Author's Notes
Finally I had a concept for a Lancaster fic! I wanted something more substantial than that other one I had posted months ago, and while this idea takes some inspiration from my other works, it's very much its own beast. A lot of stuff will be different right from the start. Hopefully you all enjoy reading!
Jaune, all things considered, had a fairly easy life.
Domremy was the second largest city in Vale, which afforded him a great deal of comfort behind its walls. He got to grow up in a safe home, with a family that, though they often tormented him, loved him. Everything was perfect!
Except…
He wanted more.
Not more comfort or luxuries, but more out of life. He'd contemplated many paths in life, there were many things he wanted to do, but chief among them had been becoming a Huntsman for many long years.
One year, however, Domremy was attacked.
Jaune was old enough to work with the militia, even if he was only fifteen. Though the walls held and the Grimm were killed, he got his first taste of combat that day. Jaune, frankly, found it terrifying.
It wasn't at all like the comics or stories; it was brutal, and harsh. He saw someone lose an arm, another almost lost his leg. Though the worst of the Grimm couldn't get past the walls, the ones that could fly caused plenty of damage to the defenders.
So, when the dust settled, Jaune decided that that life just wasn't for him. Sure, Huntsmen were better trained than militia, but the idea of having to face down those beasts of black and bone… it just wasn't for him.
So for the two years following that attack, Jaune instead tried to focus on other ways he could eventually become a hero. He helped his family, he considered becoming a police officer, things of that nature. The call of the huntsmen was one he ignored.
Though, sometimes, the call is not so easily ignored.
The day it happened started the same as any other. It was nice outside and his family wasn't causing any trouble for him; Jaune might have even ventured to call it a good day.
His sister Sarcelle had asked him to pick up a delivery for her, and since she couldn't leave the house very often due to her immunodeficiency (only stymied by their dad having unlocked her aura), he was happy to oblige.
It helped that she was his favorite sister, but he wouldn't tell the others about that.
So, he dressed in his usual hoodie, jeans, and running shoes combo before heading out. The streets of Domremy were bustling. Most roads were cobblestone, with only a few actual asphalt streets in the town. The post office was near the entrance to town, a large gate that was currently (and usually, indeed) kept open. He said hello to some people he recognized, and even some he didn't, as he walked. After all, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet!
The front of the town was calm. It wasn't a day people were expecting any major traffic from caravans or other traders, and so there wasn't much business to attend to. Jaune stepped inside the post office, got the box filled with… whatever it was his sister had ordered, and stepped back out.
He noticed, then, that the streets were eerily quiet, and he had no clue why. Instinctively, he looked to the gates, to see if maybe it was a Grimm attack.
What he saw was not a Grimm, but no less alarming.
He saw a tall man, standing a couple inches taller than Jaune, who looked about his age. He had short, dark blue hair, and equally blue eyes. He was wearing armor, not segmented like the armor of Jaune's family, but full platemail. It was colored blue with gold trimmings. He had a cape which was blue on the interior and gold on the exterior. In one hand, he dragged a Bec-de-Corbin, a pole-hammer.
What was alarming wasn't the man himself, but the fact that he was visibly injured. His armor seemed somewhat broken and blood was dripping and leaving a trail behind him as he staggered forward. Jaune's eyes widened and, thinking quickly, he set down the box he'd just gotten before hurrying over to the other boy while asking, "H-Hey! What's wrong?!" He realized that he'd moved before really acting, and so he pulled out his Scroll, "Hold on, I'll call-"
"Don't-" The boy coughed into his free hand, "Don't bother. I'm done for." He chuckled, in spite of his situation, "The bastards got me, but… they didn't get her. Though… she's still gone… I failed." He seemed to be struggling with his emotions, and suddenly he stepped forward and placed his hands on Jaune's shoulders, "You… what's your name?"
Jaune's eyes were as wide as saucers as he lowered his scroll, "J-Jaune Arc." He realized, then, with a coldness gripping his heart, that he was staring into the eyes of a man who was dying.
"Jaune Arc," the man said with a weak smile, "My name is-" He looked down and coughed, and Jaune noticed blood landing on the ground beneath them. He looked back up, "My name is Cobalt Lazuli. You… you have the eyes of a hero in waiting, Jaune Arc. I… I have to… apologize to you… but… I don't have a choice. Now… listen."
Before Jaune could ask what Cobalt meant by that, his vision was suddenly overtaken with white.
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He found himself standing in a white void, and as he looked around, he spotted Cobalt looking at him. He was only a few feet away, and he didn't look injured anymore. Jaune blinked a few times, "I-I, what-"
"Listen carefully." Cobalt stepped forward, "Magic is real, the Story of the Seasons is real. You need to find Autumn, the new Autumn, for it's your duty to work with her, to be her partner, and keep her safe. You must do this, or else… I fear for the future of Remnant."
Jaune felt as if he'd been hit by a truck, and maybe he had been. Maybe all of this was just a pre-death illusion. Magic? The Story of the Seasons? Autumn? The future of Remnant?
Cobalt continued, "Go to Beacon Academy. Enroll as a student, even if you don't qualify. Find a way to gain admission, and seek out Headmaster Lucian Ozpin. Seek him out, and… tell my mother that I'm sorry. Her name is Aurum Lazuli, she works at Beacon as a professor."
Jaune could only stammer in response to all of this, "I-I- buh- wh- Th-This-"
"I'm sorry, Jaune Arc." Cobalt smiled mournfully, "I'm afraid that I have shouldered you with a terrible burden. You will know the new Autumn when you see her. You will feel it in your soul. You must help her, be her friend, stand at her side. Please… do everything I asked. That is my dying wish."
Still not sure whether or not this was a dream, Jaune swallowed a lump in his throat. What was he supposed to do? Deny a dying man his last wish? Even if Cobalt was some insane Huntsman, Jaune would have to at least get to the bottom of… all of this. He was a man of honor, and denying this would be the worst thing he could do. His father would tell him such himself. So, with a heavy heart, he said, "I-I… I'll try."
Cobalt's smile grew hopeful, though it remained terribly sad, "Good…" He walked up to Jaune, "Now it's time to become what you must… the Fall Knight."
Cobalt reached out and pulled Jaune into a hug.
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Reality came back into focus, and he noticed that he was now being hugged by the dying man.
Jaune instinctively reached out and returned the hug, though it didn't last. Suddenly, he felt the man starting to… dissipate? He began turning into strange blue particles that Jaune could only really describe as magical. Jaune's eyes remained wide as the man vanished before his eyes, until all that was left to prove he existed was the Bec-de-Corbin that he had been dragging, stained with blood.
He felt… different. Not at all like he did before, it was like there was something stirring in his soul, something not familiar to him. He saw his body glowing, and he noted that his aura had been unlocked. It felt amazing, but his mind was elsewhere as it faded away. Especially as he looked at the palm of his hand and noticed several small orbs of energy around his hand. A semblance? No, this felt different. He closed his hand and the magic disappeared, and he was left alone.
Numbly, Jaune reached down and picked up what had been Cobalt's weapon, noting a button on the side of it. He pressed it and flinched as it collapsed into a much smaller, more portable form,
'What am I supposed to do now?'
He thought this, but he knew the answer. He had to get to Beacon. Was magic real? Did that man really just dissipate in front of him? What was he given? Was it really magic? He could have broken down over this, and it certainly made him want to, but he couldn't do that, could he?
He told Cobalt he would go to Beacon, and so, he took the box he had gotten for Sarcelle and made his way back home.
If he was going to do this, she was just the person he was going to have to talk to.
/-/
He was able to get past his family without anyone noticing.
Sarcelle's bedroom was incredibly clean, with the only mess being a pile of machine parts that she kept along with schematics for experimental technology that she liked to try to make. She was a genius, in Jaune's mind, and he was certain she'd do great things, in spite of her illness.
She had neck-length blonde hair that was the same shade as his, along with eyes that were almost the same shade of blue, although hers were slightly paler, which added to the general look of weakness she had. Her skin was pale, and she had bags under her eyes. That day, she was wearing a pair of red basketball shorts, a teal T-shirt, and a pair of red tennis shoes.
To say she was surprised when she saw that Jaune was carrying not only her box of what he learned was supplies that she needed for a project, but also a Bec-de-Corbin that he had only just wiped off in the kitchen as quietly as he could, would be an understatement.
She was sitting in her computer chair, her computer on some forum or another, and her eyes were wide as she stammered out, "A-And you found that… where?"
Jaune looked at the door worriedly before setting down the box and sitting on her bed, "A guy named Cobalt Lazuli came into town and… died. He turned into… weird particles, after telling me that I have to go to Beacon Academy. Now I can do… this." He held out his hand and the balls of different elements from before appeared, causing Sarcelle to gasp. He also noticed something strange happen to the weapon in his hand.
It began to glow, ever so slightly; one would have trouble seeing it if Sarcelle's room wasn't so dark. There was a haze that appeared around it that made the periphery of the weapon appear slightly distorted, and finally, most notably, the edges were flaming… It was an almost ghostly looking silver.
Sarcelle, once she had recovered enough, shook her head, "O-Okay. Magic is real. That's going to change so many things about some of my theories…" She rubbed her chin, "But I guess we shouldn't tell anyone. You said you need to get into Beacon?"
Jaune nodded as he willed the power to go away, and it obeyed, "It was what he wanted me to do… and I don't want to let him down. It was his dying wish. Besides… I need to give his weapon to his mom."
She gained a bit of a grim expression before nodding and turning towards her chair to face the computer, "I can get you in. Fake transcripts aren't that hard to produce, I'll even put in some glowing recommendations from your 'past tutors'." She looked back, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"No… I'm really not, but…" He swallowed a lump in his throat, "I don't have a choice, Sarcy. If it's really that important that I get to Beacon, then… I'm going to have to play the part."
She smiled softly, "Guess you will get to be the knight we used to pretend you were. Wonder if I'll get to-" She coughed into her hand, rough and wet, "-to do that eventually."
"Who knows." He smiled, "Either you'll figure something out, or, if magic is real… maybe there's a way I'll be able to get someone to help you."
"I'll hold you to that," she responded, "I'll get these submitted soon. You're lucky there's still time to apply. When you get accepted, I'll… borrow some funds from the SDC to afford you a hotel and some spending money."
Grand Larceny aside, Jaune was happy with that, "You're a lifesaver, Sarcy." He got off the bed and wrapped her in a sideways hug, and in spite of her initially protesting, she still returned it.
Once they separated, she waved her hand, "Alright, enough physical contact for today, I've got work to do."
Jaune smiled, "Right. Thanks again, Sarcy." She merely gave him a backhand wave as he left, as he began to shut the door, he wondered how she was so good at this stuff. It likely had to do with her semblance, Technomancy, the ability to manipulate technology, and the internet itself. It was powerful, and it'd be good for a Huntress, though she had other problems before she could pursue that.
He hoped that maybe next year he'd be able to welcome her at Beacon, if everything worked out.
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The Rose-Xiao-Long Residence, a day before
Ruby had been having a normal day, all things considered.
She'd gotten up, done her morning ritual, ate some breakfast her mom had cooked, and then gone outside to do some training. She'd only just recently made the final adjustments she needed to finish Crescent Rose, and while she'd been training with the weapon for years, she still wanted to make sure she had everything down.
Then everything changed when she lit on fire.
…Well, more precisely, her eyes caught fire, and she accidentally cut down a tree with a wave of wind so strong it shook the leaves on every tree around it.
Summer had been watching her train, and when she saw that happen, her mouth fell open while she simultaneously gained a look of horror. She knew exactly what this was, and she knew what it meant, too.
When Ruby had come to ask her, Summer just played it off and said that she would call an 'old friend' to explain everything to her.
That was how Ruby had found herself sitting at the dinner table on the opposite side to Professor Ozpin of Beacon Academy.
Summer had made Ruby cookies, and Ozpin waited until after Ruby was done eating a couple to begin, "Ruby Rose, your parents have given you quite the high amount of praise for your skill in both combat and weapon engineering. That being said… they tell me that just today you've manifested some new powers, is that correct?"
Ruby nodded and, once she'd swallowed the cookie she'd been eating, she spoke, "Mom says my eyes caught on fire, and I cut down a tree with a gust of super strong wind, which is… not my semblance."
Ozpin nodded in understanding. He hummed and pushed his glasses up, "Well, Miss Rose. I just have one question to ask you… what's your favorite fairytale?"
"Oh, that's easy." She smiled, "The Girl Who Fell Through the World. Mom used to read it to me all the time when I was younger."
"It's a good story." Ozpin agreed, "With a good message. Experiences are important, but they can leave you changed forever. Tell me, have you ever heard The Story of the Seasons?"
Ruby nodded, "That's a nice one, all about the girls helping that old wizard out, right?"
He nodded, "What if I told you that story's been around since I was a boy?"
"You can't be that old, you went to school with Mom and Dad before becoming Headmaster!" She smiled.
He returned her smile before his smile faded and he gained a more serious look, "What if I told you that it's real? That magic was real?"
"Magic?" Ruby's eyes widened, "Are you saying that's what I have? Magic? I had a weird dream with this girl telling me I was magic now, but… I thought I just ate some bad strawberries."
He nodded, "You've been granted a power exclusive to a few, and while there is much to explain, there's little time right now for me to explain it. All I ask is that you refrain from telling anyone else about your powers. That includes your sister. It's very important that you stay safe, and… do you want to come to my school, Miss Rose?"
Ruby nodded, her mind swarming with questions that she couldn't probably vocalize, "More than anything."
He smiled, "Well alright."
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A few weeks later, an airship bound for Beacon Academy…
Jaune was lucky that he had remembered to bring his motion sickness medicine, because otherwise he'd have been vomiting all over the place.
That didn't mean that the flight didn't still make him sick, but he'd take sitting in a corner holding his stomach over vomiting on some girl's shoes.
Sarcelle had come through, like he knew she would, so his trek and time in Vale was comfortable, and he even still had some money she'd given him left over. The upgrade she'd done to his (he had to get used to calling it his) shield was welcome, and she'd made sure that Crocea Mors wasn't rusted, saying that he shouldn't be wandering into Beacon with a rusted weapon.
'I gotta remember to buy her a bunch of gifts later…'
Once he had the money for it, at least.
He had a large travel bag with him, within it being some changes of clothes, other necessities, and the weapon that belonged to the old Fall Knight.
Speaking of…
He felt something strange stirring in his heart, a force trying to guide him in a certain direction. He wasn't sure why, and he wasn't in any state to investigate it at the moment, but whatever the magical sense was trying to tell him, it could wait until he could walk without potentially losing his lunch.
Luckily, he didn't have to wait very long to find out, as it didn't take very long at all for the ship to come to a stop. Soon, people were starting to file out, and he made sure he was one of the first out, desperate to get to solid ground so he no longer risked social death on his first day at Beacon.
Once he was off, he took a deep breath and stretched. It was windy that day, windy and overcast. The forecast didn't call for rain, and he hoped that held. Going through… whatever initiation was would probably suck twice as much if it was raining.
Suddenly, he was drawn out of his thoughts by an explosion that resounded with a loud BOOM, causing him to whirl around towards the path. Not that far from the ship, there was a small crater on the ground. A white haired girl covered in ash scoffed before stomping away, while Jaune felt that tug in his soul return.
This time, he didn't ignore it. He let it pull him towards the crater, and he peered inside, not sure what he'd find.
What he found was a pale-skinned girl with black hair that faded to red at the tips, wearing what could best be described as a 'gothic lolita' outfit. He only knew that because one of his sisters had a phase where she was really into it, but at least his useless fashion knowledge came in handy for once. She was covered in soot and grumbling to herself about someone named 'Yang' abandoning her, and also complaining about the 'prissy-haired girl' that waved Dust in her face to begin with.
Jaune interrupted her ramblings by extending out a hand, smiling, and saying, "Hey, are you okay?" He could feel the tugging in his heart subside, and he realized that this girl must be the one he was meant to meet.
Ruby blinked her eyes open, and she saw a hand being offered to her before her 'rescuer' came into focus. She felt a strange feeling as well; something inside her heart told her that this boy was important, she just didn't know how. She reached a hand out and took his, "U-Uuhm… yeah." She stood up with his help, "Thanks for the help."
He let go of her hand, "So, uh… rough landing?" He felt a small smirk tug at his face, "Crater Face?"
She gasped and huffed at this unprovoked attack, "It was an accident!" Her cheeks burned red from embarrassment, "Weren't you the boy sitting in the corner looking like he was about to hurl? How would you like it if I called you… Green Face?" She started to walk down the path.
Jaune gained a scandalized look and followed after her, "Look, motion sickness is a serious problem! My medicine helps a ton but it doesn't stop me from feeling sick." He tried to change the subject, "The name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies…" He saw her look at him with a raised eyebrow, and so he deflated slightly, "The congress of ladies hasn't figured out how they feel about it yet."
That got Ruby laughing, and from what he could tell, it wasn't a derisive laugh. She covered her mouth and let out a lilting and admittedly adorable laugh before saying, "Well, Jaune, I think it's pretty nice! I'm Ruby Rose, and I… uhm…" She suddenly remembered that she had no idea how to talk to people, and so she did the first thing that came to mind. She pulled out Crescent Rose and unfolded it, "I have this!"
Jaune staggered back a bit, "W-Woah! Is that a scythe, and a, uhm…" He spotted the magazine holster, "A rifle?"
"Mhm!" She smiled proudly, "A high-caliber sniper scythe that fires .50 BMG and can hit a target from reaaalllyy far away. What's your weapon?"
"Oh-" He reached to his side and pulled out Crocea Mors, "This is Crocea Mors, it's… a sword and shield." He took the sheath off his side and let it expand to its shield form, "It can fold into a sheath when I get tired of carrying it, and my family's symbol has Gravity Dust woven into it so I can repel anyone who touches it! It's uh… not as impressive as your scythe."
She shook her head, "I like it! Not enough people appreciate the classics these days. If you want any more adjustments to it, maybe I can try and find a way to infuse the blade with Dust? I bet that'd be really handy."
He remembered Sarcelle talking about wanting to do that, but not having the resources she needed to do anything beyond the Gravity Dust infusion. He smiled, "Sure, if you want. I don't know that much about weapons, so I'd appreciate the help." He sheathed his weapon and collapsed his shield before he stuck it to his side. He then realized that he had no idea where they were, "Hey, weren't we supposed to be at orientation?"
Ruby gasped, and soon the two of them were running to the auditorium.
Luckily, they got there with time to spare. Ruby took him to meet her sister, who turned out to be the 'Yang' person she had been grumbling about. Ruby introduced him by gesturing at him, "This is Jaune! He pulled me out of a crater and now we're friends!"
Frankly, Jaune was pleasantly surprised, 'I made a friend that isn't Sarcelle? Sweet! That's a new record!' He waved at Yang, who was a blonde bombshell, for lack of a better descriptor, "Hey, nice to uh… meet you."
Yang grinned, "Nice to meet you! See, Ruby? I knew you could make a friend, I was right!"
Ruby crossed her arms, "Well, I made an enemy, too, so I guess that counts as a negative friend, so technically, I'm at zero still!"
Her sister blinked, "You made an enemy? How"
"I blew up!" She made a sound like a bomb exploding, "Like that! I was in a crater!"
"Pfft." Yang waved her hand dismissively, "I'm sure you didn't actually."
Suddenly, the white haired girl was upon them, "You!" She pointed at Ruby, who yelped and jumped into her sister's arms.
Jaune tried to follow along as the white haired girl went on a rant about Dust, while also something about the Schnee Dust Company. Whatever she was ranting about, he tried to figure out if he should say something, that feeling in his heart grew stronger, an urge telling him 'protect Ruby', but how? She wasn't in any danger…
Luckily, he didn't have to think about that for very long, as soon the girl walked away after shoving a pamphlet in Ruby's hands. Ruby got out of her sister's arms and sighed while deflating, "See what I mean, Yang?"
Yang whistled, "She was a piece of work alright. A real bi-"
Before Yang could finish her sentence, Glynda Goodwitch came on stage and spoke into the microphone, "Headmaster Ozpin will now give a short speech." She then stepped to the side, while the man himself stepped into view from behind the curtain.
He began to give his speech, both Jaune and Ruby paid close attention to it. It was… less inspiring than either of them hoped it would be, but at least it was brief.
Once it was over, Ruby and Yang went towards the Ballroom to set up for the night, while Jaune had another priority. He excused himself from them and spotted Glynda Goodwitch standing near the door, watching the students head for the Ballroom. He swallowed a lump in his throat and approached the woman. She regarded him with a stern gaze as he approached, "Uhm... Ma'am? I'm looking for Aurum Lazuli."
Glynda raised an eyebrow and gained a skeptical expression, "Why?" She likely wanted to know what an initiate wanted to do with one of the professors at the Academy.
He cleared his throat and reached into his pack, "I… I have something. I was told to give it to her." He produced the hammer and showed it to the Deputy Headmaster.
Glynda's eyes widened slightly before her expression softened, "She's outside, overlooking the Emerald Forest." She gave directions, and so Jaune thanked her before heading out.
The wind had really picked up, he felt it pushing him slightly, and he had to fight against it. Luckily, it wasn't too much of a hassle.
The cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest had several pads set up on it, and the woman he was looking for stood ahead of them, near the edge of the cliff. He could see that she had long dark-blue hair that faded to a lighter blue at the tips and stopped at the small of her back. She wore a cape that was gold on the back and turquoise on the interior, blowing in the wind.
He walked until he was a decent distance from her, not too far, but not too close. Then, he took the weapon and extended it out, "Aurum Lazuli?"
She turned around, and he saw that she had her hands clasped low in front of her. She wore a gray short-sleeved shirt over what must have been a longer-sleeved shirt. It had purple floral designs on the right sleeve, and sunflower designs on the left. She wore a pair of combat pants that had large snowflake designs on the right, and finally, on the left side, she had roses stretching across thorned vines. Her outfit was completed with a pair of brown combat boots that stopped at her calves.
He held out the weapon horizontally, with the shaft level between the two of them. When she saw it, he saw a torrent of emotions slam into her all at once as she inhaled sharply. Shock, disbelief, horror, and… grief. Unrelenting, unforgiving, and all-consuming grief. Yet, they were quickly subdued, and those emotions were replaced with a stormy look in her deep blue eyes that matched the sky above them in temperament.
She pursed her lips and then walked closer to him, and he found that she was a few inches shorter than him, at 5'9''. She scanned the weapon, looking it over, as if confirming it was what she thought it was. Then she closed her eyes, and they fell into a period of silence. Jaune lowered the weapon, holding it at his side.
It was only after a full five minutes that she opened her eyes again. He could see the pain in her eyes, though she tried mightily to hide it. It was a kind of pain he didn't understand, and hoped that he never would have to. The pain of seeing someone grow, watching them, loving them, caring for them… only to have it all taken away. It was a heavy sight, a heavy feeling, and a piece of Jaune felt it, his chest tightening.
She stepped forward and pulled Jaune into a hug, which he returned. Softly, she asked, voice cracking, on the verge of shattering, "Did he… did he do what I think he did?"
Jaune knew what she meant, of course he did. There was only one thing she could mean. Softly, he answered, "Yes."
She stepped back and placed a gentle hand on his cheek, "I'm sorry, Jaune… It wasn't supposed to be this way." She lowered her gaze, and Jaune didn't even stop to wonder how she knew his name, "Keep it. Use it… to remind you of your new duties. Use it to remind you… to protect those you hold dear. To love and cherish them, to never… ever… take them for granted. You never know when they're going to be taken from you. You never know…" He saw tears welling up in her eyes, "You never know when you'll have to say goodbye. Can you do that?"
He nodded, "I will… I promise."
She dropped her hand and walked past him wordlessly, and he didn't look back. Instead, he looked at the weapon in his hands. Suddenly…
Suddenly it felt ten times heavier than it did just a few minutes ago.
/-/
He made sure to tell Sarcelle he loved her that night, even if she was weirded out by it.
He also had trouble sleeping, he kept staring at the hammer. Should he use it? He wasn't any more trained with his sword than he was with the hammer. Even if it was too much for him in two-hands, he could at least carry it in its smaller warhammer form.
He supposed he could figure that out later. For initiation, he'd stick with his sword. He'd keep the hammer at his side, but only for emergencies.
The next day, everyone was up and about fairly early, and it only took about an hour before the hopefuls were being taken to the same place Jaune had talked to Aurum. This time, he stood on a metal pad, and listened nervously as Ozpin explained everything.
Ruby was standing next to him, and looked pretty excited, all things considered. She grinned at Jaune, and he made an effort to smile back, though it was hard, now that he was right on the doors of death.
…Maybe he was being dramatic, but he'd never fought a Grimm before, and had only ever seen them from far away. He could only hope that he'd be able to beat it.
If he needed to, he could try and call on Cobalt's power, the Fall Knight's power. He wasn't sure what happened when you died, but he was pretty sure Cobalt would be pissed if he gave his power to someone only for them to die a month later. Then again, maybe he wouldn't; he didn't know anything about who the man had been.
He thought to ask about how they were going to get to the forest, but he thought better of it when he saw someone get launched off a pad. The sound of them launching caused him to start, just a little bit, meanwhile Ruby grinned like nothing was wrong.
Of course she was, there really was nothing wrong, for her and most everyone there at least. Jaune was just glad he had his aura unlocked, otherwise he'd have ended up a red stain on the ground.
When it was his time, he raised his shield and braced himself as he was launched forward. That didn't stop him from screaming like a wimp on his way down. Lucky for him, it seemed that there was someone looking out for him.
Maybe he shouldn't have been surprised when Ruby snatched him out of the air while flying with eyes that burned with silver fire, but he was. When she grabbed him, he blinked a few times as he tried to reorient himself. Ruby was holding him in a bridal carry, a bit of role reversal he wasn't expecting, especially considering Ruby was much smaller than him, but she didn't seem burdened at all. She grinned, "Come on, Jaune! We've got a chess piece to find!"
Soon, they touched down, and once she set him down, she smirked, "Good meeting you, partner."
Jaune rolled his eyes but couldn't keep himself from smiling, "Guess so. Although, uh-" He rubbed the back of his neck, "Why me? Why not your sister?"
Ruby waved her hand dismissively, "Pssh, what, Yang? Naah, you saw how she was behaving! She'd probably do nothing but embarrass me all year if she was my partner." She wasn't going to tell him that Yang had threatened to eat all of her strawberries and cookies that she got from home if they became partners. Yang seemed certain that partnering with someone else was the better option, and so Ruby had no choice. Still, she knew Jaune wasn't a bad guy, he was her first friend!
…That besides, she felt… something, towards him. She wasn't sure how to describe it, but it felt as if he was important. Not in any romantic sense or anything; sure, she thought he was cute, but the feeling in her soul simply told her that he was a protector. Someone to rely on.
She just hoped that that feeling wasn't wrong. She could look after herself, but it'd be much easier if she had some help.
Jaune, for his part, accepted her explanation with a shrug, "Yeah, probably. I know how siblings can get, I've got seven of them." He grinned as he saw Ruby's shocked expression.
"W-Were your parents part Rabbit Faunus?!" She shook her head, trying to imagine what that would be like, "That sounds…"
She shuddered, "Did you even get any privacy?" She could only imagine what it would be like,'Seven Yangs instead of one.'
"Oh, not at all. Most of the time." He chuckled awkwardly as they started to walk, "I had my own room and everything, but you try getting an ounce of rest when you're one of two guys in the family and the other is your Dad. I get along… alright with them, at least. One of them is far better than the others, admittedly."
Ruby had to refrain from shuddering again, "That just sounds… gross. I shared a bedroom with Yang for a long time, but we got our own rooms eventually! At least I could hide in my room if I wanted to be alone, but it sounds like your room wasn't really that safe."
He shook his head and said, "Nope." With a poppin' P.
While they were talking, Jaune finally remembered to bring up what had happened, "So… is flying your semblance? Those burning eyes too?"
Ruby laughed nervously as she realized she'd made a mistake, "Ah, well, uhm- N-Not exactly, but I don't think you'd really… get it, it's-"
Jaune interrupted, "Magic?"
That made Ruby stop in her tracks as she looked over at him with wide eyes, "H-How'd you know that? Professor Ozpin told me to keep that a secret!"
"Uhm, well…" Jaune began, "It's a bit of a long story, but… I was given the power of the Fall Knight." He held up his sword and let it catch with silver fire, the slight distortion around the periphery of the weapon returning. His armor, too, caught fire, which was unexpected. This fire, instead of being silver, was red like roses. Ruby gasped, and he lowered his sword before smiling and killing the power, returning his sword to normal, "I kind of thought you'd be Autumn, or uh, Fall, I guess? I felt it in my heart." He tapped the flat of his blade against his chest, "Something told me you were important, and that I needed to look out for you."
Once she got over her shock, Ruby smiled, "I was told there'd be someone called the Fall Knight, but I wasn't sure what to expect. I… I felt something similar. I felt like I could trust you." She giggled nervously, "Maybe that's part of why I snatched you out of the sky, other than you being my first friend at Beacon. So… you have magic too?"
"I do, but I'm not sure how strong it is yet. I haven't really tested it out." He smiled, "If I had to guess, probably not as strong as yours, if you're supposed to be the big deal. Still, I guess I have to try and keep you safe! Uhh… just…" He grinned nervously, "I hope you'll return the favor."
"Of course!" Ruby agreed as her smile brightened, "Well, come on, Fall Knight Jaune!" She pointed forward, "Let's keep going. You mentioned seven sisters, right?"
Conversation came easily for the two of them as they kept walking, easier than either had experienced with just about anyone else. Even Yang was difficult for Ruby, and while Jaune loved his sisters, all of them, even Sarcelle, were hard to talk to all the time. Hell, Sarcelle especially, she tended to go on rants about stuff Jaune didn't understand, and he was far too nice to try and leave mid-rant, so he just had to bear with it.
It was only after walking for a while that they realized they'd gotten more than a little turned around. The two of them looked around the forest as Ruby fished out her Scroll and tried to locate north, "Uhm… Where do you think the relics are, exactly?"
Jaune pursed his lips as he looked around before spotting something, a cave! He pointed to it with his sword, "Oh, there! I bet we'll find a relic in that cave, it's the perfect place to hide something like that."
Ruby was uncertain, but still, she shrugged, "Alright, lead the way, my brave knight!" The two shared a short laugh over their seemingly hilarious inside joke before marching off towards the cave.
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Elsewhere in the Emerald Forest…
Pyrrha Nikos hadn't been having the best day, so far.
First, she had been all but solicited by Weiss Schnee of the SDC, trying to partner with her due to her combat prowess and fame. No doubt she was trying to use her for something, she had no idea what. Pyrrha had told herself she was going to try her best to not partner with her, even as she politely went along with what Weiss had been saying at the time.
She had intended to partner with the boy who hadn't known anything about her—Jaune was his name. However, before she could even properly land, he was gone, already disappeared into the forest. She felt that really shouldn't have happened, not with the way he was falling, but she had no idea what had happened.
So that meant she had been left wandering and looking for a partner. She was anxious as to who it could possibly be, the number of people who wouldn't treat her like some sort of important celebrity worth fawning over was incredibly small.
There was the sound of battle in the distance, it was all over the place, in fact. She didn't doubt that many students had already partnered up. After all, it was unlikely that that many students landed far from each other. The question then became: Who landed nearest to her?
She heard someone in the brush further ahead. The steps were too careful to be a Grimm, but she still gripped her sword and shield tightly as she raised the shield and stepped forward towards the brush, preparing to strike if she needed to.
However, a shock of white hair caught her eye and made her heart skip a beat, twice. Once in a case of mistaken identity; she had once had a friend with similarly colored hair, a long time ago. Again as she realized who it was instead, and that realization was followed by her heart dropping as she met the ice blue eyes of Weiss Schnee.
The Schnee heiress seemed all too pleased as she smiled brightly, "Wonderful! It's a good thing that I found you, for a moment I was worried I'd run into someone else. Like that nuisance of a girl, Ruby Rose. It's good to see you again, Pyrrha Nikos! Between your talent and strength, and my intelligence, we're sure to become the top duo at Beacon!"
Pyrrha put on her best fake smile, "Ah… right. It's… good to see you again, partner." She suddenly wondered if going to Beacon was really the best idea she'd ever had. Maybe if she'd gone to Shade or Atlas she could have avoided someone like Weiss from trying to take advantage of her fame…
Weiss, oblivious to the other girl's internal turmoil, just took the lead, "Follow me, Pyrrha! The temple's got to be in this direction, I'm sure of it."
When Weiss wasn't looking, Pyrrha took a deep breath and sighed. She could always run off, find a different partner, and pretend like she'd never seen Weiss… but she wasn't that kind of girl. If she did that, Weiss would be let out to dry, and there was no guarantee she'd meet someone who wasn't worse than Weiss.
So, with a heavy heart, Pyrrha followed after her new partner.
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Meanwhile, just outside the cave in the Emerald Forest, a lone white rabbit hopped along. It had been having an average day, finding stuff to eat, finding places to rest. That sort of thing. It could hear conversation with its keen ears in the cave near it, although it couldn't understand what they were saying exactly.
If it could, it'd have started running a lot sooner than it did.
"Jaune, look! It's a glowy thing, think it's a relic?"
"It has to be!"
"JAUNE THIS ISN'T A RELIC IT'S A DEATHSTALKER!"
"RUN!"
The rabbit just barely got out of the way in time for Ruby and Jaune to burst out of the cave, with the Deathstalker charging out after them and causing rocks to fly in every direction as it did. Jaune was panicking, he wasn't ashamed to admit that, considering the large death beast that was following them. Jaune called out, "Ruby, use your magic!"
Ruby blinked a few times, "Oh, right!" She had honestly forgotten that she had that! She turned around and her eyes caught fire as she swung her scythe and, in a move similar to the one she had performed on those innocent trees on Patch, used wind magic to cut a swathe through not just the trees, but through the Deathstalker! It didn't go down in one attack, but it did lose its stinger, cracks in its armor causing it to screech in pain as it redoubled its efforts to close the gap.
As it tried to close in, Ruby prepared to attack again, but Jaune stepped forward and raised his sword and shield. He felt compelled to act, his fear overridden by this burning desire. His sword and shield both caught fire as he swung his blade downward, and the blade was wrapped in yet larger flames that connected with the Deathstalker as the swung finished its arc. The beast screeched and backpedaled at the flame, while Ruby took advantage of the fire and sent out a wave of wind again. This exacerbated the fire and caused several trees to collapse onto the Deathstalker.
Ruby cheered as the fire in her eyes quenched and it became clear the Deathstalker wasn't going to keep coming after them, "Woo! Yeah, we're awesome!" She grinned, "Come on, Jaune! We've gotta get a relic!"
She hurried off and Jaune blinked a few times, looking at his sword as its fire quenched before hurrying after her. He could wonder about just how he did what he did later, for the moment, he needed to pass initiation!
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On the cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest
Ozpin hummed as he looked down at his scroll. It was displaying several different cameras, watching several different pairs making their way through initiation. Most had already finished by this point, but there was one duo in particular that held his interest, even as others finished.
Glynda glanced at Oz's scroll, "So we were right, he is the new Fall Knight. That confirms why Aurum wasn't answering our calls…"
He nodded grimly, "The loss of a child is nothing to take lightly. A part of him will live on in Mr. Arc, I know it will. That might not ease Aurum's heart now, but hopefully it will later."
She closed her eyes and looked away, "I couldn't imagine that happening to us. If we lost either of them…"
"We won't, Glynda," Ozpin soothed her, before steering the topic back to the initiation, "They might display their powers in front of others, I know Ruby will try to restrain herself unless absolutely necessary, but Mr. Arc doesn't know that he has to."
Glynda looked back at him and opened her eyes, "Why didn't you talk to him before initiation? We could have avoided the risk of him revealing himself to unknowing students."
He shook his head, "People are taught from an early age that magic is nothing but a fairy tale. A logical mind will not jump to it as their first conclusion to a display of great power. Mayhaps they will simply see it as a heretofore unseen use of aura and Dust, and if they don't, I'm certain it can be played off in some other way."
"Right…" Glynda knew he was right, but it was still nerve wracking to her. She watched as the Knight and Maiden duo made their way closer to the temple, while another duo was already there, "It seems we'll have a team on our hands soon. Just in time, as well… are you sure you don't want Peter and Bartholomew to intervene?"
He chuckled, "Nonsense, Glynda. It may be a fairly intimidating fight, but between those two, and the other duo, I think they'll have it well in hand. If they don't, then I'll give the signal, but…
"I don't think that will be necessary."
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The Temple, Emerald Forest
Jaune and Ruby broke through the treeline and made their way to the ruined temple,
There were two people already there, and they recognized both immediately, Pyrrha Nikos and Weiss Schnee. Pyrrha looked like she was hiding some form of misery when she looked in their direction, but it vanished as soon as she saw them. She smiled brightly and waved at them while greeting them in a sing-songy voice, "Hello again~!"
The magical duo came to a stop, with Jaune having to catch his breath while Ruby waved, "Hey Pyrrha!" She looked notably less pleased as she looked at the frowning visage of Pyrrha's partner, "Weiss."
"Ruby." Weiss responded curtly before looking at Jaune, "And you too, what was your name, Jaune?"
Jaune nodded a few times, still catching his breath, "Uh- yeah. Who are you again?" He asked with genuine curiosity, before remembering the name Ruby had just said, "Weiss, right?"
Ruby made her way over to the pedestals and took up a white Knight piece, "Alright! Let's-"
Suddenly, the ground shook, and all four of them looked towards the forest as heavy footsteps continued to make the ground quake.
Finally, bursting through the trees, came two Grimm. One was a Beringel, luckily it didn't look that big. The same couldn't be said for the other, a giant Grimm that looked like a platypus with a bone mask covering its face. Its hands and feet were clawed, with two spikes protruding from either hand. On its back was what gave it its namesake, a bone-white shell that was split in half, with several tentacles writhing around coming from it.
Jaune swallowed a lump in his throat and raised his shield, prepared for them to make a stand. However, suddenly, two large Nevermore burst from the trees and took to the skies above them. Jaune's eyes widened, "We should run!'
Ruby nodded in agreement, "Let's go!"
The other two didn't seem to want to argue, instead they turned tail and started to run with them.
The ground-based Grimm took some time to start to catch up to them, as they had to smash their way through the ruined temple to pursue them, but the Nevermore in the air had no such issues. They started sending out large amounts of feather projectiles that crashed into the ground around the four as they continued their retreat.
Ruby pointed towards a bridge in the distance, "Come on! If we can just get past the bridge…"
They all ran as fast as they could, but just as they drew close to the bridge, one of the Nevermore smashed into it, splitting it in half and blocking their way. Jaune swore under his breath as they came to a stop, "I-I guess we have to fight them here!" Jaune turned to face the approaching terrestrial Grimm.
Ruby nodded and gripped Crescent Rose tightly, "I'll take care of one of the Nevermore!" Before Pyrrha or Weiss could ask her how she would do that, she leapt into the air and soared after one of them, her eyes burning with Maiden Fire. Ozpin had told her not to use her Maiden powers unless it was an emergency, but this counted as one in her book!
Meanwhile, Jaune pointed his sword at the Splitback, "This one looks the scariest, it should be priority!"
Pyrrha nodded, preparing her spear, "What about the Beringel?" Meanwhile, Weiss was already preparing to use some of her Glyphs on the Splitback.
"Uhm…" He swallowed a lump in his throat, "I'll take care of it!" What was he saying? He'd only fought one Grimm up to this point! Why did he suddenly have the drive to face down a Beringel?
He heard Ruby high above as she slashed at one of the two Nevermore while dodging several attempts both made to attack her, and he steeled his resolve. If she could do it, then he would have to do his best to emulate her bravery.
Weiss and Pyrrha didn't argue with him, instead they set to work. Pyrrha charged forward and jabbed the Splitback in the side with her spear, causing it to shriek. Meanwhile, Weiss created several glyphs above her, each one sending out several ice-infused projectiles that sailed towards the Splitback and crashed into it.
She followed up by creating a time dilation glyph at Pyrrha's feet, accelerating the other girl and allowed her to dodge several of the tendrils as they tried to stab at her. Pyrrha shifted her spear into a sword and slashed upward, cutting a couple of the tentacles in half and making the beast shriek in pain.
Meanwhile, Jaune charged the Beringel, doing his best not to think about how much bigger the beast was than him. He let out a battle cry as he raised his sword and shield, and the beast reciprocated with its own roar as it raised his fists and attempted to bring them down on Jaune's shield. He activated the Gravity Dust within it, the symbol of his family sending a pulse of Dust outward that caused the Beringel to stagger backwards and left it wide open to reprisal.
He stabbed outward with his sword and managed to catch the beast in the gut, but it smashed him in the side with a fist and sent him flying. He crashed into a tree, but didn't waste any time in getting back up, his bountiful aura reserves doing much in helping him ignore the stinging pain as he charged forward again.
He heard Ruby up above as she managed to cut down the first Nevermore, sending it falling down into the ravine the bridge had been built over. The other one was much bigger, and he just hoped she could handle it.
He had his own problems to attend to, however, as the beast in front of him tried to slam him into the ground with both of its fists. He rolled forward and dodged the attack, but as he popped back up he found that the Beringel was already ready for him. It smashed into his side again and sent him to the ground. As it attempted to punch down, however, he raised his shield and activated the Gravity Dust again, causing it to stagger backward once more.
As he stood up, he attempted to stab forward again. However, the same trick didn't work a second time, as the beast swiped at his sword and caused him to lose his grip on it. It went skidding across the ground and he gritted his teeth as the Beringel punched him in the face. He saw stars as he staggered backward, but as it went to attack him again, he raised his shield for a third time.
This time, however, he didn't activate the Gravity Dust immediately. Instead, he grabbed the hammer at his side and took it into his right hand, extending it outward to the size of a one-handed warhammer. It ignited with silver flames as he pushed up with his shield and activated the Gravity Dust for the third and hopefully final time.
The Grimm staggered backward and he let out a shout as he raised his hammer and brought it down onto the beast's chest. While he did that, a golden light shot down, seemingly from the heavens above, and it smote the Beringel with otherworldly power, causing it to vaporize into nothing.
Jaune fell to one knee as he tried to catch his breath. He could still hear the fighting going on around him, so he knew he had to get back up. He looked at Cobalt's hammer, his hammer, and muttered, "Thank you." before standing up and turning to face the Splitback.
However, he was interrupted from stepping forward as he saw a red blur rocket down from the sky and crash into the ground. He gasped, "Ruby!" He hurried over to her, and he saw her already getting up, "Are you okay?"
Ruby nodded as she groaned and stood entirely again, "I screwed up a move I was trying to do…" She shook her head, "We have to beat that thing! Fighting both of these at once is going to get us killed!"
Jaune was in agreement, but before he could make any suggestions, he saw the Nevermore racing towards them, seeming intent on dive bombing them. He gasped, "Look out!" He then raised his shield as he stepped forward, driven by the fire that burned in his heart, soul, and hammer.
The Nevermore crashed into his shield, and Jaune expected to be flattened under it, but he held his stance. He was too focused to notice the pair of golden, semi-transparent, magical wings that appeared at his back as he struggled against the beast, "R-Ruby! Do something!"
Ruby shook herself out of her shock at the sight of this previously unseen power before nodding and taking up her scythe. She activated her semblance and raced towards the Grimm before reforming above it. She hooked her scythe around its neck and jumped off, digging the scythe into it as she swung under and over it.
The Nevermore barely had time to screech before it lost its head entirely and fell to the ground, leaving a massive, slowly evaporating Grimm corpse there. The wings at Jaune's back dissipated as he tiredly turned towards the Splitback, which Pyrrha and Weiss were still holding back, "What do we do about that?"
"I've got an idea!" Both Jaune and Ruby exclaimed at the same time, before sharing a knowing look. It seemed they both had the same idea. Jaune exclaimed, "Weiss! Make a glyph on my shield, something that can boost Ruby!"
Ruby continued, "Pyrrha, hold this thing in place as best as you can!"
Together, both Ruby and Jaune exclaimed, "Let's kill this thing!" Jaune then braced himself and raised his shield as the symbol on it began to glow purple. Weiss did as she was asked, creating a large glyph on top of Jaune's shield that turned red as Ruby jumped onto it. Meanwhile, Pyrrha kept the Splitback's attention, using every skill she had to keep the thing from turning its attention elsewhere.
Pyrrha then stabbed upward with her spear, causing the beast to stand at its full height to try and dodge it. However, all it did was leave itself open to the next attack, as at once Jaune activated his Gravity Dust with as much power as he could put into it, while Weiss augmented it with her Glyph.
The result was immediate. Ruby shot forward faster than a bullet, nothing but a red blur to the naked eye as she smashed into the Splitback. She hooked her scythe around the beast's midsection, the kinetic energy combined with her firing several rounds of her own Gravity Dust to add even more speed to her move led to the Splitback getting turned into a Splithalf, as it separated at its midsection. The top half crashed into the ground as Ruby shot past, while the bottom half fell soon afterward.
Ruby crashed into a tree and groaned as she sat against it, "Ooww…" She shook herself out of it and saw that the Splitback was dead, "We did it!" She pumped her fist in the air.
Jaune made the hammer's shaft retract again as he stuck it to his side before stumbling over to his sword and picking it up. He grabbed it and sheathed it as he retracted his shield. Meanwhile, Pyrrha went over and helped Ruby get up while Weiss said, "Admittedly… I was wrong about you two. What was that? Those abilities?"
"A-Ah, uhm-" Jaune cleared his throat, "Just… our semblances and some creative use of Dust?"
Ruby stood up with Pyrrha's help and nodded in agreement, "Th-That's right! Just Dust and our semblances!"
Weiss didn't look like she entirely believed them, but what other explanation could there be? She didn't know, and so she sighed and acquiesced, "Right."
Ruby thanked Pyrrha and then headed over to Jaune, "I didn't see that hammer on you before! What's its name?"
He looked at the weapon at his side, "Ah… It's…" On the fly, he thought of a name for it, "I call it Promise."
"I like it." Ruby grinned tiredly, "Now… we should go back to Professor Ozpin…"
The whole group was in agreement, and so they made their way towards the top of the cliff. It took them a good ten minutes of walking to get there, but once they were, Ozpin graded them with an A and sent them off for team formation.
It was a blur to Jaune; admittedly, he wasn't sure who most of the teams were. He saw Yang partnered up with some dark haired girl wearing a bow along with a boy with long black hair and a girl with short orange hair. That team was consecrated Team RYBN, or Team Ribbon.
Jaune had to try his best not to stumble as he and the others were called up, he could only imagine how embarrassing it'd be to fall over on stage in front of all his future classmates. Once they were there, the four of their portraits showed up on the screen above them, and Ozpin read out their names, "Jaune Arc, Weiss Schnee, Pyrrha Nikos, and Ruby Rose. You collected the white Knight pieces, you will form Team Jasper." The abbreviation 'JSPR' appeared over each of their portraits, "Led by…
"Jaune Arc!"