AN: Next chapter is here. We get another perspective flip this time (Jaune, obviously in this case) too. Hope everyone likes it!
Ichigo Kurosaki
Some days, Ichigo Kurosaki wondered why he had signed up for this. He had come to Beacon to learn how to be a better Huntsman- and shinigami, but only he and his family knew that part -and as such, had expected to be learning. Ichigo expected to be taught by the professors, and find out new things that his father didn't know. For all that his old man knew about shinigami by virtue of being a former Captain, he knew a lot less about Grimm and how to hunt those soulless monsters. Understandably so, considering he spent all his time at the Clinic, keeping an eye on the younger members of the Kurosaki family. That didn't exactly leave a lot of time or room for going out and hunting the pseudo-Hollows. Hence, the reason Ichigo had to go to Beacon to learn how to do it himself, as there was nothing else he wanted to do with his life.
All that being said, he had not signed up for teaching his team. It was his own damn fault to be fair, as Zangetsu loved rubbing in his face. Didn't mean he had to be happy about it, of course. All of his team were fast learners- Ruby probably the fastest -and he did like spending time with them. That being said, it still wasn't fun to spend his free time dodging questions from Yang while trying to teach the girls how to use their Aura like his used his reiryoku. Which was something it wasn't meant to do, on top of his dislike of teaching.
"Stop complaining will ya?" Zangetsu...complained... "At least you get to spend time with hot chicks all the time."
And that was also annoying. His spirit played matchmaker...which was incredibly odd considering his Hollow nature.
"I'm also your instincts idiot."
"Shut up in there."
"You shut up! I just want you to get so..."
"Both of you need to focus. Yang is once more sending you a curious look."
"Damn."
Turning his head, Ichigo couldn't deny his more level-headed side's point. Yang was indeed flashing him a curious look, one mimicked on Ruby's face. Weiss and Blake, by contrast, were both glowing as they practiced their Aura work. It was always the sisters who noticed when he zoned out first. Ichigo tended to blame that on their natural curiosity more than anything else.
"I miss something?" the orangehead asked, as much to deflect attention as anything else.
Yang snorted, "You need to stop zoning out Ichigo."
"Yeah! You missed Blake do that!" Ruby added, excitedly pointing at a tree down below the cliff the group was practicing on.
A tree cut clean in two, with a small bit of burnt wood at the center of the cut. Blinking slowly, Ichigo looked at the dark-haired girl. Blake's eyes were shut, though she was panting slightly...as her Aura felt weak to the teenage 'teacher' observing her. Which wouldn't honestly surprise him all that much...Blake's 'special' power that she had discovered was the closest to his own he had seen.
And that included it using up her own power at a ridiculous rate. Ichigo had way more than enough energy...Blake didn't.
"Well...she improved her range," Ichigo deadpanned.
Ruby nodded, "Yup! I don't think it's easy for her to go all 'yahhh!' though."
The cuteness of Ruby trying to mimic his combat shouts aside, she had a point.
Shrugging slightly, the orangehead sighed, "It'll take awhile for her to get used to using her abilities. If it's anything like me anyway.
"Well, I coulda sworn Blake was channeling you when she pulled that flashy thing out," Yang added.
"Me or my father," Ichigo agreed, which is odd, since Gambol Shroud is certainly not a ZanpakutÅ...so how does she do it?
"Who I still want to meet."
An agreeing nod came from the younger sister, "I do too! You could meet our dad too. Not to mention Uncle Qrow said he wanted to meet you too!"
"Who?" Ichigo scowled, "And why...actually, how the hell does he even know about me?"
The younger girl giggled slightly, as she nervously tugged on her dress. Ichigo just raised an eyebrow, thoroughly curious now. And a bit worried to be fair...the last thing he wanted was more people knowing about him. Naturally, he knew it was just a matter of time until the greater Kingdom knew of his abilities. But that didn't mean he had to want it to happen soon by any means. And, of course, the fact those two wanted to meet his father still freaked him out. Isshin Kurosaki would have a field day...
"I...kinda told him," Ruby smiled, "Uncle Qrow taught me everything I know. I wanted him to know that you're doing the same!"
"It would make sense," Zangetsu chimed in.
"Maybe, but it kinda screws me over."
His spirit didn't dispute the point. Sighing softly, Ichigo turned to Yang, "And why do you want to meet my dad so much?"
"You're always talking about him training you," she shrugged, "Plus I kinda want to see if he's anything like you."
A sweatdrop ran down Ichigo's face, "About that..."
Mercifully, for him, a frustrated sigh came from Weiss. The white-haired girl got to her feet, dusting herself off with an equally frustrated look adorning her pretty face. Sighing softly once more, the heiress turned to her teammates. Ichigo didn't have to really guess why she sounded frustrated either, not really. Something confirmed as she looked directly at him.
"I have no idea what I'm doing wrong," Weiss complained, "I'm doing everything you had the others do."
As she said that, the girl pointed at Blake, who hadn't moved since she dropped to rest.
"But nothing works!"
The training with Weiss had been fun at one point in time. But the orangehead had learned- or perhaps, reiterated -that Weiss did not like failing of falling behind in anything. And she had some form of block on discovering her 'super special power' as Ruby had termed it. Yang had her fire-fists, Blake had her pseudo-Getsuga...but Weiss...she couldn't seem to pull anything off. It was an open question of course why this was the case, but it frustrated the hell out of the heiress. And a frustrated Weiss was not a fun Weiss.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out!" Ruby moved to comfort her partner.
"You've said that for the last week," the Heiress complained, "And I still can't do what you all can."
"But you're the best at sensing Aura..."
Ichigo nodded, "Ruby has a point. Hell, you're better at it than I am."
Weiss sniffed, "But I can't develop my Semblance beyond where it already was."
"You need to be proud of what you have," Blake finally spoke, getting to her feet- though sharp eyes from the resident male noted that she still shook slightly.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Weiss turned on the girl who, in many ways, was her opposite.
A shrug answered her, "You have an ability none of us do. Your Glyphs are versatile, and with your sensory abilities, you can lay traps."
"I still want to learn what my ability is," the white-haired girl crossed her arms stubbornly.
What is it with these girls and being as stubborn as I am? Ichigo couldn't help but wonder, even as he said aloud, "You'll find it eventually. Chill out already, you're giving me a migraine."
"What?!"
Yang broke out laughing at that shout, holding her sides at the indignant look Weiss had sent Ichigo. Ruby looked to be holding back a giggle too, even as Blake smirked slightly. Ichigo couldn't hold back a chuckle of his own, as Weiss glared at her team...before a small smile crossed her own face. It hadn't been easy to do, but they had gotten the heiress to lighten up just enough that she could laugh at herself on occasion. Such as when she let her 'ice queen' tendencies get the better of her. Or her temper, that was nearly as bad as Yang's in a way.
"Okay, that was funny," Yang wiped her eyes.
"Very funny," Weiss frowned, though the smile still tugged at her lips.
Ruby just clapped her hands, "That was funny! But it's getting kinda dark out here..."
Ichigo blinked, and looked around. And indeed, the sun had gone down. Where did the time go when they were training?
"Time flies when you're having fun with hot girls?"
"Will you stop with that already?"
Ignoring the sputtering from his uncooperative ZanpakutÅ, Ichigo turned to the rest of his team. They seemed just as surprised as he was, for what it was worth.
"I guess we have to go back to the room," Ruby continued, sounding distinctly put out by the idea.
"Come on sis," Yang punched her shoulder playfully, "I need my beauty sleep. Not easy looking like this y'know."
Snorting, Ichigo shook his head, "Oh, I'm sure you'll manage."
"You know you like it," Yang shot right back, grinning at the flush that came to Ichigo's face.
Weiss sighed, shaking her head as she walked past the others, "If you two are finished flirting, I would like to go to bed."
All Ichigo could do in reply was sputter, much as Zangetsu had been doing. Ignoring the laughter from his spirit, the orangehead settled for scowling at Weiss' back. He'd have to get her back for that one, one of these days...
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Once the team had made it back to their room, Ichigo found himself sighing softly as he laid back in his bed. It was nice to just lay down and relax for once, actually. Between his school work and training his team in techniques he had never thought them capable of using...it was exhausting, to put things mildly. He wasn't going to complain about it, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy just laying down for once, now did it? At least he was better off than a lot of others at Beacon, since he already came in with a unique skill set. That being said...he wouldn't be getting that much time to relax at the moment.
"Hey, I wonder if Jaune's back yet?" Ruby spoke up, already in her pajamas.
"He's been rather...off...lately," Blake added.
"I'm going to check!"
As the leader left the room, Ichigo just rolled over and sighed softly. He had an inkling of why Jaune was 'off' as Blake put it. Clearly, he had been shaken up by his duel with Cardin. If the orangehead had to guess, he would guess the blonde was throwing himself into training. Granted, that was what he would do, and it may be coloring his perception...
A perception that was suddenly filled with a sight that had him going redder than his namesake.
"YANG!" Ichigo shouted, covering his eyes as he stumbled out of bed, "Put some clothes on woman!"
"Come on," the blonde giggled, "you've seen me get dressed before! And it's not like I'm naked."
"That doesn't mean I want to see it again!"
Yang just continued to laugh at Ichigo's obvious discomfort, as she reached for her sleep shirt. The shinigami just grumbled, and left the room. Maybe the younger sister would be easier to deal with. Sometimes it seemed like Yang did stuff like this deliberately...
"Nope."
Speaking of Ruby, the younger girl was leaning against the wall, sitting next to a distinctly bedraggled Jaune. Both looked up at the red-faced shinigami, Jaune getting a confused look while Ruby smiled sympathetically. She knew exactly why her friend was red-faced. After all, Ruby had grown up with Yang and knew her sister's personality well. Better than anyone really.
"What are you two doing?" Ichigo asked, as much to distract them from his face as anything.
Ruby understood almost immediately. Say what you would about her childish personality, she was quite observant when she wanted to be.
"Convincing Jaune he isn't a failure," she replied, casting a look to her side, "Which he isn't! He's cool."
"Don't lie to my face," the blonde in question complained, before sighing, "And I am a failure. I couldn't even beat Cardin...and then I look at you guys! All of you are great fighters, and you're doing stuff I didn't think was possible. And here I am just...failing at everything."
"Nope," Ruby repeated.
Ichigo, for his part, elected to stay quiet for now. He wasn't as close to Jaune as Ruby was...and this was the perfect opportunity for his friend to flex her muscles, so to speak. If she could talk Jaune down, that would be a good thing anyway...and honestly, Ichigo fully expected that she was capable of that. Ruby was his leader for a reason. A damn good one, in fact.
"You're a leader now Jaune, you can't afford to be a failure," the young teen continued.
Jaune didn't bother hiding his misery, "But what if I'm a failure at being a leader? I can't even keep up with my team."
"Nope," the girl repeated once more, "Jaune...maybe you were a failure as a kid. Maybe you were a failure when you got here, but you can't be a failure now. You're a leader...we both are. What we do, reflects on our teammates. They rely on us to lead them, that's what Ichigo told me."
No I didn't...then again, if she wants to use a little white lie...
"And that's why we can't fail...we can't fail them Jaune!" Ruby swung her arms to accentuate her point, "Because they rely on us."
"But..."
Ruby waved a finger, "No buts mister! I think you can be a great leader. Your team deserves a great leader, and I think that can be you Jaune."
Holding back a snort at the way Ruby was acting- he could see she was doing it to cheer her friend up -Ichigo nodded himself, "She has a point you know. You're great at leading, if that fight with the Deathstalker was anything to go off of. Sure, you aren't any good in a fight..."
OW!
Ignoring Ruby pinching his side, Ichigo plowed right on, "But that's not your fault. Just train with your team...I'm sure they'd help. I'd offer myself...but I'm busy enough with these four. I swear, I never get any rest..."
"But your training is fun!" Ruby protested.
"And I never get any rest from it," the orangehead repeated, "Anyway, talk to your team Jaune. Get some training if you can, and I'm sure you'll get better."
"Yeah!" Ruby agreed, "Anyway though, good night for now Jaune. See you in the morning. Remember we have an awesome field trip tomorrow!"
With that said, the two members of RWBIY went back into their dorm. Ichigo cast one last look back, and saw a determined look flash across Jaune's face. Hopefully they had gotten through to him...because the last thing he wanted to see was a friend- even one not as close as his teammates -get hurt. Hopefully Jaune would work with his team...
Jaune Arc
Ichigo's wish aside, the next day found Jaune walking behind his team, a bit of a lost look on his face. The blonde had gone into his room determined to figure out how he was going to improve his skills. He did have that offer from Pyrrha to work with! But the moment Jaune had actually entered the room, his nerves came back in full force. The look Pyrrha had sent him hadn't helped a whole lot. He knew he wasn't around as much these days, since he had been practicing on his own so much. Jaune was determined to improve his skills on his own as much as possible, after all...he hadn't lied when he told Pyrrha that. But, Ichigo's words had shook him up...enough to think about asking for help. Only for the disappointed look his friend sent him to shoot that idea in the foot.
Hence the lost look currently adorning his face, as he walked a bit back from his team.
"Yes indeed students, the forest of Forever Fall is beautiful," Professor Goodwitch cut in, "but we are not here to sight see."
Lifting his head up slightly, Jaune noticed that Ruby and Yang were sending awed looks at the forest around them. It was very...red...at least.
Like Pyrrha's hair...don't think that way Jaune...
Sighing slightly, the blonde shook those thoughts from his head again. He didn't want to think about Pyrrha at the moment...or the way she still seemed angry with him. He had made a mistake...and he didn't know how to make up for it.
"Professor Peach has requested you retrieve samples from deep in the forest," Goodwitch continued on, not noticing one student's discomfort, "and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so."
Jaune gulped at that statement, doing his best to ignore the laughter from CRDL behind him. Goodwitch always seemed a bit grim, but that didn't make the blonde feel any better about the situation. The last thing he wanted was getting into a fight right now...not when he hadn't trained enough. Ruby's words still echoed in his head...
"We can't fail them Jaune..."
Shaking his head slightly, the blonde sighed again. His nerves were getting the better of him again...
"Each of you are to gather one jar worth of red sap. However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay close to your teammates. Have fun."
The way the Professor ended with 'have fun' didn't exactly do much to feel Jaune with motivation. Not to mention the way that both Pyrrha and Ichigo were sending him looks was a bit awkward. At least the latter only nodded once before moving to join his own team. Pyrrha though...she just waited for Jaune to catch up to her. Squaring his shoulders and letting out a breath, Jaune moved to his partner. He gave her a weak smile, nervously scratching his head.
For her part, Pyrrha just gave him a flat look, before turning her head. It wasn't about to be admitted out loud, but Jaune couldn't deny that hurt a bit. He knew she was angry with him...but he had hoped she wouldn't stay annoyed this long. It looked like that was the case though, and it did a lot to depress him really. There was only so much anyone could take of one of their friends being annoyed with them before they got depressed to be honest. This depressed tilt to his appearance didn't go unnoticed though. Before he could really start slumping, Jaune felt a finger poke his side.
"Huh?" the teen blinked, noticing Pyrrha had turned back around. It was just the two of them too, the others already moving on.
"Jaune...I'm sorry," the redhead said.
"You're...sorry?"
Pyrrha nodded, "Yes. I know I've been ignoring you...I just thought you wanted your space. But...you've not liked that, have you?"
She was...doing that for me?
Blinking again, all Jaune could do was shake his head, "Not really. I mean, I thought you were angry with me!"
A small laugh answered that, as the redhead placed a hand on her partner's shoulder.
"No Jaune, I wasn't angry with you."
"Well that's a relief," Jaune smiled slightly.
His friend smiled back, before grabbing his arm, "Come on. Let's get back to the others."
It was a sign of just how much better a mood he was in, that Jaune didn't protest his friend dragging him along.
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"This is easy," Ichigo deadpanned, as he was loaded up with his teams jars...maybe with a hint of sarcasm to his words.
"It may be for you," Ren countered, "but not for me."
"Heh," Nora giggled, her mouth covered in the sweet red sap...taken from Ren's jar.
"I think it's fun," Ruby pumped her fist, as her sister nodded in agreement, "We don't get to do field trips often!"
Watching the others interact, Jaune felt more at ease than he had in a long time. Maybe he had needed this more than he would readily admit. Being able to spend time with his friends, just talking and working together, was a nice change of pace. Gathering the sap didn't feel like something he wouldn't know how to do. There wasn't any risk of something worse than getting a bit of the sticky substance on his clothes here, unlike a spar at school where he'd probably lose badly. Well, actually, scratch that...there was a bigger risk than just getting a bit sticky.
"Achoo!"
...namely, the fact he seemed to be allergic to the sap. Jaune rubbed his nose, a pitying look on Pyrrha's face as she held both of their jars. The blonde had managed to get some of the sap on his face, and had been sneezing ever since. Not to mention he could have sworn there was some swelling. It wasn't a fun experience to be sure.
I think I'm allergic to this stuff...
"Are you okay?" Pyrrha asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
Jaune waved a hand, "I'm fine! I may be allergic to this stuff though..."
"That's unlucky," Ichigo winced in sympathy, even as he tried to juggle the four jars in his arms, "But at least you aren't having to carry all the jars. Seriously, why am I playing pack mule?"
"Well, you are the only guy on our team," Yang pointed out.
An eyebrow went up, "And that makes me the one who has to carry everything? Sexist."
"He has a point," Blake nodded in the background.
Yang sent her partner a wounded look, "Traitor."
All she got in reply was a shrug. For his part, Jaune just held back a laugh. The interactions of Team RWBIY were always entertaining, even to those outside said team. This was just one of those times, and it would have been impossible to not laugh at least a little at the way the other teens acted. Ichigo was always deadpan, competing with Ren for the trophy in that regard. Ruby and Yang were always joking around with him too, with Weiss or Blake jumping in on either side.
No fun lasts forever however. As Jaune was holding back his laughter, Ichigo's head snapped up, as he flashed to the side in that odd movement thing he could do. Blinking at the sight, Jaune felt his eyes widen as a jar of sap landed on the ground where he had been standing. Considering that, when he reappeared, Ichigo was still holding all four of the ones in his arms...it wasn't from him. Someone had thrown that at the orangehead. And Jaune didn't have to be a genius to know who that someone probably was. After all, only one person would have reason to throw something at Ichigo.
Cardin? But why would he do that...wait, what's that? Please tell me I'm not hearing what I think I'm hearing...
Turning around slowly with a feeling of dread, Jaune saw a swarm of very familiar insects approaching. Familiar from Port's last exam to be more specific...and it made the blonde feel like running for his life. A swarm of Rapier Wasps was the last thing he wanted to see zooming towards him.
"What the hell?!" Ichigo shouted, dropping his jars.
"Yang, Ichigo!" Ruby broke in, Crescent Rose already in her hands, "Handle the wasps! Blake, you and Weiss find Professor Goodwitch!"
Realizing that this was his friend pulling out her 'leadership' skills, Jaune turned to his own team, "Nora! You and Ren go with them!"
The four teens in question nodded, and ran off. Jaune drew Crocea Mors and squared his shoulders. Beside him, Pyrrha had her own weapon drawn. Yang and Ichigo were standing back to back, their own weapons glinting in the sunlight. Ruby had Crescent Rose spinning and ready to cut wasps into pieces. That being said, even Jaune had to wonder why Ruby had started by sending members of her team off- even if he had done the same -as the wasps were not the most dangerous thing in the world, though the stingers hurt. Killing them shouldn't be that hard...even for him.
It was then that he remembered they were in a forest 'full of Grimm'. The sounds of killing the wasps...the sound of cracking glass from the jar, and the laughter that was easily identifiable as Cardin and his team...all of that could draw Grimm. Made sense that Ruby would want the Professor back.
Why did she send off her own partner with Blake though?
"Here they come!" Pyrrha broke in, her weapon in its rifle form as she fired at the incoming insects.
"I've never seen a bug this big before," Ichigo added nonchalantly, as he almost casually sliced his sword so fast that Jaune couldn't even follow it.
Yang had a frown on her face as her fists caught on fire, "Eww...remind me to clean my gauntlets later. This is just nasty."
"At least you can burn them sis!" Ruby sounded quite disgusted as bug innards flew around her blade, "That's why you're here!"
Oh! That's why she's here!
Ducking under a stinger aimed at his head, Jaune suddenly felt a bit happy that the others were around. Individually, even he could handle Rapier Wasps. A swarm that never seemed to end like this one though...he didn't want to think about that. Luckily for him though, said swarm seemed far more focused on the three behind him, than on either the blonde or Pyrrha. Probably because Ichigo and Yang had managed to slaughter dozens of the bugs between the two of them- and Ruby wasn't far behind either.
Unluckily for him though...
"Was that what I think it was?"
"I..." Pyrrha tried answering, before a screaming Cardin Winchester flew over the group of teenager's heads. Behind him, the rest of CRDL sprinted down a slope, clearly terrified of something. That something being the source of the roar that had lead Jaune to ask his question.
A roar that revealed an Ursa stomping down the hill. And if that wasn't bad enough, the sight of this Ursa made Jaune's blood run cold. It would have been one thing if the Ursa had been like the one Nora had ridden during initiation. That one had been fairly average, if Port's class was any indication. This Ursa...
Oh no...
"That's a big Ursa," Ichigo deadpanned, as he continued to cut the wasps.
It was most certainly not average. The head and shoulder armor were the same as the smaller variety of bear-Grimm. But the back...was coated in evil looking spikes. And the size...it was easily twice as big as Nora's Ursa had been. Needless to say, Jaune felt his arms shake at the sight. Especially as the wasps continued to keep the members of RWBIY busy. Only Pyrrha could help him...and she was just as busy as the others shooting down the wasps that were now angling for the downed Cardin.
"I guess it's me huh?" Jaune whispered weakly, before squaring his shoulders. He couldn't back down. He knew he wasn't the best fighter...but if he backed down now, he'd never forgive himself.
"Jaune!" Pyrrha clearly wasn't happy about that however...even as the blonde charged forward.
"Yaaah!"
Charging at the Ursa, Jaune briefly wondered if he had lost his mind trying this. Said thoughts were pushed from his head, as the massive bear brought a paw down on his face. If he hadn't raised his shield at the last moment...even so, the blow nearly buckled his knees. Gritting his teeth, Jaune pushed up with all his strength. The Ursa backed up at that, allowing Jaune to roll away, raising his sword as he did so. The Ursa growled in anger, as it stomped in his direction. Taking a deep breath, Jaune ran to meet the bear halfway. His sword came down, cutting into its thick hide.
The Grimm reared back in pain, blood flowing from the cut on its chest. If anything, the pain merely angered it further however. Roaring at Jaune, the Ursa swept its paw out once more. The blonde leaped over the blow, surprise mixing with his determined look. A determination that allowed him to narrowly catch the follow up blow on his shield. It still pushed him back, but the young man wasn't sent flying...and that was the important thing...his training had clearly paid off. If he could take that blow, he could win this fight. He had his shield to keep his Aura intact. He had a sword that could cut the thick Ursa-hide...he could do this.
"You can do this Jaune..." he muttered, his voice gradually gaining strength, "I can do this!"
A disagreeing roar came from the Ursa, as the bear lunged forward, jaws ready to bite into Jaune's outstretched arm. Eyes widening momentarily, Jaune tried to move his shield around to catch the blow...and just when it looked like he wouldn't manage, the gleaming white barrier took the Ursa's blow, stunning the creature as it bounced its head off the antique shield. And stunning the blonde just as much, as he couldn't believe he moved that fast. The bear recovered quickly enough, rearing back and attempting to squash Jaune under its expansive paw once more.
But determination had filled the blonde teen now. He caught the blow on his shield, rolling with the blow. It was almost entirely instinct now, but it didn't matter if it was instinct or training. What did matter, was that Jaune used the momentum to come up with his sword swinging. Crocea Mors gleamed in the sunlight, red petals falling around it from the trees...as equally red blood came from the Ursa's neck. Jaune's antique sword proved just as useful as Zangetsu or Crescent Rose, as the sharp blade cut into the Ursa's neck. The old weapon faced little resistance, as it cleaved clean through the tough hide and spine of the Grimm.
Head and body fell in different directions, as Jaune stumbled from the lack of resistance. A shocked look came over his face, as he looked down at the dissolving body of the Grimm...as clapping came from behind him.
"Nice. Knew you had it in you," Ichigo's voice spoke up.
Turning around, Jaune blinked at the devastated corpses of the Rapier Wasps. There wasn't a single living one left, as the others were sending him impressed looks. Ruby was practically bouncing actually, as she excitedly mimicked his moves while chattering with Yang. Ichigo had a rare smile on his face, nodding in respect at the blonde's achievement.
But...but, the most important look to Jaune was the look of unmitigated pride on Pyrrha's face.
"I knew you could fight Jaune," the redhead said, grin on her face, "you always could."
"No I couldn't..." Jaune scratched his head, but he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face, as the others turned away and left him with Pyrrha- conveniently making him miss the nod Ichigo sent at his partners, satisfied with his choice to let Jaune fight the Ursa on his own, a choice mimicked by Pyrrha.
A shake of the head came from the redhead, "You could Jaune! You have the skill...even if you didn't know you did..."
It didn't take a genius to know why the girl's voice trailed off. A genius he was not, but Jaune knew that much...he knew that Pyrrha probably felt guilty for not helping him train or fight- though he was off in the latter case.
"Pyrrha...I..." taking a breath, Jaune forced his guilt down, "I was an idiot. I barely beat that Ursa, and that was after I trained so hard on my own. Are you...are you still willing to help me? Help me become a better fighter?"
The smile never once left Pyrrha's face, as she nodded, "Yes Jaune...yes, I can still help you."
Both teens smiled at the other, as they moved to join the others.
AN: I took a bit of artistic license with the Rapier Wasps. It's safe to assume they are not that big, though probably bigger than average Earth-wasps. That being said, it was for the sake of the scene so there is that. Suffice to say, they weren't that much of a threat...it was more a conscious choice to let Jaune handle the Ursa, than any problem with the wasps keeping Ichigo or Ruby or whoever away from it. I kept the Ursa mostly because it's very key to Jaune's development as a character...though, clearly, things were different this time due in large part to his training instead of being Cardin's whipping boy.
Since I'm sure Blake will get questions: she's using that attack she used on Torchwick in No Brakes. Presumably that was Weiss' Dust cartridges in that case...but here, it's her unique ability thanks to the training. It's also confusing the hell out of Ichigo.
Hope that makes sense! I also hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Next couple will be equivalent to the last two episodes of V1, after which we move to the next subarc to bridge V1 and V2. For now though...on to the reviews:
desdelor97, Kragh50, Telron, Zackmon, liberty86, Guest, Mazamba, Seigogerman, Ranmaleopard, JJN37, correnhimself316, MEleeSmasher, The Digger92: Thanks for the reviews!
The10thDoctor1964: Oh certainly. Cardin is lucky Ichigo has a firm hold on ole' Zangetsu really.
hollowichigo12: Yeah, Cardin not being able to blackmail Jaune has some importance here...certainly because Ichigo is the source of his ire now.
Krazyfanfiction1: The speed of the regen depends on how much power Ichigo is willing to use. Could be instant, could take minutes or hours.
CrystalCipher: I can say Ichigo is normally holding back in his fights, mostly to avoid questions. As in previous ANs though...his full power level is a secret for quite a bit longer.
PersonaQeminod1: The lack of Hollows makes that impossible. While it is possible people still go to Hell in Remnant, there aren't any Hollows, and as such, no reason for Ichigo to be near it.
yiggdrasill: I always assumed it was typical teenage behavior...avoid the bully where possible, since it 'isn't my problem'. The 'focus' teams don't seem the type to do that, but it is possible. Eh, good thing Ichi's around in this case.
Gravenimage: Honestly, I think people should have figured it out by now, me saying anything or not...I've been dropping hints since the start.
Grinja: This is true, those two do get a lot of time together.
xbox432: Glad you liked the CRDL bit. Field Trip didn't change that much, but I think what did change was important.
spartan-140: That reply was actually referencing Bleach itself, not this story.
Hollow Saigo no Getsuga Tensho: Can't answer that one, sorry.
Assault Godzilla: Oh yeah, Cardin is going to be a pain in Ichigo's side for the foreseeable future. Ichigo's got plenty to teach really, and I'm trying to make it natural...they won't learn everything quickly.
AN: There we go. I can't believe we're almost at 250 for so few chapters...I hope everyone keeps reviewing! It's always nice to see this much interest in a story.