Chapter 6:
Nora emerged out of the bathroom. Washing Ren's puke bucket wasn't easy, but someone had to do it.
For a while now though, he hadn't been making a commotion. Sure, he had groaned and coughed and thrown up, but it seemed the Melpox wasn't getting worse.
"You think they believe me?" Nora asked the sleeping Ren. "You really think they did?"
Ren didn't answer. How could he? He was still sick.
Nora huffed. "I know Ren. You'll probably say it was a hell of joke. But then again, you'd never doubt me right?"
"I still remember the first time we fought Beowolves." Nora giggled. "They were soooo big, but we were soooo small. And there were dozens of them."
"But in the end, they were no match." Nora smiled. "That's because we promised to have each other's back. Didn't we?"
Ren's eyes slowly opened. Nora blinked as she stared back.
"We sure did didn't we?" Ren said weakly. "Though Nora, I think the first Grimm we took out were Ursi."
Nora blinked again. "Ursi and Beowolves! How could I forget?"
Ren closed his eyes, shaking his head. No matter what, even if it seemed like Nora never listened, it never seemed to matter. She would always be that little bit of golden sunshine in everyone's life, lighting up even the darkest moments.
He could already hear Nora faintly singing in the background.
Don't you worry about the dark, I will light up the night with the love in my heart
I will burn like the sun, I will keep you safe and warm.
Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day, I will be there to take all your fears away
With the touch of my hand I will turn your life to...
The tune was completely off and Nora couldn't even hit the high notes. But Ren didn't really care.
Whether it was in combat or in her out of this world ideas, Ren couldn't imagine what life would be like without her. Nothing was ever dreary and boring as long as she was around, although it did include a fair bit of outrageous antics. But that was what was the most beautiful about her. And when anyone saw something that beautiful, would they let go?
Something beeped. Nora ran over to her scroll and opened up the messages. "Ren! It's wonderful!" She exclaimed with a wide, gleaming smile. "They've returned! And they have the ingredients for Melpox cure!"
Ren smiled. Yup. As bright as gold...
"Jaune..." Pyrrha frowned. "I'll be fine. You on the other hand..."
"Don't sweat it Pyrrha." Jaune grinned. "I can manage."
"That Ursa gave you a bruise on your leg." Pyrrha said, looking at his injured arm. "Even with your Aura, it's going to take a lot to heal it."
Jaune winced as the pain in his leg acted up again. Just as he stabbed his sword through the Ursa's heart, it had managed to strike him in his left leg, leaving a horrible bruise. It was no issue save for the fact that he wouldn't be walking properly for a while now.
"But your arm is in no condition to do anything!" Jaune replied. Pyyrha had pulled a muscle, and her arm's been limp for over thirty minutes now. Even if she could walk on her own, no way was she supporting Jaune completely.
"Well," Pyrrha sighed. "I was thinking you could just put your arm over my shoulders."
Jaune looked at her. True, the pain in his leg was starting to get worse. Maybe it was more than a bruise. It could have been a minor fracture for all he knew. And with Pyrrha being Pyrrha, she was probably going to scold him senseless for being too guilty about her injured arm.
"Alright then." Jaune said. "It really is starting to get bad..."
Pyrrha walked over, placing his arm over her shoulders. Jaune couldn't help but blush slightly as she came in close. He looked away, hoping that she wouldn't notice. Still, he spared a glance down at her face. To his utter surprise, she didn't meet his eyes. Instead, her cheeks were also flushed slightly red.
"L-let's go see how the others are doing." She stammered slightly. Jaune instantly realized one thing, and it was possible that she felt it too.
He was in love with his teammate.
"Right..." He replied. His mind was racing. How would he tell her? Could he do it now?
"Helloooo!" Came a cheery voice.
Jaune and Pyrrha looked up to see Yang with a bag squirming full of blue spotted Congall eels. "I see you two have gotten the mushroom!"
Jaune and Pyrrha glanced at the Rhotian mushroom in his hands. "Oh yeah." Jaune nodded. "It was tough though. I got hit by an Ursa..." At this, he gestured to his leg. "Pyrrha had sprained her arm, so there wasn't another option."
"Oooh." Yang's eyebrows rose. "I think the mushroom wasn't the only thing you guys found."
Jaune and Pyrrha looked at each other and finally blushed.
"I-it's not what you think!" Jaune waved his hand. "My leg just hurts a lot! Really!"
"Yeah right..." Yang snorted. "Let me know when the wedding's gonna take place okay?"
"Yang!" The both of them groaned. Then Pyrrha glanced around.
"Hey, where's Blake?" She asked.
Yang froze. "Uh..."
Suddenly, a violent groan was hurt, before a sound came over like someone had violently spat out something followed by a strange slishy-slosh.
"What was that?" Jaune asked, his face turning into a grimace.
"Yeah..." Yang scratched her head, looking sheepish. "See, we found a butt-load of those eels. Including the one that ended up in Blake's stomach."
"She ate one?!" Pyrrha and Jaune exclaimed.
"Well, for a while, she did resemble a kitty having a good meal." Yang chuckled. "And then she started throwing up..."
"And you didn't bother helping her?" Pyrrha snarled.
"Hey c'mon!" Yang held her hands up in defense. "You have to give me credit! I tried to retch it out of her first!"
"How?" Jaune asked as another vomiting fit hit the Faunus girl.
Yang glanced at the two of them and then back to Blake, who appeared to be hunched over some bushes. Not bothering to answer, Yang hurried back to her partner.
"Well..." Pyrrha said, eyes still wide in shock. "I suppose it could have been worse..."
"No kidding..." Came a familiar voice.
Pyrrha and Jaune turned and saw Weiss supporting Ruby's arm over her shoulders.
"And what happened to you two?" Jaune was almost afraid to ask.
"We had to run from an Ursa major." Weiss recounted their events in Forever Fall. "But then we got chased by a Death Stalker instead. A really big one."
"But we knod the stuffang out of it..." Ruby smiled. Although a smile from the red-cloaked girl was always reassuring, Jaune knew this was anything but.
Ruby was flushed red, her eyes half open and her nose runny. She was speaking with a slurred voice and every now and then, she coughed violently.
Weiss groaned. "We got the pollen of those flowers alright. Though Ruby might have inhaled a smidge of it."
Jaune frowned. "A smidge?"
Weiss blinked. "Okay, she inhaled quite a lot. And she's been like this ever since..." As if on cue, Ruby sniffled, bring up one hand to wipe her nose.
Weiss shook her head. "Please tell me all this was at least worth it..."