Arc II: The Knight Life
Chapter 16: Ours Alone To Bear
The clear water's surface rippled lightly as a breeze drifted gently through the valley, the small pool reflecting a brightly lit day with equally clear blue skies. In older times, the creatures of the forest would stop by to rest in the glade and drink, all under the protection of the light spirit that cast its watchful eye throughout the woods that bore its name.
And now the tranquility of the spring, existing only in spiritual memory, was littered with the remnants of monsters dead and decaying, water, mud and sand splashing as two blades clashed in a fury of speed and steel.
With a grunt, Jaune sidestepped to avoid Link's thrust, who then ducked under a retaliatory swing and rushed into the opening the younger blonde left. Driving the edge of his shield into his gut below the armour, Jaune fell back with a pained yell and stumbled back, bringing up his own shield to bear the brunt of Link's shock-and-awe. His balance stabilized somewhat as he fell back into a slightly deeper section of the spring. Link crouched back and jumped forward, aiming to slice Jaune's face with his knight's blade, but the former sidestepped just in time. Panting, he kicked out in desperation, meeting Link's nigh-impenetrable guard, and leapt backwards off the shield right before he deflected and thrust out with his sword.
Landing on the bank of the spring, Jaune quickly brought Crocea Mors up as Link effortlessly dashed through the water, nearly buckling under a powerful strike. Rather than lose in a contest of strength, he lashed out from the side and stepped forward, Link chambering the blow and immediately leaning back as Jaune's sword grated alongside his to try and impale the underside of his chin. Swiftly and simultaneously Link used the momentum to backflip in place, kicking his jaw and disarming him with a satisfying oof. He then jumped forward with his elbow, Aura sparking as he landed a solid hit to stun Jaune's neck and delivered a devastating spin attack that sent him flying past the bank and into the grass.
Coughing and hacking, Jaune furrowed his brow and rolled to the side with a cry as Link slammed into the ground where he was just seconds ago, grabbing a smaller and slightly rusted sword from one of the blue Lizalfos he trained against earlier, and staggered after taking another strike from the side. Gritting his teeth, he allowed Link to slowly push him back with multiple parries and dodges, waiting for that perfect opportunity - one that he saw after backflipping from a horizontal swing.
Triforce flaring, he dashed forward with enhanced speed and strength, ready to deliver several fast and brutal blows -
And cried out in shock as Link grunted and with greater strength than he anticipated, reflected his initial strike in a shower of sparks by meeting it head on with his shield, and simultaneously stabbed forward straight and true, deep into his gut and breaking the last of his Aura.
Jaune fell down with a pained groan, clutching the point of impact below his armour. Grateful as he and every Huntsman out there was for Aura, it sure didn't numb all the pain, especially now that his was all but spent. A low gasp escaped his lips as Link's blade came to rest beside his jugular, and when he looked up, his mentor held a look that might've held some regard but was mostly tainted with disapproval. Jaune flinched as he drove his sword into the soft earth next to him.
"Hmm. Your movement was decent, and you took advantage of the wide open space around us."
Jaune grunted as he pushed himself off the grass, meeting his mentor's impassive gaze. "And where did I go wrong...?"
"You held yourself well. You saw the need to conduct a fighting retreat against superior odds," Link breathed, retrieving his sword and flicking some of the grime off. "It was through a disparity in experience that you lost, something that I will not criticize you for. Only that you continue training and fighting to the best of your ability."
"And my best wasn't enough," Jaune groaned, wincing as he gingerly touched his abdomen and walked over to the shade of a tree beside the bank.
"Yes, not against me," his mentor agreed, walking over to lean on the same tree. "But adequate against the Grimm. Against Bokoblins and Lizalfos, many of whom you bested with little effort here. Do continue to hone your tactical mind as well, however. Your penchant for quick, strategic thinking on the fly served you well thus far."
His thoughts returned to the food fight the previous day, and how he managed to even the scales with an heiress who, by all means held the advantage in martial prowess and technique. It spoke volumes as Weiss wasn't a powerhouse like Pyrrha or Yang amongst their group of friends, preferring a more precise, almost surgical approach with her fencing, but if this was a faster-than-expected sign of improvement then by the Brothers he'd take whatever he can get.
...he'd forever remember the look of pie filled fury on her face as she murderously stalked after him, at least. Scared as he was in the moment, it was a damn funny sight to see. If only he captured that look on his scroll.
"Can't argue with that," he chuckled, fingers idly running across his stolen weapon. He tossed it into the spring, a small splash being the only disturbance in an otherwise increasingly peaceful glen. "Guess it did help with Weiss. Thanks for that, by the way. Raise the standard so high and everything else almost seems easy by comparison. Like I'm pretty sure I got better at dodging and moving around because you're so blindingly fast to begin with. Only Ruby can hope to out-speed you in a fight."
Link grunted. "Her Semblance can be a liability, even if it is her greatest asset. Fighting is more than just strength, Jaune. It is the speed of the mind to adapt and think ahead to best apply the skills you've learned."
He looked up to see his mentor gazing out across the glade. "Yeah? So how would you fight Ruby, then?"
"Her speed gives her an offensive advantage and an easier time controlling the battle space. She also has effective range with her weapon's...what do you call it? A sniper rifle?"
Jaune nodded. "Yeah. She can shoot different types of ammo too."
"And have you noticed how she relies quite heavily on her weapon?"
He replied with a quizzical look, to which Link idly twirled his sword in front of him, keenly inspecting the edges of the blade for any dents or chips. "In the few instances we have seen her fight, she makes almost no use of any form of direct hand to hand combat, given the length and functions of her scythe. So disarm her with well timed parries and force her to stop darting in and out. Seek to reduce her movement; disable her legs if need be."
Confusion was quickly replaced with a small spark of anger as he narrowed his eyes. "As if I'd do that to her."
"Perhaps, but you asked what I would do. What's to say that your enemies wouldn't do the same?"
Silence was his reply, pushing away the visual thoughts of doing that in their nigh daily spars. Ugly and dirty as it was, he was quickly, if hesitatingly starting to learn that perhaps honour wouldn't always win the day. It was one of the first words the Headmaster said to him as well; knowledge differs from experience, and as much as he forced himself to deny it, training with Link and his trials from both spars and the outside world proved time and time again that doing whatever it takes to win would not always equate to a clean, heroic experience.
And who found it pleasant to force themselves to admit the truth when all he wanted was to just try and follow what he wanted his dreams to be like?
"You're troubled."
Link startled him out of his thoughts. "O-oh, um, sorry, did you say something?"
"An observation," he replied, walking off to where Crocea Mors lay and retrieving it. Giving it a few experimental swings, Link nodded and turned to face him, leaning on the blade and adopting a pose that vaguely reminded him of Professor Ozpin. "What ails you?"
"Ugh. Do you really want to force me and say it?"
"I kinda have a feeling that you already know."
"Perhaps, but though it seems otherwise I would rather not interrogate you. Nevertheless, keeping your troubles bottled up only compounds the problem."
"Well, in that case, where do I start?" Jaune retorted sarcastically, leaning back. "Monsters in Forever Fall and then the docks. The White Fang and Roman Torchwick working together, and now apparently they're smuggling the Malice which creates said monsters. All the while we have the knowledge of what exactly we're dealing with, and yet...I know what you said. If I blurted this all out it wouldn't go so well either," he finished, taking out his canteen and gulping a much needed swig of water. "I want to tell them, but...I just don't know how. My friends are starting to get suspicious, not to mention Ozpin himself. How exactly can I help while keeping a secret that I can't hold on forever while not looking suspicious?"
"You can't."
He couldn't help but gape in disbelief as the words were delivered with the grace of an Ursa piloting a Bullhead.
"W-what?"
Link ignored him at first, walking instead to sit on a rock facing him. He gently laid Crocea Mors on his lap, all the while Jaune struggled to keep his frustration from bubbling up to the surface.
"Maybe I didn't hear you right. What do you exactly mean by that? Maybe there's some sort of plan of attack here or -"
"You heard correctly, Jaune. You must do your utmost best to not share information with anyone right now."
He groaned and threw an arm up in the air. "So what exactly do I do? I have no excuse to explain all this away, and all the while more and more monsters keep appearing. What if, I don't know, Pyrrha, or Weiss or Ren fall to one of those things? What if someone gets hurt because I held back? I would be responsible for their deaths!"
Link held up a hand and closed his eyes. "Take a seat, Jaune. Let me finish."
As the haze of anger dissipated, he found himself surprised to be almost fully standing up over his sitting teacher, and fell back down against the tree.
"No. Just...I don't know. I can't. Link, they...they have to know. I can't keep quiet about this."
"I agree. Realistically speaking, this charade will not last forever," he sighed, straightening his back and leveling his piercing gaze at him once more. "Tell me. We have, in previous sessions, talked about some of your predecessors, no?"
Jaune slowly nodded, remembering some of the stories. The last time they talked about it, he found the tale of the the Hero of Twilight and his quest to be one of his favourites, although they had glanced over several others in sessions since then - one was the Hero of Winds, who sailed a sea that drowned the land of the gods below, and another being the Awakened Hero that slew a wizard of evil intent on resurrecting a sealed demon king.
"My immediate successor was known as the Hero of the Sky. Long before the royal family established dominion over Hyrule, the people of lands were sent to live atop on islands above the clouds."
"Like those in Mistral?"
"...something like that. Before even he became the Hero, he lived happily and carefree, consigned to a life of adventure soaring through the skies."
Jaune narrowed his eyes. "Until...?"
"His best friend fell below the clouds, forcefully drawn through with dark, arcane magic. And just like the other heroes, he then followed after her to stop at nothing less than ensuring her safety and rescue."
He pushed past the oncoming visions of vast blue skies, endless clouds and a girl his age, encased within a crystalline, amber cocoon within a sealed temple. "And what exactly caused her to fall? What were they fighting against? How exactly can you telling me this help my friends!?"
"Though it was not his true name, Demise was the moniker given by the ancient peoples to the demon god that invaded the realm of the Golden Three and sealed by myself and Hylia," Link continued, standing back up as Jaune froze at the familiar mention of a name he never heard before. "His best friend was known as Zelda, the mortal reincarnation of the Goddess of Time as was my successor an incarnation of me. Demise kidnapped Zelda since as Hylia, she guarded the Triforce from his evil designs and in the ensuing war saw myself killed and her near death in order to seal him."
"The Hero of the Sky and the Princess slew him with the Master Sword when he broke free, but this came at a cost: he cursed our spirit and her blood descendants to be forever hunted by his own incarnations of malice and wrath. To be reborn as that ancient evil rears its head and send it back into the Dark World is why we exist. It is something that the Heroes and Princesses of many ages found that none of their friends could understand; once they returned to the skies no one but themselves knew of the truth behind the prophecies and the very weight of responsibility placed upon their shoulders."
Link walked forward and knelt down to place a hand on Jaune's shoulder, who had since drawn up and hugged his legs.
"You're seeing it, aren't you?"
"Y-yeah," Jaune breathed, looking up at him past the memories that weren't his - memories of blood, spirit and hatred. "I-is this really my...my fate? Destiny? The only reason I exist?"
"...you have your own life, but this is a duty you have no choice but to fulfill. The broken cycle of death and rebirth has been somehow restored, and no one alive knows the truth. The incursion of Malice and monsters presents an opportunity for others to discover more of this buried history, so yes, wait for now. As we learn more about the forces at play, it is up to you to find the best way to break the truth to your friends - and make no mistake, Jaune. They will help you, but no one except the Princess will ever truly know the burden that is ours alone to bear."
Jaune nodded, gulping air and leaning back once more. He was still reeling from the relative shock that came to asking what he honestly thought was a simple question. He could almost feel his shoulders slumping as if a heavy yoke was placed upon him, even as the very thought of his team and RWBY fighting the very evil he saw in his mind - hair of hottest flame, wicked sword to rip and tear - the Triforce pulsed once more as the sights came to pass, although, ironically, confusion also began to bubble up in his heart.
"I know this is much to take in, Jaune," Link continued with a softer, gentler tone. "But sugarcoating it does no favours for anyone. You would do well to remember that I am still here with you, and in every step of your journey."
He nodded more confidently, despite still being relatively shaken. "Right. Thanks, and...yeah, it's a lot to take in. To be honest, I have, like a million other questions I want to ask right now."
Link stood back up and looked to the side, Jaune following his line of sight as he idly noted the encroaching void of awakening. "I'm afraid we'll have to hold off on most of them tonight."
"Wait, couple of things though. Who exactly is the Princess, or reincarnation of Hylia or whatever? Right now on Remnant, I mean."
"I know not."
A chill ran down Jaune's spine. "What do you mean? How can you be so certain?"
"Be it through destiny or time, the Triforce has...bonded...for lack of better terms, to each of our very souls. Courage and Wisdom have been so inexplicably linked in the fight against the wielder of Power that it became possible to 'sense' the life or presence of the other, tantamount to a gut feeling or certain awareness you'd get in the back of your head. You have not received any of the sort, no?"
Jaune shook his head.
"Precisely. I have suspicions, but let me be clear. Something happened to the Princess of Destiny during the era of your predecessor which prevented her from reincarnating in this age. For the first time in all of our lifetimes, we stand alone against the ancient evil."
"Well. That's not totally ominous news, is it?"
He slowly nodded back and stood up, glancing at the void about to overtake the spring itself. "Okay, and one more thing. You said Demise was killed so what exactly are we facing, then? And does he have the Triforce of Power?"
Link nodded, stepping back and allowing himself to slowly fade into the oncoming darkness.
"He is the source of the Malice you've seen at the docks," Link's voice replied, echoing in the shadow. "Unlike the Princess, there is no doubt that this Calamity has returned; of this I am certain."
Jaune closed his eyes and sighed as the void reached and consumed him, sending him on the journey back to consciousness as Link's voice whispered in his mind.
"He has gone by many names and incarnations, but to us, he is simply known as Ganon."
()===|=====+
"...on this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression; one much more than where borders fell or who traded with whom, but about the very idea of individualism itself..." Pyrrha listened as Ozpin intoned to the assembly packed with the first year students from academies across Remnant. He was flanked by Professor Goodwitch and who she recognized as Ozpin's equal in rank - the leader of Atlas' military and Headmaster of its own academy, General Ironwood. He stood behind and to the side, parallel with the Deputy to Ozpin's right, gazing silently and sternly towards the audience. By merely standing there he exuded confidence, class and a commanding presence, idly making her wonder how a fight between the two Headmasters would look like.
The competitive spirit in her blood pulsed like wildfire at the thought.
"...and by giving their children names which were evocative of colour did they demonstrate their resolve to fight against tyranny," Ozpin continued, breaking her thoughts. "Mistral, Vacuo, Atlas and Beacon - you all stand here as their legacy, a unity of individual diversities fighting not against your fellow man or faunus, but against our true enemy, the Grimm. To that end, as the season of the Vytal Festival dawns upon us today we shall celebrate not with peace, as does the rest of the world; instead, we shall carry on the struggle of the Huntsmen and Huntresses who came before us. General?"
Ironwood curtly nodded as Ozpin withdrew, stepping up to the mic in his place. "You will each be assigned your very first mission in the field, under the supervision of a professional Huntsman. Some require you to stay in or near the city while others will take you far beyond its borders. These are to be staggered over the next several weeks, the final ones concluding days before the official start of the Festival. More details to follow shortly," he finished and gestured to the plethora of terminals set up along the walls, displaying lists of missions as various students began murmuring with their teams over what they could pick and choose.
All chatter died down when Ozpin returned and cleared his throat. "The majority begin at the start of next week, though you can choose a select, pressing few which begin tomorrow morning. Once all missions have come to pass, there will be a dance to celebrate and recognize your hard work before the beginning of the Festival. Most importantly, however, regardless of which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best."
Pyrrha felt herself move automatically alongside her team and RWBY as the school staff finished, the assembly hall once more echoing with applause and excited chatter. As they came by a terminal in the corner before other teams could claim it, Ruby rushed up and quickly began scrolling through the rather exhaustive list of potential missions.
"Ooh, there's so many to choose from! Grimm infestation near Sumire Village, directly south of Vale. Search and destroy a Sea Feilong on the coast north of Forever Fall. Ahh, I wish I could do them all!"
"And run yourself ragged? Do remember that we have our own mission with the White Fang and Roman Torchwick to consider," Weiss snarked, Ruby chuckling and scratching the back of her head in a move not unlike her blonde team leader's.
"But what exactly is our plan, then? It's not like we can just start asking random people where to find them," Yang piped up. "We'd look suspicious and stuff if we tried to do that."
"The fact that White Fang were seen with Torchwick downtown means that they have already established some sort of foothold in the city," Ren offered, eyes narrowed and rubbing his chin in thought. "If anything, we might not have to go far at all."
"There are several safehouses," Blake replied, slightly flinching as everyone immediately turned to look at her. "Not that it would lead to something for certain, though. Things most likely changed since I left the White Fang months ago."
"Better than nothing," Nora shrugged, strolling towards the terminal and selecting a mission located close to the industrial district. Typing 'JNPR' in the console, she pouted as the system replied that it was restricted to the upper years. After exhausting several other similar options, the ginger crossed her arms and huffed, looking as if the terminal would soon be introduced to Magnhild in a very upfront manner.
"Isn't there anything that we can do?"
"Perhaps we should expand our horizons," Pyrrha suggested, turning to Blake. "Do you know of any other place we could check out? Maybe outside the city?"
The cat faunus raised a finger before suddenly stopping herself and looking away.
"...Blake? What's the matter?"
"S-sorry. It's just that...well, I can think of one thing, but...I don't..."
"It may be the only lead we could get," Ruby supplied, eyes firm but pleading. "Please. We need to know."
Blake sighed before meeting her silver eyed gaze once more. "Right. I'm not certain, but it might work from a logical standpoint. Remember what Professor Oobleck went over in class yesterday?"
"Um, uh..."
"This is why you should not doze off in class," Weiss sighed and answered her instead. "We were talking about Valean history post Faunus Rights Revolution. Specifically, recent geopolitical attempts to...expand..."
"Mountain Glenn."
They all turned around to the leader of Team JNPR as he had, for the most part been silent up until now.
Yang raised an eyebrow. "Hold up a minute. You mean when they tried to tunnel through the Kanalet Mountains and expand across?"
"Yeah. I guess it'd make sense if they hid some sort of outpost in the ruins. It's not too far, it was overrun by Grimm and the tunnels were blocked off, so it'd be much harder to get there."
"Sounds like a plan, then," Ruby declared, turning back to the terminal and scrolling through the options. "Just gotta look for one in the southeast...ah! And...done!"
The terminal spat out the same reply as Nora's previous attempts.
Weiss groaned. "Wonderful. Any other ideas?"
"We mail ourselves there!"
"Well, that's one option," Ozpin agreed.
Ruby jumped in shock and they all turned to face the Headmaster approaching from the side with a tablet in hand. "Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first-year students, even though that particular region seems rather popular these days. In fact, I have the sneaking suspicion that you will all make your way there no matter which job you choose."
Pyrrha coughed and glanced around, noting the various expressions of embarrassment and fake innocence. Recovering clumsily, Ruby decided to take one for both teams and respond.
"Eh, whatever makes you say that?"
"I'm still curious to how you all found yourselves at the docks not too long ago, and I certainly do not wonder how much your situation is merely coincidence that you would also interrupt the White Fang mid operation," Ozpin shrugged, glancing at a red-faced Blake with a barely concealed, enigmatic smile.
"O-oh, um, well -"
"I doubt I will ever find the answers I am looking for," he continued, walking around and inspecting their search results on the terminal. "And so instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, perhaps it'd be best if they were a little bent, no?"
Ozpin tapped his fingers across his tablet and her expression widened as her scroll buzzed the moment he finished. Fishing it out, she noticed that her team was given a "Search and Destroy" type mission for Grimm in the quadrant directly southeast to where team RWBY attempted to go. It was more or less confirmed, judging from the similar looks of surprise amongst Ren, Nora and Jaune as they too followed suit and checked.
Ruby looked back up at him with a smile. "We won't let you down. Thanks, Professor."
"Do not thank me for this. I see potential in the eight of you, with your teamwork and persistence carrying you thus far. Do understand, however that what lies beyond the protection of the Kingdom will not care. Stay close to your Huntsmen at all times, and do exactly as they say. They can have you sent back if your skills prove to be unsatisfactory. Good luck," he nodded, sparing a glance for both Ruby and Jaune as he walked off.
"Well. That was strangely convenient," Yang offered after a few seconds, the eight of them beginning the return trip back to their dorms. "So when do we start?"
"According to what he just sent us, both our missions begin on the last week of missions," Blake answered as she studied her scroll, glancing at Pyrrha. "There will be some distance between us as you guys are a quadrant over, but if anything, this way we can cover more ground in case there are any supply routes from the southeast."
"It would probably be best if we shop for supplies beforehand as well," Weiss added. "We have quite some time to stock up and train, so we should ensure that we're fully prepared to head into the field."
Ren nodded. "Perhaps we should sit down and devise a plan of attack as well? Though we each have our own missions, if we can coordinate certain efforts..."
Pyrrha joined in on voicing agreement as they continued to walk, various ideas floating back and forth between each other. Seeing almost everybody occupied and claiming her chance, she slowly reduced her speed until she fell in step with her partner and team leader, having been content to remain silent and at the back of the group.
"Lien for your thoughts?"
Jaune shook his head as her words apparently brought him back to Remnant from whatever mental plane of existence it seemed he transcended to. She stifled a snort at the sight. "Huh? Sorry, what did you say?"
"Lien for your thoughts," she repeated and chuckled. "At this rate, you'd be replacing Ren as the silent one in our group."
"Ah, well, sorry," he replied with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head. "Have I been that quiet?"
Pyrrha shrugged. "A little bit more than usual."
The blonde momentarily glanced ahead at their group before turning back. "Well, Blake doesn't exactly have a book in front of her, and Ren's talking to Weiss. I'm surprised Nora hasn't killed her over her man yet."
"Really? Have you seen the way she'd glance at her when they'd talk for some time?"
He looked forward once more and noticed the plastic smile said ginger had pasted on her face. "Oh, Brothers. You don't think Nora would, like, cut the rope to Ruby's bed and collapse it on her at night...right?"
Pyrrha lightly slapped his arm and let out a small laugh at the mental picture of the vengeful Valkyrie claiming her due. "Jaune! Don't say that!"
"Heh heh, sorry. It's just kinda funny since she's actually one of the nicest people I've met."
She nodded, easily confirming his sentiment. "And the way she goes out of her way to take care of Ren and us is just simply...wholesome," she breathed, some of the humour dissipating and being replaced with a mellow fondness. Jaune followed suit, returning to his recently adopted silence as they rounded a corner down into the hallway where their dorms lay.
Pyrrha gulped, fighting to muster the courage to take the next step and ask.
"Our dorms are right there. If I ask in there it'll just draw everyone's attention. This is the last chance before we all go in."
With a sigh of determination she suddenly stopped and gently held a hand to his arm, stopping him as everyone else entered their dorm. She caught Ren, the last one outside their door glancing and giving her a subtle nod before gently closing it and leaving them both in relative solitude.
"Pyrrha?"
"Just ask, girl. Just listen to him."
"I, um, really hate to intrude...and all that," she began, turning to face him and taking in the increasing realization evident on his face. "But Jaune. Is everything okay?"
"Pyrrha, I'm fine -"
"You do realize that whenever people say that, it generally means the exact opposite, right?" she interrupted, offering a small, apologetic smile and a shrug. "That and you've been brooding over the past several days as well. Not just as your partner, but also as your friend, I've been getting quite concerned."
Jaune remained quiet for several seconds, taking in the muffled sounds of both teams within their dorm before quietly chuckling as he pieced the puzzle together. "Man, you guys are sneaky. Nora and Ren distracting them?"
Pyrrha shrugged again, though this time without the apologetic sentiment. "Something like that. We're all worried about you, and understand if you don't want to share it with Team RWBY, but...please. Whatever it is, let me help you. Just talk to me."
The blonde's amusement disappeared completely as he looked to the side, unable to meet her pleading eyes. She lightly bit her lip as she couldn't help but feel the seeds of anxiety begin to grow, watching stress, contemplation and frustration cross his face over the span of several seconds. It almost seemed like he was having an internal debate with himself, if the way he seemed to subtly shake at whatever mental argument came across his mind.
Right before she could call out to him again once more, Jaune looked back up with a mixture of worry, doubt and, with a small boost of confidence to her heart, hope. A few more seconds passed until her team leader eventually conceded, shoulders slumping as he sighed and turned to lean and sit against the wall.
"I...yeah, I guess I've been a bit more distant over the past couple of days. Not that I intended to be," he looked up with an honest expression, watching as she sat beside him. "Sometimes when you have a lot of things on your mind, you just kinda phase out, you know?"
Pyrrha nodded in agreement as he leaned back further. Several more seconds of silence passed until he suddenly turned to her with a troubled expression.
"...I guess it's just got me worried. The field trip and then the docks, I mean," he clarified as she raised a confused eyebrow. "Seeing monsters that aren't Grimm and all. Not too hard to beat, at least, but that beast back at field trip really opened my eyes too."
She resisted the urge to ask if that was the "Lynel" he mentioned in passing. "To what?"
"...about losing you guys," he breathed after a long pause. "I guess it hasn't really sunk in before, but looking back it's been the closest to life and death we've ever been. I know it's the job we signed up for and all, but after seeing more monsters at the docks, it made me realize that there will definitely be more of them. Stronger ones too, maybe even more so than any we've faced before. I guess I'm just scared of losing you guys."
"And you won't," she softly replied, gently nudging his shoulder with her own. "I agree with what you say. I've come to really like our team, Jaune, and I - we - won't let us go down so easily. We've beaten all we've faced so far, and we'll get stronger in time for sure. Enough to face whatever's out there."
Jaune stilled for several seconds before exhaling, though she was uncertain as to whether it was relief. Eventually he turned to look at her with a jaded stare that felt almost uncharacteristic of him; something fierce and hard, as if a man burdened with the fate of the world on his shoulders. Pyrrha saw the emotions he was trying so desperately to quash: not just worry and concern, but most importantly, fear. The fear of loss, the fear of expectation, and the one she could relate to the most - the fear of responsibility. If something happened to any of them, it would eventually wind its way back to him with all the 'what ifs' and things that could've been. It was a dangerous and destructive way of thinking that unfortunately came part and parcel with his position as team leader and selfless nature as a friend.
She grimaced as her heart yearned to comfort him, though his voice interrupted her thought process.
"Enough to face...anything?"
Pyrrha brought in and huddled her legs as she looked away, emphasis on the last word not unnoticed. "...there will always be something stronger than what we can face, Jaune. Sometimes all we can do is train as hard and best we can."
Jaune silently huffed. "And if even that's not enough?"
"Then you have us. You know how much I hate all the...public attention, but I wasn't always called the 'Invincible Girl'. I earned that name, even if it is a bit pretentious," she cringed, eliciting a small snort from the blonde. "Ren and Nora, too. They're tough and resilient to have made it all the way here with nothing but clothes on their backs."
"Pyrrha, I'm not doubting you, Ren or Nora," he amended, sitting up and crossing his legs. "It's just that...what if there was something out there that no one could have ever dreamed of or anticipated? What if we had to face something that none of us could've even thought of training for? Like, I don't know, what if a thousand of those beasts from the forest come crashing into Vale right now? That was tougher than any Grimm we've faced before, and we barely survived!"
She grew more worried as Jaune ranted with fear and urgency that she'd never seen nor thought to see come from her team leader. A small but increasingly widening pit of fear and suspicion began welling up in her stomach as he finished.
"Jaune...where is this coming from?"
"I..." he began, though it quietened off as he sighed and closed his eyes. Pyrrha watched him breathe slowly and deliberately, calming himself as they sat there in silence.
"I'm sorry."
At that she instinctively moved over to lean slightly on his shoulder. "There is nothing wrong with worrying about us. To be honest, I feel that there's something more, something else to this...but please, Jaune. Trust in yourself. You and all of us will get stronger as we train and grow, and yes, there will always be things that will prove to be more than you handle. Which is why we're here, for all of us - if my best isn't enough, I trust you to have my back."
Jaune looked back to her with a seemingly incredulous expression. "Really? You really would?"
"Yes, I would," she returned, a small smile beginning to form on her face. "Please, trust us to stand alongside you too. If your best isn't enough, then leave it to us. We're your friends first but we're also your team. Whatever comes, I'd rather we face it together than just leaving it to one person. Besides, we have our own lives and choices too. I would very much like to take part in the fun, thank you very much."
This time he let out a small, but genuine and grateful laugh. "I...I can't deny that. It'd be a bad day for anyone to get in the way of Nora and her smashing things."
"And Ren standing there silently taking it all in," she grinned, easing back into the wall and sighing. She almost jumped as she felt her scroll vibrate, quickly glancing through the text asking of their whereabouts.
"They're not about to send a search party, are they?" Jaune inquired, peering over.
"Don't give Nora or Ruby ideas," Pyrrha chuckled, pocketing it as they both stood up and stretched for a bit. Her lightheartedness died down somewhat as she turned to face him once more. "Jaune, I -"
"Don't worry, you've helped," he smiled back, straightening his posture to reflect his returning confidence. "There's still things I need to think about but I promise I won't be as scarce. Seriously...thanks. You're a really good friend, you know that?"
She grinned back despite feeling a small, surprising amount of...disappointment at that word, though she didn't have time to dwell on it as he suddenly enveloped her in a quick hug. A small blush dusted her cheeks as he then let go, having been too startled to muster enough motor control to reciprocate.
Annoyingly, Jaune himself seemed unaware of what he had done, instead wandering over to a nearby vending machine and dispensing a can with a more relaxed, distant expression on his face. Pyrrha regained her senses when he looked back at her with a questioning look, quickly declining the unsaid offer.
"It's fine, thank you. I'm pretty sure we still have some drinks back in our room."
"Probably, though we seriously need to consider getting a mini fridge," he chuckled, joining her as they walked back to their room. "I'd rather not have to walk all the way down here just to get one of these. Maybe before we go on the mission?"
"You are so lazy," she scoffed without any heat. "At this rate, you'll make me appreciate the fact that you can actually get out of bed in the first place."
Jaune snorted as he waited for her to fish out her scroll and unlock their room. "Bathroom breaks won't take themselves. Now that you mention it, I should also be awarded for even making it all the way down to Vale and back."
"Heh. Well, if you're willing to sit through the hours of getting a tattoo, then you deserve now more than ever." she laughed, opening the door, filling the hallway with the sounds of laughter from their friends.
Jaune froze and his face paled, though she failed to see it having already gone in before him. "Tattoo...?"
"Yeah, on the back of your left hand? Can't believe I've never noticed until now, with the way the dust glows in the dark and how you wear gloves even in uniform. I don't think I'd ever get one, but you need not be afraid about being open with it," she replied, entrance heralded by the various greetings from within. Ruby, Weiss, Yang and Nora were playing a tabletop game she recognized as Remnant: The Game, while Ren watched with passive interest and Blake lay propped up against a wall reading a book.
Jaune frantically checked his hand and did his best attempt at an innocent face as he fought to keep hidden the panic upon following in after her.
()===|=====+
"Ugh. I hate waiting."
Mercury's complaining was immediately cut off courtesy of a wallop from the side, and judging by the way Emerald reared her pillow back in anticipation of another snarky remark, perhaps her concentration would quickly go the way of her patience and flee the room like last vestiges of her sanity altogether.
"You know what? Here," Emerald replied, taking her wallet out and withdrawing ten lien. "Because I'm the second most generous person you've met, I'm willing to, get this - pay you - to seriously consider shutting the fuck up."
The grey haired teen helped himself off the floor and sat cross legged against a bookshelf, artificial limbs proudly on display. "Wait. Didn't you steal that from some student because you beat him up after he wouldn't leave you alone?"
She shrugged innocently. "Think of him making it up to me. And it can now be yours for the very, very low price of your dignity and five minutes of silence."
Mercury rubbed his chin in contemplation before turning back with an expression that suggested he had discovered the mysteries of life and the cosmos from whom the Brothers came from.
"You know what? I actually think I'll accept your offer," he declared, holding a hand out. Scoffing, Emerald leaned forward to give it to him but he quickly retracted just before she could complete the transaction, resulting in her falling forward with an undignified oof.
"Heh. Too slow. Too easy. Man, Emerald, I knew you wanted me but I can't belie - mmph!"
Cinder closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, sitting on her bed as the other side of the room erupted in what honestly could've been mistaken for a lovers' spat. Or a fight between a dog and cat. Personally, though, she'd have thought the latter as those two were merely pawns to her overall plans. Ah. Yes. Plans…
She cleared her throat, making sure to spice up her tone with just the smallest amount of her mounting frustration, causing Mercury and Emerald to quickly pause and look at her, breaking their catfight up and, most importantly, quieting down.
"Despite the addition of extra students from the other academies, I'm sure there are still a few empty dorm rooms in which you can both satisfy your urges."
The two shared a mutual look of extreme disgust before sliding an extra foot away from each other.
"Sorry, boss."
"I'm sorry, Ma'am."
"Tch. Truly, dogs and cats."
A plastic, honeyed smile came across her face instead. "Wonderful. It would not do to stir trouble, much less any attention and raise the chances of outing our cover here."
"You're right, Boss, but I mean, even you gotta admit that waiting around is getting boring. We can't really do anything for the upcoming missions and the Festival is still weeks away."
"Patience, Mercury. True, we will need to go along with those, kill a few Grimm and let the people feel good about themselves," Cinder scoffed, reaching underneath her bed and pulling out a bag with what appeared to be a silken black dress. Smirking, she gently laid it down beside her. "However, time, while of the essence is not quite wasted. On the contrary, we shall make this work in our favour. Emerald?"
The girl's green haired head perked up at the mention of her name. "Ma'am?"
"Any news of Atlas and Ironwood?"
"Nothing of note yet, Ma'am, only what we've heard on the news and student papers. Ozpin's in charge of festival security but the general's not leaving anytime soon."
"Hmm. Perfect. Strike one."
Cinder nodded. "Good. If he and his mechanical army's vacation will last well into the Festival then that's one part of the plan we may yet keep."
"We still sneaking into the CCT then?"
"Yes, Mercury. There wouldn't be much of a point if we lacked battleships or infantry droids to hack. We also still need to have the power to disrupt communications between the kingdoms at moment's notice."
"Any news from Torchwick and Adam, then, Ma'am?"
Smile and scowl fought to be shown at the sounds of both names. "Ah, yes. Thank you for reminding me," she purred, seeing the elation that such a small amount of her praise could bring. It used to bother her early on that Mercury wouldn't show the same deference beyond calling her "Boss," though the boy had his own charm and uses. That and the fact he did not hold even close to half of the loyalty Emerald had shown, considering she essentially rescued the aptly named girl from a life on the streets whereas they took him in right after he killed his apparently abusive father - already exhausted, bloodied and bruised, the instinct to survive trumped whatever rational thought he had left.
"Roman is still of valuable use. Though he requisitioned only half the required amount of dust, he did manage to retrieve the majority of the high priority cargo," she explained, reaching back below her bed and withdrawing an inconspicuously coloured case that was compact enough to fit inside a small backpack. "He will be making up for his shortfalls over the next several weeks to outfit Adam's forces in Mountain Glenn. And to ensure his success, as well as to maintain our cover we will be making use of a certain...multicoloured acquaintance of his as our fourth teammate."
"Neo? You mean that chick who doesn't speak?"
"A Mistrali transfer student whose paperwork must have gotten lost in bureaucracy," Cinder corrected with false innocence. "She will arrive in the coming days."
Mercury reached under his bed and took out a bottle of premium Valean Moon ale he smuggled into the school. He took a quick swig and raised said hand with the bottle.
"Yes, Mercury?"
"Yeah, one more question, boss. Exactly what kind of cargo was Torchwick stealing that he couldn't get all the dust in time?"
Cinder couldn't help but smirk as she reached for the small case and clicked the locks open, retrieving one of the few vials within. Its purple contents writhed and faintly glowed with an ominous light as Mercury looked intrigued and Emerald scooted forward for a closer look.
She herself felt that this was the closest to being a kid in a candy store - not that she had the childhood to feel such in the first place. Until she retrieved the power of the Fall Maiden, this was second best.
"Our Queen has told me that the substance within this vial is called Malice," she explained, passing it to Emerald. "As for what it does...we were there at the docks."
Said girl's eyes widened. "And if only a few of those can create that many -"
"We do not have the necessary quantity," Cinder interrupted, "not enough to commit our full stock in the initial breach. I am also sure Ozpin is already aware of these, thanks to our silver eyed target and her friends."
"Rest assured, there will be plenty of action to come. We shall continue our simple lives as students from Haven as there is plenty of time to plan for our infiltration of the CCT, so for now the ball is in Roman's court to provide and in Adam's to stage the breach. As more shipments of dust and Malice arrive, he will also be responsible for disseminating it amongst the White Fang in the city. Until then, we wait. And time, while fast approaching, is the one resource we do have aplenty."
Mercury shrugged, standing and saying he was going to go buy some food as he left the room while Emerald nodded back respectfully and headed for the washroom. She soon found herself alone in perfect blissful silence; sighing, she stashed both bags deep under her bed and lay down.
Her thoughts soon drifted back to her original goal; Ozpin was hiding Amber somewhere within the school, along with one of the four Relics. Yet, she remembered before she left the Grimmlands how Salem herself focused on something else as she was spending the entirety of her days in the darkest depths of her tower, performing arcane rituals in ancient tongues with the help of wizened tomes and other long lost artifacts. What she did to spawn the Malice was beyond her, but after seeing the monsters in action at the docks as well as what they spawned back at the Grimmlands, they all knew that the plans would have to be adjusted to accommodate such a perfect opportunity.
Cinder smirked and her eyes danced with fire as she remembered what the Malice had spawned. It almost rendered their original plan worthless, but Adam's "loyalty" was still necessary and wasting his effort would surefire lose his support. They would at least test the strength of Vale and Beacon's response, especially as she drew the long straw compared to Arthur and Tyrian gallivanting around the planet digging up the trinkets Salem needed.
...but to recently hear that their most recent find was something that could possibly be some sort of game changer the likes of none of them, sans Salem, would have ever expected…?
"Tch. Mercury, Emerald, Torchwick...they need not know for now. I shall adjust the plans once I have more information."
Hunting Amber, nulling the silver eyes and keeping an eye on that blonde boy with the mysterious hidden magic were her top priorities. Salem would update her when convenient - and with how close the first strike was coming, she knew it would be soon. Walking to the window, Cinder gazed at the idyllic and calm city skyline by the horizon and smiled, replacing her mental picture with fire and darkness. Grimm and monsters alike would rain death upon the fools who dared think they would be safe behind a few paltry Huntsmen, while she alone would command the might of the Fall Maiden, and soon, the rest - with the power and will of her immortal Queen behind her, the king was running out of space to retreat on the board.
And he could only go so far until there was nothing left but checkmate.
/AN\
Hey all, and welcome back to A Descendant of Legends!
Funnily enough I found that even though the word count for this chapter was similar to the previous two, it felt slower and heavier considering how much setup and exposition there was. Point of the chapter, to be fair, as problems for the characters are mounting and the endgame for Arc II is getting closer – if I'm to guesstimate there's roughly five chapters left. I've hoped to strike a balance between a slower pace to include necessary development and plot progression. There's still a lot of canon things I want to keep, even though some will be chronologically rearranged as others already have been.
On the plus side, having worked things out with my job I can now recommit to the original two week upload schedule. Obviously it won't be a perfect every fourteen days, but I'm able to focus on this more now compared to the previous months including pre-pandemic. Now that things are starting to ramp up in-story I'm happy to keep writing and not deny any longer myself or any of y'all the gucci stuff we've always wanted to see written. Alas, the joys of creating a base to leap from.
Also, for those who have been slated to graduate, I just want to say congratulations. These are not the best of times for any of us, but the all-nighters, exams and the shenanigans we've shared with friends in either high school or college contain some of the most important milestones and memories of our lives. We've worked for our diplomas / degrees, and though the pandemic took away much of its impact, it can never steal the good times in the past and the expensive pieces of paper we get at the end. I think they're mailing mine couple of weeks after the virtual ceremony, lol. To be honest, I don't like addressing reality in ANs beyond updates affecting upload schedule, and I don't plan to make this a habit as ADoL is a primary source of escapism, stress relief and fun, but I feel that this warrants a rare exception. Be proud of what you've earned.
In any case, thank you to all for sticking around thus far! Constructive criticism and feedback are always welcome. Hope to see you all next chapter!
Jamie: Don't worry, past incarnations will make an appearance. I've outlined six complete arcs (seven if including the epilogue) and there's a whole bunch of things I've planned for the story. Politician's answer, I know, but this is the most I can say without giving more in depth spoilers. Still, though, thank you for your enthusiasm! Rest assured, more gucci stuff's always on the horizon. Hope to see you next time!
Spartastic 4: Oh yes, that's honestly an interesting concept to visualize. Be through a quick wallop to the head or perhaps a gradual "bleeding in" kind of effect, it certainly makes me think how, for example, Ozpin would react to finding out that he's not the only spiritual reincarnation out there. Quite a relevant thought too, considering its something Jaune would have to address in the future.
In any case, glad you enjoyed it! Jaune's in a tight spot to be warring between different motivations, but alas, he must soon decide how he goes about it as time is quickly running out. JNPR and RWBY's bonds will be tested as the strongest ones are, after all, forged in fire. I'm eager to take the challenge writing their own stories in a way that honours their character. Thank you and hope to see you again!
MeraHunt: Thanks! Though I've planned Jaune to start out more disciplined and competent in this story, he is in the end still human, destiny notwithstanding. But yes – he slipped, and their reality is quickly following suit as it only keeps snowballing from there. Hope to see you next time!
Fyr RedNight: Thank you! Happy to hear you liked it. Hope to see you next chapter!
The Legend of Zelda and RWBY are the respective properties of Nintendo and Rooster Teeth.