Month Ten
W-who are y-you
I am the one who holds all the power.
I w-wont allow you to w-win.
I don't need to win; I just need your power.
Y-you won't get a-away with th-this.
I already have
-? "?"
Pain that was all Jaune could feel, darkness, a void that was all Jaune could see, only floating there, an empty infinite void.
"He did good, you know," Jaune heard a voice come from somewhere. Turning his head to where he thought was the source, all he found was nothing.
"Don't praise him. What he did almost got him killed," a second voice spoke. Jaune tried to find the source of this voice but again, nothing.
"I suppose, but it was still brave, and it did help him in the end," the first voice responded. Jaune gave up finding the source and decided to sit and listen.
"*sigh*. Still, I hope she can train him out of doing reckless things like that," the second voice responded to the first exasperated.
"Hehehe, if anyone can, it's her," The first said, his voice fading, and Jaune was left alone in silence.
"Ja…e w…ke …p pl…se," Jaune heard a different voice, also unrecognized by the young Arc. It was wise and spoke in a calm voice.
"Who is that? Where are you!?" Jaune called out, being able to talk, something he couldn't do earlier.
"Ja-ne! J-un! Fol-w! M- V-ce!" He heard the voice yell, turning to the source. He saw the light and went to reach towards it.
"WHO ARE YOU!" Jaune yelled, reaching out again, pushing even further.
"Pl-se w-ke -p Ja-e," He heard another voice. It was female; he didn't recognize it; it spoke in an energetic tone.
"Co- -n Ja-e," A new voice came. It was male and had a cocky tone.
"Ja-ne pl-se," A second female voice spoke calmly and serenely.
"W-ke -p wa-or," A third male voice called out in a stern and stoic voice.
"Yo- m-t av-ge th- fal-n on-s," A fourth voice called out. It felt older than the rest but also held great joy.
"What are you all saying? Avenge who!?" Jaune yelled at the voices, not understanding what they meant.
"Fi-d M- s- wi- t-l y- wh-t t- -o," The first voice calls, and the light envelops Jaune.
"FIND WHO!?" Jaune yells, not hearing what the voice says.
"T-y w- kn- fi- t- J-e i- -s yo- de-ny," the voice calls out again as the light turns blinding.
At The Hospital,
Jaune's eyes open as he calls out to the voice breathing heavily as his family, sans Magenta and Olive, surround him.
"Jaune!" his mother calls out, hugging him with tears in her eyes.
"My son," John said, hugging Jaune from the spot that Arturia couldn't reach.
"W-what ha-happened?" Jaune asked, his throat dry and sore, unable to speak correctly.
"Shh, don't talk. The local militia found you and your sisters outside the village. They don't know how long you were out, but the doctors said that you were fine for the most part," Arturia says, holding Jaune even tighter with tears flowing freely.
"Wh-where are Magenta and Olive?" Jaune asks, starting to worry, remembering what happened in the fights against the Grimm.
"Honey, they um, they are resting," Arturia says, looking down, unable to look him in the eyes.
"Whe- *chough chough chough*," before Jaune could even finish, the strain he put on his throat caused him to go into a violent coughing fit.
The doctors were alarmed, and two nurses rushed in, one holding some bottled water and the other having a bottle of pills. The one with the pills grabs one and shoves it into Jaunes mouth while the other nurse forces Jaune to drink. Jaune calms down and leans back into his bed, put into a state of sleep.
"What did you do to him!?" The mother, Arc, shrieks at the nurses being held back by her equally worried husband and not wanting to pay for any damages caused by his wife.
"C-calm down, ma'am," One of the nurses tells the angry mother, "We simply put him into a sleep state for a few more hours to calm down. Other than that, your son is fine. His throat and muscles having suffered from severe exhaustion, a few days of rest will help him," the now more confident nurse informs the two elder Arcs.
"Fine. When will Jaune be able to come home?" Arturia asks, looking down at the sleeping form of her only son.
"Your son will be able to check out next time he wakes up. Please inform our staff of that, so we can properly fill out his forms. Thank you, and have a good day," The first nurse says as they exit the room.
"He already woke up. Once he's fine, don't worry," John says, consoling his wife.
"I know, but still, he's my son. I have to worry," Arturia responds, placing a hand on Jaunes sleeping figure.
"I know. Come, let's check on his sisters. I can only hope they're getting better," John says, leading the worried mother out of the room.
Later
Jaune wakes up from his medically induced sleep, his throat still sore. This time he knew what the consequences of his actions were. Before he could dwell on these thoughts any further, a voice spoke up.
"Son," the unmistakable voice of his father sounded out, turning his head to the origin. Jaune was about to say something when his father raised his hand to signal Jaune to stop. "The doctors said it would be best if you rest your throat for a few days," The elder Arc informed his second youngest child.
"Jaune, I want to know why you went outside the village. When you've rested, I want you to tell me the reason," John says in a severe tone and expressionless face.
John gets and calls the nurses and informs them that Jaune has woken up. They then go through the process of signing Jaune out of the hospital. When he got home, he noticed the silence and strange mood all around the house.
He said nothing, and Jaune walked towards his room, closed the door behind him, and laid on his bed crying, knowing that he failed to keep his sisters safe, knowing that it was his fault for them being in the hospital.
The Next Day
Jaune did not feel like getting up in the morning; he didn't feel like getting up at all. It was all his fault. It was all his fault. The previous night he had a nightmare about what had happened to his sisters after he failed to protect them from the Grimm.
*knock knock knock*
"Jaune, are you alright?" The soft voice of his mother asks behind his door.
"Yeah…" Jaune trailed off, not wanting to do anything.
"I-If you want, you can come and see Magenta and Olive with us," his mother says, a strained voice sounding as if she was ready to cry at any moment.
"Yeah…" Jaune responded, getting up and dressing in a simple shirt, jeans, and his pumpkin Pete hoodie.
He left his room and joined his parents on the way to the hospital. The silence on the way to the hospital was palpable. Jaune said nothing. The knowledge that his final actions were for nothing and that his sisters were injured and hospitalized ate him up inside, and it caused self-loathing to begin.
The walk to the room where both girls were being held was agonizing for Jaune. It was sickening seeing both of them lying there unconscious and bandaged. The door was opened, and he saw them.
'Why!? Why is it that I, who doesn't even have their Aura unlocked, survived, but they didn't!?' Jaune thinks to himself, tears forming in his eyes.
"How are they doing?" Arturia asked the nurse currently in the room. Her voice was calm and her posture perfect, but internally she was close to breaking down.
"This is all my fault," Jaune says quietly, looking down his eyes out of view. The others notice Jaunes's words but cannot hear what he says.
"What was that?" John asked, his voice calm and low.
Shaking, holding himself, "IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" Jaune yells, tears now freely falling out of his eyes.
"Jaune, you shouldn't say that!" Arturia reprimands not wanting her child to think something like that.
"Why shouldn't I? It's true!" Jaune yells back, his eyes burning brighter. He runs off, unable to bear seeing the state his sisters are in.
"Jaune!" Arturia yells, reaching out to him but is stopped by her husband.
"Don't. Jaune needs to deal with this himself. We'll check on him when he gets better," John tells her, a downtrodden expression on his face.
"I-I Just don't know what to do," Arturia says, breaking down and crying in her husband's arms. During this, a single tear falls on John's face.
"I know, I know," John responds, closing his eyes and holding his wife while she cries.
With Jaune,
Jaune ran back home, tears flowing from his eyes, the image of his sisters on the hospital beds burned in his mind. He couldn't take the knowledge that it was all his fault. His selfish desire for a challenge allowed him to let Olive and Magenta train with him when he wasn't satisfied. What did he do? He went to fight the creatures of Grimm, indirectly leading his sisters to danger and ending in them being injured.
"I robbed them of their dreams," Jaune says to himself, looking down. He looks around his room and notices the books and scrolls he would spend hours reading, the things that brought him great joy. "How can I be a hero like you when I do things like this?" he asks the books.
"What will happen when they know why we were outside the village?" Jaune asks himself, fear now bubbling in his stomach. In his mind, he had disgraced the Arc name and needlessly endangered his sisters' lives.
Jaune was ashamed, in self-loathing, and felt immeasurable guilt over his action, and in this state, he decided to do something drastic and run away. He grabbed a duffel bag from his closet and began to pack clothes, books, and whatever else he needed. He began to write a letter explaining his decision and reasoning to his family. After he was done strapped Crocea Mors onto his back, grabbed his duffle bag, and with a sad look in his eye, he turned to see his home one last time before using the same hole in the wall to leave.
Later That Night
"Jaune, we know that you're in there. Can you please come out?" Arturia asks, standing outside of his door. The rest of the family, sans Magenta and Olive, beside her.
"Jaune, please," Saphron says, approaching the door and pushing it open, revealing the empty room.
"Jaune!?" Arturia asks, entering the room and seeing the emptiness of specific areas.
The rest of the family enters the room and looks for clues. "Mom! I found something," Bordeaux says, holding the letter.
"Let me see," Arturia says, grabbing the letter and reading it. When she finishes, she starts to tear up, "My baby boy," she mutters. John holds her as he begins to read the letter out loud.
"Dear family, if you're reading this, then that means I've already left. I know what I did wrong, and I know how to make up for these wrongs. Please do not try to stop me. This is the way it has to be done. To mom and dad, I'm sorry that my selfishness led to Magenta and Olive being injured. Can you apologize to them for me? To the rest, I'm sorry I haven't been the best brother, and I apologize for the emotions you are probably feeling right now. Now I have to go. I have the burden of three dreams. From Jaune," John finished reading the letter. He wasn't sure what to say or if there was anything that could be said to what he had just read.
The family stood there for what felt like an eternity. They had never expected this. They didn't know how to react to this. They didn't know how long it had been since Jaune ran away. Was there anything they could do now? All they could do was hope that wherever Jaune was now that he was safe.
With Jaune,
He wasn't sure how long he'd been walking, for all he knew was that it had been hours since he left doubt filled his mind now and then, but he always knew how to send it away—reminding himself of the burden he carried and his goal to become a hero to achieve the dreams of both his sisters.
"Alright, so the map says that I'm at least a few miles from the nearest town aside from home," Jaune says, looking at a map he bought before he left. "At the rate I'm going, I should reach the next town in about-" *Snap* Before he could finish his contemplation, he heard a noise emanate from the woods. Immediately he went into a fighting stance unsheathing Crocea Mors, prepared for the worst.
Out of the woods came a horde of Beowulf, at least eight or ten. Jaune didn't have enough time to count as they charged him. At the back of the horde was a Beowulf that looked different from the rest. Jaune assumed this was what an alpha variation looked like. The Grimm charged at Jaune as he prepared to counter; he swung and hit one of the Beowulf, killing it instantly.
The other Beowulfs surrounded Jaune. Seeing this, Jaune concentrated, and in a flash, his eyes glowed a bright red, and flames emanated from them as Crocea Mors was engulfed in flames. He didn't have complete control of these powers yet, and they made him tired quickly, but he was aware of how to use them.
He slashed at the air aiming at the Alpha Beowulf. The slash sent a wave of flame, hitting the Grimm head-on. The other Beowulfs were shocked, and Jaune took advantage of this.
"Ninja-Go!" Jaune called out, hoping to use the Spinjitzu to instantly kill the Grimm and rest before continuing his journey. He spins and engulfs the remaining Beowulf and kills them before approaching the downed Alpha and killing it.
"Alright, *huff* that's done with *huff* *Sigh*," Jaune said, resting his hands on his knees, having sheathed Crocea Mors while he was using Spinjitzu.
*ROAR*
Jaune quickly unsheathed Crocea Mors and turned to see an Ursa Major. "Oh shit!" he calls out as he barely manages to dodge the claws of the Grimm. The Ursa was a giant Jaune couldn't even reach its stomach while standing. Jaune ignited his powers once more and attempted to fight it.
The Ursa was now standing on its hind legs as it began to swipe at Jaune. Jaune blocked using Crocea Mors and threw a fireball at Grimm's head, causing it to stumble backward. "Ninja-Go!" Jaune calls out and uses Spinjitzu to slash at the Grimm's weak spots where its bone armor is lacking.
Unfortunately, the Ursa was a lot faster than Jaune expected and was able to recover and swipe at Jaune. Jaune couldn't block in time and was sent backward, crashing into the ground. His armor absorbed most of the damage, but it still hurt.
"Argh! Alright, let's do this! Ninja-Go!" Jaune yelled, using his Spinjitzu to speed-blitz the Ursa. The Ursa, in retaliation, attempts to swipe at the mini tornado but is unable to even touch it as Jaune slashes at the Ursa using his ignited Crocea Mors, decapitating the Ursa in one slash.
"Woo," Jaune says, exhausted, but before he can celebrate, a Boarbatusk hits him from behind, sending him flying. Jaune landed in a way to avoid too much damage, but when he turned to see the Boarbatusk, he only had a second to react as it charged at him in its spinning form.
Jaune reacted in time and raised Crocea Mors to block, but the force of the Boarbatusk charged at him still made him stumble back. Jaune recovered and ignited Crocea Mors and prepared to swing at the Grimm. Before he could even swing a second, Boarbatusk appeared. He was launched Jaune directly into the first Boarbatusk.
Jaune was sent flying without retaliating; his injuries forced him to stop using his powers for fear of collapsing. His armor was in tatters, his sleeves cut off one at the elbow, the other cut off at his shoulder, his chest plate was cracked in half, the armor plate on his back was broken in half, and many parts of the Gi underneath were ripped and cut. He was barely standing and saw that more Grimm was approaching.
'Where are they coming from!' Jaune thinks, having read books on Grimm and knowing that this wasn't normal Grimm behavior.
The Grimm charged the Boarbatusk in the front, spinning Beowulfs behind them, ready to slash at Jaune and Ursas in the back, ready to maul Jaune. Barely standing, Jaune knew this could be his last stand, so he drew as much power as possible to perform an attack that would wipe out as many Grimm as possible.
Jaune extends his hands forward, and two fireballs form, increasing in size and strength until they combine into one. 'This is so cool! I need to name it!' Jaune thinks.
"Take this! Arc Inferno Burst!" He shouts out as the blast is shot forward and hits directly in the middle before it bursts and engulfs a large portion of the Grimm, killing the ones hit directly but only severely damaging the ones on the outer rim of the attack.
"Ready *huff* for *huff* more *huff*?" Jaune taunts, barely lifting Crocea Mors in an attempt to defend himself. His eyes dimmed to a dull red, and Crocea Mors was no longer ignited. He readied himself using both hands to hold onto Crocea Mors, his eyelids becoming heavier as he was close to passing out, but he couldn't, not now and not ever. He still had something he needed to do, and he wouldn't fall here.
From a tree nearby, a strange bird was observing it all and decided that now was the time to act. 'Hmm, he's even better than I thought … still needs work, though,' the bird thinks as it swoops down in front of Jaune and begins to change.
"You did good, kid. Let me take care of the rest," a voice came from what used to be the bird. Jaune wasn't sure who this was until he heard their voice.
"Mystake?"
"Of course, who else would it be," Mystake confirms, taking the form Jaune recognizes as Mystake.
"How? what? Why?" Jaune asks, confused at what's happening.
"I'll explain when everything is done, but for now, just sit back and enjoy the show," Mystake tells him as her eyes glow purple and two swords made of pure purple light form in her hands.
The Grimm see this and momentarily stop charging and even seem scared, but something in them compels them, no screams at them to keep going, and they resume their charge, now going to try and take out both Mystake and Jaune.
Mystake smirks as she charges at the Grimm, moving at speeds that shouldn't be possible. Her swords instantly destroy everything they touch as the Grimm cannot even touch her. Jaune is in awe. He never knew that Mystake could do this. He thought she was an ordinary civilian. What he saw next sent him into a state of shock.
"Ninja-Go!" Mystake yelled out as she was enveloped in a dark purple tornado of pure energy. The spinjitzu tornado zooms around, engulfing as many Grimm as possible and ending them instantly.
'That color that Spinjitzu i-it can't that was her!' Jaune thought seeing Mystake using her Spinjitzu reminded him of the one he saw before he passed out.
Mystake took care of all of the remaining with ease. She turns to Jaune, "so youngster, what are you doing this far out?" she asks him.
"I um we-" That was all Jaune could say before the adrenaline wore off and he passed out Mystake was quick to catch him. Taking him to her traveling shop, putting him in a bed after ensuring she didn't drop any of Jaunes stuff.
Before almost collapsing herself and sitting at a desk, 'damn, it shouldn't have shown off that much. These old bones can't handle it,' Mystake chastises herself before looking over to Jaune.
'The Grimm shouldn't have targeted him like that unless she's up to something, and with him, on the loose, it's only a matter of time before they come for Jaune's elemental power like they did the others. What are we going to do?' Mystake thinks to herself, mulling over everything she knows at the moment.
"Well, there is one thing I can do," She says, grabbing a piece of paper and pen and begins writing. "Dear Ozpin, I have recently come into contact with keen interest and great potential. I will personally train them till they are ready when they are. I shall send them to you along with a second letter detailing who they are and what they can do. Sincerely Mystake."
Authors Note
Well, it's been a while. Like I said in the last AN, these chapters will take much longer now that I'm back in school, so I apologize for the long wait.
Also, if you didn't like how the running away part was implemented into the story, I don't blame you. Still, Jaune running away was always going to be a part of this story, just for different reasons that I had to change because most of these prologue chapters are improvised, so the original reason why Jaune ran away wouldn't make sense in the current version of the story. It also serves as the main obstacle preventing Jaune from achieving his True Potential.
Also, would you like me to skip the five years in between where this chapter ended and go straight to Beacon, or do you want to see Jaune and Mystake travel around Remnant and have a training montage for Jaune, showing him to improve his usage of both Spinjitzu and his Elemental power?
I'd make a poll, but I don't know how they work, so if you all can leave a review with your answers, I'd appreciate that. I'll give it a week before I make my Final decision. Thanks for understanding.