It wasn't suppose to be this way, but with Croeca Mors destroyed and Ozpin giving him two months to design a new weapon to replace it, he's taking every chance he can to fix what he feels is his worst problem. Yet as Ruby helps him to build the perfect weapon, he learns more than he bargains for from his fellow Huntsmen and Huntress' about what it means to be a Huntsman.

The Forge of Life

by

Hibiki

Beta'd by

Hibiki and his iphone for days afterward.

Imagine you could have the rights to RWBY, but for the rest of your life, you would have to clean up every mess or problem created by every Rooster Teeth 'Million Dollars, But..." challenge accepted. Would it be worth it? Not for me.

RWBY is created by Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.

Chapter Five: Aura Training Failure

-o0O0o-

Jaune panted as he tried to catch his breath. Was sitting around and doing nothing for HOURS suppose to be this exhausting?

It had been a week since he began working with Crescent Arc, and besides finally unlocking the weapon from it's compact form and being able to fire it within seconds, he had learned one vital lesson about Scythes...

He absolutely hated them. Having been mostly accustomed to a straight bladed weapon like a sword, learning not to swing the blade like said sword took almost as much time as he had taken trying to work on his Aura. How many times he had merely knocked his opponent away rather than do any damage as he caught them in the curved part of the blade? The area almost as dull as the armor he wore. How hard it was to ignore the urge to attack them like a sword and how many times he tripped himself up when he DID remember and couldn't get the right angles to do more than a glancing blow when he tried to reap.

As much as he knew Croeca Mors was an ill fit, it seemed Crescent Arc was almost if not worse. Every time when he wanted to bring up that fact to Ruby, who was taking valuable time to help him learn how to handle the unwieldy thing, how could he look into those hopeful silver eyes and break her excitment by admitting the unintentional weapon they had created was a mistake more than actually building it was. He was wasting everyone's time trying to keep at the weapon, so he garnered his courage. He would tell her, even if she stopped helping him, he could figure out what to do on his own. It was best for her sake. He told himself that he would tell her in the coming week, no matter how much he feared she would cry.

What that boiled down to was that with his usual ability with girls and awkward situations meant that by the week's end, Ruby called him passable, but laughable and Jaune told himself he had no spine to speak of at all. Jaune questioned what Ruby meant by the comment, trying to ignore his internal self pity, and was rewarded that according to Yang, it meant 'decent' by their uncle, Qrow. He was the man who had taught Ruby her trade and as far as it meant for him, Qrow would probably belive Jaune wasn't about to cut his toes off. But despite his growing affinity for the Scythe, it still Jaune with a weapon he feared he was stuck with due to his inability to say 'no' to the younger cute leader of RWBY.

But that wasn't the issue at hand at the moment, what was at hand was the brilliant glow of his Aura. He finally summoned the glow on command. In addition to training in scythes, Pyrrha's tenacity to help him in any way had paid off in spades as she focused on what she did know, Aura. Almost as exhausting as the physical training ruby had put him through, Pyrrha's meditation was just as brutal. The last week had left him virtually comatose every time his head hit the pillow only to wake up, dragged sometimes by Nora to class and then by both Ruby's happy and Pyrrha's hopeful expressions to do training torture all over again. The payoff was, that Ruby had mentioned that when he was able to do the aura exercise, they would begin an important next step to using Crescent Arc or any Aura based firearm.

Excitement urged him past his limits that morn, and despite it being a day off for them all, and one he felt he desperately needed, Jaune and Ruby found they had gained a crowd of their teammates while Ruby passed him a special looking ammo magazine. Looking much like the one he was use to using, it's one not so subtle change was the embossed fire logo upon it. Jaune looked intrigued at the symbol as their friends mumbled loudly ready to witness Jaune's next 'Big Adventure!'. Yeah, Jaune rather liked Nora's way of putting it rather than Weiss' cold 'Lets see the idiot fail again.' remark.

"Good morning Student Arc, today we will begin instructing you in charging dust rounds with Aura to make them more potent. I have supplied you with some low yield fire dust rounds that you will be charging and firing at the targets I have provided."

"Using Aura to power dust in the rounds? You mean like how Yang makes her shotgun rounds fly like fireworks?"

"Yup! Basically it's an ability we picked up from hybrids users who could fight like Weiss and Professor Goodwitch, but preferred weapons with further ranges than a fancy smancy sword can do."

"Hey!" Weiss uttered in reproach.

"So as stories go, there was a warrior princess named Chaika was one of the first Dust Snipers, thought to be active some ten years after the Great War, and is still unmatched today, some fifty years after her death, in sending her powers in round form at incredible ranges. What we're going to do it teach you how to do the most basic version of that, and basically what nearly every Huntsman and Huntress do." Jaune could only shake her head as the younger teen began rambling on about her passion. He had gained a far better respect for those who had come before as the girl prattled on, a happy glow about her as she admired weapons and their masters living and past.

"Alright." Jaune loaded Crescent Arc and chambered a round in.

"Uh Ruby." To Jaune's surprise, Pyrrha stepped forward, looking very awkward. "I don't really think that's wise." Pyrrha softly remarked.

"Why, you both said he's improved and mastered the Aura exercise, he should be able to do it, right?" Ruby turned her doe like silver eyes on Pyrrha, and Jaune felt for a moment justified as even the 4 timed Mistral champ fell to the might of Ruby's innocent stare.

"Yeah, Pyrrha, you said I was doing very well. Ruby says this is an easy thing to do." Jaune was ready for something new, his ability in summoning his Aura easily had boosted his confidence higher than it had been since he saved Cardin all those weeks ago. Maybe, just maybe if this worked out he could garner enough credit to tell his friend that Scythes were her and her Uncle's domain and he should be looking in others. Yeah.

"Well yes, you have improved by leaps and bounds, but charging rounds is a delicate process and Jaune's control can be rather..." Pyrrha sadly trailed off, unwilling to tell her leader and crush that his Aura control was about as soft as Nora was gentle when swinging her hammer. Sky was still in a wheelchair at the moment, she remembered. So yes, about the same.

"So it's no problem!" Ruby remarked cheerfully, Pyrrha unable to say anything more, despite her fears. "So this is what you need to do to channel Aura into the rounds which will enhance the dust in them with however much Aura you want to add..." Ruby began to explain, Jaune listened intently. The rest of the group looked to Jaune and Pyrrha, half expecting the redhead to say something else, but she remained just as worried and passive as before. Ren, usually wisest began to edge away slowly, Nora unknowingly doing the same as she hopped beside him. Blake was soon doing the same and even Yang had caught on and was whistling, hands in her short pockets, as she began a few steps towards Ruby.

"Alright, ready?" Said girl asked as Jaune took aim at the target.

"Ready!"

"Charge it!" Jaune nodded and pushed his Aura into the gun, focusing on making it to the ammo. What neither of them counted on was Pyrrha's original thoughts of Jaune. He had a LOT of Aura. It was like trying to put a tsunami into a kitchen sink.

"WHRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN-SHRIEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" Crescent Arc cried out, leaving Jaune staring at it in horror as the entire gun began to vibrate and glow ominously.

"He overloaded the whole gun! It's going to explode!" Blake cried out as the rest of JNPR and RWBY began running away from him in mass, Yang snatching Ruby away the moment she knew it would go wrong. The act caught him completely flatfooted as a sheer moment of incredulity hit while his closest friends and allies left him. He stared blankly at his glowing steaming gun blade as the words the faunas cried finally pierced his dumbfounded stupor.

"It'll explode?! I don't want to explode! What do I do!? Oh geez!" He held the scythe at arms reach, fundamentally knowing that it wasn't going to be remotely far enough to save him, but fear was overriding common sense at this point. There was an additional unhealthy noise overpowering the still shrieking metal that reminded Jaune of the time one Nora's grenades failed to fire, lodged itself inside cooking in Manghild. The girl whom owned the weapon merely laughed it off but the damage the grenade did had all but destroyed the training room's bath area Ren, thinking fast, had thrown it to keep them all safe.

"Jaune! Shoot it into the air, fling it away before it kills us all!" Pyrrha yelled out, though she was safely away when she did, Jaune noted dimly. So much for him improving by leaps and bounds.

"No! We can still save him!" Ruby cried out from Yang's arms, there were tears in her eyes. With the gun making a groaning keening sound now, seemingly only seconds away from failure. Whether it was the sudden fear of death slowing time but Jaune managed to look between Pyrrha and Ruby with speed born of panic, taking in the calmer attitude that his red headed partner was projecting compared to the frantic screaming of Ruby. Pyrrha nodded and Jaune made his choice. Using a style much like his partners when she used her rifle as a spear, he lifted the now glowing gun and aimed for the highest point away from them, straight up. He put every ounce of force he could along with triggering the round in the weapon at the same time. With a tremendous burst of power the scythe wrenched itself from his grasp and towards the sky. He slammed into the ground and rolled over, unable to look away from the end of his weapon. It was there, half thinking he was unconscious as he watched as the impossible happened.

A cry of a Nevermore pierced through the area as the largest nevermore the school had ever seen appeared overhead. It was practically the same size of Beacon itself, and the city of Vale trembled with fear at the sight of this monster that blocked out the sun. It roared again as if laughing at the puny mortals who could never reach it at it's height. Up as high as it was, it was all but invincible.

It never knew what hit it.

Traveling at nearly mach 1, Crescent Arc made it's first and sadly, only, kill as it slammed into the open mouth of the bird Grimm. It's blade was all but rent off due to the substandard steel that made it, however it was enough to cleave the beak right off in a way that would have killed it right there in a matter of time. It was the main part of the weapon, however, with the rifle section's sharp pointed rear tip being the critical killer. The point slammed into the brain of the Grimm, causing it to falter just long enough that when remaining ammunition to finish the job, despite the paltry amount of fire dust. Enhanced by Jaune's mistake, the normal result should have been no worse than a single fire cracker, but by the sheer amount of aura used and infused into the weapon, the cooking ammo went off like a supernova. The Nevermore just simple was alive one moment, and dead the next in a brilliant display of light.

Like the bomb encased in steel that it was, the remains of Crescent Arc filled the soft vulnerable area with shrapnel. The red glowing eyes of the Nevermore faded only a half second before it's entire head was blown from it's body and the corpse's momentum was arrested by a blast that wiped out the countless little Nevermore that had been growing from inky darkness from the monster's sides. The entire city, Beacon Academy, and even some people across the world of Remnant watched as it's corpse faltered further still as the blinding light of it's killer's finale faded. The body slammed into the old wing of the school in a massive cloud of debris, just missing out intrepid bunch. As the already dissolving Grimm and it's cloud of debris came to rest silence reigned for several seconds before a choked and painful cry broke against the growing cheers Vales citizenry.

"Crescent Arc, NOOOOOOO!"

59 DAYS REMAINING

Next Chapter: Trial and Error-ed

-o0O0o-

Omake: Judge Rudy.

"You are about to enter the courtroom of Judge Rudolf Skobeloff. The people are real! The cases are real! The rulings are final! This is Judge Rudy!"

Ruby begins walking angrily to the front of the courtroom, the remaining team RWBY sitting already on the plaintiff's side, Blake waving a RWBY flag looking bored.

"Ruby Rose, a 15 year old huntress in training is suing her friend and acquaintance for the murder of their child."

Jaune began walking calmly down the path to the defendant's place, JNPR sitting in the seats behind him.

"Jaune Arc, 17, also a huntsmen in training. Jaune defends himself by claiming that the 'child' in question was nothing more than a prototype weapon that unfortunately exploded in a training accident. He also claims that the accident is what killed the Super Nevermore that threatened Vale last week."

The two swear an oath before they all rise as an older wolf faunas steps into the room. The sharp faced man sat in the bench, slipping up a falling pair of glasses as a bird faunas man wearing a Vale police outfit handed a document to be read.

"Case 007474. In the case of Ruby Rose Vs Jaune Arc." The judge thanks the bailiff before taking a good long look at the transcript. "The parties have been sworn in, you may be seated." The teams and various other in the courtroom did so.

The Judge was silent for a few moments, reading over the file. Then without looking up at the two he began speaking, his voice a gruff similar to his appearance.

"Was it a good weapon, Ms. Rose?"

"The best, your honorableness!"

"Like the one you made me?" Jaune began to sweat, realizing Ruby and Rudy knew one another.

"Yes sir! And he broke him!"

"Fair enough. I find the defendant guilty, I file in favor of the plaintiff."

"Wait! What!?" Jaune was stunned. "I didn't even get a chance to defend myself!"

"Tell me, do you see that face?" Rudy pointed at Ruby, who looked sad and innocent. "Would that face lie?" Rudy and everyone turned and looked to Jaune, Ruby's face turning into an evil smirk at Jaune's stunned silence. "Mr. Arc will pay for Ms. Rose's damages and mental harm amounting to..." Rudy looked back to the suddenly tear faced teenage girl. "100 thousand lien."

"A-ach! HUNDRED THOUSAND!? That's PERPOSTEROUS~!"

"Officer Bird, he is in contempt of court, take him away and have him flogged."

"WHYYYYY~!?" Jaune cried as he was carried away.

-o0O0o-

AN:

Whew. This one. Well this one, BRNJR, Extra Scoop, and the currently unnamed one have kicked my ass. I have learned that if I give myself a goal... I just fuck it up. RL, writing, just about anything, if I go with whatever flow I feel, I do okay, I put myself to something, I flounder worst than that ill named fish from Disney. But finally. Here you go. Hope you like, despite the shortness of it. Sad when the Omake was written before everything else in the chapter because I had that idea before I finished part 4.

Reviews:

acw28: Because there is something I am hoping people will catch about Jaune here soon.

Haseoblade-Skyking01: Scythe yes, at least for a week anyway. As you can see, Jaune cannot control his Aura for well anything. Those would be two grenades that shift two seconds before they blow up. In his face.

JaredDrake: Uh... noted?

OBSERVER01: Crescent Arc has unfortunately is gone, but soon others will be present soon. Croeca Mors will return, but as it being repaired depends on how much I can legitimately make Jaune be able to do. SMG Shield? Shotgun Sword, interesting, I'm going to have this turn more in the direction I first wanted it to go VERY soon, but of course I am always willing to see where people would like to go weapon wise for Jaune.

najdrox Glad to hear you enjoy it. Sorry this one is a small one.