Burn Away My Sorrows

Pain and Suffering

I wasn't dead.

Jaune eyes were on Weiss. She was watching Professor Port move left and right while telling his tale. He wondered if she was bored with Professor Port's lesson because he was certainly bored already.

After all listening to Professor Port's routine youth stories was taxing. But the Professor's boring and agonizing story would be worth it because today was the day he was going to spend time with Weiss.

Everything was planned out this morning. First they would go out to Vale to watch a movie, then they would eat at this restaurant called Solstice and finally when they returned to Beacon he would ask for her hand at the upcoming dance.

For all this to happen though, Weiss had to accept his date, which he planned to ask her right after the bell. He touched the glass on the table and instantly a holographic clock appeared. The time showed 3:59pm before the clock faded. There was only a few minutes left before the bell rang.

With the little time he had left, he placed his chin on the desk and returned to gazing at Weiss. When the bell finally rang he rose from his chair, gathered his things and took a deep breath before approaching Weiss.

"Hey Weiss."

She closed her eyes and his ears picked up her soft sigh. His fingers gripped the side of his binder, "I was wondering if you were free later."

Her light blue eyes didn't meet his. Instead she collected her things, stacking them on top of one another before turning her back on him.

"Weiss?"

She climbed the small steps and joined the other classmates leaving. The beating of his heart subsided, slowed by her silent departure. The grip on his binder loosened. It seems like he suffered through Port's storytelling for nothing.

"Oh, that's got to hurt."

Jaune looked behind him and saw Yang before turning his head away from her. He didn't need her to add more salt on his wound. Soon his back was patted several times. "Oh cheer up, there's always next time."

He thought about her advice. She wasn't wrong and the dance wasn't here yet so he had plenty of time to ask her. He smiled and said, "You're right, thanks."

She smiled as well before joining Ruby who waited by the door.

"Later Jaune," Ruby said, waving her small hand.

He waved back and replied, "Later."

The door closed and Jaune looked around, no other soul remained, but him. Jaune released a soft sigh. The wood creaked as he climbed the steps to the door. After reaching the top he opened the door and stepped out to the hallways. In the hallways, he saw students passing by. Then near the window he saw Nora talking to Ren and Pyrrha.

Jaune approached them and said, "Hey guys."

Ren nodded his head while Pyrrha smiled and said "Hello."

"Hey fearless leader," Nora said.

"Sorry for making you guys wait for me."

"It's fine," Pyrrha said.

"Yeah," Nora added. "Besides we don't have any cool things to do anyways."

"I'm sure you'll find something cool to do in our room Nora."

"Maybe," she replied.

Together the team began to head out.

"By the way," Jaune began "What were you guys talking about before?"

"Oh, I was just telling them about my awesome dream. "

They opened a pair of double doors that led them to the campus grounds. "What was the dream?" Jaune asked.

Excitement and happiness glowed on Nora's face. "Well since you asked I guess I'll tell you about it."

She told her dream while they walked. She was similar to Professor Port, because she loved telling stories. But unlike him Nora managed to make it exciting.

Her story telling ended once they entered the dorm hall. Together they climbed a set of stairs to get to the second floor where their dorm was located. Once they arrived at the front of their dorm, Pyrrha stepped forward to open the door. While she opened the door, Jaune's eyes shifted to the dorm across from theirs.

He stood there for a few moments until Pyrrha said, "Jaune."

His eyes turned away from the door and onto his partner. She was inside the room with their teammates. A worried expression was on her face. "Yeah, Pyrrha?"

"Is something bothering you?"

"No, I was just thinking about something."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Pyrrha asked.

"Not really," While talking to someone about it was nice, Jaune didn't feel the need to talk about it since it was the same old same old.

"Alright, but don't forget I'm always there for you."

Jaune smiled at Pyrrha and said, "I know and thanks."

He entered the room and the door behind him clicked shut.

Jaune placed his binder on his desk and headed to his bed. The mattress creaked as his back pressed on the soft covers of his blanket.

As he lay on the bed his ears picked up the click of a door. His eyes stared at the ceiling soon he sighed. Today was another failed attempt to ask Weiss out. Technically it wasn't a failed attempted because she didn't reply. But her silent departure meant she wasn't interested.

Was a simple no too hard to ask for? Apparently it was for Weiss Schnee.

Most guys would be furious if a girl did that to them, but he wasn't like them. He wasn't angry at her. How could he? He only wished she answered him because he wanted to spend some time with her.

But like many times before, it wouldn't be today.

Now what was he going to do? His plans with Weiss were crushed and he had no assignments due or back up plans. He sighed. It seems like it was going to be another boring day.

A few minutes passed as he stared at the ceiling. Soon he turned his head towards the window. The window showed the blue skies with white clouds slowly passing.

Then an idea formed in his head while he stared out the window. Maybe he'll find something to do as he walked around the academy.

Jaune rose from his bed and headed towards the only door out of the room. While passing the bathroom door he heard water running. He opened the door and stepped out in the hallway. Before shutting the door, he took a glance at his teammates. Ren was working on something, while Nora listened to music.

He closed the door behind him and his eyes looked at door across. Footsteps echoed the hallways.

Should he try again? It wouldn't hurt to try.

Jaune approached the door, after reaching it he stopped. There wasn't any sound coming from the room. Usually, they were noisy. Maybe they were doing homework or something.

Jaune formed his right hand into a fist and knocked on the door. No one answered his first call. Maybe he knocked a light bit too light.

He knocked harder the second time. Still no one answered him. He raised his fist a third time and knocked with equal force. When no one replied to his third knock, he lowered his right hand.

No one was there. They must be doing something together. That might be why Weiss didn't say anything.

From the corner of his eye a figure walked towards him. When the stranger's footsteps stopped the owners shadow laid on the door. "Waiting for someone?"

"No, not anymore." When his eyes descended on the stranger, Jaune felt his heart skipping several beats.

The girl in front of him was undoubtedly beautiful.

She had jet-black hair. The end of her hair was placed over her chest. Her bang hid one side of her amber eyes. From what he could tell, she wasn't wearing a lot of makeup. The only visible makeup he saw on her was black eye liner. Not that she needed makeup to even make her beautiful anyways.

While there were many beautiful girls in Beacon, she toppled them all. Even Weiss's beauty couldn't compare to hers.

For a few seconds Jaune stared at her, until he said, "Sorry, I was just shocked at,-"

"My Beauty?"

"Y-yeah," Jaune said, rubbing the side of his neck.

"It's quite alright. You aren't the first or the last."

Jaune couldn't blame the observers, since the stranger's beauty was breathtaking. While Jaune stood with her, he noticed her attire was different from his. Beacon Students were required to wear a white buttoned down shirt, a tie along with a jacket, boys wore pants and girls wore a skirt. But she wore a black jacket, with a black and white lined checkered skirt along with black leggings.

"You look new around here, where are you from?" Jaune asked.

"Haven," she replied.

"Haven…I've heard that place before." Jaune held his chin with one of his hands then he snapped his fingers. "I remember now, that's where Pyrrha's from."

She looked alarmed, "Pyrrha Nikos, the Goddess of Victory herself?"

"The goddess of what?"

She sighed while placing her palm on the forehead and said, "Just a title her admirers call her."

"Oh, if that's it, then yeah that's her."

"How did you come to meet her?"

"We meet on the day of out initiation. My friend introduced me to her and when the test started she pinned me on the tree and ever since that day we became partners."

"You're fortunate to have her."

Jaune couldn't help, but smile. She spoke the truth. Before he couldn't even hold his sword properly, let alone a proper stance. But ever since Pyrrha started training him, he slowly improved. His friends even noted his improvement. It brought him joy. "More than you know," He said.

She didn't question him further so Jaune thought it was a good opportunity to tell her his name. As he extended his hand out to her, he said, "I'm Jaune."

"Cinder," She replied as she accepted his hand.

Within an instant Jaune's hand was warmed by hers. It felt so warm that he thought there was a fire raging in her hand. Shortly afterwards she retracted her hand and said, "I'm sure your friend will return at some point."

Jaune looked at the closed door. "I hope so."

"Do you plan on waiting here?"

"I don't know."

"Take a walk with me," She suggested, "I could use the company and besides you don't look to busy anyways."

Cinder was right. She wasn't here. He didn't need to wait hours and hours outside of her door. There were other things he could do. "Sure," Jaune said.

She smiled, before walking ahead.

Jaune took a glance at Team RWBY'S door before following Cinder. Together they climbed down the stairs that lead them to the exit. Once outside, the gentle afternoon breeze passed Jaune. For a short period, the two were completely silent as they walked Beacon's stone paved walkway side by side. Guys passing them took a glance at Cinder, but she didn't say anything.

Finally Jaune asked, "So when did you and the other Haven students get here?"

"Yesterday night."

It must've been last night because he remembered seeing several people with her uniform when he was walking around. "I think I saw people from your school last night."

"You certainly might have."

The two walked aimlessly around the campus. The sky darkened. Questions about where they were going didn't matter to Jaune. Anything was better than waiting in his dorm doing nothing. Jaune looked to his left and there stood a giant grey tower. The building was colossal in size. The top couldn't even be seen. His eyes drew down to the base only to widen at what he saw.

He took several steps forward. Near the entrance he saw Weiss. She wore different clothing, usually she wore a dress instead she wore a white trench coat with a combat skirt, Ruby and her constantly called. For one moment she stood there, soon she sprinted away.

"The Heiress herself," Cinder said.

His lips remained closed as his eyes were focused on Weiss and as he stood there he could feel Cinder's amber eyes on him.

Soon she asked, "You like her, don't you?"

Jaune looked at Cinder before returning his eyes on Weiss. Yes he did like her; he liked her ever since he the initiation.

"From the look of it she needs help. Are you going to help her?"

Jaune shook his head.

Every fiber of his being wanted to run to her, find out what the distress was and try to help her. But he couldn't. "She'll…She'll just say, I'm in her way." Despite the training he received from Pyrrha, he would've been no use to the strong, swift and talented Weiss Schnee. Besides if she needed any help, her teammates were more than qualified to help her.

Weiss disappeared from his sights and for a time Jaune's eyes turned to a pebble on the ground.

Finally Cinder asked "What attracted you to her?"

Jaune looked towards the dark sky before he answered, "I…I don't know. Something about her just moved me. She's smart, beautiful, and skilled, like the other girls, but she's just…she's just different."

"Is that really it?"

"Yeah, is there any other reason?"

Cinder glanced at him before saying, "Other men desire something much more, worthwhile than her heart."

Feeling a bit curious he asked, "Like, what?"

"Her family's money."

He had forgotten her family owned the largest dust company in Remnant. Marrying her entitled her husband to her family's wealth. While some people wanted that, he was different.

Jaune responded, "Money doesn't really matter to me. I mean don't get me wrong having all that money is cool and all, but I just want to be happy with her." He remembered the advice his dad once told him about money and happiness. "That's enough for me, besides I wouldn't know what to do with her money."

"Honesty, a quality few have."

"Is that bad?"

"Sometimes, but in your case not at all

Her compliment made him blush.

"Do you plan on asking for her hand in the dance?"

"Of course, but so far she hasn't said yes." He recalled her silent departure and her constant no's since he began to ask her out.

"Will that stop you?"

Jaune shook his head, "Nope, I'm going to keep trying."

Suddenly his pocket vibrated. Jaune's hand reached into his pocket to pull out his scroll. He turned it on and saw Pyrrha's picture. He tapped on her picture and saw a message.

Hey Jaune I hope you remember we have training today.

His mind went blank for a few moments. He soon said, "All man."

"Is there a problem?"

"No, but I have to get go now. Thanks for the walk Cinder. I'll see you around." He waved his hand at her before sprinting off to the locker rooms.

Luckily the locker rooms weren't far from where he was. Once he reached the locker rooms he went to his locker and quickly pressed the passcode. The locker opened and his weapon Crocea Mors laid there. His hand picked up the sword and shield before running towards to his dorm.

He entered the room and saw no one there. He placed his weapons on his bed and began to undress. After removing his school uniform he dressed himself with his usually blue jeans, orange shirt, black hoodie and armor. With his weapons and armor finally on him, he was ready for his training.

He left the room and went to the staircase. As he climbed up the steps his heart quickened. He always managed to be exhausted himself while he climbed the stairs. He took a breath before continuing.

Soon he finally made it to the top of the staircase where a closed door blocked his way. He opened the door and as expected Pyrrha was there.

Jaune breathed heavily and said, "S-sorry I'm late Pyrrha."

"It's fine as long as you made it."

"Can you give me a minute before we start?"

She smiled and replied, "Sure."

Jaune used his small break to stop his heart from racing. Behind him the hinges creaked and a click was heard. Jaune turned to face the visitor, but to his surprise it was Cinder. She stepped into Jaune's secret training ground. The door behind her clicked shut.

"Cinder?" He breathed.

"Hello, Jaune."

How did she find him? Only his team knew about their training spot. "Is something wrong? How did you find me anyways?"

"Nothing is wrong at all. I was only curious where you went off too and I saw you in the hallway so i decided to follow."

There was certainly that possibility. By the time he went to his locker, and returned to his room to change. Cinder could've seen him.

"But leaving a girl like me all alone isn't very polite."

Was there a hint of annoyance in her voice? Jaune hopped she wasn't annoyed. He didn't mean to just leave her like that. It was obvious leaving her there was very uncool of him, but if he didn't leave then he would've been late. "Sorry, I was in a hurry."

"No need for apologize. I see you went to receive training from the famed Pyrrha Nikos."

"Yeah," He said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "She helped me out a lot."

"How, kind of her."

From behind Pyrrha asked, "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend Jaune?"

"Oh right, sorry." Jaune stepped aside. "Pyrrha this is Cinder, she is from Haven."

Cinder extended her hand out to Pyrrha. She accepted her hand. "It's an honor to finally meet Sanctum's Champion."

"Thank you, it's nice to meet you as well."

They retracted their hand. It seemed like everything was going smoothly. Maybe he wasn't the only one that made a new friend today.

"If you don't mind me asking, when did you two meet?"

"Only today," Cinder replied.

"I see," Pyrrha said.

The atmosphere became quiet and awkward. It was broken when Cinder said, "I must get going now. I wouldn't want to interrupt your training. It was a pleasure to meet you Pyrrha." Cinder walked away from Pyrrha and headed to the door. When she was near Jaune, she paused.

Her intense eyes were on him. Words weren't spoken. Instead her hand gently touched the side of his cheek. The familiar warmth of her hand revisited his skin. Cinder grinned and her voice that almost came out as a whisper said, "I'll see you around Jaune."

Words couldn't escape his lips. The grin on her remained and her hand slithered away. She turned around, opened the door and descended down the stairs.

Jaune watched Cinder as she left. He still felt the warmth on the side of his face she touched

Behind him, Pyrrha asked, "Do you need another minute?"

Jaune shook his head. "No, I'm ready."

"Okay."

But as he unsheathed his weapon and readied his shield for some reason he couldn't shake off the beating of his heart.

Cinder opened the door, darkness shrouded the room. Her hand reached for the light switch to light the room. Once the darkness disappeared, Cinder closed the door behind her.

The beds in the dorm were empty. It seems like Mercury and Emerald haven't returned yet. Where they were or what they were doing didn't matter to her, but for their own safety they bests obey her warning or a punishment would be in order.

She pulled her scroll out of her pocket and placed it on top of the dress drawer. She grabbed a few clothes before heading to the bathroom.

Once the door closed behind her, she locked the door and began to undress herself. When her body was completely exposed she stepped into the shower. Her hand turned the handle, soon warm water poured down on her. The water caused her to release a sigh of relief.

While she was in the shower, her interaction with Jaune occupied her mind.

It was supposed to be a short walk, but when she saw him standing in front of a dorm she decided to talk to him. She even asked him to accompany her. When he received a message from someone he left her.

His departure allowed her to return to her dorm, but instead of doing that, curiosity overcame her and she hacked into his scroll to find out why he was in a hurry. Upon learning his training session with Pyrrha, she decided to track him.

While it was unnecessary, Cinder interaction with Jaune allowed her to learn a few things.

Cinder turned the handle and the water stopped. She stepped out dripping with water. Her hand grabbed a towel. After she dried her body, she placed her clothes on and left the bathroom. She went to her bed to sit down and on the way she grabbed her scroll.

Once she sat down a question popped in her head. Was there anything in his file?

Cinder tasked Mercury and Emerald to examine the files of all the students. Any potential students were added onto the list while the weaklings were ignored. Eventually Jaune's file would reach their eyes. She could've waited for their report on him, but she decided to personally accomplish the task herself. After a few swipes and taps Cinder located Jaune Arc's file. She looked through his file. The documents noted his large amounts of aura and nothing else. But as she continued to examine his file she saw several videos.

She watched the first video. It showed Jaune against a bulky opponent. Words couldn't describe Jaune's atrocious fighting style. Before the fight even ended she already predicted the victor. She looked through the other videos and predicated the same results over and over.

It was a wonder to her how he was accepted into this academy and why Pyrrha was training him.

While Jaune wasn't a threat, his partner was. She was recognized for her skills and achievements. Her fame earned her the title Goddess of Victory and Sanctum's Champion. She undoubtedly would be added onto the list. She would've been a powerful piece in her plans. It was unfortunate she was on the wrong side.

If Pyrrha ever stood in her way, the battle would be decided before it began. Pyrrha's skills were no match for her power. Crushing her would be simple as crushing a bug.

She placed her scroll on her bed before getting up and walking to the windows. Curtains covered the windows. Her hand pushed away the curtains. The window revealed the shattered moon that hanged above the night sky.

Cinder stood there and stared at the moon.

Soon a smirk adorned Cinder's face when she recalled the events on the rooftops. She noticed the way Pyrrha looked at her close interaction with Jaune. The annoyance in her eyes and the tightened grip on her weapon was a dead giveaway. Even though she didn't care who Pyrrha liked, it was certainly a marvelous sight to behold.

It seems he wasn't even aware of Pyrrha's interest with him which made it, all the more enjoyable. Instead his innocent heart was racing from her contact.

In the end his heart wasn't for her or Pyrrha, but for the Heiress. Pyrrha was his partner so she must have been aware of this as well. How unfortunate for her.

She was fated to win any battles, but the one battle she couldn't win was someone's heart. Cinder wondered how much suffering Pyrrha went through.

Whatever the amount Pyrrha suffered she deserved every bit of it, since she inspired hope and hope needed to be eradicated.

Maybe Cinder will continue to interact with Jaune. He wasn't harmful to her plans and he could prove useful later on.

She could also use her interaction to inflict more pain to Pyrrha's agonized heart after all Pyrrha needed to suffer and what better way to make her suffer than to take Jaune.

I apologize for making everyone wait for this chapter for so long. All I gotta say is life, procrastination and league. If there are any mistakes in this one I do apologize. This chapter was extremely difficuilt to write and I might have made Cinder OOC. BTW I'm not trying to copy any other CinderXJaune stories this is my own thing. Sorry if you feel like it's a copy. I hope you enjoy and sorry for the delay. I would also love some grammer Nazis in here to help me.