A/N:
Hi friends!
Welcome back to RWBY: The Selection!
And a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope everyone's having a stellar holiday and that everyone is safe and warm. I kind of feel bad for putting a chapter like *this* up on Christmas, but that's just the way the dates fell. (Pun intended).
Once again, please review with any thoughts, comments, questions, concerns, reactions, and anything else that strikes your fancy!
Without further ado, enjoy!
Chapter 63: Pyrrha
Jaune didn't seem to be paying attention to the movie. He fidgeted, he looked away, and he kept eyeing his blank scroll, as if waiting for a message that never came. After the film finished and most of the girls had left, Jaune remained in his seat, and Pyrrha approached.
"Jaune?" she asked hesitantly.
He didn't look up from his scroll, seemingly lost in thought.
She tried again. "Jaune?"
Jaune blinked, suddenly returning to reality. "Oh, hey, Pyrrha,"
"Is everything alright?"
He stood up, pocketing his scroll, and sighing. "Yeah, I'm just worried about Oscar is all. He was still unconscious when we got back to the Isle. Dr. Watts said he'd monitor him and let me know of any developments, but I haven't heard anything."
Pyrrha paused. From what she had seen of Dr. Arthur Watts, he did not seem like the type to extend medical care to a Seven, even if he was the Prince's servant and friend. "You know, you can check on him yourself,"
"Yeah, I know," Jaune said quickly. "It's just… he might be mad at me. I wouldn't blame him."
Pyrrha raised an eyebrow, and Jaune sighed.
"When the Sea Feilong appeared, Oscar was still in the water, and I… couldn't do anything. I tried to wade in after him, but I got electrocuted, and had to come back to shore," Jaune laughed in a self-deprecating kind of way, "pretty stupid, huh? And, when Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang ran out to save him, I… just stood on the beach and panicked. I couldn't do anything to help."
"I'm sure he doesn't hold that against you-"
"Why not? I would." He hung his head. "I'm useless in a battle. I can't even save my best friend."
Pyrrha stood in silence for a second, trying to find the right words. She had heard many people in Sanctum deal with feelings of inadequacy, but none of them had ever sought her out. They thought that she was better than them, and that she wouldn't understand what it felt like to not be enough.
They were wrong.
"Jaune, if…" Pyrrha bit her lip. "If you want to be useful in battle, I can help you."
"What?"
"We can find a spot, and train in secret," Pyrrha suggested. "I just graduated from Sanctum, and they train all of the contestants here to be Huntresses throughout the week. I know that as a One, you aren't supposed to know how to fight, but if you want, I can help,"
"You think I need help?"
Pyrrha blinked. This was not going where she had wanted the conversation to go. "That's not what I meant. Everyone needs help from time to time. If you want to know how to protect Oscar -or anyone- the next time this happens, it might be good to-"
"No," Jaune protested. "I don't want you to have to help me learn how to fight. I don't want Ruby or Weiss to have to jump in and save the day. If I can't do these things on my own, what good am I? If I can't protect my people without help, how am I supposed to be a good king?"
"Jaune-" she reached out for him, but Jaune pulled away. The look on his face was aggressive, and angry, and sad.
"Just… leave me alone."
Pyrrha sighed. Maybe there was a reason other Huntsmen hadn't come to her with their problems after all. "If that's what you want," she said, and walked slowly from the theater.
