Hello, everyone! Here we are again with a new chapter. This one was a tricky one, I can assure you. Still, I hope you all enjoy it.
No reviews this time, that hurts a little. Oh well, what can I do?
He woke up in the familiar room. The white ceiling greeting him once again. It was daytime, he'd probably passed out and was taken to Beacon's infirmary. He remembered the events of past night, or at least he hoped they occurred last night. The door was open, revealing the sight of Morgan le Fay, Beacon's aura expert. She noticed his state of consciousness and promptly went to his bedside after sending a quick message via scroll. She checked his heartbeats. Satisfied with the results, she then proceeded to take his pressure.
"You know, we really need to stop meeting like this, mister Beauregard. I'm afraid you're becoming a regular." She said, an eyebrow raised. The boy had the decency to look guilty.
"What can I say? I love this place." He paused. "How long this time?"
"You've slept for nearly fifteen hours. The impact on your aura wasn't as nearly as severe as last time, though. You didn't enter into a comatose state, you just passed out from exhaustion. However, we felt the need to put you here under watch, so to speak. I didn't know what to expect, but when I saw the display of power you performed and how long you were able to maintain it…" She pressed the stethoscope near his ribcage and pressed a hand against a specific place on his back. "Breathe. Tell me if it hurts." She kept making pressure on different points his back, watching attentively for physical reactions of pain or discomfort. "My colleagues and I were certainly surprised that your aura didn't collapse. You've shown a great control of your semblance. Not many can claim the same." Jaune could only nod to her remark, but then something seemed to bother him.
"Wait, you said you saw my display of power? How?" He asked, genuinely interested in knowing how. He was supposed to keep a low profile. If his fight got leaked he'd be in deep trouble.
"Most security cameras were shut down during the White Fang's little raid on the docks. However, you and your friends distracted them long enough for them to reboot. To put it simply, the police had it, but then again it's not like their database is an impenetrable fortress. It got hacked, the video got leaked. It's short, less than three minutes, but more than enough to cause an impression." She said, taking a few notes on her tablet. "Don't worry though, they caught your good angles." She said jokingly. "The headmaster wants to see you. I sent a message to him. He's already on his way. Just… thought I'd give you a head start." She turned around, ready to leave.
"Wait!" He said, she paused, looking back. Amethysts met sapphires. "Can you please let my team know that I'm awake?" She smiled briefly and nodded.
"Of course. You won't stay for much longer, though. You are healthy as it can be. I'll sign some papers and you'll be free to go. Meanwhile, wait there for the headmaster." She said, not bothering for an answer and leaving the room.
His wait didn't take long. The headmaster was a man who didn't like to lose time. When the professor entered the room alone, Jaune was slightly surprised. The headmaster noticed his reaction but ignored it.
"Hello again, Mr. Beauregard." He said, standing in front of the boy. "It was quite a feat, what you did yesterday."
"It wasn't exactly me, sir." The headmaster raised an eyebrow but then smiled.
"I see. Who do we own that performance?" Jaune was not sure why Ozpin asked that question. He answered it anyway.
"She goes by the name of Hama. She's very resourceful." He said truthfully.
"I'm afraid I'm not old enough to have made her acquaintance." Jaune smiled.
"You're not that old, professor. She was one of the first." He surprised himself with that knowledge, then again, those were his past lives. "But I don't think you're here to discuss that, are you?" The headmaster sighed.
"The topic itself is very interesting, but I'm afraid not. I suppose Doctor le Fay told you about the footage?" He received a nod as his answer and then proceeded. "This incident turned a lot of eyes towards you. Vale's Council hasn't charged you or started any cases against you since you not only stopped the operation but also helped to catch many of the White Fang members responsible for the altercation. The police are currently working on interrogating them as we speak."
"But…" The boy anticipated.
"But now basically every person on Vale knows of your existence, and the video became quite viral on the other kingdoms. All four of them." Jaune frowned.
"Do you think he knows?" Ozpin nods once. "I assume Katherine isn't happy with it."
"No. It took a lot of talking to convince her not to drag you to a bunker outside the kingdoms." He said, though there was no amusement in his voice. "Many people now see you as a hero, others see you as a weapon. Worst of all, there are people who see you as an opportunity to become more powerful."
"But my powers doesn't work like… theirs." He said, not knowing if they were being filmed or observed. The headmaster knew there was no threat and gestured for him to continue. "My… our abilities are not transferred to random individuals or to people who we know. It's… It's hard to explain."
"Give it a try, Mr. Beauregard." The headmaster said, sitting down in a chair close to the door. Jaune sighed before continuing.
"Vladimir told me that when an Apprentice dies, its powers are momentarily lost and incredibly weakened. This essence can travel for hours, days or even weeks in search of its new host. The process itself is quite random, but there is something that never changes." He paused, granting the headmaster's attention. "It's always a newborn. Vladimir says that some of us theorize that the power is attracted to purer, untainted souls. That's why it's always a newborn, but not even we are sure of it. I mean, it's not like it has a preference other than that, you know. Faunus, human, male, female. It doesn't discriminate."
"Well, at least that explains why there's a bigger gap between the discovery of the new host." Ozpin acknowledged with a nod. "Unfortunately, those people don't know that and that's what make them more dangerous. As for him, there's nothing we can do for now. It's not like he'll be imprudent to acknowledge your existence as a threat publicly. It would be too easy. However, that also gives us an advantage."
"There's no advantage in a stalemate, headmaster." The boy said, causing the headmaster to smile.
"Perhaps not on the current game, Mr. Beauregard, but it gives you knowledge of your opponent, and the opportunity to not commit the same mistakes." The headmaster got up. "I won't hold you for much longer. I have places to be, documents to read, detentions to assign. Have a nice evening, Mr. Beauregard."
"Same, Professor Ozpin." He answered back politely. The headmaster walked out of the room. Not even a full minute after he left, the door was opened again.
"You're free to go, Mr. Beauregard." Doctor le Fay said. Then, she pointed at a dresser against the wall in front of his bed. "Some of your friends brought you a clean change of clothes. First drawer. Dress up and go. You know the exit. I don't want to see you here again, are we clear?" He nodded with a smile. She left to attend her other patients, giving him some privacy to change.
Five minutes later, he was dressed and outside the building. He texted his teammates before he left and they said they were on the way. Before he could even distinguish the blur who hit him, he was already on the floor. A flash of brown and red hair was all he saw.
"Hey, Ruby." He said with a smile.
"Get off him, you dolt! He literally just got out from the hospital!" He heard Weiss screaming from some distance. Ruby reluctantly let him go.
"I'm okay guys, really. They only kept me there as a precaution." Jaune said, dusting off the dirt from his clothes. "I just passed out, my aura was fine. Doctor's words." That didn't keep Blake from hugging him tightly, she had faint dark circles around her eyes.
"I was so worried." She said, barely able to control her voice. "If you had been hurt because of that, because of my request… I would never forgive myself." He returned the hug, his lips brushing against her forehead.
"I'm okay. Don't worry." He smiled. "I would do it all over again if that meant protecting you." He saw the tinge of red on her cheeks and then Yang's knowing grin. He felt his own cheeks heating up. "Or any of you, for the matter. That's what friends are for, right? Right." He said, albeit rather quickly. Ruby groaned loudly.
"Oh, my Oum! Would you two just kiss already and get on with it?" Silver eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hands. "I-I mean, I'm…" Her muffled voice wasn't heard by any of the others, who were still processing on what she just said. Blake and Jaune were both bright red, Weiss was a loss of words, same as Pyrrha. Both had a tinge of pink on her faces. Ren just closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Nora was grinning like a madman. And Yang… Oh, Yang. She was somewhere in between pride and shock. She was the first to recover, bursting in laughter, soon joined by Nora. Pyrrha contributed with some giggling. Ren had a small smile on his face, while Weiss had a smirk. Soon, even Blake and Jaune joined in with some awkward chuckles.
"I guess Ruby summed it up quite nicely." She smiled, placing an arm around her sister's shoulders. "Great job, sis. Didn't knew you had it on you. I'm so proud!" She wiped a fake tear from her face.
"Yang… you're not helping." Ruby said with a sigh.
"Yang in there, little sister. You'll get the Yang of it soon." Ruby groaned once more, though the awkwardness was gone. "So, Captain Remnant, are you sure everything is okay?"
"Yeah. As I said, there was no real damage this time. I was just really tired." He shrugged. "Also, you had to come up with that nickname?"
"Yup. Fitting, don't you think? Now, all we need is your own theme song and custom rings to summon you." Jaune sighed.
"I guess it could be worse." His stomach grumbled. "So… I think I'll grab something to eat. I didn't really eat today."
"We'll join you. It's lunch time anyway." Weiss said.
The walk didn't take long. Soon their plates were full and they all sat together to eat.
"So, what are you guys planning to do during the school break?" Yang asked. "Is everyone going to stay?" Everyone answered positively.
"I was planning on visiting my grandmother, she lives in Vale, after all," Jaune said. "You guys can tag along if you want to." His team reacted differently upon hearing that. Weiss had a small frown. Ruby looked worried and Blake… let's just say she wasn't interested.
"Sure, that's more blackmail material for me," Yang said with a grin.
"Renny planned some training for us! Team LPYN will be ready for action!" Nora said, raising a fist.
"I also thought we could use some training. We have been lacking on in team exercises." Jaune said in a guilty tone. "My bad."
"Nonsense. We'll have time. It's not like the tournament is tomorrow." Weiss said. "I am going to take my time to study for our tests, and I advise some of you to do the same." She said, glaring at Ruby.
"My grades are fine! I scored 76% on our last Grimm studies class, and my combat grades are way above average!" Ruby argued.
"But you can do better. There's always room for improvement. Also, your History grades have been lacking." Jaune rolled his eyes at the discussion.
"So, what are you going to do, partner?" Blake shrugged.
"Catch up with some reading, probably." Weiss glared at her. Blake rolled her eyes. "And do some studying." The heiress let out a satisfied 'humph'. Jaune smiled at that. At least things were going back to normal with those two.
"What about you, sis?" Yang asked.
"Oh! I was planning on going to Vale to buy some supplies for Crescent Rose, and there's this new bakery that opened up that has these great cookies and…" She trailed off, explaining all the things that she wanted to do to her sister, who listened with some amusement.
"I could use a little trip to Vale." She said after her sister finished. "It's been ages since I've been at a good party club."
"That's a great idea! We can all go out in town!" Nora exclaims excitedly, but before any of them can reply, they were drawn to the sound of cackling heels getting closer.
"Sorry for interrupting your planning for school break, but I'll have to steal Mr. Beauregard for a couple moments," Glynda said in her usual monotone voice. "Please, follow me." She said, addressing the boy, before turning around and heading outside.
"Well, I'll be right back." He said before following the deputy. She waited for him outside the building.
"Are you feeling well?" She asked in a kind, motherly way.
"Physically, yes. There was no real damage to my aura. I was just really tired." He said with a shrug.
"That's good to know. Morgan wouldn't let you out if she didn't think you were free to go." Glynda hid a smile. "She can be very… persuasive. However, what I really meant to ask was how are you feeling? I know about what Ozpin talked to you. I know him enough to presume he wasn't very conclusive."
"Something like that." He said with a sigh. "I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not afraid. One of the few things Ozpin was clear enough about was that I would have many people interested in my powers. He's sure that he knows I'm here, and while I might be safe for know, he knows where I live, he knows what I'm capable of. To get things worse, he might even know of the people I care about." He winced at the mere thought. "If he hurts them in any way I'd never be able to forgive myself."
"You're not the first to go through that dilemma. And very likely not the last." She said with a sigh." It's okay to worry, it's okay to worry about them. But something you said is wrong."
"What is it?" He asked, genuinely curious.
"He doesn't know what you're capable of, or anyone else does for the matter. Not even myself, or Katherine, or Ozpin. In all my years of teaching, I never saw someone else with the potential you have. You know you're powerful, and everyone else does too. But you can do so much more if you just… stop doubting yourself. You grew accustomed to that, to think that you've reached the top only because you're much stronger than all your friends. I see many students falling for that, miss Nikos, miss Xiao Long, your teammates. The sooner you all realize that, the better." She said confidently, pausing to take a deep breath and compose herself. "You are confined only by the walls you build yourself. Remember that. And remember that you're not alone. As teachers, we worry all the time. So many of our students die before they graduate, or during their first years as huntsmen. However, we are able to push on. We remember not to worry only about protecting them, but to worry about what we can teach them so they can protect themselves. As a leader, keep that in mind." He absent-mindedly nodded, her words sinking in.
"I will. Thanks for the talk." She managed a small smile.
"I'll always be here for you, John." Her smile faltered. "I've to go now. Take care."
"I will, mom." It still felt weird, but it was the kind of weird he could grow accustomed to. After parting ways, he could only thank her again for the wake-up call.
Up…
Michael woke up with a headache. His "friend" had already left. He glanced at the clock and cursed. Oh well, he's the king. He can get away with some extra hours of sleep. A king is never late, after all. The others are early.
His thoughts immediately went to his conversation with Cinder last night. Remembering it brought a smile to his face. While he respected and feared Lady Salem, Cinder was by far his closest ally. She regarded him as the closest thing to an equal, and the feeling was mutual. They had the same reasons to work with Salem. They wanted power. He made fun of Cinder when he was able to achieve his objective first, but now it was her turn to give the shots, and he would help her at the very best of his abilities. Scapegoats, mostly. She operated under the alias "The Black Queen", an inner joke. He said he would make her his queen someday so she made a queen of herself. Someday, he repeated to himself.
Then, his thoughts went to the young Arc. He knew the day would come, that he would have to confront the boy. Either with weapons or words. He was well prepared for both. His people loved him. He worked hard to fix all the mistakes made by generations of Arcs. While the kingdom was very well protected during their era, an exclusively military kingdom can't go too far. Until he took over, Arkend had to import the majority of its food. The war was over, so there was no need for extra weapons, its main exportation products. While its ships were excellent, the other kingdoms would always prefer Mistralian ones. He put the boats to other uses. Fishing became the kingdom's main income. The landscape and weather conditions made almost impossible to grow crops, but there were a few ranchers who supplied the kingdom with fur, leather, and meat. The situation was improving with the investments, and Arkend was finally growing economically since the last great war.
There was also the problem of education. There was a military school, but there was also a reason for the rich to send their kids to study at Atlas. He worked on that, created schools. Their Huntsman Academy would be finished by the end of the year, Madrigal Academy would be ready to receive its first students. The name was to represent unity, the union of several voices. Also to represent their current era, as the citizens chose him as their leader. It took three years working for the council, but he did what many could only dream of.
So he wasn't worried. Even if the truth was exposed, the people would choose him. The other option was an inexperienced boy whose ancestors caused many of their economic difficulties. If the boy wishes to engage combat, he would be no match against a full huntsman in his prime, even if he had such… versatile attacks. If he graduated, Michael would have many years of experience against his. But then, when Cinder's plan is executed, his graduation would be postponed, maybe permanently. He would be sure to be there as her backup if something failed.
There was a knock on the door. He made sure he was presentable enough before letting the person in.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, my King, but your meeting with the Vacuan diplomat was due to half an hour ago." The man said the same man who let Cinder in last night. Maybe the closest thing he would allow himself to have as a friend, in the form of a subordinate. "Fortunately, the embassy is late."
"Ask my personal servants to bring me something to eat. I'll get ready in the meantime." The servant nodded, bowing respectfully. "Ludwig." The servant got up quickly, surprised that his King knew who he was. "The woman who was here yesterday. Do you have any idea of when she left?"
"I… Permission to speak freely, my King?" The man asked, unsure. With a nod and a wave of a hand, he proceeded. "I overheard a conversation between the guards. She left the castle around two to three hours after she came in."
"Thank you. That will be all for now." Ludwig made a motion to leave but stopped for a moment.
"If you don't mind me asking, my King. It is in your interest to marry that woman?" Michael was surprised by the question but only raised an eyebrow.
"What made you assume…?" The other man smiled.
"With all due respect, my King, I have seen the way you look at her. I've seen that look many times over my years. A man is still a man, even if he's a King. She clearly interests you, if the way your shoulders relaxed when she entered the room was anything to go by… We might have a new Queen sooner than expected." The man chuckled to himself. Michael couldn't deny the man's perception skill. He would be very useful.
"It may be in my plans, yes, but she isn't one to be attracted to a royal life. She's very independent." He cleared his throat. "This conversation must not leave this room, are we clear?"
"Of course, my King. I wouldn't dare to misplace your confidence." He bowed deeply, and Michael nodded.
"Remind me of my activities today, please." He said while heading to his dressing room. Ludwig followed him but kept his distance to give him his privacy.
"First, as your majesty is well aware, there is the meeting with the Vacuan diplomat. The meeting shouldn't last longer than three hours. Your presence is requested at the gardens, then, to have a brunch with a group of investors. I'm afraid the reason for the meeting wasn't said to me, but I suspect it may be about Madrigal Academy. Though I'm sure your advisor will inform you of any particularities. If everything goes accordingly, you should be free to do your usual duties. Also, the arena has been finally fixed, your majesty." Michael nodded, stepping out of the dressing room with a formal attire on. His silver crown was perfectly aligned with his face, the blue and red gemstones popping out against his black hair.
"Send a messenger to the Council. I wish to arrange a meeting as soon as possible." He said, earning a nod from Ludwig. "That will be all." The servant bowed once more and left.
It would be hard to convince the Council to allow him to attend the Vytal festival, but then again, Cinder gave him excellent reasons to go.
It would be a great way to promote peace, after all.
Next Chapter: April 22.