Arc II: The Knight Life
Chapter 8: My Wayward Son
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"…ugh. My…head…hurts."
Beep. Beep. Beep-beep.
The darkness faded away as Jaune slowly and groggily came to in Beacon's infirmary. He gingerly moved a hand to inspect side of his head, finding it wrapped with a thin bandage.
"Damn. Must've been worse than I thought."
"It was. Cardin gave you a concussion when he broke your Aura."
Eyes widening, he whirled his head around to the right to see Pyrrha smiling tiredly from the comfort of one of the room's chairs for visitors, likely having woken up recently as well.
He truly found himself grateful to be wrapped warmly under sheets and blankets instead of a sci-fi bathtub.
"Pyrrha! Wha-what are you doing here?"
"Making sure you're alright," Pyrrha yawned into one hand. "We've been taking shifts keeping watch, so don't worry. We've got some sleep as well."
"No, I mean, didn't you get in trouble or something?"
"Uh...ah, let's just say that we managed to convince Professor Goodwitch and the chief nurse." The redhead gave a nervous laugh before steeling her expression once more.
"Right. Thank you," Jaune grunted as he pushed himself to sit up. "Ugh. Man, this sucks. What happened after?"
"Well, as Cardin knocked you out while you still had Aura left, Professor Goodwitch said that it was still within the rules and so it counted as his win."
Jaune felt a dull anger ache within his heart. "Mhm."
"She said after to come see her after classes, though, so I have a feeling she'll sort him out." Pyrrha shuddered. "Even someone like Cardin is smart enough to not risk angering her."
"Yeah...I guess."
Looking at the clock above the door and seeing 5:43 in pale digital green letters, Jaune turned his attention to the open windows. The fact that the lights were off and that the infirmary was in a tower located beside the main one meant that he had a near perfect view of the surrounding area, with Vale's skyline visible in the predawn glow of the horizon.
Nothing compared to Hudson's sunsets on the coasts, however.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Pyrrha approach him, shifting his attention to her worried expression.
"Jaune...is everything okay?"
"Um, yeah, I think so. I've got a killer headache but hey, it'll go away eventually."
Her expression didn't change. "Right. That's good to hear. The dust enhanced medicine should help speed up your Aura recovery. But I'm not talking about that."
Pyrrha gently touched his left hand. "Is this, perhaps part of your Semblance or Aura? Your hand was glowing and -"
The blonde's eyes widened as he quickly retracted his hand and slid it under the covers, garnering a slightly hurt look from his partner. "Um...no! I...don't know what you're talking about. I don't even have my Semblance unlocked."
She pressed on, uncertainty on her face. "...are you sure? When myself, Ren and Nora carried you here, we noticed that your hand was glowing from underneath the glove and -"
Jaune began to tune her out as panic set in.
"Shit, she knows! What do I say, what do I say?"
"..."
"...Jaune?"
He snapped back to reality as Pyrrha called out his name. "Huh?"
"You looked like you lost focus for a second there."
"I...I'm fine. But don't worry about me. Look, you're right, maybe it's my undiscovered Semblance acting up again, or something."
Jaune tried to give her a smile worthy of the Arc charm but it came out instead as a mildly pained grimace. Pyrrha did not look convinced as well.
"But Jaune, we don't know for sure. Maybe it's a side effect of your Aura being so critically damaged, especially with Cardin knocking you out like that -"
"It was my fault. I'll be more careful next time."
"And when will be the next time? The moment you leave this room? Since Initiation, it seems like he's going out of his way to trouble you. I...I have to ask now. Are you being bullied?"
"What? Pft-no. I'm fine. I really am. I can hold my own. I mean, I also got through Initiation with you guys, right?"
Pyrrha looked troubled. "Perhaps, but even then...things will only get harder from here. If you need help, you just need to ask. Especially with something like this. We just started the semester. You shouldn't have to deal with bullying -"
"Pyrrha!" Jaune raised his voice exasperatingly, taking her aback. "I'm fine! I...I don't need help. This is something I need to go through on my own."
The redhead in question looked hurt and confused. "But...why?"
"Because this is what I've always wanted to be! Everyone in my family were warriors before me. I mean, you saw the statue in the courtyard, right? They were all heroes!"
Jaune sunk into his pillows and gazed out the window. "Alastair Arc was one of the greatest heroes of Vale during the Great War. Viscen Arc killed the Drake Grimm terrorizing Mistral back in the day. And Dad...Mountain Glenn...Look. I wanted to become one too. To see my father acknowledge me as his son, worthy of the family. You said you know all about how that feels, right?"
Pyrrha slightly nodded. "Yes...I -"
"But in the end...I was never good enough."
She came forward once more and held a pleading look in her eyes.
"Then please, let me help you."
"I don't want your help! How can I be the hero if I can't do anything by myself? I'm tired of being the idiot who's always stuck in the tree while his friends have to fight for their lives! Don't you understand? I know you said that you're here for me, but if I can't even help myself...then what good am I? Just...give me some space. Leave me alone."
Regret lanced through his heart the moment he said those words, leaving both in an uncomfortable pause until Pyrrha took a step back, joining him in gazing out the window, the first few rays of the sun beginning to peek over the horizon.
Jaune looked back at her, only to see her turn away with a defeated expression and make for the door.
"...if that's what you think is best."
The sound of her leaving and closing the door gave rise to an oppressive silence, compounded by the mix of guilt, anger and confusion reigning in his head.
"I'm sorry, Pyrrha. But I need to do this alone."
Alone?
"…!"
Jaune flinched at the sound of Link's voice. Only this time, because of the silence it seemed to be coming everywhere at once and speaking directly to his soul.
Also because of the sheer disappointment with which Link spoke those words.
"Wait, whoa, hold on. We're you listening to all that?"
Yes, I was. Jaune...is that what you think being a hero is?
"Well, I know it's not all roses and daises. But…I gotta deal with this myself. I can't bring down the team if I can't do my part, you know?
Jaune…I understand the desire to prove yourself. There is no other person alive who knows better about that than myself. But what you said to her in order to justify how you feel was perhaps one of the most naïve, ignorant and dismissive things you could have said in that moment.
Defiance, dulled only by lingering regret welled in his heart.
"W-what do you mean?"
In the many lives I have lived, I could not have done my duty without the assistance of others. Though you have all just begun, being able to open up and trust your friends is paramount to surviving here and as you fight in the field. Do not try to mask your arrogance as selfless desire. Why do you think you failed to activate the Triforce of Courage?
His eyes slightly widened in surprise.
"I…why? It always worked before -"
Selfishness is why. The most important lesson you must understand about the Triforce of Courage is that like the other pieces, it requires a specific mindset to utilize; humility and selfless dedication is what drives it. When you fought Cardin and lost, I can see the depth of pride in your heart, masquerading as the desire to improve. Cardin may be in the wrong for slandering you, but the rage and thirst for power is unbecoming of a hero – unbecoming of a Huntsman.
Stunned, Jaune sat in silence for a few good seconds that felt like an eternity.
"…"
"...Link?"
The only answer was several quiet beeps as the clock chimed 6:00.
Jaune sighed.
"Dammit."
()===|=====+
The washroom door slammed open as Cardin Winchester angrily strode in, not caring at all as it crashed shut after him. Though it would usually piss him off, such a small annoyance wouldn't even register as most of his day was already ruined, seeing that he was called out again in public by the people he was quickly growing to hate the most.
"...atrocious. I can't stand people like him."
"...why won't he leave them alone?"
"...ooh! We'll break his legs!"
Cardin sighed and rubbed his eyes, leaning against the bathroom wall.
He hated the faunus. Ever since he was a child, that was a pretty clear and cut view of his that everyone came to know. Though many gave him dirty looks, he cared little for their thoughts and opinions. After all, they combined into a cacophony of noise that made them sound like the very animals they were trying to defend.
What pissed him off the most, however, was simply how weak many of the people he bullied were - faunus or human. Always needing someone to help them. Always needing somebody else stronger and able to hold their own.
"...where were those people when the White Fang came and started killing -"
"Tch."
He sighed and steadied himself, willing away the memories of his past and instead focusing on current events. More importantly, current people.
Though her family may have been richer, Weiss Schnee was practically the first here at Beacon that actually dared to stand up to him. True, Jaune Arc - that blonde fool she came to save - thought he could match mano-e-mano the great scion of House Winchester, one of the most ancient and noblest of Valean families and descended from old Valean royalty, but he instead proved to be a bumbling idiot who couldn't even back up his words in the ring.
And as for the girl...well. She was probably the first one in Beacon to ever fully stand up to him. Schnee she may be, but since the White Fang, he began to take his family's historical motto - "We Yield to None" - more seriously.
He needed revenge, and the thought of that caused him to smirk. And what perfect way than to perhaps cause a little accident during their field trip in two days?
He whipped his Scroll out and dialed a number, unaware of hearing the sound of the washroom door opening.
"Hey, Dove, you there?"
"Yeah, just skipping class right now. Can't listen to a word that green haired freak is saying. Sup?"
"Alright, here's the plan. Remember when I told you guys about how much I wanted to make that Schnee bitch pay?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I have a plan. I'll be busy tonight so I need you to go to Vale after classes to get some rapier wasps."
"Ugh, I hate those things. Why does it have -"
He looked up and was momentarily startled at the sight of Jaune Arc staring at him by the entrance.
The brunette scrambled to end the call. "Hold on, call you back. Later. Jaune! So good to see you. Hope you've been recovering well after your defeat in the ring!"
"Haha, very funny, Cardin," said blonde griped as it seemed that he slowly regained control of his limbs, though still cautious as if ready to defend himself. Or knowing Jaune, ready to flee. The thought made him smirk, to which Jaune narrowed his eyes. "And what was that about getting revenge on Weiss?"
"Oh! Don't you worry there, bud. Nothing to concern yourself about."
"Yeah? I-it sure sounds like you're trying to -"
"Trying to what, huh?" Cardin sneered as he approached him. To his begrudging credit, he didn't back down. "I see, you're trying to win brownie points by defending her honour, huh?"
"What, no! Cardin - urk -"
The larger teen wrapped his arm around the blonde's neck in rough lock. "I'm so proud of you! Aren't you quite a white knight, eh!?"
Cardin swung the smaller blonde around, using his momentum to launch him into the wall with a resounding oof. He walked towards the blonde, eyes widening as Jaune rushed from the ground and attempted to tackle his legs - and because of the element of surprise, he succeeded.
It proved to be a tactical disadvantage as he was now grappling with someone who lacked the strength, size and stamina that he did, something that Jaune seemed to realize and tried to scramble up and away from him. It didn't work as he caught his leg and caused him to trip, pinning him. He stood up and dragged Jaune against the wall.
"Dammit, I'm - ugh - telling you, I won't -"
"Won't what, huh? It's not like you actually have the strength or balls to stop me. Frankly, I almost feel bad when I see just how shitty you are. Between you and the faunus in the school, I can't tell who I hate more. I mean, are you sure you're in the right place? You didn't get lost and run into Beacon by accident?"
Jaune glared.
"The only accident I'm sure of is when you came out of your mother."
Cardin hesitated, silence filling the washroom for a moment as his mind was racked with visions of gunshots, masked terrorists and explosions.
He screamed in anger, and Aura flared as a heavy blow struck Jaune's face, a second one to follow if not for someone tackling him from behind.
()===|=====+
Ren was quite thankful that he invested time and effort into strengthening his patience as part of his training. Back in his hometown of Kuroyuri, before the…tragedy that befell it, his father Li always emphasized the ability to steel his mind when acting with courage, for indecisiveness and inaction was the worst path you could follow in the face of danger.
And so, after meeting up with Nora, he always made sure to test his mental fortitude during their training to become Huntsmen. Gods above, having lived with Nora for so long proved to be valuable training by itself.
…deep down, one that he found himself quite happy with.
Yet, as he walked towards the washroom, he tried to convince himself that it was more because he actually had to go and not to get a much needed break from Professor Oobleck's class. After all, most of the class - their friends from Team RWBY included - were either daydreaming or failing to keep up with the man's amazingly fast and hard to understand speech.
What stuck out the most though was simply how hollow Pyrrha looked as she sat beside him.
"Ever since we took Jaune back to the room, they both seemed to be a little…down, as if they're walking on eggshells around each other. We tried asking them what happened during her shift, but…well. None of them seem like the talking mood then and now."
He rounded a corner, lost in contemplation and made for the washroom but froze upon hearing what suspiciously sounded like a large weight being slammed behind the door.
"...what's going on?"
Narrowing his eyes, he opened the door and entered, only for the sounds to stop and see Cardin Winchester pinning a slightly roughed up Jaune by the lapels of his uniform off the ground and against the wall.
"Dammit, I'm - ugh - telling you, I won't -"
"Won't what, huh? It's not like you actually have the strength or balls to stop me. Frankly, I almost feel bad when I see just how shitty you are. Between you and the faunus in the school, I can't tell who I hate more. I mean, are you sure you're in the right place? You didn't get lost and run into Beacon by accident?"
"The only accident I'm sure of is when you came out of your mother."
A momentary lapse, and then Cardin screamed and raised his fist to strike him, but missed as Ren rushed and shoved Cardin away, barely missing the fallen blonde. The taller boy quickly lunged back but Ren slid under it and deliver a swift knee to his stomach, Aura pulsing as he was pushed away onto the tiled floor.
Growling, he used the sink to help him stand, still clutching his lower torso.
"I think that's enough roughhousing, Cardin. You're in a confined space with two of us, and you're injured. Not very good odds if you don't want to return to class beaten and bruised." Ren calmly retorted before Jaune could make a snippy comeback.
"Tch. Fucking animals..."
"And enough racism as well. Your hatred of the faunus is something that you should be ashamed of."
Jaune stumbled as he came to stand beside Ren, leaning on one of the stalls for support. "Seriously man, I don't care if you hate me or not but what have they ever done to you?"
A brief trace of sadness flashed over Cardin's face before being quickly replaced by anger.
"It was because of the faunus that...that my...no."
He focused his glare at Jaune.
"Make no mistake. I will do what I said, and you or your little boy toy here can't do anything to stop me," Cardin sneered as he limped for the exit. " And if you do, you'll end up worse than the first time."
The door slammed shut and the two boys of Team JNPR were left in silence, until Jaune sighed and lowered himself to sit against the bathroom wall.
"Jaune. Are you okay?"
"Hah...yeah, I'm fine. My Aura's up and running again so I'm just a little sore."
"Right. And what is going on here?"
"Cardin's...being himself, as usual. He ran into me the other day before the spar in Goodwitch's class and it almost ended horribly for me. Luckily Weiss ran into us but suffice to say that also painted a target on her back."
"I see."
"Besides, it's not like I followed him around on purpose. I really was about to use the washroom but I overheard him talking about how he wanted to get her back on that trip to Forever Fall in two days."
"And then he discovered you."
Jaune slumped. "Yeah."
"Right," Ren motioned to the door, exiting with Jaune following in quickly behind him. "But...what reason does he have to pick on you? Did you do something to him?"
"Well...yes and no. Again, he's just being a bit of an ass as usual. The Weiss thing set him off too, but he just doesn't like me."
"Hmm. But did he explain why?"
Jaune seemed to stand a little more rigidly at his question. "Well...at one point he said that he hates how weak I am.
"So he targets you because he thinks that you're weaker than him?"
"He targets me because I am weaker than him," Jaune frustratingly retorted. "But it's not so much Cardin that really upset me."
The blonde sighed and ran a hand through his hair, the two rounding a corner and stopping by the wall opposite the classroom door. "It's more that its true. The spar proved as much. It's just, I've been thinking...what have I done to really contribute to the team? Nothing! I know we kinda just started and that I'm team leader, but look at you, Nora and Pyrrha. You guys outclass me every way. I need to become stronger so I can pull my weight."
The metaphorical gears began turning in Ren's mind as Jaune spoke those words. "So, you feel that it must be you and you alone that must shoulder the responsibility of improving yourself?"
Jaune turned to him, eyes slightly narrowed. "Ren..."
"Does this have to do with why both you and Pyrrha are distant towards one another?"
The blonde in question looked like he wanted to argue, but instead went for a begrudging acceptance. "Well, kind of..."
"Jaune -"
"No, let me explain," Jaune replied as he fully turned towards him. "I get that she's trying to help. I really do, and as her partner, I'm thankful. But this is something I can't always rely upon others to do for me. I can't just...accept help all the time I need to do my part. Me. I didn't join this school to become a charity case. I like Pyrrha. I really do and I think we'll both be good partners, but she took it way too personally -"
"She -"
"And now she won't talk to me over it," Jaune lamented as he through his hands up in exasperation.
"Jaune, she's your partner for the next four years. She was concerned and think about how she might best help you so you can become a better Huntsman, and grow together as partners," Ren sighed as he looked him in the eyes. "She's hurt that you just brushed her off like that."
"Because she wouldn't get that I'm also my own person! Again, I know we're just beginning but I've also gotten this far. I don't need someone to baby me. I can't become a hero like my ancestors if I do none of the work myself?"
"Do heroes also shun their teammates in pursuit of personal glory?"
Jaune's eyes widened, before they sharpened with anger.
"...what?"
Ren calmly met his stare. "Do you think that a hero would cast aside and neglect the people who would be there to support him, instead of respecting them?"
"Well..."
"How do you think Pyrrha felt when her partner and team leader essentially told her that she was useless and that he wouldn't consider her opinion?"
"It's not like that -"
The bell rung and the classroom door opened, students beginning to exit into the hallway.
"Dammit, it's not like that, Ren!" Jaune responded exasperatingly, too caught up to realize his voice kept growing louder. "She kept pushing and pushing when I made it clear I didn't want her help!"
"Even if you didn't say it like that, the implication was as crystal. If she was being a little pushy, then let her down gently.
"Look, I'm sorry it came out so harshly but I tried to let her know, and she wouldn't understand -"
"So you yelled at her when she came to visit at the earliest possible time, because it was her choice to support you?"
Ren stepped back and shook his head.
"Jaune...you're right. It's only been several days and we all just recently became a team. But when my team leader fails to care for his teammates...I don't know how I would feel about being under them, much less respecting them."
The team leader froze, ignoring the small crowd that began to form that included a shocked Team RWBY and the rest of the very mellow Team JNPR.
He looked down and stared blankly at the floor.
"I..."
Nora came and stood beside Ren.
"Jaune..."
"Nora...I -"
He looked up to see Ren lead her away, the ginger haired girl sparing a sad gaze back at him, while Pyrrha completely ignored him and followed after them.
Jaune sighed, tearing his gaze away and headed opposite, guilt gnawing at his heart with every step.
"Dammit. This is not how I thought learning to be a Huntsman would be like...what have I done?"
()===|=====+
The moment the Bullhead opened its doors, Jaune Arc ran out and off to the side, heaving and retching as he once more thanked the Brothers for bringing him safely back to Remnant. Despite all that happened between him and the rest of Team JNPR two days ago, the immediate relief outweighed the dull ache of regret.
Such weighed heavy on his heart. Lunch was awkward to say the least, with Team RWBY sans Weiss doing their best to add a little cheer to their day, although Jaune and the rest of his team remained distant. Spending a large chunk of the afternoon in the gym didn't help as well; true, after some weightlifting and sword drills against the training bots the blonde could say that he got some of his anger and vitriol out the system, but also at the cost of blowing up on Weiss when she ran into him after - one step forward, two steps back.
And once he finished and returned to his room, winter had practically come early as Ren and Pyrrha gave him the shoulder, with barely so much as a glance as he entered.
At least Nora tried to offer a comforting smile.
In the end, he didn't get as much rest anyway as Link told him that he needed to be mentally rested for the trip and so they would meet again the next night, leaving him to the mercy of the thoughts in his head.
"You okay, Jaune? You're staring off into space there."
The blonde coughed out the last of his nausea and turned around, finding Ruby looking at him expectantly.
"Yeah, I...I think so. At least I didn't puke on anyone when we landed."
"Heh. Well, Yang looked like she was about to punch you when you almost did that to her," Ruby giggled before she patted his back.
"That would've just caused me to do it anyway."
Ruby snorted. "You would regret that soooo hard if you did," she said as she began to walk away towards the congregation of students. "Come on, Jaune. You get airsick, not groundsick."
The blonde in question sighed, following her and joining their teams along with several others in a small clearing surrounding Professor Goodwitch, who was in the middle of answering a question while some took empty glass jars from a box beside her.
"...understand? Good. So, let me reiterate. Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap, as Professor Peach from Plant Science needs multiple samples for her research. However, as this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, we will also use this as an opportunity to develop the bonds between you and your partner. With your team, head out into the forest and split into groups further in. We will regroup back here at four o'clock."
The deputy stepped back.
"I will be patrolling around in case anyone has questions or requires assistance. Otherwise, good luck, stay safe and have fun."
At her word, the students broke apart into their teams, chattering excitedly and heading off in different directions into the crimson canopy of the forest.
"Come on guys, hurry up! Hey Dove, did you bring the..."
"Hey Blake, with how beautiful this place is, I can't help but feel quite sappy."
"Ugh. Let's go."
Before he could regroup with his team, however, Ruby tapped him on the shoulder and motioned to whisper in his ear.
"Um...I'm not exactly the best at...talking or these kinds of things but if you need someone to talk to, well...you know." Ruby nervously shrugged. "I don't know what's going on with you and your team, but...good luck. I hope everything'll be okay."
Jaune opened his mouth to retort, but instead closed it and nodded. "Thank you. That...means a lot."
Ruby nodded back and dashed off to receive a cacophony of teasing from Yang, while he looked towards his and saw that they were already starting to head off, with Pyrrha facing away and waiting for him. He jogged up to her, and upon catching up they followed Ren and Nora, the former walking almost serenely while Nora occasionally skipped.
"..."
"..."
Except for the morning birdsong and the slight breeze rustling through the leaves, along with distant laughter from teams scattered elsewhere, silence and the forest ambience reigned as Team JNPR kept walking through the woods. Despite the awkwardness, he could at least appreciate the scenery around him; it was his first time in Forever Fall, and it was known throughout Vale as a forest whose trees were perpetually frozen in the height of autumn, as the leaves were always some shade of deep, rich red. Jaune blandly noted that were it not for the Grimm, it would probably make Vale decent money as a tourist attraction for nature walkers and sightseers to indulge themselves in.
Suffice to say, it did somewhat ease the tension within their group as the further they walked, the more he seemed to feel...looser, and not as on edge as before. Ren, Nora and Pyrrha seemed to feel it as well, Jaune noting that Nora gradually added a skip to her step, while Ren began walking as if he seemed refreshed after a good night's sleep.
He took the opportunity to sneak a glance at Pyrrha, who was looking around them at the scenery without any of trace of hurt on her face. For the first time in a couple of days, she seemed at peace and had the hint of a soft smile, sunlight gleaming off her skin and giving her a sense of radiance -
And it was gone, as she noticed his gaze and they turned away, all the familiar emotions rushing back to them at once.
"Dammit, man! Come on, at least say that you're sorry or something. Try to talk it out."
"...no, we have a mission to do and the Grimm might come at any moment. Now's not the time for this."
"And if you let it fester, when will it ever be a good time?"
"..."
Jaune sighed and turned beside him.
"Hey...Pyrrha?"
"Hmm?"
"Um..."
"Think, Jaune. Think!"
"So, uh...pretty forest, isn't it?"
"Yeah...it is."
"Yeah."
"..."
"Um, Pyrrha -"
The redhead stopped and faced him, while Ren and Nora went to a group of trees further on ahead and began tapping the trees. "Look, Jaune...you're our team leader and I have faith that you know exactly what you're doing," she said with her voice sounding as if she was fighting to maintain an even tone. "Let's...let's just collect the sap and...go back."
She handed him a spare bottle and walked away before he could reply, over to a thick looking maple tree and knelt with her jar.
Jaune sighed.
"...okay."
He walked the direction opposite her, finding a tree and sitting down by it, beginning the slow, arduous process of doing his part for the team.
And yet, so lost was he in his thoughts and regrets that as early morning turned into early noon and as they progressed further into the woods in search of new, suitable trees, so too did JNPR increase their distance from one another. Standing up and stretching, a slight chill raced up his spine as the blonde noticed that Pyrrha, Nora and Ren were no longer to be seen. More so, looking back, some of the trees were familiar, but he couldn't exactly seem to place where he came from before.
"Dammit."
He was officially separated from his team, and internally cursed at being too distracted and not paying the slightest bit attention.
At least he was not hopelessly lost, however, as his head perked up at the sound of a familiar voice to his right, arguing with some others just a small distance away.
"...Weiss, is that you?"
He breathed a sigh of relief until he heard another familiar one join hers.
"Wait. That's Weiss, and...oh no."
Weiss and Cardin, Cardin and Weiss.
Momentarily, images of the larger boy threatening to get revenge on Weiss back in the washroom flashed through his mind as he dropped his jar and rushed with haste towards them.
...
...
He would, however, curse his inattentiveness once more for failing to notice a set of imprints the size of his chest and in the shape of hooves running parallel and slightly away from the direction he was heading towards.
()===|=====+
"Hee hee hee! You know, Watts, once our Goddess amasses an army of these beautiful creatures, none of the Kingdoms shall be able to stand to our might!"
"Indeed. It looks like her research into the forgotten legends of old is paying off quite well," a taller, moustached man replied as he stood back up, watching the latest addition to their Queen's army gallop below the cliff. "Whoever she is dealing with has provided us with tools and an advantage no other asset has before."
"Ohh, I can imagine it! The killing! The slaughter! Can't I please, please please join our little friend in waging war against those boy scouts down below?"
"Not yet, Tyrian, not yet. Our orders are to stand back and observe how it performs from a position where Ozma cannot find us. The time will come, rest assured."
The scorpion faunus cackled.
()===|=====+
The heiress to the SDC growled and glared daggers at a smug and cocky Team CRDL.
"Ugh, hey, what's wrong with you!?"
"Why, what are you talking about? It was just an accident!"
"Since when do accidents involve throwing jars of sap from behind the bushes like some sort of coward!?"
"Hey, can't help it if you trip, ya know. I'll make sure to give good old Dove here some lessons on balance during sparring," Cardin winked and wrapped an arm around Dove, who also smirked at her, along with his teammate Sky Lark, although Russel Thrush merely looked away as if in disgust.
Weiss made to retort but Cardin interrupted her, spreading his arms in a mock display of reasoning. "Don't worry, princess. Besides, you should be happy that most of it missed. The wasps aren't swarming you otherwise."
The heiress inaudibly gulped at the thought of a swarm as she glanced over to the broken jar several feet away, a horde of rapier wasps buzzing greedily around it.
Luckily, though her fighting style relied on summoning and glyphs, she still put plenty of practice into fencing and agility. And now finally, such lessons really, really paid off, with only a few smidgens splattered on her combat skirt - visible, but not enough to attract the rest when they have the source.
"I swear, Cardin. At this point, I feel like all of you should be taught a lesson."
Cardin perked up, his smile increasing to an almost feral point.
"Oh? I'm not one to back down from a challenge, and neither are we," Cardin responded, gesturing to his team who walked up to stand side by side with him. "There's four of us and one of you. Even if you were to tell the teachers, you wouldn't have the evidence to prove it."
Weiss growled and took a step back, her hand resting on Myrtenaster.
The leader of Team CRDL stepped forward, smiling as he drew his mace.
The leader of Team JNPR burst out of the woods and interrupted the fight before it began, startling the two heirs of the two families.
"Wha-Jaune!?"
"Huh? The fuck you doing here, Jauney boy?"
"Making sure you don't do anything to Weiss," Jaune panted as he jogged the remainder to stand beside Weiss, and noticing the jar of sap some distance away. "Or at least, making sure you failed."
"Easy talk from a failure of a white knight who always gets his ass beat," Cardin sneered as he took a step, causing Jaune and Weiss to deploy Myrtenaster and Crocea Mors.
"Jaune, what's going on here? How did you know we were here?"
"This guy mentioned something about getting revenge on you for standing up to him," Jaune replied, sparing a glance as he held out his sword and shield in a defensive position. "I remembered and I tried to find and warn you, and now...well. Here we are."
Weiss pursed her lips.
"Jaune...I -"
"Enough talking!" Cardin roared, the rest of Team CRDL having drawn their weapons and begun circling around them. "Let's keep this simple. I know you don't want to go back all beaten up and bruised so let's make this simple and quick. Give us your jar, Weiss."
She raised her weapon and switched to the lightning dust chamber. "No."
"Well hey, remember that I offered to make this easy. But if you want to play then I'm all game!" Cardin laughed.
Jaune and Weiss narrowed their eyes and took went back to back, surrounded as their bullies began to advance.
"Uh, Weiss, any plans?"
She twisted her head in his direction though she kept her gaze on Cardin. "You're a team leader here. Shouldn't you be making those decisions?"
"Oh. Uh, well..."
"No, forget it," She sighed, and assumed a defensive position. "We can't take all of them, so I'll distract them while -"
Boom-boom-boom.
"- while -"
Boom-boom-boom.
Jaune narrowed his eyes in confusion as Weiss went silent at the sound of distant gallops, as if a particularly heavy horse was approaching from the distance.
Boom-boom-boom.
"Weiss, what's going on?"
"I'm...not too sure," she admitted. Even Team CRDL lost interest in them and instead faced the source of the noise towards the east.
"Are there horses around here?"
"There are no ranches or stables around here, you dunce," Weiss retorted as he turned towards the rapidly increasing gallops. "Might be a Grimm. Get ready."
Boom-boom-boom.
"Right," Jaune replied as he shifted his position to stand alongside her.
Boom-boom-boom.
Birds began flying away as trees shook and looked like they were almost ripped apart in a line coming straight for them. Jaune glanced to the side and noticed Team CRDL regroup, Cardin's face set in a fierce scowl.
Boom-boom-boom.
"Huh, wonder what this Grimm might be. Maybe an Alpha Beowolf, or -"
Boom-boom-BOOM.
Jaune and Weiss's eyes widened in shock as the trees at the edge of the clearing in front of them were all but destroyed as a large...creature probably three times the size of Cardin crashed through. Its skin was an earthy, dark brown, and it sported two large horns from its head, which was covered in a long, wild mane of red hair.
Jaune initially noticed that it looked like some kind of centaur from the myths of ancient Vale, except that, frankly, its malicious looking expression and the fact that it possessed a large sword, shield and bow - it wielded weaponry! - also ruled out the fact that they were dealing with a new kind of Grimm.
Simply put, they were dealing with an actual monster.
"Wh-what...is...that...!?"
"Whoa! What, the fuck!?"
Weiss and Cardin voiced his thoughts exactly.
Jaune. This is a monster I have faced in many of my lives and was amongst the toughest to kill. You have numbers here, however, so it will help reduce its advantage.
"Wh-Link!? What's going on?"
Do not worry, I will be here to guide you in your fight. But you must clear your mind from the thoughts and regrets plaguing your heart right now. Give it your all. Field trip or not, this is a life and death situation.
The blonde gulped. "Right, right...I understand. Lead the way."
Very well.
Jaune breathed in, steadying his breath and racing heartbeat as the monster locked gazes with their group - noticing with some dread that it was mainly him it was looking at - and let out an ear piercing, primal roar - as if a lion from the plains of southern Vale was possessed by a demon.
He breathed out.
The monster drew its sword, and facing them, charged full steam ahead.
/AN\
Hello all, and welcome back to A Descendant of Legends!
Man, what a busy three weeks it has been. Exams, papers, etc - it's that time of the year. I'm happy that at least most of them are done, but alas, pumping effort into various exams and papers has also taken a bit of a toll on my creativity, and so when time came to start working on this one, it was slower to start. Honestly, though, it feels good to be back with another chapter, most of the schoolwork for this semester is now out of the way. I also want to make a quick apology - this chapter was about 80-90% finished and I was on track to upload it Sunday, but as life gets in the way, somethings have to be accommodated.
In any case, now that the life update is complete, welcome to Chapter 8! Originally I had a bit of trouble figuring out how the timeline between the fallout from the duel and up to the field trip to Forever Fall should occur, but finally, here's something that I was satisfied with. Halfway through writing this I took out about a third and rewrote some other parts, but now I'm happy to see the Zelda universe begin to interact more and more with RWBY's. Hehe, I hope the ending was a pleasant surprise.
In any case, once again thank you to all those who have stuck around so far; to those to have read, reviewed, followed and . or favourited. Again, criticism / feedback for improvement is always welcome, and to see both what could've been done better and what people really liked.
For any students currently reading this, and have their own exams coming up or ongoing: best of luck! I hope that reading this gave a bit of a break and helped refresh your mind a little.
See you all at Chapter 9!
The Good Life Creator 678: The big bad will definitely come for sure, lol. I myself look forward to what ideas may come in terms of how to best combine both worlds, and the lore that supports them. But yes, there's more to hand to hand combat / CQB than just whatever weapons wielded. They must be an extension of the wielder. Yes, for sure, I will keep that in mind going forward, especially as the next chapter will feature a bit of action. Thank you, and happy writing with your story as well! Gladly waiting for the next chapter.
Spartastic 4: Sounds good to hear! I hope that for anyone who was wondering that had their questions put to rest. Plus, when there are times that I have bursts of some inspiration but not enough to commit to fully writing long segments, I spend it by building up the world and its lore. It makes me happy to see some ideas come to life, and I hope to share it with you all soon as well when the time comes. In any case, thank you and thank you!
MeraHunt: Ahaha it's not the Child Timeline per se, but for this fic I've decided to follow the notion of how BOTW combined all three timelines - especially since if I put ADoL on the timeline in the context of this story, it comes way, way after BOTW. Kinda like how BOTW shunts the rest to the "Era of Myth" - only difference is that I won't be doing that, as knowing the past is a theme I'm keeping throughout this story. In any case, thanks! Glad you enjoyed the sparring scene. I can say for sure that the concept of "experience is the best teacher" will be something Jaune definitely learns by as he progresses in the story. Again, thank you!
Fyr RedNight: Thank you! Overall, the relationship between Jaune and Link will be quite an important one, and seeing them progress as characters is quite the satisfying one - especially at times when Jaune must go it alone - for example, yes, the spar in Miss Goodwitch's class. Again, thank you!
ZenithTempest: Honestly, I want to thank you for being critical and pointing out several flaws / concerns that you have about the story. Hell, I've reread it multiple times because some of the points raised are thoughts I've had myself. Chances are that many who read it also have the same fear, that same inkling in the back of their minds that eventually I'll slowly give up until its abandoned. Rest assured, I want to reiterate to anyone reading that ADoL will not be abandoned - I said it when I first started it back in August and I'll say it again. Only difference is that now that, as you said, I'm 30k + words in; me saying that back then was naive, and now I'm more aware of what it means to go through with it. I need to be realistic, so I will say that chances are there will be times when I'm either busy, or life comes up and I'll have to shelve it for a bit, and come back to it. I don't claim to be an experienced writer or but with a project like this one I want to see it done, and I've read enough fanfics myself to understand the pain of an unfinished story. It will not happen with this one, and I will always do my best to communicate what's going on when I can. As for the second point - hugging canon and feeling too much of a RWBY retelling with sprinkles of Zelda mixed in - I can understand how you feel. The writer's perspective is an...interesting one, I admit, being able to be both a reader and the one advancing the story. Looking back and seeing the progression of the chapters, I can see why some might feel that way. When you say that crossovers should change how the universe(s) functions...yes! I can agree with that. There's nothing more I'd like to see than in words RWBY and Zelda characters / lore actively at odds and doing things with each other, but personally for me, I cannot allow myself to simply plop things in without building up context behind them. I too can agree that sometimes if the slowburn is too slow / long winded etc, than yes - kick it up a notch. I need to find the balance between context, buildup and plot progression. But you're right, it's not fair to me as a writer; at the same time, as a writer, I want to deliver something that I am personally proud of and share it with you and those who have stuck around this far. In the end, I too want to see Jaune learn the gritty reality of what it means to become a hero, and yes, knowing RWBY's canon timeline, it will be difficult. But hey, nothing gained if it's not a challenge. In any case, though, thank you for taking the time to read and leave critical feedback. You vocalized key concerns, and I really do appreciate that. Once again, thank you, and hope to see you around!
The Legend of Zelda and RWBY are properties of Nintendo and Rooster Teeth, respectively.