Rwby and Houseki No Kuni/Land of the Lustrous Gems crossover
Authors note: I've fell in love with Houseki no Kuni. The art style, the characters, the story, just everything is just…sublime. That and the characters are absolutely adorable. Well there's my reasoning.
"Person or creature speaking."
'Person or creature thinking.'
"Person or creature deep evil voice."
Chp: Beautiful beings and a new world full of….what?
In a world where humanity was almost always at the brink of extinction against an unending threat, does the idea of other worlds simply fade away? Even with the great strides humanity had made in their rather short existence, traveling to different worlds or even the thought of different worlds seemed almost impossible. But even if it was nigh impossible for humans to imagine another world, Jaune Arc liked to think he was pretty damn imaginative. Our blonde haired, blue eyes hero gasps lightly, looking around his room, hoping his family didn't hear his curse. He waits for a few seconds, not hearing stomping feet or the tell tale voice of his mother or siblings, so he sighs in relief. He looks around his room, well his twins and his room actually.
It wasn't very large, just enough room for a bunk bed, a dresser, a box full of toys, and a small game system for them to play. Toys littered the floor, some action figures, some puzzle games, and even a few books to read. But Jaune Arc didn't care for these things right now, he…was lost in his own world as his sisters and mother say. He wasn't lost in his own little world! If he was, the world surely wouldn't be small. He jumps lightly when the door slams open, his dear twin dashing in.
Joan Arc was his twin in everything but gender. She had shoulder length blood hair, blue eyes that sparkled in the light, and was clumsy to the point of injury. She wore blue shirt that had a simple dragons head on it, a pair of khaki shorts, and a pair of bright pink tennis shoes. She grins at him from when he set on the top bunk, looking as if she won a beauty pageant full of adorable puppies, and she got the crown.
"What are you doing slow poke! Today's an awesome day, and all you're doing is moping around, lost in your own world." Her voice was high pitched, full of childish glee. It was funny as she acted like she was a teenager despite the both of them being 10 years old. He looks at her smirking lightly.
"Well…then.." His voice drawls, slow as if he choosing his words carefully. "What would the young queen have me do? Our parents are away, our dear sisters are at school, and grandpa won't be here until this afternoon. What shall we do until then?"
Despite the 2 of the being twins, Jaune was much more reserved about doing things. He was happy to just sit back and allow Joan to do the talking, as despite his face and demeanor was socially awkward. Joan however attracted all manner of attention with her vibrant attitude, loud voice, and mannerisms. Joan put her hand to her chin, adopting a thinking pose before her eyes snap open. "Aha! How about we play hide and seek in the woods? You hide, I seek."
Jaune hums lightly at this. Hide and seek is always fun. Especially since they live next to a large stretch of woods that is free of Grimm thanks to their parents. The forest was wide and dense, plenty of hiding spots. But him hiding, and she seeking? He pulls his head back, as to lot Joan see his frown. He knew why she choose that, a deep ugly feeling growing in his chest.
You see, Jaune and Joan were children of two of the strongest hunters in Remnant history. Their mother was nigh unstoppable in her anger and strength, their father was a tactician seen once every thousand years. Together they were unstoppable! But they were rather worried about their childrens safety, and as such at an early age you are tested for combat ability. All of their sisters were being trained to become huntresses, their potential great. Joan was being trained, as she had shown promise in combat. But not Jaune…
Jaune was weak, clumsy, not very smart, and was a scaredy cat. When his family tested them and saw that he wasn't fit for combat, his parents sighed in relief. He remembers seeing them do it. Joan was being taught, and month after month she was becoming stronger. He could once out run her, she could now outrun him in speed and endurance. She always bragged at this, never seeing the pain flashing across his face, but he would smile at her always.
He looks down at her smiling and nodding. She whoops and hollers, running out of the house. He follows, much slower as he quickly formulates a plan. Hr grabs a scroll as he passes the living room , pulling up a stopwatch, and typing out 5 minutes. He finds his twin in the back yard, jumping in place in front of the forest. He stares at the trees, their deep green leaves swaying in the wind, birds and insects chirping. He walks up to her and hands her the scroll.
"I have 5 minutes to hide. Standard rules as always?" Joan nods, doing a few stretches. He bends his knees getting into position. Joan starts counting down.
"3.."
"2.."
"1.."
"Go!"
And with that he was off, running into the forest. He jumps over tree limbs, rock, small streams as he runs to a place to hide. In the distance he hears the scroll chime as his 5 minutes were up, Joan no doubt already searching. He stops in place, looking from side to side, dashing off in another direction. He winds up at the rolling grass field not even a kilometer away from home. He looks around seeing nowhere to hide, and he can hear Joan singing to herself not far behind. He runs into the field, the grass tickling his body. He bends down and starts running on all 4s, grinning when the grass was tall enough to cover his whole body. He continues running, looking for the telltale boulder for as they call it the boundary. He finds it, grinning to himself as he crawls over to it and stops. He pokes his head above the sea of grass, seeing Joan run out of the forest. He bends back down, looking at his feet. A devilish smile takes a hold of his face, slipping his shoes and socks off and hiding them in plain sight as to fool Joan. After he does that, he crawls away from the boulder, he crawls for about 5 minutes. Smiling when he hears Joan cry out in annoyance.
'She fell for it…' Jaune cackles in his mind. His inner cackles are stopped when the ground underneath him caves in, Jaunes blue eyes widening in shock. He cries out, gravity disappearing beneath him and the last thing he sees is the ground rushing up to meet him. He hits the ground, consciousness fading. He hears Joan call out, likely hearing his scream of shock before succumbing to the inky blackness.
Jaune groans, body aching. His body feels heavy, as if he was under water, pushing himself up. What happened? His looks around, sunlight beaming from above him. He looks up, a hole in the ceiling of rock and dirt, memories rushing back. He stands up, cuts and bruises galore aching. He feels tears prick the corner of his eyes, wiping them away with the back of his hand. He looks around, the sunlight beaming above him giving just enough light to see his surroundings. He had fell into…a cave? He doesn't see a way out of the cave, nor does he hear Joan calling out to him. He opens his mouth to yell, only to start coughing and hacking as if his body was rejecting his own voice.
He starts coughing more and more, tears escaping his eyes and blood globs escaping his mouth. Was he going to die? He stops coughing, the taste of iron and copper filling his mouth. After a few minutes of taking deep breaths and spitting out blood, he sits down and rubs his throat. He winces, an odd noise escaping his throat. He doesn't try talking again, bringing his knees top his chest. He waits, and waits, the sun rising high into the sky giving Jaune more sight into the cave. Large clay walls, held together with sandstone and lime, taller than he could ever be. The sun gave the cave an almost ethereal look, the colors of the rock almost shining. Jaune feels his fear and pain fade as his eyes sparkle at the sight. He stands up, walking over to the nearby wall running his hands along it. The grain of the rock tingles his fingers, the clay much softer than the sandstone. He sighs to himself, hoping that Joan finds him or runs home and calls someone. He returns to his former spot, taking a deep breath.
He doesn't know how much time had passed, the sun light getter more orange as time passed. He hears the crickets grow louder and louder, his fear growing with every passing minute. He swears he hears Joans voice in the distance, growing more distraught by the minute but he couldn't answer her calls. His injuries were still tingling, the blood from the cuts drying and flaking off. He shrieks in surprise when a light cracking echoes across the caves walls. He looks around wildly, the cracking growing wildly louder. He jumps to his feet, the cracking scaring him more than the silence. The ground starts shaking, growing from a slight shake to full on tremors, Jaune stumbling.
"An earthquake?! Now?!" Jaune screams, the caves ceiling starting to fall in. He looks up, dodging the chunks of ceiling falling to the ground. The earthquake grows stronger, Jaunes ears shrieking their own horror. He stumbles to the right, falling to the ground when a beam of light shines on his face. He looks toward the light, seeing a exit from the cave. It was taller than he was, bright lights shining from within. He questions its existence as he doesn't remember it from before but not for long. He jumps to his feet and runs into the long rock pathway, the wall the same stone from before. Water runs alongside the wall, the earthquake causing him to trip constantly. He hears a furious roar from behind him, glancing behind him. His heart sinks as the cave was collapsing on top of him!
He runs faster and faster, tears quickly running down his face. Sobs rack his body as he runs, the tunnel collapsing faster and faster. Rocks hit his head with enough force to stagger him, a large one hitting him to the point his eyes started swimming. He looks behind him, the earthquake stopping, and the tunnel collapse slowing to a stop. Jaune continues running, looking forward just in time to see dark rock. He slams into the rock wall, nose crunching under the force of his run. He falls to the ground crying out in pain, grabbing his now broken nose. He rolls on the ground, tears blinding him, head aching, and nose broken. The light that had showed him the tunnel had faded away, leaving him in inky blackness.
Deep shaky breaths make his lungs burn but he knows that it fine. The burning meant he was alive at least, the darkness surrounding him entirely. He feels blood run down his body, reaching up to touch it. He could barely see his hand, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. He leans against the wall, feeling a bout of drowsiness come on. He slaps his face, the sting waking him up for a few minutes. The ground starts to shake once more, this time much softer and shorter than the other. He tenses, hoping someone heard the collapse. In the back of his mind, the logical side of him whispers certain evils to him. No one heard the collapse. No ones coming to save you. You're going to die here were some of the things his own mind was whispering. He doesn't know how long he sat there, in the darkness of the cave, the ground shaking every few minutes.
After an unknown amount of time he stands up, and runs his hand alongside the wall. Nothing except the hard rock, and thin layer of moisture. He continues his silent and blind touching, hands finding nothing else. After a few minutes of it, he sits down orienting himself so that he was facing the collapsed tunnel. He could just barely see it, eyes finally adjusted to the darkness. As he sets in the darkness, fear wells up in his chest.
It wells up faster than steam, faster than anything. Pure fear. Fear that would drive a man insane. A fear that brings forth tears, a quiet sobs to the surface, his throat aching with the quiet sobs. As he sits in the darkness, music starts playing. It was soft, melodic, a song that he knew not the name of. Its quiet instruments calming his sobs and crying to a near stop. He looks around, eyes and ears failing to work. The music continued to play, a woman's voice serenading him into a slow sleep. In this inky darkness, in this place where he will probably never escape from, in this place where the only thing he had was his memories and hope, he began to hum along. He tries mimicking the sound of woman, the sounds a gravel road in comparison to hers. He swears he hears a soft giggle from the woman he voice getting softer and easier to copy.
He never sees the wall behind him glow a rainbow of colors, the music rising in tempo as he moans and 'ahhhs' along. The music comes to an end, Jaunes eyes tearing up once more and it begins again. This time a much somber tune playing, and he sits and listens. Sits and copies, sounding more like someone who had never spoke before than someone who could speak normally.
He knows that it would be bad idea to fall asleep, but he was exhausted! The injuries, the fear, the running, and the music? It all added up to Jaune being dead tired, so he feels it was justifiable for him to fall asleep. The music continues, the woman's voice slowing to a stop. As he drifts off to sleep, the womans voice seems to change tones.
"Don't worry……You shall be just fine…"
He questions if he was going insane, but deep down, in the recess of his soul, he trusted those worlds and fell asleep. His light breathing being the only noise in the dark cave, the ground rumbling underneath him.
An unknown amount of time later
Jaune eyes fluttered open, groaning. Darkness was the only thing that greeted him, the rock beneath him still cold. He stands to his feet, the once serene music gone from the depths of his mind. Nothing had changed since he took his nap, but the wound on his head had stopped bleeding. He sighs, eyes widening in the darkness as the ground starts to shake. It was violent, his bones cracking, and teeth chattering the aftershock was large and powerful. Jaune watches in mute horror as the ceiling starts to cave in.
So he does the only thing he could, he turns to the rock wall that he was leaning against and starts punching it. He's hoping that he could punch through it, each punch bringing bouts of pain through his body. The ceiling starts collapsing faster, Jaunes punches starting to become more frantic. He even headbutts the wall, skull cracking.
'I don't want to die!'
'I can't leave my sisters like this!'
'I made too many promises! And I haven't even touched upon any of them!'
'So please! Let me get out of here!'
All of these thoughts race through his mind, and just as the ceiling starts to collapse above him, something happens. Something so different, so alien, that Jaune could barely believe his eyes. The wall in front of disappears in a flurry of white light, an ethereal figure forming. It was oddly feminine, long strands of beautiful rainbow colored hair shining. His hand that was outstretched to punch the wall was grabbed by its hand, and he feels himself be yanked into the embrace of the figure. The last thing he sees is all the colors of the rainbow, a gentle voice whispering in his ear.
"Why don't you become ours? Become our precious possession and quite possibly, their guardian? We have nothing but time…" The embrace of the ethereal figure was warm, inviting, and so gentle, that Jaune couldn't help but be calmed. The figure speaks once more, but this time, it sent a slight shiver up his spine. "…time that will be spent with us…."
And that was the last thing Jaune heard before his consciousness faded into the glorious colors in his mind.
An unknown amount of time
A cool breeze was the first thing he felt as consciousness returned to him. He groans, the breeze cool but pleasant. The salty smell of the ocean tickles his nose and he shifts. His eyes snap open. Breeze? The smell of the ocean? He jumps to his feet, wincing in pain as his head throbbed painfully. His vision swims, the warm glow of sun peeking through his eyelids. He waits for a few seconds, the pain in his head fading slowly and within a minute, he was able to open his eyes. The glow of sunlight warms his soul and his body, stumbling forward on oddly liquid legs. He was in a small cave, the rock a dark black. The sunlight was peeking through thick vines, their bright green leaves swaying in the wind. He pushes through the vines, eyes sparkling at the other side.
He walks out, standing on a small alcove next to a vast, bright sparkling ocean. Its blue waves rolling and churning calmly looking ever so inviting. Jaunes mind was racing. He was near an ocean? That shouldn't be possible….The nearest body of water to his families home was the lake about 5 miles away. And that lake wasn't even a mile long, nor a mile wide! The ocean was hours away, so how was he next to the ocean?
As he stands there, his blue eyes sparkling and his mind racing, the memory of the…being comes to his thoughts. He turns around looking back into the cave, half expecting to see the enchanting light once more but nothing shines through.
He looks around, the rock beneath him wet with the spray of the ocean, and he looks around. The alcove was connected to a small beach, the white sand sparkling. He doesn't know why, but he starts walking toward the beach. His legs carried him to the sparkling sands, his shoes barely gripping. He looks around, hearing the sounds of insects and a bright flash of green causes him to look behind him.
Blades of tall grass sway in the wind, his footsteps quiet and crunchy as he walks out of the sand and onto solid rock. He gasps lightly, his throat hurting but he could care less about that. In front of him was quite possibly the greenest plain he had ever seen. Tall green grass swayed, rolling hills and beautiful unknown flowers, insects chirping and buzzing. It was surreal, it was beautiful, it was…alien. Jaune didn't know why but the very air around him felt…different. It felt free, not as restrictive, nor was there any deep unsettling chill in the air from the constant Grimm presence.
The sun started to set behind him, Jaune notices turning around. And there a deep pit of fear settles. As the sun sets, the moon rises behind it. But this moon wasn't the cracked fragments that he knew….No this moon was whole and so much larger. It deep craters a dark grey, its surface shining.
Jaune couldn't speak but one thought passed through his mind. 'Where the fuck am I?'
He knows that his mother would've slapped him if she heard his thoughts, but he could care less. He was in an unknown place, the moon was complete and something had changed within him. He hears something from behind him, something that sounded like voices?
They were soft, light and airy, and for some reason, he runs. His legs hurt, his chest rose with hot and heavy breathes but he ran and ran until he arrived at the cave he awoke in. He turns around staring at the vines, hoping the voices didn't get closer. His heart was like a sledgehammer, its pumps shattering his ears and rattling his bones. He…wants to go home. He wants to go home. He wants to see his family. He wants to see his town. He wants to go home. And as if the universe heard his answer, his ears are assaulted by static.
He covers them, fingers clenching in pain. His eyes dart around, the ground beneath him shaking and cracking. He watches in mute fascination as crystals grow out of the ground, their smooth shining forms cracking and reforming. The static ends, Jaune pulling his hands away from his ears. The crystals had formed a large natural crown, their silicon skin shining like a rainbow. Jaune couldn't find the words as his eyes sparkle in amazement. His exhaustion fading away at the warm glow of the crystals, feeling the urge to walk closer. He hears the voices get closer and closer, and he takes one step into the crystal crown. And his world was engulfed in beauty and soft music.
He closed his eyes and his nose is assaulted, the smell of the ocean being replaced with the smell of forest. The soft birds singing in morning light, insects chirping and the sounds of someone yelling his name echoed in his ears. Jaune opens his eyes faster than light, cave walls surrounding him. The crystal crown was behind him, soft glow warm and inviting. The cave walls was lined with the same beautiful crystals, Jaune ignoring it in favor of the voice calling his name. He runs out of the cave, legs carrying him to the voice.
Trees pass him in a blur, the voice quickly becoming Joans. He runs through a large bush, his twin sisters crying face whipping to him. He stares at her mud and blood on his face. His eyes water, Joans doing the same, and he opens his mouth to say her name. His throat clenches as pain bringing sobs escape, soft 'ahhs' 'joaee' and other likewise noises. He doesn't get to make much more noise, as Joan literally tackles him to the ground crying openly.
He doesn't push her off nor does he hug her back, simply enjoying her presence. He hears other footsteps, voices crying his name in happiness. He closes his eyes, consciousness slowly fading and the last thing he thinks.
'Oh...She used my shampoo again…'
1 year later
Jaune stared at the cave he awoke in nigh a year ago. Its mouth had been covered in tall growing vines, but Jaune could feel the warm feeling in his chest grow as he stared at it. Since that day he wondered if that was all just a dream. The strange world, the strange beings, the ethereal being? Was it all just a vivid dream during his panic? Or was it fact as he could remember the exact sight of it all. He sighs lightly tucking his hands into his pocket, and turning away. He walks through the forest. Coming into the field with the boulder. His family stood next to the boulder speaking to his grandfather who had come to visit for a few awhile. He sees his mothers eyes tracing the surroundings before landing on him. Her shoulders drop a fraction of an inch, hand tapping his twins shoulder. Joans face darts to him, worry stretched across it and Jaune sighs.
A full year since the incident and his family still watched his every move. It took them 5 months to let him leave the house without one of his sisters or mother tagging along. It was suffocating if he was being honest. His other sisters see him and nod to each other, Joan dashing from their huddle. She crosses the space between them in record speed.
"Jaune! Where were you?!"
He smiles at his twin, the sight of it easing her worries. "I remembered a few flowers that I passed a year ago and went to see if I could find them. I didn't sadly…"
"What if something happened to you?" Joan stutters out. Jaune smiles at her, sticking out his hand for her to grab. Joan does so without second thought, her hand gripping his as if he would disappear when she let go.
"JoJo….I'm fine. Ok?"
She doesn't answer and after a few seconds she nods. He smiles at her and she smiles back, and they walk hand in hand to their family. Their father sees them smiling at them, their grandfather doing the same.
"Well if it isn't my favorite pair of twins!" George Verdun cries out, his heavy accent hard to understand. It was gruff but smoother than butter to Jaune, the two of them grinning up at their grandfather. George Verdun was their mothers father, his once black hair going grey giving him salt and pepper for a head. He had a clean shaven face, deep brown eyes, and an angular face that screamed southern Mistralian. He reaches down to hug them, Joans nose wrinkling at his smell. Jaune however found it oddly pleasing, the slight smell of oil, and powder.
The man stands up grinning to them. "So…which one of you is going first?" The twins look at each other in confusion. Their mother, Amelia, smacks her fathers shoulder black hair bouncing lightly. "Papa! We haven't told them yet." George made an 'oh' face, their father Jack Arc, grinning lightly.
"Well then…No need to dilly dally. Go ahead and explain why we are out here." Their fathers bright golden hair shined, his smile brighter than the sun. Their sisters agree, and George smiles. "Alright, alright."
He bends down to their level, giving them a smile. "Now then…what do you 2 know about the Verdun family?" Joan blinks at their grandfather, face beset with a frown. Jaune however, openly shrugs and George laughs.
"Well then…The Verduns have been around for a long time and during our long history, we have had one common trait amongst our members. And that is…"
Their eldest sister, Cynthia, snickers from the side. Her bright blue eyes and dark black hair a stark constrast. She was wearing an Atlas military inform. "…an insatiable love for food?"
George deadpans at this. He coughs into his hand, smiling lightly at her jab. "That and our family is well known for being…..sharpshooters."
"Sharp…
"…Shooters?"
Jaune and Joan ask, confusion evident. George nods. "Sharpshooters. Men and women who have shown great accuracy for projectile weapons of all kinds and shapes. In the beginning, it was spears and bows. And then cannons and single shot rifles. And so one and so forth. The Verduns have always had a good eye for accuracy and each new child born into the line is tested. Your mother was tested…."
At this Amelia nods at them. "She failed." George is slapped upside the head by his daughter. The man continues. "Your sisters were tested." Joan and Jaune look at their gathered sisters, seeing them nod and Jaune notices something. "That's why none of you have a gun! You guys can't shoot for shi-"
He is silenced by Joan who realized what he was going to say. Jaune pales at his mothers face, coughing lightly and letting his grandfather continue. The man was chuckling. "Inherited your mouth did he?" Their mother blushes and 'huffs' in annoyance. George continues.
"As you pointed out, none of your sisters have the 'Verdun eye' and so by tradition it is your turn to try."
At this, Jaune and Joan start vibrating in excitement. Joan allowed her mouth to grin, Jaune however smiled lightly hiding the odd feeling in his chest. Their grandfather nods and their sisters disperse, a white table set up behind them. On the table was a rifle, its cherry wood stock shining. A small bolt handle stuck out of the receiver, and next to the rifle was a scope. A box of ammunition set next to the rifle and they walk over. Their grandfather picks up the rifle, its small size almost comical in his hands. "This is the rifle, I was taught to shoot with. This is the rifle my father was taught with and his father." He bends down allowing Joan and Jaune to touch it. As soon as Jaune does however, he feels a jolt of electricity. He jumps lightly, his mouth set in a grin. George smiles and nods. "Well then, while your sisters set up a few targets, I'll teach you the basics."
And with that simple declaration, Jaunes life veered to a completely new direction.
15 minutes later
After a quick crash course, Joan was up first. She puts in her earplugs and safety glasses, and grabs the rifle. She was sitting in a chair, the rifle resting on the table. Jaune watches as their grandfather adjusts her arms and hands before nodding and giving her a thumbs up. And with that, Joan takes aim and pulls the trigger. Jaune was expecting a loud bang, but instead got a small firecracker.
'22s have never been very loud. Which is why they are very popular for beginning shooters and recreational shooters.'
Jaune blinks at this tidbit of information. How did I know that? He questions himself, completely missing Joans failure at hitting the target. After a few minutes of shooting and missing completely, to the annoyance of Joan and frown on Georges face. George stops her, smiling at her. Joan looked ready to cry and he placates her. "Don't worry darling, we can give it another go later. How about we give your brother a chance, neh?" Joan nods and gets out of the chair, Jaune taking her spot.
Jaune doesn't know what takes over him, but he grabs the rifle and maneuvers it so that it was comfortable. George looks at Jaunes form in surprise but nods. "Nice form." Jaune looks around, looking at the target and he nods. "I'm going for the glass bottle on the right."
George nods and says. "Let it rip."
Jaune aims and after a few seconds, pulls the trigger. Jaune smiles when he hits his target, hearing his grandfather 'beuh?' behind him. His mother seeing the surprise on her fathers face, asks. "Did he miss?"
"No. He didn't miss." He turns to one of his granddaughters. "Lapis? Dearie? Can you go and grab the bottle Jaune just shot at. Bring the tab as well."
Lapis, nods, the middle child of the sisters dashing forward in great speed. Lapis, as her name suggests, had deep blue hair and bright green eyes. She was the runner of the family, her semblance allowing her to run at extreme speeds for a short time. The slight blue blur of lapis appears next to the bottle target, and she reappears next to their grandfather with an odd look to her face.
"Here you go grandpa. The only thing I could find was the bottle cap."
Her voice was light an airy, but it held a slight coolness to it. George thanks her and grabs the 2 items, eyes widening slightly and whistling lowly. He looks to Jaune. "Did you mean to hit this?"
Jaune blinks in surprise. "Yes. Was I not supposed too?" He sounded almost sad at the prospect of doing something wrong.
George shakes his head frantically. "You're fine, little one. I'm just surprised that you hit it on purpose."
Amelias and Jack walk up, looking in Georges hand. They balk lightly and Amelia gasps. "Oh my…"
There in Georges hand was the bottle cap belonging to the glass bottle in his other hand. And right in the middle of the bottle cap was a perfect hole, absolutely perfect in its distance from each side. The sisters look at it in surprise, Joan 'ooing' at Jaunes apparent accuracy. Jaune preens a little and blinks when his grandfather looks at him.
"Can you do it again?"
Jaune nods with a big grin on his face and he takes aim with the rifle. 5 shots later, 5 exact copies of the first bottle cap sit on the table. The family was in shock and awe. Jaune could shoot. Jaune continued shooting, each target hit a bulls eye or close to one. And with each hit, Georges grin would grow and grow. After Jaune exhausted the final box of ammo, he turns to his family.
"Did I do good?" He asks, and he is swept off of his feet by George. The man had one of largest grins he had ever seen. George turns and looks to the family, smiling. "I think the Verdun eye had returned."
And with that, Jaune knew his life had changed.
5 years later
Jaune stares down at his hands, eyes trailing each and every single cut and callus. It had been 6 years since the 'incident' as his family would call it, and 5 years since he discovered his…talent. After his first introduction to shooting, he quickly found out that he was proficient with nigh every weapon put into his hands. Projectile weapons, he clarifies in his head. He was accurate, he knew them like the back of his hand, and it didn't matter the time period. He sighs and leans into the chair he was sitting in. Above him a bright light flickers lightly before calming. The ceiling was made of dark rock, and so was the walls and the floor. Jaune chuckles, and looks around. After the discovery of his talent with shooting, his grandfather quickly took him under his wing and taught him everything he knew about guns and the like. He went to camp after camp, class after class. Hunting class, fishing class, first aid class, hell his grandfather knew an old sniper that taught him how to…well snipe!
It got to the point that even the Atlas military was looking to recruit him for their Cadet programs, but that was quickly shut down by his mother and father.
He chuckles, standing up in his….hidey hole as his sisters called it, the cool air was pleasant. He walks away from a little worktable, tools and parts to guns scattered about its surface and exits a thick steel door. Bright sun hits his eyes, blinding him momentarily before his eyes adjusted. The ever familiar mountain near his family's home looms behind him, a dirt path leading into the forest, its ground being worn due to being walked upon. He takes a breath, the sweet forest air feeling his lungs. He turns to the entrance of his club house. A few years after discovering his talent, he had quickly filled his room with books, tools, weapons of all shapes a sizes; to the horror of his mother; and he barely had room to sleep. So his family had graciously gave him the family garage to use as a little workshop.
Graciously meaning, the garage is his as long as he cleans it and repairs the weapons for his family. He took the deal and he moved all his tools, books and everything related to his newly discovered talent to the garage.
After that, he secretly returned to the cave he had awoken in all those years ago and decided to make it into a…mini club house. He stored certain dangerous materials there, and did a lot of shooting there. He was mainly there to hopefully, return to that beautiful place and prove to himself that he wasn't hallucinating.
But that….that was years ago. He had returned to that place, he had explored that place, learning things and seeing things no one on Remnant had ever seen! But that was for a later time. He walked down the path, passing through the field of grass, the family manor coming into view. He blinks lightly, seeing a delivery van pull away, large wooden crates sitting on front steps. His twin sister was there, reading a piece of paper with a shocked expression.
Jaune rubs his head, humming in confusion. Had he ordered anything? Joan sees him, and runs over. She glomps him, paper flying into the air. "Brother! Back from your club house?" He hugs her back chuckling. "You saw me this morning you know. And yes." She pulls back and gives him a look. He laughs scratching the back of his head, and he looks at the wooden crates.
"Who are they for?" Joan blinks, taking a step back. She makes an 'oh' noise, shrugging in place causing certain things to jiggle. Jaune blushes and Joan grins teasingly at him. "See something you like, dear brother O' mine?"
He looks away, mumbling something about packages and annoying twins. Joan smiles and says. "The packages are for you. They are from grandpa. Apparently, he was able to make good on a promise."
At that, Jaunes head whips to the wooden crates so fast, Joan swears he had broken his neck. He runs over to the crates, opening the first one grinning at the sight. Joan looks in the crate, eyes widening and her mouth dropping. "Is that…"
"Yep." Jaune grins. He looks at her and smiles. "Don't say a word about this to mom." He looks back to the crates.
"These are being stored at my club house."
Joan was still staring in shock at the contents of the crate. Jaune closes the crate and reattaches the top. He snaps his finger in front of Joans face, causing her to jerk out of her shock. "How…" She begins. "How…did he get his hand on those?"
Jaune shakes the head at that, smiling lightly. "That's not the question to ask." He waves his hand and claps it twice. After that, the sound of gears and machines fill their ears and Jaune and Joan walk into the house. They were quietly speaking to each other, and come across their father. He was frowning to himself and looking over a few papers. He looks up, smiling lightly at them and after a few seconds he speaks.
"Jaune! Joan! How goes your day on this fine spring day?"
They shrug lightly. "I finished repairing the rifles for the wall guards. Other than that, nothing except keeping inventory and doing some renovations." Jaune answered with a lull to the end. They stare at him for a few seconds, raising an eyebrow at the word 'renovations'. Their father looks to Joan. She jumps lightly, smiling softly. "I finished the homework for the week, and have started on the training regime from Big sister Eleanor."
Jack smiles at them, and to their surprise his smile is quickly replaced with a frown. He looks at the papers in his hands before looking at them. The frown catches their attention, Joan frowning. "What's wrong papa?"
Jack looks conflicted for a second before sighing. He shows them the papers, Jaune glancing at them over Joans shoulder. It was a map of the area near the town, and an unknown distance away, was a giant black spot that spanned the width of the paper. Joan raises an eyebrow at it, not hearing Jaune gasp softly. "A giant ink blot? That's what has you worried."
"That's not a ink spot." Jaune whispers. Jack nods and together they say.
"That is a horde of Grimm."
Joan stills, Jaune gulping lightly.
"And I'm taking a guess that they are heading this way?" Jaune questions softly, hand clenching. Jack nods grimly.
"The horde was detected this morning, and is a Class 2. By appearances and local wildlife cameras, the horde is mainly consisted of Beowolves and Creeps. But the size of the horde is…odd and worrying."
The twins raise a nervous eyebrow at that.
"How so?" They ask in unison. Jack laughs at that before his face turned serious. "The horde is too…too…organized. They aren't just running towards us, they are running at us in formation. And Grimm don't just do that…"
"Alpha?" Jaune whispers lowly, Jack hears him and nods slowly. "That's the only logical idea but where is it? The cameras didn't see anything looking like an Alpha but we can't be sure. Either way…" He looks to Jaune.
"You know your job."
Jaune nods in acceptance, pulling out a scroll. He types away at it and nods.
"The rifles are being delivered as we speak. As well as ammunition, mines, bombs, and various other goodies." Jaune puts away the scroll, face serious. "How long?"
"2 days until first contact." Jack answers a grim frown. Joan looks between them, and nods. "How can I help?"
"The wall is preparing for the siege as we can. The mines shall be placed at 300M, 200M, and 100M away from the walls in all directions. Between them shall be spikes and other ways to slow them down. Joan…"
His daughter straightens her back at his voice, blue eyes steeling themselves. "Help the guardsman spread the news and try to keep negativity down. If you can help people move supplies to the bunker. You're good at rallying people."
She nods, giving Jaune a comforting shoulder hug. He returns the gesture, watching as she leaves the house in a dead sprint. After a few minutes, Jaune nods and starts to walk out.
"Jaune! Wait!"
His fathers voice cuts off his walk, Jaune turning around and raising an eyebrow at him. His father waves him over. "Come over here son. I need your opinion on something."
Jaune walks over. Looking at the map in his fathers hands, he raises an eyebrow. The map had the town, their family homes, with the natural land being outlined. "What's needed?"
His father pointed to the town. "We are lucky that the town is surrounded by plenty of natural barriers. The forest surrounds us on all sides, intermittent with rivers and hills from the mountains to our backs. But I have an odd feeling about the mountains."
Jaune raises an eyebrow at that. "Why? Last I remember the last thing saw on those mountains, were some Billy goats. That and there are few places the Grimm could actually get through. So what's the worry?"
Jack hums lightly and points at the mountains. Jaune looks at the place he was pointed at and he tilts his head confused.
"Fortress? We have a fortress in the mountains?"
"Yep. Been there for years. It was made decades before the Great War and its lasted rather well for its age." He pulls out another map from his back pocket, bringing it it to the table. It was a detailed drawing of the mountains, with the now revealed fortress being highlighted in green with apparent enemy forces charging up a….somewhat cleared part of the mountain?
"Oh." Jaune whispers in slight fear.
"Yeah." Jack whispers. He turns to Jaune, and points to it. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Plant enough bombs to blow up that half of the mountain?" Jaune asks. Jacks sweatdrops.
"Do we even have enough for that?" Jaune hums, bringing his hand to his chin. "Probably not but we can try." After a few minutes Jack hums and looks to Jaune with a big frown.
"Do you think…you could hold that section of the mountain?"
Jaune looks at him with surprise in his eyes. His father…wanted him to hold a section by himself? He…one of his precious children? Jaune looks into his fathers eyes, looking for some hidden joke but he finds none. Jaune whistles. "Hooo…Something has you spooked…."
Jack doesn't answer, eyes looking for an answer. Jaune sighs in trepidation. His father knew the answer before he had to ask. Jaune knew the answer as well. "Yeah. As long as I get some help setting up some machine gun emplacements, some help setting mines and bombs around and in the fortress. I should be able to hold it, as long as nothing big decides to show up."
Jack nods. "I'll do you one better. You can have a 1/3 of the knight garrison to use." Jaune widens his eyes. "Really? You won't be using them for the defense?"
"We hashed out a deal with the company. They sent us 150 of their MPK's, and we will be using 1/3 for the defense, 1/3 for evacuation, and the last 1/3 was back up. But since we found this out," Jack points to the map. "They can be used for that."
Jaune nods and they stare at the map with unreadable expressions. Jack puts his hand on Jaunes shoulder, his grip tight, Jaune pats the hand reassuringly and walks away giving him a wave. "Don't count me dead yet old man. I still haven't had my first kiss yet!"
Jack smiles lightly, looking at his sons retreating back. When Jaune leaves his view, he frowns and starts shaking lightly. "May the brothers have mercy on our souls." As he says this, a quiet giggle reverberates through the air, unheard to him.
2 days later. ETA until first contact: 3 hours
Jaune takes a deep breath, the mountains cold air filling his lungs. The mechanical noise of the knights make him smile, the robots moving the last bit of ammunition and explosives to their places. He shifts in place, the rifle on his chest bouncing lightly. He looks down at it, smiling at its wooden furniture. He lifts it to his shoulder fiddling with the bolt of it. The rifle in his hand was one with a long history. It was the last iteration of a rifle used from before the Great War up until about 30 years ago. No4 Mk1 Lee Enfield was the rifles designation. He smiles at the rifle, taking out the magazine out of it and staring at shiny rounds.
Chambered in .303B, named after the man who designed the round, it was a strong bullet, well suited for the ranges he was about to fight. He puts the magazine back in the rifle with a satisfied click and jumps lightly at the sound a light breathing behind him. He turns, smiling lightly at his father. He had his ever familiar metal armor on, the white metal shining in the sun. The families ancestral sword was on his hip, the blade sharp as the day it was made.
Jack walks up to him, smiling at the sight of Jaune. His son had his rifle ready and pouches full. The combat boots on his feet were covered in light mud from the morning dew, his uniform wrinkled but comfy.
"How you doin' son?" He asks. Jaune smiles and turns to the downward slope of the mountain. The sight of the gun emplacements, and various fields of barbed wire eases his nerves lightly.
"We're doing fine. The bots are placing the final bombs at the fortress and the mountain pass. We'll be ready within the hour." Jack jolts lightly at a piece of info he didn't expect. "You're putting bombs at the mountain pass? That'll cut off your escape route."
His son gives him a sad smile, Jack shaking his head. "Jaune, order them to take them down now." Jaune doesn't say a word. "Jaune!" Jack yells.
Jaune finally answers. "There's a damn good chance I'm going to die here. And if I die, I will not let them through this mountain. If the Grimm push us to the fortress and are about to overrun us, I will blow the pass. It'll stop them cold for awhile. Long enough for you to get everybody out."
"That won't happen." Jack says, resolute in his own words. Jaune chuckles lightly. "How about you guys?"
Jack answers after a few seconds. "The wall is ready. The bombs are ready. The guns loaded and the men itchy. They thank you for the ammunition you made. It'll serve us well." Jaune snickers at that. "It'd better. That's my whole supply." They watch in silence as the clouds roll by lazily.
"What about the others?" Jaune asks, hands clenching. Jack looks at him and asks. "Your mother and younger sisters are already in the bunker. She keeps asking where you and your sister are." Jaune smiles and relaxes. He looks at his father. "And Joan?"
"Joan is….guarding the bunker. She keeps asking when you're going to make it." Jaune sighs and takes a deep breath, his eyes watering. He pulls out a picture of the family, staring at it. His father stares at it as well, looking to Jaune. "Did you say anything to them?" He asks.
Jaune shakes his head. "No. I told them that I would be reloading the guns for you guys. In the back end of the wall at least." Jack raises an eyebrow. "You lied." Jaune nods. "Yep."
Jack looks to the sky, eyes soft and hard. "Son…I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't think you could do it."
"I know." Jaune whispers. Tears were streaming down his face now. "It's just….hard not to shake you know? Hard not to think of the good times." He looks to his father, Jack feeling his heart shatter at his sons face. "Is it okay to be scared? Is it okay that the only thing I want to do is bury myself in a hole and never come out?"
Jack hugs him and runs his head through his hair. "It's okay to be scared. It's okay if you want to hide. Just take a deep breath and let it all out." Jaune doesn't and breaks the hug. He starts chuckling, wiping the tears away with his sleeve.
"Look at me…I have no time to be scared. I have no time for tears. I can't hide. If I do, my home will fall and that shall not happen." He stands tall and walks over to a large rock overlooking the mountain. He looks to his father, his tear stained face shining lightly.
"You need to get out of here. Those men need you for support and I need to focus." His father takes a step toward him, stopping when he turns around to look at mountain below him. He hears his father choke back a sob and say. "I love ya son."
He smiles at the sky. "Love you too old man. Now get outta here before I shoot you." He hears his fathers footsteps and after a few he yells. "Oi!"
He knows his father had turned around without seeing it. "For what it's worth, you were the best dad I could ever have. That and I'm…I'm sorry for everything."
"You have nothing to be sorry for.." He hears his father whisper before walking away. Jaune grins at that and waits 5 minutes to speak again.
"Ok you hunks of metal and bolts!"
The knights in ear shot turn to him. He grins at them. "I don't know if you understand what I mean when I say this but I can't think of a better group of machines to die with! I really can't…you're it. So…." He grabs his rifle in one hand and thrusts it into the air.
"Let's show these Grimm what a welcome party really is and that they messed with the wrong motherfucking town!"
He roars the last part and to his surprise the knights do the same, their metallic voices scratchy and fragmented but just as loud. He smiles and turns to the mountain pass, nodding to himself.
Jaune waits with bated breath, his rifle on the sandbags in front of him. The knights were in their positions, weapons in hand, their cold metal optics staring at the slope. A knight near him has a detonator in hand, thumb over a bright red button. Jaune pulls a large scope out from a pouch and sets to attaching it to his Enfield. A few minutes pass and the droid just below him on an old maxim beeps out. "Contact."
Jaune aims his rifle, the sight of a juveniles Beowulf at the base of the slope. It was lightly armored, and alone. He loads a round, the weapon clicking as the bolt is pushed down. The Beowulf sniffs the air, looking up the slope either not seeing them or not caring, and it howls. Jaune feels the ground shake, and his heart falls. A literal army of Grimm march from the trees and rocks.
"Holy..shit..His hunch was right." Jaune whispers.
Ursa, Creeps, Beowulves, and even juvenile Deathstalkers walk in tandem, their black forms and howls deafening. Jaune winces lightly when he hears distant gunfire and explosions. The Grimm weren't advancing up the slop; they were..waiting for something. He waits, finger on the trigger and he sees what they were waiting for.
A floating black Grimm, its forms like a bowling ball with tentacles. It waved its tentacles and the Grimm start their slow march up the slope and Jaune slowly aims at the odd Grimm. It turns and it must've seen his scope glint cause it unleashes a horrifying screech which is then answered by a rifle round blowing it in half.
The Grimm roar in anger and charge the slope, the bodies unending. Jaune holds his hand up, whispering lightly. "Wait for it…" They get closer and closer, the first lines of explosive being passed. "Wait for it.." The second line was passed, their howls reaching his ears with clarity, and as the first Beowulf reaches the third line of explosives Jaune yells. "Now!"
The knight with the detonator pushes it and the ground shakes with the enough force to shake him to his bones. Plumes of fire and shrapnel tear the ranks of Grimm to shreds, their black ichor raining onto them. The knights at the guns needed no orders and begun to shoot into the swarm, bullets shredding flesh and bone. Jaune lets his rifle roar, well placed shots taking out the larger of the Beowulves.
The sound of the machine guns rattle him, but his blood….his blood….was HOT! His blood was hot with the thrill of it all, a deep grin taking over his face and his shooting becomes faster and faster. He loads his rifle the stripper clips falling to the ground, the Grimm so close he could feel their breath.
A Beowulf is ended when its head is impaled by his bayonet, Jaune ripping the scope off of his rifle. The knight were fighting as well, their metal bodies and weapons roaring and cutting. The Grimm did not relent either and for every 100 they lost, they word take the knights with them. Jaune seeing the position would quickly be overrun yells. "Retreat to the second line!"
The knights in earshot beep their acceptance, vaulting barrier and dashing up the slope. Jaune follows them, firing behind him. They reach the second line, a large trench dug out with more gun emplacements that are quickly used to cull the still charging Grimm. He touches the communicator in his ear. "Begin the mortaring! Danger close for the second line!"
He receives his answer from a metallic voice. "Acknowledged." The sound of thick 'thump' overtakes his ears, explosions ripping the Grimm to shreds. A juvenile Deathstalker was ripped in half from a mortar shell, its screech ear piercing. Jaune watches a knight get picked up and ripped in half, its robotic voice yelling out. "Grenade!" It pulls a grenade and hugs the Ursa, taking it with it in a fiery explosion. The Grimm were still coming and Jaune curses when he has to beat a creep to death with his rifle. He loads it and orders another retreat to the fortress. The leftover knights run up the slop, throwing grenades behind them and to his satisfaction , the Grimm were dumb enough not to dodge. They reach the fortress, Jaune slinging his Enfield in favor of a shotgun leaning against a metal door. He grabs it racking a shell into the chamber, the visible hammer on the back cocked and ready.
The knights continue the fighting, the final machine gun emplacements unleashing hell. Jaune lets off a shot, the 00 buckshot destroying a Creeps arm. It screeches and jumps at him, a knight slamming it into the ground with a hammer. Jaune smiles, pumping the shotgun and continuing his onslaught. He doesn't see the Beowulf swinging its hand at him. It impacts the side of his head, nearly ripping it off. The force of it launches him into the nearby wall, blood escaping his lips.
He shoots the Beowulf, its chest caving from the shell and stands to his feet dazedly. Blood runs down the back of his head, and he stumbles forward. The blurry form of a Creep charges him, an Ursa smashing it into the ground. The shotgun points true in his hand, taking a chunk out of its shoulder. This does nothing to deter its charge and another shell into its head stops it dead, its massive bulk rolling and crushing a Creep that was sneaking up behind me.
Jaune loads 4 more shells, and looks around. The fighting had slowed the last of the knights ending the last of the Grimm, their metal forms covered in dirt and black ichor. The fading bodies of the Grimm was causing the visibility to lessen and after a minute it had cleared.
"Huh…" Jaune mutters walking to a nearby door. He opens it, the sight of the stone walls causing him to smile. He closes the door, the remaining knights stomping over to him. 20 of them were left, the weapons in their hands muddy and bent in places. He coughs lightly, bringing his hand to his head and looking at the blood on his hand.
"Load the guns and get ready for another assault. We don't know if that was the last of them." Jaune orders. The knights salute and run off to begin preparations. Jaune finds a nearby rock to rest, a deep body shaking sigh escaping his body. The sound of gunfire from his home hadn't lessened, if anything it had increased.
Jaune jumps in his skin when a horrible screech pierces his ears and he turns. A Nevermore was swooping towards him, he ducks under its talons, the avian Grimm swooping above the fortress. It is quickly brought down by a well placed bullet from one of the knights. Jaune nods in thanks to it, and walks around. The fortress was holding strong, its stone walls filled with claw marks and bullets indents.
The ground shakes violently, Jaune stumbling around. He runs to the edge of the downward slope, looking down. His eyes widen in fear, fully grown Deathstalkers were skittering up the slop, their legs getting great traction on the rock and dirt mix. They open fire, the bullets bouncing off of their bone armor. Black blood did spurt out of the holes that the bullets made purchase too, the pain forcing the Deathstalkers to charge faster. There are 3 of them, Jaune realizes the first one reaching the fortress with its legs scraping.
A 00 buckshot meets its face, the bone armor cracking lightly but holding. It screechs, swinging its claw at him. He ducks, unleashing another shell at its face and to his glee, one of the pellets hits one of its many eyes. It screams in pain, tail lashing out , the glowing appendage gauging the dirt. A nearby knight, runs at it and jumps in the air a large claymore in its hand.
Jaune widens his eyes when the knight is kicked in the back by another, its form a blur the claymores blades pointing down. And with a mechanical scream, the knight plunges the claymore through the skull of the 1st Deathstalker. It releases it dying scream, its body already fading into dust. The knights pat their shoulders, the sight odd in Jaunes eyes but he's jolted from the odd sight when the 2nd Deathstalker makes its presence known by smacking the knights away with a bat of its tail. More howls make their way to Jaunes ears and to his horror, another waves of Grimm were charging up the hill. Much smaller than the last but far more than they could deal with at the current time.
He starts unleashing shell after shell into the horde, screaming into the communicator.
"Blow the pass! Blow the god-damn pass! We.." A shell blows a Beowulfs head from its shoulder. "…will…" A quick grab of the nearby claymore, slices a creep in 2. "…not…" An Ursa shoulder charges him, Jaune feeling a rib break and blood spurt from his lips. He retaliates by stabbing it in the eye with his bayonet, the great bear growling and lifting a paw. It drops dead when another 00 buckshot answers it, this time from another knight. Jaune stands to his feet.
"….let them pass!" He screams out finally. The knights that hear him, release their own robotic bellows. Charging into the horde. Before long, the horde was cut in half but the knights were….destroyed. Not a single one left to stop the Grimm from charging. They see Jaune and renew their efforts, the boy running into the fortress and shutting the door behind him.
They clash against the door, the metal straining and Jaune looks at his ammo. He didn't have near enough to kill them all. He smiles softly, pulling another detonator from his pocket. It was small, barely fitting in the palm of his hand. The red button gleamed brightly, the metal door, straining and bending just enough for Jaune to see the red eyes of the Grimm. He aims his shotgun, letting round after round into the horde a grim smile on his face. The weapon clicks empty seconds later, and he loads it again. The last of his shells and once it clicked empty once more he dropped it.
He pulls his rifle from his back, the familiar weight comforting. Rapid shots are placed into the horde but they do nothing to stop the door from finally breaking and the flood of Grimm breaking through. Jaune waits until they were close enough to feel their breath, firing every step of the way. And just as their claws reached him, he…pushes the button. Explosions rock the mountain side, louder than the very gun in the town. A great flash of light and indescribable heat washes over him, the last thoughts he has.
'I'm sorry guys. Looks like I'll be breaking a promise.'
And then nothing.
Unknown amount of time later
"Did anybody get the license on that truck that hit me?" Jaune mutters, his body aching lightly. At this he gasps and sits up the pain seemingly disappearing. He was alive? He pats his body, in shock, senses coming back with no pain or misalignments. He looks around, his memory fuzzy and welcoming. Dark rock cave walls? Check? The smell of salt water and the sound of rolling waves? Check. The beautiful sound of a the female from that day years ago, singing a lullaby in his head? New, but not different.
He stands to his feet, surprised at how solid he was feeling. He brings his hands to his face, clenching them and unclenching them. As he does this, a white light passes over them bringing a great warmth. He looks at his hands, the light coming back but it had changed. It now looked like shattered glass, the large crystalline energy looking shattered but whole. (Think of the Quantum Break powers.)
It fades and he couldn't bring it back after 5 minutes of trying. He looks around the sight of the warm sunlight peeking through thick thorny vines. He walks toward them, stopping in shock at what was leaning against the wall next to the exit/entrance. His shotgun and his rifle! He walks over to them, blinking lightly when the rifle was…different. It had a large scope and a cheek pad attached. He picks them up, inspecting them lightly and shrugs.
When he does this, his pockets feel heavier to his mounting confusion. He looks in his ammo pouches were full of ammo! He brings out the loose rounds for the rifle, looking at them in confusion. They were the same ones he loaded for the battle. He quickly loads the rifle, 10 pretty shiny rounds ready for action. The shotgun had a newly attached heat-shield and bayonet lugs, but other than that it was the same.
He quickly loads it, racking a round into the chamber. He smiles at the familiar weight of the weapons and takes a deep breath. He exits the cave, the sight of the calm ocean bringing back some memories. He looks to his left, the rocky path still there, but slightly larger. He walks down it, and after a few minutes, he reaches the plain from that day all those years ago. The grass was soft but high, small insects buzzing in the sun. The smell of the ocean and grass makes his chest tickle, and he smiles. He doesn't know how long he stands there in peace that he couldn't explain, when a rock hits him in the head. He jolts out of it lightly, looking around confusedly. Another rock hits his head, Jaunes head whipping back and forth in annoyance.
He finds the culprit or the lack of one, when he feels the earth shake and explode just over the hill in front of him. Rocks and dirt were falling to the ground, probably from the explosions or whatever was causing the ground to shake. He crouches and slowly makes his way over, his head poking over the hill to a scene he would never expect.
A being made of clouds firing arrows at beings with androgynous uniforms. The beings made of clouds looked oddly like the monks of the far north, a large one praying and smaller ones pulling back bows and launching arrows. The clouds they floated on looked comfortable, if anyone was asking. Jaune watches with curious eyes as the other beings, the androgynous ones jump over the arrows, swinging incredibly thin swords. There was 2 of them, one with beautiful deep golden hair that sparkled. The other had hair that sparkled like a diamond, the reflection causing him to avert his eyes.
After the flashes in his eyeballs disappear he continues watching. He was about 100 yards away, the grass giving him ample coverage. He brings his rifle up, quickly adjusting the scope and peeks through it. The4 fight was still going on, the cloud beings stopping the others from getting close.
Jaune raises an eyebrow. "They don't have any ranged weapons? Just those swords?" He mutters quietly, shifting lightly. He yanks a handful of grass from behind him, using it to cover the rifle lightly. He watches the fight for a few more seconds, when another flash of light catches his attention. He looks that way, increasing the magnification on the scope, and his breath catches in his throat.
There, sneaking out of the tall grass, was a smaller being. Stunning light greenish blue hair sits on its head, the same color eyes. Pale white skin like the doll his little sister played with, and dare he say, a button nose and button face, peaked out at the fight. It was a child! The face was highly feminine, so a girl he guessed. Jaune pulls the rifle closer to the shoulder eye darting between her and the fight, whispering lightly.
"Stay right where you are..Don't you dare try to help."
He prays to whatever was listening, that the girl heard him and he curses when she crawls closer eyes sparkling. He watches as she goes closer and closer, the others not noticing her. He goes back to watching the cloud beings, eyes widening when one of the smaller ones notice her and knock an arrow. It lets it fly, missing the other 2, but striking the child. Jaune expected blood and muscle, not the child breaking into crystals the same color of her hair. She cries out in shock, the other 2 turning around and screaming.
"Phos!"
Jaune puts his finger on the trigger, watching the cloud beings seemingly zero in on the shattered…Phos? They start to move closer, and Jaune takes aim. He pulls the trigger, the rifle unleashing its payload. The sound of the rifle firing stops all listening, the cloud beings all whipping their heads to them. One of the smaller ones heads disappear as the bullet hits, the other beings stopped in spot. Jaune continues firing, hitting the cloud beings heads. During this time, he yells over to the other 2.
"What are you waiting for! Get over there!"
They shake out of their shock and run over to the shattered Phos, quickly standing guard over her. Jaune fires the last of his shots, quickly loading a single round that had a bright blue tip. He shoots it at the large cloud being, the smaller ones heads reforming and staring towards him with dare he say, shock. The round impacts and after a few seconds, the larger beings head explodes. Giant ice crystals grow exponentially, their color a cooling blue. To Jaunes happiness, the cloud beings begin fading, their bodies slowly turning into small puffs of cloud.
Jaune keeps his rifle trained on the cloud beings until they fully faded, nodding to himself. He scopes over to the other beings loading a few rounds in precaution. Their faces were beset in shock, their white skin shining lightly.
He jumps in shock when something appears in front of him. It was a blank mask the color of night. No eye holes nor any decorations on its surface. The soft voice returns.
"Put it on. Approach those shall guard."
Jaune does as asked, not really knowing why. The mask fits comfortably on his face, Jaunes mouth dropping in surprise that he could see through it. If he was looking at the outside, he would see 3 blue lines stretch across it and shift into downward Vs. (Dead Space)
He stands up, the other beings jumping lightly. They draw their swords, Jaune slinging his rifle over his shoulder and brining the shotgun to bear. He walks forward until he was about 10 feet away, his eyes darting under the mask between the 3 beings in front of him. Now that he was closer, they were…oddly human in their appearance.
And they…were cute, Jaune blushes lightly. They had their swords pointed at him and after a minute of nothing, the one with yellow hair speaks.
"Who are you?"
Jaune doesn't answer, motioning with his shotgun toward the shattered Phos. When he does this, the one with diamond like hair gasps and turns around. "Phos! Are you okay!"
The shattered child named Phos, answers. "I'm fine." Her voice was soft and shy, but her eyes were solely trained on him. He sags lightly in relief, nodding toward her. Her eyes widen, her crystalline body shining in the sun. They stand in silence, the one next to Phos collecting her shards. She turns to look at the one with yellow hair and speaks.
"Yellow. Put your sword down. He helped us." She blinks and looks at him. "You are a..'He' right?"
She smiles when he nods affirmative, before looking at Phos. They start speaking softly, Jaune smiling underneath his mask. Something compels him to walk over to the shattered Phos, bending down so that he was crouched in front of her. The now named Yellow looks at him confusedly, and Jaune looks at the one gathering Phos's….shards?
He tilts his head in confusion at that, reaching out with his hand. The other 2 stiffen as his hand gets closer and they stare in shock when he flicks her head with his finger. He begins to speak, the mask making his voice sound like it was softer than feathers.
"You should be careful if you're going to be fighting little one. You may make your family sad if you..become shattered.."
Phos doesn't say anything, eyes sparking and she lifts the one arm not shattered and grabs his small hand in his his. Jaune shivers lightly at how…cool and smooth it was. Phos gasps a the feeling of his hand.
"So…soft….and warm…."
Jaune chuckles at that and stands to his feet. The voice was back this time, giggling and whispering to him like he was a dog. He could barely understand its voice, but he could understand. 'Time to leave..'
His eyes widen behind the mask as his body is covered in that familiar white shattered energy. Phos and the others staring at him in shock. She reaches her hand out to him and the last thing he hears was her asking for his name. He doesn't get the chance to answer, his vision swimming in darkness.
He wakes up, body aching lightly. His eyes open to dusty darkness, the site of rock and rubble above him confusing him. He looks to his left and right, the same thing on all sides. Bullet casings roll as he tries to move, finding himself little room to do so. Light flickers between cracks, voices echoing behind it. He hears a dog bark, a piece of rubble being moved. The relived face of a local militiaman greets him, the man turning around and yelling.
"Oi! He's over here! Bring a medic!"
The man looks at him, letting the dog that was barking pass. The golden retriever digs its way to him, its warm tongue licking his face. He pats its head and the man above him yells down. "Don't move! We'll get you out of there in a jiffy!" He moves away, the dogs warm body making him yawn. A slight burst of pain makes him winch, the dog whining and licking him. The pain stays for a minute, before fading and in its place…knowledge.
Knowledge of the world he just left. Basics of course but knowledge none the less. He sighs and smiles to himself, letting his body rest and his consciousness fade. The last thing he remembers is the dog barking andf the voice of his father.
"Jaune! Jaune!"
Chapter end.
Authors note: This…took some time. Writers block is unrelenting. Oh well, I hope you enjoyed. Leave a review if you wish. This is Luckyplains13, signing off.
