Someone posted Volume 5 Episode 11 over the weekend, and I saw it. I also saw the preview for the next episode as well, and I want it to be Saturday already, so I can see what happens with my two favorite characters in the show.
This contains spoilers! You have been warned.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.
Never Again
It was strange, how quiet it got.
A second ago, the songs of steel and gunfire reverberated through the lobby of the building they were in. Now, there was nothing but silence.
Jaune saw the spear.
He saw it pierce her body.
He saw Weiss fall.
Jaune grabbed his sword, his heart pounded, his ears rang, and his legs found purpose with the surge of fury he felt not only toward the perpetrator, but most of all, himself. He skidded, stopping on his knees. His hand cupped the young woman's cheek, and felt it growing cold.
"No… no, no, no, NO!" he screamed out.
He moved to lift Weiss' body, and held it close. He could hear the others, he could hear someone scream for Ozpin, but he didn't care. His sole focus was on her. She was always so proud, and dignified, and had an energy that transcended her petite figure. Now she looked small, and vulnerable.
"Not again…" he whispered, "I trained… I got stronger… and it still happened. Why? Why?"
"Guess, she was just nothing more than her name."
Jaune looked up, and saw the brunette that Weiss had been fighting. Her deer horn knives were hanging casually to the side. The smirk on her face made him angry, but he could get to that later. He returned his attentions to Weiss, who coughed a moment later.
"Weiss!" he cried out, and cradled her up to help her breathe.
"J-Jaune?" she asked.
"I'm here," he smiled desperately, "I got you."
Weiss coughed up blood.
"You've got me…? I don't know if I should be… happy, or scared," she said weakly.
"Happy?" he answered half-chuckling, half-crying, "Are you being sarcastic? I don't think you've ever been happy to see me."
"Who would, weakling," interrupted the brunette.
"Shut up," said Jaune.
"You started a fight without realizing the difference in power. Now she's dying. If I were you, I'd get my sword ready. She won't make it."
"I said shut up!" screamed Jaune.
The brunette cocked an eyebrow, and he ignored her for the moment.
There was no ignoring the words spoken though.
Whoever this girl was, she was right. He was so emotional, so volatile when he saw Pyrrha's killer, he lashed out. While a part of him told him that they were bound to fight when Raven brought in Cinder, another part told him that he should have kept a lid on his emotions. Jaune was a decent fighter, but his true talents were in his ability to analyze a battle and direct his allies to make the most of the situation. Now that he had a small reprieve to think on his actions, he realized that the fight on their end was nothing short of chaotic. He and his allies flailed, and were uncoordinated against their opponents. They fended them off, but that was it. Now they were down two fighters, Ruby and Weiss, because he let Cinder get to him.
They were down but not out, and he had to make things right.
He'd be damned if he lost another friend.
Jaune brushed the bangs away from Weiss' face with his hand. His thumb lingered on the scar over her left eye, and he lowered her so that the back of her head and neck were comfortable on his lap. He saw the concerned and perplexed expression on Weiss' face, and he tried to give her a reassuring smile before he placed a hand onto the area where the spear pierced her. He could feel the burned scab, and closed his eyes.
"This might hurt for a bit, but it will keep you alive until we get can you to a doctor
Her aura was low, too low for her to use it to heal on her own, though she had low aura levels to begin with. He focused on his own aura, and pushed. He heard Weiss's gasp as their aura's reacted to his use of an aura transfer. It was a technique explained to them in Miss Goodwitch's combat classes after a particularly rough spar between two of Beacon's third year students in another period. She thought it a good idea for them to learn, and explained the technique was used for emergency situations where seeing a doctor right away wasn't possible. Normally, only a small amount of aura was recommended, since it could exhaust the user, which could put them in a tough spot in a combat situation. Goodwitch told Jaune that he was an exception though, given his large reserves, and when Team RNJR had gone through their hairier fights he used a lot to stabilize Ruby and his other two teammates.
Given their side's current opponents though, he opted for the more conservative route.
"Feel better?" he asked, as he sensed Weiss's aura stabilize.
"Yeah" Weiss rasped weakly with heavy breaths, "But can you… still fight?"
He gave enough to stabilize her aura plus a little more to allow it a boost her aura's healing capability to deal with the wound, if it could. She must have thought he used a lot of his own, and was worried. He looked to her, picked her up, and carried her to a pillar where she could rest. He smiled before he went back to get his sword.
"Don't' worry, I have aura to spare. Wait here, and stay alive. You need to for the big Team RWBY reunion after all," was all he said before facing the brunette.
He shifted Crocea Mors from its claymore form back to the classic sword and shield, and made his way over to Weiss' opponent, but kept an eye on Cinder, who seemed to watch him intently.
"Finally decided to pay attention to me?" asked the brunette smugly, "Though I have to say, you must have a lot of aura if you could stabilize the little princess' aura from an attack like that."
"Don't belittle her," he growled, "She has a name, it's Weiss. Who are you anyway?"
"I'm Vernal, the Spring Maiden," she said proudly.
"The Spring Maiden…?" gasped Jaune
"That's right."
She was so casual. Jaune looked around him, the situation he was in, and he shook.
"Why?" he asked, "If you're the Spring Maiden, then why are you doing this? The stories say the maidens are supposed to help people who are in need. How could you help them?"
"That… is nothing but a stupid children's story," Vernal answered, "You're told that the power you have can be used to help others, but it's nothing but a sham! You don't become a hero, you don't help people in need. You become nothing more than a tool, a weapon in Ozpin's little war. A deterrent he can use against Salem, should it come to it."
"So what is it… you don't want to fight alongside with Ozpin, but you'll fight with Salem?"
"I'm not fighting for anyone. It's simply a matter of survival," she shot back, before she took aim with her deer horn knives.
Jaune raised his shield to deflect the shots from her dual-function weapon. When the firing stopped, he readied his sword, and lowered the shield just enough for his eyes to peek over. She had closed the distance, but rather than wait for the attack, he met her halfway. He bashed with his shield, and took advantage of his physical strength, size, and momentum. Maiden or not, Vernal was pushed back, and he moved in for a thrust. Her knives locked with his sword though, and Jaune needed to pry them loose from his weapon before she disarmed him
"A matter of survival?" growled Jaune who opted to distract her, "Do you honestly think that Salem is just going to leave you alone now that her agents know your name and face?"
"Raven will protect me," she said, assured.
"Raven…" he growled, "Yang told us about her when she and Weiss came to us. She abandoned her own daughter when she was just a baby; she's fighting her brother, probably to the death. You think someone like that will stick her neck out for you?"
Vernal loosened her hold on his blade in thought, and Jaune took the chance before she recovered as he drew his sword from the lock.
"She will. If nothing else, I have something useful to her," Vernal declared, before she delivered a few more strikes "Besides, I owe her. She helped me harness my power. She opened my eyes; removed the blinders Lionheart and Ozpin put on me," she narrowed her eyes at him, "Those same blinders Ozpin put on you and your friends"
Jaune went quiet.
"Did Ozpin tell you and your friends that you're special? Do you think you and your friends are the first ones he ever 'believed' in?" Vernal laughed, "You're just a tool in the box; something he can use and lock away when the purpose is served, or throw out when they break. Just like me and all the other girls who were chosen to become maidens."
Thoughts of Pyrrha came to mind. Jaune knew that she had met with Ozpin privately during the Vytal Tournament, but she never said what it was about. Given what Qrow told them in their journey through Anima though, it was likely a discussion on her receiving the Fall Maiden's power.
"I see" he said, "I can understand where you're coming from."
Vernal looked to him, confused, especially when he loosened his stance a little.
"The secrecy, the lies. I understand completely," he said, "A friend of mine… she was chosen to be a maiden too. Not by her predecessor, but by Ozpin. "
Vernal seemed curious.
"The Autumn Maiden… she was attacked by her," he pointed to Cinder, "She and her two partners managed to steal half of her power. The other half was offered to my friend, my partner in Beacon. You might have heard of her, being from Mistral and all. Her name was Pyrrha Nikos."
Vernal's eyes widened.
"She was fearless, the best of our year, a fighter like no other," he continued, "Pyrrha was also kind, patient, and offered to help others to grow stronger… not because she wanted thanks and praise, but because she wanted to help people reach their full potential."
His eyes hardened, and he took a step toward Vernal.
"Then the offer for the power came. I remember her final days before the fall of Beacon. She was agonized, confused, and worried. I offered to help, but she said she couldn't accept, that she couldn't tell me what was wrong. Qrow said on our journey that maidens were meant to be a secret; that no one would understand… and that pissed me off so much that if it weren't for the fact that he was Ruby's uncle, I would've to run my sword through Qrow right then and there!"
There was a silence. The fighting had stopped, and he could feel the eyes on him.
"I probably wouldn't have understood, I would've definitely been confused, but I could have helped in my own small way. Ren, Nora, and I could have been there for her, helped her shoulder the burden so she wouldn't feel alone. She just had all that weight dumped on her, and they probably thought she would accept the burden that came with it like all her other titles…" he paused, and looked to Oscar, the boy who now carried Ozpin's spirit, who had a reprieve from his battles due to the outburst, "She hated her titles; her status as a champion. Those titles kept her from making friends and connecting with people. They kept her alone. She didn't want to be some all-powerful maiden. She wanted a normal life, and to use her power to help people. You took that from her, destroyed any chance of that happening, and I will never forgive you for that."
There was a look on Oscar's face, one of regret and sorrow… Ozpin must have heard. A part of him was guilty for taking his anger out on Oscar. Despite the fact that Oscar bore Ozpin's soul, Oscar was still his own person. The boy was innocent, the soul he shared his body with though…
"Then why not join us?"
Jaune looked to the large man that Ren and Nora fought earlier.
"You and I… we both have a reason to hate Ozpin. Join us; there's no need for us to become enemies."
"Fuck off!" Jaune barked.
The big guy blinked.
"As much as I hate Ozpin, I'm not going to kill some kid who was unwittingly dragged into this fight, and I sure as hell am not going to fight alongside her!" he pointed to Cinder, "Pyrrha was scared, but the people of Vale needed protection from the Grimm, the White Fang, and the hacked robots of Ironwood's army. She was scared, but knew what the right thing to do was. It was too late though, Cinder claimed the other half before the transfer of power was complete. Yet Pyrrha still went after her to try to stop her plans, and it killed her…" tears streamed down his face, "We didn't even have a body to mourn."
The big guy tossed Cinder a look of disapproval, but she rolled her eyes. Jaune didn't care though. He turned his attention back to Vernal.
"You have incredible, terrifying power, and you're using it like this? For them? If my friend had such power, even half… I have no doubt she would have made a terrific maiden. Unlike you."
He took another step, sword ready.
"You joined bandits! You probably killed people for money, and sport! You're weren't liberated by anyone. You're just like Lionheart, a coward hiding behind excuses while the world burns!" he taunted.
Vernal lunged, and delivered four jabs with her weapons before she locked them onto the shield.
"What do you know?!" Vernal shouted, "We can't all be Pyrrha Nikos! We can't all be perfect candidates to be Maidens!"
"It's not about being perfect!" shouted back Jaune as he maintained his shield in the position it was in, "Hell, I'm not perfect! I didn't have to come here! I could have stayed in my room eating bad cereal and playing video games as I tried to forget Beacon, but I'm here. I'm scared; more terrified than I've ever been in my life. But so was my partner, and she did what a hero was supposed to do: the right thing! I am not going to spit on that sacrifice. Tell me, did the Vernal from before know what the right thing to do was?"
"What?" Vernal was taken aback by the question.
He pushed her off his shield, and moved in to slash. When she dodged, Jaune raised the shield, and lowered the sword into a downward position.
"Well? Tell me, Vernal, did you know right from wrong? You must have known once, otherwise, your predecessor wouldn't have chosen you to succeed her. Was the former spring maiden an idiot to have picked you?"
The wind in the room picked up, and Jaune raised his shield as Vernal lunged at him. The howl of the wind was deafening, but Jaune held firm.
"Don't you dare speak of her, you didn't know her!"
"You did!" shouted Jaune, "What would she say if she saw you now? Could you even look her in the eye?"
"Silence!" Vernal cried, tears threatened to leak at any moment.
"Why?" asked Jaune, "Are you so scared to hear my words that you have to use your power to deafen it. I didn't like what you said earlier either, but it doesn't make it less true. I'm at least man enough to take it!"
"Shut up! Shut up or I'll kill you, and the little Schnee bitch!"
Jaune pushed her back with his shield.
"That's not going to happen," he growled.
The wind died, but Vernal continued her emotional onslaught. Jaune could feel the blows and fury of the strikes through his shield, but he held firm. He saw Vernal's eyes dart to the side where Weiss was, and he moved at the same time she did. Vernal was about to cleave Weiss, when Jaune intercepted. He took a step too far though as the blade tore into his shoulder.
"Agh!" he cried out.
"Jaune…" coughed Weiss.
Jaune turned his body to deliver a shield bash, but Vernal simply jumped away. His eyes followed the rogue maiden with a deadly glare in his eyes.
"You will not hurt her. I'll kill you if you do."
"What are you…? A knight in shining armor?" she mocked as she landed, "Grow up! Those only exist in fairy tales."
"So should maidens and wizards," he retorted, which gave him a glare from Vernal, "Regardless, I won't budge."
"You'll die," she said.
Jaune smiled a little.
"Then so be it. I'll die before I let you touch her."
"You idiot…" spoke Weiss, "Worry about yourself."
"No, Weiss," said Jaune, "I'm not going to do that."
"Don't…" croaked Weiss, "Don't be stupid Jaune! If this is some stupid… attempt to… impress me, then you-"
"I'm not doing this to impress you!" he cut her off.
Weiss was silent.
"I'm doing this for myself. I couldn't be there for Pyrrha when she needed me. She died alone, with none of her friends by her side," said Jaune as he cried, "She was my hero… she was patient, kind, and put the time to helping the dead last in school, me, achieve my dreams. I couldn't be there for her, I couldn't return her feelings or address them. But I can honor her memory, her will, by doing the right thing. I couldn't face her if I didn't do my best to protect the people I love."
His heart beat.
Weiss was speechless.
He tightened his sword and when he faced Vernal again, he got into a defensive stance.
"I am an Arc. My sword is the light in the darkness, my shield is the wall that halts the shadows. What grace is given to me, is not mine to use for myself, but for those in most need. I am, the first in the fight, and the last to leave. I am the bearer of arrows and stones, curses and sneers. So long as I stand, no one shall fall," he intoned painfully, and his heart beat, "So bring it."
Pain erupted from his side, as well as a searing, burning sensation. His eyes rolled to the right, and saw Cinder had stabbed him with a sword of fire dust.
'Damn it,' he thought as he realized he lowered his guard in the heat of the moment.
"That was all very inspiring, but you've become so boring," Cinder said cooly.
"Hey, I had him," Jaune could hear Vernal complain.
"You were taking too long, and his drivel was annoying," was all he could hear as the dark began to fill his vision.
He started to fall.
"JAUNE!" Weiss screamed.
He snapped his eyes open, and quickly kicked out his foot to land on his knee as he genuflected to stay up.
"Oh? Still alive?" asked Cinder, "It would be easier if you just laid down and died. No more pain, no more worries, just rest."
"Never," he growled out as he coughed up blood, "I'm not going to die like this, not to you."
Jaune stuck his sword in the ground, and used it to prop himself up. He faced Cinder, dropped his heavy shield, and got into a neutral guard. Cinder looked unimpressed. She simply batted his sword away, which made him drop it, and gripped him by the throat before she lifted him up.
"Who do you think you are, boy? Do you think such a meaningless act of defiance will change anything? You are a bug, an insect. You are unworthy to grovel, let alone stand up against me."
"I wouldn't sully my knees groveling to you."
His heart pounded.
"So long as I live, I'll keep standing against you."
The pounding got louder.
"So long as I live, I'll be the hero I dreamed of being. So that those who come after me, will be inspired to be better. Like all the Maidens before you were meant to do."
The pounding ceased.
"No, you won't inspire anyone. No one will even know your name, and if they do, you'll only be known as a fool who threw his life away."
Fire erupted from Cinder's grip and a harsh scream filled the room before he was unceremoniously dropped to the ground with his vision filled with nothing but white.
…
"What?!" screamed Cinder.
The light faded from Jaune's vision. The first thing he saw was the ceiling, the colors and shapes of the architecture saturated by a light. He noticed something else as well: the pain that racked his body from Vernal and Cinder's earlier attacks was gone. Jaune moved his hand to prod the area, and he felt normal. There was no moisture for a gaping wound, nor was there a scab from cauterization. He felt normal skin and muscle.
His wound… healed?
He heard a scream, and saw Cinder's hand was smoking and scarred. He snapped out of surprise, and the saturated light reacted suddenly which forced him to do a double take. He examined the light that surrounded him in detail. It wafted through the air like smoke, and for some reason, it felt like cool like the air. When he tried to get up, the light stopped wafting, and became taught and a sensation tingled his back. He shifted his shoulder and the light moved toward him. He felt himself lift, and he struggled to right himself to his feet. When he stood, the light coalesced to his back and stretched out.
Jaune looked at what was once formless light reform into something spectacular. They were wings. Wings of the purest white light, ethereal and weightless, but with a strength that seemed unbelievable. It wasn't just the wings that felt powerful though. He felt an energy that coursed through his body. His muscles twitched as they tried to adjust to the rush he felt, and he gave his ethereal wings an experimental flex. They weren't directly connected to his body, and the feeling was difficult to describe. It was a new sensation, alien, and yet as familiar to him as stretching his fingers.
"Die!"
Heat rushed to his face, and he looked to see a flash of fire. He thought to move his arm to cover, but the wing moved instantly to protect him. He barely felt the impact, but he felt a little weaker. Also, he could see through the ethereal shield his wings made when he saw the fireball make its way to back to Cinder. The witch folded under her own attack, and flew into the dais where Ozpin and Lionheart had been fighting upon originally. This action made Emerald and Mercury run to her side.
"Whoa…" said Jaune before a noise caught his attention
Bum… bump… bum…
Jaune looked over to Weiss. He saw a light, similar to what he saw earlier, within her body stir, but it bore a dull hue, and there was a black light lingering where she was pierced. There were other lights as well, all bright and vibrant and coursing through each of his friends and enemies.
"Aura…" he muttered. He could see aura.
The wings… his sight… the power… Was this his semblance?
He turned to Weiss, and looked at her aura. He had stabilized it earlier, and he looked to his own wound when a thought crossed his mind. If his… semblance could heal him, could he use it to heal Weiss?
Jaune didn't know where the thought came from, but the idea felt right. He had to try. He made to move toward her, but his new wings flew him there quickly.
"Ack!" he yelped at the burst of speed.
Jaune was surprised, but instinctively reminded himself of his purpose. He knelt down to her once again, and he reached for her aura. He heard footsteps and saw the man fighting Ren and Nora had ignored his friends and charged at him. A flash of irritation contorted Jaune's face, and he closed his wings around him and the weakened girl by his side. Whatever damage he would have received reflected back to his attacker, and sent him flying like Cinder before him. Again though, he felt a little weaker from the attack.
"Jaune… is that, your semblance?" Weiss asked.
"I think so," was all he could say, "I think… I think I can heal you. I don't know how, but I think I can do it. I have enough power from these wings that I could give you a full recovery" said Jaune.
"Please," she said, "If you can do it… please. The others… need our help."
Jaune nodded, placed a hand over Weiss' heart, and concentrated. He felt his aura, and gently guided it to mingle with Weiss' and he began to channel it in. The colors of Weiss's aura radiated and glowed brighter, and the light anomaly where her wound was began to fade. He felt power leave his body, and saw the light of his wings grow dimmer. He poured his aura to try to boost hers. The power that revealed itself from him began to fade. His wings were gone, and he felt normal. However, there was still enough power left for him to see Weiss's aura roar back to life.
"HUUUAAAAH!
As if possessed Weiss rose to her feet and ran a short distance before putting one hand on her chest and the other on her knee, as she tried to catch her breath. She then shook and shivered as she tried to warm itself up from the near death experience, and adjust to energy that poured into her.
"Weiss!"
Jaune turned to see Ruby and Yang both ran to her side, and pulled her into an embrace. Tears of joy streamed from the sisters' faces. He gave them a moment as he heard Ren Nora, and Oscar's approach.
"That was awesome!" asked Nora as she approached.
"What just happened? What did you do?" asked Ren.
"I…" he moved, but felt his body buckle from the weight.
Ren caught him, and Jaune steadied himself.
"At ease Mr. Arc," said Oscar, or rather Ozpin, who had made his way over, "The first use of a semblance is always taxing."
"Semblance?" gasped Jaune, "So, I was right."
"The Arc family semblance…" mused Ozpin, which caught him off guard, "Unlike the Schnee family, only one Arc in every generation is capable of using it, and even then few have ever achieved it. I've lived a long time, seen many great warriors with powerful semblances," he paused to give Jaune his weapons, "Your family's though, I'm always impressed by its majesty and power."
Jaune was about to ask something when he heard a pair of footsteps approach him. It was Weiss with a soft expression, as she stood before him.
"Jaune…" Weiss began, "Thank you, for saving me."
He looked to her, and made his way over in front of, and for what felt like the first time in a long time, he smiled genuinely.
"You're welcome."
SLAP!
He looked as he cupped his cheek, stunned. The pleasant expression on Weiss' face had morphed into an angry one.
"I'll die before I let you touch her?" she repeated his words to Vernal with cold fury, "Why I appreciate the gallantry were you seriously going to get yourself killed earlier? First you recklessly charged against an opponent that could have killed you single-handedly, and then you goad another fighter with power comparable to the first? Of all the stupid things you've done Jaune Arc, your actions this night are by far the stupidest," she scolded harshly.
"I'm sorry…"
SLAP!
"You should be!" she shouted, "They almost killed you, were it not for your semblance revealing itself when it did. You did the same thing Pyrrha the night Beacon fell. You tried to take it all on yourself, and damn how the others and I would feel if we lost you!"
Jaune was deathly still as he prodded his sensitive cheek, and processed Weiss' declaration.
"Pyrrha… she spared your life doing what she did, sending you away in the locker, but she didn't spare a thought for how you, Ren, and Nora would feel if she died. You know how powerful Cinder is, I'm sure she did too. She must have known that confronting Cinder would lead to her death, but she did it anyway. Pyrrha was an inspiration, but that act was selfish and it resulted in all of us losing a good friend."
She approached him, and cupped the cheek she had twice slapped a moment ago, a sad smile replaced the cold fury from before.
"You are the leader of Team JNPR. Ren and Nora still need you, we all do. You have one of the sharpest minds I have ever seen, but more important than that, you have a goodness and spirit that makes us all want to be better people. We can't afford to lose that. You were always there for us. Let us be there for you. Don't make the same mistake Pyrrha did. Talk to us, wait for us, consider us the next time you feel overwhelmed. We'll be there for you, I promise."
Jaune hung his head, then in a moment, he dropped his sword and shield on the ground and took Weiss into his arms, earning him a stunned squeak.
"Thank you, and I'm sorry… for worrying you… for worrying you all," he choked out.
After a moment, she returned the embrace.
"It's fine… so long as you learn, you idiot," she answered back
"Get down!" he heard Qrow say off into the distance.
Everyone turned and saw Mercury coming in with axe kick from above, and Vernal about to get a strike in as well. Before any of them could react, Jaune released Weiss, and stepped forward with his hand raised. His aura flashed white, and Mercury and Vernal were sent flying, and when looked behind to see if his friends were okay, he saw his friends' marveled expressions at the sight of his angelic wings that had saved them.
He steeled himself, and knew what to do.
He had a new purpose, one more important than justice, or revenge.
He picked up his sword and shield, and pointed his weapon at the crouched and furious form of Cinder Fall.
"Cinder!" he called out, his wings folded when he thought to rest them, "You asked who I am? My name is Jaune Arc, I am the dead last of Beacon Academy, and I'm going to give you a defeat you'll never forget!" he turned to them, "Everyone stick together, work in pairs. If they separate us, they'll pick us off one by one. Ruby go with Yang, cover her from distance attacks, and Yang keep their close quarter fighters off her."
That got a nod from both sisters, and Jaune turned to Oscar and his two surviving teammates.
"Ozpin… Oscar… whoever, go help Qrow," the boy nodded, and Jaune turned to Ren and Nora.
"Ren, Nora, that guy from before looks really strong. Keep away from his fists and arms, and do what you do best."
"Flower Power?" asked Nora.
"Flower Power," Jaune smiled before he turned to Weiss, "Weiss, we need you to summon something to help us tip the tide in our favor," said Jaune.
"Summoning takes a while. Every time I do, I'm-"
"Don't' worry," he said confidently, "I'll cover you. You, Ruby, everyone… I'll do everything I can to keep you all safe. We don't lose anyone today. We'll work together, and we'll win."
They all looked to Jaune confidently, though Jaune caught Weiss' flushed face and sudden interest in summoning when she made her way to her rapier. Ruby and Yang charged at Cinder and her crew, Oscar went to support Qrow, who started another bout fighting his sister and Lionheart, while Ren and Nora went after the big guy. That left him and Weiss to contend with the girl Vernal, who followed Raven.
"No you don't!" cried Vernal as she lunged with her deerhorn knives, poised to attack Weiss.
The attack was aimed for Weiss' back, but true to his word, Jaune covered her as he moved and deflected Vernal's attack. Using his wings for simple dashes and moved in tandem with his opponent to make sure Weiss wasn't hit. The glyph she summoned was big, and two guantlents emerged from the void. A few more seconds, and several failed charges from Vernal later, the giant that they all had come to know stood ready for battle.
"Well… that's big," said Nora, off to the side, as she backed away from her enemy.
"It's ready," Weiss said, "Are you?"
"Yeah…" Jaune said, as he flexed his wings.
The pair charged at their opponents, at the turn of the tide.
A/N:
Anime monologue that takes place midbattle that hopefully isn't overly repetitive… check.
A fantastically over the top semblance inspired by the shows I watch, and the games I play… check.
Two rewrites, several drafts per variation, and obsessing over every little detail… I missed writing fanfiction.
Weiss is my favorite out of all of Team RWBY. I enjoyed her growth from prissy tsundere to the proud, elegant, caring young woman she's grown into. I don't think she'll die before the RWBY reunion that people want to see, and if anyone knows the story of Snow White, Disney version or otherwise, they do know that Snow does "die" before being revived by a prince… I don't want to give myself false hope, so I'll stop there regarding Weiss.
For Jaune's semblance, I drew on multiple sources. Like I stated before, it's a little… fantastical compared to some of the other theories out there, I know. I was actually inspired by Nora when coming up with it. Nora's semblance is directly related to her source material, Thor, so I made the foundation for Jaune's based off of Joan of Arc. Joan was a savior, and protector of France during the Hundred Years War. A lot of fans, myself included, believe Jaune's semblance is defensive in nature. After seeing the preview for episode 12, I have a strong hunch that Jaune's going to unlock his semblance very soon. I also think that Jaune might actually be stronger than Ruby and the others in the long run. I have this "Ugly Duckling" vibe coming from him, and if there is one old tale that perfectly describes the loveable dork, it's that one.
The angel angle of the semblance has two sources aside from Joan of Arc's ties to the Catholic Church. The first was Digimon, the very first season from the 90s with Tai and digi-destined. The last episode of the opening arc where Patamon transformed in Angemon and saved the gang from Devimon was one of the best saves ever done in an anime. The second source relates to the actual powers for the semblance, and should be more familiar to some of you guys: Dr. Angela Ziegler, or Mercy, from the game Overwatch.
Players of the MOBA game will recognize that the abilities are directly inspired from Mercy. She is the go-to healer for beginners of the game, and I played her for hours on end, becoming a decent Mercy-main. She has no shield abilities, but her power to revive fallen teammates always makes her a good choice to have on a team. Furthermore, just like how Angemon saved everyone in that one episode, a good Mercy player can dramatically turn a losing game into the most incredible win.
For those who don't play Overwatch, an alternative would be the paladin, knights that can heal, found in most RPGs.
That being said, I didn't want Jaune to have an OP sounding semblance either. His healing powers, gains in physical strength, and ability to dash to an ally's aid costs Jaune aura and stamina. The more he uses it, the weaker he gets. If he uses it too much, he can get too weak to fight back and defend himself. I thought it would be a good way to balance out the power.
I don't know if aura boosts are an actual thing, but they could be.
We'll see how things turn out for Weiss and Jaune over the weekend. Reviews and constructive criticisms are welcome.