A Simple Bet Between Friends

Chapter 37

Yang sat down with a sigh, leaning back and enjoying the moment of calm. Her nap had been just what she needed to recharge her... whatever powered magic. Aura? Mental fortitude? Mana?

Ozpin hadn't said much on how it worked... he hadn't said anything actually, but from what she gathered it wasn't quite the same as physical effort or a semblance. It felt more... like it came from her core, if that made sense.

She groaned just thinking about it.

"Rough day?" Jaune's voice was filled with far too much delight and she simply glared at him in response. He chuckled, the bastard.

They had decided to meet out at one of the more secluded seating areas offered by Beacon. In truth it was nothing more than a couple tables with a few chairs but it had a nice view of the garden and was just isolated enough to give them some much needed alone time. It being later in the day certainly helped as well.

The sun hadn't quite set yet and was giving off just the right amount of warmth.

"You could say that." Yang sighed. "Training went... less than ideal."

"How so?"

"It's more difficult than I thought it would be to use." She avoided saying what on the off chance they weren't alone. All the talk of secret wars and conspiracy theories had her a fair bit paranoid. Jaune of course had no such paranoia.

"Oh, you mean the magical powers only a handful of women in all of history have had access to, a power people have apparently killed and waged wars for, is difficult to control? Who knew?" Jaune smirked.

"Drop the sarcasm, it totally doesn't fit you." She leaned forward to flick his nose. "But yes, who could have known. I was practically knocked out after only an hour of practice. I only just woke up from my nap."

"That explains the bed head." Yang glared at him and he rolled his eyes, smiling despite how she went for her best Miss Goodwitch impersonation. "You haven't had any other troubles though, right?"

Yang looked away. "You sound just like them."

"Your team?" He waited for her to nod before continuing. "They're just worried about you, you know?"

She huffed but didn't say anything, leaning further back in her chair and closing her eyes instead.

She didn't hate them for their concern, in fact she loved them all the more because of it. Despite the fact that she had gone behind their backs, despite the fact she hadn't talked with them at all about the most important decision of her life, they still cared.

She didn't know what she had expected. They were all good people by themselves, despite the baggage most of them had brought to Beacon, but together they were something more. They had forged a bond far stronger than she had expected in a far faster time frame than was probably normal.

Despite how cliché it was, they were family; and family had issues sometimes. It was a sign they cared enough to be worried for her safety. She thought she should have been offended that they didn't think she was strong enough but... oddly enough she didn't get that impression.

They were her family, one of them literally, and she couldn't hold anything against them. They had all the right in the world to be mad at her, and they were to a degree, but they hadn't let that become something worse. They weren't mad about her choice, they were mad that she hadn't trusted them.

It might have been better to say they were disappointed. Funny how that didn't make her feel any better.

Still, despite how much she loved them, the constant presence had gotten on her nerves in a way she wasn't used to. There had been one of them with her at all times since she woke up after the transfer. That wasn't strange in and of itself of course, they all shared a room after all, but something about it was just... different.