Jaune sat across from his mother in his office unable to comprehend the words that came out of his mother's mouth. After what was a hectic day fending off grimm that somehow made it into the city of Vale, now his mother wanted to talk to him about his father. His father was always a touchy subject for his mother to talk about and Jaune did always wonder what happened between them. His love for his mother outweighed his curiosity though and he didn't want to push her since it made her sad.
That being said though, why did she want to talk about it today of all days? Jaune felt like they should both be getting some rest after what happened and Jaune knew that she had meetings with Ozpin, Ironwood and the council. She had to be exhausted from all of that so why did she feel the need to have this talk with him? Looking at her face though, Jaune knew that his mom felt conflicted, but she also looked like she wanted to get this off of her chest.
"Um ok, why do you want to talk about him now Mom?" Jaune asked his mother who sighed.
"I have been putting it off for too long and after today I can tell things are going to get even more stressful in the future. That's why I need to talk to you about your dad and his importance." Glynda said seriously and Jaune nodded.
"Ok, I'm all ears." Jaune assured and Glynda began.
"Your father's name was Jeralt Edelgard and he was a member of a team called JSPR, who was in the same year as my own team. At first we did not really like each other, I thought that he was incredibly reckless, and he thought that I was a know-it-all. Then we had this joint mission and he saved me from a deathstalker, with that greatsword of his and incredible strength. That is when I started to look at him in a new light and in a funny kind of way, I think he started to look at me differently as well.
When we got back from the mission he asked me out on a date, to which I was surprised but I said yes because I was intrigued. Then a few dates later he asked me to be his girlfriend and of course I said yes because I wanted to be with him more than anything. Jeralt taught me so much about life and just wanting to have fun with it, before that I was just the girl who followed all the rules and was so strict about my life. I'd like to believe that he changed me for the better and let me enjoy my experience at Beacon in the best possible way." Glynda said with a smile as she reminisced about the past.
"It sounds like he had a great influence on you, but what happened next?" Jaune asked.
"Life happened I guess; we had dated from our first year at Beacon all the way after graduation. Once we graduated we went from kingdom to kingdom hunting the grimm, taking jobs in villages all over. I thought that it was time for us to settle down, start a family and focus on the ways that we could really help remnant. Jeralt thought differently though, he loved the thrill of the hunt and did not want that to be taken away from him.
I got upset and told him that life is not just about killing Grimm, it's about making the world a better place and there is more than one way to do that. I wanted us to continue being huntsman but also become teachers at Beacon, so we could really help people. But your dad was who he was and wanted a life full of adventure, and mostly one that did not involve any rules or authority. We had many arguments, but it appeared that we were both stubborn, a trait we shared even if we did not want to admit it." Glynda said honestly and Jaune looked curious.
"Ok, so what happened after that?" Jaune asked and his mom sighed.
"We had the fight of all fights and then Jeralt decided that we should take some time apart to see how we truly felt about things. I think he just wanted some more time to kill grimm without any regulations, but I had hope that he was going to see my side when he had his fill. Unfortunately, that never came to pass though because a month later I got a message in the mail saying he and a couple of other huntsmen had been killed in battle." Glynda said sadly and Jaune widened his eyes.
"Oh mom, I'm so sorry to hear that. What happened?" Jaune asked with sympathy.
"Apparently, he and some others were protecting a village when a grimm invasion happened. It must have been similar to the one today because it completely overpowered him and the other huntsman. Not only that, but apparently the villagers had to evacuate, and some were even killed by the onslaught of grimm. I couldn't believe it, a hoarde of grimm overpowering your father? That is something that I never thought could happen in a million years, and because of my stubbornness I lost him, and I couldn't even say goodbye…" Glynda said sadly as there were tears in her eyes and Jaune got up and gave her a hug.
"I'm sorry mama…" Jaune said in a comforting tone as his mom hugged him back and smiled.
This was her son, the boy who put his own feelings away and would do anything to help an individual. His mother was no exception, as Jaune strived to make Glynda happy and hated when she was sad and would do anything to put her in good spirits. Glynda considered herself to be very lucky to have a son like Jaune but she also could not help but feel a bit selfish. Jaune was putting his feelings aside just to make her happy, he wasn't showing the emotions she thought he would show when learning about his dad.
"Thank you son, I very much appreciate it. Anyway, the rollercoaster that was my life just kept going and then a week after I learned about your father's early demise, I learned that I was pregnant with you. I was very much in shock and stressed, considering that I was only in my early twenties and I found out I was having a child. Though despite my stress, I felt blessed that I was still going to have a piece of Jeralt even if he was no longer here. I thanked the gods for that and promised that I would raise you to be the best you could be.
So that is what I did, and it was stressful at times, I asked Professor Ozpin for a job here at Beacon because there was no way I could go on missions and leave a toddler at home, plus I needed money to support us. Luckily, Professor Ozpin told me that he was planning on recruiting me anyway because he liked how I used my mind and he thought I could be a good teacher. I think he also wanted to do something for me because he knew about me and your father and he was also saddened by his passing. So, I took the job, and here we are now." Glynda said honestly and Jaune nodded and to him so many questions were answered.
Jaune finally learned the truth about his father, something that he had wanted to know for so long, but he could never find it in himself to pressure his mom to talk about it. It always seemed to be a touchy subject for her and now he completely understood why. The story between his mother and his father was no doubt a heartbreaking one, Jaune felt bad that his mother had to tell it to him and relive all of that pain. It was something that Jaune did not wish on anyone and his heart broke for his mother.
It was already bad enough that his dad had passed before he could even meet him, but Jaune found it worse that this is how his parents had left each other. Jaune could understand why his father was reluctant to settle down because killing grimm whenever you want to and without rules seemed enjoyable. However, Jaune could also see where his mother was coming from because at some time in life you have to grow up and settle down. Plus, killing grimm is an effective way to keep people safe but it is not all you can do to help people and it certainly will not help the world evolve based on that alone.
Still, Jaune wished that his parents could have seen eye to eye and that way his dad probably would not have gone on that mission. But things were how they were and Jaune accepted that just like his Mom had accepted it all those years ago. He still hated that this is how things ended up though, and it taught Jaune that life is sacred, and it could be gone at any moment. Jeralt clearly felt that he just needed some time to think about what Glynda said and he would come back, but unfortunately fate had not planned it that way.
Jaune wanted to be mad at the world for taking his dad from him before he was born, but that was life and he just had to deal with it. Besides, his father was the one who decided to live the life of a huntsman and sometimes that could put you in very dangerous situations. Jaune was at least glad that he was told the story of his father and did feel some closure but there was one question that was still in his mind. Why did his mom tell him now? She had been avoiding it for years so what made her change her mind? Rather than linger on it, he decided to ask her himself.
"Mom, thank you for finally telling me all of this, but I have to ask why now? You have put it off for so many years, so why did you choose now to tell me?" Jaune asked curiously and his mother sighed.
"After today, the invasion showed me that anything could happen at any given day. I can't just keep putting things off day after day because one day I could be gone, you never know. Plus, I felt like I needed to finally get this off my chest so I could actually heal. Not only that, but you also deserved to know because you are the best son that a mother could ask for and I have no doubt that Jeralt would be so proud of you and the man you are becoming. However, there is another reason why I am choosing to tell you." Glynda said with a serious expression and Jaune got confused.
"What is that mom?" Jaune asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Jaune, today we saw a horde of grimm invade the city of Vale, something that has not been done for ages. Not to mention that there are still threats of the White Fang continuing their attacks and if the bombs on the trains were anything to go by, it means that things will continue being chaotic. We will be as prepared as we can, but in case something happens to me and you need access to the security network or the resources Beacon has, I will also give you access. The password to the mainframe of Beacon is Jeralt, your father's name." Glynda said seriously and Jaune widened his eyes.
Jaune had never heard his mother talk like this before, sure she was strict, and she was very serious about school work but never had he heard her talk about these kind of events. Jaune could see where she was coming from though, it had not even been a day and grimm roamed through the streets and if Team RWBY did not find that train then things could be much worse. But did Jaune's mom really think that things were going to get so chaotic that something may happen to her? Jaune knew that she was just planning for the future, but he really hoped that wasn't the case.
"What a second, mom why do you need me to have access to the mainframe of Beacon? What would I even do with it? And do you really think that things will get that ugly in the near future?" Jaune asked a little freaked out.
"I need you to have access to the mainframe because if something happens and I become incapacitated then I need you to send a message to the other kingdoms for help. Only Professor Ozpin and I have access to it at the moment, and if something happens to us then we will need you to act in our stead. I know it is scary Jaune, but I have faith that you will do the right thing and will help when needed. To answer your other question, I don't know for sure if things will get that ugly in the future, but we have to be prepared at all times." Glynda said seriously and Jaune nodded.
Jaune knew that his mother was right, they had to be prepared for anything especially with the Vytal Festival coming up in a couple months. The White Fang may have suffered a lot of casualties in those tunnels but Jaune highly doubted that it was all of them and they probably had another army waiting. Considering it was mostly humans that thwarted their plans, Jaune imagined that their hate for the humans had not died down, hell it was possibly reborn. Torchwick was in jail but what about his henchwoman with the umbrella?
There was so much that was still unknown, and Jaune didn't even consider that weird group from Haven and what their role in this was. Jaune could not help but feel a bit annoyed because this was not what he signed up for when he applied to Beacon. He just thought that he was going to be a normal student and learn the ways of the hunter just like his parents did before him. But apparently, he had to deal with a terror organization and criminals who for some reason wanted to cause havoc in Remnant. Jaune couldn't complain about it though, this was his life now and he had to deal with it.
It also meant that his team would have to deal with it as well as they were in everything together. He didn't think that they minded though because all of them were talented and they liked beating up bad guys, but they weren't as reckless as Team RWBY. Oh God Team RWBY, Jaune had not even thought about them. What was Blake going to do if the White Fang decided to invade? She told Jaune that they made their own choices and she made hers, but Jaune would have to see it to believe. Gathering his thoughts, he turned back to his mother.
"Thank you for telling me about Dad, I know it must be hard to talk about him considering what happened. I don't think he would want you to keep having that hole in your heart though, so just continue to live for him and me. Also, I don't really want to think about the troubles that could come in the future but as a huntsman I know that I have to. I really don't want an event like that to occur but if somehow it does then I will be ready, and I will use the access you gave me to help." Jaune said seriously and his mother smiled.
"I know you will son, now come give your mom a hug." Glynda ordered and her son did as she commanded.
"Love you Mama." Jaune said happily as he nuzzled the left side of his mother's face.
"I love you too son, now go back to your room I am sure that your team is waiting for you." Glynda said with a smile as she kissed her son on the head and the let him go.
Jaune waved goodbye to his mother and made his way back to his dorm with many thoughts on his mind. It had been seventeen years coming but he finally got the story of his father that he had been wanting to hear for so long. After hearing it from his mother, Jaune thought that he must have gotten his laid-back attitude from his dad, but he couldn't let it affect what's important to him like his Dad did. He would always see both sides of things, while keeping his laid-back attitude that defined him.
His mother told him in that story that his father used a greatsword in battle, Jaune wondered how his dad would feel seeing him use a katana. The weapons were both blades but different in terms of attack power and precision, Jaune preferred his weapon Kikoku because it was easy to hold, and he could do a lot of things with it. Now that he thought about it, he forgot to ask his mom about his Dad's semblance and wondered if it was similar to his. He didn't want to go back to her and talk about his Dad again though, Jaune could easily see it was a touchy subject.
The final thought that Jaune had was if his Dad was still alive, how much would his life change? Jaune was independent thanks to the fact that his mom was busy running an academy and he had to figure some stuff out on his own. How much would that change if his father was still alive? Would he keep his laid-back demeanor, or would he become cocky and a bit reckless like his father supposedly was? There were so many questions that he did not have the answers for, and he would probably never have them.
Jaune finally made his way back to his room but his thoughts were all on his mind and he could not even acknowledge his girlfriend or his other two teammates calling out to him. All that he could think about was the talk he had with his mother and what could possibly come in the near future. It's crazy to think that an hour ago he was just hanging out with his girlfriend watching anime and now his whole world was turned upside down. Speaking of his girlfriend, Pyrrha had apparently had enough of Jaune being in his own world and was looking to get him out.
"JAUNE!" Pyrrha shouted into his ear and Jaune yelped.
"AH! God, what?" Jaune asked in pain as he was massaging his ears.
"We have been trying to talk to you and see if you were ok, but you have just been ignoring us. Did something bad happen when you talked to your mom?" Pyrrha asked in concern but Jaune just waved it off.
"Oh, sorry about that, and no nothing bad happened per say Mom just wanted to talk about what happened today and how we move forward." Jaune assured them but his team did not look convinced, Pyrrha the least.
"Are you sure that's all that happened?" Pyrrha asked with a glare but Jaune wasn't going to be intimidated.
"Guys I promise, nothing bad happened now let's all get back to relaxing." Jaune said telling the half-truth and then he kissed Pyrrha who kissed back, but she still didn't look convinced.
Jaune did feel bad about lying to his team about what happened but it was a family matter and Jaune was not sure he was ready to tell his team about it yet. He loved Pyrrha, that much was a given and he hated keeping things from her, but he just didn't know if he should tell her or if he wanted her to worry about him. Then again, wasn't his team already a family in itself? They may have only been a team for a few months, but they had been through some crazy stuff together.
Not to mention that Ren and Nora had already confined to Jaune and Pyrrha about their pasts and how they had pretty much been orphans. Ren even told them about the grimm that destroyed his village, and they all comforted him and helped him get over that painful memory. So, if his teammates could talk about their pasts and troubles with him, would it not make Jaune selfish for not doing the same thing with them? It sure felt that way but for right now he wanted to keep his thoughts to himself.
Jaune laid back in bed and tried to watch anime so he could get his mind off things, and Pyrrha laid down beside him and got between his arms. Jaune then decided that his girlfriend would probably help him calm his mind better than the anime would, so he put his scroll down and wrapped his arms around Pyrrha and brought her closer. Pyrrha gladly accepted the gesture and took Jaune's face into her hands before kissing him passionately and Jaune did the same thing.
The couple made out for a little while before just relaxing in each other's arms and whispering sweet nothings to one another. Jaune was massaging Pyrrha's hips and back just the way she liked it as well as nuzzling the side of her face. Pyrrha was rubbing on Jaune's chest which was one of her favorite pastimes as she loved feeling on her boyfriend muscles. She also took the liberty of massaging Jaune's neck as sometimes it could become stiff.
The two stayed like that for some time but it ended when Pyrrha told Jaune that she was hungry and wanted to go out to eat, just the two of them. It weirded Jaune out because usually Pyrrha just liked to stay at Beacon given the fact that she didn't like for people to ask her for autographs or anything like that. Still, maybe spending some quality time with her without Ren and Nora would be good, especially to help him get his mind off things. Plus, anytime that he got to spend with Pyrrha he would take it, he really could not get enough of her and it was clear the feeling was mutual.
Both Jaune and Pyrrha got up from Jaune's bed and told the other two that they were going out to Vale for dinner and to go the mess hall. Jaune told Nora that she could have pancakes in the room if she really wanted to, but he expected her to clean any spilled syrup that he knew she was going to spill. Jaune was supported by glares from Pyrrha, and Ren directed at the orange haired hammer wielding girl who just pouted and took the hint.
Jaune and Pyrrha then left the room to head for the airship going to Vale, they walked in silence the whole way even though they were holding hands. Unknown to Jaune, Pyrrha had an alterior motive to this date, which she hated but she knew she had to do it. In the time that she has known Jaune, Pyrrha never saw him act this way where he was lost in his own head. Yes Jaune was not that talkative, and he was more the laid-back type, but he never seemed to be lost in his mind like he was now. Pyrrha did not like it and she figured the only one who could get Jaune out of this funk was her.
If Pyrrha was being honest, she was very lucky to have someone like Jaune as her boyfriend. He didn't care about her fame or champion status, and he treated her like a human being whereas everyone else just treated her like some trophy. Not to mention that Jaune really did come into his own as a leader, understand the severity of the situations that Team RWBY put themselves in and acting as the voice of reason. Not many people would be mature and calm enough to do that, but Jaune was just that kind of person.
Pyrrha like Jaune knew that things with the White Fang were not going to calm down anytime soon and even though Torchwick was now in prison, she knew that things were not going to get quiet for very long. She was not worried though, as she trusted Jaune to lead her and the rest of their team through whatever might come. They had already been in sticky situations but that was just to save Team RWBY all those times. Things could get more complicated in the future and she wanted her team to be ready for whatever might come.
Jaune and Pyrrha got to Vale and they went to this Ramen restaurant that Pyrrha had been wanting to try for a long time. Jaune did not mind it because his pallet was very diverse, he could eat just about anything if you put it in front of him. Pyrrha ordered this miso ramen that she saw on the menu and Jaune ordered this Spicy Chicken Ramen Hot. Pyrrha was always amazed that Jaune could eat such spicy foods because she herself found them unbearable. They got their food a few minutes later and Pyrrha sparked up a conversation.
"So, what do you think we should do to get ready for the Vytal festival?" Pyrrha asked Jaune.
"Hmm, we should definitely train more as a team because from what I have heard there will be team battles, so we need to have tricks up our sleeves. We will need to keep practicing our formations and our duo attacks, we have to pull out all the stops. Each of us also needs to train individually so we can keep improving our skills, because the rounds go from teams, to duos, and then to singles if I remember correctly. It shouldn't be difficult for you considering you are a tournament champion and all." Jaune said honestly and Pyrrha nodded.
"Indeed, but just because I am a tournament champion does not mean that I will win every single match. I need to keep training to improve just like you guys but with your support I have no doubt that I can reach a new level. The same goes with you Jaune, you are one of the strongest people I have ever seen, and you can get so much better. That semblance of yours does wonders, I know that you can improve it even more." Pyrrha said with a smile and Jaune smiled.
"Thanks Pyrrha, I am really glad I am with you, you make me better." Jaune said honestly and Pyrrha blushed.
"I think the same of you Jaune." Pyrrha said with a smile but then she sighed.
"Jaune, if you're up to it, I really would like to talk about what happened when you went to go see your mom." Pyrrha said honestly and Jaune widened his eyes.
"Why do you want to talk about it so badly?" Jaune asked curiously and Pyrrha sighed.
"Baby, when you walked into the room you looked so lost in your thoughts and I have never seen you like that before, neither have Ren and Nora. Yeah sure you may not be paying attention when you are watching your shows on your scroll, but today you looked conflicted inside. If you really don't want to tell me then that's fine, but I really just want to make sure that you are ok. I love you Jaune, I mean it when I say that." Pyrrha said with honesty and Jaune just looked conflicted.
Jaune felt bad because Pyrrha was really worried about him and she wasn't being nosy or anything like that. Pyrrha truly was concerned about him and he understood because Jaune showed a side of him that he never knew that he had. Usually, he was very laid back and he didn't let knew information affect him like that, but with what he learned today who could blame him? Jaune knew that if he didn't tell Pyrrha what happened then she would just worry about him more and he didn't want that. Plus, he knew that she wouldn't tell anyone else so what did he really have to lose?
"Mom and I talked…about my Dad." Jaune said sheepishly as he scratched his head and Pyrrha's eyes widened.
"Oh, I see…" Pyrrha said a bit shocked.
It was something that Pyrrha noticed through all the months of knowing and dating Jaune, he never talked about his father. She wondered what the deal with that was, but she didn't want to pry as Jaune never pried about her family. Were he and Professor Goodwitch divorced? Did he leave them when Jaune was at a young age? She had so many questions about him but could never find the strength to ask Jaune about it.
"So did you learn about him?" Pyrrha asked and Jaune sighed, then proceeded to tell her everything.
Jaune told Pyrrha everything that his mom told him and Pyrrha could not believe what she had just heard. Apparently, all of her predictions about Jaune's father were completely wrong and the truth about him was heartbreaking. She felt very sad for Professor Goodwitch and admired how strong the woman was to take that heartbreak and push it to the side to raise Jaune and be the Deputy Headmistress of Beacon. Glynda was already an inspiration for her, this just made her admire her even more.
Going back to Jaune though, Pyrrha could not imagine how he was feeling and thought his attitude earlier made a lot of sense. His father died before he could even meet Jaune, what cruel fate could top one such as that? And to make it worse, he and Professor Goodwitch were at odds and she didn't even get to say goodbye. Pyrrha was saddened at the fact that Jaune's father could not see his son grow up to be who he was today, she knew that he would be proud.
"Jaune, I am so sorry to hear that, and I am even more sorry for pushing you to talk about it. It was wrong of me to intrude in family affairs." Pyrrha said sadly but Jaune waved her off.
"Don't worry babe, it's actually nice to talk to someone about this. I never pushed mom into talking about Dad because I knew that it would make her sad, this always seemed like a touchy subject for her and now I know why. I can't lie, part of me is mad that it ended up this way and that I never got to meet him, but this is just how life goes sometimes. Plus, I don't think that he would want me nor Mom to be sad about his death forever, he would want us to live for him." Jaune said honestly and Pyrrha nodded.
"I think that is correct Jaune, your father sounds like that kind of man." Pyrrha said with a smile.
"Though I have to admit, part of me is scared that my life could end early just like his did. I mean you never truly know what can happen, and things are starting to heat up around here which is making me nervous. I mean with what happened today, that weird ass Haven team, and the White Fang stirring up trouble? You know that things are just going to get worse until we catch them in the act and Ironwood can lock them all up for good." Jaune said with a nervous tone and Pyrrha understood.
What Jaune said was true, no matter how much Pyrrha wanted to deny it. The White Fang were definitely going to keep trying these crazy schemes until their message was heard, no matter who got hurt. Then you have Torchwick who was in jail but that henchwoman of his was still on the run and she had a crazy semblance. Finally, there was that Haven team, and no one could tell what their plan was. Things were not looking good but Pyrrha knew that is not what Jaune needed to hear, so she reached across the table and grabbed his hand.
"Look baby, I don't know what the future holds but I promise that I will always be there to support you and so will the rest of the team. No matter what happens, no problem will be too big for Team JNPR to handle!" Pyrrha said with authority and Jaune smiled.
"Yeah you are right, the future ain't gotten nothing on us." Jaune said with a smile and Pyrrha smiled back and the two shared a loving and comforting kiss.
Jaune and Pyrrha finished dinner and Jaune paid and then they went back to Beacon. Jaune had his arm wrapped around Pyrrha the whole time and Pyrrha gladly leaned into his embrace. Jaune felt really lucky to have Pyrrha as his girlfriend, they had only been dating a few months, but he felt comfortable to share the news that he got with her. It was true that Jaune was worried about what might happen in the future, but he knew that with his team by his side he could do anything.
The couple got back to Beacon and saw their other two teammates having another one of their sessions where Nora put Ren in a headlock for not giving her pancakes. As such, Jaune burst out laughing and Pyrrha rubbed her temples in frustration at her teammates and her boyfriend. The team hung out for about an hour until they all went to bed to prepare for classes the next morning. Jaune watched an episode of My Hero Academia and then went to sleep, blessed for the friends he had.
Author Notes:
Whew, finally done with this chapter and I have to admit that this story is getting harder to write which is why it is ending soon. I have way more ideas for The New Rose and Izuku Aizawa, so that is why this story maybe has five or six more chapters. But who knows, maybe I will get the passion for this story back again and it will extend. Do you guys want me to do Volumes 4-8? Let me know and like and review, thanks!