Disclaimer: I know nothing of the greater RWBY canon nor have I indulged myself in watching anything past Chapter 5, so my knowledge on subjects I will be covering is conceived of clips I have been accumulating over the past few months.
The lofty smell of burning ashes has carried its way across a large swath of jungle, plunging that particular section into a thin haze of yellow obscuring the already dense forest. A flashing blade cuts through the yellow haze, briefly parting the smoke before the particles collide once again in a mash of steam. The crunching of leaves underfoot is only interrupted by the occasional snap of a branch or the tumble of a rock being kicked downhill by a bored custard-styled Villainess.
Above, the sky dims into a deep crimson as the sun begins to set; turning the surroundings orange and painting a beautiful mosaic upon the horizon. The shimmering oranges clashing against the whites of the clouds is enough to part rays of light to grace over the ground. Beneath the shade of trees, the beckoning darkness chills the jungle floor. It won't be long before nightfall arrives.
By now, the two had been traveling all day,onstantly on edge as Jaune uses his sword to cut a path through the dense forest. The rhythmic sound of his blade edge cutting through leaves, grass, vines, and wood is the only thing given out here in the thick of the woods. The demented jungle has had its fair share of new experiences. All sorts of hateful creatures climb around and hang in the trees. Diseased insects fly around like parasites, sipping on whatever is left of their aura.
The pair has conversed exceedingly little throughout their expedition, the tension of being within the presence of the other has kept either of them from finding a topic of conversation. With every swing of his sword, Jaune can feel the eyes of the villain glued to him. His sword arm tires of the constant battle between him and the forest. His muscles aching out in desperation, crying for a reprieve.
"I don't know how much more of this I can take…" He says to himself, though the heterochromatic woman behind him happens to overhear his silent cry for rest.
Neo sniffs the pungent air, catching a whiff of something familiar. A common smell around dust companies and especially around those affiliated with gangs. Gunpowder. She remembers a time when the headmaster would constantly complain about the smell always being associated with her, even while in uniform. No matter how often she bathed, Neo couldn't seem to ever get the smell to go away. It wasn't until a year or so after she left Vale that it ever truly went away.
Now she wondered what she smelled like, no one had been around to tell her except for Cinder. Who, coincidentally enough, also had the smell of burning ashes surrounding her. And it's not like Cinder to get hung up on small things such as how someone smells.
Neo taps him on the side with her umbrella, catching his attention as he pauses for a moment to look back at her.
"Yes? What is it?" He asks almost harshly, the toll of his aching body starting to affect his mannerisms.
Neopolitan points up ahead where through the densest layer of hazed fog covering the horizon a small village sat, as punctuated by stone buildings. The source of the yellow-ashen fog displacing the color of the green forest seems to be just up ahead, emitting from one of the many buildings lying in wait to be explored. Finally, the prospect of civilization nears ever closer. Perhaps now they will get some answers.
Jaune coughs through the ash, covering his mouth to prevent him from inhaling any more fumes. He pulls his shirt over his nose, trying to keep both his mouth and his nose protected from the pungent smell. Neo similarly does so as well, trying her best to peer into the thick forest as dawn turns into dusk.
Jaune looks out toward where the custard-haired villain is pointing, seeing the small village through an open clearing of trees. Jaune's eyes grow wide with excitement. He turns around to face Neo. When he speaks, he does so slightly muffled by the fabric of his shirt.
"A town! Maybe the people here will know something…" He says hopeful, the moisture on his breath damping the rim of his shirt as he presses ahead into the jungle.
It is not long after they spot the village that the yellow smoke begins to fade and color returns to the jungle. The orange-pasted sunset has grown darker upon their approach as if a wave of darkness has just flooded into the world with the setting of the sun.
Jaune coughs once more to clear the remaining smoke from his lungs, the burning sensation left by the thick ash slowly fading away. As they approach the village the sounds of a fairytale song, reminiscent of one sung to little children all across remnant, is played happily upon a string instrument. The sounds of each chord being struck echo off of the stone walls of the nearby buildings, allowing for the sound to carry further in only one specific direction. The village has many lights, but none of them seem to give off the same incandescent brightness as the ones in Remnant. Instead, they're soft, almost greenish-yellow in hue, and seem to be floating around in lanterns mounted upon whatever they could find. There are lanterns in windows, lamp posts, porches, and doors. The color gives off a much more warm and mellow feeling than either was expecting as they cautiously make their way through the village. Jaune attempts to make himself look more approachable by disassembling his shield and sheathing his sword. Neo however is exactly the opposite. Her intimating pose is marked by an extended blade from her umbrella accentuating its use as a weapon. Her brow furrows as she looks around at the eerily empty stores and homes, not a single one being occupied by a living creature that she could see. Empty chairs at empty tables line houses and stores remain unstocked. Something felt odd about the place. Unsettling even. The warm glow did not help soothe her paranoid mentality.
Jaune wanders around the village in awe of its architecture and culture. Every stone is rough and jagged, completely unlike the smooth and well-placed stones of Vale. It also seems to be a place completely void of technology, lacking even a rudimentary telephone system. Each building had a long and extensive porch filled with chairs and tables to sit at, adding to the feeling of a close-knit community living here. At least in Jaune's mind, that's what it seemed.
As the two near the source of the singing, their words become clearer and clearer. The voices seem to be speaking in heavily accented English. Jaune breathes out a relieved sigh.
Finally, the two turn a corner and find a large gathering of people sitting around a campfire listening to the strange melodies of the all too familiar nursery rhyme. Neo quickly hides behind the building, waving Jaune to follow her lead. However, Jaune seems to be entranced by the music, the warmth of the fire casting a light projection onto his skin. He leans against the rough stone of the building and watches gently as the lyrics of the song can finally be heard clearly.
The musician strums her instrument with expertise suitable for a seat with the gods. With each strum, he can feel the callouses of those thousands of hours of practice to perfect the melody reverberating his spine and tingling his brain in a way he was unsure he had ever felt before. Jaune makes out the face of the singer, her voice like the trumpets of heaven beckoning him to receive unto the pantheon of gods, and a face that could launch a thousand ships. She doesn't appear human. With long ears that make a point at the end and eyes that reek of magical influence. Jaune cannot help but feel trapped by the soothing voice, making no attempts to react to Neo's continued pleas for him to follow her.
As the song is finishing up, Neo grabs him by the collar and drags him away from the display.
"H-Hey! Neo!? What the hell?! I was going to wait until the song finished to start asking questions!" Jaune stampers in protest, turning around to meet the villain's deadly gaze.
She furrows her brow, pressing a gloved finger up to her lips. She finds a stick lying nearby and begins writing into the dirt, a mound of which begins forming around the letters she carves into the soft and mouldable earth. When she's done, she tosses the stick away behind her. Jaune reads the letters she wrote into the ground.
'I don't trust this.' Neo crosses her arms authoritatively.
Jaune looks back up to her with perplexity behind his eyes.
"Why? There's been nothing so far to suggest they're hostile." Jaune begins to explain. "We should at least give them a chance. Even if they're bad, we can still get some information out of them."
The blonde knight turns away from Neo, walking towards the campfire in stride. Neo reaches out to grab his arm but fails to do so fast enough as she watches his back grow further into silhouette. She returns her hand to her side, clenching her hand into a fist before deciding to chase after him. She catches up easily, her brisk pace slowing down upon reaching Jaune's side. Jaune pays her no mind, but her expression remains skeptical with a half frown.
A polite cheer erupts from the crowd as the musician finishes up her performance. She bows to the audience, eliciting a round of applause from the gathering. Jaune and Neo approach the musician just as the crowd has begun to disperse, a fact which Neo takes in silently as she stalks a few of the villagers with her gaze.
As Neopolitan stands just to the side of Jaune, the blonde-haired knight begins to speak with the musician.
"That was a wonderful performance, Ma'am." He says politely.
The long-eared woman turns around to greet him, a magical flurry building up behind her eyes.
"Thank you young man, though I don't recall having ever seen… either of your faces before. Where do you hail from?" She says, darting her eyes over to Neopolitan who refuses to meet her gaze.
Jaune also darts her eyes to examine Neo's weird behavior but shrugs it off mentally.
"That's a… long story, let's just say we're not from anywhere near here. We were wondering if you could tell us a little bit about where we are?" Jaune asks politely.
The woman's eyes widen in understanding. "You must be from Remnant."
Jaune almost has to take a step back after hearing that word leave the mouth of someone who is clearly not from their home. "Y-yeah, how did you know?"
The woman smiles gently, "I met someone a long time ago who also came from your world. You Remnant types are quite easy to spot."
Jaunes lets out a sigh he wasn't aware he's been holding. "Oh thank you. You have no idea the things we've been through just to get to this place. Hearing that you understand the situation has been the most comforting thing I've heard all day."
The woman peers next to Jaune, noticing the distinct lack of a certain dual-colored girl standing next to him. "What happened to your little companion?" She asks.
Jaune looks next to him where Neo had been standing mere seconds earlier and sighs.
The interrogation had been far too slow for Neo who preferrs to get her information as soon as possible. And usually by any means necessary. When neither of the two had been looking at her, she slinked away into the shadows and towards one of the stone houses which has been spewing out the yellow ash from within since their arrival.
She had been keeping a careful eye on this house in particular as the custard-haired villain had seen the oldest member of the village appearance-wise enter into the household. The older her victims are, the easier it is to obtain the information she seeks. Of course, Roman was usually the one asking the questions while Neo physically abused them. Without him, this process would become a lot harder.
Neo sneaks around the house for a moment, peering up at open windowsills or other means of entry like the chimney which continues to spew the yellow ash into the night sky. She notices an open window on the ground floor; almost too perfect of an opportunity to pass up. She slinks herself towards the house, quietly as a shadow, and dives in through the window landing gracefully on her own two feet. The clack of her heels hitting the wooden floorboards is the only sound she made, and apparently, it was not a loud one as any occupants were unable to hear her. Neo looks around the room cautiously, making note of everything that could be used as a weapon.
The dining table and surrounding chairs could be broken and used as weapons easily. Knives on the kitchen counter, sitting next to a freshly cut… something. The vegetable-looking substance is not native to Remnant. Roasting on an open fire is a cauldron boiling black bursts of bubbles. Whatever is inside does not look appetizing in the slightest and the smell almost makes Neo gag. But more importantly, it could easily be turned against her to cover her in burns if she is not careful.
Heavy footsteps fall on the floor above, flatfooted and slow. Neo narrows her eyes to see through the greenish-yellow haze, carefully and silently making her way up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, Neo peeks her head above the floor carefully, looking towards the old villager who currently has her back turned to him. The Second floor is more attic than room. A small bed rests next to an end table and clothes are strewn wildly across the floor, aiding Neo even further by masking the sounds of her incoming footsteps. The assassin gently makes her way to her target, like a lion on the prowl she holds her body low and stable, ready to pounce at a moment's notice.
The moonlight entering the window illuminates a small part of the room, but for the most part, it's entirely dark. The corners of the room remain tinted with blackness while the cross-like intersection of the window is plastered onto the ground.
She grabs her umbrella and extends the blade with a quick flick, the blade making only the tiniest of sounds as it is extended. The end of the foil shimmers in the moonlight. Suddenly, Neo lunges at the old man, swiping his feet out from under him. The old man falls, landing sideways and breaking a few of his fragile bones.
"Agh!" The old man cries, grimacing in pain.
Neo uses her heel to roll the old man over to face her, a sadistic smile crawling to her face as she points the end of her foil towards the old man's neck.
Jaune is walking around the outside perimeter of the camp with the woman he had met earlier, still unaware of her name. The separation of the jungle just a few feet away and the village is quite the contrast of culture. On one side, it's pitch black not even allowing a particle of light to escape its clutches. On the other, it's mellow and bright. Welcoming everyone in with open arms. Jaune sighs as he takes in the simplistic beauty of this world.
Next to him walks the pointed-eared woman, carrying her musical instrument which appears to be a larger violin. Jaune's knowledge of instruments is subpar. As the two walk upon the soft grass, the echoes of talking in the distance grow quieter and quieter. There is a tension in the air. Not only does Jaune have no idea where Neo is, but this woman seems to know everything about this world and is intent on keeping them a secret. Jaune follows her like a lost puppy, knowing she's the best hope they've had so far and so unwilling to let this chance slide through his fingers.
The woman walks with her back towards him, moving in complete silence since she had asked him to follow her. Her hair bobs with each movement and seems to almost shimmer in the moonlight. As they pass by the wall of the jungle, Jaune can't help but reflect upon his time in this strange place.
"So. I assume you have some questions." The pointed-eared woman finally speaks up.
Jaune is taken by surprise, so deep into his own thoughts that he has forgotten he is not alone on this midnight walk. "Oh. Yes, you could say that."
The woman walks in silence once more, ignoring the earlier point of conversation that she had brought up. Jaune tries to keep up with her long strides, but in doing so he's put himself more at a jog than a walk.
"Are you… going to ask what they are?" Jaune says curiously, not wanting to sound annoyed by the bait and switch.
The woman continues walking, not saying another word for an uncomfortable amount of time before she comes to a halt. The wind surrounding her stopping as well, blowing her dress slightly in the vacuum created by the motion. She turns to her left, towards the deep dark jungle, and stares out distantly into the deep abyss. Jaune peers out to where she's looking but cannot seem to find just what exactly she is looking at.
"Did you hear that?" She asks, leaving Jaune confused. "A Jabberwalker… there have been more and more gathering around the village in recent days. It's been years since they last appeared here, but I believe their next attack could be sooner than we think."
Jaune follows along partially, understanding that the village appears to be in some sort of danger. "Is there anything that can be done?" He asks the woman.
The woman turns her gaze towards Jaune as he redirects his gaze towards her.
"Only one thing. And we'll need your help." She stands silently for a moment. "In return, I will tell you all I know. About this world. How I know about Remnant. And how to return to your world."
Jaune understands that this woman is bargaining for the sake of the village, the threat these 'Jabberwalkers' impose upon the village must be taken care of first in order to receive any information about this world.
"What do you need us to do in return?" Jaune asks.
The woman responds, "You have seen these villagers firsthand. They're not fighters. I ask you, implore you, and beseech you. To save these people from these Jabberwalkers who prowl in search of a meal. Then once the threat is taken care of, I will reveal all. Who I am, what this place is, and how to escape it. All that and more."
Jaune stands in silence for a moment, thinking over his options. Brushing a hand through his blonde hair in pensive thought. Normally he would have jumped at the opportunity to save a village from monsters, getting a reward was just the cherry on top. But in a world where everything seems backward and things aren't nearly as straightforward as they seem in Remnant, could he really trust a woman he just met with the key to his future?
Jaune shrugs internally. Why not? He's trusted someone who tried to kill him multiple times. What's the worst that could happen..?
Jaune extends his arm out, holding his palm open. The woman looks confused, furrowing her brow.
Jaune realizes she doesn't seem to understand the otherworldly gesture and shyly uses his open hand to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Heh, sorry. It's a Remnant thing. What I meant to say is we'll do it. For the sake of these people and the peaceful lives they live."
The woman nods. A silent smile crawls to her face as she is content with his answer. "Thank you, these people will be counting on you. Once you are done, come find me at The Rose." She says, beginning to walk away from the conversation.
Jaune looks satisfied, but then mildly confused as he holds out a hand in waiting. "Wait, where is this rose?" He asks.
The woman turns around with a sly smirk on her face. "You'll know it when you see it." She says as she sashays away from the evening conversation. Jaune lets out a light sigh, having received no answers but instead a difficult quest laid before him, he was certainly going to get a lecturing from Neo.
As if summoned by the mere thought of her name crossing his mind, Jaune suddenly feels the presence of a certain custard-haired villainess standing oddly close beside him. Jaune jumps up in surprise, letting out a cry of fear for the briefest of moments. He settles down, letting the silent night take over once more.
"Geez you scared me. Where did you go running off to?" Jaune asks the mute.
Neo shrugs, her shoulders slightly tense while her body seems to hide her brandished umbrella. In the moonlight, all seems well to Jaune. The rays of its brilliance breaking through the leaf top of the nearby trees. Jaune does not believe her, but like always he seems to have no choice in the matter.
"How long have you been listening?" He asks a bit scared of her answer. She had tried desperately to avoid making contact with these people. Neo looks down at her hands, molding them into numbers by closing her thumb to the palm of her hand.
"4? Four what? Minutes?" Jaune asks. Neo nods, crossing her arms as she stares daggers into him.
"I know I know. But you heard what she promised. Even being who I'm not, a deal like that is impossible to pass up in our current situation." Jaune tries to reason with the villainess. Neo rolls her eyes and breathes heavily through her nose in disappointment. She curls her hand into a fist and points at her wrist aggressively.
"Calm down, if we rush things we'll only end up getting ourselves killed. Remnant isn't going anywhere. We shouldn't charge head-first into problems. Not everything can be solved by pointing a rapier at someone." Jaune reasons, only increasing the stubbornness of the heterochromatic. She stomps down her foot aggressively, getting as close to Jaune's face as she can to intimidate him as she stares icicles into his irises.
Jaune does not back down, instead leaning away from her and turning his head away. His face contorting to a more serious and dreadful glare.
"Besides… Now that Cinder has betrayed you, what do you have waiting in Remnant?" Jaune says with a cold dagger of spite lacing his words. Neo freezes, a ping of hurt crossing her features as she slowly backs away from Jaune. The young girl looks down at the ground in deep thought, wondering just exactly what she would do once she returned to Remnant. Continue her hunt for little red? Kill Cinder for betraying her? Two things which she likely will do upon her return now seem distant and odd. The new foreign sensation causing Neo to stagger for a moment.
Jaune's features immediately soften as the regret of what he said begins eating at him. "I'm… sorry. I didn't mean to say that. If anything it just goes to show just how little I really know about you." Jaune says.
Neo shakes her head away from the thoughts plaguing her head as she refocuses her attention on Jaune whose drooping eyes remind her of a wounded puppy. He clearly does not enjoy being mean, and perhaps the extended time away from his friends has taken a toll on his mental stability. Neo shakes her head from side to side, what he said was fine. Being ignorant of another is not something to be ashamed of. Besides, he had no idea just how much those words had caused the girl to think.
Neo places her hand in front of her gaping mouth as the exhaustion of the day before starts to creep into the conversation. Neo feels her eyelids grow heavy as the strain from the day of travel begins to wear upon her. Jaune notices her start to act lethargic.
"Come, we can talk about what needs to be done at the start of tomorrow. For now, we should see about finding somewhere in town to rest." Jaune says.
Neo nods slowly, the energy rapidly draining from her body as she moves towards the direction of the campfire. As she turns around and lets her guard down for a moment, Jaune looks towards Neo's blade; covered in a thick crimson.
He sighs aloud to himself as he follows her back towards the camp.
…
Jaune awakes to the sound of slop being poured into a metal trough, the splat of each portion hitting the bottom of the metal container ringing loudly through the early morning air. Jaune panics as he rises, momentarily confused by his surroundings. The sounds of the early morning swarming with the buzzing of animals, both large and small. The sun hasn't even risen past the crack of dawn as the weary knight feels the weight of a sleepless night pressing upon him. He feels the ground beneath him, prickly and firm bales of hay where he had spent the night catching up on some much-needed rest.
A drop of water lands on his cheek, causing him to look up at the rafters which hold countless pales and buckets of all sorts. Upon the rafters lays an all too comfortable Neopolitan. Her left leg draped over the side of the wooden beam she lays upon. She managed to get a nice soft bale of hay and used it as a pillow to lean against a supporting beam high above the ground. As Jaune looks up, another drop of water hits against his cheek. He peers into a hole at the top of the barn, something he hadn't noticed existed until just this very moment. A single pool of morning dew collects at the peeled steel and forms tiny droplets of water, each of which grows larger and larger like a faucet until it eventually falls back down. A third lands just next to Jaune's eye, causing him to wince.
He turns his attention back towards the metal trough that had awoken him, several large mammals chewing away happily on the sloppy brown goo that seems to have been placed in there. Next to the trough stands a farmer, grizzled and old with the grey hair to prove it. He waves over to Jaune, who gives a tired and melancholic wave back, unable to see much through his dazed eyes.
Jaune goes back to staring up at the rafters, watching as Neo's hair flows down each side of the wooden beam, splitting the two sides of her hair perfectly in twain. Jaune notices a black hat lying on the floor just below Neo's resting spot. Neo has a relaxed and open right hand, acting like it should be grasping onto something but currently holding nothing. Jaune picks up the hat and carefully climbs up the wooden support beams to reach Neo, finding himself cat-crawling along the rafters to Neo's sleeping body with hat in hand.
The blonde knight gently pokes the custard-haired villainess to rouse her from her slumber, gently and quietly saying her name. "Neo."
The heterochromatic stirs, tensing her eyes as if dreading the thought of reawakening. She opens her eyes, slowly getting them accustomed to the black morning while trying to focus on the knight before her. She blinks rapidly a few times before rubbing her eyes and letting out a big yawn. She arches her back and holds up her hand in a long stretch. Grasping the raised hand with her other as she finishes stretching her sore back.
Jaune hands her her black cap, speaking as he does so. "We've got a long day ahead of us. You ready?"
Neo holds up her hand to cover her yawn as she reaches out for the black hat. Nodding slightly as she performs both actions. She grabs hold of the black hat and places it firmly upon her head, covering the top of her multi-colored head. Jaune climbs back down, jumping the last portion of the way down and landing with the combination of a grunt and a sigh.
Neo takes a moment longer to wake up, clearing the exhaustion from her eyes before picking up her umbrella and opening it before gracefully floating down to the muddy floor of the barn. Her pristine heels stick to the mud and give the heterochromatic a furrowed brow, unsticking herself from the mud almost immediately.
Jaune speaks up as she does so. "First things first, we'll need to ask around the village for a bit. See what sort of information they can provide us that may help us in defeating these 'Jabberwalkers.' Then after that, we hunt them. Finally, we get some answers." Jaune pauses for a moment as he directs his gaze towards Neo. "And no wandering away this time. We're guests in this village for the meantime, we don't need to spread worry by poking our noses where they don't belong."
Neo salutes sarcastically, clicking her ankles together and straightening her posture. Her arm raises and comes to a playful salute. Jaune rolls his eyes.
"Remember, we need each other if we're going to survive this place. This brief respite doesn't change that." Jaune states plainly. Neo relaxes her salute, crossing her arms across her chest in silent protest of their current relationship.
"Come on, you're good at getting information, aren't you? I could use you as an ally rather than having you off acting as a lone wolf." Jaune says, recalling what little he knows about the girl.
Neo thinks pensively for a moment, reflecting on the past two nights. She does owe him an unpayable debt for saving her life. But what if he finds her handy work… It's best to stick close by him just in case. Neo nods in agreement, if perhaps only acting in the interest of self-preservation.
"Wonderful, we can start by asking the farmer who allowed us to stay the night here some questions." He says, looking out towards the farmer who is tending to some of his alien-looking animals. A green almost pig-like being waddles around with stubby little toes, moving only to the left as it tries to maneuver around the barn. Jaune and Neo walk past the herd of these leftward-moving alien pigs and walk up to the farmer who greets them with a nod of his straw hat.
The farmer leans against a shovel in restful thought as the two stop in front of him.
"Well well now, what can I do for the likes of you two beauties?" He says to them, his wrinkled eyes squinting to see clearly in the dim light of dawn.
Jaune steps up to talk, letting Neo passively wait behind him. "We were wondering if strange things have been happening around here. Something like strange noises, or random deaths. Something of that like." Jaune says, causing the farmer to sigh in exhaustion. The farmer removes his hay-made hat and combs his hair with a shaky hand.
"As a matter of fact, yes. Something has been eating my Meaole. Each night around midnight, something huge comes and eats one of them, only leaving a bloody trail after it quenches the cries of the screaming Meole. I'm surprised it didn't eat either of you folks!" He says giving a light chuckle at his misplaced joke.
Jaune and Neo turn to each other with the same expression, their eyebrows furrowing in glancing worry.
"Ah but don't you worry, I betcha it's just one of those Jabberwalkers." The old man says. Jaune returns his gaze to the old man. "Thank you sir, do you think there is anyone else who might be-" Jaune is interrupted by the old man's speaking.
"You know, I was just thinking I could use a strapping young lad to help tend the field this morning. Would you mind helping this old fool out? I promise I'll tell you about others who might be able to point you in the right direction."
Neo stares into the back of Jaune's head, a sensation almost like prickling daggers for Jaune. He can feel her stare, red and hot as the sun. She'd rather not go along with the whims of this elderly man. Jaune however had other plans. He grins widely at the old man, bowing reverently before him.
"It would be my honor, tell me what we need to do." Jaune says, Neo drops her jaw to the floor as she can't quite believe he just agreed to spend time doing unnecessary chores.
"Oh thank you, sonny. I just need to till some dirt you see. My back is not what it used to be, it won't take you but a couple hours." He says brightly, so bright and innocently that even Neo is having a difficult time turning him down. She stares at Jaune, discerning from his features what he might say next.
"Sure thing, we'll come find you when we're done." Jaune states, earning an exasperated sigh from Neo in the background.
"Oh thank you so much, my old tools and overalls are in the same barn you both slept in. They might be a little big for you though. I used to be a strapping young lad myself back in the day. But I suppose that's neither here nor there. You two have fun!" The farmer says as he picks up his shovel and begins moving around some of the rancid manure lying around the pen.
Neo glares at Jaune, disappointment written all across her expression. Jaune can't help but smile at her as he walks past towards the barn. "Come on, it'll build some character! Get those hands a little dirty." He says playfully, knowing that neither of their hands are the cleanest. Neo raises her head in frustration. Why oh why did she have to choose this guy to follow?
…
Working on the farm is tough work. Staking a hoe into the dirt to till it repeatedly over and over again is not for the physically weak. As the day progresses, the sun comes out to shine, and with it so does the heat. The sunlight refracting through the air causes the horizon to shimmer slightly. The jungle comes alive with all manners of insects buzzing and chirping a mating call in the sweltering heat. Though this heat is a welcome change from Atlas' intense snow-covered peaks, working hard manual labor is almost killer. Neo pants heavily against her gardening hoe, resting her sweating brow for just a moment. Jaune's own work has slowed to the pace of a snail, every orifice oozing sweat in the blazing sun. Neo looks over at Jaune's hard work, admiring his determination if nothing else. He certainly wasn't one to give up simply because something is too hard. Just like-
Neo grasps her head as a searing pain rings through it, melting all thoughts away in an instant. She grasps the handle of her hoe tightly to prevent herself from collapsing into the soil and erasing all her hard work. Jaune glances at her out of the corner of his eye and stops tilling. Just as quickly as it had come, the pain is gone and her thoughts return. She takes a few shaky breaths as she still holds tightly to her gardening tool. Jaune walks over to her, looking down upon her pained face and squatting to meet her lowered head.
"Are you alright?" He asks with his concern sprawled across his face. Neo turns her eyes towards Jaune but refuses to turn her head, lest she allow him to see view her in her weakened state. Jaune frowns warmly, concerned about the custard-haired villainess' state. "Let's stop, I think we've done more than enough work." Neo nods her head in agreement, panting out gasps of breath. Neopolitan sets herself down on a nearby patch of grass, overlooking their hard work. Fields of empty dirt tilled to perfection. Looking upon the sight a small emotion within her feels proud at the accomplishment. But feeling this moment of pride is not worth the suffering it took to achieve it.
Jaune sits down next to her, sighing in exhaustion. Both of them recovering from the blazing sun overhead on a small patch of green. "Let's just… take a moment to rest… Remnant isn't going anywhere…" He says both to himself and partially to Neo. Neo nods once again, sharing in the sentiment of having a brief respite. The two of them speak no words as they gaze upon the village in its entirety. A small community of people living out in the middle of nowhere, with only this farm to feed them and the natural defense of the wild to protect them. People simply living their day-to-day lives in the moment. Something both Neo and Jaune have begun to embrace for themselves. Destiny will have to wait.
Jaune is the first to rise, holding out a hand for Neo to take. Neo refuses, instead gracefully leaping to her feet without his aid. They lock eyes for a brief moment, both sharing an understanding nod before walking back in the direction of the farmer.
…
The farmer had informed them of several individuals of note whom all may be willing to share a part of their story with them. First is the baker, who had problems with something coming in and stealing his yeast he was saving for the morning when his skills were needed most. For the information, the baker made the two make loaves of bread to be sold by morning. Neo couldn't help but snicker at Jaune's flour-covered face as he stuffed their loaves into the oven. Then the two of them went to the tavern where the barkeep mentions a particularly rare vintage missing from his collection. In payment, the two cleaned tables together after a busy lunch rush. Jaune recalls feeling a chuckle build as Neo steps in a particularly putrid puddle on the floor. A local leathersmith is missing his father who hasn't left a trail behind to follow. The leatherworker had the two brand some items in return. Neo watches as Jaune almost gets his finger taken off by the red-hot branding iron. A clothing store clerk cannot seem to shake the howls of beasts roaming the night. The pair remove the dust from within the store for her information. And the foreign cartographer refuses to speak about the creature he witnessed wandering the forest.
The similarity between all these stories? They all occurred at Midnight.
Neo can't help but smile smugly as she walks beside Jaune while the day begins to unwind, remembering his face covered in flour and white as a ghost. They wander the path while passing nearby buildings throwing up yellow smoke into the golden sky. The smell of dust from the unpaved road filling the air as the two of them walk over to the bonfire at the center of the small village, aware that there they may find more answers to some of their questions. Jaune looks over to the smug Neo, giving off a half-smile as she almost skips down the road.
"So far what we've got is that they appear at midnight to terrorize the villagers and feed themselves upon their stolen food. And in the case of the leatherworker, people." Jaune states, letting the words fly openly for a moment.
Neo tenses as he mentions the leather worker's missing father, recalling the last words of the man she had interrogated the night before. "Please… don't hurt… my son…" he had said, a plea that Neo had heard hundreds of times before, working with Roman. Those words hardly meant anything to her, but to that man. Those words meant everything. Thankfully there is noway that anyone would find the body. She had hidden it too well. She's still mildly upset that she didn't get any useful information from him except for the name "Summer Rose".
Jaune does not notice her hesitation, instead focusing on the path that lies ahead of them, contemplating with each footstep their next move. Neo watches as his face contorts with each thought and every idea. His brain scrambling to come up with a solution.
"The easy answer is just to wait until midnight and keep an eye on the village, but there's no guarantee where they'll strike or if they'll strike. No more innocent deaths…" Jaune says, looking towards the setting sun just over the horizon, painting the world in vibrant hues of orange. The tops of the trees cast black shadows to the ground. Time is running out.
He looks over to the frolicking Neo, watching as her smug attitude changes to perplexity as Jaune stares intensely at her. She stops walking and tilts her head curiously, her hat slightly shifting down the side of her head closest to the ground. Jaune recalls their one encounter with a Jabberwalker on their first night amidst the firelit chaos of the evening.
Neo takes a step back, uncomfortable with Jaune's intense gaze seemingly examining every part of her. She briefly tries to seem chill about it, holding her umbrella across her shoulders and letting her arm hang off of it. Finally, Jaune speaks once again.
"Emotions. They can feel emotions. That's how we get it." Jaune says, turning his gaze away from Neo rapidly. The conclusion to Neo feels out of nowhere, tilting her head even more to the right as she catches the bowler hat before it hits the ground.
Jaune pauses for a moment before beginning to explain. The two have stopped in the middle of the dirt road, watching as gatherings of people pass by them without even looking in their direction. "The Jabberwalker we fought spoke only using one-word sentences. Speaking almost entirely on how it felt in that moment. When it was angry, it said so. When it was afraid, it said so. But more than saying these things, it acted upon those emotions accordingly. Perhaps if we can get one to feel a certain way, it will reveal itself…"
Neo gazes around the village, occasionally pointing her gaze heavenward in pensive thought. Her brow furrows as her brain tries to think of something that could draw its attention. Suddenly, a baby cries loudly interrupting her thought process. The poor thing had been left alone by their mother for mere seconds before the mother returned the tiny toddler into her care. She whispers to the baby softly words of comfort and the crying subsides. The two walk away calmly, the small baby closing its eyes and falling to sleep. Neo suddenly has a suggestion.
She points to her eyes and trails her finger down in a zig-zag pattern down to her chin where she stops and holds her index finger against her jaw. Jaune nods his head in agreement. "I think that just might work…" He says, looking out as the sun finally sets beyond the horizon. "Let's try our theory at midnight. Now we just have to decide who'll be the one to cry…"
Neo and Jaune look to each other. Neo deadpans at him. Jaune sighs.
"Right… Guess it's me…"
…
That evening, as the world falls silent and all life seems to stand still, two figures emerge in the moonlight. Black silhouettes against the beautifully painted night sky, the two make their way to the edge of the village where the cultured civilization meets the barbaric wilderness. Long flowing hair and short static hair fly between the colors of the silver moonlight and the deep black shadows that it casts. The only sound they make is the light crunch of their feet hitting the soft and green ground.
The pair can hardly see each other, only able to ascertain the other by the sounds of the wind both ahead and behind them. As Jaune approaches Neo, the wind calms, blocked by her body. He whispers to her softly, "Get ready."
Neo nods, the movement creating its own wind.
Jaune watches a single beam of moonlight breaking through the trees, a prime spot for someone to be seen in the deepest pit of abyssal black night. Jaune delicately moves into the moonlit rays, feeling the cool warmth of its light caressing his skin. His armor flashing brilliantly in the darkness. As Jaune stands there, he looks to Neo and whispers just loud enough for her to hear. "Do I really have to do this?"
Neo has taken up a spot behind a bush, hiding from sight until the monster arrives. She pushes Jaune away with a hand, beckoning him to continue. Jaune sighs as he takes a deep breath, taking in the sight of the calm evening. He thinks desperately about things to make him cry, closing his eyes and letting the summer wind whip around him peacefully. Images flash before his eyes. His friends falling into the void. His sword stabbing through Penny, just as she had been given a real chance at life. The lives of those he couldn't save. Those he's had to kill. Those he's had to watch die. Those who had sacrificed everything for him. His first and last love.
"The girl who gave him her everything, so that he may yet live."
Jaune feels the words etched upon his very skin, the pain of hearing her voice again causing him to visibly shake in sadness and guilt. If he had only been stronger.
"She loved him, so very much."
The voice speaks again, taunting him with the sound of her voice.
"She wanted so desperately to be by his side. But when destiny calls, you must answer. She… I… I did everything so that could continue to be kind to everyone. I wanted to protect your smile. I wanted you to be happy."
Jaune breaks out into a whimper, trying desperately to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes. The feeling of salty water flowing from the pores in his eyes causes the invitation of more to flow freely.
"That sweet Jaune-arc I met would be proud to see the man you've become in my absence."
In the forest, a creature sturs. Lured by the true heartbreak of the blonde-knight donned in moonlight. Its jittering head slowly sneaks upon its prey, muttering words near silently to itself. An elongated tail whips through the foliage, poising itself to strike. It watches Jaune as he weeps alone in the empty field. He proves too tempting of a target for the Jabberwalker to dismiss as it jumps at the weeping knight.
Just as the Jabberwalker lunges at the blonde knight, an illusion of Pyrrha clad in her Herculean attire kneeling gently before him appears for just the briefest of moments. Jaune opens his eyes wide with shock as he reaches out towards the illusion.
"Pyrrha!" He shouts, desperate to call her name after so long.
The Jabberwalker closes rapidly at Jaune who is still discombobulated by the whole ordeal and cannot process the looming death as its claws rake down upon him. Just before the creature's claws can connect with Jaune, a parasol opens up in front of him protecting him from the incoming threat of death. Neo arrives just in time to save him, blocking the attack with her nearly indestructible umbrella.
"N-neo…?" Jaune says, trying to wipe away his tears.
Neopolitan presses a button of her parasol which extends her foil straight into the jittering head of the monster, causing it to roar in pain. She looks back to Jaune for the briefest of moments to ascertain his condition. Jaune hides his face from her but leaps to his feet with his sword and shield already drawn.
"Sorry. I'm good now. Let's kill this thing." Jaune lets out confidently, still hiding his reddened eyes.
Neo nods, flipping towards the creature and letting the heel of her boot slam down directly in between the creature's devilish horns. The creature reels upon the impact, sending it back with a screech.
"P-A-I-N. H-U-R-T. H-U-R-T. Y-O-U."
It swipes with its tail, tripping Neo and grazing Jaune's shield at the same moment. Its tail strike has left the monster wide open, an opportunity Jaune wishes to provoke. Neo's fallen body however trips Jaune on his way to make the strike, causing them both to end up on the ground.
"Agh, we'll have to work on teamwork later." Jaune comments under his breath as he gets up and charges at the beast. The Jabberwalker unleashes furious slashing attacks with its claws, all of which connect against the knight's shield for negligible damage against the paint. Neo regains her footing and uses her legs to perform a swinging kick at the Jabberwalker's underjaw. The monster moves too quickly, snagging her leg and leaving her defenseless. Or so thinks the Jabberwalker as it swiftly receives her other leg to the bottom of its skull. The Jabberwalker releases its grip on her as Neo lands back on the ground.
Jaune follows up her attack with one of his own, sliding beneath the creature and cutting at the Jabberwalker's hind legs as it reels from the last attack. The Jabberwalker falls to the ground with a loud thump, letting the pair get another flurry of attacks in. Neo's fast-paced combat style blurs together in a rapid-fire series of attacks, all of which are aimed at its thick skull. She swiftly makes two kicks to the side of the monster's face, bashing its sides in trying to crush its brain. She follows that combo up with strategically placed strikes from her foil, slicing the monster's hands and feet away from its body as it writhes in pain.
Jaune meanwhile is struck by the only appendage that can continue moving, its tail. He is flung a few yards away but manages to catch his grip before reaching the Jungle. He yells out a desperate cry as his sword cleaves of its tail in one cleave. Creature now defenseless, begs for its life.
"P-L-E-A-S-E. S-A-V-E. N-E-V-E-R. A-G-A-I-N. B-O-T-H-E-R. H-U-R-T-E-R-S."
Jaune joins up with Neo as the two of them look at their disembodiment. Who knows how many lives they would put in jeopardy by letting this thing live? The two of them strike its head and end its pathetic life.
The body disintegrates into a pile of ashes and floats away on the midnight wind.
Neo and Jaune watch in silence as it disappears. Jaune sniffs once, clearing his sinuses from the sadness he had felt earlier. Neo looks at him worriedly as Jaune stares directly at the disintegrating body of their common foe.
"It's dead. That's all that matters now. We should get some rest. We can get our answers in the morning." Jaune says authoritatively, walking away from the mound of disintegrating flesh. Neo stands by it for a while longer before following in his step. The body disintegrates shortly after, its ashes being lifted upon the wind and carried off towards the moon. Silence descends upon the night.
Awaking to the sounds of slop hitting the bottom of a metal trough, Jaune rubs his weary head. The comfort of the hay he has spent the past few nights sleeping on is anything but. Neo sleeps above him once again in the rafters, dangling her legs over each side of the wooden beam that separates the barn in half.
Jaune cleans the dizzied blur of his eyes before climbing up to speak with Neo, surprised to find her already awake and simply staring at the ceiling of the barn.
"Good morning. How was your rest?" He asks, watching as her melancholic demeanor shifts its attention to Jaune. She shrugs, only half awake after all. Running on about 6 hours of real sleep, the two are more than exhausted come sunrise. If they had the mind to, they could both probably end up falling back asleep. But neither can even keep an eye shut knowing that they're close to receiving answers.
"Yeah. Me too." Jaune says, laying his hand against his head, desperately fighting back sleep. The two of them simply existing together say no words for a long while. The early morning dew dripping every few seconds as if to remind the two of them that they're still alive. Neo yawns as she opens up her parasol, eyeing Jaune with suspicion.
Jaune smiles weakly. "I know what you're thinking I'm going to do, and I know I said I'd do it. But honestly I don't have the strength right now."
Neo shrugs, jumping off of the rafters and landing softly on her own two feet as her parasol carries her down light as a feather. Jaune climbs down normally, taking a few moments longer than simply jumping but for someone without an umbrella, it is far safer.
Together, the two of them walk into town where it's just beginning to awake. Though the two of them hadn't said a word about the previous night to anyone, the entire village seems to be alive with the buzzing of their deeds upon everyone's lips. Where once they were foreigners, now they were heroes.
People whisper in hushed voices behind every shop and alley the village has to offer. All of which are being directed at the two of them as they walk through town, attempting to find this 'rose' they were told to seek. When they come up to the campfire at the center of town however, they suddenly find themselves surrounded by village folk on all sides. Each one offers congratulations and praises deserved beyond the deeds they had performed.
Neo shrinks as the swarm of people suddenly makes her feel very small compared to the larger villagers. Jaune continuously repeats the same "Thank yous" and "You're welcomes" to the point where they begin to not even sound like words anymore. A booming voice from the crowd speaks up, "Three cheers for the heroes of the village! Hip hip!"
The entire village responds with "Hurray!"
"Hip hip!"
"Hurray!"
"Hip Hip!"
"Hurraaay!"
The exaggeration of the last one excites a round of applause from the crowd. A kind and feminine voice from the crowd calls out to the two heroes at the center of the gathering, bearing gifts for the saviors of the village.
"Here, Ms. Neo. We noticed your writings carved in mud scattered around the village. So we all pitched in and got you something special from all of us. We hope you like it." Before Neo can react, a pad of white paper is shoved into her hands with a quill and ink being attached alongside it. "We hope it'll make writing a lot easier, consider it a thank you from all of the villagers here." A cry of agreement echoes throughout the gathered group.
Neo is unsure how to react, she has never received something for doing a good deed before. Her parents always gave her what she wanted whenever she asked for it. Then she stole things whenever she felt like it and that had its charms for a while but not everything lasts forever. The feeling she has swelling inside of her as she receives the notepad is unlike anything she's ever felt before. A gift for doing something good. She didn't get it from stealing something or asking her parents for it. She got it just for doing something good for someone else. She stares blankly at the equally blank pad of paper as she loses herself deep in thought.
"And for you, Mr. Jaune." The woman says. "The Rose is just North of the village. Follow the path, and there all things will be made clear."
Jaune nods in thankfulness. "Thank you, we'll be heading out immediately. Thank you all for the warm stay but we really must be going now. We will never forget your hospitality for as long as we live!" He says wholeheartedly, bowing to the crowd before him.
The crowd cheers loudly, filling the open air with the infectious scent of hope. Suddenly, the prospect of surviving doesn't seem that farfetched. But the journey has only just begun and there is still yet so much to be explored.
I'm trying to do a more episodic formula with an overarching story. Everything I'm doing is completely new to me and even more so as I'm walking in unfamiliar territory. I can't bring myself to watch Volume 9 even as I'm writing this so everything is AU. Hope you all like it!