Autumn Winds

Jaune was flipping the page in a book—one he’d already read three times, but who’s counting—when the alarm started blaring.  At first, he looked frantically around in surprise, but once Qrow got up he realized what was going on.  The sound came from the timer that Qrow had set all that time ago: a year to him and his newly trained body and a few hours outside the door.

“Grab your stuff kid,” Qrow hastily tidied the living area and grabbed his weapon, “once we walk out that door, you’re a Shadow.”  With the time being so close to up, the elder Huntsman had given his student some time to rest.  When Jaune had asked why they didn’t spend that time getting in some last-minute training, Qrow had shaken his head.  “You’ve got a lot more to learn, kid,” he’d assured him, patting him on the back, “but nothing else I can teach you here.”

Jaune got up from the bed he had used for the entirety of the training year and grabbed three objects from the table nearby.  One was his improved armor—his old armor hadn’t lasted long, but thankfully, one of the rooms in the chamber contained a forge.  The armor only covered his left shoulder with plates extending to cover his entire arm, and if Jaune wished the armor could encompass his torso as well, but it left his right arm uncovered for freedom of mobility.  The second item on the table was a sword, similar to Crocea Mors but with a few modifications in order for Jaune to make better use of his combat training.  The sword was just as heavy but with a thinner blade and six inches longer.  With a simple press of a button on the hilt and the sound of gears turning, the sword shifted into a rifle.  Jaune gave it a quick check, made sure everything was in order, then shifted it back to its sword from and placed it on his back.

The final item on the table was Crocea Mors, the weapon he took from his home when he went off to Beacon.  The weapon he’d used to vanquish Grimm.  The weapon he’d used when training with Pyrrha.  He looked pensively at the weapon for a moment, then picked it up.

As Jaune made his way to the door, he caught a glimpse of a mirror out of the corner of his eye.  He paused in front of it, reflecting on how much he’d changed during his training.  His hair had grown and he’d put it in a little ponytail like Ren’s—although his was shorter.  He brought his right hand to his cheek and traced the scar that had appeared on his face a few weeks after training had begun. 

He approached the door with a single question in his mind: How much has changed?  He took a breath, then he and Qrow stepped through the door

The vault looked the same.  At least that meant nothing had gotten down there in the last four hours.  Four hours.  That was all that had passed.  Just when Jaune was about to ask what to do next, a familiar silver-haired figure strode into the room.

“Mr. Arc,” Professor Ozpin seemed a good deal more tired than he had the last time Jaune had seen him, “I see that your training with Qrow went well.  Not only did you survive, but you seem to have grown a good deal in such a short amount of time.”

“Ozzy, you know I wouldn’t intentionally kill one of my pupils.  He only got close once,” Qrow paused, considering.  “Okay, maybe three times.”

Enough with the small talk.  “What about Pyrrha?  How is she?” Jaune interrupted, anxious to hear something good.

“I better go and make sure my nieces are still alive.  Tai would kill me if something were to happen to either of them.”  Qrow headed down towards the elevator leaving Jaune and Ozpin behind.  As the elevator's hum faded, Ozpin returned to the Jaune's question.

“Autumn has yet to fully recover all of the Fall Maiden’s powers or either Amber or Pyrrha’s memories.  However, we did discover that the stolen parts of the Fall Maiden’s powers are drawn to Autumn.  Cinder saw this during the battle, so she fled to preserve what she still had.”

Jaune’s heart sank at the realization that the Pyrrha he knew, the one who wrote the now tattered letter that rested in his pocket, might not be there anymore.

“The fragments of the power that Autumn did recover seemed to calm her mind and help put what memories she has of her past selves’ memories in order.  I am confident that she is no longer at risk of any unknown circumstances occurring if she is to see someone she knows.  Although she might not recognize them.”

Jaune perked up at that statement.  Perhaps if Autumn were to see him, then maybe some of Pyrrha would come through.

“However.” Any part of him that had been excited or hopeful about Pyrrha’s recovery sank back into despondency with the ‘however.’  That ‘however’ meant it would be a long time before he would be able to be with Pyrrha again, if ever. “We still wish to keep the secret of who Autumn is, and by extension your identity as her Shadow.”

“What do you mean Professor?”

“I mean, Mister Arc that officially both Miss Nikos and you died in the Vale attacks.  Do not worry, the sacrifice that the two of you made not only saved thousands of lives, but also drove the remaining White Fang and Grimm away from the city.”

The sentence was matter-of-fact, but the implications left Jaune standing there stunned.  How could this be possible?  How could they just decide he died like that?  But as upset as he was, he understood.  This course of action would keep them safe as they tracked Cinder down to get the rest of her power back and keep their friends and family from those same foes that would use them as bait.

“Could you at least make sure my family gets this.” Jaune handed Crocea Mors to Ozpin, “And let them know that I wasn’t a complete failure?”

Ozpin took the sheathed sword with a solemn nod.  “Do not worry Mr. Arc, you will have the highest honors that we can offer bestowed upon you.  One last bit of housekeeping we need to complete before I take you to where Autumn is.  Jaune Arc is officially dead.  You will need another name.”

It felt like Pyrrha wasn’t the only one who was becoming a different person.  “How about John?  It’s close enough to my real name that I shouldn’t have any problem answering to it.”

“Very well John,” Ozpin nodded, “now if you will follow me this way.  Autumn’s hair got a little singed and I understand you have seven sisters, so I imagine you would know a thing or two about cutting hair.”

The two left the room and walked down the hallway that connected that room to the room where the Aura Transfer took place.  Jaune and Ozpin entered the elevator and started their ascent.  The ride was shorter. They must still be underground.  When they reached their destination they walked through a single door that opened up into a room only a little bigger than a Beacon dorm room.  In the middle was a single chair which was occupied by Pyrrha—or at least someone who looked just like her.  Although Jaune could see small places on her clothes where she was burned, but her skin was still flawless.  Her hair hadn’t been so lucky.  It was singed at the tips leaving a small bit of black visible.  She looked up when she saw the two men enter the room.

Ozpin spoke first.  “Amber, this is John.  He will be your Shadow while you are traveling across Remnant.  He is also a passable stylist so he can fix your hair issue.”  Autumn stood up and approached the two with a smile.  “Now if you will excuse me, I suspect that Glynda and Ironwood still require assistance with the cleanup efforts.  I also have an idea I wish to run by Ironwood.  I will return shortly to show you two to your rooms, you will be staying up a few floors.”

With that statement Ozpin left and a silence filled the room.

“Hello,” she held out a hand, still smiling, “my name is Autumn.  I look forward to our getting to know each other better.  But, umm… can you please fix my hair first?” 

The voice was Pyrrha’s, but the tone wasn’t.  Internally, Jaune winced.

“I’m John.”  He didn’t shake her hand.  “Look, I’m actually pretty tired and not really feeling up for conversation right now.  Do you want me to just cut off the burned sections or do you have a more detailed request?”

“Can you cut it to shoulder length?  It just feels off, having all this hair.”  She ran her fingers through her hair, lifting up a burnt segment.  “It goes all over the place when I’m fighting, then it gets in my eyes and I can’t see…”  She looked at the segment of her hair as if judging it.  “Anyway, I would prefer it to be much shorter if possible.”

“Fine, sit back down.”  John grabbed the scissors from the nearby table and once she was seated, he began to cut Autumn’s hair in silence.  Autumn would break the silence every once in a while, either to ask John a question or tell him a bit about herself.  He didn’t reply to any of them.

“It was weird at first,” Autumn said while John was putting away the equipment that he had just finished using.  “It felt like I couldn’t remember anything. But once I started fighting Cinder and some of my power started coming back, everything started to calm down and I could remember a little bit more about myself.  Nothing super important like my name or faces, but small things.  You know, favorite foods, parties I had attended in the past. I think I’m actually a pretty good dancer.”    

No matter how hard Jaune tried to not believe it, he couldn’t ignore that evidence that the girl sitting in front of him with short, shoulder-length red hair, was not his friend and partner but someone else entirely.

Were it not for Qrow’s training, John wouldn’t have noticed Ozpin reentering the room.  “I hate to interrupt,” the headmaster remained standing by the door to the room as he addressed the pair, “but it is getting late and there is a lot of preparing we have to do in the coming few weeks before I can officially give you two your assignments.”

A short elevator ride and a single corridor later they had arrived at what Ozpin declared as their rooms.  He told Autumn and John that their presence was required the next day, then left the two, saying he had to finish paperwork that had appeared after the attack.

“Well goodnight John,” Autumn gave him a small wave, then reached for the door to her room, “I guess I’ll see you in the morning then.”

“Hey Autumn,” she stopped at the door and turned to face him, “I’ve got a question for you.” He looked directly at her, at the face that was Pyrrha’s and wasn’t. “What do you think about destiny?”

“What do you mean by that, John?”

“Do you think that destiny is something you work towards, or is it something that you can’t escape?  Is it something that you can pick for yourself or is it something that you have no control over?”

Autumn stood for a moment, her face scrunching up in thought.  It didn’t look like she’d come up with an answer anytime soon.  It also didn’t look like his question had sparked of Pyrrha’s memories that might have been in there.  Well, it could wait.

“You don’t have to tell me now Autumn, just something to think about.  I can let you know my answer once you figure yours out.   Now we should both probably get some sleep, we’ve both had a long day.”

“Alright.  Goodnight again, John!” Her thoughtful expression was replaced with a cheerful one as she turned the doorknob and entered into her room.

“Goodnight Pyrrha.” The second those words left his mouth Jaune darted inside his room, closed the door behind himself, and tapped his head against it.  He turned and slid down the door until he was sitting on the floor.  “I’m going to need to stop doing that.”