A/N: Here we are, at the end of Jaune's Arc! (pun intended) I hope you enjoy this new addition to the story. WOOHOO!
Edit (11/14/18): Same deal as the last chapter: reworded a few things, got rid of all A/Ns except for song choices, and changed a few things because of altered context.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or My Hero Academia. They belong to Monty Oum, Kohei Horikoshi, and their respective publishing companies.
I do not own the cover image
Chapter 9: What Makes a Huntsman
Ever since the night that Izuku had seen Jaune and Pyrrha go back to their dorm with similar defeated looks on their faces, a lot had changed, and not for the better. Jaune was now hanging out with Cardin more often than not; Pyrrha wouldn't speak to Jaune at all, nor would she talk to anyone else about the split forming in her team; and RWBY and STK had been adamant to simply let JNPR ride it out on their own, not wishing to potentially make things worse by getting involved.
But for some reason, Izuku had a feeling that something was going to happen soon, and that Jaune was going to play a pivotal role within it. However, at the moment, Jaune was currently standing outside of the doorway to his dorm room, his gaze falling upon the floor as he silently closed the thin barrier between him and his team.
Izuku, being the person that he was, couldn't bear to leave his friend in this state a second time. He walked up behind Jaune and tapped him on the shoulder, briefly startling the blonde and simultaneously getting his attention.
"Hey, Jaune. Why are you just standing here? Did you get locked out again?"
"N-nope! I got it!" Jaune hastily pulled out his scroll, not really wanting to remember one of his more... embarrassing moments.
"Hey, are you alright? You've been pretty distant lately." Izuku asked Jaune, deciding to not rudely point out the fact that he'd been hanging out with Cardin an awful lot.
"I-uh..." Jaune sighed. "I messed up. I did something I shouldn't have and now, Cardin's got me on a leash, Pyrrha won't even talk to me..." Another sigh. "I'm starting to think that coming here was a bad idea." He slid down the door to his dorm room, his gaze on his lap as he finished, "I'm a failure."
Izuku looked down at Jaune for several seconds, contemplating what he should do to help him. He knew all about being labeled a failure and feeling worthless. Even so, he didn't really know much about giving people a different perspective on things like this. No one had really done the same for him before Shoto got Cardin off of his back, and even then he wasn't sure if that was the correct example to follow.
Then, his conversation from Aizawa floated through his mind. Sure, it was a fairly blunt example to follow, but maybe if he just reworded a few things here and there... it could be just what his blonde friend needed.
"So what?"
"Huh?"
"So what? You made a mistake. Everyone's made mistakes at some point or another." Izuku sat down next to him as he continued with his on the fly speech. "That's what school's about. Heck, that's what life's about. As long as you own up to your mistake and learn from it, won't you come back stronger?"
Jaune took a few seconds to process this when he hesitantly asked Izuku, "What if... I'm a failure at being a leader?"
"Then learn to be a better leader. Learn about your team, who they are, what they're like, how they'll react to certain situations; know them inside and out. You won't make nearly as many mistakes."
"But that might not be enough. I might screw up again. One of them could..."
"Thinking like that will only hinder you. You're their leader. They have faith in you. So have faith in them. But take care of yourself too. If you don't help yourself, then you won't be of any help to anyone."
"I... think I get it now. Thanks. I know what I have to do." Jaune said as he stood up his confidence back in full force.
"I-I'm just glad I could help. I don't really do the whole 'rousing speech' thing that often." Or ever. Izuku stood up as well, not expecting his speech to have this much of a positive effect on him.
Jaune gave him a simple smile before going into his dorm, the door shutting quietly behind him.
(Forever Fall Forest, 1:34 pm)
Izuku and his team, along with Teams RWBY and JNPR, were slowly following Professor Goodwitch through the bright and vibrant landscape that was Forever Fall. The crimson leaves on the healthy branches waved in the soft breezes of the mountainside they were on. If they weren't there for a school project, it likely would've been a good vacation spot. Speaking of-
"Yes students, Forever Fall is indeed very beautiful, but we aren't here to sight-see. Professor Peach has asked us to collect sap from the trees in this forest. And we're here to make sure that none of you die while you do so." She said, pointing out that Aizawa was there as well, as backup in case something dire happened to anyone.
Aizawa continued the explanation. "Each person here must gather at least one jar's worth of red sap. If you gather more than necessary, then we'll give you extra credit for a class of your choice. But remember, the forest is full of Grimm, so stay by each other. No one is to be isolated."
Goodwitch finished the explanation, though a hint of annoyance was ever present on her face. "We will rendezvous back here at four o'clock. Be careful and have fun!"
Jaune, who had been carrying the jars for the sap, set them down for everyone to take one. Cardin then grabbed him by the back of his hoodie, saying, "C'mon, buddy. Let's get going."
Jaune took one last look at his team walking into the forest, Pyrrha meeting his gaze while Ren and Nora opted to instead go into the forest early and get the assignment done ahead of time. Jaune hung his head a bit low before following Cardin and the others on his team into a different part of the forest.
Teams RWBY, NPR, and STIK on the other hand, left in the opposite direction, where the trees were healthier and more plentiful than the direction Jaune and Team CRDL had just gone down. They hammered their spigots into the trunks of the nearby trees to begin the collection process, slow as it was. Though this process was made even slower by the fact that Nora kept drinking all of the sap.
"So... what were you and Lady-killer talkin' about yesterday, Greenie?" Yang asked Izuku, her amethyst eyes clearly wanting an answer.
"W-why do you want to know?"
"Well, Ruby and I heard you talking to Jaune last night. She'd ask you herself, but... she doesn't really know the meaning of subtlety."
Izuku blushed the slightest little bit while he explained what Jaune had told him the other night, though not from revealing his friend's reasoning. Over the last two months, it seemed as though whenever he got close to the blonde brawler, his heart would skip a beat or two, and blood would rush en masse towards his face. Seriously! It's been two whole months! What the hell is wrong with me?!
"So that's what's been going on with him. Huh. No wonder he's been hanging out with Cardin so much."
"Yeah. I just hope I gave him the advice he needed. I'm not really good at social stuff."
"We'll know soon enough. But you did the right thing by trying. So don't worry about it so much. Lady-killer will make the right choice. I hope."
(Forever Fall, cliffside, 2:35 pm)
Team CRDL and Jaune overlooked Teams RWBY, NPR, and STIK s they collected sap, though for what reason Jaune did not currently know. Fearing what might befall his friends, he inquired with Cardin, "What's going on?"
Cardin only looked downwards at the other teams as he simply stated in a hateful tone, "Payback."
Jaune looked down again and spotted the members Cardin was glaring at in rage as they collected the remaining sap. "Pyrrha and Shoto? What're you going to-"
But Cardin didn't even hear him as he continued to monologue, "There they are. The red-head and the half and half. Think they're so smart."
Cardin pulled out a cardboard box with the letter W in black sharpie. Loud buzzing sounds could be heard coming from the box as Cardin continued. "Alright, boys. Last night, I managed to round up a box full of rapier wasps. And now, we're gonna put them to work. Now, according to one of the essays he wrote for me last week, these nasty things absolutely looove sweets. I think it's about time those two learned a few things."
Cardin then shoved two jars of red sap into Jaune's hands. "And you're gonna do it."
"Do what?"
"Hit them with the sap! Either that, or I'll be having a looong talk with Ozpin. And you'll be on the first airship out of Beacon."
Jaune looked at the jar of red sap in his hands as he weighed his options. On the one hand, he'd be able to stay at Beacon, but his friends would more than likely hate him for the rest of their time there. On the other, he could simply refuse to do it, getting himself expelled in the process. But...
"They have faith in you. So have faith in them."
Jaune looked back on Izuku's words, gripping the jar in remembrance. "No." He firmly said to Cardin, his resolve now firm.
"What was that?" Cardin asked in a menacing voice dripping with malice.
"I..." Jaune gripped the jar with such a force that it began to crack.
"...said..." his eyes began to glow a deep sapphire blue, though he himself did not know of this effect.
"...NO!" Jaune spun around and threw the jar of sap at Cardin, shattering on the boy's breastplate whilst also sending him back at least fifty feet. Jaune, startled by his own power, seemingly shrunk back in realization of what he had just done.
"You just made the biggest mistake of your life."
(meanwhile, with Izuku and co.)
"So... why does Mr. Mcsplodysplode always call you Deku?"
Izuku spat out the water he was drinking in surprise. No one had really brought the topic, and he expected it to be brought up eventually, but not this abruptly!
He sobered himself and hesitantly stated the meaning of the name. "It's... it's an insult. If you read my name in old Mistralian, it translates to 'Useless.'"
Yang was silent for several seconds, her eyes briefly shifting from their normal amethyst to becoming redder than Ruby's namesake. But she quickly calmed herself, and instead have an encouraging smile, saying, "Well then, maybe they should change the definition of the word. It doesn't really sound like that at all. It actually kind of gives off a 'You can do it!' vibe!"
Yang didn't seem to notice, but Izuku was taking the words she said to heart. My name doesn't have to mean useless…
Any further conversation was interrupted she Cardin's team came barreling through the foliage. When they asked what was wrong, they simply yelled that an Ursa Major had attacked them and that Jaune and Cardin were still fighting it.
Izuku, now briefed on the situation, sped off in the direction that Cardin's team had just run from. Ruby, Weiss, Pyrrha, and Shoto were right on his heels as they all rushed up the cliff, and were shocked to see Cardin cowering behind Jayne whilst the blonde knight fought the beast on his own.
(A/N: "Awakening" by Taylor Davis)
Weiss slipped into a battle stance when Jaune struggled to hold back one of the Ursa's stronger blows with Crocea Mors' shield, but was quickly stopped by Pyrrha, who urged the white-haired heiress to wait. As if she was somehow predicting the future, Jaune shifted the Ursa's paw to glance off of his shield while he came around the length of its arm and gave it a quick slash, which was enough to push it back a few feet.
It quickly retaliated with a wild jab, which Jaune skillfully dodged, barely avoiding his earlier fate of becoming a bloodstain on the ground the Ursa had embedded its claw in. It quickly swept at Jaune's feet with its free claw, causing him to jump into the air to avoid being taken to the ground. It then wrenched its other claw free from the earth, catching Jaune off guard as it backhanded him across their battlefield.
He wasn't incapacitated, however, and charged once more at the Grimm with a jumping overhand slash, only for the Ursa to sidestep it and hit him in the back. The blow sent Jaune spiraling across the battlefield, hitting the ground twice before he managed to pick himself up. He quickly checked his scroll that he'd attached to the backside of his shield before the battle, showcasing the fact that his Aura was just at the starting point of the red.
His focus shifted to the Ursa once more as it lumbered towards him, roaring in assumed victory. The two rushed towards each other in one final clash to decide the victor. Time seemed to slow around Izuku as he felt something begin to come from within Jaune. It was almost like a hidden strength, choosing to now reveal itself to the world.
Almost as if by pure instinct, Izuku grabbed Pyrrha's outstretched hand before she could activate her semblance. She shot him a look of surprise before he said, "He'll be fine."
Jaune's eyes began to glow a bright, azure blue once more, power emanating from his entire body before taking shape as a pair of ghostly arms covered in armor wielding a longsword meant for only a giant to use. The sword slashed through the Ursa's outstretched arm, cutting it off with practiced ease, and followed Jaune's next stroke towards the Ursa's unguarded head. It split through the Grimm's flesh with no effort, sending the head across the clearing and into the forest, and for good measure, brought its blade down upon the still upright Grimm's body, splitting it clean in half before it, and the arms that wielded the mighty weapon, disappeared entirely.
Jaune panted for several seconds before standing up straight once more, sheathing his sword and shield. He looked at his hands as they faintly glowed with his aura before once more fading away. But that wasn't what he was concerned with at that moment. He'd activated his semblance. He'd won the battle. And he did it with his own strength.
He let out a victory cry loud enough to rival the Ursa Major's roar. Jaune didn't care if the whole world heard him. He'd won. He wasn't worthless. He wasn't a coward. He wasn't afraid anymore.
He was a huntsman.
(A/N: End Song)
Pyrrha and the others looked upon the clearing in shock at Jaune's sudden power. Even Shoto, though he didn't exactly show it, was clearly impressed by the display of Jaune's Semblance.
"How..." Ruby began before trailing off into an incohesive mess of words.
"What in the world?" Weiss asked to seemingly everyone before Izuku muttered, "I could've sworn I saw something like this once before..."
He began digging around in his backpack for one of his journals before resurfacing with 'Huntsman Notes #9,' exclaiming, "FOUND IT!"
Izuku then flipped through the pages of his Journal before he came across the entry he was looking for. "This semblance is a hereditary one, and it's been used throughout the Arc family for generations. It's called Fable, and lets the user summon a ghostly warrior to their side and fight alongside them, and each user of Fable has their own warrior. The last person to publically use this semblance was Braun Arc, formerly one of the Big Four before he retired a few years ago, and was almost as well loved as All Might is today. There are rarely any repeats, though that has happened once or twice."
"Yeah, dad always did say that."
Everyone there snapped their heads towards Jaune, who had just gotten back from a brief exchange with Cardin. "His... Fable was called Gawain. It was the strongest Fable to have ever been produced since the original. At least, that's what everyone says."
"Well, what's you Fable's name?" Shoto voiced the question everyone had on their minds.
Jaune closed his eyes he went into deep thought, as if searching himself for the proper answer. Several seconds later, his eyes fluttered open, and he answered, "Lancelot. He calls himself Lancelot."
"Wait, you can talk to it?!" Ruby exclaimed.
"Not... exactly. The only thing it really said to me was 'Call me Lancelot,' and then he just up and vanished. Anyway, now that that's been dealt with... Pyrrha, I need to talk to you about something later. Is that alright?"
Pyrrha blushed ever the slightest bit before answering with, "Of course."
They then began their way back to the school, Jaune's Semblance now revealed and a long explanation to Goodwitch now awaiting them.
A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you for all of your feedback and support! It really means the world to me! When I started this story, I only had about 300 views total. Now the total views are over 5,000! I honestly never thought I'd ever get this lucky. Thank you all for everything you've done thus far, and I hope to continue to rely on your support. And now, the profiles.
It'll be a bit unorthodox today, as I will be covering a RWBY character as well as a HeroAca character. This won't happen very often, just when I decide to veer off from the canon. Without further ado, here they are:
3-Shoto Todoroki
Age: 17
Race: Human
BDay: 01/11
Handedness: Ambidextrous
Hair: White (right side) and Red (left side)
Eyes: Gray (right side) and Blue (left side)
Blood Type: O
Height: 5' 11"/ 181.63 cm
Gender: M
Semblance: Frozen Hell, grants Shoto complete control over both fire and ice, although he tends to use the former more often than not. Ice is controlled with the right side of his body, while fire is controlled with his left.
Weapons: Jotunheim and Muspelheim, a pair of sabers the use of ice and fire dust respectively. Jotunheim hangs on Shoto's left hip, with a silver guard, blue tinted blade, and a white sheath with a few nicks along the length, implying use. Muspelheim hangs on Shoto's right hip, with a golden guard, a red-tinted blade, and a black sheath completely clean of battle scars, implying rarity of usage.
Jaune Arc
Age: 17
Handedness: Right
Hair: Blonde and oddly messy
Eyes: Sapphire blue
Blood Type: A
Height: 6' 1"/ 185 cm
Gender: M
Semblance: Fable, a hereditary semblance passed down through the Arc family that allows the user to summon a ghostly warrior to fight by their side. Jaune's is named Lancelot, and though as of this time he can only summon the arms and the sword, it is still a powerful semblance to contend with.
Weapons: Crocea Mors, a sword and shield combo that's basically a family heirloom, they have no special functions other than the shield having the ability to turn itself into the sheath. They're basic, but they get the job done.