FORMED FRIENDSHIP
Another morning came, and Pyrrha woke up early as usual. She stretches her limbs out on the bed to get the soreness out of her joints. The sleep did come as peaceful as she would like, but she had to wake up early. She wants to help her partner who has been eager to become better. But there is still something that bothers her, she feels that her partner has been pushing himself too hard even though it has only been a few days since what happened between him and Mr. Yussuf.
Sighing to herself, she popped out the last kink around her shoulders and turned around to check upon Jaune's bed… which she found to be vacant. Her eyes widened in alarm - where is he? Had he woken up earlier than her? Or did he leave in the night? She has been noticing him returning later and later into the night. She tries to ask him but he keeps brushing her off and avoiding the topic altogether.
Fortunately, before she could go into a panic fit and wake up Ren and Nora, a soft knock from the door snapped her out of her stupor. Staring at the door for a couple of seconds, Pyrrha took a deep breath and got up to answer the door, bracing herself for whoever waiting outside. Hopefully, it would be her partner standing beyond the door.
When she opens the door, the first thing she recognizes is the man they call their teacher in his pajamas. The second thing her brain takes in is a body that was being hefted by the said guest's shoulder like a potato sack.
"Mr. Yussuf? Can I help…!" Her green eyes widened when she recognized a mop of blonde hair behind her teacher. "Jaune!"
Yussuf is standing in front of JNPR's dorm room with Jaune hanging on his shoulder. His expression was stoic, border-lined to unamused but mostly sleepy. While her voice is laced with relief and joy, the volume is still enough to startle Ren and Nora awake, the latter is spluttering something about her pancakes suddenly vanished from her arms.
"...I believe this is one of yours, kids." He simply said as he carefully deposited Jaune to Ren, who quickly came over to the door and Pyrrha's care. The blonde's clothes beneath the combat gear were drenched and his skin was sticky from dried sweat as well as covered in soot and grime.
"Uugh… What's going on?" Nora asked as she drowsily joined the conversation before her eyes finally recognized what was happening before her. "...Is that our fearless leader?"
"I found him sleeping outside behind the main building. He's lucky he's still within Beacon's borders. Otherwise, he might have become a Grimm's food by now." He explained, stoic and sound annoyed above all else. "I like the fact that he is taking this seriously, but pushing himself like this is not good."
Ren then nodded to Pyrrha, giving her cues as they carefully brought the still knocked-out Jaune to his bed.
"Thank you, sir, I-"
"Listen, he can't keep doing this. I have been seeing him training alone after dinner." The man speaks once again, revealing the truth that has been kept by the blonde from his teammates. "I appreciate the hassle, but I rather test him while he's alive than being dead. Tell that for me when he wakes up."
Without saying anything further, their teacher leaves them alone with their mind.
It has been several hours since his leader was found unconscious by their teacher behind the main building and he starting to get tired from pondering what is happening. He always thought his team was acceptable enough, the middle of the group, as he liked to think about it. Their luck being able to be on the same team as Pyrrha Nikos, the champion of Mistral Regional Tournament is being balanced by Jaune's existence.
But he still enjoys it, thinking this might be a nice and at the barely least, interesting experience for him. But it all starts to crumble when he finds out about Jaune's forgery of their entrance invitation to Beacon. He doesn't mind, really. Lying and scheming are needed to survive in the real world and he can appreciate the boldness of his leader. But what annoys him the most is his lack of trust in his teammates.
Honestly, he never really trusted anyone besides Nora in his life. But this is a different environment, there is no need for any such suspicions and worry. That's why he has been spending time with the people in this school as a friend, he thinks he can rely on them. So, when one of them doesn't think the same it makes him disappointed and angry.
"Ugh…." The sudden sound of his leader muttering shifts his attention toward the bed where the blonde has been sleeping. His eyes slowly open, adjusting to the bright light that fills their room as Ren continues to watch from the sideline.
"Good morning…. although it's already past 10 o'clock, way past our first class." Ren finally speaks up, drawing the blonde attention toward him as he hands him a glass of water. "Mr. Yussuf brought you back here this morning."
Jaune then sighed in acknowledgment of what happened. Feeling his throat parched, he finally accepted the water that Ren offered to him. After downing its contents, Jaune then took a quick look around, noticing the lack of their two other teammates.
"Where are Pyrrha and Nora?" Jaune asked, his voice sounding a little bit hoarse and croaked.
"Probably eating some pancake in the cafeteria. She has been urging Pyrrha to spend more time with her, calling it a girl time or something." Ren replied with a small huff while taking the empty glass and putting it away.
"I see…" Jaune let out a weak chuckle at Nora's antics. Then, Jaune finds Ren sitting on the foot of his bed. The two fell into an awkward silence for a few minutes before with a deep breath, Ren began speaking.
"...Jaune." His calm voice got the blonde's attention. "I'll go to the point, your behavior as of late has been getting out of hand. I know you are worried about your bet with Mr. Yussuf, but forcing yourself like this is not good for your body."
"...I'm sorry." Jaune averts his gaze in shame at Ren's remark.
Ren stared at his leader's expression for a few seconds before sighing. Truth be told, he knows that his team leader must be worried after all it is a big matter for him. If he can't convince and prove himself to Mr. Yussuf, Jaune will be expelled from Beacon. But this is not the way to do that. Becoming strong is always hard and needs dedication, but destroying yourself in the process is wrong. Hence, Ren volunteered to approach the issue; perhaps Jaune would be more comfortable opening up to a fellow man.
"I know you are worried but becoming strong is a process and it takes time. It will need dedication and conviction but not like what you did." Ren stands up before he walks closer and puts a hand on Jaune's shoulder, trying to make sure his point is being heard. "We are worried if you push yourself too hard, believe us when we say we will help and we will make sure that you overcome this problem. Together. You are our leader, but first and foremost, you are our friend after all."
Ren gave a soft and assuring squeeze before letting go and walking out of the room, giving his leader some time to think alone. He still feels unsatisfied with what he said to his leader but he needs to realize it himself and as his friend, he will help by giving him some alone time.
Jaune looked at the door closed behind his teammates before letting out a deep sigh. Ren's words do lift some of his spirits, but his guilt comes back. He can't always depend on his friends. This is his problem and he should handle it by himself. But what Ren said is also right, there is no way he can become an excellent fighter in such a short amount of time. No matter how hard he trains, he still won't be able to reach Mr. Yussuf's level.
Sighing again, Jaune leans back onto his pillow and looks at the ceiling. How can he convince Yussuf to let him stay? What does he want from him? What kind of improvement does he expect? Jaune closes his eyes, trying to think of some solution. His mind wanders to the friends he has, using them as a model for his current situation. Thinking about their advantages and disadvantages.
There is Ruby, with her speed but also clumsiness. There is Weiss and her great application of dust. Blake, her stealth and shadow clones. Yang, her strength and endurance. Nora, her explosive power. Ren, his calm and collected mannerisms. Even Pyrrha, with her mastery of weapons and semblance. He tries to think about which path should he take to become stronger. What fit his style and level of skill the most? What does he like? What Yussuf would expect from him?
Her friend has been daydreaming and losing focus since this morning when Jaune was brought to our room unconscious. She knows her friend is such a caring person and she simply worries about Jaune. But even though she knows it's not good to be like this, it will only make things even worse if her two teammates are not in the right mindset right now.
Nora sighed as she looked at the pancake in front of her. She has been trying to be bubbly and carefree, distracting the redhead while eating, hoping it will take her mind off things. But she can see her efforts are futile. Pyrrha's green eyes are unfocused and her hand is absentmindedly playing with her food, stacking it. Even the all-spirited Nora has a limit on how long she can hold a smile. She just hopes her partner has more luck on his side.
"Everything is gonna be alright, Pyrrha," Nora spoke up, causing the champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament to look at her. She gives a soft smile as she grabs her friend's hand, reassuring her.
"I know, it just..." Pyrrha sighed, feeling the pain and disappointment from the lack of trust her partner showed by training alone behind her back. She wants to help him, being there to lift some of his burden, and yet.
She moved to Vale and enrolled in Beacon Academy to escape her old life in Mistral and start anew. She was sick of being treated as some kind of strong warrior. She was sick of being unable to make friends who were willing to see eye-to-eye with her. She was sick of the plastic smiles that the people wore around just to gain her favor.
Her team and her partner, are proof that she can still live as a normal girl wanting to be a huntress. Sure, Jaune was in a deep end and just pushed her away; but was that enough for her to leave him be, especially when he was still trapped in his troubles? She wanted a friend who would accept her for who she was, and wasn't this an opportunity? Rather, wasn't it normal for her to help a friend in need?
"Am I... not good enough to help him? Am I just a hindrance? A bad teammate?" Pyrrha asked the girl in front of her, feeling guilty for the situation.
"No! Of course not!" Nora exclaimed loudly, her voice filled with determination and belief. "You're one of the best teammates we can ask for, Pyrrha! You're a great fighter! An amazing teacher! And the perfect friend! It's just Jaune is not in the right mindset right now and we just need to give him some time to think."
"Thanks, Nora." Pyrrha smiled weakly, feeling a little bit better at the words of encouragement. "What do you think should we do with Jaune? Should we just let him alone for now?"
"I guess so, I mean, it's not like he'll listen anyway." Nora huffed, feeling unsure herself. "It's just that he is an idiot who doesn't know what's good for him and thinks he can handle everything by himself. Ren said he will try to talk with him so let's just see how it goes."
"Yeah, he's probably right." Pyrrha sighs and keeps on playing with her pancake, her mind wandering back to her partner. "But I don't think we should just leave him alone. I'm worried he might hurt himself, training too hard without any rest. It just... I'm lost in how we should approach him... I know his situation is dire and he needs to work hard for it. But if he keeps on doing this, he will only tire himself..."
"Is there anyone we can ask for any suggestions?" Nora tilts her head, trying to remember if they can get anyone else opinion and advice on their current situation. "...we can't talk about this to the other teacher... or any of our friends..."
"Then, I think Mr. Yussuf is the only option left for us." Pyrrha said, sounding defeated. "Can we convince him to rethink his decision? Maybe, there is another way out of this."
"Hmmmmmmm..." Nora hums loudly, trying to think. "He doesn't seem like a bad guy though, but he is also a bit stubborn and sometimes scary. Do you remember when he broke Cardin's arm? Or when he scolded Professor Oobleck? And not to mention what happened in the fourth year?"
"Yeah... but we can at least try, right?" Pyrrha asked, feeling desperate for an answer. She stares down at her pancake before her eyes wander about the said teacher being pushed around by Yang and Ruby, forcing him to join them for lunch. "Mr. Yussuf!"
"Pyrrha? Wait... what are you doing!?" Nora yelps as she is being pulled by her friend, dragging her with her.
"Excuse me, Mr. Yussuf, can you spare a few minutes? There's something we'd like to talk about!" Pyrrha asked as soon as she reached him, her tone polite and determined. Their teacher looked surprised for a second, caught off guard by her rather aggressive manner. Their friends, Team RWBY stare questioningly at the red-head, but she ignores them and waits patiently for his answer.
"Hmm... sure, I guess..." He then looks at his two students, looking hesitant for a second. "Let's get somewhere more private, shall we?"
"So, what do you want to talk about?" I asked the three of them when we finally arrived in one of the empty classrooms not so far away from the cafeteria. We somehow met Ren on the way and now he is joining us to talk about their great leader's condition. "How is the kid doing anyway?"
"He already woke up a few minutes ago." Ren calmly replies as he stands beside his teammates, drawing a sigh of relief from the red-head. "But I think if he keeps pushing himself like this, it won't be long before something happens. I talked with him, and it seems my words are not enough to make him understand."
"We are here to ask you for Jaune's sake." The girl with the red hair spoke up, her eyes burning with passion. "Mr. Yussuf, is there any advice to help Jaune? He has been pushing himself too hard, we are afraid that it would have a bad effect on him."
"Well, he is determined, that's good, but doing it that way is also bad. I agree." I nodded at their statement, their concern for their friend is very noble, really. I think that is how a true friend should be.
"Yeah, it's just he won't listen when I tell him. I think it would be better if you were the one to talk to him." Nora adds, that her expression shows her worries.
"You want me to tell him?" I look at them questioningly. "...no."
"But-"
"If he can't take care of his body, then there is no more I can expect of him. He is not worthy." I flatly said to her.
"Fine! Then, is there any other way we can convince you to let Jaune stay?" The girl with the red hair spoke up, her eyes burning with passion. "To stop you from expelling him?"
"Listen, kids." I sigh, feeling a headache coming up. "I want that kid to prove himself by becoming stronger because I want to bully him. If he doesn't even meet the bare minimum requirement to become a huntsman, he'll immediately die on a mission. And I'm not in the mood to babysit him.
"But, is it really the only way?" Pyrrha asked back, her face contorted in worry. "I want to help him, but I'm not sure if there's anything I can do to convince you."
"Let's see the truth first. Even compared to Roses who is 2 years younger than you guys, his performance is lacking. He can't even use his aura correctly." I sighed, feeling tired from how many times I explained it already. "There are so many problems to work on. He lacks experience, knowledge, skill and strength."
"But, if we train him correctly, by the end of the year, he will fit among us." Ren tries to argue, feeling the same determination and dedication as the champion. "There is no need to pin him against the wall and force him into a corner."
"I'm not gonna sugar coat this to you, but Glynda is starting to question how the kid enrolled in Beacon in the first place. Like I said, his inability to do anything is a sore thumb and sooner than later, the other teacher will find out." I sigh, feeling frustrated at how the kids are not seeing the bigger picture. "And what happen then, kids? He is going to be expelled nonetheless."
"B-but there is a lot of time to think and prepare, we'll make sure of it." Pyrrha argued back, still looking determined.
"I already give him the time limit and I'll see the result by then. I won't change my mind no matter what." I shot her down, watching her expression fell
"But his body gonna give up if he keeps pushing himself like this!" Nora exclaim, her voice loud and determined. "He'll only exhaust himself!"
"Knowing one's limit is also part of becoming strong. If he can't understand that, then he is not worth it after all." I stated calmly, feeling bored and tired with the topic.
"But... but!" Pyrrha tried to say something but was too shocked to even form a sentence. Her mouth is open and closed, trying to say anything but she can't find her words
"Ugh, for now, just talk to him. If you, kids, really care about him, you shouldn't give up that easy." I let out a loud sigh before I turned around and walked out of the classroom. "What are you going to do about it? Consider this as a test for your teamwork."
"Wait, sir!" Pyrrha called, but I kept on walking away, leaving them alone in the classroom with their problem.
The sound of metal clanging on the ground echoed as Jaune gasped for breath. He slumped down to his fours on his favorite spot on the field behind Beacon, just beside the tall tree that can provide some protection from the sun. He was drenched in sweat from all the training he had done.
He stared down at the sword laid beneath his palm, then glanced at the shield strapped on his other hand. They felt heavy, no, his entire body felt heavy. He was sure he had got enough rest after the accident last night. Getting unconscious for at least 10 full hours should be good enough of a rest hence why he once again continues his training.
He feels a little guilty and embarrassed of his teammates. Especially after what Ren told him. But no matter how he thinks about it, this is his problem. His teammates have no obligation to help him and he has no right to drag them down with him. He will give it his all, he will try his hardest even if he has to push his body to the limit.
And yet, he still can't imagine himself impressing Yussuf in any way. No matter how hard he thinks about it, there is no perfect model he can use to aspire to. He doesn't have the speed of Ruby, strength like Yang and Nora, stealth like Blake and Ren, and especially talent like Pyrrha. He is screwed no matter how he sees it and his days at Beacon are numbered, getting shorter by the looks of things.
Honestly, no matter how he sees it, 2 months are not enough for him to improve to the standard of Beacon. There are too many things he needs to accomplish and study in such a short time. convince Yussuf to keep him at Beacon. Was all of this merely the teacher's cruel joke? Allowing him some time to make peace with his friends before he finally left forever in shame? Giving him a false hope to only expect him to fail?
Whatever, there is no use to think about it now. It's all already too late. He had been given a chance, and he'd rather milk out all of its worth. Then again, his legs are failing him and he ends up landing on his rear. He was still drenched in sweat. his clothes were sticking to his skin. He is a complete mess.
"...Jaune?" He suddenly heard a familiar voice not far away from him, and when he looked up, he found the people he least wanted to see, Pyrrha with Nora and Ren following after her.
"Pyrrha…? Guys? What are you doing here?" He asked nervously, quickly standing up and picking up his sword and shield, hiding the weapon behind his back as he faced his teammates.
"Checking up on you, silly!" Nora cheerfully quipped, as she arrived first to him and 'booed' him in the nose. Now that Jaune is surrounded by his teammates, he finds that they came with towels and several bottles of sports drinks. Sensing what they were planning, Jaune quickly shook his head.
"Look, guys-"
"Quiet!" Before Jaune can say anything further, Pyrrha immediately kneels and pushes her finger on his lips, silencing him. "You've been doing this for long enough, and I can't - won't stand for it any longer."
Jaune simply blinks at Pyrrha's uncharacteristic boldness, darting his eyes at Nora and Ren questioningly. The pair simply shrug with the former giving him a knowing grin.
"I'm sick of this…" Pyrrha begins her complaint, she is frowning at the floor between her and Jaune. She shut her eyes for a second before she met her orbs with his. "I'm sick of having you keep pushing yourself too hard like this. We want to help and we will, Jaune, we mean it. I'll tell you as many times as needed if it gets the point across."
Jaune's heart clenches as his eyes begin to water. His body trembled at the sincerity in Pyrrha's eyes. She meant what she said, he could tell, and he was grateful to have such friends. But, at the same time, he couldn't help but feel guilty, the fear of disappointing her was greater than his gratitude.
"B-but..." Jaune tries to argue, but his voice trails off, the exhaustion finally taking its toll.
"No buts!" Nora suddenly interrupted while pointing her finger at him. Jaune eyes widen to see the grin has vanished from her face, replaced with concerned looks Ren also follows suit.
"Jaune, I'm pretty sure that you still remember what we talked about earlier, but I will say it again, you're not just our leader, Jaune." Ren said calmly, his eyes sharp. "You're our friend. So, stop being stubborn, and let us help you."
"We'll never forgive ourselves if we just sit around while watching you struggling and suffering by yourself." Pyrrha adds, her hand tightly squeezing the blonde shoulder.
Jaune stared speechless at his team, unable to believe their kindness. He tried to avert his gaze but a pair of hands softly rested on either side of his head, keeping his face in front of everyone. The three of them kept staring at him with those sincere and worried eyes, not letting him escape.
"Please, Jaune." Pyrrha's green eyes bore into his blue ones, looking at him with pleading eyes. "We're a team, and we need to stick together. Let us in. Let us help you."
Jaune bit his lips. He feels hurt by the looks given not only by Pyrrha but by Nora and Ren as well. Then, the deal he made with Yussuf came to mind. He wanted to pass Yussuf's test, of course, but if the whole deal was destined to fail any way…. He might as well take precautions by making peace with his friends while he still had the time.
"I… I'm sorry." Jaune clenched his eyes shut, his own hands came to pry Pyrrha's hands off his head. "...I'm so sorry. I've been avoiding you like this... I just... I just don't want to burden you any further. I-I'm sorry for being a horrible friend... I'm sorry..."
"Well, I guess we better start working on it, eh?" Nora grinned, her hands resting on her hips as she smiled at her leader. There is no anger, disgust, or scorn. The ginger-head girl is smiling in excitement, while Ren is giving a thoughtful look.
"We still have a little over a few weeks to work on. That's plenty, albeit I think it would be hard to convince someone of Mr. Yussuf's caliber." Ren added with a smile, patting Jaune's back.
"We'll figure something out." She said as she tightened her grip on his hands. "As a team, Jaune. We'll get through this, together."
"Y-you guys are fine with this?" Jaune stuttered as his eyes began to water more, unable to believe their kindness.
"We are still angry by how you handle this." Ren retorted with a tiny, teasing smile. "...But at least, now you would listen to us, right?"
"We JNPR sticks together!" Nora pumped her fists up, grinning widely.
"We won't have anyone else as our leader, Jaune." Pyrrha smiled kindly, and Jaune could feel his heart thumping loudly. "...I'm not what we have to face in the future, but as long as we stay and work together, we can overcome anything. So, let us help, okay?"
Pyrrha's words were the final nail in the coffin, as Jaune's tears finally fell from his eyes, flowing freely on his cheeks. His knees grew weak, his legs buckled, and he fell to the ground. As the three of them watch the scene unfold, their expression turns from worry to relief, glad that the blonde finally let loose.
"Thank you…" He sobbed, feeling ashamed, yet grateful at the same time as the four of them having a group hug. "T-thank you…. I...I-I'm so sorry…"