Moonfall:Chapter 2

A/N:No, you didn't miss a chapter. I just don't believe in chapter numbering that has chapter 2 be 'chapter 1'

Vytal was nothing new to Jaune, but it was something rare enough that he was awed by it almost every time his family went. Still, his perspective had changed slightly. Instead of the most important thing he could do being to meet his crush(and maybe possibly (haha no) date her), suddenly the whole thing was about finding the wizard Ozymandias.

You know, it was funny. He always thought the tale of the Seasons, and the Brothers were pure fiction. Little did he know that they were, in fact, only 90% fiction.

"You know" Steve had said helpfully when they were alone. "Ozymandias has always, in all of the incarnations I've met, highly valued knowledge. You'll probably find him in some related place. He also can't abide peace and quiet."

….Knowledge and chaos, huh? Nowhere immediately springs to mind.

Meanwhile-er, earlier that year;

"JUSTICE WILL BE SWIFT! JUSTICE WILL BE PAINFUL! IT WILL BE DELICIOUS!"

"Sorry, I can't think of anything."

"Well, then, young master, we will simply have to explore and see if anyone recognizes me. Ah-do be careful, many a thug has got it in their mind when they see me that so much gold and a jewel the size of the one I bear would make rich men of them."

"...Fine."

But as he looked around, it occurred to him just how massive Vale was, and how crowded it was during Vytal.

He accosted a few random strangers with the question, "Excuse me, I'm looking for a man named Ozymandias?"

Most of them gave him useless shrugs and weird looks, but the last one gave him a knowing look.

"Don't get your hopes up, but check out Junior's place. Tell him the Blonde Brawler sent you."

Well, that was an accurate descriptor.

"Uh...thanks. Thanks, really! Look, I'm Jaune, Jaune Arc. If I can do you a favor-"

"Arc?!" A new voice entered the scene, a familiar one. He turned and then did a double take, jaw dropping. 'Blonde Brawler' was still standing there, and it clicked. "As in Jo Arc?"

"W-Which Jo, my sister or my mother?" He returned.

"Both! Either!" Exclaimed Weiss Schnee. "Oh, you simply must introduce me to them, I have so many questions about their fighting styles!"

"...Mom isn't a…." He paused, shaking his head. "Besides, what do you care? It's not like Jo uses anything special. Mors is just a sword, and the sheathe is just a shield."

"Yes, but, but…. The elegance with which she wields them! She almost beat Pyrrha!"

"...Who?"

"What?!"

"Look, it doesn't matter. I have to go find Ozymandias." Jaune replies bluntly, finding that meeting his crush in person left a sort of sour taste in his mouth.

He turned and walked away.

"Hey." A hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Huh?" He turned and found himself looking Yang in the eye. "Why are you looking for this Ozymandias?"

Good question. He paused to think of a answer.

"So the world will make sense again." He said as casually as he could, sensing a flicker of something in Yang's eye. Before he could react, she gave him a quick, if chaste, hug.

"Good luck." She whispered before letting go. Jaune's cheeks burn as he runs off, Yang chuckling softly despite herself.

"What was that about?! And why did you let him run off without introducing me to his family?!"

"None of your business, Weiss-Queen."

"Eeegh, you're insufferable!"

Jaune walked casually into the bar and looked around before picking a random seat at the bar.

"Hey. You got ID?"

"I'm not here to drink. I'm looking for someone." He looked up at the Ursa-sized barkeeper. "Are you Junior?"

"I might be." He allowed. "Why?"

"The Blonde Brawler said you could help me." Junior quailed slightly.

"...What do you want to know?" He asked quietly.

"I'm looking for a guy named Ozymandias." Jaune said.

"'I am Ozymandias, King of Kings, look on my works, ye mighty, and despair.'" A voice said from behind. He whirled around and found himself face to face with a teenaged girl, who another stood behind. They were identical except in dress. It was the one further back who had spoken, though.

"What?!"

"It was a inscription found on a tablet on Draconis." She said.

"The Forsworn Continent?"

"Yes." She responded blandly. "That was the only remaining, intact information from a massive ruin twice as big across as Vale."

"What? Weren't there, like, books or anything?" He asked.

"Oh, there were. But when they opened them every page of every book was blank. No luck with the spines either."

Jaune had sudden chills. The power of a competent wielder's magic was enough that they could literally erase all written traces of a civilization's accomplishments?! At once?!

"If he hadn't been killed the other day, I'd suggest you try Tukson's, see if he knew anything more. The man knew way too much for his own good, it seems." The girl paused, then suddenly folded her arms, looking petulant. "You see, Junior! I can *too* be an information supplier!"

"Hmph." Grumbled the big man, rolling his eyes.

"Anyway, your next best bet would be the boy he hired to watch the shop weekends, what was it….Topaz? Yeah, Topaz." Her face scrunches up in thought. "He lives about 5 blocks south and 1 east of Tukson's Book Trade."

"Not bad, kid. Maybe I will let you handle some of the information side of things." Junior mused with a grin.

"Thanks, really." Jaune said to the twin who had spoken to him, who smiled and waved him off lightly.

When he was gone, the three of them turned to each other with a smile.

"Whew, we got rid of him without anything being trashed. Two times out of three isn't bad, right?" Junior asked casually.

"Boss, one of these days you're going to have to instate some kind of 'no-blondes-allowed' policy.."

"Don't be ridiculous, some of my best customers are blonde!" Junior protested, "And besides," He added, "It wouldn't keep her out anyway."

On his way away from Junior's bar, he was accosted by a pink-and-white haired girl with a parasol and two members of the White Fang. Well, 'accosted' isn't the right word.

He had walking down the street and had seen the girl casually twirling her parasol end over end; but had failed to notice the two burly Faunus hiding in the shadows. When he had been passing her by, she had caught the parasol by the tip, then without warning had lashed out with the handle to hook his leg, yanking hard. He tumbled head over heels, landing on his back as she sauntered closer. She planted one foot on his chest, eyes glinting with curiosity as she lifted the gauntleted hand to examine it.

Jaune unclenched his fist as she did, thinking fast. "Akla Mox Fandou." He whispered. The girl gave him a confused expression as she catches a bit of the whisper, but her confusion morphed into pain and dismay as a blast of fire enveloped her face, and she let go, recoiling backwards, parasol forgotten for the moment on the ground. He scrambled to his feet, yanking out his recently sharpened(with most of the rust scraped off by the process) sword and shifting the shield onto his arm.

One of the Fangs leapt out, holding a heavy club. Jaune lifted the shield to block the Faunus' first attack, then thrust his weight upward to force the Fang to stumble back a little. He withdrew the shield and poked the sword at the Fang-a little feebly, truth be told. Nevertheless, the Fang couldn't dodge quickly enough and a shallow line of red soon blossomed on his shirt. His friend emerged from his concealment with a cry of outrage, lifting a assault rifle. Jaune lifted his shield into position and waited out the clip, wincing at the five bullets that glanced off his more exposed sides. Nonetheless, they were far from enough to break his Aura, and as he heard the Fang curse and begin to reload, he leapt out, bringing his blade to bear. The Faunus looked up from his fumbling with the rifle just in time to see the blade flash towards his throat and lodge itself into his spine.

Jaune pulled back, and pulled again. It seemed it was his turn to curse-the blade had become stuck in the thug's neck, he couldn't pull it out!

He abandoned the sword, glancing to the other thug just in time to catch a blow from his club to the temple. He staggered back, lifting his shield just in time to catch the second blow on the edge. He glanced over to the parasol to see it missing. He heard a footstep behind him and without thinking, he lifted the shield over his head to catch the bladed parasol's descent. He quickly extends the shielded hand, which happens to bear the gauntlet, and intones once more, "Akla Mox Fandou!"

The girl with the parasol was merely glanced by the blast as she quickly brought her parasol into position to block most of it.

"You can skip Akla and Mox, you know, they just make it stronger." Whispered Steve. Oh.

He whirled to face the clubman, who looked wary but let out a roar as he lashed out at Jaune with his weapon. He caught the clumsy attack on his shield before extending his hand.

"Fandou. Fandou. Fandou."

The three rapid flame strikes burned into the clubber's body with deadly effectiveness, and he screamed in agony, falling to the ground.

And then it was just Jaune and the mysterious girl, who looked more intrigued than concerned by the fate of her erstwhile companions. She raised a eyebrow for a moment, shrugged, and then casually hopped up onto a fire escape, and from there up to the roof.

Jaune was a little flabbergasted, but then he shrugged and went over to the guy whose neck had his sword hostage. In the end, he had to place his foot on the guy's back and used it to *heave* at his sword, which finally came loose.

"...Hey, Steve, what's all this blue glowy stuff I see near these dead guys?" he asked in a somewhat too-calm voice.

"...Wait, you people don't even know about-"

"HUUUURK" Jaune interrupted intelligibly.

"...You've never killed someone before, have you?"

"S-shut, URK, up!" He said between what were definitely not bouts of him vomiting.

A/N:please leave commentary, criticism, anything, really. I don't mind, and besides which, if you liked this, leaving a post ensures that other people will see this. Probably.