RWBY Reading of 'Relic of the Future'

by Starsyc

The cast of RWBY from a time before the events in Relic of the Future find themselves brought to watch and learn from the adventure of Jaune Arc in said story. is what they learn worth it? will they change their own fate? read to find out. RWBY belongs to it's creators and 'Relic of the Future belongs to Coeur Al'Aran, credits to each for their works. tips to improve are accepted.

4. 4 Arrival at Mistral

The creator of Relic of the future is Coeur Al'Aran, all credits of the Story go to him, I'm just building from there, go read it if you haven`t and then come back to read this.

I've taken notice of what's been suggested so I'll address that now.

First with ZeroTHeOne's and quaker212's comment, I prefer seeing this kind of comments because it actually tells me I've been doing something wrong, so if anyone notices something similar I'd be glad to know, and it will be corrected from now on.

That ties with the spelling and grammar mistakes…weeeeeeeell I do what I can, I'll go over and change somethings, and I'll avoid repeating them, unfortunately I can't say I'll notice them all, but as chapters go I expect this bad grammar to be left behind…I hope.

And it is true that I haven't been taking advantage of the hologram and while considering it I actually found a different approach with it and see if it's better this way. I don't want to get rid of the reading format, or at least not until I've tried all possibilities to keep it, idk I think that it makes it at least slightly different from what people are used too.

Oh and don't cha worry, they will grow as they watch...at least I hope to portray it that way.

Other suggestions that haven't been mentioned have been read and were taken into consideration, I've just addressed the more immediate ones.

Anything else asked or said…it's kind of a spoiler right now, so keep tuned.

Paradox -Mystic POV-

The people in the room were given some time to catch up with the events in the book.

The discussions still stayed within their own separate groups.

Cinder's plan to stray from Salem in order to get the upper hand with the way the blonde and his group had managed to kill the queen of Grimm off for good and then rise herself to power was still simply speculation and considering.

She didn't know what factored in her death, what actually caused it and how much did it take before that final confrontation. There was too little information to work with, so keep hearing the chapters was her only option to find her own path.

She wasn't planning on being in Salem's shadow for long.

…Meanwhile with the others…

They already knew from earlier that Jaune wasn't back in their own time, instead he had potentially been sent ten years before them more or less.

What wasn't expected was the apparition of the child version of one of the people in the room and friend of some, Sun Wukong, from that time.

"The dork was sent far beyond what he expected, now Sun is a kid and…Ruby's mother is alive" Weiss was the one who had the most problems coming to terms with this, nothing had made sense for a while, and she didn't like that. "I hope not all chapters have revelations like this" The tension and emotions they caused also were troublesome.

Blake was once again seated with her team after Lancelot told her so, and now had to deal with how her team was handling everything.

She didn't really get any special out of this chapter, sure, some revelations like Sun's age or the now not dead mom of her leader were shocking and important to them, but nothing felt overly personal.

The other two parts of her team did, and as much as she wanted to stay close with her partner, she was having a better person to help them right now.

The sisters had gone with their father, sitting close to him as they comforted each other with their presence and a group hug from where they didn't seem to separate. Their eyes were red from having cried at the sight of their mother, the one thing they only knew was that she had died, not how it happened or who did it.

Yang had tried to pass as strong and that she wasn't affected much by this, but it was obvious to her father that it did, her expression said it all to him...but it was not like he was handling it all that good.

Qrow was also hanging nearby the three as well, focused looking at his flask, the same one he received as a gift from Summer long ago and had used since then. (It was back in Vacuo, maybe we'll find out who it was that killed her).

Memories he had buried with the help of alcohol resurfaced, most of them reminiscing of the old SQRT team.

As much as he wanted to blame the return of such memories in that book to bad luck, this chance to change what could be their future was nothing less than a lucky occurrence for them.

The rest of the adults had some their own thought to keep them distracted from the family situation.

Glynda for one was having trouble deciphering what was actually their host.

What they learnt in the previous chapter was surprising, but not mind boggling for her and as such she thought it was better to try to figure out what exactly was this place, and what was Lancelot.

And so, she began questioning Lancelot's being, that since the start, everyone seemed to assume it was human or faunus, considering it had a similar shape and used an armor, but the more she looked at him, the more she found it wrong to think of him as such.

It was as if her mind told her he was something else…but what? And how exactly could he do what he could? (Maybe Ms. Belladonna can say more about him after being so close).

Raven and vernal were still trying to figure out what was the point of their involvement here, the Branwen tribe didn't have a side in this war from their look on things, and she didn't know the kid, so why would they be there.

Vernal was in the lost, after all she didn't even have anything to do with anyone aside from raven. (Will we meet that idiot there? is that why we're here? God, how stupid is that).

Raven however, started to get an idea of what the knight wanted to show her specifically when the image of Summer appeared, because she had felt something seeing that.

She managed to get it under control without showing anything, but it didn't change the fact that there was still something about her old life there, even if she didn't want it.

That brought her to a conclusion, just the same way their host had simply, 'calmed' them by whatever means, he may be intensifying her own feelings, but that would beg the question of why.

(He said this is something everyone can learn for the future, something is going to happen to me here, isn't it?) It was obvious considering she was here to begin with, but maybe there was more, and she didn't like it one bit as she muttered. "Forcing me to feel in a way I killed long ago, Ha and they call me a monster sometimes"

That was still just a theory, but not one too farfetched after what she's seen him do.

Team _NPR talked with both students from mistral, together they were trying to figure out what might be Jaune's next move now that he figured out when was he in time and what routes could be taken from Vacuo.

All while Nora boasted about how awesome her leader was.

Roman and Neo decided that they needed to have a little conversation with Oscar.

"So, why were you brought here" They had been figuring out the reason behind each of their reasons to be there, being misinformed could definitively lead to a greater problem.

So far Roman could piece together most of them, his own, Neo's and the two bandits were still mysteries, but they still held some relation to the events, since him and Neo worked for Cinder and the black haired one seemed to know the almost dead woman that appeared on screen.

Finally there was this one random kid that apparently had something to do with the headmaster himself, reincarnation if the book was to be believed. "Don't try to play around us kid, all of us seem to have something to do in this, so I'll ask again, what's your role in all of this?"

"I still don't know" Oscar wasn't exactly lying when he said that, his purpose wasn't know to him…but Ozpin's was a different thing. "Look, I know that the book painted me as Ozpin, but that is not me, it's him in my body and I can't force him to get out"

There was no point in hiding something that everyone knew now, but it wasn't something to spread around either, not especially after he had been completely taken over.

(Maybe there is a way to avoid that?) It was just one hopeful thought, but maybe that was all he needed.

Neo didn't find any trace of lies in his words, her life had taught her how to read people better than most so when Roman saw her shaking her head to him, he knew there wasn't anything they could get from him.

Disappointing but nothing could be done about that.

Slowly but surely the minutes passed, the tension was already fully gone as those who had received a greater impact from the chapter were already back to their usual energy.

This time however, Lancelot didn't appear trough a flash, instead, he took the same door they once came by.

"I apologize if I made you wait longer than expected, I was called by my superior, who expressed some…concerns" Following that he went once again to his seat, book in hands as he gestured towards the fireplace. "It's come to my attention that sometimes sight is a greater stimulus than words themselves, which I can agree upon"

The hologram distorted the space, it grew and enveloped them, things around them changed, the seats were swapped with more comfortable ones, and they didn't find themselves in a library anymore.

Or at least, not fully. The space behind them was still the library, but it was impossible to discern where the library ended, and the new space started.

Said place looked like a city…particularly one that someone recognized it.

"It's…Vacuo" Sun stated as his jaw felt as if it had dropped to the floor.

"By petition of my boss I present to you the holo-space an imaginary made zone with a 210 degree vision and full experience of the event we'll be reading about" Then a paper appeared in Lancelot's hands. "We'll be able to listen to normal conversations and see images, but thought feelings and other things one can't normally see still be found within the book, although it means that for everyone to enjoy the scenery I will be taking over completely book duty"

It was a sight far beyond what their technology could do, boundaries of reality and imagination were stretched so far off one from another that it seemed that it wasn't there anymore.

"I will be reading the book as an outside narrator or sometimes from the perspective of one of them, all dialogue however will now be spoken by them as if we were there, our position will always be a certain distance, so we don't miss any important details, any questions?"

A large amount of them wanted to just shout WHAT and then ask an actual question while the others just wanted to question the knight about this, but it was fruitless.

The scene started looking like an old flash-forward in black and white as the environment accelerated, it continued for 3 seconds until two blonde heads made their way into a café.

After that it began to move as if it the real world instead of just imaginary essence, the people in the library could see it as if the world was on the other side of a window, but unlike a TV, it was almost surrounding them completely and it felt real.

"You sure this is okay?" Sun asked, already having started to stuff food into his mouth. Politeness didn't matter as much as hunger apparently did, and Sun was forcing the food in like it might be taken away at any moment.

"It's fine. Eat."

"Is that Jaune?" Pyrrha couldn't stop looking at him, she recognized him immediately even after how much different he looked. "he's…grown a lot"

It was undeniable, from his physique to his expression, he had changed, and what they had seen in previous chapters was just a bit If how that happened.

Yang however had other things to say. "Oh~ vomit boy looks like a huntsman now, not bad" She was teasing her sister since Ruby had looked for a few second before turning away, somewhat embarrassed. "and Sun looks adorable too"

Neptune looked at his friend and how he was receiving a smug look from Blake as she held a scroll in her hands.

Lancelot could allow that now, but it wasn't always going to be possible to do.

"Jauney is so COOL NOW!" Of course, the bomber of JNPR had to say that, how could he not after seeing her leader. "He looks good on Vacuan clothes doesn't he Renny" he looked robust and stronger, the clothes the Del'Ashari tribe lent him fit surprisingly well too.

Jaune's appearance aside, they felt relieved to actually see him, only being able to imagine what he might have looked like was somewhat frustrating, especially without a proper description.

Sun was nodding as he gave a very big smile to the scene, remembering very well that those times in the streets were harsh. "That is a real bro right there" Not a lot of people would just buy someone else food, especially in Vacuo.

Glynda had seen a lot of things in her life, but she would never have expected to see two students that had the same age here, both sitting down in a café in a situation where they are more than a decade apart, it even had gotten a small laugh out of Goodwitch.

Qrow heard that and looked strangely at her coworker. Seeing Glynda laugh was weird.

The boy did just that, not even questioning why a stranger had brought him to a little café and ordered food for him. To be fair Sun probably knew it was a bad idea; he just didn't have much of a choice. Risks were taken when it came to finding something to eat and a chance like this didn't come around all that often.

Luckily for him, Jaune was too shell-shocked to do anything, even if he'd had the inclination. Instead he poked at his own food, some spicy meat and veg, and stared at the little boy opposite him. It was Sun. It had to be. The similarities were too close, even before the name, and any doubt he might have been harboring evaporated whenever Sun smiled.

The implications of what that meant, though… they were too much.

"Sun is an idiot, there isn't much we can do about that" Neptune knew Jaune wouldn't do anything, but if a plate of food was all he needed to be lured by some random person, he feared for his friend.

Said person's pride took a jarring hit when Blake agreed with that.

The Atlessian saw the doubts in the man's eyes.

"It is very hard truth to accept" Winter understood that, going back looking for something and what you find is not what you were expecting, however it was still not all lost, in reality this just seemed like a better chance for everyone else. (But the cost of your own chance to be with them again).

From what they saw before and what Arc's team said, it was most likely that he would continue even with this setback, and Winter could respect that.

"Indeed, it would be foolish to waste an opportunity like this though" The sake of lots of people in exchange of Jaune's reunion with his team in the past was a sacrifice he saw doable without any doubts…but not so much for the Huntsman.

"This might be a good opportunity to see how far back he is" That was still an unknown, and if Cinder wanted a good grasp on how much time was needed, keeping track of the beginning and end to all of this was necessary.

And the next set of dialogue made her smile as her doubts were answered.

"How old are you?" Jaune asked.

"Seven," Sun answered, spitting a little food out. "I think." He swallowed. "Dunno, mister. No one counts that when you're an orphan. Tallin – that's my big bro, or a big kid that looks after us – says I'm six to eight." He paused. "Why?"

"No reason. Keep eating."

Sun eyed Jaune's dish. He'd already finished his own. "Can I…?"

Jaune pushed it over. His appetite had died long before.

"Thanks, mister!"

"Truly, a real bro"

The teams of students had various levels of amusement at the words of the monkey faunus, he was exaggerating it to alleviate the rest from what they've seen, and it worked.

"If I'm not mistaken that means he is ten years before beacon" Ren pointed out. "Thirteen years from his own time and ten before he meets any of us"

That dulled some of the laughs produced by Sun, he may never be their leader or friend in this world, as he was for them.

"Just accept it Kids, your friend here won't be there, at least from the other you perspectives" And that was simply not nice to listen to. "I mean, even the loud monkey calls him mister"

It was true, no matter how much familiarity Sun showed here, it wasn't going to be the same for the world they've been reading.

"All of this is to save everyone else, to stop the end of the world and so on" Roman continued to taunt, he didn't like heroism as a thing, it was dumb from his view. "And in the process he sacrifices, how did the kid put it? Ah yes, the most important people in his life" he then pointed at the little Sun, who was still eating like it was the last meal he had. "They are 'you' yes, but at the same time, they aren't the you the kid knew"

"in the end, he's just saving someone else that looks like you, instead of you" Ans then he stopped, Roman didn't want to spend his time here seeing a bunch of kids getting hopeful as their friend became a HeRo, and much less praising them.

Don't get him wrong, he is all for living another day, but he was right in saying, this isn't him, it's just another Roman, he himself, was already dead.

That's why he decided to simply shove the truth to their faces…if it wasn't for the hopeful little red.

"That may be the case…however, we've still got our own chance, for this to not happen!" Her voice rose, she wasn't going to stand around as her friends felt as frustrated as she did at the truth the thief wanted them to se. "Our chance to avoid this ending not only for us, but for him" Ruby's words were for Lancelot, the only one who actually knew anything.

They've been constantly reminded about this thing, that the world they read about wasn't their own, but it was the one before it. The people in the room were important on the book, but also held importance on their own world, on the war to come, and as such they might be able to do something.

Those were Lancelot's words, to change the future.

"Maybe now we can't do much, not with how little we actually know, but maybe…no, not maybe, there is a way for us to do something if there wasn't, wouldn't be pointless for us to be here" Seeing her mom was great, but was something that couldn't be done for her she knew that, she knew that death was something they could do nothing about, she would have done so for her mom if that wasn't the case.

…

"ha ha ah Ha HA HAHAHAJAJA" the metal echoing of a laugh that came from the silent knight took everyone by surprise, not expecting him to bust out into laughter or intervene whatsoever. "Truly miss Rose, you have a knack for words like no other, and I believe I should clarify my motives for this to continue to work without more conflicts like this" … (for now)

The scene around them came to a stop, rewinding back to where they left since it had continued to move as they weren't paying attention.

"My superior wants to avoid this end, the sad end of the shadow war, but rules indicate that seeing the future is dangerous" The book was brought to the center of attention of everyone, even those like Cinder and Raven who didn't care much for the argument before were now listening. "and so we found another way, simply putting it, we cheated, by showing you a parallel timeline that was connected to your own we avoid the more unorthodox problem related to the rules, leaving only the paradoxical problems we can easily solve"

It was a heavy explanation, that still lacked actual motive for those who noticed how he put it, but it gave some reasoning to what actually was going on as a whole.

In the end, the answer they got only explained what was happening, never why it was.

Although it did leave both Cinder or Raven annoyed, they'd most likely get their plans revealed ad trampled over or maybe something worse…but it was not like they couldn't change those themselves.

"now, I believe we wasted enough time" And so they continued.

Six to eight years old, or seven – near enough. That meant he really had gone back before Beacon started, but much further back than he'd expected… or hoped. Damn you, Salem. You did this on purpose! She'd known he wouldn't be able to change Ozpin's mind in time to make a difference, so she'd thrown him back into the past to give him more time. Of course, she hadn't told him that.

But he'd known better than to trust Salem anyway, hadn't he?

"I still find myself annoyed at that" Ironwood definitively didn't like that trust give to her, but there was nothing to be done.

It was a popular opinion between Ozpin's circle at that

What am I supposed to do now? I can't join my team – they'll be little kids. His face twisted at the thought of it, realizing that he wouldn't even be able to go and see them. Pyrrha would be alive, but she'd also be seven years old. What kind of twenty-year-old man could go near someone like that? He'd be arrested and thrown in prison, especially if he lost control and tried to hug her.

His breath came out in sharp pants. His body was shaking. It took a monumental amount of self-control to make it stop; to lessen his panic to nothing more than a dull look in his eyes. All those plans he'd made, not only on how to help the future but what he'd do with his friends. They were in tatters now. They'd never happen.

It was almost enough to make him weep. Or scream in anger. He wasn't sure which. A hand tugged on his sleeve before he could, and he found himself looking down into a pudgy face with blue eyes. Sun's face, though dirty and now flecked with food, was etched with concern.

"Is something wrong, mister?"

The way it was said how he felt combined with his face, wasn't something his teammates liked

"Arc is going to need to adapt to this" Weiss said as she looked at how his face twisted at the realization. "He made many plans too early"

"you can't blame him for that" Blake responded. "He wasn't fully aware of when he was so he just sticked with what he could" Nothing could prepare you for this after all.

"no, I guess I can not"

Jaune stared at his old friend. The last time he'd seen him the boy had been a man – and dead. More than that though, Sun had been a good person, mature and funny in equal measure, but with a genuine care for those he considered friends. He'd been good to Blake. He'd been good for Blake. It was jarring to see him as an emaciated and starved orphan stealing from people in the streets of Vacuo. Even if he'd always wondered why someone from Vacuo hadn't studied there.

"Nothing's wrong," he said, slipping into the lie as easily as one might a pair of shoes. "You said you're an orphan."

"Yeah – but it's not so bad, you know."

"Not so bad that you had to resort to stealing?"

"It's not just for me," Sun grumbled. "I've friends who would go hungry. This is for them, too. I'm gonna be a big kid soon and I need to look after them. Sometimes that means getting money for food." His face fell a fraction, but he quickly recovered. "Some of the other big kids used to do it so I could eat. It's just returning the favor."

Jaune's description of Sun made him feel good, he knew lots of people and had many friends, but finding something as an honest to god good friendship was hard and he was happy he found one apart from Neptune.

As Happy as it did the idea he had Jaune's approval to go for Blake, even if they were friends because of their friends at best, although when he looked at her she found her being tormented by a teasing Yang Xiao-Long and a Weiss that looked awfully conflicted as if questioning Arc's judgement.

Nora and Ren could relate to Sun, being the two of them Orphans as well.

Nora especially found herself wanting to speak with the blonde faunus as she basically had just heard that he was a good friend by her leader, and her leader was never wrong…almost never anyways

It was good Ren was there to stop her.

"Taking such responsibilities so young, even if it isn't the best way to do so" He was a student from Haven, but that wouldn't stop Glynda from praising him for looking after the others…as she reprimanded him for stealing at the same time.

Emerald however snorted when he spoke about helping the other kids, being 'kind' wasn't going to get anything, not living like that, the tougher street rats would crush him eventually.

A crazy idea flickered into Jaune's head. He could take Sun with him. He could spare Sun a life trapped in an orphanage. It would be a good way to repay his friend. The idea lingered, festered, but was eventually dismissed. It wouldn't work out. Even ignoring the fact he had no identification – especially not if he'd gone back, what, ten years before Beacon? No ID and no name of his own, let alone the means or experience required to support a young child. It would be as good as a kidnapping, and that would come back to haunt him.

And besides, Sun would be fine, wouldn't he? The future had as good as proven that. It wasn't like he'd be leaving the boy to an uncertain fate.

"Yeah dude, there's no need for you to worry about my incredible self, I can take full care of me and the other kids, I mean I already have" As much as a prideful boast it was, it wasn't far from the truth, he had helped them and in the end each had found their own way.

Helping them was how he found he wanted to be a huntsman too, so it was a win-win.

"Kidnapping a kid from the streets does not seem like a good idea" Winter also agreed with the decision, even if it was for a different reason.

"actually now that I think about it, the kid doesn't have an ID now" That would be very troublesome, and Tai knew it.

Both Qrow and Raven were lucky got some made specially by Ozpin so they could be hunters, but many other paths were close to those who didn't have an actual ID, and he was sure the twenty-one year old Arc couldn't use his own…if he still had one.

"What do you want to do when you're older?" Jaune asked, curious.

"Eh?" Sun looked confused. "I dunno."

"Ever thought of being a huntsman?"

"No." Sun blinked. "Is that what you are, mister?"

"It is. I'm from Vale. Do you know where that is?"

"It's next to Vacuo," Sun said, with the self-assured tone only a child could manage when suggesting a thousand or more miles of deadly desert and Grimm-infested forest could be classed as being `next to` somewhere.

"It is. I have to go back there soon. There are… there are people who are waiting for me."

"Family?" Sun asked.

Jaune's throat caught. "No." Not anymore. His family wouldn't recognize him, even though they were alive once more. It's for the best, he told himself. They're still alive. All of them are. Even if I've gone back too far to see them, to be with them, I've still gone back. I can still change things. His eyes hardened, and he took a deep breath.

The game may have changed but the rules were still the same. He'd fix the future and save them. He'd just have to do it knowing he couldn't be a part of that future.

"I have friends in Vale," he said, recovering from the awkward silence. "It's a huntsman's job to protect people and I need to look after them. They're not strong enough to look after themselves right now."

Raven's eyes narrowed when he told him about being a huntsman. (So much time with the old bastard that you're actually starting to behave like him) her opinion on him fell, even if all she cared about him was his mistrust for Ozpin and his strength.

"next to Vacuo, really?" Neptune reprimanded his teammate.

"Nep, dude, I didn't have an education, I had to learn from listening on the streets" The unfortunate lives of some and he was one of those, it was good that he was able to maintain the positivism he had today.

That also made the blue haired boy back off a little, and actually thinking about what he said and realized that he may have overstepped quite a bit there.

The two had a bit of a stare down that was broken by Sun, who just punched Neptune in the shoulder while laughing at his face.

(His family is still alive, but he can't even see them now…they would recognize him) Yang already felt bad for losing his family, now that he had them back he couldn't even see them, it was fucked. (I wouldn't know what to do if Rubes didn't recognize me anymore)

Said sister also found that situation painful for his friend.

Qrow noted how he changed after that breath, his expression showed resolution, and he knew that future was in good hands and so, he took a sip of his flask. "go do something good kid, I'll invite you to drink after we solve the shit we have in our own world"

Both Ice Queens looked at the man, their disapproving faced said it all, but he didn't care, he was going to do so anyway.

Sun looked shocked. His eyes, wide and blue, trailed up and down Jaune's figure. "T-That's pretty cool," he admitted. "You're pretty cool for an old guy."

"I'm twenty-one at most," Jaune griped.

"That's so old!"

All adults felt a hit and old at that, which in turn made everyone turn a cold eye for the student, specially from Glynda and Winter.

Tai could only look at him sadly, knowing very well he might not come unscratched out of that.

Ugh, kids. Jaune swiped out without thinking and Sun recoiled, only to go still as instead of a stern cuff around the head it was a napkin being brushed against his mouth, wiping off the debris of the little faunus' assault on the food. "Next time make sure the food goes in your mouth, not around it. I didn't give you that lien for you to wear food as make up."

"Y-Yeah." Sun looked down. His legs kicked under the table. "I get it. You're going to Vale, then?"

That was a good question. He wasn't sure. The plan had been to reach Vale so he could see what state Beacon was in, and then decide how to get into his team like he had before. That wasn't an option now, at least not in Team JNPR. Did he go ahead with it anyway and join Beacon under a different team?

There wasn't much point. Even if he hadn't technically graduated he felt like he'd reached a level for it. All that training with Qrow and Ozpin hadn't been for nothing, and Qrow always did say real combat experience trumped anything they'd learn in a classroom. Would spending four years at Beacon really do any good?

If I joined now and graduated in four years, Pyrrha and the others would be eleven. Ruby would be nine. That would still give me plenty of time to make changes, but what benefit would I get? I'd be closer to Ozpin. Jaune glanced down at his hand, still covered. It bore Salem's mark. Being close to Ozpin might not necessarily be a good thing, though.

Sun felt pretty embarrassed seeing how he was being washed after eating by Jaune. "Oh Come on! I'm not a little kid" coughs and laughs came quickly from the rest of the students.

Suddenly he realized what he said, but that still didn't stop Yang's and Neptune's smirks, and the somehow more mocking upped eyebrow from Blake.

Today was just not a good day for Sun.

The remark on the age gap between them didn't do much, they had already figured out how far in time Jaune was, and as such there was no mystery.

"That's something we can both agree on" her distrust and dislike for that man were not a secret and so she demonstrated them fully. "learning under him with how he lived might even cause more problems, sticking to yourself would be better"

Vernal didn't expect her boss to voice that out, honestly speaking she was getting kind of boring here for her, so it was more of a surprise than she expected.

She wasn't about to question Raven anyway.

Qrow heard another mention of himself from the kid, it was obvious he had taught him everything he knew from how much he quoted him, and that boosted his ego far beyond expectations.

"Ozpin also had a hand in training him too" It was probably in his body too, maybe it was some form of training for the both of them or maybe by that point Ozpin had taken him over completely by that point.

It might make him allies in the form of new teammates, and that could be valuable. But who was to say he couldn't make just as many on his own? He was strong enough to be a huntsman and confident enough to hold his own in a fight against the Grimm. There were better allies to be made. Maybe even some he knew of from the future. Qrow and Ironwood were two such examples, though it would depend on how much Ozpin had already converted them to his thinking. Either way, Beacon was out. There just wasn't anything he needed there.

But Vale was still the epicenter of everything important. There was more to Vale than Beacon, and he wanted to be close by when his friends did start. Even if I'm thirty when that happens, I'll still be able to help them. It's no different from what Qrow did for us.

Jaune's expression became a lot deeper, showing how he was more concentrated thinking and paying less attention to the still eating Sun.

He was right to think looking for more allies outside Beacon, such were the thoughts of the general, not only because he was considered to be a possibility but also because it gave more room to work with when treating with the queen of Grimm in the future.

"tsk, you don't need to remind me you stupid book" Qrow was still frustrated about that, the lies were supposed to be over, that what he had told him was the truth and yet so much was revealed in this place.

Ironwood was too, and the fact he had learned previously why he rejected so many of his ideas were for not good enough reasons made him angry. "…We're supposed to be in this together Oz…"

Lancelot had revealed more than what Oz had in less time.

"And as such more plans go to waste" It was disappointing for Cinder, the attack of the Grim might still happen, but this room just kept revealing important information on her plans, increasing their possibility of failure.

"I'll be making the journey there soon," he said to Sun. "Very soon. Probably today. I hear it's a long trip."

"You're going through the desert!?"

"Isn't that the only way?" Jaune asked. "I know there are a lot of Grimm around, but I can hold my own. Don't worry about that."

"It's not that," Sun said, shaking his little head. "It's just that most people use the ships."

"Airships?"

"No, the actual ships. No one tries to travel east anymore, not with the Grimm. You take a ship west to Mistral and cross over it, and then take another straight to Vale." The faunus grinned. "No walking and no fighting Grimm. It's safer that way."

West and west? He hadn't considered it. Mistral was fairly well-connected however, so it wouldn't be too hard to travel across it. Easier than the Vale desert at any rate. There would be settlements and other villages along the way to stop and supply at. "Alright, I guess I'm going to Mistral first." He eyed Sun once more. He couldn't take him with him for fear of changing the future and losing Blake later down the line, but there was nothing to say he couldn't help out. "Tell you what; if you help find me a ship going to Mistral I'll give you some more lien. What do you say?"

Sun's smile split his face in two.

"huh, it's a good idea Wukong" Weiss complemented him, not expecting that kind of sharpness from the boy.

"I can have good ideas every once in a while" He responded, not entertaining the fact that it was slightly calling him dumb. "How do you think I got to Mistral my first time around?"

"that make's way to much sense" Neptune slapped his forehead, remembering how he and Sun met. "That's why you were being chased back them" His partner only replied with a smile similar to that used by the little Sun in front of them.

Raven's ears perked up when she heard Jaune was on his way to Mistral. (Knowing his record of encountering people, I wouldn't be surprised if we found each other) It was very likely he wouldn't like her, but at least he would deliver a good fight minimum.

Both Ren and Nora also got a bad feeling about that, not sure why.

/-/

The scenery shifted rapidly from the café to random streets.

The pair walked around, mostly with Jaune following Sun around as he talked with different people.

The little faunus proved as good as his word, finding a ship within an hour – dragging Jaune down various alleyways to talk with shady characters he'd have never found on his own. Most looked at him with cunning and mistrustful smiles, but all became co-operative once the glint of lien caught their attention. To be fair, Sun was the only reason they entertained him that far. It hadn't taken him much longer to buy a favor owed by a ship owner to someone who might have been a smuggler once but had now retired. The favor had won a gruff grunt from the ship's captain, who had told him he'd best bring his own food if he didn't want to starve.

A little more lien had changed his mind, and he was soon welcomed onto the crew with open arms. On the other hand, he now understood why the man from before had been so willing to buy his scroll off him. The device was almost thirteen years ahead of release.

The sight of the whole process was something most of the room was familiar with, moving trough the underground was a basic skill they had employed quite sometimes, the only ones who were seeing this for the fist time were the students who lived relative peace until Beacon.

Roman smiled as he saw the walk trough all those alleys as they bought their way into a ship. "Money is everything in the world of man" Oh he knew all too well, he was a thief after all.

"he finally resized what it meant selling the scroll, but I don't believe is a mistake" The release of a future scroll may be a change too big for the future considering the tech it brought, but it wasn't as if it was a bad change.

There was probably a warning about changing the future hidden there, but he couldn't bring himself to be too bothered. He needed the money. It was going towards saving the world, after all. Well, except for a little bit that was just going toward saving a young man in the making.

"Here," he said, handing over another thousand lien. Sun took it with wide eyes.

"So much? Y-You're sure, mister?" He instantly thought better of the question and stuffed it down his pants. "Too late now! You can't have it back."

He froze when Jaune's hand ruffled his wild hair.

"It's yours, Sun. Use it to look after yourself and your friends."

"Okay…" Sun went oddly quiet. "You'll be leaving. Won't you?"

"I will. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Sun glowered and looked down at his feet. They were bare, Jaune noticed. Maybe the little guy would use some of that money to buy some shoes. He hoped so. He smiled as a thought occurred to him a second later. He didn't have to hope. He knew how Sun would turn out. With that in mind he knelt down and took the boy by the shoulders.

"AWWW" Nora's cries of adorableness at the scene made everyone flinch at the sheer volume. "Look Renny how cute the monkey boy looks"

As soon as she said that both teams form Beacon looked over at Sun's hair being ruffled by Jaune as the kid looked down because he was leaving.

It was adorable.

And it made Sun feel all the more embarrassed. "seriously, what's with this chapter and making me look like this" His complains were also ignored in favor of the little him.

Emerald found herself ignorant to the others, even her mistress.

"He's just handing money like that…just helping around, don't be stupid…" She was a bit more concerned about how he just kept giving the kid money and being jealous of that, of how simply unfair it had been their own time. (Why couldn't have been a person like that before)

She didn't notice how frustrated she actually felt, someone in a so similar situation just getting things for nothing, it wasn't fair. "not…fair" her grip tightened, memories of the streets kept her from thinking about her situation with Cinder. (Don't think too much about this Emerald, he's just doing it because they're friends…yeah…)

"You'll be okay, Sun. You're going to be a strong huntsman, I can tell. You'll be funny, loyal and brave, and one day you'll meet a girl who will become the most special person in the world to you. She'll be a flighty and stubborn thing, but she'll open up to you in time."

Sun stared at him with wide eyes. "I will…?"

"Yes. You'll have to be patient with her, but she'll be worth it, believe me." Sun had told him as such in one drinking session. Right before Blake overheard and smacked the faunus over the head with her book. She'd been bright red. The memory made him smile, but also feel a little sad that he wouldn't be able to experience that moment again.

"HEY" the outburst from Blake was something no one expected, not even herself and when she realized, she began to sink in her seat with her face red as she heard her friends laugh, even Weiss was laughing.

She didn't even know if she was mortified about what Jaune said about her or the memories of the faunus talking drunk about her.

"Well done Monkey boy, you're one step closer to getting to our resident kitty kat" Yang mocked further which was making Sun smile ad wide as he could.

Well, that was the thing about memories, wasn't it? Most people didn't get to go through them twice. He'd just have to hold on to the ones that were dear to him.

"How do you know, mister?" Sun asked. "Are you a wizard?"

"Ha, not me. I can just tell. Don't tell anyone, but I can see the future. How do you think I knew you were going to pickpocket me?"

Seventeen-year-old Sun wouldn't have fallen for it, even if it was the truth. Seven-year-old Sun was naïve and trusting, even as an orphan. "Ha! I knew it! I knew there was no way you could have caught me. A good thief never gets caught." The boy's sorrow at seeing the kind old guy go faded and he hopped in place, clearly excited. "Hey mister. What happens to me in the end?"

Sun lay slumped over Blake's body, face hidden against her still form. Neither of them moved. Neither of them drew breath. Their weapons lay shattered nearby.

The description was nothing compared to the actual image.

-Blergh-

Ruby's stomach couldn't handle it and she ended up throwing up at the sight while her classmates were keeping their own from leaving their bodies.

"…oh…" Blake now felt as if there was a hole dug through her chest, this wasn't something she had wanted to see.

Glynda's eyes looked around the memory, the halls of Evernight caste were dark and they faded in the horizon, probably because it was just reminiscing of this scene.

She looked everywhere, trying to avoid one of her students dead in the ground along with another.

Qrow drank what was left in his flash, this wasn't like the worst he's seen, but he didn't enjoy this either.

All of them already knew this had happened, but it wasn't a pretty sight.

And now nobody was in the mood to comment over the absurdity of Sun believing Jaune's lie of being a wizard.

"Mister?" Sun asked, suddenly nervous. "Is it bad…?"

"You live a good life," Jaune said, forcing the words out. "You and the woman you love live happily ever after."

Jaune stood with a final pat on Sun's head and turned towards the ship. He mounted it without a word and stood at the prow, staring out over the ocean towards Mistral, and beyond it, Vale. Sun would get his happy ending this time around.

He'd make sure of it.

"And we will do the same" Sun was caught of guard by his and Blake's dead bodies, his hands fere clenched in fists as tight as he could, his eyes now showing a rather strange serious looks for the guy. "This won't happen to us either, and we'll celebrate it with a beer afterwards" His determination was now higher than ever, and he wouldn't allow himself to fail.

/-/

Once again they saw the world fast forward, Jaune had gotten to the ship, but instead of going with him, the view stayed with the little Sun.

Sun watched as the ship pulled away, taking with it the strange man that had entered and left his life so suddenly. It still felt like a dream, especially the suddenness. Or maybe it was the look in the man's eyes; like he was about to cry, or that maybe he'd seen something that had broken him, and yet something else had given him hope.

The thoughts were too complicated for a seven-year-old to fully grasp. He looked down at the lien instead. It would feed him and his friends for a year or two, and there would even be more left over for him to spend on something of his own.

"A huntsman…" Sun whispered, clenching and unclenching his fist. He'd never considered it before. He stared at his palm a little longer, before a wide grin started to appear. "That sounds pretty cool."

And when he became a huntsman he could travel the world. Maybe he'd even find that girl the old man talked about. Heck, why not find the old man himself and show him how strong he'd gotten when he was older? It would be fun to see his face and show him his lien hadn't been thrown away on some random street urchin.

And luckily, he knew just where to find the guy.

"Vale, huh? I'll have to check that place out when I'm big."

"wow, that's perceptive, we didn't see that" Pyrrha said as she heard how much the little Sun had gotten just from the looks of his eyes.

"Yeah, guess he lost some talents after going to mistral" Weiss agreed with her on that.

But soon enough Sun shut their theories down.

"What are you saying? I thought we all could see that" When the two looked around it was clear that most of them had noticed, excluding Ruby, Yang, and those who obviously didn't care.

Weiss just huffed at that, while Pyrrha actually felt inadequate for not seeing it.

The way everything was being motioned by Jaunes appearance left most curious about it.

/-/

The space moved once more, and this time they were with Jaune in the ship.

The journey by ship took a number of days. It shouldn't have bothered him since he effectively had ten years, but it did. He hated to be stuck in one place for so long, especially when there was nothing to do. His motion sickness had been cured years ago, if he'd ever really had it. In the end it had been Ren who pointed out it was likely more nausea caused by nerves and fear. He'd been terrified on his approach to Beacon the first time, after all.

"Welp, I guess this is a goodbye for Vomit boy" said Yang disappointed, now she needed to come up with a new nickname for him.

He spent the time on the ship doing the only thing he could, training. The sailors had been a little surprised to see a huntsman fighting topless on the deck each morning, and the Captain had been later put out when some of the men stopped working to watch the spectacle. Eventually they'd all gotten used to it however, and by the third day no one batted an eyelid as he ran up and down the deck, did push-ups, or even helped the sailors pull the rigging and operate the sails, all to build up what muscle he had.

It wasn't that hard, thankfully. Salem had done well when she made the body for him – and she'd said she had constructed it for him with the Relic of Creation, which meant it wasn't even his body to begin with. Maybe that had been another reason for her mark; so that she could know him inside and out. There were plenty of aspects about his physical form Salem didn't know, after all. Things like what lay beneath his clothing. That was all perfectly normal, though. No nasty surprises hiding in his underpants.

Still, the main point was that he'd been sent back, and that entailed him being sent back in his body – or into a body that was identical to his in the future. Either way, he didn't have to relearn anything or grow strong from childhood like he might have had Salem actually reversed time. There was a distinction there and it was probably a strong one. Sending him back was magic that only had to affect him, while reversing time would have required power capable of taking hold of every living creature on Remnant and sending them back.

It was all semantic really. The main point was that he was still strong – and any extra training would just add to that. There was no having to relearn the sword, although there was a consideration for learning something new altogether. As Qrow often said, it was nice to have a few tricks up your sleeves.

Soon the hologram fractured, simultaneously showing the variety of thing he made during his time in the ship, let it be training, planning or other things.

"Dedicated as always" Pyrrha smiled, some of the exercises he was doing were some of the ones she had taught him, and it seemed like they stuck with him. "Jaune never liked feeling weak"

"But now he isn't, Jaune is like, super strong now, like uncle Qrow" Exclaimed the youngest student also appreciating how her friend was training.

Both of them seemed to have a bit more emphasis on those that were shirtless.

(She kept his body in full condition, and that mark…it's the old Ashari symbol isn't it) Oscar analyzed, seemingly and instinctually understanding the meaning of the mark. (What else is hidden by that name Ozpin, what are the Ashari?)

"you know it kid, just listen to me" the old bird was glad that someone actually took seriously what he told them in training and was putting it into practice. "Glynda I might steal this one a few months after we're out of here"

The woman felt terrified at leaving someone alone with Qrow to lean, not because he would teach wrong, but because of what extra things he might teach outside of combat.

The time on the ship also gave him time to plan, and it was that which really tested him. He'd gone back ten years before Beacon, which was about thirteen years from when the battle against Salem had occurred. He was twenty now, or close enough, but his friends were all seven. Changing the future was still a given; it was going to happen if he had anything to say about it. But how far to change the future was a bigger problem. So far he didn't think he'd made any drastic changes and that was probably for the best.

If I'd brought Sun with me then he wouldn't go to Vale and he might not have met Blake. That doesn't sound bad at first, but it's only because of him that Blake survives against Roman – and later on in Menagerie. One small act of kindness from him could have doomed Blake to die, and Team RWBY to shatter in their grief.

The thief actually remembered that and grunted, the banana that fell on his head was something Neo never let him live down. "stupid kids"

Neo had the exact line of thought, but she instead started to laugh silently.

Blake didn't expect that she would return to Menagerie at some point and the future proved he wrong, it also seemed like Sun went with her…and saved her again. "thank you…really" She told him, a little but sincere smile on her lips that made Sun stop working.

Team RW_Y also felt compelled to thank him, Jaune was right to thing they would shatter if she had died.

Mercury, tired of not being actually important to the story, began to made kick Emeralds seat to annoy her, having noticed that she'd been awfully quiet whenever Cinder had said anything about her plans.

Of course, that was unless he took out Roman early – something he could easily do in ten years' time. The thief was slippery, but he'd be young and inexperienced now, and sooner or later Jaune would find him. It might take a year or two, but hey, he had time. It was definitely an option. But, again, it came with complications.

And most people went cold when that was read.

The man himself actually had considered to be something that he could think of, but not he would actually do, especially seeing how the kid acted.

But now, when he openly admitted it would do so without problems, it got him on edge. Neo had a more conflictive stance, she was both mad and terrified, she didn't want to lose Roman and would kill whoever tried…but wouldn't she go down with him if she tried to stop him.

Jaune was right to say that he was young and inexperienced in that time. "Lets just hope he changes his mind" He would die himself, but he'd rather avoid the sight of his alternate's death.

Jaune's friend also were very much against the idea of him killing them, such thing was not what being a hunter meant to them.

Ruby especially had a lot of trouble believing it…but Qrow was quick to stop her.

"If I trained the kid then I have to say…it's good he learnt this specifically, being a huntsman means protecting the innocent and killing monsters, those monsters being either Grimm or human" That's what nobody told you about this job, and what few were actually willing to do.

In the face of her uncle's answer Ruby turned to her father for a better one, a more hopeful one…but the man also agreed with him.

Leaving the girl to question what she actually knew about being a huntress.

Take out Roman and Cinder would have someone else steal the Paladin and do her dirty work for her, and it wasn't like he could erase all criminality in Vale. Someone would step up into the power vacuum Roman left behind. Killing Cinder would have been the easiest choice, but Cinder Fall was an obviously fake name, and it wasn't like he'd ever had any idea where she came from. He couldn't storm Salem's tower because, obviously, the Salem of this time would kill him with ease. Also, if he killed Roman then Ruby wouldn't get into Beacon.

Was it better to let Roman live so that he'd know exactly who he had to deal with later? It felt like a cop out but better the enemy you knew, and the scenario. The main job should be ending Cinder, and if he knew exactly who Cinder was going to deal with in Vale, then that would be a lot easier.

I've got time, he told himself, sighing. No decisions had to be made yet and there was nothing to say he couldn't meddle a little. Maybe Roman was best left to his own devices, but that left plenty of other options. He could dip his own fingers into the criminal underworld if he wanted to. It wouldn't hurt to have some friends who could keep an eye on Roman.

Or to become Roman's ally himself… The man wasn't exactly loyal to Cinder's doctrine; he'd just been looking out for his own skin. Could I make a more attractive offer than Cinder? Do I need to? If I just make a worse threat, he might fold to save himself.

"Ooh, this kid is smart, I give him that" While Roman despised being controlled by someone, the thoughts of Jaune impressed him nonetheless, he seemed to understand how the underground actually worked unlike the authorities and was willing to use that to achieve his goal. "And I believe I like him better than Cinder".

Seeing that bitch dead was a plus too.

Ironwood could see the benefits in that line of thinking and actually complimented the man he was seeing as he pondered these issues and the answers he came up with. "Arc does seem to have a good head on his shoulders, maybe it would be good to augment his training in that department"

Jaune's team couldn't feel more proud of him, and only Ren was stopping Nora from boasting about her leader.

The false Fall maiden disliked how she was depicted here, it was obvious the blondie hated her and by the way it was phrased, not killing her wasn't an option. "Emerald, be prepared to use your semblance when we return, we might need a quick exit out the stadium"

…

"Emerald?" her voice was riled up as she looked to her subordinate who didn't dignify an answer.

"Ah of course C-Cinder!" the woman looked at her, unable to discern what was bothering Emerald or maybe she didn't even try, it didn't matter anyway as Cinder turned around having left her message.

And what about the White Fang? He might be in a position to stop it going violent – but what if in doing so he prevented Blake from ever attending Beacon? He might doom the world in that case.

"Ugh, this is complicated." Jaune gripped his head in one hand and sighed again. As a mental exercise thinking over everything in life you could change was a bottomless pit, but actually living it and knowing those changes might shape the fate of the world was a little more daunting. "I'll leave Roman for now. I can deal with him right up until the last minute if I have to. Roman, Cinder and the White Fang are just small fry, though. Saving Beacon is important but that's a decade away."

Salem and Ozpin were the real Goliaths to deal with. One had to be killed; the other had to be… dealt with, somehow. Not murder or at least he certainly hoped not. Ozpin was a bastard but he was, technically, on their side.

"Small fry…" Cinder was livid now, she had power, she was stronger than these bunch of idiots and yet, she was still nothing more than a small fry.

She wasn't going to accept that…she wouldn't…but…she already had, by subordinating herself to Salem, because she couldn't get rid of her, she can't beat her…she can't kill her.

"A bastard is little to call him, that man is as much of a monster as the queen" Raven spat angry, she knew all to well his game and then something came to mind. "Hey knight, this is the reason that parasite isn't here isn't it?"

Lancelot rose his head from the book, looking straight towards the Bandit. "My existence as a whole would set that man's nerves to the roof, much less seeing how his life ended…which he wouldn't stop until he could replicate it" He then pointed to Oscar, his reincarnation. "The point is changing your fate, Ozpin would ensure to follow the same path, this is why that man isn't communicating with the kid".

Raven felt satisfied with the answer, at least this would not only give them the upper hand over the wizard but also would turn some people against him.

But could he change Ozpin's mind? The man was ancient; quite possibly thousands of years old. There was no way he'd listen to the words of a stranger in the same way Jaune wouldn't listen if anyone told him the right thing to do was work with Salem.

Ozpin wants to kill Salem and anything that leads to that is good. Even if I told him I came from the future he'd just try and make it happen the same way. He could even kill me if he thought I was an obstacle. He did have Salem's mark, after all. Ozpin wouldn't even stop to ask questions before he pulled out his mumbo-jumbo magic.

That was something he should probably look into as well. Ozpin was a wizard of some kind, and the one responsible for giving Qrow and Raven the ability to turn into birds. He'd also created the maidens, both as some kind of anti-Grimm force, but also keys to the locks that hid the Relics from Salem. How far did that kind of power go? Why hadn't he used it against Salem? What the hell was Magic, anyway? Could anyone become a wizard?

Too many questions, and he'd made most of his mistakes in life by being afraid to ask questions. This time would be different, and he had ten years or more to prepare. "I can't ask Ozpin but there has to be some way of finding out about him, either through old legends or more fairy tales. I can't just ignore the fact he's a wizard. That would be ridiculous."

How little did they knew about the world they lived in and having to learn this from this experience, the lengths Oz would go to, and how closed minded he was, Ironwood couldn't just sit still. "We might need to start our own moves in secrecy from now on" He couldn't let him intervene, not after all he's hidden.

All students felt disgusted when they understood too.

Yang and Nora had a more volatile reaction, they didn't doubt Jaune when he said Oz would kill him if he tried to change things because they saw it plausible.

All the trust the wizard had worked to gain over the years as a headmaster, had crumbled down in a single day.

(How fragile can be a trust that only goes one way…you never truly understood Ozma what it meant to your allies all those lies) Lancelot couldn't help but feel pity for the immortal, as he had lost as much of his humanity as Salem had.

In the end he had to focus on the immediate problems first, and then he could deal with the big ones. The first issue was his identity, since he obviously couldn't be Jaune Arc in this lifetime. There was probably another Jaune Arc out there. Luckily Crocea Mors was different enough now to be unrecognizable – a sign of Pyrrha's sacrifice – but that wasn't the only issue. He needed an identity creating, and he needed a means of earning money. Money for food, living and all the other things that made Remnant turn.

Being a huntsman would be the easiest way of achieving that and since he wanted to influence things later down the line that involved huntsmen and huntresses, it would work in his favor. You didn't actually have to attend an academy to become a huntsman, however. It was just the usual way it was done. You could become one officially by proving yourself capable, usually in the form of tests and a display of your skill.

"That'll require an ID though. No one's going to accept me if I don't have one. I'll need to find someone capable of crafting a good fake." Vale was the obvious choice, either through Junior – if he was even in the business at this point – or someone else. He at least knew Vale well enough to find the criminal underground there.

Once the ID was taken care of he'd need to visit an Academy for the tests and impress a headmaster to become a huntsman officially. Beacon was out of the question for the obvious issue of Ozpin, as was Haven because Lionheart would still be there. He had no idea where Shade was, and he'd just come from Vacuo so that would be a pain. That left Atlas as the obvious choice and, if he was lucky, Ironwood might still be the headmaster there. Or maybe `already be the headmaster` might be the right way to phrase it. At least Ironwood could be trusted to not give anything away to the wrong side, even if he was close to Ozpin.

"OH?! Crocea Mors is different now? Upgraded?!" Now that the red reaper realized, she hadn't seen Jaune's weapon in this word outside of the portable form of it and now she was gushing over how it would be.

Pyrrha also wanted to see it too, since it was related to her own sacrifice.

"back to square one, honestly, reaching Vale is all he needs to do right now" Tai sighed, the kid had many problems and not many solutions available right now. "Well I'm sure he'll figure that out, and the general will help him if he makes a good enough excuse"

While having someone of undetermined origin might have triggered some alarms with the actual General, back in the time Jaune was, Ironwood was still a captain, and he knew he would give him a chance as long as he was identified. "If he's gotten this far, one little huntsman test won't stop him"

Only Qrow noticed Lionheart special mention. "somethings up with Leo too?" he muttered to himself.

And if he could win Ironwood's trust, perhaps before even Ozpin did? Well, that would be a thing. Jaune's smile, stressed for so long, took on a more confident edge. Ren had once said he was always strongest when he had a plan, and now that he did he felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

"Okay, reach Vale, get a fake ID and then go to Atlas to become a huntsman," he decided. Focus on the short-term now, and then decide what to do in the long run later. Investigating Ozpin, wizards, Salem and how he could make his own allies could wait. He had to survive in this time first. "And whatever happens, I can't afford to change anything too drastic. Not until I've got a better idea of what's going to happen."

Luckily, he hadn't done much other than toss Sun some lien.

"Stupid" going back in time and then not changing many things over to be better for himself, truly an idiots approach was all Raven thought of him at that moment.

/-/

Black surrounded everyone, the room where Jaune had been planning his moves had darkened and was starting to lighten again, only that this time they were in what it seemed to be an infirmary.

They all looked around as the light settled, and then, something was there.

"S-Summer…it's her" Tai's eyes widened as he saw her, she didn't look as sick as she was in the screen last time, her skin was back to her usual tone and seemed to be in a better condition.

Ruby and Yang both wanted to get up and got to her, hug her, but this space was imaginary, and everything would just phase trough them.

Bright light and fear shot through her, waking her instantly. Gasping for breath and fighting past the hands that tried to hold her down, she tried to scream, only to find her throat hoarse and her voice weak.

"Calm down. Calm down," a voice urged. "Please calm down. You are having a nightmare. All is well. You are safe, young lady."

The words were alien, the speaker unfamiliar. The bright haze before her eyes began to dim, however, and as it did she began to realize that she was not in immediate danger at all. It was not the sun that burned down on her but a bright dust-powered light. Her breath came out in harsh pants, but she allowed herself to be pushed down onto a soft mattress. "T-The Grimm," she croaked. "I… attack…"

"I know, my dear. You need to remain calm. You're in Shade Academy, receiving the best treatment in all of Vacuo." The motherly woman's voice was firm. "There is no need for fear or struggle here. If you'll stay calm, I'll answer your questions as best I can. Do you understand?"

"Yes. Thank you." As her eyes adjusted to the light she realized there was a nurse at her side, grasping one of her hands between two of hers. The woman was elderly at best, her skin wrinkled, but her smile was caring and soft.

"You're going to be okay, little lass. Your wounds are healing, and you are going to be fine." The woman spoke the words slowly, making sure she understood. "Your body just needs time to recover. Nothing bad is going to happen to you here."

The relief was crushing, painfully so. A broken sob escaped her, followed by more tears that fought past her control to seep from her eyes. She'd been so sure she was going to die.

She'd… the wounds she'd taken… and there had been so many Grimm. So many. How had she even survived?

The display of emotion was not something the old team SQRT would have expected.

Summer had always been a leader that no matter how dire or horrible the situation was had been able to stay positive, and brave, leading with confidence.

It was why Raven had accepted to follow her at the start even if she was as clumsy as she was naïve.

So seeing said leader like that because of an encounter explained how challenging, hopeless, and dangerous it had been.

Her daughters also didn't like it, but it wasn't the same kind of emotion it gave Summer's team.

"Summer Rose's survival, this is the biggest change Mr. Arc had made so far" Glynda was right to think that, since the remaining of the older Rose would be a critical point in this timeline.

"All we can do is hope there isn't anything unachievable without her" Ironwood pointed out, because she wasn't alive anymore it was possible that some things that happened in the book would be impossible.

"You're safe," a warm and gentle voice whispered into her mind. "I've got you."

Y-Yes, there had been the man, hadn't there? Her memory was jumbled and faded but his face was one she felt she could remember, even if she'd been so certain at the time it was some creature from the next life. She could remember his eyes, blue like the ocean.

Ruby couldn't help but feel that was an awkward description of her friend's face coming from her own mother.

"You're safe now. Rest."

The fight left her at that. She slumped back, relaxing at last, and that gave her a moment to take in the world around her, revealing that she was on a bed that was impossibly soft, with white linen drawn up to her breasts. Her clothes were missing, replaced with a pale green medical gown. There was also an IV stuck into her left arm, but she forced her eyes not to dwell on that.

"W-Where am I?"

"Shade Academy, Vacuo."

Oh, yes. She'd said that before. Her head was fuzzy, and she tried to bring a hand up to cup it, only for the woman to gently take it and push it back down again.

"Try not to move, dearie. You were brought here by a small tribe that travels the desert. You owe them your lives, though they asked us not to tell you their names. Apparently, their culture believes true charity should never be rewarded, and as such they would not give you the chance of feeling you owed them." The woman smiled. "Such a beautiful notion, especially in today's world."

"H-Healed me," she breathed. "One… healed… me…"

"They must have cared for you, yes," the woman agreed, missing the point. "Your body had evidence of so many wounds, all thankfully closed. You must have an incredibly strong aura."

"They were nice enough to leaver her at shade too" The Del'Ashari truly were something different, and Tai's impression on them couldn't grow more. "and asking for nothing too…live to believe I guess"

"What should be more concerning is who actually attacked her" Said Qrow, comparing the looks of the Summer now with the one of the previous chapters. "They did say she seemed poisoned"

"One of Salem's direct followers could be, there is this one named Tyrian, he' an insane scorpion faunus with a very lethal poison" interrupted Oscar, bringing information that could bring an answer.

"It is possible, but it may be someone else, we should wait to learn more" They wouldn't get anywhere if they just speculated blindly.

No, she didn't. It was okay but that was all. But that man – the one with the ocean eyes. She could remember feeling his aura suffusing her, strengthening her. The memory was blurred still, little more than snippets of words and images. One thing she could remember was the beauty of it, though. The feeling of his soul meshing with hers, if only for a moment.

He'd told her she would be safe. She would never have trusted a stranger with that normally, but for that moment – for one second – it felt like they'd been one. She'd known with all her heart and soul that she could trust him. He only wanted to help her.

"uh…I'm not the only one who doesn't like the sound of that right?" Yang didn't need to hear how her mother 'felt like one' with her dorky classmate…that was awfully similar with her father.

"Don't worry firecracker, Sum has always been horrible with words and she's probably just explaining the feeling of the aura transfer of the kid" Qrow explained to her, he also thought it was a weird way to express it but considering that Aura is a manifestation of the soul, giving Aura from one to another would be something of the sort.

Good, nobody wanted to know what would happen if they were to take her words literally.

"We found your details on your person and contacted your home kingdom," the nurse matron said. "I spoke to Ozpin myself, and he was truly relieved to hear of your survival. He told me to assure you he has spoken to your family directly. They know you're okay."

This time the tears came, great big fat ones that fell from her eyes to run down her cheeks. Her family. She had, at the end, given up hope of ever seeing them again. She'd said her goodbyes inside, knowing they'd never hear them again. To know that wasn't the case wasn't just a relief, it was a feeling that left her a sobbing mess.

It was how their mother spent her last moments, there were no tears to be shed, because they had already cried enough, so both of her daughters simply lowered their heads, trying not to listen to Summers cries once again.

"Shush now. There, there," the matron said kindly, dabbing at her cheeks and laying one warm hand against her face. "Everything is going to work out now. You need to rest but you'll be free to leave before the week is out. I'll see about having someone come to write a message for you. It will be delivered to your loved ones."

The smile that came over her face was watery. "T-Thank you. I… I don't know what I'm crying. I'm just so relieved… I thought… I thought I was going to-"

"Not now." The woman silenced her with a finger. "You are safe now, my dear. There is no fear or worry here. All of Shade stands guard. Now, I just need to run through a few quick tests to make sure there is no lasting damage or complications. Can you tell me your name?"

"Summer Rose."

The room started to darken again signaling another scene change.

"Wait a moment" Qrow raised his voice, taking most of the attention. "I've been thinking, this is a book, I men, how the story is told right?" the knight nodded, being the only one that could answer what he asked. "then, if you hadn't told us and we weren't watching it too, we wouldn't have known it was Summer until now?!"

"Ah, I see where you want to go with this" Lancelot stopped the man before he continued. "The reason of revealing it early was nothing more than for the purpose of lessening the time spent in this particular chapter, as the emotional draining from the previous one combined with the first one's it made it so you'd spend less time thinking about it"

…

"And you knew how we'd react…?" Qrow asked. "…And act…?" He only received a look, but they all felt as if they were looking to a smiling face.

…

"fucking hell you're going to be a pain" and now the lights finished darkening

/-/

Now we found the space looking like a town, a Mistralian town at that.

"You want to take an airship to the west coast?" The man at the gates of Mistral rubbed his chin. "Those don't fly often and not for one man. You might wait until next week; I hear an SDC one will be making the journey. Not sure they'd take you on board, but money speaks."

"A week?" Jaune's face fell. It wasn't much in the face of ten years, but the inaction would frustrate him, and even staying in Mistral without an ID to his name would be risky. "How long is the journey on foot?"

"Four days, maybe five. Depends on your pace. It's dangerous, though."

"I think I'll be alright."

"You're a huntsman, I take it. Aye, it might be okay for you and there are plenty of villages on the way to stop off at. Just don't be sleeping out alone if you can help it. The world doesn't need its huntsmen dropping off in their sleep."

"He's moving fast, he really wants to arrive to vale as soon as he can" Ren said, he didn't like where he was, it looked familiar, he'd seen it somewhere else.

"Maybe we'll find our leader Renny" Nora shouted to his ear, if Sun could find her leader then so could she.

"Let's just hope his journey goes well" Walking all the way from there could be dangerous after all, but he was a huntsman, so Ruby wasn't worried.

Jaune nodded and laughed along with them as he made his way out of the gates and to the west. The decision to not even spend a day in Mistral hadn't just been motivated by his lack of an ID, but also the inaction he'd been forced into on the ship. There wasn't much he could do here, knowing he couldn't convince Lionheart to side with him, or kill him for fear of landing himself in jail. He didn't even really know if the man had turned traitor yet.

"…what…" Ironwood's hearth felt as it had stopped. "Lionheart is a traitor?" He didn't want to believe a fellow headmaster would have given in, but if Oz's inaction was to be believed then. "FUCK!" and that was an accident.

"So this is why Haven wasn't an option" Qrow was tired of this, too many revelations, to many emotions, to many lies and now a traitor…he'd curse the shit out of this book if it wasn't the key to their salvation. "I might need to pay Leo a visit later" it also explained the weird little communication he'd gotten from some old Huntsman acquaintances from Mistral.

Traitors never got good endings.

The concept of a traitorous headmaster terrified some students, knowing that no one was safe from Salem's claws. The hit was harder on Sun and Neptune.

(Good thing I am the maiden, otherwise this would be one relic in her hands) and now more than ever would be a good time to get said relic. (Knowledge does have a password, and probably only him knows that)

In the end he'd stopped long enough to buy a pack full of food and supplies, along with some maps of Mistral, a compass, and a heavy coat more suited to Mistral – the flowing Del'Ashari robes not exactly faring as well in rain and forest as they did in sandy desert.

A couple of days walking wasn't what he'd expected on coming back to the past, but it was nothing new, and considering this was Mistral – where he, Ruby, Ren and Nora had trekked years ago – it was almost familiar. Less damaged, of course, and he meant that in a good way. There were signs of human life and habitation, along with the occasional traveler he passed on the way. Most kept to themselves though each spared a nod at the sight of another person. There had been a faunus who snorted angrily at him, but little else.

"We also made some travels on Mistral ourselves?" Ren was once again the first one to speak, which was rare of him, but the thought of Jaune going to his home continent had him slightly on edge…especially when he was seven.

"OH! maybe we got together to look for something" Ruby exclaimed. "What kind of team name do you think we would have"

And just like that a team RNJR and a team JNRR discussion started, a very much needed alleviation of the tension around after learning of Leo' betrayal.

As the hours passed by he found h¡"self'falling into an easy routine, and the paths he walked were, for the most part, fairly well trod and free of Grimm. As the sun began to descent in the sky, heralding the arrival of the evening, he paused to draw out and consult his map.

"I could have sworn there was a village somewhere around here," he mumbled, using the dwindling light to check the details. He already regretted not buying a scroll in Mistral, or at least a torch. "Hm. It shouldn't be that far away and there should be a place I can stay." Most villages and towns, frontier or not, had inns for travelers. Space was in abundance outside of the cities and was often one of the few commodities these people had.

If he was lucky he might even get a stiff drink and a cooked meal. The memory of sailor's biscuits and street snacks in Mistral gave him strength, and the allure of a steak, stew or some other meaty dish driving him forwards. Qrow was the one for alcohol in their little group and while he'd tried some he'd never really gotten a taste for it. That said, right now he wouldn't say no to anything to take the edge off. Maybe that was why Qrow had loved it so, not for its taste but rather what relief it offered a tired and broken man.

"Amen" instead of trying to deny it, Qrow agreed, everyone knew he had alcohol problems, no need to hide it. "Mistral's is a good one too, and all that food talk its giving me hunger too" He willingly ignored the concerned looks of his family while focusing on the book.

Even Winter, who more or less hated the man, was feeling sort of bad for him.

Some twigs crackled to his left, off the main path. Jaune paused almost immediately. So close to civilization Grimm shouldn't appear but there were more threats for lonely travelers. His hand shifted to the hilt of his sword, prepared for what might come.

It wasn't long in the coming. The Beowolf roared as it charged from the underbrush, red eyes glinting. Its fury was unmatched, all snarling teeth and a wide, open jaw. With the element of surprise on its side it swiped down at him from above, seeking to cut him in two. Its claws caught on the top of his shield instead, on the cross guard of Crocea Mors itself.

"Just the one?" Jaune asked easily. The Beowolf growled its confusion but he punched his shield into its face before it could do anything. Stunned, it staggered back, and he used the motion to step into its guard, grip his still sheathed blade, and draw it in one swift motion.

The Beowolf fell back, slumping to the ground as he cleaned his blade on a pant leg and sheathed it.

"Odd. Grimm shouldn't be out this far, not around villages and such. The militia should have dealt with them by now."

It didn't bode well. He quickened his pace, falling into a jog. The village should have been visible by now, or at least audible. It wasn't so late at night that the gates would be sealed and there should still be travelers out and hunters or farmers working the land.

Weiss saw his point. "It is strange to think about" she couldn't recognize what it was though.

Few recognized the setting, and there were only two answers to what was happening, there were either bandits or the Grimm.

"Your space is avoiding one direction specifically" Tai said upset that they were being kept from what it was.

Lancelot complied, and the angle moved.

He saw the smoke before he did the village.

It was burning.

"Dammit" and it seemed Tai was right, the place avoided was said city in flames.

-END-

Soo, how does it look?

Was it enjoyable to read?

Does it have enough dialogue?

Was the holo-space idea enjoyable and something better?

Thanks for reading.

-Mystic-