A lonely youth with blonde hair walked into the night forest of the Emerald Forest with the left sleeve of his school's blazer flowing with the wind, his signature Pumpkin Pete hoodie underneath the said blazer and as the moon lit upon his features it revealed that his eyes are blindfolded with black cloth. He stopped and moved his head towards the direction where he felt the presence of his old friend.
A masked man with his red hair swept back and a pair of horn appearing on either side of his head. Adam Taurus.
"So, you came, Jaune." The masked man said.
"Of course. I can't just ignore a challenge from a friend." He smiled.
"Friend. I thought I made it clear that the notion of our friendship has been long gone, Jaune?" Adam glared
"Because that's what you are to me. A dear friend. To be honest I wanted to kill you when you made me blind." He scratched the back of his head
"Then why don't you!? Why do you persist!? You've already lost an arm from me! I even robbed you of your eyesight. I made you an invalid." He gritted his teeth.
"Your hatred is deeply rooted Adam. Enough to wipe the entirety of humans, but I'm here to stop it. This cycle of hatred and vengeance must stop. We've divided the White Fang into two. Everyone is confused who to join. All that's left is to see whose ideals are stronger."
And from nowhere, Adam's memories from his younger days with Jaune appeared. From the day they promised to change the world, the day he turned his back on Jaune, the day he cut off his arm, and the day he took away his eyes. His piercing honest eyes always scared him. Jaune never looked at him as Adam the Faunus, or Adam the hero of the Fang. No, Jaune saw him as Adam Taurus, his close friend.
But then even after being broken the blonde knight continued to crawl after him, his own ideal justice dividing his White Fang, taking his beloved Blake from him. He grits his teeth in anger and held the Wilt's hilt.
Jaune took out a pair of ear-pieces and attached them to his ears. And he pulled out Crocea Mors
"Are you ready Penny?"
"Let's do this Mr. Arc!"
"Good, start the sync."
[Sync start.
Neural Link connection: Confirmed
Gravity Dust. 100%
Delay: 0.00 Seconds
P.E.N.N.ψ.
Polendina
Efficient
Neural
Network
Ψ
O.K.
"I am Combat Ready, Jaune!"]
Upon Penny's Signal five thin blades that glowed green were released from Crocea Mors' Sheathe and formed an arc on Jaune's left side. The swords had gravity dust in their cores allowing them to move at his will with the assistance of Penny. His thoughts will be rallied towards Penny and she will control the swords to his will.
The brain's thoughts are too advanced to be able to put neural control into action but with Penny, Jaune can have his complicated thoughts converted into data. From strings of 1's and 0's the swords will move and assist him in battle.
Jaune rushed at Adam swinging Crocea mors in an arc, the faunus dodged it but Jaune sent 2 blades at him which he dodged narrowly, he blocked 3 more but was unable to defend against a pommel strike to his abdomen. Adam stepped back but Jaune didn't stop and attacked with his sword while the blades attacked from multiple directions Adam kept blocking with Blush. Then Jaune lunged for Adam's throat but he dodged it and aimed Blush from under his chin he fired but 2 of Jaune's blade blocked the attack. But the knight was late to react towards Blush's incoming blade towards his face, he pulled his head back. Thankfully his aura protected him from any serious damage but his blindfold got cut. Jaune jumped back with the blades following him.
"Why do you insist on this stupidity, Jaune." He pointed his blade at him. "What's your endgame here."
His eyes remained closed "There's a bigger thing happening in Remnant, Adam. Bigger than you, bigger than the White Fang!"
"The maidens?" he huffed "They're nothing but a fairytail."
"No, you idiot. Something that can wipe out both humanity AND faunus." The blonde grit his teeth.
"You mean, Cinder and her master?" Adam cocked his head to the side.
"Yes! I mean them! Someone who controls Grimm warrants humanity and faunus uniting! Isn't this the best time to fight under one cause!?"
"And then what!?" Adam shouted. "What happens after!? If you defeat them what happens? There might be peace then so what!? Faunus would still be mistreated, we'd be isolated into menagerie. Like pigs in a pen." Adam's back and his hair started to glow with a menacing red. "I say it's a better idea to side with them and survive than to be with you humans."
"Do you even hear yourself? You're acting like those humans who mistreat faunus! If you repay them with hatred then this won't stop!"
"We're pass the point of no return, Jaune. I'd say, without the Grimm humans would eventually kill themselves in the end."
"That's why we're here aren't we? We can stop all those. We just gotta' start with ourselves"
Adam didn't reply but he sheathed his sword. He charged towards Jaune. Jaune opened his eyes and revealed to Adam a pair of metallic eyes with a blue synthetic glow staring at him. The faunus faltered and Jaune took this as an opportunity to rush towards Adam. The blonde swung his sword to which Adam met by blocking with his own. Jaune's blades started striking at Adam but he kept blocking those as well. Jaune grit his teeth and the blades floated away from the two, the gravity-controlled blades started to group together and went into a special rotating configuration. Jaune once again attacked Adam and the latter blocked with his still-sheathed sword causing the two to be trapped in a deadlock. The rotating blades released its energy beam at Adam, he kicked Jaune and faced the beam, he unsheathed his sword and absorbed all the energy with his blade and sheathed it back.
This is the end for you, Jaune. The same thing that made you lose your arms and eyes. He released the pent-up force within Wilt and activated his semblance [Moonslice] The world turned red and he slashed at Jaune.
The blonde knight let go of his sword then he pulled out Crocea Mors' sheathe and unfurled it into its shield form holding it with his right hand he put all his Aura into the shield to defend against Adam's all-out attack causing the shield to be split in half only to reveal Jaune lunging with his sword and Adam swung his blade in shock at Jaune whose aura glowed revealing its exhaustion.
The arc's heirloom was stabbed behind the tree that cornered Adam her white blade glistening under the moon while Adam's black sword went through Jaune himself. And the green-glowing swords started to move. Adam thought he's met his end but instead it went through different directions away from them and the sound of howling beowolves could be heard.
"You hear that? Those are Grimm." Jaune coughed some blood. "They were waiting to maim you."
"What? Jaune I-" Adam knew what the sounds were, he didn't believe it.
"You idiot." The blonde removed Adam's mask to reveal a fear stricken expression of his childhood friend with tears flowing down his face.
"This is why I never gave up. Despite the irony of your semblance, you're like the sun, Adam. You're always in the forefront shining that your enemies will only see you and fail to see the stars behind." He gave a bloodied smile. "And, I know how much of a wimp you are behind that mask of yours." Blood starting to flow from his nose
Adam let go of his sword causing Jaune to fall to the ground. "ow"
"Jaune" He whispered his name. "I'm so sorry."
Adam realized the reason why he feared those eyes of his. Jaune was a coward, a wimp, and a bumbling idiot. But he knew how to move in a fight, Adam knew that Jaune can be the strongest, and Adam always thought that Jaune was brave for stepping forward despite the fear he always felt.
"You know." He paused. "Even if I knew you liked Blake, I'd still go for her." He grinned.
/-/
Jaune heard the distinct howls of the beowolves. Shit. He thought. He didn't want to die like this, not by the hands of Grimm. He saw Adam stood up and say something. His old friend took Crocea Mors and wore his mask then left him.
"Jaune! Please hold on! I contacted Team RWBY, A bullhead with a medic team will come pick you up! Please don't fall asleep!"
"RWBY?" he mumbled. Then Blake is coming? Shit, she's not gonna like this.
"Jaune, please! Don't close-"
Jaune Arc's consciousness was devoured by eternal darkness.
/-/
The blonde woke up inside a white room lied down on a bed. He looked to his right to see a familiar pair of cat ears. He started rubbing her cat ears with his thumb and index finger. Her head shuffled trying to escape from his touch only to wake up and see him staring at him.
"Good morning, Blake."
Her expression went from relief, holding back tears and into a glare of anger.
Uh-oh Jaune winced.
"Do you have any idea-" She was about to say something until her partner covered her mouth with her metallic arm.
"Mornin' Vomit boy. You look like shit." She gestured towards his abdomen.
"Yeah well, I've been through worst." He smiled
Yang winced "That's a bit of an understatement" She said whilst still holding black within her arms. Jaune gave a wry smile at what she meant. When he lost his arm and his eyes Yang was there to see it all happen.
"Hey, you think you can let go of my girlfriend? I'd rather she be angry than going Blakey on me"
Yang grinned "Gotcha." And she let go of Blake.
"I feel like it's you two who are partners and not me." She glared at Yang.
"Eh, I sympathize with Jaune with what he has to go through with you." The buxom blonde snickered.
"And what is that supposed to mean!?" Her face turned red with a frown.
Jaune laughed and stood up until he felt a stinging sensation by his stomach "ow." Blake pushed him back gently by his shoulders.
"You should take it easy Vomit-boy, you kinda' got stabbed in the stomach."
"Tell me something I don't know" He rolled his eyes.
"You should be careful with what you wish for." A different voice came by the door.
The trio looked towards the door to see Adam Taurus still wearing his mask, leaning on the door frame. Yang and Blake exchanged looks.
"Is there something going on that I don't know about?" Jaune cocked his head.
Adam approached and offered him Crocea Mors, Jaune took it.
"I've decided, to follow you with your ideals, Jaune." Adam said.
"So, what now?"
Blake then explained "For the week that you were out, the White Fang has reached a consensus, that is to unite under your name for the war against Grimm. And the four kingdoms now porperly acknowledge Menagerie as its own kingdom. Plans of making a CCT tower there has been made by Atlas in apologies to earlier repercussions that their nobles had against Faunus"
"Wait, I've been out the whole week!?" Jaune's jaw drop making it look like he missed the point.
Blake rolled his eyes. "Were you even listening?"
"But, one week is such a long time to be unconscious."
"Yep, and ol' Blakey here didn't leave your side the whole time." Yang winked
"Yang! He doesn't need to know that." Blake frowned.
"Neither did I" Adam said.
Jaune looked away and so did Blake. Yang put two plus two together. She knew about the history of Adam and Blake so the fact that he reacted like that means-
"Oh, my Gods! Dear Monty, you're still into Blake!" yang started laughing loud.
Blake was repressing her intense desire to pounce on the blonde fighter while Jaune was suppressing a laugh. Adam was looking down on the ground with a clear blush to his face his teeth gritting.
Adam turned his back on them and walked towards the exit.
"Adam, wait!" Jaune called out. The Bull Faunus stopped on his tracks.
"Thank you, for giving me a chance." Jaune gave a happy smile. He finally got his friend back, not only that but he's willing to fight with him. Cinder and her forces are not gonna' expect what they have for them.
"Jaune." Adam called out without looking back. "When we clashed blades, you told me I was like the sun. To be honest to me you're like the moon, shining along with hundreds of stars. No, your brightness brought the stars together to band with you. Just like now how you got Remnant to unite with you against the Grimm. Maybe that's why I named my semblance [Moonslice]." And he left.
"Well that was a thing." Yang said.
"Yang, you just ruined a perfectly good moment between me and Adam." Jaune deadpanned.
"More like, I made it more awesome and less dramatic." She winked.
Jaune and Blake both rolled their eyes.
"Anyway, I'll let you two lovebirds alone. Ruby and Weiss is still sleeping in the hotel, I'll tell them about your recovery. Ciao" Yang left the two.
Jaune was in a private room, now that he looked around.
"The General of Atlas said 'Only the best for a Hero'" Blake said, clearly reading his wonder.
"How do you do that." Jaune's eyes narrowed
"Do what?" Blake cocked her head to the side, her ears twitching.
"Read my mind."
Blake gave a cute chuckle "Jaune, your expressions are always like an open book. You try to lie but you'd scratch the back of your head when you do."
"Huh, isn't that more like a bumbling idiot?" Jaune pondered.
"I wouldn't say it like that. I mean in the first place, it's that honesty and headstrong attitude that got my heart." She smiled at him.
"Wait, so it wasn't my good looks and dashing demeanor?" Jaune faked an expression.
"Maybe, but I think that's just a bonus" She played with his hair.
Jaune held her hips and pulled her close, causing her to sit sideways on his bed. The two shared a small kiss. It was just a peck and nothing more but Jaune's wanted more, he looked at Blake and granted his desires. The two exchange a much longer kiss, Blake tightly holding a tuft of his blonde hair but gently pulling, Jaune squeezed her waist and pulled her closer.
The two separated for a gasp of air.
"Blake" He whispered his name lovingly.
"Jaune." She did so as well and then she looked away from him.
"What's the matter?" he held her cheek.
"Jaune, you don't know how worried I was." She said, her eyes close to crying.
"Hey, hey. I came back right?" He gave a wry smile. "I always come back."
Blake bit her lip. Monty knows how much danger the young knight always went through in the past few years. During the fall of Beacon when he lost his arm, or how he wanted revenge on Adam and lost his eyes instead. There was even a time when he was wrapped in an explosion in Atlas for wanting to save Penny and the General. Jaune was a walking time bomb to himself, always exposing himself to danger for the good of the world. And Blake doesn't want to stop him, Gods forbid there be a time when Jaune is forced to choose between him and the world.
"You don't understand. Seeing you like this, it pains me. It hurts to think that tomorrow when I wake up you won't be here anymore." Tears started to fall.
Jaune gave a pained expression and hugged her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Blake. I promise once this is over, I'll quit. We can live a peaceful life. Let the others lead, but I can't turn my back on this." He held her chin. "Remnant is ready for Salem. I have a duty to see this war through." He grinned and kissed her tears.
"Blake, after this is all over. Can I be your husband." He asked with his signature puppy dog eyes that he knew Blake could never resist.
Blake covered her mouth in surprise and hugged Jaune, burying her face in his chest.
Jaune grit his teeth trying to suppress from himself from wincing due to the sudden pain he felt on his stomach and the two spent the day in each other's arms until a certain Android would come to visit with his team and team RW_Y.
/-/
Eh, it's a oneshot I guess. Of friendship and shit. Anyway, hope you liked it. Geezus I'm so fucking down right now. Maybe I need to see a therapist. Nah, I don't have the money for that yet.
This is Shaniic saying see ya later, I guess.