Hello again everybody. Here I am back with another chapter. Read away my friends.
"Jaune...Jaune...Wake up Jaune.." Jaune's eyes slowly opened, still tired from his battle with that mystery lady. He looked around without making any effort to get off the ground to see who was calling him.
"Who's there?"
"I am up here." Jaune looks up to see a female in a pink and gold dress, long blonde hair with a braid wrapping around her head. Her blue eyes stared at Jaune who was still on his back, his head a little foggy from the fight and his aura exhaustion.
"Are you...the one who..."
"Yes. I am the voice you have been hearing this whole time."
"I see." Jaune slowly got up from the ground, looking around at all rubble and devastation Shion was in. He looked down at his torso, putting his hand over the whole in his breastplate.
"How am I still alive? I was stabbed through the chest wasn't I?"
"Yes. Had it not been for my power, you most certainly would have died." Jaune wasn't sure he was following what she was saying.
"Your power? You healed me or something?"
"This whole time Jaune, I have been residing inside you. I am the overseer of this world and the creation of the God of Darkness." Wait a minute, the WHOLE TIME? Jaune thought about this as his eye's widened.
"So you were inside of me this whole time. THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP US? ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE DEAD AND WEISS..." Jaune looked around for the white haired princess finding nothing but dead bandits and civilians.
"WEISS! WHERE IS SHE?!"
"Calm down Jaune. Weiss is still alive but captured by the Spring Maiden." Jaune's expression turned from anger to complete shock. He froze as his thoughts started speeding back to the events that happened in Shion.
"No... The Spring Maiden is a leader of bandits? Weiss was kidnapped by the Spring Maiden? WHY DIDN'T YOU DO SOMETHING?! TELL ME!?"
"You think I sat there and did nothing?" Jaune had a baffled expression on his face, unsure of what she was talking about.
"Jaune, you are someone who has a noble and pure heart. You will put your life on the line to protect someone who you deeply care for. Yet you turned into a demon once the bandits attacked. When you saw others around you getting mercilessly cut down, you changed. You began killing them, everyone of the bandits. The reason you got like that in the first place, is because I am the one who made you like that."
"No..No I don't believe that."
"Even though what you felt inside you when the bandits attack was genuine anger, you would have never been able to bring yourself to kill them."
"So why couldn't I have defeated them without killing them."
"Simple, because its not what you wanted." A chill ran up Jaune's spine when he heard his answer.
"You wanted them dead, but your noble and righteous heart was stopping you from doing so. As such my Dark powers took you over and made you kill all those bandits." Jaune took a step back and looked downward at all of the bandits bodies around him. His face showing disbelief on it.
"You're saying I...I desired this?"
"...I am. Though I am one of the overseers of this world and I fight on the side of light, I am a creation of the God of Darkness and I have his power though a limited amount of it. The powers of Darkness do not change based on the side you fight on. It will always destroy, manipulate and cause nothing but despair for which ever side you use it on." Jaune fell on his knees and held his head with both his hands, still not believing anything she is saying.
"No...No that's not true."
"Jaune... Why do you think you acted so irrationally towards the bandits in a heartbeat? Why do you think when you amplified Weiss's aura using your own to summon that knight, the color of the knight was black?...Why do you think Weiss was trying to stop you from killing?" Jaune's eyes popped open when he heard the last question.
"It's because what she saw wasn't Jaune Arc. She saw a monster in the form of Jaune Arc. You couldn't control yourself when my powers surged through you so it completely took you over."
"I...I..." Jaune was at a loss for words. There was no way he could have desired such a thing. To hate someone so much that you would want them dead. It never even occurred to him that he could have felt something like that. He put his character was in question based on the overseers words and his actions. The overseer descended towards Jaune till she was leveled with him and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Jaune, just because you killed them doesn't make you a bad person. Your actions against them were used to protect others. Dark does not always have to be used for evil. Light does not always have to be used for good. Which side you are on is not based on the powers you have, its the choices you make." Jaune looked up at her as she smiled at him. Taking her words to heart, he got off of his knees and looked at the overseer who stood up with him.
"This is a lot to take in, but if you think I can pull it off, then I won't give up." The look in Jaune's eyes was the same look the he gave Ozpin when he was agreeing to set out on this mission.
"First we have to find Weiss though. You wouldn't happen to know where she is right?"
"As a matter of fact I do. My counterpart is with her right now. She is at a bandit camp, just a little ways from here. It is getting a little late though, Shouldn't you rest first?"
"No time. She is in the heart of enemy territory and she needs help. We have to free her as soon as possible besides, dark is the best time to strike." The overseer nodded and faded away leaving Jaune all by himself in the area.
"Remember Jaune, you are not alone. I'll always be here for you."
"Yeah...thanks."
Weiss slowly opened her eyes, her head still hurting from the hard hit that woman gave her from the hilt of her sword. Her body felt so drained of energy, her aura not back at 100 percent yet. She surmised this is due to the after effects of using two summons at once. She looked around and saw tents and three bandits next to her playing cards. She must be inside a camp of some sort and noticed bars all around her. She was in a cage, and torches were lighted up all across camp due to how dark it was getting. She layed there as she recalled the events that led to this point. Her and Jaune were dropped off at Shion, she met Jaune's siblings for the first time, they went to eat at his favorite restaurant, the town was attacked by bandits, and Jaune, he suddenly just...changed. He wasn't the same one she knew from school, He was completely different. They faught this mysterious woman who might have been the leader of the bandits and Jaune...Jaune... Weiss's eyes began to tear up as she finally remembered what happened to him. she put her arms over her eyes as she quietly sobbed, she had just lost someone who was very important to her. A dear friend but was also so much more. Now she is trapped inside a cage, to weak and tired to do anything. All she could hear was the laughter of the three bandits outside of her cage until she heard another person walking towards them.
"Hey! Is the girl awake yet?" A woman with brown short hair, a sleeveless vest and maroon pants
"Vernal?! I don't think she is." She stared down all three of them before walking up to Weiss's cage, who was still laying down with her arm covering her eyes.
"Hey, I know your awake in there." No response.
"Tell me what was a Schnee doing in the town of Shion?" Weiss still didn't respond.
"That's alright. You don't have to talk if you don't want to. Just know that we will be ransoming you back to the Schnee dust company for a nice hefty price. Your sword will be extra." She pulled out Weiss's Myrtanaster and slid two of her fingers across the blade. Weiss took her arm from over her eyes and sat up to look at Vernal, anger in her eyes. The one thing Weiss cared for a lot was her rapier.
"Oh? Did you want this back?" Vernal held it up towards Weiss, teasing her in the process.
"Well don't worry. It will be yours again as soon as they pay the price." Vernal laughed a bit before walking away, leaving just her and the three bandits who resumed playing their cards. Weiss looked back down, disgusted with not just the bandits but with herself as well for being so weak. She cursed the fact that she wasn't able to save the people of Shion and not being able to protect Jaune. Her mission was a complete failure in her eyes and now she is paying the price for that failure. No not just her, soon everyone will pay the price for her mistake and their isn't anyone to blame but her. She laid back down and stared up at the roof of the cage when she heard a familiar voice call her.
"Weiss, you haven't failed yet." Weiss shot up from the floor, looking around to see where it came from.
"Close your eyes Weiss." Weiss was very confused on what she was talking about but decided to do as she said and laid back down to close her eyes. Darkness took her over as she laid there waiting for something to happen. A bright light was lit from far away and someone was walking from that light towards where Weiss was. She looked on as the other got closer to her, the light fading when she was close enough to see her.
"You must press onward Weiss, hope is not lost." A female with a brown dress and blonde hair with yellow eyes spoke to Weiss and she was completely surprised by her appearance. She assumed this was the person speaking to her all this time, and was also the one who chosen her for this incredibly ridiculous task.
"Hope isn't lost? Just look at what happened. The person before us wasn't able to stop Salem. Jaune was killed and now im about to be ransomed back to my family. Not to mention that once I am back in Atlas, my father won't let me even set foot outside of the house. Then what happens to the mission? We have lost, not even a week into the mission and its already becoming futile." Weiss's eyes began tearing up again as she spoke.
"Weiss, you mustn't give up. You must fight until the end. As it stands, the end is not inevitable. You still have the power to prevent remnants untimely demise. Now all you need is the courage to see it through. You will not be on this path alone, I will be with you and so will Jaune."
"Jaune? He is dead. How is he suppose to be with me?"
"Jaune lives, and is on his way here as we speak." Weiss's eyes opened more after hearing this.
"He's...Alive?" Their was no way he could be alive. She saw him get stabbed in the chest, a pool of blood leaking under his body. She was sure if that blow didn't kill him then the blood loss would have. But if there was any hope that he was alive, Weiss would clutch on to that hope for dear life and not let go.
"Don't give up Weiss, never give up. Jaune would not want that. He would want you to push forward no matter how hard the situation is. You have to carry on, and I will be there for you." The overseer faded away as Weiss tried to get her to wait up but vanished as soon as she got to where the overseer was. Weiss opened her eyes, looking up at the metal cage roof and sat up to take a look around. The three bandits have moved away from her prison as all of the bandits inside the camp seem to be gathered around the center. It was to dark to tell as night had broken out but someone was in the middle of all of them. With all of them distracted however, It was finally her time to bust out of here. She wouldn't be able to fight without her Rapier, but at least she could still summon.
Jaune couldn't help but have an angry look on his face. All of the people surrounding him were bandits. The same one's who attacked Shion and had his family worried sick about him. He had over 40 missed calls on his scrolls when they found out that the town was attacked. Thankfully they were not harmed but that doesn't get them off the hook. As much as he wanted to just attack them out right and rid the world of this nuisance of a tribe, he had to keep his cool if he ever wanted to have any hope of getting Weiss back and getting the Spring Maiden's help. Jaune looked around the camp for Weiss, but was not able to see past all the bandits around him. The dark didn't help to much either. Jaune looked ahead and saw exactly who he came here to see. A woman with a white mask on with another female standing a little ahead of her. Everyone one excluding the maiden and her "assistant" had their weapons drawn and was prepared to attack him at any given moment. One wrong move or even word for that matter and they would swarm him like animals. He didn't care, if anything that would be what he wanted but alas, he had to make peace with them.
"Aren't you the one I fought back in Shion? You have some guts to follow me home. I assume you must be here for the heiress."
"Yes...I am."
"Do you have a death wish?"
"I'm also here to ask for your help." The Spring Maiden was completely taken aback by him. First they try to kill her, now the ask for her help. Ain't that some stuff. The look in his eyes though, she could tell he was being dead serious.
"Why?" The maiden crossed her arms waiting for his answer.
"Because you are the only one who can help me." Jaune doesn't like that fact that he needs the help of a bandit leader to save the world but that is the exact reason why he is doing this, to save the world. The Spring maiden took a long good look at Jaune, observing his every movement, facial expression, even his breathing. She could tell this had to be something serious. For once, she will hear him out. She opened up the entrance flap to her tent and looked back at Jaune.
"Come inside." Jaune walked forward and went inside the tent behind the Spring Maiden followed by Vernal. She motioned Jaune to have a seat on one of her pillows on the ground in front of the table. Jaune sat down at the table as the Spring Maiden sat down at the opposite side of the small table and took off her mask. Jaune was shocked at what he saw, she also reminded him of Yang. She looked at Jaune who was staring at her.
"What's with that look?"
"Nothing. You...just remind me of someone I know."
"Hmmmm." She was curious about who it was the he reminded him of but there we negotiations to be conducted.
"So, what is it exactly that you want me to do."
"Weiss and I are trying to collect the relics needed to summon the God of light and Darkness back into this world to stop Salem." The Spring Maiden's right eyebrow raised at the mention of her name.
"In order to get one of the relics, we need the Spring Maiden's power. We need you." She crossed her arms and let out a sigh before looking back at him.
"Hate to break it to you kid but you don't have a ghost of a chance of defeating Salem." Jaune looked up as she got up from her spot and paced from left to right.
"Salem's power isn't something that everyone in this world has. She uses magic, same thing that Ozpin can use."
"Wait, How do you know Ozpin?" She laughed at his question.
"Seriously, you mean he didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"Don't worry about it right now." Jaune's curiosity was spiking up as she grinned and closed her eyes and reopened them.
"So what makes you think you can defeat Salem?"
" I was chosen by the gods to and so was Weiss. We have to get the relics and summon them back here. Its the only way and in order to do that, I need the help of all the maidens."
"I see. So you collect all the relics and you stop Salem. What makes you think she will let you do that?"
"I know that she will do everything in her power to stop me. But I have to try, if it means saving all of remnant, then I will put my life on the line to stop her." She thought about this as he waited for her answer.
"What's in it for me?" She dimmed her red eyes wondering what he could possibly have to offer for her services. Jaune whipped out his beacon credit card and handed it to her.
"There is five hundred thousand lien on that card. That should be enough for your help right?" She took the card and was quite shocked at the amount of money on this card. This could really speed up her plans for her tribe.
"Alright, you have my help." She gave the card to Vernal and continued looking at Jaune.
"Vernal, bring the heiress in here." Vernal nodded and stepped outside the tent but stopped when she saw a giant white knight in the middle of the camp with her just in front of it.
"Welp, shes out." Both Jaune and The Spring Maiden ran outside to see Weiss surrounded by the whole entire camp.
"Everyone stand down now!"
"Weiss stop!" Jaune yelled out to her and she looked at Jaune with the happiest expression on her face. All of the bandits stepped back and Weiss ran towards Jaune with tears of joy in her eyes. Jaune opened his arms as Weiss ran right into them.
"Jaune I thought I lost you." She sobbed into Jaune's chest as he wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm here now Weiss. It's gonna be okay." Jaune smiled and closed his eyes, enjoying the warm embrace from the Ice Queen. Weiss looked at the Spring Maiden and her expression went straight from happy queen to angry heiress.
"What are you doing with her?" Weiss asked.
"She is the Spring Maiden Weiss and we are gonna need her help."
"Well now that you have my help, I think we should introduce ourselves." Jaune let go of Weiss and turned towards her.
"I'm Jaune Arc."
"And I'm Weiss Schnee." Weiss added.
"Well Jaune and Weiss, My name is Raven."
That's it for this chapter. I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. Chapter 8 will be out when it is ready. Thanks again for reading.
