The Last of His Name

by A Fan1204

"My family was everything to me. Growing up I wanted nothing more than to be like my father, to make my mother proud and protect my sisters. You took them from me. Now I won't stop until I take everything from you." Epic in length adventure/revenge/romance fic.

3. A Summer's Qrow

Hopping right along now. I do truly appreciate all the reviews that I've received for the story thus far. Even if I don't respond to all of them I do read every single one so thank you for those that did review!

Nothing else to go over here though so we're going to go right into it.

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Chapter 3: A Summer's Qrow

Jaune pushed aside the branches of a bush and dashed through the opening. His feet slid across the slick grass before he came to a stop behind a large tree. Blue eyes scanned the surrounding area in search of his friends only to find nothing.

"Ren, where are you?" he whispered.

His voice was overwhelmed by a loud crack of thunder that rang out through the forest. Not a moment later the area was drenched in a heavy rain. The patters of raindrops covered his movements while he sprinted through the dense foliage. He ignored the familiar feeling of his clothes soaking through, sticking to his skin.

Spring in Anima was always wet and this year seemed to prove the rule. It wasn't the first time he had been caught in the rain and it certainly wouldn't be the last. By now running through a storm didn't slow him down like it once had, a testament to just how often he found himself outside during such weather.

Granted, if the only options were to stay locked up in Shion's orphanage or to explore the surrounding forests, there wasn't much of a choice.

He had lost count of the number of times he'd been told to stay within the village walls. The Headmistress Angelina had explained to not only him but Nora and Ren as well that leaving the city walls could lead to terrible things. Those things usually ended with a Grimm taking a bite out of one of them.

His hand rested on the hilt of his family's weapon. Its weight at his side was comforting, a constant reminder that his family was still there, protecting him, even if only through the means of a weapon.

While a far cry from being able to use the sword the way it was meant to be used, he at least had the strength to draw the blade, a marked improvement from the first time he had tried to use the ancestral sword.

Despite the heavy rainfall, the sound of a rustling bush grabbed his attention and he spun to face it. His grip tightened around Crocea Mors but before he could draw the weapon he was met with pale pink eyes.

An equally drenched Ren emerged from the bush. The boy's chest heaved as he leaned against a nearby tree.

"Ren, you scared me. Where's Nora?"

Ren took a moment to gather himself before he sighed and looked deeper into the forest. "I don't know. I lost her while I was running away but that was a bit ago. I have no idea where she is now."

Jaune bit his lip while looking around. Aside from the thunder and torrential downpour the forest was quiet, as if the woodland itself was empty. He knew better, he knew what was out there.

"If we run to the village gates we may be able to make it. This is our best chance."

Blue eyes stared into magenta before he quickly nodded. Ren was tired. If this lasted any longer he would never make it back to the village under his own strength, they both knew it. If Jaune had to help Ren make it back then neither of them would. It wasn't their best chance, it was their only chance.

Jaune took off first, more than willing to play the role as bait. Out of the three of them he had the strongest Aura and by extension his stamina was just as strong. Nora may have overwhelmed him in a test of strength but when it came to endurance there was no question who came out on top.

He didn't need to spare a glance behind him to know that Ren was following closely. Ren may have been nearly spent but they didn't have much farther to go, the village gates should only be a few minutes run away.

The less than subtle sound of something large moving through the dense foliage brought his vision to the side. It was different than when either Ren or he moved through the bushes. The stalker moved with a reckless abandon, not caring for what got in its way or who knew it was coming. He couldn't make out the shape of whatever it was but he didn't have to, it looked like it caught up.

"Come on Ren! We're almost there! Faster!"

He could hear the quickened steps of his friend and only a moment later he saw the back of his green shirt. No doubt Ren heard what he had and decided to forego any semblance of a plan and fell into a full sprint to safety.

Despite his best efforts he knew he would never catch Ren, the boy was just too fast. It showed as Ren continued to put distance between them even as he pumped his legs as hard as he could. The difference in their speed was just too great.

Another rustling of the bush was the only warning they received before a blur cut in front of their path. It happened in an instant. One moment Ren was slowly pulling ahead and the next he was being pulled into the bushes, his fading scream the only evidence he had been there at all.

"Ren!"

His shout went unanswered and he felt his throat tighten. He tried to follow but only found broken branches and disturbed earth. "Ren!" he shouted, only to receive the deafening answer of rainfall.

He freed Crocea Mors from his hip and deployed the shield, leaving the sword sheathed as it wouldn't be much help to him right now. It took both hands to use either the shield or sword and truth be told he was better with the shield.

His eyes raced around him and he slowly moved through the forest. He could still make it to the village. If he could then everything would be alright. Cautious steps gave way to careless running as he turned and ran for the safety of Shion. He was so close!

Another rustling nearby made his heart jump but gave him enough time to turn and raise his shield in time to block whatever had lunged for him. The shield did little to dissuade his attacker as they slammed into him, the force blowing him back.

The muddy ground did little to give him any traction but he kept his feet under him even as he felt another hit crash into his shield. The force behind the strikes was numbing but he gritted his teeth as he took another step back.

He felt the slick root of a tree before he fell but could do nothing while his foot rolled off the wet wood and he tumbled into the mud.

He tried to raise his shield but his arm was quickly pinned, leaving him defenseless as he stared into the ferocious eyes of his assailant.

"RAWR!"

"That's enough Nora, you win. Again. Let Jaune up"

Jaune let out a tired sigh as Nora climbed off him. He didn't bother getting up right away and laid in the mud. They were so close! How did Nora manage to get them both?

"I am the mightiest Beowolf in all of Remnant! Fear me humans!"

He couldn't help but laugh as she did her best impersonation of a Beowolf, which was to say wasn't very good at all. Ren merely smiled and tried to calm her down for what little good that would do. "Yes Nora, it is truly a blessing that you're on our side and not the Grimm's."

Nora nodded happily while reaching down and grabbing Jaune's arm. With a single pull, she ripped him from his spot and planted him on his feet. "I know! I always did wonder what would happen if I went with that Beowolf pack."

Jaune could only chuckle at the thoughtful expression she gave her own question. It was a question she had asked on numerous occasions and one that never received an answer. Ren had a similar expression on his face and the three began moving back towards Shion.

The guards saw them first and two of the men slowly made their way over to them. They had thick brown coats shielding their bodies from the rain but it did little to keep the men dry. The expression each man held were mixed but there was a clear annoyance to them that made Jaune shrink back behind Ren.

Nora on the other hand bounded over to the grown men. "Hi! Did you come out here to join us? Those two could really use your help. They're not very good~".

The last part came out as a loud whisper and the two men shared a look before sighing. With a shake of his head, the taller one grunted before he pointed back towards the village. "No Nora, we did not come out here to play. Angelina asked us to find you three, again. How many times have we told you to not play outside the walls?"

"Forty-six times, including this one, sir."

The man gave Ren a dry look and growled to himself, causing Jaune to wince at his friend's blunt answer. It was clear that Ren wasn't trying to be smart with the guard, he merely answered the question. A question that Jaune knew wasn't meant to be answered.

The other guard patted his friend on the shoulder before turning to the rest of them. "Just… just go back to the orphanage and stay there for a bit ok? We've been searching for you three for hours now and you've caused enough trouble. I know Angelina wants to have words with all of you. Now hurry up."

That managed to wipe out Nora's good mood and the three of them traded worried looks. No one at the orphanage liked to have words with the Headmistress. She would never yell at them. Nor would she raise her hand to any of them. She would instead tear you down with guilt. Her disappointment in you was always enough to get to any of the children under her care.

The trio hurried and made their way to the orphanage. Despite not wanting to be lectured by the aging woman, they wanted to upset her more even less. They all knew how important she was to the orphanage. She gave up so much to make sure they all had at least something.

The orphanage was packed more than usual, the heavy rains forcing everyone inside less they risk the caretakers' wrath. They hated when any of them brought in any extra mud or dirt. With the slosh of their steps and the glares they were receiving by a few of the caretakers, it appeared they were doing just that.

He hadn't noticed how dirty they had become playing but now that he took a moment, Jaune noted that all of them were caked in layers of mud. If anything, he had to blame Nora for jumping on them and forcing them into the mud. Somehow, he felt that excuse wouldn't hold up in front of the Headmistress.

"You three! Just where have you been? And you're covered head to toe in mud! What were you three thinking?"

A small growl escaped Jaune's throat at the sight of Samantha. The dog faunus was someone that he had come to odds with on more than one occasion. His dislike for her was well known and he knew it had become mutual. The way she focused her glare solely on him proved as much. But that was fine, she was mad with him because he knew what she truly was, even if everyone else couldn't see it.

Ren's dark locks of hair filled his vision, the Mistralian boy bowing slightly to the older woman while putting himself between Jaune and the faunus. "We're sorry Miss Samantha. We were playing in the forest and got caught in the rain. We didn't mean to cause any problems."

Her visage softened before she sighed to herself. "In the forest again? I should have known. Did the guards find you or did you just come back on your own?"

The way all three of the children averted their eyes told the caretaker all she needed to know and forced back another sigh. "I'll have to apologize to them later…" She turned back to the trio and her eyes hardened. "Now for you three. How many times have we told you? Do. Not. Leave. Shion."

The words were punctuated and over emphasized to the point that even Ren didn't dare answer the irritated woman's question. Instead they merely stared at their feet and mumbled out more apologies.

"Don't waste your breath on me. I'm not the one you need to apologize to. The Headmistress has been worried sick about you three all day. Now go wash up and go to your room. Angelina will be there shortly to talk with all of you. Now go, hurry up!"

They did so without any complaint but Jaune did turn back to glare at the dog-eared woman once more. Her narrowed eyes told him she saw it but he didn't care. He was watching her and he wanted her to know.

He wouldn't be fooled again.

/-/

"Come in."

Angelina didn't bother to look away from the paperwork she busied herself with as the creaky door to her office opened to reveal an irritated faunus woman. The woman tried to school her features but failed to hide her annoyance even as she took a seat across from her.

"You know Samantha, you do not need to knock. You are welcome to come in at any time. Everyone is."

A sigh escaped the younger woman before she responded. "I know Mistress but it's proper manners to knock before entering. I really wish you would try to enforce this to all the children here. Just because they live in an orphanage doesn't mean they shouldn't learn proper etiquette."

Glancing over the paper once more, Angelina signed her name on the bottom and delicately placed the paper on the stack of documents next to her. "Perhaps, but I feel that there are far more important things for them to learn first. Maybe after they can learn arbitrary societal norms."

"And what are they learning that is more important?"

"To heal."

Silence permeated the air and allowed Angelina to pull out a rather bulky folder from her desk and open it so that Samantha could see. "Every child in this orphanage has suffered one tragedy or another. Those that are here have lost something in some way, more times than not they've lost their entire world. It's true, we could spend our time cramming in knowledge and societal norms to try and make them more appealing to potential adopters and thus lessening our burden. In the long run, it would certainly be beneficial for us. I'm sure you're aware that our finances are always teetering on the edge?"

The faunus nodded but remained silent as the older woman continued. "We could do that but I feel it would be better to instead let those that live here to enjoy what little parts of their lives that they can. For those that lost everything, I feel it's more important that they can find even the smallest morsel of happiness. If only to show them this world isn't as cruel and terrible as it seems. Don't you agree?"

Samantha's ears seemed to droop while her face became heavy with thought. "Yes Mistress. I suppose I never thought of it in that way. I knew of course. There's a reason why they're here after all. It's just…" she stopped mid-sentence, her face unsure of what to say.

"You want to help them, you just don't know how?"

The dog faunus nodded, a sad smile resting on her face. "I always thought that there was nothing more important to an orphan than finding a good family to take them in. That's why I came here. I wanted to help these children find new homes. But I've seen so many people come and go without even considering the children due to one thing or another. The children don't understand why but I thought that maybe if we taught them more, made them more appealing, then maybe more of them would get adopted."

Angelina merely smiled as she rifled through the folder and picked up a picture. "I understand and it is not necessarily a bad idea. You can certainly try and teach those that are interested but you can't force a horse to drink. I don't believe you could ever imprint those manners onto Nora for instance. I would certainly recommend you try and push them in the right direction but don't obsess over it. There are more important things for them to focus on after all."

Samantha winced slightly but nodded her head nonetheless. "Of course, Mistress. Speaking of Nora though…"

This time Angelina sighed while rubbing her head. "They've finally returned I take it?"

"Covered head to toe in mud. They were playing in the forest again. I sent them to clean up and wait for you in their room." The caretaker confirmed.

She clicked her teeth in annoyance before letting it go. "Very well. I'll go speak with them. If you could bring them some warm soup and water I would appreciate it. I'm sure they're starved from being outside all day."

When Samantha did not leave her chair, Angelina raised her eyebrow and waited for the woman to speak her mind. "Mistress… I know that we've discussed this before but I beg you, we need to do something about Jaune. The boy is a danger to everyone in the orphanage."

Angelina forced herself to take a deep breath and close her eyes to calm herself. "We have discussed this at length Samantha, he is merely a child."

The dog faunus either didn't agree or didn't care as she raised her voice slightly. "It doesn't matter if he's a child! What about what happened to Anne?"

"That was an unfortunate accident."

"What he did was no accident! He cut her!"

"And what would you have me do? Throw him into the wilderness again? He is a child that needs to heal, more so than many here."

"I'm not saying to throw him out, I'm saying to at least take that sword away from him! He's a child. He shouldn't even have a sword! He's getting stronger every day. What happens when he's strong enough to swing it properly? It's not going to be just a bandage the next time, it's going to be someone's life!"

"And who could take that sword away from him? Clearly not Anne and my body is far too old to be successful in such an endeavor. I would dare not ask one of the children to do so lest they get hurt as well. He is strong for someone his age and he has his aura unlocked."

The older woman sighed while continuing. "Anne was hurt because she tried to take the blade away from Jaune. If it was not apparent with how protective he is over it, that blade is all he has left of his family. He would fight anyone tooth and nail to keep that weapon in his possession. I would rather not have anyone else hurt trying to remove it."

An angry retort was on the tip of the faunus' tongue but she bit it back with an angry scowl, instead going for a different angle. "So, what happens when he uses it on someone that didn't try and take it away?"

"I don't know what you mean by that."

"He hates faunus! You've seen the way he reacts to me. He doesn't glare at any of the other caretakers the same way. It's not even me that I'm worried about, it's the faunus children here that I'm worried about. It's only a matter of time until he attacks someone with it. He can't be allowed to have that sword."

She couldn't help but rub her temples in frustration. She knew Samantha wasn't trying to be spiteful but she could see it leaking through. Jaune's treatment of other faunus, staff and children alike was well known. "He is still only a child. Hatred is taught. Hatred can also be unlearned if he is taught differently. I could not think of anything better than for you to focus your energies on teaching him this important lesson. You cannot blame the child for the circumstances of his upbringing. But you can show him the correct way. Show him love and eventually he will learn that his hatred is a wasteful effort."

Samantha's eyes looked away and her head bowed ever so slightly in the Headmistress's direction before she took to her feet. "I will try Mistress but I do not believe he will give me the opportunity. Hopefully no one gets hurt in the meantime."

Angelina said nothing as the dog faunus left the room and merely sighed to herself. Like all the children under her care, Jaune had his fair share of problems. Sadly, his manifested in a more violent fashion more times than not. Not an uncommon problem but a problem nonetheless.

She had seen children deal with traumatic experiences a hundred times over. Some grew angry like Jaune, others became detached from their surroundings, some would even resort to abusing what little substances they could get their hands on. On rare occasions, she had even seen the older ones become suicidal.

Old bones creaked and her body rose from her chair. The halls were filled with children and caretakers alike and she took care to greet each person she passed while moving through the narrow passageways. The kitchens were nearly empty and she quickly gathered the remainders of today's soup before leaving the room and working her way through the maze-like building.

Jaune's case was special in the way that he only formed his anger against a select few at the orphanage and was otherwise amicable to everyone else. Whatever caused his apparent distrust, it was their responsibility to try and undo the damage.

A task easier said than done.

The room she entered was small, much like the many rooms that dotted their crumbling home. It was even smaller with the four occupants inside. Jaune, Nora and Ren sat towards one end while Samantha was just now setting down her own servings of today's meal.

The scene was familiar to her and brought a smile to her face. The three always ate together. To be honest they did everything together, sometimes much to the frustrations of the other caretakers. It never bothered her in the slightest however, if anything the way they bonded together warmed her heart.

"Don't eat that!"

The loud sound of shattering glass filled the air and only through years of experience was Angelina able to stop the groan that wanted to leave her throat.

Jaune had left his place on the ground and stood protectively over Nora, his arm still outstretched from where he had swatted the now shattered soup bowl scattered across the floor. The boy was glaring angrily at Samantha who looked ready to explode at him. Ren had left his spot as well, standing next to both Jaune and Nora while trying to reel the unruly blond in.

"Why you little… There was nothing wrong with that food! And you've just broken another bowl! I should tan your hide for that!"

"Remember, love is patient Samantha."

Her words cut through the air and stopped the faunus dead in her tracks. Wide eyes turned to her before the woman gathered herself and began picking up the broken bits of glass. "Of course, Mistress. I lost myself for a moment. Please forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive. Perhaps it would be best if you retired for the night. It has been a long day after all. I'll finish up here."

The woman stood and made to protest, her eyes glaring at the three children before moving back to her. "There's no need for that Mistress, I'll be happy to see these three to-"

"Goodnight Samantha, rest well."

Again, the faunus bit her tongue. After a few moments Samantha gathered her tray and gave a small bow, her eyes glued to the floor as she moved. "Of course. Goodnight Mistress."

She didn't spare the dog faunus a glance and instead focused on the three children in the room. She forced a smile on her face as she knelt in front of them, carefully placing the tray of water and food in front of them. "Now why did you do that Jaune? Was there something wrong with the food Samantha brought you?"

The blond boy refused to meet her eyes, instead focusing on the broken bowl. Despite the question he offered no answer, his lips pressed tightly together.

"She only means the best for you, for all of you, you know that, don't you? Samantha has a big heart, even if at times she has a hard time showing it. If you gave her a chance you might be surprised at what you find."

A low grumble came from the boy in front of her but she let it go. Forcing the issue too much would only cause more harm than good. These things took time and in Jaune's case, a lot of time. "Well, since you broke the last bowl I can assume that none of you are hungry? I'll just take these bowls back to the kitchens with me."

"No!"

The chorus of shouts didn't surprise her but she feigned shock while three pairs of hands latched onto her. "Oh? Then perhaps breaking the bowl was just a mistake? Do be more careful next time."

Jaune took one of the bowls gingerly, his eyes refusing to meet the aged ones watching him carefully. She heard the mumbled apology and sighed. Seeing Jaune take his own food, Ren and Nora followed suit and quickly began eating.

Watching them as they were now, one would never guess that each one of these children had gone through their own fair share of hardships. Few here had bonded the way that these three managed to and it made her smile. Healing took many forms and was different for each person.

Some just needed time to accept what had happened. Others required a great deal of guidance. There were those that found something to focus on that took their attention away from what happened. Then you had those that dedicated themselves to new people. They grasped onto them and would do anything to protect them, sometimes even at great personal risk.

Looking at Jaune, it was clear what path he had chosen. The boy knew breaking that previous bowl would have consequences. It wasn't the first time he had done so and been disciplined for it. Despite that he felt the overwhelming need to prevent his friends from eating from anything Samantha had given them.

Did he believe that she was trying to poison them? That seemed too sophisticated for the boy though, perhaps it was a more generalized distrust and the assumption that anything given by a faunus would be dangerous. Either way it set a terrible precedent that did not bode well for the future.

While she was loathed to agree with Samantha over this, she couldn't deny that he may one day turn his sword on a faunus he perceived as a threat, whether that was true didn't seem to matter. Ideally, the blade would be taken from him and given back once he left. Sadly, that didn't seem to be an option. He wouldn't willingly give up the sword and he was strong enough to swing it. Disarming him would leave at least one other person hurt, potentially worse.

No, she couldn't forcibly take it from him, the risk was too great. None of them had aura and he had already proven he could swing the blade in a proficient manner. But if Samantha was right and a bowl eventually turned into an arm, could they afford to wait any longer?

What was she to do with him?

/-/

The spring air of Anima was so much different than that of Vale or Patch. It was crisper, cooler, and much fresher. A deep breath filled her lungs and she couldn't help but smile to herself.

She adored Vale, she loved her home on the island of Patch but nothing could beat the fresh air of where she grew up. Her hand rubbed the trunk of the tree she was resting on fondly. It wasn't very often that she was able to return to her home continent or even the village she grew up in.

What with her responsibilities as a huntress combined with her family duties she hardly got to leave Patch. It just so happened that this time her job let her come home, it was a win-win situation!

"Come on Summer! Get down from there, we're already running late as it is."

Said woman looked down at her scraggly companion and giggled. His ruby red eyes were narrowed in annoyance and his arms were crossed over his chest. His scowl would've made anyone back away but to her it was endearing.

With a practiced grace, Summer scaled down the tree with ease and landed before her partner, her smile never fading even as the man continued to glare at her. "Sorry Qrow, you know how I get when I come back to Anima, I just get lost in my thoughts."

Qrow tried to keep his glare on the smiling woman but faltered and just shook his head in annoyance, an adorable pout replacing the scowl he once held. "Yeah, I do, and so does Tai. That's why he doesn't come on missions with you to Anima anymore, remember?"

She sent Qrow a glower at the reminder and looked away with a huff. "Well it's his loss anyway. He just loses some valuable quality time with his wife. It's fine though, someone has to stay home with Ruby and Yang."

She didn't miss the subtle flinch at her words but she pretended she did. Instead she began jogging away from Qrow and quickly disappeared. "Come on!"

"H-hey! What are you doing? Summer!?"

He moved after her and burst through the dense foliage of the forest but only found an open clearing, no sign of the petit huntress that had just come through. "Summer?"

Upon her name being called, said woman exploded from the leaves of a nearby tree directly in front of Qrow. She hung there upside down with her legs curled around one of the low hanging branches. He wasn't prepared for her to appear in front of him, nor was he ready for her face to be mere inches from his. He certainly wasn't prepared for the light tap on his nose nor her soft voice filling his ears. "Boop."

With a startled yelp, he tumbled backwards and fell on his ass. He rubbed his backside while glaring at his now giggling teammate. "Haha, real funny. You're a real hoot, you know that? Have I ever told you I hate your semblance sometimes?"

His tone didn't seem to match his words which only caused her to laugh harder before she reached out to pull her teammate to his feet. His scowl was back full force but did nothing to dissuade her laughter. "Well someone has to be the funny one on the team. And as much as I love Tai, his puns are awful."

Qrow merely rolled his eyes at the comment and pushed on towards their destination, the smallest of smirks on his face. Silence enveloped the two of them as they traveled but it wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest. They had been partners for near a decade now and they were more than fine with traveling in silence.

Silver eyes stole a quick glance at the much taller huntsman next to her and her lips down turned slightly. "Hey Qrow, can I ask you something?"

He looked surprised but beat it down quickly with a cocky smile taking its place. "Sure, you don't have to ask ahead of time though, if somethings bothering you just spit it out."

Her eyes narrowed for half a second before a coy look washed over her face. "Ok then, I'll just ask it. Why aren't you wearing the birthday present I got you a couple weeks ago?"

That wiped the smile off his face with almost comical speed. Instead he was left with a sputter and the smallest bits of pink dusting his cheeks. "I, uh, well you see. I… I love the gift, I just haven't found the right time to wear it, that's all."

She moved just ahead of him and turned to face him, finger poking him in the chest and forcing the man to stop and look at her. Suspicious eyes looked him up and down and focused on the very empty neckline he was sporting. "Why not right now? I did get it with your main outfit in mind. I even packed it for you so you wouldn't forget! It's a good luck charm!"

Summer took off her pack and opened it, digging through the various contents until she found what she was looking for. She smiled and held the item for Qrow to take. His broken smile didn't fool anyone but he took it without complaint.

It was a pure silver necklace with a crooked cross pendant. He stared at the item for a moment before turning to the excited looking woman in front of him. Her eyes bore into him, digging deep into his soul until he finally relented. With a sigh, he unhooked the necklace and put it on. The metal felt cool against his skin but not unpleasant. "Well? How does it look?"

Her smile beamed and she nodded happily at her partner. "It looks great! Just like I thought it would. Who knows, maybe it'll help you meet a lady~"

Summer skipped ahead, the last word rolling off her tongue in a sing-song voice. She missed the frown that marred Qrow's face and the way his good mood vanished. She also missed the way his eyes trailed her before he shook his head and moved to catch up. "Yeah, maybe…"

The pair moved through the forest unhindered, the Grimm that normally inhabited the area being suspiciously absent. Grimm lived all throughout Anima and tended to be a common occurrence, even close to the many villages that dotted the wilderness of the Eastern most continent. Only Mistral tended to be devoid of Grimm around its border and that was due to the culling efforts of the resident huntsmen and huntresses that lived there.

"Seems a little quiet, doesn't it?"

Summer only nodded while her silver eyes scanned the area. There had been Grimm here and recently too if her eyes did not deceive her. The forest they moved through was damaged, broken branches, ripped up earth, destroyed bushes. All signs of large beasts moving through without any care for stealth or self-health. Beowolves and Ursa if the size of the claw marks were anything to go by. There were quite a few of them too…

"Qrow, let's hurry."

She didn't wait for his answer and she disappeared. Her legs quickly found purchase a distance ahead and took another few steps before she disappeared again. A quick glance over her shoulder let her know that Qrow was right behind her, taking an aerial view as the two raced towards their destination.

Summer emerged from the forest and her eyes landed on the familiar walls of Shion village. Her fears were confirmed and eased at the same time. The walls were damaged, torn in some places and destroyed in others. Grimm were abound, though only corpses remained and soon those too would evaporate into nothingness.

The city guard and what she could clearly see were a few huntsmen were walking among the fallen, ensuring the Grimm were truly dead or taking the body of someone who had fallen and bringing them back into the city.

"Heh, nothing to worry about. Looks like they took care of it all on their own."

Summer ignored him as she slowly made her way through the carnage. Her silver eyes roved over the battlefield, watching as two older men lifted a corpse of a young man. He couldn't have been any older than 17, a large gash along his stomach had finished him.

A silent tear dripped down her face as more bodies were pulled from the battle. If they had come sooner how many people could she have saved? If she hadn't taken her time getting lost in memories how many of these boys would have gone home to their families alive and laughing instead of in a box?

She felt the firm hand on her shoulder but didn't react to it, even as a gruff voice entered her ears. "You can't blame yourself for this Summer. We couldn't have known. This is the reality of the frontier towns and you know it. They can get wiped out in a moment's notice. Only the ones that learn to fight have a chance at surviving, even then they'll take casualties."

"Knowing doesn't make it any easier to see children who shouldn't be fighting in the first place get pulled from the ashes. If that one lived in the Kingdoms he would be starting at an academy in a few months' time. Instead he's dead. It's not right."

The grizzled man wrapped an arm around his shorter teammate and pulled her into a side hug. He felt no resistance as Summer let herself be pulled in, her body molding to Qrow's side. "I know it's not. Remnant's not really a fair place though. It never has been."

His words did little to soothe her and he sighed, dragging her along and into the city proper. "Come on, we're only in the way here. Wasn't there something you wanted to do here in Shion? It's the only reason we're stopping here to begin with, right?"

Summer nodded along and disentangled herself from Qrow. Her face went neutral but it still held twinges of grief. "That's right. Come on, it's deeper in the city."

"I wonder if Angelina still remembers me?"

/-/

The orphanage was as dingy as one might expect. Qrow wasn't surprised in the slightest at the state the building was in. The walls were caked with dirt while most of the rooms were without doors. It wasn't a design choice so much as it was disrepair. He glanced at the broken hinges and shook his head.

The place was rundown, and that was putting it lightly. Still, he had stayed at worse off places before and this place was important to Summer which put it leagues above any of those rat's nests he'd stayed at in Vacuo. One thing he could've done without was how the children stopped and stared at them as they passed, some even followed them in what he could only assume was a stealthy fashion.

"Oh hello! I don't believe I've seen you around before. Have you come to look at some of the children?"

Qrow followed the sound of the voice and found a dog faunus wearing a light blue dress with dirty blonde hair and green eyes. The smile she wore was forced and didn't quite reach her eyes but he didn't comment on it. The day was almost over and if the village gates was any indication, it was probably a stressful one for everyone in Shion.

She seemed to be waiting on an answer and her words replayed in his mind. Wait, did she think that they were looking to adopt together? "Hold on, I think you mis-"

Summer cut him off before he could fix any misconceptions, her smile bright and eyes shining as she talked to the caretaker. "Actually, we came to speak with Miss Angelina and bring some financial aid for the orphanage. Is she around?"

Samantha blinked a few times before tilting her head to the side and looking them both over again. "Oh? You're benefactors?" her voice held an air of disbelief but she quickly schooled her features. "Of course, if you follow me I'll take you to the Headmistress. She'll be happy to see you."

They followed the dog faunus through the maze-like halls. The children continued to follow them but at a further distance. Samantha tried to shoo them away but even her fiercest glare couldn't dissuade the curiosity of the children in the building.

She turned her head and gave the two huntsmen an apologetic look while continuing to head deeper into the orphanage, her memory being more than enough to guide her. "I do apologize about all the attention. I know that most of our benefactors don't like being swarmed by the children when they come here. Usually they're better about this but if you don't mind me saying, you don't look like most of our donors. Truth be told you look more like a young couple coming to adopt a child."

"Which is why they're following our every step." Qrow finished the unsaid part of her sentence, his gruff voice staying low so the kids wouldn't hear. He'd seen it before; displaced children were a dime a dozen in Remnant. The Grimm were ruthless in their destruction and those that survived usually didn't have a place to go. Outside the four major cities you couldn't look down an alley without seeing an orphaned child or a homeless person that had lost everything.

It was always harder on the kids than the adults. Concepts like the Grimm, the perpetual threat of death, the true unfairness that was the world they lived in. It wasn't something any child should have had to face. When it did happen, they looked to adults to explain it away. Then they tried to return to some form of normalcy. For an orphan, that usually entailed joining a new family, to try and replace what they lost.

Sadly, there weren't enough empty homes that wanted a child to the number of children that needed them. Another one of life's many cruelties. Still, it didn't stop those children from hoping. For most of them, hope was all they had left.

The caretaker nodded along, her mouth set in a deep frown as they moved. "Indeed. They always get like this when new faces show up. Especially when it's such a cute couple."

His scowl shifted to annoyed but it was Summer who reacted outwardly. Her face took on the same color of her tips of her hair while she laughed nervously and drew her white hood over her head. "Oh, we're not a couple. We're partners and teammates, not a couple. I would have a lot of explaining to do to my husband if that were the case."

The nervous laugh that followed was brittle and weak. He caught the look she sent him but he averted his eyes, looking anywhere but at his partner. To her credit, Samantha caught on fast enough and quickened her pace. "O-oh of course, my mistake. The Headmistress should be in here. One moment."

The young woman knocked and entered the room a moment later. Qrow merely raised an eyebrow and shared a look with Summer, who had taken to putting her hood back down. She merely shrugged and the two waited until the door opened and the blonde woman ushered them inside.

The office was cramped and a complete mess. Looking around, it was surprising that they could keep anything in order. And here he thought Ozpin had a hard time keeping things organized. If Glynda saw this she might have a heart attack.

Summer ignored the mess completely and practically ran up to the older woman who was just now standing. She embraced her and Qrow couldn't help but smile at the scene. He had heard about Angelina in the past, it was hard not to when she was the woman that practically raised your partner.

"It's so good to see you Angelina! You look just like I remember. How have you been? How's the orphanage doing?"

The older woman returned the hug with much less energy but smiled nonetheless. "Oh, my Summer, it seems you still radiate the same amount of energy that you did years ago. It's good to see some things never change. How have you been my dear?"

Summer released the caretaker but still beamed at the woman. "I've been great! I know that it's been a long time since I've last come to visit but I've been really busy. Being a full-time huntress and mother of two doesn't leave much time to cross continents for vacations."

"Oh, I know a thing or two about children taking up most of your free time. How are Yang and Ruby? Last I saw they were just little things."

Summer grinned while digging through her backpack and pull out several pictures of the girls. "They're amazing and growing bigger every day. Yang is a bit of a troublemaker but it's nothing I can't handle. How's the orphanage holding up?"

Angelina gave a strained smile and waved her hand dismissively. "We're still here aren't we? Given today's events we should all be grateful for such mercies."

Summer's smile suffered and a melancholier expression took hold. "We saw. I'm so sorry, if only we had arrived earlier we could have helped. Maybe no one would have died today."

Angelina placed a hand on Summer's shoulder. There was no strength behind it but it was one of comfort and forced Summer to look into the older woman's eyes. "Do not blame yourself for things you have no control over. You had no knowledge that we would be attacked today and you have no obligation to be our protector. You failed no one today. In fact, you have made my day brighter by getting to see you again."

Qrow wanted to laugh but refrained from doing so as he looked at the pout Summer tried to give the older woman only for it to fall flat. It was like watching Summer deal with Ruby when the girl was upset but the roles were reversed. "Oi Summer, aren't you forgetting to give her something?"

Realization dawned in her silver eyes and the girl dug back into her bag. She quickly found what she was looking for and presented it to Angelina. "Here! For the orphanage. I know it's not a lot but I hope it helps."

Angelina took the envelope and recognized the feeling of Lien inside before she sighed and tried to give it back. "Summer, you don't need to donate your hard-earned Lien. I'm sure you could find a use for this money back home, maybe spend it on your own girls. I can't accept this."

Summer merely smiled and closed the older woman's hands around the slightly bulging envelope. "Nonsense. You practically raised me and I know we were always on the edge for Lien back then. Judging how the building looks, I would say that's still the case today. Think of it as paying it forward, that shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Angelina let out an exasperated sigh and took the envelope. It wasn't without complaint however as she shook her head. "You only ever seemed to listen to me when it could cause me some kind of grief, it appears that trait of yours is still as persistent as ever."

Summer's smile only widened at the woman's words. "Yep! Though I just wish there was more that I could do to help."

Her voice trailed off but Angelina didn't seem to want to take any of it. Her voice hardened probably a bit more than she wanted as she spoke. "None of that Summer. You have already done far more than you needed to. I won't have you act like you need to solve all our problems. We are more than capable of handling ourselves, as we have for years now."

"Actually, there is something else they could help with, if they wanted to."

Qrow moved his ruby red eyes toward the dog faunus who had remained silent through the entire conversation. He had honestly forgotten she was still there. Her body language screamed uncertainty with the way she kept grasping and letting go of the hem of her dress.

Her eyes told a different story though. They were firm and unwavering. It was enough to peak his interest and with the way Summer looked at her happily he knew she would all but jump at the chance to help, that was just who she was. Angelina on the other hand didn't seem nearly as enthused with the woman speaking up. With the way her face went rigid it was clear she didn't want them to know. Interesting.

"Samantha, I know what you're going to ask them and I'll ask you to not mention it. It is not their problem to solve. Leave it be."

"But they're huntsmen! If anyone was going to take care of him it would be them. There's no risk whatsoever if they take care of it!"

Angelina moved to protest but was stopped by Summer, her hand grasping the older woman's arm gently. "Let me help. If there's anything I can do to help I want to. Please."

The gray-haired woman's face was unreadable for a few moments before it seemed to lose its tension, almost as if the strings holding her together were cut. Maybe it was because he hadn't been paying too much attention before but looking at her now, he could see just how tired this woman was. Her face was exhaustion personified.

"Very well. We have a child in our midst that is… how should I say… troubled. Yes, that's the word. While I do not know the specifics, I do know he went through a traumatic experience before he came to be with us. While not uncommon, the way he's dealing with said trauma is a concern for the staff and some of the children around him."

Qrow narrowed his eyes at the woman's explanation. The way she phrased it sounded like he was somehow more than just a school yard bully. But this was an orphanage, why would they need a trained huntsman to deal with the kid? "Just how old is this kid anyway?"

"Jaune is ten years old and truly he isn't a bad child. Some scars run deep and take time to heal. It's just that he may pose a danger to certain people here while he is healing. If you could merely disarm him it would be greatly appreciated."

Summer's brow furrowed and shared a glance with her partner who just shrugged in response. "He has a weapon?"

Angelina sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time and took a seat at her desk, her energy sapped. "Yes, he has a sword that he came here with. He also has his Aura unlocked which is why it is dangerous for us to try and remove the weapon. One of our caretakers tried to take it away from him and he ended up cutting her. The wound wasn't deep and I don't believe he meant to hurt her but everyone has been too afraid to try since. I believe that weapon belonged to his family, which is why he's so defensive of it."

Qrow frowned and rubbed his stubble at the new information. A huntsman's kid huh? He could see how that could be a problem for civilians to deal with. Even if they were twice his size, if the kid knew how to swing a sword a couple people with no training could end up on the wrong end of that blade. It was easier to walk on eggshells around him and just ignore the problem. Well, at least until it reached a boiling point. "So, you have a violent brat that's too big for his britches and throwing his weight around huh?"

The elder caretaker shook her head in the negative, her eyes glancing between the two huntsmen. "No, Jaune is a sweet boy. To many of the people here he's quite nice. It's just there are some things that can set him off that concerns us. One would be trying to take his sword away. The second is whenever he encounters a faunus. He is… less than trusting of them to say the least."

And there it was. A racist kid with a weapon and a penchant of distrust. For the time being, it was only a concern, give it a few years and then there might be some actual trouble. Racism was a stupid thing in Qrow's opinion and it made people do stupid things. All people sucked equally, it didn't matter if they were human or faunus. Given the right set of circumstances and either would stab you in the back if it served their purpose.

All being racist did was make a normally rational person act irrationally and more times than not lash out against those they hated. It didn't always have to be physical but often it was. Given what he had heard about this kid, he could tell where this was going to go once he put a few more years under his belt. It was probably for the best to nip this is the bud before he reached that point. "Yeah, I could see the racist little bugger being an issue, guess we could deal with him before we head out."

Summer's face morphed into a scowl and slapped him across the arm hard enough to make him wince. "No child is racist Qrow! He's probably scared and nervous. Maybe he's never seen a faunus before and doesn't know how to act?" She turned to face Angelina again. "We'll be happy to have a talk with the boy. Would you take us to him?"

Angelina nodded and made to get up before she was gently pushed back down by her assistant. "There's no need Mistress. I'll take them to him. You've had a long day, please rest now."

It seemed she was going to argue until her body seemed to give out and she slumped back into her chair. "Perhaps you're right. I'll leave them in your hands. I believe I'll retire for the evening. It was a pleasure to see you again Summer. Hopefully next time will be under better circumstances."

Summer gave the woman a brief hug before they turned to follow Samantha out of the room. The walk was quiet as the three made their way through the winding halls. The energy that was in the orphanage earlier seemed dimmed. Many of the children didn't follow them the same way they did before and even less looked happy in general.

He shared a glance with Summer who looked far more bothered by the sudden shift in energy than he did. Her eyes begged him to ask the unasked question and he could only shake his head in exasperation. For as long as he'd known her Summer had been socially awkward. For the most part, she had grown out of it but at certain times it would pop its head out. Now was one of those times.

"Oi, what's with this place suddenly? It's like someone died or something."

Samantha didn't turn to answer them, she merely kept pushing forward as her voice reached them. "To be frank with you, their hopes of being adopted, at least for today. They realized that you both are not here to adopt and our visiting hours for potential parents are over for the day. I believe there's only one potential adopter left but she has had her eyes on a certain little girl for a while now. Most of what you saw earlier was just for show. They aren't nearly as happy as they pretend to be."

It made sense to a certain extent. Life couldn't have been very fun for anyone living like this. Cramped quarters, crummy food, no actual family to depend on. But at the same time, they wanted to be adopted, to try and get out of this place. Put on a little show in the hopes that it would get them out of this place. It was cruel in a way but that was also Remnant, cruel to everyone and anyone.

"Ah, here we are. Jaune, there are some people here who would like to meet you. Come and say hello."

The smile Samantha wore was brittle and looked so forced that he doubted even the kid was fooled. Given the way he glared at the faunus he doubted it did. Or maybe that was just the racism shining through? It was hard to tell and at the end of the day and it hardly mattered.

The kid looked like the picture-perfect example of what an orphan would look like. His blond hair was dirty beyond belief and his face matched with smudges of dirt that almost seemed to be as natural as his blue eyes. His clothes weren't much better, covered his grime and patched more than a few times. Given that they were also a size or two too small it was clear that the orphanage didn't even have enough money to clothe them properly.

"I'll take my leave, good luck."

Jaune didn't respond to her words, merely glaring at the woman until she had left the room. It wasn't until she was out of sight that the boy decided to look at the two of them. His eyes were sharper than what he expected, almost like he expected them to attack him. The boy's hand gently brushed something on his hip and the familiar sound of steel on steel filled his ears.

Ah, he had almost forgotten. So that was the kid's weapon the caretakers were so afraid of. It looked to be a normal arming sword and sheathe but he wouldn't be surprised if it was something more. The quality was clearly that of a huntsman's weapon, even sheathed he could tell that much. If there was one thing he learned over the years it was that a huntsman's weapon could be very deceiving, his own being a prime example of that.

"Well hi there! My name is Summer. What's your name?"

Qrow couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's sudden panicked expression. Even without her semblance, Summer was faster than most huntsmen and when she was excited she tended to forget that fact. She had appeared in front of the boy in the blink of an eye, kneeling in front of him so that she was eye level with the boy, much like she would do with either Ruby or Yang.

"M-my name is Jaune. Nice to meet you."

Summer smiled happily and took the timid hand that was extended to her and shook it with vigor. "It's nice to meet you too Jaune. And this is my partner Qrow, Qrow, say hello."

"Sup, kid."

He would pay for that later if the glower she sent him was any indication but he laughed it off. She always got wound up over the small stuff and he couldn't help but mess with her from time to time. "So, kid, I hear from a certain doggy that you have quite the weapon. You a huntsman or something?"

It was meant to broach the elephant in the room and he hoped his semi-jovial tone would belay that. Sadly, it had the opposite effect and put the kid on edge. He took a couple steps back from them, both of his hands falling to cover the blade from them. Well they certainly got the defensive part right, if not outright paranoid.

"It's ok, we're not trying to upset you or anything. You see weapons are interesting to us, we're huntsmen. I even have a bit of an addiction to them you could say. I love seeing new weapons, will you show me yours?"

Jaune didn't look convinced and his eyes shot back and forth between them. Qrow merely sighed and reached behind him, his hand wrapping around the hilt of his sword. In one fluid motion, he drew the blade and planted the tip into the ground with a bit more force than necessary. "See? This is mine and it can do a whole lot more than just be a sword. If you show us yours I'll show you what else it can do."

The way his eyes lit up all but confirmed that Jaune was a huntsman's son. There were marked differences between huntsman kids and their civilian counterparts. All kids loved to play fight and the like but when confronted with an actual weapon, especially in the manner that he flourished it, they tended to back away scared. A huntsman's kid on the other hand wouldn't be afraid of just a weapon. They were used to having all kinds of weapons around, it was just another aspect of life.

Jaune was clearly used to seeing weapons as there was no fear in his eyes at seeing his massive blade, only a giddy joy that was akin to Summer's when she saw a new weapon. The kid could barely contain himself and fumbled with the handle on his own sword for a couple seconds before he was able to draw the blade from its sheathe.

The weapon looked awkward in his hands, the blade being far too long for the boy's body and much too heavy for his small arms. But he still held it in a two-handed stance that his parents no doubt taught him. Give him a few years and a foot or two in growth and the sword would be right at home in the boy's hands, of that he had no doubt.

The blade itself didn't look anything special besides the guard and the sheathe having a unique color and pattern. While it didn't have anything that looked too complicated, the blade was well kept and looked incredibly sharp. Definitely something that could cut through the hide of a Beowolf if need be.

"That's a nice sword that you have there, kid. Where did you get it?"

"I… my father gave it to me, for my tenth birthday."

A small frown found its home on Qrow's face as he looked at the nervous child. The boy was lying. He knew it and Summer knew it too. He wouldn't call him on it though. The world was a vicious place and the truth was probably far more agonizing. If Jaune wanted to lie about it to try and make it a little less so than who was he to shatter that illusion? He wasn't a monster.

"Well that's quite the present! This sword looks really strong. I almost feel like I've seen it somewhere before though. Hmmm, I can't place it but I definitely feel like I've seen this sword before. I never forget a weapon that interests me."

Jaune shook his head in the negative excitedly, more than happy with the change in subject. "No way! This sword is special, there's nothing else like it in the world! It's uh… umm… hold on!"

Without even thinking about it, Jaune handed Summer the sword who could only blink owlishly at the weapon now in her hand. With a gusto that he had only seen Ruby possess when looking for cookies, Jaune all but dove under his bed and popped back out with a large dusty looking book in his grasp. He opened it carefully and flipped through a few pages until he stopped with an animated gasp.

"It's a du-duran-durandal… yeah, it's a durandal sword!"

The word meant nothing to Qrow but with the way Summer's eyes lit up it clearly did to her. She snapped her fingers and looked at the blade with a far more critical eye. "That's right, this is a Durandal blade. They're said to be indestructible and cut through just about anything if properly cared for. There's only a couple left in the world since the technique for making them was lost centuries ago. I've only ever seen one in person." She paused, her eyes taking on a fond softness. "Oh my, that was some time ago, way back during our first Vytal Festival. Can you believe how long ago that was Qrow? It was when I was in the finals and I fought…"

Summer's eyes widened and her words died on her lips as she stared at Jaune. It was like she was seeing him for the first time. Silver eyes roved over the small boy before they drifted back to the unbreakable steel in her hands. Her gaze shifted to Qrow, her face agitated as her hands wrought around the handle of the sword. "J-Jaune, does your sheathe by chance do anything as well?"

An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach at her question, or more specifically, at how she phrased it. Summer didn't become unsettled like this without good reason and as he watched Jaune nod happily and pull out the sheathe he knew what was wrong. The sheathe snapped open, revealing a heater shield for the world to see. It wasn't the shield though that made him curse, it was the twin golden crescent moons that resided on the shield.

This wasn't just some random kid in the middle of nowhere belonging to some no name huntsman. This was the kid of Arthur Arc, the former head of the recently wiped out Arc family that most of Remnant was still talking about in some capacity.

They had assumed just like the rest of the world that the entire Arc family died during the attack on Aerilon. The White Fang had been ruthless in their surprise attack and had been quick to illustrate their overwhelming victory against the frontier stronghold.

What made the attack something of note, other than showing the White Fang had crossed the line of civil disobedience and into the world of violent extremism, was that their target wasn't just some soft village that was comprised of a civilian militia and maybe a self-trained huntsman or two. No, Aerilon had been standing for generations because of a renowned huntsman family had been protecting it ever since the end of the Great War.

The Arcs weren't world famous like some other huntsman families, the Schnees' came to mind as a prime example. But they were known within the huntsman community the world over as a strong family that produced strong huntsman. He knew Arthur, not too much more than anyone else but he had seen him fight a few times on some joint missions here and there. Summer had even fought and beaten him during the Vytal festival.

Arthur was by no means the strongest huntsman he had ever met but he wasn't a pushover either. The fact that the White Fang could kill an above average huntsman and the rest of the village defenders meant that they had strong people within their organization, strong enough people to warrant concern.

It was a common misconception among civilians that huntsmen were just like normal soldiers that specialized in killing Grimm. A decent huntsman was worth a platoon of soldiers and then some. An exceptional one was worth the battalion and all the dust it would take to arm them.

Arc would've been somewhere between the two which meant that he more than likely wasn't overwhelmed with numbers. Instead he was probably killed by a small group of skilled fighters or one frighteningly powerful one. Either option was bad for anyone opposed to them given the nature of the group.

It was why this was such a big deal when it happened and continues to be one. If the group could train such capable fighters than they may become a problem for the four kingdoms down the road.

It was also a blow to the huntsman community. Very few families could make a name for themselves as a continued line of huntsman given the nature of their work. Those that did were looked up to in a way since they proved it could be done. It gave them the security and hope that they could enjoy a family life as well. When word came through that the entire Arc family had been erased, well, it was a blow for everyone to some extent.

But this was as damning of evidence to the contrary if there ever was one that the Arcs were gone. Now that he looked at him a little closer he could see the similarities between the boy and his father.

Summer saw the similarities as well and it looked like she was fighting with herself over something. Water formed on the edges of her eyes while her mouth opened, her voice coming out as a quiver of itself. "Jaune, can you give Qrow and I a moment? We'll be right back, I promise."

Jaune was confused but took Crocea Mors from her nonetheless before she stood up and grabbed Qrow. He was all but dragged out of the room and around the corner before she turned to face him. "Qrow…"

"Summer no, don't even think about it, you can't."

"We can't leave him here! He can't stay here, he needs to find a home that can actually help him."

Qrow could only rub his eyes as he tried to fend off the impending headache that was no doubt on its way. "There are plenty of people in Anima that can take him in. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Qrow you know that's not going to happen! I know that's never going to happen…" her voice trailed off and her eyes looked back in Jaune's general direction. "Qrow, I grew up here. I know what it's like to grow up an orphan. Do you know how hard it is to find a family that wants you if you have any kind of problems? Even if someone by some miracle adopts him, the moment he shows any of the problems we know he has they'll bring him back here or just throw him to the curb."

Qrow's silence was all it took for Summer to keep pushing onwards. "Orphans are seen as defective goods to most people. Even to those that want to adopt, they don't want a problem child that would cause them more problems. After what happened to him, there's bound to be issues we don't know about. I mean we can see that it's affected him already!"

Summer turned back to him, her eyes shimmering as a few stray tears escaped and cascaded down her face. Qrow could only grit his teeth and avert his eyes. He hated it when she cried.

"If we don't take him now we're condemning him for the rest of his life. I can't do that Qrow, I just can't."

The pain in her voice sapped him of any fire. He brought his eyes back to her and wished he hadn't. Tears were freely falling and her lip was quivering. It wasn't some pathetic attempt to sway him. Her pain was genuine. He knew it because she lived this. For her, Jaune was herself twenty years ago. How many times had she told him that the only thing she wanted growing up was someone to reach out to her? If she turned her back on Jaune now she would never forgive herself.

"And what about Tai?" It was a flimsy argument and his voice was anything but combative, he had given up before he even opened his mouth to speak.

The tears slowly came to a stop and she quickly wiped them away, a small smile coming to her face. "Don't you worry about that. I have special ways for making Tai see things my way."

Ugh, now that wasn't an image he needed to have in his brain. She probably didn't even mean it that way but the damage was done, he needed to find a bar as soon as possible. "And what do you plan to do about the mission? We can't exactly take him with us. It'll take another month at least, and that's if things go as planned."

Summer's face morphed into a frown, her hand coming to rest on her chin as she thought about his question. "You're right. We'll have to come back and get him once we're done. He should be fine for another month. Promise me Qrow, no matter what, once we're done with our mission we're coming back here to get him. Promise me."

"I promise. On our way back, we'll stop by and grab the brat, happy?"

Another thought struck him and his voiced stopped Summer dead in her tracks. "But, what if he doesn't want to come with us?"

Confused eyes asked the question her voice didn't and Qrow elaborated. "We met the kid like what, five minutes ago? Who's to say he even wants to come with us? He seems awfully jumpy if you ask me. Understandable though, all things considered…"

Summer made to protest but her mouth slowly closed, her face contorting in thought. It was clear the idea never occurred to her. She had told him before that the only thing she wanted growing up was a loving family but would Jaune be the same? They were both orphans sure, but the circumstances of that status were vastly different. What Jaune wanted and what she had wanted could be completely different things.

"I… never thought of that. Well, I suppose there's only one way to find out though."

Qrow watched her hood flutter behind her and raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

Summer turned and giggled at him, as if he was asking a silly question. "By getting to know him silly, what else? Now are you coming?"

He grumbled a slew of things that would get him reprimand if she heard it but complied nonetheless. He moved lethargically and stayed a step or two behind her. Kids weren't really his thing but he couldn't just wonder off on his own. Hopefully he could just let Summer take the lead and he could sit back and watch.

"Oh, you came back." The kid was exactly where they left him and couldn't hide the surprise in his voice. Did he think that they had left? Maybe Summer wasn't so far off after all…

"Of course we did, we promised you, didn't we? It's important to keep your promises, don't you think?"

Shaggy blond hair swayed as Jaune nodded his head in agreement, a small smile forming on his lips. "My dad thought so too. He always told me that an Arc always keeps his word, no matter what."

Summer nodded happily which only made the boy's smile grow. "That's fantastic. Your father was a wise man. Could you tell me more about him?"

And tell he did. It seemed like that was the only trigger needed for the kid to open up about anything and everything about his family. Summer never interrupted, even when he rambled on semi-incoherent tangents. She only spoke when she had a question about this or that.

A yawn escaped him and he leaned against the dirty wall. The hike to Shion had been long and they hadn't stopped to rest all day. Red eyes fought to stay open only to eventually succumb to his own tiredness.

With a start, his eyes snapped open, an intelligible noise escaping his mouth and his body swayed for a moment before he caught himself. Luckily for himself, no one noticed. Summer was still listening patiently as Jaune continued to go on about whatever it was he was talking about now.

He yawned a little louder and stretched his arms over his head. He must've been more tired than he thought. He couldn't have fallen asleep for too long though if no one had noticed. Reaching into his pocket, he fished out his scroll and looked over the time. His eyes widened and he tried to comprehend what the stupid piece of tech was telling him.

Three hours!?

How had he fallen asleep like that for three hours? Why hadn't Summer waken him up? Another look at said partner gave him the only answer he needed. She seemed to be just as engrossed with the blond as he was with her. It shouldn't have surprised him given how quickly and effortlessly she had taken to Yang.

It almost made him not want to interrupt. Sadly, they had a mission to complete and they had more than overstayed their welcome in Shion. They were only meant to drop the Lien off after all.

Walking up behind her, Qrow held out his scroll for her to see. "Hey, Summer, we gotta go."

She glanced at the scroll and sighed to herself, more than aware that he was right. The boy on the other hand looked at him with almost abject horror. Jaune's eyes soon became downcast as he shifted slightly away from the both.

Summer noticed and flashed Jaune a bright smile. "Jaune, can I ask you a question? What is it that you want to do when you grow up?"

Despite his demeanor, Jaune didn't hesitate, his answer coming out instantly. "I want to be a huntsman, just like my father!"

"Ah, I thought so. Now let me ask you another question. Would you like me to help you become a huntsman?"

Blue eyes widened, her words stirring something within him and he stared at her, his voice shaky. "Do you mean?"

Summer nodded happily even as a tear of her own started forming. "I do, how would you like to come home with me? My daughters Ruby and Yang are around your age, and they would love an older brother to protect them. What do you say?"

Qrow let out a small chuckle at the sight. Jaune's response wasn't so much in the form of words as it was a full-on body tackle. Summer absorbed the blow with practiced ease and returned the hug with just as much vigor, her voice soft and comforting as she rocked back and forth slowly.

/-/

"Aren't you just the sweetest little girl I've ever seen? And so much energy, oh I could just eat you up. You get cuter every time I see you."

Jaune sniggered at his friend's dismay by the older woman's hands. Nora looked anything but amused as the slightly portly woman continued to pinch her cheeks. It was funny with how she fought against all her instincts to break through.

Normally Nora would've bitten the woman's fingers but she stopped herself and for a very good reason.

This woman was thinking of adopting her.

Everyone had thought Nora was 'unadoptable' given her seemingly endless energy. For the entire time she had been at the orphanage she had turned away more potential adopters just because they couldn't keep up with her. It had become a bit of a sour joke but Nora had never paid it any mind, as long as she had her friends she didn't care if she got adopted or not, at least that's what she told everyone.

This woman on the other hand found it a breath of fresh air, something she would point out every time she came by. This had to have been the fifth time in the last month and a half she had visited.

Jaune shared a look with Ren who only smiled back. It was rare for Nora to be so quiet and he was clearly enjoying every moment of it.

"Oh, I just can't take it anymore. These weekly visits are just becoming too much for me. You're coming home with me today my little princess. You'll love Oniyuri, its growing every day. Such a beautiful place, you'll be right at home. I'll go tell Angelina, she'll be delighted I'm sure. Oh, I'm just so excited."

Jaune's eyes went from amused to shocked and he stared at the large woman leave the room, her jewelry jingling as she moved. That never happened before. The woman had been coming by for weeks and always talked about how she wished she could adopt Nora, never that she would. One look at Ren and he knew that the quiet boy was just as stunned.

Though that paled in comparison to the look on Nora's face. A mix of disbelief beset with horror, her body rigid facing the direction the woman left. She slowly turned to face them, her mouth opening and closing but no words coming out.

Ren seemed to break the stupor first, his voice low and head slightly bowed. "That's great. I'm sure you'll be very happy with your new home."

Even though he tried to hide it, Jaune could pick up the hurt in Ren's voice, the realization that she was leaving no doubt hitting him. It wasn't just Ren; the idea of Nora leaving was painful to him as well.

They had been together for months, they had saved him from the Grimm, they were his only friends. He didn't want to leave them, either of them. But he knew it was for the best.

He may have hated Samantha, distrusted her in every way but the one thing he did believe her on was that it was better to be adopted than not. She always preached it to them, to act their best when adopters were present, that maybe if they impressed them they would get to go home with them and live a better life.

It was a truth that everyone at the orphanage knew. It was why he had been ecstatic when Summer had asked to adopt him. He wanted a home, a family to look at him like his used to. He wanted to be held the way Summer had held him, he wanted to be loved.

It was also why he felt guilty about not telling Ren or Nora about what had happened a few weeks ago. Summer had explained that they were on a mission and couldn't take him right then but that once the mission was over she would come back here straight away and bring him home. Even the scruffy man in the gray shirt that smelled funny said they'd be back in no time.

He pretended that he didn't tell them because it might not happen, that for some reason they wouldn't come back. He told himself that but he knew they would, he trusted them, he trusted Summer to keep her word. The truth was he didn't want to hurt his friends with the thought of him leaving. He didn't want to hurt himself either, he didn't want to leave his friends.

"She seems really nice, you're lucky Nora." He wouldn't ruin this for her. This was Nora's chance at having a family, at having a home. It was great for her but why did it hurt so much to say it?

"But, but, I-"

"Oh, my little princess I'm baaaaack~"

A very off-key sing-song voice filled the air, the woman and Angelina now both making their way into the room. A smile was plastered and both of their faces and Angelina clutched a few papers in her aging hands.

"Wonderful news my dear, the paper work is finalized and everything is set. You'll be able to leave today and go to your new home? Aren't you excited?"

Nora's breath was heavy, her head shifting as her eyes jumped from the old caretaker and the overweight woman. Her head turned to look at Ren and then Jaune, her mouth gaping like a fish out of water, her eyes shaking as tears fought to be kept in.

"Oh, look at that, she's so happy she can't even speak. My dear I'm just as excited as you. I even have a surprise for yo-"

"NO!"

Her scream cut through the air and stopped both adults cold. Nora took the chance and leapt at her friends, using all her strength she wrapped her arms around them. "I won't leave them! They're my friends! They mean everything to me. I don't care what you have I'm not leaving them!"

Tears streamed down her face and she pulled them in tighter, forming a barrier of bodies and limbs between her and the two adults in the room. They could only stare wide eyed as Nora wailed against the two boys.

"Nora…" Jaune whispered, he hands automatically wrapping around her as she cried.

Ren didn't do anything for a few moments before he slowly closed his eyes and put his hands on her shoulder, pushing her away ever so slightly. "Nora, you can't do that. Not for us. You can be happy with her."

Nora shook her head violently, her dirty orange haired whipping back and forth. "No! I'm happy with you! You said that we would keep each other safe! How can we do that if we aren't together?"

Now Ren was left speechless and Nora fully embraced him, letting Jaune go in the process. Her grip was ironclad, not that Ren was fighting to remove her. Instead he embraced her back, his head resting on her shoulder.

"I am so sorry but it appears Nora is against the idea and I won't force her to do something she does not wish to do. Perhaps one of the other children may be what you're looking for."

Despite Nora's outright refusal, the middle-aged woman didn't seem bothered in the slightest with the rejection. In fact, her smile only brightened and she wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh, I think not. I knew my little princess had a big heart and wouldn't want to leave her purple eyed friend. They're practically stuck together every time I've come here. That's why I spoke to my husband and he agreed that I can bring both home. I do love the color of his eyes, so exotic! Now you can bring your friend with you, how does that sound?"

Nora removed herself from Ren's arms and looked back at the overbearing woman, her eyes going from each woman and then back to Ren. He didn't seem to know what to say either, caught off guard by the offer just as much as Nora was.

Jaune didn't say anything and bit down on his tongue. This was good, no matter how much it seemed to hurt it was good for both of his friends. And this way he wouldn't hurt them when Summer came back. It was perfect, if only the thought of them both leaving didn't make his chest ache.

"What about Jaune?"

"Nora no…"

The wealthy woman seemed to have the same train of thought as her smile finally faltered. Her eyes looked him up and down before they zeroed in at his waist for some reason. Those once happy eyes seemed to narrow before she whispered something to Angelina. The response she received didn't improve her mood as her face took on a complete grimace. "I'm sorry my dear, but my husband would be rather upset with me if I brought more home then I promised. I can only take you and your green clothed friend. Surely that is enough?"

Nora tried to outright deny her but her voice was silent and she turned to look at him. She understood this would mean for both her and Ren. He understood it as well. Every orphan here understood it. He couldn't let Nora throw that away for both of them, not for him. They deserved it more than anyone here.

"Do not worry about Jaune, Nora. Jaune is going to be adopted in short order by a pair of huntsmen that visited us a few weeks ago. Once they come back from their mission they will be taking him. I'm sure he didn't tell you in fear of upsetting you both and perhaps he was afraid they wouldn't come back. I will alleviate that fear. I've known Summer since she was your age, she'll keep her promise and come get him soon."

Nora and Ren's heads snapped to Jaune, both questioning and slightly hurt gazes hit him at once. The tightness in his chest increased but he nodded at Angelina's words. "I'm sorry. I didn't know if they would come or not. I didn't want to cause any problems."

Nora looked like she wanted to say something but didn't get the chance to as Ren reached out and grabbed Jaune and pulled him into him and Nora. "We forgive you. Are you ok with us leaving?"

Jaune didn't say anything but instead wrapped his arms around both Nora and Ren and nodded furiously. He felt Nora's unnatural strength hug him back in response and Ren's far softer hand patting him on the shoulder.

"Promise me that we'll meet again one day. When we're older. Promise."

Blue eyes met turquoise and a small smile crept up onto his face. "I promise. And an Arc-"

"Always keeps their word." They finished for him, Nora giggling slightly at the small echo.

"Oh, you all are just so precious. I need to leave before I go back on my word and take all of you home with me. Come on my little flowers, I want to be back in Oniyuri before nightfall. Follow me~"

With one more quick hug each, Ren and Nora turned to follow the eccentric woman, leaving only Jaune and Angelina in the room. The older woman put a wrinkled hand on his shoulder and smiled sadly at the now lonely boy. "Don't worry, Jaune. Summer will be coming back any day now. Be happy for your friends. They are going to have a much better life now than they would have if they stayed here. Rejoice in that."

Jaune only nodded but couldn't stop the sniffle that came. Nor could he stop the tears that he had been fighting from falling. He moved out of Angelina's grasp and moved for the exit.

The sun was setting in the distance and he could barely make out the carriage that no doubt was taking his friends away. More tears fell as she watched them go farther into the distance before they vanished completely from sight.

He heard the crackle of feet moving across gravel while he took a seat on the rough ground, his eyes never leaving the road coming to the orphanage.

"Come in Jaune, it'll be night soon and you'll catch a cold if you just sit out here."

It was weak but he moved his head in the negative, his eyes focused squarely ahead. "Not yet…"

He heard the sigh but didn't react to it. He felt a blanket wrap around his shoulders but didn't move an inch. He heard the Headmistress' steps grow fainter but didn't turn to watch her leave.

He only watched the road in front of him, his eyes never leaving the coarse gravel. He didn't flinch when the rains came down on him. He didn't squint when the harsh sun washed over him and baked him. He didn't move an inch when the cool winds sent shivers down his spine. He didn't even bat an eye as green leaves turned yellow and fell from their branches.

Autumn gave way to Winter, and yet still there was no Summer that came for him.

It wasn't until his breath shown in front of his face did he stir. His eyes looked skyward, heavy and sunken and snowed lightly pelted his exposed skin. The flakes melted and left his clothes damp and sticky. He didn't care about that, nor how he could no longer feel any part of his body. Only one thought played on repeat in his mind.

"She's not coming."

Finally, he let his eyes slip and shut, the rest of his body going completely numb. Tears he didn't know he still had escaped his eyes. He somehow managed to pull his legs into his chest, resting his head on his knees as reality set it.

It was then that he heard it. It was faint and he almost thought he made it up. Only when the sound repeated itself did he truly believe it. He opened his eyes and lifted his head to see a figure in the distance.

Again, he heard the crunch of fresh snow in his ears and hope swelled in his chest. The figure grew closer, each sound of snow under foot brought the person further into view. Jaune waited, breath baited and ears strained. Every second was a mix of agony and euphoria as the figure closed the distance.

It felt like an eternity but the figure finally came within view, stopping right in front of him. Jaune looked at them with anticipation before it quickly faded. There was no white hood, nor black locks kissed with fire. The figure wasn't even feminine in anyway.

The person in front of him was a lanky figure in dirty gray clothing. His face looked ragged and like he hadn't seen a razor in what had to be months. Sunken cheeks and bags rested under the man's eyes. Even still, those ruby red eyes bore down on him and the man tried to smile. He failed.

It wasn't Summer that had come for him. It was Qrow.

"Hey, kid…"

---

So, another chapter has come and gone. Sorry about the delay on this, things come up in real life that sadly draw my attention away. I do try to update as much as possible.

But that set aside, we're moving ahead slowly but surely here and honestly the story is going to start picking up rather quickly from here on out. This was pretty much the end of the intro arc and now we're going to start building up the primary story so hopefully everyone is excited about that!

And on top of that, RWBY volume 5 comes out next week. I don't know about you all but I'm really excited about this new season. I'm cautious as well because I'm hoping it doesn't flop but fingers crossed!

Till next time.