Hello again!
RWBY is not mine, demon slayer is not, and I wish Fate was mine, but reality is disappointing.
Warning(s): Spoilers from every series involved in this fic. Bad grammar, expect a lot of mistakes, English is not my first language.
Butchering of characters (OOC because is a fanfic, don't expect I know what happens in the mind of the original creators) Rushed Canon plot points (Rushed because well, I've wanted to deal with it, I hope I didn't burn the fanfic in the process, if I did tell me) Random exposition and bad written monologues. Confusing POVs. If you find an incoherency feel free to point it.
The Grimm Slayer V
The Katana breaks easily. That was the first thing he said to the boy. It endures vertical blows, but is weak against the horizontal ones.
One must pour its strength into the Katana. The force must go in the same direction as the Katana. If one day, the Katana broke… he had said that he would break all the bones in the boy's body.
He was extremely strong. Each time the boy attacked with the sword, he beat him down with nothing but his bare hands, teaching him how to fall.
"Now, I'll teach you the ten water forms," said the rough voice. The image blurred.
"But why are you teaching me this?" Jaune asked.
"Because this is your gift, these ten dance forms are my gift to you," a soft feminine voice answered.
"They are good for your body. It helps with your blood flow and it quickens the mind… first, breathe deeply."
Jaune awoke with the sun. The blonde blinked as he sat on his bed. The wannabe hero blinked again, then thrice, and again just to be sure.
That was a weird dream. He was on a mountain. He remembered swinging a sword, but then he was back at home. The dream finalized with one of his warmest memories when he met his teacher. It was a weird dream, but a beautiful one.
And then he realized it.
He wasn't in his home. And this wasn't his room. Of course, it wasn't his room! It was his team's room.
Then… it really happened. He had done it. He actually entered Beacon.
It wasn't a dream, his dream wasn't one anymore, he could make it a reality!
Giant monsters, impossible weapons, Aura. He had been a part of it. Even if he did little, Jaune actually had taken part in an adventure that seemed to be taken out of a comic!
And then it crashed into him.
In retrospective he could have died several times, he could have been splattered against the ground. Pyrrha's spear could have impaled him, he could have died against the Ursas, he even had considered entering the Death stalker's cave, and the only reason he didn't was because of the smell.
In fact, he nearly had died, thrice. If it weren't for Pyrrha and her shield, he could have been skewered by the Nevermore. If it weren't for Ren pulling him out of the way. If it weren't for Weiss and her ice wall, he would have been impaled.
And then he was made leader of a team, he who had nothing to boast except fake transcripts and maybe his dance skills. He was the leader of Team AVLN.
Avalon.
Jaune nearly had a panic attack because of the name. The headmaster knew. The headmaster knew his transcripts were fake. Jaune had placed Argus as his home, only because Saphron had moved out with Terra.
And he had the gall to smirk! First, he had launched towards his secure death! Then he named him leader! What was the headmaster trying to accomplish?
Then reality crashed again. Jaune, who hadn't gone to a combat academy, was in charge of other three students, one who had the manners of a ninja butler, one who could obliterate a bridge with her hammer (which could also launch pink grenades) and… and…
Pyrrha was smiling at him as she extended her hand at him.
He was grateful, so grateful, for having Pyrrha as his partner. She saved him, unlocked his aura, and saved his ass again in the purest style of Captain Argus.
But he also felt guilt. For what he had heard, Pyrrha was more than an athlete, she was a champion. She just didn't 'train' to be a hunter. She lived for it. Pyrrha was the real deal, Jaune… he was just a faker, a slippery faker, but a faker nonetheless.
Jaune still didn't know why Ozpin had hinted he knew about his transcripts (there was no way it was a coincidence). He only said congratulations… What was he supposed to do with that?
How was he supposed to not drag down his team?
Breath in. Breath out.
He looked at his scroll. In a couple of hours, classes would start. There was no sense in panicking and going back and forth on the same subject. Right now, he couldn't do anything.
Yeah, it wasn't the end of Remnant or something like that! He had completed the initiation. He had proved that at least he could do something.
Then why he felt lost?
"What do you think we should do, Jaune?"
I don't know Pyrrha. Thought Jaune as he glanced as his sleeping partner. He truly didn't know. It was surreal the entire situation.
It was almost like the stories his eldest sister told him when he was a child. At least the ones with a happy ending.
An unlikely girl made her way into a group of heroes. She only had a sword and the power to call souls. There was a wizard and a question. What is your favorite fairy tale?
The memory brought a smile to Jaune's face. He had a sword and maybe he could equate the power to call souls to his aura, and the question about fairy tales, even after all those years, made little sense to Jaune. With amusement, he thought the only thing missing was the wizard.
Sadly, this was real life, and this entire situation could crash in to him. Wizard o no wizard.
A grumble was heard across the room. It was Nora. She rolled onto her bed, mumbling something about pancakes.
"An army runs on its stomach"
Maybe not all advice from his family worked, but the ones that his eldest sisters gave were always on point.
Breath in, breath out.
Yeah, as Weiss would have said, there was no sense in dillydallying around.
His first step into the academy of heroes maybe wouldn't be that glamorous, but at least he had some kind of direction now.
The first enemy that must be slain is the hunger.
…
…
…
An Ally of Justice I
It was official. Blake couldn't sleep. It wasn't her partner's snores, not the sounds of her 'leader' rolling against her bed, causing creaks in their admittedly badly designed bunk beds. Not even her mild discomfort at the Schnee's presence.
It was her damn nerves. Her first day of classes, it would be the first time she would put her feet inside a classroom since she was twelve.
Blake took a deep breath and then sighed. Why was she mulling about going to as something as trivial as classes? Even if those were trivial, it was still something to look forward.
Yes! Combat classes! Even if she wasn't the best at fighting Grimm, she had real combat experience against other people, she could actually ace that class, and so what if her leader was a prodigy, what if Pyrrha Nikos was a champion tournament, one was two years younger and the other took part in fights which couldn't be called fights, because no one couldn't have a perfect record, two surrenders followed by a withdrawal? It was obviously staged. She was a mascot, a showgirl, and she was probably racist (People still talked about Sun Wukong's beating)
Yeah, it wouldn't be difficult, none of those humans…!
No. no. no. NO!
The faunus rolled in her bed and buried her head into her pillow trying to silence a scream that was struggling to erupt.
She was out, she was out. She wasn't that person anymore. She wasn't a monster like Adam…
She was… she was…
"You're just child, what are you doing here in the first place? Umu?"
Was it a mistake coming here?
Blake sighed again against her pillow. What was she thinking? Faking her transcripts? Not even trying to change her surname because she thought she was hiding in plain sight?
She would be lucky if she didn't end in jail by the end of the semester.
At least no one knew she was a faunus, yet. Blake glanced at the sleeping form of the Schnee. Yeah, it would be a huge problem.
The faunus closed her eyes. The sun hadn't even raised. It would be better to get some sleep. She was safe. She repeated to herself that she was safe.
No one was out to get her, not the faculty, not the White fang and Adam probably was stuck in Atlas, being in the echo chamber with all his lackeys. Yes, Vale was secure because it was neutral. The white fang wasn't that of the big deal here. It would be her new beginning.
And perhaps by the end of this journey she could return to her home, to her parents, with her head held high.
Maybe she shouldn't just give up in looking for her dream, just like Ruby said, she was here to make it better.
Maybe, just maybe, she could be a Hero of Justice.
Even if she didn't deserve to be here in the first place.
Even if she was just a faker.
…
…
…
The Grimm Slayer VI
The menu for today had been decided. Jaune was lucky that cafeteria opened really early. The lady in charge of the cafeteria was mad at him when he asked for ingredients. But he sorted out the situation when he challenged her into a food contest.
Main dish. Benedict eggs.
A smug expression adorned Jaune's face when he saw the shocked looks of the cafeteria staff. He had been feeding her sisters for years (it wasn't a lie to tell that they were picky eaters). Making one dish was easy enough for him.
Thinking about his sisters…
It was like feeding an army. And if his suspicions were correct, feeding Nora and Pyrrha (Jaune wasn't so sure about Ren, while he was some kind of ninja, the guy could use some muscle) would be a challenge.
He may not pack the same kind of firepower as his teammates (both literally and figuratively), but he was sure that as hunters in training, a simple breakfast wasn't going to be enough to fuel them through the day.
It wasn't only a matter of quantity; it was also a matter of quality.
Not mere nuggets shaped as dinosaurs, as delicious and unhealthy as they were, would help them survive!
Jaune was lucky that after his food contest, he struck a deal between him and the cafeteria staff. In exchange for his service on Fridays, they would provide him with ingredients.
Not bad, not bad.
Now that he thought, he really must have impressed them. They gave him really good ingredients, even prepared broth and seaweed!
Jaune headed to the kitchen's dorm. The one assigned to team RWBY and AVLN. Students were expected to prepare their own meals on weekends and if they stayed on holidays.
While it wasn't equipped as the one at home, it was enough for what he intended.
First! Basic hygiene, and his trusty apron.
Second! His mistralian knifes! Gift from Terra!
Third! Lay down on his stage.
Now begin.
The leeks must be cut thin. The mistralian spinach had to be boiled and cut down into pieces. The menagerie kamaboko must be cut down in eight millimeter pieces.
Now where is the damn cooking pot?
Time for the tempura. The shell and the digestive apparatus of the shrimp had to be removed. Jaune cut off the tail's tip and removed the liquid.
Next… salt, potato starch and sake. Now the dough mix eggs with cold water. Add flour and mix.
Cover the shrimp with the dough. And deep fry a 180 Celsius.
Repeat.
Mix the broth and season to one's taste. After boiling the noodles, wash them with cold water and dry off. A big spoon to the noodles…
Now what?
Ding, ding! The tempura was finished!
Noodles, broth, tempura, spinach, kamaboko, the leek and citron peel.
Toshikoshi-soba! Done!
A traditional dish from Mistral. Maybe his teammates would like his breakfast, after all they were from Mistral (He wasn't so sure about Nora though, and while it was a traditional dish it was meant to be eaten at end's year, but he hoped it would be alright)
Oh! His first tasters had arrived!
The Myrmidon V
The champion woke up. Well, not exactly. She was still half asleep. Pyrrha sat on her bed as she tried to open her eyes.
The sun was touching her face, and it was annoying. The redhead rubbed her eyes as she tried to look at a direction that wasn't bright.
If there was a thing that Pyrrha found irritating about Vale was that sun raised earlier. Because of that, she found herself waking up before her alarm.
What time was it, anyway? If she could only find her scroll. Maybe she could use her semblance? No… if she did it, her scroll would mess up, it wouldn't be the first time she did a mess of her scroll (or her room, it turned out that attracting every metal tended to be more complicated than one would've thought), pesky metals. She would find it when the alarm goes off. Better to not bother now.
So Pyrrha stretched, trying to get rid of all the tiredness. Changing from Argus to Vale wasn't as easy as she thought.
A smell filled her nostrils. Ah. Food.
She asked herself what delicacy her mom was cooking. She was spoiling Pyrrha; she had been doing it for the last weeks. It would be months before she could eat her mother's food, so nearly every day she was receiving her favorite dishes.
Not even bothering to put on her shoes, Pyrrha followed the delicious scent.
She didn't remember her apartment being that big. It didn't matter; she was still tired. There was no better solution but her mom's food filling her stomach to fuel her through the day. Her stomach growled. It agreed with her.
She found quickly drawn herself to the table. A heavenly sight greeted her.
Soba? Neat!
"Itadakimasu…" a soft voice besides her said. Bon apetit indeed.
As soon as the noodles touched her tongue, her taste buds exploded. Flavor filled her mind and soul, warmth spread across her body in a never ending explosion of energy.
What was happening? Were the noodles infinite? Why the broth was this pleasantly warm? The tempura was on point! She didn't eat so often fried food but she could tell that it was on another level!
This was more delicious than usual! Her mom showed off this time!
Once her bowl was empty. She grabbed it with both of her hands and extended it towards her strangely tall mom.
"Seconds please," she and the soft voice said. And in that moment, Pyrrha's head turned to that voice.
A pair of amber eyes blinked at her, once and then twice. She blinked back.
Both of them tried to grab their weapons, only to find nothing. They nearly dropped the bowls. But grabbed them in time.
Blake?! What was she doing in her apartment? Wait. She wasn't in her apartment! She was at Beacon!
She looked around and saw that the tall person wasn't her mom. That was Jaune! In an apron!
Blood rushed to Pyrrha's cheeks. And before she could have said anything.
"I'm sorry!" Blake blurted as she banged the bowl on the table.
"While that bowl was for Nora, I take you liked it, didn't you?" said Jaune… with a smug face?
Blake nodded as she looked down. She had a kind of defeated face adorned with a slight pink. She mumbled something about seafood.
"And Pyrrha, how was it?" said Jaune as she saw a fire in his eyes she hadn't seen before.
The redhead admitted defeat as she extended her bowl, silently asking for a second portion.
"I see. Luckily, I made enough to feed all of you!" said as he turned back to the kitchen's counter. The blonde was happily humming as he served the food on the bowls. (Was that Captain Argus theme?)
"I smell food!" a singsong voice said. Nora and Ren entered the kitchen. The former as if she had caffeine instead of blood and the latter looking still dead as he dragged his feet.
"Soba?" muttered Ren as his eyes trailed across the table.
"Aw Fearless leader, you didn't have to! This is just like home!"
"Homemade food? I'm in!" Yang opened the kitchen's door. The room was quite big enough to fit both teams. It was one that they shared with Team RWBY. It connected both dorms.
"Is that mistralian?" said Ruby. The little rose was behind her sister. She was already in her uniform.
"I thought beacon's installations had a cafeteria… but I think this will suffice," Schnee. The heiress nodded approvingly.
"It is okay if we eat with you?" Ruby asked as she eyed team AVLN.
"I did the breakfast, having in mind to feed at least ten people! Besides Blake, it's in her second bowl! So be my guest. Dig in!" Pyrrha glanced at Blake. She was munching the tempura as she tried to not look suspicious.
"Oh, thanks, Jaune!" said Ruby as she and the rest of her team sat down around the table. "I didn't know you knew how to cook!"
"Sis, of course you didn't, you have only met him, like what, two days?"
"Well, as mom said, strangers are-,"
"-friends you haven't met yet," completed Pyrrha as she nodded. It was a phrase not only her mom said but her eldest sister as well…? Wait, she didn't have an elder sister.
"Yeah, what she said," Jaune watched her curiously, then he nodded as he sat beside her.
Pyrrha tried to hide a frown as she tried to remember who had said that to her, then she shook her head. It was probably nothing, maybe just a coincidence.
Squeals of delight came from Ruby's mouth. A hum of pleasure was heard from Weiss. And fire formed around Yang's hair (?) while she shouted "Delicious!" with each bite.
So her leader had already made an impression
…
…
…
Team RWBY presented themselves, this time properly. The Rose-Xiao Long sisters said they were from Patch, that they were indeed sisters only, not from the same mother (they didn't explain deeper than that). Both of them studied at Signal, in Ruby's case only one year.
She told them how she got a recommendation from Ozpin himself when she confronted criminals near a dust store.
"I did something like that too," thought Pyrrha as she ate her noodles. Although she felt better as she saw how the heiress looked surprised, she supposed it wasn't okay to feel like that, but she couldn't help it if it meant seeing the Schnee humbled.
Then the heiress presented herself again, and Pyrrha tuned out of her again.
In Blake's case, she only said that she was from Mistral… weird, maybe she was only a quiet one.
Ren and Nora said they were too far from Mistral, that they had wandered together for years and they had been trained by retired hunters. Nora was strangely quiet as she ate her food. Ren finalized saying that they were only here thanks to one of the professors.
And before Jaune or she could introduce…
"Excellent breakfast you made here Mr. Arc," said Ozpin as he took a sip from his coffee mug. In front of him was an empty bowl. "It is quite poetic the meaning behind the dish, to cut all bad luck before this moment and to give a prosperous welcome to a new year,"
When?! How?! A Semblance?!
The headmaster was between her and Blake. Somehow, neither the black-haired girl nor Pyrrha had realized his arrival.
Everyone was stunned by the headmaster's sudden appearance.
"By the way, all of you should hurry up. Classes start in less than 10 minutes," said the headmaster as he looked at his arm (which hadn't a watch)
Nevertheless, the group paid attention to him, and stood up rushed to grab their things (and in the case of Blake and Pyrrha to actually put on her uniform).
"Later Prof!" said Yang as she dragged her partner back to her room and Ruby did the same with a snarky Weiss holding her hand.
Once, with her uniform on, Pyrrha went back to the kitchen to help and wait for Jaune. Said blonde was cleaning the table as he watched at the headmaster awkwardly. Ozpin was still drinking from his coffee mug. Why he looked so smug? And why it annoyed her?
"Jaune, if we hurry, we still could make it. There are still 5 minutes left," said Pyrrha as she adjusted her tie.
"Yeah, just let me put these back in the kitchen," said Jaune as he was grabbing the dirty bowls.
"About that, the two of you are excused from the first period, we must talk about the initiation," said Ozpin as he passed his gaze through them.
… ?
Jaune nearly dropped the bowls.
"O-okay, just let me tell Ren and Nora,"
"Go ahead,"
And Pyrrha was curious about what exactly the professor wanted to talk about. A lot of things passed during the initiation, one of the things that still bothered Pyrrha was that Jaune had been launched without aura, recommended or not recommended, he would have died if she hadn't caught him (or if she had miscalculated and pierced his body with her spear, Pyrrha shuddered at that thought)
Other thing that she still worried about was the tattoos in the back of her hand… those hadn't been there before the initiation, before she awakened Jaune's aura. It was too obvious to be a coincidence; those symbols were the same as Jaune's shield. Pyrrha hoped to find the right time to talk to him about the tattoos, preferably after classes and in a private area. If she concentrated on her hand, she could feel aura surrounding them, and it just felt like when she awakened Jaune's aura, raw power.
Only Nora knew about those. She told her it was a private matter for her, so she hid those with her gloves (that night, she even slept with those on)
Jaune returned. Ozpin had left his mug on the table. He grabbed a napkin and passed it through its mouth. Then he took another sip from his mug, only to repeat the process. Pyrrha's right eye twitched.
"Ms. Nikos, stop making that expression. You don't want to end like Professor Goodwitch being so young." Now her polite smile faltered.
"And Mr. Arc, don't be so worried about we are going to talk about, you didn't even need those fake transcripts in the first place in order to being able to do the initiation, you only needed a recommendation, which, in fact you had," said the professor as he settled down his mug.
"What?!" Jaune nearly shouted.
Pyrrha's eyes widened as she looked at Jaune. What? Fake transcripts…?
Jaune froze, then a panicked look showed across his face. He opened his mouth, but he said nothing. He sighed, then looked her straight in the eyes.
"Pyrrha, the truth is-,"
Oh, that explained a lot of things. And also didn't explain a lot of other things, why he make those in the first place? While those were important for a normal student, it was a different situation if you were recommended. There were a plenty of combat academies across Remnant, although those weren't always accessible, a considerable group were trained independently (She believed that all members of her team, except herself, had been trained that way) and could enter the Hunter Academies through recommendations from others Hunters.
Hence, if you were recommended, combat academy or not, a transcript was a mere formality. It was meaningless if you put it alongside a recommendation from a Hunter.
"Wait, wait a second," said Jaune as he tried to speak. "How do I have a recommendation in the first place?"
He didn't know in the first place he had a recommendation?! That's why he had made fake transcripts? Maybe it was from his 'dance' tutor, if that tutor hadn't told him about aura (And the fact that him or her, didn't ever bother to unlock it) then she believed that neither had the gall to tell Jaune about the recommendation.
"And who gave me the recommendation?"
"I did,"
From the headmaster himself, and before Jaune could ask more, the professor continued.
"As for why, you reminded me of someone I knew a long time ago,"
"With that little detail sorted out," said Ozpin as he grabbed his glasses and cleaned it with a napkin. "In the first order of business, I would like to apologize,"
"A-Apologize?"
"Yes, for launching you into the forest. It was quite… a mistake on my part doing it without having your aura unlocked."
"You didn't know?!" blurted Pyrrha. How?! How did he didn't know? He was the headmaster! And why he was just brushing off as a mistake?!
"It was a misunderstanding… Mr. Arc's family is renowned for producing prominent warriors," Then he turned to Jaune "Even if you had… unorthodox training, one would have thought that they would have unlocked your aura."
Pyrrha didn't know at what to be annoyed more, at the headmaster for his dismissive tone at the whole situation (just a misunderstanding he said) or at Jaune's family (Apparently it resulted that they were hunters, but that left a mystery as for why he didn't know about aura, as for why his family hadn't even told him about aura) for not unlocking his aura and letting coming here without the most basic protection.
And yet his destiny wasn't to die at the Emerald Forest.
But at the same time, if it weren't for her… he would… he would…
"Professor Ozpin, with all due respect, I can't just think of this as a simple misunderstanding!" said Pyrrha as she looked at Ozpin.
"Ms. Nikos, as ludicrous as it sounds; it was indeed a severe miscalculation. While Professor Goodwitch and I run several background checks on the applicants, it is not a perfect revision. As I said earlier, your partner's family is quite successful producing warriors, for example: Six of Mr. Arc's sisters are Hunters, the other is an Atlas Specialist," said the professor calmly.
What?! So many sisters… and still, it didn't make sense. Why? If Jaune's sisters (Seven, seven of them) were hunters, how did he didn't know what aura was in the first place?
"Which brings me to the next point. Why your family didn't unlock your aura?" his gaze was boring through the blonde.
"I…I truly don't know," said Jaune as he looked down dejected, it seemed as if something had sink deep within him. "Hell, I didn't know what was aura before Pyrrha helped me back at the forest."
The Professor eyes widened, only for a second before he resumed his poker face, but Pyrrha had seen it.
"I see." Then he turned back to Pyrrha.
"Now… one last thing, it's about Mr. Arc's aura awakening," said Ozpin.
"My aura?" said the blonde as he looked up.
"Ms. Nikos, show me your hand," Jaune too turned his gaze at her.
Pyrrha's eyes widened. How did he know?! The redhead shook her head and recomposed herself, and then took her left glove of her hand.
Ozpin stared at her hand and then at her with a deadpan.
"The other one as well," said dryly
"Sorry," muttered Pyrrha begrudgingly. She didn't feel sorry.
The redhead removed her right glove. Revealing the tattoo.
The headmaster's expression was… blank. No emotion escaped from his face. Then he looked at her and then at Jaune.
As for the blonde, he was still staring at her hand, then he spoke. "Uh, Pyrrha, why does that tattoo looks like my family symbol?" Pyrrha sighed. Privacy be damned. Why the headmaster couldn't have waited until she told Jaune herself?
"To be true, I don't know. It appeared after I unlocked your aura," she answered.
"Um, Professor, it is bad?" said Jaune as he looked at Ozpin. The latter still hadn't said nothing, and it was becoming a little unnerving. He just was alternating his gaze between the tattoo and Jaune.
"I wouldn't say bad, but problematic," finally said the headmaster.
"Problematic how? I can feel aura in the tattoo, perhaps it is part of Jaune's Semblance?" said Pyrrha as she remembered his water techniques, though she still didn't see the connection between that and the tattoos.
"It involves aura, but isn't exactly a Semblance" Ozpin stayed silent after that, as if he was contemplating something, then he continued.
"If we were in a normal situation, I would have waited until tell you more. But seeing as you two are Hunters in Training… I think at least a short explanation is deserved, as much I would like to tell you Beacon is completely secure, it is not, after all, to be a Hunter is to walk with death."
Pyrrha wasn't sure if she liked where this was going to be. She glanced at Jaune. The blonde wasn't doing much better than her.
"It is a short explanation of what I'm going to tell you. Mainly because I don't know how it happened,"
"If I had to describe it… it would be nothing short of a miracle."
Pyrrha was getting impatient, she didn't like that the Professor was being cryptid.
"But every miracle comes with a price," and the entire conversation turned ominous. Then that feeling banished when the headmaster spoke again.
"Well, I guess it covers everything. I must depart then," said the headmaster as he stood up and looked to his still clock less arm.
"Take care of yourselves, as I said earlier you are excused from the first period, feel free to explore the academy's grounds, take it as a part of the apology, just be careful of Professor Goodwitch, she likes to prowl in the halls." Then, before Pyrrha or Jaune could ask more, he left the room.
Pyrrha curled her fists. Magnetic pulses extended across the room. The professor didn't explain anything!
Breath in, breath out. There, there. Pyrrha told herself there was no sense in being angry about…
"So that was… something," said Jaune, as he tried to offer her a shaky smile.
Something indeed. A somewhat awkward silence settled on the room.
"So… fake transcripts?" said Pyrrha as she raised her eyebrow.
"Ah, about that…"
The Heiress I
The sound of an incessant scribble was heard. More like a pencil clashing against paper.
Weiss glanced at Ruby's notebook. At the top of the page was the date and with big bold letters: First Class Grimm studies. Then there were… decent attempts at taking notes. But if she looked lower than that… it was a mess.
Drawings… no, doodles, everywhere.
"Remember what we talked we talked about"
Weiss sighed. So what if her leader wasn't paying attention? She wasn't about to go down because of it.
Then she saw at her own notes. Written with perfect calligraphy, with the adequate colors, perfect space between line and line. Each word sprouted by Professor Port was written in her notebook, as eccentric as those were. No, those weren't eccentric, those were nonsensical… Even then, she would not be defeated by a mere teacher. No educator could compare to her father's secretary. Years of harsh training wouldn't be wasted in this academy, she would make sure of that.
Then why was she feeling she wasn't advancing? Weiss stopped her writing. She looked again at her supposed leader. She fell asleep. Then she looked at her teammates. Belladonna had her notebook open, but she wasn't writing anything, instead she had it as if she was reading a newspaper, but behind her notebook was a book. Weiss focused aura in her eyes and managed to see what was she reading, she turned her gaze back to her notebook with a blush painting her face, better to have no enter the rabbit hole (In the other hand now she knew she wasn't the only one that read that series)
Weiss shook her head. What was she thinking? What was Belladonna thinking? They were in the middle of class!
She tried to pay attention again, but cabbages?! What was talking about the Professor? She looked around the classroom. Half of the classroom was clearly pretending to pay attention, the other half was asleep as her leader.
Then she looked at team AVLN, well, half of team AVLN. Only Ren (Or was it Lie?) and Valkyrie were present. The former was staring at the metaphorical void and the latter, surprisingly, was absorbing each word from the professor. Pyrrha Nikos and Arc weren't there; Valkyrie had said that the headmaster had requested for them (She still wondered how he had made his way into the Kitchen's dorm).
If the headmaster only had called for Pyrrha Nikos, then she probably would have assumed he would give the champion a personal greeting, probably to entrust her with the leadership of the current generation of students (Even if she wasn't chosen leader in the first place). It would have made sense for Weiss, a renown Hunter in training as Pyrrha Nikos was more than qualified for the role.
Alas, that assumption was wrong, since yesterday. Team AVLN's leader was not Pyrrha Nikos. Instead, the team's leader was Jaune Arc. Even if Pyrrha Nikos saw something she didn't in him, she still didn't completely understand the headmaster's choice.
Except that she did… to a certain extent (She would give him that, after all, there was no sense in harassing her debtors, more if they were excellent cooks)
She would admit that she didn't have the best first impression of Arc. If she ignored Arc's atrocious courting and generally awkward nature, she had to admit that he was a recommended student. He made his way in the initiation, just like her. The difference was that he obtained the leadership of his team. So what?! It was simple: Arc and Ruby Rose had seized the opportunity, and opportunity that anyone could've seized! She didn't end of the story. It wasn't like she made a mistake. It wasn't!
"Weiss?" The heiress tried to hold back a sigh. It was Yang. The only person she avoided trying to look, even if she literally was sitting beside her.
Listen up Ice Queen, I'll only say it once, we're here to be Hunters. Your surname, my surname, my sister's surname means nothing. Don't get me wrong, even if you continue with that shitty attitude of yours, you'll still learn that. But it is your choice how you want to learn it. The hard way or the horrifying way. And don't worry if this sounds like a threat, because I'm sure as hell you don't need my help to find yourself on either of those paths. So tell me, are you willing to make the third choice? Will you cooperate or not?
In that moment, even as foul-mouthed as the blonde was, she heard Winter. She still didn't know what possessed her, but Weiss gave some thought to Yang's statements.
"Yes Yang?"
"I see you're trying to take notes from the Prof," said Yang as she eyed her notebook.
"I'm not trying, I'm doing, besides… Why aren't you doing the same? Why isn't anybody at least trying to do it in this class? And Valkyrie doesn't count," whispered Weiss at the blonde. "Even our prodigal leader fell asleep,"
"Geez, chill out princess. I'm sure Ruby already knows half of the course," said Yang as she snatched Weiss's notebook. Surprisingly, the heiress didn't fight it. "Let's see what you have… no, this won't do," the blonde shook her head.
"What do you mean, it won't do? It's perfect!" whispered Weiss back.
"It's obvious that even you don't believe all of this nonsense," said Yang as she pointed how in Weiss's notebook half of the words were crossed out. "And I'm sure a Beowulf doesn't act like that,"
"That's only a draft! And how should I know? In theory, I'm here to learn,"
Yang didn't say anything for a few seconds. Professor Port's ramblings were heard in the background.
"Yesterday was the first time you faced Grimm, right?"
Weiss's cheeks heated. How did she know?! "It was just like the simulations" No it wasn't, a treacherous voice whispered.
"Atlesian simulations? Those are overrated, they don't take on to account half of what the Grimm can do,"
"And you do?"
"Girl, please," Then the blonde proceeded to take out a book from her bag, quite thick if she said so. "Tech may be advancing but you can never forget the classics,"
Hunter diaries.
By Summer Rose
Weiss's eyes widened slightly. She looked at her sleeping leader. Then she glanced back at Yang.
"This is the ol' reliable, half of what Ruby and I know, my dad and uncle taught us, the other half came from this book," said Yang with a soft smile.
"Dad warned us that Grimm Studies was a joke the first two years, like a review from those who hadn't gone to a combat academy,"
"I'm betting you'll learn more with this book than in this class, especially if we have a professor like this."
"Are you lending me the book?" Weiss couldn't help but to feel surprised. "I… thought you didn't like me,"
"You mean by what I said at the initiation? I admit it was a bit harsh but I stand by it, it doesn't mean I don't like you though, and while I don't care who you were, I care who you'll become."
Something sunk deep within Weiss in that moment. She was always sure who she was and where she was going. Now, she wasn't so sure.
"Why do you care? We haven't known each other long enough for it," asked Weiss.
"I mean, even if we aren't partners, we'll be stuck together for four years in the same team. Better to make it smoother as soon as possible… so, friends?" said Yang as she extended her hand.
Weiss looked reluctantly at Yang's hand, then she took it. "Friends," said the heiress as she nodded. Maybe Beacon wouldn't be lonely as she thought. Friends… when was the last time she made one?
"So! Who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?!"
"Wha…" Ruby awoke as she looked where she was. Blake abruptly closed her book.
"I do!" Yang raised her hand. Oh, right, they were in the middle of class. And exactly since when there was a cage with a Grimm inside?!
"Then, let's find out. Step forward and face your opponent!"
Yang cracked her knuckles. "Well, watch me team." Said Yang as her lilac orbs focused on Weiss. "I have a Sister in Law to impress"
Weiss's face heated up again. And then sputtered.
"I'm not marrying Ruby!"
"W-What?!" stammered Ruby as Blake coughed. As her teammate walked to the cage, Weiss didn't feel she got mad at Yang's joke. Instead, for the first time in years, she felt warm.
The Grimm Slayer VII
"Are you sure you are not mad?" asked Jaune for the third time in a 10-minute frame.
"Yes Jaune, I'm not mad, not at you," said his partner as the two of them walked through the courtyards. They did as Ozpin said. They were exploring the academy. Beacon was surprisingly more big than they would've thought. They were near a CCT tower. It was the tallest building Jaune ever saw in his life. Although it wasn't as majestic as the buildings back home. If he had to compare a structure as majestic would be the Beacon Campus as a whole. Beacon was more like a castle, a fortress, he even dares to say, than an academy.
Adrenaline was still high in his veins. He hadn't been kicked out yet. Jaune released a sigh of relief.
"I mean, I'm just a bit annoyed at the headmaster," said Pyrrha as she stopped and looked up at the tower's top.
"Argus' one is prettier," muttered as she nodded to herself. Well, he only had gone to visit Saphron and Terra, and he was sure no one could fault him for not looking at the Argus' CCT tower.
"I know I sound insistent… but why are you not mad at me?" asked Jaune as he looked at her.
Pyrrha didn't respond immediately. And when she answered, she did it with a question.
"Jaune, do you believe in destiny?" And when he thought she would give him a clear answer, he only obtained another cryptid question.
"As in fate?" asked Jaune back. He wasn't sure where Pyrrha was going with the question.
"No, it is not the same. When I refer to destiny, I mean as a greater goal, you worked your entire life towards it. Fate is trickier. That concept deals when there are forces out of our control." Pyrrha said, then she stared at him.
"My destiny… no, I think our destiny was to meet."
In other situation Jaune would've blushed and then he would've said it was more, like, dumb luck. It wasn't like he had worked his entire life to reach this moment. He knew he hadn't, more than anyone. Now he was just winging it, and only thanks to Ozpin's unknown reasons, he was still here.
"I don't know what to say. It wasn't more like a chance encounter?" Yeah, he definitely wasn't going to say dumb luck, not when Pyrrha was saying all of those things with a straight face.
Pyrrha shook her head amusedly. "Didn't I caught you with Milo?"
"Yeah, right," While he was grateful, it was still terrifying thinking about that. Between falling and almost being skewered, it was easier to put that little, not so little, detail in the back of his mind. "Again, thank you,"
"You are welcome. And what I mean about destiny, it is that it was my choice being your partner, and it was your choice coming to Beacon."
"And before you ask again, yes, Jaune, I'm not mad. On the contrary, I'm impressed, you not only made your way through the initiation without the normal education of a hunter, you led us,"
Was it his idea? Or suddenly the temperature was higher?
"You really think so? I mean, I did the whole thing without knowing how to use aura, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you covering me, if it weren't for Nora and Ren, I only pointed a few things, you guys did the rest," said the blonde as he scratched his cheek.
Pyrrha hummed at his answer. "I think you made more than that. What you did was special. You are a great fighter in the making Jaune, you have a great path ahead of you. This tattoo, while I don't think is a miracle as Professor Ozpin said. I see it as a proof of great things to come"
"I wouldn't say I'm a fighter… I'm just slippery enough," the blonde still tried to deny. As for the tattoo, he hadn't any idea about that. To Jaune and Pyrrha's chagrin, Ozpin hadn't explained anything about it. It must have had appeared when Pyrrha unlocked his aura. It was his family symbol surrounded by a flaming circle, like a sun. Did it represent some kind of eclipse?
Maybe his family would know his sisters… Jaune clenched his fists. The blonde didn't want to think about his family, not right now, but he couldn't help it. It all came to the same reason, aura. What Ozpin had said had shaken him. It was true, all of his seven sisters were warriors, six Hunters. And while Saphron wasn't at the same level (Her words, not his) at the others, still worked for the Atlas Military. His sisters went on missions. They protected home, and of course, they were stronger than him, stronger than Pyrrha. How couldn't he feel it?
Then why he didn't know about aura? Not even the blonde himself couldn't answer it. His mind felt blank. When Pyrrha mentioned aura the first time, nothing came to his mind.
It was weird. In hindsight, he should've questioned it, he should've questioned when he had seen how his sisters could obliterate boulders. Now, that was out of a comic. Why he felt it was normal?! Sister punches giant rock, giant rock breaks, sister laughs. He only felt normalcy at that statement. No surprise. Instead, the feeling of surprise came right now! Of course it was surprising! But why it was surprising?! He also had seen how Nora obliterated a stone bridge, and he made no connection to his sisters. He knew he was forgetful, but this was on another level!
And then was the matter of his supposed swordsmanship. In a lot of ways, it was reminiscent of his dance postures, the ones his teacher taught him. Except that before the initiation he never had wielded a sword, only a stick, and that was because his teacher told him it was necessary to perform the kagura. A traditional dance from his teacher's home. He never asked more about that because he thought it was cool, it was almost like wielding a sword…
Maybe he could ask his teacher. The problem was he had no means to do it, perhaps in the summer… teacher always went to Jaune's home in summer.
He just hoped that until then Ozpin wouldn't change his mind and that whatever that he did at the initiation worked during the year… or until his other sisters discovered his bluff.
Pyrrha seemed to take on his thoughtful look, so she said.
"I see you're not convinced yet. If you don't feel secure as a fighter, then let me help you." Pyrrha got closer to him. The blonde tried to not give a step back.
"You would? I remember I said that I've a lot to catch up," said the blonde, avoiding her gaze.
"Of course, we're partners. Even if you are the leader, it is a position that is a two street way. You're not alone in this." said as she clapped one hand around his own. Warm…
So not alone? Jaune closed his fingers around his partner's hand. Maybe she wasn't wrong. He always tried to do things by himself back home, just like his sister… but he wasn't like his sisters… maybe it wouldn't be bad.
Then he looked at her. There was no backing down.
"I see … so, will you be my Master?"
"Master?" said Pyrrha as she tilted her head, then she nodded. "I suppose it has a nice ring,"
"Together?"
"Together,"
The Wizard –I
Let silver and steel be the essence.
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.
Let green be the color I pay tribute to.
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.
Let the four cardinal gates close.
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.
Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny.
If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason… then answer me!
I hereby swear.
That I shall be all the good in the world.
That I shall defeat all evil in the world.
Thou Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, Protector of the Balance!
…
…
…
Oscar Pine blinked once, twice, then thrice, just to be sure. Nothing. There was nothing in front of him. Not a magical hero, not living (or undead legend, he wasn't so sure about that) in front of him.
Only the supposed summoning circle, that was drawn with chicken blood (His aunt wouldn't miss a few chickens) and fire dust across the barn's floor.
"You got to be kidding me," muttered Oscar as he saw his handiwork (or lack of it because only a light show happened) Oscar swiped the beads of sweat that were running across his forehead, all those hours making the circle wasted.
What was he doing?! He should be supposed to be looking for Team RWBY, for Jaune, for Ren and Nora …
Not making whatever this was. He should've not trusted that creepy old weird guy. Oscar should've seen it; the old man was trying to hold his laugh the entire time! He was trolling him…
Wizards were more trouble than help. Or not help at all. Ozpin was 'asleep' again, and he didn't want to imagine talking to the present one, the alive one. Would it create a paradox? Or passing too much time with Nora had started to affect him?
Oscar shook his head. That man only threw him with nothing but his cane.
But still… that man saved him. He gave him a second chance. Although a question plagued Oscar's mind… What exactly was the catch? The man mentioned in a cryptid way something about a war, a holy war. That Oscar's timeline would be changed forever. He never mentioned why or how.
He just told Oscar the means to do a heroic summoning ritual, well not told, he gave him a pamphlet… so he did the ritual. (Which hadn't worked, unless he had somehow screwed up, not that he would admit, it was easier to blame the adults, especially after everything that happened or that will happen)
So technically, he was supposed to summon a spirit to aid him on his quest and prevent a tragedy, or a greater one, as the man had said (Wasn't it enough to stop Salem?!)
Oscar sighed and then prepared mentally for his journey to Vale. Tomorrow at dawn he would travel and contact his friends (Or as Jaune would have said, strangers that are friends he hadn't met yet) Luckily or unluckily, he would find Qrow. Maybe it wouldn't be that difficult to convince him.
Then he sat down on a straw pile. And when he put his hand on his knee, he saw the crimson markings.
Holy shit. It worked.
It hadn't been a scam!
Oscar stood up and looked around, nothing still. Then he tilted his head. If he had the markings, then where was the spirit?
A loud crash was heard. The barn's attic.
Oscar hurried up to the stairs. He nearly fell from the emotion. With each step, his heart pounded more.
What or who had he summoned?
When he reached the attic and gave the first step in to the room, a destroyed sight welcomed him.
Farm tools scattered, old furniture destroyed. And still nothing.
What happened? Where was the spirit?!
"Why do I feel like I lived this before?" An irritated voice said. It was like a whisper, but Oscar heard it.
He froze. He recognized that voice. There was no way… no, it couldn't be possible, it couldn't be right!
"So he was right. They never are here when they make a summon. Wonder what type of Master summoned me?"
It couldn't be her. Please don't let it be her.
"Oh, so is Ozpin's little meat puppet?" The voice sighed in disappointment. "To think of all the people in Remnant it would be you,"
Don't turn back, don't turn back.
"Now, why don't you turn your back, little Master? With only one eye, I can't see you that well," the voice purred. "Don't be shy, I won't burn you, much,"
He was already regretting this. It was official. The world, everyone inside of it, including destiny and fate, were against him.
He slowly turned back, hoping this was a bad dream. Hoping that he would wake up on his Atlas's bed. Then he would have told his crazy dream to Nora and Jaune would've laughed.
Alas, reality crashed.
In front of him, there was a woman. A woman he knew very well, more than he would have liked.
With black knee-high laced heeled boots across her legs. And dressed in a black tank top and shorts. Her shoulder was covered with a red cape, her exposed arm covered in bandages. She had white strands across her hair, which were covering her eyepatch.
A bright, burning, amber eye was watching him.
She smirked.
"It appears you can't stop gawking at me" She was sitting on one of the undestroyed furniture of the attic. Sitting as she owned the place.
Then she sighed again. "So it seems if you want to do something right, or at all, you have to do it yourself,"
Oscar's hands were trembling.
"In accordance with your summons, I've arrived, Servant Archer of Green. You may call me Cinder Fall, the one and only true Fall Maiden." With each word sprouted by her power was felt across the attic.
"Now then, I ask of you… are you worthy to be my Master?" A full-blown murderous smile was displayed on Cinder's face.
She raised her hand, covered in fire, and then closed her fist, smoke pouring into the air.
"Because if the answer is yes… then answer the fuck up, puppet. We have a city to burn."
…
…
…
YOU THOUGHT IT WAS A JAUNE-PYRRHA-RWBY-JNPR-WITH-A-KATANA-CENTRIC FANFIC, BUT IT WAS ME, A OSCAR-CINDER-UNHOLY-DUO-TIME-TRAVELING FANFIC!
Now I remember I said it was a convoluted crossover (And the crossover didn't happen only because the author grabbed RWBY, demon slayer and fate and decided to paste them with cheap glue… well, maybe yes, but actually no) What is the point of making a fanfic if I don't get to have fun while I write it? Originally I planned for Oscar to summon another incarnation of Ozma (Ozymandias), in early, like really, early drafts he would've summoned a Pyrrha Nikos Volume 3. But I watched all of RWBY again, and said, why not, Cinder Best Girl.
Also, I put a lot of details, plot points that eventually will arrive in future chapters.
Originally this chapter would've included the first combat class, but it was getting too long. So we'll see it the next chapter, with more Blake's POVs and Oscar's. And maybe a Yang one.
Wonder how many of you would stay and read the fic (Because I know is really convoluted, even forced in some parts) I'm butchering characters left and right. Who wants "angry,smash" Yang? Not me. Where is my best girl Weiss? My Pyrrha "My grass is greener than yours" Nikos?
So I ask of you lectors… Did I burn your eyes? Tell me, because your comments-reviews-criticism help to write chapters and rewrite if I butcher one.
And thanks for all the follow and favs, and comments!
One thing more, Should I change Weiss's POV title? What should it be? And Oscar's? The Wizard –I, didn't convince me at all.
