fighting." I say a bit louder than I mean to, my voice echoing off the walls of the empty training room.

"But we told Ren and Nora that we would meet them for lunch, and we're already late." She say, her voice calm and even.

"They'll be fine without us." I say. "Now come on. Let's do at less one more round."

"But…"

"I said I'm fine!" I shout while finally lowering my guard. My weapon falls to my side. "You don't need to worry about me all the time. If I say I can keep fighting, than I can. Just trust me. Okay!" I instantly feel bad for yelling at her. She's only trying to look out for me.

"I do trust you Jaune." says Pyrrha, her voice soft and sad. "If you say you're fine, then I'm sure you are. But did you ever consider that maybe I'm not."

"Wh…what? What do you mean?" I ask. "What's wrong?"

"I'm tired Jaune." says Pyrrha. "None of us have gotten any real sleep for days. And this was our first day going back to classes since the mission. Over two hours of sparing after a full day of classes on almost no sleep is just too much. You might be fine Jaune, but I need a break."

"I…. I'm so sorry Pyrrha." I say. "I wasn't even thinking about you. That was…. I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize." She walks up and puts a hand on my shoulder. "You've had a lot on your mind lately."

"But that doesn't give me the right to treat you like this." I say. "It's just…. I need to be better. Stronger."

"Because of what happened to Blake." Says Pyrrha.

"I….I just want to be able to protect the people I care about."

"I know Jaune, but becoming a skilled fighter takes time." Says Pyrrha. "It won't happen overnight, especially if you push yourself like this."

"I know. You're right. It's just….. I don't feel like I have the luxury of taking things slow." I say. "I'm so far behind everyone else."

"No, you're not." She says. "You may not see it, but everyone else does. You've become very skilled in a short amount of time. You….you need to stop blaming yourself for what happened to Blake."

"Pyrrha, look. I…" I want to tell her how I really feel. That even though no one blames me for what happened, I will always blame myself. At least a small part of me will. When I confessed to Blake that nothing she said could completely take away the guilt I felt, she just accepted it. She said she wished I didn't feel that way, but she understood. She said she felt the same way about things that happened in her past, and that she didn't have the right to tell me how to feel.

But if I tell Pyrrha that, she won't stop trying to convince me that I'm not at fault. And I don't want that. "I guess you're right. And I am pretty tired too. Why don't we call it a day?"

"I think that's a good idea." She say. Her eyes linger on me like she knows I'm not telling her something, but she doesn't say anything.

"I think I'm going to stop by and see Blake first." I say as we gather our gear. "Do you want to come with me?"

"You go ahead. Ren, Nora, and I went to visit her this morning." She say. "I know her teammates are already there, and I don't want to crowd her."

"I didn't realize you went to see her this morning." I say.

"Yes, we had a nice visit." She says. "Actually, I was surprised not to see you there."

"Yeah. Well, she kind of kicked me out late last night." I say. "She wanted me to get some rest for classes today, and she wouldn't take no for an answer."

"It nice to know that she is feeling well enough to order you around." She chuckles.

"Yeah, the doctor says she's improved a lot for having only woken up a couple of days ago." I say. "But they say she'll need to stay in the hospital for at least another week."

"That's not so bad, considering the severity of her injuries."

"Yeah. I know." I say solemnly.

"I'm sure she'll like having you visit her." she says.

"Yeah, I should probably get over there." I say. A smile breaks out across my face. I'm not sure why.

"I suppose I'll see you later tonight."

"Yeah, I'll see you then." I say. I start walking toward the exit, my stride faster than usual as I think about seeing Blake.

"Jaune." Pyrrha calls out to me and I stop and turn around. I think I see a hint of sadness flash in her eyes.

"Is everything okay?" I ask her.

"Yes. I just….. You care deeply about Blake. Don't you?"

"Of course I do. She's my friend." I say. I see that same bittersweet sadness appear on her face again. It confuses me. "Why did you ask me that?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if you realized it yet." She says with a soft smile.

"Realized what?" I ask.

"It's nothing you need to worry about. I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough." Pyrrha turns and heads for the other exit, waving as she goes. "Tell Blake I say hello."

I'm left standing there feeling completely lost. What was Pyrrha talking about? What haven't I realized, and why did it make her sad? I want to chase after her and get more answers, but I need to get to Blake before it gets too late. Besides, something tells me that Pyrrha isn't going to tell me anymore than she already did. I guess I'll have to figure it out on my own. I sigh and start making my way to the infirmary.


Blake's POV

I bite my lip and try to ignore the pain as the doctor examines my injuries. He mutters to himself as he pulls the bandages from my chest. I ignore him and instead focus on the sounds of my teammates. They had only arrived a few minutes ago, and through a fit when the doctor made them wait outside so he could give me a checkup. And now I can hear the three of them arguing about something just outside the door.

"Your chest wound is healing nicely." Says the doctor as he covers the injury back up. "How's the pain? Is breathing still difficult?"

"It's much better." I say. The doctor eyes me, waiting for me to elaborate. "It's hard to move around."

"Because of the pain?" he asks.

"Yes. And I get out of breath quickly."

"That's normal. It will take time for you to build up your strength again." he tells me. "Any other complaints."

"Just some headaches."

"That's also normal given your head injury. Just tell me if they get any worse. Alright?"

"I will."

"Okay. Let's take a look at your eye." He slowly peals back the bandages from the right side of my face. The air burns the newly exposed skin. "The cuts and burns around your eye are healing up, but it looks like the wounds will leave some scars."

"Scars don't bother me." I say.

"Most huntresses feel the same way. Unfortunately, scars are a part of the job." He says as he takes out a penlight. He shines it over the right side of my face. I see nothing. "No response." He mumbles with a frown.

"Is it permanent?" I ask, though I already know the answer.

"I'm afraid so." He say apologetically. "Your right eye took a lot of damage from the blast. Too much for your aura to heal. I'm sorry, but you'll be blind in this eye for the rest of your life." I feel my heart drop when he says this. I had known as soon as I woke up that the damage to my eye was beyond repair, I could feel it. But hearing him say it makes it real.

But it feels wrong to get upset over it though. It could've been so much worse. I could've easily lost sight in both eyes, or even have died. Or worse. Jaune could've died. When I think of it like that, being blind in one eye is a small price to pay. But still…..

"Will it affect my ability to fight?" I ask.

"It might at first, but most people who lose their vision in one eye adjust rather quickly." He says while applying a new bandage over my face. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. You're going to be just fine."

"Thank you." I say. I look down at my hands and take a deep breath. I can't let this get to me. I can't change it, so there's no point in getting upset over it.

"I think we're all done here." The doctor say. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." I nod my head, the doctor smiles and turns to leave. Yang, Weiss, and Ruby tumble into my room when he opens the door. The doctor just sighs and continues past them. My three friends are slow to face me. Their body language is tense, and their eyes sad.

"I'm guessing you overheard what the doctor said." I say.

"Sorry Blake." Says Ruby. "We didn't mean to overhear, it just…."

"It's fine Ruby. It saves me the trouble of having to tell you myself." I say.

"Are… How are you doing?" Yang asks awkwardly.

"I'm fine."

"I thought we talked about you hiding the truth." Says Weiss. I smile slightly at the seriousness of Weiss's tone.

"That is the truth." I say. "It's upsetting, but I can deal with it. It could've been worse."

"You're taking this really well." Says Yang suspiciously.

"I'm not going to sit here and cry over something I can't change." I say.

"What can't you change?" asks a new voice. I look up and see Jaune standing in the doorway. A smile tugs at my lips and I suddenly feel a bit more relaxed. He looks around the room and frowns. "What's wrong with everyone?" he asks.

"The doctor was just in here." I tell him. His eyes fill with sorrow and understanding. I had spoken to him last night about thinking that the damage to my eye wasn't going to heal.

"You're eye." There's a lot of emotion in his voice when he speaks, but absolutely no pity. He walks up to me without hesitation and takes my hand in his. "I'm so sorry Blake. I was….really hoping that the doctor would have better news."

"It's fine Jaune." I say.

"No. It's not fine." He looks at me with sadness and determination in his eyes. "But it will be. It will take a lot more to keep you down." The strength in his voice calms me, and I feel reassured. I find myself smiling again.

"Umm….did the doctor say anything else?" asks Ruby, I look away from Jaune for the first time since he entered the room. My teammates are giving me odd looks. Yang is smiling wickedly, Weiss looks somewhere between shocked and appalled, and Ruby looks about as confused as I feel. What's with them?

"The doctor didn't say much else." I say, ignoring their antics. "Just that I'm doing a lot better, but it'll take time to fully heal."

"Well, if you're feeling better, then perhaps we could discuss a few things." says Weiss, her face and tone suddenly becoming rather intense.

"I don't think now is the best time." Says Yang.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"It's nothing that can't wait until later." Says Ruby. "We can talk when you're feeling better."

"Don't treat me like I'm fragile." I say a bit sharply. "I don't want you hiding anything from me just because I'm injured." My teammates exchange looks. I glance up at Jaune. He gives me a confused look, letting me know he doesn't know what's going on either.

"Fine!" Yang sighs and turns to me. "Just remember, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

"Yes she does!" says Weiss.

"Just tell me already." I say, my patience wearing thin. There's a pause. Weiss clears her throat before looking at me.

"When Adam attacked us." Begins Weiss. "What did he mean…..He said he would do to me, what my father did to you. What was he talking about?" I feel my mouth go dry. My heart pounds in my chest as memories flood my mind. I…. I can't tell her. This isn't something she needs to know about.

"I….I can't say." I whisper.

"You have to!" shouts Weiss.

"It's in the past Weiss. There's no point in talking about it." I say.

"Yes there is! We nearly got killed over it! And I have a right to know. My father…. Whatever he did, he did while using the Schnee name. My name. And I need to know what sins my name carries. I need to know what I'm inheriting." Weiss has tears pooling in her eyes. "Please Blake." I still don't want to tell her. I don't want to hurt her, but I can't deny her request. I feel Jaune squeeze my hand, giving me strength.

"Weiss. There's no proof that you're father knew what really happened." I say.

"But he was still involved." She says.

"All I can say for sure is that he gave his head of security an order to do whatever it takes to stop the White Fang. And his head of security at the time, a man named Matis, took the order to heart."

"Matis? He was close to my family. He ate dinner with us every Sunday. He was always kind to me. He died when I was fifteen. He was killed, along with twenty eight other members of our security team. I've never seen my father so angry. He said the White Fang were responsible." Says Weiss.

"Yes. I was there when it happened." I say. Horror spreads over Weiss's face.

"You…. You killed all those people?" she asks.

"No. I did things I wasn't too proud of while I was with the White Fang, but I never killed anyone." I say. Weiss seems to believe that I'm telling the truth.

"Then what really happened?" she asks.

"I…. I was fifteen. The White Fang got some Intel that there were a group of Faunus being held against their will. Adam and I were sent to scout the area…. But it was a trap. A group of well-trained mercenaries were waiting for us. We were outnumbered, so Adam and I retreated. We made it to a cliff. He jumped off first. I was right behind him, but at the last second one of the mercenaries drug me back. They were as skilled as huntsmen, so I didn't last long against them.

They took me to this small camp. Everyone there was wearing the Schnee dust symbol. The mercenaries handed me over to Matis. He took me to a small underground bunker just outside the camp. And that's where I spent the next seventeen days."

"What…..what did he do to you?" Weiss's voice cracks.

"He…..tortured me. He tried to get me to tell him about the White Fang. But I kept silent. So he began recording the torture sessions and he would send them to the White Fang, in hopes that someone there would give up information to save me. But the leader of the White Fang was unwilling to sacrifice the cause for just one person." Weiss starts sobbing, but I don't stop. If I stop now, I won't be able to continue again.

"After seventeen days, I was nearly dead. That's when Adam came. The leader of the White Fang tried to stop him, so Adam killed him and took control of the White Fang, just so he could come and save me. He….. I'd never seen him so angry. So out of control. I wanted him to stop, but I couldn't even speak. Adam slaughtered every person there, including Matis. And then he took me back home. We never spoke about it. And nothing was ever the same after that."

The room is filled with the sound of Weiss's ragged sobbing. Ruby and Yang have tears in their eyes as well. Ruby tries to rest a comforting hand on Weiss's shoulder, but as soon as she touches her, Weiss jumps from her chair and races from the room.

"Weiss!" Ruby shouts and runs after her. Yang looks between me and the door.

"Go after them." I tell her.

"But…."

"I'm fine. I excepted what happened to me a long time ago." I say. "But Weiss and Ruby….. They're struggling right now, and they need you."

"I'll calm them down and bring them back. Then we can all talk." Says Yang. "I'll be back before you know it."

"Thanks Yang."

"No problem partner. I'm here for you. We all are." She turns to Jaune and frowns. "You. Watch Blake's back while I'm gone. Got it."

"Uh… Yeah. Of course." Yang flies out the door before Jaune can finish his answer. I look up at Jaune and try to read his face. His eyes are red with unshed tears, and his face is twisted with conflicting emotions.

"Jaune? Are you okay?" he looks at me and smiles.

"Yeah. I just… I feel bad." He says.

"Why?"

"Because I feel grateful. I feel grateful that Adam saved you, because you wouldn't be here if he didn't. But it kind of feels wrong to feel grateful when he killed all those people." He says.

"I felt the same way when it happened." I say. "Adam killed those people because of me, and I hated that. But I was also so thankful for that nightmare to finally end."

"Well…..no matter what happened. I'm glad he saved you." He says.

"That wasn't the only time Adam saved me. In fact, we both got in the habit of saving each other for a while." I say, my mind wondering through memories. It makes my heart ache. Jaune squeezes my hand again, and it's only then I realize that he hasn't let go since he first walked into the room. But I don't seem to mind. It doesn't feel awkward. It's…. nice, warm, and comforting. Like with just his hand, he's able to pull me from my sadness.

"He meant a lot to you." Says Jaune.

"Yes. Not the person he turned into, but the man he used to be." I feel a tear roll down my face. I don't bother stopping it.

"What was he like?" Jaune asks.

"He…. He was a hero. He saved me, when he didn't have to. He became my friend and my family when I had nothing. He protected me time and time again. He comforted me when I cried, and he taught me how to be strong. He had so much love in his heart. But….his love faded away. That man that we fought, that wasn't the real Adam. Not the one I knew. But….when I ….. when he died. The real Adam….he was there. Just for a second….. and I….. I killed him." I sob. There's nothing I can do to hold the tears back.

Warm arms surround me as Jaune pulls me into a hug. He gently cradles my head against his chest. I instinctively curl up to him. I weep into his shirt and I let his soothing voice comfort me. I hold onto him as tight as I can while I finally let myself mourn the partner I lost so long ago.


Jaune's POV

Blake's asleep now, but I don't let her go. As the sun sets, I continue holding her close to me. Her breathing is even, and her face now dry of tears. But I can't bring myself to let her go. Her cries still echo in my ears. I could hear her heart breaking.

The pain she feels from killing Adam is overwhelming. But she feels just as much pain knowing that the Adam she once knew died long ago. I wish I could do something for her. I know I can't take her pain away, but maybe I could do something that could help her come to terms with what happened.

My eyes widen as an idea starts to form in my mind. I silently take out my scroll and I send a quick message. I glance down at Blake and smile. My idea is a longshot, but I have to try. For her.


What do you think Jaune has planned? I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts.

-Echo Artemis