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The next day passed quickly enough as JPBY exited classes, they had a plan of action now, wasn't much of one but it best waiting around. Going into Vale and traveling across to one of the more seedy places on the opposite of the city while Cinder hat a hatchet to grind. This is why everyone agreed to first stop at the lockers to gear up. Jaune affixed his breastplate on and slumped onto one of the benches. He was happy to help foil whatever plans Cinder and the White Fang had but preferred if he could have a normal School year.

"We're first years and yet it's like we're preparing for war." Amber said aloud.

"Yeah, but it's what we have to deal with now, no point in complaining." Jaune added

"This isn't something you should have to do, sorry." Her voice was filled with sorrow.

"You don't have to apologize," Jaune chuckled. "I think we've been over this twice now, I'd never do anything different on that road besides a better job at saving you."

"I know," Her face appeared with a warm smile. "I should have considered this would happen though."

"Nobody considered they would kidnap Ruby until it happened Amber." Armor finally equipped, Jaune clipped Crocea Mors to his hip. "Oh, I just realized Pyrrha and I need to reschedule our dinner date and probably somewhere not in the city."

"That's for the best we avoid heading into Vale too often, being a target like this."

Jaune was about to close his locker he noted Amber's staff sitting discarded at the bottom. Learning how to use a new weapon was an idea he didn't want to imminently throw away. He never saw her use it or focused too much in the past though. It was something to work on later.

"Stick with your sword and shield," Amber said as he was staring at it long enough for her to guess what he was thinking. "Best to use what you know and Pyrrha is already helping you, no need to complicate things."

"I do need a ranged attack." Pretty much everyone in the school had one and without Amber's semblance. He was now useless in anything but cover if an opponent was at a distance with a rifle. "Cinder has a bow and the arrows explode."

"That she does..." A low hum echoed inside his head. "You shouldn't try to one and one her anyway your teammates can more than compensate."

Jaune sighed. "You're right on that part."

The locker room was empty so when the door was cracked opened and Yang's voice came thought it was clear to hear.

"You good in here?" She sounded impatient. "We're all ready to go!"

"Coming!" Going to Vale was going to be dangerous but so long as they were careful and didn't go down any dark alleyways. Jaune was certain they could reach the club and get back before dark.

"What do you mean we can't head to Vale?!" Yang screamed at the attend.

All students were supposed to sign in and out so the school had a general idea where a student was at if they went missing. This was the first time it had ever blocked them before and at the worse time.

"The order came down from the Headmaster."

"That we can't leave Beacon?!" Yang's italic eyes were starting to bleed a red pigment and Jaune readied himself to step in.

"I'm afraid no one can. Between the aftermath of the dust robberies and shortage, the tourists arriving en masse, and the recent kidnappings Headmaster Ozpin has seen fit to shut down the shuttle bay." She explained, and now that she mentioned it the place did look a bit more deserted with students. There were plenty of soldiers due to the Atlas battleship parked in the sky and students from different schools were beginning to arrive from the open landing bays. However, anyone with Beacon uniforms was absent.

"It was recently implemented and I think an announcement is coming soon."

"Did she just say kidnappings plural?" Amber asked urgently.

"Have there been more kidnappings?" Jaune asked.

"I know Beacon is far from Vale but check the news kid. A few dozen have happened yesterday, look I'm sorry but I cannot let any of you onto a shuttle."

"You don't understand we need to-"

"Yang please." Jaune tried to pull her away but the arm but she anchored to the stop but means unknown to him. "I can call the Headmaster about this."

The offer made her exhale and stepped back, the red hue to her eyes faded but she kept scowl. Yang's arms crisscrossed and she even tapped her foot impatiently. He wasted no time taking out his scroll and hoping he wouldn't interrupt anything important when he tapped the contacts list and put it on speaker.

"Hello?" A low voice answered.

"It's Jaune, we just learned you shutdown the shuttles but we need to head into Vale. We not going to kick down doors but ask someone we know to help."

"Recent events required me to bar anyone from leaving. This is for your safety and the search for Ruby Rose will not suffer for it."

Yang groaned, they had a plan here and it seemed to be falling apart fast. It would be back to waiting around for someone else to say something before they could act.

"Please sir, we think there is someone that can help." It wasn't entirely true though, no one ones if Junior had any information for them. "If you can just hear us out for a moment so can explain it."

There was pure silence from the other end, this talk was starting to feel off. Gone was usually calm and kindly manner in which Ozpin would speak. It all gave Jaune an odd sense of foreboding before the man finally spoke.

"I do believe you and I have something to discuss." His voice came through in a plain monotone that made Jaune wince. "Something private, that I require an explanation for."

It was a similar tone he got from his father when he chucked a ball through the neighbor's window. Jaune tried to deny it then but everybody knew and his dad was just done with dancing around it.

"Come to my office, please." The call clicked out and Jaune shared a look with the rest of JNPY.

"I'll be right back."

It probably wasn't a good thing for most people to be used to heading up to the Headmaster's office. Fortunately for Jaune, he wasn't constantly getting into detentions that to warrant it. With everything that's happened in the past three days, he hoped it was good news or perhaps a decent enough lead on Ruby.

"Have a seat please." The Headmaster's voice was firm and serious.

It made Jaune move quickly out of the elevator and into the chair, they were uncomfortable as he came to realize. No cushions on them and the metal was always made it extremely cold too. Ignoring it the best he could Jaune sat down and could help but ask about Yang's sister.

"Did you find anything on Ruby?" While cutting them off the city was annoying he'd rather not start off with an argument.

"No, her Uncle has arrived through and your team will see him soon enough." Jaune nodded along and froze as his gaze drifted to some of the papers on the desk. "Ah yes, you recognize this."

Ozpin turned the paper so he could get a better look and he felt a lump form on his throat

"Take deep breathes Jaune, freaking out won't help anything." Amber said, although her voice held a tinge of fear in it.

"I'm pretty sure falsifying transcripts is a crime, not too so sure on punishments but it has to be bad." He thought grimly, this was going to get ugly at the worse possible time.

"These are fake, but what interests me the most is that they say you've gotten training from an outside source." He tapped the small box as if to place special emphasis on it. "Training I have been told came from a friend of yours named Amber."

Ozpin was watching Jaune closely and saw him pale, as he had a fairly decent idea as to what he was getting at.

"I happened to call your family and they stated that such a person like this."

He opened a window on his computer then had the holographic screen flip to face Jaune. On it was Amber's face. A bit younger looking admittedly and from the categories of height and weight next to it informed him it was an old record from Beacon.

"It didn't line up your story with Ironwood, a few things fail to connect in fact. You didn't know about aura and semblances before Beacon except you did when I asked you about Amber a few months ago..."

Jaune felt like he was being interrogated like in one of the cop shows but minus the dim lighting and the 'good cop'. The man was expecting a response but the blond didn't know what to say or do. Amber was silent, probably contemplating like he was.

"Is this going to affect the search for Ruby?" It was all he had the guts to ask.

"Of course not," Ozpin looked offended by the fact that he would even ask such a question. "This is between the two of us, your team will not suffer because if anything we discuss. To be clear while I am... upset to find forged transcripts there will be no reparations because of them."

"There won't...?" Jaune asked confused.

"No, but this is a pressing matter that I would like to have resolve now." He sighed. "Mr Arc I want some form of explanation, if I'm ever going to help you I have to know the truth here."

"Should I tell him...?"

Was it even right to continue hiding it at this point? The girl inside him said no, but this is the Headmaster and if anyone could help both of them it was him. There wasn't much risk of being labeled insane or ignored. If he knew something Jaunw felt it wasn't seeing much reason not to tell him.

"Amber is inside my head."

"Jaune!" She sighed defeated.

"Amber... who exactly are you referring to?" Ozpin's skepticism was understood and he made to clarify.

"As in her." He pointed to the screen, although the man across from him didn't bother to look.

"Mr Arc- Jaune, explain everything to me clearly, and please leave nothing out this time."

Jaune took that ladder part seriously. From him first viewing the storm from Amber's fight then running in just in time. The black tar-like substance that crammed her mind into his, Ozpin asked where Jaune had grabbed her. Throughout the whole recounting, Amber had remained silent a far cry from how she acted a minute ago. The Headmaster stared, not at him, more through and in thought.

"Am I in trouble?" Jaune blurted out, it was a serious question and he had to know.

"No," It was unnerving how emotionless the older man suddenly was. "On falsifying your transcripts and having Amber trapped within you. The ladder was an uncontrollable even and former can be discussed at a later time."

Jaune flinched, it wasn't the ideal answer but it was probably the best he was going to get. "Do you know anything about what happened between Amber and me? Any way to reverse the process and help her?"

"I'm sorry but no," There was the slightest tinge of sorrow on his expression before it was smothered by indifference. "There are somethings we need to discuss now."

"I was afraid of this..." Amber's voice almost made him jump as it was sudden.

"Your semblance isn't what I saw during initiation isn't it?" Ozpin asked somewhat resigned.

"No, it's Amber's, she can manipulate nature but I can use it. Although it's been damaging my arm so no anymore."

"She never told you?"

"Told me what?"

"About the seasonal Maidens?"

Amber could do nothing as Ozpin laid everything bare. He used the same stupid story about the old man in the woods. This would make Jaune involved in a way she wanted to avoid. Cinder and her cronies were a threat that could be dealt with and that would be the end of it. Learning about the Maidens, getting into Ozpin little war is a lifetime commitment you couldn't walk away from.

"No matter how hard I tried my night always had me sleeping with one eye open."

"The power you wield can be used to decimate this city with ease. That's why I seek to keep it hidden."

Jaune nodded along, it was a good enough reason Amber had to admit after having the power for a time. She never fully understood how to use it but never had the limitations Jaune does. Still didn't mean she was comfortable with Ozpin's methodology.

"What about this scar?" Jaune laid his hand out on the desk. "Her power can only come through this arm, what does that mean?"

"I do not know, proper testing will have to be done to determine what we're looking at. I do want to ask one thing to confirm this is amber within your mind."

"Here we go..." She thought. "I suppose there's no point in trying to hide now is here?"

"When and where did we find you?" The man leaned forwards, listen intently for his response.

"When I was eleven and a cabin in the forests of Mistral. It was mid-winter when Qrow came in with Leonardo."

"By the Brothers..." Ozpin said, it finally cracking his mask of neutrality as he leaned back into his chair. "She really has found a way to steal aura."

"You mean Cinder?" Jaune asked to which Ozpin stared into his eyes for a moment.

"NO! This is where I draw the line! Jaune tell him to shut the hell up!"

"Shut up about what Amber?" He threw all pretense out the window and Ozpin noticed.

"She hasn't told you... I suppose that shouldn't surprise me. You already know much now, hunted by one of her pawns, and have a piece of a maiden inside you." He sighed. "No point in hiding Salem from you now."

"Who?" Jaune asked, and no matter how hard Amber screamed he still listened to Ozpin and paled more than learning about the Maiden's power.

"A queen of the Grimm are you joking?"

"I wish I was," He sighed. "Cinder is merely one of her agents trying to get the Maiden powers and destabilize Vale."

"I don't think she knows I have what she's after."

"No, and thank goodness for that." Ozpin rubbed his chin in thought. "I doubt she can figure it out as men were never supposed to have this power. Not to mention having her prey fused with you sounds ridiculous."

"Do you..." Jaune leaned forwards like he was about to discuss something conifers of his own. "Is Amber within the school?"

Ozpin remained still tapping his table before answering. "No... Yes." He sighed, from the way he reacted there was no hiding it.

"Not that this comes as much of a surprise." Amber thought, last night already confirmed it for her.

"Where is it can we see her?" Jaune asked although Amber wasn't sure what he was hoping to accomplish through it.

"Her body is alive and being kept on life support, perhaps you can later but not today."

"But it's her-"

"Everything I have just said is strictly confidential, we've already discussed much. I think a more formal meeting with everyone is in order." Ozpin flipped the screens and began typing a storm. "Your team cannot know of any of this or else they'll be placed in far more danger than now."

"I told them the same story, they do believe that Amber is just a voice in my head and her powers is my semblance."

"I will do what I can to keep them safe. We will discuss Amber and your condition later, until then I would like to know what you plan to do when in Vale."

"We're going to a club to... talk with someone Yang knows his name is Junior."

Ozpin raised a brow to that name, it made some sense that he'd know an information broker in the city. "I will call ahead to have shuttle security let you through. Wait for Qrow to meet you in the terminal building in Vale and be careful in the city, contact me if you have any trouble."

"Thank you." He gave a weak smile given what they just discussed.

Amber had no words when Jaune stood and made for the elevator. Being who he was, the boy would charge into this looking to help, a nice trait to have had the circumstance been different. Everything she was trying to keep him from just happening in ten minutes and never had she felt so powerless to stop it... As soon as the elevator doors closed Jaune spoke a question she knew was coming...

"Why didn't you tell me about all this?"

Ozpin leaned into his chair once the elevator door closed. A few things were starting to click now, no one could get a voice in their head seeing someone they know die. It wasn't a brutal display nor was Amber severely tortured. That was the explanation that made the most sense at the time. Still, the implicates were both good and bad to hear. Amber is alive and a part of the Maiden powers is safe.

However, she is trapped inside of Jaune Arc so there went his plans for transferring it to someone else. What could he even do with this information They had Amber's body but what does that mean? Can they put her back or was the power they needed forever trapped? As always there were more questions than answered and Ozpin was getting sick of it. It was hard to believe but it was the only thing that was making the most sense now, there wasn't much aura in her body because it was somewhere else. They weren't dealing with a full Maiden so the power had to be somewhere, while semblances could be a lot of things he dug up the footage from initiation and saw a few things that look familiar.

"Perhaps we can perform some tests, get to the bottom of this the best we can."

Something for later, right now it was about Ruby Rose. Ozpin needed her eyes now more than ever.