A Flame in the Dark
Jaune and Yang flew down the streets of Vale like bats out of Hell. Their bikes dodging through traffic skillfully as the two Xiao Longs tried to get to the Vale Police Department as quickly as possible. Luckily, they didn't run into anyone or anything. They got there in record time regardless and Jaune was surprised they hadn't gotten pulled over for what they just pulled.
Getting there turned out to be the easy part. Calming Yang down so Jaune wouldn't have both sisters arrested was the difficult part. She kept demanding to see her sister but the officer kept telling them they had to question her about her run in with Roman Torchwick. That shocked both of the blondes and made Yang go into a frenzy to try and get to her younger sister to make sure she was okay. Jaune luckily was able to get his arms around her stomach and chest and was able to hold her back. "We'll wait. Thank you of your time, Officer."
The officer just nodded as Jaune slowly dragged Yang over to one of the chairs and forced her to sit down. "Yang, calm down before you get yourself arrested. I barely stopped you from getting the police called on you earlier and you do not need to have a record before even starting Beacon. Not to mention what Dad would say when he found out."
That seemed to get to her since she stopped her flailing and crossed her arms with an unhappy look on her face. Jaune sighed and sat down next to her with his arms crossed and eyes closed to patiently wait for his sister to be released. After a few minutes to calm down completely, Yang looked over to her brother and was about to say something before she thought otherwise. With how frustrated at her he was earlier; it would be best to give him some time. He rarely got too annoyed at her but when he did, she knew he needed some space to calm down completely. If not, it would just linger and make the whole situation that much worse to move on from.
A few minutes later, the two looked up to see Ruby walking up the hallway with a woman dressed in purple and an older man in green. Despite how upset she seemed over the call; Ruby looked ecstatic now. She saw her siblings and waved excitedly. That was enough for Yang to run across the room and scoop her up into a near crushing hug, "You had me so worried!" she shouted as Ruby just offered a pained groan in response.
Jaune just shook his head with a small grin as he walked up to them, "You alright, Ruby? Didn't get hurt?"
Ruby just managed to wriggle her way out of her sister's arms and got her feet back on the ground. She gave her a mild glare for the soreness of her ribs. She then turned to her brother with a smile, "I'm fine, Jaune. A little dinged up and smelling like smoke but I'm okay. Especially thanks to Miss Goodwitch." She added as she motioned to the women to her left.
Jaune gave a quite sigh and gently ruffled her hair, "Good to know." He then turned to the woman with a grateful smile, "Thank you."
Goodwitch just looked him over before she gave him a curt nod, "It was no issue, it is my job after all. Even though I do not agree with her actions." She leveled a glare at Ruby that caused her to wince a bit. "I would not allow someone so young to get in over their heads."
That caused Ozpin to chuckle, "Still as professional as always, Glynda. No one would hold it against you if you admit that you deeply care about the younger generation and want to keep them safe." The older man said with a smirk that he tried to hide behind his coffee mug. Goodwitch turned to him and leveled him with a more intense glare but the faint tint of pink on her cheeks just slightly dulled the heat of it. He then turned his gaze to Ruby, "You have a nice night, Miss Rose, and we will see you when the semester starts." Ruby nodded and the older siblings just looked confused before he turned to them, "Same goes to you , Mister and Miss Xiao Long." With that, he turned to the door and walked out of the precinct with Goodwitch not far behind him.
Yang then turned to her sister, "Uh, Ruby, who was that and what did he mean he'd see you next semester?"
She looked up to both of them, "Oh, that was Professor Ozpin-"
"That was Professor Ozpin?!" Yang shouted in shock and looked back to the door to stare at it.
"And he offered me a spot at Beacon and I accepted." She finished excitedly.
"Wait, he did what?!" Jaune asked in shock.
"Oh my Oum, our baby sister is going to Beacon with us!" she scooped up the reaper again to hold her tightly, "This is the best day ever!"
Ruby just managed to groan out a 'Please, stop.' As Jaune just stared at the two in shock. This wasn't even close to what he was expecting to get into when they left to get Dust a couple of hours ago. He then placed his face in his hand and groaned as the reality of everything finally came to him, "Just how in the hell are we going to explain this to Dad?"
Explaining what happened to Taiyang was not an easy experience to go through. Before they even got home, the VPD had called ahead of them to tell him what had happened since Ruby was still a minor. So as soon as they walked through the door, their dad was sitting in his chair in the living room and was just giving them the look that just screamed 'You are in so much trouble.'
So that lead to Jaune and Yang explaining how they allowed their younger sister to get into a fight with the most wanted man in Vale. Which was difficult because neither wanted to tell him that Yang had gone to try to get information on her mother and ended up with both of them getting into bar fights. Both knew that she would get into a lot of trouble for that and as much as Jaune was annoyed with her, he didn't want to throw her under the bus. So they came up with the excuse that Yang needed to help one of her friends that was in a jam and she then called Jaune for an added hand.
Taiyang bought it and eventually calmed down since he really couldn't be mad at them. It wasn't like the two knew Torchwick was going to rob that Dust shop and left their sister there to deal with it. He then congratulated Ruby for making it in early but Jaune could tell that he was both nervous and sad to see his youngest girl heading off to Beacon already.
Instead of calling him out on it, Jaune decided to go with the subtle way of convincing everyone to have a family movie night before they went off to Beacon. They all agreed since it had been a very long time since they did that last and would do it tomorrow because it was already so late. They all started to relax before bed and Tai gave Jaune a very grateful smile, knowing exactly what his son had done for him. He just gave his dad a hug before he went to go grab something to eat since none of them actually ate dinner.
A few days after that, things between Yang and Jaune hadn't been fixed yet. It wasn't like he was hostile to her but more like he avoided her as often as he could. He would act normally around her for the most part but the usual warmth he had for her just seemed to be dulled slightly. And honestly, Yang wasn't a big fan of it. Even with her party girl and tough as nails persona she displayed to most people, at her core she was someone that absolutely adored being surrounded by the people she loves. So Jaune being this distant for this long, about twice as long as he usually would be when he was upset with her, was more torturous for her compared to if he just shouted at her. And she knew she would have to talk to him if she wanted to fix this.
Which was why she was anxiously standing outside his bedroom door. She took a deep breath, "You can do this. You've fought Grimm for Oum's sake, you can handle a conversation with your brother." With that little pep-talk, she raised her hand and knocked on his door, "Hey, Jaune, can I come in?"
There was a moment of silence, "Yeah, sure, Yang." With his permission, she opened her door to see that he had Glacies Tempest on his desk and was cleaning the barrels with a tiny cylindrical brush, "I'm just making sure the barrels are clean of any Dust residue. Would hate to have them backfire on me. When was the last time you did this for your weapons?"
Yang instantly looked to the side and started to rub the back of her neck, "Not too long ago." Jaune looked up from his work to give her an even stare. She eventually caved and chuckled sheepishly, "Okay, okay. It has definitely been a while."
Jaune sighed before turning back to his gauntlet to finish cleaning the last barrel of that one, "If it wasn't for me and Ruby, I'm sure you would've blown off your hand by now."
Yang instantly gripped her right hand and started to rub it, "Don't even joke about that. That would be devastating." Jaune didn't say anything else and finished up his gauntlet before shifting it into its compact mode. He put it off to the side and picked up its twin to start doing the same thing. Yang stood by the door for a minute or so as her brother kept doing maintenance on his weapon. She sighed before she shut the door and took a seat on his bed so she was behind him, "Jaune, can we please talk?"
Jaune stopped for a second before he sighed. He placed his weapon and brush down on the desk before he turned his chair around to look at her, "Sure. What about?"
"You've been acting very distant with me since the club incident and I know why." She took a deep breath, "I know you were mad that I lied to you and went off without thinking things through. And when you came to help me, I brought up your original family and that was a low blow. And I'm sorry."
There was a silence from Jaune as Yang just looked at him nervously. He closed his eyes and exhaled from his nose. He opened his eyes, "I'm not mad about the family jab, Yang. Never knew them so it doesn't really bother me. Made peace with that long ago."
Yang tilted her head slightly, "Then what's been bothering you?"
Jaune just stared at her for a bit, "I'm upset because we weren't there for Ruby."
That confused her even more, "But she was fine and she made it to Beacon because of-"
"That doesn't make it better, Yang." Jaune said in a hard tone that shut her up instantly. That was a new tone to her and it wasn't a good one. "Because of what you did, neither one of us were there when Ruby fought the most infamous criminal with Hunter's training in Vale. Yeah, Ruby is a prodigy but we both know just how strong a Huntsman can be. If he took Ruby more seriously or if Goodwitch wasn't there to help her out… I don't wanna think about that. I don't."
That shut Yang up and she looked down to the floor. She was so relieved to know Ruby was okay and thrilled to know she was going to Beacon with her and Jaune, that she completely overlooked that part. Yeah, they fought against their dad and Qrow a lot but they were holding back so they could actually learn. If either wanted to, they could easily beat them. Maybe working together they could take on one of them but it would be a shock if they could actually beat them.
She wasn't saying that Roman was at their level but he could be close. It wouldn't be outlandish to think that Torchwick was only messing with Ruby. But if he was serious, then it would be very likely Ruby wouldn't have stood a chance. That caused a shiver to go down her spine, "I-I hadn't thought about that but you're right. R-ruby could've… could've…"
She stopped speaking when he felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw that it was indeed Jaune, who had got out of his chair and walked over to her. She had the beginning of tears in her eyes and both knew just how rare those were. His hands went to her upper arms and gently pulled her up. She didn't fight and instantly stood up to hold him tightly. Jaune just held her as he felt her shake slightly ever so often. His hand gently rubbing her back to try to soothe her.
Eventually she did stop and she spoke up in an uneven voice, "I guess I understand why you're pissed at me now."
He sighed yet again, "It takes a lot for me to get pissed at you or Ruby. This situation is close but not too bad. I was very annoyed at you for everything up til that point. But I was angrier at the whole situation and the fact we weren't there for our sister. The distance was just so I could work through this so I didn't take it out on you. Besides, you know Ruby hates it when we are at odds with each other."
She looked up at him with a weak smile, "I think you would've been in the right to be. And Ruby would've understood. It's not like we haven't been mad at each other before."
He shrugged, "Maybe. But I hate being angry with you too though."
She just looked at his chest for a second before looking back into his eyes, "I am sorry, Jaune. I can't say that enough."
He nodded and left a kiss on her forehead, "I know, Yang. And I do forgive you."
She hugged him a bit tighter, "Thank you." They hugged for a little bit longer before they pulled apart. "I do have one question though. But considering we just made up, I don't wanna get on your bad side again."
That made him chuckle, "I'll try not to get upset, what is it?"
She started to mess with her hair as she spoke up, "If you ever did meet your family, would you want to speak to them?"
Jaune thought about it for a bit before he spoke up, "I guess I would just ask them, 'What had happened?' or 'Why did they give me up?' I think that would be it." He looked out his window as he said the next part, "Maybe just get closure." He turned back to his sister with that, "But that doesn't really matter anymore. I have my family and I'm happy."
Yang smiled at him and gently tapped her fist to his shoulder, "And we love you. Got it?"
His smile broadened, "Absolutely. Now, go grab your weapons and come back. I'd feel better once I know they are cleaned properly." He sat back down in his chair and worked on his weapon again.
Yang rolled her eyes at him, "Fine. That way you'll stop nagging me. You know, you can be as bad as Dad." She said as she walked to his door.
Jaune didn't bother to look up but smirked as he said, "Love you too, Sis."
She left his door open as she made her way to her room to grab Ember Celica. The entire way there and back, she had an unrestrained smile on her lips. Things were back to the way that they were supposed to be and her heart soared with that.
It had been a few more days and it was finally time for the three Xiao Long/Rose kids to be on their way to Beacon. All their stuff was already loaded onto the airship and they were all saying goodbye to their dad. Taiyang was currently hugging his oldest daughter, "You'll do fine, I know it. Just promise to keep an eye on Ruby and don't get into too much trouble, okay?"
Yang smirked, "Come on, Dad. It's me."
Tai pulled away to look her in the eyes, "I know, that's why I'm saying it." That made her give him a slight pout mixed with a glare. That made him chuckle, "I know you'll make everyone proud, my Sunny Little Dragon."
Yang's eyes went wide and she blushed, "Dad, don't call me that in public!" she hissed at him and her father just laughed. She just punched him on the arm, "You are such a jerk." She said with a hint of a smile on her lips.
As the two blondes completely separated, Ruby quickly took her chance to hug her father. "I'm going to miss you, Dad."
Tai just held her tight, "Same here, sweetheart. But, as much as I don't wanna admit it, Ozpin knows what he's talking about. So, you're ready. Just be careful, okay? If you have any problems, don't forget your brother and sister will be there for you."
She looked up at him, "I will. But I'm not a kid anymore, I can handle myself just fine." She said with a smile.
Tai just smiled at her, "I know. But even adults need help from time to time. Keep that in mind." He then gave her a kiss to the top of her head.
It was finally Jaune's turn and the two gave each other a tight hug, "We got this, Dad." Jaune spoke first.
He nodded, "I know you do. Just keep an eye on your sisters for me, alright?"
Jaune snorted, "I would've done that regardless." They pulled apart and he gave his father a grin, "I'll make sure they don't get into anything beyond the usual."
Tai just grinned, "If you could get them to cut down on the 'usual' too, that would probably be best for everyone."
"Hey!" the sisters shouted in annoyance. That just caused the father and son to laugh. And with that, the three made their way onto the airship, each waving to their father one last time before they disappeared onto the airship. Things looked like it would only go up from there as they started to make their way to Beacon and fulfill their dreams.
Or it would've if not for one thing: Jaune's motion sickness.
He did take his medication way before he got onto the ship but an hour into it, he wasn't feeling so great. Which was why he was laying on one of the benches besides one of the many windows. He had his eyes closed and he was letting out tiny groans of discomfort every so often. It wasn't the feeling he got when he felt like he was going to vomit but just pain of his stomach feeling like it was in tight knots.
The impromptu pillow under his head and the fingers running through his hair were helping but he still wasn't doing alright. "How are you doing, Jaune?" Ruby asked.
Jaune opened his eyes and looked up directly at Yang's face. She had offered her lap to him as a pillow to make him more comfortable and he wasn't going to argue that it was way better than the bench itself. She was looking at him in mild concern as she continued to slowly rake her fingers through his hair. He shifted his eyes up towards his hair and could now see Ruby sitting next to Yang with a more concerned look on her face.
"I'm doing okay, Rubes." He gave her a smile to make her feel better. That was until the airship shifted slightly and he closed his eyes again with yet another groan. "Maybe 'okay' isn't the right word but I could be worse. At least, Yang's lap is comfortable."
Yang smirked, "I'll take that as a compliment. Although, I'm pretty sure the 'pillows' on my chest are way better." She teased.
"Yang!" Ruby reprimanded before slapping her on the arm.
Jaune probably would've agreed with Ruby but he just didn't have enough energy for that in his situation. So he just shrugged, "Maybe but if I did that, it would give everyone the wrong idea." He exhaled slowly, "I'm just glad I took my medicine beforehand. Me puking everywhere would not be a great first impression."
Yang chuckled, "Yeah and imagine how bad that would be for Ruby and I. Being the sisters of the guy that puked first day would be devastating."
"I'm going to lay on the floor now." Jaune said in annoyance as he tried to sit up.
He was stopped when Yang's other hand landed on his forehead and pushed him back down to lay on her lap, "No, you won't. Just relax until we get to Beacon. You know I'm just messing with you."
Jaune sighed in a mix or resignation and lesser annoyance. That was when he felt a pair of lips on his head before the owner pulled away. The owner soon spoke up, "Don't worry, Jaune. I still love you." Ruby said.
Jaune smiled before reaching his arm up over his head and ruffling her hair gently. "And I love you too." She giggled and he put his arm down.
"And what about me?" Yang asked as her hand stopped going through his hair.
Jaune didn't even bother to open his eyes, "I'm withholding until I get an apology. Punishment for you messing around with your ill, older brother." He said with a smirk.
"You aren't my older brother. We are the same age." She said in annoyance. She always did hate when he tried to pull that card. No one in their family knew when Jaune's actual birthday was, so they used the day when he officially became part of their family. They knew he was Yang's age but not if he was older than her or not. And with no one able to confirm or deny the claim besides Yang, he could always bring up to annoy her for his own amusement.
Jaune's smirk didn't waver, "Everyone else in the family agrees with me, so you've been outvoted. I'm also taller and more mature so I'm the ideal candidate to be the eldest sibling. Besides, don't you remember all those times you ran into my room in the middle of the night when you had a nightmare? You always called me 'Big Bro' when I held you until you fell asleep."
He cracked his eyes open enough to see Yang's face become as red a cherry. He absolutely loved that he was the only one that could get her like this. He was also secretly proud of it. "I was like eleven." She hissed at him in a low voice so no one else would hear her. "I haven't called you that in ages."
Jaune shrugged again and the smirk never leaving, "Doesn't matter. You've already said it, so there's nothing you can do to change it." He closed his eyes again, "Don't worry though, I know you're too big and strong to tell me how you feel. But that's the burden of being the eldest."
There was an extended silence and Jaune was just resting in it peacefully. He was considering it his victory against Yang. Plus he was serious, he knew his sisters loved him. So they didn't have to tell him it. He then felt another pair of lips on his forehead and as Yang pulled away she spoke up, "Sorry for teasing you on something you have literally no control over. And I do love you, you big jerk."
His smirk shifted into a smile with those words. Just because he didn't need them to say it, didn't mean he didn't appreciate it every time they did. "Apology accepted. I love you too, Yang." Jaune answered.
The three sat like that for several more minutes. Ruby's hand joined her sister's with playing with his hair but he really didn't mind. It felt good and it was soothing him just a bit. They did start to hear the other passengers get excited and start making their way to the windows. All three were curious so Jaune got up to free his sister and the three looked out the window they were next to. That's when they saw it: Beacon Academy in all its glory. All three had big smiles on their faces as they just kept staring at it.
The three were happy to be doing it with their siblings. Like every other challenge they faced so far, they would do it the only way they knew how. Together. What could possibly go wrong?
