Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jaune, all things considered, had a fairly easy life.

Domremy was the second largest city in Vale, which afforded him a great deal of comfort behind its walls. He got to grow up in a safe home, with a family that, though they often tormented him, loved him. Everything was perfect!

Except…

He wanted more.

Not more comfort or luxuries, but more out of life. He’d contemplated many paths in life, there were many things he wanted to do, but chief among them had been becoming a Huntsman for many long years.

One year, however, Domremy was attacked.

Jaune was old enough to work with the militia, even if he was only fifteen. Though the walls held and the Grimm were killed, he got his first taste of combat that day. Jaune, frankly, found it terrifying.

It wasn’t at all like the comics or stories; it was brutal, and harsh. He saw someone lose an arm, another almost lost his leg. Though the worst of the Grimm couldn’t get past the walls, the ones that could fly caused plenty of damage to the defenders.

So, when the dust settled, Jaune decided that that life just wasn’t for him. Sure, Huntsmen were better trained than militia, but the idea of having to face down those beasts of black and bone… it just wasn’t for him.

So for the two years following that attack, Jaune instead tried to focus on other ways he could eventually become a hero. He helped his family, he considered becoming a police officer, things of that nature. The call of the huntsmen was one he ignored.

Though, sometimes, the call is not so easily ignored.

The day it happened started the same as any other. It was nice outside and his family wasn’t causing any trouble for him; Jaune might have even ventured to call it a good day.

His sister Sarcelle had asked him to pick up a delivery for her, and since she couldn’t leave the house very often due to her immunodeficiency (only stymied by their dad having unlocked her aura), he was happy to oblige.

It helped that she was his favorite sister, but he wouldn’t tell the others about that.

So, he dressed in his usual hoodie, jeans, and running shoes combo before heading out. The streets of Domremy were bustling. Most roads were cobblestone, with only a few actual asphalt streets in the town. The post office was near the entrance to town, a large gate that was currently (and usually, indeed) kept open. He said hello to some people he recognized, and even some he didn’t, as he walked. After all, strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet!

The front of the town was calm. It wasn’t a day people were expecting any major traffic from caravans or other traders, and so there wasn’t much business to attend to. Jaune stepped inside the post office, got the box filled with… whatever it was his sister had ordered, and stepped back out.

He noticed, then, that the streets were eerily quiet, and he had no clue why. Instinctively, he looked to the gates, to see if maybe it was a Grimm attack.

What he saw was not a Grimm, but no less alarming.

He saw a tall man, standing a couple inches taller than Jaune, who looked about his age. He had short, dark blue hair, and equally blue eyes. He was wearing armor, not segmented like the armor of Jaune’s family, but full platemail. It was colored blue with gold trimmings. He had a cape which was blue on the interior and gold on the exterior. In one hand, he dragged a Bec-de-Corbin, a pole-hammer.

What was alarming wasn’t the man himself, but the fact that he was visibly injured. His armor seemed somewhat broken and blood was dripping and leaving a trail behind him as he staggered forward. Jaune’s eyes widened and, thinking quickly, he set down the box he’d just gotten before hurrying over to the other boy while asking, “H-Hey! What’s wrong?!” He realized that he’d moved before really acting, and so he pulled out his Scroll, “Hold on, I’ll call-”

“Don’t-” The boy coughed into his free hand, “Don’t bother. I’m done for.” He chuckled, in spite of his situation, “The bastards got me, but… they didn’t get her. Though… she’s still gone… I failed.” He seemed to be struggling with his emotions, and suddenly he stepped forward and placed his hands on Jaune’s shoulders, “You… what’s your name?”

Jaune’s eyes were as wide as saucers as he lowered his scroll, “J-Jaune Arc.” He realized, then, with a coldness gripping his heart, that he was staring into the eyes of a man who was dying.

“Jaune Arc,” the man said with a weak smile, “My name is-” He looked down and coughed, and Jaune noticed blood landing on the ground beneath them. He looked back up, “My name is Cobalt Lazuli. You… you have the eyes of a hero in waiting, Jaune Arc. I… I have to… apologize to you… but… I don’t have a choice. Now… listen.”

Before Jaune could ask what Cobalt meant by that, his vision was suddenly overtaken with white.

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He found himself standing in a white void, and as he looked around, he spotted Cobalt looking at him. He was only a few feet away, and he didn’t look injured anymore. Jaune blinked a few times, “I-I, what-”

“Listen carefully.” Cobalt stepped forward, “Magic is real, the Story of the Seasons is real. You need to find Autumn, the new Autumn, for it’s your duty to work with her, to be her partner, and keep her safe. You must do this, or else… I fear for the future of Remnant.”

Jaune felt as if he’d been hit by a truck, and maybe he had been. Maybe all of this was just a pre-death illusion. Magic? The Story of the Seasons? Autumn? The future of Remnant?

Cobalt continued, “Go to Beacon Academy. Enroll as a student, even if you don’t qualify. Find a way to gain admission, and seek out Headmaster Lucian Ozpin. Seek him out, and… tell my mother that I’m sorry. Her name is Aurum Lazuli, she works at Beacon as a professor.”

Jaune could only stammer in response to all of this, “I-I- buh- wh- Th-This-”

“I’m sorry, Jaune Arc.” Cobalt smiled mournfully, “I’m afraid that I have shouldered you with a terrible burden. You will know the new Autumn when you see her. You will feel it in your soul. You must help her, be her friend, stand at her side. Please… do everything I asked. That is my dying wish.”

Still not sure whether or not this was a dream, Jaune swallowed a lump in his throat. What was he supposed to do? Deny a dying man his last wish? Even if Cobalt was some insane Huntsman, Jaune would have to at least get to the bottom of… all of this. He was a man of honor, and denying this would be the worst thing he could do. His father would tell him such himself. So, with a heavy heart, he said, “I-I… I’ll try.”

Cobalt’s smile grew hopeful, though it remained terribly sad, “Good…” He walked up to Jaune, “Now it’s time to become what you must… the Fall Knight.”

Cobalt reached out and pulled Jaune into a hug.

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Reality came back into focus, and he noticed that he was now being hugged by the dying man.

Jaune instinctively reached out and returned the hug, though it didn’t last. Suddenly, he felt the man starting to… dissipate? He began turning into strange blue particles that Jaune could only really describe as magical. Jaune’s eyes remained wide as the man vanished before his eyes, until all that was left to prove he existed was the Bec-de-Corbin that he had been dragging, stained with blood.

He felt… different. Not at all like he did before, it was like there was something stirring in his soul, something not familiar to him. He saw his body glowing, and he noted that his aura had been unlocked. It felt amazing, but his mind was elsewhere as it faded away. Especially as he looked at the palm of his hand and noticed several small orbs of energy around his hand. A semblance? No, this felt different. He closed his hand and the magic disappeared, and he was left alone.

Numbly, Jaune reached down and picked up what had been Cobalt’s weapon, noting a button on the side of it. He pressed it and flinched as it collapsed into a much smaller, more portable form,

‘What am I supposed to do now?’

He thought this, but he knew the answer. He had to get to Beacon. Was magic real? Did that man really just dissipate in front of him? What was he given? Was it really magic? He could have broken down over this, and it certainly made him want to, but he couldn’t do that, could he?

He told Cobalt he would go to Beacon, and so, he took the box he had gotten for Sarcelle and made his way back home.

If he was going to do this, she was just the person he was going to have to talk to.

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He was able to get past his family without anyone noticing.

Sarcelle’s bedroom was incredibly clean, with the only mess being a pile of machine parts that she kept along with schematics for experimental technology that she liked to try to make. She was a genius, in Jaune’s mind, and he was certain she’d do great things, in spite of her illness.

She had neck-length blonde hair that was the same shade as his, along with eyes that were almost the same shade of blue, although hers were slightly paler, which added to the general look of weakness she had. Her skin was pale, and she had bags under her eyes. That day, she was wearing a pair of red basketball shorts, a teal T-shirt, and a pair of red tennis shoes.

To say she was surprised when she saw that Jaune was carrying not only her box of what he learned was supplies that she needed for a project, but also a Bec-de-Corbin that he had only just wiped off in the kitchen as quietly as he could, would be an understatement.

She was sitting in her computer chair, her computer on some forum or another, and her eyes were wide as she stammered out, “A-And you found that… where?”

Jaune looked at the door worriedly before setting down the box and sitting on her bed, “A guy named Cobalt Lazuli came into town and… died. He turned into… weird particles, after telling me that I have to go to Beacon Academy. Now I can do… this.” He held out his hand and the balls of different elements from before appeared, causing Sarcelle to gasp. He also noticed something strange happen to the weapon in his hand.

It began to glow, ever so slightly; one would have trouble seeing it if Sarcelle’s room wasn’t so dark. There was a haze that appeared around it that made the periphery of the weapon appear slightly distorted, and finally, most notably, the edges were flaming… red? It was an almost ghostly looking silver.

Sarcelle, once she had recovered enough, shook her head, “O-Okay. Magic is real. That’s going to change so many things about some of my theories…” She rubbed her chin, “But I guess we shouldn’t tell anyone. You said you need to get into Beacon?”

Jaune nodded as he willed the power to go away, and it obeyed, “It was what he wanted me to do… and I don’t want to let him down. It was his dying wish. Besides… I need to give his weapon to his mom.”

She gained a bit of a grim expression before nodding and turning towards her chair to face the computer, “I can get you in. Fake transcripts aren’t that hard to produce, I’ll even put in some glowing recommendations from your ‘past tutors’.” She looked back, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“No… I’m really not, but…” He swallowed a lump in his throat, “I don’t have a choice, Sarcy. If it’s really that important that I get to Beacon, then… I’m going to have to play the part.”

She smiled softly, “Guess you will get to be the knight we used to pretend you were. Wonder if I’ll get to-” She coughed into her hand, rough and wet, “-to do that eventually.”

“Who knows.” He smiled, “Either you’ll figure something out, or, if magic is real… maybe there’s a way I’ll be able to get someone to help you.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” she responded, “I’ll get these submitted soon. You’re lucky there’s still time to apply. When you get accepted, I’ll… borrow some funds from the SDC to afford you a hotel and some spending money.”

Grand Larceny aside, Jaune was happy with that, “You’re a lifesaver, Sarcy.” He got off the bed and wrapped her in a sideways hug, and in spite of her initially protesting, she still returned it.

Once they separated, she waved her hand, “Alright, enough physical contact for today, I’ve got work to do.”

Jaune smiled, “Right. Thanks again, Sarcy.” She merely gave him a backhand wave as he left, as he began to shut the door, he wondered how she was so good at this stuff. It likely had to do with her semblance, Technomancy, the ability to manipulate technology, and the internet itself. It was powerful, and it’d be good for a Huntress, though she had other problems before she could pursue that.

He hoped that maybe next year he’d be able to welcome her at Beacon, if everything worked out.

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The Rose-Xiao-Long Residence, a day before

Ruby had been having a normal day, all things considered.

She’d gotten up, done her morning ritual, ate some breakfast her mom had cooked, and then gone outside to do some training. She’d only just recently made the final adjustments she needed to finish Crescent Rose, and while she’d been training with the weapon for years, she still wanted to make sure she had everything down.

Then everything changed when she lit on fire.

…Well, more precisely, her eyes caught fire, and she accidentally cut down a tree with a wave of wind so strong it shook the leaves on every tree around it.

Summer had been watching her train, and when she saw that happen, her mouth fell open while she simultaneously gained a look of horror. She knew exactly what this was, and she knew what it meant, too.

When Ruby had come to ask her, Summer just played it off and said that she would call an ‘old friend’ to explain everything to her.

That was how Ruby had found herself sitting at the dinner table on the opposite side to Professor Ozpin of Beacon Academy.

Summer had made Ruby cookies, and Ozpin waited until after Ruby was done eating a couple to begin, “Ruby Rose, your parents have given you quite the high amount of praise for your skill in both combat and weapon engineering. That being said… they tell me that just today you’ve manifested some new powers, is that correct?”

Ruby nodded and, once she’d swallowed the cookie she’d been eating, she spoke, “Mom says my eyes caught on fire, and I cut down a tree with a gust of super strong wind, which is… not my semblance.”

Ozpin nodded in understanding. He hummed and pushed his glasses up, “Well, Miss Rose. I just have one question to ask you… what’s your favorite fairytale?”

“Oh, that’s easy.” She smiled, “The Girl Who Fell Through the World. Mom used to read it to me all the time when I was younger.”

“It’s a good story.” Ozpin agreed, “With a good message. Experiences are important, but they can leave you changed forever. Tell me, have you ever heard The Story of the Seasons?”

Ruby nodded, “That’s a nice one, all about the girls helping that old wizard out, right?”

He nodded, “What if I told you that story’s been around since I was a boy?”

“You can’t be that old, you went to school with Mom and Dad before becoming Headmaster!” She smiled.

He returned her smile before his smile faded and he gained a more serious look, “What if I told you that it’s real? That magic was real?”

“Magic?” Ruby’s eyes widened, “Are you saying that’s what I have? Magic? I had a weird dream with this girl telling me I was magic now, but… I thought I just ate some bad strawberries.”

He nodded, “You’ve been granted a power exclusive to a few, and while there is much to explain, there’s little time right now for me to explain it. All I ask is that you refrain from telling anyone else about your powers. That includes your sister. It’s very important that you stay safe, and… do you want to come to my school, Miss Rose?”

Ruby nodded, her mind swarming with questions that she couldn’t probably vocalize, “More than anything.”

He smiled, “Well alright.”

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A few weeks later, an airship bound for Beacon Academy…

Jaune was lucky that he had remembered to bring his motion sickness medicine, because otherwise he’d have been vomiting all over the place.

That didn’t mean that the flight didn’t still make him sick, but he’d take sitting in a corner holding his stomach over vomiting on some girl’s shoes.

Sarcelle had come through, like he knew she would, so his trek and time in Vale was comfortable, and he even still had some money she’d given him left over. The upgrade she’d done to his (he had to get used to calling it his) shield was welcome, and she’d made sure that Crocea Mors wasn’t rusted, saying that he shouldn’t be wandering into Beacon with a rusted weapon.

‘I gotta remember to buy her a bunch of gifts later…’

Once he had the money for it, at least.

He had a large travel bag with him, within it being some changes of clothes, other necessities, and the weapon that belonged to the old Fall Knight.

Speaking of…

He felt something strange stirring in his heart, a force trying to guide him in a certain direction. He wasn’t sure why, and he wasn’t in any state to investigate it at the moment, but whatever the magical sense was trying to tell him, it could wait until he could walk without potentially losing his lunch.

Luckily, he didn’t have to wait very long to find out, as it didn’t take very long at all for the ship to come to a stop. Soon, people were starting to file out, and he made sure he was one of the first out, desperate to get to solid ground so he no longer risked social death on his first day at Beacon.

Once he was off, he took a deep breath and stretched. It was windy that day, windy and overcast. The forecast didn’t call for rain, and he hoped that held. Going through… whatever initiation was would probably suck twice as much if it was raining.

Suddenly, he was drawn out of his thoughts by an explosion that resounded with a loud BOOM, causing him to whirl around towards the path. Not that far from the ship, there was a small crater on the ground. A white haired girl covered in ash scoffed before stomping away, while Jaune felt that tug in his soul return.

This time, he didn’t ignore it. He let it pull him towards the crater, and he peered inside, not sure what he’d find.

What he found was a pale-skinned girl with black hair that faded to red at the tips, wearing what could best be described as a ‘gothic lolita’ outfit. He only knew that because one of his sisters had a phase where she was really into it, but at least his useless fashion knowledge came in handy for once. She was covered in soot and grumbling to herself about someone named ‘Yang’ abandoning her, and also complaining about the ‘prissy-haired girl’ that waved Dust in her face to begin with.

Jaune interrupted her ramblings by extending out a hand, smiling, and saying, “Hey, are you okay?” He could feel the tugging in his heart subside, and he realized that this girl must be the one he was meant to meet.

Ruby blinked her eyes open, and she saw a hand being offered to her before her ‘rescuer’ came into focus. She felt a strange feeling as well; something inside her heart told her that this boy was important, she just didn’t know how. She reached a hand out and took his, “U-Uuhm… yeah.” She stood up with his help, “Thanks for the help.”

He let go of her hand, “So, uh… rough landing?” He felt a small smirk tug at his face, “Crater Face?”

She gasped and huffed at this unprovoked attack, “It was an accident!” Her cheeks burned red from embarrassment, “Weren’t you the boy sitting in the corner looking like he was about to hurl? How would you like it if I called you… Green Face?” She started to walk down the path.

Jaune gained a scandalized look and followed after her, “Look, motion sickness is a serious problem! My medicine helps a ton but it doesn’t stop me from feeling sick.” He tried to change the subject, “The name’s Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies…” He saw her look at him with a raised eyebrow, and so he deflated slightly, “The congress of ladies hasn’t figured out how they feel about it yet.”

That got Ruby laughing, and from what he could tell, it wasn’t a derisive laugh. She covered her mouth and let out a lilting and admittedly adorable laugh before saying, “Well, Jaune, I think it’s pretty nice! I’m Ruby Rose, and I… uhm…” She suddenly remembered that she had no idea how to talk to people, and so she did the first thing that came to mind. She pulled out Crescent Rose and unfolded it, “I have this!”

Jaune staggered back a bit, “W-Woah! Is that a scythe, and a, uhm…” He spotted the magazine holster, “A rifle?”

“Mhm!” She smiled proudly, “A high-caliber sniper scythe that fires .50 BMG and can hit a target from reaaalllyy far away. What's your weapon?”

“Oh-” He reached to his side and pulled out Crocea Mors, “This is Crocea Mors, it’s… a sword and shield.” He took the sheath off his side and let it expand to its shield form, “It can fold into a sheath when I get tired of carrying it, and my family’s symbol has Gravity Dust woven into it so I can repel anyone who touches it! It’s uh… not as impressive as your scythe.”

She shook her head, “I like it! Not enough people appreciate the classics these days. If you want any more adjustments to it, maybe I can try and find a way to infuse the blade with Dust? I bet that’d be really handy.”

He remembered Sarcelle talking about wanting to do that, but not having the resources she needed to do anything beyond the Gravity Dust infusion. He smiled, “Sure, if you want. I don’t know that much about weapons, so I’d appreciate the help.” He sheathed his weapon and collapsed his shield before he stuck it to his side. He then realized that he had no idea where they were, “Hey, weren’t we supposed to be at orientation?”

Ruby gasped, and soon the two of them were running to the auditorium.

Luckily, they got there with time to spare. Ruby took him to meet her sister, who turned out to be the ‘Yang’ person she had been grumbling about. Ruby introduced him by gesturing at him, “This is Jaune! He pulled me out of a crater and now we’re friends!”

Frankly, Jaune was pleasantly surprised, ‘I made a friend that isn’t Sarcelle? Sweet! That’s a new record!’ He waved at Yang, who was a blonde bombshell, for lack of a better descriptor, “Hey, nice to uh… meet you.”

Yang grinned, “Nice to meet you! See, Ruby? I knew you could make a friend, I was right!”

Ruby crossed her arms, “Well, I made an enemy, too, so I guess that counts as a negative friend, so technically, I’m at zero still!”

Her sister blinked, “You made an enemy? How”

“I blew up!” She made a sound like a bomb exploding, “Like that! I was in a crater!”

“Pfft.” Yang waved her hand dismissively, “I’m sure you didn’t actually.”

Suddenly, the white haired girl was upon them, “You!” She pointed at Ruby, who yelped and jumped into her sister's arms.

Jaune tried to follow along as the white haired girl went on a rant about Dust, while also something about the Schnee Dust Company. Whatever she was ranting about, he tried to figure out if he should say something, that feeling in his heart grew stronger, an urge telling him ‘protect Ruby’, but how? She wasn’t in any danger…

Luckily, he didn’t have to think about that for very long, as soon the girl walked away after shoving a pamphlet in Ruby’s hands. Ruby got out of her sister’s arms and sighed while deflating, “See what I mean, Yang?”

Yang whistled, “She was a piece of work alright. A real bi-”

Before Yang could finish her sentence, Glynda Goodwitch came on stage and spoke into the microphone, “Headmaster Ozpin will now give a short speech.” She then stepped to the side, while the man himself stepped into view from behind the curtain.

He began to give his speech, both Jaune and Ruby paid close attention to it. It was… less inspiring than either of them hoped it would be, but at least it was brief.

Once it was over, Ruby and Yang went towards the Ballroom to set up for the night, while Jaune had another priority. He excused himself from them and spotted Glynda Goodwitch standing near the door, watching the students head for the Ballroom. He swallowed a lump in his throat and approached the woman. She regarded him with a stern gaze as he approached, “Uhm... Ma’am? I’m looking for Aurum Lazuli.”

Glynda raised an eyebrow and gained a skeptical expression, “Why?” She likely wanted to know what an initiate wanted to do with one of the professors at the Academy.

He cleared his throat and reached into his pack, “I… I have something. I was told to give it to her.” He produced the hammer and showed it to the Deputy Headmaster.

Glynda’s eyes widened slightly before her expression softened, “She’s outside, overlooking the Emerald Forest.” She gave directions, and so Jaune thanked her before heading out.

The wind had really picked up, he felt it pushing him slightly, and he had to fight against it. Luckily, it wasn’t too much of a hassle.

The cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest had several pads set up on it, and the woman he was looking for stood ahead of them, near the edge of the cliff. He could see that she had long dark-blue hair that faded to a lighter blue at the tips and stopped at the small of her back. She wore a cape that was gold on the back and turquoise on the interior, blowing in the wind.

He walked until he was a decent distance from her, not too far, but not too close. Then, he took the weapon and extended it out, “Aurum Lazuli?”

She turned around, and he saw that she had her hands clasped low in front of her. She wore a gray short-sleeved shirt over what must have been a longer-sleeved shirt. It had purple floral designs on the right sleeve, and sunflower designs on the left. She wore a pair of combat pants that had large snowflake designs on the right, and finally, on the left side, she had roses stretching across thorned vines. Her outfit was completed with a pair of brown combat boots that stopped at her calves.

He held out the weapon horizontally, with the shaft level between the two of them. When she saw it, he saw a torrent of emotions slam into her all at once as she inhaled sharply. Shock, disbelief, horror, and… grief. Unrelenting, unforgiving, and all-consuming grief. Yet, they were quickly subdued, and those emotions were replaced with a stormy look in her deep blue eyes that matched the sky above them in temperament.

She pursed her lips and then walked closer to him, and he found that she was a few inches shorter than him, at 5’9’’. She scanned the weapon, looking it over, as if confirming it was what she thought it was. Then she closed her eyes, and they fell into a period of silence. Jaune lowered the weapon, holding it at his side.

It was only after a full five minutes that she opened her eyes again. He could see the pain in her eyes, though she tried mightily to hide it. It was a kind of pain he didn’t understand, and hoped that he never would have to. The pain of seeing someone grow, watching them, loving them, caring for them… only to have it all taken away. It was a heavy sight, a heavy feeling, and a piece of Jaune felt it, his chest tightening.

She stepped forward and pulled Jaune into a hug, which he returned. Softly, she asked, voice cracking, on the verge of shattering, “Did he… did he do what I think he did?”

Jaune knew what she meant, of course he did. There was only one thing she could mean. Softly, he answered, “Yes.”

She stepped back and placed a gentle hand on his cheek, “I’m sorry, Jaune… It wasn’t supposed to be this way.” She lowered her gaze, and Jaune didn’t even stop to wonder how she knew his name, “Keep it. Use it… to remind you of your new duties. Use it to remind you… to protect those you hold dear. To love and cherish them, to never… ever… take them for granted. You never know when they’re going to be taken from you. You never know…” He saw tears welling up in her eyes, “You never know when you’ll have to say goodbye. Can you do that?”

He nodded, “I will… I promise.”

She dropped her hand and walked past him wordlessly, and he didn’t look back. Instead, he looked at the weapon in his hands. Suddenly…

Suddenly it felt ten times heavier than it did just a few minutes ago.

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He made sure to tell Sarcelle he loved her that night, even if she was weirded out by it.

He also had trouble sleeping, he kept staring at the hammer. Should he use it? He wasn’t any more trained with his sword than he was with the hammer. Even if it was too much for him in two-hands, he could at least carry it in its smaller warhammer form.

He supposed he could figure that out later. For initiation, he’d stick with his sword. He’d keep the hammer at his side, but only for emergencies.

The next day, everyone was up and about fairly early, and it only took about an hour before the hopefuls were being taken to the same place Jaune had talked to Aurum. This time, he stood on a metal pad, and listened nervously as Ozpin explained everything.

Ruby was standing next to him, and looked pretty excited, all things considered. She grinned at Jaune, and he made an effort to smile back, though it was hard, now that he was right on the doors of death.

…Maybe he was being dramatic, but he’d never fought a Grimm before, and had only ever seen them from far away. He could only hope that he’d be able to beat it.

If he needed to, he could try and call on Cobalt’s power, the Fall Knight’s power. He wasn’t sure what happened when you died, but he was pretty sure Cobalt would be pissed if he gave his power to someone only for them to die a month later. Then again, maybe he wouldn’t; he didn’t know anything about who the man had been.

He thought to ask about how they were going to get to the forest, but he thought better of it when he saw someone get launched off a pad. The sound of them launching caused him to start, just a little bit, meanwhile Ruby grinned like nothing was wrong.

Of course she was, there really was nothing wrong, for her and most everyone there at least. Jaune was just glad he had his aura unlocked, otherwise he’d have ended up a red stain on the ground.

When it was his time, he raised his shield and braced himself as he was launched forward. That didn’t stop him from screaming like a wimp on his way down. Lucky for him, it seemed that there was someone looking out for him.

Maybe he shouldn’t have been surprised when Ruby snatched him out of the air while flying with eyes that burned with silver fire, but he was. When she grabbed him, he blinked a few times as he tried to reorient himself. Ruby was holding him in a bridal carry, a bit of role reversal he wasn’t expecting, especially considering Ruby was much smaller than him, but she didn’t seem burdened at all. She grinned, “Come on, Jaune! We’ve got a chess piece to find!”

Soon, they touched down, and once she set him down, she smirked, “Good meeting you, partner.”

Jaune rolled his eyes but couldn’t keep himself from smiling, “Guess so. Although, uh-” He rubbed the back of his neck, “Why me? Why not your sister?”

Ruby waved her hand dismissively, “Pssh, what, Yang? Naah, you saw how she was behaving! She’d probably do nothing but embarrass me all year if she was my partner.” She wasn’t going to tell him that Yang had threatened to eat all of her strawberries and cookies that she got from home if they became partners. Yang seemed certain that partnering with someone else was the better option, and so Ruby had no choice. Still, she knew Jaune wasn’t a bad guy, he was her first friend!

…That besides, she felt… something, towards him. She wasn’t sure how to describe it, but it felt as if he was important. Not in any romantic sense or anything; sure, she thought he was cute, but the feeling in her soul simply told her that he was a protector. Someone to rely on.

She just hoped that that feeling wasn’t wrong. She could look after herself, but it’d be much easier if she had some help.

Jaune, for his part, accepted her explanation with a shrug, “Yeah, probably. I know how siblings can get, I’ve got seven of them.” He grinned as he saw Ruby’s shocked expression.

“W-Were your parents part Rabbit Faunus?!” She shook her head, trying to imagine what that would be like, “That sounds…”

She shuddered, “Did you even get any privacy?” She could only imagine what it would be like,‘Seven Yangs instead of one.’

“Oh, not at all. Most of the time.” He chuckled awkwardly as they started to walk, “I had my own room and everything, but you try getting an ounce of rest when you’re one of two guys in the family and the other is your Dad. I get along… alright with them, at least. One of them is far better than the others, admittedly.”

Ruby had to refrain from shuddering again, “That just sounds… gross. I shared a bedroom with Yang for a long time, but we got our own rooms eventually! At least I could hide in my room if I wanted to be alone, but it sounds like your room wasn’t really that safe.”

He shook his head and said, “Nope.” With a poppin’ P.

While they were talking, Jaune finally remembered to bring up what had happened, “So… is flying your semblance? Those burning eyes too?”

Ruby laughed nervously as she realized she’d made a mistake, “Ah, well, uhm- N-Not exactly, but I don’t think you’d really… get it, it’s-”

Jaune interrupted, “Magic?”

That made Ruby stop in her tracks as she looked over at him with wide eyes, “H-How’d you know that? Professor Ozpin told me to keep that a secret!”

“Uhm, well…” Jaune began, “It’s a bit of a long story, but… I was given the power of the Fall Knight.” He held up his sword and let it catch with red fire, the slight distortion around the periphery of the weapon returning. His armor, too, caught fire, which was unexpected. This fire, instead of being silver, was red like roses. Ruby gasped, and he lowered his sword before smiling and killing the power, returning his sword to normal, “I kind of thought you’d be Autumn, or uh, Fall, I guess? I felt it in my heart.” He tapped the flat of his blade against his chest, “Something told me you were important, and that I needed to look out for you.”

Once she got over her shock, Ruby smiled, “I was told there’d be someone called the Fall Knight, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. I… I felt something similar. I felt like I could trust you.” She giggled nervously, “Maybe that’s part of why I snatched you out of the sky, other than you being my first friend at Beacon. So… you have magic too?”

“I do, but I’m not sure how strong it is yet. I haven’t really tested it out.” He smiled, “If I had to guess, probably not as strong as yours, if you’re supposed to be the big deal. Still, I guess I have to try and keep you safe! Uhh… just…” He grinned nervously, “I hope you’ll return the favor.”

“Of course!” Ruby agreed as her smile brightened, “Well, come on, Fall Knight Jaune!” She pointed forward, “Let’s keep going. You mentioned seven sisters, right?”

Conversation came easily for the two of them as they kept walking, easier than either had experienced with just about anyone else. Even Yang was difficult for Ruby, and while Jaune loved his sisters, all of them, even Sarcelle, were hard to talk to all the time. Hell, Sarcelle especially, she tended to go on rants about stuff Jaune didn’t understand, and he was far too nice to try and leave mid-rant, so he just had to bear with it.

It was only after walking for a while that they realized they’d gotten more than a little turned around. The two of them looked around the forest as Ruby fished out her Scroll and tried to locate north, “Uhm… Where do you think the relics are, exactly?”

Jaune pursed his lips as he looked around before spotting something, a cave! He pointed to it with his sword, “Oh, there! I bet we’ll find a relic in that cave, it’s the perfect place to hide something like that.”

Ruby was uncertain, but still, she shrugged, “Alright, lead the way, my brave knight!” The two shared a short laugh over their seemingly hilarious inside joke before marching off towards the cave.

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Elsewhere in the Emerald Forest…

Pyrrha Nikos hadn’t been having the best day, so far.

First, she had been all but solicited by Weiss Schnee of the SDC, trying to partner with her due to her combat prowess and fame. No doubt she was trying to use her for something, she had no idea what. Pyrrha had told herself she was going to try her best to not partner with her, even as she politely went along with what Weiss had been saying at the time.

She had intended to partner with the boy who hadn’t known anything about her—Jaune was his name. However, before she could even properly land, he was gone, already disappeared into the forest. She felt that really shouldn’t have happened, not with the way he was falling, but she had no idea what had happened.

So that meant she had been left wandering and looking for a partner. She was anxious as to who it could possibly be, the number of people who wouldn’t treat her like some sort of important celebrity worth fawning over was incredibly small.

There was the sound of battle in the distance, it was all over the place, in fact. She didn’t doubt that many students had already partnered up. After all, it was unlikely that that many students landed far from each other. The question then became: Who landed nearest to her?

She heard someone in the brush further ahead. The steps were too careful to be a Grimm, but she still gripped her sword and shield tightly as she raised the shield and stepped forward towards the brush, preparing to strike if she needed to.

However, a shock of white hair caught her eye and made her heart skip a beat, twice. Once in a case of mistaken identity; she had once had a friend with similarly colored hair, a long time ago. Again as she realized who it was instead, and that realization was followed by her heart dropping as she met the ice blue eyes of Weiss Schnee.

The Schnee heiress seemed all too pleased as she smiled brightly, “Wonderful! It’s a good thing that I found you, for a moment I was worried I’d run into someone else. Like that nuisance of a girl, Ruby Rose. It’s good to see you again, Pyrrha Nikos! Between your talent and strength, and my intelligence, we’re sure to become the top duo at Beacon!”

Pyrrha put on her best fake smile, “Ah… right. It’s… good to see you again, partner.” She suddenly wondered if going to Beacon was really the best idea she’d ever had. Maybe if she’d gone to Shade or Atlas she could have avoided someone like Weiss from trying to take advantage of her fame…

Weiss, oblivious to the other girl’s internal turmoil, just took the lead, “Follow me, Pyrrha! The temple’s got to be in this direction, I’m sure of it.”

When Weiss wasn’t looking, Pyrrha took a deep breath and sighed. She could always run off, find a different partner, and pretend like she’d never seen Weiss… but she wasn’t that kind of girl. If she did that, Weiss would be let out to dry, and there was no guarantee she’d meet someone who wasn’t worse than Weiss.

So, with a heavy heart, Pyrrha followed after her new partner.

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Meanwhile, just outside the cave in the Emerald Forest, a lone white rabbit hopped along. It had been having an average day, finding stuff to eat, finding places to rest. That sort of thing. It could hear conversation with its keen ears in the cave near it, although it couldn’t understand what they were saying exactly.

If it could, it’d have started running a lot sooner than it did.

“Jaune, look! It’s a glowy thing, think it’s a relic?”

“It has to be!”

“JAUNE THIS ISN’T A RELIC IT’S A DEATHSTALKER!”

“RUN!”

The rabbit just barely got out of the way in time for Ruby and Jaune to burst out of the cave, with the Deathstalker charging out after them and causing rocks to fly in every direction as it did. Jaune was panicking, he wasn’t ashamed to admit that, considering the large death beast that was following them. Jaune called out, “Ruby, use your magic!”

Ruby blinked a few times, “Oh, right!” She had honestly forgotten that she had that! She turned around and her eyes caught fire as she swung her scythe and, in a move similar to the one she had performed on those innocent trees on Patch, used wind magic to cut a swathe through not just the trees, but through the Deathstalker! It didn’t go down in one attack, but it did lose its stinger, cracks in its armor causing it to screech in pain as it redoubled its efforts to close the gap.

As it tried to close in, Ruby prepared to attack again, but Jaune stepped forward and raised his sword and shield. He felt compelled to act, his fear overridden by this burning desire. His sword and shield both caught fire as he swung his blade downward, and the blade was wrapped in yet larger flames that connected with the Deathstalker as the swung finished its arc. The beast screeched and backpedaled at the flame, while Ruby took advantage of the fire and sent out a wave of wind again. This exacerbated the fire and caused several trees to collapse onto the Deathstalker.

Ruby cheered as the fire in her eyes quenched and it became clear the Deathstalker wasn’t going to keep coming after them, “Woo! Yeah, we’re awesome!” She grinned, “Come on, Jaune! We’ve gotta get a relic!”

She hurried off and Jaune blinked a few times, looking at his sword as its fire quenched before hurrying after her. He could wonder about just how he did what he did later, for the moment, he needed to pass initiation!

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On the cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest

Ozpin hummed as he looked down at his scroll. It was displaying several different cameras, watching several different pairs making their way through initiation. Most had already finished by this point, but there was one duo in particular that held his interest, even as others finished.

Glynda glanced at Oz’s scroll, “So we were right, he is the new Fall Knight. That confirms why Aurum wasn’t answering our calls…”

He nodded grimly, “The loss of a child is nothing to take lightly. A part of him will live on in Mr. Arc, I know it will. That might not ease Aurum’s heart now, but hopefully it will later.”

She closed her eyes and looked away, “I couldn’t imagine that happening to us. If we lost either of them…”

“We won’t, Glynda,” Ozpin soothed her, before steering the topic back to the initiation, “They might display their powers in front of others, I know Ruby will try to restrain herself unless absolutely necessary, but Mr. Arc doesn’t know that he has to.”

Glynda looked back at him and opened her eyes, “Why didn’t you talk to him before initiation? We could have avoided the risk of him revealing himself to unknowing students.”

He shook his head, “People are taught from an early age that magic is nothing but a fairy tale. A logical mind will not jump to it as their first conclusion to a display of great power. Mayhaps they will simply see it as a heretofore unseen use of aura and Dust, and if they don’t, I’m certain it can be played off in some other way.”

“Right…” Glynda knew he was right, but it was still nerve wracking to her. She watched as the Knight and Maiden duo made their way closer to the temple, while another duo was already there, “It seems we’ll have a team on our hands soon. Just in time, as well… are you sure you don’t want Peter and Bartholomew to intervene?”

He chuckled, “Nonsense, Glynda. It may be a fairly intimidating fight, but between those two, and the other duo, I think they’ll have it well in hand. If they don’t, then I’ll give the signal, but…

“I don’t think that will be necessary.”

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The Temple, Emerald Forest

Jaune and Ruby broke through the treeline and made their way to the ruined temple,

There were two people already there, and they recognized both immediately, Pyrrha Nikos and Weiss Schnee. Pyrrha looked like she was hiding some form of misery when she looked in their direction, but it vanished as soon as she saw them. She smiled brightly and waved at them while greeting them in a sing-songy voice, “Hello again~!”

The magical duo came to a stop, with Jaune having to catch his breath while Ruby waved, “Hey Pyrrha!” She looked notably less pleased as she looked at the frowning visage of Pyrrha’s partner, “Weiss.”

“Ruby.” Weiss responded curtly before looking at Jaune, “And you too, what was your name, Jaune?”

Jaune nodded a few times, still catching his breath, “Uh- yeah. Who are you again?” He asked with genuine curiosity, before remembering the name Ruby had just said, “Weiss, right?”

Ruby made her way over to the pedestals and took up a white Knight piece, “Alright! Let’s-”

Suddenly, the ground shook, and all four of them looked towards the forest as heavy footsteps continued to make the ground quake.

Finally, bursting through the trees, came two Grimm. One was a Beringel, luckily it didn’t look that big. The same couldn’t be said for the other, a giant Grimm that looked like a platypus with a bone mask covering its face. Its hands and feet were clawed, with two spikes protruding from either hand. On its back was what gave it its namesake, a bone-white shell that was split in half, with several tentacles writhing around coming from it.

Jaune swallowed a lump in his throat and raised his shield, prepared for them to make a stand. However, suddenly, two large Nevermore burst from the trees and took to the skies above them. Jaune’s eyes widened, “We should run!’

Ruby nodded in agreement, “Let’s go!”

The other two didn’t seem to want to argue, instead they turned tail and started to run with them.

The ground-based Grimm took some time to start to catch up to them, as they had to smash their way through the ruined temple to pursue them, but the Nevermore in the air had no such issues. They started sending out large amounts of feather projectiles that crashed into the ground around the four as they continued their retreat.

Ruby pointed towards a bridge in the distance, “Come on! If we can just get past the bridge…”

They all ran as fast as they could, but just as they drew close to the bridge, one of the Nevermore smashed into it, splitting it in half and blocking their way. Jaune swore under his breath as they came to a stop, “I-I guess we have to fight them here!” Jaune turned to face the approaching terrestrial Grimm.

Ruby nodded and gripped Crescent Rose tightly, “I’ll take care of one of the Nevermore!” Before Pyrrha or Weiss could ask her how she would do that, she leapt into the air and soared after one of them, her eyes burning with Maiden Fire. Ozpin had told her not to use her Maiden powers unless it was an emergency, but this counted as one in her book!

Meanwhile, Jaune pointed his sword at the Splitback, “This one looks the scariest, it should be priority!”

Pyrrha nodded, preparing her spear, “What about the Beringel?” Meanwhile, Weiss was already preparing to use some of her Glyphs on the Splitback.

“Uhm…” He swallowed a lump in his throat, “I’ll take care of it!” What was he saying? He’d only fought one Grimm up to this point! Why did he suddenly have the drive to face down a Beringel?

He heard Ruby high above as she slashed at one of the two Nevermore while dodging several attempts both made to attack her, and he steeled his resolve. If she could do it, then he would have to do his best to emulate her bravery.

Weiss and Pyrrha didn’t argue with him, instead they set to work. Pyrrha charged forward and jabbed the Splitback in the side with her spear, causing it to shriek. Meanwhile, Weiss created several glyphs above her, each one sending out several ice-infused projectiles that sailed towards the Splitback and crashed into it.

She followed up by creating a time dilation glyph at Pyrrha’s feet, accelerating the other girl and allowed her to dodge several of the tendrils as they tried to stab at her. Pyrrha shifted her spear into a sword and slashed upward, cutting a couple of the tentacles in half and making the beast shriek in pain.

Meanwhile, Jaune charged the Beringel, doing his best not to think about how much bigger the beast was than him. He let out a battle cry as he raised his sword and shield, and the beast reciprocated with its own roar as it raised his fists and attempted to bring them down on Jaune’s shield. He activated the Gravity Dust within it, the symbol of his family sending a pulse of Dust outward that caused the Beringel to stagger backwards and left it wide open to reprisal.

He stabbed outward with his sword and managed to catch the beast in the gut, but it smashed him in the side with a fist and sent him flying. He crashed into a tree, but didn’t waste any time in getting back up, his bountiful aura reserves doing much in helping him ignore the stinging pain as he charged forward again.

He heard Ruby up above as she managed to cut down the first Nevermore, sending it falling down into the ravine the bridge had been built over. The other one was much bigger, and he just hoped she could handle it.

He had his own problems to attend to, however, as the beast in front of him tried to slam him into the ground with both of its fists. He rolled forward and dodged the attack, but as he popped back up he found that the Beringel was already ready for him. It smashed into his side again and sent him to the ground. As it attempted to punch down, however, he raised his shield and activated the Gravity Dust again, causing it to stagger backward once more.

As he stood up, he attempted to stab forward again. However, the same trick didn’t work a second time, as the beast swiped at his sword and caused him to lose his grip on it. It went skidding across the ground and he gritted his teeth as the Beringel punched him in the face. He saw stars as he staggered backward, but as it went to attack him again, he raised his shield for a third time.

This time, however, he didn’t activate the Gravity Dust immediately. Instead, he grabbed the hammer at his side and took it into his right hand, extending it outward to the size of a one-handed warhammer. It ignited with silver flames as he pushed up with his shield and activated the Gravity Dust for the third and hopefully final time.

The Grimm staggered backward and he let out a shout as he raised his hammer and brought it down onto the beast’s chest. While he did that, a golden light shot down, seemingly from the heavens above, and it smote the Beringel with otherworldly power, causing it to vaporize into nothing.

Jaune fell to one knee as he tried to catch his breath. He could still hear the fighting going on around him, so he knew he had to get back up. He looked at Cobalt’s hammer, his hammer, and muttered, “Thank you.” before standing up and turning to face the Splitback.

However, he was interrupted from stepping forward as he saw a red blur rocket down from the sky and crash into the ground. He gasped, “Ruby!” He hurried over to her, and he saw her already getting up, “Are you okay?”

Ruby nodded as she groaned and stood entirely again, “I screwed up a move I was trying to do…” She shook her head, “We have to beat that thing! Fighting both of these at once is going to get us killed!”

Jaune was in agreement, but before he could make any suggestions, he saw the Nevermore racing towards them, seeming intent on dive bombing them. He gasped, “Look out!” He then raised his shield as he stepped forward, driven by the fire that burned in his heart, soul, and hammer.

The Nevermore crashed into his shield, and Jaune expected to be flattened under it, but he held his stance. He was too focused to notice the pair of golden, semi-transparent, magical wings that appeared at his back as he struggled against the beast, “R-Ruby! Do something!”

Ruby shook herself out of her shock at the sight of this previously unseen power before nodding and taking up her scythe. She activated her semblance and raced towards the Grimm before reforming above it. She hooked her scythe around its neck and jumped off, digging the scythe into it as she swung under and over it.

The Nevermore barely had time to screech before it lost its head entirely and fell to the ground, leaving a massive, slowly evaporating Grimm corpse there. The wings at Jaune’s back dissipated as he tiredly turned towards the Splitback, which Pyrrha and Weiss were still holding back, “What do we do about that?”

“I’ve got an idea!” Both Jaune and Ruby exclaimed at the same time, before sharing a knowing look. It seemed they both had the same idea. Jaune exclaimed, “Weiss! Make a glyph on my shield, something that can boost Ruby!”

Ruby continued, “Pyrrha, hold this thing in place as best as you can!”

Together, both Ruby and Jaune exclaimed, “Let’s kill this thing!” Jaune then braced himself and raised his shield as the symbol on it began to glow purple. Weiss did as she was asked, creating a large glyph on top of Jaune’s shield that turned red as Ruby jumped onto it. Meanwhile, Pyrrha kept the Splitback’s attention, using every skill she had to keep the thing from turning its attention elsewhere.

Pyrrha then stabbed upward with her spear, causing the beast to stand at its full height to try and dodge it. However, all it did was leave itself open to the next attack, as at once Jaune activated his Gravity Dust with as much power as he could put into it, while Weiss augmented it with her Glyph.

The result was immediate. Ruby shot forward faster than a bullet, nothing but a red blur to the naked eye as she smashed into the Splitback. She hooked her scythe around the beast’s midsection, the kinetic energy combined with her firing several rounds of her own Gravity Dust to add even more speed to her move led to the Splitback getting turned into a Splithalf, as it separated at its midsection. The top half crashed into the ground as Ruby shot past, while the bottom half fell soon afterward.

Ruby crashed into a tree and groaned as she sat against it, “Ooww…” She shook herself out of it and saw that the Splitback was dead, “We did it!” She pumped her fist in the air.

Jaune made the hammer’s shaft retract again as he stuck it to his side before stumbling over to his sword and picking it up. He grabbed it and sheathed it as he retracted his shield. Meanwhile, Pyrrha went over and helped Ruby get up while Weiss said, “Admittedly… I was wrong about you two. What was that? Those abilities?”

“A-Ah, uhm-” Jaune cleared his throat, “Just… our semblances and some creative use of Dust?”

Ruby stood up with Pyrrha’s help and nodded in agreement, “Th-That’s right! Just Dust and our semblances!”

Weiss didn’t look like she entirely believed them, but what other explanation could there be? She didn’t know, and so she sighed and acquiesced, “Right.”

Ruby thanked Pyrrha and then headed over to Jaune, “I didn’t see that hammer on you before! What’s its name?”

He looked at the weapon at his side, “Ah… It’s…” On the fly, he thought of a name for it, “I call it Promise.”

“I like it.” Ruby grinned tiredly, “Now… we should go back to Professor Ozpin…”

The whole group was in agreement, and so they made their way towards the top of the cliff. It took them a good ten minutes of walking to get there, but once they were, Ozpin graded them with an A+ and sent them off for team formation.

It was a blur to Jaune; admittedly, he wasn’t sure who most of the teams were. He saw Yang partnered up with some dark haired girl wearing a bow along with a boy with long black hair and a girl with short orange hair. That team was consecrated Team RYBN, or Team Ribbon.

Jaune had to try his best not to stumble as he and the others were called up, he could only imagine how embarrassing it’d be to fall over on stage in front of all his future classmates. Once they were there, the four of their portraits showed up on the screen above them, and Ozpin read out their names, “Jaune Arc, Weiss Schnee, Pyrrha Nikos, and Ruby Rose. You collected the white Knight pieces, you will form Team Jasper.” The abbreviation ‘JSPR’ appeared over each of their portraits, “Led by…

“Jaune Arc!”

Chapter Text

Jaune had barely registered what Ozpin had said before Ruby leapt on him, giving him a sideways hug, almost causing Jaune to fall over, but luckily Pyrrha kept him from doing so with a hand. As he tipped back up, Ruby exclaimed, “This is gonna be great! We’re gonna be the best team, I know it!”

“A-Ah, yeah.” Jaune chuckled nervously as the four started to leave the stage, “You were all great back there.”

Weiss looked like she wanted to say something, and judging from her expression, it likely wasn’t something nice, but she was cut off when Pyrrha nodded in agreement, “I think we all did wonderfully. I’m looking forward to working with you and Ruby, Jaune.” The fact that she left out Weiss wasn’t missed, but nobody commented on it, even if Weiss looked shocked.

There wasn’t time for more conversation, however, as soon Jaune received a message on his Scroll. He checked it, and found it to be… Ozpin? The message simply read: “Come to my office at the top of Beacon Tower. Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble.”

Well, that was at least somewhat of a relief. Jaune had a feeling he knew what this was about, “Uhm, guys, I need to go talk to Ozpin, I’ll be right back. Don’t worry, I’m not in any trouble or anything.” He smiled, although Weiss seemed disappointed at the ‘not in trouble’ part. Maybe she wanted to be the leader? Jaune could only guess, and he hoped that she’d mellow out with time.

That was for later, though. For the moment, he broke off from the group and made his way to Beacon Tower.

The walk there was uneventful, and the elevator ride to the top was anxiety inducing. Once he stepped inside the clockwork office, he found Ozpin sitting at his desk, sipping his hot chocolate. Jaune cleared his throat, “Uhm, you wanted to see me, sir?”

Ozpin nodded and gestured to one of the two seats across from his desk, “Indeed. I’ve already told Ruby everything about being a Maiden, but I’ve yet to have the opportunity to tell you. That’s in addition to telling you about the history and duty of being a Knight.”

Jaune walked over to the chair and sat down, “Okay… What, uhm… what do I need to know?”

“First of all,” Ozpin began, “you know you didn’t need to fake transcripts to come here, right?” Jaune’s eyes widened and his face went pale, while Ozpin merely chuckled, “The transcripts were perfect in every way. Indeed, they fooled everyone in the admissions process all the way up to Glynda. I, and only I, am aware of their true nature. You could have simply shown me your magical capabilities, and I’d have arranged for you to join this year.”

“A-Ah, uhm…” Jaune looked down while muttering to himself, “Why didn’t I think of that?” He’d keep the fact that the transcripts got found out from Sarcelle; she’d probably spend a whole week trying to figure out what had gone wrong, when in reality, Ozpin was just that good. He looked back up, “W-Well, sir… What happens now?”

“Now, we can get started.” Ozpin smiled, “I arranged for you to have training at the hands of an expert. Professor Lazuli insisted upon helping you train, even if she’s not a swordswoman. I’ll also provide you with some assistance myself, but that will be focused entirely on magic, and you’ll be training with Miss Rose.”

He took a sip from his drink before continuing, “Now, are you aware of the Story of the Seasons? Did Cobalt have time to tell you the truth about it?” Jaune nodded and so Ozpin’s smile grew a bit somber, “The boy was always a step ahead. He was a prodigy, with a great deal of potential. Now, I feel, his presence within your soul will augment your magic, and allow you to reach heights greater than other Knights, with the right effort.”

Jaune blinked a few times, “H-How? Didn’t he just have a regular Knight Soul?” It was hard to ignore the image of the man he had only known for a couple minutes that dwelled in his mind. Jaune could see him, still, and it weighed on him. If Cobalt really was a prodigy, with great powers beyond anyone else, then… well, Jaune felt like that was the man who should be saving the world. The man who should still be alive, while Jaune remained in Domremy, blissfully ignorant to all of this. Now, all of this was on him, and he felt that weight growing heavier on his shoulders every passing moment he was sitting there.

Ozpin regarded Jaune evenly, “Indeed, but his soul was no normal one either. I’ll spare you the details, but he had his own latent magical capabilities, due to the circumstances of his birth. Professor Lazuli herself told me the basics, but I will let her tell you more about that whenever she’s ready to. Now, you’ve heard the Story of the Seasons before, but…”

He leaned forward, steepling his hands, “Have you ever heard the story of the Knights of the Round Table?”

Jaune shook his head, and so, Ozpin began to tell a story…

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There once was a mighty King and his four, equally mighty daughters. The King ruled over a vast and wealthy Kingdom, where all knew peace and tranquility.

The four daughters helped protect this peace, this bounteous existence, with the power of nature itself. Such was their power that they remained the heroes of many, and yet the envy of many more. For such is the human heart, so easily tainted by a desire for power, that once good people would turn to treachery to get what they wished for, be it for selfish reasons or misguided ideas of heroism.

The King despaired, for he knew his daughters wished only the best for the world, and yet so many in the world seemed to wish for naught but ruin for them.

One day, in the streets, an assassin attempted to strike at one of his daughters, the eldest, who was named Autumn. Unaware as she was, she would have been killed, had it not been for a brave and heroic man who, powerful though the daughter was, placed himself between the assassin and his target. Though he was injured for his heroics, he was nonetheless successful, and saved the eldest daughter’s life that day.

Once the King heard, he brought the man to his court and asked him why he did it, in spite of knowing how much more powerful the King’s daughter was compared to him. The man replied, “I didn’t think of power, nor did I obey my mind, which told me that your daughter, powerful as she is, could protect herself. I followed my heart, which told me to not allow harm to befall someone so selfless and kind.”

The King, pleased with his response, offered him a bounty and his daughter’s hand. The man responded, “I wish not for a bounteous reward, nor do I wish for your daughter’s hand, unless she wishes for mine.” The King, even more amazed by the man’s response, simply agreed to let him recuperate in the safety of his castle as repayment.

The next day, the second eldest daughter, Summer, announced that she had fallen in love with a man in the town, who always treated her with the utmost respect and kindness, ever since they were children. He never looked at her as a vessel of power, nor did he leer at her like many did. The King, skeptical of the man’s intentions, as many feigned kindness, asked to speak with him.

The man came as requested, and when asked what his intentions were with his daughter, simply responded, “Truthfully, I love your daughter, but it all began because I felt that she deserves kindness. I have known Summer my whole life, and to me she is more than the whole world, indeed she is the very stars above. I would gladly give away all of my material goods if it meant I could ensure her comfort and happiness.”

The King, uncertain of the man still, asked him to prove it. The man returned the next day with wheelbarrows of gold and then showed the King to his old home, which had been turned into an orphanage. The man said, “If only I had more to give, but my love is beyond material goods, my liege.” The King, impressed, allowed the marriage and gave the man a place in his castle.

The day after that, the middle daughter, Winter, who was traveling the Kingdom to ensure the happiness of all who dwelled within, fell ill. She sought a place to rest, and was taken in by a man and his elderly parents, whom he cared for in their twilight years. Although Winter was sick for many seasons, the man never once complained, instead offering the best care he could manage while also caring for his parents. One day, the King, worried for his daughter, sought out where she stayed.

When he found out what happened, he was stunned. The King asked, “My dear boy, surely you have your own dreams and ambitions you wish to pursue? Do you not grow embittered by the constant need to care for others?”

The young man simply shook his head and responded, “Nay, my lord, for my dream in life is to care for others. Not just the ones I love, but everyone I possibly can. I dream, one day, of opening a grand center for recovery and healing, where all who are ill can rest, and not be turned away or treated as leeches.”

The King, overjoyed at the man’s dream, gave him what he wished for. He moved the man and his parents into the castle, giving the elderly couple the best care he could, and giving the man the resources he needed to open the first of a special type of building that would come to be known as a hospital.

Days later the King received yet more news. The youngest daughter, Spring, had met a man most interesting out in the forest. The man loved nature, and even in the middle of winter, he often sat out within it for hours at a time. He planted trees every spring in a wide expanse of land that had no trees to speak of. Spring spoke of how in love she was with the man because of his dedication and spirit. The King was astounded to have heard of a fourth man of such great virtue, and set out to meet him at once.

He found the man sitting out in the field, many young trees were among him, and when asked about them, the man responded, “I planted many of these trees as a boy. My father taught me that, while our lives are precious, it is of the utmost importance to leave the world better than it was when you were born.”

The King asked the man if it was truly worth it, given that he would never live to see the forest he had worked so hard to plant. The man merely laughed, as if the King had told him a particularly funny joke, and responded, “Of course I will not live to see the beautiful greenery of this emerald forest… but the children of tomorrow will be able to play in the forest, the medicine men of tomorrow will be able to pick herbs from the forest, and the explorer will find new adventure within the forest. That is enough for me. My love for nature is only matched by the companionship I feel from your daughter, for she often comes and sits with me, observing nature.”

After that, the King told the man that he was impressed by his patience and dedication before leaving to think. Four men he had found, each possessed with virtue that shone as bright as a beacon in the dark. Each man had some connection to his daughters, and from that sprung an idea.

He assembled his daughters and spoke with them at length about his idea, and eventually a consensus was reached. The men were summoned to a special meeting room in the castle, one room dominated by a large round table. The King, with his daughters standing at the table next to the one they had met, said, “It is true that my daughters are powerful, but they are still human. Daggers in the dark would see their power taken, their lives cast into the void. You are each filled with virtue only matched by my daughters, and because of that we have a grand reward to offer… and yet, an even grander responsibility will follow.

“My daughters and I will perform a ritual, in which we will bestow upon you a piece of magic tied to them individually. It is they who grant you this power, and they who have the right to take it away, should your virtue falter. If you do not accept, then you may walk out the door. Make no mistake, the role you are each being offered is one of protection, of vigilance, of loyalty. It will be difficult, but you will be able to do good on a scale you could never achieve on your own. I would hear each of your responses individually.”

The courageous man, who had saved Autumn, spoke, “I will take up this role! If I may save the lives of the innocent, then it is worth the responsibility.”

The loyal man agreed, “I too will take up this role! For if I may be any help to your daughter, then it is worth whatever sacrifices I must make!”

The selfless man spoke humbly, “Though I do not feel I deserve this gift, I will accept. For even if it comes with great responsibility, this power will allow me to help many more heal from wounds of both the body and the soul.”

The patient man nodded his head, “Though one day we will all be gone from this mortal plane, our ideals, our very goals, will persist. I accept, and I hope that the torches lit today will carry far into the future.”

As the Princesses bestowed pieces of power unto the men, the King declared, “Then it is decided! The oaths sworn here today will carry on for generations to come, and may all remember this day! For you four are Knights, brave and true, and though your paths may diverge, you will always share the same goal! May this shared purpose breed camaraderie, and may you four go forth and do well by my name, and my daughters’ names! For you are…”

“The Knights of the Round Table!”

/-/

Once Ozpin was finished recounting the story, Jaune took a moment to absorb it, “So… four noble men were raised by the Maidens and the King to become Knights. That… makes sense.”

Ozpin nodded, “Indeed. Your magic promises to be some of the strongest, but that will take time. In that time, you will become the Knight you were tasked with being. For now…” He looked at his watch, “I think I’ve wasted enough of your time; your team, no doubt, is settling into the dorm already. Have a good night, Mr. Arc, and I hope your first day at Beacon meets your expectations.”

Jaune nodded and thanked him before getting up and heading to leave.

/-/

Team Jasper settled into their dorm fairly quickly. They didn’t bother unpacking; everyone was too tired for that. Instead, they started to prepare for bed, with everyone taking their turn to shower and change before heading to bed.

Jaune felt that the day had gone well, all things considered. He left a text for Sarcelle, telling her that he had made it and that he’d call her the next day once he had some alone time.

Ruby was up first, and once she was up, she took the time to shower and dress in her Beacon uniform before making her way over to where Jaune was sleeping. She put a hand on his shoulder and shook gently, whispering, “Jaune.” In response, the Fall Knight merely groaned and pulled his covers up more. Ruby shook him with a bit more vigor this time, “Jaune~!”

When he didn’t respond, she wrested control of his blanket and pulled it back, “Rise and shine Mr. Arc, rise and shine!”

Jaune was wearing a simple teal T-shirt and a pair of darker blue pajama bottoms. He groaned, “Alright alright…” He was not used to waking up this early at all, and having to do it two days in a row was killing him, but he knew that this was just the beginning. He’d adjust, he knew he would, but until then, this was his personal hell.

At least he wasn’t like his sister, she slept straight through the morning and into the afternoon, causing her to stay up all night.

Ruby smiled as she saw her leader rise, “Great, go get ready. I’ll wake the others up, and then we can start unpacking and decorating.”

He saw the logic in that, so he did as he was asked. Once he had finished getting ready for the day and had dressed in his uniform, he left the bathroom to find that Pyrrha was the next Ruby had woken. Contrary to her usual appearance, Pyrrha looked incredibly disheveled and tired, clearly not a morning person. She was quick to commandeer the bathroom for her own use, which left Weiss as the last one to be woken.

Waking her up, Ruby found, was the most difficult out of everyone else. She slept like a rock, and it almost seemed like nothing would get her to wake. That was until Ruby took out a whistle and used it to wake Weiss. The poor girl went tumbling off the bed, onto the ground.

Weiss groaned and let out a whine as she sat up, “How dare you? I was having the most wonderful dream…” She looked up and saw both Jaune and Ruby smiling at her, causing her to huff as she remembered just where she was, “Oh, right…”

Jaune tried to play the leader as he offered her a hand, “Rise and shine, Weiss! We’ve got to unpack, and decorate! We’ve only got an hour and a half before class, so we’ve gotta get to work.”

Again, Weiss huffed. She stood up on her own, not taking the offered hand. She yawned, “Okay, fine…” She looked at the bathroom, “Pyrrha’s in there?” That prompted the other two to nod and, for some reason, only the enlightened truly know why, her face heated up, as if her mind was picturing something, “A-Ah, alright. I’ll wait.”

Pyrrha returned not long after, looking a lot more lively than she did before. She was wearing her uniform as well, and she waved as she came out, greeting the team with a sing-songy voice, “Hello again~!”

The other three greeted her, and Weiss went to shower. Only once they were all prepared for the day did they begin unpacking and decorating. Everyone had their essentials, but everyone also had their own oddities. Jaune had brought some posters for comic book series he enjoyed along with lots of comic books themselves. Weiss had brought mostly Dust and Dust accessories, but she also had a bunch of books that ranged from the studious to the more fantastical. Pyrrha had brought her laptop that she seemed fairly protective of. Finally, Ruby had brought a bunch of supplies she used for weapon maintenance.

Luckily, they had a bookshelf for everyone’s collective books, and after they were finished setting everything up, the room looked a lot more lived in then it did the day before. However, they didn’t have time to celebrate, as they all realized it was almost time for their first class.

Skipping breakfast, Jaune was always told, was unwise, but in this instance he felt he could make an exception and just try to survive until lunch.

Their first class for the day was with Professor Peter Port. Apparently, he was a veteran Huntsman, which said something, because to grow old in a profession where people die young was an indication of skill. Considering the class, Grimmology, Jaune was certain that he’d learn a lot!

…Such an assumption, made so optimistically, was easily shattered once Professor Port actually began talking.

Both Jaune and Ruby found his lecture to be rambling and dull; he started telling stories from his career with, at best, questionable validity. As such, the two of them began to do what most anyone would do in that situation. Their minds wandered, and they started to goof off.

Ruby drew some rather crude sketches of Port, while Jaune whispered a joke to her. It wasn’t anything special, just a jab at Professor Port’s mustache being almost as big as his ego, but it still got Ruby to stifle giggles. Pyrrha got in on it too, sharing some jokes of her own, and although they weren’t very good, Jaune and Ruby still thought they were hilarious.

All the while, Weiss was diligently taking notes. Or, rather, she was trying to take notes. Jaune and Ruby messing around so much was incredibly distracting and more than a little anger inducing. Pyrrha was guilty too, but Weiss didn’t have it in her to be mad at the Invincible Girl. She had earned the right to goof off! The other two hadn’t earned anything! At least, not in her book.

So, when Professor Port asked if any of the students had the makings of a true Huntsman, Weiss raised her hand and eagerly volunteered herself. If she did well enough, she hoped, maybe Ozpin would realize he had made a mistake in naming Jaune leader, and instead, he would promote her, Weiss Schnee, to be the leader! It was foolproof!

Well, it would have been, if her team hadn’t started cheering her on the moment she came back with her gear on. She wasn’t entirely sure where Jaune had gotten the foam finger with ‘JSPR’ on it, nor where Pyrrha had gotten the tiny ‘JSPR’ flag, but she could certainly see that Ruby had drawn a caricature of her while cheering her on. Weiss huffed and tried to turn her attention to the Boarbatusk that was about to be released from its cage.

She was certain she had enough time to make sure she was in the right stance, but the beast was faster than she anticipated. She was forced to jump out of the way as it charged her. She rolled on the ground before popping up, all while Professor Port commentated on her actions, “Oho, best be prepared! Grimm won’t wait for you to get ready!”

Ruby leaned forward in her seat while calling out, “Kick its butt, Weiss! You’ve got this!” She got an annoyed glance from Weiss as a reward. She frowned and watched as Weiss tried to take the Boarbatusk head on, only to get Mrytenaster tangled in its tusks as a reward. She whispered to Jaune, “Tell her about the Boarbatusk’s weakness! You know, its belly!”

She said this as if he knew that, but Jaune barely knew what a Boarbatusk even was, really. Still, he cleared his throat and did as he was asked, “U-Uhm! Weiss! Hit the belly! That’s where it’s-”

Weiss glared in his direction and sharply responded, “Don’t tell me what to do!” Jaune’s eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything. Instead he leaned back in his chair, while Ruby looked between her two teammates worriedly.

Weiss still seemingly took the advice given to her, creating a Glyph in front of her that the Grimm slammed into, causing it to fall onto its back. She then jumped up onto another Glyph before using it to propel her down. She impaled the Grimm on her rapier, killing it in one fell swoop. Professor Port laughed joyously, “Aha! It seems we really are in the presence of a true Huntress-in-Training!” He looked at his watch, “I’m afraid that’s all we have time for today, remember to do your assigned reading tonight!”

Everyone began to get up, while Weiss was quick to leave after shooting another glare at Ruby and Jaune. In response, the two shared a look, before Jaune sighed and went to stand up to head to the next class. However, Ruby had a different idea. She grabbed his wrist and stood up, “Come on!” She then started to drag him away, in spite of his protests.

They found Weiss walking down the hallway, and Ruby called out to her worriedly, “Weiss! What’s wrong with you?” Weiss stopped and turned towards the two while Ruby asked, “Why are you being so-?”

Weiss cut her off, “Why are you being so annoying?! It’s you and Jaune, both of you are being nuisances!”

Ruby looked offended, while Jaune honestly had expected something like this. Not that he felt she was wrong, not about him at least. Still, expected or not, it still took him aback. Ruby looked offended, but not for herself, “What did he do?!”

“That’s just it!” Weiss once again interjected, “He hasn’t done anything but act as childish as you! And I saw you whispering to him, telling him what to say to me earlier! How is he supposed to lead anyone? If he doesn’t have a good grasp on Grimm, then what’s he going to do?” She shook her head angrily, “I’ve spent my whole life training, studying, and learning how to be the best Huntress I can be! Ozpin made a mistake. I should have been the leader.” She turned around and began to walk away.

Meanwhile, Jaune’s face fell as he sighed, “Man… She’s right. I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t because of… you know…”

Ruby smiled somberly at him, “You know, I’m right there with you. If it wasn’t because of… the thing, I would still be at Signal.” She looked away sadly, “I don’t think I belong here either.”

Jaune was quick to shake his head, and with practiced ease that came from being an older brother to so many siblings, he was quick to deflect his own trouble and focus entirely on hers, “Hey, that’s not true. You’re a great fighter, even without the you-know-what. If either of us should be here, it’s you. I’m… not that great at this.”

Her smile grew a bit less somber and a bit shyer, “Thanks, but…” She frowned as she looked up at him, “Just because you didn’t get here like everyone else doesn’t mean anything. You still killed a Beringel, and the way you held back that Nevermore was super cool!”

Jaune blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, “Thanks, but I don’t know how much that means. It took me as much time to kill one as it took you to kill something larger and stronger. That’s not to mention how well Pyrrha and Weiss can fight, I bet they can kill things super easily. You’d be a much better leader, too, you were the one who knew what to do with that Boarbatusk.”

Ruby huffed, “But you knew what to do with the Splitback! You and I both knew that, and we acted together, like partners! If that’s not a sign that you’re meant to be here, I don’t know what is.”

Suddenly, another voice joined the conversation. Professor Ozpin spoke evenly, “You know, I think you two should learn to listen to some of your own words.” The two teens looked in his direction and saw him standing there, one hand on his cane and the other holding his mug.

Jaune blinked a few times, “Professor? Did you hear all of that?” Ozpin nodded, and so Jaune looked down, “Well… is she right? Did you make a mistake?”

Ozpin smiled amusedly, “That remains to be seen, Mr. Arc. I’ve made more mistakes than any man, woman, or child on this planet, but I don’t think appointing you to be leader of Team Jasper is one of them.” As Jaune looked at him again, Ozpin continued, “And I can tell what you’re thinking, why didn’t I make Ruby leader. Am I right?” Jaune nodded, and so he explained, “Truthfully it was a tough decision. I think both of you have the makings of a leader, but ultimately, Mr. Arc, I feel that there are different kinds of leaders. Ruby is very morally supportive, and has the potential to learn to keep the team emotionally and mentally cohesive. Yet in combat, I feel that you have the makings of a real tactician. There are different kinds of leaders, you two, and I think that you both will make a great duo. Perhaps in time you’ll be one of the greatest partnerships in Beacon history. After all, I can already see how well you two work together.”

Both Jaune and Ruby shifted nervously and awkwardly at the praise, careful not to meet each other's gaze at first. Then, Ozpin’s smile grew slightly, “Keep that in mind. I hope that I’ve gotten the point across. Mr. Arc, remember that you’ve got training once your classes are finished. Good day, you two.”

Ozpin left, and Ruby found herself in a far better mood than she was earlier, “Yeah… I guess we are a great duo. We’ll be the best Beacon has ever seen!” She fist-pumped before looking towards him, “So what was that about training?”

Jaune smiled, “Well, I need to get better, and fast. Ozpin’s set aside some time, and some help, to get me up to snuff. I’ll make sure to tell you all about it once I’m done. For now, we should really get to class.”

So, they left, heading to their next class. While the teams didn’t share all of their classes together, Jaune was happy to note that he at least had this next class with Ruby.

Still, his mind was on the coming training, and he wondered just what it was going to be like.

/-/

Later that day…

The rest of the classes for that day were far less eventful. There was Professor Oobleck’s class, but Jaune’s main complaint about him was that he talked a mile a minute. He gave up trying to take notes, and just hoped he could copy the ones that the rest of his team took.

Although it seemed Ruby was in the same boat as him, so he just had to hope that Pyrrha had taken some good notes.

Once he was done with his classes, Jaune changed out of his uniform and into his ‘Huntsman Gear’ (He didn’t consider his armor over a sweatshirt and pants to be much in the way of gear, but it was something) along with Crocea Mors and Promise.

He was directed to head to one of the many training facilities that Beacon had available, to a particular room where he could spar and learn, both with people and with robots, apparently. He was still uncertain as to why Aurum wanted to help him so badly when she had just lost something so dear to her, but he wasn’t going to challenge her on it, for much the same reason as why he questioned it in the first place.

When he got there, he found Aurum, but she wasn’t alone.

She was going through some training motions while a man watched her with a smile on his face and crossed arms.

He was pale-skinned and stood at 5’8’’, with fluffy black hair that fell to his eyebrows and covered his ears. He looked to be just a few years younger than Aurum. His ice blue eyes held a certain intrigue to them, reminding Jaune of Ozpin somewhat. It wasn’t quite on the same level, but it was there. He wore a loose black turtleneck sweater, a belt with two satchels attached to it, along with black boots that almost reached his knees and were lined with white fur at the top, with two six-pointed snowflakes on top of the tongues. The lacing crossed itself, and it was bright orange.

Over all of that, he wore an orange scarf that was wrapped around his neck a few times, with the two ends hanging and stopping at his chest, with loose black fabrics on the ends and what looked to be Ice Dust crystals slotted into either end. He wore a white open-front cloak that fell to just above his feet and had long sleeves that went down to his wrists, with snowflake designs sewn into them. The part on his shoulders was layered, with the layer above the bottom one containing snow-flake patterns on it, like a flurry of snow in the winter. Finally, he wore black gloves and light blue vambraces that had ice blue snowflakes along with what looked to be blue… roses?

When Jaune entered, the man looked in his direction and smiled, speaking with an amicable voice, “Ah, we’ve been waiting for you. Jaune Arc, right?”

Aurum stopped swinging her scythe and looked in Jaune’s direction. She smiled, “That’s him alright. How was your first day of class, Jaune?”

“Uhm…” Jaune scratched his cheek, “Fine. So…” He felt awkward, her seeming so normal after only a day didn’t seem right. He had a feeling there was more to it, but what was he supposed to say? “What do we do first?”

Aurum’s smile remained, “Well, admittedly I’m not the best with swords, but I can still teach you a lot of important fundamentals. For the most specific things, I brought Neve; he’s a skilled swordsman.”

The newly named Neve smiled as he stepped back towards the wall, where there was a sword resting against it. It looked to be a greatsword, and appeared to have some mechanical functions to it, although what they did Jaune had no clue. Neve went to grab the sword off the wall while saying, “I’m no Qrow Branwen, but I think I can hold my own. He was one of the people that helped train me, after all.”

He hefted the sword and rested it on his shoulder, and that was when Jaune saw some of the details of the weapon better. It had a dark blue grip with a gold crossguard, and the blade itself seemed to have veins of different kinds of Dust running through it, glowing lightly, “So I think Tau and I can show you some new tricks.”

Jaune still felt nervous, but still he nodded, “Well, I’m gonna need more than just a ‘few’ tricks if I’m going to do my best.” Jaune had already resolved that he was going to need to train and work a lot if he was going to live up to the legacy of Cobalt, and he was willing to put in that work, no matter what, “Let’s get to it!”

And so, they began to train. Jaune was already learning a lot about swordsmanship from Neve, it was a lot harder than it looked. He had to wonder how his ancestors had such an easy time with it when it was such a deceptively complicated weapon. Still, it was something he could learn, and so he’d put the effort in.

Similarly, he was trained in some of the basics of using Promise, which proved to be a simpler weapon, all things considered. In two hands, the weapon was long and capable of spearing someone with the spike at the top as easy as it was able to smash them, and when it was made shorter and one-handed, it was still an effective tool for delivering blunt damage and hitting things with the sharp ‘beak’, or pick (It wasn’t technically called a pick at all, but Jaune called it a pick because that’s what it looked like), on the other end. Jaune was told that it was better at dealing with armor, be it Grimm bone armor or otherwise, and he promised to keep that in mind.

It was noted that he seemed to have some sort of natural talent with Promise, but Jaune wondered just how natural that was. Maybe it was a holdover from Cobalt. If so, then that just made him more resolved to continue to carry it with him. Natural or no, he still didn’t intend to give up Crocea Mors. It was his family heirloom after all! He’d just learn to use both whenever the situation called for either of them.

All told, the training lasted a few hours. After that, Jaune felt too tired to keep going, and his two tutors agreed that he needed rest. Aurum left to go get some water, while Neve remained, putting his weapon onto his back and going to look over Aurum’s weapon, which she had left leaning on the wall. Jaune took this opportunity to approach him, “Uhm… Neve?” The older man looked at him, and so Jaune smiled awkwardly, “I uh… I wanted to ask about Aurum.” His smile turned to a small frown of concern, “Aurum seems… well… like she’s acting way too normal, given what happened.”

Neve sighed as he looked at her weapon, which was a scythe with a golden body and a blue blade. It reminded Jaune of Crescent Rose, just with different colors. Neve responded after a moment, “She’s not taking it well. She was always… fragile, in certain ways. She’s felt like she needed to hold the world on her shoulders her whole life, and if she wasn’t saving people, she wasn’t doing good enough. She’d been getting better at it before, but now… Well, I don’t know.”

Jaune frowned and looked down, “I wish there was something I could do, or say, but… I’m here in place of her son, I’m using his weapon, carrying a piece of him with me. I don’t know if I should say anything. It doesn’t feel right.”

“Well…” Neve sighed as he took up Aurum’s scythe and folded it, again reminding Jaune of Crescent Rose, “I think the best thing that I, or anyone, can do is just try to be there for her right now. She’s not gonna tell us how she’s feeling, so we have to try and support her, until she’s ready to talk.”

Jaune found that a bit strange, and he looked back at Neve with a raised eyebrow, “She won’t tell you either? Aren’t you, like… a good friend or something?”

“Husband, actually.” Neve chuckled, “And that’s just all the more reason why she won’t tell me. She doesn’t want to be a burden, and no matter how many times I tell her otherwise, she’s convinced that her emotions are just that, a burden.” He sighed, “She’ll come around eventually, if not to me and our daughter, then maybe to someone else, like you.”

That raised the question of just how old he and Aurum were, to have a daughter that could be confided in. He had to wonder just how old she was as well, but that didn’t matter too much at the moment. Instead, he turned his question to the last thing Neve said, “Me?” He pointed to himself, “Why me?”

Neve looked towards the door for a moment before saying simply, “You’ve already got a good idea why. You’ve mentioned it before.” Briefly, he reached under the collar of his jacket and grabbed something that he lifted up. It looked like a blue heart-shaped pendant, but he put it away before Jaune could get a better look at it, “We’ll all just have to do what we can.” Jaune noted that he appeared to be struggling with his emotions as well, there was a clear pain in them, and Jaune realized that Neve had lost his son, too, and was just trying to keep a calm demeanor, much like Aurum.

Before Jaune could say anything, Aurum returned with water, and so the conversation ended there. Jaune wasn’t about to just move on from it, though, maybe it was his own good-natured disposition, or maybe it was that strange sadness that remained with him, but was not merely his, but he was worried about her, even if they barely knew each other.

He didn’t get a chance to talk to her about it until they were leaving. Neve mentioned going to see how ‘Iris’ was doing (presumably their daughter, from what Jaune could gather), and that gave Jaune some time to ask Aurum about how she was feeling.

The two of them had begun to leave, with Aurum giving some advice about his form while they walked. As they drew close to the exit, Jaune finally cleared his throat and asked, “Uhm… Aurum?” She looked at him curiously, and so he stopped walking, the two of them standing near the front doors to the building, and asked, “Are you okay? I mean… that wasn’t some light news, but you’re here…”

Aurum gained a look of sadness for a split second before she hid it with a smile, though it remained somber, “That’s just life, Jaune. You take hits, you lose things, but…” She looked down at her hand, “I made a promise that I would fight, that I would help save people. Cobalt… if I had been there, or if I had been more stern… maybe he and Amber wouldn’t have left. Maybe they’d still be here.” She closed her eyes, “I have to make it up to them; I have to keep going, no matter what. Remnant is a world that needs saving, from a lot, and I have to be one of the people who save it. I’m one of the only people who can handle it.”

“Well…” Jaune looked away to collect his thoughts, “You… you should still try to remember to stop and breathe. You’re not the only one who’s fighting, I bet Neve is taking it hard too, and… Iris?” He tried, and as he looked at Aurum, her subtle nod told him he was right, “You need to remember to stop sometimes…” He tried to think of what best to say to help take a weight off her shoulders, “And hey, Ruby and I will be fighting too, some day.” He smiled meekly, “I’ve got a lot of learning to do, but… I’m not going to stop until I’m as good as Cobalt was. I didn’t know him long, but… he looked like everything I wanted to be when I was younger. So I have to try.”

She opened her eyes again and looked at him, the sadness was evident in her eyes, “Jaune… I wanted things to be better for you, this time, but all that happened was you getting pulled into something dangerous. I’m sorry.” She seemed to realize that she was talking weird, and so she chuckled and shook her head, “Listen to me… an old woman ranting about the past.” She wasn’t that old, Jaune knew from the roster of teachers all of the students got that she was only in her 30s, but she looked like she had the weight of two lifetimes on her shoulders, “I appreciate the gesture, but… I’ll be fine. Try not to let the good times slip by you, you’ll regret it.”

She walked away, not offering any more comments as she left out the front door. Jaune watched her leave, and that feeling in his heart from yesterday just weighed heavily on him again.

He’d do better. For her, for Cobalt, for everyone. He had to.

/-/

Later that day, Ruby told Jaune to meet her in one of the weaponsmithing workshops Beacon played host to so she could look at improving Crocea Mors.

When he got there, he found that Ruby was already working, just on her own weapon. She had shed her school uniform, and was instead wearing a black tank-top, a pair of work pants, and her boots. She had goggles on, shielding her eyes as she messed with the inner workings of Crescent Rose.

The look was… appealing, to say the least. Jaune couldn’t help but note how good it fit her, and how the tanktop let him see things he hadn’t before. For example, it would be easy to assume that, due to how petite and small Ruby was, that she would lack muscle mass. However, it was very clear that she was toned. Not like some kind of body builder, but she had clear muscle definition.

He didn’t want to look at her too much like that, though, she was his friend, and a relatively new one at that. He had promised that he’d be better than how he acted when he was younger long ago, and so he just approached her while clearing his throat. That got her attention, and she turned towards him and smiled, “Hey Jaune! Gimme just a sec, I’m just tuning up Crescent Rose really quick. Can you hand me that wrench?” She pointed to a random wrench laying on a table.

Jaune smiled, “Sure.” He grabbed the wrench and handed it to her, “Take your time, it’s not like I’ve got anything else to do today. Well…” He rubbed the back of his neck, “Other than study, but… I guess we’re in the same boat there, huh?”

Ruby groaned, “Don’t remind me… I never liked studying. It’s not like I can’t do it, but that’s the thing! I can, and I’ve never needed to study that much to get good grades!” She huffed, “I’m a sponge for information, Jaune, a sponge!” She made a squeezing gesture with her hand to get her point across, “Weiss might need to go over the homework, but I don’t!”

Jaune didn’t entirely believe her. Everyone needed to study, even if it was just a little bit. Still, he wasn’t going to be the one to call her out on it, “Well, we still should. It’ll only help, and it might make Weiss take us a bit more seriously.”

She sighed and deflated, her voice betraying her somber mood regarding the SDC heiress, “I know. Pyrrha said she was going to talk to her later, but I haven’t heard anything about that yet. I hope she’s able to get through to her a bit… Weiss actually respects Pyrrha, so she’s our best hope.”

After that, Ruby finished her work on Crescent Rose, “Alright, Jaune, bring me Crocea Mors.” He did as he was asked, and once she had the weapon, she set it on a separate table to Crescent Rose, “So, without taking the weapon apart, there’s not a lot of super advanced things I can do to it, but I can at least infuse it with Dust.” She smiled, “So that’s what I’m gonna do, just to give you a bit of extra kick with it, and uh… so you don’t have to rely on you-know-what for it. We should probably keep that kind of stuff under wraps.”

Jaune nodded, “Ah… yeah. We did go a bit overboard with it back during initiation.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “I was uh… pretty scared. I just used everything I had because I wasn’t sure what else to do.”

She waved one hand dismissively before she started to get the supplies she’d need to infuse the blade with Dust, “I can’t blame you, I mean, Grimm are pretty intimidating when you’ve never seen one before. Soon, though, you’ll be kicking Grimm butt like a pro! I believe in you, and if you don’t believe in yourself, then…” She pointed at herself, “Believe in the me that believes in you!”

He couldn’t help but laugh, covering his mouth and looking away as he did. It took him a little while to get the giggles out of his system, but once he did, he looked at her with a grin, “That’s so corny! You’re really going back to the classics there, aren’t you?”

Ruby blushed lightly as she once again waved her hand dismissively, albeit this time a lot more sheepishly, “Hey, I mean it, you know. We’re partners! So we have to face all of the challenges we come across together, even if that challenge is studying or dealing with Weiss! Now,” she looked down at the sword once again, “time for me to get to work! Get cozy, this’ll take a little while.”

Jaune did get cozy, sitting in a chair and pulling out his Scroll, browsing it while Ruby got to work. He did look at what she was doing sometimes, and he got a good look at what she looked like when she was concentrating. Her eyes were squinted slightly in focus, her tongue stuck out of the side of her mouth, and occasionally she’d smirk or smile triumphantly when something went right. It was adorable, there was no doubt about that.

It ended up taking a few hours, and once she was done, the blade now had some veins colored like Dust running up it. It looked like Neve’s weapon, but Jaune felt it made the blade look a bit cooler. Ruby grinned proudly as she held up the finished product, “Here it is! Crocea Mors now imbued with the power of Dust! Remember, next time you need weapon upgrades, you come to Ruby’s Weapon Emporium!”

He chuckled at her threatrics before going over and kneeling before her, “May I have the honor of carrying this blade, Lady Rose?” He made a show of looking down, as if he was a real knight like his great great grandpa.

Ruby gagged, “Don’t call me Lady Rose! It makes me feel old.” She was still smiling all the same as she placed the flat of the blade on either one of his shoulders, “Rise, Sir Jaune, and accept your blade!” She bowed as he stood while holding out the blade for him to take.

Neither of them could stop smiling during this frankly dorky display, and Jaune found it to be good fun all the same, dorky or not. He accepted the blade, “Thank you, Ruby, really.” He grinned, “You didn’t have to do this.”

Ruby just kept smiling as she stood up entirely again, “I didn’t have to, but I wanted to! You’re my first Beacon friend, and my partner! That means we need to do everything we can to help each other, no matter how big or small.”

In response, Jaune could only nod in agreement and say, “You’re right. Ozpin said we could be one of the greatest duos in Beacon history one day, we’ve got to try and live up to that expectation.”

The two left after that, heading back to their dorm. It was getting late, with the sun about to sink below the horizon. They had expected to find Weiss and Pyrrha already asleep, or close to it at least, but Pyrrha was sitting on her bed and reading, while Weiss was looking over her textbook.

Once they were inside, Weiss greeted them, “Good, you’re both back. Listen…” She stood up and took a deep breath, “There’s something that I have to say to all three of you!” Jaune and Ruby both stopped, staying by the door as they looked at her, while Pyrrha raised an eyebrow and looked up from her book. Weiss cleared her throat, “Right… okay. This is difficult for me to say, but… I’m sorry.” Everyone’s eyes widened and she looked down, “I was being immature, and selfish, and entitled, and… I’m sorry.”

She looked at Pyrrha, “Pyrrha, I’ve spent my whole life hating people who just want to use me for my name, for my money, anything like that. Yet… the first thing I did when I saw you was try to poach you and convince you to be my teammate. I don’t blame you for not wanting to be my partner.” She looked down, “I saw the way you looked at me when you thought I wasn’t looking.”

Pyrrha looked a bit guilty, though Jaune and Ruby both felt that she was justified in feeling as she did. Weiss turned her attention to them next, “Jaune, Ruby. I was… being very unfair. As long as you two promise to bring your best, then I’ll do everything I can to help! We can study, and quiz each other, and maybe spar on occasions. If we’re going to be the best team at Beacon we can’t afford to be slouches.”

The first to respond was Pyrrha, “Weiss… thank you.” She smiled, “I’ll admit that I wasn’t all that enthusiastic about being your partner. I was worried about you being like one of those people who try to use me. You and I aren’t that different when it comes to that, it turns out. If you’re promising to be better, then… I think it’s only fair that I give you a second chance.”

Weiss smiled in response, and the next to speak was Ruby, “You’ve been kind of a jerk, but… Pyrrha’s right. If you’re willing to change, then I don’t know any reason why I shouldn’t give you a new chance. You’re only getting one though!” She pointed at Weiss dramatically, “So don’t screw it up!”

While Weiss was looking at Ruby with a look that was a mixture of confusion and amusement, Jaune picked up, “Yeah… I’ll admit that I’m not the most cut out to be a leader. If it were up to me, Ruby would be the leader, but… since I’m here, I’m not gonna back down. I’ll give it my all too, and give you a second chance, Weiss.”

Weiss looked a bit teary eyed, yet still she smiled, “Thank you, all three of you. Now… let’s get to studying! There’s a lot left to do before the day’s out!”

The other three groaned, but they didn’t complain too much. They started to study together, going over the materials before them, and Jaune had to admit that this was the first time he’d truly felt like he was part of a team. It was a feeling he could definitely get used to.

When they were just about finished, Jaune took out his Scroll to check it for any messages. He didn’t have any, but he did have a news alert that read ‘New White Fang Leader Speaks Out!’ That got his attention, and so he pulled up the article. It had a video, and the text below it made his eyes widen, “Uhh, guys… you’re gonna wanna see this.”

The other three looked at his Scroll as he started to play the video of the red haired bull Faunus standing at a podium.

The man looked out at the crowd of Faunus before him and declared, “Brothers and sisters of the White Fang! Today is the dawn of a new era for us! No longer will we be pushed to the side! No longer will we be used, tortured, and mistreated by humans! We will show them that they’re inferior to us! From this day forward, the White Fang is in a state of war with Humanity, and those who would support them!”

What this meant, exactly, the article could only speculate, but the White Fang, being a terrorist organization, was likely going to start a campaign of violence. While it was unlikely that there was going to be any large scale attacks on any of the cities, at least, not yet, it still seemed that humans everywhere were now going to have to deal with a far more aggressive White Fang.

Weiss scoffed after she read the article, “Let them come! We’ll beat them again and again, and once the kingdoms find their base, I’m sure we’ll root them out once and for all! Those Faunus are nothing but a bunch of degenerates, and this proves it!”

Jaune wasn’t sure about the comment being so broadly pointed at Faunus, but the White Fang did seem scary, “One way or another… I’ve got a bad feeling about this. I just hope that this is just blustering…” He hoped so, but there was just no telling, at that moment.

Pyrrha cleared her throat, “Well… I guess we should get to sleep. We’ve still got class tomorrow.”

Everyone was in agreement, and so, regardless of the news, they started to get ready for bed.

/-/

Cinder could only sigh as she looked out the window of her temporarily Atlesian apartment. She’d never liked the city, both for the memories it held and for less personal reasons. The architecture, the climate, all of it was just unpleasant to her. She’d much rather live on a nice island somewhere, but that could come after she’d achieved her goal.

The apartment she was in was sparsely decorated, and she was looking out the window while waiting for some of her comrades to show up. They had a meeting, an important one at that.

There was already someone sitting on the couch, looking rather downcast. He had fair skin, short platinum blond hair, and earthy brown eyes. He was built strongly, and was wearing a long-sleeve white shirt under a black vest, along with a pair of dark brown trousers and brown work boots. He didn’t look all that happy to be there, but Cinder didn’t particularly care.

She walked up to him and smiled, cooing, “Lunus, you’re not thinking anything bad are you?” He shook his head, and she wrapped an arm around him, purring, “Good. You know why you’re here. For me, because you love me, and for your… family.”

He didn’t say anything, and she pulled away as she heard another knock at the door, “Come in.”

In came Emerald and Mercury, followed shortly by Watts. Emerald and Mercury took seats on the couch, while Watts fixed his jacket, “Well, Cinder, we made it, despite your directions. What was this meeting about?”

Cinder began to pace, “The Fall Maiden slipped from my grasp the first time, and we were forced to come here, but that doesn’t mean this needs to be a wasted endeavor.” She looked out at all of them, “We’re going to find the Winter Maiden, and I’m going to take her down. Once I have her power, I can turn my attention back to Vale, and we can get the Fall Maiden. She’ll be weak, inexperienced, and her Knight will be as well. The Winter Knight’s been dead for years, and the fool of a Maiden hasn’t chosen a new one. We can use this to our advantage.”

Watts chuckled, “So you want us to hunt this woman down and help you apprehend her? It’s going to be difficult when General Ironwood keeps such a close eye on her. Are you certain it wouldn’t be easier to go for the Summer Maiden, or the Spring Maiden?”

She shook her head, “The Summer Maiden will be harder to find, and the Spring Maiden has been missing for years. We can worry about them later; for now, we know the Winter Maiden is in this damnable city, and we know the Fall Maiden will be in Vale, almost guaranteed. I’ll be hiring two more mercenaries down the line to help us with our problem, but we need to do the planning now.

“Emerald, I’ll need you to use your semblance again. That woman is old, it’ll be easy to fool her mind once we catch her wandering the city. Watts, you’ll fashion devices that can hide us from the cameras. Lunus, your semblance will help restrain her. Mercury, you know what you’re good for. As for me… I’ll be taking what’s owed to me.”

Emerald looked at Lunus for a moment, and for that split second there was clear worry in her eyes. Yet, soon, it was gone, masked with a look of indifference as she looked at the wall, “Since there’s no Knight, we should be able to take her out easier.”

Cinder stopped pacing, “Exactly.” She smirked, “If everyone knows what needs to be done, then you’re free to leave. You’ve got your safehouses to stay at, keep your heads down and don’t draw attention to yourselves.”

Watts looked at his Scroll, “There is a problem, Cinder.” He held up his Scroll and showed off the latest announcement from the White Fang’s leader, “It appears that the White Fang are taking a more aggressive stance. It’s likely Atlas’ security will be tightening soon.”

Cinder swore under her breath, “Damn it… fine. We’ll deal with it.” She waved her hand dismissively, “We can’t afford to fail, so go, and be ready for what comes next.” The others began to leave, except for Lunus, who remained where he was. Cinder, pleased with this, went and sat next to him, putting her arm around him, “Good… don’t worry, soon, you’ll see that you’re making the right choice.” Even if there had been no real choice in the matter for him, “Soon…

“The Winter Maiden’s powers will be mine.”

Chapter Text

Time, as it has an annoying habit of doing, began to flow.

Once a routine had been established, there really was nothing preventing it. Jaune would go to class, train with Aurum and Neve, sometimes train with Ozpin alongside Ruby, and by the end of most days he was too tired to do anything else but sleep. Not that he was complaining; he needed to push himself to get better. He was so far behind that it was really the only way he could be on par.

However, the word ‘prodigious’ was thrown around quite a few times in regards to his progress, by all three of his teachers. The speed of his development, according to Ozpin, was even beyond that of previous Knights. Jaune wasn’t sure why, he knew that it wasn’t some sort of natural talent of his: he worked hard, but it wasn’t like he picked up on things quickly. At least, not at first, until the cascade of new instincts, muscle memory, and the like began to kick in.

It started small, at first: the ability to catch strikes with his shield that he couldn’t before, dodging attacks that he’d have been hit by just a few days earlier, that sort of thing. Then, it began to grow, and while he was far from being on the level of his teammates just yet, even they noticed his abnormal rate of improvement. Luckily, Pyrrha and Weiss hadn’t pressed him on it, and merely stated that they were happy to see him progressing so quickly. Meanwhile, Ruby was glad as well, although she had a similar idea to him, that it had something to do with the Knight Soul.

Yet, there was just no telling. Instead, Jaune tried to focus on putting it to practical uses.

Uses such as a team vs team sparring match against Team RBYN that the two had arranged.

The two teams had been growing closer over the past few weeks, and while they didn’t hang out all the time, Jaune was still glad to be able to hang out with another guy, Ren didn’t talk that much, but it was still relieving all the same. It wasn’t like he couldn’t talk to the girls, he talked to them all the time, but there were some things you just didn’t talk about with the opposite sex.

Well, unless you were gay, but Jaune was pretty sure both he and Ren liked girls.

There were others they talked to, but it was still RBYN that Ruby singled out and said that it would be a great idea to spar. It would help them grow stronger and figure out where they needed improvement, along with letting them get to know their fellow students better. It was that kind of logic that reminded Jaune what Ozpin had said about the kind of leadership she was capable of, moral leadership. Jaune wasn’t so sure about his tactical skills just yet, but if Ruby was doing as well as she was, then he was just going to have to keep working at it.

When the time came, both teams donned their Huntsman gear and then met in one of the many training arenas that Beacon had. This one was large, clearly meant for team fights. It was styled like a colosseum, with the arena floor being covered in sand while the walls around them raised higher, made of Dust-treated stone. There were places for people to observe, and there were a few observers. Ozpin, Glynda, Aurum, and Neve all decided to watch, which added just a bit of pressure to perform well, in Jaune’s mind, but he tried to push it away.

Both teams had time to plan amongst themselves, so JSPR huddled together, with Ruby asking, “Alright, Jaune! What’re we going to do?” She looked at him with clear excitement and trust, like she knew that he was going to come up with something good.

That was more pressure on him than the pressure he felt from the watching gaze of his tutors! Yet, still, he cleared his throat, “Right, I think we should keep it simple right now. We need to split up and engage with them without letting them get up to any team moves. Weiss, you should fight Blake, you’re dexterous enough to keep up with her.” Weiss nodded, and so he moved on, “Pyrrha, you should fight Nora. She’s all brawn, you can outmaneuver her easily.” Pyrrha smiled, and so finally he looked at Ruby, “Ruby, take on Ren. He’s fast, but you’re faster, right?”

She grinned, “I am lightning! So what’re you going to do, Jaune?” It was pretty obvious, but she still felt like asking him anyway.

He tried to put on a brave smile, although it looked more nervous than anything else, “I’m gonna take on Yang. I’ve got enough aura and defensive skill to keep her from overwhelming me… for a while, at least. We’ll have to take her out with either small cuts or one large blow. Her semblance makes it tricky, but once we’ve knocked out a couple others, we should be able to find an opening.”

With everyone in agreement, they broke their huddle and prepared themselves as RBYN did the same. Ozpin took it upon himself to declare the start of the fight with a simple, “Go!”

The two teams surged forth at once, with Team JSPR immediately setting towards their goals. Nora had attempted to run for Jaune, but was intercepted by Pyrrha, who threw her javelin at the other girl. Though she missed, it was enough to get Nora to skid to a stop, and she was conked in the back of the head when Pyrrha called back her weapon, causing her to stagger forward slightly.

Ren was already moving to help Nora, but he was intercepted when Ruby shot several rounds from her rifle at him. He was just barely able to dodge most, although one hit him square in the chest and caused him to skid backwards thanks to the force. She then raced forward with her semblance before reforming in the air above him. She brought her scythe down, aiming to hit him in the head, but he was able to roll out of the way.

Once he popped back up, he fired several rounds from his pistols at her while starting to run, trying to circle her. Ruby, however, was faster than that, her semblance letting her fly into the air again before she appeared behind him and shot a round right into his back, sending him flying forward.

He flew right past Weiss and Blake, the former of whom was creating Glyph after Glyph to shoot projectiles that flew towards her foe. Blake, meanwhile, seemed almost entirely on the defensive at first, using her semblance to avoid hits just before she’d take them while she attempted to close the distance. Weiss used a Glyph placed on the ground to speed her forward, rapier at the ready as she tried to stab at Blake; however, Blake reformed right behind her and kicked her in the back, making her stumble forward.

Weiss turned around and swiped her rapier in the air as she started to lose her footing, sending a wave of fire out that Blake was forced to take due to the unexpected move. Weiss fell to the ground but rolled before standing back up in one smooth motion. She gritted her teeth before she surged forward and stabbed outward with her rapier, a move Blake managed to deflect with her cleaver, although Weiss had more up her sleeve than that.

As her rapier reached near Blake’s stomach, a Glyph appeared behind Blake and blasted her with gravity, causing her to stagger forward. The rapier jabbed into her stomach before she was able to use her semblance to disappear and reappear behind Weiss, but Weiss was quick to turn around and prepare another attack, a Glyph appearing at Blake’s feet and ice starting to encase her feet and legs.

Blake’s eyes widened before she smirked and vanished, the clone she left behind being made of fire. This took Weiss by surprise, and left her incapable of turning to stop the swift kick to her side that made her stagger again. Blake began to retreat, seeming intent on making Weiss work to get her hits in, and so Weiss frowned before pursuing her.

She ran past Jaune as he closed in on Yang, the blonde brawler’s fists raised as she grinned and leapt forward, punching out while Jaune raised his shield to intercept the hit. As Yang connected with the shield, two things happened. Jaune activated the Gravity Dust within his family symbol to repulse her, while Yang fired her shotgun gauntlets. The result was both blondes being sent backwards, flying away from each other as they skidded across the ground.

Yang laughed, “Hah! Not bad, Jaune! Your reflexes are much better than what I saw in combat class just a couple weeks ago! Question is…” She cocked her gauntlets, “Can you keep up?”

Jaune recovered from skidding and raised his shield once again, “Probably not, but I’m damn sure gonna try!” He smiled a nervous and unsteady smile before charging forward and raising his sword, keeping his shield in place as he raced towards his opponent. As he started to close in, she grinned before shooting at the ground and using the motion to help her leap into the air and flip over him. Jaune barely had time to turn towards her before she was punching at where his back had been. His shield took the blunt of her hits, but he almost got sent down as a result of the force.

She landed just as he recovered, and he charged forward, this time thrusting his sword outward a lot sooner in an effort to catch her off guard. Yang moved to dodge, though Jaune’s sword nicked her arm. She kept a smile on her face as she punched him in the side and shot a round from her gauntlet, sending him flying a few feet away.

He flew right past Pyrrha and Nora, who were still in the throes of combat. Pyrrha kept Nora on the defensive while the shorter girl seemed to weather Pyrrha’s attacks well enough. Eventually, Nora managed to get some distance by swinging wide, forcing Pyrrha to duck, before Nora kicked out and caught the other girl in the stomach.

Pyrrha staggered back, and was prepared to go in for another attack, when suddenly the sting of a Dust round hitting her side caused her to gasp. She turned and saw that Ren and Blake were firing on her, both evading the attacks of their opponents in order to try and get Pyrrha’s attention.

At first, this seemed strange to Pyrrha; why would they focus on her when they had their own opponents to deal with?

What she didn’t notice was Nora pulling out a whole Lightning Dust crystal and grinning as she opened her mouth and then chomped into it. At first she was met with some resistance, but as the electricity surged into her body, she was able to eat a solid half of the crystal before she stuffed it back into her pocket.

Ruby saw this before Pyrrha did, and though her aura had been getting picked away by both her using her semblance so much and her taking shots from Ren, she still used her semblance to fly towards Pyrrha. She called out, “Pyrrha, watch out!” as she reached out with her hands.

Pyrrha’s eyes widened, and she turned as she noticed Nora bringing down her hammer onto the ground in front of her. Pyrrha could have moved to dodge it on her own; she’d gotten out of tougher, more sudden, encounters. Yet Ruby didn’t know that, so instead Pyrrha found herself getting pushed out of the way just as Nora swung her hammer with all the might she could muster.

Magnhild connected with Ruby’s side and caused her to gasp in pain before she was launched back, right in the direction of Jaune and Yang. Jaune had been doing well enough, though Yang’s moves kept him on the backfoot as he was forced to confront the reality that he was not a very agile person. He knew that even his bounteous aura was going to reach a low point sooner rather than later, if he kept up this game of cat and mouse.

Yet as Yang began to move in for another punch, one he intended to block with his shield, suddenly Yang found that her foe was hit in the side by a flying red blur that sent the two of them towards the wall. The force and suddenness of this made Yang stagger backwards, leaving her open as, while almost everyone else was distracted by Nora, Weiss created a Glyph at Yang’s feet and launched her into the air before creating another one above her that launched her right back down to the ground. The result was one groaning Yang on the ground, her own aura having been whittled down slowly by Jaune, and then dealt a decisive blow by Weiss.

Meanwhile, Jaune had lost his grip on Crocea Mors, while Ruby similarly lacked Crescent Rose. Jaune’s back hit the stone wall of the arena and caused him to get the breath knocked out of him as both his and Ruby’s aura flickered, close to breaking. He landed on his butt and groaned, his vision blurry as he tried to get his bearings.

Only when he opened his eyes again did he notice the situation he was in.

He had, on instinct, taken hold of Ruby in a bridal style hold, except clutching her close to his chest. Ruby, meanwhile, had wrapped her arms around him as best she could in this awkward position. He could feel her warmth, feel her against him. Likewise, she could feel his grip, the security of being held tight, and even his armor didn’t do much to dent the comfort she felt.

Once his vision was a bit less blurry, he asked dizzily, “You okay?” while looking down at the girl in his arms. As he did, he couldn’t help but note how well she fit against him, and even in this situation she somehow managed to look adorable.

Ruby groaned and muttered, “Y-Yep” with a poppin’ P, before lifting her head. Silver eyes met ocean blue, and her breath caught in her throat at the situation they had found themselves in. Jaune’s eyes, similarly, widened, and both their faces caught fire. Jaune felt his chest tighten and his heart rate pick up, but he tried to push it down. She was his friend, damn it! Quickly, Ruby scrambled off of him, “S-Sorry!” She grinned nervously and rubbed the back of her neck, “Thanks for breaking my fall.”

Jaune stammered, “U-Uhm, o-oh it was no big deal.” He grinned a grin that matched Ruby’s in sheepishness and nervousness before waving his hand dismissively, “Guess we didn’t win the sparring match.”

Indeed, the match had come to a stop, and though it was incredibly close, Nora’s (frankly mentally insane) play had secured a victory for Team RBYN. This would not be the end of the matter, though, as Ruby declared, “They might have won the battle, but Team Jasper will win the war, next time!”

As Yang got back up, she chuckled, “Yeah, alright, sis. We’ll see about that.” Then she meandered off to go recover.

Ren gave a small smile to Ruby and Jaune, “Thanks for the match, you guys. It helped point out some flaws in our strategy. I’m sure it was the same for you too.”

Jaune nodded, “Y-Yeah, we’ve got a lot to think about.”

Weiss staggered her way towards the exit, “Well, I’m going to take a shower and get this sand out of my dress!”

Pyrrha yawned, “I need to get some rest, as well. I have a… prior obligation to take care of.” She smiled, although the smile seemed somewhat somber, “I’ll talk to you guys later.” She, too, left.

That was mildly concerning, but Ruby seemed to be fine with letting her go, so Jaune wasn’t going to pursue it just yet. Instead, Ruby looked at him with a small smile, “We should go over how the fight went together. I’m not the best at tactics, but maybe I can help you figure something out?”

Jaune was all for that, so he nodded, “Yeah, sounds good.” He rubbed his chin, “How about we go get something in town? I’m sure there’s some place we can go to sit around and talk without worry. Like a cafe or something.”

“Sounds like a great idea!” Ruby concurred, “How about we put our weapons away and get going? Well,” she smiled, “After you put your armor away too.”

He agreed, and so the two set about getting ready to head out into Vale.

/-/

It didn’t take too long to get out into the city: after removing his armor and weapons, Jaune met Ruby at the Bullhead Port and the two made their way down; however, they were quickly presented with an issue: finding a place that would be good to sit down and talk at.

Eventually, they came across a hole-in-the wall cafe that looked cozy. It was named ‘The Changing Seasons Cafe’, displayed across a wooden sign with letters colorized like each season, from pink, to yellow, to burnt orange, to ice blue. There was a cup of coffee on the sign beneath the letters, the steam seeming to form the letters. The outside was fairly wooden and understated as well, with windows that wouldn’t look out of place on a house, rather than a business.

Jaune and Ruby shared a look before silently agreeing that this seemed promising, so they headed inside.

The floors were wooden as well, and there were booths against both the left and right walls, when looking towards the counter. There was a jukebox in the back, playing some vague easy listening music. The place had a few customers, but overall it was fairly quiet.

They took a seat across from each other at one of the booths, and not long after they were approached by a pale-skinned girl. She appeared to be Jaune’s age, with long, black hair that stopped at the small of her back. The tips of her hair were highlighted ice blue, in a way that reminded Jaune of Ruby’s hair color. The girl had silver eyes, which caught Ruby’s attention as her eyes widened. She appeared to be around 5’8’’ and looked to be in good shape, with an athletic figure and some muscle definition.

She wore a simple black turtleneck, jeans, and boots with a brown apron over her. There was a nametag on her chest, which simply read, ‘Hi, my name is Iris’. Jaune felt he remembered that name from somewhere, but he was taking a moment to figure it out.

She was carrying two menus, and she set them down on the table, “Heya, welcome to The Changing Seasons, I’m Iris. Can I get you anything to drink while you order?”

Suddenly Jaune remembered where he recognized the name from. He took a menu and said, “Uhm, a Dr. Spicy for me—Sorry, but, do you go to Beacon Academy?”

The girl blinked a few times, and a ting of red crossed her face as she gained a look of embarrassment, “Yeah, how’d you know?”

Jaune smiled, “I train with your parents, Neve and Aurum; they’ve talked about you some before. Surprised we haven’t met yet. What’re you doing here?”

Iris groaned and covered her face in her hands, “Oh my Gods, you’re Jaune Arc aren’t you?” She looked at him, and as he nodded, she groaned again, “Maan… this is embarrassing. I didn’t want anyone from school to see me here.” She huffed, “I work here to help my Grandma out when I have spare time, which usually means the weekends.”

Ruby smiled, “That’s really nice of you! I’d do that sort of thing if my parents needed help with anything, but, well”—she rubbed the back of her neck—“they’ve got more than enough money. Still!” She relaxed slightly, “Being a hero is more than just fighting Grimm, it’s also helping people wherever you can.”

Iris let out a small laugh, “You sound like Mom, she’s always emphasized how important being a hero is. Although she’s always been pretty careful with me; she said if I wanted to be a Huntress I’d have to go to Beacon, even though I wanted to go to Shade.” She huffed, “Oh well, can’t complain too much, she’s a veritable Super Mom otherwise.”

Suddenly, Iris realized she’d gotten distracted, and so she asked Ruby, “A-Anyway, what’d you want to drink?”

After Ruby ordered a Dr. Spicy for herself as well, Iris left to give Jaune and Ruby time to make their orders. Jaune noted, “She was nice,” before looking down at the menu, which consisted of a lot of things you’d expect to see in a diner, along with pastries such as cookies and muffins and drinks like frappes and coffee. Jaune was never much of a coffee person, so he was content with his Dr. Spicy, “You know, with her facial structure and eyes, she kind of looks like you.”

Ruby hummed, “Yeah, I noticed that too, weird.” She shrugged, “Maybe some distant family relative or something?” She didn’t dwell on it, however, as she seemed to have another question in mind. She looked down at her menu as she asked, “Hey, so… did you have any friends before coming to Beacon?” Her face heated up and she stumbled over herself as she tried to correct her perceived slight, “N-Not that I’m saying you didn’t! I’m just- I’m curious.”

Jaune chuckled, “I get it, don’t worry. Honestly? Not really. Just my sister Sarcelle. There was another, Saphron, but she moved away some time ago, and since she was older than me, I don’t know if I’d call her a ‘friend’, exactly. Just a big sister. Sarcelle… she’s a year younger than me, really wants to be a Huntress, a hero, but… she’s immunocompromised.” At Ruby’s questioning stare, his smile grew a bit somber as he explained, “It means her immune system doesn’t work like it’s supposed to. She can get sick by just being outside for too long. Hell, the only reason she can go outside at all is because our dad unlocked her aura. Even then, she usually prefers to stay inside.”

He shrugged awkwardly, “She’s a genius, and I hope that someday she’ll be able to reach her dreams. Regardless of if they’re about electric sheep or… something else.”

Ruby listened with rapt attention, and once he finished, she smiled, “Electric dreams, huh? I hope she can reach them some day. Maybe she’ll get to build androids! Or something else super cool.”

Jaune nodded, “Yeah… so, what about you?” He raised an eyebrow, “Have any friends back at Signal?”

He regretted asking that as Ruby’s smile fell, “Ah… y-yeah, I… did.” She looked away, “He… was a great friend of mine. We grew up together, designed our weapons together, and we had promised to go to Beacon together, too. He was like the brother I never had, and he said I was like the sister he’d never had, too. But…”

Curious, Jaune leaned forward slightly and muttered, “The… you-know-what stuff?”

Ruby shook her head, “No, before that, he… went missing. He went into Vale one day and just… seemed to vanish into thin air. We don’t know what happened, maybe he ran away, or maybe…” Ruby trailed off, before shaking her head again, “W-Well, the point being, I haven’t seen him in almost a year now. I hope he’s okay… Lunus was my best friend.”

Ruby had a hand placed out on her menu, and Jaune reached out, gently placing his over hers, “Hey… I’m sure he’s out there somewhere. Maybe over the summer we can go looking for him together?” The chances of them actually finding anything, or anyone, were slim, and he knew that, but he was going to offer anyway, because he wanted Ruby to be happy.

She looked at his hand over hers, and slowly the somber expression gained a bit more light to it. She turned her hand slightly so she could take his in hers and squeeze it, the act making her blush as she looked at him, “Thanks, Jaune…” Her heart had been playing silly with butterflies all day whenever he was around, but now the butterflies were swarming, “It means a lot.”

“Hey.” He gave his best warm and assuring smile, in spite of how nervous he felt, “What are friends for?” He pulled his hand back and looked down at the menu, “Now, how about we get something to eat? They’ve got some waffles with Forever Fall Red Sap syrup, I bet that’d be amazing.”

“Oh, for sure! I’m probably gonna get a frappe too, they’ve got a strawberry one!”

/-/

The rest of that day, all things considered, was fairly normal. The waffles were delicious, and Ruby loved the frappe she got as well.

The next day, both Jaune and Ruby noticed something strange going on with one of their teammates.

Namely, Pyrrha had been rather down the whole day, not really talking that much and just generally not being the ray of sunshine she usually was. Weiss voiced her concern to Ruby and Jaune after a class they had together, and they both agreed that they had to talk to her.

The opportunity didn’t come until just before combat class, which they had together as a team. Jaune, Ruby, and Weiss all managed to get Pyrrha alone in the courtyard outside the building used for the class, and Ruby urged Pyrrha to sit on the bench. Pyrrha seemed confused, but she did so.

Jaune took a seat on another, nearby, bench, not wanting to make Pyrrha feel uncomfortable by having too many people crowding around her. Meanwhile, Weiss sat next to her and Ruby stayed standing. Ruby asked softly, “Pyrrha, you’ve been acting really… off today. What’s wrong?”

Pyrrha tried to play it off at first, “Oh, I’m just a bit sleep deprived, it’s nothing, really.” Ruby gave her a somewhat stern look, something Jaune didn’t even know she was capable of, and it worked. Pyrrha sighed and looked down at her lap, “Okay… yes, it’s…” She sighed, “It’s not something anyone knows, I keep it from the media, but… I used to have a brother.”

That was shocking to Weiss, “You had a brother? What happened to him?”

“A twin, more specifically.” She clarified, “One day, there was an alarm, Argus was told to evacuate, as we anticipated a large Grimm attack. We did so, following the standard procedure that had been laid out for the city, but… it was just a false alarm. We started to return, but that’s when we noticed that he’d gone missing, Haimon… we must have lost him in the forest.”

She sighed sadly and closed her eyes, “Careless. We were all careless. Haimon, he’s… probably dead. I took it upon myself to carry the dream we shared, to become Huntsmen, and that’s part of why I’m here. We lost him five years ago today, and… it still hurts.”

Weiss, in a move that surprised both Ruby and Jaune, reached out and pulled Pyrrha into a sideways hug, causing the red head’s breath to hitch before she turned slightly to return the hug. Weiss softly said, “I understand, Pyrrha… I might not have the best relationship with my brother, and my sister is… cold, but if I lost either of them, I’d be heartbroken. It’d stay with me forever. If there’s anything I—we, can do, then let us know.”

Ruby nodded in agreement as she went to sit next to Pyrrha as well, “I lost someone who was like a brother to me awhile ago now, and I think about him a lot, too. We’re here for you, Pyrrha.”

Jaune felt he should say something, too, and so he agreed, “Ruby’s right, and I have lots of siblings… I might not talk to most of them a lot, but if any of them died, or went missing, I’d be…” He looked down and shook his head. Just the idea of something happening to Sarcelle was a tear at his heart, not something he wanted to entertain. He looked back up, “...I don’t know what I’d do.”

Pyrrha slowly began to smile, and she returned the hug Weiss gave her, “Thank you, all of you.” Once they separated, she smiled, “Now… we should get to class. We don’t want Professor Goodwitch to get on us for being late.”

As clear as it was that she was still struggling, she was right. They had to get to class, and so they all got up and headed for combat class.

When they got there and took their seats, Glynda went over what they’d be doing that day. It was one of the days where they’d be doing duels that she selected. Some days, she let people issue challenges, but it seemed that today she had some specific fights she wanted to observe.

The first couple, lucky for him, didn’t involve Jaune. He hoped that maybe he could get through the day without needing to fight—not because he felt he couldn’t, he could hold his own (even if he lost more often than not, still), but because he would never turn down the opportunity to just watch other people and see what he could learn about their tactics and the way they fought.

However, his desire was shattered when Glynda called him up, although it was against an opponent he’d never faced before, “Jaune Arc from Team JSPR and Eden Iridescent from Team IRIS, please change into your equipment and come to the stage.”

His team wished him good luck as he got up and made his way to the guy’s locker room, his mind was wondering just what kind of person he would be facing.

Luckily, he didn’t have to wait very long to find out.

Once he had changed completely, he made his way to the stage and waited. Not a moment later, his foe stepped up on stage.

Eden was tall, his height it seemed. Her skin was pale and her hair was jet black, almost purple in color, and her eyes were a dull crimson, although Jaune wasn’t sure how real that color was, it just looked… off. Not that people couldn’t have crimson eyes, he knew they could, but he wondered if these were contacts. She wore a black suit of plate armor, although without any helmet, and she had a tattered black cloth skirt over the legs of the armor. There was an insignia on the breastplate, a crimson fleur de lis.

She held in one hand what looked to be a kind of short lance, with a blade attached to the bottom of it like a bayonet. The end of the lance itself was open, leading Jaune to believe that it was also a gun. Around her chest was a rather large Valean longbow, although Jaune doubted it’d be seeing much use in a fight like this.

She pointed her lance at him and declared, “Jaune Arc! I’ve long awaited this meeting!” Her voice was kind of strange, it sounded like she was trying to make herself sound more womanly and mature than she was.

Jaune hummed and thought, ‘Oh boy. She must be like Sarcelle when she went through her ‘anime phase’.’ He shook his head and drew his sword, “Uhm… you know who I am? Have we met before today?”

Eden shook her head, “We have not, and you may not know me now, but you will soon! For I-” she placed her free hand on her chest, “am Eden Iridescent, last of the Iridescent noble line, who shines brightest in all of Vale! You are an Arc, which makes you the ultimate litmus test!” She swiped the air with her lance as the Hard-Light barriers went up around the arena, “I will prove that I am a knight by laying you low here and now!”

He was left a bit reeling by this passionate speech. He blinked a few times, and was just glad that the Hard-Light barriers blocked out sound, because if this kept going, he’d die from secondhand embarrassment, “Uhm… you don’t have to do that, you seem pretty cool already…”

For just a moment, that bravado faltered, and she blinked before asking in a far less fake voice, that was a marginally higher pitch than the one she’d been using, “R-Really?” She then caught herself and shook her head, putting on her fake voice again, “I-I mean, of course I am! Now make ready, Jaune Arc, for today you fight a woman of strength, a woman of knightly honor, a woman of courage! That’s Eden Iridescent, the future Savior of Remnant!”

She wasted no time in starting to charge forward, while Jaune blinked a few times before shaking his head and charging at her in return, raising sword and shield and preparing to either attack or parry whatever she dished out.

However, he wasn’t quite prepared for just how telegraphed her attempt to attack him was. She thrust outward with her lance slow enough for him to easily parry it with his shield. As he did, he activated the Gravity Dust in his shield, which caused her to be left wide open as her arm was pushed back and into the air.

Jaune then stepped forward and, taking advantage of the opening, slammed his shield into her face, causing her to stagger backwards and fall on the ground; however, as she fell, she rolled and got back up, her lance shifting and changing before turning into a greatsword that she grabbed with both hands.

He raised his sword and stabbed forward as she was getting back up, catching her in the shoulder as she did. She hissed in pain before rising and trying to slam into Jaune using her armored body, attempting to knock him down. He started rapidly stepping backward as she tried to bring him down, but he managed to dig his feet in and keep her from moving any further.

Once he was properly rooted, he slammed the side of his shield into her side, causing her to gasp in pain and loosen her grip on him enough for him to pull free. She stumbled forward as he did so, and he side-stepped her before whacking her on the back of the head with the pommel of his weapon. She fell again, and Jaune had to admit that he felt a bit bad at this point, because it was clear that she wasn’t a very good fighter.

And yet, she got back up again, greatsword in hand, and swung it as she turned towards him, a move that was slow enough for him to block with his shield, although this time he didn’t use his Gravity Dust, minding the Dust levels. After she reeled back to attack again, he stepped forward and stabbed at a gap in her armor, causing her to gasp in pain before he kicked outward and caused her to stumble and fall again.

Now, Jaune was not the best at Beacon, regardless of his skill gain. The fact that he was able to reliably block and counter everything she’d done up to this point didn’t feel as much a testament to his own skill as it did a testament to her own lack of skill. He gave her an uneasy smile as she began to stand again, speaking in a placating tone, “Are you sure you want to keep going? You’ve taken a few good hits by now. No shame in admitting you lost.”

“No!” Eden stood fully and shook her head, “I have to keep going and show everyone here that I have what it takes!” She grabbed her sword and gripped it tightly, it was now that Jaune noted that her grip was uneven. She declared, “I will beat you, Jaune Arc!”

Once again, she charged him, and once again, her swing was easy to predict, beginning a pattern of her striking and him blocking, parrying, and knocking her down, before she got back up again. She seemed uncertain of every strike she made, unsteady and unready. Jaune genuinely felt bad for her.

Eventually, however, she began to truly run low on aura. She made one heavy downward slash, and Jaune was able to block it with his shield before stepping into her guard and bashing the side of her head with the pommel of his sword, which sent her to the ground. It was then that Goodwitch called the match, “I’ve seen enough. Jaune Arc wins. Both of you, come to me for your assessment.”

She remained laying on the ground as he sheathed his weapon, and he could see people in the crowd with… mixed reactions. All of them were directed at Eden. Some were snickering or laughing (like this one team, Jaune was pretty sure it was called CRDL, but he wasn’t sure), others, like his own team and Team RBYN, looked sorry for her.

Jaune looked at her as she lay on the ground, and he realized then that, in another life, another world, in another time, he might have been in her place. If he had kept with his desire to be a Huntsman, if he had kept his dream, even though his father had refused to train him, if Cobalt hadn’t stumbled into Domremy, if he wasn’t receiving good training and experiencing strange spikes in his skill…

It could have been him.

He reached out with a hand, “Hey, you might not have won, but you gave it your best. That’s all any of us can do.” She looked at him, and he saw how sad she looked. He smiled softly, not a smile of pity, he knew how much that sucked, but a smile of understanding and empathy, “You kept picking yourself back up, and that’s what matters. You just have to learn, improve, and some day, I know you’ll be the hero you want to be.”

Eden looked at him with wide eyes, a small blush on her face. She reached out and took his hand, and he helped her stand. She spoke, shy with embarrassment, “Th-Thanks.”

He let go of her hand, “No problem.” Then he patted her shoulder, keeping his smile as he did, “Keep getting better, yeah? I will if you will.” Then, he stepped away, going to see Goodwitch, and not noticing how Eden stared at him as he left before hurrying after him.

Goodwitch gave them her assessments, and she was, naturally, a lot harsher on Eden. Jaune was praised for showing such clear development in only the span of a couple months, but he didn’t really feel he deserved the praise, not that he voiced that. Goodwitch wasn’t one to be argued with.

After that, he returned to his team, and though they clearly wanted to talk about what they had seen, it seemed like none of them, not even Ruby, really knew how exactly to voice what they felt about the display that they had seen. Jaune couldn’t blame them, he really didn’t know either.

Besides, his mind was already turning to the next day, when he would be training with Aurum once again.

/-/

CLASH

“Your form is too lax. Try again!”

CLANG

“Better! You’re a quick learner, Kiddo.”

Jaune wiped some sweat off his brow as Aurum stepped back. They were once again in a training room, the same that they had been using for the past while, although this time it was just him and Aurum, with her stating that Neve was busy training Iris that day. Jaune wondered why they didn’t just train together, but Aurum said that Iris preferred one on one training, something about her actually being kind of shy when it came to being around other people while her parents were there.

He couldn’t blame her; the idea of anyone at Beacon meeting his parents, or hell, most of his sisters, was a semi-terrifying possibility that he tried to ignore. He wanted to introduce his team to Sarcelle, but Verte? She’d probably offer to show them how long she could ride a bull at a rodeo. Azur and Triste? They’d probably get his team tangled up in some sort of Dust experiment. Saphron would just be embarrassing, and Roux? Well… Roux would also be embarrassing, but he could tolerate it because it’d probably mean he’d also get some free food.

He realized that he’d been blanking out while Aurum was giving him some advice, and so he blinked a few times, “Sorry, could you repeat that?” He didn’t blank out like that super often, but he’d found that, as things got busier and he got more occupied with so much, it was becoming increasingly common.

How he longed for the days where choosing what game he was going to play with Sarcelle that day was his biggest concern…

Aurum sighed, although she did so with a smile, “Your mind’s somewhere else? We could take a break, you know.” She was always accommodating like that, far from a slave driver, if anything she was very… doting. There was no other way to put it, in Jaune’s mind.

Jaune shook his head, “No no, sorry, I was just imagining what it would be like if my friends met my family, is all.” He entered into a fighting stance again, “What’s next?”

She kept her smile as she readied her scythe again, “I understand, once upon a time I was scared of the same thing. That was in another life, though.” Jaune didn’t have time to contemplate her weird phrasing, because soon she was giving him advice on his stance, clearly reciting some information she’d gathered from Neve, but it was still useful all the same.

Once she was finished, they began to train again. Their movements were steady, precise. It was less sparring and more practice, repeating moves and responding to those that Aurum used over and over, to build muscle memory, and to learn how best to respond to certain attacks.

Over and over they trained, and Jaune’s mind was wholly focused on it. Until, eventually, he moved to swing his sword at her again, and suddenly he froze, for his vision shifted.

No longer did it look like he was standing in a training room, rather, it looked as if he was standing in a grassy field, a hammer in his hand rather than his sword. He saw a younger Aurum across from him, and suddenly a shooting pain went through his head.

He winced away as the vision flickered and fought with reality, before he fell to the ground.

As his vision swam, he saw the scene again, this time it began to play out, as if he was living another’s memory.

“Come on, Cobalt!” His mom told him with a grin, “I know you can get this! It’s not easy, but you’re smart.”

“I dunno…” Cobalt looked away, “This is really hard… I could barely take out that Boarbatusk you had me fight the other day. What if I’m not good enough?”

Aurum approached him and knelt in front of him; he was still smaller than her at that point. Far from the knight he would become, Cobalt was scrawnier and more unsteady as a boy. His mom gave him a comforting smile as she placed her hands on his shoulders, “Everyone starts somewhere, Cobalt. I knew a man once, he wasn’t too different from you—and no, before you ask, I’m not talking about your dad.” Her smile grew somber, “He was a great friend. A stalwart hero, a knight brave and true. He willingly embraced the life of a Huntsman despite not knowing much about it, all because he wanted to be a hero, and…”

The somber smile grew more wistful, “He was. He gave everything he had until he had nothing left to give, and then… he gave more still. He died fighting to protect humanity, and he saved my life more times than I can count. You have the same spirit as him, but, with my help… I’ll make sure you never have to sacrifice as much as he did. You’ll be an amazing Huntsman some day, I believe in you, sweetie.”

Cobalt was emboldened by the story, his posture straightened out a bit, but still, he had another question, “...Was that man my father? My birth father?”

“Ah-” Her breath caught, and she shook her head, “No. He was just a great friend of mine. My best friend from better days.” She stood and started to walk back to her earlier position.

“Then… where did you meet my father?” Cobalt tilted his head slightly, “You’ve never told me, or even mentioned who he is…”

She let out a chuckle, but it sounded pained. She looked up at the sky, “...I met him in a place Inbetween places. Somewhere far from here. It was… a chance meeting, we had known each other once before. In another life, but… I’d rather not talk about it too much.” She turned to face him, her hands were now bridged in front of her, but kept low, around her waistline, “You have your dad now, you and him love each other. I think that’s more than enough.”

Cobalt nodded, “O-Of course.” He could tell this was a sensitive topic, and so he decided to drop it, “I’m ready to try again, Mom.” He raised his hammer.

Aurum smiled, “Of course.” She grabbed her folded scythe off the ground, and as she began to stand and unfold it again, the vision began to be overtaken by white. Her voice echoed while fading, “Let’s try that move again…”

As the vision ended, Jaune’s eyes fluttered open. He was confused, the vision had muddled his mind. He was laying on his chest, and as he lifted his head, he saw Aurum looking at him worriedly. He blinked his eyes tiredly, and softly he spoke, “...Mom?”

His vision gave out, this time to black, rather than white.

/-/

Aurum watched with worry at first, that worry turned to horror at his word, and then a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Terrible pain clenched her heart, and she felt tears sting her eyes. Yet, she tried to push them down, and instead pulled out her Scroll and sent a message.

She remained there with him until Ozpin showed up, and once he had entered and shut the door, she stood and turned to him, “Ozpin, what the hell?!” She stepped over to him, “Jaune- He just- He…” Aurum choked back a sob and averted her gaze, her voice softening, “He just called me Mom. This… this isn’t… like you, is it?”

The idea of Jaune falling victim to something like Ozpin was horrifying. Sure, it might mean that Cobalt wasn’t really dead, but it would also mean that Jaune was no longer Jaune. Instead, the end result would be some fusion between the two boys, and that was the last thing Aurum wanted. As far as she was concerned, it was a fate worse than death, losing yourself like that.

Ozpin held a sorrowful expression, yet still he shook his head, “No. Thankfully, I can assure you that it’s not that. We knew that Cobalt’s soul was different, but it seems that, as a consequence of that, he’s being given… pieces.” Ozpin looked at the boy that lay on the ground, “He’s not at any risk of ‘bleeding’, but if he gets more of these episodes, I have no doubt they will lead to temporary bouts of confusion. This, I fear, is merely a consequence of being what he is now, and having the benefits that he does. The increased learning had to come with a price, I imagine…”

Aurum wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or not, “...A part of Cobalt really is with him still.” She looked back at Jaune, “I would worry about the… other pieces, but…” She wiped the beginnings of tears from her eyes, “...He’s happy. He has to be.”

Ozpin kept a grim expression, but he hoped Aurum was right. He produced his Scroll and texted something before putting it away, “I must be going, I’m sure you can get him back to his dorm. Aurum…” He looked at her as she turned to face him, “Remember to breathe.”

He turned and walked away, and Aurum looked at Jaune again. She felt the sorrow gripping her heart tighter than it ever had before.

It was only after the door shut that she finally let herself cry.

/-/

When Jaune woke, he realized he was back in his dorm.

He remembered what happened, and he noted that it wasn’t that much later, but…

He felt tired.

All he could do was hope that this wasn’t going to become a running theme. The rest of his team was still gone, and so he propped himself up on his bed and dialed Sarcelle’s number.

The video feed of the Scroll turned on, and of course, he was looking through Sarcelle’s webcam, because she’d figured out a way to hook her Scroll up to it, and had always claimed that she preferred talking over the computer because ‘her microphone was better’ and ‘I hate that everything is on phones, my computer is just better’.

She was wearing a large teal shirt that was a few sizes too big for her, covering her body. She looked the same as she had before, pale and sickly, but she still smiled when she saw him, “Hey, Jaune, it’s been… what, a couple weeks?”

He chuckled, “Yeah, sorry about that. Just been busy, you know?” Indeed, they’d talked fairly frequently over the months that he’d been there, but he’d fallen off lately due to having so much to do. He smiled, “How’s my favorite sister doing?”

She chuckled, “About the same as always.” She coughed into her hand, although this one was thankfully not too bad, “Dealing with the same shit… Mom and Dad are still pissed at you, by the way.”

Of course they were. He did kind of just take the family sword and armor then run off, they hadn’t even tried to call him since he left. His smile grew a bit awkward, “I can’t say I blame them. How’re the others taking it?”

Sarcelle waved a hand dismissively, “Verte was a bit jealous, but she spends all her time out on the ranches anyway. Triste and Azur, I don’t think they’ve even really noticed. The other two, well, you know they’re not here to really comment on it.”

Jaune nodded, “Sounds about right. So… how are you holding up? You know, with me being gone…”

She huffed, “Okay. I miss having someone to rant about stuff with in person, though.” She smirked, “But once I get to Beacon, I’ll make sure to bug you some more. I might be coming to visit sometime in the next month or two. Mom and Dad are worried about it, but what are they gonna do? If I take my medicine and keep my aura going, I should only get a little sick.”

That was surprising, to say the least. Jaune gained a look of concern, “Sarcy, are you sure you want to? You know I’ll come and visit you sooner or later, and I-”

Sarcelle interrupted him with a shake of her head, “Don’t try to talk me out of it.” She gave a wry smile, “If I can’t leave long enough to visit my brother at Beacon, then what chance do I have to become a Huntress? There’s still a lot of details to figure out, but… trust me, I need to do this.”

He saw how serious she was, the look in her eyes was unmistakable. It was fiery, passionate. She’d made up her mind, and she wasn’t going to change it, not for anything. He was worried for her, but if this was what she wanted, then who was he to stop her?

He sighed, “You’re a handful sometimes, you know that?”

She smirked, “I know more than you do, Jaune.” She then glanced at something on her computer, “Now, I have to go, I’m still getting ready. It’s gonna take weeks to build up my strength for this, but I’ll let you know how it’s going.”

They said goodbye, and with that, she hung up. Jaune sighed, his mind swimming with so many things to think about. Lost friends, lost brothers, legacies left, to be carried on by those who remained. His team, the other teams at Beacon, who knew who else…

He chuckled morbidly and looked at the ceiling before muttering, “You better not be making me wax poetic now, Cobalt…”

Of course, he received no answer.

/-/

The White Fang’s Headquarters, Somewhere in Mistral

Adam Taurus sighed as he dragged his fingers along the throne.

Leadership often sounded glamorous, but even an organization like the White Fang had a lot of reports and paperwork to sift through. Logistics didn’t sort itself out, after all.

This was a rare instance where he was free from any of that kind of banal work. Now he was free to do… nothing, really. He couldn’t afford to leave the base, lest something important happen.

If his sisters saw him now, they’d probably laugh at him. Well, Lilith would. Eve would probably just look sorry, but they were in different Kingdoms, leading different cells in his name. Although he was worried about Eve and her loyalties, he gave her a chance to prove herself.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a girl’s voice, “High Leader!” He looked and saw a girl with antlers, wearing the standard White Fang uniform, mask and all, approaching him carrying a scroll, “We have some good news and bad news for you. Which do you want to hear first?”

Adam groaned and rubbed his forehead, “...Give me the good first.”

The Deer Faunus nodded, “We’ve gotten word that one of our members and her… associate have gained incredible power unlike anything we’ve seen before. It’s too fantastical to be a semblance, sir, but we don’t know what to call it. They were in Vacuo when it happened, apparently after they got into a fight with a woman when she caught them carrying out some orders.”

Vacuo, that was Lilith’s cell. It was small, and underperforming, because one couldn’t expect thieves and scoundrels to fight against other thieves and scoundrels. Still, they were there to further their cause in any way possible.

Adam raised an eyebrow, “And the bad news?” He had to wonder just what could possibly be bad. If it was true that two of their members got great power, that was fantastic news. They could use that power to further their goals! So what could be bad about-

“It’s… them sir.” The Deer Faunus looked down, “You know… The girl and her… bodyguard.”

Adam’s heart sunk and he hung his head while groaning, “Mother fuck-” He had sent the two of them to Vacuo specifically to get them out of his sight, they were contentious enough, but too useful to throw away. Now they were even more useful? He looked at his subordinate, “Right… This is what I want you to do…”

/-/

Vacuo, an Isolated Compound

The Vacuo White Fang, known as the Burning Fang, were small and, by all definitions of the word, insignificant. Save for a few dealings, they didn’t see much action, and kept a low profile.

The idea that something would happen there that was even remotely interesting was the furthest thing from the minds of those there. To be sent to Vacuo was to be written off, or as a punishment.

Lilith Taurus felt that maybe she shouldn’t have killed those people in Mistral without thinking about it. Her brother was angry when he found out, and shortly after sent her here.

She had crimson hair that was long, falling to the small of her back, and spiky. Her skin was pale, and she had a scar over one of her cold blue eyes. She wore a loose outfit designed for the desert, white pants, a white shirt… Plain, plain, plain. She hated it. She’d been hoping something would happen to kill her boredom, now, however…

She was seriously wondering whether or not she should have been tempting fate like that.

She was sitting in her office, and across from her were two people. One was a fair-skinned girl with medium-length, straight, blonde-hair that fell to her shoulders. She had glimmering ocean blue eyes, She wore a white dress with frayed edges, a pair of heels (in the desert of all things), and in her arms were a notebook and a pen. Most notably, she had two, white, dove wings on her back, easily the biggest part of the 5’5’’ girl.

The other couldn’t have been more different. A seven foot tall man who wore a suit of armor styled after that of old Valean knights, except colored bronze. His helmet was off, revealing fair-skin, strong features, emerald green eyes, and a mane of red hair that also fell to his shoulders. On his back was a single, massive, greatsword, it looked more like a slab of metal than a sword, but Lilith knew it could shift into a rather powerful rifle as well, and that he had the strength to wield it in any form. There were no Faunus features on him to speak of, a matter of great contention, but he was allowed there because his companion had a powerful semblance, and she, well…

“So me and my beloved are to return to Mistral?” The girl, Astra, smiled, “That’s rather joyous news. I thought we had truly achieved a truly splendid success by getting these powers, but now we can return and leave this Gods-forsaken waste.”

Astra and her boy-toy bodyguard made Lilith sick everytime they talked, or even looked at each other with those stupid loving gazes.

Still, Lilith nodded, “Yes, Astra. You and your… bodyguard are to return to Mistral to receive new orders from High Leader Taurus. You’re being provided with enough Lien to purchase plane tickets, and are expected to leave as soon as possible.” She stressed the last part, because she couldn’t stand these two anymore.

The boy turned to his love, “This is wonderful, Astra.” He smiled, “We can return to what we truly wanted to do, instead of wasting away. We will be able to reach your goal, at last.”

Astra giggled, “You’re right, my love. Our destiny awaits us, and once we’ve achieved our ultimate goal with the White Fang, maybe we will earn our peace, and we will be wedded in a most wonderful ceremony! My wonderful Haimon, how you make my heart race, my pen move, and my eyes shine!” She smiled brightly, “Ours is a love that will be commemorated for generations, once we achieve our ultimate goal!”

Lilith wanted to puke.

‘Why Gods, why me?’ She lamented, but then waved them out, “Right, now get out of here, both of you. I have work to attend to.” She sure as hell didn’t, but she couldn’t survive their sap for another minute.

Neither of them seemed to pay Lilith’s growing annoyance any mind, because why would they? Now they had more tenure than her! Astra smiled lovingly, “Come, then, my love. After High Leader Taurus gives us our new mission, we will be able to etch our names into history. Everyone will know our names…

Astra Kyanos and Haimon Nikos.”