Journey (JRNY) by DAM1994
Chapter 1
Happy Thanks Giving.
Concept: Inspired by Pineapple, the idea is Yang partnered with Jaune instead of Pyrrha.
1. Blondes
The stage was filled with cheer watching the all boy team now dubbed CRDL leave, the headmaster then announced the next four students to pass initiation.
"Ruby Rose, Pyrrha Nikos, Blake Belladonna and Weiss Schnee." Yang smiled, despite being clearly embarrassed to be on stage Ruby seemed perfectly happy beside her partner. Yang was glad she'd pushed her lil nerd of a sis to make friends cause jeez did she just hit the jackpot with P-Money. Speaking of Ruby's friends and partners, she looked over to her own. Standing there was Jaune who looked every bit as nervous as her sis even before he was on stage. Said blonde was her partner who'd she'd heroically saved from becoming a splat on the ground when he'd screaming like a girl through the air. What was she supposed to do? Let her little sis's first friend here fail? Playfully she elbowed him.
"Ow! Yang!" The blonde whined rubbing the spot to which she smiled.
"Oh chill Vomitboy, just use your aura." She teased happily making her partner flinch but before he could go into a series of pleads she spoke up again.
"Calm down Jaune, I already said its cool, honestly kinda boss you got in without your aura unlocked, you must be one hell of a nerd to manage that. Though I'll admit you got a hell of a pair on you for teaming up with us against a Deathstalker without it." The blonde chuckled nervously blushing at the compliment, but she was serious. Hell, she'd only realized he didn't have aura after he scratched his palms climbing up the cliff. Finally, Ozpin's voice registered to the pair of blondes.
"You will now be known as Team RNBW (Rainbow), led by Ruby Rose." Yang's smile grew ear to ear watching her little dork of a sister go into shock from the declaration. Turning she saw her partner was much the same smiling for his pal which she could only approve of.
"So is my sister awesome or what?" Jaune chuckled.
"Got me beat, though I feel bad for her since I assume your gonna tease her relentlessly about this." Yang grinned.
"Of course, it's a big sister's Oum given right." Jaune rolled his eyes.
"Don't I know it. Jean probably wrote the book, and Saph proofred it." This earned a raise of her brow.
"You got older sisters too."
"Seven." Yang blinked, not quite sure she'd heard that right however before she could ask Ozpin spoke up again.
"Jaune Arc, Yang Xiao-Long, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie." Without missing a beat Nora basically zoomed to the stage center, her poor partner and probably more in tow. Jaune looked to her smiling nervously.
"Ladies first." Yang grinned crossing her arms.
"Please…" She nodded deciding to cut the boy a break, strutting on the stage she stood beside her partner noting quite a few glares of envy on the poor noodle. She couldn't blame them, hell she'd be jealous too but that didn't stop her from shooting a glare of her own their way. Rube's friend was off limits and he had the Xiao-Long guarantee. Ozpin looked over the four them before his sights landed on Jaune, she couldn't help but note that it lingered a moment longer on her fellow blonde then the rest of them before he spoke.
"From this day on you will be referred to as Team JRNY (Journey), led by, Jaune Arc."
"Wait What!" Yang snickered at her partner's reaction, just like Rube's, Journey huh? She guessed it wasn't a color, but it sounded awesome all the same. Plus, the potential puns where limitless, yeah she'd count it as a win partnering with the blonde for that alone. Turning she decked said blonde in the shoulder earning a wince and slight howl. She cringed at that, maybe she'd better unlock his aura, she'd never hear the end of it if she broke her sis's first friend.
2. Tension
"Enough! Match over, the winner is Cardin Winchester." Yang watched the stage, seeing said leader raise a mace in victory to which his team cheered. Meanwhile in their seats Nora booed while Ren called to her to stop. Usually she'd be inclined to share in her sister from another mister's jeers towards the burnt ginger's victory, however today there was no such luck as she looked to her partner lifting himself up and receiving a fair amount of criticism from Goodwitch.
Watching Jaune slump and slowly turn towards the locker, it didn't take a genius to figure out their leader wasn't feeling to great. Which was why the moment the teach called an end to their class she all but leaped out of her seat making her way to her pal. The expression he wore when she'd walked into the boy's locker room before looking over his surprisingly not scraggily body was worth whatever trouble their sadistic teacher would surely give her.
"Y-Yang what are you doing here?" she grinned.
"Apparently checking out my partner, gotta say you clean up a lot better without the onesie." At the mention of said article of clothing the blonde deadpanned.
"That you and Nora threw out." She shrugged not denying it.
"You can thank us whenever you want. So, you gonna put on a top or just keep giving me a free show farm boy?" She wiggled her eyebrows playfully enjoying the effect she had on the blonde. Quickly he rushed to change, giving her all the time she could need to look him over. His musculature was actually pretty good, better than any civilian at least. But fighting form he was not, though his arms were plenty defined, probably from swinging around that sword. Maybe he came from a frontier village or something.
"Um, Yang?" She blinked before meeting his gaze his head slightly tilted.
"Um, what, sorry partner I was just appreciating the view." Jaune rolled his eyes at her joke before answering again.
"I said, why'd you come back here?" She nodded, deciding it might be best to just say it.
"Jaune, I'm gonna be honest with you, like Goodwitch level honest. Have you ever trained before?" Jaune paused, looking more than a tad annoyed but she quickly rose a hand not wanting this to turn into a fight that he'd clearly not win.
"Hold up, didn't mean it like that. I'm just saying you're not fighting like any student I've ever went up against, and I have a weapon fanatic for a sister and kicked more asses in Signal then most have in their entire lives. And all them, all them had a method to their fighting. You don't, it's like you're learning as you go. So… what's the deal there?" Jaune blinked several times before he sighed visibly frustrated at something.
"Yeah… Your right, I've only had Crocea Mors for several months now." Yang blinked.
"What." Jaune looked to her.
"I said I've only had my sword for a few months." Again, things were silent until she asked.
"You mean the sword right, like that one there? Not in general?" Again, Jaune shook his head.
"No, before Crocea I only swung around some branches I'd shaped like a weapon." Complete silence was all that greeted the blonde before Yang said a single word.
"What!?" Jaune flinched at the sudden shout but she'd have none of it and walked up to him torn between punching him cause he was clearly a liar and looking him over for injuries in case what he said was true meaning he'd just taken on somebody he could only dream of matching. Once she'd made sure that yes her partner wasn't just putting on a brave face she glared at him.
"You've seriously only been using a real weapon for a few months? Did your pops not let you until you beat him or something?" Her dad had a similar rule about boxing when she was younger. Yang didn't know what it was but at the mention of his father Jaune gritted his teeth a flash of anger rare to her fellow blonde being clear on display.
"He, he never trained me." This earned a raise of her brow.
"What? But didn't you say he was some kind of hotshot hero where you came from?" She saw as his fist curled.
"Nevermind it, I'm dressed, lets head to the next class." To the suggestion that really wasn't one she responded with a furrow of her brow and cross of her arms.
"No." He looked to her a mix of anger and pleading.
"Yang please stop." He moved to pass her but she quickly put her palm to his chest pushing him back making him stumble.
"Yeah no, sorry Partner but spill, what's the deal."
"I said to let it go." This time he just about broke into a sprint to pass her but again she had none of it close lining him. Whatever had him like this was a big deal and honestly she was starting to get sick of seeing her partner getting creamed by the resident meathead.
"Come on Jaune just tell me, I'm your partner, you can trust me."
"I SAID DROP IT!" And like that he was off, taking the moment of shock she'd had to shove his way out, a part of her was shocked, another a bit guilty since he clearly wanted to avoid speaking up about whatever he was hiding. But mostly… she was angry.
3. Closure
Jaune looked to the doors to the training room the indicator lit, signifying it was reserved, taking a deep breath he rose his scroll to it and its doors opened welcoming him. Honestly, he didn't know what to expect after the whole dress room incident with his partner, maybe an argument when she'd caught up. Or worse that she'd just beat him up till he spilled, what he hadn't expected was for her to act like nothing was up.
She'd gone through the day like nothing had happened back there, like he hadn't roared at her, pushed her aside or ignored her. Completely content with just doodling through Oobleck's class, sleeping through Port's and indulging Nora's tales of her epic dreams during lunch. Honestly, he'd started to believe he'd just imagined it all. Until he'd been woken by his scroll half pass midnight and noticed the lack of a mane of blonde hair in the fourth bed or the snores that followed her sleep. His curiosity was cleared when he'd read the message.
From: Yang
Training Room 8.
Hence forth why he was here, and upon opening the doors he was greeted by the sight of dozens of torn and broken droids and a single glowing blonde at the center. If somebody thought Yang Xiao-Long was scary before they'd never seen her pissed, because the second those crimson eyes locked on him he'd nearly fell back into his three year old bed wetting habits.
However, by some miracle seeing him seemed to calm her as burning scarlet smoldered back to lilac and with it his self-preservation instincts didn't yell at him to turn tail. It was then he'd spotted the strands of gold on the floor and understood, incredibly thankful it was the dumb bots who'd earned her ire and not him. Looking to him she crossed her arms eyes narrowed.
"Nice of you to show up partner, an hour after I messaged you."
"In my defense I was behind the door for forty minutes of those… just trying to gather some courage is all." She smirked.
"I get that, I mean I don't, but I hear it often enough." He wondered if that was from people about to fight or confess to her. Who was he kidding it was probably both.
"Anyways, um, Yang why'd you set this up? Not just this but you know. Acting like I didn't shout at you in the locker room and shove you? I half expected you to beat me up like you did those two guys during the Initiation Party. Yang shrugged.
"Oh the thought crossed my mind, no doubt about that. If you hadn't been so fast we'd be talking in the nurse's office about now." He swallowed but she waved it off.
"But if I went and beat you up I'd never hear the end of it from Rubes. So that why I didn't go all inner dragon on you during classes." Jaune felt some cold sweats.
"So in other words… Now that class is over and we have a private room…" Yang's smile was as telling as it was terrifying. After several of the most painful minutes of his life Jaune found himself on his back breathing heavily, bruises all over him. The brawler herself stretched before smirking down at him.
"Nice warm up, up for round two?"
"'cough' Kill me…" Her smug face vanished as she adopted a serious expression.
"Then answer my question from earlier, why didn't your dad train you." For several minutes the room was silent and just before Yang could act ready to send him another haymaker the blonde spoke.
"He said I wasn't worth his time…" She paused.
"What?" Jaune pushed himself up.
"He didn't say it exactly like that, but that was the gist of it. 'The Arc swordplay might not be a good fit for you, maybe focus on schooling. I have lessons with your sisters right now.' No matter when or how I asked it was always something, then Jean, Jade or even Saph back when she was interested in fighting would ask and he'd take them out back to train in a heartbeat. Don't need to be a rocket scientist to read between the lines there do you?" Yang paused, seeing Jaune looked more vulnerable than ever as he hugged his knees a look of shame like it physically hurt him to tell her this.
"So then the reason you never wielded a sword before…"
"Like my dad would let me near a weapon, hell mom would have to fight him over letting me cook with a knife." He smiled somberly up to her.
"Who taught you how to fight?" For some reason she felt oddly guilty saying.
"My dad."
"And Craterface?"
"Our Uncle." A dry chuckle left him.
"Must be nice, having somebody believe you can be a hunter, a hero… or even just competent." She blinked at that before looking to him.
"Did your family… not support you becoming a hunter." His smile grew yet somehow she didn't feel any joy from it.
"That's a nice way of putting it, another is that they playing out ignored me when I told them. Hell, I had to train with sticks and a trash can top just to get some kind of practice." Yang winced, starting to understand why Jaune's fighting style looked so amateur at best, cause it was.
"When I got my acceptance letter, I didn't even get a pat on the back, just a reassurance that everything would be set for me when I came back…" That hurt her to hear, she couldn't even imagine her dad saying anything but to give 'em hell.
"So yeah, that's why I can't fight, or know what aura is… cause I'm just a brat whose father didn't even think was worth teachi- OW!" Jaune grabbed his arm before glaring up to find Yang looking to him with crimson orbs, yet in her gaze he felt none of her hostility directed at him.
"Get up." Her tone was surprisingly gentle, so much so he hadn't even thought of doing anything but standing. Quickly she yelled before throwing a punch and in response he rose his shield. No sooner was he sent skidding back.
"Your footings all off, right foot forward and back foot to the side to hold your ground easier." He looked up only to see twin golden sparks shooting his way. This time he reacted fast jumping out of the way only to be face to face with Yang who sent a mean right hook straight into his abdomen launching him back once again.
"Focus on your surroundings, don't get tunnel vision." Standing he looked to her questionably.
"Are we…"
"Training? Yeah, now hurry up and get you guard on Arc!" Quickly he complied but judging by her frown she was less than impressed.
"Sloppy!" she launched forward sending a brutal strike into his exposed left making him fall to his knees again.
"Guard your center, watch for my fist and adjust." Coughing he looked up to find Yang once more taking a fair distance from him before getting into position.
"Ready? Up on your feet." He struggled to stand, taking a deep breath before readying himself again. She nodded slightly.
"Better, now Dodge!" And like that she sent a barrage of golden sparks his way, and while he had complied with her order for the first several soon after he was sent down again. Coughing he reached for his shield that'd been knocked from his hand.
"Man, you're really no good at this are you Vomitboy?" He frowned recognizing the jab from his earlier days.
"Yeah, I know its hopeless, I'm just some weakli-"
"Dodge!" Jaune quickly rose his shield tanking the first several blast before he broke into a run only for on to hit his legs tripping him up. He soon felt her shadow over him.
"Yeah, your gonna need a lot of work." He growled.
"Yeah I know, I suck." Yang then smiled.
"Well duh, everyone sucks… at first." She then brought her hand out to him.
"But that just means you got room to improve, and in your case a lot of room." He looked to her smile and couldn't help but feel a bit better feeling no lies in her encouragement. She smiled and the sight of her pearly whites made him look away before he rubbed the back of his head and sighed.
"Th-thanks."
"No prob, I like sparring as much as the next girl." Jaune shook his head.
"No, not that… but for saying that stuff and for taking the time to do whatever 'this' is. I know I haven't exactly been the best partner. Yang shrugged.
"Big deal, I'm stuck with you for the next four years, can't have you eating stage floor all that time, especially against Cardin. Can't wait to see you wipe the floor with him." Jaune looked stunned by the suggestion.
"Wipe the floor with him? Do you think I can actually beat him?" Yang shrugged always one for brute honesty.
"Right now, not a chance." Jaune slumped.
"But give me two or three months and I think I can get you a heck of a lot closer maybe even a win or two."
"R-really?" Yang shot him a thumbs up.
"Have I ever steered you wrong?" Jaune smiled before he looked down a tinge of frustration evident.
"'sigh' Guess I'm not good enough to do it on my own huh?" The brawler quirked a brow but let her fellow blonde continue.
"I figured if I couldn't do it on my own then I was just sorta proving them right. Now I'm even taking time out of you da-OW! Stop hitting me!" Jaune winced as she complied with his request and kicked his shin, hopping around he gritted his teeth while Yang shook her head.
"That's dumb." He looked to her but before he could open his mouth she spoke cutting him off.
"Like I said nobody's any good at first, it's stupid to think you'd be able to do something new to you on your own. Besides you already got guts, joining Beacon without aura kinda proves that you have a bigger pair than any other guy here. And plus your like super annoyingly good at that tactical stuff. So, all we need to work on is your combat. Now come on let's hit the showers, I'm sure your pretty beat huh." Slowly she turned only for the drawing of a blade to catch her ear.
"Hey Yang." She turned to find her partner standing there guarded, his form worlds apart than before.
"Would you mind if we go another round?" She smiled slamming her fist together.
"Now that's my partner."
Yeah so out of all of team RWBY Yang would have the best influence on Jaune, after all she would be rather aggressive with his Cardin problem yet her maternal side from raising Ruby would help her emphasize with him. Finally, she wouldn't really give him a choice like Pyrrha did and would push him rather early on since that seems to be in her character.
