Author's note: Okay, so, this is my first post on pretty much anything. But I finally decided to say 'fuck it' and post this story idea I've been sitting on for like a year. I'm taking this as like a trial run, and I'm open to any constructive criticism. Also I don't have a proper title to this yet so that's just a placeholder. Also as a added bit of info, this is heavily inspired by Unseen Lurker's Beneath a Broken Moon.
--
Skyrim. To many it was a cold, harsh land. To others it was home. To the lone, blonde warrior it had always been a strong combination of both. Though that thought wasn't exactly on his mine as Jaune ducked under the jaws of a large frost dragon. He sliced upwards, his Nightingale Blade drawing dark blood from the thinner scales.
The white dragon roared. "You will die, Dovahkiin!"
"Unlikely", Jaune remarked with a hint of dry amusement. Then he inhaled and Shouted, "Fus. Ro!" While it wasn't the full Shout, the force was enough to stagger the dragon, allowing Jaune to bury his sword into its eye. He held on as the dragon gave a last struggle before collapsing. Jaune removed his blade and stepped back as the dragon's corpse began to burn and fade. He gave a soft sigh as the soul was absorbed into his own, strengthening his power. You'd think after defeating Alduin, they wouldn't attack me, he absently thought.
Either way, the dragon was dead, he'd devoured the soul, and now he could continue his return journey to Lakeview. He summoned a purple orb magic and tossed it a few feet before him. Immediately a swirling portal opened and out stepped a skeletal steed. Jaune smiled as the undead horse approached him, and reached out to stroke its head. "Arvak", he greeted affectionately, "I'm ready to be home."
Arvak gave a silent neigh and Jaune mounted the spectral horse. As he rode his thoughts drifted to his friends. Serana had returned to Volkihar Castle to try and return it to a more livable setting, or a livable as a vampire castle could get. Inigo was in Riften helping the Thieves' Guild, who were finally back to their glory days; in no small part thanks to Jaune. The Companions and the College were both plenty busy as well, as far as he knew.
All in all, Jaune's life seemed fairly...mellow. At least compared to the last few years.
It only took a half hour to return to his manor. A proud smile etched across his face as he looked up at the house he and his friends had built. After Arvak returned to the Soul Cairn, Jaune noticed that it was getting late. With nothing pressing going on at the moment, the seventeen year old Nord felt like he finally had the chance to really relax.
Later that night, after a long, hot bath, Jaune was ready to turn in. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, his own deep blue eyes gazing back at him. His blonde hair, which he usually kept back in a low ponytail, fell to the beginning of his shoulders, and his facial hair was in the early stages of growing back. Muscles toned from years of training and constant fighting laced his figure. While his face was free of scars, except for the small one on his chin, the rest of him was decorated with old wounds. The most prominent of them being the long claw mark running from his left shoulder to right hip. It had been a parting gift from the World Eater in their final battle, nearly costing him his life as well as destroying his armor.
Shaking away the memory of him almost dying, Jaune finally retired to his bedroom. Sinking into the soft mattress he let himself relax. A stray thought entered his mind as he began drifting off. With how well things have been going, it's probably time for my 'Dragonborn Luck' to blindside me. Either way, that can wait for tomorrow. And with that he closed eyes and let sleep take him.
The next morning Jaune awoke feeling refreshed and well rested. After a small breakfast of horker jerky and fruit, as well as some light training, he geared up to make his journey to Riften. As much as the city left a bad taste in his mouth from memories of his childhood, he was technically the Grandmaster of the Guild, and there was business that he needed to see to.
He donned his custom made armor, a personal mix of dragonhide leather; with a bit of wolf around the joints for easier movement. Dragon scales lined the forearms, chest, and abdomen. A perfect mix of light and tough, enchanted to his liking, and comfortable, Jaune wouldn't hesitate to call his armor a work of art. Nightingale Blade strapped to his waist, and his enchanted bag attached to the opposite side, the young Dragonborn was nearly set to leave.
The last item he grabbed was his most trusted weapon. A finely crafted curved dagger about ten inches long, and the last gift he received from the woman he considered his mother.
"Little Dagger...I give to you the Blade of Woe...please...live a better life than this...please be better than what we made you."
Jaune closed his eyes and took a calming breath. Six years and it still hurt to think about. It's in the past, he reminded himself. Putting that aside he sheathed the blade next to his sword. He was about to leave when he noticed something on the dining room table. His eyes widened when he noticed what it was.
The Oghma Infinium.
The Dragonborn eyed the Artifact suspiciously. He had already read from it over a year ago, and it had vanished the moment the knowledge had drained into his mind. So then why was it here? Hermaous Mora's influence was the obvious answer. But why?
Jaune sighed. The Deadra were always trouble, Princes even more so. "Might as well see what he wants", he said and opened the stitched cover. He frowned as the page he opened had only three words. "A Shout?"
Knowledge flowed through his mind as the Shout became etched into his soul. Then Jaune opened his mouth and spoke, "Bex. Lein. Miiraad!"
There was a brief moment where the world seemed to go silent before Jaune heard a portal open behind him. He didn't even have a chance to turn around as he felt himself thrown backwards and into the unknown gate.
And just like that, the young Dragonborn was no longer in Tamriel.-When Jaune awoke he was on his back. As he sat up he felt that every muscle hurt and his head was spinning. "Portals", he groaned, "I hate portals."
Once he cleared his head Jaune stood up and looked around to try and get his bearings. He was in a forest, that much was clear, but it wasn't one he recognized. Strangely, it was also later in the day, as the sky was dark. The Dragonborn was about to begin walking in a random direction to figure out where he was when a growl drew his attention. Jaune turned and blinked in surprise at the creature before him. It resembled a small werewolf, though its fur was pitch black and it had a bone white mask. Spikes of the same look as the mask sprouted from its arms and back.
It also wasn't alone.
Several more appeared from the darkness of the forest, their burning eyes at their newfound prey.
Unfortunately for them, their prey happened to be a dragon in human form.
"I'd advise the lot of you to turn around and forget this happened", Jaune remarked as he unsheathed his sword, "But something tells me you're not the listening types."
The collective howls from what looked to be almost two dozen of the not-werewolves was as close to an answer as he was going to get.
"Very well", he replied and cast a quick armor spell, "Let's do this."
Then both sides charged.
-
High in Beacon Academy sat Headmaster Ozpin. He was finishing up the review of the transcripts. To say that this year's lineup was promising would be an understatement. His eyes passed over the final paper. Ruby Rose. Age: 15. She'd be entering a full two years early, but from what he'd seen she was a natural prodigy. Her skills would've been wasted attending Signal for another couple years. Plus there was also the matter of-
"Sir."
The Headmaster's eyes rose to his right in practically everything, Glynda Goodwitch. "Yes, Glynda?"
"Our cameras in the Emerald Forest picked up something. I followed the trail and found this." She held up her Scroll's display and Ozpin's eyebrows rose in slight surprise.
It was a young man, probably the same age as a first year, garbed in strange leather armor and in the midst of fighting off a large pack of Beowolves. Well, it must've been large before he had stumbled across them because the boy was tearing through them like paper, several bodies already dissolving around him. From the brief view Ozpin could immediately tell the boy was skilled.
However even the most skilled Huntsman could be overwhelmed.
"Glynda, go and get him, as quickly as you can."
The Deputy Headmistress nodded and quickly hurried off.
-
"Dibella's tits!" Jaune cursed as he decapitated one of the newly seen bear creatures. "Can you bastards just take a damn hint?!"
He had done a good job of staying on the move and fighting, however it seemed whenever he killed one of the beasts another would take its place. Slamming into one of the smaller wolves, Jaune's momentum carried the two through the brush and out into the open. Tearing out his blade from the dissolving body, his eyes lifted to the sky.
And his stomach promptly dropped.
Jaune was expecting the familiar sight of Tamriel's two moons, Masser and Secunda, hanging in the night sky.
But instead he only saw a single, shattered moon gazing back down at him.
"What?" he absently asked. "What is-?"
The shocking revelation was immediately cut short as more howls echoed throughout the forest. Jaune growled in his throat, his Thu'um vibrating the air; he was already over this damn place. More of the not-werewolves leapt from the tree line, along with a couple bear-like ones, as well as an even larger wolf. While he still wasn't sure what to call them, he could easily tell the large not-werewolf was a leader of some kind. Bigger, stronger, and most likely smarter than its siblings.
"Well, you're all quite relentless, I'll give you that."
While he wasn't physically tired, years of training and adventure, as well as being Dragonborn allowed Jaune to fight for much longer than a normal person, Jaune was aware that he had limits. He was in an unknown place, surrounded by unknown enemies, as well as not knowing if there were more nearby. Aura Whisper could solve the last problem; however, it would affect his vision, which was unwise.
He was going through his options. If anything, he could use Bend Time to escape, but it was a big risk. That particular Shout was the most taxing on him, and he wasn't keen on being without his Shouts in this strange...well world.
As he was debating what to do the dark creatures prepared to use the brief window to attack. However, their attention was broken by a new noise. Jaune himself didn't recognize what it was and looked skyward.
Jaune couldn't help but blink as he beheld what was above the field. It appeared to be a large metal ship, though how exactly it was remaining air born was a mystery to the young Nord. It lowered until it was hovering only a foot off the ground before a door on the side opened. A tall blonde woman appeared from the inside, dressed in unfamiliar clothing, and wielding what looked like a riding crop.
"Hurry!" she shouted. "This way!"
She flicked the crop in her hand and- adding to the growing list of confusion for Jaune- it lit up as if with magic before several rocks from the ground erupted and hurled themselves at the creatures. Wasting little time, Jaune broke into a sprint and jumped into the metal ship beside his rescuer.
"Take off, now!" she shouted to someone inside.
Sensing their prey was going to escape the large wolf gave a howl and the pack made a desperate charge. The woman was about to retaliate when Jaune stepped forward.
"Allow me", he replied and faced the pack. He took a deep breath in and then Shouted, "Yol. Toor. Shul!"
In that instant a geyser of orange fire erupted from Jaune's open mouth. The wolf creatures had all of a second to regret their decision to engage the blonde as over half of them were instantly incinerated. Flames quickly spread amongst the rest. Finally, the last of the fire reached the leader. They only managed to latch onto its left side, but Jaune could clearly hear its pained howls over the dying sounds of the smaller ones.
Once the ship was higher up Jaune turned to the wide-eyed expression of the blonde woman. "Thank you for that, ma'am", he said, "You arrived not a moment too soon."
Her expression turned to a normal look and she nodded. "You're welcome. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. Why in the world are you out in the Emerald Forest in the middle of the night?"
"Nice to meet you ma'am", Jaune replied, "I'm Jaune. As for why I'm out here...it's a bit of a long story."
Glynda hummed. "Very well, Jaune, you can tell it to Headmaster Ozpin."
-
Ozpin looked up just as the elevator door opened. In walked Glynda as well as the stranger. Upon seeing him Ozpin almost immediately felt a sense of grief. This young man had seen and gone through more than anyone his age should; possibly more so than many professional Huntsmen.
Putting that aside he adopted a friendly smile. "Greetings, young man, I am the Headmaster of this school. You may call me Ozpin."
Jaune looked at the Headmaster, debating whether or not he should lie about his situation. Eventually he decided he didn't have enough information to make it believable, and the truth would be better suited in the long run. "Well, sir, my name is Jaune, and I feel I should sit as my story is quite long."
It took a while, but Jaune told them his tale. He left out several more personal bits of information, mostly events from his early childhood he wasn't comfortable sharing with people he just met. Jaune showcased his magic to further corroborate his story when he was told magic wasn't a thing in their world. Ozpin, it seemed, was very open-minded.
As he finished his tale with landing in the Emerald Forest a memory sprouted in his mind. Jaune sighed and shook his head. "Godsdammit, now I see."
"Pardon?" the Headmaster inquired.
"I'm now realizing I should've put all of this together sooner. I was told this would happen."
-
The Throat of the World. The Snow Tower. The tallest peak in all Tamriel and the home of the reclusive Greybeards. It was also a favorite spot for Jaune to visit and spend hours discussing various subjects with their leader; as well as someone he considered a very close friend.
Paarthurnax.
The old, gray dragon remained perched atop the crumbling Word Wall, listening to the young Dragonborn's tale. It had become a bit of an annual tradition for Jaune to make the journey and just talk with the dragon. Paarthurnax enjoyed hearing of his pupil's various adventures, often inquiring about certain aspects, or asking of different outcomes that could've happened. Also, as an added benefit, Jaune got plenty of practice speaking Dovahzul in full sentences.
"-so after that the bandits just fled and we found Amren's sword. I'm still surprised they stuck around as long as they did after Serana tore into that orc's neck."
A low hum escaped the old dragon. "Vahzah. Not many would openly face your briinah once the truth of her being is revealed."
Jaune chuckled from his seat on a nearby rock. "Yeah, either way I'm glad I was able to get Amren's family sword back before they were able to sell it." He glanced up at the sky before standing and brushing off some snow. "Well, I had better head back down. Hopefully Serana hasn't pestered the Greybeards too much."
However, before he could leave, he was stopped by his teacher. "Saraan, Dovahkiin. I have a message I must share with you."
"A message?" Jaune asked, confused. "From who?"
"From my Bormahu, my Father."
That was certainly a surprise. Akatosh had a message for him? If the God of Time Himself had something for him, it must be incredibly important.
"What is it?"
Paarthurnax closed his eyes and extended his massive head towards the sky. "A trial approaches, beneath a pale, broken moon. Creatures of darkness encroach on the light, far, far too soon. A fellowship of four, in an academy for heroes. Unite wind and man, and be the one to guide the rose."
Nothing but the winds at the top of the world were heard as Jaune digested what had been said. He was about to question his master further when the dragon turned his head back to him.
"I know no more, Dovahkiin. Krosis. That is all I was told."
Jaune remained there for another minute before he remembered he needed to reunite with Serana. "I...thank you, master." It was all he could really say.
The gray dragon dipped his snout. "Pruzah wundunne, Dovahkiin." And with that he spread his wings and soared into the sky, leaving Jaune alone, and confused.
-
While Jaune had told them of his meeting with Paarthurnax- leaving out that his teacher was a dragon- Ozpin's eyes took on an understanding gleam. Jaune easily picked up on this. "You know something of what he was saying."
"I believe I do", the Headmaster conceded, impressed by the young man's observation. He tapped on his Scroll and displayed the recorded video of Ruby Rose's fight against Roman Torchwick and his men. Ozpin couldn't help but smile in amusement at Jaune's wide-eyed expression from the display. "Ruby Rose", he explained, "A talented young lady who will be joining my school a full two years early."
Jaune gave a small hum of realization. "'Guide the rose'", he repeated, "It makes sense. But she seems perfectly capable of handling herself."
"True", Ozpin agreed, "However as I said, she is younger than our other first years, and has yet to see how the world can truly be. Perhaps that is why you are here, to help her prepare for...whatever is coming."
"Maybe, though with prophecy it's never as cut and dry as that."
Ozpin chuckled slightly. "Indeed. Now, Jaune, I have a proposition for you. If you are to 'guide the rose' you will need a way of interacting with Miss Rose. So-" he learned forward, interlocking his fingers "-how would you like to join my school?"
From his side he could hear Glynda audibly sigh in frustration, as well as resignation. No doubt having already deduced what her boss was planning, and the additional paperwork she would inevitably have to do.
Jaune just smiled. "While I'll be entirely out of my element in this world, I'm not one to turn down a challenge. I accept."
With a nod Ozpin leaned back. "We will need your full name, however. Or is Jaune all that you are known by?"
"Just Jaune, I never had a need for a surname."
"We can create one for you", Glynda replied, taking out her own Scroll to put him in the system, "Does anything stand out that you would like?"
The Dragonborn was silent as he thought it over. Then, he remembered what was a common practice in certain places in Tamriel. "Astridson", he finally answered, "Call me Jaune Astridson."
-
Later, once his information was in Beacon's database, Jaune was following Glynda down one of the hallways. "You will have to stay in one of the guest rooms for tonight", she explained, "Tomorrow morning you simply make your way to the auditorium, or outside to wait for the students to arrive."
"Understood, thank you ma'am."
Glynda hummed at the polite tone and eventually stopped in front of a door. "Here we are." She used her Scroll to open it and stepped inside, Jaune following after her. "The shower is through there; in case you wish to use it. The right knob is for hot water, the left for cold. Is there anything you wish to ask?"
"No ma'am, and thank you."
She nodded and began to leave. "Have a good night, Mr. Astridson."
"You as well ma'am."
Once she was gone Jaune decided to look around. Though he quickly discovered there wasn't much in the small guest room. Eventually he sat down against one of the walls and folded his legs. He wasn't tired, and meditation was always a good alternative to sleep.
I'm in a different world, with strange creatures of darkness, attending a school for future heroes, Jaune mused to himself, As Inigo would say, 'Dragonborn Luck strikes again'.
The next morning Jaune couldn't help but still gawk at the airships above him. He had a feeling mortals being able to fly wouldn't sit well with some, if not all, of the dragons. As he took in the sights around him his attention was brought back down when an explosion shook the courtyard. Instincts kicking in, his hand snapped to the blade at his wrist. However upon further examination he realized the explosion had come from a small, smoke-filled crater several yards away. Once it cleared he was surprised to see Ruby seated in the center of it. Above her was another girl, maybe slightly older and dressed all in white, shouting something at the red-themed girl.
Releasing his grip on his sword, Jaune made his way over to see what exactly was going on. Though by the time he got there the white-themed one had stormed off, as well as a girl dressed in black that Jaune could swear be mistaken for a certain vampire princess at passing glance.
Seeing Ruby dejectedly still sitting in the crater Jaune felt it was time to introduce himself.
-
Well, today hadn't gone exactly like she had planned. First her sister had totally ditched her, then she tripped on some crabby girl's luggage and exploded, and then that other girl had just left her here. Ruby sighed. "Welcome to Beacon."
"Hey, need some help?"
The voice made her jump and she looked up to its source. Silver gazed into deep blue. The boy was slightly older than her, with golden blonde hair pulled back in a loosely gathered ponytail, and a small amount of fuzz on his chin. "Oh, uh...thanks", she mumbled, slightly flushed at this situation. When she accepted his offered hand, she felt a sudden warmth spread through her. It passed as quickly as it appeared, but it did confuse her. That was...weird. Turning her attention back to the boy she could've sworn she saw his eyes widen in surprise before turning normal a second later.
She should probably introduce herself, now that she thought about it.
"Um, "I'm Ruby Rose."
"...Jaune. Jaune Astridson. It's nice to meet you, Ruby."
"You too."
And now things were silent again, and she felt awkward.
Thankfully Jaune spoke. "So, care to come with me to the auditorium?"
She sighed in relief. "Yes, thanks, 'cause I don't know where it is."
-
While Ruby seemed genuinely happy someone had stepped in to help her, Jaune had come to realize what the prophecy had truly meant by 'guide the Rose'. It was no longer just as simple as being a more experienced guide. No, Jaune knew the moment his hand touched hers, the warmth in his soul, it just wasn't an easy concept to wrap his head around.
But the answer was right there.
Ruby was like him.
Ruby Rose was Dragonborn.
--
And there ya go. My first ever posting of anything to this degree online. As I said, I'm completely open to any and all constructive criticism. I really would eventually like to turn this into a full-blown story, because I have a lot of ideas for it. Also if you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll answer as best I can without giving away any spoilers for what I'd like to happen.
Pruzah wundunne, friends.
Also P.S.: on the off chance you happen to see this story on Tumblr, that's also me.
