Alright so I got a request by Rogue Dragon forever for this a while back and I decide to finally use it. You probably want to read A Knight's New Fight before reading this chapter. I do not own RWBY.
Chapter 14- Drink Your Sorrows Away.
Yang's POV
Six months, amazing how much can happen in six months. Beacon tower is finally repaired, now it's simply a lighthouse though. Ozpin said he'd feel like he was walking on Jaune's grave working up there. I got a prosthetic to replace the arm I lost. I had a shield added in, if the attack taught me anything it was that I needed to work on my defense. Ruby's taken to carrying around a knife Jaune apparently picked up at some time for her. It was supposed to be birthday present I think, one he never got to give her.
Weiss has stopped talking as much, she told me she fears what her word can do now. Preaching to the choir sister. After that little confrontation with her gene donor, the bastard doesn't deserve the title father, I haven't seen her without Jaune-Frost following her around. I'm half convinced the thing is truly sentient, Weiss can use Grimm summons like her sister but Jaune-Frost is stronger and smarter than any other summon up her sleeve.
Blake⦠really started to retreat in on herself. For a while it wasn't uncommon to find her in the morning near Jaune's grave with tears staining her eyes. About a month after Jaune's death she disappeared for a few days and we were afraid she had run off again, we couldn't afford to lose anyone else so soon. Our fears were laid to rest a few day later when she returned. We chose to stay silent on the bloody mask she brought back and used for target practice, slowly chipping away at the edges until nothing was left.
Nora and Ren drew into themselves for a little while but having each other helped them. It was Pyrrha we were really worried about. She was practically a machine for the past six months, rarely resting and pushing herself to the limit. I thank Oum Ren found out about Kibo Jaune, I think seeing him today snapped Pyrrha out of her funk. For me however it brought up a lot of feeling I thought I had dealt with.
I wasn't the best friend to Jaune, always teasing him or using him as material for jokes. And some of the stuff I said to him, all the times I demeaned him in jest, haunts me. Tch, I considered him the weak one and yet I can't deal with the loss of an arm while he puts up with that and an arrow to the chest on top of massive blood loss.
Tonight, I'm hitting Junior's. I need alcohol, a lot of that soothing liquid. I'm not at Uncle Qrow's level of dependence but I usually sneak some each night, just a sip but it's enough to keep the nightmares awake. I can't take another dream of watching Jaune get torn to pieces before blowing up. The fifty or so times before I discovered that alcohol kept the nightmares away were more than enough for me.
I arrive at the bar and sneak past the bouncer, Junior really needs better men guarding the door if a girl with bright hair and a metal arm can sneak past them. I keep out of the spotlight and take a seat at the bar. I signal the bartender and order a Strawberry Sunrise from the bartender. Soon a liquid dream catcher is right in front of me and I gulp it down. I signal the bartender to keep them coming and drink them as fast as he can deliver them. Somewhere in between number 6 and number 8 someone take the seat to my right.
"Hey I know you, Yang Xiao Long right?" I look the new arrival and see a pretty boy sitting there. Blond and wearing a red coat with an unbuttoned shirt. I don't sense any aura on him so a civilian. It's clear from where his eyes are roaming what's on his mind tonight.
"Yeah, what's it to you?" He gives me a look of sympathy, one of the worst acts I've ever seen, and takes a sip of his drink.
"I just want to offer my condolences for what happened at Beacon, were you friends with that boy that died." I force my tears to keep from appearing and take another sip of my drink. The alcohol dampening the pain in my heart.
"No, acquaintances at best." I refuse to allow him to use Jaune as a way to try and get closer to me. I won't let his name be sullied by a pathetic pick-up attempt. He nods and sips on his drink before attempting to speak to me again.
"If you don't mind be asking what is a beautiful girl such as yourself doing alone." I resist the urge to punch him, no need to spend a night in jail over an asshole.
"I wanted to drink and the rest of my team prefers not to." Not like I'd let Ruby join me in this bad habit of mine. That innocent girl she once was is gone, tainted by the darkness of the world. We've fought with a few White Fang groups that have tried ambushing us during missions. NPR don't show mercy, Weiss makes sure hospital trips are necessary, I break most of their bones, Blake nearly kills them, and Ruby will leave cuts that if not treated will cost a guy a limb. Sometime treatment doesn't happen fast enough. I won't add drinking to the problems she already has.
A fresh drink slides into my vision and I look to see the pretty boy holding up a similar one. He sends me a smile and takes a sip of his. "That one's on me, the least I could do for a Huntress." I pick up the drink and take a sip. I've had this drink before, Vanilla Vodka, so I'm familiar with the taste. An aftertaste that hasn't been present any other time I've had this drink is present. I take a glance over and see lust, excitement, and delight fill the guy's eyes. My prosthetic closing around his throat wipes those emotions out and replaces them with fear.
"Lesson one, aura provides basic protection against drugs and alcohol. Lesson two, this Huntress was already pissed at you for trying to use Jaune as a way to get cozy with her. Lesson three, restraint is something I lack greatly." I bring my left hand back and punch him in the nose, breaking said nose and knocking him out cold. After one more blow for good measure I throw his unconscious body on the ground. Unfortunately, it seems my actions have brought the attention of the owner on me. Junior marches over with three of his goons behind him along with the twins. I sigh and stare Junior dead in the eyes.
"Look I get you don't like me but I'm not armed except for a shield in the prosthetic." Technically not a lie, the Ember Celica function of my prosthetic is in shutdown mode but a simple voice command will bring it back online. "Just let me have my fill and I'll keep quiet and be out of your hair." To my surprise, Junior simply signals to his men and they drag the idiot I beat-up away. Then shocking me over is when the Twins and Junior sits down next to me.
"Look I heard what you said so I wouldn't have blamed you for that fight anyway. I don't allow rape to happen in my club or for people to use my club to slip a roofie." I can tell he's not lying given how much anger is on his face. Even more than that time I barged in when we were hunting Roman down.
"Did you actually know Jaune?" My neck snaps to Milita at her question.
"How did you know him?" Junior looks down at the ground and his jaw clenches.
"We lived in the same town before we moved." I can feel my eyes widen and I clench my fists. I'm about to start wailing on them when Melanie speaks up.
"He was our friend, best friend really." I keep myself from attacking and calm down. They get one chance to explain themselves.
"I've learned enough about his past to despise anyone from that place so talk fast." Junior swallows a lump in his throat before reaching over and pouring himself a drink. Once he gulps it down he starts talking.
"So, the place is one of those really out of the way places. It's almost as old as most of the kingdoms thanks to the Arc's presence. It's also one of the most superstitious places imaginable. I'm talking throw salt over your shoulder if you spill it superstitious. So, when a kid is born the literal second the Grimm break through the walls and then the towns greatest protector dies that night people get stupid ideas in their heads. I wasn't one of those idiots and I tried to help the kid after he helped Milita and Melanie after they got lost one day. I ran an inn/bar, mostly the latter, there and I was saving enough to move when everything went south." He takes and makes to talk before Melanie stops him and she takes over.
"Some of the morons that waste air in that town saw Jaune was spending time with us. They set the inn on fire with Jaune, Milita, and I stuck in there. Jaune managed to get us out of there unharmed and hid us in one of his hiding spots until Uncle came back." Huh Uncle, did not know that detail. Junior takes over the story once more but he's much more subdued.
"Once I got back and saw what happened I said some things to Jaune that I'm not proud of. I'm might have actually gotten physical if the girls hadn't have stopped me." A cold chuckle escapes his lips after that statement. "The worst part thinking back was his eyes. He didn't even consider I was in the wrong, he just looked resigned to the fact it was his fault. After that I immediately got all my Lien from the bank and took the first caravan out of there that night while the girls were still asleep and we ended up in Vale. I got this place cheap and a year later I went back to try and find Jaune so I could apologize." He snorts as though he found that humorous.
"I should have known better; the kid was an absolute klutz but when he wanted to hide he'd never be found." I look around at the three of them and I know they're telling the truth, way too much emotion to be lying.
"I'm going to admit I'm not the best girl to be talking to. I wasn't that close to Jaune, or at least I thought I was close to him until we got all those bombshells dropped on us six months ago. I didn't think we were bosom buddies or anything but I thought I knew a decent bit about him." It's amazing how easy he placated us with half-truths. Bits of info such as the fact he has seven sisters that are true but don't reveal anything big.
"I'll try and get his team down here so that they can tell you more." I gulp down one more drink and feel the alcohol finally start to mess with me. Definitely time to stop. I get off my stool and stand up. "I'll see you guys again, once we get some more time off I'll drag the others down here. Hopefully they'll be able to answer some of the questions you'll have." I think for a second and bring out my scroll.
"Put your numbers in there." They do so and I pocket the device once more. "I'll put together an album and send you the pictures. See-ya." I walk out and start making my way back to the airdocks. I hope they're prepared for any meeting to be a two-way street. We'll want more knowledge about Jaune as well. It'll be interesting to hear about Jaune's younger years.
"In the end, it all comes down to the fact I'm the only one that's replaceable so why wouldn't I do it." I feel tears well up as I remember those words, the fact I might have had a hand in making him feel that way stings.
"You fucking moron, you weren't replaceable. Who else is going to be our dork-knight?"
Thoughts? Feelings? Ideas for future chapters? Also, I already asked this on AKNF but for those that don't read that story I'll ask this on here as well. Would you guys be interested in a story like Time-Traveling Trolls by Romantic Silence where Jaune and Ruby are in a time loop. In which everyone but Jaune travels back in time but the story is from his POV so that we see how he reacts when he's dealing with a NPR and RWBY with future knowledge?
