Okay, new chapter, here we go. Now, I'm going to try and update every Friday, but, ya know, don't hold me to that.
Voici Le Soleil
Jaune breathed deeply as he stepped off the airship, the fresh air soothing his nerves and his unsettled stomach. The greens and blues of Patch varied so much from the earthen tones of Menagerie. His stomach rumbled again, less from the trip and more from the nerves of meeting Ruby and Yang again.
Well, at least I can try for a better first impression. Then again, last time I met an old friend, it didn't end great.
Jaune's heart ached as a memory flashed through his mind.
Blake, curled up on a futon next to him, Kali's green tea scenting the room, a warm fire blazing in front of them. Blake's ears twitched softly as she read, an almost imperceptible purr coming from her chest. Jaune rumbled quietly, his eyes scanning over his own novel. Well, trying to. Despite Blake's love for reading, she seemed more mischievous in this realm, or perhaps Jaune had never gotten to know her well enough before. Every little while, Blake would shift, causing her to melt a little bit further into Jaune's side. Whether she was actually getting comfortable or was messing with him, Jaune couldn't tell.
Jaune blinked away the tears that had formed, shaking himself when he heard someone call his name. He hadn't talked to the man much, but Taiyang looked exactly the same as Jaune remembered.
The man stood a little taller than Jaune, probably about as tall as Jaune would be if everything stayed the same. His hair was less of a blond and more of a gold, his eyes more electric than sapphire. His clothing was the same from Ruby's old photo of team STRQ.
A thought shattered Jaune's focus.
Team STRQ. Events from my world killed Summer and drove Raven away. What… What if they're still here? What if they may die, but I could save them? I… need to be careful. I could really mess this up, better to just roll with the punches.
Jaune made his way over to Taiyang, shaking the man's proffered hand.
"Good to meet you, Jaune. It's been awhile since I've seen your Dad, I'm sorry you guys had to move." Taiyang ushered them towards a dirt road, one Jaune recalled would lead to their cabin.
"Well, we figured it might happen eventually. The Fang hate inaction almost as much as they hate racism. Then again, I'd say they're a little hypocritical." Jaune tried to keep the hate out of his voice. From what he had learned, most of the history of this world was identical to his own, including the White Fang's change to aggression. But Jaune couldn't afford to let his hatred of their past actions, this world or otherwise, effect his judgements.
"Yeah, maybe so." Taiyang shook his head, dispelling the dreary cloud their conversation had brought. "Anyways, your Dad sent your stuff ahead of you. It just got in yesterday, and it's all up in your room. We didn't open anything, so just let me know if you need anything replaced."
Jaune felt equal parts apprehension and excitement when he saw the wooden cabin appear behind the trees. He rolled his shoulders and plastered an easy smile on his face, trying not to show his worry at meeting his old comrades.
"I'm sure everything's fine. Thanks, Mr. Xiao-Long, for everything." Jaune knew he was stalling by stopping to talk with Taiyang, but he couldn't help it.
"It's no problem Jaune. And please, it's just Taiyang or Tai." The older Hunter smiled and clapped Jaune on the back before moving towards the cabin's door.
"Hey girls, I'm back! Come say 'Hi' to our guest." Taiyang had barely finished his sentence before Ruby had made it downstairs. She looked excited to see her Dad, though it stung a little when she looked nervously at Jaune.
Remember, you aren't friends yet. You haven't been assigned teams and you haven't walked half of Anima with her yet. She was nervous before Initiation too. Hmm, weapons? Yeah let's start with that.
"Um… hi. I'm, uh, I'm Ruby. Nice to meet you!" Ruby stuttered out her greeting and offered a tiny hand for Jaune to shake. He couldn't help but grin at her countenance, definitively the same as he remembered. He reached forward and gently clasped her hand.
"Good to meet you too, Ruby. I'm Jaune Arc. I guess we'll be hanging out for a little while. I'll try not to bore you with weapon talk, but no promises." Just as he hoped, Ruby's silver eyes widened the moment he mentioned weapons, and Jaune could've sworn he heard Taiyang chuckle behind him.
"Oh! Do you like learning about weapons too? I've always loved learning about them, how they work, what they're made of, different fighting styles, I can't wait to get to Signal and forge my ow-" Ruby clasped her hands over her mouth, sending a nervous glance to Jaune, who merely laughed at her enthusiasm.
"You sound just like my little sister, Rose. She's an absolute ball of energy. To answer your question, I like learning about weapons quite a bit, though I didn't have much of a chance in Menagerie. Don't suppose you would be able to give me a few lessons while I'm here?" Jaune smiled again as Ruby nodded her head enthusiastically, promising she would teach Jaune the in's and out's of every weapon she knew.
Maybe I was a bit too zealous. Ah well, it's worth it.
"Hey Rubes, where's Yang at?" Taiyang glanced around, having noticed his eldest daughter had not responded to his call.
"I think she's out back, working out. Come on, I'll introduce you Jaune!" Ruby disappeared in a flash of petals.
"Sorry about that, her semblance can take some getting used to." Taiyang sheepishly as Jaune flicked a petal off his wolf ear.
"Don't worry about it. My older sister, Verte, has a semblance that lets her feel everyone else's emotional state. Most of my sisters have their aura unlocked, so I'm pretty used to strange semblances." Jaune glanced towards the kitchen area behind Taiyang, remembering the stories Yang and Ruby had told of their father's cooking ability.
"Oh, Taiyang, would mind if I used your kitchen? I'd like to cook you all dinner tonight, as a thank you for letting me be here."
"Oh, please, Dad!"
Evidently, Jaune's superior hearing did not help him when the target could break the sound barrier in her boots, allowing Ruby a fantastic second impression of Jaune jumping around and barely suppressing a scream.
"You don't have to, but we'd be happy to accept. You guys get comfortable, I'll go pick up some groceries for dinner tonight." Taiyang left soon after Jaune gave him a short shopping list.
Jaune slowly followed Ruby out to their backyard. Out of everyone, Jaune dreaded seeing two of his old friends the most. The first and foremost was Pyrrha, the young knight having no idea how he would reconcile the previous death of his partner.
The second, was Yang. One of the biggest scars from the Fall was on Yang, and it wasn't just her arm. The Yang he had left was so damaged, pained over the truth she had finally learned from her birth-mother, and only just beginning to heal from her partners actions.
Jaune shook himself and tried to calm his rampant thoughts. He would be with Yang and Ruby for at least two years, until he went to Beacon, and hopefully the full four years their two teams would spend at the academy.
All that being said, and even with the fact that Jaune was technically almost twenty-five at this point, he was reduced to a stuttering mess when presented with the sweating, panting form of Yang Xiao-Long as she bent over backwards in a deep stretch. Which had the side effect of straining her training shirt.
"Yang! We have company!" Ruby called innocently, saving Jaune from having to stammer out a greeting.
Yang stood from her stretches and walked over to Jaune, glancing up and down his form as she did so. She walked until she stood almost nose to nose with him, a smirk on her face as she stared into his eyes.
"Aww, who's a cute little puppy." Ruby looked horrified at Yang's comment, and Jaune was worried if this Yang was that drastically different from his own, until he noted the look in her eye.
She wants to see if I'm easily provoked. Ruby was obviously welcoming, and Taiyang is working off the recommendation of my father. Yang wants to know about who she's letting into her home. Good.
Jaune smiled back at her, letting a deep growl reverberate in his chest, causing Yang and Ruby to stumble back a few steps.
"I think you'll find 'Wolf' is more accurate, Miss Xiao-Long." Jaune smirked at Yang's befuddled look, glad when she replied with a wry smile.
"Huh, alright. So you're pretty relaxed with the whole Faunus thing. Good start, but I'm not letting you off that easy. What is it you're bringing to this house, hm?" Yang had moved back into Jaune's personal space, hooking a finger under his collar to emphasize her question. Jaune gave her a small, but genuine smile.
Got her.
"I asked your Dad to go pick up some groceries so I can make you all a thank you dinner, you can never go wrong with having another able body, I plan on going to Beacon just like you, and besides…" Jaune pushed himself forward, forcing Yang onto her back foot. "I'm a Wolf, and I protect my pack."
Jaune yawned as he stretched in his bed, the afternoon sun slowly moving in the sky. Jaune was never one for naps, but something about the Xiao-Long/Rose cabin and the peace of a Patch afternoon just called to him.
"Hey, Jaune?" Odd, Yang didn't typically bother him once he was in his room. At least not after the time she walked in on him. That was a fun day.
So many bruises. I understand where Yang's fighting comes from now.
"Yeah, what's up?"
Yang gently eased the door open and stepped in, shutting the door behind her. She had her typical orange tank top and black shorts on, and it looked like she had just showered.
"I just got done training, and I wanted to chat. Beacon's only a few weeks away. Are you ready?" Yang sounded excited and she had a smile on her face, but Jaune had gotten to know her better over these past two years. She was worried about initiation, sure, but more than anything she was concerned for Ruby. The young Reaper had gotten used to having the two blondes around, and Yang was scared to leave her baby sister alone.
Knowing Ruby and what I think is about to happen, you really shouldn't worry about it.
"Yeah, I'm ready. Can't wait to really start pushing myself, you know?"
"Ha! Really start? Jaune I haven't seen you take a lazy day since you moved here. I don't see how you could push any harder."
It was those comments that hurt most. The cheerful, hopeful, and naïve comments that reminded Jaune he was the only one who knew of the previous world. Yang didn't remember the pain of the Fall, losing her arm, meeting Raven. It was so hard to keep his chin up, but Jaune knew that his…character?
Was that what he was now? A charade? Just a white-washed tomb? The happy kid from before Beacon died with his partner, but could he really be the broken knight that killed Salem? How would anyone here understand, how could they deal with his seemingly random psychological state? How would he-
"Jaune?"
Jaune snapped his eyes up to Yang's, amethyst circlets coated with worry.
"Sorry. Just… just got pulled into a thought. What were we saying?" Agh, she's not gonna leave that alone. She's bonded with me at this point, I may as well be her brother.
"You know, we've known each other for awhile. You can talk to me if you need to, Jaune. You sure everything's okay?"
Alright, gotta lie, cause I don't really like the idea of sounding crazy. Man, I was never good at this. Remember, a grain of truth makes the lie all the harder to see. Uh, let's try this.
"I'm fine, I promise, Yang. I just started thinking about my sisters." Yang's eyes softened even more, thought Jaune's stomach twisted at the deception. "Once we get to Beacon, I'm not gonna have a lot of time to see them, and we won't have time before we leave."
"I know what you mean. I hope Ruby doesn't get too upset if I can't make it home often." Yang moved to sit next to Jaune on his bed, resting against his side. The two had learned somewhere along the way that they fit together rather nicely. Yang was soft and comfortable, and Jaune was always warm.
"Ah, she'll be fine. Even if she is a kid, she's the toughest kid I know. Same for my sisters. The people I'm worried about are us. Oum knows we can't survive on your cooking." Jaune expected the response he got, a stinging strike into his right shoulder and a glare from his companion.
The two stared each other down for a minute before Yang snickered. Jaune tried desperately to keep a straight face, but he couldn't hold it. The two descended into laughter, moving closer together and reveling in their shared warmth, both physical and mental.
"Hey, Jaune?"
"Hmm?"
"Think we'll be on the same team?"
There was a thought that had plagued Jaune since he first thought of it. Would RWBY and JNPR still form? Would Jaune even meet his brother and sisters? Would he have to make it through this life without them? Jaune didn't know if he wanted the answer to that question.
"I don't know. Though, I wouldn't mind a powerhouse being on the team. Even if she is a bit of a hot head."
"Well it would be nice to have a shield, even if his head is as hard as his shield."
Jaune couldn't think of a clever counter, so he used his tried and true fall back that always worked on his sisters. He quickly moved from Yang's side, causing her to fall over as he positioned himself into a push-up above her. Yang's eyes widened as Jaune let his arms go slack, his superior weight crushing her underneath him.
Yang's gentle peals of laughter echoed through his room, his own chortles joining soon after. When Yang squirmed to get out from under him, a devilish thought made its way into Jaune's mind.
Hmm, yeah. Worth it.
Jaune moved his hands to Yang's sides, his fingertips stopping at her ribcage. She froze in her movements, her breath catching.
"Jaune Arc… Don't. You. Dare." Yang's normally boisterous and loud voice had dropped to a low growl, though Jaune could hear the little bit of worry in her voice.
"Too late."
Bright and exuberant laughs reverberated through the house, cries for mercy mixed in. Deeper chuckles could be heard, Ruby and Taiyang shaking their heads at the blonde duo's actions.
Taiyang looked out the window of the kitchen to the hill at the north of his property, a soft smile on his face.
"Looks like she's got someone to watch her back. Good."
Okay guys, I think that's it. So, I tried to make this a little longer, and if you like it then this is how I'll do the chapters from now on. It might mean later updates, and if it does I'll be sure to say that on my profile page. Or I can go for shorter chapters and more consistent updates, your choice. Also, I have two plans for the next chapter, and I'd like to know your opinions. Either, I can write the club scene with Yang in my own way, then move into the airship/speech/ballroom/initiation chapter. I can also leave the club scene alone, give a little bit of my own flair for the character meetings, sleep over, and then go straight into initiation for most of the chapter. Alright, last thing, I promise: Guys, if you have something you'd like to say, a question to ask, or even just a quick "Cool." Then please say it. Getting an email from saying, "You got a PM" or "Blank reviewed your story" is easily one of the best parts of my day. You have no idea how amazing it is to hear your thoughts on my work, so please, if you've got something then go for it. Okay, I'm done. Have a good weekend everyone!
Cheers,
Arebus.
