AN: Yeah, it's been a while... Explanation below the chapter.
Edited and Beta'd by Cruzerblade, Cr00cy and KAOS UNLEASHED. Thanks for sticking with me.
Dedicated to Cesar. Sorry for ruining your surprise party.
On with the show!
Chapter 7- We've Defeated the Dragon!
"I'm doing what I can," Ironwood said on the monitor, "But now that the danger has passed and most of the reconstruction efforts are underway, the Vale Council is beginning their 'assessment' of Atlas's assistance in the crisis. Until that's resolved, what I can do is limited."
Qrow winced. As much as he didn't like the guy, no one deserved the bureaucratic nightmare that composed the Vale Council and their proceedings. It was one of the few benefits to being Ozpin's secret operative. No official functions, no political power, no political focus.
Professor Port leaned forward onto the conference table. "You did all you could lad," He said gruffly, "The attack was well coordinated and surprised all of us. The casualties we did sustain are miracle number given the circumstances."
Glynda nodded in agreement but kept silent as Ironwood sighed and raised what was on her mind.
"The Atlas/Vale relationship has been strained by the situation," Ironwood said, raising a hand to rub his eyes, "in the public's mind, any casualty is one too many. They're going to need a scapegoat and it'll most likely be me." He smiled faintly, "My contacts and history here might have secured my station, but any immediate political power in Vale will probably be moved out of my hands."
"Still a load of Grimm spit," Muttered Professor Port as he crossed his arms.
"Anyways," General Ironwood said, "Straightening up, his eyes sharpening as he unconsciously leaned forward. "How are the… students under observation? I hope their recovery is going along well."
Glynda narrowed her eyes. While he was still speaking in code, Ironwood was asking about the one thing they yet to have answers on. Jaune Arc.
"Their recovering quite fine." She said, keeping her voice light, "Our medical facilities were relatively unscathed during the assault, so we're able to take full care of them."
Ironwood frowned, "Are you sure? I'm overseeing a lot of medical supplies that's coming in from Atlas. I'm sure I could send some your way, just to be safe."
Glynda frowned back. He was pushing it. If anyone was listening in, a fight over medical supplies would immediately tip them off about the barely hidden secret message that was in the conversation.
"Thank you for the kind offer," Glynda said, her face tight, "But I'm sure that there are more important places that could make better use of that aid. We'll be fine for the next month or so, barring any unexpected sickness or infection. We'll be sure to let you know if we need any help."
Thankfully Ironwood didn't push any further. With the beginnings of a scowl, he cut the call, causing the projection to vanish,
Glynda let out a sigh before moving a hand to her own brow, massaging her temples. Qrow watched with a lazy expression.
She may not had have been as smooth as Oz, but she held her own.
Qrow thought as his gaze drifted to Professor Port. The mustached man had his eyebrows furrowed together before he snapped with one hand.
"That's what you meant by medical supplies!" he exclaimed.
Qrow sighed in unison with Glynda. He missed being out in the field.
The thought echoed in his mind for a second, seeming off somehow, causing the scythe weirder to frown, mulling over the thought. If Ozpin didn't send him out into the field, then there was no reason to…
With widened eyes he turned to Glynda, who had decided to not respond to Professor Port's exclamation and was instead checking her scroll.
"Glynda," he said calmly, trying to keep the excitement from bubbling into his voice. "I'd like to discuss something."
"Yes Qrow?" Asked Glynda distractedly as she began to type a reply.
"I'd like to request two weeks rations and a bullhead drop."
Glynda stopped typing and looked up, blinking owlishly.
"A Bullhead drop? Now? We're still in the middle of redeveloping, what few bullheads that aren't patrolling the borders of Vale are being used to move rubble and carry supplies." Glynda protested, her eyebrows furrowed.
Qrow grinned wolfish at her, "Ironwood already told us that Atlas, Vaccuo, and Minstrel are sending support. They should arrive sometime within the week. Any lost progress by my trip will be more than made up for it when they arrive."
"Regardless, we need Beacon to be back to fully functioning condition as soon as possible! With the loss of the Fall Maiden, it's more important now to secure the grounds. What could be more important than that?"
"I want to hunt down Cinder."
Glynda's eyes lit up as she leaned towards Qrow.
"I'm listening."
Four Months Ago
"Hey Jaune!"
Jaune looked from the textbook he was struggling through. His look of concentration quickly relaxing as he smiled at the approaching team.
"Hey Ruby! Here to work on Professor Port's paper?"
Weiss signed, quickly moving past her team leader to take a seat at the end of the table, as far away from Jaune as possible. "Pyrrha," she said, greeting the girl who sat across from her, her gaze still locked on the book in front of her muttering under her breath.
"Afterwards you should ask to just 'hang' to help ensure- Oh hello Weiss!" Pyrrha rambled out, quickly closing her book, and looking up at the heiress, her cheeks a light pink.
Weiss huffed and pulled out her textbooks, flipping them open as the rest of her team settled at the table. Jaune and Ruby locked in their conversation. Both eager to stall before they had to work on the assignment.
"I honestly don't know what you see in him, "Weiss muttered as she pulled one of the books towards her, studiously ignoring the frown that briefly crossed Pyrrha's face.
"You know…" Pyrrha began hesitantly, "You should really get to know him, once you get over-"
"His four months of calling me 'Snow Angel' at the beginning of the year?" Weiss interrupted flatly.
Pyrrha jerkily nodded, "That," she said, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, "But once you start talking to him you'd realize there's a lot more to-"
"Okay look," Weiss said, lower her voice as Ruby and Jaune's conversation died down as the two finally began to write their essays. "I'm sure he's nice or funny or maybe even not dumb, but it's Arc! Kind and not dumb is not good enough to be here at Beacon! And with how well he does in Goodwitches's class, he probably shouldn't be here. He just doesn't have what it takes."
Despite her lowered tone masking her words, Ruby and Jaune still glanced towards their end of the table. The younger girl's curious eyes meet Pyrrha's fixed smile. Jaune's glance quickly matched by a defiant glare from Weiss.
They stayed frozen for a moment before Ruby shrugged and turned back to Jaune, pointing at a book to ask him a question.
Pyrrha sighed and opened her book again, "You're underestimating him." Pyrrha said quiet, her eyes once again on the book "He's not perfect but he's giving it all. It's the kind of honest effort that even I can respect. You'd be surprised what you'd fine if you give him a chance."
Weiss snorted but didn't push the issue. Like Arc could ever surprise her.
Present Day
Weiss stared at the wall in numb shock. Jaune Arc was a dragon.
The boy who'd failed nearly every test at the start of the semester was a dragon.
Weiss felt as though someone had punched her in the gut. The news so stunning she felt as though she couldn't breathe. Flashes of previous interactions from the last few months danced before her eyes.
"The names Jaune Arc, short sweet and rolls off the tongue, ladies love it!"
"Uhm… They do?"
She shivered as another memory flitted to the front of her mind.
"Hey Snow Angel!"
The boy who flirted with her was a giant golden dragon.
A giant maw that opened above her head, an orange glow as intense heat began to seep out.
One that tried to kill her!
"It's true…"
Weiss looked up, glancing dully over at the shell-shocked Yang. The blonde sitting at the base of her and Blake's bunkbed, a stunned expression on her face.
Weiss's eyes traveled up to the top bunk, where Blake was huddled, her eyes vacant as she stared blankly off into the distance.
"So… what now?" a timid voice asked hesitantly, Weiss's eyes turned back, focusing on the form beside Yang.
Ruby, one arm wrapped around her shocked sister, looked at Weiss, an unreadable expression on her face.
"He's a dragon." Pyrrha said stunned.
Ren sighed and sat down on the other side of Pyrrha, Nora already rubbing the stunned girls back as her eyes vaguely tracked him.
"Yes, like I've been saying" Ren said, slowly, "Jaune's a dragon. Now that it's finally confirmed that what I've been saying the entire time has been true. What. Now?"
"He's a dragon" Pyrrha mumbled again, much to the frustration of her teammate.
Pyrrha was lost. Jaune Arc, her partner, was a gigantic reptile. Everything Ren had said was true. Jaune was-
SLAP!
"Ow!" Pyrrha said, more in surprise than actual pain. Her eyes darted to sole male in the room. He was standing over her, one hand still raised.
"Jaune is a dragon. Nora rode him to rescue you that night you tried to defeat Cinder, he was then injured in the process. Like I've been saying this entire time."
Pyrrha blinked and a new thought appeared in her mind. One to grasp to at and hold onto. Ren was frustrated.
A frustrated Ren was much easier to deal with than a shape changing partner.
"I'm sorry for not believing you Ren," Pyrrha said softly as she watched the frustration bleed out of the boy's pink eyes as he sat down next to her with a sigh. "We shouldn't have immediately dismissed what you were saying."
Tentatively she rested a hand on Ren's shoulder, causing the boy to look at her in surprise. Teammates they may have been, however the members of JNPR rarely went out of their way to display physical affection.
"Ahum!"
Except Nora.
Looking away from each other, to give their third team mate a surprised look. Nora quickly turned her brief frown into a grin of excitement as she hopped off the bed to stand before the two.
"So now that we know Ren isn't crazy, what do we do?"
Pyrrha turned to look at Ren, only to blink in surprise to see him already looking at her to guidance. Apparently being the partner of team leader made her second in command.
This entire tournament had been a mess. Pyrrha thought,as she looked away from her friends to stare around the bedroom, her eyes resting on Jaune's desk. One of the drawers ajar. Everything had seemed so much simpler before the tournament. Before the Ozpin asked to see her. Before her kiss... Before Grimm attacks and storybook Maidens came into her life. Before…
One Week Before
"Gah! Okay okay, Pyrrha, you have everything? Weapons? Student ID? Keys?" Jaune called out hastily as he tore open his desk drawers, rummaging through his belongings.
Pyrrha sighed, a slight smile coming over her face, "I've been ready since you've been in the shower. Ready when you all are!" She replied sharply.
"Awesome, Nora? How are the snacks?"
Silence.
"Nora…?"
Jaune looked up from his desk to look over across the room, his curious stare quickly transitioning to a flat one as his eyes settled on Nora shoving the last protein bar into her mouth, her eyes staring defiantly back.
"We. Skipped. Breakfast." Nora justified through a mouthful of snacks.
They held their gaze for a moment longer, Pyrrha trying to quiet her chuckles in the silence before Jaune let out a sigh.
"Ren? Back up snacks?"
"I have several shakes frozen and in the ice chest, and the fruit bars that survived the fermentation process are in the left side pocket." Ren said, walking up to stand next to Pyrrha by the door.
Jaune paused and gaped at Ren before shifting eyes to Pyrrha his eyes pleading.
With her smile a full grin she picked up the small bag at her feet and looped a strap over her shoulder.
"Enough money for some lunch and dinner outside the stadium and a bag of granola to snack on in between." Pyrrha said to his unanswered question.
"Just need to- "Jaune muttered as he opened the last drawer on his desk and began rummaging through it. "find my camera…. Ah ha!"
Jaune sighed in relief, taking a moment to collect himself before standing up, leaving his mess of a desk to open his small bag on his bed, slipping into a pocket a small disposable camera.
"Why do you even need that thing when we have our scrolls?" Ask Nora asked, grabbing her bag, dust cartridges and water bottles rustling inside.
Jaune muttered something as he stowed the camera into his bag.
"Huh?" Asked Nora, cupping a hand to her ear.
Jaune muttered quieter.
"Scrap-booking?" the ginger haired girl asked in shock, a wide grin growing across her face as her other teammates chuckled. "When have you- "
Her growing enthusiasm was cut short as an alarm chimed out, slightly muffled from Pyrrha's bag.
"We'll need to…'learn' about Jaune's 'side project' later." Pyrrha said, opening the door to the hallway. "Right now, we need to catch the last morning transport to the Colosseum for check in. We wouldn't want to be late for the first matches!"
Any reply Nora might have had was drowned out as the slamming of a door across the hallway brought in a cacophony of voices.
"Move you dunce!"
"Ruby, we're already late, you can adjust Ember Celica lat- "
"But Yang!"
"Blake do you have the landing platform for the bullhead- "
"You three can't all fit through the door at once!"
Four distinct voices blended together and talked over one another as team RWBY hastily made their way down the hallway.
"Well." Jaune said, "I guess it's really time to do this. Is everyone ready?"
Nora bounded over with a grin, joining the rest of her team at the door. "Ready, fearless leader!" she chirped, moving her hand into a mock salute.
Pyrrha smiled and raised her own hand as well, "All ready to go fearless leader!"
Ren sighed and shrugged off Nora's constant elbowing to bring his own hand to his head. "Yes, fearless leader, already fearless leader." He said monotony, a faint smile on his lips.
Jaune looked at each of them before starting forward, his nerves settling as he swung his pack onto his shoulders.
"All right then… Team JNPR! Move out!"
And with three cheers, the team exited their room, determined to do their best in the upcoming tournament.
Present Day
Pyrrha stood up and walked over to Jaune's desk. Ignoring Ren and Nora's questions. Both fell silent as they also joined their teammate in front of Jaune's desk.
"It's a breach of privacy." Pyrrha said after a while.
"I've gone through Ren's stuff." Nora offered, ignoring the look that Ren sent her way. "I'm sure it'd be fine."
"Jaune is different." Pyrrha replied quietly, her eyes not leaving the handle to one of the drawers. "This would be breaking his trust."
The three of them stood there silently, before Ren slowly moved his hand to the handle of the drawer, causing Pyrrha to look up to meet his eyes.
"We may not have ever had it." Ren said, an intense gaze in his pink eyes as he began to open the drawer.
A knock at the door startled the three friends, drawing their attention Jaune's desk. After a moment Ren shut the drawer and walked over to open the door, standing aside once he saw who it was. Peering in awkwardly, Ruby waved. Ruby was already regretting leaving her team to recover as she surveyed the room, all eyes on her.
"So… um…" Ruby trailed off. "About Jaune…"
"And the d-dragon thing?" Pyrrha asked, her muscles in her face tensioning. Pyrrha had barely even begun to sort out how she was feeling about the entire topic. But Ruby's presence raised a brand-new question. How would everyone react?
"Yeah!" Ruby said, nodding vigorously. Glad someone else was talking about it instead just staring and being shocked. "The thing is… well, Weiss actually noticed this, but Jaune technically didn't say he was…"
Ren sighed, causing Ruby to wince as she fiddled with the hem of her cape.
"I-I mean… I don't think it's really…" Ruby sighed before raising her head, her silver eyes locking on Pyrrha's. "We didn't get to actually talk to him." She said firmly, her stance resolute, "What we got was a couple minutes and a 'get out' by Doctor Oobleck. We know Jaune was connected to the dragon somehow. We know the professors think so as well. Yang wants us to sneak into his room tonight. But…" And as her eyes blinked the sudden wave of confidence seemed to crash and recede as uncertainty and awkwardness took their place. "We didn't get to talk to Jaune." Ruby whispered, looking down at her feet.
The four friends remained quiet for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts of their time in the hospital room. How Jaune's shoulders had suddenly tensed, the shift from concern and relief into terror and….
Something else, some other emotion in his eyes. Some turmoil just beneath the surface.
Ren and Nora exchanged a glance, instant understanding passing between the two. Nora elbowed Pyrrha, causing her to shift attention to her teammate.
"Pyrrha," Began Nora, a gentle warm smile on her face, "Let's talk with Jaune."
"The on-call nurse generally does rounds at this time of night, checking on the different patients that are entered into the hospital." Yang said, holding the window open as Ruby landed on the floor of the hospital room roughly, letting out a quiet "oof" as Weiss landed on top of her.
"Ruby? Why didn't you move?" the weight pressing down on Ruby demanded.
"You didn't give me any time to move!" Ruby replied.
"That's because- "
"The Nurse probably won't be back on this side of the building or at least another forty-five minutes," Yang continued, as her two teammates stopped their squabbling and quickly moved forward, making room for Blake and the rest of NPR. "That gives us more than enough time to sneak into Jaune's room, talk to him and- "
"He can tell us more about how he became an awesome dragon!" Chirped Nora, jumping up from the ground and helping Ren stand up.
Yang didn't reply, simply closing the window before surveying the room. It was a good room to sneak into. A tall tree allowed them access to the third floor where the windows weren't as strongly reinforced as the ground floor. The room, a hospital break room from the looks of it, had several tables set about, a small kitchen area off to the side with an empty cot across from it. Abandoned during the night and with no important documents that needed safeguarding. Yang allowed a faint grin to cross her face. It was perfect.
Ruby stood up, taking in the silence that settled in the wake of Nora's statement, before clapping her hands together. "Well!" she cheerfully whispered, as though she wasn't about to confront her first ever Beacon friend who hide a giant secret from her and didn't even tell her despite the numerous team leader meetings they had toge-
"L-let's go!" Ruby said, turning to the door to the break room. "Jaune's waiting us in room…ah."
"Room 203 on the left side." Ren immediately replied, walking past Ruby and opening the door.
Ruby shivered… as both teams had sneaked towards and now into the medical wing. Ren had almost seemed devoid of emotion and color. He methodically checked around corners, didn't participate in any of the weak side chatter team RWBY had taken part in, and hadn't talked since she had entered team JNPRs room. During the school year the boy was quiet, but now he was… empt-
A hand on Ruby's shoulder broke her train of thought as her silver eyes looked up into the face of Nora, a strained smile on her face. "Ren's just…" the ginger haired girl started awkwardly, searching for the right words, "...tense right now. He'll be better once we're with Jaune again." Nora nodded, more to herself than to Ruby. "You'll see," she said with more conviction, "Once we talk things out with Jaune and get him out of this dingy medical wing, Renny will be A-OK!" Patting Ruby's shoulders awkwardly, Nora moved on, following her partner out into the hallway.
Pyrrha followed her, not even glancing at Ruby, her eyes focused.
Ruby traded uncertain glances with the rest of her team before taking a deep breath. She was team leader, she had to lead. "Nora's right!" Ruby said, a false smile plastered onto her face, "Once we talk with Jaune and get answers, all will be fine!"
Ignoring the skepticism in everyone's eyes, Ruby turned forward and followed Team NPR into the hallway, blinking at the bright medical lights that illuminated the hallway.
They would be fine. They would talk to Jaune and it would be fine. So, he could turn into a dragon, it's not like it would complicate anything! Ruby walked faster, joining the quick walking pace of team NPR.
They would be fine.
Ren was not fine. For the last couple of days, he had been questioned and approached over what had happened to Jaune. What happened the night of the breach and what he saw. And every time he told the truth, not only was he dismissed, he was questioned further. Talk of nerves in a combat situation, some semblance used on his mind to obscure the facts, and the assumption that whatever he said he saw. It was false. A lie. An illusion. Or disbelief.
Ren felt a presence approach from behind, tensioning before relaxing when Nora came into view. He turned a corner and kept walking, getting closer to Jaune. Only Nora had believed him. Together they had waited for Jaune to wake up. To confirm Ren's story. To prove him right. Now he had, but new question was the next step. Jaune was a dragon, as large as an airship and bigger than most rooms Ren had lived in. Where did they go from here? Would Jaune be allowed at Beacon? Why was Jaune at Beacon in the first place? Why did a dragon come to Vale in the first place? And why?
Ren's thoughts and he feet came to a stop, his destination finally reached. Room 203. Jaune's room, the dragons den a small voice in his head whispered.
This was it. Step 2: Talk to Jaune and… Ren swallowed, his throat dry. How much of their friendship was real? How was Jaune Arc just a cover for…some sort of lizard man? Dragon man? It seemed like some fantastical dream that Nora would have.
The girl in question grabbed his hand, holding it in hers. A quiet support. I'm here she seemed to say silently.
Pyrrha was much less silent.
"This is the right door?" she asked, before grasping the handle and pulling it open, not waiting for a reply. Without any hesitation, she walked into the dimmed room. Ren started after her, not moving until team RWBY came up behind him.
"Um…?" asked Ruby, peaking around Ren. The pink eyed boy took a deep breath and with Nora, stepped into the room, to talk to his friend, Jaune...the dragon.
He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the dim room, taking in Pyrrha's shocked form, the empty hospital bed, and the open window, the leaves of the tree outside rustling, the branches swaying in the night breeze.
Thirty Minutes Earlier
Doctor Oobleck's night had been an interesting one compared to the rest of the day. The first few hours of his shift were straightforward ones: patrol the medical wing, observe who came in and out, check in on the boy every half hour and then repeat. At night he had set himself up next door to Jaune Arc's bed and settled in for a long night of reading. The break in classes would give him even further time to look over his students essays and further mark areas where they could improve for their next essay. As long as the boy didn't try anything, Doctor Oobleck could sit here with his coffee and papers until morning when Professor Port would come relieve him.
"Needs Improvement." Muttered the doctor as he circled a sentence with his red pen. "Could go into further detail."
Doctor Oobleck loved his job.
He was able to enjoy grading four full papers before the quiet sound of bed springs and the opening of a window next door grabbed his attention. Sighing, he set aside the papers and approached his own rooms window, peering out of it, his eyes narrow.
He observed as Jaune Arc slowly stretched himself out to try and grab onto the branch of the nearby tree his medical gown blowing in the wind. He winced slightly as he watched Jaune fall straight down, landing on his side. It was a good thing the boy had aura. Doctor Oobleck paused a moment, watching as the blond-haired boy pulled himself up and began to sneak across the courtyard, rather unsteadily remaining under the lamps, using their bases to hide from view. Not that it did much. The lamps bright light illuminated his form, casting long shadows as he moved from light to light.
What was perhaps worse was his removal of bandages and patches, tossed carelessly aside as the boy moved, leaving an obvious trail to follow. Doctor Oobleck sighed before he quietly unlatched the window to his room. If the boy was trying to head away from Beacon, then he would be expected to call it in. However, if he was going to visit his teammate or a friend… there was a chance for him to learn more about young Arc's ability to shapeshift.
Doctor Oobleck weighed the two options before pocketing his scroll and grabbing his coffee mug. Any chance for new information that didn't immediately threaten anyone's life was a chance Oobleck was happy to take.
Emerald stared down at the entrance to Beacon. Watching with interest as a boy in a medical smock tried to sneakily make his way across the courtyard, headed in the direction of the cliff face. Emerald had been watching him for a while, unimpressed with his attempt to climb out of the tree outside his room. Moving from bush to bush in the main walkway, paying no attention that he was directly under the many lamps that illuminated the sidewalk.
This is the shape-shift? Emerald scoffed to herself. Granted sneaking out of the medical wing did add some weight to the argument but nothing about him screamed 'threat'. No thousand-year wisdom, no draconic semblances. From what she could see, he didn't even have a "dragon form". No scales, no pronounced fangs, not even lizard eyes, just wide panicked blue eyes as he slowly made his way away from Beacon.
Emerald sat back. How utterly boring she thought.
Apathetically she activated her semblance, prepared to test the boy, the illusion of Cinder between him and the cliff face, and call it a night. It was an image she had perfected, using it to both cover Cinder's retreat out of Vale as well as causing confusion in the remaining Altas soldiers as she sneaked her way into Beacon. She had just perfect the image in her head, could feel her power gathering and was about to release it when…
"Jaune!"
Emerald let out a breath as several figures ran out of the entrance to Beacon, quickly headed toward the boy.
Ruby, the cheerful little girl who seemed to just be composed of sweet sugar given her personality (and her diet). The rest of her team as well as Pyrrha Nikos and her team running out as well. Emerald scowled and stepped back further into the shadows of the building's rooftops. She would need to wait a little longer. There would be little chance for her to test the boy now, with so many eyes to see through her illusion.
Footsteps at the base of the building caused Emerald to glance down, a plan coming together as she spotted who arrived at the entrance to Beacon.
She grinned. If the boy was the beast she was hunting, then this would be a perfect opportunity to ensure he had as few allies as possible.
"Jaune!"
They boy in question winced as he stopped and glanced behind him. Team RWBY were headed towards him. Ruby's concerned face followed by the standoffish neutral masks of Yang and Blake. And the rest of his team behind them. Jaune only made eye contact with Pyrrha before his immediately looked away, trying to immediately forget the feelings of betrayal and loss he saw in her eyes.
His friends and teammates caught up to him, the group bunched up in front of him.
"H-hey guys." He stuttered out, trying to nonchalantly take a step back. He was maybe 40 feet from the cliff-side now. If he could break out into a run…
"Where are you going Vomit Boy?" Yang asked, her false cheer evident as she came to stop by Ruby, her legs shoulder width apart, ready to react at the slightest threat.
"W-well…" Jaune trailed off, taking another step back, his mouth going dry as his teammates also caught up, seven huntsmen in training gathering in a semi-circle around him. He shivered as the wind blew across the open area, goosebumps gathering on his arms.
"I-I was going t- "
"Jaune!" Nora called in delight as she pushed past team RWBY to wrap the blond boy into a bear hug. "You're not just awake, but you're well enough to walk!"
She squeezed him tightly, humming in contentment when she felt his muscles begin to relax. She froze when Ren's voice echoed in the silence.
"Nora. Step away from Jaune for a moment."
Nora felt Jaune's muscles tighten, his back becoming ramrod straight as she raised her head to look back at Ren. He stared back, his pink eyes unwavering, guarded, a slight grey tint to them. She narrowed her eyes back, knowing what he was thinking.
"Ren."
"Nora."
"It's Jaune."
"We don't know if Jaune is really Jaune."
"Ren your being- "
"We. Don't. Know."
"Well they don't know about us!" Nora shot back, gesturing a hand to team RWBY. Blake seemed to blink in surprise, her eyes narrowing as she stepped sideways, the rest of team RWBY angling themselves to face both Jaune and Ren. Ruby stayed still, her focus on Nora and Jaune. What had she meant by that?
"They don't know about our village! Where we came from! What we saw!" Nora continued. "Because we haven't told them! We were probably going to tell them. There just wasn't any time!"
Ren's face tightened as more color leached out of his eyes, his semblance coming into full effect to control his emotions.
"We probably don't know anything about them!" Nora said, the words pouring from her mouth. "They probably have their own secrets!"
Behind her, Blake's bow twitched as Yang's eyes glanced towards the faunus. Ruby openly turned to look at Blake, an action that Pyrrha noticed, her confused eyes slowly narrowing as she looked over Blake's form.
Weiss stepped forward, "Now hold on a minute!"
Whatever Weiss had to say, Ren disregarded all of it, his eyes still locked on Nora. He took a step forward, opening his mouth, Nora tensed, shifting her full hug of Jaune to a side hug, facing Ren fully. Was he going to force her away from Jaune? If he thought she was in danger… he might… Team RWBY watched from the sidelines, tensing, not knowing what they were talking about. Doubt creeping into Weiss's eyes as she looked at Ren. Yang thumbed her knuckles, ready to activate Ember Celica, taking a casual step that put her between Ruby and Team JNPR.
"…Nora…"
Both teams froze, attention quickly shifting from each other and back to Jaune as he stared at the ground in front of him, not meeting anyone's eyes.
"Ren's right." He said quietly, lightly pushing away from Nora, his breath slow and heavy. Nora watched him back up a few feet, taking in just how tired and miserable Jaune looked. His hair was matted with sweat and leaves, tired from his escape from the hospital. He shivered again as a wind washed over them, making his hospital gown flutter in the wind.
"Jaune?" Nora asked, suddenly afraid at how uncertain her voice sounded. She hated that, how he flinched at her question. She hated how her voice should have been cheerful and supportive, but instead was lost, confused…
Suspicious.
Jaune took in a deep breath and closed his eyes as he straightened up. He opened his eyes and met her questioning gaze head on. He eyes shifted, taking in his friends and teammates. Blake and Weiss's suspicious gaze, Yang and Ren's calm but intense focus, the questioning looks from Ruby and Nora. Nora saw his gaze shift past all of them, to look at Pyrrha. Before….
"No!"
And Jaune exploded into light.
Pyrrha was in a daze again. It was Jaune. And he looked terrible. When she had first seen him, slowly making his way from Beacon she had wanted to bring him back to the dorm, maybe get him a cup of hot tea from Ren's supply and let him rest. But she couldn't. Because Jaune was running away from Beacon. Away from them. Because he was a dragon.
Then Nora hugged him and how much she wanted to join her, to embrace her partner, enjoying the fact that their team was reunited after the Breach. That they were safe and together and it was all over. Then Ren spoke.
And it got worse from there.
Team RWBY looking at them with suspicion. Ren and Nora, the two closest people Pyrrha knew, fighting. Jaune huddled under Nora's shoulder, slinking lower and lower with each word spoken.
She opened her mouth to say something…but what was there to say? Her eyes landed on Ruby, who was also still staring just as Jaune, the argument of Nora and Ren washing over her. What was the young girl thinking? What co-
"We probably don't know anything about them! They probably have their own secrets!"
Ruby gasped and turned to look at Blake, her eyes wide as Pyrrha watched on. Why would Ruby react that way… unless? Pyrrha examined Blake faint suspicion in her gaze, how her yellow eyes widened, and she subconsciously took a step back. What would Blake have to hide?
Weiss stepped forward to say something but Pyrrha couldn't hear anything. There was a ringing in her ears and she felt faint. Had everyone she met lied to her? What secrets did team RWBY have to hide? What-
"…Nora…"
Pyrrha's thoughts immediately died, her focus shifting back to her partner. He stepped away, straightening up as he began to look at each of them in the eye.
"I… I uh…I am…"
Pyrrha felt her breath catch as his eyes met her, not seeing Pyrrha, the Minstrel champion or top of their class. But his partner, his sparring partner. Her. Butterflies grew in her stomach, but they felt nauseating. Sour. Who was her partner? Who was her friend?
"I, erm… to be..."
She couldn't take her gaze off his eyes even as they left hers to stare…somewhere over her shoulder.
Were they still friends?
She blinked, and everything seemed to change. Jaune's eyes shifted from uncertain to sudden panic as he shouted out.
"No!"
A bright light seemed to glow from Jaune, and before she was forced to turn away, every instinct in her body suddenly screaming of danger, she saw those gentle eyes… those eyes she loved...grow reptilian in nature.
Doctor Oobleck watched from shadows of the entrance to Beacon, looking out past the statue and fountain at the group of students halfway to the bullheads. He hummed in thought, considering the two teams. Had they planned to meet out here? Their body posture didn't suggest so. So, then Arc was trying to leave Beacon. But why? And why as a human? If he could shapeshift into a dragon, he could gain considerable distance before shapeshifting back into a human and disappearing into the Grimlands. It didn't make sense!
The Doctor growled as his eyes began to glow lightly, his semblance activating as he pondered the scenario. A light pressure behind his eyes developed as his vision enhanced, several minute details of the student's facial expressions coming into sharp focus. His ears rang as they became several times more sensitive, the words of Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie coming into range.
"This is different! This is Jaune! -"
Ahh a fight then. A big one if the quickening heartbeats of all nine students was any indication. Doctor Oobleck licked his lips as he took in each student's body language. Distrust, confusion, alert, suspicious, the Doctor saw it all. Their hesitation before each movement, the quiet reaction to the argument, each painting a clearer picture in his mind. The friends were uncertain on what to do or how to react to the revelation presented to them. They were in denial, lashing out and tense over a secret they still didn't understand.
And Jaune Arc…
Guilt, Sadness, terror, stress, exhaustion. Doctor Oobleck smiled to himself as he stared at the hospital gowned boy. Confirmation that the ties with his friends and teammates were real. Validation that Jaune Arc was more than just a persona for some being from beyond the Grimmlands. Information. Doctor Oobleck straightened up and began to walk forward, to address the students and perhaps even have a conversation with young Arc.
He had only just made it to the front of Beacon's statue before Jaune Arc's eyes locked with his own. He smiled at the boy, trying to put him at ease and show he wasn't in trouble. Instead…
"No!"
A flash of light later and a giant golden dragon stood in front of him, it's reptilian eyes cold as it stared down at him. The hairs on the back of Doctor Oobleck began to stand up and he felt a rock settle in his stomach. Something was wrong.
Yang and Blake were the only two prepared for it, both staying on alert the second they got near Jaune. When he cried out and the flash of light began to glow, Yang immediately acted. Grabbing Ruby and activating Ember Celica, she shot them both back away from Jaune. From the corner of her eye, she could see Blake doing the same, her long black ribbon tied to a surprised Weiss as the nimble faunus pulled both of them away from the rapidly expanding wall of scales.
Ren dashed in, lifting Nora into his arms surprisingly easily as he then used the sudden and growing dragon to kick off, moving them both away.
Pyrrha jumped back, more out of instinctual surprise than anything else. Already as she stared up at the sudden expanse of scales in front of her, muscle pushed it out, the pavement below, cracking and groaning as immense weight sudden pressed upon it. She gasped as the beast raised its neck, towering high above her. This wasn't a hallucination due to blood loss or exhaustion… this was a dragon.
This was Jaune.
The fact that had previously sent her mind in circles now broke her initial shock. Taking a step forward she looked up and tried to meet the gaze of the dragon. Ren and Nora had their say… now it was her turn.
"Jaune?"
But the dragon paid no attention to her, it stared off into the distance, it's gaze locked on something. Then its massive maw opened.
"Hey!" Ruby cried out, dropped roughly onto the ground where Yang dropped her.
"You okay?" Yang asked hurriedly she turned back to assess the sudden dragon in front of her, "Keep quiet okay? "
Ruby slowly got up, any reply died on her lips as her eyes moved over the beast before them. Ruby looked all the way down from the tip of the tale, up over the legs and large wings that remained folded against its body, up towards the large head, far above them all.
"Everyone else is scattered but it doesn't look like anyone got stepped on or anything." Yang muttered, eyes focused instead on the ground, counting the number of people on the ground.
"But…why did he change?" Ruby asked, her eyes not leaving the dragons head as the world seemed to go silent.
"Jaune!" Pyrrha called out. Her call was quickly echoed by Nora and Ren, teammates calling out to their leader.
The sisters stood there for a moment, taking in the massive reptile before them. Neither spoke as the dragon's mouth slowly opened.
"Do you think it's going to speak?" Ruby asked.
"I... don't think so." Yang said, a heavy feeling growing in her gut. "It looks more like…"
Her voice trailed off, as a low groaning began to sound, originating from the dragon. From the jaws of the dragon, Ruby say an orange glow begin to gather.
"Fire" Ruby breathed.
Fire. Jaune was going to breath fire. Why?
"We need to move!" A new voice chimed in, causing Ruby to look away from the growing glow. Weiss looked back, Blake jogging up behind her, the faunus's eyes beginning to reflect the bright light growing above their heads.
"He's attacking" Weiss said grimly. "If we get closer to Beacon- "
Weiss continued, but Ruby didn't hear any other words as she turned back to the growing fire.
Why was he attacking?
Who was he attacking?
Doctor Oobleck moved fast. Sending a quick message to alert Glynda he dashed forward, extending his thermos into its rocket launcher form, Espresso Shot.
Aiming it, he let out a blast to the base of the statue, damaging the supports. It groaned as he jumped, landing on the top of the statue.
The weakened supports twisted and bent, before collapsing, a metal hollow centerpiece headed towards the ground. Running to the side of it, as the pavement cracked from the impact Oobleck engaged his aura, reaching down and grabbing the top of the statue, the metal torso of some ancient huntsmen in his grasp. Swinging it sluggishly, Oobleck began to slowly rotate, moving the entire broken statue around him.
One revolution, two, three, four. Oobleck's spins began to speed up, causing the momentum to move slowly, centrifugal force allowing him to increase his spins.
Closing one eye, Oobleck calmly counted down as he began to plan his next actions.
Four
He would only have an instant, but he'd need to follow the attack up instantly, not giving the dragon any chance to focus on either the students or the school.
Three
If he could get the creature to chase him, or maybe even get onto it's back, it would have no other choice but to focus on him.
Two
He would need to focus on the eyes and the wings, the obvious weak points of the beast. He'd also need to try and make it non-lethal… but that would depend on this statue throw. If the dragon could easily defend against it, it would mean it had a lot of stamina. Then he would need to bring most of his fire power, however if it didn't…
One
Time was up and Doctor Oobleck let go of the statue, sending it up in a perfect arc, connecting with the dragon's head. The impact had a dull clang as the statue crumpled into the dragons open jaw, mental warping and tearing as it collapsed in on itself, the momentum driving it forward.
Now!
Doctor Oobleck sprinted forward, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Students return to Beacon! Do not engage!"
Jumping over Miss Nikos, Doctor Oobleck came to stand before team NPR, glancing back to take in their appearance. They all appeared to be unharmed, each one seemingly mesmerized by their dashing teacher in front of such a large threat.
Oobleck grimaced, Professor Port's habit of embellishment was rubbing off on him.
"Get back to the school and do not-"
A loud thump drew his attention away, his focus on the dragon's head. The dragon's head...that was now on the ground in front of him, the ruins of the statue next to it.
Unconscious.
"What in the devil's?" Asked Oobleck as the other students began to gather near him. The beast was completely out of it, and now that Oobleck was up close, he could see why. Giant scabs covered large swaths of its scaly hide. It's back missing several scales. The recovering wounds matched the description Glynda had given when she had encountered it in Vale. And Doctor Oobleck had defeated it.
He felt slightly cheated.
AN: And another chapter down! Finally. If you want a full explanation of why this chapter came so late, check out on my author page. For now I'll just say that:
1. I can no longer estimate when I'll get chapters out.
2. Not dead, not given up, and it's not over yet.
3. This was originally suppose to be chapter 2 or 3, so I'm personally really glad that this chapter is out. If we're going by sections, then this is finally the end of the beginning. Next up, the Middle.
Until Next Time!