A/N

Hey all, it's good to be back. Short note this time. Just wanna apologize for the ridiculous delay. After rereading the last chapter I posted I felt my writing had suffered. And since this was from stress, I took a break and focused on un-screwing my life for a few weeks. I've had this chapter written for a good while, but never found the time to edit and re-write it like I like to do till recently. So we will have the last chapter, this chapter and the next chapter as a three part look into the past. After that I plan on going back to Beacon days. This look into the past is important for what the RWBY crew find in Beacon, and for Jaune learning more about just what will be expected of him.

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Chapter 8

Immortal, not perfect.

Jaune was right. His stay in Zakarah was indeed interesting.

As Yōuměi led Jaune towards the home of her dear friend she couldn't help but smile at his wonder. His fresh view of the world was heartwarming. It was not in her nature to fall to apathy, but it helped to remind her of just how amazing the world she lived in was. Not that she was immune to depression, she had plenty in her past for that.

As the two visitors approached the great library, a small group of dots flew out from a high window. After a few minutes they revealed themselves as a parliament of owls. They circled overhead for a few moments before flying back to the same window.

"Did you see the owls, little one? They are the eyes of Minerva. Ahh, and here come her other friends to guide us." Yōuměi said with a small smile.

Jaune's eyebrows drew together before he saw what she meant. Two small foxes had joined them on either side like little guards. When he looked at one it turned its head and yapped playfully.

It took well over two hours just to reach the base of the great tree. The size of it had greatly skewed the distance at first. At the base of the stairway there was a large wooden platform off to the side. It had no ropes or anything attached to it. The sides had handrails and in the middle was a pedestal. Hovering just a few inches above it was what looked like a giant pearl. The foxes led them onto the lift and settled down.

"In old times, when mankind had magic, this pulley system was often used. Watch, if you funnel magic into it, it connects with the weights. Annnd off we go. Minerva constantly updates her home to fit the times, but she keeps anything that appeals to her." Yōuměi says, holding a hand over the pearl.

As the lift rose Jaune cast a look over the land. He could now see they were in the center of a giant circle or orb. A wall of fog stretched all the way around for miles. The two foxes had curled up in wait and an owl had landed next to him on the handrail hooting softly. It nibbled at his sleeve for a moment before taking off. The whole thing felt entirely fantastical. Here he was, being lifted into the sky on a magic lift. With his magical teacher on his way to another magical teacher. Ohh, and the most likely magical animals riding with them. All taking place next to a magic tree. Magic.

Jaune couldn't help but giggle hysterically for a bit, earning him a strange look from his master. It didn't matter how many times it happened, seeing such a drastically different world so close to his was unnerving.

"There are only a few places on Remnant that hold such wonders as this anymore. This entire land occupies only a small portion of what it seems. Inside the barrier it looks like you could fit a hub city. Or three. But outside you could walk all the way around in just a few hours. Zakarah, and the various other haunts of the zodiac, are most of what remains for places steeped in magic. This is probably the greatest of those left. And even then, these places are old, Jaune. Such things shall never be made again. So I understand your excitement, but try to keep a level head." Yōuměi said with an amused look.

At the top of the long ride up, the platform slid into a much larger stone overhang. The foxes yawned and ran forward, disappearing through little flaps situated next to a big double door. Yōuměi stopped in front of the door to cross her arms and tap a finger on her elbow. Some hidden mechanism shifts and groans as the two doors slide outwards, revealing his first look at another of the zodiac.

Standing behind his master Jaune leans to the side to watch a woman walk out of the large groaning doors. Her hair was a sea foam Green, tied back into a ponytail. A stern face with laugh lines and half moon spectacles greeted them. Emerald eyes that shined with a slight glow studied Yōuměi closely. This new lady's dress was in the same style as Yōuměi's but brilliantly white and pristine, as opposed to her deep red. The clasps on her shoulders were different as well. Silver, and showing an owl on a branch with large eyes. Where Yōuměi had appeared to be no older than twenty-five, Minerva seemed to be in her early fifties. Jaune had the distinct feeling she was a bit of a hardliner. Walking forward, she places a hand on each of Yōuměi's arms as her mouth twitches.

"You're late." Minerva says trying to hide a broad smile and failing. Well, maybe not that much of a hardliner, Jaune thought, much to his relief. Maybe this teacher won't throw him to the wolves quite so much.

"Three thousand years Min. And still the same joke you came up with back then." Yōuměi says, rolling her eyes and sporting her own half smile.

"I'm all for innovation Měi, but some things just shouldn't change. I knew you were coming but not when, as I'm sure you know… Now, who is this with you? I can see someone peeking, yes?" Minerva says with a raised eyebrow and trying to get a better look at Jaune.

"This is Jaune Arc. He is my ward in a way. I'm training him and…" Yōuměi trails off, stepping to the side to show her young student off. But words failed her when Minerva got a good look at Jaune. The normally quite grounded and in control member of the zodiac took a half step back, raising a hand to her mouth with wide eyes. Which almost immediately narrowed to slits. Mouth a thin line she looks straight into Yōuměi's eyes.

"Explain. Now." Minerva said forcefully.

Jaune immediately dipped back behind Yōuměi as a small shockwave Of power shot off his new teacher. So much for making a good first impression. What did he do?

"I will Min, but you're scaring him. Calm. Down." Yōuměi says with a steely voice. Her own power radiates off her to clash with the other. Jaune instantly felt like he was watching two extremely angry parents with him caught in the middle after breaking mom's good Mistril tea set.

The two forces war between them as the women face each other. A small crackle of electricity begins to sputter erratically before abruptly dropping, as if someone turned a dial down. Minerva frowned before darting her eyes to the scared boy behind her foolish friend. With a small sigh the rest of the potent energy from the two of them fades. Jaune felt like a literal weight was taken off his shoulders. He let out a shaky breath he didn't even know he was holding in. Minerva brings a hand up to rub her forehead before setting her eyes on Yōuměi, but kneeling down to Jaune's level.

"Forgive me. This is… unexpected. Especially from you. Regardless of what you have done, the boy bears no blame." The older woman says before shifting her eyes to Jaune.

"Jaune was it? I'm terribly sorry for that. I'm not angry with you, I promise. Please, let us start over. You won't be seeing that side of me again. My name is Minerva Fukurō. So won't you please come out?" Minerva says with a smile, but her eyes looked incredibly sad.

"S-sure…" Jaune says before shuffling around his master and moving forward a few feet, still a little scared.

"It's okay Jaune, she is a close friend and would never hurt you. She's mad at me, not you. Min, we're here to ask you for a little help with his education for the next month. Perhaps you could help get him settled?... It seems it would be prudent for us to talk first before going any further." Yōuměi says placing a hand on Jaunes head and rubbing affectionately.

Minerva tilts her face forward to peer over her glasses at Yōuměi with a searching look. But after only a few moments she nods and snaps her fingers.

"I would ask fessy to do this but he's out to the nearest town right now. I'll send the boy with a pair of familiars. Flax. Bella. Both of you, escort our young guest to a spare room. Bottom floor, if you will. Please stay with him at all times, while I entertain my ever impulsive leader. If he wishes he may wander as he pleases but only the first floor. Jaune? If you require anything simply ask either of them for something. They are more than they seem." Minerva says motioning a hand to her side.

The two cute little foxes from before appeared next to their master and yaped when their names were called out. Tail wagging, they shot forward towards Jaune. One ran around to nudge his leg from behind while the other jumped on his front and ran circles in front of him. Jaune gave one last look to Yōuměi who nodded. Swallowing, he lets the two fluff balls lead him into the castle, leaving the two now silent but incredibly powerful zodiac behind him.

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Several moments of silence pass as both of the women watch the boy disappear down the long hallway before his guides take him down a side corridor.

"Where did you find him? Is this what you've become? Abducting kids who look just like him? What foolishness have you done now?" Minerva says not taking her eyes off the spot where Jaune had left her sight.

She wasn't as much of a physical fighter like the great dragon was, but she could sense his aura and general disposition. He was exceptional… And the spitting image of a young boy from long ago.

With a heavy sigh Yōuměi pinches the bridge of her nose again. She knew she was in for it this time. She knew how this looked. It wasn't a particularly good look either.

"Perhaps we could get settled first? This may take a bit to convince you." Yōuměi says, laying a hand on her friend's shoulder.

With a sigh of her own, Minerva leads Yōuměi to an elevator where the two silently ride upwards to her main study. Yōuměi de lóng, the dragon zodiac, was not nervous. But she couldn't help tapping her finger against her arm with the awkward silence.

With a ding the doors slide open. The elevators were a pretty recent addition. Learning the mechanics behind them was childsplay to the zodiac of knowledge. Making them fit into the general design of her home had taken a flat year however. Even now they didn't reach every floor of her home. Just as well, there were places here that simply shouldn't be so accessible. Especially with a young human boy mucking about. With a steady step and a frown she leads the way trying to puzzle out her friends thought process. The non-interference policy of her peers didn't mean they couldn't interact with humanity. That went against everything they stood for. It just meant they shouldn't muck about either. No leading armies. No involvement with governments or leading bodies. And above all, watch from secrecy. But to adopt a child for such obviously selfish reasons? After making it clear on her stance of human interaction?

After several minutes she pushes the main door to her favorite study open. Circular, and lined with many of her first few thousand favorite books along the walls, it was her own retreat. An excellent red wood desk sat against the far wall with two comfy chairs on either side of it. Framed behind it were two large windows with stained glass. One side depicted six animals of the zodiac with another six on the opposite side. Two horned beings presided over them in light. A full skeleton for a Griffin stood off the side next to a one-fifth scale Atlesian Paladin, a stack of books next to both.

The floor itself was a giant and detailed map as well. If one looked closely they would see that the names of any established territory claimed by humans was meticulously placed. The map updated itself with a deep magic that ran off the very lifeforce of the planet. Should a settlement be wiped off the map so too would it happen on this map. The name of the town would be crossed out with a thin line, and should nature reclaim the land sufficiently it would disappear entirely. More so than most of her fellow zodiac, she made frequent trips to the world of humans. How else would she catalogue the progress humans made?

"I obviously overreacted, and I do apologize for that. But… what the hell?" Minerva says sitting on the far side of her desk.

"It's not what it looks like. He isn't a replacement Min, it just happened." Yōuměi says warily.

"Do you even hear yourself? Not what it looks like? Anytime someone says that it's always what it looks like. And he just happens to look just like your dead son?" Minerva says curtly.

Yōuměi's eyes harden, and her aura flares for a beat. But soon those same eyes unfocus right before she speaks up, as if her anger was simply gone.

"As you so graciously put it, my son is dead. Do not think for a moment the passage of time has dulled that pain either. He died in my arms. My own son! a mere child. There could never be a replacement for him. Not in this world, or the next. Not until this planet is but dust and ash. Until the sun burns out, leaving us on a barren cold rock of death, utterly alone. The heat death of the universe will happen before I forget, Minerva. Do not dare to presume to know that pain. You know nothing of my loss." Yōuměi says staring down at the desk with an expressionless face.

To Minerva, it was as if her friend's light had suddenly gone out. From steely resolve to a death of its own kind. A death of love. She leans back and closes her own eyes for a tick. Minerva waved a hand and her favorite eight hundred year old tea set phase shifted from her kitchen to her desk. She held her hand against the tea pot and heated it while she stalled for time.

All of the zodiacs had taken lovers at some point or another. She herself had fallen in love with a female eagle faunus not eighty years ago. As many Such unions, hers had ended after twenty or so years. Simulating the aging process simply wasn't enough. Such was the course of life, after all. However she had seen Yōuměi with her children and that was clearly different. She had spent a lot of time observing her peers after that event. We know love, but it's different from humans. Something about us was just too different. We were made different. immortal. Enduring. She suspected that some component for that was such a fundamental difference from a human's we couldn't even perceive it. But in all the time the zodiac have walked upon remnant, there has only been one case of that love bearing children. Yōuměi's. One boy and one girl, twins. Both, for lack of a better term, half-breeds. The only two of their kind to ever exist. What were the chances that two hundred years later a small boy that looked nearly identical to a lost child of hers? Astronomical. She didn't even need to start calculating variables for that conclusion. It wasn't just unlikely, it was ludicrous. Impossible.

"Take some tea. Yōuměi, again, I'm sorry. Please, do not take my concern for contempt. I was worried about you. For you, and for him. You must admit, it is extremely suspect for this to happen. For nearly two hundred years you have sequestered yourself from your duty, your peers and the world at large. Merely going through the motions demanded of You. Isn't that the very thing you despise Ozma for? Leaving his duty to the wayside? You even managed to convince the rest of us that direct interference with humans was not only unnecessary, but harmful for them. That it was our presence that spurred the enemy into action. And you were right. Her eight Grimm generals have by and large left humans alone, sleeping the years away in their dark lairs. Humanity's interpersonal little wars have been brutal without us to mediate, yes. But they have thrived without us. Look how far their technology has advanced in the last hundred years. You had us go into exile, Yōuměi, do not forget… Now, tell me about him. How did this come to be, exactly? Please, leave no detail out. I need all the information if I'm too properly understand." Minerva says as gently as possible.

Yōuměi's mouth twitched as she heard her friend finish her little lecture. She recounts the day, two years ago, when Jaune stumbled into her life and how she saved him on a whim. Of course she noticed the similarities between him and her son. It was indeed a factor for her offer, but not the only one. She had seen his raw potential, And his stalwart heart. His desire to protect those close to him… and she told her it was that desire, to protect, that drove her the most to teach Jaune. Of all her failures it was that last, great mistake that weighed on her soul the most. She wasn't able to protect her family when it mattered. Never would she willingly let another suffer as she had. She also told her about his training. Her fears that she kept pushing him too far. He wasn't her son. But it was getting harder to keep that in mind. The trip to Zakarah was an extreme example. He wasn't anywhere near ready for true battle as she had put him through. And Minerva berated Yōuměi heavily for that stunt, as she rightfully deserved.

"I see… this is well beyond anything my ability showed me. I felt that something had happened to you, personally. Something important not just for you, but everyone. And I don't mean just the zodiac. A shift has occurred in the balance as well. I assumed that was what you were coming for, to discuss what you've surely felt. I almost thought you had something to do with it." Minerva sighs out leaning back to decline her chair.

"I have felt the shift. That is one of the reasons I'm here. The younger brother's influence on the world is outstriping the older, and that means Salem. I have felt several types of grimm where they shouldn't be as well. Just today those Pangari we saw, In the fields of Vale?" Yōuměi said, sipping her green tea.

"Yes, very troubling. I will have to get the word out to the rest of the others. See if we can ferret out her plans. Now, about Jaune…" Minerva said, bringing her fingers together before her and leaning forward.

"Yeeeees?" Yōuměi said with a raised eyebrow.

"It is indeed good you brought him to me. I can see he isn't the only one who needs a lesson either. What you made him do today was asinine, měi. He's twelve years old. I could see a little of his potential, but that was out of line… I don't mean to harp on about it, but he isn't like your son. He's just a normal human. At twelve he should be running around laughing and getting into trouble, sure. But not that kind of trouble." Minerva said sternly.

"I know, alright? I know… he just reminds me so much of him. I want him to be great. To succeed where… my son couldn't." Yōuměi says in a low voice bringing a hand over her eyes.

A sullen silence falls over the two ancients. Broken only by the tick of a coo-coo-clock hanging next to the doorway. Yōuměi's jumbled thoughts turned to a fresh faced boy, much like Jaune, laughing as he plunged from a hundred foot drop into clear water. An estranged daughter, vowing to never be family again. Of fights with Salem's forces. Battles ranging from small skirmishes to full scale wars. Of a man she had loved like no other before, or since. She suddenly felt so tired. And unbelievably old. She would bounce back. She knew it in her heart. Apathy was not in her nature. But it sure as all hell gripped her now.

"So. What have you told little Jaune so far?" Minerva says with a glint in her eye.

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Jaune followed the two little fluff balls past suits of armor and intricate rugs. A random stuffed black bear stood at the beginning of a hallway absolutely filled with various taxidermied animals. Wait, wasn't that really messed up since his teachers were basically animal spirits? Animal… gods? The whole place was dizzying, besides. Walking down one hallway felt completely different from another. It was like no two doors looked the same either. In fact…

Jaune stopped at a four way intersection. One hallway had wooden walls with great tapestries hanging all the way down. Each tapestry depicting a story of some kind. Another was cold stone with wall sconces, casting a warm glow from the hundreds of candles he could see. A third hallway seemed to be grown out of the branches of the great tree. Vines were growing all along the walls in patterns that didn't seem natural. Oh! The patterns weren't random! They laced together to form a flowing type of script in a language he couldn't read. Flowers outlined the words in many hues of bright blues and stunning pinks. But where should I be going, Jaune thought.

Yap! Yap yap! One of the foxes had ran forward to stop in front of the stone path. But the other had gone over to the tree path. Both of the foxes sat and looked expectantly at him.

"Umm, what? Should I… choose one of these paths?" Jaune asked, scratching the back of his neck.

Two yaps, then the foxes dipped their heads at him before turning around to go rigid and point a leg down the different paths. Shrugging, Jaune chose the forest path. After a few feet he saw that the doors seemed to be woven from hundreds of tiny pale branches. Doorknobs clearly visible against it were a very dark wood. The fluffy foxes ran forward and stopped by another door not too far from him. With another shrug he went into what he suspected would be his new room for a time.

A bed frame against the left wall was grown out from the floor and sported a very soft looking featherdown mattress. A table with a modern day lamp sat over it within reach of the bed. Windows next to a smallish desk sat directly opposite the bed. The desk was all one seamless piece, with a top that was smooth. Almost like it used to be a giant tree trunk and someone crafted it from that single hunk of wood. The window looked like a regular glass paine, just outlined in sturdy vines. The entire room smelled like freshly picked flowers and fruit. He finally noticed the clock sitting on a mantle over the bed. With a soft clicking it was showing that seven p.m. was fast approaching.

"So, I guess this is gonna be my new room huh?" Jaune says looking over at the foxes that had jumped up on the bed.

Smiling, Jaune walks over to plop down and sink into the blissfully soft bed. A yawn escapes him as he lightly scratches behind the ears of his new friends. After seeing first one, then the other, let loose the cutest yawn he had ever seen a second one escapes him.

The fluff balls curl up on either side of him and close their eyes.

"Pretty busy day today… I think I'll just call it a night." Jaune mumbles out and reaches out to turn off the lamp.

Sleep claimed him easily, but his dreams were filled with lurking shadows and looming eyes. A sensation of running came over him, along with a mild sweat. He had to hurry, but he wasn't sure why. A female voice calls out that chills him to the bone. A great many beasts watch him run, but he isn't moving fast enough. Come morning all that would be left of his dreams are a vague unease.

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And there you have it. No new reviews, which I feel I actually deserve since last chapter was meh. Hopefully this one was better. I'll have a new one out in a week or so!

AdventureNowAndThen signing off!