Arc II: The Knight Life
Chapter 12: Buried Beneath
Amongst the noise of the tavern, a mug was gently placed back down onto the table, joining a plate half full with chicken roast and garlic mashed potatoes.
It was a common sight; the tavern, filled with much of the village's population in celebration of some local festival, bathed in the atmosphere with sounds of cheer and merrymaking. And he couldn't blame them; the men and their families celebrating a good harvest, with some local travellers filled with liquid courage leading their matches for the night into the inn's rooms behind the bar.
Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to he was on a mission, one whose objectives required him not to partake in the festivities. Even his table was far removed; located at the far corner, back against the wall to keep in sight the main entrance, back door and anyone entering who might look even remotely suspicious.
Lo and behold, as soon as the thought crossed his mind did he notice. A figure cloaked and hooded slipped through the entrance, his presence lost in the noise and energy of the tavern. With rather impressive agility, the figure weaved through various groups of people, none caring at the presence of the figure so much as to be too drunk to care if they even noticed. Eventually, on the other side of the tavern, the figure found a table half shrouded in darkness and sat, seemingly sitting still for a second or two before another one leaned in, face nonetheless still partially obscured.
The unmistakable face of Arthur Watts held a bored, yet cunning expression, though it annoyed him that his moustache helped conceal his mouth from being read. As he conversed with the cloaked figure. Eventually, the two stood up, Watts donning a bowler hat that helped conceal his face amongst the dim light of the tavern, and meandered through the crowds before slipping away by the back door.
"Welp. That's my cue."
With one gulp he finished the last of his whiskey, leaving some lien on the table as payment, and followed the pair out. The cool breeze of the night air hit him like a truck, a fresh pleasant change from the stifling indoors. Most importantly, the streets were deserted, allowing him to see and easily follow the two as they walked away.
After what seemed like an eternity hiding in the shadowed alleys and perching on rooftops, he watched them disappear into what looked like to be an abandoned barn. Transforming once more, he flew to the top, finding a broken window from which to glide through…
And finding absolutely nothing.
Watts and his companion were gone, and the building was empty.
"What the -? The hell they run off to?"
Landing back on the ground as a human, he wandered around and saw nothing out of the ordinary; broken timbers on one side, rusted equipment on the other. All the cozy amenities one would expect of a building condemned.
That is until he noticed that he stepped on a patch of faintly sparkling ground, and the world soon went white.
()===|=====+
When he came to, no longer was he within the confines of a run down mill or even within the boundaries of a small frontier village. The sparkling ground still remained, but instead of buildings he found himself surrounded by trees and dense shrubbery. In the light of the broken moon, the forest gave an eerie, almost melancholy atmosphere; no trace of fear or danger, but instead the knowledge that wherever he was, it was in a place that was very ancient, an unwelcome visitor in a place frozen in time.
He did a double take, rubbing his eyes and blinking away the bleariness accustomed with being in the field without much sleep. "Huh. Have I been drinking too much again?"
The unmistakable sounds of rustling, faintly heard over the breeze drifting through the trees, caused him to immediately duck for cover and check his surroundings with one hand on Harbinger. Hearing them drifting away, he changed into a bird once more, flying within the treeline and perching on a nearby branch as he found his targets walking side by side in an old, beaten down path.
A path which ended at the entrance of what looked like some sort of shrine or temple, flanked by broken down columns, and too dark for him to see into from the forest.
"...hee hee hee! Is that so?"
"Oh yes. The magic mirror she discovered, broken as it may have been has proven most useful, and so I have full confidence that what we find here will be instrumental to her plans."
He flew to a closer branch, perching and listening in as the two stopped by the entrance to take a quick glance at it.
"Ooh, I just can't wait to find out what it is. Some type of Grimm or monster perhaps? Or maybe an ancient weapon that can rend our enemies to dust?"
"And finding out's all part of the fun, Tyrian."
His bird eyes narrowed at the sound of the second name, seeing the two head on in with a faint light coming from Watt's scroll.
"And all part of the job too."
Leaping from the perch, he flew in behind them, taking due care not to make unnecessary noise in what could potentially be a cavern that could easily echo.
Such was his gratitude that birds could not gasp at what he saw at the end of the tunnel.
()===|=====+
Water splashed backwards as Jaune dodged, leaning back against a wide swing aiming to slice open his torso. He pivoted, setting a leg backwards to support his guard and proving a wise decision as a blade screeched across its surface with an ear grating sound.
Gritting through the force of impact and cringe of the noise, he bashed forward with his shield, aiming to disorient the enemy, but met only air as his opponent danced back, and quickly sprung forward in a jump executed almost too fast for his eyes to track.
If it weren't for a glint of light to reflect off of Link's sword midair for what seemed like less than a second, he was sure he would've been eating a face full of sand and water. His knee crashed into the surface, soaking his knee through his jeans and eliciting a loud grunt of effort in response to Link slamming down the tip of his blade onto his shield from above.
Before he could think of a response, the hero kicked off of him, sending him stumbling off balance and open to further counterattacks. Sensing his weakness, Link dashed forward and met Crocea Mors, Jaune struggling to hold him back as ancestral steel warred for dominance against his knightly blade.
"Hmm. Good! Your guard is stronger and you move quicker than before."
Jaune grinned, though soon backstepped in a hurry as soon as Link tried to force his way past his defence, ducking beneath a slice meant to chop his head off. In return, he swung diagonally from right to top, though the hero nimbly sidestepped without much effort. Swing, parry, riposte and dodge. Both blondes fell into a steady, familiar rhythm trading blow for blow until Link rushed forward and locked Crocea Mors against his own.
"Unfortunately, there is still much to be desired."
The younger blonde grunted, straining with effort as he was slowly pushed back. To his immense annoyance, Link still seemed relatively bored, not at all breaking a sweat even during the height of his attacks. It wasn't like he could actually compete with him on the same level, but, deep down, one clean hit, or, barring that, any sign of him struggling would be enough to make him feel accomplished.
But Link was right; he himself noticed that every swing just that little bit cleaner and more precise; his movements a bit more nimble, and quicker to react to oncoming threats. If he was to face himself from Initiation now, he would beat past Jaune soundly.
"And yet, as your professor said, a fight is as much a mental game as it is a test of physical prowess."
Jaune raised an eyebrow, but felt a surge of fear and danger instantly lance through his body as his opponent shifted his footing ever so slightly. Alongside the panic came the thoughts as well: what now? Is he going to overpower his guard? Will he attempt to disarm him, or knock him off balance?
Most importantly was that he acted on that instinct as he felt it, doing his best to fight through the anxiety and thinking of only his opponent's next possible moves.
Feeling the heat of holy energy tingle in his left hand, Jaune went on the offensive, using momentum to help force Link's sword back and weaken his guard. Though he failed so much as to budge him, he did earn an almost inaudible grunt and a slight stagger as he drove his knee up into Link, successfully making contact with his mentor's crotch.
He turned his gaze back towards the hero, who returned it with a raised eyebrow of his own.
"Hmm. Interesting."
In that moment, stars filled his vision as Link immediately delivered a cross with the side of his shield into Jaune's temple, deliberately holding back so as to not knock him out. Instead, he stumbled back with a loud oof. Dizzy in body and disoriented in spirit, he fought to remain standing despite the anxiety beginning to seep in. What felt like a long while was only a few seconds; yet as he saw Link approach him, the panic gradually gave way to a calm, steady clarity, time slowing as if this very moment would be his last one alive. It was in that moment that a simple question echoed through his mind.
"A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage."
Jaune looked up at Link.
"Does yours?"
His Triforce piece hummed loudly as it suddenly flared, strengthening his resolve and flooding away the last of his doubts. Despite the pain, Jaune launched forward with a cry, aiming to cleave his opponent in two. In a few seconds he closed the distance, jumping to ram Crocea Mors into Link -
And instead drove his blade into the water. His back burned with pain as Link sidestepped him at the last moment, gracefully rolling around and delivering a series of quick and devastating slices that brought him down and out of the fight.
Lying face up in the pond, completely soaked through, it was then that he allowed his consciousness to drift into the void.
()===|=====+
"…"
Shing.
"…wha...? Where am...I?"
Shing.
Jaune stirred as the sounds of forest ambience slowly began to fill his ears; birdsong and the gentle lapping of water upon the bank gave him the strength to slowly open his eyes, giving him a beautiful view of the orange twilight sky. Grunting as he felt his body creak in soreness, he pushed himself to sit upright, taking in the local scenery.
At least now that their spar was over, he could finally appreciate the simple peace of the spring in which their fight was held. Water fell smoothly in streams down from a large crag, several rocks jutting out before it and decorated with what looked like faint, but distinguishable tribal designs. To his right, Link sat amongst a cluster of oddly shaped grass, having finished sharpening his sword and now wiping it down for a final clean.
"How are you feeling?" the hero asked without so much as glancing at him.
"Ugh. Everything...still kinda hurts," Jaune grunted, laying back down with a wince. "Nothing serious, just a little sore, is all."
"I see. So. What did you think of your performance?"
He looked to the side, taking a moment to think before shrugging. "Um, better, I guess. I know that at least I've lasted longer than our last match. What did I mess up this time?"
"Do you remember what your professor said after your spar?"
"Oh, yeah, about how I shouldn't leave myself open when going...for...ah. Right. I see what you mean."
"It seems you haven't learned your lesson at all."
"I...I'm sorry."
"Apologizing will not matter when you're dead, the people you've sworn to protect now helpless against the horde of monsters," Link retorted, grabbing his gear and walking over to him. "I trust that after once a mistake, and twice a stubborn habit, that you will hold yourself better in the real world against real opponents. There will be no waking up once you lose a fight like that."
"...yeah."
"Hmm. In any case, there's no need to dwell on that point. Beyond that, it is as I said earlier; your reaction time, dexterity and strength have improved. Your defences hold stronger and your mind is getting used to adapting fast as your fights progress."
Jaune perked up at that, helping to dull the pain of his failure. He fully sat up as Link walked over to him and plopped his kit beside him.
"Cleaning supplies."
He grabbed a cloth, beginning the process of wiping down Crocea Mors. "Thanks. By the way, since this is like a...dream, in my mind or whatever, can't I just, like, wish my sword to be always super sharp, or clean all the time?"
"You cannot wish yourself to instantly develop good habits until you put in the effort to make it stick."
"Ah, fair enough. In any case though, it just feels...disappointing sometimes, you know? Yeah, I guess I am getting better but...well. I'm not even close to the level where I can just beat you. It's like if I had to spar against Goodwitch or any of the other profs all the time."
Link grunted, taking a seat beside him on the sand. "Training against opponents of higher skill is the only way that you can improve as a fighter, especially as we would be able to see where and why you make the mistakes you do. That being said, constant defeats will dull your morale, especially when you lose a fight that was yours to win, against an enemy whose skill level you now match."
Jaune cringed at the memory of his last fight with Cardin, and reached for a whetstone to both sharpen his blade and distract himself. Welp, at least the Winchester heir was...cordial at the end, though whether it was because of immense self control or the fact that Goodwitch was watching them like a hawk was the real question.
"You will still face me as we train. However, I too have been thinking of giving you easier opponents and enemies at your skill level to practice your basics and tactics against. Next time we meet...I'll see what I can do."
He stopped sharpening the sword and cast an inquisitive gaze at Link. "Ooh, okay, so someone I can finally beat. Who will it be, then? Cardin? His team? Maybe some sort of Grimm? I don't know how I would feel if I went to sleep and all of a sudden, Lynel in my face."
Link shook his head. "Not too soon. I will think on it. Whoever or whatever you face will be within your skill bracket. As you get better, so too will the opponents you face."
"Heh. Seems like he can summon memories of past lives for us to train in, so it makes sense he could spawn enemies too. Almost like a video game, grinding for experience," Jaune thought to himself, nodding in response to Link.
"I will say this though. What did please me during our spar was your growing mastery over wielding the Triforce."
Jaune looked to his hand, and though the familiar golden triangles were missing, he knew that somewhere deep beneath did they lurk. "Yeah...I guess so. It's not like I wanted to activate it and give me powers or something too. It just sorta happened."
"Do you know how?"
The blonde thought about it for a moment, before looking towards the front. With his thoughts he almost lost himself in the serenity of the ambience, the pond of water laying calmly and the forest surrounding them tranquil. Of all the places he could've chosen, Jaune began to wonder why Link chose here to do battle.
And yet...so too was the Emerald Forest a peaceful and beautiful place. At least, with the Grimm taken out of the picture. You could never let down your guard, or think that any place would be immune to the creatures of the dark. It was this acceptance that these thoughts did not even cross his mind at the start, for there was only him, Link and a fight to win. That resolve kept him focused throughout their spar, even if he ended it with a rather careless mistake in the heat of the moment.
"Because...I wanted to win," Jaune replied. "I know I was scared at some points here and there, but I had a job to do. An enemy to fight. I kinda just thought about what you told me a while back, about having courage with strength."
He glanced at Link, who, just like him was also admiring the scenery and nodded at his answer.
"Yes. Arguably, the Triforce of Courage is the hardest piece to wield. Not that I have experience with the other two, but as I said before, the strength of your resolve and the purity of your desires are what will determine whether it will assist you or not. Even when fighting against Pyrrha, you strove to win, no?"
()===|=====+
Panting, Jaune gritted and held firm as Pyrrha repeatedly thrusted Miló over and over into his shield, before spinning and delivering a low roundhouse kick to his knees. The blonde dodged back and held his ground, taking the champion head on and weather another flurry of attacks.
"Come on, Jaune. You can't hide behind your shield forever."
"I know. Just need an...opening. Hah!" the boy in question yelled, sidestepping and walking into another thrust so as to make her spear glance off his shield as he stepped forward, jabbing out with Crocea Mors. She responded by pulling back, deflecting it with her spear and then thwacking the back of his knees with the butt, bringing him down flat to the ground with a faint flash of Aura. Growling, he made to stand but stopped dead in his tracks at the feeling of the spear point suddenly positioned at his jugular.
"Ugh. Dirty," he panted heavily, wiping sweat off his forehead.
"Heh heh. Sorry," Pyrrha replied as she extended a hand that was gratefully accepted. "Well, at least now you can plan against that in the future."
"Another thing completed from my bucket list," he retorted with a hint of amusement. Wordlessly, he stepped several paces back and adopted a defensive stance once more. Pyrrha cocked her head sideways in curiosity.
"Again? You haven't even taken a break in the past hour. Don't you at least want to rest a little?"
"Well, the Grimm don't take breaks either, and I have to thank you guys for this. I'm stronger than I was at Initiation, and I want to get even more stronger. Besides, I'm also...well. Having fun."
She glanced to the side for a bit, face turning slightly red before looking back with an expression that looked like she was trying to force down a grin. The champion brought her spear up, transforming Miló into its sword form and pointing it at him. "Well. If my leader insists, I shall obey."
"Heh. That's the spirit."
The two smiled at each other mischievously before rushing in.
()===|=====+
Realizing he was staring off into space with a smirk, he shook his head and this time it was his turn to become slightly red.
"Yeah, I did."
Link hummed. "Your conviction is what gave you courage. Even being comfortable enough to admit it is a step towards gaining confidence. Master your emotions, as that is what will be your greatest asset when striving to become a better warrior and leader. Remember, it is what helped you survive Forever Fall and save your friend."
Jaune nodded back, looking forward once more and letting silence wash over them both as his thoughts began to take it all in on a new perspective. It wasn't that he felt conflicted either; instead, the blonde felt his shoulders relax as memories of his past fights flashed through his mind. From the odd victory to his most decisive defeats, he couldn't muster the energy to feel rage. All he felt was a dull acceptance, which only served to fuel his desire to keep fighting. To become, as Link said, a better warrior and leader.
Sighing and finally feeling the oncoming mental fatigue he unscrewed his canteen and took a large swig, feeling refreshed as he finished the last of his water. Turning to Link, he found the hero with eyes glazed, this time completely lost in thought and staring idly at the scenery in front of them.
"Link?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks."
A grunt.
"And, um, honestly I gotta say that you sure picked a peaceful place to fight here."
"Indeed. The Ordon Spring, as it was known, was once a tranquil place where a spirit of light used to live," Link replied as Jaune's curiosity grew.
"Light spirit?"
Link took a swig from his own canteen and sighed. "Yes. He watched over this land and protected it against the darkness." He cleared his throat and gestured around them. "I used to come here every now and then, to bask in the peace of the spring. But tell me, Jaune. Do you ever feel a...strange sadness as dusk falls?"
"No, I don't know what you're talking about."
"Um. I mean, I guess?"
A stifled snort, almost as if he knew his real answer. "They say it's the only time when our world intersects with theirs. The only time we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left our world. That is why loneliness always pervades the hour of twilight."
At hearing those words, he felt a vague, but distinct sense of nostalgia deep within him, muddled and opaque yet desperately feeling like it was trying to reach out to him.
Link turned and faced him fully. "Does that mean anything to you?"
"I...I think? I feel like I've heard that before, but I don't know where, or who said that. Definitely familiar, though."
The hero sighed. "I see. And tell me. How familiar are you with your predecessors? The heroes of old?"
"Um, to be honest, not very," Jaune replied, scratching his head and looking up towards the orange sky. "Most of what we learned in history classes are of how the kingdoms came to be and the Great War. Everything before that's just generally glossed over. But sometimes when I sleep I get these weird, familiar dreams, like they're distant memories from when I was younger even though I know that I've never actually experienced any of that. Every now and then I still have a hard time accepting that I apparently am some sort of reincarnated fairy tale hero."
Jaune then shifted in the sand, fully turning towards Link. "And now I have you. Thinking about it too, I can't help but be curious. What were they like?"
"Hmm. I suppose it is time to start learning about the lives and legacies of those who came before you. Here, I was known as the Hero of Twilight. Like almost every other life, it all changed when I had to face my destiny. Started right here, too, when monsters stole away my friends and vanished into the shadow; into the influence of a people banished from light by the Goddesses."
Each of those words slowly faded into the background as memories flashed briefly, yet clearly; a white wolf blind in one eye sitting calmly in the centre of the forest, it's one red eye piercing through his very soul. Most importantly there was that small, floating imp he'd once seen before in another flashback, smirking sarcastically right back at him. He could say that almost reminded him of Yang, but whereas she was playful and liked to tease, this one bordered on cunning and vindictive.
Yet, remembering how they came to love each other so deeply through a journey filled with trials and losses, only to see her now as a beautiful woman leave through a portal with no chance of coming back?
It rent his heart. Even though he'd never met her, the pain from a lifetime so long ago still felt fresh and recent, the wound buried through time but never once healing.
"...Midna...no..."
"Yes, that was her name."
Link's voice snapped him out of his flashback, finding himself with an arm outstretched as if trying to reach out to someone. Jaune glanced at him, and noticed that despite the fact that he was physically older than him, for the first time he really looked it too. Whether it was a trick of the light or just his imagination, his face seemed to take on a weathered appearance, eyes holding an almost feral intensity yet projecting a melancholy gaze.
The hero sighed and cocked his head to the side, revealing the dimming dusk giving way to the blackness of the void. "I don't have the time to explain as you will soon awaken. But as you grow as a warrior, and follow your destiny, so too does darkness once more encroach upon this land. I can feel it..."
"Wait, Link!" Jaune called out, voice echoing throughout the blackness that was now devouring the spring. "What darkness? Who's Midna? And the other heroes? What were they like? Will I get to meet them?"
Link remained silent in contemplation, for once - and worryingly - looking troubled and uncertain.
"Until next time. Keep training and grow stronger. I will be with you, and do not lose your way."
Link turned and walked into the void, consuming the hero, and then soon after, himself.
()===|=====+
The quiet sounds of battle echoed throughout the empty office. The terminal's audio was used more to drown the silence and joined only by the turning of pages and the occasional sip of fine, hot coffee. Geisha was his favourite; imported fresh from Mistral. Whenever a long night of paperwork, Council business or other...clandestine activities demanded his attention, it had always been his first choice to help cope with the workload. Funny, with how many years under his belt was he able to sample essentially every blend known to Remnant. Life - lives? - sure had its quirks.
The same could also be said about the work at hand. Ever since Forever Fall, one Jaune Arc always remained in the back of his mind. The Lynel, as he came to learn its name, was also a mystery, and a dangerous one at that. Yet, it's not like the beast reacted to his magic - whereas Mr. Arc had done so before during Initiation, and again when classes first began. All the while not knowing that he was doing so.
Headmaster Ozpin sighed, taking another sip and gently flipping a page. This particular tome looked like it could crumble to dust if he was just that bit more forceful. It was an interesting record, written just after the Book of Mudora, that recounted an attack on a caravan by some Grimm.
Only that not all were.
"...the vanguard fought with valor, and with desperation; but creatures of shadow were not lacking in number...assaulted from many sides at once. Fiercest amongst them...clad in blackest armour, wielding ruinous swords and axes."
The few parts he could still read matched no known Grimm, instead bearing striking resemblance to the monsters described in a few other records like the Book of Mudora. While it could've been that rare, once in a lifetime event that coincidence decreed would happen, his intuition silently screamed otherwise. It worried him on a deeper, profound level that despite his many lives, he had absolutely no experience dealing with the monsters of forgotten mythology essentially coming to life. Especially when the only other person who would remember such things is Salem herself - of whom he was not certain was indeed behind this in the first place. What experience he did have dictated that he could not immediately dismiss that theory, as even before she became the Queen of the Grimm she was still a princess and a scholar of ancient history and mythology due to the time spent imprisoned in her tower.
But he couldn't solve everything in a night, and as he looked to his terminal's clock, he closed the video file and stored the book in a desk cabinet, waiting to receive his guest.
He would have to be...delicate. Subtle. The boy must not know what he was truly after, even if he knew not what he was searching for anyway.
Right before the clock struck one-thirty, the elevator door let out a small ding and opened. Jaune Arc, son of Richter Arc and leader of Team JNPR silently walked in beside the deputy headmistress. It was like looking at a smaller version of his father when he was younger and happier; at a time before Team STRQ existed, and before the events of Mountain Glenn shattered his team's lives.
"Ah, Mr Arc. Please, take a seat," Ozpin calmly said, nodding for him to take a seat as he stood by the window behind him, trusty mug in hand. "Thank you, Glynda. I'll take it from here."
The blonde deputy, stern as ever, nodded once before retreating back to the elevator. The blonde student approached his desk with a slightly nervous expression, though as soon as he did, it was almost as if a switch was turned on. He could feel the power within him stir to life as if strengthened, reacting to his presence.
Jaune pulled out a seat, albeit with a particularly...focused expression, and sat down the effort of someone to be gentle while under stress. All the while trying to hide it all and appear normal.
"So, that answers my first question. It seems that my magic does have some sort of effect, based on proximity."
Ozpin, meanwhile, continued to stare out into the sunny expanse of the campus, with cityscape of Vale visible in the horizon. The blonde sat quietly, fidgeting in mild discomfort and glancing around his office before mustering the courage to face him directly.
"Sir. I-I'm not in trouble, am I?"
The Headmaster shook his head as he turned and walked back to him, taking a seat opposite. It really did look like he was about to dispense punishment on a misbehaving student. A scene no stranger to his office.
"Brothers, no. Be at ease, Mr. Arc. How are you doing today?"
At that he visibly relaxed, though not by too much. He then shrugged in response to the question. "I'm alright. Nothing really going on."
"I see. Your studies and friends are treating you well?"
Jaune visibly perked up at that. "Oh, yeah. I think we're all finally starting to get along. It's funny to watch Ren have to sit through Nora's antics and still try to hide a smile every time when she pulls a prank on Yang. She deserves every one of those for the puns though," Jaune mumbled the last to Ozpin's chuckle. "But yeah, it's fun chilling with the other team too. Ruby's really nice and seems practically married to her weapon, and as for Weiss? She's...uh, smart, and Blake's kinda quiet, but nice too, I guess. I don't think they really get along, but overall, I like them."
"Seems like distraction and having his guard down mitigates his power." The Headmaster noticed that as Jaune went on, he felt his magic calm. He then nodded at his answer. "I see. And your partner?"
At that, the blonde looked off to the side, pausing for a moment before turning back to him with a small smile. "Amazing. Pyrrha's...well. There was a bit of a rocky start, but we've made up and are back to being partners. She's even helping me train to become a better fighter. I don't think I could've ended up with a better partner."
Ozpin hummed in agreement. "These are the bonds which will last beyond your time here at Beacon, so to hear that you are all coming together is wonderful news. As a teacher, there is nothing more satisfying than to know that the students you trained have stuck and succeeded together. Yet you are all in first year, and the trials that lie ahead pale in comparison to the ones you have gone through thus far. Including Forever Fall."
At that statement, Jaune's smile settled into a neutral expression, tensing subtly as he did. Ozpin took a sip, letting silence reign for a few seconds before turning his enigmatic gaze back towards him, feeling a small spike in his power as well.
"Interesting. Maybe his power is driven by focus, or the state of his emotions?"
"Mr. Arc. Prior to Beacon, where did you learn to fight?"
"Uh, Pharos Academy."
"Ah. Pharos. As it says on the transcript, no?"
Jaune nodded, and began to fidget more under the Headmaster's deadpan gaze.
"...My dad also helped train me at home."
"I see. Well, despite the...nature of your past education, you did pass Initiation as well as your first field trip, so I consider the matter closed," Ozpin said, much to Jaune's relief. "But that still begs the question. What exactly happened out there?"
Jaune leaned back, letting the memories of that day flash through his mind.
"Honestly, sir, I don't know," he admitted. At the Headmaster's raised eyebrow he soldiered on. "We were just doing our thing, collecting sap for the assignment when all of a sudden a big, uh, Grimm came out of nowhere and started attacking us. My team, Team RWBY and Team CRDL held it off as long as we could before you guys arrived."
"Mr. Arc, there is no one here but yourself and I, and I think we can be candid enough to admit that what you encountered out there was no Grimm."
At that, Jaune's eyes went wide and looked away, scratching his left hand as he did so.
Sighing, he stood up and walked back towards the window. "I mean not to call you out, Mr. Arc, nor am I threatening you with disciplinary action. But it is still in bad taste to lie to your headmaster, and what you can tell us may help save lives in the future."
"I-I-I'm sorry, I really don't know anything," Jaune stuttered. "Yeah, you're right, it wasn't Grimm at all. Heh, like, what Grimm wields a sword? But honestly though, I don't know anything beyond that. All I wanted to do was to protect my friends."
"...I see. And protect them you did," Ozpin remarked, gesturing for the team leader to join him beside the window. "Your performance in combat against a monster of that strength and cunning was commendable, even when the rest of your allies were incapacitated. Were it up to me I would have sent in professional Huntsmen, or perhaps a couple teams of upper year students."
Jaune nodded. "Thank you."
Ozpin turned back towards the window, feeling the surge of his power slowly start to die down. Being in close proximity to him seemed to almost supercharge his magic, and, judging by how relaxed the boy had become, he felt what he learned enough for today.
"Best not to keep pushing. At this rate, it looks like he would spontaneously combust if I thought so much as to ask him if he knows anything about magic. However, this could be the key to figuring out what he may be hiding, so..."
The Headmaster cleared his throat and turned to him. "The past is the past. As long as you and your teams are safe then all is well. That brings us to another matter though; in several days, there will be an announcement to the entirety of the freshmen regarding the next field assignment. Unlike Forever Fall, this will not merely be a stroll through the woods. Each team is to accompany a professional Huntsman outside of Vale to experience firsthand the life and routine of the missions you will all undertake after graduation. And don't worry," Ozpin interrupted, raising a finger when Jaune made to ask a question. "Each mission is relatively low risk, perhaps clearing a collection of Grimm at the most."
Jaune nodded. "Okay, got it. But why tell me this now?"
Ozpin breathed out. "Call it a sign of faith, Mr. Arc. A sign of faith in the abilities you and your friends have shown. A sign of faith in your potential. JNPR is amongst the few teams this year that will be assigned one of the more...adventurous options. Details will be sent to your scroll shortly."
The moment he said that, a quiet ping rang through the office, causing Jaune to take out his scroll and stare at the screen.
"Reports of an increase in Grimm attacks on frontier villages in the southeast of Vale... I-I can't believe it. My first real Huntsman mission!" Jaune whooped in delight, all traces of his hesitation gone, though he quickly settled down with an embarrassed flush upon seeing Ozpin's amused expression. "This is really happening, is it?"
"It is, Mr. Arc. You're not dreaming. All I ask now is that you and your team take the extra time to prepare."
The blonde nodded happily. "Will do, sir."
"...it's time for something a little more direct."
Ozpin nodded back in return, mentally steeling himself as he extended his left hand. "Glad to hear it. Dismissed, Mr. Arc."
Instinctively, Jaune reached to shake the Headmaster's hand, only for both their eyes to widen upon making contact. Immediately, brilliant golden light, accompanied by a ringing that grew in volume and seemed to resonate through his very soul, flashed from their hands and bathed the room in a warm, otherworldly light. This time, he felt the magic within him swell and rage, churning within his Aura at an intensity he had not felt since the creation of the Maidens.
"What on Remnant!?"
"Agh!" Jaune agreed, crying out in pain as he fell to the ground, severing the connection and with it, silencing the golden light. Ozpin himself stumbled back, gasping as his emerald Aura crackled faintly with energy throughout his body. Most importantly, he felt what could only be described as revitalized, as if he suddenly gained the strength to take on Salem and half the Grimm in Vale here and now.
In short, though he wasn't completely restored by any means, magic power aplenty lay buried beneath, even more than when he gave the gift of flight to Qrow and his sister.
Shaking his head, Ozpin looked towards Jaune, who was scrambling to get up from the ground, his right hand using his desk as support.
"Mr. Arc -"
"Gah! I-I'm fine!" Jaune gasped as if he had just run a ten kilometre race. "S-sorry. My...hah. My Semblance does that...sometimes."
"Look, Jaune -"
"Sorry! Just...remembered I had to do something before class starts," he interrupted, the last few words coming out fast in a pant. "Thanks for the talk! See you - hah - later, sir!"
Cradling his left hand, Ozpin made no move to stop him as he stumbled towards the elevator. When he reached the door, it suddenly opened, surprising the lad with a yelp and once more sending him to the ground on his rear.
"Geez, kiddo, if you're trying to give me a heart attack you're doing great," a tall, wiry black-haired man remarked, taking a swig from his flask as he lazily sauntered around the fallen Arc. Said Arc muttered an apology, rushing and making it into the elevator just in time before the doors closed. It was at that moment Qrow raised an eyebrow mid drink, spinning around to look at the lift.
"Wait. Wasn't that, what's his face. Joan, Jonathan -"
"Jaune."
"Same difference," he replied, walking to his desk and plunking down on a seat. Upon noticing the Headmaster's slightly disheveled appearance, he narrowed his eyes. "What'd he do?"
"...something that he may not fully understand just yet," Ozpin sighed, taking a seat opposite of him and taking a relaxing sip of coffee long gone cold. "Something that too eludes my understanding. What is certain is that he must not be allowed to fall into the hands of the enemy."
"That important, huh?"
Ozpin responded by gazing directly at him before snapping his fingers and holding one out, a small flame dancing innocently at its tip. Qrow's eyes widened, whistling in surprise as he put his flask away. "Oh? I thought you had no power left?"
"Until now. But this is another issue. So tell me, what happened in Akkala?"
At that, Qrow's lackadaisical demeanour vanished and he leaned forward with a serious expression.
"You're not gonna like this, Oz."
()===|=====+
The faint light from Watts' scroll reflected off the walls of the cave, allowing Qrow to navigate with relative ease the twists and turns of the tunnel. Every now and then he could see the faint outlines of some creatures of the night, bats hanging upside down and the occasional one flying away with a chitter.
He was at least thankful in this claustrophobic nightmare that the echoes of Watts' and Tyrian's footsteps, combined with the sounds of water dripping down stalactites helped mask the sound of his wings flapping as he flew.
"Man, what could these two have something to do in this place? It stinks and I've got not scroll reception down here."
Eventually, after what seemed like hours flying in a straight line with the the odd turn and break to keep his distance, the natural walls of the cave slowly started to give way to one of artificial construction, the jagged rocks fading into smooth, almost flat surfaces. The cave floor even gave way to the odd brick or two, indicating that once in a lifetime before his, there was somebody that cared enough to give this place the urban treatment.
And yet, all it did was increase Qrow's anxiety, an unnatural feeling starting to build up the further he flew in. Even the remaining wildlife was gone, the only trace of which was the random sounds of skittering, almost unusually loud and clear in the echo of the tunnel.
That's when he saw the light, and with it, the murals.
Watts and Tyrian had entered what looked like a chamber at the end of the tunnel, but the pale blue light emanating from some other source reflected back far enough that he couldn't help but stop and perch on a ledge to gaze at what lay painted red on the walls. Though faded by time, one painting seemed to represent a large man on a horse, wielding a trident whilst leading a band of other smaller riders against a burning town. Another showed what he assumed was the same man, if the trident was any indication, facing towards a floating crest of three interlocked triangles, and the three women behind it - one painted a deep crimson, one painted an ocean blue and the last one a verdant green.
"Okay, seriously. Is Salem starting some sort of cult now? The further I fly in, the further it just feels...wrong. Like the air can literally choke you. Something's seriously not right with this place."
Briefly he considered taking photos with his scroll, but decided against it as it would alert Watts and Tyrian to his presence. Memorizing the images, he flew deeper down the tunnel to follow them, only to stumble upon something he'd never before seen in all his years as a Huntsman.
Such was his gratitude that birds could not gasp at what he saw at the end of the tunnel.
He immediately flew up to the side, nesting in a small crevice that gave him some darkness as protection, along with a vantage point to see the whole chamber. Roughly several times the size of Beacon's courtyard, the circular chamber was lit by several torches which burned an almost ethereal flame, glowing a pale blue and perfectly illuminating the place. Though cracked and decayed through time, the walls had lines of engraved letters written throughout them, reaching up into a ceiling that was shrouded in darkness and could not be seen.
Watts and Tyrian stood in the centre before an altar which held a giant slab of stone that looked to have been cut out of a large monument, now leaning against the wall, inscribed with the same archaic characters.
And embedded in the centre of the stone was that same trident on the murals, black as night with a blood red jewel at its core, emanating what seemed to be a pinkish black aura.
Qrow stood anxious at the sight, the urge to get the hell out of there screaming in his mind. He stood curious and entranced instead, watching Watts approach the altar with the obvious intent to seize the weapon.
Drip.
A small sliver of what looked like...water fell from the blackness of the ceiling, causing the scientist to wipe it off his coat in annoyance and make for the weapon.
Drip.
Qrow's heart sank as he realized the water...wasn't exactly goopy, which was followed by a very large shuffling emanating from said blackness. This time, both Tyrian and Watts took a step back and looked up.
Following their gaze, he nearly transformed instinctually back to his human form to grab his weapon, though the other two had no such qualms. He could even hear their gasps from across the chamber.
"What the hell is that!?"
A large yellowish orange...eye now glowed in the shadow of the ceiling, staring at the two who were directly below it.
And then it moved, crawling slowly into the light before revealing itself as a large, ugly and - was it armoured? - arachnid.
He refused to call it a spider because they were not supposed to be that big.
It was all Qrow could do, staring dumbly at the scene rapidly unfolding in front of him; Tyrian cursed loudly, firing off some shots that echoed deafeningly throughout the chamber. Watts shouted something, lost in the noise of the gunfire, to Tyrian, and ran towards the slab, intent on stealing the weapon. Before he could touch it, however, the spider monster shot out a beam of energy, catching the scientist from behind and sending him into the wall, Aura crackling. With one prey taken care of, the spider then began crawling back upwards with its eye closed, blending into the darkness while dust bullets from Tyrian bounced harmlessly off its hardened skin.
Eventually it's eye reopened in another corner of the ceiling preparing to fire another beam of energy at them. The scorpion faunus was quicker and more accurate though, letting off another hail of bullets as soon as that orange orb reappeared in the darkness. It emitted a loud squeal like roar, losing its grip from above and falling to the ground in a crash that shook the foundations of the chamber itself.
"Hee hee hee! Come to papa, you big, beautiful creature!"
Tyrian dashed forward with a gleeful, murderous expression, letting loose a series of quick, brutal slices onto the helpless spider. Several, powerful shots rang out from across the chamber, Watts' revolver unloading rounds into its body and causing what honestly looked like ichor to spill out from it.
With an angrier squeal, the arachnid righted itself, though Tyrian jumped back just in time to avoid getting crushed. As it began climbing back onto the walls once more, it began ejecting a series of little eggs onto the ground, which in turn quickly revealed themselves as its children.
Qrow grimaced internally at the sight, checking behind him just in case there wasn't one sneaking up behind him as well.
Tyrian, on the other hand, met the small group of younglings, slicing through with ease as Watts continued to fire away at the spider. Eventually its eye opened again, firing a beam that the scientist sidestepped and responded to with a hail of his own projectiles. It closed its eye this time, weathering the shots but proved to be a fatal mistake as it missed the sight of the scorpion faunus running to a wall and leaping off of it, delivering a slice to several of its legs.
This time it squealed louder in pain, losing its grip and falling to the ground once more. Its fall cracked the stone floor, several fissures opening around its point of impact. Stunned, Tyrian's laughter echoed past the noise as he delivered even more brutal strikes to his downed opponent. In the meantime, Watts reloaded his revolver and, upon the spider's predictable recovery shot out two of its legs permanently, paralyzing the creature with a roar of pain.
Stuck in the middle with no way to move, it emitted what could only be described as a cry for help, though no one came. Instead, Watts nodded, apparently satisfied with his work and turned for the trident. Meanwhile, Tyrian slowly sauntered up to it, smiling cruelly as he did so, and in a perfectly executed acrobatic jump, plunged his stinger deep into its eye.
Its scream could only be described as horrifying as the faunus jumped back off. The beast slowly started to shrivel up, curling in on itself and then exploding in a puff of black smoke that left no trace of its origin behind.
"...holy shit."
Qrow stood there motionless, cursing internally but otherwise remaining frozen in shock. He snapped back to the present at the sound of a metallic shing which echoed distinctly throughout the chamber, and turned to the sight of Watts holding the trident in his hand.
"Let us return," the scientist declared, to Tyrian's excited, fervent clapping. "Our Queen will be well pleased."
"Ooooh! Let me see, let me see! I wanna touch it!"
"You'll get plenty of time for that later, Tyrian. For now we...must...exit."
Qrow stilled at that as well; a tremor rumbled through the cavern, causing dust to rain from the ceiling. It went on for several minutes, causing him to curl his wings on himself and lay flat to try and ride it out while Tyrian and Watts fought for balance. Eventually it subsided, though it was soon replaced by something they all decided was infinitely scarier.
A literal horde of the spider monster's children began emerging from the cracks in the walls and ground, the multitude of beady little eyes on spindly legs oozing out as if blood from a wound and making towards the two.
And him.
"...I've seen enough. I'm outta here. Ozpin's gotta know about this immediately."
With that, he took flight, dodging the little spiders that also began falling from the ceiling and weaving through the tunnel. Watts and Tyrian had also begun pursuit of the exit, taking with them their prized possession.
A small tremor caused them to stumble, a stalactite dropping from the ceiling and hitting the ground in front of them. Watts dodged back at the last moment from getting hit but in the process, tripping and falling down.
The trident went skidding out of reach, into the mass of oncoming spiders.
"No! Not that! Get back here!" Tyrian yelled angrily, cutting through some of the spiders before Watts held him back.
"Forget it, Tyrian! We'll die if we stay here!"
"It's nothing compared to the disappointment of our Queen! Let...go!"
"Dammit, won't you listen!? We can always come back for that, and we can't serve her if we're dead!"
Tyrian turned his crazy eyed look towards him, and then back at the horde of spiders before growling loudly, turning away from their objective and running back into the tunnel to escape.
Outside, Qrow watched from behind a tree, this time in human form, taking a breather from remaining in bird form for so long. Cursing the fact that he had to let both of them go for now, he transformed once more, taking off into the night sky in the direction of Vale.
()===|=====+
The chamber lay still and empty; the denizens that dwelt within having retreated to the darkest of crevices from which they came. What was once an ancient temple, a prize to be found by the most renowned of historians and archaeologists lay ruined and disturbed.
In the midst of the chaos, the treasure it held was stolen and then lost; no longer did it find itself in the pedestal. Instead, it had fallen through the cracks of the chamber it called home and now lay flat on the cold stone floor of another room, once sealed off from access and memory, faintly glowing a pale pinkish aura that radiated with pure malice. Whispers echoed through the empty chamber, quiet at first, before the evil that lay within it began to grow and writhe as if attempting to expand beyond its limits.
Malice seeped forth from the weapon, steadily in one direction, revealing a cracked stone cover protected only by a magical seal weakened by time and evil. It put up no resistance; the power of light was overpowered by the power of darkness and it poured into the grave through the cracks, the voices growing louder in intensity.
The whispers reached their peak when they reached the sole occupant of the hidden tomb, whose memory was lost to the ravages of time and gods long forgotten. Preserved by divine curse the evil invaded the corpse, filling its heart with unholy energy and allowing the lungs to fill with air once more.
And suddenly, all voices were silenced as the remains, no longer a corpse but a body of a young, handsome man with pale, blonde hair, opened its eyes - one blood red and the other formed of the malice which gave it life.
On his left hand flared the mark of the Triforce of Courage, incomplete and shining faintly in the shadow of the tomb.
/AN\
Welcome back all to Chapter 12 of A Descendant of Legends!
First off, a PSA: assignments are beginning to ramp up, and soon finals. Considering most of them are in the prime time zone for when I usually work on and update, there is a chance that the next chapter may or may not come later than usual. Should my schedule allow for it I will try to update earlier, but, as duty calls, so I must answer.
Bit of a shorter AN as I've worked for most of the night finishing this up, but this was perhaps one of the longest chapters I've written so far. Not that it's a bad thing; I had several ideas floating around for this chapter, but little on how to actually execute it. Took a lot of rearranging on my story outline until I ended with something I was satisfied with.
In any case, onto the chapter itself! I wanted to use this chapter to begin some of the transitions from a RWBY-centric story into a Zelda-based one, mainly by beginning the setups for the things I've planned for the future. And man, was it a lot. Sometimes I was still wondering whether I could've saved some of the materiel for future chapters.
Again, thanks for reading and sticking thus far! Constructive criticism and feedback are always welcome.
Hope to see you all soon at the next chapter!
ZenithTempest: Thank you. Yeah power scaling has been one of the earliest issues I had to tackle as even though I wanted to start Jaune off as more competent in this story compared to canon, showing the pacing of his growth and improvement well - and that he is improving in the first place - was indeed one of the challenges, especially when every opponent is basically at a higher level than him. I do like the video game level analogy and how it can visually show where characters are at - Jaune here is at the point where he accrued enough EXP from fighting against higher level opponents to the point where he caught up with CRDL at Lvl 10, although to reach his own team's proficiency standards he will still need to train and fight against tougher opponents. I won't send him constantly into way-too-high-level fights all the time because I feel that it's a bit too masochistic to have constant defeat and loss without any gain, and that training a lot is necessary to become better at anything, really, but I'm aiming to find that balance between almost an "arcade" style level of getting better and realistic growth in experience. In addition, I'm trying to aim for Jaune's physical, mental and emotional struggles in discovering what it means to be a hero to help drive his importance and relevance to the plot. Finding that sweet spot for progressing plot / development / etc without sacrificing the necessity of explaining why some things are the way they are is key. And yes, if the whole Ozma and relics showdown was shelved, then it would make my job a bit easier when combining both worlds, although I'm also curious as to the butterfly effect it would have not just on the characters but the direction of the series as a whole. I agree, it becomes a different beast to talk about. In any case thank you for your insight, and I'm looking forward to hearing from you next time.
MeraHunt: Agreed! Lol. Jaune's a learning, growing boi. Hard work does eventually pay off, no? Plus yeah the whole slice of life theme helps keep things a bit more relatable and rather chill, especially as I wanted to emphasize a bit more of the "high school" like environment that I would have also liked to really see more in the show. And as for Ozpin...well. Now Jaune really knows he's onto him, eh? Wonder what the enigmatic old man has in store next. In any case, thank you and hope to see you next time!
Spartastic 4: Thanks! Yes, I plan to keep the story to follow alongside the original for now in a chronological manner, changing and evolving as the world that the gods of the Zelda universe left behind are unearthed. Rest assured, I have already begun planning for the point where it truly breaks from completely following the original storyline. And thanks! We'll just have to see where the worldbuilding takes us. Should be fun seeing the characters learn about the world buried beneath their feet. Hope to see you next chapter!
Anonymous: Interesting idea! Thanks for your input. Hope to see you next chapter!
Fyr RedNight: Thank you! Fully agreed, seeing Jaune and honestly other characters evolve in response to the challenges they face is really one of the more satisfying things in creative writing. And thank you! I feel that using some of the original quotes in different places and times can add a certain flavour while keeping true to the heart of the issue. And we'll just have to see what happens when the characters begin to learn that the world they grew to be familiar with was not all it cracked up to be, eh? Thanks and hope to see you next time!
The Legend of Zelda and RWBY are properties of Nintendo and Rooster Teeth, respectively.