Disclaimer: I own neither the series nor the characters.
"Finally done!"
Jaune Arc, prophet in training, looked over his finished work. A wooden board was attached to the wall in front of him. More importantly, various wooden plaques hung from the board. Just a few weeks back, only few moldy pieces of wood took up the space.
Just this night alone, Jaune had filled up a whole row.
Each piece on the board signified not only a job well done but also that his small home town was starting to trust in him and the gods he was shilling a little more. It was a point of pride for the boy at this point, the only other being the almost rebuilt shrine that he had worked on for weeks already.
Yes, a lot of the jobs he had been given were mundane tasks that definitely were not worth a lot of people's time but it was still nice to be useful. Also, he was starting to suspect that the older folk were calling him up simply so they'd have someone to talk to.
After training (or getting beaten up), he'd place the newly finished plaques on the board followed by deciding which to do tomorrow. This had somehow become the last part of his day.
Already, there were quite a stack of unfinished wishes left by his side which he needed to look through.
Jaune sat down as he picked one up.
It read, "Please milk the cows."
He picked up another one.
"The television won't change its channel"
He picked up another one.
"World peace would be nice..."
"Ugh." Jaune groaned. As usual, he wasn't sure if the increased number of requests meant the townspeople were taking him more seriously or not.
"Just what animal's death cry are you imitating this time?"
Jaune looked up from his exasperation to find Darkness floating next to him. The unamused look on her face was offset by the bright pink donut she was holding up to her mouth. Extra sprinkles too.
It was a gift from this morning's request to help clean some chicken coops. While they never asked for any rewards, the people Jaune helped out were often nice enough to give Light some sort of payment, mainly snacks. It was almost a shame then that Darkness was the one who benefited from this the most.
In reply, Jaune held up the wooden plaques.
After training, normally, the two would just head home but there were more requests than Jaune had expected so he had taken the time to look through each of them. There was no way he was bringing these things to his room as there'd be a good chance he'd just lose some of them. Best they remain here.
"Ah, those. Nothing I can help with then."
"Well..."
"It is your job as our prophet to link the humanity to those beyond them while it is our job to help humans who go out of their way to ask for our help. No matter how mundane."
"Even if it's just chores?"
"That's why you're here."
Just from her tone, Jaune knew Darkness' interest had disappeared. The long-haired goddess bit into her donut, ending the conversation. She laid back, lazily floating in the air next to Jaune as she continued to chew into her snack.
Jaune glanced for a second to the floating goddess, his mouth tightening. For a while now, he had been wondering if she had been feeling left out. She always had that same glazed over look whenever he talked about the requests of the townspeople. While Jaune felt a little bad for her, from his perspective, he and Light did the work while Darkness got the rewards. It seemed pretty fair. And it wasn't as if the two (mainly himself) didn't spend most of the night training.
As Jaune thought about what to do, the last request caught his eye.
"Hey, Darkness." The blonde turned back to the goddess who was mid-bite in another pastry. "Do you mind if we cancel training for tomorrow?"
It was only because she was a god that Darkness did not drop the food from her mouth.
Like most villages that bordered the outskirts of the kingdom, Jaune's home town set a certain day where various stands could gather at the town square and sell things to the townspeople. It also provided an opportunity for the locals to exhibit local goods to visiting merchants.
All around, both local products and popular merchandise were on display for people to see. The smell of fried potato and various sweets was only heightened by the warm sun above. The good weather helped explain the noisy chatter all around as merchants invited potential customers while others haggled for lower prices.
The weekend bazaar.
Jaune hated the weekend bazaar.
In the past, this was the only place he could think of to hand out flyers for his religion. Back then, no one took any notice of him. Add to two bickering gods as his only company in the hot summer sun and you had a very unpleasant experience.
These days, he actually wouldn't say he hated it. This change of heart was only because he didn't have to hand out flyers anymore.
Light did.
And boy, did it make him feel like a failure.
"Can I have a flyer?"
"Yes! Thank you very much!"
"Miss Light! Here's a drink if you're feeling thirsty."
"Perhaps later. I do appreciate the thought. Please take a flyer."
"Excuse me, but do you accept checks for donations."
"Thank you but we only take lien. Please take a flyer."
The short haired goddess was brighter than the sun above as she handed out the flyers Jaune had once made as if they were hard earned lien. Where were these wayward souls when he was doing it?
A small wooden box stayed at her feet with a small sign that read "Donations". If things went anything like last week, it was already full.
As Light continued to effortlessly hand out flyers to the shrine, Jaune couldn't help but feel like she was the better prophet between them. He was sure the townspeople treated the two of them differently and he couldn't even blame them. The goddess of light had an odd aura that made him want to respect her, almost instinctively.
Well, it wasn't like he gave her flyer duty only because he was bad it. No, Jaune had a mission as he browsed through the different stands of the bazaar.
Jaune made his way through the bustling crowd of shoppers and merchants, taking select time to browse each merchant's wares. Some local ones even greeted him, recognizing him from when he had helped them in the past. Jaune waved back but rarely stayed too long for chitchat.
It was only after finding his way to the very edge of the square when Jaune saw a small book stand, decorated with bookshelves out in the open. It was at the edge of one of the bookshelves that Jaune found what he wanted.
"Name's Tukson. What can I get you for?" A dark haired man stood behind a selection of books. Some Jaune recognized as popular best sellers while others he had never heard of. There were even some comic books on sale. However, none of them were what Jaune wanted. Instead, it was something behind the man.
"Actually, I was wondering if you're willing to sell your tarp." Jaune pointed to the large cloth folded at the back. Because the bazaar was in an open town square, it wasn't unusual for some of the stands to bring tarps in case of rain. It was something
"Well, it doesn't look like it's going to rain soon..." The dark haired man looked to be thinking things over. At least he was considering which was the furthest Jaune had come so far. Finally, Tukson spoke up while patting the book collection in front of him. "Tell you what. I'll give you the tarp but you have to buy this whole collection of encyclopedias."
Jaune looked at the price tag. His eyes almost shot out of their sockets from how many figures it was. It wasn't just one but a whole set of books that some would say made obsolete due to the presence of the internet. It definitely wasn't worth the price of a single tarp but this was the closest he had gotten this week.
It was then with a heavy heart (and hole in his wallet) that Jaune then spoke up.
"Alright, I'll buy them."
Tukson blinked. "Really?"
"Yeah." Jaune nodded as he brought out a rough worn out wallet. Contrary to its appearance, it was also stacked with lien. Since he had started helping the town, the male Arc had found no real use for his allowance. He'd normally spend them on snacks or games. However, the townspeople gave him free snacks regularly plus took up his a lot of his gaming time.
Light also seemed to draw in donations really easily which she always handed to him.
For a fifteen year old, handling that sort of money actually had Jaune make sure he only spent things for the shrine. Just thinking of spending donations on himself sent waves of guilt through him.
Buying a set of encyclopedias for the roof was a fair enough trade. It didn't set him off compared to buying snacks for Darkness with the hard earned money of the older residents he helped.
After counting the lien, the shopkeeper placed the large tarp next to a set of heavy looking books. With a rope, he then tied the two pieces of merchandise together to present in front of Jaune.
"Pleasure doing business." As the shopkeeper pocketed Jaune's money, the boy looked over the tarp he had just bought. Sure, it cost him quite a bit but this meant he could finally finish with the shrine's repairs. Yes, it was practically a bandage over a hole but Jaune would take what he could get.
"Oh yeah." The man suddenly spoke up again. "By the way, I've heard around the place that people are worshiping the Two Brothers here."
Tukson's sudden inquiry caused Jaune to look up at the man. A hint of pride blossomed in Jaune's chest. He then replied with an excited smile. "Yeah. Actually, I've been heading their revival. We even have a local shrine here if you want to pray to them. Although, I still need to patch up the roof with this tarp over here."
His words actually made the man pause. Hard hazel eyes stared down at Jaune's own causing the boy to take a step back. The dark irises within them were sharp as they dug into his skull. It was almost like being stared down by the local stray cat.
Jaune dared to swallow and he swore he could feel the stare digging into his jugular.
"You're not...a faunus, are you?"
The unexpectedness of the question caught Jaune off-guard. He could barely sputter out a reply.
"Nope! Not at all!." A pause. "Not that there's anything wrong with that! I mean, one of my sister's boyfriend is a faunus and-"
"Relax, kid." Tukson raised a hand. He sighed as he shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't mean it in that way. The Two Brothers is just a touchy subject for the faunus."
"Really?" The would be prophet blinked in confusion. He honestly had no idea although, to be fair, he didn't know too much on the faunus. His town was small in that, while the people did not turn away fauna , they also didn't go out of their way to know about them. "Is it okay if I ask why?"
Again, the man stared at him. Although this time, it was more of incredulity. He looked too shocked that Jaune didn't know something to show anything else.
"You do know how the tale of the Brothers went, right?" Tukson then recounted the fairy tale Jaune knew all too well. "So, once again, what did the God of Light create?"
"Living things."
"And the God of Darkness?"
"Grimm. And stuff like diseases and calamities, right?"
"And, together, both created humans." Jaune nodded at Tukson's repetition. It was then the older man leaned closer to Jaune, staring him in the eyes once more.
"Now, while humans and even Grimm are mentioned, haven't you noticed that fauna aren't mentioned at all?"
Jaune's mouth slowly opened, an answer about to leave but none came. Instead, his mouth was left agape as one hand slowly reached up to rub his chin.
"Huh." Now that he thought about it, why weren't Fauna mentioned? He made a mental note to ask either sibling later. "I never really thought about it."
"The answer is simple." Tukson folded his arm across his chest. An odd agitation was spread across his face. "Initially, the tale was thought to have originated in Mistral. Most fairy tales were used to teach children about something. Here, it was like faunus weren't even worth being part of humanity's origin story."
"I..." Jaune was speechless. Was he actually now part of a speciest cult? Then again, he never recalled either god ever mentioning the faunus. "I mean, we're not like-"
"Save it. I didn't mean to question you all." Once again, Tukon raised a hand which shut away anything that was about to leave Jaune's mouth. This time, instead of agitation, annoyance was on the man's expression. "Besides, that's not the whole story."
What did the man mean by whole story? Jaune tried to think about it more before he remembered Tukson's earlier question. "You asked if I was a faunus...but why would a faunus believe in the Brothers if they denied their existence."
"This may surprise you but there have been recent archaeological discoveries depicting even older versions of the tale from past civilizations. Yet, they were different in one aspect." Tukson paused and almost whispered the next words. "The gods had horns."
"Horns." Jaune immediately made the connection. "Then that means...!"
"That's right." A feral grin spread across the Tukson's mouth sending goosebumps through Jaune's skin. Yet, what was more dangerous were the man's following words. "For some, this showed it wasn't that the faunus weren't created, it's just that they were always there from the beginning. There are others that even believe that faunus are the true gods compared to humans."
Jaune had no reply. Of course, he knew that wasn't true. The gods before him were real. They weren't fauna. Then what was this bad feeling he was getting in his stomach?
"This has made the Two Brothers popular for both faunus and people from Atlas even if the two believe different interpretations. Some of the more extreme believers have actually caused some clashes with the White Fang and-" Tukson stopped himself as he realized he was rambling and seeing the clear distress on the boy's face.
"The takeaway here is that everyone has their own interpretation." The man patted Jaune's shoulder. "I'm sure your town's belief in the Brothers is as valid as their own."
"Y-yeah. I mean, sure." Jaune forced the conversation in the back of his head. His hand idly reached for his pocket. "Actually, I should have a flyer here."
"How about I swing by the shrine later?" Tukson offered instead. "You said you needed to patch up the roof? I can help you with that."
"Really?"
"It's all anyone here is talking about so color me curious." The man shrugged. "I'm leaving tomorrow so I'll try to stop by in the morning."
"That'd really help me out!" Immediately, the blonde's mood was back. It was the first time anyone (mortal) had offered to help him out. "I'll be waiting then."
"See you, then."
Taking the rolled up tarp and his pile of books, Jaune left the stand with his head held a bit higher. This was the first time he'd convince someone to visit the shrine. Sure, he wasn't the one that suggested it but he did agree. That had to count for something. For once, he actually felt like the prophet he was supposed to be.
Now, if only he could make progress on the other front...
It was a hot afternoon.
The sun above had never bothered Light as she did her usual cleaning of the shrine. With a wet rag in hand, she scrubbed each planked up wall with ease. She had been pleased to hear from Jaune that he finally procured materials to finish repairing the shrine. While Light actually never minded the hole in the ceiling, she also understood how the unpredictable the weather could be as she did design the system.
The building was looking much better than before. Yes, it may not have held up to the previous temples she had experienced back when she was still conscious as the sword of the Arc ancestors but, for some odd reason, Light found the patched work shrine very charming.
The goddess didn't even need to use Knowledge to remember each repair Jaune and her had done. Having omniscience revoked paradoxically made each memory she made easier to remember. For example, the one she was wiping away now was on a day they both had helped herd some cattle.
It was simple enough as the bovine instinctively listened to her guidance. They were also given the day's fresh milk. Light had found her body respond positively to the sweet taste. She would have drank it all if Jaune had not set aside a bottle for her sibling.
It was just another of the days that had passed since she had gained this body.
Speaking of which, as it was, as Jaune dubbed it, "Literal crowdfunding day", they had not done any requests since most of the morning was spent at the weekend market.
While it was good work to see people taking up the faith, Light still could not help but be worried the whole morning about the planned activity later. A buzz of an unknown emotion trembled at the back of her head which she had been trying to ignore the whole morning.
Shaking her head, Light's red eyes sought a blond mop of hair, finding it immediately.
She walked to where she saw her prophet standing. Jaune stared up at a large beast of a statue. It would have frightened most with how realistic the detailing on it was. Light would sometimes find Jaune doing as he did now, staring up at the statue, as if looking for some guidance from it.
Silently, Light moved next to Jaune. She was content to patiently wait
"It's called a Shiisa."
"Hmm?" Light turned to the blonde who suddenly spoke up.
"Two i's and a's. I've actually been reading up on this." Jaune explained. Who knew encyclopedias could contain information? "They're statues meant to protect an area."
Light followed his gaze up to the statue's fierce face. "I can see why."
"Hey, Light." Jaune continued. "Do you remember why you created these?"
"I suppose you could say they were also created for protection." Light replied. "To be more specific, I created these flame lions for the sole purpose of cleansing the air."
"Huh?"
"Back then, the atmosphere of this planet wasn't as habitable. Not to mention Darkness had just unleashed some sort of poisonous smog on the planet." The goddess nodded her head and then pointed to the statue's stone flames. "The fire of this beast was special. It cleansed the that it fed of, burning away all impurities. These beasts would regularly stay in one spot until the air was clean before travelling elsewhere."
"That's pretty cool." The awe in Jaune's eyes seemed to have increased as he stared up at the statue. "I hope there are more left in the world."
"I can not say. It had been a long time since I myself had seen one. I'm even surprised one still existed." Light then tapped her bottom lip, a little perplexed. "I can't recall ever giving them the ability to turn into statues however."
Jaune just hummed back, still staring up at the statue.
Once more, the once God of Light wondered what thoughts were going on through the human before her. Was he comparing himself to the guardian before him? Was he remembering the promise they had shared and the duty bestowed upon him? Was he scared?
The God of Light had never felt fear for anything in the past. After all, the being had never grown attached to any of his creation. Whether it was the constant destruction dulling the loss or just the ability to replace whatever was destroyed immediately, Creation had the god always look to the future. What was another civilization collapsing when another one could be made in place?
Light felt the pressure in her head worsen. Unconsciously, her hands squeezed the rag they were holding, wringing any excess water in it.
"Jaune, about tonight perhaps we can do the task while the sun is up. You may be too tired to do it by night fall."
"Don't worry, Light. I'm still up for it."
"I see..." Light closed her eyes, sighing. Even for a being blessed with Knowledge, humans would continue to act outside what she expected. She also did not need her powers to know there was no dissuading her prophet. "I wish you and Darkness the best of luck, then."
"Leave it to me."
Jaune replied, not once turning his gaze away from the stoned behemoth.
It would have surprised those that knew her (basically two people) but Darkness wasn't that fond of the dark.
Yes, she had been known as "the God of Darkness" but it wasn't like she named herself such a thing. It wasn't even that she gained her powers from the dark. It was actually closer to say that the concept of darkness came from her rather than that she was a being of darkness.
In any case, while Darkness didn't hate the dark, that didn't mean she necessarily loved it. One of the limitations she had soon found in taking a human form was that humans couldn't see in the dark unlike Light's other creations. Well, that was also her fault for wanting to create them that way.
Still, such past decisions had started to hinder her so she had used some of her power to be able to let her body see in the dark. Her prophet actually could see in the dark as well thanks to their link but had failed to realize it yet. He just seemed to have assumed most people could read and train in total darkness.
Total darkness being one of the best ways to describe the nights in the small town.
It was most obvious in the forest they were currently exploring. It was a few ways from the shrine with a thick layer of foilage provided by the tall thick trees around the. Any human that would have looked up would find the leaf ceiling covering most of the night sky's stars, the only source of light that could be found in the silent forest.
Darkness also knew the humans had created artificial lamps that covered their buildings but it seemed there was barely any in the backwater town the human resided in which made the night feel less than the lack of sunlight and more like a creeping fog that threatened to swallow everything in its path.
Of course, the darkness couldn't do such a thing. The creatures it brought, however, were a different story.
And these creatures were the very reason they were out here.
"Human. You are too tense." Her sudden words may have accidentally spooked him but then again, the night had been dead quiet besides the small rustling of the leaves and the steps the boy's footwear made on the hard ground.
"Sorry." The human apologized though his tone revealed just how little his mind went to the apology. His eyes darted from side to side and his arm had yet to lower the sword he held in front of him. His back was hunched over, spine coiled. Most of his attention was clearly on the mission on hand.
If Darkness knew he'd be this nervous, she'd have never agreed to this in the first place.
Last night, the boy had received a request asking to eliminate some Grimm in the forest next to the shrine. He had been excited to do it and, while Light didn't support the idea, Darkness had decided it would also be a good test for his combat abilities.
Plus, she could always use more power.
She had even gotten a little excited in finally leaving the shrine. Darkness was never an outside person like her sister, more of the "I'll stay in the goop" type, but even she wanted to see some new sights.
However, the constant fidgeting of this young human was spoiling her solemn atmosphere.
Something had to be done.
"Human. Halt!"
"What is it?! Is there a Grimm nearby? W-where is it?"
"The only thing you're going to hurt is yourself. Put down my sibling for a moment and look at me."
"But the Grimm..."
"Have not appeared since we began this trek." finished Darkness as she waited for the blonde boy to calm down. Eventually, he lowered his sword and stood up straight though he still occasionally glanced to the nearby dark shrubbery. "Now, tell me what's the matter."
"What do you mean?"
"You are acting like a lamb about to be offered to my sibling." Darkness crossed her arms and leaned back to sit on the air beneath her. "Be thankful that you are getting advice from a being of my stature."
"Oh...uh...thanks. I think." Jaune rubbed the back of his head, looking as grateful as anyone would to be compared to an animal sacrifice. He hesitated for a moment but Darkness' piercing emerald eyes did not allow him to hide away like the eve he was. "I guess I'm just nervous."
"Have you not bested my creations before?"
"That's different!" Jaune corrected himself immediately seeing a raised eyebrow."I mean, it's not that the Goo aren't difficult but these are Grimm! Wild ones that won't pull their punches."
"Are you saying my creatures weren't?"Darkness then reminded Jaune that he had yet to reach the fifth successive Goo. The furthest he had gotten was the fourth one before he would surrender. "Perhaps my sibling was right. It may have been too early for you."
"No! I can do this! Even without your help!"
Jaune's voice rang especially through the dark empty forest. It was the image of a prophet yelling defiantly to their god or, what most would see, a fifteen year old boy yelling at a thirteen year old girl.
The boy's eyes were closed so he couldn't see Darkness' face. For a split second, he felt terror. He had just yelled at a god! Not just any god but the one he was supposed to help. Before he could even do anything, he heard a sigh.
Not one of disappointment or even of resignation but a small sigh.
"Child of man, whatever goal your mind is set on, do not forget your role in this existence nor ours. Even as our prophet."
The blonde felt something on his arm. He thought Darkness was touching it but when his eyes opened he only saw a shield strapped to his arm.
It had been a long time since he'd been alone.
Walking through the silent dark forest made it impossible to keep track of the time. The rigid tenseness in his muscles had long since passed leaving only a tired exhaustion.
It didn't take Jaune too long (or was it too short?) to find a Grimm or, perhaps, it was more accurate that a Grimm found him.
The Grimm was big. Bigger than him even if he tip toed. A white bony skull covered what Jaune assumed was a head. White spikes jutted out where limbs should be. It was hard enough to even see an outline with how its dark body blended into the night.
It had the shape of a large bear yet undoubtedly the eyes of a monster: Luminous red eyes with a yellow glow.
They locked onto Jaune's own. The darkness that shadowed its large body shifted as it turned to him. A low growl reached his bones.
This was a Grimm. He didn't know what it was called but this was definitely what oppressed humanity for all its existence. This was what the beast had constantly fought. This was what Jaune needed to overcome to be strong.
The would-be hunter readied himself.
Jaune raised his weapon, sword in one hand and shield in the other.
The Grimm rushed, not wasting even a moment. It's heavy gait brought pounding footsteps as it rushed at Jaune with the intent to maul his body. Its speed was something that its large body did not suggest.
It was much faster than Jaune imagined it to be as it reached striking distance in the span of seconds. A deadly claw was already raised, as if crashing its brute body wasn't enough to send the boy flying.
With a silver arc, Jaune sent its arm flying in the opposite direction. His blade cut through the Grimm with no resistance. It was as if he was cutting through air. Another slash and the Grimm was already bisected.
The cut parts flew behind Jaune, still carrying the Grimm's initial momentum. They hit a nearby three with a thud. A moment later, both dark flesh and white bone dissolved into a black dust that floated towards Jaune's unused shield. The ash disappeared into the shield, as if being absorbed by the guard.
After a moment of silence, Jaune finally released his breath. He took a moment to look around and, seeing as there was no other Grimm, placed his sword back into his shield and turned it into a sheathe to carry.
There was only one thought going through his mind: 'Was that it?'
Was that all he had been worked up about? It made all of his previous nervousness so silly in hindsight. He thought he needed magic, training, or some definite, tangible power-up but here he had defeated a Grimm in less than a minute . Plus, it also had to be an epic to the death battle with exchanged blows and flashy attacks.
The moment that solidified becoming the hunter he wanted to be.
Yet, that was it.
Jaune hadn't been told by Darkness but she constantly increased the strength of the Goo he had fought, both in speed and power. That was what training meant after all. Plus, the constant movement of the small Goos meant he only ever attacked after they launched themselves at him. While Jaune had never learned how to truly fight yet, he knew knew how to counterattack.
Such a thing could only have been learned through constant training with little visible progression over a long amount of time.
In short, something a flippant teenager like Jaune would never be satisfied with or understand.
Seeing no reason to stay any longer, the blonde started to make his way back to the shrine.
The trek back to the shrine was silent.
The ambience was almost suffocating. No birds or insects made any noise. Only the rustling of the winds kept him company.
Any excitement or adrenaline had long since passed leaving only a very tired teenager. Jaune didn't even have the energy to think about the discontent with his previous fight. It just felt like something was missing.
Even when he had accomplished small things like repairing a wall or even remembering to buy pastries, he'd feel a sense of accomplishment. It definitely was in contrast when he helped out the people of the town.
Even when they used him as free labor, he still felt something more than when he had defeated his first real Grimm. The first goo he had beaten felt more "real" than that.
Unconsciously, Jaune's hand hovered over his sword's hilt. His thumb rubbed the top of the hilt.
His gaze went up to the moon. The shattered remains of the celestial object stared back at him, a soft white light lighting up the top of the trees above. He tried to remember something his father once told him about following stars to get back home but it was evading his mind.
None of the stars looked the same, although, there was something else he noticed. A dark pillar was rising from nearby.
Was there some sort of bonfire happening in town?
No, Jaune would have remembered something like that. Besides, it seemed too close by to be the town itself. The only building nearby would be the shrine.
At least, he found his way back but then why would there be smoke coming from the shrine? He was the only one (for now) who visited it. after all. If there was smoke than that meant there was-
Abandoning any previous thoughts, Jaune started to run.
He ran as fast as his legs could go. He didn't even need to think about where he was going as the large pillar of smoke was enough of a direction. Worse was that the closer he ran, the brighter the forest got.
Even in between ragged breaths, his mouth tasted like the smoke that trailed from his sister's cigarettes. The smell was almost just as bad, a musty smell of burnt food.
The more he ran, the more the answer became obvious, the the dark feeling in his gut started to grow.
When Jaune finally got the the shrine grounds, he was already out of breath. It was even more draining than fighting the earlier bear Grimm. He had pushed himself further than any of his previous training sessions. He would have fallen to the ground from the sheer exhaustion if the image before him hadn't frozen his body.
The shrine was burning.
The building he, Light, and Darkness had spent weeks repairing was lit like a fiery bonfire. The wooden walls he had fixed burned a glowing red. The entrance he had always rested by now only showed a hot inferno within.
The fire was thankfully still contained within the building as it hadn't burned through the roof yet to reach any nearby trees but it was only a matter of time before the flames would finish eating away the walls to collapse the old shack.
Everything inside, from the cleaning tools that had stocked up, to the pile of snacks he usually left in a corner , to his plaques-
"The requests!" He coughed as the smoke got into his mouth, the ashy taste invading his taste.
More than anything else, those wooden pieces were the very proof of his accomplishments to help the town. They were a symbol that the townspeople had started to acknowledge him and now they were trapped in the burning building.
The very thought had Jaune almost leap into the building itself. Only a sudden intense roar of flame kept him standing back. With shaking knees, he stepped away. He had no idea if his very little aura would protect him but from the way his skin could feel the prickling heat even from this far back he knew it wouldn't be painless.
"Damn it!" Jaune cursed as he tried to think of what to do. There was no source of water nearby as the grounds' well was already long dried up. He had never thought of even leaving a fire extinguisher by the shrine. If he tried to run to town, he didn't know if he'd make it or if the fire would get even worse and spread through the forest. There wasn't even any signal in the area so his scroll was useless.
Was his best hope to really just hope the townspeople would notice the rising smoke? When it was this dark and late at night?
As Jaune desperately tried to think of a solution, the fire before him continued to burn even faster. He could feel the sweat on his face drip, not just from the heat. The very thing he had promised to protect was burning right before his eyes and there was nothing he could do.
"Some hero I turned out to be..." He had broken his promise to keep the shrine safe just to satisfy his ego. While it would be more logical to think there was no relation, Jaune still couldn't help but think if how this was his fault. If he hadn't gone out Grimm hunting, maybe he could have prevented all this.
Now, the shrine was destroyed, the requests of the townspeople burned, and his word broken. Why did he even think he could do this all by himself?
As Jaune swallowed his self-loathing, there was a loud crash as some of the walls of the shrine started to collapse. On reaction, his body stepped back, an arm shielding his face. Realizing he had to do something, anything, his hand reached down for his scroll only to bump into something else.
He hadn't even realized he was carrying it with him.
It was a small piece of wood.
Jaune froze as he slowly cupped the item in his hands.
Looking at the blank plaque that he had read so many requests on made him remember Darkness' previous words to him.
"It is your job as our prophet to link the humanity to those beyond them while it is our job to help humans who go out of their way to ask for our help. No matter how mundane."
That was right. How could he have forgotten?
He had gotten so caught up in finally becoming a hero, of becoming strong, and proving himself that he had forgotten something important.
He didn't have to do things alone anymore.
Whenever he tried to do something, he always rejected the help of his sisters. He had thought that he needed to do it himself, to be better than them. If accepted their help, especially when they were better at it than he was, it would be his loss.
This was the same with all the past times too. He rejected Violet's attempts at looking at his poetry. He said no to Olive's offer to learn guitar. He denied the twins' application to his dance crew.
When he wanted to be a hero, he didn't once ask help from the two godly beings that were with him. He had asked for magic and abilities but had he ever asked for help?
Just as with the other towns people that he had helped in the past. as long as one was willing to ask for help, they would be given it. Including him
Bowing his head, Jaune held the plaque close to his chest. He closed his eyes and, for the first time in his life, prayed.
"Please save this shrine."
It was as if something in his soul clicked, a missing piece that had fallen into place. Anyone else looking in would have seen a white flash that dwarfed even the flames of the burning shine.
Whatever happened, Jaune wasn't unaffected as he felt his consciousness start to dim as it felt like his aura was being overwhelmed by an immense amount of pressure.
Wobbling for a moment, Jaune's body fell forward surrounded by hot smoke.
Right as Jaune's head was about to hit the stone floor below, it stopped. His whole body had become prone, floating in the air, before it turned around and gently fell to the floor.
"Really, just what is this human thinking." Darkness shook her head as she stared down at the fainted prophet. "To think we couldn't go one day without rest."
She turned to the back of a figure next to her that was not supposed to be there.
Her sibling stood silent, watching the harsh flames burn the shrine they had spent weeks patching up with Jaune.
For a moment, Darkness found her right hand reaching out to her sibling but caught herself, instead balling it into a fist by her side. A flare of annoyance brushed past her chest which was only fanned by the flames before her.
Darkness coughed and looked away from the shrine and her sibling before trying to speak up again. "It's nothing worse than what I've done."
Her somewhat insensitive words seemingly broke the illusion before her as Light turned to Darkness with a tired smile.
"True. It's almost nostalgic really." Light turned back to the sight that had frozen her.
Her sister was right. She should have been used to this by now. Everything she built was meant to be destroyed after all. Just why was she getting so...upset? Was that what this emotion was?
She has had entire species wiped out so why was this lifeless shrine so different?
The God of Light felt something in her eye. Her human body forced itself to blink from the obstruction. Was the smoke getting in them?
The short haired goddess raised her hand to wipe the obstruction in her eyes only to find it curled into a hard shaking fist.
She stared at the tense fist quizzically before releasing a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, bringing with it Knowledge she needed.
As per usual, an explanation immediately filled her head which she gave voice to.
"It was Jaune. It seems his soul had done something to connect the two of us." Light closed her ruby eyes, feeling the bridge between the two. Her power was connected to another source by a very thin band. The identities were obvious. "If I could recall, humans had called this Semblance, correct?"
The two had seen their fair share of semblances in the past. While they had always known the new humanity could do such a thing, the gods had not expected it to this degree. Maybe, not even within the realms of magic.
"To think a human soul could perform such a feat," hummed Darkness as she too closed her own emerald eyes. While both had already become linked to his soul, the human had somehow created a bridge between the two gods anchored to his being.
She could feel her abilities yet somehow also feel her sibling's own. It was a type of intimacy she never had nor frankly wanted with her opposite.
Instead of pooling within her, power flowed outward while, at the same time, more power flowed in from elsewhere.
There shouldn't have been any real loss or gain and yet...
"Normally, doing what the boy wants should not have been possible at this point even with the two of us."
"True. Somehow, Jaune's link was not just additive but multiplicative."
The swirl of power between the two contained the same amount they both had but the flow and exchange of Faith between them was somehow making it stronger.
Their combined power was still a scoff amount compared to the past. Just like how Jaune's aura was practically nonexistent compared to a regular hunters, their powers combined were minimal. Then again, any number would pale compared to infinity.
Besides, what they had was more than enough for what was needed.
For a moment, the two allowed the cycle to run and empower itself. Power was take but never held onto. Faith was given but never returned
Give and take. Create and Destroy. Light and Darkness.
"Really, when was the last time we've worked together?"
"It was those relics of yours. That still felt like a century ago."
"Ah, yes, those."
Light took another deep breath before she finally opened her eyes. Gone was any hardness and sorrow. Silver eyes, the color of moonlight, stared down a burning shrine.
"Now then, I believe we've been asked of something."
"He'd better be grateful." Darkness' eyes opened as well. Her scathing tone was ruined by the excitement shining in glowing purple eyes. "He was moping around the whole day."
It would have been easy for the two to just tell him to pray to them but they had their reasons. Light wanted the thought and knowledge to be from Jaune realized himself, not given to him, while Darkness wanted the human to make his own choice, void of any influence.
If any of Jaune's sisters knew, they'd say Light was just too shy while Darkness couldn't be honest with herself. Truly, the intentions of Gods may have been too complex for the human heart.
Light lifted her hand and pointed her palm to the burning building. Across her, Darkness mirrored the pose.
One chose to create.
One chose to destroy.
As one, for the sake of a single human, the two chose to rebuild.
To remove the unnecessary pieces and add the integral parts. To take down the old and bring up the new. To destroy then create then destroy then create until the cycle was unneeded.
Not since a time immemorial, two voices proclaimed as one.
As a boy slept, two gods performed a new genesis within a nameless forest.
"Finally done!"
Jaune leaned back from the large statue. The white cloth he had been using was splotched with dark spots. It wasn't even the first one as the others were practically black cloth now. He threw it to the bucket next to him.
In front of him, the stone lion statue was practically shining as much a rock statue could.
It had been a week since the fire and Jaune had spent most of that time cleaning the charred statue. When he had come to, Jaune had found not a single wooden plaque had been damaged or charred from the flames. Comparatively, the statue had been fully covered by black charred stains.
'Thanks, big guy' Jaune patted the leg of the stone beast fondly. There was, obviously, no reply from the statue but Jaune liked to think he heard a gruff growl.
Next time, it'd be his turn.
"Jaune!"
Jaune turned to the sound of the voice. Light had arrived with an attire he was getting more used to: an apron and a broom. Compared to him, her red eyes sparkled with energy.
"Oh, Light! Are you done with the cleaning?"
"Not yet," Light answered. "It's much larger than before."
"Well, whose fault was that?"
The goddess giggled, not looking regretful in the slightest. Her off-put reply only had Jaune sigh.
When he had woken up that night of the fire, he had found not the remains of a charred shrine but a brand new one. Where once stood a patched-up small shrine now had a brand new one. The insides were the same but the walls and roof was replaced with obsidian stone walls and glowing wood. Most of the structure was dark to purple but was accented with a golden structure.
While it did wow him the first few times, he soon learned that having such nice materials meant that maintainace was harder than ever. Scrubbing the dark marble, making sure the wood was glowing, the whole scale of it made cleaning the place just as hard as rebuilding the old one.
It was a shame he missed that shopkeeper's reaction as Jaune had only woken up the following day's afternoon. He bet the new shrine was something that shopkeeper hadn't been expecting.
He had also found a lot of gifts from the townsfolk. Apparently, they had all been planning to head to the shrine when they noticed the signs of a fire. Light and Darkness had both dispersed so they ofund an unconscious blonde with two weapons next to him and a large newly built shrine. They were the ones who had helped him back to his home.
He did receive a large scolding form his mother when he woke up after her initial hug of relief. Everyone had assumed that Jaune had started the fire to burn down the old shrine's wood.
"Oh!" Light looked at him expectantly. "I can feel your aura is back now."
"Yeah." Jaune happily nodded. "I was really worried for a while but it's made things much easier."
For the past week, Jaune couldn't pull up his aura at all. No matter what he did, it couldn't be called up. That had not only worried him but also made him realize just how much he relied on even that tiny amount to boost his body. It was only after Darkness had reassured him it would come back that he calmed down.
Sure, he had apparently gained a semblance but it had left him with no aura for a week. It wasn't even like he had much, if any, to begin with.
Besides, he was going to learn magic anyways. Once he beat those five Goos anyways.
"Oh. that's right!" Light reached into the pocket of her apron to hand Jaune a ripped piece of fabric. "I found this while cleaning. It may be a hint towards the culprit."
Jaune's expression grew serious as he examined the possible evidence. He had thought long and hard on the reason why the shrine had burned down. Yes, it was practically a fire hazard back then but he doubted it was just a stray spark.
The cloth revealed what looked to be a logo. A weird sharp blocky shape with a thunderbolt-like crack at the edge. There was also a line designed to be a hole at the center. It almost looked like the shape of an animal's head.
"I have no clue what this is."
Jaune shook his head and sighed before pocketing the cloth. To begin with, he didn't even know if this was just litter. If someone did burn down the shrine, would they really leave their logo? Maybe as a message to not mess with them but Jaune had doubts.
"Rather than think of a possible perpetrator, I believe it would be best to prevent such a thing from happening." Light offered instead.
"That's true. At least, it's something." Jaune agreed. Besides, when he brought it up with Darkness, the dark deity simply replied that there were too many possible enemies to worry about a single one. In fact, he should probably start to expect this sort of thing to happen every week or so.
People, and especially Gods, became extraterritorial when religion got involved.
That she then implied Jaune would be doing his own shrine burnings in the future made Jaune realize he'd get no help from his shield.
Jaune had then went to Light on finding the perpetrator but they had decided to use their gathered Faith in Knowledge of something else. A future protector for the shrine.
"Unfortunately. I have not been able to glimpse the location of any of the relics." Light spoke up once more. "However, I have found an alternative."
"Go on..." Intrigued, Jaune urged her to continue.
"I located what I believe to be a pool of creation. It's a small one but it definitely contains my previous power." Light's eyes narrowed, almost in concentration. She must have been confirming the image in her head. "It may not be equal to gaining a relic but it should be enough energy to give life to the stone statue once more."
"Then that's good enough for me." Jaune smiled. That was there main plan. What they wanted was a guardian for the shrine and there was a perfect one within their grasp already. "Good job, Light."
"You're welcome." Light beamed at the praise however her eyes hardened as she said her next words. "Let us make sure our shrine will not fall again."
"Definitely." Jaune agreed, resolute. "By the way, I hope it's not too far away. I don't want to leave the shrine alone any longer than a week."
"I understand. Thankfully, it's rather close to our location. I believe you humans currently call the land, Patch."
AN: Took me a week to write all this and remember how to write.
Jaune's semblance is actually still the same. It's still Aura Amplification but he can't really give any aura since he's always giving it to the gods. Since Jaune's semblance also seems to link his aura with another, he's still doing the "linking" only with the two gods attached to his soul.
Real excited for the RWBY Fairy Tales book. Hoping for more insight on the gods' tale. Apparently the Crown of Choice makes you see the future so I actually got it right last chapter where Choice has a destiny element.