Hi everyone, Christmas is just around the corner, and I hope you're all doing good. Here we go...
Jaune sat across from Ozpin, a great silence hung over them as fhey stared down one another.
Ozpin was the first to break the silence.
"I do hope you're-" he started only to be interrupted by Jaune raising his pointer finger in a shushing motion.
"I have to go, I at least made sure that Pyrrha has the grounds for proper training her powers, but you have to concentrate on the reconstruction of Vale" Jaune explained.
"But Still-" Ozpin tried again.
"Salem has just struck a serious blow to Vale, you still need to rebuild and show that you are not defeated, I have the freedom to push an assault against her while still alowing you to defend should she make another move" Jaune continued.
Ozpin huffed but didn't speak until Jaune was done talking.
"Can you at least stay until we've gotten the grimm out of Vale" Oz requested.
Jaune leaned back, seaming to ponder on it for a second, and he chuckled.
"I never said I would be leaving Vale infested with grimm, it would be a stain on my honor if I did" Jaune responded with wild chortles.
Oz stared at his fellow immortal with slight impatience, knowing Jaune was trying to get a reaction out of him.
"Then what is your plan?" Ozpin pushed.
"Its called a fox hunt; I'm the fox, they're the hunters" was the first words out of his mouth. Ozpin stared at him as though he were mad.
"If I may incur, why?" was his response.
"Simple, my magic is a magnet for then and I'm immortal. I honestly would have thought you would have had such a plan a while ago, or perhaps you have started to go senile Ozma" Jaune retorted.
"If anyone is senile it's you Arc, not even I am that disturbed and uncaring" Oz shot back.
"That's rich from the man who led so much to the slaughter"
"You could have helped but you were too busy playing wandering legend to care"
"What legend, like when you shut yourself in a cabin while infesting a hermit and made my job harder by creating yet another legend"
"At least I've been active in my role in helping humanity"
"Your blind if you don't think I've been doing my part"
"ENOUGH BOTH OF YOU !!! I swear you two are worse than children" yelled a disgruntled Glynda as she walked into the tent.
Jaune turned to Ozpin and spoke; "You told her?".
"I found out myself thank you very much" Glynda cut in.
"Anyway, as I was saying my plan involves me acting as bait to lure any remaining Grimm into killzones" Jaune resumed.
"That plan is asinine" Glynda cut in once more.
"But it'll work, the only one at risk is me if there is any" Jaune countered.
"How will we prepare the killzones even? we don't have the numbers or the supplies for such a period" Oz spoke up.
"All I need for a killzone is a large open space and some time, then we just rince and repeat till done" Jaune explained.
"Alright, where are we going to start?" Oz asked.
Jaune smiled as he pulled up a map of the infested areas and possible killzones.
Two days later
Jaune was running through the streets, his magic pouring off him in like waves of angst.
Behind him rushed a great horde of Grimm with hunger looks in their eyes and rage in their every movement.
He unsheathed Drachenzunge and sliced through a Beowolf that attempted to jump him, its eyes taken off in one clean slice, the grimm rolling past him and being trampled by the horde behind him.
More and more Grimm poured out towards him, crawling out of sewers and alleys, breaking their way out of long deserted homes, or just running on the streets.
'To think, this many slipped past me while I was stuck fighting that damned Wyvern, hopefully this will be the usual rather than the minority' Jaune thought as he sliced apart more Grimm which blocked his path.
'Just three more blocks'
He used Drachenzunge's sheath as a bat to knock away a swarm of raven like Grimm.
'Two More'
He bisected an Ursa major which attempted to wall him in.
'One'
He jumped over a break in the street and rolled into an open park centre.
He then stood and turned to the horde, blade held in hand, Pars Lunea raised in the other.
All was silent for a moment as Jaune let his magic dim and the Grimm rushed forward with great ferver.
Jaune fired off Pars Lunea in quick succession, the grimm packed so thickly that it didn't matter where he was aiming.
He had just enough time to reload and fire off once before the Grimm rushed in.
Drachenzunge let its bite be known as it sliced through any Grimm foolish enough to get close.
Jaune let his magic fade and allowed the familiar glow to bath his form while he had a short grace period.
One Grimm was much braver, striking right as the magic faded yet before the aura bathed him.
For its bravery it was rewarded with Pars Lunea snatched in its jaws.
Yet Jaune would refuse to let the grimm make off with one of his possessions- gripping the Wolf's tail as it tried fleeing- and with a strong pulled tore the beast's entire spine from its form.
The Grimm didn't even get to react as its form sagged and jumbled, the immortal quick to tear the gun out of its mouth while it did so.
Jaune would only have enough time to holster his gun before the Grimm horde rushed him once again, an untold torrent of bone and flesh raging against him.
Jaune showed no fear as he stood off against his foes, not a care for death had no power over him.
He let her battle rage for hours, changing between his magic and aura ever so often to prevent any Grimm from just leaving, yet he did not walk out unscathed.
His clothing torn and dirtied.
His skin being covered in scars as fast as they were healed.
One lucky Grimm even managed to tear his left arm off, though he was quick reattach it before his aura closed off the wound.
He stood in the center of it all, the only thing seeming to not be harmed from this conflict being Drachenzunge, the blade unbent and clean as ever.
For the time he did not move, letting his body rest for a slight second, Drachenzunge resting at his side.
Quiet footsteps interrupted his rest, a figure covered in rags walking towards Jaune.
"I knew it was you whom I sensed" the figure spoke.
Jaune turned to them and spoke with discontent; "Its you again isn't it Luci?".
"In the flesh" was the Grimm man's response.
"I assume you want your sword back" was Jaune's response.
To this Luci huffed and withdrew a spadroon from his coat. "I have no need for that old thing, not when I have this" was his answer.
"Now thats quite a disrespectful thing to say about a weapon" Jaune snided.
"And taking someone elses weapon is?" Luci shot back.
"I only take a weapon should it break my previous one" Jaune spoke, raising the Drachenzunge towards its previous owner. "I mean, you didn't even name this fine blade when you owned it" he continued while standing in a dueling stance.
"And what use is it to name a weapon?" Luci asked.
"It is one of respect, and dedication; something you will never understand" Jaune answered as the battle commenced.
In quick fashion the two of then thrust their blades forward. Sparks flew as the blades resonated from their clash.
Both jumped back before Luci channeled his aura into the Spadroon and let the blade clash into the ground.
A blast of force traveled through the ground towards Jaune.
Jaune brought Drachenzunge in front of him and rushed into the blast.
Dust enveloped the battlefield as the blast connected.
Luci covered his eyes as the dust covered all around.
A gust of wind kicked dust into his face regardless, forcing him to grasp his eyes.
Drachenzunge thrust itself through his grasping palm and clean into his head. A sickly crack followed as Jaune held both the grip and end of the blade and twisted it.
Luci's head was twisted 180 before Jaune withdrew his blade. Luci's body stood for but a moment before falling to the ground.
The grimm essence flowed out of his body, seeming to push itself to repair such damage. Jaune stood by and waited, his blade ready for the next strike.
Cracking was heard as Luci's head twisted back to 180 and his arms slammed into the ground, tossing up debris and dust.
Jaune thrust his blade forward once more, aura channeled through it this time, and let the force push the dust away.
There stood Luci, the grimm essence spreading out farther with reckless abandon, and his spadroon stabbed into the ground.
Jaune watched as the grimm essence gathered in and solidified, distorting much of Luci's form.
His head was half-covered by a mist of darkness, his eyes retaining only a vengeful red glow. His left side grew into a mass of bone spikes and a massive wing-like arm. Both his legs swelled with muscles overflowing, their girth like tree trunks, and a tri-tipped tail sprouted from his back. His right arm extended to thrise it's original length.
The first action he took was to grab his sword and rush with a spiral twist like a tornado of metal and flesh.
Jaune raised Drachenzunge and let the steel clash against one another, a resounding clap akin to thunder clanged from such forces.
Jaune dug in his heels as Luci slashed wildly with animalistic fury. Every cut pushed Jaune back ever while Luci began shrieking as though he was a demon.
Jaune channeled his nearly drain aura reserves and let them gather in his free hand. A fist of white fire was flung into the torpedo that was Luci.
The instant it connected the assault stopped. Luci's body crumpled into the fist before being blasted into the ground a fair distance away. Jaune stood still, his fist still raised, as he let his immortality take over while his aura faded out.
"You know, just fuck you man, fuck you" spoke Luci as his body reverted to a more human appearance.
Jaune did not speak as his cuts sealed themselves.
"I take a simple job, get my own sword staked through me yet survive" Luci started getting up.
"Get an offer to take revenge for my grievances" He let the last of the grimm features retract into him.
"Get together a great big army" He walked forward.
"Break my foes' sword but get brutalized in response" He was halfway to Jaune.
"Then I get my face broken by some of his students" Jaune turned to look at him at this, hated kindling itself within.
"And when I meet him again he seems to be half dead, still clawing by with no aura and a no magic" Luci pointed his sword towards Jaune.
"What do I find now, someone who should have long since died" Luci took the blade and stabbed it through Jaune's heart.
"Not so tough now, guess not even the Wanderer can last after pulling this killzone strategy for two days near non-stop" He twisted the blade at this.
"Guess you shouldn't have bothered being thorough" Luci then put his hand on Drachenzunge and tore it from Jaune's hand.
Luci stared deep into Jaune's face, taking great joy in the image of the Wanderer with blood dripping from his mouth, before he thrust Drachenzunge into Jaune's neck.
Even with both blades staked into his body Jaune glared with hatred at Luci.
"What, to shocked to speak!!!" Luci shouted at he dragged Drachenzunge out of Jaune's neck, a rain of blood flowing out like a waterfall.
Jaune used this as his chance as he grabbed the blade in his chest and snapped it, taking the grip and guard in his hand, and drove it into Luci's chin.
Jaune's immortality got to work, sealing wounds and replenishing his body. Even as all his muscles ached of exhaustion he pushed on, taking the other piece of the balde in his fist and driving it into Luci's face.
He followed up by tackling Luci to the ground, the broken piece of the blade still lodged in his chin, and pummeled the man with his fists.
With each collision a cracking of bones and sputter of gore flew off of Luci's body. Jaune did not let up even as Luci turned into more and more of a pile of gore on the ground.
He only stopped as he stared down at the mass of swollen flesh that was once Luci's head, the grimm essence having long stopped radiating off his person.
Jaune stood up, ignored the burning all over his body, and picked up Drachenzunge. He sheathed the blade and used it as a cane, leaning on it the moment the blade lied within.
He took one last look at Luci's body and pulled out his scroll, sending a quick message to Ozpin.
With nothing more to do he leaned on his sheathed blade and starting blacking out.
The last thing he saw before darkness overcame him was the image of a bullhead dropping down on his location.
And that's a wrap for this year, hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Now here's a gift I was meaning to give last year but never got around to it.
Christmas Time.
Jaune sat down, the leather chair underneath him taking in his form. Around him sat Yang, Oscar, and Ruby in holiday pajamas. Maria sat on the couch, a book in her hands. Over in the kitchen Tai and Summer slaved at the oven while Qrow leaned against the counter with a cup of spiked coffee.
"Now kids let me tell you a story, a story about the first christmas of Remnant" Jaune spoke in a jolly voice.
All three raised their hands and shouted with great excitement.
"Alright. Alright. Calm yourselves" Jaune his hand up to calm them down.
"Now, can anyone tell me why we celebrate christmas?" Jaune asked.
"Because kids deserve to get presents" Yang said.
"Because we need a time of celebration to show the Grimm who's boss" Ruby answered.
"Because we found dust on this day" Oscar said.
Jaune chuckled at their answers before he continued speaking; "All good but not why we celebrate them".
"You see we celebrate Christmas because it was the day that the first people with silver eyes were born"
"On that day near two millennia ago that the people of the past lived their lives in great fear of the grimm"
"When hordes were found, people would flee and warriors would hold them off with all their might"
"Yet when a mother held a child close to her in terror, her eyes began to glow with a most elegant silver light, the grimm seemed to disappear"
"Warriors and the common folk alike cheered for what seemed to be a mother's love saved their village"
"Word spread quick and many kings and Warlords took great interest in her, they gathered as many as they could to find out just how she had done such a feat"
"Soon the more stories spread out, more tales of brave people with eyes of silver, armed with the power to make the grimm disappear with but a great flash of power"
"Now the Kings and Warlords gave the many silver-eyed people a choice, follow under them or perish"
"Now there was one thing to know about people with silver eyes; can any of you tell me what that is?"
"A stronger aura/semblance/magic" was the simultaneous answer from all three.
"Yes, all good choice, the basic part of it was that someone with silver eyes would be a much stronger warrior than your average person"
"So those with silver eyes gathered and they gave the kings and warlords a choice; give back to the people that they serve or they shall get nothing"
"Now some agreed to this, giving many gives and holding festivals for their people in an attempt to get the silver eyed on their side"
"Yet some refused, trying to enslave the sliver-eyed, yet they were wiped out by many conflicts, their names and legacies forgotten to history"
"So, from pushing by the silver-eyed, the festivals and gifts would be given from those of higher authority to the lesser people"
"This would continue on to this very day, the original reason for why they started being forgotten by all but a few, and the idea changing from the authority giving to the people to people giving to one another"
"Now a tale like this would not be told in any school, not recited by any storyteller, you may only hear it from one of three people"
"But why?" Yang asked.
"Because only three people are old enough to remember it Yang" Was Jaune's honest answer.
"Now then kids, how about you three bug miss Maria while I go talk with Tai and Summer about dinner" Jaune said before standing up.
He let the trio scamper over too Maria as he walked to the kitchen.
He ignored the playful smile Summer sent him as he stood next to Qrow. "When you told me that story it was about the first Silver-eyed Warrior, not a group of them" Summer said.
"Heh, maybe I am loosing it a bit in my old age" Jaune joked.
Qrow and Tai chuckled at this while Summer just kept her smile.
Then the timer went off, signaling that cookies was done baking.
"Just hope that the kids can sleep tonight with all the sugar you'll put on those cookies" Jaune said as he walked back to the living room to keep the kids from rushing in.
Yep, Merry Christmas to all, and a happy holidays.