Three Years Later…
Jaune wandered the streets of Vale in an attempt to clear his head. His mentor Aedan had sent him on a mission to the city but refused to inform him of the why. He only said that he needed to speak with Professor Ozpin at Beacon Academy. Jaune, ever the dutiful knight went along with his mentors wishes and set off towards the capital city. After arriving in the city of Vale Jaune attempted to contact Ozpin, but with no luck. When Jaune tried to contact the headmaster, he was greeted by a tall stone faced blonde woman with emerald green eyes. This frightening individual was none other the Glynda Goodwitch, deputy headmistress to Beacon Academy. The stern woman informed Jaune that Ozpin was preoccupied with something important and that he should come back in a weeks' time.
Hence the reason he now wandered the streets alone. Jaune was dressed in a black zip-up hoodie and jeans. He also wore a pair of black combat boots. Crocea Mors, was attached to the belt at his hip.
As Jaune walked the streets he passed several store fronts until he saw one that caught his eye. The place was called From Dust till Dawn. Something about the store pulled Jaune towards it. Figuring he had nothing better to do he decided to take a look. Upon entering the store, he was met with an old man whose hair had long since abandoned the top of his head, yet still called the spot above his ears home. The man was wrinkled and hunched, his eyes frozen in a nearly closed state as he nodded to the young man who had entered his store. Jaune nodded back and began to peruse the tellers merchandise.
As Jaune looked through the variety of dust the man kept in stock he heard the bell above the door ring. Jaune turned his head slightly to take in the presence of the new comer. There standing at the threshold of the door stood a small girl dressed in black with a flowing crimson cape. She had on a dress, stockings, and combat boots. To Jaune she looked like some gothic Lolita from the shows his sisters watched back home. She had short black hair with red highlights at the tips. But, what caught Jaune's attention most were her silver eyes.
The young woman waved energetically to the older man and said man returned her wave with a small smile and a nod. The bubbly young thing skipped over to a magazine rack where she picked up what looked like a Hunter's Weekly magazine. The cape wearing girl popped on her headphones and started to read her magazine. Jaune turned away and continued to browse the dust section. A few minutes later Jaune heard the ringing on the door once again and turned his head to observe the newcomer.
Instead of a customer however several armed thugs rushed into the building. They were armed with small pistols and each had a machete at their hip. The men then began pointing their weapons and the individuals inside the shop. Once all the thugs were inside another man casually sauntered into the building. Said man was wearing a white trench coat and a bowler's hat. Tuffs of bright orange hair stuck out underneath the hat and he carried a cane but showed no limp in his step.
"It's a pleasure to be here tonight everyone," The orange haired man began to say. "My name is Roman Torchwick, crime lord extraordinaire, and tonight you have the honor of being robbed by yours truly." The now named Roman Torchwick gave a theatrical bow towards the store owner and continued talking. "I don't want to hurt anyone, but if you try and stop me and my men I will make sure it's the last thing you ever do."
With that Roman jerked his head to the side and stepped back out the door to the shop. The thugs then began loading the dust into storage containers. One of the thugs brandished a pistol and stuck it in Jaune's face and forced his back against the wall. Jaune wanted to snap the man's wrist and take out the rest of the criminals but he didn't want the old man to be caught in the crossfire. Another one of the men strode over to the young girl, who was still reading her magazine, and pointed a gun at her head. The crimson caped individual payed him no mind until he nudged her with the barrel of his weapon.
The girl turned and removed her headphones from where they were perched and faced the man behind her. "Keep your hands up girly I don't want to hurt you." The robber said to the young woman.
"Are you robbing me?" She asked in an innocent tone. The man was about to answer until a large red object swung up from underneath him and collided with his jaw. The man shot into the air and collapsed at the feet of his fellow criminals.
Looking down at their unconscious friend they all turned to face the one responsible, but she was gone. In a flurry of rose petals said girl collided with another goon and send him spinning onto the floor. Knowing the time for action was now Jaune moved his hands towards the pistol currently being pointed at his face. With a twisting motion Jaune disarmed the goon and pointed his own pistol at the mans head and fired. A bright flash erupted in front of Jaune's eyes as the man's aura caught the bullet. The force of the round snapped the goons head backwards and knocked him unconscious.
Jaune then leveled the weapon at the head of another man and fired, the same result as before occurring. The thugs torn between engaging the whirlwind of rose petals and a kid holding a gun, they chose the latter. Jaune then hurled the pistol at the closest man's face striking him in between the eyes. Drawing his sword, a split second later began to engage the men coming after him.
Three men stood before Jaune and the rest were busy holding off the red tornado of rose petals. Jaune's leg shot forward in a front kick and caught the man he had thrown the pistol at in the chest sending him tumbling head over ass. The other two men tried swinging red machetes in a downward fashion but their blades were stopped as Jaune caught one of the man's wrists with his free hand. The other thug's blade colliding with Jaune's own. Jaune then pushed both men back and brought his sword horizontally across both men's stomach. He then moved to the left and kicked the closest man in the chest. The kick sent him careening towards the other, the wall behind them stopping their impromptu flight. Before the men could recover however Jaune's hand shot out and grabbed the face of the man he had just kicked and slammed his head into the face of the one behind him. Both men fell to the floor unconscious.
Jaune then turned and dodged the first man's wild swing by stepping backwards, the blade sailing past his face by a couple of inches. The man then tried a sloppy backhanded chop which Jaune easily caught. Jaune then brought the heel of his combat boot crashing down on the side of the man's knee. The man's knee buckled his aura absorbing most of the damage. Jaune then brought the pommel of his sword down on the poor man's temple. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he joined is comrades in a painful unconsciousness. The whole fight lasting no longer than thirty seconds.
As Jaune finished up his three thugs he heard the sound of shattered glass and turned to see the cause. The red caped girl, now standing in the middle of the shop brandishing what looked like a giant scythe, had just thrown one of the men through the shops front window. Said girl then followed the thug outside through the window she had just broken.
Jaune not wanting to be left out of the fun followed her after looking back to make sure the old man was ok. In the middle of the street stood Roman Torchwick, who was clapping his hands in a slow sarcastic fashion.
"You were worth every cent I promise you." Roman said to his unconscious goons.
"Give up," The girl in red shouted. "I don't want to have to hurt you."
Roman simply turned his head up and laughed. "Hurt me? Oh, little red that's adorable." Roman then leveled the end of his cane at the girl and fired an explosive blast at her chest. Jaune, predicting what the man would do put himself in between the explosion and the girl. With his shield raised he took the brunt of the blast and looked to make sure the girl was ok.
The girl had her eye's closed, but upon not feeling the sting of the explosion opened them and stared at her savior. Silver met white blue and the girl blushed and stammered a thank you. Jaune giving her a small smile lowered his shield to reengage the criminal but found him scaling a latter on a nearby building.
Not wasting any time, the two young warriors gave chase. The young woman shot after the ginger criminal in a flurry of rose petals. Jaune simply sprinted after her, bounding up the latter with ease. As the two reached the top of the building they were met, once again with Torchwick smiling down at them.
"It's been fun kiddos it really has, but I'm afraid our little meeting is going to be cut short." The crime boss said nonchalantly.
Ruby leveled her weapon at the man, the scythe from before shifting into some kind of rifle. Just as she did this however a bullhead rose up from the blackness of the streets and hovered behind Roman. With little red momentarily shocked Roman used this opportunity to leap onto the bullhead and wave overdramatically at the two teens.
Before the bullhead departed however it was caught in a green light that held it in place. The pilot gunned the engines, but to no avail. Then from behind the two young warriors walked up a beautiful woman with a long sleeved white button up shirt and a long slim black skirt that started a few inches underneath her breasts. It was Glynda Goodwitch holding up what looked to be a riding crop.
As the Good witch began to modify the crafts flight Roman screamed from inside, "Do something." Just then a woman in a red dress with stepped into view and replace Torchwick as the pilot. The woman's face was obstructed by shadows but her eyes and dress began to glow yellow, the dress doing so in with bright intricate detail. The woman in the dress launched a fireball at the caped girl. Jaune, once again, put himself in front of the danger. He waited for the blast but was shocked when it never came. Raising his eyes above his shield he saw gobs of fire impacting chunks of solid concrete. Glynda had saved him from the blast. The duel between the two women only went on for a few second, but Jaune was momentarily struck by how much power the two possessed. The engagement was brought to an end however when the pyromancer launched a massive ball of fire at the teens once again.
Glynda releasing her hold over the bullhead to conjured a barrier made from aura to protect the two younglings. With her hold of the ship no longer there the bullhead raced off into the night fleeing from the irritated huntress.
Jaune was about to thank the woman for her help but was stopped when he saw the young girl dash towards the huntress before them.
"Ohmygoshyou'reGlyndaGoodwitchitssuchanhonortomeetyou." The energetic girl said, her words bleeding together as to make them barely understandable. "Iwasjustwondering?" The caped crusader then asked after catching her breath. "Can I have your autograph?"
This brought a small lop-sided smile to Jaune's face but it quickly vanished when the huntress turned on the two, her face twisted in anger.
"You two," she began in an angry tone. "Have a lot of explaining to do."
Jaune sat in an interrogation room at the nearest police precinct. His hands weren't cuffed and he wondered why he didn't just get up and leave. No one had been in to see him in almost thirty minutes. Not since Glynda forced him into the room and told him to stay put.
After about what Jaune guessed was another five minutes he stood and made his way for the door. As he reached for the handle the door swung open to reveal a still perturbed Glynda Goodwitch. The two blondes stared at each other for a few seconds before Glynda's face twisted into a scowl.
"And just where do you think you're going young man?" She asked in a harsh tone. Jaune searched the woman's face trying to think of his response. "I was going to find some answers ma'am." Jaune said in a respectful tone, not wanting to piss off the woman who had saved him and the girl from a fireball.
"Well if you would have sat there and waited we would have come to answer your questions." Glynda stated in a matter of fact tone. Irritation played across Jaune's face as he shot back, "I have been waiting in this room for over half an hour. Surely you could have come in and said something."
The two once again stared at each other, neither one backing down. Until a tall man with white hair and brown eyes, wearing a green suit walked up behind the headmistress. Jaune's attention was drawn to the man as he instantly recognized him as Professor Ozpin.
"Sorry to keep you waiting Jaune, I had something I had to attend to." Ozpin said with an easy smile. Jaune accepted the headmaster's words with a nod and moved to sit back behind the table in the interrogation room.
Jaune sat down and Ozpin followed suit. Glynda however hovered in the corner of the room, her eyes never leaving Jaune. Jaune attention however was focused on the man sitting across from him.
"I'm sorry for your wait Mr. Arc," Ozpin began. "I would offer you a cookie, but the girl you came in with seems to have an affinity for them." Jaune simply nodded, signaling for the man to continue.
"As for why you're here I'm afraid I can't speak openly about it right now, people could be listening you see."
"Then what can you tell me?" Jaune asked. Ozpin simply smiled and said, "At this time nothing." Jaune's jaw dropped incredulously. This man had just wasted his time, and for what? Jaune was about to speak but Ozpin beat him to it. "If you seek answers my boy I suggest to come to Beacon tomorrow morning. Simply follow the crowd once you arrive and we'll get you squared away."
Jaune didn't know what to think of all this. Why couldn't the just leave and talk someplace more private? Jaune was about to suggest this, but Ozpin rose from his seat and made for the door. Glynda following close behind, only once did she turn to regard the boy sitting at the table. Then just as quickly as they appeared they were gone. No explanation, no answers, and now Jaune was running through hoops just to learn about his mission. He simply ran his fingers through his blonde hair and cursed Ozpin for being so cryptic.
Jaune then made his own way out of the police station, after grabbing his sword from evidence. He thanks the woman behind the desk for keeping his weapon safe and flashed her an easy smile. The woman smiled back and waved Jaune off. As the boy stepped out of the building his face was caressed by the cool night air. Now having at least an idea of what he was supposed to do Jaune made his way back to his hotel room for a good night's rest.
The bullhead was rather crowded but Jaune found a seat near the back of the aircraft. The teen had donned his combat attire and was waiting patiently for the bullhead to land. Jaune's body was covered in pieces of metal and leather. On his torso was a metal chest plate. The metal was a dark gray with golden trim. A small piece of the armor extended at a forty-five-degree angle on his upper chest to protect his neck from damage. The back of his collar was lined with brown fur.
His left shoulder was clad in a spiked pauldron. The outside of his left arm was covered in overlapping plates of armor that were fastened by straps on the inner part of his arm. Despite being covered in armor however, the plates allowed Jaune as much protection as possible without taking away his mobility. His right arm had no such protection. The only armor he had on his right arm was a gauntlet that reached halfway up his forearm.
Both the boy's legs were protected from the knees down by plate greaves. At his hip rested Crocea Mors, the family heirloom given to him by his father before he left to train with Aedan.
Jaune often thought about the new abilities he had gained since becoming a guardian. The improved strength, speed, and reflexes were nice. But, by far his favorite was that the ritual had somehow gotten rid of his motion sickness. Jaune remembered the first time he found out he no longer at the annoying affliction.
He and Aedan were traveling to a town not far from his home. There they would board a bullhead and head into the mountains of Atlas for the first part of Jaune's training. Upon arriving at the mechanical nightmare, the boy was struck with the realization that he had motion sickness. Aedan having none of Jaune's crap told him it would be ok and pushed him near the craft. Jaune had held his ground however and refused to get onboard. With a sigh Aedan had raised his leg faster than Jaune could track and kneed him in the stomach. All the air exited Jaune's lungs at once. Aedan then brought his hand down on the side of Jaune's neck, cutting off blood flow to his brain for a split second causing Jaune to black out.
Jaune had awoken ten minutes later with a pounding headache and glared at his new mentor. The bastard simply smiled at him and waved. Jaune was about to throw himself at the man until he realized where he was. He was currently on a bullhead, in the air, headed to gods only knew where. In a panic Jaune rushed to one of the bullheads trashcans and held his head over it, waiting for the nausea to take him and empty his breakfast. It never came however and Jaune looked to Aedan to see if he knew anything about what was going on. Instead he found the man laughing at him and motioned Jaune to take a seat next to him.
Jaune did as he was told and moved over towards the bigger man. "Tell me boy," Aedan began to speak in between laughs. "Have you ever known a Grimm to get sick?" Jaune thought about this for a second. Of course not, the Grimm were monsters, inhuman creatures whose only purpose was to kill. In his mind they couldn't be affected by the same things humans were, especially not air sickness.
"But, what does that have to do with me?" Jaune asked confused. Aedan just stared at him, no laughter coming from him any longer. "The ritual boy," Aedan began. "It gives us many abilities connected to the Grimm, all of which you'll learn in time. One of the more useful ones however is the fact that as a guardian you can no longer be affected by sickness like a normal man."
Jaune listened, his full attention on Aedan. "The ritual alters your body making it stronger, faster, more durable. It also takes away any illnesses or weaknesses your body previously had."
Jaune's jaw dropped. This was amazing, but one thing bugged him. "If the ritual is so great why aren't there more people like us?"
Aedan's eyes got far away and he answered sadly, "Jaune the success rate for the ritual I performed on you is less than five percent." Jaune was once again confused. "Five percent? Out of how many people?" Aedan looked him in the eyes and said, "Out of everyone Jaune. Nearly everyone the ritual has been performed on since before the Great War died. Only about five percent survive."
"But, that doesn't mean it'll kill everyone." Jaune said. "There's no way to know if everyone on Remnant would die to the ritual." Aedan looked down at the boy, "Would you risk the lives of everyone on Remnant to find out?" Jaune hadn't thought of that. He lowered his head in shame.
Aedan brought his hand up and rubbed Jaune's head. "You don't have to worry about it Jaune. You and I will be more than enough to see our mission through."
Jaune was snapped out of his daydream when he overheard two-people talking loudly farther up the bullhead. Jaune stood from his seat and moved to look at the two. There standing with a taller blonde girl was the caped scythe wielder from the weapon shop. As Jaune drew closer he could overhear the two talking, something about normal knees. Jaune continued to listen until a tv report about Roman Torchwick captured everyone's attention. The criminal was soon replaced with a hologram of Glynda Goodwitch.
"Who's that?" Asked the buxom blonde.
"My name is Glynda Goodwitch, and I welcome you to Beacon Academy."
"Oh." Said the blonde. After Glynda began talking to the other passengers Jaune tuned her out and made his way back to his seat.
Not long after Glynda's message was delivered the bullhead landed and the ramp dropped letting the would-be students out to their destination. Jaune was one of the last ones out and he watched as little red and the blonde talked for a moment before said blonde disappeared with some of her friends. Jaune almost felt bad for the cape wearing girl but decided it wasn't his problem. Just then he overheard someone yelling from behind him and he turned to see what was going on.
There waving a vial of what looked like fire dust in the air, was a petite woman dressed in a snow-white dress that ended just above her knees. Her eyes were only a touch darker than Jaune's and she wore her hair in an off-kilter pony tail.
Jaune was watching as a small cloud of dust began leaking from the vial. Jaune was about to say something until he saw little red inhale the dust through her nose. Her head lurched back slightly and she let loose a sneeze that ignited the dust and enveloped the two girls in a small fireball.
When the smoke cleared Jaune saw both girls standing there completely fine, except for soot that covered their clothing, and faces.
"You, absolute dolt." The woman in white said to little red as she brushed off the soot from her clothing.
"I'm sorry." The caped girl said as she looked at the girl with puppy dog eyes. "You could have blown us off the cliff, and all you have to say is sorry."
"Look I apologized princess." Little red shot back. "Heiress actually," The voice came from behind Jaune as a woman with flowing black hair and a bow stepped around him and made her way towards the two. "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company one of the largest producers of dust in all of Remnant." The now named Weiss stood with her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. "Finally, some recognition." The girl in black continued however. "The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners."
"How dare you." Weiss snapped back.
Jaune allowed himself a small smile. He had seen firsthand what the SDC was like in his travels with Aedan. To say their labor forces were controversial wasn't doing it justice. Some of the conditions the faunus were forced to work in were downright horrendous.
Weiss, having enough of being labeled the villain turned around and stormed off in the direction of the main hall. Jaune watched her walk away until her was out of sight. He then turned his attention back to the other two girls. Little red was now sitting on her butt looking downtrodden as the girl in black walked away. Jaune was about to follow suit before a voice in the back of his head, which sounded a lot like his mother, told him to help the young girl.
With a sigh Jaune turned back and headed towards the caped huntress. As he got closer he stuck out his hand for her to grab. "Need a hand?" He asked her with a lopsided grin on his face. She looked up to him and smiled. "Thanks," she said. "Aren't you the guy from the weapons shop?" Jaune just laughed and nodded. The two falling into step with one another as they headed towards Beacon.
The two walked in silence for a while before little red began to speak. "So, I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose. What's your name?" Jaune turned to her and smiled. "Jaune, Jaune Arc. It's nice to meet you Ruby. Well, officially anyways."
The two once again fell into silence until Ruby jumped forward. "So, I've got this thing." With a flick of her wrist the metal rectangle on her lower back extended into a massive scythe which punctured the ground with its blade. "Yes, I've seen it." Jaune said chuckling. "Yeah its also a high impact customizable sniper rifle." Ruby finished.
Jaune looked at her, one eyebrow raised as he asked. "It's also a gun?"
"It's also a gun." Ruby said with enthusiasm. "What about you, what kind of weapon do you have?"
Jaune pulled out his sword and flipped it around so he was holding the blade just above the hilt. "Well," he said. "I've got this sword, and a shield that turns into a scabbard so I can carry it easier."
"But doesn't it weigh the same?" Ruby asked. Jaune simply shrugged and replied, "You get used to it."
"Well what does the sword do?" Ruby asked her eyes zeroing in on the blade in Jaune's hands. "It's particularly good at slashing and stabbing." Jaune said jokingly. "Well duh, it's a sword." Ruby said with a laugh. "It doesn't turn into anything?"
"Nope," Jaune said. "Just a regular old sword. It's a family heirloom. Its been in the family for generations."
"Well I think its cool. No one has any appreciation for the classics anymore." Ruby said in a matter-of-fact tone. Jaune just laughed and rubbed her head with his free hand. Once he retracted the appendage from Ruby's head he placed the sword back in it's sheath and the two continued on towards the main hall.
The two teens made their way to the main hall after searching for roughly ten minutes. Somehow, they had ended up in the cafeteria and then the second years dorms of all places. It was a stroke of luck that led them to where the first years were gathered for orientation.
As the two pushed through the crowd Jaune spotted the buxom blonde from before waving in his direction. Jaune nudged Ruby to get her attention and pointed over towards the blonde.
"Oh, that's my sister," Ruby said to Jaune. How they were sisters Jaune had no idea, they didn't even look alike. 'Different mothers maybe? Maybe different fathers? Who's to say.' Jaune thought. "I'll talk to you later Jaune find me after this." Ruby exclaimed as she hurried over towards her sister's side.
Jaune simply gave a small smile and made his way towards the back of the room. Once he found a spot Glynda made her way onto the stage and said, "Can I have your attention please." The tone of her voice making it sound less like a request and more of a demand. As soon as all eyes were fixated on her she stepped to the side and Ozpin took the stage. "Welcome everyone to Beacon Academy." Ozpin began to say. Jaune listened to the headmaster for only a few moments before tuning him out. He wasn't here as a student, he had a mission to complete and he doubted Ozpin would talk about his mission to a bunch of random teenagers.
Once Ozpin was done giving his speech Glynda took control again. "You will be staying in the main hall tonight. Tomorrow we will begin initiation." When she finished speaking the would-be student began to file out of the hall to put their weapons in their designated locker and grab sleeping bags. Jaune however refused to move from his spot, he was going to get answers from Ozpin and now that he was at Beacon it seemed like the right time.
When everyone was out of the room Jaune made his way over to where the two professors were standing. "Alright I'm here Ozpin, can you please tell me what my mission is now?" Jaune asked the headmaster irritation seeping into his voice. "Ah Mr. Arc I was waiting to talk to you but I'm afraid this is an inopportune time."
Anger began to build up inside Jaune. Did the man think this was a game? He had better things to do than be dragged around by some professor. "Well make time professor. Aedan said you had an important mission and I need to hear what it is." Ozpin looked back at the young man with calculating eyes before saying, "Unfortunately Mr. Arc we have a bit of a problem. You see when I sent Aedan the mission I was expecting him to send an experienced guardian, not a child."
Several emotions began to swirl inside Jaune at that moment. The one at the forefront of his mind however was rage. However, Jaune reined in his emotions just like Aedan had taught him and tried speaking to the headmaster again. "Very well then headmaster, what can I do to inspire faith in my abilities?" Ozpin looked to Glynda who shrugged. Adopting a thoughtful gesture, he said, "In fact Mr. Arc an opportunity for you to prove yourself just so happens to be occurring tomorrow. During this time, I would like you to show me your abilities."
"I see," said Jaune. "Alright headmaster I'll participate in your initiation. If only to prove that I'm the man for the job."
"We shall see Mr. Arc, in the meantime speak with Ms. Goodwitch she will inform you of what is required of you tonight and tomorrow." Ozpin said as he began walking towards the door. "I hope you are able to make good on your promise."
And with that the headmaster was gone. Leaving two irritated warriors in the empty hall. Jaune, irritated that he had to prove himself. And Glynda, irritated that she had to put up with all of Ozpin's crap. The two blondes began talking and soon, Jaune walked out of the main hall after thanking Ms. Goodwitch for the information.
Having a few more hours till dark Jaune was able to travel back to Vale and grab his belongings from hotel he was staying at. Once he had landed he made his way to the locker room and stowed away his weapon and armor. After changing into a set of more comfortable clothes he made his way back to the main hall.
Upon entering Jaune looked for an empty place he could lay his bedroll down. He saw a couple places but they were next to a bunch of guys flexing their muscles trying to impress the girls. Jaune, wanting none of that, continued looking until he found a familiar looking girl and headed over her way.
When Jaune neared Ruby he heard what she and her sister were talking about. Apparently Ruby was sending a letter to her friends back in Signal. Her sister then embraced Ruby in a hug and Ruby decked her right across the face. The two began to wrestle with one another before Jaune walked up.
"Excuse me," he said getting the two-girl's attention. "Is that spot over there empty?"
Ruby leapt to her feet to address Jaune. "Of course not. I mean yeah. I mean hey Jaune how's it going?" The girls looked at Jaune in his sleeping clothes, and from what they could see they were impressed. Jaune wore a pair of black shorts and a white shirt. The Arc family emblem on the right shoulder which consisted of two yellow arcs on top of one another. On his left shoulder was the guardian logo, which was a shield with two swords crossed behind it. On the shield was writing but the girls couldn't make out what it said. The white shirt clung to his arms and chest. Ruby and Yang looked at the man in front of them like he was a statute made from marble. Jaune returned the look at the girls but was confused as to what they were looking at. He was about to ask before Ruby's sister busted out laughing.
"Smooth one Rubes," the blonde teased. "This must be the guy you were talking about." The blonde stuck out her hand to shake. "My names Yang Xiao Long, but you can call Yang." Jaune extended his hand and captured hers. "Jaune Arc, it's a pleasure."
Yang gave a toothy grin and said, "Oh, I'll bet it is." As she said this stood up a little straighter maker her assets bounce slightly. "So hot shot, what makes you think you can sleep with us?" Yang asked the smile never leaving her face. Jaune's mouth twisted into a grin as he said, "In all fairness I was trying to sleep with you. I was wondering if I could sleep in that spot next to you."
It was Jaune's turn to gain a wolfish smile as Yang's cheeks became slightly red. "T-That's not what I meant." Yang stammered not used to having someone tease her back. "Well then Yang," Jaune teased. "You really shouldn't have offered. Playing with a man's heart is just cruel."
Jaune watched Yang, her eyes jutting around in every direction looking for a retort to his teasing. She looked about ready to say something until she heard laughter coming from her sister. Ruby was on the floor laughing at her sister's expense. She loved it when Yang's teasing would backfire on her. Soon all three of them began laughing and Jaune apologized for making Yang uncomfortable. Yang simply waved him off telling him she'd get her revenge. Ruby continued laughing a little more before her fun was interrupted by the woman in white from before.
Weiss Schnee barreled towards the three teens. The dress from earlier was missing and in its place was a flowing white nightgown. The off centered pony tail from earlier was also absent. In its place was a flowing mane of snow colored hair that cascaded down the girls back. Jaune thought this girl was quite beautiful. The only thing the marred her perfect face was the deep scowl that only seemed to deepen as she drew nearer.
"You," Weiss began her face slightly red with anger. "Do you have any idea what time it is? People are trying to sleeping." Ruby, not expecting to be yelled at jumped into her sister's arms.
Jaune stepped in front of the heiress' rage and tried to calm her down. "I apologize for the noise," he said raising his hands in a placating manner. "We didn't mean to cause anyone any trouble."
Weiss looked at Jaune, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before looking away and sighing. Looking back at him she inspected Jaune from head to toe before giving a huff of acknowledgement. "Very well," She said crossing her arms over her chest. "Just don't let it happen again."
Seeing as the girl had calmed down Ruby climbed down from her sister and walked over to Weiss. A bashful look on her face appeared before she began talking. "I just wanted to apologize for before, you know with the whole dust thing." Weiss listened before reaching behind her and pulled out a pamphlet from gods only knows where. "The SDC is not responsible for injuries that occur from others ignorance." Weiss recited this statement like it was second nature. "If you really want to apologize read this and never talk to me again."
Forcing the pamphlet into Ruby's hands Weiss began to walk away. In the short time he's known Ruby Jaune couldn't picture her looking so downtrodden. In an attempt to cheer her up he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a smile. "Don't worry about her Ruby," Jaune said getting the girls attention. "I saw what happened at the docks. As much as she blames you, she's just as guilty for the accident if not more so." Ruby's head tilted up slightly as smiled at Jaune for his attempt at making her feel better.
"I've been here for less than a day and I already have negative friends." Ruby said to the two blondes. "There's no such thing as a negative friend Ruby," Yang began saying. "You just made an enemy. But you have Jaune so I think you broke even."
Yang searched the room for a way to make her sister feel better until her eyes landed on a girl with raven black hair reading a book in the corner. "I know what you need," said Yang in a cheery voice. "You just need to try again." Ruby's face paled as she uttered, "Please no." Alas Yang hadn't heard her sister's plea. Yang gripped her sister's hand and dragged her toward the girl with the book. Jaune having nothing better to do followed close behind.
As the three made their way to the girl Jaune noticed a few oddities about her. She wore a black nightgown of some kind, to Jaune it looked Mistrilian but he wasn't sure. She had also isolated herself as much as possible from everyone else. 'Maybe she just likes her space.' Jaune thought. The last thing he noticed was the bow atop her head. Every time the three made a noise on their way to her it twitched slightly. 'Is this girl a Faunus?' Jaune thought. He would have liked a longer amount of time to ponder but his group had arrived at their destination.
"Hey." Yang said to the girl in black. "Hey." She simply responded. "I'm Yang, that's Jaune and this is my sister Ruby." The girl looked at the three before she said. "Aren't you the one that exploded?"
Ruby looked at the girl a forced smile plastered on her face. "Yup, that was me." A silence lingered between the girls for a few seconds before Jaune stepped in. "What's your name?" The girl looked up from her book and stared at him before responding. "Blake, Blake Belladona." Jaune simply nodded. It was very obvious this girl didn't want to talk, unfortunately the sisters wouldn't be deterred.
"I like your bow." Yang said trying to salvage this horrible attempt at conversation. "Thanks." Yang tried again, "That's a nice book." The girl looked at the blonde female with an annoyed stare. "It is and I'll continue to read it as soon as you leave." Yang's shoulders slumped in defeat. She was about to give up until Ruby asked, "What's it about?" Blake looked at Ruby. "Your book," Ruby continued. "What's it about?"
Blake seemed taken aback. She didn't seem to used to talking about literature. "Its about a man with two souls. Both fighting over control of his body." Ruby looked confused and was about to ask more about it when Jaune spoke up from behind them. "I've read that before. It speaks of the duality of human mind."
The two sisters looked back at Jaune like he had spoken a different language. Blake on the other hand motioned for his to continue. "The souls are a person's behavior, so to speak." Jaune started once again. "One soul is how a person should act, their reactions towards society and the rules there in. The other soul is a person's desire. Their need to break away from societies norms and act as individuals. One soul by itself is not enough to make up an individual."
Blake noticed his pause and started to speak. "If you conform to society your whole life you'll never enjoy what makes you unique as a person." Jaune continued on, "But, if you act solely on your desires you're no better than the Grimm. You're lawless, and volatile to those around you. You lack empathy for everyone but yourself."
"Thus, the need for both souls, they balance the individual." Blake finished as she stared at Jaune, a small smile on her face. "I love the fairy tales that Yang used to read me." Ruby said trying to join in on the conversation. "The story of the knight saving the princess and everyone living happily ever after. I wish everyone could be like that."
Blake turned her gaze back to Ruby. "That's a very idealistic way of thinking, unfortunately that's not how the world works." Blake said as her gaze went downwards. "But, that's our job as huntress' right? To make the world a better place." Blake thought about that for a second before her thoughts were interrupted by Yang.
The buxom blonde grabbed her sister in a bearhug and said, "That's so cute Rubes, I'm so proud of you." Ruby responded by drilling her fist into Yang's cheek. Jaune and Blake simply shared a sigh. Jaune looked back to Blake and thanked her for talking to the two. Blake merely shrugged and moved to blow out the candle keeping her reading area illuminated.
Jaune then grabbed the two girls and reminded them that people were trying to sleep. As the two bowed their heads in apology Jaune sent a quick nod over to Weiss who was beginning to get out of her sleeping bag. The last thing he needed was another confrontation between Ruby and Weiss. Especially when he told her he would try to keep them under control.
With another tired sigh Jaune laid out his sleeping bag next to Ruby, which earned him a slight glare from Yang. Knowing what she wanted Jaune slid his sleeping bag over until he got a subtle nod from the blonde. Dodging the bullet that is Yang, Jaune laid his head on his pillow and allowed sleep to overtake him.
Blood, the blood was everywhere. Ripping and tearing until movement ceased. Jaune stood over the bloody broken bodies of the man and woman before him. He inspected the bodies once more taking in his handy work. From underneath the woman Jaune saw a small figure wrapped in her arms. It was a child, a boy, he seemed only a little older than Joan. Jaune tried to stop himself but found he had no control over his body. With a swing of his arms Jaune knocked the woman's body to the side allowing him full access to the boy underneath.
The boy, scared out of his mind, tried to stand and run from Jaune, but he was too quick. In one fell swoop Jaune descended on the boy tearing him to pieces. Jaune tried to close his eyes, to not see the horror he was inflicting on this young man. Alas he could not, his body was not responding to his commands. When it was all over Jaune knew his hands were covered in blood. But, when he looked down at his hands he saw long, black fingers instead of his normal hands. His finger nails were long claws that extended out roughly an inch and a half. Upon closer inspection he found his arms were covered in a black fur that extended all over his body.
Jaune tried to scream but instead a wolf like howl escaped his lips. Hearing his new voice Jaune tried to stop himself but once again found he wasn't in control. A few moments later several other Grimm converged on his position. Taking in the carnage brought about by their comrade. One by one the creatures of Grimm moved closer to Jaune. When they were about five feet away they all stopped and prostrated themselves before him.
Jaune then found himself looking at the creature he once thought was him. The Beowolf standing proud amongst its brethren. The creature then turned around and looked at Jaune with its blood red eyes. Soon every Grimm in attendance was focused on Jaune. When Jaune was about to turn and flee a hand grasped his shoulder.
Jaune froze in place. His mind telling his body to move but the call went ignored. Just then a Jaune felt a hot breath on the back of his neck as someone whispered behind him. "See this boy," The voice was feminine and filled with a mix between lust and hate. "This is what you will become. This is what you are destined to be."
Jaune could feel the woman's mouth grazing his ear as she spoke. "This is your fate. You will see soon enough." With that the woman pulled her lips back from Jaune's ear. When Jaune was able to turn around to look at the woman he had found she disappeared. When he turned back towards the Grimm he found them slinking towards him, hatred in their eyes. All at once they leapt onto Jaune. Teeth meeting flesh, and claws rending muscle from bone. Jaune tried to scream but found himself unable. When he felt he was about to die the Grimm separated. The mass cleared a hole and in walked a lone Beowolf. Jaune recognized the beast as it began to walk closer, it was the same one from the beginning of the dream. When the beast drew within a few feet from Jaune it looked down upon him with curious eyes.
What was this creature feeling? Hatred, pity? Jaune didn't know. Just then the Beowolf seemed to have decided Jaune's fate as it lunged at him. Its jaws opened wide and its teeth clamping down on Jaune's throat.
Jaune snapped awake with a start. His body shooting forward ready to engage an unseen enemy. The knife Jaune hid underneath his pillow was in his hands as he scanned the room from left to right. Taking in his surroundings he realized he was at Beacon Academy in its main hall. He looked to his right and found Ruby and Yang sleeping soundly. Both girls had their bodies tangled with one another. Jaune let out a slight chuckle has he saw Ruby's hand had moved to Yang's face. The hand squishing her face and pushing her mouth to the side.
Jaune decided he wasn't going to get back to sleep and maneuvered himself out of the main hall in search of breakfast. After a few minutes of walking Jaune found what he was looking for. He grabbed a tray and a cup and went about filling his plate with food stuffs. Once he had everything he wanted he looked to find someplace to sit. It wasn't a difficult task considering the cafeteria was almost completely empty, save for a few souls.
Jaune settled on an empty table and began picking at the food on his plate. When he was about halfway done with his eggs he saw a figure closing in out of the corner of his eye. Jaune looked up to see who it was and found Ozpin standing there holding a tray of his own. "Mind if I sit?" The older man asked. "Not at all." Jaune answered back.
"What brings you to our esteemed cafeteria at this early hour? Surely you need your rest for the upcoming trial."
Jaune just looked at the man for a few moments. Wondering how much he should reveal to the man. After a few seconds Jaune saw no harm in informing Ozpin about his dreams. As long as he didn't get into specifics it was fine. "I had a nightmare. Couldn't fall back asleep so here I am."
Ozpin studied Jaune for a second before responding. "How bad has it gotten?" Jaune was taken aback slightly but refused to show it. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Jaune said as he stared at the headmaster.
"If the burden gets too heavy to bare, please come and speak with me." With that Ozpin began eating his food.
The two men finished their food and parted ways never saying another word to one another. As Jaune made his way back to the main hall he saw its occupants beginning to leave. Most of them were heading in the direction of the locker room. Jaune, not having packed up his gear, reentered the hall and found Ruby and Yang in the same position he had left them in.
Smiling to himself he bent down and tried nudging them awake. He began shaking Yang when she responded with a fist aimed directly at his face. Jaune's hand shot up and gripped her fist as her eyes fluttered open. When she saw Jaune holding her fist in his hand she got a sheepish look on her face.
Jaune not wanting Yang to feel sorry for trying to punch him slid his fingers underneath hers. His thumb laying on top of her fingers as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. "It's time to get up Yang, don't want to miss initiation, do we?" Jaune said in a teasing tone.
Yang's face went red and she pulled her hand away from Jaune. In the process of doing this however she smacked Ruby upside the head. The younger girl lurched forward rubbing her cheek and glaring at her older sister. The two began to bicker back and forth as Jaune just stepped back and began to laugh.
"If you two are done messing around we have a test to get ready for. Don't want to be late, do we?" Jaune said with a cocky smile on his face. The sister's eyes went wide as they hurried to pack all their things away and move to the locker room. Jaune followed at a leisurely pace.
The girls had beaten Jaune to the locker room and had already changed when Jaune entered. The two looked at Jaune and began to pepper him with questions.
"What took you so long Jaune?" Ruby asked as she stuck Crescent Rose behind her back. "I had to pack up my things" Jaune replied. "You don't want to be late, do you?" Ruby asked again. Jaune just looked at her and said, "You know we have like half an hour to be at the starting point, right?"
The two girls looked at each other, and then at Jaune. "Why did you tell us we were going to miss initiation then?" Yang asked a little fire in her voice. "When I came back into the main hall you two were the only ones still sleeping" Jaune said. "Alright but why didn't you wake us up when you got up?" Yang shot back.
Jaune thought of the best way to answer this and went with the truth. "I didn't sleep all that well and I woke up before anyone else. Besides you two looked so comfy I didn't want to disturb you."
The two sisters looked at each other and without a word accepted Jaune's words. Ruby however, decided to ask, "Why didn't you sleep well?" Jaune turned his attention towards the young Rose and replied, "Sometimes I get nightmares. It's not that big of a deal. Some nights I just don't get as much sleep as I'd like." Ruby's head cocked to the side like a puppy as she asked, "What are your nightmares about?"
Without missing a beat Jaune said, "To be honest I don't even remember. It had something to do with Grimm but that's about it." The lie came out of Jaune's mouth with practiced ease. He was getting used to the nightmares. Regardless he didn't want to trouble the sisters with his problems.
Ruby just accepted his answer. She had no reason to believe he'd lie to her. Instead she changed the subject. "Well I heard we are getting partners I was wondering if we could be partners Jaune." Ruby asked in such sweet words. Yang however took this opportunity to tease her sister, "Oh, it looks like someone has a crush."
Ruby's face matched her cape as she fired back, "Yang its not like that I don't like him." She then looked at Jaune and said, "Wait, its not that I don't like you it's like I don't like-like you. Aww you know what I mean." When she finished talking she pulled her hood over her face and Yang began to laugh.
Jaune felt bad for Ruby, he did. But he had no intention of getting a partner. His mission didn't require it so there was no point. He wasn't about to tell Ruby that however. "I don't think we'll get to pick our own partners Rubes." Jaune said trying to ease the young girl. "Why not?" Asked Ruby. "I don't know. Call it a hunch." Jaune said with a shrug. "Either way I have to get dressed I'll see you two out there." With that Jaune waved to them and set off to find his locker.
Jaune walked for a little while until he found locker 636. Inside were his weapons and armor. The only problem was the two girls standing in his way. One of which being Weiss Schnee. As Jaune moved towards the two girls he cleared his throat to get their attention.
Weiss's head snapped around like a demon in those old horror movies he used to watch. Her eyes filled with irritation. "What, what do you want?" Jaune just stared her down and said, "My locker I need to get to it." Weiss' body turned to face Jaune as she said, "Well can't you just go around? Can't you see I'm having a conversation with Thee Pyrrha Nikos." The red head next to Weiss held up her hand. "Hello." Jaune looked at her, she seemed like a nice girl.
"Well Weiss, if I could I would but you're standing in front of my locker." Jaune said before he turned to the red head. "By the way hello to you too."
Weiss' face twisted with anger. "Do you have any idea who this is?" She asked as she waved her hands in front of Pyrrha. Jaune studied her for a moment before saying, "Nope, sorry you're not ringing any bells."
If Weiss thought the girl would be upset by Jaune not recognizing her she clearly couldn't see her face. Pyrrha's eyes lit up. Her smile shifted from forced to genuine.
"She graduated top of her class at Sanctum Academy." Jaune gave Weiss a thumbs up and a goofy smile. Not to be deterred Weiss continued, "She's the four-time winner of the Mistral Regional Tournament." Jaune looked at Weiss and then at Pyrrha. "Congratulation Pyrrha. Maybe you and I could fight sometime."
If the smile on Pyrrha's grew in size as she nodded towards Jaune. Weiss went on, "She's the mascot of the Pumpkin Pete's cereal box." Weiss said her temper reaching its peak. Jaune simply looked at the two of them and said, "Sorry Weiss, Pyrrha, but I'm not that big a fan of cereal. Plus, I heard that stuff is kind of bad for you."
Weiss threw her hands up in frustration as Pyrrha giggled, "It really is unfortunately." Pyrrha said her voice filled with mirth. Jaune simply smiled at the red head and continued. "If you are done with the history lesson Weiss I really need to get into my locker."
Fed up with him Weiss moved out of the way dragging Pyrrha a few feet to the side. With the two no longer blocking his path Jaune went about opening his locker. There inside sat his gear, as quickly as he could Jaune began the process of equipping said gear. Still in his sleeping attire Jaune removed his shirt to replace it with one resting in his locker.
When Jaune removed his shirt, he heard a gasp coming from behind him. He turned and saw Yang, Ruby, Weiss, and Pyrrha standing there. Ruby and Yang looked horrified yet concerned. Pyrrha and Weiss however stood there slack jawed. It was then that Jaune remembered the scars on his body and cursed himself for being so careless.
"Oh, my gods, Jaune what happened to you." Ruby said her voice full of concern. In an attempt to make light of the situation Jaune merely replied, "So, back home we used to have this cat. Mean son of a gun. Never liked being held, as you can see." The attempt at levity not going as smoothly as he expected. As Yang said in a disbelieving tone, "Must have been one massive cat."
Ruby, ever the curious one reached out her hand to touch the scars on Jaune's body. As her hand drew close however Jaune caught her wrist with surprising speed. In a joking tone Jaune said, "Woah there Ruby. You have to pay to touch the merchandise." His attempts at humor were not well received as his joke earned a scowl from Yang.
"It's not that big of a deal guys I promise." Jaune said trying to get them to let this go. "Jaune," Yang said. "It looks like something nearly cut you to pieces." Jaune just stared back at the girls before him. He had been through this before, and once again cursed himself for letting them see his scars. The worst thing about it was he saw pity in their eyes. What Jaune Arc hated the most about the looks was the pity. He didn't need it, and he certainly didn't want it.
If it wasn't for these scars Aedan wouldn't have came to his rescue and he would have never became a guardian. It was hard work but Jaune loved what he was. An idea popped into his head as the girls continued to stare at him. "Oh, I've got more than just these." He said bringing their attention back to his face. "Unfortunately, they're all below here." Jaune waved his hands below his waist line. "If you're that curious I can show you if you want. We are in a locker room after all."
Whatever the girls were thinking was halted in its tracks. They all understood what he was saying, well maybe not Ruby. Their faces turned bright red as Jaune made a mock attempt to pull down his sleeping shorts. Yang's hands shot in front of Ruby's eyes to shield her from what was to come. All at once the girls bolted off towards the exit. Jaune inwardly smiled at himself and focused his attention back to equipping his armor.
When Jaune arrived at the cliff side he was greeted by Ozpin and Glynda waiting for him, along with the other students. Jaune's eyes swept over them as he tried to find the girls from before. One by one he spotted them, and one by one their faces turned flushed and they looked away. 'Mission successful.' Thought Jaune.
"Now that everyone is here allow me to explain the trial you are about to face." Ozpin said gaining everyone's attention. "Before that however I would like to talk about another matter however. There are rumors that you will be assigned partners while you are here at Beacon. Said partners will be decided today."
Everyone, except Jaune, looked at one another with uncertainty in their eyes. Ozpin continued, "That being said the first person you make eye contact with while participating in initiation will be your partner for the next four years." That got a surprised look out of Jaune. Ozpin's method of partner selection left a lot to chance. Jaune then heard a cute whimper coming from beside him. When he looked he saw Ruby standing on her platform looking downtrodden.
"Now, as for initiation itself. You will be launched into the emerald forest and required to find a relic at the northern most edge of the forest. The relic will be located in a dilapidated ruin. At this time are there any questions?"
Jaune looked left and right and saw at least ten people with their hands in the air. "Good." Ozpin stated ignoring the questions from the students. "Ms. Goodwitch if you would be so kind." Ozpin turned and motioned for Glynda to commence with the trial. For a split second Jaune thought he saw a ghost of a smile appear on the woman's face. But, as soon as it appeared it was gone.
Next thing Jaune knew a student standing directly to his right shot out like a ball fired from a cannon into the forest below. Jaune bent his knees and waited for the platform underneath him to send him skyward. It was however not his time as someone far to his left shot out instead. One by one the would-be hunters were launched into the waiting forest below. Jaune stood, still ready as the second to last candidate was sent into the troposphere. He was the lone person on the cliff, save for Ozpin and Goodwitch.
"Good luck my boy," Ozpin said as he made eye contact with Jaune. "I look forward to seeing what a guardian is capable of." Jaune nodded to the headmaster, then turned his attention back to the front. A small smile appeared on his face as he was hurled from the cliff. As Jaune straitened out his body to make him more aerodynamic. He began to laugh. 'Welcome to Beacon.' He thought as he soared through the air to his objective.