Jaune and Courage the Cowardly Dog
Chap 11: Cajun Granny Stew
Today was a beautiful day. Really beautiful. It was a nice temperature with only a handful of clouds in the sky. And since Eustace was not here, we decided to enjoy this day and not stay inside. After a bit of discussing, we decided to go to the park and just enjoy the day without any worries. And that brings us to where we currently are. In the park feeding the birds.
"Oh, Courage. Jaune. Isn't it grand to feed the birds?" Muriel asked us as she threw some bird seeds to the birds in front of us that happily ate it.
"It sure is." I answered with a smile as I threw some bird seed as well. It was very relaxing and calming. Something I rarely felt while in Vale or with the Arc Family. 'I could definitely get used to this.'
'Birds. I don't like birds. They always make fun of me.' Courage answered as he anxiously watched the bird's feed.
'NYAH!' One of the birds immediately responded with by sticking out its tongue and having its wings on the side of it head. Proving Courage's point in that they made fun of him always.
'OOOOHHHH!' Courage shouted in fright before diving inside Muriel's jacket to hide. The birds immediately started laughing at this with me letting out a chuckle as well. Courage then opened up the jacket a bit to look to see if the birds were still there. And glare when he saw me chuckling at his expense.
"Isn't this the life? Not a care in the world." Muriel asked. Unaware at what just happened and continued to feed the birds.
"It truly is Muriel." I answered as I continued to toss some more bird seed to the birds. They had stopped laughing at Courage now and resumed feeding.
"Courage. Will you be spending all afternoon in there?" Muriel asked as she opened up her jacket more so she could talk to him directly. Courage nodded subtly. "Alright. I'll be taking a wee nap. Will you be okay Jaune?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine." I answered. She smiled and leaned back in the bench and fell asleep instantly. "Courage, I'm going over to the fountain to grab a sip of water. Be back in a few moments."
'Alright. I'll be in here until we leave.' He replied before closing the jacket again.
Chuckling, I got up from the bench and walked over to the water fountain. As I made my way over, I looked around and saw the tranquil beauty of the park. But as I looked around, I saw many people around enjoying the day as well. Ranging from couples to families to friends hanging out. It made me miss my friends. Even though I talk to Ren and Nora on the regular, I still would prefer it they were here with me in person. And Pyrrha. I haven't talked to her since I got kicked out of Beacon. I asked Ren and Nora about her and they said she is good but still stuck with her sponsors for a while. Thinking about her made me smile as she was not only a really good friend but she is like a sister to me. Speaking of which, that reminded me of another who was and I think still is a good friend. And that was Velvet Scarlatina. We became good friends after I stood up for her after Cardin's bullying got out of hand. And ever since, we hung out from time to time. But now, I haven't heard from her or seen her since a few days before I got kicked as she and her team were out on a mission.
'Maybe one day we can all meet up again and spend the day together. Just hang out and enjoy life. Hopefully nothing strange happens that day when it comes.' I thought and hoped as I leaned down to take a sip from the water fountain. Standing back up, I took one last look around and smiled. I was about to turn and head back to Courage and Muriel when I heard a gasp and felt a tap on my shoulder a second later. Turning around, I got a shock in the form of both Pyrrha and Velvet standing behind me.
"Velvet? Pyrrha?" I asked. Hopeful that they were really there and not a hallucination. They smiled in return. I stepped forward a bit only to recoil in pain as Velvet suddenly kicked me in the leg hard. "OW!"
"That's for scaring the life out of us." Velvet explained with a frown.
"Jaune. We have been so worried for you. Why haven't you answered any of our calls?" Pyrrha asked with a frown.
"Sorry. When I got expelled from Beacon, I was so depressed that I threw away my scroll. Only recently did I get a new scroll." I answered.
"I'm just glad that you're okay Jaune. I missed you." Pyrrha said as she wrapped her around me.
"I did too." Velvet added as she also wrapped her arms around me in a hug.
"And I missed both of you as well." I told them as I returned the hug. We stayed like that for about a good five minutes before letting go. "But I have to ask, what are you two doing here in Nowhere?"
"My flight got diverted to another airport. And then I got on the wrong one and ended up here." Pyrrha answered.
"Basically, the same for me." Velvet answered while blushing in embarrassment.
"Well, it's great to see you both again either way." I told them with a smile.
"It's great to see you again as well Jaune. Is there a spot where we can sit down and catch up?" Pyrrha asked.
"Yeah, tell us what you have been up to since we last saw each other." Velvet added.
"Alright. There's a spot not too far from here where we can sit, rest and catch up on everything that has happened." I answered.
They nodded and began to follow me. I led them through the park and passed where Courage and Muriel were. Courage was still hiding inside Muriel's jacket which made me chuckle a bit. After a few minutes, we came to a small table with seats on both side for us to sit on. We sat down and began to catch each other up on everything that has happened. From me being adopted by the Bagge family to the small things that I have done since here. No need to worry or tell them about the strange things I have encountered such as the puddle queen or the snowman. At least, not yet anyway.
"So, they took you in just like that?" Velvet asked surprised.
"Yes. Well, Muriel anyway. Eustace only agreed when he learned that I can cook, clean and fix a truck." I answered.
"That Eustace sounds terrible." Velvet said already not liking Eustace.
"However, Muriel sounds like a really sweet lady." Pyrrha added.
"She is. Honestly, I can say with certainty that she is the sweetest person alive. Eustace on the other hand, his greed and selfishness rivals that of Jacques Schnee. Makes you wonder what they saw each other in the first place." I told them.
"Yeah, but I'm glad you found a new family that took you in after the Arc family disowned you." Velvet said with a smile.
"And I'm glad that you kept up with your training Jaune. I'm proud of you." Pyrrha added.
"Thanks." I stuttered out through a blush which caused the two girls to giggle a bit.
"So, what should we do now? The next bullhead that would take us back will not be ready until around ten tonight." Pyrrha asked.
"Well, maybe we can-" I began to answer but a yell of pain caught our attention.
'OW, OW, OW, OW, OW!' Courage yelled in pain.
"What was that?" Pyrrha asked.
Instead of answering, I immediately got up and raced towards where the sound came from and was met with hilarious sight of Courage on a water fountain statue of a Mermaid that had water come out of its hand but now came through Courage's but and out his mouth. Moving up, I got in the fountain and grabbed Courage and brought him down where he shook himself dry.
"What happened Courage?" I asked him.
'A FOX JUST STOLE MURIEL AND IS PLANNING ON MAKING A STEW OUT OF HER!' He answered panicked.
"WAIT, WHAT?!" I shouted in confusion and horror as I looked to where Muriel was sitting a few moments ago and saw that she was no longer there.
"What happened Jaune?" Pyrrha suddenly asked from behind startling me.
"And who are you talking to?" Velvet asked confused.
"Talking to Courage here. And he told me that Muriel was kidnapped by a fox." I answered, momentarily forgetting that others cannot understand Courage. Aside from Nora who can understand him apparently.
"Um, are you sure you're alright Jaune?" Pyrrha asked worried that I had gone insane.
"Do you mean this dog here?" Velvet asked worried as well.
"Yeah, his name is Courage." I answered pointing to him. Courage smiled and gave a small wave to her and Pyrrha.
'Hello.' He greeted them.
"WAIT! HE CAN TALK!" Velvet suddenly shouted in shock.
"What do you mean Velvet?" Pyrrha asked.
"I don't know but somehow, I understood what the dog just said." She answered still in shock.
"What did he say?" Pyrrha asked.
"He just said hello." Velvet answered.
"But how did I not hear that?" Pyrrha asked confused.
"I-I d-don't know. This is a first for me. Do you understand him Jaune?" Velvet asked.
"Yes, I have been able to understand him since I first met him." I answered. Velvet and Pyrrha seemed shocked at this but before they could ask something else, Courage interrupted us.
'We can explain later. But right now, we have to stop that fox from turning Muriel into a stew.' Courage said impatiently and worried that we were wasting time.
"Right, what should we do first Courage?" I asked him to see if he had a plan or should we just improvise on the spot.
'I don't know what we are going to do but it better be good.' He answered before dashing off in the direction we just came from. I was about to follow but was stopped when Pyrrha grabbed my arm.
"Jaune. What is happening?" She asked worried.
"Muriel was kidnaped by a fox. Courage is off to do something and I am going to help. But I would really appreciate it if you guys lend a hand as well." I quickly answered.
"We'd love to help Jaune. But how was Muriel kidnaped by a fox?" Velvet asked confused. At this, I was confused on how to answer this as I was not too sure myself but learned long ago to go along with things.
"Just...go along with it. It will never fully make sense and it will be easier if you just go along with it and don't question anything." I told her.
They both nodded in understanding. Though, I could tell they were still unsure about the whole thing. But if they were willing to help, then that was good enough for now. Turning around, we ran in the direction Courage went and saw that he had ran into a meat shop and came out a moment later carrying a huge piece of salami. He then ran off to a nearby bus stop.
"Why does he plan on using with that salami Jaune?" Velvet asked confused.
"No idea Velvet." I answered as we closed the distance and managed to catch up to Courage. Once caught up, we saw him staring down the fox that supposedly kidnapped Muriel.
'Ok, fox. Where's Muriel?!' Courage demanded. But instead of answering, the fox shrugged. Courage raised the salami and was about to hit the fox, but I stopped him by grabbing the salami.
"Hold on Courage." I told him as I took the salami from him. I then turned to the fox. "Okay fox, did you take Muriel?"
Again, the same response.
"Well, then. Only one way to find out." I told him.
"And what way is that Jaune?" Pyrrha asked curious. As soon as we got to the fox, she and Velvet were looking back and forth between me, Courage and the fox. Mainly the fox though as they were surprised to see an actual fox standing up like a person wearing shades.
"This way." I told her with a smile. I turned back to the fox, raised the salami and slammed it as hard as I can onto the fox's foot, which caused the fox to scream loudly in pain. His tail even stood up with the fur standing up as well as if he got shocked. But what stood out was the fact that he stuck out his tongue in pain and on it was Muriel still asleep.
'Somehow.' I thought before me and Courage grabbed Muriel, picked her up and ran as fast as we could from the fox. Pyrrha and Velvet were confused but quickly followed and even quicker managed to catch up with us. After a good ten minutes of straight running, we were coming close to entering a nearby town.
'Um, what just happened?" Velvet asked as we entered the town.
"We just got Muriel back from a fox and are now running away from said fox." I answered.
"Well, I can certainly say this is a first for me as well as Velvet. But you don't seem to fazed by this Jaune." Pyrrha said looking towards me in suspicion and worry.
"It's a really long story. But to cut it short, this is the least weird thing I have seen in a while." I answered her.
Looking towards her and Velvet, I saw that their eyes grow wide in concern. I was about to say something to try and reassure them that I am fine. But couldn't as because I wasn't paying attention to where we were going, I did not see a taxi racing towards us at high speeds. And because of that, I could not react in time to when the taxi stopped and the door opened which caused me and Courage to slam into the door. And because of that, it somehow sent Muriel up into the air a bit.
"I truly thank you." The fox from before said as he leaned out of the taxi and caught Muriel before she hit the floor. He then quickly went back in and drove off before Pyrrha or Velvet could react.
'Damn fox.' I thought as I rubbed my head in pain. Pyrrha grabbed my arm and helped me to feet. "Thanks, Pyrrha."
"No problem Jaune." She said with a smile.
'Muriel!' Courage suddenly exclaimed in pain. Turning to him, we saw that he is floating in the air. Still stuck in the same position he was in when he smacked into the taxi door. Flat as a pancake as well. Velvet walked up to him and grabbed him.
"Are you okay...um... Courage?" She asked hesitantly. As if she unsure and could not believe that she was talking to a dog. Courage, still in the air, took a deep breath, reinflated and fell to the ground with a comedic plop. He then got up and shook himself off before turning to Velvet.
'Yeah, I'm alright.' He answered as he rubbed his head.
"Jaune. How did that fox get in front of us and in a taxi?" Pyrrha asked curious and confused.
"I have no idea." I answered.
"What should we do now? He is probably far away now and we don't know where he could have gone." Velvet asked.
'I have an idea. Follow me.' Courage said before moving away.
"What did he say Jaune?" Pyrrha asked.
"That he has a plan and to follow him." I answered. She seemed concerned but agreed and followed after Courage.
Ten Minutes Later
'MURIEL!' Courage shouted as he looked in another direction while looking through some weird looking binoculars. 'MURIEL!'
We were in a hot air balloon going over the town and the park. Courage was leaning over the edge of the casket trying to find Muriel and the Fox. But so far, he had no luck. I was tending to the balloon to make sure we stay up in the air but also to be ready to make the balloon go down in an instant when we spot Muriel or the fox.
'Hopefully soon.' I thought as I also looked around to see if I could spot them but like Courage, I had no luck in that.
"Jaune." Velvet said getting my attention.
"Yes, Velvet." I said turning to face her.
"What should we do when we spot the fox and Muriel?" She asked.
"Well, grab Muriel and fly as far away as we can but be prepared for anything just in case." I answered.
"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked getting my attention.
"Yes?" I said turning to her and saw a concerned look on her face.
"Have you had encounters like this before?" She asked.
"Not with a fox nor something similar to this. But I have faced some strange things since coming to live with the Bagge family." I answered already knowing where this was going.
"Like what?" Velvet asked.
"A living snowman, a fungus that turned out to be a gangster, an undersea she monster. Bigfoot, a chicken from outer space, an undead mummy, a demon in a box and helped some ducks from outer space rescue their brother." I answered and smirked when I saw their astonished faces.
"I-I'm sorry Jaune. But I don't believe that." Pyrrha said recovering from her shock.
"Same." Velvet agreed.
"I know you don't believe me. But it did happen and I have proof. We can go over it after we find Muriel and get away from the fox." I told them.
"Alright." They agreed.
'Hey, I found Muriel.' Courage shouted getting our attention.
"Where?" I asked going over to him.
'There she is.' Courage answered while pointing at her. Straining my eyes, I saw that the taxi the fox was using had a flat tire and the fox was now fixing it. And for some reason, as he was fixing it, he was holding Muriel up.
"Did you find Muriel, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked stepping next to me to try and find what I was looking at.
"Yes. We just found her. I going to bring us down." I answered as I moved to have the balloon lower us to the ground.
"And what should we do when we get down there?" Velvet asked. I looked towards Courage who gave a grin back at me and nodded.
"We have a plan." I answered as I lowered the balloon closer to the fox and Muriel. Soon we were close enough where we could hear the fox talking to himself.
'Here, we come Muriel. I hope.' I thought as we are now only a few feet above the head of the fox.
"Won't take but a moment, my petite sweetie." The fox said to the still sleeping Muriel he was lifting up. "MMM, MMM. I can taste that granny stew right now."
As he said this, Courage grabbed Muriel and lifted her into the basket. I then gave Courage a giant bomb with a lit fuse. He smiled and placed in on the paw that the fox was using to hold Muriel. Still unaware of the whole thing. Only did he realize something was amiss when he heard a strange noise.
"Hey, what's this?" The fox asked curios as he brought the bomb to his face. Only for it to explode right as he did that. Leaving behind a stick of a head that's covered in soot and dirt. His eyes and lips grey with smoke coming out of his mouth each time he opened it. "Oh my!"
'Now keep your dirty hands to yourself, you filthy fox.' Courage shouted at him as we flew away from him.
"No need for the insult Courage. I'm sure he got the message. Not to mention, he is a bit far now so he probably did not even hear you." I told him as I guided us away. After about ten minutes had passed, I figured we were safe enough that I could lower the hot air balloon. Once on the ground, we all got out and circled around Muriel who was still asleep.
'All right, Muriel. Don't worry about that fox. He's way behind.' Courage said and released a howl right after. But Muriel only answered by snoring some more.
"How is she still asleep?" Velvet asked amazed that Muriel as still fast asleep with a smile on her face.
"I have no idea. But I wish I could sleep like that." I answered.
"Do you think that fox gave up?" Velvet asked.
"Doubt it. He is probably going to try and kidnap Muriel again in some new unexpected way." I answered.
"I know that you're not supposed to laugh at other who are in pain. But you have to admit that it was pretty funny the fox's face when he realized he had a bomb that exploded in his face." Pyrrha said struggling not to laugh at seeing the fox's face.
"Yeah, it was pretty funny. But do you think he will be fine?" Velvet asked trying to hold back a giggle as she also remembered the fox's face after the explosion.
"Yeah, somehow. It's weird as no one ever truly remains harmed here. No matter what happens, their alright in just a few minutes." I told her.
"So, what do you think the fox will try to do next Jaune?" Pyrrha asked. I raised my hand and was about to answer when I heard the sound of a steam roller coming in our direction.
"MOVE!" I shouted and quickly pushed Pyrrha and Velvet out of the way just in time as the steam roller ran over me and Courage.
"HELLO AGAIN." The fox shouted as he grabbed Muriel and drove off with her.
"JAUNE!" Both Velvet and Pyrrha shouted in fear as they quickly moved towards where I was. But instead of saying anything, I grabbed both of their hands and pulled them into the hole in the ground that formed when the steam roller pushed me into the ground.
"Jaune, are you okay?" Pyrrha asked as she looked me over to see if I was hurt which brought a smile to my face.
"I'm fine. My aura protected me from that. Not to mention, If I only got hurt a bit from a bank explosion than this wasn't much." I told them. Only to cover my ears when they shout in shock at that.
"YOU WERE IN AN EXPLOSION!" They both shouted in shock and fear again.
"Yeah. But I explain when this is all over." I explained.
"You better Jaune." Pyrrha demanded. I would have been taken back from her sudden change in demeanor but when I saw her eyes, they are filled with fear and concern.
"I will." I said assuring her which brought a smile to her face.
"Okay. Now what do we do? The fox has a vehicle and is already a good distance away." Velvet asked.
"Oh, Courage already has the covered." I told her as I pointed behind me. They looked around me and saw Courage digging with a shovel in the direction the fox went above ground.
"Um, where did he get the shovel?" Pyrrha asked.
"From his pocket." I answered.
"His pocket?" Velvet asked skeptically.
"Yeah. Remember how I said earlier to just go along with whatever you see?" I asked.
"Yes." They both answered at the same time.
"Just go along with whatever happens." I told them. They looked at each other before nodding. Smiling, we turned and followed Courage as fast as we can as he already was a good distance away from us.
"I know he is a dog, but how fast can he shovel?" Velvet asked.
"Courage is a dog of many talents." I answered with a chuckle as I recalled everything, I seen him do and the fact that he taught me how to drive a motorcycle recently. Soon we reached Courage who began digging up back to the surface. As soon we reached the surface, we heard the steam roller rapidly approaching us.
"How should we stop him this time?" Velvet asked. We looked around and saw a road closed sign in front of some rocks but nothing else.
'Those rocks will stop him.' Courage said before getting out of the hole and moved to grab the sign and placed it behind the hole.
"How exactly?" Velvet asked confused.
"Can someone fill me in?" Pyrrha asked not understanding what's happening.
"Courage plans on using the rocks over there to stop him." I explained while pointing to the pile of rocks nearby.
"How is that going to stop him? Wouldn't he just move the sign and continue his way?" Pyrrha asked.
"That's where you come in Pyrrha. As soon as he stops or slows down, use your semblance on the steam roller to prevent him from leaving on it." I explained. She nodded in understanding at this. "Okay, you two go behind those rocks. Me and Courage will be behind the sign ready to tackle him when he gets close."
"Alright. Just be careful Jaune." Velvet said before getting up and moving over to the rocks.
"Please be careful Jaune." Pyrrha asked as well.
"Don't worry. I will." I told her. She nodded and went over to hide behind the rocks. Once she was there, me and Courage quickly went behind the sign.
'Think this will work Jaune?' Courage asked once we were behind the sign. Hearing the steam roller get closer and speed up, I gave him an honest answer.
"Nope." I said before the steam roller reached us and ran over the sign and us. Crushing us, making us flat as a pancake and in a world of hurt. Even with my aura, I still felt immense pain.
"OW!" I shouted in pain as I struggled not to pass out from the pain. But the fox's loud and sudden yell followed by an audible comedic splash caused my vision to sharpen a bit as my fear for Muriel's safety increased dramatically. I tried to move and get myself out from under the sign but couldn't as I was still in too much pain. Thankfully, after a moment, I felt the sign lift off me, allowing me to move a bit more and lessen the pain. I was then picked up by Pyrrha and Velvet who both had worried looks on their face.
"Jaune! Are you okay?" Pyrrha asked as she looked me over while Velvet pumped some of her aura to me to help me recover.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just need a moment." I told them as I started to feel a bit better thanks to Velvet using her aura on me. "Thanks Velvet."
"No problem." She replied with a smile.
"Where's the fox and Muriel?" I asked as I sat back down. Pyrrha and Velvet sat down next to me as well.
"Right after the fox ran you over, I used my semblance on the steam roller and forced it to a complete stop. And because of the sudden stop, the fox was sent flying over the nearby cliff and into the body of water at the bottom." Velvet answered.
"And Muriel?" I asked.
"She was sent flying into the air. We were about to go and catch her but Courage stopped us, and told us to help you while he catches Muriel." Velvet answered.
"Okay, at least she's safe and the fox is gone for the moment." I said as I started to feel back to normal. I then tried to get back up but stumbled a bit and was about to fall over but Pyrrha and Velvet caught me and stabilized me. "Thanks."
"Take it easy Jaune. You might be feeling better now, but you just got run over again by a steam roller." Pyrrha scolded me. At her saying this, I smiled because it showed me that she cared for my safety and reminded me of how great of a friend she is. I was about today something, but the voice of the fox caught my attention.
"You're going to be right proud to be in my stew, and I can't wait." The fox said nearby. Turning to him, we saw Muriel being carried away from us by the fox. I was about to tun after him but velvet held me back. I turned to her to ask why she was pointed a bit ahead of us.
"What's Courage doing?" She asked. I turned to where she was pointing at and saw Courage standing next to what looks like a lottery slot machine while wearing a hat and fake mustache. He turned to us, took off his disguise and gave us a wink.
"I'd say getting Muriel back." I answered with a smile as I knew what he was about to do.
"Shouldn't we help him?" Pyrrha asked.
"No, I know what's about to happen. Just watch and you'll be treated to a good laugh." I told her.
She seemed confused but looked back at Courage all the same with velvet doing so as well. Courage waited a moment for the fox to reach and notice him. Once je did, Courage than convinced the fox to try his "luck" on the machine. The fox seemed to brag a bit though we could not quite hear what he was saying. He then pulled out a giant quarter and entered in into the coin slot before pulling the lever on the machine. The slots started spinning and after a second, they all stopped with each slot being a match. The fox then cheered at what he got, only to be silenced when out of the right slot on the machine, a giant boxing glove came out and punched the fox right in the face hard, sending him flying away while letting go of Muriel.
"HAHAHA!" All three of us laughed at what just happened to the fox. Velvet was leaning on me to keep her balance while Pyrrha had fallen to the floor in laughter. We stayed like that for a few more minutes before we could stop.
"Oh, my. That was really funny." Pyrrha said as she slowly got up.
"That was one of the funniest things I have seen." Velvet agreed.
"Yeah, it is. Anyway, let's go catch up with Courage as he ran away from the fox again." I said as I finally stopped laughing.
"Right." They said in unison.
We moved in the direction that Courage went with Muriel. After a few minutes we spotted him by a phone booth and soon turned into a giant monster and roared into the phone. Velvet and Pyrrha were scared and confused at what they just saw. I quickly explained that Courage can shape shift into different objects or creatures. But as I explained this, a cop sped past us real fast and stopped next to Courage and Muriel. For a moment, I thought that Courage called the cops or animal control to help with the fox. Only to panic when the fox came out of the cop car dressed as a police office, bashed Courage on the head with the baton dazing him. He then picked up Muriel and ran away as quick as he could.
'Crap.'I thought as me, Velvet and Pyrrha ran as fast as we can after the fox.
Courage quickly joined us after he recovered. We quickened our pace and soon found the fox again. He apparently found a bi-pedal plane and was now using it to escape. Muriel was in the other seat asleep. Seeing that he was about to take off, we ran as fast as we can and manage to reach him. Unfortunately, he started to take off as well. I grabbed Courage and tossed him to the back of the plane where he manages to grab on to the vertical fin. Pyrrha and Velvet managed to jump and grab onto the other parts of the fin while I jumped and grabbed onto the metal part above the back wheel. And as soon as I did, the plane was in the air, flying towards where I can only assume is the fox's home.
'And I hate to fly.' Courage said as he continued to hang on to the fin.
"Same here Courage." I agreed with him as I tried not to vomit all over myself. I don't know why, but I always get motion sick on planes. Only planes though for some reason. Anything else, I am totally fine with strangely enough.
"What did he say Velvet?" Pyrrha asked her.
"Courage said that he hates to fly." She answered.
"Guess that's another thing he shares with you Jaune." Pyrrha said with a smile. I would have rolled my eyes at that but I was still trying to keep my lunch down. But what the fox said next did help as my attention was drawn back to him.
"It won't be long now. MMM, MMMM!" The fox said already thinking of the stew he was about to make out of Muriel. I began to think on how we can take control of the plane as the fox did not notice us yet. But Courage threw that our that window.
'HOLD ON MURIEL! WE'RE COMING!' He shouted out getting the fox's attention.
"What?! What is wrong with that dog and those kids?" The fox asked astounded that we are keeping this up. He then turned back to the controls and I immediately knew what he was about to do.
"HANG ON EVERYBODY!" I shouted as I tightened my grip on the metal part above the wheel.
"What do you mean Jau-AAAAHHHHH!" Velvet began about to ask what I meant screamed when she got her answer in the form on the fox making the plane going in giant circle a few times. With us being upside down and screaming our lungs out. Aside from me as I could no longer keep my lunch down.
'I did not sign up for this.' I thought as I wiped the vomit from my face and hoped no one gets hit by it when it reaches the ground.
"YOU OKAY JAUNE?" Pyrrha shouted as she tried not to scream nor fall off from the plane. I could only weakly nod my head in answer. Luckily, after a minute more, the fox stopped and leveled the plane out.
'Oh, thank Oum.' I thought as the ride smoothed out a bit.
"They're a hanging on kinda dog and kids, ain't they?" The fox questioned. He then pulled controls and made the plane go straight up completely.
"AAAAHHHHH!" We all screamed as we struggled to keep our grip. Unfortunately, for me and Courage, we could not. I lost my grip while the fin that Courage was biting in an attempt to stay on broke, and we both fell.
"JAUNE!" Both Velvet and Pyrrha shouted when they saw us start falling to our doom. For a brief moment, I honestly thought we were going to die, but fate had other plans for the fox had unknowingly circle back around and saved us. I landed in the seat with Muriel while Courage landed in the pilot seat where the fox was.
"Go on, make yourself right at home." The fox told us before he picked up Courage and started strangling him.
"LET HIM GO!" I shouted and smacked the fox on the head with a shovel, that I found under the seat, knocking him out for the moment.
'Thanks, Jaune.' Courage said as he caught his breath.
"No problem. Now make sure Muriel is okay while I help Pyrrha and Velvet." I told him.
'Got it.' He replied and went over to Muriel. Turning back, I carefully made my way closer to Pyrrha and Velvet. And one at a time, I pulled them both into the cockpit where it's safe for the moment.
"Thanks, Jaune." Pyrrha said as she relaxed and caught her breath. Glad that she was no longer hanging for her life on the back of a plane. But as I pulled Velvet to safety, I noticed that she seemed out of it.
"Velvet, are you okay?" I asked her worried. But nearly fell back when she answered near hysterically.
"OKAY? OKAY? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? FIRST, WE CHASE A FOX ON THE GROUND TO SAVE YOU NEW MOM AND NOW WE ARE DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN ONLY IN A PLANE THIS TIME. WHAT IS THIS, A CARTOON?" She shouted.
"Calm down Velvet. Take it easy. I promise everything will be okay." I told her as I placed my hands on her shoulder to try and calm her down. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breathes before answering.
"Okay Jaune. Sorry for the outburst. This is just a bit much for me now. Not to mention, I am still having a hard time believing that I can understand full what Courage says." She explained.
"It's fine. Don't worry." I told her with a reassuring smile. She smiled as well and seemed to fully calm down.
"So, what should we do now?" Pyrrha asked. I was about to answer when I heard some strangling again. I turned around and saw the fox strangling Courage again. We were about to stop him when the fox suddenly stopped as well while looking up.
"Hey, sports Look at this." The fox said in amazement. We looked to where he we looking and saw that Muriel had somehow gotten out of her seat and was now walking along the wings of the plane still asleep.
"WAIT! DON'T DO IT! NO DON'T! OOH!" Courage, me and the fox all shouted at Muriel as she neared the edge of the wings and seemed like she was about to walk off. But she stayed there and didn't. But that caused the plane to tilt dangerously to the side. Knowing we needed to balance the plane out, we rushed out of our seats onto the opposite side of the wings. Eith this, the plane leveled out again.
"BECAREFUL JAUNE!" Pyrrha and Velvet both shouted. Looking over to them, I saw that they were now trying to figure out how to control the plane to make it land. I turned back to Muriel and saw that she was still on the edge.
"HOLD ON! WE'RE COMING FOR YOU!" We all shouted and slowly began to make our way across the wings. Only to immediately go back to where we were as the plane started to tilt dangerously again.
'This is all your fault.' Courage suddenly yelled at the fox.
"My fault?" The fox questioned offended.
"YEAH! YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE A STEW OUT OF HER!" I yelled at the fox as well answering his question.
"And a right good one, she gonna be." The fox countered as he pushed his finger on my nose. We turned back to Muriel and saw that she had taken a step and fell of the plane.
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!" We screamed in horror at what we just saw. We immediately kneeled down and looked to where she fell only to get a surprise as she was still on the wings. Only this time, she was on the underside of the wings still asleep and still walking somehow.
"I knew she was there all along." The fox said trying to act smug.
'Oh, yeah, yeah.' Courage said calling his bluff.'
"Sorry to interrupt your arguing." Velvet said getting our attention. "But how is she doing that?"
"Listen kid, here in Nowhere, nothing ever makes sense. You best take that to heart unless you want to lose your mind." The fox advised her.
Velvet and Pyrrha seemed like they were about to ask something else but got cut off when an alarm went off. We all turned around and immediately saw the problem. We were heading straight for a cliff with no chance to avoid it. Knowing this, I quickly grabbed Pyrrha and Velvet and brought them close to me. And as soon as we neared the cliff, I tossed them as hard as I can into the air in an attempt to save them. And just in time as not a moment later, the plane crashed into the side of the cliff.
BOOM!
The pain that came from it was intense but thanks to my remaining aura and the aura that Velvet gave me to help earlier made sure that I survived. Along with Courage who I grabbed and wrapped my body around so he wouldn't get hurt as badly. Now, I was hanging with all my remaining strength to not fall off the side of the cliff and possibly to my death.
"OW! You okay Courage?" I asked him as he also clung onto the wall to allow me to use my other arm to help.
'Yeah, I'm alright. How about you?' He asked. I was about to answer but couldn't as we suddenly heard the fox's voice above.
"Ooh, that was some ride. Now where'd my little old granny go? There she is!" The fox said from above us. Looking up, we saw that the fox was on the ledge of the cliff. Completely smoky looking from the plane explosion. He then got onto the ledge and walked over to where Muriel probably is.
"Crap. Come on Courage. We have to save Muriel." I told him panicked as I slowly albeit painfully began to make my way up the cliff. He nodded and began to make his way up as well.
"Hang on Jaune and Courage." The voice of Pyrrha and Velvet suddenly caught our attention. Looking back up, we saw a rope tossed down to us. We grabbed on and were soon pulled up to safety. But as soon as we were safe, Pyrrha and Velvet both wrapped their arms around me in a tight embrace.
"Thanks for saving us Jaune. But please don't ever scare us like that again" Pyrrha asked.
"Yes, please don't ever do that again." Velvet added.
"I won't and thanks for pulling me and Courage up to safety." I told them. They simply pulled back and smiled. We got up and instantly, I remembered that the fox has Muriel. "WAIT! The fox has Muriel. We have to save her. Did you guys see where he went?"
"Yeah, he went that way. And it seems like Courage is already chasing after him." Velvet answered as she pointed off to the distance where I could see the fox running at such fast speeds. Not even giving them a chance to react, I immediately dashed after the fox as fast as I could to try and catch him. But it seemed like I would not be able to as he was too fast. Luckily, Courage managed to trip him by hiding behind a rock and sticking his leg out when the fox was about to pass. However, this caused the fox to let go of Muriel which sent her flying through the air.
"Will someone close the window? It's so drafty." Muriel said as she glided through the air. Momentarily waking from her sleep before going right back.
"WE GOT YOU MURIEL!" We shouted as we ran after her to ty and catch her. Unfortunately, because we were looking at her, we did not see where we were going and nearly fell of the edge of another cliff.
"Damn, that's a steep drop." I said as I looked down and began to feel a bit weak in my legs.
"Going somewhere?" The fox suddenly said from behind us. We turned around to face him, but just as we did, he pushed us off the cliff. And as if to add insult to injury, just as he did that, Muriel also fell and he caught her. And in a flash, he disappeared.
"JAUNE!" The voice of Pyrrha and Velvet came and I looked up and saw they were leaning over the edge in fear and worry that I was not going to be able to make. They then looked around before nodding to each other and leaving. Presumably to chase after the fox. But I noticed something as we were falling, it seemed to be going on for a lot longer than I previously thought.
Ten Minutes later
"Courage, is it just me or does it feel like we have been falling for quite a while?" I asked him. At first when we began to fall, he was screaming his lungs out with his eyes blood shot but blue instead of red. But now, he stopped screaming and seemed to be getting impatient with how long it was taking for us to get to the ground.
'I'm pretty sure it's been longer than that. By the way, where did your friends go?' He asked.
"To chase the fox presumably. And make him suffer for they probably think the fox just killed me by pushing us off the cliff." I answered.
'Always nice to have friends that care for you.' Courage said with a smile.
"True. I'm grateful to have them as my friends." I said with a smile.
'AAAHHH!' Courage suddenly screamed again.
Turning to him and saw him screaming again. I turned back to face down and saw that we were approaching an above ground cave. Seeing it rapidly approaching, I grabbed Courage and pulled him to me and wrapped myself around him just as we hit the top of the cave. And went straight through it. As we came out the other side, we saw the fox was standing over a giant pot. He was also holding Muriel over himself to try and get her into the pot. But stopped when he heard us crash through the roof.
"What? Wait! NO! DON'T DO IT! OH! OH! OH!" The fox said as he saw us heading towards him but was unable to move in time. A split second after he said that, we hit Muriel and because of the force, it sent him into the pot himself.
"Ow." I said as I got off Muriel and laid down on the fox's counter. Counting my lucky stars that I am somehow alive. I tried to sit upright after a moment, but when I did that, I heard the door slam open. Looking to my left, I saw both Pyrrha and velvet run into the room fuming mad. But they instantly calmed down when they saw me alive.
"JAUNE1" They immediately shouted and tackled me when they saw me. But somehow, they shouting follow by their tackling me, woke Muriel up.
"Oh. OH! COURAGE! JAUNE! WHAT AM I DOING HERE?" Muriel asked with a frown. But she then smelled the air and smile. "What's that delicious smell? Is that Cajun Fox Stew? Jaune, Courage, shall we have some?"
"No, No. Fox Stew is not for you." The fox said still in the pot.
'No thanks. I had enough Cajun for one day.' Courage answered weakly as fatigue lace his voice.
"Same here Courage." I agreed. I can already feel the exhaustion entering my body.
"Jaune! Are you okay? How are you alive?" Pyrrha asked as she grabbed my head and turned it to make me look at her. I could see nothing but fear and praise in her eyes that I was alive.
"It does not matter. All that matters is that he is still with us." Velvet said as she tightened her arms around me.
"Don't worry you two. I ain't leaving ither of you." I told them as they let me sit back up.
"You better keep your promise Arc." Pyrrha demanded with a chuckle.
"So, what now?" Velvet asked. "And where is the fox?"
"Oh, the fox is in the pot." I answered as I moved to get off the counter.
"Well, that takes care of him. So, what now? We still have a few hours before we have to head to the airstrip to catch our ride back to Beacon." Pyrrha asked.
"Well, the day is still relatively young, how about we just enjoy the rest of the day together. And I can tell you about those adventures I had while living with the Baggs." I suggested.
"That would certainly do." They both said as the same time agreeing with me.
For the next few hours, we spent talking about my adventures and showing proof of each one. And I found each of their reactions funnier than the last. But like with all good things, it eventually ended. The time had come for them to head back to Beacon. So, we headed back to the nearby town where I hailed a cab for them that will take them to the airport and then back to Beacon.
"Well, I can certainly say this has been the strangest day for me Jaune." Pyrrha said as she got into the cab.
"Same here Jaune." Velvet agreed as she also got into the cab.
"But I can safely say, it was also the most fun we had in a while as well." Pyrrha added as she lowered the window down.
"We should do this again sometime Jaune." Velvet suggested.
"Definitely. And maybe, one of these all of us can get together and just hang out again. Like the good old days." I suggested as well.
"Of course. Jaune. I'll call you later when I get back. See you." Pyrrha said.
"Bye Jaune." Velvet said as the window rolled up and the cab then left.
"Did you have a good time today Jaune?" Muriel asked walking up to me from behind. I looked over at Courage who smiled.
"Yeah, I did." I answered with a smile as I felt my scroll vibrate. Taking it out, I saw a message from both Pyrrha and Velvet.
"That's grand Jaune. Now, it's best we head home now as it's getting mighty late." She said as she looked to the sky and saw the sun setting.
"Right. Let's head home." I agreed and we began the trip back to the farmhouse. All the while, happy that I got to see two of my friends again. Even though it wasn't in the most ideal circumstance.
Note:
Sorry this chapter took a while to get out.
This one was a bit harder to make without changing it completely.
Next chapter will hopefully be a bit better and easier.
Next chapter will be Courage in the big stinking city.
Team Rwby will appear in this one. Though should zwei appear as well?
On that note, who from team Rwby should understand Courage and should Jaune be able to understand Zwei.