Howdy, folks, how's it going?
Hope ya'll have been keeping safe.
Another month, another chapter. It's rather annoying how in the last few months every time I get started on these updates, something conspires to cut into my writing time and make the chapters not as big as I'd like. This time it was travel, bad weather and blackouts. Lovely. At least I still managed to do what I set out to do with this one.
As always, a huge shout out to Chaos Productions for his continued help.
And as always, I own neither RWBY not LoL.
Now, enjoy.
/
It was a bright, cloudless day, but that did nothing to alleviate the somber mood of a funeral.
Everything after the grim discovery of the other day was a blur. The police was called, statements were given, the Headmaster had personally come to retrieve Ruby and Jaune from the station, and in the process offered sincere condolences, the occurrence made the news, and from there chatter about it became a common thing in Beacon.
Now, with standard procedures seen through, an autopsy performed, and an investigation well underway, there was nothing left to do but lay the deceased to rest, and letting the facts truly sink in.
Tukson was dead. Going by the state of the store and the… condition of his corpse, he had struggled to the bitter end, but that was little comfort, as it had been far from a clean death, or a swift one. The vault where the artefacts of ancient Valoran were stored had marks that indicated attempts to breach, which lead the police to think this had been an attempted robbery… Which made for a tragic irony that the man had died just so the thieves could fail to take an empty room, the pieces having been moved beforehand as part of Tukson's plans to leave town, plans that would never happen now.
It saddened Ruby to think of it. She had only really met the man a handful of times, always when Jaune took her to the store to discuss some aspect of her ancient memories, but in those times, he had seemed to be a nice man. He was always more curious than afraid around her, always ready to listen to what she said. It was rare for people to be nice to her, so while her expression didn't show it, and despite the briefness of their acquaintance, it was a loss that the red-cloaked girl felt keenly.
She glanced around from where she stood amongst the rows upon rows of tombstones. Tukson had had no family to speak of, and little in the way of friends and colleagues, and thus this funeral had next to no attendants to speak of. It was only really Jaune, Arslan, herself, and the rest of their teams that had tagged along out to pay their respects.
Yang, Weiss, Blake and the others hung a bit further back behind her, each of them, even the usually cheery Nora and Reese, looking glum and downcast to varying degrees, less because any of them actually knew the man, and more out of empathy for the ones that actually did. Even Pyrrha had ceased her more distant demeanor of recent days and looked like she wanted nothing more than to come closer and offer some comforting words.
And standing before her…
Jaune stood, looking down at the humble little patch that was Tukson's grave, a stillness to him that felt… distinctly out of place. By his side, and with a hand on his shoulder, was Arslan, muttering some prayers of her people to the Sea God. They were the ones who truly knew the man, they were the ones that were truly mourning.
And Ruby… more than she was sad about Tukson, Ruby was worried about Jaune. After the initial panic, denial and desperate, fruitless attempts to find life where there had been none, the boy had just… shut down. It said something of it when she had spoken more than he did in the days since…
Ruby worried for her friend, but not for the first time, she didn't know what she could possibly do to help. A part of her considered that perhaps, for once, there was really nothing she could, or should, do…
So she stepped forward, standing just within arms' reach of the duo, and just kept silent, hoping that her quiet support was enough. Merle flew from her shoulder to Jaune's, crooning gently. Arslan spared her a stern, suspicious glance, but ultimately let her be with some grudging acceptance, but Jaune seemed to barely react, his eyes glued to the simple, undecorated tombstone.
The minister had given his prayers for the departed and left a little while ago, and barely a sound had been made since then, the boy just standing there, staring blankly, until…
"You know, I never really got along with my family."
The words cut through the sepulchral silence, everyone's attention snapping to Jaune.
"The Arc family is… kinda old school." The boy continued, not entirely caring if anyone was actually listening. "It's a long lineage of warriors and huntsmen, who all abide by strict codes of personal conduct and honor. When I was born, it was expected of me to follow in the footsteps of those who came before me, to become the head of the family and live up to the legacy the Arc name. Except when training actually began, I fell short. I tried my hardest every time, but every time I failed to meet their ridiculously high standards. Eventually, despite all my hard work and effort to fit in, I was written off as a failure, and shunned and ignored by my so-called kin. Jaune Arc, the useless, the worthless, the stain on the family's good name."
His entire body shook in a shudder, fists clenching at unwelcome memories.
"That's why I left. Eventually I just got fed up with all the crap and decided I wasn't gonna put up with it anymore. 'Course, a naïve, sheltered brat like me, out in the big brave world? It was a bloody miracle that I managed to get to the city without being munched by a Grimm on the way, but by time I did get here I was hungry, tired, and I didn't have a single lien to my name and nothing but the clothes on my back. Just another street rat with no future to look forward to… And that's when I met Tukson."
He chuckled then, a short, broken sound that tapered off into a bitter smirk.
"All because apparently younger me thought that checking out the next Xray and Vav issue was a bigger priority than getting food to eat or a place to live. I entered his bookstore, started reading the comics, and stayed there until he came grumbling about how the comics weren't for free. Scared the crap out of me with the tough act, made me bolt right for the exit. But I stuck around the neighborhood, because I really didn't have anywhere to go, and I guess I was kind of a conspicuous bum, cause a day or two later he came to me, asking me what I was doing out in the streets, where my family was, stuff like that. I… I told him I didn't have a home, half expecting that I was about to get disappeared off the face of Remnant… and instead he takes me to a restaurant and buys me a meal. It was the best thing I'd ever had."
At that point, Jaune moved forward, jostling Merle back to Ruby's shoulder, and kneeled down besides the tombstone, staring at it with a kind of quiet contemplation that Ruby recognized. It felt like her when visiting Mom's resting place…
"He took me off the streets, helped me find a place to stay, offered to let me work at his bookstore so I'd have some cash to get by. When I asked him why was he doing all this to help some brat out in the streets, he just said that he knew better than most what it felt like to not have a place to belong, and that he wanted to help me find my own. What was I supposed to say to that? I took the offer." Gingerly, slowly, his hand reached out, touching the cold, smooth stone surface. "This man, this gruff, blunt prick of a man took me in, helped me get back on my feet, showed me more kindness than I had known in a damn long while, and eventually trusted me enough to show me his collection, the old, dusty artefacts that ignited my passion for history and the ancient civilizations."
He shuddered again, barely restrained tears pooling at the edges of his eyes, so very close to release…
"Tukson was my friend, my mentor, hell, he… he was more of a father to me than my own ever was. He wanted to help me find my place? I did. And now… now it's gone again…"
…And then Jaune finally broke, lowering his head to the stone as he cried, the tenuous control over his sorrow gone. No one dared interrupt this moment. Not for a good, long while.
It was Arslan who eventually moved, kneeling down besides the grieving boy, and putting an arm around his shoulder.
"Tukson was a good man." She said, her tone stern, blunt, but sad and kind. "He was a friend to my people, an outsider that respected and tried to understand our ways. I myself never quite understood his love for things that already happened, but I respected it, it was one of his drives in life, one of the things that kept him in motion. He was a man who knew what he wanted in this life, and he strove for it. Now, his motion has ceased, returned to the Sea God to be delivered unto new life, but I will never forget him, nor the great debt I owe him and will now never be able to repay."
"…What debt?" Jaune was still aware enough of his surroundings to ask between choked sobs. In response, Arslan gently pulled him away from the tombstone, lifting his head until his eyes met hers, to see her smiling a sad, but warm smile.
"He brought you to me." She said simply, before wrapping him in a soft hug. "You, more than anything else, kept him in motion."
Jaune begun to cry a whole new wave of tears. And no one dared interrupt.
/
A couple of days later, Ruby was once again called to the headmaster's office. To her mild surprise and confusion, so was Jaune. Her friend had understandably been in a somber mood during that time. Even though he had turned down the chance to sit out of classes that Goodwitch had offered, it was clear that his mind just wasn't in it. He hadn't even said much, not once coming to her with a notebook in hand and a thousand questions at the tip of the tongue. Ruby missed that, but even with her limited understanding of such things, she knew that her friend was gonna be in a bad place for a while. All she could do was be present, show she cared, and hope he would come out the other end of it eventually.
Which is why while the two of them were heading up the tower of Beacon on the elevator, Ruby placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. Jaune looked at her, at the faint, awkward expression in the red-cloaked girl, and understanding that it was supposed to be a friendly smile, he smiled back. It was a brief, all too swiftly gone breach of the gloom that surrounded him, but at least it was genuine, Ruby would take that.
When they reached the top and walked out into the large office, Ruby was once again surprised when she saw Jax there, standing beside the headmaster's table.
"Ah, Miss Rose, Mr. Arc, thank you for coming." Ozpin greeted with a polite nod, as he watched the two of them approach. "I believe there are matters to discuss that may likely pertain the both of you."
The duo shared a curious glance at that, but then the boy's attention turned to the other figure in the room, staring curiously before he apparently connected the dots and his eyes widened.
"Ah yes, before that I believe some introductions will be necessary." The headmaster said with a slight gesture towards the hooded figure. "Mr. Arc, this here is Jax, an old associate of mine. Given your continued association with Miss Rose, I believe you will understand the significance of the name."
"So," The young man said, after a moment of processing the words. "You're the one that's gonna be trashing Ruby in spars after class, uh? A living, breathing Champion."
Ruby probably would have bopped him with her scythe for the remark, if it wasn't completely true.
"S'up, kiddo? Been hearing stuff about you from Oz and the tiny "terror" over there." The champion greeted casually, his masked visage focusing for a moment on the blades resting on the boy's back. "I'm told that you've been putting those things to good use, and that you'd love to geek out and interview me, were the circumstances a bit better. Sorry to hear about your friend."
"…He would've loved being here right now." Jaune said, closing his eyes and taking a long steadying breath. "So much that we never got around to figuring out…"
"Well, for what is worth, I think you're about to get a chance to help figure some stuff out. A good way to honor his memory, I'd say, to keep going in his stead." The champion replied with a respectful nod.
"I'm sorry, what?" The young man snapped back into attention, a rather confused expression in his face.
"Well, Mr. Arc, let us not mince words." The Headmaster once again took hold of the conversation. "Your interest in learning about the ancient history of our world has been known to me for quite a while, before you were invited into the academy, even. I keep my eyes and ears open, and when appearances of powers and items long since disappeared from this world occur, I notice."
"Yeah, sure, that's why we only figured out the scarecrow was still around when dead eyes over there became a thing. Or how Ol' Jimmy's been holding out on us with Orianna with that mess at the docks that made you call me here." The champion commented, rather sarcastically, earning him a long, mildly annoyed stare from said dead eyes that he thoroughly ignored.
"Pipe down, Jax. You know I am far from infallible." Ozpin replied without even deigning to glance in the champion's direction. "And while that second one did come as a surprise, I very much doubt James even understands who he has in her. We'll need to bring her here for a talk in due time."
"…So what you're saying is, it wasn't just my dealing with that beowolf pack and saving that village that had you make me the offer." Jaune stated more than asked, although the headmaster nodded regardless. "You recognized the blades."
"Indeed. Although if you think that means the first part didn't have much bearing in the decision compared to the second, you would be wrong, Mr. Arc. I invited you because you showed potential, do not doubt that." The older man reassured with a neutral, but honest tone. "And at any rate, I would like to think that you do not regret the decision, given your meeting with Miss Rose and what she allowed you to learn. I'd explain to you the course of events that led to the current state of our world, but I'd hazard a guess that Miss Rose already passed it on, correct?"
"Yes…" Ruby confirmed with a mumble. "Told Jaune…"
"I never asked you otherwise, Miss Rose. It does, in fact, save us some time in the current circumstances." Came another reassurance, before Ozpin took a moment to look at Jaune's pondering demeanor. "I suspect you have a rather large amount of questions, Mr. Arc. I'd be happy to answer a few, if it helps clear things up before we get to the heart of the matter."
"Oh, I do have many, many questions." Jaune conceded with a nod, before fixing the headmaster with a long, searching stare. "And I suppose that the most pressing one is… well, I get why Ruby would be aware of such matters, and Jax goes without saying. But what about you, Professor? What's your interest in all of this?"
The question earned him a smile from the older man, a mild expression that seemed… pleased. Like the question had been expected, and it had been the right one.
"Well, Mr. Arc, I was a bit like you once. A researcher, curious about the past." The older man said, some mirth twinkling behind those glasses. "And like you, I dug in and researched. Indeed, like you had the good fortune of coming across Miss Rose to answer your questions, I came across Jax to do the same for me. Not quite as good fortune granted, but one takes what one can get."
"Har har, reeeally feeling the love there, kiddo." The ancient warrior jabbed with utterly deadpan apathy.
"At any rate, the more I learned, the more I came to understand a simple truth." Ozpin continued without even acknowledging the sarcasm. "That those who fail to learn from the mistakes of the past, are doomed to repeat them. That's my stake on this, Mr. Arc, why I pay attention and monitor any ghosts of a time long past that may appear. To make sure history does not repeat itself…"
At the headmaster's reply, Ruby's thoughts turned to her recent encounter with one of said ghosts.
Once again, the same old mistakes, letting me in…
She could understand the headmaster's position on this.
"…Although you can rest assured, neither you nor Miss Rose here have given me cause for concern in this regard." The headmaster finished with an approving nod at the duo.
"…Well, that is all well and good." Jaune replied at length, confusion once again spreading across his features. "But then, what is it you called us for, exactly?"
"Because of this, Mr. Arc." The headmaster replied, his expression growing somber as he reached for a stack of papers on his desk and pulled out a letter. "A letter for you. From Tukson."
…
…
…
"…What?" Jaune finally said, after a long moment of flabbergasted silence, a surprise that was shared by Ruby, as he gingerly reached out and took the letter, a quick inspection confirming the claim. "But… why would he send you a letter for me? You knew him?"
"Not as well as you, he was just an acquaintance to me, but who do you think gave him the means to settle down in Vale, start his own business?" The older man inquired, his expression growing regretful. "Not that he sent this to me specifically, it was just the instructions he left to the notary that the letter be delivered at Beacon, for you, but I was aware of his rather impressive collection, and I contributed what I could to ensure he could keep it safe. What happened to him… was a massive failing on my part, Mr. Arc, and for what is worth, you have my sincere apologies for it. I have been so focused on the situation with Miss Rose, I failed to account for Tukson's old associates catching up to him."
"Wait, back up." Jaune interrupted, sounding very confused. "Old associates? You mean the White Fang? Tukson did tell me that he used to be one of them, but what does that have to do with anything? Why are you so sure they had anything to do with… What happened?"
"…So he didn't tell you, then." The headmaster stated more than asked, his tone thick with realization, as his eyes fell on the letter. "Well, if I were a gambling man, I'd say that's what that letter is supposed to address, Mr. Arc."
Now looking thoroughly lost, the young man looked down at the envelope, and after a few moments hesitation, ripped it open. Inside was a small stack of documents, including a paper with a penmanship that he recognized well…
"Hey, there, Kid.
I am really, really hoping that you never have to read this, but if you are, then it means that my luck ran out, my mistakes finally caught up to me, and I am no longer around. If that is the case, then I am sorry. Gods, words cannot even begin to describe how sorry I am, but I am afraid that I must ask you to pick up where I left off.
Knowing you, you're probably confused as shit as to what's going on. So here's some context. You already know that I used to run with the White Fang. I joined up before Sienna Khan took over and shit started going sideways. Even in those days, there were different factions and ideologies within the group, and there was one in particular that drew me in. A group of folks of more scholarly persuasions, who believed that by trying to discern the truths of the origins of our kind, we could use that to legitimize our calls for equality.
So we researched, we explored, and over time, in far, forgotten places of the world, we found and gathered the artefacts you've known from my collection, and little by little, we've started to piece some facts together. All indications showed that we Faunus were once known as the Vastaya, and that we were once highly attuned to magic. Personally, I always thought that second part was a crock of shit until you introduced me to your friend Ruby, and so did many of my colleagues.
Then the change in the Fang happened. At first, I didn't think it would affect our work too much, but I was dead wrong. With a lot of most of the moderate folks leaving, a couple of twats known as the Albain brothers took over our sect. They started to get the bright idea in their heads that what we had uncovered of the past proved that Faunuskind should rise up and rule once more, and that the key to doing so was in uncovering more stuff from the past, weapons of war and ways to regain our lost power and other such shit. And I could only watch helplessly as their ideas took root and turned our crew into a fucking cult of self-righteous zealots, until I had enough.
I grabbed all the shit that I could, so I wouldn't see it being destroyed by a bunch of lunatics trying to make old trinkets work, or even worse, seeing them actually succeed, and fucked off, hiding away from those bastards as best as I could. Ozpin was a blessing in that regard, helping me get settled in Vale, well away from the worst of the White Fang that were hunting me down as a traitor.
But if you're reading this, then they finally caught me. I'm sure it wasn't pretty, but at least I gave as good as I got, uh?
And you know for a fact those bastards didn't get what they were looking for, since you were the one helping me to relocate the collection. And that's where you come in, kid. This is my will, and now, the collection is yours. You know where it is, and I left instructions that if anything happened to me, you were in charge. With this letter comes the documentation to prove it. It is up to you to keep the stuff safe and away from those fuckers. I know that this is a heavy burden that I am placing on you, but I really wouldn't trust anyone else with this task.
Kid, Jaune… I probably didn't say this as much as I should have, you know I was never a particularly sappy guy but… It was good, having you around. You were something special, and I knew from the moment I met you, that you were gonna go places. Hell, you did better than me at my own job in a tenth of the time, that says something. And I know that this, this is gonna hit you hard, but I know you, kid. You're gonna hurt, but you will be ok, I am sure of it. So don't you go doing any of that stupid revenge bullcrap on my behalf, you hear? All in all, I had a good run, in no small part thanks to you.
So, with all said and done, I think this is goodbye then. For what is worth, Jaune, it's been a hell of a ride, and I'm sure it's only gonna get better for you from this point onward. Not sure where I'm going, but know that I'll be keeping an eye if I can, and I'll be waiting with a beer when you get there, hopefully in a hell of a long time from now.
Oh, and for the love of everything, grow a pair and ask Arslan out, or at least say yes when she does it instead. That girl does you a ton of good, and I'm sure she'll keep you from being too much of an idiot.
Yours truly,
Tukson."
…
…
…
With trembling hands, and tears in his eyes, Jaune lowered the letter, letting out shuddering breaths as he struggled desperately to keep some sort of composure. Noticing this, Ruby stepped forward and softly placed a hand on his shoulder in silent support.
"Would you like to take some time, Mr. Arc?" Ozpin inquired kindly after a while. "We can pick this up later, if you so desire."
"No. No, I am…" The boy replied, snapping out of his funk with a shake of his head and a long, deep, breath, and then stared at the older man with a steely resolve in his eyes. "Well, I am not fine, but… There's things that need doing. For his sake. You wanna know about the collection, right?"
"…Yes, I do." The headmaster eventually replied with a nod that was at once respectful, approving and apologetic. "We quite simply can't let the White Fang get a hold of those artefacts. Even if the odds of them managing to make any use of them are next to none, well, you've seen firsthand what they're willing to do. We shouldn't be taking the chance."
"No shit. Can't say I remember when exactly the appellation changed, but these guys are sounding like an even worse piece of work than the last two Vastayan extremists I had to put up with." Jax grumbled, clearly none too pleased at the situation. "I don't miss those lovebirds, and I ain't looking forward to repeating the experience."
Memories streamed into Ruby's mind of the duo in question.
"…Agree." She mumbled. The demon might not have had the proper mentality to be annoyed at their unpleasantness, but she sure did. She did not like mean people.
"Quite. With that in mind, Mr. Arc. I believe you're the only person in the world aware of where those artefacts are." Ozpin prompted with a searching look.
"Yeah…" Jaune muttered, his tone heavy with reminiscence, and the sort of regret one feels for something that never was. "Tukson hired the services of a security firm to help keep the stuff safe. He intended for them to keep it secure in their own vaults while he got everything else ready, and then help pack it all up in a shipping container to be sent to Vacuo in the same boat he was taking. I know the place, and I got the papers here."
"I see," The headmaster said with a nod. "Would you be amenable to getting the collection moved here to Beacon? We have facilities where we can keep it secured, and it'd be safer from the White Fang or any other ill-intentioned people than in the city proper."
"That… that might work." Jaune said, after a moment's consideration. "This is probably the safest place in the Kingdom. Even the White Fang wouldn't be stupid enough to try to attack here."
"We should hope so." Ozpin replied with a nod. "I will coordinate with you to make the proper arrangements, Mr. Arc. Tomorrow still, we will have those artefacts safely here in Beacon."
"But what about the White Fang?" The young man asked, a flash of anger crossing his features momentarily. "What's stopping them from trying anything while we're relocating the collection?"
"It is true, they are likely still looking, but now so am I, and I am going to take the proper precautions." The headmaster conceded, his expression turning serious. "And besides my own support, in the case that the situation becomes problematic, under my authority as the Headmaster of Beacon, I am hereby giving you, Miss Rose, and whoever else you decide to bring into this situation, the permission to do as you see fit to ensure things go smoothly. Consider it the first huntsman mission you're being assigned."
At those words, the two team leaders shared a glance, both surprised by the words. If nothing else, it proved the Headmaster was being serious. They could only nod in agreement.
"Very well, with that said, I believe we are done for now. Mr. Arc, Miss Rose, you are free to go about your day." The older man dismissed politely, and the two team leaders turned to leave, discussing quietly among themselves on how to proceed.
"You sure we should be letting the kids handle this mess?" Jax inquired as soon as they were gone, not out of any disapproval, but genuine curiosity.
"Believe me, I would like nothing more than leaving them out of this." The headmaster replied with a long, weary sigh. "But whether I like it or not, they are already involved anyway. It might as well be in a manner that I can assist in."
"I suppose you got a point there." The ancient man conceded with a shrug. "I also suppose that I am part of your insurance in case shit does go sideways?"
"Obviously, yes." Ozpin confirmed. "I meant what I said, we should not let those items fall into the wrong hands. And you, better than anyone else I can call on, know what's at stake."
"Fair enough." Jax replied with a rolling of his shoulders. "There sure are a lot of legends gathering, though. More now than in all the time since then. You know that there's probably shit being put in motion, right?"
"… Yes, I do." The headmaster replied, shoulders slumping as if burdened by the weight of the world. "I can only hope that we are prepared to handle it."
/
"Tell me, Roman, how are things going with the White Fang?" Cinder inquired, her tone far more clipped and irritable than any other time the thief had been face to face with the woman. He knew better than to snark at that tone.
"About as well as could be expected from the animals." He replied immediately. "We're making good progress on all the Dust robberies, but their little side project has been facing some… issues."
"What? Did they fail to collect the items?" She grunted, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"By the time they got to their traitor, he'd already made the stuff disappear." He said as swiftly as he could while still being coherent, offering her the file in his hands as gingerly as he dared. "I poked around and called some favors, though, and I found that the guy used to hang around some… known thorns on our side. Which might make a tricky situation even worse."
The woman snatched the documents out of his hands, and ignored how he recoiled as if rightfully afraid of getting burned. As her eyes swiftly went over the information, her face first turned into a sneer, and then, perhaps more frighteningly, a more restrained, calculating expression…
"Or we may use this to our advantage." She said simply. "Neo, I have a job for you."
Roman didn't even need to look to see the girl shimmering into existence behind him, grinning widely.
/
And that's that.
Not much happening this time around, but believe me, this was a necessary set up for a LOT of things, both in the short and the long term. You'll see it bear fruit in time.
Next month though, we got the Beneath a Broken Moon, so look forward to that.
Cya all on the next one, take care and stay safe.