If Jaune had a lien for every time he was launched into the Emerald Forest, he would have two lien.
It wasn't much but it was still surprising he'd have two in the span of a week.
Speaking of surprising, he was also surprised to notice that compared to the first time, this time he was calm enough to focus on thinking about what to do.
It probably helped that he now had Aura to protect him and he had a goal to aspire to.
Having a question answered by his older self was a boon. Getting two if he reaches them first was an even bigger one because Jaune knew what questions he wanted to ask.
Pyrrha dying, Weiss bleeding out, and...and another girl getting killed by his hands flashed through his mind.
He might not be much help against Pyrrha's killer right now but he could learn what situation led to Weiss bleeding out and...and who the girl Jaune Arc kills was.
If...if he could learn something about either of those things, then Jaune could change them.
Weiss didn't have to bleed out and...and Jaune Arc didn't need to be a killer.
Vomit threatened to come out of his mouth and it had nothing to do with the airsickness he currently had while tumbling through the air.
Instead, it had everything to do with the imaginary blood staining his hands.
Yet imaginary blood on his hands or not, he still needed to do something about his current situation.
He could already see a bronze spear glint across the air towards him but instead of letting it pin him to a tree like last time, Jaune swings his shield to deflect the spear even as he shouts apologetically towards Pyrrha's direction.
"I'm sorry!"
"It's okay!"
He hears her shout back and Jaune smiles a bit at that.
He was thankful for her efforts to help him really but if Jaune wanted to change things for the better then he had to start doing things himself.
If he wanted to live up to his older self, the Rusted Knight and a Huntsman in his own right, then Jaune had to be better.
And he couldn't do that if he had Pyrrha always saving him.
So he took a deep breath, righted himself and put his shield in front of him just as he was about to hit a tree.
Wood burst around him as he breaks through one, two, and three trees before he realizes something.
He wasn't experienced enough to catch himself on one of the trees.
He wasn't agile enough to control himself midair.
He wasn't equipped enough to slow his flight down.
All he had were a sword, a shield, and his Aura.
And so Jaune Arc crashes through trees and straight into the ground with the strength of a glowing meteor.
Well, Pyrrha did say he had a lot of Aura and he puts his faith into it even as he craters the ground around him.
He grunts as his Aura protects him from the worst of it and his faith is rewarded as he suddenly finds himself rolling forward on the ground to dissipate the energy and standing up with his sword and shield ready inside a small crater.
By all counts, it was a very happy landing but Jaune didn't even have time to celebrate it because it was just his luck that he immediately meets face to face with a Beowulf.
The world slows down as his blue eyes meet hateful red and fear enters his heart as he already sees it roaring and leaping forward toward him before resolve and determination makes him double down in his position.
He roars back as he raises his shield up to meet the Beowulf head on.
Sparks flew as claws meet steel but it doesn't take long for him to win as he lifts his shield higher together with the Beowulfs grasping claws before he stabs Crocea Mors straight into the Grimm's gut.
It's pained howl gets cut off as Jaune twists his sword and pulls it out before stabbing again and again.
And for the first time in his 17 years old life, Jaune Arc kills a Grimm on his own.
He blinks when it suddenly disappears in a cloud smoke but he doesn't even have time to properly celebrate it because Beowulfs are rarely solitary.
Howls sound out from the woods around him and Jaune freezes for a bit before a long breath releases out of him.
Steel enters his eyes as he sets his mouth in a determined frown.
He hears them before he sees them and Jaune was already launching himself forward to meet the first ones there in battle before they could even mass together.
By the Gods his future self was going to be the Rusted Knight, there was no way he was going to let a pack of Beowulfs do him in.
Besides, he had a job to do. He would leave Pyrrha's murderer to his older self but by the Gods he was going to spare Weiss her pain and stop himself from becoming a killer.
So it is with the thoughts of maidens going through his head does Jaune Arc slay Grimm left and right, not knowing that his determined thoughts themselves mixed with fear of that future were slowly drawing the Grimm to him.
Light flashed between them and Jaune winced as his fist met Ozpin's.
He winces not because of the pain but because of the way they clash.
No magic, again, for his part at least. His Aura flashed brightly instead and took the brunt of Ozpin's magic.
He was lucky that it wasn't the devastating blow they gave each other last time and instead it reminded Jaune of the bursts of magic from Long Memory.
They hurl away from each other and Jaune shakes the pain away from his hand as they disengage only for his eyes to widen as instead of stepping back like they agreed to do after every clash, Ozpin rushes forward.
"Jaune!"
Instinct and desperation has him pooling everything he has to defend himself and with Pyrrha's warning, he succesfully manifests Magic Armor over his gut just as Ozpin hits him with a body blow.
"Thanks, Pyrrha!" He shoots back gratefully as armor made of light takes the brunt of the attack.
"You're welcome!" She replies happily.
"It seems you can at least manifest Magic Armor consistently." Ozpin smirks even as the armor cracks and Jaune grunts at him.
"Damn it, Ozpin! I can't afford to lose anymore clothes!" He shouts as he begins his own counterattack.
Unarmored and unarmed as per the rules of their training, Jaune could only attack one way.
Hand-to-Hand.
Hand-to-Hand combat wasn't Jaune's specialty but decades in the Ever After fighting off the Jabberwalker and wrangling the Afterans from their suicidal tendencies has taught him a trick or two.
He grabs Ozpin's wrist and pulls him straight into the path of an elbow strike. Ozpin however only ducks under the strike and uses his newfound strength with the Curious Cat to break his hold on him.
It seems the older man's experience trumps against him this time.
"Do not worry, Jaune. I have already directed Glynda to procure anything you need. Clothes, Dust, food, whatever it is, Glynda will take care of it." Ozpin remarks and unknowingly ends the fight with his words.
Instead of being relieved about his needs being handled by Glynda, Jaune winces as Pyrrha curses sharply at the back of his mind at the mere mention of her name even as Ozpin shoulder checks him.
"PYRRHA!" He shouts back, drowning out his lover's voice and instantly regretting it as he feels Pyrrha retreat inside him.
He was going to have to make it up to her tonight.
He stumbles and barely finds his footing beneath him as he shoots Ozpin a glare.
Ozpin at least had the shame to wince apologetically at him once he sees Jaune's reaction.
"Forgive me, would you like to change the topic?" Ozpin asks as he lowers his stance a bit, signalling Jaune to do the same.
Jaune looks at him for a bit before sighing deeply.
It wasn't Ozpin's fault, not really. How could he know something like that was going to happen?
If someone had to be blamed about it then it would be him and Glynda. Glynda, of course, for doing something like that in the first place. And him...for not stopping it.
As new and strange his relationship with Pyrrha was, a part of Jaune guiltily agreed with Glynda that if it wasn't real then it didn't count.
It made him feel like a piece of shit because to him, what he and Pyrrha had was still real but...but he couldn't also deny that Glynda was the first to touch him like that.
And after years of isolation in the Ever After? Jaune didn't have it in him to stop her.
It all made for a sorry mess that they all needed to have a talk about. A talk that's not going to happen soon with the way Glynda seemed to started avoiding him and Pyrrha reacting violently every time her name was brought up.
He couldn't blame either of them too because he himself didn't know how to start the topic so he satisfied himself with distracting himself.
First, with planning the kids' training and now, with his own training.
"Alright." Jaune says slowly, raising his fists as he looks at Ozpin. "What am I doing wrong? Why can't I do the magic hands?"
That's right. Jaune Arc, the Rusted Knight, was currently taking magic lessons from the best teacher possible.
Ozpin however only shakes his head at him. "First of all, it is the Black Fist of Destruction. Second of all, I do not know."
Jaune looked at him flatly at that. So much for being the best teacher possible.
Ozpin huffed at that. "What you need to understand is that magic as you know it responds to imagination and intent."
Ozpin demonstrates this by punching forward and releasing a burst of green magic that manifests into a gust of air.
Jaune however only nods frustratedly at that. He gets that, he really does, but every time he tries it...
He punches forward and his fist glows brightly as only his Aura and his Semblance respond to his will.
His attack amplified by his Semblance was still a devastating blow, that was for sure.
It pushes air forward much like Ozpin's did but it was nowhere near the power he and Ozpin supposedly used against each other.
He frowns however when he takes another look at Ozpin's fist.
"I notice your fists don't glow black too. What's up with that?" He asks as Ozpin smiles wryly at him.
"The Black Fist of Destruction. Frankly, I am surprised either of us even managed to perform such a feat."
"What do you mean? You're the one who did it first." Jaune notes confusedly even as Ozpin chuckles nostalgically.
"The texts say that the Black Fist of Destruction is an attack that produces a Black Flash when the essence of Destruction distorts the space around it and multiples that destructive power of a hit exponentially."
His eyes widened in shock at that. An exponential increase in power? No wonder he and Ozpin took each other out with that attack. Even his Semblance wouldn't be able to keep up if he gets hit by an attack like that. Still, it doesn't explain why Ozpin thinks it's hard to perform such a feat. Sure, distorting space with the essence of Destruction, which he doesn't know about, obviously sounded hard but facts are that they were able to do it.
He says as much to Ozpin who only nods in agreement.
"Normally, you would think that, right? But even during the Age of Magic, few people could boast doing such a feat. The move belongs to a sect of people subscribing to Sorcery and even their records state that those who have done it are blessed beyond imagination."
"Sorcery what?" He asks, feeling his head spin at the sudden exposition.
Ozpin perks up happily at the question, looking like a teacher who has found a student asking the right questions.
"In the Age of Magic, you can think of Sorcery as one of the many branches of magic like how modern chemistry is with science but much more complex with it having a system with branches of its own. The main distinction is that Sorcery visualizes Magical Energy as Cursed Energy powered by negative emotions." Ozpin explains to which Jaune nods thoughtfully.
"Sorcery, Cursed Energy, it all sounds impressive but how does it actually differ with the magic you use?" He asks as Ozpin's smile grows wider.
"It differs alot actually. It is literally a different system of magic to what I use. You see, I used to study magic through Wizardry, another branch that deals with crafting spells and applying them to influence reality and natural phenomena. Throught the millenia, I have tried to dabble with other branches and fields such as Ninshu, Nen, and even Cultivation but one could only do so much with ancient texts and no teachers but even then, I have tended to avoid magic systems that deals with emotions like Sorcery. So you see, I actually have no idea how one would even go learning the Black Fist of-hmm?" Ozpin shrugs before pausing midsentence to Jaune's worry.
"What is it?" He asks but Ozpin raises a hand before humming thoughtfully.
"The...Cat says it is not something you learn."
Jaune's eyes widen a bit at that before a his brows furrow confusedly.
"What does that even mean?"
"Apparently...those who do it just...know it?" Ozpin answers hesitantly and Jaune only looks flatly at him.
"Really. Are you really going with those who do it just know it?"
"Look, I believe this will be a lot easier." Ozpin closes his eyes and the next time he opens them, Jaune immediately sees the change.
His smile turns mocking with too much teeth while his stance lowers into something more prowling.
"Cat." Jaune hisses as the being in front of him laughs.
"Rusty."
"What do you know about magic?"
Okay, as far as responses go that was lousy. Even the Cat looks incredulously at him at his reply.
"Are you really asking me that? I am literally made of magic, you fool. More than that, I was with Ozzy when the magic rushed into you and vice versa."
Jaune's eyebrow ticks at that but he reigns his anger in. "Just tell us what you mean."
The Cat however only looks at him before laughing loudly. "Now this brings back memories, doesn't it?! You, demanding answers and then there's me, holding-"
And just like whatever happened with Ozpin before, the Cat freezes before clicking its tongue. "Alright, fine. Knowledge for knowledge!"
Jaune breathes a sigh of relief at that. It was obvious that Ozpin was at least able to negotiate for the answers they needed.
"Do you remember how you felt when you used it?" The Cat asked and Jaune will admit that he considers its words carefully and nods thoughtfully as he remembers the feeling of strength, invincibility, and understanding he had of himself after he used it before snapping out of himself.
"That. That is what I am talking about." The Cat points at him even as Jaune tilts his head at it. "It is mainly feeling and in being so focused on what you want to do that your body just moves and you do it."
"That...that's not right. At least not completely. If it was then why is it so hard to do?"
He agrees that feeling is a main part and his body just did what it did but if that was all then a lot more people should have been able to use the move instead of the few Ozpin said earlier.
"Because there's a factor of blessing into it."
"Blessing?" He asks with a frown on his face.
"Oz was blessed that I was inside him. A veritable source of magic full with the essence of Creation. The way I felt it, Oz's body used that source as a base and converted my essence into that of Destruction and used it. Some ancient humans must have stumbled into a similar method, either converting Creation or just getting their hands on Destruction, and occasionally used the method enough for the move to be recorded. If I had to guess, the negative emotions leaving them with the move is the one that causes a person to feel different things after performing it."
Jaune's eyes widened at that. Framed like that, then Jaune could certainly understand it a lot better but for him to be able to do that means...either Creation or Destruction had to be inside him.
And yet... he already had them in him, didn't he?
When he broke the Wall of Time and travelled back to the past, he had to amplify Creation from the Curious Cat and Destruction from the Jabberwalker. Back then, he remembers his Semblance latching onto them and bringing back something within him. It was the extra oomph that allowed him to beat Ozpin, Glynda, and the Curious Cat at the same time. It allowed him to body Team RWBY and wreck his own team.
The point was, Jaune was already using it but he was using it in a way that was familiar to him. He was using it like his Aura and Semblance to enchance his body. It made him better obviously but if he could harness it properly and more efficiently, well then...the image of Cinder with her Maiden powers falling to him enters his mind.
"Teach me." He grins maniacally but the Cat only snorts at him.
"I already told you, it's not something you learn. It's just something you do."
Jaune sighs frustratedly at that.
"What good are you, then?! Do we just start punching and hope for the best?"
"Well, you don't see me complaining about that." The Cat smirks and Jaune only smirks back.
"May I remind you that I've won our last two fights."
"Then you don't mind trying for a third or are you afraid to lose?" The Cat raises an eyebrow to which Jaune only scoffs as he takes off his shirt, leaving him only in his pants as he deposits the black shirt near his sword and armor. He had no intention of letting the Cat damage any of his clothing.
It seems Ozpin was willing to let this happen because he doesn't even try to resist as the Cat cracks his body's neck and raises his arms.
Jaune does the same but before they could clash however, petals burst near them and a shrill voice cuts through their surroundings.
"FIRST!"
Ruby Rose panted tiredly as she put her hands on her knees.
She wasn't usually this tired after using her Semblance but there was a reason for this, well three reasons.
At first, Ruby wanted to meet up with her team and do the race together but the moment she tried to do so and saw Weiss who suddenly used her Glyphs to rush away from her, Ruby knew the race was on.
"Weiss! Why are you running?!" She even shouted at first as she chased after her partner but her partner's reply only leaves her stupefied.
"I need that extra question for my stocks and investments as well as the future of my family company!"
Stocks and investments? Weiss was willing to abandon teamwork to race at it alone because of money?
Before she could even reply however, Ruby heard the tell-tale sign of Yang's shotgun gauntlets.
"Blake! Get back here!"
It seems her own sister was having similar troubles as her own partner because Ruby could hear Blake's voice nearing them.
"I'm sorry, Yang! But I need that extra question for the Ninjas of Love Series as well as important matters!"
"You can ask about your filth after I ask about my mom!" Yang shoots back and Ruby decides to rush faster as she shakes her head.
It seems every single one of them had their own reasons to get an extra question and she decides it was the best time to use her Semblance. Using her Semblance expended her Aura but the thing was, this was the second time they were launched to the Emerald Forest. She needed to rush.
They didn't even need to find relics. They only needed to race back and therein lies the problem. They all knew the way back and it was a race to the finish.
And so Ruby Rose zoomed forward through the trees past Weiss and up the cliff face. It was a bit strange that they didn't even encounter a single Grimm but Ruby wasn't willing to look a gift horse in the mouth.
She only focuses on flying upward. Going vertical like that too much with her Semblance was always tiring for Ruby which is why she found herself panting on top of the cliff.
She remembers screeching and declaring her victory but her vision swam the moment she got out of petal form and all she could see was the ground and the white floating in front of her eyes.
Still, she gathers her breath with a smile on her face and straightens up to look for the-
She hears a loud sigh and then a chuckle before Headmaster Ozpin's voice calls out.
"Congratulations, Ms. Rose."
Ms. Rose however, gasps and short circuits as she sees the topless form of her friend, or his older version at least.
"Congratulations, Ruby. I should have known you were going to be the first one here." Professor Arc laughs lightly and Ruby fiddles with the edges of her hood in embarrassment.
"T-Thanks!" She looks down towards the ground as the sweaty form of Professor Arc walks towards a tree where his shirt and armor were laid out.
"Seems like we'll have our training later." Professor Arc calls out to Headmaster Ozpin who only chuckles back at him.
"It would seem so. So, Ms. Rose what are your-glurk! Questions?"
"H-Huh?"
She jolts up at Headmaster Ozpin who just spat the cat out of his mouth.
That will never not be strange to her.
She goes green at the sight of the Curious Cat cleaning itself as the Rusted Knight approaches, this time with his shirt on.
"Questions, you-"
"RUBYYYYY!" Weiss voice interrupts as she launches up the cliff's edge and into the sky before landing tiredly behind Ruby.
"Weiss!" She shouts happily, turning around to grin at her partner only to see her kneeling tiredly with sweat dripping down her brow.
"M-My stocks. My investments." Weiss mutters even as the Rusted Knight laughs heartily and steps forward to lay a hand on both their shoulders.
"You rushed so much you forgot to pace yourself, didn't you?" Professor Arc teased to an embarrassed Weiss even as his Semblance energizes them.
Ruby gasped at the soothing tingle and she gives Jaune's older version a thankful grin.
Before long however, gunshots sound from below the cliff and Ruby knew what was already coming.
Bang! Bang!
Yang flew upward past the cliff's edge even as Blake acrobatically flips up on top of the cliff.
"Team RWBY." Professor Arc mutters dreamily and Ruby beams proudly at the awe in his voice.
Whatever else happened in the future, it seems she and her team shapes up to be an impressive group of Huntresses.
"Ha! I win!" Yang shouts as she lands beside them to which Blake clicks her tongue and the Rusted Knight chuckles loudly.
"Technically, Ruby won. But don't worry I'll still answer your questions."
Impatient as always, Yang takes the initiative and laughs loudly.
"Cool! Where's my mom?!" Yang asks and Ruby pouts but nods grudgingly at Yang going to go first.
She herself knew just how much Yang's search for her mother meant to her sister and so Ruby nods silently at Professor Arc who smiles softly at her. Before Professor Arc could answer however, the sound of metal hitting rock echoes below the cliff face, signifying the arrival of another of their friend.
Or in this case, three of them.
Pyrrha flies past the edge and lands near them as Nora and Ren successfully climbs up the cliff behind them.
Pyrrha's green eyes immediately scans them.
"Where's Jaune?" She asks worriedly, looking towards Professor Arc who only shakes his head.
There was a moment where everyone freezes as all their hearts sank a bit and Pyrrha was just about to turn around and jump back down the cliff when a voice calls out to her.
"Stop." The Rusted Knight calls out firmly, stopping Pyrrha in her tracks as she looks at the older version of her partner.
"You need to let him do this on his own."
"B-But Jaune just unlocked his Aura! He hasn't even trained that much yet!" Pyrrha shouts frantically and Ruby bites her lip as the mood suddenly turns sour around them.
"He's still at the level that he could fight against me. Trust me, he will be fine. He needs to know he can do this on his own. You need to put your faith in him that he can do this on his own." Professor Arc replies meaningfully, looking straight into Pyrrha's eyes.
Pyrrha however only frowns worriedly and it takes Headmaster Ozpin intervening to defuse the situation.
"Ahem, I understand your concern, Ms. Nikos, but do not worry too much. I will keep an eye on him." Headmaster Ozpin says while fishing out his own Scroll.
Even Ruby breathed a sigh of relief at that. It was obvious that the teachers would have measures to monitor and observe the students during Initiation or even training in the Emerald Forest.
With that done, Pyrrha nods and relaxes slowly as Professor Arc sighs loudly.
"Well, Yang. A promise is a promise. A question truthfully answered. Where is your mother? She is in Mistral. You'll meet her in less than two years." Professor Arc answers and just like that, he overturns the sour mood.
He smirks at the gasp he elicits from Yang and Ruby.
"Congratulations, Yang!" Ruby calls out and hugs her sister happily at that announcement.
"T-Thanks, Ruby. Thanks, teach." Yang nods shakily, overwhelmed by emotion as she hugs her sister back.
Unbeknownst to the two, Professor Arc and Headmaster Ozpin glance at each other. An unasked question passes from the older to the younger who only looks on silently, not relaying anything else by either action, expression, or word.
"Who's next?" Professor Arc clears his throat and looks expectantly at her but Weiss answers first.
"How's the stock market?! What should I invest in?! Ooohhhh, I have so many questions!" Weiss bemoans impatiently as Ruby looks at her partner flatly.
"Really, Weiss? The stock market?"
Weiss looks embarrassedly at her as a blush took over her face.
"I'm the Heiress to the SDC! These are the things I need to think about for the good of my family!"
"Spoken like a true Schnee. Always thinking about profits as the good of the family." Blake mocks and Ruby cringes as Weiss' embarrassment turns into anger.
"What is your problem?!" Weiss asks indignantly to Blake who only looks at her family.
"My problem is-"
"AHEM!" The Rusted Knight coughs, not willing to let the situation devolve after just having handled Pyrrha's worries.
"Weiss, just like how Yang has mommy issues-"
"Alright, that's fair." Yang nods as Professor Arc continues.
"-or how you have daddy issues-"
"D-Daddy issues?!" Weiss shrieks with a blush on her face, making Ruby snigger as her partner completely forgets her anger.
Professor Arc however only smirks as he sees Blake's smug expression.
"Blake has a whole lot of issues."
"H-Hey!" Blake shouts embarrassedly, humbled even as her eyes widen in realization.
Ruby frowns when she suddenly sees her dark-haired teammate hunch into herself defensively.
Not to be deterred, Professor Arc smiles softly. "Don't worry, Blake. Issues or not, we accept you for who you are."
"R-Really?" Blake gasped and Professor Arc only nods smoothly.
"We do."
"I-I see. That answers my question then." Blake smiles and Ruby could only tilt her head in confusion.
"H-Huh?" She says out loud and Professor Arc only chuckles at her.
What just happened?
"Don't worry, Ruby. Blake will share when she is ready."
"Oooohhhh. Blakey has some secrets." Yang teased and Blake squirms embarrassedly at the sudden attention aimed at her.
To her further embarrassment, her savior comes in the form of a Schnee.
"Hey! What about my question?!" Weiss pouts as Professor Arc chuckles at her.
"Which one? I suggest you focus on what is important to you."
"Then...my family. How are they?" Weiss asks, surprising everyone there at the shy demeanor she suddenly takes.
A far-off look however overtakes Professor Arc's face as he seems to recall memories.
"Your family." He says wistfully before shaking his head and staring softly at Weiss. "I'm not as well acquianted with Willow and Whitley but we did get your father arrested."
Ruby blinks as Weiss screams in shock.
"WHAT?!"
"Jacques Schnee? Arrested?" Blake gasps in shock as the rest of them looks to the Rusted Knight.
Everyone in Remnant knew who Jacques Schnee was and to hear him get arrested, well everyone was hooked on just how such a thing could hapen. Even Headmaster Ozpin looks seriously at Professor Arc, looking away from his own Scroll.
Professor Arc nods slowly. "Yup, Weiss herself brings out the evidence that lands him in prison. If memory serves right, she got it from Willow."
"M-Mother? Me? Arresting father?" Weiss mutters confusedly, her mind struggling to keep up with the developments supposedly happening in the future.
"Wait! What about Winter?!" She snaps up suddenly, if there was anyone else in her family she could rely on to make sense of things then it was Winter. If things had become such a mess then it does not bode well for her older sister.
Professor Arc's visage however takes on a darker tone before he releases a deep breath. "Winter...Winter was with you at the time your father got arrested. She supported your actions and..."
"And then what?!" Weiss asks worriedly, Professor Arc's heavy tone not reassuring her one bit.
"Well...things happen and the last thing I remember about her is she becomes a Maiden."
Gasps rang all around them, none louddr than Weiss' as she squeals happily in relief. Her sister, a Maiden!
"Any chance she actually is the Winter Maiden?" Yang waggles her eyebrows and Professor Arc only nods but Ruby was focused on his face.
"She actually is."
Despite Yang's laughter, or her friends' impressed congratulations towards Weiss, Ruby frowns at the sadness she sees on Professor Arc's face.
"I see James' plan has succeeded. He would be happy to hear of this success. Thank you for sharing this, Professor Arc." Headmaster Ozpin remarks proudly and-
There! Pain flashed quickly across the Rusted Knight's face but Ruby was used to things being quick because of her Semblance. She immediately notices it and opens her mouth.
"How? How did she become the Maiden?"
Professor Arc gasped sharply, looking at Ruby with pained eyes before closing them and burying his feelings deep beneath him.
The next time he opens his eyes, the cold, steely, blue eyes of the Rusted Knight stares straight into her soul.
"Is that your question?" He asks her as everyone suddenly falls silent around them, feeling the increasing tension floating in the air.
Ruby jolts up and nods her head frantically.
"Y-Yes!" She answers before thinking quickly on her feet and asks the other question she had been wanting to ask him. "A-And why don't you want us to be heroes?!"
"Hmm?"
"Y-You always seem angry everytime you hear we could do something good. I just...wanted to know why." She stutters before finishing hesitantly and looking away from the Rusted Knight.
It was a question that had been on her mind since she saw the Rusted Knight fight Headmaster Ozpin. Every single time the Headmaster tries to encourage them, he was there to knock it back down.
Ruby really wanted to know how her friend that was desperate enough to fake his transcripts just to be a Huntsman turns into someone who doesn't want others to go beyond like he did.
If that means she won't be able to ask her question about her Silver Eyes then that's okay. She was pretty sure Headmaster Ozpin would willingly answer her about that.
She doesn't expect the Rusted Knight to breathe deeply however and nod at her.
"Your two questions are related so I will treat it as one. You still have another question for later but I want to know. Are you sure about your question?"
"T-Thanks and yes, I'm sure." She nods gratefully even as the Rusted Knight breathes sharply.
"Alright then. Ozpin, take notes. This is the future you want to avoid. As for the rest of you, listen well. Hopefully you learn a lesson here that me and my friends never had the oppportunity to learn."
They all shuffled nervously at that and even Headmaster Ozpin looked uncharacteristically serious as they all listened to the Rusted Knight's words.
"Ruby, there is no easy way to say this but for me, the last time we tried to be heroes, thousands died."
Ruby gasped as she felt the weight of the Rusted Knight's words, especially when he looked at her and only her.
Her chest tightened at the intensity in his eyes and Yang had to pull her back behind her to snap out of it.
"Woah, wait a minute. Are you blaming my sister for something here, Vomit Man?" Yang glared and the Rusted Knight only shakes his head at her.
"This is your impulsiveness that I keep telling you about, Yang. If I really wanted to hurt her or any of you then there is nothing you could even do to stop it but no. I do not want to hurt any of you nor do I blame Ruby for something she hasn't done yet."
"What am I supposed to do then when you hurt my sister?" Yang asks sharply but the Rusted Knight only sighs exasperatedly at her.
"Like I said, I am not hurting. I am teaching. And what you should do is listen."
Yang stilled for a minute but Ruby shakily pulls her aside to meet the Rusted Knight's gaze.
"I-It's okay, Yang. I'm the one who asked the question anyway. I want to hear this. I want to learn from this." Ruby said shakily at first before steeling herself after finding her resolve.
The Rusted Knight was right. He was teaching them and if Ruby could learn the lesson here then she could potentially save thousands of lives. She'd still be a hero but maybe not the kind of here she envisioned herself to be nor the kind the Rusted Knight seems intent as stopping them to be. She'd just be a different kind.
"I am ready." She says resolutely to the Rusted Knight who only shakes his head.
"I hope you are because what you need to understand is that in our hubris, we thought we could save the world. We didn't."
Ruby gulped as he deadpannedly look at her.
"Just because we knew a bit more and fought the enemy more than anyone else, we thought we had the right to be the heroes of the world. We didn't. Everyone's a hero in their own way but we kept secrets from those who tried. We followed your plan. We followed your lead. But I won't bore you with the details because at the end of it all...Grimm overrun us and Atlas fell."
Weiss gasped in horror at that even as Ruby shivered at the Rusted Knight's words.
They followed her lead and then...Atlas fell.
"Thousands died that day. Soldiers, civillians, it didn't matter. A lot of people died. We tried to save as many what we could but..."
The Rusted Knight-no, Jaune gulped, because it was Jaune who was speaking. It was Jaune who was grieving and in pain. It might have been years for him but everyone could still see how haunted he looks as he delves back into his memories.
"...Even then, our enemies pursued us and wrecked havoc during the evacuation. You have no idea what it was like back then. Those who thought they were already safe suddenly found themselves in the middle of danger. They ran and panicked as they tried their best to get to safety and I'm sure more people died because they got crushed by the crowd but that was nothing compared to what our enemies did to us." Jaune whispered hauntedly, letting them imagine the worst of it all.
Ruby could already hear Weiss crying and she couldn't blame her. To hear the loss of your home was no easy thing to hear even if it hasn't happened yet.
Ruby herself could already feel tears pricking her eyes but it wasn't over yet because Jaune Arc continues.
"You see, we had something they wanted. A relic. To lure us out, they targetted the civilians. Children that I escorted and safeguarded every single day before that fell towards the darkness. Fathers pushed forward with their wives and children, unintentionally hurting other people who were just running for safety like them. It was chaos and when we ran to save them, to confront our enemies? That's where I lost you. All of you." He says as he looks at a pale Ruby and her team as well as the younger version of his own team.
Nora whimpered as Ren stoically put an arm around her.
"Nora and Ren managed to reach the other side but that was the last I saw of them. I thought they would come back for us but they didn't. Gods only know what trouble they met on their side because I know they would never have left me alone to face what I did."
Ruby couldn't make sense of some of the details but it didn't matter. She could only imagine how bad it really was but they all knew Jaune lived it. Tears freely ran down her cheeks as she desperately tried to rub them. She felt her heart go out towards Jaune even as his words rattled her heart.
His next words would only rattle her heart more howeverm
"Yang fell first."
Gasps and choked sobs rang out as Ruby looked at the Rusted Knight's haunted face in horror.
"And then...Ruby." He whispers and Ruby felt her breath leave her as she suddenly found herself embraced by Yang.
"Blake tried to save you but she only fell together with you."
She nods gratefully at Blake and reaches an open hand out to the shaken girl. These things might not have happened to them yet but it was a testament to what their friendship could become. Blake accepts her hand and they end up in a small group hug. It was a welcome balm to the tight feeling she was currently feeling in her chest.
"What about me? Where was I then?" Weiss asked with tears streaking down her face and Ruby sees Jaune gulped loudly at that before taking a deep breath.
"Y-You were with me and P...another friend, our Winter Maiden. The one before Winter."
Headmaster Ozpin gasped but Jaune only shakes his head at him.
"Not the current one in our time right now, but the one after her. A dear friend."
Jaune gets lost in thought for a moment and it takes Headmaster Ozpin softly clearing his throat to snap him out of it.
"Professor Arc-no, Jaune? Are you alright?" He asks softly, opting to used Jaune's name in a show of concern and sympathy.
"I-I'm okay." Jaune shakes his head shakily but everyone could see how he wasn't. He wasn't okay at all.
"Perhaps we should continue this next-"
"No!" Jaune interrupts Headmaster Ozpin's words. "I-I can do this. I need to do this."
"...Of course, Jaune." Headmaster Ozpin nods after a moment, getting a grateful one from Jaune.
Ruby sees Jaune take a deep breath before continuing and she already steels herself for what comes next because anything that could rattle the Rusted Knight was sure to rattle her.
"At the end, it was me, Weiss, and the Winter Maiden against Fall."
Ruby gasped sharply at that. Three against one, surely things weren't as bad as they-
"It wasn't enough."
His words crashed against her mind like a death knell.
"Pe-" He pauses, gulping as tears flowed down his eyes before continuing. "Our friend was badly hurt. Weiss tried to buy us some time while I tried to heal her but...it wasn't enough. She...I-" A choked sob cuts his words off and Ruby sees him struggle before he is able to utter three words.
"I killed her."
Ruby gasped as he looked straight at her and she could still see tears in his eyes as she opens his mouth again.
"I'm sorry."
Two words but they were enough to feel like ice pricking into her veins.
"W-What for?" She asks shakily, fearing his answer.
"S-She was your friend." Jaune answers to which Ruby only nodded wordlessly.
T-That was okay. As c-callous as it sounded, they weren't friends yet-
"You were so close that to you, it would be like if I killed Yang."
Ruby's knees hit the ground at that and she could already feel arms trying to get her up but she couldn't breathe.
Yang, dead by Vomit Boy's hands? Impossible.
She could hear people screaming her name but to her they were muffled. All she could hear was the rapid beating of her own heart as cold sweat covered her back.
"G-Go on. Just keep going." She tries to say and her words must have reached them because the hands grasping her still for a moment before becoming gentler.
Her words start to ease even as Jaune continued absently.
"After that, Winter became the Maiden and she to provide some help. Help that was too late because soon after that, Weiss falls and the enemy gets the relic and runs away. We try to get safety but-"
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Loud rings interrupt the Rusted Knight's words and everyone turns to Headmaster Ozpin as he hurriedly looks at his Scroll.
His face pales and he turns to them with a grave tone. "Mr. Arc's Aura has reached the red."
Before anyone else could move, Jaune Arc the Rusted Knight was already running towards a launch pad and leaping straight into the sky.
Unbeknownst to everyone else, young Jaune Arc faces his first Grimm horde at the age of 17.
Angst for you, trauma for you, angst and trauma for all of you!
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