Same night.
Hero.
Part one.
"Wow, I've never been in this part of Vale." Estelle gaped at her surroundings. At countless lampposts lining the clean streets, at modern buildings towering high or low above her head. The many shop windows, some welcoming a curious gaze even at this late of an hour, some blocked by a fabric of a curtain. Sometimes pretty, sometimes not, other times falling in the very definition of simple.
What united them all however, was the fact they were new, unseen to her before. She stretched her neck this way, that, all about and didn't get tired of seeing Vale she hadn't before.
"I wonder how it looks like during the daytime?"
Because she believed there'd be something different about it, the thought of it sinking back into the depths of her reserved, but creative mind. Right now, she was more mesmerized by the scenes unfolding before her innocent eyes.
Jaune and Pyrrha however, were left quite amused by it. He especially so.
"Is this really that exciting to you?" He asked, his blue wandering about the place, trying to figure out what she could see, what he simply could not.
"I'm not sure about it being exciting, but I like seeing new places." She answered simply, few steps ahead of the Arkos duo.
"Yea." He now remembered, his grimace changing to a nostalgic one.
Pyrrha's face showed a knowing smile. Nostalgic as well.
"I really enjoyed seeing new places as well when I was your age."
Estelle lowered her pace about a step or two, her crystal blue eyes now focused on her.
"What about now?"
Pyrrha looked to her right, to the now so familiar scenes, then back to the child.
"I still do, but city of Vale has now become my home, more or less. I don't travel as much as I used to."
"I see…" Estelle uttered, her face hinting she wanted to say more than just that, but for one reason or another, didn't. Instead, she looked back to the city of Vale, her crystal blue shining anew.
Jaune leaned closer to Pyrrha's ear. "I didn't know you liked to travel." He whispered, but didn't fail to carry the message he was surprised.
"I do." She answered, then realized how close her face was to his, and backed off a bit.
"My parents had lots of books with wondrous imagery, and I loved to stare at them for hours. Thinking to myself how much I would love to see, be in places like that," She said, smiled, he smiled back and her smiled deepened.
"Have you ever been in a place similar to that in those books?"
Upon the question, her look went astray, or rather, away from his blue and back to the child in front.
"If considering all the likelihood, most certainly no. However, to me when I was a child, I didn't need to be. Just being in all the different places was a thrilling, exciting experience," She said, squinted her eyes and remembered a few. "By all means and purposes, I was part of some wondrous imagery." She finished, her emeralds finding their way back to his blue.
After a brief moment of silence, he answered simply.
"I'm glad," and they continued to stroll down the streets. The scenery ever so slightly changing as they did. Slightly less rows of buildings accompanying them, a bit more of that touch from the nature.
Looking up, he realized the world above them was changing as well. Clouds were dissipating and gave way to some truly beautiful stars. He was the only one to care to notice, it seemed, but didn't mind that, of course. Instead, he found himself ever so slightly chuckling, the beauty above for some reason reminding him of her.
Perhaps, the stars were rather the ones which reminded him of her.
I wonder what she's up to right now? Haven't seen her for quite some time. He thought, but quickly forgot about it upon hearing his sister's voice.
"Are you busy right now…at all, I mean? Or in a hurry?"
He raised his eyebrow at her. "Why?"
She simply pointed in a certain direction, her lips a shy smile.
He followed the way she pointed to, laughing just briefly after he did.
"Go right ahead," He said, and watched her hurry across a grassy field until she reached a pair of swings. Wasting no second at all, she hopped right on them, and started to…well, swing. Starting off rather safely, cautiously, but not staying so as she started to gain momentum and altitude, ending up planting her feet right on the seat to get the most out of it.
With a dear smile, Pyrrha inched closer to Jaune.
"She's maybe a talented huntress to-be, but in her heart, she's still only a child."
"Yea," He said, fell quiet thereafter and simply watched. Watched how his sister's eyes were lit, her face a mask of fright and couldn't resist chuckling about it.
Pyrrha however, was rather concerned instead.
"Is it just me or…" She blinked, yet the image remained as it was. "Is she…is Estelle actually scared over there?"
He burst into a laughter. "She sure is!" He exclaimed unconcerned. "She's partially afraid of heights, that little one."
Her entire frame froze for a second. "But…wait, she is?"
He looked to his left, to her still confused emeralds. "I think it's quite obvious."
"I mean, sure, it is, but why does she love the swings then? And what do you mean by 'partially' afraid? She handles the flights just well, no?"
"She does," He said, rather amused his partner didn't quite get the situation before them. "But anything related to roller coasters, carousels or such, nope, she's scared of them all."
"But she loves the swings," Pyrrha said, looked to the still frightful expression Estelle had, and paused for moment. "I think."
He grinned cheekily. "You said so yourself, Pyr, she's only a child. Children love swings, right?"
If this was supposed to answer anything, her face didn't show him so.
His grin deepened. Quite possibly because of it.
"She loves carousles and such, you know, the heights she's afraid of." His grin was still there, but the sincerity in his voice would be hard to fake.
"I still don't get it." She shook her head. "She loves the heights she's afraid of?"
"Yep."
"…"
She turned to look at Estelle once again, her frightful expression still there. However, paying closer attention this time around, she also caught glimpses of what very well could be…grins, somewhere in between the depths of fear she showed.
Turning back to him, she had her own, lopsided grin.
"She's quite an oddball, isn't she?"
"She is." He agreed easily, both of them chuckling quietly about it. "She is, but that's also what I admire about her so much. Being afraid of some heights, yet still finding a way to enjoy exactly those heights she's afraid of." He paused, looked to his left and she could see how genuine his words were. "I think that's amazing."
"It is," She agreed, but found it partially amusing how impressed he was by his sister's quirk.
"Then, I suppose admiration goes both ways for you two." She remarked half-jokingly, yet his blue turned so incredibly soft.
"You could say so," His voice merely above a whisper. A tender, precious one.
It got her thinking, actually. A curiosity swelling inside her about him and Estelle. Wondering, how deeply this inspiration, admiration went, how it started and why?
There was a reason, she believed. Something beyond just them sharing the same blood, or at least so his incredibly soft blue told her.
"Say," She started, then formulated the question just right. "Has it always been like this between you two? The two-way admiration, I mean," She said, then patiently waited.
"Well…" He slowly started, pursing his lips and trying to remember. "Maybe not always, but..." He stopped short again, this time around because of a chuckle. His own. Then did it again and again, until he burst into a full out laughter.
"Jaune?" She questioned, though found him laughing so lively a pleasant, dear sight. One which she missed so much.
"S-sorry," He barely managed, laughed even harder, but eventually was able to calm down.
Brushing his eyes, he took a healthy, deep breath and focused his eyes back to hers.
"It's just, you asking me made me remember something. Quite possibly the answer to your question."
"Okay." She uttered, clueless, but also intrigued by him laughing so lively about the answer. She wasn't sure how to connect his reaction to their two-way admiration, but fortunately, he would explain further. So she knew as his lips started to move, a dreamy look to his blue.
"So it started something like this…"
…
Around 8 years ago.
North-east of Vale, 'Spirits of free.'
"Hey, don't stray off too far, okay?" Little Jaune exclaimed to his tiny sister.
She turned to face him, lifted her hand and waved.
"Okay!" She happily shouted back, her eyes bright, and not only because of the joy she felt, but also reflecting the beams of spring light breaking through spaces in between trees.
"I'm watching you." He uttered, squinted his eyes and a second later looked down to the sparkling, moist moss in search for the berries. Finding some, two fell in his mouth, one in the half empty basket. Proud of his effort, when he found some again, three fell in his mouth, none in the basket and he continued to search.
"Whaaa!"
Quickly, his blue spring up, he definitely heard her scream.
"Estelle!" He shouted back, jumped to his feet and started to rush wherever her voice would be. "Estelle!" He shouted again, a moment later her scream altering the direction he ran to.
"Help!" She screamed, her tiny figure appearing from behind the tress. Her arms and legs swung wildly as she ran to him, he to her.
When the distance was cut, his arms were quick around her, she buried herself into his chest as much as she could, body trembling terribly.
"B-brother Jaune," She barely mustered a tremulous whisper, body trembling even harder.
He held her tighter.
"What's wrong, Estelle?! Please, tell me!" He begged frantically, feeling his chest tighten when she didn't, maybe couldn't.
"Please." He begged her again, softer, but still didn't get any answer.
Perhaps, just this once, it'd have been better if he didn't get one in any shape or form.
His eyes soon parted from her, he frantically looked around in search for something. What exactly, he wasn't sure, just knew he heard something not too far away.
"…"
One sound to his left, he looked, gasped and his eyes widened in horror.
"G-g-grimm…" He managed just one word, his voice paling and fleeing away, just like the colors did from his face, yet legs failed to move and make a run for it.
'Oink.' The creature of darkness voiced its presence, its black, fluffy form no bigger than piggy bank making its way closer to them.
Whattodowhattodowhattodo! Thoughts ran wildly, yet nothing coherent, heart thudding violently in the chest, yet blood seemed utterly still, cold and unmoving.
Very much like he was.
'Oink.' He heard the beasts voice again, closer than ever. Through shaky vision, he calculated about few meters between him, Estelle and the harbinger of death.
'Oink.'
Somehow, such realization made bits of strength return to his legs, he could try and make a run for it.
"I'm scared…" She clutched to him desperately, her tremulous whisper reminding him; how futile it'd be to try and outrun a grimm with her in his arms.
"Estelle…" He uttered anxiously, wanted to run away so badly, but didn't. He knew fully well but only one option could save them both. At least her, perhaps.
'Oink.'
"I'm not scared of you." He somehow broke free of her hold, then got in front like a shield.
'Oink.'
He took a solid step back, then half a one forward.
"O-okay, maybe I am, but…"
"B-brother Jaune..?"
His will to protect her was stronger than anything else.
'Oink.'
His foe was ready, so very close to them.
"I'm ready." He was too, he said, promised, to himself, but more so to her.
Unfortunately, he found no suitable weapon lying close to his feet, meaning he'd have to deal with the beast bare handed.
C-can't be helped…He thought, took a shaky, then a steady breath and lifted his arms close to his face.
"…"
A moment of silence.
Baby boarbatusk didn't move.
He didn't either.
A gust of wind blew past them, swaying plenty of leaves in its wake. Countless droplets of moisture moved too, a single one parting and falling down to the ground.
Splash.
"Hyaaaa!" He roared, actually squealed and tackled a grimm.
"Queeee!" The poor thing was left surprised, panicked, quickly thereafter starting to run circles.
"Run Estelle, run!" He screamed at her, taken aback how powerful his foe was. Not even for a second he could muster enough strength to hold it down, instead, was dragged along helplessly.
"B-brother Jaune." She uttered, watched his desperate struggle, his fight for survival, an honest, pure attempt to save her.
"Run! Please, run Estelle!" He cried out again, his shorts coming loose and parting.
"Brother Jaune…" She whispered so tremulously, still terrified, of course, but even more so than that, amazed how determined he was, not caring about his naked butt.
Instead of adjusting his shorts, he ignored them and continued to fight for her sake.
"I…" She trembled, terribly, her tiny arms crossing in front of her chest, yet remaining where she was.
"Brother Jaune." She uttered his name again, this time, not in search for his help or comfort, but to declare that she was still here, beside him.
Estelle Arc would not run away, crying.
She would not.
Instead, she remained where she was, feeling her heel bump into something solid. Taking a closer look, she realized it was a hefty looking branch. Ducking down, her fingers firmly clutched around her newly found weapon, noting how taxing it was to just lift it off the ground.
Even so…
"I want to…" She started, squinted her tiny eyes, her muscles burning from the strain of lifting the branch high over her head.
"I want to…I want to be a hero like you!"
A change in her blue, a sudden wish lit in her heart.
"Hyaaa!" She squealed, more like roared and her weapon came down with a mighty bang.
"Bleah!" His body went suddenly limp, arms spaghetti, no longer able to hold onto the grimm. Helplessly, he fell in the moss but the poor thing he rode for a while, fleeing with-out looking back immediately.
'Oink!'
"…"
She stood still for a moment, not quite sure of what just happened.
"…Again…" He voiced a part of some sentence, but mind too dizzy to even know if he really did.
"Brother Jaune..?" She uttered unsurely.
"…hit…again…"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes…" He uttered, the world still spinning like crazy.
She hesitated, but could clearly see he needed some help. Him being older was also reassurance he knew what was right to do.
"Okay." She nodded, lifted the branch high over her head, and swung once more.
"…"
He didn't make a sound, his consciousness snapping like the wood he was hit with. The loose part of it ricocheting back and landing right between her eyes.
She whimpered, staggered backwards but otherwise managed to maintain her footing.
What she didn't however, was her composure as her eyes grew teary, she bit her trembling lip, then parted them wide and wept in full voice.
"Mommy, daddy!"
She ran away, crying.
Forgetting all about her butt-naked brother who lay motionlessly, engulfed in the damp moss.
…
"And that's…that's how it was." He said, more like laughed, and watched her body rocking from how exuberant her laughter was.
He, of course, could understand.
"Buwhahahahahaha!" Pyrrha held on to his shoulder, a dire need for support it seemed. She laughed, stopped for a moment, looked into his face and laughed again. Stomachaches and pain in her cheeks were inevitable, and only when oxygen itself was far too scarce in her body, she finally managed through rigorous effort to calm herself.
"Dear God, I, hahahe, I…I haven't laughed quite like this in a long time," She said, breathless.
"Seriously though, that was the cutest grimm I've ever seen, ever!" He exclaimed, grinning like a child.
"Oh, I'm…I'm quite sure it was," She said, wiped clean the last of tears lingering by the corners of her eyes, then continued. "Honestly, I'm quite speechless. The only thing I can say for certain; that has to be the cutest, most silliest hero story's I've ever heard."
"You can say that again," He said, being pleased she enjoyed the story, his silly memory so much.
A moment of silence followed thereafter, Pyrrha still rested from the great laughter she had, while he peacefully waited till she would fully recover. When she did, he continued, his expression taking on a different look, feeling about it.
"But, you know…as silly as it was, that moment, it's also…well, it's also precious to me," He said, the sincerity in his voice impossible to fake. His blue so utterly, utterly soft.
"I think I can understand," She said, her line on sight trailing his, not surprised the least it ended up at his sister.
"Ever since then…well, I was a hero to her. Still am, actually."
Actually…Just one word, yet so much more than beyond it. She knew there was.
It was Jaune, after all.
"Deservingly so." She added.
"…Suppose so." He said rather quietly, paused, nonchalantly kicked away some dirt with his foot, and only then continued. Smiling. "She was the first one to have such belief in me, or rather, I was the first one to inspire her so much. She truly, genuinely, believed, believes I'm a hero," He said, his smile fading.
He felt the weight of those words. So much, it seemed, even his face reflected it as he felt that so familiar squeeze on his shoulder. A gesture of concern, yet also reassurance that everything is going to be okay.
"Jaune?"
Of course, she'd say his name thereafter as well, her emeralds steady on him.
"It's…" He paused, wanted to say everything's okay, but didn't.
He truly didn't want to ruin the fun, light-hearted mood they had mere moments ago, but also felt how much he wanted, needed to share a bit of that burden.
"It's hard…being a hero, I mean," He said just that, then wondered if maybe he shouldn't have, after all.
"It is, but you're doing a great job at it, Jaune." She squeezed his shoulder again, this time a gesture which spoke of deep understanding.
"Yea…" He started, attempted a smile but then remembered some of the toughest times he endured. "Just barely, completely unsure for how long I'll last."
A squeeze on his shoulder again, this one actually hurt some. When he looked into her emeralds, it wasn't hard to tell why.
"You do know that me, rest of the team, and above everyone else, your sister believes in you, right? Why, do you think?"
"Pyrrha," He barely started, but then was cut short by her scorching glare.
"I asked you, why?"
He sighed a heavy one. "Because I always find a way to succeed and improve."
"Exactly," She intoned pointedly. "You always do, Jaune, no matter how hard it gets," She said, her expression softened and allowed herself to place a hand on his chest. "And I believe from the bottom of my heart, you always will. You're powerful, Jaune, you really, truly, are."
The following smile a pure expression of belief. Her belief she was absolutely right.
He, of course, appreciated. Always did, but could also see she didn't quite get where the problem lay, this time.
"This isn't just about me struggling, Pyr, but also how I feel about me struggling so much," He explained, finding it increasingly difficult to sustain a normal eye contact. "It's hard for me, very hard. Not necessarily because I'm a lackluster fighter, though it plays a big part, but also because," He suddenly cut himself short, realized the words he wanted to say and couldn't gaze into her worrisome eyes because of it.
At Estelle, he couldn't either so he looked somewhere else entirely.
"…"
"Jaune?" Her voice just above the whisper, she wasn't sure she wanted him to finish the sentence. Especially so when his blue found its way back to her emeralds.
There was just something truly unsettling about his expression, a doubt, uncertainty or whatever else which she couldn't recognize at all. A thought that she didn't want to know what it is, scaring her even more.
"I'm not implying I want to give up, or that I will," He started quietly, slowly, then felt how his lips trembled but wasn't sure why.
"All I'm saying is that being a huntsman to-be, is very difficult for me. Physically, sure, mentally, as well, but emotionally, the most." He finished, then cut her short and stealthily gestured Estelle was coming.
"I'm so sorry, I probably took too long." She apologized immediately.
"Nope, not at all," He said, all of the dread and anxiety wiped clean with-out a trace to have.
"Oh, Jaune…" She tremulously whispered just under the breath, a heaviness like nothing before weighing down on her shoulders.
Somehow, seeing in person just how morbidly good he was at hiding the pain he endured, was a realization she couldn't stomach right now. Her noting how utterly close she was to breaking down into tears a proof of it.
"The sky is so beautiful," She said quietly, for reasons obvious. Half of her face hidden beneath her hand.
"It is." Estelle agreed happily, quite fond of the sight.
"Yea…" He mumbled indifferently, not missing the fact how hurt she was.
His powerlessness to help her hurting him even more.
"Where next?" Estelle asked innocently, so far oblivious to the sullen mood.
"Actually," Pyrrha started, her jaws widening and faking a rather believable yawn. "I'm sorry to say, but I'm actually quite tired. I'd rather go back to the dorm and have a good rest," She said, fully aware he knew better than that. It was written all over his face, but him not saying a word also showed an understanding which she wholly appreciated.
"It's okay." Estelle had no qualms with it either. "If you're tired, you're tired, I understand," She said, then turned to him. "Should we go back as well?"
"Nah," He lifted his hand and rubbed her head. "I'd love to walk around just a bit more. Hope you do too."
Her smile was agreement, she turned back to her.
"I'll try to make it up to you, okay?" Pyrrha said, then followed her partner's example and caressed the child's head. Shortly thereafter, wondering if it was wise to do.
When Estelle's smile remained as it was, she figured it was okay.
"You don't have to."
"We'll see about that tomorrow," Pyrrha said, then partially turned away from them.
"Good bye, you two."
"Bye," They said right back, waved with their hands and watched her go for a while.
When she was most certainly out of the ear shot, his sister tugged on the sleeve of his t-shirt.
"I wasn't on swings for too long, was I?"
"I told you already," He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in. "you weren't."
"Okay," She accepted his words to be truth, her arms wrapping around his waist.
He nodded, leaned a bit lower and planted a kiss on top of her head.
She smiled a wholesome.
"I missed you."
"I missed you as well."
Her eyes sparkled, a wish from her heart being voiced soon after.
"I'll definitely try to visit you more often the next year."
He pinched her cheek.
"Only if it's alright. Don't forget you've got a combat school to take care of."
"I'll make it alright, then," She said so confidently, he was taken aback for a moment. When it wore off, he couldn't help a proud smile across his lips.
"Okay, okay."
She chuckled, her eyes meeting his, his hers.
"Have any place in particular you want to see?"
She thought for a moment, unsure what to answer. Perhaps, doubtful if it was okay to do so.
"Just say it, precious one." He encouraged, but contemplating just briefly, had a solid guess of his own.
"Where are we going?" She asked, feeling how he started to drag her along.
With a knowing smile, he answered. "To the place you want to, of course."
"But…how'd you even know where I want to go?"
He chuckled. "It's rather obvious, really. Your hesitation was the answer," He said, noted she didn't quite get it and explained simply instead.
"My precious spot, that's the place you want to see, right?"
"…"
Now he was certain.
"Are you sure?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with flickers of concern.
He laughed. "Of course I'm sure, why not?"
She bit her lip gently, not saying a thing for a moment. Being cut short before even having a chance to speak up.
"It's alright, precious one. Seriously, no big deal at all," He said, this time around deciding to be as patient as he needed to be so she'd say something first.
"…"
For a moment or two, she didn't, but her crystal blue grew more confident steadily. By the time she finally opened her lips, her expression carried no doubts or anything like that.
"Okay, I would like to see it, then."
"Good." He answered so simply, both of them saying only so much for the rest of the walk.
…
When they arrived, he couldn't have guessed the first thing he would say would be,
"Yang?"
the second,
"YANG!?"