Jealousy.
It was one of the seven evils that every Salemist was to face and overcome. Jealousy was the sin of putting oneself before their community, before Salem Herself, and it led, inevitably, to destruction and ruin.
Pyrrha had to learn to best the jealousy within her, but sometimes… sometimes it was hard. When she saw Weiss hanging on Jaune's arm, she felt a pang of knowing how wonderful it could be if things didn't work out for them, if they broke up, and, perhaps, Jaune would need an understanding shoulder to cry on? Perhaps he'd enjoy a girl who would be less… hesitant to do certain things with him?
But no. That was the voice of Jealousy. Its siren song leading her astray, tempting her from the true path of Salem's wisdom, down the path of darkness that ended with "Listening to Yang."
Shaking her head clear of her thoughts, Pyrrha wondered if she should ask Ren and Nora for their advice. They were her congregation now, and she'd come to really appreciate them as her community here at Beacon. But she could already hear what they'd say: Ren would quote the Book of Sayings, sharing either the story of St. Rubicante or the parable of the Faithful Scorpion, while Nora would tell her to "just bang it out," which was... not an option.
Sighing, she stirred her hot cocoa, wishing she could either live by Ren's austere wisdom or Nora's passionate joy instead of this horrible middle.
"Um, hey, can I… talk? With you?"
Pyrrha glanced up. Velvet. A girl who Pyrrha had very little interaction with except that, from Ren's observation, she knew that she had been blessed by Jaune's power. Alone. Yes, nothing happened, Ren had observed the whole thing, but Pyrrha would give her right arm to go into the woods alone with Jaune and receive his divine commandment. She would carry out his every request, no matter how demanding… perhaps even suggest a few things she might do for his worshipful presence, to show her devotion...
But no, she had to accept that it was Jaune's choice who received his blessings, and, apparently, this bunny-eared bitch was the-
No. Not appropriate. Breathe. Overcome the jealousy within. She had been blessed by Jaune, He had chosen her, and it was not Pyrrha's place to question His judgment.
"Hello Velvet," Pyrrha said, as measured as she could, "and Yatsuhashi," she nodded to the big man. She hoped this wasn't about the display in Miss Goodwitch's class when she'd soundly bested him and Coco together, smacking them down with their own weapons. She had been in… a bit of a mood that day. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Velvet took a deep, nervous breath. "It's… it's about your partner."
"Oh? What could you have to talk to me about Jaune for?" Here to rub it in you thieving bitch? She mentally added, wholly against her will.
"Have you ever noticed that he's… not like other men?"
Pyrrha's eyes went wide. She hadn't been expecting this—sure, Pyrrha was personally shocked more people didn't recognize how remarkable Jaune was, and Velvet had experienced it firsthand, but… that tone of voice…
It was the voice she knew from her Salemist faith. The quiet whisper with the force of an earthquake, the voice of a believer, who only just discovered the true depth of belief.
"You mean..." her voice was low, barely more than a whisper, struggling to keep her emotions in check, "you mean his Semblance?"
Velvet nodded. "His Semblance… yes, I can see why you think it's a Semblance, but… there are some… older ways that are still observed in Remnant, and my family has long known these truths. It's so much more than a Semblance."
She had no idea how right she was. Pyrrha was afraid to start getting her hopes up, to anticipate the other shoe dropping, but… was Velvet able to see what was so obvious to Pyrrha?
"Jaune's not an ordinary man," Velvet explained, "He's a locus of power, a convergence of Remnant's ley lines given animate form in a spiritus, a genius loci, it's called. Or…" Velvet blushed, "More simply, he's an incarnate spirit, a sacred power made flesh, but instead of just a spirit to protect the site, he's..."
"A demigod..." Pyrrha exhaled.
Velvet blinked. "I… I've been worried to use that term," she said, her voice confirming that she'd certainly thought it, "But… yes. He contains a power that cannot be understood by us, but one that needs to be protected, sheltered, tended to- for the sake of the whole world. He is aura itself, and his blessing could change the very direction of life on all of Remnant!"
Pyrrha grasped that Velvet was making sense of what she didn't understand through a pagan lens, making use of terms like genius loci or an incarnate spirit, because she did not know the truth of Salem. But Velvet understood what her fellow Salemists had been hesitant to accept: that Jaune was more than a VIP. More than anything human.
A terrifying truth, electrifying and awe-inspiring in such a degree that she'd been too afraid to even think it, until, from the mouth of an unbeliever, the Truth was revealed: Jaune's divinity could not be denied.
"How… how many," she asked, her voice a whisper, "How many know?"
Velvet blushed, rubbing her neck. "So far, Yatsuhashi and I are the only members of the faithful."
Yatsuhashi quietly nodded, but the look on his face suggested he was less a "believer" and more… supporting his partner.
Velvet continued. "I've talked to Coco and Fox about this, but… Fox said I was starting to sound... scary and Coco told me to… she said some things I won't repeat. Because she's Coco."
Pyrrha nodded. She was worse than Yang when it came to innuendo. But Pyrrha knew plenty who could be led into the light. Ren and Nora, of course, but she'd been slowly introducing truths to Ruby, who was proving to be a very attentive and interested potential convert… And even with only a few stones tumbling, it would be the start of an avalanche.
"But you see it!" Velvet suddenly brightened, "You've felt his touch, experienced the embrace of his power, the ecstatic penetration of his holy-"
Yatsuhashi quickly cut in, "Perhaps, what my partner means to say, is that this is an experiential revelation, where belief comes from experiencing this supposed power of Mr. Arc. A power," his gaze narrowed perceptively, in that way that made Pyrrha realize she shouldn't underestimate the quiet student, "I think you're more… familiar with."
Pyrrha paused. This was something she hadn't thought about. She had experienced Jaune's power more than anyone and she… did not want to share it with the world, but was that not an act of selfishness? Was this not a test of her faith to pit her more base personal motives against her higher calling? The scriptures were full of Salem's judgment on those who-
"Sup, Bun!" the unmistakable voice of Coco Adel suddenly cut in, interrupting Pyrrha's theological uncertainty.
What- how- Pyrrha hadn't even realized she was here! Did she have a teleportation Semblance? No, it was a Dust Semblance, but- but how?
"Coco!" Velvet shrieked, "You said you didn't want to be a part of-"
"I didn't want to join," Coco smoothly corrected, "Ain't so much into worship and whatnot, but it turns out that I am totally down to design some sacramental vestments for your little cult here, so long as," she lowered her sunglasses to give Pyrrha a rather suggestive look, "Ms. Nikos here is willing to be the muse for my imagination. If she's gonna be modeling some… priestly garments, believe me, you've got all my talents at your disposal. And hey- dancing naked under the full moon? I could be down for that."
"Coco!" Velvet whined, "It's not- that's a religious ritual and you can't..."
The two of them kept going at it, Coco teasing and Velvet trying to defend her faith in vain, with some attempts by Yatsuhashi to stick up for his partner and his, apparently, newly adopted faith. Pyrrha was not fond of the way Coco was saying things, but… it called to mind… images of… certain holy services she could offer for the propitiation of the divine.
Yes, she could see it. Could see it clearly. Velvet was only partially aware of the Truth, but now that she had shared her revelation, Pyrrha could see it so clearly. Jaune… why was Jaune so important to the Queen of All Existence? Why was he so blessed? The answer was so simple: he was simply not an ordinary human. He was a child of divinity, a demigod, Salem's only begotten son, her love, her mercy, her compassion for the sinful state of Remnant poured out in one incarnate form—he was the salvation of Remnant, and they had been granted the privilege of bringing this new revelation to the world!
It was so clear now. Pyrrha had always known she had a destiny with Salemism. She had never thought… never thought she might be a Prophet.
"I just… one question," she asked, interrupting Coco as she asked about baptismal ceremonies and relevant garments, "How… how does this cult feel about polygamy?"
"VERY PRO!" Coco cut in as Velvet tried to answer.
Pyrrha would take it.
It would take time to guide Velvet's revelation to the fullness of the holy Truth. But Pyrrha had begun the process by agreeing to let Velvet consider her interested, and to attend some meetings. She had to be wary—her public stature could make her the sort of recruitment tool an eager bunny might hop to using before the public was ready, but Pyrrha felt energized by the knowledge that she was making the first steps toward bringing divine revelation to the world.
But now was the hard part. Explaining what she'd been afraid to speak of to Ren and Nora—if she was worried about talking to them about her jealousies, she was terrified of saying something with the whiff of heresy, but she had to be brave. It was a virtue of Salemism, one she'd meditated on her whole life, imagining herself in the place of St. Tock, facing down the Silver-Eyed Bandit and vowing not to back down, even if it cost her her life, for the sake of protecting a community of believers. And… she was a Prophet now. She had a Truth to share with the world, and she couldn't hide it.
Still, it didn't make it any easier as she opened the door to the dorm room, seeing Nora and Ren alone (Jaune being with Weiss, a thought that no longer tingled her jealousy so much after what she'd discussed with Velvet), wholly unaware that she was about to upend a thousand years of tradition.
Well. No turning back now.
Pyrrha cleared her throat. Ren raised his eyes, always polite and respectful in his bearing. Nora lazily turned in her chair, flashing Pyrrha an enthusiastic grin. "I..." Pyrrha began, hesitantly, "I have something to say."
"Spill the tea, sis!" Nora said, punctuating her remark by picking up Ren's teacup and dumping its contents on the table.
Ren sighed, giving Pyrrha a look of why did you teach her that expression? And then dutifully mopped up the spill with a napkin. But while Pyrrha felt a twinge of guilt for bringing this upon her friend and fellow believer, she had something so very important to share!
Clearing her throat, Pyrrha began, "I… I just spoke with Velvet, and she-" evidently, from the slump of their shoulders, Nora and Ren had been expecting something different with this announcement, "-has begun to notice… something I think we've all started to notice as well."
Ren raised a quizzical eyebrow, and even Nora looked uncertain with what she was saying. But no matter. Pyrrha had the Truth on her side, and she had no reason to hide it!
"Jaune in not human," she said, her voice inflamed by her faith, "He is something more—we've all noticed it, felt the power of his commands, but Velvet, an Unenlightened, was the first to truly acknowledge to me that Jaune so clearly has a divine nature! But she lacked what we know as Salemists, the true source of all divinity. I have concluded… that he is the only begotten son of Salem."
But the looks on their faces was anything but welcoming. It was… horrified, more like.
"That's… Pyrrha, you're treading dangerously close to heresy!" Ren cried in alarm, "More than close, that's- I know you have feelings for him, but it's clouding your faith! Endangering our entire mission!"
She was taken aback by his response. But only for a moment. Her faith blazed hot in her heart, and it loosened Pyrrha's tongue. She knew the task that was upon her, and she would not fail! "It is not heresy, Ren, it's revelation! Jaune is the fulfilment of everything we believe! His power is the spark to ignite the days foretold, when we can bring the Truth to the world!"
"Ever since the Council of Valois," Ren snarled, angrier than Pyrrha had ever seen, ever imagined him to be capable of, "it's been agreed that Salem's divinity is indivisible, and only she is entitled to the highest veneration of believers, more so, revelation is closed. You're challenging doctrine here, and risking-"
"I will not!" Pyrrha shot back, "Deny what we've all experienced! Ren! You have felt the power yourself and you think that's the touch of an ordinary man!"
"Who are you!" Ren roared, "To contest the Primacy of the Church! The thousand years of tradition!"
Pyrrha was undeterred. "Who is anyone to deny the truth of your own eyes! When has-"
"STOP YELLING!" Nora exploded, brandishing a grenade in her hand, "I swear to Salem, I'll pull the pin if you two can't stop shouting at each other!"
Pyrrha cringed, ashamed to have Nora turn to something so drastic to get them to- wait, hold on!
"There's no pin in that grenade!" she cried in alarm. "The lever- It's primed to blow!"
"AH!" Nora shouted as she flung it out the window, a burst of fire dust blasting out their windowpanes… for the third time this month. Ms. Goodwitch would… not be happy with them.
Nora turned back to the both of them. "Okay… let me get another grenade and I'll start over-"
"No!" Ren cut her off, "I mean, you've made the right point, Nora. We… I let myself get too caught up in doctrine to realize what was really going on here. Pyrrha, I… I don't know if I agree with your theory, but you are my sister in Salemism. You deserve to be heard out."
"I… thank you, Ren." With the heat of the moment interrupted, Pyrrha suddenly remembered how important Ren was to her, his level-headed sensibility that had been so invaluable in their mission. "And… I hope to receive your wisdom as we discern what this truly means."
Ren gave a small smile. "And… I want you to know," he continued, "I'm committed to bringing this to be investigated by the full magisterium of the faithful. But you and I… we've both felt it, and I think Velvet's right. Jaune is not just an ordinary man. I… don't know what he is, but I must admit… you may have found something."
Pyrrha smiled back, feeling her eyes water. This was a moment for history, for their faith, for… for Remnant entirely, but she couldn't forget the people who were important to her. Ren was dear man, her brother in the faith, and-
"Alright!" Nora shouted, "I found another grenade, so let's get back to the peaceful discussion!"
There was one single thought that was driving Jaune's behavior of the past few months: that he could not afford to be an ordinary man.
It wasn't going to be enough to be an adequate student. He had… followed some less-than-legitimate methods to get into Beacon, and, even with his best efforts, he knew it was obvious that something was off about him. Particularly with Ms. Goodwitch. She definitely knew something was up with him, and unless he could step it up and prove he belonged here, Jaune was only buying time until he was exposed. So he doubled and redoubled his efforts to prove that he was a lot more than just "ordinary."
That, of course, was easier said than done.
A sudden burst of ice dust against his shield suddenly doubled its weight, his arm drooping as Weiss exploited the opening, Myrtenaster streaking forward. Jerking backwards, he narrowly dodged, collapsing his shield to de-ice it as he tried to counter with a left hook… only to be adroitly punished for the obviousness of his assault, Weiss easily dodging and battering him with a sudden jolt of electricity—Pyrrha's training only left Jaune bruised and exhausted, but Weiss burned, froze, and electrocuted him.
Pulling back, Jaune gripped both hands on Crocea Mors, shifting his stance to fight with sword only. Lunging forward, he only made it two steps before Weiss sidestepped and had the tip of her sword at his throat.
Weiss nodded. "Pyrrha taught you well on adapting," she said, her analytical mind whirring through his performance, "but you're still having trouble leveraging your strengths. You're holding your own, but now you have to push. Let's try that again."
Readying his stance, Jaune braced himself for his girlfriend's newest onslaught.
But this time, Jaune had a surprise—a fire dust crystal, lodged in his shield face, that went off with a FWOOSH of flame as the ice crystal…
Oh, oh, oh, he didn't expect the fire dust to make his shield get so hot!
"Ahhhhhhhggggggghhhhhhh," he hissed as he cast his shield down with a heavy clunk. Shaking his arm until it stopped stinging as much, he held in a curse. With a groan, he looked to Weiss, who held back, clearly trying to not look too embarrassed for him.
"I..." he stammered, rubbing his arm and feeling his cheeks grow hot, "I think… hoo… we can take a quick break."
He hadn't felt tired before he burned his arm, but now, between the self doubt and the sudden realization of just how long he and Weiss had been practicing, Jaune had to slump down to catch his breath. It was… not the best showing, especially considering his aura reserves were so much higher than Weiss's, but he had to take minute to recover.
"Hey," Weiss said as she handed him a bottle of water, a small smile bringing a pink hue to her cheeks, "you're… you've got this, Jaune. I… I don't think I'd ever admit this back when I first came to Beacon, but… well, I'm not who I used to be! And I can say things like… I was wrong about you, Jaune. You're learning the same lessons I had to learn, much sooner, yes, but you're still learning them. You've made so much progress, and you can keep going! You've got… you've got me in your corner, just as much as you have Pyrrha and Ruby and all of us. I believe in you, Jaune."
A pep talk from Weiss was a rare jewel, and Jaune treasured them. Getting back on his feet to give his girlfriend a tight hug, Jaune felt energized to give it one more push. Readying Crocea Mors (the shield still warm, but cooled enough to use), he nodded to Weiss. She took Myrtenaster in hand with a challenging grin. They took up their stances, and, once more, they took to a practice duel.
There was a lot ahead of them. The Vytal Tournament was coming up, and Jaune knew it'd be a test that'd take everything he had to prove that it wasn't a mistake to be here. With Pyrrha and Weiss both training him in combat, Ruby with weaponry, Ren with aura, Nora with… surprise attacks to teach him readiness, Jaune knew he had the most support from the best people he could ever dream of having. It was a long way to living up to their expectations, but… he felt confident he had what it'd take. He'd gotten this far—he knew he could handle whatever the universe threw at him!
Password. Keycode. Handwriting sample. Name of childhood pet. Handprint scan. Retina scan. Access granted.
Perhaps a tad bit excessive, but Atlas did not take security lightly, especially not among those who knew exactly what they were up against. At the highest levels of secrecy, the most highly vetted agents of the Atlesian government were permitted to know the true name of their enemy.
Salem
Winter was one of a handful that knew the truth. The truth of the Grimm, the Maidens, the Kingdoms, the Relics. But she did not take this knowledge arrogantly. No, this was a knowledge entrusted to her. A proof of her sworn duty to the people of Atlas, and to all of Remnant as well.
"General," she saluted as she entered the room, "I've been informed that I'll be heading to Vale to supervise security for the Vytal Festival. I… understand that I have duties additional to that."
General Ironwood smiled from his desk, the faint stirrings of pride trembling in Winter's heart. She had, of course, accurately diagnosed her own psychological issues—in rejecting her father, she had subconsciously sought to fill the void with a more fit father figure—but it still… felt nice to be appreciated. "Astute as always, Specialist Schnee. You will be working with Glynda and Ozpin in Vale, but I also… need you to covertly surveil a target. I don't need to tell you that this is all double-Zeta classification, but…"
He clicked a button, and suddenly, a monitor revealed photographs of a young man. Emphasis on young, barely a man yet, with a boyish grin on his face and messy blond hair. If he was at Beacon, he might even be someone her sister knew.
"What we know about him is limited," the General continued, "He is a newly accepted Beacon student of Valean origin. Not of much note, except… his family has some… connection to our enemy, a connection I have been trying to puzzle out since I first discovered them. The Queen seems to hold them in high esteem, even if, as far as we can tell, they have no strategic value to her aims, nor do they, before this young man, express much interest in matters relevant to national security. If anything, it seems… almost sentimental, though we're unsure if the Queen is capable of such emotions. Still, it cannot be ruled out."
"And practically speaking?" Winter asked, an eyebrow raised. To think of Queen Salem as sentimental...
"We've got a name: Jaune Arc. And that's it. Transcripts are forgeries and all his family's records have likely been tampered with. Preliminary information is… vague, thanks to Ozpin's… bookkeeping style. I personally investigated his eldest sister when she left Vale to marry a CCT technician, but… as far as I could tell there was nothing she knew that might indicate a nefarious plan. But this young man…" the General's shoulders slumped, "I don't know. I just… my instincts tell me that this is different, going to an Academy, that this represents something big. Covert communication between the agents of the Enemy gives me some credence to think that they're on high alert with this move, but… well, I need eyes on the situation, and I need the best. That's why I'm sending you, Specialist."
The praise, along with being needed for a situation of such uncertainty, made Winter's ego swell ever-so-slightly. Unprofessional, yes, but it was good to be recognized.
"Observe him. Give us a full assessment of who he is and what our enemy wants from him. If necessary… do not allow him to threaten Beacon or Vale. Interpret that at your discretion... and you have your usual resources for this."
Winter suppressed a smirk at that. But professionalism came first. "Understood. And my contacts at Beacon-"
The General gave her a pained look. "On that front… Ozpin is… he is a good man. A man I respect and am proud to work with, but..." he sighed, heavily, "Telling him that one of his students has a personal connection to our enemy will… he will try diplomacy, attempt to win them over, and, in doing so, sacrifice our advantage. You will be working on this project without Beacon's awareness or approval."
With one last salute, Winter stepped out of the office and hurriedly moved back to her quarters. Missions always set off a buzz of thoughts, anticipating what she needed to know, what she needed to prepare, what should come first in her process. A burst of adrenaline, the excitement of action making her thoughts a little jittery, always making her think what should be a staid, ordinary investigation might be a dramatic showdown. It was something that had to be confronted with calm, rational thought.
Oh, what was this? She had a message from Weiss! They primarily conversed through pre-scheduled video chats, so this was quite unusual. "Unusual," though, suggested urgent, and with Weiss just beginning to experience life without Father's influence over it, Winter wanted to make sure she didn't end up rushing right back to him. Weiss was… a strong woman. Someone Winter cared very much for, but she wasn't exactly someone who had all of the social graces one would hope for going to a new school.
Stepping to a private corner in the corridor, Winter quickly checked her scroll and began to read. But her apprehension about what she might hear were quickly put aside as she read the opening lines. In fact, she had not only underestimated her sister's abilities, she had dramatically underestimated her—Weiss had a boyfriend! And from what she was saying, he was someone Weiss felt would meet Winter's very high standards for who might date her little sister. Which was excellent, because Winter was heading to Vale and would get to...
The scroll tumbled from her suddenly limp hands. It struck the floor and bounced off the corner before it landed, face up, on the ground. With the cause of Winter's sudden, uncharacteristic fumbling made clear in a single sentence:
"His name is Jaune Arc."
Thanks to Renarde for feedback on this chapter!