Alright, little more explanation. If I can, I'm going to try and finish reworking this chapter and the next tonight, and maybe an extra little something. Then over the week I'll work on the next chapter of Lux Noctis, post that, and maybe by next Monday I'll be ready to post a continuation of What remains. I don't know how many of you original readers will come back and read this, but I hope you do.

Aftershock

The sunset cast its rays over the city of Vale, but on this day, it was not peaceful. The man standing in his tower, surveying the city, toyed with his cane as he pondered the ominous feeling in the air.

"Headmaster, you have a call waiting for you."

The man turned to face his old friend and partner, her platinum blonde hair catching the sun's rays just right. Glynda walked forward and presented the Headmaster with a large black scroll.

"Ask them to wait Glynda. There is something that has been bothering me today."

As he turned back to the window, Glynda gently placed a hand on his arm, drawing his attention back to her. Ozpin began to really get nervous, as Glynda hardly ever initiated physical contact. Something had put the Headmistress on edge.

"What is it?"

Her head lowered before she spoke.

"Jonathan Arc. He wants to talk. Something… happened."

Ozpin's face twisted at the mention of the Arc. Jonathan? We haven't talked in years, not since his son's tenth birthday. Why call now? Ozpin took the proffered scroll and accepted the call.

"Oz, that you?"

What could have happened? Jonathan sounds like he's been hit by a Goliath.

"Yes Jonathan. What's wrong? There must be a reason you've called after all this time."

There was a pause. Ozpin could hear the Arc trying to keep his emotions in check.

"It's Jaune."

The headmaster's grip on the scroll became slack, his already pale skin taking on an even lighter hue.

Not him. Not the boy.

There were many times when Ozpin had to reconcile with the death of a friend, but to have something happen to Jaune. He was so young, so innocent, so pure and kind hearted. Surely, they hadn't lost such a bright light so early in life?

"What do you need Jonathan. Say the word, it will be done."

"Thank you, Oz. Could you and Glynda make it to Accueil?"

Ozpin could almost feel the relief in the man's voice.

"We'll be there in the morning."


At Accueil General Hospital; Emergency Room 12-

Cold. It was just… cold. Not freezing, not painful, not pleasantly cool. Just cold. Just an empty ether. Jaune felt something against his arm, something warm. It was faint, and so very far away. It felt like someone was embracing him, but Jaune was too numb to actually feel it correctly.

I guess… something happened. Am I unconscious? If I were, I wouldn't be cognizant of my surroundings, right?

"Jaune…"

Wait. Noir. That's Noir's voice. She sounds sad.

"Jaune, please. Please wake up. We need you back. Please."

Why is she crying? Don't cry sis. I… hate when… you… cry? Why does that sound weird? Nothing feels… right? Wait, what is that…

As his eyes opened, Jaune could only just make out the image of his sister standing over him. Everything hurt, but it was just a dull throb, like an old wound acting up.

"Jaune… Jaune, you're awake!"

Jaune was smothered first by Noir, who was quickly followed by the rest of his sisters and mother. A chorus of expletives and inquiries about his health assaulted him, but for some reason Jaune didn't really feel overwhelmed.

"I feel fine guys. Promise. What happened, exactly? All I remember is seeing Noir, and then something happened."

Jaune's father stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"A White Fang suicide bomber blew up the blacksmith's shop. Old man Kyle is gone, but his daughter was out on an errand. Noir got caught in the blast too."

Jonathan looked over at the rest of his family and nodded. They all gave him a kiss on the cheek and a tight hug before filling out of the room. Jonathan pulled a chair up to Jaune's bed and sat heavily into it.

"Jaune, if you're feeling up to it, I'd like for you to talk to an old friend. You remember Ozpin and Glynda, right? Let's see if they can't try and make sense of something that happened. What'd ya say?"

"Yeah, sounds good. I feel fine."

Jonathan hesitated as he turned to the door. Something was off. Even if he had just woken up from a major injury, Jaune was acting different. Jaune had been hurt plenty of times and always kept his sunny disposition, always managing to console his mother and sisters. But not once had he smiled. Not even a twitch of the lips or a squint of the eyes.

But he also wasn't frowning or grimacing. He didn't look like he was in pain, and he hadn't shown any anger when Jonathan mentioned the Bomber. There should have been something… right?

Jonathan shook his head to dispel his thoughts, opening the door to permit Ozpin and Glynda.

Glynda moved forward first, gently taking Jaune's hand for a formal handshake.

"Hello Jaune, it's always a pleasure to see you again."

"Likewise, Ms. Goodwitch."

Glynda froze mid step, her hand still in Jaune's. Ms. Goodwitch? Something is definitely wrong. The boy's been calling me Aunty Glynda since he was in diapers, for Monty's sake.

Thankfully, Ozpin stepped forward to fill the silence.

"Good evening Jaune. How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine, Sir. Just a mild ache, but considering my circumstance's, I'd suppose that's the best I could hope for."

Ozpin shivered at the boys tone. Something wasn't right, everything about the boy was off in one way or another.

"Jonathan, you've unlocked your son's aura, correct?"

"Yeah, a while ago, when he started training for real. Why do you ask?"

"I thought you had told me he had quite a large reserve? One you had never seen the likes of?"

"Well, yeah he does. I was guessing that's why he managed to help Noir. No one else could've handled that much healing."

Ozpin fell silent at Jonathan's comment. Healing? Ah, an aura transfer. But Noir said she was fatally wounded. He couldn't possibly have transferred enough…

"Jaune, do you think you can stand?"

"Yes sir."

Jaune extracted himself from the many cords attached to him and stood before the three Hunters. Despite his complaint of an ache, he looked to be the picture of health.

"Jaune, summon your aura to your hand. Create a shield around it."

A basic exercise. Easy enough for a middle schooler to accomplish the feat. With Jaune's aura, he should be able to punch through the floor of the hospital without a scratch.

"Sure thing."

Jaune extended his left arm, where Crocea Mors shield would rest, and summoned his aura. A soft white flowed over his hand, solidifying into a gauntlet reminiscent of Jaune's armor.

Then it flashed a deep purple, almost black. The coloration of Noir's aura.

Then it vanished.

His theory confirmed, Ozpin desperately tried to convey his findings to Jonathan. But how could he say something like this casually?

"Jonathan. I'm… I'm so sorry. I don't know how to say this…"

Jonathan began to sweat. Nothing made Ozpin stutter.

"Oz, what happened?"

"His aura, it seems to be depleted. Whenever we run out, there is always some amount that remains. But this, it seems, was not enough in Jaune's instance. Noir needed it all to survive, so that's what Jaune did."

The door buckled inward as Noir charged in. Her aura was raging around her and shifting from a deep purple to a very light lavender. Tears were streamed down her face as she latched onto her baby brother.

"I felt it. Jaune, I can feel it. This isn't mine. It's different, but it won't go back to you. It wants to help me, but it won't go back."

Ozpin laid his hand on her shoulder, his own verdant aura to soothing hers.

"Noir, it won't go back. It's yours now. He gave it to save you, and now it cannot do anything but the task it was assigned. Aura is your soul in physical form. Jaune had one goal in mind, and now that is the only purpose for that aura. To protect you."

Jaune looked between them and hung his head, thinking for a while. Noir expected him to look up covered in emotion, upset that he could no longer be a Huntsman. But there was nothing. No fear, no rage, no disappointment, and no tears.

Just blank.

"I'll have to adapt. Training will have to focus more on dodging than receiving."

Jonathan's eyes widened to comical proportions.

"Training? Jaune you can't be a Huntsman, you have no aura! You'd be killed in one hit."

Yet again, Glynda broke from her normal role. She strode forward and placed a hand on Jonathan's shoulder.

"Jon, it would be best if he came to Beacon. If he can learn, if he can adapt, he will be safer than if he were to rely on one of you to take care of him from now on. Please let us help."

Glynda never calls me Jon. She's right, but what if… Agh, fine. Clarice is going to kill us all, then lock Jaune up for the rest of his life. Brothers, this had better work.

"Jaune, what do you think. Can you still keep your word?"

Noir looked horrified but before she could cry out her defiance, Jaune had gently grasped her shoulder.

"Always."


Okay, last time I put some clarification here, so I'll do that again.

Jaune does not have any aura as of this moment. If he gets hit, it'll hurt just like it'd hurt one of us.

We now have a very different Jaune than normal. Instead of the jovial and happy Jaune, we have someone who almost seems apathetic.

Noir wasn't technically dead, not yet. She was on her way out, and her aura needed whatever it could get to power itself back up. Jaune was that jumpstart.

In the actual time line, we are a few months before initiation. Assuming they start like most American Schools, Initiation should be in the fall. So, the time between about February and August will be spent in Vale, Jaune just kinda hanging out. I'm assuming that Ruby fighting Roman is like two or three days before the first day.