Chapter Three: A Reason To Fight

Days turned into weeks and Jaune's training with Qrow had progressed rather nicely. He'd abandoned the shield part of Crocea Mors in order to handle Qrow's speed-based fighting style more easily and he had benefitted immensely from it. Though Jaune hadn't wanted to take up a Scythe like Qrow had initially suggested, the sword-based training his new mentor offered had more than sufficed in improving the foundation of the skills that Pyrrha had already begun to forge within Jaune. That was the main reason he hadn't believed the right option was to take up Qrow's scythe style. For one it was more Ruby's thing and he didn't want to take that away from her but also changing weapons after everything Pyrrha had done for him felt like it would be the quickest way to dishonor her memory.

Panting some, Jaune tilted his sword at the new angle he was using to fight Qrow then rushed in once more. He zipped to the side of Qrow then lunged in, ready to take the swipe at his new mentor's face yet the blade was met by another mid-air, a loud clang ringing through the backyard of the house they were currently staying in. Qrow had blocked with ease, a smirk rested upon the man's face.

"C'mon Arc, I know you can do better than that. You want to avenge her don't you?"

Jaune heaved a frustrated sigh, then tried to re-angle his body enough to throw another shot in Qrow's direction from the other side, aiming at his lower leg this time but just as with the first slash, by the time he made it, Qrow's blade was there waiting to meet and intercept his own.

"You're never going to be able to accomplish that, you're pathetic."

A roar of rage flew from the younger man's lips and he charged. His sword was swung wildly as he slashed at Qrow repeatedly, yet, as with before, he blocked every single one of the incoming attacks with ease. Goading the kid into being angry was probably an awful idea if all things were considered but Qrow was determined to make a fighter out of this kid which meant his first course of action was eliminating all those bad habits. Anger controlling you during the flow of battle being the first thing he intended to fix. That was going to lead to one thing and that one thing did not have any positive implications for his student. He had to deal with it now before it came back and bit them all on the ass later when they needed it to serve them. There was nothing wrong with being angry in a fight, don't get him wrong. There were times it could work to serve you if you had control of it. However, if it had control of you like Jaune's anger had with him right now then you were honestly better off just stabbing yourself in the stomach and callng it a day. Self-sabotage was one of the quickest way to ensure your own defeat and letting your anger control you was one of, if not the fastest path to this outcome.

"Control it," Qrow finally spoke, "Don't let it be the other way round or you've already lost, kid."

Jaune paused momentarily and it looked as though he might be taking Qrow's latest lesson on board but it turned out that pause was as momentary as it looked. He'd barely paused to catch his breath then had lunged in again swiping once more. Qrow dodged this time, then activated the switch on Harbinger's handle, turning it into its gun form. He fired off a few rounds, each hitting Jaune in crucial spots. Qrow finished off the onslaught by leaping forward and throwing a kick directly into Jaune's chest.

"We're done for today."

"I can sti-"

"We're done for the day, kid. I need a drink and by the looks of it so do you. You're never going to be able to accomplish anything until you get this anger of yours under control and it fucking shows. So hurry up and get your ass of the floor and come with me to the nearest tavern."

"Alright. I'm coming."

"Good. Then let's go."

Jaune didn't particularly think it was wise to stop training, he'd not been making nearly enough progress and if he was going to get strong enough to face down Cinder then he was going to need as much training as he could possibly get between now and their inevitable encounter. However, seeing as Qrow was in charge of these sessions that ultimately meant that he had the power of making that final call over Jaune and though the Arc hated to admit it, his muscles were kinda sore and a bit of a break would be appreciated by them even if their owner didn't particularly want to take one.

"You're not going to be able to fight her if you're too tired to even lift up your sword, kid."

It was as if Qrow had detected the very thoughts of the Arc and Jaune wasn't sure whether or not he was unnerved by that. Was he really that predictable? Maybe it was more that Qrow had been dealing with people like him on a regular basis. Either way, Jaune felt he could've done without the irrritatingly smug look on Qrow's face. He shook his head despite himself and fell into step beside his mentor and without further ado the two of them began their trek into the city in silence. The two of them had found a particularly decent shortcut and were able to utilize it in order to make quick time of the journey from where they and the rest of the group were staying to the nearest tavern.

Jaune's hands defaulted to resting behind his head while Qrow's descended into his pockets. Not very much was exchanged in terms of words, both seeming more focused on reaching their target location. Qrow moved a hand out of his pocket and pushed the door to the tavern open, leading the way for the two of them inside.

"Ah, Qrow," the person inside said the moment he saw him, "Unusual to see you alongside another on these trips of yours. The usual, I presume? And you, blondie, what'll it be?"

"You look at useless as ever," Qrow said, smirking at the man behind the counter, "They got you on bar duty now, Jett? And yeah, the usual."

"Same as him," Jaune said quickly, not wanting to interfere with the conversation that Qrow and this Jett guy seemed to be having right now.

"And yes, unfortunately, though I do miss being out and about, I have a responsibility to the tavern here nowadays. With a family now, I have to provide for them and this is a much safer way to be doing that. Sure thing, I'll get you those drinks in a moment."

"Your style's sloppy for the most part," Qrow told Jaune conversationally, "But you've got enough raw talent I can probably turn it into something. We're gonna need some upgrades on you for this to work though. I doubt you'll want to change the sword and shield, but there's ways we can make it more versatile for you. A couple of adjustments so to speak."

Jaune's brow shot up inquisitively, his head tilting in time with this, "Adjustments, what sort?"

"I don't think we should change the sword, since it's a family heirloom the most we'd want to is refesh the blade. Don't look at me like that. The rusty old thing is in need of some care and you're not going to insult your ancestors by carrying around a subpar, damaged relic are you?"

"No."

"That's what I thought."

Jaune pondered on the words that had been left for him by his new mentor. What sort of adjustments could they really make if they were leaving the sword around? He supposed they could do something to the shield to make it more versatile. He could almost picture himself throwing it into the wind and being able to recall it somehow as though it were a frisbee or boomerang. It would serve to throw enemies off and give him an extra weapon rather than just having it for blocks and charging shield bashes. That would definitely give him an increase in options during battle.

"I might have a few ideas," Jaune muttered.

Qrow nodded, not giving a verbal answer. The two men fell into silence as their drinks were brought over and for most of that first drink, neither exchanged a word seeming more interested in drowning the alcohol in front of them. Jaune and Qrow finished their drinks in one gulp then in complete sync, smirked up at Jett.

"Oh gods, another one. Another? I presume?"

"Posthaste!" Jaune exclaimed.

"You know the drill," Qrow finished.

The bartender chuckled, but collected the drinks for the two either way. For the most part, Qrow and Jaune drunk in silence, doing their best to enjoy the atmosphere and not become distracted by the idle thoughts contained within their brains. Jaune was surprised how quickly his world had changed. In the one moment he'd been preparing to endure his mission for vengeance alone and yet here he was working alongside a seasoned Huntsman readying himself to face down his ultimate challenge. He would make sure that his new mentor would have no reason to be disappointed. He wasn't just doing this to avenge Pyrrha, he was doing it to make sure that woman never caused anyone else any suffering ever again. It wasn't just about vengeance. That was only one aspect of this self-imposed mission of his.

Jaune was unsure what was on his mentor's mind, but he was unawares of what it was. Judging by the man's expression it was as serious to Qrow as Jaune's revenge was to him. It wasn't his right to press the man for answers though, so Jaune held his tongue. He felt that if Qrow thought it was necessary for him to know the things resting inside his head then he would tell him. The two men continued to drink in silence for a while, then finally, after a heavy breath, Qrow broke it.

"I really hope you're sure about this decision, kid. You've got talent and I'd hate to see that and my time wasted because you decided to go soft in the end."

Jaune's fist clenched, his eyes narrowing as he locked eyes with Qrow, a fierce, "I'm not going to falter ever again. Too much is at stake now. I have to make her suffer for what she did."

"Tell me something kid, when are you going to start fighting because it's what you truly want to do? Not because of some imagined debt to the debt, but for a reason in the world of the living? Avenging your little girlfriend ain't going to bring her back, did you become a Huntsman because the red-head told you to?"

"...No, I didn't. I became one because-"

"I don't want to hear it. Until we make this about the right reasons, I don't want to hear that reason out of your mouth again, because you seem to have forgotten it. She gave her life to protect you, kid."

"You think I don't know that!? That's why-"

"Kid. I'm just telling you how it is. The fact it's making you angry tells me you know it's at least part of the way true. It's okay to hold onto her memory, Jaune but if she is your only reason for going after this woman who devastated the entirety of vale then you are going to lose. Do you know why?"

Jaune gently shook his head.

"No one ever gained anything fighting for a ghost. Take it from me, I don't know much about some things, but that right there is something there are very few people more experienced than me in. Now, let's drop this topic. I ain't gonna talk about the shit behind the reasoning so get ready for another round."

"Right."

He hadn't expected such from Qrow, but it seemed like something that had been brewing for a little while. No one ever gained anything fighting for a ghost. The significance behind those words was not lost on Jaune. Qrow hadn't said anything specifically, but Jaune had a feeling that the small trickle of pain that he could hear through the harshness in Qrow's voice alluded to someone he had lost many years ago. He had no idea who the person was, but Qrow was a seasoned Huntsman and unfortunately in their line of work, loss was inevitable. It was just the nature of what they did. Would he pick up his sword and charge into battle for someone who was no longer here? No, that wasn't right. Pyrrha was a big part of his life ever since coming to Beacon but Qrow was right. It hadn't been Pyrrha who gave Jaune the confidence to leave home. It hadn't been her who duped the entire Beacon acceptance system into allowing him into the school. She had been a big part of preparing him for life as a Huntsman and he owed everything to her.

But he owed her in a different way.

She'd not want him to seek revenge, he knew that much. Pyrrha had been the kindest of souls, perhaps matched only by Ruby. Jaune would still approach the woman who killed her and do battle, but it couldn't be to seek revenge. There would still be an element of finally putting to rest the person who'd taken Pyrrha from him, but the other element of that was something he'd need to find and he'd need to find it on his own. Qrow couldn't show him the path. Physical and mental improvement were what his teacher could offer. In the end, Jaune's path would have to be decided by him and him alone. It didn't mean that he'd stop being haunted by those memories and Pyrrha's presence within his aching heart overnight but he would start searching for the reason that would keep him fighting for the right purposes.

After all, it was like his father had always told him.

"Revenge is a fool's game, son."

The night continued on, heavy on the two drinks for both Jaune and Qrow who didn't talk much for the rest of the evening outside of demanding drinks from Jett that was. By the time the early hours of the morning had arrived, the both of them were struggling to stand, only held up by the strength of one another, both leaving a few lien cards to pay for the drinks. After finally managing to do this they began to stumble out of the tavern, yelling their goodbyes drukenly out to the bartender.

"We're going to get you some of that revenge juice!" Qrow boomed.

"Let's go!" Jaune exclaimed loudly, "Let's sing it on out as we go!"

"As we gooo~"

Despite their stumbling and general drunken antics, Jaune and Qrow were able to keep moving through the streets, singing at their top of their lungs about all sorts of random things. There were tunes of everything from great Viking battles, to the most mundane of things such as chickens. They both continued through their adventure well into the night.

Meanwhile, during the time that Jaune and Qrow had been...enjoying the nightlife that Mistral had to offer, Ruby had been sitting around with Ren and Nora, each of them unwilling to say anything but knowing precisely where their friend and Ruby's Uncle had gotten off too. It had become somewhat of a regular occurrence of late. They'd spend the entire day training, then the entire night drinking then return to the house and sleep for a few hours before doing the same thing all over again the next day.

A knock at the door had Ruby's head lifting and her brow arched. She looked to the other two, but they shrugged their shoulders. It was still a little early for Jaune and Qrow to come stumbling back in and crash into the first thing they could find to try and sleep against. Ren pulled hmself up from the armchair and dropped Stormflower out of his sleeves, slowly approaching the door with Ruby and Nora close behind, Magnihilde and Crescent Rose being drawn respectively as well.

"Who's there?" Ren called into the darkness.

"Ren? It's Yang and I've got Weiss with me."

"Yang?"

Ren slowly pulled open the door and sure enough, standing in the doorway was Yang Xiao Long and Weiss Schnee. Yang's outfit had been altered a little from what Ruby remembered it, but Weiss was mostly looking the same. She smiled at the both of them and without hesitation shifted herself into her semblance form to tackle into the two of them with a heavy hug.

"Ruby!" Yang exclaimed.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted.

"Please let me go..." Weiss groaned weakly.

"Never again," Yang and Ruby promised in unison. Once they'd all stepped back from the hug, Yang took a moment to let her gaze travel around the place they were staying in. Given how their situations had been for the last little while, she was happy to see that her sister had found somewhere to sleep that wasn't in a tent somewhere in the forest. Sure, she had others to protect her but having Ruby inside a city and not somewhere in a Grimm infested forest where the potential of being killed in your sleep was high made her feel a high sense of relief.

"Speaking of never letting anyone go, we were told Uncle Qrow's here, he sleeping already after drinking too much?"

"Well, that's...er, complicated."

"Ruby? What's going on?"

End Chapter