Hey guys, sorry for the delay on this one. College work and writers block truly are a gruesome twosome. still here were are at last, another lengthier chapter as we bid a fond farewell to the Arcs. We've passed 8000 views now which is incredible. I wanna thank everyone who has favourited and followed so far. It's you guy that keep this going

Teams JNPR and RWBY had awoken to a clear and bright morning. The newly risen sun had bathed the campus in its warmth, everything felt fresh and crisp. The morning dew covered the school's lawns in droplets that shone with breath-taking brilliance.

The plateau which served as the landing pad for dust-plane traffic was deserted save for a small group of eleven and various air crew preparing their craft for departure. The dust-planes served as a means for getting supplies in and out of the Beacon campus, and as such traffic was fairly frequent.

As the two teams arrived they saw the three Arcs stood talking to Ozpin. The headmaster sipping at his coffee. At seeing the approach of the teens he reached out and shook Mr. Arc's hand firmly before turning to leave. He bid the teams a good morning as he walked past and onwards towards the emerald tower.

Louis Arc, Jaune's bear of a father grinned as he clapped a hand on his son's shoulder but the Knight noticed his mirth never quite reached his eyes.

"Well Jaune m'boy, your mother and I are very proud of you. We never thought when you left that you'd be leading your own team, and a fine team they are."

Jaune blushed a lightish-red as he puffed his chest out like a rooster. His father gave him a wink.

"You take care now y'hear? Of yourself and your friends."

"I-I will, I promise."

Mr Arc gave his son a nod of approval before turning to address the rest of the teens.

"I want to thank all of you too, we couldn't have asked for a more hospitable reception. Jaune is lucky to count you all as friends."

The two teams all fought off looks of embarrassment, many turning away to hide the red tinge that their cheeks had taken.

"You're welcome!"

Nora chirped, her exuberance earning a hearty chuckle from the retired hunter. His father moved in and in a swift movement drew his son into a crushing bear hug. The assembled teams winced as they heard their friend's back pop two or three times. At the sound the hunter released his son and scratched the back of his head and chuckling nervously, Jaune just rubbed his back.

Next along came Mrs. Arc, she too drew her son into a hug although softer than her husband's. She kissed her son on the cheek causing the knight to once again flush a deep scarlet, he squirmed slightly trying to break out of her hold.

"Mooooooooom, not in front of the guys..."

Unable to resist the opportunity she backed out and pinched his cheek, in her most patronising voice she spoke loud enough for all to hear a mischievous smile playing upon her lips.

"Awh, is my little Jauney embarrassed in front of his friends?"

Jaune heard his friends stifle laughs behind him as he shot daggers at his dear old mother, the look held no real malice. Before the Knight could retort she had stepped away and over to his team.

"It was a great to meet you all, I wish you all the best for your time here at Beacon and beyond."

Pyrrha's eyes darted about nervously as suddenly the older woman's gaze bore down on her. She leant forward ever so slightly and spoke in a hushed voice.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Pyrrha, it's clear to me that Jaune really is very fond of you. However know that if you hurt him, no place on remnant will be safe from my wrath."

The redhead nodded nervously to which Mabel smiled warmly her point having clearly gotten through. She took a few steps back making room for Marron to say her final good-byes.

The little girl walked forward and to Jaune's surprise she walked straight past him and over to Ruby, Nora and Pyrrha.

"I-it was great meeting you guys! I-I'm glad you're all there to look after Jauney."

The three huntresses each took a turn to hug the petite brunette each mumbling their respective goodbyes and requesting that she 'stay in touch' save for Nora who shot her a wide smile and told her to 'Keep practising her sloth impression' and shooting her a knowing wink.

"It's almost as good as mine!"

Marron chuckled lightly before bidding the rest of JNPR and RWBY goodbye and returning over to Jaune. The Knight knelt his sister tackle-hugged him, she had tears running down her cheeks. He gently cupped her cheeks in his hands and wiped a tear away with his thumb his own eyes beginning to well-up.

"Hey, keep your chin up eh? I can't have my bestest bud in the whole wide world being sad. We'll be seeing each other for the holidays. You count down the days on your calendar and I'll be home before you know it. I-if you're good, we'll go to that cafe, the one that does your favourite cake. And, you can have as much as you like. What do ya say?"

Marron paused a moment, her green eyes deep in thought. After contemplating Jaune's offer she smiled quizzically.

"As much as I want?"

Jaune chuckled a tear running down his cheek.

"You bet!"

Slowly he pulled his sister into a final hug before letting her go to join their parents. He stayed kneeling as he watched them board the aircraft. The final checks having been carried out, the air crew boarded. The whine of the turbine engines filled the air as the craft pulled away from the docking point and began on its way.

The knight stayed kneeling a good while after the craft had gone. He was pulled from his stupor as a hand softly grasped his shoulder. Looking up he saw his girlfriend and partner.

"Are you OK Jaune?"

The blonde wiped the tears from his face as he stood with his team.

"Y-yeah, I-I'm fine. C'mon, we should go get some food. I'm starving!"

He wrapped his arm around her waist as they slowly began their walk to the campus cafeteria.

Jaune pushed his food around his plate with his fork, deep in thought and oblivious to the concerned looks on his friends' faces. It wasn't that he wasn't hungry, he was. He just wasn't in the mood to eat. He missed his family already and whilst the Knight knew it would pass it didn't make him feel any better. The Blonde finished his food and stood to leave, returning his tray and empty plates he made his way to the JNPR dorm room.

Classes weren't set to begin for another hour or so, so he lay on his bed and let his mind wander. Primarily he thought of his parents and Marron, a pit of homesickness forming in his stomach. He pushed those thoughts to the very back of his mind, it wouldn't do to lose it now.

He moved over to his team's shared desk. It had four drawers and through mutual agreement each member of JNPR had a drawer. Opening his own Jaune found a small box, he returned over to his bed and opened the box. A smile crossed his face at the sight of its contents, it was a collection of items from throughout his life which meant something to him. He kept this one secret from the others, for fear of the merciless teasing he might receive. He shuddered at the thought of Yang's reaction to it.

He pulled an aged photograph out of the box, the colour within it had faded somewhat but he still loved it all the same. It was of his seven sisters,his parents and a ten year old Jaune. It was from Marron's very first dust-mas and was one of his fondest memories. The whole family looked so happy and carefree.

The rest of his team walked in to find him sat on his bed, knees tucked into his chest utterly absorbed into his own little world and a wide selection of photographs displayed around him. One in particular caught Pyrrha's attention, it was a 10x8 photograph of team JNPR just after the initiation ceremony.

The four teens were bunched together, Nora, grinning joyously was holding the two White Rook pieces that had resulted in their formation, Pyrrha had a mile wide smile, sparkling eyes and an arm around Jaune who was adorned with a children's dress-up crown. Even Ren had an arm round the Valkyrie and a grin on his face in place of his impassive expression. She treasured the memory fondly, she knew they all did.

The Champion strode forward and plucked the photo from his bed.

"Jaune, I think we should frame this one, put it on the wall in here."

The knight was jolted out of his trance and rapidly began to gather the splayed memories into their box again. Content that his most embarrassing childhood photos were locked away safe he returned his attention to his team.

"W-what?"

"I said that we should frame this."

she turned the photograph so that he could see it, his eyes widened in understanding.

"Yeah, I think you're right. We'll get a frame this weekend in Vale."

Pyrrha checked the time on her scroll and her face dropped.

"We're gonna be late for class!"

Seizing Jaune's hand in her own she hauled him to the door and down the hallway, Ren and Nora hot on their tail. Team RWBY watched them go before comprehension, with a look of horror on her face Weiss set off dragging her partner behind her.

"Did she say late?!"

In the main courtyard Ozpin stood and watched, an amused smirk hidden behind the rim of his ever present coffee mug.

"Just another day at Beacon."

The two teams burst through the door to Goodwitch's class without a moment to spare. They stood in the central aisle panting heavily. Goodwitch arrived not seven seconds after them eyeing them with a raised eyebrow and what Jaune could've sworn was an discreet smile.

"Mr. Arc, Miss. Rose. Could you and your teams both be seated?"

The eight teenagers shot to their seats as fast as their exhausted legs could carry them, not wanting to occur the ire of Beacon's infamously strict disciplinarian.

Despite her rather sharp exterior, Goodwitch was undoubtedly one of Vytal's leading experts on the subject of aura and as such her lessons were usually fascinating to Jaune whom had of course only learn of his aura during initiation and had yet to master it. It was largely due to Goodwitch's teachings and of course the practical experience that Pyrrha granted him that Jaune had come along in leaps and bounds since joining Beacon. Truth be told he was immeasurably grateful to the stern blonde lecturer.

Usually, Goodwitch would lecture on an aspect of Aura manipulation for one half of her lesson and then for the second half either allow the students to attempt the new techniques or she would throw them into a sparring situation to force them into using it in a stressful environment. For as she always told them, 'Aura manipulation must be second nature.'

"...And it is through the careful manipulation of aura that one can create weapons in replacement of your own out of your aura should you ever find yourself unarmed or disarmed. Simply focus upon a mental image of the weapon you wish to create and channel your aura into that image, with a bit of luck a physical manifestation of that object should be created. It is often best to start with something familiar. Break down into groups and try it for yourselves, be warned it will take an awful lot of concentration and will not likely come easily to some of you."

Jaune smiled widely, he liked this part of the lessons especially, the opportunity to try his hand at something new. He closed his eyes and fixed an image of his trusty sword Crocea Mors in his mind. The knight took slow and deliberate breaths as he emptied his mind of everything except for the image of the sword. Every detail was clearly presented, every minor dint chip and flaw in the steel all portrayed in perfect clarity.

He held out his hand and drew upon the force of his very soul, his aura. Channelling its energy into his hand he began to impress upon it his mental image of his family's heirloom. His hands began to glow white hot, sweat dripped down his forehead. The blonde snapped his eyes open and glared at his hand, using his sheer force of will he manipulated his energy.

Ren was the first one to complete the task. He gave a satisfied 'Hmph' as two replicas of his Stormflowers appeared in his hands. The aura weapons had a keener look to them, the blades seeming sharper and glowing a faint magenta. The martial artist didn't seem to have too much difficulty in maintaining the apparitions, to the contrary he seemed almost comfortable. Jaune attributed it to his aura-heavy combat style and his high familiarity with its use.

"Congratulations Master Ren."

Jaune gave a light smile and returned his attentions to his own pursuit. At first nothing happened, the furrow of his brow deepened, but then slowly the air above his open palm grew hazy as gradually the rough silhouette of a longsword formed. He struggled to maintain his concentration as some of the nearby students turned to face him wide-eyed.

With a snarl he pumped more of his aura into the shape as it took shape, filling out steadily until finally in his hand represented a replica of his own weapon. But this ethereal form of Crocea Mors was different somehow, it lacked the dents and impurities of the real thing. Its edge looked far keener and emitted a faint white light. It looked by far a more lethal version, like Crocea Mors was originally, unmarred by generations upon generations of Arcs carrying it into battle.

The knight broke into grin a mile wide at the sight of the spectral blade, his team looked at both him and the sword a mixture between fascination and awe upon their faces.

"Well done Mr Arc! An excellent effort."

Jaune looked up to see the bright green eyes of the professor herself, her face was as stern as ever, but in her eyes the knight saw a rare spark of what looked to be surprise.

Just as soon as it had materialised the sword disappeared, leaving the young swordsman feeling as if he'd just run a mile at full tilt. He heaved a heavy sigh as he wiped his brow free of the accumulated sweat with his sleeve. Content that he had achieved his set goal he eased back into his seat next to Ren, content to watch the efforts of his teammates.

Pyrrha was the next one to achieve her goal. Her own aura Miló materialised over her hand. It too was just like its original counterpart only it was surrounded by a soft crimson atmosphere. She gave her leader a look of joy which he returned with a thumbs-up. The Champion reached out with her free hand and hit the mecha-shift catch. The weapon emitted a brighter burst of light before noiselessly shifting from Xiphos into its javelin form. The Red-head seemed almost surprised at how smooth the action was. After appreciating the spectre for a few moments more she allowed it to fade away and joined her teammates to observe Nora's efforts.

"Miss Nikos, an admirable result, for it to be able to shift forms requires the utmost concentration. Well done."

Goodwitch's voice rang out in praise for the third time, leaving Jaune to chuckle to himself wondering if she was quite alright and hadn't in fact begun to come down with something.

A series of frustrated grunts came from Nora as the Valkyrie struggled to recreate Magnhild. Her usual expression of joviality was long gone. Her tongue poked out from the corner of her mouth, the universal sign of pure concentration and effort. Jaune sighed sympathetically. He knew this kind of task was especially difficult for his hyperactive teammate, she struggled to focus on any one thing for more than a fleeting moment, even if it was her precious warhammer-grenade-launcher.

She was further disrupted by the variety of aura weaponry springing into existence around her as the various other students replicated their equipment. Even Ruby had managed to recreate her 'beloved' Crescent Rose, much to her delight.

"That's it! I'm done!"

The Valkyrie retreated to her seat, a heavy pout on her face. Ren walked over to her and cupped her face in his hands forcing her to look deep into his eyes.

"Nora, I want you to concentrate. Focus on my eyes and nothing else, and regulate your breathing. OK?"

Her usual smile leapt to her face at the contact with her life-long best friend.

"OK Renny!"

She locked his gaze with her own as her expression went blank. They remained locked in what, to any outsider, would appear to be a staring contest. She slowed her breathing down until she was entirely synchronised with her partner. His face softened, making way for a small yet warm smile. Jaune leant forward and observed with a new-found interest. He had never seen the two interact in this manner before

"Very good Nora, Now I want you to think of Magnhild with all your heart."

She nodded and closed her eyes. After what Jaune was sure was a record length of silence from the Valkyrie she spoke. Her voice lacked its hyperactivity and was only just loud enough for him to hear.

"What do I do now Renny?"

"Hold out your hands Nora, and focus. Now direct your aura to your hands and think of Magnhild with all your might."

Nora did as instructed, she held out both her arms dead ahead of her and screwed her face up in concentration. Jaune held his breath as he watched, willing Nora to succeed. A familiar haze appeared above her hands and gradually filled with a light pink energy which manifested into the form of her hammer.

"Open your eyes Nora, have a look."

One of the Valkyrie's cerulean eyes snapped open and she gasped, an expression of pure joy and excitement crossed her face as she beheld the version of Magnhild floating lightly over her hands.

"Renny! We did it!"

Ren chuckled at her exuberance, the hammer dissipated as the Nora shot forward at a speed to rival even Ruby and snatched the martial-artist into one of her signature bear hugs.

"Yes we did."

After a moment or two the shock of impact wore off and he returned her affection. Goodwitch strode over to their group. A the corners of her mouth lifted ever so slightly.

"Very well done Miss Valkyrie! Not only does this show merit to your own character but also that of your teammates. Keep up the good work, all of you."

The remainder of their lecture was spent trying to repeat the summoning of their aura weaponry. With each subsequent attempt the process became steadily easier, even Nora no longer seemed to struggle with the process. In addition to the decrease in difficulty, the weapons became more refined in shape, the slight haze that originally surrounded the weapons gave way to increased clarity and focus.

The bell rang marking the end of the lecture. And the students hurriedly packed up their notepads and pens before shuffling in line out of the door and off to the canteen for lunch. As Jaune made to follow on from team RWBY he found his path blocked by the riding crop of professor Goodwitch. He stopped dead his team bumping into the back of him.

"The headmaster wishes to speak with your team in his office Mr Arc."

Jaune nodded and led the way through the campus to the familiar grey stone tower that served as both the faculty residence and Ozpin's office. Passing through the foyer they entered the staff elevator and hit the button for the top floor.

The doors opened to reveal a plush office. It was a relatively large room, hard wood flooring ran up to walls painted a dark green. All along the walls were bookcases chocked full will files on the teams and students of beacon. In the centre of the room resting on a deep rug was Ozpin's desk, and on it a series of files one of which was labelled 'Team Juniper'.

Nora whistled appreciatively.

"This is niiice."

"I'm glad you like it Miss Valkyrie."

The team jumped at the voice and wheeled around to find professor Ozpin. He was wearing his usual green and black suit with his dark green scarf. The professor was leant on his cane holding his Beacon coffee mug in his free hand. A mischievous look was in his eyes. Jaune cleared his throat and stammered.

"Y-you wanted to see us Professor?"

"Yes, indeed I did Mr Arc. I have an assignment for you. Nothing too complicated I'm sure, just a simple Grimm extermination."

The Knight caught the looks of excitement and determination on his teammates' faces, he nodded to the Professor.

"We'll take it."

Ozpin made his way over to his desk and took a seat.

"Very well, I'll have the assignment's dossier sent to your scrolls. You are dismissed."

Team Juniper turned and made for the exit, whispering excitedly to one another.

"Jaune. May I have a moment?"

The blonde stopped at the use of his first name a confused look dominating his features, and turned to face the professor once again. At a signal from Ozpin he took one of the free seats. It was comfortable, not too firm or too soft.

"As this is your first mission Jaune, I wanted to remind you of your responsibility as a team leader. Your team will be relying on you to make critical decisions in the heat of battle, their lives may well depend upon you making the right call. Don't forget that your actions whilst on this assignment will reflect both upon my school and me personally so do us proud and give it your best. I'm confident that you will do just fine. The dossier will be sent to your scroll along with travel arrangements, best of luck. That is all."

Jaune nodded thoughtfully as he considered what the professor had said, he excused himself and entered the elevator. The doors opened to the foyer, he stepped out to find his team waiting for him.

"Well, what did he say to you?"

The champion inquired.

"He just gave me a little advice and wished us luck is all."

Half way through their packing their scrolls buzzed signifying the arrival of their mission dossier. They all stopped what they were doing and eagerly began to read the details. It was as Ozpin had described, they were tasked with eradicating Grimm which had begun to cause problems for one of the small settlements a few hours north of Vale by Dust-plane accommodation had been arranged with the town's inn. They would be be leaving within the hour. Nora gave a squeal of excitement as she skipped around the room, Ren giving chase and attempting to calm her down. Jaune and Pyrrha both laughed as they continued packing. They had learned from experience just to leave the pair to their antics, it was usually resolved after a couple of minutes.

Jaune led the way down the halls towards their the air station. Rather than the bout of nerves he had expected, the Knight felt calm and collected, he felt eager to finally be out in the field and doing what he had come to Beacon to do, help people.

They bumped into team RWBY along their way.

"Hey Jaune, you guys got your first mission?"

He nodded at the reaper, his warm smile flying to his face.

"We're on our way to our ride out there now."

"You nervous?"

"Nah, not really. Not yet anyway."

"Well good. I'm sure you guys'll be just fine. You've come a long way since initiation."

She lightly clasped his shoulder before letting him go. JNPR set off walking once again, leaving the petite redhead and her team behind them.

"Good luck you guys!"

The reaper called out her final farewell as she watched them go.

The team arrived airport to find it empty of the usual dust-planes. Jaune looked around the horizon but couldn't see anything. A pit formed in his stomach.

"Maybe we're early?"

He regretted it as soon as he said it. From out of nowhere came the high pitched whine of the turbines as their ride arrived. A look of horror dawned on his face as he took in its appearance. It was an old military drop-ship capable of carrying roughly twelve along with their equipment. Jaune sighed resignedly as he began walking towards it.

'Well, goodbye lunch. It was nice knowin' ya.'

And there it was. Hope you enjoyed it, don't forget to favourite and follow. Review with any critiques and PM me with any plot ideas, all are welcome. I'll be trying to keep updates to at least one a week so until next time, you stay classy!