Summary: When Pyrrha's spear misses Jaune during initiation, he crash lands, smashing upside...
Recursive Arc [RWBY]
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1—Upside Down Cake
Kaleidophoenix
Reforged from the ashes of shattered glass
- Location
- United States
Summary: When Pyrrha's spear misses Jaune during initiation, he crash lands, smashing upside down into a tree. As he bleeds out, Pyrrha comes to rescue him, unlocking his aura—but it's too late. He won't survive. But he can't accept that. Doesn't. And his aura reacts, sending him back to try again. And again. And again. He really should figure out how to stop dying soon, shouldn't he?
1—Upside Down Cake
As the sun shone in through my eyelids, I blinked awake, disturbed by a general murmur around me. Sitting up, I glanced around me to see what the noise was. Then I remembered where I was. Sitting on the floor of Beacon's ballroom. Beacon. Me. Jaune Arc. I pinched my arm, to make sure this wasn't a dream. This was really happening. I sighed happily. Finally, the chance to prove myself had arisen. Watch out, Beacon: Jaune Arc was here.
I strolled to the bathroom, changed, brushed my teeth, and sat down for breakfast. A healthy supply of pancakes and sausage awaited me, and I filled up quickly. Finishing, I glanced down at the slip of paper I had scribbled my locker number on. 636. Frowning, I walked up and down the locker room, trying to locate my errant locker. "This is ridiculous! There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday. I would have remembered having to count that high," I muttered, trying to trace my footsteps from the previous afternoon.
It just so happened that my locker wasn't that hard to find, once I reached the 600s. With some quick scanning, I found the silly thing and inputted the six digit code to unlock it. That, at least, I remembered—it was my birthdate backwards. After fetching Crocea Mors and strapping it to my waist, I walked back the way I came. And saw an angel.
Weiss Schnee was absolutely stunning. If there was any person here I wanted on my team, it was her. Beautiful, talented, and quick-tongued, she was everything I wanted in a girl. Time to put my father's advice in practice. Confidence. Confidence.
She was talking to another girl I didn't recognize with red hair and bronze armor, also quiteattractive. The priority was Weiss, but if I played my cards right….
A minute later, I was bemoaning my misplayed hand. Weiss had been…unreceptive, but Pyrrha had seemed interested enough. At least until she speared me into a wall. Well, speared my hoodie. While she had apologized afterward, being thrown across the locker room couldn't have been good for my self image.
But initiation was up next. And I couldn't let myself down here. This was it. The chance I had been waiting for all my life. We were led outside, overlooking the massive cliff we had arrived at yesterday. Below us was an expanse of forest, stretching all the way to the Marble Mountains on the other side of the valley. Stone blocks with the Vale insignia lined the cliff, and we were instructed to stand in the very center.
Professor Ozpin himself was overseeing our initiation, and I couldn't be more excited. It did make me wonder what we were going to be doing. I had my hand at the ready, just in case I had a question. Miss Goodwitch gave a quick spiel about our future teammates, but I wasn't too worried. Anyone I partnered with would have to deal with my sheer awesomeness.
As soon as Professor Ozpin finished his explanation of our assignment, I had more than just one question. There was a chance of death in this exam? Already, at the far end, I could see other students being flung into the air, with no hesitation on their part. In fact, most of my classmates looked eager to get into the forest. "Sir, I have a question. So, this landing strategy thing—what is it? You're dropping us off, or something?"
"No, you will be falling," he answered calmly. I tried to be as calm as he was, but that was kind of impossible right now.
"Did you hand out parachutes or something?" I was grasping at straws, but there had to be a bone somewhere, right? I mean, it wasn't like he was just throwing us off the cliff and expecting us to deal. Right?
"No, you will be using your own landing strategy," he clarified. That just made me all the more terrified.
Before I could ask my next question, I was hurled into the air by the springboard. There was absolutely no way I was going to make it. The wind whistled through my hair as I spun in the air. I tried to right myself, to at least level off before I began my descent, but my stomach lurched far before I felt comfortable. The few glimpses of the ground I could see made me want to vomit.
I heard the sound of a gun firing and tried to dodge, and I felt something breeze between my legs. If I had been milliseconds slower, it would have skewered me in the groin—not something I wanted to think about. What I did have to think about was my impending death by splattering.
Somehow, the spinning stopped, just in time to see the tree line approaching. I put my arms in front of me, hoping for the best.
I crashed through several trees, breaking branches and snapping twigs, and slammed into the ground, flipping over and into a tree. My arms instantly screamed in pain, and my back complained similarly. My head was dizzy, and it was hard to focus on any one thing. For one thing, I was upside down, and my head was at an odd angle. Whenever I tried to move my neck, it tingled and roared with pain. So I stopped trying to move it. I tried to evaluate my arms as best I could, and all I could see was blood. My right arm in particular looked the worst, bent at an odd angle, and this white thing stuck out of one end. Trying to wiggle them brought more pain. Swallowing, I realized that my mouth tasted of blood.
And then, I heard the roar. Instantly, I felt fear. A black blur approached, with two piercing red dots. I knew I had to move, that this was a monster I couldn't fight. But I was paralyzed, unable to move my back or legs in the slightest. The blur became larger and larger, the red dots unwavering in their approach.
I'll admit. I wet myself.
And then a red-gold blur slammed into the black blur. It slashed and slashed until the black blur didn't move anymore. Once the red-gold blur was sure the black blur couldn't move anymore by sticking it one last time, and approached. I wasn't sure how, but I knew the red-gold blur was good.
"…Jaune? Jaune!" The red-gold blur was calling my name. Funny. I caught a glimpse of her face. She couldn't be real though. Pretty girls didn't know my name.
"Jaune! Are you okay? Goodness, there's a lot of blood. Jaune! Please respond!"
Respond. I'll be sure to do that. I made a gurgling noise in the back of my throat. "Aggahghga."
It was very intelligent.
"Jaune!" The red-gold girl—what was her name again? Pyra? Pyrrha?
"Pywwha."
She laid her hands on me, looking over my injuries. "How could it have gotten through your aura so quickly?" she wondered aloud.
Aura? I vaguely remembered something about it, but my head hurt too much. I tried to communicate this to Pyrrha. "Auwa?"
"You do have your aura unlocked, right?"
"…nho."
"Jaune, listen to me. I'm going to try and save you. But you have to stay with me. Okay?"
"'Khay."
It was getting hard to think. But I had to pay attention. My life was on the line here.
Pyrrha placed her hand on my shoulder, and incanted, "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee."
As she said the words, I felt a presence within me begin to rise. The pain numbed—my thinking became clearer. Warmth spread throughout my body. A comforting presence surrounded me. My vision cleared to get a better view of Pyrrha's face. "Woahha."
But I could see on her face that it wasn't enough. Whatever this aura was, I was too far gone.
I was going to die.
It wasn't supposed to end like this. I was supposed to come here, go through my training, and come out a hero. In all the stories, that's how it worked. The hero didn't die from a simple jump. That was too ridiculous.
But here I was, in the middle of a forest, alone with a pretty girl for the first time in my life, and I wasdying.
I was going to die.
That thought repeated itself over and over again. Pyrrha tried to comfort me, but I could see the tears on her face. She kept telling me it would be okay, that she'd stay by my side.
But it wouldn't matter.
I was going to die.
No.
A voice rose up in protest. When the hero was down, broken by his enemies—or in this case, falls—he never gave up.
No. I wasn't going to die. Not yet.
I pulled on my aura. It was ready to be called on,and I needed it.
"Hankhs, Pywwha."
And pulled on some pattern, some inborn ability I never knew I had until now, and I knew no more.
1—Upside Down Cake
As the sun shone in through my eyelids, I blinked awake, disturbed by a general murmur around me. Sitting up, I glanced around me to see what the noise was. Then I remembered where I was. Sitting on the floor of Beacon's ballroom. Beacon. Me. Jaune Arc. I pinched my arm, to make sure this wasn't a dream. This was really happening. I sighed happily. Finally, the chance to prove myself had arisen. Watch out, Beacon: Jaune Arc was here.
I strolled to the bathroom, changed, brushed my teeth, and sat down for breakfast. A healthy supply of pancakes and sausage awaited me, and I filled up quickly. Finishing, I glanced down at the slip of paper I had scribbled my locker number on. 636. Frowning, I walked up and down the locker room, trying to locate my errant locker. "This is ridiculous! There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday. I would have remembered having to count that high," I muttered, trying to trace my footsteps from the previous afternoon.
It just so happened that my locker wasn't that hard to find, once I reached the 600s. With some quick scanning, I found the silly thing and inputted the six digit code to unlock it. That, at least, I remembered—it was my birthdate backwards. After fetching Crocea Mors and strapping it to my waist, I walked back the way I came. And saw an angel.
Weiss Schnee was absolutely stunning. If there was any person here I wanted on my team, it was her. Beautiful, talented, and quick-tongued, she was everything I wanted in a girl. Time to put my father's advice in practice. Confidence. Confidence.
She was talking to another girl I didn't recognize with red hair and bronze armor, also quiteattractive. The priority was Weiss, but if I played my cards right….
A minute later, I was bemoaning my misplayed hand. Weiss had been…unreceptive, but Pyrrha had seemed interested enough. At least until she speared me into a wall. Well, speared my hoodie. While she had apologized afterward, being thrown across the locker room couldn't have been good for my self image.
But initiation was up next. And I couldn't let myself down here. This was it. The chance I had been waiting for all my life. We were led outside, overlooking the massive cliff we had arrived at yesterday. Below us was an expanse of forest, stretching all the way to the Marble Mountains on the other side of the valley. Stone blocks with the Vale insignia lined the cliff, and we were instructed to stand in the very center.
Professor Ozpin himself was overseeing our initiation, and I couldn't be more excited. It did make me wonder what we were going to be doing. I had my hand at the ready, just in case I had a question. Miss Goodwitch gave a quick spiel about our future teammates, but I wasn't too worried. Anyone I partnered with would have to deal with my sheer awesomeness.
As soon as Professor Ozpin finished his explanation of our assignment, I had more than just one question. There was a chance of death in this exam? Already, at the far end, I could see other students being flung into the air, with no hesitation on their part. In fact, most of my classmates looked eager to get into the forest. "Sir, I have a question. So, this landing strategy thing—what is it? You're dropping us off, or something?"
"No, you will be falling," he answered calmly. I tried to be as calm as he was, but that was kind of impossible right now.
"Did you hand out parachutes or something?" I was grasping at straws, but there had to be a bone somewhere, right? I mean, it wasn't like he was just throwing us off the cliff and expecting us to deal. Right?
"No, you will be using your own landing strategy," he clarified. That just made me all the more terrified.
Before I could ask my next question, I was hurled into the air by the springboard. There was absolutely no way I was going to make it. The wind whistled through my hair as I spun in the air. I tried to right myself, to at least level off before I began my descent, but my stomach lurched far before I felt comfortable. The few glimpses of the ground I could see made me want to vomit.
I heard the sound of a gun firing and tried to dodge, and I felt something breeze between my legs. If I had been milliseconds slower, it would have skewered me in the groin—not something I wanted to think about. What I did have to think about was my impending death by splattering.
Somehow, the spinning stopped, just in time to see the tree line approaching. I put my arms in front of me, hoping for the best.
I crashed through several trees, breaking branches and snapping twigs, and slammed into the ground, flipping over and into a tree. My arms instantly screamed in pain, and my back complained similarly. My head was dizzy, and it was hard to focus on any one thing. For one thing, I was upside down, and my head was at an odd angle. Whenever I tried to move my neck, it tingled and roared with pain. So I stopped trying to move it. I tried to evaluate my arms as best I could, and all I could see was blood. My right arm in particular looked the worst, bent at an odd angle, and this white thing stuck out of one end. Trying to wiggle them brought more pain. Swallowing, I realized that my mouth tasted of blood.
And then, I heard the roar. Instantly, I felt fear. A black blur approached, with two piercing red dots. I knew I had to move, that this was a monster I couldn't fight. But I was paralyzed, unable to move my back or legs in the slightest. The blur became larger and larger, the red dots unwavering in their approach.
I'll admit. I wet myself.
And then a red-gold blur slammed into the black blur. It slashed and slashed until the black blur didn't move anymore. Once the red-gold blur was sure the black blur couldn't move anymore by sticking it one last time, and approached. I wasn't sure how, but I knew the red-gold blur was good.
"…Jaune? Jaune!" The red-gold blur was calling my name. Funny. I caught a glimpse of her face. She couldn't be real though. Pretty girls didn't know my name.
"Jaune! Are you okay? Goodness, there's a lot of blood. Jaune! Please respond!"
Respond. I'll be sure to do that. I made a gurgling noise in the back of my throat. "Aggahghga."
It was very intelligent.
"Jaune!" The red-gold girl—what was her name again? Pyra? Pyrrha?
"Pywwha."
She laid her hands on me, looking over my injuries. "How could it have gotten through your aura so quickly?" she wondered aloud.
Aura? I vaguely remembered something about it, but my head hurt too much. I tried to communicate this to Pyrrha. "Auwa?"
"You do have your aura unlocked, right?"
"…nho."
"Jaune, listen to me. I'm going to try and save you. But you have to stay with me. Okay?"
"'Khay."
It was getting hard to think. But I had to pay attention. My life was on the line here.
Pyrrha placed her hand on my shoulder, and incanted, "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee."
As she said the words, I felt a presence within me begin to rise. The pain numbed—my thinking became clearer. Warmth spread throughout my body. A comforting presence surrounded me. My vision cleared to get a better view of Pyrrha's face. "Woahha."
But I could see on her face that it wasn't enough. Whatever this aura was, I was too far gone.
I was going to die.
It wasn't supposed to end like this. I was supposed to come here, go through my training, and come out a hero. In all the stories, that's how it worked. The hero didn't die from a simple jump. That was too ridiculous.
But here I was, in the middle of a forest, alone with a pretty girl for the first time in my life, and I wasdying.
I was going to die.
That thought repeated itself over and over again. Pyrrha tried to comfort me, but I could see the tears on her face. She kept telling me it would be okay, that she'd stay by my side.
But it wouldn't matter.
I was going to die.
No.
A voice rose up in protest. When the hero was down, broken by his enemies—or in this case, falls—he never gave up.
No. I wasn't going to die. Not yet.
I pulled on my aura. It was ready to be called on,and I needed it.
"Hankhs, Pywwha."
And pulled on some pattern, some inborn ability I never knew I had until now, and I knew no more.
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2—That Cunning Hole
Kaleidophoenix
Reforged from the ashes of shattered glass
- Location
- United States
2—That Cunning Hole
I sat upright, blinking awake. Where was I? Heaven? The infirmary? Glancing around, I realized I was back in the ballroom. I pulled out my scroll to check the time, and it was 7:04, this morning. As in, almost three hours ago. I pinched myself, but I didn't snap out of the dream.
It had just been a nightmare.
I wanted to start celebrating, but then I remembered contents of my dream. The crazy headmaster had thrown us off of a cliff! And then I had crashed into a tree. It all seemed so real. But it was just a dream. I didn't have to worry about any cliff jumps or broken necks.
Whatever the case, I felt strangely energized, and ran through my routine, and it was only as I got to my locker that I realized how I knew where it was. In my dream, I had the same locker number. I shrugged. A consequence of my subconscious being connected to the real world. Either way, it was helpful. Still didn't help me in remembering my combination, though.
Retrieving my gear, I turned around, and saw my two angels engaged in conversation. No, wait, Pyrrha had just been a dream. She had been so nice though. Snap out of it, Jaune. Deep breath, Jaune, I told myself. You can do this. I just had to talk to the girl who had saved my life just an hour ago, who was gorgeous, and probably the strongest fighter here. No–wait–that was the dream. Weiss Schnee was talking to her. Piece of cake.
"Hello, ladies," I started, "how are you this morning?"
Weiss just rolled her eyes, but Pyrrha smiled, saying, "I'm doing well, thanks for asking."
"The name's Jaune Arc," I said, introducing myself. I had chance to make a better impression on the both of them, and I was so taking it. "And you must be…?" I trailed off, letting her introduce herself.
"Pyrrha. Pyrrha Nikos." Okay, so her actual name was Pyrrha? Strange coincidence.
"Nice to meet you, Pyrrha," I said. "Have you given much to teams yet? There's still a few spots open on Team Jaune." I winked.
"Ugh," groaned Weiss, but Pyrrha smiled again.
"Not particularly," she answered. "I was planning on letting the chips fall as they may, but if you have a benefits card, I might be persuaded to consider it." She winked back.
"It's being drafted right as we speak," I replied. "But time is running short. Decide too late, and you'll miss out on this spectacular opportunity."
"Jaune, is it?" asked Weiss, stepping in between us. "Do you have any idea who you are talking to?"
"Of course I do. Pyrrha graduated top of her class, won the Mistral Tournament four times in a row, and, she's on every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box." Wait, no, that was dream knowledge! I'd just screwed everything up.
"That's me." Wait, what? I was right? And was that a hint of sadness I heard?
"And what makes you think you are in a position to talk to her?"
Right. This question. How to deal with this one? "Because I'm standing right next to her?" Hah. Literalism.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it," snapped Weiss. Why was she being so antagonistic towards me? I hadn't really said anything that could have set her off, could I?
"If I didn't want to talk to him, I wouldn't be," put in Pyrrha. Thank you, savior.
"I didn't mean to assume," backpedaled Weiss.
Okay, the intercom is going to go off momentarily. Stop it dream. You weren't real. You didn't happen. Stop telling me what's going to happen next. Is there any way I can turn things around with Weiss? Probably not. I was about to speak, when I was interrupted by the intercom.
"Would all first year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation?" came Miss Goodwitch's voice. Right. Just had to go...to...the...cliffs.
It had been a dream, right?
Weiss sighed, and started walking toward the door. I followed behind her silently, not wanting to antagonize her further. I spotted Ruby and Yang among the crowd, but didn't get a chance to say hi. I took my place at the end of the line, and gulped as I recognized the cliff and the forest below. It was looking more and more like my dream hadn't been a dream.
If it hadn't been a dream, then what could have happened? Could I have traveled back through time? Ozpin started his speech, and it was word for word what he had said last time. Students started to be thrown off the cliff, and I hurriedly unsheathed Crocea Mors and grabbed on to my shield. Hopefully it would do shieldy things.
Then I was flung into the air. This time, I wasn't thrown off balance, and managed a semi-respectable arc (hah!) through the air. Placing the shield in front of me, I crashed into the tree line. I smashed through a tree and landed in a bush, limbs sprawled. My left shoulder ached, and I had a few scratches all over, but I was otherwise fine. A clear success, compared to last time. Shuddering I collected myself and my weapons, and looked around.
Trees and bushes extended out in every direction I could see. Birds chirped cheerfully in their perches, and the wind rustled the leaves all around me. I listened for any signs of my fellow students, but didn't hear anything that resembled footsteps. Sighing, I started plodding in the direction of the Marble Mountains.
It wasn't long before I heard a girl's voice calling out. I nearly smacked myself in the forehead for not thinking of such an obvious way to get everyone else's attention. I called back. "Hello?"
"Jaune!" shouted the voice I now recognized as Pyrrha's.
"Pyrrha! I'm over this way!"
I scrambled through several thick bushes and stopped short, almost crashing into Pyrrha. "Still have room on your team?"
"Got a few spots open," I answered. "Got any idea which way the temple is? I was just heading towards the mountains."
"Not really. Your idea's just as good as mine."
I'm not sure how long we walked, but it had to be at least fifteen minutes. During that time, we exchanged some basic information about each other. Hobbies, our families, where we came from, our favorite colors—the usual get to know you kind of stuff. Besides training and fighting, Pyrrha enjoyed math quite a bit, was an only child, had grown up in Mistral itself, and liked the color red. I liked comic books, especially X-Ray and Vav, had seven sisters, and grew up not too far from Vale in a small town called Domremy. My favorite color was yellow.
Then we reached a large wall of rock, where a small cave stretched back into darkness. Numerous sketches were engraved into the rock, depicting stick people and some other thing I didn't recognize. "Think this is it?" I asked.
Pyrrha shrugged.
"I can make a torch," I offered. "At least let's see what's down there."
Five minutes later, torch lit, we strolled into the cave. My dad loved camping, and made sure we had plenty of wilderness skills, the least of which was lighting fires. The cave was dank and moldy, but it was strangely level. Almost like it had been tunneled out.
"I don't think this is where the relic is," said Pyrrha, after a couple minutes.
"Pyrrha, I made the torch, could you humor me for at least five more feet?" I asked.
As if Murphy himself was watching me, I tripped, lost my grip on the torch, and watched it splutter out in a puddle of water. "Do you feel that?" she asked.
"Soul crushing regret?" I stood up, trying to see anything, but it was no use. We were too far in to see the entrance.
"No, it feels…warm." I frowned, until I saw the glowing light. After having grown used to the pitch black, the yellow light was blinding.
"It's the relic!" I exclaimed.
"Jaune," warned Pyrrha, but I paid her no heed. I reached for the light, but it ducked back, dodging my hands.
"Silly—little—come here you!" I lunged one last time, only for the light to pull back, revealing a white carapace with red eyes. I stumbled back, but the stinger struck true, ripping through my chestplate and goring me through the stomach.
"Jaune!"
"Run…" I whispered. "Not…relic."
Already, I could feel venom pulsing through my veins. What luck. I had received a second chance, a second try to become a huntsman—a hero—and I had died again. The irony was not lost on me.
But how had I gotten that chance in the first place? Hadn't it been because of my aura? As my vision blackened, I concentrated on my aura as much as I could, and tried to relive the feeling I vaguely remembered.
And I blacked out.
I sat upright, blinking awake. Where was I? Heaven? The infirmary? Glancing around, I realized I was back in the ballroom. I pulled out my scroll to check the time, and it was 7:04, this morning. As in, almost three hours ago. I pinched myself, but I didn't snap out of the dream.
It had just been a nightmare.
I wanted to start celebrating, but then I remembered contents of my dream. The crazy headmaster had thrown us off of a cliff! And then I had crashed into a tree. It all seemed so real. But it was just a dream. I didn't have to worry about any cliff jumps or broken necks.
Whatever the case, I felt strangely energized, and ran through my routine, and it was only as I got to my locker that I realized how I knew where it was. In my dream, I had the same locker number. I shrugged. A consequence of my subconscious being connected to the real world. Either way, it was helpful. Still didn't help me in remembering my combination, though.
Retrieving my gear, I turned around, and saw my two angels engaged in conversation. No, wait, Pyrrha had just been a dream. She had been so nice though. Snap out of it, Jaune. Deep breath, Jaune, I told myself. You can do this. I just had to talk to the girl who had saved my life just an hour ago, who was gorgeous, and probably the strongest fighter here. No–wait–that was the dream. Weiss Schnee was talking to her. Piece of cake.
"Hello, ladies," I started, "how are you this morning?"
Weiss just rolled her eyes, but Pyrrha smiled, saying, "I'm doing well, thanks for asking."
"The name's Jaune Arc," I said, introducing myself. I had chance to make a better impression on the both of them, and I was so taking it. "And you must be…?" I trailed off, letting her introduce herself.
"Pyrrha. Pyrrha Nikos." Okay, so her actual name was Pyrrha? Strange coincidence.
"Nice to meet you, Pyrrha," I said. "Have you given much to teams yet? There's still a few spots open on Team Jaune." I winked.
"Ugh," groaned Weiss, but Pyrrha smiled again.
"Not particularly," she answered. "I was planning on letting the chips fall as they may, but if you have a benefits card, I might be persuaded to consider it." She winked back.
"It's being drafted right as we speak," I replied. "But time is running short. Decide too late, and you'll miss out on this spectacular opportunity."
"Jaune, is it?" asked Weiss, stepping in between us. "Do you have any idea who you are talking to?"
"Of course I do. Pyrrha graduated top of her class, won the Mistral Tournament four times in a row, and, she's on every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box." Wait, no, that was dream knowledge! I'd just screwed everything up.
"That's me." Wait, what? I was right? And was that a hint of sadness I heard?
"And what makes you think you are in a position to talk to her?"
Right. This question. How to deal with this one? "Because I'm standing right next to her?" Hah. Literalism.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it," snapped Weiss. Why was she being so antagonistic towards me? I hadn't really said anything that could have set her off, could I?
"If I didn't want to talk to him, I wouldn't be," put in Pyrrha. Thank you, savior.
"I didn't mean to assume," backpedaled Weiss.
Okay, the intercom is going to go off momentarily. Stop it dream. You weren't real. You didn't happen. Stop telling me what's going to happen next. Is there any way I can turn things around with Weiss? Probably not. I was about to speak, when I was interrupted by the intercom.
"Would all first year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation?" came Miss Goodwitch's voice. Right. Just had to go...to...the...cliffs.
It had been a dream, right?
Weiss sighed, and started walking toward the door. I followed behind her silently, not wanting to antagonize her further. I spotted Ruby and Yang among the crowd, but didn't get a chance to say hi. I took my place at the end of the line, and gulped as I recognized the cliff and the forest below. It was looking more and more like my dream hadn't been a dream.
If it hadn't been a dream, then what could have happened? Could I have traveled back through time? Ozpin started his speech, and it was word for word what he had said last time. Students started to be thrown off the cliff, and I hurriedly unsheathed Crocea Mors and grabbed on to my shield. Hopefully it would do shieldy things.
Then I was flung into the air. This time, I wasn't thrown off balance, and managed a semi-respectable arc (hah!) through the air. Placing the shield in front of me, I crashed into the tree line. I smashed through a tree and landed in a bush, limbs sprawled. My left shoulder ached, and I had a few scratches all over, but I was otherwise fine. A clear success, compared to last time. Shuddering I collected myself and my weapons, and looked around.
Trees and bushes extended out in every direction I could see. Birds chirped cheerfully in their perches, and the wind rustled the leaves all around me. I listened for any signs of my fellow students, but didn't hear anything that resembled footsteps. Sighing, I started plodding in the direction of the Marble Mountains.
It wasn't long before I heard a girl's voice calling out. I nearly smacked myself in the forehead for not thinking of such an obvious way to get everyone else's attention. I called back. "Hello?"
"Jaune!" shouted the voice I now recognized as Pyrrha's.
"Pyrrha! I'm over this way!"
I scrambled through several thick bushes and stopped short, almost crashing into Pyrrha. "Still have room on your team?"
"Got a few spots open," I answered. "Got any idea which way the temple is? I was just heading towards the mountains."
"Not really. Your idea's just as good as mine."
I'm not sure how long we walked, but it had to be at least fifteen minutes. During that time, we exchanged some basic information about each other. Hobbies, our families, where we came from, our favorite colors—the usual get to know you kind of stuff. Besides training and fighting, Pyrrha enjoyed math quite a bit, was an only child, had grown up in Mistral itself, and liked the color red. I liked comic books, especially X-Ray and Vav, had seven sisters, and grew up not too far from Vale in a small town called Domremy. My favorite color was yellow.
Then we reached a large wall of rock, where a small cave stretched back into darkness. Numerous sketches were engraved into the rock, depicting stick people and some other thing I didn't recognize. "Think this is it?" I asked.
Pyrrha shrugged.
"I can make a torch," I offered. "At least let's see what's down there."
Five minutes later, torch lit, we strolled into the cave. My dad loved camping, and made sure we had plenty of wilderness skills, the least of which was lighting fires. The cave was dank and moldy, but it was strangely level. Almost like it had been tunneled out.
"I don't think this is where the relic is," said Pyrrha, after a couple minutes.
"Pyrrha, I made the torch, could you humor me for at least five more feet?" I asked.
As if Murphy himself was watching me, I tripped, lost my grip on the torch, and watched it splutter out in a puddle of water. "Do you feel that?" she asked.
"Soul crushing regret?" I stood up, trying to see anything, but it was no use. We were too far in to see the entrance.
"No, it feels…warm." I frowned, until I saw the glowing light. After having grown used to the pitch black, the yellow light was blinding.
"It's the relic!" I exclaimed.
"Jaune," warned Pyrrha, but I paid her no heed. I reached for the light, but it ducked back, dodging my hands.
"Silly—little—come here you!" I lunged one last time, only for the light to pull back, revealing a white carapace with red eyes. I stumbled back, but the stinger struck true, ripping through my chestplate and goring me through the stomach.
"Jaune!"
"Run…" I whispered. "Not…relic."
Already, I could feel venom pulsing through my veins. What luck. I had received a second chance, a second try to become a huntsman—a hero—and I had died again. The irony was not lost on me.
But how had I gotten that chance in the first place? Hadn't it been because of my aura? As my vision blackened, I concentrated on my aura as much as I could, and tried to relive the feeling I vaguely remembered.
And I blacked out.
3—Wolves, Wolves, Everywhere
Kaleidophoenix
Reforged from the ashes of shattered glass
- Location
- United States
3—Wolves, Wolves, Everywhere
When I woke, sunlight was streaming into the ballroom. Once again, I had made it back to before initiation. One more try. Now knowing the routine, I dressed, ate, and suited up. It was time to face the music. I knew how to land…sort of—and I knew not to go into that cave. I strolled back through the locker room, and ran into Ruby and…sister, I think.
"Morning Ruby."
"Morning Jaune," she chirped back.
"You sound excited," I noted.
She pulled out her scythe from her locker and grinned. "Today I get to let my baby do the talking. No more awkward get to know you stuff."
"You know that we're getting teams today, right?" I asked.
"We are?"
I backpedaled. Didn't want to seem like I knew too much. "At least, that's what I heard."
Ruby groaned, but her sister—that's my interpretation, and I'm sticking to it—ruffled her hair, saying, "Come on, Rubes, it'll be fine. Promise."
Ruby glared at the blonde suspiciously. "If you're sure…."
"Oh, I don't believe I caught your name earlier…" I mentioned.
"I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister," she answered.
"Nice to meet you, Yang."
The intercom dinged, and Miss Goodwitch spoke: "Would all first year students please report to the Beacon Cliff for initiation?"
Here we go for round three.
I had already heard the whole shebang twice before, so I barely paid attention, instead eyeing the forest for any clues on the direction I could go once I landed. It was only after the launches started that I realized that I was no longer standing last in line. Whatever the reason, the lineup had changed. I hurriedly readied my shield, and braced myself for the launch.
Landing was similar to last time, but I believe that I landed with far more dignity this time around. As in, I wasn't sprawled in a bush. My hoodie had caught on a branch, slowing my momentum, and then tore. While I was disappointed that my favorite hoodie was ripped, I was thankful my trip down hadn't been more eventful.
I had landed in a completely different place than last time, but I had a good idea of where to go. Or, at least where not to. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
Faintly, I heard a voice calling out a name. I shouted louder. "Hello?"
This time, I could hear more clearly what the person—girl—was saying. "Yang?"
I heard a rustle of underbrush and Ruby popped out of the trees. "Oh, Jaune. Hi."
"I guess we're partners then." Huh. Last time it had been Pyrrha. We had hit it off so well. Both in the locker room and the…wait, locker room? I hadn't talked to her there this time around. Uh oh. I hope that wasn't important. At least I knew Ruby.
"Yup. Do you have any idea where this temple place is?" she asked, glancing around the little clearing we were in.
"I was thinking it was closer to the mountains," I answered. "That's probably our best bet."
I asked Ruby about her interests, and where she was from, and she revealed that she had gotten into Beacon two years early. While that explained the fact that she was here with her sister, she had still made it in two years early. Two years!
I was only just starting to explain a little about myself, when Ruby tensed, motioning for me to draw my weapon. I unsheathed Crocea Mors, and Ruby unfolded Crescent Rose. And then I heard the howling. We had run afoul of a pack of Beowolves.
More than a dozen surrounded us within moments. I swallowed nervously. This was the first time I would have to apply my meager fighting skills, and with this many opponents, I had to be on my guard.
Ruby started firing rounds into the group of Grimm, taking down two Beowolves quite quickly. I was hesitant to make a move, as Ruby had my back, and because I didn't have any ranged attacks. Still, I had to do something. "Any ideas?" I asked her.
"Yeah. Cover me!" Ruby charged, jumping into the air, slashing at one of the Beowolves. I groaned, and followed her into the fray.
Her fighting was glorious to watch. With expert precision she slashed and whirled, and I felt totally incompetent compared to her. But she wasn't their only target. Two Beowolves rushed me, and I deflected one off of my shield, taking a swipe at the other. My blow knocked the second Beowolf back, but the first was taking another swing at me. Again, I met it with my shield, but I was woefully unprepared for the third Beowolf that leapt over the first two, landing on my chest and slamming me to the ground. My arms were pinned down, and I had lost my grip on Crocea Mors in the collision.
In other words, I was royally screwed.
I reached for my aura, just as the Beowolf closed its jaws around my throat.
When I woke, sunlight was streaming into the ballroom. Once again, I had made it back to before initiation. One more try. Now knowing the routine, I dressed, ate, and suited up. It was time to face the music. I knew how to land…sort of—and I knew not to go into that cave. I strolled back through the locker room, and ran into Ruby and…sister, I think.
"Morning Ruby."
"Morning Jaune," she chirped back.
"You sound excited," I noted.
She pulled out her scythe from her locker and grinned. "Today I get to let my baby do the talking. No more awkward get to know you stuff."
"You know that we're getting teams today, right?" I asked.
"We are?"
I backpedaled. Didn't want to seem like I knew too much. "At least, that's what I heard."
Ruby groaned, but her sister—that's my interpretation, and I'm sticking to it—ruffled her hair, saying, "Come on, Rubes, it'll be fine. Promise."
Ruby glared at the blonde suspiciously. "If you're sure…."
"Oh, I don't believe I caught your name earlier…" I mentioned.
"I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister," she answered.
"Nice to meet you, Yang."
The intercom dinged, and Miss Goodwitch spoke: "Would all first year students please report to the Beacon Cliff for initiation?"
Here we go for round three.
I had already heard the whole shebang twice before, so I barely paid attention, instead eyeing the forest for any clues on the direction I could go once I landed. It was only after the launches started that I realized that I was no longer standing last in line. Whatever the reason, the lineup had changed. I hurriedly readied my shield, and braced myself for the launch.
Landing was similar to last time, but I believe that I landed with far more dignity this time around. As in, I wasn't sprawled in a bush. My hoodie had caught on a branch, slowing my momentum, and then tore. While I was disappointed that my favorite hoodie was ripped, I was thankful my trip down hadn't been more eventful.
I had landed in a completely different place than last time, but I had a good idea of where to go. Or, at least where not to. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
Faintly, I heard a voice calling out a name. I shouted louder. "Hello?"
This time, I could hear more clearly what the person—girl—was saying. "Yang?"
I heard a rustle of underbrush and Ruby popped out of the trees. "Oh, Jaune. Hi."
"I guess we're partners then." Huh. Last time it had been Pyrrha. We had hit it off so well. Both in the locker room and the…wait, locker room? I hadn't talked to her there this time around. Uh oh. I hope that wasn't important. At least I knew Ruby.
"Yup. Do you have any idea where this temple place is?" she asked, glancing around the little clearing we were in.
"I was thinking it was closer to the mountains," I answered. "That's probably our best bet."
I asked Ruby about her interests, and where she was from, and she revealed that she had gotten into Beacon two years early. While that explained the fact that she was here with her sister, she had still made it in two years early. Two years!
I was only just starting to explain a little about myself, when Ruby tensed, motioning for me to draw my weapon. I unsheathed Crocea Mors, and Ruby unfolded Crescent Rose. And then I heard the howling. We had run afoul of a pack of Beowolves.
More than a dozen surrounded us within moments. I swallowed nervously. This was the first time I would have to apply my meager fighting skills, and with this many opponents, I had to be on my guard.
Ruby started firing rounds into the group of Grimm, taking down two Beowolves quite quickly. I was hesitant to make a move, as Ruby had my back, and because I didn't have any ranged attacks. Still, I had to do something. "Any ideas?" I asked her.
"Yeah. Cover me!" Ruby charged, jumping into the air, slashing at one of the Beowolves. I groaned, and followed her into the fray.
Her fighting was glorious to watch. With expert precision she slashed and whirled, and I felt totally incompetent compared to her. But she wasn't their only target. Two Beowolves rushed me, and I deflected one off of my shield, taking a swipe at the other. My blow knocked the second Beowolf back, but the first was taking another swing at me. Again, I met it with my shield, but I was woefully unprepared for the third Beowolf that leapt over the first two, landing on my chest and slamming me to the ground. My arms were pinned down, and I had lost my grip on Crocea Mors in the collision.
In other words, I was royally screwed.
I reached for my aura, just as the Beowolf closed its jaws around my throat.
4—Facing the Giant
Kaleidophoenix
Reforged from the ashes of shattered glass
- Location
- United States
4—Facing the Giant
It was time to start evaluating each run. It seemed like I couldn't get any breaks. The first time, I had talked to Weiss and Pyrrha, which meant that Pyrrha had tried to find me in the forest. Luckily she had, otherwise I wouldn't be here now. The second time, I had also talked Pyrrha and Weiss, and once again we had partnered up. But the third time, I hadn't even seen them in the locker room. Why was that? Was it because I had grown so used to the routine that I had gone through it faster?
It was strange to see how much my actions could affect the outcome, just in that small window of time. I wondered what other kinds of things would happen if I acted differently. But I didn't have a lot of tries left. While it hadn't been all that noticeable the first two times, I was definitely feeling more tired than I had last time. Probably had something to do with aura, and the fact that I kept using it. Maybe it was like an MP bar, and it wasn't refilling fast enough to power continued trips through time. Something to watch out for.
I was so lost in thought during breakfast that when I glanced at the clock, I realized I would be late. I certainly didn't have enough time to chat with Pyrrha and Weiss, so I rushed through the locker room, and was still putting on my gear as Miss Goodwitch's announcement came over the intercom.
Once again, I was last in line on the cliff, but that was due to lateness. Miss Goodwitch gave me a withering glare, and I made a mental note never to make it to any of her classes late. In fact, five minutes early sounded best.
Ozpin drolled on about partners, the relics, killing everything in your path, yada yada yada. I was just waiting for him to be done so I could finally beat initiation.
I landed, just as normal, and started looking around. Once again, I was in a different spot than I had been before, but I had an idea of where I was, having taken the time in the air to get a vantage point of my surroundings. I was fairly certain I knew where Ruby had landed, but would I prefer to partner with her, or try and find Pyrrha?
I decided at this point, who my partner was didn't matter; I just wanted to be done with this and stop almost dying.
I found Ruby rather quickly, and we marched on through the woods. I soon recognized our surroundings and steered us away from the clearing where the Beowolves had been. I had no desire to be eaten again. Ruby either didn't notice or didn't comment on my seeming knowledge of this place.
As luck would have it, we actually found the temple. It was farther south of the Deathstalker cave, but I now felt like I could actually find it again if I had to. Ruby chose our relic—a golden horse chess piece—and we made our way back to the cliff. In the end, she was disappointed that we hadn't encountered any monsters, but I was thankful to have made it through.
That evening, we were assigned teams based on which relic we had retrieved. I had noticed that there were duplicates of certain pieces, but hadn't given much to the reason why.
"Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladonna, Jaune Arc. You four retrieved the White Knight pieces. Together, you will form Team RBJY—led by Ruby Rose."
We ate dinner, and then collapsed into our beds. I was exhausted from the whole day, but I finally had made it through! I was now officially a student at Beacon. Sure, classes were tomorrow, but I wasn't worried.
I was woken very abruptly the next morning by an enthusiastic Ruby Rose and her piercingly loud whistle. "Couldn't you have, I don't know, just shaken me awake?" I demanded.
"Nope. Alright Team RBJY, it's time for our first mission!"
"Breakfast?" I asked hopefully.
"No, silly. Decorating!"
"Of course," I groaned. We spent the greater part of the next twenty minutes rearranging the furniture, hanging posters, stocking bookshelves, and putting away clothes. About halfway through, I realized that there wasn't going to be much space for our beds. "Any ideas?"
"Bunk beds!" Ruby suggested.
"It does seem efficient," commented Blake.
"I guess that works," I said. "But how are we going to make these into…?"
But Ruby had already pulled out a length of rope and a bedsheet. "Right. Hang them from the ceiling."
When we finished installing the precariously situated bunk beds, Ruby directed onto our next mission. "Classes. Let's see, our first class is Grimm Studies at 9:00."
"Uh, Ruby?" I said, pointing to the clock. "It's 8:55."
We scrambled from the dorm, hastily snatching pencils and notebooks and racing out the door and across the courtyard. Just as the bell rang, we slid into our seats, and the professor stood, beginning his lecture.
And what a dry and boring lecture it was. Professor Port started with a long-winded story about how he had defeated a Beowolf with his bare hands, at the age of ten. It was only in the last ten minutes that he gave us any useful information, and that was all in the space of a minute, while he set up the second part of the class. "Is there anyone in this room that considers themselves to be a true Huntsman?"
That definitely wasn't me. Weiss volunteered immediately, and quickly changed into her battle gear. Which, apparently, was that dress of hers that she wore yesterday. I didn't think it was that much protection, but what did I know? Perhaps she had some awesome aura thing going on.
Professor Port unlatched the cage, and out stepped a large boar. I checked the board, identifying it as a Boarbatusk. It charged at her, snagging her sword with its large tusks, and sending it clattering across the floor. She odged another headlong lunge, and retrieved her weapon. The beast began to spin furiously, and tore across the floor, but a white circle, with a snowflake inscribed inside, stopped the Boarbatusk in its tracks. Jumping up, she changed direction with another snowflake, spearing the now flailing Grimm through the throat.
Professor Port, who had provided commentary throughout the short duel, now congratulated her, saying, "It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress." She glanced at where her team was sitting, beaming. And after a second, she turned away, blinking furiously. Then she left the room hurriedly. I wondered what was wrong. Pyrrha was looking after her, concerned, while the orange haired crazy who had been goofing off all class was looking a little confused.
It was only later that night that I realized just what I had gotten myself into. All three of my classes had assigned at least a dozen pages of reading, and Wilderness Skills had also given us an essay on what our favorite plant was and why. Altogether it was at least two hours of work in the library, and I had a feeling this was just the tip of the iceberg.
By the end of the week, I was exhausted. I had no idea that Beacon was this much work. All of the classes were assuming we had basic skills I didn't have, and having to play catch up was proving to be difficult. I had dodged a bullet this week in Combat class, with there not being enough time for me to have a match, but I wasn't filled with confidence for next week, even with my nightly training drills. Already, I had given up on any hopes of free time, spending most of my evenings researching things in the library.
It was getting to the point that just wasn't able to read fast enough for me to finish all the assigned readings, complete my homework, and research what I was supposed to already know.
During the week, I had noticed that Blake was always the first to be done with her assignments. Whether it was essays or readings, she was without fail done first. At first, I dismissed it as her knowing most of everything already, but even her leisure reading speed was faster than my skimming speed. So that Saturday, I built up my courage and asked her, "How do you read so fast?"
Without even a glance upward, she replied, "Lot's of practice."
And she deflects me. Great. "Practice what? Some super special reading techniques?"
"Yes." Always so eloquent.
Here goes nothing. "Could you...teach me some?"
Now she looked up, staring at me with her startling amber eyes. "Are you prepared for your brain to ache, your eyes to start bleeding, and your spirit break?"
I gulped. "Is–is that what it's going to take?"
"No. Go grab a book you won't mind remembering for the rest of your life."
Was she doing this just to mess with me? Either way, I had made it this far, so I may as well follow through. I grabbed one of the books from the aura shelf and returned to where she was sitting.
After that, she was surprisingly helpful, giving me all sorts of tips and tricks to help both my reading speed and my retention rate. The first thing she told me was to stop reading every word out loud in my head. All that does is slow you down, and make your brain overthink what it's reading. Instead, I was to scan each sentence, focusing on the key words of the sentence. To start, she had me skimming the book, looking for key words in every sentence, but three times faster than I normally read.
"Our brains can take in a lot more information than we give it credit for," she said. "You just have to take the next step."
At the same time, she had me listening to calm, orchestral music. "It helps to relax the brain," she explained. "But be careful not to listen to anything with lyrics, or too much continued dissonance, as that will disrupt your focus."
Then I asked her to explain what dissonance was, and she launched into this whole explanation of overtones and perfect fifths and tritones and I barely understood anything of what she said.
But over the course of the morning, my reading speed dramatically improved. I was reading at least twice as fast, and remembering more. Of course, afterward I would take a look at the stack of books she had already read that morning, watching her flip a page every second or so, and feel dumb. Even still, I appreciated her wisdom. "Thanks for helping me, Blake."
She just hummed back at me, and I took that as a sign that she recognized my thanks, and to stop talking to her. I went back to the shelves, trolling for more books I needed to read.
With the help of my improved reading speed, the second week went by much easier, and I was shaving at least an hour off of my homework and 'review' that I could spend training. It was so noticeable, that Yang commented on my increased efficiency on Wednesday, asking what I had done to get so much faster.
"I asked Blake," I answered. "Be careful, though. By the time I was done, I was crying blood and had a horrible headache."
Ruby gasped in horror. Yang glanced sideways at Blake, and then back at me. "You're not serious, are you?"
I just ignored her, returning to my reading. "Please tell me you're joking."
I met Blake's eyes for just a moment, and I saw her lips quirk. There! It was almost a smile! "I warned him," she said.
"You guys are scaring me," said Yang. "Please be joking."
"Knock knock, it's the reading police. For excessive speeding, you will be fined six gallons of blood tears." I managed to say that with a straight face. Somehow.
After that, Yang watched me like a hawk whenever I was reading, as if she was expecting me to start gushing blood from my eye sockets. On Thursday, I let Ruby in on the joke, and asked if she would put some false blood streaks down her face. When Yang saw the dried 'blood', she demanded to know how Ruby had gotten hurt.
"I'm fine, Yang, honest. I just asked Blake for some reading help."
I could hardly contain my laughter at Yang's expression. She looked both concerned and murderous at the same time. I made sure to snap a picture on my scroll, and sent it to Blake. She glanced up, and sent me a wry smile.
"Jaune, why is your face red?" Yang asked sweetly.
"It must be the blood getting ready to exit my tear ducts," I replied. I stood and left. If I stayed any longer I would either burst out laughing or die of embarrassment. I made sure to add some blood trails, just in case Yang thought I was lying.
That night, I realized that Miss Goodwitch's Combat Class was tomorrow. I wasn't comfortable asking anyone to help my stances or practice with me, so it was going over the basics of what I already knew.
That had gotten me to Friday. But there was still Combat Class to go. And there was no way I wasn't getting my butt handed to me today. I only hoped I had an opponent who would go easy on me.
"The first match will be between Jaune Arc and Cardin Winchester. Please, take your places."
I was so screwed.
Cardin was a bully. In the past two weeks, he had knocked me over in the halls, locked me into my rocket locker, and just in general been a pest. And there was no way he was going to go easy on me.
After the start signal, it took everything I had just to dodge out of the way of his first strike. His mace swung back, crashing into my hastily interspersed shield and knocking me off my feet. I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the burning pain in my wrist. Taking a swing at him, Cardin deflected Crocea Mors and spun me about, and slammed his mace into my upper back.
I crumpled, my aura flaring in an effort to protect me. I tried to stand, but my coordination was very off. I boosted my aura, tring to stand faster. The last thing I remember before blacking out was Cardin's mace looming in my vision.
It was time to start evaluating each run. It seemed like I couldn't get any breaks. The first time, I had talked to Weiss and Pyrrha, which meant that Pyrrha had tried to find me in the forest. Luckily she had, otherwise I wouldn't be here now. The second time, I had also talked Pyrrha and Weiss, and once again we had partnered up. But the third time, I hadn't even seen them in the locker room. Why was that? Was it because I had grown so used to the routine that I had gone through it faster?
It was strange to see how much my actions could affect the outcome, just in that small window of time. I wondered what other kinds of things would happen if I acted differently. But I didn't have a lot of tries left. While it hadn't been all that noticeable the first two times, I was definitely feeling more tired than I had last time. Probably had something to do with aura, and the fact that I kept using it. Maybe it was like an MP bar, and it wasn't refilling fast enough to power continued trips through time. Something to watch out for.
I was so lost in thought during breakfast that when I glanced at the clock, I realized I would be late. I certainly didn't have enough time to chat with Pyrrha and Weiss, so I rushed through the locker room, and was still putting on my gear as Miss Goodwitch's announcement came over the intercom.
Once again, I was last in line on the cliff, but that was due to lateness. Miss Goodwitch gave me a withering glare, and I made a mental note never to make it to any of her classes late. In fact, five minutes early sounded best.
Ozpin drolled on about partners, the relics, killing everything in your path, yada yada yada. I was just waiting for him to be done so I could finally beat initiation.
I landed, just as normal, and started looking around. Once again, I was in a different spot than I had been before, but I had an idea of where I was, having taken the time in the air to get a vantage point of my surroundings. I was fairly certain I knew where Ruby had landed, but would I prefer to partner with her, or try and find Pyrrha?
I decided at this point, who my partner was didn't matter; I just wanted to be done with this and stop almost dying.
I found Ruby rather quickly, and we marched on through the woods. I soon recognized our surroundings and steered us away from the clearing where the Beowolves had been. I had no desire to be eaten again. Ruby either didn't notice or didn't comment on my seeming knowledge of this place.
As luck would have it, we actually found the temple. It was farther south of the Deathstalker cave, but I now felt like I could actually find it again if I had to. Ruby chose our relic—a golden horse chess piece—and we made our way back to the cliff. In the end, she was disappointed that we hadn't encountered any monsters, but I was thankful to have made it through.
That evening, we were assigned teams based on which relic we had retrieved. I had noticed that there were duplicates of certain pieces, but hadn't given much to the reason why.
"Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladonna, Jaune Arc. You four retrieved the White Knight pieces. Together, you will form Team RBJY—led by Ruby Rose."
We ate dinner, and then collapsed into our beds. I was exhausted from the whole day, but I finally had made it through! I was now officially a student at Beacon. Sure, classes were tomorrow, but I wasn't worried.
I was woken very abruptly the next morning by an enthusiastic Ruby Rose and her piercingly loud whistle. "Couldn't you have, I don't know, just shaken me awake?" I demanded.
"Nope. Alright Team RBJY, it's time for our first mission!"
"Breakfast?" I asked hopefully.
"No, silly. Decorating!"
"Of course," I groaned. We spent the greater part of the next twenty minutes rearranging the furniture, hanging posters, stocking bookshelves, and putting away clothes. About halfway through, I realized that there wasn't going to be much space for our beds. "Any ideas?"
"Bunk beds!" Ruby suggested.
"It does seem efficient," commented Blake.
"I guess that works," I said. "But how are we going to make these into…?"
But Ruby had already pulled out a length of rope and a bedsheet. "Right. Hang them from the ceiling."
When we finished installing the precariously situated bunk beds, Ruby directed onto our next mission. "Classes. Let's see, our first class is Grimm Studies at 9:00."
"Uh, Ruby?" I said, pointing to the clock. "It's 8:55."
We scrambled from the dorm, hastily snatching pencils and notebooks and racing out the door and across the courtyard. Just as the bell rang, we slid into our seats, and the professor stood, beginning his lecture.
And what a dry and boring lecture it was. Professor Port started with a long-winded story about how he had defeated a Beowolf with his bare hands, at the age of ten. It was only in the last ten minutes that he gave us any useful information, and that was all in the space of a minute, while he set up the second part of the class. "Is there anyone in this room that considers themselves to be a true Huntsman?"
That definitely wasn't me. Weiss volunteered immediately, and quickly changed into her battle gear. Which, apparently, was that dress of hers that she wore yesterday. I didn't think it was that much protection, but what did I know? Perhaps she had some awesome aura thing going on.
Professor Port unlatched the cage, and out stepped a large boar. I checked the board, identifying it as a Boarbatusk. It charged at her, snagging her sword with its large tusks, and sending it clattering across the floor. She odged another headlong lunge, and retrieved her weapon. The beast began to spin furiously, and tore across the floor, but a white circle, with a snowflake inscribed inside, stopped the Boarbatusk in its tracks. Jumping up, she changed direction with another snowflake, spearing the now flailing Grimm through the throat.
Professor Port, who had provided commentary throughout the short duel, now congratulated her, saying, "It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress." She glanced at where her team was sitting, beaming. And after a second, she turned away, blinking furiously. Then she left the room hurriedly. I wondered what was wrong. Pyrrha was looking after her, concerned, while the orange haired crazy who had been goofing off all class was looking a little confused.
It was only later that night that I realized just what I had gotten myself into. All three of my classes had assigned at least a dozen pages of reading, and Wilderness Skills had also given us an essay on what our favorite plant was and why. Altogether it was at least two hours of work in the library, and I had a feeling this was just the tip of the iceberg.
By the end of the week, I was exhausted. I had no idea that Beacon was this much work. All of the classes were assuming we had basic skills I didn't have, and having to play catch up was proving to be difficult. I had dodged a bullet this week in Combat class, with there not being enough time for me to have a match, but I wasn't filled with confidence for next week, even with my nightly training drills. Already, I had given up on any hopes of free time, spending most of my evenings researching things in the library.
It was getting to the point that just wasn't able to read fast enough for me to finish all the assigned readings, complete my homework, and research what I was supposed to already know.
During the week, I had noticed that Blake was always the first to be done with her assignments. Whether it was essays or readings, she was without fail done first. At first, I dismissed it as her knowing most of everything already, but even her leisure reading speed was faster than my skimming speed. So that Saturday, I built up my courage and asked her, "How do you read so fast?"
Without even a glance upward, she replied, "Lot's of practice."
And she deflects me. Great. "Practice what? Some super special reading techniques?"
"Yes." Always so eloquent.
Here goes nothing. "Could you...teach me some?"
Now she looked up, staring at me with her startling amber eyes. "Are you prepared for your brain to ache, your eyes to start bleeding, and your spirit break?"
I gulped. "Is–is that what it's going to take?"
"No. Go grab a book you won't mind remembering for the rest of your life."
Was she doing this just to mess with me? Either way, I had made it this far, so I may as well follow through. I grabbed one of the books from the aura shelf and returned to where she was sitting.
After that, she was surprisingly helpful, giving me all sorts of tips and tricks to help both my reading speed and my retention rate. The first thing she told me was to stop reading every word out loud in my head. All that does is slow you down, and make your brain overthink what it's reading. Instead, I was to scan each sentence, focusing on the key words of the sentence. To start, she had me skimming the book, looking for key words in every sentence, but three times faster than I normally read.
"Our brains can take in a lot more information than we give it credit for," she said. "You just have to take the next step."
At the same time, she had me listening to calm, orchestral music. "It helps to relax the brain," she explained. "But be careful not to listen to anything with lyrics, or too much continued dissonance, as that will disrupt your focus."
Then I asked her to explain what dissonance was, and she launched into this whole explanation of overtones and perfect fifths and tritones and I barely understood anything of what she said.
But over the course of the morning, my reading speed dramatically improved. I was reading at least twice as fast, and remembering more. Of course, afterward I would take a look at the stack of books she had already read that morning, watching her flip a page every second or so, and feel dumb. Even still, I appreciated her wisdom. "Thanks for helping me, Blake."
She just hummed back at me, and I took that as a sign that she recognized my thanks, and to stop talking to her. I went back to the shelves, trolling for more books I needed to read.
With the help of my improved reading speed, the second week went by much easier, and I was shaving at least an hour off of my homework and 'review' that I could spend training. It was so noticeable, that Yang commented on my increased efficiency on Wednesday, asking what I had done to get so much faster.
"I asked Blake," I answered. "Be careful, though. By the time I was done, I was crying blood and had a horrible headache."
Ruby gasped in horror. Yang glanced sideways at Blake, and then back at me. "You're not serious, are you?"
I just ignored her, returning to my reading. "Please tell me you're joking."
I met Blake's eyes for just a moment, and I saw her lips quirk. There! It was almost a smile! "I warned him," she said.
"You guys are scaring me," said Yang. "Please be joking."
"Knock knock, it's the reading police. For excessive speeding, you will be fined six gallons of blood tears." I managed to say that with a straight face. Somehow.
After that, Yang watched me like a hawk whenever I was reading, as if she was expecting me to start gushing blood from my eye sockets. On Thursday, I let Ruby in on the joke, and asked if she would put some false blood streaks down her face. When Yang saw the dried 'blood', she demanded to know how Ruby had gotten hurt.
"I'm fine, Yang, honest. I just asked Blake for some reading help."
I could hardly contain my laughter at Yang's expression. She looked both concerned and murderous at the same time. I made sure to snap a picture on my scroll, and sent it to Blake. She glanced up, and sent me a wry smile.
"Jaune, why is your face red?" Yang asked sweetly.
"It must be the blood getting ready to exit my tear ducts," I replied. I stood and left. If I stayed any longer I would either burst out laughing or die of embarrassment. I made sure to add some blood trails, just in case Yang thought I was lying.
That night, I realized that Miss Goodwitch's Combat Class was tomorrow. I wasn't comfortable asking anyone to help my stances or practice with me, so it was going over the basics of what I already knew.
That had gotten me to Friday. But there was still Combat Class to go. And there was no way I wasn't getting my butt handed to me today. I only hoped I had an opponent who would go easy on me.
"The first match will be between Jaune Arc and Cardin Winchester. Please, take your places."
I was so screwed.
Cardin was a bully. In the past two weeks, he had knocked me over in the halls, locked me into my rocket locker, and just in general been a pest. And there was no way he was going to go easy on me.
After the start signal, it took everything I had just to dodge out of the way of his first strike. His mace swung back, crashing into my hastily interspersed shield and knocking me off my feet. I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the burning pain in my wrist. Taking a swing at him, Cardin deflected Crocea Mors and spun me about, and slammed his mace into my upper back.
I crumpled, my aura flaring in an effort to protect me. I tried to stand, but my coordination was very off. I boosted my aura, tring to stand faster. The last thing I remember before blacking out was Cardin's mace looming in my vision.
5.1—Irony, Thy Name is Jackbox
Kaleidophoenix
Reforged from the ashes of shattered glass
- Location
- United States
5.1—Irony, Thy Name is Jackbox
When I woke up, I was back in my sleeping bag in the ballroom. Great. Of all the students I could have died to, it was Cardin Winchester. Maybe I wasn't really cut out for this after all. I trudged through my morning routine, grumbling about the humanity of it all. I get to Beacon, and I fail three times to get through initiation. And even then, I only last two weeks. Two lousy weeks before I'm killed in a sparring match.
Why was I even here in the first place? I wanted to be a hero, just like my great-great grandfather, and my great-grandfather, and my grandfather. Heck, even my father was recognized in the village for his services. And I was the lousy, no good son who ran away from his problems.
Wasn't that what I was doing right now? When things start to get a little rough, and I'm considering abandoning ship? What would that say of me, then? Was I okay with being called a failure?
I slouched into the locker room, fitting on my gear. As I fitted Crocea Mors onto my belt, I heard someone walk up behind me.
"Hello," said Pyrrha pleasantly.
Why was she talking to me? "Hello."
"I'm Pyrrha. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," I echoed. I still wasn't sure why she was talking to me. Was that a look of concern on her face?
"Are you nervous? You looked like you needed someone to talk to." She didn't even know me, and yet, here she was, talking to me out of sympathy.
"I guess you could say that," I admitted. It wasn't that I was nervous; I was just depressed that all of my attempts thus far had ended in failure.
"What's your name?"
"Jaune. Jaune Arc," I replied.
"Jaune. Just wanted to let you that someone will be watching out for you in initiation."
"Thanks, I guess." I wasn't quite sure how to take this. On one hand, it felt like she was doing this out of pity. On the other, Pyrrha had said she would be looking out for me. If she was anywhere near as talented as Weiss had implied, then I should be fine.
"Would all first year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation?"
This time, I was ahead of Pyrrha in line, which suited me just fine. She could probably better find me than I her. Ozpin droned on, and I once again focused my attention on safely landing. Each time I did this, I got better, but to do so meant I needed to actually do it. And this time, it had been more than a couple of hours between attempts.
But all my worry was for nothing. I managed a solid landing, and glanced up to see if I could spot Pyrrha flying overhead. However, the tree cover prevented me from catching anything other than flecks of blue sky.
I started my way towards the temple, clearing one line of trees, and froze. In front of me stood Cardin Winchester, back turned, staring down a large Beowolf. If I didn't make any noise, he might not notice me, and I could go back the way I came to try and find Pyrrha.
That plan was blown out of the water before I could even move by the arrival of a second, smaller Beowolf. It charged me, and I hunkered down behind my shield. I deflected it away from Cardin, and stood behind him.
"Cardin," he said.
"Jaune," I replied.
"Partners?"
Internally, I sighed. "Yup."
In the time of our brief exchange, the rest of the pack had arrived, about ten in number. "How do you want to do this?" I asked.
"I think I can make an opening with Sonnet Flare on the big one."
"I got your back."
And then Cardin moved, swinging his mace—Sonnet Flare—and socking the large Beowolf in the face. A Beowolf attacked from his vulnerable right side, and I slid in to knock it off of my shield. Temporarily stunned, the Beowolf was an easy target, and I beheaded the monster. I was finally starting to feel a little more comfortable in combat now—okay, maybe not—but I certainly could engage if I had to.
Cardin took out another two Beowolves, and I stayed in a defensive position, holding off a group of three that I warded off whenever they got too close. With six left, the Beowolves decided to retreat.
Cardin started to run after them, but I stopped him. "Hey, no need to go running off."
"Didn't Ozpin say we should kill everything in our path?"
"He also said that our objective is the relic. And I think I have a pretty good idea of where it is."
"Sure you're not just scared?" Cardin snarked.
"I just want to get this over with. No point in wasting time."
He stared me down, but I held my ground. After a couple of seconds, he looked away, scoffing. "Whatever."
I just started my way towards the temple. I wasn't happy with having Cardin as a partner, but I wasn't willing to risk my time travel trick not working just to try again. That was saved for emergencies.
Cardin didn't try to start any conversation, and I was happy to stay quiet for the duration of the ten minute walk. I noticed that there weren't any pieces missing yet, meaning we were the first ones to arrive. I quickly snatched up the gold horse piece I had taken last time, and we headed back to the cliffs.
"Well that was easy," commented Cardin as we turned in our relic.
"Congratulations on a successful recovery," said Miss Goodwitch. "We will meet in the assembly hall at 6:00, where you will be assigned your teammates and dorm rooms. You are free to acquaint yourself with the premises in the meantime."
Our exploration of the campus basically turned into me leading Cardin around to all the places. If he was suspicious of my knowledge of the layout, he didn't say anything. It was at this point that we finally started introductions. I gave the standard answer I had been giving each time, and listened to Cardin wax on about his family and his duty, but what caught my attention was how little he put himself into the picture.
I interrupted him. "Cardin, you can cut the fluff. I don't really care what your family has done. But if we're going to be partners for the next four years, then I want to know the real you."
"You think you can get to know the real me in just one conversation?" Cardin snorted. "That's ridiculous. And besides, aren't you proud of what your family's done? Do you have any family you're proud of?"
"Of course I do," I retorted.
"Then sit back and let me talk. It's not like we have anything better to do. And you were the one who suggested this."
I sighed and prepared to get bored.
Several hours later, we were brought into the auditorium. I was a little nervous as team formations were announced. Last time, I had gotten lucky. Blake had been a great help with my studies, and if I were to admit it, I wanted her to be on my team again. Then Ozpin spoke.
"Jaune Arc, Yang Xiao Long, Cardin Winchester, and Blake Belladonna. You four retrieved the White Knight pieces. Together, you will form team JCBX, led by Jaune Arc."
While I was happy to have Blake and Yang on my team, I wasn't sure I was cut out to be the leader of a team. "Congratulations young man," Ozpin told me.
"Thank you, sir," I answered automatically. "I'll do my best."
When I woke up, I was back in my sleeping bag in the ballroom. Great. Of all the students I could have died to, it was Cardin Winchester. Maybe I wasn't really cut out for this after all. I trudged through my morning routine, grumbling about the humanity of it all. I get to Beacon, and I fail three times to get through initiation. And even then, I only last two weeks. Two lousy weeks before I'm killed in a sparring match.
Why was I even here in the first place? I wanted to be a hero, just like my great-great grandfather, and my great-grandfather, and my grandfather. Heck, even my father was recognized in the village for his services. And I was the lousy, no good son who ran away from his problems.
Wasn't that what I was doing right now? When things start to get a little rough, and I'm considering abandoning ship? What would that say of me, then? Was I okay with being called a failure?
I slouched into the locker room, fitting on my gear. As I fitted Crocea Mors onto my belt, I heard someone walk up behind me.
"Hello," said Pyrrha pleasantly.
Why was she talking to me? "Hello."
"I'm Pyrrha. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," I echoed. I still wasn't sure why she was talking to me. Was that a look of concern on her face?
"Are you nervous? You looked like you needed someone to talk to." She didn't even know me, and yet, here she was, talking to me out of sympathy.
"I guess you could say that," I admitted. It wasn't that I was nervous; I was just depressed that all of my attempts thus far had ended in failure.
"What's your name?"
"Jaune. Jaune Arc," I replied.
"Jaune. Just wanted to let you that someone will be watching out for you in initiation."
"Thanks, I guess." I wasn't quite sure how to take this. On one hand, it felt like she was doing this out of pity. On the other, Pyrrha had said she would be looking out for me. If she was anywhere near as talented as Weiss had implied, then I should be fine.
"Would all first year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation?"
This time, I was ahead of Pyrrha in line, which suited me just fine. She could probably better find me than I her. Ozpin droned on, and I once again focused my attention on safely landing. Each time I did this, I got better, but to do so meant I needed to actually do it. And this time, it had been more than a couple of hours between attempts.
But all my worry was for nothing. I managed a solid landing, and glanced up to see if I could spot Pyrrha flying overhead. However, the tree cover prevented me from catching anything other than flecks of blue sky.
I started my way towards the temple, clearing one line of trees, and froze. In front of me stood Cardin Winchester, back turned, staring down a large Beowolf. If I didn't make any noise, he might not notice me, and I could go back the way I came to try and find Pyrrha.
That plan was blown out of the water before I could even move by the arrival of a second, smaller Beowolf. It charged me, and I hunkered down behind my shield. I deflected it away from Cardin, and stood behind him.
"Cardin," he said.
"Jaune," I replied.
"Partners?"
Internally, I sighed. "Yup."
In the time of our brief exchange, the rest of the pack had arrived, about ten in number. "How do you want to do this?" I asked.
"I think I can make an opening with Sonnet Flare on the big one."
"I got your back."
And then Cardin moved, swinging his mace—Sonnet Flare—and socking the large Beowolf in the face. A Beowolf attacked from his vulnerable right side, and I slid in to knock it off of my shield. Temporarily stunned, the Beowolf was an easy target, and I beheaded the monster. I was finally starting to feel a little more comfortable in combat now—okay, maybe not—but I certainly could engage if I had to.
Cardin took out another two Beowolves, and I stayed in a defensive position, holding off a group of three that I warded off whenever they got too close. With six left, the Beowolves decided to retreat.
Cardin started to run after them, but I stopped him. "Hey, no need to go running off."
"Didn't Ozpin say we should kill everything in our path?"
"He also said that our objective is the relic. And I think I have a pretty good idea of where it is."
"Sure you're not just scared?" Cardin snarked.
"I just want to get this over with. No point in wasting time."
He stared me down, but I held my ground. After a couple of seconds, he looked away, scoffing. "Whatever."
I just started my way towards the temple. I wasn't happy with having Cardin as a partner, but I wasn't willing to risk my time travel trick not working just to try again. That was saved for emergencies.
Cardin didn't try to start any conversation, and I was happy to stay quiet for the duration of the ten minute walk. I noticed that there weren't any pieces missing yet, meaning we were the first ones to arrive. I quickly snatched up the gold horse piece I had taken last time, and we headed back to the cliffs.
"Well that was easy," commented Cardin as we turned in our relic.
"Congratulations on a successful recovery," said Miss Goodwitch. "We will meet in the assembly hall at 6:00, where you will be assigned your teammates and dorm rooms. You are free to acquaint yourself with the premises in the meantime."
Our exploration of the campus basically turned into me leading Cardin around to all the places. If he was suspicious of my knowledge of the layout, he didn't say anything. It was at this point that we finally started introductions. I gave the standard answer I had been giving each time, and listened to Cardin wax on about his family and his duty, but what caught my attention was how little he put himself into the picture.
I interrupted him. "Cardin, you can cut the fluff. I don't really care what your family has done. But if we're going to be partners for the next four years, then I want to know the real you."
"You think you can get to know the real me in just one conversation?" Cardin snorted. "That's ridiculous. And besides, aren't you proud of what your family's done? Do you have any family you're proud of?"
"Of course I do," I retorted.
"Then sit back and let me talk. It's not like we have anything better to do. And you were the one who suggested this."
I sighed and prepared to get bored.
Several hours later, we were brought into the auditorium. I was a little nervous as team formations were announced. Last time, I had gotten lucky. Blake had been a great help with my studies, and if I were to admit it, I wanted her to be on my team again. Then Ozpin spoke.
"Jaune Arc, Yang Xiao Long, Cardin Winchester, and Blake Belladonna. You four retrieved the White Knight pieces. Together, you will form team JCBX, led by Jaune Arc."
While I was happy to have Blake and Yang on my team, I wasn't sure I was cut out to be the leader of a team. "Congratulations young man," Ozpin told me.
"Thank you, sir," I answered automatically. "I'll do my best."
5.2—Morning Troubles
Kaleidophoenix
Reforged from the ashes of shattered glass
- Location
- United States
5.2—Morning Troubles
The next morning, I was up bright and early, thanks to my alarm clock. I didn't want to waste any time this morning, and setting up a routine was important. I tried to wake everyone up, but they were more resistant than I initially thought they would be. Whenever I tried to shake Yang awake, she would punch and kick me without second thought. Cardin was an immovable object, reacting to nothing, and Blake just curled up into a tighter ball of person and blanket with each attempt.
So I resorted to drastic measures.
First, I yanked the covers off of Blake. She latched onto the blanket and started hissing at me. Hissing! "Blake, it's time to get up," I told her, and she seemed to realize what she was doing. Then she flushed, muttering something about early mornings. "You can have first shower," I added.
In a flash, the bathroom door was closed, and I was left with the two more troublesome teammates. It was too late now to fetch a bucket of water, but I had an idea of how to wake Cardin. Heaving, I rolled him off the bed and onto the floor. But he was still sleeping, even if his face was smushed against the floor. If there was one consolation, it was that he was now drooling. I sighed, and thought about how to wake the other one.
Yang seemed especially proud of her hair, given the way she flaunted it, so maybe if I threatened to cut it…. Hopefully she wouldn't beat me up too badly.
I grabbed a scissors and started snipping the air. "Yang, it's time for a haircut," I said in a singsong voice.
Immediately, I was faced with the wrath of Yang. She sprung from the bed, took one look at the scissors in my hand, and her eyes turned red, and fire started to erupt from her hair. I dropped the scissors—"Ow!" cried Cardin—and coughed. "Good, you're up. Blake's in the shower, so you'll have to wait."
"You had better not have touched my hair," she growled.
"Next time, you better wake up when I tell you to," I retorted. She glared at me, but I stared her down. I was the leader now. I couldn't afford to compromise on this.
"I like you," said Yang, laughing. And then she gave me the death glare once more. "But don't touch my hair."
"Wake up on time, and I'll never have to." Whew! Dodged that bullet. Way to think on your feet, Jaune.
Meanwhile, Cardin was rolling back and forth on the floor. "Are you okay?" asked Yang.
"No!" he exclaimed. "I'm not okay. I just had a scissors dropped on my eye!"
"Sorry about that," I said, "but you weren't waking up."
"So you dropped a scissors into my eye?"
"That part was an accident."
Cardin grumbled and sat up. "So why did you wake us up this early?"
"I wanted to make sure we had a good start on the day. Our first class is at 9, you know. And I figured it would be best to get into good habits now."
Yang was combing through her hair, as if checking each strand to make sure I hadn't done cut anything. Cardin was rubbing his eye and muttering under his breath about dragons and early mornings and stealth rockets. I didn't really get it.
Just then, Blake stepped out of the bathroom. "That was fast," I commented.
"You get used to quick showers outside the Kingdoms," she answered.
"Dibs on shower!" called Yang.
"You lived outside the Kingdoms?" I asked.
"Yes." And she was quiet again.
"Breakfast should be open by now. Yang's probably going to be in there for a while, so the three of us could go. I'll leave her a message."
"Sure," agreed Blake.
"Don't you have something to say to me, Jauney-boy?" asked Cardin.
"If it's about the scissors, it really was an accident. And I already apologized."
Cardin stood up to his full height, towering over me. Was it a sign of the things to come that I was able to stare him down? Had I done it that much already? "…fine."
Breakfast was a muted affair as I tried to get a conversation going. But with Blake being her usual self, and Cardin still angry at me, I didn't have any luck. Of course that's when Cardin decided to comment on one of the students entering the cafeteria. "Jaune, do you see the kid with the elephant nose? He looks hilarious! I'm surprised he's here."
That got a reaction from Blake. "Do you have something against faunus?"
"Of course not," replied Cardin, taking a large bite of sausage. "I just don't care for animals pretending to be humans."
Blake bristled at his comment. I was still taking a look at the elephant faunus. Back in Domremy, there hadn't been any faunus in the settlement, so I'd never interacted with one before. I'll admit, he looked weird, but I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
"Hey guys!" Yang nearly shouted. "What's for breakfast?"
"Pancakes, scrambled eggs, and sausage," I answered. "Dig in."
"Which class do we have first?" she asked. "I didn't hear."
"Oh, right. We have Grimm Studies with Professor Port first. Then it's Wilderness Skills with Professor LewisNClark."
"Don't you mean Professors Lewis and Clark?" asked Yang.
"No, it's one professor. And his last name is LewisNClark."
"That's weird."
"Wait 'til you hear his first name." Yang leaned in close. "Meriwilliam."
Both Cardin and Yang burst out laughing. But Blake was still sending Cardin angry glares. I wondered why she was so invested in faunus rights. Did she have a close friend that was a faunus? Perhaps a relative? I resolved to talk to her about it later.
By then, it was time for us to go to class, and I prepared myself for another boring lecture I had already heard. Joy. And since I was the team leader, I couldn't really be seen slacking off during class. Was there anything I could be working on that it wouldn't be too suspicious if I was caught? Who was I kidding? This was Professor Port. Hunstman he may be, but he wasn't the most observant Professor around. Both LewisNClark and Oobleck were much harder to sneak things past.
Alright, what had Ruby been doing as leader? Besides waking us up early to decorate. Let's see…wasn't she talking about doing some team exercises over the weekend? To get us used to each other's fighting styles and such? Maybe I could be planning something like that? I sighed.
"What's up?" asked Yang. "You don't have a reason to be down yet, do you?"
"It's just—I'm feeling a little bit of pressure because I'm the team leader, you know?" I answered quietly. I didn't want Blake or Cardin to overhear.
"Don't worry about it," said Yang, stopping in the hallway. "If you mess up, I'll give you a kick to the butt and a kiss to the cheek."
"But what if I–"
"Have you ever led a team before," she asked, interrupting me.
"Well no, but–"
"Then don't worry about it. You can't mess up enough that I won't be able to pick up the pieces and put you back together."
"Thanks." Except I'd already messed up four times. And Yang certainly wouldn't have been able to help me after any of those. But I still appreciated the sentiment.
"Now let's get to class. We don't want to be late."
Professor Port's class was just how I remembered it. Fake stuffed Grimm heads on the walls, blueprints of the most common Grimm species, and the cage in the corner, rattling occasionally. At 9:02, he started his ramblings, and I tuned him out. If everything was the same, I wouldn't be called on in this class. So I settled down and started planning.
Once again, Weiss volunteered to fight the Boarbatusk, though she seemed angrier than last time. As she took the stage, Ruby started shouting encouragement to her. Weiss didn't like Ruby's comments, even getting distracted enough to turn around and shout back. This cost her, as the Boarbatusk took this opportunity to send her sword to the other side of the arena. Funny how the fight seemed to play out in the same manner, even with Ruby's added commentary.
After finishing it off, Weiss stormed out of the classroom, leaving a confused Ruby behind. They had been partners this time around, and it looked like they weren't getting off to a good start. Yang went over and talked to Ruby for a bit. As I was putting away my notes, Pyrrha came over. "Congratulations on becoming team leader, Jaune."
"Thanks, Pyrrha."
"If you ever need anyone to talk to, feel free to stop by."
"Sure. See you around, Pyrrha." Was it just me, or did she seem even lonelier than yesterday? It was hard to tell, but it seemed like she was looking for a friend. As if she needed help. I mean, she was famous. That had to get you major friendship points with anyone.
Wilderness Skills also went much the same as last time, and we had free time after that. I was prepared for the homework this time, and made it my priority. After that, and some supper, I read in the library for a bit until bedtime. Comparing it to last time, I both felt more prepared and less prepared. Team leaders had a lot of hidden responsibilities, as I was now discovering. Like making sure Cardin had done his homework. That had not been a fun conversation. He had wanted to put it off until later, but I held my ground, and when both Blake and Yang had backed me up, he had given us all angry glares and furiously scribbled with his pencil.
But now the day was over. I could worry about tomorrow tomorrow.
The next morning, I was up bright and early, thanks to my alarm clock. I didn't want to waste any time this morning, and setting up a routine was important. I tried to wake everyone up, but they were more resistant than I initially thought they would be. Whenever I tried to shake Yang awake, she would punch and kick me without second thought. Cardin was an immovable object, reacting to nothing, and Blake just curled up into a tighter ball of person and blanket with each attempt.
So I resorted to drastic measures.
First, I yanked the covers off of Blake. She latched onto the blanket and started hissing at me. Hissing! "Blake, it's time to get up," I told her, and she seemed to realize what she was doing. Then she flushed, muttering something about early mornings. "You can have first shower," I added.
In a flash, the bathroom door was closed, and I was left with the two more troublesome teammates. It was too late now to fetch a bucket of water, but I had an idea of how to wake Cardin. Heaving, I rolled him off the bed and onto the floor. But he was still sleeping, even if his face was smushed against the floor. If there was one consolation, it was that he was now drooling. I sighed, and thought about how to wake the other one.
Yang seemed especially proud of her hair, given the way she flaunted it, so maybe if I threatened to cut it…. Hopefully she wouldn't beat me up too badly.
I grabbed a scissors and started snipping the air. "Yang, it's time for a haircut," I said in a singsong voice.
Immediately, I was faced with the wrath of Yang. She sprung from the bed, took one look at the scissors in my hand, and her eyes turned red, and fire started to erupt from her hair. I dropped the scissors—"Ow!" cried Cardin—and coughed. "Good, you're up. Blake's in the shower, so you'll have to wait."
"You had better not have touched my hair," she growled.
"Next time, you better wake up when I tell you to," I retorted. She glared at me, but I stared her down. I was the leader now. I couldn't afford to compromise on this.
"I like you," said Yang, laughing. And then she gave me the death glare once more. "But don't touch my hair."
"Wake up on time, and I'll never have to." Whew! Dodged that bullet. Way to think on your feet, Jaune.
Meanwhile, Cardin was rolling back and forth on the floor. "Are you okay?" asked Yang.
"No!" he exclaimed. "I'm not okay. I just had a scissors dropped on my eye!"
"Sorry about that," I said, "but you weren't waking up."
"So you dropped a scissors into my eye?"
"That part was an accident."
Cardin grumbled and sat up. "So why did you wake us up this early?"
"I wanted to make sure we had a good start on the day. Our first class is at 9, you know. And I figured it would be best to get into good habits now."
Yang was combing through her hair, as if checking each strand to make sure I hadn't done cut anything. Cardin was rubbing his eye and muttering under his breath about dragons and early mornings and stealth rockets. I didn't really get it.
Just then, Blake stepped out of the bathroom. "That was fast," I commented.
"You get used to quick showers outside the Kingdoms," she answered.
"Dibs on shower!" called Yang.
"You lived outside the Kingdoms?" I asked.
"Yes." And she was quiet again.
"Breakfast should be open by now. Yang's probably going to be in there for a while, so the three of us could go. I'll leave her a message."
"Sure," agreed Blake.
"Don't you have something to say to me, Jauney-boy?" asked Cardin.
"If it's about the scissors, it really was an accident. And I already apologized."
Cardin stood up to his full height, towering over me. Was it a sign of the things to come that I was able to stare him down? Had I done it that much already? "…fine."
Breakfast was a muted affair as I tried to get a conversation going. But with Blake being her usual self, and Cardin still angry at me, I didn't have any luck. Of course that's when Cardin decided to comment on one of the students entering the cafeteria. "Jaune, do you see the kid with the elephant nose? He looks hilarious! I'm surprised he's here."
That got a reaction from Blake. "Do you have something against faunus?"
"Of course not," replied Cardin, taking a large bite of sausage. "I just don't care for animals pretending to be humans."
Blake bristled at his comment. I was still taking a look at the elephant faunus. Back in Domremy, there hadn't been any faunus in the settlement, so I'd never interacted with one before. I'll admit, he looked weird, but I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
"Hey guys!" Yang nearly shouted. "What's for breakfast?"
"Pancakes, scrambled eggs, and sausage," I answered. "Dig in."
"Which class do we have first?" she asked. "I didn't hear."
"Oh, right. We have Grimm Studies with Professor Port first. Then it's Wilderness Skills with Professor LewisNClark."
"Don't you mean Professors Lewis and Clark?" asked Yang.
"No, it's one professor. And his last name is LewisNClark."
"That's weird."
"Wait 'til you hear his first name." Yang leaned in close. "Meriwilliam."
Both Cardin and Yang burst out laughing. But Blake was still sending Cardin angry glares. I wondered why she was so invested in faunus rights. Did she have a close friend that was a faunus? Perhaps a relative? I resolved to talk to her about it later.
By then, it was time for us to go to class, and I prepared myself for another boring lecture I had already heard. Joy. And since I was the team leader, I couldn't really be seen slacking off during class. Was there anything I could be working on that it wouldn't be too suspicious if I was caught? Who was I kidding? This was Professor Port. Hunstman he may be, but he wasn't the most observant Professor around. Both LewisNClark and Oobleck were much harder to sneak things past.
Alright, what had Ruby been doing as leader? Besides waking us up early to decorate. Let's see…wasn't she talking about doing some team exercises over the weekend? To get us used to each other's fighting styles and such? Maybe I could be planning something like that? I sighed.
"What's up?" asked Yang. "You don't have a reason to be down yet, do you?"
"It's just—I'm feeling a little bit of pressure because I'm the team leader, you know?" I answered quietly. I didn't want Blake or Cardin to overhear.
"Don't worry about it," said Yang, stopping in the hallway. "If you mess up, I'll give you a kick to the butt and a kiss to the cheek."
"But what if I–"
"Have you ever led a team before," she asked, interrupting me.
"Well no, but–"
"Then don't worry about it. You can't mess up enough that I won't be able to pick up the pieces and put you back together."
"Thanks." Except I'd already messed up four times. And Yang certainly wouldn't have been able to help me after any of those. But I still appreciated the sentiment.
"Now let's get to class. We don't want to be late."
Professor Port's class was just how I remembered it. Fake stuffed Grimm heads on the walls, blueprints of the most common Grimm species, and the cage in the corner, rattling occasionally. At 9:02, he started his ramblings, and I tuned him out. If everything was the same, I wouldn't be called on in this class. So I settled down and started planning.
Once again, Weiss volunteered to fight the Boarbatusk, though she seemed angrier than last time. As she took the stage, Ruby started shouting encouragement to her. Weiss didn't like Ruby's comments, even getting distracted enough to turn around and shout back. This cost her, as the Boarbatusk took this opportunity to send her sword to the other side of the arena. Funny how the fight seemed to play out in the same manner, even with Ruby's added commentary.
After finishing it off, Weiss stormed out of the classroom, leaving a confused Ruby behind. They had been partners this time around, and it looked like they weren't getting off to a good start. Yang went over and talked to Ruby for a bit. As I was putting away my notes, Pyrrha came over. "Congratulations on becoming team leader, Jaune."
"Thanks, Pyrrha."
"If you ever need anyone to talk to, feel free to stop by."
"Sure. See you around, Pyrrha." Was it just me, or did she seem even lonelier than yesterday? It was hard to tell, but it seemed like she was looking for a friend. As if she needed help. I mean, she was famous. That had to get you major friendship points with anyone.
Wilderness Skills also went much the same as last time, and we had free time after that. I was prepared for the homework this time, and made it my priority. After that, and some supper, I read in the library for a bit until bedtime. Comparing it to last time, I both felt more prepared and less prepared. Team leaders had a lot of hidden responsibilities, as I was now discovering. Like making sure Cardin had done his homework. That had not been a fun conversation. He had wanted to put it off until later, but I held my ground, and when both Blake and Yang had backed me up, he had given us all angry glares and furiously scribbled with his pencil.
But now the day was over. I could worry about tomorrow tomorrow.
5.3—Rising Tensions
Kaleidophoenix
Reforged from the ashes of shattered glass
- Location
- United States
5.3—Rising Tensions
Somehow, we made it to Friday and Combat class. The whole week Blake and Cardin had been at each other's throats, with Cardin intentionally riling her up with derogatory comments about faunus whenever one would walk by. Yang had tried her best to calm things between the two, but it was clear that I had two teammates that hated each other. Well, one teammate who was hated by all. Even though she tried to be partial, I could see how angry Yang would get at his comments.
"One of my best friends in grade school was a faunus," she told me. "We grew apart, but she was just as normal as I was."
I still had no experience with faunus, but I trusted Yang and Blake's opinions in this matter far more than I did Cardin.
But that wasn't what I was worried about right now. I was standing on the battlefield, facing down Cardin's former partner, Russell. He had two knifes, and was just waiting to gut me. Well, maybe not, but it sure felt like it. I held Crocea Mors at the ready, waiting for Miss Goodwitch's signal.
When she gave it, Russell charged, and I held my ground, using my shield to block his initial stabs. I slashed at him, trying to break his rhythm, but my footing wasn't good and I stumbled. Russell pounced, leaping into the air and spinning. He crashed onto my shield, sending me to the ground.
His knifes were at my throat, and his foot was standing on my sword arm. I didn't have a way out of this. I hadn't even lasted ten seconds!
"Go Jaune!" Yang cheered.
I had to turn this around. I couldn't move, but I had my aura. I drew on it, just to see what happened.
Then I blinked as I stood facing Russell. Miss Goodwitch was standing to the side, glancing at her scroll. "Begin."
Russell rushed me, taking several stabs, which I blocked with my shield. I knew this! This had just happened. I knew what he was going to do next. I slashed at him, making sure not to lose my footing, and watched as he retreated. He jumped up, so I hunkered down, ready to absorb the impact of his attack. He struck in the same spot, so I pushed off with my shield, and he flipped backwards.
As he was in the air, I slashed at him, hitting him on the arm, forcing him to let go of one of his knives. He hit the ground rolling, but I put myself between him and his knife. I glanced up at the screen showing our aura meters. Currently, I had a higher percentage left.
Russell noticed this too, and lunged, getting as close to me as he could. I had to take several steps back just to keep up with him, as even with one knife he was still vicious. I took several swings at him, but he either dodged or deflected it, trying to push me back. Then I realized why.
His knife was just behind me. If he could get it back, he'd have the advantage again. I switched tactics, stabbing at him and following up with a shield bash. He wasn't prepared for the dual assault, and stumbled backwards. I followed up with several more slashes, but he was prepared for it this time.
So he counterattacked. Slapping aside Crocea Mors with his open hand, he took the opening to slash my wrist. I almost dropped my sword, while Russell was running for his knife.
I needed to stop him from getting his knife back. So I threw my sword.
Dumb. I know. But it was all I had. It spun half-hazardly in the air, and its pommel struck Russell on the back of the head. He crumpled. "Jaune Arc is the victor of the match by knock out. While throwing your sword at him may have won you the duel, I advise you to keep ahold of it in a real match."
I had done it. I had defeated Russell. And I had done that weird thing with my aura. If I could figure out how to control that…I would be unbeatable. I could see all of their moves coming, and figure out a counter.
Retrieving my sword, I sat back down next to Yang. "You won," she said, patting me on the back. "Way to represent Team JCBX."
"Thanks."
That night, I pulled Cardin aside. "Cardin," I started, "I know you don't like faunus, but I would appreciate it if you could keep your comments to yourself."
"Why? Don't tell me you're a faunus lover."
"I've never met one in all my life," I assured him. "But your comments are hurtful and designed to spark a reaction from Blake. And I can't have two of my teammates always at each other's throats."
"Why?"
"Because it makes me look bad, it makes you look bad, and it will make it hard in the future when we have to do missions." Though, with my luck, I'd be dead before then.
"It's just a bit of harmless fun," said Cardin.
"If Yang is having to separate you two, then it's not harmless," I told him. "I'm not saying you have to like faunus. But could you just keep your mouth shut?"
I stalked off, annoyed. If only I could have been partnered with someone else. Anyone else. I opened the door to our dorm, but Yang was the only person there. Blake was probably still in the library. Checking the time on my scroll, I decided to fetch her.
There were only a few lights on in the library, and it made the tall bookshelves all the more eerie as I walked in. Blake was sitting by a window, nose in another book. I tapped her gently on the shoulder.
She glanced up. "It's getting late," I said. "You should think about getting to bed soon."
"Yeah." She closed her book.
"I talked to Cardin earlier," I told her. "Told him to keep his opinions to himself."
"Thanks."
"Why do you care so much about the faunus?" I asked. When she glared at me, I quickly added, "Not like that. It's just—what made you care about them? Did you know someone, or…."
"I did. He was adamant about having the same rights as humans."
"Did something happen to him?" I asked, noticing she had said 'was'.
"We split ways a little while ago. It's…complicated."
In other words, she didn't want to talk about him. That was fine. We walked the rest of the way back to our dorm in silence. Both Cardin and Yang were already in bed, so I whispered, "Goodnight, Blake," and slipped under the covers.
"Goodnight, Jaune."
Somehow, we made it to Friday and Combat class. The whole week Blake and Cardin had been at each other's throats, with Cardin intentionally riling her up with derogatory comments about faunus whenever one would walk by. Yang had tried her best to calm things between the two, but it was clear that I had two teammates that hated each other. Well, one teammate who was hated by all. Even though she tried to be partial, I could see how angry Yang would get at his comments.
"One of my best friends in grade school was a faunus," she told me. "We grew apart, but she was just as normal as I was."
I still had no experience with faunus, but I trusted Yang and Blake's opinions in this matter far more than I did Cardin.
But that wasn't what I was worried about right now. I was standing on the battlefield, facing down Cardin's former partner, Russell. He had two knifes, and was just waiting to gut me. Well, maybe not, but it sure felt like it. I held Crocea Mors at the ready, waiting for Miss Goodwitch's signal.
When she gave it, Russell charged, and I held my ground, using my shield to block his initial stabs. I slashed at him, trying to break his rhythm, but my footing wasn't good and I stumbled. Russell pounced, leaping into the air and spinning. He crashed onto my shield, sending me to the ground.
His knifes were at my throat, and his foot was standing on my sword arm. I didn't have a way out of this. I hadn't even lasted ten seconds!
"Go Jaune!" Yang cheered.
I had to turn this around. I couldn't move, but I had my aura. I drew on it, just to see what happened.
Then I blinked as I stood facing Russell. Miss Goodwitch was standing to the side, glancing at her scroll. "Begin."
Russell rushed me, taking several stabs, which I blocked with my shield. I knew this! This had just happened. I knew what he was going to do next. I slashed at him, making sure not to lose my footing, and watched as he retreated. He jumped up, so I hunkered down, ready to absorb the impact of his attack. He struck in the same spot, so I pushed off with my shield, and he flipped backwards.
As he was in the air, I slashed at him, hitting him on the arm, forcing him to let go of one of his knives. He hit the ground rolling, but I put myself between him and his knife. I glanced up at the screen showing our aura meters. Currently, I had a higher percentage left.
Russell noticed this too, and lunged, getting as close to me as he could. I had to take several steps back just to keep up with him, as even with one knife he was still vicious. I took several swings at him, but he either dodged or deflected it, trying to push me back. Then I realized why.
His knife was just behind me. If he could get it back, he'd have the advantage again. I switched tactics, stabbing at him and following up with a shield bash. He wasn't prepared for the dual assault, and stumbled backwards. I followed up with several more slashes, but he was prepared for it this time.
So he counterattacked. Slapping aside Crocea Mors with his open hand, he took the opening to slash my wrist. I almost dropped my sword, while Russell was running for his knife.
I needed to stop him from getting his knife back. So I threw my sword.
Dumb. I know. But it was all I had. It spun half-hazardly in the air, and its pommel struck Russell on the back of the head. He crumpled. "Jaune Arc is the victor of the match by knock out. While throwing your sword at him may have won you the duel, I advise you to keep ahold of it in a real match."
I had done it. I had defeated Russell. And I had done that weird thing with my aura. If I could figure out how to control that…I would be unbeatable. I could see all of their moves coming, and figure out a counter.
Retrieving my sword, I sat back down next to Yang. "You won," she said, patting me on the back. "Way to represent Team JCBX."
"Thanks."
That night, I pulled Cardin aside. "Cardin," I started, "I know you don't like faunus, but I would appreciate it if you could keep your comments to yourself."
"Why? Don't tell me you're a faunus lover."
"I've never met one in all my life," I assured him. "But your comments are hurtful and designed to spark a reaction from Blake. And I can't have two of my teammates always at each other's throats."
"Why?"
"Because it makes me look bad, it makes you look bad, and it will make it hard in the future when we have to do missions." Though, with my luck, I'd be dead before then.
"It's just a bit of harmless fun," said Cardin.
"If Yang is having to separate you two, then it's not harmless," I told him. "I'm not saying you have to like faunus. But could you just keep your mouth shut?"
I stalked off, annoyed. If only I could have been partnered with someone else. Anyone else. I opened the door to our dorm, but Yang was the only person there. Blake was probably still in the library. Checking the time on my scroll, I decided to fetch her.
There were only a few lights on in the library, and it made the tall bookshelves all the more eerie as I walked in. Blake was sitting by a window, nose in another book. I tapped her gently on the shoulder.
She glanced up. "It's getting late," I said. "You should think about getting to bed soon."
"Yeah." She closed her book.
"I talked to Cardin earlier," I told her. "Told him to keep his opinions to himself."
"Thanks."
"Why do you care so much about the faunus?" I asked. When she glared at me, I quickly added, "Not like that. It's just—what made you care about them? Did you know someone, or…."
"I did. He was adamant about having the same rights as humans."
"Did something happen to him?" I asked, noticing she had said 'was'.
"We split ways a little while ago. It's…complicated."
In other words, she didn't want to talk about him. That was fine. We walked the rest of the way back to our dorm in silence. Both Cardin and Yang were already in bed, so I whispered, "Goodnight, Blake," and slipped under the covers.
"Goodnight, Jaune."
5.4—Training in Green
Kaleidophoenix
Reforged from the ashes of shattered glass
- Location
- United States
5.4—Training in Green
I was up early the next morning, running through a basic exercise routine of pushups, situps, pullups, and a few laps around the courtyard. After a shower, I went to the cafeteria for breakfast. On the way, I ran into Miss Goodwitch.
"Miss Goodwitch?" I started.
"Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Arc?" she asked, her firm expression not leaving her face.
"I was wondering if there were any rooms available where I could do some team training," I answered.
"Certainly," she replied, opening up her scroll to what I presumed was a listing of all the rooms in Beacon. "There are a number of classrooms that are open over the weekend for this express purpose. All we ask is that you register for a classroom sometime during the week. Most will have already been claimed—many teams book the room for the entire semester. Please note that you will be held responsible for any damages you incur, and report any injuries to the infirmary."
"So is there a room available for today, or…?" I trailed off, but her expression clued me in before she spoke.
"I'm sorry, but it appears that we are booked solid for today. There are a number of openings for tomorrow, if that is acceptable."
"Actually, we do have one room open," said another voice from behind me. I glanced behind me to see Professor Ozpin sipping from his ever present cup of coffee.
"That room is specifically for—"
"Aspiring students, is it not?" He took another long sip, letting Miss Goodwitch glare at him. "If you desire a challenge, Mr. Arc, then you will have access to Room Green-144. Please remember to enter your team name before entering the room—you will not be able to get in otherwise."
"Green-144. Got it. Thank you, Professor."
"Use it well."
I ran back and woke my team. At this point, I now had it down to a science. To wake up Blake, I would lay a length of string across her hand, and yank it. She would instinctively grab onto it, and wake up when I upset her balance. The first time I tried it, she had glared at me, but when I explained that it was because it was less humiliating than ripping off her covers, she grudgingly accepted it.
Cardin was easy. All I had to do was tickle his ear with a feather. As always, Yang was the hardest. She responded to tickling with a punch to the face and continued snoring. Dragging a string across her hand hadn't worked, and ripping off her covers was also a good way to get punched. But Yang always slept with her mouth wide open. So all I had to do was drizzle a little sip of coffee into her waiting mouth. She would choke for only a moment, sit up, swallow, and glare at me. But I knew how she took her coffee, and I only had to hand her the mug and she would be placated.
I suppose I could have tried Ruby's whistle, but this was more fun. The only problem was that Cardin kept breaking my feathers, Blake would hide the pieces of string I used, and Yang kept breaking the mugs I gave her. Maybe if it had Ruby's face on it, she wouldn't do it without thought.
Once they were all awake, I told them my plans for the day, and they all grumbled and started their daily routines. I didn't get their attitudes. I mean, it was only 8 on a Saturday morning. Was I the only one who enjoyed waking early on weekends?
Green-144 was clear on the other side of campus, and by the time we all got there and finished our morning duties, it was 10:00. I was annoyed that we had to start so late, but I figured we could just keep going that afternoon. Typing in our team name into the door lock, the door swung open to reveal the room.
I didn't know what to expect, but this certainly was not it. A large…jungle gym-like structure stood on one end, extending up into the ceiling, while the other side was open. The walls were lined with practice weapons and various other tools, ranging from gardening shears to toothpicks to wagons.
"Before we begin, I thought we could go over our overall fighting abilities," I said. "We saw a little of what we could do during initiation and combat class, but I'm sure there were things we didn't pull out there."
"I can go first," volunteered Yang. "My main weapons are my Dual Ranged Shot Gauntlets, Ember Celica. I like to get in close, powering up my strikes with Ember Celica. Do you want us to talk about our Semblances, too?"
Semblance? What was that? "Uh…sure. If you want."
"Okay. My Semblance is called Retaliate, and whenever I take damage, I become stronger. My hair glows when I use it." She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they were a bright red, and her hair was glowing softly. So that's what a Semblance was. Kind of. I wasn't really sure what it was quite yet. Definitely some kind of aura technique. But the basic aura books I had read hadn't said anything about Semblances.
Blake went next. "This is Gambol Shroud, my Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe. I can use it as a sword, a pistol, and I have a ribbon that I can use to throw it around. My Semblance is called Shadow, and I can create clones of myself to dodge attacks or switch directions." She demonstrated, leaving a solid clone, but as soon as she jumped off of it, it dissipated.
I looked at Cardin. "My weapon is Sonnet Flare, a High Explosive Propelled Mace. I…my Semblance…." He trailed off.
"Haven't unlocked it yet?" asked Yang. "Don't worry—we'll help you find it in no time."
Cardin harrumphed, but I noticed that his expression softened a sliver. "What about you, Jaune?"
"This is Crocea Mors," I said, drawing it from its sheath. "My sheath turns into a shield, and–" I paused. I didn't know exactly what my Semblance was yet. But if it was some special aura technique, then that could explain why I was time traveling. It would explain why my aura levels didn't seem to carry across whenever I did it. The issue was—did I want to share this with my team?
It wasn't that I didn't trust Yang or Blake. They had proven last loop to be awesome teammates, but Cardin was the issue. Did I trust him with this knowledge? Would it even matter? If things went wrong, I could just go back to before I told them about it, and not tell them. Right? There was the matter of control, though. Would I be able to make sure I didn't go back farther than I wanted to. Would I care if I went too far? And that was the issue I was facing right now. Cardin was not an ideal partner, to say the least. If given the option, I would take any other student than him. But was it worth it to try to go back just to get a different one? Initiation was hard enough as is.
And that's where the reveal that my time travel was part of my aura came into play. When I thought about it, every single time I had gone back in time, it was because my aura had reacted to my prompting. If I died, that was it. I had no protection if I didn't have enough aura or I was knocked unconscious. Was going through initiation again worth telling them about it?
"It's a bit complicated," I said. "But I can time travel."
I was up early the next morning, running through a basic exercise routine of pushups, situps, pullups, and a few laps around the courtyard. After a shower, I went to the cafeteria for breakfast. On the way, I ran into Miss Goodwitch.
"Miss Goodwitch?" I started.
"Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Arc?" she asked, her firm expression not leaving her face.
"I was wondering if there were any rooms available where I could do some team training," I answered.
"Certainly," she replied, opening up her scroll to what I presumed was a listing of all the rooms in Beacon. "There are a number of classrooms that are open over the weekend for this express purpose. All we ask is that you register for a classroom sometime during the week. Most will have already been claimed—many teams book the room for the entire semester. Please note that you will be held responsible for any damages you incur, and report any injuries to the infirmary."
"So is there a room available for today, or…?" I trailed off, but her expression clued me in before she spoke.
"I'm sorry, but it appears that we are booked solid for today. There are a number of openings for tomorrow, if that is acceptable."
"Actually, we do have one room open," said another voice from behind me. I glanced behind me to see Professor Ozpin sipping from his ever present cup of coffee.
"That room is specifically for—"
"Aspiring students, is it not?" He took another long sip, letting Miss Goodwitch glare at him. "If you desire a challenge, Mr. Arc, then you will have access to Room Green-144. Please remember to enter your team name before entering the room—you will not be able to get in otherwise."
"Green-144. Got it. Thank you, Professor."
"Use it well."
I ran back and woke my team. At this point, I now had it down to a science. To wake up Blake, I would lay a length of string across her hand, and yank it. She would instinctively grab onto it, and wake up when I upset her balance. The first time I tried it, she had glared at me, but when I explained that it was because it was less humiliating than ripping off her covers, she grudgingly accepted it.
Cardin was easy. All I had to do was tickle his ear with a feather. As always, Yang was the hardest. She responded to tickling with a punch to the face and continued snoring. Dragging a string across her hand hadn't worked, and ripping off her covers was also a good way to get punched. But Yang always slept with her mouth wide open. So all I had to do was drizzle a little sip of coffee into her waiting mouth. She would choke for only a moment, sit up, swallow, and glare at me. But I knew how she took her coffee, and I only had to hand her the mug and she would be placated.
I suppose I could have tried Ruby's whistle, but this was more fun. The only problem was that Cardin kept breaking my feathers, Blake would hide the pieces of string I used, and Yang kept breaking the mugs I gave her. Maybe if it had Ruby's face on it, she wouldn't do it without thought.
Once they were all awake, I told them my plans for the day, and they all grumbled and started their daily routines. I didn't get their attitudes. I mean, it was only 8 on a Saturday morning. Was I the only one who enjoyed waking early on weekends?
Green-144 was clear on the other side of campus, and by the time we all got there and finished our morning duties, it was 10:00. I was annoyed that we had to start so late, but I figured we could just keep going that afternoon. Typing in our team name into the door lock, the door swung open to reveal the room.
I didn't know what to expect, but this certainly was not it. A large…jungle gym-like structure stood on one end, extending up into the ceiling, while the other side was open. The walls were lined with practice weapons and various other tools, ranging from gardening shears to toothpicks to wagons.
"Before we begin, I thought we could go over our overall fighting abilities," I said. "We saw a little of what we could do during initiation and combat class, but I'm sure there were things we didn't pull out there."
"I can go first," volunteered Yang. "My main weapons are my Dual Ranged Shot Gauntlets, Ember Celica. I like to get in close, powering up my strikes with Ember Celica. Do you want us to talk about our Semblances, too?"
Semblance? What was that? "Uh…sure. If you want."
"Okay. My Semblance is called Retaliate, and whenever I take damage, I become stronger. My hair glows when I use it." She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they were a bright red, and her hair was glowing softly. So that's what a Semblance was. Kind of. I wasn't really sure what it was quite yet. Definitely some kind of aura technique. But the basic aura books I had read hadn't said anything about Semblances.
Blake went next. "This is Gambol Shroud, my Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe. I can use it as a sword, a pistol, and I have a ribbon that I can use to throw it around. My Semblance is called Shadow, and I can create clones of myself to dodge attacks or switch directions." She demonstrated, leaving a solid clone, but as soon as she jumped off of it, it dissipated.
I looked at Cardin. "My weapon is Sonnet Flare, a High Explosive Propelled Mace. I…my Semblance…." He trailed off.
"Haven't unlocked it yet?" asked Yang. "Don't worry—we'll help you find it in no time."
Cardin harrumphed, but I noticed that his expression softened a sliver. "What about you, Jaune?"
"This is Crocea Mors," I said, drawing it from its sheath. "My sheath turns into a shield, and–" I paused. I didn't know exactly what my Semblance was yet. But if it was some special aura technique, then that could explain why I was time traveling. It would explain why my aura levels didn't seem to carry across whenever I did it. The issue was—did I want to share this with my team?
It wasn't that I didn't trust Yang or Blake. They had proven last loop to be awesome teammates, but Cardin was the issue. Did I trust him with this knowledge? Would it even matter? If things went wrong, I could just go back to before I told them about it, and not tell them. Right? There was the matter of control, though. Would I be able to make sure I didn't go back farther than I wanted to. Would I care if I went too far? And that was the issue I was facing right now. Cardin was not an ideal partner, to say the least. If given the option, I would take any other student than him. But was it worth it to try to go back just to get a different one? Initiation was hard enough as is.
And that's where the reveal that my time travel was part of my aura came into play. When I thought about it, every single time I had gone back in time, it was because my aura had reacted to my prompting. If I died, that was it. I had no protection if I didn't have enough aura or I was knocked unconscious. Was going through initiation again worth telling them about it?
"It's a bit complicated," I said. "But I can time travel."
5.5—Loose Lips Sink Ships
Kaleidophoenix
Reforged from the ashes of shattered glass
- Location
- United States
5.5—Loose Lips Sink Ships
"T-time travel?" spluttered Yang.
"Is that weird?" I asked hesitantly.
"It is unusual," answered Blake. "Very few time manipulators have been known to exist, and most are more fiction than fact."
"Right."
"Prove it," demanded Yang.
"Ruby's favorite food is strawberries," I told her.
"Pff. She could have told you that. Try again."
"I was getting to that. Blake's favorite food is a tuna sandwich."
Yang turned to her partner. "Is that true?"
Blake stared into my eyes. "It is. How did you know?"
"Because this isn't my first team at Beacon," I said.
"What happened?" asked Yang.
"During combat class, I put too much aura into my Semblance, and I went back to initiation."
"You did seem to be acting a little odd that day, now that I think about it," commented Yang. "A little sad."
"I was depressed because I had just lost my team!" I retorted.
"Who was on it?" asked Cardin.
"Yang, Blake, and Ruby," I answered.
"Were you the leader, or…?" trailed off Yang.
"Ruby was," I finished for her. "Just like she is for Team RRWN."
"You still haven't conclusively proved that you time traveled, though," said Yang.
"Why would I lie to you guys?" I asked. "Besides, I know what all of the homework is going to be for the next week."
"You do?" asked Blake, her ears perking up.
"Yeah. Oobleck's got an assignment on the Atlesian military on Tuesday, Port wants a summary on mechashift development by Wednesday, and Lewis'n'Clark will have a pop quiz tomorrow."
"I hate pop quizzes," muttered Yang.
"Brush up on snares and traps," I suggested. "Otherwise you'll get a C+."
"A C+?" exclaimed Yang. "I haven't gotten a C+ since second grade!"
"Now you won't have to. But you're getting a B- on Thursday's History essay."
"A B-." Yang shuddered.
"I didn't know you cared so much about grades, Yang," commented Cardin.
"You're looking at a Straight A student all through elementary and combat school," bragged Yang.
"So do you believe me or not?" I asked.
"It's not that I don't believe you," said Yang, "but it's just hard to. By the end of the week, if you're right, that's pretty solid evidence, but right now it's just hearsay."
"Alright then," I said. "I'll use my Semblance, but before I do, I want you to tell me two or three words that I couldn't know about, and I'll tell them to your past selves. Related to something you know well, but I could never have even guessed about."
Yang immediately replied, "Ruby, Wagon, Mother."
Cardin, after a moment of thought, said, "Birthday, Piñata, Pie, Face."
"Do tell," said Yang gleefully.
"My housemaid threw a birthday party for me, and had a piñata there, but she forgot that she had a pie on a table nearby. My buddy Jackal tripped, hit the table, and received a pie to the face. It was hilarious. Of course, she had to run to the store to buy a fresh one, but it was still funny."
"Blake?" I asked. "What about you?"
"Adam; Train," she said quietly. "Please warn me before you tell me that, though."
"Uh…sure." Why would I need to warn her about that? What was it about that train that made it important that she knew I hadn't known about it beforehand? I quickly checked my scroll to see what time it was. 10:10 "Here goes nothing."
I channeled my aura, willing myself to go back, to return to the moment our conversation started. After about ten seconds of concentration, I opened my eyes to see my team looking at me. "What?" I ask.
"You just stopped talking in the middle of your sentence," said Yang. "Are you okay?"
"Just fine." I glanced at my scroll. 10:02. "What was I saying?"
"'Before we begin, I thought we could go over our'—and you stopped there," supplied Blake.
"Thanks. As I was saying, I thought we could go over our overall fighting styles. We fought briefly during initiation, and we each had a match yesterday during combat class, but today I want us to know each other's fighting abilities just a little bit better. I'll go first."
I unsheathed Crocea Mors once more. "This is Crocea Mors. My great-great-grandfather used it in the war, and my sheath transforms into a shield, like so." I demonstrated.
"I call my Semblance Reversal," I continued. "And because of it, I can finish the rest of this exercise. Yang, you wield your Dual Ranged Shot Gauntlets, Ember Celica, and your Semblance is called Retaliate. You can take damage to become stronger, and your hair lights up when you do."
"H-how did you know?" asked Yang. "I haven't used my Semblance at all here at Beacon, and you weren't at Signal, so how?"
I winked at her and shifted my attention to Blake. "You use a Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe called Gambol Shroud, and it has a sword, a pistol, and a ribbon mode. Your Semblance, Shadow, makes clones for you."
Blake narrowed her eyes as I talked, evaluating every minute detail of what I said and how I said it. It was very unnerving. "Cardin, you don't have a Semblance yet, but you have a High Explosive Propelled Mace called Sonnet Flare."
"Jaune, you realize you're being pretty creepy right now, right?" asked Cardin. "Because I sure as hell haven't told anyone here that I don't have a Semblance."
Blake's eyes widened. "You're a time traveler, aren't you?"
I nodded, impressed. "Just a minute ago, it was 10:10 for me, and you had already explained all of this. To convince you that I am a time traveler, I asked you for a couple of words to explain an event I don't know about. Well, Cardin shared his, but his words were birthday, piñata, pie, face. And his name is Jackal, right?"
Cardin nodded. "I believe you."
"What was mine?" asked Yang.
"Ruby, wagon, mother," I answered. Her eyes widened, and I thought I saw a hint of sadness—no, guilt—in them. "You didn't tell me anything more than that, and you don't have to share if you don't want to."
"And mine?" Blake's voice was hesitant. Almost…scared. Why? What was so frightening that I could reveal with just a few words?
"You warned me to remind you that I have no idea what these two words mean. Only that they have meaning." She winced. "Adam. Train."
Blake let out a long sigh. And unclenched her fist. "Who's Adam?" asked Yang.
"An old partner," she answered. "We split ways a couple of months ago."
Was she talking about her faunus friend that she mentioned last night? "Is he the faunus friend you mentioned last night?"
I realized as soon as I said it that I should have kept my mouth shut. Cardin perked up, smirking. "Oh, right, you have faunus 'friends'. You split up, right? Oh, does that mean you like it beasty? Furry."
Blake tackled him in a fury, beating him with hands and feet, but Cardin was bigger. She hadn't grabbed her weapon, so he was able to punch her in the gut. Yang and I moved as one to pull them off of each other, but Blake lashed out, knocking me back. Cardin swiped at her head, latching onto her bow. She screeched in pain. Pulling up, Cardin revealed a torn, bloody bow and…were those cat ears on her head?
Yang decked Cardin in the face, sending him into the wall. "Don't touch my partner!" she shouted. Gingerly, she massaged Blake's head, as she cried tears of pain into Yang's bosom. I clenched my fists. This was my fault. Because of my careless thought, Blake had attacked Cardin, and he had exposed her as a faunus. Cardin—no, he didn't even deserve to be called by name—that asshole wasn't moving, and I thought I saw some blood. He had hit the wall where there was swords, so it was possible.
I put a hand on Blake's shoulder. She flinched at my touch. "Blake—I…I'm sorry. I–I wasn't thinking."
She slapped me. I deserved it. Standing up, I told them, "I'm going to see Professor Ozpin."
"T-time travel?" spluttered Yang.
"Is that weird?" I asked hesitantly.
"It is unusual," answered Blake. "Very few time manipulators have been known to exist, and most are more fiction than fact."
"Right."
"Prove it," demanded Yang.
"Ruby's favorite food is strawberries," I told her.
"Pff. She could have told you that. Try again."
"I was getting to that. Blake's favorite food is a tuna sandwich."
Yang turned to her partner. "Is that true?"
Blake stared into my eyes. "It is. How did you know?"
"Because this isn't my first team at Beacon," I said.
"What happened?" asked Yang.
"During combat class, I put too much aura into my Semblance, and I went back to initiation."
"You did seem to be acting a little odd that day, now that I think about it," commented Yang. "A little sad."
"I was depressed because I had just lost my team!" I retorted.
"Who was on it?" asked Cardin.
"Yang, Blake, and Ruby," I answered.
"Were you the leader, or…?" trailed off Yang.
"Ruby was," I finished for her. "Just like she is for Team RRWN."
"You still haven't conclusively proved that you time traveled, though," said Yang.
"Why would I lie to you guys?" I asked. "Besides, I know what all of the homework is going to be for the next week."
"You do?" asked Blake, her ears perking up.
"Yeah. Oobleck's got an assignment on the Atlesian military on Tuesday, Port wants a summary on mechashift development by Wednesday, and Lewis'n'Clark will have a pop quiz tomorrow."
"I hate pop quizzes," muttered Yang.
"Brush up on snares and traps," I suggested. "Otherwise you'll get a C+."
"A C+?" exclaimed Yang. "I haven't gotten a C+ since second grade!"
"Now you won't have to. But you're getting a B- on Thursday's History essay."
"A B-." Yang shuddered.
"I didn't know you cared so much about grades, Yang," commented Cardin.
"You're looking at a Straight A student all through elementary and combat school," bragged Yang.
"So do you believe me or not?" I asked.
"It's not that I don't believe you," said Yang, "but it's just hard to. By the end of the week, if you're right, that's pretty solid evidence, but right now it's just hearsay."
"Alright then," I said. "I'll use my Semblance, but before I do, I want you to tell me two or three words that I couldn't know about, and I'll tell them to your past selves. Related to something you know well, but I could never have even guessed about."
Yang immediately replied, "Ruby, Wagon, Mother."
Cardin, after a moment of thought, said, "Birthday, Piñata, Pie, Face."
"Do tell," said Yang gleefully.
"My housemaid threw a birthday party for me, and had a piñata there, but she forgot that she had a pie on a table nearby. My buddy Jackal tripped, hit the table, and received a pie to the face. It was hilarious. Of course, she had to run to the store to buy a fresh one, but it was still funny."
"Blake?" I asked. "What about you?"
"Adam; Train," she said quietly. "Please warn me before you tell me that, though."
"Uh…sure." Why would I need to warn her about that? What was it about that train that made it important that she knew I hadn't known about it beforehand? I quickly checked my scroll to see what time it was. 10:10 "Here goes nothing."
I channeled my aura, willing myself to go back, to return to the moment our conversation started. After about ten seconds of concentration, I opened my eyes to see my team looking at me. "What?" I ask.
"You just stopped talking in the middle of your sentence," said Yang. "Are you okay?"
"Just fine." I glanced at my scroll. 10:02. "What was I saying?"
"'Before we begin, I thought we could go over our'—and you stopped there," supplied Blake.
"Thanks. As I was saying, I thought we could go over our overall fighting styles. We fought briefly during initiation, and we each had a match yesterday during combat class, but today I want us to know each other's fighting abilities just a little bit better. I'll go first."
I unsheathed Crocea Mors once more. "This is Crocea Mors. My great-great-grandfather used it in the war, and my sheath transforms into a shield, like so." I demonstrated.
"I call my Semblance Reversal," I continued. "And because of it, I can finish the rest of this exercise. Yang, you wield your Dual Ranged Shot Gauntlets, Ember Celica, and your Semblance is called Retaliate. You can take damage to become stronger, and your hair lights up when you do."
"H-how did you know?" asked Yang. "I haven't used my Semblance at all here at Beacon, and you weren't at Signal, so how?"
I winked at her and shifted my attention to Blake. "You use a Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe called Gambol Shroud, and it has a sword, a pistol, and a ribbon mode. Your Semblance, Shadow, makes clones for you."
Blake narrowed her eyes as I talked, evaluating every minute detail of what I said and how I said it. It was very unnerving. "Cardin, you don't have a Semblance yet, but you have a High Explosive Propelled Mace called Sonnet Flare."
"Jaune, you realize you're being pretty creepy right now, right?" asked Cardin. "Because I sure as hell haven't told anyone here that I don't have a Semblance."
Blake's eyes widened. "You're a time traveler, aren't you?"
I nodded, impressed. "Just a minute ago, it was 10:10 for me, and you had already explained all of this. To convince you that I am a time traveler, I asked you for a couple of words to explain an event I don't know about. Well, Cardin shared his, but his words were birthday, piñata, pie, face. And his name is Jackal, right?"
Cardin nodded. "I believe you."
"What was mine?" asked Yang.
"Ruby, wagon, mother," I answered. Her eyes widened, and I thought I saw a hint of sadness—no, guilt—in them. "You didn't tell me anything more than that, and you don't have to share if you don't want to."
"And mine?" Blake's voice was hesitant. Almost…scared. Why? What was so frightening that I could reveal with just a few words?
"You warned me to remind you that I have no idea what these two words mean. Only that they have meaning." She winced. "Adam. Train."
Blake let out a long sigh. And unclenched her fist. "Who's Adam?" asked Yang.
"An old partner," she answered. "We split ways a couple of months ago."
Was she talking about her faunus friend that she mentioned last night? "Is he the faunus friend you mentioned last night?"
I realized as soon as I said it that I should have kept my mouth shut. Cardin perked up, smirking. "Oh, right, you have faunus 'friends'. You split up, right? Oh, does that mean you like it beasty? Furry."
Blake tackled him in a fury, beating him with hands and feet, but Cardin was bigger. She hadn't grabbed her weapon, so he was able to punch her in the gut. Yang and I moved as one to pull them off of each other, but Blake lashed out, knocking me back. Cardin swiped at her head, latching onto her bow. She screeched in pain. Pulling up, Cardin revealed a torn, bloody bow and…were those cat ears on her head?
Yang decked Cardin in the face, sending him into the wall. "Don't touch my partner!" she shouted. Gingerly, she massaged Blake's head, as she cried tears of pain into Yang's bosom. I clenched my fists. This was my fault. Because of my careless thought, Blake had attacked Cardin, and he had exposed her as a faunus. Cardin—no, he didn't even deserve to be called by name—that asshole wasn't moving, and I thought I saw some blood. He had hit the wall where there was swords, so it was possible.
I put a hand on Blake's shoulder. She flinched at my touch. "Blake—I…I'm sorry. I–I wasn't thinking."
She slapped me. I deserved it. Standing up, I told them, "I'm going to see Professor Ozpin."
5.6—Team Comes First
Kaleidophoenix
Reforged from the ashes of shattered glass
- Location
- United States
5.6—Team Comes First
"What are you going to do?" asked Yang angrily as I walked away.
"Going to ask if that asshole can be expelled. Or at least traded to a different team." I stalked out of Green-144 and towards the central tower. That was where Ozpin's office was rumored to be. I didn't actually know where it was yet.
As I walked into the central area, I saw Miss Goodwitch walking towards me. She glanced up at me. "Mr. Arc. I thought you would have been in Green-144 with your team."
"I was," I answered. "I'd like to see Professor Ozpin."
"He is a busy man, Mr. Arc. He already did you a favor this morning by giving you access to the training ro–"
"It's a team emergency," I said. "Can you tell me where to find him?"
"Team emergency, you say? What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, two of my teammates tried to kill each other, team emergency. May I please speak to Professor Ozpin?"
"I—yes, of course. This way, Mr. Arc."
She led me to an elevator, and I waited as she pressed the button for the top floor. The doors opened to reveal a large room, with many big gears ticking above in the high vaulted ceiling. "Mr. Arc. How may I be of assistance?"
Professor Ozpin was sitting at his desk, swiveling in a metallic chair to meet my gaze. The window gaze a tremendous view of Vale and the surrounding countryside. "It's a bit of a team emergency," I answered.
"I believe you are referring to the incident between Miss Belladonna and Mr. Winchester not ten minutes ago, correct?"
He already knew about it? I heard the elevator doors close behind me, leaving me alone with the headmaster. "Yes. I-I am."
"How can I help you, then?"
"What can you do to get Cardin expelled?"
"Over an incident like this? Nothing."
"What? But he attacked her! You saw what happened!"
"If I were to review the footage, I would find that Miss Belladonna was the one to initiate hostilities."
"But he provoked her!"
"And she lost control over her emotions."
"He's been making comments like that all week," I retorted.
"That would only cursorily add to the case. But you cannot lay blame entirely on one person, Mr. Arc. There is always more than one side to any story. In this case, there is Mr. Winchester's attitude towards the faunus, Miss Belladonna's identity as a faunus, and your ill-timed, but well intentioned question."
I winced. It was my fault that Cardin was even inspired to make that comment. Blake probably didn't want to even talk to me anymore, and Yang had been plenty mad at me when I walked out of the room. Cardin…probably hated me too. My first try at leadership, and I screwed it up badly.
"Can't you, I don't know, have me switch partners?" I asked, but my hopes plummeted as I saw his expression.
"When I said that you would have your partner for the next four years, I was serious, Mr. Arc. I don't go back on my word. You have had your team for one week."
"And look where it's gotten me!" I shouted back. "My entire team probably hates me now."
"I am sorry I can't be of more help to you, Mr. Arc."
"Isn't there anything you can do?" I begged.
"My suggestion is to return to your team and apologize. Not for Cardin. Not for Blake. And find out their side of the story. Maybe you'll find something unexpected."
He set down his ever present mug and looked me in the eye. "Leadership isn't easy, Jaune. But are you prepared to undergo the consequences for your mistakes?"
I left the office, subdued. I looked down at my scroll, and saw a bunch of angry texts from Yang, demanding me to get down to the infirmary. I sighed, leaning against the wall and slowly sliding down it. Maybe I should just end this whole charade and start over. It seemed like a better alternative than trying to fix this mess. And who would know?
"Jaune?"
I started and looked up to see Ruby's innocent face above me. "Hey Ruby."
"What's up—or…down?"
"I messed up."
She plopped down beside me. I saw Weiss roll her eyes and stalk off. Ren and— still didn't remember the orange-haired girl's name—they followed her after Ruby waved them off. I appreciated the gesture, but I didn't really want to talk to Ruby right now.
"What happened?"
"I was trying to do some teamwork stuff, and I asked a question I shouldn't've. Then Cardin provoked Blake, and now they're in the infirmary."
"So why aren't you in the infirmary?" she asked, tilting her head. Ruby don't—it's too cute.
"I…tried to see if I could kick Cardin off the team."
"And?"
"And it didn't work."
"So?"
"So now I'm talking to you, trying to figure out how to fix this."
"What do you want to do?"
"I want to do it over again, fix my mistake, but…." I trailed off.
"But," Ruby agreed, "you want to do what's right. So just do that."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"I'm a failure." I slumped down further against the wall.
"Nope."
I turned and looked at her in astonishment.
"I just caused two of my teammates to try and kill each other."
"Nope."
"Ruby, my team hates me."
"Nope."
"You're a really hard person to talk with about this."
"Jaune, you're not allowed to be a failure. You're a leader now. Your team is counting on you. Sure, you made a mistake. But one mistake doesn't make you a failure. You're a failure if you run away and pretend it never happened. So just keep trying. As long as you never stop trying, you'll never be a failure."
"I…." I stopped. "Thanks, Ruby."
"No problem." She stood up. "I gotta go catch up with my team. See you around, Jaune!"
Sprinting down the hall and out of sight, Ruby left without so much as a glance behind her. I sighed again, and clambered to my feet, ready to face the music.
The infirmary was placed so that no one had any reason to be near there without actually going to the infirmary, but it was close enough to some of the major hallways that it was easy to get to. This was so there wasn't any unnecessary traffic around it, just in case there were any serious accidents. While everyone had their aura, this was a school designed to train Huntsmen—accidents happened.
As soon as I entered, Yang stalked up to me. "You know, I'm surprised you haven't done this over already. I mean, all you had to do was keep your mouth shut."
"Yang, I–"
She cut me off. "Sometimes, when we make mistakes, we have to live with them." She stormed out of the room, leaving me with two long rows of empty beds. Just more of a confirmation that I had screwed up big time. And if I was going to fix this without any time travel, I would have to start by getting Blake and Cardin to tolerate each other.
Yeah, I know how crazy I sound. But I had an idea.
Cardin was resting near the door, while Blake was clear on the other side of the room, hidden behind a curtain, presumably to keep her faunus nature secret. Since Cardin was nearest, and awake, I sat by his bedside.
"What do you want, Jaune?" he asked.
"I want to know why you dislike the faunus."
"They're animals, Jaune. You saw what Blake did to me. She attacked me. That's all they do. They tell you that if you just do that, then they'll be satisfied, but they never are."
"I will be having words with Blake after this," I told him, "but right now, you need to tell me why you dislike the faunus."
"I already told you–"
"You told me what you think of them," I interrupted. "But why do you hate them so much?"
"You really want to know? Fine. My mother, you know she's a Huntress. Time and time again she would be called out to stop the faunus riots when they got out of hand. And she would come home angry. My mother hated having to deal with those animals, time and time again, because they can't live with what they have." He spat on the ground. "They're all the same. Never content with what they have."
That sounded…awful. But Blake and Velvet didn't seem like that at all. "Have you gotten to know any faunus after this?" I asked.
"Are you crazy? Of course not."
"Then how do you know that all faunus are like that?"
"Ever heard of the White Fang, Jaune? Terrorists and criminals, the lot of them."
I hadn't. But from his description, they were probably a violent group of some sort. "And are all faunus part of the White Fang?"
"No, but–"
"But what? Just because she's a faunus, Blake is going to try and kill you?"
"She just tried to do that."
Okay, here goes. "Because you made an extremely insulting remark, both about her friend and her sexual preferences. Cardin, the next time you see her, I want you to apologize for all the snide remarks you've made towards the faunus and for hurting her ears."
"What?" he exclaimed. "You can't be serious."
"Cardin, you and Blake have been at each other's throats from day one. If you were on different teams, this would be less of an issue, but she is your teammate. And her identity as your teammates comes before anything else."
"But she's a faunus!"
"And she's your teammate before that. You aren't apologizing to a faceless faunus, you are apologizing to Blake your teammate."
"I refuse."
"If you choose not to," I continued, taking a deep breath, "then there will be consequences. I'll ask Miss Goodwitch if there is any way our team can volunteer at a faunus shelter in Vale over the weekends for the rest of the semester. Each day you don't attend, I'll go with you on a weeknight to help out there."
"You're not serious," Cardin whispered. "You can't be."
"I'm deadly serious, Cardin," I told him. "Your team comes first. If I don't hear from Blake that you apologized by tomorrow, I'll go to Miss Goodwitch, and you can say goodbye to your weekends."
I stood up. That had been terrifying. But this was my one try to fix things. If it didn't work, then I used my Semblance and started over.
I walked over to the curtain where Blake was recovering. Poking my head in, I saw she was awake. She glared intensely at me, but I ignored it as I took a seat.
"Blake, there are a number of things I want to say to you. First—I'm sorry. I screwed up, mentioning Adam in front of Cardin."
She looked away, refusing to meet my eyes. That stung. But I continued anyway. "However, that doesn't excuse what you did to Cardin."
"Yeah, I know." Blake still wasn't meeting my eyes.
"The next time you see him, I want you to apologize for attacking him."
Now Blake looked at me. Eyes slightly widened—I had never realized how catlike they looked until now—surprised, resigned, and…respectful? So I continued. "I can't have you two at each other's throats all the time. Team JCBX won't work if you two don't make up. The team comes first, Blake."
"Are you going to ignore what he said?" she asked quietly.
"I've already talked to him," I assured her. "What he does next is up to him."
"Alright." I stood up to leave, but she grabbed onto the hem of my hoodie. "Jaune?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
"I'm not the one who needs the apology."
I left.
That had been almost been harder that talking to Cardin. With him, I could just lay down the law, and it felt good. But disciplining Blake was harder. I sympathized with her more, and as much as I wanted to take her side, I couldn't let my personal feelings wreck my team. At least both conversations had gone well. Now I just needed to find where Yang had run off to.
"What are you going to do?" asked Yang angrily as I walked away.
"Going to ask if that asshole can be expelled. Or at least traded to a different team." I stalked out of Green-144 and towards the central tower. That was where Ozpin's office was rumored to be. I didn't actually know where it was yet.
As I walked into the central area, I saw Miss Goodwitch walking towards me. She glanced up at me. "Mr. Arc. I thought you would have been in Green-144 with your team."
"I was," I answered. "I'd like to see Professor Ozpin."
"He is a busy man, Mr. Arc. He already did you a favor this morning by giving you access to the training ro–"
"It's a team emergency," I said. "Can you tell me where to find him?"
"Team emergency, you say? What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, two of my teammates tried to kill each other, team emergency. May I please speak to Professor Ozpin?"
"I—yes, of course. This way, Mr. Arc."
She led me to an elevator, and I waited as she pressed the button for the top floor. The doors opened to reveal a large room, with many big gears ticking above in the high vaulted ceiling. "Mr. Arc. How may I be of assistance?"
Professor Ozpin was sitting at his desk, swiveling in a metallic chair to meet my gaze. The window gaze a tremendous view of Vale and the surrounding countryside. "It's a bit of a team emergency," I answered.
"I believe you are referring to the incident between Miss Belladonna and Mr. Winchester not ten minutes ago, correct?"
He already knew about it? I heard the elevator doors close behind me, leaving me alone with the headmaster. "Yes. I-I am."
"How can I help you, then?"
"What can you do to get Cardin expelled?"
"Over an incident like this? Nothing."
"What? But he attacked her! You saw what happened!"
"If I were to review the footage, I would find that Miss Belladonna was the one to initiate hostilities."
"But he provoked her!"
"And she lost control over her emotions."
"He's been making comments like that all week," I retorted.
"That would only cursorily add to the case. But you cannot lay blame entirely on one person, Mr. Arc. There is always more than one side to any story. In this case, there is Mr. Winchester's attitude towards the faunus, Miss Belladonna's identity as a faunus, and your ill-timed, but well intentioned question."
I winced. It was my fault that Cardin was even inspired to make that comment. Blake probably didn't want to even talk to me anymore, and Yang had been plenty mad at me when I walked out of the room. Cardin…probably hated me too. My first try at leadership, and I screwed it up badly.
"Can't you, I don't know, have me switch partners?" I asked, but my hopes plummeted as I saw his expression.
"When I said that you would have your partner for the next four years, I was serious, Mr. Arc. I don't go back on my word. You have had your team for one week."
"And look where it's gotten me!" I shouted back. "My entire team probably hates me now."
"I am sorry I can't be of more help to you, Mr. Arc."
"Isn't there anything you can do?" I begged.
"My suggestion is to return to your team and apologize. Not for Cardin. Not for Blake. And find out their side of the story. Maybe you'll find something unexpected."
He set down his ever present mug and looked me in the eye. "Leadership isn't easy, Jaune. But are you prepared to undergo the consequences for your mistakes?"
I left the office, subdued. I looked down at my scroll, and saw a bunch of angry texts from Yang, demanding me to get down to the infirmary. I sighed, leaning against the wall and slowly sliding down it. Maybe I should just end this whole charade and start over. It seemed like a better alternative than trying to fix this mess. And who would know?
"Jaune?"
I started and looked up to see Ruby's innocent face above me. "Hey Ruby."
"What's up—or…down?"
"I messed up."
She plopped down beside me. I saw Weiss roll her eyes and stalk off. Ren and— still didn't remember the orange-haired girl's name—they followed her after Ruby waved them off. I appreciated the gesture, but I didn't really want to talk to Ruby right now.
"What happened?"
"I was trying to do some teamwork stuff, and I asked a question I shouldn't've. Then Cardin provoked Blake, and now they're in the infirmary."
"So why aren't you in the infirmary?" she asked, tilting her head. Ruby don't—it's too cute.
"I…tried to see if I could kick Cardin off the team."
"And?"
"And it didn't work."
"So?"
"So now I'm talking to you, trying to figure out how to fix this."
"What do you want to do?"
"I want to do it over again, fix my mistake, but…." I trailed off.
"But," Ruby agreed, "you want to do what's right. So just do that."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"I'm a failure." I slumped down further against the wall.
"Nope."
I turned and looked at her in astonishment.
"I just caused two of my teammates to try and kill each other."
"Nope."
"Ruby, my team hates me."
"Nope."
"You're a really hard person to talk with about this."
"Jaune, you're not allowed to be a failure. You're a leader now. Your team is counting on you. Sure, you made a mistake. But one mistake doesn't make you a failure. You're a failure if you run away and pretend it never happened. So just keep trying. As long as you never stop trying, you'll never be a failure."
"I…." I stopped. "Thanks, Ruby."
"No problem." She stood up. "I gotta go catch up with my team. See you around, Jaune!"
Sprinting down the hall and out of sight, Ruby left without so much as a glance behind her. I sighed again, and clambered to my feet, ready to face the music.
The infirmary was placed so that no one had any reason to be near there without actually going to the infirmary, but it was close enough to some of the major hallways that it was easy to get to. This was so there wasn't any unnecessary traffic around it, just in case there were any serious accidents. While everyone had their aura, this was a school designed to train Huntsmen—accidents happened.
As soon as I entered, Yang stalked up to me. "You know, I'm surprised you haven't done this over already. I mean, all you had to do was keep your mouth shut."
"Yang, I–"
She cut me off. "Sometimes, when we make mistakes, we have to live with them." She stormed out of the room, leaving me with two long rows of empty beds. Just more of a confirmation that I had screwed up big time. And if I was going to fix this without any time travel, I would have to start by getting Blake and Cardin to tolerate each other.
Yeah, I know how crazy I sound. But I had an idea.
Cardin was resting near the door, while Blake was clear on the other side of the room, hidden behind a curtain, presumably to keep her faunus nature secret. Since Cardin was nearest, and awake, I sat by his bedside.
"What do you want, Jaune?" he asked.
"I want to know why you dislike the faunus."
"They're animals, Jaune. You saw what Blake did to me. She attacked me. That's all they do. They tell you that if you just do that, then they'll be satisfied, but they never are."
"I will be having words with Blake after this," I told him, "but right now, you need to tell me why you dislike the faunus."
"I already told you–"
"You told me what you think of them," I interrupted. "But why do you hate them so much?"
"You really want to know? Fine. My mother, you know she's a Huntress. Time and time again she would be called out to stop the faunus riots when they got out of hand. And she would come home angry. My mother hated having to deal with those animals, time and time again, because they can't live with what they have." He spat on the ground. "They're all the same. Never content with what they have."
That sounded…awful. But Blake and Velvet didn't seem like that at all. "Have you gotten to know any faunus after this?" I asked.
"Are you crazy? Of course not."
"Then how do you know that all faunus are like that?"
"Ever heard of the White Fang, Jaune? Terrorists and criminals, the lot of them."
I hadn't. But from his description, they were probably a violent group of some sort. "And are all faunus part of the White Fang?"
"No, but–"
"But what? Just because she's a faunus, Blake is going to try and kill you?"
"She just tried to do that."
Okay, here goes. "Because you made an extremely insulting remark, both about her friend and her sexual preferences. Cardin, the next time you see her, I want you to apologize for all the snide remarks you've made towards the faunus and for hurting her ears."
"What?" he exclaimed. "You can't be serious."
"Cardin, you and Blake have been at each other's throats from day one. If you were on different teams, this would be less of an issue, but she is your teammate. And her identity as your teammates comes before anything else."
"But she's a faunus!"
"And she's your teammate before that. You aren't apologizing to a faceless faunus, you are apologizing to Blake your teammate."
"I refuse."
"If you choose not to," I continued, taking a deep breath, "then there will be consequences. I'll ask Miss Goodwitch if there is any way our team can volunteer at a faunus shelter in Vale over the weekends for the rest of the semester. Each day you don't attend, I'll go with you on a weeknight to help out there."
"You're not serious," Cardin whispered. "You can't be."
"I'm deadly serious, Cardin," I told him. "Your team comes first. If I don't hear from Blake that you apologized by tomorrow, I'll go to Miss Goodwitch, and you can say goodbye to your weekends."
I stood up. That had been terrifying. But this was my one try to fix things. If it didn't work, then I used my Semblance and started over.
I walked over to the curtain where Blake was recovering. Poking my head in, I saw she was awake. She glared intensely at me, but I ignored it as I took a seat.
"Blake, there are a number of things I want to say to you. First—I'm sorry. I screwed up, mentioning Adam in front of Cardin."
She looked away, refusing to meet my eyes. That stung. But I continued anyway. "However, that doesn't excuse what you did to Cardin."
"Yeah, I know." Blake still wasn't meeting my eyes.
"The next time you see him, I want you to apologize for attacking him."
Now Blake looked at me. Eyes slightly widened—I had never realized how catlike they looked until now—surprised, resigned, and…respectful? So I continued. "I can't have you two at each other's throats all the time. Team JCBX won't work if you two don't make up. The team comes first, Blake."
"Are you going to ignore what he said?" she asked quietly.
"I've already talked to him," I assured her. "What he does next is up to him."
"Alright." I stood up to leave, but she grabbed onto the hem of my hoodie. "Jaune?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
"I'm not the one who needs the apology."
I left.
That had been almost been harder that talking to Cardin. With him, I could just lay down the law, and it felt good. But disciplining Blake was harder. I sympathized with her more, and as much as I wanted to take her side, I couldn't let my personal feelings wreck my team. At least both conversations had gone well. Now I just needed to find where Yang had run off to.
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