Rwby: Skull Island

Chapter 1

"ALL SYSTEMS GREEN!" An Atlas Sailor shouted from atop a control tower.

"ALL THE SUPPLIES ARE SET AND ACCOUNTED FOR!" A Vacuo Sailor shouted.

"WEATHER INSTRUMENTS INDICATING NOTHING BUT CLEAR SKIES AND SMOOTH SAILING!" A Mistral scientist shouted.

'Yeah, smooth sailing and clear skies. That will surely change when we get close to that Oum-forsaken island.' Jaune thought, sitting chained to some boxes. Well, chained to the boxes wasn't the correct term. There was just one chain on his right wrist that was connected to the pole next to him. And the box was an empty container that was nearby that he decided to use as a seat. Sighing, Jaune pulled out his journal and opened it up to the newest page before taking out a pen and clicking it.

'Alright, journal.

It's sure been a while since I've written in you. I had hoped I would never have to again. But as you can see, that is not the case. The rest of Remnant had discovered that cursed island. And despite my best efforts to sabotage the whole thing, it's still happening. All that happened was me ending up on trial and being declared a 'traitor.' Well, that might be saying a bit much since even they didn't know what to classify my 'crimes' as. But regardless, I am now a criminal, and because of the damage I caused, my sentence was life in a minimum security prison.'

"ALL FOOD SUPPLIES ACCOUNTED FOR, CAPTAIN!" A Vale technician shouted, causing Jaune to sigh.

'But you or anyone else who reads this might be wondering, I am not heading to jail. And the reason is surprisingly Ironwood and Ozpin. During the trial, before they decided on my punishment, they wanted to know why I did what I did. But I can't blame them for this; they didn't believe me. Honestly, if I weren't on the island and seeing it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it either. Anyway, during the trial, Ozpin and Ironwood vouched for me and explained how my family had the tradition of sending their children on dangerous trials to prove themselves. Granted, while 'dangerous,' the parents always ensured their children had a near guarantee of returning unscathed. But that all changed with me and my trial. Now, my family scrapped the tradition entirely and won't make my three younger sisters do it, thankfully.'

"MAKE WAY! ARMOURED VEHICLES COMING THROUGH!" An Atlas specialist shouted a little too cheerfully from atop the vehicle. Once she passed, Jaune sighed before turning back to his journal.

'Anyway. After being told about the Arc Family's tradition and how it made sense that I would be a part of an expedition to that island, the judges and councils gave me an ultimatum. If I help lead the expedition to that damned island and help guide them on it, then they would reduce my sentence from life to three months of house arrest. That certainly caught me off guard. And even though house arrest is almost worthless, I would rather take a decade in a maximum security prison than even think about setting foot on that island. Not to mention, I have no obligation to even help any of them.'

"Yeah, man. Once this trip is done, I'm retiring. I got a little one on the way. I'm going to be a father." A Vale soldier said, showing his buddies a picture of himself and his wife.

"Nice. Congrats, man." Another soldier said, patting the first one on his shoulder.

"We should celebrate." A third suggested.

'But that's not who I am nor what my grandfather and uncle would have wanted me to do. I can't, in good conscience, let so many people sail off to their deaths. I don't want to go there, but if it means that I can reduce how many lives are lost, then so be it. Plus, who knows, maybe we might find some plants or minerals or something that could be beneficial to both humans and faunus or stop the Grimm in any way. While I'm not sure about previous journeys there, I can say that was the purpose of my journey there.'

"JAUNE!" A familiar voice shouted. Smiling, Jaune put away his journal and pen before looking up to see his friends running toward him with worried/relieved expressions on their faces.

"Hey, guys." Jaune said, chuckling as they arrived, with Pyrrha wrapping her arms around him. "It's good to see- *SMACK* -OW! Again. Yeah, I deserved that."

"OH, HO, HO. That's not even the start." Yang said, hands on her hips.

"Yeah, Jauney. You scared us half to death." Nora added, equally upset.

"That's an understatement." Ruby pouted.

"Listen-" Jaune began, but Pyrrha cut him off.

"JAUNE! WHAT YOU DID WAS CRAZY AND DANGEROUS! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" She shouted, causing Jaune to sigh. While he would have preferred not to talk about the island in general, he knew that not telling them anything would only cause more harm and potentially more lives. And the last people he wanted to get hurt were his friends and family.

"I was trying to prevent-"

"Well, whatever the reason is, it doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're okay and safe." Pyrrha said before sitting next to Jaune and wrapping her arms around him to bring him close, causing his cheeks to blush.

"T-thanks, Pyr." Jaune said, enjoying the hug.

"Well." Yang began, with the other smiling at the scene. But they were also slightly annoyed. It was obvious to pretty much everyone just how much Pyrrha and Jaune cared for each other, to the point some mistook them for a couple. Yet, they were oblivious to each other's feelings and the hints they dropped. It was starting to get on their nerves, as they just wanted Pyrrha and Jaune to hook up already. "We're also glad you're okay, Jaune. No one can replace our favorite Vomit Boy."

"Or replace you as our fearless leader." Nora added.

"Or as the brother I always wanted but ended up with Yang." Ruby said, earning a chuckle from everyone and an indignant 'HEY!' from Yang.

"Anyway. Is it true, Jaune?" Blake asked, curious.

"And was it really that bad that it made you try to sabotage the expedition?" Weiss added.

"Yes, I have been on that island once before, Blake. But to answer your question, Weiss. I'll put it like this. We started our journey with roughly five thousand of the bravest men and women you could ever know, with each of them being one of the top people in their field. We returned with only three hundred people, including me, one ship, and scarce resources. But we lost another hundred due to trauma or injuries shortly after we came back." Jaune answered, causing everyone to pale considerably.

"Oh." They said.

"Ah. Are you sure you want to go back, Jaune?" Ruby asked.

"Maybe we can find someone that could shorten your sentence. Perhaps Weiss might know." Yang said.

"I know a few, but I doubt they would be able to do anything." Weiss said.

"Thanks, but I'm sure. Besides, while we don't know everything about the island, what we know would be enough to save many lives."

"Are you really sure, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked as they separated.

"I'm sure, Pyrrha."

"Alright."

"But speaking of sentencing, with your house arrest, Jaune. Where will it be? At Beacon or with your parents?" Ren asked.

"With my parents." Jaune answered.

"Then I'll be sure to visit you whenever I can, Jaune." Pyrrha said.

"Thanks, Pyr. You really are the best." Jaune said, smiling, causing Pyrrha's heart to flutter.

"How long will it take to get to the island, Jaune?" Nora asked.

"Well, since this time we're going to be using Atlas ships with what they claim is the 'latest technology,' I would say about sixteen hours after we set sail."

"Then it's a good thing I brought some of your motion sickness pills with me, Jaune." Pyrrha said, bringing up a bag of Jaune's pills.

"Thanks, Pyrrha." Jaune said before grabbing them, taking one of the pills, and dry swallowing it.

"Do you think we will be able to explore the whole island, Jaune?" Weiss asked.

"No, no, no, no. Aside from the obvious dangers that inhabit the island, which I will explain later once everyone has set sail, there are areas of the island that are entirely inaccessible to us."

"Can you give us an example?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, I can give you a few. One spot is entirely submerged underwater, and it is pitch black down there. You cannot go down there without getting severely injured. Plus, for some reason, the water there burns the skin. Another spot is just an active volcanic field. And by that, I mean there is lava spewing up from the ground all over the place, with nothing to discover there. The third example I could think of is these trenches. They are about thirty meters deep. And all that's down there are rapids that are easily going over thirty kilometers per hour."

"Are they out of the way, and would we know if we are getting close to them?" Ren asked.

"In a sense, they are out of the way. And by that, I mean those locations are on the other side of the island. And more or less, you would know you're getting close by the drastic changes in the environment."

"That's good to know since I doubt we will explore even half the island. But we should tell Ironwood and the others just to be safe." Weiss said.

"We'll bring that up when we set sail and discuss what's on the island." Jaune said before reaching into his pocket, only to groan. "Uh, do you guys have the time? I don't have a scroll anymore."

"Right. It's about to be two in the afternoon." Yang said.

"Alright. That means they should be here soon. Thanks, Yang."

"Who should be here soon?" Pyrrha asked, curious, as she leaned into Jaune's side while holding his hand.

"Remember how I said there were two hundred remaining members of the expedition I was a part of?"

"Yeah." Everyone else answered.

"Well. After agreeing to the terms, I told Ironwood, Ozpin, and the others about them and how it would be better if they could accompany us if they wanted, that is. At first, they were hesitant but then agreed that having more people who knew at least something about the island would be better than only having one. I then called them, and they agreed to come and help us." Jaune explained.

"That's a good idea. Having more guides is always better." Ren said.

"Do we need to know anything about them?" Yang asked.

"As in something bad about them, no. Some of them are heavy smokers. But you don't have to worry about them since they only smoke in the spots we made for them." Jaune answered.

"Alright."

"So, what now?" Ruby asked.

"Well, we're not supposed to set sail until six, and my friends would probably arrive in about twenty minutes; I'd say we can just talk or catch up since it has been a month since we last saw each other." Jaune suggested.

"Alright." The others said before grabbing anything they could use as makeshift seats.

Half an Hour Later

"SIR! WE HAVE VISUAL ON THE UNIDENTIFIED SHIP!" An Atlas sailor shouted, pointing to a worn-looking ship.

"It's the rest of our guides. Stand down and let them dock." Ironwood said.

"LET THEM THROUGH!" The Atlas sailor said into her comms.

"Well, it's time." Jaune said, standing up and tossing the chain to the side.

"Wait. How did you remove the chain?" Ironwood asked, stepping closer while raising an eyebrow.

"Oh. Um, I would sometimes end up getting locked out or locking myself out of my parents' house when I was younger. So, I learned how to pick a lock in case that ever happens again. And you'd be surprised how easy it is and with what you can use to pick a lock."

"Fair enough. And a useful skill."

"True. Thankfully, I never had to use it outside of my parents' home."

"Did they ever purposely lock you out?" Pyrrha asked, worried.

"No. I have a big family, and it's hard to keep track of eight kids of different ages without losing one."

"Okay." Pyrrha said, relieved.

"It must have been a nightmare for them." Yang said.

"If my parents were here, they would have said that would be an understatement." Jaune said as the ship docked, with a gangway slamming against the pavement.

Getting up, everyone walked over to the docks as people disembarked from the ship. While no one knew what to expect, no one was expecting to see people, both humans and faunus, from all the kingdoms and villages in Remnant. But what stood out was the various clothing they were wearing. Some had military or navy or some armed forces clothing; some wore medical garbs, others wore lab coats, etc. However, what stood out immediately and made many shift uncomfortably were the glares the newcomers threw their way.

"Good to see you, kid." A 203 cm tall guy with grey eyes and a brown high and tight haircut said as he stopped in front of Jaune. He wore black cargo pants, a loose black hoodie, black military boots, and fingerless gloves. Yet, what caught everyone's attention were the scars on his face and the fact that he was easily carrying a Ultimax 100 like it was nothing.

"Good to see you, Mirdul." Jaune said, smiling. "Did you bring everyone?"

"Almost everyone. About twenty couldn't make it."

"Alright."

"You must be the leader of the expedition that Mr. Arc was a part of years ago." Ironwood said, walking up to them.

"Yeah. And you're Ironwood, right?" Mirdul asked, glaring at him.

"Yes, I am. Is there a problem?" Ironwood asked, standing his ground.

"Not as long as you listen to us and we work together."

"Understandable, but that can be applied both ways."

"True."

"Anyway. Do you require anything before we continue preparations?"

"Yeah, a few things." A lady wearing an eye patch and carrying a SIG SSG 3000 sniper rifle.

"Who are you?" Winter asked, moving to stand next to Ironwood.

"Her name is Anima. She's got a bit of a temper, which is not helped by the fact that we're returning to the island." Mirdul explained while placing his hand on Anima's shoulder. "But she's right. There are a few things we need and need to know before we get going. Don't worry, it's nothing confidential or anything like that."

"Alright. What is it then?" Ironwood asked.

"Types of ammunition and weapons-"

"Why?" Winter interjected.

"Some areas of the island are not... ideal for certain weapons and types of ammunition. Let's just say some would put you at a disadvantage or put everyone at risk."

"Like densely packed jungles?" Ironwood asked.

"You could say that." Anima answered.

"In that case, that's fair. I'll send you the information about the weapons and ammunition we're bringing."

"Anything else?" Winter asked.

"Yes. But it's your medical supplies. And that's so that we can tell you want to bring more of and what you can leave behind once we make landfall. Aside from that, there's nothing else we need to know." Mirdul answered.

"Very well. I'll have someone send you the list shortly." Ironwood said before leaving with the crowd dispersing.

"Interesting group we got here, Jaune." Mirdul said, turning to him.

"Hopefully, they will listen to us." Anima said, annoyed.

"Don't worry about that. Ironwood might be a little... excessive in the forces and things he brings to complete a mission, but he knows what he is doing. There is a reason why he is the general." Jaune assured.

"We'll see." Anima said before returning to the ship.

"She seems... nice." Blake said.

"Anima is nice once you get past her temper." Mirdul said. "Anyway. We'll be on the ship double-checking everything while waiting for Ironwood to send the lists. You can come aboard if you want, Jaune, to check out the ship and see your old room. We won't be leaving for another few hours."

"Alright." Jaune said before turning to his friends. "I'll see you guys later."

"Should we meet here or someplace else?" Yang asked, curious.

"We can meet up where I was sitting earlier. I'll use someone else's scroll to text you guys."

"Alright. Just be careful, Jaune." Ren said.

"I will. Don't worry." Jaune said before heading to the gangway. But before the others could say anything, Pyrrha ran to catch up to him. Jaune was surprised but blushed when Pyrrha grabbed his hand while giving him a gentle smile, which he returned as they boarded the ship.

"I wonder how long it will be before they finally confess their feelings to each other." Yang said.

"It is getting annoying how they so clearly love each other, but neither will make the first move." Ren said.

"But they would make a cute couple." Ruby said, with the others agreeing.

"I wonder if P-money would be open to having some kids." Yang said.

"She is. She told me she wanted to have a few kids after graduating." Nora said.

"Did she say how many?"

"No."

"Think she would be open to having eight kids like Jaune's parents have?"

"Probably not that many."

"Moving on from relationship talk." Blake said, rolling her eyes. As much as she loved romance books and also wanted Jaune and Pyrrha to hook up, even she had her limits. "What do you think is on that island?"

"I don't know. But whatever it is, it can't be good. I'm pretty sure I saw Atlesian Knights-200 and some Atlesian Paladins boarding another ship." Weiss said.

"I'm pretty sure I even saw some top huntsmen boarding a different ship." Ruby added.

"Well, hopefully, we can make it out relatively unscathed." Ren said.

"Hopefully." The others said before leaving as they still had to get ready.

Eight Hours Later

'Oh, Oum. Thank you for making Pyrrha my partner. I don't what I would do without her.' Jaune thought, gazing out the window of the ship as it sailed toward the island while occasionally glancing at Pyrrha, who was reading a book she had brought. Initially, she was supposed to spend the trip with the others. But after a bit of convincing, they allowed her to stay on the ship he was staying on. Moreover, to share his room. But Jaune wasn't complaining. 'Maybe once this is all over, I could finally ask Pyrrha out. Well, if I could work up the courage.'

"Is your motion sickness still under control, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, bookmarking her page before closing the book.

"No, it's under control. Thanks for bringing my motion sickness pills, Pyrrha."

"You're welcome, Jaune." Pyrrha said, smiling, as she put away the book. She then got up and moved to sit next to him before grabbing his hand. "Jaune."

"Yes, Pyr?"

"Are you sure you want to continue with this? There is still time to turn around. I'm sure we can work something out."

"I'm sure, Pyrrha. Don't worry. As long as we stick to some safe routes and stay alert, we should be mostly fine."

"Mostly fine?" Pyrrha asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. We might have been there, but we don't know everything. And even the stuff we do know, it's still not a lot. That's not even including the diseases and other stuff that's out there."

"Oh. Right. Um. How many do you think might die?"

"If we all cooperate, keep a sharp eye out, listen, and don't keep anything hidden, then I would say no more than a hundred people might die."

"Well, I would prefer it if no one died, but if we can keep it as low as possible, then I guess that would be fine."

"Don't worry, Pyrrha. I promise you that I will do my best to get you, our friends, and everyone else back to Remnant in one piece."

"Thanks, Jaune." Pyrrha said before pulling Jaune into a hug, causing him to blush before returning it.

*DING*

'Everyone, it is time. Report to the bridge at once.'

"Well. It's time." Jaune said as they separated.

"Then let's get going." Pyrrha said. Standing up, they exited the room, closed the door, and headed to the bridge.

Ten Minutes Later

"Alright. Is everyone here?" Mirdul asked, earning a nod from everyone.

"Then let's get this call underway." Anima said as she started the video call. The overhead screens showed a phone icon ringing for a few seconds before they changed to show the captains of the various ships. But the two center screens showed Ironwood, Winter, Ozpin, and Glynda. The other headmasters and their assistants were there but on different screens.

'Okay. For a moment, I thought you were having trouble on your end. Anyway, shall we get started?' Ironwood asked.

"Yes. We still have more than a day's journey ahead of us, but that will only give us just enough time to have everything ready." Mirdul answered.

'Alright. But just so that everyone is on the same page, let's start from the beginning. We are heading to a recently discovered island that just suddenly, almost magically, appeared. However, we are not the first to have found it.'

"That's correct. However, we have to add this. We are also not the first ones to have discovered it, let alone chart an expedition to the island." Amina said.

'Do you know of any of the previous journies to this island and if any members are still alive?' Ozpin asked.

"That's... the thing, Ozpin. We don't know anything for sure. All the clues or documents we found/have are extremely vague. But from what we could make out, there have been roughly six expeditions before ours, making this the eighth. As for the members, we're not sure. We think there might have been one or two that managed to return, but that was a long time ago." Jaune explained.

'Hmm. Do you know if they left anything about the island behind?' Glynda asked.

"Yes. Two survivors left behind some information about the island. And while most of it is just gibberish or how they hated each other, there is some useful information in the documents." Amina answered.

'Like?' Winter asked, curious.

"For starters, the vegetation. Most of it that grows on the island is poisonous to us and would kill you within seconds to hours."

'Are there any that we could have?' Theodore, Headmaster of Shade Academy, asked.

"There are some that are safe for consumption. But we have to be careful since there are plenty of look-alikes." Mirdul answered.

'Alright. What else did the documents say?' Ozpin asked.

"To avoid specific areas of the island. While we don't know the weather patterns for the island itself, from what we could gather, it hardly rains in the center of the island. But when it does, those specific areas flood rapidly."

'Since we don't know the weather patterns, it would be best we avoid those areas altogether.' Ironwood said.

'But why did you say the center of the island?' Glynda asked, curious.

"That's because there are two... sections of the island. The outer edge is the rocky shore. There, it is either dark grey skies or heavy rain. About sixty percent of the time, it is raining there. But the rest of the island is vastly different for some reason. It's full of life, sunny most of the time, rarely cloudy, humid, and low wind speeds." Jaune answered.

'Interesting. Where do you think we should set up camp?' Winter asked.

"The rocky shore, no questions about it. There is a spot not too far from the bridge that would take us to the main part of the island. It's big enough to set up camp and bring down most of our supplies. Some would need to remain on the ship." Anima answered.

'Wait. Bridge?' Leonardo Lionheart asked, confused. But everyone became confused when Jaune, Anima, Mirdul, and the rest of the crew sighed.

"We were hoping we could avoid telling you this altogether, but we knew that was impossible. There is something else on the documents that we also had to deal with when we first arrived. And they killed roughly fifty of us before we managed to push them back." Mirdul began.

'Who?' Ironwood asked.

"We don't know who they are, how they got there, or even how they managed to survive on the island for that long in the first place. But there are people living on the island's shores." Jaune answered.

"And boy, are they aggressive. They might only use stones, spears, and bows, but they won't hesitate to attack anyone they deem as outsiders, which basically means everybody." Mirdul added.

'Do you think it would be possible for peace talks of any kind? Or even to settle it without fighting?' Glynda asked.

"Unfortunately, not. They will attack us as soon as they see us." Amina answered.

'Will we have to kill all of them?' Winter asked.

"No. As soon as a few go down, the rest will scatter. And we won't chase after them. It's just the initial encounter that will force us to defend ourselves." Mirdul answered.

"Don't worry. We'll try to kill as little of them as possible and ensure their deaths are not painful in the slightest." Anima added.

'Alright.'

'Could we use some of the tranquilizer darts you've brought?' Ozpin asked.

"We could, but we're not sure if the drug's dosage in them would be enough to kill them or send them into shock. Plus, there could be a chance one of them might be allergic to it." Mirdul said.

'True.' Winter sighed. While she would have preferred not to take a life if she could, but it seemed like this time would not be the case. 'But what about the bridge?'

"That's one of the many mysteries that will always be lost to time." Anima answered.

'What do you mean?' Ozpin asked.

"We haven't explored the whole island. Well, the parts that are accessible anyway since we didn't feel like walking into a field where lava was erupting. But from what little we could gather about the other voyages, neither have they. Yet, we have discovered temples, signs of civilizations, and the bridge that connects the shores to the rest of the island. While these things would be possible today, especially with Atlas's help, they would have been impossible back then." Jaune answered.

'Do you know how far back these buildings could date?' A Vale scientist asked.

"Perhaps a few centuries, but that's a wild guess. We don't have anything conclusive yet."

"But that reminds me. Where do you want us to take you? It obviously can't be the whole island since that would take months to do so." Mirdul asked.

'Hmm. As you said, we don't have supplies to explore the whole island. We don't have enough for even a third of the island. However, we could start with the shore. Then, we could explore the points of interest that are closest to this bridge. But the points of interest will be up to all of you.' Ironwood said.

"Alright. After we finish a few things on our end, we'll look over the maps we have to see where we could take you."

'Very well.'

'Do the documents say anything else?' Lionheart asked, adjusting his comms piece so Salem and the others could hear what was happening.

"Nothing useful." Amina answered. "The rest of what we know comes from our experience on the island."

'Alright. So far, we know that we will have to... remove some of the people who live on the shore before we can cross the bridge to get to the center of the island. After that, we will follow you to the points of interest that you decided upon.' Ironwood began.

"That's right." Jaune said.

'But what of the dangers the rest of the island poses that could wipe us all out? Because I doubt you would have brought this amount of ammunition and weaponry or have us bring some paladins if it were something minor.'

"That's kinda the thing. We sort of lied. And before you say anything, everything else we said was the truth. That part we lied about is when we said everything else we knew about the island came from when we were on it." Mirdul said.

'What did you leave out?' Glynda asked.

"This part we found. Even though we don't know for sure how many voyages there were before us, all records we have/found all shared one thing in common."

'What's that?' Theodore asked, curious.

"They all knew the island's name. But the thing is, none of them ever named it." Jaune answered.

"Wait. None of them named it? Then how did the island get its name?" Pyrrha asked, confused.

"We don't know. We tried finding any mention of the island or its name anywhere but came up with nothing. Our only guess is that whoever named it wanted it to be lost to time."

'What's the name?' Ironwood asked.

"It's called Skull Island." Anima answered.

"An Island frozen in time cut off from the rest of the world. An island that Oum never finished and wished he could forget. A place that some would say is the gate to hell." Jaune added.

'That's a bit of a claim.' Winter said.

"Yeah. We thought the same." Mirudl said, sensing Winter's skepticism.

"That is until we arrived and saw them in person." Anima added. "We would show you some images and videos, but the people in charge of them got eaten."

'Is everything on the island hostile?' Ozpin asked.

"Hostile, no. Dangerous, yes." Jaune answered.

'What do you mean?' Glynda asked.

"Most of the creatures there will actively try to kill you once they spot you. However, others will only attack in self-defense or if you trespass on their territory. And there are some that are friendly. But what makes them dangerous is either their size or defense mechanisms. Some are big enough to crush you underfoot, while others are highly poisonous/venomous." Anima explained.

'So, like some animals back home. Luckily, we brought some anti-venom and suits to protect us from accidentally making physical contact with poisonous creatures.' Ironwood said.

"Smart thinking, bringing anti-venom since those kinds of animals are all over the island. However, you won't need the suits since those animals are located toward the island's center." Mirdul said.

'Alright. But we will have them on standby in case we need them. Is there anything else we need to know about the island?'

"Well, maybe not about the island itself, but there is something we need to prepare for." Amina answered.

'What is it?' Winter asked.

"We don't know how or why, but there is a strong electromagnetic field surrounding Skull Island that blocks nearly all forms of communication and disables most navigation equipment. It's one of the reasons why we think Skull Island remained hidden for so long. But once we're past it, we will be able to use navigation equipment and communicate with each other again, just not with those back home." Jaune answered.

'That could be the reason. Strong electromagnetic fields can hide anything from many things.' Ironwood said.

"But to add on to what the kid said. The field is close to Skull Island. We'll let you know when we get close. But once there, we'll be restricted to strictly visual navigation." Mirdul said.

'What about the stars?' A Vacuo ship captain asked.

"That's another thing. Even when it's clear, there are no stars in the sky. We can't rely on them." Amina answered.

"But speaking of clear skies, that reminds me. We did say it rains a lot there. But we forgot to say how strong the storms are." Jaune said.

'How strong?' Lionheart asked.

"Enough to cause the waves to rock a ship a bit and to have things sliding across the deck." Mirdul answered.

'Okay. I'll have the crews of each ship secure everything and bring everything else below deck.' Ironwood said. 'Anything else?'

"Not that we think of. But if something does come up, we'll let you know."

'Alright. We'll be signing off then to get everything ready. Don't forget to send us the points of interest.' Ironwood said before the screen went black.

"Alright, everyone. Let's get the ship ready for the shit storm that is Skull Island! And if I catch anything slacking, I will personally toss the person in charge of it overboard and force them to swim back to Remnant!" Amina shouted, scaring some of the crew.

"Isn't that a bit excessive?" Pyrrha asked, watching some of the crew scamper away, almost afraid to piss off Amina.

"That's just how Amina keeps everything running smoothly. She won't actually toss anyone overboard. But they will catch hell if they mess up pretty badly." Mirdul said. "Anyway. The ship is already ready to complete the rest of the trip to Skull Island. We just need to double-check. You two can head back to your room and sleep if you want since it is late."

"Alright. See you, Mirdul." Jaune said before leaving with Pyrrha next to him.

Ten Minutes Later

"So, are there really monsters on the island, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked as they prepared their beds. While they didn't feel sleepy or tired, they decided to get their beds ready for when they did.

"Unfortunately, yes. And there is a high chance we might encounter them." Jaune answered. "But we have tracking equipment that would alert us to them. Granted, it would just let us know something is nearby and not what it is."

"Are there Grimm on the island?"

"Not that I know of." Jaune answered as he finished making his bed. "But we should be ready for them just in case."

"Alright. We should also tell the others." Pyrrha said as she finished making her bed before grabbing a sweater from her bag and putting it on. However, it was then that a glint caught her eye. Curious, she went to check it, and what she saw surprised her. "Uh, Jaune?"

"Yes, Pyr?"

"Um. I just found this. Do you know who it belongs to?" Curious, Jaune turned around and saw Pyrrha holding a Luger P08 "Artillery."

"Oh. I thought I lost that." Jaune said, taking it from her. He then checked the magazine and was relieved to see that it was empty.

"Wait. This is yours, Jaune? You know how to handle a gun?" Pyrrha asked, surprised.

"Only this one. My family gave it to me when I first went to Skull Island and had one of the members teach me how to use it."

"How come you didn't take one to Beacon?"

"Well, I only know how to use some of the outdated weapons, such as this one."

"That makes sense since it seems old." Pyrrha said as Jaune put away the gun. However, she made a mental note to ask Anima or Mirdul for some bullets. While she might not be as proficient as Ruby or others when it comes to guns, she still knew how to use them well. And since they had some free time before reaching the island, Pyrrha thought she could help Jaune regain some of his skills and shake off some rust. Plus, it would let them spend some time together. "Anyway. So, what now?"

"Well. I'm not sure. There isn't much we can do right now, especially since it's late."

"We can watch a movie."

"How? There's no signal here, at least for your scroll."

"I downloaded some movies and music before we left. We could watch one of them."

"Alright. But how should we set it up?" Jaune asked, looking around.

"We could set it up on the nightstand and prop it up against some books."

"O-okay. We could do that." Jaune said, blushing as he knew what that would entail.

Nodding, Pyrrha went to grab her scroll while Jaune placed some books on the nightstand before moving them to the front of his bed and turning off the lights. Pyrrha returned and selected a movie she thought would be nice before setting her scroll against the books and pressing play. Once done, Jaune lay down on his bed with Pyrrha lying down beside him. However, Jaune blushed when Pyrrha snuggled into him. Coughing into his hand, Jaune focused on the movie while enjoying having Pyrrha so close to him. Taking a chance, he wrapped his arm around her, causing her to tense up. He was about to pull back but stopped when Pyrrha smiled and moved closer to him. Sighing in relief, Jaune focused on the movie.

Six Hours Later

*BOOM*

'Huh? What's happening?'Jaune asked as he woke up.

Looking out the window, he felt dread rise up within him when he saw the familiar raging storm that indicated they were close to Skull Island. And judging by how some stuff in the room was moving by itself, he could tell that the ship was rocking quite a bit. However, Jaune wasn't worried as, despite the ship being slightly old, it could still withstand the storm's punishment quite easily. But it was when he heard a light snore, that Jaune remembered he wasn't alone. Looking down, he realized that he and Pyrrha had fallen asleep while watching the movie. Not only that but while they were asleep, they had maneuvered themselves to where his arms were wrapped around Pyrrha while she laid her head against his chest. And their legs were also intertwined with each other.

'Oh, um. Ah.' Jaune mentally panicked, trying to figure out how to untangle themselves without waking up Pyrrha. However, he froze when Pyrrha woke up.

"Jaune. Is everything okay?" She asked, still half asleep.

"Yeah. Everything is fine, Pyrrha. We're just in the storm that surrounds Skull Island. Don't worry; this ship is more than capable of holding out."

"Alright." Pyrrha said before letting out a yawn. "Do you know how long before we get there?"

"Perhaps another two or three hours, give or take. I'll wake you up if anything happens or when we arrive."

"Alright." Pyrrha said before yawning while snuggling into him.

Jaune waited for a few moments until her breathing evened out. And once it did, Jaune sighed before deciding to take a chance and kiss her forehead. He wished he could work up the courage to ask his partner out. But hopefully, once they return, he could. Although, they would have to survive Skull Island first. Knowing he would need to be well rested, Jaune closed his eyes and fell asleep, unaware that Pyrrha was still awake when he kissed her forehead. Smiling, Pyrrha moved slowly to kiss Jaune's cheek before returning to sleep for real this time.

Four Hours Later

'That was not a regular storm.' Winter said, relieved they were out of the storm. While storms never bothered her before, this one did. And she had to deal with category four hurricanes while working before. Yet, this one seemed different and far more dangerous.

"Yeah. We're not sure if it is a regular storm either." Amina said.

"But we wouldn't be surprised if it was Oum's way of trying to dissuade people from coming to the island." Mirdul said.

'I'm still not one for superstitions, but for that storm, I'm willing to make an exception.' Glynda said.

'Either way. Have you finished deciding upon the places we can visit?' Ironwood asked.

"Yes. We finished it about an hour ago." Mirdul answered.

'So where are you guiding us?' Winter asked.

"There are several locations that we could visit that are mostly safe. And they include some temples, a marshland, a hot spring, what appears to be the ruins of what was once a town, and a waterfall." Anima answered.

'You said hot springs. Does that mean there is volcanic activity on the island?' A Mistral scientist asked.

"Yes. There's a couple of places on the island." Mirdul answered.

'Are there any you could take us to?'

"No, unfortunately not. We actually thought about it since there are two spots we could take you that are not active. However, we decided against it since, to get to them, we either need to pass a trench with rapid waters at the bottom or a gaseous field. The trench is a good three meters wide, and all it takes is a single spark to ignite the gas, which would blow us all to kingdom come."

'Noted. So, uh, we'll not visit that.'

"Good call. We were lucky to escape with only minor burns that first time." Anima said.

'How much longer until we reach the shores of Skull Island?' Ozpin asked.

"In about an hour or so. Ninety minutes at most." Jaune answered.

'Alright.'

'Will we encounter the natives as soon as we reach the shore?' Lionheart asked.

"Possible. There's a chance we might see or encounter a few. But most of them stay where the bridge is located... for reasons." Mirdul answered.

'What kind of reasons?' Theodore asked.

"As we said, we don't know how many voyages there were before us, but we there were. And each of them encountered the natives. While we don't know the exact details of how they went down, we know the natives had kidnapped and sacrificed members of the expeditions to creatures of the island." Amina answered.

"And because we didn't know about this until we found some papers, we failed to stop them from sacrificing some of our crewmates." Jaune added.

'Oh.' The others said.

"Yeah."

'So, uh. But speaking of the natives, we think we found a way to avoid having to kill any of them.' Winter said.

"How do you plan on doing that?" Amina asked, crossing her arms.

'We looked through our inventory and remembered that we brought along sound grenades. They create a booming sound similar to thunderstorms or gunshots. They should scare away the natives.' Ironwood answered.

"That would work. But we would still need some to go ashore and head to the natives' village." Mirdul said.

'Some of your crew can volunteer to lead our Atlesian Knights to the village. They will protect you while a second group trails slowly behind and will throw the sound grenades once you give the order.'

"We would need to have them wear armor and a helmet. Despite barely scraping by, the natives are surprisingly strong. We lost one member from a spear they threw at him. And despite having aura and some light body armor, the spear went right through him with his heart on the spear's tip." Amina answered.

'Wow. Uh, alright. We'll give you some gear we give to our soldiers during riots.' Winter said.

"We would appreciate it. But you should also give everyone who is going to come with us to the landmarks wear heavy armor. It doesn't matter what their profession is; they have to wear it, or they can't come." Mirdul said.

'Fair. Should they also carry weapons?' Ironwood asked.

"Yes. However, they don't need to be anything heavy or powerful. They could be pistols for all we care. All that matters is that they know how to use it."

'Alright. We'll give them a quick rundown of how to safely operate them. Anything else?'

"No. Just be ready to have everything ready. We can't waste time."

'Very well.' Ironwood said before ending the call.

"That went better than expected." Jaune said.

"More or less." Mirdul said, shurgging.

"Where's your friend?" Amina asked.

"Pyrrha in the room. She needed to make an important call with someone on the other end of the ship. And she needed to call our friends to let them know I'm alright since they were worried." Jaune explained. "Why?"

"No reason. I just need to talk with her for a moment. I'll be back." Amina said before leaving.

"That was weird."

"Not really. But there's a reason for it that you might find out soon enough." Mirdul said.

"What?" Jaune asked, confused.

"Nothing. Anyway. We need to get ready. Come help me prep the rowboats."

"Alright."

One Hour Later

"Wow." Ruby said, both in shock and fear at the rock pillar. But it wasn't the pillar itself that was the reason for her reaction. It was the face carved into it and the expression it bore that caused goosebumps to form on her skin. Even the Atlesian Knights seemed on edge from them.

"Do you know what created these things, Mr. Arc?" Glynda asked.

"No. But our best guess is that Oum made the waves slowly carve these images into the rocks as a final warning to travelers and explorers." Jaune answered.

"At times, I wonder why people are so willing to explore such hostile locations." Winter said.

"Or why they didn't turn around at the first sight of certain death." Coco Adel asked, eyeing the rock pillars.

"There's a part of them that wants to. A part deep inside them, warning them not to go any further. But there's also another part, one that's much louder. It's a part that everyone has. It's the desire of wanting to know the unknown, to find the answers. And to finally defeat the things that make us afraid of what's yet to be discovered and if we have finally gone too far. But moreover, it's to see if they have discovered a new age and could leave the previous one behind." Amina explained.

"And that's if they are not already corrupted with greed." Mirdul added.

"What were you originally looking for on this island?" Winter asked.

"And how come you all were the only ones who knew about this island?" Glynda asked.

"Years ago, some scientists were monitoring different things to see if everything was normal. And by that, I mean they were checking to ensure the tides, the weather, etc., were all going as they should be. But at one point, everything changed. They wondered what was causing it and soon discovered the moon had become red." Jaune began.

"Isn't it normal for the moon to turn red?" Ruby asked.

"Yes. The moon turns red roughly two to four times a year. But it always happens at specific points. This one not only was the fifth time, but it came out of nowhere. Moreover, it was not in the position it should have been for that time of year. Letting their curiosity get the better of them, some scientists decided to see where precisely the moon was in proportion to Remnant. And that's how they found Skull Island. Granted, we couldn't see much of it since we didn't have the greatest nor most up-to-date technology at the time."

"But how come the kingdoms didn't know about it? Or why didn't you tell them?" Winter asked.

"You really think any of the kingdoms would care about some back-alley villages that don't have the most valuable resources." Mirdul said.

"They may act like they care and are inclusive, but they really are not." Amina added, causing Winter and Glynda to sigh as it was true that villages on the outer edge of the kingdom's territory are generally ignored.

"So after discovering it, you gathered everything you could or needed and decided to explore the island." Coco said.

"Yup. One of the worst mistakes of our lives." Jaune answered as the boats finally reached the shore.

Disembarking, they grabbed all their supplies and stacked them on the beach about four meters from the shore before pulling their boats onto the land so the water wouldn't take them away. Once done, they grabbed the armored vests and helmets and put them on while the Atlesian Knights grabbed the sonic grenades. When they were finished, Jaune, Mirdul, Amina, and the others led everyone else to where they needed to go.

Twenty Minutes Later

Thankfully, unlike the previous time, their destination wasn't too far this time. And they would have gotten there soon if it weren't for the stuff they had to bring. But it was their nerves that really slowed them down. Every time they think they heard the sound of something moving or rocks tumbling, they tensed up, aimed their weapons at the source, and had one of the knights check it out. Nevertheless, despite this, they eventually reached the area that would take them off the shore and toward the center of the island.

"Wow." The others said when they arrived, and spotted the massive stone wall.

"Yeah. We had the same expression when we first laid eyes on it." Mirdul said.

"But we always, and still do, wonder what could have created it." Jaune said as they walked toward it.

"Especially since whoever or whatever created it made it with the sole purpose of keeping everything in." Amina said. However, they stopped when they heard the sounds of pebbles hitting each other.

"Did you hear that?" Ruby asked, readying her scythe.

"Yes." Glynda answered.

"It seems to be coming from all around us." Winter said.

"It's the natives. Get ready." Mirdul warned. And no sooner than he did, a wooden spear struck the head of an Atlesian Knight. And while it did not have enough force behind it to remove the head, the attack did leave a noticeable dent.

"What was the plan again?" Ruby asked.

"Step one was to get here and get the native's attention." Jaune answered as the natives appeared, each carrying clubs or spears. However, there was one that didn't. And Jaune, Mirdul, and Amina instantly recognized her as the supposed elder of the tribe. However, it didn't matter as the knights readied the sound grenades. Thankfully, the helmets had a noise-cancellation feature.

"And step two was to have the knights toss the grenades. NOW!" Amina said while quickly activating the noise cancellation feature.

Once the command was given, the knights pulled the pins before throwing the sound grenades at the natives. But as they did this, the natives with the spears threw them in retaliation. Thankfully, the knights blocked most of the attacks, with the armor protecting the others from the ones that did get through. The natives were about to jump down from their perches to go attack them, but they became scared once the grenades went off, creating a deafening noise. Fearing that it belonged to him, the natives scatted and ran from the area as fast as they could.

"I really wish we had those when we first came here. It would have saved us a lot of hassle." Mirdul said.

"True. But what's happened happened. Let's just focus on the present and get everything set up. We're going to need everything in case things go south." Amina said.

*RRRRRRROOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRR*

"And I have a feeling they will." Jaune said, feeling a sense of dread creep up his spine at the familiar roar.