RWBY Watches Grimm May Cry (Old)

Mission 7: Holding the Key of Ardor

With a hum, the projector started back up again. The audience settled in, ready to watch as the story of Jaune Arc continued to unfold.

The episode began where it had left off the last time: Jaune taking the sun key into his hands. As soon as he removed it from the altar, however, his Aura flashed. Jaune winced as he watched steam begin to curl off his skin, droplets of sweat forming on his head.

"Oh no," Ruby groaned. "Not another one of those things!"

"What do you mean?" Ghira asked, eyes wide as he watched the screen in surprise. "What's happening to him?"

"Last season, one of the artifacts Jaune came across began to drain his soul from his body," Blake explained.

"You must be joking!" Kali gasped.

"It's true," Yang assured her. "But don't worry, he's done this once, so he can do it again."

"Alright," Jaune panted, beginning to make his way back from whence he came. "I'm guessing your that 'Guiding Light' that the sun plaque mentioned," he mused, looking down at the large key. He rounded the corner, jogging through the area he fought the Phantasm. "I'm guessing if I bring you back there, something or other will unlock." He turned another corner, and found the exit within his sight. Smirking, the Huntsman began to move for the door. Just then, the ground shook. Jaune nearly fell, but used the Guiding Light to brace himself, keeping his footing. Shooting a glance behind him, the Huntsman's eyes widened. Coming around the corner, pincers out in front and mandibles clacking together, was Tyrian.

"What?! Tyrian again?!" Weiss demanded, frustrated and unnerved.

"I'll give him this much, he's one determined son of a bitch," Sun grunted, gritting his teeth.

"Run, Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted. "You can't fight him in those tight corridors!"

"Oh, not you again!" Jaune groaned, pushing himself forwards as he began to run. Tyrian stomped after him, splashing water everywhere as his large, armored body scraped against the stone walls. A hiss left the flaming Death Stalker's chitinous  face as it continued to pursue the Huntsman down the passageway. Jaune reached the door, and swung it open. He looked behind him just in time to see Tyrian charging up a fire ball between its mandibles. Quickly thinking, the Huntsman leapt through the open door and slammed it shut behind him, an explosion rocking the wall a moment later. "That guy just won't quit!" Jaune panted, eyeing the door carefully. "I'm going to have to find some way to deal with him if this keeps up."

"At least Fearless Leader escaped again," Nora pointed out.

"True, but Tyrian is proving to be a major thorn in Jaune's side," Ren grimaced.

"Unless he finds some way to get away from him, Tyrian's gonna end up chasing Jaune across the entire island," Coco shook her head.

As Jaune stumbled through the sewers, he brought a hand up to wipe some sweat off his brow.

"Dang, this freaking key is something else," he panted. "It feels like I'm boiling alive, from the inside out!" The Huntsman staggered forward a couple extra steps, then leaned against a grimy stone wall. "But I can't stop here. I've got to press on, keep moving forwards." Breathing deeply, Jaune took a few more steps forward, then began to shift into his Grimm form. "That's a little better," he sighed in relief.

"I guess that Grimm form of his does have its benefits," Mercury shrugged.

"He should use it more often," Emerald suggested. "It increases his strength and speed, and he looks pretty intimidating as a Grimm, as well."

As Jaune continued forward, the sound of rushing wind caught his ear. The Huntsman stopped as he watched three Geists emerge from the wall, each carrying a large scythe.

"I don't have time for this," he snarled. Drawing Alastor, Jaune parried a scythe attack and thrusted his sword forwards, obliterating one Geist's head. A second Grimm maneuvered behind the Huntsman, lobbing its scythe at his back. Jaune in turn, whirled around, catching the weapon by the handle. He twirled the scythe over his head, then kicked off the wall and in one quick slice, removed the Geist's head from its shoulders.

"Man, I forgot how much more efficient the kid is at killing Grimm in his other form," Qrow grunted.

The final Geist floated forwards, raising its scythe over its head. Jaune turned around, just in time to see the Grimm swing its blade downwards. Quickly thinking, the Huntsman threw out a hand, catching the scythe by the blade. His Aura flashed, but it gave Jaune the opening he needed to shove Ebony into the Geist's face, putting a bullet through its head.

"Quick thinking," Ozpin commended. "Minimal damage, and it presents an opportunity to counterattack. Well done, Jaune."

"Yes, well done indeed," Cinder nodded. Then she thought of something. Thank the gods he wasn't the one to catch us stealing the Fall Maiden's powers!

Jaune made his way out of the sewers and back into the stairwell room. As he made his way for the elevator, five Lancers swooped down from above.

"You guys too, huh?" he growled. "I'll make this quick!" One Lancer zoomed forward, only to receive Alastor through its back. The Huntsman swung his sword around like a toy mallet, smashing the Hornet Grimm on the floor until it reduced to paste. Another Lancer fired its harpoon stinger, piercing Jaune in his neck, causing him to let go of Alastor, which went flying.

"Oh!" Glynda gasped, clapping a hand to her mouth.

"He's fine, Glynda," Tai waved it off. "See?"

Growling, Jaune grabbed the stinger in one hand, and with a twist, snapped it off the Lancer's abdomen. Pulling it out of his neck, he lobbed the appendage back at its surprised owner, pinning it to a wall by its head. A third Lancer divebombed  the Huntsman from above, only for Jaune to call Alastor back to him, slicing the Grimm to pieces as it flew through the air. As a forth Lancer zoomed towards him, the Huntsman dodged its flying charge, then grabbed the Grimm by the thorax, throwing it to the ground. A quick stab downwards caused the Lancer to burst apart. As the final Grimm zoomed forward, Jaune grabbed it by the face, then the stinger, holding it over his head. With a feral growl, Jaune ripped the Lancer in half, showering himself in green ooze.

"Yikes," Ruby cringed. "Remind me never to challenge Grimm Jaune to a fight."

"Don't worry, Rubes," Yang assured her, eyes wide at the spectacle. "I don't think any of us are planning on that any time soon."

Breathing heavily, Jaune made his way onto the rising platform, which lifted him into the air. As it rose, the Huntsman slowly reverted back to his human form. His face was drenched in sweat, and so much steam was curling off his body that it was like he was standing on a fog machine. As the door to the castellan's bedroom came into sight, Jaune leapt forwards, grabbing onto the railing of the staircase and pulling himself onto the ground. Pushing himself to his feet, the Huntsman entered the bedroom and held the Guiding Light up in front of the smiling sun, whose rays began to rotate in a circle. The white stone slab slid upwards, revealing a silvery door behind it. Immediately, Jaune stopped steaming, as he dropped the Guiding Light to the floor.

"Thank the gods," Jaune sighed in relief. "Any longer and I could've been served up with some butter and a side of corn." The episode ended.

"Heh, seafood joke," Qrow chuckled.

"So, when can we see the next episode?" Emerald asked. "This one seemed kinda short."

"Again this was a shorter mission, and I apologize," Abe called from the projector's booth. "But don't worry, the next couple of episodes will be longer, I promise."