Wraith

Chapter Four

Beta: Smithrooks

Quiet

Vale, present day…

The girls of team RWBY scattered as the icy-looking creation of Jaune ignited the street around them, Weiss being supported by Blake as they dodged the fires.

The creation was silent, its mouth closed but still held firmly as she roasted anything in her path. The creator was less quiet however, "MORE! I NEED MORE!" he screamed as he stared at Weiss, sickly yellow eyes narrowed in desire. "The other is still there! Still INSIDE!"

He darted towards Weiss, intent on ripping her soul out and gorging himself. But just as he drew near Blake lashed out with her blackened katana towards his throat, and as expected the sword was repelled by his aura; but Nihilus didn't stop, moving closer and closer.

But Weiss wasn't defenceless. As soon as he drew near she slammed her rapier into his chest; the stab was blocked by aura, but momentum still carried him backwards.

Sudden anger overtook the desire and hunger that had eclipsed his face moments ago, a furious rage at being denied the one thing that he wished for the most. "No!" he cried, his flames dancing across his fingertips. "I need it! I need to summon! She's still in there! Still lying! WHY WON'T SHE STOP LYING TO ME?!"

Less than a fraction of a second later two massive plumes of flame shot out of his hands towards Blake and Weiss, the burning heat so intense that the pavement beneath their feet began to melt.

The girls were saved just in the nick of time by Ruby, who pulled them from the fire moments before it consumed them. But Jaune wasn't done; the ground shifted beneath their feet as stone and dirt bent to his command. Rough pillars of stone shot upwards and slammed into Ruby, Blake and Weiss, forcing them into the air where they couldn't defend themselves.

The icy copy of Cinder turned towards the now marginally defenceless huntresses and shot a gust of fire at them, all while Jaune's unseeing sickly yellow eyes glared daggers at the girls.

Their salvation came in the form of Yang, who tackled the ice Cinder to the ground and slammed her fists into its face over and over again.

"NO!" Nihilus cried, his eyes snapping to Yang in an instant. "I won't let you hurt her!" Lightning crackled up his arms as he lashed out at Yang, yellow eyes wide with fear and anger.

His energized fists slammed into Yang moments before she was able to destroy the aura construct; the armoured girl was sent rocketing backwards with lightning dancing across her armour. "I can't go back!" Jaune cried, his hands now running over the construct, slowly repairing the damage.

"I can't go back…"

Bullets sped towards him, but were dismissed with a wave of his hand. The ground shook as glowing fire burned around his eyes, showing a fury that seemed to rattle the souls of the girls watching. "I CAN'T GO BACK! I WON'T GO BACK! I WILL BE FREE!"

The ground rumbled dangerously as he rose into the air, the icy Cinder held firmly in his hands. Fire spewed forth from his body and charred the ground beneath him as his sickly yellow eyes burnt with mad fury that was solely directed to the armoured girls beneath him. "You don't understand!" he spat, white hair whipping about wildly in the waves of burning hot air. "She wouldn't stop screaming!"

The earth shook once again as the pavement shattered under the anger of the self-proclaimed lord. None of RWBY were able to keep steady footing as stone shifted beneath them, and fire burnt the air around them.

But fortunately for them, it seemed like Jaune was done for the day; his rage was quickly fading into pitiful sobs of agony and torment as he hovered in the air. Tears leaked down his face, and the fires that spewed from his body began to wane. "I need her gone…" he whispered as he rose higher in the air, before his head snapped to the side and he screeched," SHUT UP! You're DEAD! Leave me ALONE!"

The armoured girls of RWBY could hardly blink before he disappeared; a blinding flash, a black fire, and he rocketed away faster than they could follow.

"Well fuck," Yang spat from the ground, her burning red eyes glaring daggers into the now empty sky.

Ruby sighed, it seems that they had lost again. "Hang tight girls," she commented as she pulled her scroll out, "I'm calling Ozpin, he'll know what to do now…"

The others could only nod despondently. They had failed.


Beacon, present day…

"What. The. Fuck?"

The young and newly formed team RWBY stared at the television screen in shock. Yang's question surmised all their collective thoughts perfectly as they tried to comprehend the absolute chaos they had just watched.

Classes had been unexpectedly cut short during their first combat class with Professor Goodwitch; it had been in the middle of a bout when her scroll rang, and shortly after she had ended the class and escaped as if they were all diseased. All that was slightly surprising, but the day only got stranger when what seemed like the entire Valean military had showed up at Beacon, looking like they were ready to kill at a moment's notice.

Then rumours started cropping up that Goodwitch was in the infirmary for extreme aura depletion; but she carried no noticeable injuries, it was almost like her aura just drained itself for no reason at all.

All this was strange and slightly freaky, but it got so much worse when reports started coming in from Vale that some freak was somehow walking around and killing people without so much as touching them; all it left were withered husks that looked more like skeletons than people.

That had been about ten minutes ago now, and still news reporters were having a field day ripping the hunters to shreds over the utter failure to stop the freak. An entire city block had been practically levelled by whatever that thing was, and the damage was estimated to be somewhere in the thousands… all that, and they still didn't know what the hell that… man… was.

The girls of RWBY had recoiled in shock and disgust when they had shown pictures of the foul man that had caused the destruction; the snow-white skin and hair standing in sharp contrast to the tattered black robes and sickly yellow eyes, the foul look that marred its face, the evil way it conducted itself…

"What on Remnant was that thing?" Weiss questioned, her previous anger at Ruby overridden in the face of the creature that had assaulted Vale.

"I… I think it could have been a man…" Blake replied hesitantly from her bunk, her amber eyes narrowed as she tried to puzzle it out in her mind.

"Nuh-uh," Ruby denied as she cuddled up to Yang on the elder sister's bed, "That thing looked more like a Grimm than a person."

"Well, I think that-" Yang started, but was cut off by Weiss who pointed to the television and exclaimed, "Look! Professor Ozpin is giving a statement!"

The aged man was standing in the screen, obviously somewhere in Vale and surrounded by cameras and microphones as he spoke calmly to the many reporters. "People of Vale, I beg of you, please remain calm."

"Calm?!" one particularly pushy reporter cried, his face red with outrage. "How can we remain calm in the face of a monster that defeated your precious hunters so easily?"

Ozpin retained his composure, seemingly unruffled by the anger of the reporter, "That was no monster, it was but a man. A hunter that has strayed from the path of good, and fallen from grace."

"A hunter?" a different, and much calmer reporter questioned, "Did you know this man?"

"We had met briefly in the past; he was a kind and noble soul," the aged headmaster sighed as the noise around him grew quiet to listen to his words. "But who he used to be is long since gone now, consumed by the madness that now plagues his mind."

"Who was he? How was he so powerful?"

The silver-haired man seemed to grow older as the questions continued, his gaze becoming slightly distant. "I shall not say his name, but know this: his semblance is to consume the aura of others, it is imperative that if faced with him you flee as soon as possible."

"But why? The reporter pressed, holding the microphone to the headmaster's face, "Who is this man? How did he gain a semblance so powerful?"

"This man is the Lord of Hunger," Ozpin returned flatly, "beyond that I will say no more."

Questions blared towards the headmaster, but all too soon he had vacated the scene, leaving the reporters to work out what the hell was going on.

The four girls of RWBY were almost mute with shock, all trying to wrap their heads around the idea that a rogue hunter could drain their souls out to steal their power? That… that was heavy.

"Oh god…" Blake's words summarised what they were all thinking.


Beacon, many years ago…

Jaune stood on the metal plate identical to the dozens of other prospective students around him, his cheery grin still firmly in place as he looked over the Emerald Forest that stretched out below the cliffs.

The headmaster looked completely serene as he faced the students, sipping his coffee slowly as his eyes slowly went from one student to another. Jaune was too far absorbed in his own thoughts to notice the man pause when his eyes landed on him; a moment's consideration, then continued looking at the prospective students. "For years, all of you have trained to be hunters, and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

The scary blonde woman with glasses and a cape that stood beside Ozpin took over from the headmaster seamlessly, "No doubt all of you have heard rumours about teams, allow me to put an end to all speculation. You will be given teammates. Today."

Jaune just nodded, that made sense. Get them all working together earlier…

Ozpin took over again, very faint traces of amusement glittering behind his eyes. "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time at Beacon, so it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

Jaune's jaw almost hit the ground. What kind of system was that? That was insane!

Apparently Jaune wasn't the only one that thought this system was rather questionable; several people down the line made similar cries of shock and outrage. But neither of the professors seemed to care; Ozpin looked almost amused, but Goodwitch looked utterly apathetic.

After letting the shock die out Ozpin continued speaking, looking for all the world as if he were talking about the weather. "After you have found a partner, make your way to the northern end of the forest. But remember: the forest is teeming with Grimm. You must slay them, or you will die."

Suddenly Jaune wasn't feeling too good about this whole 'being a hunter' thing, perhaps being a farmer could work out better for him…

"At the northern end of the forest is an abandoned temple that contains several relics. You and your partner shall take one relic, then attempt to return to the base of this cliff. We will grade you appropriately for the duration of this test, so do your very best." The headmaster paused to sip his coffee, a content look on his face. "Now, are there any questions?"

Immediately Jaune thrust his hand into the air, two things prominently on his mind: how exactly were they getting down there, and what drugs had Ozpin taken this morning? Oh, and where he could get them.

"Excellent! Take your positions everyone."

Jaune's eye twitched. The guy hadn't even acknowledged him! Well he'd show him! Time to display the vaunted Arc courage!

"U-um s-sir?"

Fiddlesticks! Curse my stutter…

"Yes, Mister Arc?"

Down the line somewhere there was an ominous sounding click.

"How… how exactly are we getting down there? Is there like, a staircase or something?" please god let there be a staircase…

"No. You will be falling.

Fuck! "O-oh…" he was so screwed… "So are you gonna hand out parachutes or something?"

Down the line the other students were being thrown into the air, the mechanical pads they were on showing how dastardly they truly were.

"You will be using your own landing strategy."

Jaune could almost feel the grin behind those words, the bastard… "Right… so what exactly is a landing strategy? I don't-" whatever else Jaune was going to say was cut off when he found himself being hurled through the air, while letting out what he hoped was a manly scream.

Jaune couldn't do anything, he was so afraid. He was totally going to die! When he hit the ground he'd become a pizza, he didn't want to be a pizza!

If only he'd listened to his parents and become a farmer or something…

But Jaune's rather understandable fears of becoming distinctly flatter were proven moot a moment later, when a red and gold spear came out of nowhere and pinned him to a tree.

In that single moment, Jaune wished that he had just been allowed to hit the ground instead.

His screams of anguish echoed around the entire forest as he weakly gripped the spear that was jammed in his shoulder. The pain was unlike anything he had ever felt before; molten hot agony seared through his left arm and chest as the cold and unfeeling metal held him to the tree. His cries of pain slowly turned into a plea for help. "Help…! Please! Anyone!"

But only silence returned his begging.

Tears and snot leaked down his face; why would anyone do this to him? They were meant to fight Grimm, not each other!

After what felt like an eternity some nearby bushes rustled as someone, or something, made its way closer to him.

Distantly, Jaune knew it could be the Grimm, or worse, the person that did this to him. But he didn't care, the pain was almost too much to bear; he needed help.

But fortune smiled on Jaune for once in his life, and it wasn't Grimm. Instead he was greeted by the sight of a tall boy with copper-coloured hair and heavy metal armour that had a bird emblem on its chest.

The boy looked at him in distaste, his indigo eyes narrowing on Jaune and then widening slightly upon seeing the spear jammed in his shoulder. "What the hell happened to you?" the boy demanded, "that's Nikos' spear."

Jaune sobbed, his pain too intense to really try answering the question. "Please…"

The bigger boy snorted in disdain at Jaune's apparent weakness, but regardless of that he moved forwards and firmly grasped the shaft of the spear. With one quick yank and a muffled scream from Jaune, the spear came loose and was tossed to the ground.

Jaune slumped into the grass beside the spear and clutched his bloody shoulder, sobs still racking his frame.

But the other boy was having none of it; instead he grasped Jaune by the shoulders and forced him to his eye level. "Why didn't your aura protect you?" he demanded of his new partner.

"Aura?" Jaune questioned though his sobs, the pain was too much…

The boy blinked in surprise, shocked that the idiot before him didn't know about aura. "You moron, how did you even get accepted without knowing about aura?"

Jaune sobbed and clutched his wounded shoulder to try and stop the blood flow.

The armoured boy sighed explosively, and lowered Jaune to the ground before placing a single hand on Jaune's mop of messy blonde hair. "Close your eyes and concentrate you moron."

Jaune tried to obey the command, but the pain was almost too much to bear…

"For it is in our passing that we achieve immortality, by our example we become a symbol of power for others to follow. Masterful in skill, supreme in power, I release your soul. By my hand I give thee this power."

The old words shook loose Jaune's soul, and despite the pain that still clawed at his shoulder, Jaune had never felt so strong before. He wanted more of this power.

A/N

So… yeah Jaune is partners with Cardin. Maybe that's why he's a total dick in the present? Or maybe there is something deeper at work behind that...

So the point of divergence is with Pyrrha. All the stuff that happened in the 'many years ago…' sections are identical to what happened in the present, except that in the present Pyrrha didn't miss.

You're probably wondering what exactly caused the change… and let me tell you, it's not exciting. It wasn't a super epic reason or anything… ready to hear it? Drum roll please…

A mosquito flew past as Pyrrha was aiming.

That's it.

Just a mosquito.

The Lord of Hunger, the dozens of deaths… all because of some irrelevant little bug that was swatted away like it didn't matter. How could that have changed things? Well Pyrrha likely just twitched a little to rid herself of the bug, it's not really her fault…

That aside let's see the reviews:

blaiseingfire:

Thanks for reviewing.

Haha, that's the reaction I was looking for.

Toddem Mach:

Thanks for reviewing.

Shit indeed!

Tobi14:

Thanks for reviewing.

I hardly think Jaune hacked his way into Beacon, I suspect it's more likely that as he said in canon, he 'got his hands on' some blank transcripts.

As for the Schnee semblance… well, people wouldn't really care since the Schnee family provide the very thing that keeps the world running.

SonicFanFlame:

Thanks for reviewing.

Good, empathising with Jaune, or Nihilus as the case may be, is going to be an important aspect later.

Also haha funny pun.

Yes the wizard did have the power originally, but as I understand it he changed it all when he gave it to the original Maidens; making it an exclusively female ability.

As for absorbing himself… well, you'll see.


Well thanks for reading, and don't forget to leave a review!