10 June 2017

Discovery.

"One more time…" He tiredly uttered, wiping away streams of sweat from his face. Taking in a couple of deep breaths, his blue gleamed in the dim moonlight as he was determined to swing his blade a couple more times.

"Hyaaa!" His battle cry reached afar as the travelling sound had very few obstacles troubling it.

"Hyaaa!" He cried out even harder, his face twisting and distorting in many shapes and forms, but all expressions of desperate struggle, his technique faltering so he merely pushed the blade from one way to another.

"Hyaa!" Still, the gleam in his blue was of something powerful, a vision he clung on to so dearly, so strongly.

Do your best and have faith it'll be enough.

A brother by bond, he'd always try not to disappoint.

Come on, Jaune! Show everyone what you're really made of!

For her to drop her composure and cheer so lively, there's no way he'd settle with anything less than his best.

You're so close! Break his legs!

Even if not exactly his intention, it suited him well enough.

You can do it, Jaune!

She always said so, but what truly mattered was the sincerity in her voice.

"Hyaa!"

The mace which came at him, he saw clearly. Hence, the strike stopped at his shield, and with a mighty push, his foe was staggered, creating a perfect opening.

"Come on!"

His sword struck true. Not only the flash of pain across his foes face told him so, but also the oh so satisfying drop of aura in his bar.

"One more!"

A single one. All he needed to rise victorious was a single more strike.

"Do it!"

The rush of adrenaline surging through was simply indescribable. The world around him went silent, only his own feverish heartbeats still audible to his ears. All the while, just a single scene, vision visible before his eyes. His teachers hand pointed to him, her lips mouthing the words;

'Jaune Arc won today.'

"Then why?!"

In that singular moment where everything seemed just right, his hopes and reality finally coming together and forming something called a chance, he lost a touch with reasoning, and arched his hand back way too far.

Ting!

Crocea Mors was stopped short by the mace, his opponents two hands easily overpowering his one. With a pain filled grunt, his body got battered away by a powerful hit to the unprotected side. He toppled over multiple times, stopped, inhaled sharply, and felt his ribcage begging him to move as little as possible. Truth be told though; he'd gladly accept the broken bones just to not hear the following sentence.

'Sorry Jauney boy, it's your loss again.'

The light in his blue orbs got snuffed out.

"Damnit!" Jaune thrusted his sword into the ground, leaving it embedded there. He himself fell to his knees, physically and emotionally exhausted.

"Damnit…" He uttered, doubling over till his forehead touched the cold soil, the night itself being rather warm.

"I was so close…so close…" He clenched his eyes and fists alike, then uttered a string of curses just to relieve himself somehow. Minutes laying like that on the ground, he slowly rose to his feet and picked up his sword. His face reflecting a feeling calmer than before, he looked over the brilliant lights faintly visible from the city of Vale. Doing so, an idea popped in his mind and with no second thoughts, he turned on his heels and left the Beacon campus.

…

An hour or two later. Central park of city of Vale.

Now this is much better. Jaune pleasantly mused as he sipped his apple juice. Enjoying the way his fresh, tasty liquid traveled through his system, blonde leader leaned further back on his stool and let out a content sigh. The breeze which gently whipped his face was also nice, and the starless sky while lacked in beauty, had something else to it. Perhaps the sense of tranquility and solitude.

Just what I need. He figured and rested pretty much all of his weight on the arms. Closing his eyes, Jaune emptied his mind. No happy thoughts, no bad ones, just he himself and the starless sky above. In this state of purity, moments passed and turned into seconds, seconds passed and turned into minutes, then minutes added up to form an hour. He simply bided his time on the stool, and listened to breeze as it passed him. Nothing much, but everything he needed right now.

You really like the stars, don't you?

Somehow, after much time of tranquility, he remembered her words.

Opening his eyes, Jaune noted, but a single star was visible right now. Feeble, barely reflecting any light at all, but there. In that endless, dark pool of uncertainty.

I do. His answer always remained the same, even as he grew older.

Why?

He snickered.

Because I want to be like one when I grow older. Was the earliest answer he could remember giving her. An unusually cold wind blew past him, but Jaune didn't shiver the slightest.

I'm sure you will.

He closed his eyes again, a little smile across his lips. It faded quickly though as he opened his eyes again and gazed at the struggling star.

So, so close to fading out it was.

Just how long can I keep this up? He asked himself, completely uncertain about the answer. Is it even worth it to keep this up? He found himself asking in briefest of a moment, the star above disappearing right before his eyes.

The following beep in his pocket put him out of his reverie, and he fished out his scroll.

'Hi!

I was just wondering; how are you doing? I hope great since I'm doing great right now.

P.S. You're still my hero!'

Was the short message he had received.

He read it a couple more times, his face brightening more and more each time he did. Placing the scroll back into his pocket, he looked at the starless sky, his smile little, but also meaningful.

That's one way to remind me. He thought and picked himself up.

'I really appreciate it, but also want to remind you that staying up late is not good for you. I know you like to do it, but you're in for some trouble if you'll continue doing it.' Would be, more or less, the text he'd sent her later. Right now though, he'd simply walk back to his dorm.

…

The streets were pretty much deserted as Jaune strolled down them. The night itself being silent because of it. Mostly, at least, since the roaring of an engine could be heard in a far distance, although, also seemed to be getting closer to him. He didn't pay much attention to it, of course, not at least until the source of the sound was in his view, and he quickly realized it was a flashy, yellowish motorbike.

Bumblebee.

"Yang." He quietly uttered and decided to offer her a wave of his hand.

She gave him one too, then passed him and Jaune figured that was the end of that. However, he stopped in his tracks short and turned around at the screeching sound of brakes and tires alike.

After she did a crazy quick 180, infamous brawler rode closer to him and stopped. Taking off her helmet, she shook her head to let her hair fall back to its natural wildness.

"Sup, blondey." Yang greeted him as she came over.

"Sup." He greeted her back.

"So, what are you doing this late?"

"Exactly what it seems like. Just enjoying a walk."

"This late?" She grinned and he couldn't understand what she was getting at. "Sorry, it's just the image of you in a onesie made me think you'd be sleeping like a toddler by now."

"Aww, come on. How much longer will you guys tease me for it?"

"Relax, princess." She friendlily slapped him across the shoulder. "I just didn't take you for the type to enjoy being up late."

"I know, I know." He admitted he wasn't upset. "But I do, from time to time anyway." He explained, then went silent for a moment.

She didn't say anything for some time being as well. Instead, the way she eyed him seemed to indicate she was surveying him in some way or another. Eventually, Jaune found the silence to be awkward, and decided to speak up but Yang beat him to it.

"How's it going for you?"

"Fine, I suppose," He said indifferently, then started to wonder about the reason of her gaze changing once he said so. "Why?"

"Just cause." She said, and could immediately tell he didn't buy into that. "It's Ruby, Jaune." She admitted flatly. "She's worried about you. Said you looked really down today, well, yesterday but whatever. Didn't want to talk to anyone and stuff like that."

"Oh." He started so simply, but something clicked in his mind. "Wait, were you searching for me this whole night?"

The way she laughed at his words made him realize before she even said a thing. "Of course not. I just happened to bump into you while having a ride. Decided I mind as well check on you, though."

"Makes sense." He reasoned, then uttered no more. Silent treatment in a way, but more so just his hope she'd get the cue across.

After reaching the point where he himself started to feel uncomfortable, it dawned to him she didn't. Either that or she was just really stubborn. Both options seemed plausible, but he didn't care enough to pick one. Instead, he sighed and decided to finally gaze into her lilac. A contact she tried to make this whole time while his eyes were going all around hers.

"…It sucked." He slowly started. "Losing again while being so close, just one hit way from being victorious, it just…" His features wrinkled sourly. "It sucked, and I was super pissed about it. Still am, a little." He continued, then for a single moment remembered the message he got. "I'm okay now, though. Seriously."

She found his words to be truthful. "I guess Ruby can rest easy then."

"Yea. Just knowing she worries about me, makes me worry about her." He chuckled and she did too.

"I appreciate it, by the way."

"What?"

"The fact how close you two are. I mean, Ruby's not the type to make friends so easily, but…" She stopped for a moment, then smiled. "When she does, they always seem to be the right ones, know what I mean?"

He nodded, fully understanding what she meant while also being in agreement. What he didn't fully understand was her following sentence as it came completely out of the blue.

"That being said, wanna come with me to a place where you can let all the frustration out?"

"Say again?"

"I know a perfect place where you can let free all of your emotions. Leave yourself a clean slate, so to say."

"I…I don't know. I mean, I'm feeling much better now so do I really need that?"

"I think you do." She pressed on. "I figure, you're the type to bottle up your feelings till you can't hold them together. They explode and two people are hurt as a result of it. You, and the person on the receiving end." She stated so calmly, it somehow sent the chills ran down his spine. Maybe he was wrong though since her eyes turned red, and she refused to look anywhere else other than dead center of his blue.

When she got hold of his hand, he was startled.

"Come on."

"B-but wait, I'm not sure if I want to…" He uttered quietly, but followed her to the bike anyway.

"Trust me, once you'll try it, you will want to. Now, sit on the bike and hold tight." She urged him calmly. Luckily, right type of calmly.

He was still unsure of her proposal, of course, but decided to go along for now.

She tried out the gas three times, then really gave it a go and blaze away they did.

…

"Lord Almighty, I thought I was a goner." Jaune uttered, his face drenched in cold sweat, knees shaking with no compromise.

Yang slapped him across the back. "But it was fun, right?"

He gave her a look which immediately told her a 'no.'

"Relax, blondey." She snickered, clearly not troubled he looked as pale as a corpse. "You're still alive so that's what counts the most."

"Aha…"

"Anyway," She arched her thumb over her shoulder. "This is the place." She pointed to the building behind her back.

Jaune took a full breath, then lifted his gaze off the ground to have a look.

'Dragon slayer gym.'

He cringed.

"Yea, the name is kinda…lame, but forget that, let's go inside." She urged and fished out some keys.

Jaune stood solid in place, his look puzzling.

"What?"

"You have the keys?"

"Yea, so what?"

"Well, it's just…" He tried to find the correct way to phrase it.

She chuckled. "It's my dad's gym. Of course I have the keys."

"Your dad's?"

"Yea. Hasn't Ruby told you about it?"

He shrugged. "No, not really."

She opened the doors and welcomed him in. "To be fair, he opened it just recently, about two months back. Used to be a teacher at the Signal Academy, but then decided to stick closer to his heart; close combat."

After walking in, Jaune decided to observe the interior.

All the equipment really did look new. A ring placed in the very center, a cage from the right to it, the floor covered with red, soft material. Furthest wall covered with a huge mirror, several heavy bags of all sorts of shapes were lined close to the wall on the left. Speed bags, medicine balls, gloves, leg protectors and just a bunch of other stuff too.

What really sold the deal though, was something unique to places like this one. That smell of worked up sweat which couldn't be shaken off completely even by the massive windows the gym had.

"Looks pretty neat," He said truthfully. "Also, didn't he teach combat at the Academy anyway, so what gives?"

"He did, but also had to deal with a bunch of paperwork, and he always hated that."

When she saw him grin, she had a good idea what he'd say. "Like father like daughter it seems."

Close enough. "Guess so, but believe it or not, my old man had it even worse than me. He got almost kicked out of Academy a couple of times."

When she saw him grin, she didn't know what to expect.

"Haven't you?"

She tried to slap him across the shoulder, but he dodged it.

"Whoa, nice reflexes there." She grinned.

"Sure are." He boasted jokingly.

"That being said, you won't need them today. Just a pair of gloves and hand-wraps."

He got the cue pretty quick. "So, I'll be hitting the heavy bag?"

"We'll be hitting the heavy bags." She corrected. "Since I'm here, mind as well put in some work too."

Jaune thought for a moment, then figured since he was here, mind as well give it a go.

"And you're sure it will help?"

"Especially if you'll imagine the bag being Cardin."

He chuckled. "To be honest, he's got a quite punch able face."

"Exactly." She agreed and handed him what he needed. "Know how to use them?"

He gave her a no-nonsense look. "I did finish the combat school somehow, right?"

She smiled, her expression seemingly simple, yet also with certain subtlety which hinted at something.

"Then be sure to let it all out. Not just today's-yesterday's share, but everything else you've bottled up." Her grin of encouraging, almost daring nature.

He returned the gesture, his blue slightly livelier. "Guess I can," He said, soon after the hand-wraps wrapped, gloves put on and his partner ready as well. Giving each other a look peculiar to their nature, they nodded and thereafter, the gym was filled with powerful thuds as they gave the damn heavy bags everything they had.