Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit story, RWBY was created by Monty Oum-may he forever live within our hearts-and is owned by RoosterTeeth. I in no way shape or form own the show or it's characters...but if i did, I would be in the pool of my Yacht that resides in the pool of my even bigger Yacht.

Welcome back everyone, this chapter starts another Arc in the story. Now, there were some questions that were left unanswered in the last chapter, but don't worry, they will be answered in due time. But for now, I would like to make this chapter about the reactions that the Rose/Xiao-Long families will have. The Hero himself will be left out almost entirely from this chapter. Oh, one more thing, I want you guys to know that i will now be juggling three stories at once. This one, A Warrior's Road, and a new one that popped into my head not too long ago. The identity of this new story will be revealed at the end of this chapter. Now with the Author's notes done with, let's get right into the story.

(Summer's POV)

I really wish that he stayed, the families not the same without him. Everyone's feeling at least a little down. I want to be angry at him. Hell, I am angry, but i'm not angry at him. He must have been so hurt. To think that he was the reason the house was attacked. He's such a sweet boy though. Even through the trials in his life he stayed true to his heart. He almost never got angry, and he was always so polite to everyone he met. Even to Dave. Though I don't even know why he tries with that man. Dave's just a downright...he's a bad person. But with him gone, all the things we do now are done with a little less enthusiasm. I sometimes catch Raven look at the small handkerchief he made her with a sad smile. I think that she's taken the situation as bad as me and Tai. Speaking of whom, I don't think he's even given a real smile since that day. Even when he makes a pun he has to force it out. That man has made himself busy with whatever he can. The same thing could be said about Qrow. I don't think I've seen him look so guilty since the first time he actually got a hit on me during one of our sparring matches. And the kids. It just breaks my heart whenever I have to tell Ruby that Jaune's not coming back. I knew that the two were close. But after Ruby realized that he actually wasn't coming back, she locked herself in her room and didn't want to talk to anyone for the entire day. I used to think that she missed her big brother figure, but after thinking about it for a few days, I realized that it actually might have been more than that. She might have liked Jaune to a point where she might have imprinted on him. I might be assuming that though. However, my mother did say that she had imprinted on my father at around her age, so anything is Possible. But I've noticed it in Yang too, how she would always want to hang around him, and how she would smile almost as much as when she hangs out with Rave. Speaking of whom, Raven's been trying to console Yang since she's been a bit emotional recently. Me, well, I try to keep everyone's spirits up, but its hard to do that when you yourself aren't feeling that nice in the first place.

"Hey, Shortstack. We're all loaded up now. It's time to go."

"Sure Qrow. Just...just give me a few more minutes. I'm still writing in my journal. I'll be out in just a few."

"...Alright. Finish that up and meet us outside."

"Thank you Qrow."

He nods before walking up to me and places his head on top of mine, wrapping his arms around me to calm me. He could always tell when i'm distressed just as i can for him. Sometimes, I wish that we go back to simpler times. When we didn't have to worry about taxes, or bills, or even all of that stressing business of maidens and junk. But then I remember what we have now. A wonderful family, our dream job, and a loving relationship with each other. And i wouldn't trade that for the world.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Of course. now you go on and tell the others that i'll be right out. I want to say goodbye to this place."

"...Okay. Don't take too long."

"Don't worry, I wont."

"I love you, Summer."

"I love you too, Qrow."

He likes to act like he's bitter all the time, but I know he's just a big sweet heart. It's honestly kind of cute. It's also one of the things that drew me to him in the first place. After his little blunder in trying to ask me out the first time, i ended up having to get him out of the thousand year old Grim calling itself Bob. It was one of the many adventures we shared together. Shortly after we graduated, we bought this house. It was a bit of a fixer upper, but we made it work. Not to long after, we had Ruby. I think I've wanted a baby of my own since I saw Tai and Raven have one. Ever since then, we've been one big happy family. Everything was just perfect.

"Well...almost perfect." I can't help but feel somber when i think back to when I first met Jaune. It was really sudden and wasn't something i was planning on. And yet...

"I couldn't be happier that i found him." And it's true. From the first moment i saw him, i knew there was something about him that was special. From the way he fought, to how he treated everyone, and even his cooking, he just brought the best out of all of us. He was able to give Raven the most fun any of us have seen her have. It was funny how salty Tai seemed to be that day. We even took a picture of the moment. Raven was smiling, laughing, and actually hugging Jaune almost as tight as she would Yang. Jaune was hugging her back with just as much care, laughing right alongside her. They decided to take a break from training for a day and just spent their entire morning playing outside. Tai was behind them with a strained face. Qrow wouldn't let up on that for a good couple of weeks. Raven told me later that she had already accepted Jaune as part of the family. That much I already knew. But when she told me that she actually saw him as her son, I was surprised. With the amount of familiarity she said it with, one might think she was talking about a child that she gave birth to. I told her that I already thought of him as my son too. We both thought about adopting him, but before that could happen...

"Right, the ambush happened." We were just going to go into town and get the paperwork the next morning when it happened. It was a stressful day to say the least. But the most surprising thing I took from all that was how much...power Jaune displayed that night. We could hardly stand. I had never seen or felt such a suppressing Aura before. I had never seen such an angry look on his face before. I'd only seen him mad when Dave tried talking down to Ruby. Even then, that paled in comparison to how livid he looked when he saw that Tyrian had the girls hostage. I wont lie, I was terrified when I saw that blade pressed up to Ruby's neck. I'm sure that Raven, Qrow and Tai were in the same boat. But when I saw Jaune make his way to that awful man, i swore i could have seen the silhouette of him if he were older. It was awe inspiring. When he moved, I couldn't keep up with him. One moment he's taking heavy steps toward the assassin, the next, he's holding him by the throat. I was getting back up when I saw that other man-Hazel if i can remember-had rushed Jaune while he had his back to him. Jaune then surprised me with how much strength he had by launching him into the forest with a simple roundhouse kick. I don't really know what happened with Tyrian, but when i looked to see my baby running toward me, i noticed that the Scorpion Faunus was a hairs away from Ruby and Yang. Before I could even register what he was going to do, Jaune had seemingly teleport in front of him Now i don't know what he did, but a few moments later, he tossed the bastard to the horizon. I was a little tied up with the girls that I almost forgot about Jaune altogether. It wasn't until that letter landed at my feet did i notice that Jaune was gone. After reading the note, I...I...I didn't want to believe it. That he left. We searched for hours. The girls had fallen asleep not too long after we started looking. Tai decided that he would look after them for a while. But he looked so downtrodden. I figured that he felt the same way Raven did.

"Oh Tai." He had what you would call...a tough childhood. Not that his parents were abusive of him. Quite the opposite really. His parents gave him everything they could. But they didn't really have that much to give in the first place. His family lived outside the walls of the kingdoms. They grew up in an agricultural part of the world. They were farmers. Hard working and nice people. At least, that's what he told us. Because when he was around eight, His family was attacked by a pack of...Mannequins. He was only able to get out of there because a Hunter just so happened to be nearby. It scarred him. Even when he trained under that Hunter's wing, he never did bounce back. Before he made it to Beacon, his mentor-the same one that saved his life-was killed by another pack of Mannequins. He sometimes has these night terrors of that day. And up until now, he's thought that Mannequins would take away everything that he's held dear. And i think that knowing Jaune was able to kill them before has...given him some solace. Raven told me that he had admitted that he saw Jaune as a young version of himself. It just further proves that this family just isn't the same without him.

"Where ever you are, just be safe. Please." With how powerful he is, I have no doubt in my mind that he can take on any and all obstacles in his way. But somewhere down the line, I feel that he might run into something that even he wont be able to take on. Sure he's got this insane speed, strength, and intelligence, but...deep down, I just know that there are going to be times where he's going to be pushed up against the ropes. Where he's going to be pushed to his very limits. And yet...

"He'll end up on top. I just know he will." No matter how bad things get. No matter how grim things might seem, I have faith that he'll bring peace to the world.

"Summer, we don't have much time. We'll miss our flight if we wait much longer."

"Oh, sorry Raven. I was just...lost in thought." She looked at me for a moment before giving me a sort of sad smile. That's her way of telling me that she knows what i'm thinking about. She walks up to me and envelops me in a hug which I give back.

"I miss him too. But I know we'll see him sooner or later. Now come on, we already have all of our stuff in the truck."

She let's go of me and gestures for me to follow. I take a second to look at the now empty house. I think back to the memories we shared here. It almost brings tears to my eyes. But the time for tears has already passed. We already have a home down in Vale now. The kids can learn all they need to know before Beacon from us. So as I walk out of the house, I keep a confident smile and a skip in my step. Because if nothing else, at least we'll see him when he comes to Beacon.

(Raven's POV)

As I walk alongside Summer, I can't help but smirk at how she holds herself. She seems confident in something. No doubt in the fact that Jaune's going to come back one day. I know it too. And anyone who says otherwise is just delusional. Plus, if I really wanted too, I could team up with Qrow to find out where he is and drag him back home with one of my portals. But I don't. Simply because I know he needs space. He feels hurt. I get that. And if he feels that a journey is what's best for him, then i will respect his decision. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. Ever since he left, I've been very tempted to just use one of my portals to bring him back. His inconsiderate butt didn't even give a proper goodbye. He just left a note and then up and disappears. I swear, that boy. But in any case, I have trust that he'll come back to us some day. For now, we'll just have to wait. I'd like to say that i am a very patient person considering the people i live with, but I cannot say the same for some other people. My daughter being one of them. She...She's been temperamental these past few days. First she was angry at Jaune for leaving without saying goodbye, then she was in denial that he left and thought that he was just playing a prank on her, and most recently, she's cried that he left her. Now i'm no stranger when it comes to love, Romance, or even being attracted to a guy, seeing as how I've made a family with Tai, who has been an amazing husband and an even better father. So suffice to say, I was shocked to realize that Yang was heartbroken over Jaune because she held a crush for him. But the more I thought about it, the more it actually made sense. What's funny though, is the fact that Ruby had a crush on him as well. It was adorable really, how they would play together and just generally have fun. I tried consoling Yang that he would be back, but she insists that he was never coming back. Ruby overheard Yang's rant on how Jaune left because she was too weak and that he would never like someone weaker than him. Ruby had locked herself in her room for the rest of the day then. I used a portal to get into her room and try to convince her to come out, but she just hid herself in all of her blankets and told me to leave her alone. It was heartbreaking hearing her sniffles and small sobs when I was there. But at least now we're all here and accounted for. Tai's driving this truck with me and Yang in the back seat. Qrow's driving the other truck with Summer and Ruby. I look down at Yang to see her resting her head on me. And i suppose now is as good a time as any to try and talk to her.

"Yang. Sweety, I want to tell you something." She looks up to me as I stroke her hair. Now I know two things about my daughter that she inherited from me. She has a strong will, something that she has been lacking these couple of days, but is understandable given the circumstances. And two, she takes great pride in her hair. She has always treasured her hair as I do mine. No one has messed with either of our hair and got away with it. Summer learned that lesson when she dyed by hair pink. There are still strands of pink somewhere in there and I can't bring myself to cut them. Nor will I allow someone else to do it for me. But Yang let's me play with her hair and I let her play with mine. The only other person who is allowed to touch my hair is Tai, and even then, It's an on and off thing. So as i stroke her hair, she looks up to me and tilts her head to the side.

"What is it mommy?"

"Listen, I know you miss Jaune," As I mention his name, I can see that she's about to go on with another one of her rants on why he left, but I continue before she can start. "And I know you think he left because he thinks that you're weak." I continue, and before I can say anymore, she puts her two cents in.

"Because I am. Why would he want to stick around someone who wasn't as strong as him? What point is there to hanging around someone who will only hold you back?" She's going through the same phase i almost went through when I was pregnant with her. I couldn't fight at all during the nine months and five days that i was pregnant with her. Everyone else had to take on an extra mission or two during that time. I felt powerless. Unable to really defend myself. I thought that I would stay like that even after I had Yang. Looking back on it, I even had the ludicrous idea of running away right after giving birth to Yang. I almost went through with it too. But the moment I was looking into her eyes and holding her, I knew that I had to stay.

"Yang, Jaune left...because he didn't want to hurt you." I was making a educated guess of course, but anything to make my little dragon happy again is worth a try. And the look on her face tells me that she almost believes it, I just have to sell it.

"R-really?"

"Yes. He knew that he was too strong to be able to play with you without hurting you too." Another grasp at straws, but it seems to be working. I think a little more convincing and she'll be okay.

"But he would play with us all the time...but he did always try to do so little when we did. And when we tried to spar, he'd only watch or let us hit him. Was he really that strong?"

"Mhm, he was really strong. I think he was so strong that he thought that you wouldn't be able to hurt him." Now this was going to do one of two things. One: send me back all the way to square one, trying to console her while she spouted incoherent nonsense, or...

"'Wouldn't be able to hurt him?' Ha! I'll show him. I'll get super strong and show him that I can be even stronger than he is!" Not likely, but at least she's got her spirits back. I knew that she would answer like that. She is my daughter after all. I'll have to push her a little more if she really want's to get to his level.

"You know, I was going to tell you later on, but I think you might need to hear this now if you want to get stronger." She looked at me in such a way that almost rivaled Ruby's cuteness. Really, if i hadn't spent all those hours on the clinic myself giving birth to her, I would question if Yang was actually Summer's.

"Hmm? Tell me what, Mommy?" I leaned in, getting right next to her ear, as if it were a secret that nobody was supposed to know.

"That Jaune's going to go to Beacon. He's going to expect you to be extra strong for him when you meet him again. So you have until then to train real hard." I actually have no idea if he's actually going to go to Beacon. For all we know, he could change his mind and go to one of the other academies. I'm also not sure whether or not she'll even think about him after that long. After all, It's only a silly crush she had for him...

Right?

(Yang's POV)

Get strong...for him. Oh, it's giving me goosebumps! I want to get strong for him. I will be able to fight with him. To fight for him. He would always try to tell all the older kids that tried to hurt us to back off. They almost never listened. I remember one boy that went to Signal, he was being mean to me just because I accidentally stepped on his shoe. He even tried pulling my hair! It hurt really bad. But when I was going to try and yell, Jaune came in and snatched me from the meanie's hands. I had never felt like the way I did then. It was a weird feeling. Like when I get some of my favorite ice cream, but even better! And instead of being cold and painful if i have too much of it, it made me feel all warm inside. I wanted more of it. I always wanted to play with him whenever I could. It was just me, Jaune, and Ruby. Every time he smiled at me I got that same fuzzy feeling. So i thought about what made everybody laugh and remembered that Daddy would always tell the funniest jokes. They always made me laugh, so I knew that they would make him laugh. And I was right! He always laughed whenever I made a joke. Mommy doesn't seem to like them though. But Daddy does. Whenever i'm able to make him laugh, I get a candy! But, without Jaune, I feel so...lonely now. I miss his hugs, they always made me feel better when I was sad. But if we'll see each other again at Beacon, then we'll be...older. I think I overheard a boy from Signal say that guys like girls who are...'Hot' I think he said. When I looked up 'Hot Girls', I saw pictures of models in really pretty clothes. So if I want Jaune to like me when we're older, then i'm going to dress just like those women in those pictures.

"Alright, come on. We're here at the docks. We need to get on our Bullhead before we're late."

"Okay Daddy. But why do we have to move away from home?"

"Ah, well...It's not safe anymore."

"But those bad men are gone now. Jaune took care of them."

"I know my little dragon, but...you just have to trust me okay?"

"Okay."

"Now come on, who wants a piggy back ride?"

"Oh! Oh! Me! I want a piggy back ride!"

"Okay, come on. One. Two. Three! Up you go!"

"Yay! Come on Daddy! Let's go!"

"Careful Tai, you're going to throw out your back one day."

"As long as our little girl's happy, it'll be worth every second."

(Third Person POV)

As the family made their way to the plane that Ozpin supplied them, Qrow was mulling over how the meeting with the Headmaster went.

(Flashback)

"This...is troubling." Ozpin said as he went over the details in his head. First the assassination attempt, then the child-which he will have to keep an eye out for-. and finally the two men that invaded the home. It would seem that the queen was making her move. But he never expected her to make such a large one so soon. But what intrigued him more than anything else was this Jaune Noir that Qrow mentioned.

"You said that Summer found Jaune within the Grimlands, correct? Are we sure that he wasn't one of the Queens Pawns?" Ozpin questioned. After all, it isn't every day that you would find a child by himself in the middle of a forest that just so happens to be the entrance to the Queens home. And with an untraceable background, he could just as easily be another spy sent to find out their secrets sent by Salem. But as he looked at Qrow, he saw a flash of guilt that he hadn't seen in years from the man. It was...it raised an eyebrow from the Headmaster.

"No sir, he isn't another one of her subjects. I thought he was at the beginning as well, but over the months he lived with us, he proved to be a bright young boy. Summer told me that he wanted to be a Huntsman. Said he was planning to come here to Beacon." Qrow said, looking into the Headmasters eyes. Qrow didn't like talking about the kid much. Mostly because it reminded him on how he had neglected even the faintest possibility of Jaune just being a child that wanted to be a Huntsman. In a way, he reminded him of when he was a kid. Well, him if he wasn't a part of a marauding clan. He never even gave Jaune a chance. It was something inside of him telling him that he wanted to make things right, to try and make it up to the kid. But he hasn't had much time to do that, given the fact that he and his family were getting ready to move here to Vale. He had felt terrible ever since that day. He was contemplating taking a few days away from his family when he was called by Ozpin to come and give a report on what happened.

"Are you sure about that Qrow? We both thought that Merlot could be trusted as well." Ozpin said, mentioning the scientist that had been one of the reasons that Mt. Glen had been taken by the Grim. Qrow winced at the memory. He had lost a lot of friends during the collapse of the place. But even more so at the memory of that madman. He had honestly thought that the man was okay. From what he gathered about him, he was just someone that had an affinity for science. But then he started with those 'experiments' of his. Then things went for a downward spiral. Ultimately resulting in the loss of so many lives.

"...This is nothing like that. I've spent a majority of those months monitoring his every movement, and he has shown no suspicious behaviors. If there was anything out of the ordinary about him, it would be his astounding strength and intelligence. He has the most strength I've seen from anyone. Even more than the other huntsman I've known. And his intelligence is beyond anything I've ever seen. He has photographic memory and has the thought process of a supercomputer. I'm telling you Oz, he could be a great asset to this fight." Qrow stated, raising the interest in this child even more for the Headmaster. He was quiet for a few seconds, thinking about what he would do. He thought that with strength and his strength alone, he'd be a force to be reckoned with. But if Qrow was right about him, then with that intelligence backing up that strength, he's be almost unstoppable. But that also brought up another problem.

"This strength...if he has as much as you say, It concerns me that he may not be able to hold back such power." Ozpin said, raising his concerns. Of course, Qrow could have been exaggerating Jaune's abilities, but he hasn't gotten this far without taking precautions. So he wanted to make sure that he took the worst case scenario instead of underestimating him and being caught off guard by Jaune. Qrow looked at him for a second before letting out a small chuckle.

"Actually, that's the thing. Those months that I spent monitoring him were primarily training him to try and control his strength. Though Tai did most of the work. But I did try to teach him how to use a weapon. Along with Raven too actually. But uh, sorry about those bots. The day after the attack, we found them practically dismantled. The strangest thing, they were perfectly fine when we went to sleep. I don't know how it happened." Qrow said. Though he had an idea on how it happened, he wasn't sure. Ozpin took that information in and thought about it. If he had been trained by those three, then he must at least have some kid of technique. He was starting to sound more and more promising. Someone like that could be the kind of person that could end this battle between him and the Queen. The question was if he was willing to gamble that he would even agree. But as he went over the recent events, he realized his answer.

"Alright. If he comes back and applies for Beacon, I will allow him to attend. Now go, I know you need to be there for your family. Send them my best wishes." Ozpin said as he dismissed the younger man. Qrow eyed him for a moment before transforming into a crow and flying out the window, leaving the Headmaster to his own devices.

"I just hope this doesn't come back to haunt me."

He had been hoping that Ozpin would accept Jaune. He thought that if nothing else, he could give him a guaranteed spot in Beacon. Sure the battle was a factor in his thought process, but his primary concern was the kids schooling. It was concerning how much he had neglected to embrace before the attack. It was also a bit sad how it took a threat to his blood family to realize that Jaune was just as important to him as his daughter. So he has wanted to take some time to try and figure out who he is and who every one else is to him. But as stated before, he hasn't been able to get that much time to himself. But he's made due. Besides, his family needs him. So all of that can be put aside for now.

"Qrow, I know that you miss Jaune. I do too, but we have to respect his decision. I've already talked to Raven, we both decided that we'll wait for him to come back to us. Even if it takes ten years, it'll just be that much more exciting to see him again. So don't worry anymore." Summer said from her seat next to him. From the time it took to remember the meeting and his thoughts on the small boy, they had already entered their plane and found their seats. He nodded to her and let her rest her head on his shoulder. Ruby was in the other seat next to him, already asleep. He sighed and decided that he would think more on this predicament when they landed. So he slowly closed his eyes and drifted away to the land of dreams.

'I hope you're right Summer. I really do.'

(Unknown)

As Hazel made his way into the throne room, he was nursing his arm. That kick from the small boy had dislocated his arm. He had been able to put it back well enough, but he could have sworn that he heard bone creek. But what really concerned him was how his master was going to take the news that not only did they fail their mission, but Tyrian had been terminated. So as he approached the door to the throne room, he had a small bit of a nervous sweat. Other than that though, he showed nothing that would tell he was nervous. He took one last breath before slowly opening the doors, seeing a fleeting image of a figure that looked to be a man that was white in color and some kind of outline. But when he blinked, they weren't there. He shook his head and decided to get this over with.

"Ma'am, I have returned from my mission." Hazel said, kneeling down and closing his eyes, keeping his head down. He heard nothing for a moment, but he stayed. He needed to keep her as calm as possible for this. Eventually, he heard the ruffling of her gown and knew that she was walking towards him. He stayed, waiting for the permission to stand.

"Hazel, rise." She said, and he obeyed, rising to his feet, but looking strait forward, not daring to look her in the face. None of them were allowed to look her in the eyes unless she said so. She looked at him, seeing the small scratches that littered his body. She especially noticed the bruising on his right arm. She then looked up to his still face before deciding to ask for his report.

"Report." She ordered. She didn't really like speaking much. It was mostly because she liked to be strait to the point and blunt. She saw no point in needless dawdle. Hazel hesitated for a small moment before answering.

"The mission was unsuccessful. The targets are still alive. Furthermore, Tyrian has been terminated by the same character that he has described. Said character was a small child. Blonde, blue eyes and of a strong stature. His speed surpassed what was expected along with his strength. He successfully dispatched of the parasite and Tyrian within the span of seconds. I was struck and sent into the forest. I managed to escape." Hazel said, telling his master what happened. He could now tell why Tyrian acted the way he did. That power he witnessed had honestly been terrifying.

"So it seems. Now, tell me Hazel. Why did you bother coming back?" She asked, starting to walk back to her throne. Hazel swallowed the lump in his throat before He answered her. He had to be careful here. How he answered here would determine if he lived or not.

"Mistress, this character is a major threat to our plans. I suspect that he was in the Grimlands trying to find your base of operations. I have seen first hand what he is capable of. If you will allow me, I would like to monitor him. I will make sure that he does not interfere with your plans." Hazel said, trying to make himself as useful as possible. She was about to respond, but suddenly turned her head to the side as if listening to someone. Then, after a few tense moments, she sighed and looked up at him

"Very well. Your new mission is to watch over this...child. Make sure that he does not interfere with our plans. And on your way, make sure to see to that other child...Fall was her name if i remember correctly. Now go." She ordered, and Hazel bowed before making his way toward the exit. He would live for another day it seems. Once he was out of the room, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad for the opportunity. Salem was sitting in her throne, mulling over the other meeting with someone that had a strange fascination with that very boy. She only agreed to work with them because they gave her even more power than she had before and they showed her exactly how powerful they were. Needless to say, she was completely confident that she would be able to see this world and that wizard grovel at her feet.

Okaaaaay, so i'm not sure how good that chapter went, but i'm pretty sure it's good. I might be wrong, but I'm going to assume good. Now about that new story. It's...different. But it will be published shortly after this chapter is uploaded. So please, go check that out after this. So with that done with I will leave you to your evening. Toodles~!