A/N: This was my entry for perfilles-studio's Dragonslayer (Yang x Jaune) fanfic contest on Tumblr. This Fanfic is based on his drawing (story image). I've never posted much of what I've written anywhere, so I'm kinda (very) nervous. Honestly, I love the dragonslayer ship in RWBY, so I hope I can do it some justice. Please give me some feedback, how else could I get better! Anyway, enough ramblings, let's get the story started!

Mistral was a beautiful kingdom. It had large, architecturally outstanding buildings, wonderful food, and lush gardens and parks that people can walk through. So it seems odd that at an inn in the clear evening on a Friday night, that there were two blonde teens that were just sitting around doing nothing.

"This place so boooring" groaned out Yang as she leaned back in her chair. Jaune only sighed in agreement, sitting in an armchair adjacent to Yang.

Ruby and Weiss were off restocking on everyone's munitions and dust for the upcoming trip to Atlas. Blake was at a meeting with Sun, Ilia, Ghira, and Kali to discuss what to do with all the Faunus troops they brought to fight as well as spending some more time with her parents before she'd have to leave again. Nora and Ren were on their actual first date, and Ozpin/Oscar was passed out sleeping with Qrow watching over him. That left only Yang and Jaune at the in inn's lobby...alone...together.

Jaune awkwardly rubbed the back of his head "Yeah, it is. Although after everything that happened yesterday, not much can compare to that amount of excitement."

"I guess. Still, would have been nice if someone invited us along on one of their outings."

"Would you really have wanted to tag along on Ren and Nora's first date?"

"Heheh, you got a point. Okay, anyone but those two. They definitely deserve some quality alone time."

Jaune let out a soft chuckle. "Without a doubt. You're right though, it's pretty boring here. Wish we went with Weiss and Rubes. At least we would be doing something."

"Hmmmm," was hummed from Yang, showing her agreement. A few beats later she jumped up and startled backward and knocking over his chair. "Why don't we just go out then!?"

Standing back up and picking up his toppled armchair, Jaune was blushing at what he just heard. "W-what do you mean Yang! What's with all the sudden excitement?"

Yang was only getting more hyped and her smile was growing brighter. "I just realized I've never been to Mistral before! I've never seen this place in person or been to any of its shops, restaurants, or anything! So let's go!" before she was done she had already started moving towards the door.

Sighing in relief, he started to follow her before he realized what he was doing. "Wait you want me to come with you?"

Stopping at the door she turned around, bright smile still on her face. "Yeah! Unless you'd rather stay here by yourself?"

"Well, okay then, if you want to. I'll try not to cramp your style."

"Please, like you could! I got more than enough "style" for both of us."

Walking through the door, he turned around and started walking backward slowly to face her. "Good to know. So Yang, where do you want to go?"

Yang jogged up right next to him. "No idea Jaune. Like I said, I've never been to Mistral before. So let's just go out there and wing it! We'll definitely find something that'll make this night rock!" Yang finished her sentence with a fist into the air, sure that the night would be filled with awesome!

"'Let's just go out there' you said."

"Shut up."

"'Let's wing it' you said."

"Shut up Jaune."

"'We'll definitely find something to make th-"

"Shut up! Okay, I get it, it wasn't a good idea after all! I was wrong! Now, will you please stop patronizing me!?"

Jaune still had the courage to give a light smile. "What? After all the teasing you've done to me? I am not passing this small chance up. When will I ever get a chance to tease you for a change?"

As it turns out going into a brand new city doesn't yield great results. They basically walked around half of Mistral for a few hours. It only took a half hour to realize they really did have no idea where to go. They tried to find a bar or club to go to, requested by Yang, but they were denied entry either because they were too young, being only 17 each, or because they were already packed and had a waiting line several hours long.

When that failed they decided to try to find shops or places to go eat but ended up walking into quite a large residential area...which they got lost in. Yup, not a proud moment for the teens asking an elderly couple how to get back to the main city.

After they got back they just wandered some more, but the two started having a good conversation, all night they'd just been saying a few sentences every now and then and then walked in silence. They talked about, goals, hobbies, and stories about the pasts. Yang told Jaune about her first trip to a club and Jaune told her about his family going to the nearby lake for family days every week.

They actually stopped paying attention to where they were walking. They ended up in one of Mistral's greatest parks. It had a web of trails to hike through a large forested section of Mistral, the best spot was the trail that was along a small cliff, overlooking most of Mistral. The only thing separating the cliff edge and the people on the trail was an eight foot, chain link fence. This was also the place the two blondes ended up.

"Well, aren't you mister confidence right now." Yang bitterly grumbled.

Jaune flinched at her tone. It was a rare sight to see Yang Xiao-Long down in the dumps. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you so much."

Yang sighed heavily before looking at Jaune. "It's not that Jaune. I just wanted this night to be great, fun, or hell, even just okay and peaceful. We're off to Atlas in a few days. Who knows what will happen there." Yang walk over to the fence that separates the trail from the cliff. "It's probably only going to get worse right? I mean, we are pretty much at war with Salem. We've already had to fight for our lives just a few days ago. We'll probably have to it again."

Jaune stared at Yang in shock. He would have never thought Yang was thinking stuff like this. "Yang, why are you thinking like that? We have to stay positive. If we don't then they'll already have won."

"Oh, you're one to talk. Didn't you say 'They're the ones that matter' to Cinder?"

"I was angry!"

"And so am I."

Jaune stared at Yang, baffled. Yang never doubted herself before, why now? What was different?! The answer came when Yang put her hand on the fence in front of her. Her right hand. The one she lost.

Jaune swallowed, knowing he had to be blunt. "It's because if your arm isn't it?"

Yang spun to face him, glare already set. Red eyes and all. "What was that?" The danger layered in her question was also blunt.

He pushed through though" The reason you're scared now, the reason you're questioning yourself and us. It was because of you losing your arm at Beacon."

Yang's right hand clenched. Then she released it and a sigh. "Since when are you so smart VB?"

Jaune chuckled. "I guess about the time as you. So, what's wrong?"

Yang turned back around, hand going back to the fence. "I always thought I was unkillable. Sure, I'd get hurt in a fight or spar, but I never thought I'd be hurt to the point. Then The Fall happened. Adam happened." The creak from the fence being crushed under Yang's hand made Jaune flinched. "Everything went to hell. I guess it's just all the reality hit me down hard. I'm still trying to stand back up."

A hand on her shoulder got her to turn around. Jaune was their, with a pitying look in his eyes. No, not pity, sympathy. "Will you let me try to help you up?"

Yang threw a questioning look his way. It was answered by Jaune walking past her and the up the fence.

"Jaune!? What are you doing?!"

"Well, you'll see if you follow me!"

Yang looked around, and seeing only a hand full of people farther down the trail, she started climbing up. When she got the top, Jaune was sitting down on the top bar, legs dangling his legs off facing the cliff and Mistral. Yang decided to mirror his position. "Sooooo what now?" She drawled out.

Jaune only said one word "Look" before pointing. Yang followed his finger to see a breathtaking sunset over the kingdom of Mistral. "I wanted to remind you that the sun's still shining and that the world is still beautiful. We all went through The Fall. It was a dark time for all of us. We can't live in that darkness though, otherwise, they'll have one before we even start fighting."

Yang looked over at him to see a serious expression, but it was also hopeful and warm. It honestly made her heart skip.

"W-wow Vomit Boy, I didn't know you could be so romantic. If I had, we might be dating right now."

Jaune blushed like she knew he would. What he said next surprised her though. "Could you honestly see yourself dating me?"

Yang thought about it for a few seconds, then something came to mind. "I dunno...you could say I'm…" the smug grin on her face was the only warning Jaune had before Yang let loose on the fence! Eh, eh?"

The only response Yang received was a groan from the knight, but there was a laugh mixed in with it! The only one to ever laugh at here puns were her dad and Ruby when she was little. "There's the good old Yang we know and love! Glad to see you're feeling better."

Yang was feeling better! It's been so long since she's made a good pun and for someone to actually laugh at it too?! "Hahaha, thanks Jaune." Yang flipped around her seating on the fence. "Maybe we should get going though. The sunset is beautiful, don't get me wrong, but it also means it's almost dark. Everyone is probably going to be back now."

She was about to hop down, but something stopped her. Jaune grabbed her hand and squeezed it. A feeling of warmth and security rushed to her chest, it's origin the hand Jaune currently had in his grasp. "As long as you promise to have hope. For everything."

Yang closed her eyes, she liked the feeling of his hand holding hers. "Sure Jaune. I promise." She pulled his hand free and punched Jaune in the shoulder.

"WOAH!" Although the punch was apparently harder than she meant to because Jaune was knocked off the fence, luckily not off the cliff though. Jaune landed on the dirt trail with a thud.

Yang was down next to him a second later, leaning down to help pick him up. "Jaune! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!"

Jaune groaned. "I don't know. I guess I feel kinda, down in the dirt? How's that?"

Yang paused, before "Hahahahahahaha!" laughing so hard she nearly fell over. "That was great Jaune! I didn't know you had it in you!" She calmed down and offered a hand to him. An offer Jaune took, being pulled up and dusting himself off.

"You sure you okay Jaune?"

Jaune rolled his shoulders a few times. "Yeah, I'm fine. I can easily take more than that little fall."

"Good. So you think we should head back to the inn? The gangs probably waiting for us."

"Sure Yang."

"Well, I guess we should get walking."

With that the blonde duo started walking back down the trail they came on. As they walked, Yang looked down at Jaune's hand, recalling the feeling of him holding hers with it. Before she knew it, she had grabbed it, holding it with hers. It was Jaune that alerted her to what she did. "Yang? Why are you holding my hand?"

Yang didn't know herself, but that wasn't going to make her let go. It made her feel warm. "Just go with it Vomit Boy."

Jaune sighed in annoyance. "Are you ever going to drop that nickname?"

Yang let out a mocking hum. "Hmmmmm. Nope!"

Jaune just sighed again, getting Yang to laugh. Jaune decided to do as Yang said and just went with it, wasn't like he was really complaining. It did feel nice. That's how they continued to walk, holding hands, into an unsure, but definitely brighter, future.

"Hey Yang, how do we get back to the inn from here?"

His question was meant with silence from both parties until they spoke together.

"Crap."

A/N: And that's a wrap! Wow, I can't believe I finally got the confidence to post something I wrote for a change. I hope you liked it and I would really appreciate it if some people would give me some advice on my writing. This is my first post and I'd love to get better. Please, no straight out hate or flames though. No one likes those kinds of people.

This was written to be a one-shot, but I may (that's a very small may) expand on it in the future, possibly after RWBY shows us what Atlas is like in the next volume. I like to go back to old stories and continue them sometimes, so you never know!

Anyways, thank you again for reading and I'll hopefully see you guys and girls again in another post!

Fun fact: THIS WON SECOND PLACE IN THE CONTEST! OMG!

This is JustinEverything signing off for now!

(Posted on 7/7/2018)