Hey, guys, we're back with another great update as promised I've kept within my month schedule so I hope you guys enjoy.
.
.
Twelve Years later
Jaune leaned back in his seat. 'I've made it. It took a little help and years of recovery and medical treatments, but I've finally made my dream of going to a huntsman academy.' He looked down and observed his full set of armor covering him from head to toe, barely leaving an exploitable gap. He felt fully protected. The armor design drew inspiration from old noble knight armor from books he read as a kid. It had a pearlescent white finish with gold trimmings. He even has a cape that just reached his hips. The inside of it was red but the outside is white and has family crest hand stitched in a gold thread. Strapped to his left hip was Crocea Mors and to his right is a custom Atlassian revolver and ammo pouches, a gift from his godfather.
The ship started to jolted a bit. "Oh no." Jaune tried his best to resist but motion sickness started to take over. He got up and ran past a couple of girls who are chatting away and proceeded to hurl into a trashcan. Or at least he would have if he was faster. Instead he ended up puking onto the floor. "Well I guess the view isn't for everyone," one of the girls with blonde hair said.
"Well, it was a nice moment whilst it lasted," the other girl in red replied.
"I wonder who else we'll meet."
"I just hope they'r-. ah, Yang you got vomit on your shoes."
"Eep, grose grose grose grose grose grose!" She started shaking her boots to get the vomit off.
"Wait get away from me! Don't throw it on me too!"
Jaune staggered off the airship and hovered over a trashcan. He didn't feel like he was going to throw up again but his stomach was still churning. 'For the love of God... with all the medical advancements we have why is motion sickness still a thing?!' Once his stomach calmed down a little, he looked up and saw that he has been left behind and realised he has no clue where he should be going. Before he could get up and start exploring he heard a commotion. He looked around saw the red girl from early on the airship and a girl with white hair, who was standing near a cart carrying small crates, currently screaming at the poor girl.
And then there was a sneeze and they exploded. Jaune panicked and was about to run over but was stopped when one of the crates hit him in the head and knocked him down. He was dazed for several moments. When he gets back up he sees the white haired girl walking away and the red one slumped down in shame in the middle of a small crater. It reminded Jaune about his younger sister Jane's first day of school. Brotherly instincts kicked in and he went over to see if she was ok.
A shadow fall over the girl in red. She opened her eyes to see the fully armoured knight looming over her. She almost panicked but before she could he held out his hand towards her. "Hey... I'm Jaune. Sorry about scaring you just then, I guess I might look a bit intimidating in all this gear."
The girl in red reaches up and takes the knights hand. "I'm Ruby." As Jaune lifts her up she smirks. "Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?"
/
"All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!" Jaune sighed light heartedly.
"Look, I'm sorry!" Ruby giggled. "Knight in vomit armor was the first thing that came to mind."
Jaune pointed a finger at her accusingly. "Oh, yeah? What if I called you Crater Sneeze?"
Ruby swung her arms down in annoyance "Hey, that explosion was an accident!"
Jaune snickered. "Well, the name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue - ladies love it!"
Ruby raised an eyebrow sceptically "Do they?"
Jaune sighed "They will… one day."
Ruby giggled for a minute before a short awkward silence overcame them. "So... I got this thing!" Ruby pulled out Crescent Rose and stabs it into the ground.
Jaune stepped back in shock "Whoa! Is that a scythe?"
Ruby smirked. "It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!"
"It's also a gun?" Ruby nodded and Jaune smiled "Damn, that's cool!"
Ruby folded Crescent Rose and put it away. "So, what do you have?"
"Oh, I, uh..." he unsheathes Crocea Mors. "Well, I have a sword."
"Ooooohh." Ruby's eyes sparkle with interest.
"I've also got a shield too." He equipped his scabbard, raised his arm and expands it into it's shield form.
Ruby reached out and touched the shield. "Cool. So what do they do?"
Jaune retracts the shield as he took it off his arm before placing it back on his belt. "The shield gets smaller, so when I get tired of carrying it, I can just... put it away." He then put Crocea Mors back into the scabbard.
Ruby look confused. "But... wouldn't it weigh the same?"
"Yeah, but it's easier to carry like this."
Another moment of awkward silence comes between them. "Sorry, I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons, so... looking at your weapon makes me think went overboard when designing mine."
Jaune eyes open wider and alternate between Ruby and her weapon. "Wait, you made that?"
Ruby grins proudly. "Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons! Didn't you make yours?"
Jaune sighed, suddenly feeling inferior. "Uh, no. The sword was a hand-me-down. My great-grandfather used it to fight in the Great War."
Ruby offered him a conforming a smile. "Sounds more like a family heirloom to me!" then she laughs "Well, I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days."
"Oh, and I also have this." Jaune took the revolver out of its holster and held it up for Ruby to see.
Ruby gasps as the revolver seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. "Oh my goodness, is that a MH-79 Atlesian revolver?!"
"Yep, it was a gift from my godfather."
Ruby's eyes sparkle as she looks it over. "Mind if I hold it?" Jaune nods and hands it to her. "Wow. Seven multi round chambers… floral engravings in steel grey and jet black metal… Schnee triangular dust illuminated iron sights… can I try it out sometime?" She carefully passed it back to Jaune.
"Yeah, my godfather customised it just for me. Probably not the best idea, the kickback is a bitch."
"Awwwww," Ruby pouted, "but I can handle it. Please." She then gives Jaune her best sad puppy face.
Jaune felt his heart skip a beat as he looked down at her adorable silver eyes. He was use to the puppy face thanks to his sisters doing it to him all of the time, but there was something about Ruby doing it….. "I'll think about it." A huge smile appeared on her face and she jumped in joy, causing him to fumble and drop the revolver.
As he bends over to pick it up, Ruby saw something hanging off the back of his belt. It looked like sword hilt with no blade. "What is that?"
"What's what?" Jaune asked as he holstered the revolver and looked back at Ruby.
Ruby points to his belt. "The thing hanging off the back of your belt."
"It's a pet project," Jaune sighed. "I tried to make my own weapon... let's just say it hasn't gone to well."
Ruby offered him a soft smile. "Maybe… maybe I could give you a hand with it some time. I mean I did build Crescent Rose."
"Wait really, you'd really help me with that?"
Ruby smiled back "Sure, it's not problem, it will be fun." The pair start moving again. Ruby turned to Jaune "Oh, I never said thanks for helping me out back there in the courtyard."
"It's no problem. My mom always said 'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.' "
Ruby tilted her head and took a moment to look around "Hey, how much longer till we get there?"
"I don't know," Jaune shrugged. "Don't you know?"
"I thought you were leading?"
"No, I was following you."
/
Ruby and Jaune found and entered Beacon Academy's giant auditorium, filled to capacity with students. "Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!"
Ruby saw her sister waving to her and then turned to Jaune. "Oh! Hey, I-I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!"
She quickly ran over to Yang, leaving Jaune behind. "Hey, wa-and she's gone. Ok well that's… hopefully one friend down. Hopefully I can make more." He moved over to the crowd, oblivious to the girl with red hair and bronze armor that overheard him.
Jaune looked over the crowd and then to stage. He then spotted a familiar figure standing guard by the stage. Someone who was there for most of his life, who was always there to help him, and who was the reason for him being alive right now. Glynda Goodwitch.
'She doesn't know I'm here,' Jaune remembered. He tuned everything out and a smile crept on his face as an idea came to mind. As the headmaster delivered his speech, he carefully maneuverer to the side of the crowd, carefully not to draw attention to himself.
"You will gather in the ballroom tonight tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed," Jaune's target said, oblivious that he was near the front of the stage. When the students were filing out from the auditorium he crouched in front of the stage to remain hidden. When the last student left the room he leaped onto the stage. The sound caused Glynda to turn around just as a pair of arms wrap around her and lift her off the floor and spun her around. Combat instincts almost kicked in, but she heard an all too familiar laugh. She was then set down and her eyes widened in shock when she saw who it was. "Jaune, is that you?"
"Hello," Jaune giggled.
With a huge smile, Glynda wrapped her arms around him. "Jaune! What are you doing here?"
"Well, I'm attending Beacon now," he said as they both pulled away from the hug.
"Wait, but I never saw your transcript."
"I asked you know who to get Ozpin to hide it from you," he replied with a smirk. "I wanted to surprise you."
"Of course you did." She sighed but then immediately smiled as she put an arm around him. "Well I'm happy I get to spend the next four years with my favourite Arc."
"And I get to spend them with my guardian angel."
Glynda playfully smacked his arm. "Don't call me that here in public." The two then began laugh, but stopped and turned around when they heard someone cough. Glynda blushed when she saw Ozpin smirking from behind his mug.
/
Jaune walked down the crowded ballroom trying to find a spot to lay down. He eventually found a spot over by a girl in black wearing a black bow by the wall. "Excuse me," he walked up to her, "is that space taken?"
The girl looked up at him with amber eyes. "What?"
"Is that space taken?" Jaune pointed to the gap next to her by the wall.
The girl in black looked at the gap then back to him. "Nope, feel free to set up your sleeping bag here."
Jaune smiled. "It's ok, I don't need one." He then sat down and leaned against the wall. "Name's Jaune."
"Blake." She then cocked an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to get changed?"
Jaune shook his head. "No, I'm good."
Blake looked at him like he was mad. "You're going to sleep in your armor? You're not even going to take the helmet off? It looks uncomfortable."
"Yep," Jaune nodded. "Don't worry, it's padded in here. It's really comfy."
"Ok then," Blake shrugged and went back to her book. Jaune closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
"Oh, I am so proud of my baby sister!" Jaune heard a woman proclaim loudly which stirred him from his attempted slumber.
"Cut it out!" He heard Ruby's voice proclaim. He opened his eyes and saw the two of them duking it out. He spared a glance at Blake. She just shrugged and Jaune closed his eyes to try and go back to sleep.
"Well, Ruby, Yang, it's a pleasure to ha-" Blake said before she was interrupted by Weiss Schnee storming over.
"What in the world is going on over here?!" She said, stopping the two fighting girls. Jaune peeked one eye open to see what was happening. "Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep?"
Weiss and Yang look at each other and upon seeing the other. "Oh, not you again!" They both cried out at the same time.
"Shh!" Ruby had a finger in front of her mouth "Guys, she's right! People are trying to sleep."
Weiss threw her arms up in exasperation "Oh, now you're on my side!"
"I was always on your side!"
Blake just rolls her eyes at the fight and tried to get back into her book. She could have sworn she heard Jaune snicker a couple of times.
/
Jaune was woken from his slumber by the loud singing coming from a orange haired girl. She's zipping about with almost fighting amounts of energy for this time in the morning. She was running around one person in particular. "Wake up, lazy butt!"
The victim of her morning antics sat up with a groan as the orange haired girl continued to hound him. She then started prancing round the room singing. "It's morning! It's morning! It's morning! It's morning!"
It's at this point, that Jaune is wondering if he still had any of his sedatives left from his last operation that he could slip into this girl's breakfast to calm her down and spare everyone from her hyperness, especially the poor guy she kept bugging.
The poor guy looked around the room and made eye contact with Jaune. Under his helmet, Jaune gave him a sympathetic smile. He knew what he was going through. His younger sisters did the same thing to him, though thankfully the other guy didn't have to go through the pain of his sisters accidentally jumping on him when they jumped on the bed.
The guy in green sighed again as he got on with his morning routine, while being followed around by the orange haired girl as she keeps talking to him. Jaune just looked on in amazement as he begins his morning routine, wondering how this girl could talk like this for so long.
The orange haired girl continued to zip back and forth "I can't believe we've been at Beacon for a full twenty-four hours! Not that I thought we'd get kicked out or anything, I mean, you're the perfect student and I'm... well, I'm me! But it's just crazy, you know?"
Jaune walked back into the ballroom, followed by the two as they were readying themselves. The orange haired girl is brushing her hair and still chattering while the guy in green is tightening the strings on his sleeping bag.
Jaune had trouble taking his eyes off the girl, who still bouncing around. "We've been friends for soooooooo long! What are the odds we'd still be together? Well, not "together-together..." Not that I'm not saying that you're not handsome; you are handsome, but that'd just be weird, right?"
Jaune sat down and had a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and apple juice. He saw Ren and the bubbly girl sit down at the table across from him. The girl continued to talk with a pancake hanging from her mouth. "Right! What was I thinking? But still, I hope we end up on the same team together!" she slurps up the rest of her pancake "Oohhhh! We should come up with some sort of plan, to make sure we end up on the same team together! What if we bribe the headmaster? No, that won't work. He has the school."
Jaune finished his breakfast before them and left to head to the locker room, sighing in relief as he finally away from the hyperactive girl. 'How does that guy put up with her? Granted it just like my seven sisters but that was divided over seven people. She's all in one!' He then hears the two of them enter the locker room.
The orange haired girl jumps in the air. "I know! We'll have some sort of signal! Like a distress signal! A secret signal so we can find each other in the forest! Can you imitate a sloth?"
"Nora?" The boy asked.
"Yes, Ren?" The girl now identified as Nora said.
"I don't think sloths make a lot of noise."
Nora remained silent for several moments. Jaune thought Ren had accidentally broke her, until her eyes opened wide. "That's why it's perfect! No one will suspect we're working together!"
Ren just smiled and shook his head. "Come on Nora, let's go."
Jaune watched the two walk away with a smile. 'Godspeed Ren, you're going to need it.' Jaune then took out his scroll and began walking down a row of lockers. 'Ok then… locker 636, where are you? Kind of strange, I don't remember going this far in the locker room… huh, what noises do sloths mak-' "Opmh!" Jaune was so caught up in thought that that he accidentally bumped into someone.
"Ow!" Jaune looked down and saw that he knocked down a white haired girl in a similar coloured dress, lying next to a small case that looked vaguely similar to the one that hit him in the head yesterday. He couldn't help but notice that she looked familiar to- "Watch where you're going you brute!" She yelled at him.
"Sorry," Jaune sheepishly apologized, and offered her a hand. "I was thinking about something wasn't paying attention." Weiss accepted it, squeezing his hand harder than necessary as he helped her up. She then help up the case.
"I already blew up yesterday because some idiot knocked over one of my dust cases, I do not need to go through that again today!" She said, eyes full of hate. Jaune raised his hands up and took a step back.
"Wait hold on a second," a red haired girl with bronze armor said as she stepped in between the two of them. "It was an accident and he obviously didn't mean it. I don't think he deserves this."
Weiss looked at red haired girl, then back at Jaune who was giving an apologetic smile, then back at the other girl. She then closed her eyes and gave a soft, calming sigh. "No," she spat out and then opened her eyes. "I guess not," she said with less spite.
"How about we start over then," she said with a smile. "How about you introduce yourselves." She stepped back from in between the two.
Jaune nodded. "Sure." He held a hand out and smiled. "My name is Jaune. Jaune Arc."
Weiss raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. Jaune Arc. She heard that name before, but where? Of right, she heard Winter mention that name, or at least something similar to it, in the past. She decided to ask her about it later. She took his hand and shook it. "Weiss Schnee, heir to the Schnee Dust Company," she recited.
"Nice to meet you Weiss," Jaune smiled as he shook her hand. However something was bothering him. Schnee. Why did that name sound so familiar? He'd figure it out later. "Sorry again for knocking you over and almost spilling your dust and... wait, second time… was that explosion yesterday-"
"Please don't remind me of that," Weiss interrupted and face palmed. Jaune resisted the urge to chuckle, but someone else couldn't. He turned and saw the red haired girl with her hand over her mouth trying to hide her laughter.
He quickly looked back and forth between the two. "Oh, was I interrupting a conversation between you two?"
"Oh, no it's fine," the red haired girl replied. She smiled as she raised a hand towards him. "It's nice to meet you Jaune."
Jaune gripped her hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you too Miss… I don't believe you mentioned your name."
"What?!" Weiss exclaimed. "How do you not know Pyrrha Nikos? She's kind of a celebrity."
Jaune blinked and looked over Pyrrha. "Is she an actress or something?"
Pyrrha's eyes widened slightly as Weiss' twitched slightly. "What, no. Pyrrha is one of the best fighters out there. She graduated top of her class at Sanctum Academy, and she won the Mistral Region Tournament four years in a row, a new record."
"Uh," Jaune shrugged his shoulders, "congratulations?" His voice betrayed that he had no idea what those were.
Pyrrha's lips curved ever so slightly upwards as Weiss face palmed a second time. "Oh for the love of- she's on the cover of the Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes cereal boxes!"
Jaune's eyed widened in recognition not that they can see and he jumps up and down in excitement. "That's you?!" Pyrrha nodded a moment later. Jaune then narrowed his eyes, and raised an accusing finger at her. "So you're the one that gave me and my little sisters cavities," he said with a smile and a faux serious tone.
Pyrrha chuckled into her fist. "I guess I did," she said, playing along with the joke. "Sadly it doesn't say on the box that the cereal isn't very good for you."
"I knew there wasn't a warning label on them." He then crossed his arms. "You'll be hearing from my lawyers." After a moment of silence they both burst out laughing, while Weiss just stood by dumbfounded.
"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately," Glynda's voice bellowed over the PA system.
Jaune took a moment to calm down. "Alright well, good luck out there you two," Jaune said.
"As to you," Weiss said and respectfully nodded her head. Pyrrha did as well and they both took off for the cliffs while Jaune continued to search for his locker. He found it further down the aisle. He opened it and took out Crocea Mors and his revolver and holstered them. He also took out another very important piece of armor.
It was his new armored helmet. It was a recent gift from his godfather. It has a pearlescent white finish with gold trimmings much like his armor. It had a black polarized visor with small clamps to secure it to the rest of the armor. He tests the new mouthpiece and smiles as it retracts and shuts with ease. Looking around to make sure everyone else had left the locker room he slips off the old helmet and replaces it with the new one, clamping it in place, and nodded to make sure it wasn't loose. He smiled and hurried his way over to the cliff side.
/
On the Beacon Cliff, overlooking a forest are the new first year students. They stood on silver tiles. Professor Ozpin took a sip from his mug while Glynda typed away on her tablet.
"For years," Ozpin started, "you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."
"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumours about the assignment of teams." Glynda said. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today."
"What?" Jaune looked over and say Ruby become worried. Ohhh..."
Ozpin continued speaking with a smile. "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." Ruby let out a groan. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."
"Whaaaat?!"
"See? I told you!" Nora said to Ren.
Ozpin continued. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die." Jaune sighed. "You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"
"Uh..." Jaune peaked over and noticed that the cliff was very high. "Yeah, um, sir?"
"Good! Now, take your positions."
Everyone stroke a pose on their tile, waiting to be launched. Nora crouched low, Ren equipped his weapons, Yang raised her fists, Ruby readied her body, and Jaune was still raising his hand. "Uh, Ozpin? I have a question." Ozpin spared him a glance. "So, this landing strategy thing... Uh, wha-what is it? You're, like, dropping us off or something?"
Ozpin give him a deadpan look. "No. You will be falling."
"I'm guessing you're not going to give us parachutes?"
"No. You will be using your own landing strategy."
"Uh-huh... oh boy." he looked to his left as the students were launched into the forest one by one. Nora was as happy as she could be. Ren remained stoic. Yang put on a pair of aviators and cheered as she was launched. Ruby's face hardened with a small smile and was then sent flying.
Jaune then felt the tile below him move slightly. He braced himself as best as he can before the tile clicked and he was sent into the air, and then landed face first a few feet away. He got up and wiped the dirt off his visor. "Huh, guess I'm climbing down."
Glynda smiled and resisted chuckling. "I guess you're just a bit too heavy with all that extra metal. Don't worry, just get back on the platform and I can help"
"Thanks," Jaune replied with a smile. He got on the platform again. When the title clicked, Glynda used her semblance to help throw him. She watched as Jaune went flying, a lot farther than she planned.
"Oops, I overdid it." She said with an embarrassed blush.
As Jaune flew through the air, a little thought came to mind. 'This is why I wanted my armor to have a jet pack! But noooooooo, they said it was crazy!'
.
.
Cyberleader2000: I know I know I suck you all want to see how Jaune was going to get over being so badly injured the last chapter well don't worry you will still get to see it but it's going to be as flashbacks. Now I would also like to remind people the vote for A Fluffy Drunken Marriage is still open so if you haveing put your vote in yet now is your chance.
Blaiseingfire: Well, we got ourselves a happy little chapter here. But then again we did with the last one and we all know how that ended. Cyber is setting us up for a crash and burn, I know it!
Cyberleader2000: *looks innocent* I have no idea what you're talking about. :)