A/N: Aaaaand we're back! I do hope you've all been doing well? Things have been a little crazy on my end, so here's to it all leveling out soon, yeah? Well, before we get under way, I'd like to give a shout out to WarrenDSherman, author and artist: his "From Embers to Dust" is an exceptionally well-written RWBY story featuring Dark Souls elements, and his art on tumblr is top-notch.
Thank you for reading, and please enjoy chapter twenty-nine!
The flight into Vale's safe zone was practically a party, compared to the flight in. Nora spent most of it building up the already monumental fight into something of even more Nora-esque proportions. The whole team laughed and sniffed smugly at the whole fight, dismissing even the notion they had been in danger. The Headmistress said nothing, but she watched them with the expression of a cat that got the cream. Meanwhile, he and Pyrrha had opted to exchange grinning, red-cheeked glances whenever they thought the others weren't watching too closely. Jaune didn't expect…certain things to happen, not with her mother and their teammates under the same roof, but he wouldn't be opposed to picking up where Thetis had so rudely interrupted.
Unfortunately, JNPR couldn't go off to celebrate their successes quite yet: Goodwitch and Pyrrha needed to discuss a few things. Pyrrha had not elaborated, there was kind of a limit on what they could talk about. Jaune spotted Blanche as he made his way out of the airfield, but with the pace Glynda has set, all he could do was signal he would try and call. Goodwitch's unceasing stride didn't hesitate once during the long march back to the requisitioned office Beacon now called home.
JNPR again found themselves lined across from their teacher on the hard, wooden stools. Their jovial mood had lasted well into the room, despite the brisk pace, but began to fade away as Goodwitch silently scribbled on after-mission reports for several minutes.
When they finally fell silent, Nora's last attempt at humor dying prematurely, the professor set down her notes. She dragged a hand through her tied back hair in frustration, then sat up straight.
"I suppose I must begin with why the Maiden Powers are pursued." Jaune leaned forward in his stool, eager to learn what other possible motives could be needed after what he had seen. "There exist four items of power, which Ozpin referred to as Relics. The Relics of Knowledge, Choice, Creation, and Destruction; the person who wields them holds tremendous power in their respective categories. These relics would obviously be sought, so they've been hidden away; they are stored beneath each of the Huntsman Academies, behind doors only a specific Maiden can open. We believe Cinder Fall sought the Fall Maiden's power so she could secure the Relic of Choice, hidden at Beacon."
All four students watched the professor with blank faces.
Ren was the first to break the silence, beginning just as the professor took a breath to resume. "Is the Relic at Beacon safe? Doesn't Cinder have some portion of those powers?" Jaune had been thinking more about where in Beacon it was, but Ren's question certainly was an important one. Glynda hesitated, but she eventually answered.
"Professor Ozpin, as I understand, went to extra lengths to secure the Relic of Choice. Sadly, I do not know if Cinder Fall could recover it, or even the exact location of the Relic's Vault. Ozpin kept that secret to himself, and…" She gestured her helplessness at that problem. "Next, I must tell you who we are facing."
"Cinder Fall. She was the one behind the attacks on Amber and Beacon." Jaune thought immediately.
"The woman behind the attack, we believe, is not working of her own initiative. She serves another." The older woman's face grew dark, but she did not look away. "This is one of the greatest secrets in the world, students: it cannot be shared with anyone.
"The Grimm are not mindless. They serve someone: a creature who calls herself Salem."
If a pin dropped, it would be deafening.
"Salem? Who… what… what?" Goodwitch gave them some time to absorb it, if that was even remotely possible, but resumed shortly.
"To our knowledge, no one beyond our circle is aware of this; Salem herself has jealously guarded the knowledge, and frankly, it is too dangerous now. We do not know her reasons why, but Salem seeks to destroy mankind, and it appears she has now settled on using the Relics to that aim. Her agents attempted to steal the Fall Maiden's powers and attacked Beacon. With Qrow and Ozpin… no longer with us, our circle is restricted. I cannot leave Vale, nor can Ironwood leave Atlas." The professor stopped again, took a steadying breath, and met each of their eyes in turn.
"I'm asking you to go to Mistral, learn what's happening in Haven, and assist Professor Lionheart in ensuring the Relic of Knowledge's safety."
Pyrrha's heart was hammering in her chest, the beat almost loud enough to overwhelm the torrent of questions shouting in her mind.
"Relics? Vaults? Haven? Salem? What have I become involved in? Who are the players, what are the rules?" She was utterly failing to come to even the slightest bit of control over the situation, which only made the matter worse. Nora beside her finally cracked.
"What was that about a Master Grimm?" She asked in a high and utterly confused voice. Their professor looked down at her desk for a moment, guilt playing across her face, but she returned Nora's wide-eyed gaze.
"Salem is her name. She is, to the best of my knowledge, an intelligent Grimm. Possibly the oldest Grimm in existence, and their master. They don't all act under her command at all times, but she is able to control them. She also, surprisingly, has human lieutenants: what could lead a man to work for the creature bent on humanity's destruction is beyond me."
Pyrrha couldn't comprehend it either. "What malformed soul could arrive at the decision to destroy all humanity?" Putting that particular piece of disturbing news aside, Pyrrha decided to finally speak up.
"You want us to go to Mistral?" It was the only piece of information she'd so far received she had a strong grasp on. The professor nodded in affirmation.
"Without the CCT, I can't reliably reach Professor Lionheart; I need someone on the ground who can help him. Leo is a good man, but…" Pyrrha recalled the man from her visit to Haven. He lacked the presence Ozpin had; he was a more nervous man, uncomfortable with a crowd. He was a respected Huntsman in his time, however, and he came to the position with the recommendation… of Professor Ozpin.
Professor Lionheart's appointment suddenly made so much more sense to her.
Jaune finally seemed to find his voice, though. "Why us?" His voice was strained, likely from the stress of running through the implications of their teacher's confessions. She couldn't help but think the question an odd one, though: who else was there beyond them?
"Your team has become embroiled in this, Jaune." Her voice was consoling, almost apologetic. "Pyrrha especially has become a part of this. There are a limited number of people I can reach who I both trust with these secrets and have faith in to be able to act on them. This is a terrible burden I'm asking of you all, I know, but it is a request. I will not make you take this mission." Goodwitch remained focused on Jaune, watching her partner carefully. Jaune himself was unnaturally still, shoulders hunched and rigid.
"You're an exceptionally gifted group of young men and women, with a powerful sense of what is right. Very few Hunters inspire as much confidence in me as Team JNPR does, let alone among your fellow students." She was flattered by the comment, but Pyrrha forced herself to remain focused on the issue at hand. "You don't need to answer now, in fact I won't accept an answer now. But consider it, please. And thank you for your help on this last mission: our work will help greatly with Vale and Beacon."
Of course, that wasn't the end of the conversation. All four of them repeatedly had Goodwitch go over the Salem and these Relics, trying to cope with the information. It was nearly an hour before JNPR, still barely at terms with the revelations, silently returned to their house. Her mother spotted the tension when they returned immediately.
"Is everything alright?" She asked, moving beside Pyrrha moments after the team had removed their winter gear. "Did something happen on the mission?"
Pyrrha laid a calming hand on her mother, forcing a weak smile. "We're alright, mother. There were some… complications, but no one is hurt. Mostly, we're just worn." Her mother watched all four of them with the suspicious eyes of a Huntress, but yielded when no one showed signs of disagreeing.
"Well, at least you all came back well. Ren, would you mind if I cooked tonight?" Ren had taken to cooking most of the household's meals when they were all together, but he rather frantically accepted her offer. Her mother smiled bravely, shooing them towards their rooms. 'I'll come get you when it ready. For now, it looks as if you all need some rest." Hard missions were not a new thing to Thetis Nikos, she wouldn't push them after one.
Pyrrha showered mechanically, barely noticing the hard water on sore muscles. "Mistral. We need to save Mistral? Cinder Fall could be there as well…" She tried to rest while Nora showered, but her mind simply couldn't stop racing over the revelations: a sentient Grimm, artifacts of uncontrolled power, a secret mission to possibly saver her home.
When everyone was refreshed, they met in her and Nora's room for a team meeting. She sat on her bed, hair still the slightest bit damp, as Jaune and Ren took spots across from her and Nora. All four of them were no doubt nervous wrecks, still physically exhausted from their mission, and now confronted with this new challenge. They struggled to look to one another, eyes dipping to the floor or the ceiling anxiously.
"We can't go."
All three looked to Jaune. His head was hung, hands resting on his knees in defeat. "Vale still needs us, and Mistral is too dangerous." When Jaune looked up to them, there was a burning in her eyes that left her fighting to inch away from him. "We can't go."
He spoke with the same commanding tones he used in the field, as if he could will them to remain here. She knew, knew, that she couldn't side with him on this.
"I think we should." Pyrrha met his hard stare with a regretful one. She could feel Ren and Nora looking concernedly between them. Jaune's expression soured, but he remained firm.
"I agree with Pyrrha." Nora said finally, looking to Jaune.
"As do I." Ren followed quickly, though he remained focused on the floor. Jaune looked between them, his face briefly dipping to shock before he reigned it back under control. Pyrrha did her best to keep any negativity from her expression. She knew how he was feeling: backed into a corner, unsure what to do, angry, scared. She'd been there a few months ago, talking with Jaune outside the fairgrounds.
"We can't do this, guys. Please." His tone was still strong, but she could see an edge of fear in his eyes. "Beacon needs us, it's our home, we can't just leave the job half-finished! And Mistral's a mess, we'd be in over our heads over there."
Nora, normally so chipper, seemed so dour as she listened to Jaune. When he stopped, she took up the challenge. "None of us want to leave Vale behind, Jaune, but everyone else can handle it. Mistral and Haven are in a worse spot now, we keep hearing that! We might even be able to deal with Haven and get back here in time to help with Beacon."
"Mistral may be more dangerous," Ren interjected, "but we're not helpless. As Hunters, we're more prepared for these kinds of things, aren't we? Danger isn't something we should be afraid of; prepare for, yes, but not fearful of." Jaune watched both of them incredulously.
"Jaune…" She said softly, but he stood up.
"No, no we're not doing it. We're not." He started pacing the room, like a caged beast, and Pyrrha began to feel some of her restraint slip.
"Jaune, we have to talk about this; this is an important step for us."
"It's a bad idea, Pyrrha!" He snapped. She was mildly taken aback by the force of his answer, but he instantly stepped away, looking at her feet in embarrassment. "I'm sorry."
She held a calming hand towards him, gesturing to his chair. "It's alright, Jaune. Sit down, please." He gingerly returned to his seat, looking more than a little like a scolded child.
"Jaune, tell us why we shouldn't go." He started to talk, but she overran him. "Tell us why you really think we shouldn't. You care about Beacon, but that's not why." If it was just about Beacon, he wouldn't be behaving like this. No, something was eating at Jaune.
Jaune studied his hands for a moment for before returning to his team, sweeping across all three of them.
"I'm scared."
"I'm scared." There, he'd said it. His friends watched him for more though, of course. So, he took a deep breath, and dove right in.
"If we do this, then we're part of a war. We're Hunters, I know we take risks, but this will make us into something else. We do this one thing for Glynda, and then she'll ask us to do another thing, and another, and another. We'd stop just being normal Hunters: we'd be soldiers." He looked back and forth between them, looking to see if the implication was setting in.
"Soldiers don't do favors, soldiers get orders. Soldiers aren't collateral, soldiers are targets." It was his team that looked away from him, then, as they thought over what he said.
Pyrrha was the first one to break the silence. Her eyes were sharp, firm but not angry. "Jaune, I'm scared too, but we can do this." He started to shake his head, she just didn't get it, but she kept going. "We're all better fighters than we were during the Attack, and we'll have support for the Headmaster, and my powers."
"They're the problem!" He shouted again, and immediately bit his own tongue to stop himself. Shouting down his girlfriend, what kind of man did his parent raise? "Sorry."
"Jaune, what do you mean?" Pyrrha wasn't happy about it either.
"Pyrrha, what you did yesterday was amazing. It's honestly the most terrifying thing I've ever seen." She watched him carefully, seeing he wasn't trying to flatter her "If she really did steal part of the Maiden's powers, Cinder Fall can do that too. If she had succeeded, she would have been even more powerful. And she works for someone. She takes orders from someone, she's scared of someone. And Goodwitch is asking us to fight that someone."
Nora spoke up, leaning over her footboard towards him. "If Salem controls the Grimm, Jaune, we're already fighting her. We just didn't know it."
"Yeah, but we weren't the focus. If we do this, then-" Pyrrha interrupted him.
"I'm the Fall Maiden: Salem will never stop hunting me." He snapped his jaw shut. Pyr's arms were crossed angrily, and her firm stare was starting to drift to glare. "I'm already involved, Jaune, and I can't get out. I won't get out. This is the right thing to do: Mistral needs us."
"Pyr," he tried to start again, but she wouldn't give him an edge. Frankly, he couldn't blame her.
"Don't 'Pyr', me, Jaune. Mistral is as much my home as Beacon is; you wouldn't leave Bar in danger just because it was long odds, would you?" Of course he wouldn't, which only drove her point home.
Just because she scored a touch, didn't mean Pyrrha was going to let up, though. "You're right that, if we do this, they'll likely come to use for help again. However, there's already no backing out for me: I'm a part of this. So, I'm going to go to Mistral, whether or not you come with me."
Jaune was on his feet in an instant, a panicking cold crushing his heart. "Don't you ever think I'm going to let you leave me behind, Pyrrha." Pyrrha only realized what she was threatening then, her eyes going wide as saucers. He held her gaze for a long moment, and he knew they were both back there. A dark, metal coffin, lying on the ground while their home was destroyed.
He found his voice again, though it wavered. "I love you, Pyrrha. I love all of you, and I'll be dead and rotting before I have to watch you all risk your lives without me again." Ren's hand on his shoulder shook him from his trance, and he turned to see his brother pulling him back to his chair.
He took his seat. They were all quiet again.
"I didn't mean it like that." Pyrrha said in a rushed voice.
"I know you didn't." He said back, yet again unable to meet their gazes. "Well, you've made a real dog's dinner of this, Arc." He scolded mentally.
"Jaune." Ren said calmly, and he forced himself to look up: he made it to Ren's knees. "As terrible as it is, Pyrrha is right: we can't back out. We've been committed to this cause, even if we didn't realize it. Even if it wasn't the case, though, I would still say we should do it. I've lost my home twice now, both times at the hands of the Grimm. I won't let someone else face this problem if I can stop it.
"We'll be in danger in Mistral, and yes, moreso than here or in our careers as Hunters, but someone has to take these risks. You wouldn't pass this off to RWBY, you'd go fight." Damnit, he was right on that point.
"And, frankly, we're all scared. I can't bear the thought of losing you, or Pyrrha, or Nora. That's why I want to do this, though. If we can defeat Cinder Fall, if we can protect Mistral, then Salem is on the back foot. It's not 'safe', but that's not a real concept for us, is it?" He wanted to say Ren was wrong, that Vale was safe, that Beacon was safe.
But he knew they weren't.
He looked back to his team. They're minds we made up, he could see it; they were going to go.
"So, this is what my sisters felt like." He thought miserably, letting his head drop again.
There was a brief knock, and Thetis peeked in. She instantly caught the mood of the room, but she didn't back down. "Dinner's ready: time for a break, all of you." She bustled them all out, and Jaune couldn't decide if he was relieved or not for their meeting to have been broken up. It hadn't been officially resolved, but he could read the writing on the wall.
The dinner, unsurprisingly, was a miserable one. He and Thetis had been doing better lately, but she clearly felt lost with them in such a state. None of them could really explain the issue, either. So, Mrs. Nikos trudged through the bad mood, giving up on small talk. Jaune was too busy doing battle with his own fears, anger at his teachers, and disappointment in himself.
"Jaune, would you help me with the dishes?" Thetis asked nonchalantly as the five of them began to clear the table. "Helping with the dishes" had long been a cover in his household for "get a private talking to", and Jaune suspected it was only fair. He dutifully collected the plates from his team, but Pyrrha took hold of him as he stepped by.
"Could we talk? Tonight?" She asked quietly, still focused on the table.
"I think we should." He said miserably. She released him, and he moved into the kitchen.
Surprisingly, they really did clean the dishes. In his own experience, this would have been where he cleaned, and Vi talked about how irresponsible he was, or Rouge telling him to not do something stupid in school. Once they were all set to dry, however, Thetis turned to him. She leaned against the cabinet, watching him clinically as he dried his hands.
"I'm not a fool, Jaune, I recognize that the four of you are involved in something, and that you aren't able to speak of it. I assume whatever this is reared its ugly head on the mission?" He nodded his head dully. "Jaune, I'll not have you slouching like that while we talk." The stern voice pulled Jaune straight, instantly reminding himself of his father's "officer's voice."
"I'm sorry, Thetis. We had a team meeting, and it got a little heated…"
"You didn't insult my daughter." Her voice was more a threat than anything else.
"No! No, but… I was stupid about it." Thetis' eyes drilled into him, but Jaune didn't flinch away.
"You're going to make this right." She said simply.
"Of course I will, I love her." Thetis blinked slowly at that, and Jaune had the sudden realization Thetis might not have heard him say that before. "I love Pyrrha, ma'am. Losing her is the most terrifying thought I have, she means the world to me." His heart was raw, and he struggled to keep any kind of composure when he spoke.
Slowly, Thetis began to talk, unsure of her own direction. "Pyrrha is a sensitive girl, she's far more emotional than she lets on. I don't think it would surprise you to learn I was concerned when you first came up, Jaune. I didn't believe you were someone she could rely on."
He wasn't surprised, and shrugged his indifference to it. "I've never been the strongest fighter, and I'm not the brightest guy, either. But Pyrrha… I knew I needed to make this right the moment I messed up. As soon as we're done here, I'm going to go talk to her."
"I think I've been wrong about you too many times, Jaune." Thetis said quietly, watching him intently. He felt the need to squirm under those eyes, but he held firm. "Go. Apologize to my daughter; she'll be a wreck tomorrow if she goes to bed without dealing with this. If you can fix this, I'll pretend it didn't happen, alright?"
He smiled apologetically, but Thetis waved him on like he was some kind of puppy, and he headed out the door.
Nora answered when he knocked, stepping back to let him in. Pyrrha was already abed, but she sat up as he moved in.
"I'll be with Ren." Nora said simply, stepping past Jaune, patting him on the shoulder before she closed the door.
He stood nervously at the door, watching Pyrrha watching him.
"Alright Jaune, don't screw this up. Only the most important relationship in your life on the line, no pressure."