Ch. 86 Goodbyes before the road
"Are you sure we can't go with you?" Nora asked as both Jaune and Ruby finished packing their bags.
"You know how long it took you to walk here right? We can travel faster with just the two of us on my bike and Raven will get you to Vale when we get there."
Jaune had gone through this argument with Nora a few times now but he didn't mind reiterating.
"Plus it's not like you won't have anything to do. If anything I feel bad for leaving before the Spiders business is done and over with." Ruby added.
"I know but, Ren will be busy training with the headmaster. And the others don't really need me here…"
"What about Weiss?"
Nora stopped and pouted.
"...not fair, bringing up Weiss."
"Spend some time with her, who knows how long it will be before you two get to meet again." Ruby said kindly but with assertiveness that left little space for arguments.
"...fiiiine. Are you leaving today then?"
"After lunch, I'll need to talk to Verdant before that and Jaune needs to find Oscar…"
Nora grinned at the mention of Oscar.
"Azure will know… unless you can't find her either… but then we know what they might be" she couldn't finish her sentence as Ruby threw a cup filled with stationary at her.
"Yes, we know. They're not exactly being subtle."
"You mean like you two were?"
"More like you and Ren. Remember we actually managed to keep our relationship a secret while we were at school." Ruby teased back.
Jaune just smiled as he laced up and tied some clothes into his bag. Spring has begun properly and he could have Ren bring the winter clothes he left behind later so he packed light.
=O=O=O=
"Ah, miss Rose, good of you to find me before you left. Though I hope you'll make time to say goodbye to your father as well."
Ruby nodded before answering, her face kept as expressionless as she could manage given the topic.
"I'm gonna do that just before we leave… I'm… still holding onto the hope he wakes up before I leave."
Verdant sighed in understanding.
"I see… I'll be honest, miss Rose, from the moment your uncle and the students with him entered Mistral things were put into motion. Things I won't claim to understand and I suspect are in some way connected to the tragedy that was the Fall of Beacon. However to myself these were a wakeup call. I tried to do my part from the moment Lionheart suspended classes in Haven and I believed it was enough… I was, it would seem, wrong."
He stood by the window of his office and looked over Haven.
"Alas there are things more important to the both of us than discussing my part in this adventure of yours… I have a proposition to make, a gift you could say intended for mister Ren and miss Valkyrie." He looked to Ruby waiting for her reaction, but when he didn't get any he continued.
"I will make arrangements to have this gift make its way into their hands eventually, regardless of your input. However… I thought I may as well give you the courtesy as their team leader to run the idea past you first…"
=O=O=O=
When Jaune found Oscar it was little surprise to see him in the company of Azure and her partner, a young man covered from head to toe in jewellery.
"You're a nice guy Oscar, if you two ever break up I wouldn't mind taking her place, hmmm?"
"Oh uh we're not…" Oscar stammered while Azure just blushed profusely.
"Oh please, our entire team is just betting on when you make it official, you're not exactly subtle… or perhaps I should shoot my shot with you first?"
"Shut up, Jet! As if I'd let you of all people lay your hands on Oscar, you're notorious."
"Oh please I'm not that bad…" Jet waved the accusation off.
"You hit on every member of team SSSN, one by one, very publicly. I heard Vasilias is still jumpy when someone mentions us." Azure hissed back at him.
It was then that Jaune interrupted the conversation "Hey, sorry to butt in. Can I borrow Oscar for a second?"
"Ooohhh, and who might you be? I don't believe we've been introduced and you're just my type of man." Jet approached flirtatiously.
"Jaune, and sorry, I'm happily married."
"Oh that doesn't have to be a problem…"
"Cool your jets casanova! Don't mind him." Azure cut him off by grabbing onto him in a choke hold and pulling her partner away. "I'll take this one back to our dorm and come find you later Oscar."
"Uh, yeah, later Azure… Jet." Oscar waved them off awkwardly.
"Sorry Jaune, what did you need to talk about?"
"Nothing serious, just thought I'd give you one last once over to see how you're recovering. You know, considering I'm leaving later."
"Oh, right." Oscar fidgeted a little under Jaune's scrutinising gaze, feeling like the man was staring into his soul… which he kinda was.
"Well I can't feel anything wrong. Sure, your soul is still healing from tearing you two apart, but it's healing. That's the important bit. I'm guessing by the time we see eachother again you should be completely recovered."
"Thanks, that's… good to hear." he replied with a wry smile.
"Right, so the other thing. Have you given it any thought?"
"I have, but it's… I'm not sure yet."
Jaune smiled reassuringly and patted Oscar on the back. "It's fine, you have a couple of weeks before the choice even becomes relevant and it's not like you can't change your mind later, especially if you decide to stay here for a while."
"Except for the journey all the way to the Kingdom of Vale."
Jaune cringed a little and nodded in agreement "...except for that. But I'm sure you could catch a ride on a transport from Haven to Beacon… once those become a thing again."
"Right… well, thanks for checking up on me. I'll come see you off later." Oscar attempted to cut the awkward conversation short.
"Yeah, now go find Azure" Jaune grinned in understanding "I have a dusty old Qrow to hunt down."
=O=O=O=
Jaune sat on Equinus di Ardera Ventis, his own bag clipped on one side of it while Ruby's was fastened on the other.
Qrow had already started flying ahead. They would pick him up once they left the city. At least not everyone could be sure that Qrow actually left. Or at least wouldn't be sure he left with them.
A bird can fly fast, but Jaune's bike is still faster. There would be a few sleepless nights along the way, but Jaune was fine with that. He had slept well enough in the past few days after leaving the Relic with Keel. A few sleepless nights were nothing in comparison to the months of bad sleep he got before.
People were starting to notice him sitting in the courtyard now, but most didn't have much to say to him. Some of the new students were taking pictures of his bike but that was about it.
The boys from team SSSN along with Weiss and Blake had already said their goodbyes during lunch. Yang and Pyrrha had accompanied Jaune to the courtyard and helped him strap the bags to the bike, Yang's expertise on the topic coming in handy. The two were now waiting for Ruby outside of the medical wing, to give Ruby the privacy to say goodbye to Taiyang before saying their own goodbyes.
Ren and Nora were the only ones to actually see them off, though Nora was still a little annoyed about having to stay.
"I promise, the moment we get close to my home, you can come over. Raven promised to keep an eye on us, she'll know when we get there. Just try not bothering her too much, I'd rather she didn't get annoyed with us and refuse to transport you."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll only ask in moderation." Nora answered half heartedly.
"Ren?"
"I'll keep her distracted." he simply replied, which made Nora grin, a little blush covering their faces.
"Good, you do that." Jaune nodded, having already come to the conclusion that the two may enjoy having a room to themselves again.
"Oh, and one more thing. I know it was mostly Qrow's fault last time, but I'd rather you didn't get hurt if you come across some really dangerous Grimm, and with your track record, I'm half expecting a Goliath to storm Haven the moment I leave. So here: Virga Fulgur and Eminus Arcus." As he spoke those words a familiar spear and an unfamiliar bow materialised in his hands.
"You already know the Lightning Rod and this little thing is the Long Range Bow… not the most creative name I know, but that's what it is, once you draw the bowstring you can push Aura into it, there are reservoirs here and here, well more like capacitors I guess, when you let go the magnetic servos here and here actually add tension to the bow limbs and make them shoot harder and faster. Sorry it isn't the most fancy thing I've ever created, but I figured I should make it before I leave you again. I did promise after all, and an Arc never goes back on his word."
Ren was silent as he took the bow in his hands carefully, almost reverently. Memories of his father filled his mind as he held the bow. Memories of when his father taught him how to shoot arrows into a straw target in their backyard.
"Hey Jaune?" Nora said as she held the Lightning Rod.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks. For both of them."
The smile on Nora's face as she watched Ren refamiliarise himself with a bow was sweet and genuine.
=O=O=O=
Ruby walked into the empty hospital room. Empty except for the beeps of medical equipment and the soft breathing of her father.
"Hi dad…"
He looked like he was just asleep. injuries were healed in their entirety now, he just didn't wake up.
Ruby placed her hand over his gently as she continued.
"I'm sorry dad. If I…"
If she had done better maybe he wouldn't have ended up so injured.
"Sorry. I'm going to Vale now, back to Patch. Back home… at least for a little bit. Can you believe Qrow entrusted Zwei to Torchwick of all people? I'm going to make sure…" she smiled but her voice quavered and tears filled her eyes "...I'm going to make sure he didn't teach Zwei something weird."
Ruby leaned down and kissed her dad on the forehead. A single tear, sparkling with silver light, landed on his cheek as she whispered. "Get well soon, okay?"
She didn't look back as she left the room, tears rolling down her face, her mind racked with guilt.
Perhaps had she looked back, she might have seen her father stir slightly.
Perhaps had she stayed for just a few minutes more, she'd hear him whisper a name.
"Summer?"
=O=O=O=
Author's note:
HE'S AWAKE! A shame he woke up a little too late to see Ruby off. For once I succumbed to the idea of "wouldn't it be cruel of me to do that to her" so I did. To be fair though at least he woke up right? As for Verdant's gift, well that is a surprise for later.
Also, if you wonder about why I didn't show of the creation of Emicus Arcus or it's features, I feel like the impact its existence has on Ren is more important than it's features or materials.
As for my personal life I'm still running on fumes, but it's getting easier. If I could just stop myself from procrastinating I would be golden.
But hey if you want to support me you can do so on P a treon . com (slash) OlympianScribe
Anyway I hope you enjoyed and are looking forward to the next chapter: Ch. 87 Big boom by the roadside