The morning dawned bright and early. It took a little for Jaune to rouse Jade who was less than willing to wake up, especially at this hour. However, with initiation in just a few hours, Jaune didn't have the ability to let her sleep in and picked up a drowsy little wolf cub so he could carry her back to their guest room and get her ready for the day. After changing her into some fresh clothes and brushing her hair, he took the opportunity to hop into the shower and blasted the cold water, shivering slightly as he found himself suddenly awake and aware. Once his morning routine was finished, he put on a fresh pair of clothes and walked out into the room, only to find Jade asleep once more on the bed. Somehow that didn't surprise him and he gently nudged her awake.
"Jade," he said softly.
"Hmm," she groaned.
"Jade, you need to get up."
"Don't wanna," she grumbled.
"I know but you need to. Miss Goodwitch is waiting to take you so I can get ready for initiation."
"Hmm," she grumbled again, this time at least sitting up to rub the sleep from her eyes.
Jaune smirked, looking at her hair splayed out in all directions from static electricity. He quickly smoothed it out as best he could, ultimately compromising when some of it proved more rebellious, and quickly scooped her into his arms to drag her back to the main hall. He wasn't surprised to see Miss Goodwitch already waiting, taking charge as she roused the other initiates from their sleep and ushered them towards the bathrooms to start getting ready for the day. No one argued with the woman. For one, it was too damn early for them to even put up a decent fight and for another no one was willing to challenge the stern look Glynda gave the more rebellious students. The moment Jaune approached, however, her stern expression softened and she readily transferred the groggy Jade from his arms to hers.
"Looks like someone's having a difficult time adjusting to the new time schedule," she said, gently stroking Jades hair.
"She's going to have to adjust at some point. Our schedule isn't going to be very merciful for the next four years, assuming I make it through initiation."
"I'm sure you will, Jaune," she said. "I doubt someone who pulled themselves this far while caring for their younger sibling would be unable to overcome the challenges that lay ahead."
"Thank you, Miss Goodwitch that means a lot. Though, is it alright for a teacher to be showing favoritism to one of her potential students?"
"It's not favoritism, its encouragement," she corrected.
"Whatever you say," he mumbled, glancing at some of the other initiates who were giving them strange looks.
"Just go out there and do your best. Let your skills do the talking for you. As for this little one, perhaps some breakfast will perk up her spirits."
"Food!" Jade said, waking from her nap almost instantly to stare at Glynda.
"Seems like you found the magic word," Jaune commented.
"Apparently so," Glynda agreed.
/-/
Jaune shut the door to his locker, checking to make sure his armor was strapped on tight and Crocea Mors was secured to his hip. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he attempted to calm his nerves. This was it, this was the moment he'd been training and working towards. Today would be the day when his and Jade's future was decided. Granted if he didn't pass initiation this year then he could always try again the following year but Jaune wasn't willing to wait that long. He was on the cusp of securing a stable home for Jade and himself, one that wasn't defined by constant travel, various odd jobs, cheap hotel rooms, and odd or sometimes vicious looks and words people would throw at them simply for the fact Jade had been born a Faunus. No, today would ensure he and Jade had a life they could be proud of and a home they could return to at the end of the day.
He took a moment to look around, taking in the other initiates there with him and gauging the competition. The first thing that stuck out to Jaune was the number of mecha-shift weapons everyone was carrying. They were a popular tool being used by Huntsman today, weapons that could change forms to accommodate the huntsman's fighting style or shift from a melee weapon into a gun depending on the situation and Grimm involved. Simply commissioning one cost a pretty lien, certainly more than Jaune had on hand, and even crafting one yourself, while cheaper in the long run, required you had the money to purchase the materials needed for it. Jaune had money. He had plenty, enough to have his current weapon upgraded into something more impressive. He'd shot the notion down, however, as he had something special in mind for the money he'd salvaged from his home and had instead saved up to purchase the white and gold armor he wore over his clothing.
That was another thing that came to mind, everyone's choice in fashion. While he didn't stand out much in a simply hoodie, blue jeans and tennis shoes, he at least thought himself smart in wearing something he could maneuver in and felt comfortable. Everyone here looked like they were headed for an Anime convention. None of it looked suited for outdoor excursions, let alone fighting Grimm. Maybe it was simply the Huntsman culture, wearing outfits that were outlandish and stood out. It was something he didn't understand and, honestly, he could care less. He had better things to worry about.
As he made his way out of the locker room he caught sight of a familiar face. Stopping to check, he confirmed that it was indeed Ruby, the friend he'd made the other day after her little explosion incident. She was standing near her locker, holding her collapsed weapon and speaking with a young woman with long blonde hair about a foot taller than her. Figuring she might be another friend Ruby had made, he decided to go over and introduce himself.
"Morning Ruby," he greeted.
"Jaune," she said excitedly. "See, I told you he's real."
Confused, Jaune looked between Ruby and the blonde girl, wondering what conversation he had missed that somehow revolved around him.
"Jaune, this is my older sister Yang," Ruby said, gesturing to the other girl.
"Yang Xio Long, Ruby's older sister. Nice to meet you," she said, taking his hand and giving it a firm squeeze. Jaune thanked his stars he had aura because her grip was strong.
"Jaune Arc, nice to meet you. So, you're the legendary sister who abandoned Ruby right out of the gate."
"Abandoned?" she said, stunned as she glanced down at her sister.
"Well you did," Ruby replied.
"I didn't abandon you. It was a learning experience," Yang said.
"Yea, one where I learned I can't count on my older sister to be there when I need her," Ruby shot back.
The two girls devolved into sibling bickering, completely forgetting Jaune in the process. Jaune could only smile and laugh to himself. It reminded him a little of the relationship he had with his sisters. His nostalgia trip was quickly interrupted, though, by a shrill voice from behind him.
"You!"
Jaune groaned, feeling a headache coming on and it wasn't even noon yet. He turned slowly, hoping he was hearing things but finding that fate wasn't so kind this early in the morning. Standing behind him was a short girl with long White hair set in a ponytail coming out the side of her head and held there by what appeared to be a tiara. She wore a long white skirt with a matching coat and what appeared to be heals, yet another questionable fashion choice in his opinion. She was glaring daggers up at him with her hands on her hips, somehow appearing more cute than intimidating, but he decided it would be better for his health in the long run if he kept that to himself. It was obvious she was mad at him for something but try as he might he couldn't recall anything he might have said or done to annoy her so early.
"It's Jaune, actually, Jaune Arc."
"Whatever," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "You're the one in charge of watching over that little Faunus girl, correct?"
"If you mean my little sister, then yes I am her legal guardian."
"Good, then I believe an apology is owed," she said.
"An apology?" he asked.
"Correct," she stated.
"You know what, you're exactly right," he said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back on his heal.
The girl was silent for a few moments before she became visibly irritated as she said, "well?"
"Well what?"
"The apology," she stated.
"I'm waiting," he replied.
"Excuse me?"
"You know what, actually, it should really be Jade you apologize to seeing as how you were incredibly rude to her last night."
"How dare you," she snapped. "You should be apologizing to us for disturbing our sleep."
"She disturbed your sleep?" he asked.
"Indeed she did."
"How?"
"Well, her presence- "
"Did she make any noise of any kind," Jaune interrupted.
"Well, no," she said, a bit taken aback by the interruption.
"Did she walk up and bother you or rouse you from your sleep?"
"No," she said, her tone still somewhat confused.
"Did she perform any action in any capacity that was intended to disturb anyone's sleep last night?"
"No."
"Has anyone, aside from you, brought up the subject of Jade having disturbed their ability to sleep last night?"
"No, though I'm sure I speak for everyone by saying- "
"Then, it seems to me that the only person who took offense to her presence was you," he said, completely ignoring her comment and instead stepping into her guard, causing her to take a step back in response. "Which, from my perspective and the perspective of all our fellow initiates, you were the one accosting her and therefore owe her an apology," he concluded.
"Excuse me?" she blurted out.
"He has a point," Ruby said.
"Yea, I didn't have a problem. I thought she was cute but the way you acted was completely out of line," Yang added.
"How dare you," she started.
"They do have a point Weiss," a redheaded girl in bronze armor and crimson fabric spoke up from behind. "Your behavior really was out of line."
"So, seeing as how we're all in agreement, I'd like you to give my sister a sincere apology within the next week," Jaune said, emphasizing the word.
"Whoa? Do you have any idea who I am?" She snarled.
Jaune looked her up and down before saying, "A very small, very rude snow pixie?"
Ruby and Yang stifled a laugh from behind. Even the redhead girl did her best but failed to hide her own giggling.
"No! I am Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee dust company."
"Schnee Dust Company?" he asked.
"Indeed. We are the largest manufacturers and distributors of dust and dust based products on Remnant."
"So it stands to reason your family makes a lot of lien."
"I can't go into specifics but it is substantial," Weiss said in a proud tone.
"Huh," Jaune mussed, "all that lien and yet your family still couldn't afford to teach you some manners."
Ruby and Yang weren't able to hold themselves back any longer and the locker room erupted with their laughter. Weiss' face went through a myriad of emotions before going through a whole spectrum of pink to red as her temper reached its apex. "How dare you!" Weiss roared, taking out her weapon and pointing it at Jaune's throat.
"Careful there, Snow Angel. You're liable to poke someone's eye out with that silver toothpick of yours," he goaded her with a smirk.
"Perhaps it would be best if we started making our way to the cliffs," the redhead said, stepping in before things could get any uglier. "I'm Pyrrha Nikos, nice to meet you.
"Jaune Arc. My apologies if my sister disturbed your sleep last night," he said, shooting Weiss another smirk as he made the comment.
"Not at all. Honestly, I thought she was adorable and the way you handled the situation last night was very mature."
"Thank you. I've had a lot of practice, unfortunately," he said, mumbling the last bit to himself.
"You at least know who she is, don't you?" Weiss asked.
"Yea, she's Pyrrha," Jaune remarked, "or did you not hear her introduce herself from all the way down there?"
"Why you- you- "Weiss couldn't find the words and instead took a deep breath to calm herself down. "She's considered a huntress prodigy."
"Oh?"
"She's won the Mistral Reginal tournament four times in a row."
"Really?"
"She's on the front of the Pumpkin Peete's cereal box," Weiss practically blurted out, having lost all patience with him.
"Oh, I thought I recognized your face," Jaune said, causing Pyrrha to blush slightly. "Jade loves that cereal."
"Yes, though it's not very healthy, unfortunately," she remarked.
"Yea, I try to get her to eat a balanced meal but once she spies Pumpkin Peete's she pounces," Jaune said with a chuckle.
"All initiates, please begin making your way to the cliffs to prepare for the initiation exam," Miss Goodwitch's voice sounded over the intercom.
"Guess it's time. Good luck out there," he said.
"You as well," Pyrrha replied.
"Ha, we don't need luck. People like Pyrrha and myself have skill," Weiss remarked.
"Is that what your parents got you instead of manners?" Jaune asked, eliciting another slew of laughter from Ruby and Yang while Weiss simmered.
/-/
Jaune took his position on the launch pad, gazing out onto the canopy of the Emerald forest below. It was a nice enough view but it didn't answer the question of how he was supposed to make his way down. He listened to the Headmaster's instructions, hoping he might allude to something. He heard something about relics, making your way back, and something that didn't sound quite right.
"Are there any questions?"
"Yea, um, how are we supposed to make our way down?' he asked.
"You will be launched into the forest," Ozpin replied calmly.
"Launched? Is that legal?"
"Oh yes, it's quite legal, I can assure you."
"What's the matter, getting cold feet?' Yang asked, putting on a pair of aviator glasses.
"No, I just don't do very well with flying," he admitted.
"No need to worry, Mr. Arc. You won't be flying so much as falling, with style" Ozpin remarked.
"Great," Jaune muttered, obviously not convinced.
"Good luck big brother," he heard Jade yell.
Jaune glanced over to see his little sister, standing just a little above Glynda's knee, waving franticly to him with a huge smile on her face. Jaune felt all his apprehension melt away as he waved back and bent his knees in preparation for the launch. He could do this. He had very good motivation to succeed, to ensure he had a place here at Beacon. He had aura. He had training. More than that, he had ample reason not to fail. He heard each launch pad eject their student out over the forest, each sound coming closer as it neared him. His muscles tensed in preparation before his launch pad sprang forward and he was airborne.
The first thing he noticed was the feeling of weightlessness that came with the flight. He next realized that the momentum wasn't doing anything to irritate his airsickness, a definite plus in his books. The next thing he noticed was the tree line getting increasingly closer, at an alarming rate. Realizing he was about to come in for a rough landing, he deployed his shield and braced for impact. Twigs and branches smashed against his shield as he collided with them, thankful for his aura preventing his arms from snapping like the tress. As the ground came into view he prepared himself and rolled just as he hit dirt, dispersing his momentum and allowing himself to stop momentarily unharmed. He dusted himself, checking to make sure nothing was broken. Satisfied he'd make it in one piece, he drew his sword and start heading in the direction the Headmaster had pointed to for the relics.
He'd barely taken two steps into the forest when he heard a low growling sound coming from some nearby bushes. Jaune's instincts kicked in as he fell into a defensive stance and waited for his opponent to emerge. Sure enough not one but two Beowulves emerged from the bushes, their red eyes glowing from beneath their bone masks as they regarded Jaune in what he imagined was a hungry stare. He couldn't imagine too many people got lost in the Emerald forest, given that it was on the edge of a huntsman academy, and figured they simply noticed him drop in and decided he would be an easy snack. Unfortunately for them, Jaune had dealt with Beowulves before.
He backed up as they emerged, making sure to keep both of them within view and ensuring neither of them was able to loop around and take him from behind. Being as mindless as one could expect, the closet one took a swipe at his head. Jaune deflected it with his shield, smacking it away and thrusting his sword into the opening he'd created. His sword went straight through its skull, cracking the bone mask and killing it instantly. Using the natural momentum of its fall to remove his sword, he turned his attention to its partner. Its friend, having gotten wise from the mistakes of the other, hit Jaune with a barrage of swipes, preventing him getting into its guard. In retaliation, Jaune rolled to the side, swinging out with his sword and clipping the tendons in its leg. The creature dropped to one knee and Jaune quickly followed up by swiping at its neck, decapitating it in one swing.
Satisfied, Jaune turned to continue on his journey, only to come face to face with a third Beowulf. Caught by surprise, he didn't have time to raise his shield and took a clawed paw to the chest for his incompetence. He was thrown back, hitting a tree and taking the brunt of the force with his aura. The Beowulf stalked forward, looking to follow up its attack and finish him off. It raised its paw in preparation before it stopped abruptly and fell to the ground, a long javelin protruding from its back. Jaune starred at the dissipating corpse, wondering who the weapon belonged to, when Pyrrha came into view. With a warm smile plastered across her face, she extracted her weapon from the Grimm's corpse.
"Hello again," she said, reaching out a hand to help Jaune to his feet. "It would seem we're partners."
"Indeed it does," he agreed. "Glad to have you along Pyrrha."
"You as well. I hope you don't mind. I noticed you take down the other two and figured I'd join in. I hope I wasn't interfering."
"Not at all. You timing is impeccable," he said, eliciting a smile from his new partner. "Shall we get going?"
"Lead the way," she said.
/-/
"Jaune Arc. Nora Valkyrie. Pyrrha Nikos. Lie Ren. You four collected the rock pieces. You shall be known as team JNPR with Jaune Arc as your leader," Ozpin announced.
Jaune stood stunned on the spot, not so much that he had accomplished his goal and been officially accepted as student but also that he'd been made the leader of his team. Pyrrha nudged him gently with her elbow, shooting him a warm smile that was supportive and helped to take the edge off. Jaune grinned back, proud and a little nervous. Off to the side Glynda stood on the sidelines with Headmaster Ozpin and Jade in her arms. Jade wiggled a little, wanting to get down to the ground which Glynda accommodated. No sooner had the girl's feet touched the floor when she took off running across the stage, surprising both him and the audience. Grinning from ear to ear, Jade leapt towards her brother who managed to catch her in his arms and pull her up. She gave him a big huge, eliciting a pleased cue from the audience. Even Glynda seemed pleased despite having been too surprised to stop the little girl before she could run off.
Ozpin simply chuckled to himself before saying, "Correction, team JNPR plus one."
A small chuckle sounded from everyone and Jaune couldn't bring himself to be annoyed at Jade for her little outburst. This had all been for her, after all. Every sacrifice, every lien saved so they could come to Vale, to Beacon, and start a new life. Now that initiation was out of the way he had something else to worry about. As per his agreement with Ozpin he would need to maintain good grades to ensure his and Jades place at Beacon. It would take some doing, as well as little sacrifice on Jades part, but he knew they would see it through. It was only four years, after all. How hard could it be?
/-/
"Here we are," Jaune said, flashing his scroll across the keypad and unlocking the dorm room door.
Jaune led the charge, Jade cradled in his arms, as the rest of his team followed his lead. Their dorm room was rather spacious, big enough to accommodate four twin size beds, a desk and chair, a dresser, a bookshelf, and two doors that led into a walk-in closet and the bathroom respectfully. The rest of his team which consisted of Pyrrha Nikos, his partner, and his teammates Nora Valkyrie and her partner Lie Ren. The four of them pilled in, dragging their suitcases behind them and gazing in wonder at the place that would effectively be their home for the next four years.
"Wow, Renny, this is so cool. It's like one big slumber party but all the time," Nora said excitedly.
"I see four beds but where's Jade going to sleep?" Pyrrha asked.
"Miss Goodwitch told me they're getting a bed for Jade to sleep in. It should be here by the end of the week. Until then she'll sleep with me," Jaune answered. "Well, I guess the only thing to do now is claim our beds."
That part didn't take long. Jaune himself took the bed furthest to the wall, just shy of the closet. Considering he'd have Jade with him, it made sense as her new bed would fit securely at the foot of his, ensuring it was out of everyone's way and eliminating the possibility of them tripping over it. Nora took the one completely opposite with Ren and Pyrrha taking the beds securely in the middle. Once everyone was settled (well, if one could count Nora practically vibrating on her bed settled) Jaune cleared his throat to grab their attention.
"Well, seeing as how we'll be together for the next four years, why don't we take a moment to introduce ourselves. I'm Jaune Arc and this is my little sister Jade. Jade, can you introduce yourself?"
Jade, who was sitting snuggly next to her elder brother, gazed at each person before issuing a near silent, "Hi." She was just short enough that she came up to his arm, with sandy tan skin, emerald green eyes, and gray wolf ears set firmly in a mess of long chocolate brown hair.
"Hello," Pyrrha replied cheerfully.
"Nice to meet you," Ren replied.
"Oooohhhhh," Nora said, her energy levels building before she zipped across the room and into Jade's personal space. "She's so cute," she squealed.
Jade reacted by receding back behind her brother, looking out from behind him with half her face visible.
"Please excuse Nora," Ren said, grabbing the girl by the collar of her shirt and dragging her backwards. "She's not exactly great when it comes to respecting people's personal space."
"That's alright. Jade isn't great around strangers but she'll open up in time."
"Jade, how old are you?" Pyrrha asked.
"I'm five," she said, poking out from her brother and holding up five fingers.
"Renny, I want one!" Nora coed.
"No Nora," Ren replied.
"She's actually four but she'll be turning five in a few weeks. I was planning on having a small birthday party for her," Jaune corrected.
"A birthday!" Nora all but yelled. "With cake? And presents? Renny, we have to get Jade a present," she said, shaking the young boy violently.
Jaune cringed at her reaction, watching as the boy took the abuse in stride. "I don't see why not," Ren somehow managed to reply.
"Now hold on," Jaune started but no one heard him.
"That sounds wonderful. We can hold a party for her here," Pyrrha chimed in.
"A birthday party?" Jade asked, looking up at her brother with bright hopeful eyes.
Jaune sighed, relenting to her gaze as he said, "Well, you've never had a birthday party before, have you? I suppose we should have one. After all, we're celebrating getting into Beacon," he said.
Jade beamed, showing her excitement as she bounced up and down on the bed. Jaune chuckled and Pyrrha couldn't help but giggle at the little girl's reaction.
"Oh, oh, Renny, we'll need to get some balloons and streamers and those cone shaped party favors that you blow and they make noise," Nora said.
"Great," Ren replied, cringing at the thought of Nora somehow making even more noise.
/-/
"Good morning sister team," Ruby greeted as Jaune and his team plus Jade took their seats opposite them.
Jaune had two trays in his hands, one for himself and a second for Jade. He set them down on the table, looking to his sister who was attempting to climb up onto the cafeteria seat.
"Need help?" he asked.
"I got it," she replied, giving an "umpf" as she pushed herself onto the seat before sitting on her knees to allow her to reach her food.
As usual Jaune had helped the young Faunus pick out her food. She had a small stack of pancakes consisting of about two to three with syrup and butter, a tall glass of orange juice, and a bowl of mixed fruit to balance it all out. Jaune's meal was similar though he had a bagel with cream cheese, some sausage, mixed fruit, and two glasses with orange juice and milk. While a bit more, no one's compared to Nora's ensemble which consisted of a literal tower of pancakes, drenched in syrup, and somehow managing to stay balanced despite their height. Jaune wasn't sure how the girl was going to put away all that but with the gusto with which she ate them his disbelief soon dissipated and turned to morbid surprise.
"Hey Jaune, let me introduce you to my team. This is Yang, my sister."
"We've met," Yang cut in. "Hi Jade."
"Hi," the girl replied quietly.
"Oh, she's so cute. She's like a little Ruby except with green eyes and wolf ears," Yang coed.
"Aheam," Ruby said, clearing her throat and drawing attention back to her, "next to her is my sister's partner Blake Belladonna."
"Good morning," she said, looking up from her book to smile at Jaune and nod her affirmation. Jaune nodded in turn, trying to ignore the girl sitting next to her but knowing he couldn't forever.
"And lastly is my partner, Weiss Schnee."
"Good morning Pyrrha," Weiss said, glaring at Jaune momentarily before returning to her breakfast.
"Morning Weiss. Isn't there something you'd like to say to Jade?" Jaune asked, fixing her with a hard look. The heiress looked up, glancing at Jade who was peeking out from behind his shoulder before saying, "Good morning."
"Morning," Jade replied shyly.
"Don't you owe her something," Jaune added, an edge to his tone that had Ruby looking rather nervous.
"Not that I can recall," Weiss said dismissively.
"Alright then," Jaune said, dropping the subject but letting the awkward atmosphere remain.
"So," Ruby began, attempting to think of a way to clear the air. "How are things with you guys?"
"We're doing just great. We've already taken some time to introduce ourselves to one another," Pyrrha replied.
"Hey, did you guys know its Jade's birthday in a few weeks?" Nora blurted out.
"Really?' Ruby asked, catching onto Nora's excitement.
"Yea, tell them how old you're going to be Jade."
The little girl looked up from her food, surprised by Nora's comment before turning to her brother and back to the audience. She tried to speak but her words were muffled by the mouthful of pancake.
"Jade, no talking with your mouth fool," Jaune chided.
Jade quickly swallowed her food before uttering an "Excuse me" and turning back to the group. "I'm going to be five," she said, holding up five fingers to showcase.
Yang's sparkled as she gazed at the little girl. "Are you going to have a birthday party?"
Jade nodded excitedly, recalling the maelstrom that was Nora as she planned a party for Jade which seemed to get more outlandish and extravagant with every minute. As Jaune had recalled, he'd somehow managed to calm her down somewhere around hiring a circus to perform for her using trained Grimm. How'd they'd managed that he would never know but the look he'd seen on Ren's face told him it was just the tip of the Nora iceberg that was her exaggerated imagination.
"Can we join you?" Ruby asked excitedly.
"Of course. I'd love for Jade to have more people she can be comfortable around," Jaune replied.
"Oh, we have to get her presents," Ruby realized.
"No, no, you guys don't need to- "he began but was interrupted by Yang before he could finish.
"Nonsense, big bro. What's a birthday party without presents? We'll each get her something this weekend."
"Excuse me? I don't recall agreeing to this," Weiss snapped.
"Don't worry, Weiss, you don't need to get her anything," Jaune replied.
"And be the only one there who showed up without a present? What kind of person do you take me for?"
"Shall I be kind or would you rather an honest opinion?" he asked, earning some giggling from Ruby and Yang.
Weiss snarled, starring daggers at him from across the tables when Ruby interjected, "so when's her birthday?"
"In a few weeks."
"Excellent. Plenty of time to find Jade the perfect gift," Yang replied.
As much as Jaune wanted to tell them they didn't need to go to such lengths, he surprisingly found himself unable to muster the strength. Maybe it was the excitement centered around his little sister or the look of glee plastered on Jade's face. Either way, it was the happiest he'd ever seen her and, considering it centered around her birthday, who was he to deny her that sentiment? Instead, he dug into his food, cleaning his plate and excusing himself and Jade early to drop her off at the Beacon daycare service. It would become the routine throughout their days at Beacon and something she would need to get used to.
With the little girl toddling along at his side, he followed the map provided to him on his scroll. It wasn't long before he found the daycare though he heard it long before it came into view. Nearing the door Jaune could see children of varying ages along with some of the assistants who helped to run the daycare service. Jade hugged his leg, uncertain of this new place. He sighed, sensing a moment where he would have to pull her off him and abandon her at the daycare, a moment full of tears and promises that he would return later, all the while feeling his heart break in the act.
His thoughts were quickly interrupted when a portly woman stepped into his view. Well, to say she was portly was stretching the truth. In reality, she was pregnant, very much so, and about ready to burst from the looks of it. She was also a Faunus, if the white feathers that lined her arms were any indication, and she greeted them with a warm smile and friendly demeanor.
"Good morning. I'm Lexi, the head caregiver," she said.
"M-morning," he replied, having difficulty making his brain work. "I'm Jaune Arc. I'm here to drop off my sister Jade for daycare," he said, picking Jade up into his arms.
"Oh, I remember you. You're the little scamp who ran across the stage when the Headmaster was announcing the new teams," she said, earning a nervous chuckle from Jaune.
"Yea, that was her. Um, I hope it's not rude me to ask but how far along are you?" he asked.
"Oh, about eight and a half months or so," she said cheerfully.
"Eight!" he blurted.
"Yep, these will be our third and fourth."
"Come again?"
"Oh, I'm having twins."
Jaune glanced down at the woman's large stomach then back into the room where he could see her two assistants being run ragged by five or so rambunctious children. Add Jade into the mix with a VERY pregnant woman and Jaune started wondering if he could pass his sister off as a really small student.
"Shouldn't you be sitting down or at the hospital," he said, doing nothing to hide the concern in his voice.
"Oh, no need to worry about me, dear. I have two little tikes of my own already. I'm more than capable of handling one more."
"I-if you're sure," he said, gingerly handing Jade over.
Jade slide over without a fuse, surprisingly, and starred down at Lexi's large womb. "Baby?" she asked.
"Yes, sweaty, I have two babies in my tummy," she said, gently stroking her stomach. "We're going to have so much fun together. We'll have a snack time and story time and lots of games to play."
Jade's face lite up, any anxiety she might have had completely washed away by the promise of snacks and stories. "Bye Jaune," she said, waving as she disappeared inside with Lexi.
"Yea, bye Jade. See you later," he said weekly, suddenly feeling like it was he who had been abandoned and not the other way around.
His journey to his first class, Grimm studies, was a blur as he made his way to his seat next to his team. It was only after some nudging from his partner Pyrrha that he was brought back to reality.
"What?"
"I asked how it went, dropping Jade off at daycare."
"Surprisingly easy. I was a little apprehensive at first but she all but abandoned me at the door to the promise of snacks and story time."
Pyrrha giggled, obviously amused by the whole affair. "Sounds to me like you're the one having a difficult time adjusting to a day without Jade around."
"Yea, I guess you're right," he chuckled. "For the past year it's been just Jade and I. It's hard to imagine a day without her at my side. Now that I have to spend four years where we barely see each other throughout the day, it's difficult for me to wrap my head around it. I honestly expected to have to walk away with her crying her eyes out."
"I'm sure she'll be fine. She has a wonderful big brother to look up to," Pyrrha commented.
"Thanks Pyrrha," he said, preening a little at the praise.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the bell followed by a portly man with an extravagant mustache walking up to the stage. Jaune recognized him instantly, mostly due to the fact that he had seen him seated next to Glynda on stage when Jade had begun waving franticly at him. The man walked out proudly and posed before the class. Jaune leaned back, expecting quite a show as the man, Professor Port as he would later learn, began his speech.
"Grimm. Monsters. Creatures of Darkness. I, on the other hand, simply call them prey."
Things started out well enough but before long it became apparent that the man had quickly devolved into a story revolving squarely around him and an exaggerated account of an encounter with a Beowulf which Jaune was quickly becoming convinced happened very differently from how what he claimed. He looked around, taking in the number of people who were actually listening to the story. Out of everyone one present, he counted two, those being his partner Pyrrha who was, somehow, taking notes from a story which had no precedence at all to the subject material and Weiss Schnee. The other students were in various states of awareness with Blake having receded into a book, Ninjas of Love from what he could see of the title, while others had succumbed various states of sleep with even Nora sporting a snore bubble just a couple seats down from him.
Jaune considered for a moment the prospect of taking a quick nap like the rest of the class. However, he had a promise to keep and, while sleep sounded nice, maintaining a place here at Beacon sounded even better. Seeing as how he wasn't going to learn much in regards to Grimm from their resident professor, Jaune cracked open his Grimm studies book and began looking over the various Grimm inside. He instantly recognized the Beowulves and Ursa, several of which he'd taken down during his training days. Flipping through he found a page on a Death Stalker and instantly had flashbacks to their time during initiation. How they had managed to defeat it, he still wasn't sure. Granted, he'd watched Nora ride in on the back of an Ursa which promptly died and Weiss and Ruby had come flying in on the back of a Nevermore which the younger huntress had promptly decapitated.
He'd never expected such things to happen to him during his time at Beacon. If nothing else it had been a crazy ride and one that he wouldn't have traded for the world. Add in the fact that he had an awesome team who were ecstatic about his little sister and were even planning to throw a party for her and things were nearly perfect. The only downside he could find came in the form a small, white haired pixie sitting on the other side of the classroom, starring daggers into her partner. He'd never realized that someone's face could turn that particular shade of red but, hey, this was a school and he was here to learn. Ruby, on the other hand, was busy drawing pictures of their professor and showing them off to Yang with varying results. Watching it all unfold, Jaune was taking guesses as to how long it would take Weiss to completely blow up. Turns out, not very long.
"Would anyone care to showcase their skills against this wild Grimm I've captured?" Professor Port asked.
"I volunteer sir," she said, nearly leaping out of her seat.
"Excellent Miss Schnee. Please change into your combat outfit and prepare to face this mighty creature."
It took somewhere around ten minutes for Weiss to change into the white skirt Jaune had seen her in the day prior. During that time he'd looked through his Grimm studies text book, attempting to match the Grimm in the book with the size of the cage. He figured it had to be something small, not a juvenile, but still something which posed a challenge. Weiss got into position, her teammates cheering for her. Once she was ready Port unleashed the creature, smacking the cage to allow the door to fall open and let the Grimm entered the room. Jaune recognized instantly the small warthog like creature known as a Boarbatusk. They were nasty creatures and difficult for people to handle if you didn't have a great deal of experience fighting them. The main problem came from the combination of their hides covered in boney armor and their knack for curling into a ball and rolling like a steam roller towards their targets. It made them rather difficult to handle, especially in groups, but there were some tricks to fighting them. The most obvious came in the form of their attack. While fast, their rolling attack meant they could only move in one direction, allowing you to dodge and prepare for a counterattack. It also meant that, if you could somehow trip them up, they'd be thrown off balance and left completely open to your assault.
From the way the battle was panning out Weiss hadn't realized that fact. Time and time again she slashed her rapier against the creature's boney hide to no avail. Off to the side her teammates cheered for her with Ruby being the loudest. While it was meant to be encouraging, it was obvious from the expression on Weiss' face that she found the noise distracting. It became increasingly evident when Ruby cried out for her to aim for its soft underbelly, the Grimm's main weakness, only for Weiss to snap back at her with a scathing comment. The moment cost her as the creature rolled past, knocking her out of the way and nearly flattening her as a result. Weiss had obviously had enough as with its next attack she activated some gravity glyphs, tripping the creature up and leaving her an opening which she took without hesitation. She skewered the pig through its gut, the Grimm letting out a shrill squeal of pain before it died, its body dissolving as a result.
The class applauded, with Jaune joining in simply as a curtesy, and Professor Port congratulating her on her victory. She obviously didn't feel victorious as she was panting heavily and, as she got up to leave with the rest of the class once the bell rang, Ruby's attempts to congratulate her on a hard won victory was meet with bluster from the girl. Whatever she'd said obviously struck the girl hard as her optimistic smile quickly faded while Weiss stomped out of the room. Jaune cocked an eyebrow, unimpressed with the girl's actions and wondering if he should say something to Ruby to cheer her up. Fortunately her sister and other teammate Blake were quick to come to her aid, offering their own words of comfort as they left the room. That still left Weiss, who was still fuming, walking down the hall in the opposite direction. He knew he shouldn't interfere but the blatantly rude manner in which she'd not only treated her team leader but his friend didn't sit well with Jaune. Telling his team to go on without him, he turned to follow Weiss, intent on giving her a piece of his mind. His mood was already soured from the less than courteous way she'd treated his sister and Ruby was simply icing on the cake. However, when he finally caught up with her, he noticed she was already speaking with Professor Port and he quickly ducked into a nearby alcove, listening in on their conversation.
"So you would agree that I should be the team leader?" he heard her say. He frowned, somehow not surprised to find she was trying to usurp Ruby's position on their team.
"Absolutely not," he heard Port say, surprising both him and Weiss.
"Excuse me?"
"While I did witness a Huntress who is quite skilled, I also saw a young woman who is entitled, who has had everything she's ever wanted handed to her and never been told no."
"That's not completely true," Weiss attempted to argue but the wind had quickly died from her sails.
"The manner in which you spoke to your partner and team leader was very unbecoming of a young lady such as yourself and certainly not a characteristic one would want in a team leader. I know that Ozpin placed Ruby as your leader for a reason and your job right now is to be the best teammate you can be. While she may lead, that will also mean she'll need you to help her to know when her actions are out of line or when she needs advice."
Jaune silently nodded along, honestly impressed with how Port was handling the situation. He was greatly surprised with how good his advice was, especially with his first impressions of the man being mainly boisterous and exaggerated. His words had obviously struck a chord with Weiss as she walked away to her next class in a daze, completely oblivious to Jaune's presence. He waited a while until she was out of view before heading off to his own class. If nothing else he would speak with Ruby later on if he had the chance. Weiss had been given a thorough chewing out already, ensuring she would, hopefully, learn from her mistakes. Regardless, Ruby obviously needed a friend and he would gladly fill that role should she need him to.
/-/
"So, did you enjoy your first day at daycare?" Pyrrha asked, gently combing Jade's hair still wet from her bath.
"Yea, it was so much fun," the little girl said excitedly.
She sat on the bed in her oversized t-shirt pajamas while the Redhead sat behind, gently running a comb through her hair. The five year old had become surprisingly accommodating when Pyrrha asked if she would like her to comb her hair. While Jaune usually performed the task, Jade had welcomed the gesture without any hint of hesitation. This had completely surprised Jaune as he'd expected her to be a little apprehensive, choosing instead for her brother to handle the task. He honestly didn't expect her to open up for a few days, slowly growing used to the three other teenagers until she felt she could trust them enough to let them do such things. He figured it must have something to do with her day at daycare. He could still recall how she'd acted, all but abandoning him for the promise of snacks and stories. The difficult part had come when he'd arrived to pick her up for the day. Time had slipped by so fast she wasn't ready to leave but, with the promise that she would be able to return tomorrow, Jade had reluctantly gone along with her brother.
Dinner had been a silent affair as well. Ruby and Weiss had sat at opposite ends with the wall of Xio Long and Belladonna wedged between them. Jaune knew why and from the looks on both girl's faces it was obvious neither of them had spoken to one another about the incident. Yang had obviously taken Ruby's side, offering silent encouragement to the girl while Blake remained more aloof as she quietly ate and read her book. Even Weiss had been strangely silent and devoid of any hostilities towards himself or his sister. He figured he'd take the blessings where he could and opted to leave the girl alone rather than rattle the hornet's nest. He could just imagine how that would end, with all her negative and hostile feelings she'd been harboring throughout the day finding a perfect outlet in the form of Jaune Arc. Once dinner was over he'd gotten Jade to take a quick bath before getting ready for bed and found her strangely comfortable with his team. He decided to take advantage of the peace and walk across the hall to see how Ruby was holding up.
"I'm going to take a quick walk. Be right back," he said.
"Alright," Pyrrha had answered.
"Bye bye brother," Jade replied, waving at him.
"I'll only be gone a few minutes," he said before exiting the room.
He immediately felt something bump against him and tumble to the floor. Glancing down he winced as he realized he'd just knocked Ruby to the floor, sprawled out in her sleeping gear.
"Oops, sorry about that," he said, offering her his hand to help her back to her feet.
"It's alright, I've honestly been standing outside for ten minutes debating whether I should knock or not," she admitted.
Jaune chuckled, amused at how similarly they'd been thinking.
"What's so funny?" Ruby asked, annoyed.
"Nothing, I was actually coming to see how you were doing. I saw how down you were after Weiss yelled at you during Port's class."
"Oh, you saw that," she said, embarrassed.
"Yea, it was hard not to. You want to talk about it?" he asked.
Ruby silently nodded, sliding down the wall into a sitting position with Jaune sliding down next to her. She was silent for a long while and Jaune knew better than to interrupt her thoughts.
"Jaune, do you think Ozpin made the right decision when he made me team leader?" she asked.
The question surprised him and he had to take a moment to think about it before he answered. "I don't know. I honestly can't say. We've only been at Beacon for a day so I don't have much to go on," he replied honestly. "Does this have anything to do with what Weiss said to you?"
Ruby silently nodded, looking very glum as she spoke. "She said I was acting foolish and that I needed to do better and work harder, to set an example as team leader. I can't say she's wrong. It's not like I'm trying to be a bad leader it's just that Port was so boring with his stories and I just wanted to make her laugh and maybe like me. We're supposed to be partners and I hope even friends but it feels like I'm failing at that."
"I think you're being too hard on yourself, Ruby. It's only been a day. Sure, you may have started things off on the wrong foot but that doesn't mean you can't improve and become better," he offered.
"I wish I was more like you," she said.
"What?"
"During Port's class, when he was telling his story, even when other people were either goofing off or sleeping, you were studying instead. You were working hard to be a good student and leader for your team while I was messing around, trying to impress Weiss but failing miserably," she moaned.
"Ruby," he said, taking a moment to collect his thoughts, "you don't want to be like me. My place here at Beacon is nothing short of a charity case."
"What do you mean?"
"My position here at Beacon is based on my performance. In order for me to stay at Beacon with Jade I have to keep up my grades and act like a model student. One slip up and we'd be gone, end of story."
"What!?" Ruby yelped. "But-but- there's no way they'd be that cruel."
"Probably note," he admitted, "but I'm not in a position to take that chance. I have to study hard to make sure Jade and I can stay and ensure we have something to look forward to after we leave Beacon."
"That still makes you a way better sibling and leader than I am," she pointed out. "You're at least working hard to make sure Jade has a better life."
"That doesn't mean I don't wonder sometimes if she would have been better off with someone else," he said.
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.
"Not long after our village burned down and Jade and I began traveling, we were approached by the Matron of a local orphanage at the town we were staying in. She offered to take Jade, care for her, and find her a new family and I would be free to go onto Vale and apply to Beacon."
"Well you obviously didn't agree to it," Ruby pointed out.
"Not at first though," he corrected. "No, for a good while I thought about it, weighing the options, before ultimately leaving the decision to Jade. When she said she wanted to stay with me I swore I would do everything in my power to give her a better life than we had. Doesn't mean I don't wonder sometimes if I made the wrong decision. What if things would have been better for her? What if she would have found a nice family who could give her everything I can't and probably won't be able to for some time? I'm constantly plagued by the demon of "what if," always wondering if things couldn't have been better."
"So how do you fight that?" Ruby asked.
"I work to be better today than I was yesterday and better tomorrow than I was today," he said. "I work to constantly improve myself, to make myself into someone I can be proud of and who Jade can be proud of. I can't change the past and neither can you but we can work to be better. You can learn from your mistakes and strive to be a better Ruby tomorrow than you were today."
"Yes, I guess you're right," Ruby said, a smile forming across her face. "Thanks for the advice."
"Any time," he said, rising to his feet and helping Ruby to her own.
Without warning Ruby gave him a huge, surprising him before he gave her one in return. She quickly left to go back to her dorm, leaving Jaune alone in the hall. For a moment he wondered if he should have said things differently but, considering that she seemed to be in better spirits he figured something he'd said had hit the right mark. Walking back into his dorm Jaune instantly knew something was off. Jade and Pyrrha were smiling at him but a strange feeling hung in the air.
"Hi," he said cautiously.
"Jaune, were thinking, since we've taken the time to make Jade all pretty we should do you as well," Pyrrha said.
Jaune felt a chill run down his spin. He instantly knew what was coming, backing towards the door only to find his escape cut off by Nora.
"I've got his legs," she announced, pouncing before he could run.
"Ren, help!" he cried, attempting and failing to crawl away.
"Don't fight it, Jaune. You'll have to suffer like the rest of us," Ren said, his hair splayed out in various bows and short pony tails.
"Jade, quick, get the bows," Nora instructed.
"I've got the camera ready," Pyrrha announced in a sing song voice.
"Jade, honey, you wouldn't do this to your loving elder brother, would you?" he asked, attempting to appeal to her sisterly nature.
The vicious smile he received from the five year old sent his heart plummeting into his stomach. I'm surrounded by traitors he thought to himself as he struggled in vain to free himself.
So, due to the increasing demand for an update (which seemed to be the subject of every other review I opened when I checked my email) I've gone ahead and hashed out more fluff for you all to enjoy.
I decided to gloss over the events that took place during the Emerald forest. Some people may grip about it but, honestly, Rooster Teeth already did a great job and I'm certain most, if not all, of you know what happened. I simply changed how Jaune meet Pyrrha and add a few extra fluff things here and there.
It's subtle so I know not a lot of people will notice it but Lexi is actually a goose Faunus making her an allusion to "Mother Goose." Even her name means "caretaker" so it was perfect for her role in the story. I also thought some people would enjoy the subversion of expectations with Jaune feeling like he had been abandoned rather than Jade.
More examples of Jaune doing his best to be a good student. I figure it would show real maturity for him to study the Grimm during Grimm studies instead of sleeping, showing how hard he's working to make his goal a reality. Looking forward to the next few chapters. I'll be introducing Cardin soon and there'll be some interesting interactions there.
Hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did writing it. I'll try to update it soon.