Jaune sat around the makeshift table, which was really just a very large barrel, in the night air with the Nyra's Ark's crew. A lone lantern lights up the half eaten plates and scattered cards.
"Read them and weep, boys! King over spades!" Jor cried out successfully as the top row of cards was flipped.
Jaune groaned at his loss, handing over the measly seven lien from his pot over. "Why can't we play poker instead?" the blonde complained.
Ryu laughed. "And not take the opportunity to teach you Rak'shanar?"
Jaune racked his brain for a moment. "Lord of the castle? That's what this game is called?" Jaune looked at the stack of cards. The game was simple enough, Jaune supposed. A face up card was given to each player, and then face down cards were given on top of it, and a hand of three cards. There were some interactions between the various cards as you could play to change the value of your hidden card.
For example: Fives let you change out your hand for a new one. The five card is then put in your discard pile. Cards you play of the same suit as your shown card added one to the value, upgrading the card. If you upgraded it past king, it became an ace again, the worst card to have as your hidden card. Your card was worth one more without upgrading if the hidden and flipped card was equal.
The goal was to have the highest value hidden card. It was an interesting game that Jaune had yet to fully get a firm grasp of. Jaune threw in one of his last lien as the cards were dealt. A four of spades was his shown card. The bent and dinged up playing card slid loosely over it, becoming his hidden card. Then his hand proper was dealt
Seven of spades, queen of clubs, ace of hearts.
Jaune looked up from his hand. "Well, Jor, you won, so you go first." Jaune nodded, the soft firelight flicking shadows across the old man's face. He smiled, his laughter lines somehow becoming more pronounced in the firelight, and threw in two cards. "Alrighty, I'll raise."
Everyone begrudgingly threw in to match. Jaune looked back at his small stach. 'Arrg, I only have seven more lien.' he thought, mentally biting his finger in fear that he might be the first to go out.
"And I'll play a three of spades." Jor said, slapping the card down. 'The three card, what did the three card do again?' jaune thought. 'Right. The three card put three hidden cards onto the table. The winner of this round, should the game continue with them, gets to pick any amount of those three cards to be part of their hand.'
Samuel nodded. "Alright Mr. Jor, I'll raise one." the seaman grinned. The pot grew with white lien cards. "And I'll play an eight." the eight of spades was placed next to the face up three of diamonds Samuel had.
A unique card, in that unlike everything else, it did nothing.
Jaune wondered what he should do. He was limited in his money, it was unlikely that he would be able to play too much longer. His best bet was to win a round and leave. "Jaune? It's your turn, buddy." Ryu prompted, forcing jaune to act.
"Wha-sorry, I was thinking." Jaune smiled. Two white cards entered the pot. "I'll bet two." jaune said, his fingers gripping the Queen card. "And I'll play the queen."
Ryu groaned. The queen, the only card to affect the amount in the pot. It forced the next player to add one more to the pot, unless they had a card that they could reveal in the same suit. "Damn you Jaune, damn you!" Ryu groaned as he tossed a white in. "I'll gamble a whopping four lien!" he proclaimed proudly. Jaune groaned, putting all but one of his lien in.
"And then I will play the Ace of Spades!" Ryu said as he swiftly picked up his hidden card. The ace card was the worst card to have in the hidden card slot, but immeasurably powerful as it was the only card that let you look at any hidden card. As any tactiction will tell you, information is worth its weight in silver and gold. Jaune watched Ryu's face carefully, looking for any signs as to the level of his hidden card. A brief tug of his lips upwards and a slight widening of his eye told Jaune enough. It was a high ranking card, overall. Probably nine or higher.
"Sorry about this, Jaune, but the games a game." Jor said as he placed two more lien in the pot. Jaune gave him a forgiving smile. "Eh, I know. Bound to happen sooner or later." Jaune said as he placed his last lien in the pot. Now he either had to win, or he had lost. Jor played a five of hearts, gladly drawing an additional card into his hand. The more options you have, the better. Samuel smiled a smile of a man who had a plan with the utmost confidence. "First, I'll raise by three." There was a lot of disgruntlement as Ryu was pushed down into single digits for the first time this game. "Then I'll play a king." he said triumphantly. A king lets you take any card from an opponent's discard pile and put it into your own discard pile. If you were lucky, it was a powerful tool to upgrade your hidden card. He took the Ace of Spades from Ryu's pile. "Why man? Why you gotta do me like that?"
Samuel merely stuck his tongue out at his friend. Jaune looked between the two. "I raise zero, because I have nothing left, mostly." he joked, grabbing his ace of hearts. He put it down silently, looking at his hidden card. A ten of clubs. A very good card to have, as it was difficult to over upgrade. He forced his face into a slight grimace, putting it back down. Ryu smirked as he put a whopping five into the pot. Ten more lien of various cards were tossed in. "A nine my good friends!" Ryu said, putting the top two cards from the deck into his discard pile. A four of hearts and a seven of diamonds. Jor grumbled, putting down his own three lien. He then silently played a jack, taking Jaune's four of spades to replace his own eight of diamonds shown. Jaune raised an eyebrow at the decision, but figured it didn't matter that much. The shown card acted only to upgrade the hidden card after all.
Samuel raised the pot by two, and played another eight. Jaune gulped, now, this was the move. Everything depended on Ryu having a card that let him change out his hidden card. 'So, A ten, A six, or a two.' Jaune thought. After pondering it for a moment, he decided. 'I like those odds.'
"Well boys, it's been fun." Jaune smiled, as he played his last card. "But Ryu, I'll be taking that hidden card, mate." he proclaimed triumphantly, reaching over to snag the face down card.
"NOOOO!" Ryu cried out, dramatically falling back. "Jaune, how could you! First Samuel, now you! Who next, my own father?" He acted. Jor smacked him on the leg.
"Oh, quit being such a drama hog, boy." he said sternly, but was grinning from ear to ear anyway.
Jaune tossed Ryu his old card. "Welp, that's the last of what I can do. Your turn Ryu."
Ryu grumbled, bemoaning the loss of his high ranked hidden card. "I'll raise by one." Ryu said, and the pot grew even heftier. "And I'll play a two."
Jaune mentally fistpumped as Ryu shuffed the ten of clubs into the deck and drew a new card. His obvious disgruntlement was clear evidence enough that it was not as good as his last card, or even had a decent chance of winning. Jor looked around at everyone's empty hands.
"Well, looks like that's the end of it. Everyone, reveal your vault!"
'Ahh, that's what the hidden card was called.' Jaune thought as he tipped his card over. He looked from Ryu's sad hopeless face to Jor's calm and even poker mask to Samuel hopeful vistage as the cards flipped. A jack of spades. Jaune whooped at his incredible luck this round. The closest thing with upgrades was a grand total of eight, Samuels six having been upgraded twice. Jaune scooped the pile of lien into his side of the table. "Well, gentlemen. It has been a pleasure playing with you all, but I'm going to take my ill gotten gains and get some shut eye." the knight smiled. Ryu grumbled. "Yeah yeah, you take you and your dirty stolen money, jaune." he waved off the blonde. Jaune laughed, pulling out five of the cards.
"I know you have more, but this win wouldn't have been possible without you." he said, tossing the five cards in front of the tiger faunus. "So here. Some fuel for the next game." Jaune left the table, heading to his cabin area. The lien cards were quickly counted up with whatever he had left in addition to what he kept out of the game. A whopping total of 73 lien! That was, like, seven whole Bonga Burgers right there! And at least triple what he left Beacon with!
"Maybe my luck is finally turning around!" Jaune smiled as he put his money away and flopped down onto his prison style bed. He fell asleep soon after his head hit the pillow
Two days went a lot faster than Jaune or anyone else would have liked. Jaune looked to the fast approaching city of Moralle. It seemed to be made mostly of wood, stilted houses with bits of lichen and barnacles growing off them. It looked like something straight out of Dustborne or something.
"You sure this town's name is Moral?" Jaune asked, looking at the Lovecraft-like town.
Jor shrugged. "Yup. and don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks. The folks there are actually quite nice!" Ryu supplemented. Jaune looked skeptical, but gave a small shrug. 'Eh, what's the worst that can happen?'
'You could get hurt' came Pyrrha's voice. 'They might not be as nice as Ryu says they are'
'It would be best to move as quickly as possible to your goal. Anything else is wasting time.' a mental Ren said
'But like, what if they were secretly evil fish grimm or something? Like, half fish, half man, all fishy! Wouldn't that be so cool?!' Nora's voice chimed in with her usual exuberance. Jaune laughed at the idea. Leave it to Nora to brighten his mood.
"Alright. Captain, how long till we dock?" jaune asked. Jor snorted
"What, you want to be rid of us already?": Jor laughed, causing Jaune to backpedal immediately.
"What-No! You guys have been great, really. Wonderful company, I'm going to miss you guys seriously. Like, really miss you guys." Jaune rambled off rapidly. Samuel laughed at the blustering blonde.
"Don't worry about it. We know man. It's been a great week man." Samuel said. "I'm, We're really going to miss you."
Jaune smiled brightly at that. "Thank you man, I'll really miss you too." He said with a signature head tilt.
Ryu blinked at him before turning to Samuel. "You were right, he is a golden retriever in human form." He whispered conspiratorially to his crewmate.
Jaune turned to the rapidly approaching docks. 'And to think, just beyond those docks is the road to achieving my dream. Quite literally.'
Jaune stumbled as the boat bumped into the dock. He used the momentum to take himself onto the docks with a duck-like step. "Woah, ok then." Jaune said as the Crew started to tie down the ship. Jaune turned to help his fellow crewmates unload their cargo. The four of them worked well together, rapidly stacking the barrels of non-perishable food, mostly wheat and grains that were grown in Vale.
A balding, thin man walked up the Nyra's Ark.
"Ah, Captain Jor. I assume you've come to dock once more?" his reedy and oily voice slithered out. Jor gave the man a smile.
"Ahh, Squidsworth, how do you be? Haven't seen you then the last harvest." Jor smiled, shaking hands with the man.
"I am doing well. You will, as usual, have to register at the Dock house and pay your dues." Squidsworth droned before giving Jaune a glance. "You gained a crewmate? I was unaware that Nyra required four men to handle."
Jor shook his head. "Nay. The boy's a passenger. A huntsman, headed to Haven." Squidsworth gave a bare wince.
"Lord above knows that we need more of his kind in Minstral. With most of them being old men now…" Squidsworth started before shaking his head.
Jaune walked up to the two, holding a dozen large sacks of grain over his shoulder. "These are designated as dry only. Where do you want them?"
Squidward looked up at the boy. He was a lot taller up close, his thin frame not betraying his apparently ridiculous strength.
"You can put them over by the dry land there." the dock tender said, pointing to the cemented grounds. Squidsworth watched the blonde boy deposit the dozen or so 50 pound bags to the designated spot as though he just carried two of them.
Jor just shrugged. "If the boy sticks around, you'll get used to it." he said as the boys unloaded the rest. Rustling through his pockets, he pulled out a stack of Lien. Flipping through it, he handed it over.
"Here you are, 50 lien for the docking."
Squidsworth took it with a nod. "Good. I'll trust that you'll not overstay your welcome again?" he said, with an edge to his voice. Jor rolled his eyes. "Jah, Jah, I know. I'll be gone in three days. Oi, jaune!"
The blonde turned to his captain. "Jah, Jor?"
"You're good now right? Now where you be heading?"
Jaune nodded, looking wistfully over at the forest beyond the village. "Once I find a map, or get CCT access, I'll get going." jaune said.
Squidsworth raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to stay and rest? It's a long way from Vale to Moralle."
Jaune made a gesture, thinking it over. "I might. I'll see how I feel in an hour or so." he said.
Jaune left the dock area soon after that, which led him directly to the "Downtown." The major piers of the docks became roads as the lining shifted from boats to buildings and shops. Jaune stopped an old man along the way. The man's large cow ears twitched at his approach
"Pardon me sir, but do you know where I can find the CCT connection?" the knight asked with a kind smile. The faunus gave him a strange look for a moment, as though he was surprised by the question, before it was changed for a smile.
"I do, good huntsman. Go to the Town hall and just ask Barbra to give you a connection." The old man said, giving Jaune a wave in the direction of the town hall. Jaune gave him his thanks and went off in that direction.
The Town Hall was best described as a viking esq long house. It was two stories high and had a tiled roof, it's walls stacks of logs standing straight. A metal dish was sticking out of the roof at an odd angle. Jaune climbed onto the wood porch, pushing the door open.
There was a desk that took up the immediate view from the entrance way. A plump woman sat there in an office chair.
"Hello there, sir! Welcome to Moralle! How can I help you today?" She said cheerfully.
"Ah, yes, hello, I would like to get a CCT connection." Jaune requested. The woman smiled and pointed to the back. "The only room with anything significantly metal, you can't miss it."
Jaune gave her a nod and went to the back room, where he saw the single lone CCT terminal rested.
He hopped in, opening up Goggles web search engine. He quickly loaded up a map, and started to replan his route. He noticed that he was making a kind of C pathing from Moralle to Haven academy. A very long way around, if you took the well established roads to Haven. Jaune studied the area in between Moralle and Haven. The immediate land was a simple grassy plains that quickly was replaced by a mountain range. So the direct route was impassible. Beyond the mountains was a dense forest labeled Alta Quercus. Jaune poured over the map, thinking about how to best get to Haven. He really didn't want to go the whole way around. The sooner he got to Haven, the sooner he could get back to training and getting some help.
Jaune traced the map with a finger, accidentally scrolling through the world down all the way to menagerie.
"Fuck!" jaune cursed as he scrambled back to get to Moralle.
Quickly finding and printing out the map, Jaune turned to the frankly ancient printer. It was an ugly, box-like thing with a dingy creme plastic outside. It clunked and grinded and made this horrible hiring screeching sound as the grainy grayscale map scuttled out in a jerky manner. Jaune picked up the warm paper, waving it in the air. Giving it a quick glance over, Jaune deemed it satisfactory, folding it up and putting it in his hoodie pocket. Jaune exited.
"Thank you so much." Jaune said, giving the desk lady a polite nod. He didn't catch her blush, and equally politely said goodbye.
Jaune walked out the door, only to knock directly into someone. The poor pedestrian tumbled to the ground. Jaune immediately bent down to help them.
"I am so sorry. Here, let me help you." jaune said, pulling them up. It was a small child that Jaune had knocked over. The child looked up at the knight, who looked like a kind of cheap imitation of . The armor was clearly white once upon a time, but whatever paint and polish it had was chipped away into a dingy steel grey with flecks of paint, a reminder of a kinder and more glorious era. The shield on his back had certainly seen better days.
Jaune looked concerned at the kid's nonverbal response. "Hey, kid, you ok?" jaune asked them. The kid simply looked at him.
"Are you a huntsman?" the child asked. Jaune blanked for a moment.
"Technically, yes." Jaune answered after a moment. The child's face lights up at that information.
"That's wonderful, Mr. Hunter! My daddy's been looking for you! Come on, come on!" the kid said, grabbing jaune's hand and starting to pull. Jaune stumbled at the new force on his body, and let himself be dragged away. The two went through the small town, going further and further away from the main hall until the child led Jaune to a rural farm outside of the village.
"Papa! Papa! I found us a huntsman!" The child yelled through
A deeper yell came back from inside the farmhouse. "Ada, don't tell me you brought Mr. Jenkins over again, or I swear to oum-" A burly man in a flannel shirt and jeans came down the hall.
"You're not Mr. Jenkins, are you?" He asked with a surprised face. Jaune smiled and shook his head.
"No sir, I am not. My name is Jaune ar- Jaune. I'm a huntsman. You uhh," Jaune looked down at the kid, who had run over to her father and clung to his legs. "Child? Dragged me over saying you were in need of a huntsman." Jaune said, fighting the urge to scratch the back of his head. The burly man visibly relaxed. "Thank God for that. We haven't had a hunter in these parts for years." He sighed. "It makes me glad you're here. I'm Jason, and my husband," Jason turned around, just to see if the aforementioned spouse was nearby. "Todd, is somewhere. Probably out in the town to get some fish. Anyway, if you would follow me to the kitchen, I'm sure I can explain our situation."
Jason led jaune and Ada down the hall, and Jaune took a moment to take in the quaint house. The walls were divided horizontally in half, the lower half being made up of the same hardwood that made up the floor. The second upper half was a warm bright yellow color. A couple of framed pictures, drawings, and a marriage certificate were hanging on the hallway wall. Jaune entered the teal egg blue kitchen, where Jason motioned for him to take a seat.
"So, Mr. Jason, what appears to be the problem?" Jaune asked as professionally as he could.
Jason sighed, rubbing his forehead. "We're goat farmers, Mr. Jaune. And for the last couple of months, several of our goats have disappeared. Large tracks have been found at the edges of our farm. There's been blood on several occasions." Jason explained
Jaune nodded. "Are there ever any remnants? Bones? Fur? And what do these tracks often look like?"
Jason's eyes went wide for a moment, trying to remember. "I don't remember there being any bones, no. And the tracks are large. Dinner plate sized at least, and they're strange. Nothing I've ever seen before." Jason made a large circle with his hands to indicate the size. Jaune racked his brain.
It can't be beowolves. They don't eat the bones. Neither do Ursa for that matter. Can't be Nevermore either. They don't leave tracks that often, being birds… What grimm is large enough to eat bones like that? Jaune thought.
"Could you show me where these tracks are?" jaune asked. Jason nodded.
"Yeah, of course. Right this way, mr. jaune." Jason stood, going towards the screen door.
"Jason." jaune said, causing jason to turn around, looking somewhat worried. "It's just jaune, and on a different topic, do you know how to use any weapons?" Jason nodded
"Todd says I have a mean batter swing." He supplemented. Jaune nodded.
"Good enough. Grab that."
Jason looked concerned as his eyes widened. "Am I going to be joining you on your hunt?" he asked, concerned. Jaune looked at him like he was insane.
"What-no! Absolutely not. I want you to grab it so if things go really south and we run into grimm, you can defend yourself. I want you to run at the first sign of danger, man." Jaune shook his head at the idea. Oh god, civilians in combat. I shudder at the thought. It would be an unmitigated disaster. Jaune cringed, imagining the scenario. Jaune was, of course, selectively oblivious to the fact he also counted as a civilian. The two passed the goat sty, a wooden fenced off area where there were clearly new blocks of fencing, and broken ones as well. As they paced through the farmland, mostly either a tall, oat like grass, or a simple grazing field.
They approached the edge of a forest, where Jason pointed down at the ground.
Jaune looked down, having to crouch to look at the sashaying line tracks.
"I've seen this before." Jaune said softly to himself, racking his brain for the type of grimm. Ren had fought it once. The giant two headed snake one. Jaune's head slumped.
"Snakes. Why is it always fucking snakes?" He asked the gods.
They didn't answer. Of course they didn't.
Jason raised an eyebrow. "Snakes?"
Jaune nodded. "These are snake tracks. So i'm betting it's some kind of snake like grimm. Good news, it's not particularly old, as these tracks aren't that big yet." jaune pointed.
Jason looked relieved. "Can you kill it?"
Jaune took a moment to think about that. "Probably. The hard part is going to be finding it." Jaune admitted. "I'm on a bit of a time crunch, so I can't stay and watch over the goats and just wait for it to come. If I don't find it, I suppose I could help you set up some traps that might work against it?" Jaune offered with an apologetic shrug. It wasn't his fault that he had a deadline to meet.
Jason looked like he was suckerpunched. "Ah, right. Well, I am glad that you're willing to try to take care of the problem then." Jason was forced out. Jaune wished he could have stayed too, at least for a little while. Jaune could tell that the town was just barely scraping by, more or less. The chances of this place getting a permanent huntsman was miniscule. And Minstral didn't have a formal government funded militia for Moralle to call on.
Why was Minstral such a political shit show? It was almost as bad as Atlas or Vaulco.
Ok, that wasn't fair. Vaulco was an entirely separate bag of bullshits. They practically didn't have a government.
Jaune gestures that Jason could leave, which he gladly did. The further away from some giant snake grimm, the better.
Jaune sighed, looking at the forest edge. It couldn't hurt to go in and look around, now could it?
Jaune stepped forward into the woods, one eye to the ground and the other eye to the trees.
The sun was setting by the time Jaune made any actual headway on the hunt. Jaune had found strange markings on the trees that made it look like someone took a sander to the trunks.
"Welp, those are grimm marks if I've ever seen one." Jaune said, much like a plummer who was looking at a broken sink.
Jaune had never seen a grimm mark before in his life.
Looking around cautiously, Jaune drew his sword and shield and swept the area. His nerves were getting to him as he saw no immediate danger. He stalked deeper into the forest, trying his best to be as quiet as possible in his heavy armor.
Jaune moved about forty feet further into the grimm territory before he encountered danger. It was in the form of a beowolf.
And where there is one beowolf, there is more. Jaune moved to dispatch it, drawing it's attention. It snarled at him, as it backed away.
Must be a scout then, or a straggler. Jaune thought as he moved forward. He would have to kill this one before it called it's friends. Jaune dashed forward as the beast began to howl. Jaune slammed his sword into its throat, but it was two late. It's call had sounded, and the pack was coming. Jaune watched the beast dissolve into dust, frankly incredibly proud of himself at the fact that he was able to kill a beowolf with his own hands. His victory didn't last long, however. He heard the rest of the packing coming through the forest with a rushing crashing sound. He saw the grimm come, and decided that his best bet was to get somewhere where the grimm can't get.
Grimm couldn't climb trees could they? Jaune really hoped they couldn't. Jaune skedaddled up one of the large oak trees, only moments before the pack leapt into the combat area.
Yeah, Jaune really hoped that they couldn't climb trees
When her guardian returned home, it was with broken bones and bleeding wounds, being held up by four strangers who seemed like some sort of Huntsmen-In-Training.
Akane gasped and ran to the door. "Mister Jaune?! Mister Jaune! Are you okay?!"
"Whoa whoa, easy kid," one of the strangers said - Akane noticed that he had blonde hair, dirty blue eyes, and a monkey tail waving freely. "Your friend here's gotten real beat up. He's barely staying conscious as is!"
Akane's eyebrows furrowed. "C-concise...?"
"He means he's barely awake." Another one said – this one, Akane noticed had blue hair and blue eyes along with tan skin. He looked to his friend, "Dammit Sun, stop using big words, will you?"
"I should be saying that, Mister Neptune 'Steal-Your-Girl' Vasilias." Sun rolled his eyes. Then, with Neptune and his two other friends, he moved Jaune to the nearest couch available in the small apartment they were in.
One of those friends – one with red hair, ear piercings, and bright skin – bit back a curse as they laid Jaune down. "Damn, this couch is gonna stain..."
The last other one – one with green eyes and hair, along with dark skin – raised an eyebrow. "Is this really the time to be complaining about feature, man?"
"I'm just saying it's gonna be dirty, Sage..."
"We've got bigger problems, Scarlet."
A loud clap sounded, and all dissent died down.
"Enough." Sun said, and all obeyed as he lowered his hand. He turned to his friends one by one.
"Sage is right. We have bigger fish to fry. And we can't afford to beat around the bush; we have to keep everything in mind."
The monkey Faunus then turned to Akane. He knelt to her level, red eyes meeting blue, and spoke in a gentle tone, "What's your name, little girl?"
"I'm Akane," Akane said meekly. Her head turned quickly from one man to another, and then eventually to her guardian. It was at him that her attention stayed, and before she knew it, she had gone by his side and taken his hand in hers.
He was bleeding horribly, his breathing strained. His Aura was healing him, but only barely. Akane felt tears burn the edges of her vision. Why? Why did this happen? He was only supposed to go out for a little while!
"Akane, right." Sun nodded, who then proceeded to introduce his Team. "Well, you can call me Sun. This is Neptune, and the others are Sage and Scarlet. We're here to help you and your friend, but he's too injured to help. So… do you think you can tell us anything?"
Akane curled into Jaune's presence, skidding closer and holding his hand against her chest. "H-how can I know that I can trust you?"
Sun was about to move in, but then Jaune's hand shifted in Akane's own, and his half-lidded eyes turned to her.
He groaned as he struggled to speak, "W-we can, Akane… these guys… I know them…"
Any attention Akane had on these strangers was quickly washed away when her guardian proved himself awake. "M-Mister Jaune! Y-You're…!"
"Shh… it's okay… I'm still here…" If Jaune could ruffle her hair he would, but as it stood it was taking everything he had to just stay up.
And then Neptune spoke up before Sun, his eyes starting to shine with recognition. "Come to think of it… I think we have seen this guy before, Sun. Don't you think…?"
"Maybe…? Wait…" Sun stepped back and examined the whole scene in a new light. And only then did he realize just who he had saved.
Just who he had found stumbling bloody and beaten in the streets of Mistral, just who had asked him to bring him back to his apartment, just who had asked for his presence to be kept secret.
"…Aren't you that Jaune Arc guy?" Sun asked. When Jaune's head tilted slightly to him, Sun knew that he was true. "You are! Blake's friend, right? Damn, what happened to you, man?"
"N-Ngh…" Softly, gently, Jaune guided Akane away so that Sun could get closer. And when he did, he only had one, simple question.
"M-my Team…" Jaune whispered. "A-are they…?"
"Yeah man, they're fine," Sun said. "Well, they're still hung up about losing their leader, but last I heard they're planning to crush the Vytal Festival. In your name, some are saying."
Jaune breathed a sigh of relief. "T-that's… that's good… but… how are you here?"
"Headmaster Lionheart called a lot of us back. They say the Vytal Festival's gonna be delayed because of this, but he's adamant he needs every Haven student in Mistral."
"Well- I came earlier, and you know how I stowed away on that ship, but that's beside the point. Even some of the other students, who just came the other day, are being called back." Sun didn't miss the way Jaune seemed to stiffen with his every word, and as such, sought to calm his friend – well, more acquaintance than anything – down.
"Don't worry, man. Once I tell your guys what happened, I'm sure they'll throw a fit and come here, Ozpin be damned!" Sun said. "But you gotta tell me first, what kinda mess did you get in? We'll help you, and I'm sure JNPR and RWBY would too-!"
"No," Jaune said resolutely. At Sun's and the other's confused glances, Jaune took a deep breath and gathered what little power he still had. "They… they c-can't know about this. Sun…
Sun, can I trust you?"
"…Of course you can," Sun said, the rest of his Team surrounding him in support. Jaune nodded and then began to explain what he knew. What the truth of the matter was… what lie they had all been fed.
That someone was plotting.
That Lionheart had been feeding the Huntsmen of Mistral to the Grimm.
That someone could control the Grimm.
And with this new information, calling in all his students that had been sent away…
It was clear to Jaune that Lionheart was now scared of the truth leaking out, all because Jaune had escaped death three times. He was afraid of his control over the Kingdom leaving, of disappointing whoever it was that stood above him.
A person who controlled the Grimm could only want one thing: Destruction, be it of a village, or a town, or maybe even more. And considering Lionheart was calling in every single one of his students back, even past all the existing extraneous circumstances…
Well, what could that mean, other than the destruction of the Kingdom?
And that only pushed a growing hypothesis within Jaune's mind: because Cinder certainly didn't seem to be someone who would kneel to any other, especially not someone like Lionheart.
There had to be someone bigger, then. Someone above even the Headmaster of Haven, the true controller of Grimm. And if they had the secret allegiance of even Lionheart, then who and what else did they have in control in Mistral?
The entire Kingdom was in danger, that was certain.
And the more harrowing thought, born from the whispers he had heard when he first met Cinder to receive that mission which had brought him to Akane…
Hadn't Cinder been selected to go to Beacon too?
And so Akane watched as her guardian and his associates ruminated, planned, and discussed their future efforts – all to save people who didn't know, who couldn't save themselves, who they loved with all their heart.
At this point in time, a desire began to grow from watching her guardian stay awake despite his injuries, all to make sure that their plan would go well. That they would succeed in saving the Kingdom from this unknown evil… and for Jaune, would succeed in protecting her.
Akane desired to one day not be like this anymore – sitting on the sidelines as others did their best, all the while she could do nothing.
It took root beside her respect for her guardian and grew alongside her desire for adventure and love for one Jaune Arc.
One day, when she could see the world with her own two eyes… she wanted it to be that she didn't need him to protect her anymore.
That one day, she could repay the favour.
It was a slaughter on all sides.
After Arc had escaped her, he seemingly acted quickly and assembled a group of people he could trust with the truth. These people then disseminated the truth among Haven's students, making sure to keep them silent in the face of authority yet still warning their friends.
But of course, Leo hadn't been the Headmaster of his own school for nothing. So, once he learned that she had failed in assassinating Arc, once he learned that his students had gotten the inkling that someone was possibly behind even Leonardo himself...
Well, if Beacon couldn't fall because of his sloppiness, then at least he could promise the fall of Haven in return for his failures.
That was just the kind of man Cinder knew Leo was.
Leonardo's corrupt forces had then acted swiftly, managing to almost cull the uprising like putting down a bunch of wild animals. But they had underestimated the tenacity of the students once Arc's truth came out, and thus, what resulted was a bloodbath on the grounds of an institution education.
It would be horrifying for most souls.
But Cinder wasn't most souls.
She was stumbling across the halls of Haven now, her head bleeding and her Aura depleted. She could feel several of her ribs and bones had been cracked. She cursed in the pain, hating how things had turned out.
She was the Fall Maiden, even if she still only had half the powers of one! But that hadn't been enough, and so no matter how much Magic she had been able to control, it hadn't stood a chance against an army of 1st-year students.
Even Raven had been subdued by the 4th years, the ones that were almost Huntsmen, who had lured her into a trap based on Arc's advice... if she had the mind to reflect, then she would've realized that she had had almost no chance.
Simply put, this plan was a total clusterfuck.
Emerald and Mercury were off somewhere on campus, split up from her, though she did not doubt that they had been defeated by the students as well.
Raven and her bandits had been handled by the upper years; she had seen herself that many had given their lives to defeat a Maiden and her followers, but it seemed that the students' disregard for their lives was the thing that helped them win out.
Because as soon as those tribesmen saw that it wouldn't be an outright victory, many ran and left Raven behind.
In the end, the Spring Maiden was left all alone, swarmed by people who didn't care if they died, so long as Haven was safe.
The ones Arc had entrusted with the truth... amid this total warzone, Cinder had seen them engaging with Tyrian Callows – he too had been called in by Leo, a desperate attempt for Salem's most loyal followers to still vouch for him once all of this was over.
Team SSSN was most likely in shambles now – but judging by how Tyrian hadn't come to her aid, and how the day had mostly gone, Cinder could only presume that the monkey and his boys had somehow done it.
And as for the bastard of the hour himself...
Cinder gritted her teeth and kept moving, despite the protests of her broken shins. With great pain, she pushed on along the hallways and the classes, and eventually...
She reached the Headmaster's office.
And with a grunt and clenched teeth, Cinder opened the door and stepped in. The sight that greeted her was equally as bloody as the outside:
W wannabe Knight bleeding and broken on the floor, and a phony Headmaster breathing heavily and leaning against his desk covered with blood that wasn't of his own.
Both turned their eyes to her as soon as they heard her enter the room.
"Cinder...!" Jaune whispered.
"Ah, Cinder." Leo sighed in relief. "Just who I was hoping to see."
Cinder stayed silent. She could see the way Jaune looked crestfallen, but even so, continued to try and stand up. Even with his bleeding chest, even with his broken foot, even with none of them healing due to a lack of Aura... he still tried.
Cinder then looked at Leo. She could see that he had been taken to the limit as well, on the last vestiges of his own Aura. Cinder couldn't help but wonder, had Jaune done this himself, or had more students ganged up on their traitor Headmaster before Arc had engaged him himself?
Or had Leo simply been that weak, to be brought to this stage when she knew he hadn't faced near the opposition as she had, nor the other Salem forces?
Leo began to laugh nervously. "A- I'm sure that with you here, Salem could see reason. We could still save ourselves; she would find use for us!"
Cinder stayed silent. Her eyebrow twitched.
And yet Leo didn't seem to realize, continuing to bulldoze on with his desperation. "With you here, this boy's fate is sealed. If we kill him, demoralize the rest of the students, then we can still turn this battle around!"
Again, Cinder's eyebrow twitched.
Did Leo not see that battlefield in what he called his school? Any hope of continuing the destruction to Mistral was lost. So what if they managed a victory in Haven? So what if they pulled out a miracle with their numbers less than a quarter strong, if they continued with their wounded when the enemy would be on their guard?
All was lost. Cinder wasn't vain enough to not admit that. Despite her inner rage, despite her indignation, it would mean nothing if she died here. The best was to cut their losses and find new ways to make it up to Salem, away from this failed instance.
She was smart enough to realize that, but it seemed that Leo couldn't.
"All we need is to kill Arc. Yes, if we can kill him... prove we can still do things right... prove we can still strike fear, just like Salem likes us to..." Leo muttered.
Cinder still stayed silent. She knew that Leo was most likely lost in his delusion by now.
Her eyes once more flicked to Jaune Arc. He stood firm, even with his wounds. He held the same strength he showed her back the last time they met.
Was it because of his clear victory, even if he did die here? Or was it because of pure spite that he continued defying them, defying her?
"Yes... Kill Arc... save ourselves...!" Leo continued to mutter.
Jaune's eyes met her own. Those same defiant orbs met her own...
Why? She wanted to ask. He was about to die here, and yet still he stood.
Why?
Why had she lost the war?
Why could he find solace in personal loss?
Why, even with all her skills and abilities, did it all end up like this?
Why was it, that despite all her sacrifices... that it was not her that was at the top?
Why, did a weakling like him, despite her plans, continue to one-up her again and again?
Why was it, that out of the three of them here... it was the weakest of them all that was the most content?
"Kill him. Yes, Kill him!" Leo seemed to decide.
And then, the traitorous Headmaster turned to Cinder. It was clear to her eyes that he was too exhausted to truly kill Arc, their battle presumably draining him of what fight the coward really had. But with Cinder here, it was a different story.
"Cinder, kill him!" Leo shouted.
Jaune didn't flinch, merely narrowing his eyes. He was too wounded to move, too broken to even lift his shield... and yet he didn't fear her.
Why? She again wanted to ask. Why had she won the battle, but lost the war?
Why?
"Kill him, Cinder!" Leo shouted from the sidelines.
Cinder's eyebrow twitched for the last time.
"Kill him! KILL HIM! It's the only way we can survive!"
"..."
"CINDER FALL! KILL HIM! CINDER, I ORDER YOU-"
Cinder drew Midnight and held them firm in her hands.
"TO KILL JAUNE AR-AAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Cinder leaped forwards, and in less than a second, felt warm blood seep down Midnight's blade and into her grip. And in front of her, she watched with a small pleasure as Leo's mouth gaped open – and her blade shoved down through his throat.
Cinder's emotionless expression turned into a sneer, and she smirked as the last of Leo's life left his eyes.
Why, indeed? She didn't know.
But there was one thing she did know, unaffected by Salem's disappointment nor Leo's pathetic begging.
"I," Cinder said simply, "am controlled by no one."
And with a flick of her fingers, she lit Leo up in flames and burned him to ash.
Chapter 7: First Ink DropsSummary:
Jaune clenched his fists, his bloodied armour smelling of iron not his own. Whatever this Ever After was, wherever it may lay…
He would head there immediately.
And there, he would become whatever he needed to be.
Chapter Text
Beneath the previously locked basement of Haven Academy, seventeen-year-old Jaune stood before a blue, massive ethereal-like figure. She had been hidden, kept beneath its vaults for how many centuries he didn't know, and only through coercing the current Spring Maiden did they manage to free her; a Spring Maiden that had been located, of course, by their reluctant ally of the half-Fall Maiden.
And wasn't that a shock? That Maidens were real…
Jaune still could barely talk, barely form a coherent thought as he stared at this undeniable proof of magic being shown before him. She seemed like a genie, for lack of a better word, straight from a childhood fairy tale. She even managed to stop time around him, like a being of pure magic…
The spirit of knowledge. Jinn.
But then, the stares from the tens behind him knocked him out of his stupor. The students of Haven who had heeded his warning… those who fought with him against Leonardo. Those who wanted to know the truth…
Those who remained, after so many had been buried.
"Jinn…" Jaune rolled the words in his tongue. He swallowed his doubts and faced her as he was. As the person who warned them all, the person who led their fight against the treacherous headmaster.
The headmaster had been a person who somehow had some control over the Grimm and was willingly killing them off. A person who, with what limited knowledge Jaune knew, worked for someone who controlled all of them.
But who could that possibly be?
"Tell us, Jinn! Who is the true person behind the Grimm?"
And with his words – on Jaune's emphasis on us – Jinn released her control over stopped time and answered this boy, this strange, unknown boy, his question.
"That would be Salem. The Queen of the Grimm… an immortal who controls all the Grimm from a dragon-shaped island."
Jaune mulled over the answer as the students behind him gasped – as Cinder Fall raised an eyebrow over the answer. Of course, she already knew; she turned turncoat, after all, once he showed her that there was no point in following Leo, following whoever had been issuing their orders. But the others needed their confirmation, and so here they were.
And assuming she was also correct about the other things, that meant that they had two more questions. Two more chances to know vital information.
"And how can we kill her?!" Jaune asked back.
"She was once a human but is now a being of pure, dark magical energy. And she is an immortal. Killing her by normal means will not work, no matter what weapons you use."
Shit. That was a waste!
He could hear the students panic behind him, hear his allies voice their worry at fighting a battle they couldn't possibly win. After all, how do you beat something that was unkillable?! And Jinn's answers were absolute!
His mind raced as the crowd neared a breaking point – no, they couldn't break now, there had to be a way! There had to be!
And then, his mind concluded.
"You said she was a being of magical energy…" Jaune said, and he felt a small sense of relief when the crowd settled down and at least decided to hear him out.
Magic, magic…
The Maidens were magic. They weren't immortal, but their powers transferred to another upon their death. This lamp thing was also almost indestructible, and Aura always regenerated when it 'ran out'
Jaune concluded again: Magic would persist. It couldn't be extinguished; it couldn't be killed… but it could be moved.
It could be transformed.
"Then Jinn, tell us…" Jaune whispered. "We want to defeat Salem. To defeat an immortal… then, is there a way for her to be trapped? Is there a way that we can bring the Grimm and her away for good?"
And that question got a smile out of Jinn. This boy, she decided… he was different.
He wasn't a pawn of Ozma, nor was he affiliated with Salem. He acted on his own will, with a fire to protect those close to him. It had been a long time since someone discovered the truth of this world all on their own, and it was nigh time that someone did.
Truth be told, she had seen Ozma's and Salem's battle for thousands of years and had gone tired of the games those old coots played. Perhaps this young man, this anomaly… would be the changing factor.
She had seen within his heart. The easy answer would be to tell him of the secret of the Silver Eyes. How it can freeze Grimm and had a chance of freezing her too. But that wouldn't be what Jaune wanted, she knew. And besides, that wouldn't kill her; it would only lock her in a petrification. And when her statue shattered, the process would only begin again.
The point being, that wasn't what Jaune had asked.
"Child… yes, there is a way. However, it requires immense sacrifice." Jinn explained, "As youhave deducedin your mind, magic is similar to energy. It cannot be destroyed, but it can be moved and transformed. The only way for you to defeat Salem is to take her dark magic and those of the Grimm… and scatter it through dimensions… trapping her regenerative state in limbo."
"Then how-!"
"But doing so will require the sacrifice of a soul. To take magic, you must sacrifice magic. The law of equal exchange… and the only magic stronger than a millennia-old curse of darkness is that of a soul who is willing to die for their loved ones."
Jinn let the silence reign, and then…
"And besides… You have reached the limits of three questions." Jinn interrupted, though she did give him a wry smile. It seemed that no matter who it was, they often got lost in their desire for knowledge. "You no longer have the right to ask any more of me."
Jaune lowered his head. No… Damn it, he had failed...!
But Jinn had smiled when she saw him. This Jaune Arc fellow… was new, he was fresh. And as such, she would give him this little tidbit.
"However… I do know what you seek, child." Jin smiled, "So I will give you this. You must head to a separate dimension known as the Ever After. There, you might find a way to harness magic, a way to acquire that power… the answer to your desire."
Jaune raised his head in surprise, his blue eyes meeting Jinn's flickering own as she was absorbed back into the lamp.
"And there…" Jin smiled, "When you stand before a tree… when you see the choices laid bare… there, you will decide your destiny... Jaune of Arc."
And with a final flicker, Jinn disappeared back into her lamp, leaving the basement of Haven filled with nothing but shouts and concerned yells as what remained of the student body panicked.
But amidst it all, Jaune's mind was clear. If that was the only way… then he would do it. He would find wherever this Ever After was and head there, he would learn to control magic, to take that darkness and cast it away, no matter what it cost him.
And after seeing the slaughter that Leo had done…
At seeing the gazes of sorrow as more than half of Haven had been buried earlier today, he could only imagine what would've happened had this Salem person reached Vale… What would've happened to his friends, to his team, then?
And so, when Akane desperately clung to his pants, rushing to him the moment he was done speaking with Jinn, Jaune made up his mind. That resolve only strengthened when she desperately held him close, because she had seen so much death when no soul as young as her should have ever even come close to all of this.
Jaune clenched his fists, his bloodied armour smelling of iron not his own. Whatever this Ever After was, wherever it may lay…
He would head there immediately.
And there, he would become whatever he needed to be.
Chapter 8: OathSummary:
Even if this did cost them time, even if this did cost them their lives…
…Akane needed him here.
Chapter Text
Akane couldn't sleep.
She knew that it was probably natural. The day had been hard on everyone, especially with the revelations of a Grimm Queen…
Walking through Haven in a haze, she set out to find the person she was closest with. Mister Jaune had left her in her room after the battle, saying that he needed to address some people or something like that, and that he'd be back as soon as possible.
But that was hours ago. She was sleepy, and while she wasn't all that unfamiliar with the idea of sleeping alone…
…Tonight, just tonight, she couldn't do it. She needed someone to hold on to, someone to hug her… someone to keep the monsters away.
It was with that fear, holding her blanket close as what remained of Haven bustled around her even at midnight, that she searched for Mister Jaune.
Akane walked everywhere, and yet she couldn't find him. That didn't make sense, he had told her he wasn't leaving Haven! Just where could Mister Jaune be…?
Akane continued her search. And as she stumbled around, eventually the crowd began to thin. She found herself walking towards the one place she hadn't checked: the library.
As she made her tentative steps inside, it was with a silent gasp that she found Mister Jaune, unconscious with his head against books of fairy tales. His mind had shut down as it needed some much-needed rest, and now his breathing was heavy as his body whimpered.
And like that, time passed. Akane quickly hid behind several books and peered from the sides, crushed at seeing her – she wasn't sure what he was yet, but she knew he was her protector – as tired and scared as she was, she could recognize that clearly.
And now, with that book being the only thing keeping his head from the cold wood table, it was even clearer to her that he was trying his best to make sure that she and everyone else, were safe for the upcoming battle of Salem.
"Mister Jaune…" Akane whispered. She took tentative steps out of her hiding place but eeped out when another person entered the room.
That new person put down a steaming cup of hot chocolate for Jaune, and with a gentle hand, shook her protector up.
"Ngh..." Akane watched as Jaune opened his eyes and slowly woke up. He rubbed his eyes and looked at his surroundings, the sun having set and the library now on "Ah... how long was I out...?"
"Almost 10 hours."
Jaune looked at the person who sat before him, the one who had prepared all of this for him. "Sun…"
"Don't sweat it. All of us need some rest after yesterday." In his hands, Sun had taken the took the thick book that Jaune had been reading over: Fairy Tales of Remnant, it read on its spine.
"T-thanks." Jaune stuttered. He took a sip of the chocolate, his body shivering in its warmth; he hadn't realized he had been that cold. "A-any… find anything?"
"Some things," Sun replied. He flipped a page, one that Jaune saw he himself had been reading earlier and hummed. "We – that's me and Neptune – tried to go through what you were doing before you passed out. Most of it was just rehashing, but… we did find something interesting."
"And what is it?"
"It's this." Sun laid the book on the table and spun it for Jaune to see. As the knight did, he looked at the sections that had been marked, all as Sun narrated both their thoughts.
"Four relics. Four Kingdoms. Four members in a team." Sun said. "Seems like a lot of four going on. We already have one here in Haven. But what can lead us to the Ever After? And what can the other relics do?"
"Yeah… I've been thinking about that too." Jaune muttered. "The one here is Knowledge. Cinder doesn't know the rest, and we're all sure that Salem will come knocking sooner or later. We need to act quickly and get to the Ever After somehow. But how…?"
Sun closed his eyes. "You… you're not going to like the answer to that, Jaune."
Jaune paused, and Akane shifted behind her hiding spot. Her protector looked at Sun, and even she could see his pained expression, his grief and sorrow.
And Jaune immediately felt guilty. Sun had lost half his team, and Neptune was still going around in crutches. Many others in Haven suffered similar losses, not to mention some civilians who got caught in the crossfire.
That must be why they were so sad. They had survived, sure, but he had failed in leading them all to a bloodless victory. They were still grieving, hurting, and here he was making them take up his slack.
He should've been better.
"I- I'm sorry…"
"No. No, you're missing the point." Sun said.
Wait, he was?
"Tell me, after reading this – all of this –did you get what the Ever After means, Jaune?"
"No. There's no mention of it anywhere… I was assuming that's why we need the relics…" Jaune shrunk in on himself. They had every right to question him; and he appreciated the way they still cared, the way that they prepared all this for him…
But Sun saw the way Jaune was cowering in again and knew that he had to make his point clear.
"We don't blame you for all this, Jaune."
Jaune looked up with shocked eyes. "Y-you don't…?"
"Some of us do; that's the nature of grief. But we'd be angrier if you didn't warn us."
"But I..."
"But nothing," Sun stressed. "Listen to me. Listen to what I have to say, or I won't be telling you anything about what I found."
Jaune pouted. "That's not fair."
And Akane couldn't help but agree; why was a friend dangling something over another's head? It wasn't right…
But Sun merely sighed. "Life isn't," he said sorrowfully. "Jaune... I don't blame you for what happened. They... they would never forgive me if I did."
"But I- If I was just better..."
"Better isn't here, Jaune. You are. And sometimes, we've just got to work with what we've got." Sun sighed. He could see that Jaune was still conflicted, even if he was somewhat hearing his words.
Sun took a deep breath. This... this wasn't easy.
He had always been an easy-going guy. That was his nature, that was just how he came. But this loss, this revelation, hit him hard. Hit all of them hard... at least those who were around to see it.
It was a wake-up call. They had to step up, to prepare themselves, or else their friends' sacrifices would be for nothing.
And if that became true, then how could he face his team when the time came?
Sun was, had been, a leader. He had been chosen by Lionheart, even if the crooked bastard was a traitor. He had led his team, loved them, and now, all he could do was keep their memory alive.
However, Jaune still had his; old and new friends, those who were going to support him. And Sun knew that sometime, in the future, the man in front of him would meet his teammates again. And so would Sun himself, when his own time came.
It just seemed that Jaune didn't realize it yet, and so it was now Sun's responsibility to let his friend know of that hope. All the while, Akane watched from the sidelines, hidden.
"Those who love us don't leave us," Sun said softly. His hands slowly crept to Jaune's, and the Faunus could then feel just how cold, weak, and frail they were.
Beneath the exterior of the leader, the knight, was just another man. Sun could respect that, he really could. Because it was more than most offered. And besides, what was the duty of a friend if not to provide comfort?
He had his story. Jaune had his. They all had a role to play... and Sun had to tell Jaune exactly how it was.
At least, so that that Jaune could hope to change it.
"They're out there. Looking down at us, waiting for us, smiling at us. And one day, when our fairy tale ends... we'll meet them too."
"I know that," Jaune whispered. He shivered, and Sun closed his grip on Jaune's hand.
"That's why I want you to understand. You can't throw your life away. Not when there are other people still counting on you... here or not."
"..."
Sun let his words ring as Jaune stayed silent. Such words wouldn't sink in deeply, he knew, and it would take time until Jaune realized it. But he needed to say it now, needed Jaune to at least know it before he proceeded to the next part.
"I'm saying this, Jaune, because of what I've figured out. Because... I've got an inkling on what the ever after is."
The reaction was immediate.
"What?!" Jaune stood up. "Then- then we need to get there now! We can't waste any time-!"
Sun raised a hand, and Jaune stopped in his tracks. Only then could the knight see the serious, almost despairing look on Sun's face.
"Look," The junior detective said, "This is just a possibility. It might not be correct, it's only what I've deduced..."
"But Jaune... you know what 'happily ever after' means, right?"
"Of course I do. It's an ending, it's the best… there… is…?"
Akane saw Jaune trail off when Sun's expression turned grim.
"It is." Sun nodded, and he sighed.
"I'm just saying. With what we know of it… if the Ever After is like that… then there's a very good chance you can't get out of there."
"...w-what...?"
"It's all written in here." Sun tapped the book. "Read, Jaune. They live happily ever after... the sunset endings, the smiles, and final sentences... what do you think happens when a story ends?"
"They finish... they die."
"Exactly." Sun sighed. "When have we ever heard of a fairy tale getting a sequel? If you do this, Jaune... if you go there... I just think there's a very real chance you can't come back."
"B-but Jinn had said…"
"NO!" Akane heard someone shout. Only when the others' heads turned to her hiding spot did she realize that it was her who spoke.
"Akane…" Jaune said, but Akane cut him off. She leaped out of the bookshelves – screw hiding! – and hugged Jaune close.
"Y-You can't leave, Mister Jaune! You can't!" Akane screamed.
"Oh dear…" Jaune put a shaky hand on Akane and gently ran circles over her back. Back when he was in Ansel, this trick usually did a lot in calming the younger of his sisters down...
And yet, the more he did it now, the worse it seemed to get for his little girl.
"Y-you can't leave…" Akane whispered. "I-If you do…!"
"Akane, I have to." Jaune whispered. "You heard what Jinn said. This is the only way to beat Salem…"
"I don't care about beating Salem!" Akane shouted. She felt the room pause, felt the air still and thicken, and yet she continued.
"If you go, then I'll be all alone, Mister Jaune." Akane sniffled. Tears began to leak her eyes, and before she knew it, she was crying on her protector's shoulder.
The man who went through hell and back to keep her safe.
And the man who was willing to sacrifice everything and leave to ensure a better future.
But that wasn't what she wanted.
"If you go… I'll be all alone!" Akane cried. She cried and cried, begging for the one person who cared to not leave her, because this was the only thing she could do. "You can't leave, Mister Jaune! We'll find a way! We can beat Salem without leaving. Just- just don't die! I can't… I can't…!"
After one last gasp, Akane felt her energy leave her, and then another strong arm wrapping her figure fully and pulling her close.
Jaune exhaled, his warm breath hitting his little girl's neck. He knew Sun was watching from across him, and yet he found that he didn't care.
He knew his objective, his purpose, now more than ever. They all needed to be safe. They needed to defeat Salem, and they had a clear, confirmed way to do it. He just couldn't afford another loss like this again.
He was prepared. He was! Anything he needed to stop Salem, anything at all for a better future.
But... if he died...
Then what would that leave Akane with?
To live, to die. Jaune didn't know the answer to that. He thought he had been ready. But now...
'They will meet again' Sun had said. The word would eventually become Haven's motto, a remembrance and a truth.
Everything had an end. He knew that. But with Akane here, crying and begging in his arms… Jaune knew that what mattered was how, where, when, and with whom one ended it with.
He was prepared to go to the Ever After. Even if he never came back, that was a price he was willing to pay.
But it wasn't what Akane was willing to pay.
She needed him. They all did, Haven and Sun and everyone else… but Akane had no one else to turn to. If he disappeared then she would have no one to catch her, no one to care for her, no one to keep her safe. A little girl left to the cruelty of the world, when he had promised her, the first time she met her, that she would protect her.
Akane shook again in his hands, and he noticed her eyes going droopy.
And with that, Jaune decided.
He ran a hand through her hair. "You were sleepy, weren't you…?"
Akane groaned. "I, I was… but I…"
Jaune caught the meaning immediately. She had needed someone to comfort her, and so she sought out the person who had promised. And what did she find in turn, other than that person ready to sign their death warrant?
"Hey…" Jaune whispered into her ear, giving a nod to Sun to tell him to wait for a bit. Sun nodded back, getting out and waiting just outside the library, bringing the book with him, and now that silence became theirs' alone.
"Mmm…" Akane mumbled, sleepy but scared to rest. What if, when she fell asleep, Mister Jaune had left? No, she had to be strong. She wouldn't lose him too, wouldn't let him go for a guaranteed win, not when it cost him their life together. And more so if it was all on mere chance.
This couldn't be the right way. There had to be another path, one where she didn't have to be left alone…
…All in the name of protecting…
What did it mean if Mister Jaune left, and he failed anyway?
What did it mean if Mister Jaune won, but she had to go on and live without him?
Akane felt her head eyelids droop against her will. No. No, she had to stay up, she had to make sure he didn't leave…!
But then, a calming hand ran through her hair, big and strong yet so gentle. Akane looked up and saw her protector smiling at her warmly, and yet even she could see the way he was bottling up everything all to seem strong for her.
Somehow, that made it even more heartwarming for her.
"How about a little story time, then…" Jaune whispered, shifting his grip for her so her head would lay comfortably on his lap. He propped her feet on some chairs, taking her blanket and draping it over both. "Maybe that'll let you sleep?"
"Don't want to…" Akane mumbled, her hands reaching out to grab something. "Wanna stay up…"
Jaune bit back a chuckle. "Well, little Akane, we all have our limits…"
"Not me. I can-!" A yawn cut her off, and she felt her cheeks heat up when Mister Jaune laughed. "H-Hey…!"
"Oh, you cute little thing." Jaune cooed, pinching her cheeks. She pouted, squirmed, and looked away…
And yet, she could see the way Mister Jaune melted, the way the tension in his shoulders left him when he began playing with her. Hey, maybe this was the way she could get him to stay…?
Akane's lips twitched. "You know, Mister Jaune… I- I changed my mind… can I hear that story now?"
"Hm?" Jaune smiled, "Ah, I guess you can't fight back the sleep now?"
"I…" she yawned, "I guess…" Akane reached out again, and this time, Jaune's hands met hers and engulfed them with love.
"Then don't worry," Jaune said softly, barely above a whisper. "I know this one well. I bet you'll love it! You can relax while I tell it to you."
"Mm…" Akane looked to her protector, "Is it- is it something famous? The matrons back- back before never really liked stories…"
"Well, I guess… maybe they have…" Mister Jaune looked away from her. His eyes seemed to scan for something, anything, around the room, lost in memory and longing… before they settled back on her.
And when he saw her innocent eyes, and she saw his deep blue orbs, he began to speak.
"There was once a girl named the Red Reaper," His words were like honey to her, soothing her and calming her down. Mister Jaune seemed to really get into the story, his eyes sparkling as his voice became increasingly enthused.
"She was younger than most, but she was one of the strongest of the land. But for all of that, she was lonely. She was shy and awkward and didn't have that much confidence.
But the girl did have one dream – she wanted to be a hero who could save everyone.
She was active, but she was also a little reckless. So, one day, the Red Reaper defeated a thief, and in doing so, caught the attention of a great wizard. The wizard saw her potential, but he also saw that she was alone. That she would stagnate if she stayed like she was, and that she needed to be pushed out of her shell if she wanted to trulysave the people.
But the Red Reaper didn't see that. She wanted to save people, but she wanted to do it alone. Not because she hated other people, but because she just liked to do things herself so much. That she would only mess up other people's habits, that she wouldn't have good authority… she just couldn't believe herself as the leader.
And yet, that wasn't what the Wizard believed. After all, you can't save people if you can't understand them.
Seeing this, the wizard decided to give the girl her dream, a chance at becoming a hero. He decided to train her, to teach her everything she knew. But, at the same time, the wizard also gave her a team that she hadto lead. And no matter how much she denied and complained, the wizard never budged and told her that he was his one condition.
The Reaper couldn't possibly run away from her dream, so she begrudgingly accepted. And at first…" Jaune chuckled, "It went horribly."
Akane's eyes widened. "It did? But you said the Red Reaper was the strongest around!"
"Strength doesn't mean everything." Mister Jaune said softly, his right hand letting go of hers and running through her hair. "Sometimes… people need more than that.
"The Red Reaper was granted a partner who challenged her at every turn. She was granted her Brawler of a sister whose sun-like confidence smothered her meek self. And she was given a teammate who held many secrets and refused to open her silence.
And the Red Reaper had no confidence to challenge them, not at first at least.
And it caused the team to slowly but surely fall apart. And soon, a great evil came, something that the Reaper couldn't defeat alone."
Akane gasped. "Oh no! Then, then did they-!"
Jaune chuckled. "Oh, the evil almost won. They had prepared for a long time, and they saw that the great defenders were split. They decided that that was their chance, and attacked the city they lived in.
But they had waited too long, had enjoyed and reveled in their villainy too long.
Because by then, the Wizard's call had been correct.
The struggles of the team had forced the Red Reaper's hand. It broke her out of her shell… the great Red Reaper finally learned the value of other people…
And she only never felt happier for her revelations.
The Angel, who felt cheated out of being a leader, after being confronted, finally admitted that she had only wanted the best… and that she was willing to give the Red Reaper a chance if she only showed that she was worth it.
The Brawler, who was seemingly confident in everything and never needed the Red Reaper's help... had merely wanted to be a good role model and support her.
And the Secret-Bearer Ninja… her silence was a form of guilt over her own sins, sins she was so ashamed of and didn't want anyone else to know, especially her beloved innocent Red Reaper leader.
And all it took for the Red Reaper was to take the first step in admitting that shewas the leader. In believing in herself... and in others' too.
And so, the evil came. But now, having understood the importance of teamwork, the Red Reaper and her team easily repelled the evil back together.
No matter what the evil plotted, no matter what they did, the Red Reaper and her team were already there… already protecting… already together.
And so, the Red Reaper became legendary, a hero at fifteen…. And yet more known as someone who could effectively lead… a real inspiration who joined impossible forces through love and understanding.
And all it took was for her to get out of her shell."
Jaune smiled down at Akane, her eyelids already drooping down. "…The end."
Akane groaned, feeling her energy leaving her. The way Mister Jaune had said that story… so warm… it comforted her, and brought her to sleep even as she didn't want to.
"So…" Akane said, "We just… need to believe in each other…?"
"Yes, Akane." Jaune ran his hand again, "Yes, we do."
"Then… will you… believe in me?"
"…"
"There… has to be another way…." Akane whispered, her head rolling, "For us… to win…"
"…Yes," Jaune whispered. "I believe in you."
The words proved a massive balm to her soul. Sleep rapidly approached, and yet before she fell, she asked one more question to Mister Jaune.
"The Red Reaper…" Akane sighed, "…You never told me her name, Mister Jaune…"
Jaune chuckled. "She- Well, she's…"
He brushed a strand of hair past Akane's face, her delicate breathing all he could hear and feel…
…and smiled when he saw that she was already asleep.
"…someone you'll never meet." Jaune finished.
Jaune sighed. Airing this out… he had needed it.
He had been so ready to do whatever he needed to. To leave and secure a certain victory. And he was ready now too, for defeating Salem came first, no matter the cost.
But now, there was a bundle of innocence of hope on his lap, something that didn't deserve the pain of 'no matter the cost'.
Narrating the 'Red Reaper's story… analysing it, looking at and telling it from a different perspective… Jaune now found himself believing in it as much as Akane seemed to as well.
Ruby wouldn't give in so easily. Ruby wouldn't leave the ones she loved behind… she'd find a different way, he knew. She'd fight alongside those she cared about, fight with the power of friendship and the bonds that strengthened her soul.
Jaune… he wasn't that. He had failed too much; he wasn't like her, who was a prodigy…
…But maybe, for Akane, he could try.
It was at that moment that Sun walked back in. He took one look at the situation and gave Jaune an understanding nod.
"I've got a lead; a fairy tale about a deadly sword native to Vacuo," the monkey Faunus said, "I've got an inkling that it's something more, but… you sure you want to?"
Jaune exhaled. He ran a hand through Akane's hair, felt her shift and lean into her touch, and made his decision.
"Then that's where we'll go next," Jaune said and held Akane close. "But only once we've settled everything here."
He wouldn't leave her alone.
Even if this did cost them time, even if this did cost them their lives…
…Akane needed him here.
And Ruby would have never willingly left a friend behind.
Jaune looked out to the window. Dawn was beginning to crack, and yet, his little girl had just fallen asleep. The sun was shining a bright orange, giving light to a bright blue morning sky.
A new day… a new future, the first sun to rise with knowledge of a Grimm Queen's presence.
He didn't know what it held. He only knew what he was told, what he could find out, what he could believe in. But what he did know was that this evil could be defeated… and yet, at the same time, he couldn't leave those he loved behind to ensure it.
It was a contradiction. But then, wasn't that the nature of everything?
That blue morning sky was goading him, taunting him to go and fly high and leave everyone behind. He knew what needed to be done, so why did he have to burden himself with the pesky 'feelings' of those that he wanted to protect? What mattered was their safety and nothing else.
But now… Jaune couldn't bring it into himself to believe that.
If he had the chance, he would say:
That if he could fly, then he'd never come back down.
He'd leave everyone behind for their own safety. He'd only have eyes for that blue, blue sky.
Akane stirred. And though she slept soundly, her heart still felt everything that her protector was going through. Their bond was too close now, the moment he denied ever leaving her… that even years later, when he would admit it to her, she would only say that she already knew.
And it was all thanks to the first fairy tale he had told her.
"What do you think magic is?"
"Elemental control?"
"Not quite. But close enough." Cinder said across from Jaune. They were in what was now called 'the meeting room', which was mostly just a repurposed classroom that wasn't destroyed or housed injured students.
Cinder then explained. "Magic, from my personal research, means control. Of everything in this world. Elemental aspects are the most common examples, like the Maidens." Here, she paused with a snort, before continuing, "But when I say everything, I do mean everything. Gravity. Pressure. Time. Force. Space. Physicality. All of these are just small examples of Magic. If Semblances can come in any shape and form, then what's to stop Magic from surpassing it?"
"So when Jinn said Magic…"
"She really could've meant anything." Cinder shrugged. "One thing I can say is that most Magic users have an affinity."
"Affinity?"
"Think about it," Cinder said. "Semblances are a reflection of people's souls. They are tailored to what they feel, what they represent, the most. And just like them, each Magic user is, while versatile, often stronger in one aspect than the others. For example, the Maidens. Raven prefers wind, as she is the Spring Maiden. The mark of new life after a harsh cold."
Cinder then smirked, "I prefer fire myself. Fall burns down the remains of Summer. And as for Winter… do you need to ask?"
Jaune raised an eyebrow. "And how can I know you're not talking out of your ass?"
"After I just saved your life? Besides, who do you think has done more research regarding Magic between the two of us?" Cinder clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Such naivete, honestly."
"Cinder…"
"In any case, you dense oaf. What I'm saying is that each Magic has an affinity. You've already established that you don't want to go to the Ever After because of the little girl. Fine, whatever. But the least you can do is determine what your Magic's affinity might be. I don't need you sitting around waiting for a miracle."
At this, Jaune could manage to look past Cinder's venom and barbs and nodded seriously. "I'll do what I can."
"Then you better. Don't make me regret my decision." With a scrape of her chair and a huff of arrogance, Cinder left the room and sauntered off to wherever she decided she needed to be.
At least, before they all needed to go.
After Cinder left, leaving Jaune to ruminate, not long after Sun came in with files in his hands. He quickly took the seat that Cinder once occupied and laid out all the files for Jaune.
"Hm. Seat's still warm." Sun muttered, "Was the bitch here?"
"She was."
"Damn. She's not subtle now, is she?" Sun shook his head. "In any case. This is all the leads I managed to get with the boys-" His voice hitched; obviously, not with hisboys, but whoever was left that he could count on, "…proving my suspicions, big man. Especially now that we're seeing things in a new light."
Jaune opened the files and read them along with Sun. Yes, indeed, everything was being seen in a new light.
The first clue had been Jinn herself – some students had noted that they had seen her before, and further investigation showed that she had been in front of their faces the entire time. For she was the very statue that was placed in the middle of Haven, the one they walked past every time they went to class.
That meant that, whoever designed it, had intended her to be found, if not by anyone else then at least by themselves.
That discovery had then led to a thought: what if everything else had a deeper meaning too, even things that seemed downright useless? And so Sun and the rest of Haven had then dived into deep research in their library. And with new context regarding the existence of magic, regarding clues hidden in their faces, with corroborating tales and shared knowledge… they had come upon one large discovery.
The symbol for Haven had been a Lamp. And then, beneath it, the Relic of Knowledge had taken the form of the very same lamp. It was too much of a coincidence to brush off, and with the final presence of the statue… they had all but confirmed it.
Four Kingdoms.
Four Relics.
And the Academies existed to protect them all, deliberately made and designed to not let those very same defenders that the Academies trained know the truth. At least, until now.
This, then, had led to the present. Since Jaune had expressed apprehension about going to the Ever After, then what else did they have?
The Relic of Knowledge was gone, as all of them knew. They then had the Relic of Creation, a staff of some sort that might be able to grant them the power they needed; but busting into a place like Atlas was impossible. And besides, they couldn't create something to defeat Salem when they didn't even know yet the full extent of her capabilities.
Without Jinn's assurances, then they had no real way of knowing anything would work, and they needed a trump card.
The Relic of Choice was much the same. Unlike the others, this Relic was shrouded in much more mystery, and its name didn't leave much to the interpretation. Did the crown, perhaps, grant the user choice of fate? Of Destiny? Of its subjects? Its concept was harder to grasp than most, and besides, it was hidden in Beacon; going there would tip them of the truth, and there was no way that Jaune would want to involve his friends. And Haven didn't want to get Beacon involved in this too, not when Cinder had revealed what her original plans were.
So that left one option. Sun's home Kingdom, Vacuo, and the symbol its Academy, Shade, represented.
A sword.
The Relic of Destruction.
This was much more receptive to the imagination. A sword was made to fight, and in a way, it could wreak havoc and destruction in the arms of the wrong person – or the right one, depending on how one looked at it. This, then, as a manifestation of Destruction, would logically be a Sword that could cut through anything, literally anything. For that was the purest form of destruction, the splitting of two things irreparably that had once been one.
But then, why hadn't Jinn mentioned it? She had no reason to lie, both Jaune and Sun were even sure that she probably couldn't in the first place. Was it, perhaps not enough? Were they lacking some component, one that could strengthen even a relic?
But regardless. The Relic of Destruction was their best choice.
For one, it was the only one they could get from the Academies. For Vacuo prided itself on one's strength, because the desert was harsh in many ways other environments were not. So naturally, in the Kingdom of Sands, one's worth was determined by how strong one was, and how long one could endure.
In that twisted form of honour, Sun had advised that should they prove strong enough, then Vacuans wouldn't go back on their word and leak their plans. In that way, Jaune and the others could ensure the wider world's safety.
And the other thing, as stated before, was because the Sword was the only one they could even imagine using. The Crown was too abstract, and the Staff was not a combat tool. For one to achieve victory then they needed to be able to visualize it first. Not a lot of people could imagine an ideal future, but everyone knew what the nightmare of destruction looked like.
And that would simply have to be enough.
Jaune closed the files and gave a nod to Sun.
"Then we'll go to Vacuo." Jaune decided. "And… we'll get the Relic of Destruction."
"Gotcha." Sun nodded. He saw the look in Jaune's eyes and knew that Jaune was expecting him to come along with him. Not that that had ever been in doubt, but he just had to wonder…
Jaune was doing this all for his teammates. He had even gone so far as to search an alternate route, all because he didn't want to leave a girl that clung to him dearly. He was a man strongest when there were others around him, and so, who else did he want to bring with him?
And Jaune quickly answered that silent question.
"You, Neptune, Cinder, and Emerald… and Akane."
"Ah," Sun said. It was an equal balance of people from Haven and 'the turncoats' as they had now been dubbed. And Sun didn't the further reasonings to be explained.
Neptune was healing quite quickly, and he knew that his friend was itching to strike back; for all his playboy attitude, there was a reason they had stuck with him, and he stuck with them, for he was fiercely loyal to his friends.
Cinder was the one who knew most about Salem, about Magic, and the intricacies of how deep this rabbit hole went. Leaving her here would mean they'd lose their most valuable source of intel, not to mention losing sight of someone they hadn't trusted fully yet. After all, her reasons for the turncoat were more personal than noble.
And of course, where Cinder went, Emerald did too. The two were inseparable, and it was best they be kept that way so that they could be monitored easier.
And as for Akane…
She was the only reason Jaune hadn't totally shut down to total mission focus. He had seen that night, when she begged him to stay, that she was now his anchor to staying grounded. Jaune had promised her that he'd stay, and he was making good on that promise now. She was his compass and anchor, and he needed her as much as she needed him.
And speaking of Magic…
Sun went to the door as Cinder once did and gave Jaune an inquisitive glance. "Have you given thought about what Cinder said? Because I think we'll need more than just the Relic… we'll need Magic, like it or not. A thousand Huntsmen have lived and died against the Grimm, and if we want to be different, if we want to win…"
Sun trailed off, and Jaune exhaled.
Yes, indeed, he had given it some thought.
In truth, he too had realized that they wouldn't stand a chance if they didn't have Magic too. As Cinder said, the most prevalent of examples lied in the Maidens, and so his mind couldn't help but drift back to them.
Fall brought with it Fire, burning down life before Winter came.
And when Winter arrived, all was frozen in time, the hail and snow and Ice stopping everything in its tracks.
After Winter came Spring, a new Wind blowing throughout the world, a Wind that swept the cold away and brought with it new life.
And after Spring came Summer, where the Earth beneath their feet was moved by the advancing civilization as it thrived at its peak.
Once more, there were four. Four elements, four Seasons, four Kingdoms and Academies, four Relics, and four members in a Team.
But he had been cast outside. Outside of the system, outside of this strange four rule that no one in Remnant had realized until now.
Deep in his heart, Jaune knew that this somehow wasn't the way things were supposed to go. Despite Jinn claiming it was his Destiny to claim the title of the Rusted Knight, he knew something was off. Perhaps it was because of this rule of four that he was going against, that he was challenging some law of nature in his acts.
But even though he felt that something was off, that didn't mean he felt that it was off. Merely out of the norm.
They would need Magic to continue, eventually. Magic that no one outside of the Four Maidens seemed to possess, and yet here he was breaking that four rule again.
Once more, he didn't know what this meant. He only knew what needed to embody.
If – When – he received that Magic, then…
Jaune's eyes met Sun. He knew now then that there was one affinity he would choose.
And so, he said this to Sun.
He could not choose what already existed. Fall and Fire, Winter and Ice, Spring and Wind, and Summer and Earth already had their representatives. They had already fought and struggled and tried, and they weren't enough to defeat Salem. No, just like with the Relic of Destruction, they would need something more.
Something that existed across all the Seasons.
And what he would choose was unpredictable yet persisted no matter the season of the year. Its element was still unclaimed, for it didn't belong to any season and thus no Maiden could claim affinity with it. In that way, it was outside, yet could come at any time and anywhere. That was what he needed to embody.
Because the Fall Maiden's affinity embodied Fire, destruction, and how it was inescapable, the all-encompassing fleetingness of all life.
The Winter Maiden's affinity embodied Ice, how even the hottest of things would still then be frozen, how even the strongest of society knelt to the powers of nature.
The Spring Maiden's affinity embodied new life, as its Wind signalled that even the most oppressive of times will come to pass, and one only needed to weather the hail.
The Summer Maiden's affinity embodied society at its peak, how together, humanity and Faunuskind could move even the Earth beneath their feet.
And for him…
The Rusted Knight, whose armour degraded beneath the rain, would represent Judgment, deciding the fate of all who opposed Humanity and Faunuskind. His affinity would then be the Storm, one that could come whether it was the Fall or the Winter or the Spring or the Summer, bringing with it Lightning that signalled a swift and fair end to all his enemies.
And this belief, this affinity, though not yet gained, was only solidified by their further plans.
After all, whoever heard of rain in the desert? Whoever heard of Magical Relics hidden beneath the Academies? Whoever planned of going against the way things were supposed to be, away from the supposed norm of four?
And yet he was going anyway.
Unknowing, that what he found… in the end, his choice had been the right one. Because the more one ran from one's destiny, the faster it approached.
And when he eventually did find himself in the Ever After…
One who embodied the Storm, bringing down rain that nurtured plants everywhere…
Would find themselves always blessed by the Tree.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
________________________________________________
TO BE CONTINUED