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While the Headmaster's words helped Jaune knew she wasn't going to sleep well until they found Ruby. Yang had stopped pacing about the room and was laying on her bed but the way she was feeling clear from the way she stared blankly at the ceiling. The air of the room was filled with unease as everyone tried to settle in.
"We're going to find her." Jaune said which caused Yang's head to whip around.
"How long do you think that's going to take?" She asked with barely concealed fury. "What do you think can happen in all that time?"
"You'll need rest to better look for her."
Trying to appeal that had had some effect as it convinced her mind to roll Yang over. It wouldn't immediately fix the restless feeling but may help. It was true too, Yang needed to sleep if she wanted to find Ruby.
"Gah!" Amber cried and caused Jaune's whole body to twitch in surprise.
It was the same thing a couple of minutes ago, she was feeling something he apparently couldn't.
"That doesn't make any sense as our shared body means we feel the same things. Right?" Amber knew that Jaune was able to get sensations better than her and that he wasn't feeling anything frightened her.
"Is this a sort of phantom pain?" Amber was shot in the back, but how did she know where the back was when she had nobody? At first, it felt like something had dislodged itself from her body. Then something firm grabbed hold of her briefly then nothing.
Amber assumed it was over until something cold and metallic pressing into her back, like a... circle?
Ironwood watched the doctor closely as he held the stethoscope carefully onto Amber's back. They had machinery for this but he insisted on doing it by hand or ear. He didn't seem to detect anything off as she was laid back down.
"Breathing is at a nice pace, as well as heart rate." He accepted a tablet offered by the nurse and eyed the readings. "You mentioned there was little brain actually?"
"Mainly from the brain stem." James was no medical professional but he knew how important that part was for keeping a person alive.
As well as the fact it could keep the body going even after the rest of the brain has died off...
"Has the readings about her aura come in yet?"
The doctor tried not to look concerned, it was one thing they always tried to do to keep everyone calm. "I... cannot seem to find it." He brought the tablet over and pointed to a set of bars that held an error message and not the typical zero.
"I'm afraid this may be a new condition, I doubt there will be any records of what to do in a situation like this." He held the edges of the tablet firmly. "Aura being missing carries some terrible implications..."
James sighed, he knew their fears were for different reasons but a soul being gone would startle anybody.
"How did this come to be again?"
Their story was much the same as the truth, ambushed by bandits and scared in the face by a chemical weapon. Certain details had to be expunged but it was close enough to no be the truth but maintain the general idea of what happened.
"Let's just focus on the examination." He said calmly. "Is there any chance you can try an aura booster?"
Such things did as the name implies kick starts a person's aura and helps it recharge better. Although they were dangerous if misused, typically medics would administer to a Hunter if they were badly bleeding with multiple broken bones as the boosters were fast working. The danger was administering it and the person didn't need the boost then their body would get confused and go crazy.
"Perhaps that's all her aura needs." The doctor examined the tablet one more time. "However this is a condition no one has recorded finding. It could be deadly and we have no way of finding out."
That did present an issue, James turned to Ozpin who had been silently standing near the door. "What do you think?"
The man tapped his cane and stared at the unconscious girl, it was clear he wasn't going to make up his mind alone. James understood the conflict, they didn't want to kill the girl but as his old friend said they needed to know if Amber was even in there.
"If her aura is gone that implies the soul as well Ozpin. We could be caring for someone that had no chance of ever waking up. Better to know now than later."
Was that cold? He wouldn't lie by saying no, this was the point of bringing her here. They risked Amber's life by disconnecting her from life support and carrying her on a stretcher with two bots. Drove her across campus in a jeep, if anything went wrong on the trip death wouldn't be far behind for her.
"There isn't much brain activity either." He added. "We need to know Oz, it's too important to not consider."
After a minute of contemplation time, he finally nodded slowly and methodically. "Do it."
The artery in her arm was wiped down and the needle was carefully inserted into her arm. The yellow liquid flowed into Amber and James wasn't embarrassed to admit he tensed when it was pulled out and felt relief when Amber began to shimmer with light.
"What are her aura levels?"
"Fifteen and-" He tapped the screen a few times before giving out the disheartening news. "It's trapped at fifteen, either the booster isn't working or..."
"That's as high as it can go." Ozpin finished, the two older men believed they knew what it meant.
A full blow maiden was out in the wild and Salem had indeed sucked the soul out of Amber by some unknown means.
"Wait! Somethings happening her heart rate is..." He didn't need to finish as the monitor began to steadily increase its beeping.
This was why you needed to be careful with aura boosters as the physician scrambled to get th situation under control. Heart rate wasn't the only thing growing as Amber's chest rose and fell until everyone could hear the quick intake and exhale. Ozpin covered his mouth as her body began to convulse violently much like a seizure. The most concerning event was when the scar upon her face began radiating with aura.
Its glow for some reason centering there as the nurse tried to help hold her down. Perhaps Aura reacting to damage? The two Headmasters were unclear whether to help or give the medical professionals more space as events unfolded. The beeping of the monitor sounded like it would overtake the room as there was little sauce between them and James feared Amber's heart was going to burst insider her chest.
Instead, it seemed like luck decided to throw everybody a bone. Her breathing steadied and her heart calmed back down to normal levels. The spasms weren't content to merely receed in anything but their intensity as Amber's body twitched in places until the low simmer of her aura faded from her scar.
"What just happened?" James turned to the doctor as he examined his tablet. "That didn't look like any ordinary booster overdose."
"I'm not entirely sure it was from the booster... If this scar is a chemical burn what exactly made it?" He asked. "I can't treat, much less diagnose what I do not understand General."
"Your guess is a good as mine." James thought, finding out how to transfer a person's aura to another took years of trials, and the machine to do it was large. Yet Salem managed it through some means that perhaps lacked technology. It had to, as this scar couldn't be anything but chemical in nature... not to say they knew that for sure.
It was just more questions with no answers.
"What are her aura levels at now?"
"It has gone back to saying error."
James sighed, was Amber gone? Would it even be safe to write it off right now? Ozpin stepped forwards and studied the scar occupying her face. He held the same confusion Ironwood had until his eyes lit up with a thought.
"This may be beyond computers and machines... but perhaps not a semblance."
Jaune slammed the door to the door closed as Amber continued to cry out. He wanted to join her as his arm was experiencing the most excruciating cramps ever since she was forced into his body. His arm felt like it was going to burst open as every muscle within spasm like crazy and tool a seat on the toilet while getting things under control.
"What the hell is going on?" Jaune cried through clenched teeth.
Screaming was all Amber could respond with really. She felt as if her... form was being used in a game of tug-of-war and the pain was as unbearable as the time she sprained her ankle. Though it was more spread throughout their body.
No, it was more her body.
Amber was able to sense Jaune grab hold of his arm and hold onto for dear life as he tried to remain strong against the pain. For both their sakes she'd wished whatever caused their plight had enough mercy to end this soon. His fingers twitched- no her fingers were twitching but how she was able to make a distinction like that was beyond contemplation at the moment.
"Ah, ah, by the Gods!" Jaune screamed, unable to take it anymore be joined her in screaming.
There was no way the rest of team JPBY didn't hear it so the knocking in the door soon joined the chorus of sound tonight.
"Jaune?" Pyrrha shouted. "What's happened? Let me in!"
He was too busy holding onto his arm for dear life. A yellow glow began to shine from his plan until it was like the glow from a flashlight emanating the scar. The pain was steadily getting less so Amber was able to discern that the glow was Jaune's aura. He was breathing hard as the pain was finally subsiding to a more bearable degree.
"Just get out of my way!" Yang's voice was heard briefly before the door was kicked off its hinges.
The three ladies tried to get in but the door had become a new obstacle they needed to drag out. Pyrrha was first thought and noticed his snaking arm, while had reached out to touch it she paused likely realizing she was no medic.
"What's happening?"
"I think it's my semblance... it's been hurting my arm and maybe the bone scaring has finally caught up with me." It may sound like a reasonable assumption but Amber barely registered the words.
"Bone scaring...?" Blake said confused. "That isn't supposed to possible, isn't it?"
"You think we can call Beacon's medical office at this hour?" Yang offered. "It's half-past nine but they would send someone up here for this."
"Yes..." Amber said meekly. "Try to get the nurse we saw last time, he already knows about this..."
Jaune relayed this before rubbing his temples in an attempt to soothe the on-set of a pounding headache. Been a while since he's had one of these but Amber never did anything with her powers to cause this...
Pyrrha turned back to lock gazes with a warm smile before it quickly turned into confusion. "Why are your eyes brown?"
"Huh?" Jaune stood and turn toward the wide mirror and sure enough, his blue was replaced.
"Semblance related... haven't seen it in a while though."
She felt her body, not that she was sure how exactly it happened. It was like something was trying to draw her in on a line, but Amber was being held back for some reason. It did tell her one good thing though.
"My body is at Beacon."
A pair of fingers glazed in aura drew over Amber's face, Ozpin had woken up and all but dragged in a nurse from the school. It was a handy semblance he had although Ironwood had to admit he was skeptical about his ability to determine the damage. They lacked options so he had to relent and let the nurse be brought in.
"It's not a burn from chemical damage." An aura-infused finger was steadily moved up and he looked to be recognizing something. "It looks like a birthmark but feels like scar tissue." He muttered before turning towards Ozpin. "I have seen this skin damage before."
That took both Ozpin and James aback and the ladder was about to demand what he could possibly mean. The former best him to it in a far more diplomatic tone.
"When you say that do you mean the injury and aura deprivation is similar or merely the scar?"
"A student came to me some time ago with a scar on his hand. His aura was fine. Although this feels eerily similar to the one he had..."
"What is this student's name?" Ironwood asked suspiciously.
"I don't feel it would be right to give up patient information like this."
"I'm going to find out," Ozpin said. "There is a precedent for this sort of thing as you know, I can find out now or tomorrow morning."
James had to admire the commitment Beacon's medics had as he bit he chewed his lip. This was a breach but hopefully, he would understand they had no ill intent by it.
Eventually, the man sighed. "Okay then... his name is Jaune Arc."
"What damage did he have?" Ozpin asked.
"Structural scaring to the bone, it was diagnosed to have been caused by his semblance."
"Caused by his semblance...?" James thought back to the talk he just had with the boy and the oddest thing he mentioned.
"Which hand does this damage originate from?"
"The scar covers his left hand entirely and the bone damage on the arm above it."
"Oz, when Qrow found him on the road..." His friend turned and before James could properly ask and answered.
"The same arm. Qrow said he hand cramps on his left arm when he found him on the roadside."
"If that boy had come in contact with whatever happening to Amber they needed to know."
James suspicious had never been higher, there was something he was hiding yesterday and now this. "I would like to speak with the boy tomorrow."
"As would I James."
Blake remained seated on her bed as the medic continued to ask Jaune about what happened. They couldn't get the one he wanted but this is better than nothing. His eyes turned back to normal and everything about it was unsettling to her. Jaune said it was semblance related and she recalled seeing it after he lit up the Deathstalker with lightning. However, thinking about it hard she didn't recall another moment when his eyes would change colors.
In fact, he didn't know about semblances or aura before Beacon and this Amber girl was supposedly the one who taught him everything. Jaune had his at Initiation but how is it that he does know it causes problems until Beacon? Did he not think it was weird it cause headaches and stiffness in his arm? Did he not use it before coming here?
"This all reeks of something foul, he's been lying to us about something." Her bow strained as it tried to narrow. "No, I should think like that. Jaune can't be doing this out of malice... But he does have a voice inside his head."
Mental health was one thing but if it was negatively affecting his physical health. Well, this all became her business.
"This isn't a simple matter, even if I end up prying too deep." Her team leader was hearing a voice in his head, it was cause for concern as she knew it was influencing what he says and does. Said voice was this girl named Amber if she wanted to know anything it would probably require knowing more about her.
"Amber's an old friend from Mistral, she's like a teacher, we've known one another for years, no months. Taught him everything about hunters perhaps inspired him." Jaune just couldn't keep his story straight and how much of this was his words or the voice?
She'd need some backup for this and Pyrrha might be interested. It was something for later as Yang's sister would have to take priority for now. Blake knew what some members of the White Fang did to prisoners and had to keep her mouth shut as to not worry Yang. There is cause for concern even if Ruby is a child, they needed to move with utmost speed when they caught a lead. Then after that, it would be about Jaune and nothing else.
He has helped Blake enough to warrant her undivided attention.
"I'm going to find out the truth here." Blake thought as the medic offered to bring Jaune some medicine for the headache and further pain. "One way or the other, if he needs help it's our duty as teammates..."