The Knights of Rose

by RebukeX7

Faith, Charity, Justice, Sagacity,Prudence,Temperance,Resolution,Truth,Liberality,Diligence,Hope,and Valor. These are the virtues that are adopted by those whom choose the life of a knight. In a world overrun with evil, these are the virtues adopted by desperate individuals whom seek to protect their only chance at salvation-a reluctant heroine turned Empress. Mankind's last hope.

28. The Black Knight

Disclaimer: I don't own shit, feels bad man

So, funny story but this ISN'T the chapter I intended for this month. That will still be released this month but I got 70% of the way through it and found myself inspired to write this. It was originally going to be a flashback but spiraled out of control and ended up being a much better intro into the next arc (kind of a pun don't shoot me)

Also, can I just say that hard stopping this story's dependency on canon at volume 7 was an amazing idea? So much more freedom and I can finally give Summer a character besides "good mom".

On with the chapter

Featured BGMs:

Kyrielight- Fate/Grand Order OST

Priscilla's Song, The Wolven Storm-Malukah (Witch 3 cover)

Unsteady (Erich Lee Gravity Remix)- Me Before You OST

Where the Wind and Feathers Return-Radiant Historia OST

Dark Matter-Les Friction

All Roads Lead Home (Hobbs & Shaw Remix)- Fast and Furious OST

Never Fade Away by P.T. Adamcyzk & Olga Jankowska- Cyberpunk 2077 OST

Through the Valley-Shawn James & The Shapeshifters (Instrumental)

Betaed by: No one yet, pray for Will as he battles his college thesis everyone!

Forgive me for the typos, long chapter written in two days haha.

Rebuffx7: You're insane. Take a break after the next update.

I will, but first on with the chapter!

The Black Knight

(Alt Title: Summer Rose)

-Mistral: 30 Years Ago-

"Hey Arty, how much longer?"

A young blond man garbed in white armor rubbed the bridge of his nose. His right eye-brow twitched as he glared at the source of the infernal questions.

"We'll be there five minutes earlier than the last time you asked me this." He practically hissed out, glaring at Summer with cold blue eyes. "And what did I tell you about that damnable nickname?"

Summer rolled her silver eyes at his tone. "But Arthur sounds so boring. Besides friends give each other nicknames!"

"We aren't friends!"

"Of course, we are!" Summer grinned. "I told you the day we met at initiation that I was your friend and so we are! We're Huntsmen, we're going to save the world a protect it from destruction and pain, we can't do that without allies and friends to support us."

Arthur groaned. "We aren't friends. Like I said back then, I don't have friends because I don't need them. I'm the heir of House Arc, I have enough bootlickers as it is." Arthur then smirked and cupped her cheek. "You could be Lady Arc. Your power would do wonders for my bloodline. Just say the word and all I could have would be yours."

"Hey! Hands off of her!" A voice snapped making Arthur roll his eyes before he glanced over Summer's shoulder at anger Taiyang who sat with the rest of Team STRQ.

"And just why is some no-name like you interfering, Xiao Long?" Arthur drawled. "Don't you already have a woman to keep your bed warm?"

"He does." Raven hissed, looking more than a little irritated by Taiyang's reaction. "Which is why he's going to sit down and let Summer handle her own affairs. Isn't that, right?" Raven asked with a tense smile that made Taiyang flinch.

"Smooth," Qrow muttered and though he didn't look thrilled with Arthur himself, he stayed put.

"Now, now, no fighting." Summer laughed lightly, gently batting Arthur's hand away. "We're all friends here."

"We're not friends!" Everyone else snapped at her which only made her laugh more.

"See? You have so much in common!" Summer returned her attention to Arthur. "As for your offer, I'll have to refuse. Like I told you before, I'd need a relationship that had actual love in it and I have greater goals than being a breeding stock and used for my eyes."

"Bah, you say it so cruelly," Arthur said before waving off her words. "So be it, but please refrain from addressing me so casually. It's unbecoming for someone of my stature, we wouldn't want to send the wrong message."

Summer pouted at this. "But you need friends! We all do! If you took your time to actually enjoy school, you'd have loads!"

"Beacon exists solely for the acquisition of power, nothing more." Arthur retorted.

"At the risk of agreeing once again with the pompous asshole, he's not wrong," Raven muttered earning a reluctant nod of acknowledgment from Arthur.

"See even the criminal knows I'm right."

"I'm not a criminal!"

"Yet, Branwen, yet," Arthur said dismissively. "We are our blood. Never forget that." Arthur said which made Raven turn away with a conflicted expression on her face. Before Taiyang or Qrow could snap at him, he continued. "That said, being the only slightly bearable huntsmen in Beacon, should I get a contract for you, I'll make it quick."

Arthur then turned back to a frowning Summer.

"Somehow, you lot have become the most capable Team at Beacon. Had you not goofed off, and focused on getting more power you could be entering your final year as legends." Arthur sighed, shaking his head. "Such wasted potential."

"Maybe if you had actually bothered to appreciate your time at Beacon, you wouldn't be so lonely." Summer retorted. "You're strong, yes, but all you have is three years of training and books in your head. You could have done that at home with one of your many tutors. You should have accepted the headmaster's offer to join our team."

"And what? Be Team QARTS (Quarts)?" Arthur laughed. "The headmaster proved he was going senile to even suggest that, something that I now know is true since he picked Ozpin of all people to take his spot after graduation."

Seriously, who picked some no-name that graduated a couple of years back that was obviously going insane if the way he talked to himself sometimes was any indication. Summer grimaced and the rest of her team glared at him but he ignored it. He saw the wackjob walking around campus, talking to Team STRQ about who knew what and knew they were close. Whatever they did in their spare time was not his concern.

Summer once tried to introduce them, but he laughed in her face at the suggestion.

Nothing good could ever come from being close to that fool.

"No offense, but I would never let myself be led by a commoner. It's unfortunate that we lost so many candidates in our initiation, but I choose to see it for the blessing it was. It allowed me to attend without being weighed down by a team, and because of that I am graduating from that hell hole early."

Instead of being offended, Summer just smiled in that patient way that she always did. "I may be a commoner, but never forget that even House Arc descended from a commoner. So did the Great King. I'm an orphan yet someday, the next Great King might pop up from my descendants."

"My family was born from a commoner." Arthur acknowledged. "And that status lasted all of 16 years before the Great King saw my ancestor's worth. Some people are simply born great, you of all people should know this, Rose. As for your bloodline producing a new Great King, perhaps if I was also a progenitor but don't fool yourself. Skill only gets you so far in this world. As a Huntsman, you will rise through the ranks of Vale's society but you will hit your ceiling."

Summer's smile never wavered. "I'll suppose we'll have to see."

Arthur reluctantly returned the smile. "We shall."

This was the one thing that infuriated Arthur, despite being surrounded by idiots he still found himself enjoying his verbal spars with Summer. Though he still believed Raven as the only other student with sense, he'd acknowledge that Summer was the only other one with more than two brain cells working.

If only she could see how this world worked and fix her priorities, she could stand alongside him at the top.

Alas, the only way she'd do that was if he could manage to care about her which was time and effort better spent on getting more power.

Such a waste.

Hopefully, she would at least find herself someone worthy of her and avoid whatever drama Taiyang was making. The man was a total playboy before he somehow tricked Raven into dating him and Arthur did not want to see Summer fall victim to whatever brainwashing power his fellow blond must have had.

Not that he cared, of course.

He and Summer were not friends.

"Now that you two are done flirting, can you debrief us on what the hell we're doing?" Raven snarked, ignoring the way Taiyang tensed at her words. With a roll of his eyes, Arthur supposed they were close enough that he could humor the criminal.

"A faunus priest went insane, shocker I know," Arthur informed them, not even bothering to hide his disdain for the faunus. They had hunted his family for generations and they responded in kind. As far as he was concerned, they were all his enemies. "The mutt holed themselves up in their temple. Any huntsmen that tried to apprehend them ended up dead. It's up to us to bring him down."

"Did you have to call him a mutt?" Summer sighed.

"It's my contract, so I will call the target whatever I want." Arthur reminded her. "Unfortunately, the Headmaster let that idiot Ozpin take charge and he seems to be unable to comprehend that I work best alone and tied my ability to graduate to me successfully leading this mission."

Arthur waved a hand toward them.

"The eldest Branwen and Xiao Long will fight the target while I assess the situation," Arthur informed them. "Summer, you will remain on standby as a grimm deterrent. A lot of negative emotions are being produced and while I doubt a grimm can make it that far into the Kingdom, their huntsmen have proven that Mistral is pathetic. On the off chance that you see a monster, you stop it."

"I want to fight too." Summer frowned which made Arthur scoff.

"With what weapon?" Arthur asked pointedly which made Summer look at him sheepishly as she had lost her weapon for the third time that week.

"Raven-"

"Fuck off, Summer I'm so tired of you always taking my shit."

Arthur shook his head. "If you ever reproduce and your children follow in your footsteps,I pray they take better care of their weapons than you. Your weapon is your pride as a huntsman and you've effectively lost it at least once a week since I've met you."

"Hehe…I swear it was under my bed." Summer said as she scratched the back of her head. In response, Arthur rolled his eyes and turned to Qrow.

"You stay in the Bullhead." Arthur deadpanned which made Qrow gape at him.

"Excuse me!?"

"You're a walking bad luck charm and my future is on the line," Arthur said dryly. "You stay put. This is an official contract, my contract, you disobey me and expulsion is the least of your worries." Arthur then raised a hand when the team looked ready to protest. "Unlike you, I am affected the least by his Semblance," Arthur informed them. "This is for your sakes. I may not like any of you, but I don't want you dead."

Arthur turned back to Qrow, his expression firm.

"You are a skilled huntsman Qrow, alone you might even make me put in effort but you are a liability," Arthur stressed. "You need to figure out how to control your semblance before you get one of your precious friends killed."

Qrow glared at him but looked away as he knew Arthur was right.

His semblance was getting stronger over the years and he already caused a handful of injuries.

"Now that we understand each other, get ready."

-Mistral: Temple-

Almost as soon as Arthur entered the temple with Team STRQ, minus Qrow, they were greeted with the sound of a massive roar that shook the temple, shattering what few windows remained. In front of them, they saw a wolf faunus with pitch-black hair and violet eyes snarling rabidly as a pitch-black aura poured from him.

BGM: Kyrielight- Fate/Grand Order OST

"Five lien says that's the target." Summer said as Arthur frowned.

"For once you may be right." Arthur drawled before Raven and Taiyang shot forward. Within an instant, they were upon the wolf. Raven's blade slammed into the faunus' neck only to stop cold. Eyes wide, Raven was almost hit by the wolf's claws when Taiyang's punch to its chest knocked it back into a wall, destroying it.

"Are you okay?" Taiyang questioned.

"Yes, just need a sharper blade," Raven said before sheathing her weapon, swapping the blade to one enhanced by electric dust. Unsheathing it just in time, Raven blocked a vicious strike from their target who had rocketed out from the debris.

Faster than the eye could track, Raven and the faunus clashed with a flurry of lethal swings. Raven's blade clashed with the wolf's mighty talons with expert precision. Taking a calming breath, Taiyang relaxed his stance, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Eventually, the wolf gripped the lightning-enhanced blade, gritting its fangs as the electricity slammed into its body. With narrowed eyes, Raven ejected the blade and time seemed to slow as she quickly sheathed her weapon, equipped a crimson blade, and unsheathed it. Swinging the blade with enough force to shatter the one in the faunus' grasp, breaking her new one in the process, Raven and the faunus were engulfed in an explosion of dust.

At that moment, Taiyang rushed into the explosion and exited the resulting cloud with his fist buried firmly into the faunus' face. Behind him, Raven was flung back and she quickly righted herself and landed in a crouch while equipping a new blade.

Releasing a devastating combination of attacks, Taiyang locked the Wolf in one-on-one combat. However, to his confusion, as he fought the wolf its power grew and its aura amplified to the point it barely flinched from the blows. After a while, the faunus simply stood tall, unmoving as Taiyang punched it. Taiyang grimaced as he felt as though he were punching an unbreakable wall.

"Tai!" Raven shouted before cutting open a portal in front of her that appeared right behind Taiyang. Instantly, Taiyang leaped back into the portal to avoid the faunus' counter-attack. When Taiyang appeared safely before her, Raven shut the portal just as the Wolf shoved its arm inside causing the limb to be cleaved from its body.

With a roar that shook the heavens, the wolf's power increased tenfold. Raven and Taiyang looked on in surprise when the wolf took a deep breath before blowing and releasing what could best be described as a tornado from its mouth. Thinking fast, Raven opened another portal that appeared next to Summer and kicked Taiyang into it just before the vortex slammed into her and destroyed the side of the temple.

"Rae!" Taiyang shouted after appearing next to Summer, scared for his lover. As the dust began to settle, a black bird flew out from the cloud and transformed back into Raven who flipped and landed in front of them.

"Hm, well isn't that interesting?" Arthur mused, making the members of Team STRQ grimace as they realized they just exposed a major secret to someone, not in the know. "Enough, I see what we're dealing with. Stand back," Arthur instructed before placing a hand on the hilt of the sword strapped to his back and unsheathing it.

With his weapon brandished, they could see a large beautifully crafted sword with a serrated blade that had the word 'Cali-burn' engraved into its side. In front of the handle, extending down from the guard, there was a lever that Arthur pulled which caused his sword to start revving like an engine. The edge of the blade spun rapidly, the engraving glowing white, as it was engulfed in what could be best described as a white flame forged from his aura.

"I'll give credit where it is due, Branwen, you had the right idea," Arthur said as he strolled forward. "But it's not a sharper blade you need. It's a better one."

With that, Arthur charged forward just as the wolf shot from the dust. Time seemed to slow as he ducked under the powerful strike of the wolf's claw before slamming the blade into the wolf's chest. For a moment it seemed just as ineffective as Raven's blade but as the blade's edge continued to spin while the sword vibrated a white line began to appear on the wolf's chest as if the blade were slowly cutting through its aura.

Releasing a pained howl, the wolf attacked Arthur, forcing him to jump back as smoke appeared from where he had attempted to cut the faunus. The white line remained for a few more moments before disappearing as the aura seemed to cool off.

Smirking, Arthur charged forward again. "Come at me you mindless beast!" Arthur challenged before he and the faunus were quickly locked in a titanic battle. Back and forth the two fought, and with unrivaled skill, Arthur avoided any attack the berserk faunus could dish out.

BGM: END

"What the hell is that sword?" Raven questioned while Taiyang frowned.

"Or those movements? They're almost too perfect."

"The sword is enhanced by his aura, and is continuously increasing the speed in which it vibrates to make it cut better." Summer answered Raven who looked at her in surprise.

"Impossible, you can't hold on to a sword vibrating that fast!" Raven said, her hand feeling numb at the thought of trying to hold something like that.

"Arthur can. It's his semblance. Control," Summer explained before turning to Taiyang. "His semblance is the reason for his movements. Arthur can control everything about his own body perfectly. All he has to do is think of the action and his body will perform it perfectly without fail. He has complete control over himself."

"What the hell?" Taiyang questioned. "Summer, people spend decades attempting to do that and you're telling me he was just born able to?"

"Some people are far more fortunate when it comes to semblances than others are, Tai." Summer said with a small frown. "Qrow is proof of this."

"But still, a pompous ass like him?" Taiyang muttered thinking of how Arthur claimed that some people were simply born better than others. Taiyang didn't agree with that ideology, but he could understand how Arthur could if he was born with such a gift. "He's not missing a single blow or getting hit. It's almost as if he's…"

"…Invincible." A voice said with a hint of reverence, startling them. Turning they could see a few of the temple monks coming out of hiding, garbed in their robes. "It's as if that young man blessed with a body of Bronze!"

"Bronze?" Taiyang repeated. "He's kind of on the pale side, isn't he?"

"Ignore the cultists, Tai." Raven sighed as she rubbed her temples. "In Mistral, they are a different breed of insane."

"He's won." Summer interrupted them and when they looked up, they saw Arthur duck under another swipe of the wolf's claw before appearing behind it with his head bowed and his blazing blade extended out to his side.

At that moment the wolf howled in pain, its aura shattering, as it fell to its knees. Approaching the downed faunus, Arthur raised his blade to end the wolf's life only to feel a small hand hold his wrist in a vice-like grip.

Impassively, Arthur looked to the side, as white Rose petals fell around him, to meet the steel gaze of Summer.

"Enough, he's down."

Arthur's eyes seemed to grow colder. "I thought I ordered you to only stop any monsters that show up?"

"Which is exactly what I'm doing." Summer said, her voice cold. "He's already lost an arm, Arthur. You've been hurt by them, I know, but they are not all the same." Summer's face softened. "You're better than this. There is no honor in killing him." Summer eyes seemed to gain an unearthly glow. "Please don't make me stop you."

A tense moment passed before the flame on Cali-Burn died out.

"Don't look too deep into this," Arthur told her before ripping his arm free of her grip and sheathing his weapon. "I just don't want you crying to Ozpin and interfering with my graduation."

Summer's face was impassive but she nodded all the same.

"Now what to do with…" Arthur trailed off, stopping cold when the faunus began to release more of the black aura. However, soon the aura began to take shape, looking to be little more than a silhouette of a woman. Soon the darkness shattered, revealing a terrified young black-haired human woman with bright violet eyes.

Cold and scared, the woman hugged her nude form tightly and shrunk away from their surprised expressions.

"Uh, did a girl just pop out of that guy!?" Summer squeaked out as Arthur worked his jaw while a light-bulb seemed to go off in his head.

"What the fuck?" Raven asked as she approached with a stunned Taiyang.

"Mistral," Arthur muttered. "We're in Mistral the color of her aura was a giveaway. Grandmother would tan my hide if she knew I had missed something so obvious!"

"Arthur?" Summer asked in confusion as the blond smirked down at the brunette who seemed to cower even more at the sight of him.

"I'll be damned, the Fey family lives on after all."

Raven tensed and Taiyang blinked. "The Fey family?"

"They used to be some of Mistral's most prominent and worst masters," Raven answered. "My father used to do business with them. You could compare them to the Arcs in Vale or the Schnee's in Atlas. They purchased and bred countless slaves who were rarely ever seen after they became of age."

"Bred?" Summer asked, appearing a bit horrified. "Bred for what?"

"Their semblance," Arthur answered. "A common practice amongst nobility who have particularly powerful semblances. The Feys were the only guaranteed source of an Aura Amp in the four kingdoms, a semblance that Vale hasn't seen since my ancestor. The Feys alone were a war deterrent at least until they were wiped out a few years ago." Arthur knelt in front of the young woman who flinched at first but calmed down when she saw he didn't intend to harm her. "That was your doing, wasn't it?"

"They…hurt me…" The woman whispered. "I'm…not monster…"

"Monster?" Arthur questioned before laughing. "No, my dear, you may be the single most valuable treasure in the world."

The woman blinked and looked up at him in surprise, having possibly heard the first compliment she ever had.

"Remember this saying, woman, might is right." Arthur grinned. "They hurt you and you hurt them back. You got even and asserted yourself as the only member of your house that matters, the fact you crippled Mistral as a whole only enhances my view of you."

After all, with the Fey gone of the global chessboard that meant the only families the Arcs had to worry about now were the Schnees, Asturiases, and the Belladonnas.

"You…don't…hate me?"

"Hate you?" Arthur grinned. "I think I might've fallen in love." Arthur reached back and pulled off his cape before covering her with it and picking her up in his arms.

"Arthur?" Summer questioned as she and her team looked at him apprehensively.

"We're done here, contract complete. I'll make sure Ozpin knows you all performed marvelously." Arthur informed them, startling them with how happy he appeared as the woman in his arms looked up at him with a confused sort of wonder.

She had seen the look in his eyes before.

The look of a man hungry for power.

Yet there was something else. Something noble hidden behind the darkness that rendered her silent and confused.

"Wait, wait, what are you going to do with her?" Taiyang questioned which made Arthur raise an eyebrow.

"Take her home. She's my beautiful spoil of war." Arthur smiled down at the brunette.

"You can't just take a person!" Taiyang said angrily which made Arthur shake his head.

"Actually, I can. Things work differently in the upper levels of society." Arthur drawled. "She's the last of a powerful family, an heiress to a lost fortune and she attacked me. By right, I can seek whatever I want from her in damages and seeing how the word 'lost' in lost fortune isn't there for show. I can take her since I highly doubt that she has any lien."

"Arc, man, I can't let you do this," Taiyang said firmly. "This is wrong she's a person."

"And what is your genius alternative?" Arthur questioned dryly. "She can live a life of luxury, waited on hand and foot for the rest of her life with me. Be educated and protected or we can turn her into Mistral. A nice cold cell would suit the obvious victim nicely, hm? Give the woman with the most powerful semblance in this damned kingdom even more reason to hate people."

At this Taiyang looked a little conflicted.

"Fine since you want to do things the hard way, how about a deal you can't refuse." Arthur continued. "You stay out of my business and Istay out of yours," Arthur said before raising an eyebrow at Raven. "As it stands, I don't know how you turned into a bird and I don't care. Do not make me care. I have more than enough resources to reveal whatever nonsense your team got itself into with Ozpin."

At this they tensed, knowing he was telling the truth.

Arthur then turned to Summer. "I honestly thought your strange eyes and their effects on Grimm were a semblance at work but you intercepted my blow pretty fast, even by a huntress' standards. Want to tell your friend what that was about? Since, if that is your semblance, your eyes are something else entirely, aren't they?"

Summer averted her eyes knowing she was busted.

"So do we have a deal?" Arthur questioned. "We mind our own business, keep our secrets, accomplish our goals, and hopefully never see each other again?"

Summer sighed, looking at Arthur with no small amount of disappointment. "I can't believe you're doing this."

"Probably because you don't know me," Arthur said dryly before walking forward. "Let this be a lesson, Rose, not all friends are good ones. Pick wisely next time. My House comes first before anything."

Summer scoffed and crossed her arms. "Keep telling yourself that. You know, this is exactly why we would never work out."

Arthur laughed at that and held the woman in his arms closer. "And thank God for that!"

-The Next Day-

"And that's that, we found the faunus and brought him down and left him for Mistral's authorities to deal with," Arthur said as he held his phone to his ear while riding in the back of a limo. Truth be told they were confused on what to do with the faunus but through the strange woman's broken language they could tell he was far from an innocent.

Any time he received would be deserved along with the missing arm.

In front of him, his new charge looked out of the window with wide eyes as she took in the sights of the new kingdom while still covered in his cape.

["I see, and is there a reason you couldn't give your report in person?"]

"We had an agreement, If I led a successful mission with a team of younger huntsmen, I get my license and I can leave," Arthur told Ozpin firmly. "I'll pick it up tomorrow."

Ozpin sighed. ["Of course, a deal is a deal. Though I can't help but feel disheartened. I was hoping the experience would show you the value in allies and persuade you to stay."]

"Please save that nonsense for Team STRQ, I have important matters to attend to," Arthur said dryly. "I am grateful to Beacon for the power I have obtained but do not think my feelings go deeper than that. I have no time for such sentiments. Now if that will be all, I have matters to attend to."

With that Arthur hung up his scroll.

"Honestly, the value of allies." Arthur mocked. "Can you believe his nerve?"

The women blinked owlishly at him.

"Of course not." Arthur sighed. "Woman, what is your name?"

"Won't' say." The woman answered, surprising him with her defiance. "Only brought pain and death. Don't want hurt you." The woman narrowed her eyes. "Yet."

"Cheeky little wench," Arthur murmured. "Well, I can't just call you woman all day," Arthur pointed out. "I suppose people are still on that 'color' craze, my family has no time for such nonsense you see, but it will help you fit in better. Perhaps Juniper would be appropriate? That's grandmother's favorite flower and will earn you some favor with her."

"Jun…iper?" The woman repeated before giving him a breath-taking smile. "I'm Juniper!"

Caught off guard by the intensity of her smile, the first one he had seen since he acquired her, Arthur returned it hesitantly. "Yes, yes you are. You're a bit rough around the edges but I'm sure we can turn you into a proper lady before long."

With that, the limo stopped before a large manor in the outskirts of the capitol. When their door was opened, the two stepped out in front of a massive gate that bore the Arc-Emblem in its center. Something about the emblem seemed to captivate Juniper and Arthur chuckled.

"Yes, you will be getting quite acquainted with that emblem before long," Arthur said before thanking the driver as the massive gates opened.

-Arc Manor-

"Boy, is that you that I hear?" a voice asked from down a hallway while Arthur was greeted by various butlers and maids, all of which who looked at his guest in surprise especially when she seemed to cower behind him at all the attention. Eventually, a stern elder woman appeared and she stopped cold when she saw her grandson and his guest.

The woman frowned.

"I trust this spectacle has a purpose?"

"It does." Arthur nodded. "May we take the explanation to your study?"

"Yes," the elder woman spoke before turning around and wordlessly commanding them to follow her. Before long they made it to her study, Juniper gaping at the luxurious house the entire way, before entering it. "Who is this and why does the poor woman have no clothes?"

"This is Juniper," Arthur introduced his guest. "Juniper, this is my grandmother, Nimue."

Nimue nodded. "A pleasure, I'm sure."

"H-hello." Juniper stuttered out.

"So? Explain."

"I took her from a very unfortunate situation in my last mission," Arthur explained. "I figured she would find a much better place here."

"Heavens, please tell me you didn't inherit my idiot son's need to save every damsel he came across," Nimue muttered, already feeling a headache coming.

"No, I'm afraid my actions had a bit more thought than that," Arthur said before smiling a bit a Juniper. "I know you've been wondering who dealt with the Feys well look no further."

Nimue sat back in her chair. "So that confirms it, she had the coloring but the odds of you simply stumbling across a lost heiress to a destroyed House is very small. Looks like you really are my grandson, this mess could only happen to an Arc. I suppose you have proof?"

"She has the semblance," Arthur confirmed. "I saw it with my own eyes. Fought it actually. If I had any other blade, except perhaps father's, I would have lost."

"So, what, exactly, is your plan here?" Nimue questioned which made Arthur smile.

"I want her to be my betrothed, with her our house would truly have no equal," Arthur explained and Nimue pursed her lips as she stared at her grandson for a few moments before smirking.

Arthur felt a chill run down his spine then.

"Is that right?" Nimue questioned. "Fine. You have my blessing."

Arthur blinked.

"Wait. Really?" Arthur questioned. Sure, he expected his grandmother to see the value in his decision but he did expect some push back.

"Your entire life, I looked for a way to whip you into shape. To make you a man." Nimue spoke up, folding her hands together. "And you finally hand-delivered me a way. I thought Beacon would be enough but it seems that you missed the entire point of attending. You have grown powerful, yes, but you are still a boy. This stunt proves it."

Nimue smiled and raised a hand to silence Arthur's protests as she turned to Juniper. "Child, forgive my idiot grandson. It seems that through his misguided schemes he has bound you to our house. I will make sure he takes responsibility."

The dark glint in Nimue's eyes made Arthur realize that perhaps somewhere in his planning he had made a mistake.

"If you will have me, I will love to be your grandmother dear. Your family." Nimue said which made Juniper gape at her, caught off guard by the motherly warmth in which Nimue spoke those words. "I will make you a true lady worthy of this house and more than capable enough to slap some sense into this boy." Nimue surprised Arthur by reaching across her desk and grabbing Juniper's hand gently with her weathered one. "Is that okay with you?"

Stunned Juniper could only nod her head which made Nimue smile brighter than Arthur had ever seen her.

"My poor girl, you've been through far too much, haven't you?" Nimue questioned softly.

With that question, Juniper broke down and Nimue quickly moved forward to embrace the now hysterical woman.

-The Next Day-

"Good morning, grandmother." Arthur greeted as he entered the dining hall.

"Arthur." Nimue smiled as he sat next to her.

"Where's Juniper?"

"Taking a tour of the house, not that you will get a chance to see her," Nimue answered. "I made arrangements last night for her training to begin as soon as possible and I don't need you two distracting each other."

"Have some faith in me, she may be beautiful and my betrothed but I have priorities," Arthur said dryly. "Even for you, having her eat alone on her first day is cold."

"Alone?" Nimue questioned. "I had quite the pleasant breakfast with her I'll have you know. It's noon boy." Nimue said making Arthur blink before checking a nearby clock and sure enough, it was noon. "You traveled internationally the past two days. Your exhaustion got the better of you."

"So, it has," Arthur murmured a bit embarrassed that he had overslept that badly.

"Yes, and though I am thrilled at the prospect of eventually being a great grandmother, you are not ready." Nimue continued. "I, to put it bluntly, do not trust you."

"Grandmother!" Arthur exclaimed visibly offended. "I am no fiend. I would never stoop that low!"

"So, you draw the line at enslavement?" Nimue said dryly. "You took advantage of someone's vulnerability for your own gain."

"I did it for the family!"

"And you did so without consulting said family!" Nimue snapped, her voice like thunder. "I love you but you are a fool." Nimue took a deep breath. "Besides it's not her body I don't trust you with. You, by some miracle, actually do have some decency. It's her heart."

Arthur's glare shifted into an expression of confusion at that.

"You saved her from that hell she called a life." Nimue clarified. "She would do anything for you. That is a power you are not yet ready to wield. So, while she begins her education, you will begin yours."

Nimue handed Arthur a map of Remnant.

"Our enemies, the Callows, are out there somewhere traveling as one across Remnant looking for a place to live," Nimue said, her voice cold as Arthur glared at the map, his expression furious at the mere mention of that family. "You will pack and leave after lunch to gather information, map out their routes, and visit every sighting I've marked on that map."

"This will take…"

"…years, yes," Nimue answered. "Beacon clearly didn't work so you're going to spend just as much time as you did there out in the real world. Hopefully this time you learn something of value. In that time, you will have obtained a holy grail of information which we can use to bring this centuries-old feud to rest. Permanently. Do you understand?"

Arthur nodded. "Yes, grandmother."

"Good, now come here boy, and give me a hug then you can eat and depart," Nimue said with a small smile, and despite the argument, Arthur could bring himself to refuse his grandmother.

"I will make them pay for what they did to my parents."

"I know, my boy, I know," Nimue whispered before kissing his cheek. The two then ate and spend a few hours chatting before Arthur stood up to begin his mission. "And pick up plenty of contracts while you're out! I want you to return famous for something besides your name!"

"Yes, grandmother, of course."

And with that, Arthur departed.

-Three Years Later-

Hours turned to days…

Days turned to weeks…

Weeks turned to months…

And months into years as Arthur traversed Remnant, gathering information on the Callows and taking on as many contracts as he could find. Arthur couldn't pinpoint the exact moment it happened, perhaps it was he stopped a bandit raid and found himself fighting and defeating Chief Branwen. When the old Bandit leader fell, Arthur had the choice to kill him and complete the contract or fail it so he could save the hostages in immediate danger…

…Arthur chose the latter and though it blemished his record when Chief Branwen escaped, Arthur couldn't help but feel victorious. It was a strange feeling as he was being thanked so genuinely by people who knew nothing of him but after that Arthur started to read the contents of the contracts and not the rewards.

And after that things changed, for the contracts with the lowest rewards often were the ones in the direst need of help having been posted by people who lived in poverty using all the money that they could. Sometimes, Arthur would straight up refuse payment and instead trade his services for a meal and a place to rest his head.

Arthur had seen a lot of the world in his travels, made allies, and even crossed paths with Team STRQ from time to time. Their meetings were rare, of course, but sometimes Summer would invite him out for a quick lunch, and sometimes he would accept.

They'd talk about nothing some days and everything the next and Arthur would find himself reminded of just why Summer was the only one on that damned team that piqued his interest. Of course, he'd ask if they kept his secret, a question they would ask as well, and realizing nothing was compromised they'd keep going on their paths.

Each time Arthur saw Team STRQ, things would appear to be even tenser between them than they had the last time he saw them, and to say they were stressed would be an understatement. Arthur knew whatever had them banged up had to do with their secret and Ozpin but he forced himself to keep his distance.

Not only was he in the middle of an entire blood feud, but he also refused to get his house involved in whatever that nonsense was. Though this wasn't to protect himself, no he hadn't done something for his own well-being in quite some time, it was to protect the two women in his home.

One that had raised his father, looked after his parents and raised him when they were killed.

And another that he had begun to grow a worrying amount of guilt toward.

Perhaps it was around the third or fourth slave camp he liberated, but eventually, it clicked for Arthur that he had fucked up. Of course, now he believed it worked out because Juniper would definitely be treated much better and have a happier life…

…but his own actions that day had begun to disgust him.

The fact of the matter was that he took advantage of a woman in need in exchange for power.

What part of that upheld the values of House Arc?

Every second, that guilt gnawed at him and managed to increase his resolve, to work as if he could somehow atone for what he had done. By his own act, Juniper would be forced to birth a child to a man she didn't love.

One night the guilt had gotten so bad that he broke his unspoken vow to call home, to call Nimue to end the contract but a velvet-like voice had answered in her stead.

Arthur froze instantly.

Cowardice took over his heart as he knew who that voice belonged to.

["Hello?"]

Arthur worked his jaw but was unable to respond and after a few moments, Juniper took a deep breath.

["It's you, isn't it?"]

Pained, Arthur nodded his head despite knowing she wouldn't see. Still, that didn't stop her from responding as if she had.

["How are you? Are you alive? Silly me, of course, you are."] Juniper mused. ["I'm not sure what time it is where you are but grandmother is asleep. It's midnight, after all."]

Arthur mentally cursed for not checking the time, as he knew his grandmother was consistently off to bed by midnight as long as he had known her.

["I hope you're okay."] Juniper whispered. ["I know you probably don't care, but I'm happy. Happier than I've ever been. Oh! I am also learning so many new things! In fact, today…"]

Arthur felt tears fall down his face as he silently listened to her recount her day. The night became day and before they knew it, it was almost time for Nimue to wake up which had been their unspoken deadline as they refused to be caught 'distracting' each other.

["It was nice talking to you."]

Arthur could have laughed as he didn't say as much as a word to the woman who rambled on about whatever crossed her mind.

["I hope we can talk again."] Juniper said before hanging up.

Arthur sat on the edge of his bed in the inn he was renting and found himself mirroring her desire. Still, he was too much of a coward to call the next day, and the day after that he received a message from his grandmother telling him that the contract had been finalized.

Arthur's guilt returned full force when he realized that he had forgotten to call his grandmother to cancel the arrangement and now it was too late. For another week, Arthur traveled unable to deal with the shame before he eventually broke down and called back after checking the time.

Arthur cursed himself for smiling when Juniper hesitantly answered the phone and before he knew it, he once more found himself listening to her talk. This soon became a tradition as Arthur would call and she would answer and distract him from all that was wrong with both himself and the world.

Week after week they would repeat this tradition, and before he knew it, the three years were up and he found himself in the middle of a ballroom, haunting punch bowl during a party held in his honor. Yet no one was there for him, they were there for House Arc and he knew it.

At that point, the House he loved so much was beginning to take the form of the cage it truly was.

A cage he helped reinforce that would no longer only trap him alone.

"So…haunting the punch bowl too, huh? If you're quiet, Willow won't notice you're here, I heard she had a bad habit of stalking you at these things." Arthur blinked and turned to see an amused Summer.

"Summer?" Arthur then frowned. "Where is your weapon?"

Summer blinked and looked at herself as if just now realizing she was unarmed. "Uh…"

"Some things never change, hm?" Arthur questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, it's your big day and I was invited." Summer answered. "Not surprising seeing how I am your only friend even if it's self-proclaimed. My team is on a…break…now anyway." Summer sighed before perking up. "So how have you been, world traveler? You've taken Remnant by storm, and alone, guess you proved me wrong."

"Summer," Arthur spoke quietly but firmly as he placed his cup down. "I am so sorry."

Summer blinked at the unexpected apology. "For what?"

"Everything," Arthur answered. "For how I acted, how I always shrugged off your offers of friendship. You are an amazing person and I wish I had half the mind to acknowledge it sooner. I was a child and I can only hope you can look past that."

"I, okay, wow, um, apology accepted." Summer said both touched and stunned. "What the hell happened to you out there?"

"Karma," Arthur muttered. "I could only save so many slaves before realizing just where I went wrong that day." Arthur released a long breath and Summer finally understood what had caused his change, or rather who.

"You've been in contact with her since you left?"

"If you could call me calling her in the dead of night, being too afraid to actually say something, and listening to her ramble till dawn being in contact, yes."

Summer took a moment to digest that before a Cheshire grin split her face. "Oh my God. You fell for her, didn't you?"

"Summer, this is serious."

"I know, which is perfect since you acknowledged my friendship. You will never hear the end of this." Summer laughed. "That had to have been the sweetest thing I've ever heard."

"It's not sweet, it's terrible!" Arthur whispered harshly. "I'm a monster."

"Correction, you were a little shit." Summer corrected. "You changed, Arthur, and though the way your relationship started wasn't ideal and misguided, you can make this right."

"How could I possibly make this right?"

"Talk to her, duh." Summer said as if it were obvious. "You're freaking out about this, and not once did you consider her feelings. Which, by the way, is why you are so guilty now. Learn from your mistakes Arty, don't repeat them."

Arthur just gaped at her as she sipped her punch.

Finally, Summer sighed.

"We're friends now, right? Like real friends?" Summer asked and after seeing her appear vulnerable Arthur instantly became alert, not bothering to hide his concern for his friend.

"Yes, Summer, we are."

"Then this stays between us but…I'm the reason my team is taking a break." Summer revealed. "Tai and I…" Summer trailed off and Arthur filled in the blanks.

"Rose…no…" Arthur murmured making her shoulders slump. "Does, Branwen know?"

"No, but she suspects and it hasn't just been one time." Summer revealed with a look of self-loathing Arthur knew all too well. "I tried to be good, to keep my distance, but I love him and I know she does as well but she keeps running away and I always have to pick up the pieces, heal him, and wait for her to come back and do it again. Not to mention, Qrow has become an angst-filled drunkard. The two of us tried a relationship, and he was great until he tried pulling the same shit Raven does. Because of that, there is this energy in the team now and it feels like we're going to break."

Summer sighed.

"Ignore the rant. The point is, everything says I should stay away from Taiyang but I won't." Summer says firmly. "This will blow up in our faces one day but when that day comes, we'll power through it and come out the other end with something beautiful. Every Rose has its thorns and some stories with the best endings have the worst beginnings. But you have to put in effort."

So caught off guard by what he had heard, Arthur missed how the room seemed to quiet down or the surprised glance, Summer eventually shot over his shoulder.

"You're brave." Arthur acknowledged, getting her attention.

"So are you." Summer reassured him. "Tell you what, let's put our friendship to the test. If Juniper walked right through that door, what would you tell her?"

BGM: Priscilla's Song, The Wolven Storm-Malukah (Witch 3 cover)

"I don't know," Arthur admitted. "I'm dreading that moment with each second that passes, where would I begin?"

"You tell me." Summer shrugged. "What's something eating at you? Doesn't have to be in any order just start with anything."

"I'd apologize for not communicating back," Arthur admitted. "Tell her that hearing her voice were the best parts of my trip. After that, I'd apologize about how badly messed up when we met as many times as she wants to hear it. I'd somehow try to convince her that despite all of my mistakes, I'd want this to be more than a formality. To try to build something here."

"Sounds like you love her, a lot." Summer said clearly amused. "Like a lot. A lot."

"I do," Arthur said firmly. "I don't know when it happened, Summer. Things got dark out there, and when you're surrounded by that much darkness you appreciate the light you have, savor it, and cling to it for as long as you can."

"Some would have called her dark. Most people, actually." Summer pointed out.

Arthur straightened his posture, square his shoulders as scowl appeared on his face as he looked every bit of the part that was Lord Arc. "Then they would answer to me."

"Look at you, told you that you were brave." Summer teased. "Now turn around and repeat everything you just told me."

Blinking, Arthur turned around and came face to face with Juniper. Gone was the disheveled young woman he left behind and in her place was a beautiful woman garbed in an elegant black gown that had the arc emblem embroidered into it. She carried herself with confidence and poise that was unmatched. Her face was almost impassive, but Arthur saw a slight trembling of her lip and the ways her eyes glistened.

Juniper cleared her throat and looped her arm around Arthur's. "Excuse me, Ms. Rose, I need to borrow Lord Arc for a moment."

"Go for it." Summer smiled before picking up Arthur's cup as he was briskly pulled out of the room. Summer stepped next to an exasperated Nimue and drunk the rest of his punch. "You know they aren't coming back, right?"

"I'll move up the wedding, I'll be damned if she can't fit in the dress, we already picked out," Nimue muttered making Summer raise an eyebrow.

"Bit of an overreaction don't you think? You're that sure she'll get knocked up?"

"She's to be Lady Arc, so of course I ran tests to see if she could reproduce and heir before making a contract." Nimue began with a small frown, deciding there was no harm in confiding the reasoning behind her decision to what she quickly surmised was her grandson's only friend. "If I didn't know what semblance was, I'd think it was fertility."

Summer gaped at her.

Nimue rubbed the bridge of her nose. "She's going to single-handedly rebuild our House. I am calling it now." Then, despite herself, the old woman smiled. "I hope to see as many of them as I can."

-With Arthur & Juniper-

Arthur grunted when he fell onto his bed after Juniper shoved him back

"So, you're concerned about how I might feel for you despite you saving my life." Juniper drawled as she reached back and began to unzip her dress. "Or the fact that after the first time you called, I waited until dawn every day until you called again." Arthur gaped at her as she scowled at him. "Then please allow me to clear up any confusion."

"Wait, what about the party?"

"What about it? Our only friend in there is Summer."

Arthur blinked. "You and Summer are friends?"

"Yes, she checked in often after you left, we do brunch," Juniper said dismissively while unclasping her bra and it was then, as she straddled him, that Arthur realized a strange quirk about his soon to be wife. On the outside, she appeared colder than ice itself, yet on the inside, the woman seemed to have only two settings.

Bashful yet playful.

And aggressive as all hell.

There was no in-between.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, beloved, the choice is yours," Juniper whispered into his ear before kissing his jaw line. "Pants off."

Well shit.

She didn't have to tell him twice!

-The Next Morning-

"Huh, so that's what the big deal is," Arthur muttered, perhaps he owed Xiao Long an apology.

"Indeed, no wonder Nimue separated us." Juniper mused before rolling to her side. "To think she could see my desires back then."

"Back then?" Arthur questioned incredulously. "How could you have possibly felt anything for me back then?"

"You may have seen me as a tool," Juniper began, cupping his face gently when he flinched. "But you were the first person that ever acknowledged that I wasn't born wrong. That I had a purpose. My semblance was flawed . It was the strongest my family had ever forged but no one could control it. They would go berserk the moment I became one with them. They wanted to scrap me so I took over one of my assailants and ran amok, slaughtering them all."

Arthur looked down at her horror.

"You call yourself a monster for wanting me when I actually am a monster."

"No, you're not, you're someone who escaped a terrible situation," Arthur said firmly. "You are not a monster."

"If I'm not one then neither are you." Juniper countered. "Please don't hate yourself for wanting me, that hurts me more than any injury you could deal."

"Then let's make a deal, I won't hate myself but I won't forgive myself either. What I did was wrong no matter the outcome." Arthur said firmly before pressing a finger to her lips before she could retort. "I took away your choice on who would be your spouse. I will spend the rest of my life atoning for this by making you the happiest woman I can. Deal?"

Juniper blinked away her tears and buried her head into his chest. "Deal."

-2 months later-

Unbelievable.

That was Summer's thought as she found herself as a maid of honor only two months after Arthur's return. Sure enough, Nimue's prediction came true and Juniper was expecting her first child before the year was up.

Her disbelief must have been etched onto her face if the way Arthur sheepishly smiled at her was any indication. Shaking her head, Summer smiled for the newlyweds and hoped that their love would be a prosperous one.

-7 Months later: Vale: Hospital-

Rushing into the delivery room, Arthur panted in exhaustion having rushed back to Vale all the way from Vacuo after hearing the news that Juniper went into labor. Upon entering the room, he placed his armored hands on his knees, panting tiredly when he saw Juniper holding their daughter in her arms.

"I'm so sorry I'm late!"

Juniper laughed lightly, more pleasantly surprised to see him than anything. "Come here, meet little Rosé."

"Summer will lose her mind," Arthur murmured knowing how weak Summer was to both babies and sentimental gestures. "So, we're, doing the color thing?" Arthur asked which made Juniper nod.

"My whole life, all I saw was darkness. This sinister black everywhere I go." Juniper whispered. "But since meeting you've I've experienced so many new colors."

"You say sinister, but I say beautiful," Arthur murmured. "Everything came from nothing. From that mysterious black void came color and to me, that color, black, is as beautiful as any color on the rainbow."

Juniper smiled, weeping slightly as Arthur bent over to smile at his daughter who looked back up at him with bright blue eyes.

"isn't that right little one?" Arthur asked and as if responding, the baby smiled while gripping a lock of Juniper's pitch-black hair. "She agrees."

"She's not even a week old and you already turned her against me," Juniper complained. "Still, I'll have time to even the odds. A rainbow sounds like the perfect gift. A radiant arch for House Arc."

Arthur paled.

"W-well, I guess I'll have to limit my contracts to Vale from now on," Arthur muttered. "I swear we better get at least one boy, that way even if I'm outnumbered, I won't suffer alone."

"Oh stop," Juniper laughed before hugging the infant close and singing a soft lullaby she learned from Nimue. In the doorway, Nimue stood with Summer who both smiled at the scene.

"Your family is precious." Summer gushed. "By the way what's her name?" Summer questioned having not heard it. Arthur and Juniper shared a smirk before telling Summer.

To say Summer had been reduced to a sobbing mess was an understatement.

-1 Year Later-

Juniper hummed to herself, looking for some of the finances as Rosé slept quietly next to her. Her scroll vibrated slightly and when she answered it, she heard a sniffle.

["Juniper…"]

Juniper frowned in confusion. "Summer?"

["It's Arthur, get to the hospital."]

Juniper had never moved so fast in her life.

-Vale: Hospital-

"What the hell happened!?" Juniper hissed when she and Nimue made it to Summer who was comforting a sobbing Qrow. Juniper wrinkled her nose when she smelt the alcohol pouring off the man. This wasn't the usual drinking Qrow did, it was clear that he was trying to drown demons this time.

"We got ambushed," Summer answered, her eyes red. "I was being targeted and called for backup, Qrow was too far away but Arthur was fulfilling a contract nearby and rush to my aid. We fought off the attackers but…"

"But what!?"

"It's my fault," Qrow told her. "They were fighting on a bridge but when I arrived it just…it just collapsed."

"We went free-falling down a ravine," Summer explained making Juniper paled. "Our attackers died on impact without their auras. I would have too if Arthur didn't shield me from the fall. It's my fault Juniper. I'm so sorry."

"Why…why is someone targeting you?" Juniper asked and for the first time, she felt anger toward Summer who averted her eyes. "My husband might be dead. You will answer me, Rose!"

"Sit down. It's kind of a long story." Summer said and Nimue grimaced.

"Give me the child, dear, I will go check on my grandson," Nimue instructed as she grabbed the baby from Juniper. "You get some answers."

Finally, Summer spoke when Juniper sat down and quietly revealed everything to Juniper from the war with Salem to the truth about her eyes. As she sat, Juniper looked at her-horrified by the tale. Stunned, Juniper could only sit in silence before Nimue returned, looking both broken and relieved.

"He's going to live," Nimue told them before grimacing. "But…"

-Three Months Later: Arc Manor-

Silently, Arthur sat in his wheelchair, staring blanking at the blade above the fireplace.

At Crocea Mors.

His family legacy.

One in which he would never live up to again. After all what good was his control semblance if his legs didn't work?

"How long has he been at that?" Summer questioned quietly, stepping back from the room and turning toward Juniper.

"Every day," Juniper said, bags under her eyes as she found her in charge of everything. From raising the children to looking after her husband and the house. "He tries, he does, this was one of his good days and he played with Rosé a bit until she crawled out of his reach. That…that broke him."

"I'm…I'm sorry."

"You don't get to be sorry. You get even." Juniper hissed. "What exactly is your plan to stop that bitch?"

"I…I don't have one," Summer admitted. "Ozpin is the one with the plan."

"And you didn't think to ask for details?" Juniper questioned, her eyebrows shooting up her hairline. "What? Do you just go wherever he tells you and trust he has a reason? You're smarter than that. You're more than old enough to ask questions."

Summer grimaced knowing that Juniper was right. As much faith as she had in Ozpin, she could see why Raven was quickly growing disillusioned with the cause. It felt as they were running in circles, barely able to keep Salem at bay while those they cared about suffered.

"Summer, you are Arthur and I's closest friend," Juniper said, straightening her posture and showing Summer she was no longer talking to a friend but Lady Arc. "But you better have a damn good reason for showing up in our home uninvited after three months of silence. You didn't even see him wake up."

"As you probably guessed, we've been at a loss since the attack. We're waiting for Ozpin's next plan." Summer raised her hand to stop Juniper who had already set her jaw, prepared to verbally rip Summer a new one. "I haven't been sitting on my ass. Believe me, I've been researching anything I could find on how to treat Arthur."

Juniper's eyes widened. "Did you find something?"

"I did," Summer gave her a weak smile. "Did you think I would come to you empty-handed Lady Arc? I love you guys. I want him better. I won't let Salem destroy this family, not when Vale needs as much hope as it can get. The problem is, however, that you might not like the answer and it comes with a condition."

"A condition?" Juniper asked incredulously. "You're going to ask me for something in return to heal my husband? Your friend?"

"Hear me out, you'll understand once you hear it." Summer said firmly. "The condition is that you keep him out of this war. We both know Arthur. He's come a long way but his pride won't take this sitting down. You have to find something, anything, to keep him distracted."

"I can't distract the man for an eternity," Juniper stressed. "You have no timeline, how am I supposed to stop him from doing anything?"

"Remind him of his priorities." Summer answered. "Arthur puts his household before everything. This is only truer now that he has you and lil' red. You're Lady Arc, you're cunning and your words can cause more damage than any weapon I've seen. Get him to understand that participating in this war would be detrimental to this House. That no matter who wins, you lose if you participate. I hate telling you to lie to him, to manipulate him, but I want your family safe."

Juniper searched Summer's eyes for a moment before scowling.

"What aren't you telling me?" Juniper questioned. "Answer me, I've long since mastered this game of half-truths."

Summer sighed. "I don't know Ozpin's plan, but he's going all hands-on deck. Searching for any advantage he can find. If he finds out you're an amp, I fear for Rosé's future. He's already looking for a replacement for his newest maiden to train in case she falls."

"Over my dead body."

"Which is exactly what I'm afraid of. Ozpin won't hurt you but Salem will and if you are gone, he will try to protect Rosé." Summer explained. "I'm so sorry I drug your family into this, please listen to me so you can pull yourselves back out."

Juniper took a deep breath but nodded.

"Fine, now what of this treatment?"

"This is the part you won't like." Summer muttered making Juniper wonder just what the hell Summer could say to top her last request. "You need to be his amp."

Juniper paled.

"I know," Summer said quickly. "I know you have trauma, that it runs deep, I know it doesn't just go away and how unreasonable this is to ask but do you fear that pain more than you love your husband?"

Juniper almost slapped Summer but restrained herself.

"You don't get it." Juniper gritted out. "I was weak and starving when I amped that faunus your team fought. If Raven couldn't shapeshift his wind semblance would have killed her. What the hell do you think Arthur would do?"

"He'd be unkillable and destroy many lives." Summer acknowledged. "But it's also because he's Arthur that he is the only one who can take advantage of your semblance. Remember that his semblance is control. You amp him, make that semblance even stronger and he can control your power in turn. You two can complete each other."

Juniper pursed her lips as Summer placed a hand on her shoulder.

"If he goes berserk, I will fend him off for as long as it takes for you to get control," Summer promised.

"You could die, Summer."

Summer gave her a sad smile. "I can live with that. Also, have faith in yourself." Summer continued. "You're not the same as you were back then, you can pull back if needed. You only need to stay in him long enough to fix his wounds."

"So, I am basically flipping a coin then," Juniper murmured. "On one hand I can save my family but on the other, I could do Salem's job for her and destroy what's left."

"I'm so sorry I put you in this situation."

"I…I want to save my family but I have stipulations of my own," Juniper whispered. "You have to retreat if necessary. If this goes wrong, Nimue will take care of Rosé but Summer, she's old. If she can no longer do so, please look after my daughter or at the very least hide her until she's old enough to take over this House."

"I'll raise her as my own." Summer swore which made Juniper smile weakly, grateful.

"The other stipulation is that you keep Qrow away from this."

Despite the situation, Summer giggled and nodded. "Consider it done. Mind if I crash in the guest room next to the nursery? It'll be best if I'm nearby to keep the others safe just in case."

"By all means."

Summer went to turn away but stopped when Juniper grabbed her arm and brought her in for a tight embrace.

"Thank you, Summer," Juniper whispered. "Thank you."

-The Next Morning-

"Arthur?" Juniper questioned, propping herself up on her elbow so you could look at him.

"Hm?" Arthur grunted, cracking an eye open.

"You know I love you, right?"

Arthur's face softened. "I know, I'm sorry if I've been distant, it's just…it's just been hard adjusting to being half a man."

"Excuse me? Now you listen here, Arthur Arc," Juniper said firmly. "You are Lord Arc, and more importantly my husband and Rosé's father. You are a lot of things, a fool many times like now, but you are not and never will be half a man. Do you understand me?"

Properly chastised, Arthur chuckled even as a tear fell from his eye. "Yes, dear."

"That's better," Juniper said before kissing him gently. "Now do me a favor and sleep."

Arthur blinked and the next thing he knew was black.

-?-

"Arthur!" Arthur turned, around to find Juniper on her knees holding herself tightly as black energy poured from her body in waves.

"Juniper!" Arthur shouted before running forward and scooping her into his arms. "Juniper what's happening!?"

"It's my semblance! I can't control it!" Juniper shouted. "It's growing out of control!"

"Look at me, Juniper," Arthur instructed as his body released a white light. "Deep breaths and focus on my voice. Let it all out, honey."

"But-"

"No, you have to! Let it all go, fall into that void and trust me to catch you!" Arthur ordered. "Believe in me, Juniper!"

With tears in her eyes, Juniper nodded her head before simply letting go.

Of what?

BGM: Love Me (Feat. Jacob Banks)- Wide Awake

Everything.

Her body exploded, painting the realm black with her aura as a white sphere of aura surrounded Arthur who looked around the void in awe, unable to see even an inch out outside of his impromptu barrier. Eventually, the darkness shifted and took the form of a large black feminine silhouette with bright violet eyes.

So massive was the figure, that she was able to reach out and place Arthur in the palm of her hand. Looking down at him as if he were a precious treasure, the figure cupped him in her palms before pressing the sphere against her bosom, making it sink into her chest.

-Vale: Arc Manor-

Opening his violet eyes, Arthur looked around at his decimated courtyard in confusion. Looking down he saw his blue pajama bottoms were now black and that his shirt had disappeared.

"Are…you…back?" Summer panted making him look up to see her collapse to the ground in exhaustion, supporting herself with Crocea Mors.

"Summer? What the hell are you doing with my family sword?" Arthur questioned as he ran a hand through his black hair. "Where the hell is your weapon?"

"Yeah…you're back." Summer groaned. "Good, you released a lot of negative emotions and we're on the outskirts of Vale. Please deal with the grimm."

On cue, a horde of grimm burst through the foliage and tore down the gate to the manor. Summer handed him Crocea Mors which made the blade and shield turn black in his grasp.

"Juniper, are you there?"

"Arthur…I am…what is this? I feel so…so good!"

Arthur's eyes widened when he felt his power spike, shattering the ground beneath his feet.

"Juniper, settle down! We have to work together!"

"Sorry, beloved I just…this is incredible." Arthur blushed when he heard his wife moan before shaking his head and running forward at the grimm.

"Please control yourself, we're about to enter battle!" Arthur said before swinging his blade at a beowolf. "Give me a bit, now!"

"Gladly."

A black wave of aura ripped from Crocea Mors and cut clean through the beowolf and continued forward through two more before destroying a tree in the distance. Arthur gaped at that, realizing that he needed to be careful with the power flowing through him now.

Pacing himself, Arthur made quick work of a few more grimm as he tried to get a handle on everything. Eventually there on a few left and with a powerful swing from the ancient blade, he released a wave of black aura that engulfed them and destroyed them all in a wave of black.

BGM: END

BGM: Unsteady (Erich Lee Gravity Remix)- Me Before You OST

From a nearby window, Nimue looked down at her grandson, stunned by his power. To see an Arc with the power of an amp wielding Crocea Mors was a sight to behold for it was as if their founder had returned to Remnant if only for a moment.

"Wow." Summer said as she saw Arthur approach her. "That was incredible."

"Says the one who had to fight against that until we gained control." Arthur scoffed before sheathing Crocea Mors. It was then that, like a specter, Juniper removed herself from his body before returning to normal which caused his form to return to normal. "Juniper, what in the world was that all about!?"

"I'm sorry, I just-" Juniper stopped her explanation as she looked at him, stunned. "Oh…Arthur…"

"Jun?" Arthur questioned before noting that Summer was giving him a tearful smile. "What are you two looking at…" Arthur trailed off as it finally clicked that he was looking down at them. Incredulously, Arthur looked down ad saw that he was standing on his own. "Jun…don't tell me you did all that to heal me?"

Juniper nodded silently, overwhelmed with emotion to see him healthy again.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Arthur could only stare at the woman who risked everything and forced herself through untold trauma just to help him.

"What the hell did I do to deserve you?" Arthur questioned before he rushed forward and picked his wife up, spinning her around as they laughed. This was the sight Nimue was greeted to when she arrived with Rosé.

"Oh my…" Nimue whispered, her eyes glistening as she saw the happy couple and briefly saw her son and his wife. "Arthur…" Nimue whispered, getting their attention. "I…I've never seen you so happy."

"How could I not be?" Arthur questioned as he hugged her and kissed her cheek before kissing his daughter's forehead which made her giggle. "I'm surrounded by my favorite girls."

With a new lease on life, Arthur Arc came out of this ordeal a new man.

A man he could be proud of.

He had people he loved, people worth protecting.

These were things he already knew.

But to know and understand that he was loved in return?

Well, that would bring even the strongest man alive to tears. To know that others could be so worried on his behalf. To know he had worth beyond his family name. Lien couldn't buy that, neither could prestige or pride.

"Summer Rose," Arthur said as he turned to his friend and helped her up, knowing that she had come up with this scheme. "Thank you, truly, for everything. You aren't a friend, you're family. I see that now. Know that if you and yours ever need anything you just have to ask."

"Your friendship is all I need." Summer said honestly. "But thank you, truly, your words mean far more than you know to an orphan like me."

"Summer, I once told you there was a ceiling for you, I was wrong," Arthur said seriously. "If it's you? Never stop climbing, do you hear me? You fight until you get what you want and not a moment sooner."

At a loss for words, Summer could only nod, not trusting her voice.

She was just happy to right one wrong she had caused this family.

That was more than enough for her.

-2 years Later-

-Vale: Arc Manor-

"What do you mean you can't!?" Nimue questioned angrily. "You've waited your whole life for this moment!"

"I have, and that was a mistake," Arthur said solemnly as he stood in Nimue's study, though he was not wavering. "The Callows will pay, make no mistake, but it won't be on that day. I made a promise."

"The child is three of all the missed birthdays she could potentially hate you for, that's not going to be one of them!" Nimue snapped. "Think of your family!"

"I am!" Arthur boomed, making Nimue flinch. This was no longer the anger of that boy she once raised. No, this was the anger of Lord Arc and she was running his patience thin. "I'm not that boy, Nimue, I understand how you feel. Had they killed Rosé like they killed my father I would want their heads just as much as you do. Hell, I do want their heads, but this is about principle. It's about an Arc always keeping their word and me not missing important memories because of a damned grudge the people who started it aren't even alive to see!"

Arthur began to pace.

"When does it end Nimue? Huh? When?" Arthur questioned angrily. "I kill the ones who killed my parents and then their kids kill me and then mine will return the favor. It doesn't end unless one of us is completely wiped out."

Arthur took a deep breath.

"Pen a letter to them, tell them we want a truce," Arthur told her. "I will never forgive them nor will they forgive us but for the sake of our children we have to stop this madness."

"You're serious," Nimue said disbelievingly.

"I am," Arthur confirmed. "Enough is enough, I'm washing my hands clean of this Callows mess. I want the letter written in the morning."

With that, Arthur left a stunned Nimue alone in her study. Nimue grit her teeth and with a roar of frustration, she slung everything from the top of her desk onto the floor and collapsed in her seat. She sat in silence, her shoulders shaking as tears fell on to the desk.

Tears for the fallen

Tears for her son and his wife.

Tears for her grandson who was willing to sacrifice his peace of mind solely to end this feud forever. After a few moments, Nimue began to pen the letter with a heavy heart. Deep down she knew Arthur was right, it was time to end this.

With a weak laugh, she couldn't help but see the irony that it was she who was acting like a child now.

-3 Weeks Later: Patch-

Summer was taking a casual stroll through the island when her scroll rang.

"Hello?"

["S-sum-sum?"] Summer blinked and was instantly on alert when she heard he small terrified voice of her niece.

"Hey squirt, what's wrong?"

["S-scary men, in house."]

The only evidence that Summer had even been on the island were a handful of petals that faded away into obscurity.

-Arc Manor-

In the blink of an eye, Summer appeared outside the manor in a flash of silver light, white petals rained down around her as she looked at the burning building in horror. She heard loud cursing and burst into the building. She immediately came face to face with two scorpion faunus who were kicking Nimue in her side.

They were dead in less than a second.

Crouching next to Nimue, Summer shook her shoulder.

"Nimue, Nimue speak to me! Where are the others!?"

"Out…get… Rosé …hides…in her closet when scared…" Nimue forced out before she lost consciousness. In the blink of an eye, she and Summer disappeared and reappeared outside of the burning building with a sobbing Rosé.

"It's okay, baby, it's okay, your safe now." Summer whispered to the sobbing toddler.

This was not good.

Not good at all.

Summer was no fool, those were members of the Callows family, their stingers were proof of that but it made no sense. As far as Summer knew, though they were violent when provoked they were still reasonable. They would have at least responded to Arthur's letter before staging such an attack.

Not that it mattered.

Arthur would not be pleased.

Those idiots signed a death warrant.

This wasn't like the time she stopped him from killing the wolf faunus that fateful day, nothing she could say or do would stop him or his wife from seeking retribution.

In a blink, Summer was at a hospital that she was very tired of visiting by now.

-Later: Vale: Hospital-

BGM: Where the Wind and Feathers Return-Radiant Historia OST

Impassively, Arthur and Juniper stared at the ground, waiting to hear the results as Rosé slept soundly in Summer's arms.

"She…she can have visitors…" The nurse said quietly, a solemn expression on her face. "It would be best if you said your goodbyes."

"Jun," Arthur said gruffly, his voice holding choked with emotion. Not trusting his voice, he nodded toward Summer as he followed the nurse.

"Summer. We need a favor from you." Juniper said quietly. "Watch after Rosé for a few days."

Summer nodded, her face going cold as she already knew what was going to happen. "So, you're doing it then?"

"We went for peace and those animals' spit on the gesture." Juniper hissed. Juniper wasn't a hateful person and Arthur had made a lot of progress in his feelings toward Faunus. That said, they agreed that the Callows were scum. Plain and simple. "They would have killed our daughter, they have killed Nimue. It's time for this feud to end. We found the village they set up."

"Do what you have to, but don't get caught." Summer sighed. "Oh, who I am kidding, any kind of retaliation will have everyone thinking it's you. Just make sure to have plausible deniability. I'll be your alibi."

"Thank you. You won't stop us?"

"No." Summer said seeming to age before Juniper's eyes. "This war is taking a terrible turn. We think Salem may be eyeing the Callows to recruit them. Between their poison and their tendency to have Semblances that can bypass aura…"

Summer closed her eyes and rested her head on the wall behind her.

"I wish you wouldn't go this route, but I understand," Summer said. "And if Salem loses the Callows, that's a bonus. Even if you miss any it will be better than sixty."

Juniper sighed. "For what it's worth, you have been a great friend, the best, but it's time we go our separate ways. Your war is heating up and the last thing you need is any more of our problems getting in your way. That said we will join you the second you can give us a definitive plan. The second you tell us your solution to Salem we will be there for you."

"I understand." Summer said, giving her a sad smile which Juniper mirrored. "You don't need Salem putting a target on your back. She will be annoyed but she knows how blood feuds work, you can maintain the image of neutrality. It was a great run, but after this it's goodbye."

"No, not goodbye, simply see you later." Juniper corrected. "This will all end at some point and we can be friends without risking lives and even if that's not the case our numbers won't change. If you need us, we will come."

"Likewise." Summer said firmly. "Now go to your husband, I'll hang with Rosé for a few days and then you can pick her up, and then that will be that."

Juniper smirked a bit. "Is that the conditions of our contract, huntress?"

Summer grinned. "But of course, m'lady." Sharing a laugh, the two gave each other a brief hug before going their separate ways. With a heavy heart, Juniper entered the hospital to see Arthur holding Nimue's hand.

"Ah, there she is…" Nimue said weakly. "Why the long face? I took one of those bastards out before the others rushed me. I still…got it…"

"I'm so sorry grandmother," Juniper whispered as she held Nimue's free hand. "If my semblance wouldn't cause you more damage, I'd heal you in a heartbeat."

"Bah, you'd heal me and I'd live another day? Maybe two? My injuries aren't killing me, dear, I'm old." Nimue rasped out. "I'll be seeing my husband, son, and his wife soon so don't be sad. I'm just so glad that I got to be a part of your family."

"I should have listened to you," Arthur whispered. "I was a fool for believing in those animals."

"No, my boy you were wise. Your decision was the right one, never doubt that but remember you can't control the actions of the other party." Nimue advised him. "You have become a great man, a great huntsman, and an even greater father. I am so unbelievably proud of you, my boy. Of you and your beautiful wife and daughter."

Nimue coughed.

"I don't have much longer so listen closely." Nimue forced out. "I left the key to your father's armory in a false stone next to the shed. It's time you got a blade worthy of an Arc. Juniper, in that armory you will see a book detailing our hidden assets, use them as you see fit."

Tears fell from, Nimue's eyes as she gripped their hands tighter.

"Now please do this old woman a favor and sit still for a moment," Nimue asked and soon Arthur gasped when he saw her bright blue eyes shine as what appeared to be small clocks appeared within them.

"Arthur, what's she doing?"

"It's her semblance," Arthur answered. "It lets her see the future of those she's touching. The longer she touches, the longer she sees."

"Incredible..."

"Hardly, the future is evolving and ever-changing. It's more of a nuisance than a gift." Nimue muttered. "That said, I like what I saw this time." Nimue smiled tiredly. "You will create quite the beautiful rainbow my loves. A perfect sight to be my last."

Nimue's eyes grew heavy.

"You did good Arthur, you did…good…"

With that last compliment, Lady Nimue Arc was no more.

As one Arthur and Juniper stood up, both knowing that heads were going to roll.

BGM: END

-Vale: Arc Manor-

Arthur ignored his destroyed home and made his way to the shed in the back. Instantly he found the large false stone Nimue had mentioned and slammed his foot down on it, crushing it and revealing the silver key hidden within. Grabbing it, he opened the shed and stood in front of a large steel case.

Taking the key, Arthur unlocked the armory that contained an old book and a gold and silver great sword that had the word E.X.-Calibur engraved into it. Grabbing the book and his father's blade, Arthur left the shed and looked up at his wife who stood on the hill in front of their manor and stared at their destroyed home impassively.

Soon, however, black lines of mascara slid down her cheeks as the destroyed home was reflected in her violet eyes and her body began to tremble as she thought of their daughter who was almost killed.

The image of their home was replaced by the ruins of the Fey manor, of the family that she crushed, and Juniper knew then what must be done.

BGM: Dark Matter-Les Friction

"We were wrong," Juniper murmured when Arthur stood next to her. "They aren't animals. They don't deserve that much respect. They're insects. Bugs," Juniper said as she turned to Arthur, giving him a look that could only come from a mother that was pushed too far. "And they will be exterminated."

-Later: Vacuo: Callow's Village-

"You fool!" A scorpion Faunus roared at his son after punching him hard enough to knock him to the ground. "Why did you attack them!? They gave up!"

"But…but it was a ploy!" Tyrian shouted, unable to understand how his father could be so blind.

"It wasn't!" The Patriarch shouted, livid. "I hate the Arcs, you know I do, but they aren't liars. They are sickeningly true to their word and if they call for a truce it's genuine. At the very least you respond with words if you don't believe them first! Not attack you utter imbecile!"

"The Callows' leader began to pace as Tyrian realized he might have messed up.

"The man's parents killed mine and I killed him If he called for a truce then the score would have been settled." The man snarled. "But instead, you kill his grandmother and potentially his daughter. A daughter who is barely more than an infant! Have you no honor!?"

"F-father…wait, don't get so worked up!" Tyrian pleaded desperately as the rest of his clan glowered at him. "We outnumber the Arcs greatly, surely we can finish the job and end this nonsense!"

"It was already over!" Tyrian's father roared. "You think their numbers matter? You came back alone so clearly, they aren't defenseless. As long as an Arc exists, so does the potential for their damnable semblance to return. An amp is nothing to ignore, even the potential for one can shape allegiances!"

Tyrian had never seen his father look so disgusted.

"You're a fool, Tyrian, a fool." A voice whispered and he turned to see his mother looking at him as though he were trash. "I don't want to hear his mouth, gag him, and put him in the dungeons."

Tyrian tried to fight back but soon a cloth wrapped around his mouth as his arms and legs were bound along with his stinger. After the guards returned from shoving Tyrian down into the basement, they returned with looks of worry.

"We need to find some way to intercept Arc." One of the Callows muttered getting their attention. "We have to make him listen, if not, our family will be destroyed."

"What do you mean?"

"It's why I called this meeting before your son interrupted it with his news." The Callows' spymaster said solemnly. "There have been signs of a Fey survivor in Mistral that I was tracking that disappeared years ago. I've found out recently that their disappearance aligns perfectly with a mission Arc took."

"And three years later, his wife pops up out of nowhere." The Leader murmured, his blood running cold. "Does she have the semblance?"

"If my suspicions are correct, she was the one who destroyed her family." The Spymaster murmured. "If this is true, she doesn't just have the semblance, it's the strongest one that family ever birthed."

The leader's face went blank. "Then we're dead."

As if on cue a large explosion shook the manor, destroying the east wall. Scrambling to their feet and attempting to regain their bearings, they looked up to see a figure standing before them garbed in pitch black armor. The figure rested E.X.-Calibur on its shoulder, and though it was now black, the leader of the Callow's family would never forget that blade.

To him, it was like looking at a ghost.

"Uther…" the faunus muttered before shaking his head, knowing that he had already killed the man. "Arthur."

In response, Arthur pulled a lever hanging from the blade's large guard, causing its serrated blade to spin as the weapon revved like an engine.

"Arthur. Arthur Arc!" The leader shouted, standing tall even as the powerful blade was ignited in a black flame. "It doesn't have to go this way. We can have peace."

"The chance for peace disappeared when you tried to kill my daughter." Arthur drawled. "This ends today."

"Please-" The Callows leader stopped cold when he felt his aura shatter. Incredulously, the scorpion Faunus looked down to see the black blade piercing his chest almost as if his aura wasn't even a factor.

And honestly? With the amount of power pouring from Arthur?

It wasn't.

It was then that the screams began and Arthur ripped the blade free before turning to the rest of the room. This was no longer about settling a score, the blood feud had long since been forgotten.

This was about protecting their family.

And Arthur and Juniper would willingly walk into the gates of hell if it meant their precious arch, their rainbow, could prosper.

Arthur went on the offensive…

…and the Callows began to fall.

One by one, swing after swing, Arthur tore through them all with ease. Beneath the floorboard, Tyrian struggled with tears in his eyes against the bindings. He was begging Arthur to stop, pleading for himself to be taken instead but his cries and apologies fell on deaf ears.

Bit by bit, the light peaking from the floorboards that illuminated his cell was darkened by the blood pooling on the floor above and dripping through the cracks.

"They're running," Juniper informed Arthur who rushed out into the streets and quickly caught up to the fleeing the Callows. Grabbing one by the neck, he cracked it while tripping the second one. Stepping forward, he crushed the downed Callows' head beneath his heel and released a black arc of aura at the one that had gotten the furthest. The Scorpion barely had enough time to yell before the arc hit him, splattering his blood on the side of a nearby home.

-Arthur's Mindscape-

Slowly, Arthur strolled toward a pool of black water as the images of his predecessors in their primes took a knee while he passed them. Tears fell from his eyes as he passed Nimue and Uther and stopped at the edge of the pool where Juniper awaited him. Grabbing him by his hands, Juniper pulled him back with her into the black lake.

With a resounding splash, they descended into the dark waters and Arthur found himself nude, being straddled by Juniper. Her long black hair melded into the waters as her eyes seemed to shine even brighter the further that they descended.

There was a look of ecstasy on her face as she rocked her hips and Arthur grit his teeth when he felt his power grow even further. He had to focus to maintain his semblance as his wife proved to be far more powerful than either of them realized.

Leaning forward, Juniper whispered into his ear.

"Say my name."

"Juniper…"

"No, my real name."

-Callows Village-

Engulfed by a black pillar of darkness, Arthur stood at the edge of the village and roared as his power continued to rise to the point that he felt his semblance being overpowered as his rage grew and attracted grimm in the distance.

Gripping his blade with both hands, Arthur swung his blade upward.

"Morgan!" Arthur shouted releasing an ocean of black that eclipsed the village. Around him, his surroundings exploded from the sudden spike of power. In the village, sound send to be sucked up into a void and all the survivors could do was silently fall to their knees when they saw the wave approaching them.

Bodies going limp, the faunus just succumbed to their fate, as they were engulfed by the darkness that left nothing in its wake.

BGM: END

Stabbing his blade into the ground, Arthur was barely able to catch his exhausted wife when she pulled herself from his body.

The deed was done.

-Later: Vale: Patch: Summer's Home-

"They're calling it the fissure." Summer said as Juniper picked up her sleeping daughter. "The place where the village used to be. What the hell did you do?"

"Send a message," Juniper muttered. "You do not mess with my children."

"I can see." Summer shook her head before giving them a sad smile. "This is it then, where are you guys going?"

"The Frontier, it has the potential to be a nice peaceful lifestyle as soon as the grimm are dealt with," Arthur answered. "Between setting up appropriate defenses and pouring most of our assets into the community, we can uplift and change the lives there for the better."

"Plus, the agriculture alone and the potential for trading should refill our funds," Juniper added. "We have a rainbow to make and children aren't cheap."

Summer chuckled at that and smirked at Arthur. "Looks like you'll be put to work." Summer tilted her head. "Makes me wonder what you're going to do when you finally retire."

"Who knows, maybe pick up the guitar." Arthur joked. "You take care of yourself, Summer."

"And remember, the second you have a plan, call us." Juniper reminded her which made Summer nod before she stepped forward and hugged her friends.

"I will now go."

-Vale: Frontier-

BGM: All Roads Lead Home (Hobbs & Shaw Remix)- Fast and Furious OST

It took a few days of travel, but eventually, the family made it to the Frontier. A single glance told them it would be a long road ahead of them, the tired expressions of the populace were proof of that.

"Well," Juniper said while raising the book Nimue left her. "Let's get started.

-Saphron-

"She's beautiful," Juniper whispered as she held her daughter while Rosé looked at her sister in wonder. She was excited about having a sister. They had pumped almost all of their money into rebuilding the frontier and were now living in a modest house that rested on still barren lands.

The grimm attacks were brutal and now and then they would even need the aid of The Black Knight which had ended up creating a legend in Vale as it had somehow managed to be tied to the Callows attack due to the presence of the Arcs.

The official story was that he was a friend and they left it at that.

The future didn't exactly look perfect, but after seeing their new daughter they had hoped they could fix this.

-Jaune-

Years had past and life had returned to the lands. Arthur had been on a particularly long expedition and was just happy to return home. As he climbed the path to his house which had been renovated to be far more pleasant to live in, he found his wife waiting on him as their daughters played in the fields.

"Honey I'm home," Arthur joked which made Juniper laugh before kissing him.

"Happy birthday," Juniper whispered, raising the bundle in her arms. Arthur blinked and looked down to see Jaune staring up at him curiously.

"I have son…" Arthur whispered before raising the child high with a loud laugh. It wasn't that he loved Jaune any more or less than his sisters, rather, it was the idea of having a new experience as well as him being able to be the parent that could pass down knowledge about growing up for once that made him overjoyed. "I have a son!" Arthur then paled. "Oh God, I have a son."

"Beloved?" Juniper questioned startled by his sudden change in attitude.

"Jun, you know what I was like, how can I possibly not mess this up?" Arthur said showing genuine fear for once in his life.

"By teaching him all that you learned while becoming the man you are now," Juniper said reassuringly. "Besides, unlike you, he isn't born with everything. Our family won't recover its power and influence until he's of age and by then you can teach him how to be a good man as well as an Arc."

"He's our heir," Arthur murmured. "But I don't want that to define him. I want him to be free to be whoever he wishes and to know that I will be proud no matter what he does. I had a blade thrust in my hands at three, Jun. I don't want that for him."

"And if he wants to pick up the sword?" Juniper questioned as she placed a hand on his forearm.

"Then I will let him, but if he doesn't have talent, I won't teach him beyond the basics, they all need to learn those," Arthur said firmly. "Through hard work, he can surpass anyone but that will take time, time that he won't have if he's an amp. Summer is still fighting that war and you know he will be thrust in the line of fire before he's ready."

Juniper grimaced at the thought and nodded solemnly. "He does have the spark, all the girls do as well," Juniper whispered. "Their aura is dormant but strong. Stronger than most adults when he was born, I had your fears as well and decided to reach out a bit with my aura and test theirs. Beloved, their auras made mine recoil."

Arthur paled.

"They'll be weapons," Arthur murmured. "I sought to restore the founder's semblance and succeeded. I truly was a foolish boy."

"Regret the motives but never the action," Juniper murmured. "Never regret me or our children."

"Never," Arthur said firmly before smirking. "We have a rainbow to finish, correct?"

"Correct." Juniper smiled. "Besides there is some good news. I fear the day they find a way to ever get their auras unlocked but if they do, I can confirm that it is tame. They will be able to control it." Juniper winked at him. "So, there is something of you in them besides their looks." Juniper then pouted. "Seriously how strong are your genes? No one will even think I'm their mother."

"If anything, they'll think you're their sister," Arthur smiled. "You still look as radiant as the day I married you."

"It's my aura," Juniper answered. "Having a lot does wonders for the skin."

Arthur laughed loudly out that.

-Jade-

"I birthed a cat. That's the only explanation," Juniper deadpanned as she saw her daughter crawling on top of a cabinet. "How is a baby this adventurous!?"

"Karma," Arthur said looking just about as done as Juniper as he was unable to figure out how she got up there either. "You had to go and jinx it by acknowledging how low maintenance of a baby Jaune was, now you birthed the devil."

"Oh stop," Juniper said, slapping his shoulder lightly.

"And you want a bigger house?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "I know we can afford it, the income has been incredible, but you know we will never find her, right?"

"We'll wait until she can talk before upgrading." Juniper conceded. Knowing that the girl would at least need to be able to respond when her name is called or else they would never find her. "Not like it can get worse."

-Lapis & Lazuli-

Arthur stared.

Juniper looked away.

Arthur stared harder.

Juniper rubbed her shoulder.

"Don't say it."

"Juniper."

"Please."

"You had to jinx it." Arthur said as he turned to face Cerberus-er-he meant Jade and the twins who were somehow having a stand-off with Rosé, Saphron, and Jaune. For some reason, Arthur felt as though he were looking at a civil war.

"Demons." Rosé turned to her parents. "They're demons."

Jaune hid behind Saphron who looked as though she were about to blow a gasket. They had a lovely house, they did, and they were one renovation away from surpassing even their prior manor. That said Arthur believed wholeheartedly that it would be in ruins by the time puberty hit.

"By the way, I got a call from Summer," Juniper spoke knowing that would be the only thing to distract Arthur. "She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl."

"She took a break from the war effort?" Arthur questioned quietly. "We should have visited."

"No, she hasn't, she gave birth on the battlefield actually," Juniper said which made Arthur gape at her.

"She's insane."

"She's Summer."

"Point taken," Arthur murmured. "What did she name her little spoil of war? Blood Rose?"

Juniper chuckled and shook her head "Ruby." Juniper's smile then faded. "She has Summer's eyes."

Arthur scowled instantly. "Did you-"

"Yes, and she agreed," Juniper informed him. "If anything happens to her and Taiyang, we will be taking their girls in. Heavens know Qrow cannot raise them."

-Sapphire-

Arthur smirked at Juniper.

Juniper was not amused.

"Oh, don't look so smug," Juniper muttered before they were quietly shushed by their two-year-old daughter who was reading herself a bedtime story. Arthur's smirk just grew but he didn't say anything, not want to tempt fate or jinx anything.

Which only further proved his point, that it was Juniper's fault that Jade and the twins were so energetic.

Unlike the last two pregnancies, this one was smooth, with no surprises, and they birthed what they quickly realized would be the smartest of their children so far in time. She was well behaved and when the others became too much she would leave and find herself something productive to do with her time.

-Violet-

Arthur was alerted to the sounds of crying and immediately rushed into the manor. Once there he saw his pregnant wife sobbing on the floor as a scared but confused Jaune tried to comfort her. Around them, their daughters looked at her in fear, never seeing their mother break down like this.

"Jun! What happened?" Arthur questioned as he knelt next to her, gently thanking his son for his efforts. "Is it the baby?"

"No," Juniper whispered, and was then that he saw her broken scroll on the floor, obviously having been thrown down in a fit of rage. "It's… It's…Summer."

Arthur paled.

"Summer?" Arthur questioned. "Oh God no…"

Rosé gasped and looked at her parents. "What's wrong with Aunt Sumsum?" The younger children hadn't met her or even knew of her existence. But Rosé remembered. She would never forget her hero.

"I'm so sorry baby," Juniper whispered. "She's…she's gone."

Rosé broke down immediately.

-Vale: Patch: Summer's Memorial-

BGM: Never Fade Away by P.T. Adamcyzk & Olga Jankowska- Cyberpunk 2077 OST

Patch had probably never had this many people at one time, and especially not in place. Huntsmen from across the four kingdoms gathered to pay their respects to the woman who touched their hearts. Silently, Arthur stood in black with Juniper and Rosé, the rest of their children staying with a neighbor at the frontier.

Time passed and the crowd began to dwindle, and when a guilt-ridden Ozpin strolled by, Arthur stopped him by placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

"What did we gain?" Arthur questioned quietly, startling the man who seemed to search his eyes for a moment before realizing that yes, the Arcs were in the know.

"Time," Ozpin answered. "Some much-needed time."

"Do you have a plan?" Juniper questioned her tone cold as she gave him a look that she had learned from Nimue. Even as heavily pregnant as she was, Juniper was an intimidating woman. Though she held no illusions that Ozpin feared her, he knew better than to try and lie.

Instead, he averted his eyes and remained silent.

"Get out of my sight," Arthur ordered as he released the man who gave him a tight smile and nodded his head.

"Of course, Lord Arc."

With that Ozpin left and soon it was just them, Qrow, Taiyang, and his daughters.

"Taiyang, if you need anything…" Arthur spoke up and the man nodded, not looking at him as he held his sobbing daughters.

"I know. I'll call. Thank you, Arthur." Taiyang whispered and Arthur looked up to see a bird land on a nearby branch. For a moment his eyes met the creature's and he nodded before leaving with his family. It was time to let Team STRQ mourn.

*Flash*

"Hey!" A voice exclaimed, nearly giving Arthur a heart attack when Summer popped up out of nowhere halls of Beacon. "Why didn't you take the headmaster's offer? You would have had a team and even more friends!"

"I don't need friends." Arthur scoffed as he brushed past her. "I need power."

"Why not both?" Summer questioned. "Oh well, I'll be your friend. If you need anything let me know."

"Doubtful a no-name like you could give me anything." Arthur scoffed before leaving the annoying huntress. She was easy on the eyes, yes, but that was it in his opinion. Hopefully, she would learn to not bother him.

She didn't.

*Flash*

"You're better than this. There is no honor in killing him." Summer eyes seemed to gain an unearthly glow. "Please don't make me stop you."

Arthur would have told her off then and there. Who was she to tell him who he was? Did she think those strange eyes of her let her see something he couldn't?

How dare she look at him like that.

Like he could be better when he was already the best.

Why did her words hurt? She was a nobody, why did he care for her opinion?

Whatever, he'd humor her if only to shut her up.

*Flash*

Of course, she would be the first alumni from Beacon he would find on his travels. Surprisingly, she greeted him as if their last encounter never happened and though he found her far more bearable, he was surprised that he was almost interested in hearing how she had been.

Surely, it's because he had traveled alone for so long.

He was willing to treat her to a meal so they could exchange a tale or two.

He would be surprised at how much time they would spend catching up, the sun having set in the distance hours ago.

*Flash*

To say Arthur was relieved to see Summer at this party was an understatement. He had much to tell her and was curious about what adventures she had been on. It would be a nice change of pace to have some intelligent conversation at one of these gatherings for once.

It was nice to have a friend for once.

He had grown used to being alone, but honestly, when he looked back at it, he hadn't been alone for a while. Not with Summer so adamant about them being friends long before he finally conceded that yes, yes, they were friends.

*Flash*

How the hell did she go from a ditsy stalker to the maid of honor at his wedding?

This woman was truly an anomaly.

But she was a good person, a great person, and if she hadn't helped get his head out of his ass the beautiful woman walking down the aisle and the baby within her would not be in his life. Those two meant more than anything he had.

Even more than House Arc.

They were his family and he owed it all to this wonderful woman.

He'd talk with Juniper, but he had an idea of what to name their child if it was a girl.

*Flash*

How dare they!?

Arthur saw red when he burst through the foliage and onto a bridge above a massive ravine. On the bridge, he could see Summer fighting for her life against two huntsmen. His blade burning bright, he would teach these fools not to mess with the allies of his house.

*Flash*

Friend?

No.

No Summer wasn't a friend, he was blind to not see it before.

She was family.

She almost died fighting him off so that he could have the chance to walk again. Once more, she pried his head out of his self-loathing ass and saved his family. He wished there was a way to repay her for all that she has done but she didn't want money or favor.

She just wanted to help.

Arthur had never been so humbled in his life.

He loved Summer, not as he did his wife, but he loved her as a person all the same.

*Flash*

They had to leave.

They had to get away from Summer.

They were afraid, but not for themselves but the woman in question. They saw how she momentarily blamed herself for the attack until they identified the intruders as the Callows. Though even then, if Summer's suspicions that Salem was in contact with them were true, Summer still probably blamed herself.

They loved her but they were a distraction Summer did not need.

It infuriated Arthur to feel so helpless, they wanted to fight with her, to join her against Salem but they simply could not do so without a damned plan. Not when they had a child to provide for and no other relatives to uphold their House.

Arthur knew they had to say goodbye to their closest friend for her sake.

He just wished it didn't hurt so much.

*Flash*

Arthur sat on the edge of a cliff, watching the sunset in the distance. He opened up a beer and then another and held it up.

"You were the best," Arthur said as he felt the bottle be taken from his hand. Next to him Summer sat down with a smile and toasted. "I'm scared, Rose, very scared. I never agreed with you following Ozpin into that war but I was comforted by the fact that it was you. You were always the best of us, unstoppable….and now you're gone."

"Oh Arthur, we're never truly gone. Not as long as we're remembered." Summer said softly. "And especially not when we have children. They give us a chance to be even better than we were before. As long as you have that beautiful arch, that rainbow, and I have my little sun and gem, we have nothing to fear."

"Time," Arthur murmured. "You died to give your children the chance to grow."

"I can't beat Salem." Summer admitted. "I'm not that strong, but Ruby is. Yang is. Hell, if even one of your children picks up the blade, they will be unstoppable. I'm not saying to go train your kids to the bone but rather, don't let your fear of your past stand in their way should they choose to. Everything happens for a reason."

Arthur nodded and together they sat in silence, drinking their beers and Summer leaned into his side. Arthur's face crumpled, tears flowing freely as he allowed himself to truly cry. "You…you were my best friend."

Arthur bowed his head.

"Please don't go." Arthur pleaded. "You can't just do what you did to me, make me this person I could only dream of being, and leave." Arthur said as he gripped her hand tightly.

"I'm so sorry Arthur, I wish I could stay." Summer whispered tears falling from her eyes. "But you have to push on, you have a rainbow to complete and I won't be there to pull your head out of your ass this time." Summer joked though it was followed by a choked cry of her own. "Tell your wife and kids I love them, and remember that I believe in you, Arthur. I always have."

With that Summer Rose burst into white rose petals, leaving Arthur's life with all the beauty and grace that she entered it.

-BGM: END-

-Vale: Frontier: Arc Manor-

Sitting up with a gasp, Arthur woke up from his couch and looked up to see the midwife nudging him with a small smile.

"She's ready, your wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl." The midwife whispered, careful not to wake the other children. "You and that boy of yours have your work cut out for you."

"That we do, that we do." Arthur quietly nudged Jaune awake and gestured for his son to follow him. Quietly they entered the bedroom and saw Juniper holding Violet and humming a lullaby. Arthur lifted Jaune so he could see his newest sister. "Jaune meet your sister, Violet."

"Hi, Violet," Jaune whispered, even though he was the third-born he still looked at the new babies with the same amount of wonder he always had. As if it were the first time that he had seen them.

"I want you to remember this, Jaune," Arthur said firmly but his expression as gently. "No matter who or what you decide to be one day, you are obligated to protect this House. Whether it be your mother, your sisters, or heck, even me if I'm compromised. You will be a powerful man one day, and how you use that power will determine your worth. I believe in you, we both do, so don't worry, alright?"

"Yes," Jaune answered with a nod.

"Good, now go wake up your sisters so they can meet Violet," Arthur said before he sat his son down who scurried out of the room.

"He's still young Arthur," Juniper murmured.

"Yes, but he's been eyeing the family sword."

"A passing fancy, I'm sure."

"Doubtful," Arthur snorted. "As much as I love that boy, Jaune is an awkward child. I doubt he has any talent for the blade. That said he has heart and will and is a good person with determination even I don't have. It won't be smooth and I doubt I can help him if his weapon preference differs from mine, but he will be great. Arguably the best in our history to date."

"I fear for him," Juniper whispered. Jaune was such a gentle boy, her little ray of sunshine. He was always willing to play with his sisters no matter how embarrassed he ended up and always helping her in the kitchen. Just the thought of him becoming remotely like herself or Arthur terrified her to no end and kept her up many a night.

"As do I, Jun, as do I," Arthur murmured. "But we must have faith in him. Life will knock him down, countless times, each worse than the last but he will rise every time. Of that, I have no doubt."

-Years Later-

Arthur sat down in a chair in front of the manor and picked up the guitar resting on the side of it. He had no idea when or how that look appeared on his son's face, but it did. And Arthur knew there was nothing to stop the events that unfold from this moment.

Looking up, he saw his son stop at the edge of the forest, his body partially covered by the shadows of the dense woods.

"Believe in me." Jaune's voice cut through the silence of the night as he gripped the family sword tighter.

"I do," Arthur said as he strummed the guitar. "I never stopped."

BGM: Through the Valley-Shawn James & The Shapeshifters (Instrumental)

Silently, Jaune nodded, his face covered by the shadows of his hood before he continued his trek. Disappearing into the night, stepping forward onto the path that would lead him to his destiny.

Inside the manor, Juniper had awoken to get a drink of water but the glass soon fell from her hand when she saw the family sword missing from the fireplace. Heart going cold, Juniper rushed out of the house only to slow to a stop when she saw Arthur alone.

Closing the door behind her, she slid down it and sat, her expression stricken before she buried her face into her knees, weeping for her son and the pain he would endure while Arthur sang.

-With Jaune-

I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

As Jaune walked through the forest, he slowly drew his blade when began to hear the sound of grimm approaching him.

And I fear no evil because I'm blind to it all
And my mind and my blade they comfort me
Because I know I'll kill my enemies when they come

The grimm attacked Jaune fast, and died even faster for it.

-Months Later-

Jaune watched impassively as Pyrrha's spear tried to crash through his ultimate defense as they finally had their climatic battle.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell on this earth forevermore
Said, I walk beside the still waters and they restore my soul
But I can't walk on the path of the right because I'm wrong

Jaune's aura shattered as Pyrrha's attack slammed into him.

-Present-

Well, I came upon a gal at the top of a hill

Walking forward, Jaune stood next to Ruby on a hill that overlooked the Emerald forest. Around them, rose petals rained down as her cape blew in the gentle breeze.

Called herself the savior of the human race

Ruby told Jaune of her next plan which earned her a thoughtful expression.

Said she'd come to save the world from destruction and pain.

Jaune countered with a healthy amount of skepticism.

But I said, "How can you save the world from itself?"

The two then began their impromptu strategy meeting and before long they had an excellent plan detailed for the next steps in their campaign.

-Argus-

Terra held her son and rushed to the front room to see what had made her wife cry out. Terra found the tearful woman pointing at the screen and felt her heart plummet when she saw her brother-in-law fighting on the screen for his life.

Multiple clips showcasing newly found footage of JNR's adventure before joining Beacon, his battle with Pyrrha, the docks, and his battle with the Claw all showed on the screen. Below it was the captions "House Arc Returns? Legendary Semblance: Restored. Vale's Shield: The Shining Knight, Jaune Arc".

Terra slumped next to her wife, stunned as they watched Jaune and his friends battle for their lives while protecting the innocent.

-Vacuo-

A hooded Tyrian overheard the news and turned to see a report on Jaune. Tyrian's eyes widened before he grinned and released maniacal laughter in the middle of the street.

*Flashback*

Mind effectively broken, Tyrian continued to sit in the darkness, suffocated by the stench of death. Eventually, the floor above him was ripped up and to his awe-in the light- he saw his savior.

His goddess.

Salem.

The witch looked down at him with a raised eyebrow and stood surrounded by grimm in front of the fissure that was once a village.

-Present: Vale: Frontier: Arc Manor-

'Cause I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
And I fear no evil because I'm blind
Oh, and I walk beside the still waters and they restore my soul
But I know when I die my soul is damned

Arthur brought the song to an end and turned to see his wife standing on the porch.

BGM: END

"Singing that song again?" Juniper questioned as she moved next to him.

"Getting better." The bearded man said with a laugh before pulling her down onto his lap and kissing her.

"Careful, we agreed to stop at eight." Juniper smiled which made him laugh.

"Doesn't mean we can't have fun."

Juniper shook her head at his antics and the two sat in comfortable silence, taking in the fresh air and various sounds of the Frontier.

"Do you think he's okay? Alive?" Juniper whispered.

"Of course, he's our son, the son of The Black Knight." Arthur reminded her gently.

"I just don't get why he would leave so suddenly. The girls were heartbroken." Juniper sighed, recalling the morning after Jaune's disappearance. Even Sapphire had been brought to tears. Rosé, who was visiting with her family, had a knowing expression as if she had expected it much like Arthur while Saphron sounded as though she had a panic attack and talked with Juniper for hours after finding out. If Terra hadn't just given birth, Juniper knew her daughter would have shown up in person.

Jade, ever the explorer, went out to search for him and returned a week later confirming that he was no longer in the Frontier or possibly even Vale.

Lapis and Lazuli were thinking of ways to prank him whenever he showed back up when they finally finished crying and Violet had been inconsolable for a month.

Safe to say even if Jaune survived out there, he probably wouldn't survive his sisters whenever he popped back up at home.

Arthur almost felt bad for Jaune and would have if he hadn't been the one forced to take care of everyone else and console them. Which was why he inwardly smirked knowing that his son would be returning in a couple of weeks.

He only hoped Jaune hadn't been doing anything too crazy in the real world.

The boy could deal with his sisters but God help him if Juniper found out he had been living recklessly.

With that thought, Arthur chuckled and kissed Juniper's cheek.

"They were, but they got over it and I'm sure he had a reason," Arthur reassured her. "We raised him right."

"You're right," Juniper acknowledged.

"So, for now let's just focus on the good things," Arthur continued. "They'll finally finish repairing the tower this month."

Juniper rolled her eyes. "Oh no, the fights for the tv are returning," Juniper said before both she and Arthur shuddered at the thought. "Maybe we should just buy them scrolls and upgrade ours while we're at it, I hear they do things besides make and receive calls nowadays." Juniper mused and with that, she leaned into his side and together they rested and enjoyed the peaceful day.

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Arc Reunion

That's that, hope you enjoyed this accidental chapter. Will get back to working on the INTENDED Chapter this week

Reviews:

MaxmanGX08: Haha glad you peeped the hints and that you enjoyed my work! Thanks for the review!

HoshimachiOkayu: Wow, that is a very nice compliment and I'm humbled to hear that, thanks! Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Lobo Loco10: Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe.

AJ Lexie: Glad you liked the chapter! Always enjoy reading your reviews Lex haha!

Robbie2413: I'd love fan art too, would definitely help with the motivation factor haha and visuals are always nice.

: Hope this was soon enough! Thanks for the review!

A worn reader: Wow that's a very high compliment, one I appreciate and I am so glad you reached out. Always nice to hear from the veteran readers, means that if you're still around I haven't lost my touch haha.

Jamsieboy: I have RETURNED! Will drop this and another chapter this month before resting again.

FatherMordteiva: You definitely called the filler haha but hopefully this world building was done well enough to keep you entertained. The next Arc will be a sort of hybrid of what I originally planned to be two arcs that will deal with Ren and Nora. Glad you liked the chapter! Thanks for the review!

Freerunner4427: The reaction will be great and the cultists love to show up fashionably late.

Lowrex: While this chapter doesn't deal with Jaune's sword directly, hopefully you can squint and get an idea of what one of the new functions might be.

0Akarigan0: Gracias por la reseña. Me alegro que hayas disfrutado del capítulo y los diferentes eventos que se realizan en él.

¡Esperamos que también disfrutes de este capítulo y de la tradición que se le ha añadido!

C3l3st14: I'll have to look into it, but I have no problems using songs listed by reviewers, helps expand my own playlist! There is definitely going to be a much need upgrade to the scythe, but just what remains to be seen.

Zacatac: I'm so glad the chapter made you so hype! Glad to know it was thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you for the review!

Hnh058513: Runnnn!

Bankerrtx01: Lol darn, hope you enjoyed the binge session then! Yeah, it had to be done for the plot moving forward especially as we get to the rest of this 'volume'. Most of those questions will be answered in the coming chapters as the next arc is essentially a team wide buff for JNPR which means we get to delve deeper into their characters a bit.

Beardboy: Ascension is basically splitting one's self in half, making each half grow stronger than the original whole, and merging them back into one being powerful enough to shatter their mortal limits and open the path to godhood.

There is no uniform way to do this which is why Blake and Ruby's ascensions are so vastly different. Hope that helps!

Thanks for the reviews everyone!

Read and review…

…and as always…

…stay classy!

~RebukeX7