"YEEHAW"
The sound of trees being uprooted and massive footsteps was what finally rocked Blake and Yang out of their intense staring contest with Jaune's torso. The prospective hunters had barely looked up before a massive Ursa came bounding out of the forest, knocking aside trees like blades of grass. It was a testament to the difference in their training that the three huntresses were in their combat stances before he was even able to bring up Crocea Mors to face the massive bear Grimm. The creature reared up but instead of the ear splitting roar he was expecting, emitted a pathetic whine before falling flat on its chest to reveal a petite ginger girl in a pink and white dress. The girl seemed genuinely upset as she disembarked the Ursa – and wasn't that something he never expected to see – before exclaiming in a tone one usually reserves for dear pets and not seven foot tall creatures of darkness.
"Aww, it broke."
"NORA"
There was another feminine shout from behind her, and the look on the ginger's face couldn't help but remind him of a sheepish toddler caught with their hand in the cookie jar. The Grimm matador was instantly back at her partners side as the two moved out of the forest to come before the rest of them. Apparently unable to wait any longer the rambunctious girl once again raced forward to stand in their faces before introducing her partner and herself.
"Hi there! I'm Nora Valkyrie and this here's Lie Rin! And –"
Jaune wondered what would happen if the girl stood still for much longer. He didn't think forces of nature such as her were supposed to stand still with their mouths open. Her unfortunate partner reached them winded and panting, bending down to take a much needed breath. The exhausted girl was wearing a green tailcoat with her black hair tied back into a ponytail and her black mane interrupted by a small lock of pink hair. Jaune's attention was forced back towards the ginger girl who was now practically breathing on top of him. When she spoke next, he was certain that he could actually feel his aura protecting him from her verbal lashing.
"What are you doing here mister? You shouldn't be anywhere near the emerald forest if you have no aura. Wait, you are a boy right? I mean I totally don't mind if you like dressing up as a boy. I mean even I feel like doing it when I see all the pockets they have. What is it with the pockets we get being like barely an inch deep? Sometimes I think I should wear guy pants so I can carry more grenades. Oooh and I could even have more room for sloth food. I was just talking to Rin ab-"
"Nora, I don't think that's a girl" the rather demure girl spoke, stopping the zestful destructive chipmunk in its tracks. Sweeping a critical eye over the rest of the girls around him, Jaune saw her spot the temple ruins and sigh in relief.
"Well at least we're almost done with initiation. We can just take the relics, group up and escort, umm-? "
Rin looked at him questioningly, and Jaune realized with a start she was asking his name.
"Oh, hi there. Name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, and the ladies love it."
There was absolute silence around him, every single one of the girls looking at him with expressions varying from amusement to embarrassment. Jaune couldn't help but think his father may have left something out when imparting his advice of 'all you need is confidence'. But then again, he had managed to snag the most celebrated huntress of her generation; maybe Jaune was just doing something wrong? The hush was blown away by the blonde stepping forwards, her hands cocking the massive bracelets she wore which Jaune assumed was her weapon with a flourish. Jaune only had time enough to watch her aim at his feet before he was on the ground yelping. His hands were furiously massaging his feet that stung like he had kicked the corner of a table purposely ten times. He looked up to see the black haired girl, Rin standing over him and facing Yang while Nora was on her knees besides him.
Rin spoke, and Jaune was startled to find no trace of the mild and taciturn girl from before.
"Stay back. What is wrong with you?!"
Yang answered distractedly, barely appreciating the threat in front of her.
"So it is true..."
It wasn't until Rin brandished her weapons that Yang looked up to finally see Rin looking at her with malice in her eyes if she stepped closer and realized why the situation was so tense all of a sudden.
"He has aura", before Rin could scoff in disbelief, Yang pushed on "I've never shot at someone without aura before, but I've watched enough movies to know there would at least be some blood on the sand if he didn't have it."
Nora was staring at his foot, her countenance laced with a mixture of surprise and bewilderment.
"Rin, Rin, RIN! She's right. He's not bleeding."
The quiet girl chanced her eyes off Yang to look back at him, her brows furrowed as she inspected his foot. Crouching down she ran her hand through the grass, feeling for the crimson ichor she was expecting. When her fingers didn't come out red or wet, she clenched Nora's wrists to pull the both of them up before staring at his sitting form.
"Explain".
Jaune tried moving his toes, expecting another flare of agony only to be met with a numb discomfort. Right, aura. He stood up, dusting his pants leg off while checking his bottom for any grass or dirt. He looked up to find five very interested – and beautiful – young women looking at him questioningly. He wasn't very suave by any means, and would have blushed hard enough to burst a blood vessel when faced with the interest of so many gorgeous young women. But at the moment all he felt was a growing unease. Unease at the way Rin was regarding him coolly, Blake looking at him suspiciously, and Nora looking at him, happily? At least Yang only seemed mildly interested; looking at him only curiously with a carefree smile on her visage. But it was Pyrrha's gentle smile and overall supporting demeanor that lent him the courage to begin speaking.
"It was abou-"
"AAAH"
"OH COME ON" Yang threw down her hands. Her manner changed instantly from frustration to panic when she saw the red blur racing to the ground.
"Ruby! Hold on!"
With a curl, her bracelets extended and she fired a burst from both of them before leaping; the recoil from the shotgun-esque weapon greatly enhancing her speed and range.
It wasn't enough however, and as Jaune watched her rocket into the treeline he was tempted to close his eyes. The green of the foreboding forest drowned red as they lost sight of her, only for all of them to simultaneously duck upon seeing a massive crimson bullet fire towards them. When they got back up, the ground looked like it had been plowed; a large ridge appearing and ending with a massive scythe sticking out from one end with a proud Ruby Rose on top.
Before any greetings could be exchanged a shrill, yet still regal voice called out from the sky.
"HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME"
Jaune looked up to see the white clad girl he had seen berating Ruby hanging from the claw of a massive screeching Nevermore a few hundred feet in the sky. With a shrill cry the Nevermore twitched its talons, managing to dislodge the snowy parasite. Jaune moved without thinking, lining up below the falling girl with his arms outstretched. Alright, don't lock the knees and keep your arms firm. After that it's just a matter of-
"Oof" he croaked as he was unceremoniously shoved out of the way. His eyes wandered back to his position just in time to see Ruby and Weiss fall flat on their backs, the older girl too large for the reaper to catch cleanly. The two of them get up with groans, but before Weiss could unleash her fury on her treacherous partner the smaller girl rounded on him.
"Jaune! What do you think you're doing?! You could have died if she had fallen on you!"
The white girl's eyes narrowed into slits, and her voice was cold enough to chill fire.
"Are you saying I'm fat, Ruby Rose?"
The red reaper looked back with surprise.
"What? No, n-no! Weiss, he's a guy! That's why I pushed him out of the way, or else he'd have been hurt."
The heiress' retort died in her throat, as she looked at him. Before Weiss could begin her own line of questioning Yang was besides him.
"Enough! He has aura, see."
And with that she shot his other foot. As his eyes watered from the pain he couldn't help but think on what had he done to be so popular with women? Holding in his whimpers, he inspected his agonized foot with Ruby and Weiss looking down at his – apparently, though only Jaune knew the truth – uninjured limb with shock. Any further questions were shelved as a rumble that he had pushed to the back of his mind grew ever more prominent before he could clearly hear trees being uprooted in the forest. He was wondering where his massive death scorpion friend had wandered off to. The deathstalker roared a greeting Jaune could only return with a shrill – and very manly – yell. As the giant nevermore that had dropped Weiss circled around and squawked its own terrifying challenge, Jaune couldn't help but wonder if his semblance was being a punching bag for the greatest cosmic asshole that ever existed.
Ozpin didn't think she had ever met a larger collection of narcissists, sycophants, and general human waste. But she knew this wasn't even the entirety of the Vale media circuit. All of the big players were here; she hadn't been a part of a press conference since her ascension to headmaster. Professor Ozpin calling a press conference was a once in a career event, and anyone who was anyone had managed to bully and shove their way into the front row seats. Yet she couldn't help the mild shock she felt from behind the curtain upon seeing the gaggle of professionals gossiping worse than some of her students. Jaune looked through the gap in the curtains before sliding back into the darkness and closing his eyes. Ozpin tried to imagine what she might have felt in the boy's place. The uncertainty, the weight of the expectations that came with being male, not to mention the weight of the pressures from being Violetta's son; it was near unimaginable for her, and wasn't that a surprise.
"Mister Arc. You passed your initiation splendidly; your place at Beacon is not in question."
"I mostly just told the rest what to do. I thought, I thought I was ready for this, but I don't think I am headmistress."
"Why do you feel that?"
"I was afraid. While Ruby was leading from the front I mostly just dodged and told Pyrrha Rin and Nora what to do."
Ozpin looked into the dejected boy's sapphire orbs for a few seconds before she spoke again.
"Do you know what the path to becoming a huntress entails?"
"Huh? Yeah, I guess. Seven huntress sisters remember?"
"I know that, but I doubt they told you what they have to go through". Ozpin adjusted her glasses before continuing, the boy's attention focused on her.
"In the preparatory academies, the day starts at dawn. The distance varies across academies, but huntresses begin the day by running anywhere from three to five miles at full speed. Following which is their daily 'physical education' but is actually a way for their instructors to vent their frustrations at having to wake so early. The day is interlaced with classes and exercise that puts anything you've done till now to absolute, shattering shame."
Jaune was looking down; his shoulders slumped as his breathing became slow.
"Which is why I was so impressed when I saw how proficiently you were able to face the ursa. My surprise was magnified when I saw your adaptiveness – no offense – in fighting the deathstalker. You had met Miss Nikos, Valkyrie and Rin for barely five minutes, and yet you knew how best to utilize their unique talent sets. No, Mister Arc. If anyone passed the initiation with flying colors, it was you and Miss Rose. Now, I know my words won't really be very impactful."
Jaune looked up instantly to refute her but she held up a hand before continuing.
"If only imparting confidence was as easy as telling someone they were good" Ozpin stared into nothing with a wistful look; remembering mistakes and lost opportunities before she smiled at the boy again.
"Now, I am going to step out there to introduce you. You won't really have to speak at all, only to stand there while I tell them about your situation."
Jaune visibly relaxed, if only slightly.
"Thank God, I thought I'd have to speak. But, um pro-, headmistress? How will you prove to them that I have aura?"
Ozpin could see the tension returning to his frame before she smiled and responded, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Nothing as drastic as shooting at you, worry not. Now then. I'm going to step out, and I would much prefer not to be embarrassed in my first press conference. It may not look like it, but I am somewhat nervous."
Violetta hated reporters. The months after she had announced her premature retirement were filled with paparazzi hounding her and Anthony's steps. Some of the vultures had even tried to dig into his past, and had used his history of arrests at protests to try to paint him as some sort of hoodlum. Whether it was for profit from controversy or on the orders of some higher power was never revealed. But it had led her down a very dark path that only Anthony's support had helped her overcome.
The brush with the abyss of her own morality had been enough for her to take precautions so that she never faced the same horrifyingly satisfying temptations again. She was wearing a wig with comically oversized glasses and wearing a demure overcoat as she sat in the back. Most of the vultures of her time were still there, but she brushed them off with much practiced ease. Today was the day the world met her son. Anthony squeezed her leg in comfort, and she released her arms she didn't realize she had been holding taut. He was there as much for her as for Jaune; insults to her person she had ease with ignoring, but she didn't trust herself in the least when the same applied to her children. Ozpin stepped out from behind the curtain, and the room quieted down; the reporters waiting for the reclusive headmistress to begin.
"I am here today to share with the world a profound discovery. One that may upend the entirety of our understanding of aura and its place in our lives."
There were a few murmurs when she paused for effect, but her technique had worked. They were hooked.
"Imagine if you will, a child of barely sixteen years. The child was on a trip to one of the forests on the borders of our kingdom with Atlas, considering themselves as safe as you feel right now. They had one of the best huntresses to ever live besides them, after all. Now, I apologize, but imagine a Beowulf appearing in front of you, with none of your protectors near you."
Violetta's hands clenched. Jaune had told her he had jogged away from them to try to think in peace. He had told her it wasn't her fault that she wasn't near him. But he wasn't a parent.
"The Beowulf gored the adolescent viciously, but was killed by another huntress who happened to be nearby. The huntress saw the child near death and in a desperate move, unlocked their aura."
The silence this time was not one of interest but of confusion and derision. It was common for people that had been injured gravely to have their auras unlocked at the final hour.
"Now, I want you to hold your questions until I ask for them."
Ozpin gestured through the hole in the curtains, and Violetta's heart skipped a beat when she saw the familiar blonde mop of hair she loved so much stepped out.
"Instead of just any girl, I want you to imagine this boy in that very position."
There was silence in the room, before a woman near the front inhaled loudly.
"He has aura?"
Those three words were all it took to break the dam, and Violetta felt her hand twitch towards her non-existent sword. The questions merged together, like a massive wave of pointed questions and inquiries hoping to make their way through the dam that was Ozpin's impassive demeanor. She spoke then, her mic volume loud enough to drown out even the most vocal of the questioners.
"This is Jaune Arc. As of a year ago, he has had his aura unlocked, and has been training under the tutelage of one of my own trusted huntresses. Mister Arc took part in the Beacon academy initiation exam yesterday, and passed with flying colors. Subsequently, he will be studying at Beacon for the next four years."
"How do we know he has aura?" one of the journalists managed to sneak in during a lull in Ozpin's speech.
Ozpin smiled and held out a hand for Jaune to grasp. Violetta saw her son gingerly place his palm in Ozpin's before the headmistress closed her eyes. Almost immediately, there was a white, nearly blinding glow that covered the entirety of his body. It lasted for merely a few seconds before Ozpin let go, leaving Jaune somewhat dazed.
"Now, I believe Mister Arc's role in this conference is over. I also remember specifically asking you all to wait for me to ask for questions. Since you failed something children learn so early in their lives, I'm afraid I must end this press conference here. Thank you for coming."
The indignant squawks were music to Violetta's ears and she couldn't help the schadenfreude she felt. Some of the reporters stayed to yell questions at the curtains after Ozpin and Jaune left, but the rest quickly moved out; no doubt eager to record their bit for the breaking news that would no doubt be already broadcasting around the world.
Usually, students moved to their dorm almost instantly after their teams were formed. Yet the rest of the students had been told they were to spend another night in the great hall before their teams were announced. Jaune wondered if it was because of him, then felt the urge to slap himself. Hard. He was following Miss Goodwitch through the corridors, and he suppressed the urge to return to Ozpin's office to thank her for not making him speak. He had gained a newfound appreciation for what fear meant when he had stood facing dozens of reporters that looked like they wanted to do nothing more than feed him their mics. His steps wavered a bit as he realized they weren't heading to the small apartment he had spent the night in.
"Miss Goodwitch, I just wanted to ask. Where are we, heading, exactly?"
The woman didn't look back to respond, her voice as stern as he had ever heard her.
"We are heading to the great hall where you will spend the night."
"Right, right. I see. So are the rest of the first years already in rooms, or…"
"They are not."
"Ah, okay. So the thing I wanted to ask is-"
"You will be sleeping in the great hall tonight Mister Arc. With the rest of the first year students."
Jaune squeezed his eyes shut, but didn't dare stop walking. He had had an inkling something was off as soon as they had veered off course from his room, but he hadn't expected it to be that bad. He swallowed the lump in his throat, and opened his eyes to tell Miss Goodwitch he didn't really need to sleep anyway before the woman stopped abruptly in front of him.
"There will be free bedrolls on the floor, since many of the students did not pass initiation. Do not worry, they didn't die. Now, I should remind you that you are going to be in a room with a large number of future huntresses who are very much stronger than you. Keep that in mind before making any decisions that are more, base in nature. Your teams will be assigned to you tomorrow, and your luggage has been placed next to one of the bedrolls."
With that she left him, her heels clacking on the marble floors of the hallway. He considered calling out to her, but before he could weigh the pros and cons of simply clinging to her skirt and begging to not be thrown to the lionesses she turned the corner and was gone. Jaune could hear the muted chatter coming from behind the large doors that led to the hall. He wasn't required to sleep, was he? Who was to say he couldn't just stay awake the entire night? The idea was growing increasingly enticing before he felt a hand cover his mouth. He moved to free himself from the grasp but found himself overpowered and on his back on the floor. Groaning, he opened his eyes to see his thrice damned sister standing over him once again.
"You have no idea what you getting aura means for me. Before I couldn't really give you what you deserved when you started being a pest, but now it's so refreshing catching up on lost time".
The blonde girl stared ahead as if in a trance, before Jaune scoffed in disgust and got up.
"I don't have the time, Nat. I need to find a place to spend the night, and a way to get my luggage out of the hall. Actually, would you mind goi-"
"What do you mean find a place to stay the night?" his sister asked with her brows raised.
"I thought Goodwitch told you to sleep in the hall."
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong dear sister. She told me this was where I was supposed to sleep. Not where I had to sleep. I'm just gonna go outside and spend the night-".
His sentence was cut off as Natalie slammed him into the wall. Her eyes were wild, darting everywhere as she moved closer to his ear.
"Jaune, you never, ever disobey Goodwitch. That's the one rule here. You could probably get away with calling Ozpin an uppity bitch with cobwebs in her vagina but if there's one thing that will make you regret being born is disobeying Goodwitch. The woman does not mess around"
Jaune saw his sister's eyes glaze over, and he pushed her off.
"Fine, fine. Sheesh, you'd think I was suggesting I was going to ask her out. Anyway, I guess I'd change into my onesie then. The quicker I get to sleep, the easier it will be for me to forget the pangs of hunger. Haven't had anything since breakfast"
He expected Natalie to acquiesce and bring him something from her room but she surprised him yet again.
"You're wearing. Your onesie?"
"Yeah? I mean you guys were the one who gave it to me didn't you? Why wouldn't I wear it?"
Natalie's face contorted, and he could tell she was extremely conflicted about something he couldn't recognize before finally she huffed.
"You owe me so much for this Jaune. Listen to me. Don't wear the onesie. Just don't. Matter of fact, pull up the hood on your hoodie to hide your face, and run into the bathrooms. Wait, shit. Make sure you knock before entering the changing area. I'd hate to have to pummel a freshman because she beat you up. Now go in there, Goodwitch is on her way back for lights out probably. She finds me with you here and she'll crucify the both of us. And keep it in your pants little brother, I don't want to be called auntie any time soon."
Jaune didn't even blush at her innuendos anymore, so conditioned he had become to his sister's teasing. But he did take her advice when he heard the faint sound of heels on tiled floors. Pulling his hood over his head as low as he was able, he opened the door and looked around for his belongings. The conversation hadn't stopped when he came in, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He made himself as inconspicuous as he could as he rummaged through his bags for his spare pajamas. The changing area seemed deserted when he made his way there, but he knocked anyway and listened. When there was no sound, he walked in and stepped into the nearest stall. In what he was sure was a feat worthy of a world record, he changed out of his pants and armor into his sleepwear before he headed out. He didn't bother changing his hoodie, since he would need the anonymity the hood gave him.
His steps were hurried and panicked as he made his way to his bedroll. It wasn't until he was in the comfortable sleeping bag, with entire roll zipped up that he breathed a sigh of relief. He had made it. No one had recognized him and beaten him black and blue for sneaking into the girl's locker room. Or for being a pervert in general. His treacherous eyes had wandered during his way back, and he had been treated to a view he found extremely welcome. Many of the girls were in various states of undress, some choosing to sleep in their underwear. If there was one thing he could say for certain, it was that all of his fellow first years could moonlight as supermodels. Any further thoughts that were carnal in nature were immediately pulverized when he had remembered Miss Goodwitch's warning, and he had stared resolutely at the floor during his return. Jaune found himself drifting to sleep despite thinking he would be too nervous to. The day had been quite long, and he was prepared to meet tomorrow well rested and fed. That was when he heard his bag being unzipped. He scrambled to keep the bag over himself but it was ripped out of his hands. Jaune opened his eyes a fraction to see a lilac eyes looking back at him, with six other people behind her.
"Hello there vomit boy. Think we need to talk, don't you?"
Hey there. Just wanted to let you know, I've started my second story, Para Bellum as well. You can read it by going to my profile. I'll leave you guys with a short summary, and hopefully you like it. As usual, reviews are much appreciated.
Para Bellum: One Earth military base. Transported to one new world. Will remnant protect it's own or will Earth's children take their pound of flesh?