Chapter 3 – Wrath and Revelations
A/N: So, this took and turned out a little longer than I thought; however, regarding last chapter some reviewers indicated there was confusion as to when Jaune woke up – there was by design (his awakening was to be discovered by his friends), but the start of that part of that chapter when Ruby is mentally cursing out Professor Port for embarrassing her it's mentioned he apologised two nights ago, so Jaune woke up the night after the little reaper left his room blushing. Hope you enjoy this latest offering; if there's anything I'm getting wrong with the world of RWBY let me know and I'll correct it as I go.
Okay reels are rolling, everyone back in their seats…
XXX
It was funny, Jaune would muse in later years, that hindsight let you see an upside in almost any situation.
The soul-shattering embarrassment of being dragged through a semi-busy thoroughfare by an infuriated middle-aged woman, for instance, was easily drowned out by undiluted agony when she was dragging you by the earlobe.
By the grace of the gods he didn't trip over, initial squeals of pain fading to a continual keen as he stumbled along, just about keeping pace as a shadow fell over them all. His watering eyes caught a glimpse of stairs in front of him and he jumped up them, landing with a gasp as finally it ended,
"Ahh, ohhhh…" his exhalations were somewhere between a sob and a sigh as he clapped a palm over his violated extremity, "…thank the Brothers it's still there."
"For now," his former tormentor threatened as she slammed the door behind them, Jaune belatedly recognising his former sickbed as a glare pinned Goodwitch to the wall, "you, you're in charge here?" The teachers' mouth opened and closed but no sound emerged; the knight had never seen his combat instructor so discombobulated; though she's never had to deal with anything like this – damn it chivalry you're going to get me killed, again;
"Mum, mum," though he quailed as her eyes snapped to him he persevered, "lay off the death-stare." To his relief she did, then to his horror she smiled, a much more terrifying prospect in such close quarters and with tempers running so high,
"Wow," her voice was somewhere between impressed, amused and furious, "I run halfway across Vale in fear of your life and that's the first thing you say to me? Got to admit that takes balls; maybe I'll let you keep them when I'm done with the walking student fantasy over there."
"Mum, enough! Rage at me all you like but Professor Goodwitch hasn't done anything."
"Hence why I'm pissed; why is my son here?"
Fortunately the moments' respite Jaune had brought let the professor rally; taking in a calming breath Glynda Goodwitch kept her expression neutral as she faced the simmering parent,
"Mrs Arc, may I call you that?"
"More grovelling," at Jaune's meaningful cough mother and son shared a brief stare-down before the shorter blonde relented with a huff, "Salahara Arc, call me Sal."
"Very well, Sal;" it's like parents evening all over again; "this is a trying time for everyone but I will answer your questions as best I can. Now Mr Arc…"
"Is my husband and Jaune's father; we gave our son a name, use it."
"…Very well, Jaune was until last night unconscious as a result…" She tailed off as the older woman groaned, massaging the bridge of her nose with her fingers,
"Not that you… no, she's trying," Sal's eyes closed then reopened, still hard but no longer blazing like those of another infamous blonde Goodwitch had the occasional displeasure of teaching, "I mean why's my son even in Beacon? Jaune's never been to a combat school in his life so how did he get within sniffing distance of this place, and why were we never contacted?"
Goodwitch didn't answer for a heartbeat, composing her reply in her head as she tried to answer the barrage of questions in a way that would simultaneously tell the truth, placate her interrogator and, distant third but still very much in mind, keep her pert behind off the fire,
"I am afraid I did not oversee the transcripts submitted our potential applicants, that phase of Jaunes' admission was covered by our previous headmaster."
"And where's he?"
"Professor Ozpin," she had to swallow as her pupil scrutinised the floor as he recalled his last memory of the man, "he, fell, during the battle for Beacon."
"Huh, good career move."
"Mum!"
"I, beg your pardon!"
"What? He was responsible for our capitals' security and he screwed the Borbatusk six ways beyond the weekend. You really think that after the dust cleared and they had time to realise it people wouldn't have broken out the pitchforks for him?"
"But, the Council…"
"They'd have been leading the charge, anything to get their own necks out the noose. Him dead lets them hide behind a martyr; never underestimate a politicians' ability to make a tragedy an opportunity." Goodwitch made to defend her former superior, then deflated tiredly,
"You're not wrong," the words were bilious but Ozpin had taken his eye off the ball due to the situation with Amber, allowing the enemy inside the walls, "the Breach should have been our warning to cancel the Vytal festival and shore up, that we didn't rests mostly with the Headmaster and Beacon under him. Despite his lapse, however, Professor Ozpin steered us through a time of unprecedented peace and I will not let his death mark its end – we are hurt yes, and diminished, but Beacon still burns."
"Good for you but that doesn't answer my question – what class did you teach?"
"Combat instruction and before you ask," Goodwitch fielded the question she could see coming, "I was aware your son was virtually untrained from his first lesson, something I raised with Professor Ozpin throughout the semester. However despite his low, very low"; really, pulling you out of mums' line of fire wasn't enough to catch a break?; "scores in my class Jaune compensated in other areas, in many ways vindicating his placement here."
The elder Arc mulled on this for a moment, light grey irises flickering between her son and his teacher as she tapped her chin thoughtfully,
"Go on," she said at length, attention firmly on Goodwitch, "how did Jaune do and how did it pull the wool over your eyes for this long?"
"He didn't in the end but I'll come to that later," Glynda delayed stepping on that mine for a moment, "though I'd have to consult my colleagues for details I understand Jaune was average, more or less, in many subjects including Grimm Study and History. I know he improved remarkably in Dust Studies once Professor Peach talked him through the basics and was making slow but steady progress in my class, though he was still likely the weakest direct combatant in his class. He did, however, excel in Survival and Leadership, as well as having the most endurance in his year thanks to his large Aura reserves – as combat instructor I can also say with confidence that your sons' team, JNPR, leads its year in team battles due largely to his leadership as well as Jaunes' partner."
"Partner. He's good?"
"She is; Jaune was partnered with Pyrrha Nikos at initiation," Goodwitch informed her, though her confidence faltered as the other woman looked blank, "you are, unaware of Miss Nikos' reputation?"
"Most seventeen-year-old girls I know try to keep their reputations secret from me; my daughters," Sal elaborated at Glynda's nonplussed expression, "this Pyrrha someone famous?"
"The girl on the Pumpkin Petes' cereal box," Jaune chipped in, confirming as her mother regarded him wide-eyed, "that's my partner." That admission stunned Sal for a moment, the older Arc shaking her head as she tried to grind the idea through her mind,
"That deal must have raked in more than a Dust mine, what's she doing here?"
"She wants to be a Huntress mum, she's won all sorts of championships in Mistral so applied here hoping people wouldn't know about her," despite the faded pain in his jaw Jaune was always ready to speak well of his partner, "she really doesn't like being famous. Then I bumped into her and didn't know her from the Maidens, it must have made me stand out; we partnered up during initiation, well, she came and found me after she stopped me plummeting to my death and unlocked my Aura just afterwards. She's been stuck with me ever since along with Nora and Ren, two other unlucky victims that got bolted on after we managed to crawl our way back here."
For the first time the older woman smiled slightly, something Glynda noticed with well-disguised relief as she nodded at her son appraisingly,
"Heh, Arc confidence right… wait, you said JNPR; you're a team leader, even over this Pyrrha girl? Was she the redhead that nearly ran us over earlier?" As Goodwitch nodded Jaune scratched the back of his head self-consciously,
"Yeah I'm the leader."
"How by the Brother's swinging nuts did that happen?"
"A question I've asked myself since I got here," Jaune admitted, remembering his first few sleepless nights, "personally I reckon the headmaster was drinking something stronger than coffee when he made the teams up."
"Mist… Jaune please do not disparage yourself," both Arcs looked over as Goodwitch chipped in, "though I stand by my decision that you are dangerously unskilled as a Hunter even I cannot deny that you have succeeded as a leader. That I would feel confident placing JNPR in a team duel with any second or third year, maybe even some of the fourth-year teams is much less to do with your teammates' skills than your capability to make the most of them. Professor Ozpin perhaps made some mistakes with you and likely the rest of your year but having you lead JNPR was not one of them." There was a brief pause at this, Glynda not used to being so outright honest with a student and Jaune completely taken aback by his harshest critic at Beacon rallying to his defence. Teacher and student shared a long, silent conversation through their eyes before the third person in the room made their presence known again,
"Can't say I was expecting that, though then again I never expected you to get in here in the first place, more fool me. So, how did you get into Beacon?"
And here it was, the last denouement of his tarnished academic career and if anything it was worse than being in front of Professor Ozpin; the old man knowing he was a cheat and a criminal was somehow much less terrifying than his mother knowing the same. But at the same time I can't lie, not to her; though his knees were trembling and he felt sick it had been his decision and these were the consequences he knew he'd one day have to face; Brothers preserve me, am I a bad son for wishing another dragon could swoop in right now?;
"I, ah, I paid someone for, you know, fake transcripts." There, it was out, he'd said it and the shudder that ran through his mothers' body made him feel lower than the worms in the ground as Sal slowly looked up to the heavens imploringly,
"Brilliant Jaune, utter genius – a criminal record and blacklisted from every reputable occupation in Vale in one move."
"Alright it wasn't smart…"
"No, wiping your arse with poisoned ivy for a dare wasn't smart…"
"You promised you'd never mention that!"
"…And you promised you'd stay on the right side of the law, guess we're both lairs," her deflection neatly trumped his outrage, Jaune hiding his face in his hands as he noticed Goodwitch's lips twitching, "and faking transcripts is illegal, not to mention downright idiotic. Speaking of which…?". As Sals' attention shifted Goodwitch quickly reined in her mirth and moved to limit the damage,
"His faked transcripts did come to light earlier this year; however," her voice rose in time with the elder Arcs' ire, "at the time Jaune had very recently saved not just another student but an entire team from an elder Ursa Major despite, as we later found out, having very good reason to let them perish…"
"They found out," Jaune chimed in, "about my transcripts, they overheard me telling one of my team and were blackmailing me."
"Really? I'd have left them to rot, I imagine the fact you didn't is why we never got a call from Vales' young offenders institute?"
"Yes/yeah," Jaune and Goodwitch said together, looking at each other amazed before Jaune was slightly quicker off the mark, "the headmaster, Ozpin, said he knew about my transcripts but wanted to keep me on because I was making progress and my team was rock-solid. He believed I could do it mum, he wanted me here."
Jaune honestly did love his family, all of them, with all his heart; however the fact they'd not believed in his dream to become a Huntsman had been a sticking point for years. After he'd declared his intent both his parents had dissuaded him by various means, paying lip service to his self-taught training and fitness regimes and pleading multiple reasons that they couldn't either train him or have him trained. That Ozpin, a stranger despite his august office, had been the first to say the Arc had a place at his school was both vindication and a thorn of vicious reproach to his family's disdain and he couldn't help but let it colour his tone. To his surprise and consternation, however, rather than prickling ire or dismissive scorn his mother looked down, for the first time seeming sad and even scared though before he could question it she'd rallied,
"About the one good move he made given what's happened;" what?; that didn't make any sense but before Jaune could question it she'd rolled on, "right; you," having experience with irate parents Glynda had a suspicion she knew what was coming, "out;" and I was right, though it's usually me telling them that; "I'm not taking this further right now but Beacon has put my son in harms' way knowing he wasn't prepared – you, all of you, are a 'wolfs' whisker from that changing for the worse, understood?"
"Yes Mrs Arc," the nascent Headmistress could say nothing else – she was guilty by association with her predecessors' actions and if this situation ever came to light, especially given Jaunes' actions during the battle itself, it could very easily reflect badly on the Academy administration, "though for what it's worth none of us were prepared for what happened. I'll let him tell the story but you should be proud – Jaune acquitted himself with distinction and I've no doubt all of Vale…"
"Don't," the sudden demand made both other blonde jump, Sals' fists clenching as she forced herself calm, knowing she wasn't going to be able to hold back the tide much longer, "just, just get out. I want… alone, my son..."
Knowing a situation going sour when she saw one Glynda spared her student a reassuring glance before following the pointed finger out the door, closing it softly behind her.
XXX
Jaune barely had time to register his teacher; possibly new headmistress, given what the kitchen staff were saying earlier; departing before there was a crushing weight against his chest. His arms came down out of instinct, closing on shaking shoulders as his throat went dry,
"Mum…"
"Shut up, just shut up Jauney," his earlier bitterness withered into regret as he held his mother close, "let me have this." He nodded mutely, feeling utterly worthless as his mother, a former Huntress and the strongest woman he knew, shook with repressed sobs. His jaw tightened in regret, the weight of his past bad decisions and recent scrape with death combining to leave him bereft of bearings, able only to hold onto his parent and whisper words from the heart,
"I'm sorry," it sounded weak but it was all he had, "I'm so sorry."
"I know," the muffled reply came back later, almost drowned with watery sniffles, "I know Jaune – why?"
"I…" Why indeed; why had he risked everything – his future, his family name and even his life – on a career he blatantly hadn't been ready for? "I… I had to."
"You had to?"
"Yeah," arms clasped around her back and chin resting on the pale blonde crown of her head; did I get taller while I was gone or has mum shrunk?; "I just… every time I came in late, tired after a run or after school I saw Crocea Mors hanging there and it just kept me going, like I couldn't give up even if you wanted me to and I know you wanted me to, you and dad. When I left it was, I wasn't running away mum; I was, it was, I had to do what it took to come here."
Salahara didn't, in fact couldn't answer and Jaune responded in kind, holding her tighter and unable to stop his tears trickling into her hair. Reunited at last mother and son stood embraced for a long time until the elder of the duo stepped back, her eyes puffy as she regarded her son anew,
"I know," once again there was something in her voice he couldn't identify and it put him on edge even as he finally had a breath to regard his mother fully. Salahara Arc looked much as he remembered her; a woman past forty, straw blonde hair fading to silver and eyes as grey as a stormfront, though the lines around those eyes and the corners of her thin-lipped mouth seemed deeper than he remembered. Her rage expended she also seemed tired, though as always the steel core that made her to this day one of Ansels' lynchpin defenders was ever present behind the veneer of retirement and motherhood, powering her through exhaustion and something else, something he didn't recognise as she finished inspecting him and somehow dredged up a smile,
"Heh, always knew you'd be tall Jauney, you might even have Saph in the shade by now. At least this place has been feeding you right."
"Better than Ansel Primary at least," Jaune managed a weak joke before, not for the first time recently, going for the jugular, "mum what's wrong, apart from me being dumb? I'm all right, I came to late last night and as far as they can tell I'm not really hurt, just worn out. Did they scroll the house, you and dad; is that how you found me?"
"No, we saw the news," the lines in her face deepened, Sal not able to meet her sons' eyes; as she had every moment since those awful images had come through she cursed both her and her husbands' cowardice, "as soon as we heard Vale was under attack we thought, we almost knew you'd be here."
"What? Mum, that doesn't make any sense."
"Did you never wonder why we didn't call after you'd gone – did you think we were ashamed of you?" That her little boy couldn't meet her eyes at that question was one of the darkest moments in Salahara Arc's life, a dagger that cut to the quick, "Never think that Jauney, we would never abandon you!"
"Then why didn't you?"
"Because we thought, maybe hoped is a better word, we hoped you'd realise you couldn't get into Beacon and build a life here," she explained gently, her smile tight but genuine as Jaune regarded her shocked, "you'd outgrown the house and Ansel, you needed to get away for a bit, if not forever, make something of yourself away from the rest of us. You're a smart lad Jauney, hard-working too; it'd have been tough but we trusted you to make it here and call us when you were ready."
"You," the idea didn't fit in his head, a square peg trying to hammer through a round hole, "you and dad let me go, or sort of?"
"Sort of; we'd have been there in a heartbeat if you'd called us in trouble," she assured him and despite himself a small smile peeped onto his lips; I knew you'd have my back, I was afraid you wouldn't but deep down I knew. Thanks mum, that means… what?;
"Mum?" Her shoulders were shaking, her head bowed low and he reached forwards, confused and worried about why his mother was still in pain, "mum what is it? It's okay – I mean, maybe you didn't think I would and for a long time I didn't either but I did it, I made it into Beacon and I'm still here now, just a bit banged up. That's gotta be something right?"
Sal said nothing, merely pulling him into another tight embrace; confusion only growing Jaune held her, unease fermenting in his gut as her shudders slowly began to calm. Despite his need to know what ailed her he held his tongue, waiting for his mother to compose herself – after the purgatory she must have been in before seeing him, going at her pace was the least he owed her,
"You are," the voice jerked him back to reality, "you're here and I will thank the Brothers on bended knee every night that you are. We heard about the attack and we, Jarrett and I, we knew, or at least suspected you'd be in the middle of it – I was on the bullhead that night cursing myself and him both. We tried to avoid something like this happening to you and it happened anyway," her tone curdled black, "the gods will always laugh." Jaune shook his head, trying to dislodge the myriad questions in his mind and slap on an affable smile,
"You and dad didn't do any of this," he gestured to the room around him, "it was… I don't know it was a lot of things but it doesn't matter now. I'm okay."
"And I was so worried you wouldn't be," Sal's voice was a whisper, her bloodless expression freezing his marrow as she all but looked through him, as though he was phantom that would disappear with the faintest wind, "I won't lie Jaune, I came here prepared to name your body then rip apart anyone even remotely responsible for it. Seeing you here, alive and well, it's thrown me; I've never been more grateful to be wrong about anything in my life."
"Alive?" He parroted, a dim part of his mind recognising he should be getting angry at her dismissal of his skills but when he recalled the murky memoires of that night… "You thought…what, that I'd die?"
"That's every mothers' fear for her child but you, you…"
Her voice failed and she shook her head; before Jaune could ask she'd stepped past him towards the small backpack she'd thrown onto his bed, reaching inside and pulling out a small, once-red book now faded pink with age. Cradling it like Weiss would a package of Dust Salahara sniffed down a deep breath before offering it to him,
"There was a reason Jarrett and I never trained you Jauney; fear was a part of it but I won't apologise for that, you're our son and we love you more than anything," her breathing was harsh and ragged, expression flitting between trepidation and resignation as he gingerly took the brittle tome from her, "read it Jauney, read it and try to understand why we were so afraid – you don't have to forgive us but please, try to understand."
The knight didn't open the book, not immediately; instead he set it on his bed and embraced his grieving parent, holding the now-smaller woman tight enough to lift her to her tiptoes, the contact squeezing out fresh tears and earthing the tension between them. The two whispered reassurance and apology both, then Jaune guided the older woman to the bed he'd woken up in the night before and they sat down as he reached for the old, thin volume, glimpsing the cursive script of its title in the dim light. Our History – it's one of ours alright; everyone he'd ever met from his fathers' side had been honest, upfront and almost painfully blunt; so, what's all this mean mum? I hope you can explain it later; as he gently turned the cover he gave a wry smile at memories of listening with his sisters at Salahara's knee in younger days; I still don't get the Witch in the Tower…
But this book was not a story book.
It contained something worse than a fantasy; hidden in flowery praise and cursive script was truth, a cold, heavy truth borne through the ages in silent suffering.
As he read those lines of lines of faded ink and dried tears, as he listened to the agonised embellishments dragged from the woman who'd borne him into the world it slowly, reluctantly dawned on Jaune Arc that this truth and its consequence was now and forever his to bear...
…and under the frigid dawn light of this new, cruel reality his first action was to bury his face in his palms and start to weep.
XXX
"Oh, oh what if she stuffed his body in a Dust crate and mailed him to Atlas?"
"They weigh the packages before they fly them Nora, I'm sure the officials would notice the difference in weight."
"Not to mention they take a small sample from every box to check it's actually Dust they're shipping – customs might not be the sharpest blade in the armoury but I'd put down Lien they can tell mystery meat from Dust."
"Hmm, but if she chopped him up really fine…"
"Enough," Ren could see the face of their companion, not to mention some nearby eavesdroppers, turning the colour of his shirt, "not before lunch Nora. Besides, this is Jaune we're talking about – even if she did carve him up and stick him in a Dust crate he'd get a message out to us somehow."
"You're right," Nora agreed, "he's our fearless leader…"
"Clueless leader more like; sorry," Fox practically felt the first years round on him and held up his palms placatingly, "that just slipped out."
"Just like Jaune-Jaune would, though after being chopped up would that class as slipping out or leaking out," Nora mused thoughtfully as Fox shuddered – sidling closer to the sane (or, as he reminded himself of JNPR's history, likely sanest) member of the disparate quartet the blind Huntsman whispered,
"Is she always like this?"
"No;" oh that's a relief; "she's usually a lot worse; you're not JNPR so she's going easy on you." Fox froze in his tracks, his Aura senses unable to see if the younger cadet was joking or not as, cheerfully oblivious to the havoc she was wreaking on nearby nerves, Nora prattled on,
"… a bit too messy to clean up, she'd probably let the fishies get rid of the evidence. Anyone seen a tidal forecast, we might be able to pinpoint where he'll wash u… Jaune-Jaune," a pink and orange blur duly slammed into a breastplate, "you're okay."
"Ribs aside, yes."
"Good, now all we need is Pyrrha out her funk and JNPR's back together. I'm thinking something sloth-related, everything's better with sloths but if you… oh," pulling her face free of the taller boys' now aching chest Nora beamed up at the woman she'd missed, "hi Mama Jaune-Jaune; glad you didn't chop our fearless leader into tiny pieces and mail him off to Atlas." Despite herself Sal chuckled, grateful for the first laugh in what felt like a long time,
"I may yet be tempted; you're Nora Valkyrie I assume, the N in JNPR?"
"Yeppers, and this is Renny…"
"Lie Ren, just Ren."
"… who's the R and Fox who's, uhh…"
"Leaving," the second year grabbed the opportunity to run for it with both hands; I thought Coco was joking, turns out she was dialling it down. I don't know what Pyrrha's like normally but Nora's a walking sugar-rush and if Ren were any more laid back he'd be horizontal – how Jaune's coped this long with becoming a clinical depressive or raving lunatic only the Brothers know; "this looks like a team affair. Just remember it's your down day," he reminded the two active Hunters sternly, "light training only if any – you need R&R like the rest of us."
"Got it Fox, and thank you," Ren shook the taller boys' hand as the redhead snorted,
"Nah, not an issue; want me to try and find your fourth member?" Thoughts of the Mistralian girl made Jaune's gut twist and he quickly spoke up before Nora could open her mouth,
"No, I'll speak to her later," he assured the other three present as they rounded on him, "I've got some hardcore begging for forgiveness to do."
"That bad?"
"If I'm not back in three days send a search party."
"Ouch; I'll leave you to it then," with a raised hand the older boy sloped off and Jaune had a split-second to catch his breath and move on to the next step of the plan he'd helped put together earlier; he had a lot to do, not much time to do it in and this was the first, likely most vital step he would take.
In truth Jaune couldn't remember much of the previous night; it had passed in a doleful cycle of screaming hate against all of Remnant and the gods who'd made it followed by crushing depression about his now-uncertain future. At some stage he'd sent his mother away, wanting to curl up under his blankets and block out the world alone but sleep had eluded him, the young Hunter rolling restlessly under the thin blankets until finally an uneasy rest stole over him. He remembered waking though, the buzzing light of his scroll alarm rousing him to some semblance of clarity that quickly devolved into mania. Though tired and drained Jaune had devoured the red book again, hoping to wring from it some scrap of comfort, a crumb of hope – he found neither but his search was not in vain, not entirely. Every story on those cracked pages ended the same way but even as he felt his heart start to plummet downwards his mind, his rational, logical, amazingly beautiful mind made one final leap of logic that caught his fall before it could truly begin.
It wasn't just the endings that were virtually identical.
With this observation he opened the book again, his suddenly-feverish brain filling the shoes of others and always the footsteps led along the same path. These tales, these tragedies; could they have been written any differently – no, he didn't see how any of them could and from that realisation came if not peace then closure. There were still many daunting challenges ahead but at least now he understood how it had come to this and with understanding would, eventually, come acceptance but not now, not with so much going on that couldn't slow down on his behalf. He needed a plan, one better than 'grab the family heirloom and peg it'; to that end he'd snatched his scroll back up and called first his mother, then his headmistress; with their input and advice he'd started crafting this path into this future; and here we go, the first step;
"Right, lunch and I know what you're going to ask; I spoke to professor Goodwitch earlier so I'll tell you what I can; before that though could one of you hunt down Ruby? She's not in there and, well, she's a big part of me being here now so she deserves the full story." The Kuroyuri duo shared a glance before Ren was silently elected spokesperson,
"We'll find her; what about Pyrrha?" Jaune's shudder was answer enough,
"I'll leave that until later, I know she's confined to the View like you are. I should, in fact I need to speak to her in private, you'll understand why soon." Nora's eyes crackled,
"Ooh, sounds juicy! Okay Renny I'll get Rubes, you get Jaune-Jaune and Mama Jaune-Jaune something good from the canteen. Ruby, Ru-ubes!" The Valkyrie skipped away, her two team mates sharing a look before smothering smiles as Sal just scratched her head,
"Is she all there, if you know what I mean?"
"She's Nora," the duo chorused and Sal wisely left it at that – Huntress or not, long-term mother or not there were just some grenades that weren't worth poking at.
Fortunately a blur of petals blew in just as they were queuing for lunch; as Jaune picked up his half-struggling, half-giggling best friend and dropped her in front of him in the food line he was grateful Ruby couldn't see the sadness tingeing his smile. As he'd half-expected Goodwitch had told Ruby something of the truth but impressed upon her need for his condition and location to be kept secret, so he'd had a little leeway with his planning as he and the two older women put their heads together that morning. I'm not lying to them, I don't even really know the truth myself; it was a weak defence but at the same time it was true and, more importantly, let both him and the Beacon staff focus on the immediate future; which everyone needs to, even my team and they won't be at their best if they don't know why I'm not there – I don't want any of them to get hurt because they're distracted worrying about me. Goodwitch said they'd all be busy – Vale won't be safe from another attack until the Academy is fixed and the Breach is sealed which likely won't happen until next spring. This should give me enough time to figure out what to do next as well as mean people here don't have to look after me – not many know I was even at the tower but if the wrong people put two and two together they'll only need to get lucky once;
"Ah, this doesn't look too bad and a window seat too," given the window was about twenty feet up the wall it was a moot point but Jaune would take whatever bright side he could get as Ren sat down and he was surrounded by a trio of faces eager for news, "so, first things' first belated introductions. Ruby Rose, Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren this is my mother Sal Arc, mum th…"
"Sal?" Oh no; realising she'd blurted the word aloud Ruby instinctively went into babble mode, "That, ah, that's a nice name, great name really, is it short for something like Sally or, er, err Sa-ahh…?"
"Ruby, it's okay…"
"No, no, I want to see where this is going; if she can guess I'll be very impressed."
"Sal-aid umm, err Salama, Salem… I'm so sorry I get nervous and I start talking like this I'm really sorr-eek!" The hand that landed on her crown shocked her enough for Jaune to get a word in edgeways,
"Ruby, spit your foot out your mouth and breathe," Jaune held his hand in place and turned to his mother, "remember how Kelly used to be?"
"Bad as that huh? Don't worry, Ruby was it," not trusting her voice the caped huntress nodded, "seen that before with one of my own. You'll grow out of it, just remember to count to two before you open your mouth in future." Ruby nodded again, managing to squeak out an,
"Okay," as Sal smiled,
"My name is Salahara Arc, hence why I go by Sal – just for the record though," she favoured the embarrassed girl with a maternal smile, "it is a great name." Ruby smiled despite her cheeks going red before Nora finished contemplating the weighty matter on her mind, looking up at the elder Huntress with guileless teal eyes,
"Can we call you Mama Jaune-Jaune?"
"Err," caught flat-footed by the request Sal glanced around the table only to find her son looking elsewhere with a suspiciously wide grin on his face and the other boy rolling his eyes heavenwards as though praying for patience, "I'd rather you didn't."
"Why not," Nora pouted, "it's a great name too."
"Maybe but it's not my name."
"Well it should be!"
"But it's not, my name is Sal."
"Mama Jaune-Jaune."
"Sal!"
"Mama Jaune-Jau…"
"Quiet!" Undisguised by the tumult of yesterday there was no disguising the flash of Aura; only Ren's hand anchoring in the back of her dress kept Nora from pitching onto her face. The effect wasn't as strong as yesterday, the huntress's fingers were twitching as the Valkyrie tried to fight off the ingressing effect; as the struggle continued Ren plonked her into her seat, looked from her to the one who'd rendered his best friend so helpless, so still and made the demand the situation required,
"Teach me senpai."
Ruby snorted, ducking under the table as Jaune gaped; bad enough Ren was making a joke at Noras' expense but to get his mother involved…
"Heh, I would if it could be taught."
"So, so it's a Semblance," Ruby choked, "we thought so after last night."
"Wait, last night," Jaune whipped around in his seat scandalised, "mum you didn't!"
"Not intentionally," Sal assured him, looking over the other three children in concern, "it's been a while since I used Glare and it is my Semblance Ruby, you were right. It makes people and Grimm freeze in place; it must have triggered by accident after I copped hold of Jaune. No-one was hurt were they, I've made people trip over with it before?" Ruby raised a hand placatingly,
"It's fine, you just told us to sit still. No harm done…"
"Save to Coco's bladder."
"…and she got out in time," the crimson reaper continued loudly, knifing Ren with a sharp 'shut-up' glare that made the ninja smirk,
"True, though I've never seen anyone run that fast without moving their knees. Don't worry," catching the concerned look on the older womans' face he relented, "she's cool with it, if anything she blames Ruby more than y…"
"Anyway," Ruby overrode him with volume and another glare, "you can't teach Ren how to do that right?"
"Sadly not, especially since that ability's only half-Aura."
"What's the other half?"
"Motherhood; you spend five years teaching them to walk and talk and the next fifteen telling them to sit down and shut up. Glare only keeps them sat."
"Sounds like there's stories there." Ren's tone was conversational as Nora managed to break through the locks around her limbs beside him, though as Sal fixed him with a piercing look he tensed slightly, wondering if he'd said something wrong,
"There are, stories only one or two of you are likely to live yourselves if you stay on here."
Her shift in demeanour caught them all off-guard and before Jaune could rally Ruby beat him to the punch with a guileless query,
"What do you mean?"
"Look around you, look what's happened here," Sals' voice was firm and bitter, "you've had your first taste of this life and trust me it only goes downhill from here. Hunters, Huntresses," her lips twisted into a sneer as she shook her head, "it's not worth it."
"But," Nora pointed out after a seconds' thought, "you were a Huntress?"
"I was; I did a couple of years then realised I didn't want it; after that I was lucky enough to find a good man and raise a family. This life, the hunt, there's no glamour in it, no glory either – no matter how good you are you end up crying over graves you've just dug, watching the number of people you know in the business tick down every year. Doesn't matter how much you give it's not enough," her voice, her face, her very being grew colder as she regressed into memories she'd rather have forgotten, "it'll never be enough. You're all still young, get out while you can."
Not quite how I planned this to go; Jaune could all but see the gears whirring in the minds of his friends, words he'd heard more than once making deep impacts on virgin ears; but it's a good enough lead in if nothing else. Just have to wait…;
"Someone has to," it was Ruby, of course it was; despite her sometime-childish demeanour the little reaper had never been anything but dedicated to her chosen profession, "Hunters aren't perfect I know but, but someone has to give because not everyone can. You're right, we have given – no-one expected what happened at the Festival and we're still playing catch-up now but if we hadn't been here it would have been a lot worse. The Grimm, they're not going away and people need us to keep them back."
"Yeah they need you, until they decide they don't," Sal snorted dismissively, "anyway, leaving aside the fickle nature of people who'll praise you to the Gods for making one mission and want you drowned in the Grimm pools for not being able to help in the next what about you, have you thought about what this life will do to you? I was an apprentice, trained under three or four Hunters around what was the frontier of Ansel for four years before I got my licence, got to know plenty who went to the various combat schools or trained like I did. Half of them didn't live five years, half again didn't make ten and those that did," she shook her head sadly, "they're broken, not normal unless they've got a weapon within arms-reach. Is that what you want, any of you," silver, pink and teal she met them eye to eye in turn, her gaze measuring but sincere, "if it is then the only thing I'll say is walk this path alone. Work with your teammates, treasure and protect them but don't get involved with them or anyone else and for the love of the Gods don't get serious if you do. It's a lot easier to leave than to be left behind; I've had to lend my shoulder to too many wives, husbands and others after a black note was delivered."
Almost without meaning to Jaune's hand reached under the table and found another; Ruby jolted but he kept his face forwards, his support conveyed through soft squeezes. He felt her grip back but saw her shoulders shake from the corner of his eye – Ruby hadn't told him the full story of her family but was perceptive enough to guess that his mothers' assertions of her chosen profession were hitting close to an uncomfortable mark; right, no more;
"That's not your decision mum, it's theirs and mine," he said solemnly, facing his team and his friend rather than her, "everyone at Beacon sweated tears to get here and had an idea of what they were getting themselves into. They didn't know exactly," he conceded at her raised eyebrow, "no-one really does until initiation and beyond but they had an inkling – they'll make their own choices when the time comes just like I did a few days ago."
The reminder did its job, the tense atmosphere draining away before Nora broke it completely, though whether she hauled back onto the right track by accident or design was anyone's guess,
"Yeah fearless leader, tell us what happened."
"Well first of all what do you guys know? I've heard from Goodwitch but I'd rather hear it from you," his affable smile masked a last compress to Ruby's hand before he let go and Nora's drumroll on the table was the perfect cover for his fellow leader to discretely wipe her eyes,
"It's a tale of daring and derring-do; there you were, you and Pyrrha back-to-back in a sea of Grimm when professor Ozpin swooped in on a bullhead…"
"We saw the headmaster get both of you just after the final match."
"…the Nevermores swooped in, a whole flock of them and it went down in flames – you barely bailed out as it came crashing down…"
"You got flown to Beacon tower."
"…when you got there… uh… well, the professor had a doomsday weapon that would wipe out the invading Grimm but…"
"That's all we know," Ren finished for his more exuberant partner, looking at his team leader directly, "we lost contact with you and Pyrrha almost straight after that broadcast, when the CCT went down. Since then we heard, mostly from Ruby, that Pyrrha got back to the city itself and you were found near the tower, though professor Goodwitch confirmed professor Ozpin fell either just before or after you were found. Apart from that we're in the dark."
"As am I, though before you say anything Jauney I have to ask is she always like that?"
"Hey!"
"Sadly so."
"Damn," Sal whistled, regarding Ren sadly, "for what it's worth I'm sorry I can't teach you; you look like you could use a break occasionally."
"My disappointment is immeasurable and my dreams are as shattered glass," Ren reply drolly, ignoring the disgruntled 'humph' as Nora turned her nose up at him, "but never mind me, this is your story Jaune. What happened that night?"
XXX
Okay then; fortifying himself with a sip of water Jaune recalled the pertinent points and pressed on before he lost his nerve; show time;
"Well to be fair to Nora she's not entirely wrong," the Valkyries' snobbish snit faltered as she regarded him enthralled, "Ozpin did find us just after what happened, which reminds me. Ruby I'm sorry about Penny but," the last word jerked his friend from her descending dolour as Jaune regarded her levelly, "it might not be the end. No, think about it," he pressed on before anyone could question him, "she's a machine, I'm not saying she wasn't your friend but at the end of the day Penny wasn't alive like we are. Ozpin was pretty sure that Atlas would have a continual download for Penny's memory banks or something like that; I didn't really understand the details but basically they're likely going to be able to rebuild her once the situations' stabilised." Ruby bit her lip as though afraid to hope,
"You mean, she can come back?"
"Atlas have always been big into their robotics," Ren added, trying to encourage her rising optimism, "if anyone can do it they can and their headmaster is helping professor Goodwitch co-ordinate our defences. If anyone would know he would."
"That's a good idea," Ruby admitted, though she didn't meet the eyes of anyone at the table, "I'll ask if I see professor Goodwitch."
"Go for it, though regarding that last match there's something we, the professor and I that is, did discuss," Jaune's tone was cold and his words carefully chosen – this theory had germinated after speaking to Goodwitch and his mother rather than Ozpin but his friends didn't need to know that, "you know Pyrrha would never do anything like what she did to Penny right?" Despite herself Ruby let out a scornful scoff she immediately hated herself for,
"Everyone said the same about Yang but she broke Mercury's leg."
"Did she?" Jaune's voice was icy, his eyes burning with sapphire ice as he relived recognising this snarled strand of the spiderweb that had ensnared them all, "We think, or the professor suspected at least that both girls, Pyrrha and Yang, were framed."
"Framed how, in front of all Vale? Everyone saw what happened."
"But no-one saw what Yang or Pyrrha saw; we need to speak to both of them and team CFVY to confirm it but the theory is that someone in the arena during those matches had some sort of illusion Semblance. The current bet is that Emerald girl;" certainly wasn't Cinder, and that silver-haired guy was moving so fast his was likely speed-based; "she was Mercury's teammate and didn't seem to do anything offensive in their matches; the professors' theory is that she can trick someone into seeing something that's not there or not happening…"
"…like an attack," Ruby finished for him, goosebumps prickling her skin as suddenly her sisters' words made sense, "Yang said Mercury attacked her! You're saying what, Emerald or whoever made her see Mercury going for her and she reacted"?
"It's only a theory right now but given what came later it holds up," Jaune said grimly before Nora slammed a fist onto the table, making the cutlery summersault,
"Pyrrha," gone was any trace of vapidity or irreverence, the Valkyrie looked ready to kill as she expanded on this new wisdom, "those bastards, they did the same to her didn't they? That's why she went off the deep end in the final; I've never seen her use her Semblance like that before!" Jaunes' nod was as grim as the swing of an executioners' axe,
"If we're right Yang was a test-run as much as she was a victim, their real target was Pyrrha all along. What better way to start a mass panic than have such a famous icon lethally attack another student in the grand final of an event designed to create unity across Remnant? Given whoever did this managed to hack the Atlas military and the CCT network it's likely they rigged the entire tournament to get that final – Pyrrha's Polarity wouldn't, in fact it couldn't have affected anyone other than Penny that badly."
Silence fell across the table, the enormity of the actions against their teams in particular and their way of life as a whole barely starting to sink in as Ren rubbed his forehead, his normal laid-back demeanour melted into a mask of worry,
"Damn it," he swore softly, "Pyrrha didn't deserve that;" I should have said something, done more – Penny was bad enough but all Vale seeing that final might have contributed to the Grimm swarm attacking and no doubt she's been blaming herself; "no wonder she's been so torn up and you going missing didn't help."
"Speaking of which where were you?" Nora was equal parts accusatory and concerned as she leaned over the table towards him, "We asked everyone but they said they didn't know even when Magnhild was glaring at their kneecaps."
"Magnhild was?"
"Jaune-Jaune I would never threaten anyone like that, and anyway you should feel lucky Magnhild cares; she's very picky about who her friends are." The taller teen couldn't hold a chuckle as he nodded towards the weapon of mass and lower-limb destruction,
"True I suppose, good to know I've got one kick-ass lady weapon on my side."
"Khr-ecentrose…"
"Eep!"
"…sorry, bit of a cough," Ren apologised, face placid even as Ruby lasered it with an adorable death-glare, "anyway, professor Ozpin took you and Pyrrha to the tower."
"Yes, though really he was after Pyrrha; I was just there and got swept along. I thought it was to get her out of there because, well, she was out of it and I didn't blame her. We got to the tower and I didn't know it but Oz had a plan of some kind, he never really explained it but something in his office could help against the Grimm swarm. Problem is we never got there, not unscathed; we were followed and whoever it was," the team leader shook his head, "Ozpin wasn't fancying his chances so we would've been deadweight. Ozpin got us to his office and told us to run; don't know what he was doing but Pyrrha and I pegged it, we got to the front door when that Wyvern thing landed on the roof, its scream knocked us both to our knees. We looked around and that was a screw-up; there were lights in the headmasters' office, looked like the place was on fire and, well, you know Pyrrha – she wasn't going to leave someone in trouble behind."
"You went back? To that thing!"
"Ah, not exactly," though this wasn't quite a fabrication Jaune couldn't meet Nora's appalled gaze, "I told Pyrrha to go and find you, help clear the city, I'd check in on Ozpin and run if things weren't going well. She didn't agree, said she'd be able to fight her way out if it came to it; I know she's leagues better than me in combat but she wasn't in the right place, not so soon after Penny. It was a no-win situation but awful as it sounds I thought that at least if she was fighting Grimm she wouldn't have to think about them being people. It got heated but there wasn't time; she wouldn't listen, I thought she might swing for me and, well, there was this rocket locker lying there…"
His voice tailed off but his last gesture got the point across, all four of his audience regarding him agog as the scene formed in their minds,
"You launched her!" Nora's voice was a reedy squeak through the hand she'd clapped over her mouth, Ren at her side blinking as though he'd just taken Magnhild between the ears,
"No wonder she punched you yesterday."
"Yeah," Ruby breathed, the mental image of the rangy boy forcing the athletic champion into the locker stirring up memories of her and Yang trying to wrestle Zwei into the bath – seriously, how did such a little dog spread his paws that wide, "you were lucky; if you'd sent me blasting off like that I'd have probably kicked you in the, er, the… undercarriage."
"Well I'm glad she didn't, her shoes are pointy," all three girls laughed as Ren winced in male solidarity, though the mirth quickly dried up as his expression sobered, "but anyway, I did that mostly by luck and I knew she'd hate me afterwards but it was the only thing I could do. I was about to go in, had Crocea Mors drawn and was at the front door when, I really can't describe this but something happened – I just got to the door and felt something pass through me. I was hot and cold at the same time, just about realised I was on my knees and that was it, nothing afterwards – Ruby got me out of there," though the younger girl jumped at her name she quickly nodded, remembering the cover story she'd been told and backing up his explanation, "I woke up the night before last, I think I was somewhere on the Atlas side but didn't see anything, they were keeping me all hush-hush until I could be sent back here and moved me in the night. Though before you start celebrating," his hand and tone both cut off the looming explosion of joy, "I'm not staying in Ocean View, I can't."
The atmosphere froze, everyone but his mother staring at him in disbelief, unable to contemplate the thought of him not being there; damn it, I knew this would hurt but them as well as me? Gotta end this, make the cut clean;
"Why?" Damn it; he'd left it too late and Nora's destroyed expression almost broke him – he wanted nothing more than to drop all the cloak-and-dagger shenanigans and hug his friends so tight he'd never let go but he couldn't, it would just drag out the bleeding for all of them,
"Nothing to do with any of us Nora," he hoped his smile was reassuring but feared it came across as sickly, "first of all no-one knows why I collapsed. Some of the professors have reconned Beacon tower, Atlas drones did too but the place is a wreck, no idea what Ozpin did up there even if it killed that dragon-thing; last I heard the theory is whoever followed us attacked him before he could set it off fully. Because of that I'm under observation – they ran all sorts of tests while I was under but as far as I know they came back fine, so nothing unusual on that front. However, what is unusual is everything else," he leant forwards and the rest of the table echoed him, craning in to hear his muttered voices, "Goodwitch said, just before I was transferred here, that whoever did this is something or someone Beacon and Vale Council, hell likely any of the Kingdoms haven't seen before. Whoever they are they're clever enough to hack all our CCT protocols and the Atlas military, armed enough to cause the Breach and organised enough to get people like Torchwick and the Fang working together, never mind corral the Grimm in Mount Glenn. I didn't see anyone in the Tower but that doesn't mean no-one saw me; the professors are worried that if word gets out I was there the wrong kind of people are going to be hunting me down and we cannot afford that now – if they could get into Beacon and take down Ozpin they can easily break in here and take me."
Despite the softness of his voice the words seemed to echo between them and despite knowing his duty Jaune cursed himself for the impacts he could see reverberating across his team and best friend. Ruby was looking anywhere but at him, Nora seemed ready to explode in either rage or tears while Ren was facing the table, fists clenched so tightly his whole body was shaking; he wanted to reach out to them, touch them and tell them it would be all right but he was an Arc; and isn't that the whole reason for this mess?; and he didn't lie. Instead he had to sit still, hiding the nausea and despair and wait for Ren, praise the Brothers for Ren, to break free of the paralysis,
"How," even the stoic boys' voice was shuddering, "how long?"
"I don't know; I hope not long," Jaune's voice rose before he crushed it down remorselessly, not wanted to be the catalyst that sparked tears, "Goodwitch and mum talked it out this morning. I'll be recovering at home, I'll probably change scroll numbers when I'm there."
"But," Nora sounded lost, as though the ground under her feet was crumbling away, "but you're our fearless leader. We're not JNPR without Jaune-Jaune."
"I know, I hate it as much as you do but hopefully this monitoring will be over soon. And hey, look on the bright side," somehow he managed to smile as teal eyes met his own, "no-one knows what Oz did or how I'll react to it; I might get laser vision or the power to leap tall buildings in a single bound."
"Or flight; oh, oh dibs on the first trip if you do!"
"You got it Nora, though you might have to fight Ruby for it."
"And I'll win," the Valkyrie announced determinedly, squaring up to the Rose with her fists raised; Ruby had pulled her hood up so far Jaune couldn't see her face but from the way Noras' warlike expression plummeted he could guess. He fumbled for words but found none as she pushed her chair back and stood up – he watched every step she took out of the canteen, his heart bleeding in time with her footsteps but before he could go after her someone else had taken charge, Sal stirring from her place in the background as she put a hand on his shoulder,
"I'll talk to her," her voice was soft but brooked no argument as she glanced between the three teammates, "I hate to say it but we'll likely be leaving tomorrow…"
"Yeah," Jaune picked up on the cue, managing a watery smile as he looked across the table, "listen guys I know it's a lot to take in, it was for me at least. I'll come and find you both later, once we've all had a chance to breathe – until then do you know where I can find Pyrrha?"
Ren and Nora looked at each other, then at him before Nora took the lead,
"Uhh Jaune, do you think that's a good idea?"
"Honestly no but I can't leave without talking to her," he ran a hand through his hair, already dreading what was to come but knowing he had to plough through it anyway, "she's got a right to know what's going on and hear my side of the story for what I did – she'll probably hate me for it but that's her right."
"Oh come on Jaune-Jaune it's Pyrrha," Nora chided, though the wide smile didn't quite reach her eyes, "she's not got a nasty bone in her body." And I can only hope that's still true;
"I know but given what happened I might end up with a few broken ones in mine; take it from one who knows rocket lockers are not comfortable. If I'm not back before it gets dark please come and pull her off, preferably before she chops me into tiny pieces and mails me to Atlas."
At his raised eyebrow Nora looked away innocently, a genuine smile on her lips this time as Ren shrugged,
"We'll make sure it's return delivery," he deadpanned, smirking at Jaune's sardonic look before the knight heaved himself to his feet, "if she's not in here she's likely near the piers. Professor Goodwitch moved a load of crates to fence in an outdoor training area, she's usually in there." He nodded and made to move off,
"Thanks – right, better get this over with. Wish me luck."
"Good luck," Nora called after him, "if she breaks your legs just scream and come running." Jaune paused, looking over his shoulder confused,
"Umm, shouldn't that be 'scream and we'll come running'?" Nora waved him off airily,
"Eh, too much effort; the peons run to the Queen of the Castle not the other way around."
"Of course, how could I forget? Well then your majesty," he bowed, the chortle on his lips not forced or fake as his teammates made the aches fade for a time, "with your permission I will depart on this quest."
"Indeed, go see your fair maiden, and Jaune" the hammer-wielder dropped her airs and graces to face him directly, her smile small, genuine and backed up by Rens' solemn nod, "good luck, both of you."
He wanted to say thanks, he really did but his throat closed so tight it almost choked him; instead he nodded and raised a hand in thanks, all three teammates turning from each other before the silence could swallow them all. Blinking in the afternoon sun Jaune followed the sound of the ocean, dredging up what remained of his steel to face his next challenge as, in his wake, two young orphans soundlessly made to blot out this sudden new agony of loss the way they had all other pains since the nightmare steed had trampled their old lives into ruin.
XXX
It had been over twenty years since Sal had hunted Grimm but, fortunately, the sometimes-prey that had come afterwards made tracking her latest mark easy.
Keeping a low profile the former Huntress picked her way around the periphery of Ocean View, turning recent events over in her minds and shaking her head; right or wrong what's done is done, no point dwelling on it now, especially as there's someone else to focus on. Unless I miss my guess she's hiding, she seems a bit shy to lash out at anyone and too good to act out. Wish mine were; grumbling at a few choice memories of her daughters and adding a mental folder for Jaunes' bout of insanity – faking transcripts, what had that boy been thinking – Salahara barely needed to think as she ducked into one of the three warehouses, dismissing the few curious glances with long practice as her eyes fell on the small interior offices; bingo. Approaching them noiselessly she cocked her ear before, hearing nothing, slowly opening them to get a look inside.
Fortunately she was patient enough to let her eyes adjust, otherwise she'd have missed the girl in the gloom – swaddled in her dark cloak Ruby was near-invisible as she sat on a row of stacked crates, hood up trying to block out the world. Extrapolating her experience with her own brood Sal delayed her instinctive desire to go over and comfort the child, instead letting Ruby acclimatise to her being there for a minute before reaching across the wall with a warning,
"Light," she closed her eyes as she flicked the switch and whiteness stabbed through her eyelids, "sorry, I can't get over there without it; Jaune gets his natural grace, or lack of it, from me."
Ruby managed a bubbling chuckle but didn't look at her, pawing her eyes as Sal strode over; taking a seat beside her the woman said and did nothing for a moment before, by slow degrees, laying a hand on her closest shoulder. Ruby went rigid, breath catching in her throat before she slowly relaxed, not resisting as Sal drew her gently into her side. Damn it; feeling the smaller figure tremble even through her coat Sal raged inside even as she slipped her arm fully around the teenager; hasn't anyone spoken to any of these kids? Where are their parents in all this?;
"I know," she murmured, "I know it hurts."
"I, I'm so, s'sorry."
"For what? None of this is on you."
"I got P,Pyrrha's message, about the tower, ran there," there was no mistaking the bitter laugh – Sal knew she would have to act fast when the moment came, "I'm fast, s'posed to be but was too slow and it's now, now it's gone. Lost my team, lost my s'sister and gonna lose my best friend 'cause, 'cause I wasn't fast enough." She expected, perhaps in the deepest pits of her despair even hoped Sal would agree, shrug off her arm and leave her to rot; when that didn't happen she struggled slightly, trying to get free of this comfort she didn't deserve; she should be with Jaune, she's his mother – he needs her mor…;
"Thank you."
Reality crashed, Ruby barely able to breathe as the words echoed in her head like a bell chime,
"Wh…" her throat was dry, voice a croak, "…what?"
"I came here fearing the worst and I see Jauney alive in front of me; I've never felt so relieved. Then he tells me his best friend, the youngest girl in the year, ran headlong towards the biggest Grimm ever sighted around Vale to find him, not caring about the danger. You saved my sons' life Ruby Rose," her voice became a growl, Sals' emotion overflowing as Ruby bit her lips so hard it brought tears to her eyes, "you will not apologise to me or any other Arc – we owe you a debt we can never pay and I will not have you beating yourself up over it do you hear me? I will not have it!"
There was a tremor, then another and Sal shook her head, clearing her hair off her shoulder to let the traumatised Hunter cadet bury her face there unimpeded as the walls Ruby had erected came crashing down. The reaper didn't scream or thrash, instead she sobbed and clung on like a limpet, Sal forced to mask the strangulation with discrete Aura use as she swivelled to pull Ruby onto her lap, embracing her fully. Caressing the shuddering back soothingly Sal glowered, sending metal expletives towards one of the departed; what the hell were you thinking Ozpin? She's a fifteen-year-old girl and you dragged her into this life – she should be giggling over boys and worrying about acne, not crying her eyes out with survivors guilt; she gave no voice or face to her black thoughts, however, instead focussed on the shivering bundle of misery in her lap until finally the punctured gasps eased, the stranglehold slackened and the tremors started to die away.
Urgh; she drifted in some strange half-space, like her mind was half a step behind, a stranger in her own body. She could feel herself blink and the ache in her tear ducts swell once the movement was done, the air had a taste and smell she only caught on the breath out; she felt a hundred years old, wrung out and frayed like one of Zweis' chew-toys. She made to rub her eyes but something blocked her hand from her face; she jerked backwards instinctively but was held in place softly by a pair of arms as her memory caught up. She should have stammered an excuse, an apology for her weakness; seriously, crying when everyone else was getting on with it; but was too tired, listening as the older woman looked her right in her swollen silver eyes and spoke with a tender smile,
"Better?"
"Yeah," she managed a sad smile, her voice a ghost of its usual self, "thank you I…"
"You," Sal cut across her, "are one of the strongest young women I have ever met and I know my daughters – I doubt any of them, maybe even all of them together would have been able to do what you've done Ruby. Listen, I'm no-ones' expert in Hunting any more but one of my old masters taught me a way to deal with times like this, when life seems full of Grimm. Would you like to hear it?"
"Yes, please," Ruby nodded before freezing at a mortifying realisation; I've just bawled my eyes out in this woman's lap, and I'm still in her lap; "uh, should I, er… get down; I mean, off you?"
"Do you want to?" Ruby opened her mouth but nothing came out, blood rushing to her cheeks as she eventually shook her head – despite the embarrassment she really didn't want this hug to end, "Then don't," permission granted Ruby tucked herself against the older woman, no words spoken until Sal was resting her chin atop a field of reddish hair, supporting the wounded child with her presence as much as her wisdom, "treat your troubles, whatever they are, like a pack of beowolves. You've hunted them before haven't you Ruby?"
"Uh-huh," the girl managed, drinking in the sanctity of their embrace like water, "lots of times."
"You know how to handle a pack?"
"Yeah."
"Tell me."
"Don't go in alone unless you've got no choice," she recited lessons learned by rote, her voice and confidence strengthening as the knowledge came back, "lead them a chase, pick them off in ones and twos if you can; if any run hunt them down later, the fighters take priority. Go for the alpha first if there's a chance at it and don't let them flank you – it's the one you don't see that'll get you." She felt as much as saw Sal nod in agreement,
"Right in one; now those things you said earlier, those troubles on your mind, imagine they're all beowolves. Can't ignore them or run away from them, they'll chase you down and if you go piling in trying to slay them all at once they'll overwhelm you – so, how do you deal with those beowolf-troubles?"
Ruby was still for a moment, turning the question over in her mind before picking her way carefully towards an answer,
"You, you pick them off," she sat up a little straighter, the realisation flowing over her, "you take down the alpha, the biggest one as soon as you can. Don't try and fix everything all at once, it's not possible and, if you can, get someone to, or in this case ask for help?"
"You're a bright girl Ruby, wish my lot picked this stuff up as quick – I swear to the Brothers I'm going to engrave my motherly wisdom on a bat and beat Blue over the head with it unless she bucks her ideas up."
"Blue? Jaune's got a sister?"
"He's got several."
"Oh yeah, you said you had daughters, wow you're a real matri-Arc; oh gods that was awful. Yang, stop corrupting me when you're not even here!"
"Yang – your sister?"
"Yeah; she was, hurt during the battle."
"Ah-ah, beowolves – now, going by what you said earlier your sisters' injury is one of your problems but you're not a doctor, nor am I – that's a running beowolf, we can leave it until later. You've already turned another to dust; Jaune will be fine, I'll make sure of it and if he even thinks of forgetting you I'll kick his backside until he remembers," despite herself Ruby chuckled at the image, "and I think I might have an idea for dealing with a third."
"Really? Which one?"
"Give me a minute, just need to put the last touches to it," Sal informed her before turning slightly more serious, "while we're on the subject though, is there an alpha in this pack? You said you lost your team," she explained, almost fearing the answer as Ruby shivered against her, "did any of them…?"
"No, no, they all made it; Yang's hurt, Weiss had to, she was forced to go back to her family and Blake's missing, has been since the battle. She's alive though, dragged Yang out of there then vanished." Stupid bitch; Sal was grateful Ruby was still in her lap, unable to see the anger that flashed across her face; first rule of hunting, team comes first. Whoever this Blake is she better not crawl back here until I'm gone;
"But you have lost someone – I saw your face," Sal explained softly as Ruby pushed backwards to regard her horror-struck, "when I mentioned black notes in the canteen I saw you jolt. You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to." Nodding at this Ruby rested her ear against Sals' shoulder and spoke, ignoring the twinge of old pain as it throbbed in her heart,
"M, my mother," she mumbled, closing her eyes as the arms tightened around her, holding her as her lost parent must have done once upon a time, "Summer, she was a Huntress, never came back one day. I wasn't very old so can't really remember her – Yang knew her better but even she wasn't much older. Dad said she was a hero, never left anyone behind; I wanted to be just like her, it's why I made Crescent Rose and went into Beacon." Sal exhaled slowly, trying not to think ill of the departed despite the other woman seeming to prove all her arguments from earlier correct; easier to leave than to be left behind;
"Most people would call her brave, the best type of Huntress…"
"Not you though."
"No, not me," Sal acknowledged, not reacting to the trace of reproach in Rubys' voice, "but then a lot of people would call me a coward or a weakling for putting my family before the Hunt; Jauney was right when he said everyone has to make that choice themselves. I'm sorry for your loss Ruby, really I am; no child should have to live without their parent but given what you've accomplished – getting into Beacon early, hunting Grimm, saving a life - I'm sure Summer is looking down glowing with pride. Still, I don't blame you for wanting to be someone like that so come on, up you get," she subtly jostled her legs and Ruby slid to the floor, stretching as Sal also stood up and rubbed her thighs, "let's go deal with another one of these ruddy beowolves."
"Another – oh, your idea!"
"You got it, though before we move off I do have one question for you. Jaune called you his best friend last night and you did the same;" I don't like where this is headed; it seemed too much like prime teasing territory and Ruby bit her lip in nervous anticipation, "how did you two meet each other?"
In retrospect she'd have preferred the teasing; though she and Jaune were able to look back on their rough meetings and laugh together, the near certainty that anyone else who heard of it would end up laughing as well meant Ruby was discretely eyeing at the exit as she answered,
"Uh, funny story – you know Jaunes' not good with aircraft?"
"Hmm, not really, he'd not been on a bullhead before he came here; wait," a horrible suspicion dawned, "don't tell me he… it wasn't on you was it?" Ruby had to look away to hide her mirthful grin as she relived the moment,
"No, uh, he missed us, me and Yang that is, but her boots caught some of the splashback. He's been Vomit Boy to us ever since."
"He is his fathers' son," Sal intoned solemnly as palm met face at speed, "first words Jarrett said to me; 'hey, dad's booked a Hunter to come with us, have you seen him around?' quickly followed by the immortal line 'you can't be a Hunter you're a girl, and you're hot!'"
The laugh was free before Ruby could catch it, stuffing both hands over her mouth as she recalled another piece of Arc wisdom,
"All, all you need is confidence right?" Sal groaned, grinding her knuckles against her forehead,
"Soon as I get back I'm shooting him, no, shooting them" she promised darkly, "if Jauney was dumb enough to listen to his dad's advice I'm amazed he got this far without someone arranging his mysterious disappearance."
"Weiss might have done it if it wasn't against the school charter," Ruby assured her, still grinning widely as she recalled her partners' reactions to the young knights cringey attempts at courtship, "but no, Jaune pulled me out of a hole, quite literally, when I first got here and we've been close since. We're both team leads too, so we got the extra classes to bond over – I can tell you all about it if you like." Sal smiled, gently wiping her thumb down the girls' closest cheek reassuringly,
"I'd like that a lot Ruby, but first," she pointed to the exit, her wicked grin soon echoed by the young reaper, "let's go talk to your teachers…"
XXX
Pivot, swing, spear up…
It was a dance, the only performance she would make without judgement; long exposure to fame had taught her to hide all else – only with weapons drawn could she be free.
Block, bash, back a step…
Motion, movement, all was freedom; there was always another step, another pace she had to catch up.
Slash, slash, parry, rush in close…
She wanted to fix things, that made sense, so much was still broken and needed to be made right. People had asked, told in some cases, her to slow down and they meant well but they didn't know what it would mean if she did.
Fall back, transform, sight, shot-shot-shot, change back into guard…
If she stopped, if she took a moment to breathe it would mean she had to think, to remember…
…the green glow fading from the eyes of the girl her powers, her very soul had torn apart…
…silence from the audience, damning testimony of the life she had taken, blossoming to screams as the sky darkened and the Grimm descended…
…Bullhead turbulence, the decision she had to make – to lose herself for a greater plan she knew nothing of…
…the slow, searing agony burning her very being as something else, something other began subsuming her deepest core…
…the stab of phantom cold in her heart, then the horrible sickness as the other presence rushed away into death…
…Ozpin demanding they run, she and Jaune obeyed as they fled like beaten curs…
…destiny calling from the broken windows, the great Grimm landing like the shadow of death…
…sweetness sacrificed, what should have been the crowning achievement of her time at Beacon ashes on her wrestling tongue…
…the sickening swoop of a missed blow, the sensation so unfamiliar the intimate touch from the object of her desire didn't register…
…horror, abject and absolute wretchedness clawing at her as the engines engaged and the weight of her failure crashed down on her…
…the Grimm were a strange blessing, her mind falling into a cold battle focus as she sized up the environment, her foe and how to take them all down.
Since then she had been in perpetual motion, or as close as she get to it; training, patrolling, slaying Grimm or studying her Aura it didn't matter, as long as she was moving nothing else mattered. Without thought there was no need to dwell her failures and their consequences, no reason to wonder how many of the Grimm prowling the city gates had been drawn there by her, no need to acknowledge the piercing blue eyes that had been tracking her flawless performance for the past few minutes; block, thrust, warding strike into shif…;
"All right Jaune, just like we practised; follow these instructions…" Her pirouette faltered, a step was missed; Milo gouged a divot in the floor as its wielder stumbled, barely catching herself without twisting an ankle as her own voice shattered her focus. Slowly recovering, breaths rasping her lungs as exhaustion took hold Pyrrha laboriously dragged a curtain of drenched hair from her face in time to see a familiar back slowly but surely take up a stance in time with her disembodied words.
She should have been proud at seeing her team leader training to improve himself; instead she felt… she felt too many things to know which ones were real.
It had been so simple just a few days ago, her feelings towards her endearing but oblivious so honest and heartfelt she wanted to weep for their loss. The butterflies in her stomach had been boiled into a witches brew of razor wings and venomous bile, her uncertainty with words around the taller boy replaced with a roulette wheel of emotions and actions that span so fast it made her head hurt. She'd lashed out yesterday without really knowing why; she hadn't even been able to justify it later – it certainly hadn't made her feel any better then just like seeing Crocea Mors cutting through the air wasn't now. Part of her wanted to smile, another crueller part wanted to sneer and yet others wanted to laugh, howl, scream, shout from the rooftops that he was a fraud and a hero in the same breath – now she was still again the pressure began building behind her eyes, the conflicting messages making her grit her teeth as she stepped forwards stiffly, not stretched off properly as she paced towards the practising knight,
"What, what are you doing?"
"Training," Jaunes' voice stirred the pot viciously, bringing her up short, "my partner's apparently this really big celebrity from Mistral, maybe you've heard of her? Anyway, she was nice enough to make me these training screens for when she wasn't around and, from what I've heard," he sheathed his blade with a rasp, switching his scroll off with a finger, "she's not been around much recently has she Pyrrha? Want to tell me why that is?"
She did, she did more than anything on Remnant at the same time as she never wanted to speak to this, this betrayer ever again; Milo canted forwards, halfway towards a guard pose as its wielder was similarly torn halfway between too many directions to count, regarding her partner warily,
"I," she was at war within, every emotion, thought, memory and feeling scrapping desperately for control, "I, don't believe you have any right to lecture me on not being here." The words were sharp, the tone cool and she immediately regretted and rejoiced in them just as she did the sight of Jaune falling back a pace,
"Oh, is that right," he rallied and she prepared herself for anything simply because she had no idea what she, never mind he, was going to do or say next, "injury notwithstanding I suppose I can't argue with that. So, what's the plan now?"
"Plan?" She'd almost forgotten what the word meant, "I will do my best to repair the damage to the city and my school. The sooner everything is repaired the sooner it goes back to normal, surely you understand that?"
"Yeah, I do," Jaune sighed, trying to puzzle out his net move; and Pyrrha's not helping – I was expecting her to be furious after hitting me, hoped we'd rage at each other and go from there but it's like she's not really angry? Is she trying to disassociate from everything – I get it but that's bad and good, she likely won't care too much about my news but unless she focusses on something this could go bad, it's too soon for her to be over the invasion; "I heard about your work in the city, on the recovery and hunting parties. Nice work…"
"It's needed;" don't try saying nice things, it won't work – I've been flattered by better than you even if they weren't as genuine; "there's nothing nice about it, you'd know that if you'd been out there with us." Jaunes' wince was relished and reviled in equal measure,
"Fair point, though fair warning I won't be with you for a while longer."
Though he didn't like doing it he didn't feel like he had a choice; not only did his partner deserve the truth he was doing nothing chipping away at the stone façade she was putting up. He needed to go deep, hit a nerve as those jade eyes widened and Milo sagged towards the floor he realised he was on target; now to follow it up;
"I've told Ren and Nora already – you know the story Glynda told you?" She nodded reflexively; in truth no-one had asked her about what she'd seen that night so she hadn't dwelt overmuch on what Goodwitch had told her, "I told them that but you know a bit more." He glanced around to check for unwanted listeners and those sapphire eyes were off her, letting the emotional stew react to this new rock that had been thrown into it,
"Basically I'm still hurt, need to recover away from here, away from Vale in case someone makes a move to take me…"
"Why not tell the truth;" for a change; memoires of Ozpin betting her life on a machine and a fairy story bubbled through the mental murk, souring her tone and making her expression scathing as she looked the man before her up and down, "you killed the Wyvern, I didn't see it but it's the only thing that makes sense. Tell the people that, give them hope – who'd try anything against a leviathan-slayer?"
"Cinder Fall for one; thought that might get your attention," Jaune was a vindictive person but he couldn't deny a rush of vicious vindication as he repaid his partners' sniping, Pyrrha recoiling at the name, "Ruby only found me."
"You didn't kill her?"
"Not from lack of trying; she could have been burnt to a crisp for all I know but they didn't find a body. You know she took down Ozpin," he took half a step forwards and stopped as the bronze spear lowered, Pyrrha apparently unaware of having moved as she digested this; so that's how it is? Damn it Pyr, I am sorry but you'd have done the same, you did try to do the same; "if she or someone like her comes to the View it won't end well, not to mention her team still hasn't been seen since."
"They've got posters out, if they've any sense they'll have left already," planning was comforting, planning was safe – discussing tactics like this was cold, clinical, no room for clumsy, painful emotions, "so, you run and what, we make the shield wall while you recover?"
She didn't realise how cruel that had sounded until she saw Jaune's expression fall, then retreat into impassiveness; if there was one thing the would-be knight was not it was a coward. Pyrrha wanted to apologise but didn't trust herself not to make the whole situation worse – she wasn't even sure why she was being or at least coming across so spiteful when she was relieved her partner was still alive and instead remained mute, her fractured emotions her only companions as Jaune replied,
"For what it's worth I don't like it but it's out of my hands," his colourless tone broke and hardened her heart, "you're the strongest of all of Pyrrha, you know that as well as I do. I'm going to be out for a while so JNPR is a man down, RWBY is completely gone save one, CVFY and the rest of the upperclassmen are stretched to the limit and from what I've heard around here CRDL are doing what they need to and then hitting the town every night. Vale needs all the Hunters, all the teams it can get so I'm going to ask Ruby to step in and lead you, Ren and Nora until…"
"What?" Jealously roared like an emerald flame, confusion span like a whirlpool and disbelief and doubt hovered like cloying smog, "Why her?"
"Why not; do you want it, you want to be the leader Pyrrha? You want to make the same decision I did?" The question brought her up short, Jaunes' gaze boring into her and to her shame and relief she faltered, not able to meet it even as she responded to his last question,
"I did make the same decision you did, you just got out the way in time."
"Yes, more by luck than judgement but for the best overall."
A slop of bitter bile and spite sloshed from her tormented mind and she was laughing before she was even aware of it, the noise jagged as she smiled, lips stained with sweet-tasting poison,
"Of course, only one of us could face the dragon;" stop it, stop it – it wasn't like that, I was trying to save him; "you always wanted to be a hero Jaune, now because of that decision you are. Was it worth it;" I don't know, don't answer, I can't even think about that question; "was it worth abandoning me?" There was a flash of hurt and she grinned and grieved simultaneously, though to her disappointment and relief he didn't rise to the toxic bait, instead facing her down with a drawn expression and cool words,
"For me no, for you who was in no fit state to fight Cinder and everyone you rescued in Vale after you landed absolutely yes. That's the sort of decision we, Ruby and I, have to make on the field, that's what we learn in those leader-only classes – it's not an ego-pampering session like Weiss imagines, we plan for the worst. Going back was a death-sentence Pyrrha but I know you, you weren't going to let Cinder get away with what she'd done to Oz or that other girl; I didn't know what that was all about and right then I didn't care, still don't to be honest; and you're much more important to Vale, hell to Remnant than I am. You're an icon, losing you would crush everyone still fighting and embolden the Grimm so I made the choice, the only choice, knowing or at least suspecting it would lead to this," the fire deserted him, Jaune huffing out a short sigh as he regarded his partner openly, not trying to hide the haunted expression on his face, "you want to be in that seat Pyrrha, you want to have to make that call and end up on my side of this conversation?"
The spartan didn't answer, her face carved marble as the words dissolved within her emotional storm, calming the thunder for a moment as she tried to stand in his shoes above the feelings that had driven her actions. He saved me, he saved me because it made the most sense; it was simultaneously endearing and infuriating – for an instant she saw the ghost of Ozpin stood behind her leader, sipping from his mug as he made his decisions for the greater good; the damned greater good – if he'd been there Ozpin would have done the same, maybe ordered Jaune in while getting me away for the same reason…;
"Yeah, that's what I thought;" huh?; shaken back to herself Pyrrha belatedly realised her angry thoughts were written large on her face and body; no, wait, I didn't mean that!; "look Pyrrha let's both be honest; neither of us are ready for this, this sort of talk, are we?" She shook her head, gnawing her lip as she fumbled for words that could be both apology and condemnation for his callous decision-making,
"So let's take a break before either of says something stupid; I don't know how long I'm going to be gone but it'll be a while, enough to clear the air. I know you're strong Pyr, all I'm asking is you look after the other three especially as you know more about what's really going on – keep your eyes open but for the love of the Brothers don't just stay here training; Ren and Nora will always have your back, don't turn it on them because they won't understand." She was quiescent for a moment, apparently mulling it over before coming to a decision, meeting him eye to eye as she announced her decree,
"I'll do what needs to be done."
About as good as could be hoped for; though his face matched her for being unreadable, in truth Jaune was somewhat relieved; though she often didn't realise it Pyrrha was protective of her friends and proud of her skills. His actions had likely felt to her like a betrayal of her trust and lack of confidence in her prodigious powers; such a blade bit deeply but not, he hoped, insurmountably – though it was unlikely things would go back to exactly how they were before, with time he was reasonably sure the Mistralian champion would at least see (if not actively agree with) the reasons for his actions. For now though it was best if he let her be; he had a few other contingencies in mind but right now he needed to give his partner space,
"Thanks Pyrrha – it might not mean much to you right now but I'm grateful. Anyway, I'm leaving tomorrow morning," the admission made her twitch but no more, the information swallowed with barely a ripple across her seething sea of raw feelings, "as soon as I can I'll let you know my new scroll number, talk to me any time. Until then I'll, well, I'll see you sometime."
She tracked his movement away from her training square; she wanted to call out to him to stop, throw herself into his arms, break down on the spot, beat him into the floor, hurl Milo through his retreating back and scream into the sky, pulled in so many directions she stayed rooted to the ground, unable to speak or move. Only after he was long lost to her sight did she finally manage to react in the only way that would allow her to avoid contemplating what she'd just been told.
Spear up, block, take the charge…; in the dance of combat she could lose herself again.
Shift, slash and reverse-cut, kick…; here there was just herself and her enemies, she had trained to deal with enemies.
Parry, riposte, wipe eyes, stab out, miss, recover…; she was the pride of Mistral, a prodigy unseen in generations, it was her duty, her privilege to improve.
Strike out, recover, act don't think, shift, shoot…; more practice, more training, that was all she needed and she'd be fine…
Fire, reload, drop clip damn it we're better than this, start again from the top…;
…perfectly fine.
A/N: So, seems like there's more going on with Pyrrha than even Jaune sees or knows – how will this all shake out, what is Jaune having to recover from (apart from his mother – as an aside, apart from his eldest sister I wasn't able to find any information about most of Jaunes' family so Salahara is entirely my interpretation of what a mother of eight warrior-woman would be like; did she come across well?) and what impact did the Battle of Beacon have on the rest of its students and Vale itself? All, or perhaps all, may be revealed later…
