HEEEELLOOOOOO! I'm glad to see some good reception for last chapter. At the Author's notes at the end of this chapter I have some (relatively) important news, so if you're interested please give the ANs at the end of the chapter a read.
Also after watching episode eight of RWBY volume 4 (I won't spoil anything don't worry) I'm pleasantly surprised to see that the world building they had in this episode was strikingly similar to what I had written up for this story, barring some differences that aren't too great.
With all that out of the way, ON WITH THE STORY!
Jaune turned to the door as it opened. In walked the doctor, whose name Jaune had learned was Albus, with a clipboard in his hand. The doctor smiled at him, but the squire could tell that it was a nervous smile. Doctor Albus sat down in the chair next to his bed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Well Mr. Arc, we've compiled the results of all the tests, and it's... unexpected to say the least. Your body is healing at least twice as fast as what should be possible for a human being, even taking into account your large aura reserves. Originally I had thought that you would be confined to this bed for a number of months, but at your current rate you should be alright within a few weeks."
"Really?" Jaune asked. He'd been afraid that he'd be unable to fight in the Vytal tournament, but apparently he was healing faster than what should have been humanly possible. That should have surprised Jaune more than it did, but lately his whole life had been a string of events that didn't happen to normal people. "Well that's good. Any idea why I'm healing so quickly?"
"My best guess would be that it's something to do with your semblance. Though I don't know how a light that burns Grimm would be capable of advanced healing."
It took Jaune a few moments to understand what the doctor meant. Clearly he thought that the Lady's Light was Jaune's semblance, which made sense considering the fact that this man would know nothing about Vaya, along with everyone outside of Jaune himself, Nathaniel, Ozpin, Glynda, and Ironwood. "Well," Jaune said, "semblances are funny things. Never know what they can do." Then something else occurred to the squire. "Wait, how do you know about the La- I mean, my semblance?"
"Oh!" the doctor grabbed the remote to the projector in the room. "You just woke up a couple hours ago, so naturally you wouldn't know." He hit the power button and the holo screen came to life, showing a news channel. On the news channel footage of his battle against the Dark Champion was playing. "Understandably the Breach is all anyone has been talking about, and your battle against that one big Grimm has been one of the most recurring topics."
Jaune groaned as his head landed on his pillow. Just what he needed. More attention focused on him.
"Is everything alright Mr. Arc?"
"Yeah... just wondering if dying would've been a better route than having to deal with the press." He'd already had to deal with journalists and paparazzi trying to sneak into Beacon to get an exclusive interview with him. This would just make it worse. On top of that he might as well totally forget trying to go into Vale at any point. He'd probably get mobbed every time he left the safety of Beacon.
"Well if that's all then I see no reason for me to take up more of your time. Would you still like some time to yourself before I inform your friends that you're awake?"
The door to the room opened. "Actually good doctor, I would like a few moments with my student, if you don't mind." Headmaster Ozpin smiled and nodded to the both of them as he stepped into the room. The doctor quickly stood and left the room and shut the door behind himself, leaving the two of them alone.
Jaune struggled up into a sitting position. "Headmaster, I didn't realize-"
Ozpin cut him off by placing his hand on Jaune's shoulder and gently but firmly pushing the blonde back down on his back before sitting in the now vacant chair next to the bed. "I'd prefer if you didn't do anything to strain yourself Mr. Arc. Sir Nathaniel is currently strapped into his bed just a floor above us, and I do mean that he is literally strapped to the bed. He injured three orderlies rather severely trying to get to you, and it took Glynda using her aura manipulation to pin him to the bed while they strapped him down. She's stayed with him all night, assuring him that you'll be fine."
Jaune winced. He'd seen Nathaniel and Talon walk out of the ruined building, so he'd assumed they were okay, but if Nathaniel was in the hospital... "is he okay? Is Talon okay?"
"Physically? Yes, they're fine. Nathaniel suffered a concussion, and thus was forced to remain in the hospital overnight to ensure he hadn't suffered any brain damage. Talon was merely bruised a bit, along with his pride I imagine, but beyond that he's unharmed. Emotionally however they are far from fine. Both have been told you'll make a full recovery, but I can tell they blame themselves for not being able to kill the Dark Champion. As I already said Nathaniel had to be restrained, and Talon was circling the building like the bird of prey he shares some traits with until I managed to coax him down and inform him that you were going to be alright. After that he took off towards Beacon, or more specifically the Emerald Forest. According to Professor Port your Gryphon has been committing genocide on the Grimm of the forest. I fear that next year's initiates will find a drastically reduced Grimm population to deal with, assuming any are left."
Jaune had thought he couldn't feel any worse than he'd felt after Weiss had left. He'd just found he could in fact feel much worse. "I'll call Talon back," he promised.
"Perhaps in a moment," replied Ozpin, "I would still like to talk to you privately before all of your friends know you're conscious." Ozpin pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "What was the Dark Champion Jaune?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "I... the night before the breach, I had a nightmare. The Dark Champion was in it. I went to Nathaniel and described it to him, but he didn't know what it was either. He thought my dream was a vision of the future, and we were going to go tell you, but before we could the breach happened. I think you know the rest from there."
The headmaster reached for a cup of coffee that wasn't there, then sighed as his empty hand lowered. "Indeed. The news of the Dark Champion has spread like wildfire throughout the four kingdoms and beyond. The councils are understandably distressed and scrambling for answers. I didn't expect you to know anything, as I already asked Nathaniel and he knew nothing about its origins, but I had to ask."
"How are the citizens in the other kingdoms handling all of this?" Jaune asked. He could only imagine the widespread panic making its way through the kingdoms.
"Well the news about the Dark Champion certainly caused some distress among the citizens, but it's not as bad as it could have been. The quick reaction from both huntsmen and the Atlas military kept civilian casualties to a minimum, thanks in no small part to the fact that team Ruby and Professor Oobleck were already on the scene, and your killing of the Dark Champion routed the the second wave of Grimm."
Ozpin smiled at the squire. "The people of Remnant are hailing you as a hero now. All of the world has seen you slay a monster that many huntsmen could not even harm. They have seen you stand against the worst of what the darkness has to throw at us, and prevail against it. All over the world people are gathered in religious buildings to pray for your safety and recovery. Support and supplies has come in from all over Remnant to help in repairing the damage done to the city, and condolences have come in for those who have lost loved ones. However you are the focal point of much of it. Remnant waits anxiously to hear whether or not you survived."
Jaune shifted uncomfortably in his bed. "I never asked for this," he muttered, "I never wanted all of this attention on me. I just wanted to make it through Beacon and become a huntsman. I never wanted to be a 'savior', and I'm not. I... I'm just a normal guy. I'm just me."
"You know that's not true Jaune. Like it or not, the moment you accepted the burden of the Knight-Lord's mantle you became more than a man, or even a huntsman. It is your duty and destiny to revive the Gryphon Knights because it is a duty you chose. No one made you take it. You made the decision because you knew in your heart that it was your duty to do so. So far you have managed to avoid the press and going out into public, but you can no longer be so distant. Before you were a rising star, someone with the potential to rock the political foundations of the kingdoms, but that was all you were. You were a mystery, and people didn't know what quite to think of you."
"Now they see you as a hero and a guardian. They see you as someone capable of doing something we have never even dreamed could happen: defeating the Grimm once and for all. You slew the Dark Champion, and made the Grimm flee. Grimm have never retreated before, but you made them run in terror yesterday. You have given people hope that we could someday live in a world free of Grimm."
"However hope is as much a curse as it is a blessing. People with hope can do nearly anything, but if they lose it then they become weak and vulnerable. They allow their despair to overwhelm them and swallow them whole. The greatest warriors are those that can live without hope, through either a surety of purpose or determination to see their task through to the end, whatever end that may be. The average man and woman are not capable of this however, and thus rely upon those who give them hope, like you. When you walk out of this hospital Jaune, you must be what they need you to be. You must be a beacon of hope that they can rally behind, that they can trust in. You must be open with them, and show them that they can trust in you. You must be willing to talk to the press and tell the people what is safe for them to know. We must keep some secrets within our little brotherhood, such as the true nature of the Grimm, Salem and Vaya, and the Maidens, but they must know about the Gryphon Knights of old, and how you will return them to power to become that which even the huntsmen could not be despite our best efforts: the blade that will be driven into the heart of darkness."
Jaune nodded. "I know, but... it's all so sudden. In a single day my entire life was turned completely upside down. From there things just haven't calmed down. I've tried to be the same old Jaune that I've always been, but... I can't. Not anymore. I'm not him anymore. I'm not a huntsman anymore. Regardless I'm still the leader of Juniper, and I wouldn't trade that for anything, but I'm not just the leader of Juniper anymore. I have a duty to rebuild the Order. I can't put that off anymore. I need to start looking for men to recruit."
"It's a bit early to start recruiting isn't it? Especially considering that you yourself haven't completed your own training," pointed out Ozpin.
"I'm not recruiting, not yet. I just want to start looking for potential knights so that I can start recruiting when I'm ready."
The headmaster smiled and stood up from his chair. "In that case I think I may know a few young men you should take a look at. They're... well they're a bit rough around the edges, but I think that they could do a lot of good with the right guidance."
"Who are they?" asked a curious Jaune.
"Oh you already know them. If I remember correctly you hit one of them with a jar of sap."
Pyrrha checked her scroll when it buzzed, and saw the message from the headmaster.
"Mr. Arc is awake."
Without a word the three members of JNPR burst out of their room just as team RWBY did the same and sprinted down the hallway. The seven of them nearly slammed into a door as it was flung open, and team CRDL came charging out of their dorm. As the four boys hurried down the hallway Cardin turned to look at the two teams. "What are you standing there for?" he snapped, "come on!"
Pyrrha didn't know why the all male team suddenly so eager to be chummy with Jaune, but at the moment she couldn't have cared less. The three teams burst out of the school towards the Bullhead pads just as a winged shadow flew over them. Talon tossed his head back and shrieked as he flew towards the hospital. Evidently he too knew Jaune was awake.
"Azure memorial hospital!" shouted Cardin as the three teams piled into the cramped bullhead. "Get us there yesterday!"
If Jaune had been strong enough he would have leapt out of his bed as Talon's head smashed through the window of his hospital room and Nathaniel all but kicked in the door to the room. At precisely the same time both his mount and mentor roared at him, "NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!"
Behind the enraged form of Nathaniel Jaune could see Glynda standing there with her face in her hand.
Nathaniel stalked towards Jaune, who held his hands up defensively. "Hey, I'm still missing most of my ribs so if you're going to hit me can it not be the- whoa!"
Nathaniel grabbed the edge of Jaune's bed and pushed him towards the window and waiting head of Talon. For a brief moment Jaune thought Talon was going to take a chunk out of him as the big Gryphon opened his beak, but instead he got the sloppiest kiss of his life as the war beast's sandpaper tongue soaked the entire right side of his face. "Whoa hey! Talon I'm fine," he pushed his mount's head away as he received three more licks. He turned to Nathaniel. "Could you please tell him that I'm-"
Nathaniel's arms wrapped around Jaune's neck and his face pressed against Jaune's cheek. The squire didn't realize his mentor was crying until he felt the tears on his cheek.
"Never again boy," he growled, "never do something as reckless and stupid and boneheaded as that again. I swear if you do I'll personally bend you over my knee like you're a little child and spank your ass, and that rule stands even when you're the Knight-Lord. I don't care if you're the Champion or the Lady herself. You ever pull a stunt like that again and I'll whip you into the next century."
"And that's if I don't get to you first," warned Talon, "which I will. I won't lose another Rider. I. Will. Not."
"H-hey," Jaune extended an arm and wrapped it around Talon's neck. "I'm not going anywhere, alright? I'm going to be just fine. The doctor said I should be out in a few weeks."
"Damn straight you are..." the Gryphon muttered as he bumped his beak against Jaune's neck.
A hand rested on the knight's shoulder. "Nathaniel?" Glynda ran her hand through the Knight's short brown hair comfortingly. "The others are here."
Jaune looked past Nathaniel to see his teammates, the girls of RWBY, and even the boys of CRDL behind them. He smiled. "Hey guys. Sorry I overslept."
The eleven huntsmen in training piled into a room that was not designed to hold eleven people as Nathaniel stood straight and stepped back from Jaune, trying to hide the fact that he was wiping his eyes. "Yes, well... you and I are going to be having a talk at some point. For now however I'll let you be with your friends." Nathaniel turned on his heel and marched out of the room, Glynda close behind him.
When he heard Glynda shut the door behind them Nathaniel leaned against the wall and let his head fall into his hands. Deep shuddering breaths rocked his body so hard his armor rattled as he allowed the tears he had been trying (and failing) to hold in roll down his cheeks. "By the Lady," he sobbed, "I'm a horrible mentor."
Slender arms wrapped around his neck as Glynda pulled his head down to kiss him on the cheek. While Glynda was not a small woman, Nathaniel was still several inches taller than her. "You know that's not true," she crooned as she ran her hands through his hair, something she had evidently learned calmed him down in the short amount of time they'd been together. "It's only because of your teachings and the armor you gave him that Jaune not only survived, but was able to kill that thing."
That changed nothing. He should have been able to kill that beast. He had been trained as a Gryphon Knight for as long as he could remember. He was a remnant of the mightiest army to ever exist and bare arms for the Lady Vaya. Killing a Grimm, even an intelligent one, should have been easy for him. He shouldn't have been defeated in just two strikes. "I should have been able to kill it," he gasped between sobs, "Jaune should never had needed to fight it in the first place. I shouldn't have been so weak."
"Don't you dare." Glynda grabbed his face and pulled the knight into a deep and passionate kiss. Nathaniel instinctively melted into it and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in deeper as he closed his eyes and took in her heavenly scent of Jasmine tea and cinnamon. She broke off the kiss and stared deeply into his eyes. He loved the color of her eyes. The deep emerald color never failed to draw him in and captivate him utterly. "Don't you dare ever call yourself weak again," she scolded as though he were a schoolboy and not a towering mountain of muscle and steel plate. "You are strong, physically, mentally, and in spirit. You have a good and caring heart, despite how you try to hide it behind your armor and gruff attitude." She pecked him on the lips. "Now I never want to hear you say that about yourself again, understand?"
He smiled. "Yes ma'am." Maybe it was just simple puppy love, but he adored Glynda so much. He wouldn't say that out loud to her though, not yet. He didn't want to drive her away by taking things too fast. He kissed the top of her head. "Thank you, my lady."
The deputy Headmistress rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "My lady? If you keep that up you'll start making me feel old."
"So what? Your age does not determine your beauty. You're beautiful to me no matter what."
He couldn't help but let out a little whoop of triumph in his head as Glynda's cheeks darkened with color. He rarely managed to make her blush, but he loved it when he did. The beautiful woman turned around in his arms and leaned against him, her head resting under his chin as she took his hands in hers and wrapped them around her own waist. The both of them stared at the door to Jaune's room. They could hear raised voices, but it was the sound of happiness, not arguing.
"He's like a son to me," the knight said.
"I know," Glynda replied with a smile.
It had taken the combined might of Nora and Yang to unwrap Pyrrha's arms from around Jaune's neck, and the second they had Ruby had swooped in and wrapped her own arms around his neck. After another moment of wrestling with an inconsolably sobbing crimsonette Zwei, who had accompanied them from Beacon, leapt up into Jaune's lap and curled up on his legs.
"Really guys I'm fine," he assured them for what had to be the thousandth time. Honestly they were almost as bad as Talon, and that was saying something. Every time Jaune happened to scoot out of licking range the Gryphon growled and grabbed the hem of his flower pattern hospital gown (he really needed to get a less girly one, and some pants for that matter...) to pull the boy back in and lap at his face. Jaune's hair on the right side of his face was sticking straight up at this point, despite his attempts to push it back down. "The doctor said I'll be out of here in a few weeks, a little over a month to be exact." He grinned at his teammates. "I'll be able to compete in the Vytal festival tournament with you guys."
"A-are you sure?" sniffled Pyrrha as she wiped her eyes. "There's nothing we can get you?"
"Really, I'm- well, actually..." He looked Blake's way. "I don't guess you have any books I could borrow? I'm going to need something to do while I'm stuck here, and with my scroll destroyed," he pointed at the ruined device laying on the table next to his bed, "I would literally kill for a few books right now."
Blake gave him one of her rare smiles and nodded. "I've got a few I think you'll like."
Yang leaned in close to her partner and stage whispered loud enough for everyone to hear, "he means besides your porn kitty cat."
Blake's cheeks flared with color. "It's not porn!" she hissed at her partner in a very cat like manner.
The others in the room chuckled at the normally reserved girl's reaction. Well, almost everyone. Team CRDL was stood against the far wall, looking very uncomfortable.
Jaune didn't know what was up with them. After the Forever Fall incident the all male team hadn't so much as spoken to him, but during the Breach Cardin had not only looked to him for leadership when the sirens had first gone off, but had followed his orders during the battle and protected Weiss. A part of the squire suspected they were just trying to get in good with him now that he was famous, but he didn't think so. Team CRDL, especially it's leader, weren't the kind to put their values, crooked as they might be, aside just to improve their standing or image. They were rude, crass, racist, and bullies, but they were stubborn too. They wouldn't change just because Jaune was a famous figure now. No, there was something else going on with them.
However their presence at his bedside was more or less an olive branch from them as far as Jaune was concerned, and he was content to take it.
"It's not a private party you know," Jaune said to them with a smile. "You can stop trying to sink into the wall over there and join us."
The four boys started as the squire addressed them. Cardin looked up and briefly met Jaune's eyes, but looked away after a couple seconds. "We... we need to talk to you, Nathaniel, and Talon in private," he muttered, "but it can wait until you and your friends are done."
Something told Jaune that it couldn't wait. Some... urging at the back of his mind told him that whatever the four of them needed to tell him, they needed to do it now.
He turned his gaze back to his friends and teammates. "Guys, could you step outside for a little bit, and send Nathaniel in? I promise I'll try to make this as quick as possible."
Pyrrha frowned and looked at CRDL, then at Jaune. "Are you sure?"
He smiled and patted her arm. "I'm sure."
Reluctantly the others left. It didn't escape Jaune's notice that the last to exit was Weiss, who glanced back at him in worry before shutting the door behind her. Just like how she had only a few hours before.
Nathaniel entered and shut the door behind himself, then locked it. "Something wrong?" he asked.
Jaune tilted his head towards team CRDL. "They said they have something to tell us."
Nathaniel walked over to Jaune's beside and waved his hands at the four boys. "Out with it then."
"This should be interesting," mused Talon.
To say that Cardin Winchester was nervous would have been an uncomprehendingly vast understatement. He was terrified. Terrified of what he was about to do, terrified that what he was about to say would, if it was all true, shake the very foundation of everything he had ever thought he believed, and terrified that he and his team may somehow now have a role to play in this weird new world of Gryphons and talking intelligent Grimm.
The four boys stepped to the center of the room and stood there, shuffling their feet nervously. Cardin looked up at Jaune for a brief second, then looked back down. Even when he was hospitalized and pale the squire still somehow managed to radiate an aura of leadership and calm. He still managed to project a lordly presence around himself. Cardin had to resist the urge to drop to one knee before the blonde hero.
The ginger leader sighed and shook his head. There was no point in dragging this out any longer. What he had to say had to be said now. He looked up and met Jaune's eyes. This time he forced himself to keep his gaze firmly upon Jaune's own.
"Ever since you returned to Beacon with Talon and Nathaniel the four of us have been having the same dream every night."
"The first time we weren't sure what to think of it, but weren't too concerned. After the second and third night we... we started to get scared. We talked about going to Ozpin, but we were afraid he might think we had gone crazy and kick us out. After a week of having the same dream every night we started to think we were going crazy. It got harder and harder to sleep, which affected us during the day too."
"Oh, so that's your excuse for hitting me in the match against Nikos," muttered Dove just loudly enough for his leader to hear.
Cardin sighed. God only knew how many times they had had that discussion. "After about a month of this we decided that there was only one thing we could do. We had to come and talk to you, Jaune."
"Why me?" asked Jaune.
Cardin gulped. "Because our dream is about you. It's..."
"The dream always starts the same. A massive black shadow, larger than anything I could compare it to, sweeps over the world. People scream and die as the shadow sweeps over them, hundreds of thousands dying in seconds. The only ones who survive the initial onslaught are those who find somewhere to hide or manage to get behind the walls of the cities and larger towns, but eventually even the towns are swept under, until only the cities remain. One of the cities, glowing with green light, is assaulted the most heavily by the shadow, and its walls begin to buckle and crumble, then eventually collapse. We see people screaming and clinging to one another in fear as the shadow begins to creep over the destroyed wall and into the city. Just before the shadow reaches them, we here it."
"Horns."
"The deep and resonant sounds of horns blowing cuts through the air as the shadow shudders and withdraws from the city. In the distance we see it: a light. It's dim, but as it grows closer it grows stronger, and eventually can make out other lesser lights with it, but the greatest light burns brighter than the sun. Eventually we can make a figure out in the light. It's you. The light is coming off of you, and the lesser lights radiate from other men who follow you willingly to war against the shadow. At your side are four men, their lights not as strong as yours, but still strong. We... we think that's us."
"You, us, and everyone following you are all mounted upon Gryphons, covered from head to toe in plate and chain, and carrying large two handed weapons. Broad bladed greatswords, great axes with heads capable of hacking through the toughest armor, two handed maces and warhammers capable of pulverizing bone with a single swing, long reaching and piercing halberds and glaives, and other weapons. You charge towards the darkness, the rest of us following behind you as you lead your knights into battle against the shadow. Just before both sides make contact with each other everything goes dark, and we hear a woman say, 'stand with your Knight-Lord, or all shall fall.'"
He couldn't stand anymore. Cardin dropped down to one knee, and his teammates followed suit.
"We pledge ourselves to your service, Knight-Lord Arc."
If Jaune had been told one week ago that he would take on a giant intelligent Grimm all on his own, chances are he would have believed whoever was telling him that. If he had been told that team CRDL would kneel before him and pledge their lives to him, then Jaune would have thought that whoever was telling him this was mentally unhinged, and needed to be locked in a padded room for their own safety.
And yet, here they were on their knees before him after telling him about a recurring dream they'd been having about him. Damn if that didn't sound weird out of context.
Honestly it still sounded pretty weird in context.
"Well..." Jaune struggled to find the right words. "That's certainly... a thing."
Cardin looked up at him, desperation in his eyes. "We know it sounds insane. Trust me we do. That's why he haven't told you until now. We weren't sure if we were going crazy, but after seeing a Grimm that walks upright like a man and talks," the ginger boy laughed nervously, "the whole world seems to be going crazy, so why not us too?"
Jaune couldn't help but smile. Team CRDL's nervousness reminded him of himself when he'd first been introduced to his birthright. They were far out of their element. They didn't understand what was going on, or why they had been plagued with this dream, but Jaune did. The four former bullies had a role to play in the fate of Remnant as his own loyal warriors. Evidently the Lady loved irony.
Suddenly Jaune flinched and clutched his head as images began to fly through his head at an impossible pace, yet he retained perfect memory of each and every one of them.
A lone mountain, tall and mighty.
Within lay an underground fortress, carved into the mountain and hidden from the world.
Halls whose walls were carved with images of Gryphon Knights battling Grimm and evil men. These halls twisted and wound their way around, but led to two massive metal doors, untouched by the ravages of time.
And behind those doors...
Deep blue eyes flew open as Nathaniel shook his shoulder frantically and shouted his name as the boys of CRDL and Talon watched on with fear etched on their faces. He placed a hand on Nathaniel's own. "I'm alright."
"Are you sure?" the knight asked frantically. "We should bring the doctor in and have him look at you, just in case."
"There's no need," Jaune assured his mentor. "I was just granted a vision."
"A vision?" The Gryphon Knight's eyes widened as the implications of Jaune's words hit him. "You... you mean from... her?"
Jaune smiled and nodded as Nathaniel all but collapsed into the chair, eagerness etched onto his face. "What was it?" he asked excitedly, "what did you see?"
"Wait wait wait," said a severely confused Cardin. "What- who's her? Is it the same woman we've been hearing in our dream?"
Jaune nodded. "Exactly the same." He glanced at Nathaniel, "I'll explain my vision soon, I promise, but first they need to learn the truth." He turned his head to the four thoroughly confused boys of team CRDL.
"Tell me boys." The Champion smiled. "What do you know of gods?"
Okay be honest. Who saw the whole, "Team CRDL pledges themselves to Jaune's service" thing coming?
I would like to apologize profusely for the length of time it took for this chapter to come out, and if it falls flat in some areas. As many of you may know I'm currently working on two other stories, so I try to cycle through them, writing a chapter for each in turn. I also got a job rather recently, so I haven't been able to dedicate as much time to this as I have in the past. On top of all that the internet service at where I'm currently staying is painfully slow at the best of times, and is often prone to dropping connection entirely. I write and save all of my chapters onto this sight, so if I try to do that while the internet decided to go off on me... the less said about that the better. The only time I really have fast and actually reliable internet is when I go to my mother's on the weekends, which is when I get ninety five percent of my writing done. On top of all that I recently got into playing Warhammer: Age of Sigmar, so assembling and painting takes up more of my time, and I usually wind up dedicating a good chunk of my Sundays to playing AOS at my local game shop.
This chapter was actually supposed to be longer, but I decided to cut it in half so I could get this out for you sooner rather than later. I promise I'll do my damndest to ensure that the next chapter of this story comes out sooner than this one did.
With all that being said, I suppose it's time to move onto that relatively important news I mentioned in the ANs at the beginning of the chapter.
I have recently made a (place that fan fiction apparently doesn't like) account in an attempt to make a little bit of money off of my writing. Now before I say anything else I want to make it extremely clear that I will never try to coerce money out of you guys by pulling asshole moves, such as refusing to release chapters of stories unless I get X amount of money donated. I will never do that to you guys (and if we're being honest I don't think it would work anyway XD) because I love you guys, and I love writing. All this is is just an attempt from me to make a extra buck here or there from doing something I love, so if for whatever reason you decide you want to drop a dollar my way I'll leave a link to my page at the bottom of the ANs from this point forward on all of my stories. I don't expect much money honestly (if any) so don't think I'll get upset if I get few to no donations or patrons. I assure you that won't happen.
If you liked this story, then feel free to follow and favorite if you haven't already! If you have any friends who like RWBY or RWBY fan fictions then please tell them about this story if you think they'd like it! If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or just want to tell me what you think of the story so far, then feel free to leave a review or pm me! I love you all. BBBYYYYEEEEEE!
Wanna send a buck or two my way? Here's a link to my p a treon page. Please let me know if it doesn't work for whatever reason, and I'll be sure to fix it: https:(slash)(slash)www.p a treon(slash)user?u=4652041
