Book of Arkos

by Izlawake

A collection of Arkos one shots, from romance, fluff, smut, adventures, angst, headcanons, AUs, and so on. For the Arkos fans.

26. Jaune's Ascension

A/N: What if Jaune had a chance to ascend at the Tree, but instead of being reborn into a new life, he is gifted the choice of something better. This was originally supposed to be a rewrite of the Grimm Knight Battle chapter that I deleted due to being dissatisfied with it, but it eventually grew into this instead.

Jaune's Ascension

It all happened so fast. Cheshire Neo was on the ground in front of him one moment. The next, it was Penny before him, and that was all it took for Jaune to hesitate. There was a flash of pain in his back, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pyrrha, a cruel and evil smile unlike any smile she would give him. Seeing her like that hurt him more than the slash she gave him. He faltered, but stayed on his feet. Weiss let loose a stream of fire from her rapier at Cheshire Neo, who quickly dispersed in time for the fire to strike Jaune instead, sending him flying off the edge of the Tree. "JAUNE!" Weiss cried. It pained her that she just hurt him, but she had no time to ponder as Cheshire Neo attacked her.

Jaune tumbled down through the air, practically in a haze, as his broken sword fell alongside him. His hands grasped for it, but it avoided his fingers. Crocea Mors soon disappeared among the many thick roots of the Tree while Jaune continued falling. With a loud and painful THUNK! Jaune finally hit a root, bouncing off of it and landing upon one vertical root that caused him to slide down it at fast speeds. He tried to stop himself, but the extreme pain he was in forbid him from trying. He soon fell off the root and crashed onto another, this one stopping him in place as he lied bleeding and broken. Jaune could not move. Every part of his body hurt, and all he could do was stare up at the orange sky of the Ever After and the green leaves of the Tree. Tears flowed from his eyes and he began to hiccup. "Pyrrha…I'm…" the words trailed from his lips before he laid his head down, hoping death would come quickly.

Something caught Jaune's eye from beyond arm's length: a multi-colored leaf. The same kind of leaf that Ruby drank tea from. A leaf of the Tree that offers ascension. Jaune forced his broken body to move, with every motion making his mind and body scream in agony, but he refused to give up, even when he had to flop his body like a fish towards the leaf. Right when he felt his body was going to give up, he reached the leaf, snatching it up and biting down onto it. He chewed and swallowed, and at once, the pain in his body vanished and the roots underneath him unraveled and pulled him down into darkness.

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Jaune found himself standing in an empty void, the sky above a translucent green. He looked around and saw a familiar sight: the mechanical blacksmith hard at work at her forge. He saw that she was banging away at a piece of metal, and when he got closer, he saw that it was the broken Crocea Mors. When he was finally close enough, the Blacksmith halted her work. "So you've finally arrived," she said, finally acknowledging his presence.

"I suppose so. Were you expecting me? Why are you here, anyway?"

"I was expecting you, yes. As for why, I am here because I speak for the Tree, and I here to guide you through your ascension." She went back to work, now ignoring Jaune again. She banged on the sword more before she dipped her hand into a nearby pot and spread a blueish powder across the blade. Instantly, the blade was mended, as if it was never broken. Jaune stretched out his hands to take it, but the Blacksmith refused to hand it over. "This sword belongs to Jaune Arc," she stated.

"I AM Jaune Arc!" Jaune declared.

"Are you? You look more like a broken man." Her hand stretched out, and before Jaune could stop it, his scabbard flew from his hip and onto the reforged Crocea Mors, where the Blacksmith cradled it in her arms. "You have been a broken man for quite some years, long before you came here to the Ever After, long before you took up the persona of the Rusted Knight." She strolled over towards him. "Who are you, really?"

Jaune was perplexed. "I'm…I'm Jaune Arc…" he repeated, but now a bit uncertain.

"Then who is Jaune Arc? Who is the Jaune Arc that you are supposed to be?" She gazed down at the Crocea Mors, rubbing a hand along the fine scabbard that was built during the Great War and reforged with the weapons of Pyrrha Nikos. "Long ago, Jaune Arc dreamed of becoming a Huntsman. He wanted to live up to the legacy set by his great-great-grandfather Julius…" As if by her command, a portal appeared beside them, and through it, Jaune saw little hands grasping at a picture frame of a well-decorated solider. He realized soon enough that he was looking from his own viewpoint when he was younger at the portrait of his great-great-grandfather. "…Jaune Arc was so desperate to live up to the legacy of his predecessor that he was even willing to cheat to achieve his goals, albeit with noble intentions…"

The portal changed again, this time Jaune was at Junior's Bar. "There you go, blondy. Transcripts for Beacon Academy, completely legit," the tough bartender told him as Jaune admired the transcripts on his scroll.

"Finally, I can achieve my dream…" said the Jaune of the past.

"That was…" mumbled the real Jaune.

"The moment you threw open the gates of Hell itself," the Blacksmith finished.

"Yeah…if only I knew what I was getting myself into…Maybe I wouldn't have…"

"And deny yourself all that you've experienced? The people you've met? What about her?" Jaune looked at the portal again, and this time, he saw Pyrrha smiling at him, her arm upon his shoulder, and tears rushed to his eyes again. "Would you throw it all away if it meant never meeting her?"

"No! Never…" Jaune answered without hesitation. "Pyrrha…I wouldn't be the man I am today if it weren't for her…"

"Something happened to Jaune Arc because of her," the Blacksmith continued. The portal changed and showed Pyrrha sparing with Jaune atop the rooftop balcony that was so important to them both. Another change, and Jaune saw himself dancing with Pyrrha at the Vytal prom. "All it took was the chance meeting with this girl and suddenly, Jaune Arc did not care anymore about his family's legacy. Suddenly, because of this one girl, he changed course. Then…it became about destiny…"

Jaune realized what she was going to do next. "NO! Please don't show me that!" Jaune pleaded, but the Blacksmith ignored him. The portal changed once again, and this time, Jaune saw as Pyrrha leaned in and kissed him tenderly. He could not hold back his tears as he remembered that moment, how he wrapped his arms around her, relishing in the moment, until she pushed him into that locker and sent him away.

"You could not stop her, but maybe you would have if you had said what you wanted to say to her before she silenced you with a demonstration of her love. Do you remember what you wanted to say?"

Jaune wanted to curse at the Blacksmith for digging up this painful memory, but he could not stop himself from answering. "I was…going to say, 'Pyrrha, I love you. Please don't go. Don't leave me.' but then she told me it herself, without saying a word."

"You lived to see another day while she did not." This time, the Blacksmith offered comfort with a cold, mechanical hand on Jaune's shoulder.

"What was the point?" Jaune hissed. "Why did she have to die? Why did I have to live? What kind of destiny is that, dying for nothing?!"

"Because you were weak…"

"SHUT UP!" Jaune slapped her hand away and took a swing, but she easily avoided him while his momentum sent him to the ground, where he stayed weeping.

"…Jaune Arc was a weakling trying to play the hero. Pyrrha Nikos knew you were not strong enough to help her. Maybe if she had a better partner, she would have lived."

Jaune's hands clenched into fists. He wanted to scream, shout, curse, and swing at the Blacksmith again. "You're right…" was all he could get out as he relaxed his hands. "…I tried…I tried to be the better partner she deserved, but I kept…fucking up everywhere I went…I couldn't do anything…I couldn't kill that witch!"

"And do you remember what happened after? The hope that revitalized you, that gave you life again?" The portal now showed Jaune standing in front of Pyrrha's memorial in Argus. "How cruel, to immortalize a young woman that died for nothing, putting her on the very pedestal she hated so much."

"Yeah…" As much as Jaune hated to admit it, she was right; this was not how Pyrrha would have wanted to be remembered. "…but that statue is what I needed to see. It reminded me that I'm not living my family's legacy anymore. My dream became something else, built off of her legacy. Built off of the unfulfilled dream of a simple girl who only wanted to help others, who lost everything in the end." A smile spread across Jaune's face with renewed vigor. "Even when my own family didn't think I'd make it at Beacon, she did. She thought I was a hero in her eyes, and all she wanted from me in return is to be the friend who saw her for who she was: an ordinary girl. And I gave that to her ten-fold."

"You found new strength in the comfort of someone you loved so dearly," the Blacksmith added.

"Yeah. I could not give up after that. If I gave up, it would only insult her memory, and I could never forgive myself for that." Something appeared within Jaune's hand and he looked down and saw Pyrrha's xiphos in his palm. "Pyrrha always believed that she could pick and choose her destiny. Well, I think my destiny is to continue what she started, and it'll be our legacy that I finish." Jaune turned back to the Blacksmith.

"It seems you finally understand who you are."

"I am Jaune Arc," Jaune said once again, now renewed and confidant. The Blacksmith took the xiphos from him and both it and Jaune's sword hovered in midair. There was a flash of light and the xiphos merged with the blade, changing shape to reflect its new addition.

"So you are. Now, you are ready to choose." The Blacksmith raised her hand and a ring of square cases emerged from the ground, encircling them. Jaune looked and saw that each case contained a different weapon. "You get to choose who you wish to ascend into. You will be reborn a new man, but will keep all your memories and experiences as Jaune Arc."

"I…I can't. No, I can't give up this life! My friends, they need me!"

"That they do, but do not fret, you will have all the time to decide."

"What was all that then?! Why remind me of everything I've been through just to tell me to pick a new life?!"

"Because your willpower was shattered. Ascending to a new life would have been too easy of a decision for you to make."

"And now you expect it to be any easier?! What if I don't want to ascend?!"

Despite his anger, the Blacksmith remained stoic as ever. She pointed to her left and the ring broke apart, revealing a door of golden mist. "Enter the gate and you will return to your life as Jaune Arc. You will awaken at the top of the Tree, your body restored to full health, and back to the life you've always known." She handed him the Crocea Mors and Jaune snatched it and headed for the door, but he stopped when he saw one of the cases nearby.

The case was void of any weapons, but instead, it contained what looked like a small recreation of the Tree behind the glass. "What is that? Is that one of the choices?" His hand reached out for it, but the Blacksmith grabbed his wrist, and, surprisingly, she was in complete shock.

"HIM?! You have deemed him worthy?!" she called out towards the sky. A loud rumble echoed and the Blacksmith's attitude changed. "I…I understand. If that is his choice, his destiny, so be it."

"My destiny? What do you mean?"

The blacksmith eyed the case containing the miniature Tree. "I did not know this would be offered, but the Tree has deemed you worthy of an alternative ascension. He has seen your journey, how much you have suffered and endured because of the Brothers, and He wishes to help with this choice."

There was a low rumble as the entire void shook. "The Tree has deemed the Brothers unworthy of ruling Remnant, and now He seeks Their successor. If you choose that Tree, you will ascend into that of our Kin, Jaune Arc. You will become a Higher Power like the Brothers."

"I…a god?" The Blacksmith nodded.

"Long ago, the Brothers were mortal once, and They too ascended at the Tree, who deemed Them worthy of becoming Kin like Him." She pressed her hand to his heart. "The Tree has felt your heart and He knows you will succeed where They failed, but alas, that is your choice to make." The Blacksmith then returned to her forge and went back to work while Jaune held both Crocea Mors and Milo while staring at the Tree in the case.

His mind grew heavy with his decision. He kept glancing back and forth between the small Tree in the glass case and the golden doorway that would lead him back to his own existence. To ascend to Kinhood would mean having to leave behind the life he's known, to adopt new responsibilities and hardships, but he also thought of what he could do with such power. Who he could save. Finally, he made his choice. He reached out and grabbed hold of the small Tree before he could regret his decision. The entire void shook violently in response.

"And so, a new Kin emerges!" the Blacksmith proclaimed. "I welcome thee, the new Patron Saint of Remnant, Jaune Arc!"

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Back in the Ever After, all of Team RWBY were knocked down by Cheshire, who had abandoned Neo's wounded body to challenge them himself, and the evil cat was hunched over Ruby's fallen form as she tried to resist him. "You've still got so much left to live for back in Remnant, you'll be a fine vessel for me," the cat purred.

"Go to Hell!" Ruby spat back, delivering a punch to Cheshire's face, which did nothing to deter him.

"There's nothing you can do to stop me!" Cheshire stretched open Ruby's mouth, ready to possess her, but then a loud CRACK! echoed around them, catching Cheshire off guard. Everyone turned towards the center of the Tree and saw something they never noticed before. Growing from the roots was a shell resembling Jaune, and it had just cracked open. Jaune pulled Himself out from the cocoon and admired Himself for a moment. His youth had been restored, though His hair was still long, albeit now trimmed and tidy. His armor and sash had been restored and the new Kindred Crocea Mors hung at His hips.

"I figured you'd be too stubborn to die, but it matters not!" Cheshire declared as he abandoned Ruby to race towards Jaune. Jaune raised His hand, now enveloped in the brilliant white light of His Aura, and Cheshire froze mid-dash. "Wh-what is this?!"

"You do not deserve life or ascension," Jaune declared. "Now vanish." He clenched His hand, and Cheshire let out a scream before he instantly disappeared into nothing.

Team RWBY all staggered to their feet, shocked at what they saw. "What happened to him? Is he dead?" Weiss asked.

Juniper strolled over and nudged her head against Jaune, who petted her and assured her He was alright. "Worse than dead, I unmade him. He no longer exists, nor is he alive or dead."

"How did you––?!" Yang started, but she stopped when Jaune placed His hands over her cybernetic arm. "Hey, what are you––?!" She lost her voice as she watched Jaune run His hands down her arm to her fingers, and as His skin touched her, she glowed with His Aura and the robotic arm became replaced with her real flesh and bone arm again. Everyone stared with mouths agape as Yang grabbed at her right arm and wiggled her fingers, unsure if what she was seeing was real or not, but a silent, shocked nod from Yang confirmed it was real.

It was Weiss' turn to speak, and she repeated the same thing everyone else was thinking. "Jaune! How did you do that?!" Jaune instead pressed His thumb to her forehead, directly over her scar, and He wiped His finger downward onto her cheek.

"Weiss, your scar is gone!" exclaimed Ruby. She extended out her scythe and Weiss observed herself in the reflection of the blade. "That is so cool, Jaune!"

"I can do plenty of miracles like that now."

"So you ascended? Who, or what, are you now?" went Blake.

"I'm a Kin now." Everyone stared blankly at Him, as if they thought He was joking with them. "The Tree believes the Brothers have failed and want someone to replace them, and It deemed me worthy, if I chose to do so."

"So does that mean you won't come back with us?" asked Weiss, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I'm afraid so, but don't worry, you'll see me soon enough. I, however, have some things I must take care of with my newfound abilities." Jaune climbed onto Juniper and gave the four girls a wave. "Thank you for everything, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang. No matter what, I will always be your friend." He gave Juniper a kick and the two sped off, leaping off of the edge of the Tree and disappearing into thin air.

"Well, shall we go?" went Ruby.

"Think Jaune will be alright?" Yang asked, still marveling over her new arm.

"Whatever He's going to do now, I think He'll be alright. Who can even hurt Him now?" Weiss replied.

The four entered the gate of golden fog back to Remnant, leaving the Ever After behind forever.

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Jaune had already returned to Remnant with Juniper, and He had already formulated a plan for His first actions as a Kin. When He had reappeared, He found himself atop a building in Vacuo. He looked down below and He saw Ren, Nora, and Oscar sitting together having a meal. Juniper leapt down and she landed gracefully without harm, surprising everyone around them. Ren and Nora jumped to their feet with weapons in hand expecting an enemy, but relaxed when they saw what appeared to be a giant rabbit with Jaune sitting atop it. "Jaune?!" cried Nora.

Jaune wasted no time in embracing the two of them in a tight hug. "I missed you both so much…" He wept. Nora wept as well, but Ren felt uneasy. With his Tranquility semblance, he felt a great wave of happiness from Jaune, but something was different; he felt His Aura and it was more boundless and overwhelming than last time he felt His leader's Aura. His knees buckled and he almost fell to the ground by the overwhelming sensation.

"Where's the others? Is Team RWBY alright?" went Nora.

"Don't worry, they're fine. They'll be here soon. I'm here because I have something to do." He let go of them and went to Oscar, who stood frozen to the spot. "Oscar, forgive me for this, but it's better for you." Without giving him time to process his words, Jaune leapt upon Oscar, where He laced His hand in Aura and plunged it into the boy's chest, though He broke neither skin or bone as He reached for his heart and withdrew His hand, which now held a glowing green ball of energy while Oscar's body fell to the ground lifeless.

"JAUNE! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Ren screamed, but Jaune was unfazed.

"Don't worry, Oscar will be fine," He assured them. He pulled the green ball apart and it became two, one a darker shade of green than the other. He pressed the darker one into Oscar's chest and the boy sprang back to life again. "Sorry about that, Oscar, but I need Ozpin's soul." The remaining ball of energy gave off a small flicker of light in His hand.

"Jaune, what the heck is going on?" asked Nora, who ran to Oscar's side and helped him up.

Jaune went to them and showed them the green ball of energy. "It'll be too long to explain, and it's not going to matter soon. Just know that I'm going to make things better for all of us, that's a promise." He put the soul into His pocket and climbed back onto Juniper. He took off, disappearing around the corner, leaving His friends very confused and troubled.

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This time, Jaune not only went to a different place, but also a different time, and with His newfound knowledge as a Kin, He knew where to go. He appeared in a land of absolute desolation and darkness, Salem's massive spiral castle before Him. From inside, Salem felt Jaune's presence, and recognized it as something familiar, but none that she could remember, though the presence frightened her for a moment before she could steel herself.

Suddenly, Jaune was in her lair with her alone and she spun in place. "Who are you?!"

"We won't meet for quite a long time, but I have business with you, Salem," Jaune answered. He let His Aura flow around Him for her to sense it, and it made her shiver.

"You're one of Them, aren't you?!" She readied a ball of black energy in her hand.

"I am a god, yes, but I am nothing like the Brothers, I promise you. I wish to help you, Salem, and offer a deal."

"To Hell with you!" she flung her hand and the energy ball hit Jaune, only to break apart upon contact with His Aura.

Jaune pointed a single finger towards her. "Stay still." She obeyed against her will, her entire body refusing to budge. "As I said, I wish to help you, Salem." Jaune approached her and brushed her cheek. "This will hurt a bit, but I promise it's for the better." As with Oscar, He impaled His hand into her chest and reached for her heart as she screamed in agony. A few seconds later and He withdrew His hand, but instead of her soul, it was a misshapen ball of malice and darkness. He freed Salem from her binds and she fell to the floor gasping for air. "This is the root of your evil," Jaune declared before He crushed it in between His hands.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!" Salem shrieked, but she lost her voice when she spied her reflection in a mirror across the room. Her skin had returned to a peachy sheen, her hair restored to golden blonde, her eyes now shimmering and blue like the ocean, not a trace of the Grimm sludge she once submerged herself in centuries ago remained. She was awestruck, staring down at her arms and hands and touching her face.

"As I said, I took it all out of you. I even took away your immortality." He knelt down to her level. "Salem, this needs to end. This has been going on for too long. I want this to end, and I know you do too."

She stole a glance towards Him, but refused to meet His gaze. "I…I just want my Ozpin back…" She broke into tears and fell to the floor again. Jaune pulled Ozpin's soul from His pocket and showed him to her. Upon sight of her, the soul glowed and flickered rapidly. "Oz…" She took the soul into her hands and cradled it as she wept.

"It's time for this to end, and it begins with the Grimm." Jaune rose and went to the window, where He saw a legion of Grimm below, waiting for orders from their queen. Jaune observed each and every one of them. A legion of Grimm, worth centuries of death and destruction stood before Him. He could remember when he struggled to fight just one Grimm, as simple as an Ursa, and now He was looking upon Grimm that He has never seen before. Grimm that the world has not seen in untold centuries, and now He has the power to destroy them all.

"You will NOT!" came a voice behind Him. Jaune spun and He was greeted by the two Brothers, His predecessors. "You will not destroy my creations!" went the Brother of Darkness.

"I am free to do what I want within Remnant. I will create and destroy that I wish," Jaune answered. His hand slowly reached for His sword.

"It is not YOUR world to do with as you please!" the Brother of Light retorted.

"It is now. You don't like it, go cry to the Tree."

"How dare you?!"

"Calm yourself, Brother," went the Brother of Darkness. "We don't need to engage with this mortal, but if He thinks He can do better, let's see Him do it." The Brother raised a finger and with a flick, a burst of dark light bloomed. "Let's see how He fares when His newfound god powers cannot destroy the Grimm."

"WHAT?!" cried Jaune. He turned back to the Grimm and tried to unmake them as He did Cheshire, but they remained in place. He tried to destroy them by making them explode, but nothing happened.

"If you think you can do better, prove it. Show us that you can unite humanity, and if you want the Grimm destroyed, then do it with weapons made of Men and not our power." The Brothers glanced towards Salem, who watched Them with fear. "Even if you renounce your ways, you will never reunite with Ozma. We will ensure that." With that, the Brothers disappeared, leaving Jaune and Salem alone.

Anger was stitched across Jaune's face. "Fine, I'll play it your way," He said to the empty space the Brothers once stood. He waited a while, thinking over what to do now, then went to Salem, lifting her back onto her feet. "Salem, plan's changed. I'm going to need you to hang tight here while I take care of some other important things, but I promise I will be back and I'll have a great task for you and Ozpin, if you're up for it."

Salem looked up at Him. Before her stood a mortal-turned-Kin, and He offered His helping hands to her. In her mind, she could not help but notice how handsome He was and it reminded her of when Ozma appeared to liberate her from her tower. She had indirectly hurt Him through her villainy yet to come, and yet He still wanted to help her. She nodded and Jaune took His leave, leaving Ozpin's soul with her.

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The first place He went to was in the distance future from where He confronted Salem, approximately twelve years before He first went to Beacon. In the snowy forests of Atlas, He rode into a small town upon Juniper, His body now garbed in a brilliant white and gold armor, much like the one he wore in the Ever After. He watched as eyes trailed to Him, curious by the seemingly mystical beast He rode, but most kept their head down. If it were not for the new knowledge he gained upon ascension, He would never have known of this place, which in later years would be wiped off the map due to a combination of Grimm and the harsh tundra blizzards, but He knew that to properly fix Remnant, He had to start here.

Jaune stopped at the local tavern and went inside, earning around round of eyes upon him, but most dismissed Him as a simple Huntsman. He found who he was looking for: Rhodes. A lonely Huntsman that, in due time, would fail to save a tortured girl that would one day destroy Vale. The man was gazing into a half-empty mug of ale when Jaune sat down at the table he was at. Rhodes gazed up at Jaune, and was briefly taken aback by Jaune's presence. "What's a high and mighty Huntsman like you doing in a backwater town like this?" he grumbled.

"I know what troubles you, Rhodes," was all Jaune said.

"How do you…? Probably found me through the database…Whaddya want?"

"Why didn't you save her? Aren't you a Huntsman? Sworn to protect those in danger?" Jaune continued.

"You mean Cinder? How…" Rhodes let out a sigh. "…It's not that easy, man. I tried, but her mother is too powerful. She's got a lot of connections."

"No person is so powerful to outrun the law."

"This woman is. She's had people disappear if they try to go after her, and now, everyone would rather cover their eyes and ears than stop her from abusing that girl." Rhodes downed the rest of his drink. "Even her own daughters are afraid of her, I've seen it. They only comply and abuse Cinder so their mother doesn't abuse them. They're as much afraid of her as everyone else is."

Jaune had heard enough. He already knew what to do. "Wait for me at the east edge of town. I'll give you further instructions when I get there." He rose to his feet.

"What? What do you mean?" Rhodes asked.

"If you want to save those girls, then do as I order." Jaune left Rhodes to contemplate His instructions.

Outside, He climbed onto Juniper and headed for the home of Cinder's stepmother. Jaune held no formalities for this vile woman, and promptly kicked open the front doors. The main hall was empty, save for young Cinder who was scrubbing at the floor with a bucket of filthy water and an equally filthy sponge. Jaune could hear her cry under her breath, and that crying stopped as soon as she saw Him enter. Silence hung in the air as Cinder unknowingly gazed upon the god of her world while Jaune stared at the child who would one day take away the woman he loves and cause Him so much pain. A part of Him deep down wanted to kill her right then and there, rid the world of such a vile monster, but the other part of Him knew that it would not be right; He knows now that Cinder was only a product of her circumstances, and He had to save her while he still can, but most of all he thought of what Pyrrha would think of Him. He went to her and ordered her to stand, and Cinder felt compelled to obey without understanding why.

"You are Cinder, yes?" Jaune asked. She answered with a whimpering stutter. "Do not cry, I won't hurt you." Jaune spied the shock collar around her neck and reached for it. Upon contact, it zapped both Him and Cinder, making her cry out. He laced His hand in His Aura and reached again, this time taking hold and breaking the collar off. The shocking stopped and Cinder was surprised at the newfound relief while Jaune tossed the broken collar to the floor. "Where are your sisters? Are they alright?"

Cinder pointed towards a nearby door. Jaune scooped her up and headed through the door. He followed Cinder's directions and soon found Himself in their bedroom. Cinder's stepsisters sprang up in bed, the blankets pulled up to shield them from this intruder. "Wh-who are you?!" one of them cried.

"I'm getting all three of you out of here," Jaune declared.

"We can't––we aren't going anywhere!" went the other stepsister.

Cinder whispered something into Jaune's ear and He set her down and went to the girls. "You don't need to be afraid anymore, your mother won't hurt you, I'll see to that." To the first sister, He lifted her gown up and saw the shock belt that Cinder told Him about. Just like with Cinder, He broke off both of their belts, much to their surprise. "She won't hurt you anymore," Jaune repeated.

He left the girls at the front door and learned from Cinder that their stepmother would be either in her bedroom or in her office. As much as Jaune knew they should leave now, he knew He could not let this vile woman live. He marched through the mansion, the few servants still awake shifting out of His way and pressing against whatever nearby wall or object they could find, fearful of this unknown knight and the powerful presence he carried. He found the stepmother's office and kicked the door open. Inside, she sprung from her desk from the sudden sound. "Who the Hell are you?! Get out before I call security."

"They will not come," stated Jaune, pointing a finger towards her. "It is time for you to face the consequences of your actions."

"As if!" She picked up the phone and dialed the extension for her security office.

She does not even deny what she has done to the girls. Jaune wasted no time and went to her. She demanded He get away, but He ignored her. With a flash, He had drawn His sword and cleaved her head from her shoulders. Her body crumbled onto the desk and blood poured from the open wound just as three security guards arrived with their guns aimed at Jaune, but they made no move, shocked by the sight before them. Jaune picked up the decapitated head and held it up to the guards, who all recoiled. "The witch is dead!" He plopped the head onto the desk and made His way for the door. "MOVE!" At his command, the guards shifted aside and let Him pass. Though, they still followed Him back to the front doors, accompanied by the servants that Jaune had passed by prior. They all watched as Jaune lifted Cinder and her stepsisters onto His jackalope and sped off.

Just as he was instructed, Rhodes was waiting for Jaune at the edge of town, and when Jaune arrived, He brought along a horse and carriage that carried the three girls. Rhodes was both surprised and shocked, and he tried to ask how Jaune did it, but Jaune refused to answer. "Get these girls out of Atlas. Head for Argus in Mistral, they will be safe there." He then handed Rhodes a talisman that bore a two golden crescent arcs crisscrossed with the Tree. "This will protect you from any Grimm along the way. When you get to the airport to get out of Atlas, show security this talisman, trust me."

Rhodes did not understand how a trinket could keep Grimm away or bribe airport security to allow a Huntsmen to take unregistered children out of the country, but something about Jaune's voice told him it would work. "Can I just ask one thing? Who are you, really?"

"I am the Patron Saint, here to right the wrongs of this world." He went to Cinder and took her hand in His. "You're a good girl, Cinder. You live a good life, alright?" Cinder nodded multiple times and he gave her a pat on the head. Jaune mounted Juniper and gave the four a wave before speeding off into the dark, where He vanished out of sight.

True to His word, the talisman warded away any Grimm during their journey, the few that dared get close only watching them from the trees. At the airport, no one questioned or stopped Rhodes for having three children dressed in baggy clothes, and security simply waved him through upon seeing the talisman, even giving them first class seats on the airship without question or payment. Upon landing in Argus, Rhodes still could not believe everything that had just happened the night before, but he concluded that perhaps the four of them really were aided by some kind of angel looking out for them.

( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )

Jaune went to another time and place, one that was familiar to Ren and Nora. The day they lost their home to the Nuckelavee. When Jaune had arrived from atop a nearby hill, the Nuckelavee and Grimm had already breached the walls. He urged Juniper forward and the mighty jackalope sped down the hill and leapt over the high wall. Jaune deployed Crocea Mors into its new spear form, where the shield transformed and encompassed the blade and extended the hilt, and struck a passing Ursa with it, killing it instantly. He swung the spear and pierced the back of a Beowolf. "Forward, Juniper! We need to save Ren's father!" Jaune transformed his weapon back into its greatsword form and held it up to the sky. At once, the dark clouds parted and a beam of sunlight burst downward and hit Jaune's sword, enveloping it in a bright light. With one swing, a wave of fiery sunlight burst from the blade, cutting down any Grimm in its path while phasing harmlessly through any survivors. They raced forward, soon finding the Nuckelavee standing before Ren's father Li, who had his bow aimed at the monster with a young Ren and Nora behind him. Jaune held His blade skyward and the light of the sun burst forth into a pinpoint cone, shining upon the Nuckelavee and briefly blinding it. Jaune drew close and swung His sword, cleaving one of its arms off of its shoulder, causing it to let it out an agonizing screech.

"GO! GET THEM TO SAFETY!" Jaune commanded Li, who scooped up the children and ran. He soon found his wife in the ruins of their home and they hid and watched the stranger do battle with the monster.

"Juniper, go around and keep everyone save from the other Grimm, I will handle this one." Juniper nodded and ran off while Jaune stood before the Grimm. "Been a long time, but this time, it's you who will fear me," He declared to the Nuckelavee, who only responded with a loud roar that lacked any intimidated to the Patron Saint. The beast charged for Jaune, but He quickly deployed His shield and met its horse head with it, stopping it in place. He ran His Aura into the shield and activated His Shine Semblance, and with a bright light, the beast was knocked backwards. He switched to His greatsword again and channeled sunlight into it again. "I am the new god of this world, and you monsters will fear my light!" He declared before slashing forward. The sunlight extended the blade's reach and it severed the Nuckelavee from its horse mount, the latter falling over dead. Jaune made a second slash, this time cleaving the monster in half, its head falling onto the ground, still alive, but barely. Jaune switched to His spear and brought it down onto the head, silencing the terror of Kuroyuri forever. He raised His sword to the sky and let out a triumphant roar.

The few Grimm that were still alive turned to the source of the roar and saw that the Nuckelavee that lead them to this town was dead, and seeing the Patron Saint standing over the Nuckelavee's remains caused them to flee through the destroyed wall. The citizens soon came out of hiding to gather near Jaune, the air became silent as they tried to mentally process what they witnessed; as far as they were aware, this mysterious knight riding a giant rabbit appeared out of nowhere and used a Semblance to slay the monsters and scare them away. Juniper soon returned to Jaune's side and He petted her head and congratulated her.

"Who––who are you?" came the voice of Li Ren, who stood at the front of the people with his family and Nora at his side, who all stared at Jaune with curiosity. Jaune instead knelt down to Lie and Nora's level, where he put his hands upon their shoulders.

"You two look out for each other and take care of one another, okay?" Both children nodded and glanced towards each other. Jaune stood up to address Li. "I am the Patron Saint of Remnant, here to protect humanity against those that threaten my people." Jaune turned towards the broken wall and lifted His hands into the air, making the broken pieces rise up and reform anew as everyone gawked with awe and wonder. When He had finished, He drew His sword and drove it into the ground. A circle of light formed around Him and expanded outward, encompassing the entire town of Kuroyuri before fading away. He saw everyone's confusion right away. "From here on, Kuroyuri is holy ground, under my protection. Grimm will never tread here again." Jaune mounted Juniper and took off again, leaping over the outer wall and out of sight.

( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )

Jaune went further back in time again, this time going to a fancy dinner party in Atlas where its elite gathered. He came in wearing a simple suit and tie with a long coat instead of a suit jacket and upon reaching the front doors, security allowed Him inside without stopping hHim, and He made His way through the crowd, His eyes scanning the many elite nobles, high-ranking Huntsmen, and military personal. He spotted a young James Ironwood, not yet a general, but still well on his way towards an astounding military career, though he was not Jaune's goal here tonight, as much as wished He could make amends for everything that happened at Atlas in his previous life. He continued onward, and soon He saw a raven-haired young man leaning against a chair with a flask in hand: Qrow. Jaune trailed the young Huntsman's gaze over towards a familiar couple: Willow Schnee, not yet a mother, chatting it up with a young Jacques Gelé, who Jaune could tell was trying to butter up with his honey words; just one small step in his goal of ownership of the Schnee Dust Company.

Jaune knew what He had to do, and though the repercussions that could arise from him changing history in such a grand way made Him a bit nervous, He knew it was better to spare Willow an unhappy union with such a vile man. He conjured a scroll in hand containing sensitive information with video and photo evidence and made His way to a nearby Huntsman speaking with James Ironwood. "Captain Ironwood, Mister Clover." He addressed the two, giving them a salute, which they returned.

"Um, do we know you?" asked James. He felt confused by Jaune's presence, as if he was speaking to one of his superiors without knowing them.

"No, I'm afraid not, but I have here important information pertaining to a certain Jacque Gelé, who I suspect of corruption and illegal business operations. Currently he's suspected of trying to usurp the Schnee Dust Company by marrying into the family and while that is not illegal, what he may do upon gaining control sounds wary." Jaune handed the scroll over to the men, who reviewed the lists of information documented with shocked faces. Jaune could not help but slip a small grin; while Jacques was indeed engaging in illegal business currently, it was only a few times this has occurred by then, but Jaune will easily turn those few times into dozens upon dozens, conjuring up secret documents in Jacques' office to collaborate the accusations.

The men look over the documents some more and indeed, there was even evidence of him planning to marry into the Schnee family. "Captain Ironwood, I believe I've seen enough to warrant an arrest." concluded Clover.

"Granted. Find where Jacques is."

"He's over there, Captain." Jaune pointed towards Jacques and Willow chattering and simply stepped back as Clover made his way over. He watched as Clover declared that Jacques was under arrest, making the entire room fall silent as everyone watched the scene unfold. Jacques struggled against Clover's strength as the Huntsman read him his rights while Willow watched with horror. Jacques quickly ceased his resistance and allowed himself to be taken away, and after he was gone, Willow lowered her head and walked away towards a door to an open balcony.

Qrow watched Willow leave, but did not follow her, until Jaune appeared behind him and touched his shoulder. "Go after her, Qrow. She needs someone to lean upon," He spoke into his ear as He moved on. Without acknowledging Jaune's presence, Qrow went after Willow while he pocketed his flask. Jaune followed after him and watched the young Huntsman approach Willow on the balcony.

"Hey, you alright?" Qrow asked her.

Willow wiped at her eyes with her dress' sleeves. "No, I'm not." Qrow handed her a handkerchief from his jacket and she wiped at her eyes with it. "You were right, Qrow. You were right about Jacques."

"Hey hey, I wasn't right about anything, I only had my suspicions of the guy."

"But I should've listened to you. Hell, even my father thought you were right, but I ignored you both." She wiped at her eyes again.

"You trusted your gut instinct, nothing wrong with that." She offered his handkerchief back and he stuffed it back into his pocket. "All you can do is learn from this and do better for yourself."

Willow smiled, her spirits lifted. "If I did trust my gut, then I would have picked someone different, someone who I cared about that cared about me…" She grabbed at Qrow's shirt and yanked him down to her level, where she pressed her lips against his, her cheeks flushing red and her body growing warm amidst the falling snow. She felt Qrow wrap his arms around her and their kiss deepened. "…What do we do now?" she whispered after breaking their kiss.

"I guess…whatever happens." he smirked.

Jaune left the two alone, His mission in this time now complete.

( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )

Another time, another place, this time at the island of Patch. Jaune stood at the end of the pathway leading to the Rose-Xiao Long household back in His armor with Juniper again. The two went up to the house and Jaune produced a folder containing a few papers from nowhere as He rang the doorbell. Within a minute, Summer Rose answered the door while dressed in her Huntress attire and weapon. She was briefly taken aback by Jaune's appearance, her hand flashing for her weapon, but Jaune merely held out the folder to her. "Greetings, Mrs. Rose, I'm here to inform you that your Huntsman services will not be required for the job you were assigned to. Mountain Glenn will receive help from someone else, someone more experienced with this sort of danger."

Summer Rose read over the forms within and looked at Jaune with confusion. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand. My superiors said that I was the ideal choice for this job."

"Well, their superiors thought differently."

"Mommy, who is that?" came a little voice behind Summer. She looked and found a young Ruby in her pajamas rubbing at her eye with a Grimm plushie in hand.

Summer went to her and scooped her up into her arms. "What are you doing out of bed, geez."

"It seems you are better needed here at home," Jaune added.

"Mommy, is that a giant rabbit?" went Ruby, who pointed at Juniper outside.

Summer only just noticed the massive beast that obeyed the mysterious figure. "I–I think it is."

"I best be on my way then." Jaune gave a short salute and mounted Juniper. "Do not forget that you have your daughters to take care of, Summer Rose." With that, Jaune took off.

"WAIT, HOW DID YOU––?!" but He was already gone before she could even step out the door.

"Summer, you alright?" came the voice of Taiyang, her husband. He stepped outside to see what was up, but she quickly returned inside and let him know that she was not leaving on the mission after all.

Summer suffered from a light sleep that night, her mind whirling from the mysterious man that visited her, wondering how he knew that she had more than one daughter and his warning to take care of them. Sleep finally overtook her in the early morning.

"SUMMER, YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!" yelled Taiyang. Summer sprang from her sleep and dashed out of their bedroom and into the living room, where the television was on depicting a breaking news story. Onscreen, a new copter was surveying Mountain Glenn, who laid in ruins and swarming with Grimm.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Lisa Lavender reporting. I regret to inform you that Mountain Glenn has fallen to the Grimm. Casualties are estimated to be in the hundreds." Lisa appeared onscreen for a moment to point to a nearby spot where a Grimm Kaiju burst from within a skyscraper and let out a deafening roar, sending the chopper off balance for a moment. "No word yet of the Huntsman that was assigned to overseeing the city, but it's a safe bet that they have fallen prey to the Grimm with the citizens."

"I…I should've been there…" Summer muttered as she stayed transfixed upon the horror onscreen. "…My silver eyes could've…"

"WAIT! WE'RE GETTING SOMETHING! DOWN THERE! ASH, ZOOM IN!" The camera zoomed in towards the edge of the city to an astounding sight: the survivors were gathered tightly together, all of them glowing a bright white light while a lone figure stood apart from them fending off the Grimm alone.

The camera zoomed in again and Summer watched as the same knight that visited her the night before was standing strong, swinging a glowing blade at light at very Grimm that dared get close. With each swing, a beam of light erupted from His blade and harmlessly passed through the citizens to strike at the Grimm, whom died instantly at the touch. Soon, the Grimm Kaiju appeared and the citizens ran for the outskirts of the city, still enveloped in the protective white light that prevented any Grimm from touching them.

"Ash, what do you make of this?" Lisa asked her cameraman, who zoomed in again on the lone knight who let out a burst of light from around Himself that suddenly made the Grimm fled into the darkened recesses of the city again, but the Grimm Kaiju remained; it was the alpha of this region, and it would not dare back away from its enemy that got between it and its fleeing food. The lone knight did not back down, however. Everyone at home watched as a bright light enveloped the knight once again and a large pair of angelic wings bathed in the light sprouted from His back. He leapt high into the air, propelled by His new wings, and His sword became encased in the light. He swung downward at the Grimm Kaiju, returning back to the ground, and the Kaiju suddenly split vertically in half, its body vanishing into black dust as it fell.

The air fell silent, save for the helicopter's engine, as the knight returned to the survivors. Soon enough, airships appeared over the horizon, full of Huntsmen and Atlas military to perform cleanup duty and help the survivors. The news helicopter soon landed and both Lisa and Ash ran towards the survivors, the former hastily recounting what they had just witnessed while Ash recorded footage of the knight as He became surrounded by the survivors. Cheers and praise for the knight filled the air as Huntsmen and soldiers disembarked and made their way for the survivors, taking them away one by one to check them for wounds, but they were surprised to see that they all were perfectly fine, hardly a scratch on any of them. Investigation took longer as the survivors insisted on staying near to their savior.

Both Lisa and Ash eventually weaved their way through the crowd towards the knight, where Lisa stood beside Him while Ash recorded. "As you all at home have already witnessed, it seems the people of Mountain Glenn were rescued by this mysterious Huntsman, who, I might add, is definitely selling himself as the image of a knight in shining armor. Sir, may I ask you your name for everyone at home?"

"I am the Patron Saint. I protect the people of Remnant, be it from Grimm or people. I belong to no Huntsman group or organization." was all Jaune answered with.

Lisa was taken aback by His response, but she quickly recovered. "Well, there you have it, everyone. Mountain Glenn was saved by the Patron Saint of Remnant. Let the Grimm beware, for it seems Remnant has a guardian angel of sorts."

"That's one way of putting it, Lisa." Juniper then appeared from behind a crumbled building and the people gasped and awed at the mythical creature as Jaune climbed atop His steed. "I must go, I am needed elsewhere." Jaune took off, with applause and gratitude following behind Him as he raced for the nearby horizon.

At home, Summer was still frozen shocked by what she saw, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts, but one thing was sure: she would have died if that mysterious knight did not come to her the night before. "Mommy?" came the voice of Ruby at her feet, who was tugging at her pajamas pants. Summer silently scooped her up into her arms and hugged her tight, silently praying a thank you to Remnant's new Patron Saint.

( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )

Even with the boundless energy of a Kin, Jaune was feeling exhausted by His constant many leaps across time, but He was satisfied to know that He would only need to do this a few times more. This time, He went back to Atlas, this time to a small mining facility to fix a decision he made prior. Garbed in his armor, He strolled through the main gate and into the entrance of the mine, where He found the Faunus laborers trapped in chains and hard at work. They all froze in place upon seeing the gallant knight obscuring the light of the tunnel. "Today, all of you will be free from your torment!" Jaune declared. He strolled through the line swinging His sword at each of their chains, where they shattered instantly. The Faunus laborers stood awestruck, as if still processing what had happened, then they finally broke into a run, heading for the entrance before being stopped by a man with a gun pointed at them. Jaune recognized the slave driver as Jacque Gelé.

"All of you, back to work! How did you break your chains?!" Jaune took the lead, spreading his arms out to protect them from Jacques, who was wielding a gun. "Who the hell are you?! Get out of here!"

"I had hoped you losing Willow Schnee would have humbled you, Jacques, but it seems that I had too much faith in you," Jaune declared, stepping forward. Jacques paid his words no mind and fired his gun, where the bullets harmlessly disintegrated upon contact with Jaune's armor. He raced forward and grabbed at the gun, crushing the barrel and tossing it aside. Jacques tried to run, but Jaune snatched him up and tossed him to the ground in front of the Faunus workers, who all watched their slave master silently, unsure of what to do.

"I may have freed you from your chains, but if you want your freedom, then you must claim it for yourselves!" Jaune pointed at the fallen Jacques.

Everyone stood frozen to the spot, still fearful of their master, until one boy strolled forward. He ran at Jacques with his small mining mallet and swung. Jacques raised his arms in a flimsy defense and the mallet made contact, making the man scream in agony as he clutched at his now-broken arm. The boy, a bull Faunus, looked back at his fellow Faunus, expecting a response from them, and he got it. One by one, they took up their tools and surrounded Jacques, his pleas going unanswered as they beat him to death. The boy went to Jaune's side, not wishing to add more to the violence, and Jaune scooped him into His arms, where He noticed the brand of Gelé burned upon the young Adam Taurus' face. He channeled His Shine into His hand and placed it upon the boy's face, filling him with an intense warmth as the burn healed almost instantly and his full eyesight was restored.

When the laborers were done, they hoisted Jacque's corpse up and threw it further into the mine, where it tumbled and rolled down a steep hill into the darkness. They turned in time to see Jaune heal Adam's face, and they encircled them, wanting to be healed as well. Jaune did not hesitate to do so, healing poor bone restorations, scars, burns, everything that Jacques had done to keep them scared and obey him, and when He was done, the Faunus cheered and praised their savior.

Just then, an airship landed outside the mine and a group of Atlesian soldiers filed out. They found the cave with Jaune and the Faunus and told them to come with them, that they will be taken to Atlas to be cared for. The Faunus all gave their thanks to Jaune once again before boarding the airship, the last of them being Adam Taurus, who gave Jaune a hug before boarding with a wave. The soldiers offered Jaune a seat, but He declined, where they watched Him mount Juniper and speed off into the snowy forests.

( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )

"Finally, I've set things right," Jaune told Himself with satisfaction upon returning to Salem's Castle. He made His way back to the dining hall where she still sat, cradling Ozpin's soul in her hands. She jumped at the sight of Him, but quickly relaxed. "Sorry I took so long."

"You were gone only minutes…" she corrected.

"Yes, I suppose in reality, it was only that long." He sat down across from her at the table. "Originally, I was going to just free you and Ozpin from your immortality and his reincarnation cycle, but the Brothers making the Grimm––for lack of a better word––immortal to my newfound power has forced me to change plans. Salem, if you are willing, I was thinking of putting Ozpin back in charge as Headmaster of Beacon Academy, and I want you to help him. As it is, the Grimm will always remain a constant threat to humanity, but without you controlling and leading them, I think we can turn them into a manageable threat."

Salem absorbed His words and mulled it over. "That…makes sense…" Jaune could tell she was not so confidant anymore without her magic and immortality.

"You must think I want you dead, and you're right," Jaune added, making her flinch. "You have done so many terrible things to humanity across the centuries. I lost my dream of becoming a Huntsman. My friends have been hurt, because of you. I lost…" Jaune swallowed hard. "…I know what it's like to lose the person you love most in the world…" Salem glanced up at him with shock. "…but killing you will solve nothing because, ultimately, you are a victim to the will of the Brothers, just as I was, just as my friends were, and just as Pyrrha was."

Silence hung in the air for a minute as Salem clutched Ozpin's soul tighter in her grasp. "Thank you…" she finally mumbled out.

Jaune slowly nodded. They understood each other now. "Let us be better than the Brothers."

( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )

Jaune razed Salem's Castle to the ground, crushing many Grimm with the debris, though plenty still survived, and He took her and Ozpin to Vale, to a freshly-renovated house that Jaune had conjured for them to live in. Salem explored the house, mesmerized by the centuries of advancement in technology, before returning to Jaune. He took Ozpin's soul and created a new body around it, and Ozpin was willed back into life again, who stared at his own body in wonder before Salem broke into tears and embraced him.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry for everything…" she sobbed into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry too…We both have done terrible things, but now we can do better…" he assured her. He turned to Jaune, who was watching them from the front door. "…Jaune, I…"

"Hold your thanks for another minute, I have something else for you two," he interrupted. He opened the front door and four familiar young girls suddenly came inside, where Ozpin and Salem let out audible gasps as they found themselves staring face to face with their children from centuries prior.

"MOMMY! DADDY!" the four cheered as they rushed their parents and embraced in a loving hug. Salem broke down into more tears as she fell to their level and hugged them all tightly.

"This…this is a dream come true!" Salem wailed with joy.

Ozpin broke away to go to Jaune, where he held out his hand for the Kin to take in a handshake. "I knew I was right to let you into Beacon despite your fake transcripts." He gave Him a wink, but his smile fell for a moment. "And, I know that this is too late to say, but I'm sorry for what I did to Pyrrha. I shouldn't have…"

"No, you shouldn't," Jaune simply retorted, still hurt from those days. "but both of us should've been better back then, and now we have the chance to be better."

They both shook hands again, and then Salem broke away from her children to wrap her arms around Jaune and kiss His cheek. "Thank you, thank you, you lovely, lovely man!" she cried.

"Come now, honey. Jaune has to reunite with his love now," said Ozpin as he dragged his wife away from the Kin so He could finally leave. "Thank you again, Jaune." With that, Jaune took his leave.

( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )

Though Ozpin said Jaune had to reunite with Pyrrha, He had one last thing to do, this time, for Juniper. He went forward in time again, this time to the small district His parents used to live in after they got married, and He hid in an alley to speak with His loyal steed. "Juniper, you've been by my side through every trial and trouble I've endured, and you've stuck with me even in my new role as Kin, but from here on, I'm going to have to do everything by myself." The Jackalope nudged her face against Him, sensing that they were going to be separated. "Don't worry, this is not goodbye, because we will see each other again, but instead, I want you to act as a companion to my family, do you want that? You'll never grow old or sick, and you'll be loved by them for many years." Juniper nodded without hesitation and Jaune wrapped His arms around her in a loving hug. His Shine flowed outward, enveloping Juniper in a white light, before she shrank down until she fit into Jaune's arms. When the light faded, the mighty jackalope had become a golden retriever puppy who stared up at Jaune and made a little yip before rubbing herself against Him, whom He gave a scratch behind her floppy ears. He conjured a basket into existence with a blanket and a written note and placed Juniper inside and headed out, making His way towards the small house His parents were currently living in and placed the basket onto the doorstep. "I'll see you in a decade or so from now." He wished Juniper goodbye and kissed her head, then rang the doorbell and vanished into thin air yet again.

The door soon opened and Jaune's mother Clair Arc gasped at the basket at her feet, where Juniper propped herself up onto the edge and wagged her tail at her. "Honey, come look at this!" she called out as she stepped aside, her hand placed on her pregnant belly for support. Foncé Arc came out to the front door and was taken aback for a moment, before he reached down and grabbed the note in the basket.

"It says 'Please take care of Juniper. I cannot take her where I'm going to, and it would be too dangerous for her,'" he read aloud.

"Aw, poor thing." Juniper immediately hopped out of the basket and pawed at Clair's legs, where Foncé scooped the puppy up and held her between them both. "It must be fate. We were planning on finding a puppy to grow up with Saphron, and now one has literally landed on our doorstep." Juniper rubbed her nose against Clair's pregnant belly, making the mother-to-be giggle. "Honey, she seems to like Saphron already."

"Well, let's take her inside to her new home then." Foncé grabbed the basket and they went inside.

As the years passed and Foncé and Clair had more children, neither ever noticing that Juniper would remain in perfect health as she grew into an adult dog, nor did she ever aged into an elderly dog. Juniper remained happy and loyal to the Arc family, and always protective of the seven daughters they had, and when Jaune was finally born, the family noticed how she became thick as thieves with their only son, but thought nothing of it.

( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )

Far from His parents and any sign of civilization, Jaune conjured up a clone of the Patron Saint that He came to be known as, still clad in the brilliant white armor, which was now devoid of the golden crescent moons that is the Arc insignia. The clone was covered head to toe in the armor, offering no indication of his actual appearance, and that is exactly what Jaune wanted. "You are to protect Remnant and its people from those that threaten them, be it Grimm or human, but above all, you must maintain the persona of a fairy tale hero for people to be inspired by." The Patron Saint clone bowed in obedience, then turned and headed off into the forest, towards the nearest Grimm to be slain and the nearest town in peril.

With His job done, Jaune abandoned His Kin form.

( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )

Jaune was conscious of His surroundings, even as a baby. He watched as His parents held Him with joy in the hospital on the day He was born, soon becoming surrounded by His seven sisters who all cooed and awed at His appearance. When He was finally taken home, Juniper bounded up to Him and greeted Him with enthusiastic barks. He reached out with His tiny hand and petted her. "That's Juniper, Jaune," said His mother as she held Him out further for the dog to nuzzle Him. "She's part of the family too."

Years passed, and Jaune grew up. It was interesting to experience His childhood all over again; the playful teasing from His sisters, the friends He played with in Mistral, the huge family vacations the Arcs always went on. It reminded Him of more innocent days, before He went to Beacon, before saving the world became His mission.

But He did not forget about Pyrrha, and soon His chance to do things better came, and it occurred shortly after His sister Saphron moved to the northern city of Argus. Jaune did not need to ask His parents for permission, as he could have easily teleported himself there with his Kin powers, but He did not want to abuse his powers for this moment. "Mom, Dad, would it be alright if I could visit Saphron sometime?" He innocently asked His parents one night. To them, He was just a ten year old boy that missed His oldest sister, and that was all they needed to take Him to the tram station that weekend and send Him off with a wave and goodbye, and let Saphron know that He will be spending the weekend with her.

Once He reached Argus, Saphron and her girlfriend Terra greeted Him at the station and brought Him to the little house they bought for themselves. The two were happy to see Him again so soon, especially Terra, who in the short time she knew Him before she moved in with Saphron, came to think of Him like her own little brother.

It was that afternoon that His moment came. He went out, with the excuse of seeing the sights of Argus, and went to the nearby park, now devoid of a memorial statue. As He headed for the gate entrance, there was a blur of red hair on the other side of the hedges bouncing down the sidewalk and a voice nearby calling "Pyrrha, slow down, honey!" Jaune simply walked out onto the sidewalk, just in time for Pyrrha to collide with Him, sending them both down to the ground. "Geez, what did I tell you?" said the voice of her mother, Thetis.

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha said to Jaune, sounding exactly as she would when they met at Beacon. "Are you alright?" She lifted Him up to his feet and brushed the dirt off His shoulders.

"I'm fine," Jaune answered, not taking His eyes off of her. "Um, my name's Jaune."

"Hi, I'm Pyrrha." She held out her hand and He took it in His. "I haven't seen you before. Did you move to Argus?"

"Ahh, no, I'm just visiting my sister for the weekend, but I've got no one to play with."

"Well, how about we play together?" She offered her hand to Him again and He took it with a smile. Thetis greeted Jaune and was overjoyed to see that her daughter had made a new friend. She let the two run off to play, where they spent the remainder of the afternoon together until they returned to Saphron's house, where Pyrrha got to meet Jaune's oldest sister personally.

The next day, Pyrrha met Jaune at Saphron's door and they played together. Jaune quickly forgot about His original goal and instead relished the time He was spending with Pyrrha again. He returned to Argus to see her again the next week, and the week after. He returned almost every weekend to see Pyrrha again, and their friendship blossomed, and His family were overjoyed to see how He now had a best friend.

And He did it without His magic, as a mortal-born Kin that was simply there at the right time and place.

"Hey, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked one day a year after they first met, as they both sat on a pier of Argus' harbor. "I don't think I've ever had as much fun in my life before I met you, I'm glad I got to meet you."

"I'm glad that I got to meet you too, Pyrrha," He told her. And already, I'm in love with you all over again. "and I promise that we'll be best friends forever."

Pyrrha let out a loud chuckle. "Somehow, I know that you mean it. Well, I promise that I'll always be your best friend too."

They made a pinky promise that day.

( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )

"Pyrrha, you ready to go?!" her mother called out to the second floor of their home. Pyrrha came bounding down the stairs with a rolling suitcase behind her and a stuffed duffel bag over her shoulder. "You didn't forget anything?"

"Nope, nothing." They headed out, making their way for the airship yard so Pyrrha could finally go to Beacon Academy. "I still can't believe this is finally happening!"

Thetis could not help but smile at her daughter. Even with all the fame she accumulated as the Mistral Champion, Pyrrha never seemed overwhelmed or bothered by it, and Thetis wondered if Jaune had something to do with it. Maybe having him as a friend did something, she wondered.

As they walked down one particular street, they came across the local orphanage, where some of the children were outside and excited for the day. "It's Pyrrha!" one of them called out, and the children instantly swarmed the two women, prompting the blonde woman with them to go back inside.

"Cinder, the kids are swarming Pyrrha Nikos again!" She came back outside and tried to settle the kids while apologizing to the two Nikos.

Soon enough, Cinder Fall, now a grown woman, came out, getting the kids to disperse. "Sorry about them, but I guess they wanted to see you one last time before you left," Cinder explained with a warm smile.

"I'm sure, sorry that I won't be able to play with them until I come back for the holidays."

"Well, if you want to make it up to them, put on a good performance for them in the Vytal Tournament this year, they will love that."

"I will, don't worry."

The two Nikos headed off while the children crowded around Cinder again, begging to go play at the nearby playground, which she was happy to oblige.

( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )

Jaune stepped off the bullhead that landed at Beacon Academy, thanking the Tree above that His inability to get sick as a Kin prevented the travel sickness He caught in His previous life. Around Him, new students and returning students made their way for the towering academy, ready to reunite with friends and hopefully become Huntsmen initiates on this day.

He made His way towards the front of the academy, where the familiar memorial of the King of Vale and the Queen of Vacuo stood, and nearby He saw two familiar faces: Ruby Rose and the now Weiss Branwen-Schnee; Ruby was holding Weiss' hands and dancing up and down, no doubt excited to see her cousin at Beacon. Upon a closer look, Jaune noticed that Weiss looked almost exactly as she did before, save for her eyes now being red, just like her father. Compared to how Weiss was upon coming to Beacon, she was instead smiling and had more joy in her step.

"Well, well, looky here!" came another voice, as Yang Xiao-Long jumped onto Weiss' back.

"Yang, you made it! How was training with Aunt Raven?" went Ruby, now beaming at her half-sister.

"Swell, I think I could kick the asses of everyone out here!" Yang boasted. She spied Jaune watching them and she gave Him a smile and an upturn of her head, which He returned. "That guy looks super tough, but I could probably take him."

"How have you been, Yang?" Weiss groaned, though she was clearly happy to see her as well.

"Didn't ya hear me? I said swell." The three shared a laugh. "But how about you? Uncle Qrow treating you guys alright?"

A nearby crow had descended from a lamp post and transformed into Qrow Branwen, making all three girls jump. "Someone mention me?"

"Dang it, I HATE that Semblance of yours!" Yang joked, giving her uncle a friendly punch to the arm while Ruby jumped onto him in a hug and spun him around against his will until he could pry her off.

"Hello, father," went Weiss, who came forward and hugged Qrow. "Thanks for coming to see me off."

Jaune took His leave, content that He did enough to make things better. Soon enough, He came upon Ren and Nora with his parents. An Ren was frantic, making sure they had all their luggage and gear while Li Ren spoke with his son. "You make sure you keep Nora safe, got it? And Nora, that goes double for you. You both look out for each other."

Yes, sir," answered both teens. Li slapped both of their shoulders and wished them the best while his wife let out a long sigh, confident that everything was together.

On the other side of the memorial, Blake was with her parents and a much older Adam Taurus. "You sure you really want this, Blake? We could use you as a representative of the White Fang," he told her.

"I know, but I think I could do better here as a Huntress to mend bridges," she answered.

"Same answer as always, but I won't stop you." He patted her head, no longer wearing a bow that hid her cat ears, and he took leave with the Belladonnas.

"Yeah, this is better, for everyone," Jaune told Himself as He headed inside to the auditorium, where everyone was gathering for an introduction speech from Headmaster Ozpin, and alongside him was his wife Salem and their assistant Glynda Goodwitch. The former two spotted Jaune enter and gave Him a small wave, which He returned. Nothing needed to be said to either of them. He soon spotted Pyrrha in the crowd, but before He could approach, more students gathered around her, having clearly recognized her as the Mistral Champion she is known as, preventing Him from getting closer.

Later on, when they had relocated to the locker rooms to prepare for the initiation test, that was when Jaune finally approached Pyrrha, who was in conversation with Weiss, Ruby, and Yang. He tapped her on the back of her shoulder and she spun around, her face suddenly beaming at the sight of her best friend. "JAUNE! YOU MADE IT!" She jumped into his arms. "Everyone, this is Jaune, he's a good friend of mine."

Everyone introduced themselves to Him and soon went back to their lockers again, leaving them alone with each other. "Really, I'm glad that you made it to Beacon. I was afraid that you wouldn't qualify, not that I didn't think you wouldn't…I mean…"

"It's good to see you again, Pyrrha," Jaune interrupted, giving her a friendly smile. "It's REALLY good to see you again."

She beamed at Him again, her smile spreading from ear to ear. "I hope we can be on the same team, that way we can spend more time together." She turned back to her locker to gather her weapons, unaware of how Jaune's smile had suddenly faded.

"Yeah, I hope so too."

( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )

Not but a few hours later, everyone had found themselves flung into the nearby Emerald Forest for their initiation test. Pyrrha coated herself in her Aura and crashed through several tree branches to slow her fall while Jaune deployed Dust wings around His shield, allowing Him to glide through the air before landing upon the grass. Soon enough, Pyrrha leapt down from a nearby tree and landed near him. "Guess this means we're partners now," she noted.

"Seems so. Wouldn't have it any other way," said Jaune. He glanced at their surroundings, checking that they were alone, and pointed towards where He knew the relics they needed to find were. "Let's try that direction, probably where we need to go."

"Good idea." They checked to ensure they had their weapons and gear together. Pyrrha turned around to lead the way, but suddenly, she found her entire body being restricted by Jaune, who was hugging her from behind. She could hear a low whimper coming from Him. "Jaune, is something wrong?"

Jaune only wept harder, His grip tightening harder. "I missed you so much, Pyrrha…" the words dribbled out, unable to contain his emotions any longer.

Pyrrha gave a weak smile. "Jaune, it's only been about half a year since we last saw each other," she reminded Him.

"…Feels a lot longer…" He relaxed his grip a little, allowing Pyrrha to face him, where she rested a hand on his cheek.

"Don't worry, I'm here."

"Yeah…you're here…"

Jaune's hands wrapped around Pyrrha's waist and He leaned in and kissed Pyrrha. She made a small gasp, but she did not push Jaune away or resist. Instead she closed her eyes and wrapped her arm around Jaune's neck and pulled Him closer. As sudden as the moment was, deep down, she wanted this, and it would not be for a long minute before they finally broke contact.

Pyrrha glanced down at both of Jaune's arms still holding her before she looked up to meet His gaze with her cheeks flushed a deep red. "It's nice to know you feel the same way as I do you," came out in a soft whisper from her, surprising even Jaune. "I've never been in love before, but I think this is it. It's weird, but it's like––oh, this sounds so silly––it's like we were meant to be together, like some kind of fairy tale."

"Yeah, it is weird, but I'm fine with that," Jaune answered.

Pyrrha giggled aloud. "You've been there for me for almost eight years. Even as I acquired fame as a champion, you never stopped treating me like the girl you crashed into that day so long ago. I feel like having you as my friend helped me adjust to it all, and thanks to you, I've made friends with people who got to see who I really am rather than the famous girl that everyone else sees on the televisions or cereal boxes."

"C'mon. I didn't do anything to do that." There was no lies in Jaune's words; even though He could change the world with His Kin powers, all He wanted to do was just be Pyrrha's friend before Beacon. Everything that happened afterwards was her doing.

Pyrrha pressed herself against His chest, her arms wrung tight around Him. "But it doesn't mean I don't value you any less. You're important to me, no matter what."

"You're important to me too. More than you know."

( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )

Things progressed just as they did before, albeit now Jaune was more capable of holding His own against the Grimm Nevermore and Deathstalker that the soon-to-be RWBY and JNPR encountered after finding the relics, and upon their return to the academy, they were sorted into their own teams again, same as before, now with Salem congratulating all of them on their success.

That night, both team RWBY and JNPR gathered together in the former's dorm room to celebrate their first night as official Huntsmen-in-training with a bottle of whiskey that, to Jaune's surprise, came from Weiss. "I swiped it from Mom's liquor cabinet before I left home," she explained to everyone as she poured shots into plastic cups.

"Uncle Qrow has rubbed off onto you," Ruby joked as she took a cup.

"Could be worse, I could've been some snobby, stuck up ice queen or something. I've had people assume that of me before they actually met me in person, just because of my family's legacy."

"Well, I think it's cool to have someone so chill to have around!" laughed Yang, earning laughter from everyone else, though Weiss gave her a playful groan before joining in on the laughter.

Ruby took a sip and immediately started coughing and sputtering, making everyone laugh at how she could not hold down her liquor, even though they were faring no better.

Weiss poured another shot for herself. "Enough about me and my silly dad, what I want to know is this: how did you and Jaune meet, Pyrrha? You mentioned that you were friends already."

"Oh, that," Pyrrha started. "Well, it was almost eight years ago. There was nothing fancy about it. All that happened was that he was visiting his sister for the weekend in my hometown and we literally just bumped into each other. We introduced ourselves and we just became friends instantly. We've been together ever since."

"How sweet, like something out of a romance novel," Blake mumbled. Though she partook in the celebratory drinking, she instead kept her attention on a book she was reading rather than engage in conversation.

Nora was about to press Jaune and Pyrrha further, but Ruby's scroll suddenly made a loud ding that caught everyone's attention. She checked the notification and she beamed at what she saw. "Guys, you gotta see this! The Patron Saint has been spotted in the Vacuo Desert!" She raced to the nearby television and connected her phone to it and turned it on. Everyone crowded around and watched a recording someone made that was later posted online.

The footage started off shaky and unfocused, but soon they caught sight of three massive Grimm Deathstalkers in view, all of them surrounding what looked like a knight in shining armor, who deflected a pincher swipe with his shield and buried his sword into the Grimm's face, killing it instantly. He quickly sheathed his blade and turned it into a massive greatsword, bringing it down onto another Grimm and split its head into two. The third jumped for him, but there was a sudden flash of white light from the Patron Saint, forcing the Grimm to recoil, allowing him to deal an instant killing blow upon it. The video ended with the Patron Saint approaching the person filming and helping them up to their feet before it suddenly ended.

"He's so amazing! I want to be just like him!" Ruby cooed. "Did you know my mom actually got to meet him?"

"Heck, we got to meet him personally!" Nora interrupted. "He saved our hometown from a scary Grimm! We watched him cleave that monster into pieces, repaired the wall instantly, and sped off on that giant rabbit of his!" Ren nodded along with Nora's story.

"He once rescued my mentor Adam from a forced labor mining operation. He barged right in, broke the chains holding the Faunus, and had them kill their slave owner." Blake did not look up from her book as she added her own input.

"I never got to meet him, but one of my neighbors did," went Pyrrha. "According to her, he saved her and her sisters from their abusive stepmother and sent her to my hometown of Argus. She started an orphanage there, and she is still thankful of what he did for her."

"Who is he, anyway?" Weiss simply asked. Everyone shrugged.

"Maybe he's an angel that came down from Above to keep everyone safe from the Grimm?" Ruby suggested.

"Maybe he's just a Huntsman," said Jaune. "and maybe he prefers the persona of a saintly knight to inspire everyone. I mean, it's seem to have an effect on you, Ruby, so it must be working."

"Can't argue that," Ren added. "He's done a lot for the world, so maybe we shouldn't question it any more than we already have. It's good enough that there's someone out there protecting the people and is a legit threat to the Grimm."

The celebration soon ended after that, and everyone returned to their rooms to settle into bed. Only Jaune stayed awake, spending His time on their balcony as the moon bathed its light upon their dorm. He kept His back to the moon, instead looking upon His friends and teammates, Pyrrha especially, who all slept soundly.

"Yeah, I definitely made the right choice," He told Himself. He turned back to the moon. "If you can hear me, Tree, thanks. I won't let you down." The ground made a low rumble, and Jaune knew His gratitude was heard. "One other thing I'm curious about. Pyrrha said that she thinks that we were meant to be together. You didn't have anything to do with that, did you, cuz I know I didn't." Another low rumble. "None? Hmm…maybe there is such a thing as destiny…" Jaune gave the moon a wave and went to bed.

The Brothers are gone, and with their departure arises Remnant's Patron Saint, a mortal that ascended and became a Kin. Humanity would never know His true identity, or that He became their Kin to save the woman He loves.