And so Kindly Miquella would abandon everything.
His Golden flesh, his blinding strength…
Even his Fate.
But we are not deterred.
We choose to follow.
Will you walk with us?
Chapter 1: The Wounded Empyrean
Jaune knew he was wholly unprepared for what was to come.
How could he not? He had no combat skills to speak of, no training to back his acceptance to Beacon, and no experience in fighting Grimm outside of his comics and video games.
But the thrill, the yearning for a life of adventure, of herodom, of living up to his family's legacy, burned deep inside him.
It had always called to him, even back when he was just a young, mollycoddled kid listening to his father's and grandfather's stories of the Arc lineage, and all the incredible things his forefathers and foremothers accomplished.
His sisters may have scoffed at the idea of becoming a Huntsman, but to him, it was his duty, his destiny. The one thing he wanted to do more than anything else in the world.
But alas, his grandfather refused to train him, having lived through the pain and misery of both the Great War and the Faunus Rights Revolution, and his parents were both simple farmers who managed to pop out 7 girls and a single boy. A career as a Huntsman was out of the question. It would just require them to be away from home and their kids for long periods of time, and that was something they refused to entertain.
Jaune tried, by the Brothers he tried, but no matter what he did, victory always seemed to be snatched right from his hands.
He wasn't a good student by any means, and while his grades weren't terrible, he could never qualify for acceptance into a Preparatory School like Signal. Sanctum and Oscuro Academy were even more strict than Signal, and he had no desire to join the Atlas military.
His family lived in the boonies outside of Vale, and barely any Grimm showed up at their home anyways. Perfect for raising a family, but terrible for him as he couldn't find a Huntsman to apprentice under.
His last gambit was to just throw up his hands, say, "Oh, what the hell?", and waste his allowance on a set of fake transcripts to get him into Beacon.
Of course, he knew that he was woefully underprepared, but he hoped that he would just learn things on the fly.
His folks back home didn't believe him when he came back with a smile on his face and an acceptance letter from Beacon. He may have fooled Headmaster Ozpin, but he couldn't fool his eagle-eyed and overbearing parents.
Perhaps they already knew that his acceptance was nothing more than a fluke, which was why they were quick to remind him that he was free to come back at any time should things not work out.
Jaune knew that his parents weren't bad people, that this was just their way of welcoming him back should things fall apart, but he couldn't help but feel angry at the whole thing.
He was mad at his parents for thinking he couldn't make it, he was mad at all the bad luck he had in trying to become a Huntsman the proper way, he was mad that he had to do something so scummy to get to Beacon, and he was mad at himself, for knowing full-well that he didn't belong here.
Perhaps this was the Brothers' way of punishing him for his reckless ambition, by having a Beowulf maul him to death.
Jaune's bad luck seemed to have tripled the moment he stepped onto that Bullhead towards Beacon. He got airsick, threw up all over a hot blonde girl, nearly got beheaded by Ruby when she revealed her scythe, got humiliated in front of the entire school when he showed up in his blue onesie, got speared by Pyrrha when he failed to express his love for Weiss Schnee, and got speared again by Pyrrha into a tree during Initiation.
Where he could be served on a silver platter for a group of Beowolves only a few feet away.
He knew that Pyrrha had no ill-intentions when she impaled him onto the tree. Hell, had she not, he might have ended up as a puddle of gore and broken bones all over the forest floor.
Though, in hindsight, he probably would have preferred that over being torn apart and eaten alive.
Jaune had no idea how Huntsmen and Huntresses could shrug off blows from a Grimm so easily, or how they could use those awesome superpowers of theirs, but now he really wished he looked that stuff up before coming to Beacon, 'cause it was really biting him in the ass this time.
Literally.
Thankfully, his torment came to an end when one of the Beowolves decided to aim for the jugular. As Jaune let out one final, pained cry, it crushed his throat in between its sharp fangs, and with a powerful twist of its jaw, snapped his neck.
"So, Pyrrha, what do you say we start a study group after Initiation? I'm sure the two of us would be able to handle anything the Professors throw our way?"
"Quit talking to her as if she's your partner! I'm your partner here! Hey, stop ignoring me!"
"Quiet, you. Can't you see that Pyrrha and I are in the middle of a conversation?"
It took every ounce of her training and experience under the lens of a camera for her to not roll her eyes at the two of them.
Pyrrha had already decided on her partner, and made sure he was unable to make eye-contact with anyone else until she arrived to free him from the side of a tree.
Sadly, the moment she had touched down, she ran head-first into Weiss Schnee and her partner Ruby Rose.
Or at least, that was what Ruby thought, but Weiss had chosen to ignore the younger girl entirely, and since then the two have been arguing with each other nonstop.
It was enough to give the Champion a headache, and she was glad that she trusted her instincts when it came to Jaune. Weiss may be a decent person deep down, but she did not come to Beacon to be treated like a celebrity, thank you very much. She just wanted a normal life and normal friends.
And besides, she did find Jaune rather cute.
But it had been nearly 20 minutes since she had touched down, with no sign of her future partner in sight.
A sense of dread swelled up in her heart. What if she had been too cautious, and ended up getting Jaune stuck in a tree completely defenseless? What if he set himself loose and someone else picked him as their partner?
What if the Grimm had gotten to him first before she did?
Pyrrha drew in several deep, calming breaths. She shouldn't jump to conclusions so soon. Jaune should be able to take care of himself, even if he was stuck on her spear. If he was able to get into Beacon like everyone else, then the measly Beowolves and Ursae in the forest should be easy pickings for him.
She just needed to find him quickly, apologize for taking so long, and nab him before anyone else does. Then she'd be able to avoid having Weiss as a potential partner.
Sorry, Ruby Rose, but Weiss was her problem to deal with.
Her relative calm shattered in a matter of seconds when a painfully familiar voice echoed across the forest.
"Hang on a minute… was that—"
""Jaune?!""
Pyrrha and Ruby both shared a look of horror while Weiss's face paled. Without even uttering a word, the three of them broke out into a fierce sprint, breezing past any errant trees or branches in their way.
Pyrrha's heart froze solid when she no longer heard Jaune's voice.
Eventually, the three of them broke through the treeline into a small clearing, and the sight they witnessed would forever haunt their dreams.
A group of Beowolves were gathered around a severely mauled and bloodied body, one whose chest failed to rise and fall, and with a familiar spear impaled on the ground next to him…
"NOO!"
For the first time in her life pure, unadulterated fury erupted deep within her. Gone was the restrained and meek young woman who smiled for the cameras, even if done halfheartedly. In her place was the warrior she always strived to be, and one who would deliver her vengeance upon those who would harm her future partner.
Ripping the spear from the ground and summoning it to her hand with her Semblance, Pyrrha dashed forward in a sprint of speed that left even Ruby awed, she swung and stabbed, slicing each and every Beowolf into scattered pieces of umbral flesh.
In mere moments, before either Ruby or Weiss could react, she had already slaughtered all the Grimm in the clearing and now knelt next to the brutalized body of Jaune Arc.
"Oh gods, Jaune!"
The poor boy resembled a dog's chew toy taken to the extreme. Blood caked his once cute and friendly face, and his clothes were in tatters, nearly torn apart and barely covered the large chunks of flesh missing from his torso, arms, and legs. A puddle of his blood continued to grow and dye the forest floor a murky crimson.
Much to her horror, she found no sign of any breathing.
Pyrrha quickly turned her head towards the two girls. "Quick, call the Beacon staff! Tell them a student's been badly wounded!"
"I-I…"
Weiss' composure completely broke, her face aghast and sickly pale, as she stuttered and froze in place. Ruby wasn't much better, her own face turning a sickly green as she stared at Jaune's brutalized body, and eventually, she staggered to some nearby bushes and emptied the contents of her stomach.
Pyrrha's face morphed into a snarl as she turned to Weiss. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! HURRY UP!"
Weiss jumped, frightened by Pyrrha's heightened voice, but it looks like it was the jumpstart she needed to finally break free from her reverie. "R-right!"
As she hastily pulled out her Scroll and furiously typed, Pyrrha then turned to Ruby, who began to hyperventilate. Though she felt sympathy for the younger girl, this was not the time for her to panic. "Ruby, keep an eye on our surroundings, and be on the lookout for any more Grimm heading our way. If you see a single Grimm come near 10 feet from us, you blast them. Got it?"
After a few tense seconds, the young reaper suddenly slapped her hands to her cheeks, snapping herself out of her reverie. Facing her, Ruby nodded, and then turned her gaze towards Jaune's prone form. "I-is he…?"
While Ruby unfurled her scythe and ferociously scanned the area, Pyrrha glanced down at the body near her feet. Forcing herself to keep her own anxiety in check, she hastily scanned his form and placed her palm over his neck.
When she felt a small thump against her thumb, her heart nearly leapt into her throat.
"He still has a pulse! He's alive!"
Both Ruby and Weiss were visibly relieved, though Weiss's face quickly morphed into a frown as she stared at her Scroll. "It's not working! I'm receiving no signal here!"
Ruby quickly pulled out her own Scroll and tried the same, only to be met with the same result. "Same here!"
Pyrrha bit her lip, thinking quickly. "We can't stay here, we need to get him patched up somehow and out of danger. Can one of you send a signal in the air, or look around to find anyone who could help?"
Ruby nodded. "I can use my Semblance to fly around. Maybe I can head back to the cliff and call the Professors? If I see someone I can tell them where you guys are."
"But how will you find your way back?"
Weiss twirled the Dust chamber in her weapon, and pointed it at the ground a few feet from them. A Glyph materialized, and in a matter of seconds, a massive mountain of ice began to form and grow, eventually rising to tens of feet in the air and easily soaring above the treeline.
"There, you can jump off from here and make your way back to the cliffs." Weiss turned to Ruby. "Pyrrha and I will remain here, and if you find anyone nearby, tell them to head towards this ice mountain I made. Send them flying up in the air if you have to!"
For once, the two were on the same wavelength, any arguments between them forgotten as the pair nodded. Using more of Weiss's Glyphs, Ruby ascended the mountain and leapt into the air, transforming into a swirling cloud of rose petals as she sped off into the horizon.
"I'll keep this area clear of Grimm," Weiss turned to Pyrrha, glancing at Jaune's body with a wince. "But… what will you do for him? I don't like saying this, but he may be beyond our—"
"I'll make sure he pulls through." Pyrrha replied with a simple statement, one that instantly shut down anything Weiss would say in response. "I have an idea. I can try to jumpstart his Aura with my own. That should at least help keep him stable in the meantime, at least until help arrives. Make sure no Grimm dares to come close."
Weiss nodded, and took Ruby's place in guarding the clearing.
Pyrrha placed her hand on Jaune's chest and concentrated. Though this would be the first time she had ever tried to awaken someone's Aura with her own, she still knew and remembered the basics back from when her own father had done the same for her before he passed.
Channeling every fiber of her soul, she pushed her Aura to its limits and forcefully pushed it into Jaune's body. And then she chanted.
"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality…"
"Where am I?"
If this was the afterlife, then it wasn't so bad.
For the first time in his life (or well, did that really count if he was dead?), Jaune felt completely at peace.
All his old worries, all the anxieties, all his bottled up emotions of shame and inadequacy, vanished like a stream of water gently flowing across the landscape.
In fact, if he really did die, it felt as if he had woken up from a really bad dream.
Letting out a content yawn, he stretched his limbs until he heard a satisfying crack in his joints, and stood up.
And then felt his jaw drop to the floor.
If this was the afterlife, then was this Heaven or Hell?
He was amidst what had to be a massive wheat field of some kind, though what exactly these plants were was a mystery even to him.
An aspiring Huntsman he may be, he nonetheless lived a farmer's lifestyle, and he could say with utmost confidence that these were crops that he had never seen before.
All around this 'wheat' field were hundreds of ethereal graves, almost to the point of transparency, and further away, far in the distance…
Was the largest and strangest tree he had ever seen.
Its trunk and bark were the color of charcoal, and bizarrely, what appeared to be another similar tree, coiled itself around the first. At first glance, it almost looked as if the second tree was strangling the first, like how a snake would constrict its body to choke the life out of its prey.
Or… if he was looking at this from a farmer's point of view, it almost looked like a Strangler Fig. One of those odd types of trees that parasitize another tree and deprive it of the host's nutrients and sunlight, before eventually killing it.
And if the gigantic scar leaking golden ichor on the original tree was any indication, then he wasn't exactly off the mark.
Though, it wasn't just the tree that remained an enigma.
All around this… land, for a better word, were burnt towers and buildings, heavenly and blighted forests, and a lone citadel at the root of the massive tree, with a single arched tower appearing to 'catch' the Golden sap raining down from the tree's scar.
Now, Jaune could readily admit that he wasn't exactly the most religious person in Remnant, but in all the fairy tales he read in his youth, none of them ever mentioned an afterlife quite like this one.
This place practically oozed history… as well as power and terror.
Even now, with the initial relief he had from his rest out of his system, he could now sense it. Sense it, and smell it.
Ash, and cinders.
It should have been obvious, what with the blackened bark of the trees in the distance, but this land had been put to flame. An inferno so severe, that he could still see the pillars of smoke in the air around some of the cities in the distance, and large swathes of land were darkened and filled with ash, akin to a massive forest fire.
A pit of dread formed in his stomach. He had hoped that Heaven would be a much more comforting and serene place, and yet the evidence of fire here made him doubt that this place was anything but Heavenly.
Was he in Hell?
Did he end up in Purgatory over some kind of misdeeds in his past life?
But what exactly did he do to warrant a spot in Hell?!
Okay, sure, he may have pirated a few movies and songs off of the Dustnet, may have accidentally walked in on his sister Saphron and her now-wife Terra getting it on, and may have scrolled the… less-than-innocent side of the Dustnet to, quote on quote, 'relieve' some tension.
What, he was a healthy, hormonal 17-year-old in a household surrounded by girls, and limited private time in either the bathroom or his own bedroom! What guy or girl didn't look up porn on the Dustnet at his age?!
Besides, it's not like he ever had any luck getting a girlfriend of his own…
An unsettling thought then wormed his way into his mind.
What if it was the transcripts?
Jaune knew it was scummy and a cop-out. For all he knew, he probably denied the chance for someone way more qualified than him to be accepted to Beacon. While Remnant needed Huntsmen and Huntresses, none of the Academies had an unlimited number of seats. There will always be people who just couldn't get in before all the seats were filled up.
The place he got the transcripts from wasn't exactly an entirely ethical one, either. He had wandered into a rather shady club, and after trying and failing to flirt with the hot twins who acted as bodyguards, he met the manager and paid up a small fortune to have his transcripts altered and offered for admission.
Frankly, it was a stroke of luck that he managed to get such a forgery through… at the cost of his pride and dignity.
He knew better. An Arc prided themselves not just on protecting the weak and saving lives, but also from living honest, good lives. None of his sisters, cousins, or ancestors ever had to lie and cheat their way through anything in life, even for something as silly as tests.
And now he was paying the price for his deceit, his gall to call himself a warrior when he had none of the training or hard work that the other students put in.
"I really am a failure, aren't I?" Jaune lamented to himself.
No wonder he died so easily. Even if Pyrrha hadn't speared him into the tree, an actual student worth their salt wouldn't have fallen so easily to a bunch of Beowolves.
He could never blame Pyrrha for his death. The fault lay on his shoulders alone.
He died proving not only to his family and the other students, but to himself, that he was nothing more than a fraud. A shameful creature. A person unworthy of the Arc name.
A failure.
At least, he could be punished for his deceit and falsehoods. A far more fitting punishment than anything the staff at Beacon could give him.
Besides, he'd rather burn in Purgatory, than have to face his family back home and see the knowing looks on their faces.
"Nay, you are not a failure."
Jaune jumped, startled by the sudden appearance of a rather child-like voice. Was there someone else here with him?
But what sort of crimes could a child have committed to be sentenced to Hell?!
"Rather, you are like a nascent butterfly. Simply waiting for the right time to blossom. Truly, an untapped well of potential."
"Look, while I appreciate the kind words, I doubt it really changes who I am, or what I did." Jaune finally answered. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't a failure."
"On the contrary, you being here means that you are filled with untapped strength. I would be a fool to have such potential squandered. You have no idea how strong you really are."
"Well, thank you for the compliment, but it's not like it'll do me any good around here." Jaune replied with a roll of his eyes. "Besides, kid, you haven't seen the kinds of people I've met at Beacon. Let me tell you, they're really something…"
Having turned around to face the new arrival, Jaune felt his entire body seize up.
He was paralyzed from head to toe, not from fear, but from awe.
Sure enough, a young child stood a few feet away from him, their elegantly braided golden-blonde hair fluttering gently in the wind. Garbed in only a simple white dress, it was impossible to tell if the child was a young boy, or a girl.
Not that it mattered. Compared to him, this kid carried the grace, the essence, of a GOD.
It was as if all of Heaven's power and purity were made manifest in the form of a small child. Each and every fiber of their being radiated a pure and gentle warmth that filled Jaune up from head-to-toe.
The thought of turning his face away from something so pure, so kind, so divine, felt like a blasphemy. A sin truly more heinous than any transgressions he made in his old life.
Jaune's knees buckled, his eyes watered, and his breaths turned into fervent gasps. He collapsed to the ground on his knees, unable to tear his eyes away from the heavenly being before him.
If there really was a God besides the Brothers, or an angel, then this child was definitely one of them.
With a small smile that made his deceased heart skip several beats, the child stepped forward with slow steps, as if they were taking the time to study each and every inch of him.
Why would someone so divine, so graceful, so pure, ever give him the time of day?
When the child placed their hands on his cheeks, cradling his face and turning it up towards him, Jaune felt the air leave his lungs.
His vision was filled with pure, brilliant gold.
"Fear not the endless night, my comrade, my ally. Though death may have claimed thee, thy fight is not yet over. This is merely a brief pause. The interstice between dawn and dusk. I ask thee this, dost thou wish to return to the world once more?"
"I…"
"Dost thou wish to become more than what thy were before? To transcend thy weakness, and grow ever stronger? To become more than the failure that thou believest so?"
Jaune blinked back tears, feeling the same roiling emotions of sorrow and regret wrack his being like before.
How many times had he always felt that pang of envy within him as he watched his older sisters move on to become successful in whatever they do? Find happiness and fulfillment in a way he could never find?
How many times had he listened to the tales of bravery and heroism from his father and grandfather, wishing he could be just like his ancestors? How many times had he watched Huntsmen and Huntresses cut down the Grimm in spectacular fashion, their moves and attacks like a beautiful dance of death, and wishing he could do the same?
How many times had he cursed and screamed, watching all of his efforts be for naught? No matter what he did, that goal of becoming a Huntsman was like someone dangling a prize in front of him, always out of reach and being yanked away when he dared to take that jump.
He hated it. He hated how everything seemed to not go his way. Hated how he had to throw away his pride for a hollow, fake achievement. Hated how he was abysmally weak compared to his friends and fellow students.
"Does thou wish to live once more? To take the reigns of fate in thy hands, and charter a new destiny for thyself?"
…
…
Yes. Yes, he did.
He wanted just one more chance to prove himself. He wanted to show the world that he could do it.
He wanted to prove to his family that he had the guts to make it through. He wanted to become a strong and dependable Huntsman for Weiss, Ruby, and Pyrrha, the only friendly faces he knew at Beacon so far.
He wanted to prove it to himself. That he was worthy of the Arc name.
As tears finally flowed down his face, Jaune nodded.
The child smiled, and pulled his hands back. Raising their hands in front of them, they closed their eyes, and within seconds a golden symbol, that of a leftward arc with a cross in the middle and brimming with power, coalesced near their chest.
It hovered in the air between the two of them for but a moment, before the floating Rune morphed into a single, golden drop. One that the child cradled in their hands, before gently placing it in Jaune's.
"Then this is for thee. The last of my strength. Mine abundance, my drop of dew. Quench thy thirst, throughout thy frame. Blossom and burgeon, time and again. Grow larger, stronger. Until the day cometh. When thou canst share in my dream. Elden Ring, O Elden Ring. Beget Order most elegant, from my tender reverie."
Jaune gently raised his hands, and the drop of Golden dew nestled in them, towards his face. Deep down, he knew what he was to do with it, but for the briefest of moments, he hesitated.
Was this the best course for him? Was he truly worthy of this second chance? Surely there was someone else more worthy than him. Someone who could make their vision, their dreams, a reality.
As if they knew exactly what he was thinking, the child shook their head and smiled, cradling his cheeks once more.
"Be not afraid. I wish only to help thee. To give thee one more chance at letting thyself blossom. If thou truly wishes to become more than what thy was in death, then take mine Abundance, and nurture thy growth. Become the man thou wishes to be. Greet the bloodless dawn once more, my Knight, my Champion, and take up arms once more."
Resolve flooded his very being, and this time, Jaune didn't hesitate.
Raising his hands to his lips, he swallowed the drop of dew.
And light enveloped the entire world.
"…I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."
Pyrrha panted as she forced every once of her Aura into Jaune's unmoving body, her heart freezing when she no longer felt his pulse on her thumb.
"Weiss! It's not working! Help me with this!"
Skewering an Ursae in the stomach, the heiress quickly dashed forward, kneeling down next to Jaune's body.
"What happened?!"
"I just lost his pulse! He needs something to jumpstart his heart!"
Weiss quickly unloaded the Dust rounds in her rapier, pulling out two small yellow crystals. "Here, these are Lightning Dust crystals. I don't have anything else on hand, but this is the closest thing I have that could work."
Pyrrha nodded, quickly grabbing the Dust in both hands and focusing her Aura into them. Despite the crackle of electricity and the lancing pain in her arms, she drew in a breath and slammed her hands down onto Jaune's chest.
Just then, Ruby arrived into the clearing with a flurry of rose petals. Right behind her were another group of 4 people, two of whom were her sister and the dark-haired girl she tried to make conversation with the night before, and the other pair was a young man with a pink highlight on his otherwise black hair, and an energetic girl with orange hair and static blue eyes.
All four of them gasped in horror at Jaune's sorry state, as Ruby quickly moved to his side.
"What's going on?!"
"Jaune's stopped breathing!"
"What?!"
Pyrrha didn't even bother to reply. She continued to force more of her Aura into the Lightning Dust in her hands, letting the crackle of electricity flourish before she raised them high in the air.
"Please make it through!"
With a final plunge, she slammed her palms and the Lightning Dust onto Jaune's chest.
Suddenly, his entire body was engulfed in a brilliant golden glow. As his chest spasmed and heaved, a rattling noise bellowed from deep in his throat, and eventually, his eyes, a brilliant blue now with a golden tinge to them, shot wide open.
And when he drew in a single, grasping breath, the entire clearing, and all their surroundings, were enveloped in light.
A wave of golden energy blasted out from Jaune's body and blossomed in all directions as his Aura reignited and bloomed.
Pyrrha, Ruby, Weiss, and their new allies felt an overwhelming sensation of gentle warmth as well as pure power, their Auras quickly growing in strength and intensity, and all around them, the plant life teemed with life.
Grass and trees suddenly grew in height, fruit randomly and rapidly spurted from leaves, and all around them, flowers sprouted from the ground and blossomed, spreading their petals and forming an ever-expanding eden of color that would make any botanical garden owner look on in envy.
In a matter of seconds, Jaune's wounds healed and faded away, as if they never existed in the first place, the forest erupted with newly grown life and abundance, transforming a plain clearing into a massive garden filled with burgeoning flowers and vegetation, and every single student in the area felt their Auras surge with renewed strength and vigor.
For Ruby's sister, Yang, and for the energetic girl who stood by her silent partner's side, it was as if they were injected with a powerful miracle drug, infinitely more potent and raw than any steroid, giving them the strength and energy to level mountains and pummel Grimm in a single strike.
The silent, green-clad Huntsman felt his Semblance coil and expand like a balloon, letting him extend his field to lengths believed unimaginable.
The dark-haired girl felt raw energy course through her being. If she desired it, she felt she could create over a hundred clones of herself, each with the power to topple entire cities.
Ruby felt she could encircle the entire planet in a matter of seconds. Weiss, who always felt her skills remained inferior to that of her elder sister, suddenly found herself possessing the strength needed to Summon literal Dragons at her beck and call.
Pyrrha, who bore the full brunt of Jaune's Aura, felt she could make the entire planet stand still if she desired it.
It was unclear whether they could actually perform these feats, but the sheer power and energy that flooded their Auras and bodies was enough to make them feel superhuman. Something far beyond meager Huntsman.
And unfortunately, it was a double-edged sword. While Jaune brimmed with abundance and life, strengthening and enhancing the vigor of all things around him, it also made him shine like a beacon, the likes of which could outshine even the very Sun.
And for the malicious denizens of this world, it made him stick out all the brighter like a sore thumb.
Jaune drew in several labored breaths, as if he were a newborn baby taking their first huffs of air for the first time.
His heart thumped and pumped blood vigorously throughout his body, and he felt a surge of energy course through his limbs.
But while his body had quickly adjusted to the resurgence of life, his mind was several steps behind, still occupied by what he had seen in his state of undeath.
'What was that? Did that really happen? Me dying, going to that… Purgatory? Meeting… them?'
As far as dreams go, it was definitely one of the most vivid ones he had ever experienced. It was the kind of dream that left him aghast, wishing that it would continue.
And unlike the countless ones he slept through, he knew deep within his very soul, that he would never forget it. Or that of the child, blessing him with his last remaining power.
'Who was that? Did I really… die?'
His musings were put on hold when a pair of arms suddenly pulled him into a rib-cracking hug.
""JAUNE, YOU'RE OKAY!""
Both Pyrrha and Ruby screamed and sobbed with joy, crushing him in their arms, while Weiss let out a sigh of relief, her body sagging as she slumped next to a tree that had grown three times its height in the past few seconds.
"We were so worried about you! How are you here, and okay?!"
"What happened to your wounds?! All the cuts are gone!"
"You got a lot of explaining to do, Mister! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"Alright, alright, let's give Vomit Boy some breathing room."
Yang's voice cut through the excited and relieved voices of Pyrrha, Ruby, and even Weiss. Lightly flushing, the redhead coughed and gently pulled Jaune onto his feet.
Looking around for a bit, noticing the rather odd explosion of plant life around them, Jaune gave the others puzzled looks. "Uh, what just happened?"
The others looked at him with puzzled shock, before everyone then erupted into shouts.
"You just died! I felt your pulse stop!"
"We f-found you on the floor, all… c-chewed up…"
"You nearly scared us to death! What would have happened if you didn't make it, y-you dunce!"
"Forget all that! What happened to the forest?! Renny, did you see all the flowers come out of the ground! He just made a garden out of nowhere!"
"Unbelievable… all the trees just grew so fast. Even the fruits, the leaves, everything seems to have grown."
"Damn, Vomit Boy decided to spread his growth spurt all over the forest. And speaking of, anyone else feel like they can take on an army of Grimm by themselves? I haven't felt this pumped in ages!"
Yang laughed, feeling the explosion of energy course through her. Moving towards a nearby tree, she landed a basic uppercut on the tree bark, and felt her jaw drop as it was launched right out of the ground, roots and all, soaring several feet in the air and landing some distance away.
"Holy crap, that's insane! Was that your Semblance or something?!"
"My what?"
Everyone once again turned to him, making Jaune flush as they all wore the same puzzled looks on their faces.
'Dammit, I really need to learn when to talk, and when to shut up!'
Weiss leveled an incredulous face in his direction. "You do know what a Semblance is, right?"
"Uh…"
Thankfully, Ruby interrupted before he could shoot himself in the foot. "Wait, I forgot! I managed to reach the cliff and let Professor Ozpin know what happened! He said a Bullhead should come soon to pick you up, though… I guess it isn't really needed for you anymore?"
Pyrrha moved to his side. "Are you sure you aren't hurt anywhere?"
"I don't think so…"
A quick glance at his body didn't reveal anything, no life-threatening injuries or even the smallest of scratches. In fact, aside from his torn clothes, he barely even had a scratch on him.
"At any rate," Weiss interrupted. "We should try to head to higher ground so that the Professors can find us."
"Wait, does this mean we failed Initiation?" Ruby asked randomly, and suddenly Weiss' face once again turned pale.
Yang, however, let out a chuckle. "Luckily for the Ice Queen, I came prepared."
She pulled out of her pocket several chess pieces. "Blake, Nora, Ren, and I got our relics a while ago, and I was wondering what was taking you guys so long to show, so I decided to nab some relics in case you came late."
Blake rolled her eyes. "We're just lucky that everyone else seems to have grabbed their relics first before Yang. Otherwise she might have made everyone who didn't grab their's fail on the spot."
"Finders keepers, and you snooze, you lose." Yang replied without a hint of remorse. "Besides, it all worked out in the end, didn't it? I found Ruby, got her friends some relics, and Vomit Boy managed to come back from the dead. I'd say that's a win in my book."
A humming noise manifested above them, and looking up, the students noticed a lone Bullhead hovering above the trees, barely visible due to the increased height of the vegetation.
Thankfully, Weiss's giant mountain of ice was still present, and with another infusion of Dust, the heiress increased its height, giving them the room to steadily climb up the sides and make their way to the top.
As the rest of the group headed up the small ice mountain, Jaune and Pyrrha lagged behind, the Champion's face now wracked with guilt.
"Jaune, I'm so, so sorry! I didn't mean to leave you all defenseless out there, stuck on a tree! I just wanted to… I just…"
Jaune waved her concerns away. "It's okay, I knew you'd never try to hurt me. Besides, it's my stupid fault for not being able to defend myself. Honestly, I wish I was strong enough to take out a single Beowolf."
"But shouldn't you have been able to do that already? How else could you have been able to enter Beacon?"
'Oh, crap!'
"Come on, guys! They're getting really antsy up in the Bullhead for some reason!" Ruby shouted from inside the Bullhead, after noticing how far behind the two were.
"Sorry!"
Cheeks flushed, Pyrrha carefully and quickly helped him ascend, and the two soon entered the Bullhead, taking a seat next to Ruby and Weiss as they peered out the window.
And when the Bullhead ascended into the sky, they looked out the window and saw the trees shaking down below as birds suddenly flew up in the air.
Only a few seconds after they ascended, the clearing they were in a few minutes ago was immediately filled to the brim with Grimm of all kinds. From Deathstalkers to Ursae and Beowolves, everyone let out a collective gasp as hundreds of them swarmed around the makeshift ice mountain Weiss conjured.
They all roared, snapped, and barked up at them as they ascended to the sky, and much to their horror, several adventurous Beowolves even scurried up the small ice mountain and leapt up in air, snapping their jaws in rabid fervor as they tried and failed to reach the Bullhead.
"Damn, what the hell is up with them?"
"There's so many of them… why did they all just show up all at once here?"
Suddenly, the Bullhead made a sharp turn, causing everyone to bend forward in their seats as the vehicle quickly sped off back to Beacon.
"Sorry, everyone!" The pilot replied through the intercom. "But hold on tight! There's a ton of Nevermores following us! Sheesh, these guys are persistent! You guys didn't do anything to piss them off, didya?!"
Everyone shook their heads in response, though Pyrrha gave a worried glance in Jaune's direction.
He had other things on his mind though.
Even now, he could still hear that child's voice in head, still see their serene smile, and still feel that dew of abundance course through his being.
'Just who on Remnant was that? They had to have done something to revive me, if I really did die back there…'
'Could they really be some kind of God?'
Even after everything that had happened, Jaune still felt his knees shaking as he stood with the others in the auditorium.
It was crazy, he knew, to feel this nervous after he had literally died, but he couldn't help it. His future as a Huntsman was on the line, and if he couldn't make it here, then would his return to life have been worth it?
Thankfully, the Headmaster took their sudden return from Emerald Forest by Bullhead as a sign of their success, since Yang had slipped him and the others their own relics.
They must not have been monitoring them as closely as he thought, cause otherwise he'd have been kicked out instantly.
He doubted that dying qualified him to be a Huntsman.
Jaune shook his head. Regardless of the circumstances, the worst of it was over. In the Headmaster's eyes, they all got through Initiation, and that made them official students of Beacon Academy.
The hard part was over, now he needed to focus on actually getting some kind of training done so he wouldn't get kicked out.
They had managed to return to Beacon, narrowly avoiding the swarm of Nevermores that tried to reach them on the Bullhead. Beacon's automated defenses were on overdrive shooting them out of the sky, and the Academy was situated over a cliff, making it naturally difficult for terrestrial Grimm like the Beowolves and the Ursae to enter the school grounds, though, the fact that they were still desperately trying to approach the school was of great concern.
Not since the Great War have the Grimm been this eager to tear their way into Vale, according to one of the Professors. He also overheard them mentioning having multiple Huntsmen across the Kingdom try to deal with the frenzied horde, even considering bringing in support from Atlas, but for now, things were stable.
"Blake Belladonna, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, and Yang Xiao-Long."
Professor Ozpin stood at a podium, calling out several students' names and assigning them into teams. As the 4 newly acquainted students stood at attention with a mixture of nervousness and excitement, Ozpin gave them a smile and pulled up their photos on the large projector screens.
"The four of you obtained the Rook pieces. From henceforth, you shall be Team… Burgundy (BRNY). Led by… Blake Belladonna."
The dark-haired girl from before widened her eyes, before being engulfed in a proud (and possibly bone-breaking) hug by her other female teammates.
With their team decided, it was time for the last batch of students to be called up.
"Pyrrha Nikos, Jaune Arc, Ruby Rose, and Weiss Schnee."
Weiss tensed up alongside Ruby, and the four of them made their way on stage.
"The four of you recovered the Knight pieces," Ozpin remarked, though there was a twinkle in his eyes that made Jaune doubt that he truly believed it. "As such, henceforth you shall be Team… Polaris (PARS). Led by… Pyrrha Nikos."
""HUH?!""
Surprisingly, both Pyrrha and Weiss were equally shocked at the announcement, though for widely different reasons. Weiss bore an incredulous, and then furious, look on her face that remained even when Ruby and Jaune congratulated their newly appointed (and positively petrified) Leader.
But after a few moments, the heiress eventually let out a sigh and settled in to congratulate Pyrrha on her appointment as well. Whatever lingering thoughts she had about the choice in Team Leader, it seems to have been begrudgingly settled in her mind.
In sharp contrast, however, Pyrrha blushed up a storm at the news and turned immensely shy under the round of applause she received. She continued to hide her face even as the 4 of them made their way to their new room.
How ironic, that a 4-time Champion with multiple sponsors, advertisements, and even having her face plastered on the front of his cereal, could be this shy over something so small as being made a Team Leader?
Well… at least it seems like there wouldn't be any trouble when it comes to working together. Watching over his dead body seemed to have united them in a common purpose, for now at least.
Ruby wanted to immediately start decorating their bedroom, and while Jaune had enough energy to do so, the heavy stress both Pyrrha and Weiss had to deal with during Initiation made them both too exhausted to really contribute. At least Pyrrha promised to give her the opportunity to settle in properly once everyone got enough rest.
With everyone changed and ready for class tomorrow, the four of them crashed onto their beds and quickly fell asleep…
Just as purplish mist enveloped their room.
He wasn't back in Purgatory.
But he wasn't exactly sure if this was 'Heaven' either.
Instead of long stretches of wheat fields with ethereal graves that lay below a burnt, shadowy tree, Jaune now found himself in a rather rugged, yet heavily diverse continent, with a range of biomes ranging from flat grasslands, to snowy mountaintops, boiling volcanoes, a poison-infested country, and even muggy swampland.
And this time, instead of a shadowy tree, there was an equally large Golden Tree off in the distance, its rays of light surpassing that of even the Sun.
Compared to the shadow tree, this one was far more divine in nature, radiating a gentle warmth that felt both nostalgic and serene.
As he walked across the land, he eventually settled next to what seemed like a bonfire… if the 'fire' was a floating tiny wisp of gold hovering a few inches off the ground. It still emitted that ever-so-familiar warmth and comfort as the giant tree, and he didn't exactly have anywhere specific to go, so might as well just settle in for the night.
The Sun waxed and eventually waned, disappearing over the horizon. The Golden Tree still remained the dominant source of light, its branches as incandescent as the stars.
But as time passed, Jaune wondered why he hadn't woken up from his dream yet.
Or why he was dreaming of a world that was both alien and familiar to him.
"Don't tell me I actually died in my sleep this time…" Jaune remarked with a sigh.
At least he wasn't in Hell.
"Welcome again, my Champion. Has thou taken to my drop of dew?"
Jaune raised an eyebrow at the familiar voice, albeit this one was but a tiny bit lighter and higher in tone than before.
He had also been so lost in thought that he didn't notice how his surroundings were covered in a purplish fog.
It wasn't poisonous, but it did make him start to teeter back and forth as his eyelids began to droop.
*SMACK*
Jaune quickly slapped his cheeks with his palms, refusing to let sleep lull him away and distract him from getting some answers.
"Okay, I know you're around here. Might as well come out now." Jaune called out. "I would really appreciate some answers here!"
The purple mist coalesced, and once again that same young child materialized in front of him, though there were a few minor differences.
For one, their lengthy golden-blonde hair was no longer braided, now freely flowing down their neck and fluttering on the ground. It also gave off a slight silver and purplish hue like the mist around them.
Parts of their face were covered, revealing only a single golden eye that watched him with interest, and the few bits of their face that was visible, leaned much more on the feminine side compared to before.
Once again, it was impossible to really tell if the child in front of him was either a boy, or a girl.
The child, whoever they were, knelt down in front of him, and offered their hand.
"Though we are not here physically, I welcome thee to my home. The world where my journey began… and ended."
"A world? What place even is this, and who even are you?"
The young child gave an enigmatic smile. "This world is called the Lands Between. A land from which your kind originally hailed from, before thy banishment long ago. And as for my identity, well, you may call me… Trina. The vestige of a Fate I had been forced to abandon."
So yeah… I ended up writing a fic about Miquella.
Ngl, when I saw the preview footage from Vaati, and looked up all the NPC dialogue, I immediately thought of Miquella as Griffith from Berserk. Yes, I know the Griffith parallels have been mentioned hundreds of times now, but the previews that I have seen have really cemented that connection ten-fold.
As you probably know, Shadow of the Erdtree will be coming out in a few weeks, and I haven't seen a lot of fics that feature Miquella as a central character, which I find odd, as his character has been one of the most fascinating enigmas in all of Elden Ring's lore. He can be seen as both a genuinely good person as well as potentially a cunning and manipulative Demigod thanks to his ability to compel affection.
With the DLC making him such a central character, and expanding not only on his plans but also Marika's backstory, I thought I'd dip my toes into the discussion and make a fic where he will be a central character alongside Jaune.
Bear in mind, this was written before the DLC came out, and though I will religiously check to make sure all the characters are in touch with their canon selves, if for some reason there is a huge lore reveal that contradicts what I established in the story earlier, then I apologize in advance. I'll try to update the chapters in case something new is added, but if I miss anything feel free to let me know.
Really hope you guys enjoy this story so far. I'm also working on a RWBY x Bloodborne story as well, and Sympathy for the Soulless is still being worked on, so I apologize if updates become a little bit slow.
Can't wait to see you all in the next chapter, and in the DLC!