So, the maiden power steal thing got some raised eyebrows, as expected. I'll just point out that a character in the canon show has already shown the ability to steal a maiden's power, and via the application of a hand toward the face.

At least before Qrow appeared to interrupt Cinder doing so.

And hey, if you go back and watch that scene, you may see that Cinder's hand had a strange marking on the back. Hint. Hint. Sigil. Hint. Basically, I took this from canon and we see the maiden's power being sapped out of her. You can literally watch the end of the Amber x Cinder fight and see it's the same, even with Cinder's eyes lighting up with maiden fire.

The only reason I'm literally pointing that out here and not in the story is because Jaune never saw that fight (he only knows Cinder did ambush Amber last time, not how it went down) so he wouldn't be able to refer to it for the reader. As such, and with some people being confused and or upset about how this "breaks the lore" of the show, I felt the need to point out it doesn't. Well, at least it doesn't in my opinion. Sure, Jaune isn't a woman, but Cinder obviously wasn't stealing Amber's powers through the natural route, so why would the usual rules apply? They were already being broken right there.

I'm kinda surprised no one called out the sigil before. Maybe they did and I missed it, but it's literally exactly what Cinder has on the back of her hand.

Cover Art: Jack Wayne

Chapter 88

His eyes burned blue and wisps of smoke rose from his hand, the sigil burning hot and bright on the back. What felt like fire in the shape of electricity shot through his body, setting his nerve ends tingling. Something bubbled beneath the surface, a well of power he'd never experienced before, and given what just happened, it wasn't hard to figure out where that came from.

Does this make me a maiden?

That was going to be awkward to explain to Raven and Winter.

Jaune and Amber stared at one another over the scant distance between them, a moment of shock tearing through their combat. The pause gave him a moment to ponder, though not to find any answers. He couldn't be the Fall Maiden. For one, he wasn't a woman, but even beyond that Amber was still alive, which meant he hadn't inherited the power at all. You couldn't inherit from someone still in possession, and her eyes glowed with maiden fire.

This was no inheritance. It was theft.

Or was it…?

Ozpin had made the maidens. No one knew how and he hadn't told, only to say it was a decision he sometimes regretted and leave it at that. Another of his mistakes that came back to bite him. The act of making them had left him diminished, which implied he'd split his power among them. Granted it to them. Raw power of a, for lack of a batter term, magical type.

"That which was given can be taken away…"

"What…?" Amber tensed. He hadn't meant it as a threat to her, more an epiphany of sorts, but it did its job regardless. She stooped to pick up her staff and took a far more guarded stance. "You can't have it. The Maiden's power can only pass down to another woman. That rule is absolute."

That was true, but it wasn't passing down, was it? In any normal situation, it would go to whomever she last thought of as she died, which might well have been Cinder or another of Salem's lieutenants, making killing her a risky proposition. But if there was a way to circumnavigate the rule of it being passed down, then why not the rule of being female as well?

Cinder became the Fall Maiden when she killed Pyrrha, but if Pyrrha knew it went to the last person she thought of, I bet she'd have thought of Nora or Ruby before she died. Even at the end, he knew she'd have had the strength to do that and deny Cinder.

And yet it hadn't denied her. Cinder took the power. Stole it.

Just like he had now. Or a fraction of it.

The question was, could he use it? His eyes were on fire and he felt… energised for lack of a better term. Tingly. Throwing a hand out yielded no explosion of wind or lightning, however. Then again, it hadn't for Pyrrha. Did he need to learn how to use it? Could he use it? Even if he stole the Maiden's Power, it might still require a woman to utilise it.

Amber lunged forward, unprepared to give him the time to figure it out.

"You can't have it!"

Her staff crashed into his sword and knocked him back a step. Spinning, she released with one hand and swept toward him, lightning crackling through the air. On a curious whim, he blocked it with his hand, the same one that had stolen her power.

His scream tore through the chamber, hand smoking as he staggered back with gritted teeth.

That hadn't worked. Shit. Stealing attacks out the air was a no-go. Damn it. I should have practiced that with Emerald, not in combat. Idiot. No ability to counter her powers or turn them against her. That could only mean one thing…

"You can't use it!" Amber roared victoriously, lashing out with another attack that he dodged away from, having learned his lesson. "You can steal it, but you can't use it! That power is useless to you!"

It was too early to tell if it was completely useless, but right now it certainly was. Cutting left, he slammed one foot down, pivoted and sliced in toward her wrist, bending at the waist to let more lightning crackle by above, so close his hair stood on end. Crocea Mors caught her hand as she drew back, knocking her off balance.

Darting in, he lunged not with his sword, but his free hand – catching her exposed stomach with his fingertips.

"Ahhh!"

Another pulling sensation. Another tug. Thin trails of pale golden light linked his fingers to her skin like sticky strands of syrup. His hand felt like it was on fire, like he'd had raw sugar pumped into his veins.

It only lasted a second before she pulled back and clutched her side, and there was no visible wound, but the proof was in the light glowing around his hand, the way the sigil – Salem's sigil – flared on the back.

He could absorb power.

Maiden power.

He'd shaken hands with huntsmen before, including Ozpin, without problems, so he couldn't steal Semblances or aura. It was keyed directly into the maidens – and maybe into Ozpin now that he thought about it. The sigil shone when he shook hands with him. No power stealing. I'd be in trouble if that were the case.

Unless Ozpin's power was so diminished there was none left to take. It would make sense, especially since the power Amber threw around now technically was Ozpin's. It also explained why Ozpin didn't just make more maidens or give Ruby the same power since he knew she could be trusted. There was none left to give.

"It may be useless to me," he admitted, "But it's not to you, is it? For someone whose relied on that power to solve all her problems, your skills as a huntress have waned." To be fair, the very nature of the power meant she had to inherit it early. Ren had once told him it should be seen as a boon that he'd not unlocked his own Semblance early, because the lack of it forced him to train and become well-rounded, whereas some people relied too heavily on their natural advantages. "Even if I'm not getting any stronger, you're getting weaker."

"What are you? Are you even human?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure anymore. I used to be." He stepped forward, sword in one hand, other outstretched. "But after she remade me, I'm not sure if I still count as that."

"Get back!"

Lightning exploded out, followed by howling gales that spread in every direction. Her panic made her reckless, but the maiden's power was still just that and he was hurled from his feet regardless. Slamming down, he slid back to the closest wall, holding an arm over his eyes to shield them from the hurricane force winds.

"It's mine!" Amber roared over it, lashing out in every direction. "My power. My responsibility. My burden!" Her voice cracked. "I didn't ask for this; I never asked for this. You won't kill me. I won't let you, Tyrian or Salem kill me!"

And so, she joined with them. Damn it. It was just like Leonardo and even Raven the first time.

Pushing up, he steadied himself with one foot pushed back, straining to peer through the sharp wind so he could see any further attacks coming. Amber wasn't aiming now; she was throwing her power out everywhere just to keep him and his hands away. With the space confined, the wind bounced off the walls, streaming left and right and mingling, mixing and twisting into a confusing storm of varying currents.

His sword arm wavered, buffeted left and right. Even if he had his gun, there was no aiming through this. He couldn't even see her – he just knew where she was by judging where the wind came from. The eye of the tornado.

Amber isn't thinking straight. She's scared; lashing out in every direction. Having her so-called power taken away must have left her feeling vulnerable in a way she hadn't for years. Without Cinder to show her just how much that was possible, she'd grown complacent.

Or maybe this was how she'd always been. He had to keep in mind he'd never truly known her and likely didn't now. Losing to Cinder the first time when Cinder didn't have the maiden's power must have also been due to complacency on Amber's part. Bow or not, she should have been able to buffet any arrows away with her power.

Crocea Mors clattered away, discarded and rattling across the floor, clanging into the back wall and sticking there as the wind took it. Holding his right hand over his face to shield his eyes, and with his left held forward to block the wind, Jaune trudged into the storm. His white coat billowed and whipped behind him, until he discarded that as well, tearing it off and letting it flutter away.

Once-upon-a-time she might have been an ally.

Not this time. People changed. They were shaped by their experiences, their past and the conflict they went through. Some might come out relatively similar; Yang, Nora and Ren. Others changed; Blake, Ruby and Emerald.

Maybe he'd been wrong entirely. Amber had only ever been a victim to him and Pyrrha. Some poor girl trapped in a tube, damaged and later killed by Cinder. He'd never known her, only pieced together a theory based on assumptions. There was a reason Amber walked around outside the Kingdoms and got ambushed in the first place. For all he knew, she might always have been like this.

He had to stop making foolish assumptions. Roman, Emerald and Raven were his greatest allies now, each of them a former enemy. Times changed. Life changed.

Fighting through the storm, Jaune pushed past the final barrier and into Amber's guard. Her eyes were wild, wide and afraid. Seeing him, she brought both hands down and summoned a crackling ball of lightning.

I came back to change the future.

The lightning shot forth.

But I guess her fate is going to be the same either way.

Roaring her name, he took the attack head-on, surging through as electricity crackled and sparked all over his body. Aura tanked, pouring off him in steam as it fought the lightning. Memorising her last position, he clenched his eyes shut and fought past the locking of his muscles. He charged up the steps, knowing she had no room to float up or away. Pushing off the last step, he vaulted onto the pedestal with the book, then jumped higher still.

They collided in the air, Amber unable to escape in the confined space. He bore her down, the two of them landing hard on the top step, her back cracking against it and then sliding down with him on top. Her mouth opened in a frantic gasp, only to be covered by his hand, gripping the left side of her face, sigil glowing on the back.

Jaune's eyes burned with blue fire.

"No!" Amber cried, struggling. "NO!"

He batted her hand away with his other, planted a knee between her legs and bore his weight down on her, making them slide down the steps to the floor. Up close and fully holding her face, the flow of power felt faster. More fluid. It poured out of her like a bath with the plug pulled, ripping into him in a way that left him… full? Satiated? It was impossible to explain. He had been empty but now he wasn't, like a car having its dust reserve filled.

At the expense of hers. Amber's struggles became fitful, more than just maiden power drawn out. Her blows became weak, the wind she summoned a mere gale. It made his hair flap about but lacked the strength for anything more.

"Please," she begged, tears pouring from her eyes. "I don't want to die."

For joining Salem, she deserved death.

"I won't kill you," he grunted, pushing down harder. "I'll take this from you – you can't be trusted with it – but once that's gone, I'll let you slink away." He needed someone to deliver his message to Salem. It might as well be her.

"No," she wept, kicking frantically. "You're killing me! Stop, please!"

He pushed down onto her. "Stay still."

"No. No, no, no!" Amber's back arched, eyes opening wide.

Her face glowed golden – not just her eyes, but her skin and even her hair. It all glowed, becoming nothing more than an indistinct golden shape of a human being. A ragged howl escaped her, a scream that tapered off.

Amber, the Fall Maiden, turned to dust under him.

What…?

Jaune fell through, onto the floor, eyes wide. He sat on all fours, no longer atop his opponent and with motes of golden light flittering helplessly past his face. Like embers. Embers on the wind. A tear ran down his cheek, over his open mouth and dripped onto the floor.

It was just as Ruby described it so long ago.

"Pyrrha…"

This was how Pyrrha died. How Cinder killed her. Not with an arrow through her chest, but by turning her to dust with the touch of her hand. Looking away, he scrunched his eyes shut as angry tears leaked forth. He'd thought he'd buried all that far away, but seeing it happen now. No. It happened to Amber, which meant it would never, could never, happen to the Pyrrha of this time.

Standing, he wiped his arm over his eyes, whispered a silent apology for the woman he'd killed, and made his way to the pedestal. The thick tome lay upon it, as untouched by the winds and the violence as anything within the community of Vault. His hands slammed down on either side of it.

"You'd better be worth all this."

/-/

If he were Tyrian, he'd be waiting outside to ambush him.

It was a fair bet assuming Amber had been filling Salem in on his location – and since he'd planned in advance to come with her, she may well have. Tyrian and Hazel waiting up top to either kill him when he came out tired, or enter once they were sure he was asleep, would be an easy way to deal with him. Taking one of them on was possible, but not both.

Rather than risk it, he waited in the chamber, sat on the pedestal, while his portable signal boosting kit worked its magic. It was a small civilian variant of the CCT, more often used for people travelling in the wild. There were mid-tier ones between this and the CCT used for villages on the outskirts. It took time, and dust, but it would eventually boost his signal to reach outward.

The braziers were lit once more. The room was empty, walls blown clean of dust by Amber's magic – and of the woman herself, naught but her armour and her staff remained. Even her clothes had disappeared with her, though he had no idea why.

"Magic. Don't question it…"

The book lay unopened. He didn't have the energy for it. Amber's death had been something that probably had to happen if she'd joined Cinder, but it hadn't been intentional. If he'd stabbed her or cut her head off, he would have been able to handle it better than this. Better than watching Pyrrha's death happen before his eyes.

It really was just as Ruby described it. Back then, he'd wondered if she made up the golden dust thing to soften the blow and save him having to hear a more painful fate. Not so, it seemed. Pyrrha, like Amber, had been turned to dust and blown away.

Why? How? What did it mean?

They'd never asked Ozpin. To be fair, there were so many other more immediate problems they'd had. Tyrian, Qrow, Atlas, Ironwood, Salem. Relics. Too much to think on.

He brought his hand up and stared at it. The sigil on the back was no longer glowing, nor was his hand itself. Turning it over, he cupped his fingers and tried to summon fire. When that failed, he imagined wind – then tried to will it and final even sighed and said, "I cast fireball."

Nothing.

The power was there – he could feel it tingling away – but it didn't do anything. He couldn't even direct it around his body like he could aura. It refused to obey his commands, leaving him sat there with a scowl.

"I guess it really can only be used by a woman. That or Ozpin put some trick into it." That didn't seem likely though. Cinder had been able to use the power almost straight away, and while Ozpin said it was clumsy at first, she'd still been able to float almost straight after killing Amber. "Is it something Ozpin did to the power? Did he rewrite it so only a woman could use it?"

If so, it was useless to him. Or not useless – he could still hoard it and prevent it falling to Salem – but he couldn't wield it.

"Could I give it back to Ozpin?"

A more capable Ozpin in his ascendancy sounded promising.

His scroll beeped.

Pulling away from his thoughts, Jaune typed in a message and waited. There was no response, but then she probably wouldn't see the point. A few minutes later, a red tear opened in the air before him, rimmed with black. Raven didn't step through.

Jaune did, collecting his pack, his booster and the tome before gingerly stepping through the portal and into what he assumed was Mistral. More specifically, Raven's tent in the middle of her tribe somewhere in the ass-end of Mistral.

"I didn't realise I was playing chauffer today."

Raven was in the corner, stood with her sword drawn. Seeing he was through, she cut it through the portal and dismissed it, then sheathed the weapon, unclipped it from her belt and tossed it onto her bed. She was dressed in her combat gear, he noticed, which was odd given how late it was.

"Expecting trouble?"

"No. I have… work to do tonight."

"You're not raiding a village, are you?"

"I'm not." Raven rolled her eyes. "The tribe has supplies aplenty after the Schnee bribe for doing their work for them and not calling them out on it."

Winter had called it a reward for justice done against the White Fang, but Raven referred to it as a bribe, arguing that the money wasn't just for killing Sienna, but also to stay quiet and let the SDC take the praise. She wasn't wrong, but then she wouldn't have accepted it the other way anyway, so he didn't know what she was complaining about.

"It's nothing to concern yourself over," she continued. "Just someone who won't stop being a pain in my ass. It's easier I deal with them." Changing the subject, she said, "You say you killed the Fall Maiden. That was a bad idea. We'll have to find where her power went now…"

"Not quite."

Jaune tried to show it off. He managed to grit his teeth and clench his muscles, but his eyes wouldn't light up.

Raven cocked an eyebrow. "Do you need to take a shit or something?"

Giving up, he sighed and explained, "I stole the maiden's power."

"Impossible. You're a man." Her eyes slid down jokingly. "I think."

"You and your daughter are more alike than you think with that sense of humour." He saw her amusement die a grisly death. Her eyes narrowed. "Moving on." Bad topic, obviously. "It's something to do with this." He showed her the sigil. "I was able to draw out Amber's power when we were fighting. At the time, my eyes glowed with the same fire as hers. It… it ended up killing her. She turned to dust and floated away."

Raven hummed, no doubt thinking back over memories that weren't hers. "Like your girlfriend."

"Yeah." He swallowed and looked away. "I'm not sure how that works but I definitely stole it. It didn't pass onto someone else; I can still feel it inside me, but I can't use it. How do you use it? Is there some trick to it?"

"Not really. The power is always struggling to burst free. I just direct it and push it out."

Not the same for him, then. There went his hopes of actually being able to fight like a maiden.

"What I don't understand is how this never came up before," she said. "You've touched me with that hand and there wasn't any effect on my power. I'm sure you must have shaken her hand before as well. What changed?"

"I don't know." He reached out for Raven and she hopped back. "I'll only do it for a second."

"You think I'm going to let you turn me to fairy dust?"

"Fairy…?"

Raven's face burned bright red. Tearing her eyes away, she grimaced and held out her hand. "Forget I said that. Don't ever comment on it. Just… do the thing. But if you kill me, I swear on my tribe, I'll be coming back to haunt you."

With Amber, it had been a gradual process so he was sure that wouldn't happen. If it started, he could pull away. Reaching out, he gingerly touched the fingers of his left hand to Raven's. They were warm and callused, hard from years of combat and with the nails filed low. They definitely weren't soft or feminine.

"Well?" she snapped. "I don't feel anything."

"That's because it's not happening." He held her hand a little more firmly. Still nothing. "Maybe it only comes on in combat, or maybe it's intent or emotion based. Whatever I did to Hazel happened when I was angry. I see you as an ally, so I guess it doesn't work."

"That's a good thing. You don't want to be absorbing people whenever you touch them."

He let go of her. "True."

"Then now what? You have the maiden power but it's useless to you. Are you going to act as a safe?" She shrugged. "It might work, but Salem is already determined to find you, so I don't think it'll change her plans any. You might be able to open the Relic doors, though."

He hadn't considered that. Sadly, the Fall Maiden was worthless for that because Ozpin hadn't kept the Relic sealed away. Neither did Ironwood, using it to keep Atlas floating. So much for the hiding Relics behind maiden-sealed Vaults thing. That obviously didn't last.

"Or," Raven said, "Are you going to choose the next Maiden?"

"Choose?"

"You took the power away. You're basically the Wizard in that old tale now, except you can't use it for shit since it only works for women. So, are you going to do as Ozpin did and put that on someone? And if so, who?"

Pick, or create, the next Fall Maiden?

He hadn't considered that. Could he? Maybe. There'd be no knowing without trying and he obviously couldn't ask Ozpin. If I could remove it, it would make sense for me to be able to put it back as well. I could pick the Fall Maiden. Make sure it's someone on our side.

In doing so, he'd become even more like Ozpin, especially if he tried to make sure it was someone loyal to him. Emerald, for instance. There was no one of age and gender he could trust more than her, but did she want this kind of responsibility?

If he asked, she'd say yes – but only because he asked.

"I… I don't know."

So many names flashed through his head. Ruby, Yang, Pyrrha, Weiss, Winter, Vernal, Nora – Ozpin already assumed she was a maiden, so why not make it so? Any of them could be trusted to stay on their side. Blake would be the wildcard and someone not safe to put it on.

But if he gave them that power, they'd become targets.

Emerald was already a target anyway by association with him. Did that nullify the risk? Not really. It just meant Salem could get a two-for-one if she sent Tyrian out after her again. Wouldn't it be better for the maiden to be someone hidden?

They had to be able to defend themselves, though…

"I wish Summer was younger…"

Raven snorted. "That would be the easy answer, wouldn't it? There's always Winter. She knows the truth, is of age and would be loyal to you. Of course, she's also a public figure so a single slip of her power would have the world asking questions."

Yeah. Winter wasn't a good pick.

"Think on it," she said. "There's no need to make that choice now. Be careful not to become Ozpin, though. He entrusted it to human spirit and goodness – typical of him – and you saw how that turned out. It must be someone strong. Someone who can protect herself."

"Or someone we can protect."

"Or that, but such a person would not grow up to be strong."

"Raven, is now the time for your silly philosophy?"

"Now is the exact time, Jaune. Unless you want someone walking along and murdering whoever you pick, then you'll put some thought into how strong they can be. Power alone isn't everything. Will, technique, skill, versatility. Cinder, Emerald and Mercury were able to kill Amber. Tyrian, Watts and Hazel would have little difficulty killing Emerald, Ruby or Yang if they caught them alone." Raven stabbed her finger into his chest. "Choose wisely."

"You sound like you have a suggestion…"

"I do. Vernal. She is strong, willing to improve and refuses to let anyone stop her getting stronger. She's also in Beacon, so safe for now, and more importantly, I have a bond to her. I could sense and open a portal to her if she were in danger."

The portal was a good point – especially if Raven picked him up en route. They could reinforce the maiden were she ever under attack. And find her if she decided to pull an Amber and go AWOL. That said, Vernal wasn't the only candidate who Raven could open a portal to.

"I'll consider it. Do you mind if I borrow a tent for tonight?"

"There's a sleeping bag in the corner. Take some cushions and make yourself a bed. Touch mine and we'll be having words." Raven walked to her own and picked up her sword once more. He didn't question being allowed to sleep in her tent. He knew she didn't care about things like that. "I'll be taking care of my other business. You stay here. If nothing else, you'll be a convenient waypoint back."

"I'll try reading this thing." He hefted the tome. "Got any food?"

"Yes." Raven opened a portal and smirked. "In my stomach. Raid my stuff and die."

Stepping through, Raven closed the portal behind her. Jaune counted to ten, stood and immediately started raiding her food supply. Her fault for taking her eyes off him. I wonder where she's going in such a rush, though. I didn't think she had all that much a life outside the tribe.

/-/

"Jaune. Can I have a word with you?"

Jumping, Jaune looked nervously behind him, seeing Mrs Summer Rose, Yang's mom, standing in the corridor. It was late at night, the lights were all off and the training rooms were closed. By all accounts, he shouldn't be out. "Um. Am I in trouble?"

"Not at all." Her smile reminded him of Yang, and he relaxed a little. "Beacon doesn't enforce a curfew, so there's nothing wrong with being out after dark unless I find you doing something untoward. You weren't about to, were you?"

"No! Of course not. I was going to train." He hefted Crocea Mors.

"That's fine then. I actually wanted to talk to you a little about that." Mrs Rose looked about and, seeing they were alone, said, "We can talk here. No need to come to my office or anything. I just wanted to ask a little about you. I know you didn't study at a prep-school before Beacon, yet you're able to fight at the same level as your peers."

His team would say otherwise. He couldn't hold his own against any of them. The fact they were some of the strongest in the year didn't take away from that. He'd been taught that if someone was stronger than you, that meant you were weak. It didn't look like Mrs Rose wanted to hear that though, so he just nodded.

"Ozpin told me your father didn't have a hand in training you either."

"He did a little," Jaune said defensively. "He was busy on hunts."

"Oh, I didn't mean anything bad about it. It's just…" Mrs Rose trailed off. She looked a little nervous. "The way you fight. It reminds me of someone. Reminds me a lot of them. It's not perfect, but it's a distinctive style and you try and do the same things sometimes."

"Is it wrong?"

"No. No. It's just I was curious is all. Where did you learn it? Who taught you?"

"I'm… not supposed to say…" Raven had been explicit on that, making it especially clear that once he was at Beacon, he wasn't to even mention her.

"It will only cause you trouble. We're done now, brat. I trained you. You're in Beacon. From now on, forget I ever existed and live your life however you want to." After saying which, she'd booted him through a portal into the middle of Beacon and disappeared from his life.

"You can't say?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs Rose." And he was. The look on her face was awful. "B-But the headmaster knows," he said. It was against the spirit of his instructions, but he couldn't leave Yang's mom looking like that. "You could ask him."

"He does?"

"Yes."

"Alright." Mrs Rose smiled and stepped back. It didn't quite reach her eyes – there was something there, something sharp as she looked at him. He'd almost have said she disliked him right there, but that didn't feel right. More like she was questioning why, or angry at someone else and directing it his way. "I won't keep you any longer, Jaune. Go and enjoy your training, but don't take it too hard or you'll pull a muscle. Glynda won't give you any mercy if you turn up to class exhausted."

"Yes Mrs Rose. Thank you, Mrs Rose."

Jaune fled the moment she let him, shaking off the guilty feeling inside. Mrs Rose was his favourite teacher, though that went without saying since she was everyone's favourite. Recent enough a huntress to have incredible analogies and stories, friendly in a way Miss Goodwitch wasn't and understanding when it came to homework. It helped that her lessons were some of the more fun ones too, focusing on practical huntsman stuff like camping, mission briefings and team tactics. There was a lot less theory work than Oobleck's class and a lot less boredom than Port's.

I wonder if she knows Raven. Heh. I wonder if I have the guts to ask…

Not right now. Jaune sprinted up the steps to the roof, pushed the door open and looked around.

His smile died a moment later. The rooftop was empty, cold and barren. He deflated, hands falling down at his side as all the air blew from his lungs in a heavy sigh. He'd really thought she'd come if he asked hard enough. He really thought she might-

"You look pathetic. Tch. As usual."

His heart leapt into his throat. He twisted around, taking her in at the corner of the roof. The words bubbled out before he could stop them. "You came!"

"I said I would, didn't I?" Raven scowled, arms crossed under her breasts. As annoyed as she ever was and with red eyes that pierced right through him. "And I'm only here because you're a whiny little shit who wouldn't stop bothering me. Wipe that smile off your face before I beat it off."

He couldn't, even if she knew she was deadly serious.

She was here! She'd come! Jaune rushed forward with his arms outstretched.

A fist caught him under his jaw, launching him back and up. He slammed down hard, dizzy and somehow still euphoric.

"Don't get any ideas!" Raven yelled. "I told you we were done. I told you once your training was over, there'd be nothing more. You're at Beacon. That's all I had in mind. You weren't supposed to stay in touch, let alone be a demanding little twat."

Despite the names, Jaune smiled, pushing himself up and looking at her. "My training isn't over!"

"What?"

"My training," he said, standing. "You said you'd be done with me once my training is over, but how can it be done if I can't even beat you? I have to get stronger, right? I have to be strong."

"Tch. Don't sweet talk me…"

"I'm getting stronger, but not strong enough." He drew his sword, seeing the light in her eyes as she did the same. As always, the promise of a fight had Raven interested. He'd known it would. And maybe his motives weren't quite as honest as he was saying.

He didn't care all that much about getting strong.

"Keep training me," he pleaded. "Help me become stronger."

"Whiny brat…" Raven mumbled something under her breath, more insults probably, but she didn't leave. She could have. A portal out and she'd be gone, or she could use her magic to summon wind and blow him off the roof. So many ways she could be rid of him if she really wanted to. "Alright," she growled. "But I'm not going easy on you!"

Yes! Yes, yes, yes!

"I won't ask you to. I'm strong."

"Yeah?" Raven aimed her sword at him. "You'd best be ready to back those words up, cuz I'm going to beat you until you can't type any more texts. And don't expect me to carry your carcass back to your dorm either. You pass out, you sleep up here."

Nodding, Jaune charged in.

So sadly no, Jaune isn't actually becoming a maiden. I joked about it in the end message but didn't expect people to take my "sailor moon crossover" comment as anything other than the jest it was. College Fool and I did talk about that, but it was more us throwing around cracky ideas for fun.

One or two people in my PMs seemed to take that seriously – and had some very strong thoughts on me daring to "muddy Jaune's gender" whatever that's supposed to mean. I'll admit, after being told that I was almost tempted to about-face and absolutely make Jaune the Fall Maiden, just to annoy them.

I stuck to my plan in the end. Jaune can "take" the power, but it's not his and thus not his to wield or use. Ozpin made it as a very specific tool, and Jaune lacks the knowledge, resources and more to toy with that. He is, at best, a battery. He can store it and transfer it.

Next Chapter: 4th January (Two Weeks)

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur