~~-Aspen Maiden-~~
"I will be your new Fall Maiden."
Jaune stood firm, his voice filled with confidence and determination. His very tone and posture conveying just how resolute he was in his decision.
"Wwhhaaat?" Qrow dragged out the word while looking at him out of the corner of his eyes, his flask hovering just in front of his lips.
"Yes. I too am a little lost." Ozpin tilted his head looking at Jaune over his glasses.
"You can use your soul machine McGuffin to put Amber's soul in me. I will be your new Fall Maiden." Jaune's confidence wilted a bit, causing him to begin gesturing wildly between himself and the empty pod.
"Heh. That's a good one kid. But now isn't really the time to be joking." Qrow stopped chuckling, wiped his eyes on his sleeves and drained his flask.
"It isn't really the time for drinking either." Jaune glared at him.
"I'm starting to like you more and more kid. But unless there's something about your anatomy that we don't know, I think you'll find you have the wrong set of equipment for this particular job." Qrow gestured at him making a vaguely hourglass shape with his hands.
"Normally you'd be right. But as you've been saying all along this isn't a normal situation. I won't be inheriting the powers, they will stay Amber's. But Amber's soul will be hidden, tucked away in me." Jaune's explanation was in a rather condescending tone, which caused Ozpin to hide a smile behind his cup. Usually Qrow was not the one on the receiving end of such snark.
"Wow. Someone's been paying attention." Jaune just glared at an unrepentantly smug Qrow.
"There is very little chance the Maiden's Powers would be usable by you. At least not until your souls have merged, and that could take months if not years. And there is no knowing what will happen when your souls do merge? Would the powers be usable, would they lay dormant, or perhaps they'd seek a new host? There are too many unknowns." Ozpin shook his head.
"Is any of that different than if it were Pyrrha? And hidden and dormant powers are not necessarily a bad thing. It would make it neigh impossible for the enemy to find me. Having fully functional powers didn't save Amber." Jaune gestured sadly at the comatose girl, even as he continued to press undeterred by Ozpins dismissal.
"Hmmm. Those are all valid points. It's an interesting proposition." Ozpin leaned on his cane and idly rubbed his chin.
"Oz you can't be seriously considering this." Qrow looked at his boss and mentor as if seeing him for the first time.
"Why not? We have been at this game for a long time. This would certainly change things up. Perhaps even tip the balance in our favor." Ozpin stood, back straight, staring off into the middle distance, deep in contemplation.
"I think that's part of the problem, sir. You've been playing for so long, you haven't realized the game has changed. Whoever is doing this is clearly working from the shadows. You're busy playing chess, trying to put your strongest pieces on the board. But you SHOULD be playing Three Card Monty."
"You may be right Mr. Arc. Peter Port should be commended, he has been proven correct in his leadership assessment of you. You are indeed a creative thinker who is able to process things clearly and logically despite the situation. But let us say, hypothetically, the Maiden's Powers do manifest in you. How do you plan to hide that?" Ozpin regarded Jaune with fresh eyes. He was still quite surprised by the young man but now it was pleasantly so.
Jaune recovered quickly from the unexpected praise. He didn't know that Port was even in charge of leadership assessments. Let alone that the man thought so favorably of him.
"My semblance is unknown. We could explain it as a powerful elemental semblance. Who would make the connection to a male harboring a female Maiden's soul?"
"What about when your souls begin to merge. You are going to be in a unique situation with both male and female memories." Ozpin rose an eyebrow.
"Sir, I am not exactly the most macho of men. Most of my skill set already leans heavily to the… let's say, domestic. And I grew up with seven sisters I have been well and truly exposed to just about every conceivable feminine issue. Anything Amber has experienced I likely have as well, not necessarily first hand, but enough that it is unlikely to change me much." Jaune shrugged, the more he considered it the less downsides he could see.
"Wow kid. I have one sister, and she was more than I can handle." Qrow gave him the first signs of honest respect he had gotten all night.
Jaune shrugged while Ozpin let out a rare chuckle. "Your one sister is without a doubt more challenging than his seven."
"Probably right about that. He got quantity, I got… not quality… I'd say…an evil, angry, murderous, harpy." Qrow snorted as he raised a finger in triumph for his superior choice in words.
"Back to the matters at hand. Are you sure this is something you wish to do? If I agree, would you be willing to go through with it immediately?" Ozpin peered over his spectacles, fingers drumming on his cane.
"You are not going to give Jimmy and Glynda a heads up on this?" Qrow pointed behind him in the vague direction of where said individuals might be.
"Glynda will forgive me, and James and I have not been seeing eye to eye as of late. I do not believe we should drag our heals on this. James would want to run background checks and that would be sure to uncover Jaune's… unusual admittance." Ozpin sent Jaune a knowing look.
"You knew about my transcripts?" Jaune's mouth was agape, his turn for a surprise this evening. And the irony of the mundane nature of it, made Ozpin smile a bit.
"Indeed. They were a terrible forgery. I hope whoever you paid did not charge you much. They looked as though you had done them yourself." Ozpin smirked at Jaune's dumbfounded and embarrassed expression.
"You cheated your way into Beacon Academy?" Qrow looked at him with a mixed expression. Jaune just nodded, ready to take his penance.
"I knew I liked you! That's awfully bold kid." Jaune could have done without the clap on the back that nearly gave him whiplash.
Ozpin chose to ignore Qrow entirely. "I knew of your family legacy. But it was the essay portion of the application that convinced me. Rarely have I seen such passion to protect those around you. It took me several hours to redo the transcripts to a level that would fool Glynda. But I doubt they would hold up under James's scrutiny." He lowered his glasses to give Jaune a smile. "I might not have done so, had I known of your complete lack of Aura."
"Kid, I don't know whether to be impressed or scared by you. You went into Beacon's Initiation with no Aura? I assume that meant no training either. Yet you not only passed you came out the team leader? Of Invincible Girl no less. Now I understand why you would jump into this mess. You are as Yang would say, brazy, that's brave but also border line crazy." Qrow did look honestly impressed now.
"Regardless, the events at the coliseum today prove that our enemy's plans are in motion. We can't afford to be caught flat footed. And James would most certainly want to delay."
Jaune, sensing that he was managing to win his case decided to go for broke.
"Sir, believe it or not I've already considered it carefully. Unless you have some plan B that I don't know about, this is the best plan I can think of. Pyrrha being forced to handle this burden is simply not an option for me. Taking on that responsibility is the best way I can think of to protect Pyrrha and the school. I'm literally the last person anyone would consider for this. And that makes me the perfect choice to hide the powers away. That, and I've already given you my word, and an Arc never goes back on his word."
"Very well. It is decided then. I will return momentarily. I wish to confer briefly with Mr. Polendina, he invented this machine. I wish to have him verify the feasibility of this plan. Qrow will stay here to keep you company."
Qrow slouched against the empty pod. While Ozpin walked to the other end of the vaulted chamber. Jaune returned to looking at the comatose girl.
"I'm sorry for what has happened to you. I promise to be the best host I can be for your soul. Hopefully I can ease your burdens and your pain. May the brothers watch over us. And may at our end they bring you and I both into the great beyond." Jaune pressed his head against the glass as he began to offer up his quiet prayer.
The machine began beeping again, startling Qrow and Jaune. Jaune reacted in fear pulling away afraid he had done something to the machine. As soon as he did the beeping stopped and returned to a soft hum.
"What'd you do kid?" Qrow advanced on him menacingly.
"Nothing! Just saying a prayer." Jaune tree his arms up waving them back and forth in denial.
"Well, whatever you did, knock it off! The last thing we need is for poor Amber here to pop off into the afterlife without getting this thing resolved first."
Qrow grabbed him by his armor and dragged him some distance away before sweeping his legs out from under him and forcing him into a seated position. Jaune sat cross legged and pouted as Qrow slouched back to his previous resting spot and glared at him.
"Well without going into specifics with him, Mr. Polendina has confirmed there should be no difference male or female with the Aura transfer. So if you are ready we can begin at any moment." Ozpin returned with a spring in his step. Before turning to address Qrow.
"I hate to do this Qrow, but with your particular semblance issues, I think it may be for the best if you return to the surface and explain the situation to Gynda. We wouldn't want any accidents or complications to occur."
Qrow pushed off the pod and gave a two-finger salute as he slouched away. As he passed Jaune he gave him a smack on the shoulder. "Good luck kid. You are either a genius or crazy. Guess we'll find out soon enough."
Jaune turned to look at the machine and at Amber. Gulping he turned back to Qrow, but the man was gone. Looking around he couldn't see any trace of him. He strained his ears to try and hear the elevator ding, but could only hear the hum of the machine, Ozpin typing at the control panel, and a flapping of wings he assumed was a large bat or bats. He began to worry that his priorities were warped when he started wishing Ozpin would hurry up and open the soul scrambling machine so he could get in and away from the potential bats.
With a hiss of hydraulics and a whoosh of escaping air the empty pod opened ominously. To his credit Jaune didn't hesitate getting in, only gulping loudly to swallow his fears.
The pod clearly wasn't built for someone of his stature. He had to flex his knees a bit and his head was bent at an awkward angle. He had to shuffle around in the cramped space so he didn't get caught in the closing door. Once he heard the click of the latches engage he wiggled around a bit, only partially succeeding at finding a comfortable position.
"Mr. Arc? Are you ready?" The sound coming from the speaker next to him made him jump. Not a very good idea in such a confined area. His Aura flashed as his head impacted the top of the pod. While his Aura may have stopped any major damage it was still jarring and more than a little annoying. Especially since he couldn't get his arms up to rub the affected area. He nodded back with an annoyed scowl.
"Mr. Arc, I need you to say the words." Ozpin paused, hands hovering over the controls.
"Yeah. I mean, yes. I'm ready. I guess." He muttered the last bit.
Ozpin did something with the controls, and the machine began to spring to life. The gentle hum picked up in frequency and intensity, becoming an increasingly louder whine.
Lights began to blink and there was a loud clunk before Jaune's Aura began to surround him in a pale white light. A bright gold Aura began to infuse the air around him mixing with the silvery white of his own. His own Aura reacted to the new increasing the color and overall brightness of both.
Jaune watched the whole light show around him in awe. A warmth pervading his core, gave him a comforting feeling. He had just enough time to think 'I thought this would have hurt more.' Before the screaming began.
Fire. He felt like he was on fire. His face in particular felt as though it was being melted off. He reached up to claw at it but the pod was so cramped it inadvertently restrained his arms. And the screaming just wouldn't stop. At least that was until his lungs ran out of air, then he made an important discovery. Turns out he was the one screaming. It also turns out that knowing that didn't help anything and the screaming continued.
Images, memories, feelings, mostly feelings of pain flitted through his brain. And then things really kicked in to high gear. The glowing gold reached it's maximum intensity and began to swirl together creating a single homogeneous shimmering pale gold color. Jaune's body began to spasm, his back arched shoving his head into the top of the pod, denting it a bit. The pod thankfully, and not his head. It probably would have been rather painful, but that pain was dwarfed by everything else he was feeling. Every one of the nerves in his body felt like it was being pulled apart, dipped in acid and then forcibly reconnected.
His eyes rolled back into his head and he lost consciousness. Ozpin was concerned but all his vitals remained strong. Amber had briefly opened her eyes but now was also unconsciousness again. Poor Amber had been mirroring Jaune's actions, thrashing about in anguish. Now she was still again, the only proof she was alive was the readout on the display from her pod showing very weak vital signs. The flow of Aura had stopped, for all intents and purposes, Amber was gone. The machine kept her heart and lungs going artificially, but what remained, though still technically living, was but a soulless, mindless husk.
The Aura that had been swirling in the pod seemed to draw into the boy, as if sucked into his very pores. When the maelstrom ended, just a soft, pale silvery gold, glow was left surrounding Jaune's still form.
The peace that filled the vault was unnerving, but short lived. The machine spooled down returning to a barely audible hum. But Jaune's Aura began flaring around him. Pale silver and gold wisps of energy whipping about. The eerie green flames that lit the chamber all seemed to flicker and bend inward towards the boy.
Ozpin was thrown back when, with a snap, Jaune's eyes opened and the front of the pod exploded outward. It flew across the room imbedding itself into one of the stone columns. Jaune stepped out of the ruined pod with his eyes ringed in silvery fire. Golden aura whipping about and sparks of lightning dancing between his fingers.
Ozpin would not have been surprised if angle wings were to sprout up behind him. He looked the perfect image of a guardian angel. A paladin of old. A protector of humanity, and a spirit of vengeance for those who would try to harm others.
Then Jaune blinked. And the whole image shattered. The fire went out and the Aura pulled back in. Leaving the scrawny boy Ozpin knew and had recently come to greatly respect.
Jaune bent over hands on his knees and coughed. "Did it work? I feel like it worked." His voice was horse and scratchy.
Ozpin scrambled over to help him up. "Yes Jaune. I do believe, it did indeed work. How do you feel?"
"Sore. Sore, and tired." He took a deep breath and swallowed painfully. Ozpin offered him his seemingly ever present mug and he took a sip. So, it was cocoa, but not a very sweet one. Not bad really, who would have guessed?
The drink soothed his throat but also brought back memories. Memories he was fairly sure were not his own. And with that he began to recall the nightmare he had just gone through in the pod.
"Ozpin, I remember. I know who did this to me…. I mean to Amber. And they are here in the school." Jaune turned standing with a look of dawning horror.
"Who are they Mr. Arc?" The older man seized him by the shoulders desperate to know.
"Team CEMN. Cinder Fall, she is the one who stole the powers. Oh my gods! Yang!"
Jaune broke free and began pacing excitedly as he put the pieces together.
"She is in trouble for breaking Mercury's leg. But that is impossible, from the thigh down they are prosthetics! I... I mean, Amber, this is going to be confusing for a while isn't it. Anyway, Amber hit him with a fire attack that burned away his pants revealing robotic metal legs!"
Jaune froze mid stride. "The little girl with the bike? I tried to give her an apple? Emerald! She can make you see things that aren't there. She must have used her semblance to trick Yang into attacking. That's why she was so confused by what happened and insisted she only acted in self-defense! Their last teammate, the quiet one. I think her name is Mint Noire she wasn't part of the attack; I don't know her semblance."
"You are sure. They are here in the school posing as students." Ozpin had his cane gripped tight, and was pulling his scroll out.
"Yes sir. Transfers from Haven." Jaune nodded.
"I'll have to ask Leonardo about this. In the mean time I will have James begin a search for them." Ozpin began dialing.
"I don't mean to tell you how to do your job sir. But isn't that a bit risky?" Jaune reached out and boldly stopped his headmaster from completing the call.
"How so Mr. Arc?" Ozpin looked over curiously.
"Well, Cinder and her two teammates fought and defeated Amber, that was before she stole the Maiden powers. With the powers she could injure a lot of people especially if she gets cornered inside Amnity. What if instead we lure her here and lay a trap for her. Yourself, professor Goodwitch, Qrow, maybe some of the other professors. We would have her isolated and away from potential innocent bystanders."
"Very well. But how to get her here?"
Jaune snapped his fingers but scowled in thought. "Pyhhra. I bet they were planning to target her tonight. Didn't you say they rigged it so she would fight even though I withdrew her name?"
"Yes, I believe they had her fighting against… Ohh dear... It would seem you are once again correct Mr. Arc." Ozpin lowered his scroll, eyes growing wider as the realizations hit him and the pieces fell into place.
"So, if we screwed up their plan for tonight, I'm sure they will still be watching her. They probably suspect her to be your primary candidate… Why not have Ms. Goodwitch lead them here? Then we can have the other teachers move in from above and cut off any escape while we deal with Cinder here?" Jaune began pacing again, his mind awhirl with plans and contingencies.
"It would seem I've become predictable. Very well Mr. Arc, I yield to your innovative tactics. We shall have it done. Prepare yourself, you will need to be ready to help defend Mrs. Nikos as she will undoubtedly be their target. I will return shortly, and shall retrieve your weapons. If you think of anything else send me a text. However be cautious as to what you say, others may be listening in."
Ozpin left Jaune, who went to have another sip of cocoa only to find the mug gone and a water bottle in its place. Grabbing the bottle, he sat back in a meditative pose across from Amber.
"Gods forgive me. I hope I can keep Pyrrha safe. I have done exactly what I accused Ozpin of doing." Jaune hung his head, shaking it sadly.
"I've used Pyrrha as bait."
~~-Aspen Maiden-~~
AN: So I chose the name Aspen Maiden as a nod to the Silver and Gold theme of Amber and Jaune's Aura. Aspen trees have silvery bark and their leaves have a silvery shade to their undersides during summer. In Fall however aspen leaves turn a brilliant golden color.
I can't commit to a regular update schedule, but I had some time to write and edit so this chapter came out rather quickly. If things work out well I may be able to get chapter 3 out next week, but please don't hold it against me if I'm a bit late :)
Oh and Roosterteeth owns all rights to the characters portrayed in this story.