A Knightshade in Menagerie

A RWBY Fic by AndrewJTalon

DISCLAIMER: This is a fan based work of prose. RWBY is the property of Rooster Teeth and WB Animation. Please support the official release.

The fall of Vale and Beacon was a horrific nightmare brought to life. And after Adam had maimed Yang and stabbed her? Blake just couldn't deal with it. As long as Adam was obsessed with her, none of her friends would be safe.

So she'd fled to Menagerie, like a coward. Her parents, despite everything, had welcomed her home. Doted on her. Forgiven her.

That was the worst part. That they... They could still look at her with love and not hatred. Like she did when she looked at herself in the mirror.

She'd spent most of her time recovering from her injuries. She'd tried to keep up with the news as best she could-Even with the CCT down, radio and other forms of communication were being used. The situation in Vale had been bad, but it was getting better slowly. The CCT might soon be fully restored.

She didn't hear anything about her friends. She tried so hard not to think about what that meant, but her guilt fueled her nightmares.

It was during one night that there was a commotion at the gates to the Belladonna manse. Blake stirred from her horrible sleep, still wincing a bit at the pain in her side. Her ears perked up as she heard her mother approaching. She was on her feet before Kali Belladonna opened the door.

"Mother? What is it?" Blake asked.

Kali didn't look alarmed-If anything, she looked somewhat amused.

"Blake sweetie, there's a human here," she said, "He claims to be your friend."

Blake blinked.

"A-A human boy?"

Kali held up her Scroll, and showed a recent picture. It took a moment for Blake to recognize him, as the face was thinner and the eyes were narrowed.

"Jaune Arc?!" She gasped. She stared up at Kali. "H-How did he-?!"

Kali's amusement increased.

"Oh, so you do know him!" Kali beamed, "I think I'll let him explain it with you present. He's made a lot of trouble for the guards."

"Him?!" Blake asked in disbelief.

Blake dressed and accompanied her mother down to a meeting room just off the main entrance hallway. There, at least ten guards were holding the struggling young man down. Her father, Ghira, calmly sipped his tea as he sat and watched.

"Father, please, let him go!" Blake insisted, "I know him! He's a friend!"

Well... More a friend of a friend, but-That didn't matter.

"Release him," Ghira said, still calm. The guards, all with Auras activated, began to pull away from Jaune... But the boy shoved them all away as he stood up, panting angrily.

Blake's eyes widened. He'd certainly never been that strong back at Beacon.

"Good," Ghira said with a nod, "Now, leave us."

"Sir!" The lead guard protested, "He's a human, and he's armed! He snuck in and could be an assassin-!"

"And he fooled you all by wearing cheap cologne and this," Ghira stated, holding up a pair of bunny ears on a headband.

The guards all looked appropriately embarassed. Blake's jaw dropped, and she stared in utter disbelief at Jaune.

"How... Wha-?"

"I actually didn't think it would work," Jaune admitted, smiling with a shrug, "But my dad told me as long as you look like you know what you're doing and that you belong? You can go almost anywhere."

"Take that as a lesson, Captain," Ghira stated, "Now go, and write up a thorough report on your failure."

Properly chastened, the guards filed out, many glaring at Jaune as they went. Kali shut the doors behind them, and smiled pleasantly.

"Welcome to Kuo Kuana, Mister Arc! You mind if I call you Jaune?"

"Uh, not at all, ma'am," Jaune said, bowing, "Er, do I bow? You are king and queen, right?"

"Chieftain, and only if you wish to," Ghira said, as Kali went to a cupboard to put together snack trays. "I must salute you, Jaune. Making the journey here from Vale could not have been easy."

"Uh, thanks," He said. He finally turned to Blake. "Hey Blake."

"Hello Jaune," Blake murmured, unsure of how to respond. She'd barely said a few words to Jaune the whole time, and couldn't fathom why he was here.

"I have... Some messages," he said. "From Ruby, Yang, and some others."

"They're okay?!" Blake gasped. Jaune nodded.

"Yeah. They all are. From Ruby?"

Jaune walked up... And hugged Blake tightly. She stiffened at the contact, but... Melted into it. She hadn't had a lot of physical contact outside of her parents, and just getting hugged like this was... Kind of nice.

"She'll be very glad you're okay," he said. He pulled back and took a deep breath. He winced.

"And Yang..."

He sighed.

"She told you to hit me, didn't she?" Blake asked.

"No, she wants to do that herself," he stated. Blake nodded.

"... It's all right," Blake murmured. "I-I'm sorry-"

Anger flared in his eyes.

"Don't say it to me," Jaune stated, glaring at her, "Say it to them."

"Are... Are they coming here?" She asked.

"No," Jaune said, "We've been helping Vale recover. It's now mostly under control. So now? We're going after Cinder. And we... We need you. Ruby needs you."

Blake turned away.

"I... I can't do that," she murmured. Jaune's eyes widened.

"What?! Why?!"

"I..." Blake looked down.

"Why don't we table that discussion for now?" Ghira asked. "There is the matter of you sneaking into Kuo Kuana, after all. Friend of my daughter's or not, that is illegal for any human to do."

Jaune worked his jaw with a wince. He got on his knees and put his forehead on the floor before them.

"I'm sorry, sir," he said, "I made a promise to find her, and bring her back. I always keep my word. I'll accept any punishment-"

"Don't!" Blake said quickly. "Please, don't Father. He...He's my friend."

Ghira stared for a long moment before he nodded.

"Very well. I respect a man who keeps his promises. And we have never had a human guest for dinner before." He smirked slightly. "Especially a friend of my daughter's."

Jaune winced again.

"Ah, I mean... We're kind of-"

"We are friends, Father," Blake interjected, "We are very good friends."

She took his hand for emphasis.

"Well, any friend of Blake's is a friend of ours!" Kali tittered. "Especially such a handsome one!"

Blake groaned on the inside.

Dinner was awkward. Jaune sat at the table, and stared with wide eyes at the sumptuous feast brought forth for him. Teras, the family servant, brought it all out on her strong shoulders, the old turtle Faunus woman paying no mind to the fact that they had a human at their table. She shuffled around, grumbling a bit.

"I uh… Can I…?" Jaune asked.

"You are our guest," Kali said with a warm smile. Jaune began to devour the food ravenously, only pausing to drink down water to keep the food going.

"Sorry," he managed, after gulping down a few bites of chicken, "I've been without food for a while. I managed to get a ride on a cargo ship, but I had to work hard since I was a stowaway."

"Oh, we've done that," Kali laughed, "Remember when we sneaked into that Solitas port on that megatanker, Ghira?"

Ghira chuckled quietly.

"We were stinking of oil for days after." He beamed at Jaune. "So Jaune, your team's been very busy, hasn't it?"

"Uh, well, we're doing our best," Jaune said modestly, "Just trying to help the city rebuild."

Blake stared down at her untouched food, holding back her guilt and anger. She winced as she held her side.

"Blake, you okay?" Jaune asked, concerned.

"I… I've just been slowly recovering from the battle," Blake said quietly. "My ribs didn't heal correctly with my Aura, so I've had to take it easy."

Jaune frowned deeply.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Don't waste your sympathy on me, Blake thought, but clamped it down. She tried to focus on staying calm, and just nodded to Jaune.

"Not your fault," she murmured.

"She's getting better though," Kali said, "She'll be ready to fight again… Whatever she decides."

Blake slowly nodded, and focused back on her food in silence. Her parents asked more questions of Jaune, and he answered them as best he could. Honestly, it was information that Blake hadn't known.

He had seven sisters. He was from Radian in Northern Sanus. He had a great family lineage. His father was known to her father for his considerable combat prowess in the past, as was Jean De Arc, the founding matriarch of his clan and the legendary Fire Maiden who brought down the Witch Queen of Argus.

Blake really had nothing to say. She hadn't really paid much attention to Jaune. The fact he'd come out all this way just made her feel worse. Every little bit of him revealed, a fact she had callously ignored.

I need to convince him to leave, she thought, I need to-

"Blake, would you please show Jaune to a guest room?" Kali asked, "I believe there's one right next to your room? Would you mind that?"

"I-No, of course not," Blake said. She slowly stood up, and walked over to Jaune. He rose, looking a bit awkward. He bowed politely to her parents.

"Thank you so much for the food, and the room," he said.

"Think nothing of it, Jaune!" Kali tittered, "We're always happy to have one of Blake's friends over!"

"Tomorrow," Ghira said, "We'll have more to discuss. But please Jaune, relax."

Jaune smiled slightly.

"Thank you sir."

Teras grumbled a bit as she walked in to gather the plates.

"Young miss shouldn't be up and about," the old turtle woman huffed.

"She needs the exercise, Teras," Kali said.

"Hmph, wrong kind of exercise," Teras grumbled again, looking Jaune up and down. He flinched a bit. Blake blushed, then took his forearm.

"Come on Jaune," she said quietly.

She led him through the mansion, down the corridors, until they reached her room. She guided Jaune to the room across from hers. She let him go as he walked out to the windows. He stared out in amazement at the little courtyard visible through the glass, the koi pond fountain trickling quietly.

"I… Thank you Blake," Jaune said with a smile. "I really appreciate all this."

"You should enjoy it, you need your rest," Blake said, "You'll be leaving tomorrow."

Jaune frowned.

"Huh?"

"You should leave," Blake said, "I… I'm no good to Ruby or anyone else."

"Blake," Jaune sighed, "They made me promise. An Arc never goes back on his word-"

"It wouldn't be breaking your promise," Blake insisted, "I… I can't help!"

"Why?" Jaune asked. "If it's your injuries, I'm sure they'll heal and you'll-!"

"It's not that!" Blake said sharply. Jaune stared at her, and she bowed her head. She sighed.

"I… I just…"

She felt his hand rest on her shoulder. She looked up into his eyes. As tired as he was, he still smiled gently.

"Hey," he said, "We can talk about it later, all right?"

Blake managed to nod slowly.

"Yeah…"

He turned and looked out at the stars, twinkling overhead. Blake stayed with him, not sure if she should leave or stay. Staying meant… She didn't know what it meant, but…

"... We never really did this, huh?" He asked.

She looked at him quizzically. He shrugged.

"I mean… Talk."

"No... I'm sorry," she murmured. She frowned. "I think… Well, we might have once. About a book in the library?"

Jaune nodded slowly.

Maybe. It... Feels like a lifetime ago, huh?"

"Yeah... Yeah, it does."

Jaune smiled. It was more lively than his previous ones, but still… Still sad.

"We should have invited you to play board games with us more."

"We... should have accepted more often."

"It would have been nice," Jaune agreed.

Silence fell again. Blake sucked in a breath in the still and quiet.

"... How did... How did you help Yang?"

Jaune stared at her, then back out at the stars before he answered.

"... We argued a lot. Actually hit each other… She's a lot better now. That's all I could do. She's with Ruby. They're… They're a lot better off with her as the tank than me."

The note of self loathing in his tone made her stared intently at him.

"Jaune-"

He shrugged.

"I just... Ruby asked me to do it. And I did it... Because no one else would. That's... This is all I can do. She was so lost, so hurt... Nora and Ren too. All I could do was hold them together, as best I could. Try to keep them going, to be strong for them..." He sighed.

"Until the real heroes could get themselves together. That's all I'm good for."

She found her hand resting on his forearm.

"No, no! You're... You're so much more than that Jaune," she insisted. "You did all that while I-"

"No, no," Jaune said, shaking his head, "I… I'm just a placeholder. Hell, I don't understand why you're blaming yourself. You... You could fight. You did fight... You knew what you were doing."

Blake shook her head, and lets out a scoffing laugh.

"Jaune... None of us knew what we were doing. I was running away from the White Fang and pretending I was a human, Weiss was trying to escape her father while being the perfect Schnee daughter at the same time, Yang just wanted to have adventures every day, and Ruby was fifteen and missed finishing middle school and wanted to live a fairy tail."

Jaune shook his head furiously, and when he spoke his tone was bitter.

"And how am I any better? I... I was the dolt. The deadlast! The weak link! You all said it-!"

Gods… I did say that, didn't I? Blake thought. She had made snide remarks at times with Yang over Jaune's goofy antics. Even agreed with Weiss a few times on what a dolt he could be, which was saying something.

But this… She took his hand and squeezed it.

"You've done better than I've done. Jaune... If more people showed kindness to others, if more people empathized about their pain and shared it instead of taking it out on others... We would live in a better world."

It was something her mother and father had told her, over and over again. A dream she had desperately tried to recall after leaving the White Fang.

He stared at her in wonder.

"Blake..."

She smiled sadly.

"I… I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean to…"

She trailed off, before she mustered her courage.

"If Pyrrha saw that side of you, then she was right. She saw what we were all too self-absorbed to see. You're not the weakest, you might just be the strongest of us crazy, damaged hero-wannabe teenagers. You kept going... Where the rest of us just fell apart, or ran away."

Jaune looked away, blushing. He stared out at the stars, that sad look still in his eyes. He shut them, and let out a weary sigh as he sagged. He looked so much older now.

"... I just... I still wish it was me instead of her. Why should someone so amazing live... And someone like me just...?"

Survivor's guilt. She was very familiar with that. What could she say? What should she say?

All she had were her books… So she summoned up what she remembered Yuki-san telling Sai-san after he lost the love of his life fighting the Demon Orochi in Romance of the Ninja Kingdoms.

"Then... you have to live for her. She loved you enough to risk fighting someone that strong alone. So live. I might have not known her that long. All of RWBY might have barely known her... but everyone knew. She always shined the brightest around you."

Jaune bowed his head. His fist clenched around her hand tightly.

"I was too stupid to see it... She kissed me and told me she loved me before she shoved me in that locker... I... The whole time... I was too stupid to see it. Or maybe I did, and I just... I didn't think I deserved it."

Romance of the Ninja Kingdoms, don't fail me now, please, Blake begged the gods.

"And she was too scared to say. And there wasn't enough time. But do you regret knowing her?"

Jaune turned to her, and shook his head. His eyes were filled with a deadly certainty.

"Never."

"Then love her, even now, even when she's gone. Maybe you couldn't back then, but love her now. Your feelings matter, and if she's watching us, watching you... She'll know."

Jaune stared at her intently. She looked away, uncomfortable.

Did she say the right thing? Did she… Did she help?

She felt his arms wrap around her in a hug. She stiffened, but only for a moment.

Was he always this warm? She thought, as she hugged him back. She wasn't very good at it in her own estimation, but if it helped Jaune, it was worth it.

"Thank you," he murmured.

Blake nodded.

"I… I'm glad I can do something right," she murmured. Jaune blinked at her curiously.

"Something… What do you mean?"

"I…" She bowed her head, and tried to pull away. He didn't let her.

"Blake?"

"... I'm sorry I ran away," she murmured, "I-I'm so sorry… It's my fault, and you had… You had to do everything because I'm worthless."

"Wha-" Jaune goggled at her in disbelief, like she'd said the world was flat. "Worthless?! How are you worthless?!"

Don't look at me like that, Blake thought, Please, not like my parents. Don't forgive me, don't… Please…!

She sniffled, and again averted her eyes.

"Everything I touch... was poisoned from the inside, by my presence. I try and try and... And all I do is fail." She bit back a sob. "I failed to change the White Fang, I failed to protect my friends, I... All I can do is come here and try to help but... But all I do is fail."

"Blake-"

"I ran away, because I'm a coward, Jaune," Blake gritted out, "O-Okay? You should go back. You think they need me? They don't. Everything you've done... They need you, more than me."

"Blake... I made a promise to bring you back. They see something worth fighting for in you. If you... If you're telling me I'm worth something? Then trust me, you're better than me in every way!" Jaune insisted. "If they need you… Then they need you. Please."

The tears were flowing freely now. She leaned into his hug as he held her tightly.

I don't deserve this, she thought miserably. I don't… I don't…

"I meant it before, Jaune... You were the strongest of all of us," she managed to whisper.

Jaune shook his head.

"I'm still a horrible failure."

She cried softly, shutting her eyes and pressing her face against his chest.

"... Then we're both failures..."

The tears just wouldn't stop. She cried, and cried, and cried, and he held her throughout it all. She didn't remember falling asleep, just how wonderful it was that he was there: Warm, soothing, and kind to her.

And how much she didn't deserve any of it.

And then he wrote up a Knightshade fic because, why the hell not?