Capítulo 37: Chapter-37
He carried the lamp everywhere he went and felt the weight of it every second, though in truth it weighed nothing at all. It mattered not that it was simply a replica of the original, for it was the target of some of the most dangerous people in the world. The weight Jaune felt was the responsibility in holding it, fake or not. It was the key to destroying Cinder once and for all, if only she would take the bait. The capture of Tyrian and Arthur were significant blows to Salem's plan to unite the relics but taking out her Fall Maiden? There could be no greater setback.
For Jaune personally, that mattered less. To him, it was a chance to set past wrongs to right; to see justice passed upon the one who had taken his partner from them. It was a chance to allow Pyrrha to rest, once and for all. The weight of that burden was heavy but he carried it proudly. This plan would work. Even if he had to track down Neopolitan himself, it would come to pass.
This he promised.
It had been several days since Ironwood had bestowed the fake lamp to him and there was still no sign. They were being patient. The longer it took, the more uneasy he felt but he would not waver. In the meantime, life went on. The refugees were settled, Mantle was beginning to rebuild and Amity was moments from completion. Soon, world communications would be reestablished and then Salem's existence will be known to all.
There would be panic. There would be disbelief. But they hoped that in the end, it united the world and healed the fractures that the attacks on Vale and Mistral had wrought. It was only through unity that humanity and faunus-kind could prosper. It was only through unity that they could defeat Salem and beat back the tide of her Grimm. Anything less and they would be crushed. How many years had she been planning this moment? If they faltered now, the world would suffer.
"Their teamwork is impeccable," a voice drew him away from his thoughts, and Jaune turned his head slightly to look at his companion. Weiss sat beside him, back straight as a board and hands placed neatly in her lap; a vision of poise and beauty. "What do you think, Jaune?"
He followed her eyes down to the group of students training, watching as they went through a series of drills. She was right, of course. They moved with precision and ease, well in tune with working with one another. They were only first year students of Atlas Academy, and while there was little flair between them, they were effective. They moved from one predetermined set to the next, not a step out of place as they fought against an imaginary enemy.
There were no flashy combination attacks, no shouting of attack names, just cold, machine-like movement.
"They seem a little rigid," he commented, observing the way they moved. They were efficient, for sure – but how would that efficiency hold up in the face of an unpredictable opponent? Most Grimm were fairly straightforward but there were always outliers, intelligence born of age and experience, and then there were human and faunus, thinking creatures that would fight to exploit any weakness. "But they are clearly skilled – much more skilled than I was, at the beginning."
"I believe Zwei was more skilled than you were, at the beginning," Weiss mercilessly attacked, though her smile blunted the barb considerably. "But I agree with you. They won't grow any further until they are tested on the battlefield – as we were. You cannot always rely on the perfect set up."
Some of the older students were putting their younger peers through their paces, sharing their experience and wisdom. The shrill clang of steel-on-steel echoed through the training room as many of them sparred, accompanied by sporadic gunfire. Hard-Light Dust structures molded to whatever terrain they required be they towering walls or hovering platforms. Jaune spied a brief red blur and a scatter of petals before it was lost.
"Ruby seems to be having fun," Weiss commented, keeping her eyes peeled for her partner. "Though that isn't unusual. She has been in a very good mood lately."
Jaune did his best not to look her way, continuing to watch the students train.
"You wouldn't happen to know why?"
He answered immediately without an ounce of hesitation. "Nope."
"Hmm."
Blake was speaking with a group of faunus students. Jaune wasn't sure what was being said but they were hanging on her words, paying her the utmost attention. Neon was with them, though she seemed content to lounge around than listen to whatever it was Blake was saying. When she noticed him looking her way, she blew him a kiss. Jaune felt a small smile tug at his lips and he nodded her way.
"Maybe things between her and Oscar are moving along," Weiss mused.
"What?"
When he turned to face her, Weiss had adopted a thinking pose, a finger tapping her chin in contemplation.
"He rather likes her, you know. Perhaps he asked her out on a date."
Weiss had mentioned before the possibility of the pair becoming something more than friends, though Jaune knew the truth of it. Ruby had admitted her feelings, setting aside the unease Jaune had been feeling lately. If Oscar liked Ruby in that way, then it was unfortunately a one sided affair. He didn't feel bad about it, he could never feel bad about liking Ruby – but Jaune understood the pain of unreciprocated feelings all too well. The very girl he was speaking to had been the object of his one sided affection for months. Things had changed in that regard but he still remembered how hopeless it had made him feel, once upon a time. Trying to impress someone that just didn't see you was rough on a person's self esteem and Jaune hadn't been the most confident of individuals to begin with.
And then there was that whole double-soul problem he had...
"Wouldn't that be kinda..." Jaune made some vague gestures. "You know, a little weird? Because of Ozpin?"
"Certainly a hurdle to overcome," Weiss nodded, seriously considering it. "A bit creepy… but not insurmountable."
She wouldn't be saying that if she knew what was really going on. That Ruby's good mood was probably due to the fact that they had been sneaking off regularly to get in some hot, steamy fucking whenever they had a spare moment and she considered Oscar a friend, nothing more.
Jaune looked away.
Ruby had been incredibly understanding about everything. Not just his sexual exploits with Yang and Blake, and Weiss, but everything he had revealed about his returned memories. She'd been shockingly unconcerned about it, at least when it came to her own situation. She felt what she felt, she'd said – and she knew it wasn't because of some Grimm. She'd felt these things before , after all, even if she hadn't exactly understood them. It was just now that she was acting on it.
When it came to the actions of Yang and Nora, however; she was in agreement with him. There was something fishy going on, though she didn't believe Yang was being tricked or forced to feel things she didn't already feel. Maybe she was being too optimistic but he was eager to latch onto it with a fervent hope that she was right. But that his dreams could affect people in such a way – well, that wasn't normal.
His tests had come back all clear; except one. His testosterone was still abnormally high, though not at dangerous levels. As far as they could tell, he was perfectly healthy other than that.
It was a relief to hear but it also didn't help him figure out what was going on. Ironwood also now knew the extent of his interaction with the Grimm. That conversation had been somehow more awkward than revealing it to Nora and Ruby, maybe because he was another guy. After overcoming the awkwardness, the General had been pleased that he had taken the initiative and had blood work done, and had helped set up further tests to be conducted at a later time. He wanted to keep on top of things and to know immediately if anything changed.
"How have things been with your family?" Jaune asked, shifting away from Ruby but onto a more sensitive topic. "You've been spending some time with them, right?"
The Schnee Dust Company was under a full scale investigation as the government prepared its case against Jacques, many of the family assets being seized while a new temporary CEO had been appointed to run the company in the meantime. The Schnee Manor was left alone, however, and Weiss had been visiting her childhood home regularly.
Weiss nodded slowly. "Now that father is behind bars, mother is the most coherent I've seen her in years. Like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. Sometimes, I find it difficult to recognize her. She has cut back on her drinking, though she still likes to indulge. I – isn't that sad? When one's spouse goes to prison, that is meant to be a negative thing but not for my parents."
Jaune grabbed one of her hands and gave it a squeeze. She smiled sadly and laced their fingers together, squeezing back.
"We've been talking more... it has been difficult, I must admit. She has been absent for so long, drowning her sorrows in drink and now she wants to reconnect. I find myself chafing under her attention a little. While she was wallowing in self pity, I became a woman. On the one hand, I am pleased and elated... on the other, I feel bitter and resentful. I don't like feeling that way."
Emotional conflict was never easy. How long had Weiss wished for her mother to be there for her? How many years had she dreamed of this moment and now that it was coming to pass, it wasn't what she expected?
"It is a big change," Jaune said quietly. "I can't claim to understand how it feels but it must have hurt when she retreated into her bottle for all those years, right? Leaving you alone to fend off that – that piece of work you call a father."
Weiss giggled. "You can swear, I won't mind."
Jaune shrugged. "I just... didn't know what to call him. He makes me so mad, knowing how he treated you all these years. A father is not meant to be like that, Weiss. Not like him."
Her eyes were so warm and soft as she gazed at him, pleasing him greatly. Once upon a time, all Jaune had seen in those gorgeous eyes was frost. She had come a long way since then, since those early days at Beacon. Weiss no longer hid her true feelings behind an icy exterior, allowing her friends to see and feel the true girl underneath it all; a girl who was warm and loving, and wished to share.
She leaned her shoulder against him, tipping her head until it rested on him. Jaune returned the gesture and basked in the closeness, and her wonderful warmth and scent.
"Whitley is... confused," Weiss admitted after some seconds of silence. "Mother was right. I left him there, with them – all alone . No – we left him there. It was difficult when Winter joined the military. I remember feeling betrayed at the time, like she was running away and leaving me to the wolves. She was meant to be heiress, she was the eldest but then that title fell to me. I wished to carry on the good work of my grandfather, don't get me wrong – but the pressure that passed to me, my father's attention... it was not easy. When I left for Beacon, Whitley must have felt the same. I was still heiress but it is clear that my father started to groom him for the position. He is many things but he is ultimately a businessman. He saw the signs. First Winter left, then myself – Whitley was his backup, should I no longer conform to his vision."
Her sigh was so incredibly sad.
"I don't blame him for resenting me. Not when I felt the same way, when I was in his position. Combine that with my father poisoning his opinion of me, our profession, the other kingdoms... is it any wonder that he hates me?"
Jaune slipped an arm around her slender shoulders and embraced her.
"Do you regret leaving for Beacon?" he asked. "For taking the path you wished for, instead of the path laid out for you?"
He could see the struggle on her face. "I don't regret it. I could never. Going to Beacon was the best thing that ever happened to me. Meeting Ruby, Yang and Blake – you, Ren and Nora... Pyrrha. You are my dearest friends, my family. I would not trade that for anything."
"But?"
"But I just wish... it hadn't hurt Whitley so. He is an annoying, spoiled little brat and he takes great pleasure in making me mad... but he is still my little brother. I still love him, even if he doesn't love me. And I hate that my leaving caused him pain, that by liberating myself, I condemned him to suffer the attentions of my callous father and the indifference of my alcoholic mother."
If there was one thing Jaune could understand, it was the complicated dynamics between siblings. He had seven sisters, after all – and while his family situation was good, there was plenty of drama to go around, petty or not. He would never want to hurt any of his sisters, for any reason, nor would he want to hurt his parents.
And yet if they had genuinely opposed him, stood steadfast against his idea to go to Beacon? If they had tried to stop him becoming a huntsman, even when he was driven by nothing more than hopes and dreams? What would he have done, in Weiss' place? Would he have stolen the family sword and disappeared into the night, in opposition to their desires? It had never come to that, thankfully – no, he hadn't let it. He had lied to them instead, by falsifying his papers and showing them his acceptance letter gained through dubious means. Even in their doubt, they had seen him off with a smile, letting him know if he failed, he could always return home.
Their lack of belief in him had hurt but it was also well deserved. He had never given them any reason to believe he could succeed as a huntsman, and they were worried for him as any good, decent parent would be. He hadn't recognized that at the time, though. He had been selfish in his desire to prove himself, as Weiss had been.
But sometimes you need to be a little selfish in order to grow, to become the person you are meant to be. Sometimes being selfish hurts those you love, even without meaning it to. Life needed to be lived or what was the point? It wasn't right or wrong; it just was.
"If you hadn't left, would things really be so different?"
She didn't even have to think about it.
"No," she uttered quietly. "No – it would have been worse."
You could still feel regret doing the right thing.
They continued to watch the students train, basking in each other's company. Ren was showing interested individuals how to channel their aura into fearsome strikes, his palms slamming into blocks of Hard-Light and sending them flying. Nora was hovering nearby, completing some routine maintenance on her weapon while cheering her partner on. Jaune was glad to see that she was acting her usual self, though he constantly worried about her.
"That girl has been staring at you for some time," Weiss said quietly.
"What?"
Weiss subtly gestured and Jaune followed her line of sight. A girl with straight black hair was looking their way, not even attempting to be discreet. She was small; smaller than Weiss, and wearing the standard uniform of Atlas Academy. Even from a distance, Jaune could see she was very pretty.
Jaune stared back.
The girl continued to look, unafraid that she had been caught – or had she not noticed yet, that the two of them were looking back? No, impossible. There was no way she could miss it. A prickle of tension settled between his shoulder blades as he continued to observe the girl.
"Weiss," he said quietly, feeling strange. "That might be Neo."
Jaune felt her body tense up against his side. "What?"
"Doesn't she seem a little suspicious?"
The girl was all alone, seemingly invisible to everyone else. She sat with no friends, nor was she training with any teammates. She simply sat and stared at them, completely unconcerned by everything that was happening around her. Not only that but she was of a size with Neo, small and slender, though Jaune wasn't sure about the specifics of her semblance. She could change her appearance and create illusions in the world; how far could she push that? If she could make herself look taller, broader, wouldn't that be better than something that so closely resembled her own self?
"She does," Weiss whispered back. "She just keeps staring. Doesn't she realize that we've noticed her?"
"That – or she doesn't care."
The latter was much more likely.
It was at that moment that she finally looked away, though only because it seemed like her scroll had pulled her attention away. The girl tapped away at the screen for a moment before standing. They watched as she made her way to the exit.
Jaune stood and pulled Weiss up with him.
"Come on."
They hurried after her, doing their best to stay discreet. Peeking out into the hallway, they watched as the girl walked to the end and rounded the corner before rushing after her. A few wandering soldiers and students gave them odd looks but they ignored them, creeping as fast as they could. They followed her across campus, outside and then around the back of the central academy building. She hadn't noticed them yet – but now that they were outside, the area was much more widely open. There were large stretches where they had nowhere to hide, should she turn to face them. Thankfully, she didn't. All the same, Jaune felt stressed being so easily visible.
"Where is she going?" Weiss asked with some annoyance.
They got their answer soon enough.
There was a young man waiting, also dressed in the standard Atlas Academy uniform. He looked slightly older – a third or fourth year, at least. When the girl began speaking, it was instantly clear that she wasn't Neo. When the pair started to shout at one another, they realized they had stumbled upon a lover's spat.
"How many guys are you fucking?" he yelled in her face.
"Why do you care?" she returned shrilly. "You've been staring at that Schnee bitch for weeks, salivating whenever you catch sight of her. I bet you've been wanking that tiny pecker to thoughts of her, haven't you?"
"Okaaaay," Jaune said dumbly as they peered around the side of a snow frosted statue. "I don't think she was staring at me. I think she was eying up her competition."
Weiss just watched in disbelief. Any tension they had harbored at thinking they were on Neo's trail melted away instantly. Jaune felt a little silly, almost laughing. Did he really think Neo would have been so obvious?
"Maybe I wouldn't be staring her way if you weren't riding half of my friends!"
"Well maybe if you could actually fuck worth a damn, then I wouldn't be doing that!"
"You stupid slut – why do you think I'm more interested in other girls? Because they don't just gobble the first cock they see!"
"Fuck you, asshole!"
"I think we can leave now," Weiss muttered as their collective meltdown continued. "We don't need to see this."
"Yeah, come on – let's go."
They trudged back in silence, walking close together to ward off the cold. When they re-entered the academy, they shared a look before breaking down in laughter. Weiss looked especially pretty at this moment, her cheeks rosy from the cold and eyes glittering with mirth. A tiny snowflake balanced on the tip of her lashes, melting away as she doubled over.
"Oh my god, what was that," she wheezed.
"It looks like you've been stealing hearts without even knowing it," Jaune teased as he tried and failed to control his laughter. Perhaps it was a little horrible, laughing at the misfortune of that couple but it was just too absurd not to. "You really are a little minx, aren't you?"
"Oh shut up," she giggled, leaning into him and snuggling into his side. "I bet she wasn't just looking at me. She probably noticed how much of a stud you are."
"Think I'm a stud, do you?"
Slender fingers ghosted down his abdomen and gave his crotch a loving squeeze. Jaune jumped, startled.
"Weiss!"
She just giggled harder, keeping her palm cupped against him.
"Are you okay?"
The white haired young woman snorted before attempting to calm down, taking several long, deep breaths. The pressure of her hand against his cock soon had it reacting, beginning to swell with blood.
"I think I'm a bit lightheaded," she swooned. "Tend to me?"
The suggestion was clear. There was nothing icy about her gaze.
Estado de energía semanal
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