Jaune's Pineapple Jam 80

"What is your favorite fairytale?"

Jaune Arc might not be the sharpest tool in the shed but even he knew that that particular question had no place in the topic they should have been speaking about.

And if he knew that then certainly Pyrrha did as well.

They looked at each other before turning back towards Headmaster Ozpin from across his office table.

"Uhm...what does that have to do with anything?" He asked but Headmaster Ozpin only steepled his hands together in front of him.

"Humor me for a moment, Mr. Arc."

"Geez, I don't know. There's just a lot to choose from, don't you think?" He shrugged in confusion, turning to Pyrrha for help.

It's not that he was just stalling for time because he didn't know any, it was the fact that he knew too many in his own opinion. Having a lot of siblings and being situated smack down in the middle of them, Jaune had no choice but to hear fairytale bedtime stories from his older sisters while also sharing to them to his younger ones once he was older.

"There is indeed." Pyrrha nodded with a smile on her face, happy to help him as she turned to face Headmaster Ozpin. "Well, there's the Tale of the Two Brothers, the Shallow Sea, The Girl in the Tower-"

"Oooh! I like that one!" Jaune exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he remembered the story. "That's the one where the knight journeys to rescue a princess, isn't it? My sisters and I also used that story while we were playing!"

He saw Headmaster Ozpin twitch at that but before he could even think on it further, Pyrrha was already furrowing her brows at him.

"Wasn't it a wizard doing the rescuing?"

"I don't actually know but I've always imagined him to be a knight." Jaune smiled, his hand tapping Crocea Mors attached to his hip.

"Ah, I suppose I can see the appeal." Pyrrha smiled back with a blush on her face as she received his unsaid message.

It was obvious to see that he was inspired by knights considering his own family history.

Gods, he remembers how fun it was pretending to be a knight and saving his sisters from would be dragons. Thinking about it now, that's probably when his dream of trying to be a hero started. It was only compounded by the fact that his family history produced so many heroes.

He is jolted out of his thoughts however when he heard General Ironwood chuckle.

"Perhaps the man was both a wizard and a knight."

It was the first time Jaune had heard the General chuckle.

Same as it was also the first time did he hear him apologize and thank him in the same breath earlier today.

And wow was it a doozy.

It was a far cry to the cold demeanor the older man had given him during their past encounters.

He could only laugh awkwardly with the general and even Headmaster Ozpin cringed at the sound.

"Perhaps he was, James." Headmaster Ozpin glanced at General Ironwood at that and Jaune took note of the meaningful glance shared between the two.

Eventually however, Headmaster Ozpin leaned forwards towards him and Pyrrha. "While those fairytales are impressive in their own right, I was wondering if you knew the Story of the Four Seasons?"

"Of course!" Pyrrha exclaimed as Jaune nodded his own agreement.

"I do too. It's about four girls receiving gifts from an old man, right?"

"It was more than that, Jaune. There's supposed to be a lesson in them, you know?" Pyrrha rolled her eyes fondly at him before chuckling. "The girls, who were sisters by the way, had to prove their kindness first before the old man offered them powers. They then graciously accepted, promising to share their gifts with the people of Remnant until the end of days and it is only then did they become the four Maidens representing Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall."

"Right, right. I remember my sisters dressing up as them for Dustmas." Jaune groaned, a palm slapping his face as he remembered half-forgotten memories.

Nobody really knew what the four sisters looked liked considering it was just a fairytale but anyone could dress themselves according to a season.

"Well it is a popular story. I myself have dressed up as them when I was younger." Pyrrha giggled before perking up as a light blush rushed up her face. "I wouldn't mind dressing up as one again." She batted her eyes coyly and the image struck Jaune like a thunderbolt.

The image of Pyrrha dressing up for him blew his memories of his sisters in seasonal dresses away.

Pyrrha's red hair flashed brightly in his eyes and he couldn't help but imagine her in tight, skimpy, Fall clothing, and underneath them? Lingerie.

Gods, just the thought of that was enough to send heat rushing up to his face. Not to mention, if she was going to be dressing up for him then Weiss and Blake would most likely do so also.

Weiss would go for the Winter theme most likely, she already had it hands down.

Blake however could only either be Spring or Summer and Jaune found he couldn't decide which would fit her better. Regardless, he knew she would he just as beautiful and enchanting as Weiss and Pyrrha.

And to imagine the three of them together at the same time....

Now that thought was enough to make his blood boil all over as his member bricked up.

Which was just plain embarrassing because Headmaster Ozpin coughed to remind them that they were not alone.

"Ahem."

Jaune and Pyrrha immediately snapped their eyes away from each other in embarrassment.

Whatever arousal he felt suddenly cooled as he sheepishly cleared his throat.

He heard Headmaster Ozpin chuckle at that and it took some time for Jaune to be able to meet the older man's eyes again.

"I see you are familiar with the story at least but what if I told you it was real?"

Jaune gawked as Headmaster Ozpin leaned forward with a strange glint in his eyes. He looked to Pyrrha for help but he only saw her confused expression.

"I beg your pardon?" She asked but Headmaster Ozpin only smiled.

"What if I told you that there are four maidens existing in this world that could wield such tremendous power without using Dust?"

Jaune could only chuckle uneasily as Headmaster Ozpin kept his eyes on the both of them.

"So like a Semblance, right?" He pointed out but Headmaster Ozpin only smirked as he shook his head.

"Like Magic." He said with a whisper and Jaune once more looked at Pyrrha.

Jaune did not need to be a genius to know what she was thinking based on her expression and as they turned back towards their Headmaster, he couldn't help but think it himself.

He's lost his marbles. Their own Headmaster has lost his marbles.

"Unbelievable, isn't it?"

Jaune jolted and his eyes immediately snapped towards General Ironwood who only chuckled at them.

"I reacted much the same way when he told me."

"You.....you are not joking, are you?" Jaune's jaw dropped at that even as he slowly turned back towards Headmaster Ozpin. "He's serious, isn't he? You're serious, aren't you?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Headmaster Ozpin dropped all the hints of a smile from his expression at that and Jaune undeniably felt the weight of the conversation inexplicably change.

He gulped at that.

What was supposed to be a conversation on how to approach the media and the public suddenly turned into....this...this thing where he didn't even know why they were telling them this.

Jaune felt confusion to say the least and he wasn't the only one.

"Why....Why are you telling us this?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly as Headmaster Ozpin and General Ironwood looked at each other.

"In Mr. Arc's case, it is because he has already met one." Headmaster Ozpin started to Jaine's surprise.

"Wait, I've met one?! When?! Where?! Who?!"

"You met her when you tried to heal her below this building." Headmaster Ozpin answered sadly as his eyes widened in realization.

"Amber!"

Gods, that felt like so long ago! In his defense, Headmaster Ozpin and General Ironwood asked for secrecy and he did his best doing that by trying to forget it even happened!

Still, it's not like he could forget the comatose woman who had half her soul ripped out.

"Who is Amber?" Pyrrha frowned and this time, it is General Ironwood who answered.

"The Fall Maiden we want you to replace."

"You can do that?!" Pyrrha gasped with wide eyes even as Jaune frowned as a realization came to him.

"You told me someone tried to steal her Semblance but it wasn't her Semblance they were trying to steal, was it?"

Pyrrha's eyes snapped towards him even as Headmaster Ozpin shook his head.

"No, it was not. We know not how they were able to do so or who they are but they were able to manage to steal roughly half of the Fall Maiden's powers."

"And with it, her soul." Jaune added gravely as Pyrrha's eyes widened in horror.

"And you want me to replace her?! How?!"

Headmaster Ozpin and General Ironwood grimly stayed silent at that and Jaune feared he knew the answer.

Instead of voicing it out however, he closed his eyes for a moment and breathed deeply.

"What about Amber? What will happen to her? Can't I just heal her with my Semblance again" He asked softly and he saw Headmaster Ozpin smiled sadly at him while General Ironwood turned around to face the windows.

"You yourself told us then that she would not wake up until her soul is restored. We still have to find the one who took half her soul but I fear we are running out of time to do so." Headmaster Ozpin said.

"What?" He asked, his throat dry as he felt his heart break for the woman entombed beneath their feet.

"Tell me, Mr. Arc. What do you see when you look out there?" General Ironwood asked suddenly, waving a hand towards the ceiling to floor window behind Headmaster Ozpin.

Jaune looked at his Headmaster at that but the man only nodded and stood up.

Jaune took it up as a cue for what it was and he and Pyrrha stood up to follow. There they were, standing side by side looking out into the city.

"I see the City of Vale." He answered, taking note of the skyline, the buildings, and the hulking masses of Atlesian Airships floating in the city's airspace.

General Ironwood hummed at his answer before opening his own mouth. "What I see is a city under siege.

"Under siege?"Jaune blinked at that but General Ironwood only nodded.

"It may not look it right now but civilian transportation in and out of the city is currently restricted to root out the White Fang. It obviously can't last long and most of the White Fang forces might as well escape but we are doing what we can to ensure the people's safety. Regardless, underneath the surface? Vale is under attack by enemies unseen."

Unseen? Weren't the enemies obviously Roman Torchwick and the White Fang?

"We suspect the attack by the White Fang earlier today was either used as a distraction by our enemies while looking for the Maiden. It is the main reason why I stayed here in Beacon, to ensure Amber's safety while the rest of the defenders were out in Vale." Headmaster Ozpin added as Jaune gaped in disbelief.

"All that destruction? The deaths? It was just a distraction?"

The idea boggled his mind but he heard Pyrrha gasp beside him.

"It makes sense. Blake, Weiss, and I have been wondering why Roman Torchwick would work with the White Fang and why the White Fang would pick a fight with Vale of all places. They don't have a good reason to unlike against the SDC and Atlas."

She winced as she realized what she said in front of whom she said it. "No offense, General Ironwood but we do think someone is using both Roman Torchwick and the White Fang."

"None taken and you're reasoning is sound. We came much to the same conclusion ourselves." General Ironwood stoically replied before shaking his head. "But as much as Roman Torchwick's capture has helped and opened doors for avenues of investigation, do you see now why we are doing what we are doing? We cannot waste anymore time because as much as we easily repelled this attack, the peace you know now is on borrowed time."

"War....you are talking about war." Pyrrha mutterred in horror but Headmaster Ozpin only shook his head.

"It is not the kind of war you know of. It will kot be a war between nations."

That only made things scarier as Jaune's hand immediately sought Pyrrha's.

"We can fill you in on the details once you have decided to join us. For now, all you need to know is that one of the Maidens has been attacked and for the first time in history, half of her power was taken. It is not an exaggeration to say that perhaps the fate of Remnant lies in our hands." General Ironwood interjected, looking at them with iron in his eyes

Jaune gulped at that even as Pyrrha tigthened her hand with his. It was a source of comfort for the both of them even as he mulled the General's words in his mind.

"What exactly are you asking of us?" He asked slowly with a frown on his face even as Headmaster Ozpin turned around.

"Come, it is best you both see for yourselves."

It wasn't long after that that they were taking the Headmaster's elevator down towards a familiar place.

He felt Pyrrha's trepidation as the lights on the elevator darkened but he only held her hand tighter, radiating comfort as one final ding announced their arrival.

As expected, the doors opened to a huge cavernous hall that took Pyrrha's breath away in surprise.

"Where are we?"

"A vault, under the school." He whispered and he watched as Pyrrha's eyes snapped towards him in surprise even as he started to explain how he knew. "This is where I healed Amber."

He heard Headmaster Ozpin chuckle softly in front of them as he led them forward.

"Mr. Arc might be familiar with this place but what he is not familiar with is the knowledge that we belong to an ancient order dedicated to the protection of Remnant. An order. Which I hope you both will join."

"Right, as if magical Maidens were not enough." Jaune grumbled to himself but he must admit that part of him couldn't help but gulp as a little bit of excitement replaced his anxiety.

A young knight being recruited by an elderly man into an ancient order dedicated to protecting the world?

It had all the hallmarks of the start of a great story! Things were just starting to sound like the beginning of a wonderful fantasy adventure!

Hell, it sounded like the start of a fairytale! Now if only the fate of Remnant did not rely on them.

Still, his excitement might have been infectious because General Ironwood chuckled beside the Headmaster.

Perhaps it was just to alleviate the mood after bringing it down but it did not help in dispelling his previous thought.

"We wouldn't send you into missions straight away, of course, but with time and training, I fully believe you would be an exceptional agent in the future." He turned to look straight at Jaune at that and Jaune couldn't help but shake at the excitement he felt from such strong belief.

"T-Thank you, sir, but I'm just me." He tried to shrug casually but even Pyrrha laughed at his attempts to appear humble.

"Nonsense, Mr. Arc, aren't you already the Hero of Vale with three wonderful ladies clinging to your arms?" Headmaster Ozpin teased and he heard Pyrrha squeak as Jaune rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Right, what are we going to do about that anyway? Weren't we supposed to talk about that instead of this?" Jaune asked, waving towards everything around them.

Headmaster Ozpin hummed at that before waving his hand dismissively.

"I suppose I can trust you with this if I'm already trusting you with world-changing secrets but I plan to suspend classes until just before the start of the Vytal Festival."

"Wait what?" Jaune blinked, blindsided by the casual announcement.

Even General Ironwood seemed surprised as he turned towards Headmaster Ozpin.

"For what reason?" He asked with a tilt of his head.

"Mainly to reassure the Council that we are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of our visitors and transfer students but it will also give us time to prepare for the true deluge of people arriving for the Vytal Festival. Besides, I believe Vale would benefit if it it is a lot less crowded considering recent events." Headmaster Ozpin answered before pausing as he looked at the General meaningfully.

"I see." General Ironwood nodded slowly before waving towards a light in the distance. "But what about her security?"

They all paused as Amber's pod came into sight. Pyrrha gasped at the woman inside of it but other than that, it was silent as the men took a moment to view her.

Even from a distance, she looked paler than Jaune remembered and he didn't know if it was just him but it really looked like she was having trouble breathing.

Eventually however, the silence was broken by Headmaster Ozpin clearing his throat.

"Your fleet should stay, James. You have the excuse of ensuring the security of the city for the Festival." Headmater Ozpin amswered before turning around to face Jaune. "In the meantime, Mr. Arc, I advise you to secretly flee Vale and prepare for both the tournament and your eventual confrontation with the media."

"Wait, what? That's it?! Where would I even go?!" Jaune exclaimed as his situation suddenly came crashing down on him.

Other than Beacon, he had nowhere else to go! He could hardly run to his family-

The thought of his family immediately caused him to widen his eyes.

Oh Gods! His family! He saw the news conference Pyrrha was in. He saw himself kissing three women on the screen next to the conference!

And if he saw it and it was being broadcasted everywhere then.....his family saw it!

HOLY FUCKING SHIT!

Forget magical Maidens and ancient orders! His parents were going to kill him! They knew where to find him!

Mama Arc did not raise no philandering womanizer! She was going to scrape his balls with a rusty spoon!

And his father was more than likely to leave him to his fate just for stealing the family sword!

He was dead! He was deader than dead!

Gods! He feared what his Scroll was probably going to look like when he finally got on it.

AGAIN! HOLY FUCKING SHIT!

The world muted itself as he screamed internally and his breath came quicker and shallower.

As usual however, salvation came in the form of his partner.

"We could go to Argus." Pyrrha perked up with a smile on her face and Jaune immediately snapped towards her with wide eyes.

All sound and color returned to the world as plans immediately flitted through his mind.

Argus.

Far away from Beacon Argus.

More than that, Saphron was in Argus and if there was anyone else willing to hide him from his mom and dad, it would be Saphron who also left the house.

"Argus sounds perfect." He nodded frantically and Headmaster Ozpin smiled at his enthusiasm.

"Keep your heads low and avoid attention and you might even go weeks or maybe even months without being noticed. That should give you enough time for the news to cool down."

Oh he was not going to get noticed alright because to get noticed was to get hunted down by his dad.

He was jolted out of his thoughts however when General Ironwood nodded his head at Pyrrha.

"As for Ms. Nikos, meet Amber. Should you choose to accept it, you will be her replacement."

He stepped towards the side of the pod as Headmaster Ozpin approached a console.

"You said I'm supposed to replace her. What exactly does that mean?" Pyrrha asked even as she continued to gaze sadly at the older woman.

"The Maidens have existed for thousands of years but much like in nature, the seasons change. When a Maiden dies, her power naturally leaves her body and seeks out a new host, ensuring that the seasons are never lost and that no individual could hold that kind of power forever." Headmaster Ozpin answered wistfully even as Jaune's joy from finding an escape from his parents melted away.

"So she has to die." Jaune whispered and Headmaster Ozpin paused at looking at the console before turning towards him.

"She is already dying, Mr. Arc. As much as your Semblance helped her before, it only delayed the inevitable." Headmaster Ozpin said sadly and Jaune shook his head.

"No, no. I understand that but I'm just saying, can't I delay the inevitable again until we find whoever did this to her?"

"Unless you want to risk another Breach from happening then no, Mr. Arc. Transferring the Maiden powers to Ms. Nikos and sending a message that the Fall Maiden is back in play is the only way we can draw attention away from the city and scaring who did this away." General Ironwood answered with a shake of his head.

Jaune wasn't really satisfied with that answer but he didn't know what else to say. Luckily for him, he didn't have to. Pyrrha had her own questions she needed answers to.

"You keep saying transfer but how do we actually do that? Do we just....kill her....and hope for the best?" Pyrrha cringed uncomfortably as Jaune snapped towards her in horror.

He couldn't blame her though, now that she had pointed it out, he couldn't stop but think of the same damn thing!

How were they going to transfer the Maiden powers to Pyrrha?

Thankfully, Headmaster Ozpin vehemently shook his head at that question.

"No! No! We are not doing anything as inhumane as that of course."

"Then what are we doing?" Jaune tilted his head in confusion as Headmaster Ozpin took a deep breath before opening his mouth.

"At first, the only thing that was certain was that the power only passes to young women but as time went on, it was discovered that the selection process was a lot more intimate."

""Intimate?!"" Jaune and Pyrrha squeaked out at the same time with blushes on their faces.

Jaune did not know how he felt about Pyrrha being intimate with another woman. Oh he knew how he felt when Pyrrha was intimate with Blake but Amber was different! As sad as her condition is, she's a stranger and not part of their relationship!

Both Headmaster Ozpin and General Ironwood paused at that before a chuckle left both men's mouth.

"Not that kind of intimate." General Ironwood shook his head softly at them before smiling. "As we understand it now, when a Maiden dies, the one who is in her final thoughts is the first candidate to inherit the power."

""Ohhhhh.""

Both Jaune and Pyrrha sighed in relief at that before confusion over took his partner's face.

"But how do we make sure I'm the one in her final thoughts?"

"We won't." Headmaster Ozpin answered and they both immediately snapped towards him.

"But you just said-"

"I know what we said, Mr. Arc." Headmaster Ozpin tiredly raised a hand, cutting him off before sadly shaking his head and turning to Amber. "But we just don't know what exactly will happen if-when she eventually passes."

"Won't....her power just transfer to the next host?" Jaune asked to which General Ironwood interjected.

"Which host?"

Pyrrha immediately gasped in realization as Jaune turned towards her.

"Her assailant, Jaune. Amber's assailant is the next host!"

"....Damn."

"Damn is right, Mr. Arc. I do not have to tell you just how catastrophic such a scenario would be but for illustration's sake, imagine if the Breach happened and a Maiden attacked Vale at the same time?"

Jaune immediately paled at that.

"Vale would fall." He whispered as General Ironwood nodded.

"Perhaps or perhaps not. We will obviously do our best to fight back but chaos and destruction on a wider scale than today would surely have happened in such a scenario."

"Then I accept."

Jaune's eyes widened as he immediately turned towards Pyrrha.

She stood there resolutely, her green eyes glinting with resolve as she stepped forward to touch the glass separating them from Amber.

"That's what you wanted, right? For me to become the Fall Maiden? If it would stop people from attacking Vale, from involving innocents, then I accept."

With the glow of Amber's pod illuminating her, Pyrrha looked haunting in an enchanting kind of way as she turned towards them.

"I will be your Fall Maiden."

Jaune could only gawk at her resolve and beauty.

It was inspring.

It was arousing.

But Jaune kept a tight hold on his emotions as Headmaster Ozpin and General Ironwood looked at each other.

"Thank you, Ms. Nikos, but it is not as simple as that. Please listen to what we have to say first before giving us your final answer." Headmaster Ozpin nodded before waving for General Ironwood to continue.

"Given Amher's condition, you would not be able to inherit her power naturally. However, for the past few years, Atlas has been studying Aura from a scientific standpoint; how it works, what is it made of, and how can it be used just to name a few. Regardless, we believe we have made significant strides and....have found a way to capture it. Should you choose to accept then-"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Jaune immediately waved his hands as his thoughts ran a mile a minute.

"What is it, Mr. Arc?"

"Ssshhhh!" He shushed the General as he put a hand on his temple.

Having a Semblamce that literally amplified his Aura and that of others had naturally given Jaune a unique insight on this particular subject.

So when General Ironwood said something that piqued his attention, he immediately latched onto it.

"You could capture Aura. You could capture the soul, correct?" Jaune stated, locking eyes with the General as a glare started to form on his face.

"Yes? That is what I said." General Ironwood answered hesitantly, looking towards Headmaster Ozpin who only shook his head.

Jaune however, made a complicated expression even as Pyrrha looked confusedly at him.

"So....you want to capture Amber's Aura, her soul, her everything, and cram it into Pyrrha?!"

What started as a slow question ended in a shout as anger overcame him.

He saw Pyrrha's eyes widen at the realization before horror etched itself on her face.

"That's wrong!" She exclaimed but Jaune only glared at both Headmaster Ozpin amd General Ironwood.

Gone was the confusion, curiousity, and resolve to help both men. What remained was only anger and horror at what they proposed to do.

"That's horrifying." He whispered and he saw Headmaster Ozpin wince even as General Ironwood's face hardened.

"I will not lie. There are risks to this process. We cannot transfer the power directly to you but we can transfer what they are bound to. There is no guarantee that you will be the same person after this process." General Ironwood answered clinically but it only made Jaune grit his teeth.

"You are talking about cramming another soul into Pyrrha! Do you realize what that means?!"

"The Man With Two Souls."

Jaune jolted as he immediately turned towards Headmaster Ozpin.

The older man only smiled sadly at him however as he opened his mouth to speak. "It is a book about a man with two souls in one body. There are many interpretations to the story but it ends with one soul absorbing the other but even then, the remaining soul is never the same again."

Silence dominated the chamber at that and only hum of Amber's pod filled the air between them.

"What....now?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly, her resolve melting as she scurried beside Jaune to help calm him down by laying a hand on his shoulder.

Jaune only seethed however as Headmaster Ozpin sighed resignedly.

"Now? If you do not accept then we are forced to ask another-"

"No."

The word left Jaune's mouth before he could even think on it.

Just the thought of these two men asking another woman to undergo this process both horrified and infuriated him.

What if they asked Weiss next?! Or Blake?!

No, no, no. That cannot happen.

"Excuse me?" Headmaster Ozpin raised an eyebrow at him but Jaune was already yelling in anger before he even knew it.

"If you want a damn Maiden then be one yourself!"

His words echoed across the chamber as everyone gawked at him.

Jaune himself was surprised at the anger in his voice but now that the words were out.....well, they might not be as dumb as they sounded-

"Have you not been listening? The power only transfers to young women. The process may not be to your taste but desperate times call for desperate measures." General Ironwood spoke back coldy but Jaune could see the hardness in his jaw signifying anger of the highest caliber.

Jaune only scoffed however as he glared back at the General. "Did you already forget? You aren't transferring the power. You are transferring what it is bound to!"

That....that got to them.

"What?" Headmaster Ozpin whispered in awe even as General Ironwood's eyes widened.

"The power transfers can only be transferred to women but....Amber's soul.....there is no restriction like that with hers."

Jaune had to close his eyes and gulp at the mention of Amber's soul but...

"If you....are going to ask women, your own students, to risk their lives, their very souls, then at least have the balls to risk yours first."

Gods, it felt good to let that out. Was it hostile, rude, and offensive? Probably but he found that he could not care less.

He turned to see Pyrrha smiling worriedly at him but he only grabbed her hand on his shoulder.

This was good. She wasn't going to be taken away from him. He could see the indecision in her eyes. Despite it all, she still wanted to help but the process horrified her as much as it did him.

He turned to stare the two older in the eyes but he only found them nodding at each other before looking back at him.

"Thank you, Mr. Arc. You have given us a lot to think about." Headmaster Ozpin nodded as General Ironwood did the same.

"Indeed."

"Now if you will excuse us, there are plans to be made. I trust you know the way out?" Headmaster Ozpin asked as Jaune's anger evaporated.

"I-what? That's it?" He asked in shock but the Headmaster only nodded as General Ironwood brought out his Scroll.

"It is but our invitation stands, Mr. Arc. It might not be in the way we envisioned but I hope you two would still be willing to assist in protecting Remnant."

Jaune gawked but he felt Pyrrha tighten her hold on him. Turning towards her, he saw her smiling brightly as she nodded towards their Headmaster.

"We are, Headmaster Ozpin."

"Splendid! Now please do see yourselves out and oh, please tell Glynda to come here immediately when you meet her."

"Bring Winter also, plans have to remade and contingencies changed after all." General Ironwood added, nodding towards the both of them before focusing on his own Scroll.

Jaune could only nod numbly as Pyrrha turned him around to lead him back towards the elevator.

They walked silently, afraid to break the spell that entranced the two older men as they began to talk animatedly.

Unbeknownst to them, the two men weren't the only ones there who were speaking.

Amber Autumn screamed impotently as they talked about ripping her soul out of her body and cramming it into someone else's.

"No, no, no! Please don't do this! Please!"

Not a single one heard her pleas. She tried to grasp onto Jaune's shoulder but her hand only passed through him.

She wailed in agony but still, no one heard her.

Jaune Arc only continued on with his girlfriend as his mind tried to process what he just learned today.

Magic was real.

The Four Maidens were also real.

Someone attacked a Maiden, managed to rip out half of her power, and was willing to assault Vale to get the other half.

And then there was the ancient order dedicated to the protection of Remnant.

The same order that was willing to rip out the other half of Amber's soul and cram it in into another.

Thinking about all of it, it was just so crazy. There was nothing quite like that in his dream of a possible future.

Only when the elevator closed behind them did Jaune finally let out his thoughts on everything that just happened.

"What the fuck?"

------

"What the fuck?!"

"Language, Yang!" Ruby scolded automatically her brain struggled to stick to something familiar.

Yang however made that hard as she exasperatedly threw her hands up while Aunt Raven left the tent they were in.

"Seriously, Ruby. What in the world just happened?!"

She only groaned as Yang began to wave her arms here and there.

"My bio-mom just turned into a bird, Ruby, a bird! And Uncle Qrow, your maybe other dad also apparently could! How messed up is that?!"

Ruby looked at her sister, maybe cousin, imcredulously at that before shaking her head. "Seriously, Yang? That's what you got from all of that?"

"I mean, I have so many questions! Like where do their clothes go?! Do they poop as birds?! Can they have sex as birds?!" Yang bulldozed on, her eyes wide as she waved her hand here and there.

Ruby could only groan loudly at that.

Gods, why was her sister so weird?

In hindsight however, they were all weird. Ruby thought she would feel a lot more of something at the possibility of Uncle Qrow being her real dad but combined with everything Aunt Raven threw at them? Ruby just felt burned out.

Sure, she was angry when Aunt Raven called her mom a slut but hey, she wasn't going to judge what her mom may or may not have done.

Ruby's male bestie was a manslut so maybe things didn't have to be bad. Weird maybe, but definitely bad.

Her image of her mother as a kickass Huntress Supermom was still intact.

But then, there was also Aunt Raven's confession.

As sad as her story was and no matter how guilty it made her feel for what her mom unknowingly did to her, Ruby just didn't have energy to be shocked with what she dropped next.

Between a shapeshifting aunt, superpowered silver eyes, magical Maidens, mythical Relics, a reincarnating immortal wizard, and who knows what else, Ruby was about to lose her mind!

And she thought navigating Jaune's love life with her team was complicated!

Gods, what has life turned into?

Seeing that her sister had the energy to be flinging her hands this way and that, Ruby decided to stand up and finally hand Yang her lunch.

"Here, you should eat." Ruby said, sighing as she grabbed an apple for herself from what was supposed to be Aunt Raven's lunch.

"What about you?" Yang jolted before looking at her worriedly.

"I'm not hungry." She answered before looking at her sister softly. "I'm glad you're okay, Yang."

Yang gasped before looking at her shakily. "Me too, Rubes, me too. I'm glad I'm fine."

Ruby saw Yang trace the red angry scar on her throat with a finger even as she used her other hand to get her lunch.

She winced as she saw Yang pause before shakily grabbing the small bowl of stew and hurriedly drinking its soup.

Yang's eyes widened and Ruby only had a moment to blink before Yang was spitting at her direction.

"Are you okay?!" Ruby asked even as she rapidly leapt back, worried that Yang's injury was acting up.

She shouldn't have been worried though because Yang was a-okay.

"Blegh! What the hell is this crap?"

Ruby chuckled in relief before shrugging at her sister. "Bandit food, I guess."

"Well, bandit food sucks!"

"Well, until we get home, it's the only food we'll ever eat." Ruby sighed tiredly and it spoke volunes of how just affected Yang really was that she pouted immaturely.

"Well, this sucks."

"I know, Yang."

Yang never acted immature, especially in fdont of Ruby. She always tried her best to be the bestest older sister.

Was she fun and playful?

Sure, but she always hid her petulant side before as to not be a bad role model to Ruby.

And as Yang crossed her arms and huffed petulany, Ruby shook her head to give her sister some privacy.

"Where are you going?" Yang asked.

"I'm going to talk to her." She answered and Yang growled at her for that.

They didn't need to say her name to know who she was. Who else could it be?

Ruby knew that in her own way, Yang was trying to take both of their minds off of the fact that they were stuck here but there was no escaping it.

They were stuck here and their only way out?

Raven Branwen.

"I'm going to see if I could convince her to send us back." She said resolutely and Yang made a complicated face before sighing resignedly.

"Good luck."

"Thanks, Yang." She nodded, turning around and finally walking out of the tent.

She blinked as sunlight hit her eyes and when she got her bearings, she found the camp to have had a lot less people than it did before.

Huh, Uncle Qrow did not waste any time taking the camp to raid.

Regardless, Uncle Qrow was not hed targer today and it didn't take long before she found Aunt Raven.

Raven Branwen did not hesitate in striking one of the makeshift humanoid targets in what could only be called a training area.

Wood thunked as Ruby watched her aunt punch it, kick it, and elbow it in silent fury.

A crowd gathered to watch her destroy the mannequin and usually, Ruby would have opted out of confronting her in front of so many people but she was a girl on a mission.

A mission to get back to her teammates.

"Aunt Raven!"

That got everyone to snap towards her direction with wide eyes. Already, she could hear mutters and whispers around her but she kept her eyes forward.

"Rose." Raven Branwen narrowed her eyes at her as she wiped the sweat from her brow.

Internally, Ruby quailed but she has had 15 years of experience getting what she wanted from both her father and her sister......most of the time at least.

The point was that if her method worked on them then hopefully it should work on her.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then opened them as wide as she could as she spoke in the sweetest voice she could muster.

"Could you please take me and my sister-"

"No."

Whatever else she had to say got choked on her throat as Raven Branwen shot her down immediately.

"What?! Why?! You didn't even let me finish!" Ruby shouted indignantly but Aunt Raven only snorted at that.

"I know what you want, Rose, and no. Youbare too weak for it."

Ruby flushed angrily at that.

Too weak? Too weak?! She'll show her too weak!

Ruby immediately moved to follow before hand immediately went for her back.

Her eyes to widened however when she felt something was missing.

"Where's my baby?!" She shouted immediately and she could see Raven cock an eyebrow at her before chuckling to herself.

"I take it to mean your weapon?"

Ruby nodded hastily.

How she lasted this long without noticing her weapon was not on her body was strange but considering the things that apparently walked this world, it was not the strangest.

So was Raven Branwen shaking her head fondly at her.

"Summer was much the same way with Sundered Rose."

"Where's Crescent Rose?" Ruby asked indignantly with a small blush on her face but Raven only smiled at her.

"You and Yang's weapons are with our weaponsmith. Wonderful pieces of engineering by the way but yours is woefully weak against human foes."

Weak? Weak?! Her baby was weak?!

The nerve!

More than that, Crescent Rose was on another's hands! She was probably being violated even right this moment!

No wonder dad and Uncle Qrow never wanted to talk about Raven!

She and Ruby haven't even met for long but she's already insulted Ruby numerous times!

"Take that back!" Ruby shouted indignantly but Raven only raised an eyebrow at her.

"Or what?"

"O-Or I'll kick your ass!"

Gasps and oohs sounded out from the crowd around them and it only took Ruby then tonrealize that they've already backed away to form a circle around them.

She gawked.

Was this how easy it was to get into fights around here?!

Raven laughed loudly, getring everyone else to snap towards her even as she grinned at Ruby.

"Perhaps you do have some Branwen in you. Fine, show me what you got, little rose."

A tick formed on Ruby's forehead and she didn't wait for a signal.

She just rushed ahead as rose petals formed around her.

Oh she'll show her alright. Nobody insulted Crescent Rose!

As Ruby manifested fist first right in front of Raven Branwen however, she felt a hand grab her wrist before her world was suddenly being thrown upside down.

Ruby's breath rushed out of her mouth as she found herself on her back.

"You forget. You are not the first Rose I've fought before."

Raven breathed out nostalgically down at her and Ruby only pouted before zooming away.

She formed from a distance, watching Raven's every move even as she heard excited whispers around her.

Raven only turned toward her casually however. All the tension she had from her confrontation with her daughter, gone as she released it all out into the dummy earlier while her body felt at home in a fight.

Ruby watched aa Raven smiled slowly towards her.

"One hit."

Ruby blinked as Raven raised a finger.

"One hit and I'll take it back before giving you back your weapon."

Ruby nodded slowly before opening her mouth to speak.

"And you'll take us home."

"Don't push your luck." Raven immediately shot back hotly but Ruby only raised an eyebrow at that before a smile curled up on her own lips.

Yang may not admit it, but she had a lot of similarities with her mom and Ruby was seeing one of those similarities right now.

They were both hotheads in their own way and they both reacted passionately to being challenged and Ruby was going to use that.

"What? Afraid I might actually hit you?"

"Careful, Rose. You might actually make me want to try." Raven said coldly but Ruby only forced herself to laugh, channeling her inner Weiss as she tried to emulate her partner's proud demeanor.

A hand flicked her hair back as she smiled cockily at Raven Branwen herself.

"Sounds to me like you're just making excuses."

Raven's nose flared and ohhhh she did not like that.

A savage grin formed on Raven's face just as she cracked her neck side to side.

At that moment, Raven Branwen had never looked more like her daughter.

Ruby couldn't help but gulp, her anger on Crescent Rose'a behalf, gone as nervousness entered her heart.

This was Yang's mom. Uncle Qrow's brother. Her dad's first wife.

She was supposedly tied for being Team STRQ's strongest with Ruby's mom.

And Ruby was about to fight her.

She laughed nervously.

What's the worst that could happen?
------

Being in a coma was the worst thing to ever happen to Amber.

Some might say that the worst thing was being attacked and having half her soul ripped out and sure, Amber would agree that was bad.

But still, this was the worst.

She was aware of everything happening around her but she couldn't even do anything.

Frankly speaking, it started to fray on her sanity. The times when there was no one there to visit were the worst because Amber could literally do nothing other than listen to her own heartbeat and count the motes of dust floating in the air.

Her only interaction with the outside world was with the Maiden who attacked her amd that was only when Mr. Arc used her Semblance on the girl.

Amber thought she could surprise the Maiden by throwing herself through the bond full force but that failed as she got thrown back to her body.

She still didn't wake up though but instead, she only felt numb and tired as despair crashed into her.

Her only hope would be if Ozpin and his group managed to find the Maiden and kill her but it seemed they already gave up on that idea.

They already gave up on her.

She could only cry futilely as Ozpin looked at her sadly.

"Is it possible, James?" He asked loudly as General Ironwood sighed loudly.

"Mr. Arc's suggestion is....sound."

"Is there a problem then?" Ozpin raised an eyebrow as he turned to face the other man.

Amber perked up to listen. Any problem in the process is a plus for her. She was still alive. She just needed some boost. If only they let Jaune amplify her....

Ironwood only shook his head however before opening his mouth. "It's just....I don't understand why I didn't think of it."

"None of us did, James."

"That's the point, Ozpin!" Ironwood answered heatedly as a frown formed on his face. "We were so quick to give the burden to young women that we didn't see it right in front of our eyes!"

"Who could blame us? Passing the Maiden's powers have only went from one woman to another young woman for thousands of years." Ozpin shook his head but Ironwood only sighed tiredly at that.

"Perhaps we have been so taken in by the magical that we forgot the science behind what we are attempting."

Amber slumped down at that. At this point, it would be easier to accept things. At least this way, she might have a chance of existing for a while in a body that actually moved.

She knew the science. Heard it since they staryed speaking about it when they were right in front of her.

As always however, she could do nothing but lament.

Gods, what would the process actually feel like?

She's felt her soul being ripped in half and that was bad. What would actually ripping the remaining half away from her body feel like? Was she going to watch her body die? Was she going to assimilate with someone else like she heard Ozpin does when she dies?

"We should thank Mr. Arc then for helping us see the truth."

"He certainly is full of surprises, isn't he?" Ironwood chuckled warmly even as Ozpin raised an eyebrow at him.

"Speaking of surprises, James, Winter?"

"I believe its time she knows more, Ozpin. With our enemy escalating their actions, we need more agents to act against them now that Qrow is gone and Jaune is still too young."

"I see. I trust you, James, and as she is your subordinate, I would follow your lead on what to tell her."


The elevator dinged and she looked up to see Ozpin and Ironwood turn to stare at Glynda and what could only be Winter Schnee spill out into the hallway.

They looked like they were arguing but in the grand scheme of things, it felt pointless compared to the existential questions brewing on Amber's mind.

"Ahhh, Glynda. I hope Mr. Arc managed to call you here discreetly?" Ozpin greeted even as Amber smiled sadly at the blonde woman

"Ahhh, yes, he did. Forgive us for being late though. There was.....a situation we had to handle first." Glynda answered, looking askance at the other woman beside her.

The Schnee's fave hardened at that but she couldn't help but look curious at Amber's body even as she saluted towards General Ironwood.

"You called, sir?"

"At ease, Winter. In here, you are part of something bigger than the Atlas military."

Winter's eyes widened at that and she could only nod slowly as Ironwood continued.

"You are aware of things being more than what they seem underneath Remnant's veneer of peace, correct?"

"Yes, sir." Winter nodded hesitantly at that. "You told me there were threats unseen by the majority that we must act against yourself. You told me visiting and getting to know Freya in Atlas was one such act. I thought you just wanted me to learn from a veteran that wasn't you."

"James?" Glynda asked worriedly but it is Ozpin who waves her concern off.

"It is fine, Glynda. I approve of this."

"Approve of what?" Winter asked curiously.

Ironwood cleared his throat at that before a smirk crept up his lips.

"Tell me, Winter. What is your favorite fairytale?"

Amber groaned loudly at that but she only tuned Ironwood's voice out as he tried to copy Ozpin's explanation.

She saw mirth on the old man's face and even exasperation on Glynda's but to Amber, this was nothing knew.

Just another recruit into what is now being increasingly apparent to Amber as Ozpin's neverending war.

When she became a Maiden, she thought she would be an agent on the shadows much like Qrow. Ready to change and influence the world for the greater good with her awesome Maiden powers.

She waited for years for a call to an important mission against Salem but after years of waiting, Ozpin only gave her missions to hide and sometimes eradicate Grimm hordes too big to handle by the regular Huntsmen.

When she was still alive and active, Amber just got used to it. Now that she was a ghost and had time to reminisce her memories, she knew it for the truth it was.

Delaying actions by Ozpin against Salem.

Delaying for what? Nothing.

She is jolted out of her thoughts however when the conversation turned to recent events.

Ironwood was just about to finish the explanation with help from Ozpin's inputs when Glynda raised a hand to interrupt.

"Wait, so now that you know we are not restricted by the Maiden's magical rules and have had us called here, you want one of us to what? Rip Amber's soul out and be a Maiden?" Glynda asked concernedly and Amber smiled at her at that.

Glynda always was one of the most caring people she knew. Despite having such a versatile Semblance that she could replicate the imahe of magic when combined with Dust, she was humble and concerned for those around her.

It was why she stayed on Beacon to teach and take care of the new generation instead of choosing the life of badassery and adventure.

And now....now she looked liked she wanted to take care of Amber.

She sighed at that. If there ever was a need for a candidate then perhaps she would not mind it much if it was Glynda she would share her soul with-

"No."

Eyes snapped to Ozpin at that and even Ironwood looked in surprise at his friend.

"I thought you called Glynda here to make her a Maiden since we are no longer restricted by age."

"We are also no longer restricted by gender, James." Ozpin answered and horror started to fill Amber as she saw him stand up straight and puff up his chest.

"I will be your Maiden."

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

"I beg your pardon?" Glynda blinked but Ozpin only continued as he turned towards Amber's body.

"The Maiden's magic came from me. It is logical to think that the power would settle easier with me instead of you, Glynda."

"No, no, no." Amber mutterred panickedly at the truth came crashing down on her.

Glynda was one thing but Ozpin? No, no, no.

She might be able to love with Glynda for awhile but Ozpin?

Ozpin had millenia of years, experience, and lifetimes to add weight to his soul.

And they would cram Amber into that?

She.....she would disappear.

"Gods, please. I want to live." She cried.
------

Featuring:

Ruby "bonding with Raven the Branwen Way" Rose

Ozpin "I'm going to be a Maiden!" [Last Name Pending]

Amber "My life is hell" Autumn


Note: So you know how I said that this was going to be the last chapter?

Turns out, it is not!

We'll have one more and then a short epilogue right after just to broaden the world and set things up for Part 2.

As always, thank you for staying with me! I hope you enjoyed this!

If you have any questions, let me know! You can use the discord too if you want for conversations with me. Just make sure to tag me so it actually notifies me.