Confrontations, and Opportunities
Author's note: Hey everyone, here is another chapter for all of you wonderful people, and I am very glad to have constructive criticism, and the compliments always help too. I am striving to write better, and I will be honest, I think it's just laziness for not writing more dialogue in this story, I was not doing a lot because for the most part, I thought it will be too long and drawn out. And you all will not like it really. Sooo without a further ado, lets get on with this!
Jaune looked at his family looking down in shame from the word beating that Pyrrha and Ruby put them through. Ilia, and Yang were surprised and scared, to how they were speaking. They can see why they are leaders. But, they were more surprised with Pyrrha. She was always respectful, occasionally having a good smile on her face, and all around friendly with just about everyone. But now though, now she was ruthless with her words and actions.
Ruby was the same way, she always shy, and very closed in on herself. But she was always a dork, and loving. She always awkward, and never tried to have a raised voice to anyone. But here, she proved why she was the leader of Team RWBY. The way she spoke with authority, and getting her full point across she was a menace to all those who were disrespectful, and would never listen to anyone.
The way they both spoke, demanded everyones respect.
"All of you really thought that keeping him locked away here, will keep him safe? The world out there is more dangerous, even the strongest fortress wall will fall!" Pyrrha raised her voice towards the Arcs. They all looked down in shame. The brains of the group, Jacqueline 'Jackie' Arc, spoke up to try to defend their thought process at the time. "W-we thought that h-he wasn't strong enough, he wouldn't be able to handle everything out there." She spoke a little timidly, no one really gave her a railing like this except her parents, and the her older sisters. She is the forth oldest.
"I am 15, and I know that is stupid. I got in to Beacon two years early dang it, and I barely know what I'm doing. I was garbage before I was "trained" by my uncle, and father, and the school I went to. It was through "training" I was able to be where I am now." Ruby spoke up, putting emphasis on training the whole time. Nathaniel, looked down in more shame.
"I always thought that I can always protect them, I have seen friends, and colleagues die. I didn't want to lose my son." Nate said slight tremble in his voice. This time Ilia scoffed and finally spoken up, getting out of her shock.
"You honestly believe that you can be there all the time. I grew up in the minds, with my parents, and we were all so close to each other literally. Yet, my father knew that he could never be there for me all the time." Ilia said to him.
"Yeah our dad, and our uncle, me and Ruby's were hesitant of us being huntresses, they knew of the dangers, when I got older I essentially demanded my uncle, and dad to give it to me straight about being a huntress, they told me of the horrors they have seen." Yang said to them, her eyes now red, showing anger.
"They told me how deadly the grimm can be towards everyone, the gore they have seen, and what terrible people do to others, from murder, kidnapping, to rape, etc." Yang said to them narrowing her eyes at them. But, then she looked down in shame. "To my shame when I first heard about what Jaune was accused of, I didn't want Ruby to have anything to do with him, without hearing his side of the story." Yang said in a sad voice. She then looked at Jaune with a sad look, with her eyes still red, but flickering a little bit.
"And I am still so sorry about threatening Jaune, I was angry about the shoes, and I was worried about Ruby." Yang apologized again. Jaune looked at her, and gave her a smile. "Thanks Yang, and I don't blame you, I would be the same way if I was in your shoes, if it was any of my sisters, I would have done the same thing. You're a great sister for that Yang, just make sure you hear all the facts first of course." Jaune gave his signature dorky smile while rubbing the back of his head, Yang simply blushed and looked away, while Ruby, and Pyrrha, gave a slight pout of jealousy. No one really noticed that, to their gratefulness. Yang composed herself and continued talking.
"Anyway, I know the horrors, I have seen it especially in the wrong parts of Vale, He has been through them here, in this town." Yang said to them with red eyes again. "Coming here, we have seen how the people here treat him, it was despicable. I felt hurt for him, I was a bully myself, I didn't see that, until recently, seeing them the way they act, it reminded me, or me. It made me sick." Yang said with a strong disdain in the end. Truthfully, when Yang seen what they did to him, in particular the women, she saw herself, how she treated others in signal, at Beacon, and at the bar. The evidence and the accusation of Jaune really made her open her eyes.
She felt that she was invincible, and that truthfully, she felt that she can get away with anything, and felt that she was in the right with everything. She threw around her beauty as a weapon, and bossed everyone around, all because she wanted to get everything she wanted, especially finding her mom. How many lives has she ruined due to her tantrums, how many people has she hurt, because she didn't get what she wanted.
And thinking about all of that, it brought her back to when she almost got her sister killed. The person she cared for and loved more than life itself. So through all of this, she decided to give her sister the chance to truly grow. So the first step was letting her see Jaune. Sure she wanted to apologize, but she wanted her to grow up, and get out of her shell. And this was helping. Granted she wished that this could have changed in a different light, not with the trauma of her best friend, but she was glad she was stepping up.
A huntress is supposed to help all those in need, and protect all of humanity, and faunus equally. And she felt this was another big step first Roman Torchwick, and trying to stop a robbery, and helping someone recover, and being there for them even through the most toughest of times.
So now, when she came here to apologize, and seen how the people treated Jaune, she gave a silent vow to look out for him, and be there for him. She also promised herself to teach him some hand to hand, because using a sword is good, but, sometimes you need your own appendages. Her father, Uncle Qrow, and herself, keep trying to drill that into Ruby, but so far it's been in one ear and out the other.
But she will never give up darn it!
And, if he is going to be here, and needs to defend himself, he needs to have a lot more options, don't want to be charged with murder, or attempted murder with a blade.
"So I will ask you all this what. Have. You. Done. To. Help?" Both Ruby, and Pyrrha spoke up, at the same time. But were met with silence, they were about to sigh, and leave the room. When they all seen his family having tears falling to the ground. One of the twins spoke up.
"We didn't want to lose our brother." Said Jennifer Arc. That gave the Beacon students pause, and looked at her. "We thought that, he wasn't strong enough, a-and that he will just get killed." Jen said with a tremble to her voice.
"Yeah, we thought he didn't have the dedication, or the drive to do it. And, he wasn't good at a lot of things, like sports, school, etc. And we assumed he will get himself or someone else hurt." Said Janice Arc, looking down in shame with that mindset.
"He couldn't keep up with me in my hikes, and I assumed that he will just slow down, and be taken away." Abigal 'Abby' Arc. She had well defined muscle, with very strong legs, with her hair cut short, looking a little spiky(Imagine volume 6-7 Ruby hair style but a little more spiked), she was about 5'9 with dark blue eyes, but had almost like a bad girl look, she wore tan cargo shorts, with a T-shirt, and wearing a sports bra. She said she doesn't like wearing girly stuff, but when it comes to dating boys, she will make an exception. She always loved to go out walking, and doing martial arts, but she couldn't see herself as a huntress. She is somewhat of a meat head like Yang, but not as aggressive.
"He always came to us, and stayed by our side when things goes wrong, so we assumed…..he would be a coward, and just leave someone, but I was an idiot to think that, he will do anything to help someone, but I couldn't see pass my stained glass window. So as a whole we thought he would be a liability." Said Aria Arc. The Oldest among them. She is about 21 years old, and was like the second mother in the household, when their actual mother was not present, she was in charge. She gave off the feeling of a mother. She looked like a little sister to her own mother, but with less muscle, and dare I say experience than her own mother. While she will throwdown if she absolutely have too, she would probably have her mother and father get their hands dirty if it came to fighting.
"All in the end, we didn't want lose Jaune, I have seen the horrors of the life of a huntsman, and I didn't want any of my children experience those horrors, and Jaune is my only son, I couldn't take that risk." Nate said to them looking down, with his wife holding him on his side.
"When it came to the bullying…we tried to do more, but we couldn't." Said Annebelle Arc. This caused confusion and shock, to the Beacon students, this made Jaune grimace, and clenched his hands into a fist, and teeth to slightly grit. This made Pyrrha and Ruby to look at him with concern, so he knew the reason why too.
"His main bully by the name of Jeffery, his father is very influential here, and in Vale. Every time Jaune tells us, and about to tell most of the teachers, they would dismiss it because, the boy, would always be away from cameras, and didn't have probable cause to take him down truly. Most of the time he got detention, suspension, and other slap on the wrists. And his father would be able to blackmail, and payoff some people." Annebelle confessed to her own shame. Ilia felt disgusted it reminded her of the Schnees.
"It's more than that too, Jeffery's father is a big benefactor to our schools here, and the schools don't want to lose their incentive. But that changed when everyone saw the beating Jeffery did to Jaune a few years ago. His father couldn't pull anything away, or do anything, because almost all the teachers seen it, and he couldn't do anything. They were almost attempted murder, but instead of prison, he only got house arrest, that was his father's influence, so he can be a freeman when he turns 21." Nate finished in a sad tone.
That pissed the girls off, sure he can never leave his home without permission, but his home was big, almost twice as big as Jaune's, so he's not missing anything.
"And that's not all." Aria then spoke up. Gaining the attention of everyone. "That girl who caused Jaune so much trouble. Her family is influential, just like Jeffery. She is very manipulative, hiding behind her parents money. Which is why she had that major freak out when she was arrested, she was never told no essentially." Aria said to them.
"And since her parents are rich, she was able to get away with a lot of stuff like bullying. And you have all seen, she is a beautiful woman, and they will take her side instead of Jaune's. It didn't help that Jaune was an outcast at his school, so everyone will flock to her, rather than to defend him." Replied Isabella 'Izzy' Arc. She is only a year older than Jaune. She was somewhat of a girly girl, essentially the cheerleader that every guy wants to be with. She like her others sisters were blessed with being gorgeous, she is also considered to be the most attractive out of all the siblings, the girls are an 8 at worst, while she is a 9 at worst. She is also blessed with a smarts, not like the most smartest of the Arc children, but great school work, great in sports, she was perfect in a lot of guys eyes. But she is also known to be the a woman no one could bag, because for her, if you are not nice, or at least care for her brother, you are not with me.
Everyone was silent, taking in what everyone has said, but then Jaune let out a sigh.
"I can understand all of your reasons for babying me, I am the only guy, besides dad, and are afraid to let me go, or be hurt." Jaune said to them understanding their fears.
"But, like how Yang said about her and Ruby, she was afraid to let her go, just about every parent who hears that their, son, or daughter to be a hunter. But, some do talk them out of it, but those who stick to their guns like I did, their parents probably didn't like it, but they still supported them." Said to his family, with a slight glare, but to them it felt like a death glare.
"Honestly, I do get your concerns with the danger, I also downsized it, because of the stories you had told me about, I always assumed that the grimm were less dangerous than I thought, but hearing about aura, and the strength that I have seen. I truly understood the danger, but, I was still willing to do what's right, and protect the others around me, and others who need it." Jaune said to them.
With the ones from Beacon look at him with appreciation. With Ruby glomping him slightly. She was glad to have a best friend like him, she would be glad to have him as a teammate. They all felt the same way. Yang, was glad he didn't see her as a piece of meat, Pyrrha for seeing her, as her. Ruby, for accepting her, and all her quirks. And for Ilia, for accepting her just like any other girl, and never see her as an animal, it gave her hope, that humans and faunus can get along.
"And, it is partially my fault." Jaune confessed which confused everyone. "I didn't stand up for myself earlier, for one, I was afraid to do anything." Jaune confessed.
When your bullied, and treating like dirt, and have no one in your corner besides your family for so long, it's very difficult to stand up for yourself, you hear it so much about yourself, you end up believing it, and fearing the consequences. Standing up to your bully can help you, but sometimes it can make things worse depending on the people.
"I didn't want to get hurt, and I didn't want to let all of you to be dragged down with me, and not let them do anything to any of you. I wanted you all to be happy, so I refused to do anything." Jaune said to them looking down, in shame. This caused his family to tear up, he wanted to let them be happy, at the cost of his own. Cheesy reason and explanation, but it is the truth. He loved them so much, while they barely did anything, no support, barely standing up for him, and for what, for him to lose his dream!
That broke them, and they all got up, and hugged Jaune crying, and begging for forgiveness, the Beacon crew stepped aside to give them their space, with tears coming from them too, Ruby pulled her friends in a group hug for comfort, which all accepted. After 5 mins of crying, Jaune's mother and father approached them.
"Thank you all so much for being for our son, I am so sorry things had to turn out this way, please continue to look out for him when we can't, he can always use more support." Anne spoke up to them.
Ruby looked up, with beautiful silver eyes, and gave a bright smile. "You got it!" Ruby said with confidence, with Pyrrha voicing her agreements, along with Yang, and Ilia. This caused Nate, and Anne to hug them all, this stunned them for a little bit, but they quickly reciprocated it. Ruby, Yang, and Ilia felt amazing to be held by a loving mother again, they missed that feeling to highest degree. "We promise to look after him, and continue to be in his life no matter what." Pyrrha said, giving her signature smile, but it was a real genuine smile.
After 30 mins talking about what they talked about, Jaune came to them to drop a bomb on them. "Mom, dad, everyone, thank you so much, for supporting me now. But, I after graduation, I believe I should leave." Jaune said to them, shocking everyone. "WHAT?!" They all yelled at him.
"But bro why?" Izzy asked to him incredulously.
"You saw outside, if I stay here, things will only get worse, especially since I have my aura unlocked, everyone will have fear, anger, and hatred of me." Jaune said to them. It made since, that will really scare everyone. "Not only will they try to hurt me, they will try to hurt all of you, and destroy our home." Said Jaune saying the truth.
"And with everyone so weary of me, I will never be truly happy. I will just be walking around sad for the rest of my life, and I wouldn't be able to get a job properly, with everyone not wanting me around anyone." Jaune said to them, they all looked away sad knowing that this was true. He wouldn't be able to have a stable living, even selling the wheat and corn on the farm wouldn't go well.
"Let's not talk about of a love life for me, or lack thereof. No woman in this town would want to be around me, I was already bad when it came to women before all of this, and this just put me in the grave, and no, no introducing me to women you think will be good for me, those won't always work out, especially without doing it without my permission." Jaune said sternly.
This caused Jaune's family to wince at that, especially, the women, they always thought of putting Jaune on blind dates, to get him a girlfriend thinking that, that will help him out. Yang and Ilia looked at Jaune in sad eyes, he doesn't deserve that fate, Yang see's that a lot with her Uncle Qrow, that is one of the reasons why he drinks, the man is really lonely, all because he doesn't want to hurt them.
While both Ruby, and Pyrrha looked away, with blushes on their faces.
But then Jaune dropped a bigger bomb.
"Keep in mind, with all this hatred, and dislike towards me, this will attract a lot of grimm, we only have so many huntsmen, and huntresses in this town, and there is probably a few people with their aura's unlocked, but they will not know how to use it properly. Ansel will be over run, even with our Militia." Jaune said seriously to all of them.
That made everyone perk up, he was right, that will really mess up the village in the long run. With all the negativity, that will attract the grimm to them, and they won't have any hunters to come fast enough. They hated the fact that Jaune was right about that, that he justified his means to leave.
"B-but Jaune where will you go?" Asked Aria. Jaune looked down.
"I don't know really yet, but I know people would not want to be around me, so, maybe I can be a farmer on my own, move out somewhere more secluded, so no one will be afraid of me, and where no one can hurt me." Jaune said while rubbing the back of his head, while having a sad smile, and look in his eyes, while looking at the ground. The Beacon students look at him in shock, he was planning on being a hermit, living away from everyone.
Living by yourself in this world is essentially a death send. They had to think.
Pyrrha had a thought. "Why not go to Argus, it is wear I was born, raised, and trained, I can get you help, with a job, and training if you need it." Pyrrha was desperate to help him. And with her resources she can help give him a good life, to live better and happily. She can have a better excuse of going back to Argus, rather than seeing her family. She can get closer to him there! It's a win-win! Buuutt, it was a short lived dream. When Jaune shook his head, and rejected the offer!
"Thank you Pyrrha, but no." This confused the beacon students, except his family. "B-but w-why Jaune?" Pyrrha asked in utter confusion, and sadness.
"My last sister lives Argus….along with her wife, and my soon to be nephew." Jaune reasoned with, which caused everyone to wince, but then Ilia spoke up confusingly.
"But wait, shouldn't you be safe there, Argus is all the way Near Solitas, at the edge at Anima, I don't think the news will have spread that far?" Ilia tried to give her help in what she could do. She could try to help him out with some of the Faunus of where he goes to, but, it may be difficult, because she doesn't know which are ex White Fang in Anima, since she left, she doesn't have her contacts anymore. But, it hurt her to see a good human like him to be hurt like this.
"It spread to Beacon, it's probably all over Remnant by now, and some people will love to just bury me, if they see me." Jaune gave another point. They really didn't like this, they don't want Jaune to be alone, they need to do something, maybe even someone to look out for him, they know he can look start to look after himself, since his aura is unlocked, and his father has trained him how he can use it properly now. But, they still wanted to help him.
But, then Ruby perked up, what if they gave people the idea of someone, a huntsman no less, 'watching' over him.
"Yang come here!" Ruby yelled out, and dragged Yang to talk privately.
"Ruby, what are yo-?" "No time lets go!" Ruby interrupted her to go talk in the hallway. This confused everyone to no end. After they were talking in the hallway they heard mumbling, with Yang getting a little loud, but quickly became hushed, and then became happy, and grew to excitement. They both walked in Ruby smiling, and Yang giving a slight grin.
"We have a great idea." Ruby said to them happily. "More of Rubes, but I agreed with it." Yang said. "How about Jaune goes to Patch, it's where me and Yang are from, it's big, but not huge, a lot of people with aura, and are trained, it's where me and Yang studied at, before going to Beacon. And our dad lives there!" Ruby said cheerfully. Everyone looked in interest, but Pyrrha asked. "That's good Ruby, but, why did you mentioned, that your father lives there?" She asked, of course their father lives there, they grew up there. Ruby then put her hands on her hips, and smiled confidently.
"I was talking to Yang to let Jaune stay at our house, or near our home, with our dad there to help train him, and look after him." Ruby said to them. But, Jaune had his disagreements.
"Ruby thank you but, I don't want your dad to be in trouble because of me." Then Ruby got in front of him, looking directly in his eye, with a look that says, 'I will not take now for an answer'.
"Nope." Ruby said. This got Yang to face palm slightly, when Ruby gets like that she will not take no for an answer
"Nope?" Jaune asked. "Nope." Ruby replied again.
"You need our help Jaune, and we want to help you in any way we can, our dad won't mind if we put in a good word, and he will not be effected negatively, he is well respected, and if he puts in a good word for you, people around there will start to trust you more, and realize that, that 'girl' is a liar." Ruby finished explaining, ending with 'girl' with disdain.
"She's right you know, I had my gripes about her decision, but when she explained it more, it made sense. Dad is well known guy on Patch, and is a teacher at Signal Academy, the same school we went to. He trained me all I know with hand to hand, he can help train you, and you can be force to be reconned with. And you won't have to worry about him getting bad rep with you associated with him. He won't care." Yang said to him.
"Buuutt, he may be a little weary of you, since your friends with us, and you are a boy." Yang said with a slight wince.
Jaune had to admit it was a good idea, and he could see their father's logic, of being weary of him, he may not be a parent, but he can understand that. His parents nodded with being weary of him, due to being the opposite gender, they can respect that.
"Jaune if you are so sure about moving out, I won't stop you, but taking their offer can truly help you in the long run. With a well known huntsman vouching for you, it will work out for you in the long run, if you truly want to help yourself, and protect us. But I ask you son, are you sure you want to leave?" Nate spoke up to him.
Jaune looked down in thought, thinking how this can turn out. It was a good plan, and with support like that, I could he say no. But he has one more concern. "Is he ok with this, I don't you called him yet?"
Ruby, and Yang Blinked, and then Ruby fished out her scroll to call her father.
After a few rings, her dad picked up. "Well if it isn't my little rose bud how are you?! And my little Sunny Dragon, what a great surprise!" Taiyang Xia Long exclaimed out. Causing a giggle and groan from the girls. "Daaadd, don't embarrass us." Ruby said, with both her, Yang, and Tai giggling, which was infectious, with everyone else giggling. Ruby, straightened up being serious.
"Dad, I could use your help with something." Ruby said to him. This caused her dad to become serious.
"What do you need Ruby?" Tai asked seriously himself.
Ruby told him everything with what happened, her friend Jaune, what happened to him, everything.
Tai was quiet, but was pissed. "Is he there right now?" Ruby nodded. "Hand him the scroll, I want to see him." Tai said to her, and gave Ruby the scroll, to Jaune. He looked at Jaune studying him. "Looking at him, I can tell he is not a person like that, but knowing him is more better than first glances." Tai said out loud. "Now let me ask you young man, do you want to do this?" Jaune thought about it with all the support he has from everyone, how can he turn this down. They all care about him, and having a huntsman teacher helping him out, how can he say no to that?!
"Yes, yes I am sir." Tai then nodded and smiled. "Great, and are your parents ok with this?" Tai asked with Jaune turning the scroll towards them. Jaune's mom was hesitant but, she knew the reasons, and she wanted to keep supporting her son. She, and her husband both nodded. "Yes we allow him, and Tai, please look after our son, he needs more people who care about him." Anne said to him, looking almost pleading. Tai just smiled and gave a light laugh,
"Hey don't worry, I will help, my daughter spoke highly of him before, I was scared because, boy with my daughter." Tai said to them, with Nate, and Anne laughing a little agreeing with him. Jaune turned the scroll back to him. "Well there you have it, you can come here in a week, so you can have everything all situated for you." Jaune smiled and gave a nod but froze, when seeing Tai deadly serious.
"But keep in mind the training won't be easy, are you absolutely sure you don't want to back out of it, I won't blame you, if you want to." Tai said to him, with everyone silent, praying that Jaune will accept, and be safe. Jaune a steely look and said agreed. "I accept the training." Jaune said which caused the girls from beacon to smile, and give a slight blush, his declaration, was inspiring, and surprisingly, hot to them?
Tai just smiled. "Alright then kid see you in a week, and be prepared." Tai finally said to him, which Jaune nodded, and gave the scroll back to Ruby. "I am so proud of you Rubes, for doing the right thing for others, I hope to talk, and/ or see you two soon!" Tai said enthusiastically. Which caused her daughters to smile. "See you soon dad!" Both Ruby, and Yang yelled out.
With that they hung up the scroll, and then everyone jumped and hugged Jaune. They were all glad things were going to work out for him, he was crying tears of joy, he felt so much love and acceptance, it was overwhelming. His future can be a bright one he just needs to reach out more and seize it!
Author's Note: I believe this is my most longest chapter, so Jaune will be going to Patch to stay with Tai, while he finishes Online classes, and be there for the time being he will train to be a better fighter, and man. Will he be able to do more in the future, or will he settle and just be a farmer in the future, lets see!