A/N: It's been a while. I got hit with a combination of midterms, a severe case of writers' block, and a need to work out a lot of the lore regarding Ozpin, Salem, and Maidens before I kept writing. But we're back to Team JNPR, and briefly introducing Oscar. Enjoy!
Jaune mumbles a few expletives under his breath and swings at the training dummy again, stabbing it through the stomach and ripping out some of the stuffing. Pyrrha frowns.
"Jaune, you're not utilizing your shield the way you should. If all you do is hold it close to you to protect yourself, it's just armor that wastes a hand. Use it to block, to hit, to knock the attacker off balance." Pyrrha stands up and casually smacks the dummy with her shield, knocking it over and sending it flying into a corner.
"Um, okay then. I can do that, probably."
"We'll drill a few moves. Left foot forward, shield bash, then stab. Try that."
Jaune repeats the maneuver, trying to focus on Pyrrha's terse instructions rather than Nora's battle cries from the other side of the room.
"Keep practicing that," Pyrrha says, then calls, "keep it down, Nora, please."
Jaune repeats the same move until both arms are aching, but he'll probably be doing it in his sleep. Eventually, Pyrrha tells him to stop, and motions toward the roped-off practice ring in the center of the room.
Pyrrha's first few shots are slow enough that he can see them, at least, and scramble to block, but she's still moving too fast for him to actually attack. He backs up until he hits the ropes, then tries to dodge out of the way of her strike. He still gets knocked flat, but he's learned how to handle being hit, if nothing else.
"Sorry!" Pyrrha exclaims and extends a hand to help Jaune up. "That was better; you were using your shield more actively. Would you like to try another bout?"
Jaune nods instantly, and gets back into position for the start of another bout. He might not be as good as they are at fighting, but he's going to show them that he's not going to give up. He dodges the first shield strike, then tries an experimental stab at Pyrrha's arm. She blocks it effortlessly and forces him to stumble backward to avoid getting hit again, but it's a start.
"You're doing well, Jaune," Ren says, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.
"Kick his ass, Pyrrha!" Nora shouts, hanging partway over the ropes of the arena and punching her fist in the air. Pyrrha turns around, cheeks flushed from the fight, and tries to muster a scowl.
"Nora, while I appreciate the encouragement, that's not a productive attitude to be taking in a training session." She absently tosses her shield up to the roof rafters, then catches it. "Out of curiosity, what do you know about 'Maidens'?"
"What, like the fairy tale?" Jaune asks. "Or is there a secret death squad who picked a weird name?"
"Like the fairy tale," Pyrrha repeats.
"I know the usual story, where they got powers from God and they saved the world and all that," Nora comments. "The story was my favorite when I was little."
"I never liked it," Pyrrha responds. "It was – too much like reality, I suppose."
"Cool, cool. So, why are you interested in stories all of a sudden? Usually, you're the one telling me to get my head out of the clouds," Nora says.
"The Maidens might be real."
Jaune laughs.
"Come on, Pyrrha, they're a legend. Aren't you supposed to be the sensible one?"
"Look, I know it sounds a bit crazy, but I found a woman dying and she said she was one of the Maidens, and she said I could inherit her power using this." Pyrrha opens a cabinet that Jaune always assumed was just full of spare cables and pulls out a shiny object a few inches long.
"A crazy homeless woman said you had magic powers and you believed her?" Ren asks.
"Technically, yes," Pyrrha says curtly. "However, I do have reason to believe she was truthful. Exhibit A: creepy glowing object that she dug out of her own arm to give to me."
"Okay, but that isn't how the Maidens work in the legend," Nora says. "They got their powers from God, not from weird sticks."
"It's still a legend, , so there are probably a lot of differences between the truth and what we've heard," Jaune offers. "What, have you guys never read a book based on mythology? That's always the explanation they give."
"Good point, Jaune," Pyrrha says. "She wasn't very clear about how the Maidens got their powers; she just said they've been protecting Remnant for millennia. It may well be just some very advanced technology that mimics the effects of natural abilities. That's the best-case scenario."
"If it's technology, we can study it and find out how it works, eventually, whereas if it's magic we have no idea where to start," Ren agrees. "What specific properties of the object have you noticed?"
Pyrrha beckons them all towards a table, then sets the object down and flips it over. The underside is jagged and almost black, but still shiny, like the eyes of an insect.
"It got broken in some way," she says, holding her finger an inch or so above the broken surface. A few motes of golden light separate from the surface and float upwards, sinking into her finger. Pyrrha seems lost in a trance for a few moments, then blinks sharply and her eyes focus again.
"So, it bleeds mystical energy into everything close to it? That looks really dangerous," Nora comments. "So obviously it's going to be awesome when you use it!"
"Nora, it's damaged. Using it would be – unwise, to say the least," Pyrrha replies.
"But, you know, if you're in a desperate situation backed into a corner, then you have a secret weapon you can pull out of your pocket and devastate them with your epic powers!"
"It's dangerous and untested, and we have no idea if it's going to work," Pyrrha repeats. "We'll study the object in as much detail as we can, then we'll decide if it's safe enough to use."
"Ruby and Taiyang know pretty much everything about technology; we could take it to them and see what they have to say."
"No," Pyrrha says flatly. "If this does work the way we think, then any villain worth their salt is going to want it. Even if it doesn't work, if the information gets out, we'll be a magnet for attacks. The information stays in this room."
…
The Maidens are suffering. The Fall Maiden's power has been splintered, and most of it remains unclaimed. You need to recover the Source.
"It just keeps talking, and I don't even know what it's saying. It tries to tell me about old legends, and tries to tell me I need to leave."
"That's perfectly normal. You're naturally uncomfortable with your surroundings, and you're uncomfortable with your desire to leave, since you know you need a cure, so you're projecting your feelings onto a hallucinated voice."
No! You have to listen to me!
"I – I just want the voices to stop."
"I understand. That's perfectly normal. Have you considered opening up more in therapy sessions? It may help you discover the source of your hallucinations."
You're not crazy. I'm here.
"I'm not crazy. Just, one day, there was this voice trying to talk to me. It kept saying that I needed to leave."
"That must be troubling for you. I'll consult with the pharmacists; we may be able to get you a higher dose of antipsychotics, and we'll see if that's enough to provide some permanent relief."
You have to listen to me. Please. Every time you take more meds, it's harder for me to break through, and this might be the last time you can hear me. The world needs you!
"Thank you. I just want to go back to my family, go back to normal. If it might make the voices better, I'll take it."