Author's Headnote: Doing the Jaune Chapter now... sorry it took so long, I got sick and I needed a new keyboard.
RWBY: Festival of Blood: Bad Luck Charm
Jaune Arc:
- Aura Status: 100%
- Semblance: Aura Boosting
- Weapon: Crocea Mors
- Licensing: Training License, Student Huntsman
- Party Relations:
- Nora Valkyrie: She's been less excited than usual, but cheerful nonetheless
- Lie Ren: He's been worked up lately, he refuses to elaborate
- Yang Xiao Long: Growing an arm back, the growth spot is very disturbing to look at and it can't be covered up
- Violet Jasper: Distant as usual, only talkative when something important is brought up. Considers Yang to be a liability in her current state, even more so now
- Team SSSN: They're going to have to repeat the first year when they get back.
End of Major character status report
Oniyuri, March 12, Monday, 1:03 AM, Abandoned Exterior
According to Ren, this village was built to be an escape from all of the crime families in Mistral, but everyone involved in the project has disappeared or died. So, the city was never finished, making it abandoned... the frameworks in some of the buildings can still be seen, and the built buildings look worse for wear. Either way, this is not a place for one to live in.
The walls would keep out the shells, so... the party grouped up in one of the larger buildings and went to sleep for a couple of hours...
Only to be woken up by a noise, well... except Yang. She needs the rest anyway.
The group was woken up and followed the noise, they just wante to see what it was, only for a Kunai to strike near towards Violet, where he shot it off.
"Moon Dragon, it seems they don't want us to go somewhere..." Violet stated.
"That would be correct." the woman said, she was wearing a grimm mask covering her face. But from the look on Violet's face, she's most likely a vampire. She also bore dark skin, wearing cargo pants, combat boots, a tank top, and a hankerchief.
the Kunai then exploded, albeit it was nowhere near the party. It just showed how dangerous this woman is.
"My boss doesn't want anyone from Vale to head to Mistral at the time being. Being that your group is one of the three factors that need eliminating." the woman said.
"One of three? Who are the other two?" Nora asked.
"A self-proclaimed mercenary under Bloodshire's dying bloodline. That's what happens when you turn half of the people you feed on. They all schism out and die off on their own terms."
"And the other?" Neptune asked.
"That half-blooded ex-huntress bounty hunter going by the name: 'Raven Branwen'. She has a history with the Yakuzas, and not a good one."
"So... why are you after us, and not them?" Jaune asked.
"I pulled the short end of the stick it seems."
"So... are you...?"
"Going to kill all of you? Yes."
"Straight to the point and not even lying about it..."
Violet then went and opened fire on the woman, who then threw more kunai, which exploded on the contact of the bullets. She then hopped down, and gathered more...
"The amount of those throwing knives you have are finite, you gotta get up close eventually." Sun taunted.
"Well, if you insist." the woman said, putting away the kunai.
After that, the woman went in running, in which Violet began shooting, however... this woman managed to catch each of the bullets by hand. Jaune and his party were all shocked as she flicked the bullets right back at them. In which Violet managed to shoot the ones heading towards him, the rest went to dodge, but some of them were grazed. Thankfully gunpowder bullets only deal but a flesh wound with aura.
She then got close range and started to precisely strike Violet, attacking his nerves with pinpoint jabs with her fingers, stunning him. Violet then collapsed to the ground.
"Well, that's not good." Scarlet remarked.
"No matter, I got this!" Sage said, charging at the woman yelling. Being that sage's weapons have no ranged capabilities, he's likely gonna die no one does something.
"Nora, Grenade!" Jaune yelled.
"You don't have to tell me that twice!" Nora answered, firing one of her grenades, sticky grenade onto the woman near her gut. Who tried to get it off her by grabbing onto it with her left arm... but she didn't know the definition of sticky, it seems...
The grenade then exploded and blew her arm off... She then cracks her neck. Being she then uses one of her Kunai to stab herself, spilling a black goo instead of blood... only to find out it's grimm.
A seer had formed from the goop, along with four shells and a nevermore. All of them have that purple glow around them. The woman then hopped off elsewhere in the village... hopefully, she doesn't find Yang.
With a couple of gunfire for surpression, and a couple of precise and aggressive hits, they've managed to take care of the self-made back up with ease, it was a cakewalk, really. A really, really, easy cakewalk.
Well, as it seems... since the grimm manage to pull themselves back together instead of fade to nothing... looks like fighting them is gonna be a bit harder than it seems, it was easy, too easy... guess these things here are to stall for time while the woman is supposedly healing herself.
No less, with the reformed shells now running towards Jaune like maniacs, though he outnumbers the grimm... Sage came in and sliced one in half vertically, Neptune impaling it in the grimm-skull, and Nora whacking the head off one with her hammer, and Jaune just blocked, bashed, and stabbed the final one.
Of course, there's still the matter of the seer and nevermore. The Seer launched it's tentacle blades at everyone, in which Jaune blocked and rammed the shield towards the glass core of it, and then shattered the glass, killing the seer.
Which leaves the nevermore, uncontrolled and wild, it started attacking aggressively, but Sun used his staff to reach up to the nevermore and crashed it down with a kick. In which Ren finished it off with a stab in the neck with stormflower.
After that, another Kunai was thrown, which everyone went and ran away from it, with Nora carrying Violet's unconscious body. The kunai, as predicted, exploded.
The woman returned, fully healed. And ready to fight, she threw three kunais towards Sun and Ren and they exploded, completely depleting their auras. After that, the remaining active members insisted in fighting her. With Sage charging up and trying to attack her, and Nora firing another grenade, only for her to dodge it and hit Sage instead, with her following by her incompaciting Sage.
It seems luck has just about run out, since they're down to just... Jaune, Scarlet, Neptune, and Nora now. And the vampire woman appears to be heading towards Jaune now. Though he closed his eye and raised his shield... a clash was heard, but he didn't feel anything.
Instead, it was Mr. Branwen, slicing the woman from behind. Well, more stabbing her.
"Wha... What!?" the woman screams in objection.
"You haven't changed much, always targeting after easy prey." Mr. Branwen retorted.
"You!"
"Hey, you're younger than me. Don't treat me like I'm some long-time rival."
"You know what you did, forget the kids. I'm gonna kill you."
"We're not kids!" Jaune objected. "Most of us are around 18!"
"Still a kid."
"Whatever, just get out of the way, she'll kill all of you once she incapacitates all of you!" Mr. Branwen warned.
Jaune nodded and pointed at the unconscious bodies, which the four active party members picked up the unconscious ones and watched at a sideline as a professional huntsman takes on a powerful vampire.
Character Change: Jaune Arc - Qrow Branwen
Oniyuri, March 12, Monday, 1:23 AM, Abandoned Exterior
Well, it's been a while since Qrow saw her. She used to be a student at Beacon, well until she supposedly died, guess Qrow now knows what happened to the body. This particular woman in particular, unsure if she even goes by her original name anymore, was quite sub-par for her class. Quite like blonde-boy, although at least blonde boy actually tries to improve, she decided to take shortcuts instead, only targeting weaker grimm whilst the rest of her team does all of the heavy lifting.
Alive or dead, doesn't change the fact that Qrow needs to protect Yang, and if these guys were to fall now, Yang would certainly be vulnerable. Qrow's niece is not capable of combat at the time. So, which means he had to trust the kids to do it, but it seems she's too much for them, so he can't stand around. It's time for a fight, whether Qrow demands it or not.
Though, unarmed... she's still a formidable hand-to-hand fighter, using only dust-forged kunai. Said kunai are quite explosive. Qrow knows how to fight her, which means this battle can finish up well...
He makes the first strike, the first mistake fighting her would be letting her attack first, she has no strategy on the defensive, so she just blocks with her kunai, her explosive kunai...
After the attack is parried Qrow jumps out of the way and watches as her own weapon blows up in her face. Which completely obliterates her hand and part of her arm. But what happens in next is curious, she takes one of the Kunai and stabs herself with it. The black goop spills out, creating grimm. She then went to escape. No need to distract herself from the spawned grimm, he went straight to confront the woman.
This seems to surprise her since as he approaches, she managed to trip and fall with Qrow then impaling her through the chest with his sword. Being critically wounded, she then struck Qrow in the right arm with her foot, and then ran away... this paralyzes the huntsman's arm as the vampire runs away from the scene in critical condition. He can't fly to catch her, and it seems that she won't come back this time. But those paralyzing strikes last for hours.
He better check up on the kids, make sure they're alright. And Qrow believes some explanations are due for them. Sure, they did not face one of Salem's lackies, as far as Qrow knows. But whatever the Yakuza is after, he has a gut feeling that they also covet the relics. If Salem isn't after them yet, they will be soon. Especially since they're going to Mistral, which is likely her next target as hinted from Cinder before she was killed.
This also begs the question, just how long until Salem gets a hold of another Maiden? Spring and Summer are still missing, with Summer hypothetically causing destruction with the sword. And add fall to that list too, since Amber and Cinder are dead, the power of the Maiden is going to end up somewhere random. Of course, there's going to be plenty of discussion... well, as soon as he can feel his right arm again. A rematch is inevitable for her. Even though her name was never said, but Qrow knows it.
Character Change: Qrow Branwen - Jaune Arc
Mistral Wilderness, March 12, Monday, 11:07 AM, Camp site
Jaune was tending to the camp and thought about the battle from last night. well, whoever she was, she put up quite a fight. Luckily, Mr. Branwen showed up and interviened... otherwise, none of us would be alive...
"Wait, so... she was out to kill ya guys, but didn't?" Yang asked.
"Vampires don't go for the kill instantly if there's more than one, even then. Blood goes bad on a corpse." Violet stated.
"So... she'd drink you guys up?"
"Being this is the mistrallian variant, she'd drain one of us, and then spawn some grimm to drain and store the rest of the blood. These vampires can't enthrall, so they create grimm instead."
"Well, at least we won't be bound against our will." Neptune said, trying to lighten up the mood.
"But that also means that we're more likely not going to survive a vampire attack." Scarlet stated.
"Also, Mr. Branwen showed up in a way cool fashioned flew up as a bird and then poof! Started attacking the vampire from behind!" Nora explained.
"Wait... Uncle Qrow's here? I didn't see him at the camp." Yang objected.
"He just showed up and disappeared after the vampire fled." Jaune stated.
"Well, we're going to have to learn to fight her, then." Nora exclaimed.
"It's weird that someone who uses explosives are highly susceptible to them." Neptune stated. "How did those things explode anyhow?"
"Likely made from fire dust, fire dust is very unstable and highly combustible." Violet explained. "And she is from the Moon Dragon Yakuza, a crime family all ran by vampires."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Sun asked.
"The Yakuza has a connection with the Schnee Dust Company, with my investigations, so they get direct shipments of dust at a discount."
"The SDC? Why woud they deal with criminals."
"To make a profit, the Schnee Dust Company sells dust to the yakuza, the Mistral police, and the Mistrillian huntsmen guilds."
"Playing all sides to make constant profit? Clever."
"And they know it, too. The reason why they haven't confronted Jacque Schnee on it is because SDC dust is the best there is. They don't want to lose their supply of the stuff."
"That is clever."
"It's common knowledge that SDC sells dust to just about every warring faction except the White Fang."
"Because the White Fang are terrorists?"
"Because the White Fang are terrorists, yes. Even enterprise has its limits."
"But the White Fang has a lot of dust."
"Because they steal it. Terrorists and all. Regardless of cause, striking terror and fear into peope's hearts is not a good way to do it. Especially right after Vale, if the White Fang had any sympathizers, they'd be miniscule to a small fraction now. Actual footage of them fighting alongside grimm was taken. Which by no means is a good sign for their reputation."
"Yaaaaaaaaawn..." Nora yawned loudly. "Politics are booooring! Can we just go and bonk stuff in the head?"
"This discussion is quite critical to our current situation. Being attacked by the Moon Dragon means we're going to have to alter our schedule for travel... let's see... where's the map?"
"Jaune has it." Ren stated.
"I thought you had it!" Jaune objected.
Well, things have gotten from bad to worse, they've lost their map. And now travelling to Mistral blind only relying on road pathways. Not to mention everyone is looking at Jaune and Ren with a very negative connotation right now... Jaune opened up his scroll aaaand... nope, no reception. Which means he's not near Mistral yet.
Jaune, being incredibly mortified from the situation decided to head and walk into the van, that is... until Mr. Branwen showed up in the woods. He was carrying the map and tossed it towards Ren.
"You dropped this." Mr. Branwen said, casually.
"Uncle Qrow?" Yang asked.
"How's it going, firecracker?"
"Good, good, my arm's growing back." Yang said, waving her left arm, the elbow is currently forming.
"Careful about the elbow, don't twist it until it's regrown."
"What? Why?"
"It's a long story. But I can't stay with you for more than five minutes, then I'll be going."
"Where's my mother?"
"She's busy, heading to Mistral. She's found some interest in some fledgling mercenary."
"Fledgling as in vampire, or fledgling as in new mercenary?" Neptune asked.
"Who told you about vampires?" Qrow asked.
"Jaune."
"Hey! Hey! Don't point this at me! Nora spilled the beans, not me!" Jaune exclaimed, defending himself. He does not like being blamed for everyone knowing about vampires, he slipped up one time and Nora knew, and let's just say it was easier to keep a secret about not letting Blake know that everyone knew she was a faunas, rather than keeping her faunashood a secret...
"Jaune did tell me, though." Nora stated.
Jaune facepalmed.
"Violet, I assumed you had a good reason to reveal some information without my knowledge." Mr. Branwen stated.
"I believed the events at Vale were connected to Moon Dragon, much like the events in the thirty-nineth vytal festival." Violet explaind himself.
"So... where did these vampires come from?" Jaune asked.
"Well, it's a long story." Mr. Branwen stated. "I feel like you guys are due for an explination."
Character Change: Jaune Arc - Observer
Ancient Lands, Over 4,000 years ago
"This is a story; you've never heard of. But there was a man, though his name remains unknown. But most call him Cain."
"Why Cain?"
"Honestly, I don't know. It could be Caen or something. But for the sake of the story, we're calling him Cain."
"Oooooh, he's telling us the story of the first vampire!"
"Nora, no spoiling!"
"Fiiiiiiiiiiiine!"
"Now... where were we?"
It was the middle of night, though the time specifically won't be specified because this is a story that's older than the kingdoms themselves. Not that Qrow could know the time anyway. But the young man, named 'cain' or 'caen', or whatever, his true name was forgotten.
On this very night, he came across a woman, a witch who isolated herself from the world, bearing the mark in flesh of the grimm. Her skin whiter than snow, her hair... also whiter than snow, her eyes glow the mark of red, the same color that runs through the grimm, her veins pitch black and across her skin. She was wearing nothing but mere rags at the time. Or so has the legend been told.
Whether this woman was actually impoverished or pulled an act remains unknown. But what is known is that the man pitied this woman and offered her aid. She and stayed in his adobe. He sheltered her, gave her food, water, and let her sleep inside the spare bedroom.
Now, the part where the story gets mixed up the middle, because there is no specified way the story has been told in this matter. Some say they fell in love; others say the woman was seducing the man and taking advantage of him. Whether their feelings be mutual or not, Cain was a proto-huntsman. He was exceptional with a blade, though his semblance remains unknown. Some say that he's unable to be detected by the grimm.
When a grimm attack occurred, he fought them all off one by one, without a sweat on his head.
Though, little did he know, that the woman who he allowed staying with him was a powerful witch, one who controls grimm. And she saw him as a candidate for an experiment. One night, she was standing in his room. From there, well... the process was unknown, but the intended outcome was for him to become a creature of grimm. Some say it was rape, others torture. But either way, he managed to escape... and leave her weaker than when he met her, stabbing his sword in her chest, though not killing her... allowed her to escape. Whatever happened, the ritual had drained her power. Leaving half of the power to the man, Cain.
Though the transformation left Cain damaged irreversibly, with betrayal in his heart and his flesh cold. With a strange thirst he did not understand. He had become the first vampire and did not know it until he fed apon a helpless girl.
He had overcome with guilt, he had an urge to just end himself right then and there, but he was concerned about the witch who made him this way. So, he sought out and searched Remnant for four beings to carry on the taint he possesses.
Four of them, each of them carrying a fourth of a power he took from the Witch during the ritual, after that... it remains unknown. Some say that he wonders Remnant, others say that he ended his own post-life.
Character Change: Observer - Qrow Branwen
Mistral Wilderness, March 12, Monday, 11:14 AM, Jaune's Group's Campground
"And that woman who had rended it apon him is Salem, a powerful being who controls grimm." Qrow stated.
"Okay, wow. So... you're telling me, that chances are Vale's destruction was orchestrated by some grimm queen?" Nora asked. "Explains a lot, actually."
"This still doesn't dismiss the Yakuza as an emmassery." Violet stated. "Whatever Salem coud be after, the Yakuza may be eyeing on the same thing."
"Quite perceptive there." Qrow praised. "You likely don't even know what they're after."
"Then what is it?"
"The relics."
"The what?" Jaune asked.
"Powerful artifacts as old as Remnant, Vale's destruction may be seen as a defeat, but also a defeat for Salem as well." Qrow stated.
"Wait, that doesn't make sense." Nora objected.
"That's because I haven't told you everything!" Qrow retorted.
"Why is your name spelled with a Q?"
"I'll get to that!"
Qrow had to explain them about the maidens and how they're real, he had to tell them about them and how Cinder was one before she was killed.
"So... wait, are all fairytales real?" Neptune asked. "Because that will just simplify things for me."
"Some are, some aren't." Qrow stated.
"Well..."
"Shush! Now if you excuse me... there are four relics in the kingdoms, the Maidens are keys to those relics. Each of them hidden in the kingdom. All but one of them are under the huntsman academies. A lamp that provides boundless knowledge, a staff that can create anything, a sword with limitless destruction, and a crown that grants the wearer a power that exceeds the previous three."
"So... I'm just gonna put in a hold up in the story. If Cinder worked for Salem. That means the Wyvern didn't kill her." Yang interrupted. "So... how did she die?"
"Well, who else was there? People found evidence of remains for Penny and Cinder..." Qrow said.
"No! You have to be wrong!" Yang interrupted. "I know Ruby, she's not a killer. She wouldn't have killed anyone."
"It's either she's a killer or a coward. And no coward would have Arslan willingly throw them to the top of a tower." Jaune stated.
"It's just... Ruby developed her whole thing revolving around not killing people. She's been known to show mercy and forgiveness to anyone that's wronged her... if she had killed someone... she basically threw away all those morals she's been working so hard to keep up." Yang said, somberly.
"Well, if you ask me. She didn't have any other choice. It was the right thing to do." Qrow stated.
"I know that, but it's... well, strange to think that my sister could just take a life, even if it's well deserved."
"Regardless, we need to stop talking about Ruby. She's not here, and you need to get to Mistral and secure the relic."
"What about yourself?" Jaune asked.
"Me? I'll be finding the spring maiden." Qrow said, heading off.
The spring maiden. Usually, spring ends up being in Anima. The maiden powers are always drawn close to their root relic. Oz knew that it makes the maidens easier to find. Which is both a good and bad thing. As for fall, could just be any young girl given that people were moving away from the former kingdom to escape the chaos.
Though he also needs to make sure Yang is doing alright, given her arm. It's best to not tell her about Raven and himself just quite yet. Stress like that is detrimental to healing, after all. Raven had to spend quite a while with a robotic arm whilst she was pregnant with Yang. Though she had to conceal its robotic nature to draw suspicion Qrow still has it, too. Though it looks like it wasn't needed anyway, since her arm is growing back. But if the situation occurs, she could have just plopped it on. Albeit needing some tuning to fit in Yang.
The girl is just like her mother, in more ways than one. Which is why Qrow hopes Yang won't become a mother, she'd be a horrible one. Helping take care of her sister is one thing but raising an entire baby from day one is a whole other thing. She could be a good figure sure. But knowing her mother, she'd be a horrible parent. Though, the whole story on the matter regarding Yang and Raven is a whole can of worms that Qrow can't concentrate on.
Character Change: Qrow Branwen - Blake Belladonna
The Belladonna Villa, March 12, Monday, 7:04 AM, Blake's Room
Another day with this cast on her leg. Another day where she's just another liability. And she knows it. Blake, being tired as is... she decided to sleep in again. Not like she's going to get a miracle cure for the giant brick that is her leg.
So, may as well sleep the day away, not like she'd be useful in anything anyway. And even then, not like a doctor is going to just suddenly show up out of nowhere to treat Blake's leg. Meaning more time for her feeling mopey and useless.
Author's Footnote: Sorry, I was sick, it's hard to write when you have Pneumonia. Anyways, it's short because I needed to get it done since again, I was sick. If I was well, it could have been better. So, I apologize if this chapter didn't turn out well.
Qrow is going to be more offhand when assisting Jaune's group in comparison to canon, mostly in addition to Tyrian not poisoning him. since Cinder is dead, Salem didn't send anyone to track Ruby down by Cinder's request, even then they wouldn't have gone after Jaune. So, I decided to add a different scenario to the event. Anyways, see you next chapter.