Elderfire1
Hey folks, apologies to anyone who enjoys our little banters at the start of these chapters, but Journey will be away for a little while. Don't worry, things between me and her are better than ever. Nothing wrong with us, she's just, uh… well, she'd rather it not be public knowledge, lol. She'll be back in a couple weeks hopefully!
She gives her love and I give my honest thanks to the amazing Lyruil, Enigma42, Lufftewafffle and Splash43. Oh, Lyruil? Your story will be out soon ;)
Anyone who enjoyed 'Jaune Vs the forces of (sexy) evil' owe this awesome person a thank you because they are the reason we are releasing another small views into this world With a younger Jaune meeting the infamous Sienna Khan.
htt ps/ /ww w.pa tre on. co m/ElderfireAndJourney
The Song Of Her Heart
Chapter 33
Family ties and the achievements of time
It… had been a long few weeks, a relatively good few weeks compared to the ones before… he was having talks with Doctor Oobleck every other day ever since he had… heh, he had tried to kill himself. Doctor Oobleck had told him time and again that admitting what he had done and coming to terms with it, was the first step to bettering himself.
He laughed with him, actually laughed at the jokes he told, telling him stories about his mom and dad and what they had done at Beacon. He… had not been aware that his mom had ended up blowing up part of Vale, though that honestly didn't surprise him with the other stories he had been told.
One was how his dad had dared someone named Qrow to kiss this nice girl named Summer and it had ended up going… well, better than his had ever expected.
Another was how they had started a team vs team contest on who could cross the entire Forever Fall forest and get back to Vale.. yeah, apparently both their teams had gotten back to Vale… to find that his parents weren't there… yeah, he wasn't going to repeat even to himself what Dr Oobleck had been hinting at…
Their talks were often about random things that Jaune knew were just there to try and make him feel comfortable… but he really appreciated it anyway. One of the ones that stuck with him more than anything, was him asking if he had an interest in animals as Jaune had stopped to play with a cat that had come up to him, Jaune rubbing its' head as the cute animal purred.
Jaune had said yes, naturally, given that his family were a very dog centric family.
The funny thing was… this had led to him talking about the importance of caring for those that rely on us, of knowing the love others have for us as he referenced his doge de Bordeaux, Daisy… he had asked him if he had told his parents when Jaune had finished speaking… and he had ashamedly admitted that he hadn't.
To his surprise, the teacher had simply patted his shoulder and told him that, that was fine… it was something to naturally be worried about, telling your parents about something so worrisome but at least he was talking to people about it. Though, he had stressed he would deeply appreciate it if he did so at some point, Jaune promising to do so.
That… was not a conversation he had been looking forward to, not in the slightest… he knew what his mom would do, the very moment that she saw him.
She would drag him all the way back home, never let him out of her sight ever again and his dreams would become just that… dreams... at least that was what he had thought. Doctor Oobleck has been adamant that if he was honest and serious with his mom, that if he was honest and said he was getting help that she wouldn't dare take him away from those that were helping him…
He… wasn't entirely convinced, but it had helped to put his nerves to rest.
The man had a weird way of getting him to open up, one moment he and Jaune could be talking about the weather, and the next Jaune was admitting to him that he still got those damn dark thoughts every so often… and that led to today.
Today they were once again sat in the gardens, though this time there was a surprising lack of students, then again, with the holidays starting tomorrow, he guessed he understood.
"Tell me, Jaune… what do you think is the most important job of a hunter?" another question he didn't fully understand the meaning behind, and even when it led to the real question of the Doctors, Jaune rarely got it.
But, he needed to answer the question, it would be rude not to.
"Umm… to help people? To save all of them?" he replied, when all the teacher did was smile and shake his head.
"No, Jaune, saving everyone is not a possible thing, much as I wish it were…" he saw the age of the man before him for a moment, Jaune not entirely sure as to what was wrong with him, but he knew it was something private and painful… he knew that feeling all too well. "The most important job of a Huntsman, is to save all those that they can"
"Sir?"
"Heh… you cannot save everyone, there are not enough Huntsman and Huntresses and far too many Grimm" he muttered, gently patting his shoulder, as Jaune watched him for the longest time and waited for him to finish. "There are never enough of us… but that means that our survival means more than anything. I know someone who wishes to become a hero when I see them, I know someone who would fight to the last to protect those that needed it... and I see that in you. Is that dream still true?"
Oh… that was what he was getting at, Jaune's eyes widened… he'd… he'd really given up on his dream… given it all up and chose to die?
Something wet and warm trickled down his cheeks, darnit, he was crying again… a hearty laugh hit him, Jaune jolting to find Dr Oobleck was laughing warmly, his glasses falling down his nose ever so slightly and giving Jaune a view of those kind eyes.
"Hah… it's never an easy thing, is it? Realising you almost gave up on your dream, I did that too, once. Failure is sometimes the path to victory, so long as you learn from it. Oh, how my team would have scolded me… do you understand what I'm talking about Jaune?"
"… Not… really…" he admitted shamefully, an embarrassed look to him that made the teacher laugh once more.
"That's fine, people rarely do and yet I never seem to remember to stop myself from making these long-winded talks. What I meant was that… Jaune, with your failed attempt to take your life, you have now gifted yourself the chance to become all the greater, someone who can become the hero he wishes to be… does that make more sense?"
It did... it did make a lot more sense actually, Jaune wishing other people got to see this side of the Doctor more often, he... he was really easy to talk to, funnily enough.
"Yeah… yeah I guess… it… heh, my head still gets bad at times, you know? I feel so hopeless, so pathetic, some part of me telling myself that me failing to… to kill myself was proving just how sad and pathetic I am…" the dark thoughts stabbed into the forefront of his mind, Jaune clutching his head, the pain he felt hurt him oh, so badly… feeling the hand of Doctor Oobleck increase its' grip on his shoulder… Heh, nope! He couldn't let Weiss down by giving into his dark thoughts… he sucked in a deep breath and smiled at him, the Doctor doing just the same.
"I have something else I wanted to talk to you about… though I guess it's kinda weird…" he muttered, not really wanting to talk about this, but Doctor Oobleck had really been helpful to him these past weeks… maybe he could help him? "I… I'm in… in love with Weiss"
"Oh, yes I know, I knew it the moment you looked her in the eyes in my office" he immediately responded, Jaune's eyes snapping open to find the wistfully smiling Doctor. "But continue"
Jaune blinked rapidly, his brain firing off a thousand different thoughts… but in the end? He just smiled like he usually did when the Professor said something that shocked him. Heh, he probably should have expected that... he never really had been the most subtle person.
"I… I want to stop… stop loving her…" headmitted, much to the apparent shock of the man next to him and Jaune himself because of it… he was so used to him knowing just what Jaune was thinking, that the completely flabbergasted expression he hit him with was mind numbing.
"You… You what?"
"I… We're becoming such good friends that I don't want to risk ruining it with my stupid feelings, she herself said she doesn't feel the same way. So why should I ever run the risk of hurting her? It… It makes no sense" he never wanted to repest what they had been through... he never wanted to hurt her like that again, he or any of their friends...
"Ah… well, that makes…" Much more sense? "No sense at all!"
Oh… that was not something he expected… in fact it kind of hurt that he was basically being called an idiot…
"No, Mr Arc, I know that look and I am not calling you and idiot. I am simply not understanding where this logic is coming from. You care for Miss Schnee and, despite your past issues, I am fairly certain she cares for you too"
"Hah..." he laughed, he had to, because what else could he do? "Doctor… I'm kinda sorry to say that you're wrong. Weiss has every right to hate me and yet she wants to be my friend… she doesn't feel the same for me as I do her, and… and that's fine with me… I'd rather a great friend than lose her altogether. So, what I wanted to know, do you know how to stop loving someone?"
Instead of a reply, Doctor Oobleck stared off into the distance, a thoughtful expression to him. Jaune, instead of just staring at him while waiting for an answer, looked off into the distance where he watched a couple students who must have already packed, enjoying the morning sun.
They seemed like a couple, the tall one awkwardly rubbing the top of his head as he said something Jaune didn't quite catch, the smaller girl laughing despite it, smacking his arm… was… was that what being with Weiss would have looked like?
They changed, his black hair changing to blonde, the girls yellow eyes changing to blue, a scar appearing over her left eye…
That will never happen… you know that…
He hated that it was true… he had done his best to ignore the dark thoughts that had plagued him… for his sake and Weiss'… but it was true…
And then a sudden smack to the back of his head made him yelp in shock.
"Ah, Miss Schnee, you have good timing… even if your way of stopping Mister Arc's thoughts is… rather physical" the man laughed, Jaune turning in shock to find that Weiss was indeed behind him… and was not looking very happy.
Oh gods, had she heard what he'd said? Had he… had he ruined things already?
"Jaune. How many times have I told you to not give into those dark thoughts?" she growled, a twitching eyebrow and an icy glare amplifying her stare. He sighed in relief though, if only because it seemed she hadn't heard him after all.
"M-More than a couple times?" he weakly answered, Weiss sighing as she gently hugged him, Jaune hating that the Professor laughed gently beside him. This wasn't what it looked like!
"Hah… whatever am I going to do with you?" she glowered.
Weiss Schnee had been having a rather good time of things, considering just how terrible life had been going before that fateful night with her and Jaune.
Her time these past few weeks had been spent dealing with all that had happened, her sessions with Miss Goodwitch had been helping a lot in that regard, the woman proving she cared quite a lot more than most would expect.
Their talks had been on how Weiss was dealing with the fact someone who was… who was quickly becoming a dear friend had tried to commit suicide.
Weiss had initially not been able to go a session without breaking down into tears, her emotions unable to take it now that she wasn't around Jaune, wasn't around someone who she felt she needed to be strong around.
But after a while, after being able to rely on someone who could become the strong one for her, she had been able to talk more, come to enjoy the sessions and getting out her painful emotions.
She confessed to her that her night terrors had returned at times, that she would see him panic and scream as he jumped to his death, begging her to save him even though she had no way to move in the mindscape she found herself trapped within… and when questioned how she dealt with them… Weiss had been forced to embarrassedly admit that she… that she had spent the night holding Jaune…
Her holding Jaune as his own night terrors struck him had become a habit, much as she had told him not to let it be… heh, she had simply been talking from embarrassment though.
It became apparent to her that he was helping her as much as she was him, when his nightly cries of unseen horrors began to diminish, so too did her own increase. It hadn't been just simple worry for his sake that had kept her up that night… it was a deep-seated terror that he really wouldn't be there when she awoke.
And so, she had… had to lie a little, unable to admit to Jaune that she simply wished to hold him and had told him and his friends that she simply wished to make certain his nights were peaceful.
That was the truth she was going with and that would be the one she would stick with… it… was rather embarrassing… but she also had to admit it was… rather nice.
She liked how comforting it was to hold him, to have his warmth spread throughout her…
She fought down the heat in her cheeks as she glared down at Jaune who squirmed under her gaze.
No, it would not do to have him know that she… that she…
Dammit, she may have… have developed something resembling feelings for him… but she was not going to pursue it. She had no right, no matter what Miss Goodwitch had told her.
1 week prior
"Miss Goodwitch… I need your help" she muttered, annoyed that she had to do such a foolish thing… but it had been getting worse for a little while now, ever since Jaune had begun to smile more… and dared to direct it at her.
"You are beginning to develop feelings for Mr Arc?" she enquired, and Weiss was forced to not spit out the tea she had been provided.
"Wh-What!? No! I s-simply… simply… heh… I can't have these feelings for him… I can't…" she muttered, furrowing her brow, how could she ever allow herself to do so?
Miss Goodwitch furrowed her brow, Weiss knowing in a moment that she was not happy with question.
"Weiss… heh… you can't simply wish these feelings away, that isn't how they work. The more you demand they leave, the worse it shall feel, the more powerful they shall become… they are a terrible thing when you deny them. I think that you of all people should know how it feels to hold in the emotions you feel" she told her, Weiss' brow twitching in annoyance as to what the woman had said… and yet there was wisdom to it.
She had been forced hide her true feelings from her father for most of her life… how could she show her true emotions? He would have simply brushed her aside, shouted her down… or hit her… he had only ever done it once, but it had been a terrible experience… he had struck her the day she had demanded to know why he had even had her if she was nothing to him… and he had simply struck her without a thought, telling her to be quiet unless he wished for him to disown her… and that had been the day she had realised showing her true feelings around her father would never result in anything other than punishment.
But with Jaune it was different! Very different! She was doing it for both their goods! Very much so in fact!
He didn't need such a bratty girl, someone who was so cruel to him going after him after she had rejected him so many times…
"… Yes… you're right, but this? I can't… he is such a good friend to me, these past weeks I have learnt so much about the kind young man he is. He is so kind hearted, rather funny when he tries to be and… and such a naturally good person… it's incredible how generous he can be, even though he is suffering so much… it's… it's…"
"Weiss? I thought you said that you were trying to not care about him?" aaand Weiss was snapped out of her thoughts of how good a person Jaune was, her face erupting into a heavy blush… that quickly died as she breathed in a deep breath.
"Yes… and I have to… if only because he loves me, and that love has caused him nothing but pain. Both of us pain. He has nearly died twice because of that love. I am not good for him... in that way at least, as a friend, I can be there for him without harming his feelings once more. That way, I can do my best to be a friend to him while those feelings of his fade" There, a clever way to ensure he didn't get hurt and she… she could happily stay his friend.
"Hah… this won't work, Miss Schnee…" Ah, so they were back to being on last name terms? "But… I also know I cannot change your mind. I just hope that you understand why I think this is so foolish a thing to do" despite her harsh words, Miss Goodwitch still smiled at her gently, sweetly in fact. pressing her hand onto hers and cupping it tenderly.
"Thank you, Miss Goodwitch… but I do believe it will"
Present
That's going rather well, isn't it? Her angry thoughts appeared, Weiss crushing them vehemently. Pure aggression to her actions because she refused to allow the damn blush to creep up once more.
"Hah… what am I going to do with you?" she asked, watching him wince from the corner of her eye as her anger softened at his actions, still the hug she gently enveloped in him was proof enough that she wasn't angry with him. Instead she was simply worried for his actions… worried for the way those eyes had looked… she had learned very quickly that his eyes lost a certain light to them whenever those dark emotions of his took hold.
It was always her trigger to know he needed her or someone close to him… always her trigger to know he would need her for a little while to bring that light back to his eyes.
"I… I'm so sorry…" he muttered, Weiss rolling her eyes as he did it once more, falling into their ritual as she gently smacked the back of his head, the young man laughing a little
"Well, I shall take my leave" Dr Oobleck smiled, standing up and laying a hand on their shoulders as he walked on his way. "Mr Arc? In answer to your question… well, I do believe that you are free to do as you wish… but, if you truly wish to know, then there really is no way to do it naturally. There must be a reason for it, and I doubt you want there to ever be a reason for such a thing?"
Whatever did he mean? He sounded so wistful, so mature and sombre for a man she knew to rarely be any of those things.
In any case, Jaune was blushing, quite brilliantly red in fact… she would have asked, but whatever it was, it died quite quickly as he coughed into his hand, standing up and taking Weiss with him. She… was rather embarrassed to admit that she was lifted off of her feet, by quite a large margin. She quickly dropped down as he hurriedly nodded his head at the Doctor, the man walking off as he laughed quietly to himself.
"Jaune?" she asked, him going quite stiff much to her further confusion. "What… was he talking about?"
"N-Nothing! We… just wanted to talk and I had some questions for him is all…" he muttered, rubbing the back of his head, Weiss knowing in a moment to drop the conversation. She really had learned a few things about the kind young man who towered over her so greatly.
Heh… it could have been worse, she supposed.
"So… how have you been? You seem… rather happy" she told him, smiling up at him cheerily… well, cheerily for her. Which she still refused to allow Yang to call creepy, it wasn't!
"I've… yeah, I've been better… Thanks for… y'know" he embarrassedly told her, Weiss simply smiling at him. last night… had been a rather difficult night for her and Jaune. He once more ensnared in his mind, it had been terrible, shaking violently against the sheets and viciously shivering. She too had awoken in fear, her nightmares getting all the worse… she had been at his door immediately, nervously knocking at it to which Pyrrha had appeared with a tired smile and invited her inside with a small wave of her hand. That night, as with the few nights before, they had stayed with her and Jaune. Nora had smiled and offered her a thumbs up, Ren had left a small glass of water on the table beside her. Pyrrha? She had sat by her side and asked how she did it, managed to get that glow of his to shine and calm him down… Weiss had been rather honest and told her that she had no idea.
When pressed, she had simply admitted that… whenever she was in contact with Jaune… she felt this wave of emotions, emotions she knew weren't her own. The same seemed to be true to him, despite the fact that his aura was being transferred to her, the transfer of everything else was two ways it seemed.
Why they had all smiled at her at that statement still befuddled her, but Jaune had been more important to focus on at the time.
"It was my pleasure, I told you that I would be there for you, after all" she told him with a smile, enjoying the small walk they were had found themselves taking throughout Beacon…
"Oh, Ruby stopped by earlier, said you and her along with Velvet and Coco had been designing me an upgrade to my weapon?" he asked, a curious quirk on his brow.
"Yes, you see we thought it may be best if you had a much needed upgrade to your arsenal, we were planning on running it by you over the holidays... if things go as planned" she didn't want to add that bit at the end, but she needed to be straight with him.
"Hey, they will... trust me, I have a good feeling about this" he smiled, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder, and while the glow didn't rise as he had gotten better at controlling when it happened, she still felt a comfort in it. He was simply being kind and trying to make her feel better... nothing more, nothing less. "Also, cool! I can't wait to see them, though I guess it'll mostly go over my dense head, heh" hah, once again with he self deprecating joke, at least he shut his mouth when she sent an arctic glare his way.
"One, you are more intelligent than you give yourself credit for. Two, the weapon shall be a simple yet powerful design and the main piece shall be a side arm, you see we noticed you have a rather appalling lack of range, something a Huntsman should never be without!"
He smiled as she ranted on about all the ways he could be so much better in combat with a simple ranged weapon. Demanded to know why he hadn't done so already.
Why?
Because... Because this was Weiss, the real Weiss who very few people got to see.
Ruby and he had enjoyed a talk a couple nights ago, she having asked if he wanted to play some games all of a sudden with that bright smile of hers.
He knew what she was doing, but he hadn't minded, it was nice to relax with her. During one of the many losses he suffered that night, Ruby had asked if Weiss had started nagging him yet, his laugh had been enough to know she had.
Weiss nagged because she cared.
That was something he had learned very early on in this... kinda weird friendship of theirs.
She may yell at you, tell you off... but she did it because she cared. He of all people knew what Weiss looked like when she was angry, this... was her, just expressing worry in the only way Weiss knew how.
"Heh... anyway, we will be incorporating hardlight dust into the design, though Ruby has convinced me to use it for more than just a shield" she finished her rant, Jaune nodding his head.
"Sounds great, I can't wait to work on it with you two"
"Yes... it's been too long since I got to work on a more complicated dust weapon" she grinned like a shark, completely odd for her but he guessed Weiss always had enjoyed difficult problems with hard to find solutions.
She enjoyed the talk they had as they made their way through the garden, if only because… because of what would happen later. Heh… he was being cruel as usual.
"Oh! Heya, Weisscream!" Yang called out suddenly, both of them jumping at the sudden appearance of both Yang and…
"Hello, Blake" she greeted, the cat Faunus smiling moderately shyly back at her. The two of them had been spending more time talking to each other as of late, though both had insisted that Yang be there. Both of them had told the other that it was for moral support… But they also both knew the truth… that Weiss had still, much to her shame, been terrified of being alone with Blake.
But things had been getting better between them, Weiss could even stand to be alone with her for short moments now. She had enjoyed a nice cup of tea with her a little while ago, it had been a rather… nice affair. It turned out, Blake was a fan of the books of a certain Mantle writer Weiss had read about that had actually been a Faunus in disguise much to Weiss' shock. In fact, there was a lot she hadn't known about the writer that Blake had been more than happy to tell her…
It had been nice, extremely nice in fact to feel at ease around her… friend once again.
And of course, Ruby had been overjoyed to see them together, squealing in a way she knew only Ruby could. That also involved hugging them both greatly, yelling about how all her friends were back together and besties!
"Hey I'm the one who said hi! Don't I get a hello?" Yang asked in mock hurt, Weiss rolling her eyes at the brutes antics.
"Why hello, Yang. I would have greeted you properly if you hadn't near made me jump out of my skin just now" she said with just enough sarcasm to make the Blonde blush embarrassedly who admitted defeat via turning her attention to Jaune.
Hah... much as they drove her insane at times... Weiss loved her team.
"Yo, Jauney boy? How you doing?" Yang greeted the blonde young man who smiled at her happily.
"Hey, Yang, I'm… doing pretty good actually, heh" he smiled, groaning just a little as Yang put him into a good-natured headlock. "Did you and Blake enjoy your date the other night?"
"Y-yeah, it was real fun, m-me and Blakey… we went and enjoyed a nice time in Vale, went and enjoyed a good sushi bar and then went dancing" she grinned, Jaune proudly smiling as she let him get back up. He nodded in greeting happily to Blake who shot him a small one in return.
"I'm glad to hear it, me and Weiss were enjoying a nice talk when you got here, what are you two up to?" he asked, brow furrowing when she grimaced.
"Oh, yeah sorry, uh… we actually kinda came to warn you, there are a few people after you again. Y'know, despite Miss Goodwitch warning them with expulsion…" As if her words were the whistle, Sky Lark rounded the corner, a look on his face that clearly filled the girls around him with anger… he himself? He… backed up a little… he didn't want this, didn't want to have to deal with this when things had been going as well as they had.
"Oi, Arc! So, I heard you went and tried to off yours-ooph!"
Imagine his surprise then, when a fist from around the corner landed on his face, knocking the boy out with a single blow.
They all jumped, Jaune more than the others as he noticed the armour around the hand… and his fears were confirmed when Cardin Winchester rounded the corner. His expression grim as he picked up the unconscious boy and hit Jaune with a stare…
"Cardin?" he called; confusion written all across his face that didn't seem to faze the boy. He loomed into view, Yang, Weiss and Blake not losing the angry expressions upon their faces. Not that he could blame them, his last interaction with Cardin had… well, it'd kinda been violent.
"Arc. You, uh… You good?" he asked, a rare amount of awkwardness showing on the usually cocky guys face.
"Yeah… yeah I am, thanks for doing… that, I guess?"
"No worries... I of all people know I can be a dick at times... but that shit ain't funny. Prick deserved it" he growled, digging his elbow in as the smaller boy was slung over his shoulder.
That... was not something Jaune had been expecting to hear, Cardin actually had a legitimate reason to dislike him now for what Jaune had done to him... and yet he was here defending him?
"Oh... thanks? I'm… sorry for hitting you before, I guess?" he lamely admitted, not getting a smile, but the nod of confirmation he got as he left was enough for Jaune.
"Good, don't go and do something dumb, you hear? I can't go and kick your ass if you aren't around, plus you'll upset your girl there" he barked out the end with a small laugh, Jaune blushing gently at the remark, not even having the time to correct him before he was gone. But apparently it just plain old confused the heck out of everyone else.
"What the… absolute hell was that!?" Yang yelled, Blake sharing her sentiments if the quirked eyebrow and watched him leave with a confused as all heck look to her.
"I… have no idea… But I'm not going to knock him changing his ways, maybe next he'll start being kinder to the Faunus?"
"Heh, we can only hope" Weiss joked, Jaune laughing, he enjoyed the small quips she sometimes made, it was so Weiss that he couldn't help but love it.
"Weiss?" But… well, Doctor Oobleck had given him a lot to think about… something he may as well get over with… even if he knew that this was gonna be a hard call… "I know we just started talking, but I gotta go, I need to talk to someone who I am pretty sure is gonna end up yelling at me, heh"
And there was that worry… hah… he hated to make her be like this, but he knew that he couldn't stop her, so he may as well just try and calm her down.
"Jaune? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, don't worry! I just need to talk to… you know who you told me I needed to talk to? I'm… deciding to just do it, get it over with" he explained, Weiss nodding her head in understanding, her worry lessening, patting his arm and leading the still confused looking Yang and Blake away who said bye to him.
"Uh… we… I was kinda planning on asking if he wanted to join me for a spar… we really gonna leave him alone?" she asked her, Weiss nodding her head gently.
"Yes, I too wanted to ask him if he wished to join me for a lesson in dust theory later, but instead… well, I'll explain later, just pray for his soul" Ah… well, she could have picked her words better there, Blake jolting and doing her very best to not choke on her spit as she stared at Weiss and seemed to be toying with just running after Jaune.
"Wait, is he in danger? Shouldn't we go back then!?"
"No, no… he… he is actually going to talk to his mother…"
"Sweetie! Oh, two talks in a month!? Oh, you're going to make me think you miss me!" she squeed, Jaune smiling at her, missing the way she acted, missed just how much life was in his mom. He vaguely saw one of his sisters in the background, but she rapidly disappeared as his mom seemed to secret herself away to the study, probably to get the most time possible with him. "So, has my baby boy got himself a girlfriend yet? Are you still sweet on that Weiss girl?"
He laughed, shaking his head, much to her clear disappointment if the pout on her face was anything to go off of. Heh, she always was baby obsessed, but he doubted that would be happening any time soon.
He sat himself down on his bed, having gone there knowing that the others were still in class. He himself had, had a lesson with Miss Goodwitch early this morning on controlling his aura and then his talk with Doctor Oobleck… and that was it. He had been given less classes since the incident, much to his objection until Weiss had reminded him how… tired he easily got lately.
"Sorry mom, should've called sooner, things have just been… been a little hard lately…" he sighed, running a hand through his hair as his face clenched at the painful memories.
"Jaune." Oh no… opening his eyes, he wasn't surprised to find her staring at him with a serious expression, worry in her eyes but a stern frown in place. "Sweetie... Talk to me, please?"
"Mom..." heart clenched, thunder thrummed through his chest, agony threatened to come out in a wail as he shook against the sheets. That awful pain was back, where was Weiss? He... He needed Weiss... "Mom... I did something terrible..."
"Shh... Baby, don't cry, it's gonna be okay... What happened?" could he? couldn't he just say he messed up something else? He wouldn't upset her as much then! That... that was what he wanted to do...
But what he needed to do was this, no matter the consequences.
And so he explained.
He explained all his pain and what had happened, his tears kept falling and falling despite his best attempts to stop them. His mother silently watching save for the gentle words of encouragement she spoke very now and then. He told her everything... Including what he had nearly done. But more than that, he spoke his thoughts and feelings, told her about the dark, twisted words that came to haunt him but went the moment Weiss was around. He told her about the kindness they were all showing him and how he felt he didn't deserve it sometimes.
He had even told her in the end about what Weiss did near every night for him, how she kept the dark thoughts at bay... How she was the only reason he was alive right now.
Every time he checked the clock, minutes would have flown by, all together he spent an hour on this call, letting out all he had kept from his mom and answering any questions she had.
He saw it, the horror, the pain and the worry for him. He saw it in her eyes... and yet she kept smiling as kindly as she could, never losing her gentle tone and kept whispering calming words to him.
In the end... In the end he simply ran out of everything he had been wanting to say, but had been too scared to because of his worry of what she would do...
And with that end, his mother spoke a simple sentence that filled him with fear.
"Jaune. Do you want to leave Beacon?"
His eyes shot open, staring in horror at the determined expression upon her face. Green eyes hard as steel and he swore he caught a faint glow in the background.
"No! mom... I... I'm getting... I'm getting better, I swear it. Please... Please don't make me leave! I-"
"Sweet heart" she gently interrupted, stalling him in his panic, a caring look in her eyes that he remembered from days he had scraped his knees and scuffed his palms. "I'm not going to make you leave, Beacon. I would never do that to you, especially with how well your friends are looking after you... But... Sweetheart? I... I need you to make a promise for me, in the Arc name... Can you do that?" she whispered, his mom seeming to gain years on her life in that single moment. He watched those powerful eyes that had held steadfast his entire life grow just a little weaker, a little more frail.
"I... Y-yeah, mom, I can.." he answered, knowing what was coming, knowing what she was going to beg of him... Could... Could he keep that promise? Even a week ago, he wouldn't have been able to...
"Promise me... That you won't do this again, that you won't try and throw your life away, Jaune... Please, for your mother?" he heard the shake in her voice, she was being brave for him, brave so as to keep that smile on her face he knew was oh so fragile.
"I will mom... I... I swear to you on the Arc name that... Heh, that I'll do my best... That's all I can... I'm so sorry" and still he wasn't, seeing the brief hope that had entered her eyes shatter, and yet she smiled all the same for him.
"Heh... That's all I can ask then... Sweetheart? I'm coming to Vale with your father, I want to see you and he will too, okay? I'll leave the girls at home, they won't react well to this news and that'll only upset you"
Still always thinking of him... How had he ever gotten so lucky to have a mom like her?
"I'd... I'd like that, mom..." and he truly did, he'd never known how much he would miss her hugs or his dads warm laugh... "The holidays are starting tomorrow, will you be able to come in the next couple days?"
"Of course! I'll make sure your father doesn't get all over worried, he's so proud of you... Can't stop telling his friends how wrong he was, that his son is going to be the best Huntsman... I suppose that will be another reason for y-you? Proving your old man wrong? Heh" he shakily laughed back, the stress of the situation leaving him so tired once again...
He saw her look behind him, her smile turning a little truer, "Hah... you really do have such good friends... I need to go sweetheart, but we'll talk tonight about what we'll do in Vale, yeah? Also, bring that friend of yours, Weiss? I... I want to meet her. I love you, Jaune... I always will. Never doubt that"
"Heh, I love you too mom, more than you could know... and I'll see if she can, Weiss is talking to her dad about staying I think... From what I can tell, he isn't a nice person..." he wasn't a fan of her dad, but he wasn't gonna start into that conversation, not when his mom looked so fragile.
With a click, the call ended... and Jaune rolled back onto his bed with a great sigh, feeling the cool hand of Pyrrha touch his forehead. He smiled weakly, he knew she wouldn't have pried, simply waiting until the right moment to come into the room.
"Would... Would you like me to go and get Weiss?"
"No, she's busy, I don't wanna bother her... Thank you for being you, Pyr... If you ever need space, just let me know, okay? I... I don't want to upset you..."
"You aren't" she stressed with that laugh of hers she only gave to him and the rest of their friends. "It's... Been easier every day, and knowing you cherish me, even as a friend, is enough. Besides... There... There is someone who has been acting, well, quite adorable around me lately... It's honestly quite funny to watch him go from easy going joker to flustered at the sound of my voice, touching as well"
"Oh... I asked him about that, don't tell him I told you this, but apparently most voices are a little grating to him. His hearing is better than most to compensate for the fact he can't see, and yours is... Well, he embarrassedly admitted it sounded like an angel to him, not a word of a lie" he smiled upwards, seeing the red face of his partner as she smiled shyly at the mirror, a finger touching at her throat. He knew Pyrrha didn't feel anything romantic about Fox yet... But he really hoped she found happiness with him.
His dearest partner and friend deserved that.
Jacob Arc walked into their study, having heard his sons voice and wanting to see if he had done something even more amazing than taking on an Ursa Major... And stalled in his movements as he saw the crying form of his dearest wife.
He was at her side in a moment, holding her close, asking her if Jaune was alright.
"No... He isn't, but he has friends looking out for him so please don't freak out with what I'm about to tell you..." Jacob Arc proceeded to internally freak out but externally nodded his head understandingly.
"What do you want, daughter? Can you not see I am busy?" her father's dismissive tone didn't surprise her at all, why should it? The way he called her 'daughter' like it was a swear was probably the kindest way he could have done it, after all he could have simply refused her call.
Earlier, she, Yang and Blake had discussed their plans for the holidays, them apparently haven gotten in contact with Blakes Family who… Weiss was surprised to find out hadn't seen her in a very long time, and were going to visit them, the black-haired girl looking nervous about it to the extreme but the gentle hand of Yang had seemingly been enough to calm her nerves.
Yang had... well, been quite kind in asking without asking her about a certain subject she was privy to. Weiss hated the disappointment on her face when she shook her head 'no'
With that, she had made her own excuses to leave… explaining why and had received nothing but support from the pair… why? Because she was about to say something that she doubted would end well.
"Yes, father, I can but this is of the utmost importance" she said using the proper mannerisms he demanded of her, she needed to appeal to the vanity of the man who dared to call himself her father when the only thing that earned him the title was donating his sperm.
She often wondered what Jaune's father was like... He had talked about him once, a proud smile on his face after Weiss had gently led him down the hallway from where she had found him staring off into the distance... He didn't do it much these days, but when he did… it had the worrying effect of causing her heartrate to skyrocket. It was almost as if his entire body would shut down and his mind would wander to places she drug him out of the moment she noticed.
His father… well, Jaune admitted that his father hadn't believed in his dream for a time, but had still been as kind as he possibly could. In fact, Jaune had told her of all the things his father had tried to get him into, writing, sports, film, baking… and Jaune had taken to them as best he could… but unfortunately had not felt the drive for them as he did becoming a Huntsman. And his father?
He never shouted at him, never bellowed his hatred at him for daring to not follow through with what he wanted… no, instead he had apparently just smiled and told him that they would find something else to do.
Jaune had told her on the night that he… he had tried to take his life, Jaune's father had told him how wrong he had been, how he was going to be a hero. Weiss had been rather proud of him, noting that she wished her father was much the same at times…
"Fine. Be quick, I have far more important things to do than deal with your childish prattle. This had better be important" And then there was her father. A cruel man who cared for no one but himself and his wealth.
"Father… I won't be coming home to Atlas over the holidays…" she said quietly, despising how she had not been able to look him in the eyes…
There was near silence for a while, the only sounds Weiss hearing were the whir of the terminals around her in the CCT and the the tumble of the alcohol he was drinking in its' glass…
The oppressive atmosphere growing heavier upon her as she desperately begged him to simply start yelling at her… but it was so much worse than that.
"Don't be so stupid, girl. You shall be returning to Atlas the moment Beacon enters the holidays. Whatever made you think you even had the choice of not coming back? Or are you forgetting the terms with which I allowed you to commit this folly of becoming a 'Huntress'?"
The words were crisp and seemingly prepared in advance, not a shred of concern for the way her eyes widened, nor the hurt in them at his callous disregard for her feelings… why she felt this was a mystery to her, Jacques had always been like this… though she supposed hearing about what a good father was like had coloured her perception of her own.
"B-But, father, I have great reason to stay here! One that would look well upon the company! You would look amazingly kind and generous in the eyes of the people of Atlas and Vale, can you imagine how much that would increase SDC Dust purchases?" she attempted to sway him via his pride and greed, for that was what made up most of who Jacques Schnee was… and yet he did not even pause before he replied.
"Don't talk about business as if you understand it yet, daughter. I am already losing much Dust to those damnable thieves in Vale and yet you talk about me having to send more only for it to be also more than likely stolen? That is money going down the drain straight from my pocket! The People of Vale will learn to deal with those animals I hear are the culprits if they wish for me to allocate more Dust to them, they can beg all they like, I will not allow it purely to seem 'kind'. Bah, such a worthless thing, where has kindness gotten anyone" he growled, Weiss instinctively flinching as the hand behind the screen rose up, why? She was a Huntress in training, she was by far his superior in combat if he dared to try and harm her… and yet she still flinched like a scared little girl… when she was able to look upon him once more, she was met with narrowed eyes that were accompanied by a smug look.
"Let me guess, this is about that sad little incident on the rooftop? Where you made a mockery of our family name by looking so pathetic?" he asked in a callus tone, not even bothering to look up from the paper he had pulled out moments ago where he was surely reading the business section to check stocks.
But Weiss? She… she felt as if her blood had frozen… he… what had he said? Surely he hadn't… hadn't talked about the near death of Jaune as if it were something to be ashamed of?
"Father… I was saving a dear friend of mine… he would be dead without me, how can you say that it made our family look pathetic? If anything, surely it helped us appear in a better light…" the words spilled from her lips before she could stop them, her father halting in the sip he was taking to finally centre his attention on her. Though, Weiss for once wished that he hadn't.
The glare he hit her with was something she had seen many times before.
"It was a sad little incident because your face is all over the DustNet crying your pathetic little heart out as you held that nobody up from dropping to his death. You embarrassed the company, our name and most importantly, you embarrassed me! The board of directors is questioning why you would debase yourself as to damage your body in an attempt to save this… boy" the words were spat, Weiss… unable to respond, the song screaming vile notes of anger and hatred that could not be voiced and yet Weiss heard them all the same. A deep, resonant feeling began to well up inside her that she had only felt once before and to someone who never deserved it.
"You clearly only saved this nobody to indebt him to you, to fawn over you for no reason other than as a way to get out your duties to the company and this family, a way of rebelling against me once more!" he told her in a fully certain voice, filled with indifferent cruelty, Weiss once more unable to voice the words of the song that raged like the storm, thunderous crashes sounding against white and red walls. "You will end whatever mockery to me that you have with this simpleton and return to Atlas, I was planning on having this happen later, but this makes it clear that I am to announce your search for a suitor the moment you arrive. I will not have the child of Jacques Schnee prancing about with some simple minded fool who cannot help but slip off of buildings"
The song froze for a moment, Weiss' eyes widening as the words sunk in… he… but… but wasn't she supposed to be free? Free from this sort of thing?
The thrum came back, quiet at first but built into a uproar as the words span around in her mind and the cruelty of Jacques was revealed to be able to go to new heights… he didn't care about her… did he? No. He cared for no one but himself…
"Father." She managed not to yell, even as the song demanded it. "I will not abandon my friend. It may have escaped your notice as you watched, but my friend didn't slip or fall off that roof, he tried to commit suicide. I am one of the very few people in his life who can keep him from going off the deep end once more, from throwing away the life he is trying to rebuild now, with a new purpose. If you make me leave… there is a high chance he will die"
Roar at him, he wants to hurt Jaune, hurt him and let him suffer… you are his friend, are you not? Can you really abandon him? You will be just as much of a monster as him if you do, so make the monster cower. Make him regret ever talking about him like that... came the dark, twisted words from within as Weiss' heartbeat slowed to a crawl, hoping against hope that the words were wrong, that her father would show some shred of humanity and-
"Hrm, would probably be for the best, if you ask my opinion. That way my reputation can be spared further embarrassment by having you be associated with… whatever the boys name is"
Weiss Schnee saw red.
"His name is Jaune! A kind and gentle soul who would, and very nearly has, laid down his life to protect those around him and is a far bet-" her scream of rage was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder, Weiss snapping from the fog of hate to find the Headmaster looking down at her and her father with that carefree expression of his once more. She froze.
Weiss… had not been inwardly as happy with the man as of late… while she had great respect for what he was doing as Headmaster and his dedication to learning, she… she felt an odd and worrying sensation of DeJa'Vu whenever he looked at Jaune training his Semblance… a look that did not sit well with her… she had never openly showed it, of course… but she had made sure to be there whenever the Headmaster came to check up on his progress.
To have him here now in such a scene as this… what was going on?
"Ah, my sincerest apologies for interrupting family time, but I am afraid Miss Schnee is quite right Jacques" he said in a kind tone to her father… but Weiss swore she saw something in his eyes that she had never expected to see…
"Ozpin. Why are you interrupting my conversation with my daughter?"
Anger…
Her father straightened out his tie and neatened his moustache, adopting a far more professional appearance before the Headmaster of Beacon.
"Oh, no need to act so hostile, Jacques!" he replied in a jolly tone, Weiss feeling as if she had been imagining that anger, surely the headmaster had not been angry, he never was. "I am simply letting you know that Miss Schnee is actually right! You see, she is to be honoured by both the teachers of Beacon and the family of the young man who Miss Schnee saved for going above and beyond the call of duty in the protection of life. This is a hallowed event for Beacon, why, Miss Schnee is going to be rather famous in Beacon for many years to come!"
This… was the first Weiss had heard of such an… honour? Why hadn't she been informed of this? Her befuddlement was matched by her father who quickly morphed it into barely hidden anger.
"I will not be undermined, Ozpin. I am her father and I shall decide what is best, and what is best is for her is to come home and be reminded of what it is to be a Schnee"
Ah… so he was more than likely going to yell at her about how she was a stupid little girl and then lock her away in her room once more until he had a use for her, she knew him too well for it to be anything else… and at this moment, she felt nothing but hate for the man who had so openly admitted he wished Jaune had died that night… it reminded her too much of a time she had said such similar words and that filled her with determination to never be like the disgusting being before her.
"But, Jacques, you and I both know that to do such a thing would be a slap to the face of one of Vale's most renowned warrior houses, are you not aware of the Arc family? The current head is Jacob Arc, a renowned and powerful Huntsman with the ear of near all Hunters in the kingdom and a personal friend of all of Beacon and the other academies, with his wife Joan Arc-Soliel, last surviving member of the Soliel family and the rightful owner of all the Soliel fortune and estates… and is also a great friend of Beacon… Both, while preferring the quiet life, are well respected by the council and have a fair amount of sway with them. To make Miss Schnee leave before she can accept their thanks for saving their son and only male heir, why… that may be considered even worse than a political slap, you know this, being a man of intelligence of course"
Once more, Weiss was surprised to find Jacques looking rather shocked… and Weiss was the one mirroring the look… Were the Arcs that influential? She… But Jaune wasn't anything like the sons of other political families… she also knew that they had very little to do with the running of the kingdom itself, thanks to her father forcing her to learn these things from an early age. But… the way her father furrowed his brow and checked his Scroll… with ever so slowly widening eyes as a look as close to panic as his mannerisms would allow crossed his features… was she perhaps not thinking of the correct form of power they held?
"Weiss, why did you not inform me that the boy you saved wasJaune Arc? His father has near every Dust using Hunter in the Vale half of Sanus under his thumb and beyond! With but a word he could cripple our sales! And his mother… she is not someone to cross. You stupid girl! You nearly caused the SDC to lose all our-"
"Ahem, I will assume that you will not be forcing Miss Schnee to leave then?" Interrupted the mirthful voice of Headmaster Ozpin, an almost whimsical movement to him and his actions that… for once struck her as far more odd than usual.
Her father ground his teeth in rage, growling at her from the corner of his vision and nodding his head minutely, cutting off the call without another word that had Weiss… she fell back in her seat… the realisation that she had been about to start screaming at her father, ruin her life where he would have surely disowned her… and yet she was struggling to give even the slightest damn… Jacques was dead to her as a father, that was a fact.
"Well, that was rather eventful, wasn't it Miss Schnee? Oh, and don't worry, there isn't really going to be a ceremony, I imagine you and Mr Arc would rather your privacy at the moment. But your father need not know that"
She jolted in her seat, forgetting for a moment that she was in the presence of the Headmaster whose eyes twinkled with a hidden mirth.
"I… Thank you, sir…" she mumbled, staring wide eyed at the man who simply breathed a sigh and released the white knuckle grip he had apparently been holding his cane with. "You… I'm honestly not sure how badly that would have gone if I had gone on to yell at him like that… how can I ever repay you?" she looked away for a moment, going to pick up her purse to stand, not quite feeling polite to be sitting down while he stood.
"Hah… you can simply keep to your promise of keeping Mr Arc safe, Miss Schnee. While I know you are not certain of my intentions towards Mr Arc, be certain that they are for the greater good of mankind as a whole and he will revel in the chance to do what I have planned, he has great work to come in future days" she turned with a start at that, reminding herself in that moment that she still wasn't entirely comfortable with how the Headmaster took an interest in his Semblance… but he was gone… Weiss shaking her head in disbelief… his words… he had seemed so sincere in them, so certain that Jaune would be happy to do what would apparently be asked of him… hah, she wasn't able to deal with this right now.
She needed to go and check on Jaune, she doubted he was in the best of moods at the minute… and Weiss guessed she needed him too… hah, it made sense now why it was so easy to vent to him about her family… he was the other side to the coin she lived on.
Jaune hugged Weiss the moment she entered the room, he didn't know why he had done it, but she had looked so… drained for a moment that he had moved before his mind could process it.
He briefly caught the smile on Pyrrha's face as she slipped out, a happy twinkle in her eyes that was for him.
She didn't have to leave and he made sure she knew, but Pyrrha shook her head and motioned toward the near steaming Weiss.
She squawked in shock, Jaune awkwardly letting her down even as the golden glow enveloped them both.
"Wh-what the devil was that!?" she shouted, an embarrassed flush on her cheeks that caused him to chuckle nervously.
"S-Sorry… you… you looked a little sad is all…"
"Ah…" she groaned, Jaune knowing he was right from the way she gently rubbed her brow. "Yes… I'm sorry for yelling at you… Heh, my father was being… my father…" she groaned and Jaune understood in that moment, Weiss… had opened up a little more to him on a night that he couldn't sleep, him meeting her in the hallway to find she was in the same predicament…
Her dad... well, he wasn't usually someone who swore, but he sounded like a right fucking prick.
He'd tried not to talk about his dad and mom too much, only because he'd seen the longing in her eyes whenever he had... but Weiss had begged to hear more stories of them, her eyes filled with so much awe and wonder... heh, he didn't have the heart to deny her.
"Want to talk about it later?" he asked, not sure if he was prying but Weiss seemed to like talking to him about these sorts of things.
"Yes… yes I would, but first, how did your talk with your mother go? Oh… I'm sorry for bringing it up…" he tried to stop the grimace that had shot over his face when she had asked that question, but it wasn't like he didn't want to tell her. Weiss was honest with him lately when she was upset and so he was with her… they had both promised it to each other when the topic of how they had dealt with their bottled up emotions had come up.
"Nah, it's… I'm not okay, kinda the usual for me, but I'll be okay… I got friends looking after me" there was that smile… the smile he both loved and hated to see because of the emotions it brought forth… hah, he still needed to find a better answer than the one Dr Oobleck had given him… this would only end badly once again if it went on.
"Too right, I won't allow you to let those thoughts in once more, Jaune. Carry on and you may develop a bald spot" she joked, a tired one that she tried to put as much cheer into as she could… and he appreciated it all the same.
"Hah… listen, Weiss?" her eyes were focused now, she knew what his tone of voice meant… "My… my mom wants to meet me in Vale with my dad… I can tell she's scared for me… why wouldn't she be?" He paused, smiling away the worry in her eyes, no, he wasn't going to spiral. Not now.
"Whatever help you need, Jaune, myself and the others will give it, you know that"
"I do… I really do… which is why I'm glad you're here… because she said she wants to meet you as well, I told her what you did and I guess she wants to thank you?"
Weiss stilled and Jaune wasn't entirely sure why… but a sudden look of dread overcame her.
"Hah… of course she does… I swear… if he knew this..." he didn't understand why she went off into an angry tirade of growls, didn't understand why Weiss turned form smiles to scowls in the split second… and he didn't know why he smiled, but he did all the same as Weiss seemed to be internally screaming to herself.
So, as I'm sure you can all tell, this chapter was more for setting up future plot points while also showing Jaune and Weiss' progress both in healing and their delving into this friendship they are creating, I will revisit sections that happened here or were spoken about in more detail in later chapters.
Next chapter will focus on the start of the holidays and Weiss meeting Jaune's parents. Anyone who reads Pink Lemonade… you have a good idea how this will go.