A haggard man slowly dredged up the slight incline towards the river cutting through these lands. The ground was soft from the morning rain shower and his boots were now sinking into the grassy plain that was more mud brown then green.

He knelt down to sip and feel the wet on his face. He had camped in the area for a few nights now, but the unusual summer humidity in this area was getting to him. He felt he should move on soon.

It was getting close to the anniversary anyway; figured he should go make the rounds to everyone before the first snowfall. Had to plan ahead, walking always took a long time to get around, very rarely anymore would he take airships unless it was for something major like changing continents. Jaune slowly stood back up and turned his direction east... Atlas during the summer was fine, but soon fall would arrive and he'd have to wonder south in order not to freeze was something in the back of his mind.

'Speaking of the cold' Jaune pondered to himself. He wondered about Winter, hadn't seen her since she fully took over the family company. 'Should stop by and say hi as well' His feet began moving just that little bit faster.

It had been almost four years since Jaune had started his walkabout, six since the end of the war, and seven since he'd felt like a living person. Too many lost friends, too many compromises, too much pain.

"That'll be a 100 Lien a night sir. Um, you can pay that right?" The bar keep furrowed his brow as he took stock of Jaune's appearance; very worn, old fashion clothing, carrying a rather large backpack, with his left arm totally hidden by bandage wrap. Shaggy blond hair maybe shoulder length, tied up into a messy pony tail. Light stubble on his face though to be fair his features looked more hap hazard and unkempt then unclean.

A smile perked at the lips of the 25 year old bland man, "Sure thing," he chirped as he dug out some cards from a back pocket and dropped them on the counter between himself and the barkeep. More relaxed the local owner collected the cards and pulled out a key from the under side of the counter.

"It'll be room four, up the stairs and just straight down at the end." he pointed past Jaune to the stairs near the entrance where he had come inside looking for a place to stay.

The bar slash hotel was small and apparently only had four rooms total on the second floor to stay. Jaune was happy he'd been able to snatch the last room available so he could rest properly before heading into the main stay of Atlas to see Winter and visit Weiss.

Now in his room he had dropped his pack and cleaned up as much as he could in the sink; sadly no bath to speak of in this place. He supposed it was better then nothing. Now sat on the stiff bed, feet on the floor in just his socks and underwear, he started to unwrap his left arm. It took some time to do so, had to make sure the wrap properly layered and thick enough all the way around so it wouldn't be undone in battle even if it got nicked up.

First the bicep and then the forearm started to show, and the hand came last. He stretched his hand and turned it over a few times checking it out. No changes that he could see. The red lines that almost looked like long cuts up and down his arm starting from his armpit and down to his fingertips.

They looked like they were almost producing a haze, however no actual light was being admitted. The shade of red, similar to that of the color blood however it was neither flowing nor warm enough. This was the price he paid for having infused dust into his body. His right hand gripped his left forearm like it was in pain. It was not, not physically anyway. The memories were enough though that all the tragedies made him grimace none the less.

He sighed and fell back onto the bed, stretching out his hands in front of him. "I really need to try and relax, isn't that right Ruby?"

Jaune woke just after day break and quickly got ready to leave. He didn't like dally about if he could help it. The longer one stayed any place with people the more chance one either recognize him or remember that he passed through if anyone were to ask about him. With a newly wrapped arm and some food in his belly from a diner across the street of the bar, he continued his slow trek into the mountains. Would be another week or so before he reached the world renowed dust company though he knew from the signs (as well as being through here twice before) that this town was on the edges of Winter's property and as he reminded himself, the Schnee Dust Company property.

While he shouldn't have trouble now in it's land if he ran into any 'problems' that were possible to occur, he liked to not think about how pissed Winter would get if an innocent got caught up in any sort of fighting.

Jaune mused as he continued his walk now at an slightly upward following the side of a cobble road. Winter had been so upset when he told her he was leaving. She didn't really say anything, but her eyes said everything they needed to. He had spent his recovery in the Schnee mansion for almost two years. Really only a few months was recovery, the rest, he just didn't have anywhere in mind to go or want to go. The bad guys were gone, his friends and loved ones were safe... -ish. And no matter how he actually felt the world outside kept turning, so he felt he should too.

Took him over a year to start feeling antsy. Took him almost two before he told Winter he was leaving. The look on her face, he could still perfectly picture it. Her hair tied back with some stray ends getting into her eyes as she brushed them away every few moments. Hunched over on the couch reading reports in the living area. It had been an unspoken occurrence between them really, he would wonder over to that room at some point each night and she would as well. Even if her work wasn't finished she'd just bring it with her. They didn't talk much, but neither normally felt the need. Just being near by the other was plenty. One reading reports and making notes, the other just reading the random book of the night, or letting his mind run off on it's own. Sometimes though they would talk, talk about their day (mostly Winter, Jaune didn't have much going on being inside most of the time), however no matter if they had said a word to each other the entire night beforehand. Ounce it was late enough and one of them decided to go to bed, they would always say 'good night' to the other. Fond feelings would always arise when those memories were thought about.

"Winter," Jaune paused as he waited for her to look up from the couch adjacent to his on the right.

"Mm?" Winter didn't look up however her eyes stopped moving side to side. Cheeks puffed out like she was about to huff out all the air stored up. Normally her look while she was absentminded or temporarily stuck on a work problem.

"I've been thinking" Jaune paused a moment before he continued, Winter had looked up now. "I've been here for a while now, and it's been nice. I mean great." Winter's brow arched up, but didn't say a word.

Jaune cleared his throat, more hoping to clear his mind so he could find the right words. "Winter I-I've been doing a lot of thinking and it's time I should go." Winter's eyes shook as her face looked like it iced over. Her head turned away from him.

There was a long pause before she spoke. Her words were steady, her voice still full of unspoken emotion, "Alright. It's not like we couldn't see this coming at some point. I mean staying here forever wasn't the best plan now was it." She still hadn't turn back to him.

Setting the book on the end table Jaune stood up and slowly walked the few feet to her and sat down. Winter could feel the dip in the couch, she decided to finally turn herself back towards him, the dim light of the lamps in the room showing wet checks and watery eyes on her face. Jaune put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him. He shushed her quietly as with his other hand brushed some hair from her face.

"What you've done for me these past few years I couldn't ask for anything more. You saved my life. Without you my arm would have gone boom I'm sure and I'd be a crater in the ground right now."

Winter snorted. "Damn right, idiot." Winter huffed out some air to stable herself. "You thank me, though all I did was find you, the SDC people did the rest.. And I'm pretty sure it wasn't us that made that arm of yours stable..." They were quiet for some time before she spoke again. "I was looking for Weiss, and found you instead. I thought since I found you, I would find my sister near by."

Her tone more somber and quite more tired then before, "Found Yang later, holding onto Ruby's hood. She said she was heading back to Patch. Didn't say anything about what happened. Just turned around and walked away. All she said was, 'I'm sorry about Weiss.' Her tone was so dead. So un-lifelike, I just fell to my knees and cried as she walked away. I knew there was no point holding onto hope that she was just laying somewhere. That I just had to find her and she'd be ok. My sister, all I had to do was find her and she'd smile at me and tell me all her adventures she'd had up to that point like she always did every time we'd meet. I knew that wasn't going to happen then, ever again." Winter sobbed a few times into Jaune's sweatshirt.

They had an unspoken rule after Jaune woke up from that final battle. Jaune had told her what had happened, but never the how. He couldn't figure out a way to bring out the words. They swirled around rampant in his mind, but could never feel comfortable to voice them. And Winter could never bring herself to ask anymore then what Jaune was willing. Tonight it seemed time had come to clear the air a bit more.

If Winter was strong enough to share this then he needed to be able to do the same Jaune thought.

"Weiss, she made her avatar cover up Ruby in the blast, with such little energy left she had to have had no aura essentially to do anything for herself when the blast hit. After everything cleared, she just wasn't there. Nothing. No piece of clothing, no saber, just gone." Jaune put his chin on Winter hair with himself still wrapped around her sitting there on the couch and took a trembled breath trying to push himself to keep going.

"I was on the other side of the clearing when I could finally see the aftermath, didn't have time to think about it, I had to stop myself from actually thinking about it. Weiss, she clearly gave us an opportunity and I wasn't gonna waste it, nor was Ruby. She seemed to get up about the same time I started running. Salem was already hurting pretty bad at that point. Yang had laid into what power she had taken from Cinder as the new Maiden but got tosses aside early on in the fight. She had little left after Cinder.

While I was out of gas with my left arm I still had my sword. I really don't know what I was doing, I ran at her with a sword and a breath of aura left. The most powerful being that has ever lived and I thought a sword could work at that point. Well turns out, it could. She was looking for a chance to get away, but when I chased after her she stood her ground. Most likely figured her last blast had kill the rest near her, and maybe she figured she should just end me so she wouldn't have to deal with it later. I'm really not sure why she did, but it was her final mistake. I clashed with her, sword to staff, She easily fended me off, but I could tell she was worn with those wounds and bleeding. I tried to create some space to find a good place of attack, but as soon as I did she blasted me with her staff and I went flying.

I landed hard, not sure where my sword went. Salem seemed to start to walk in my direction. At the last second raised her hands to create an energy shield. I think she sensed Ruby before she saw her. Ruby came out of no where, attacking right and left, from the sky, she was the wind it's self. Almost to hard to look at with her glow of silver.

I thought Ruby had it, she was pushing Salem back and that witch couldn't even attack anymore just barely holding the shield. Ruby went in hard to try and brake the bubble. It just seemed to pop," he made the noise softly with his lips. "It put Ruby off balance and missed with her swing, or at least part of it. Salem blasted Ruby on her back about 10 feet, right in between me and herself. I could slowly see red stream down middle to her legs and then onto the ground. Her right arm was oddly on the ground by her feet I remember thinking. Then I watched in horror as Salem pointed her staff at her own chest and started muttering something. I don't think I even heard it, just saw her lips moving. Her body started to almost crack with light or energy coming out of it. Faster and faster, more and more cracks of energy and dust came out. I looked at Ruby laying there as she turned toward me still on the ground, her eyes wide in understanding. Suddenly Ruby used all her power and made a dome around us, as she simultaneously crashed into me wrapping her arms around my wast. We rolled but the shield Ruby created that looked pure silver kept and moved with us. I couldn't see through it so I thought Ruby was moving us from inside the bubble of silver, because I could feel the motion of it, however I know now it was the outside explosion that caused it. We were along for the ride bouncing all over just holding each other as tight as we could."

Winter while Jaune took some time to gather himself before continuing, re-positioned herself against Jaune's side and laid her head in his lap. Jaune couldn't tell if here eyes were open or closed as Winter's long hair was covering most of her face as she had untied it from her bun long ago in the evening it seemed.

"Finally it stopped and as Ruby looked me in the eyes again I knew something was wrong. She with her aura fully drained and pushed far pasted her limit, blood had slowly trickle down her face. Ruby's silver eyes were almost a dull shade of gray now. The bubble evaporated almost as fast as it came. She got off me but didn't stand, just laid there beside me. All I could see was dirt, no grass, no trees, just dirt in every direction. Ruby started coughing. I tried to lean over to her however everything inside me started to feel like it was burning. I started screaming. I could tell it was from my arm. I had over used it, I knew I had, I knew what I had done. I yelled at Ruby to get away from me, I didn't know exactly what was going to happen, but I knew enough of an idea. Ruby reached out and gripped my arm. I could feel it cooling, the bright red lines were beginning to lighten.. The rest of me eased some as well. My left arm still felt in horrible pain, but I could endure that level of pain. I whispered 'thank you.'

Ruby now on her knees bent down to my ear and told me her last words... 'What are friends for silly, now let me go get some help before one of us is really is in trouble.' I watched her get up slowly, shaking, she started to drag herself in a direction. I really don't think she knew what way to go. I didn't realize it fast enough though, I watched her for a time, still in a daze myself. Maybe four or five-hundred meters away now, I saw a trail of red along the same path as Ruby. I knew that wasn't right, her eyes couldn't be that bad, they looked like they had stopped bleeding when she had gotten up. I moved my right arm to roll over and felt wet on my hand. I looked down and it was covered in blood, so was my chest, where she had leaned on me."

Jaune had to pause ounce again to take a breath. Winter tilted her head some so she was looking up onto Jaune face, watching him as he spoke. The man wore an expression on his face she didn't think she would ever forget. His eyes were now closed.

"I tried to yell at Ruby to come back. I knew it was too late." Jaune continued.

"Not sure she could even hear me or that it mattered much actually. She had made up her mind. With a wound like that, she wouldn't last a day and who knows when we'd see help, with her moving about like that she wouldn't last more then an hour is my guess looking back on it. I think her reasoning was, she didn't want me to watch her die. For her to be laying there motionless as I couldn't do anything to stop it. So she got up and left... It was maybe a day before I fell unconscious. Maybe another before you and the Atlas army found me I believe it was."

Winter felt it was her turn to speak before Jaune continued, "I-I never saw Ruby. Ran into Yang before that, maybe two clicks Northeast of where we found you."

"Yeah I expect Yang wouldn't want her sister just left there out in the open, most likely buried her there somewhere. Being too far away to be able to take her back to Patch or" Jaune's throat tighten up so much he couldn't talk any farther. Winter waited a time before noticing Jaune wasn't continuing. "It's fine," she spoke softly. "Thank you so much for being able to tell me." Winter settled up under Jaune's right arm and into his chest, she found herself listening to his heart beat.

"So any idea's where you will go?"A yawn escaped as Winter finished.

"Some, but mostly just have to keep on the move. People don't treat well to my kind." Jaune almost made a bark like sound as he made to laugh at the wording he used. "People with dust in their veins are ticking time bombs and only seen as dangerous. Should be taken care of as soon as possible." He finished in a whisper. He looked down at her and watched her soft rhythmic breathing against his chest. "Winter?" he asked, getting no response. He smiled, she had fallen asleep.

A/N:

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