So, not even sure how long its been since I last updated this story so I won't bother speculating. Regardless, finally an update for you all. I've been preparing for an extended business trip which put my whole schedule out of sorts and made it difficult to find time to get this done. Not as long a chapter as I would have like but I still feel I made some quality reading material that you'll all enjoy. Also, yes I know in the show their semester break is only two weeks but that seemed too short for me and not much in the show would be upset with a couple more weeks tacked on. Hope you enjoy and as always leave me a review of your thoughts.
Ansel – 1 month later
A lot can happen in a month. Seasons change, flowers bloom, children grow, and lives are altered forever. Jaune never considered himself a melancholy or nostalgic person. Of course, he'd never considered himself the type to take on the responsibility of being a guardian for another person's life. Yet, the universe had a way of forcing you into unusual situations. It was up to you to decide what the outcome would end up being. Would you rise to the challenge, becoming something altogether stronger and more resilient or would you buckle under the pressure as it ground you into dust and a faded memory of what might have been? Most people would say they were the latter. Then again, most people weren't faced with the loss of their entire family, as well as their homes, and left to pick up the pieces from what remained.
All of these thoughts swam through Jaune's mind as he gently laid the flowers he'd brought with him for the memorial. It wasn't anything fancy. A large stone tablet with the Arc family crest engraved in the top and inlaid with gold leaf just above the carved names of each of his family members including his sister-in-law Terra and his nephew Adrian. His fingers brushed across the names of each of his family members, memories tied to each of them rising to the forefront of his mind.
His Father walking in through the front door of their house, his boots caked with mud and the stench of dirt and sweat heavy on his body. His mother gently waking him with a kiss and announcing that breakfast was ready before returning several minutes later with a no-nonsense attitude as she ripped open the curtains, blinding him as sunlight spilled in through the window. Various other memories all tied to his sister's, his parents, even his tiny nephew spilled out along with fresh tears. He quickly wiped away the moisture, looking down to see they had already stained the memorial and flowers. He hadn't cried like this in a long time. Not since they'd left home. He hadn't had time for it. There were more important things to worry about, to focus on. He'd had to push aside his feelings of remorse to ensure he and Jade had a future.
Speaking of Jade, he could hear her off in the distance, talking out loud to the memorial erected for her mother. She had been doing that for a while now, telling her mom all about the things she and Jaune had been up to since they'd left Ansel or what remained of it. It had been a little over a year and already he could see signs of nature beginning to retake the land. Weeds and vines were starting to grow and grass was sprouting in places that used to be well worn roads. They'd even seen a couple of deer scamper off when they first walked in. By the time he'd graduated from Beacon the place would be overrun by the vegetation. How soon would it be before the place was swallowed up and returned to nature? Perhaps someday people would return and start a new village here? Of course, that was probably something that wouldn't happen for quite some time yet.
Pushing himself back up he felt more so than heard his knees pop. He quickly brushed off the grass and dirt from his pants, noticing that his knees were already stained green, and began making his way over to Jade. It would be getting dark in a couple of hours and they'd want to head back to the village before night fell. While they weren't strangers to camping outside, he wasn't at all keen about doing that today, especially if there were Grimm in the area. Drawing closer, he could see the memorial Ozpin had made for Jade's mother. Just like his family's it wasn't overly ornate. It was simple in its design but that was all they really needed. In place of a family crest sat the symbol for Vale. Jaune didn't know if Jade's family had a crest and nothing in her records or her mother's for that matter suggested otherwise. The flowers Jaune had given Jade were set just above the monument while she herself sat cross legged before it, chatting away like it was the most natural thing in the world. While he knew they needed to be leaving soon, he decided to give her a few more minutes to finish her thoughts. It would be a while before they had another chance to come out here. Once summer break hit, they'd be headed to Argus to officially move into the formerly Arc-Cotta residence and face the horror that was no doubt brewing inside the kitchen and pantry. He shuttered just a little at the thought of it.
"Jade, it's time to go," he said gently.
"Okay," she said, pushing herself up to her feet. "Bye mommy, I miss you." She took her brother's hand, letting him lead them away towards the no toppled gates of Ansel. "We'll come visit again, right?"
"Of course. Next time we'll bring everyone. They can see Ansel and meet our families," he promised.
Jade skipped alongside him happily, content to know this wasn't a one-time thing. Jaune would never had allowed it, mostly because he never would have heard the end of it. As they walked on into the forest his hand brushed against the crumbling remains of the front gate, dust filtering into the air and staining his gloves as they passed. Leaving Ansel felt so much different now. Before, when they'd departed, it had been out of necessity. Their homes were gone, their families dead. All thoughts had turned towards finding a suitable place to stay and from there figuring out a means of restarting their lives. Now, though, with his place in Beacon firmly cemented, leaving Ansel felt almost melancholy. He was tempted to look back, to gaze upon the village one last time but he resisted the urge and instead stared forward. The desire to turn around was born out of the fruitlessness of hoping to see that everything was as it should be. The gate would still be there, tall and strong as it safe guarded the village from any Grimm threats. Their homes, shops, and schools would be as they were, alive with people going about their days. Children would be running around while their mother's kept careful watch over them. The men would be manning the walls, keeping a keen eye out for any potential threats. The older residents would no doubt be gossiping about the latest news brought in from the big cities by traveling Huntsmen and merchants.
It was a nice dream but sadly not one he could rely on. All of that was gone and only dust remained.
They walked on for quite some time, Jaune remaining lost in thought as Jade yammered on about all the things she'd told her mother. He half listened, half maintained an awareness of the world around them. Despite everything seeming peaceful they were still in Grimm territory. They wouldn't be completely safe until they'd reached the village they were staying at.
"And then you went berserk and yelled 'RRRAAAGGGHHH!' and tried to kill the other guy with your shield," she said adamantly.
"I didn't try to kill him, I only broke his nose," Jaune corrected, having caught the tail end of her retelling.
"Nora said you went Hulk Smash on Cardin's ass."
"Jade, language," he chided.
"Sorry," she replied, her ears drooping slightly.
"I'll need to talk with Nora about watching her language. We don't use words like that."
"But you use them," she pointed out.
"T-that's different," he stammered, for some odd reason feeling the ghost of his father laughing behind him.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because I'm an adult and we're allowed to say those things," he replied.
"When I can start using them?"
"When you're older than me," he replied.
"Oh," she said, pausing for moment before saying, "Hey! I'll never be older than you."
"That's the point," he muttered under his breath as he laughed.
His laughter quickly died down as he heard some rustling nearby and faint sound of growling. He stiffened, his hand slowly sliding to his sword while the other he held out to silence Jade. She quickly obeyed, knowing well enough what he brother's signal was, and slowly followed behind him as they crept towards the disturbance. Keeping himself calm and his emotions in check, he slide down behind some brush to pear out into the clearing ahead. It came as no surprise that he saw a group of Creeps, small bipetal Grimm that were more like mouths with legs and a tail than anything that might be seen in the animal kingdom. They were some of the weaker types of Grimm, being just under Beowolves' in that regard, but were still fast and vicious.
"Grimm," he heard his sister whisper quietly.
"Yea," he replied, eyeing his targets.
Three Creeps weren't much of a threat. With his current skill level he was more than a match for them. He'd killed plenty of them prior to joining Beacon and he'd improved immensely since then. The trick was to keep track of them to ensure they didn't try to flank him while he targeted one. He was certain he could kill them easily but what about Jade?
He glanced over at his sister and more specifically her weapon. While it was really more of a short sword, for her it was the perfect length. He wondered for a moment if she was up for the challenge of taking one of these on. Granted, she was still just a child and had only just had her aura unlocked by him at her fifth birthday, but he'd been training her since then and now seemed like a perfect time to show her what the life of a Huntsman was like. He'd need to eliminate two of the three quickly just so he could intervene if it became too much for her to handle but otherwise he was confident she was up for the challenge.
"Hey Jade," he said, drawing her attention, "think you can take one?"
His sister's eyes widened in surprise and she slowly gazed back at the creatures. By now they had picked up her scent and with her nervousness most likely turning to fear, it wouldn't be long before they'd taken notice of their presence. For a moment he thought she would decline but he watched as her hand slipped to her own sword, drawing it out and holding in the manner he'd showed her countless times. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly. Putting on as serious an expression as she could (which was really, really cute in spite of herself) she nodded once.
Rising to his full height, Jaune drew his sword and deployed his shield as he rushed into the clearing with Jade right behind. The Creeps took immediate notice and charged in to welcome their new prey. Jaune wasted little time in dispatching one of them, skewering it through the chest when it attempted to leap on top of him. A second tried to take him from the side but he quickly blocked its advance with his shield and pushed it back, leaving the last one to his sister.
Glancing back, he could Jade had her sword held up and kept her eyes on the Creep. While it was fast, she made sure to keep herself facing towards it with her back to the forest around them. Jaune allowed himself to smile, proud to see she was putting his training to good use. Returning his attention to his current opponent, he shoved back, toppling it to the ground and pinned it there with his shield. It struggled to break free but he stabbed it with his sword before it could do anything and left it to dissolve into black mist.
Having grown impatient, the Creep was lunging at Jade, attempting to knock her to the ground and make her an easier target. To her credit she managed to evade it fairly well, her expression showing a mixture of nervousness and determination that was currently warring within her as she struggled to overtake it. Deciding playtime was over, the Creep leapt into the air with the intent of body slamming Jade into the ground. She saw it the moment it happened, her wolf ears flattening to her skull as her eyes grew wide in shock. Desperately, she held her sword aloft just as it came down on top of her.
"Jade!"
Jaune rushed over, full panic mode taking over. He should have been more attentive, more careful. Sure, she'd been trained but she was still just a five-year-old kid. As he neared the Grimm, he held up his sword, ready to kill it before it had a chance to do any more damage. He watched as the thing jerked, rolling to the side before its body began to dissolve. Confused, he looked down to see Jade covered in patches of dirt, her sword embedded deep into the Grimm's chest. Wrenching her sword from the beast, she stumbled to her feet and starred down at the dissolving Grimm corpse.
"Did- did I kill it?" she asked, looking up at her brother, confused but hopeful.
"I think you did," he said, looking at the creature. "Well done."
"I killed it?" she said, gazing down her sword and then the Grimm. "I killed it!"
She jumped up and down, excitedly shouting "I did it! I did it!"
"Woah, woah, Jade, sword in sheath. Please, before you take my eye," Jaune yelled, backing away to ensure he was well away from the sharp, pointy piece of metal.
"Oh," she said, stopping to carefully put her sword back in its heath. "Sorry."
"Alright, so does the little huntress want a piggyback ride back to town?"
"Yea!" she squealed excitedly, jumping onto Jaune's back as he knelt down to let her on. "Onward!"
"Alright, alright," he said with a chuckle. "So, you hungry?"
"Yea."
"Think you're hungry enough to eat an adult meal?" he asked.
"Really?" she asked excitedly.
"Well, you've earned it. Any requests?"
"Steak," she replied immediately, "and mashed potatoes."
"You want brown gravy too?"
"Yea!"
"Alright but you have to eat it all," he said.
"I will."
To Jaune's surprise, Jade managed to eat every bite of her meal. It was certainly an astonishing sight to behold, one that had him joking about her being a ravenous little wolf cub. That comment received an indigent glare as well as a retort that she was a big girl, not a cub. Despite her claims, the massive amount of food quickly proved to be her undoing as a quick bath was all it took to have the girl nodding off on his shoulder. Jaune had barely picked up the book he was about to read to her when she fell asleep, dead to the world around her. Amused, Jaune gave her a small kiss on her forehead before pulling himself under the covers. Soon they'd be back at Beacon and things would really start ramping up for them.
/-/
"Jade!" Nora squealed excitedly.
Jade wriggled free of her brother's grasp, dropping to the floor and rushing into the red head's waiting arms. As soon as she reached her, Nora engulfed her in a massive bear hug while Ren strode by to give Jaune a hug as well.
"Welcome back," he said.
"Good to be back," he replied. "Hey Nora, am I going to be getting my sister back anytime soon?"
"Nope," she replied. "Jade's my sister now."
"Nora, she's my sister. You're just on the same team as me," Jaune replied.
"Nope. I've claimed Jade as my own until further notice, so says Queen Nora."
"Queen Nora?" he asked, turning to Ren for an explanation.
"Your guess is as good as mine," he replied. "I've just learned to accept Nora's randomness as her being her."
"Makes sense," he said, considering for a moment just how weird it was to accept that.
"Hey, Jaune's back," he heard a familiar voice say.
Jaune turned to see four young women walking down the hall towards them. He knew them all fairly well as the members of team RWBY, their sister team, with their leader Ruby (yes, it was awkward explaining that to people) at the head followed by her sister Yang, her teammate Blake, and finally her partner Weiss. The young leader immediately took off running towards them, activating her semblance and turning into a blur of rose petals as a result. Jaune immediately braced himself for impact but was stunned and a little confused when she bypassed him altogether and went further down the hall. He turned slowly to see her coddling Jade, hugging her tightly as the little girl giggled happily in her arms.
"What am I, chopped liver," he growled.
"Don't worry, big bro, I'm happy to see you," Yang said as she sauntered on up.
"Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better. Makes me think there'll be a restraining order involved."
"Aww, I wouldn't do that to you," she coed.
"The restraining order isn't for me," he replied with a smirk.
Yang gawked at him, feigning having been shot through her heart as she swooned.
"Maybe I can have one made for both of us," Weiss said, a devilish smile forming on her face. "Brothers know I could use a vacation from her."
"Et tu Weiss?" she asked, looking at her teammate. "Blake, help me out here."
"You think it's possible for three people to file the same order?" the Faunus asked.
"It might actually make the process easier," Weiss replied.
"Oh, come on!" Yang yelled, exasperated. "You guys are no fun."
Their joking was quickly forgotten as a high-pitched squeal came from Nora followed by Ruby's excited voice of "Really?"
"What's going on, sis?" Yang asked.
"Jade killed her first Grimm," Ruby said excitedly.
"Really? That's awesome," Yang said, joining in.
"Are you sure she didn't have some help?" Weiss asked, a bit skeptical.
"Nope, she killed it herself," Jaune confirmed.
Excited cheers and praise erupted from the group. Jade beamed, obviously pleased with herself and basking in the lime light. Jaune stood back, smiling as he watched. While he was worried this might all go to her head, a quick glance over at Weiss who was looking to him gave him the feeling that her new mentor would ensure she remained humble.
"Killing a Grimm at her age is quite the accomplishment," she replied as she stepped over to him.
"It is, though I'm sure most students here have done the same thing at around the same age, yourself included."
"True, but I know better than to steal her thunder, especially when her protective older brother is standing close by," she replied.
Jaune chuckled, happy to see that they were able to act their age now rather than exchanging snippy comments. Things had been rough between them last semester. However, with time and a little effort on both their parts to improve and overcome their issues, he was confident in saying that he and Weiss now considered each other friends. Not good friends but friends nonetheless.
"So, before Nora takes the story and adds her own embellishments to it, how exactly did Jade kill the Grimm?"
"Well, truth be told, she didn't so much kill it as she assisted it in committing suicide."
Weiss starred up at him with an expression of mixed concern and bewilderment. He quickly explained his comment, recalling the events that had transpired. Her expression soon softened and, as he told her how he'd watched Jade kill her opponent, he was pleased to see an amused smile begin to form, one which she quickly hide by covering her mouth and turning aside. She wasn't as capable of hiding her laughter, though.
"That is certainly unorthodox," she replied between muffled laughter. "Though, considering who raised her, I shouldn't be surprised."
"I'll take that as a compliment," he replied. "Of course, regardless of what I've taught her, I'm sure you've already considered what you want to teach her instead?"
"Yes, thanks to the ample amount of time I had between semesters, I was able to compile a training regimen for Jade to work through for the remainder of the year."
Her proud comment was met with a bemused stare from Jaune. She glanced away, obviously off put by the way he was regarding her.
"What?"
"Sorry, I just- I had forgotten who I was talking with," he said before clarifying, "there's going above and beyond and then there's you."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" she asked.
"Yes?"
"Then I'll take it."
"Hey, what are you two talking about suspiciously over here?" Yang asked, turning her attention on the pair. "Already planning your first date?"
"We were actually discussing Jade's training," Jaune clarified, knowing better than to rise to the bait. "Given the fact that I won't be able to dedicate as much time as I'd like to train her, I was getting spun up on what Weiss had planned."
"Oh, yea," Yang replied, leaning away with an awkward expression.
Jaune ignored it as best he could. The events that had taken place last year had come as a shock to all of them, most of all Jade. He'd done his best to hide his emotions and even suppress them in some cases but much like the truth it found an outlet and came flooding to the surface in a torrent of emotions. From there he'd begun the long process of putting himself back together with the help of Doctor Oobleck and a fellow student Named Coco. While he'd taken the time to explain what had happened to his friends and even opened up about his past, they were still in the awkward stages of coming to terms with and getting used to Jaune having had a violent emotional outburst. Oobleck had told him it would take some time for things to get back to normal. How long that process took usually differed with each individual and those close to them but, in time, they'd find their rhythm again.
"By the way, has anyone seen Pyrrha? I thought she'd be here already," he said, attempting to change the subject.
"She stopped by to drop her things off before heading out. She had a meeting with her agent to talk about some sponsorship deals," Ren replied, his calm demeanor somehow managing to show his gratitude for the shift in tone.
"Given that the Vytal festival is going to be held in Vale this year I'm not surprised. No doubt he wanted to capitalize on her attending Beacon rather than Haven and probably had several sponsorships lined up to go along with it," Weiss explained.
"Ah, I see," he said with a grimace.
Shortly after Jaune had opened up to everyone about his past, Pyrrha had done the same regarding her reasons for coming to Beacon. While it had been something that was shared only with her team, they'd nonetheless made sure to respect her wishes. Ultimately, she'd come here hoping to get away from her own publicity, something she wouldn't have been able to accomplish while in Mistral. It had worked, to an extent. While fewer people knew her face in Vale, she still couldn't shake the occasional fan who would stop her on the street, asking for an autograph. Her explanation had helped to put a lot of mannerisms and reactions into perspective.
"We'll just have to see her when she comes back. Come on Jade, let's get our stuff put away."
"Kay," she said, toddling on off after her brother.
/-/
It was after dinner when Pyrrha finally arrived back at their dorm. She walked in, looking exhausted and drained of energy. She hardly noticed Jaune, sitting on his bed with a book in hand, as his partner shuffled across the room and fell face first onto her bed. He starred at her for a moment, wondering if she had managed to fall asleep on contact. It would have been impressive if she had. However, he couldn't simply sit by and let her suffocate while her face was buried in her pillow. While she might want to, he knew better than to let her try and escape reality that way.
"Long day?" he asked.
"Oh, Jaune, I didn't realize you were here," she said, startled.
"Yea, I kind of figured. You were doing an impeccable impression of a zombie. I take it your meeting with your agent was heavy on the business and light on the pleasure?"
"Uge, you could say that," she said flipping herself over to lay her head on her pillow.
"You want to talk about it?" he asked.
"It's not a big deal," she said, pausing for a moment as Jaune patiently waited for her to continue. "He wants to move all my sponsorships here to Vale. Given that most of them have outlets and offices in the city, he wants to shift gears and start advertising me being a part of the Vytal festival with the possibility of me winning," she said, emphasizing the word and even adding air quotes along with it.
Jaune hummed along with his reply, "and I take it he wasn't happy when you objected."
She groaned, burying her face in her hands as she grumbled her frustrations. "He refuses to see reason. I came here to get away from my fame, not bring it here with me. I'm fighting an upward battle against an opponent that I can't physically fight."
"That's just the nature of the beast. Unfortunately, we all have to face problems in life that we can't hide from or fight with a sword and gun," he replied.
"Speaking of," she said, turning on her side to look at him, "how are you doing?"
"I'm fine Pyr," he replied automatically.
She cocked an eyebrow, obviously not convinced by his statement. Despite his desire to avoid the conversation, he didn't have anyone else to deflect it onto. Nora and Ren were currently out and Jade was at her first training session with Weiss. That left him completely alone and without backup against a relentless opponent.
"That's not a deflection, Pyrrha, I really am fine. Nothing's happened in the month I've been away."
"You're honestly not hiding anything from us?" she asked, still unconvinced.
"Pyrrha, if anything had happened, I would have called Doctor Oobleck immediately following. I know better than to try and ignore this. I know it's not something that's going to go away overnight."
"Alright, alright," she said, holding her hands up in surrender. "While we're on the subject, where is Jade? Is she reading with Blake right now?"
"Not tonight. Tonight she's with Weiss. It's her first lesson on sword play since we got back and Jade has been itching to get back into the swing of things."
"That's right, Weiss offered to fill in for you while you were- um," Pyrrha hesitated, still unsure of how she should approach the subject.
"Preoccupied," Jaune filled in for her, looking completely unfazed by her hesitation.
"Right," she said, silent for a moment as she quietly contemplated what she was about to say or rather ask. "You know, Jaune, I was thinking- "
"That can't be good," he interjected, giving her a cheeky smirk when she glared at him. She replied by lobbing a pillow at his face, her impeccable aim ensuring she hit her target dead on.
"Shut up," she growled or at least tried to but was failing as Jaune's laughter caused her to join in as well. "I'm being serious. I wanted to know how your own training was going."
"Oh, well, it's going," he said. His remark earned a deadpan look from Pyrrha, making it obvious she wanted more from his explanation. "I haven't had much in the way of time for myself. Between homework, my sessions with Dr. Oobleck, and everything in between it's been difficult for me to find time to have a proper training session."
"That would make things difficult," Pyrrha agreed. "Are your sessions always at the same time?"
"They are. Why do you ask?"
"What would you say to having a sparring partner?" she asked.
Jaune looked up from his book, turning to give Pyrrha curious look. Having spent several years speaking with reporters and being interviewed on television she was quite capable of keeping a poker face but here and now she found it increasingly difficult under Jaune's scrutinizing gaze. She wasn't sure which would break first, his look or her smile.
"Are you offering to train with me?" he asked.
"Well, we are partners and having someone train with you can be very advantageous. Not to mention all the time I've spent in the arena has given me an eye for seeing weaknesses in my opponents form which would be very beneficial to you. That is, of course, if you don't mind me intruding."
"I don't I just don't want to detract from your own training," he replied. "I mean, I'm not a slouch but I'm far from being on the same level as you. You sure I wouldn't simply bring you down as a result?"
"I'll be fine, Jaune. I'll have separate training sessions from yours to keep me in top form. Besides, sparring against a more experienced opponent will be very beneficial to you in the long run. Trust me, you'll make leaps and bounds as a result."
He thought about it for a moment, the silence that preceded his reply only adding to Pyrrha's worry. It soon lifted, however, as she noticed him slightly nod as he came to a decision.
"Alright, I'm in but the moment you're skills start to show a chink in the armor we'll put it on hold. I don't want to end up bringing you down simply for my own benefit."
"You needn't worry about me, Jaune. I'm more than capable of maintaining my training form without any ill effects from instructing you."
"Alright then," he said, seemingly satisfied. "Thank you, Pyrrha. I really appreciate what you're offering to do for me."
"There's no need to thank me," she replied politely.
"No, really, you're a good friend Pyrrha," he said.
"Thanks," she replied, feeling a little pride at his words but also somewhat disappointed by them. She wasn't quite sure why and after a moment she pushed the thought aside. It could wait for anther date to figure out. For now, she needed to plan out what they would do during their first dat- uh, training session.
/-/
"Alright, now show your ready stance," Weiss instructed.
Jade quickly shifted her position, holding her sword firm in her hands with her dominant foot forward and her other foot set back a couple feet to give her a firm foundation. Weiss looked her over with a critical eye, picking out any and all flaws. There were several that she was able to pick out right away, though given that she was barely a child and still learning that was to be expected. What impressed her most was the sheer fact that she didn't have as many flaws as she'd expected and that her form was closer to what was needed for her style of combat. She allowed herself a small smirk, feeling somewhat proud at the fact that Jaune had been so capable a teacher to someone so young. It reminded her fondly of the days she'd spent with her sister Winter before she came to Beacon.
If she was being honest with herself, she'd half expected Jade to know next to nothing about sword stances and technique. While Jaune had claimed to be teaching her how to defend herself, a more cynical part of her mind had expected they'd spent their time goofing off or messing around. She was a child, after all, and Jaune's explanation of Jade's first kill would have fit with that assumption just as easily as had he spent every session giving her strict instructions. She was quite honestly pleased to see how seriously Jade was taking her training, never once voicing a complaint and actually quite eager to start learning from her.
"Alright, switch into your next stance," she instructed.
Jade did so, awkwardly shifting her footing and taking a moment to consider how she was supposed to position herself as well as her sword. It wasn't a smooth motion as Weiss had been instructed to perform but, given the fact that Jade was only five and still in the early stages of her training, it was to be expected that she'd still be hesitant about whether or not she was doing everything right. Weiss took a moment to help adjust her stance lightly, the young girl showing little resistance as Weiss maneuvered her arms and legs.
"Very good. We'll keep practicing these stances to make sure your movements smooth out. Eventually it'll become muscle memory and you won't have to think about the action so much as perform it by instinct."
"Okay," Jade answered.
"Alright, let's move into the next set."
Jade nodded, slowly shifting her stance to the next posture, occasionally taking a moment to check her footing. Weiss watched her with a critical eye, her mind rolling back to a time when she was standing where Jade was, listening to her sister critique her form as she went through the motions of the basics. Winter had always been very firm but fair. Unlike their father who had little tolerance for imperfection, Winter knew that no one started out knowing everything and that she would need to instruct her on the proper forms before she could fully perfect them.
Weiss attempted to channel some of that energy, hoping to gain some insight from her sister's own teachings as she now instructed Jade. Much to her annoyance, this only served to make her feel anxious and even a little nervous. She'd never been in a position to teach or instruct before. When she'd offered to do this favor for Jaune, she had thought only of repaying a dept she felt she owed both him and Jade. What she hadn't considered was just how difficult it was to actually teach. More than once she wanted to stop Jade and show her how it was done, to comment or critique her style for not being as perfect as was expected. It had taken a great deal of will power to hold herself back and even more to realize that it wasn't her sister's teachings she'd been channeling but rather her father's. The man wouldn't have tolerated such sloppy forms, regardless of the girl's age, and even less given that she was a faunus.
They continued like that for the better part of thirty minutes. Stance, shift, repeat, stance shift, repeat. Over and over and over again. It was a tried and true tactic, one that was utilized by many an instructor for how effective it was not only in drilling the stances into their student's muscle memory but also in instilling patience, tolerance, and discipline into them as well. As any decent Huntsman could tell you, the worst part of their training had come in the beginning when they were still young. At that point they'd often started either out of a sense of duty to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors or, like most children, they'd begged their parents to let them train to become a Huntsman because they'd seen what they could do and were mesmerized by their skill and abilities. Few, if any, took into account the countless hours upon hours each and every Huntsman had put into training their bodies and minds just to be able to hold their own against the Grimm.
Those with the weakest wills gave up not long after starting. The endless days spent practicing the same forms over and over often wore away at their patience until they'd grown bored and decided the Huntsman's life wasn't for them. Those who persevered either did so because they had something to prove or they had a goal they desperately wanted to achieve. From the looks of things Jade seemed to be a mixture of the two. With her brother having come to Beacon to become a Huntsman himself and thus give them a better life once he graduated, there was little doubt in her mind that Jade had seen that and made it a goal to become just like him as younger siblings are so often prone to do. Weiss was no exception. However, she also suspected the girl now had something to prove. While she may not have before, the recent excursion she'd gone on with Jaune back to the ruins of their old home had no doubt awakened something within her. She seemed quite focused and determined, even for a five-year-old. Granted, she understood that the experience of losing a parent at such a young age had a tendency to motivate children to grow up faster, Weiss suspected that her mother's untimely death had very little to do with how focused the young girl appeared to be.
"That's good, you can take a break," Weiss said, satisfied with what she'd seen.
Jade stopped mid swing, her sword nearly hitting the training floor before the child stopped it and slide it back into its sheath. She was starting to sweat and she was breathing deeply, though not too badly. While most children would be deadbeat tired at this point, Jade's reaction showed that she was starting to get used to this kind of training, another confirmation that Jaune had indeed taken her training seriously. Even if that was enough, a quick glance at her hands showed several small calluses about a week old on her hands. That was probably one of the worst parts of fighting using a heavy bladed weapon. You had to learn to push through the annoyance of having blisters on your hands and worst yet when they popped. Yet another little detail they left out when you first started your Huntsman training.
Weiss handed her a towel and a water bottle as she walked over. Jade accepted them gratefully, quickly wiping the sweat off her face before guzzling down the water. She let out a long sigh when she'd finished and quickly sat down. Weiss did the same, sweeping her skirt under her to make herself more comfortable.
"So, your brother told us you killed your first Grimm," she said, attempting to fill the silence.
"Yep," Jade replied, beaming. "It was a Creep."
"That's what he said. They're pretty quick and agile. Not an easy first kill, especially for someone your age."
"I had help," Jade said. "Big brother killed the other two."
"That's good. I'm glad to hear he was looking out for you," she said, pausing for a moment before asking, "were you scarred?"
Jade looked up at her with a guilty look. She glanced to the ground, silent for a long moment. She slowly nodded her head, looking somewhat ashamed to have to admit it.
"Oh, Jade," she said, wrapping an arm around the young girl as she pulled her close. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."
"I didn't like it," the little girl mumbled. "It reminded me of mama."
Weiss stiffened at this confession. She wasn't at all prepared to hear that. She had expected the girl to be adverse to facing off against a Grimm. Despite all the training and drills her sister had put her through, Weiss' first real test against a Grimm had been nothing like she'd expected. The problem with training against Winter was that the summons she used against her were never meant to cause her serious harm or injury. It was a controlled environment, one that Weiss had sadly grown accustomed to. Had she been too complacent she might not have walked away with just her scar.
"Jade, what happened to you, what you experienced, it's more than anyone can truly understand." She hesitated, hoping the right words would come to her, words she desperately wanted to say that would ease Jade's pain. "There's nothing wrong with having felt scared. It's natural for anyone to feel that, even me."
"I know," Jade replied. "Jaune said he feels the same sometimes."
Weiss nodded, reflecting back on the incident just before the end of their first semester. That one moment had served as the means of breaking everyone's assumptions regarding Jaune. While they'd all assumed he was simply a young man in over his head, trying to take care of a girl barely a third of his age, his lashing out against Cardin had shown them all there were deep wounds festering beneath the surface of it all. It was honestly sad and even made Weiss feel guilty for having judged him so quickly after they first met.
"Jade, you want to know a secret?" she asked, having had an idea suddenly come to mind.
"What's the secret?"
"You have to promise not to tell anyone, okay? Not even Jaune."
Jade was hesitant for a moment. She appeared deep in thought and Weiss knew she was giving it serious consideration. After a moment, however, she nodded in affirmation.
"This scar," she said, pointing the mark on her eye, "was given to me by my father."
Jade's eyes widened, her gaze hovering over the mark in a mixture of astonishment and sadness.
"Why?" was all she managed to ask.
"It was the price of my freedom," she said. "Now, truth be told, my father didn't give me this scar himself, though he had a hand in it. I made a deal with him. If I could kill a Grimm that was causing trouble for our family he would allow me to come here. Obviously I defeated it but it still managed to get one good hit in. Since then he's always looked at it with disgust and distain. He thinks it's something that should be covered up."
"No," Jade pleaded. "Don't. I think it's cool."
Startled somewhat by the girl's confession, Weiss quickly recovered, smiling softly as she drew the girl into a hug. "Thank you. I like it too. I consider it a badge of honor."
"Does it hurt?" Jade asked.
"Does it hurt?" Weiss repeated, confused by her question. "Why would you think it hurts?"
"Jaune says that he has a scar on his heart and that sometimes it hurts. It hurt really bad when that mean bully and he fought."
"Oh," Weiss said softly, finally understanding what she meant. "No sweety, it doesn't hurt. Physical scars are a bit different from emotional ones. What Jaune referring to is tied to something much more personal than a little nick like this.
Emotional scars run much deeper than physical ones. We can't always see them and because of that we often times don't know they're there until something forces them to the surface. Your brother has some deep scars, ones we weren't prepared for and, when they were forced to the surface, his reaction to reliving the pain tied to them was far more than we could have expected."
"Why didn't Jaune tell us he was hurt? If you're hurting shouldn't you tell someone?" Jade asked.
"You're right, we should, but we don't always."
"Why not?"
"Well," Weiss said, pausing for a moment to consider what she was about to say, "unfortunately, that's because we've been taught for a very long time that we should ignore or suppress that emotional pain, that we should hide it away like it was something to be embarrassed or ashamed of. It was almost seen as a weakness and so we were taught to treat it as such. Now though we know better but some of those old lessons we were taught are difficult to unlearn. They've become such a distinct part of who we are that to rid ourselves of them would almost be like getting rid of an arm or an eye. In a way, we see it almost as sacrificing a part of our identity and so we cling to it rather than doing what's best and embracing the newer, better way of doing things."
"Is that why Jaune didn't tell us?"
"Partly, yes, though I'm sure there's more he hasn't told us just yet. I'm sure Jaune had his reasons for not telling us everything. We just have to be patient and let him take his time feeling this out. I'm sure he'll let us know everything, in time, and we'll be sure to help him heal when he needs our help."
"Okay," Jade agreed cheerily.
"That's enough of a break. Let's get back to it then we'll call it a night."
Jade nodded, leaping to her feet and removing her sword from its scabbard. As she went through the forms again Weiss noticed how much crisper her movements were and firmer her stances had become. Perhaps it was her pride in her ability to instruct that had her seeing things that weren't really there but a part of Weiss knew better. If nothing else, having taken the time to talk with Jade had certainly helped. Perhaps the same could be said of her brother if she took the time as well.