Quick Note before we jump into this, You may want to have Youtube up to get totally into some of the scenes in the chapter:D) Sorry for the epic delay but we are back and powering forward 3
A Nightmare in Passing
The moon glowed brightly, the shattered parts of it remaining ever so still in orbit with the larger mass, as the weekend bustle of the nightlife in the Kingdom of Vale began to flourish. The streets were littered with teenagers and young adults who were roaming around looking for the next exciting club to hang out at, a movie to watch, chilling with friends or in the case of Jaune and Yang who were speeding down the highway into town, avoiding the local law enforcement.
"Yang! I really think you should slow down!" Jaune yelled as he wrapped his arms tighter around her waist hanging on for dear life as they took a sharp turn and accelerated, losing the two officers who missed the turn.
"C'mon Jaune, you got to live at least a little bit on the wild side otherwise you will be boring like Weiss!" Yang cried out over the wind as she took another turn and slowed down merging with the main traffic that was entering the city.
Jaune smiled as they turned again and entered the port district of Vale and spent a few minutes navigating the back alley ways and side roads to reach their destination. Raptorz was full of life as they pulled up in front of the club. They had first encountered each other at the club a little bit after the start of their time at Beacon. Jaune remembered the first time he had come here as well as the day that Yang had shown up and caught him out and about.
"You know Yang, it's been several months now that I think about it…. Do you think we should tell everyone about this place?" Jaune asked as he dismounted and held out his hand like a gentlemen to Yang who smirked but took it anyways.
"Maybe after tonight, I would hate for them to cramp my style, I have a reputation to uphold, you know. in the nightlife" Yang said with a laugh as she walked in with Jaune, the music vibrated the air as they stepped out onto the dance floor and saw the crowd of people dancing and swaying to the music throughout the club. The DJ on the second floor waved to Jaune and Yang as they made their way over to the bar on the far side and then climbed up to the overwatch and greeted the guy with his rainbow chef's hat.
"It really is packed tonight. Everyone here for the dance off, Segal?" Jaune asked as he smiled at one of the first friends he made since he had come to Vale.
"Yeah man, they are all here to put your mad dancing skills to shame or rather try horribly to." Segal replied laughing as they watched the people below them.
"So this lady here your dance partner, date, or what? I've seen you both in together dancing a few times here and there but normally you don't arrive together…." Segal said as he eyed Yang up and down. She smiled and introduced herself as she rolled her eyes at his wandering eyes.
"Name's Yang and I'm Jaune's date and dance partner for the night!" She said cheerfully as she felt her cheeks flush at the idea of being his date.
Jaune just smiled feeling slightly embarrassed at the concept and unsure if he should bother to try and correct what she said but decided to at least give her this night. They chatted for a minute more before they bid the DJ goodbye and walked down to the first floor again, ordered some drinks, and sized the crowed up determining who might give them a challenge as they were both pretty good dancers in their own right.
About 5 minutes later they received their drinks when suddenly Jaune choked on his drink causing Yang to look over at him then follow his gaze to the familiar blue hair of four Beacon students who were on the far side of the room.
Sabrina and Xarik were dancing together while Jaime was chilling off to the side clapping her hands to the beat of the music a large smile on her face. Sean was wrapped up with a brunette who they didn't recognize and assumed was a patron of the club. The two blondes watched Sapphire for about 10 minutes surprised they didn't notice the blue haired group when they were up on the balcony but the alcove they were under may have had a play in that.
"Think they are here for the tournament as well?" Jaune asked Yang signaling for her to follow him as he got up and began to make his way over to them. Yang was slightly annoyed at the prospect of other students being here but figured it was just a fluke and not someone following them.
When Jaune and Yang almost reached SPHR, Sean happened to notice the long blonde hair and the look on his face said it all, he tensed up and grimaced in shock. He was very surprised and afraid at that moment. Jaime took note of his face and looked, almost jumping out of her seat, as she saw both Jaune and Yang right next to her. Her reaction caused Sabrina and Xarik to look over and freeze as they to noticed the familiar blondes.
"You're not here to turn us in are you….?" Xarik said quietly as she and Sabrina moved over to the blondes.
"We never saw any rules saying we couldn't leave the school when we wanted….." Sabrina said with a nervous voice as Jaune and Yang looked at each other and burst out laughing as they reassured them that they were in the clear. The looks of confusion on their face reassured them.
"Nah, we're here for the dance off tonight. We just were surprised to see others here." Jaune said as he looked at them. The brunette nudged Sean and pointed to the bar. She mimicked taking a drink before he nodded and she disappeared into the crowd. Everyone turned back and started talking again as Jaune sidled up to Sean.
"New girlfriend or friend?" Jaune asked politely as he tried to get to know the kid.
"Friend, she has these wicked eyes, dude, that change colors." He said excitedly as he waited for her to return with drinks, Jaune caught a glimpse of her when she came back with two different drinks giving him a smirk as she met his gaze him briefly.
Jaune and Yang chatted for a few minutes more when the lights dimmed down and a spotlight lit up the DJ who had a microphone in his hands and was standing precariously against the banister.
"Ladies and Gentlemen tonight's dance off is about to begin. All partners please come to the center of the room. Everyone else please back up onto the side."
As the room cleared out and most of the patrons backed off, Jaune and Yang stepped forward with 11 other pairs who were smiling and ecstatic for the competition. A surprised yelp caught everyone's attention as Sabrina pushed Xarik into the opening floor and followed in with a big smile on her face.
"Alright so we got 12 pairs for this evening's Raptorz Dance Off!" Segal announced as everyone clapped.
"So tonight we will have 3 dances per pair to be judged on and I will give a median score based on all 3! So with that said let's draw our 3 categories….." His voice trailed off as he reached into a bucket on the table and pulled out three slips of papers.
"The first dance will be a freestyle." Segal announced setting down the first slip.
Jaune and Yang smiled at this as they were both excellent dancers with plenty of signature moves. had their own respective moves that weren't too bad.
"The second dance will be a Line dance with all participants being graded together; how do you like that surprise twist my fellow night thrivers?" Everyone around the edges cheered and laughed while those in the ring gave each other ominous looks of warning. Jaune and Yang looked at each other before they burst out laughing as well.
"And finally! Our final dance will be... drum roll please…" Everyone drummed the hands on various objects causing the beat to reverberate through the air, "A slow dance, any style." Segal finished, looking smug, as Yang and Jaunes faces both briefly turned red at the prospect of a slow dance with the other.
Yang's mind went miles a minute as she envisioned the reward she was getting for dragging Jaune out and couldn't hold back the smile on her face as her hair started to flicker out of sheer excitement.
Sabrina and Xarik were giggling up a storm as they moved over to the table to put down their two song request and then proceeded to move away as others joined the queue. As the line dwindled down, Yang was having a hard time thinking of a song to dance to while Jaune was in the same boat. They started to both grow nervous as the line got shorter and shorter, eyeing each other with dumbfounded looks as it finally came to them.
"So uhh… yeah, How about um…. " Jaune stuttered as he tried really hard to think of something but his mind was drawing a complete blank as Yang started to turn red. People began to snicker at the two of them.
"Oh, I know…" She put down two songs and Jaune eyed them quickly before Yang dragged him back to where they had been standing just before the competition began.
'Gold'
'All Our Days'
He couldn't recall ever hearing them before but figured she did have a good taste in music at least.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen let's kick this night off with a round of applause for our first contenders, Give it up for Drew and Kim who are dancing to "Into the Night."
The crowd cheered as the first two dancers, a fairly tall man, wearing all black and a woman with a sparkling silver dress, began their routine as the music thrummed through the entire building. Jaune and Yang smiled at one another as they felt the excitement and the building energy from everyone around them.
The first pair danced really well. They spun, twirled and were generally in sync with each other as the first song finished. As the last few notes ended, everyone began cheering loudly while the two bowed and waved before rejoining the circle.
The next pair that went forward were two girls both wearing short purple dresses that clung to their frames tightly. They were giggling up a storm as they approached the center of the dance floor. They clasped hands as the music started. One of the girls had fox ears on top of her head, while the other was clearly human. The fox girl led the dance as the two began waltzing across the dance floor in time to the song playing. The crowd hooted and cheered throughout their routine.
The cheers from the crowd reached a frenzy when the girls finished their dance. Next up was a Faunus couple that performed some acrobatics, then two guys stepped up together and did a exemplary back and forth dance freezing as the other moved. Next up was Yang and Jaune followed by Sabrina and Xarik who stood next to them, thumbs up and cheering them on.
Jaune was smiling but also feeling nervous and shy as he and Yang walked out onto the center of the dance floor. All eyes were on them as the music started and Yang began to dance in a swaying rhythm to the beat that Jaune found tantalizing as he began to move in sync mirroring her moves perfectly. When the lyrics began Yang looked directly into his eyes and began singing along. (Gold by Casey Williams)
Dream of anything
I'll make it all come true.
Everything you need
Is all I have for you.
I'm forever
Always by your side.
Whenever you need a friend
I'm never far behind.
If the stars all fall
When there's no more light
And the moon should crumble
It will be alright.
Jaune could feel a blush form on his face as he got closer to Yang, dancing right in front of her. He reached out a hand and twirled her around. They fell into a fast rotation, sliding left and right and spinning each other as the chorus hit.
Don't you worry about the dark
I will light up the night with the love in my heart.
I will burn like the sun
I will keep you safe and warm.
Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day
I will be there to take all your fears away.
With a touch of my hand
I will turn your life to…..
GOLD!
With a touch of my hand
I will turn your life to gold.
Let's have everything
Nothing we cannot do
Every heart just beaming.
Every sky turns blue.
I'm so happy
Just to have you here
Smiles bringing sunshine
And worries disappear.
When the days turn dark
And you start to fall
I will pick you up and
We will fix it all
Don't you worry about the dark
I will light up the night with the love in my heart.
I will burn like the sun
I will keep you safe and warm.
Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day
I will be there to take all your fears away.
With a touch of my hand
I will turn your life to…..
Gold….
Gold….
Jaune suddenly felt a chill run up his spine when Yang pulled him into a embrace and held him closely. He could see her still looking right at him as she sang every word, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she held him tightly. The noise in the room faded into the background and became unnoticeable. It felt like it was only the two of them in the room.
Don't worry, I got you
Nothing will ever harm you
Im close by, I'll stay here
Through all things, I will be near
Close your eyes
Don't you cry
Love surrounds you
In time you'll fly
Don't you worry about the dark (Don't you worry)
I will light up the night with the love in my heart.
I will burn like the sun (I will burn)
I will keep you safe and warm. (Keep you safe and warm)
Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day
I will be there to take all your fears away.
With a touch of my hand
I will turn your life to…..
GO~LD!
With a touch of my hand
I will turn your life to gold.
The crowd was cheering, wolf whistling and hooting as the two continued clinging to the other after the end of the song. Yang's face had turned bright red at this point as she realized how tightly she was holding onto Jaune and how tightly wrapped in his arms she was. They separated and then returned to the outer circle as the next pair, Sabrina and Xarik were called forward.
"Um uh Jaune… I um well I don't know if…" Yang trailed off as the embarrassment settled in. Jaune looked at her confused as he put a hand behind his head to scratch it awkwardly. He had never seen Yang like this and it was definitely cute, he hoped he wasn't disappointing her at the very least. A smile graced Yang's face when she glanced his way and then quickly looked away to pay attention to Sabrina and Xarik.
"Now I present Sabrina and Xarik who requested….lets see here uh (Myth & Roid theater D)" Segal announced as people looked on in wonder at the unfamiliar title.
Sabrina and Xarik were a giggling mess as they stepped out into the center of the ring and could feel all eyes on them. As soon as the song began, everyone's jaw dropped as the entire tempo hit. Sabrina grabbed a hold of Xarik's hand and the two started a mirror dance placing their palms together, circling, clapping, and twirling to the music. People cheered as the tune was catchy even if they didn't understand the words.
At the end the two girls bowed and hugged before joining the outer ring once more. Yang gave them a thumbs up. She was honestly impressed with their display as they seemed more on the shy side but still got out there. They waved back as Jamie bounced over to them giving them a hug and congratulating them.
"Ahem, that was definitely a unique style that I hadn't seen before. Well done girls!" Segal announced as everyone clapped.
"Alright, now for the moment I'm sure you all were waiting for, the line dance! And the song we are gonna move our bodies to will be... Drum roll!" Segal continued on as everyone thrummed the tables or banisters together.
"The Electric Slide!" Segal announced as excited whispers filtered throughout the crowd.
"All competitors to the center, anyone else is welcome to join in but please be mindful to not mix yourself into their group as I'm judging them collectively." Segal finished as he switched music.
Everyone got in to 4 lines with the center made up of the 12 dancers and then the music started and everyone danced. Sliding left and right at "It's Electric!" Everyone jumped in and keeping in time with the song sang along with the lyrics. The energy in the room hit an all time high as "It's Electric" was shouted out and the whole room shook.
"10/10 to all of you that was great" Segal announced as the song ended.
As the line dance ended, everyone dispersed for a 10 minute break and Jaune and Yang went upstairs and passed Segal making their way out onto the balcony to stand in the fresh night air. The moon was still high in the sky glowing slightly down on Vale and from their position they could see out over the roofs of many warehouses, overlook the city, the port and sea. The sound of boats signaling their docking could be heard even from the club. It was a peaceful night.
"Hey Jaune…." Yang started as she looked up at the sky, avoiding his gaze for the moment, a blush on her face as she could only describe all of her feelings as a mix of happiness, want, and a hint of jealousy.
"Yeah?" Jaune asked as he stood by her, looking out across the water towards Beacon, however only the top of the Academy was in view from their low point in Vale.
"Why did you kiss Pyrrha?" She asked quietly as she stood there still refusing to meet his eyes.
"... what?" Jaune said defensively, surprised by the question
"Why did you kiss Pyrrha?" Yang asked again her hand clenching the railing tightly as she felt her feelings start to get the better of her.
"I um, I like her, and she has been there for me, like you, and I care about her, same as you, I just... things went forward in a way I wasn't expecting. Do I regret it? No, but we can only go forward from here." Jaune said as he put a hand on Yang's shoulder.
She flinched as she finally turned and looked at him, her eyes glistening slightly. She looked into his eyes trying to find any reason to not believe him and discovering none, wrapped her arms around him hugging him close. A few tears slid down her face out of the sight of Jaune as they stood there, out in the open, their surroundings growing noisier as Jaune returned the hug and put his chin on the top of her head.
"Hey, if there's one thing I learned from my mom and dad, it's that anything can work out…" Jaune said with a comforting smile as a memory came back to him of a conversation he had overheard in the study between his mom, dad and another woman with black hair who seemed familiar but always was fuzzy in the back of his mind.
They were talking about him oddly enough and his "condition" or whatever that word meant. He made a note to ask his sister Mavis about this "condition" and stood by the door listening as they spoke.
"You know if you keep this up (_), you will not be welcome in our home anymore!" His mother said coldly as she looked at the woman who shook her head and looked angry. It was difficult to make out her face even though he could picture his mom and dad clearly. Despite clearly remembering the conversation the name of the mystery woman escaped him.
"I'm just saying, it's in his best interest if you let me supervise him for his safety, what is the point of being godmother if I get no interaction with him, you let me watch the girls but when it comes to Jaune you are suddenly a vulture, Heaven." The other woman challenged as she looked over and spotted Jaune standing in the doorway. The woman nodded in his direction and Xavier immediately jumped up and went over to the door as Jaune tried to scurry away from it.
"I'm sorry, Dad." Jaune said as he felt himself leave the ground as he was scooped up and put on his dad's shoulders.
"It's okay Jaune, you're not in trouble. Let's go find your sisters and get some ice cream, okay!" Xavier said cheerfully as he carried his son away.
"Who was that lady, Dad?" Jaune asked as they arrived in the kitchen and Xavier set him down on the floor.
"Your godmother, don't worry, once they are done bickering over nonsense they will both find ways to pick on me and then the problem will be solved, right?" Xavier said with a chuckle as he pulled out a tub of mint ice cream.
"Besides, if you know the right way to do things anything can work, take your mom and me for instance, never in a million years woulda you guessed we would end up like this, married with eight children." Xavier finished as he put a bowl in front of Jaune with ice cream in it.
"Okay!" Jaune said digging into the ice cream…...
"Jaune….."
"Jaune…" Jaune shook his head as Yang flicked his forehead saying his name again. She was staring at him, a partial smile on her face.
"You spacing out there, vomit boy?" She giggled as she put a hand on his cheek tenderly.
"Remembered something odd in my childhood, sorry did you say something?" Jaune wondered, smiling at the feeling of warmth that radiated from her hand.
"Yeah, we gotta get back inside for the third dance…..Shall we?" Yang said expectantly as she hooked her arm with his and led the way back inside.
Following the same order the partners all went up one after another for a slow dance as people sat quietly watching until the end, followed by clapping, cheers or in the case of the two faunus girls, wolf whistling. Jaune could feel some nervousness and from the look on Yang's face he wasn't alone as he extended a hand out to her and felt her clasp hers with his, they heard their names called and proceeded out to the middle of the room.
The lights dimmed down, with a single spotlight shining down on them, Yang tried to keep the excitement from overly showing on her face as she placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder and secured her other hand firmly in his. When he put his hands on her waist she couldn't hold back as a large smile filled her face as the music started.
Long ago before we met
I dreamed about you
The peace you'd bring, the songs we'd sing.
The way you'd make things new
Then one day, you arrived
I heard your angel cry.
Helpless small and perfect
Welcome to your life
"You know Jaune, a long time ago back when I was really, really small and Ruby had just been born, when my mom... when my mom was still around and I remember a man and boy who showed up to visit Patch." Yang started as she drew in closer to Jaune talking softly so only he could hear her as they swayed to the music.
And on that day, I made a vow
Whispered and true
No matter what, No matter how
I made this promise to you
I will cling, I will clutch
I'll hold onto you, I won't turn away.
I won't leave, I won't go,
I will stay with you all our days.
"You may not remember this but you visited our home once with your dad. I guess him and my dad are old friends because they started wrestling upon him walking in the door and mom started laughing at them. You were super shy like trying to hide behind one of the chairs." Yang continued as she looked into Jaune's eyes, and felt herself start to get warm as she was unable to look away.
Years of joy have passed since then.
With time I've seen you grow.
Watched you play, new each day.
I begged the time to slow
And though I miss the little girl
You've made me awful proud.
Funny how our lives change
'Cause you're my hero now
"But it was lucky you were by the chairs because dad tackled your dad carelessly and they crashed into the table. Ruby was knocked away and you moved and caught her but crashed headfirst into the counter. You saved Ruby from hitting the floor. Mom kicked them both out of the house right then and there, she gave my dad a tongue lashing and he was banned from the house for a week for roughhousing in the house." Yang said as her voice got quieter as she rose up on the balls of her feet.
But things in life will rearrange.
Friends come and go
Don't ever doubt don't ever fear
I'm always here and you know.
I will cling, I will clutch
I'll hold onto you, I won't turn away.
I won't leave, I won't go
I will stay with you all our days.
I will stay with you, all our days.
"This song was for my sister as a promise, but it was also about me keeping one to myself as well, because for the longest time I hoped I would have the courage to say how I felt and continued to feel since then….." She leaned forward and pressed her lips to Jaune's who froze stunned at what just happened as the music ended and oohs and ahhs filled the room. Jaune could feel extreme confusion running through his mind as he fell into the kiss for a moment before his brain finally caught up with what was happening and he leaned back and attempted to create some space between himself and Yang by placing his hands on her shoulders to separate them.
He could see the hurt in her eyes as she felt him push her away. He tried to talk yet couldn't find the right words to say as whispering started to be heard all around them. He grabbed her hand and pulled her a few steps before suddenly his arm got yanked back and he saw Yang, on fire and her eyes a violent-red looking mad. "You jerk." She whispered.
"Oh crap…." was all he could get out before he felt a fist in his chest sending him crashing into the wall and then he keeled over from the impact. Yang looked on in horror as she realized what she had done and moved toward him as Xarik and Sabrina bolted between her and Jaune. Xarik knelt down beside Jaune who groaned and started to sit up while Sabrina stood defensively over her. Xarik looked him over before she surmised overall he was fine, despite the crater behind him. People around them were looking on in confusion as Segal came down from his loft to check on his friend.
He shoved past everyone and got over to Jaune who was sitting up still in surprise at what just happened. After a quick look Jaune got up with Segal's help and Yang who was rooted to the spot could only look on in terror as Jaune came close to her and gently grabbed her hand pulling her with him over to one of the tables. The crowd around them parted as no one wanted to be in their way.
"Jaune I'm sorry, I lost control….." Yang said tears in her eyes as they sat down opposite each other as the tournament resumed without them paying much attention to it at this point.
"Yang…. I don't want to betray Pyrrha, I like you both quite a lot but it would not be fair to her to do things behind her back." Jaune said cutting her off as he squeezed her hand getting her attention.
"Then why not both of us?" Yang asked not really thinking about what she was saying as she leaned forward with desperate eyes.
"It's not that simple Yang…." Jaune said as he questioned in his own head why that couldn't be an option.
"Well for one it's not normal, but then neither is anyone in my family. Would Pyrrha agree to something like that? Never know until you ask. Can I handle being in a relationship with both of them at the same time? That's a stupid question. Would I be happy? Obviously you dumbass." His inner monologue made a counter argument to his every thought as he gave it some more time but still came back to the original dilemma.
He cared about Pyrrha and that was important. He, on his own honor, would never purposely hurt her in any way and this incident, regardless of how he felt, he owed it to Pyrrha to not hide things from her, like with Cardin and the bullying.
"Yang before we go any farther I need to talk to Pyrrha, I can't do something I will regret later if I hurt her in the process. I'm sorry, please understand." Jaune said pulling himself out of his own thoughts to see Yang looking at him with a mixed expression before she nodded and they heard over the speakers that Xarik and Sabrina had won the Dance Off.
The tournament finally over and the victor declared, everyone hit the dance floor in full swing. The drinking and partying took off at the peak of the night as everyone enjoyed a great evening. Yang and Jaune having reconciled for the moment we're chatting with Xarik and Sabrina when Jaune felt a strange and familiar feeling hit him and he felt his knees get wobbly for a moment. A vision of the ceiling collapsing above them and a fiery explosion played in his mind. In the vision he could hear off in the distance the chime of the massive clock tower announcing the arrival of midnight.
"Hey Jaune, are you okay?" Yang asked, noting his glassy eyes and distant look when he abruptly stopped laughing. Both Sabrina and Xarik looked on in concern when the sound of the clock tower chimed and Jaune reacted unexpectedly tackling all three girls onto the ground.
"Hey what's the big Id-" Sabrina yelled as the ceiling exploded feet from where they had just been standing and the night sky was lit up in red as the sounds of explosions echoed around them. The bell could be heard ringing far in the background along with sirens and screaming people. The rest of the patrons scattered, taking cover or running out into the night.
As the dust settled, Jaune got up off the girls and quickly picked up a metal bar to use as a weapon. Just then they heard a declaration that made their blood boil.
"We are the White Fang and you will know the pain us Faunus endure with your own blood!" An unknown voice outside boomed.
Jaune grit his teeth as he could hear the sound of fighting happening outside. Yang and Team Sapphire looked to each other with a determined face before they rushed out into the commotion and paused when they got a good look at the port area of Vale.
Several warehouses were on fire and fighting was taking place between White Fang members and the Vale Police a few blocks away from the club. An airship and two bull heads were exchanging fire back and forth in the sky above. A few more explosions that seemed to be coming from the airship rocked the ground. Small red crystals were being tossed out of the airship as it weaved to avoid the bullhead.
The screaming was what caught Yang's attention as she took off towards the fighting. People were being chased by some White Fang members and Jaune shook his head yelling for her to wait, before taking off after her. Xarik luckily had her gloves on and moved over to the people who looked injured and used her semblance leaving a green glow on each person she touched, slowly healing them. Sean on the other hand turned his attention to the airship that was heading in their direction and looked at Jamie who had already pulled out her Naginata and changed it into its Bazooka form and took aim.
Firing several ice shards at the airship, it veered to the right as she unleashed a barrage on it. Scoring several hits, she smiled as it gained altitude and jetted off into the darkness with the two bullheads pursuing it. Sean gave her a thumbs up and moved over to help people along with Sabrina while Jamie continued to keep watch.
Yang charged into the fray and sucker punched the first mask wearer in the side of the head as another explosion went off on her right. She was angry that her night with Jaune was being ruined and to a lesser extent her home attacked. She hit the next guy in her way sending him into a wall before she stopped to look around at the other White Fang members that had other civilians trapped or pinned on the ground. She tackled the guy that was sitting on a screaming woman and proceeded to pummel the daylights out of him as the woman scrambled to her feet and ran in the direction the White Fang had appeared from.
Jaune looked on as he watched Yang take out three guys with relative ease before he sensed something behind him and ducked as a dagger embedded itself in a wall in front of him barely missing his head. He turned to see another White Fang member with a Grimm mask similar to a Nevermore looking right at him. The attacker began to back up slowly with another dagger ready to throw. Jaune shook his head as he readied to charge however the guy took off running. Jaune sighed with relief and turned to look back at Yang who was cracking her knuckles, enraged, as fire was sparking off her. Everyone in the area had either ran away or was unconscious and bloodied due to her wrath, save for a Vale Officer who came to ask if they were okay before sweeping through the bodies handcuffing people to poles or benches and removing masks.
Jaune walked up to Yang who was standing in the road, seething, and facing in the other direction. He placed his hand on her shoulder causing her to whip around with her fist raised ready to strike. He gave her a smile as she lowered her hand and looked around the area. Her semblance died down as angry tears formed in her eyes. She grabbed ahold of Jaune and crushed him in a hug as she started crying. He held her in his arms as they stood there, the sound of city life and sirens becoming all they could hear.
"Yang it will be okay, we need to help the injured and wounded. Then we need to help the Vale police stop the rest of the White Fang if there are any left in the area." Jaune said as he let her go from his arms and pulled her back toward Raptorz were they found Jamie, Xarik and Sabrina helping a few more people. Sean was nowhere in sight but there was a couple of White Fang members unconscious on the ground.
"Sean went with a Vale officer that way. We're fine. Go help them, okay." Jamie said worried about her partner as she continued to stand guard over the injured.
Jaune nodded. "Don't worry, we'll bring them back safely." He and Yang took off in that direction, the sound of fighting and gunfire ringing in their ears once more as they went down two blocks and found a little girl who was hiding. She said she saw a policeman and a boy run down the block a few minutes ago. Yang and Jaune thanked her and told her to go back the way they had come for safety.
They went a few more blocks before they ran into more fighting, a shootout was taking place and on the other side of the courtyard they could see Sean, taking cover on the ground behind a low wall. The officer next to him seemed to be injured and the other two officers farther back were giving them cover fire, to keep the White Fang from getting to them.
"Sean, hang tight. We're coming!"Jaune yelled as an explosion rocked the ground causing him to fall to the ground as dust filled the air.
~~~BEACON 90 minutes ago~~~~
Earlier in the evening after Jaune and Yang left, Pyrrha had just returned from the tower having spent an hour contacting her mother and sharing all the joy Beacon as well as a certain blonde, who was currently nowhere to be found, had brought her. The last place she had to look was Team RWBY's room, which would be unlikely since the Ice Queen for whatever reason could not stand Jaune. She knocked lightly and then stood up straight, waiting with her hands behind her back.
A few moments passed and the sound of the door opening abruptly made her take a small step back as Ruby looked at her with a huge smile.
"Pyrrha!" Ruby declared as she waved the redhead into the room and slammed the door shut behind her.
"Hey Ruby, how are you? Hello Weiss." Pyrrha asked as she saw Weiss studying at her desk. Weiss smiled and a waved in response and shot a small daggered glare directed at Ruby for making noise.
"I'm doing great! I got all my homework mostly caught up with and we have a mission tomorrow! And of course my baby is completely polished and sharpened so we're ready to slice and dice!" Ruby announced as she plopped down on her bed and swung her legs giddily. Pyrrha smiled and took a seat on Yang's bed and looked around the room.
In all honesty she never really spent much time in here regardless of the fact that their rooms are right across the hall and they were all friends. It was always a little bit of a surprise to see the bunk beds as well as all the random knicknacks each team member had. She was kind of envious in that regard because outside of her armor and weapons she didn't have anything besides three photos, one of home with her mother and father, one of Sanctum and the most recent addition was of Team JNPR and RWBY after the food fight covered in random food but all smiling and laughing.
Pyrrha looked up as she realized both Ruby and Weiss were looking at her with concern as she realized she had zoned out for a moment. She quickly raised her hands in front of her, smiling and waving them.
"Sorry what was that?" She asked politely giving her undivided attention back to Ruby who snickered and asked again.
"So how's it going with Jaune, we uh noticed you and him have been pretty close like this almost always." Ruby said as she entwined her hands together and then attempted to pull them apart to show what she meant.
"Oh, well things are… things are great, I'm so happy to finally have him notice me and well you know... We're going out and the way he treats me like a normal person and not a super star or something is the best feeling." Pyrrha said her face aflame as she opened up about her relationship with Jaune tossing the personal information out onto the table.
"But I'm worried….. There are things he isn't telling me, or rather things he can't or won't….. I don't know, but I can see it on his face sometimes, something's on his mind, eating away at him. I know I should probably not talk about this without him around, but I am scared that he is going to disappear or something or even leave me and it frightens me beyond anything I have ever faced in my life." Pyrrha quietly spoke as a few tears formed in her eyes.
"But I will always stand by his side and help him, make sure he is safe and protected just like he does for me. I…..I…. love him… I love him Ruby, I LOVE JAUNE WITH ALL MY HEART!" Pyrrha practically yelled as she felt a swell of emotions flood out. She had been keeping this to herself ever since Jaune woke her up and kissed her. She put her head in her hands, hiding her face, as she could feel tears pouring out.
"Pyrrha…." Ruby said as she moved to sit by her friend and put an arm over her shoulder.
"It will be okay, I know it will. Jaune would never leave without saying something to at least someone….." Ruby continued as she turned and gave Pyrrha a hug, which Pyrrha accepted gratefully as she wrapped her arms around the small reaper.
"You're right Ruby, thank you….." Pyrrha said wiping her eyes as she sat back up and realized Weiss was still in the room with a very strange expression on her face.
"Weiss, you okay?" Pyrrha asked as she locked eyes with the Ice Queen.
"Ye~ah, Just it's odd seeing so many emotions but they're not coming from Yang, I kinda feel like I'm being insensitive and a jerk since I don't really have much experience dealing with others' problems, sorry." Weiss said as she got up and moved over by the girls and put a tentative hand on Pyrrha's shoulder.
"Thanks, Weiss." Pyrrha and Ruby said simultaneously causing them to look at each other and blink before bursting out into laughter. This confused Weiss who thought that might be laughing at her.
"Anyways… Pyrrha, is Team JNPR going on a mission tomorrow as well?" Weiss asked trying to shake off the feeling of being the butt of a joke.
"Yes, although we had planned to just go out to Forever Fall to help clear out some Grimm and then take the rest of the day to catch up on studies, goodness knows Jaune needs the extra time." Pyrrha said smiling as she thought about him which reminded her. "Have either of you seen Jaune, I've been looking for him for about an hour now and he is not answering his scroll." Pyrrha asked, looking hopeful at the two girls who glanced at each other and then shrugged.
"I haven't seen him. I've been studying. Ruby has been here most of the day as well. Blake is in the Library and Yang went down to the garage about 2 hours ago to work on her bike…." Weiss said as she tapped her pencil on her chin, thinking.
"Pyrrha! Do you want to go spar?" Ruby suddenly jumped up excitedly as she grabbed Crescent Rose and her hoodie. Pyrrha smiled and nodded figuring Jaune would show up eventually from whatever he was doing as long as it didn't involve Cardin again. She got up and went across the hall to grab her gear and also sent another message to Jaune asking where he was.
Ruby smiled as she stood waiting at the door, internally she was kinda sad to see Pyrrha worried but she didn't want to see her sister sad either and it wasn't like Jaune and Yang were actually out on a date.
'It was just a preplanned event that they are going to and it wasn't like they were gonna get in any trouble there, right…..' Ruby thought to herself as Pyrrha poked her and asked if she was ready.
"Yup, let's go!" Ruby cheered as they made their way down to the sparring arena for some late night practice.
They arrived down at the arena after a few silent minutes. Ruby was thinking that this was the first time in awhile she had been alone with Pyrrha. She had to admit she completely admired her for her combat prowess and also envied her in the same way she envied Yang for being mature in every way. It wasn't as if Ruby was in a hurry to grow up but she still wanted to be acknowledged as a woman.
They set the conditions and started without many words. They both worked up a great sweat as Pyrrha would block the sniper rounds and return with suppressive fire forcing Ruby to dodge only to put Pyrrha back on the defensive as the little reaper would come spinning in trying to land a solid hit on her. She was enjoying herself as it had been awhile since she faced someone near her level without it being a 4 on 1 like in CRDL's case. There was an overly happy smile on Pyrrha's face at that memory that caught Ruby's attention and took it as a sign to go all in. She fired several more rounds before bunny hopping over Pyrrha and then dashing forward trying to catch her from behind.
Pyrrha dipped using her semblance to angle the scythe above her head so it barely missed, causing Ruby to smile as she now had her undivided attention. They continued at it for a good hour with Ruby going through several cartridges and managing to land a solid poke into Pyrrha's side with her pointer finger causing Pyrrha to jump. Ruby giggled as she danced away however she wasn't able to get Pyrrha again who, on the other hand, had landed several strikes on Ruby, including one very accurate spear toss that had caught her cape and pinned to the wall for a moment.
"Not like this! Not like this!" Ruby whined in a high pitched voice as Pyrrha pounced on her with her shield and got ahold of her arms ending the spar. They laughed as Pyrrha removed Milo from the wall freeing Ruby. She couldn't help but laugh as they took a minute to catch their breathe and relax.
"Pyrrha, you are an amazing fighter, really." Ruby said finally not wanting the silence to grow.
"You are as well Ruby, you truly are a gifted young girl and will most likely one day be even better than me." Pyrrha said with a smile as she looked at the dent in her shield that was caused by Ruby continuously hitting with the sniper rounds.
"Couple more and you might've actually got through my shield." Pyrrha gushed with pride at her friend's skills.
"Oh stop it." Ruby mumbled, embarrassed, as she pulled her cape up by her face. She really was happy to hear that especially from Pyrrha and it was exciting to know she had an actual chance at facing her 1 on 1 in the arena.
"Ruby, thank you for spending some time with me. I guess I've gotten so used to having Jaune around I forget what to do when he's gone." Pyrrha started suddenly causing Ruby to flinch at the notion.
"Pyrrha, I….." Ruby was cut off as they heard what sounded like an explosion followed by a fireball shooting up into the sky over Vale as several other explosions following the first. They both fell silent as the sirens started up and they could see what looked like gunships engaging in an aerial battle as smoke started to rise up into the air.
"We should go now and find out what's going on." Ruby said jumping up and offering a hand to Pyrrha who took it gratefully. They started running back to the dormitories when both of their scrolls beeped, Ruby yanked hers out and saw Yang's Aura hit the yellow on her scroll.
She also had a message from Blake. 'Where are you, Yang's in trouble' Ruby hit the locater and kept going.
Pyrrha could see Ruby's scroll and then looked at hers to see Jaune's Aura was still green but also near yellow.
"Don't tell me that they are….. JAUNE!" Pyrrha yelled as she took off with Ruby on her heels as she changed directions heading for the airships.
"Pyrrha, wait!" Ruby called to her as she arrived at the landing bay and saw three pilots on duty, two were playing cards at a table and the third was smoking a cigar on his own enjoying the night.
"Gunny, we need you to fly us to Vale, now!" Pyrrha yelled catching everyone's attention as Gunny turned to look, smiled and heartily replied, "OKAY!" He got into the bullhead and started the engines. Ruby jumped in after Pyrrha and they were about to take off when Ruby told Gunny to wait, pointing out the girl with a bow running right to them. As soon as Blake jumped in they were off on their way to Vale to find their teammates.
~Author Note~
Hey everyone! So first things first, I deeply ask for forgiveness for my absence due to family life and other things. I first want to mention my awesome editor for keeping tabs on em throughout my bad times these last few months and also to ReviewerDWJ for hitting me up to make sure i was still alive as well as the fact that I have a full on writing plan while I've been away. I cant promise set days for each chapter but I will actively be working on this continuously. Something I wanted to touch because it was asked by someone awhile ago on how me writing pre V4 and whatnot. I plan to go my own route with maybe some elements from V2-3 and the characters but otherwise it is still going to be a fanfic of a fun idea that spun out after V3. I hope everyone is well since were nearing the last 3 episodes of Volume 4 and well I am scared for Qrow my man. But I believe!
Anyways anyone is welcome to hit me up anytime or shoot questions. Drop a review i do always look forward to see what people think and hope you all like it. Cheers to the end of the world in 2017.
I plan to go to RTX 2017 as well as in the midwest to cosplay as Jaune, Qrow and at my sisters persistence Ozpin.
Look forward to Chapter 8 as its already started and should be a cruise to get finished because truly some of seven had me stumped but We persevered. Happy friday!
