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Disclaimer: RWBY is the brainchild of the brilliant Monty Oum (R.I.P) and is the property of Rooster Teeth productions. I do not own, nor do I profit from its characters.
The Secret Academy
Jaune Arc
A young man, no older than seventeen years of age, stood alone in the woods. He was slightly above average in terms of height, standing at six feet and one inch tall. He had a moderate build, but it looks like he was beginning to add fill out and add muscle to it. He had fair skin, blonde hair which fell over his face, and blue eyes. The boy was dressed in a black hoodie with the sleeves rolled back and blue jeans.
He had his arms extended in front of him with his hands outreached. A look of concentration was on his face. A few yards away from him was a pile of rocks. As he slowly twisted his hands, the rock on top of the pile started twitching. The young man breathed slowly. In… and out. Keeping his concentration and control, he raised his hands into the air. The rock in the pile continued to twitch and shake. His hands began to shake as he raised them higher. The rock continued to shake, but it barely lifted itself off the top of the pile. A big, goofy grin broke out on his face. The stone continued to levitate, slowly moving higher and higher from the pile.
"Well done Jaune." A woman's voice suddenly called out.
And just like that, his focus was gone. The young man, named Jaune, gasped in surprise. His hands twitched as he lowered them quickly. The levitating rock shattered, pieces flying everywhere. Jaune quickly turned towards the direction of the voice.
In fifteen years, Azura Arc had not changed much. A few more lines had etched into her face, but they were light and (almost) barely noticeable. Her blue eyes still sparkled with youthful energy. And her golden hair, which she still wore over the left side of her face was still a vibrant gold. She was wearing a forest green, long sleeve shirt and brown leggings. Over her clothes, she had on a black apron.
"M-mom!" Jaune exclaimed, stammering in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
She gave her sun a playful smile and placed his hands on her hips. "I should be asking you the same question." She walked over to Jaune, hugging him close.
Jaune was the eighth child of Jasper and Azura Arc. He was the youngest, preceded by seven sisters: Jade, Onyx, the twins Sapphire and Lapis, Garnet, Alexandrite, and Amethyst. As the youngest child and the only boy, Jaune found himself constantly babied by his mother.
"I was just..." he started. "I just was just getting some last-minute practice before I leave tomorrow."
"Practice?" Azura asked with a musical giggle. "Jaune, you're going to school." She pointed out. "That's kind of why it's there. Why would you feel the need to practice?"
"I'm sure you saw what just happened." He pointed out as he slipped out of his mother's arms. "My magical skill is nowhere near as good as it should be."
Jaune had been dealing with issues like this all his life. Unlike Taiyang and Rose, who decided to raise Ruby oblivious to the magical world until her aura awakened, Jasper and Azura had chosen to immerse Jaune in it since birth. He knew about the animal people called the faunus, and he knew about aura, and the secret academies where people could do to learn magic.
He also knew the legacy he was supposed to inherit and live up to…
His father, Jasper, was a skilled warrior. At a young age, Jasper inherited the Arc family sword and shield, collectively called Crocea Mors, and used it to create a reputation for himself. Similarly, his mother was a legendary sorceresses who was said to be completely unrivaled in the arcane arts. Combine the legacy of his parents with hearing what prodigies his sisters were… Jaune had always felt like he was living in their shadow; like whatever he did was not enough.
"Jaune, there will be people at Beacon who didn't even know magic existed until their auras awakened." Azura pointed out. "It's alright to be lacking skills at this point in your life."
Azura flicked her wrist. The shattered remains of the rock Jaune was attempting to levitate all gathered and re-formed into a figure that resembled Jaune. Azura held her hand out and the figure flew into it.
"Magic is complicated Jaune." She explained, giving the stone figure to him. "Even the most skilled magic users have to constantly practice and train."
"Even you?" He asked.
"Yes." She nodded. "Even me."
"And why Beacon?" Jaune asked. This question had been nagging at him for some time. All of his sisters got to choose which of the magic academies they went to- Beacon, Haven, Shade, or Atlas- but Jaune had Beacon chosen for him.
"Jaune, do you want to go to another academy?" She asked. "Beacon was only a suggestion, but if you want to go to Shade, or Haven, or Atlas, I will allow you."
"No no!" Jaune held up his hands. "Beacon's fine. I'm okay with that. I just… I want to know why I didn't get to choose."
Azura smiled softly. Her electric blue eyes held something Jaune couldn't decipher. She placed her hand delicately on her son's cheek.
"Given your..." she paused, trying to find the right word, "unique situation, I thought Beacon would be the best choice for you." She explained. "Your father and I went to Beacon." She pointed out. "And so many of the people there are my friends or people I trust dearly. Headmaster Ozpin. Glynda. Port. Oobleck. Beacon is a school that would help you overcome the hurdles you face better than any other school."
Even now, when he was almost a man, his mother was still looking out for him. Jaune had to admit, it did feel kind of nice. He also felt at ease by her words.
"Thanks mom." He hugged her. Even though he had massive shoes to fill, Jaune was thankful that his family- especially his mother- was always there for him. They didn't let their reputations go to their heads.
"Head back to the house." Azura instructed. "Dinner's ready. And I'm sure your father and sisters want to make sure they say their goodbyes. I just can't believe it." She squeezed him in her arms. "My son is leaving for Beacon tomorrow."
"Okay okay." Jaune rolled his eyes at his mother's attachment. He smiled nonetheless and returned her hug. When the two parted, Jaune turned around and ran back to their house. Azura was about to follow right behind him when she stopped mid-step. Up ahead, a lone crow with red eyes flew above her. It landed behind her, turning into a man with red eyes, spiky charcoal hair, and a stubbly face.
"What do you want Qrow?" Azura asked, not turning around to face him.
"You know, you really shouldn't baby the kid Azura." Qrow ignored her question. "Especially if he's going to be a warrior."
"All his life, Jaune has had self-esteem and confidence issues." She remarked bitterly, feeling guilty, as if she somehow caused them. "Forgive me for trying to be a good mother and build him up."
It wasn't that Azura hated Qrow Branwe. Far from it. Of the little group assembled by Ozpin, Qrow and Azura were probably the closest of friends. However, this was too close to her home. Azura didn't want her family to know about Qrow and Ozpin and the others and what they had done. She wanted to protect them from their darker aspects of her life. She had to. The last time she'd let the two aspects of her life mix, it had almost cost Jaune... Regardless, Qrow should have known better.
"What do you want Qrow?" She asked again.
"I just came by to deliver some news." He told her. "I just finished talking to Tai. Apparently, Ruby's aura has awakened."
Azura's blue eyes widened. She spun around, turning to face her friend. "What!?" She asked. "Already? But she's fifteen! That shouldn't have happened for two more years!"
"I spoke with Oz on the matter." Qrow shrugged. "He seems to believe that it happened because of the Blood Moon last night. Regardless of the reason, she's going to Beacon. And she's going to be in the same class as your son."
"No." Azura mumbled under her breath. "I was really counting on those two extra years. I was hoping Jaune would be better prepared. He's not ready for that right now."
"They'll be in the same class." Qrow pointed out. "They can help each other learn."
"No, you don't understand!" Azura burst out. "Jaune isn't ready to be her guardian yet. He barely has a handle on his magic as it is."
"So?" Qrow asked. "Neither does Ruby."
"But it's different with Jaune." She closed her eyes, feeling the tears beginning to well. It was a memory she didn't like bringing up. "Do you..." she took a deep breath, trying not to cry, "do you remember that mission we went on two years ago?" She asked.
"Of course." Qrow nodded. "Grimm were spawning close to a town of non-magical beings. We were sent in to stop them."
"Jaune was fifteen at the time." Azura nodded. "I thought it would be a simple extermination mission. But we missed one." She said. "I didn't realize it at the time, but a Geist had managed to hide itself on me. When I got home, it revealed itself." The tears finally spilled as she continued to remember. "Before I managed to stop it, it almost killed Jaune." She gasped. "In order to save him, I had to force his aura to awaken. It was the only way to sustain his injuries."
"His awakening was premature." Qrow realized.
"Yes." She finally opened her eyes. "And because of that, his magical ability has suffered. I've watched him over the past two years. While his aura is extraordinary, his magical ability, as of right now, is sub-par. That's why I'm so worried. I don't want Jaune to fail Ruby the way I failed Summer."
"You didn't fail Summer." Qrow pulled Azura into his arms. The blonde was like a sister to him. "And besides, we made sure that what we faced would never be a problem again."
"I just feel like Jaune's not ready for the responsibility he has to inherit." She said. She pulled out of Qrow's arms and wiped her eyes.
"Relax." Qrow spoke with a reassuring tone. "Jaune and Ruby are going to go to Beacon. They'll learn to develop their skills together. They'll become a formidable duo. And I'm sure Jaune will do you proud."
"You're in an awfully optimistic mood Qrow." Azura cracked a small smile. "That's so unlike you."
Qrow shrugged again. "I guess I got up on the right side of the bed today." He grinned. "Now go back to your place. Enjoy your family. And make sure Jaune is ready for tomorrow."
And, with that, Qrow shapeshifted back into his namesake and flew off into the sky. Azura turned around and made her way back to her home.
So there was originally going to be another section to this chapter. Ultimately, however, I decided to add it to the next chapter. Even though my story is an AU, and doesn't take place within the canon of the show, I still want to follow the CNR with my OCs. I'm sure many of you saw the theme; Jaune's father and his sisters are all named after minerals and gemstones. And before anyone asks, yes I am aware of the coincidence, but no, I do not watch Steven Universe.
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