Hello again, sorry its taken so long to write but to be honest I have had literally no motivation for this at all. I've got the dilemma now that I hate writing endings to stuff, and now I'm bringing my first proper work towards its close. It doesn't help that I have so many ideas for 'A Rose for the Champion' and I just have to write them down. I hope you enjoy this chapter. To explain for those that are wondering, I changed the rating for this fic in relation to the previous chapter and the very vague and badly written sexual themes. For those of you saying it should be a little less PG I agree, I really do. I will say this however, the sequel will be better and taking your advice 'A Rose for the Champion' is a little less PG. I'm trying, really I am, to improve my writing for you all. I only ask your patience and continued comments to help me improve it. We must remember however that there is no language in the source material, I like to keep to that. Combat, I agree will need to be a little more descriptive, gory etc. With that said, here is the latest installment.
Jaune sat at his desk glaring at the exam paper sat in front of him with pure contempt. It was the final one of the year. He hated it with a passion unlike anything he had ever felt before. He had finished writing his answers fifteen minutes previous and was feeling relatively confident with his answers, the numerous revision sessions with Pyrrha had certainly helped him out, he knew most of the answers. No, the thing which truly got him was knowing that these exams marked the end of his first year of Beacon and brought him ever closer to the end of his training and the time in which he would be thrown into serving the kingdoms as a Grimm slayer extraordinaire. He might not even have his team by his side, afterall it would be a bit much to expect them to stick by him.
Deathly quiet blanketed the whole room, only broken by the sound of pens scratching away on paper and a solitary set of footsteps. At the front of the hall heels clacked loudly as Goodwitch paced back and forth along the entirety of the front row, her stern viridian eyes scanning for any sign of misconduct amongst the gathered students. Her ever present riding crop in hand, though for what use it was unknown. She looked directly at the hapless knight, the two of them making eye contact for just an instant before he broke it to stare back at the worn wood of his desk, analysing the grain in the timber with the same intensity as a scientist studies the creatures which swarm and multiply in a drop of water.
Cerulean blue eyes flicked up to the auditorium's large clock for what must have been the thousandth time since finishing his answers. He couldn't help it, he would look up at its impassive face expecting to see minutes having passed, only to find that it was mere seconds and it was driving him mad. He still had another half an hour to go.
In his boredom he looked around the hall scanning for familiar faces to judge how they seemed to be coping. Weiss was the first that he spotted, some three rows away from him. Her brilliant white pony-tail and matching outfit distinguishing her from all those around her. To his dismay she was still writing, her face almost pressed against the paper as her hand travelled across the page leaving line upon line of writing.
Not far from her sat Ruby, the young leader seemed to have finished too. Her eyes were narrowed and focussed on the pencil she was trying to balance on the end of her finger. She would swing her hand about to counterbalance the pencil whenever it leant this way or that.
Swinging his gaze to the other half of the hall he first spotted Yang. Her head was lolled back on her shoulders, hanging behind her as she stared up at the ceiling. The Brawler's lips mouthed a series of words as she pointed lazily up. With a slight smile Jaune realised that she was trying to pass what time remained by counting each and every one of the ceiling tiles. An impressive feat given that the ceiling was decorated with what must have been thousands and thousands of tiles no bigger that the knight's hand.
Sat in the seat directly behind Yang was Blake. The concealed rolled her eyes with a slight smile as she too worked out what the blonde bombshell was doing. Her smile lasted but a moment however, as she returned to organising and reorganising her stationary into neat lines, ranks and files depending on a particular set of factors that only she knew.
The next and final one of his friends he managed to spot was his partner and girlfriend, or rather the first sign of her that he saw was her voluminous red pony-tail. Pyrrha sat resting her head on her hand, one cheek squished up in a way that Jaune couldn't help but quietly chuckle at. Her eyes flicked over towards him and for a fleeting moment they shared eye contact. Her once dimmed eyes lighting up. She smiled warmly at him for as long as she dared before turning back once again to face the front.
Jaune gave a hefty sigh looking back down at the paper sat in front of him. Picking it back up he looked over his answer seeking to burn the remaining time away by pouring over his answers for any minor mistakes he could correct.
"Students, your examination time has now elapsed. Please put down your pens and be prepared to hand in your papers." Goodwitch's voice rang out shattering the silence.
The sound of rustling papers filled the exam hall as every one of the students gathered up their answers. Goodwitch's two fellow examiners made their way up and down the rows collecting the answer sheets and papers. Once they were all collected up and in the possession of the aura studies professor, the students were permitted to leave.
They stood as one and, in complete silence, migrated towards the exit. The teams drifted back together in the crowds, quiet conversation combining and building into a low murmur. They poured through the large double doors, eager to break free and be out under the summer sun. Eager to breath the free air once more after so long cooped up in the stifling and stale atmosphere of the exam hall.
"Hey Jaune! How do you think you did?" Ruby asked, fighting over towards him after they passed through the doors.
"I-It was okay I think. I answered all the questions but whether I was right or not I don't know."
"I'm sure you did just fine." Pyrrha smiled wrapping the knight up in her arms tightly. If Jaune had been paying full attention to the Rose, he would likely have seen her smile fade with Pyrrha's involvement. Through jealousy or desire was unknown, even by Ruby herself. Within the Ruby's head Yang's words echoed themselves
'Does Ruby have a crush on our blonde friend? I'd be careful if ya do Rubes, you'd have to fight off the Champ herself.'
With a sigh Ruby's smile returned. She was unsure what this truly meant, did it mean that she liked Jaune? Surely not, he was her friend, nothing more. Even if she did like him, Yang was right. Pyrrha would present a massive obstacle to her affections, even then Ruby doubted that she had it in her to break up the Arkos couple.
The eight teenagers made their way over to the campus' high-tech training complex for their combat assessments, Jaune's nerves grew with each and every step. He knew he had come a long way since the beginning of his time at beacon but that didn't take away the trepidation that he felt for his upcoming fight. An uncomfortable knot had formed in his gut. Ruby looked over and saw the look of fear on his face, she bounded over in a puff of rose petals and took a place walking beside him.
"Don't be nervous Jaune. You're gonna do fine. You're so much better than you were at the start of the year." She beamed, Jaune smiled at her encouragement.
"Thanks Ruby." He said appreciatively, wrapping his arm around her and hugging her briefly as they walked along.
They all walked through the huge double doors into the training complex. Unlike usual, it was quiet. The sounds of combat had been silenced for the day in preparation for the combat exams. Teams RWBY and JNPR were ushered through into the stands and sat alongside the other first years. None of the students made a sound, in the centre of the arena stood the headmaster Ozpin himself.
"Students, you have all come a long way since the beginning of the year and have passed each and every one of the challenges and hurdles that we have set before you. Today marks the end of such assessments and indeed the end of the academic year. Once these tests are complete you will have the next few weeks entirely to yourselves until the results are published next month."
The gathered students shifted nervously in their seats at the mention of results. It would seem that Jaune wasn't the only one nervous about his performance in the exams. Whilst that relieved him to a certain degree, it did present a problem in the regard that every student was going to fight twice as hard. They all had something to prove.
The students sat in reverent silence as though awaiting the death sentence. Harsh clacks signaled the arrival of Professor Goodwitch, seemingly having finished dealing with their written exam papers. She walked out to stand by Ozpin's side, her scroll in hand and the all too familiar riding crop hanging from her waist.
"Students, this shall be your combat assessment. I cannot express enough just how important it is that you each give these matches your absolute all. You will be graded and your improvement measured. Pay attention as I read out your sparring partnerships."
Glynda read out the names of the first years and Jaune impatiently awaited hearing his own. He groaned as he heard his partner; Cardin Winchester. The hapless knight gulped at the thought of the first-year bully's mace. He had not won a single one of their sparring matches since the year had begun. He had been getting steadily closer and with their mission to kill Ursula and the Dustmas period, and then his revision sessions with Pyrrha, he hadn't sparred with him in what must have been months. Even worse was the fact that he was set to go first.
Pyrrha gave him a reassuring look and a gentle squeeze of his hand as he and Cardin both stood to make their way off to the locker rooms and get into their armour. Jaune walked with a similar expression as a condemned man walking to the gallows. His confidence was at bare minimum levels.
"Try and provide a challenge today Jauney-boy. I'd like to be able to show my own improvement." Cardin smirked. Jaune nodded dejectedly.
Jaune stood in on one side of the arena, his trusty sword in hand, his fingers wrapped around the blue leather-wrapped hilt and a look of fierce determination on his face. He doubted that he would win but by the gods he would fight Cardin tooth and nail. Peering over the lip of his shield he watched his opponent. Winchester was stood directly opposite in a casual stance, a cocky smirk playing about his lips.
Goodwitch stepped in between them, her heels clicking intimidatingly. She shot each one of the fighters a brief glance and looked at Jaune with what he could have sworn to be sympathy or pity. His heart sank, it was no secret that the Professor had little faith in his abilities. He steeled his nerves and adjusted the grip on his sword. She was just another one he had to prove wrong.
"I want a nice clean match, you will fight until one of your auras falls into the red. In your own time gentlemen you may begin. Good luck to the both of you." She walked off to take her place by Ozpin's side behind one of the barriers. Jaune widened his stance and dropped low, just like Pyrrha had taught him to, and began to circle his opponent. His sapphire eyes narrowing on the bigger leader.
It was Cardin that made the first move, a cautious one, as though testing the water. With a deep grunt he brought the mace off of his shoulder and swung it down straight towards the blonde. For Jaune it seemed to move slower than he remembered. He dived off to the left into a roll to escape the mace's onslaught. The steel bludgeon smashed into the floor with a burst of sparks and the sound of cracking stone sending shock waves through the ground and rumbling through the soles of Jaune's feet. The gathered students gasped at the sudden noise.
Before Cardin could fully recover Jaune charged, his sword poised and ready. Seeing him coming Winchester swung his mace along the stone floor seeking to trip him even as he approached. The knight leapt lightly over the hefty weapon and smashed into his foe with a vicious shield-bash. The shield face collided with his armoured chest and sent him staggering back.
Cardin recovered and swung an elbow towards him viciously and hitting him square in the face. A crunch erupted as his nose broke, blood already beginning to pour out. He shoved Cardin away with his shield and back pedalled for space, reaching deep within himself and drawing forth his aura to staunch the bleeding and fix the break. His vision blurred as the bone reformed and snapped back into place. He made a mental note not to get too close to the mace wielder.
He looked to Cardin analytically, the mace would knock him out of the match in a couple of hits, but it was slow. It granted Cardin a greater range than Crocea Mors had so the only way for Jaune to dish out any serious damage was to either disarm him or get within his guard. The problem with getting close was that Cardin wasn't a stranger to close quarters combat. That left his only option being disarming him.
Jaune charged again seeking to test Cardin's defences and work out any weaknesses that he might exploit to separate the larger boy from his mace. Cardin swung his giant mace towards with with a battle cry. Jaune threw his body off to the side and safely out of harm's way. The bulky weapon hit the floor again with an earth-shattering bang. Looking over at the hulking bully he noticed just how his wrist over-flexed after each strike, a knock to it would undoubtedly put his weapon out of commission no matter how briefly.
Darting back, the knight put as much distance between himself and the tall mace wielder as he could. Cardin's confident smirk only grew as he saw this, he swung his mace up and onto his shoulder stepping casually over towards him. It was clear that he believed Jaune presented little threat but the knight was all but done for.
Raising his shield and readjusting his grip on his weapons for what must have been the thousandth time. They hadn't been fighting for long yet sweat beaded his forehead through a combination of both his nerves and the exertion. The once hapless blonde took timid steps ad edged towards the bigger student, trying to goad him into an attack.
Up in the stands Pyrrha watched on, her hands clasping one another in a vice-like death grip. Her knuckles were white and the tendons stood out in high relief to the smooth skin around them. Both of her hands trembled slightly in trepidation. All of both hers and Jaune's hard work was being put to the test and in all honesty she didn't have a clue who would win.
On one hand her heart cried out in support of her leader, the blonde warrior she had taught and moulded from the early days of their time at Beacon. Under her instruction he had come along in leaps and bounds, but whether it would be enough or not she had no idea. At the moment it appeared to her that the match might go either way.
To the left of the champion was sat Ruby. The little rose was watching the match with single-minded interest, seemingly loathe to take her eyes off of the proceedings and wanting to witness every single move. To Pyrrha it was clear just who Ruby was rooting for, in the adorable young leader's eyes was a burning passion as she silently willed her friend on and towards what she deemed to be his inevitable victory.
The others seemed similarly interested, even Yang had ceased making her jokes and chosen to watch the match. Each and every one of them was curious to see just how well the knight would hold up under pressure. Whether he would crack or hold fast against Cardin's assault. In the end his victory didn't truly matter provided that he show some improvement compared to the beginning of the year and there was no doubts that he had. His attacks had become measured and co-ordinated rather than the angry flailing he had started off with.
"He's doing rather well so far..." Weiss muttered, loud enough for those around her to hear.
"Twenty Lien on Vomit-boy to win." Yang answered. Without taking their eyes off the match, they both reached into their pockets and retrieved their cash. Handing it over to Blake they watched on.
'Come on Jaune, there have been times where you've given even me a run for my money. Cardin shouldn't be too difficult. You can do it.' Pyrrha cheered him on internally.
Jaune growled in frustration as time after time he failed to elicit any real attacks from the mace-wielder. It was getting ridiculous. Cardin was seemingly holding back and acting only out of defence to either counter or entirely block Jaune's attacks, even as Jaune only made minor attacks to pick away at his aura reserves. Neither student willing to commit to and all out attack, Jaune knew it couldn't last, something had to give.
The two continued on for sometime, exchanging a series of blows in light skirmishes. A cut or two here and there and a series of nasty bruises. The two fighters equally matched as Jaune sought to goad the bigger boy into swinging his devastating weapon in earnest so he could throw his plan into action.
Jaune checked his scroll for their aura levels, remembering Goodwitch's advice from one of her very first lessons. His reserves were floating around the half-full mark, much the same as Cardin's. What he lacked in aura reserves, he more than made up for in hard hitting attacks, for every one of his that landed it would take Jaune three or four to even the odds out again.
In the end it was the knight who caved first, he raised his shield and charged with a battle-cry. Jaune charged forward and before he could get close enough to strike Cardin's eyes lit up and he swung his mace down. It was just as Jaune had anticipated. He raised his shield and angled it to deflect the blow.
Sparks flew out and away from the blades of his mace as it skittered down across the face of his shield. The impact jarred his arm and drove the lip of his shield straight into his shoulder numbing his whole arm. It wasn't anything serious but it would leave one hell of a bruise the next day.
Jaune waited for his opponent to finish his strike before flying into action, his body a blur of movement as he span around and raised his shield. With a grunt and a feral grin he drove the bottom edge directly into Cardin's wrist. The bones cried out in a loud and sickening snap as his wrist was broken. The leader of team CRDL's face blanched white with pain, it seemed as though he was doing all he could to suppress a cry of agony.
Following up from his disarming manoeuvre the knight charged again and slammed the steel wall of his shield against Cardin's breast plate knocking him back and off of his feet. Before he even fully knew what he was doing he leapt forward and rested the tip of his sword of Cardin's collar-bone, panting heavily.
"And match!" Goodwitch called out stepping into the ring once again. Jaune heaved a hefty sigh of relief as he sheathed his sword once again, having achieved his fill of battle. He swayed on his feet as the adrenaline wore off and his fatigue set in. Cardin climbed to his feet, aura glowing purple around him as he began to repair his wrist.
"Not bad Jauney-boy... Next time won't be so easy." He said with what appeared to be a genuine smile. He presented his hand for Jaune to shake. With great effort he reached out and gave him a firm handshake, or at least as firm as he could manage.
The two were led off towards the side of the arena and the opposite stands to the other students for their post-match debriefing. Goodwitch looked at them in turn, scrutinizing them from the very tip of their heads down to their toes. To Jaune it felt as though her eyes lingered on him for an eternity, perhaps in disbelief yet perhaps not.
"Congratulations Mr Arc on your victory, I will be the first to admit my surprise. You fought very well and at a marked improvement to your efforts during initiation and your first combat classes. You managed your aura well and formulated a successful strategy to then go on to best your opponent." She nodded approvingly before turning to Cardin. "Mr Winchester, you fought well but allowed yourself to be lured into a trap which was ultimately your downfall. You presented Jaune with an opportunity to deal serious damage and disarm you. I would advise that you take the time to think your attacks through as well as the possible ramifications. It is not an easy skill to apply in the midst of battle, yet it is an incredibly valuable one should you learn it. Please take your seats in the stands whilst we carry out the remainder of the examinations."
Both students nodded their acknowledgement and made their way up the steps into the seats of the unoccupied stands. Jaune took his seat and relaxed into it as best he could, ending up somewhere between a slouch and vague sitting position. He groaned to himself as minute by minute, pain bubbled up from the various deep-tissue bruises all over his body, each one throbbing discordantly with the others.
Pyrrha watched the concluding moments of the match with bated breath. Watching the slower paced movements of the two fighters as they tested one another's defences had made her want to cry out in frustration.
The champion had to fight to bite back a squeal of excitement when Jaune had made his move, she like many of the crowd around her had muffled a groan at the sound of Cardin's wrist breaking. Their looks of horror and disgust were soon replaced by those of surprise as the first year student body stared agape in pure disbelief. Weiss grumbled to herself as she watched Yang claim her winnings with a smirk on her face.
Pyrrha's heart bloomed with pride at seeing her partner win his first sparring match, in many ways it marked the end of an era. No longer did he truly need her training. He could now hold his own, a part of her lamented the cutting of the apron strings she had wrapped around the blonde leader, whilst another felt nothing but Joy and pride in him, knowing that she had played a key part in his development into this modern and capable Jaune.
"I-I knew he was gonna win..." Ruby whispered to herself with a subtle smile, Something grew within Pyrrha, something she had never felt before. Jealousy. Lately she had found herself feeling almost contempt for the little Rose whenever she saw him getting close to Jaune. The champion realised it was likely paranoia on her part and yet the feeling was always there. Despite knowing that Jaune would never hurt her.
She decided to ignore those feelings for the time being and simply be there for her partner, today was his day, his greatest success to date and he had done it all under his own steam. Sure she had given him a little guidance here and there but overall it had been his hard work and tireless devotion to his goals that had driven him forward.
Her thoughts were shelved however when it came to be her turn to fight. She pushed them to the back of her mind and took steadying breaths to calm her nerves before she too made her way down to the centre of the fighting ground. Scars from the previous bouts showed on the scorched, cracked and gouged stone floor. Across from her stood Yang, confident looking as ever. The calm of battle came over her as Yang charged forward, Ember Celica's muzzles roaring as they spat shell after shell directly at the champion, the fight had begun.
The first year fights wore on for several hours until the sun outside had set. When at last the final pair finished their match and the ringing of steel fell silent, the gathered students were dismissed. Jaune, his team and RWBY slowly made their way towards the residential block, glad to have finally finished their exams. The stresses and trials of the past few weeks had at long last come to a close. They now had a few weeks before their results day, the one black cloud looming on their horizon.
Yet for all that, Jaune felt confident in himself for what may have been the first time in several years, since he left his home all those months ago and been thrust into a world of warriors and monsters the likes of which he couldn't have even dreamed of.
Pyrrha joined him, entwining their arms and resting her head on his shoulder as they walked. He smiled, resting his head against hers and puffing his chest out like an overly proud rooster. He thought back to the beginning of the year and all of the help his friends had given him, especially his partner.
"You did remarkably well Jaune. You should be proud." She whispered smiling warmly up at him, seemingly having read his thoughts.
"I couldn't have done it without you Pyrrha... If I hadn't had such an amazing partner I'd have been kicked out long ago. I owe my successes to your tireless efforts and support. Even my Mom might have some rivalry for top cheerleader spot."
"I'm not so sure about that Jaune!" She giggled, a soft blush her melodic laugh sending chills through him. "I think she will always hold that title."
"Maybe you're right." He nodded giving her a playful squeeze and a kiss on her cheek.
"And as for your progress, that was all you. I just gave you a bit of a shove in the right direction."
"Don't I know it..." He grinned.
"Hey! Lovebirds!" Yang's voice pulled them both out of their own little world. "We're all gonna head into town tomorrow and hang out for the first day of the holidays, you guys wanna come to? I know Rubes would love it if Vomit-boy here came along." She said with a grin.
"Yang!" Ruby whined, her face turning almost as red as her hood.
"What? Everyone knows you have a crush on Jaune." The brawler laughed. Ruby punched her sister, quite hard if the sound was any indication, and zipped off to join Weiss.
Jaune felt Pyrrha's grip tighten around his arm and gave her a reassuring squeeze before answering an affirmative to his fellow blonde's proposition. She nodded in response and turned to walk on with the others. It surprised the knight to see just how far behind the others they had fallen and yet they made no effort to catch up to them. They were simply happy to be together walking back to the dorm under the stars. Two lovers, alone to themselves with the whole summer ahead of them.
Ok. not going to lie, definitely not my best work. I hope you enjoyed it even if it was only a little. I'm not sure when the next chapter will come out to be honest, I've got all my exams coming up soon and I'm celebrating my 18th birthday so things are going to be pretty hectic for a while. I want to thank you all for your patience. In the meantime, if you're looking for another fic to read I'd like to point you towards my secondary fic (a much more well written piece by all accounts. And the plot I hope will blow you away.)
As always please do favourite and follow. Any reviews you can leave will be greatly appreciated. Thank you all and I'll see you all in the next chapter.