KA/N: Sorry for the delay in the chapter, but personal bullshit got in the way and it affected my writing. Hopefully though I can be back fulltime as I do enjoy writing this story.

Joan Arc's Legend

Summary: Joan, the youngest member of the Albion royal family, always dreamt of being a Hero like her ancestor, Jaune Arc of Oakvale. She never imagined she'd have to deal with an ancient evil, perverted garden gnomes, or leading a rebellion on top of it.

*Ancient Tremors*

Qrow spied a lone hobbe sniffing around the cliff opposite to their camp and within seconds his bow was in his hands. He slipped an arrow in and pulled the string back, breathing in before releasing. With a quiet whisper of a noise the arrow soared true and struck the creature in the middle of its forehead. 'These things are a heck of a lot smarter than most give them credit for. Though usually when there's one of them, there is more hiding. I doubt this bastard was alone.'

He always held contempt for hobbes since he laid sight on them during an expedition to Greatwood with Jaune; they hadn't changed much in the last five hundred years in terms of appearance. Squat goblin-like creatures with an affinity for violence and a love for dark places, ambushing the careless adventurer or merchant whenever they pleased.

Qrow had been told the story of their origins when he was about fifteen and just joined the Heroes Guild; they were once children, lay astray by the sweet temptations of succubus nymphs and turned by their foul magic. Their humanity was forcibly stripped from them and they only knew violence and despair, holding a hatred for humans and all things that dwelled on the surface.

The raven-haired Hero hummed softly and patted his trusty bow. The weapon's augmentations, Devastation and Piercing, made it all the deadlier. A single shot was more than enough to drop a heavily armored bandit or even a balverine, and if he used his Multi Strike spell, that lone arrow became five at once capable of killing trolls. The only downside to the spell was that it used a lot of his magical power, draining sixty percent of his reserves. Even experienced mages had issues with using the spell effectively.

He lowered his bow and let it vanish from his hands, letting out a loud yawn. He had been on watch for the last five hours while Joan and Port slept and could feel the weariness eating away at his bones. His body still wasn't used to being able to handle the kind of stress that being a Hero came with and he resented it a little. It made him feel old and he was sure that wherever the hell Ozpin was, the master wizard was laughing about it. 'Curse you Ozpin.'

Qrow crouched down to take a seat by the fire he and Port made a few hours ago, casting a glance at Joan. The blonde princess had not fallen into a peaceful slumber like he had hoped; instead she was twitching and whimpering in her sleep, clutching tightly at the cloak draped over her. 'Poor girl. It wasn't her first time being powerless to stop needless death. But I doubt she saw so many at once.' As much as he wanted to reassure her it would pass, it never would. To this day even he himself was somewhat haunted by the lives he had been forced to take so many hundreds of years ago.

He made his way over to her and she shot up with a gasp, cold sweat pouring down her pale face. She searched frantically as if expecting to catch an axe to the face and Qrow put his hands out for her. By Avo the girl was trembling like a leaf in the wind. "Hey, calm down. It's alright."

His soothing murmur seemed to have worked a little, but still her hands shook. "Sorry…I just can't sleep right. Not…not without seeing it again."

"I know. It's still fresh and will be for some time." Qrow pulled her in for a hug, letting her sniffle into his chest. "But sometimes, bad things just happen. When they do, you can either let them define you or grow stronger from it. Trust me, okay?"

"Okay…" Joan nodded with a muffled noise.

The older Hero ran a hand through her long blonde locks. "Try and get some sleep, princess. You need it."

Qrow went to go back out on his patrol when Joan grabbed his hand, her watery blue eyes pleading with him to stay. "Please…don't go…"

The raven haired man couldn't say no. Not at this time, when she needed it. "Okay. I'll stay."

He lied down and Joan immediately snuggled into his chest with a murmur. "Thank you..." Qrow felt a bit of heat rise to his cheeks at the way she was clinging onto him. It had been nearly five hundred years since he had done anything even remotely similar to this and he was absolutely positive Ozpin was definitely laughing at him. 'Oh shut up Ozpin. I can hear it from you already and you're not even here.'

He started to hum a gentle tune to lull the blonde back to sleep, rubbing his hands up and down her back. He glanced up as Port stirred in preparation for his own shift, the old soldier's moustache ruffling at the sight of the two cuddling together. The two men shared a look that lasted a few seconds, but eventually Port just gave a subtle shrug and reached for the canteen around his belt that Qrow was pretty sure was filled with some form of liquor. He would take watch while Qrow watched over the princess.

He wasn't leaving her side tonight.

Joan let out an impatient whine as she felt something prod her in the stomach in an attempt to rouse her from what was now a peaceful sleep. It was rough and warm, making her assume it was someone's hand. It prodded her again, this time more persistent, and Joan clutched onto her pillow. Her hands slid up and down it and she kept her eyes shut, determined to not have to wake up. "Five more minutes…"

"Ahem." The irritating sound of a throat clearing got her attention and with an annoyed growl she reluctantly lifted her head to glare at the one who had disturbed her. She found herself staring into a single pale red eye lazily blinked open but there was no mistaking the amusement that glimmered within.

"Enjoying yourself, Blondie?" Qrow asked, his raspy voice thick with sleep.

Confused, she looked down to see that her 'pillow' was in fact Qrow's chest and her hands were just below his ribcage. The realization sunk in and she jumped back with an embarrassed squeak, nearly crashing into a curled up Zwei. "Q-qrow!"

As if Qrow's smirk wasn't enough, she could hear Ozpin howling with laughter in her head. "You were clinging onto him tighter than a child hugs their teddy bear. I thought you said he annoyed you? Last I checked, you don't cuddle with someone who brings you any kind of distress."

'Shut up, Ozpin!' she sent back with a furious blush, covering her face as the immortal mage continued to cackle away. Qrow hadn't said anything; instead he propped himself up to lay on his side with a grin, making her turn even redder if it was possible. 'Now I'm never going to hear the end of it from you!'

"You didn't deny that he was comfortable," Ozpin said cheekily. Old bastard was enjoying this way too damn much. She quickly averted her eyes as to not stare at Qrow's lean body and have to hear about it from him as well, choosing to instead give Zwei a nudge. The corgi lifted his head immediately, his tongue rolling out.

'At least someone likes waking up.' The blonde rolled her eyes and sat up, feeling the sore spots in her back and shoulders. Despite being asleep for more than eight hours her body still felt heavy as if it were merely a twenty minute power nap. She rubbed the corners of her eyes and yawned, attempting to wake up.

She let out a groan and found her sword, lying next to her, and she clipped the sheath back on her belt before standing up. She gave a huge stretch and Qrow smirked at her. "What's the matter, princess? Still wishing you were using me as a pillow?"

"Hush, you." Joan huffed and turned away from him so he couldn't see her blushing face. She didn't object to his claim of her finding him comfortable, because they both knew it was a horrible lie. He was lean, yes, but that body of his was comfortingly warm. She could easily pass out on top of him without a problem. 'No, no, no! Do not think of that! So what if he's comfortable and handsome!? That does not mean I want to kiss him or anything!'

"Dunno, Joan. By the way you were cuddling him, I'd say you are moving towards that," Ozpin teased. "Ah, the sight of young love blossoming makes this old heart of mine soar."

'Ozpin, shut up or so help me Avo, I'm not helping you escape,' she thought back angrily, her eye twitching when she heard him merely laugh in response before cutting off the mental link. Dealing with Qrow's antics was enough of a handful for her; she did not need Ozpin adding any more on top of it.

'The more I get to know him, the more I'm seeing in similarities between him and Qrow,' Joan thought dryly as she dusted her clothes off and approached Port. The old soldier was humming a cheerful tune as he fired at a single hobbe corpse and she recognized it as a tune used by the Albion Army to lift the spirits of the soldiers. "I'm up."

"Nice to see you awake." Port lowered his smoking pistol and stroked his moustache. "Was getting a little tired of shooting their corpses. No matter how many times you hit them, they don't get any prettier."

Joan looked across the gap and could see the amount of bullet holes her mentor had put into the still bodies. So much blood had been spilled that the ground on the other side of the cliffs was beginning to become sodden and crimson, staining the very earth itself. "I can tell you've been busy." 'Just how long was he out here doing this? No way he sat here and did this for four hours straight. Even I'd get bored after two.'

"Indeed. A little target practice never hurts. In my age, I need everything I can to keep my skills up." Port laughed and patted the sides of his pants for his canteen. He sniffed its contents, seemingly disappointed it wasn't full of ale, but took a healthy jug from it anyway. He wiped his chin with the back of his hand and gave her a grin. "So, how are you feeling?"

Joan stretched and gave her back a little arch. "A little stiff. But I'm fine otherwise."

"Good to hear that. We've got a long ways to go before we reach Mourningwood," Port said. "And even then, it would be a day's hike to the fort."

"Mourningwood? Isn't that where the Swift Brigade is stationed?" Joan asked.

"The very same." Port nodded. "Those are the men and women your father and I fought alongside during his conquest of Albion. The very people who we want on our side. I'm sure you've noticed how the old guard has been completely thrown aside. The new soldiers only care about the coin that is flowing their way, not protecting the land or its people. The Swift Brigade is loyal, tough, and they are the best soldiers that this kingdom ever had. Logan must be out of his mind to simply push them away."

She winced. He wasn't wrong; she had seen the way the new soldiers Logan had gathered had been treating the townsfolk during her time in the castle. They were rude and abusive of the power granted to them, often using their status to exploit the general populace. 'A soldier is supposed to serve their country, not line their coffers with the gold of the people they swore to protect.'

Qrow walked up to them with his hands on his head, one eye open. "So, that's our destination? Care to tell the rest of us what waits for us when we get there?"

"Mourningwood is a large swamp," Port explained. "However, there is a massive infestation of hollow men, most likely due to the cemetery's presence. A lot of brave men and women have died in those swamps and became wisps. The Swift Brigade was stationed there a month ago to try and prevent it from spreading, but from the reports I've heard when we were in the castle, it was not going to plan. They were getting eradicated. I just do hope they're still alive. Come nightfall, that swamp is one of the most dangerous places in all of Albion."

"Well, we are not going to find out by sitting here twiddling our thumbs," Qrow said. He slicked his bangs back. "So, what do you say we get a move on? I've had enough of this bloody cave already."

"Agreed." Joan nodded. She really didn't want to spend any more time in this dark empty void than she had to. She could see that Qrow had finished clearing up their camp in the time she had taken to talk to her mentor and had their supplies in a small knapsack. "Is that everything?"

"Yep. All of it is nice and secure." He patted it before it vanished, presumably taken by Klein. "Thanks, Klein. That is your name, right?"

"Correct," Klein replied through the Guild Seal.

"Nice to see I got it right." Qrow flashed Joan a smirk. "See? I pay attention to little things."

"You are insufferable," the blonde princess muttered, walking ahead of him with Zwei at her heels. Port and Qrow shared a laugh before falling in behind her as they proceeded through the caverns.

A few underground streams flowed through the cavern and as she progressed, she could start to feel a cool breeze. There was an exit somewhere nearby, but they couldn't let their guard down just yet. The end was usually the moment when the ground fell from beneath their feet. 'Can't relax right now. Not until we're out of here. By Avo I never want to see another hobbe cave for as long as I live.' She had enough of the little bastards to last a lifetime.

Joan looked around to make sure no hobbes were planning an ambush and continued along the dirty path until she reached a group of three hobbes. One of them was holding a magic staff in its hands and it cast a barrier in the cave entrance, the two red suited guards on either side of it pointing and laughing at her. Her lip curled up in a frustrated snarl. They found it funny!? 'That's it. I'm blasting you with every spell I know when I get over there.'

She raised her hand and threw a lightning bolt at it, but it merely bounced off of the barrier and hit the ceiling. The impact sent a rain of dust onto her and she growled in frustration. "Dammit!"

Port and Qrow caught up to her and the old soldier grunted in annoyance, hands on his hips. "The little sod is blocking our way."

"You don't say." Joan rolled her eyes and fired her pistol at it, her annoyance getting the better of her. Behind their barrier, the hobbes continued to laugh at her failed attempts of breaking through. One of them made a rude hand gesture towards her and her already thin patience snapped, the blonde reaching for her sword. "That does it!"

Before she could give the barrier a good whack or two, Qrow stopped her. "Don't waste your time. Use your head and try to find another way around. A big cave system like this, there has to be one. Don't worry. Port and I can hold their attention long enough for you to slip in."

Joan looked around and saw a small lake to her right and groaned. She would have to get wet if she wanted to get out of here. 'Why can't this ever be easy for once?' She was honestly beginning to believe Ozpin was behind this as some sort of lame joke to test her patience. 'IF this is a test, then he sure as hell is winning.'

Port had stormed up to the barrier, his large arms crossed over his broad chest. "You think you're so smart, standing behind your fancy magic, do you?" The hobbe tilted its head in confusion and Port stuck his middle finger up, brandishing it with crude gusto. "That's right, I'm talking to you!"

If Joan wasn't so damn irritated at the hobbes laughing at her, she'd have smirked. But right now, she was fuming. 'Screw worrying about getting wet. If it makes them shut up, then I'll gladly take a swim.'

Zwei whined at her feet, not wanting to go for a swim, and she motioned for him to stay with Port and Qrow. "Stay on that side. Don't worry; I can handle myself." Zwei let out a happy bark, more than content to stay warm and dry. He ran off back towards Qrow and Port and Joan let out a sigh before wading in. "Well…this better be worth it."

The water was icy cold due to the lack of sunlight and she shivered as she swam across the cavern, feeling the weight of the water trying to pull her down. She was thankful when she made it to the other side and wrung out her shirt, rubbing her arms to warm back up. 'That was a lot colder than I expected. By Avo this cave sucks.'

When she finished wringing out her clothes she drew her sword, creeping along in a crouch to minimize the amount of noise she made. After a few brief moments of crouching along the path she was rewarded by the glorious sight of three hobbes with their backs to her, completely oblivious to the Hero behind them with a sword drawn.

'Now!' She leapt at the one keeping the barrier up and sank her sword through its back. The sharp blade easily tore through its clothing and flesh, protruding from its chest, and the hobbe dropped its staff in an attempt to clutch at the bloody sword stuck in it.

Joan pulled her sword out and spat on its corpse as the barrier fell and the two hobbes standing guard to it turned to shoot the blonde. Before they could aim their weapons, however, they were mercilessly cut down by a hail of gunfire and arrows. Qrow and Port gave her a smile as they joined her, Port kicking one of the bodies on his way over.

"Smart enough to use magic, but not smart enough to wear their bloody pants the right way around. Try explaining that," he said with a huff. He walked on ahead and Qrow chuckled at the sight of the still wet princess.

"Have a nice swim?" he asked with a cheeky grin. Joan growled and resisted the urge to smack that smug look off his face.

"No," she snapped back, wringing out her skirt again. "It was bloody cold and I nearly froze my backside off."

Qrow of course made a point to look around her to catch a glimpse. "Hm. Your backside looks fine to me. More than fine, in my personal opinion."

"Qrow!" Joan blushed and covered her rear. By Avo this man had made her blush easily twice as much as Yang had when the two were together. If she was still alive, Joan could see the two getting along very well, making it their mission to make the princess squirm as much as possible for their own enjoyment.

"What? I thought you preferred it if I never told a lie." Gods, that smile was contagious. Even if he was teasing her, having him around did lighten the mood considerably. His presence took the edge off of their situation and she had to admit it was comforting.

Something she'd never say to him out loud. She didn't want him to have another thing to hang over her head. It would only serve the purpose of supplying him with even more blackmail material.

"Plus he's not wrong." Ozpin cackled. "You do have quite lovely assets."

'Stop. Talking.' Joan shut off the mental link with the immortal mage before he could laugh at her for once again playing herself right into Qrow's hands. She was now starting to wonder if they had a mental link to each other. It was either that, or the two men knew each other way too damn well.

She bit back a shiver and hurried after Port, who was ten meters ahead of them. "Come on, don't fall behind." The blonde tried to hide her blushing face as she caught up with her mentor, Qrow and Zwei not far behind.

Port stopped at the end of what appeared to massive stone bridge, his moustache ruffling in surprise. "Now this…this I did not expect. It looks as if there was some sort of massive city down here once."

Joan peered out into the vast chasm and saw he was right. Several large stone structures filled the chamber, touching the very tips of the stalactites. "Wow…who do you suppose could have built it? Surely not the hobbes?"

"Hah. Not bloody likely." Qrow laughed. "They're not building anything with those stubby little fingers." A large swarm of bats chattered above and Joan readied a spell in her hands, fingertips crackling with lightning. She glanced at Qrow and he was shaking his head.

"Don't waste your time," he said. "They're too far above you and aren't a threat."

The blonde lowered his hands and let her magic fade. He was right; they weren't worth the effort. Despite it though, she felt an amused grin form on her face. "Don't know about that now. Klein would say otherwise."

"I repeat what I said back when we were escaping, madam. Bats are filthy creatures and I prefer being clean at all times," Klein said from the seal. "My hatred of them is merely a matter of hygiene."

"Sure it is." Qrow smirked. "Keep telling yourself that if it helps you get any rest at night. Just remember that bats are nocturnal." Klein's only response the continuous jabs from the two Heroes was to simply sigh.

Ahead of them, Port stopped at a crumbling tower that blocked most of the road. The only spot not blocked off was near the very edge and the old soldier frowned, stroking his moustache. "Hmm. Seems we have a bit of a barricade. And we need to get down there." He pointed to where the path continued into some sort of makeshift arena that looked abandoned.

Joan studied it next to him, biting her lip. The edge of the cliff was crumbling away and when Joan took a step closer, her boots sent gravel and dirt down into the inky chasm. 'We're not getting around it and I'm not sure if my magic is strong enough to destroy it. Our swords won't do much damage, either.'

"Any ideas?" she asked, looking at the two men.

"Hmm." Port continued to stroke his impressive facial hair as he studied it. "Well, we can always attempt to climb over it. Damn thing doesn't look like it's going to budge any time soon, so it should be sturdy enough to hold our weight."

Qrow raised an eyebrow and let his hands become alive with fiery magic. "Hm, let me see if I can blast through it. My magic is stronger than Blondie's here." The princess didn't bother objecting to that claim because she knew he was right. He had honed his power over years of use, whereas she had only been using her magic for only about a month. She didn't have anywhere near his amount of magical power.

She and Port stood back to give him room and let him work. Qrow's red eyes were closed as he concentrated and he inhaled before letting out a deep exhale. On the exhale his magic burst from his fingertips in a spectacular blaze, blasting through the thick stone tower. The half closest to the cliffside rolled off the road and plummeted into the abyss with a loud crash, shaking the cavern.

Joan whistled at the display and peered over the cliffside to see if she could spot the part of the column that fell. All she could see after a few hundred meters was inky darkness. 'Good thing none of us tried anything risky like trying to go around it or climb it. Could've had a nasty fall and died in here.'

Being a Hero seemed to get more and more perilous with each day. How her father lived as long as he had with the dangers he dealt with, she didn't know. Every day was fraught with perils and she had to use her powers to get through them alive to unite the people and lead a rebellion against her brother.

'Each step is a step closer to getting out of here. This damn cave is starting to get on my nerves.' The blonde huffed as she walked along the path Qrow cleared out for them, her eyes constantly searching for any possible threats. They hadn't been attacked by any hobbes for quite some time now and it was starting to unsettle her. She couldn't help but feel as though they were about to walk right into an ambush of sorts. 'I don't like this. We're nearly at the end, but that's usually when the ground falls out from under our feet. And why is it so damn quiet?'

Port grunted next to her, his hand on the handle of his longsword. "I don't like this. Have you noticed how bloody quiet it is down here? Almost like we're walking into an ambush."

She had seen how the hobbes tried to take them out from a distance yesterday and knew that the old soldier was not just being a paranoid old bastard. They were much cleverer than one gave them credit for. Definitely smart enough to lie in wait and surprise attack them when their guard was lowered, and she didn't like it.

"Me neither," she agreed. Her magic came to life again and she slowly proceeded down until they reached the bridge leading to the coliseum. The bridge itself was much sturdier than the rest of the road they were on, supported by massive stone columns two meters thick and seemingly going down forever. Whatever this place once was in the past, it must have taken hundreds or thousands of years to build.

Zwei's ears flattened against his head and he started to growl. His teeth were bared and he ran off ahead of them towards the arena, barking angrily.

"Zwei! Wait!" Joan ran after him into the arena, not hearing Qrow's yells for her to stop, and she caught up to her corgi in the middle of the circular structure. The princess picked him up and scowled, brushing his fur. "What's gotten into you? You shouldn't run off like that!"

The ground started to quake and Joan cried out in surprise as she lost her balance. Zwei fell from her hands and Qrow helped her up. "You alright?"

"Fine. What the hell is going on?" she asked. "Is it an earthquake?"

A loud roar echoed through the cavern and the ground in the middle of the arena started to churn. It was as if something underground was trying to escape from its earthy prison. Something big.

"Get back!" Qrow pushed her aside and she looked up to see a massive hulking creature spring up from the ground. Thick tendrils spewed from its body, glowing red, and she could see the beast's glittering blue eyes blazing with hatred through a thick mane of roots and dirt as it towered over them, easily seven meters tall and about five meters wide.

"W-what the hell is that!?" She had never seen such a creature before and she flinched away when it roared again, its foul breath spewing from its ugly mouth.

"It's a troll!" Port drew his sword and took up a position next to Qrow. "I thought the bloody things were extinct! Your brother saw to it!"

"What do you mean!?" Joan ducked as the troll chucked a large and heavy boulder at her. It soared over her head and smashed into one of the coliseum walls, breaking into several pieces and shaking the structure. She was thankful it missed; one hit from that and she'd be a goner.

"He led a crusade against them about five years ago!" Port yelled over the chaos. "He hunted each and every one of the damn things down with the Arkwright Brigade!"

"Well clearly not all of them," Qrow snapped over his shoulder, cutting through one boulder with a heavy downward slash. "One of them must have escaped his extermination!"

"How about we stop talking and work to take this damn thing down?" Joan suggested, rolling to her right to avoid another one thrown at her. "What are its weak spots?"

"Aim for the tendrils!" Qrow replied. "Destroy them and it'll die! Otherwise it's invulnerable!"

'Well great. Why the hell did this cave just have to have something in it that was supposed to be extinct in it?' The princess rolled her eyes. "Got it!" She didn't bother reaching for her sword; the tough metal wouldn't do anything against the troll's incredibly thick hide.

She had to use her magic and her ranged weaponry to take it down.

One of its beefy arms swung at her and she moved out of the way to avoid being crushed. The impact crater where she was a second ago was deep and she panted. This bloody thing was going to put them through the ringer. She could hear Port spewing curses at the monster as he fired at its exposed nerve tendrils with his pistol, most of his bullets hitting its tough skin.

However, a few lucky shots struck one of the nerves on its body and it roared in pain. The troll sucked in its remaining nerves and stood up fully, slamming its arms onto the ground to create a powerful shockwave that knocked them all back.

Joan got up with a wince and glanced to see that Port was struggling to stay on his feet. As the oldest of their trio, he would take more time to recover from blows like that. If they didn't finish it off soon, the troll would continue to wear them down until it was able to kill them. 'This doesn't look good. At the rate we're going…'

"Focus," Ozpin commanded. "Use your power. Your magic is strong, but you have only unlocked a fragment of its potential. Focus your blood until you can truly feel the power running through your veins."

'But I have!' Joan sidestepped another heavy attack and blasted a tendril with her lightning spell. The troll screamed in pain again and lumbered around to crush her. Once more it missed, but the force of the blow still took her off her feet.

"You've only harnessed your command over the force of lightning. Think about fire. What does it do?"

'I don't know, it burns things?'

"Yes, but what else can it do?" Ozpin pressed.

'Is now really the time!?' Joan got back to her feet and spat out a mouthful of dirt, grimacing. Her body was starting to feel the wear and tear on it from battling this accursed thing and she didn't know how much longer she'd last. Port was already down and Qrow was moving around more than she had ever seen him move.

"Now is as best of a time as any. Think, Joan. Fire does more than just destroy," Ozpin said calmly.

Joan thought about it and she remembered something from her late father. He was practicing his own fire spells and she had studied him with fascination. It was beautiful watching the way he commanded the elements and once he was done, he took her aside and showed her the other uses for his spell.

"Fire, Joan, is a powerful and dangerous element of magic. It has the power to destroy everything in its path with a ravenous hunger. However, fire can cleanse the world of impurities. In its ashes comes new life, new beginnings. Sometimes, to begin anew, one must destroy what is. Never forget that, my dearest daughter." Those were the very words he had said, so many years ago.

'It purifies,' she realized. 'It can purge that which doesn't belong!'

"Exactly. This abomination is one such creature that does not belong in this world anymore. Its time has long since run out," Ozpin replied. "Use your magic not as a means to destroy it, but to cleanse the land of its existence."

'I understand.' The blonde took a deep breath, focusing not on the sounds of battle, but of the magic pouring through her body. It pulsed and throbbed beneath her skin, desperate to lose its shackles and pour freely.

A fiery red aura cloaked her, hot air swirling around. When she opened her eyes again, she let loose a deadly barrage of fiery magic. The inferno struck the troll's body and it roared in pain as the intense flames hungrily devoured its nerve tendrils, burning them to ashes. The behemoth stumbled around, its body still alight, and it let out one last roar before it crashed into the ground with a loud thump. The flames died down and its blackened body didn't so much as twitch. The troll was dead.

Joan fell to her knees, using her hands to keep herself from falling into the dirt, and panted. Her vision swam as she struggled to stay conscious. Using her power like that had drained her magical reserves completely. 'What…what was that?'

"That, Joan, is an example of the Hero you can become," Ozpin replied. "Not many Heroes ever learned that spell, I can assure you. It is called, 'Archon's Cleansing'. A powerful wave of fire that burns all impurities in its wake. Only four others were strong enough to use it."

'Who?' she asked.

"Myself, a master wizard named Garth, Qrow, and Jaune," the immortal wizard answered.

'Jaune? He used it?' Her strength slowly started to come back to her and she managed to drag herself up off of the ground. 'But how was I able to use it? My magic reserves aren't big enough for it.'

"It is because of our connection. You and I are able to communicate thanks to my own very powerful magic," he explained. "My power can more or less transfer to you briefly, and vice versa. However, I must urge you to not use Archon's Cleansing again until you need to and have recovered. That is a very old and very powerful spell that can drain anyone unconscious. If you're not careful, you could end up losing control of your flames and your magic will spiral into disaster."

'No kidding. That blast felt like it could take out half the castle if it were in the wrong hands,' she thought back. 'How long have we been connected this way?'

"Since you first touched the Guild Seal."

'And why am I only hearing about this now?'

"Because it was not necessary for you to know at the time. I knew there would come a time when you would need to know in order to overcome a great adversity. And now you are aware," Ozpin said.

'…thank you. I wouldn't have done that without you.' Joan stood up a little straighter as her strength slowly returned.

"More than you know." Ozpin laughed. "A good leader must be willing to take on new trials and face the unknown. Your defeat of the hobbes and troll here will make their way through the land and you'll find more people willing to fight beside you."

He vanished, leaving her alone in her mind once more, and she hobbled over to Qrow. The older Hero was smiling broadly and he tossed her a potion to restore her magic reserves. "That was pretty damn impressive. I'm rather proud of that."

"Thank you." She fought back a blush as he praised her and downed the potion, trying not to grimace at the taste. It still tasted just as terrible as she remember, but she didn't cough any of it up this time. 'Somehow, I seriously doubt I'll ever get used to how vile this rubbish tastes.'

She finished it without protest and looked to see a tunnel with sunlight streaming through it. "Look, over there! There's a way out!"

"Ah, about bloody time," Port said with a grumble, limping over to them. He had a few bruises on his face and he was favoring one of his legs, but otherwise he looked fine. "I've had enough of this bloody place." Zwei barked in agreement.

With the troll dead the three of them, battered but not beaten, made their way to the tunnel to once again taste the open air.

Joan had never been so happy to see sunlight before.

A/N: And that ends the Mistpeak arc. Next up, a favorite of mine, Mourningwood. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hopefully can pump out another chapter before the end of January. I'll see you again next time!

A Lovestruck A2#5371