Wow, one chapter and nearly 50 comments. Reading them, I'm glad the first chapter was able to deliver the punch I envisioned. As many of you pointed out, most of the reveal transcript stories had everyone bashing Jaune. I always felt that was way out of character. I wanted something more realistic that, while doesn't have the same initial impact to Jaune, leads to a lot of problems down the road. There's some foreshadowing in this chapter, especially near the end, about what kind of problems those might be. I was able to focus a bit on the other characters too and how they react. I expect chapter 3 to be when Jaune and Ruby finally leave Beacon.
While writing the deep emotional scenes is interesting, I'm sure everyone wants to get into the adventure. Otherwise, this would be Romance and Drama tags. (Sadly, I can only list maximum of two.)
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
It took a while for Ruby to return to her dorm. She had continued talking with Jaune long after the sun had set until she was sure he felt better. It wasn't until her friend told her he was going to turn in the application that she had finally parted ways. Of course, Ruby didn't immediately return to her dorm. Unknown to Jaune, her plan had fully formed during their talk. Taking a copy of the application she brought with her Scroll, Ruby rushed to Ozpin's office and submitted her form.
It actually hadn't taken much effort to convince the headmaster.
"I wonder why he agreed so easily," Ruby muttered to no one in particular as she returned to her dorm. "If this program was kept secret, shouldn't it be a bit harder to get in?" Humming to herself, it was probably a good thing it wasn't. "Jaune's going to be so surprised, but everyone needs someone to believe in them."
"Well?"
The second Ruby stepped back into her dorm, Weiss's voice immediately penetrated her thoughts. Ruby took a moment to realize what she was asking, as her mind had been preoccupied with everything that happened. It was late, and despite everyone being dressed in their pajamas, they were all looking wide awake. Their eagerness to get information seemed to fuel them for the night.
"Well, what?" Ruby asked in response, buying herself time.
"You know what!" Weiss snapped, her eyes narrowing. "Did you find out if Arc was expelled?"
"He wasn't expelled." Ruby shook her head.
"See, Weiss?" Yang laughed. "Told you the rumor wasn't true."
"Hang on…" Weiss frowned and glared at Ruby, who was sweating under her partner's glare. She knew something was up by the way Ruby replied. "Ruby… did Arc forge his transcripts."
Ruby remained silent, sweating even more.
"Ruby?" Yang sat up. "Did he?"
Silver eyes darted to each of her teammates in turn, from Weiss's cold eyes, then to Yang's suspicious lilac eyes, to Blake's curious amber eyes. Ruby had asked Jaune if she could tell her team since they knew about the rumors. He had agreed but asked that she kept some of the details private. Ruby knew how strong their friendship was because Jaune still trusted her.
"He… did…" Ruby's voice was squeaked out.
The room went quiet as her team processed this information.
"I KNEW IT!"
Weiss' anger was expected.
"Ever since I met him, I knew he didn't belong!" The heiress continued to fume. "His combat skills were abysmal, he didn't know any basic information, and I'm surprised he even has a weapon that isn't made of paper mache..." Her eyes widened as she realized something else. "And what do you mean he wasn't expelled?! He admitted he cheated his way in!"
"Calm down, Ice Queen, and let Ruby explain!" Yang cut her off as she jumped off her bunk. "Ruby? Can you elaborate for us before Weiss has a stroke?"
"Jaune passed initiation," Ruby explained simply. "According to Ozpin, that's all that matters to be a student. Transcripts are only a tool to figure out who might be good students."
"That makes sense," Blake admitted. "There are other ways to get into Beacon besides going to a combat school. Some people train outside Vale and have to pass some extra combat tests before being allowed in to get evaluated."
"How do you know?" Yang asked surprised, rounding on her partner.
"It's all in the Beacon application if you read through it all." Blake replied, her voice sounding completely monotone. Yang stared at her partner for a little longer, trying to decide if she was hiding something, before turning back to Ruby.
"So Vomit Boy really forged his way in?"
"Yeah… he admitted he did." Ruby repeated, rubbing her foot on the floor.
"Dang… I'm going to have to reevaluate him," Yang muttered, crossing her arms. "Didn't think that goodie-two-shoes had it in him. I'm impressed. How did he get it by Goodwitch?"
"You're all missing the point!" Weiss stomped her foot furiously. "Arc cheated his way into Beacon. A combat school! Skipping over it being illegal, it's also completely irresponsible. He quite literally has zero skill! If he wasn't paired with Pyrrha who could cover him with her skill, things could have been bad. What if he was paired with someone else who couldn't cover him? What if he got paired with Ruby and she got hurt because she had to protect him!"
That wiped the grin from Yang's face.
"Didn't think of it like that…" The blonde suddenly looked pacified.
Ruby's eyes narrowed slightly as Yang suddenly changed her tone just because she was involved. Blake noticed this subtle change in expression and frowned. There was something there.
"Of course you didn't," Weiss sighed. "Apparently neither did Arc. He was lucky that his lack of talent didn't lead to his or someone else's death. Letting him stay is simply rewarding his selfishness. It shouldn't be tolerated."
"He's been working hard to improve himself!" Ruby defended loudly.
"He should have trained before and not after the fact!" Weiss snapped back. "Everyone can mean well but it doesn't change the fact that Arc put himself and others in danger. The end doesn't justify the means!"
"She has a point, Ruby." Yang relented. "Who knows how different things would be if he was your partner at initiation…"
"We would've been fine regardless!" Ruby huffed, crossing her arms. "Once he trusted me enough to tell me his secret, I would have helped him improve. You're only supporting Weiss because she mentioned me. I keep telling you to stop babying me! I hate that!" Yang looked like she had been slapped. "We can't all have our dads buy us fancy tutors to be the best so some of us have to work on our own."
It was Weiss' turn to look like she got slapped. Blake sunk back and remained quiet to avoid being drawn into the brewing storm. She wasn't sure what to say to defuse the situation anyways. They hadn't known each other that long, but they got along fine up to now. Some of what Ruby did point out was obvious though. Finally, Weiss seemed to find her words as her face flushed.
"I worked my butt off to get to where I am! How dare you imply otherwise. I didn't slack off my entire life playing video games, eating junk food, and just goofing around like a slacker. He could have gone to a combat school before coming here if he really wanted to be a Huntsman!"
"What do you know about that?!"
Weiss froze as Ruby spoke up. Even Yang and Blake stiffened at the anger in their young leader's voice.
"You don't know anything about him!" Ruby continued, her face red as she finally grew tired of Weiss consistently insulting her friend. "He's always been nice to you, no matter how you treat him. He knows his skills need work and he's been trying his best to make sure what you said doesn't happen!"
"Ruby…" Yang raised a hand to try to interrupt, but Ruby wasn't done.
"You never got to know him!" Ruby continued as all the frustration she had within her came pouring out. "Weiss, you just insult him. Yang, you just make fun of him. Neither of you actually got to know him. About his life back home. About having someone actually believe in him! His parents didn't want him to be a Huntsman and held him back, so he had to do everything on his own-…"
Her hand slammed over her mouth as her mind processed what she just revealed. A little too much was revealed in that spew of anger. Jaune never forbade her to speak of his family back home. All he asked was to keep the Hunter Apprenticeship Application a secret from most of the school until he told his team that night. Preferably after he left, but he allowed her to tell her team if she needed. He just didn't want others to hound him about it. Still, Jaune had confided that secret to her, and guilt was beginning to creep onto her because she did what Pyrrha did, even if it was an accident. It didn't matter if she was upset. That was something that should have never left her lips.
"I'm going to shower before bed," Ruby muttered, grabbing her towel while her eyes watered. "Bye." She slipped into the bathroom before the others could respond.
"What was that about?" Weiss asked incredulously toward Yang. "Sure, she's stressed because of Arc, but that outburst seemed a little out of character for her."
Yang didn't answer but gripped her left arm with her right hand as she bit her lower lip.
"Yang?" Blake watched her partner carefully. "It looks like you know something."
"I think I know why she acted that way," Yang muttered. "It's more than just concern for a friend."
"Can you tell us?" Blake asked. "If you can't because it's personal, we understand."
"I guess I can tell you since it's not really a secret…" Yang rubbed her arm a bit. "You know how Ruby and I live with our Dad in Patch, right?"
"You've told us that, yes." Weiss answered and Blake confirmed with a nod.
"Did you ever wonder why we've never mentioned our mom?"
Weiss and Blake glanced at each other. Now that Yang had mentioned it, neither of them had. Since it was never mentioned, they both never bothered to question it. Thinking about it now, the only conclusion the girls could come up with was that their mother wasn't a part of their lives.
"Yang… if this is too much…" Blake began to speak.
"No, it's something I came to terms with years ago," Yang assured her, holding up a hand. "Our mom, Summer Rose, died on a mission when both of us were very young." Weiss bit her lip at this news. "Ruby doesn't remember her except for some home movies. I still do. She was pretty much a Super Mom. Slayer of Grimm, baker of cookies… heh." Yang chuckled weakly. "Well, after she vanished, our dad sort of fell apart. I had to pick up the slack in raising Ruby. It's why, even now, I kind of baby her."
"It was rather strange," Weiss admitted. "You were more controlling than a normal elder sister."
"Thanks." Yang rolled her eyes. "I know I do that and I've been trying to step back. Her getting into Beacon was a surprise and I thought, 'Hey, this is a good chance for her to make new friends without me.' It sort of worked and she met Vomit Boy. Even if he cheated his way in, you can't deny that being friends with him helped boost her confidence."
"That doesn't explain why she exploded," Blake pointed out. "Ruby mentioned before she had friends back home, so it wasn't like Jaune was her only friend. Remember, Weiss, is her BFF." The shadow of a smirk formed on the dark-haired girl's lips.
"Ugh… she should never have said that." Weiss groaned.
"When we were kids, Ruby mentioned that she wanted to become a Huntress to follow in mom's footsteps," Yang explained dryly. "Dad… didn't like that. Neither did I if I'm being honest. Both of us discouraged her from becoming one. We saw too much of mom in her and neither of us could bear another loss like that."
"But… she's a great fighter!" Weiss spat. "You questioned her talent?"
"It's not talent, but hard work." Yang corrected her. "Since dad and I wouldn't help her become a Huntress, she turned to our Uncle." Yang had finally let out a smile. "Uncle Qrow was the one who taught her how to use a scythe. He believed in her when no one else would, and the only reason Ruby's here now is because of him. He was the one who convinced dad to let Ruby attend Signal Academy. Once I saw how hard Ruby was working to achieve her goal, I refused to hold her back. I started watching over her in other ways."
"I see…" Blake's chin rested in her hand. "I think I understand."
"You do?" Weiss rounded on her. "Then explain it."
"It was what she let slip," Blake explained. "About having someone believe in you. Ruby got this far because your Uncle believed in her or she might have never become a Huntress. She mentioned that Jaune's family didn't believe in him and he had to get this far on his own. Knowing how important it is to have someone help you, I think she sees herself in Jaune. No one else believed in him, so she took it upon herself to be the one who believes in him."
"T-That's… two completely different things!" Weiss protested. "One had an over-protective family and the other broke the law!"
"Don't be so childish, Weiss." Yang scolded, a little annoyed. "Grow up, unlike your breasts."
"Shut up!"
"I figured you would understand, Blake," Yang admitted, ignoring Weiss. "That was what I concluded after her outburst."
"So what are you going to do then?" Blake asked from her bed. "Think you should talk to Ruby?"
"I guess I should," Yang agreed. "I'll let her know I support her helping Vomit Boy out. I bet I'll even get roped in to assist now and then." Feeling a little better after her decision, she smacked her first into her palm. "I'll show him a real workout."
"Ugh." Weiss groaned. "You two can do whatever you want, but I can't forgive him. Every sacrifice all of us have made, all the training we've done over the years, the hard work and dedication we put in. By sneaking his way in, he's making a mockery of us. Regardless of his reasoning, he broke the law. People who break the law are scum."
"Yeah, we know." Yang didn't even bother trying to argue. "We've heard about how you feel about the White Fang thousands of times now."
Blake flinched, and if they had been paying attention, they might have noticed her bow twitch slightly.
"You should try to find out why people break the law before judging them," Blake told Weiss. "Not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouths."
"Can we argue about this tomorrow?" Weiss threw her hands up in the air. Stopping the fight she knew was coming. "I'm angry, not to mention exhausted."
"Sounds like your boyfriend didn't finish you off." Yang joked about, trying to lighten the mood a little bit. The awkward silence told her the joke didn't land well.
"Why must you be so vulgar?" Weiss went back to her bed as the other girls went to theirs.
For a little while, there was only the sound of the shower in the background.
"I was always curious as to why Ozpin made Ruby a leader," Yang whispered to Blake in the bunk bed below her. "Now I think I see why. Ruby has really grown a lot when I take a step back and actually look."
"She'll grow more if you don't baby her," Blake replied, smiling in the dark. "Let her make mistakes and let her learn from them, but be there if she needs help or advice. Being friends with Jaune has helped her learn about herself. You might not be aware, but they talk a lot about being leaders and the problems they have. Both of them prop each other up."
"Think they like each other?" Yang whispered amused. "If they do, I'll make sure he fears me. Not that I think he's a bad person, but Ruby could do better. Maybe if Vomit Boy actually learns to fight, I'll give them my blessing."
"We're going to be here for four years, so a lot can change."
"Not like Ruby's going anywhere," Yang muttered, laying down and relaxing. "Being at Beacon was a dream of hers. Doesn't seem like Vomit boy is leaving either. So I'll have to see what happens."
"You know, people can be friends without being attracted to each other." Blake reminded her.
"I've seen the books you read. We all know that's a load of bull. I bet you ship them."
Blake was glad the lights were off, as her face felt hot.
While things were working out for Team RWBY, Team JNPR's atmosphere was the exact opposite.
Before today, Pyrrha never considered Nora hating her like this. The ginger girl was curled up in her bed, deliberately looking in the opposite direction from Pyrrha's direction. Ren was sitting at his desk, constantly looking at the door. It was really late and Jaune still hadn't returned. Everyone was obviously worried, but none of them knew how to approach someone in this situation.
Obviously, Pyrrha couldn't speak to him, not after what she did. The anger and shock in Jaune's face still haunted her. The way he looked at her like she was a complete stranger. That hurt her way more than she thought it would. Of course, she expected him to hate her after what she did. Who wouldn't? She literally destroyed his dream because she wanted to keep him safe. If she had calmed down and did what Ren suggested, things wouldn't have turned out this way.
'How do I fix this?' Pyrrha thought, feeling complete despair while squeezing her pillow.. 'Ren was right and I should have talked to them, so I can't change the past. What can I do? I'm not used to feeling like this. So… powerless, unsure of what I should do.'Her arms tightened even more and the pillow was near to bursting. 'Think this through logically. First, I made a mistake and I need to apologize. Even if he doesn't forgive me, I need to do that. Maybe I can talk to Ozpin to prevent Jaune from being expelled?'
She wasn't sure what she could do to convince Ozpin though. Maybe she could use her fame to help Beacon, something akin to an advertisement or something? Doing things like that made her feel scummy, but it was part of the job. Pumpkin Peats was a big investor and she did several commercials for their cereal, even if it wasn't very good. Using it to help Jaune would at least bring a positive aspect to advertising. It was just now things were made even more complicated because Cardin found out about the fake transcripts and spread them around the school. Using her fame now might draw attention to her partner's illegal entry. It would have been easier if only she and Ozpin knew.
'Should I ask Ren for advice?'
Nora wouldn't talk to her, much less help her anytime soon. That only left the quietest member of their team. Slowly turning her head, as not to draw attention to herself, she eyed the boy. He was leaning over and whispering something to Nora, most likely trying to get her to calm down.
'If he does have an idea, I'll have to ask him without Nora in the room. She'll interrupt and distract us. Will he want to help me though? He was obviously disappointed by my decision, even if he understood why I did this.'
"Pyrrha?"
The champion jumped up, not expecting Ren to call her out at this moment.
"Y-Yes?"
"Jaune's not back so I'm going to go look for him," Ren explained. "If anything happens, I'll let you know."
"She probably doesn't care." Nora snorted from her bed.
"I d-do care!" Pyrrha cried out in protest.
"Like you cared about his secret and dreams?" Nora countered angrily.
Pyrrha opened her mouth but no words came out. They all got stuck in her throat. Those words hit her hard.
"Nora, enough!" Ren said firmly.
"But-…!"
"Stop, please," Ren interjected and Nora went quiet. "I know you're upset and feel what Pyrrha did was wrong, but right now, arguing isn't going to help. Do you think Jaune would want his team to argue like this?"
Nora slowly shook her head.
"Neither do I," Ren continued to assure her. "I'm going to find and talk to him about what happened. Please don't fight while I'm gone, okay?"
"Since you asked, Ren… okay?" Nora sat up and hugged her partner. "I won't fight with… her. When you find Jaune, make sure he knows I still want him to be our Fearless Leader. I won't accept anyone else."
"I promise." Ren agreed. He stood up and gave Pyrrha a brief nod before heading out.
Pyrrha watched those two and her heart hurt. It literally felt like someone was grabbing it. Ren and Nora had an ironclad trusting relationship between them. It was something she could have had. Something she truly wanted. To be close enough to someone to be able to share everything with. That opportunity was right within her grasp.
And she ruined it.
"How do I tell them?" Jaune muttered the star-filled sky. "I'm sure Ren will understand, but Nora's going to be upset."
"What will I understand?"
Jaune jumped into the air and spun around to see Ren walking up onto Beacon's roof.
"First Ruby and now you?" Jaune panted, a hand over his heart. "Is everyone in this school a ninja?"
"Pretty sure Nora and Yang failed their stealth lessons," Ren replied, sitting down. Jaune paused and sat down across from him. "Can we talk?"
"Yeah… we can," Jaune muttered, his throat dry. "You already know the rumors are true. Did you come here to learn why I did it?"
"If that's something you want to share then I will be willing to listen," Ren answered. "But if it's something you don't want to talk about, then I won't force you to tell me anything. We all have stuff in our past we don't like talking about."
"I'll give you the very short version of the story. Parents didn't want me to be a Huntsman but I wanted to anyway. Left my home with our family's weapon, got my hands on some fake transcripts, and… here I am."
There was a lot left out, but Ren didn't push further. Jaune was grateful for that. While Ren was almost like a brother, it had been difficult to share it with Ruby once. He didn't want to relive how his family didn't believe in him either.
"I see." Ren sat in silence, processing Jaune's words.
"Not going to berate me?" Jaune asked after the quiet got to him.
"Do you want me to?"
"Is this twenty questions?"
"Would it lighten the mood?"
Jaune couldn't stop himself from giving a short laugh.
"Seriously, I expected everyone to be upset with me," the blond admitted. "To hate me for cheating my way in."
"Some might," Ren admitted bluntly. "There are many people who train their entire lives and are still not able to get into Beacon. No offense, but I am a little surprised you managed to get in considering what happened."
"None taken," Jaune assured him. "I'm as shocked as you are."
"So is it true you've been expelled?"
"No."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
"Ozpin explained everything to me…" Jaune told Ren what happened back in Ozpin's office. "…so because of initiation, my transcripts don't actually matter."
"That makes a certain level of sense," Ren conceded. "Just because someone trains for years, that doesn't mean they are prepared for the trials of being a Huntsman."
"I definitely wasn't," Jaune agreed, looking out across Beacon's landscape. "There's a lot more than just attending classes."
"How do you think we should proceed then?" Ren asked. "After… what happened?"
Jaune remained silent and pulled his knees up to his chest.
"Nora is actually really worried about you," Ren continued since Jaune wasn't saying anything. "She doesn't want her leader to be expelled. Just because you're not the best fighter doesn't mean you aren't a good leader. She's actually… pretty upset with Pyrrha for informing Ozpin."
Jaune's head swiveled ever so slightly toward Ren.
"You already know Nora and I are orphans, so we've been together for a long time," Ren explained, noticing Jaune's interest. "Her bubbly personality… is her way of coping. It makes people laugh and helps prevent them from dwelling on the negatives. Some may find her annoying, but she really grows on you." He looked over at Jaune. "You accepted her, quirks and all. That's something I can't thank you enough for."
"Why?" Jaune croaked out.
"With how much we travel, we don't have a lot of time to make real friends. Beacon was a chance for us to settle down a bit, learn, and then prepare ourselves for the future. Nora opened herself up to you and Pyrrha. In a way, to her, it was like we were becoming one big family. Something I knew she wanted, but always pretended to not mind. Us being together was enough."
Ren sighed and he seemed to be remembering something.
"It's why when Pyrrha revealed your secret, Nora didn't take it well," Ren went on. "She felt that her family was being ripped away from her. She couldn't help but feel like it was the ultimate betrayal."
"I think I understand that." Jaune couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. "What about you, Ren? Do you think I was wrong?"
"Yes."
Jaune blinked and went quiet. He should have expected this. Ren may be able to stay calm and prevent his emotions from spilling out, but he could recognize the difference between right and wrong. A small part of him thought, or maybe hoped, that Ren would tell him what he did wasn't that bad. That hope was dashed with that single word.
"We all know you made a mistake," Ren continued. "A mistake that could have cost you… and possibly your partner's life." Jaune stiffened. "It worked out, but you know you were lucky. Things could have turned out disastrous. No training and being flung into Grimm-infested lands is dangerous. Pyrrha was able to cover you then, but not everyone would have been in that position."
"I… realize that now." Jaune agreed, looking at his feet. "I was lucky. I know that. Still, I had to take it. This chance was once in a lifetime for me. If I didn't, I would be stuck back home, unable to follow my dream." He glanced over at his friend. "Would you have told Ozpin about my transcripts?"
Ren didn't immediately answer and it looked like he was weighing every word before vocalizing them.
"If I had known earlier… there is a good chance I would have told Ozpin." Jaune stiffened up as Ren spoke. "If you told me yesterday instead of Pyrrha, I would have talked to our team first and discussed this. Your skills, or lack of them, are something that affects all of us. If we agreed to tell Ozpin, I would go with the majority. I know for a fact Nora would be against it and I most likely would side with her."
He gave Jaune a serious look.
"If you had partnered with Nora and she had been injured, I know without a doubt, I wouldn't be so forgiving. As I said, she and I are family. I don't want to say that the ends justify the means, but we can only have this conversation because everything worked out. There are a lot of ifs involved here."
"I wouldn't blame you at all," Jaune quickly informed him. "Not after having time to think about it. You're right. If someone got hurt because of my lack of skills and impulsiveness, I would never forgive myself either. I wasn't thinking when I forged my way into Beacon. Now I need to fix things, no matter how long it takes." He sighed and looked up at the sky. "I should apologize to Pyrrha… but I never expected her to tell Ozpin."
His hand had formed into a fist, but his expression wasn't that of only anger.
His eyes screamed sadness.
"We did ask her why she decided to tell Ozpin," Ren admitted. "She believed telling Ozpin was the only way to protect you."
"No one asked her to!"
Jaune couldn't prevent himself from shouting.
"Yes, she's strong and amazing! I know that! Everyone knows that!" Jaune scrambled to his feet. "But I hate being the one protected! I want to be the one to protect others! I don't want people to see me as the goofy idiot…" He slid back down onto the roof in defeat. "I realize Pyrrha only told Ozpin to protect me. It's just like her to do something like that. Someone who cares deeply about helping others…" He clenched his fists. "I hate it…"
"You hate her kindness?" That surprised Ren.
"No, I hate feeling like… this!" Jaune shook his head. "I know she did it out of kindness. I've told you I had plenty of time to think today. Thought about a lot of things actually. It's just… when I see her… when I think about her… I feel so… depressed. Even if she meant to help, she could've ruined my dream! I don't want to feel like this. I just want things to go back to normal."
Ren was silent again and Jaune knew why.
"It's… never going to be the same, is it?"
"I… no," Ren couldn't lie at this point. "This was a big shock, to everyone, but you and her specifically. You might be able to get past this at some point, but it's going to take time." He paused for a moment. "There's a chance, you might never be able to fully patch things up. You may be able to get over it, but I think deep down you'll always feel a sense of unease, but that doesn't make her a bad person for looking out for your well-being. Don't let the feeling eat away at you."
"I don't want that," Jaune choked, burying his face into his knees. "She's my friend. She's helped me so much already, but…" He trailed off, so Ren finished his sentence.
"…you can't help the way you feel." Ren patted him on the back. "As I said, this is going to take time. It might be better for you two to have some time apart."
Jaune finally looked up.
"I… might have a solution for that actually…"
The boy took a deep breath and explained the second part of Ozpin's offer. The Apprenticeship he accepted before coming up to the roof of Beacon to think. Ren looked surprised at this, but let Jaune explain without interruption.
"It seems that this might be a blessing," Ren muttered. "Do you think Ozpin offered it for this reason?"
"Maybe?" Jaune shrugged his shoulders. "I can never tell what he's thinking. One thing I do know is I had to accept this. I'll be gone for a few months, but I will be back. When I return, I won't be someone who holds you guys back, but someone who can stand beside you guys with my head held high."
"Nora will be happy to hear that," Ren agreed. "I don't know what you'll experience following a Huntsman around, but remember, you're family to us. Promise us you'll return."
"I promise and an Arc never goes back on his word." Jaune swore.
"Nora will also want to hear that for sure."
They both shared a laugh.
"So will you come back to the dorm?" Ren asked. "If I return without you, Nora will have my head."
"Yeah, I think I can. Though, can we wait until tomorrow to tell her about the apprenticeship? She'll keep us awake all night asking questions."
Jaune found it pretty easy to agree to return. He expected everyone to hate him after finding out what he did. Ruby and Ren had shown him that not everyone would feel that way. Having a couple of true friends who believed in and stood with him was more valuable than anything else in the world. Even if the rest of the school decided he shouldn't be at Beacon, he'd just have to prove them wrong.
"JAUNE!"
The moment the two boys entered the room, Nora assaulted him with a bone-breaking hug.
"I was sooooo worried! Are you okay?"
"I'm... fine!" Jaune croaked as he could barely breathe. "I'm not expelled, so don't worry."
This was a mistake as Nora's arms tightened even more, causing Jaune's life to flash before his eyes.
"YAY! I knew you would find a way!"
"Nora, let him breathe." Ren suggested, saving their leader's life.
"Oops, sorry!" Nora let him go and Jaune fell down on the ground.
"No problem…" Jaune groaned. "Here I was worried I wouldn't get any more of those hugs." Nora beamed at him. "I do need to get some sleep today though. I'm exhausted."
"I'm glad you're not-…" Pyrrha tried to say but was interrupted.
"Good night, everyone!" Jaune stated loudly. "We got class tomorrow, so no staying up late… Nora."
"Anything you say, Jaune-Jaune!" Nora instantly flopped onto the bed. "Night, Jaune. Night, Renny."
Jaune felt bad for cutting Pyrrha off, but he felt the need to stall for time in order to get his feelings in check to speak with her. He couldn't talk to her, not now at least, but he would eventually try his hardest to make things like they were before.
Pyrrha didn't miss the fact that Nora deliberately left her out. Looking over at the bed next to her own, Jaune's back was turned toward her. The way he entered his bed, never turning around once, told the champion he was still upset with her. The girl bit her trembling lip, wanting to make things right but having no idea how to. Ren gave her a sympathetic look before turning off the light, leaving Pyrrha to lay there in the dark, staring at the ceiling. There was no way her mind was letting her sleep. The guilt was too strong.
'I'm sorry, Jaune. If there's anything I can do to make this up to you, I will.'
The absence of Jaune's usual snores indicated she wasn't the only one lying awake.
The following morning, Ruby and her team were about to go to breakfast when Yang grabbed her arm.
"Ruby… can we talk? Privately?"
"Er… sure?" Ruby replied confused.
Blake and Weiss shared a look, knowing what this was about.
"We'll go on ahead." Weiss said, leading the way out of the room.
"What's up, Yang?" Ruby asked.
Yang examined Ruby for a moment. The anger and disappointment from last night was no longer there. It was just like her. Her sister never really held a grudge and got over any lingering resentment pretty quickly. They had sisterly fights plenty of times but were always best friends the next day. In any other circumstance, Yang would have just been happy with this and let it all go, but after talking with Weiss and Blake, she couldn't brush it off this time.
"I need to talk to you," Yang started off slowly. "About what happened last night."
Ruby's face suddenly went neutral.
"Please, don't look at me like that," Yang sighed, rubbing her face. "Look… you were right. I have been babying you a lot. You're strong, I know that. If Vo-" Yang stopped herself and cleared her throat. "If Jaune had been your partner, I'm sure you would have been able to protect him until he reached your level. Knowing you, you would help him. So… I want to apologize for changing my opinion just because of what Weiss implied."
Ruby unconsciously tilted her head in confusion. She had been worried Yang was going to press the issue and encourage her to stay away from Jaune. Of course, there was no way that was going to happen. Her decision had already been made and it wasn't going to change.
That didn't mean she didn't appreciate Yang's apology.
"Thank you," Ruby replied, slowly smiling. "That means a lot to me."
"I'm going to try my best not to baby you anymore," Yang continued. "Ozpin made you the leader of our team for a reason." She raised her finger. "That doesn't mean I'm not going to watch over you. You're my younger sister and I love you. What I'm going to try and do is stay back more and let you make your own bad choices sometimes. We all have to learn from making mistakes. And boy… have I made mistakes."
"I never wanted you to stop looking after me," Ruby admitted, rubbing her foot on the ground. "I just wanted some space sometimes. I never wanted any of my friends to feel threatened by you if I ever made a mistake. I'm really thankful for everything you've done for me. You're the best big sister ever."
"Come here, squirt." Yang pulled Ruby into a hug and this time, Ruby also embraced her. Once she was let go, Yang continued. "Listen, I know Jaune's your friend and he's in a tough spot. If you want to help him, go ahead. I'll even help out a bit if you want."
"When did you and Jaune become close?" Ruby asked confused.
"He laughs at my jokes? So that's a plus and he knows a few of his own that are pun-tastic."
Ruby groaned loudly.
"But I know he's a good guy, even though he's weak," Yang went on, turning serious. "One thing he doesn't do that other guys do is ogle me when they think I'm not looking. Got to give a man props for that."
"Yeah, Jaune treats everyone with respect." Ruby agreed, happy that a member of her team was seeing some of her best male friend's good points. "I think you two would get along. He even knows how to take care of hair because of his sisters. You two could talk about that and if you want a laugh, ask him about the pigtails."
"I might just do that," Yang couldn't help laughing a little. "Since he gets to stay, we're all going to be classmates for the next four years. Might as well get along since we aren't going anywhere."
"Hehe… yeah… about that…"
Yang's eyebrows furrowed as she eyed her younger sister. Ruby was a terrible liar and the way she was averting eye contact while fidgeting and rubbing her hands together.
"Ruby? What's going on?"
"You see… Jaune's probably told his team by now, so I guess I can tell you, but you have to keep it on the down-low until he reveals it to everyone."
"Oookay?"
Ruby then explained to Yang about the Hunter Apprenticeship Program Jaune was going to do. As she thought, Yang actually seemed interested and upset she didn't know about it.
"Traveling, kicking Grimm butt, and no classes?" Yang exclaimed. "Vomit Boy's got the right idea. Wonder if Ozpin will let me go on that?"
"Nope!" Ruby giggled. "It was hard enough to convince him to let me go too-…"
Her eyes widened as she slammed a hand over her mouth. She hadn't meant to tell Yang yet she was going. Because of Yang's temper, Ruby was fretting over how to tell her. Maybe it was because they just made up over last night that she felt comfortable and let it slip. There was also a chance Yang wouldn't put two and two together.
How we fool ourselves.
Yang's eye twitched.
'Oh no…'
"Yang, wait!" Ruby held out a hand. "I can explain. We were just talking last night and that's when he told me about it-…"
"And he convinced you to abandon your team and leave with him?" Yang asked, her expression growing dark. "There's no way you would willing want to leave Beacon!"
"No!" Ruby shook her head violently. "He only told me about it when I asked what he was going to do."
"He guilt-tripped you didn't he?!" Yang's accusatory voice was only second to her flashing red eyes. "Made himself seem pathetic so you'll go?"
"What?!" Ruby couldn't understand that jump in logic. "We just talked about this, Yang! I'm old enough to make my own decisions!"
"You're still young!" Yang started walking to the door. "People can take advantage of your trust!"
"Jaune can't take advantage of anyone!"
That caused Yang to pause for a fraction of a second.
"Maybe Weiss was right," Yang muttered angrily, more to herself like she was trying to convince herself of something. "He might actually be planning all this while pretending to be dumb."
"Don't you dare, Yang!" Ruby stepped forward.
It was too late.
Yang rushed out the door and down the hall before Ruby could even raise an arm to stop her. Even with her speed Semblance, Ruby found it hard to keep up with an angry Yang.
"ARRRRRCCCCCC!"
Hopefully, Jaune heard the battle cry and could flee in time.
When Jaune and his team entered the cafeteria that morning, none of them were surprised that nearly everyone was staring at them and whispering to each other.
"Got something to sa-…mmph!" Nora challenged some of them before Ren covered her mouth.
"Just ignore them, Nora." Jaune sighed, expecting all this. The rumors were true and Ren had been right. It no doubt caused a lot of animosity among the student body. "It's my fault and this is a consequence of my actions. I'll have to prove to all of them that I deserve a place here."
"I hate when people just assume bad things about people." Nora huffed. "We can tell everyone what you're doing after you leave, right?"
"Yeah…" Jaune smiled at her, glad to have a friend who cared about him. "Sorry I didn't tell you last night, but I figured it would be easier once we were all rested."
"I'm a little annoyed you told Ren but not me first… but I forgive you, Jaune-Jaune." Nora beamed at him. "Besides, how cool is what you're going to do? You have to tell us all about your adventures. And take pictures, lots of them. Oh, some souvenirs too. I won't forgive you if you don't bring me back something."
"He's not going on vacation, Nora." Ren tried to sound exasperated but looked highly amused. "It's not like there's going to be a lot of shops for him to stop at."
"Well, I promised Ren one, so I'll try to find you something too, Nora." Jaune grinned and winked.
"When did you promise me something?" Ren asked, a little confused.
"Just now."
"Best! Leader! Ever!" Nora squealed.
Behind the three Beacon students, the fourth member of their team hung back awkwardly. Pyrrha wasn't sure how to approach them like she normally did. This morning, Jaune told them all about why he wasn't expelled and his acceptance of the Hunter Apprenticeship. Nora had nearly killed him by accident with another hug, though afterward, she had been sad he was leaving. Ren had already known about it based on his reaction. Pyrrha was happy for Jaune and also tried to congratulate him on the opportunity.
Jaune didn't even bother to acknowledge her. He needed time to cool off, and as much as it hurt him, he knew it was hurting her too.
As Ren told her, time was the only thing that could possibly heal the fracture between them because of her action. Nora was also giving her the cold shoulder, but at least neither of them were outright hostile anymore. Ren was talking to her, though the normally quiet boy wasn't exactly the best conversationalist. Normal everyday conversations Pyrrha enjoyed with her team had dwindled into nothing.
"Hey, Arc!"
Jaune turned to see Cardin sitting with his team, sneering.
"Having your final meal before getting expelled?"
"Why don't you shut your mouth?!" Nora shouted back.
"I'm not expelled," Jaune said, holding out a hand to stop Nora from causing a fight in the cafeteria. "There was no reason for me to be." Technically, he wasn't lying. As Ozpin said, passing initiation made his transcript moot.
There was also a slight bit of satisfaction to see Cardin looking stunned. The bully had been sure Jaune would be kicked out of Beacon. Some of the onlookers began whispering among themselves, discussing what Jaune could have meant. With any luck, they might think the rumors were fake and turn their attention to something else. Not that the rumors were fake. It was just Jaune didn't want to be the center of everyone's attention for it.
His team grabbed their breakfast and sat down. Nora plopped down next to her team leader instead of Ren this time, while Ren sat across from him. Normally, Pyrrha would sit next to Jaune, but not this time. She was actually sitting an entire table away. Her expression somber as she stirred her food with her fork. She wasn't in the mood to eat. Eating with everyone was always something Pyrrha looked forward to. So much, in fact, she would even let her food grow cold waiting for them if they were running late.
Jaune felt guilty seeing her expression.
That fact made him feel like shit. It wasn't her fault he cheated his way in. Telling Ozpin was probably the right thing to do on her part. What continued to cut him deeply was the feeling of his friend leaving him out to dry. Secrets were secrets for a reason. If she had told him something like that, he would have taken it to the grave unless she gave him permission to share it.
Jaune also knew he never gave her a chance to fully explain herself.
There was a reason for that. He knew her well enough to have an understanding about why she did it, as he admitted to Ren. Hearing her explanation wouldn't change anything, so there wasn't any real need. He wanted to forgive, wanted things to return to normal, but reality always overcomes idealism. Any time he thought about trying to fix things and look at her for more than a few seconds, bitterness welled up from within him. By ignoring her, he was hoping to allow that part of him to be able to forgive.
The boy hated how childish he was being.
Seeing movements near his separated partner, the boy snapped out of his thoughts while pretending to listen to Nora explain her newest dream to Ren. Blake and Weiss had arrived, looking a little surprised Pyrrha was alone. Team JNPR was known for being close by nearly every first-year team. They sat down next to her and struck up a conversation. The noise in the cafeteria was a little too loud for Jaune to hear exactly what they were saying. From their confusion, he summarized Ruby didn't tell them that Pyrrha was the one who spilled the secret to Ozpin.
It was nice to know Ruby was someone he could trust with anything. The small voice in the back of his mind was also glad Pyrrha wouldn't be alone, even if it was quickly snuffed out by negative emotions.
"What do you think?" Nora's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"About what?" Jaune asked. "Sorry, was thinking about something." Ren caught his eye and Jaune realized that his friend had been monitoring where he was glancing.
"About what would sell better, Ursa skin rugs or Boarbatusk rugs?"
"How about Goliath rugs?' Jaune suggested. "The big mammoth Grimm Oobleck mentioned. Isn't bigger better?"
Nora put a finger on her chin as she thought about it. Ren chuckled under his breath as he cut some fruit on his plate. Before Nora could decide if Jaune's perfect logic was correct in all aspects, everyone in the cafeteria jumped as the doors burst open with a bang.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRCCCCCCC!" An enraged voice roared. "YOU'RE DEAD!"
Jaune spun around to see Yang, eyes crimson as her hair was glowing like fire. He had absolutely no idea what he did to her to warrant this reaction. Everyone at Beacon knew though, when Yang got like this, there was no rationally discussing anything. If she caught you, you were dead. So Jaune did what any student in his situation would do.
He bolted out the other cafeteria doors leading outside.
"Get back here!" Yang's furious words followed him but did nothing to stop him. "I'm going to kill you!" A table was flipped over as Yang barreled through it hot on his heels.
"Yang!" Ruby just came into view, chasing her sister while trying to calm him down. "We just talked about this! He doesn't know yet!"
Weiss watched her team leader follow Jaune and Yang outside before standing up. She let out one of the longest sighs since arriving at Beacon.
"Let's go see what Yang's mad about this time."
Blake rolled her eyes, closed her book, and grudgingly followed. Pyrrha also got up and went with them. If Yang was really trying to kill Jaune, they might need even more people.
"Accept your fate like a man!"
Jaune had no idea why Yang wanted to end his life, but he doubted she was in the mood to talk. The only good news was that, by the lack of shotgun blasts going off, the rampaging blonde girl didn't have her gauntlet weapons on her. That was a small, silver lining. The thing was Yang was still faster than him and gaining with every second.
"What did I do!?" He yelled back in a panic.
"You know what you did!" Yang shouted back unhelpfully.
Yeah, that was about as much explanation as he expected to get. He was rushing toward the Bullhead docks, hoping there would be places to hide, when bad luck struck. His foot stepped into a hole in the grass and he tripped, hitting the ground hard.
'I'm dead. Looks like I won't be able to keep my promise to Ruby, Nora, and Ren.'
A shadow appeared over the boy as he turned over.
"Ready to die?" Yang asked, cracking her knuckles, eyes still glowing red.
"C-Can't we talk about this a bit?" Jaune stammered, holding out a hand.
"No."
Jaune closed his eyes expecting the blow to shatter his bones. When none came, he snuck a peak.
"Let go of me… Uncle Qrow?!"
Jaune's eyes snapped completely open as he saw the man standing behind her. The man had graying black, spiky hair, faded pink eyes, and slight stubble along his jawline. His clothes looked tattered, especially the red cape he was wearing, as he held Yang up by her collar. There was only one word to describe the guy.
'Damn, he's cool.'
"Sup, Firecracker." Qrow greeted. "Have to say, I think Oz would be upset if you killed another student. Good to see you having fun though."
"You don't understand!" Yang protested. "Arc here-…!"
"UNCLE QROW?!"
Yang's words were drowned out as a red blur collided into the man's side. With one fluid movement, Qrow held up his other arm, now supporting Ruby.
"What are you doing here?!" Ruby asked excitedly. "Did you miss me?"
"Nope!" The warm expression on the man's face and tone was the exact opposite of his words. "I just arrived in Vale and thought to myself, Oz might appreciate a visit. Enjoying Beacon, Squirt?"
"Yep, it's great!" Ruby was still hanging on his arm, refusing to budge.
"Now, Yang." Qrow turned to his other arm. "Why were you trying to kill…?" His eyes fell to the ground where Jaune had vanished. The boy took advantage of Ruby's appearance and disappeared to put space between himself and Yang. "Heh, smart."
"Nothing," Yang muttered, looking away. She had calmed down now and was thinking clearly. "Just had to have a talk with him."
"Because she misunderstood things!" Ruby huffed, glaring cutely at Yang. Qrow had to resist the urge to pat her like a puppy, knowing she was upset. "After she even promised to stop treating me like a kid! We're going to have a long talk about that later!"
Yang actually looked guilty, which actually impressed Qrow a bit. Ruby didn't stand up to people much and after being in a leadership position for only a short time, she has really shown some remarkable improvement. The little girl who struggled to move her scythe and talk to people was now a remarkable fighter and excellent new leader.
A little teasing was in order.
"Huh, were you dating that kid or something?" Qrow snickered.
"Eww! No!" Ruby shook her head. "He's my best friend. My best male friend. Weiss is my best female friend."
"Who's your best friend?" Weiss asked with an eye roll, as she and Blake walked toward them. "And who is this ruffian?"
"And why does he smell like a brewery?" Blake asked, covering her nose.
"Was at a bar," Qrow answered, finally dropping Yang and Ruby. "Who are these two? Friends of yours?"
"This is Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna," Ruby introduced. "Our teammates."
"Right, a Schnee huh?" A huge smirk formed on the man's face. "Funny enough, I happen to know your sister."
"Know of, maybe." Weiss huffed, brushing her hair back. "I seriously doubt Winter would ever spend a minute around you."
"Woah there, Ice Queen!" Yang held up a hand. "Uncle Qrow may be a drunk, but he's a fully licensed Huntsman."
"Speaking of, got a pretty bad hangover, so all of you brats need to keep it down," Qrow muttered, rubbing his head. "You know what that means, right?"
"Means you're drunk." Ruby giggled.
"No, it means I was drunk yesterday."
"Now I know Winter doesn't associate with you." Weiss groaned.
"If you don't believe me, ask her about the time she and I were stationed at Argus Military Base," Qrow told her. "Mention the hammock. It'll jog her memory real quick, and you'll get all the proof you need."
"So what is your Uncle doing here?" Blake asked before another fight could start.
"As I told Ruby here, just swinging by to talk to Oz for a bit." Qrow answered.
"Will you have time to hang out with us?" Ruby was bouncing up and down with excitement.
"Maybe?" Qrow shrugged noncommittally. "Don't you have classes today?"
"Yeah, but we can skip them." Yang answered.
"We certainly will not!" Weiss snapped.
"Why are you two out here anyways?" Yang asked Weiss and Blake.
"Making sure you didn't kill Jaune," Blake answered simply and then looked around. "Pyrrha was with us, but I don't see her anymore."
"Jaune?" Qrow put his arm over Ruby's shoulder. "That the name of your boyfriend?"
Yang's eyes flashed red for a moment as Ruby jumped back.
"He's my best friend!" Ruby cried. "Why does everyone assume that he's my boyfriend?"
Out of everyone there, Blake would probably be the best at explaining that to her.
"I'll let you two know if I have time to hang out while I'm in Vale," Qrow promised Ruby and Yang. "Got a few errands to do first."
"You better!" Yang warned and then laughed.
"We won't forgive you if you leave without at least saying goodbye." Ruby added, glaring cutely at him.
Qrow knew he wouldn't leave without telling them goodbye. It was just he doubted he would be spending much time in Vale. Based on what Ozpin told him, he was going to take his two new wards as soon as possible to get back out in the field. They would need fierce training to make sure they could at least defend themselves. He doubted that he would be able to mold even the weakest of fighters, to the best Huntsman Remnant had ever seen, but he had to at least make them proficient.
'That boy, Jaune was it? Yeah, he didn't look like much, but he does have excellent self-preservation. Escaping from Yang when she was distracted was clever. A lot of Huntsman don't understand if you take unnecessary risks, you'll die. Once you're dead, there's no turning around. He'll be a good sidekick for my tasks, as long as we get his combat skills up.'
"So are you two going to explain what that stunt earlier was about?" Weiss demanded to know after Qrow finally left. Ruby didn't want him to leave after all. Once she was reminded of Yang's actions, the young leader finally let her uncle go. "Yang destroyed a table and I doubt Goodwitch is going to be pleased."
"That was… an accident?" Yang responded weakly.
"Yang misunderstood something and thought Jaune had done something to me," Ruby explained, her face a little red. It wasn't out of embarrassment though. She didn't even consider how people could take her words. No her face was red from chasing Yang around. "I hadn't had time to tell her about a decision I made and she freaked out."
"Sounds like her." Blake agreed.
"What kind of decision?" Weiss questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you finally finished that binder labeled 'Best Day Ever.' I'm scared to see what's inside that."
"That's super-secret!" Ruby cried. "You can't look until I'm done!"
"I didn't because I'm afraid of what I'll find." Weiss said with a pale look on her already pale face.
"You made a huge decision that affects all of us, Ruby." Yang accused, preventing Weiss from continuing. "Of course I was upset."
"What kind of decision?" Blake turned to eye Ruby closely.
The poor girl gulped.
"I was hoping the timing would be better, but it all starts with why Jaune wasn't expelled and what he's going to do now…"
Once again, Ruby explained about the Apprenticeship Program Jaune accepted to the rest of her team. Blake seemed a little interested while Weiss was annoyed Jaune got to do something so prestigious. It was like he was being rewarded for cheating. After Yang insisted, Ruby continued and explained that she went and applied with Ozpin to the program too. She made sure to emphasize the fact Jaune has no idea she did this. Silence followed her explanation as everyone stared at her.
"YOU DID WHAT?!"
Weiss' shriek was honestly kind of expected.
"I see what you mean about that Arc kid," Qrow commented, slouched in a chair across from Ozpin. "Weak but has a good head on his shoulders."
"He will need the basics drilled into him for starters," Ozpin replied evenly. "How soon do you want to take him?"
"I would like to have him leave today," Qrow admitted. "Though, I'm sure he wants to say goodbye to his friends. If we leave tomorrow morning, should have enough time to at least teach him a couple of survival tricks. After that, it's just constant practice."
"Very good, I'll let them know the plan." Ozpin reached for his scroll.
"Almost forgot, who's the girl coming along?" Qrow asked.
It was a second before Ozpin answered and his tone changed to express his amusement. Qrow had just taken a swig of his flask.
"Your niece."
The spit take was perfect, even if the desk took most of the damage.
"What the hell, Oz?!" Qrow demanded, alcohol dripping down his front. "Why would you let Yang come along? I know she's a firecracker, but I'm not just killing Grimm around towns. I'm doing an investigation. She doesn't know the definition of subtle! And she has some kind of beef with the Arc brat. I won't have time to babysit those two!"
"Not Yang, the other one." Ozpin corrected him.
The drunk looked like he had been clubbed over the head.
"The… other one?" It took a second to process this. "Ruby?"
"Yes, Miss Rose applied for the Apprenticeship."
Now Qrow was just gawking at him.
"Is something wrong?" Ozpin asked mildly, sipping from his mug.
"Is something wrong?" Qrow repeated. "Is something wrong?!"
He stood up and slammed his hands on the desk between them.
"Of course something is wrong, Oz! Ruby's dream was to come to Beacon! You should have seen how happy she was getting in early and going to school with Yang! Now she wants to leave? What's been happening at this damn school!? Bullying!? Are the other students making fun of her age?! Why haven't you done anything about it?! What kind of school are you running, Ozpin!? Point me at those assholes thinking they can bully my niece and I'll teach them a world of pain!"
"Calm down, Qrow," Ozpin replied, not showing any sign of surprise. "Don't worry. Miss Rose isn't being bullied. She's actually fitting in quite well. There are some leadership problems she's working on, but nothing other teams haven't come across. No, she wanted to do this because she believed it was what she needed to do. Her friend needed someone to help him, so Miss Rose decided she should be there for him, assisting Mr. Arc to achieve his dream. As she will return later this year, she's not giving up her dream at Beacon. This might also be good for her. It will give her some real-world experience, something I fear she may be lacking."
"Maybe Yang was right," Qrow muttered, not really listening. "Should've gotten rid of him when I had the chance."
"What was that?"
"Nothing, just talking to myself." Qrow took another swig from his flask. "Is it wise for both team leaders to vanish so early on? One reason it's saved for later years is to give the teams time to bond. They have had a little bit of time and initiation helps a lot, but it still seems too early."
"Yes, that is something they will have to figure out how to overcome." Ozpin agreed. "It won't be easy and Miss Rose's decision can be seen as selfish to her team. Mr. Arc's team is already fractured."
"His partner turned him in," Qrow reiterated. "That is going to hurt for a while." He glared at Ozpin. "So why didn't you tell me Ruby was the other person? That's something I should have been made aware of."
Ozpin didn't answer with words. Instead, he reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a coffee mug. The mug was old, but a large crack ran from top to bottom. It had been repaired, but a silver glue substance was still visible. Ozpin set it down on the desk and looked directly into Qrow's eyes, still not saying a single word.
"Oh, come on! Tai and I told you that was an accident!"
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish I ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.
Wishez: Chapter two of the new fic and can I just say this is really nice. Ben is currently MIA so it looks like I might become more prominent than I thought with betaing. We might need new recruits...