The rest of the way back to Beacon was spent in absolute silence, including the obligatory bullhead ride that he was genuinely starting to detest.

Motion sickness or not, there's only so many times a guy can go back and forth like this before getting annoyed. Hopefully, this will be the last time, he thought.

Taiyang was pensive the entire time, occasionally shooting him a small smile to reassure him that everything was cool between them. Where did the guy find the courage and strength to smile, Jaune had no idea.

He stared at the metallic ground beneath him, feeling Yang's aura drifting inside him. He wondered what she would say, if she could talk to him. Probably something like "I'll get you next time!" followed by a nickname. Vomitboy or Lady Killer, depending on her mood. Or maybe even something else entirely. Subverting expectations was kind of her thing, now that he thought about it.

It took him a couple of seconds to realize he was smiling too. A brief, flickering shadow of a smile, but a smile nonetheless.

He understood then.

When the machine touched once more the grounds of Beacon Academy, both him and Taiyang stepped out.

Jaune immediately set his eyes on the tower, ready for the next challenge, but he was stopped.

"Jaune? Could you please wait a moment?"

He turned back around to his newfound friend, who held an expression of grim determination.

"I cannot continue further. The rest of your journey will be up to just you now. But before you go, I wish to give you one last gift, if you would accept it. Here…"

Obtained: Precious Stone X5

Obtained: Scraps of Metal X10

Obtained: Mysterious Key

"I found this key back on Patch, after we defeated Peter and Bart. I've never seen it before, so I have no idea what it would open… but I have a feeling that it will be useful to you, in the future. Safe travels my friend, I will be here to assist you if you ever decide to come back".

That was a heartening thought. No matter what, he had made a steadfast ally, it would seem.

In a brief moment of inspiration, he decided to do something potentially reckless… but he could not think of a better person for the job.

"Mh? What's this? The Relic…? Are you… trusting it to me?"

He nodded.

"... Very well then. I shall protect it with my life until it's time to use it. You have my word… for Yang".

The two blondes nodded at each other and parted ways, the younger of the two feeling a tiny bit lighter, knowing he needed not to worry about the Crown of Choice anymore. He just hoped that his friend wouldn't drive himself to the grave for it…

Before taking the elevator again, Jaune spent some of his stones to buy thirty Aura Boosters from Roman. Yang had completely drained him of everything, dirty joke not intended, so he needed to get some stocks back.

Reaching once more the basement, Ozpin's ethereal form summoned itself without his input, probably detecting the powerful aura that he carried.

"Welcome back, Brave Huntsman. I see that you have succeeded. Which means that Miss Xiao Long has been put to rest?"

Jaune nodded silently. The former headmaster's eyes filled with sorrow.

"I understand how you feel, young man. I was forced to strike down people that I considered friends in the past too. I will not sugarcoat it… it won't get any easier. And pray that it never will, for in that case, it will mean that your own humanity is forfeit. Now… you have everything you need? Then place her aura on the pedestal and activate the portal".

He obeyed, summoning Yang's life force and placing it down, like the others before her. The portal shimmered, showing the image of a town, Mistralian judging by the houses and streets. It looked eerily familiar too…

"The way to Mistral is blocked by a creature of Grimm. If you wish to continue, you shall have to kill it. Otherwise, your journey will end here. The place where you will go is completely disconnected from Remnant itself, so it will just be you and it. I suggest you leave as soon as you are prepared. Taiyang Xiao Long may be strong, but he won't be able to protect the Relic forever".

He nodded once more and leaned on his hands right next to Yang's aura.

He had seen that town before, some time ago. Those particular memories were fuzzy at best, but a terrible feeling of dread was threatening to overcome him. Like something terrible had happened in relation to that place.

Ozpin spoke once more.

"Once you've slain the beast, the way forward will be revealed. Be careful though, it will not be easy. I wish you luck, Brave Huntsman. May the twin gods give you strength".

His form shimmered and disappeared back into the sign.

The gods… supposedly they were the ones that brought him back. Could they truly be trusted, after everything that they did in the past…?

He sighed. Too late for regrets Jauney boy, he thought. Forward was the only feasible way.

With a decisive step, he entered the now active portal with a flash of blinding light.

The air was still. Everything was gray. That dread from before hit him full force naught a moment later. He remembered now… he finally recognized this place. How could he forget? This is where one of his best friends was born… where one the greatest tragedies within their group had taken place.

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NEW AREA: KUROYURI

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The place looked ancient, but not in ruin like during their travels. Not a single soul was around, but he knew he wasn't alone. And this square… this was the same place where…

The distant sounds of hooves reached his ears. Of course… what else could it be? Just one creature was so intimately connected to this place to be able to transcend time itself.

The clacking became louder. And louder. And louder still.

This thing still dares to exist. Even in this… pocket out of time and space, this monster still plagued this place, like a parasite. No matter. It had been a tough opponent back in his early days.

The neigh of a horse sounded. A shadow passed over him and the monster hit the ground, groaning and moaning.

This time… this time he was going to erase it for good.

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NUCKELAVEE

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Both the horse and its rider screamed their war cries, and in exchange he slid Crocea Mors from its sleeve. It looked even more nightmarish than he remembered, somehow. But his resolve held strong, for he had faced much worse.

The Grimm started the assault by stretching its arms, trying to cut him to bloody ribbons. Fat chance.

He dodged the first arm and blocked the other with the shield. The appendage bounced harmlessly. This thing had nothing on Yang's sheer power after all.

The Nuckelavee showed its frustration by bombarding him with slashes, none of which bore any fruit. Eventually it began to slow down…

And finally Jaune made his move.

Making use of the brief lull in attacks, he dashed in and scored a series of slashes on the horse. Not much in terms of damage, but it caused the beast to rise on its hind legs, trying to squish him with its front hooves.

Deciding to switch targets, he started hitting away the rider instead of the horse, believing that maybe killing it first could give him an advantage.

The animal half did not stand idle. It bucked and turned, using the bones on its body to mitigate the damage as much as possible.

The human part screamed and attacked with both arms at the same time, causing Jaune to be bounced back from the strength that hit his shield.

It wasn't as powerful as Yang, sure, but the thing was plenty strong all on its own. He had to be more tactical about it, that horse was not stupid.

Which only exacerbated the need to defeat the rider first and take away its main source of destruction.

Said horse neighed and started charging him relentlessly, forcing him to dodge sideways. It was after five consecutive charges that the beast finally gave up, deciding to stop right in front of him and trying to stomp him to the ground once again.

Dodge a stomp, block an arm, dodge, block, dodge, block…

He was stuck in a loop. And the Grimm definitely had a lot more stamina than he did.

He really had to start thinking of something. Strategy was supposed to be his strong suit damn it!

He jumped and blocked at the same time, allowing one the rider's arms to bounce him out the horse's range once again.

He took no damage the entire fight, but he had also not dished out any in return. It was a stalemate.

It had to have a weakness! How did they defeat it the first time…?

His eyes widened. Of course! The answer had been smacking his shield from the very second this battle started! Now, he only needed the right timing…

With one more growl, the rider half of Nuckelavee tried to smack him with both arms simultaneously.

Wait for it. Wait for it…

Last second, he leaned his body sideways and raised up his sword at the same time, in its transformed form. Finally, he thrusted down.

The Grimm's cries of pain were his reward.

The rider had its arms stuck on the ground. And with it, the horse half was also unable to move.

Drawing Mors Celeri, Jaune dashed in, not willing to squander his chance. He climbed on top of the animal and ended up face to face with the rider.

It tried to bite him, and he allowed it, making it chomp on the armor of his left arm. It hurt and the metal would probably be all bent, but it was worth the hassle.

He brandished his dagger and stabbed repeatedly, again and again, until finally the pressure on his appendage relented and the rider slumped forward with one last hellish groan, lifeless. One half down, one more to go.

He jumped down just as the Nuckelavee finally managed to free itself of its debacle, and rushed all the way to his sword, retrieving it with a grin of triumph. He had it in the bag.

The horse neighed to the heavens and rushed him, with all the intention of killing him.

At which point, Jaune remembered something very important about the Grimm he was facing. The rider half was physically stronger…

But the animal part was much more ferocious.

In its blind rage, it lashed out at him, hitting him with a headbutt, which stunned him enough to eat two hooves on his chest. Yup, the metal was definitely bent…

His chest piece dug in his ribs, making movement a bit more difficult. He took one Booster, just to be safe.

The horse though, was merciless. It followed him and tried to bite him, but he managed to evade and smack its snout with his sword. He only angered it further.

He needed one opening. Just one singular opening to finish the job.

Finally his chance arrived when the beast raised itself on its hind legs once again.

Jaune squared himself with his greatsword pointed toward his enemy and stabbed, as hard as he possibly could. The results were as one could expect.

The Nuckelavee fell backwards and he followed, right on top of it. Quick as the wind, Mors Celeri was once more in his hands… and this time, he went for the throat, piercing it and slashing it open violently. The sound of steel tearing through flesh resounded and finally, the Nuckelavee stopped moving, releasing one last neigh…

Before disappearing in the now familiar shower of blood.

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PREY SLAUGHTERED

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Obtained: Proof of Passage for Mistral

About damn time…

Jaune got back on his feet, a smile on his face. He wondered if Ren and Nora would be proud of him… wherever they were.

He searched the place where the beast had fallen to find… a lotus? He had no idea what the hell that was, but he decided to keep it, just in case.

The town around him shimmered and glitched. A powerful light erupted, forcing him to cover his eyes. When it was finally over, he was in another place. Not one that he had personally seen, but he knew the existence of.

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NEW AREA: HAVEN ACADEMY

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The Vault underneath Haven Academy, where the Lamp of Knowledge was once located.

The entrance to the Vault itself had been replaced with the portal, now showing the interior of Beacon. And in front of the portal, another pedestal like the one back in Vale, with the same cavities that had to be filled with auras.

On the floor close to him, the sign was back, pulsing regularly. He'd be able to call upon Ozpin again, should the need arise. But for now, it was simply more of what already happened. Find auras to feed to the portal, collect the Relic and move on to the next continent.

He exhaled through his nose. No reason to lag behind then, better get a move on.

Taking the elevator (another one, for the record. Better than stairs and ladders he supposed) he emerged in the main hall… where a surprise awaited him.

A familiar stall, and behind it, a familiar ginger haired man, who grinned at him.

"Knight boy! My friend! My partner! The light in my eyes! I heard from that blonde huntsman that you were going to leave Vale to continue your journey, and I just couldn't bare the thought of leaving you in the cold, all by yourself in uncharted territory. Sooooo… here I am, back again with you! I hope that we can continue our business even in this… sorry excuse of a school. Speaking of which, I have another favor to ask of you, if you wouldn't mind!"

Jaune snorted. Of course, what would he expect? But it was a good thing that the man followed him here, he could always use some more supplies if things were to get as hairy as they did back in Vale.

"Oh you, don't make that face! I promise that this favor will be strictly beneficial. Say, during your journey to this place, did you by chance happen to find an object shaped like a lotus flower?"

He nodded and showed the item. Roman clapped with a big grin.

"Yes, yes! Exactly that! I have good reason to believe that small object is what keeps Vale and Mistral connected through that portal down in the Vault. Old man Ozpin said that anyone that touches it, will be automatically transported in Beacon's basement, where the first pedestal is located. Getting to the point of my request, there is someone that I would like you to find and transport to Vale. A blacksmith by the name of Gunmetal".

Gunmetal? What kind of ass name is Gunmetal?! He hoped for the poor guy that was nothing but a nickname…

"I know, I know, dumb name, but he's one the best in the business. Find him and I guarantee that he will help by forging or repairing anything you might need. Like your chest piece and your arm guard for example".

Oh yeah, the damn piece of armor that was, coincidentally, stabbing him right below the ribs. How kind of Roman to remind him.

His benefits were clear. But the thief's?

"What do I gain from this? What, don't you believe that I just want to make sure a friend is alive?"

No. Not even a little bit. Roman deflated like a balloon.

"Figures. Don't worry kid, I'm not going to kill him. He simply might have some answers that I'm looking for. Nothing that concerns you. Do we have a deal?"

Jaune would have thought about it more carefully. This was Roman Fucking Torchwick we're talking about. But another stab of pain reminded him of the dire need of a blacksmith he had. So he nodded without a second hesitation.

Roman's grin came back full force on his face.

"Atta boy! I won't hold you any further… unless you're interested in some of my wares. I have restocked since the last time we saw each other!"

He winked. By "restocked" he meant "pillaged", no doubts about that. Whatever, not like there's anybody around to miss that stuff.

He bought three Ice Dust Bombs and finally set out into Mistral, his list of objectives growing and growing…

He sighed. No rest for the wicked it would seem. He raised up the Aura Reader, who shined a bright light in the direction of his next objective. He could see not too far away a railroad.

What could be of importance in that direction? He had no idea, but it's not like he could afford to pick and choose where to go. Or even know WHERE exactly even if he could.

And so, sword in hand, dagger in his belt and chest piece stabbing him below the ribs, Jaune Arc walked into the second part of his journey. His most difficult challenge yet.

Hello? Is this thing on?! It is?! Noice.

Welcome back one and all to Auraborne, this time not after like… four months or something like that? Jesus Christ I need some bloody consistency, like really.

And so, the first part is… not exactly concluded. Jaune still has things that he needs to do in Vale, but that won't come for a while. In the meantime, Mistral arrived and the poor Nuckelavee became a victim of the fabled "power creep" issue that plagues us all. Thing may be strong, but Yang is stronger… in this story at least.

And before I forget, no, Gunmetal is NOT an OC. He's an actual RWBY character that apparently forged Hush, Neo's weapon. The more you know.

Review responses!

hellhound37: Ask and ye shall receive. I hope that this one is just as enjoyable!

Fatswordsman: I know, I know. I'm sorry, but as you can see, things are starting to kick back into motion. I'll be consistent… one day. Maybe.

Malkor13: I love this hypothesis, in true Soulsborne fashion, nothing is ever as it seems. Or maybe it is and you're just reading too much into it. Who knows? But no, Yang was at peace when she died because at least, now she can't hurt anyone else. Just between us, with her, Port and Oobleck, Patch was a tiny bit TOO bare of living people, wouldn't you agree?

That would be all folks! Ta-ta for now!