Hey there friends. Hope everything is going well for all of you.

With formalities out of the way, I happily present the following Fanfic. I wrote a one-shot last week (JaunexBlake) and got some awesome feedback, so I decided to write another. Well, not exactly another, I do plan to continue writing this one (the last story will remain a one-shot) so it can't really be defined as a one-shot. Or can it? Don't really know the definition and don't really want to look it up...so yeah.

Enjoy, drop a review it you want!

RWBY is owned by Monty Oum and Roosterteeth.

"Courage is found in unlikely places."

Jaune bounced happily on his mother's knee. The fire crackled nosily behind him and the chair rocked back and forth every few seconds. Jaune was 8, and his mother balance his small frame with one hand and lightly held a book in the other.

Jaune eyed the book greedily, wanting to open it and read the secrets within. He reached for it, his grubby fingers gripping at the cover. His mother pulled it away, giving his nose a playful flick, laughing lightly. Jaune giggled and sat still, not taking his eyes off the book.

His mother licked her finger and opened up the cover, the leather crinkling and cracking. Jaune began to bounce again, a happy grin across his face. Seeing his smile, his mother laughed and kissed his head lightly.

"What fairytale would you like to hear Jaune?" Jaune paused his bouncing for a moment and scrunched his nose. The book was full of tales and adventures, each as fantastic as the last. Jaune took his thumb and gently stroked the corner of the hard leather, feeling the ridges under his smooth skin. He gripped his hand tightly and moved it back and forth in the air, making swooshing sounds.

"The one about the knight mama!" Jaune's mother smiled and turn through the book, slowly, watching as Jaune shook in anticipation. She paused at a page that was embroidered with the picture of a man in shiny armor. Jaune oohed and ran his hand along the picture feeling the stitching. His mother lightly slapped his hand and he pulled it back pouting. His face broke back into a smile as his mother began.

"Once upon a time, there was a knight." She glanced at Jaune, who seemed to be looking off into the distance, imagining something. "This knight was the bravest of all the knights in the land." Jaune mouthed the words as she spoke. "He wasn't the strongest, or the fastest, but he always did what was right." Jaune sat completely still and watched his mother as she read.

"One day all the knights in the land received a message from the King. The princess was missing, and he needed a knight to save her." Jaune smiled again and snuggled into his mothers shoulder, placing his head on her muscle. "Many of the knights were to scared, but the brave knight accepted immediately."

Jaune listened as the story went on, struggling to keep his eyes open. He listened as the knight went on an amazing adventure, fighting through immeasurable odds. Then at the end of the story the knight saved the princess and rode off with her, back to the kingdom.

Jaune yawned and looked at his mother with dropping eyes. "Am I brave mama?" Jaune's mother smiled and pushed her hand through his hair.

"You are the bravest little boy I have ever met. Never forget that." With a yawn, Jaune sank off into a peaceful sleep, thoughts of knights, dragons and princesses filling his dreams.

Jaune had never once stepped foot in a library in the entirety of his life. It wasn't that he actively avoided them, he just never saw the need to enter one. So it was a surprise that his feet, seeming to have a mind of their own at the moment, had directed him off of his bed, down the hall, and to the front door of the library.

Jaune guessed it was some sort of blessing in disguise. At the moment he wanted to be anywhere but in his room, under the scrutinizing gazes of his teammates. Don't get him wrong, he loved all of them, but the pressure was getting to him. He was a leader, an incredibly inept one, but a leader all the same. Things were expected of him, things he knew he couldn't do.

He was trying, he knew that meant something, but progress was slow. Phyrra was still training him almost every night, and he was getting better but with the Vytal Festival only weeks away, it might not be enough.

He thought about going back to his room but his curiosity got the best of him. Pushing with the flat of his palm, the door creaked open quietly and Jaune was immediately overwhelmed by the smell of paper.

There was a small sitting room off to the left and a series of tables strewn about between shelves, all stacked high with books and scrolls. Upon entering, a librarian looked up from a book she was reading and gave him the stink eye, obviously distrustful of the young man. Jaune smiled sheepishly and continued farther into the room, hoping to leave the scrutinizing gaze of the bibliophile.

One of the shelves had been pushed against a wall in the far corner and Jaune headed over to it, curiosity once again driving him. Some of the titles were outlandish and foreign, but Jaune was able to recognize a few works.

The Heroes of Vytal

A Collection of Poems

My Days With The Grimm

Jaune didn't choose any single book, but instead ran his hand along the spines of all of them, enjoying nothing more than the sound of his hand rubbing against the cloth.

He almost moved on when something caught his eye. On the far end of the bottom shelf he spotted a book. To the average reader it would appear no more exiting than any other book in the room, but to Jaune it might have been a unicorn.

He bent down quickly and tugged it off the shelf, coughing as his face was peppered with small particles of dust. The outer shell was still covered in a thick layer of grim and he quickly rubbed it with his shirt, not caring that he would now need to wash it. Little by little the book the cover became clearer.

Fairytales

Jaune smiled and tucked the book under one arm, walking back into the center of the room. Luckily the library was empty, save for the librarian who was now sleeping quietly in her chair, so Jaune had some peace to himself.

The book gave a loud creak as he open it up to the first page, dust continuing to rise into the air. He swatted his hand in front of his nose and continued turning pages.

His smile, once small, grew much larger as he was reminded of the tales of his youth. Every page brought a new story and another memory and he began to feel the unbridled emotion of joy take affect. He didn't know how long he was there or the current time but he lost himself in the book. Hours could have flown by and he would have not cared, the stories drew him in and he found himself unable to leave.

His smile drooped for a moment and then disappeared when he got to one section. The embroidering was a little worn but the picture of a knight still stood out against the faded picture.

The Tale of The Brave Knight

His eyes began to sting and he quickly rubbed his fists into them, halting any tears before they could think of falling.

His hand instinctually rose and dragged itself against the knight feeling every stitching of the picture. This story, this picture was the reason he was here, why he wanted to be a hunter. He had wanted to be a hero, he had wanted to carry a sword and run into battle like the adventurers of old.

Had he lived up to that goal?

"What's wrong?"

Jaune jumped out of his seat in shock, knocking both of his knees against the underside of the table. Up until moments ago he had thought he had been alone, but Blake was now seated across from him, no more than two feet away. Her eyes studied him with curiosity, the book she had obviously been reading now upside-down on the table.

"How long have you been there?" He hadn't heard anyone enter the room and there was no chance she would have been able to walk in front of him without sparking his notice.

"About an hour." Jaune gasped and slammed the book shut, showering Blake in dust. She merely raised her eyebrow and rubbed her hands on her arms, flicking some back at Jaune. "You really like that book."

Jaune smiled and opened it back up. "Yeah, I guess so. My Mom read it to me when I was little." Blake smiled but didn't return to her own book, just kept looking at him curiously.

"You looked like you were going to cry." Jaune immediately blushed and looked away.

"So...you saw that?"

"Yes."

"There was, uh, dust in my eye." Jaune knew she didn't believe it, but hopefully it would get her to stop asking questions.

"Jaune, what wrong?" No such luck.

Jaune sighed and put his head in his hands. "I don't deserve to be here." It came out muffled, but apparently it was clear enough for Blake to here because she patted his elbow lightly.

"You and I both know that's not true."

"You don't even know me."

"I know enough." Jaune raised his head to look at her and saw she was smiling lightly, her amber eyes soft and comforting.

'But what if I mess up and get my team hurt. I'm not fighter and I need to lead by example. If I can't do that, then what good am I?"

Blake narrowed her eyes and moved a stray hair out of her face. "Your team trusts you, they know what you can do."

"But what if it doesn't work out. What if I am not strong enough?"

"In the end, everything works out."

"Can you guarantee that?"

"No, but I can hope." Jaune frowned and looked back down at the book. The knight had his shield raised up, his crest displayed proudly before him.

"What good is hope when the odds are against you?"

She smiled and Jaune found himself trying to hold back one of his own. Her slight grins were infectious. "It's the only thing you truly have. No matter who you are or what you have done the future is always open." Her face softened, a slight frown appearing. Her hand went up to her head and anxiously fixed her bow.

"I guess..." Jaune put his head against the table and sighed loudly, his tongue thick in his mouth. He stiffened as he felt a hand land lightly on his shoulder and he looked to see Blake now behind him.

"Don't despair, it's unbecoming of you." Her hand went to the book and Jaune watched as her fingers lightly danced across the picture of the knight. Her eyes quickly flickered over him and her smile returned.

Her hand suddenly left his shoulder and she began to leave, her books now tucked under her arm.

Jaune watched as she left, he yelled a quick goodbye as she moved out of earshot. She merely turned, smiled once more and then left.

Jaune was by himself once again and a sliver of despair befell him once more. It was the worm of doubt he had become so accustomed to working its way back into his spirit. The hot tears threatened to fall again, but he stopped himself.

Hope

His eyes met the knight once more.

Suddenly Jaune smiled. It wasn't one of those small little grins or a short smirk; it was a smile of strength or pride. As if in an instant, all the problems and stressors that had plagued him throughout the last few weeks became insignificant.

You are the bravest little boy I have ever met. Never forget that.

He closed the book carefully and stowed it quickly on the shelf. The air around him seemed lighter, no longer having the oppressing thickness. The librarian was still sleeping and Jaune skipped past her lightly, trying not to wake her.

The air was cool and soft and Jaune found that the sun had long gone down and the moon now hung low over the horizon. Its light covered the courtyard giving everything an angelic appearance.

I may not be the strongest or the fastest, but I can sure be the bravest.

Turning he walked back down the hall

I need to thank Blake.

So? What did you think?

I originally wrote a longer version of this story that was radically different, but i edited it a ton and made this ^^^.

Quick little roadmap for the story: initially Jaune and Blake will just be friends but I intend to move on to more romantic things in latter chapters.

Thanks

Review or whatever!