The blistering heat is the first thing Jaune notices as he wakes up. The burning ground underneath him and his parched throat are next. His chest stings, something coarse touching the wounds on it. Blinking away the rough dust blocking his vision and ignoring his searing headache, Jaune slowly pushes himself off the ground. The wind feels cool against his skin but is also extremely dry.

The blinding sun beats down on him as he sits down in the sand. Thirst is what's bothering him most. A new semblance awakens, condensing the little moisture in the air into his palm. He drinks what little is there eagerly, ignoring how it makes the air so dry that hurts to breathe. Checking over himself reveals his chest has three gashes on it, all stinging and covered in sand.

He hobbles away once his thirst is slightly satiated. His mind is still slightly cloudy, though the fog is beginning to lift. Where was he? All he can see is sand. Then he was in Vacuo, right? That was the only place that could have this much sand. But why-?

The memories of what happened come rushing back. Jaune punches the ground, his hand sinking into the sand. His family and all of Ansel were gone. All because of him. Because he'd destroyed them in his anger. He was nothing less than a monster.

Monstrous. That was the only word he could think of to describe what he'd done. His chest tightens, emotions roaring in his heart until his power activates. A new semblance settles amongst the rest, forcing him into a state of calm.

If he were able to feel unsettled, he would be. The new semblance allowed him to sort his thoughts clearly. Logic was something he should use now after committing such an atrocity. His emotions didn't matter after what he'd done, even if it was an accident.

Being a hero like his ancestors was all he'd ever wanted, but now? Jaune had no right to want that. Not after what he'd done. He was a disgrace to the Arc legacy. Crocea Mors-

Crocea Mors! Where was the sword? The sheathe was still on his hip, and he'd been holding it before he came here. Assuming one of his semblances brought him here, it should be nearby too. Searching for a few moments, he finds the blade buried in the sand.

Pulling it out, he looks over the blade for a moment. Crocea Mors was an embodiment of the Arc legacy, a blade handed down from one hero to the next. It was meant to be passed to him. His father's death only pushed the date he received it forward. Technically, the heirloom was his.

But he didn't think he should be allowed to wield it. The Arc line was one of knights and heroes who fought valiantly in the Great War. Something such as killing your own kin would have earned a death sentence. Following that code, Jaune should die. But he couldn't yet.

It was selfish of him, but Jaune couldn't stand the idea of not apologizing to Saphron. And the idea of not living up to the expectations his family had believed him capable of achieving filled him with shame. So, he couldn't let himself die yet.

The death and destruction of Ansel was caused by him. There was no way to say it wasn't. He'd lost control and everyone else paid for it. From now on Jaune would need to be careful about using his semblance. He was dangerous. Using his power would only be used in emergencies. That was Jaune's vow to himself.

Sheathing Crocea Mors, Jaune looks at the horizon. For now, he was going to find civilization and find out where he was and what caused the Grimm attack. Then… he needed to talk to Saphron.

Walking through the desert was tedious. The sandstorm whipped against his face, blocking his vision with the haze of sand. Within a few minutes of trying to get through the sandstorm, Jaune decided he hated sand. It was coarse and irritating, and got everywhere, covering his skin and filling his clothes. It sucked. Despite his vow to not use his power, it was immediately broken by it activating because of his annoyance at the sand. So, Jaune now had the semblance Sand Evasion.

"It's like the world is making fun of me," Jaune muttered to himself.

Anger wasn't something he could really feel at the moment. His new semblance, which he'd decided to call Mental Fortitude, put him in a state that he processed things logically. All emotions were repressed until he turned it off. Call him a coward, but Jaune wasn't ready to face the guilt and anguish that would inevitably return once he turned it off. Not to mention he didn't know how yet.

His stomach growls, not that he cares much. Food wasn't necessary right now. What he needed was water. People could go three days without water and three weeks without food if Jaune remembered right. He didn't know how long he'd been unconscious, so he needed to be careful. For all he knew he'd been out for weeks, and his semblances were the only things keeping him going.

The little water he was able pull from the air wasn't enough to sustain him for long. Not to mention how dry it made the air. Maybe it would be better in more humid environments. The rest of his semblances he normally used were still on cooldown. He'd never pushed himself that hard before.

His semblances were like muscles; they could do a lot but push them too far and they'd give out. Not all of them had the same toll on him and the more he trained with them, the longer he could maintain using them. So, given Sand Evasion was new, it probably wouldn't last long. He was dreading when it gave out.

The rest of the semblances he'd used in Ansel still hadn't fully recovered yet either, so he was vulnerable. He didn't have aura to protect him from attacks; with Deflection and Misdirection unable to be used, he would have no way to defend against Grimm and would only be able to fight.

The three gashes he'd received during his fight against the Griffin had begun to heal, the progress nowhere near as fast as he'd hoped. That's only to be expected, considering he never got hurt. He'd have to train it in the future.

The biting wind makes him flinch, howling and zipping past him. In the past, he'd heard stories about the Great War and the Vacuo Campaign. It was hard to imagine people fought in sandstorms when he wasn't even able to keep his bearings without his Compass semblance. There was nothing but desert on all sides, so it wasn't possible to notice any landmarks. Actually, the locals probably had some they could distinguish. But not Jaune. He had to walk aimlessly until he found a village or something similar. Unfortunately, Compass only pointed out which way was North. Using Mental Fortitude, Jaune marched through the storm with mindless determination.

By the time the sun begins to set, Jaune can make out a wall through the desert storm. A city wall. He would smile if he were able to. Ignoring how tired he felt, he jogged the rest of the way across the sand. It was weird, being tired. Usually, he'd be fine after sleeping, but hopefully his exhaustion was still around because he'd not been asleep that long. Or maybe he'd just been that tired.

To his surprise, he isn't checked before being allowed to enter. In Ansel, there were guards that would check visitors before they were allowed inside the village walls. If you were suspicious or potentially dangerous, they'd turn you away.

"You aren't going to check me or anything?" Jaune asked as he was waved through.

"Not today," A man with an eyepatch said. He had a sword resting on his shoulder, so Jaune assumed he was supposed to be some sort of guard. "Not with all that's been going on."

Was he talking about the Grimm attack? Surely Grimm couldn't have been drawn from this far. But there had to have been thousands of them in Ansel. It didn't make sense for them to have travelled from this far without being noticed.

"What happened?" Jaune asked in search of more information.

"How haven't you heard? All of Remnant is on lockdown," The man said. "Huntsmen are searching for the outskirts of the kingdoms for the cause of a massive Grimm migration. The biggest one in recorded history according to some."

"That bad? How long ago?" Jaune asked. "I woke up in the desert recently, and don't know what's going on."

"Not even a day ago," the man said. "People aren't allowed to leave the kingdoms as Huntsmen search the towns and villages for survivors. You'll be stuck here for a while."

So, not even a day yet. Had Saphron heard of what happened to Ansel yet? Either way, he needed to see her. Jaune staggers towards a nearby fountain, greedily drinking the refreshing water. Thirst satiated, he sits down next to a nearby wall and relaxes. The temperature gradually decreases as the sun sets further.

A sudden thought struck Jaune. What was he doing here? He was a danger to all these people if he lost control. Just because he thought he wouldn't hurt people, didn't mean he wouldn't accidentally. Just one wrong move, and he could… Wait.

Vacuo was a desert. There was nothing for miles in parts of it. No people, no villages or cities, just sand and Grimm. Nothing to destroy or hurt if he messed up. So, if he trained there, and fully mastered his powers then he wouldn't have to worry about accidentally hurting people. The only semblances he'd trained so far were Sword Mastery and a few of his strength enhancing semblances.

Each semblance required training on its own; it didn't matter if they had the same result. They still needed to be trained separately. For example, Enhancement was like a sudden shot of power through himself, with near instantaneous results. Body Boost slowly increased his strength, building up to its full strength and maintained that strength until he could no longer keep the semblance active.

With his family, training was always focused on his own skills and rarely his semblances. His father had warned him that whether due to fear or envy, or a desire to control him, people would be after him. So, Jaune had no experience with most of his semblances.

But if he could train them, he could save people and make amends for what he'd done. With his power mastered, there probably wouldn't be anyone who could beat him. He'd be a real-life superhero. Of course, Saphron would need to be kept at a distance to ensure she wasn't put at risk.

Heart pounding, Jaune begins to feel the slightest amount of enthusiasm. It's dull thanks to his semblance, but its there. Sure, he'd have to leave Saphron alone until he knew he was no longer a risk to others. That'd be for the best anyway. Who'd want the murderer of their family near them as they mourned? No one, so the best thing he could do for her was to stay away. Let her rebuild her life.

Jaune rests his head against the wall. Yeah, that was a good idea. Best to stay away and keep her safe. He could apologize later. Exhaustion catches up with him again as his eyes flutter shut.

A short nap wouldn't hurt. He'd think on it more when he woke up.

"Hey, wake up!"

That's the first thing Jaune hears as someone splashes water on him. He splutters and shoots to his feet. A monkey Faunus is in front of him, looking too smug for Jaune's liking. The sun was being blocked by clouds, but it was obviously daytime.

"What was that for?" Jaune asked, wiping the water off his face.

"No offense, but you don't look like you belong here. You're way too pale. You're going to get a sunburn if you stay there. I figured you were one of the people who got stranded while traveling or something," the Faunus pointed to a tent that hadn't been there when Jaune fell asleep. "Anyway, Atlas just stopped by and dumped some supplies off. The emergency shelter they set up is handing out rations. I figured you looked like you needed them, so I decided to wake you up."

Jaune stood up, his head spinning slightly from the motion. That was probably a sign he needed to eat. As he starts to walk towards the shelter, the Faunus follows behind him.

"So, uh, what's your name?" Jaune asked to break the silence.

"Sun Wukong," he introduced himself with flair.

"Jaune Arc."

The thought of using his last name made him feel dirty. Something he once felt proud of now just reminded him of what he'd done. The name didn't deserve to be associated with him. One day, he'd be worthy of it.

A line has formed to the tent, Jaune steps into the line. The sheer amount of people joining the line is saddening. Sun helps keep the atmosphere cheerful, popping in and out of the crowd and talking to people.

By the time they reach the small table in front of the tent, the sweltering heat has Jaune's clothes are soaked with sweat. During the short while he'd been here, his respect for the people of Vacuo had skyrocketed. He couldn't imagine living in this heat all the time.

Jaune is handed a ration bar and a cup of water before immediately sent away so they could help the next person. Dozens of people have joined the line in the few minutes it took Jaune to get his food. Scarfing down the ration bar, Jaune mentally prepares himself to endure the desert, only to jump back when Sun pops in front of his face.

"Here. Have a kebab," he offered. After a moments hesitation, Jaune takes the food. It's some sort of meat and fruit.

"What is this?" Jaune took a bite. It's juicy and sweet. Jaune eagerly inhales the rest of the kebab.

"Something," Sun mumbled, his mouth full of his own kebab. "I think rabbit. I don't know. It's not like I was picky about choosing what I grabbed. Anyway, where are you going?"

"Somewhere," Jaune said.

"Do you even have a plan? No one's allowed out while things are locked down," Sun grinned.

Jaune had forgotten about that. Being unable to leave brought his plans to a halt. Was there any other ways to leave? He could try to jump over the walls, but that would most likely cause a commotion.

"No," Jaune admitted.

"No worries," Sun wrapped his arm around Jaune. "I know all the shortcuts in and out of this place. I know a place that you can sneak out no problem.

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "What do you want in exchange?"

"What?" Sun fake gasped. "I'm hurt you think I want anything. I'm just helping you out of the goodness of my heart. Now, follow me!"

With nothing to lose, Jaune follows his new acquaintance. Getting a better view of the city, Jaune admires the architecture. It was nothing like Ansel. The thought makes his heart twinge. Eventually, Sun leads Jaune to an alley. Jaune rested his hand on Crocea Mors.

"If you're going to try to mug me, I suggest you don't." Jaune said.

"Mug you? Dude, you need to chill. I'm not going to mug you," Sun walked into the alley, using a windowsill to give himself a boost. Sun parkours his way up the buildings. Jaune looks around for anyone who's looking.

Most people are anxiously walking to their destination, unsettle by the movement of Grimm. A child waves at Jaune as their mother drags them along. Jaune waves back, satisfied that no one important is watching. Activating Leap, he jumps after Sun. Looking back the child, Jaune smiles at the child's awed expression at the display. Jaune waves again before following Sun.

"Woah, you can jump high. Is that your semblance?" Sun asked as he jumped across the rooftops.

"Something like that," Jaune muttered. "How much further?"

"Just a bit. We're almost there," Sun said before stopping. "And… ta-dah! We're here."

The place they arrived isn't any different, except for the part of the wall that's missing. As if someone knocked the piece away. Simply missing from where it's supposed to be.

"The adults are always talking about fixing it, but they never get around to it," Sun explained. "So, we use it as a way to sneak in and out without having to go through the guard check."

Jaune walked forward, pausing to stand on the edge. It'd be so simple to just let himself fall. They're relatively high, about three stories up. Jaune rests his hand on Crocea Mors. He couldn't do that though. Not when he needed to make amends.

Jaune steps off the ledge, the wind rushing against his face. Jaune lands, his knees slamming into the sand as he activates Impact Absorption to not break his legs.

"Thanks for your help," Jaune called.

"No problem. You looked like you needed help," Sun shouted back. "Drop by anytime. You know where to find me. Just make sure to bring me a stolen kebab when you do."

Jaune paused for a moment. "Wait, that kebab was stolen?"

"I didn't steal it. It was a challenge of my sneakiness against his observation skills! I won!" Sun waved at Jaune before jumping away. "See ya, Jaune!"

"Bye, Sun!" Jaune smiled.

His sense of self had returned. Jaune looks out into the desert, sighing as he realized he had sand on his clothes. A tear falls, Jaune quickly wiping it away. Shoving the pain down, Jaune begin to walk. It hurt, but he had to move forward. That was how he'd apologize to his family and all of Ansel.

He'd made a promise to help people with his powers, even if he'd already hurt more people than helped. An Arc never went back on their word, so Jaune would continue to carry on.

And if he died in the process? Then it would simply be destiny.

Ozpin sighed as James replayed the clip. Vacuo's settlements were spread far apart, and the less developed areas had little communication with the world outside of their communities. Theodore was busy trying to keep things stable in Vacuo and checking which villages were no longer had been overrun, meaning only James and Leo were at the meeting.

The video was the topic of their discussion. A lone boy with enough power and skill to take on a horde of Grimm. The video had been released to the public in hopes of finding the boy faster. But only a part of it had been released. The full thing was kept hidden.

The full video was much longer than the clip released. A few minutes longer compared to the 20 second clip, in fact. The part of the video that had caught his attention, however, was worrying. The boy staggered out of the rubble of one of the walls, and with a single swing of his sword, the screen went black as the scroll was destroyed.

They had discovered that the place the video originated was the village of Ansel. At least, it came from where Ansel once was. There was nothing but rubble there now. The few survivors that they had managed to save hadn't been questioned yet. It would be unkind to do so.

Ozpin sighed again. How tragic for such a thing to happen. Even all these years later, he still didn't understand the point of such tragedies. Did it serve to build strength? Perhaps. But he couldn't help but feel but there were better ways to accomplish that. What did he know though? He wasn't a god.

That attack he'd unleashed was similar to the Relic of Destruction. A terrifying thought, that someone could have such power. Memories haunted him from the times he'd used the relic. The sheer devastation caused by the blade was enough to kill anyone. Aura or not, the blade would cut through whatever it touched. Even if being stabbed didn't kill you, the decay spreading from that point would.

"Oz, what do you want us to do?" James asked. "What's your plan?"

A plan, a plan. That's what people always expected of him. Did they not realize how disorienting it was to reincarnate? Suddenly, everything you know is unreliable and your standing in society has changed. Technology itself had advanced so much after the Great War that a lot of his knowledge on leading his armies had become irrelevant. So, no, he didn't have a plan. He'd just bluff like always. How Salem hadn't won yet, Ozpin had no idea.

"For now, we wait," he said. "Qrow is looking for clues on Salem's actions. Just keep an eye out for the boy."

"Ozpin, you still haven't told us why he's so important," Leo said. "Telling us why, or even who he might be helpful in finding him."

"He's right," James said. "The boy was admittedly powerful, but it takes more than that to catch your attention. What's so special about him."

"Nothing," Ozpin tapped his finger against his cane. "He just happened to catch my interest."

Ozpin had an idea of who the boy was. Despite having grown distant with Nicholas, he kept an eye on him. Kept an eye on all his students. Life was difficult, so he didn't blame them for losing contact. But, he knew enough to know Nicholas had a son around the age of the boy he'd seen. Two of his other sisters were alive, so adding a third sibling would be excellent. It would be a shame for the so much of the household to have been snuffed out.

So, was Jaune Arc (assuming that's who it was) an ally or a foe? That was what mattered. The answer would decide how Ozpin dealt with him. At best, a powerful ally or more likely a neutral party. If not either of those options, he'd need to be removed. It wouldn't be the first time he'd killed a child. Just another body amongst the countless others that he'd left behind in his impossible quest.

Thanks for Reading! Any advice about anything will be greatly appreciated. If a plot point doesn't make sense to you, please review and let me know. I'd be more than happy to explain it (unless I have plans for it), or to rewrite it so it makes more sense.

A surprise monkey appears! Am I the only one who feels Sun is the type of guy to suddenly burst into song? I imagine him singing to Jaune about the way of life in Vacuo. I don't know why; the thought just popped into my head while writing this. And let it be known, Atlas shouldn't have been able to reach Vacuo that fast if they were following air traffic laws. They broke many to get there as quickly as possible.

Do you want me to do a time skip until the next interesting part, or should I go into some of Jaune's travels through Vacuo? The time skip will allow for Ruby to have some spotlight finally, otherwise the time skip will happen mid chapter. I want Ruby to be a bit older for when she starts becoming a central part. That's the main reason Jaune is such a big focus rather than Ruby. Realistically, neither would be allowed to do dangerous things, but with his parents gone Jaune has freedom he wouldn't have otherwise.

And after getting responses to my question on what Jaune should do, I've decided I'm going to have him live in the desert for 2~3 years and then go to Atlas after being persuaded by the ability to expand his influence and get closer to his goal.

Now then, onto the reviews! Imagine my surprise when the amount literally double between chapters. This is now my second most reviewed fic, and I've only put up four chapters.

ThanoSstinks - Jaune's about to become a godlike hermit for a few years. Should I go in depth on what he does for the two years, or should I do brief glimpses of what he did before he goes to Atlas?

Fateful Twilight - Jaune doesn't think he'll ever become a hero now, but he believes he still has to try. How he views himself is going to influence his future decisions a lot and will lead to him leaning on his ideals rather than thinking about himself. PMs are fine, too. It's great to hear what other people think!

Chuck B. Winanaki - Yep, and it's going to ensure he does his best to remain in control of himself at all times, much to his detriment. The one-time Jaune wanted to play god, and he couldn't. Yang be doing good, she got the best support she could have gotten, not that she knows that. Deku vibes yes, but not to the stalkerish extent he does. Jaune can be tired, in fact after overusing his powers he pretty much blacks out. Jaune does get an amp off his own anger, but he's not in the mindset to use that after what happened. The worst part for Jaune, as shown above, is that he doesn't even need to consciously wish for an ability. Something as simple as an inconvenience can make him unlock a new power, so expect Jaune to be very careful about what he thinks about. Ruby's going to get some fun abilities that help her with combat, so she'll be a bit more confident by the time for Beacon. The GoD would totally kick over another kid's sandcastle if he thought it was too cool lol. Have you ever seen DBZA? I imagine Salem being like King Yenma (I think that's his name) and being like "You already took the kids! What more do you want!"

Wolf0830 - Do you have any advice on how to make her feel less OOC? Like you mentioned, we've never seen her out of control, so I wasn't entire sure how to write her. A bit of Deku treatment, though that was done subconsciously. I didn't realize until it was pointed out to me. She's not going to be obsessive over it though, just inspired at seeing what she thinks is the pinnacle of strength of someone in her age range. Jaune will go alone for a while, before someone puts an idea in his head that he won't be able to ignore.

SuperSageNaruto - Jaune's going to be very messed up mentally. Not in the "I can't stop crying" way but in the "I don't deserve to exist after that" way. A workaholic that knows what he's working towards is essentially impossible but feels forcing themself to reach that goal is a suitable punishment. That's the reason I'm going to have him go to Atlas; a chance to make a difference. As for Saphron, do we have a canon age for her? I assumed she was around her early to mid-twenties in the show since she had a kid, so by that logic she'd be in her late teens or early twenties here.

MM Browsing - Yeah, Jaune's strong, but nowhere being invincible. Throw enough at him and he'll go down. In the future, he'll be much stronger, but I have a final boss for him to face that I think is going to be fun. Ruby doesn't even know Jaune yet and won't even meet him until Beacon. But she'll give him quite the surprise if they ever fight.

Guest - Unfortunately, I've never seen Bleach. I've been meaning to, but I suck at time management.

SentinalSlice - Jaune's going to be away from people for a while and try to understand the limits of his power. Frustrating, since most of his powers can't exactly be quantified. Atlas (Mostly Ironwood and Ozpin) will want Jaune on their side, so they're going to do their best to convince him. A bit of guilt tripping a traumatized teenager and they'll have an OP fighter on their side, one who's abilities are unknown. He can teleport, but the amount of energy it requires means it isn't something he can do constantly, especially after just getting the ability. There's also some limitations to the ability that he needs to learn to deal with, so he won't be zipping around Remnant just yet.

Broken Requiem - I never finished DanMachi, but I heard a new season is coming out. I hope to finish it before then.

Ineedanaccount - Most of his powers do need to be learned to use properly, he's just been in a mad rush and pumped full of adrenaline. In fact, him not having aura is arguably his greatest weakness, since if his defensive semblances give out he's got nothing to protect himself. Rest assured, I have no plans on Jaune getting a harem. Hell, I'm not even sure if I want to do anything involving romance for him. For your idea on Ruby, I haven't had her unlock all her abilities yet, and have something similar planned once she begins to master her powers.

Gonsmoss - It's the same reason anime characters almost never have their parents involved. Jaune's father wouldn't let him go off on his own, not without him sneaking off. Even then, his father would try to find him since he's still a kid. His "semblances" are going to be of great interest to Ozpin and if someone gets past his defenses he's going to get majorly hurt because of his lack of aura. That's the reason I didn't give him aura, to balance things a bit.

Starhammer - There were some survivors in Ansel, but Jaune was already exhausted from using his "semblances" and in shock at finding his father death. He'll learn that eventually, but his remaining family won't know he was the one who caused the deaths unless he tells them. I do plan on making them important to Jaune, but not overly important to Jaune outside of a character motivation.