A tale of JACS Chapter 1: A terrible day
I, Jaune Arc, was, understandably, very nervous right now. I knew I was behind in my classes and though I had been training with my partner, the renowned champion Pyrrha Nikos, my abilities in combat were still among those in the bottom tier of the huntsmen in training. I was giving my 100 percent to everything and it did show, but apparently my best just wasn't good enough.
Not that that feeling is anything new to me. Being the black sheep in a family full of skilled hunters can do that. Hell, I wanted so badly to be like them that I faked my way into this school simply to finally get an end to the criticism I always had received on an almost daily basis from my family.
So of course I would be nervous that while my team was in class, I was called up to meet with the headmaster of the school I cheated my way into. This was compounded by the fact that by the time I had arrived at the elevator, I met with a familiar face: that of Cardin Winchester. Oddly enough though, he looked to be as confused and nervous as I was.
That was certainly not a good sign.
He took notice of me not a moment sooner and eyed me as I came up to the door.
"Do you have any idea why we're here, Jauney boy?", he asked, airing the question we both had.
"I have no idea, I was simply told to come up here alone and without my team's knowledge which is beginning to sound pretty suspicious if you were told the same. Were you?", I answered.
"Yeah, something about this situation just doesn't sit right with me, you know?", he returned.
"Yeah... Well we might as well get this over and done with, wouldn't you agree?", I responded, entering the elevator as it opened.
I hope this isn't as bad as I feel it's going to be..., I silently prayed to myself.
The doors opened up, showing Ozpin sitting at his desk looking at us with some emotion that I think may have been pity clearly showing in his eyes.
What's worse, next to him was his assistant, Glynda Goodwitch who looked both livid and disappointed in the two of us, but mainly me. She glared at me as if I was some sort of criminal and then left, leaving the two of us alone with the headmaster.
It isn't as bad as I thought it was, its even worse! I somewhat dryly commented to myself, enveloped by a sense of foreboding as Ozpin finally elected to speak.
"I know that you are confused right now, so let us cut to the chase of the bad news." Ozpin started.
"As of today the two of you are hereby expelled from Beacon"
We just stood there, the two of us with a look that was switching between expressions of shock and defeat. Still recovering from the news, Ozpin continued, looking at me.
"Mr. Arc, you have been let go because of the unorthodox nature of your admission. I was allowing the fact of your acceptance secret, but my assistant found out and, unfortunately, informed your parents. They were, unsurprisingly, enraged when they discovered that you forged your way into this school and successfully lobbied to get you removed. I am truly sorry that it had to end like this."
He then shifted his gaze onto Cardin.
"Mr. Winchester, as a student of beacon you left me rather disappointed. The actions that you have perpetrated towards Mr. Arc and the faunus population of this school had also caught the attention of the board of supervisors on this matter and they concluded that you too should be removed from this school before your actions stain the reputation of Beacon."
We were given a few minutes to process the information we had just received, when I asked the question that had been nagging me ever since I received the terrible news.
"So what do we do now?"
Ozpin started talking again, with a somber tone in his voice.
"Your parents, in the state they were, decided that you with the actions you committed you were no longer worthy of being called an Arc. They officially disowned you and requested that you return Crocea Mors to them."
I walked up and lay the weapon, a reminder of my family, and a testament to my failure down in front of him. I felt as if I had hit rock bottom and I probably actually had. It was then that Cardin spoke up.
"So this is it then? We just pack up and take the next shuttle out of here and never look back?"
At this Ozpin finally allowed himself to smile, if only a little.
"Normally it would be, but I convinced the people responsible that the two of you deserved a chance to redeem yourselves, so it had been concluded that a year from now, at the next Vytal festival, you will be allowed to take a test that will allow readmission if passed. I expect great things from the two of you when we meet again." He then went back to frowning. "Though because your absence will affect your team's performance and any contact will possibly cause problems later on, you have been unofficially exiled from Vale until the time for your test comes around. In light of the circumstances and under the assumption that the pair of you will continue to train, I have arranged two favors for you. The first is transport from here to one of the outlying villages on the border of the city. The second is technically for Mr. Arc, but will likely benefit the both of you in the long run." As he said this he pulled out an ornate case and opened it, revealing a sword.
I looked at Ozpin and he told me to take the items. Picking the weapon up, I saw it was a hauntingly beautiful saber. It was made of some grayish black metal that was made to look like flames wrapped and danced around the blade. On the pommel was a dark blue gem that, strangely enough, was not a dust crystal yet did not seem to give off the aura that it was decorative. I picked it up, noting that it felt like it belonged in my grip, as if it was meant from the start to be mine. I then picked up the sheath that came with it, which was also black. As I sheathed the blade, placing it on my hip where it felt more natural than my old sword ever had.
"Thank you very much sir, but I don't think I deserve such a-" I started, soon interrupted by Ozpin.
"That is not a gift, but an investment, use it as you will and show me the returns you make when you come back a year from now. At this moment in time, however, I suggest the two of you get packed and go to the docks. I wish the two of you could be able to say your goodbyes but the shuttle arrives in fifteen minutes and classes will not let out for another thirty. I will tell your teammates what has happened personally and inform them of the circumstances. You are dismissed."
At that we exited, getting prepared to leave everything we had worked for behind.
~15 minutes later~
With the two of us and everything we brought on board the ship, I finally took the time to look at my unlikely comrade in this unfortunate turn of events. Cardin looked despondent and a little shell-shocked by what happened. It seemed as if he was stuck between wanting to break something or just break down. Which was why I was taken a little off guard when he chuckled a little instead.
"Well Jauney boy, it looks like we're stuck together in creek without a paddle, so where do we go from here?", he asked.
I looked at him a while, brainstorming a little bit before grasping at the beginnings of a plan that began to form.
"If we want to become the best we can be in the time period given, maybe expulsion wasn't the worst fate we could have encountered, that only means that we won't have anything better to do than spend our time training and possibly hunting grimm. We'll be able to get basic supplies from villages within the town. The only thing I'd personally like to avoid is having any of my family find out where I am, and since I have been kicked out of it so to say, I think I'll go out on a limb and start my own name, my own clan." I mused aloud.
He looked at me for a bit, lost in thought, before nodding with a little smirk and replying, "If you have any room for another member, I'd be perfectly fine with joining because my family isn't likely to take the news of what has happened very well either. Do you have a name in mind for this clan of yours?"
"As a matter of fact I do, it used to be the name my family went under until a few generations ago and the only reason I know of it was because I ran into it while reading a book my great grandfather had kept in his library while he was still alive. As far as I know no one else knows that the name is related to the Arc one." I then held out my hand to Cardin as a peace offering saying, "Here's to a fresh start!"
Cardin took it, a bemused look on his face as he buried the hatchet by taking my had and replying in kind. "To a fresh start"
I then sealed the deal between the two of us, "Thank you Cardin, and welcome to the newly formed clan Beoulve."
And that's when things started to get weird.
A/N Thank you all for reading the first chapter of A tale of JACS! Please review and comment on this, as it is my first time posting anything here and I want to make this as good of a story as I can. The idea of this came after reading a few of the gamer type fanfics here and I thought about what would happen if our lovable hero got the abilities of one of my favorite games out there. Most of the descriptions of the newly discovered ability will come in next chapter. I hope you enjoyed this!
P.S. Bonus points to anyone who can guess what game I'm going to base this in with the hints I've given near the end!