Not Even Aura can Heal All Wounds
By wildstraydog
Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil
Chapter Four: Abandoned hope
I'm currently working on the next chapter of Blake's Mistake, so it should be out pretty soon. I was already knee deep in this chapter, and I saw everyone salivating for more so... yeah. This story is being very positively received, and I'm so glad my work is making you guys happy. As for if Jaune, will be receiving any weapon or semblance – read on. I won't get into specifics because this journey has just begun.
In other news, holy crap Dark Souls III! No, but for real, everyone should check out my other stories The Heat and the new Dawn of Reality, which serves as a replacement for Man's Best Friends. It's a spiritual successor of sorts, as it will deal with many of the same themes. Now when the next Chapter of The Heat arrives, expect a lengthy authors note and some changes (not that I was influenced by anyone for these changes).
The horde of Ursai finally lost reach of them after minutes of endless chasing, and to say Blake was exhausted would be an understatement. And worse, Weiss and Jaune were missing, forced to retreat elsewhere when the Ursa King wreaked havoc on the surrounding forest. Facing a Grimm of such class was unprecedented, no doubt having remain hidden for so many years, but why didn't Beacon know this?
Human error was always a factor, although she wouldn't find it surprising if they at least suspected a powerful Grimm lie in waiting near the Forever Fall. She glanced over at Yang and saw her partner tinkering with Ember Celica, traces of dirt caked on near the edges as the blonde picked at with a grimace. Ruby, sat in the corner next to a rotted trunk, switching out dust canisters on her own weapon; the sisters didn't seemed faze, then again each had their own way of coping.
Gambol Shroud was in full working order, the ribbon still clean of dust. Her eyes narrowed, and she took in their location relative to how far they ran – a couple hundred meters at best. Her scroll was in perfect condition, but when she tried to call Weiss, there was no answer - Blake assumed the worst about communications. With a forced sigh, she trudged over to Yang and sheathed her sword.
"How's Ruby doing?" She always found bringing up her partner's little sister as the best icebreaker when confronting Yang.
"She's fine, just a little upset that Weiss and Jaune are gone. I'm not too worried, the ice princess should be able to take care of him." Yang brushed aside a lock of silky blonde hair and chuckled.
"I don't know where to start looking," Blake murmured, "Our only hope is that Weiss follows the path we began on." She pulled her scroll out and checked the map.
They were diverted back several hundred meters from their original path, but if they continued further right, they could recover some of the lost time. There was no way of knowing how far Weiss had been separated, and with Jaune tagging along it could slow their progress. Blake looked up at the sky and noticed a formation of grayish clouds accumulating, a sweet pungent odor filling her nostrils – it was about to rain. Strange that she hadn't sensed it before earlier, and there was no immediate sign of shelter.
The first rumble from the overhead clouds erupted in the skies, and she felt a drip of water slide down her arm. A groan exited from Yang and Ruby as it began to sprinkle, the wind picking up and scattering the red leaves across the ground. The trees would only provide momentary cover from the eventual downpour that was expected to come. She didn't like to reinforce the stereotype about cats, but she hated getting wet, unless it was a shower... maybe swimming also.
Not wasting any more time, they rushed through the foliage to search for any indication of a cave or makeshift area to hide under. The rain was beginning to pour, dropping through the leaves above and making the dirt muddy beneath their feet, and she could picture Yang's reaction to her hair becoming damp. While it was disadvantageous to navigate through the storm, this also applied to the Grimm, who surprisingly avoided Mother Nature.
She found it tempting to continue onward through the drenching rain, but it would be impossible to convince the girls. And what about Weiss and Jaune? Finding shelter would be just as difficult for the two of them, making it pointless to wander out in the storm and make no headway. Blake's arms started to shiver, the temperature dropping as the rain picked up, her visibility narrowing. And then luck was on their side – further up a small hill covered in uprooted branches, was a partially collapsed house that once functioned as an outpost.
"Over there," she cried out, plunging through the curved rain as it pattered against her face. They ducked under the rusted ceiling and breathed a sigh of relief, shaking off the water in her black locks.
"We should start a fire," Yang suggested, pulling out a small pink lighter from her pocket. "Anyone got a pile of firewood in their packs?" Besides the lame joke, her partner had a valid point. Even if they attempted to bring back some wood from the forest, it wouldn't light.
"I might have something!" Ruby announced, throwing her pack onto the ground. She rummaged through it for a few seconds and pulled out a couple of small boxes, and the labels indicated they were from multiple desert companies.
"I don't think snacks can help Rubes."
"No silly, we can light the boxes."
That was actually a smart idea, not that she thought Ruby was dumb, no, in fact Yang's little sister was very intelligent. "There's only one problem with your idea, the cardboard boxes won't burn long." The flames would consume the material within minutes, they needed something more durable.
"Then let's look for something in here," Yang remarked with a stretch, pulling off her soaking vest, leaving only her yellow low-cut crop top with a black crest. Blake was one to admit that she could be a little jealous when it came to her partner's near perfect figure
There wasn't much to explore in the abandoned building, most of it having been destroyed by the Grimm when the operation was ceased. She decided to check the pile of debris in the left side of the room, noticing a few rebar and broken concrete blocks. She lifted up one of the mounds and threw it behind her, finding some rotten wood buried underneath – it was passable, but they needed more.
She continued shifting through all the rubble, finding sparse pieces of wood, until eventually they found enough amongst the three of them. Blake gathered up the pile and placed it in the middle of the room, setting down a few rocks around it to support the base. Yang kneeled down and flicked the lighter on, gently breathing on the flame to make it spread. The wood caught fire, spreading through the pile quickly, leaving a source of light in the dark room. She grabbed her wet clothes and placed them by fire with Ruby; now all they had to worry about was lunch.
While her clothes dried, Blake sat down and took in the heat, rubbing her hands together with a relaxed sigh. The past couple of days had been exhausting, scouring information from various sources for anything on the White Fang in the databases. She couldn't imagine what her condition would have been like if she hadn't rested last night properly. She only got that rest thanks to Jaune's persuasion. It was strange to her that Jaune even attempted to initiate a conversation this morning, they only chatted for a few minutes in the library.
Jaune appeared to be knowledgeable in his field, though thankfully no one had been severely injured during their encounter with the Ursa King, at least on her end. Over her shoulder, Ruby handed her a purple juice box – it was a shame grape wasn't her favorite flavor. She messed with the straw and poked a hole in the box with a grunt, never a fan of kiddy drinks like you saw in the commercials. At this point anything could distract her from the mission. Blake loathed the unknown, and without knowing what Grimm might lurk deeper in the forest, she couldn't help but feel at unease.
"Stop moping," Yang chided from across the fire. The blonde was wringing out her blonde tresses. "If you keep pondering over Weiss and Jaune, it'll drive you crazy."
"Perhaps... so you're not worried at all?"
"I didn't say that, just that I'm confident in my friends." Oh, so she already considered Jaune a friend? That was interesting, though not surprising.
"So you're already friendly with him?"
A chuckle left from Yang, "Hah, let's just say I think Jaune is an alright guy. We've talked about this before, but I say give him a chance – I think he'll surprise us." She didn't doubt his knowledge in the medical field, just his experience with handling Grimm. Based on his reactions during their battle, she was correct in that assumption.
"Everyone is scared the first time," Ruby piped in, slurping down her drink as the box crushed inward. "I was afraid the first time I saw a Beowulf." Blake tried to think back to her first experience with the beasts.
The first time she actually saw a Grimm was in a raid with the White Fang, just outside one of the kingdom walls. She was eleven, and Adam was escorting her through the basic training all new recruits were required to take. Intelligence forgot to mention that a nest of Griffons was nearby, and they were ambushed, catching most of the soldiers by surprise. Blake could still remember their lifeless crimson eyes bearing into her, eager to slaughter its prey.
"You would think the medical schools would at least equip its students with weapons." Was that not common sense?
"Or unlock their auras, I couldn't even sense Jaune's." That was another valid point. Whatever the reason, Vale had no qualms about sending unarmed students into the midst of battle – but that wasn't her decision to make.
Yang was correct, sulking would not solve the issue at hand, only patience. If Weiss could not put aside her differences with Jaune, then her pride would endanger their lives, but even she wasn't that incompetent, they would pull through. With another sigh, Blake threw another piece of wood into the flames, the crackling sound pleasing to her ears. Would it be asking too much for the rain to stop?
Weiss could not fathom how lucky they were to find a cave along the trail. Walking with a crutch proved to be far more difficult then she imagined, and when it began to rain, her hopes were dashed. Despite many protests, Jaune was reduced to carrying her into the cave so the both of them wouldn't end up soaking wet with hypothermia. The blonde even produced a blanket from his bag of many mysteries – how could he stuff so much into one duffle bag, it was preposterous.
So there they were, in a dimly lit cave watching the rain pour continuously through the branches and onto the ground. Rainfall was rare back in Atlas, usually taken over by powerful blizzards throughout the year, so the cold from a little thunderstorm would mean nothing.
In the corner, Jaune, was fiddling away with some supplies, pulling out a couple of sacks. He walked over to her and set one of them down, a smile present on his goofy face. She grabbed the sack and noticed the scrumptious food inside; lettuce tossed with tomatoes, black olives, and croutons. She looked up in disbelief, not imaging Jaune as a gourmet chef, but an idiot who just presumed that she liked salad... which happened to be true.
"Sorry, I just thought you might like it better than my protein bars." She let out an annoyed sigh and nodded, opening the sack and grabbing the utensils inside. Too bad there was no dressing to go along with.
"I don't see why you're so happy right now."
"Um, what do you mean?" He really didn't understand the gravity of their situation? With her ankle fractured, there would be no way to defend themselves from the Grimm.
"You really are oblivious," Weiss remarked, "How do you expect us to meet up with the others when I'm injured? I don't suppose you can fight the Grimm?" Jaune averted his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck, uncertain of how to answer. She never expected him to.
"Once the rain stops, we'll make our way back along the given path... I'm sure they'll meet us halfway. Look, I know I'm not you're not my number one fan, but you have to trust me." Trust wasn't the problem, it was the reality of their circumstances.
"Just stay on your side." He reluctantly nodded, and retreated back into his little corner. Weiss started to bite her nails, anxious on their prospects of living through the day – so far everything was against them. Jaune tried to call Ruby earlier, but the signal was acting wonky, a result of the thunderstorm more likely.
His plan wasn't unfounded, and was probably the best course of action. Once they were back on the trail, they could try and contact Ruby again, and then navigate from there. Ursa Kings were more or less like their lesser kin, frightful of the storms, retreating back to their caves until it was later in the night, so that gave them an ample time window to extract. Sadly, she considered the mission a failure on account of her injury, a rookie mistake.
Better yet, she was reduced to seeking care from Jaune Arc of all people... if her Father ever found out, there would be much hell to pay. The entire operation was a joke, another way for Ozpin to play politics with the neighboring schools in the kingdom - they didn't need more medics, but huntsman and huntresses who could push back the Grimm drawing ever closer to their borders. Jaune should have stayed in a hospital if he wanted to help others, at least there he wouldn't be a nuisance.
But who was she kidding? When her ankle fractured, the pain was so unbearable, and if Jaune hadn't been there – she would be dead. Oh she could have made it to the cave, on all fours, crawling for lord knows how long. So there was some due credit on the blonde's part. Regrettably, she would have to thank him later, preferably away from the others. She found the torrential downpour to be worrisome, especially if it lasted more than an hour or two. They were safe from the Grimm, and that was all that mattered at the moment.
She glanced at her bandaged ankle and winced, the sharp pain returning. Any slight twist and a burning sensation shot through her leg, only a constant reminder of how she let her guard down in the middle of battle. Jaune rose from his corner and walked over with his bag, the dumb smile wiped from his face, and replaced with a stern look of concern. She found it odd how quickly he could shift gears.
"We need to change the bandages," he said, reaching for her leg. She would have resisted, but the threat of infection was far too great to ignore.
With his soft hands, Jaune took hold of the fabric and carefully unwrapped the bloody cloth around her ankle. He pulled out the bottle of alcohol and dapped it in the new the bandages before hovering over the exposed wound. Weiss knew what was about to come, so she shut her eyes and braced for the sting of the medicine – only it didn't come right away.
"This is going to sting by the way."
"You don't have to tell me, can we just get this over with?" Jaune laid the bandage onto her skin, and she moaned in pain, gritting her teeth as the alcohol went through her system. She averted her gaze as he wrapped it back around her ankle, securing it with a tight knot.
"I'm afraid we'll have to check it again in another hour or so, just to make sure it's not infected. You should be ok though." He gave another reassuring smile as he hefted the bag over his shoulder.
The salad Jaune provided her didn't last long, her appetite much greater then she original thought. Without much to occupy her, and only the rain to watch, she became lost in her thoughts, which gravitated toward Jaune. Something was bugging her since they departed Beacon, and it was related to a certain Faunus on her team. In some unknown span of time, Blake had a conversation with Jaune, apparently in the library according to Yang – She knew why Blake was there, but what about Jaune?
And then there was that awkward conversation not long after they landed. She seen many boys try to start a discussion before without success, well except maybe for Sun, but Jaune butchered it. The chance that Jaune Arc was actually interested in Blake Belladonna made her cringe, not that in a million years her quiet teammate would reciprocate. Not that he wasn't ruggedly handsome... no, that was too much of a compliment.
"Can I ask you something?" Jaune broke her attention, and she directed a gaze in his direction – she was little embarrassed to be caught off guard.
"What is it Arc?"
Jaune paused, and walked over back toward the entrance where she sat. "Do you hate me?" Weiss found herself again flabbergasted, her mouth agape as she tried to formulate a proper response. She wasn't ready for such a weighted question.
Did she hate Jaune Arc, no, she held no animosity toward the boy, but he could aggravate her. Weiss knew the immediate truth was complicated, layered with politics and familial matters that bored most individuals to death. Yet Jaune, he deserved to know why, even if the answer he sought wouldn't be satisfactory – how marvelous was it that despite her attempts to distance herself, they were forced together? Cliché aside, fate was indeed a cruel mistress.
"I don't hate you Jaune, it's just... complicated." The word itself was vague when describing the relationship with her Father.
"It just seems like you really dislike me, plus you go out of your way to ignore me." Oh so he caught on to that? He was much more observant then she thought.
"You have to understand, I bear a large burden of responsibility. My Father, he doesn't tolerate failure in the Schnee family." Jaune kept quiet, his gaze remaining on her light blue eyes. It was hard to put into words how she felt about her situation in general, not really having the chance to discuss it with someone in a similar position.
"The last name you bear, Arc, was it not removed when you were disowned by your Father?" Jaune flinched at the question, but shook his head.
"My last name is Arc, it doesn't matter what petty denouncements my Father comes up with – I still have family that loves me." There was a sense of clarity in his words, a determination that was contrary to his usual personality. The fierce stare he shot her revealed years of masked pain as a result of his abandonment.
"Nevertheless, if it were discovered that I ever associated with you, there would be extreme consequences. There was never a time I despised you Jaune – things just don't work out." She watched as he cast his gaze downward, eyes softening.
"So because of your Father, you refuse to acknowledge me?"
"I'm afraid so, yes," Weiss muttered, hoping that her explanation would put to rest the conversation. Speaking of her past was beginning to make her feel irritated, a memory she wanted to bury.
"Wow, I never thought you would give up so easily." What did he just say? Weiss dropped her calm demeanor and glared at Jaune.
"How dare you," She cried out, "You think I'm weak – that I want to submit to my Father's every wish just so I can someday inherit the company and do some good in the world?" She wanted to stand up and punch the fool in the stomach. It infuriated her that he would presume so much.
"That's not why I said that... when my Father disowned me, I thought my life was over, that another opportunity would never come my way again." Jaune's voice became somber as he spoke, and she could see his hands shaking.
"But I didn't stop, I wouldn't let what my Father said become the truth, so I defied him and everyone who shunned me. Weiss, you don't have to let your family make you a hostage... you can do whatever you want." He set a hand on her shoulder, the smoothness of his skin indicating a life without major work or training.
Instead of resisting, Weiss allowed the touch, letting Jaune's statement fester in her mind. Could she really break her chains and be free? It was ludicrous, the ramifications for doing so would leave her penniless, not to mention shamed by the Atlas community. She already defied her Father once by attending Beacon academy, but he caved, recognizing the prestige that Vale's school carried. It wasn't as if she hadn't thought of the possibility before – the prospect frightened her, and no matter how much she hated to admit it, she still loved her Father.
She wanted to be head of the Schnee Dust Company, not because she loved to bask in the riches of her family, but for a much more personal reason. Her Father was infamous for his policies, forcing Faunus in labor camps to work in unsavory conditions for minimal pay. Riots almost broke out every year, leading to higher security around their mansion and in Schnee related factories. In the public eye some revered her status – yet the disdainful glares she received from those with lesser means would always be ingrained in her memory.
Once she became head of the business, the practices of her late Father would be put to rest. Weiss didn't want to be known for the Schnee legacy, nor the death and pain it caused millions every year. She would create a new one, a lineage that could be respected for doing right by the people and not their race or gender. Winter, her older sister, agreed with most of this, but that was years away. In order for it all to work, she had to play along and do right by the family reputation, despite the increasing enemies she allotted.
"I don't know if I can do that."
Jaune let out a defeated sigh. "Why not, you don't have to continue like this, you can still lead the company one day!" he still didn't understand.
"The world isn't black and white, I can't just turn away and let all my hard work go to waste." She replied with a huff.
With a defeated expression, Jaune let out a pregnant breath. He walked back over to where his bag lied and sat down, digging through it for more supplies. "Here are some more painkillers." He approached her with two little pills, the tension from the conversation all but gone.
"Thank you," she responded.
The rest of the hour was filled with silence, neither teens daring to speak after prying into each other's past. The wind outside began to calm, the wet leaves from above floating down in a spiral. Soon the rain ceased, only droplets of water dripping down the rocky surface of the cave. A smile emerged on her lips at the thought of finally exiting the cave and reuniting with Ruby and the others. Jaune gathered up his supplies and propped up the crutch.
Initially reluctant, Weiss allowed Jaune to help out of the entrance, the muddy floor dangerous with heels on. Most of the clouds parted, letting in rays of the sun to beam down on the forest. The view was quite serene, and a welcome change to the brooding dark clouds form earlier – that also meant the Grimm would soon be exploring in the wilds. Not one to waste time, Weiss began to pace herself back up the path with Jaune not far behind, until a growl erupted from the brush.
"Did you hear that!?" Weiss panicked.
"Uh yeah, unfortunately."
In a response to their deepest fears, a lone Ursa emerged from the brush, shaking off the twigs that stuck to its skeletal plates located on the back. The Grimm stared at the two of them with its beady crimson eyes, saliva dripping from its long fangs that protruded from the jaw. Before hurling at them, Weiss grabbed Myrtenaster and launched a glyph below the creature's feet, ice creeping form below to freeze it in place. Most of her aura had not yet returned, and using the glyph brought on fatigue in her legs, causing her to fall back in Jaune's arms.
The Ursa shook free from the ice, letting out an enraged roar that vibrated through the trees. "Jaune pick up my weapon, hurry!" the blonde snatched up the hilt of the rapier and held it up, arms shaking as he struggled to keep himself calm.
Weiss observed with bated breath as the Ursa rushed ahead, snarling as it raised its claws into the air. In an act of desperation, Jaune thrust the rapier, aiming for the middle of the Ursa's chest where the heart was located, and pierced its skin, blood pouring onto his uniform. He stumbled out of the way so it wouldn't collapse on top of him, the beast hitting the ground floor. Weiss wiped her brow with a sigh of relief, chastising herself for not realizing sooner that an Ursa probably lived in that cave.
"Jaune, are you ok?" She looked over at the blonde to see him on his knees, eyes locked on his open palms that were stained with blood. His reaction wasn't unexpected, experiencing a first kill was always exhilarating.
"I... I killed it," he responded with a murmur, his entire body shaking from adrenaline. "I can't believe I killed a Grimm." Weiss hobbled over to the disheveled boy and tapped him on the shoulder.
"You need to calm down, you're excited right now, take a few deep breaths," She advised – from her pocket, she pulled out a blue embroidered handkerchief with the letter W on the edge.
"I'm sorry, it was just so visceral." He wiped away the blood on his hands and stuffed the handkerchief in his bag.
"Can you hand me back my weapon? We should probably move before more Ursa show up, I'm sure they heard that roar from earlier." Jaune grabbed Myrtenaster from the ground where the dead Ursa once sat, and handed it to her, the smooth hilt of the blade feeling comfortable in her palm.
Without any more distractions, Jaune helped Weiss navigate up the hill that led back to the designated path on the map. Not having the proper use of one of her feet was becoming a quick nuisance. The trip back to Beacon couldn't come soon enough, as the pain still remained constant if she pushed too hard on her foot.
Twice now, she was proven wrong about Jaune, perhaps even surprised by his techniques. He showed a proficient use in treating the wounded, and quite well-rounded in medical conditions and general first aid. The need for medics on the battlefield was still a difficult subject, and if she hadn't been preoccupied with protecting Jaune, she may not have even sustained an injury to begin with. She wouldn't bring it up however, letting him revel in his achievement for the day would do no harm.
Further along the path, Jaune pulled out his scroll and checked the signal. With the storm gone, there was a good connection, and he dialed Ruby. If Ruby and the rest of her team could hurry back, they would have a chance to escape without fear of dying.
"Oh my god, Jaune, Weiss, are you guys ok!?" Her partner wailed.
"We're alive Ruby, but I'm injured."
Tears began to slide down Ruby's pale cheeks, and she whimpered. "What's wrong, you aren't dying are you!?" Was she really that worried?
"Weiss fractured her ankle, so she can't really walk, we need to extract and call it a day." Jaune cut in, grabbing hold of her shoulder so she wouldn't fall.
"It's going to be difficult to find you," Blake commented in the background, "Is there any landmarks or easily distinguished formations that can help us locate the area?"
She leaned on her crutch and scanned the forest, only finding the same trees and pools of red leaves. There were a couple of worn down boulders and rotting tree branches, but nothing of significance. In the corner, Weiss spotted an unusual elongated piece of wood sticking out from the ground and covered in yellow vines. She narrowed her eyes and discovered that it was an old signpost from the Great War, the paint from the bold red letters having become faded.
"I found something, there's an old signpost here on the trail. Do you want us to wait here or move ahead?" She could hear the loud whispering on Jaune's scroll, rolling her eyes in response to their behavior.
"How about you guys scout ahead, it might be dangerous to just idly sit at one spot," Yang suggested – it was actually a good idea, bravo Yang.
"Don't worry, we'll catch up soon," Ruby interjected, a bright smile on her face to accompany her puppy dog-like eyes. It was her greatest weakness, but no one needed to know that.
The call ended, and Jaune let go, the warmth of his hand gone. Weiss attempted to walk along the path without any assistance, watching her steps and placing the heel of the crutch on flat surfaces. While she could appreciate the help from Jaune, it was a matter of principle that she forced herself to trek on without aid.
The two of them did not get far, a rapid pain emerging in her foot. She decided to rest at a stream – there was a flat rock that she could use as a seat while Jaune pulled out the supplies. The painkillers couldn't have already worn off, making her wonder if an infection was setting in. But even she knew that an infection didn't begin until a day or so after the initial wound. Weiss looked at the bandages and spotted the problem, blood soaking through the cotton.
"Let me take a look." Jaune hurried over and opened his bag, pulling out the bottle of alcohol and another pair of bandages.
"Damn wound opened up," Weiss grunted, a tiny whimper escaping as more blood flowed out. Jaune quickly undid the bandages and cleaned her leg, pouring the rest of the bottle onto the exposed bone and cut.
"You strained yourself too much, you won't able to walk anymore." Weiss looked up to an agitated expression on his face. It was her fault, plain and simple, all because of her dumb sense of entitlement.
"I guess we're stuck here then." She mumbled.
"Blake and the others will meet us here soon, and I'm pretty sure we're safe here by the stream... at least I think so anyway." Jaune let out a nervous chuckle, unsure of his confident statement – what a dork. And there he went it again mentioning Blake by name... she had to ask.
"Now I have a question, Jaune." He blinked in confusion.
"What's your deal with Blake?" Jaune almost stumbled into the stream, dropping one of the rolls of bandages onto the stones. She almost laughed at his clumsiness.
"Uh, what do you mean exactly?"
"You were all cordial with her this morning – do you like her or something," Weiss hesitated to ask, a slight distaste in her mouth.
"W-what, no, nothing like that, I just think she's interesting. Besides, a girl like Blake would never be interested me." Way to shut yourself down Jaune, Weiss thought to herself with a frown.
"Is she the reason you were all pumped up this morning?"
Jaune began to scratch his cheek in embarrassment. "Oh, so you noticed – technically yeah, she got me out of this slump I was having... I just found her words really encouraging. No one ever really talked to me like that before."
Weiss never thought she would misjudge an individual, yet here Jaune Arc kept surprising her. It wasn't infatuation that drove him to seek out further talks with Blake, but an innocent need to socialize. While she saw none at the moment, there must have been driving similarities that pique his interest. She found herself laughing to the confusion of the boy, finding humor in the naivety he expressed.
She was envious.
Milo thrust into a nearby Ursa, tearing its face apart as Pyrrha brought it back up. Another one leapt from behind, but she used her shield to deflect the attack, countering with a riposte. Unlike team RWBY, Pyrrha and her friends were surrounded by a horde of Grimm, going an hour or so without rest. Behind her, Tawny tended to an injured Nora who found herself slammed into a tree only minutes ago. Ren unloaded a barrage of gunfire, while Nebula cut down more of the pack to the left of her.
Pyrrha never liked to admit defeat, but their situation was looking dire. Her aura reserve was low after fighting close to a hundred of the Ursa – a feat she never expected to pass. Doubt was the greatest enemy of all however, and she launched herself back into the fray, slicing away at the feet of several Ursa, before finishing them off with a curved swipe. Heads rolled as her sweat dripped onto the ground floor. But they just kept coming.
"We can't keep this up!" Nebula shouted as she parried another Ursa with her sword.
"I'll try to make an opening for you all to run," Pyrrha responded in-between breaths, panting heavily as her stamina waned.
A scream erupted in the clearing, and Pyrrha twisted her head back to see Tawny on the ground covered in blood. Nora brought out her weapon and broke the Ursa's neck with a mighty blow from above. Tawny struggled to get on her knees as blood cascaded down her usually pale cheeks. She pressed her hand into the wound near the stomach area, and winced. A fury unlocked in Pyrrha at the sight, going berserk as she decimated the remaining Ursai surrounding them. With an opening, Nora grabbed Tawny and sprinted with Ren and Nebula behind her.
She was alone now, but not for long thanks to Ren's ingenious tactics. From her waist, Pyrrha, snatched a black spherical object with a fuse; it wasn't a bomb, but something much more complicated and deadly. She threw it in the air and concentrated on her aura, spreading apart her arms and ripping the ball apart. Thousands of tiny needles shot out in conjunction according to her will, piercing the Grimm with the fire power of a gun. Polarity was useful, but not in a forest where metal was scarce, hence Ren's little invention.
Free to escape, Pyrrha joined with the others and gasped at a horrific sight. Underneath a large tree, Nora held Tawny's bloodied figure in her arms, the girl's eyes barely cracked open to see the blue sky. "Is she alright!?"
"It doesn't look good..." Ren answered, averting his gaze.
Tawny lifted her head, the rays of the sun reflecting off the red liquid that stained her left cheek, and she smiled. "Can... you do me a favor Pyrrha?"
"Yes, I'll do anything, we can do all sorts of stuff back at Beacon, isn't that right guys?" Pyrrha uttered, grabbing hold of the girl's delicate fingers.
"Tell...," she gasped, a trail of blood escaping her lips, "Tell, Jaune... that I always considered him a friend, and to never give up – not even... if I die." Pyrrha shook her head, not wanting to accept that Tawny was losing the battle.
But it was too late, and Pyrrha felt her pulse disappear, as Tawny shut her eyes with a constant smile. She was dead, and it was all her fault.