Don't really have much to say, but I see a lot of people enjoying Vernal's appearance. She might be a recurring minor character in this story. Who knows? People seemed to like her. It's not like Jaune can realistically kill all these Grimm alone. And yes, the joke about breeding stock was a reference to Jaune's large Aura reserves. He could pass that on to future children which would be good for a tribe. Luckily, Vernal is a sweet girl who would never do something like that. But for now, it's time for the final battle against the Queen. Assuming a king doesn't show up.

Feel free to check out my newest RWBY story, Dream Walker. Finally got around to finishing the chapter a friend and I brainstormed together.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

"The only problem now is getting close to the queen bitch and using these." Vernal muttered, fiddling with an explosive. "They are on high alert now. Getting close enough will be difficult."

"After all the Arachnas you killed, there are still that much more?" Jaune was feeling a little disheartened, even if he tried not to show it. The sweat on his brow betrayed him.

"Kid, this nest is miles wide and it's at the point where not much can be done except completely leveling it with an airstrike or killing the Queen," Vernal told him. "This is my Trial so just be thankful I'm letting you come along. We're supposed to do this solo."

"My teacher never really explained the Trial of Blood to me," Jaune admitted. "He just told someone I passed it. What exactly is it?"

"Wow, your teacher must hate you. No preparation?"

"That's not… okay, sometimes I feel that's the case…" Jaune mumbled, looked away. It was untrue, but after the shit Qrow did to him over the weeks, even if it was to help him train, the mental scars were still there.

"The Trial of Blood is a ritual where the mentor tosses the apprentice in a hopeless situation and says survive." Vernal leaned against a tree and crossed her arms. "It forces us to become stronger or die in the process. I take it your mentor threw you to the Grimm too?"

"Pretty much…" Jaune wondered which time Qrow did it. Was it the group of Beowolves? The Ursa? The King Taijitu? There was no way to tell, so he decided it probably wasn't worth thinking about. "Mine wasn't nearly as hard as this one though. You're a lot stronger than me for sure."

"Naturally." For a brief moment, Jaune thought there was a shadow of a smile on the woman's lips. Qrow did mention a little flattery never hurt when talking to a woman. Too much though and it would just piss them off. Saphron told him something like that before too when he was younger. "You look pretty scrawny yourself."

"Haven't been with my teacher very long." The boy admitted.

"Must have given you the trial early to see if you were worth devoting any time to." A short harsh laugh escaped Vernl's throat. "You passed, so that's something. I take it your Semblance helped with that."

"Nah, I unlocked my Semblance after that," Jaune chuckled. "It was more desperately fighting for my life."

"Then you understand the purpose." Vernal gave a small nod in his direction. "My tribe focuses on strength. You need strength to survive. If someone is weak, they are a liability and weaken the tribe. A chain is only as strong as the weakest link. People die trying to protect those who can't protect themselves when they should be focusing on surviving. The Trial of Blood is what answers this question. Do you have the strength to survive?"

Jaune frowned at that. He wasn't a very big fan of that logic. It sounded like Vernal would leave innocent people to die instead of trying to help them escape danger when she was able to. Qrow mentioned something similar to him a while back. Back when he was drunk and let some stuff slip about Ruby's mom. How Summer would prioritize other people over her own life. One day, that mindset caught up to her and she never returned. There was some truth to Vernal's words.

No matter how distasteful.

"Far be it from me to argue about that," Jaune replied instead. "I know first hand you need power to survive out here. Speaking of, do you want me to recharge you a bit more? I have plenty of Aura."

"Sure, just don't do it too much and try to keep it low." Vernal replied. "Don't want to draw attention to ourselves, but I can't say the risk isn't worth it."

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked, confused, as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Grimm are attracted to strong sources of Aura," Vernal scoffed, as if she was explaining something to someone extremely slow or a child. "Get too many or a really powerful one in one place, you're broadcasting your position to them. They will keep chasing you from all around. It's like negative emotions."

"Oh… shit!" Jaune swore under his breath. "No wonder they kept finding me." Vernal glanced over at him and raised an eyebrow. "I kept getting attacked by patrols as I was lost in the woods. I was regenerating my own Aura and they would keep finding me shortly afterwards. No wonder!"

"You're an idiot if you didn't even know that…" Vernal's eyes narrowed as the blond's words sunk in. "You mentioned that before. Are you transferring your Aura to me and regenerating your own normally, or can you regenerate your own Aura like this too?"

"It's a little slower when I do it to myself," Jaune recited. "Been practicing a lot to speed it up. Sort of under fire today. But now thanks to you, I know not to do it for too long or the Grimm will find me."

"At least you're learning," Vernal sniffed. "Your Semblance is really… useful, but if you use it poorly, you're just inviting trouble. If you were too dumb to change, I would just leave you here."

"Then you don't get my explosives." Jaune joked.

"No, I'll take them. The amount of pain you receive is based on how hard you try to stop me."

The threat was clear and they both knew Jaune wouldn't stand a chance against her.

"Luckily, we're on the same side." Jaune amended quickly, too used to smartmouthing with Qrow. "How's your leg?"

"I can walk on it," Vernal stepped forward gingerly as the feeling was now fully returning. "Another few minutes and we can head out. I wasted too much time already. There's a chance all the eggs have hatched already."

"Eggs…" Qrow had mentioned to Jaune about the eggs already. "How many are we looking at?"

"Couple hundred at least."

Jaune's stomach twisted into knots. A couple dozen were difficult for multiple people to down. The Arachna's were capable of team play and strategic assaults. If the eggs hatched now, they would get swarmed before they had a chance to regroup. Ruby and Qrow were unaware, probably, wherever they were. He and Vernal were in the best position to do something about it. They had to do something about it or even the lumber yard would soon be under threat.

"Yeah, I don't want to deal with that." Jaune admitted with a shudder.

"So we need to get moving." Vernal hoisted her bag and stepped forward awkwardly.

"What about your leg?"

"The feeling will fully return long before we get there."

"Then take this." Jaune reached into his bag and pulled out one of the explosives. "This way, if one of us gets stuck, the other still has a chance to take down the queen." He purposely avoided using certain terminology that Vernal instantly picked up on.

"I'll make sure to tell people you died like a bitch."

"Thanks, that means a lot. At least pretend to shed a tear."

"If you're lucky, I might remember your name… Jacob was it?"

At least the little back and forth seemed to put the woman in a better mood after recovering from that spider bite. The two of them set out in the direction of the Queen Arachna's lair. The good news was most of the attack force sent after Vernal was now dead. It would be a little bit before more arrived, assuming the eggs didn't hatch already. It didn't look like they had yet to Jaune. There weren't hundreds of little spiders running around at least. In some ways, that might be worse than a dozen large ones. Nightmares in different forms.

"How much farther?" Jaune asked, after about half an hour.

"We're getting close, so keep your voice down." Vernal hissed. "When the webs start covering the trees, we will be at the main lair."

"How many webs… nevermind."

His stupid question was answered for him. There were always spiders that made web blankets over trees, bushes, and even houses. The amount of webs smaller spiders could make boggled the mind. Grimm Spiders the size of humans and even larger? This chunk of the forest was completely covered. Except the very tops of the trees, which helped camouflage the lair from a distance. Walls of silk wrapped around the trees in front of them like a makeshift barricade. So dense that he couldn't see through it. He reached out a hand to touch the silk.

Vernal's hand wrapped around his wrist and squeezed.

"Get tied up in those things and you'll be spider food, dumbass!" Vernal growled. "Cut through them."

"Er, right." Jaune saw her point. The last thing he needed was to get tangled up in the thread. All it would take is one hand stuck, try to pull out, and ending up falling into more web. Vernal seemed like the type of person to leave him behind if he was stupid enough to end up like that. "I'll just… use my sword."

Vernal let go of his hand and stepped back. Jaune raised his blade and slashed downward. His sword edge cut cleanly through the thread, even if there was quite a bit of resistance. He could feel the forced push back on his arm. The material didn't feel like silk or thread, but thin, lightweight metal. Tearing it apart with his bare hands wouldn't be an option. The sharp edge with his Aura enhanced strength did the work needed without much effort. Carefully, Jaune slashed over and over as they made a path through the web wall.

"Hold on, I think we're through!" Jaune whispered excitedly.

With one last slash, Crocea Mors cut cleanly through the back end of the swath of webbing, allowing them to step back into the relative openness of the forest. Huffing slightly, he slipped his blade back into its sheath as he continued forward. Vernal was quick to follow, stepping out behind him. Her eyes remained narrowed, sending a sundering glare down between the darkened pines.

"Alright, focus kid." The woman growled. "We're in the heart of the nest now, look at all those eggs…"

Jaune followed her gaze over to a patch of white globules with black veins laying across the forest floor. The clutches of spider eggs sat undisturbed under small patches of sunlight. The rays of light barely seeped in through the web-clogged canopy. The boy secretly thanked whatever gods were out there that most Grimm did not reproduce like this.

"It's… surprisingly empty," Jaune noted as he stepped up next to her. "You'd think there'd be guards or attendants in here, at least."

"No, Grimm live and die by the sword, they'll constantly be active. Guards don't need to be in this chamber at all times. They're probably on rotation. Or looking for us." The smirk on her face was forced. "The whole forest might as well be their nest, and the only thing that keeps them expanding is the Queen. Speaking of her, she isn't far away. Come on."

Thanks to Vernal's earlier skirmishes, the nest was empty. The Grimm had either been killed by her, out looking for her, or were in the process of expanding their territory. That left the center mostly unguarded. Thanks to dumb luck on Jaune's part and taking the river, he had traveled deep into the spider's den. Slipping past all the defenders gave him this prime opportunity. Jaune was not going to waste it. Once the Queen was down, the other Grimm should stop fighting, letting Ruby and Qrow know he was alive.

A few more minutes of silent traveling was abruptly halted as Vernal threw out her arm in front of Jaune.

"Take a look over there, behind those eggs," Vernal's voice was barely a whisper as she pointed. Jaune stiffened as his eyes zeroed in on what Vernal was referring to. What was obscured by the shadows of the webbing overhead soon made itself apparent. Between the trees, the silhouette rose and fell in rhythm, about as long as a train car and its highest point as tall as one too. Whereas most Arachnas were only as large as a person to a normal car, the mass sitting in the back of the nest was several magnitudes larger.

"It's just laying there…" Jaune mumbled. "Now's our chance! Let's plant these charges and scram!"

His hand dipped into his bag and quickly retrieved one of the Atlas-made incendiary explosives. The silver cylinder sat in his hand, a comfortable weight despite its destructive potential. But as he made for the middle of the webbed chamber to set the device, Vernal stopped him.

Placing her hand on his chest, she pushed him back before advancing. Jaune sputtered quietly, guffawing in protest as she unsheathed both her weapons.

"Didn't you say you went through this as well? This is a Trial by Blood. I was tasked with killing this bastard, and I will do so the right way. Don't interfere in something you don't understand!"

With that, she rushed forward with speed that Jaune hadn't seen from her before.

"Dammit, why!? I at least understand self-preservation!"

"I failed once!" Vernal unleashed a maelstrom of Dust bullets, smashing the clutches of eggs before her as the other bullets continued to pepper the Queen's hide. "This is my fight. You can deal with it if I die!"

In response to the sudden attack, the Queen grumbled and shifted from its position. Jaune's mouth contorted into an 'O' shape as the beast rose to its eight, very large legs. All the boy could do was stare dumbly as the Queen reared its head and brought herself fully into view. A multitude of beady red eyes stared them down. The now-standing alpha Grimm was about as tall as a house and twice as wide. Its slavering mandibles gnashed and knackered together like bashing bricks against pavement, lumbering forward with feet too large to 'skitter' as most spiders did. Its face looked at him with scores of red eyes of varying sizes. Four smaller sub-arms extending from its frontal section, in addition to its large back legs. Almost like someone had slapped a person on the front, but with proportions blown up multiple sizes.

Its massive size took up a quarter of the clearing's total size, looming over Vernal, who paid it no mind as she continued her charge. While this would be a challenge that would test every facet of her character, she still understood that Grimm were Grimm. Same mannerisms, same weak points. If she could land a strike around its chitin, near its neck, that's all it would take. Queen or not, she could do this. The click sound echoed showing she had used up the last few shots of her weapon. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the gunblade. It spun through the air, soaring toward the beast.

The first strike went astray as the Queen positioned one of its front appendages to block. The blades made a shallow cut as they sliced through its leg before slamming into the trunk of a nearby old growth. It bounced off the hard bark, ricocheted off a second tree, and flew back to her hand. Ducking under and around the legs, Vernal made a beeline for the underside of the massive arachnid, bobbing around eggs and patches of webbing. With a punching motion, she aimed for the Queen's soft underbelly. While the sharp edge cut into the Queen Arachna's flesh, the sheer size of the beast made it nothing more than a paper cut. It still must have hurt as the Queen leaned down and bit at her. Vernal kicked off the ground to change her momentum and jerk her body to the side, circumventing its mandibles.

Now that the Queen's head was within range, Vernal lunged for the weak point. Ensuring her edge alignment was as precise as it could be, she struck the fat head from the side. It truly was huge, nearly as large as her entire body. There was a specific target in mind to maximize damage. Between the massive plates of white armor, there was a sliver of flesh. She pooled the Aura in her legs, picking up the pace as she aimed the tip of her blade toward the crevice.

And then it looked at her.

Every single one of its eyes were trained on her. Fear welled up from within the warrior woman.

For that one moment, the world could have fallen apart and Vernal wouldn't have known.

There was a blur her eyes could not process quickly enough, as an impact against her stomach knocked her breath away. Vernal was tossed like a rag doll, her body colliding with the ground in a shower of dust and leaves. Slowly, her mind began to shake the haze as that moment of hell passed. This wasn't right. A blow like that would have bisected her – blown her to pieces. Why was she still alive or really just in one piece? Looking down, between her legs, she made out the shuddering form of another person.

"J-Jaune? What the fuck?!" She yelled as the remainder of the dizziness faded from her mind. Jaune pushed himself to his feet, feeling the achiness of the entire day coming back in spades. He shot her a sidelong glance before standing as straight as he could, his Aura flaring as he held up his shield.

At the last moment, Jaune had leapt in front of the massive Arachna and absorbed the blow with his shield. The boy couldn't completely stop it with his current level of strength though. The Queen was just too strong. The force lifted him off the ground and knocked the boy, along with Vernal who was behind him, into the air.

"You really thought I could stay back and do nothing? I'm a Huntsman, dammit!"

"Don't interfere with something that doesn't concern you!" Vernal snapped back, eager to flush the thought of failure from her memories. It was obvious that the Queen's pressure had affected her more than she cared to admit. This was the first true solo mission she was given by the tribe leader. There was no way she could fail. Failure was not an option.

"Does it look like I have a choice?" The boy said with a nervous grin, gesturing around them with his sword arm.

Vernal's eyes widened as more and more guard-types filed into the nest. Down from the trees and out from the webbed walls, they approached with steady menace, bearing down on them with the same beady eyes. She broke out in a cold sweat. She thought she had handled most of them already. Plus if Jaune had companions fighting nearby, they should have been distracting a portion of the guards and soldiers too.

Vernal had been warned not to get cocky. It seemed her leader really understood her weakness and selected a near impossible task to push her to her limits.

Jaune readjusted the strap on his shield with a strong jerk as he held it up in the basic defense position. His expression looked a lot calmer than he felt. Inside, the boy was screaming about what to do. They were in a hopeless situation. Alone, low on ammo, and vastly outnumbered. Things were not looking good. Still, there was no point in letting his panic take over. The fight's not over until he's dead. It was why Qrow stressed the importance of retreating when the situation demanded it. Well, the situation did demand it, but there was no opening.

Vernal had already regained her composure as her eyes darted around to take in the enemy numbers. The smaller ones she could take down with ease. It was the larger ones that posed a problem. She only had one small box of rounds left and she loaded it into her guns. Aside from their personal weapons, they each still had at least one incendiary bomb. Vernal wasn't sure how many Jaune had, but he did give her one. With the abundance of spider webs and dried leaves, the whole nest would go up if he used them. A clear last resort option.

And looking better by the second.

Through the shadowing trees, the Queen lumbered around to face them, its girth dwarfing the trunks of even the largest of trees. A low hissing sound filled the air, along with the unsettling rattle and hum of chitin against chitin. It began to fall back, away from its enemies, so that its spawn could handle the intruders. Jaune had to bite his lip to prevent his teeth from chattering, tightening his muscles to stop himself from shaking uncontrollably.

He was terrified. But what choice did he have now? He dug his own grave, and now he had to fill it.

The first of the Queen's spawns began their assault, and while Jaune was able to dispatch of it fairly easily with a blow to the head, it was one of what could be easily over a hundred. A second came in with a leaping strike, which he parried with a well-timed shield bash. Striking it in the 'nose,' he was then able to send the tip of his sword clean through the massive bug's head. His arm was aching after taking the hit, but so far so good.

The clicking sound coming from over his right shoulder alerted him of another attacker. He whipped his head around to face it, but thankfully, no action was needed on his part as Vernal planted a hard straight through its thorax, her ringed blades blowing through one end and out the other. Good thing too, as it was mere inches away from giving him a facelift. With her back to his, Jaune had to once again take stock of the situation, especially after his heart had leapt up into his throat like that.

"Thanks. Saved me there," Jaune choked out, taking a heaving breath. She responded by throwing her blade, cutting the leg off an approaching Grimm before it bounced back to her hand.

"We're even now. Get your head in the game."

The swordsman nodded in assent, taking his stance again. The Queen circled around in the distance, staring them down, but content to allow her brood to do the dirty work. Jaune had to suppress his gag reflex, returning the elder Grimm's vitriol with as much of his willpower as he could muster. However, he'd seen its exchange with Vernal. Up close, it was much larger and stronger than he'd originally thought, causing the pit in his stomach to deepen. The bone-white chitin that reached up the length of its legs and across its face were hard as steel, and one good strike was all it would take to kill him instantly.

Qrow had told him the Queen Arachna wasn't much of a fighter, but it seemed like he was full of shit.

Taking the initiative, Jaune took the first jab into the enemy ranks. Crocea Mors extended in a wide arc as he sliced at the approaching swarm. He kept his shield close to his face though, able to bring his guard up to defend against retaliation. Vernal, taking his cue, bounded over his head acrobatically, landing on the largest one and cutting its neck. From there, she pumped her legs full of Aura, turning on a dime as she bounded from Arachna to Arachna, blades ricocheting around the clearing.

She was carving a path and Jaune recognized it. The goal was the queen, so there was no reason to kill all the other Grimm. Following up on her attacks, he charged ahead with his shield held high. Using his momentum, he was able to bat aside most of the oncoming mandibles and claws scraping heavily against his guard. His shoulder ached like nothing else, but it was better than losing the arm entirely. By now, they were right in the shadow of the Queen, who immediately tried to stomp them flat with its enormous leg.

Despite the lumbering size, the Queen Arachna was no slouch, as its first strike forced Vernal to bound back several feet. Its second stomp was aimed directly at Jaune. There was no time to dodge, nor any room. Moving back any further would mean being shredded by the swirling masses of drone Arachna, and it wasn't like he had Vernal's speed and agility. So instead, Jaune planted one foot back, widening his foundation and lowering his center of gravity. Reeling back his shield arm, he imagined he was gripping a massive handle as he braced with his other hand. Pushing as much of his Aura as he cared to muster into his entire left side, the boy waited until the leg was only a few feet above his head.

Light poured from Jaune's body as he desperately funneled every bit of focus to strengthen his defense. There was a loud bang before the Queen's leg was repelled backwards, cracks forming in its joints and along the front half of its chitin. Likewise, Jaune's arm made an uncomfortable creaking noise as he brought it back to bear, pain lancing up through his body and making his vision swim.

Fuck! Qrow would be berating me for this!

The thought passed through his mind in a haze. Qrow had warned him plenty of times not to take powerful strikes head on. He should have tilted his shield and deflected the blow. Focusing his Semblance back into the arm, the pain was numbed but nowhere near gone. He had probably broken something. Hopefully it wasn't too bad. Through gritted teeth, the boy screamed.

"Vernal! NOW!"

Seeing the opening he had created, Vernal raised both her weapons and charged forwards, sailing up under the Queen's chin and slashing hard across her flesh. The blades surged across the bottom of the Queen's head, cutting a thick line into its 'chin.' Reeling backwards, the massive Arachna screeched, but held firm. Vernal cursed loudly, landing close to its thorax in a patch of thick grass.

"I don't have an angle!" The woman proclaimed, gritting her teeth.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to the boy. It would take even more luck than his parry, but it was worth a try. They were right here! The Queen had to be killed now!

"I'll distract it! You use the bomb!"

"That's the coward's way!"

"You were going to use it before! Stop being a baby when our lives are at stake!"

Despite giving him a withering look, Vernal relented. Seriously, Jaune had no idea why she would be so focused on killing such a large Grimm using only her blades. They had incendiary explosives, so why not use them? Jaune raised his shield and focused. His body once more shined bright white. He was boosting his Aura as high as he could. Every fiber of his being was focused on his Semblance. The waves of warmth numbed the pain in his body. One small spider jumped at him and bit his leg, but the smaller fangs couldn't break through. With a downward stab, Jaune speared the Grimm into the ground.

"Are you going to just sit there and watch me kill your brood!?" Jaune yelled. "Come and get me!"

The Queen Arachna screeched and turned its head. As planned, with Jaune's Aura flaring up to full, he had the attention of all the Grimm. Vernal had informed him Grimm were attracted to powerful Auras. This would give the woman time to arm and use the explosive. Part of him wished it would have just been a normal grenade, but beggars can't be choosers. Jaune's eyes darted around as the hundreds of spider Grimm approached him.

Maybe this plan needed some work.

Vernal grabbed the explosive on her hip and began to set it. It seemed she finally calmed down enough to use her brain. Her skills were top notch, but she had some anger problems it seemed. Kind of like Yang. The woman expertly set up the device in only a few seconds and prepared to throw it under the queen. But those few seconds were deadly. Jaune could only taunt so many of the other Grimm.

Turns out there were some who didn't go for him.

"FUCK!"

A spider latched onto her arm and jerked it back as she was about to release the explosive. Another one grabbed her leg. Normally, Vernal would have handled those small Grimm without trying, but her concentration was focused on the device in her hands for a moment. That second of distraction was deadly in a fight. Vernal was dragged down and the device was thrown into the distance, away from the spider. Crashing on the ground, her other hand hit the ignition switch.

BOOOOOOOMMMM!

The world exploded in fire.

An explosion of red hot flames erupted from that small device. Atlas had really outdone themselves. Concentrated Fire Dust really packed a punch. The shockwave alone was enough to blow away the smaller Grimm spiders. The ground was instantly torched bare in around a ten foot radius, while the nearby webs were ignited. That started a chain reaction as, while the threads were quick to burn like paper, the fire continued to spread down the wall.

The Arachnas who were unable to escape in time were set ablaze like oily rags. Just like back when Ruby shot one with a Fire Dust round. They really had no resistance to fire. Screeching filled the air along with the rancid stench of burning flesh. Spiders were running all around in a panic. Even the Grimm that were not in the immediate vicinity wanted to retreat. Smoke was filling the sky and the heat was spreading. Jaune slashed one of the Arachnas running at him, but right now, most of them were ignoring him. Now was the perfect opportunity to attack the Queen.

Jaune didn't go for the leader though.

"Get off her!" Jaune yelled, running forward and stabbed the Arachna holding onto Vernal's arm. His sword went deep into the thorax as the creature spluttered and went limp. Vernal took the opportunity to slice at the one holding her leg. The head fell off, decapitated from its body.

"You okay?"

"Stop worrying about me, dumbass!" Vernal shouted at him. "The bitch is getting away!"

Jaune turned around.

"No…" Jaune groaned. The Queen Arachna was lumbering off in the direction away from the flames. After everything that happened, if the Queen got away, they wouldn't have a chance of catching it again. Pretty much out of ammo and only two explosives left, getting through an army of Grimm wasn't on the table. They had to take the Queen down now. "She's not going anywhere!"

Grabbing one of his two remaining explosives, he set it up as Qrow taught him. Then pulling his arm back, he threw the metal device with all his might at the back of the monstrous Grimm. In his hand, he was prepared to click the ignition switch and set the final boss on fire. But before he got a chance to do so, one of the more humanoidish arms swung back at blinding speeds, knocking the explosive into the distance. It was so surprising, Jaune's thumb clicked the switch by instinct.

Another explosion rocked the ground as the shockwave went off. Flames erupted into another patch of webbing, increasing the quantity of burning webs. The explosion knocked him into the air and on his back. Breath was knocked out of his chest. Rolling to his feet, his side hurting from the impact, Jaune refused to lie down. Qrow's training kicked in once more.

'Never stay laying on the ground. It makes you an easy target.'

Vernal seemed to know this lesson well as she was already up on her feet. The two warriors held their weapons up as they took in the carnage. While a significant portion of the horde had been immolated or blown away in the blast, the thick plating had kept the matriarch safe, only singing the webbing around her. The shockwave had done some damage, but more to them than to the Grimm giant. The world was coloured in hues of oranges and blacks, smoke choking his vision as the dried leaves and web continued to catch on fire. They were basically walking on tinder. The good news was the nearby eggs were all being boiled alive, never getting the chance to release more walking nightmares.

Two explosions had set both sides of the nest on fire.

"Vernal? You ok?!" Jaune yelled, coughing from the encroaching smog. A grimace ran through his expression as a spike of pain ran through his side.

"I'm fine! Worry about yourself!"

Vernal's crass response told Jaune she was still okay for now. Though he doubted even if she wasn't that she would say anything. The woman valued strength and didn't like to rely on others. There was no way she would show weakness, even to her allies. If she even considered him an ally. More strangers with a common goal than anything else..

Thankfully, the flames created a barrier around them, so Jaune was able to focus himself for a moment. The Queen was lumbering off to the other end of the nest, away from the raging fire. Sweat beaded on Jaune's brow as he tried to run damage control. He could feel his Aura dip low. The explosion took a large chunk of it and his mind was getting mentally exhausted from trying to concentrate while fighting. What Aura was left, he redirected it into the parts of his body that would need it most. Numbing the pain in his left arm again, some into his legs for agility, and covering his possibly damaged ribs.

"Come on, Jaune. Keep going."

With ragged breaths, he turned back to face the towering wall of fire. A dark mass had emerged from beyond the inferno, screeching loudly. The Queen intended to ensure this fight was finished. It remained away from the fire but also appeared to be a little more reserved. The normal Arachna were fleeing in every direction they could. Maybe the Queen was slightly more fire proof than the rest? Due to the bone armor plates over a good chunk of its body? Jaune didn't know and couldn't spare time to think about it. Retrieving the last of the explosives, Jaune fastened it to his belt. At the very least, he could get close and take them both out with a suicide attack. Then, maybe Vernal could escape, and this whole thing could be-

'No.'

No thoughts like that. He still had to go back to Beacon, see his friends, and prove to those that doubted himwere wrong. There was still more to learn from Qrow, in his years of experience he could find strength.

Last of all, he saw her face. The way she smiled, the way she cried. They'd been through a lot together, and there was still so much more ahead, good and bad, to go through. No way was the last thing he'd see from her be that crying face as he tumbled off that cliff. Qrow's words passed through his mind at the thought of making her shed even more tears.

'I want to teach her that her life is valuable. That people need her to return.'

Qrow's drunk words about when Ruby almost died to Tyrian returned to the front of Jaune's mind.

There was more skittering. Strange, there weren't any spiders behind him when they'd been blown back. Turning around, though, he was greeted with the faces of multiple smaller Arachnas, although they had been lacking in bone masks and plating. Instead, their deep black bodies were bare, covered in a layer of slime. They must have prematurely hatched from the eggs outside the blast radius. That cowardly Queen must have called every single one with that screech. They were hardly bigger than a large cat, but he couldn't underestimate them. If anything, it would be harder to fight a swarm. There was no backing up, his movement was only restricted to two simple directions. The Queen, or the freshly hatched brood. The walls of flames were still burning on either side, boxing him in.

Vernal seemed to be contemplating this too and the children made the decisions for her.

The spawns were too close to avoid so she had to sit there and cut through the ones leaping at her.

"If you have any bright ideas, dumbass, now's the time!" The woman yelled at him.

The Arachna Queen lumbered forward, peaking through the gaps of the lapping fire that was slowly spreading. Jaune had gone camping in woods before though, so he at least had a nugget of knowledge he could pull from now. His father used to light fires using a firestarter he made himself, which consisted of shredded newsprint soaked in sap. Pine sap. Taking Crocea Mors, he hacked into a nearby tree whose needles were a verdant green. The healthy evergreen bled its sticky substance all over the noble blade, coating it in vaguely clear liquid. Once the entire length of the blade's edge was covered, Jaune proceeded back to the edge of the fire. Not once did he take his eyes off the Queen, staring right back at it.

Vernal was holding off the freshly hatched Grimm, but wouldn't be able to hold much longer. The boy was lucky he met such a powerful fighter to cover his ass.

Dipping the sap-covered sword into the flames, he winced slightly as it caught with a start. Waving his flaming weapon high over his head, he could almost feel the intensity of the Queen's merciless gaze bore down on his shoulders. His will to live outstripped hers. Pushing back the primal instinct to flee, Jaune continued to brandish Crocea Mors' blazen form, swinging it high over his head in slow, looping rotations.

"Alright ugly, let's dance."

He knew he was weak, lacking in technique or experience. Qrow was a hardened master. Ruby was a natural genius. Tyrian had been steeped in violence his whole life. Winter held herself to a standard above any of them with diligent training through Atlas. Vernal was driven by a deep devotion. Compared to them, he was just a normal person. But he, Jaune Arc, still had his own story to tell.

Looking back, he was pleased to see the hatchlings pretty much decimated by Vernal. Even without ammo and being near exhaustion, that fighter could take on a huge number of Grimm. A few more guards that descended from the trees were either burned alive or forced to retreat from the quickly-spreading firestorm. Good. He didn't have the energy to deal with more Grimm. Taking a deep breath and nearly choking on the smoke, Jaune continued toward the Queen. His flaming sword held high as the fires spread around them.

The bone armor protected the Queen and Aura protected the boy.

Puzzled, the Queen frantically swept its gaze across the burning nest, trying to ascertain the young Huntsman's location as the smoke obscured her vision. Only the light of flames were visible in the dark smoke. The downside to being a couple stories taller than a human. Drones and hatchlings alike leapt into the burning underbrush in their attempts to locate Jaune, but they didn't have the luxury of a sliver of Aura, or the presence of mind to move where the flames were less intense. Most of them burned themselves to a crisp before even reaching five meters in.

Backing up in apprehension, the Queen ducked down and stared into the burning haze. Guards began to venture forth from this side too, their fully-formed chitin offering more protection as opposed to mere workers and least of all the hatchlings. Still, the biggest weakness to these Grimms was that all the drones and guards had little to no fire protection. Only the Queen did.

Burn.

Burn some more…

Jaune started running forward before his flame sword died down. The sap wouldn't last forever.

His sword's handle was grasped tightly in his hand. More like a vice grip. The still-burning blade was raised as he continued his charge. Jaune's eyes didn't waver so much as a millimeter, staring down the spider with his own will. Undoing the clasps on his shield arm, he tossed the armament to the side, ditching the excess weight.

The Queen made a mistake by lowering her head down to striking range. If the beast had kept it up, the most Jaune could strike was her legs or maybe the underside of her abdomen. Increasing his speed as much as he could, Jaune bobbed and weaved through the flames, not willing to forfeit even a modicum of his momentum. Forget the technique, forget the instinct, this was all him.

Only a few more steps. Jaune balanced on his tiptoes and pushed forward with both legs. The Aura in his feet shattered from the strain, it was all gone now. Protecting him from the flames drained his barrier quickly. Gripping his sword as if his life depended on it, Jaune soared through the air. He spotted it, a crevice between the masks plates, where Vernal's first attack had been aimed. Crying out, he planted his blazing blade clean into the opening, sinking hilt deep into the tender flesh beneath.

The shriek and smell of burning flesh would haunt the boy's dreams for years to come.

The flames helped the sword sink into Grimm's body, burning any defense. The Queen reared back, but Jaune was too persistent to give up now. Holding onto the hilt for dear life, he grabbed the firebomb from off his hip and, as he pulled Crocea Mors free, shoved the primed cylinder deep into the stab wound.

Gravity took hold of him a second later and he slammed against the ground, rolling to mitigate the damage since his Aura was almost zero. Crocea Mors fell too, hitting the ground next to him with a clatter, but still never left his grip. Dropping the shield was one thing, but his sword would never leave his person, even when near unconscious. Below the smoke line, Jaune looked up with exhausted eyes as the Queen shuffled back, its sub-arms rubbing its head frantically, trying to dislodge the charge buried in its face.

This was futile.

"Go to hell…"

Jaune's finger hit the detonation switch.

There was a loud ear shattering boom, and the Queen Arachna's head erupted in an explosion of black slag, chunky sludge sent flying every-which way. Stumbling backwards, the corpse of the Queen wallowed about in a limbo of imbalance, thrashing wildly in its death throes. The Arachna around him began to scream, rushing into the Queen's burning body, as if trying to salvage pieces of its flesh. Flames began to consume the massive Grimm's body from the head back, engulfing its entire form as more and more of its workers dove into it, adding their fuel to the fire.

Of course, Jaune was blown back from the explosion, only injuring his bruised and battered body even more.

Staring towards the skies, Jaune laid on the ground, gasping for air. The trees and brushes around them were burned down and once the web was gone, the flames slowed. Even with a lack of rain, a few quick explosions wasn't enough to set the entire forest on fire. Slivers of sunlight poked through the meager gaps of the boughs and dissolving webs. Smoke added to the obscuration, but it didn't matter. The amount of smoke was decreasing. He kept his eyes focused on the flecks of light, controlling his breathing as much as he could.

Rolling over onto his stomach, he pushed and pushed, willing himself to his knees. Jaune glanced at his sword, no longer on fire, but free of any blemishes. Despite the duress it had been through. There was a pause in the fighting now and the boy looked around at the situation. The Arachnas were no longer running toward the Queen. They weren't running toward Vernal or Jaune either. In fact, they didn't seem to be doing much of anything. A few wandered off, ignoring everything. Some walked into the fire to burn alive. Others just sort of collapsed and didn't move. Qrow was right. Without the Queen, the other Grimm lost all will to live.

"That's it…" Jaune mumbled, working his way over to his shield but giving up after his muscles complained. He could spare a few minutes before picking it up. He finally allowed his tired muscles to relax. Standing there amongst the inferno, Jaune Arc stood propped against Crocea Mors. Tilting his head back up to the skies, the motes of sun were even more numerous now, Jaune felt as if his feelings could reach up, higher and higher, bursting through those rays of light and to the blue skies above. With that, two words tumbled gently from his chapped lips.

"...I won."

Then he collapsed back on the ground and laid there as if it was the world's softest bed.

"You're an insane bastard, you know that?" Vernal sauntered over, weapons also sheathed now that the fighting was over.

"I saw an opportunity and took it." Jaune groaned. "Glad to see you're okay too. You managed to hold off the spiderlings."

"But now the tribe leader is going to be upset with me," Vernal grumbled, plopping down next to a tree. "I was supposed to do this on my own. Not get help."

"Don't think of me as help, I'm just a resource you used," Jaune was used to being baggage. "If anything, you helped me way more than I helped you."

"Hmm, when you put it like that… you weren't completely useless, dumbass."

"The name's Jaune…"

"Dumbass."

"Ugh. You are a real pain, you know that?"

"Comes with the territory, dumbass."

Jaune groaned as he tried to focus on his Semblance. His entire body was aching and crying in pain. The ribs in his side were probably the most damaged, but his leg and arms weren't too far behind after today. There were some shallow cuts all over his body since his Aura was pretty much at zero. The explosive shockwaves really did a number on him. As he amplified what little Aura he had, the relief washed over him. Like ice packs on sore muscles, but warm.

"Pretty handy Semblance there." Vernal commented, stretching her legs.

"I'll heal you after I get enough back." Jaune promised, opening an eye and turning his head slightly.

"Don't bother," Vernal waved him off. "I'm not some flower that needs protecting. Besides, I should be picked up shortly now that the Queen is dead."

"Do you think the kill was noticeable?" A weak chuckle escaped the boy.

"Those stupid questions are why I call you dumb-..."

Vernal's words were cut short as she heard a rustle. The fire had pretty much died out with only some smoldering embers and some smoke left. Her senses had detected the movement. With all the Arachna now leaderless, along with the raging inferno that had occurred, the Grimm shouldn't be active anymore. Was there a variant that operated even after the Queen was dead? Raising her blades, Vernal prepared for whatever was coming.

Seeing Vernal suddenly go from insulting him to battle ready, Jaune forced himself to stand on shaking knees. If there was an enemy, then he would fight. Exhaustion may have weighed down on the young student's body, but he couldn't just lay on the ground. Leaving Vernal to fight an unknown enemy alone wasn't something he even considered doing. Still, with the experience gained over that day, Jaune kept amplifying his Aura as he held out his sword. His shield was too far away to grab with his aching body.

What emerged from the trees was the only thing that could make him drop his weapon.

It fell on the ground as his fingers lost what remaining strength they had.

The red and black clothed girl was unmistakable, along with the large scythe in similar colors. Ruby froze as her eyes fell on her missing friend. Jaune's clothes were torn, burnt, and black with soot and ash. His body was covered with small cuts and dirt. Yet he was alive. Ruby's scythe fell to the ground, with the blade sinking into the ground. Her eyes took in the sight of Jaune standing there, completely ignoring Vernal standing off to the side, understandably confused.

"Hey, Rubes." Jaune grinned, as warmth unrelated to his Aura rushed through him. "Took you long enough. I cleaned up already."

Water began to fall from those silver eyes of her.

"J-J-JAUNE!"

In an instance, she vanished in a flurry of petals right before the girl slammed into Jaune's chest. If his ribs weren't broken already, they probably were now. He could literally feel his Aura absorb the hit as his best friend collided with him. The force lifted him off his feet and then he smashed into the ground. The air was forced out his lungs. Still he couldn't stop himself from smiling and laughing. After everything, this was the best ending he could have hoped for.

His hand patted Ruby's back as she sobbed into his chest.

"Waaaaaaaaah!" The girl cried, looking up. "I was… sniff… so worried! Y-You fell into the river because I was too slow! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She couldn't stop apologizing.

"It's not your fault, Ruby." Jaune assured her, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. "I'm glad you're okay too."

"You're the one who was in trouble!" Ruby's eyes were still leaking copious amounts of tears. "U-Uncle Qrow went after you but all we knew was you reached the shore. There were too many Grimm for us to track you." Her arms tightened around him back. "J-Jaune… I missed you… I'm so happy you're alive…"

"I'm glad you're okay too." Jaune assured her. "Now, can you get off me? Please? I'm pretty sure you blew your nose on my shirt."

"No I didn't!" Ruby's face turned bright red as she jumped off him. Wiping her eyes on her sleeve, she finally took in Jaune's appearance and the surrounding area. "You really took down the Queen…"

"I couldn't have done it without help." Jaune admitted, sitting up and pointing a shaking finger toward the other girl. "That's Vernal. I ran into her out here. I'm only alive thanks to her."

Ruby spun around to see the older woman put her weapons away. With no threat being present, there wasn't any need to be on guard. That little girl didn't seem dangerous to her.

"If you try to hug me, I will hurt you."

"Thank you!" Ruby bowed to her instead, understanding the warning. "For saving my best friend."

"Eh, he paid for my help with some explosives, so it's fine." Vernal yawned, playing it cool. Only Jaune knew the truth and he wasn't going to say anything. "I had to kill the Queen myself anyways."

"Regardless, you still helped him, so thank you." Ruby smiled at her and Vernal frowned.

"Who is this girl anyway?" Vernal asked, turning to Jaune. "Your girlfriend?"

"EHHHH?! WHAATTTT?!" Ruby spluttered, her face turning crimson again as her voice went high "WHAT DID HE TELL YOU... I MEAN... HIM AND I ARE JUST BEST FRIENDS! FELLOW APPRENTICES!"

"Heh, anyone who does date Ruby here will be one lucky guy." Jaune laughed and Ruby felt her body stiffen, before she hid her face under her hood. For some reason, that was even more embarrassing. "But yeah, we're just best friends."

"Oh, really?" Vernal raised an eyebrow as she saw something amusing. "Hmm, interesting."

Ruby suddenly felt like this woman was incredibly dangerous. That didn't make any sense though. She had just helped Jaune survive and defeat the leader of the Arachnas. There was no way this woman was bad. The young girl didn't understand why she was on guard. Luckly, she was saved by the appearance of their mentor.

"Brat, what did I say about running off!" Qrow growled, stepping into view. His eyes locked in on Jaune and the man visibly relaxed.

"The Arachnas were down!" Ruby protested. "So the Queen had to be dead and LOOK!" She pointed to Jaune. "He's alive and helped take her down!"

Qrow blinked and looked at him and then to Vernal.

"I take it you did most of the work?" The man asked her.

"Perceptive, aren't you?" Vernal couldn't resist smirking.

"I know what the boy is capable of." Qrow answered.

"Ouch.. I mean it's true… but you could have least humored me for a moment." Jaune grumbled.

"Wasn't this caused by the explosives you gave him?" Ruby added, as she helped Jaune to his feet.

"He managed to shove one into the Queen, so I guess he did his part." Vernal shrugged. "After I took out most of the guards."

"I just stole the killing blow." Jaune agreed. Ruby suddenly hugged him again and he didn't have any desire to push her away. Even if he could tell Vernal was silently laughing at them.

"Well, the Queen's dead, so that's all that matters." Qrow slowly nodded as he took in the remains of the battle. The gargantuan Queen body was still somewhat intact, slowly dissolving into black mist.

"Have to say, Jaune. You did well. I mean it." He walked over and punched the boy lighting in the arm. "Even with help, surviving this long was no easy feat."

"Ugh, this is all too mushy for me." Vernal gagged.

"Yeah, Uncle Qrow's a big softy." Ruby agreed.

"Shut it, Squirt." The man warned her.

"Qrow…?" Vernal blinked as she recognized that name. She missed it when Ruby was wailing about it earlier. The man's appearance also helped jolt her memory. "Is your last name Branwen?"

"How do you know that…" Qrow turned to her but his words died in his throat as a red portal opened up. Out stepped a woman who he knew very well. Jaune froze up when he saw her. What made it worse though was Ruby was here to witness it.

Even if she never met Raven before, there was no way the girl wouldn't recognize Yang's mother.

By the way her mouth fell open, she did indeed.

"Qrow… twice in one month? What do I owe to this unpleasant surprise." Raven sighed as her eyes fell on him..

"...Fuck… we traded one Queen bitch for another."

Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish to ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.