Distortion

Pyrrha just glared at the Beringel in front of her. She couldn't explain it but she felt reinvigorated, like she had ice water poured over her. Her arms and legs were no longer shaking from exhaustion and her aura was back somehow. She would usually question this but her mind was more focused on the rage and hatred she held towards the Grimm in front of her. And she was going to kill it.

The beast pounded on its chest with a scream before it lumbered at her at full speed. Without a word, Pyrrha charged to meet it. It lunged forward, trying to grab her. She quickly slid on her knees under the outstretched arm. Milo quickly shifting from xiphos to its javelin form. From her kneeling position, she released her weapon with a discharge and it buried deeply into its armpit. The head of it stuck out of its shoulder afterwards.

The Grimm screamed in pain as it landed on the ground, nearly falling because its right arm was now useless. Pyrrha spun and got back to her feet. She reached for her weapon with her Polarity and with a pull of her arm, it ripped through the Beringel's arm and to her hand. Its arm was now barely connected to its body as it screamed and stared her down with unbridled fury. Pyrrha just met it with a cold and hardened glare.

Jaune just watched on. Still in disbelief but the longer this fight went on, the more and more it confirmed it for him. Pyrrha was always an amazing fighter but even against the Grimm, she fought both gracefully and honorably. That maneuver she just pulled was nothing short of brutal and savage. But that was part of Negative Aura. It brings up more of the person's negative emotions and amplifies them. Until it was mastered, then the person would act similar to how they were before the awakening. Seeing her do that, that was just proof of her actually awakening her Negative Aura.

Pyrrha didn't hesitate to charge at her prey. Throwing Akouo with all her strength and her Polarity. It slammed into the jaw of the Grimm, whipping its head back. She recalled it as she shifted her javelin into its rifle and firing three shots into its right knee. It tried to scream at her yet again but its jaw was dislocated from the shield throw. It threw its left fist at her but she was ready.

She pulled her shield to the side of the fist and quickly spun her body clockwise. The shield took the brunt of the hit but the spin helped to disperse the force behind it. At the end of her spin, she slammed the edge of Akouo into the inner forearm of the beast and allowed her to stab Milo, in its xiphos form into its untouched leg's thigh. The Grimm tried to rip its arm free from the shield or maybe it was trying to toss her away from it. Either way, it failed.

Pyrrha detached Akouo from her bracer as it threw its arm to the side. She then stepped forward while dislodging Milo and shifting back into its javelin form. She angled the blade with practiced ease and discharged it one last time. Lodging it into the Beringel's throat. The beast just stared down at her in the closest thing to shock as a Grimm could muster. She just looked back with a cold gaze as the red light left its eyes and the corpse started to evaporate. Her shield hit the ground with loud clang as it did.

Her arms fell to her sides as she started to breathe raggedly. The sudden rush from her Negative aura was gone and her body's exhaustion was returning with a vengeance. Her eyes started to droop but they soon widened when she started to register the growls from around her. She slowly looked around to see the Beowolves slowly closing in on her. She tried to raise her arms but they just refused. Her legs were shaking so badly that she wasn't even sure how she was still standing.

Sensing her weakness, a Beowolf lunged at her. She didn't even have time to close her eyes before the Grimm stopped in midair for a split second. It then slammed into the ground with an audible crack from the beast. She looked down at it in shock before looking around to see all the Grimm frozen in place while a black aura covered them. Her confusion gave way to understanding and she turned to see Jaune still standing in the tree branches with his hand extended and covered in the same aura. The most notable thing was the grin on his face.

He clenched his fist and the sounds of breaking bones filled the air. She looked to see that all the Beowolves had broken necks and were starting to evaporate. She sighed in relief and turned back in time to see Jaune jump from the branches and land on the ground in front of her. She smiled at him and spoke tiredly, "Jaune…" That was all she was able to say as the tension left her body and she fell into unconsciousness.

Jaune saw as she started to fall forward and he effortlessly caught her in his arms. He looked down to see that she was sleeping. He couldn't help the grin still on his face. But now came a more important question: What to do with her now?

After a minute or so, he came to a decision and sighed. He moved her into a bridal carry. He then used his Telekinesis to pull his scroll out and into his hand. He dialed Raven and held it up to his ear. After a few rings, she answered, "Jaune, what is it? We're in the middle of something."

"I know and I'm sorry but this is important. There has been an unseen development." He said before continuing more seriously, "I need everyone back at Vytal, immediately."

There was a silence on Raven's end, "This must be something big then. We'll head back now and I'll inform the others. Do you need a portal?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I'm out."

"Alright. See you soon, Love." She said before hanging up. Jaune used his Semblance to pocket his scroll. Shortly after that, Raven's portal opened to him. He looked down at Pyrrha's weapons before shrugging. He used his Telekinesis to levitate them and walked through the portal, leaving Jaaku no mori behind.

As he walked through, he saw that they were in one of the training rooms in their headquarters. Raven and Aaeron were waiting for them. Both had shocked expressions when they saw that Jaune wasn't alone. Aaeron was the first to recover, "What the hell is she doing here?" he gestured to the unconscious Pyrrha in his arms. "This place is supposed to be a secret and you just bring her here!" he said angrily.

Jaune just gave him a very even glare as the temperature around them dropped significantly. "She's here because I decided she needed to be. And we will be discussing this once everyone is here. Am I clear, Aaeron?"

Aaeron just stared at Jaune. The cold tone he was speaking in made it clear that this was something to not question him on. And if you did, you wouldn't be as whole as you were before. Aaeron slowly nodded to his leader. Jaune just turned away, "Good. Meet me in the conference room when everyone gets here." With that, he walked away and into the locker room that they stored their weapons in. He deposited both his sword and guns before moving to one of the many vacant ones and doing the same with Milo and Akouo. It wouldn't be smart to leave Pyrrha with her weapons if she woke up before he thought she would.

He then left the locker room and made his way to one of the free bedrooms they had. He entered and turned the lights on. He made his way over to the bed and gently laid the Mistralian champion down. She had a peaceful expression on her face that he grinned at. He then made his way over to the door and dimmed the lights to help her rest. He then walked out and locked the door with his scroll as a precaution if she woke up while he was gone. He doubted she would though. He was out for several hours after awakening his Negative aura but that could've also been due to his injuries. But it never hurt to be cautious.

With that done, he made his way to the conference room. It was a large room with a long table in the center and many screens lining the walls. The table was big enough to sit twenty people at it. Jaune made his way to the chair at the head of the table, completely opposite of the door. He sat down and placed his mask in front of him. It was a custom in the Branwen tribe. When the holders of the masks placed theirs in front of them like he was, it symbolized that only other mask holders were allowed in the meeting. It also was to show the severity of the issues they would be discussing. With that done, he leant back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. He closed his eyes and waited.

Several minutes later, the door opened for Raven, Gil, Aaeron and Onyx to walk in. They saw the mask in front of him and all grew more serious. They all took their seats and laid their own masks in front of them. Raven was on his right with Aaeron sitting in the chair next to her. While Gil was on Jaune's left with Onyx sitting next to him. Raven spoke up once they were all seated, "I didn't call the other's. I didn't want to put their missions in jeopardy."

Jaune nodded at that but stayed silent. After a few seconds, he started to speak, "Just so everyone is on the same page, Pyrrha Nikos is resting in one of the spare rooms here."

That earned a few shocked looks from Gil and Onyx. It was the latter who spoke up, "So, what? Is she joining Knightingale?"

"I'll be damned." Aaeron spoke next. "As much as I respect you, Jaune, she betrayed you before. There is no telling if she'll do it again."

"Plus, she has been watched by Ozpin thoroughly if our informant is right. She could already be in his back pocket." Raven added calmly. As this was going on, Gil was just watching Jaune. Waiting for him to elaborate more as the others argued on. Or more precisely, Aaeron and Onyx were.

Jaune decided it was a good a time as any to drop the bomb on all of them. "Pyrrha has awakened Negative aura."

The room became silent instantly. He looked at them and saw they were all staring at him in shock. Aaeron and Onyx were both looking at him with their jaws dropped. Raven and Gil both went wide eyed with Gil's mouth opening and closing trying to make words. Finally, he managed to get them out, "Are you sure?" Jaune just gave him a deadpan expression. Gil then held up his hand, "Okay, dumb question. But how? Others have tried and have always wound up dead."

Jaune nodded, "True. I can't be certain, since I'm still figuring this out on my own. But with Pyrrha's awakening, it gives me a few ideas. And I may now have a better idea on how one awakens Negative aura."

"And what is it, Love?" Raven asked. Looking at him in intrigue.

"Negative aura doesn't just show up. It makes sense that it exists deep within one's soul, buried under all their Positive aura. The more negative emotions you feel, the stronger it becomes. I think that goes for it being awakened and not. But only people like me and Pyrrha can even have a chance of awakening it because we've experienced so much negativity throughout our lives. That has made our Negative aura strong enough and large enough to take the place of our Positive aura."

"I was considered the weakest Arc and was always in the shadow of my sisters and family name. That gave me some severe self-hatred over the years from not being 'good enough'. And going to Beacon, where I was in many other shadows and couldn't even compare to them. Well, it's no shock that my Negative reserves are so vast. Meanwhile, Pyrrha's fame and skills had people placing her on a pedestal. That isolation and having people trying to use her for their own advantage was enough to build up her own reserves over the years."

"But just having the reserves, doesn't guarantee that someone will just awaken it. But there are many similarities between mine and Pyrrha's awakenings." Jaune said before he took a small breather from his explanation.

"And what are they exactly?" Onyx asked. Would make sense; out of everyone her, he was most curious about Negative aura.

"Well first, both our Positive auras were shattered. Positive and Negative can't occupy the same space at once, that's just nature. We both also had an extreme need for that power. A near death situation would probably be the most realistic reason to awaken Negative aura. And finally, an emotional trigger, like rage or hatred."

"If that's the case, why haven't more Huntsmen or bandits unlocked it at this point?" Aaeron asked. "It's not that crazy for negative emotions to come up when facing death."

Jaune just shook his head, "It's not that simple. Negative aura is pretty much the manifestation of every evil of that person. When it awakens, all the worst parts of you, of your soul, are on display to you. And to use it, you must fully accept it, the worst parts of yourself, and to gain strength from them. Most people can't accept their flaws or mistakes and prefer to ignore or bury them. So, accepting them is something most people can't simply do. Accepting Negative aura isn't a conscience decision, its an instinctual one. So, if you even have to think about it, you've already failed."

He looked up at the ceiling as he continued, "Plus, I wouldn't recommend anyone that is the equivalent of a full-fledged Huntsman or Huntress awakening their Negative aura. The two may have similarities but they are very different. The only reason I was able to do it was because my aura control was poor to begin with. I don't know how difficult it would be for anyone else. Trying to fully master it after being so in tune with Positive aura…it could be disastrous. If not flat out deadly." After that, there was an extended silence as Jaune stared down at the table in front of him.

"So what are we going to do now?" Gil asked and Jaune turned to him. "What are we going to do with Miss Nikos?"

Jaune sighed, "I honestly don't know. We can't exactly let her go back to Beacon. If Ozpin finds out about her Negative aura, it'll give them some insight on my abilities and could put you all in danger." They gave him quizzical looks. "Your auras may've been empowered by my Negative aura but they still will be absorbed by Negative aura all the same."

"That is if she masters it." Aaeron added.

Jaune chuckled with that, "Pyrrha will have no trouble there. Her skills as a champion and Huntress are not exaggerated. It may take time but she'll find a way to master her Negative aura. One way or another."

"What if she joined us?" Onyx added and as everyone looked to him, he continued, "Jaune just said it, she's a skilled fighter. Plus with her having Negative aura and him teaching her the ins and outs of it, she'd be that much stronger. It seems like a win-win to me."

"That's if we can trust her." Aaeron added once again. "Yeah, she's strong but giving her so much so soon could be detrimental to us. She betrayed you once before Jaune, that's more than enough. We may be better off cutting any loose ends."

Jaune sighed and looked up at the ceiling with a conflicted expression, "I'm not so sure she did anymore."

"What do you mean?' Gil asked. Jaune always held those seven in contempt but something had changed. That was something that couldn't be ignored.

He ran a hand down his face before he continued, "To prove to me that she wasn't lying, I had her fight Grimm in Jakku no mori. The way she fought them, just got to me. She was on her last legs when a Beringel showed up. She was about to give up but I sensed the beginnings of her Negative aura shifting to the surface. I told her if she killed the Beringel and win in her condition, I'd believe her. It wasn't until then that her Negative aura awakened. Her wanting to prove herself to me was the trigger. Saving her own life or stopping me was a part of it. But me believing her was much more."

He sighed one last time, "Look, I could just order you all around but this concerns all of us. So, we'll leave it to a vote. I will abstain while Onyx and Aaeron have made their choice clear. So, what do you two say?" He looked to Gil, "Do we allow her into Knightingale?" He then turned to Raven, "Or do we kill her?"

There was a silence as the two contemplated. Gil was looking up and stroking his beard while Raven had her arms crossed and looked down at the table. Gil turned to him and voiced his choice, "Ever since we met, you've been adamant on your opinion of her. But now, you're beginning to doubt that. Maybe you were wrong or maybe she has changed. Either way, this is something you need to learn about to find some kind of peace and to move on fully. To make yourself better. I vote to allow her in."

Jaune nodded at him and turned to his wife, "Raven?"

She looked at him while her one finger tapped against her bicep. She sighed, "We need more people but they need to be people we trust. I suggest we allow her in but not as a full member. We won't tell her about our plan. Train her and test her. If she shows promise, we can have her swear loyalty to us. If not, we will do what must be done. That is what I choose."

Everyone just looked at her while Jaune smirked, "Leave it to you to find the third and best answer." He turned to the rest, "Is everyone in agreeance?" They all nodded, "Okay then we've reached an agreement. Now, could you three leave the room? I want to talk with my wife."

The three nodded before picking up their masks and leaving. When the door closed he turned to his wife, "You sure about this?" She was about to speak but he cut her off, "I can sense your emotions, remember?"

She closed her mouth and gave a huff. She looked away as she answered, "This is a risk. But it may very well pull through and help us out in the long run."

"So, what's with the steady annoyance I'm feeling?" he cocked an eyebrow while saying that.

"Because every women we allow in , seems to want to sleep with you." She said quietly.

Jaune heard this and his eyes went wide. That was before a smirk came across his face, "Oh my Oum. You're worried about losing me to Pyrrha."

She turned back to him with a glare, "I am not." She said with finality but the blush she had took so much away from it.

He started to chuckle, "You totally are." She was about to yell at him but his next comment stopped her. "You're absolutely gorgeous but when you blush, it just makes you adorable." Her blush deepened slightly and she turned away with a huff.

He gently placed his fingers on her chin and turned her to face him. He kissed her lovingly and after a few seconds, she returned the pressure. They pulled away and his blues just stared into her reds. "There is nothing for you to worry about, Beloved." He took her hand and laid it over his heart. He gave her some time to let her feel the steady rhythm of it beating. "This is only for you. As is my body, mind and soul. I'm not going anywhere."

She smiled at him and kissed him again. When they separated, she placed her forehead on his, "I love you, Jaune."

He smiled back, "I love you too, Raven."

A few hours later, Jaune was making his way back to the room he let Pyrrha rest in. After their meeting, they all discussed what their next move should be. Raven and Aaeron decided to rest for the remainder of the day before setting back out on their search. Onyx and Gil were going to take a few days before going back out. No one argued, the longer they kept their connection to Knightingale secret, the better. Jaune decided to stay and start training Pyrrha, if she agreed that is.

Jaune unlocked the door and peaked inside. She was still sleeping peacefully. He grinned and walked into the room. He closed the door and sat down at the desk in the room, which was across the room from her. He went through his scroll for a bit. He started to look through the Mistral files once again, looking for any mention of 'the Beast' he overheard in Higanbana. After almost an hour, he found it.

His name is Valter Moonstone, he was once part of a special militia in Mistral. He eventually was fired by the person in charge of said militia for the mistreatment of innocents and even slaughtering of surrendering opponents. He responded by killing his ex-superior and three others that tried to stop him. Since then he has been on Mistral's highest watchlist. He was soon known as the Beast, which just seems to throw him into a fury when he hears it.

Jaune started to contemplate on what to do with this information. Should he try to offer this man a position in Knightingale? He was pulled from his thoughts as he heard Pyrrha groan and shift on the bed. He turned to her and pocketed his scroll. He watched as she slowly awoke and sat up. She looked around with drowsy eyes before they landed on Jaune. They widened to almost comical proportions as he smirked at her, "I take it you rested well."

That seemed to snap her out of her shock, "Jaune? Is this real?"

He raised an eyebrow, "If you mean, you are alive and with me in a bedroom in a secret facility in an unknown location to you, yes."

She looked around slightly, "Why…am I here?"

"A few reasons. But first and foremost, I have a proposition for you." He leant forward in his seat and took on a serious look, "What would you think if I told you that there as been a war going on for millennia?"

She raised an eyebrow slightly in confusion, "You mean the one with the Grimm?" She asked, unsure on what to say.

Jaune tilted his head back and forth, "You're not exactly wrong, but there is more to it." He took a breath before he continued, "The Grimm have a mastermind. Her name is Salem." From there, he told her about the war between Salem and Ozpin. The truth about the relics, the Huntsmen Academies and the Maidens. To say Pyrrha was shocked was an understatement. She just kept staring at him, mouth agape. Jaune just looked at her for a bit, "Take your time to process, Pyrrha. It's a lot to take in."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes she asked him one question, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because that is the point of my organization, Knightingale. The war is at a standstill but Salem will eventually win if things stay the same. Salem has more power, soldiers and time than our side could ever have. She'll eventually find a way to claim all the relics. That is unless we stop her first."

That shocked her more, "How?"

Jaune looked at the door for a second before turning back to her, "Raven and I have found a way to turn the tide to our favor. But we are missing crucial factors. One of them are people we can trust."

"And you want me to be one of them?" she asked unsure.

Jaune nodded, "You were once my partner, Pyrrha. I would like to trust you again. And you've done something that has made me think it could be a real possibility."

That made her stomach flip. Did she hear him right? He was starting to believe in her again? "You mean me killing those Grimm?"

He shook his head, "No. But what you did to kill those Grimm, specifically the Beringel, is what I'm talking about."

She was confused and thought back. She remembered being exhausted and sad. Then she was angry and full of hatred for the Grimm. Then that dark and cold… energy just appeared. She shivered at the memory. Her eyes widened and she looked to Jaune. "That power."

Jaune nodded, "That 'power' is something very rare and you having it is a major game changer." Before she could ask, he stood from his chair and looked at her with a serious look in his eye. "You have a choice now, Pyrrha. You can go back to Beacon, or even Ren and Nora, and do whatever you like. Or you can stay here and help us end this damned war. The choice is yours." It was better not to mention that if she didn't agree, Raven or more likely Aaeron, would kill her. He didn't want that to influence her decision.

She looked down in thought. Could she stay here? She was worried for Ren and Nora. Plus, she didn't set out to join Jaune but she wanted to save him. But…did he really need to be saved? He was trying to fight a war, a war few knew about. And those that did, weren't doing anything and were content to keep doing so. He was doing what he had to because Ozpin wasn't going to and he went far enough to send others to try and stop Jaune. She clenched her fists with that thought.

Pyrrha wouldn't usually have these thoughts but her Negative aura was amplifying them without her knowledge. And more specifically, a very selfish part of her was being magnified. That part saying one thing: I want Jaune back. I want to be by his side.

With that she looked up at him with determination. "I want to fight. I want to stop Salem." She said with full conviction. 'I want to fight by you.' She added in her head with the same conviction.

Jaune searched her eyes for any dishonesty but found none. He walked over to her and held out his hand. She quickly took it and both squeezed hard. "You swear to follow every order I give you? To never question me?"

She nodded, "I swear on my life."

He nodded in return, "Good. Then we have work to do." He let go of her hand and walked to the door. It opened to reveal Raven. Pyrrha flinched slightly at her sudden appearance. Jaune turned back to her with a smirk, "I'm going to show you what Negative aura can do."

A/N- And its here! Sorry for the long wait. But life was constantly getting in the way. Anyways, Valter Moonstone is another OC created by Antex-The Legendary Zoroak. More on him later though. And again, Jauneforever has been the legend and was the Beta Reader. So, check him out if you haven't already. Hoped you all enjoyed and I hope to see you all in the next update!