Disclaimer:This is a work of fan fiction using characters and/or scenes from the show RWBY, which is trademarked by Rooster Teeth, and the video game Persona 3, which is trademarked by Atlus. I do not, in anyway, claim ownership over the characters, the world, the story, or any other aspect belonging to either one. This story should not be, in any way, considered canon. This story is written strictly for entertainment and not for profit.
Warning: This story will exhibit slight differences in character behavior since I will be taking the liberty to fill in blank points in the pasts of various characters. As such, expect that many characters will not behave exactly as their canon selves. I will attempt to keep their core personalities intact, but slight changes will be unavoidable.
Sorry this one took a while everyone. Work kept me busy and I picked up a bad cough from somewhere, bad enough that I had trouble sleeping most nights. Still, work is slowly going down to normal levels and my throat is feeling much better but still a little irritated.
As expected, there were a few people who were turned off by what I did with Jaune, much like how some were turned off by what I did with Weiss. But such is the risk of doing something different from the norm. Just as there are those who enjoy seeing something new, there are and always will be people who don't. Or at the very least, they're selective as to how much characters and plots are changed from canon and/or how they are changed.
It's a risk that is always there when writers on this site try to step beyond the norm, but, from my perspective, it is incredibly rewarding when things go well. Not only do we get to deliver something fresh and new to a site that has seen thousands of stories with similar premises but with different executions, but we also get that personal sense of satisfaction of doing something new, of being the first to do it and, more importantly, the first to do it well.
So I'm proud to say that I don't regret the path I've taken this story, both the characters and the plot. There's no way to please everybody, we're all well aware of that, so all I can do is to keep walking even if only the minority is willing to walk with me. Which is thankfully not the case here. XD
Or is it? XP
Seriously, thank you, everyone, for sticking with me so far. This story is far from over and I promise I will bring this journey to a proper end and not a premature death like the majority of stories on this site.
On a different note, I resent the fact that I was accused of bashing on Jaune. -_-*
I mean, really, bashing implies that I hate Jaune, which I don't. I'm not too fond of his shallow desire to be a hero in canon (which is, as many have noted, similar to Junpei's original feelings when he first joined SEES) but that hardly means I don't like him as a character. In fact, he is the closest character we have to a blank slate. Mostly unknown past, an undeveloped fighting style, no solid goal asides from 'become a hero', all this just tells me, screams at me, to 'Make me into a character you can call yours.'
So I took that challenge to develop him beyond what was shown in canon while still doing my best to retain his core personality. And I have to say, I'm loving where his character is going as well as all the other characters'… characters. You guys will just have to wait and see what more I have in store but I'm hopeful yet confident that most of you will like it.
(SLIGHTLY) IMPORTANT NOTE: I went back to all the previous chapter and cleaned them up a bit – which is part of why this chapter took so long (reading each and every single one of a quarter-million words tends to take a bit of time) – and changed a few things but nothing major except for one thing. I added a scene to Chapter 9, right after the scene where Junpei speaks with Akihiko and Fuuka in Combat class. I had planned on putting that there but it slipped my mind. It's not a major scene but it does set things up for an important event coming in a chapter or two. So check it out if you want. Or not. Whatever you feel like doing.
Also, a little warning before we get on with the chapter. This chapter ISN'T about the fight itself. It will drag on for quite a while, enough that any excitement you might feel may fade away long before the end of the fight. In fact, it's best to go on reading WITHOUT expecting the fight to be overly exciting or anything of the sort. Suspenseful? Perhaps. Exciting? Not so much. And while I am, personally, not completely satisfied by how the chapter came out, I have no intention of making it exciting. Again, the fight itself is not the focus of the chapter.
You have been warned.
Jaune Arc VS Hazel Arc
Round 2
FIGHT!
Chapter 11 – The Hero's Resolve
October 18, XX13
"You're insane! Do you really expect me to let this go on?"
Scarlett punctuated her words by practically throwing her arm to the side, gesturing to where Jaune was furiously chasing after the slightly panicky Hazel, the latter still unsure of what to do and constantly casting pleading looks towards her family. And yet her attention could not remain there for very long since, in a reversal of their previous situation, Jaune was now the one pressing her and giving her little time to think, let alone ask for advice.
"Are you even aware of why a fight ends when someone's Aura gets too low?" Surely he knew. The boy wasn't the most academically gifted from what she had heard from Glynda last time she visited, but surely her brother's team leader wasn't unaware of such things. Moreover, Glynda was not one to let such knowledge be unknown. She would have mentioned it in her class before letting the students fight. Multiple times.
"Somethin' about how you could get hurt even if you still have Aura, right?" Scarlett nearly sighed in relief but at the same time, the fact that Junpei knew confused her even more. If he knew that, then why would he insist that the fight continued? She was about to ask when his next words caught her off guard. "So what? We've trained him even when his Aura was completely gone. This shouldn't be any different."
"What?!"
Junpei jumped when several voices cried out in unison from both sides. The only people to not vocally react were Pyrrha, Chidori, Akihiko, Fuuka, Mitsuru, and Jaune's parents – though they were understandably frowning at Junpei's surprising revelation of that particular aspect of Jaune's training.
"Explain," Scarlett ground out through clenched teeth, her fists similarly clenched tight as she resisted the urge to throttle the young man before her.
"W-Well, I-I mean…" Junpei trailed off as he looked around, seeing himself surrounded by a various gazes. Some questioning, others accusing, and a few disappointed ones as well. He took a deep breath and let it out quickly, visibly calming down. "It's not like the Grimm are gonna care, right? Aura or not, they're gonna come at us either way. 'Sides, it's not like I used my sword for that part of the training."
"That's hardly the point!" roared Scarlett, startling Junpei as well as those standing behind him. "Who are YOU to train him in such a way? You're not a teacher here and I highly doubt you're a certified private trainer. And yet you would go and do something as dangerous as training him without his Aura? I have half a mind to report you to the Headmaster for-"
"Scarlett."
Her name, spoken softly yet firmly, cut through the air, contrasting greatly with her own harsh tone. More than the tone, it was the voice that spoke that caused her to stop and turn around. "Mother?"
Sephiria had a neutral expression on her face as she approached. But her pale blue eyes weren't focused on her daughter. Rather, they were aimed at the young man her daughter had been berating. "When you trained Jaune," she began as she stopped next to her daughter, her eyes never once leaving Junpei's gray ones, "Was he aware of why you trained him in such a manner?"
Junpei stared at his teammate's mother just a few seconds too long, still unable to believe that she was his mother and not one of his sisters. "Uh… n-no, actually. We just-"
The blonde woman interrupted him before he could explain, though her voice remained relatively soft. "But was he made aware of how demanding the training would be before you began?"
Taken aback by the interruption, it took Junpei another moment or two to regather his wits. "Y-yeah, I told him that-"
"Did he," she interrupted once more, nearly causing Junpei to pout, "At any point during the training, once ask you to stop?"
This time, the cap-wearing teen was able to answer immediately. "No, but-"
"Then that is all I need to hear."
"Mother?" The unspoken question was clear in Scarlett's tone as she turned to face her mother as she turned around, ready to walk away. "What do you-"
"Let the fight continue until a clear victor is decided. Interfere only if absolutely necessary," said Sephiria. Her tone was neutral, but Scarlett knew better than to argue against her own mother. "Mr. Iori did not hesitate to suggest that you and your brother fight, and he was quite confident it would work in their favor. And your brother somehow found the courage to challenge you of his own volition, despite knowing of the difference in power. The very least we can do, is allow them to show us their resolve."
Without another word, she returned to her husband's side, who had continued to watch his son chase after his youngest daughter, who had growing more and more worried when no aid whatsoever was forthcoming from her family.
"Does she uh… do that a lot?" Scarlett heard Junpei ask her. "Interrupting people I mean."
"More than you can imagine," she responded in that tone of voice that let those within earshot know that she was quite familiar with her mother's proclivities. "Since she's allowed the fight to go on then there is little I can do." She allowed the brief look of victory to appear on Junpei's face before she continued. "But that just means Hazel can stop running."
Before Junpei could process her words, Scarlett turned back to the battle and called out to her sister. "Hazel! Finish the fight! Do whatever it take to knock him out!" The look of relief on Hazel's face was clear as day at those words, just as the worry she felt from Jaune's classmates grew palpable. But when she glanced at them, she saw two grins among the sea of faces.
"Don't count your brother out just yet," said Akihiko, watching the fight with a confident gleam in his eyes.
"Yeah," agreed Junpei, grinning just as confidently. "He's definitely a lot tougher than he looks."
Hazel sighed in relief when she heard her sister's words, raising Rugitus Leo to block Jaune's attack and locking their weapons together. The sudden shift in her behavior must have caught her brother off guard as his eyes widened slightly in surprise. Taking advantage of this, Hazel gripped her weapon with both hands and swung, sending Jaune flying back with ease.
She briefly considered shooting him once more but the fact that his Aura was already below a quarter meant that powerful attacks might pierce through his Aura before it was completely depleted. And at this range, her rifle would punch a hole straight through him if his Aura failed to stop the bullet. She didn't want to hurt him any more than necessary so she would have to rely on fighting up close.
She adjusted her grip slightly just as Jaune rolled to his feet dozens of feet away. This way she would be striking with the broad side of Rugitus Leo rather than the blade. It would certainly hurt if he got hit, but at least there was little risk of drawing blood, or cutting him or a limb, if she broke through his Aura at the wrong moment.
With another roar, Jaune charged at her, shield slightly raised and Crocea Mors ready to strike. The look of anger on his face caused her to hesitate just a little bit, making her wish that they could talk things through instead of fighting like this, but she couldn't entertain that thought for very long. She swung Rugitus Leo to his left with her left hand, knowing he would have to defend himself in some way to avoid being hit.
As predicted, he raised shield, angled upwards to redirect the blow. But she had been counting on that. She allowed the momentum of her swing to guide her body, twisting to the left, then kicking back with her foot when her back was facing him. Her foot struck his shield, hastily raised by the way he stumbled back at the impact. Quickly readjusting her grip and her footing, she swung her blade-rifle once more, the flat side connecting with his left arm as he was unable to readjust his own defense.
Much to her surprise, he recovered far more quickly than expected. He rolled to his feet not too far away, pushing off the ground towards her. She swung once more, repeating the same tactic she had just used. With Jaune no longer thinking clearly she should be able to-
She froze when her kick missed completely. And before she could think of the possible reasons, Jaune's sword struck her other leg, sending her crashing down to the ground. She rolled away, not wanting to know how else he would follow-up. She managed to push herself to her knees but he was on her once more, lashing out with Crocea Mors before she could rise.
She raised Rugitus Leo diagonally, using its size to fend off his initial attacks. But then, he surprised her by circling around after a few hits, coming up to her exposed flank. Before she realized it, her Aura was further drained by half a dozen blows that landed before she could recover from her mistake.
'When did he get so good?' she found herself asking in her head, rising to her feet quickly then locking blades once more. She tried pushing him away again but Crocea Mors slid off Rugitus Leo as Jaune rolled to the side before charging at her shield-first.
Again, she was caught off-guard and knocked off balance by her brother's unexpected actions. But this time, she managed to retreat before he could do any damage. Her Aura was waning. At best, it was only down by half. Her brother's was most likely close to being completely depleted. If she could just drain what little he had left then the fight would end. Surely he would not fight without his Aura, even as enraged as he was. Even if he did, the others wouldn't let the fight continue if it reached that point.
But as she returned to defending herself, she found her thoughts wandering to Jaune's newly acquired abilities. There was something strange about it all. The way Scarlett had described it two days ago, Jaune had barely been on the level of a second-year student of Remorra when she watched his fight earlier this week. But now, he was keeping up with her well enough that he may as well be an up-coming graduate in Remorra. Perhaps even a recent graduate.
Had he been hiding his skills? No, that couldn't be. He had nothing to gain by losing so badly on purpose. Even if his goal was to somehow make people underestimate him in the long-run, there were better ways to feign weakness than to let your opponent beat you without landing a single blow of your own.
And then, there were those random bursts of skill he would suddenly display. 'Like now,' she noted, her blue eyes narrowing as he somehow blocked a kick aimed at his side. There was no way he could have seen that coming with the way she blocked his vision with Rugitus Leo.
It was as though he knew what she was going to do even without actually seeing it. But that was impossible. Combat instinct like that took years to develop. She been training for a few years before entering Remorra but she hadn't developed such sharp, accurate instincts until nearly her third year. Even Gwen had told her that was normal, but the more gifted fighters could develop in in less time.
But a week? They had already eliminated the possibility that Jaune was gifted at combat. It simply wasn't something he was suited for. It's why they all tried hard to get him to aim for a different goal. So unless Jaune had secretly been training for years, not just by himself but with someone else, then there was simply no way such accurate instincts could be developed. There had to be something she was missing.
As she knocked him back once more, she could see that his breathing was heavy and ragged as he dropped down to one knee. Understandable since he hadn't been training as long. His stamina wouldn't be at the level of his fellow classmates. This was punctuated by him planting his sword into the ground blade first even as he remained on his knee. This was her chance.
"Jaune," she called out, hoping that his exhaustion would allow her words to cut through his rage. "Please, let's talk about this." Her heart grew hopeful when Jaune's eyes rolled up to look at her from beneath sweat-laden hair, still filled with anger but with much more rationality behind them.
"What's there… to talk about?" Jaune asked between pants, gazing up at his sister as the red haze that had overtaken him slowly diminished. But it did not fade. No. His anger was not something that would fade in such a short span of time. "If I win… I stay... If I lose… I go. It's as… simple as that."
"It doesn't have to be that way," Hazel pleaded, taking a step closer to him with Rugitus Leo held loosely at her side. "You've shown everyone what you can do. You don't have to push yourself any more than this. I'm sure mom and dad will listen if you talk to them."
"Like how they listened before?" He saw her freeze at his sharp words, words born from the memories of the previous times he had spoken to their parents about becoming a Huntsman. "Do you know how much it hurt… that nobody believed in me?" He could still remember the feeling of his heart cracking and crumbling away with every denial, with every time he was forced to look away from his dream. "Not just my classmates… or the townspeople… but even my own family? Even you told me… to stop chasing my dream… to just choose something safer."
"I just wanted you to-"
"To be safe, I get it!" he cut in harshly, before calming down to take a few deep breaths. There was no point getting mad over that particular subject. "But what's the point of all that… if I can't be happy? Being a hero has always been my dream. You know that. Everyone knows that. So why?" Why did life have to be so unfair? "Why do all of you get to chase your dreams… while I'm kept back like some storybook princess?" Why was he the only one to not have any talent at fighting? "It's not like you were all born strong. And it's not like everyone is a genius at fighting."
"Gwen worked ten times as much as everyone else to get where she is. Sable's the smartest in the family but even she didn't have to work as hard as her classmates to be strong. The twins got to go to Atlas without a single complaint from anyone. Nobody ever tried forcing Arianna to be a Huntress. But what about me? Why me?" He raised his head to look directly at her. There was a shimmer in the corner of his vision even as he felt the heat build up behind his eyes. "Why am I the only one who doesn't get a fair chance? Why am I the only one being held back?!"
"Jaune, you…"
As Hazel struggle to find her words, Jaune turned his focus inwards and started to consider his situation. His Aura was incredibly low, well past the point where Professor Goodwitch would have called an end to the fight. At first he had only kept fighting because he was too enraged to stop. But now that exhaustion had begun to set in, his rational mind slowly regained control over his body.
He found it strange that he was able to fight so well against Hazel despite being so angry. Didn't people usually grow sloppy when fighting like that? At least that's what he recalled Professor Goodwitch saying one time when Yang had lost her cool while fighting Reuben Ashworth of Team LNNR, who ranked third in their year in terms of speed and agility. She had gotten so mad at her inability to hit him that he had tricked her into falling off the platform, losing by ring out without landing or receiving a single blow.
Still, that was a thought for later. Right now he needed to find a way to win. He didn't know why nobody had stopped the fight yet, but if they were letting it go on then that meant he still had a chance to win. He just needed to look for it.
First things first. He needed to know what he was working with. He quickly went over the fight, taking in every detail he could like he was taught. From the physical form of Rugitus Leo, to its capabilities, to Hazel's skills, and to her chosen strategy. And it was there that he noticed something odd.
'She hasn't shot me recently.'
He went over the fight again, trying to ascertain that he hadn't remember wrong. He hadn't. Even with anger clouding his judgment, he could still remember enough to know that she had stopped shooting at him not too long ago. There was no way she was out of bullets already. She wouldn't make such an amateurish mistake.
Another was how she had switched her grip on her weapon, using the broad side of Rugitus Leo as a bludgeon rather than the blade. It was a strange way to fight, especially since air resistance would slow down her swings. Not much, but enough to make a difference given the size and shape of Rugitus Leo.
It didn't take long before he realized why she would handicap herself like that.
It was a small advantage, given that she was still willing to bludgeon him, but it was still better than fighting her on, relatively speaking, even ground. But the more he thought about it all, the more an idea formed in the back of his mind, coming to the forefront as more and more details from the fight filtered from his memories into his conscious mind.
Suddenly, a voice coming from the spectating group cut in. "That's two minutes Jaune!" His plan wasn't complete yet but those words seemed to send a pulse of power through him, giving him a sudden boost of energy despite how ordinary the words were.
His body reacted in an instant, pushing off the ground and pulling Crocea More from the earth as he dashed towards Hazel, who had turned away at the shout to see what it was about. She couldn't have known what those words meant, of course. Only those involved in his training, plus Chidori, were aware that Jaune was only ever given two minutes to rest between matches. And even then, he was forced to remain on his feet. Being able to take that two-minute rest while down on one knee was heaven compared to staying on his feet.
Jaune felt a bit more rested now. He was still exhausted, yes, but he had trained in far worse conditions. He wasn't sure if it was one of the intended results of the training – he definitely needed to ask them exactly how the training was meant to help him – but training until he was practically a zombie certainly made his current state insignificant in comparison.
Either way, he reached Hazel just as she turned back in shock. Clearly, she hadn't expected him to charge at her then and there. His first strike caught her off-guard, Rugitus Leo only half-raised when a rising slash struck her left hip and knocked her back. She recovered quickly, however, and blocked the succeeding blows. She refrained from attacking, strangely content to stick to defense even as his clumsy attacks clearly gave her countless opportunities to strike back.
Jaune frowned a bit as he stumbled after Hazel dodged an overhead slash, quickly steadying himself and re-orienting to face his younger sister. It was strange. He was thinking clearly, but he could tell that his attacks weren't as controlled as when he had been angry.
Earlier, Hazel had to block his attacks. Now she was dodging them by a large margin. And when she did dodge his previous attacks, he was ready to defend or attack right after. Now he had to waste a few second to regain his balance after overextending himself. She hadn't attack him yet but he was certain that he wouldn't be able to defend himself as well as he had been doing earlier.
If he wasn't in the middle of a fight, he would have sat down to think about it some more. It made no sense to him at all that fighting while angry seemed to make him a better fighter while Yang, who was by far a better fighter, became worse when she was angry. But, again, this wasn't really the time and place. Besides, his lack of skill, at that very moment, just might be what he needs for his plan.
Moveover, Jaune could see the hesitance and indecision in Hazel's blue eyes as she repeatedly turned towards the spectators, most likely hoping for someone to tell her what to do. It was the same hesitance that had been there since the start of the fight. Only now, with his Aura most likely close to hitting zero, her hesitance carried over into her actions. Her movements were still swift and decisive when it came to defense, but he could see the way her sword arm twitched every now and then as though about to do something only to be held back a split-second later.
She wanted to fight back. She wanted to hit him, to end the fight with her as the victor. She wanted to have him return home with them, to take her unskilled brother away from a dangerous profession.
But she couldn't. Not with the way things are at that exact moment.
She didn't want to hurt him. Her attacks earlier had hurt, but none of it would leave any lasting damage. Rather, she didn't want to risk piercing through his Aura and hurting him, even by mistake. Especially by mistake.
And that's what he was counting on. That was the kind of mindset that would win the fight for him. Now, he just needed to be patient. It shouldn't be long before-
Suddenly, her eyes sharpened just before they turned from someone in the audience to him. He barely managed to brace himself and his shield to stop Rugitus Leo before the flat side of the blade could slam into his side. Still, the sheer power behind the attack threw him aside, the blade completing its motion as though he hadn't even been in the way. As he rolled to his feet, his arms raised his shield at an angle as he crouched lower, knocking the massive blade-rifle up and away from him.
He rose to his feet even as Hazel raised Rugitus Leo up then brought it down at an angle. Again, Jaune deflected the blow with his shield, cheering slightly as he saw the blade stab into the earth. It would take a little time, no more than a second or so, for her to pull it out, but his sword arm was already bringing Crocea Mors to bear to take advantage of the opening.
Crocea Mors was halfway to its target when a sharp pain in his side, just below his ribs, caused him to flinch and stagger back. He felt it again, in the exact same spot, before he could retreat. This time, he could see her pulling her left leg back, the obvious culprit for the pain he was experiencing. And before he could pull away, she leapt forward a bit, spinning around and landing on her left leg then thrusting her other leg straight into his abdomen. The unexpected blow landed true and knocked him back a short distance.
At that exact moment, he felt something familiar. A pulse coming from deep within him along with the feeling of warmth fading away slightly. There was no way he could mistake it for anything. Not when he had experienced the same feeling multiple times over the past few days. It the feeling of losing his innate defenses. It was the feeling of his Aura levels being knocked down to zero.
He had seen what it looked like to others once, when Junpei and Akihiko showed him the recording they had taken to point out his mistakes. In the middle of the video, one of Akihiko's punches struck him dead center, taking away the last bit of his Aura. When it did, a strange black and white sheen appeared all over his body, rippling outwards from where he was struck. It was brief, barely even a second, but he had seen it while watching the video and he was certain that everyone watching the fight had seen it happen to him now as well.
Hazel definitely would have seen it given the short distance between them. And even at that distance, Scarlett would have seen it. His father would have seen it. His mother would have seen it. Gwen, Sable, Viola, and Melanie would have seen it as well. His friends would have seen it too, even if there existed the possibility that not all of them knew was it was, SEES most likely. Even if some of them didn't see it, just having one person see it was enough.
That was it. The fight was over.
Or at least, it will be soon enough.
He rolled to his feet not too far away, and pushed off the ground towards Hazel once he regained his balance. The look of shock and panic on her face was absolutely priceless, with her eyes wide open and her jaw hanging open as she tried to process what her eyes were seeing.
This was it. This was what he had been waiting for. She was already hesitant to strike him when his Aura was low. What more if he fought without Aura?
"The Grimm won't care just 'cuz your Aura's down and out. So you shouldn't either. Aura or not, you get up and fight."
Those words, shouted right in his face in the middle of a training match with Junpei, stuck with him from the very moment he said it. It brought back memories of SEES's stand against the Grimm during the initiation. And it drove home the fact that fighting the Grimm was completely different from their training matches in Combat class.
"It's not fighting dirty if there aren't any rules!"
One of the very first things Junpei had shouted at him not long into their very first training match. Junpei had kicked him while he was down and had, later, thrown a handful of dirt right at his face, causing him to stumble in the middle of a charge and ending with a knee in his gut. Jaune accused him of cheating but the other two teens just scoffed at his words and said, "I dare ya to tell that to the Grimm next time you fight one."
A lot of things they said were highly unconventional pieces of advice. At least, it had been to him. Prior to Beacon, his only experience in fighting were the few times he tried to stand up to those who had pushed him around when he transferred from Remorra. And those could hardly be called fights, given that he had done little more than flail about uselessly. And more recently, there were the fights in combat class, which were formed around tournament rules for the safety of the students.
Seeing and facing actual Grimm, on the other hand, had gone a long way to changing his mindset. The Grimm wouldn't be content just knocking a Huntsman's Aura down into the red. Nobody would stop the fight just because someone's Aura ran too low. Training was one thing, but in a real fight nobody, or nothing, would let him rest just because he got tired or because he was low on Aura. He would have to find some way to be able to rest without being disturbed, or he would most likely die at the hands of whatever foe he was facing at the time.
And if he had to fight dirty to get that chance? Well, after all his fights against Junpei, Akihiko, and Pyrrha, Jaune would be a fool to even consider that fighting rules existed outside of tournaments and the like.
And that difference in opinion was precisely what he had been counting on. It was doubtful that Hazel had ever fought someone after their Aura got too low. It was even more unlikely that she had fought someone without Aura. For that person to be her brother? Someone she didn't want to hurt? That just made things all the more advantageous for him.
Jaune grasped Crocea Mors with both hands, ready to channel all his strength into a single blow. If he could strike hard enough he could very well end the fight if he got her Aura low enough. He could hear loud cheering from his friends, but more than a few shouts of concern as well. But there was no turning back now.
His foot took the final step, closing the gap enough to bring him within striking range. His grip on the sword hilt tightened, his eyes locked onto her torso, his target. With a loud cry, he swung with all his might, Crocea Mors glinting in the late morning sun as it rose from his right side.
"HAZEL!"
The sudden shout, loud and sharp enough to cut through the other voices, brought his sister back to her senses. But already, Crocea Mors was rising up from his right, aiming for her left side, the farthest from Rugitus Leo which was held in her right. But years of training had honed her reflexes. She jumped to her right to buy time before the oncoming weapon struck, even if it was just another quarter of a second, and twirled around to bring Rugitus Leo up to defend her.
'NO!' he screamed in his head and put just a little more power into his swing, giving as much as he could.
Crocea Mors smashed into Rugitus Leo with a deafening crash of steel on steel. The violent and powerful impact jarred his arms and he lost his grip on Crocea Mors. Disbelieving blue eyes watched as the Arc family heirloom spun through the air, landing on the ground many yards away with a dull clattering thud. Those same disbelieving eyes also watched as the larger form of Rugitus Leo descended from its own flight, falling to the ground with a louder, heavier, thud not too far from Crocea Mors.
Both pairs of blue eyes stared at their fallen weapons as though unable to believe that both had gone flying. Jaune recovered first. It might not have gone according to plan, but disarming her was just as good. Besides, he had another weapon.
He quickly stepped between Hazel and Rugitus Leo and collapsed his shield, returning it to its sheath form. Then, just as Junpei had done during their training, he took the sheath in his hands and held it like he would a sword. It was wider than Crocea Mors's hilt so holding it like a weapon felt strange, but this way he was armed while Hazel was not.
Seeing that she was still distracted, Jaune took the initiative and lunged forward, slashing with the sheath like he would a sword. Just as the sheath was about to strike Hazel's shoulder blade, she disappeared. "Wha… Guh!" He coughed when he felt the air being forced out of his lungs. He glanced down to see Hazel's knee buried in his abdomen. But before his mind could process and analyze the rapid change in the situation, Hazel's leg came around again, sweeping his own out from under him.
The fall transitioned into a roll. It wasn't very smooth, but it was fast enough that he avoided the fist that was aimed for his gut. He pushed himself up onto one knee then swiftly raised his left arm when he saw the kick coming. It was only when a grunt of pain escaped his lips, caused by Hazel's leg striking his left forearm, that he remembered that his shield was currently in his right hand in sheath form, being used for offense rather than defense.
He swiftly rose to his feet and scrambled to dodge as Hazel tried to punch him, her fist grazing his cheek as he leaned to the side and nearly lost his balance again. He lashed out blindly with Crocea Mors only for Hazel to step closer, her left forearm stopping his right before the sheath could get close to her. Her arm twisted around his as her left hand gripped him by the arm and kept him from running.
She threw a punch with her free hand and he raised his left arm to shield his face. But then her fist opened before it struck, and her now open hand grabbed his wrist. She pulled him closer only bury her knee in his stomach again. And again. And again. Each time the air was driven from him and when he tried to breathe, she took advantage of his distraction. She released his left arm and punched him in the jaw with her now free right hand. He wasn't sure if he as imagining it, but it almost sounded like she had apologized to him just before she did so.
He stumbled back from the blow. Or at least, he tried to. With his sword arm still in her grip, he couldn't really move away. Another punch landed on his jaw, followed by three more. The blows weren't powerful, considering how strong she must be to be able to wield Rugitus Leo with no visible effort, but each one rattle his brain and kept him from forming any proper thoughts.
Something about the way she was attacking him seemed familiar and had he been more lucid he would have remembered exactly when and where he had seen it happen. As well as the unexpected result of that particular fight. Sadly, he was in no state to remember. He felt Hazel's grip disappear from his forearm but it was followed by the feeling of her slim fingers wrapping around his neck and something hooking onto the back of his right leg. All of a sudden there was a sharp pain coming from his upper back and the back of his head as his vision was filled by the sight of the blue sky.
Realizing he was on his back, he attempted to rise only for his body to remain unresponsive. His limbs felt heavy and the throbbing pain coming from the back of his head distracted him whenever he tried to think. His ears heard a voice. Hazel's, a part of his mind supplied. He tried to make sense of her words but the impact with the ground had dazed him too much and he was having trouble understanding her.
But more than that, he was tired. His exhaustion had caught up to him and now, on his back and unable to rise, his body slowly began to enter a state of rest. His eyelids grew heavy even as his head lolled to the side, the view of the sky disappearing.
And as his vision began to fade, he realized that, coincidentally, he was now facing the direction where his family and friends were watching from. He couldn't make out the expressions on their faces, his vision too blurry even if his eyes weren't slowly closing, but he was relieved that he couldn't. He didn't want to risk seeing the looks of disappointment on their faces now that he had lost any chances of victory.
'That's a laugh,' he thought derisively, a soft, bitter laugh coming from his lips as his vision grew even dimmer. 'Did I actually think I stood a chance?'
Yes, he did. But he shouldn't have. Hazel had been training for years, starting even before she entered Remorra Academy. There was no way he could he forget that day. It had been shortly after her eighth birthday, nearly a year after his own. Nearly a year after his parents and siblings decided that they could not train him. Nearly a year after his dream began to grow beyond his reach.
What could four days of training, no matter how intense or how 'special', do against eight years, going on nine? Not to mention the people training him were fellow students. They were more experienced that he was, that was for certain, but still, they were only a little older than he was. Hazel had their parents and siblings teaching her, passing on lessons born of years upon years of experience.
And in addition to her natural talent at marksmanship, she learned just as fast as Gwen, who was only slightly more talented than the average but worked hard to make up for it. Hazel also worked harder than Scarlett, who was naturally gifted at every aspect of combat and only needed a little effort to learn something. She was neither as smart as Sable nor as cunning as the twins, but she learned from them as best as she could. And soon, she was more than just a top class marksman.
As for himself? Not an ounce of talent had been passed down from either parent. No matter how hard he worked, he just couldn't seem to keep the lessons in mind. During every lesson, he would remind himself again and again what he had to do. He would recite all the steps in his mind, repeat each and every correction he was told.
Yet the sheer number of things he needed to remember always overwhelmed him. Soon he would confuse one with the other, and he would waste time correcting himself or being corrected by whoever was teaching him at the time. But the more they corrected him, the more he grew nervous, more afraid of disappointing his family. And the more nervous he grew, the more he repeated the lessons in his head in an effort to get the lesson right. And the more he did this, the more confusing it all became.
It became an endless, inescapable cycle.
At first, it simply drove home just how amazing his family was to be able to remember all those things and keep them in mind even in the middle of a fight. It made him want to try harder to be just like them. As time went on it became a sign of his incompetence, of his inability to live up to his family's expectations. Then one day, the day he dropped out of Remorra, those endless repetitions of trying and failing became nothing more than a reminder of an impossible dream.
For the next six years he lived a relatively normal life, going to a normal school, learning ordinary things that had little to do with fighting, and just being unremarkable as a whole. Several times he had tried to get his parents or one of his siblings to teach him. But none of them so much as tried, simply reminding him of what had happened in the past. He had even tried learning by himself, using nothing more than a large stick in place of a practice sword, but he often got caught and subsequently scolded.
He gave up not long after, surrendering to the mundane future that would one day be his present and past. Nothing could have been farther from his dream of becoming a hero, save for becoming a criminal. But even that would have been impossible as he had no skills of note that could help him survive such a path. Not that he wanted to go down that path of course.
Even running away and getting into Beacon did little to quiet the doubts in his heart. The events of the initiation only further emphasized how completely outclassed he was, how deep he had dived into an ocean, miles and miles away from land, with little more than a single breath of air to sustain him.
He tried as hard as he could, doing his best to keep up with the lessons, both academic and physical. He put up that false smile that he had spent years mastering to keep his family from learning of his situation in school, using it to feign only slight difficulty in class so as not to give away just how much trouble he was truly having. And whenever they noticed his abysmal work, he used that same smile to throw them off, to pretend that he hadn't been paying attention to the work he was doing.
He knew it couldn't possibly last. But it was his only chance. He had come this far, all for his dream. He couldn't turn back now after everything he had done.
And then, Scarlett's unexpected visit shattered what little hope he had. He knew he would be discovered sooner or later, but he had hoped that he would have had more time to learn enough to be a better fighter. Enough that he could plead with his family to let him stay, to show that he wasn't completely hopeless. Instead, she found him just when he did something supremely stupid.
That should have been the end of it. No matter what he said or did, it was all over. If his dream hadn't been completely beyond reach before he came to Beacon, it certainly was now. As much as it pained him, as much as it tore at his very soul to admit it, it was over. The path of a hero was forever closed to him.
But then, Junpei came along.
With only a few words he had rekindled that light of hope in his heart, lit a spark that created a blazing flame within him that yearned to devour all that stood between him and his dream.
Never before had he felt such hope.
The day they started training, right before their first fight, Junpei told him one thing. He could still remember it word for word. He would never forget it. "As long as you're willing to do whatever it takes to reach your dream, then I'll do whatever it takes to help you reach your dream. And that's a promise."
And so he fought.
He fought against opponents better than him that he would never have challenged at any other time. He stood up whenever he fell despite the pain in his body, and the weakness of his limbs. He raised his shield to protect himself even knowing that his rapidly diminishing strength could not possibly withstand the attack, shield or no. He lashed out with his blade even knowing that he couldn't hope to break through their defense. He fought as hard as he could even knowing he had absolutely no chance of winning.
It was Junpei who defended him against Weiss and made sure his secret wasn't exposed to the other students. It was Junpei who pushed him to remember why he came to Beacon. It was Junpei who reached out to help him when nobody else did. It was Junpei who helped him stand on his feet, who showed him that his dream was still within reach.
And yet, in return for all his kindness, he failed.
He didn't want to open his eyes. Though he couldn't see their faces clearly, he could imagine the looks of sadness and disappointment present on the faces of his friends. He didn't dare risk opening his eyes just to see that. More importantly, he didn't want to risk seeing his team and his trainers, Junpei most of all, only to see that same disappointment.
His family was undoubtedly disappointed in him already. And he could take disappointing his friends with his failure. There was nothing new there. But he didn't want to disappoint the one person who had given him so much in such a short time. The one person who had tried to help someone like him.
Because if that one person, the one who truly believed that he could achieve his dream of becoming a hero despite his complete lack of talent, were to stop believing in him, then…
"GET THE HELL UP JAUNE!"
Blue eyes snapped open as a familiar voice reached his eyes, carrying an unbelievable and unreasonable demand. His eyes immediately locked onto the source. Or at least, he tried to. His vision was blurry and still filled with spots. Still, he recognized the owner of the voice.
"IS THAT REALLY ALL YOU CAN DO?" he heard Junpei's voice shouting from across the yard. Jaune could already imagine his face, set into that familiar stern expression he used when he was the one fighting Jaune during training. "YOU'VE TAKEN HARDER HITS THAN THAT DURING TRAINING! THERE'S NO WAY THIS FIGHT'S OVER YET! COME ON! GET UP!"
Scarlett's voice could be heard in the distance, but he couldn't care less about what she was saying. Junpei… wanted him to keep fighting? He... He still believed he could win? Even after seeing him getting knocked around like that?
The sound of more voices caught his attention, and his eyes sought out the source. When he found it, he almost couldn't believe his eyes. Ruby, Yang, and Nora – at least, he thought it was them since all he could really see were various colored blurs – were all yelling. But it wasn't the fact that they were yelling that surprised him. It was what they were saying.
"COME ON JAUNE! YOU CAN DO IT!"
"YEAH! YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!"
"BREAK HER LEGS!"
The others weren't yelling, and with his vision the way it was, he couldn't really make out what kind of expressions they had on their faces. But if he went by what he had seen before the fight had begun, then he was fairly certain they were either cheering him on silently or simply waiting to see what he would do.
Hopefully, that was it. He didn't want to even consider that any of them were disappointed by his performance.
Then, his eyes locked onto a familiar red and brown blur. Pyrrha. Though he couldn't see her expression, he could imagine that it was the same look she gave him whenever he sparred with Junpei rather than her, ready to run to his side but, for whatever reason, restraining herself.
Looking back at those time, he remember the only thing she would say asides from combat advice. They were three simple words, nothing that would sound out of place in any conversation. And yet, thinking back on them, hearing them as though she was speaking with him directly, he couldn't help but feel empowered. More so now, given his situation.
Don't give up.
He felt his strength slowly returning to his limbs. Not much, but enough. He bent his arms and planted his palms on the ground. Idly, he noted that Crocea Mors's sheath was still in his right hand. And with one leg bent, foot planted on the ground, he pushed.
A soft, feminine gasp came from somewhere in front of him. He ignored it. His body was soon upright. He leaned forward, placing more weight on his foot, and pushed. He stumbled as he got to his feet, still too weak, but he ignored this as well as Hazel's pleas to surrender.
He took one step forward, his body swaying unsteadily and his breathing ragged. He focused on the blur in front of him, a familiar shade of brown at the top.
"Jaune… please…"
He took another step forward. The blur grew larger.
"No way…" he gasped out, taking another step forward. "Not… gonna give up…"
"You can't even stand up straight."
The blur grew larger still. "Doesn't matter…" Another step. "This is my… last chance… Not gonna… waste it…"
Was he close enough? It was hard to tell. The blur that was Hazel certainly looked big enough.
"Jaune…"
She certainly sounded close enough. Just another step closer, just to be sure. He steadied himself, waiting for the swaying to stop. Or at least lessen. He willed all the power he had left into his arm, raising the sheath high above his head. "Sorry, Hazel…" he whispered.
His arm and the sheath descended, just as his vision grew dark.
Sephiria Arc was not a very expressive woman. All her children, and even her husband, could attest to that. And were someone to walk into the hospital room – she will never refer to such a large building as an infirmary despite what the staff told her – that housed her unconscious son, they would only see a woman looking down at the slumbering boy with a neutral expression and her arms crossed beneath her breasts. No concern, no worry, not an ounce of emotion could be seen on her face or in her eyes.
Yet those with a better understanding of her character would be able to tell just what she was feeling at that moment. Not worry, not concern, but indecision.
From the hallway outside the room, the voices of Gwen and Akihiko carried into the room despite the closed door, her second daughter and her son's trainer discussing the details of Jaune's special training while the others listened in, her other daughters occasionally asking questions alongside a few of Jaune's friends.
She didn't need to be present for it. The brief explanation that he had given during the fight was more than enough for her to eventually deduce just what kind of training her son had received over the past few days and why. In truth, it was nothing special. The boy's earlier words had simply made it sound more special than it truly was. It was something that could turn the most talentless fighter into someone who was, at the very least, capable. All it was, was experience.
The gifted and talented learned faster. What normally took weeks to learn would take a talented person only as little as a few days depending on the level of talent they had. They advanced faster, advancing past their peers by leaps and bounds and are often hailed as prodigies and geniuses.
Yet talent did not determine one's potential.
Just as a room's ceiling was the limit of how tall an object could be while inside it, one's potential was the limit of their growth. Regardless of how fast one's skills grew, this ceiling, this limit, was not something that could be surpassed on a whim. At times it was possible to surpass those limits, to set a new limit by overcoming the previous one, but such occasions were rare, only a few capable of doing such.
Jaune was not likely to be one of those people. Nor was he one with an exceptionally high potential.
Both she and Aurelian had seen it not long after her husband began to train Jaune. Not only did he not possess any natural talent, but his overall potential was below the average. She was one of those few people who had an uncanny ability to determine one's level of talent as well as one's potential, an ability that served her well during her time as an instructor at Atlas Academy and even as a teacher to her children.
Her appraisal of Scarlett was spot on, as were her appraisals of Gwendolyn and Hazel. Sable and the twins were harder as their strengths lay in their intellect, but once more, her assessment of their physical abilities were accurate.
It had been disappointing when Arianna chose not to pursue the life of a Huntress. Both her level of talent and her potential were the highest among all her siblings. And if she were to surpass those limits in the future, then she would surpass even her parents. But both she and her husband respected her decision, insisting only that she at least learn the basics of combat for self-defense.
But Jaune…
The day she made the decision to keep him from pursuing the life of a Huntsman was one of the most painful for her. None of their children knew it, but both she and Aurelian had argued for days on that very topic. He wanted to keep training Jaune, believing that he should have the chance to pursue his dream regardless of his talent and potential. She wanted to forbid him from going down that path, deeming it too dangerous for someone who did not have sufficient potential or talent.
It was an age-long argument between them, beginning as far back as the first day they met, back during their first Vytal Festival as students of Haven and Beacon. She believed that one's talent and potential determined how strong someone could grow. Even back then, her ability to determine one's level of talent and potential was terrifyingly accurate. He believed otherwise. Without the proper determination and will to temper them, skills could only carry one so far. Only by having a reason to fight as well as the determination to achieve that goal, to protect one's beliefs, could one truly grow strong.
Her team had won the tournament, both that first one and the next one two years later. And both times, her team had encountered his and won. The first time, the two of them fought each other during the first of the singles round. She defeated him, but not without great difficulty. Still, she had proven that her beliefs were stronger.
During their second match two years later, however, he had single-handedly defeated her during the doubles match, losing only because he had been too exhausted to defeat her partner, who had defeated his.
And over the coming years, the two of them would encounter each other many more times, culminating in a long-standing rivalry that he had jokingly deemed 'talent vs heart'. It was not an argument she wanted any part in, but she did not want to admit that her beliefs were wrong.
The argument faded soon after their, admittedly unexpected, marriage, never to resurface again until that day. And in the end, after nearly half-a-month of arguing behind their children's backs, Aurelian had finally given in. All it had taken was pointing out the dangers of being a Huntsman, reminding him of just how many Huntsmen failed to return from their missions alive in that first decade after graduating.
It was a low blow, she knew, since two of his three teammates had died within four years after their graduation despite having gone on supposedly easy missions alongside equally skilled Huntsmen and Huntresses. Such tragic twists of fate were called unexpected for a reason after all. But even so, she would do anything if it meant keeping her son safe, if it meant she would not be sending him to a premature death.
But now…
That fight had been a surprise in more ways than one. Jaune's unexpected display of courage was the first. He had challenged Scarlett, the eldest and easily the strongest among the eight siblings, to a fight to determine whether he would remain at Beacon or not.
The second was the revelation of what had ultimately driven him to flee from Domremy, from their home.
The whole family had learned from Arianna just what Jaune had gone through over his six years at Rouen Academy. Pushed around, often literally, pranked on a regular basis, and even publicly belittled for his inability to fight in comparison to his siblings.
The worst had been during his first few months but, eventually, the bullying had, relatively speaking, died down. It was still a daily occurrence, but he was no longer subject to the cruelty of his classmates at every moment. Once, twice, or thrice a day, still, but no longer once or twice every hour. Rather than the subject of torment, he simply became a form of entertainment when his offenders grew bored with their day.
She had been ready to march to Domremy's residential area to seek out all those who dared to harm her son. Only her husband's calm words, that what's done is done, had held her back long enough to listen to Jaune's side of the story.
As he had told Arianna, who had relayed it to them, he had tried to stand up to the first few who had bullied him to no avail. That was when he decided that the best thing he could do, was to give in. He had realized early on that his protests and resistance had only spurned them on, making things even more entertaining for them. And so he stopped resisting. And when they thought him broken, unwilling to fight back any longer, the majority began to leave him alone.
With the bullying down to a minimum, Jaune was able to live a, relatively, normal school life. Most people kept their distance still, but a few had kept him company for one reason or another. He simply needed to keep that status quo until his graduation and he would be free of his tormentors.
But then, Hazel's actions, well-intentioned though they may have been, had made things worse. She had saved him from one final, very public, form of humiliation. And yet Hazel's careless words, spoken and proudly declared in public without proper forethought, was many times more humiliating for her brother.
Indeed, many people had spoken to her about that very incident. Those of the town's militia that she trained and those who knew her well showed their concern for her son. Yet those who had very little interaction with her spoke of their sympathies, pitying her, a powerful Huntress, for having a son who could not live up to their family's reputation, for having a weak son that needed to be defended by his younger sister.
Many times she had to restrain herself from showing her displeasure, having to remind herself that she was a Huntress while those people were simply civilians who did not know any better. Weak or not, Jaune was her son first and foremost and she would love him regardless of anything.
She hadn't thought, at that time, that such rumors would affect her son so poorly. Now, however, she could see just how much of an effect his experiences have had on him.
The third surprise was Jaune's display of skill during the fight itself.
His skills, erratic as they were, were easily explained by the training he received. If they had truly trained him to fight against a sword-user, then it certainly went a long way to explaining why he was unable to fight against Hazel when she had been unarmed.
Many times she had also seen the surprise on his face when he was able to defend against an attack. Her question to Junpei confirmed the reason why. Jaune had been unaware of the reason behind the specifics of his training. He was unaware that the training was meant to train his subconscious, his instincts, to react to even an unseen threat. Provided, of course, that it was the kind of attack he had been subjected to. So of course he would be surprised to find that his body was reacting without conscious thought.
But the fourth and biggest surprise was his determination. Even when faced with Scarlett, he had been firm in his decision to fight. When his Aura had dropped below what the school considered safe, which is still higher than actual tournament rules, she had expected him to end the fight. Instead, Jaune continued to fight despite the possible danger to himself.
He had even charged straight for Hazel the moment his Aura was depleted, taking advantage of her shock and hesitance in an attempt to win. The pragmatist inside her applauded his decision to use his sister's hesitance against her even as her motherly side wanted nothing more than to run in and stop the fight before Hazel's own combat instincts led to drawn blood, or worse. And when his plan was derailed by their mutual disarming, he resorted to using the sheath of Crocea Mors as a weapon.
It was only poor fortune for him that Hazel had trained with Gwen in unarmed combat. Had he paid more attention at home then he would have known that. Then again, given what he had been going through at that time, it was understandable that he did not. His lack of knowledge of his training also hindered him at that point as he was unaware that his instincts would not react as sharply or as accurately against unarmed attacks.
But despite the beating he received, he forced himself to fight, rising to his feet despite everything. His weakness was apparent in his inability to stand and walk upright, yet every step was filled with determination. Jaune's resolve reminded her so much of Aurelian. He had displayed a similar resolve during their past fights, rising to his feet and fighting until he could not continue.
Then again, she had been in the same situation many times considering she and Aurelian were equals in terms of overall combat ability. More than once, she had been the one to struggle to her feet, unwilling to let the fight end in his favor.
Their situations were different in that neither she nor Aurelian held back against one another the way that Hazel did against Jaune. But even so, Jaune stood despite being clearly outclassed. He pushed his body to its limits, fighting despite the pain he must have been feeling. He refused to surrender, refused to give up on his dream.
It drove a sharp spike of pain into her heart to see him that way.
Experience and instinct could only carry one so far. Without the proper skills to support him, he would not go far as a Huntsman. Hazel only needed to discard her weapon, to switch to an unarmed fighting style, in order to defeat Jaune. Had she done so sooner, or had she chosen to fight unarmed first before drawing Rugitus Leo, then the fight would have ended within the first five minutes. It was only chance that had allowed Jaune to last as long as he did.
She was not a cruel woman. Nor was she uncaring. She loved her children dearly, even if she did not show it the way that other parents did. All she wanted for them is to live a happy life.
Jaune's dream was to be a Huntsman, to follow in his family's footsteps. It was a path filled with danger, a path that walked alongside death. It was not a life she wanted for him given his poor aptitude for combat. Even after she had convinced Aurelian to see things her way, not a day went by that she did not despise herself for taking away her son's dream. But she would prefer to have him alive and well to seek out a new calling, a new dream, even if he hated her for it, rather than allow him a brief moment of happiness only to die long before his time.
Yet he did not find a new path nor did he show any signs of hatred directed towards her or Aurelian. He hated the fact that they would not allow him to pursue his dream, even if he eventually came to understand why, but he did not hate them for keeping him from that path.
In some ways, it would have been easier if he did hate them. Hatred, despite the negative implications, meant that he felt strongly about something, that he still held something so dearly to him that he would hate even his own family for taking it away. Instead, having his dream taken away had broken his spirit, leaving nothing but an empty shell that mimicked the living. He resigned himself to a mundane life rather than seek out a new dream.
It pained her to see him like that, like an aged Huntsman retiring after having lost so much. But she kept telling herself that he would one day find a new path. That at least he would live long enough to find that new path.
Only, she hadn't expected that Hazel's actions would light a spark within him, igniting his desire to be a Huntsman once more. He had even timed his departure perfectly. Or perhaps, they had given him the opportunity to depart.
Aurelian had been called to eliminate a small gathering of Grimm approaching a nearby village. Similarly, Scarlett, Gwen, Sable, Viola, and Melanie had all gone on missions of their own. She had gone out that night to accompany the town's militia on patrol. Only Arianna and Hazel remained home with Jaune that night.
Since she rose early to train, Hazel had also gone to bed early. Arianna had done the same since taking over the household chores included making breakfast, meaning she would have to wake up early to prepare everything and cook. Nobody knew for certain whether Jaune had already been prepared to leave prior to that night or if he had simply taken that opportunity to do so, but by the time anyone realized he was gone, it was close to noon the next day.
She had gotten back at dawn and went straight to bed after the night patrol. And neither Arianna nor Hazel had entered his room when they had gone to wake him for breakfast. They had knocked on the door to his room, calling out to him, but then left him alone when he failed to respond. It hadn't been that strange since he had been more reclusive than normal since his graduation. But when he failed to appear for lunch, they had gotten worried and entered, only to discover his absence.
At that point, she felt both worry and hope. Worry for her missing son who had gone out into the world without any ability to defend himself, and hope that, somehow, he had found a new path to follow, one that he did not share perhaps out of fear that they would reject it once again. Discovering that Crocea Mors had been taken provided a little relief. Even if he was unskilled, at least he was armed.
And so she told her children not to worry. Not too much at least. Unsurprisingly, she hadn't needed to convince Aurelian of anything as he, too, felt that his departure was a good thing in some ways. She told her daughters to give him time before they contacted him. His Scroll was missing, meaning that he had taken it with him. None of them liked it, Scarlett and Arianna especially, but they accepted it since both their parents did.
After about a week without any contact, they decided to make contact first. And that was where things started to go wrong. The one who had answered the Scroll was a teenage girl. After she had vehemently denied Hazel's accusations that she was Jaune's girlfriend, she had explained that she bought the Scroll at a second-hand store in Treia, which happened to be the town closest to Domremy.
Traveling there yielded no new answers as the shop owner, despite having recognized Jaune's photo, said that he didn't know where he had gone. Jaune had sold his Scroll, claiming to have bought a newer one recently, and then left. With no clues as to his destination, the five older siblings spread out to search for him, taking missions in the nearby area to aid in their search while her two youngest daughters returned home with her and Aurelian, their duties to the town too important to abandon.
Never did she once consider that he had returned to his former dream, that he would somehow find a way to enter Beacon, or that his falsified transcripts – admittedly the only plausible method he could have used to enter – would pass the scrutiny of the prestigious academy's staff.
And now, nearly two months after his disappearance, they had found him. Even if only due to a whim of Scarlett's to visit her former school. She was glad to see her son doing well, even if he wasn't doing as well in terms of schoolwork. But that he was safe and healthy was enough for her as a mother.
The fight worried her, but at the same time she couldn't help but be intrigued by the change in her son. Gone was the boy who would cower whenever his eldest sister so much as glared in his direction. Gone was the false smile he had put up over the past six years whether in the presence of friends or family. Gone was the boy who had acquiesced to his family's decision to not allow him to become a Huntsman for his own safety.
Instead, her son had challenged Scarlett to a fight, placing his dream as the prize. Her son smiled as he reunited with his siblings, tearing down the wall that he had slowly built and strengthened for more than six years. Her son fought for his dream, refusing to lay down his arms regardless of what came his way.
And such was the source of her indecision. Her son was still an incapable fighter, capable only under specific circumstances, but he had certainly inherited her husband's drive and determination, the very thing that had drawn her to him in the first place. It was a beautiful thing to behold, and she did not want to see such resolve disappear. And yet allowing him to remain in Beacon would place in him on a difficult and dangerous path.
A part of her wanted to curse her husband. He was well aware of her inner turmoil but when she had asked for his opinion, he simply grinned and said, "You're the one who turned him down the first time. If anyone's going to overturn that decision, it's going to be you." While he had a point, she knew that he was simply getting back at her for managing to convince him to support her previous decision. If there was one thing he was extremely good at, it was getting under her skin and annoying her.
The sound of the door opening and closing pulled Sephiria from her thoughts but she didn't turn. She had long since grown familiar with the way her husband and children walked and, thus, the sound they made as they walked. Even purposely walking slower, faster, quieter or noisier did little to change things. There was simply something distinct in how they walked that helped her identify them without looking. Or hearing them approach whenever they, as children, tried to sneak up on her.
"Has anything changed?" Gwen asked as she stood beside her mother, her muscular form dwarfing Sephiria's slender frame.
In response, the older woman shook her head. "It's to be expected. Your brother not only exhausted his Aura but also continued to fight despite this. I'm surprised he didn't collapse of exhaustion sooner. Although we made him keep up with the exercises to remain fit, engaging in combat at full strength for an entire fight will tire out even the best of us." The taller, but younger woman nodded, her eyes locked onto her brother's steadily rising and falling chest, hidden beneath his shirt and the blanket. "What of his training? Did you learn anything new?"
"A few things, yes." Sephiria did not outwardly respond, but Gwen already knew what that meant. "I was right in thinking that the training they put him through was nothing more than giving Jaune as much experience fighting a sword-user as possible in a short amount of time. Much like the regular instinct training I learned about, they attacked him using the same tactics and attack over and over again until his body adapted. Then, they targeted another weakness or used another sword-based attack pattern and repeated it again. It only differed from the method I'm familiar in that they pushed him harder than others would have."
Sephiria had already surmised as much but it was always good to be certain of such things. Still, it was strange that two teenagers had been able to come up with such a training regimen. Or had someone taught it to them at some point? She would had to look into them regardless of how their business in Beacon concluded.
"They had also pushed him beyond what he is physically capable of, forcing him to fight nearly a full hour and only letting him rest for two minutes before beginning the next round. They also ensured that he took this rest period on his feet, never allowing him to truly rest." At least that explained why Junpei had shouted something about 'two minutes' earlier. If he had trained in that manner for days then it would have been enough time to ingrain such a habit into his mind. "Since he always rested on his feet, the moment Hazel forced him to lie down probably made his body think that it was alright to shut down and recover. It's nothing short of pure willpower that must have allowed him to stand at the end and even manage one final attack, as weakened as it might have been."
Yes, that certainly made sense. Even if he had fallen on his back multiple times over the course of the fight, the fact that he always stood up within the next second or two prevented his mind from thinking that the fight had ended. Suddenly lying on his back for an extended period, combined with his injuries, most likely 'tricked' his mind into thinking that it was time for him to rest.
"Akihiko also admitted that neither he nor Junpei had any intention of continuing this training after today." That certainly caught her attention. But again, her sharp mind came to the same conclusion that Gwen was most likely about to tell her. "All this was, was simply to show that Jaune could become a capable fighter, a preview of what he could one day be capable of if he was given the chance."
Sephiria nodded, her assumptions proven true once again. After all, there were simply too many different weapons, too many different fighting styles, for such a training method to be effective in the long-term. Against a specific opponent, it could be devastating as shown by how Jaune managed to hold his own against Hazel. But as a way of increasing overall skill? No. Such a path would only lead to a premature end.
Though she did wonder, if only for a moment, what the outcome would have been if Scarlett had fought Jaune just as they had intended at the beginning. Would she have seen through the ruse? Would she have underestimated Jaune far too much, giving him the opportunity to drain enough of her Aura? Or would she have dominated the fight from the very beginning?
Unaware of her mother's train of thought, Gwen continued to relay what she had discussed with the silver-haired teen. "When I asked how they planned to proceed should Jaune remain at Beacon, however, he merely responded that they would simply have to train him from the ground up. At the very least, he understands that nothing can come from training without a proper foundation, which Jaune currently lacks. Though he did mention that Junpei had only asked for his help for this particular training. From this point on, Junpei would ultimately be the one responsible for such training since Akihiko is not of their team and has his own team and studies to think about."
And that was how it should be. His aid at this time was understandable but one cannot be responsible for more than their own burdens nor was it good to shoulder another's burdens too often, even if only to help. It was also good to hear that her son's team leader was aware of such things. Still, it did not make her decision any easier.
"And what do you think?" Sephiria asked her daughter, turning her head and raising her gaze to meet Gwen's. "Taking into consideration my opinion as a former instructor at Atlas, do you, someone who has often been called to train other children due to your vast knowledge of various training methods, believe that Jaune can learn? To be more specific, do you believe he can one day reach the level of a Huntsman that will ease my worries as a mother?"
Gwen answered without hesitation. "Yes. My answer hasn't changed from years ago. If anything, that fight showed me that I was correct. That Jaune does have potential."
"Everyone has potential," countered Sephiria, turning back to gaze down at her son's slumbering dorm. "It's simply how much, or how little, he has that worries me."
The muscular blonde shook her head in response despite her mother looking away. "Even if you could predict his potential, you can't honestly say that he can't surpass those initial limitations. Especially not if he's as determined as we've seen."
She had to concede that point to her daughter. As two people who were intimately familiar with training others, both were aware that one major factor in someone surpassing their limits was their determination. Only someone with the drive and resolve to work hard and surpass their natural limitations could grow beyond what they were initially capable of, could avoid that point where one's skill level would stagnate regardless of what they did. And while there was no guarantee that even the most determined, most driven person would succeed in their endeavors, they still stood a better chance than those who had little desire to grow further, who were content with what they have.
If Jaune was truly determined to become a Huntsman, his low potential would mean hitting that plateau sooner than most, perhaps even while he was still at Beacon. And if his dream was still fresh in his mind, if he does not feel that he has become a proper Huntsman yet, not yet enough to say that he has fulfilled his dream, then his determination would certainly serve him well.
The only question was, was she willing to risk it? Was she willing to risk her only son's life on the possibility that he would surprise her and reach a level of strength to satisfy her worries? Or would it be best if she were to take him home, and hope that he found a better, safer path that would still lead him to happiness?
As she gazed down at Jaune's peacefully slumbering face, she sighed, lamenting her indecision.
The four teams had gone to lunch first, leaving Jaune's family to watch over him. Now, it was their turn to depart for lunch while Team JACN watched over their teammate. And even though some like Yang, Ruby, and Nora, Jaune's most vocal supporters, had wanted to stay as well, Junpei was able to convince them to go about their day with the others.
Jaune was in no danger. All he needed was rest so there was little need for everyone to wait for him to wake up. They reluctantly agreed but they insisted that they be told the moment he woke up. Junpei agreed to that little stipulation.
The red-haired Mistralian was sitting by Jaune's bedside, leaning on her thighs as her eyes watched her partner with a hint of worry. Not for his physical condition, no, but for the uncertain future that lay ahead of him. "Do you think they'll let him stay?" she asked without turning away from the blonde.
Sitting at a small table behind her, Junpei and Chidori were going over the former's homework. Since he had spent the entirety of the two previous days training Jaune, in addition to his Leadership and Tactics class the previous morning and evening respectively, he had been unable to do so until now. She supposed it was also a way of keeping his mind off the possibility that Jaune would not be staying with them.
A heavy sigh filtered across the room, the distinctly male undertone identifying the source as her team leader. "Dunno, really. Like you heard earlier when Akihiko-senpai came clean about the training, it was just a… what'd he call it again?"
"A stopgap, Junpei-kun," provided Chidori.
"Right, that." Junpei paused for a moment, probably to thank Chidori. Pyrrha could just imagine him turning to smile appreciatively at his girlfriend. "We showed his family that he can learn. But like senpai said, we still gotta teach him the basics, something he should have learned years ago. I think we can do it. Well, more you than us anyway."
"That doesn't really answer her question, Junpei-kun."
Leave it to Chidori to point it out so bluntly. Still, Pyrrha could appreciate it. Both Junpei's attempts to avoid giving the answer she dreaded, as well as Chidori's attempt to have Junpei give a proper answer.
In response, the team's leader sighed and Pyrrha could just feel the positivity in the room decrease. "Guess not. But… I'm not really sure what they'll do. He put up a good show but that's all it is. No guarantees that he'll put up that good a fight in the future."
"But why did Akihiko-san explain the training?" asked Chidori. "I understand that they asked, but wouldn't it have been better to keep certain parts secret?"
Surprisingly, it was Pyrrha who answered. "It wouldn't have worked." She felt, rather than saw, the two teens turn to her. "It took me a while to remember, but Gwendolyn Arc is well known for her knowledge of various training methods. I remember because my parents once considered hiring her as my private tutor when I was younger. In fact, the only reason my parents decided otherwise was because she does not accept long term contracts outside of a certain area, especially not as far as the other kingdoms. I assume it is because she does not wish to remain far from her family for too long."
"Makes sense. They seem like a pretty close family so they probably don't stay away from home very long," commented Junpei. "Not sure if senpai knew that about her but we actually talked about it yesterday. He told me that if someone asked that we would have to tell them the truth. It'd just make it harder for Jaune if we lied or hid stuff now and got caught later on."
That was certainly very true. Jaune was already in enough trouble with the actions he took to enter Beacon. It wouldn't have been a wise decision to lie to his family. That would have only made it more unlikely that Jaune would be allowed to remain in school. To remain with them.
"Not necessarily." The unexpected voice caused them all to turn to the door. Much to their collective surprise, the massive form of Gwen and the towering form of Arianna were now standing inside the room, the door closed behind them. Seeing the surprise on their faces, Gwen just chuckled. "Sorry. Didn't think we were that quiet. Guess you were too preoccupied to hear us come in."
Junpei just waved it off. "It's cool. Probably should have been paying attention anyway." Then a slightly uncomfortable look appeared on his face. "So, what was that about uh…"
Despite trailing off, Gwen seemed to have understood what JACN's team leader was getting at. "Nothing much, really," she said with a shrug of her massive shoulders, walked over to one side of the room and leaning against the wall even as Arianna took the empty seat on the side of the bed opposite Pyrrha, taking one of Jaune's hands in her larger, but slender, ones. "Even if you tried keeping the training's details a secret it wouldn't have mattered much. Scarlett might have bitched about it but nobody else would have cared."
"Uh… really?" Junpei's confusion as evident in his tone. "I mean, what about Jaune's parents? Well, your parents, actually."
There was a slight pause as a complicated look appeared on the muscular woman's face. "Given how his life has been, I can guess what Jaune must have thought of us back then. But believe it or not, only two people originally wanted to keep Jaune from being a Huntsman."
"Gwen." The soft, melodic voice took the three teens by surprise, causing them to turn to the other Arc sibling in the room. "Are you sure you should be telling them that?" There was no reproach in Arianna's tone, simply concern. Concern for whom, however, was unknown. "Won't mother…"
"She won't," preempted the older sibling, looking reassuringly at her younger, but taller, sister. "Besides, I think Jaune's friends deserve to hear both sides of the story." Hearing no more objections, she returned her attention to Junpei and Chidori, who were the only ones looking in her direction. She could tell, however, that Jaune's partner was paying attention just as closely. "When dad, Scarlett, and I failed to train Jaune as a kid, mom was the first to speak out against letting Jaune become a Huntsman."
"But as unlikely as it was, there was still the possibility that we just weren't the right kind of teachers for him. So dad convinced mom to let some friends of theirs try as well. And when that failed, he convinced her to let the instructors at Remorra try when Jaune was finally old enough to attend." She sighed and shut her eyes. "In hindsight, that was a very poor decision."
"So they shouldn't have given Jaune that final chance?" asked the cap-wearing teen. There was a hint of anger in his tone and Gwen could certainly understand where he was coming from.
"Dad shouldn't have given him false hope," she corrected. And before Junpei could say what was on his mind, which was quite obvious from her perspective, she continued to speak. "Instead, he should have kept training him even if Jaune wasn't picking up on the lessons. Slow learners just need time. Time, and patience. Jaune didn't get either one."
"This is just my opinion, mind you, and I'd rather you not repeat it to anyone else but… I think that mom and dad had gotten too used to having talented kids by that point." Again, the teenage boy was giving her a look of confusion. "Think about it. Scarlett was in her second year at Beacon by that point, me in my first. Sable in her fifth year at Remorra and the twins in their second. Even at that age, we'd all pretty much established a small reputation for ourselves. Arianna had been training in self-defense for a year by that point. And even if she doesn't like fighting, she was picking up the lessons faster than any of us at that age."
"So Jaune was expected to continue that trend." The conclusion came from Chidori, her passive expression looking up at Gwen with a fair amount of certainty in her eyes. "And his inability to do so had a greater impact than it normally would have had otherwise."
The girl was sharp, Gwen would give her that. "Exactly. Not to say that they're lazy, but when things come easy to you, you forget that you are the exception rather than the rule. Our family is just one of thousands after all, even if many in the family, past and present, were unnaturally gifted. Scarlett was actually a little mad that Jaune wasn't learning at what she felt was the proper pace."
"So… what?" Junpei looked at her with a skepticism. "They thought Jaune was some kind of idiot?"
"Not exactly how I'd put it," Gwen replied with a wry grin. "But more or less, yes. Didn't help that Sable was the smartest or that the twins, at that age, just loved to poke fun at every little thing without realizing just how much their words could actually hurt someone. I'm pretty sure Jaune felt that everyone was looking down at him for his failures."
"But not you?"
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly blameless in this." She could see that her open admission had surprised him. "I think a part of me knew that Jaune just needed to work at it more, just needed a little more patience from us. Considering that I was the least talented among us back then, I probably… no, I definitely should have spoken up. But I looked up to our parents and to Scarlett so much that I just went with it. It might not have made a difference, or it could have changed things entirely. We'll never know."
"But what I regret the most was those three years before he entered Remorra. Jaune was always asking dad to train him. But since dad always turned him down he eventually gave up. Instead, whenever we came home from Beacon, Jaune would ask me and Scarlett." Her face took on a softer expression as she remembered the times when young Jaune would run up to her before she even reached the door, asking her to train him since their father wouldn't.
Then she frowned. "But mom and dad had expected it and told us not to long before Jaune first asked us. Told us that training him then would give him false hope, make him think that he would be able to be a Huntsman." She scoffed. "As if telling him to wait until he entered Remorra, a combat school, hadn't already made him hopeful. Knowing he would one day attend Remorra but not receiving any training to prepare him for it must have confused the hell out of him."
"I wanted to train him. But like I said, I looked up to them, and in my eyes they couldn't do wrong. If they said it was better to wait, then it was better. That's what I told myself back then." Again, Gwen sighed and shut her eyes, remembering those times as well as the time when she realized they had all been wrong. "It wasn't until he entered and dropped out of Remorra that I began to see how badly we screwed up."
Nobody urged her to continue even as the silence stretched on. Simply waiting for her to continue her tale. There was no doubt in their minds that she would. For that Gwen was grateful. This wasn't really something she had expected to do when she came to Beacon. But seeing the lengths that her brother's teammates had gone through in an effort to help him had brought up the memories of her failings.
Was she sharing the story in hopes that they would do what she failed to do? What she should have done? Or was it as she had told Arianna just now? Was she sharing her story because she felt that Jaune's teammates and friends deserved to hear it?
Then again, did it really matter at this point? Jaune's team, as well as his friends from other teams, clearly supported him and were willing to do what they felt was necessary to help him. Her chance to help him had come and gone. Nothing would change that. 'Then again,' she thought, opening her eyes and gazing down at her brother's team leader. 'There is still something that only I can do at this point.'
When she resumed her tale, her voice was noticeably lighter, though still tinged with regret. "Allowing him to enter Remorra without any training made things worse. It's true that his lack of talent made training him harder, but it's precisely for that reason that we should have trained him before he went to a combat school. Either that, or tell him straight up that he couldn't become a Huntsman."
"You would have preferred to have broken his dreams even as a child?" asked Pyrrha, turning to look away from her partner. She was surprised that Gwen, regretful as she was, would suggest such a thing.
"In all honesty, it would have been better than giving him false hope for three years but not preparing him," the muscular blonde replied with a nod. "We let him continue to think he could still become a Huntsman, but at the same time we did nothing to help him reach his dream. If anything, we most likely knew that we were only prolonging things but we held on to that shred of hope that the school could do what we thought we failed to do. If we were going to do that, better to give it to him straight than to give him false hope. But like I said, we screwed up."
"So when the instructors told us that they couldn't teach him either, dad gave in to mom, pulled him out of Remorra and sent him to Rouen instead. But he couldn't let go of his dream. All because we had given Jaune hope by telling him to wait. He asked for training a few times after that but always got turned down. Sometimes he was caught trying to train on his own and got scolded for it. After a few months, he gave up. And we thought that was the end of it." She sighed. "You probably know the rest from there."
"What about your mom?" The question surprised Gwen. Glancing around, she could see that Junpei's question had surprised everyone in the room. "I mean, I don't think I heard anything about her trying to train Jaune back then but she still got a say in things. Where was she back then?"
"No offense to her but mom couldn't train a beginner even if our lives depended on it." Gwen shook her head with a small smile on her face, probably thinking of such a time when Sephiria had done something like that. "Letting the Atlesian army torture Jaune for information would have been kinder than letting mom train him as a kid."
"G-Gwen!" Arianna looked almost afraid at those words, eyes glancing towards the door as though afraid their mother would walk in at that very moment.
In turn, Gwen just laughed, a loud boisterous laughter that probably would have gotten her kicked out of the infirmary. "Calm down Ari," she said after her laughter settled a bit. "You know it's true. Besides, mom would be the first to admit that I'm right." She then turned back to Junpei. "So yeah, mom leaves the basic training to dad and only started training us when we graduated from Remorra."
"So that bit about only two people wanting to not train him…"
"Those two were Scarlett and mom. Mom got dad to agree with her and the rest of us pretty much just went along. At least at first," she added soon after. "I can't speak for everyone else, but by my third year here at Beacon I began to see that the life of a Huntress was much more dangerous than I had realized. What more after graduation? What more for Jaune?"
"So you were simply concerned for him?" asked Pyrrha.
"All of us were," corrected Gwen. "But as I said, I can't speak for everyone. At some point, after Jaune transferred to Rouen, I tried to bring up his training again with my parents. Got into quite a few arguments here and there actually. I kept pushing but I never let Jaune know. I didn't want him to get this hopes up for nothing if I couldn't convince them. Maybe I should have. Just to let him know I had his back. Just another thing to regret now I guess."
"But you're here now aren't you?" asked Chidori. Rare were the times that the redhead spoke during a serious conversation that involved strangers, not that Gwen was aware of that, so even Junpei and Pyrrha, Pyrrha especially, gave the white-clad girl their full attention. "You've made mistakes in the past but doesn't that simply mean that you should take advantage of this opportunity?"
Across the table from the redhead, Junpei nodded in agreement. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Arianna doing the same. Disappointingly, Gwen shook her head without much thought. Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy. Not for her. "My chance came years ago and I wasted it." They all looked confused, wondering if she had heard what Chidori had said about a second chance.
That was fine with Gwen. She didn't really think it was important that she explain. They were all still young – compared to her at least – so they were unlikely to understand just why it was that what they saw as a second chance wasn't really one. "At best, all I can do now is try to convince mom to let him stay, to give him the chance he deserves. She's the one who'll be making the final decision by the way," she said to Junpei, almost as an afterthought.
A second chance implies that doing things right this time around would achieve the results she failed to attain the first time. But things were different now. Rather than a second chance, this was her first, and possibly only, chance to do something new. What happens afterwards was no longer up to her.
"Just her?"
Gwen nodded with a thoughtful look on her face. "Scarlett obviously wants him back home so she and I are at odds here. Sable couldn't really care less whether he goes or stays so long as he's safe. The twins are pretty much the same. Arianna wants him home but wants him to be happy, which would mean staying here. Hazel's conflicted and could go either way, especially after that bomb he dropped on her. Dad left the decision to mom. Not really sure why. So no matter what we think, it's all up to her. Even if all of us wanted him to stay, if she wants him home then there isn't much we can do about it."
There wasn't much left to say at that point. Though unexpected, she had managed to share her own perspective on things. Hopefully she managed to fill in any blanks left by Jaune's side of the story. While the possibility existed that Jaune would be returning home to Domremy, it would be best for his team to be aware of the full story should he remain.
If their mother allowed him to stay, it would be his friends who would be around to help him heal, to help him grow. And for that, they needed to be aware of the underlying problem. Not to say that Jaune's perspective was wrong, but even he only knew so much about the situation. There were always three sides to a story. At least, that's what Gwen believed. In this case it was Jaune's, her family's, and the cold, hard truth.
And now, it would be up to Jaune's team to decide for themselves what to believe in. Were they partial to Jaune's tale? Or the family's? Or would they perhaps cobble together another perspective born of the two? Gwen sighed. This really wasn't something she needed to consider. She had already decided to place her trust in them with regards to Jaune's continued future at Beacon.
Just then, the door opened to admit several more people. The first to enter was Hazel, dashing to Jaune's bedside and questioning Arianna on their brother's status. The twins followed after, their distinctive red and blue hair and somewhat bizarre clothing making them stand out in so many ways. Sable followed, carefully maneuvering through the doorway to keep her still bundled weapons from catching on the doorframe. And finally, Aurelian and Sephiria, the former bearing a calm yet pleasant demeanor while the latter maintained a stoic expression.
"Calm down Hazel," spoke Aurelian, his amused voice soft and deep, yet firm. "Jaune's still resting so it wouldn't do to wake him before he's fully recovered."
That quieted the youngest sibling but did little to ease her worries, evidenced by how her eyes remained locked onto her brother. The others took their own positions around the room. The twins stood on opposite sides of the bed by Jaune's head, speaking in a loud whisper that did little to hide their plans to 'play' with Jaune's sleeping face. Sable went to stand by the window, setting her massive weapons down in the corner of the room while leaning against the window frame with her book held up by one hand. It was worth noting, however, that not once did she turn the page.
"Where's Scarlett?" asked Gwen, taking note of the only absentee from their family.
"She met an acquaintance on the way back who wished to speak with her," responded Sephiria. Gwen knew, however, that could have meant a lot of things when it came to their mother. She could have meant exactly what she said. Or she could be trying to say that someone came and literally dragged Scarlett away and only assumed it was someone Scarlett knew because she didn't attack them outright.
But before she could try to pry more information out of the young-looking mother, the woman with ash-blonde hair glanced around the room until her eyes found her target. "Pardon me," she began, waiting until she had their attention before continuing. "If it's no trouble, I would like to speak with you for a moment."
The target of her attention looked back dumbly, as though unable to comprehend her words. He looked around, as though making sure there was nobody else who she could have been speaking with. Failing to find any, he turned back, the same look on his face, and raised his finger up to point at himself, as though to be absolutely certain that he was, indeed, the one the Arc matriarch was speaking with.
Sephiria nodded wordlessly then turned to leave without waiting for a response from Junpei. When the door shut behind her, a soft laugh escaped Aurelian's lips. "You'd best catch up with her," he said to Junpei, looking quite amused by the situation. "I know it sounded like a request but my wife rarely makes an actual request."
Junpei rose from his seat, still struggling with the fact that his friend's mother wanted to speak with him. When Chidori and Pyrrha made to rise, however, he waved them down. "It's fine, I think. I'll be back soon."
Chidori sat back down, finding no reason to argue. Pyrrha, however, looked like she wanted to insist on joining him. Most likely, she wanted to try to convince Sephiria to let Jaune remain at Beacon with them. Eventually, she settled back down into her seat, trusting that Junpei would say what needed to be said. He had, after all, done what he could to help Jaune thus far. He wouldn't turn his back on him now.
When he exited the room, Junpei looked down both directions and saw Sephiria's distinctive light purple jacket just as she turned a corner. It didn't take him long to catch up with her, and match her pace, following slightly behind her as she entered another room.
It was very much like the one they left, only without all the people. The bed was neatly made and the only furniture asides from the bed were two chairs and a small, square table, much like the one he and Chidori had been using. The curtains were pulled open, letting the early afternoon sunlight filter in through the closed windows.
Junpei shut the door behind him even as Sephiria walked over to the window, standing before it to gaze at the world beyond the glass. He approached but remained behind her, unsure of what to do next. The silence stretched on for what seemed like hours, Junpei constantly shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
Eventually, the Arc matriarch broke the silence. "Tell me. Do you know what Jaune's dream is?"
Jaune's… dream? He briefly wondered why she was asking such an obvious question but put those thoughts out of his head and gave his answer.
Sephiria gave no visible or audible response for a while. "If you were to ask any of my daughters," she said after a moment of silence, "All of them would give you the same answer. And they would be wrong." She paused again. "How would you define the word 'hero'?"
It barely took Junpei any time to gather his thoughts to response, but before he could answer, he let out an involuntary gasp as he came to realize why his friend's mother was following that line of questioning.
"You understand." It wasn't a question. The sound of his gasp most likely told her more than words could. "Heroes, true heroes and not merely hunters of fame and fortune, are a selfless existence. They give and expect little, sometimes nothing, in return. They fight for a cause not theirs simply because they believe it to be just and right. They will fight to protect even the most insignificant life because, to them, all life is precious. Even the lives of ill-reputed men. And if it means saving even one life, they would gladly give theirs."
"That is what the ideal hero is like." She spoke without any particular tone, simply stating a fact rather than an opinion. But when she spoke next, Junpei could hear the weariness in her voice. "And that is what Jaune aspires to become."
It made more sense now why she was so adamant about preventing Jaune from becoming a Huntsman. It wasn't necessarily because he was weak or because he would never become as strong as his sisters. It was simply because his dream was, in her mind at least, the same as dying prematurely.
It was as she said. Heroes were a selfless existence. They existed for the sake of others. And they died for the sake of others. Heroes were practically expected to be self-sacrificing. The moment a hero chose to preserve his own life over another's was the moment he ceased to be a hero. And yet…
Junpei clenched his fist. He couldn't accept that sort of definition. Not when he knew three, no… that was wrong. He knew four people who could qualify for the title of hero. And while it was true that they all died to save another, it was a lie to say that they were selfless. No, they weren't all that selfless at all.
Shinjiro Aragaki died protecting Ken. Many would call that selfless. But once Ken relayed the truth, it spoke of Shinjiro's selfish side. A dying man who wanted to erase his sins, to make right that which he had wronged. Protecting Ken was selfless, in a way, but it was also selfish. If Ken died, then there would be no way for him to absolve himself of his guilt before his own passing.
Takeharu Kirijo wanted nothing more than to right the wrongs that his father had wrought upon the world. And even if nobody would ever know of his struggle, he pushed on regardless. But his greatest desire of all, was to see his own daughter safe and happy, like any good father would. All his actions, all his decisions, everything he had sacrificed, his own life included, was so that his daughter could live a happier life. A life free of the burdens of the past. Mitsuru may have chosen to bear that burden, but he wanted nothing more than to take it from her. It was only misfortune that he was powerless to bear it.
Minato Arisato died to protect the humans of the world from themselves. It was the most selfless act one could ever ask for. And yet... And yet his actions after his semi-failure spoke of his selfishness. Rather than let SEES fight, he had sealed them away. As his final message, deliver through Ryoji, stated, he hoped they would awaken in a time of peace. He gave his life not for the world, but for his friends. Saving the world was the bonus, not the goal. His friends, and not the countless billions of strangers, was what gave him the strength to stand and fight against the undefeatable.
And finally, Chidori Yoshino, Junpei's own personal hero. The girl who once wanted nothing more than to live a life without attachments, an empty life so as not to feel the pain of loss or the fear of death. That same girl literally gave her life for him, saving him after he was severely wounded by her own comrades. It was selfless in that she willingly gave her life to him, accepting that her death was the resulting consequence of such an act. And yet, to him, it was selfish. She might have been happy that he lived, but how could he possibly be happy that she would die instead? It was selfish in that, the rest of SEES asides, only she was made happy by her sacrifice.
No, Junpei could not accept that heroes were selfless. It was precisely because they were selfish, because they wanted something so badly, because they believed in their own cause so strongly, that they were willing to die for it. None of them were completely selfless. None of them could be said to be completely good people in that they each had their failings that the ideal hero should not have. But despite all of that, all four of them were heroes in their own way.
In his eyes, they were the true heroes. Not the ones who gave their lives fighting for something they, themselves, did not truly believe in.
Oblivious to the thoughts of the young man behind her, Sephiria continued to speak. "And so I find myself confused by your actions. You know of my son's dream yet, earlier, you admitted to training Jaune even when his Aura was no longer protecting him, essentially teaching him to fight to the very last. You do not strike me as someone who would willing lead someone down the road to death. So I would like to know exactly what your intentions are."
He almost didn't hear her request. No, that was no request. It was a demand. Softly worded, but a demand nonetheless. Aurelian, himself, had said it earlier. She rarely made requests.
It didn't take him long to answer. "It's what he wanted." He wasn't sure whether Sephiria's silence was an invitation to explain or if she was considering his words. Hopefully, it was the former. "Look I… I'm not really the best as this kind of stuff. I'm not that strong or that smart. And you probably heard me say it earlier, but I've never been a leader before. So I'm pretty much just doing what I think is right."
"And you believe that your actions thus far are correct?"
He shrugged. "Dunno." If his answer surprised her, she didn't show it. Her entire body remained steady and unmoving even as she continued to gaze out the window. "I just know that it's what Jaune wanted. But I know that I'm not wrong with helping him. Even if he wasn't on my team, I would have helped him if he asked. I mean, he is my friend."
"I see."
Junpei wasn't really sure if he had said the right things. All he knew for certain was that he had spoken the truth. Lying to his friend's mother would not get him anywhere in his. Not when the final decision regarding said friend's future was in her hands. An experienced Huntress like her, a mother at that, probably had no difficulty telling truth from lies.
His heart hammered in his chest when she turned around, her pale blue eyes looking into him. For once, he could understand what people mean when they say 'Like they were looking straight into my soul'. There and then, he felt like she was looking at him, but not at him. Like she was searching for something deeper, something that did not exist on the physical plane.
As she took a breath and made to speak, he could only hope that he could weather the storm that was right in front of him.
"Hey Weiss, do you think Jaune's awake yet?"
It was the fifth, possibly the sixth, time Ruby had asked that question and it had grated on her nerves since the second time she had asked. Especially since it was only a little over an hour since they had left the group had split up with a promise from Junpei to let them all know when he woke.
"I wouldn't know," replied Weiss, taking a deep breath to prevent herself from lashing out verbally. Doing so had never really worked on Ruby so all it would do was waste precious energy.
The entirety of Team ASYR was in their dorm room, having returned after lunch. Aigis was, once again, connected to her maintenance station while Fuuka was running a scan. Ruby was sitting on a chair not far from them, watching Fuuka work while occasionally asking questions about Aigis's inner workings.
Weiss sat at her desk, reading one of the books on programming that had been recommended to her. She had, of course, purchased a book cover to prevent the others from seeing the title. She had the basic makings of a plan in order to get closer to Fuuka, which would eventually lead to her offering to help the smaller teen with Aigis's maintenance. But before that, she would need to increase her knowledge otherwise she would not have enough to offer.
While Ruby was more interested in the hardware, she still had a small hint of interest when it came to Aigis's programming. Or rather, she was curious. Weiss doubted that Ruby would truly become interested in the blonde android's programming. Not when her questions were limited to 'What does that part mean?' or 'What does that part do?' Clearly she had little interest in how such things worked beyond their function.
Still, she kept an ear open as Fuuka explained a few minor things to Ruby, a small notebook on the table allowing her to write down any details she overheard. It wasn't much since she couldn't see the code itself, but it did help her know just what kind of things were programmed into Aigis.
Unfortunately, she was far too distracted, causing her to miss half of what they were talking about. And whenever she tried to read the book, she would pause after a paragraph or two as her mind drifted elsewhere. That 'elsewhere' just so happened to be her memory of the earlier fight between Jaune and her younger sister, Hazel.
Her mind kept replaying the latter half of the fight. Specifically, when Jaune continued to fight despite his Aura dropping below the safe zone, when he charged in despite his Aura hitting zero, and when he rose up again at the end despite his body clearly unable to do so, beaten down by his sister without his Aura to protect him.
The fight shouldn't have mattered to her. The only reason she had been there in the first place was because she hadn't been able to find a decent opportunity to slip away. Her best opportunity had been during breakfast. Nobody would have stopped her then if she claimed to have something important to take care of. The moment they rose to meet Jaune's family, however, she had lost all chances of leaving.
Oh sure, she could have said something then, but it would sound too much like an excuse to not be there. Her image had already taken enough hits in front of her peers. She had no desire to add to it. And so she waited for another opportunity. Whatever it was that Junpei had planned, surely it was something best kept to the family and not something to display in public.
And yet she had been wrong. The fight that ensued had taken place on school grounds, off to the side of campus where few people went. It hadn't made sense to her at that time why Junpei had asked Jaune to have his family meet him in a specific place. A secluded one at that. Now it did.
The training rooms were often in use on Sundays so a large group gathering would have drawn attention. Not to mention it might have hinted at what he was planning, which he obviously wanted to keep a secret even from the Arc family. The next best thing was outdoors. And a secluded outdoor area still close to the school was the perfect choice.
By then, she realized that she wouldn't be able to leave. She could, actually, but doing so for any reason short of an emergency would not look good for her. She hadn't really connected Jaune Arc with THE Arc family. Not with how he had behaved the day they first met and certainly not with his abysmal combat ability. But the moment she found out who his family was, she knew that she couldn't behave poorly in front of them.
But that aside, Weiss could admit, though only to herself, that there was a part of her that was drawn to the battle for some reason. The fight shouldn't have mattered to her. But it did. For some inexplicable reason, it did. Even now she could barely keep the fight out of her mind. More importantly, her memories of the fight were focused on, of all things, Jaune's actions.
Why? Why would she be focusing on him? Despite his sudden burst of skill, his sister was far more skilled. Observing the youngest of the Arc siblings would have yielded a better learning experience for her. Their weapons were complete opposites, but surely she could have learned one or two things that she could use.
So why Jaune? What was it about him that-
"WEISS!"
"UAGH!" Her hands shot up into the air, her book flying from her hands, as she jerked back in her seat, the chair leaning back and almost tipping over. Only her frantic waving and kicking saved her from the fall as her weight repeatedly shifted forward. Once both feet were once more on the ground, she turned to her right and glared at the person responsible for her near fall. "RUBY! What-"
But before she could even ask, her widely grinning partner grabbed her hands in her own. "Pyrrha just sent me a message saying that Jaune's awake!" The words flew out of the silver-eyed girl's mouth so fast that Weiss had to take a moment to replay them in her head. Unfortunately, her partner wasn't going to give her the chance to do so. "Come on, come on, let's go, let's go."
Her chair toppled over as Ruby pulled her to her feet in the direction of the door, her mouth still spewing words by the dozen. "R-Ruby!" Weiss barely managed to keep her face from meeting the floor as her black and red-haired partner pulled her out the door. "Will you let-"
"Hold on tight Weiss!"
"Hold on? Hold on to whAAAAAaaaaaa!"
Fuuka winced and giggled nervously even as a flurry of rose petals filled her vision, the only sign that Ruby and Weiss had been in the room literally just a second ago. Even now, Weiss's screaming could be heard through the open door. Fuuka could only hope that Weiss didn't get too mad at Ruby. She made a mental note to speak with Ruby about that later on.
"Are you ready Aigis?" she asked, turning to the blonde as she rose from her maintenance station.
Aigis ran through her internal scans and nodded after a brief pause. "I believe so."
Grabbing her Scroll from her desk, Fuuka made to leave the room when her foot hit something. Looking down, she saw that it was the book that Weiss had been reading. She picked it up, glancing briefly at the contents as she went towards her white-haired teammate's desk. But when her mind caught up to what she was reading, her feet stopped in place while her eyes moved rapidly over the textbook, a small gasp slipping past her lips as she realized just what it was that Weiss had been studying.
By the time that Junpei and Sephiria returned to Jaune's room, the sound of laughter could be heard from the hallway. A sound that grew in volume as soon as the door was opened.
The very first thing they noticed was a blonde boy sitting up on the bed, his face bright red while those around him roared in laughter. The only exceptions were Pyrrha and Chidori. Chidori looked amused, lips hidden behind a half-closed fist as she laughed softly. Pyrrha, on the other hand, was just as red as her hair as she looked down to her lap, trying to hide her face.
"Looks like sleeping beauty finally woke up." Junpei's comment, spoken just as the laughter died down, drew all attention to his grinning face. "So what'd I miss?" A quick glance at his two teammates' blushing face provided more than enough ammunition. "Did the princess wake up her prince with true love's kiss?"
Unexpectedly, the only source of laughter came from Chidori, who had to completely cover her mouth to stifle the increased volume of her laughter. Everyone else, however, was looking at Junpei with confusion. It didn't take him long to realize why. "Oh right, guess you guys wouldn't know a fairy tale from where I'm from."
"A fairy tale?" asked the twins in unison.
"What's it-" Began one twin, the one with messy red hair and neat blue hair.
"About?" And finished by the other, the one with messy blue hair and neat red hair.
Junpei knew their names were Viola and Melanie. Asides from that, however, he had no real way to telling which twin was who. Jaune hadn't exactly given him any defining features he could use to tell the two apart. "You interested?" he asked, a little surprised that they would want to hear about it given that they were about three or four years older than him. Then again, the way they acted made it seem the other way around. Not that he was going to say that out loud.
In response to his question, the two of them walked to either side of him, took one arm each, and practically frog marched him to one side of the room to hear the tale.
This, however, gave Sephiria the opportunity to approach her son. "How are you feeling?" she asked without delay.
"I-I'm fine, I guess." Jaune replied, trying and failing to meet his mother's eyes. He had already asked earlier, and his father told him that the decision of whether or not he would stay at Beacon fell to his mother and not the outcome of his fight. Now that she was here, his heart began making repeated attempts to escape from its bony cage, beating repeatedly beneath his chest.
"You're nervous." It was a statement of a fact, spoken in that tone that meant she was absolutely certain of what she was saying. "You want to know whether you'll be staying."
He swallowed the lump in his throat even as he nodded minutely and shakily. Leave it to her to pick up a single piece of the puzzle and declare exactly what the picture was with barely a single glance. At one time, it had been something he had admired. Something he wanted to be able to do. He still did actually. That didn't mean he liked being the puzzle.
His anxiety grew worse when she remained silent, simply gazing at him passively. Looking around with just his eyes, he could see that both Pyrrha and Junpei were equally nervous, though Junpei was somehow able to keep speaking with the twins despite glancing in his direction now and then. Arianna looked worried, though he couldn't be certain whether it was because she wanted him to come home or to stay like he wanted. Sable was, like with most things, uninterested. Gwen…
Gwen looked surprisingly calm. Was it because she already knew the outcome? If so, then was it because it was going in her favor? Or had she made peace with it going the other way? Her eyes briefly met his and he could have sworn that she gave him a very small, very brief grin. But it had disappeared so fast that it could have just been his eyes playing tricks on him.
"Before I tell you my decision," his mother's voice drew him away from his thoughts and, due to his anxiety, he had actually jumped a bit, his heart skipping a beat, "I want you to answer three questions for me." As with everything with her, it wasn't a request nor was she giving him the choice to turn her down. His nod, though given, was a foregone conclusion. "First, is this what you truly want?"
Before he could answer that, yes, it is, she continued speaking. "And I do not ask this lightly." Her tone, and even her expression, was a hint more serious than it normally was. Something he rarely saw as she took everything seriously despite her normally stern tone. "Consider all that it would mean for you now and in the future. Having experienced several weeks at Beacon, and provided you have not ignored the lessons you teachers are providing, can you say with absolute confidence and certainty that the life of a Huntsman is that which you truly desire?"
As much as Jaune wanted to respond positively, something in his mother's tone froze his voice in his throat as though forbidding him from speaking until he did as she asked and seriously considered the matter. Was it really what he wanted?
It was, wasn't it? The life of a Huntsman would lead him closer to his dream of becoming a hero much like his parents were, much like his great-great-grandfather, Jacques Arc, who fought in the Great War.
But then, such a life meant fighting, didn't it? Not just other people like his classmates, but also the Grimm. Mostly the Grimm in fact. At that line of thought, his mind brought up the memory of the initiation. It seemed almost a lifetime ago despite it being less than two months since that day. Regardless, however, he would never forget that terror he felt at seeing so many Grimm all in one place. Even with all sixteen of them, he hadn't felt confident in their chances. Not when faced with so many of the elder variety.
Yet that same memory had given him a glimpse of what kind of person he wanted to be. Junpei, who had, on more than one occasion, admitted that he was far from the strongest amongst SEES or their group as a whole. Or even his own team for that matter. Despite his lack of Aura for protection, despite his physical inferiority compared to the rest of their year, despite knowing that he could have died in that fight, despite all that, he stood tall and proud against the Grimm, never once choosing to run. He had turned his back on them to perform a tactical retreat, yes, but he never turned away in order to run and hide like Jaune had considered doing.
The life of a Huntsman would mean facing similar situations in the future. In fact, such a scene would probably become the norm for him if he chose such a life. He would walk alongside death, wondering at every turn whether that was the day that death would reach up from the abyss to claim him.
As a child, he had not truly understood the dangers. As an adolescent, he gained that understanding. And with that understanding came doubt. But that doubt was always pushed away when he imagined himself being as skilled as his sisters or his parents. Now?
Now, for some reason, he felt none of the nervousness, none of the fear, not even a sliver of the doubt that would normally accompany such a thought. He wasn't excited about living such a life, but for once he did not feel as apprehensive at the thought of that kind of life becoming normal for him.
Now he didn't even need to imagine himself being strong in order to quell his doubts and fears. For some reason, he could see himself, his weak and untalented self, standing amidst a horde of Grimm, easily as many as he had seen during the initiation. And though he stood alone, he didn't feel a sliver of fear.
No, that was wrong. He wasn't alone. What once was the image of his ideal self, strong and powerful, the ideal hero, was replaced by his current self, weak and untalented, but standing amongst friends. And that, made all the difference.
He opened his eyes – when had he even closed them – and, for the first time in many years, his blue eyes met his mother's blue eyes, a shade of pale blue that was almost cold, and didn't look away. He could feel a tightness on his face, briefly wondering what sort of expression he was making right at that moment. His mother's unmoving expression gave nothing away and yet, for the first time, he felt that she was approving of him in some way.
"Yes."
Just that single word was all he said. He hadn't felt the need to explain anything, hadn't felt the need to defend himself. Just that one word felt right to him.
"Then my second question." Again, his mother gave nothing away. No indication whatsoever of whether she truly approved of his answer or if he was simply being hopeful. "Are you willing to do anything, and everything, to achieve your goals?"
"Yes."
In a way, he had already shown that he would by the way that he had gained entrance to Beacon. That aside, he knew his mother didn't literally mean 'everything'. If he so much as thought of committing a crime, beyond what he had already done, she would most likely hunt him down herself.
"Third." She wasted no time between his answer and her next question. "Will you be coming home during the breaks?"
"Ye- whuh?"
"Was I not clear?" asked Sephiria, ignoring the dumbfounded look that now adorned Jaune's face even as both Gwen and Aurelian broke into laughter while Sable's book quivered lightly along with her shoulders. That same look of stupefaction had appeared on Pyrrha's face as she stared at the Arc matriarch as well. "I asked whether we can expect you to be home during your school breaks or if you will be spending it here."
"Um… I… well uh… That's…"
Gwen's laughter roared even louder, her arm lashing out lightly and playfully to tap Jaune's shoulder with the back of her hand. Though by the way he twitched, it was clear she hadn't held back enough. "Come on, where's all that confidence you showed when you challenged Scarlett earlier?"
"I… wasn't exactly thinking straight," he admitted, rubbing his shoulder.
This time it was Aurelian whose laughter increased in volume. "Well, just don't let her hear you say that," he said to his son, stepping closer to place his hand on Jaune's shoulder. "Regardless, however, if you are still intent on walking this path then know that you'll have our full support."
"Thanks dad, but…" As happy as he was to hear that, there was still one question lingering in the back of Jaune's mind. "But why now? Why… why couldn't you have done this before?"
And just like that, the heaviness in the air returned. The twins and Junpei, having finished their own conversation, came a little closer to hear the answer, the former more than the latter.
Surprisingly, the first to speak was not Aurelian, but Sephiria. "I am not the most expressive of people. Not even to you, my own children. And perhaps this contributed to our situation now, but… Jaune, I did not make the decision to forbid you from becoming a Huntsman simply because of your weakness. I did it because, rather than prioritize my feelings as a Huntress, my belief that you could still be trained, I prioritized my feelings as your mother."
"As my…"
"I love you Jaune, just as much as I love your sisters. And I am sorry if I ever gave you any reason to think otherwise." Her words were spoken in the same tone as she always used, cold and stern. And yet… And yet, Jaune felt a stirring beneath his chest at his mother's words just as he felt something behind his eyes. "And it was that love for you that made me stand in your way, that made me stand between you and what I felt was an early grave."
"When you were a child, all you dreamed about was being a hero. I could see the admiration in your eyes whenever your father told you tales of his adventures and missions, as well as those told to him by his father before him, and his grandfather as told by his father. But at that time, you were blind to the realities of what it meant to walk the path of a Huntsman. That innocence, that naiveté, combined with your lack of talent, made your dream an incredibly dangerous path. A danger that you were yet unaware of as a child."
"So what changed?" he asked, interrupting his mother. "I mean, I know I'm not strong. It's not that much different from before to be honest. So why now?"
Rather than answer the question, Sephiria continued her short tale. "Years ago you yearned only to be a hero, believing that the ability to fight was the only tool you needed in order to succeed. Though we were unable to teach you, you still trained diligently and gave your all whenever we tried. But even as we warned you of the dangers of the path you had chosen, you only ever said that you didn't need to worry because you were a hero, that, as long as you trained and learned how to fight, you would be able to beat anything that stood before you. Do remember that?"
No. He honestly didn't. But he knew that it was something he would have said as a child. And looking back, with the experiences he now had, that had been an incredibly foolish line of thought. If the ability to fight was all that mattered, then there wouldn't be a need to form teams, both as trainees and as actual Huntsmen. Far and few were those who truly worked alone and managed to live long.
"I did not want you to learn otherwise only when death has come to claim you." His mother paused and came over to his side, sitting next to him on the bed and twisting her torso around to face him. "Regardless of anything else, you are my son before you are a Huntsman or a hero. It may not be ideal, but I would rather bar you from pursuing your dreams if it meant allowing you to live longer, long enough to find a new dream to pursure."
"Now…" She shut her eyes, taking a slow, deep breath. It almost seemed longer to Jaune as he waited for what she would say next. "Now, however, you are much more aware, much more knowledgeable of what awaits you should you continue this path. A part of me had hoped that you would still have those childish notions of being a hero. At least that way I would have a reason to take you home, by force if need be."
"But rather than ignoring the dangers, you've acknowledged them, along with your own weakness, and still chose to walk your path. It pains me greatly knowing you would still choose such a dangerous path, but…" She leaned in, eliciting a soft gasp of surprise as her arms wrapped around him and pulled him close. "But as your mother, I couldn't be more proud of how you've grown. I still fear for your life and I always will, just as I still fear for your sisters' despite their skills and abilities. Yet knowing what I know now, I can be at ease."
Still shocked by his mother's surprising show of affection, Jaune was unable to ask just what it was she knew now that helped change her mind. He wasn't even aware of when his arms had wrapped around her body just as hers did with his. Eventually, he recovered his wits and was about to ask but the sound of sniffling caught his attention.
Following the sound, his eyes shot open in surprise when he found a familiar pair of silver eyes peering through the partially opened door. "R-R-Ruby?!" His startled exclamation elicited a gasp from beyond the door. There were some sounds of alarm and what sounded a bit like a struggle before the door was pushed open. By three familiar girls falling atop one another in the direction of the door. "Y-Yang? Nora? Wh-what…"
At the sight of three girls trying to untangle themselves from one another, Gwen's laughter returned, as loud as ever. In fact, everyone in the room save for the mother-son pair showed some level of amusement as the three girls stood in line, the sibling pair looking sheepish and more than a bit embarrassed while Ren came in and gently chastised Nora. Yang and Ruby's partners could be seen through the open door, obviously opting to remain outside.
"Your friends are quite… interesting." Jaune could only sigh at his mother's comment. It was quite the understatement, all things considered, but, as he watched the twins run up to Ruby asking about her clothing and her hair coloring, Gwen approaching Yang for one reason or another, and even Sable moving from her spot, her eyes trained on Blake and her own book, he couldn't help but smile a bit.
Even if not all of them were there for him, namely Weiss and, possibly, Blake, those who had come to see him were still friends that he had not expected to make when he first came to Beacon. Given the shallow nature of his past friendships, he hadn't even expected to become as close as he was now with his own team, never mind other teams. And so he was happy, ecstatic even, to have made so many friends in such a short time.
Only time would tell just how strong those bonds were but the fact that they had stayed by his side, figuratively speaking of course, throughout this entire ordeal was enough for him.
"Yeah," he whispered with that same soft smile. "They are."
The anxieties of the day aside, his day couldn't possibly get any better. Not only was his family allowing him to stay, but they were openly supportive as well, and his friends' actions over the course of the day showed that their friendship was far more genuine that what he had with the few friends he made in Rouen prior to graduation.
Nothing short of a natural disaster could possibly ruin his day.
"Allow me to repeat what you've just told me." Jaune swallowed and stood a little straighter and stiffer. Part of him wondered why he was doing this. But when he caught sight of his mother's distinctive jacket to his right, and his father's carefree stance to his left, he remembered.
Despite allowing him to continue his studies, his mother had given him two, non-negotiable conditions that he needed to fulfill. If he chose not to fulfill either one, then he would be forced to return home. After hearing the conditions, despite not understanding the need for the second one, he agreed. Compared to everything else, it was a small price to pay for the chance to pursue his dream.
"You ran away from home, even going as far as stealing your great-great-grandfather's sword, a family heirloom in fact, and came to Beacon, using falsified transcripts to apply nonetheless. And now, you are here to admit to your crime while, at the same time, wishing to remain a student, is that correct?"
Jaune gulped audibly at that word 'crime' and nodded shakily, trying to ignore the smoldering glare that Professor Goodwitch was giving him while giving his full attention to Headmaster Ozpin. The Headmaster's attention, however, was on the transcripts in question, which he was holding in one hand even as the other raised his coffee mug to his lips. As he set down his mug with a sound that seemed to echo throughout the entire office, he placed the transcripts on the desk and slid it towards the other end of the desk.
And that was the first condition he had to fulfill. His family had agreed that he could not continue to attend under false pretenses, not when his own family was now aware of his deceit. If he was to continue to be a student at Beacon, he would have to come clean to the Headmaster. How he would convince the Headmaster to keep him as a student, however, was solely up to him.
"Frankly, I am shocked and appalled, Mr. Arc."
Again, he swallowed, trying to relieve the tightening of his throat and mentally preparing himself for how he would convince the esteemed Headmaster to allow him continued attendance. He told himself that he would beg if he had to, but Goodwitch's glare as well as Ozpin's indifference made him feel like nothing he said or did would change whatever decision they made.
"Did you honestly think such shoddily made forgeries would go unnoticed?"
Jaune blinked, part of the tension in his body melting away into confusion. "I uh… what? You… you knew?" A glance at his parents showed a similar surprise at the Headmaster's admission. Well, his father at least. His mother looked just as unflappable as ever.
One of the Headmaster's fingers tapped on the transcripts on the table, drawing their attention to it. "The color of the transcripts were off by a shade, the entire document was printed at a slight angle, three of the classes listed haven't been part of Remorra's curriculum for years now, the overall format is over five years out-of-date, and a few words here and there have been misspelled, an error that no school would make as it would invalidate the entire document even if it were real."
"Comparing it with our records, I surmised you somehow procured a copy of your sister's own transcripts, Gwendolyn's unless I'm mistaken. You might have changed the grades a bit, but all the classes listed for all six years are exactly the same, including the optional classes. In addition, the school itself is responsible for sending a copy of the transcripts to the Huntsman Academy once the student has made their choice of which one to attend, something you would have known had you truly been a student of Remorra. That yours arrived in an ordinary envelope was telling enough even before we saw the actual document."
Ozpin once more brought his mug to his lips, taking a sip of his coffee as though he had not just revealed his knowledge of Jaune's deceit. "All in all," he continued with a casual shrug once he replaced the mug on his desk, "There were so many signs, so many errors, that it could not have been an imposter. If it was then it was an extremely poor attempt. A quick background check prior to your arrival, and comparisons of photographs with surveillance the day before the initiation showed that you were, indeed, Jaune Arc and not someone attempting to impersonate you in an attempt to use the Arc family name for one purpose or another."
"So… you knew?" His voice was breathy with disbelief as he continued to stare at the gray-haired man sitting before him. "You knew this entire time?" A nod. "And you still let me attend?" Another nod. "But… why?"
Jaune watched as Ozpin took a deep breath, releasing it slowly and meeting his gaze. "Have you ever met someone who wished for one thing, but had no one to give it to them, or no means to obtain it under their own power?" This time, it was the young blonde who nodded, feeling something in him resonate with the Headmaster's words. "In this world, we are beset by foes on all sides, even if they are not always present. It should come as no surprise to you, then, that there will always be a demand for Huntsmen and Huntresses, for protectors, against such foes."
There was a strange glint in the man's eyes as he continue to speak, a strange feeling that he seemed to be trying to make known to Jaune through eye contact alone. "Just as there are those who wish to be protected, there are those who wish to be able to protect. And yet, not all of them have the means or the ability to do so. And that is what a school is for. A school, of any sort, is a place where one goes when they wish to learn, where they can obtain the means by which they can obtain what they desire. A Huntsman Academy is no different. It is simply what we teach that differs."
"You would not have come here if you did not desire such learnings," he said, finally giving Jaune his answer to his question. "And the strength of your desire is reflected in the lengths you have gone through in order to come here. While deceitful, your actions did not strike me as malicious. It is because of that lack of malice that I gave you that chance to show me why you desperately wished to come here."
Desperate. That was certainly an apt term to describe his situation at that time. The transcripts themselves aside, he hadn't realized that his actions had given away his intent, even if Ozpin had not pieced everything together, such as what had driven him to such desperate acts.
"Besides, you are hardly the first to make such an attempt." The questioning look he gave the Headmaster prompted the man to explain. "Do not forget that we also accept applicants who have not attended a combat school. Others who were unaware of this have also attempted to use deceit in some manner. Your attempt was simply so…" Ozpin paused, a small grin appearing on his face as he found the word he was searching for. "Atrocious, that it was brought directly to my attention rather than simply being discarded."
The grin remained on the Headmaster's lips as he continued to speak. "Had your forgeries been properly done, it would have been thrown away without further consideration. That it was so blatantly obvious made the staff so concerned that it was brought to my attention, which, as you know by now, led to me allowing you to attempt the initiation. In that regard, I suppose you were successful."
"And as you passed the initiation and have not failed your classes just yet, I believe that there is no reason for me to terminate your attendance here at Beacon."
Jaune almost collapsed in relief at those words. While Ozpin's explanation had already hinted that he was not averse to allowing Jaune to stay, hearing it directly had relieved him of all the tension in his body, save for those that kept him standing.
"Now, as to the other matter you brought up. Glynda?"
And the tension was back in an instant. Just as his continued presence in Beacon after his confession had fallen to Ozpin, the second condition he needed to fulfill was now in the blonde professor's hands. And if he had to judge the chances that things would fall in his favor by her glare, then he just might have to get down on his knees and beg.
"Normally," she began, her voice just as stern as it usually was when she was correcting someone's mistakes in Combat class, "Such a thing would not be done, more so now since over a month has passed since the beginning of classes. Your recent… confession, certainly hasn't helped."
She seemed to be trying to kill him with just her eyes. If she was able to use laser vision like one of the heroes in his comics then she might have succeeded in not only killing him, but also most students that came to Beacon. "However," the glare lessened just a tiny bit but her lips tightened, as though not allowing her to show less displeasure over the situation. "Since the Headmaster has already allowed your continued education here, I suppose it would be counterproductive if I were to reject your request now."
Slender fingers tapped and slid rapidly across the large black Scroll in her hands. Jaune noticed that a headshot of him appeared briefly. Most likely when she accessed his school records. "And done. I'm sure you're aware, given that both Mr. Iori and Ms. Nikos are your teammates, but allow me to refresh your memory. The Combat Tactics class takes place every Saturday, at six to ten in the evening."
And that was his mother's second condition, not that it made any sense to him. For some reason, she, along with his father and Gwen, insisted that he join the Combat Tactics elective class. His parents had even said that they would be the ones to convince the Headmaster should it become necessary.
Why they were willing to go that far to get him into the class – which was just going to add to his already considerable academic load – was completely unknown to him. Still, much like his confession to Ozpin, it was a small price to pay. He could only hope it didn't add too much of a burden that his training and the rest of his studies suffered to the point that he would end up failing altogether.
"I suggest you use this coming week to consult your teammates on past lessons as well as the assigned scenario for the next lesson. I'd also recommend speaking with the other Professors if you need further instruction to help you catch up with the class." Glynda looked up from her Scroll once she finished, giving Jaune a lighter glare than she did earlier but with a harder expression. "Do not expect any leniency, whether for that class or mine, simply because of your circumstances."
Jaune could only nod, cowed by the disciplinarian's stern expression. Not that he had expected any different. From her or the other teachers. Even the child-like Professor Peach was rumored to be quite strict when she deemed it necessary, not that they had seen that side of her just yet in their Geography class.
Still, he was grateful. With both conditions fulfilled, he could now properly attend Beacon Academy just as he had always dreamed of doing.
After that meeting with the Headmaster, Jaune accompanied his family to Vale where they went to check into a hotel for the night. Since he would be staying, they decided to spend the rest of the day with him, with plans to go to dinner later tonight with his friends, if they were willing and able to join. He had forwarded the request to them all via Scroll and had, surprisingly, received a 'yes' from everyone. Weiss included.
He wasn't sure why she accepted considering what she thought of him, not to mention his attempts at flirting with her the day of the initiation, but he didn't let it bother him too much. He wasn't a mind-reader and asking was, most likely, not going to result in any answers. Best to just accept it and let it happen.
He spent several hours telling his family about his team as well as the other teams. He had even explained SEES's lack of Aura – after getting permission from Junpei, who mentioned he got permission from Mitsuru – to his family when they asked him what Semblance his teammates had.
Of course, this led to another discussion as to how they had gotten into the school, whether they were actually capable in a fight, and all manner of similar questions. Jaune explained as best he could, mostly repeating what Mitsuru had said nearly two months ago in the Headmaster's office during a similar conversation.
Thankfully, the discussion had been interesting enough that his siblings had forgotten the question that sparked the entire topic, that of his teammates' Semblance. He wasn't really sure how much he was allowed to say, so he left out certain things like Aigis being an android and SEES's Personas. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain either one even if he was allowed to mention them.
Then again, his family was one of many who respected someone's desire to keep their Semblance to themselves. Even if they asked, he could simply say that SEES did not want others to know of their Semblance. His family would have respected that request without any complaints. Still, he would rather avoid the topic altogether.
The conversation soon turned to lighter things, such as what kind of people his friends were and how he was doing in class. The topic of the Schnee heiress, however, somehow led to him mentioning having tried flirting with her at one point, to which everyone had a great laugh at his expense. His mother only had a faint, teasing smile, but for her that may as well mean uncontrollable, gut-busting laughter for everyone else.
Scarlett might not have been happy that he was staying, but she was mature enough to let it go without any complaints. And without such a serious topic between them, she was back to being the eldest sister. Unfortunately for him, that included laughter and teasing at his expense.
He downplayed the heiress's scathing remarks the day after Scarlett's impromptu visit. Despite the manner which she said it, she still did have a point. Not that he would ever side with that belief should a similar event happen to someone else. So he just mentioned that she didn't like the fact that he cheated his way into Beacon and left it at that. Hopefully no one would bring it up at dinner later that night.
The topic of Pyrrha brought about more laughter at his expense. The twins, cunning and mischievous as ever, somehow got him to slip up and blurt out what had happened that morning, namely seeing her come out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel. The blush that bloomed on his face might as well have burned him from the inside out with its intensity.
It didn't help that his mother chose that moment to exercise her right as his mother to tease him, something she had only done three times in their family as far as he was aware. "Did you wish you only roomed with your partner rather than your team?" It wasn't a particularly funny line, nor was her tone and expression suited for humor. But she had asked her question right after he mentioned Junpei and Chidori waking up not long after Pyrrha's second, less embarrassing exit from the bathroom, leading to renewed laughter even as the twins pestered him for an answer.
He couldn't remember a time when he was more embarrassed. Another spectacular loss in combat class would be far less embarrassing. Still, looking at his sisters' smiling faces, he knew he would always choose to spend time with his family, even if it meant he would one day blush himself to death due to their teasing. He loved them. Just as surely as they loved him.
Dinner that night was, as expected, a lively affair.
His father had reserved a section of a restaurant called 'Wok Your Way', a Mistralian stir-fry restaurant where each guest got to choose what ingredients went into their meal, starting with a base of either noodles or rice, followed by whatever combination of meats and/or vegetables they wanted, and ending with the a sauce along with a large variety of toppings and seasonings for added flavor.
The restaurant wasn't particularly fancy or expensive. In fact, other than its size, the place was quite ordinary. Scarlett questioned their father on his choice and his response was a bit of a surprise. It turns out that the restaurant had been there even when he had attended Beacon, though it was much smaller at that time. He had looked it up earlier and, when he saw that it was still present, decided to take them there for the evening.
Though the newer size also took him by surprise. He had expected that they would either fill up more than half the seats inside, sitting in groups of two or four, or they would have to buy the food to go and go elsewhere to eat, like a park or perhaps even the hotel room at worst. So the larger space was definitely on the pleasant side of the surprise scale.
Still, they had to use four separate tables to seat everyone given that there were twenty-five of them. Jaune and his parents sat at one, joined by his team and Scarlett. Unfortunately, that meant more than a little more teasing with Jaune on the receiving end. Still, all in all, Jaune felt that his parents and eldest sibling approved of his team more and more as the night went on.
Team ANKR was joined by Gwen and Arianna. The former of the two found a kindred spirit in Akihiko after hearing about how he had not only designed Jaune's training regimen, but had also recently finished one for his team and his friends. Gwen had asked to see Jaune's new training regimen after hearing that, which Akihiko was more than happy to share. Moreover, she was quite interested in properly meeting Ken, whom she heard about earlier that day, as she hadn't expected someone as young as he was to be attending Beacon as a full-time student.
Arianna mostly wanted to thank Akihiko for his role in helping Jaune get closer to his dream, having already thanked Jaune's teammates earlier, but eventually got drawn into a conversation about cooking with Ren. Though that meant dealing with Nora's vibrant personality as well as questions on how she got so big. Though given where Nora's eyes were aimed at, she got the feeling the diminutive girl wasn't entirely talking about her height.
Team ASYR found themselves joined by Hazel, mostly at the request of Ruby who wanted to learn more about Rugitus Leo. In turn, Hazel found herself interested in learning more about a girl who was one year her junior yet was already at Beacon. While she spoke the most with Ruby, she found Aigis an interesting conversationalist as well, especially when the earlier fight was brought up and Aigis gave her quite a detailed analysis of the fight and where she could improve.
Weiss was quiet, for the most part, but was polite whenever Hazel asked her things, mostly about Dust and how she felt that were best used as bullets. Fuuka was equally quiet but mostly because they held little in common. Still, a part of her felt bad for leaving out one person when she was able to converse with the rest of the team. So she did her best to include the older, but surprisingly shorter, girl.
And finally, Team KYBT was joined by Sable and the twins, Viola and Melanie. Sable not only found a fellow book-lover in Blake, but had met a fellow intellectual in Mitsuru. Not that Blake was any less intelligent, of course, simply that Mitsuru was, by far, one of the most intellectual people Sable had met in that particular age group.
The twins got along well with Yang, their easygoing and playful personalities meshing well. Especially when their discussion turned to Jaune and the more embarrassing tales of his childhood. Yukari wasn't as interested in those stories, but she did find some common ground in that the twins were quite knowledgeable about fashion and trends. They simply chose to be different from the norm whenever possible.
A little later, Jaune was returning from the restroom when he caught a flash of white out of the corner of his eye. He turned just in time to see Weiss walking out the restaurant's front doors. A quick glance at the tables showed nothing amiss. Nobody was looking in Weiss's direction with concern nor had the conversations stopped abruptly.
'She probably just wanted to get some air,' he thought, turning to return to his family. But still, the thought going to see if something really did happen, remained with him. There was still the possibility that something had upset the girl – it honestly wasn't that hard given what he knew of her – and the others were simply unaware that it had upset her.
'Is this what Scarlett meant by what she said?' She mentioned being worried that his tendency to 'play the hero' might get him into more trouble than he could handle one day.
It was probably nothing. He should just return to his seat. After all the two of them were hardly friends, merely acquaintances at best, and they weren't exactly on the best of terms at the moment. So why did he just walk out the front doors? And why was he now walking towards the white-haired heiress sitting on a bench placed against the outer walls of the restaurant?
"Why are you here?" a frosty voice asked him, its owner not even deigning to look at him.
'That's what I want to know,' Jaune replied in his head. Now that she had seen him approaching, he could exactly turn and leave. Well, he could but then he'd probably look like an idiot or a coward. Seeing the sharp look in her ice blue eyes, he amended his previous though. He definitely would look like an idiot or coward.
"I uh…" He began trying to stall for time as he thought of what to say. Still, most often it was best to just stick with the truth. Especially when one isn't particularly good at lying. "I just… wanted to make sure nothing was wrong."
He had expected some scathing words to shoot back after he spoke, perhaps even before he could finish his statement. Instead, she was watching him with a single raised eyebrow. "I mean… You're probably used to fancier places than this where everyone's a lot more behaved and-"
"It's fine."
Had he misheard? He blinked, staring at the white-haired girl who was sitting on the far end of a wooden bench with her arms crossed and her face set into a scowl. Surely he misheard her.
"No, you didn't." His confusion must have showed at her ground out words since she scoffed, still looking directly ahead of her. "You talk too loud." He hadn't actually meant to say that out loud but didn't bother mentioned that. "And as I said, it's fine." She turned her head away, muttering under her breath. "It's not as if I've eaten at many restaurants in the past."
"Huh?" Jaune cocked his head to the side, wondering what she had said after repeating her previous statement. "What was-"
"Nothing." Weiss interrupted him before he could ask. "Now that you know that nothing is wrong, you can go back."
Again, that feeling came over him, wanting him to remain and make sure that there truly was nothing wrong. Even though it was possible she had simply stepped out for some air, experience with his sisters told him that something was wrong. The two of them weren't on good terms but she wouldn't be insisting on being alone if she was truly alright. And so, against his better judgment, he stepped forward and took a seat on the opposite end of the bench.
Any excuse he might have made died in his head as her glare burned into his skull and drilled right through his thoughts. He tried his best to look like he just wanted to relax a bit but he was sure that his tense posture gave him away. Still, she eventually turned away with a huff, taking away the heat of her gaze.
For the next few minutes they sat there in silence, neither one so much as glancing at the other but more than aware of their continued presence. Jaune, for his part, desperately wanted to say something, anything to break the ice. Except for puns. He had seen her rail at Yang when she made a pun, especially ones that included some variation of Weiss's name or namesake, and he didn't want to ruin his mostly positive day with a stern scolding from her.
Just as he was about to give up and return inside – the others must be wondering why he was taking so long to return from the restroom – when Weiss chose to speak up. "Jaune."
For the second time within several minutes, he wondered if he was hearing things. In the six weeks they had known each other, not once did she ever call him by name. She never even referred to him by his name. It was usually 'that idiot' or 'the other blonde' or even 'the other blonde idiot' whenever she referred to him during a conversation. And even then, such times were rare as she seemed to want to limit their interactions, even indirectly.
"I believe that I… that I owe you an apology."
And that was three things he was sure he had misheard that night. That single goblet of wine he drank, allowed by his parents despite his age only because they were partly belatedly celebrating his entrance to Beacon, must have hit him harder than he thought. For all he knew he was already drunk off his ass and was simply too drunk to realize it.
Turning to Weiss, he could see the tightness in her face. And the way her lips were pursed made her look like someone had forced her to bite and suck on a lemon wedge. Or a dozen of them.
"I still believe that your actions that led to your entry to Beacon should be punished rather than rewarded by allowing to you remain in school. That you confessed your guilt does little to change what you did, and the lack of punishment is not something I can agree with."
Wasn't getting beaten up by his little sister punishment enough? What about being just a tiny little scare away from pissing his pants, or dying of sheer terror, while facing either his mother, eldest sister, the Headmaster, the Deputy Headmistress, or some combination thereof? Was that not enough? Or was she just a sadist behind that pretty face of hers?
"But…" He watched as she took a deep breath, her facial expression softening ever so slightly as she slowly let it out. "At the very least, I can admire your efforts, your determination, to achieve your dreams. While it is hardly the most ambitious of goals, few among our year, excluding the members of SEES, have shown to be as driven as you."
Driven? More like desperate.
"You not only risked your very future by attempting, and somehow succeeding, to cheat your way into Beacon, the most prestigious of all Huntsman academies, but you also openly defied your family, wagering your dream on an all-or-nothing gamble that you had very little chances of winning."
That was an optimistic view given that he hadn't actually stood a chance against Hazel despite his training. He hadn't even knocked her Aura down to the red zone before his own Aura hit zero and he was subsequently beaten up and knocked out. He had actually thought his literal last stand during that fight had been a dream his hopeful mind had conjured up after he had been knocked out.
"So even though I still think you are nothing more than a nearly worthless, cheating weakling on whom Pyrrha's time and talents are wasted on, at the very least you have my respect."
Was that supposed to be a compliment? Or an insult? Both? Didn't the twins come up with a word for that? Complisult, or something like that?
"Are you even listening to me?!"
He blinked at the sudden exclamation, confused by the mixed expression of disbelief and anger on the pale-skinned girl's face. Skin that was rapidly turning red. "H-Huh? Wh-what…"
"Ugh, unbelievable!" He flinched back as though she had struck him, hands rising in front of him in reflex when she threw her own hands up. "Here I am, trying to apologize and letting you know that I don't think you're completely worthless, and you don't even have the decency to properly pay attention!"
"S-S-Sorry," he stammered out, completely thrown off by her sudden tirade as well as the finger suddenly thrust in front of him, the tip of which stopped just a hair's width away from the bridge of his nose.
Weiss looked like she had more to say, however. But, as he steeled himself for another verbal blasting, the heiress huffed and crossed her arms once more, settling back down on her end of the bench even as she looked away. "Whatever. I'll let it go this time but don't expect me to let such disrespect slide a second time."
Jaune lowered his raised hands, slowly as though afraid she would go back on her word and come back with another verbal assault. When none came, he eventually settled down as well on his end, casting furtive glances at the white-haired girl while replaying her, still, unbelievable words through his head. After a while, he mustered up his courage and called out to her. "Uh… Weiss?"
"What?" Her response was harsh, but tinged with a tone that conveyed what she thought of him, that of someone far beneath her that he should be glad she was even aware of his existence.
Still, he didn't let that deter him for very long. With another calming breath, he delivered his message. "Thanks."
He hadn't really expected a response from her. He just didn't want to make her feel like her words were wasted and unappreciated. Simply because of how unbelievable her words were, he knew that it must have taken a bit of effort for her to admit such a thing. Both her mistake and her respect.
And so, the response he received was completely unexpected. "… You're welcome."
Since she wasn't even looking in his direction, he allowed a smile to grace his face as he allowed the tension in his body to slowly melt away after her acceptance of his gratitude. As his gaze looked up to the half-formed, half-broken crescent moon above him, he could now truly say that, all things considered, today had been a wonderful day.
And, unaware of nearly two dozen pairs of eyes watching him and the heiress through the restaurant's windows behind him, he leaned back onto the bench with a contented smile. "Tomorrow, I start my new life as a real student of Beacon. I can tell that this week is gonna be great."
October 19, XX13
"The winners of this match are Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos."
"Are you alright Jaune?"
Ignoring his partner's question, Jaune continued to lie on the ground, wishing the platform would swallow him up to hide him from his classmates after his disastrous match against Ken and his spear, Akihiko holding off Pyrrha long enough for Ken to knock his Aura down to the red zone without receiving the single strike that would take him out of the fight.
"I take it back," he thought as Ken rushed over, throwing the metaphorical salt onto his wounds by asking if he was alright and even offering to help him to his feet. "This week is gonna suck."
And that's the end of the Arc Arc as well as the end of the most difficult chapter I have written to date. This chapter, excluding the author notes, has close to 28k words. And in the process of writing it, which took nearly a full month, I've probably erased nearly twice as many words. I think the most I erased in one go was 10k words when my instincts started screaming at me to redo the fight scene.
Speaking of instincts, I hope Jaune's 'extreme' training makes more sense now. As stated in the chapter, the way his training was described was nothing more than a way to glorify something simple, to make it sound to Jaune as though it were some miraculous training method when, in fact, they were simply giving him experience with fighting a sword-user. And as stated, his base skills have only increased slightly since his fighting style during that fight revolved around his experience and his honed instincts against a sword.
That little question by Junpei to Pyrrha as well as the closing scene were simply to point that out. Though, admittedly, the final scene was meant to be part of this chapter's omake. I just found that I had a better use for it. I'll still include the original omake for anyone who wants to see how it was originally going to be used.
I hope that my warning that the chapter would drag on and feel tedious was taken well. Unfortunately, these just wasn't any way that I could make the chapter, the fight specifically, more exciting. Jaune was slated to lose that fight from the very beginning. Hazel had both talent and proper training while Jaune had none/extremely little of the former and only an emergency stopgap for the latter.
The chapter title says it all. "The Hero's Resolve"
The one thing I liked about how the 'Jaundice' episodes went in canon was how it showcased Jaune's resolve. He wanted to achieve his dream to badly that he cheated his way into Beacon. While not something I would recommend in real life, that kind of act speaks volumes of Jaune's determination and resolve. Though here I call that desperation. XD
There was honestly going to be at least three more scenes in this chapter, featuring various non-Arc characters to help progress their own storylines for future chapters, but I felt like this had already gone long enough and just scheduled it for the next chapter or two. I like long chapters but even I felt that hitting 35K+, which it would have if I included those other three scenes, would be too much. And given my tendency to expound on the smallest things I might have even reached 40k. XP
Now, a little info on plans going forward. The holidays are fast approaching and, unfortunately, my job is one of those that required me to work during holidays. That's right, no holiday break for me. And since I do want to spend time with my family as well, any days off I MIGHT have will be spent with them rather than this story.
What's my job you ask? Sorry, not saying. Asides from mentioning things like this, I like to keep my personal life separate from my online life unless absolutely necessary. In this case, I'm just providing a little background to explain why I'm not likely to update this coming month once, especially during a week or two leading up to Christmas, the week itself, and a week or two after that.
All in all, possibly five weeks with no updates.
This will, however, give me a chance to go over my story planning once more to refresh my memory on what needs to be done as well as to fix a couple of things. Some things in this Arc jumped out at me while writing and will affect the overall plan. Meaning that I need to double-check my original story plan, see what future events the changes will affect, change those future events to properly match the changes I made, and just generally make sure I haven't wrecked my story planning beyond repair.
Yeah, loads of fun to be had. XP
Note sarcasm please. XD
Anyway, this chapter seriously drained my writing inspiration so I wouldn't hold out on more than one update between this one and the possible five weeks when I'll be busy with work and various family events/visits. I'm sure you all understand. If you don't, well… I guess you don't.
Now, as I said at the Author Note at the top, I was and am well aware that my plans for Jaune would draw negative comments and reactions. And while I won't ask, or even expect, naysayers to keep their opinions to themselves, all I ask is that your reviews or PMs be stated politely or at least neutrally, preferably with no cursing.
Hopefully you all enjoyed the Arc Arc. We'll be seeing more of Jaune's family in the future, though that won't be for a long, long time, so I hope you liked them.
MINOR VOLUME 4 SPOILERS
So we finally see what all four members of Team RWBY are up to. Blake's reason for going to her destination was a bit of a surprise but then again, she never mentioned not having them. After all, the only hint to her past, asides from her being in the White Fang, was that she was "practically born into the White Fang". That statement could have gone either way.
We also get to see more of Yang who has finally begun to step onto the road to recovery. I think everyone expected her to go the path of Edward Elric long before that episode came out. Still, nice to see she's doing well enough. It was fun hearing those stories by Taiyang, Peter, and Bart though. Hehe, I could almost imagine Qrow.
Speaking of which, it's no surprise to see what Qrow's been up to. Though more interesting is his conversation at the end of Episode 4. That little tidbit brings up so many questions. Questions that most likely won't be answered until much, much later, much to my dismay. Makes me wonder if I should try working it into my story but it's not very likely unless it doesn't contradict too much of my established story plan.
SPOILER END
And now, to end this long awaited chapter. Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between, let's give a warm round of applause to…
OMAKE-SAN!
"Good luck Jaune," said Junpei, patting his blonde teammate on the back as he departed for the combat area with his partner, the opponents chosen by their Professor having been called down just seconds before them.
"Think Jaune will actually win this time Stupei?" Yukari asked with a teasing grin once Jaune was out of earshot. "I mean, he did do all that training with you, senpai, and Pyrrha to fight his sister so this should be easy for him, right?"
"Not really." Junpei's admission surprised Yukari, who thought he would be boasting about how he had managed to train Jaune to be quite the formidable fighter in just a few days. "We trained him to fight against someone using a sword, maybe even a little against a boxer like senpai. But if you put him up against something else he probably won't last long."
"Soooo, anyone not using a sword is pretty much fighting the old Jaune, right?"
"Yup, pretty much."
The pair settled into silence as the quartet of fighters got into position, listening to Professor Goodwitch's pre-fight warnings. While she was doing so, Chidori spoke up from beside her boyfriend.
"Junpei-kun," she began, drawing the swordsman's attention. "You did remember to tell Jaune that, right?"
"…"
At his silence, everyone in their group turned to stare at Junpei, who was blankly staring down at the combat area where Glynda was getting ready to start the match. When he remained silent, everyone's heads slowly turned to the combat area just as Glynda began the match.
Two minutes later, the match was called in favor of Jaune and Pyrrha. Instead of celebrating their victory, Pyrrha had gone over to where her partner was lying on the ground, looking like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.
"So… you let Jaune go down there believing he's ready for a fight, when all it would take to beat him is to not use a sword?"
"…" After a brief pause, Junpei nodded.
"…"
Everyone continued to watch as Jaune's opponent, who had knocked him out of the fight by dropping his Aura into the red zone while his partner kept Pyrrha busy, walked over to the fallen teen to check on him and offered to help him up.
"So…" began Junpei, looking around the room and watching the faces of their classmates as many of them laughed at Jaune's misfortune. "How long do you think before people forget that he lost to Ken-kun?"
