In case you haven't noticed I'm a pretty big jaune arc fan of the rwby series which is why volume 8 kinda worries me a bit. In volume 8 there's this thing with distrust that's supposed to happen with the rwby team that splits them apart but at the end of volume 7 Ozpin returned and Oscar asked him for help. So what I'm worried about is that Oscar won't tell them that OZ has returned and he'll manipulate them to doing what he wants until he's found out which will have yang and jaune turning against him.
Of course as we know some of the others will side with him but I feel that if ruby actually trusts him jaune will feel like he can't stay with her anymore because of all the lies Ozpins told. Plus in my opinion that feels like a slap in the face since jaune trusts her but she'd defer to a man who hasn't made any attempt to stop this war that's pretty much consumed the lives of everyone they know and love.
The trek through the forest would have been a little more enjoyable if he wasn't helping yang walk. Then again if she wasn't in a lot of pain from their move earlier he doubted she would have liked looking like a damsel in distress. "This would be a lot easier if you'd just let me carry you" he said only to receive a glare from the other blonde.
They continued to walk slowly following after the main group in silence until jaune came to a stop "can you at least tell me why you don't want me to carry you"? Yang thought about it for a few moments "well for one it's embarrassing and two I'm not so weak that I need your help". Jaune rolled his eyes "Yang if I let you go right now you'd fall flat on your face and after all damage you took that's the last thing you need right now".
Yang frowned and with what little strength she had she pushed jaune away to stand on her own two feet. She barely lasted a few seconds on her feet before falling backwards towards the ground. Yang prepared for the inevitable pain of hitting the ground by closing her eye's and tensing her muscles but to her surprise the pain never came.
"You see this is what happens when you don't listen to me"
Yangs eye's cracked open to see jaunes face staring down at her and with his arms holding her back so she wouldn't fall. She gritted her teeth and tried to move away to prove she didn't need his help but jaune didn't let her go. "Let go or I'll - woah" yang shouted in surprise as jaune went low and swept her off her feet.
"Put me down"!
"Nope".
"Now jaune"!
"Nope".
"Stop acting like ruby"!
Jaune gave her a smug smile "Nope" he said making sure to pop the p just to infuriate her more.
Yang struggled in his arms for a few seconds before pain racked her body from the technique they used earlier. Having lost the battle against her own battered body she stopped struggling but made sure to glare at the man carrying her for putting her in this embarrassing position. Catching up to the others was easier because they weren't moving like snails anymore but the looks they received upon arrival were enough to have yang blushing.
Blake raised a brow at Yangs current predicament "Yang, I see you've been making progress when we weren't around". Yangs response was to cross her arms and try to bury her face into jaunes chest so nobody could see how red her face had become. Although some saw the amusement in her actions others couldn't help the ugly feelings growing in their breast.
When pyrrha had heard jaune had caught up to them she hoped to speak more about when they would go out together but as soon as she saw them together her voice died in her throat. Nora watched the two blondes like a hawk and couldn't help but feel jealous that she actually had a man who would do that kinda stuff for her. A part of her wanted to scream and choke the reason out of Ren for why he acted like he wasn't interested in her but the other part wanted to get some tips out of yang.
Nora decided that option two was probably the safer route and scooted over to jaune and yang. She tapped on jaunes shoulder to gain his attention "hey there jaune I was hoping I could talk to yang for a minute". Yang let her head fall back so she can see Nora although upside down "what's up? you wanted to talk to me"?
Nora opened her mouth to talk but immediately clamped it shut before giving jaune a look like she was expecting something. "What"? jaune asked only for Nora to tap her ear "how about a little privacy buddy". Jaune gave the ginger a deadpan look "Nora my hands are quite literally full right now and if I use them to cover my ears I'll end up dropping yang".
A low growl came from Nora's throat "fine I got a plan for that too" she said before moving behind her leader and placing her hands over his ears. "Geeze do we have to do everything for you" she said but jaune raised a brow in question "what"? It took her a second to realize she still had her hands over his ears but chose to just move on.
"So-" she started "-you and jaune huh"? Yangs eye's narrowed on the ginger "we're not like that". Nora could see it even if yang wanted to deny it "not yet but I can tell that you want it to be like that". Apparently the two forgot others were around cause neither of them noticed how pyrrha had went quiet to hear the blondes response.
Yang took a quick look at jaune before going back to Nora "just hurry up and get to the point already". Nora grinned at finding someone in her shoes "Well teammate we find ourselves in the same frustrating position where the men we're after are too dense to get the clue. Unfortunately for us when we went solo we didn't get very far which is why now is the time for a maidens alliance" she said enthusiastically.
Although Nora was being Nora which was funny since that saying seemed to fit a little too perfectly, she could see the benefits to such a arrangement. Two years she had been showing interest in jaune and yet he carried on blissfully unaware of her feelings or was to dense to see the signs. This was a terrible idea "sounds good to me" but sometimes a terrible idea showed the most results.
Ruby had been listening in to Nora's crazy idea and realized just how crazy it was because she was saying it out loud for Ren to overhear. She had known about her cousins feelings for jaune for a while and although she didn't understand how he hadn't noticed with all the flirting even she thought their team up was a bad idea.
To everyone's relief the cliff they were catapulted off of came into view along with the staircase that led up to the top so they wouldn't need to rock climb to get back. Once at the foot of the staircase yang felt her feet touch the ground while jaune adjusted his hold on her so she could stand upright. The pain in her body was gone but in it's place there was stiff and sore muscles that made it hard to move around but at least now she wouldn't have to look so pathetic.
Nora let go of jaunes ears and moved over to help yang walk while they discussed plan's for future. Jaune's freedom allowed him to catch up with Ren as they scaled the impressive amount of stairs leading to the top. "Is it me or is anyone else getting really bad vibes from those two" he said while pointing his thumb at yang and Nora.
Ren looked back to see Nora and yang talking with each other before turning back to jaune "I'll offer a blanket and pillow whenever you need to get away". The small act of kindness almost made jaune cry at the fact that there was someone else who undoubtedly suffered at the hands of these young women and new how to cheer him up.
/
Coco watched the scroll pad flicker with more people passing their initiation from the different groups scattered around the forest. "Finally, are jobs almost done" she swiped the screen so she could look through the various camera's scattered around the Emerald forest. Tapping on the top right camera video she watched the remaining group of students climbing the stairs to reach the top of the hill.
"Hey bun looks like our kids are on the way up" she said as she handed the scroll pad to her teammate. Coco's smile grew when ruby and the rest arrived "poor kids must've had it rough, we should soothe their weary souls". The first team of boys arrived earlier and were near dead on their feet but the last two groups didn't seem all that tired, well except for yang.
"Alright children please gather around" Glynda goodwitch stood next to the headmaster and waited for them to follow her orders. With everyone tired from the days work, none of them wanted to do anything more than get some food and a shower. Ozpin stepped forward when all the students gathered around him "Jaune arc, Blake belladona and Russel Thrush from today onward you will be the leaders of your new team".
All Three of the team leaders began to complain about the sudden responsibility thrusted upon them but Glynda was having none of it. "This is a great responsibility you all have been given, you will be grateful and stop acting like spoiled children" Glynda replied while cracking her horse crop against her hand making them flinch. Ozpin gave a small smile before taking a sip from a new mug of coffee "now that that's settled we have one more thing to hash out".
Ozpin stood tall and looked each one of the leaders in the eye before continuing "team names. Normally it would fall to the teachers to choose a name befitting of the students that comprise of said team but as I've explained earlier we are doing things a little differently. Now it falls to you, their leaders to choose what you will be remembered as for the next four years" Ozpin took another sip from his mug "when you have decided a name return with your teams to the auditorium".
Those were his final words as he walked off with Glynda and team CFVY, leaving them alone to decide what they should be called. The first to break the silence was weiss "this is unbelievable, what in all of remnant would make the headmaster choose a criminal to lead a huntsmen team"! Jaune took one look at her and decided he just didn't have the energy to deal with her right now.
Trying to figure out a name was tough but by the time they reached the auditorium they finally had a name to present to the headmaster. The ceremony for the people who passed initation was small and short, they would stand on stage while Ozpin gave them their names in front of the other students and assigned team leaders for each group of four. Quite frankly the whole thing was pretty anticlimactic and a tad bit embarrassing but once team RBWL (Rumble), JNWY (January) and team BRRN (Brown) were established they were allowed to retire to the dorm rooms they were assigned.
After jaune had finished his shower he laid in bed and stared at the ceiling wondering just what was going to happen now that his first year at Beacon had finally started.
I guess this was pretty much a cool down chapter. That and I'm working with a friend to get better at animation so I could give visuals to my stories. One day of course but that also means I gotta work on my drawing skills again.