Chapter 12: The Price Worth Paying
Beacon's first term had been the hardest three months of Jaune's life. It chewed him up, spat him out, and forced him to work like he never worked before, but somehow, he survived. With a passing grade to his name.
After all that, Jaune was definitely looking forward to a well-deserved break. One week of pure relaxation later, he got invited to join Team RWBY for some training at the combat arena. It sounded like a good idea: his team got along with Team RWBY and they never really trained together before. Hopefully, it'd be something leisurely and fun.
He walked into Ruby and Yang punching each other. Yang wasn't pulling her punches, either, which seemed pretty unfair. Jaune couldn't recall Ruby fighting without her scythe, while Yang was a specialist at getting down and dirty with her fists.
Surprisingly, Ruby wasn't doing that bad. Her superior speed and reflexes helped her dodge Yang's punches, but Yang switched tactics, waiting for Ruby to attack before she dropped her with a fast counter. Ruby climbed to her feet the second after she broke her fall, panting heavily, arms hanging near her waist.
"Keep that stance up!" Yang said.
Ruby frowned, but pulled her hands were level with her shoulders, throwing a couple of solid punches at the air. The fight continued, and Jaune couldn't believe this was this actually happening. Weren't they supposed to be enjoying a holiday?
Would he have to follow their lead? Jaune trained extremely hard, but the only practice he did during this holiday was some light revision. That, and some mild exercise. Yang had some of the highest combat grades in their year, and Ruby was hot on her heels. Yet, here they were, training like they had an exam coming up. It was as inspiring as it was befuddling.
Weiss gave him the motivation to improve himself if he ever wanted to earn her favour, but all the grit in the world couldn't make up for the fact that he wasn't good enough to get into any one of Mistral's combat schools, let alone Beacon. It took all of his wits just to keep up with the curriculum, and even then, he was on a one-way trip to failing his combat classes.
He hadn't wanted to admit it at the time, but he needed help. Lots of it. Pyrrha could have helped him, but she had been giving him the silent treatment for completely understandable reasons. Not only that, this rift hadn't gone unnoticed.
"Well, Jaune, it looks like you're in a pickle!" Nora said, grinning at him.
Jaune couldn't disagree. Pyrrha stormed out of their room, unwilling to hear him out for even one second. There was no way he could do Cardin's dirty work and keep up with his classes without losing ground somewhere. It just so happened that he was losing Pyrrha.
He collapsed on his bed and covered his face. "What should I do?"
"About Pyrrha?" Ren asked, Stormflower on his lap. He sat cross-legged on Nora's bed, completely serious. Nora was trying to copy him.
"About everything!" Jaune said. "Pyrrha won't talk to me because of Cardin, but I can't get Cardin off my back!"
"Have you tried breaking his legs?"
Jaune sat up, peering through his fingers just to make sure that it was Ren who said that and not Nora doing a ventriloquist act.
"Breaking his legs guarantees he'll reflect on his actions," Ren said.
If Ren thought it was a good idea, then maybe – no, Cardin wouldn't stop if his team fought his battles for him. He had to fix this, alone... but that was exactly why he was in this mess.
"Any other suggestions?"
Nora pounded a fist into her palm. "If you're going to be Mr. Nice Guy and leave Cardin's legs intact, make him think he's crazy instead! He'll have to leave you alone eventually!"
He wasn't sure if it would work for long.
"Consider talking to Pyrrha when she's in a better mood," Ren said. "She wants to help you."
Jaune sighed. "I know."
"Then don't let Cardin bully you, Jaune!" Nora said. She got tired of sitting cross-legged and threw her legs off her bed, hands hanging behind her back. "You have to stand up to him, like Ruby did. Otherwise, he'll keep on coming after you, and Pyrrha will be sad, and you won't get anywhere."
His hands fell into his lap. What was he going to do?
Yang and Ruby had finished the first round. Apparently, Ruby would be better off using her speed to punch her opponent many times in a row instead of taking on a hard blow and countering like Yang did.
Both sisters went for round two, and Ruby tried out Ren's style, immediately landing some swift blows. Ren was bang on once again. In fact, Ren's insight was the main reason why they were all gathered together.
He had come across them sparring a couple of days ago and lent Ruby a helping hand. Nora found out and, with her out-of-the-box thinking, managed to wrangle them all together for one big training session.
"That was exciting," Pyrrha said, at Jaune's side. "You're coming along quite nicely, Ruby."
Ruby sucked in a lungful of air. "Thanks, Pyrrha."
He was glad whatever friction existed between them had been squashed. They were both good people, they didn't need to fight.
"Why do you need to get better at fighting hand-to-hand?" Jaune asked. She lost both rounds to Yang, but the whole point of sparring was to improve.
Ruby's silver eyes sharpened into steel. "I'm not good at it."
"But I am," Yang said. "I didn't think that Ren would be so willing to help us, but I sure am grateful!"
Ren nodded, cooler than a cold gale. "I merely saw an opportunity to lend my assistance. You're the one who's been working with Ruby the most."
Ruby's smile dented the razor-sharp look in her eye. "Don't sell yourself short, Ren. Mixing your fighting style with my speed is like fire and oil, chocolate and vanilla –"
"Lightning and thunder!" Nora said. She sat backwards on a chair she pulled from somewhere.
"Yeah! Point is, you really helped me out, Ren."
Ren smiled. "I'm glad."
Jaune was, too. He still wondered why she was training so hard just to get better at fist-fighting. Was she trying to beat Pyrrha? Ruby might have killed Roman Torchwick, professional thief – or potential gang leader? He wasn't sure – but Pyrrha was in a class of her own. Perfect grades, perfect form, a master of her craft who was always improving.
It might have been a high bar to clear, but it didn't seem like Ruby was aiming for Pyrrha. It almost felt like she was aiming for something bigger.
"I know you want to get better, Ruby, but we're gonna be at Beacon for four years, right?" Jaune said. "We've got lots of time."
That was rich for him to say. Pyrrha glanced at him, askance, but she knew like he did that his situation was different.
"Time isn't the issue, it's knowing that you have a problem that needs to be solved as soon as possible, because it's impossible to settle for anything less," Blake replied, surprisingly enough. She wasn't sitting like Nora, choosing to stand next to Weiss of all people. Weren't they not friends?
"If you haven't felt that way before, it's not something that you can really empathize with," Blake continued.
Jaune frowned. "I know what it's like."
If that was what Ruby was trying to do, then he understood completely.
Blake, however, raised an eyebrow at his response. "Really? I wouldn't have guessed."
"If you've seen the hours he's put into developing himself, there would be no need to ask such a question," Pyrrha said.
"Right. Of course. I didn't mean to insult you, Jaune."
Jaune laughed it off. "Hey, no offense taken."
"I'm sorry, Blake," Pyrrha said. "I misread your intent."
Blake smiled. It looked nice on her. "You were sticking up for your partner."
Pyrrha wasn't the only one who got the wrong impression of Blake. There might have been more to Blake than what he saw of her, but she wasn't a killer in disguise. That said, she wasn't the most approachable girl in the world, so he didn't bother trying to bridge that gap. There was a difference between being shy or reserved and being prickly.
Even Weiss liked to talk, and her beauty didn't hide her haughty attitude. Then again, he had actually spoken to Weiss more than once. There was something charming about her that he found irresistible, a depth beneath her prickly exterior.
"Speaking of partners, how has Jaune been, Pyrrha?" Weiss asked. "I hope you didn't regret choosing him."
Pyrrha smiled. "Jaune has been a wonderful partner. He's worked very hard to prove he's belonged here at Beacon."
Jaune felt a smile spreading his mouth wide. How could he ever refuse her help when she wanted to make him the best man he could possibly be?
Weiss crossed her arms. "Has he? Does that mean you actually took my advice, Jaune?"
His smile turned daring, for his desire to flirt with Weiss had only risen since their last encounter after nearly being extinguished by months of distance.
"I've taken your advice to heart. I'd be letting down my teammates if I didn't give everything I had to find success at Beacon. And if I didn't take this opportunity seriously, I'd never be able to look you in the eye, let alone talk to you as an equal!"
"Don't let Weiss' name or money fool you, Jaune, you two are equals," Yang said. "You're both students at Beacon, and you both earned your place here."
Weiss smirked. "I know I earned my spot. I passed a very rigorous entrance exam. I assume Jaune must have done the same."
Ruby glanced at him, curious. Yang was smiling, but she couldn't hide her interest in Jaune's answer. The main reason why he didn't tell anyone now was because no one asked. It also wasn't something he was proud of.
On the other hand, Ruby had told him about how she got into Beacon, so he didn't mind returning the favour with her. Yang had been good to him since they first met. He wasn't sure about Blake or Weiss, but not so unsure that he thought they'd blab about it to anyone who wanted a fresh rumour to spin.
After telling the rest of his team about his transcripts, telling anyone else would be a cinch, but finding the courage to tell his team in the first place wasn't easy.
"It's not that simple," Jaune said.
"What do you mean?" Ren asked.
'It just isn't!' is what he wanted to say. Deny, deny, deny, and get his teammates to drop the subject. But they were right. And not only were they right, he had no way of stopping Cardin on his own.
If he was going to tell Ozpin about his transcripts, he had to tell his team first. After all, he was their leader. If he was going to be the pillar they could rely on, he had to make sure his foundation was steadfast.
"I... wasn't accepted into Beacon," Jaune said.
"Huh?" Nora said.
"I'm not joking. I forged some transcripts and snuck my way in."
"Why?"
Nora's frown caught him off-guard. It wasn't some pout she made whenever Ren didn't make her favourite foods, or anything playful, she was genuinely shocked.
"Everyone in my family can fight. Most of them are heroes, and it's been that way for generations. I wasn't going to be the first one to screw that up."
Of course, that was easier said than done. Coming to terms with his weakness had been rough, to say the least.
"I thought something was wrong with me, but it turns out I just wasn't good enough. Whatever potential I might've had wasn't showing, and I couldn't afford to waste time taking entrance exams I knew I'd fail, so I decided I'd get into Beacon and become a real huntsman, no matter what."
Ren set his hands on his knees. "And you decided to do so through forgery."
"Yes."
It was shameful to admit it, and somehow, it was even worse than when he told Pyrrha about his trickery.
"So you cheated," Nora said. Her lips curled into an even tighter frown. "You're smart enough to forge some transcripts, you know how to work really hard, but you took the easy way out instead?"
"I just needed the chance," he said, desperate not to look like a fool. "After that, I'd do my best."
And if they rejected him, that was just the cost of pursuing his dream.
"What about the person who couldn't get in because you took their place? Beacon could've been their chance, too, you know!"
He didn't know. Quite frankly, he wouldn't have cared. Right now, though, hearing that from Nora made his heart wrench with guilt. She was always so positive, so friendly.
"We have to trust that our teammate can do their share," Ren said, calm as always. Although, the dark glint in his eyes spoke volumes. "It would be one thing if you had the ability but lacked the means to enter Beacon legitimately. However, your skills leave a lot to be desired."
"Ren's right!" Nora said. "You're a nice guy, Jaune, but if you have to save someone innocent from a Grimm, niceness won't be enough! Can you even save yourself from a Grimm?"
His shoulders curled inwards; he stared at his open palms. It was the cold, hard truth that he couldn't ignore.
But it was a truth that he couldn't shy away from.
"I didn't pass that entrance exam," Jaune said. "I forged some transcripts and cheated my way in."
Weiss' arms fell to her sides, mouth hanging wide open. "Excuse me?"
"It's surprisingly clever," Blake said, pursing her lips. "But why not take the test? It wasn't that hard."
"Maybe he thought he wasn't good enough?" Ruby said. She was right, and also the least surprised of them all. It made sense; she was the one who inspired him to tell his team the truth.
"Did you guys know?" Yang asked.
"We did!" Nora said, leaning forward into the back of her chair. "And we made sure that Jaune knew exactly where he went wrong."
"I sure hope you did!" Weiss said. She sounded awfully scandalized, which didn't sound right to him.
"Did you tell Professor Ozpin about this?" Ruby asked.
"Of course I did," Jaune said.
Telling Ozpin about his cheap trick had been a cinch. It helped that he pretty much knew from the moment he set foot on Beacon. Of course, he didn't let him run around because it was funny to watch.
"I see great potential within you, Mr. Arc. Don't take this liberty for granted."
It was encouragement and warning all in one. He wouldn't ever take it for granted.
"I'd be surprised if he didn't," Yang said. "Ozpin knows a lot. If you're here, you must be off the hook. Might as well keep on moving forward, right?"
Jaune nodded. "Can do."
Weiss stared Jaune down, assessing him. It'd suck if she shunned him, but not so much that he couldn't live with it. Nonetheless, he prepared for the worst, and hoped for the best.
"Well, Jaune, if you really want to prove yourself, why not pass that entrance exam for real?"
His mind blanked. "Um, come again?"
"That's a great idea, Weiss," Pyrrha said, smiling widely. "Think about it, Jaune, if you take the exam and pass, then you'll have earned your place at Beacon, the right way."
Jaune gulped. "You really think I can do it?"
"You sure can," Ruby said. "Maybe I should do it with you. You know, for moral support!"
He rubbed the back of his neck. Part of him thought Ruby was nursing a crush when she kissed him on the cheek, but he never got that vibe before or since. They were like two peas in a pod, weren't they?
"I'm pretty sure you'd pass. I'm also sure I wouldn't."
"That's quitter talk, Jaune!" Nora said. "And we all know you're no quitter!"
"The only issue I see is in organizing the exam," Ren said. "Waiting for next year to come along would be inconvenient."
"It'd give Jaune a lot of time to get good, though," Yang said.
He could afford to wait that long. Passing the entrance exam would banish all his doubts that he didn't deserve to be here, that he wasn't good enough to become a huntsman at all.
After that, he'd be one step closer to proving his worth. It was why he came to Beacon in the first place, even if it might have come at someone else's expense.
"So, what do you want me to do? Leave Beacon, and get that guy whose place I stole to come here instead?"
"No," Ren said. "There's no point in doing so now. You want to be here, and you have been working hard to improve yourself. That's worth acknowledging."
"Thanks, Ren." He gathered some courage before looking at Nora, hopeful that she wouldn't kick him out. "What about you, Nora?"
Nora stared at Ren, sharing something that only lifelong friends could. Ren nodded at her. She made eye contact with Jaune once more, and her whole face had taken on this pensive melancholy that hung thickest in her eyes.
"I don't want you to leave, either, Jaune. I'd really miss you."
Jaune felt his smile come back. "Really?"
"Yep. But if you want to get better, you need some help." She grinned. "And we're going to help you. Got it?"
Her grin promised a world of pain, but it was better than the pain he'd feel from his friends rejecting him.
"I'll do whatever it takes," Jaune said.
He reached out, went through the wringer, and in doing so, managed to pass his combat exams by the skin of his teeth. What was one more exam compared to that?
Weiss smiled at him. "You made the right decision, Jaune."
"Want to train with us?" Yang asked.
Her lilac eyes burned with a promise to help him succeed. That success would come at a price. It always did. When it came to doing what he wanted, he had to acknowledge what it cost to pursue this dream or else it would lose all meaning.
"That's why we're here, right?"
"Let's get started, then," Pyrrha said.
He had to think bigger. Ruby didn't rest on her laurels, and Pyrrha strove for excellence in everything she did. Following their footsteps was the best way forward. But he wouldn't have to do this on his own.
After all, there was no shame in asking for help. The cost was his pride, but it was a price worth paying.