I hope you enjoy it!
"If you're here to lecture me, I'd really appreciate it if you just left," Jaune said to the newcomer. He honestly wasn't up to another confrontation immediately after the train wreck that just unfolded. He was worried his temper may flare up again and picking another fight while tempting may not play out well for him in the long run.
"Not at all, in fact, I think you were right to call her out," Her response surprised him, he was honestly expecting some sort of backlash. He didn't think many well-adjusted citizens would be on board with threats of violence towards a young girl, even a Schnee.
"Not sure if I would call that being in the right," Jaune countered as he sat up to get a better view of his new companion.
"The Schnees have perpetuated and profited off of inhumane acts against the Faunus for decades. It seems only fair to me that someone put them in their place." A hint of aggravation bled through her voice. And for a moment Jaune thought he saw her bow twitch before dismissing it.
"Even if she is the heiress to the Schnee fortune, making someone cry like that just leaves a bad taste in my mouth."
The girl eyed him skeptically, her golden eyes steady and serious, "Where did all that anger from before go? Weren't you the one seconds away from attacking her?"
"It's still there, just a little subdued at the moment. I got carried away, and in the long run, I don't think I could have made a more dangerous enemy on my first day of school."
"I think you can manage. Though threatening her with a sword may have been a bit much."
Jaune couldn't help but groan. He had let his anger carry him away again. What would happen if she went to the teachers? Would they kick him out? He could not let that happen, no matter what. Maybe an apology was in order, yet the thought of that made his stomach twist. Even still it was only the first day and his prospects already looked bleak.
"Would you mind keeping all this a secret? I'd really rather not have this getting out."
A faint smile danced on the girl's lips, "Don't want it getting out you assault girls in empty courtyards?"
"Give me a break, I didn't mean for it to happen like that." Jaune bemoaned as he rubbed his palm against his head trying to physically push back the headache forming.
As quickly as it appeared the smile vanished, replaced with her usual aloof expression, "I won't say anything."
"Thanks," Jaune sighed in relief, that was one less problem to worry about now. Rising to his feet he extended his hand towards the girl. As she shook his hand Jaune focused his cold blue eyes and took in her appearance.
She stood at about a head shorter than him. She was taller than the Schnee and clad in mostly black. Her form-fitting clothing was highlighted with sections of white and left large amounts of skin exposed. It appeared to be more fashionable than functional as per the case with most of this school from what he had seen.
Long black hair flowed to about her waist, topped with a bow atop her head. He noted that she had a weapon strapped to her back. It was hard to tell from the front, but it seemed to resemble a short blade with what looked like a trigger system at the base of the hilt. He reasoned it may be a shifting type.
"If you keep staring at me like that however I may have to call the authorities."
Her sudden interjection broke him from his musings. Realizing he was still grasping her hand he quickly let go. With a quick apology, he took a few steps back trying to clear the misunderstanding.
"Sorry, I have a bad habit of getting lost in thought," he hoped his apologetic tone would pacify the girl, but her cool gaze made it hard to even guess what was going on inside her head.
"You don't say," With a noncommittal shrug of her shoulders she turned away from him. "Regardless, I just wanted to say I think you were in the right so don't worry too much about it. Just be careful with how you go about defending your views. It may not always work out if you back them up with violence."
With that she walked away from him, making her way towards the courtyard exit miss high and mighty stormed away towards earlier. As she left Jaune stood awkwardly, still embarrassed from being called out. As she turned the corner, she shot him one last glance, "See you around Jaune."
Perking up he realized he didn't even ask her name, and then another more serious thought came to him, "Hey wait! How do you know my name?
But as quickly as she had appeared, she was gone. The unanswered question simply hanging in the air, leaving a dumbfounded Jaune in its wake.
With another groan, Jaune simply hung his head in defeat. It had only been half a day and already he wasn't sure if the Grimm would be the death of him or the ever-looming threat of attending a school like this.
Night descended quickly after his run-in with a mysterious girl in black. Thankfully avoiding any more run-ins with other initiates acquainted with or not, Jaune managed to secure a spot in the cafeteria for the night.
The cafeteria was stupidly big in his opinion, as was becoming the usual with this school. It was to house the initiates for the evening. After serving dinner it had quickly been stripped of the tables and made into a large open area for the crowds of hopeful attendees. Blankets had been distributed but any and all other luxuries for the evening were the responsibility of the wannabe students.
Most had brought changes of clothes and sleeping mats, pillows, and some portable mattresses from home. Jaune however had none of that, yet he didn't need them. The building had heat and that already was more than enough. Besides the hard floor was still more comfortable than gravel or dirt.
He had already showered during the males allotted time and now found himself posted against a far wall. Resting his back against the marbled wall he took in the large crowds of teenagers and young adults. His mind drifted as he became lost in thought.
Looking towards the center of the cafeteria he managed to spot Ruby and her sister, he was having issues remembering her name, getting ready for bed. The heiress had made a spot for herself near the other corner of the room. Though not certain he felt it might have had something to do with the scornful glare she had directed at him when they met briefly in the hallway leading to the showers. Though hadn't said anything at him he was sure she had made a point to stay as far from him as possible.
He paid it little mind; no teachers had stopped him so at least for now he had figured what happened would stay between them. He hadn't managed to catch sight of the girl from the courtyard so for now she remained a mystery.
However, something else nagged at him. The entire room was filled with excited chatter, laughter, and an underlying feeling of anticipation. It felt off to him. In the Grimm Lands and most smaller settlements across Remnant, there was nothing like this. Camps were sullen and bleak. Sure, sometimes at the makeshift pub carts there would be laughter and joking. But that was often battered and broken men trying to find some joy in an otherwise desolated land. Men trying to scrape the last remaining bits of joy in their soul before willingly walking into a world that would tear them apart the next day.
This was different. Everyone here was eager to fight the Grimm, willing to jump into the fray. Did they realize what that meant? What it was like to fight things that wanted to kill them?
The Grimm didn't need to eat. They had no diet other than negative emotion and fear. They chose to kill humans. That was their sole purpose. And yet no trace of fear, at least none he could sense was in the air. It was discomforting to say the least.
Maybe at some point, the despondent feelings that clung to the Grimm Lands became the norm for him. A constant aura that gave him some sense of ordinary.
This all felt wrong. It made him unsure and for the first time in years a little scared. Not for himself, he would kill the Grimm that came. He was scared for what it would do to the joyful atmosphere that had been created in this room. Reality was hopeless and filled with suffering. He didn't want everyone here to experience it. Though Huntsman are nothing but hired muscle and overpaid over-glorified mercenaries, he didn't want for these people to lose this warmth.
Losing that meant the loss of something vital, something that could never be replaced. He knew what lay ahead, beyond the propaganda, beyond the glory, and beyond the lies. He accepted it, wanted it even. It was his only reason to live. It gave him life. But as he eyed the hopeful faces around him, he desperately wished it were only his to bear. Selfish? Short-sighted? Probably. But his wish was his to make, wasn't it?
Sighing out loud he tried to push his thoughts towards other topics. He felt antsy. He wanted to move to do something other than wait. In all honesty, he wanted to be on a hunt. He felt better when he was. It gave him purpose and clarity as he fought for his life. But to be denied the ability until tomorrow made all of his pent-up aggression and anxiety start to manifest.
Deciding to do something productive he rummaged through his pack. Normally he would do weapons maintenance, but he had done it three times the day before. He had been too anxious to sleep before the trip to Beacon.
Finding what he was looking for he pulled out a battered old leatherbound journal. It was burnt, dirty, and held together by haphazard binding. It wasn't originally his but that mattered little. It was a keepsake of the Hunters.
The Hunters were groups of hired mercenaries that traveled the Grimm Lands offering protection to small settlements and traders who did business in the barren wastelands. They had taken him in and given everything he had now. His eyes caught a glimpse of the sheathed blade next to him.
Almost everything.
The journals that Hunters kept were records of every type of Grimm encountered on their travels. Hunters would trade information on new types when passing other convoys or during restocks in safer villages. Records were exchanged in tandem with long, exaggerated stories and drunken escapades. Though Jaune never was allowed to drink he hung onto every word when Hunters would begin their tales. Looking back, they made little sense and were so full of lies it was laughable, but they were fond memories.
Hunters were often uneducated and a brazen, direct bunch. So, records had to be cross-examined with other accounts to make any meaningful notes. But what came of it was arguably a better database of Grimm nests, habits, and information than anything else on Remnant.
The book in his hands now had been his mentors and had belonged to their teacher before them. He had updated a few entries based on his own experiences and was trying to finish a sketch of a new Grimm he had heard appeared in northern Anima. It had been dubbed the Apathy by Hunters but little else was known about them besides a skeletal-like appearance.
Taking up a charcoal pencil he kept with the journal he tried to sketch the memory of a drawing he had seen before leaving for Beacon. He only managed to get as far as shading in their vacant eyes before a loud gasp next to him broke him free of his reverie.
"Oh, scary!" Came the high-pitched squeak of an orange-haired girl, "Ren come look! He's drawing some Grimm! Oh, can I try? Can I?"
"Nora it is impolite to interrupt someone when they're busy," Chastised a tall dark-haired boy. He walked up behind the girl and gently bowed his head slightly in apology. "I apologize for the intrusion."
"Oh…um, no it's all right," Jaune muttered out as he eyed the pair in front of him.
The girl was short, with bright vibrant orange hair and equally colorful pink and white pajamas. Her turquoise eyes sparkled with unbridled excitement and curiosity. In contrast, the boy by her side was far more subdued. Not just in the seriousness in his magenta eyes but also his mellower traditional green and black pajamas.
"I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Lie Ren, and this is Nora." Ren said gesturing towards himself and then Nora.
Jaune However was more preoccupied with the girl very much invading his personal space. Hovering over his open Journal her curious gaze kept flicking to him and then back down to the drawing. The question in her mind was clear even without voicing it.
"Uh…right," Jaune uttered as he tried scooting back only to find the wall stopping him.
"Nora, I think he may want you to give him some space," Ren spoke up once more gently nudging the girl with his hand.
"No, it's all right," Jaune spoke up. "Nora was it? Would you like to look at this?"
An excited gasp answered him. Tenderly he closed the journal and offered it to the pink girl, just please be gentle, it means a lot to mean."
He never felt her take it. One minute it was in his hands and the next the girl was flipping through its pages, albeit carefully much to Jaunes appreciation.
"Ooh, this one looks like a big doggy!" Nora cried out as Ren offered Jaune an apologetic look.
"Can't say I've ever seen someone talk so excitedly about Grimm before," Jaune spoke up, trying to broach some kind of conversation.
"Well, that summarizes Nora rather well. She has a talent for making the everyday into something memorable. For better or worse." Ren responded with a small chuckle.
As Nora flipped excitedly through the pages cooing and commenting on each new entry Jaune offered Ren a seat next to him.
Taking his offer Ren sat down, crossing his legs. A brief chat ensued as Jaune learned they were both from a village in Anima originally but had moved around a lot before setting their sights on attending Beacon. As he and Ren talked Nora made loud exaggerated sounds in the background.
They seemed like polar opposites and Jaune couldn't help but wonder what had brought them together. But it was not his place to pry. They both seemed nice enough and even though he didn't particularly care who ended up on his team he wouldn't mind if they happened to.
It was getting later however and Jaune felt like he should try and get some shut-eye. However, as he was about to voice his suggestion to part for the night, he noticed that Nora had gone quiet.
A glance in her direction showed that she had gone rigid, frozen in place, and focus solely placed on his journal. A look towards Ren all but confirmed that it wasn't normal behavior for her.
Ren was on his feet in an instant and by her side. Gently placing a guiding hand over hers as he asked what was wrong. Instead of responding she simply offered him a better view of the journal.
His entire demeanor shifted. Instead of the calm somber attitude, he had before he was tense and maybe even angry though it was hard to tell through his stoic expression.
"Jaune?" His voice stern.
"What is it?"
"What do you know about this Grimm here?" He handed back the journal, page open to rather dated entry.
The Grimm in question was large. It had the bottom half of a horse with two-pronged bone claws protruding from its front hooves. Spiky whit bones dipped out from its sides and hung uselessly in the air. Its mandible was a creamy white, devoid of flesh. And the terrible yellow shading of its eyes revealed the soullessness inside. The top half was reminiscent of a devil. With a bone chest plate, it hung limply from the top of its steed. Spiky ribs came from its sides and its back had similar protrusions. Attached to the horse at the waist its long arms hung listlessly at its sides. Three pronged fingers nearly touching the ground. The horns on its head and violent red eyes matched with its skeletal face mask rounded off its horrid design.
"Well, I know it was last seen in Anima. A few informants I know started theorizing it was a fusion of an Imp Grimm and some kind of horse-like Grimm." Jaune rambled on. He didn't know why it was important, but he would offer what he knew. It was the whole point of even keeping a record at all.
"It seems to like hunting alone. The length of its arms are more than just for show." Jaune said, pointing to the picture and a small description scrawled on it. "The arms can reach maybe a hundred meters if not more. It's also surprisingly fast for its size. From the stories I was told it can catch up to a single trader's cart from over a mile away in a matter of seconds. It also has a wail that can stun anything attacking or fleeing from it."
Jaune looked up to see both of them staring intently back at him, hanging onto his every word. The tension in the air became thick and suddenly Jaune wasn't sure if it had been the right decision to tell them. Sharing info was important but this seemed like something personal.
"Is there anything else?" Ren asked eagerly, a hint of desperation on his voice.
"That's all I have, but I can try and find out more," Jaune reassured him.
"When? How soon can we-?
"Ren," Nora spoke softly placing a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.
The simple touch seemed to calm him, and he took a deep breath.
"My apologies I got carried away. Perhaps we should call it here for the night." Ren offered before offering a small bow of respect to Jaune. As he turned to leave Nora offered him a big grin and an energetic smile.
"Right," Jaune muttered out to the now vacant spot they had stood in.
He mulled over what had just happened but quickly disregarded it. Though strange he was no one to judge a fascination with any Grimm. And besides everyone had demons. But as he shifted slightly trying to get comfortable, he mused loftily to himself.
But few had demons they could kill.
Sleep it seemed was not an option. Jaune had managed to force in a few scant hours before finding himself awake in the early hours of the morning. His nerves were on edge and he felt restless.
It was always like this before a big mission for him and it seemed initiation would be no different. He wasn't entirely sure if it was nervousness or eagerness. It might very well have been both. One never knew what may happen when the operation began, who would be coming back. On the other hand, however, it was the only time he got his chance to fight back. To feel like he wasn't that scared child he once was. He could kill without limit.
He had to move.
He couldn't sit here anxiously for the next few hours waiting for wake up. He had to run, walk, anything. Maybe the gym was still open. Getting up he tried not to make much noise as he slipped on his gear. He had slept in his clothes from the day before. Mostly because he owned no other clothing, but he would never admit that.
As he finished securing his armor in place, he gently slid his firearm into its holster and fastened Crocea Mors back onto his hip. Nodding to himself in affirmation he weaved his way through an array of sleeping bodies, trying his best to be quiet. Finally reaching the main exit he tried to remember the route he memorized the day before.
After a few wrong turns and a slew of curses, he arrived at the school's main gym. It was unlocked and dead silent. It was supposed to offer students the flexibility to train whenever they could, so it was often kept open at almost all times.
Stepping into the gym he let out a low whistle of appreciation. The area was filled with the latest tech. Pristine cardio equipment that probably cost more money than Jaune would ever see lined the far wall. Rows of benches and weight equipment took up the center of the room. A large single panel mirror lined the entirety of the wall adjacent to Jaune, offering a clear reflection of the entire gym.
In the other corner lay a single rack lined with an array of practice swords of every variety. It looked like it was supposed to be a secluded place for individuals to practice form and basic katas. There was more equipment littered throughout the open square space of the gym that Jaune had never even seen. Granted he hadn't really had the opportunity to work out in many gyms but still. The mere size of the options available was staggering.
Making his way towards the practice area Jaune unsheathed his blade. Twirling it in his hand he gently jumped on the balls of his feet loosening up his muscles.
Falling into basic guard stance Jaune eased his breathing. Shuffling forward slowly before twisting at the hips and delivering a powerful swing downwards. The cool steel soared through the air with ease. Returning to his starting his position he hesitated before swinging again.
Shifting through several more stances and guards he felt the tension leave him. Post, guard, swing, the basic pattern filling him with a sense of familiarity. As he began to add in a few more complex twists and parries into his sets the world around him seemed to fade. While he was here, at this moment, the nagging thoughts and troubles that plagued him were gone. All that really mattered was the swing of the sword, the tightness of his muscles as he parried and weaved.
It was only after a particularly vicious overhead strike that he noticed he wasn't alone. A flash of vibrant red caught his eyes as he returned to his original stance. Dropping his guard, he turned and cobalt blue met vivid green.
She was tall, almost as tall as himself. With long brilliant red hair tied in a neat ponytail, coming down to her waist. She was the first person he had seen at this school to wear armor. Bronze in color and segmented, covering mainly her legs with what seemed like a leather corset and arm brace. Strapped to her back was a red and gold javelin, matched with a similar golden shield. She seemed like she was observing him, eyes focused and sharp. Almost like an opponent sizing up the competition or a predator eyeing easy prey.
The girl suddenly jerked back, startled, "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to stare. I was just surprised to see someone else here so early."
The intense gaze from before was gone. Replaced with a gentle smile and apologetic, almost nervous look in her eyes.
"No, it's fine," Jaune bumbled out. A slight heat spreading to his neck and slowly his face. How long had she been there? How long had he been practicing?
Now that he noticed his breath was ragged. Sweat dripping down his face, soaking through the clothes. He had been so caught up in swinging around his blade he had let the time slip away. His muscles sagged and burned in relief from finally being able to rest.
He mentally cursed at himself for getting carried away. Initiation was bound to be only a few hours away now and he had overexerted himself. Hopefully, his aura reserves could ease his aching body before it was time.
"You're quite good with that sword." The soft voice of the girl continued. "You have so much power in your swings that it's almost frightening."
"Oh, uh thanks I guess." Not many people had ever commented on his sword skills before.
"But, if I may. You leave your flanks wide open when you step in to strike." Her tone was calm, like a teacher explaining a problem to a student.
"Well, I mean I have a shield as well," Fluidly sliding the scabbard from waist to forearm he expanded it into its heater shield form.
The girl took in this new information as if reassessing her approach.
"Could you run through a few stances if it's not too much trouble?" She asked her level tone held an air of maturity. The seriousness and experience Jaune saw in her eyes kept him from outright refusing. He felt silly, like a kid being asked to work through a math problem.
Sighing he shifted his feet into a firm stance. Raising the shield into a guard and lifting the sword above his head. The blade, parallel to the ground, was held firm despite his protesting muscles. Taking in a breath he focused and, in an instant, stepped forward. The shield protecting his flank as the weapon lunged forward. The air seemed to part as it struck through.
It felt good. Better than that it felt amazing. Jaune wasn't one for self-appraisal but that was definitely one of his stronger thrusts. A small bubble of pride formed in his chest. He was getting stronger, Finally. All of the heartache and struggle up to this point was at last bearing fruit.
"That was alright, but I think it could be better,"
The bubble popped and all he felt was despair. Alright, it wasn't that bad, but he still felt like he did a little better than alright. It was just one thrust after all. Feeling familiar defiance rise up in him he shifted back into his stance. With a newfound determination, he ran through a few more sequences and forms. Each one receiving familiar remarks from the girl.
After a particularly irritating swing, he felt his anger start to rise up as she kept a calm calculated look about her. She offered little more than vague remarks as he practiced, finally having enough he turned to her.
"And what exactly am I doing wrong?" He managed to avoid barking it out, but it still came out a little gruff.
"Well, in that first stance, try lowering your center of gravity. Bend at the knees and raise the shield a bit higher," She offered, placing a hand on her chin as she thought. "Oh, also if you angle it just slightly it will be able to deflect most of the impact."
He was taken aback by the earnestness in her voice and though still miffed found himself returning once more to his first stance. Trying to follow her instructions he glanced over, "Like this?"
"Not quite," She commented. Stepping close to him she gently placed her hands on the shield and raised it up slightly and angling it off-center. "Now just bend slightly more…and there! That looks much better."
She was smiling happily at him and it felt a little awkward to see her be so energetic about something as simple as this. "This feels a little stiff,"
"I think you were so used to your previous way. Even a change as small as this would seem so much more different but I know that with a little practice it will feel just right."
"Does this really make that much of a difference?" The doubt was clear in his voice.
"Absolutely! Here I will show you," She offered cheerfully.
"What do you mea-"
She was a blur of motion. He barely registered her moving before something slammed into his shield arm. His arm stung at the impact, but he managed to shift his weight and lean into it. Her javelin was redirected off of the shield as his bent knees absorbed the brunt of the blow.
Acting purely on reflex he stepped forward and swung at her. All he met was air as she glided back, easily out of his strike zone. He was about to surge forward, welcoming the anger that rose out of indignation for the sudden attack. Yet her proud grin halted him.
"See? That was well done!" She beamed. Seemingly not realizing she had just tried to bash his skull in.
"Don't fucking "see" me. What the hell was that?" He snarled. "You could have warned me!"
Understanding flashed in her eyes as her mouth widened and she gasped in surprise.
"Oh my! I'm so sorry, I got carried away." She apologized fervently.
"You don't say," He lashed out, arm still stinging from the blow.
"I just thought maybe I could…offer a little assistance." She offered up meekly. Regret clearly evident on her admittedly pretty face.
'I have the worst track record with girls it seems,' He bemoaned to himself, remorse slowly nudging its way past the instinctive anger.
"It's fine…really. I was just surprised. And honestly, I think you were right. That felt a lot better usual." He spoke calmer trying to reassure her. She seemed like she really was remorseful and was probably just trying to help.
"Really?" She asked hopefully, eyes widening in surprise.
'Damn it, don't look at me like that.' Turning his gaze away he cleared his throat before responding.
"Yeah, usually I would have just tried to force my way past a hit…and I guess it protects my head a bit more." It sounded unconvincing to his own ears, but it was true. He was more of a hit, hit, and kill kind of fighter but he had to admit that she was right. It felt a lot smoother transitioning from a hit to a strike, and with just a few small changes too. Just who was she?
His words seemed to appease her as she visibly relaxed. "I shouldn't have attacked you like that, I just thought it would be easier to understand in a real situation."
"I guess that's fair," He admitted. "Names Jaune Arc by the way."
She hesitated ever so slightly before answering, "My name is Pyrrha Nikos."
"Nice to meet you," Sliding his sword back into the slit on his shield he offered his hand.
She seemed taken aback, tentatively accepting his hand with her own. "You don't know who I am?
"Should I?" He was confused, was she a celebrity or something?
"Nope!" Came her cheerful response, matched with a genuine smile that left Jaune a little flustered.
It wasn't his fault he argued. There weren't a lot of Women in the Grimm Lands, and he was a young man. Anyone would react the same if a pretty girl suddenly smiled like that! Besides every other female he had met had either threatened him or seemed so out left field he didn't know how to react. With the exception of trying to crack open his skull Pyrrha seemed at least the most normal girl he had met. There was Ruby but she had already literally blown up more times than most people he knew.
"So, why are you here so early in the morning?" He asked, hoping to change the topic before she noticed his blush.
She tilted her head in slight confusion. "I've been here for almost an hour. Did you not notice me come in?"
He hadn't. He often spaced out or became so mind-numbingly focused on one specific task that the rest of the world faded away. In the field, he was hyper-alert, constantly on edge, however in places like this he zoned out. His old mentor had said it might have been his way of coping. Trying to focus in and reject everything else. He wasn't a therapist or anything, but it made sense more than Jaune would like to admit.
"I guess not…. wait what time is it?!" Shifting gears, the thought suddenly came to him. Was he late? If he didn't make it to initiation, then he would automatically fail.
"A little past six I believe," She responded as Jaune visibly relaxed. "I wanted to warm up a bit before the big event. I was surprised to find you already in here training so hard."
"Couldn't sleep," Jaune admitted feeling the fatigue catching up with him. He would be sore later, but his aura should be more than enough to get him through today. He was confident in his rather large pool of it.
She giggled softly and nodded in agreement, "Nerves?"
"Something like that." He admitted before stretching his weary body. "Breakfast isn't for another hour or, so right?"
"Yes, I believe so," Pyrrha nodded.
"Then could I ask a kind of ridiculous favor? I know we just met but could you help me work on a couple of my forms?" He asked unsurely. He asked partly to try and make up for his outburst earlier, the guilt was still sitting in the bottom of his gut. Also, she seemed so happy when she was offering advice. She clearly had experience, that strike was no fluke. It was a trained and precise movement that would have hurt him badly if it had landed.
A more selfish part of him argued that it was because he wanted her strength. He wanted to improve. He had to improve and if she could help him get stronger, he would take advantage of that without hesitation.
"I would be happy to. But are you sure you don't want to relax before the test?" She asked and damn her for the amount of concern in her voice.
"No point in worrying about it now. Besides, who doesn't cram before an exam?" He tried to joke, though he wasn't sure it came across well.
"A better student." She countered smoothly, a coy grin playing on her lips.
"Fair enough." He met back with a smile of his own.
"Shall we begin?" She asked unhooking her own shield and sliding it into place on her arm.
Shifting back down into a stance Jaune met her head-on. "Let's."
The next couple of hours passed by in a flash. After wrapping up training, Jaune and Pyrrha agreed to part for breakfast and a shower.
A sore and battered Jaune found himself grateful for a break. Pyrrha had not held back, and for each mistake, he was punished harshly. Though despite the protests from his body he was grateful for her guidance. He already felt a bit more confident in his abilities. He was no slouch and typically fought with more passion than technique but even he knew he was sorely lacking in ability when fighting anything that wasn't a literal creature of darkness.
After each bashing Pyrrha would go over slight improvements and tips. Keeping it short and constructive he was sure he would be seeking her out again if they both made it through the day. He was almost grateful he had lost an hour of sleep. However now was time to recover and prep for everything that lay ahead.
First was a hot shower that felt like a blessing. It helped soothe his aching muscles and clear his head. Next came breakfast, which fortunately had no line yet. It seemed most were still in the process of waking up. Getting something in his stomach made him feel better, and now all that was left was to check over his equipment and wait.
He caught sight of a few familiar faces, mainly that of Ren and Nora, in passing but did not see the point in bothering them as it seemed they were also just starting the day.
Jaune found the locker room with moderate difficulty, at least it only took two glances from his guidebook this time. Each trainee was offered a locker the day prior to store their gear and weapons. Jaune had outright refused to part with any of his supplies. Looking back on it he realized he may have been the only one sleeping with a weapon.
Regardless he sat down on a bench between a row of lockers and diligently begin to check his equipment. Performing a functions test on his firearm, a slight sharpening of his blade with fresh polish, and an inspection of his shield. As he went through the familiar motions, he channeled his aura. Letting the incorporeal power of his soul wash through him. Easing the now dull throbbing of his body. Its regenerative abilities doing wonders now that he had stopped moving.
He wasn't worried much about wasting it. While aura could run out if used for too long Jaune had a plethora for whatever reason. He never much questioned it. If anything, he was grateful, it had saved his life more times than he could count.
Finishing his preparations, he double-checked his gear, it still smelled of sweat but there were worse things to reek of. His armor was secured, and his weapons strapped. He was as ready as possible for whatever came. Probably.
As he turned to leave the locker room hoping to get a snack from whatever was left of breakfast, he bumped into someone. Or more accurately something rammed into him at hyper speed.
Knocking him flat on his back he groaned out a low curse. The 'something' was already back on her feet and firing off a volley of apologies.
"I'm so sorry I didn't look where I- Oh hey Jaune!" Came Ruby's chipper response.
Clambering back to his feet Jaune shot her a miffed glare. "Don't "Oh hey" someone when you run them over."
" I didn't run "someone" over. I ran you over." She responded cheekily.
"That's not my point." But she wasn't listening, instead, she eagerly started asking him if he was excited for Initiation, what he thought it might be, and if he was all ready to go.
'Honestly, where is this energy all coming from?' He questioned as she kept chatting on.
Blonde hair came into view as Ruby's sister walked in. Jaune still for the life of him still could not remember her name. He was sure it started with a 'T' maybe. Catching a glance at her younger sister animatedly talking to him she came over.
"Rubes we need to get ready, it's starting soon." She reminded the younger girl. Ruby quickly agreed before offering a spirited goodbye to Jaune and dashing off.
"I don't have to give you the whole big sister act, do I?'" She asked tersely her lilac eyes locking with his.
"What do you mean?" He really had no idea what she was talking about.
"Look, Ruby doesn't have a lot of friends, so because she seems to have taken a liking to you, I'm willing to let you slide. But if you go after her or upset her in any way, I will hurt you." Miss whatshername spelled out carefully. "Kapeesh?"
"I'm still a little lost, what do you mean hurt her? Like physically? Because I'm pretty sure she could take me in a fight. And I mean I just met her so I'm not sure I could really upset her." He had absolutely no idea what was going on. This seemed weirdly out of place.
"You can't be this dense right? You've gotta be pulling my leg." She sighed out; disbelief evident on her face.
"Listen…" Fuck. He didn't know her name and had nothing else to add on. 'Fuck, fuckity fuck.'
"You don't remember my name, do you?" She asked catching on almost immediately.
Fuck
"Look miss not Rose, it was a long day and a few things happened right after we met, and it may have slipped my mind. I'm sorry." He tried to justify his actions but as she crossed her arms and simply quirked a brow at him, he felt he may not be off the hook.
"I don't like you," Came the blunt response. "Something about you is off and I don't want you near Ruby."
"Look I said I was sorry about the name."
"It's not just that mister. I heard a rumor about some guy with a sword threatening a girl in the courtyards yesterday. I haven't seen all that many swords walking around. Have you?"
Fuck. The word did get out. What was he supposed to do now? Maybe it was still ok, after all, no one had approached him directly. But maybe they were just waiting for the right time.
The possibilities were making Jaune's head hurt. Besides, he couldn't afford to let that distract him. He had to focus on the task ahead. Whatever came after would have to wait till then. The first thing was dealing with the girl in front of him.
"No can't say I have," He admitted freely, "Listen, we may very well fail Initiation. So why don't we leave this conversation for a later time and handle that first?"
She took a moment to think over his offer and finally hummed in agreement. "Fine you're in the clear for now but I'm keeping my eye on you."
With that she walked past him, scanning for her sister. She had only taken a few steps before stopping.
"Yang"
"What?"
"That's my name. Try not to forget it this time. Later." And with that, she was gone.
Left alone once more Jaune simply let a sigh out. The number of worries piling up was already giving him a headache. But he supposed he did it to himself.
An announcement played over the intercom at that moment alerting all applicants to head for the cliffs at the edge of the school grounds in thirty minutes. Deciding to make it their early he headed out. He managed to make it only a few feet out of the locker door before running into more familiar faces.
The heated glare of the Schnee did little to him as he offered a pleasant greeting to Pyrrha. She returned in kind before the short white-haired girl spoke up.
"Do you have any idea who this is?" She asked incredulously. It seemed to Jaune like a repeat of the day prior. He didn't have the time nor energy to be bothered by this. "Yes, I do. She's Pyrrha. I'll see you out there."
He walked past the two as Pyrrha nodded her confirmation. A grateful smile blooming on her face. In direct contrast, the Schnee was slack-jawed and indignant. Turning red in indignation she stomped her foot before huffing and turning away, marching down the hall with a meek Pyrrha trailing not far behind.
Paying the interaction little more than an afterthought he continued his trek to the cliffside. It was time to finally take the test. But more than that, more than anything it was finally time to hunt. It sent a sick thrill down his spine and a sudden eagerness he hadn't felt in weeks.
He could finally kill the Grimm.
It's here! This chapter honestly came out a lot faster than I thought it would! And that is no small part to all of you. I really want to express my gratitude to everyone who followed and favorited. I honestly am new to writing stories and I feel I have a long way to go but your encouragement meant everything. And to everyone who commented I want to give a special shout-out. You are amazing and your reviews all made this chapter fly out.
A couple things I want to address. The first is that this officially ends the intro phase of this story. The next chapter will be the true beginning of this tale. Most of the main cast has been introduced. And I feel like Jaune's character has been decently established. That was the major task of these first three chapters, just getting him set up.
I want him to be that rugged badass everyone wants but I still want him to be him you know? Whether or not I can pull it off is yet to be seen. Also, I made a startling discovery that character interactions are HARD! At least for me. I wasn't sure if I was in character or just throwing mud at the wall. The interaction with Blake felt weird at times and then right on the money at others. And that Pyrrha intro was not intended to be that long but it just kept kind of getting longer as I wrote out the scene. I'd really appreciate it if you guys would let me know. You are just as much a part of making this story as I am. Your feedback means more than I think any of you realize. I won't change plot elements I have lined up but your input on how things transpired and what to improve on, and even what you liked are worth their weight in gold.
Another thing is that the next chapter is going to be a long one. It will take up the entirety of Initiation and maybe the founding of the teams. Depends on if I find a solid stopping point. But we finally get to see Jaune engage the Grimm. He finally gets to let loose and show what he's capable of.
On that note, the chapter probably won't be out for a little over a week, I think. Life gets in the way.
But regardless I really hope you enjoyed it. And if you're just passing through and reading it without a comment or follow, I hope you get something out of this. You are also a huge reason why I am excited to continue and make me excited to release this chapter.
Until next time, be safe and enjoy!