Hello, friends! I'm back with a commission for D. KnightOfShadows, who wanted an AU-ish fic taking place in the canon-verse, where Pyrrha left Sanctum early to try roughing it in the Wilds, only to end up collapsing from exhaustion and illness near Jaune's home village during a Grimm lockdown. This will be a twoshot. I hope you enjoy it!

Pyrrha stumbled from tree to tree, grasping weakly at branches to keep upright. Her eyes were bleary with fatigue. Her entire body felt drained due to a combination of tiredness and the beginning of some illness that she couldn't name.

Propping herself against a strong oak, she pulled her map out of her bag. She could barely read it. Worse still, she was hardly aware of her surroundings, so finding a landmark would not be easy. Her canteen made a hollow clunking sound as it thumped against her leg, reminding her that it had been empty for hours.

This was a terrible idea, she thought mournfully. Mom and Dad were right. This is nothing like school.

Still, there was no time to feel sorry for herself or regret her previous decisions. She had to get to civilization. Even the smallest town would suffice, as long as it had a doctor and a way to charge her Scroll. Then, she'd have to go home and admit her failure, all while the press swarmed her house and took photos.

That image somehow made her feel even sicker. Shaking her head to clear it, she forced herself to keep moving.

Hours passed before she noticed the trees starting to clear. Squinting in the evening light, she saw walls in the distance. She rushed forward. Just a few more…

She tripped on the gravel path and fell to the ground. Her vision were cloudy and her mouth felt like it had been coated with sand.

So…close… Her eyes drifted shut.

She floated toward and away from consciousness for the next while, knowing on some level that she wasn't quite dead yet. Whenever she started to wake up, she'd hear a voice.

"Hey, stay with me, okay?" it would say in a gentle, but urgent tone. "Can you drink some water for me? Just open your mouth a bit."

She would obey and immediately be rewarded with wetness coating her tongue. She would swallow a few times before the blackness took her yet again.

Finally, a day came when she was able to wake up fully. It was dark, and her eyes had to adjust before she could see anything. Eventually, she was able to make out a small room. She was lying in a medium-sized bed with a table and lamp sitting near the headboard, along with a chair. A dresser and desk sat a few feet away. Propped against the wall near the door were a sword and shield.

"Hello?" she tried to call out, only to start coughing. Her throat was completely dry. Her eyes fell on the table near her, where there was a glass of water. Quickly, she picked it up and drank it in two or three gulps.

At that moment, the door opened and a young man walked in. He stopped short before his face broke into a grin. "You're actually awake! I was starting to wonder if you'd sleep forever." He walked over, sitting in the chair and turning on the lamp. "How're you feeling?" He had an open, friendly smile and bright blue eyes that reflected the lamplight.

"I…I'm fine, thank you," Pyrrha stammered. "How did I get here, though?"

"You don't remember?" The boy frowned. "I found you near the entrance to the village. You were totally out of it. All you had was a bag with some clothes, a map, and your weapons. Oh, they're over by the window, in case you didn't see." He nodded toward a closed window, where Pyrrha could just see the outline of her gear on the floor.

She felt a combination of relief and embarrassment filling her. "Thank you for saving me. I'm so sorry if I was any trouble."

"Oh, it's no problem. The house is kinda empty right now, so there's plenty of room. I'm Jaune, by the way."

"I'm Pyrrha. It's nice to meet you." Pyrrha held out a shaky hand, which Jaune grasped.

"Likewise. Pyrrha, huh? That's a nice name." He gave her hand a firm, but gentle shake before pulling a small bucket out from under the bed. "You still have a bit of a fever," he explained as he took a wet rag from it. "Here."

The rag touched Pyrrha's forehead, immediately cooling her skin. She leaned back on the bed with a sigh as her brow, cheeks, and neck were carefully wiped down. "Thank you again," she murmured, closing her eyes. "I'm sure I'll be better soon. Once I get home, my parents will be able to repay you for your kindness."

Jaune's hand stopped. "Wait, you don't know?" Puzzlement clouded his voice. "The area is under lockdown right now. No one's coming in or out unless they're Huntsmen."

"Lockdown?!" Pyrrha's eyes flew open. "For how long? Is it the Grimm?" That would explain the huge hoard I had to run away from a few days ago. She sat up. "My family must be worried sick-ow…" she groaned as the rapid action caused a bolt of pain to go through her skull.

"Whoa, easy." Jaune gently pushed her back down. "Don't move so suddenly. I charged up your Scroll while you were asleep. I'll get it for you, okay?"

He walked over to the dresser, picking up Pyrrha's slightly-battered Scroll and placing it on the table by the lamp. "I have some soup on the stove. Now that you're fully conscious, you should eat something. Go ahead and call your folks, and I'll get it ready."

"Thank you," Pyrrha repeated. It seemed as if she'd never be able to say it enough to this boy, who likely had saved her life.

Once the door closed, she took a deep breath, steeling herself before dialing her home number. What followed was a short conversation with her frantic mother, mostly consisting of convincing her to not cause a huge panic. "People knowing I'm here won't get the Huntsmen here any faster or end the lockdown any sooner," she reasoned. "It'll only cause a bigger uproar when I come back. Please keep this quiet, okay? I'm fine." She made her voice as strong-sounding as possible.

She hadn't said a word about her failure in the Wilds. As far as her family knew, she had been in the area when it went under lockdown and found the nearest town. They didn't need to know anything else.

A few minutes after she hung up, Jaune returned with a tray. The smell of meat and vegetables caused Pyrrha to slowly sit up again. Her stomach rumbled loudly. Once the tray was set up on the bed, she reached for the spoon, only for it to slip from her trembling fingers.

"Let me," Jaune offered, taking the spoon and dipping it in the soup, filling it with off-green vegetables and meat. It obviously had come from a can

Pyrrha's face flushed with embarrassment. She couldn't believe that she had reached a point where a total stranger had to feed her. Still, she opened her mouth and ate the soup when Jaune moved the spoon close.

While she chewed, Jaune started talking, distracting her from her self-deprecating thoughts. "You're lucky I found you. Like I said before, the house is empty. My parents and sisters were visiting some cousins in the next village over when the lockdown started. The clinic isn't going to waste resources on an outsider, so here's probably the best place you could've ended up."

Pyrrha chewed and swallowed. The meat was tough and the vegetables were mostly tasteless, but hunger truly was the best seasoning. This felt like the best meal she'd ever had. "Why didn't you go with them?"

"Someone needs to stay behind to watch the house," Jaune explained. "Last time we left it unprotected, someone stole some pricey artifacts that belonged to my great-great-grandfather. He fought in the Great War, you know." He fed her another spoonful. "Thankfully, they didn't find Crocea Mors." He nodded toward the sword and shield by the door.

"So, you're a Huntsman?" That would certainly explain how willing he was to help a stranger in need.

"Uh…well…not really." Jaune glanced to the side. "I've been trying to train myself so I can enroll in Beacon this fall. The problem is that I didn't go to any primary fighting schools. Mom and Dad needed me around to take care of my little sisters, you know?" Another spoonful. "Okay, my turn to ask a question. What was my mysterious guest doing wandering the Wilds all alone?"

Pyrrha swallowed another bite of soup, savoring the way the broth coated her still partially-dry throat. "Well, I was enrolled in Sanctum. I was…a bit of a big deal there." She smiled apologetically. "I'm not trying to sound conceited. I honestly didn't enjoy the attention."

"Popular girl-type attention?" Jaune asked sympathetically.

"Media attention."

"Ugh! Even worse!" Jaune shook his head. "Are we talking crazy photographers and tabloids?"

"Unfortunately." Pyrrha grimaced at the memory. "Everyone at home knew me as a great fighter who was going to only become more famous as time went on. I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to prove myself as a Huntress without having thousands of cameras and screaming fans around. So, I tested out of Sanctum early and left. Only my parents knew what I was doing. A ship dropped me in the woods a few days' travel from the edge of Vacuo, and I was planning on walking to Vale."

Jaune let out a low whistle. "That's a long way, especially for someone who hasn't been to a secondary school." His eyes were shining with admiration. "Still, it takes a lot of courage to do something like that. I do have good news for you: You made it to Vale, the continent anyway. The city is a longer way off."

Pyrrha felt herself smile. At least she hadn't failed completely. "I would have been fine if it weren't for that storm followed by a run-in with a huge pack of Grimm. I had to run for a day and a night. That was when I started to get weaker."

"Twenty four hours of running from Grimm?" Jaune shook his head slowly. "Man, you're amazing."

Pyrrha chuckled, leaning against the headboard when she saw that the bowl was empty. "I don't feel very amazing right now."

"Well, give it a few days," Jaune said. "You're already looking better. I think you'll be up and about by the end of the week." He picked up the tray. "Try sleeping a bit. The bathroom's down the hall. I left some extra towels. Just be careful how long you're in there. The water is being rationed, so the shower will turn off automatically after fifteen minutes."

"Okay, and thank you again, Jaune. I promise to make it up to you once I'm better," Pyrrha replied.

"Hey, it's no problem. Huntsmen are supposed to help people, right? You don't owe me anything. I'm glad to have some company, to be honest." Jaune turned off the lamp and walked to the door. "Call me if you need anything. I'll bring some more water."

When the door closed, Pyrrha allowed herself to relax against the mattress. She closed her eyes, taking a moment to savor the feeling of being full and rested. Her fever was nowhere near as hot as she remembered it being during her stumbling trek through the woods. She honestly believed Jaune's prediction that she'd be better soon.

After managing to get up and walk shakily to the bathroom, Pyrrha treated herself to her first shower since her departure. It felt like heaven after weeks of bathing in cold streams. The water shut off after fifteen minutes, but Pyrrha still felt one hundred percent better. She found some clean pajamas laid out, and chuckled a little when she saw the bunny pattern on them. Once they were on, she returned to the bedroom, walking much straighter than before. She fell back on the bed, pulling the covers up. There was a fresh glass of water on the nightstand.

Perhaps, she'd be able to return to the Wilds after this lockdown ended. Not before I repay Jaune, though. She thought back to what he had said about wanting to get into Beacon. Once I'm stronger, I might be able to help him with his training…

With this thought in mind, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

…

Over the next few days, Pyrrha got to know her rescuer a bit more. She told him about her experiences in Sanctum while he talked about the dancing lessons his mom had made him take as a kid. They talked about each other's families. Jaune had a lot more to say, having seven sisters and a famous ancestor.

At one point, he took some comics from his dresser. "Here, in case you get bored."

Pyrrha stared at the comics. "You like X-Ray and Vav too?"

The very air around Jaune brightened. "Oh, Dust yes!" What followed was a total nerd-out where the two talked about their favorite issues. "Hey, do you watch Red vs. Blue?" Jaune asked.

"I'm about three seasons in. It's so funny!"

After that, an hour was devoted to debating whether the Red or Blue Team was better.

"You can't hate any team that has Caboose," Jaune argued. "He's the deciding factor. Blue wins."

"Caboose is funny," Pyrrha allowed. "But, the Red Team has Sarge. He's my personal favorite. He reminds me a bit of one of my old teachers. And they also have Donut. That tips the scale for me."

"Carolina is a good character too. For some reason, I have a feeling that you'd like her a lot. Man, if electricity wasn't being rationed, I'd be down for a marathon to get you caught up."

"I'd be happy to when the lockdown ends," Pyrrha said with a smile. She couldn't remember the last time someone did something as simple as inviting her to marathon a TV series. People were either too intimidated to talk to her, or were clearly hanging out with her in order to get some secondhand popularity.

Jaune's grin outshone the light of the lamp. "Awesome!" He stood up. "I'll get your dinner, okay? Just sit tight." He walked toward the door. Just before he got there, he stumbled, barely catching himself on the desk.

"Jaune, are you okay?" Pyrrha asked, starting to sit up.

"Uh, yeah!" Jaune shook his head quickly, holding up a hand in Pyrrha's direction. "Don't get up. I'm fine. Just tripped on the carpet."

There's no carpet there, Pyrrha thought, her frown deepening. Just as Jaune opened the door and the hallway light hit his face, she saw that he was looking incredibly pale, almost as if he hadn't eaten that day.

As soon as the thought surfaced, realization struck Pyrrha like a punch in the face. Of course! Everything in town is rationed right now. That would include food. She thought of those canned soups and dry bread Jaune had been feeding her over the past few days. She had assumed that he had been eating his own meals elsewhere.

He told you that the clinics wouldn't waste resources on an outsider. You should have realized that extra rations wouldn't be given on your account! she scolded herself.

When Jaune came back into the room he stopped short when he saw the stern look Pyrrha was giving him. "Uh, what's up?" he asked.

"I'll eat once you do," Pyrrha said firmly.

Jaune placed the tray in front of her. "Look, I told you I tripped. I'm fine."

"You're pale, and there wasn't a carpet there for you to trip on," Pyrrha replied flatly. "I'm not eating until you've had at least half of that."

Jaune set his jaw stubbornly. "I'm fine. You're sick. You need it more than I do."

"If you starve yourself, you'll be the one who's sick," Pyrrha argued.

"You eat first. I insist." Jaune folded his arms.

"Fine, but I'm only eating half. And you'd better eat the rest, so it doesn't go to waste." Her eyes locked with his for a few seconds before he let out a loud sigh.

"Man, you got that look on your face. Okay, you win."

"Good." Pyrrha smirked as she picked up her spoon. "What look?"

"It's that look Mom sometimes gets. She says that whenever a woman looks like that, there's no point in arguing with her."

Pyrrha laughed. "Your mother is a wise woman." She ate her soup quickly, making sure that exactly half of the bowl remained. She broke the bread in half and started nibbling on her piece. "Okay. Eat up."

Jaune shrugged. "I'll eat later."

"If you're thinking of mixing that in with my meal tomorrow, don't bother. I'll notice," Pyrrha said dryly.

"How did you-?" Jaune gaped before shaking his head. "Okay, you got me." Picking up the bowl, he started to eat what was left. After the first few bites, he lost his earlier reservation and devoured it within seconds.

Pyrrha watched him, frowning as she finished her bread. "Did you honestly think I'd be okay with someone starving on my account? Don't forget that I'm also planning on being a Huntress."

Her words caused a sheepish look to come to Jaune's face. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I…guess I didn't think about that. I just wanted to make sure you got better. I figured that a true Huntsman could handle going without food."

"Only if necessary. It's not something to make a habit of," Pyrrha scolded gently. "Promise me that you'll eat half of the rations from now on, okay?"

Jaune nodded, knowing that he had been defeated. "Okay. Once you're better, I'll be able to join the foraging parties. Then, there will be more food for both of us. Foragers get to keep extra food along with the packaged rations."

Foraging parties, huh? Pyrrha made a mental note to ask about that as soon as she was completely better. "Do you think the lockdown will last much longer? They must be sending Huntsmen with the food and Dust shipments."

"Oh, they are," Jaune affirmed. "I heard that the Grimm are getting pushed back. It's a tricky process since there are a bunch of villages that are more spaced out, so it's harder to clear the whole area. There has been progress, though. Back when this started, there weren't any foraging parties because it was too dangerous."

"I see." Pyrrha nodded. "Do you think they'd let us help fight the Grimm?"

"I doubt it," Jaune sighed. "We're both rookies, even though you're famous. They'd probably expect us to get in the way. I'd definitely get in the way. I'm hopeless." He cast a mournful glance toward his sword and shield.

"Don't be discouraged," Pyrrha said, reaching out to touch his arm. "When I first started, I could barely tell which end of a javelin to hold when throwing. Everyone starts somewhere. Just because you're starting a bit late doesn't mean there's no hope." She smiled comfortingly. "If you want, I can help train you once I'm better."

Jaune's eyes flickered hopefully before he looked downward. "I…I can't ask you to…"

"Think of it as repayment for you taking care of me," Pyrrha urged. "I'd be happy to do it. A good spar is just what I'll need once I'm back on my feet."

Jaune snorted. "Well, you won't get one from me, that's for sure." He glanced at her with a shy smile. "But… if you really want to, I won't say no to some help. Thanks."

"It's my pleasure," Pyrrha said. "And my first order as your teacher is for you to make sure to eat well."

"Okay, okay!" Jaune held up his hands in surrender. "I get it. No more 'tripping on the carpet.' I promise." He finished the soup and showed the bowl to Pyrrha. "There. Clean plate. Are you happy, Mom?" He sounded exasperated, but the joking shine in his eyes gave him away.

Pyrrha laughed. "I'm happy enough to stop nagging for now."

"That's a relief," Jaune said with an exaggerated eyeroll. He couldn't keep from snickering a little. He picked up the tray. "You can have the shower first. Then, right to bed."

"Okay." Pyrrha paused as a thought occurred to her. "The water is rationed, too. You haven't been giving up taking showers on my account, have you?"

Jaune huffed. "Of course not! I have some personal standards, you know! The house gets a half hour for the shower overall."

He didn't sound like he was lying. Pyrrha shook her head as he left. His priorities are certainly skewed, she thought, a fond smile coming to her face.

Skewed priorities aside, Jaune was probably the kindest person Pyrrha had ever met. Despite his insistence that any decent person would have done the same, taking her in had been a definite inconvenience for him. And he hadn't done it for any personal gain. He hadn't known who Pyrrha was. The fact that she was a celebrity was only mildly impressive to him. In his eyes, she was just a girl who had needed help. His agreement to train with her was the first time he had actually accepted an offer of repayment for what he had done.

Thinking of training with him actually caused a feeling of excitement to flow through Pyrrha, driving away the drowsiness that had started setting in. She sparred and trained a great deal, but this would be her first time doing it with a friend.

A friend. The thought made her smile grow as she got up and headed toward the shower. This was definitely something she could get used to.

The next chapter will consist of Pyrrha recovering and repaying Jaune, both by training him and by joining the foragers. You can expect more Arkos fluff then. I like the idea of Jaune taking care of Pyrrha, or anyone else, in this way, since I've always pegged him as a healer. I still think that'll end up being his Semblance.

I'll try to get the second half of this out within the next week. Peace out until then!