Hello again, and welcome back!
So glad to be working on this story again, and I'm super thankful for all the feedback for the last chapter! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, and I'm happy to see that most of you have enjoyed the rewrite so far!
I did notice a few people asking for more of Jaune exploring the Lands Between rather than going through Remnant, and I read you loud and clear!
Later on in this story, the narrative will shift towards focusing entirely on Jaune's and Summer's journey through the Lands Between, essentially going through an entire playthrough of the game. I did consider starting this story's rewrite with the events of the game, but I ultimately decided to hold off on it for now, as I wanted to keep this fic as lore-accurate as possible, and I knew DLC would be coming soon.
With the release of the Shadow of the Erdtree trailer, a lot of interesting theories have been floating around in my head, as well as the events that occurred between Jaune and Summer with the DLC in mind. As a result, I will be adding in the story events of the game later on, at least until I can get my hands on the DLC and see what happened.
Don't worry, I do plan on adding some interesting twists and turns with the story events of what happens on Remnant, and the mysteries and conspiracies just below the surface. All I ask is a little patience for the time being. Trust me, I also desperately want to write about their time in the Lands Between just as badly as you guys want to see it. It's why, as part of this rewrite, I've been adding some snippets of what happened between them in the game. Not just to give little hints as to what occurred between the master and apprentice, but also to shine a light on the relationship the two shared.
Hopefully I'll be sending out more frequent updates to this story now that I'm not pushing myself to make 20k+ word chapters anymore…
Oh, and by the way, screwed up email notifications again, so if you do have any PMs you wish to send, try using the app until they get it fixed!
Without further ado, let's continue!
START HERE!
Chapter 4: Rainbow
"Beacon?" Jaune asked.
"Yeah," Summer replied with a nostalgic smile. "That's the name of the School I once went to."
The two of them were saddled atop Torrent, riding through muggy swampland and past the scattered ruins of a once bustling town. Stopping at an abandoned shack (thankfully with no giant Lobsters in sight), they found themselves at a close enough distance to take in the immense size of Raya Lucaria Academy only a short ride away.
Seeing the giant school in all its glory helped spark a long forgotten memory in the back of Summer's mind, and Jaune couldn't help but notice the lone tear threatening to fall down her face.
"Was it not a nice memory?" He asked cautiously, not wanting to upset her.
The two of them had lost all memories of their past lives before coming to the Lands Between, though at times some random structure, painting, or conversation would cause Summer to suddenly freeze up as a memory of days past whizzed through her mind. Though they were only brief glimpses into her past, Summer welcomed any opportunity to learn who she was before becoming Tarnished.
Unfortunately, the most recent memories she did uncover seemed to not be happy ones at all. By far the worst one she remembered was back when they met Miriel, the kind and elderly giant turtle at the Church of Vows. A rare, friendly face in a world so hostile to them, the gentle creature granted them sanctuary and a slew of info concerning the land, and the next Shardbearer on their list.
But as they started to learn more about Rennala, and the tragic heartbreak she suffered, Summer suddenly seized up and collapsed, hugging her knees to her chest as she silently sobbed for several minutes.
Even now, Jaune was still hesitant to ask her what exactly she remembered. Seeing her look so lost and heartbroken as another piece of her former life returned to her left him feeling helpless, hoping that there was something he could do to lessen her pain.
And it felt bad to him, asking about something so private from her, but she persevered, wiping her tears from her face and remarking that it was nothing worth worrying about.
The thought made him frown on the inside. Summer had a terrible tendency of bottling up her emotions, and Jaune feared that if left unchecked, she'd practically explode or fall apart if he didn't do something. And he knew that part of the reason was for his sake. So that she wouldn't burden her apprentice with her own troubles.
Why couldn't she just confide in him? Let him help her, or at least give her a shoulder to cry on? He may not be the best person around, but he was still her friend, right?
Thankfully, this memory seemed to be much more pleasant than the last, as she gave him a small smile. "No, it wasn't sad. Just… nostalgic. A memory of happier times."
Jaune let out a sigh of relief. "Well, I'm glad it was something nice, at least. Though, I didn't think you'd feel this happy about school. Isn't that the one place most people hate going to? Don't tell me you were a teacher's pet!"
"Oh, haha." Summer rolled her eyes at his sarcasm. "No, it wasn't just the school that made me happy. It was the people around me that made it all worth it."
"Made any friends?"
Summer nodded, dismissing the spectral steed as the two of them made camp for the evening. "I still can't remember their names or faces, but I do know that they were… are, my bestest friends in the whole world. Wherever we went, as long as we stuck together, we could take on anything. I… was happy. Happy being with them. Going to class with them. Just being a team together."
"What did you learn at this 'Beacon' school?" Jaune pondered, glancing at the towering figure of Raya Lucaria. "Was it Magic? Or how to fight?"
"A little bit of both, I think?" She raised a hand to her chin in deep thought. "Hmm… they divided us into teams of 4, with one of us being chosen to lead them. I was picked as Leader, and well… it was tough at first, having to lead a group of strangers, but over time we managed to be a tight knit group. Though granted, it certainly wasn't easy for me. One was very friendly, but the other two… heh, they were quite the rowdy bunch. Especially one of them, a girl around my age. She was something else, I'll tell you."
Jaune quietly chuckled. "Really? Considering how you taught me, I'm surprised you didn't just beat them up with a riding crop or something if they stepped out of line."
He laughed even harder when Summer playfully slapped his arm.
"Jerk." She smiled nonetheless. "But even though I don't remember much from that time, I still felt like that place was home to me. I learned everything I needed to know there, and it was at Beacon that I realized what I needed to do. What it meant to be a Leader."
"Sounds like an interesting place." Jaune remarked. "I wonder, if I'm also from the same world as you, would I also get the chance to go there too?"
"Why do you ask?"
He shrugged. "I dunno, I guess the word 'Beacon' rattled a few cobwebs in my brain too. It definitely sounds familiar somehow."
Summer gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Well, if you do end up there one day, I hope you enjoy your time there as I did. Both the good, and the bad."
Weiss took a deep breath to calm her nerves, straightening her dress and quickly combing her hair. She paid no mind to the rest of her future classmates as they stared, perplexed at her attempts to beauty herself up. While others may have been content with just brushing their teeth and throwing on some random clothes, she knew that she had to be presentable, and show that she was more than ready for the task ahead.
After all, today was the day where she would be chosen as Team Leader.
Following yesterday's rather… tumultuous Initiation, Professor Ozpin had generously given all the students the night off to recuperate while he and the rest of the staff investigated the unusually large presence of the Grimm as well as the, well, odd gravitational force that caused a chunk of Emerald Forest to float in the air.
Based on what she saw, she assumed that the anomaly was caused by a large stockpile of Gravity Dust, triggered by either the Grimm or by all the movement in the earth from the large stampede.
Though a part of her desperately hoped that it wasn't due to a stockpile of undiscovered Dust. The last thing she needed was for her father to swoop in and make his presence known so close to the Academy grounds. She did not come all the way to Vale to have him be within easy walking distance from her.
And, she also didn't come all this way just to be stuck in a team of… mostly undesirables.
Glancing at her possible 'teammates', she saw that Ruby Rose was just as eager and nervous as she was, though for vastly different reasons, jittering in place as she fought to restrain her goofy smile.
Pyrrha kept a neutral expression on her face, trying her best to ignore the hundreds of other students glancing in her direction as they gossiped amongst themselves.
Weiss scoffed at the display, having been the target of similar gazes multiple times in the past when she spent most of her time singing for the wealthy and influential back in Atlas. All those old, rich men and women looking at her and seeing only a little girl whose purpose was to entertain and eventually be married off to another rich heir as if they lived in the pre-Great War era.
Not if she had anything to say about it.
And last but not least, Jaune stared blankly ahead as if he were lost in some distant memory. That was, until Ruby shook him out of his reverie, and he merely gave her a small smile before staring at the stage that Professor Ozpin stood on with trepidation.
All in all, not exactly the best team she could have hoped for, given Ruby's childish nature and Jaune's… eccentricities. At least she was thankful that she was on the same team as Pyrrha, even if they weren't partners.
But that was only one victory she managed to salvage. Now, there was a much more important prize to be won.
One by one, Professor Ozpin called up various students in groups of 4, reciting their names in order before announcing teams and selecting a leader amongst them, to a round of applause. The most recent students to be brought up were a rather rough-looking group of men, who Weiss instantly felt repulsed by. Judging from the cocky smiles on their faces and the sneers they made towards several Faunus students, she decided then and there to avoid them at all costs.
They were absolutely the kind of people who brought trouble with them.
"Blake Belladonna, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, and Yang Xiao-Long."
Ruby waved excitedly towards her elder sister as she and her new team marched up on stage.
"The four of you collected the Rook pieces, and so henceforth you shall be Team BRNY (Brandy). Led by… Blake Belladonna."
The dark-haired girl jolted on the spot, completely taken by surprise at the announcement, before she was wrapped in a tight hug by her partner and Nora, while the only boy in their team politely clapped with a small smile. Ruby also cheered loudly for her sister, jumping up and down in applause as Yang tossed a thumbs-up in her direction.
Weiss bristled, her heart beat rapidly knowing that their group was the last one remaining.
"Jaune Arc, Weiss Schnee, Ruby Rose, and Pyrrha Nikos."
Though nearly everyone perked their heads in their direction when both hers and Pyrrha's names were called up, Weiss ignored them as she quickly moved to the front of the group, quickly putting on a professional smile as she waited for the Headmaster to make his expected decision.
"Though the four of you did not grab a Relic from the temple, given the circumstances and the bravery you showed facing such a large number of Grimm, I wholeheartedly believe you all have more than proven yourselves as future Huntsmen and Huntresses," Ozpin said with a smile. "As such, it is with great pleasure to report that you four shall henceforth be Team JSPR (Jasper). Led by… Jaune—"
"I refuse."
Never before had Weiss felt so many broiling emotions as she did right then and there, staring aghast at both her teammate and the Headmaster as bombshell after bombshell was dropped on her shoulders.
She couldn't believe her ears. Jaune Arc was chosen as Team Leader?! Over her?! Someone who had so much experience leading others due to her background? Someone who was level-headed and ready to make the tough decisions, and who was best suited for ensuring discipline amongst her team?!
And Jaune Arc had the gall to just say no?! Right in front of Professor Ozpin's face, too!
The Headmaster was just as thrown off by the sudden refusal as she, and the rest of the student body were. "I beg your pardon?"
"Sorry, but I'm gonna have to decline. I don't want to be Team Leader." Jaune replied calmly, in spite of the hundreds of eyeballs glancing in his direction.
"Are you sure? You haven't been a Leader for even a day. There's always the possibility that—"
"Even so, this is something I don't want." He replied plainly. "Again, sorry, but I refuse to be Team Leader."
If looks could kill, then Jaune would have died several times over from the sheer force behind Weiss's glare.
How dare he just shrug off a role so important and monumental to their education! How dare he be offered the role of Leader instead of her!
Ozpin blinked several times in confusion, but Jaune remained steadfast in his decision.
"Very well," he concluded. "If that is your final decision then I'll abide by it. Then, henceforth this team shall be Team RANW (Rainbow)."
'Just forget about it,' Weiss reasoned to herself, exhaling forcefully from her nose as she calmed herself. At the very least he declined the position, as perplexing as his decision was. And she could see some logic behind the Headmaster's decision, as he did come up with the idea to retreat further into the forest to cut the Grimm off before they could injure her classmates.
But now with him out of the running, Professor Ozpin could then choose her. It was the logical choice, after all, aside from Jaune himself.
Surely the Headmaster will now see the folly in his decision and pick someone more agreeable? Weiss calmed herself, fully expecting her name to be spoken as Professor Ozpin continued.
"Led by… Ruby Rose."
Weiss's jaw fell to the floor.
By contrast, Ruby practically squealed with joy as both Jaune and Pyrrha enthusiastically cheered for her, with accompanying applause from Yang and her new team.
In fact, compared to all others, Ruby garnered the largest amount of praise, with the other Professors and Ozpin clapping and smiling with pride as she skipped off the stage and subsequently got enveloped into a bone-breaking hug from her sister.
And that caused her blood to boil.
Jaune could easily admit that he wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, but even a blind, lobotomized animal could see the bubbling anger and disappointment broiling inside Weiss Schnee.
Even after the four of them settled into their new room, the heiress remained deathly silent, refusing to acknowledge either his or Ruby's presence as they stowed away their luggage and changed for the night. She was also the only one to not offer Ruby any congratulations for her appointment as Leader, and when it was finally time for them to settle in for the night, Weiss was the first to hop into bed, completely ignoring Ruby's offer of setting up bunk beds to personalize their room.
It didn't take a genius to figure out why.
Jaune wished he could have done more to maybe thin the ice between them, but living with seven sisters nearly all his life had taught him much about arguments between girls. This was something that Ruby and Weiss would have to settle between themselves, and Pyrrha was just as helpless as he was in trying to defuse the tension.
Besides, he doubted that Weiss would listen to a word he said, given how he flat-out refused the offer to be Team Leader.
No doubt that the others would pester him about his decision, but he knew that he made the right choice.
He wasn't meant to be a Leader. He didn't deserve to have that kind of responsibility on his shoulders.
If his time in the Lands Between taught him anything, it was this:
He was a weapon. An instrument, to be used by others and nothing more.
After all, he was Elden Lord now, and what else was an Elden Lord, than a weapon of war for their God?
Lying motionless on his bed, he patiently waited for the others to fall asleep, and when he finally heard Weiss's soft breaths fall into a steady rhythm, he quietly grabbed his bag and left their bedroom, deciding to take a small walk and clear his head.
Luckily, their room, and that of Team BRNY's, were situated on the top floor of a large dormitory building, with easy access to the rooftop. Opening the door, he let out a sigh as the chill evening air washed over his body, the light of the shattered moon illuminating him and his surroundings.
"Man, what a day. Still can't believe I actually managed to enter Beacon, after all this time…" he muttered to himself as he sat on the roof's edge.
He finally made it. He finally made it to Beacon. He finally got himself a partner and a team, and he finally got to begin his journey as a future Huntsman.
And he didn't care any bit about it.
What would his folks think, if they knew of his sudden 180 degree turn? What would their reactions be, now that he was finally here within these walls?
That train of thought soon made him glance at his bag.
Before he was sent to the Lands Between, he had parted with his family on bad terms, too bitter from their hesitancy in him chasing his dream, and their skepticism at his acceptance. Even when he made the long trek to Beacon, he never once phoned them or let them know he was okay.
Come to think of it, how long has it been since he last spoke to his folks? Including all the time he spent in the Lands Between?
A sudden rush of loneliness flooded his heart.
He never thought he'd miss his own mother's voice so much until now.
Years of his now-immortal life, lost in another world, completely bereft of the memories of his old life. Memories of his family, of the good times and bad between him, his parents, and seven sisters.
It took him so long to finally remember all those fragments of his past life, and now that he found them, he was loath to lose it again.
He already lost a family member in Summer already. He'd be damned if he let his relationship with his parents and sisters be thrown to the wayside again.
It was still very much late in the night for most of his folks back home, but there was at least one family member who should be awake at this time.
He grabbed his Scroll from his pocket, found the number he was looking for, and pressed the call button.
A few rings later, a rather tired-looking blonde woman with familiar blue eyes yawned at the camera.
"Cotta-Arc residence…"
"Hey, Saph. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Jaune replied with a grin.
Saphron nearly dropped her Scroll at the sound of his voice. "Jaune?! What are—, how?! Is it really you?!"
"Haha, yeah, it's me. Sorry for…"
"What? Not calling me, Mom, or Dad to let us know you're alive?!" Saphron retorted. "Not saying a single word to us? Running off to who-knows-where and leaving us all worried?! Do you have any idea how scared we were?! You just stormed out of the house, ran off, and didn't even bother giving us the courtesy of letting us know you were okay?! Jaune, it's been weeks, WEEKS, since we heard from you!"
"I'm sorry, Saph. I really am." And he meant it. Every word. "I just… I was so mad at Mom and Dad for thinking that I wouldn't last long at Beacon. And at everyone else for not having my back at the time. But, things have changed. I really missed you all."
Saphron was startled to see tears in her little brother's eyes. "Is everything okay? What happened? Were you not able to enter Beacon?"
"Complete opposite, in fact." Jaune replied with a smile. He turned on the main camera and panned his Scroll to give her a large view of the entire campus. "I made it. This… is Beacon Academy."
"No way…"
He let out a chuckle. "Surprised? Weren't you the one saying that I had a zero percent chance of ending up here?"
"Come on, cut us some slack! I mean, Dad never trained you once in your entire life, I never heard of you taking an apprenticeship, and out of nowhere you show up with an acceptance letter for Beacon! Of course we all thought it was fake!"
"Haha, well, look who actually made it to this school. I just called to give you guys the good news. I made it. I have a partner and a team."
"Well… wow. I mean, wow. I, uh, didn't expect this at all."
Saphron was hesitant to voice her real thoughts, but he already knew what she was trying to convey.
"Yeah, I know. Pretty crazy that lame, dorky Jaune Arc managed to make it into Beacon Academy, right?"
"Jaune, I didn't mean it like that…"
"It's okay, even I'd find it hard to believe." he replied warmly. "And… I get it. I get why Mom and Dad were so hesitant about it. I just wished that Dad would have been willing to train me all those years ago, rather than me having to have all those lessons pummeled into me for the past few weeks."
"Pummeled?"
"I guess you could say I got an apprenticeship before I got to Beacon. A very, very, painful apprenticeship."
"Really? You managed to get an apprenticeship this late? And just on time to get you up to par with the other students?"
"Well, I wouldn't be here if it didn't work, would I?" he laughed at her unimpressed face. "But in all seriousness, I really did make it here legitimately. Got personally invited by the Headmaster, and yesterday I passed Initiation. Tomorrow, or I guess today, is when I'll be starting classes."
"And you decided the first person you'd call with the good news was me?" Saphron gave him her familiar teasing smile. "Aw! I always knew I was your favorite sister! Waited till midnight to give your bestest big sister a call?"
"Oh, haha." he snarked. "Mom, Dad, and the others are probably still asleep at this time. I'll… call them later, once I'm all freed up with classes."
"Nervous about giving Mom and Dad a call?" Saphron frowned, noticing his hesitation. "You know how Mom gets when she doesn't hear from us in a while. Hah, get ready to have your eardrums blasted when she does finally pick up her Scroll."
"Believe me, I'm not looking forward to that final confrontation." he replied with a stern face. "Can you just… let her know I'm doing okay, and that I'm at Beacon?"
"Fine, but you better owe me. Anyways, it's around midnight over in Vale right now, right? You better get some rest so you don't oversleep for class later."
"Yes, Mom." Jaune rolled his eyes at her familiar mothering. "Having Adrian really made you less fun, you know that? What happened to the cool big sis from before?"
"She's happily married with a kid, and needs to get dressed for work, baby brother." she replied back. "Don't forget to give them a call, and don't you dare skim on the details! Also, introduce us to your team when you get the chance!"
"Sure thing. Take care, Saph."
"You too, Jaune. And please be safe out there."
He let out a content sigh as the call disconnected, feeling much more light-hearted after speaking to his sister for a very long while.
Leaning back, he laid down on the roof, letting his thoughts wander as he stared at the night sky, watching the stars above, before turning his attention towards the fractured moon.
"Heh, and to even think I almost forgot our Moon was broken…"
Come to think of it, he had only ever seen the Moon a handful of times before, not because it was too dim to see with the naked eye, but because any glow it did emit would be overshadowed by something far brighter. The Erdtree was by far the largest source of light in the Lands Between, eclipsing even that of the Sun at times. Everywhere he went, unless it was underground or high up in the air, the Erdtree remained ever-present, and ever-radiant.
Even at night, its glow eclipsed that of the Moons hovering in the sky, and only in Manus Celes could he actually see the Dark Moon in all its unfiltered glory.
Cold, dark, yet gentle, and far removed from the wars and bloodshed in the world below. Just like a certain familiar friend…
Reaching into his bag, his fingers ghosted over a small tuft of silky hair, and with a saddened face, he pulled out the object of interest.
A small, toy doll.
Completely lifeless, and barely intact with some patchwork rope and strings keeping it together, the doll lay motionless in his palm. Dressed in a snowy-white dress and matching hat, it reminded him of the old tales of witches and hags in his storybooks. Only this doll had a youthful, beautiful face marred by broken porcelain, with blue hair as vibrant as the sky cascading down its head.
To anyone else, it would have appeared to be just a broken up toy, likely chewed and gnawed on by some dog or toddler, but to Jaune, the doll brought out a deep sense of melancholy and loneliness inside him. Even more so as he glanced at it and turned his gaze back to the moon in the sky.
For not long ago, this simple doll once teemed with life. Within harbored a soul, belonging to a powerful (and sometimes bratty, though he'd never say it to her face) benefactor, who had long since departed to the unknown. Someone, who exiled herself into the depths of the abyssal cosmos above, never to return.
She was one of only a handful of people he would genuinely come to regard as a true friend, and when his task was done, when he finally overcame all odds and destroyed the God of the Lands Between, did the doll cease to speak to him, its sole occupant departing to pursue a lonely, dark path.
"Wherever you are, I hope you found your peace, Ranni." he muttered, lovingly brushing his thumb over the doll's face.
His Scroll let out a small beep, letting him know that it was well past midnight. Not wanting to stay up any longer than necessary, he gently placed the doll inside his shirt pocket. A lucky charm, to watch over him like old times.
With a parting glance at the Moon amidst the night sky, he returned to his team's room, ready to start his new life at Beacon. And hopefully succeed where he previously failed.
It… was done.
Malenia leaned onto her golden arm, legs buckling in place, before her legs finally gave out and she collapsed onto the wet puddles underneath her.
One of the most feared Demi-gods, the undefeated Swordswoman, finally brought down by his hand…
And all it took was hundreds of deaths.
Even now, Jaune barely managed to stay upright on his feet. His Carian Knight armor was in tatters, deep gashes gushing blood all over his body and spilling onto the ground. Every muscle in his body ached and burned, and he desperately sucked in air into his lungs. His hands shook, just barely grasping his shield and Greatsword, and his Tear Flasks were completely drained.
She truly lived up to her title as the Blade of Miquella, fighting with a finesse he had only ever seen in one other person before. She granted no mercy, gave him no quarter, and refused to listen to a single word he said.
In her eyes, he was an existential threat to her brother's beloved Haligtree. The cursed powers coursing through his body bringing doom and destruction wherever he went.
If he managed to succeed and strike her down, then her brother would return to a ruined, dead Tree. All his struggles, all the years he spent growing the successor to the Erdtree, all for nothing should he defeat her.
That was why she refused to give him quarter, or even entertain an audience. All his begging and pleading, all for naught.
Jaune had no quarrel with her. He had no intention of killing anyone else, ever again if he could help it. He just wanted to fulfill his friend's dying words, and hopefully save her before she finally succumbed to the Rot within.
With trembling hands, she thrusted the Golden Needle into his arms, and begged him to deliver it to Malenia.
All she wanted was to return the pride that Malenia the Severed threw away to meet Radahn's measure.
Her survival was the least of her concerns. She would rather rot away than be transformed into something that she wasn't.
And as much as he wished he could find a way to save her, he couldn't.
He knew full well what it would be like, the consequences of losing yourself to become something greater. All for some grand purpose that neither he, nor his comrade, had any desire in participating in.
All he wanted… was to just find Miquella. Find his potential savior, save his friend, and reunite with his teacher.
He just wanted to save her. Someone who meant more to him than just a friend.
But no matter how much he tried to shove the damnable needle into Malenia's face, no matter how much he threw down his arms in a show of surrender, she was unrelenting.
And so, he was forced to take up his sword, and fight her into submission.
Until finally, after many deaths, Malenia the Severed, the Undefeated Swordswoman, the Blade of Miquella, lay defeated near his feet.
Jaune let out a quiet apology, before he mustered up his remaining strength and limped towards the base of the Haligtree.
Looking at it from afar, the base of the tree bore a shocking resemblance to something akin to a cradle. The faint outline of a humanoid form could be seen, a face with its eyes closed in slumber, while its stomach revealed a small cocoon, or even a womb, right in the middle.
No doubt, this was where Miquella the Unalloyed grew the Haligtree. He was undoubtedly from here.
But where was he now?
There was no slumbering Empyrean in sight. No sign of anyone else, really. Just the remnants of a great tree on its last legs.
The thought alone sent ice flooding his veins.
Was he really not here?! Was his long journey to find the Haligtree, to find the one person in all the Lands Between who could help him, all for nothing?!
Were Millicent's last words, all her struggles, all for nothing?!
"Wait…"
Jaune quickly turned around, finding not Malenia's body, but a massive orange-red flower, growing ever larger and curling upwards, before gently blossoming into being, as hundreds of Aeonian Butterflies erupted from the petals and encircled the flower.
With massive wings made of Aeonian Butterflies and her elongated red locks, the Empyrean staggered to her feet.
"The Scarlet Bloom flowers once more…"
Her clothes were discarded, leaving her bare, diseased skin out in the open alongside her prosthetic arm and legs. But in a few short moments, renewed strength seemed to course through her body as she suddenly shot up in the air and took flight.
"You will witness true horror…"
Jaune felt utter terror flood his being as Malenia's head swiveled in his direction.
The Scarlet Rot had ravaged her body in ways far beyond what he could have imagined. Blackened, necrotized flesh threatened to peel off from her hand, forearm, chest, and the upper parts of her thighs. Even more alarming, the entirety of her forehead was also covered in rotting tissue, no longer hidden by her Valkyrie helmet.
She had killed him, butchered him, eviscerated him, hundreds of times in a row. All while BLIND.
And this time, she fully embraced the power of the Outer God nestled inside her body.
She was no longer some mere Empyrean. She was a full-blown Goddess of Rot.
Malenia raised her sword and pointed it straight at him, baring her body to him in all its entirety. Were she not ravaged by the Scarlet Rot, Jaune imagined that she would have been unimaginably beautiful, able to turn heads just as easily as her charismatic brother.
But she certainly wasn't in any mood for conversation now. Every fiber of his being warned him that Death was coming. That this was a foe who would ensure his demise was as slow and painful as possible.
"Now… ROT!"
Her wings transformed into massive petals of pure Scarlet Rot. Faster than he could react, she dived down, thrusting her sword straight through his chest as she straddled his waist. Coughing up blood, he looked up at her furious face as her wings coalesced into a massive nascent flower bud.
"Let your flesh be consumed… by the Scarlet Rot!"
The flower burst forth in a poisonous explosion, and his body disintegrated into a pile of red, bubbling paste.
"Jaune? JAUNE!"
A hand grasped his shoulders, and with a jolt he sprang out of his bed, collapsing onto the floor while clutching his heart.
Gasping for breath, he looked up and saw the concerned faces of Pyrrha and Ruby glancing in his direction. Even Weiss, still miffed by his decision the day before, raised an eyebrow at him.
With trembling hands, he wiped the sweat from his forehead, grabbing an offered water bottle from Pyrrha and chugging the contents down his throat.
"Are you okay?" She asked, kneeling down in front of him.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just a bad dream."
Jaune brushed away her hand as he rose to his feet, hastily grabbing his uniform and rushing to their shared bathroom. Locking the door behind him, he made his way to the sink, splashing water over his face to calm his nerves.
"Can't believe I had a nightmare like that now, of all days…"
It had been a very long time since he last had a nightmare of that severity, moreso one that featured the Empyrean of Rot.
But then again, he could hardly say he was innocent in matters that concerned her.
Out of all the Demigods he and Summer faced, few had garnered as much shame and remorse in him as Malenia did. Unlike the others, there was no need for him to find her and take her Great Rune. Both he and Summer had already proven themselves worthy of the title of Elden Lord after acquiring just two, as well as defeating Morgott at the Capital.
Unlike the vast majority of the Demigods who wasted away, lost their minds, or were warped by their ambitions and became something far crueler, Malenia had done little to earn anyone's ire after the Battle of Aeonia. She was whisked away by her loyal knight all the way to the Haligtree. There, she slept and waited for hundreds of years for her brother to come back.
And instead, he murdered her.
Sadly, the more he reminisced about it, the more distressed he felt, feeling that familiar well of guilt and shame build up inside him. With a huff, he disrobed and quickly changed into his new school uniform, before brushing his teeth and glancing at his reflection in the mirror.
Tired, blue eyes tinged with a now reddish-gold spark looked back at him.
Sighing, he looked away, finding a comb and straightening out his hair before tying it into his old ponytail. The same exact hairstyle Summer would often set up for him after he remarked how he always wanted a wolf-tail.
Exiting, he ran straight into Weiss just as she was about to knock on the door. With a frown on her face, she brushed past him and locked the door behind her.
"I guess she's still kinda mad, huh?" He remarked.
Ruby looked disheartened. "Yeah. I dunno why she's being so cranky about all this. I mean, yeah, it's nice to be Team Leader, but it's not like I robbed her of her future or something! I've only been a Leader for less than a day!"
"I'm sure she'll come around once she's had enough time to digest this," Pyrrha replied, placing a comforting hand on Ruby's shoulder. "She'll see how good of a Leader you'll be soon enough."
"And that's why I'm so glad you're my partner instead of Weiss!" Ruby beamed. "Sorry, Jaune."
He laughed, shaking his head. "Well, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to bear."
"By the way, are you sure you're alright?" Ruby replied. "You were out like a light, and Weiss started making a big fuss about us being late for class. When Pyrrha tried waking you up, you started screaming like crazy and thrashing around on your bed. Was it a really bad nightmare?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."
"Wanna talk about it?"
Jaune shook his head. "Maybe another time. Anyways, what's the plan for today?"
Ruby scratched the back of her head with an embarrassed look on her face. "Well, we were supposed to meet up with Yang and her team for breakfast, but apparently they're busy decorating their room. I thought about doing the same real quick, but Weiss started being all angry about it and then you started shouting."
"And all of us… kind of overslept." Pyrrha added with an embarrassed grin. "We missed breakfast, and we only have about… 3 minutes till class starts."
"THREE MINUTES?!"
Suddenly, the bathroom door burst open, and Weiss staggered outwards, still combing her hair. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?! I don't want to be late for class!"
Without waiting for a reply, she bolted out of their dorm and sped down the hall.
"I guess we should follow her." Ruby chuckled.
Together, the three of them followed close behind, and they managed to catch up with the Heiress sitting inside a rather large classroom filled with a combat arena.
"What class is this again?" Jaune asked her, choosing to ignore how she tried to distance herself from Ruby.
"Combat Class, and next time, try to come here sooner. Professor Goodwitch is teaching this class, and I heard she's incredibly strict. I am not going to have a detention this early in the school year, or ever."
She cast a frown at Ruby from across her seat, causing the young reaper to huff and turn her head away.
Though it seemed Weiss's warning was for once vindicated, as the moment Professor Goodwitch arrived to take attendance, the classroom door flung wide open, and Team BRNY fell to the floor in a messy heap of bodies.
"Next time you four come this late to class again, it's detention." Glynda warned, using her Semblance to dangle them into the air and plop them into a row of seats adjacent to theirs. "This may be the first day of the semester, but that shouldn't be an excuse to be tardy. You're all here to become Huntsmen and Huntresses. Any lazy or unfavorable traits will only make you a worse fighter if left to fester. The Grimm won't accept any excuses, and neither will I."
Well, Team BRNY seemed to take the reprimand a lot better than Jaune imagined. Yang and Nora gave a sheepish grin while Blake and Ren simply sighed and hung their heads.
Heh, looks like the two of them had the same issue of overly-energetic partners.
Speaking of, he turned towards his own and Ruby's as Professor Goodwitch went on giving a short speech concerning the nature of her class. Both Pyrrha and Weiss were already diligently writing down notes while Ruby was content to just sit back and listen to Glynda's words.
At least Ruby was able to land herself a partner who'd be kind and friendly to her. As for him…
Weiss perked up, glancing at his direction after she noticed him staring at her. With a huff, she turned her head away and returned to writing.
Yep, he's gonna have his hands full this year…
"Now as for what we'll be doing in this class, I will be having each and every one of you routinely sparring against each other, whether it be one-on-one or against several people at once. While it is true that, as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, you will be fighting Grimm the majority of the time, it is also important to use this time to sharpen your skills and master your weapons and your Semblance. And there may be times where you will have to raise your blade against a dangerous criminal to save lives. I'm sure you're all well aware of the recent events down in Vale concerning the criminal Roman Torchwick and the White Fang." Glynda explained.
To the side, Blake bristled, the bow on top of her head twitching when Professor Goodwitch mentioned the White Fang. But when her partner glanced in her direction, she quickly composed herself.
"I'm sure you all are still getting used to being on a team together," Glynda continued. "So for our first class this semester, why don't we all get to know one another through combat and light sparring? I often find that this is usually the best way to break the ice, as well as introduce each other to your capabilities. Later on this year, the Vytal Tournament will be taking place, so this will be a good opportunity to gauge each other's strengths and weaknesses."
Taking out her Scroll, she flicked through the list of students before picking two of them at random. She raised her eyebrows in surprise at the first two participants chosen. "Well, what a pleasant surprise. It looks like we'll have Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos be our first participants for this class. If you two can sync your Scrolls and meet at the arena after changing."
The majority of the class muttered no-so-quietly amongst themselves, glancing in Pyrrha's direction as she walked down the stairs with an embarrassed face. Jaune followed not far behind, taken aback by all the excited murmuring.
"Wow, you really are famous, aren't you?" He teased, earning him a lighthearted shove from his teammate.
"Please, that's the last thing I want to be reminded of right now." Pyrrha remarked. "Still, I'm sure this'll be a fun spar."
Jaune laughed. "Fine by me. Let's see how good the '4-time champion of Mistral' is, shall we?"
"One second!" Glynda's voice cut through their chat. "Mr. Arc, have you synced your Scroll yet?"
"Uh, yeah? It says so on here."
"Then why isn't your Aura appearing on the screen?"
His what? Jaune glanced down at his Scroll, which displayed a bar showcasing both his and Pyrrha's Aura on the screen.
But while Pyrrha's Aura bar was completely filled and color-coded green, his bar was completely empty.
Professor Goodwitch marched towards him with a stern frown on her face. "Mr. Arc, care to explain why your Aura isn't unlocked?"
"Wait, what? No, I'm pretty sure my Aura was unlocked. I mean…"
Come to think of it, was his Aura actually unlocked? He scrounged through his memories, trying to recall when he last had it mentioned.
He recalled Summer trying to unlock his Aura back in the Lands Between, when she first started to remember what it was, as well as her Semblance. And though she gave her chant and placed her hand on his shoulder, neither he nor Summer were able to use or summon their Aura in their time in that world. She later would assume that their Auras would eventually manifest on their own once they returned to Remnant.
Naturally, he assumed that he'd already have his Aura unlocked and functioning once he returned to Remnant. Even if he never had any need for it prior to today…
Professor Goodwitch wasn't amused by his silence, tapping her foot with a frown. Even the rest of the class stopped their gossiping as they looked at him like he was an idiot, and for once he couldn't blame them.
Hell, he had no idea what Aura or a Semblance was prior to meeting Summer. Would he really have entered Beacon not only with fake transcripts, but with no understanding of what Aura and Semblances were? Two of the most important things a Huntsman would need to fight Grimm?
…
For once, he wanted to go back in time to punch his old self in the face.
Thankfully, Pyrrha was quick to his rescue. "Professor Goodwitch, let me unlock his Aura for him. It'll take a few moments."
Glynda leveled a suspicious glare in his direction. Under any other circumstances, she would have suspected that he cheated his way into the school somehow. After all, no incoming student would have been able to be accepted without their Aura unlocked. But she, like the other Professors, had seen him fight several Grimm head on back in Initiation. If he was able to get through that, then he was more than qualified to be here.
Though that didn't mean he was off the hook in her eyes.
Letting out a sigh, she relented. "Very well, but next time I strongly suggest you come here better prepared, Mr. Arc. Honestly, how anyone could survive Initiation and be accepted into this school without their Aura is beyond me…"
Jaune's face paled, but Pyrrha quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him with her to the locker rooms.
"So… what was that just now?" Pyrrha asked. "Did you really fight this entire time without any Aura?"
"Uh…" he gave her a sheepish shrug. "I mean, I really thought I already had it unlocked. My teacher did the thing to unlock it, and I guess it didn't really work out as well as I thought?"
She raised an incredulous eyebrow at him. "Really? You were able to get by all this time, fight off that many Grimm, and be accepted to Beacon, without your Aura unlocked?"
"Well… I guess?"
She stared at him stunned for a few seconds, before chuckling and shaking her head. "Honestly, you're either really strong to get by this long without Aura, or pretty reckless. This will definitely be an interesting spar for sure."
"Are you sure you want to unlock my Aura, Pyrrha?" Jaune asked. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."
"It's alright, and besides, Professor Goodwitch will get mad, and you'd probably get in trouble. Let's not get detention this early in the semester, shall we?"
She placed her right hand on his shoulder and concentrated, pushing her Aura inside his body and coaxing his out as she spoke. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul and by my shoulder protect thee."
Jaune twitched, and Pyrrha's world exploded.
Gold.
Her vision was suddenly awash with incandescent gold, as an ephemeral, divine light enveloped her very being, radiating across all of her limbs before reaching into her very soul.
By the Brothers… Jaune's Aura was massive.
While her Aura reserves were nothing to scoff at, he easily surpassed hers in every way. An ocean compared to her measly puddle.
And her vision swam further with what felt like the entire Universe pressing down on her very being. Not just gold, but the power of the chill night. Of the cold, yet gentle darkness of the cosmos that glazed over her own soul, bathing her in a comforting embrace.
And then… just as she found herself lost in that starry abyss, something else creeped up.
Pyrrha recoiled, pulling her arm away just as the entire locker room was suddenly awash in a golden glow.
Jaune stumbled, barely staying on his feet as his Aura finally manifested, enveloping his body. He leaned back against the lockers as stars danced in his vision, and he closed his eyes, taking several slow, deep breaths, until the dizziness started to ebb away.
"Man, that didn't feel good at all…" he muttered to himself. Summer had described having her Aura unlocked as something both intimately personal and empowering. As if she suddenly felt superhuman, becoming much more stronger, agile, and faster than before.
He still felt the same as ever.
"Well, that just happened. At least I'm not gonna get into trouble, right Pyrrha? Pyrrha?"
Jaune looked up, and was surprised to see his teammate rooted on the spot. Unlike from before, she stood motionless, a blank expression on her face as she stared off into the distance as if he wasn't there.
All while she tightly clutched her right arm.
"Pyrrha? Hey, you okay?"
He reached towards her and gently shook her shoulder, and to his relief, it seemed to have done the trick. With a startle, she blinked several times and looked around before settling on him once more.
"Jaune?"
"You alright? You looked like you were pretty dazed for a second. You feeling okay?"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I was just a bit surprised by your Aura. You have a lot of it, more than anyone else I know. I guess I was just taken aback by how much there was within you."
"Are you sure you didn't hurt yourself somehow?" He gestured to her right arm, and she blinked in surprise at how she was still clutching it tightly. "Did I do something or–"
"No, no, it's alright. It was just a small ache, nothing more." She wiggled her arm and flexed her fingers a few times to reassure him. "We should probably get changed soon, or else Professor Goodwitch would wonder why we took so long."
Jaune wanted to inquire a bit further, but Pyrrha had already moved to the far end of the locker room to change, and so he followed suit. A few minutes later, the two of them were heading out towards the arena dressed in their combat attire.
"I was wondering what took you two so long to get ready." Glynda frowned at the two. "Regardless, the rules for this and all other matches are straight-forward. The two of you will spar until one of you surrenders or has their Aura fall into the red zone. Under no circumstances should anyone continue fighting and inflicting damage past the red, or you'll be severely punished. Is that understood?"
Jaune nodded, pulling out his Darkmoon Greatsword just as Pyrrha readied her spear and shield.
"Use of your Semblance is allowed, and encouraged. Whenever you two are ready, you may begin. I also recommend the rest of you to watch and take notes. That includes you too, Miss Belladonna."
With a flick of her wrist, Professor Goodwitch used her Semblance to close the book Blake was stealthily reading under cover, much to her embarrassment as several students chuckled at her.
Raising his Greatsword, Jaune steadily inched forward, though he frowned in worry as Pyrrha winced when she raised her sword-arm up.
"Pyrrha? Are you sure you're feeling okay to fight? Did you maybe injure your arm back at Initiation or…?"
"No! It's okay, I can fight!" Pyrrha replied calmly, though on the inside she was anything but.
Shaking her head, she tried to forget about the stabbing pain in her right arm, raising her shield defensively as she adopted a familiar stance.
Still apprehensive, Jaune followed suit, raising his shield and Greatsword. Together, the two of them circled each other, waiting for the right moment to attack as the rest of the class watched with bated breath.
"100 Lien on Nikos winning in less than a few minutes."
"Not really much of a bet if everyone's betting on her…"
"Course they would. She's the Invincible Girl after all. She ain't gonna lose to some random student."
"Still, what's with her? She looks like she's gonna pass out at any moment."
"Think he did something to her in the locker room?"
Weiss scoffed at the incessant murmurs around her. "Tch, what nonsense are they even talking about?"
"Good luck out there you two!" Ruby cheered at her side. "Show everyone what Team RANW can do!"
Pyrrha returned her partner's cheer with a small smile, though it quickly disappeared when another stab of pain rocked through her right arm. Gritting her teeth, she tried to ignore the pain and instead chose to charge at Jaune, who raised his shield up to intercept her sword.
The two clashed, struggling to push against the other as she tried to bash Jaune with her shield, only for him to knock aside her shield-arm with his Greatsword. Swinging in a wide arc, he pushed her back several feet, giving her enough time to transform her spear into its rifle form and shoot several rounds at him.
Jaune blocked each of the Dust rounds easily with his shield and rushed forward, slamming his Greatsword once again into her shield, causing her to recoil from the sheer strength behind each swing.
Pushing back, she once again transformed her gun back to a sword and rushed towards him once more.
As the two continued to clash against one another, more conflicting sensations erupted from within her as their fight continued.
Not only did her sword arm continue to burn and ache, she felt something new emerge within her heart.
A wrenching nostalgia, and… a rush of affection?
Yeah, apologies once again for the long delay for this chapter. Lot of real-life stuff got in the way, and I'll admit, I was a bit lost on how to make this chapter work.
I sincerely hope that this chapter was satisfactory for you guys, especially given the long wait from the previous one. One of the most annoying parts about writing things at this part of the story is definitely all the introduction and set-up, and I really hope that I didn't bungle it again like I did in the earlier version of the story.
And I hope that you guys aren't too saddened by Ranni not making an appearance just yet. Don't worry, she'll come. I'm just holding her arrival in anticipation of… future events.
Anyways, I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner in case this chapter sucked so you aren't stuck with a horrible update for too long. And I hope you guys aren't too upset with how Weiss has been so far. No, I do not hate her (far from it, she's easily one of my favorite RWBY characters out of the entire cast), but I do want her to start off on the wrong foot so that she can eventually grow into a respectable person.
I'm really looking forward to getting all these awkward beginning parts of the story out of the way so I can get to the much more interesting stuff I have planned out. Here's hoping it won't take as long this time…
Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter so far, and again thank you all for still continuing to read this story and being patient despite my abysmal schedule! I do apologize if this chapter is lower in quality, and I hope that the next one will be much better.