Arc II: The Knight Life
Chapter 10: Chicken Soup for the Huntsman
Pulling a door open, Weiss strode into Beacon's indoor gym. Located in the west wing, it was filled with perhaps everything a fitness enthusiast could ask for; benches, squat racks and deadlift platforms, along with machines targeting different muscle groups. In the back, there lay various treadmills for cardio, as well as open spaces and rigs for bodyweight workouts.
She made her way along the side, ignoring the shouts of encouragement as she passed by a group of boys all surrounding another lying down at a bench, grunting as he struggled to finish his set. It was by the back did she find was she was looking for; as Beacon was an academy for Huntsmen-in-training, there were multiple small arenas down a hallway where one could freely engage in sparring duels against others or training bots, freely provided by the Academy. All of this was beside a larger amphitheatre that had multiple platforms suitable for simultaneously hosting duels between teams. The arenas themselves were relatively simple, and although the sounds of dust and combat could be heard muted through the sound resistant glass, the platforms beyond were nothing compared to Atlas' technological advancement.
She breathed out, some small part of her easing slightly despite reminding herself of home.
Putting that memory at the back of her mind, she grew increasingly agitated as she passed room after room, occupied with someone - or something - getting beat around. And yet, the farther down she went, the sounds of yelling and ringing metal only grew louder, far beyond what the glass would've allowed. Though that was enough signal for her that perhaps all available rooms were taken, the familiarity of the voice echoing down the hall was enough to continue onwards with curiosity.
"Hmm...is that...?"
Narrowing her eyes, she stalked forward in the direction of the sound, all the way at the end of the hallway. The ambience from the others quietened down too, being slowly replaced with ones which were labelled as "Under Maintenance" on the doors. Reaching the final arena, she noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Rather than entering right away, she glanced to the side, through the glass wall -
And let out an undignified yelp, jumping back in surprise as the reinforced glass received in full force the flying, severed head of a training robot. It was almost like one of those Spruce Willis movies, with the bad guy slowly sliding down onto the floor after being knocked back. Only that it was a a hunk of metal instead of some nameless thug. Yet somehow, its blank, hollow expression seemed to just emanate exasperation.
It needed a raise.
Steadying herself, she patted herself down and looked down the hallway, nodding in satisfaction at the sight of it empty. And now, to find the person responsible for startling her in the most...undignified and rude of ways.
Jaune Arc looked rather haggard, shoulders heaving with exhaustion as he jumped back from the swing of another training bot's sword. He jumped forward, screaming angrily as he aimed to slice vertically from above, but the bot jumped back just in time, with Weiss wincing at the sound of Crocea Mors' tip scraping its steel chassis.
Sensing he was down, the bot made to slice from the side, but, with a loud curse, Jaune managed to catch it with his shield while kneeling. The blonde on the defensive, it lunged forward in a kick aimed directly at his face, and Jaune scrambled out of the way, missing the would-be disrespect but overdoing the dodge and falling on his back, defenseless.
Weiss' eyes narrowed and felt the barest amount of anticipation well in her chest as the predator moved forward to end its prey.
It didn't work, however, as a loud clang and grunt echoed through the chamber. The bot had flipped its blade around for a mordhau grip, aiming to hammer him into the ground, but Jaune caught its strike just in time on the shield. As it reared up for another, he quickly hooked his legs around the bot's and swung around with all his might, catching it unaware and tripping it. The bot whirred loudly as it attempted to get up, but he let out another loud grunt as he elbowed its head, twisting it sharply to the side. Scrambling back up, he quickly jabbed his sword into its head before it could do anything, eliciting some machine - like whirring noises before it became limp and lay inert on the ground.
Jaune followed suit, lying back down like a starfish and chest rising up and down as he breathed heavily. It also looked like he was talking to himself, as his face immediately scrunched up and the sounds of talking once more began emanating from the hall. Taking this as her cue to enter, Weiss slipped in through the door.
"...yeah, I know, you don't have to tell me twice. I set myself up for that kick. What...? ...yeah, thanks. I think I'll - wait. What do you mean that someone's -"
The blonde swiveled his head around on the ground, eyes widening in surprise at the sight of Weiss approaching him.
"Talking to yourself?"
"Oh, uh, hey Weiss!" Jaune smiled, scrambling to stand back up. "Didn't know you were here."
"Clearly, since you were already engaged in conversation," Weiss deadpanned. Jaune let out a laugh that sounded like a cross between embarrassed and tired, although considering his current situation, perhaps it was accurate to see it as that.
"Well, just gotta...you know. Remind myself of...what to do better next time. Haha."
Weiss slightly arched an eyebrow.
"Right."
"Yeah." Jaune shuffled, scratching the back of his head. "How about you? What're you doing here?"
"I finished Professor Oobleck's assignments early, so I was looking for an empty arena to train in. In trying to find one, I stumbled onto you. Clearly, you've been busy," the heiress gestured around them, bringing to mind the various broken bots scattered around.
Jaune gave her a lopsided grin. "Ah, yeah. Well, if anything, maybe I should thank the good old Arc charm. After all, it's led you straight to me, right?"
The heiress frowned and sighed in disgust. "Oh, please. Keep that to yourself. Maybe one of these training bots hit you on the head too hard."
"Alright, alright!" Jaune frantically waved, causing her to pause mid step when she made to head back to the exit. "Sorry, just couldn't resist."
Weiss turned back to him and let out a hmph in response. A moment of silence filled the air, and the heiress noticed a weird and slightly gloomy look overtake the blonde's face as he faced away from her. Just before she could comment, Jaune suddenly fished around in one of his pockets, before gave himself a satisfied nod and walked up to her.
"Here, take this." Reaching her arm out, Jaune dropped a small key into her open palm. "Just...remember to return it to the front desk when you're done."
She hummed in affirmation, but as the blonde began to walk away, her inner curiosity overpowered her self control and so turned after him.
"Jaune.
He stopped and turned around. Said Arc looked rather surprised that she called out after him. "Huh? What's up?"
Cursing herself internally for letting it get the better of her, she looked him in the eyes. "Is this all because of what happened earlier today?"
Jaune looked confused, although with the barely noticeable frown that formed in response to her question, chances are he had a feeling what she was referring to. "Um. What do you mean?"
"Back at Professor Oobleck's class. You and your team made quite a scene a there. I assume you also came off to blow some steam?"
Jaune froze, looking to the side and mumbling.
"What? I can't hear -"
"Uh, yeah! That's why I'm here. Just to get some training in. Gotta be a better fighter and all that," Jaune laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Seriously, don't worry about it. It's fine."
Looking skeptical, Weiss pressed on. "Jaune. What happened back there? I admit that I'm not too well acquainted with Ren, Nora and Pyrrha just yet, but it looked to be as if all of you were beginning to get along -"
"D-don't worry about it, alright?" Jaune interrupted. He also grew increasingly looking desperate for her to drop the subject. "There's just some...things going on. Inter-team stuff. You know."
"Right. Look, if you want to keep that close to the chest, that's fine. But don't you think that you should at least talk with your team about whatever is troubling you?"
"It's precisely because I talked with my team that I...that we fought in the first place. So, no. Didn't work with them and it won't work if you keep pestering me about it," Jaune breathed in exasperation, before another look of guilt appeared on his face.
She narrowed her eyes. "Jaune -"
"I'm sorry," said person interrupted, pushing past her. "There's a lot of things on my mind right now. Just...give me some space. I don't want to lose control of my emotions again. I'm sorry."
Weiss watched him head to the edge of the arena, occasionally hearing whispers as if he was talking to himself, before exit and close the door behind him. She was left lost in thoughts, all alone in the silence of the empty arena, surrounded by the various broken shells of training bots.
Deep down, though she could feel just the tiniest bit of concern, annoyance ruled in her mind.
"Huh. What exactly is his problem?"
Sighing, she whipped out her scroll.
"Well. I suppose I might as well make use of the rest of my time here, at least. Now, to connect to the arena's systems...ah."
A robotic voice boomed over the arena, announcing its pairing with her scroll. However, just before she could activate more training bots, a loud boom rumbled from outside, coupled with a shockwave that nearly caused her to trip.
"Wha - what was that!?"
Training forgotten, she unsheathed Myrtenaster and dashed for the exit, slamming the door out of the way before stopping in utter surprise and shock.
A large, open field stood before her, ringed by a treeline of the deepest autumn reds. In the middle stood an all too familiar creature, menacing as it was tall and wielding that horrific, jagged blade. Yet, as she stared at it, she could not help but feel that perhaps it looked just a little bit stronger, or perhaps a little bit scarier.
She could never forget the look of absolute hatred in its eyes, however, far beyond what any creature known to Remnant could possess.
Through it stood injured, Jaune, just as bloodied, valiantly faced it down all the same.
Her eyes widened as fear lanced throughout her body, with only her ironclad Schnee will preventing it from completely freezing her to the spot. Instantly she turned around, intent on making it into the safety of the training arena, only to stick her arms out instinctively to prevent her colliding face first into the trunk of a maple tree.
"No...no! What's happening? Why am I here!? where is the -"
A loud crash and a painful scream rent the air, causing the heiress to spin around and witness Jaune lying motionless on the ground, Aura flickering.
The beast withdrew its blade and focused on her.
Immediately she took off in the other direction. The trees of Forever Fall all melded into a crimson and wooden blur as she ran and ran. Heavy galloping and the splintering of the woods behind steadily grew louder and louder, with Weiss at one point just barely dodging what sounded like arrows as they whizzed just past her head.
And then she tripped.
With a loud oof, Weiss stumbled and rolled for a bit, coming to a hard stop upon colliding with a tree. Aura flashed and crackled as it gave out, sparing her the worst but leaving her dazed and immobilized. Though the dizzy haze, however, she could nonetheless make out the overwhelming fury and hatred present on the monster's face. And try as she might, she felt completely unable to move despite everything telling her to run.
All that she could manage was to scream internally as it charged and brought its sword down on her neck, plunging the world into darkness.
()===|=====+
Weiss gasped, and her eyes shot open, laying stunned and frozen in shock as what was once a landscape of eternal fall was instantly transformed into a darkened and mostly quiet dorm room. The sounds of crashing trees and growling, abyssal monsters changed into the laboured breaths of her own breathing, and for a moment, she just lay their hyperventilating, waiting for the moment the monster would come in and smash it all apart.
It didn't come. The only sounds left present in the room other than her was the faint ticking of their room clock and Yang's rambunctious snoring. Honestly. That could've been mistaken for a monster itself.
The clock ticked on, and she quietened her breathing, trailing a hand around her neck to give her that extra bit of reassurance that no, everything's okay and it was all just a dream.
Sighing, she sat up, took a quick glance at Yang and Blake sleeping soundly - and safely - on their fire hazard of a bunk bed. And though the room was dark and peaceful, in the back of her mind she could still picture Forever Fall, and their fight against that beast. Funny how what was supposed to be a simple field trip a day or two ago turned out to be a fight for survival.
"What a terrible nightmare. I do hope that Jaune...Jaune -"
Her eyes widened at remembering Jaune standing up against it both in her dream and in the fight. She remembered fire and smoke all around them at the height of her fight. And yet, despite her injuries and the raw fear coursing through her body at the sight of oncoming death, in the end, it was Jaune who stood up to it when everyone else fell. How, despite her broken Aura and dizziness, she could remember as clear as day the blonde screaming her name in distress and relentlessly driving his sword over and over into the beast.
Without a thought for his own safety - and survival - he literally saved her life that day.
"...I need to talk to him. I don't know what was going on beforehand with Cardin, but at the very least, I suppose I should at least thank him."
Taking a quick look at the clock and deciding that 3:30 was perhaps too early in the morning to do so, she lay back down on her side, hoping that she could at least have the rest of the night without incident.
()===|=====+
Jaune barely fared any better. Once again, he lay in bed blinking and awake, unable to fall asleep in the early hours before the dawn. Despite his and Link's tensions, the latter informed him that he would give him the night to rest and recuperate.
Good. He was already low on Aura and sore physically and mentally burned out. He didn't feel like adding a "spiritually drained" category to the list. At least him and his team were cleared to go back to their dorm after the first night, the dust enhanced medicine working wonders for their Aura.
Yet, a side effect he had earnestly forgotten to prepare for - probably courtesy of having so several nights taken up by his dream state training with said mentor - was that though his body found itself with a case of insomnia, it was worsened by his hyperactive mind, faint glimpses of battles with Lynels and other horrid creatures from past lives interspersed with memories of the field trip a couple days back.
Oh, what a bother.
Never before had he fought so earnestly to save his life, and those of others. True, in terms of pure skill, he felt that his duels with Link proved him to be the superior opponent, but excepting their first one, he was always holding back. Just enough to remain at a place he could not get with his current level of skill, but not too far as to beat him without imparting any lessons.
The Lynel was a different story. Simply put, it was strong, tough and cunning. It also had the advantage of surprise - it clearly was not Grimm, and fought at a ferocity that outmatched all the ones the faced so far. It was probably on the level of the more uncommon and powerful Grimm they heard about in class - Megoliaths, Nuckelavees and Berserkers.
Brothers help them if they ever had to face a Wyvern.
Just thinking about it started to give him a headache, forcing him to grunt and sit upright against the wall. Yet, a minor headache was nothing compared to the sheer amount of pain and adrenaline coursing through his body during the duel. Especially when all others but him were blow away when it drove its sword into the ground. He could see it clearly, how the clearing was strewn with the knocked out members of his team and Cardin's, with nothing but him in the way of its fury and an injured Weiss.
He looked at the back of his hand. Though the Triforce remained dormant, he could still picture the outline upon it, half the bottom right glowing. Perhaps if he thought about it hard enough, he could will it to activate it on its own.
...it doesn't work like that, does it?
Of course not. Link said that something along the lines of requiring great courage to use it. Not like wishing upon a magic star would count as such.
You seem troubled.
Link's voice shattered the silence in his room. "Yeah. Just...have a lot of things on my mind right now. Don't worry about it."
I see.
As several moments passed, with silence and his hesitation at talking to Link returning, said person's voice echoed again, albeit sounding resigned.
You did well.
Jaune couldn't help but feel a little surprised, so much as he said it out loud. "Huh?"
The fight with the Lynel. In consideration of your skill level and lack of experience fighting them, you managed to hold your own. You survived and lived.
Anger and resentment welled within his heart. "I barely even did anything. Yeah, sure, I sliced it a couple of times but I couldn't even kill it. Look what it did to all of them -"
Jaune -
"- like, how it effortlessly it took out all of us. We could barely land a hard enough hit on it -"
Jaune, look -
"- and we almost died, all because I wasn't a good leader and not strong enough -"
ENOUGH!
Broken out of his reverie, the blonde let out a small sound of surprise, able to feel a small surge in annoyance and...some other feeling while hearing Ren and Nora shuffle around in their beds, while Pyrrha's was empty.
He raised his eyebrow before he heard Link sigh, and begin again with a kinder and more patient voice.
Jaune...your strive to improve is admirable, but do not become so harsh on yourself to the point where noble ambition turns into selfish arrogance, too proud too realize the depths of his folly. Tell me. You are the leader of your own team, are you not?
He blinked. "Um. Yeah?"
Then why do you seek to become strong?
The question stunned and confused him. Surely, it was obvious at this point, no?
"What do you mean? I w-want to become stronger so I can survive and be a better Huntsman -"
Therein lies the reason. If that is your reason, then you shall forever remain weak.
Jaune stumbled in his reply. "W-what!?"
You will undoubtedly improve in skill as you train and gather experience in the field against opponents Grimm and human. However, do you think that without your team, or the intervention of the others that you would have been able to survive at all?
At that he closed his eyes remained silent, although both of them knew the answer to that question.
Jaune...you are in training to be a Huntsman. From what I have also gathered, you serve to protect those around you, as well as those unable to. You are also the leader of a team. There is nothing wrong with wanting to improve oneself, but your position is one of responsibility. One where your primary concern is the well being of your teammates.
Instantly his mind flashed back to the infirmary, back to his conversation with Pyrrha and he felt the pangs of regret once more.
Do not pity and hold yourself to perfect standards when, given the situation you were in, you did the best you could. Tell me. Are any of your teammates, or those of Ruby's or Cardin's currently lying dead in that forest?
He felt himself hesitate at the thought, before nodding resolutely in the negative.
"No."
Then all is well. You have not failed yourself, nor your team. They came to help you and Weiss when you needed it most, and it was precisely because of them that you survived. It was because you did your part that they lived to sleep safely in their beds here tonight.
"..."
He snuck a quick glance at the sleeping forms of Ren and Nora, seeing them sleep in a way that defined their personalities rather well. Ren looked serene, lying on his back whilst Nora sprawled out and snoring softly. Pyrrha...
The moment he thought of her, he glanced towards her empty bed. Though the redhead was nowhere to be seen, it had telltale signs that someone recently vacated it.
Most importantly, however, they were safe. Alive.
"Alive..."
Yes. And tell me. How exactly did you defend Weiss?
Fear, a bright light, and the spray of blood as he tore his Crocea Mors in and out of the Lynel.
"Um. I think it was the Triforce. All I remember is seeing her and...not wanting to get hurt. It was all kind of a blur after that."
The Triforce responded to your overwhelming desire to keep her safe. It gave you that ancient, holy strength when you needed it the most because all you wanted to do was to get her out of harm's way, without sparing a thought for yourself. Because of you, she lives to stand amongst her team and friends once more.
At that, he could not help but preen just a little.
Remember this. Even if you had the full Triforce of Courage, by no means does it make you invulnerable to enemy attacks. Whereas the Triforce of Wisdom depends on one's mental state and the Triforce of Power runs on its user's willpower, as you are no doubt seeing now, how long it remains active depends on the state of your heart. Seeking glory for personal gain does not true courage make. In you wanting nothing more to keep your friends safe from harm lies true bravery - and true strength.
"I see what you mean, don't get me wrong. But, don't you think it'd be easier if you kinda just...power me up or something?"
Explain.
"You said that I have all these previous lives before me. Chances are they're all better swordsmen than me. Can't you just, I don't know. Download all the information into my head or something?"
Download?
"Um. Like, is there a way for me to learn all their...knowledge, experience and stuff instantly? Maybe through the Triforce? It'd really help me out here. It was probably easier for you too, right?"
No, there is no way. You must learn and gather experience yourself, as we all did when we were alive. Reliving past memories may perhaps help you adapt faster to learning techniques other incarnations have mastered, but no true knight or hero was born a knight or hero. As you grow more proficient, I will teach you skills and techniques honed by our past lives, but the only thing given to any of us at birth is the destiny for which we exist. And it is not exactly a gift, but a burden. A responsibility.
"I see."
Silence once more filled the void, though the quiet was not an unpleasant one. Though he still needed to talk with his team, some of the tension had gone from him. Sighing, it was easier to see now why Link was right; in his drive to improve, he began ignoring some of the most important things about being what it truly meant to be a Huntsman.
"Link."
Yes?
"Thanks. I think I needed it."
His spectral mentor didn't reply, but he sensed a feeling of...approval in response, as if he was somehow nodding back.
"I gotta ask you, though. You've always mentioned my past lives and all that. What were they like? Did you have the Triforce as well?"
I'm afraid it would take more than this night to talk about your predecessors. But in short, yes and no. In some lives, I was born with it, as were you. In one I had to reclaim it, and in another, sail the seas to piece it back together. I've been a royal knight, an island villager and a forest child. In one life, I could not pass on, and so taught my successor skills to fight the shadow.
"Do you think that I could, maybe, meet one of them?"
A moment of hesitation.
I'm...not so sure. In only one life was I able to interact with a successor, and that was because in that life was cursed, unable to forgive myself and pass on. I will have to look into it myself.
"Okay. And one more thing. Who was the one before me?"
Silence.
"Link?"
I...cannot recall.
"What? I thought we were all the same -"
I can vaguely remember only pieces of memory from the life before you. It is… fragmented. It is also full of darkness. When I try to remember that life, there is an overwhelming sense of anger and sadness, at a level I have not felt since I was the Hero of Time.
"Hero of Tim -"
The door to their dorm opened and Pyrrha stepped in, looking worse for wear as she too was not immune to the effects of insomnia, and froze as she made eye contact with him.
For a moment that felt like an eternity, the two stared as if almost surprised to see each other, but the redhead quickly gave him a hesitant smile, one as if being polite to a stranger, then padded over to her bed and made to go back to sleep.
He could almost swear he felt his hand start to tingle when he pushed past his hesitation.
"Pyrrha."
The champion stilled in her bed without saying a word.
"Um. We...we need to talk."
()===|=====+
"...we need to talk."
Pyrrha stilled in her bed upon hearing Jaune speak, the words quiet, yet deafening in the relative silence of the room. It almost made her forget her initial confusion at seeing him awake, as well as her own fatigue. Since the field trip, JNPR was more or less confined to their beds to rest up, be it in the infirmary or now, thankfully, back in their own rooms. Ruby piped up and offered to lend them notes for the classes they would miss at least, although both Yang and Blake seemed to pout at the prospect of diligently taking them now that their resident heiress, the most studious out of all of them, had to rest as well.
Most importantly, however, there existed a young, but blossoming dynamic within their team. True, Ruby and Weiss apparently had some tension between them but that seemed to be swept under the rug for now. Until it reared its ugly head again, they felt and looked like a team.
An actual team.
For the past two nights since the end of the field trip, she could not find either ease or peace in sleeping; constant worrying about her partner, Nora and Ren, as well as nightmares of that horrible, horrible day. She could still see its ruthless, vicious face, eyes green with hatred and looking unlike any other creature they either studied or fought before.
And yet, her constant concern for Jaune's well being brought both happiness to see that he was recovering as well as they were, and an awkward sadness since their little...fight from before. Even Ren seemed more stoic as usual; her and Jaune had come to know him as quiet, but thoughtful and always in control. Upon hearing what him stand up for her brought gratitude, but also felt a little hurt deep inside, to see their team, which had so much promise at the start, already being torn apart.
She had to leave home and reject Haven with the help of her mother in order for her to find freedom from the burden of legacy, from her family and her own accomplishments. The only thing she would ever ask for was a good team in which she could be just Pyrrha Nikos, member of Team JNPR, not Pyrrha the Invincible Girl.
And despite accolades of her bravery in the ring and field, and trying to get her thoughts in order after returning from the washroom, she found herself dreading as she turned around and sat up on the edge of her bed, facing an equally awake partner.
"Seriously, the Mistrali media was much more intimidating than this. Come on, me. Just say what you need to say."
"Um..."
Her eyes widened and quickly looked to the side, momentarily distracted and not at all realizing that she stared off in not just the distance, but at Jaune's eyes as well.
"...I'm sorry. I'm a little tired."
The blonde sighed. "Yeah. Me too."
The two fell into awkward silence once more, and Pyrrha began to fidget, internally warring about what to say to him. By looks of it, he was as well.
Pyrrha cleared her throat. "Jaune -"
"- I'm sorry."
She blinked. Not wanting to fall into a routine of hesitant silence, however, the redhead pressed on. "Pardon me?"
"Nothing! Just...I'm sorry," Jaune replied, his voice slowly rising as he began to speak more. "Look, honestly I was thinking of how to say this, and I felt like I had some big, grand speech in my head all for this, but then you caught me here and...ah." He paused to catch his breath. "I was a jerk. You were only trying to help, especially during the field trip, even if I didn't deserve it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry for the way I treated you. It wasn't right, and I should've listened -"
"Jaune."
Said blonde instantly stopped and focused his attention on her.
"Yeah?"
"It's...okay. Thank you for apologizing," Pyrrha began, voice slightly hesitant, trying to find words that couldn't come as easily as they should've.
Though her heart weighed heavy with buried pain, she sat up a little straighter, filling her with a little bit more energy. She gave him a kinder, though just as tired, smile.
"Your team really misses their leader, you know. I think that...going forward as a team, we all need to be there and help each other when we struggle."
She slightly raised an eyebrow.
"Especially when some of us feels like they don't need it."
Jaune let out a soft but mirthful chuckle. "Heh. Yeah, you're right. If only that person knew."
Pyrrha matched his quip with another tired smile. "Yes. If only. Before I forget though, do remember to talk to Ren as well. I don't think that have yet, no?"
He shook his head. "Not about this, and not beyond...what we've needed to say when we had to, I guess. I'll talk to him as soon as I can tomorrow."
She nodded back. "Okay."
Ren's voice drifted from across the room, startling them both. "There's no need for that. I'm already up."
"Wh - Ren, you're awake!?"
"Awake enough," he sighed, getting up and plopping down beside Pyrrha. Nora herself yawned really loudly, hearing her get up and slowly walk over before collapsing onto his bed.
"Ughhh. I'm. So. Tired."
"Watch your eyes," Ren responded.
He turned on a bedside lamp, causing them to momentarily blink away in response to the light.
Pyrrha coughed and looked away, while Jaune felt a little red flush his cheeks in embarrassment. "Sorry. I guess we were too loud, huh?"
Ren shook his head. "You and Pyrrha were by no means quiet, but I had difficulty falling asleep. The events from two days ago are still fresh on my mind."
Nora groaned in agreement.
Pyrrha nodded. "It was a very troubling time. Jaune and I couldn't sleep well too."
"If at all," Jaune added. "How much of our conversation did you hear?"
"Most of it. To be honest, it was rather hard not to."
"I see. Ren, I'm sorry for being a jerk and treating you all like that." The blonde sighed and made earnest eye contact with Ren. "I totally deserved it when you stood up to me."
He quietly nodded back in response. "I'm...not the best with words myself. I let my emotions get the better of me, and it came out harsher than I intended. As for that, I'm sorry. Plus, Pyrrha's right, and we still have four years ahead of us. It's plenty of time for all of us to become better fighters."
Jaune gave him a solemn nod, which was returned in understanding.
"And Jaune," Nora yawned, slowly sitting upright, before adopting a kinder but more serious tone. "We haven't forgotten about the kid we met in line to go to Beacon back then. You'll be a great leader, okay? We just know it. So don't doubt yourself, alright? Trust us! It's what we're here for!"
Pyrrha noticed a brief look of anguish cross his face at her heartfelt plea, before smiling determinedly. "...I'm sorry. Doubt's something I've struggled with for a while. But I promise to all of you," - Jaune made a point of locking eyes with each of them - "that I'll do my best to improve that. And to be a better leader to repay our trust in me. And...most importantly trust in myself."
He suddenly gulped as Nora, tired as she was, quickly engulfed the blonde in a crushing bear hug, earning a few chuckles from Ren and Pyrrha.
"Urgh. Nora. You're choking me...!"
The ginger just laughed while Ren shook his head, although Pyrrha could see the hint of a smile on his face. When she did finally release him, he took a few big gulps of air before speaking to them again.
"Man, I thought I saw the light at the end of the tunnel there," he groused in good nature. "But seriously though, I'm tired. Can we all get some rest now?"
"We can most certainly try," Pyrrha offered. "It's been rather difficult. I keep thinking back to the field trip two days ago."
"So have I," Ren replied. "It should be a little easier now that we've woken up before dawn, but that fight, and that...monster...was rather peculiar."
"Agreed. What do you think it was? It definitely was not Grimm. It couldn't have been."
"Dunno. It looked like one of those centaurs straight out of an Achilles Johnson movie though. Oooh, Renny! Maybe it was a runaway prop from one of their movies!"
"Nora, I...don't think it works like that," Ren sighed. "What do you think, Jaune?"
"Hmm. What happened after?" Jaune piped up.
"Miss Goodwitch and the Headmaster had the rest of the students evacuate us. Apparently they finished it off, but that's all we know. They're keeping a tight lid on it otherwise, with official word for anyone else that might hear about it being some sort of rare Grimm that was in hibernating. Kind of like the Deathstalker we faced in Initiation."
The blonde was silent in contemplation for a moment. "Ah. I see. Well, I guess there's really nothing that - oh, wait! Weiss! How is she? Is she okay?"
"She's fine," Ren replied. "Worse for wear like us, but otherwise she's safe."
Jaune, who actually began to rise as he became more and more concerned, sat back down in relief. "Right. That's good to hear."
Ren nodded.
"Alright then, I guess if there's nothing left to do, then let's all just...go back to sleep, I guess."
Pyrrha yawned.
"But guys, again. Thanks."
The blonde was met with a chorus of nods and grunts as Team JNPR went back to their beds and settled in. Pyrrha turned off the light, and before she climbed in her bed, she felt a hand tap her shoulder.
"Hmm? Yes, Jaune?"
"Pyrrha, um. Before I forget. I know I don't deserve it, but...I mean. If you're still willing. Can you...help train me? Can you help me become a better fighter?"
Pyrrha started blankly in response, slowly turning Jaune's expression from one of hope to anxiety. However, she instantly let an impish grin take over her face and she reached out, shoving him lightly onto his back on his bed.
"Wh - hey!"
"Your stance is all wrong. You need to be wider and lower to the ground."
Disbelief painted his expression, although it changed into a goofy grin and let out a chuckle, settling into his bed.
She smiled back at him, going back to her own bed. And as silence, darkness and Nora's snoring once more began to fill the void left in the room, she finally began to relax, her heart and conscience no longer weighing as heavy as it was before.
Jaune's whisper cut through once more. "Pyrrha?"
"Hmm?"
"...thank you. And good night," he replied, before shifting to his side.
She couldn't help a small smile form on her face.
"Good night."
And as she began to fall asleep in earnest once more, she no longer had dreams of monsters and dark forests that night, but of her team instead, and of her partner which led it.
()===|=====+
"You know, Ozpin, you can't keep this a secret forever. Not that it's a secret anyway, with this many people knowing about it."
"I know," the grey haired Headmaster replied, playing the video recording of him and Glynda killing the creature which nearly killed their students.
"That looks like it came from some low budget monster film. What the hell is that?"
Glynda Goodwitch sighed. "We don't know. The closest Grimm in appearance to this is a Nuckelavee, but even then, one hasn't been seen in Vale in decades, and this monster was probably just as difficult as one. Furthermore, as you can see, it wields weaponry."
Qrow Branwen nearly spit out his whiskey as he watched the man-horse thing on steroids try to chop down Ozpin, but stumbled back after the Headmaster summoned a luminescent green shield and deflected it.
After watching a few more seconds, he glanced at his flask, back to the screen and then back to the bottle again, deciding that perhaps another swig prove that he was in some sort of alcohol induced dream and that he would wake up from it all afterwards.
...wait. That's not how that works. Especially since the monster remained there on the screen.
"Well. That's something you don't see every day. How are the kids?"
"Your nieces and their team are fine. They arrived with the other students to evacuate the ones who were ambushed. And as for those who were, they were injured but nothing critical. The infirmary cleared them to return to their rooms tonight."
He nodded and took another swig in toast to that. "Good to hear. Welp, I suppose that'll be more work for me then, right?"
Ozpin nodded. "Yes. Take the rest of the night off, and when you leave in the morning, focus on reports of any unusual looking Grimm when trying to find details about the Queen."
Qrow grunted in reply.
"And as for this...well. Firstly, Glynda. At some point we will have to let James know, as well as formulate an excuse to give to both the Council and the Valean public when word of some 'super Grimm' spreads through town. This will likely have an effect on the security details for the Vytal Festival."
The Branwen snorted, muttering some choice words about an 'irondick' whilst Glynda produced a tablet and opened it, scrolling through its contents. "I'll deal with James. In the meantime, perhaps it would be prudent to show the Council that we successfully killed it and remain in control?
Ozpin sipped a mug of warm coffee in response, with various growls and yells from the recording's audio playing out in the background.
"Hmm. Perhaps so. Rumours spread quickly, and soon they will be demanding answers. Very well. I will formulate a response for their inevitable video call," the Headmaster groused, leaning back in his chair. "However, tomorrow morning, send Jaune Arc to meet with me here. I wish to talk with him regarding him and his team's fight with the beast."
Qrow perked up. "Ooh. Arc? That one of Richter's?"
"His only son," Ozpin replied, gesturing towards the screen. Qrow and Glynda looked over and saw the image of a blonde haired boy being carried away from the fight.
"Huh. Thought the man was done with his kids becoming Huntsmen and all that."
"His family history and legacy have always been a...sensitive issue, to say the least. But he was one of my best students, and one of the finest Huntsmen around. But that is his son all the same, and according to some friends of his, held his own for a little while against it."
Qrow whistled, followed by the telltale glug of another drink.
"What will you do now, sir?"
"I will talk to young Mr Arc soon. Until then," Ozpin grunted turned his terminal off, standing and walking around his desk. "I have work to do."
"Heh? What kind? Making more coffee for yourself?"
"Fairy tales, Qrow. Fairy tales," the Headmaster responded, with Glynda following close behind him towards the elevator. "There are things that I have not delved into for quite some time that I need to consult. I just hope that it will shed more light on our vicious friend."
And as their resident crow flew out an open window, he could only wonder what Salem was planning now. Was this even something in which she had a hand in? He had so many questions, and oh, so little certainties. Hopefully, if he investigated the past once more, even myths and legends from before his first life, there might be a clue or lead into what was going on.
Until then, he would just have to wait and see what happens. Perhaps even young Jaune Arc would know something about it. Any information about their encounter or the magic in his soul could prove useful to their fight against the Queen of the Grimm.
The Headmaster of Beacon sighed, and the elevator doors closed.
/AN\
(Late) Happy New Years and welcome back to A Descendant of Legends!
Ah, the first chapter of the year and decade is finally out. But firstly, I want to apologize as I had severe writer's block for the past two weeks. Although I had several ideas floating in my noggin, for the life of me it was rather difficult to write things down in a way which I was satisfied with. At this point, I'm happy to have pushed through and got another chapter down - not for the sake of publishing chapters, but publishing one I feel satisfied with. I know things aren't perfect but hey, if I've done my best and strove to improve then I'll take it.
In addition, a life update: as it's my final semester before graduation, things are ramping up and I will be busier writing for school compared to last year, courtesy of an increased course load. Work's quietened for now, but I do work the occasional weekend as well - prime writing time. As a result, new chapters will potentially come out a minimum of every three weeks instead of the usual two. Any changes to the posting schedule will be quickly updated on my profile.
In any case, here's Chapter 10! A little bit longer than my norm, but I felt like I should also flesh out some of the things others and I felt were a little too thin to start, so I hope I gave a little more meat on the bone.
Once again, thanks to all who have stuck around so far, and to those who have reviewed, followed and / or favourited. Constructive criticism and feedback for improvement is always welcome.
Cheers and see you all next chapter!
ZenithTempest: I've always liked seeing decent teamwork and seeing characters other than the main protagonist contribute to a fight. I guess it's a bit of personal taste that I've emphasized that during the fight but yeah, personally, looking back I would've liked to expand Jaune's parts in the fight even more, pre Triforce usage and during it. Alas, I'd like to take better heed of what I want to emphasize during fight scenes like that, and what I want to build up. As for the whole "boon" thing, apologies if I didn't explain it well before. What I meant by that is I want the Triforce of Courage to, yes, act as an ability booster that will, in videogame terms, not only temporarily increase his stats dramatically but also help him draw upon the memories of his predecessors into helping him; such an ability is still weak because he has only half the piece on him. I myself would like to see where I'd take that and develop it as time goes on. Hope that clears things up, and thank you for the feedback. Hope to see you next chapter.
The Good Life Creator 678: Ah, so the reason why Jaune refers to it as a Lynel is because he found out what it is, courtesy of Link's knowledge. The others involved have no idea about anything Zelda related so that's why I had them refer to the Lynel as, for example, monsters or comparisons to other creatures. Hope that answers your question, and see you next chapter!
Spartastic 4: Thank you! Yup, I'm honestly starting to look at this chapter as one big after action report from the fallout of both the fight and the previous drama. Thanks, and hope to see you next chapter!
MeraHunt: Thanks! Honoured to hear that. Lynels are at first no joke, but once you get the hang of it they're mighty fun to fight against. And as for the others finding out about the truth of Jaune, Triforce and history, well. I agree, it will definitely be bound to be interesting, and it'll be fun writing those interactions and lore in. RWBY and JNPR still remain relatively clueless, but as for Ozpin? Well. Man's getting a little curious, eh? Let's see where it leads him. Thanks for reviewing and hope to see you next chapter!
dragoon109: It's true, while maybe not on the same level as our sunny little dragon, Jaune's strength is still no joke. As for Link, the way I want to write him in is someone who, despite experience, is still not perfect. He too has done his share of mistakes, and will mess up from time to time. Sometimes, he'll go too far, even if Jaune did err in a certain moment. The specifics on how I write that in is the real challenge, for as ZenithTempest puts it, beyond a few generic heroic traits he doesn't have a canon personality for me to base it off of. At this point, I believe his character development will be directly tied to that of Jaune's, the specific of which I'll have to think about as well. And yes; pride can be a very powerful motivator. Perhaps I didn't emphasize this, but I wanted to have them focus on not overdoing it. Pride is important for self esteem and motivation to get things done, but there's a line between that and being too full of yourself, instead clouding your judgment on how you act and deal with people. In any case, thank you for the feedback, and hope to see you next chapter.
Fyr RedNight: Thank you! Glad to hear you really enjoyed it. See you at Chapter 11!
Shlags: Thanks! And yes, I understand. I looked back at some of the endings and I see what you mean. Thanks for the feedback, and hope to see you next chapter!
The Legend of Zelda and RWBY are properties of Nintendo and Rooster Teeth, respectively.