WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD
CH2: WAKING REALIZATIONS
(re-edit)
Besides the 'exhilarating events' in the morning, classes had never been so dull. Jaune sat at the very far back of the classroom right by the windows. Hidden from the gazes of other students. The instructor up front continued to revel at his life accomplishments in hoping to inspire the students who, like Jaune, aren't paying too close attention.
He held his head with his hand, elbow on the table. Looking around, he see the familiar faces from the walk to school.
Ruby and Yang sat up front, while Blake and Weiss were right behind them. Ren sat in the middle, with Nora behind him. Whenever Nora was at class, it was easy to spot her looking at Ren more often than anything else.
Ruby was busy scribbling something on her notebook, while Yang seemed interested on what her sister was doing. Weiss was reading a book and doing some work, like Blake. Ren looked like he was paying attention.
He turned his head to the right to see Pyrrha sitting next to him. Model student, paying attention even at this point. Jaune stared at Pyrrha for a little while longer.
Though his attention to her wasn't just because of her beauty. Jaune felt like something was odd about Pyrrha. Her expression seemed forced.
'Is she just putting that face?'
Jaune couldn't back it up. It felt like he was just imagining things. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling. He turned his gaze back the instructor. Gray hair and large mustache. He smirk a little when his belly shook every time he turned.
He continued to tell the story and as it lengthened, Jaune's eyes had gotten pretty heavy. The wake up event he had this morning disturbed his biological rhythm.
It wasn't long till his eyes have fully closed and his body, relaxed. He felt the sleep take over him.
…
this again?
…
*growl*
wait...
*GROWL*
this is...
*ROAR*
a bear?
Black fur...
…
skull?
*ROAR*
what is going on?
Am I dreaming already?
Great, why everything grey now?
"ja-"
Huh?
"Jau-"
who's there?
"jaune-"
Someone's calling my name...
"JAUNE-"
I can't see. Where are you?
"JAUNE A-"
What?
"Jaune!"
His world was shaken back to light. He rose up from his arms looking at the hand who was on his arm. Pyrrha was looking at him with a smile.
"You fell asleep."
"Oh huh, Thanks for waking me."
"Good thing, I think the instructor was about to call on someone."
"Lucky you woke me up.
"Yeah, anyways its time for lunch."
Really? NO bell?
*RING*
Hmm...
Jaune stood up along with everyone. Halls packed with so many students rushing to the cafeteria or they'e next class.
Jaune head to the cafeteria and got food. He walked by a couple of table with his tray until he found one without anyone occupying it. Just as he was about to sit down, Yang and Ruby arrived with their own trays.
"Hey Jaune!"
"Hey Ruby. Yang."
With a quick exchange of a few greetings they started eating lunch. Yang and Ruby talked about how boring they're previous class was. Jaune made an input about falling asleep.
"Lucky. I can't do that cause I sit at the front." Ruby munched on her nuggets.
"Hey you wanted to be up at the front closer to the door sis."
Out of the corner of Jaune's field of vision. He noticed girl with long brown hair walking with an open soda can. Jaune had no idea why he suddenly felt the need to look at the girl. As she was walking, he noticed Cardin and his friends making lots of noise about some jokes. He switched back at the girl about to walk past them. Suddenly the girl swayed to her side where she was holding her soda. Cardin stood up in time for the can to be dumped all over him. Jaune had caught something odd about it. The way she moved, its as if she was moved by the can. His friends went silent and this silence expanded through out the cafeteria.
"What's the big idea?"
His scream sent the girl a step back.
"I-I don't know. I'm sorry! I think I tripped on something." Girl shook trying to find the item that tripped her.
There was none.
"Cut the crap! What are you going to do about this?" Cardin presented the large stain on his black shirt and all over his blue jeans.
Some of the students were started standing, slowly crowding the area. Jaune felt the need to stand and started walking passed other people. Jaune doesn't understand himself why he was even moving to their location. While walking passed people he noticed a certain red haired beauty from a far, also standing. Weiss was right next to her. What made Jaune stop in his tracks was the expression on her face. He was too far to make out her mouth, but as he squinted his eyes. He could almost see her.
'Is..is she smiling?'
Jaune would be able to see it more clearly if he were any close, but that small curl on her lips made. It made it look like she was smiling. There should be no doubt about it, it was so inconspicuous, but that small curl on the side of her mouth and those neutral looking eyes. WHile everyone had the look of curiosity, Pyrrha did not share the same. Jaune thought why she would be smiling at this time.
"Gah!"
Jaune turned to see where the commotion was.
"Answer me!"
Cardin had grabbed the girl by the collar. Clearly this guy had no care for gender. His fist grabbed a whole chunk of her shirt, ripping the buttons off. Jaune rushed and pushed Cardin off the girl. This was going too far. Cardin backed off and gave Jaune a confused expression.
"Back off Cardin! It was an accident."
"Ohoho! Hero to the rescue! You really want to do this cupcake?"
Jaune only stood there. The girl had moved into the crowd that was gathering around him and Cardin.
Jaune immediately ducked as Cardin threw a punch.
It was on.
Before Jaune knew it, this became a fight really fast.
Cardin threw another punch.
Jaune's reflexes made his left arm shoot up and blocked his punch.
Cardin didn't stop. He grabbed Jaune's collar and raised him.
"This is the part where you lose!"
Over my dead-
Something echoed in Jaune's head.
It felt like something he should say.
Before Jaune could react, he felt a sharp pain on his stomach and his vision blurred. Cardin let him fall to the ground. Jaune felt so much pain in his stomach. He could the food he just ate almost come out. Unable to break his fall, the impact of the floor when he fell hit really hard at the side of his temple.
"Jaune, are you okay?" His vision cleared and saw a girl knelt down beside him.
"Pyrrha?" Jaune's voiced barely reach out of his mouth. He looked up to see a woman with glasses and small twirl on her hair break up the crowd.
"Cardin, that's enough!" It didn't take long until the crowd was dispersed and went back to their respective groups, but now whispering about what just place a moment ago. Pyrrha raised Jaune and walked him towards his table. Yang help him as well.
"You okay, Jaune?" Ruby put her hand on his shoulder.
"I'll be fine. Just trying not to throw up what I ate." That punch really rattle his insides. He had grasped it with is hand, touch was painful, but somehow putting pressure was soothing.
"You wouldn't want that happening in front of everyone." Yang smiled.
"Jaune do you need to go to the nurse's office? I'll take you there."
Jaune looked at Pyrrha. He was really close now. He looked at her face. No trace of oddness he could find, just a worried girl and careness.
"It okay Pyrrha. I'll be fine. I might spill if I started walking right now." He moved his face away before anyone can catch a blush. He took a deep breath and felt his gaze scanning the room.
Weiss continued eating. She paid no mind to the events unlike her "friends." His eyes locked with Blake.
It was only for a moment, but Jaune could have sworn she gave him a small smile, before she looked away. Jaune's eyes haven't cleared to well, so he wasn't able to confirm if she really did smile. It wasn't full, but it felt like the same smile Jaune always loved.
"Thank you! I'm sorry!"
The same brown haired girl from before stood in front of Jaune. She had some tears on her eyes.
"Its okay."
"Sorry I got you in this state. It was my fault."
"What happened?" Ruby faced the girl.
"I don't know. I was just walking with my drink, then I feel my arm move and I started leaning."
"Did you step on something?" Yang had been curious about it too.
Jaune felt Pyrrha's had grip his shoulder a bit tight.
'What's wrong?'
Jaune didn't want to say that. He sat there and took a deep breath. Looking at he Pyrrha's face, seeing how dead blank her it was. The pain in Jaune's stomach discontinued the curiosity he had about Pyrrha's sudden change of face.
'Still hurts.'
Jaune can only hope things will get better from here on out.
School was finally over. It only took a few hours before it did.
Jaune was relieved, but the pain in his stomach still lingered. Fortunately it didn't hurt as much as before. He was out of school and walked home.
He went on ahead, saying good bye to the sisters. They had offered to walk home with him in case something goes wrong with his stomach pains. To which he politely declined. He started contemplating those events from before.
'Why'd Pyrrha smiled back there?'
'Was she smiling? Smirking?'
He went back to the fight.
'my hand just shot up.'
He look at his left arm and flexed his hand.
'It felt natural for some reason.'
'What was up with Pyrrha?'
he remember her hand gripping his shoulder when the girl was apologizing to him.
-This is he part where you lose!-
He remember what Cardin said.
-Over my dead...-
'where did that come from?'
Jaune knew that voice. It was only natural to remember his own. He could only sigh in frustration. So many questions and no answers. That moment, he was a hero and punching bag. At least he got a reaction from Blake. That was the first time she has done anything towards him really.
One thing he thought of next was that dream right before Pyrrha woke him.
'black fur and skull again.'
'What the hell is that all about...'
Then he remember the voice.
'That was a guy's voice...Sounded old. He was calling my name.'
JAUNE A-
'What was he saying?'
Jaune shook his head. He wasn't getting anywhere with questions in his head. He needed to go home and relax. What was so important about these things anyway? He was just chasing paranoia and curiosity. These were just hid mind running wild. There shouldn't be anything he should be worrying himself about. The mmind only creates imaginations of things.
He stopped suddenly, seeing someone stand in front of him.
This boy had a mohawk hairstyle, oddly colored light green.
He recognized this boy. He was one of Cardin's friends.
"What do you want?"
The boy stared blankly into his eyes.
No response.
Jaune was about to walk around him until the boy swing his arm and sent Jaune flying through the wooden wall of a warehouse.
He had been thinking so much, he passed the turn to his house and ended up near an empty warehouse.
Jaune landed hard, rolling around the wooden debris. His bag was flung elsewhere. He gasped for air, recovering from the shock that he was just hit by something that looked human and was thrown off his feet, through a wooden wall.
"W-what the hell?" Jaune groaned as he rolled over. He could feel the pain in his stomach coming back. He tried to pull himself up, only managing to sit upright. He heard wood cracking and looked to see the boy by the opening in the wall.
The boy's eyes started glowing red. The glow was bright it left the trail as his grabbed his head and started screaming.
The flesh from his body started peeling off, showing black shades of coating. Jaune looked in horror as the person in front of him had his skin rip apart and fall on the floor, revealing what was underneath.
Jaune confirmed it was fur. He slowly stood up, witnessing the boy tear his body apart until he got to the face. The boy's face, ripped apart from the claws piercing through his fingertips, scratching his face off. Jaune had expected his skull to show, but what was underneath started shifting horrible from a normal skull to something more animal.
Its arms grew longer and bone like substance protruded from its arm, covering them. It's body grew larger, wider.
Jaune looked in disbelief of this entity in front of him. This was the same thing he's seen in his dream.
"What the hell are you!"
The entity looked like it finished it's transformation. Steam spewing out of the body. It seemed lifeless at first after it finished thrashing. But in a few seconds, it lifted its head, now focusing its attention at Jaune.
Jaune stood still, wondering what happened to his leg. They were frozen. Frozen in fear. With all his will power, he tried to move his legs.
The entity made a deafening roar.
With this Jaune was able to move, running past the crates in the place, while covering his ears with his hands. The entity followed, swiping the crates away that blocked it.
Jaune was thrown forward as the debris of the crates hit him.
He immediately stood up facing the creature.
He couldn't understand what this thing was.
'A bear?'
The bear like creature stood towering over him. Its massive arm lifting, preparing to make another swing at him. Jaune used his entire power to move as fast as possible to dodge the blow.
Its large claws almost nipped his head.
He rolled away and started running away. He managed to stay hidden among some rubble, but he noticed the creature was sniffing the air.
'This thing is fast for its size. Like a big bear. Looks like it can smell me.'
'What do I do? Do I fight it? That's a stupid idea.'
Jaune was scared. There was litteraly a monster that was hunting him down. Jaune couldn't think of anything else. He looked around and found an aluminum trash can cap to protect himself. He looked at the long metal pole.
'Maybe I can use that.'
He tried to pick up the pole, but its weight was larger than Jaune expected. He quickly dropped it and searched among the rubble. Among the ruble was a machete. He picked it up and used it with his right arm.
'Better than anything else.'
He had already forgot the pain in his stomach. He brushed this off as adrenaline kicked in. The crates in front of him crashed as the creature found him. He raised his makeshift shield and prepared to dodge the creature's attack. He waited for the right moment until the creature makes a move, then he will strike. It swung with one arm and Jaune found the opening. He rushed and slashed the creatures stomach. The creature lashed one more. Jaune raised his shield and managed to stop the blow. Jaune was amazed he was able to land a hit AND block a blow from this large creature, but his amazement blinded him from the speed of the creature's continuous attack..
He was sent flying once more crashing onto some wooden boxes. Jaune was getting impatient. He wanted to live and from the looks of it, he had to fight to live. And this thought had rushed him into trying to fight rather than his failed attempts of flight.
Jaune watched his hand holding his shield. He felt like there was something there in his wrist, but he couldn't pin point it. He could feeling that the shield he was carrying was nostaligc. That something like this was normal and he had felt it from somewhere.
He threw the thought away and looked at the creature, growling.
'This is it.'
With one final breath, Jaune ran, screaming at the creature.
It was at this moment the creature was also at the midst of attacking him.
Jaune had suddenly realized he was way over his head. He was too blind, he was a terrible fighter and fighting this horrid creature that only lived in his nightmares was just all to chaotic.
He wasn't going to kill this thing.
He didn't even know what this thing is.
There was no stopping now.
From the looks of it, The creature was going to kill him.
Suddenly he felt his left arm being raised by his shield. The blow landed, his shield blocking the blow.
It made him kneel, but it also gave him the right position to swing.
With a mighty scream, he swung his machete as he propelled himself up.
His blade passed through its neck
And off came its head.
A loud thud as it landed on the ground.
Followed by a larger thud as the body of the creature fell.
Jaune panted and he continued to do so as he dropped his makeshift weapons.
The bear like skull head laid there lifeless.
Jaune's eyes widened. His breathing speed up. He failed to realized that he wasn't alone. A figure from afar, who had watched all that transpired, left.
His body shook up as it was engulfed with white light. He screamed, but no noise came out of his white light surged through his body. It felt strong and painful, yet warm. This force lifted him a few inches from the ground. His eyes glowed blue. His black hair receding its color to a more bright yellow tone.
Jaune fell to his knees. His eyes were no longer glowing, but were blue.
He looked at his hands, coated with white light.
And his chest.
A symbol of two arcs.
Suddenly his body cringed and stiffened.
A surge of energy engulfed him once more.
He started seeing images. Most were so familiar to him. He started understanding things now.
The surge ended, leaving him in silence. His heavy breathing echoing though the walls. He stood up, and looked for his bag, not even wondering about what happened. Ironically he found his bag not to far from him.
He walked to where his bag and went straight home.
His travel was silent. Both verbally and mentally.
He didn't even bothered to eat. He simply dropped his bag and went straight to bed.
He was back to darkness...
The next morning he woke up before the alarm went off. He can't put his finger on it but for some reason he felt great. He thought about the event that happened yesterday after school. It felt like a dream to him. He looked at himself and the damaged the creature he faced yesterday were all gone. He's clothes were not even scratched.
He stood up and looked at the mirror in his bathroom. No cuts or bruises.
He noticed his eyes and his hair. 'they weren't blue before...why is my hair blonde?'
He rubbed his hand through his hair, eyeing the roots. He can even see his eyes brows and the hair on his body, all blonde.
Everything didn't make sense to Jaune. There was only one thing he can see for proof. He straightened the black hoodie he had been wearing yesterday put on his shoes. He left and went straight to the warehouse. He could not comprehend what he saw.
The warehouse was undamaged. There were no signs of struggle or and broken crates.
He walked inside to search for proof.
There were none.
His shoulders slumped. This doesn't explain is eyes and hair.
'I'm going crazy. This isn't my week.'
She felt the energy he had this morning disappear.
He looked at his hands.
'The light! What was that?'
Jaune looked around. He knows he fought here. He knows he saw that boy transformed into a black bear with a skull. He knows he killed it.
And the light.
Jaune looked at his hands and flexed them.
'There was light.'
Jaune took at deep breath and closed his eyes.
He felt something within him. Something warm.
His soul.
His soul was screaming.
In his mind he can hear his own voice.
It was screaming.
The voice of his soul was telling him something.
REMEMBER!
Jaune's eyes opened, the light returned. The two arcs appearing on his chest glowed, and his body shrouded by white light.
"I am..."
He recalled the voice that he heard back in class. Someone else was calling him.
"My name..."
And there he knew.
He unclasped his ID from his clothes.
He stared at it.
-Jaune Luna-
He let it drop to the floor.
"My name..."
The visions he saw that day and the voice calling him.
"Is JAUNE ARC..."
He felt the nostalgic feeling creeping back to him. He was something else. Something other than a highschool boy getting by his academies.
"and I..."
There was no mistaking it. Something within Jaune screamed for what he is and Jaune listened.
"I am a Hunter."
To be continued...
