Prologue: Within Darkest Hours

Act 1 – Descent

Falling…

That seems to be a common theme for me… you know… other than the whole 'motion sickness' thing.

When I was young, my parents and sisters have always told me that being a hero isn't about not getting knocked down, it's about always getting back up.

Well… what if you can't?

I mean, it's easy to do just that when things that you're falling for are relatively simpler than my… current dilemma… like falling in the initiation, falling short of expectations, falling in love, falling out of favor, but I guess my sisters have never considered the possibility of 'falling-down-a-one-mile-drop-with-no-aura-or-equipment-in-the-middle-of-a-wasteland-in-atlas-after-fighting-a horde-of-Grimm-alone' possibility.

Heh, that's quite the oddly specific hypothetical possibility. Other than that, it also give an accurate context to my current… situation.

I don't even want to call it a situation – it's more of a tragedy than anything.

Now, if only I have friends to help me at this time of need…

I internally sighed, not having the energy to physically sigh with my numb and despondent body.

Who am I kidding? Looks like blood loss is cutting off my memories now considering that they're all probably in Bullhead flying off back into Beacon with a glass of wine, served with the finest… fine dining, bathrobes made out of the best Vacuoan cotton and Mistralian fur!

Okay, probably not the last three, but you get the point! Nothing changes for me whether that is or isn't the case. In the end, I'm still here, left alone to die in the middle of nowhere.

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What? Expecting some sort of touchy-feely story about how I got into this mess? How a certain secret got revealed to this entire student body of Beacon? How I was abandoned, harassed, and betrayed by the very person I so-called 'friends'? How I was left behind to DIE in the middle of NOWHERE?!

Perhaps later, falling into the edge of a cliff with certain death awaiting at me at the bottom isn't exactly the best scenario for storytelling and I'm certain that my life flashing before my eyes as my soul gets reaped is enough story to tell. Saves me the effort of thinking too.

But then again, maybe I should start thinking about those. Negativity attracts Grimm after all, so maybe if I start thinking negatively, a Nevermore Grimm get attracted, fly by, then swoop me… right? That sounded like something Professor Port would tell us in class.

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Is it just me or is time slowing down?

I know it's a pretty tall cliff, but seriously? All that internal monologue and I'm only halfway there?

Why is everything so slow now, but everything just happened so quickly back then?

Maybe it's the millions of thought racing through my head, maybe it's just the universe granting a man's last dying wish, but if the latter is the case then I'd like to contact Life's customer support, because its Wish Delivery System(TM) is one week late.

Or maybe it's just me – who knows? – all I know is that I'm dying and there's no fighting back, no escaping, and no last minute cliché saves.

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Well… if it's any consolation, there'll be hell to pay at Beacon once my family hears this. You know what they say: hell hath no fury than an Arc scorned.

I wonder how the student body would react once they found out about… meh, forget it, mum would probably hammer their brains out before they can think about it.

Mum… I miss her, I miss my family; I miss mum's understanding nature, dad's stories of adventure, hunting trips with granpa, cooking lessons with grandma, Joan being a worrywart, Gwyneth's explosive dust experiments, Jane narrating her books, Annie's outgoing personality, Arthuria's frequent nagging, Hannah's competitiveness, Elizabeth's innocence…

I want to go home, back to Arcadia, and you know what? I may, in a twisted sense, I may.

Best case scenario: I go home in a body bag, to be buried six-feet underground alongside my deceased ancestors.

Worst case scenario: my body never gets found and is left to rot here until nothing but a broken skeleton, and a shattered shield and sword remains.

Not the best selection of choices, but then again, who even said I get to pick?

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One-fourth the way down, and I'm still being oddly calm for a man who is about to be violently reduced into a messy pile of human remains.

Oh, would you look at that, a frozen lake sitting right below me. Looks like the universe really is out to finish its deed. If I don't die on impact, I'd drown, and if I don't drown, I'd bleed out.

I internally sighed once more.

Just when you though it cou – wait, bleed out?

It took a monumental force to achieve with the circumstances that I'm in, but I managed to physically force my head to look down for just a bit.

Three wounds. Three large, deep lacerations that stretches from my left pectoral to my right lower abdomen still oozing of red ichor.

Oh yeah, THAT wound! I almost forgot about that. Who knew that an oversized werewolf rip-off can actually pack a punch? I know I do. Believe me, when I say it is not pretty.

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Ugh. I don't feel so good.

Considering the fact that I'm severely injured and is currently falling from a cliff-side a hundred meters – probably more – high, I'm pretty sure that 'not feeling good' is a normal affair… but this one is different… worse than before.

Maybe it's just me bleeding out?

'Don't be so quick as to rush to your death, little one.' a soft voice whispered from… nowhere in particular… like it's coming from… everywhere…?

It's probably just a hallucination. You know… from the whole 'dying' thing.

'You still have so much to do here, your journey is yet to end.'

Just what the absolute fuck?

'It is rude to think of such vulgar words, but I'll let it slide this time…'

I probably should add 'going insane' to my list of problems.

'I assure you, my child, such is not the case.'

J-just… just a hallucination right? What is happening?

'We'll see each other soon… then all shall be explained to you in due time… little light…'

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I feel a little light-headed…

I'm one-eighth on the way to… where…?

Ugh… it hurts to think…

Ice! And it closing in towards… me?

Ah! I'm closing in towards it!

Yes… that would make sense…

Except that would either mean that I'm running towards it or that I'm falling towards it.

If it's the former, I should probably stop… but… I can't feel my legs… in fact, I can't feel anything…

My eyelids feel heavy though…

I should probably rest…

Rest… yes… that would be nice.

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Wha – w-who…?

Where am I?

/

'You… you think you can just sneak in here when we have worked our backs training for… for this?!'

'I'm sorry, but it's just not working out anymore…'

Two heads leaning against one another, one with a mop of red-tipped black hair, and the other with clean-cut white hair.

/

I tried to hold my head in pain.

Voices… images…

W-what were those…? Were those… memories?

/

'You… you disgust me!'

A roar and a mass of darkness. A swipe of a claw and a splatter of red liquid.

'Jauney-boy! How's our favorite master transcript forger!'

/

W-who…w-who's Jaune?

Who am I?

Oh! Now, I remember! Jaune… Jaune… Arc! Yes, Jaune Arc, that's who I am!

Or at least, that's what I remember them call me.

Them…? W-who's them?

My… family? I guess… my friends?

/

'You… you think you can just sneak in here when we have worked our backs off training for… for this?!'

/

NO.

Not even blood loss or death can make me forget that… I have no friends…

I have none.

If I have friends I wouldn't be stuck at this situation.

I wouldn't have to suffer if I have friends.

If I have… if I have… oh, forget it! It doesn't matter, what's done is done.

'Try not to think of negative thoughts, my little light, it only brings harm to oneself.'

W-what…?

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.

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There! The ground! Why does it seem… perpendicular to me?

Why is it inching closer?

Closer…

Closer…

And even closer…

But my eyelids... are getting a little heavy...

Too heavy.

Maybe some sleep would help.

The cool breeze whipping past me seems to caress and lull me into unconsciousness.

Maybe some sleep would be nice.

Yes...

it...

would...

be...

nice.

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Then, nothing.

No violent death, no painful contact with the cold, hard ice – just a pure, vast, space of nothingness as the once reflective color of translucent ice-blue just became black as soon as I zeroed in.

Darkness; darkness for miles upon miles of my vision. Everywhere I look, I see nothing but darkness. I gaze down to see my own body and… nothing. I am all alone, floating in this never-ending void of pitch-black space.

Is… is this purgatory?

Is this what my afterlife is supposed to be?

All alone once more?

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Then suddenly, a flash erupted out of nowhere.

I shielded my eyes with arms as I stared at the bright, blinding, flash of light blinked into existence.

Wait… arms? I looked down once more and, in the once empty space, saw my body just as I remember it before, only a bit… buffer?

Weird.

It seemed so… surreal. A few seconds beforehand, I was staring into the vast emptiness of… whatever place this is, then the next, I'm staring into some sort of light… thingy. It's really confusing, I don't even know what it is but my curiosity kicked in as towards the bright void, I… levitated?

"We meet at last, my little light, I was worried that you're anger would corrupt you before reaching Lux Solari," The voice that I head from before spoke. No longer was it ethereal and omnipresent, but retained its warm and welcoming tone, "it would have been such a waste of potential."

I entered the enlightening void, my eyes squinting from the brightness as I went through the mysterious portal.

As soon as I was through, my soul immediately eased and soothed, and a single word unintentionally erupted from my throat. I didn't try to catch the slip-up, though, as I was too busy gawking in awe – both at the figure in front of me and the sight of what I could only guess as 'Lux Solari'.

"W-wow…" I trailed off.

"It'd be disappointing and quite troubling if you fall to the darkness, little light, you hold such promise and potential."

"W-what…?"

"I understand that you have a great deal of questions right now, but before any interrogation and trial can take place; I would like to welcome you to Lux Solari, Jaune Miles D'Arc…"

For some reason, I felt my relieved soul flicker as a tired, but uncontrollable smile erupts on my face, and judging from the smile that also appeared on her face, it must have been an infectious smile too…

…maybe there are last minute cliché saves.

"… Guardian of Light."

I felt light flood my entire being.

A/N: 'Sup! Thanks for reading "D'Arc Radiance". Few of you must have seen the original story entitled "Oathsworn". This is basically its reboot. I already have the framework or the generalized per-chapter synopsis up to Chapter 5 - Act 3 but the chapters themselves would be written along the way. I don't really have a beta reader and I am an engineer, not a writer, so forgive me if my writing is... a bit confusing; just put it up on the reviews.

Yes, I know, I do journalism, but I'm not really doing precision-writing with this, no reason to do so seeing as this is only a side-responsibility. This fanfiction is pretty much all about context and plot over grammar as this is, like I have said, just a side responsibility. No proof-readings and all that crap - just write, Microsoft Word grammar check, then post - as simple as that.

Just because it's not top-priority, doesn't mean that it'll eventually get neglected, I mean, sure it may undergo a few short-term hiatus from time to time, but I wouldn't abandon this fic without any real reason.

Cover image is entitled "RWBY - Jaune Arc" by mangarainbow. You can find it on deviantart.

Also, a belated MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone! 2017 is almost here. (:D)

Until then, this is Caffeine-Magnum, Signing out. (12/26/16)