Bump in the night
Prologue
I smile happily as I read the letter. My acceptance letter. It'd taken a lot more blood, sweat and tears than I was comfortable admitting to, but I'd actually gotten accepted into Beacon Academy!
"I always knew you had it in you!" my mom hugs me tightly. Too tightly actually.
"Now, now, let her breathe," my dad gently pries her off of me, "we can't have her miss initiation after all!" he beams at me, making my already wide smile stretch my face ever further.
My mom pouts at him before smiling at me. "We all knew you could do it."
"Congrats, Jeanne!" my eldest sister, Selene, exclaims, also hugging me. Thankfully, her hugs had nothing on my mom's which I swear could crack a man's ribs even with Aura.
I feel my cheeks redden slightly but my smile doesn't falter.
"Can't believe you actually made it!" Catherine, my second youngest sister adds, even though she too has a wide smile on her face as she says so.
Honestly, I'm way too happy to even give her a mock glare, the little brat.
"Little brat…" Marissa, my third eldest sister ruffles Catherine's hair, much to my younger sibling's dismay, "Don't mind her, she's just sad that you'll be leaving soon."
"Am not!" Catherine huffs as she looks away, a blush on her face.
I smile at my younger sister while resisting the urge to chuckle, knowing hell would break loose if I did so, "I'll call whenever I can and come back during vacations."
And I mean it. I loved my family, dysfunctional as they sometimes were.
"I won't miss you!" Catherine exclaims, stamping her foot, "…but you better come back," she tells me as she looks away.
"Please, we'll all miss you." My youngest sister, Madeline tells me.
"I will." I reply solemnly.
All my other sisters congratulate me, smile and laugh with me, all the while unnecessarily guilt tripping me into promising I'll come visit whenever I can. Cakes and various caffeinated beverages soon followed, kicking the party into gear.
Now, I know that our family might seem a bit strange to an outsider, to someone who isn't one of us. I know we might appear clingy or possessive at times to others at times. And I can't always disagree. We are a pretty tightly knit group.
How could we not be, after what happened?
I shake my head, trying to ward off past memories and immerse myself back into the festive atmosphere, but I find myself remembering him more and more…
10 years ago…
"Jeanne?"
I looked up to see my twin brother. "What?" I reply curtly, hoping to god it wasn't another one of his "emergencies". Frankly, I was done dealing with them.
He looked scared. Terrified, even.
"There's a man outside our room," he gestured at the window, "He... he's bleeding real badly and he keeps saying he'll…he'll h-hurt me."
We used to share a room. We used to share everything.
"A man? Where?" I followed him into our room, feeling nothing but…exasperation.
Jaune often claimed he saw things. Thing that none of us could see. My mom used to say it was an overactive imagination, something we'd all found entertaining once upon a time, when his imagination was conjuring invisible friends for us to play with and not menacing murdered behind every corner.
"T-there." Jaune pointed shakily outside the window, where I see, surprise surprise! No one around.
"Where?" I asked again, trying hard to keep the frustration out of my voice. I tried, really, I did.
"There!" Jaune pointed at thin air again, his voice close to breaking.
I growled. "This isn't funny anymore, Jaune!"
"I'm not kidding! He's right there! Can't you see him?" the last question was so full of desperation that I couldn't help but look again.
In spite of the image he'd conjured, I sincerely hoped I would actually see something this time.
"I don't see anyone," I glared at him, feeling anger and disappointment swell within me, "I'm leaving now."
"B-but…he's right there…" Jaune deflated, his eyes taking a downcast look as his lips quiver.
"Jaune, there's nothing there! No one think this is funny anymore, please stop!"
…and go back to how you used to be, back when you were normal. Back when you were my other half and we used to share everything.
Jaune's eyes water. "But…but…"
Great, now I felt bad. I internally sigh and pat his shoulder, "No buts," I quote mom, "Just stop this already."
Jaune looked at me, his tearful, frightened blue eyes boring into mine. Pleadingly.
I stared back resolutely. "No. You have to stop," my eyes softened slightly, "Please, I don't want thing to change between us."
He lowered his head. "I…" he breaths out slowly, "…okay."
"Cool," I turned around, hoping that things would go back to normal, "Now please don't call me unless you need something."
He gave me a shaky smile, "…Right."
And things did go back to normal for some time.
There were no more frightened distress calls at odd hours, no more claims to see things no one else could. Heck, he even started taking an active interest in us again! He'd laugh and smile with the rest of us again.
What really sold it was when my mom asked me if I'd take my younger sisters to the park. Well, we call it a park, but really, it's more like a small part of the forest where people had placed benches and trash cans.
"Jaune?" my mom called out to my brother.
Jaune smiled at her, "Yeah?"
My mom hesitated before asking, "Why don't you go out with them this time? You used to do it all the time."
It was true. Catherine and Madeline used to love going out with him, before he claimed that going there terrified him because he could see things that couldn't be human wandering around.
Catherine and Madeline had quickly stopped inviting him out after he had, knowingly or not, terrified them with his mad tales.
My younger sisters froze. I, however, felt hope blossom in my heart.
Jaune nodded. "Sure! I haven't been there in forever."
My mom's smile was brighter than the sun. "That's great! Have fun out there, you 4. I expect you all back by supper, okay? Oh, and no wandering off! Those woods can be dangerous."
My own smile matched my mom's. Sure, my younger sisters might have been a bit apprehensive, but I was happy. My brother, my very own twin brother was finally agreeing to go out with us again!
"Got it, mom!" I reply as I put my shoes on. I looked up at Jaune and smirked at him, "You coming, slowpoke?"
He gave me a mock growl. "Slowpoke? Race you there!"
I laughed, finally feeling all my doubts, all my concerns slip away. This was Jaune! My best friend, my brother was back! "Bring it on, loser!" And I sped off, too excited to notice my younger sisters' indignant cries.
I got to the park a good 3 minutes before them, at which point I noticed that Jaune, who was acting all surly about having lost the race (even calling me a cheat at one point, the cheeky little…), had made sure to shepherd our sisters here.
Their own apprehension seemed to have vanished and we quickly found ourselves talking, laughing and messing around.
At one point Jaune even raised Madeline up into his shoulders and began speeding off, much to her delight.
I pointedly ignored the look Catherine gave me. No way was I carrying her.
After a delightful afternoon, we decided to head back before our mom decided to send the search party (consisting of our older sisters) after us.
Catherine, Madeline and I walked towards the entrance before noticing that Jaune had lagged behind and now stood a few feet away from us, facing away from us.
"Big brother?" Madeline called out.
Jaune didn't reply. In fact, I don't even think he heard her.
"Hey! What are you doing?" an impatient and hungry Catherine demanded.
I sighed and walked up towards him. "Hey Jaune," I put a hand over his shoulder and he froze, "what's up?" I ask.
He slowly turned around and I saw that his face was ashen, his cobalt eyes wide with such fear that they made me hesitate.
"I-is there something wrong?" I asked quietly, looking around.
He flinched and closed his eyes before he began to mutter quietly to himself, so quietly that I could not make out his words, although I swear I heard "dangerous" and "hurry".
He opened his eyes and gave me a wide smile. "S-sorry about that. I could've sworn I saw some animal in the woods or something."
I let out a sigh of relief that I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "You idiot!"
He chuckled ruefully. "Yeah, it was probably a deer. C'mon, let's go." And he suddenly took my hand and practically marched me towards my waiting sisters.
"H-hey wait!" I growl, "I can walk myself, thank you very much!"
He let go and gave me an apologetic look. "Sorry about that, I guess I was hungrier than I thought…" he laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head.
"I second that!" Catherine says, "Let's go! Mom said she was making meatloaf tonight!"
"Catherine…" Madeline sighed.
"You heard our princess! Onwards, for food and rest!" Jaune declared with a wide grin, the total goofball.
We all made fun of him and laughed as we walked towards our house.
I was in such a good mood that it didn't register how often Jaune would look back, towards the woods as we went…
Was he simply that good of an actor? Had I, someone who had arrived into this planet with him, blinded myself to what he was truly feeling? Had we all been deceived?
It's only now, with the power of hindsight, that I realize that his eyes never actually changed. He smiled, he laughed, but his eyes remained miserable…terrified.
For some time, we were able to trick ourselves into thinking we'd gotten our brother back.
"Where's your brother? Dinner's gonna get cold." My dad asked. Jaune had claimed he needed to wash up and change the moment we'd arrived and sped off towards his room.
Bianca sighed. "It's my favorite too, can't we start without him?" The meatloaf before us did look good, and I could tell it was up to my mom's and Selene's usual standards of greatness.
Catherine pouts. "I'm hungry!"
My mom gets up. "I'll go get him. Don't you start without us!"
She walked towards Jaune's room while we all waited hungrily.
I was his twin sister. We used to tell each other all of our secrets. We used to shared everything.
"JAUNE!" we heard our mother shriek in horror.
I should've seen it coming.
As a family, we were always united. We all got up and ran towards Jaune's room.
The smell hit us before we even saw him. The heavy scent of copper and rust that we'd all come to recognize from minor scrapes and the like that anyone living outside of the walled cities would quickly get used to.
What we saw…
Jaune smiled softly. "It's okay, mom," he looked at us, all of us, "It's okay." His serene expression a stark contrast to the blood pooling around him.
"This can't be happening," Selene whispered, her eyes wide in terror.
"Brother!" Madeline screamed before falling to her knees. Catherine soon followed, a look of absolute shock on her face. Similar cries of shock and horror are echoed by my other sisters.
Alice, my fourth oldest sister, who had always been somewhat quiet, somewhat of a bookwork, looked at our parents. "I'll call for a doctor!"
"We need to stop the bleeding!" my mom snatched one of Jaune's nearby shirts and presses it against my brother's bleeding wrists.
"Marissa, Bianca, Jeanne, take Catherine and Madeline out of here." My dad, who was pressing a second article of clothing against Jaune's other wrist ordered.
"B-but we can he-" Marissa stammers, only to be cut off.
"NOW!" my dad roars.
The 2 immediately grab my younger sisters, whispering reassurances into their ears even as they try to hold back their tears.
But I…
I couldn't leave.
I stared at his serene form, transfixed.
This…couldn't be real. We came into this world together. He wasn't allowed to die here.
He couldn't die here.
My father swore, "We need to slow the bleeding. Selene, get me some ice!" My dad, a hunter and probably used to life and death situations ordered.
Selene immediately heads off into the kitchen and came back not even 30 seconds later with a large pack of ice.
Those of us who stayed behind watched, horrified, as dad did his best to wrap the wounds, making sure ice was in contact with his arteries while mom and Selene helped him as best they can.
This…wasn't supposed to happen.
Where had we gone wrong? What had we…
…what had I failed to notice?
"No…" My dad suddenly breathed out, "No no no no no no…."
"W-what's wrong? Is he going to be okay?" my mom asked shakily.
My dad placed his hand over Jaune's chest, eyes hard and determined. "He's lost too much blood."
The meaning of those words his us all like a truck.
"NO!"
"I-it can't be."
He ignored all of us and closed his eyes. My dad's hand began to glow. "For it is in our service that we achieve immortality," he whispered, "Through this, we become the unyielding shield against the darkness. Unshakeable in our duty, unwavering in our resolve, I release your soul," the glowing intensifies, "…and by my hand, protect thee."
That was the first time I'd ever seen Aura being awakened.
For a few agonizing seconds nothing happened as we all held our breaths.
Jaune's eyes slowly opened. "W-what? W-where am-"
"Shh, try to relax. We'll talk more when you're better." My dad replied softly.
"B-better? But I…I want…" his eyes slowly began to close once more.
"Is he-?" my mom sobbed.
"He's going to be alright," my dad answered, his voice quivering slightly, "Where is that damn ambulance?"
"I-I called for it. They said they'd be here as soon as they can." Alice replied, who I hadn't even noticed was back, replied, her eyes wet.
Jaune didn't wake up for the next 3 days, which we spent visiting him in his hospital room.
My brother was quickly moved to an asylum where he would get the help he needed. We visited as often as we could, but to be honest, we all began to dread the visits…
"P-please…" my brother whispered, "Y-you can't….you can't leave me here."
"It's for your own good." My dad replied softly.
"You don't understand!" Jaune suddenly screamed, frightening all of us, "…there are things here," he shivered, "things that aren't… supposed to be."
"What do you mean?" My mom asks.
"I can see them. I can hear them. They call out to me." My brother suddenly smiled. A hysterical, wild smile that sent shivers down my spine, "They want me to join them."
"It's for your own good." My dad repeats, his voice cracking slightly towards the end.
"They're going to kill me!" Jaune yelled, "They're going to take me with them!" his expression became desperate, "Why can't any of you understand?" he looks down, "…why…"
What happened to him? He'd seemed so normal for a time…
"Jaune, please," I speak up, he suddenly looks at me, "Please just do what the doctors tell you. They want to help you."
The look he gave me has been forever etched into my mind.
A look of betrayal, grief, rage and despair. He slumped over and mumbled something under his breath.
"What was that, dearie?" my mom asks softly.
"I said…" he suddenly looks up, his eyes frenzied, "Get out! Out! All of you!"
"Jau-" my dad begins.
"Out! None of you will ever understand! The things I see, the things I hear..." Jaune paused before glaring at us, making sure his furious gaze met all of ours, "Leave!" he demanded.
"Honey, please, we just want to hel-" my mom desperately tries to reach to him.
Jaune snarls. "If you really wanted to help, you would've let me die that day."
Those words were like a knife to my heart.
My dad's eyes became cold and he slapped Jaune. Hard. "Never. NEVER say that again. We all love you. We all want to see you get better."
Jaune looks down at the ground, obscuring his face.
"Do you understand?" my dad asks, his voice becoming softer at the end.
Jaune looks up, his glare harsher than I'd ever seen. "…liar."
My dad flinched.
Selene, my oldest sister looks at Jaune pleadingly. "Jaune, please…We just want to see you get better."
Jaune snorts. "Just leave me and go," his tone final, "Doctor!" he calls out, "I'd like to rest now."
The doctor nods and in spite of our protests, he ushers us out.
"Please, Jaune's state of mind is quite fragile at the moment," he informs us, "We mustn't agitate him."
"That's my son!" my mom replies angrily, tears running down her face.
She's not the only one with tears. The only one who's not crying is my dad, who looks furiously at the doctor.
"I am aware," the doctor replies, "However, any interaction could trigger more suicidal behavior and we can't have that."
My mom freezes before she slowly looks down, defeated. "…I understand."
Jaune refused visits after that, and in the occasions where he was forced by the doctors to come see us, he would refuse to talk to us.
But we all noticed how tired he looked, his haggard expression, and the pale complexion…
We should've done something.
Anything.
Because when the flames consumed the asylum, it was too late for any of us.
I sigh softly. This…this was as much for myself as it was for him. When we were younger, Jaune had always said he wanted to be a hero, a hunter.
I began packing my bags. I'd be heading to Vale first, where I'd stay for a couple days before a bullhead would take me to Beacon Academy.
I glance at a framed photo of Jaune and I when we were kids.
"I swear I'll succeed." I whisper.
I would at the very least carry out his wish so that when we finally met again, I could apologize, demand an apology in turn and then tell him that his dream had lived on and that I…
That we had done our best to keep him in our hearts.
With my bags packed, I settle down on my bed and think about what the future might hold.
The next 4 years would prove to be interesting, I was sure.
Vale
Ruby Rose was a normal girl. Or so she told herself.
This particular night, she found herself in a convenience store, reading a magazine as she listened to music, oblivious to what was happening around her.
Which is why when someone tapped her shoulder, she dropped the magazine in shock.
An alarmed looking blonde man was trying to tell her something.
Ruby took off her headphones. "Y-yes?"
"The store's being mugged," the man whispered at her, "You need to get out and call for help."
Mugged? She looked up and saw a redheaded man waiting lazily while holding a cane on one hand and a magazine on the other as some men in red suits began to pack absurd amounts of dust into suitcases while another man held the store owner hostage.
It was a good thing she was just a normal huntress in training.
"Can you call for help if I distract them?" she asked the blonde.
"What?" the blonde gave her an incredulous look.
Without waiting for a response, she drew her baby, Crescent Rose. The sound it made drew the attention of the villainous…villains. Yeah.
"Damn, it's a huntress!" one of them exclaimed.
"So? There's only one of her," the redheaded man replied airily, "Go on and earn your pay."
The men briefly hesitated before they all charged at her.
Sadly, a thug with a weapon was rarely a match for a huntress, even one in training. It didn't take long for her to dispatch the initial wave.
The redheaded man sighed and dropped his magazine. "You were all worth every cent. Truly."
He picked up one of the suitcases and left the store.
Ruby finished off the last men in suits and pursed the redhead out into the streets. She saw the blonde following her for some reason.
She would've told him to hide, but she quickly noticed the redhead pointing his cane at her.
Ruby's eyes widened as the redheaded man fired a laser beam from his cane at her, something that would've made her squeal with excitement if it hadn't been aimed at her.
She couldn't dodge it. If she did, the man behind her ran the risk of being hurt. It was a hunter's duty to defend those who could not do so.
She shut her eyes and held Crescent Rose out to meet the beam.
She heard a large cracking sound but felt no pain, no strain on her arms.
Ruby tentatively opened her eyes and saw what seemed like a wall of concrete before her. She blinked.
The wall was still there, having absorbed the attack meant for her.
She blinked again. It almost seemed as though the road before her had somehow risen up to intercept the attack.
"Man, I'm glad that worked." A voice coming from behind her made her jump up, startled.
She looked back and saw the blonde man from before holding his hand out.
"You alright?" he asked her.
"Y-yeah." She replied.
"Good," the man nodded at some approaching men in red, "because it seems they've got more men."
She raised Crescent Rose. "Was that you?" she asked, motioning at the wall.
The man smiled and nodded once more. "Yeah. Goons now, questions later." He then turned towards one of the villainous villai-goons. Towards one of the goons and put his hand out. What she could only describe as a gust of wind flew from his hand at the goon, sending him flying away.
Was it dust? She shook her head. There would be time for questions later.
She charged another of the…goons and made swift work of him, disarming him and knocking him away. It didn't take long for her to take down 3 more of them, which is when she noticed a problem.
"He's getting away!" she exclaimed, having noticed the red haired man trying to escape the moment she'd teamed up with the blonde man and had taken down the rest of the…goons.
The blonde man grimaced and once more held his hand out. To her surprise, a ball of fire manifested above his outstretched hand.
He glared at the goons. "I'll only warn you once. Leave or burn." The fire intensified, crackling and distorting the view around it from the intense heat it gave off.
Silence descended upon them for a few seconds.
"S-screw this, man! We ain't getting paid enough for this crap!" one of them yelled before running away.
"Yeah, screw this!" and the rest of them began to flee as well.
The blonde let out a sigh of relief. "Smart goons. Thank gods."
That was so cool! A little frightening, yeah, but so cool!
"How did you do that?" she asked him.
"Questions later, head goon now." He pointed at the fleeing man.
She gasped as she remembered their situation. But he was too far away! Even with her semblance, she'd have a hard time catching up!
The man grimaced. "If I speed you up, do you think you'd be able to catch up to him?" he didn't look particularly hopeful.
But with her semblance?
"Y-yeah." She nodded.
He blinked, surprised. "Really? Huh." He then smiled again, "Alright then. On my mark, go get him. I'll catch up as soon as I can."
She nodded again and glared at the back of the fleeing man.
"Viento, atended mi llamado!" the man exclaimed in a language she could not understand. She suddenly felt as though the wind was right behind her, howling, pushing her forward.
"Go!" The man yelled.
She didn't need to be told twice. She ran.
Even with her semblance, she'd never moved so fast. The wind behind her howled and roared as she flew towards her target.
This was insane. This was a speed that normal humans had not been meant to achieve.
It was positively exhilarating.
She actually ended up catching up to the man before he reached a set of ladders going up a building. The moment she stopped running, the wind seemed to disperse, taking with it the heady feeling of freedom.
Still, she had other things to focus on.
"Stop!" she yelled at him.
He actually did, startled. "W-what? How?" he demanded.
She didn't know herself. But that didn't matter right now. "You're…you're under arrest!"
That was the heroes would say, right?
"By whose authority?" the man challenged.
Uhhh…Wasn't the villain supposed to stop or put up some last ditch effort? Why was he tripping her up with that question?!
"Go back home and forget this happened, girlie. Better for everyone involved that way."
"I can't do that!" she replied indignantly, "You tried to rob a store!"
"Oh well, can't say I didn't try." The man shook his head.
That was all the warning she got before the cane was swung at her. She barely managed to dodge it. She tried to counter attack, only to find that the man had taken advantage of her disorientation, to aim his cane at her.
'Oh.'
She raised her precious baby to deflect as much of the beam as she could, but it still sent her back. When the beam had finally dispersed, she looked up to see the man climbing up the stairs.
"H-hey! Get back here!" she began to climb after him.
When she reached the top, she saw the man running into a bullhead. "Hey!"
Normally, she never would've tried something like this, but the previous feeling that having the wind propel her forward emboldened her.
She charged after him and leapt up as the bullhead began to gain elevation.
"Stay down, Red!" the man yelled and threw a red crustal at her. In the air, with no way of dodging it, she instinctively swung Crescent Rose at it.
A mistake.
The crystal exploded, sending her flying back down. She cried out as suddenly found herself about to fall from the height of a very, very tall building.
Yeah, she probably hadn't thought this through.
"Viento!" a familiar voice called out.
And suddenly, a gust of wind pushed back towards the rooftop she'd leapt from.
"H-huh? What?" she was alive? She looked down at herself. There was a bit of soot here and there, but she wasn't a Ruby pancake! "I'm alive!"
Still, that explosion had hurt!
"Y-yeah, you are." She turned around to see the blonde man from before.
"Are you alright?" she asked, suddenly noticing the haggard look on his face and his rapid breathing.
The man nodded, "S-sorry, j-just feeling a bit spent," he took a deep breath, "I've spent too much mana…" he uttered under his breath.
'Mana?' she wondered.
"And stay down, brats!" Aww crap, she'd forgotten about the bullhead! She looked up to see another crystal come down at them. Her eyes widened, as did the blonde man's.
Which is when another blonde appeared, a female this time, and a purple circle appeared before her, blocking the explosion.
Seriously, what was it with her and blondes? Not that she was complaining, but this had to be a little bit strange, right?
The blonde woman tried to take down the bullhead, but another woman began to fire back from said bullhead. Neither seemed capable of breaking through each other's defense, however, although Ruby had to admit, the exchange of attacks was amazing!
All she could was watch, shocked, as the two women continued to trade attacks, even using the debris around them as projectiles.
In spite of the blonde woman's best efforts, however, the bullhead managed to escape after the blonde woman was forced to save both Ruby and the blonde man from the escaping opponent's attack.
The blonde woman glared up at the bullhead and Ruby drew Crescent Rose and mechashifted it into sniper mode, drawing an impressed whistle from the blonde man. She aimed at the enemy and fired a few rounds, only to have the bullets easily blocked by her.
It didn't take long for the bullhead to fly off after that.
Silence descended upon them until Ruby realized something very, very important.
"You're a huntress…" She murmured. After having witnessed the blonde woman's fight, her movement, her use of dust, and that spear she'd formed, she was at least 95% sure of it.
The blonde woman's cold gaze turned towards her.
Ruby wasn't daunted. "Can I have your autograph?!"
"Hey, hey, not asking for mine?" a voice interrupted her. She turned around and saw the blonde man walking towards them with an easy smile. "Hey."
"Are you a hunter too?!" that made sense, what with all the tricks the man had pulled out. How cool was today?! She'd gotten to meet two hunters who weren't lame dads or drunken uncles!
He shook his head. "Nope, sorry. I'm a wizard."
A…wizard?
The man reached into his coat and pulled out a business card, which he held out to her. "My name is Jaune D'arc, pleased to make your acquaintance."
She accepted the card. "Jaune D'arc, Wizard. Magical solutions, consultations and investigations?" she read out loud.
Jaune smiled and nodded. "That's right. Feel free to give me a call if you ever need something. My services aren't free, but they're pretty affordable!"
"Ehem!" the sudden sound of an angry woman clearing her throat interrupted them both.
"Where are my manners?" Jaune asked as he drew another card, which he held out to the blonde woman, "Like I said, my name is Jaune D'arc."
The woman looked at the card incredulously, then at him, then back at the card and then back at him. Her expression hardened.
"Do you think this is a joke, young man?" her glare could have frozen hell itself.
Both Ruby and Jaune suddenly found themselves standing ramrod straight.
"N-no, ma'am." Jaune stammered out.
"Do you have any idea how much trouble you two have caused?" she demanded, "I'll need you both to come with me."
Sometime later…
She'd had no idea what was going to happen to her. But this?
This was amazing! She'd been invited to Beacon Academy!
As she exited the station with the blonde woman and the headmaster, she saw Jaune by the entrance, apparently getting ready to leave as well. He accepted his coat from an officer who also handed him a watch, a wallet and a stack of cards before promptly leaving.
"Jaune!" she exclaimed.
The self-proclaimed wizard looked up from putting his coat back on and smiled when he saw her. "Hey." He nodded at her.
She ran towards him. "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"
He smiled once more. "I'm fine, I'm fine. How about you?"
Her returning smile was positively blinding. "I'm amazing!"
His eyebrow rose. "Oh?"
"I got invited to Beacon Academy! I'm going to be a huntress!" she exclaimed excitedly. The fact that she would have to leave the familiar faces in Signal Academy hadn't yet registered on her.
"Good on you." Jaune replied. It might've been her imagination, but his smile seemed to have become strained.
"What about you? Did you get invited too?" Oh, that'd be so cool! She'd have someone else she knew! Even better, it was someone that wasn't related to her!
Jaune shook his head. "Nope."
She blinked. Huh? But why? Then why had she been invited? Had he done something wrong? Had she done something wrong?
"It couldn't be helped. Jaune has never attended a hunter school of any sort." The headmaster's voice suddenly broke in.
"That is correct. I checked through his records myself." The blonde woman added, analyzing the self-proclaimed wizard.
Jaune's smile became crooked. "Nothing unusual there. I'm just plain Jaune D'arc."
"A little too plain." The blonde woman replied, her eyes narrowing.
Ruby suddenly began to feel nervous, though she didn't know why.
"Where did you learn how to use dust like that, young man?" the headmaster asked Jaune.
"No dust. All me." Jaune replied airily.
The headmaster glanced at the blonde woman, who grudgingly nodded. "It's true. He had nothing on him save for his wallet and some…business cards when he was brought in."
The headmaster's eyebrows rose. "Oh?"
Jaune once again gave them a crooked smile. "I don't believe we've properly introduced ourselves," he gave a slight bow, "My name is Jaune D'arc, wizard." Jaune then seemingly pulled out another one of those cards of his from out of nowhere and offered it to the headmaster.
Unlike the blonde woman, he accepted it and read it. "Interesting…" he looked at Jaune, "In any case, I am Headmaster of Beacon Academy. Please call me Ozpin."
"Will do, chief," Jaune smiled his crooked smile again, "Well then, if that is all, I do have other matters to attend to." he turned around to leave.
He was leaving already? But Ruby needed someone to talk to about this! And what if they never met again?! He was the closest thing to a friend she had here!
"Wait a second! Where do you think you're going?" the blonde woman demanded.
Jaune stopped and briefly looked back. "Oh, see you around, Ruby. Feel free to contact me whenever you need." And he resumed his exit.
Score! That made them friends, right?
The blonde woman seethed, but the headmaster put a hand over her shoulder. "It's fine, Glynda. D'arc seems like quite the young entrepreneur. I'm sure he has places to be."
"But sir-" Glynda began before stopping once the headmaster gave Ruby a subtle look, "-I see. Very well, I shall drop the matter for now."
"Well then, tonight has been quite eventful. I believe it would be best for us to retire for now," he nodded at Ruby, "I wish you the best of luck, Miss Rose, and I hope to see you in Beacon." The headmaster told her.
"T-thank you! I'll do my best!" Ruby replied earnestly.
"See that you do." Glynda replied before they both left.
Beacon Academy
There is a terrible curse placed that has been placed upon my family. A curse so malicious that only the most courageous dare speak of it. Yes, a curse that has haunted every Arc to ever walk the face of this planet.
My stomach gurgles.
Gah! Must…contain…urge…to puke.
Motion sickness is a curse, I tell you, a curse! And in spite of my efforts, I once more succumb to its haunting call and rush towards the first trash can I find and unload the contents of my stomach into it.
I can vaguely hear sounds of disgust and the like from the other passengers, A.K.A, my future peers.
Oh, goddamn it, I'm never going to live this down, am I? I swear to god, if these people give me a nickname too…
Like Vomit Girl. Seriously? At least make it funny and/or creative!
Sigh.
On the bright side, we were about to land.
I felt a surge of excitement within me. Finally, Beacon Academy. In spite of what my stomach is currently doing to me, I feel myself smile. This was going to be a new start, a chance not only to live up to the Arc legacy, but to fulfill his dream as well.
I couldn't wait.
Beacon was beautiful, I realized. The courtyard itself was amazing. I check my watch.
10 minutes until orientation.
I smile to myself and keep walking around. This would be a nice place for a picnic or a barbeque. I see students walking around, chatting about classes and the like.
I could get used to this.
Which is when I hear the explosion.
I immediately crouch low and draw Crocea Mors, the Arc family blade that has been passed down since as far back as our family's history goes. I look around, trying to find the source of the explosion.
What I saw was…not what I was expecting.
"Unbelievable!" a girl in white exclaims, "This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!"
A smaller girl in red gives her an apologetic look. "I'm really, really sorry!"
I sheathe my blade and rub my temples. This is definitely not what I was expecting. I briefly wonder whether I should keep watching this train wreck or resume my leisurely walk when I notice another girl walk towards aforementioned wreck.
"…it's heiress, actually," she corrects the smaller girl in red, "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."
Oh, holy crap. The girl in white is the Weiss Schnee?!
I knew Beacon was prestigious, but what was someone like her doing here? Was she escaping a scandal? Family feuds? Inheritance issues?
I was so busy thinking of possible reasons for the Schnee heiress being here that I barely managed to make out the girl in red being abandoned by everyone involved in this mess. She collapsed to the floor.
"Ugh…welcome to Beacon…" she sighs.
Arc hospitality won't let me do anything else but help her. Besides, she reminds me too much of some my younger sisters that I can't resist the urge to go help her out.
I walk towards her and offer her my hand. "Hey," I try to smile reassuringly, "You alright there?"
She blinks, confused, before taking my hand. I helped her up.
"Have we…met before?" she asks me.
I pause. "Umm…no, I don't think so." I reply hesitantly. I think I would've remembered meeting someone like her.
She looks troubled for a few seconds. "I swear, you look like…" she mumbles under breath, barely audible enough for me to catch that.
Ah. I think she's heard of the Arc family before, or at the very least my father.
"My name's Jeanne Arc," I hold out my hand again, this time as a handshake, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."
The girl once more freezes. "…Arc?"
Yup. Definitely knows about the Arc family.
She looks at me. "Do you…do you recognize the name D'arc?" she asks me.
What?
"What?" I ask right back, still holding my hand out.
The girl shakes her head and takes my hand. "Sorry, I was thinking about someone else I met," we shake hands, "My name is Ruby Rose."
She then pauses. "Wait…aren't you Vomit Girl?"
Oh look, I can feel my eye twitch. "Vomit…Girl?"
"I'm sorry!" she cries out, "It's just the first thing that came to mind!"
I'm going to burn something. Or someone. "Can we…can we not?" I plead.
She nods nervously. "Sorry!" she says again.
I sigh. "It's alright."
I've been called worse, after all. Hey, wait a minute. That…doesn't make me feel better!
An awkward silence descends upon us.
"Umm…" Ruby reached towards her back, "So I've got this thing."
And she shows me an overgrown farming tool. By which I mean a scythe. A badass looking red scythe.
"That is actually amazing." I stare at it.
She smiles proudly. "It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!"
That…is also actually amazing. I say as much to an inordinately proud looking Ruby. She looks like a mother showing off her child.
"So what've you got?" she asks me.
Nothing as impressive as that? I do think my weapons are more practical, however and I'll fight anyone who disagrees on that.
"Crocea Mors," I declare proudly as I draw my blade, "It's a family legacy. This thing has been around for as long as my family has existed!"
"Oooh!" Ruby leans in closer to examine it.
I think she and I might get along.
I can't resist the urge to show off a little more. "And the sheathe turns into a shield too." I demonstrate.
"That is amazing. I think people just don't appreciate the classics anymore." Ruby declares.
Yeah, definitely getting along with her.
"Your scythe's pretty awesome too." I comment.
"Crescent Rose." She says.
"Huh?"
"Her name is Crescent Rose. I designed her myself!" Ruby admits with a sheepish grin.
"You did?" My eyes widen, "That's amazing! You must be some sort of genius!"
She blushes. "N-no! I'm just…" she looks down at her feet, "…kind of a dork when it comes to weapons."
Why is she so adorable?! I already have 2 younger sisters, I can't be unfaithful to them!
I smile and place my hand on her shoulder. "That's cool." My big sister instincts kick in.
Damn it! Catherine, Madeline, I swear I'm not going to adopt this one, give it a home, food, and- what the hell is wrong with me?
"R-really?" Ruby asks hopefully.
"Yeah!" I reply with a grin, "Much better than obsessing over boys, fashion and all that other stuff!"
Bleh, I really dislike that stuff. Why can't I focus on more important things, like X-ray and Vav?
"Yeah!" Ruby declares happily.
See? She gets it.
And…why do I feel like I'm forgetting something important?
"Hey, Ruby?"
"Yeah?" she replies.
"Are we forgetting something?" I ask her.
"Uhh…"
We both stand there, thinking about things when it suddenly hits me.
"Orientation!" we both cry out at the same time, "We're going to be late!"
"Ruby!" I hear a voice call out and see a blonde call out, "Over here! I saved you a spot."
"Oh!" Ruby looks at me, "Hey…do you…do youwanttocomewithus?" she says something that sounds vaguely like a question.
"What?" I am now confused.
Ruby takes a deep breath. "Do you want to come with us?"
Oh geez…I don't want to be the third wheel or anything…
"Please? I want to introduce you to my sister." She pleads with those wide, innocent eyes of hers.
That's her…sister? What? But how the…adoption?
That aside, I steel my resolve. I don't want to intrude, much less on family. Furthermore, I really don't to make things awkward with Ruby and her sister, so I should really stay awa-
Why am I in front of the blonde girl who is supposedly Ruby's sister?
"Yang! This is Jeanne!" Ruby smiles tentatively.
Damn you, puppy dog eyes!
Yang's eyes widen. "You already made a friend? Color me impressed, sister of mine."
"Hey!" Ruby pouts.
I chuckle. "I like to think she has," I hold out my hand, "My name is Jeanne Arc."
Ruby shoots me a pleased smile.
"Yang Xiao Long," she takes my hand, "I'm Ruby's older sister!"
Xiao Long? Isn't Ruby's last name Rose? Also, older? What?
Yang must've noticed my confusion because she grins. "Technically, we're half-sisters…complicated family situation."
Ah.
I decide to change the subject. "Wait, older?" I look at Ruby, "How old are you?"
"Ah…about that," Ruby hesitates, "I'm actually 15."
"And you're here?" I whistle, impressed, "Damn, you must be amazing!"
"See?" Yang looks at her sister, "I told you that that was impressive!"
"I don't want to be impressive! I just want to be me!" Ruby declares.
Yang and I look at each other and roll our eyes.
"Ruby, there is not-" I begin, only to be interrupted.
"You!" a new voice suddenly interrupts our conversation. Weiss Schnee walks towards us, her expression exasperated.
Rude much?
Ruby somehow leaps into her sister's arms. "Oh god, it's happening again!"
"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!" Weiss declares angrily.
Yang looks down at her sister flatly. "You actually exploded?"
"Yeah, she did." I nod.
Ruby glares at me. "It was an accident!"
Weiss's expression doesn't change as she hands Ruby a pamphlet. "Look, do you want to make things up to me?"
Schnee Dust Company disclaimer policy? Why is she even carrying that around?
Ruby nods. "Yeah!"
"Read that and never talk to me again." Weiss replies.
Harsh.
"Look, uh, it sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you start over and try to be friends, okay?" Yang bravely tries to smooth things out.
"Great idea!" Ruby exclaims before looking at the heiress, "Hello, Weiss! I'm Ruby! And this," she gestures at me, "Is Jeanne!"
Umm…hello? I can introduce myself, y'know?
I give Weiss a lazy wave. She doesn't look impressed.
"Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies!" Ruby finishes hopefully.
"Oh yeah, then we can paint our nails, try on clothes together and stuff!" Weiss replies with faked cheer.
I'm glad that's sarcasm because if I had to actually do that I'd stab myself.
"Really?" A hopeful Ruby asks.
Both Yang and I sigh. Oh, Ruby.
"No." Weiss replies flatly.
"Look, Weiss?" I call out to the heiress.
"What?" she asks imperiously. Sheesh, I'm really not liking this one.
"We should try to avoid causing problems for now." She gives me an indignant look and is about to reply when I gesture at the podium.
"Ahem." The headmaster clearing his throat rings out through the auditorium through the loudspeakers.
Weiss immediately stands still and focuses her attention on the headmaster.
After what was possibly the most uninspiring speech I've ever heard, the headmaster leaves, leaving us potential students here on the auditorium, which seems like a bad idea, but hey, what do I know?
After a huff, Weiss leaves probably to get ready to sleep.
I yawn, exhausted from today's shenanigans. "Well, I'm going to get ready too. See you all tomorrow?" I ask the sisters.
"Oh, definitely," Yang declares with an easy going smile, "Sleep tight!"
"Good night." Ruby chimes in.
"And to you." I nod before heading off to get my sleeping bag.
So initiation tomorrow, huh? I wonder how that'll play out. I just hope I get partnered to someone I can get along with, like Ruby or Yang.
Sleep is god's gift to the world. A holy activity that we must all engage in to show our faith. Alarms, are, on the other hand, an unholy abomination that should be ignored when at all possible.
Morning, why must you be so quick to arrive?
I get up groggily and make my way to the lockers.
"636…636…" Sleep deprivation is a thing. 8 hours a night is too short…
I pass by someone in white and a redhead that seems familiar but I can't quite identify while on my quest.
In a daze, I walk between the 2 of them and reach for the locker.
"Hey!" the girl in white gives me an indignant look, "We're talking here!"
"Mwut?" I hear myself say. I really need some coffee.
"Wait…you again?" the same girl in white points an accusing finger at me.
"Mwe?"
Do I know her?
The redhead giggles. "Nice to meet you."
I turn my back to the heiress to look at her. "…Likewise." I mumble tiredly. I tried to hold my yawn in and fail miserably.
On the bright side, I can feel myself waking up.
"Why you…" The girl in white seethes, "Do you even know who you're talking to?"
I swear they both look familiar. "Uhhh…"
"She's Pyrrha Nikos!" the girl in white declares.
"…and I'm sleepy. Who are you again?"
"W-wha-!" the girl in white seems at a loss, "We met yesterday!"
I snap my fingers, "Ah, you're..." I yawn again, "…sorry, I'm really sleepy."
"Weiss Schnee!" She declares angrily.
Ah, I remember now. "Oh, right. Nice to meet you," I then look at the redhead, "I'm Jeanne Arc." I hold out my hand.
"Pyrrha Nikos." She takes it, looking oddly pleased for some reason.
I swear she looks familiar.
"Have you given thought to who you'd like on your team?" Pyrrha asks me.
I shrug. "No idea. Just want someone I can get along with."
Pyrrha smiles at that. Weird.
'Hey!" Weiss interrupts us.
"Yeah?" I turn around again. Okay, this is getting ridiculous. I should just step back so I can face them both.
"Do you even know who Pyrrha is?" Weiss demands.
"Sure I do," I gesture at Pyrrha, "We just met."
"W-what…" Weiss looks like she's about to have a meltdown, "A-are you stupid or something?!" she demands.
Wow. Rude much?
"Okay, I'm leaving now," I declare, now fully awake, "You're annoying."
"Why you…." Weiss growls.
I take my things out of the locker. "Good luck, Pyrrha."
Pyrrha smiles. "And to you as well."
"Weiss…" I pause, "Okay, I got nothing. See ya around."
I leave the speechless heiress behind and leave, only to run into a laughing Yang.
"I think she was about to pop a vein or something!" she declares between chortles.
"Wouldn't be surprised if her pressure is really, really high. She really needs to try yoga or something." I reply.
"You're not a morning person, huh?" Ruby asks me with a smile.
I sigh. "Mornings are my greatest weakness."
"All applicants, please make your way to the cliffs for Initiation." The loudspeakers come to life.
"Well, let's go, Jeanne." Ruby leads us to the cliffs.
Okay, I don't know whose idea this was, but the whole eye contact thing seems like a really silly way to partner up.
Then again, it's not as silly as…Oh, I don't know, LAUNCHING STUDENTS INTO A GRIMM FILLED FOREST WITH NO PARACHUTES!
Grimm I can handle. Gravity? Not so much.
In fact, this is a little known fact, but Arcs are not meant to be in the sky.
Okay, take a deep breath, Jeanne. There has to be something you can do. Grow wings and fly down? Okay, that one's probably a bust. Discover that my semblance has the hidden side effect of allowing me to control gravity? Doubtful. Flap my arms hard enough? No, what am I thinking, my life isn't a Dukes of Hazard movie.
Maybe if I concentrated hard enough I could teleport.
…
Why are my ideas so bad?
I begin to wonder if I can use the shield of Crocea Mors as a parachute. I decide that won't work, but at the very least, I can use it to slam into a tree and not be flattened into a pancake and slide down.
Just as I was about to draw my shield, a freakin' spear flew my way, piercing through my jacket and impaling itself into a nearby tree. With me dangling on it like some sort of twisted piñata.
Okay. What.
I don't know what company made my jacket, but I gotta give it to them. They're effing durable as all hell. Like, wow. I'm surprised it can support my body weight this well. I feel like I should take it as a compliment.
"Thank you." I tell my jacket.
The jerk doesn't reply.
Also, how hard did I hit that tree, because damn it, I'm talking to my jacket!
The worst part is that I'm actually disappointed that it didn't talk back.
The sound of footsteps makes me look down at the clearing I'm in. Weiss walks in and sees me dangling from the tree.
Hoo boy.
I give her a winning smile. "Could you help me down? Please?"
Her eyes widen and she suddenly gives me a victorious smirk before leaving.
"H-hey, you can't just leave me here!" I wail.
"The teachers are watching, you'll be safe!" she calls out as she steps away.
Touché.
Still, this can't possibly look good. I wonder how they'll grade us.
I dangle there for what seems like an eternity when I hear more footsteps. I once more look towards the source and see Pyrrha.
More importantly, I see that she's weaponless.
I smile, relieved. "I take this spear's yours?"
She smiles back. "I see you've found my spear."
For some reason, I find that hilarious and start laughing.
She laughs with me even as she begins to help me down, somehow pulling spear out of that tree and my jacket.
"Found a partner yet?" I ask her after my laughter subsides.
"Just did."
"Perfect."
So…why am I leader again? I mean don't get me wrong, it's awesome that we got through initiation and that my team, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie seem like cool people, but why am I the leader?!
I was reasonably confident in my fighting ability, but Ren seemed like a better choice. And hell, Pyrrha was a way better fighter!
From what I've seen, I'm grateful Nora's not the leader, but this still seems like a relatively bad idea…
I sigh but decide to make the best of the cards I've been dealt.
"Alright, Team JNPR, assemble!" I order imperiously, although I suspect it came across as more of a weeny than an inspiring leader.
I'm usually not good for anything during mornings, but this is my first day as an official student! Get pumped!
"Whoo! Our first team meeting!" Nora declares excitedly.
Pyrrha smiles while Ren just rolls his eyes good naturedly.
"We have our first class in 15 minutes and I for one do NOT want to be late! So get ready and let's show the world how kickass our team is!"
"Yeah!" Nora cheers.
Pyrrha chuckles and even Ren seems amused.
"Well then, let's reconvene once we're ready." Pyrrha says amusedly.
"C'mon, let's go, Nora." Ren tells his partner.
My first act as team leader and it goes well. I think it's a sign of good things to come. At the very least, I have it better than poor Ruby, who got partnered with Weiss. Don't get me wrong, she's really skilled from what I've seen, but man, is Ruby going to have her hands full with her. At least she has Yang to help her out.
Speaking of which, "Hey guys?" I ask my team as we're about to enter our very own first class, "Do any of you mind if I invite team RWBY to come with us?"
I like Ruby and Yang, I think Blake is interesting and I'm relatively sure that I can get used to Weiss.
Probably.
"Go for it."
"No problems here, boss!"
"I don't see why not."
Sweet!
As I approach team RWBY's room, I hear yelling and screaming from within.
I pause. "Umm…think they're having a bad day?"
"They don't seem to be having a good day at the very least." Ren points out.
I wince and knock on the door.
After a few thuds and what sounds like falling objects, the door opens to reveal an exasperated looking Weiss.
"What?" she demands.
Rude much?
"Just wondering if you girls would like to join us. Class starts in…" I check my watch, "…5 minutes after all."
Her eyes widen. "What?!" she turns to her team, "Class starts in 5 minutes!"
"What?!" I hear Ruby's voice, "But Yang hasn't even changed yet!"
I pause. "I…uhhh…I think we'll go on ahead first."
Weiss sighs and nods. "Understandable," she glances at me, "Thank you for informing us."
Wow, umm…not rude much?
"We'll head out first then." Pyrrha says.
We begin heading towards the classroom. "We'll try to save you a spot!" Nora exclaims.
So Grimm studies. This is going to be great.
I take it back, this isn't great.
Professor Port won't. Stop. Talking.
I can't believe I got hyped over this…
"So who amongst you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" the professor's booming voice asks.
Huh? What?
"I do!" Weiss raises her hand.
What'd I miss?
"Very good! Step forward and face your opponent!" The professor booms as Weiss walks into an arena.
Again, what?
Well that was interesting.
I briefly wondered whether it was possible to make bacon out of boarbatusks if we could somehow keep grimm from disappearing.
I don't think anyone would eat that though.
Along with my team, we walk towards the library to start working on our homework in spite of Nora's complaints. It was probably better to finish it early so we could focus on other things later on.
"What was the weak point of the Behemoth again?" I ask.
"They're big and cumbersome, which limits their mobility." Ren answers.
"Thanks."
"For question number 16, did you mark D as your answer?" Pyrrha asks.
"I got C." I reply.
"No, I believe that Pyrrha's correct, D fits better in this case." Ren chimes in.
"Gotcha."
"Ooh, this Grimm is adorable! Do you think we could tame one?" Nora points at the picture of Manticore, a highly dangerous type of grimm.
That's…adorable?
"I…don't think that's a good idea." Pyrrha replies hesitantly.
"That's definitely a no." Ren adds.
Nora pouts. "You guys are no fun."
I chuckle. I…actually like my team. Like a lot.
"You guys hear about the 3rd year student?" we suddenly hear some of the older students sitting on another table talking amongst themselves.
"Yeah. He just had a heart attack all of a sudden and isn't waking up."
Huh. Eavesdropping is actually fun. Now I know why my older sister Marissa does it all the time.
"What do you think that's about?" Pyrrha asks.
"Not sure." I reply.
"Isn't that the same thing that happened to Biff?" another student asks.
"Yeah, and Regina too, come to think of it." One of the other students replies.
Ren's brows furrow. "Do you think something's happening here?"
"That's so creepy…Scut had a heart attack too and was taken to a hospital for further treatment."
Definitely something strange. "I'm starting to think there is indeed something unusual happening here." I reply.
"Do you think it might be a Chupacabra?" Nora asks seriously.
A chupa-what now?
"Nora, we've discussed this before." Ren replied with a sigh.
Nora huffs and pointedly looks away. "Chupacabras are real!"
"Either way, why don't we focus on our work for now?" Pyrrha says, bringing us back to our dreadful task.
"Good idea."
The whole students fainting and not waking up thing was creepy, but we didn't hear anything else after that so we put it out of our minds.
There were more important things to focus on, such as breakfast.
Beacon's cafeteria is god and I am the hierophant.
"Good morning." I say as Team RWBY sits down next to us.
They all reply before the animated chatting between our teams begins. I gotta say, I had my doubts about Weiss, but she's really mellowed out these past weeks.
On the whole, excluding Port's classes, Oobleck's homework and Goodwitch's scary glares, I was really liking Beacon so far.
Now if only I could finally land more than 3 consecutive hits on my partner when we sparred…
"Ow ow ow! Please stop!" we all stop when he hear a female voice whimper.
"See? I told you they were real!" Cardin, one of our classmates (much to our distaste) states as he pulls on a faunus student's bunny ears, "What a freak!"
His henchmen, sorry, team mates laugh with him.
"What an ass." Yang declares.
Agreed.
"Crass, but true." Weiss nods.
Even Weiss agrees!
"Honestly, it's shameful how faunus are treated in our society." Blake sighs.
Given what I'd read and heard about working conditions for faunus, I found it hard to disagree.
"Why aren't the teachers doing anything?" Ruby looks at the sad scene with disgust.
"Look around. Cardin may be a…okay, is a jerk, but he's not completely stupid." Ren motioned around the cafeteria.
Not a single teacher in sight.
"Should we do something?" Nora asks while cracking her knuckles.
"No," Blake replies, "We'll just make it worse. This is something she has to deal with on her own."
I glare at her. That is a statement I disagree with. "And why is that?" I ask.
"Because it will happen again and again. We won't always be there to help her." Blake answers while poking her food.
"We're here now and we can stop this," I gesture at Cardin, "Shouldn't we at least try?"
Suddenly, the only one here is Blake.
"She's a huntress, if she can't deal with this then she chose the wrong career."
"You…" my glare intensifies.
"Jeanne," Pyrrha puts her hand on my shoulder, "maybe we should stop discussing this for now."
It's then that I notice I've been clenching and unclenching my fists and the worried looks on everyone else here.
But what Blake was saying…
I feel a sharp pang in my chest.
…that was the complete opposite of what my brother would've wanted. He wanted to be a hero. Someone that could and would help anyone who needed help.
I give the black haired girl one last glare. "You chose the wrong career, not her," my gaze sweeps across the people seated on this table, "If I see that happen again, I don't care what any of you think, I WILL put a stop to it."
The fact that I'm not as good as my partner is doesn't bother me. So what if I can't beat an entire team by myself? So what if I know I can't fight team CRDNL like my partner can?
Things like that…
I would do my damndest to stop them.
"Pyrrha Nikos, Team CRDL please step forward." Professor Goodwitch calls out.
I love this class now. Watching my partner consistently trounce team CRDL is highly therapeutic for me.
"Show them no mercy." I tell my partner.
She gives me smile that leans towards the vicious side. "Will do."
"Break their legs!" I don't even need to tell you who said that, do I?
Ren simply nods at her, although I can also see the beginnings of a smirk on his face.
Even Team RWBY, who'd been avoiding us since my little spat with Blake, looked pleased.
The fight didn't disappoint, with Pyrrha easily ripping Team CRDL a metaphorical new one. I saw them moaning in pain when the match ended.
Heh. Serves them right.
Still, seeing my partner fight every time is an eye opener. I need to do better. I need to be a hero that everyone can rely on.
For his sake if nothing else.
"That was awesome!" Nora cheers as we sit down for lunch.
"Agreed," I nod, "The way you used Russell as a shield? Masterful, really." I do wonder how practical that would be in a real fight.
Would a fat person make a better shield? Or does it not matter as long as they have Aura?
Pyrrha blushes, "It's nothing, really."
Ren chuckles.
"Not the ears!" a voice cries out.
I don't even need to look up to know what's happening. A few tables across, I see Team RWBY tense when I get up, hand on Crocea Mors's hilt.
"It seems losing that badly had made them angry." Ren comments.
To my surprise, he's also up, weapons at the ready. In fact, all my team members are up.
"Guys?" I ask.
"You're our leader, leader! We're not about let you go in alone!" Nora tells me.
I look at them, shocked.
"Your call, leader." Ren adds.
"I could use the exercise." Pyrrha chimes in.
I love my team.
"Let's go kick their as-" I begin only to stop as Cardin suddenly freezes.
"Uhrk!" he clutches away at his chest as if in great pain. His team mates cry out in shock as he begins to cough.
"What's happening?" I hear some students ask.
Cardin managed to get a scream of pain out before falling over, like a marionette having its strings cut.
"Someone get a teacher!" another voice calls out.
"What just happened?" I ask, shocked.
"…as all of you know, Cardin Winchester has had a sudden heart attack and is being treated in the infirmary."
All of us first years were in the auditorium again, an assembly having been called after the events this afternoon.
Headmaster Ozpin's gaze sweeps across the room, looking at all of us. "I am aware that there have been rumors floating around about similar occurrences."
"Hey, isn't that what those 2nd years were talking about in the library?" I ask quietly.
"Most likely." Ren nods, staring at the headmaster with unnerving focus.
"And I will confirm that yes, they are true." the headmaster continues.
Students begin to nervously talk to each other, causing a minor uproar.
"Silence!" Goodwitch's voice silences all.
"Thank you," the headmaster nods at her, "Fortunately, there have been no fatalities and all those affected are receiving the best treatment available. Rest assured, this is not normal and we will discover the cause before further incidents can happen."
Shocked silence.
So they didn't even know what was causing it? Could it be an allergic reaction? Something from the cafeteria? Some issue with the AC?
"Dismissed."
And so ended the assembly.
"What do you think the cause is?" Pyrrha asks once we arrive at our room.
"The headmaster did say the cause was as of yet unknown…" I murmur.
This was actually unnerving. What kind of school had I applied to?
"It could be a number of things," Ren replied, "But they should figure it out soon. Hopefully."
That's not very reassuring at all!
"I'm telling you, it's a Chupacabra!" Nora declares.
"Nora, no." Ren replies with practiced patience.
She stomps her foot angrily. "No, think about it! If it were an allergic reaction to something, they probably would've found it already!"
"Maybe they were all different allergies so finding a common cause is difficult?" Pyrrha suggests.
Ren nods at her. "Good point."
Nora shakes her head. "Even if it were an allergic reaction, we all had to submit medical records during inscription. The faculty would know what we're allergic to and treat us accordingly, and yet, no one has woken up yet!"
That…was also a good point.
Pyrrha and I stare at Nora, shocked.
Ren nods. "I see your point. Maybe some other environmental issue?"
"There would be way more cases then." Nora sticks her tongue out at him.
…Also a good point.
"Maybe extreme Aura usage combined with stress?" I suggest.
Nora shakes her head, "Nuh-uh, doesn't make sense. No reason for extreme Aura usage!"
"Random heart attacks caused by the fact that Beacon is located high up on what some could argue is a mountain?" Pyrrha throws in.
"On healthy young people who have trained to be hunters all their lives?" Nora fires back.
Well damn. It might actually be a Chupa…a Chupawhatsit.
"Ren, what are the chances it'sa Chupawhatsit?" I ask a pensive Ren.
"It's Chupacabra! Ca-bra!" Nora chimes in.
Ren shakes his head. "Chupacabras aren't real. Besides, even if they were, their myth states they mostly attack cattle."
What?
But then…what was going on?
A few days passed and we soon discovered that given enough time, humans could adapt to anything.
No more CRDL tormenting the faunus girl, although I couldn't help but wonder whether Cardin would wake up soon or not.
Jerk that he was, he didn't deserve that.
"So combat class." I comment.
"Yup," Nora replies as we walk towards Goodwitch's class, "I wonder if I'll get a chance this time!"
Pyrrha and I chuckle.
"I'm sure you'll get your chance." Pyrrha reassures her.
"Just don't go overboard this time." Ren begs.
"Oh, Renny, when have I ever gone overboard?" Nora asks innocently.
We all share a laugh at that one.
"I just hope I don't get called in today," I add, "I'm exhausted from that essay we had to write."
"You mean the one we had a week to write?" Ren asked.
I nod sheepishly. "In my defense, they're starting an X-ray and Vav series in Metflix and I just HAD to watch it."
Pyrrha shakes her head with an amused smile. "I'm sure you did."
We laugh again.
Which is when it happened. My partner's eyes widened and she suddenly gasped.
"Pyrrha?"
She ignores me and clutches her chest.
There was no way. This couldn't be happening.
"Pyrrha!" I scream as my partner lets out blood curdling scream.
"I'll get help!" Ren dashes off.
Pyrrha sputters and coughs, desperately clawing at her chest even as I stand there, shocked and unsure as to what to do.
Her green eyes meet mine, and I can see the desperation, the plea for help.
Why? WHY?!
I am vaguely aware of someone shaking me. Then I feel a stinging sensation on my cheek.
"Snap out of it!" Nora shakes me, "She needs help! You're the leader, do something!"
Right. After the Cardin incident, I'd looked up heart attacks and what to do.
"Nora, help me make sure she's half-seated!" I order, "Bend her knees!"
I reach out and make sure her head and shoulders are supported. Then I undo the first buttons on her shirt, to loosen strain on the heart.
"Where's Ren?" I demand angrily as my partner's eyes roll back.
No. This wasn't happening.
"Stay with me, Pyrrha," I whisper, "Stay with me!"
"She's here!" I hear Ren's voice, directing Professor Goodwitch towards us.
"Stay back!" she orders before using her telekinesis to gently lift my partner, "Go on ahead to the infirmary and have them get ready! Go!"
I reluctantly let go and dash towards the infirmary, my team mates following me closely.
Damn it! DAMN IT ALL!
There was a knocking on our door.
I force myself to get up so I can open it. When I do, I'm met with Team RWBY.
"What?" I ask coldly.
"W-we heard about Pyrrha." Ruby stammers.
"You did, huh? So what? What do you want?" I ask, my tone unchanging.
Ruby flinched.
"We come in peace," Yang holds her hands out in a placating manner, her expression serious, "I know we've had our disagreements bu-"
"But what?!" My voice rises, "You avoid us for weeks and now you pretend you care?!"
"Jeanne, please…" Ruby's voice quivers.
My anger dissipates somewhat and I sigh. "What do you want?" I ask again, a little calmer this time.
"Believe it or not, we actually like Pyrrha," Weiss replies, "and by extension, you guys."
Wow. Thanks.
"What she means is that in spite of our spat, we're truly sorry." Blake adds, her eyes focused directly upon me.
I meet her gaze unflinchingly.
Then I sigh. "Come in."
They do so, filling our room with even more color, something that does not suit my mood right now.
"Before anything," Ruby hesitantly looks at me, "I want to say I'm sorry. You're still my first and best friend here."
I sigh again. "I consider you my best friend too. And I'm sorry as well."
"And no we're all friends again," Yang smiles, "Finally."
"Good. Now we can put this behind us and focus on more important matters." Weiss says.
"What do you mean?" Ren asks, his voice sharp.
"Don't you guys think this is strange?" Blake answers with a question.
I feel my anger surge once more. My partner is in the infirmary, of course this is strange!
"With all the rumors, we decided to some research." Yang explained.
Our eyes narrow.
"Proceed." Ren nods.
"Well for one, we discovered that these incidents began 5 months ago." Weiss began.
"Which coincidentally, was also when one of the students committed suicide." Blake explained further, "Which as you can imagine, caused a huge scandal. Ever since then, there have been strange incidents happening here."
"Some students told us that sometimes they'd get cold. Like frosty breath cold." Ruby continues.
"And electrical disturbances. In a facility with its own backup generators." Yang added.
I'm…actually impressed. They really did their research. But this is all irrelevant as far as I'm concerned.
"What of it?" I ask.
"Ruby here insists it's some sort of monster," Yang rolled her eyes, causing Ruby to pout, "But we believe it's deliberate sabotage."
"By people associated with the student that committed suicide?" Nora asks.
"Precisely." Weiss nods.
"Think about it, how else could these things happen? Certain substances will cause a state that resembles death." Blake chimes in.
"Which explains why they're not waking up." I nod.
"Yeah. All these saboteurs would have to do is keep injecting the substance when the victims aren't being watched." Yang tells us.
"Interesting theory. But what about that one student that got transferred to a hospital?" Ren asked.
"We've thought about that too," Blake replies, looking surprised that we have some info as well, "And we've come to the conclusion that the family or some other external agent might be doing it."
"This all sounds incredibly convoluted." Ren states.
'That's what I said!" Ruby exclaims, "It's a monster I tell you, a monster!"
Yeah, right. A Chupawhatsit, right?
"Ruby, monsters aren't real." Yang explains, like a parent telling their child that contrary to popular belief, the Tooth Fairy isn't real.
"If magic is real then monsters can be real too!" Ruby looks inordinately proud of her argument.
"Ruby, magic isn't real either." Yang explains once more, in that same tone of voice.
Ruby glares at her and pulls what looks like a business card. "It is too! I met a wizard!"
"What is that?" Nora asks, gesturing at the card.
"Ruby got into an incident before Beacon and she met a creep who gave her that." Yang informed us.
"He wasn't a creep!" Ruby denies, "He was a wizard and he helped me out! Let's give him a call and ask for his opinion on this!"
The rest of Team RWBY sighs, with long-suffering looks on their faces.
Nora takes the card the Ruby so proudly held out and reads it out loud, "Jaune D'arc."
I freeze.
"…Wizard. Magical solutions, consultations and investigations".
The names were so similar.
"See? He does consultations AND investigations!" Ruby exclaims excitedly.
"Really sis?" Yang smiled and shook her head, "You wanna hire a whacko?"
Ruby glared at her older sister. "Hey! He was the real deal!"
I snatch the card from Nora's hands. She yelps at my quick movement, but I ignore her in favor of the card.
'Jaune D'arc.'
"Was he wearing a pointy hat?" Nora didn't so much as ask as she did demand. She let out a disappointed noise when Ruby shook her head.
J-Jaune? Could it…could it be him? But he…he had died…
Hadn't he?
Weiss rolled his eyes. "And how, pray tell, could you tell he was the real deal?"
"Because he conjured fire and wind and stuff!" Ruby pouted as her own partner expressed her disbelief, "He didn't use dust either!" Weiss gave her the most skeptical look I'd ever seen a human being make. Ruby glared at her before looking at Blake hopefully.
The black haired girl sighed and shook her head.
We had never identified the body though…
Ruby stomped her foot and pointedly looked away, causing Yang to let out a squeal and tackled her hapless sister.
"Let me go!" Ruby shrieked as she flailed in the air, being held up against her will by an overexcited older sister, "I swear he was real! There was fire and-"
"My little Rubaby!" Yang spun around, still holding a now disoriented Ruby.
"Y-Yang!" Ruby squealed in dismay, "L-let me go!"
"He was probably a dust user of sorts." Ren pointed out.
…but then again, none of the bodies had never been properly identified. The fire had destroyed everything in that building. The people had been no exception.
Weiss nodded. "That seems like a more likely explanation."
"I a-already said h-he d-didn't have any d-dust!" Ruby cried out as she continued to be spun around, "Yaaaaang!"
"Jeanne! You haven't said anything!" Nora suddenly pointed out, "What do you think?"
That startled me, drawing me back into the conversation and out of my thoughts.
I swallowed. "Ruby…"
Yang released her beleaguered sister, who looked up at me. "Y-yeah?"
"Was he blonde?"
Ruby nodded. "Hey, yeah! How'd you know that? Have you met him before?"
But that was…was he really…
I ignored her question. I wanted to…I had to know. "Did he have blue eyes?" My voice sounded strangely hoarse.
Ruby nodded again, now looking slightly concerned. On the periphery of my vision I dimly noticed that the room had gone silent and everyone was now watching me.
I didn't care.
"He actually reminds me of you," she admits, "That's why I asked if you knew anyone by the name D'arc."
I remember that. Our first meeting. And that pretty much sealed it in my mind. This was Jaune. This was my brother.
It had to be.
"I think we should give him a shot."
Even if it was only so that I could meet him.
A.N.:
Different take on the whole Wizard Jaune. My apologies if it got a little dark at times. I drew heavily from Constantine as per usual and a bit of Harry Dresden. Finally finished reading Changes and my god, those books are amazing! I can't believe I almost gave up on them! In my defense though, the series really started to improve after Grave Peril.
Now about the story itself:
Long chapter is long. Might be hard to read in one go, for which I apologize. I won't be able to write anytime soon, so I decided to toss in a long chapter. Yes, I know, I'm playing with fire by making my OC Jeanne, the main character. Also, NO incest planned, so please don't request that.
I tried to make her different from Jaune while keeping some of his essential Jaune-ness but I'm not sure I succeeded.
Jaune himself didn't make a large appearance in this…
But he would, in a hypothetical part 2 that I might write if I ever get the time for it.
For those of you who came wondering about then the next chapter of Arc (Working title)
I'd say I have about 45% completed.
It's just…truth be told, after nearly 2 years of not being able to keep writing it, and losing most of my rough drafts and ideas after my brother decided to format my laptop while I was gone, I'm starting to lose interest.
Honestly, I kind of want to rewrite it with some changes. Mostly grammatical ones lol.