Distortion

The sounds of gunfire and explosions could be heard from the ruins of Kuroyuri. They would stop for a few seconds before they would begin again. An inhuman scream was heard before Ren and Nora were thrown back. Both managed to land on their feet and came to a stop, their weapons still at the ready. They both stared down the Grimm, Nora with barely hidden fear and Ren with barely restrained anger. The Nuckelavee slowly walked over to them, its horse head breathing out black smoke as it came to a stop twenty feet from them. The humanoid half on its back twitched before it sat up and stared at them with its red eyes. Galvanizing them into attacking it again.

Meanwhile, Jaune and Onyx were still in the branches of the tree, neither wearing their masks. Jaune still stood, unmoving with his arms crossed over his chest, watching the entire thing. Onyx was sat a few feet from him on the same branch. He had his right leg pulled up to his chest and his right arm resting on his knee, while leaning on his left arm to help support him on the branch. He wasn't watching as calm as Jaune, "Hey, Jaune." he turned to face his leader. "Is this really necessary?"

Jaune didn't turn to him as he answered, "You gave me the idea to test them." He replied neutrally.

"Well, yeah but isn't this a bit much? That is a pretty powerful Grimm." He was still looking to Jaune but he didn't even flinch. "They could die."

"We are preparing for war, Onyx." Jaune said seriously. "War has deaths. They wanted to 'help' so they better be willing to show they are ready for what's to come." His eyes still didn't move from the fight as he spoke. "Yes, they could die. They could also give up and we could step in and save them, I'd consider that Ren's 'rule of one'. Or maybe they'll be able to defeat it and I'll be able to see the depths of their repentance."

Onyx just looked at him, just trying to figure out what was going on in his head. "I thought you said you didn't hate them?"

"I don't." he answered instantly. "What they did made me who I am. If not for them, I wouldn't have Negative Aura, I wouldn't be the leader of Knightingale. I wouldn't have met Raven." His eyes softened for all of a second before they were filled with coldness once again. "I owe them for that but that doesn't mean I forgive them either."

"Jaune?" Onyx asked.

"They were supposed to be my family, Onyx. The one I chose to belong to, not born into. I don't hate them. But they do need to be punished for that betrayal." His tone was so cold, it could freeze water.

Onyx had a shiver go up his spine from that and turned back to watching the battle. 'Maybe Jaune Arc isn't as gone as he thinks.' He thought to himself. 'But, I can understand the betrayal he went through. Only difference between us is he cared deeply for his team and they were supposed to do the same.'

Ren was breathing deeply as he and Nora stood across from the Nuckelavee. The demon that haunted their dreams. They both knew this was their test and Jaune was not going to help in it. His eyes flicking over to his wayward leader, still just standing there and watching. His eyes quickly went back to the Grimm.

He had no idea on what to do. The two of them were already tired from fighting Valter Moonstone, that was what Jaune had called him at least. He was sitting at half aura, maybe lower. While Nora was probably closer to two-thirds. Even fully rested, they would have a tough time with this. They needed more people but they wouldn't be getting it.

He had no more time to think before the Nuckelavee sprinted at them. The two lifelong friends looked at each other and nodded. Ren took off to the right and started firing from StormFlower as Nora took to the left and did the same with Magnhild. It stopped as it was pelted from both sides but focused on Nora since her attacks were doing more damage. The humanoid half 'sat' up with a shout and started to whip its arms at the bomber.

Nora managed to jump back and shift her weapon into its warhammer form. She managed to smack the next claw away with a swing and deflect the second using the shaft of her weapon. As it was focused on Nora, Ren used his Semblance to hide himself and sneak up behind it. He then jumped into the air and sunk the blades of StormFlower into its lower horse back.

The Grimm froze for a second, trying to figure out what that annoying feeling was. That was when it was peppered by more of Ren's bullets. The humanoid turned and saw the young man gripped tightly on his back. It lashed out with its arm and knocked Ren off it before he could get free. Ren managed to flip and land on all fours to slow himself down. Nora used that opportunity to jump into the air and aim a heavy swing for the back of its head. The Grimm just kept spinning until it made a full rotation and was now facing Nora.

She froze for all of a second but that was enough for it to smack her away, similar to Ren, but she went through the building behind her and groaned in pain as she laid in what appeared to be a bedroom.

Ren's anger got the better of him and he started to run at the Grimm. The Grimm in turn, spun to face him and stretched its one arm up into the air before bringing it down. Ren just barely managed to roll to the side but the attack still sent enough debris that hit him. He fell to the side when a particular chunk of road hit him in the side of the head. He shook himself and managed to kneel, just in time for it to lash out with its other arm. It caught him in the solar plexus and sent him tumbling across the ground. When he stopped, he started to cough frantically, trying to regain the air that was knocked out of him.

While he was lying there, the Nuckelavee pulled its arm back, ready to attack him again. As it sent its arm forward, it's upper body was assaulted with several grenades. It screamed in pain and its arm narrowly missed Ren but the force of the attack sent him rolling across the ground again.

Nora was standing in the hole of the building she was knocked through. Magnhild was still open after firing her entire payload at once. The Grimm screamed in anger and whipped its arm at her. She quickly dove out of the building as the arm tore through the side of the building and it collapsed in on itself.

She landed several feet behind it and took off in a full sprint at it. She jumped and went for a devastating two handed downward swing to the horses back. As the hammerhead was about to make contact with the creatures spine, she was caught in the stomach by it kicking backwards with its back legs. She yelled in pain and had a large chunk of her aura drained. She hit the pavement before bouncing off of it and skipping off it again before laying in a heap.

Ren by this point was kneeling on the ground and seeing Nora like that was enough to break his self-control. With a shout, he charged at the Grimm with blades at the ready. Jaune raised an eyebrow at seeing that, this was the first time he had seen Ren this angry and it was interesting.

Ren leapt at the Grimm but it caught him in its grasp and quickly pinned him against another nearby building. He screamed as his back impacted the wall. The Grimm kept him pinned there as it prepared its other claw, ready to skewer the ninja. Ren saw this and stabbed his blades into the Grimm's hand and started firing into it but to no avail. Nora tried to get up but fell back to her knees as she shouted his name in despair. The Nuckelavee sent its claw forward and Ren could only close his eyes.

Ren heard the sound of the claws striking something but felt no pain. He slowly opened his eyes and saw that the claw was imbedded into the street just before the building. He was confused before he looked over to Jaune and saw he had his right hand out, surrounded in his black aura. The two locked eyes and Jaune nodded before he stopped his Telekinesis and put his arm back to crossing over his chest.

Knowing this was his only chance, Ren used his blades to push the claw away enough so he could pull his lower half free. He placed his feet against the building and kicked off it and towards the Grimm, his blades raking down the length of the arm as he did so. About halfway down the arm, he pulled his blades free and flipped forwards, landing on the arm to fire a salvo at the Grimm before jumping off the appendage. Just barely missing its other claw trying to knock him away.

He landed a few feet in front of the still recovering Nora as the beast slowly turned to face the two of them. Its front leg started to paw at the ground, getting ready to charge. Ren would've moved but he knew it would just go after Nora. He just stood his ground as his knuckles turned white from how hard he was holding his weapons.

The Grimm closed the distance quickly as Ren kept firing at it. It then stood on its hind legs and was about to bring them down on the Huntsmen-in-training. But by some miracle, Nora managed to stand and get between it and Ren. She used her hammer to catch the legs on the shaft. She grit her teeth as she was holding it back before she managed to say, "Ren, now!"

Ren quickly jumped towards the horse head, hoping to behead it with his blades. The Grimm saw this and the horse head jerked forward, headbutting him and sending him back to the ground. It then applied more pressure and the ground underneath Nora shattered and she had to jump back or be crushed. She landed besides Ren as he was standing back up. Both were then hit by its claws as it lashed out on more time. Both were sent tumbling across the ground and their aura shattered.

When they came to a stop, Ren was gritting his teeth as he was forcing himself back to his feet. He managed to get back on shaky legs as he stared down the Grimm with pure anger. The Grimm just screamed before it pulled its arm back again and sent its claws towards him.

The world seemed to go in slow motion then. He saw the claw coming towards him but he couldn't move. That was when he felt something push him and he was falling through the air. He turned away from the Grimm to whatever hit him and his eyes widened in shock. Nora was in the air and had her arms extended, she had jumped to push him out of the way. He could only watch as the claw hit her and she was thrown away from him.

As soon as he hit the ground he turned to her, "Nora!" he shouted before he stood up and started to run to her. He saw that the arm still had her pinned, so he quickly pulled his father's dagger out and used it to cut the arm off. He could hear the Grimm scream and saw the arm start to evaporate. He dropped the dagger as he slid on his knees beside her. He started to move her in a sitting position, "Nora…" he started before he gasped. He could a deep wound in her stomach and was bleeding badly.

He quickly ripped off one of his sleeves and pressed it against her wound, trying to slow the bleeding. "You're going to be okay, Nora. You're going to be okay." He told her trying to convince both of them that it'd be true.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see Ren holding her. She had a small blush and smile, "Sorry, Renny, but I don't think that's gonna happen."

"Don't say that, Nora. Don't even think that." Ren told her and pushed the blooded sleeve more into the wound to apply more pressure.

She slowly shook her head, "We both know it's true."

Ren started to shake and her closed his eyes as he felt tears starting to gather. "I'm sorry, Nora. If you didn't save me-"

Nora cut him off, "I'd do it again in a heartbeat." She slowly raised her hand and placed it on his cheek. He opened his eyes and looked down into her own, noticing she had tears running down her face as well. "You saved me all those years ago and took care of me since that day. I have no regrets with going this far to do the same for you."

Tears started to escape his eyes and Nora gently wiped them away with her thumb, "Thank you, Ren." She coughed a bit before continuing. "Thank you for being my family. My home. My whole world. I wish I said this before but I guess it's either now or never…" her breathing was getting fainter and her eyes were starting to close. "I love you, Ren. Never forget that, please. I... love… y…" With one last exhale, her eyes closed and her hand fell from his cheek.

Ren caught her hand before it could reach the ground. He held it tightly in his bloody hand and pulled her closer to him so her head was resting against his chest. He was shaking like a leaf and tears were streaming down his face. With a voice so full of emotions that you'd never think it could come from Ren, he said the words he wish he uttered so long ago, "I love you too, Nora. Now and forever." He buried his face into her hair and cried for his dead friend and love.

He stayed like that for a few seconds before the Nuckelavee's scream interrupted them. He froze before he raised his teary but hate filled eyes to the Grimm. He gently laid Nora's body on the ground before he stood and stared it down with those same eyes and a scowl on his face. "You've taken everything from me. Everything! I don't care what it takes! I will destroy you!" Ren shouted at the Grimm.

Taking that challenge, the Grimm charged him one more time. Ren stared down the Grimm; his sorrow, heartbreak, rage and hatred reaching their peak before boiling over. That's when it happened. A new energy filled Ren and his body felt so cold, like it was frozen solid. Pain surged through him next, like electricity surging through his every nerve. His right hand gripped the front of his shirt and his left hand gripped his head from it intense pain. He screamed as the pain only increased, it felt like his blood was boiling inside him. To him, it felt like his body and soul would be torn apart from the inside. Until a darker power erupted from his soul.

The Nuckelavee stopped as the air around the entire area seemed to drop several degrees, all originating from Ren. Ren's pink aura erupted from him, similar to flames, before it started to become darker until it was magenta. Ren stopped screaming and the entire area was quiet then.

The two members of Knightingale were frozen on the tree branch they were waiting in. Onyx turned his shock filled eyes to Jaune, "Did he just…?" he asked.

Jaune nodded as a small smirk came to his face, "Yes. Ren has awakened his Negative Aura."

"Did you know this would happen?" he asked.

Jaune just shook his head, "No. I thought Pyrrha was a fluke but this proves my theory on Negative aura." He released a breath that sounded similar to a laugh, "I can't believe this."

Ren leant down and picked up his father's dagger left-handed in a reverse grip. He stood up and looked at the Grimm with just as much fury as he had before his awakening. He gave a primal scream, one that would even make Nora proud. He charged at the Grimm at his top speed.

The Nuckelavee was pulled from its stupor with the scream. Its humanoid side awoken and it quickly sent its remaining arm at him. Ren didn't even blink. When it was close enough that it would gouge out his eyes, he bent backwards and slid on his knees under it. When he was on the other side of the arm, he stood back up and jumped to spin over the arm and slice clean through it with his dagger. He landed on his feet as the Grimm screamed in intense pain. He then took off to where StormFlower laid.

But he had to back flip away when the Grimm came at him in a rage induced charge. He landed in a crouch, his right hand pressed to the ground while his left was out to his side and dagger still in it. He was about to charge again when he saw something silver just behind him. He looked and his heart clenched at seeing Magnhild. He then came to a decision, 'they' would do it together. He tucked the dagger into his boot before he transformed Magnhild into its grenade launcher form and charged the Grimm again, but at a slower pace this time.

The Grimm turned to him but Ren released several grenades at it, catching it on the shoulder, neck and the side of the head of the horse half, disorientating it. With that done, he transformed it back into its warhammer form and held it on his left side. He felt the weight and channeled his aura into his arms, like he would normally do, not noticing how different the sensation felt. He swung Magnhild with all his might while firing off and explosion. The hammer hit its back leg, at the knee and shattered it.

The Grimm screamed again and tried to kick him. Luckily he was able to have Magnhild take the hit for him. He was sent back but planted it into the ground head first. He used it to spin himself back to face the Grimm and kicked off the shaft with his Negative aura to reach it. He landed on the Grimm's back and quickly redrew the dagger. He grabbed the horn of the humanoid from behind before slashing his dagger across its neck from behind, beheading it.

The Grimm started to buck, so he jumped from its back and closer to where StormFlower was. He ran towards them as he heard the Grimm chasing after him but slower because of its broken leg. When he reached his weapons, he picked up his right one before he spun and charged the Grimm once again.

The two enemies charged and didn't give a hint of stopping. Ren jumped at it and it quickly tried to headbutt him again. He saw it coming and quickly spun his body so it would miss him. He maneuvered his body so he was straddling the back of its neck and stabbed his dagger into the side of its neck for good measure. The Grimm tried its best to buck him off but with no effect. It looked back at him and only saw the barrel of his gun at its eye. "For Nora." He said in a low but hate filled tone. He then fired an entire burst into its head. It gave one last weak cry of pain before it crumpled and started to dissolve as its body hit the ground.

Ren stood up and walked a few steps from it, breathing raggedly. His eyes panned over to where Nora laid and his pain came back with a vengeance. He looked down as tears started to fall again, his weapons shaking in his hands. He then looked up to the heavens and screamed in anguish.

Jaune and Onyx stood in shock at what Ren had just accomplished. Onyx more so, "How did he do that? How did he control Negative aura so easily?"

Jaune thought for a few seconds, "Ren is highly skilled in manipulating aura, guess some of that carried over. Although, I'm impressed how quickly he killed that Grimm. But they do say that the fury of a patient man is more fearsome than anything." He dropped his arms. "Stay here for now." Jaune dropped down from the tree when Onyx nodded.

When Ren stopped screaming, he started to walk over to him. Ren heard him and turned to look at him. His eyes went from shock to anger in an instant. He pointed StormFlower at him and started to fire. Jaune didn't flinch, he called on Distortion and the bullets started to bounce off him in random directions as he kept walking forward at the same pace.

Ren quickly realized that wasn't working. He charged at Jaune with his dagger at the ready. Jaune drew his sword and held it at the ready. He sent Distortion into the blade and raised it to stop the slash Ren aimed for his face. The blades clashed before Ren was sent skidding backwards. He stopped and looked back at Jaune with his fury intact. "You did this! You killed Nora!" he shouted.

Jaune dropped his arm so his sword hung at his side. He just shook his head as he spoke calmly, "No, I didn't." Ren was about to say something when he cut him off, "Did I run her through? No, that was the Grimm. Did she sacrifice herself to save me? No, that was you. Why did she have to do that? Because you were too consumed by your emotions."

His words struck a cord with Ren but he was still too angry to listen, "You brought us here! You called it to us!"

Jaune nodded as he kept walking towards him, only ten feet separating them now, "I did. This was my test for you. But I didn't force you to do it." Ren stopped for a second and Jaune continued, "You could've forfeited and I would've used your 'rule of one' to save you both. Onyx would've helped as well. You would probably be back at Beacon right now if you did, with Nora alive." Jaune sighed, "But you didn't. Your emotions didn't allow you to do so, just like with you abandoning me so long ago. Except this time, you lost something more precious than a 'brother'."

Ren looked away with that, part of him agreed with him. He hated to admit it but it was true. Both times his emotions got the best of him and he lost people he cared about. The Nuckelavee may be dead but the anger, hate and pain was still there. He could place it on Jaune but he'd only be redirecting the blame, like a child would. He was the one to blame, that was the underlying truth here. He sighed, "So, what should I do now? I have nothing left."

"Well, that depends." Jaune answered, now only a few feet from him. "I said before that there is war going on in the shadows. Very few know about it and even fewer do anything about it. Knightingale's purpose is to fight this war, to end it. But we need people to do so. Those with strength. And those we can trust." He held his left hand out to Ren, "What do you say?"

Ren looked at Jaune's hand than back to his eyes, "Just like that? You can go back to trusting me that easily?"

Jaune shook his head, "Not with everything. But enough to tell you the truth of this war. To help prepare you for it. Just like with Pyrrha. But maybe, down the line, you'll be my brother again."

Ren slowly looked down at Jaune's hand. He stared at it before looking back to Nora for a few seconds, "We all wanted you back. JNPR, that is. That's why we came out here. Why Nora fought so hard." He turned back and looked Jaune in the eye, "Walking away now would make her sacrifice nothing." Ren moved his dagger to his right hand and gripped Jaune's.

The two stared at each other and nodded. When they let go, Jaune shouted over his shoulder, "Onyx, come give us a hand!"

Onyx jumped down and jogged over to them, "Help with what?"

"Help us look around for shovels." He sheathed his sword and started looking around, "We need to bury Nora."

Ren froze at that but slowly nodded. He stowed his weapons and helped them look for what they needed. They each found a shovel and started to dig a grave by the lone tree, after Jaune used his Telekinesis to break the pavement and get rid of it. He didn't use it to dig the hole and Onyx and Ren didn't ask him to, it would've felt wrong to.

Eventually they had it deep enough and Ren found a sheet that was still in decent shape in one of the buildings. With Jaune's help, they wrapped Nora in it. Ren carried her in his arms and gently laid her in the grave before getting out. They all looked down and Ren had tears running down his face again. Jaune decided to give one last prayer, one he heard at his grandfather's funeral. "Your battle is over, Nora. I hope you find peace in your rest. And be ready to greet us with open arms when our times come as well."

After several moments of silence, the three men started to bury her. No one said anything. When they were done, Jaune used his Telekinesis to gather many stones together before compacted them into a square shaped headstone. It wasn't perfect but it was the best he could do. On it he carved:

Nora Valkyrie

Friend, sister and love

Her presence was a lightning bolt to all that knew her

With that done. They all looked at it and Ren gave a near silent, "Thank you." Jaune just nodded before picking up Magnhild and holding it out to him. Ren looked at it before looking back up to his eyes, "She would want you to have it." Ren nodded and hung it from his lower back, like she did.

With that, Jaune turned and opened a portal back to Vytal. Jaune and Onyx walked through. Ren turned back to Nora's grave and said, "Goodbye, Nora." Before walking through with them. The portal closed. Returning silence to the ruins of Kuroyuri.

A/N- Here is the next chapter. Now I feel like I need to clear a few things up for a few reviews I'm seeing a lot. First, I always had the intention of more than just Jaune having Negative aura. I had that planned since I came up with the concept. Second, Pyrrha joining Knightingale was also always going to happen but not because of Arkos. The pairing is still JaunexRaven and that is not changing, period. Third, I have other people in mind for joining Knightingale, similar to Pyrrha and Ren, not going to say who but it is going to happen. With that all said, I hope you will all keep enjoying Distortion. If not, well I'm sorry this isn't what you want but this is what I had planned since this became a series and not a one-shot. I hope you all enjoyed and I hope to see you in the next update!