I don't own RWBY. Rooster Teeth does.
Somewhere Between Kinrin and Vale, 12:30 PM
"Is this the best you can do, kid?" Maria yelled.
Jaune panted as he leaned on Sol and Luna for support. He looked up at her with tired eyes. It had been four days since they had left Kinrin for the next town. In those four days, Maria had upped his training, making him train until he dropped. She broke him down in mind and body and then built him back up. From sun up to sundown, all Jaune did was train. It was brutal, to say the least.
"Can't we… take a break?" Jaune asked, panting like a donkey in the summer.
"Your foes won't let you take a break and while the Grimm won't attack you, people will!" Maria said.
"I know… it's just… you've been running me into the ground for four days straight! Shouldn't I get a break or something? I mean, I never see you do this to Mae," Jaune said.
Mae. The little fox faunus had begun her training ever since she had awakened her which she dubbed Mirror Shield due to its ability to create illusions as they figured out. During a session in which she was learning to dodge projectiles, Mae's semblance had flared and created a second Mae. When Jaune threw a rock at both Mae's, one of them failed to dodge however the stone had completely passed through her. It was strange. Maria had theorized that the clones or illusions were non-corporeal but messed with the psychosomatic senses and fooled the target into thinking that they were touching something physical. A potent ability that when trained can be used for more than just intangible clones capable of fooling foes and inflicting physical damage. Mae could potentially cast illusions capable of harming her foes
"Well, Mae is a child and you're not. She needs to be eased into training," Maria said as she walked over to him. She pulled a bottle of water from her pouch and handed it to him. "But you're right. I should let your body recover."
"Thanks," Jaune said.
"No problem."
"Hmm, how about this? Instead of solely focusing on your combat prowess, how about we switch it up a little? I know I won't be much help with this but… how would you go about training your powers with the Grimm?" Maria asked.
Jaune capped the bottle and placed it on the grass next to him. His brows furrowed in thought as he began thinking of ways he could train his powers. More Grimm that would have resistance to his initial presence would more than likely appear in the future and he needed to build his control to better deal with them. He didn't need people he cared about getting hurt because of some delusion that his control powers were the be all end all with Grimm.
"I don't know… unless I can find some Grimm to train my powers with I can't really say," Jaune said. His eyes lit up in realization.
"That's it!"
"What's it?" Maria asked.
"The woods contain lots and lots of Grimm right? Beowolves. King Taijitu. Nevermores. Rapier Wasps. Ursas! Possibly even high tier ones like Beringels, Goliaths, Deathstalkers, and Alphas! When we get to the next town, why don't I spend a few days in the woods as a way to train my survival, combat, and Grimm control?" Jaune proposed.
"Hmm, sounds sketchy. I don't want you getting yourself hurt just to see results," Maria said.
"Isn't that what training is?" Jaune asked with a deadpan look on his face.
Maria sighed at his words.
"Very well, kid. Just remember to keep in contact," Maria said.
"Hey, I'm not leaving now. When we get over to the next town," Jaune said.
He stood and picked up Sol and Luna and strapped them to his back.
"How long until we get to the next town?" Jaune asked.
"How am I supposed to know? Don't you have the map?" she asked.
Maple Stream, Sanus, 10:30 AM
Maple Stream was a quaint little town with a population of over 275 people. Much smaller than anything Jaune had seen in Kinrin or Vale but the smallness of the town reminded him of his hometown of Domremy. It was a town where everyone knew everyone. The houses were a mix of ancient and new with some houses being of a different style than the others.
Jaune felt his heart ache with fond memories of home. Mae marveled at the sight of the town. Her tail swished happily as she rode on Jaune's back. Nyx popped her head out of Jaune's hoodie, sniffing the air.
Noticing his look, Maria looked at Jaune.
"You okay?" Maria asked.
"This place reminds me of my home town," Jaune said. He saw two kids running past them and in their place, an image of him and Alice appeared. He smiled fondly at the memory.
"Okay kid. This is where we part ways," Maria said.
"What?" Mae looked down at Jaune. "Where are you going?"
"I'm just going into the forest for a few days to train my powers," Jaune said as he slowly let her off his back.
"I'll go with you!" she said, looking at him expectantly.
"Mae, it's too dangerous for you to go," Jaune said.
"NO! Last time you got hurt!" Mae protested.
"Mae," Jaune said, kneeling to her level. Mae looked at Jaune with small tears in her eyes.
"I promise that I'll come back in three days and I won't be hurt. If I have a scratch on me, I promise I'll get you ice cream," Jaune said.
"Really?" she asked.
"Promise," Jaune said, wrapping her pinky around his.
"Are you gonna buy supplies?" Maria asked.
"Just some water and I'll be on my way," Jaune said.
"Good luck out there. If you run into bandits, take them out. If there are too many, get out of there okay?" Maria said.
Beacon Academy, Same Time
Pyrrha mindlessly played with her hair as Professor Oobleck lectured the class about something which she couldn't be bothered to remember. She rested her head on her hands. It's been a while since she called Jaune and she was beginning to get worried. Her worry peaked when she saw Alice screaming over her scroll a few nights prior and nearly crushed the device if she hadn't taken a moment to breathe.
Speaking of Alice, the girl seemed to somehow be paying attention and keeping up with everything Oobleck was saying. Her pencil moved at rapid speeds as she wrote down dates and terms that he rattled off in his faster than light speech. It amazed her how she could do this. Jaune was never this competent in Oobleck's class but then again… neither of them were competent at picking up on what the green-haired man ever said. The only way they all passed the class was through the textbook and hours of a conjoined study group with Team RWBY.
"Psst! Alice!" Pyrrha whispered.
The female Arc twin stopped writing and shot her a curious glance.
"What?" she responded.
"Can you share your notes?" Pyrrha asked.
"My notes? What notes?" Alice said.
"Aren't you taking notes?" Pyrrha asked.
"No, I can't even understand what he's saying," Alice said.
"Ms. Arc! Ms. Nikos!" Oobleck called, stopping his lecture. The two froze and turned to him.
"Nothing Doctor! We're terribly sorry!" Alice answered.
"Hmmm, now where were we? Oh yes, the religions of Remanantian Society. As you can imagine, the dominant religion here in the Kingdom of Vale is that of… can anyone guess?" Oobleck said.
Weiss's hand shot into the air almost immediately.
"Yes, Ms. Schnee?"
"That would be the Church of the Two Brothers," Weiss said.
"Please elaborate on that," Oobleck said.
"The Church of the Two Brothers worships the Brother Gods, Mikael and Samael, the Gods of Light and Darkness respectively. While it is primarily focused around those two, there are a host of other gods that have branched off from the Church, giving evidence that they used to worship more than just the two. A famous example here in Vale is the Covenant of Israfil in Domremy which worships the Goddess of Life and Healing, Israfil, and rejects all others," Weiss said.
"Thank you, Ms. Schnee. However, you are wrong on some parts of your answer. The Covenant of Israfil, while it does hold the Goddess of Healing in a higher position of importance than let's say… Mikael. The Covenant believes holds her brothers, the God of Light and Darkness in nearly equal importance. Same with the Church. Their primary object of worship is the Brothers but will pray to the others as members of their courts. It's not that they don't worship them. It's that their roles are distinctly different in each denomination," Oobleck clarified. The bell rang, causing everyone to sigh in relief.
"Ah, lunchtime. Remember class, read the next chapter of Remnant: A History. We will be discussing the various deities worshipped by the ancient and current people of Mantle as well as their theories on the Grimm," Oobleck said.
Teams RWBY and PRAN exited the classroom, walking in awkward silence. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang had kept a healthy distance from Alice while Pyrrha, Blake, Nora, and Ren walked next to her. The silence became unbearable for a certain blonde brawler as she tried to strike up a conversation with the Arc Twin.
Come on, Yang. It's been weeks since she joined, Yang thought.
"So, um, Alice," Yang said. Alice turned to look at her with a curious look in her eyes.
"Yes?" she said.
"What are your plans for the break in a few days?" Yang asked.
"Hmm, I'm planning to go back home to Domremy since it's almost time for the Festival. Mom and Dad said that preparations are almost finished so yeah. I might take my whole team with me," Alice said.
"OOH! Can we come? Can we? Can we?" Ruby asked excitedly. Her silver eyes sparkled in excitement at the prospect of going to a festival, especially one that was in Alice's hometown.
"I'm not sure that's wise considering what you did," Alice said, narrowing her eyes. Her eyes glowed slightly as she looked into the very depths of Ruby's soul.
At the mention of the event, Ruby deflated and shrank back from the blonde girl's icy blue eyes. She hid next to Weiss, who too was shivering under Alice's stare.
"Come on Ally-cat," Yang said, swinging her arm over Alice's shoulder. "What's the worst that could happen? Besides, I… want to see where he grew up."
Yang's tone took a somber tone. Alice, however, wasn't paying attention to the tone shift and gripped Yang's arm tightly. Yang winced in pain as Alice slowly removed her arm from around her shoulder.
"Do. Not. Ever. Call. Me. That," Alice said, squeezing Yang's arm painfully. "Are we clear?"
"Alright! Alright! Geez!" Yang said.
Alice released Yang's arm. Yang took a small step back and sighed as her aura began to heal whatever damage Alice may have inflicted.
"Let's get this clear. Whatever relationship our team had before and whatever sentiments my teammates may have for you, I don't have. We are not friends. We will never be friends. Not after what you did," Alice said coldly.
Yang's eyes widened at her words. Alice huffed before walking off, leaving Team RWBY and PRAN dazed and confused.
"So that was a thing," Nora said as she watched the retreating figure of her teammate.
"Just be glad she doesn't hate us," Ren said, agreeing with Nora. Neither of them had seen Alice like this before. She was always nice to people and joked around… like Jaune once did.
"Alice… you guys go on ahead to the cafeteria. I'll go get Alice," Pyrrha said, worried for Alice.
"Yeah, sure thing," Ren nodded.
Pyrrha smiled and took off after the Arc Sister. She didn't have to run far as she saw Alice sulking around the corner.
"Hey," Pyrrha said. Alice looked up at her. Pyrrha smiled and sat down next to Alice.
"Was I too harsh on them?" Alice asked.
"I mean you were… but you were justified in how you felt," Pyrrha responded.
"I'm sorry you had to see me like that. It's just that… my sister called me a couple of nights ago and told me that Jaune was trapped in a cave-in," Alice said.
"What!? Is he alright!?" Pyrrha asked, fear gripping her heart. Jaune in a cave in. No wonder he didn't call. He must have been injured and is recovering.
"Yeah, he made it out fine with just a sprained ankle. Vert said that it would heal in a few days," Alice said.
Pyrrha sighed in relief.
"I'll try and call Jaune later," Alice said. "And maybe as his girlfriend, you can scream at him?"
"I'll try…," Pyrrha said.
"Good! Now, let's get some lunch!" Alice said. "I'm starving!"
"I'm starving…," Jaune said as he trudged through the woods. Another hour with no food was driving him crazy. Nyx bounded along next to him, happily running around the woods pissing on every tree stump available to her.
"At least one of us is having fun," Jaune said. "AGGGH! I should have bought some food!"
The snapping of a branch caught Jaune's attention.
"Nyx! There's a deer! Go kill it!" Jaune urged. "Good thing I've been practicing this! Size Change!"
Nyx glowed before transforming into her full size and bounded after the noise. Jaune sat ready with Sol and Luna in their combined sword form, ready to cut apart whatever Nyx sent his way.
"I know! I'll call their combined form, Eclipse! Because Sun and Moon create an eclipse!" Jaune said.
Suddenly, a deer came running towards Jaune. On instinct, Jaune dashed towards the deer and swung his blade. Jaune lowered the blade and the deer fell to the ground, blood spraying out of its throat. The deer twitched as it clung to its last dredges of life.
"I'm sorry," Jaune said as he stood over the deer. Its brown eyes looked pleadingly up at him. "May Israfil grant you peace in death."
He brought the blade down on it, piercing through its heart and put the poor animal out of its misery.
"It's done… wait, I have no idea how to skin a deer! SHIIIT!"
"I'm sorry for making you carry this, Nyxie," Jaune said as he walked next to a massive Nyx. She had the deer carcass strapped to her back. Nyx merely barked.
"I just hope we find some camper," Jaune said.
The sun was beginning to set and Jaune's hope of eating for the night was growing slimmer and slimmer by the second. And the most frustrating part of this was… there were no Grimm in the area. That small factoid boggled him to no end. Now, all he was hoping for was to find a river and fish for something.
A small orange glow caught his attention. Jaune's eyes lit up. A campfire… or something. Whatever it was, that meant that there was someone in the area. He unstrapped the buck from Nyx and shifted her to her child form. Beckoning to her, Nyx hopped and climbed up to Jaune's head, making herself comfortable,
"Let's just hope they're friendly," Jaune said, placing one hand on his weapon and summoning an arm to carry the deer carcass.
Upon getting closer, Jaune made out the figure of a woman. Through the light, he could see her delicate facial features. Her blonde hair glowed softly in the light of the flame as she prodded the flames with a stick. She wore an orange crop top with a black and white jacket on the outside. On her left arm was a clove that extended all the way to her elbow in contrast with her right which bore a simple short glove. She wore a white and violet skirt and a black choker with a gold locket with a diamond embedded into the center.
"Um, hello?" Jaune said, warily. His experience with Adam Taurus had made him wary around strangers. The woman looked at him with a curious gaze, her prodding actions having ceased the moment Jaune made his presence known.
"Hmm? Oh, hello there," she said. Her gaze traveled down to the carcass he had been carrying. "Would you like some help with that?" she asked as if she knew what he was about to say.
"Oh, yeah sure. The name is Jaune by the way," Jaune said, placing the carcass by the fire.
"Isla. My name is Isla," she said. Isla pulled a knife from a pouch that lay next to the rock she had been sitting and quickly got to work on the deer.
"I'm sorry to drop in on you all of a sudden," Jaune said, sitting down across from her.
"Hmm, it's fine. I never get much company out here anyway," she said.
"You live out here?" Jaune asked.
"Yes, I love it out here. The wilds are so peaceful. Of course, I have to go into town every now and then to sell some of my haul. I hunt and fish," Isla said.
"So what brings someone like you out here?" Isla said as she cut some meat from the buck's hindquarters.
"I'm doing survival training… and failing," Jaune muttered.
"You'll get it down. Is this your first time?" she asked.
"No, and that's the problem. My family and I have been camping before…," Jaune said.
"Hmm, it'll come back to you. For now, let's enjoy some deer!" Isla said, grabbing some metal barbeque sticks from her pouch. She stuck a piece of meat onto the stick and handed one to Jaune.
Jaune smiled and gratefully accepted the stick. Roasting it over the fire, Jaune looked at the woman, who had a serene look on her face as she roared her deer. The more Jaune looked at her, the more he felt as if he knew her. Her face. Her mannerisms. Her smile. It felt comforting and Jaune felt oddly protective of her.
"Are you alright?" Isla said, giving Jaune a concerned glance.
"Huh?" Jaune snapped out of his thoughts. How long had he been staring at her?
"You've been staring at me for five minutes while spacing out. Are you alright?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry it's just that I felt like we've met," Jaune said.
"Ah, I see. Deja vu is a strange thing, isn't it? Perhaps it's almost destiny for us to meet, isn't it?" Isla said, pulling her stick of meat out of the flame and blowing on it. She took a bite from the chunk of meat and hummed in pleasure as she took in the flavor.
Jaune smiled and took a bite out of his venison.
"So what made you want to live out here all the way in the middle of the woods?" Jaune asked.
"Hmm, I never liked the big city. I've always loved the wilderness. It's so full of life. Animal and Grimm living in perfect harmony away from the conflict of Man and Faunus. Out here, one can find… peace," Isla said as she placed another piece of deer meat on her barbeque stick.
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Jaune said. "I lived on an island town with lots of woods and wildlife. My sister and I used to run around and play with the animals."
Isla smiled at his words. Her eyes traveled to Nyx, who had been watching her intently since the two had arrived.
Nyx kept her focus completely on the woman before her. As a Grimm, she could sense emotions, particularly negative ones, as well as Aura and other forms of… energy. And this woman did not have an aura. Her energy mimicked aura but it was not aura. The more she felt it, the more uneasy she felt.
Isla smiled at Nyx. "Aren't you a cute puppy?" she said.
Jaune grinned and grabbed Nyx from the top of his head. "I know right. Aren't you?" Jaune said, rubbing his cheek on Nyx's fur. Temporarily forgetting the situation, Nyx cuddled with her master, basking in his affection.
"You two are close," Isla commented. Her comment was ignored as Jaune stroked Nyx's fur and showered her with comments of praise. She smiled.
You haven't changed one bit, she thought. Her eyes glanced at the night sky and lingered on the rising shattered moon of Remnant. "I have a cabin not too far from where we are. I was thinking that you could stay the night and continue on your journey."
"Really?" Jaune said, looking up from Nyx.
"Yes. You can restock on your supplies and rest up for the night," she said, standing. She grabbed her pouch and slung it over her shoulder.
"Why are you helping me?" Jaune asked.
"Why not?" Isla replied.
"Lead the way then," Jaune said. Jaune followed Isla deeper into the woods, following the makeshift path she had set up. As they walked, Jaune felt several pairs of eyes watching them. He looked around and saw the eyes of Grimm darting around in the brush but not once did they dare to attack.
"Why aren't the Grimm attacking?" Jaune asked.
"I don't know. I never bothered to ask and I appreciate that they don't," Isla said. She stopped for a second and kneeled. Placing her fingers on the ground, she narrowed her eyes.
"What is it?" Jaune asked.
"Bootprints. There was someone here," Isla said.
"Aren't there bandits in the area?" Jaune asked.
"There are… but they are of no concern," Isla said, brushing off his concern. "Come on. It's only a few more minutes until we get to the cabin."
"Do you have a connection to the CCT from your cabin?" Jaune asked.
"Yes, I do. How do you think I watch Webflixs?" Isla asked.
Isla's cabin was a small, comfortable wooden house in the middle of the woods. It was located in a small clearing with a pond. The cabin was two stories with a balcony at the top, overlooking a part of the forest. Various decorations were seen hanging from the door.
Isla walked up to the door and unlocked it. Walking inside after Isla, Jaune saw the interior of her humble little home. It had a moderate-sized TV and a small couch. A small glass table sat in front of the couch with a blue vase housing one flower. A small stack of books from different authors lay next to the vase.
To his right, her kitchen was like any other kitchen Jaune had seen. Her refrigerator had a photo with who Jaune could only assume it was her family. She had an island with a sink and a gas stove. A set of stairs was located at the end of the hallway.
"So, are you thirsty?" Isla asked as she walked over to her fridge. She pulled out two bottles of beer and handed one to Jaune.
"Um… I'm underage," Jaune said.
"Well, if you're old enough to be a huntsman, then you're old enough to drink," Isla said with a smile. "It's what my twin brother, Gabe, used to say."
"I guess… I can take a few sips," Jaune said as he opened the bottle. He took a small sip and coughed as he felt the alcohol burn his throat.
"Ah, I never told you but this is whiskey and not beer," Isla said, sitting back. A small red hue was present on her face.
"How can you drink this stuff!?" Jaune said, coughing.
"You get used to it," she said.
"I'm supposed to be camping and sleeping in the trees and not… accepting whiskey from hermits in the woods," Jaune said, taking one more sip. He coughed as his throat burned from the drink.
"Hmm, it's not so bad. It's what most people who survive in the wild do. Accept help if they're offered… granted that the person isn't a threat but even then that's hard to tell," Isla said. "Just be glad it was me that ran into you and not someone else."
"I'd hate to run into a bandit out here," Jaune said.
"Well, it's getting late. I'd imagine that you want to get some rest," Isla said. "I'll show you to your room."
Pyrrha sat in front of the mirror brushing her hair. Her eyes drifted down to her scroll. Still no calls from Jaune. Her eyes lingered on his face for a few more seconds before she leaned back in her chair. Ren and Nora looked at their leader with some worry.
"Are you alright Pyrrha?" Nora asked.
"Huh? Oh, just thinking… about Jaune," Pyrrha said. Nora's eyes dimmed down as memories of his death resurfaced inside her mind.
"I miss him too. I just wish he was still… alive," Nora said as tears began to drip down her face. Pyrrha looked at Nora sadly. Her eyes drifted over to Ren, who had his fists clenched tightly. She sighed. Pyrrha really wished Alice was here but the girl had left to sneak down and steal some food from the cafeteria. Something Jaune had attempted more times than she could count.
"Nora… I need to tell you something. It's about-!"
Pyrrha's scroll went off. She quickly snatched it and her eyes widened when she saw the caller ID.
"I need to take this. I'll be back in a bit. If Alice gets here, tell her I'm on a call," Pyrrha said. Nora and Ren nodded and went back to moping.
Pyrrha answered her scroll and left her room in a rush, slamming the door behind her. She angrily answered her scroll as she rounded the corner to find somewhere she could talk in private.
It was well past curfew so she didn't have to worry about other students and as long as she stayed inside and never went to the roof that racist asshole Cardin wouldn't hear her. Deeming that the women's restroom was the safest place to talk, Pyrrha angrily yelled into her scroll upon seeing his face on video call after entering a stall.
"WHY THE HELL HAVEN'T YOU CALLED?" she screamed.
"Now Pyr, I know you're mad but…," Jaune protested on the other side.
"Mad? Jaune, mad doesn't even begin to describe how I feel! Do you know what happened when I heard that you were trapped in a cave-in? I almost had a heart attack!" Pyrrha said.
"I know. I know and I'm sorry it took so long for me to call," Jaune said. "Can you please forgive me Pyr?"
"I don't know… what will you do for it?" Pyrrha asked, leaving one eye open as she looked at Jaune.
"Oh? Well… um," Jaune said as he rubbed the back of his head.
"How about this? When we see each other again in Domremy, I get you all to myself for the entire break. Deal?" Pyrrha said with a bright blush on her face. "I… have something special planned for us."
She fidgeted with the hem of her nightshirt, making Jaune blush on the other side of the screen.
"O- okay," Jaune said, gulping audibly.
"So, how have you been?" Pyrrha asked.
"Well, some exciting news. We're almost to the port of Vale so we might see each other on the ship! Also, Mae's unlocked her semblance!" Jaune said.
"That's great! She'll have to show me once we see each other again!" Pyrrha said.
"I'm not with them right now so that might be the best," Jaune said.
"Where are you?"
"I'm training my survival skills and looking for Grimm to test my… grimm control powers on," Jaune said.
"As long as you don't endanger yourself, I guess it's okay. I can't really stop you," Pyrrha said. "How's that going so far?"
"Eh, as well as you would expect for it to go in an area with barely any Grimm. The place is teeming with bandits. One of the residents who I'm staying with for the night warned me about them," Jaune said.
"That sounds like it could be trouble, Jaune. Please be careful," Pyrrha said.
"I know. I might ask her to point out some places where the Grimm are abundant," Jaune said.
Pyrrha's heart burned with envy upon hearing that Jaune's host was a female. She kept her jealousy hidden underneath a fake smile.
"That sounds grand," Pyrrha said.
"How about you? How's babysitting my baby twin sister?" Jaune asked.
"Alice is fun to be around. It's like being around a female version of you if that helps," Pyrrha said.
"Where is she anyway?" Jaune asked. "Is she raiding the cafeteria for snacks?"
"Yup. Anyway, break will start in a few days so that's nice," Pyrrha said.
"What about combat class? How are the other students treating her?" Jaune asked.
"The other students… are for a lack of better words, afraid of her. The fact that your parents almost destroyed the school when they came here might be a contributing factor," Pyrrha said. "She's also ruthless in Combat Class. Just two days ago, she hit Dove in the private area so hard, Professor Peach came out and said that he might not be able to produce sperm in his left testicle ever again."
Jaune winced upon hearing that.
"I may not like the guy but sheesh Alice… at least have some control," Jaune said. Jaune glanced over at something off the screen.
"It's getting late," Pyrrha said, looking at the time on her scroll.
"Yeah… goodnight Pyr," Jaune said. "And… I love you."
Pyrrha smiled and blew Jaune a kiss before ending the call. She sighed dreamily as she held the scroll close to her chest.
"I'll see you soon," Pyrrha whispered. She exited the stall and left the bathroom.
After she left, the stall door three stalls down opened and out walked Ruby. Her eyes were wide in shock. When she heard someone enter the bathroom, she was about to leave but stayed when she heard Pyrrha begin to yell. Normally, she would leave out of respect for Pyrrha's privacy but froze when she heard Jaune's voice.
"Jaune's alive," Ruby whispered as tears of joy streamed down her face. Maybe hope wasn't lost after all. Maybe they could be friends again.
"Maybe… I still have a chance," Ruby said, placing a hand on her chest. Her heart beat a million miles per second at the thought of Jaune.
"Should I tell the others?" Ruby asked herself. She looked at the mirror and shook her head.
"No the others are what got us into this situation in the first place. I'll keep Jaune a secret… for now," Ruby said, smiling in the mirror.
"Alright, that should be it," Isla said, handing Jaune a bottle of water. Jaune nodded gratefully as he stuffed it into his pack.
"Thanks for everything, Isla," Jaune said.
"Nothing to worry about," Isla said. "So about the Grimm."
"Oh right," Jaune said. After breakfast, Jaune had asked Isla to point out all the possible points in the woods where the Grimm congregated the most. The closest point to him was what Isla deemed to be a nesting ground for Nevermore but a few Goliath had resided there as well.
"Just head north for a few miles and you should come upon the grounds," Isla said.
"Thanks," Jaune replied.
"Just be careful. Bandit activity is high around here," she warned.
"I'll try my best," Jaune said. "But trouble has a way of finding me."
"Welcome to the club," Isla said.
"Hey, thanks again for everything," Jaune said, bowing.
"Hey, no need to thank me. Just… come visit every once in a while," Isla said.
"I will," Jaune said. He waved goodbye and disappeared into the thicket with Nyx next to him and Eclipse on his back. Isla watched him with an unreadable expression on her face as her waves died down. Soon after, she smiled.
"Be careful out there, big brother," Isla said as her eyes shimmered a light violet. Next to her, a wilting plant grew into full bloom.
"Oum, these bushes are thick," Jaune said.
Nyx barked.
"No, that was not a 'that's what he said joke'," Jaune said. He looked down at her. "How do you even know what that is?"
Nyx barked.
"You saw it on my scroll while I was looking through Chirpin?" Jaune said. "Note to self: Never check my social media while Nyx is here."
He froze when he heard a twig snap. He immediately grabbed the handle of Eclipse as he looked around. Every hair on his body stood on end.
"Come out," Jaune said. "I know you're there."
He heard chuckles from his left when he saw a man with a scruffy beard step out. He held his hands up in a nonchalant manner and held a hatchet in his left hand.
"Now, now, let's not get hasty here," the man said.
"Tell your buddies to come out too," Jaune said.
The man sighed. "Come out!"
Jaune saw five other people walk out of the woods. Two were women and the other three were men.
"What do you want?" Jaune asked.
"We just want some of your stuff, kid. Sharing is caring after all," the man said.
"How do I know you won't just kill me afterward?" Jaune said.
"Aww, come on, kid," one of the women said. "You can't at least share?"
"I don't deal with criminals," Jaune said, drawing Eclipse.
"Well, what about yer pup? You don't want anything unfortunate to happen to her do you?" the other one asked.
"Are you sure about this?" Jaune asked. "Because I won't hand over my stuff. Especially to someone who looks like the punchline of an abortion joke on the internet."
The man in front of Jaune bristled, offended by his comment.
"You know what… fuck this. Get him and take his shit!" the man said.
"Yes, boss!"
One of the bandits charged towards Jaune with his fist cocked back. He wore spiked brass knuckles which he used as a weapon. Jaune deftly evaded the attack and sent a devastating kick towards the man. He manifested Thaumiel and grabbed the lead bandit and threw him into a tree.
One of the other bandits used her gun to shoot at Jaune. Jaune formed wings with Thaumiel to shield himself before leaping into the air. He swung Eclipse down, taking away a chunk of her aura. He squeezed his fist and summoned the wrist-mounted blaster.
Pointing it at her face, Jaune fired a round at point-blank, shattering her aura and sent her crashing into a tree.
"You bitch!" Jaune barely had time to block as he raised his sword to defend from a bandit's attack.
"NYX!" Jaune called. Nyx grew slightly in size and launched herself at the bandit, clamping down on the bandit's crown jewels. Jaune cringed at the sight as he looked away. He dodged a bullet that was aimed at him and saw one more bandit still up.
He dashed over to her, forming an aura shield and shield bashed her in the face. He then used the blade of Eclipse to throw her through two trees, rendering her unconscious.
"You…," the lead bandit said as he raised his hatchet. Jaune formed aura knives and threw them at him, pinning him to a tree.
"We're done here," Jaune said.
"You fool! The Branwen Tribe is everywhere! We'll get you! You better watch your back!" he yelled.
"Let's go Nyx," Jaune said as he walked off deeper into the brush ignoring everything the bandit was yelling.
"Can you believe the nerve of that guy?" Jaune said as Nyx rode on his shoulder. She let out a series of growls to which Jaune scoffed a little before laughing.
"Yeah, I should have let you rip his dick off," Jaune said. "I'm just glad we didn't get overwhelmed. Thankfully those were fodder."
Nyx let out another bark.
Jaune shivered.
"I can only imagine what their leader is like," Jaune said.
The sounds of screeching alerted the two. They looked up and saw a large black bird streak across the sky. Jaune grinned at the sight of it.
"Nevermore…," Jaune said. He looked at Nyx with a grin and broke into a sprint into the Nevermore Nesting Grounds, eager to begin training his power.
Reviews:
The Ancient Irish Viking: Thank you!
Theothergy: It is an Arkos fic but who knows? The story could go in many directions from here on out.
WearmyCurmudgeon: Yeah, Jaune's not really good at bluffing and I'm glad you're liking the Vert-Winter ship (I need to come up with a name for that). And no matter how much more mature Jaune gets, he's still Jaune. I used your semblance idea and mixed it with someone else's. The only reason Vert and Maria were able to touch the "non-corporeal" clones is because their brains are fooled by how real it is that it mimics the sense of touch much like Yakumo's Genjustsus are incorporeal yet are capable of inflicting physical damage on their foes. Just know that it will extend beyond clones and does have drawbacks.
NyaNyaKittyFace: Yup, though I believe this chapter cements it since her semblance is called Mirror Shield.
Alrighty! Jaune met the enigmatic, mysterious Isla. Keep an eye on her since more people like her will appear in the chapter. Who is she? Why does she refer to Jaune as big brother? Is she Sieg and Jeanne's long lost daughter? Also, Ruby! She knows! How will she use this information? Will she confront Pyrrha? Will she eventually cave and tell her teammates! All these questions and more, next time on D'Arc is not Evil!
Oh, if you haven't figured it out by now, Mae is based on Tamamo no Mae down to the hair color and tail(s). Her semblance is known as Mirror Shield whose name is derived from one of the Imperial Regalia, Yata no Kagami. Her semblance basically works like the Yakumo Clan's Genjutsu from Naruto. Even her clones work the same way, they replicate senses that allow you to feel non-corporeal objects so that while you can't hurt them, they can hurt you. The limit is the amount of aura and concentration it takes. Right now, she can only make one before feeling really tired.