Hello! This is my first fic I've written, and I think it's gonna be real nice. Kinda have a plan for the future, but it is subject to change. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1: The Day the World Ended

"I'm sorry."

"PYRRHA! Wait!"

Jaune's words never reached her, as he was shoved into a locker and blasted into Vale. He couldn't understand what was going on. Pyrrha had just confessed her undying love for him moments before, yet she let him go and ran to the tower. 'Why would she do that?' he pondered. 'Why would she chance her luck against Cinder?' He knew she could win. She just had too! 'She was the most powerful huntress I've ever met, even surpassing Ruby for God's sake! She just ha-'

His thoughts were cut short by the crash landing of the locker and a blunt blow to the back of the head. He was unconscious under a pile of rubble in the God forsaken locker that sent him there. Meanwhile, the rest of the student's fought to save themselves and the school, all while he was stuck in the locker.

He opened his eyes and was back at the dorm rooms in Beacon. He was in his dorm, the one he shared with his team he gathered after he took a quick look at the walls to see Ren's books lining a shelf, Nora's endless dents in the wall from her wild nature, and his own poster of X-Ray and Vav, two heroes from his beloved comic series. The one thing he didn't see were Pyrrha's trophies from past championships. None of her things lined the desk the team shared. None of her dust rounds next to Stormflower's. Nothing was there that resembled her. Not even a shred of cloth from her attire.

Next thing he knew, he couldn't breathe, but he wasn't dreaming anymore. He tried to catch a faint gust of air that filled his dreams, but there was none. He wailed on the locker until it broke open and rocks began to fall onto him. He was buried in rubble, but he kept pushing until he broke free into the open world, catching a deep breath as he rose to the surface. It was still night. 'How long was I out? An hour maybe?'

A moment past, and when he came to the realization of the events before his premature burial and the wicked dream he just endured, he began to cry. He reached for his scroll and went to call Pyrrha, but to no avail. Panic rose inside of him as he frantically called the next person on his mental list.

"WEISS!" he screamed as the receiver clicked. "I need you to find her!"

"What?! I'm kinda busy here, Jaune!" the annoyed girl responded.

"Find Pyrrha! She's in trouble and needs help! She went to fight Cinder alone!"

"Jaune! Shut up and cal-"

"NOW! PLEASE! DON'T LET HER DIE!"

He fell to the ground, sobbing as he threw his scroll away. He couldn't help her. He was utterly useless. He was a failure of a leader to let his own team member risk their life like that. He was a failure of a person to let someone he knew and cared about run off to die. His optimism was a facade to hide his true negativity and self-cruelty. She was his source, and she could feel her dissipating into the wind like dust. She was gone, and there was nothing he could do. He gripped Crocea Mors and ran towards the tower to face his enemy.

"What was he yelling about, Weiss? Is he ok?" the young leader asked as she cut down her foe before her.

"I-I don't know. He was asking us to help save Pyrrha from Cinder, but didn't say where," the heiress mumbled to the girl as they came back-to-back against the endless waves of Grimm that came from the Dragon that now stood atop of the tower the two were trying to get to as the destroy such a vile creature.

A loud crash came to their ears as they saw the tower break apart at the top, showing the fight that was occurring above. They eyed a girl of fire and devastation challenging another of speed and ferocity. Once they laid eyes on the latter, they looked at each other and nodded, as if discussing a plan of attack, and Ruby made a break to the base of the tower as Weiss formed the proper glyphs to make it possible to ascend. Ruby began to run up the tower as she heard another set of steps behind her. She continued forward, assuming the steps were her partners, as she cleared the distance between her and the top.

Ruby leapt to the top, readying her weapon only to see her beloved friend get shot in the heart by Cinder. She began to tear up, shocked at the scene in front of her, only to see a yellow blur across her vision that made way to the victor. A voice pierced her ears; the battle-cry could only belong to one person. 'No, don't do it, Jaune!' Ruby screamed internally.

'This is the end, isn't it?' Jaune thought as he swung at Cinder with all that he had, catching her by surprise, but not quick enough for her. The women dodged and delivered a powerful blow to his side as she did, ejecting him from the ground. He felt the air fly by like a wisp as he came to a sudden halt against the wall next to his friend. He got up, wincing at the flaming pain as he made for her again and jumped forward, swinging horizontally. He met steel and braced his feet to the ground as he tried to swing with his shield, again to be met by steel. Overpowering him, the woman thrust him to the ground hard enough to roll him back to where he was.

"Oh? Did I kill your friend, Arc? I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but she tried to steal something that didn't belong to her. She sealed her own fate."

Jaune couldn't believe it. "Pyrrha…" he quietly called out at her lifeless body. He had failed in the end. He couldn't save anyone. Not even himself. He looked to his friend, then back to Cinder. "You won't get away with this. I'll kill you myself!"

Cinder lurched over him like a wolf stalking its prey, then kicking his side as he tried to stand. She held her hands out as to call back her bow. Out of thin air, it came to her and she cocked her arrow as she whispered, "Your hope is nothing more than a shattered mirror, scattered and non-cohesive. I can promise you this, however. You can't escape your fate."

Just before the arrow flew to his chest, he turned to his fellow leader as she was filling up with tears. The arrow flew. "I-I'm sorry, Ruby. I failed as a leader and there's nothing more I can do. Save yourself," he said as his world was filled with a silver light.

"JAUNE!"

~-~ 2 months later ~-~

After the events of that day, the White Fang waged war against the world of Remnant, as they failed to defeat Cinder and Beacon fell. Vale was mostly under the control of the Fang as they pushed for Atlas. They met little resistance they couldn't dispatch easily, as the world's military power was outmatched. Once they made their way to Atlas, who knows what they'd be able to do, but Jaune wouldn't allow it. It was the beginning of Winter when he departed on his mission with Ruby, Ren, and Nora to avenge the destruction of Beacon, to avenge those who were wounded or killed in the bloodshed, and to avenge their fallen friend.

Although the rest still had lingering emotions towards those events, Jaune seemed to be past it all, fearlessly leading the charge into every encounter, whether it be with Grimm or the White Fang as if it were nothing. He never showed any emotion to anyone, for he felt none. He was a soulless vessel that would stop at nothing to claim a victory. A battle-hardened warrior.

"Jaune, buddy pal, how are you doing today?" Ruby asked as she woke her leader up from his short rest. She was always happy around him, hoping to comfort him and bring his emotions forward, but it was fruitless. He was never emotional, not anymore at least. She wanted her friend back, bubbly and fun, not this emotionless shadow that stood in his wake.

"I'm fine, Ruby," he yawned. It was now around five in the morning and they would depart from their camp soon. They had been close to the northern crest on Vale, only a few days walk away. They needed to press on as to stop the Fang. "Are the other's up yet?" he asked as he sat up in his sleeping bag.

"Yeah, they are. Ren and Nora are making pancakes again! I don't know where they're getting the ingredients, but they are amazing!" the cheerful girl chirped as Jaune got up, smiling as wide as she could. The smile swiftly drifted away as he got up and got his share of food and ate without saying a single word, going to his lonesome. Another morning in Remnant for JRRN. Nora was even troubled by this new version of Jaune, as she had given up on him, leaving Ren and Ruby to sort it out. Then again, Ren was always pretty quiet, so he was out too. Sure they wanted to help, but it wouldn't change anything. She was the only one on this quest to help Jaune.

"So what'd'ya dream about last night?" she started, hoping to spark a conversation.

"..."

"Jaune, come on, try to talk to me a bit..."

"..."

"Jaune, you need to open up abou-"

"Ruby, just stop! I know you want to help, but frankly, I don't need help! I'm doing just fine on my own!"

That was the first time he had ever snapped at her like that. He usually just ignored her or answered simply with an 'I don't want to talk about it.' Who was this person in front of her? She didn't know this person anymore. Just a shadow, filled with darkness and void of all light.

She began to sob a bit, eventually breaking down in a wet mess of tears. She couldn't do this anymore. She'd been trying for so long to help bring back the old Jaune, but now she was just done. As she began to collect herself, she did something else that would also be a first.

She slapped him.

She slapped her leader.

She slapper her friend.

He looked down at her with his dead face. She looked like a wreck, pulling at strings to make things work. He continued to stare at her for a short while as she got up and walked back to the group. Ren and Nora witnessed the whole scene, but chose not to say anything.

A few minutes later, he regrouped with his party and said, "We leave camp in twenty minutes, guys. Pack up and get ready to roll out."

After a dozen miles of walking, several hours later, still not a word from the group. Ren had been silent as usual, just enduring the daily journey forward, Nora hummed to herself as she skipped down the path, and Ruby mindlessly walked with them. She usually talked with the other two teens while they treked, but not today. She was distraught about the events that morning and instead kept to herself, letting the occasional tear leave her eye.

"Hold up. Do you hear that?"

Ren's words were spoken almost too soon. From the forest around them, Grimm came towards them. A small skirmish would definitely take place, given the numbers. At least 5 Beowolves and an Ursa were surrounding them, blocking the ranks that stood behind them. Maybe a dozen or so stood around the group.

Jaune was the first one to attack, slicing a Beowulf in two. Ren gave Nora covering fire as she hammered the few in front of them into the air with a single swing. Ruby extended Crescent Rose and severed the lives of two in a single blow, only to be struck by an Ursa right behind the smaller Grimm, sending her to the ground.

"Get up Ruby. We can't afford to be down a member." Jaune ordered. He never asked for them to do anything, only commanded them like soldiers.

She got up swiftly and eyed the Ursa swinging at her side. She pointed her weapon downwards and fired, sending her flying upwards, severing the Grimms jaw from his skull. She quickly swung horizontal to finish off the foe, removing its head from its shoulders. As she landed, she looked around, only to be faced with even more Grimm. Where were they coming from?

Jaune watched her as he stabbed an Ursa's heart. She was losing it! She was getting slower and slower as the Grimm kept coming. She was losing hope, and he could see it. He finished off the Ursa, throwing it to the side, and ran towards her. His shield came over her as his sword tore through the abdomen of the Beowulf to her left. They needed a plan and fa-

His thought was shortened by a high-pitched scream followed by a mass falling on top of him. Ruby? He looked down and saw her head resting in his lap. She was still yelling and then he saw it. She had been stabbed in the side by a Beowulf's claw.

He got up and quickly threw her over his shoulder and shield-charged the remaining Grimm out of his way, followed by his other teammates. They put their weapons away and ran along the path. Not to far was an old fort made during the Great War fought over a century ago. They ran for it, seeking refuge within its battlements. As they closed the gates to the inside and moved to a safe location, Jaune laid Ruby down. The wound didn't look fatal, but it would if it festered for too long on their journey. She needed to be bandaged quick if she were to recover in the next few days.

"Bandages."

"Got it. I'll get some medication while I'm at it." Ren rummaged through his pack, pulling out some cloth and medication for the young girl. Jaune took them and began wrapping her torso tightly for pressure, resulting in a loud, horrific screech come from the girl. He promptly put his hand over her mouth as to not call attention to their location. After wrapping her up, he pulled out his water and offered it and the medicine to Ruby. Painkillers and sleeping pills were all they had, and neither were too strong.

"Take this Ruby, it'll make you feel better."

It wasn't until he gave her the meds that he saw it. A figure that was lurking in the background, watching over them. He'd seen it before, but it was hooded and remained in the shadows. It looked back towards them and before he knew it, it was gone.

Ignoring the sight, he looked at his group. They were battered and needed rest. "Let's call it a day and rest here until dawn. Ren, go see if you can gather some firewood. Nora, see about further fortifications. Don't want any strays to find their way in."

Ruby was asleep, painfully wheezing as she breathed due to her wound. Ren and Nora were talking around the campfire. Jaune was leaning against a wall, about ten yards from the group. He slipped further into the fort, making sure he remained unnoticed.

After he found a good spot away from the group, he sat down and rested on his own. He never liked staying near the group. It reminded him of the past too much, which he rejected from his thoughts, leaving it in the corner of his mind at all times.

He closed his eyes and thought about what his mission, his journey, meant. Was it to avenge a fallen friend? Or was it to help himself achieve self-actualization by skipping all the necessary steps? He didn't know anymore. He just knew that Cinder couldn't get away with what she had done. He felt anger seep into his vision, going into a fiery blur at the thought.

He felt a presence behind him. As he stood, his vision returned, all that anger retreating. Thinking about how he was going to approach this figure behind him, he clenched his fist firmly. A fight was out. He couldn't raise any suspicion from his team. Calmly, he unclenched his fist and addressed the being. "We have a lot to talk about, don't we, Qrow?"

Well that's the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! Leave comments and reviews for questions, concerns, or compliments!