A Leaf Turned

Chapter 8
Sappy Endings

"Nora, No!"

Sluuuuurp.

Another explosive sigh. "Nora, stop doing that."

Adam was fairly sure he'd never heard the usually impassive Lie Ren sound so otherwise annoyed, even as the Hammer wielding member of JNPR slurped down another full jar of Forever Fall tree sap. Raw, straight from the tree.

Whole. Jars. Worth. All slurped down into the abyss that was Nora Valkyries' stomach.

"But it's so goooood!" Nora whined when Ren took the jar from her hands with a miffed glare that warned her not to take more of the sap from the jar collection. He'd already had to refill that same jar twice by Adams' count.

"…Do you think she knows that the sap has slight hallucinogenic properties when ingested without being properly processed?" Weiss asked, holding her own tree sap jar well out of sight of Nora.

"Probably not." Adam deadpanned from beside her, his own jar filled and held in his right arm while Wilt and Blush were held in his left hand.

When Nora pointed to a rock and yelled, "Ren! Look! Real sloths! And they're riding turtles!" with the excitement to match any child, all of team RWBY blinked.

"But I think she's learning." The bull Faunus immediately added onto his previous statement while Nora ran off to try and capture the "congo line of sloths who ride turtles" with Ren in exasperated tow. "…I almost pity him."

"Yeah," Yang agreed, suddenly beside him along with Ruby. Their own jars having been filled as well it seemed. "Poor guy."

"You think they're an Item?" Weiss wondered.

"Does it matter?" Adam retorted, both to spite the Schnee and to actually confirm if it did.

"No, not really," Yang shrugged. "It's just… They're always together, it has to at least make you curious, right?" She glanced to her fellows for their thoughts.

"…Again, does that really matter if they are? How is it any of our business?" The red haired Faunus asked again. "They could be, or they simply have a very close friendship. Either way, it doesn't directly involve us so should we really discuss this?" Honestly, what were they? School girl-

Oh, right. He sighed.

"Well, I mean, what's a little gossip?" Yang grinned, even Weiss seemed to agree, so long as it wasn't harmful.

It was Ruby who supported him. "He's right, it really isn't our business if they are or not! We should just focus on our own things! Like handing these in to miss Goodwitch!" She announced, holding up the jar that she had filled. It seemed all of RWBY had filled their jars. However, Adam had other obligations at the moment.

"You all go on ahead." RWBYs' redheaded swordsman said with a wave. "I'm going to find Pyrrha and Jaune. Check on them." He explained.

"Right!" Ruby nodded, smiling. "Tell them to hurry!"

Adam nodded and turned to head into the forest. He already knew where Jaune and Pyrrha would be of course, since they'd planned this ahead when they heard about the trip to Forever Fall. So he proceeded towards the meeting point while thinking about his own addition to the plan to ensure Arc had at least a bit more training under his belt, since he knew Pyrrha was also giving Jaune some training sessions between he and Adams'. It would be a good idea to pace the poor boy to be sure.

But Adam didn't believe in pacing when it came to life or death.

He found them in the smaller clearing, she and Jaune were waiting. Pyrrha looking a little vindictive since the way he'd acquired Jaunes' "apprenticeship" was rather dirty but he merely nodded to her in greeting before looking at said blonde, who snapped to attention upon said look when Adam had made it clear he expected it. "Jaune. Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." The blonde muttered, no doubt still bruised from the other nights' training session that they had on the roof, since they didn't bother going to the Emerald Forest due to this trip. "So, what's it today?"

Adam smiled and he saw them both tense at the curling of those lips. "Today, Jaune, you're going to get a crash course on fighting while outnumbered."

"…What?" Jaune blinked, looking between him and Pyrrha. "Wait, you two?!"

"Haha, no, we'd destroy you." Adam deadpanned without an ounce of humor. Jaune winced and Pyrrha outright scowled, but didn't dispute this little statement. "No, I've taken the liberty of getting some… Assistants."

The bull Faunus closed his eyes and concentrated, focusing on various negative thoughts and memories, anger and disappointment, sadness and rejection all bubbled to the foremost of his thoughts as he dug within his experiences to then. His aura focused… and then he grunted, sending out a small pulse of that negativity.

He opened his eyes and Pyrrha looked at him like he'd gone insane. "Why did you do that?!" She demanded, aghast.

"What did he do?" Jaune looked concerned now, absently raising his weapons.

Adam took this time to explain. "I focused my negativity into my aura and sent out a wide pulse, it's a useful technique for luring Grimm to your location. And the more negative the emotions, the more Grimm will react and home in on your position." That dark smirk returned. "And I'm a very negative person."

"We don't know what Grimm could be attracted! You've put us in serious dang-" Pyrrha stopped when the howl of a Beowulf echoed across the forest. Making the pair of students paused while Adam just chuckled. "How can you be laughing?!"

"Easily." Adam stepped back and glanced around, staying silent. "Wolves, simple enough opponents. Nikos, we are not to interfere with this. Jaune is going to fight and kill these wolves himself."

Jaune looked horrified and Pyrrha was torn between that same horror and pure anger. "He's not that far along yet! He can't do this!"

"He'll have to learn."

"He could die!"

"We all could die. But he certainly will before any of us if he doesn't learn to fight for survival."

"I won't allow it."

"I'm not asking."

Pyrrha was about to speak again when the wolves burst from the treeline, attracted by the burst of negativity that Adam had unleashed. She reached for Milo and Akuo… But that was when Adams' arm circled her waist as he was suddenly at her side, before she could think to move he lifted her along and jumped up into a tree, where he pinned her by the shoulder against the trunk.

She glared into his eyes… and was rendered speechless by what she saw in them.

In those crimson she saw so much hurt and rage, such focused hate and judgement that she was frozen under their intensity. Almost if a physical weight was being pressed down onto her body as those vivid emotions swirled into the red pools. But for all that inner chaos it was so contained, so fine tuned that it was like a blade ready to strike.

Pyrrha Nikos glimpsed into the soul of Adam Taurus and she was terrified.

"What are you?" She whispered.

Adam didn't seem phased, in fact that was unsurprising. He was so filled with chaos that he probably didn't react to anything on the surface. He was as cold as ice. "Keep a secret?" He whispered right back. "I'm a monster now trying to make up for monstrous acts. Because someone whom I love made me see that I don't have to be the monster."

That explanation given, Adam released her and stepped back, turning to the clearing where the wolves began to circle Jaune, who stood with his shield and sword raised. Adam crossed his arms over his chest and stared, narrowing his eyes. "Now, Jaune. It's time you learned that fighting for your life can show yourself things that you'd never think possible."

The amazon pushed away from the tree… and hesitantly stood next to the bull. "He should help him." She sounded more reserved now, still rather shaken by the things she'd seen in Adams' eyes.

"This has to be his fight. If we help, he will never learn,"

"…Did you learn this way?"

Adam actually grinned, but it was anything by amused. "No. My training was worse."

Before their conversation could continue the Beowulves lunged at the blonde and the fight was truly underway.

Jaune couldn't believe what was happening! One moment Adam was going to train him, the next he and Pyrrha were arguing over something about Grimm attracting and then Adam had stolen Pyrrha before he could even call for her and now he was surrounded by a pack of seven, no, wait. Eight!? Eight Beowulves!

And they looked very hungry!

"Pyrrha! Adam!" Jaune called once more… Before that set off the wolves and the first two lunged for him, roaring their hunger.

Jaune did the first thing he learned to do after training a few days with Adam. He rolled to dodge! Curling his body and all but throwing himself to the side as those claws scantly missed his side as the beasts continued, he barely got to his feet when another snapped at him with its jaws and damn well nearly took his face off if he hadn't staggered back and fallen onto his backside with a grunt.

The snappy wolf snarled and swung it's clawed hand out and Jaune raised his shield to barely defend, the claws scraping across the metal of his family crest with a show of sparks… before he was flung backwards from the force of the blow itself. He groaned and caught a shadow over him before he rolled as fast as he could before the wolf pinned and mauled him.

He got to his feet and glanced left, wolves. Right? Wolves. Everywhere was wolves and no sign of Adam or Pyrrha.

He was on his own. For real. Against Grimm.

I'm so dead! He thought, yelling in fear as he stepped back and almost lost his footing to fall again, but catching himself and raising his shield to take another strike from those lethal intended claws. He could feel his blood pumping with fear and adrenaline. Jaune gasped and rolled again as another wolf snapped at his side, narrowly avoiding those deadly jaws. I'm going to die here!

"Fight!" Adams' voice echoed out. "Fight to survive, Arc! Or die like a novice!"

Jaune actually hissed. "Easier said than done!" Before raising his sword as another wolf jumped at him. It was a high jump… And Jaune fell back, letting that wolf fly over him, before he swung his blade and cut across its' stomach with a spray of crimson as the blade of Crocea Mors pierced flesh like butter and severed the beowulves' waist in two.

Its halves hit the ground and began to form black mist. The blonde got back to his feet and felt his heart going a mile a minute as he stared at his kill. He'd always had Pyrrha or Adam weaken the Grimm he fought, normally by cutting off a leg or an arm. But he'd never really fought a full Grimm before.

He was about to feel proud. But then he was cut across the side and were it not for his aura he'd have been shredded badly! He groaned, rolling onto his back and as the wolf leaned down to take him into it's jaws he thrust his arm forward and spear the point of his sword through the roof of its' mouth and out the back of its head.

It gurgled once then went slack, collapsing to the side and allowing the Arc to get back up. He shouted a war cry and moved to try this offence thing!

Jaune Arc became a whirlwind of slashing, shielding and rolling in such a manner that anyone who played Dust Souls would be proud for his use of rolling and shielding at the right moments.

Adam and Pyrrha approached Jaune, who was laying on the grass, panting like he'd run all the marathons and around him were the scattered dissolving remains of the Grimm he'd slain. It had been a tough fifteen minutes but the Arc has slew them all of his own power, well… Mostly, it was just a drawn out dance of dodge, slash, dodge and rinsing and repeating until success.

Not all that fun to watch but it worked.

"You alive, Arc?" Adam said from above the panting boy.

"Screw… You." Jaune panted out, cracking his eyes open and glaring at Adam, before looking to Pyrrha who kneeled down and began to help him up. "I could've died!"

"But you didn't." Adam wasn't the least bit sorry for what he'd done and he made it obvious with the shrug he offered the Arc. "You instead fought and won. I'd say that's a mile stone in itself. If a little slow and sloppy." At the glare from Arc and Nikos, he added. "Don't look at me like that. I'm only speaking the truth."

Pyrrha would provide the comforting support, Adam would bring the pain. This was a good system, the bull decided.

"Now, get up. We've got ten minutes to return to Goodwitch, so, get up and lets' go." Adam instructed, and with some aid the blonde rose to his feet, albeit a little shakily.

Together, they made their way back towards the others. Adam satisfied for the moment, Pyrrha in thoughtful silence and Jaune aching… But prideful.

Adam couldn't wait to break that pride down with more training.

Adam was just getting settled into his bed for the night, the sounds of his teammates undressing and dressing into their sleepwear filtered into his ears, his beds' curtains were drawn and he was typing away at his scroll, already in his own sleep wear and Wilt and Blush laying beside him on the bed while he sent his message to Blake explaining the days events.

Message sent, he sighed and laid back.

"And we're decent." Weiss announced, though Adam still didn't open the curtains. "Now! While you were off fetching Jaune and Pyrrha."

He just hated the way she used Fetch, like he was some kind of damn pet for her entertainment. But he merely inhaled.

"We decided that we'll be headed down to the docks come the chance to catch the newest arrivals from the other kingdoms."

And there it was, Schnees' plan to scope out the competition. He rolled his eyes. "And let me guess, I can't miss this?"

"We're going as a team! So nope!" Ruby poked her head between the curtains with a grin as she practically shoved her face into his. He blinked. She blinked.

"…Personal space Ruby."

"Will you come with us?~"

"…Will that get me my personal space bubble back?"

"Yup!"

Adam sighed and nodded. "Fine then." And she was gone as quick as she came! He rolled his eyes again and pulled his curtains closed before laying back down and getting comfortable for the night. "When are we going?"

"When my contact gets back to us!" Weiss announced, yawning. "Before then, we wait, patient."

"Sounds boring." Yang and Adam deadpanned.

"You both are so carefree! Don't you feel the need to know even a bit about our possible competition for the Vytal Tournament?" Weiss asked them, sounding exasperated.

"Not really." Came the two partner again, though from the slight twitch of their lips they were dong it now just to annoy the heiress.

It was better because it was working if Weiss' huffs were anything to go by.

"Night, everyone!" Their leader spoke, silencing any further arguments before they could escalate. Chuckling slightly, Adam rolled and watched as his scroll pinged.

He opened the message from Yang and smirked when he saw the simple ;) she sent him. He quickly typed that he had no idea what she meant, heard a giggle above him and then he laid down, Wilt and blush in hand before he began to allow himself to drift off with his teammates around him.

End of chapter 7

There's another chapter done and with it, I shall perform a small timeskip and soon, we can see Adam deal with Weiss' prejudice and the revelation that took literally no fan by surprise! How will that go down? Will Jaune become stronger? Does Pyrrha need more soul scarring looks into Adams' eyes? Find out next time on A Leaf Turned!