Author's Note: A lot of people were pretty unhappy with the reconciliation scene in the previous chapter. Going back over it, I think there were things that I could have handled better. There were some implied behind-the-scenes events that I probably should have added to make that part more coherent and logically in tune with the rest of the events of the story.
This chapter aims to correct some of those mistakes while moving the plot forward. Please note that I never intended to show that all was forgotten and buried between Jaune and the others! I think a fundamental fact that I perhaps haven't been able to portray effectively is how much of a stoic Jaune is. Having travelled with Kenshiro, he holds himself to incredibly high standards, and thus, is often willing to forgive people for non-malicious mistakes, even when they are against him. The reason he isn't bitter against RWBY or NPR is because he never expected them to last long in his life. The exception, of course, is Weiss, who, by the way, does not have some kind of free pass to his heart. As you'll see throughout this fic, Jaune has plenty of self-respect, and is definitely not "easy".
Chapter 8: Honesty
Teenage relationships can be a funny thing. Perhaps it's because all sorts of hormones are at an all-time high. Or perhaps because it's exactly halfway between being a child and an adult. Between being naive and jaded. Just enough hope to have expectations, and just enough heart to be disappointed when they aren't met. And so, people learn to live in a state not of trust. A state of compromise, but always hoping that that the relationships they've lied and struggled to hold on to will stand the test of time.
It seems like such a pointless thing to do.
There are of course, those who know, even from a young age, how futile it is.
And as the same people who struggle to hold on to those relationships grow older, they realize how meaningless they were in the first place, forgetting one very important thing.
Even if they were temporary, they had meaning.
Jaune was strange that way.
He hadn't really had the sort of sheltered teenage that allowed for such things. It had mostly been travelling from one battlefield to the next. And the thing about blood and death, is that they very quickly reveal a lot about people. The only thing that matters in the end, is one's survival. So Jaune had learnt early, that only those who stand with you in times of need, can truly be called friends.
At Beacon, he had come close to forgetting that lesson. For a moment, been caught in the excitement, and the relief, of feeling like he had found a place where he belonged.
The Cardin incident had quickly reminded him, though.
And so, he was wary.
Currently, he was on his way to Ozpin's office, having been summoned there after the scene in the Dining Hall. He wasn't alone, of course. The rest of JNPR, and RWBY, had all been called as well. He wasn't particularly worried about the meeting. Instead, he carefully observed the people around him.
He had never really expected any of these people to be in his life for long.
In fact, he'd been almost certain that one way or another, their association would be temporary.
No, he hadn't been hurt by expectation.
He'd been hurt because he wanted them to have been people he could have in his life.
He genuinely had enjoyed spending time with them, and still believed they were good people.
But he knew for sure now, that he could not expect them to walk next to him on the path he had to take.
He'd been able to accept that they had chosen to stay away from him after the rumours had spread about him. He could also accept that they hadn't been able to understand the reasons behind his actions with Cardin. Despite it hurting, he reminded himself that they were from a different life, and that in any case, having overly high expectations was a sure way to get disappointed.
Even now that they had returned to support him in front of the school, he could tell that they were still uncertain. He could make out how they were feeling from their body language, and their past interactions with him. It was all just hypotheses, but he was fairly sure he was right.
Starting with his own team, Pyrrha felt guilty. It was clear she regretted her actions, and wanted to make up for them. Her heart was in the right place, but she probably felt that the relationship between them could never truly be repaired, judging by the way she was avoiding eye contact with him now after her initial words at the Hall.
Ren and Nora were similar, but Jaune sensed they were both still cautious around him, and their choice to stand by him now might have a lot to do with their desire to keep the team intact, and, to a lesser extent, support Pyrrha.
Yang was probably the most indifferent out of all them, and also the most guarded, and Jaune had a feeling she had tagged along mainly because of the others.
Blake's case seemed the odd. The way she was there, but seemed to be avoiding any sort of interaction with him at all, all but confirmed that she didn't really want to be doing this. If anything, it almost felt like she was here as some kind of obligation. He wondered if that had anything to do with the fact that she was a Faunus. The original incident had taken place when Jaune was defending that rabbit Faunus, so maybe she felt some kind of strange debt was owed to him.
Ruby was… curious. She had always seemed to be the one least put off by Jaune's actions. While she had been intimated, she also seemed to want to know more about him. It seemed very much a part of her nature: she just didn't seem the type to believe anything bad about someone unless given absolute proof. She was probably here more to confirm her thoughts about Jaune than anything.
They were an odd bunch for sure, and their intentions were perfectly normal, and innocent enough.
But he couldn't by any stretch of the imagination call them friends.
Those weeks had been a reminder and a wake up call to not delude himself.
Still, he had to question why a group of people with motivations this weak would turn up at all. Instinctively, his head turned towards the person walking next to him.
Weiss Schnee. You did this, didn't you?
Out of all of them, she had been the only one to approach him freely by herself, during the Forever Fall mission, and apologize. He hadn't been able to spot any insincerity in her then, and he couldn't sense any now.
In the forest, something about her words and eyes had made Jaune waver for a while, and even agree to not cutting her off. After the fight with the Archer Grimm, he had tried to push her away again, being all but certain that in time, she would leave anyway. If that were the case, it would be far better for her to stay away from the start, and avoid the danger that followed him everywhere.
But she had taken that expectation, and smashed it to bits.
She was here again, and had somehow managed to convince the rest of her team, and Jaune's to come along.
To his intense surprise, Jaune felt a lot like he did during his first few weeks with her constantly teasing him.
He had no idea what she was thinking.
And that bothered him.
He hadn't been able to manage anything more than a flustered response when she'd come to his aid in the Hall. And that bothered him.
Weiss Schnee… what are your intentions?
Before long, they were standing in Ozpin's office.
Once more, Jaune was face to face with the headmaster.
Goodwitch was in the room too, though she hadn't been last time. And of course, the other members of RWBY and JNPR were there. It occurred to Jaune that perhaps Ozpin would not want to discuss their arrangement in front of these others. After all, despite Goodwitch's position, she had not been present when that deal had been made.
He carefully studied Ozpin's expression.
Logically speaking, Jaune was well aware that he was a chaotic presence at Beacon. He went against the established order in the place, and wasn't afraid to take on anyone there if he felt it was needed. Ozpin knew this, yet, he had allowed him to stay, and even asked him to perform his duty as Shinken.
That duty involved keeping the innocent safe from evil. Certainly, Jaune had done exactly that, and he did not think the headmaster would mind much that he had beaten down Anti-Faunus trash to get the job done.
As he exchanged a glance with Ozpin, he immediately knew that his hunch was right. Ozpin's reaction was minimal, but it was almost as if he shook his head and gave a wry smile.
In other words, this whole thing was about to be an act, played out for those who were unaware of the agreement.
"Well, Mr. Souther. I had hoped our next meeting would be under better circumstances."
Translation: you're interrupting my coffee break.
"It is indeed regrettable. Maintenance will be performed more smoothly next time."
Translation: I'll make sure not to make a scene when I meet more troublemakers.
"Unfortunately, given how much trouble you're causing the school, it remains to be seen if you will be staying to perform maintenance."
Meaning: I appreciate you taking care of the bullying problem, but if you keep getting into fights, I'll be under pressure to expel you.
Jaune was about to roll his eyes and continue with this little game of quips (which he was quite enjoying), when another voice was heard.
"He was just trying to defend someone else. Both times. Velvet Scarlatina the first time, Cardin Winchester the second. It appears the latter was forced into bullying by the three third year students, who are members of the Anti-Faunus Group."
Ozpin looked momentarily surprised at hearing this explanation from Weiss Schnee. Jaune was quite sure he already knew all of this. There were cameras in the Dining Hall, and he must have seen what had happened. He knew he wasn't in any trouble, and Ozpin knew, but Weiss didn't.
So she was doing her best to keep him out of it.
The headmaster blinked once, and Jaune thought he saw the hint of an amused smirk on his face.
"Is that so? Well, we will have to investigate those three then. I'm sure the police can handle that from here. Mr Souther's help is appreciated. However… it cannot be denied that his methods have been… a little volatile."
"That's an understatement," said Goodwitch. "You keep getting into fights outside class, Mr Souther. And while your actions might have been justified, it seems likely you will do so again, perhaps even when it may not be necessary. Not to mention, you went too far with your use of force this time. Damaging the Hall? Really? With your abilities, you could have subdued them far more easily. Were you trying to make a show of it?"
"I thought giving everyone else a bit of a warning might be a good idea. Could help keep a lot of potential bullies in line, you know?"
"Vigilantism is not tolerated at Beacon!" snapped the annoyed telekinetic Huntress.
"Well? What is to be done here, Mr Souther? We cannot have you continue to cause trouble, however good your intentions may be."
Jaune was one hundred percent aware that Ozpin was about to let him go anyway, but once more, Weiss exceeded his expectations.
"He won't do it again!"
Ozpin and Goodwitch looked at her curiously.
"And how can you say that with such certainty, Ms. Schnee?"
Weiss herself looked shocked that she had said that, and it seemed obvious the words had slipped out before she could stop herself. It seemed she had just realized she had put herself on the spot. She had risked everything to get to Beacon, and in the space of a few decisions, she had put all of it on the line for a boy she barely knew.
But it was too late for doubts.
I won't mess this up a second time.
Hoping beyond hope that she was doing the right thing, she took a deep breath and answered.
"I trust him. We… as Hunters in training, working together is important, isn't it? We make errors, but we improve because we're all there to help each other. Cover each other's flaws and play to each other's strengths. As his classmate, I'll… make sure he doesn't do it again."
Jaune's mouth nearly opened in surprise.
That was… the single weakest guarantee of responsibility he'd ever heard. As his classmate, of all things, really?
Anybody could see that what she really meant was that she'd personally try to keep him in line. Officially speaking, there was no responsibility involved. It wasn't as if the school could expel the both of them if he alone messed up.
But even so, in spite of how embarrassing it must have been, she had said that, probably out of desperation, and for his sake.
Why? Why'd she put herself out like that?
Like before, in the forest, this was something Weiss was doing that Jaune had never experienced before.
She turned to look at the others, probably hoping they would add their own support.
"We are his teammates," said Pyrrha, hesitating a bit initially, but proceeding with more confidence. "Jaune is as worthy of being a Hunter as anyone I've seen. I'm certain he wouldn't harm anyone without reason. He sometimes goes too far, but that can change. We'll help him fit in."
Ren and Nora both nodded.
"It won't happen again. And… this won't be the same team without him."
Voices from RWBY offered their own support as well.
"He's not a bad guy!"
"Yeah, just a bit of a problem holding back."
I hold back a lot though! Like seriously.
Assailed by the cacophony of voices, Ozpin sighed slightly.
"Fine. Just this once, we will speak no more of it. However, I do expect you all to keep your word, and keep Mr Souther out of trouble."
This time, Jaune did roll his eyes.
Predictably, he wasn't in any trouble.
They made their way out of the office.
Things… will be uncomfortable now. More than before.
Yes, as long as they weren't talking, things were rather easy. Jaune continued to go about his daily life.
Now, there would be the awkwardness of knowing that there were seven people he would most likely have to spend time around, under the label of "friends", though the reality was far different.
They had after all, no matter how reluctantly, come forward to help him out. And besides, they weren't bad people. Even if they were indecisive and easily swayed. Jaune felt it would be difficult to out and out ignore them, and for a moment, admired how easily Kenshiro had been able to separate himself from people he didn't want around.
It was made even more complicated because of the one person out of all of them whom he couldn't place in the same category.
The only out of them all who had actually come because she wanted to help him.
It's pointless to think about.
He shook his head.
The Shinken has always walked alone. If she were to grow closer to me, she'd enter a world she wouldn't like.
He came out of his reverie to find that the aforementioned people were currently staring at him, as though waiting for him to say something.
He raised an eyebrow questioningly.
For an incredibly awkward moment, no one said anything. When it got to the point where the silence was near unbearable, it was unsurprisingly Yang who decided to say something to break the ice.
"Well, guess that means the band's back together, huh?"
He looked at the eager faces around him. Eager because they wanted to know that things were back to the way they were. He couldn't sympathize with their point of view. But he could at least see where they were coming from. In a way, the desire to avoid conflict and get along was admirable.
But… it was not always a possibility.
If he were to fold now, and go along, it would only be a charade.
In a sense, no different from when he played the villain. Only this time, he would actively be doing something that was not only tedious for him, but also sent out the wrong message to them.
The Hokuto Shinken Successor was always given the freedom to do as he pleased with his life, as long as he stayed true to the Hokuto code. Despite all the responsibilities Kenshiro had accepted, he had never been burdened. He had lived a free man. Able to speak his mind and live as he saw fit.
Jaune wanted to live that way too.
And for that… he couldn't allow himself to sink into these lies.
And… he respected himself.
"Was the band ever together in the first place?" he said.
The eager expressions on those faces changed quickly to surprise.
"What do you mean, Jaune?" Pyrrha knew exactly what he was saying. But she didn't want to accept that this was finally happening.
"We know we weren't really much help recently. We're sorry," said Ruby. For a moment, Jaune was almost swayed, given the fact that she was the least malicious person he'd met at Beacon.
But it still didn't change the truth.
"There's nothing to be sorry for," he said honestly. "You were all freaked out. And so you avoided me. I can't blame you for that."
"Then… we're cool, right?" Yang asked.
"Nothing has changed," Jaune said, once again, perfectly honestly.
Weiss already knew where this was going. Her observation of the boy over the past few weeks had taught her to be able to understand his mood and reactions at least a little bit.
"So… we're friends again?" asked Ruby nervously.
Jaune almost laughed a little. The girl was adorable, but she had some growing up to do.
"No. We were never. I realized we barely qualify as acquaintances."
It was so silent, one could hear a pin drop.
They stared at him with wide eyes.
He sighed.
"This doesn't bother you nearly as much as you think. If it did, none of you would have left in the first place. Honestly, this sort of thing bothers me more than not talking. I thought I was OK with it… but forcing yourselves to show up was kind of unpleasant."
He paused for a moment, seeing the shock on their faces.
"Friendship, huh? Is it really that easy? I suppose we've never talked about this, have we? I wouldn't call someone a friend that lightly. You don't need to go out of your way to be nice to me. You don't owe me anything."
"Jaune… what are you saying?" said Pyrrha. Her eyes watered slightly, and Jaune genuinely did feel bad for having to say what he was. He kept reminding himself that none of them were bad people. But it was for that very reason, he couldn't let them continue to think they had to force themselves to hang out with him.
"I'm saying you should all be real. This forced stuff is weak as hell. Why must there be politics here, too? All of you were bothered by what I did to Cardin. None of you called me out on it. None of you even asked why I did it. I wouldn't mind if you hated me. I can deal with honest hatred. I can understand if someone could never agree with my methods. But… I can't go along with this charade."
A heavy silence followed.
Pyrrha was close to tears, and neither Nora nor Ren could meet his eyes. Yang looked incredibly uncomfortable. Ruby looked like she couldn't understand why this was happening, and Blake looked ashamed.
Weiss was still unshaken, but only because she had come prepared for this exact reaction. She fully intended to continue until she got a direct answer from him.
"Then what happens now?" Ruby asked quietly.
"Isn't that upto us?" Jaune replied, causing everyone to look up. "Like I said, we barely know each other. But… that can always change."
It was an open-ended statement. But at least it meant that it wasn't all over.
He began to leave, but paused. Turning back slightly, he looked at Weiss.
"Thank you."
It did not go unnoticed by her that when he had talked about not knowing each other or being friends, she was the one person he had not looked at. What that meant, she did not know. But she aimed to find out.