DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY
Jaune closes his Scroll and goes through a mental list of anything he may have forgotten to pack. Satisfied that everything is in check, he exits his room and goes down the stairs, reaching the living room. Ruby's head peeks up from the edge of the couch and emits a miserable groan.
"Hangover. Feels terrible. Did not know..."
Jaune chuckles as he arrives at her side.
"There is no one to blame but yourself and lack of self control."
Ruby loudly groans again in response. Jaune lightly grins and places a palm atop Ruby's head. Through his palm, he circulates a wisp of Vermillion Bird qi through her system, purging her fatigue and remaining alcoholic toxins.
After he lifts his hand away, Ruby's head perks up once more, but with life in her eyes. She blinks several times in silence before sitting up with a perplexed expression.
"I feel... okay now? Actually, I feel great." Ruby says in awe as she stretches her arms and legs. "What was that you just did?"
"Nothing special. Just a bit of energy," Jaune responds as he sits down beside the couch.
"Ruby, here's some water to help with your-" Yang stops mid sentence as she enters the room with a cup of water in hand. "Huh?"
Ruby playfully waves as her sister with a bright grin.
"I'm fine now. Jaune helped me out just now."
Yang decides it is best to not ask for the details and glances at Jaune with grateful look before looking back at Ruby.
"You dummy. What were you thinking drinking that much?" Yang scolds her sister.
Ruby sticks her tongue out.
"How do you two feel about going on a little field trip today?" Jaune suddenly asks.
"A field trip?" Ruby's ears instantly perk up. "To where?"
"To here," Jaune opens his Scroll and sets it down, revealing a detailed map of Mountain Glenn.
Yang sets the cup of water down and looks down at the map for a moment before recognizing what she's looking at.
"You serious?"
"This was going to happen eventually," Jaune shrugs. "There is no benefit to prolonging it. The city needs that airspace and travel grounds safe in order to receive supplies from the South."
"But why do you want us to come along? Wouldn't we just end up holding you back?" Yang asks. "Especially me."
Picking the Scroll back up and pocketing it, Jaune responds, "In terms of doing what needs to be done there, it makes no difference if I take a few others with me."
Ruby tugs Yang's sleeve.
"Yang, let's go. I want to go." She looks at Jaune. "I want to go."
"I'm curious. Why do you want to go so badly?" Jaune asks.
Ruby looks down at her hands and takes several moments to formulate a response. She looks back up at Jaune with a serious expression.
"A large part of it is curiosity. We've only heard from Pyrrha and CFVY of what happened during the chaos that night at Beacon. Personally, I want to see it with my own eyes. To expand my horizon. The smaller part is because even if you don't need us there, it's still my responsibility as an aspiring Huntress. Everyone is doing their part right now, no matter how small. And I won't just sit here at home all day. I want to help."
Jaune chuckles, "Shouldn't your priorities be switched? Well, at least you're being honest."
Ruby nervously laughs and scratches at the side of her cheek in embarrassment.
"If Ruby's going, then so am I," Yang sighs.
"Good," Jaune nods. "You two will need to let Taiyang know. Speaking of which, where is he?"
"Dad? He's been at Signal since yesterday. When Ruby and I were recovering in bed, he was allowed to stay home. But now, they need him back there."
"Well, then one of you are going to have to call his Scroll," Jaune says.
Ruby and Yang exchange a look and through some unspoken signal, they shoot hand out in front of them at the same time.
"Paper! I win!" Ruby cheers.
Muttering curses under her breath, Yang sets her Scroll onto the floor and slowly types out a message. Jaune raises an eyebrow at the entire ordeal. Within mere seconds of Yang pressing the send button, her Scroll buzzes from an incoming call. Wincing, Yang nudges the Scroll further away from her before pressing the button to take the call. As soon as she does so, she turns her right ear away from the Scroll and plugs her left with a finger.
"Mountain Glenn?! Are you girls out of your minds?!" Taiyang's voice roars through the speakers.
'I suppose they would know exactly how Taiyang would react to such news.'
Jaune calmly replies, "I promise you that they won't be in any danger."
"Jaune? Was this your idea?!"
"Dad," Ruby calls out from the side. "We want to-... We have to go. I was the one insisting on wanting to go anyways, so don't yell at Jaune."
"Ruby? Why would you..." Taiyang loudly sighs. "I-it's just... if something happened to you two again... I don't know what I would-"
"Dad," Yang gently calls out. "We're sorry for scaring you like that, but we can't stay locked inside the house forever while everyone else is out there contributing."
"I know that... but you're my little angels. I..."
After a moment's pause, Taiyang shifts his tone.
"Jaune. Keep them safe. Please."
"That goes without question," Jaune solemnly replies.
"Okay. Okay..." Taiyang says, seemingly more for himself than anyone else. "Yang. Ruby. Please be safe. I love you two."
"Love you too dad," Yang and Ruby simultaneously reply.
His hesitation palpable in the air, Taiyang finally musters up the strength to end the call.
Jaune stands and goes towards the home's front door. As he opens it to walk outside, he says, "I'll be waiting outside. Take as much time as you need to collect yourselves and prepare."
After the door shuts, Ruby breaks the silence in the room.
"That's the first time I've ever heard dad sound so... vulnerable."
Yang quietly responds, "Well, that's because you were too young to remember."
"What?" Ruby tilts her head in confusion.
Composing herself, Yang clarifies, "After Raven left and... mom never came back, dad just sort of shut down for a while. Uncle Qrow was rarely around because of his Huntsmen duties, so it became my job to take care of the house chores and you. For dad, losing both mom and Raven was too much. Since then, even though he doesn't show it, there's a lingering fear of loss. Honestly, I don't think it will ever go away, and I would never blame him for that."
Ruby's eyes grow downcast at Yang's words.
"Sorry..."
She yelps in surprise when Yang flicks her forehead. Looking up, Yang flashes a loving smile.
"Don't be. I'd do it all again if I had to. Come on, let's get changed and ready. We shouldn't keep him waiting outside all day."
Nodding, Ruby brightly smiles back.
"Yeah, you're right."
*** Some time later ***
The girls walk outside to find Jaune getting off a call on his Scroll.
"Sorry we took so long. Who were you talking to?" Ruby asks curiously.
Pocking his Scroll, Jaune responds, "Pyrrha. I was intending to invite my team as well, but I've been informed that they are currently assigned to patrolling duty on the outskirts of the city. So, it looks like it will be just us three."
"Oh..."
"So, how is this going to work exactly? We're not taking an Airship to Vale first are we?"
"My personal advice is to relax and try not to flail," Jaune says as he blankets the two sisters with divine sense.
"Uh. What do you mea-" Yang yelps as she swallows her words.
Without further warning, Jaune takes flight into the sky with Ruby and Yang silently screaming beside him as they rapidly ascend. When they stop above the clouds, Yang turns to Jaune and yells with a wavering voice.
"Can you warn us next time?!"
"But it wouldn't be as entertaining," Jaune shrugs with a grin.
Unlike Yang, Ruby composes herself rather quickly and gasps at the view.
"This... is... awesome!" She squeals.
"Next stop is Mountain Glenn," Jaune says while casually standing in the air. "Try not to fall."
*** Up above Mountain Glenn ***
Jaune, Ruby, and Yang look down at the abandoned buildings covered by freshly fallen snow. The stark contrast between the gray and burnt concrete with the pure white creates a rather desolate image.
"It's so... quiet. There's not a Grimm in sight. I thought the reports said this area is crawling with Grimm." Ruby comments.
"Remember what they taught us Ruby? Grimm avoid the cold. That's why Atlas has been so prosperous. Nearly zero Grimm attacks to deal with," Yang responds.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. But then that must mean all the Grimm are..."
Jaune's eyes slightly narrow as they descend to hover several feet above the snowy grounds.
"Inside the mountain," Jaune finishes Ruby's thought. "And our little friend has been quite busy."
Yang's eyes widen with realization.
"There are that many?"
"Oh, there are quite a few," Jaune smirks. "Several thousands of them easily. Basically, we're sitting on top of an anthill."
The sisters feel their skin crawl at that analogy. Jaune retrieves his Scroll and checks the map provided by Oobleck.
"Based on this map and what I'm sensing, this should be the best area to enter," he mutters.
With a wave of an arm, Crocea Mors materializes and moves in a flash around them, blowing the snow away from the concrete surface. After another quick set of cuts, the ground beneath them gets falls away, revealing the entrance into Mountain Glenn's inner caverns.
When Ruby and Yang peer down into the depths, they could swear some thing or things were staring right back up at them.
"It's uh... pretty dark down there," Yang comments.
With a light snort, Jaune procures a fire Dust crystal from his ring and quickly refines it. The purified energy of fire condenses into a tiny orb and floats to a position right above Jaune's head, brightly illuminating the area around them.
"In we go," Jaune announces, and slowly, the three descend into the depths.
Against the black canvas of the darkness, the light radiating from Jaune's orb of fire shines like a sinking lonely star. Hissing and growling surround them in the darkness as they descend. Ruby and Yang can see nothing past the radius of Jaune's light, and nothing enters its vicinity either. After several minutes pass of nothing noteworthy happening, the noises simply become background noise, and Ruby and Yang release some of the tension within their bodies. Meanwhile Jaune behaves as if these noises never existed at all.
Ruby's eyes peer up above Jaune's head, towards the orb, with curiosity.
"I've never heard of this kind of Dust application from Weiss, and believe me, she talks a lot about Dust."
Jaune wills the orb to float down at Ruby's chest level.
"Put your hands out."
Though with some hesitation, Ruby holds her hands out like a cup, and the orb nestles itself onto Ruby's hands. Ruby's eyes widen as she registers the sensations she feels emanating from the miniature sun-like object within her petite hands.
"It's warm," she quietly exclaims. "And pulsating almost like a heartbeat. It's like it's alive!"
Yang leans over and places her hand over the orb, confirming Ruby's observations. She looks at Jaune with an incredulous expression.
"Why isn't it hot? Shouldn't fire be burning? This thing is barely above room temperature."
"That is a misconception of those who do not understand the profound mysteries of the universe, and quite understandably so. Fire is often called the breath of life. Like life, it can be wild, controlled, and destructive. While on the flip-side, it can also be a source of comfort, warmth, and guidance," Jaune preaches.
"This extreme destructive nature of fire is why most find the truth counter-intuitive. Both aspects of fire are equally truth. Keep in mind that balance governs all. Yin and Yang."
Jaune snaps his fingers, and the orb lifts away from Ruby's hands to return to its original position above his head.
"Achieving something like this is nothing special once you comprehend the truth."
"You're talking about the Dao? In this case it's fire?" Yang asks.
Jaune nods in confirmation.
"Correct."
Distracted by Jaune's demonstration and brief lecture, Ruby and Yang fail to notice that the hissing and growling around them had completely disappeared, leaving them in deafening silence on their descent downwards. After several minutes, they finally reach solid ground.
"I wonder where all the Grimm are," Ruby ponders. "They should be swarming at us by now right?"
From the darkness, a flash of silver streaks through the air, revealing itself to be Crocea Mors. It hums and purrs excitedly while circling around its master.
"Mmm yes, you did very well," Jaune says as he strokes the blade with a finger. Seemingly ecstatic from the praise, Crocea Mors hums louder than before and almost seems to glow.
Yang looks around. "Wait... it's quiet. And from what you just said to your sword, that means... you took care of the Grimm on the way down? All of them?"
"A simple matter," Jaune casually says. "If fodder such as those gave me issues, then we may as well forfeit this expedition."
Taking his Scroll out, Jaune studies the map to verify their relative position.
"We have quite the distance to walk." He says, putting the Scroll away.
The slightly damp earth rock beneath them crunches and echoes against the walls as they walk through the winding caverns and tunnels. Yang and Ruby glance at each other, noting that Jaune's footsteps are completely silent. Occasionally, Crocea Mors blurs out of vision to strike into the darkness.
As this happens, Ruby eyes Crocea Mors with increasing awe and the slightest hint of envy.
'Imagine how amazing Crescent Rose would be if she could fly around like that!'
A glint flashes across Jaune's eyes.
A Beowolf suddenly lunges out from the darkness. Yang and Ruby immediately react with Yang activating Ember Celica and firing a shell at it, albeit clumsily, while Ruby lunges forward with Crescent Rose and cuts it in half.
After looking around for additional movement in alert, the two sisters simultaneously turn towards Jaune with an accusatory look.
"Oops, I must have missed one," Jaune apologizes with a shrug.
Both girls' eyebrows twitch before shaking their heads.
'They are still mindful of their surroundings. Good.'
Something catches Jaune's attention, causing him to pause. He brings out the map, then looks into a particular direction.
"How intriguing."
"What's wrong?" Ruby asks.
"I suppose a small detour wouldn't hurt," he chuckles.
Ruby tilts her head before exchanging a look with her sister, who shrugs in response.
Switching directions, the trio walk through a smaller tunnel until they arrive at a dead end. Jaune reaches out and presses his hand into an indent in the wall. With a muted click, the wall rumbles as it slowly rotates away, revealing a hidden entrance.
After they walk in, the hidden door behind them rotates back into place and several lights along the cave ceiling flicker on, dimly illuminating the space. Various metal pipes line the walls, leading into machinery and large broken glass chambers of unknown purpose(s).
"Woah... What is this place?" Yang asks. "Obviously some kind of lab, but for what purpose?"
Ruby walks up to one of the terminals covered in a thick layer of dust. As she attempts to clear the dust away with her hands, she accidentally presses a button, switching the screen on.
Yang and Jaune walk up behind Ruby and read the black and white text flickering on the screen.
"In the depths of the abyss, I seek salvation," Yang reads aloud.
"That's a little disturbing," Ruby whispers.
Jaune scans the vicinity with his mind, then walks over to a corner with a lone bookshelf. A tendril of his divine sense reaches out and slides out a thin, nondescript notebook from among the various scientific textbooks populating the shelves. He quickly flips through the book, absorbing the knowledge within at inhuman speed and efficiency. A natural consequence of cultivation.
"What's that?" Yang asks, as the two sisters approach.
Jaune tosses the book towards Yang.
"Take a look."
Swiftly catching with her left hand, Yang places the notebook down onto a nearby table.
"No title or author. Weird," Yang says before opening the cover.
"The settlement project is underway. Significant progress is made daily, and more arrivals, both settlers and developers, each following week. That is to be expected, as massive amounts of resources and effort are being invested by the Kingdom of Vale. I was brought on by the Council due to my technical expertise, and my extensive anthropological knowledge of the Grimm. Those Huntsmen and Huntresses know how to kill them, but can they claim that they truly understand them on the same level as I?"
Intrigued, Yang flips to the next page.
"The behavior of the Grimm in these mountains is quite peculiar, though not blatantly obvious. Often times, their typical tendencies seem suppressed, and they act almost... mechanical. I wonder why that is? Unfortunately, the Council and the Huntsmen/Huntresses do not seem to care or agree, as to them, the Grimm are simply the Grimm. Fools, the lot of them."
"When I'd first heard of this experimental settlement in Mountain Glenn, I built this laboratory in advance to keep it secret. It was not easy and took quite a bit of time, but it is immensely rewarding. Some of the Grimm experiments I've been conducting would likely be seen as quite distasteful by the general public and the Council, despite my significant discoveries. In particular, the one I must keep this hidden from at all costs is Ozpin. Perhaps it is due to my extensive experience in observing the subtleties of the Grimm, but that man is... odd."
"This person knows Professor Ozpin," Ruby gasps.
"More importantly than that," Yang's eyebrows raise. "Distasteful experiments on Grimm?"
"It is a massively common misconception that the Grimm are mindless monsters. This is unequivocally false. This misconception comes from the fact that the vast majority of the Grimm encountered by the general public are young. Would it be logical to claim that based on a human or Faunus infant alone, that both races are helpless bumbling sacks of flesh? Of course not. I have proposed my thesis multiple times to the Council and various academy boards, but it is never taken as seriously as I'd like it to be. The only other ones who know this to be true are the veteran Huntsmen and Huntresses who have ventured into deep Grimm territory. Unfortunately, they are either dead or too busy with their duties to validate my theory. The evidence is clear using old Goliaths as an example. They are undoubtedly fierce, but they practice caution and patience, something you would not see with the younger ones. They learned. This fact both terrifies and excites me."
"Doctor Oobleck said the same thing about Goliaths the last time we were up here on Mountain Glenn," Ruby says with a finger on her chin. "Maybe after Mountain Glenn's settlement failed, this view became more widespread?"
"The path that humanity must take becomes clearer with every new discovery and experiment. It is clear to me that this stalemate with the Grimm can not last forever. Their numbers never seem to dwindle, and while humanity deals with the young Grimm with ease, this just gives the older ones more time to grow. They are akin to a force of nature. Thus, a thought crossed my mind one day. Can we use the Grimm as a weapon against themselves? Would it be possible to control them in some way to ensure our survival? I have a few ideas in mind for future experiments to verify this hypothesis."
"Okay, this is starting to sound a bit crazy," Yang says looking a bit disturbed.
"There is finally some minor success. I've managed to alter a Grimm's appearance, though incredibly minor, without it dying in the process. Though... the specimen did not survive for very long, and it was just as bloodthirsty as any other Grimm. However, this is a big first step and supporting evidence that humanity can manipulate the Grimm for our needs."
"Out of curiosity, I'd isolated a drop of Grimm tar and diluted it into a solution of sorts before using it as nutrients for a small potted flower commonly found on these Mountains. To my surprise, the plant did not die, but mutated rather significantly. Razor sharp black thorns sprouted along its stem, and the overall color of the plant turned a dark purple. The pistil of the flower had opened up and gained a much more... carnivorous appearance. I was able to feed it small rodents and insects. Unfortunately, the plant's lifespan was rather short, but longer than the Grimm I had altered in the past."
"You know that sinking feeling in your stomach when you watch a horror movie?" Yang rhetorically asks.
Ruby nods, her face paling.
"The modified Grimm are uncontrollable and die quickly, but the experiment with that flower has made it clear on what the correct path is. Rather than modify existing Grimm, there is much more promise in merging Grimm with other lifeforms to create hybrids. Over time, the method will become refined, and that should resolve the issue of the resulting hybrid's short lifespan. If the lifeform in question were to be intelligent, what would the result be? If I recall, there was a recent string of murders committed in the settlement. As luck would have it, the murderer was caught and sentenced to death."
"Oh gods, I can already see where this is going," Yang sucks in a breath of cold air. She takes a minute to compose herself and turns the page, nearing the end of the journal.
"My activities have been discovered and they are coming for me. I was too careless and frequent in sneaking out the experimental candidates. If the Council had only heeded my knowledge more seriously, I would not have gone to these extremes. But my conscience is clear. They were all murderers or worse destined for death. Thanks to them, I have made significant strides in the refining process of creating the hybrids, and it is only a matter of time before I perfect the method. My discoveries are the pathway for humanity's next step in its evolution. What a shame that I must leave my precious laboratory behind, and I hope that whoever discovers this place can understand the reasons for my actions." - Doctor Victor Merlot
With a shudder, Yang shuts the book closed.
"This person... Merlot..." Ruby starts.
"He's sick in the head," Yang finishes. "He experimented on people, criminals or not, it doesn't matter."
"Do you think Merlot is still out there somewhere? Alive?" Ruby asks with wide eyes. "What if he's... doing that stuff to more people? Shouldn't someone stop him?"
Jaune leans over and lightly flicks Ruby and Yang on their heads, causing them to yelp in surprise.
"Stop overthinking," Jaune lightly smiles. "Focus on what you can do now."
Holding a hand over her nose, Ruby responds, "I know... but still..."
"If he's out there, he needs to be stopped," Yang asserts. "He's insane."
"Perhaps," Jaune muses. "But there is no doubt that he is also brilliant."
The mountain suddenly rumbles due to a roar coming from the depths. Dust and pebbles rain from the cave ceiling.
Jaune waves his hand over Merlot's diary, storing it within his storage ring. He does the same to the remaining textbooks on the bookshelf. Though from his initial scan, that diary was the most interesting, he's sure that Glynda and Oobleck would appreciate him bringing this collection.
"It's time to go," Jaune expels the dust from their clothing.
*** Vale ***
"Jaune is out there having fun in Mountain Glenn, while we're stuck here patrolling the city," Nora groans.
"Nora, I don't think Jaune went to Mountain Glenn specifically to have fun," Ren sighs.
"Well I didn't say that he went there to have fun. I said he's out there having fun. There's a difference," Nora explains.
Ren shakes his head in response.
"In either case, everyone is in the dark with regards to that Wyvern and the abnormal number of Grimm sighted in that area. Jaune is there to hopefully solve that problem or find some answers."
"So far, nothing has ever seemed to catch him by surprise. I'm sure that he will be fine. Yang and Ruby will be there to keep him under check," Pyrrha jokingly adds.
"Uuugh, and we're stuck out here in the outskirts of Vale. The streets and buildings are empty, and there are no people. It's so depressing!" Nora exasperatedly declares.
"Professor Goodwitch assigned us out here on purpose," Ren calmly replies. "Like it or not, we are rather high profile individuals due to the recent Tournament. Especially Pyrrha."
Pyrrha chuckles apologetically.
"Yeah, yeah... I know..." Nora sighs. "Could I at least get some Grimm to hit though? Is that too much to ask?"
As if responding to Nora's provocation, a few dozen Ursa crash through a decaying building wall.
"Yes!" Nora gains a maniacal gleam in her eyes and unfolds Magnhild.
"We've been teammates for a while," Ren blankly says to Pyrrha as he gets into fighting stance. "But still, I am very sorry about Nora."
Pyrrha lightly laughs as she readies her own weapons.
*** Mountain Glenn ***
The three continue through a tunnel until it ends as a platform jutting out above an enormous underground chamber. Jaune puts a finger up to his lips.
"Stay close to me and avoid making any noise."
As they silently approach the edge of the platform, Jaune greatly dims the orb above his head and sends it out towards the center of the cavern's ceiling. Once it reaches its destination, the orb disperses like mist, spreading its dim light throughout the entirety of the chamber.
As Ruby's and Yang's eyes adjust, they look over the edge and see the monstrously sized Wyvern slumbering near a large tunnel. During that night, neither girls had gotten a clear view the creature. But now, witnessing its sheer size causes their breathes to catch. Then, they notice that the Wyvern Grimm is not the only thing the grounds below.
Countless blobs of ichor are littered across the cavern floor, each rippling and pulsating across their surfaces in sync whenever the Wyvern takes a breath.
Ruby whispers, "Those things turned into Grimm when they fell from the sky. There must be hundreds... thousands of them down there!"
"Remember that I said that this place is akin to an anthill?"
His eyes slightly narrow as he observes the beast.
"Most of the wing's regrown..."
"I wonder if regeneration is a universal trait for the Grimm, or if it is exclusive to certain species? I'd bet that one of Merlot's books contains that information. I'll have to peruse through them before handing them off to Glynda and Oobleck."
With the wave of his hand, several hard light Dust crystals emerge from his storage ring, and Jaune quickly extracts their energy. He expands it while injecting wisps of Black Tortoise qi, forming a transparent barrier around the platform.
Jaune grabs his scabbard from his back and expands it into his shield.
"Stay inside. This won't take long," Jaune instructs.
He hops off the edge of the platform and falls several hundred meters to gracefully land on the ground. Jaune intentionally emits his killing intent, causing the Wyvern's eyes to snap open in alarm. Its head swerves from side to side, scanning the room, until it locks onto the intruder responsible for disturbing it. The Wyvern instantly recognizes Jaune and viciously hisses at him. In response, the blobs of ichor throughout the room ripple and burst open, spawning various types of Grimm.
The Wyvern bellows out a roar, commanding its minions to tear Jaune apart. Up on the platform, Ruby and Yang keep their eyes locked on the scene. From their perspective, it looks like an ant being swarmed by thousands of other ants from all sides, and the thought of them being in that position brings sweat upon their brows.
Crocea Mors, hovering in the air beside him, hums with intense sword intent. It suddenly accelerates to a speed faster than the eye can see. Any and all Grimm that gets within 5 feet from Jaune instantly turns to dust.
Seeing this, the Wyvern angrily growls and reels its head back. Its chest expands before quickly contracting, releasing a ball of black flame towards Jaune.
In response, Jaune grabs Crocea Mors from the air and fiercely slashes downward towards the incoming ball of flame with sword intent infused with White Tiger qi. The invisible blade cuts the Wyvern's fireball in half at a distance, roaring past Jaune's sides and incinerating the Grimm unfortunate enough to be in their paths.
He blurs into motion, narrowly dodging the Wyvern's tail swinging down towards his head, before swinging at the offending limb with his blade. Having learnt from its previous encounter with Jaune, the Wyvern quickly moves its tail away after its swing, but fails to dodge completely unscathed as Jaune's weapon cleaves through a quarter of the tail's width, spraying black ichor across the ground.
Roaring in rage, the Wyvern retreats backwards and breathes out wave of black flame. Jaune extracts several fire Dust crystals from his storage and extracts their energy. With a push of his palm, an equally intense wave of red flame meets the black, cancelling it out. Jaune smirks at the Wyvern, taunting it.
Thoroughly enraged by this inferior lifeform daring to use fire, it rumbles deeply in its throat before slamming its limbs and tail into the rock below it. Jaune's eyes narrow, but he does not move and opts to observe his foe's next actions.
Sensing that the Wyvern is winding up for a devastating attack, Jaune presses the mechanism on his shield, dispersing it into dozens of blades into the air. With Crocea Mors as its core, Jaune manipulates the blades with his divine sense and qi to form an intricate sword array around him.
Like petals flowing with a spring breeze, the blades slowly orbit Jaune in various angles and distances. Through some invisible command sent by the Wyvern, the surrounding Grimm continue their assault with greater fervor, clawing over each other in order to reach Jaune. He completely disregards the stampeding Grimm and keeps his gaze locked onto the Wyvern, while his sword array expands outwards like a balloon and the blades accelerate into motion.
The Wyvern's neck rotates 90 degrees such that the top of its head is parallel to the ground. It's jaw begins to open with loud cracks piercing through the howls and snarls of the Grimm trying to attack Jaune. The teeth lining the side of its throat begin to slowly separate, revealing that its true mouth to be the entire length of its neck. Opening up to a comical width, the insides of its throat are now exposed to the air, lined with countless pore like protrusions that drip a caustic black liquid.
From above, Ruby and Yang look down in horror at the monstrosity.
A massive volume of air begins to suck through the throat's epicenter, swelling its ribbed chest. A thick red glow increases in intensity from within the Wyvern's throat. In the meantime, Jaune silently rotates a large quantity of Black Tortoise qi from his dantian, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he condenses the qi to his absolute limit.
The Wyvern's chest suddenly contracts with such intensity a sonic boom reverberates throughout the immense cavern, ringing Ruby's and Yang's ears. The built up energy and heat bursts outwards, while the throat protrusions all spray their caustic liquid into a singular point. As a result, a highly concentrated beam of pitch black flame heads straight towards Jaune.
Jaune brings his sword array in and fully imbues it and Crocea Mors with his Black Tortoise qi. Without hesitation or fear, he swings Crocea Mors out with its flat side meeting the Wyvern's attack, a dark blue energy emanating out from his blade and array.
A deafening explosion shakes the mountain walls, while on the platform, Yang and Ruby clutch onto each other in order to keep their balance. An odd mixture of intense heat and bone chilling cold washes over them.
After what seems like a lifetime, a calm takes over the cavern, and the two sisters peer back down at the scene. Down on the chamber's ground, Jaune's vicinity is covered in permafrost and icicles, while the area beyond that has been scorched black with smoldering remains of Grimm disintegrating into the air. For a moment, the two sisters could swear to have seen a massive apparition of a ferocious looking turtle enveloping Jaune's figure within the chilly mist.
Jaune lets out a deep breath. Save for some of his clothing, he is completely unharmed. On the opposing side of the arena, the Wyvern's gaping throat snaps shut and sags onto the ground, clearly fatigued by its attack. Upon seeing that Jaune is alive and well, it lets out a mixture of a whimper, hiss, and snarl. It is at this point it finally understands. There was never a chance against this being. It is a monster wearing the skin of those other inferior weaklings.
Mustering up its strength, it pushes itself up onto its legs and attempts to turn around towards the large tunnel behind it, only for it to be stopped by an immense pressure coming down onto its snout. With an indignant screech, it involuntarily collapses onto the ground.
Jaune notices the Wyvern's intent on fleeing and immediately jumps into action, vanishing into the air and landing on top of its snout. Out of sheer desperation, the Wyvern flails its limbs and torso in an attempt to throw him off, but Jaune remains standing, completely stable and unperturbed. Its eyes look up, seeing that Jaune is lifting his arm up with Crocea Mors in hand, beginning to glow an intense silver white. Tendrils of miniature lightning snakes along the surface of the blade.
Another high pitched screech emits from its clamped jaw, and the Wyvern flails with increased intensity. As the air grows sharp enough to prick the skin of anyone near his vicinity, Jaune swings his weapon down, straight into the center of the Wyvern's massive skull. Like a hot knife through butter, Crocea Mors embeds itself down to the hilt, and like a poison, the White Tiger qi courses through the Wyvern's body like lightning, ravaging and grinding its innards to dust. Without another sound, the Wyvern goes rigid and its eyes roll back towards the back of its skull.
Jaune pulls Crocea Mors out of the corpse and releases another heavy breath before sitting cross-legged midair. He closes his eyes to focus on the energy he expended during that fight, guiding the experience and fatigue into stabilizing his cultivation state. In the end, putting oneself under pressure in a life or death situation is the best method of tempering the foundation. This is the reason for why Jaune had went through the trouble of allowing the Wyvern enough time to prepare its final attack. A deep sense of comfort washes through his bones and nerves as he completes his stabilization.
Standing up, he waves his arm, dispelling his sword array and reforming his shield. Dismissing Crocea Mors, Jaune flies up to the platform and enters the hard light barrier.
"I-is it over?"
What had the two sisters just witnessed? Yang audibly gulps, thinking back to that night at Beacon. If this Wyvern was taking things seriously, at least half of Beacon would have been reduced to ash. She glances to the side at Ruby, who returns an identical incredulous look.
Silver and lilac eyes silently track Jaune as he lands within the barrier and sits across from them while producing a medium sized plant Dust crystal above his hands. Without saying a word to them, he closes his eyes, entering a state of meditation.
'Just what was he up to now?' The sisters think to themselves. Recognizing that Jaune had intentionally come up to the platform to avoid being disturbed by any straggling Grimm down below, they sit in silence and observe.
'The Azure Dragon. It is the head of the Four Symbols and resides in the East, The embodiment of wood and Spring. Its seven mansions are the Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, and Basket.'
'Through its sigil and qi, my speed will exponentially increase, both in movement and attacks.'
Extracting the plant Dust energy, Jaune traces out the lengthy body of the Azure Dragon. Its majestic scales begin to shine and the two whiskers trail alongside its body. As the sigil comes to life, it does not roar, hiss, or cry, but turns its head to look directly into Jaune's eyes in silence, as if judging his worth.
Seemingly satisfied, the Azure Dragon gracefully spirals through the space and embeds itself into the right side of the Paifang of its own accord. Giving a final look at its creator from within the Paifang, it emits a deep rumble from its throat and closes its eyes to slumber.
'A perfect balance of Yin and Yang, and the foundation has finally been set.'
Jaune mentally smiles in satisfaction.
'Though I am technically Xiantian, an average Nascent Soul level of fighter would find it very difficult against me.'
He concentrates on his dantian, watching the transformation happening within. Surrounding his foundation establishment pillar, four additional pillars rise up from the void in the cardinal directions.
The Northern pillar is composed of transparent dark blue ice crystal. The surface simultaneously ripples like water, but holds a defined shape and angles. Chilly mist permeates and coats the surface.
The Southern pillar is red-white flame, but the heat radiating from it is no warmer than a Summer wind. A sense of comfort permeates through the heart when near this pillar.
The Western pillar is a metallic black steel rod. It emits a constant feeling of sharpness and oppression. One standing near it would feel sharp pricks along their skin. The occasional bolt of lighting and thunder snake across its surface.
The Eastern pillar is the massive trunk of a tree. From its bark, flora and fauna sprout. As if bearing the weight of the world, the pillar stands tall and proud.
Jaune opens his eyes and breathes out. A warm wave washes over Ruby and Yang as he does so, and though there is nothing physically different about him, they could sense that the air about him was somehow fundamentally different.
"So, this had been a good trip so far," Jaune attempts to break the silence.
"..."
Yang and Ruby are unable to respond, currently rendered speechless by the events that'd occurred within the last few minutes.
Pinching her temple, Yang mutters, "This is way beyond my head. I don't care how good any Huntsmen or Huntresses are. If they went up against that thing, I know where I'd bet my Lien..."
"And you basically toyed with that thing. Compared to you, we're practically ants!" She says frantically.
"Yang," Ruby tries to console her sister. "Calm down. You know we expected to see something crazy when we came."
Yang shuts her eyes and deeply sighs, "I know... But seeing it is completely different from hearing about it."
Her eyes regain some calm.
"What is stopping you from going directly to Salem and fighting her? Based on what you just did to that Grimm, is all of this scheming and planning even necessary?"
Taking a moment to think, Jaune recites, "Tall trees will inevitably attract the wind. It is not uncommon for a mantis to stalk a cicada, unaware of the oriole close behind."
Yang and Ruby mentally repeat Jaune's words, trying to decipher the point he's trying to get across.
After a moment, Ruby slowly asks, "You think... that there could be a bigger threat than Salem?"
"Yeah... seriously?" Yang looks incredibly skeptical.
"Hidden dangers are called hidden for a reason," Jaune quips. "If I know all of the forces involved, and Salem's relative strength, then resolving this on my own through sheer force is an option. However, even then, that may not be the best path to take."
"Why would you opt for another plan if, hypothetically, you were confident enough to go out there and take care of Salem and any other dangers?" Ruby asks.
"Because in the long term, it would be detrimental for everyone to rely on me as crutch. Despite this entire situation being rather precarious, it is a journey that all of you must go through."
"I don't know if I fully understand..."
"He means to say that even if it's dangerous, there are valuable lessons we can learn from them," Yang explains to Ruby.
"So ultimately, it would be for our benefit?"
Jaune nods, "Yes, so please don't blame me too much for what's about to happen next Ruby."
"Huh?"
Ruby feels a sudden sensation of weightlessness.
"Wait... Wait wait wait," Ruby stammers.
"Always remember that your Semblance is your greatest asset," Jaune advises with a light smile. Without warning, he tosses her over the edge of the platform, down to the chamber grounds still littered with Grimm.
"What are you doing?!" Yang yells before grabbing Jaune's collar.
Gently prying her hand away, Jaune responds, "Some tough love. She'll be fine. Physically at least."
Yang glares at Jaune for a moment before turning around to watch Ruby's fall.
"At least she'll be able to land safely with Crescent Rose," she sighs.
Jaune clears his throat, getting Yang to turn back towards him. Her lilac eyes widen, seeing Crescent Rose hovering above Jaune's palm.
"Uh... is that..."
"This is an excellent opportunity for Ruby to explore the limits of her Semblance. What better way than to simulate a life or death situation? If she is unable to resolve it on her own, I will intervene." Jaune calmly explains. "Look, she's realized that Crescent Rose is not with her. I want to see how she'll deal with this."
"Stupid. Crazy. Cultivator logic... Better not throw me off over the side," Yang mutters under her breath as she observes.
After her momentary panic, Ruby collects herself and reaches behind her back to grab Crescent Rose.
'No problem. This is just like when we got launched on initiation day. Only a much bigger fall. Yup, no problem at all-'
She freezes when she does not feel Crescent Rose in her usual spot on her back. Eyes wide, Ruby brings her other arm back and frantically pats the area down, finding zero evidence of her precious weapon.
'What?! I know I had Crescent Rose on me! It was there the whole time, when did it-... Jaune! When did he take it?!'
With the ground quickly approaching, her mind races at light speed.
'What do I do? What do I do? ... Wait. What did Jaune say right before he threw me down? Something about my Semblance? My Semblance...'
Ruby's breathing slows, and the world around her comes to a crawl and goes silent. Her mind instinctively enters into a trance.
'A Semblance is an intimate part of everyone who's unlocked their Aura. Just like how I don't actively think when breathing, using a Semblance should be the same... When flying, Jaune doesn't seem to be concentrating on that action at all, like it's completely natural to him. If he can do that with something he'd gained through cultivation, shouldn't I be able to do the same with something I was born with?'
From above, Jaune lets out a satisfactory smile. Ruby suddenly bursts into a cloud of rose petals for a split second, which ends up cancelling out the momentum and velocity of her long fall. The rose petals quickly reform into Ruby, who tumbles onto the ground, dazed but uninjured.
Yang lets out a breath she had been unknowingly holding. From her eye's peripheral, she notices that Jaune's hand is slightly raised.
"Did you slow her fall?"
"Didn't I tell you that she'd be fine? It would not be a very good learning experience if she were to be mangled from crashing into the ground at terminal velocity, Aura protection or not. I would know from personal experience."
"Ah..." Yang grimaces at the mental image. "Right."
'What was that I just did? It felt so foreign, but also... natural? Was that the sensation of my Semblance?'
Ruby picks herself up from the ground, finding herself encircled by a mixture of Ursa, Beowolves, and Creeps. Steeling herself, she dashes into a sprint, swiftly weaving through the Grimm using her small frame to her advantage. With practiced precision, she darts through openings under the Beowolves' and Ursas' arms when they swing, and she sharply pivots on her heels whenever it is necessary to switch directions.
Within a few short moments, she breaks through the encirclement and runs towards one the closest wall, in order to create distance and to prevent any surprise attacks from her rear. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Ruby reaches down and grabs a small dagger strapped to her thigh.
"So she took my advice seriously and prepared a backup weapon," Jaune muses. "I expected something a bit more flashy, than just a simple dagger."
"Apparently she said Crescent Rose would get jealous," Yang blankly says.
Ruby rolls away, narrowly dodging an Ursa paw slamming down into the ground, creating a miniature crater due to the force of its blow. From her roll, she jumps up to avoid a Creep's jaw snapping at her legs. Kicking off the Creep's head, she clumsily stabs the Ursa in the eye, before dashing away to recover her distance. Small beads of sweat begin to form on her face.
'My stamina is starting to run low, and they're slowly adjusting to my movements.'
Distracted by her thoughts, Ruby fails to notice a Beowolf that had been slowly stalking her for the past several minutes. Seeing an opportunity, it lunges out from Ruby's blind spot with thick globules of saliva trailing along its open jaw.
'Oh no!' Ruby thinks frantically, when she finally notices the ambush. 'I won't be able to dodge in time!'
'Kill it!' Her mind screams.
Against all good reasoning, Ruby dashes forward at the ambushing Beowolf with dagger in hand.
The world comes to a crawl once again, and this time, Ruby recognizes the sensation. Feeling abnormally calm, she calculates her plan of attack.
'Behind. Cut its legs, then finish it off.'
The world before her eyes blur along the edges and turn gray. The sensation of her feet running against the ground vanishes, and her motion transitions into a glide, similar to how one would feel in a lucid dream. Through pure instinct, Ruby senses her entire being flow past over the Beowolf's shoulder, like a stream. When she lands behind the Grimm, the world snaps back into color at normal speed.
Ruby crudely slashes across the back of the Beowolf's knee caps, causing it to collapse onto its torso. She promptly jumps onto its back to ram the dagger through the back of its skull, killing it. She brings her dagger up to a defensive pose, glancing from left to right at the Grimm surrounding her. Her breathing is noticeably labored, and her hair sticks to her forehead due to perspiration.
"She actually did it," Yang says in awe.
Ruby visibly trembles for a moment from sudden fatigue and adrenaline wearing off. Due to the failed ambush, the remaining Grimm keep some distance away as they surround her, biding their time for an opportune moment. With resolve, Ruby tightly grips her dagger.
'Because I've always used my Semblance in short, momentary bursts, my Aura capacity is low compared to others... I just never noticed in the past because I was not fully utilizing my Semblance.' Ruby thinks to herself in frustration.
One of the less patient Ursa breaks the encirclement and charges at Ruby, who jumps back to avoid the paw swipe. Upon noticing that their prey did not use that strange ability to dispatch that Ursa, the other Grimm begin to shorten their distance with regained confidence.
Up from above, Jaune releases a sigh, "As expected, her Aura reserve is quite limited, and I suspect Ruby has realized it as well."
"Well, she's never really used her Semblance much in fighting compared to most others," Yang responds.
"Her fighting style with an oversized scythe also factors into the delayed growth of her Semblance."
Yang raises an eyebrow at this observation.
"What do you mean?
"You have just seen a momentary glimpse of Ruby's Semblance. For an instant, she was able to disperse her physical form into a nearly intangible substance that can travel freely through the air. Imagine what she could potentially do once that time frame is greatly extended through training."
"I guess I had't thought about it to that extent yet. But that doesn't answer on why you're implying Crescent Rose is not a good match for Ruby's Semblance."
"Hmm. I would not necessarily say that it is not a good match, but rather an unconventional one."
Jaune's voice gains a softer tone as he continues, "In the cultivation world, someone with abilities similar to Ruby would have been trained quite differently."
"Which would be?"
"Without a doubt, the path of an assassin."
'!?'
Yang's jaw drops and her eyes widen with shock.
'Ruby? Well suited to being a professional murderer?!'
Jaune continues, "In a way, I am actually quite relieved that Ruby's personality and heart would prevent this from ever becoming a reality. I'm only stating this partly for educational purposes and that it is quite intriguing. So, let's just keep this between us?"
Yang slowly nods, still unable to utter any words.
"Keep in mind that I said her current fighting style is unconventional. There are certain minor changes that can be made, while accommodating her preference for the scythe."
With a nervous laugh, Yang sighs in relief.
"I nearly got a heart attack. Ruby? A professional killer? She couldn't even hurt a puppy."
"I'll admit that even I am having a difficult time imagining her as such a thing," Jaune chuckles.
Meanwhile, Ruby is forced to fully activate her Semblance once more in order to escape. Upon reforming from the stream of petals alongside the wall, she falls onto a knee in utter exhaustion and takes deep breaths.
Jaune's eyes narrow as he notices a sudden anomaly.
Several yards from Ruby's location, a spider Grimm about the size of a small dog, peaks its head out from its burrow. Locking onto the intruder and on high alert from the recent events, it spits out an invisible gas towards Ruby. When she unknowingly inhales the foreign substance, the effects are immediate.
The fatigued, yet resolute eyes of Ruby quickly transform to ones of horror, and she involuntarily drops her weapon onto the ground. Her breath quickens and small tears begin to stream down her face, before suddenly letting out a scream at the top of her lungs. Behaving disorientated and in a craze, Ruby clutches her head as her eyes glow bright, radiating unnaturally bright light towards the approaching Grimm. Disproportionately large wings of translucent silver burst out from the corners of her eyes and lashes out at the Grimm, instantly turning them to dust.
"Ruby!" Yang screams in alarm and looks to her side at Jaune for help, but finds the area empty. As soon as Ruby had begun to scream, Jaune had already sprung into action.
As quickly as they'd appeared, the wings of light retreat back into Ruby's eyes, and she falls to her side, only to be caught by Jaune who'd just arrived. Pointing his finger, Jaune encircles the spider Grimm onto the ground with a net of divine sense. He gently places a palm over Ruby's head and circulates Vermillion Bird qi, causing her eyes to stir. Tenderly picking her up, he flies back up to the platform with the spider and Ruby's weapon in tow behind him.
As he softly lands beside Yang, Ruby's eyes flutter open with confusion.
"Wh-what happened?" She moans in a pained voice.
Yang rushes forward and embraces Ruby.
"Are you hurting anywhere? Do you feel alright?" She rapidly asks.
"My head just really hurts," Ruby groans. "And exhausted."
Yang's head swivels and locks onto Jaune with a tight glare. She looks as if she is about to say something, but grits her teeth, swallowing her words. Deep down, she knows that blaming him would help no one.
"What happened down there?" She asks Jaune after taking a breath to calm herself. "What was that she did with her eyes?"
A frown mars Jaune's face as he observes the aftermath down below.
'That light...'
Jaune kneels down in front of Ruby and gently clasps the sides of her head and stares directly into her eyes.
"Take calm breaths and relax," Jaune instructs as he carefully probes her with a wisp of divine sense.
As soon he touches upon her soul and spirit, Jaune's frown deepens as he pulls his hands away, but not before circulating a small stream of Vermillion Bird qi into Ruby.
Noticing his uncharacteristic expression, Yang asks nervously, "Is something wrong?"
After a moment of silence, Jaune slowly asks, "What do you remember before you fell unconscious?"
Ruby's eyes widen slightly and her body trembles.
With her eyes cast downward, she whispers, "I... remember getting away from the Grimm using my Semblance, and felt really tired. I saw them converging onto my location. Then they all suddenly disappeared, and the scenery in front of me changed."
She takes a stuttered breath in an attempt to calm herself.
"In front of me was... Yang... Weiss... and Blake. There was... there was so much blood. I didn't know what to do. Then, I was standing on a hill and I saw mom," Ruby's lips quiver.
"Her face was so pale, and she was so still, laying there on the ground... Next thing I know, my head started to really hurt and everything went white. Then I woke up here," she concludes in a low voice.
Yang, face paling from Ruby's description, tries to find some sort of silver lining.
"Well... at least whatever you did with your eyes destroyed all of those Grimm..."
Jaune shakes his head.
"If at all possible, Ruby must prevent a similar event from happening in the future."
"My eyes?" Ruby asks, before looking down thoughtfully.
"When I first regained consciousness after the attack on Beacon, Uncle Qrow mentioned something about my eyes. That I did something that night too and that they're special. He said that mom had the same eyes and power..."
'This must have happened while I was still bedridden...'
"He said that those with silver eyes have always been destined to become great warriors. So, shouldn't I try to learn how to control this power instead of avoiding it? Wouldn't I be of more help that way?" Ruby asks.
"For your own benefit and well-being, I strongly suggest that you do not go down that path," Jaune sternly replies.
"Her well-being?" Yang is alarmed. "Can you explain?"
Jaune's eyes narrow.
"That momentary burst of light contained a hint of the Dao of Creation. This can not be something that was gained by Ruby through her own efforts, but is a foreign influence. Therefore, there will be consequences for utilizing it."
"Creation? Dao? More crazy cultivation stuff..." Yang mutters. "So you're saying that this power doesn't belong to Ruby. But if that's the case, who or what gave it to her? And why?"
"The who or what are currently unknowns. This warrants a thorough investigation once the opportunity arises. As for the why... it is too early to tell whether or not there is malicious intent behind this," Jaune replies. "Allow me to provide some further context to Ruby's situation."
"First of all, not all Dao are equal. Strictly speaking, there are three categories of Dao: Lesser, Grand, and Heavenly. 108,000 Lesser, 81 Grand, and 10 Heavenly. It just so happens that the Dao of Creation is one of the 10 Heavenly Dao."
"Okay... I'm having a bit of a hard time wrapping my head around the scale of what you're talking about. So what does this all mean? You mentioned consequences?" Yang asks.
Jaune further explains, "To be more specific, a Dao is not something one can properly utilize without first touching upon and comprehending its mysteries. With Heavenly Daos, understanding even the tiniest fraction is considered to be a rare success. They are essential to the very existence and functioning of the universe. Quite frankly, it is almost impossible for one to be born with a connection to a Heavenly Dao. One of the exceptions is if you are a being that was born during the very early stages of the universe."
"As for the consequence, evidenced by the severe migraine Ruby experienced, and further verifying it when I checked on her earlier... her spirit has been damaged ever so slightly." Jaune's expression darkens. "Taking damage to one's spirit is excruciatingly painful, and the migraine Ruby experienced can honestly be said to be the mildest of symptoms."
Ruby's eyes widen with a mixture of shock and fear. She does not remember many details from when her eyes triggered, but she vividly remembers the searing, head splitting pain. And Jaune is saying that is the mildest of symptoms?
"However, it is fortunate that this is only the second incident, before any irreparable damage could have been done. Earlier, I alleviated the immediate damage with some of my qi, as it has regenerative abilities to a certain degree. She will need several more days before it fully heals. As we move forward, Ruby will have to be fully aware of her emotional and mental state, as both of those seem to factor into the triggering of those eyes. Special training will be required, which brings me to this."
Waving an arm, the spider Grimm he'd captured is brought into the barrier. Within its confinement, the spider hisses and raises its frontal legs into the air, baring its large fangs.
Yang and Ruby lean forward to take a closer look at the Grimm, before they look at each other.
"Doesn't this look like that one Grimm Uncle Qrow described a few years ago?" Yang asks.
"Yeah... I vaguely remember him mentioning some kind of spider Grimm during one of his missions. It was one of the few times he wasn't joking when he was telling his stories. If I'm remembering correctly, he saw a group of newly licensed Huntsmen in the field get nearly wiped out by a pack of Ursa, all because they failed to notice a spider Grimm in the vicinity. They'd only gotten out of there safely because Uncle Qrow was there. What did he say that Grimm was called again?"
"He said they're called Widows."
"Hmm..." Jaune mutters. "How curious..."
With a thought, he peels a small opening away from the Widow's prison, releasing a wisp of the gas it had been continuously emitting ever since its capture. Intentionally suppressing the resistances of his body, Jaune inhales the foreign substance.
Almost immediately, the world before Jaune's eyes twists and morphs, finding himself standing before a small bodhi tree atop a small mountain. Beneath the tree is a lone, elegant, yet simple, gravestone. A small wave of emotion stirs Jaune's heart as he stares down at the grave.
Suddenly, the sky turns dark and heavy rain begins to pour from the clouds. A thin, pale arm emerges from the dirt and clasps onto Jaune's ankle. A ghostly, yet familiar, voice echoes out from beneath the soil.
"Why weren't you there? Why weren't you there? Why didn't you save me?!"
After releasing a small sigh, resolve flashes across Jaune's eyes.
"Hmph," he snorts, and illusionary world shatters, bringing his senses back to reality.
The sisters, Ruby in particular, stare at Jaune with concern. They let out a breath of relief when Jaune blinks and turns his attention to the Widow.
"An apt name, Widow. Without a doubt, this Grimm is the most dangerous we've encountered so far. It's physical strength is laughable compared to other Grimm, but its ability to mentally attack would be devastating to anyone unprepared or inexperienced."
"According to Uncle Qrow, Widows aren't very common, which is fortunate for everyone," Yang shudders.
"I see... It is good fortune that we came across this Widow, as I have some uses for it in mind."
Jaune throws out a handful of hard light Dust and stores the Widow within a spherical prison. Waving his hand, the Widow, in its hard light prison, get brought into his ring.
"What was that about?" Yang asks curiously.
"The Widow's ability to attack the weakest part of one's mental state is a terrifying ability. But under a controlled environment, it will be an invaluable tool to strengthening one's mind. Everyone can benefit greatly from this, but it is most important for Ruby," Jaune explains.
Raising a hand, Ruby slowly asks, "About my eyes. You said that because I haven't gained any mastery over the Dao of Creation, using its power is hurting my spirit. Does this mean that if I comprehend Creation, I could use the power in my eyes without any negative effects?"
Jaune raises an eyebrow before chuckling, "Clever girl. Yes. You are correct with that assumption."
"Then why didn't you mention that possibility?" Ruby further questions. "Do you think it's impossible for me to learn the Dao of Creation or something?"
This time, Jaune laughs loudly at her innocent inquiry.
"There are only 10 Heavenly Dao in existence. Can you blame me for encouraging you to take a path that is more likely to bear fruit? I also do not believe that you need that power to deal with Grimm or any other threat."
Ruby's face grows a little red from being laughed at so blatantly by Jaune.
"Oh yeah? W-well, how many Heavenly Dao do can you use, mister 'I'm so amazing'?"
As soon as Jaune smiles, Ruby instantly regrets her retort.
Jaune begins to casually count off on his fingers.
"Let me first explain to you what the Heavenly Dao are. Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Earth are the elemental Heavenly Dao. These five are the essential elements that makeup all matter in the creation of worlds. Next are Creation, Destruction, Yin, and Yang. These four are more abstract concepts, but just as, if not, more real than the elemental Daos. They are what governs balance and the natural cycles of the universe. The tenth and final Heavenly Dao is the most profound of all and reigns supreme. It is Primordial Chaos, or the Origin. All Dao originated from Primordial Chaos and is the most elusive of all Dao in existence."
Jaune concludes with his hands help up with all fingers splayed out.
"Like the ten fingers of my hands. One could say that by mastering the 10 Heavenly Dao, the universe itself is held within their hands."
Jaune lowers six of his fingers.
"Currently, I am utilizing the Dao of Water, Fire, Wood, and Metal in my cultivation art."
"U-uh, pfft," Ruby tries to unconvincingly play it off. "That's only four out of ten. Technically a failing grade."
Yang pats Ruby's shoulder while shaking her head, causing her head to sink in defeat.
"Again, we can't fully relate or appreciate what all this means," Yang scoffs. "You're literally the only cultivator we know of. For all we know, you're average in the cultivation world."
Jaune opts to simply respond with an amused smile.
"But who really knows?" He chuckles. "Perhaps in time, you'll be able to delve into the mysteries of Creation and use that power with full ownership."
Standing up, Jaune waves the barrier on the platform away.
"There is nothing left for us here. We should begin heading back out to the surface. The sooner I report our success, the faster the city can get back on its feet."
Yang tiredly sighs, "I'm going to need a lot of time to process everything that's happened down here today."
She glances at Jaune with a small smile.
"You have any more of that stuff you gave Ruby last night?"
Shaking his head in amusement, Jaune blankets the two with his divine sense and hops off the platform to descend back down to the bottom of the cavern.
Wasting no time, Jaune redeploys his sword array around them and accelerates his flight speed through the large tunnel opening the Wyvern had previously attempted to escape through. Whipping through the air at high speed, the sword array occasionally lashes out, turning all Grimm they come across to dust.
After several minutes of silence, Ruby's head perks up.
"Hey Jaune?"
"Hmm?"
"I've been thinking... You're strongly encouraging us to focus on developing our Semblances, but would it be possible to teach us cultivation as well? It wouldn't hurt to try, right?"
Yang's ears twitch at Ruby's question and she quietly listens very carefully. After all, this same thought had crossed her mind on several occasions ever since that night, and she is certain that Pyrrha and the others must have had the same thought as well.
Jaune hums to himself for a moment.
"One main reason I have not is because all of you need to grow as efficiently as possible within a relatively short time frame. Learning to sense and absorb qi is something that can potentially take months to years, depending on one's aptitude. Additionally, when I first arrived to this world, I had found myself unable to properly cultivate qi within my dantian, which is the area above the naval, and it is crucial to the cultivation of qi. Eventually, I was able to resolve this issue with rather brute force methods, and I do not recommend this at all for any inexperienced individual. As I have yet to see any evidence of cultivators on this world, I am assuming that similar blocks reside within everyone who are born on this world."
"Would you be able to aid us from the outside if any one of us tried to use that brute force method you're talking about?"
"Yes, I would be able to watch over you as you attempt the breakthrough. But again, to even think about beginning this process, you must be able to sense and absorb qi."
In the darkness of the tunnel, a dim light flickers in the distance, caused by moonlight spilling through the gaps of debris blocking their path, clearly the work of the Wyvern. Jaune simultaneously circulates Black Tortoise and White Tiger qi into his sword array, and greatly accelerates the blades' orbital speed. Not slowing down a fraction, the group burrows through the rubble blocking their path with little resistance, before quickly bursting out into the open night sky.
Jaune glances at the sisters and contemplates, "Perhaps in the future, your aptitudes can be tested, but getting to a point where your efforts will greatly impact combat will take time. Time that you do not have the luxury to spend at this current moment."
'And myself as well.'
"Well... at least that's better than a no," Ruby shrugs.
"He also has a good point about time," Yang adds. "Whether we'd like to admit it or not, the attack on Beacon was an act of war... Potentially wasting precious time is not a good option."
Jaune nods in approval, then he looks out into the horizon and breathes in the fresh night air. Yang looks out into the distance towards the dimly lit city of Vale.
"Everything is so small when you're up here," she breathes out. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this kind of view. The airships can't get this high."
"In the grand scheme of things, yes, it is quite small," Jaune agrees. "But, it is not insignificant."
"Yup!" Ruby brightly smiles. "It's home."
Yang's eyes soften.
"Yeah, you're right. It's home."
To enjoy the view for as long as possible, Jaune takes them through the skies at a leisurely pace towards Patch.
*** The following day ***
Glynda releases a deep sigh in relief.
"You have no idea how much work and headaches this saves me from."
Jaune takes a sip of his tea.
"Keep in mind that there is still a relatively high population of Grimm with Mountain Glenn's tunnels. However, due to the Winter cold, the majority of them will not venture outside."
"We can deal with them with future expeditions while minimizing risk of losses. Right now, the city and Beacon must focus on rebuilding, and reopening the supply chain from the South is a major first step," Glyda replies. "Now, only a handful of Huntsmen and Huntresses are required to protect the cargo."
"There was something else of interest that I found," Jaune says.
Glynda's eyebrow raises up as Jaune slides Merlot's diary across the table. She curiously picks it up.
"This is?"
"It's a book," Jaune playfully replies, earning a rather annoyed glare. "To be more specific, it is a diary I'd found in a hidden laboratory within the tunnel walls. Belongs to someone named Merlot."
Eyes greatly widen behind her glasses.
"Merlot," Glynda gasps, before opening the book to the first page and reads over the introduction. With a shudder, she snaps the book shut and sets it aside.
"When Mountain Glenn was overrun, all traces of Merlot had disappeared. We don't even know whether he is alive or not... Professor Ozpin had always avoided talking about the specifics of what had happened with Mountain Glenn, except on the rarest of occasions. Whenever he did speak more about it, Merlot's name had always come up, and with it, great regret," Glynda sighs.
"Hmm, speak of Ozpin, how is the excavation of the tower coming along?"
"We have only just begun, but so far, there have been no major issues. Even with my Semblance, it is a tedious process," she tiredly replies. "By our estimates, it will take a few weeks to clear the blockage safely, so long as the interior of the Vault is stable. Hopefully, we will find some evidence as to what happened to Professor Ozpin once we reach bottom."
"What of Atlas? Any news from Ironwood?"
Glynda scowls, "According to James, the Council has been slow to react to the situation. They're paralyzed from taking action because their fleet was compromised that night, and he is finding it extremely difficult in placating their concerns. Even though Atlas is greatly responsible for the damage caused to Vale, they act as if time is not of essence. James better do something soon, or the citizens of Vale will grow to distrust Atlas even more than they currently do..."
"Despite their geographical position keeping them safe from Grimm, they continue to cower in fear," Jaune sighs.
"Now, with the Southern supply chain reopened, we don't need Atlas' help, though it would be very much appreciated," Glynda says through clenched teeth, obviously frustrated. She takes a sip from her cup and relaxes.
"I will be visiting Patch later this evening to assist Miss Nikos with her Semblance training."
"Once again, thank you for making the time," Jaune says as he sets his empty cup down. "Ah... I have nearly forgotten. Here is a small gift for Oobleck, as thanks for the maps of Mountain Glenn."
He waves his arm towards an emptier corner of the room, causing a small pile of books to appear. Glynda, not used to this site, jolts at their sudden appearance.
"And all of these are from?" Glynda asks before waving her riding crop, clearing the newly gathered dust out through her window.
"Some extra miscellaneous textbooks I'd found in addition to Merlot's diary. There is very useful information pertaining to the behaviors of various types of Grimm. I'm sure you and Oobleck will find use out of them."
Nodding, Glynda flicks her riding crop once more, this time neatly stacking the textbooks beside her desk.
"I'm sure Bartholomew will be ecstatic."
"If there's nothing else requiring discussion, I will be on my way now as I have some additional business to take care of. As always, thank you for the tea, and I will be seeing you later tonight on Patch."
Glynda gives an absent-minded wave as she'd reopened Merlot's diary to read through its content more thoroughly.
As Jaune strolls through the empty halls of Beacon, he flips his Scroll open and quickly types out a message. Within seconds, his Scroll buzzes with a response. Amusement flashes across his eyes as he reads his screen.
"Interesting," he chuckles to himself, before vanishing into the air.