HELLO FOLKS! No, I am not dead. Just a lazy fuck. I've had the inspiration for a while, just couldn't find the time to write. Unlike some (lucky) bastards, writing for me does not quell my stress. In fact, it's quite the opposite! I become embroiled in the process and find myself getting more and more energetic as time goes on! While this doesn't stress me out, it also doesn't relieve it, at least for me. That and I am lazy, have I mentioned that? And do this for free. So…do with that information as you will. Grammar has been looked but honestly, take that with a grain of salt. I look it over with an editing program, but I always seem to miss stuff, so sorry about that. ALSO! ALSO! My muse is a bitch that keeps slapping me in the face and WILL. NOT. LEAVE. ME. ALONE!? I drew the straw at staying up on a work night staring at a wall unable to sleep as the story ideas kept playing over and over.

So, I have announced two new stories will be posted on my page at some point. These were not voted on but by GOD did they simply annoy the fuck out of me till they got out. A lot like this story. Hence the delayed times as well planning them out a bit. I fully expect these stories to sputter out once I put pen to paper…but I thought the same thing with this story honestly. I will not make any promises except the one in which I follow my inspirations wherever they go. The two stories are as follows:

RWBY: A Fool's Journey (RWBY/Persona/Final Fantasy XV)

The power of the fool was limitless, an open canvas of the mind for the Wild Card to develop as they please. For many, it was the power, the journey from fool to spiritual actualization, the realization of the self. It was said that a person was at their strongest when they knew themselves fully. It was nothing short of an exemplary exploration of a boy becoming man amidst the struggles we call life. It was too bad such a power existed within the blind fool known as Jaune. A power born from the Goddess of will, Jaune awakens to the power of the fool and finds strength in the bonds he forges with others. The journey of a fool, into a man. The journey of a dream into reality. The question however…was which dream would be pursued?

(This story will focus on characters with ample action. Jaune's "Personas" will instead take the form of weapons and semblance like powers, rather than astral beings he can call upon. Each of the confidant weapons will crack open a piece of Jaune's self and his perspective, showing the journey of a boy into a man. Not gonna spoil everything but this god damn idea would not LEAVE ME BE! Have as much fun or hate for the idea as you would like. Jaune's powers will be a bit like Noctis from final fantasy, in the respect that each confidant creates a weapon/power set that he can call upon. Each with their strength and weaknesses). Pairings as always, Jaune/Pyrrha…or Jaune/Yang? BOTH!? NEITHER! WHAT IS HAPPENING! EGADS!? THE BLASPHEMY!?

.I need to be burned at the stake for my evil.

Kintsugi (FATE/Percy Jackson/God of War (in terms of rules and whatnot).

Kintsugi, the Japanese practice of joining broken pottery with gold, silver, or other precious minerals/metals. It was an art form, meant to showcase the history of an object as something to celebrate, rather than hide. Hephaestus was a broken god. His inner being, his core, was nothing more than splintered smashed together joke of divinity. He shouldn't have survived his birth much less his abandonment by his mother. There was if ands or buts about it. He should not have existed, he shouldn't even be alive. Yet here he was, a man. If he was honest, it was the rage, the hate that kept him going, the absolute fury that drilled him to create the chair and bind her. All he wanted was revenge, all he cared about was cooling the deep-seated hatred within, no matter the cost. What was done to him was wrong! What was done to him wasn't right! And yet his fellow gods cared little. Justice was a joke, especially if a God like Zeus embodied it…vengeance was the only means to sate his desires. Nothing else mattered, it was time to take back what should have been his!

perhaps that was why he wasn't paying attention that day, the day he finalized the throne that would imprison the goddess that was his mother. He was normally astute…but he indulged his hatred and seeped in the imagination of the torment he would put to others with his craft…of the place that he would reclaim. He should have paid attention but suffered the consequences of his actions as the throne splintered, and a piece of these divine metals piercing his divine core. A quick fix for a god, but for him it was an annoyingly time-consuming process, though easy enough to work through.

It was a freak accident, an impossible miracle. Across the sea of existence was a mortal spirit elevated to HEROIC status, one whose core sung like Hephaestus own. It had liberated a world, a lost belt, and found itself being dragged back to its original dimension the long way. Such a distance weakened the hold of the being known as Alaya…so when a God that was metaphysically closer and had a much deeper connection called forth for all his damaged fragments…well…suffice to say the God Hephaestus was never the same. Much like the practice of Kintsugi, the spiritual core known as EMIYA (ARCHER) filled in his broken cracks, creating a divine core saturated with mortality. What was once a splintered and jagged thing, became a smooth core once more. Lined with aspects of mortals, Hephaestus absorbed the experience and memories of one Shirou Emiya, the counter guardian. As a god his sense of self was thousands of times greater. As a heroic spirt, EMIYA's memories were an overwhelming torrent that would have overwritten any mortal being easily. The result? A god that lived in the perspective of a mortal for thousands upon thousands of years. Each of EMIYA's memories that his human mind struggled to contain were easily filtered by the divine might of Hephaestus. It created a god unlike any other. A god that was human…a god that had lived far longer than any of his current brethren. A young man with an old soul.

There was a mortal saying that time healed all wounds. Hephaestus stared at his hands and the throne before him. He could feel the bones and muscles of his strange form shifting to accommodate his reformed core. His hatred was cooled by the memories of a thousand lifetimes and adventures. He was not Emiya, his sense of self too great to be overwhelmed by even EMIYA's gargantuan memories. But…he was no longer the same. This was not a possession. He had merged and lived all his experiences at once. All the wounds both physical and mental were his…and they shaped him. Hephaestus lifted his hammer…and destroyed the throne. Whatever legends existed in other worlds…he cared little for them. This was his life…and he would live it free of any burdens…in the memory of a man whose entire existence was chained in service.

Bow to the lord of the Forsaken, Hephaestus.

(Inspired by another story that flittered across my reads! I can't find it, too damn lazy to, but I know it exists and it detailed the idea of Shirou Emiya possessing Hephaestus in ancient Greece. I will not write this story without citing such an inspiration. I'll find it in my reads eventually. Some warnings. I didn't want to do standard mythology in both the literal myths or the percy Jackson myths. The idea of Percy Jackson's world was such a wonder to me when I was a kid, but as I grew older, I couldn't help but feel that the gods were…well they were fucking weak! And pathetic! The major flaws in their characters made sense to me, but the outright inability was just ridiculous, at least to me. Also, some reasoning within the series were just…dumb. Take Luke for example. His whole story is based on the idea that his dad abandoned them because he was Hermes, and that was something gods did because of ancient rules and a lack of responsibility. Yet, in his memories Hermes was constantly trying to prevent Luke's mother from attempting to become the new oracle. She ignored him and went with it anyways. Hermes could have done something, obviously, but it is ridiculous the idea that Luke's mother is not also at fault in Luke's mind. A plot I'm excited to delve into if I ever get there.

Theres also the idea of how these myths would be known to humans. After all, how would humans know of the actual events that went on in the Gods lives? So, this story will follow the idea that the gods are not what they seem and is heavily inspired by Percy Jackson in terms of characterization and the modern world. To put it simply, if the story ever got to the modern world, it would be a Percy Jackson fanfic. Hephaestus lived Archer's life, his sense of self being adjusted and formed by that experience at his young age. Currently Hephaestus has just entered adulthood at the age of 26. The story will follow Hephaestus following the beat of his own drum, unaware of the fact that he is more affected by Archer's memories than he would let on. To be simple, FUCK CANON. BOTH STORY WISE AND MYTHOLOGICALLY!

Here are some tags/warnings. Hephaestus will have access to "Unlimited Bladeworks". Due to being a god, there will be no restrictions on what Hephaestus can copy/create. Hephaestus and the other gods will be like the deities within the God of War mythos in the idea that they can actively live in the mortal world if they choose and are not beholden to the power of human faith to maintain their strength. The way they heal and whatnot will be different, but the distinction is close enough that I feel the need to post the tag, let me know what you think. These beings will be GODS in terms of power. No matter Hephaestus advantages and experiences, every God on the Olympian level is dangerous and deadly even to Hephaestus…though that's just par for the course for EMIYA as we know. Suffice to say, the average mortal cannot hold a candle to the gods…and a 12-year-old boy with limited combat experience cannot defeat the god damn GOD OF WAR. As a story element centered on Percy Jackson, I love that moment in the books. In a world where Percy is not the main character…won't happen. Sorry not sorry. Also, Hephaestus will deal with his disabilities in a variety of ways, some of which I hope does not come off as disrespectful in the means that I address them. I will post this story the second I am done so feel free to love it or hate it. I have a love hate relationship with it myself, as it was the one that kept me up. It was awesome vibes but horrific to plan. Hopefully you guys have as much fun with it as I have!) As always the pairings: MULTIPLE. He lives a long time. I will say I won't be doing a poly route (like Supernatural Love) but may simply do a free love route. No clue, just a story that won't let me sleep till I write it. So we'll see. Also, as this is fanfiction and not canon material, any complaints regarding the impossibility of using fate rules in percy Jackson like setting is null and void. This is fanfiction, if abiding to the rules of fate so strictly is so important…why are you a fan of it in the first place? The poor creator changes his rules and stuff all the damn time! The whole canon is a mess, no matter how much I love that mess…it's a mess. Welp, I'm done bitching.

Here is the chapter you wanted! Have fun! (apologies for any mistakes, did post this at 3 am).

The Arcane Craftsman: The Clock Tower

Jaune stared at her. He ignored everything else, staring into the amber hued eyes of his sister. There was no question about it. They were siblings. However, this realization had little to do with facial similarities or any sort of physical sense. No, there was no denying that her hair was the same shade as his won, that their cheekbones and eye shape were near identical. It wasn't inaccurate to say that this woman before him was a damn near gender reversed copy. There were differences though. There was a savagery to her. Shaggy hair, leering eyes, and a sense of battle lust that was absent from Jaune and his mother. No, what cemented the feeling of familial familiarity was something much deeper. He could feel it deep within his bones, nay his entire body. Every inch of his physical self called to her the same way it did to his mother. There was a saying, that blood calls to blood. This was never more true than for the Pendragons.

She walked up to him, her head tilted to the side, she got a strange look in her eye as she stared above his head.

"The actual fuck is an Arcane Craftsman?"

Jaune chortled a bit, looking at her the same way. She stood before him, only a few inches shorter than he was. The words above her head made sense to him.

"Does the Eldritch Knight have any grounds to stand on?"

Luckily, she had the same sense of humor he did as she chuckled.

"Mordred."

She lifted her hand to him.

"Artorious…though I go by Jaune now a days."

Mordred sneered. For a moment Jaune was nervous as to what she might say. Thankfully she was more informed than he was, evidently.

"Mom told me about that. Not to worry brother, I made sure they suffered!"

"…what?"

The savage seething bloodthirst echoed from Mordred, her eyes glowing a savage Crimson. For a strange moment the title above Mordred's head cracked a bit, the letters shaking as their hue durned a strange purplish red. Than it was over.

"Don't worry about it. Just took the priest who did the ritual down under, along with his accomplices!"

His aunt sighed.

"Mordred, sweetheart, I have told you a hundred times. Murdering all your opposition does not solve all your problems."

She turned to her; a cheeky expression spread across her face.

"Can't have any opposition if they're all dead!"

She thumbed her chest with the proudest murder hobo expression Jaune ever saw. Jaune stared at her, a little concerned. Apparently, mom birthed a baby tyrant. Was it strange he found her adorable, or was that the blood relation talking?

"The only good enemy is a dead one! So, we're finally ready to kill that shit bag Uther right!"

"Wrong."

Mordered sighed.

"Why not! HE'S RIGHT THERE!"

"For the last time, no." stated Morganna, uncrossing her arms. "We have next to no clue how deep the contract goes. It is not like any Giess we've ever encountered. It has bound them soul to soul. It's entirely possible that killing Uther will simply kill your mother as well."

She sighed, slumping into a chair. Jaune pitied her. For years people assumed his aunts hated each other, but that was just a public persona they kept up for the sake of annoying Uther. The more disgruntled his family appeared, the harder it was for him to maintain his "Once and only King" bullshit. Watching his aunt struggle with her words led Jaune to figure there was stuff that Agravain didn't tell him. It wasn't unusual for the gruff older knight to hide things from him, under the guise of protecting him. It was still irritating though. It did answer the question of why the knights didn't act all this time. Jaune found it hard to believe that Uther had never left his mother's side even once after all these years. With all the dungeons and other responsibilities she had, it was impossible for there not to be an opening. Perhaps this Giess was more dangerous than Jaune anticipated. For a brief moment, doubt began cloud his heart, but jaune crushed it. Even if Rule Breaker didn't work, it didn't matter. He would find the method of freeing his mother, one way or another.
"Fine, FINE! At least tell me we have something to go off of yea? Don't want my little brother here to be without mother."

Jaune stared at Mordred, he turned to his aunt, his head tilted. She shrugged. Jaune narrowed his eyes as he turned, looking for the peanut gallery that…wasn't there? When the hell? He turned to his aunt who merely shrugged.

"They were unnecessary. I left them with the boys to relax as we discussed things."

Jaune felt himself reeling a bit. The only words he could utter now, was directed to Mordred.

"So…how….when…."

"Before you left," explained Morganna, "your mother was pregnant with Mordred. Uther, for all his supposed intelligence, attempted to alter the terms of the contract. To make it so that Mordred would be his "heir" so to speak."

"He failed," guess Jaune.

"Oh utterly," chuckled Morganna, "the fool attempted to write over the words of his own contract. I swear he's utterly lost his mind the number of times he tried to force your mother to do anything. He still can't seem to understand that your mother's absurd strength makes it impossible for him to use the giess as he wished. There are certain things he can enforce but he does not have her chained to him, at least not entirely."

Morganna looked pissed as she looked to the right.

"If he did, this would be more of a dictatorship and he would have married her off."

"So…I still can't see her."

"I wouldn't say that!"

Morganna scowled as the familiar scent of flowers filtered through the room. He was beautiful beyond compare, his silvery white hair was full and shone with inhuman grace. His appearance was seemingly perfect to look at…the very nature of an incubus. Merlin was here. The class above his head was shown to all: GRAND CASTER.

"Hello!" greeted Merlin, "it has been a while!"

"Merlin," she growled.

Jaune didn't miss the strange blush that grew on her face. Merlin didn't either. But for the supposed seducer of women…the man seemed morose. He stared at his aunt with a small smile, but one that quickly disappeared. He turned to Jaune, a jaunty little smile on his face.

"It has been quite some time since we've been faced to face haven't, we?"

Jaune had known Merlin since he was born. The man had granted his mother Caliburn decades ago and was the sole reason for Uther's immense power base. After all, Uther was a Summoner, and the man had managed to summon a beast of a magus such as Merlin. It was unprecedented, with Merlin came a surge of mystical developments from what he shared and the raw power he possessed was enough to turn Uther into a powerhouse over night. It wasn't until years after his position had been cemented that the entire tower learned the truth. Uther couldn't command Merlin. Not even slightly. Supposedly he could only enforce three commands upon Merlin once every decade and even than Merlin could resist it, though to great demerit to himself. Instead, the man had become his mother's sponsor, training her, teaching her, and had become her impromptu advisor. Why was anyone's guess. Maybe it was just boredom.

"…yea…it's been a while," whispered Jaune.

Merlin smirked.

"SO! You must have questions!"

Tendrils of pure magically energy wrapped around Merlin's throat and pulled tight. The man seemed undisturbed by the action, turning to Morganna.

"Yes?"

"Where have you been," she growled.

Jaune blinked in confusion. Wait, what?

"It's been over a decade! We could have used you!"

Merlin smiled.

"I obey the commands of only one person. That person is not you." He turned to Jaune. "That person is not Uther."

Jaune shivered.

"…mom…"

Merlin nodded.

"Didn't you think it was strange? A low rank labor caste somehow having the strength to mosey through high-ranking dungeons without long lasting consequences?"

He turned, staring at a wall.

"or the fact that your father's muscle mass never deteriorated? Even for the powerful, inaction would cause some decay. Yet…he was never sick. Never had bedsores."

Merlin chuckled.

"Sakura was such a great nurse for him. Hope it works out for her."

At the mention of Sakura Jaune realized it.

"You were there," he whispered.

Merlin nodded.

"Always. Managed to sneak in a little something during your reawakening," he mentioned, wiggling his eyebrows.

"….the spellcaster's blessing?"

Merlin grinned. He lifted his shirt, showing a surprisingly refined musculature for a mage. The strange shimmering scar beneath his ribs was…rather difficult to look away from.

"A little piece of me, to help you along the way."

Jaune touched his chest, looking down.

"But…why?"

Merlin shrugged.

"For fun mostly. Even with a reawakening there was no garuntee that you would be able to come out completely unscathed. My flesh facilitated the acquisition of the blessings you needed to retain your full strength."

Jaune had enough. His eyes narrowed as he activated insight.

Merlin "Grand Caster"

Species: DEMI-GOD

Level:?

Stats: UNVIEWABLE

"A legendary magic user of unprecedented strength. So powerful that he was called to quell the anger of Oberon himself, the father of Rebellion. There are rumors that suggest that Merlin is in fact the child of Oberon, more akin to a demigod, than a demi-Incubus. It is said that Merlin allows himself to be summoned every so often to stretch his legs and to see various new places. He is the magus of flowers and supposedly is unmatched in both creation and healing spells. The full scope of his power is unknown currently".

EXTRA: He has a strange bond with Arturia Pendragon, having sworn himself to her service. While the reason is unknown, Merlin himself is quite loyal to her. Almost as if he was making up for something. What that is, no one knows.

"Well, that's just rude," pouted Merlin, hugging himself. "Looking at me with Salem's eyes."

Jaune jolted back, shivering a bit as Merlin's own eyes turned a savage red…a red that screamed a similarity to Oberon.

"So…you met dear old dad? He was always a bit of a bugger that one. Could never learn to take a joke."

Merlin shrugged, moving past his aunt's spells as if they were never there. Merlin flicked his fingers, showing a series of magic circles and formulas.

"Here we are. A one-day proof spell jammer! With it, we can prevent the backlash of destroying the Giess from harming Arturia."

The room went quiet as Merlin grinned, he turned to Morganna, blushing like a schoolgirl. He even went as far as to twirl his hair.

"Say…does that make a certain special someone…hor-GRK!"

A spectral fist buried itself into Merlin's perfect face. It was…cartoonish. His face was twisted in and the man…thing? The thing went and put his hand into the twisted flesh and "pulled" out his face. He smiled good naturedly.

"Oh Morgana! You always make my blood boil! It is utterly fantastic to see you again!"

His Aunt's face was impassive. The stoney expression would have been intimidating…if not for the red across her ears.

"Ok…SO NOW CAN WE GO!" demanded Mordred.

Merlin smiled serenely…and boop her on the nose.

"Nope."

Mordred punched him in the face…or at least tried to. She merely fazed through him. She stumbled a bit, only to be caught by Merlin's staff.

"Careful now. The only woman I let touch my beautiful body is my one and only Morgana!"

He blew his aunt a kiss, making Jaune lose all respect for the man. What the hell was this? Was this the legendary mage he had heard so many rumours about? This? Was this the reason his mother never let him meet Merlin? Then the room shifted. What was once a flamboyant and flighty man was replaced. His face was stoic as he stared at Morgana.

"You can see the issue with the spell already, no? I've taught you how to weave the mana freely."

She sighed.

"The spell isn't strong enough to jam something so stable."

"Precisely. If we use it now, after the years it took to create it, it would be for naught. But thankfully, Ragnarök is just around the corner."

Jaune tilted his head. The meeting of the gods. Ragnarök was the meeting of worlds and the removal of the boundaries. With it, the gods could and have walked the mortal planes freely. The length of time this event took varied, some lasted hours whereas others lasted weeks. But depending on the gods was fool hardy at best. Yes, they could interfere…but the costs were usually so great than it was never worth it. A massive risk.

"…you plan to use the disturbance of mana?"

Merlin smiled. For a moment, Jaune found himself enraptured at the man's incredible beauty. He wasn't gay…but that was an incubus for you. Jaune felt his emotions return to normal, as Merlin stuck out his tongue and began acting childish again.

"SEE SEE SEE! If we use the waves of the incoming Ragnarok, we can induce the spell jammer directly into the Giess and BAM!"

He chuckled.

"Ahh…it will be beautiful."

"Wait…the Giess directly?"

Morgan scowled.

"Uther keeps that thing under lock and key, no one can reach it."

Merlin grinned, his staff hitting the ground as he twirled it.

"Don't you worry mini Arturia! Uncie Merlin's got this!"

"….how?" asked Jaune.

He gave Jaune two finger guns with a sailor moon like pose.
"Trust me bro!"

Jauen felt his face fall.

"Ah, but no seriously."

Merlin's face turned suave as he gave a small grin.

"I got plans upon plans in motion little nephew. But they are dependent on no one being aware of them…well tah tah!"

Morgana seemed to realize what Merlin had been implying before. Her face turned scarlet as the magic crackled around her. He laughed hysterically as he dodged several beams, turning into various animals to dodge her various magic attacks. With a pink starry pop, the man disappeared.

"DAMN THAT….fuck," whispered Morganna.

Mordred sighed…whipping out a cigarette from somewhere. With her thumb she ignited the one end, her finger glowing hot with a scaled pattern. The heat from her body more than enough to light a fire.

"So…we're just going to trust that fem boy looking dude?"

"MORDRED!"

"WHAT!? HE IS!?"

Jaune chuckled a bit as he shook his head.

"Whatever he's doing, it's not like he'll tell us."

Morgana nodded. She scowled as she turned to the door.

"Someone is coming. This will have to wait. Remember nephew, we have yet to see each other. Understand?"

Jaune nodded as her magic transported him elsewhere. A blink and Jaune was face to face with his guildmates. He recognized this place; it was the dorm rooms for the student mages and their sentinels. They were in the guts of the clocktower, well within the academy, their equivalent to Beacon.

"JAUNE!"

Jaune found himself crushed within Nora's embrace; her strength great enough to make him wheeze.

"Hey Nora."

"So, what's the plan?" she grinned, her eyes seemingly clear for once.

"Well…I dunno. I honestly didn't think we'd get this far?" chuckled Jaune.

Weiss was busy flipping through a scroll, a type of electronic device native to Atlas. She clicked her teeth.

"My mother has just informed me of Ironwood's schedule. We won't be seeing him until tomorrow in the afternoon. It makes sense. We are ahead of schedule."

Jaune blinked. It took him a second to remember the incident with the world serpent. It had taken their trip down to mere moments as a boon to Jaune.

"Makes sense. So…I guess we just crash here for the time being?" chuckled Yang, staring at the bunk beds surrounding them.

"Hmm…no," muttered Weiss distastefully.

"…no?"

She looked to Blake, smiling a smug grin.

"Yes. No. My mother has already decided for us to meet at lord Watt's manor. We'll be getting an escort momentarily."

Ruby chuckled a bit, a tad nervous at the situation.

"Rrright. I think I'd rather stay here?"

Weiss scowled.

"No you don't. Rooms like these are always littered with surveillance spells."

Weiss snapped her fingers and Jaune blinked at the dozens of shimmery white spell circles that surrounded them. Instantly his mind was filled with dozens upon dozens of new runes. Useless for weapo-Jaune stopped that line of thinking. He had seen Galantine, he even held in his inventory Rule Breaker. They had hundreds, HUNDREDS, of runes. There was no telling what sort of power he could invoke with the proper set up. He needed to study, to learn, if he wanted to improve. Ironically…this was the place to do it. There was also the fact that he had been shortchanging his original class. There were tools and practices that he abandoned due to the ease of use that magic provided. Rule Breaker had not just shown him the use of runes…it was a hint. A hint that the god of the labourers had provided for him. That every action he did was not too dissimilar from the mage classes. That the very action of forging something was akin to a ritual. The greater the effort, the greater the result. Everything little thing he did, all that experience, had a place within his forge. He had the ability to create B rank weapons through sheer power alone…time to see what he could do if he truly put ALL of his skills to the test, both mystical and physical. Jaune jolted a bit as a pair of fingers snapped in his face.

"Hello? You up?"

Jaune gave Yang a bit of a scowl.

"Was thinking."

"Uh huh, the escorts here."

Jaune stared at the door, seeing a balding man with a rather bulbous nose. He looked out the window and noticed that the sun had begun to fall.

"….was I?"

"Yes."

His entire guild gave him a small group of snickers and chuckles. Jaune rubbed the back of his head as he followed his guild mates through the clock tower. He had a bad habit of losing himself into his thoughts. He needed to be more careful. Still though, the excitement was hard to contain. He had a clear view of what exactly he needed to do to improve. The specifics eluded him, obviously, but the path was clear. He needed to find his father's apprentice. She was the only one he could trust to walk him through the basics again. Perhaps when he had a moment he could-

"Ok, that's it."

Jaune felt the air leave his lungs as Yang lifted him up and shook him a bit. She dragged his head down a bit and locked eyes with him.

"Seriously, get out of your head for a few minutes until we're back in a room or something, you've smashed through three pillars already!"

Jaune turned around and locked eyes with a machine. A war forged as they were called. An extremely rare sentient creature that had come through the gates. This one was built like a woman, lithe in form. Her face had no features but the rest of her mechanical body was shaped in a voluptuous frame, the gears and magic in full display. It was astonishing. Jaune didn't even know this level of magic was even possible in society!? He needed to meet-

"Didn't know someone would have a crush on the staff. I know elves are beautiful Johnny but come on, rude to stare," chuckled Yang.

Jaune stared at her. Was she stupid.

"That is not an-"

The mechanical marvel's head snapped to his direction. Her faceless mask glowed with several runes. Jaune immediately read them.

"BE SILENT. I MEAN NO HARM. I AM MERELY A WANDERER. I GIVE PERMISSION TO VIEW ME."

.what the fuck? Jaune invoked the insight skill and time seemed to slow as he turned away from the worker.

KELEDONIS (The Wandering Minstril)

A frame designed for gods to walk amongst mortals unknown and unseen. There exists only two such frames, forged by Prometheus own hands. This frame was a gift for his_R(#UQWJWERJDFSXJSDFASDFAJASDFDD

ERROR- INFORMATION SKIPPED-ADMINISTRATIVE RIGHTS EXCECUTED-DATA ADJUSTED.

A frame for the goddess of song and music. It has no combat abilities.

Jaune immediately took a hard left on that shit. He didn't need to know that. Didn't even want to know that. Apparently, the gods were not as restricted as he thought. Nope, he was just going to pretend he didn't know that and move on with his life. He had more important shit to do. He was ready for anything…but he had to admit, the sight of Lord Watt was not one of them. The man looked as if the word stern had been ripped out of the dictionary and given physical form. He was a thinner man, his musculature of a more benign form than the usual heroes. His moustache was…impressive, as was the clothes he wore. It was more akin to a suit than a set of robes. He carried with him a cane, one that was obviously his mystical focus. Above his head "Sorcerer" was emblazed in a searing blue. Beside him was a woman that was obviously Weiss' mother…and a woman that Jaune would freely admit was absurdly stunning….did he have a type? Oh god did Salem have something like that?

Salem's echoing laughter didn't help as he gulped at the sight of the more mature woman.

"Hello and welcome. Wiess tells me that you are here for Beacon's annual quest?"

Blake nodded. That was apparently enough as Weiss' mother clapped her hands. Any luggage they had disappeared without a trace as the door behind them opened wide. Unlike the streets of a town, the homes here in the tower were merely doors in a hallway. Their door looked much like any other, stained in a dark oak color. But inside, well that was a different matter. Several floors and decked out in marble, the entire living area seemed like it was made to make a statement. If that was the case…it was a hell of a statement.

"You are free to explore anywhere you'd like," said Watt with a smile, one that seemed…odd on his stern face, "I trust Weiss' friends to know not to touch things they shouldn't. Now, I will be back within the hour, unfortunately I have an experiment that is in its final stages."

When he turned to Weiss' mother…his face was serene. Genuine and dare Jaune say it, handsome. All of the rigidity and sterness seemed to melt away from him as he locked eyes with her. If nothing else about the man, Jaune would admit he must love her dearly.

"My apologies, I completely forgot to introduce myself, I am Willow, Weiss' mother."

Willow wore a dull blue set of robes. There were old stains on it. At a first glance, one might mistake them as stains from wine, but the class above her head made it obvious where they came from. After all, she was an ALCHEMIST. Jaune grinned as he felt the stirrings of that fourth subclass within him. Finally, someone that he could actually have a conversation with. Oobleck was a great teacher, no doubt, but the man was unexpectedly popular. Jaune was still waiting another eight weeks for his appointment with the man. Beacon's system was very free in the way that education and skills could be accessed. But in return, it meant that certain individuals could be quite hard to get a hold of. Supposedly there was a berserker that Nora was trying to get an appointment with. The bald bearded man was terrifying but extremely popular for his lessons with berserkers. Nora was on a waiting list for the next three months. So the idea that Jaune could bypass his two month wait and talk to an experienced Alchemist so soon…well sign him up.

"I'll have Clyde show you to your rooms. After you get settled meet me at the kitchen for dinner. I can't wait to hear about your adventures with Weiss."

She turned to Jaune and her eyes narrowed.

"I hope I don't have to remind you of topics that…shouldn't be discussed?"

Jaune nodded. He understood. In the clocktower, privacy was a privilege, not a right. You always had to be careful of your words, unless you were a master of wards. Even than, Jaune only trusted his aunts wards for true privacy….shit.

He turned to Weiss and the two of them locked eyes. A silent understanding crossed between them. They needed to talk to the guild about the mannerisms and expectations of the clock tower….oh god damnit, tonight was going to be a long night. What a night it was indeed. There were only two bedrooms overall, leaving Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha in one and their other guildmates in Weiss room. They were quick to get ready, as none of them wanted to leave their clothes out in the open and away from their warded luggage bags. Imagine Jaune's surprise when he learned warding runes and discovered that his brother, Agravain, once again went out of his way to do something without telling him. Honestly, he loves the guy but come on. Dinner was a more…solemn affair than he anticipated. It was quiet…and awkward…mostly because Willow decided it was a great idea to have dinner with a lecture on tower etiquette. While the lesson bored him to tears, Jaune admitted to laughing a bit at watching the others stare in abject horror. Even Blake was shocked at the obscene amount of backstabbing that went on in this building. Ahh…home sweet home. The day couldn't come fast enough for Jaune as we went to bed and woke up. Breakfast, lunch, the entire day seemed to simply disappear as he finally found himself in front of the man himself. Ironwood.

He was as rigid as he remembered him. A bit grey to his hair now, though Jaune suspected it was dyed. Ironwood loved to maintain his image…though as much as Jaune disliked the man for his interest in his mother…he could admit it. Ironwood had been the head of the clock tower for about a decade, as far as Jaune could tell. The tower was a completely different animal, the mages no longer running amok as they once did in the past. Here stood a man that was resolute in his desire to curb the monstrous research that could occur with mages left unchecked. His methods leaved much to be desired…but one couldn't ignore the results. It was hilarious in a way. Most mages didn't really care who was in charge. So long as they were left to their research, they were content. It was only the minority who bothered with absurdly unethical research and stupid results. Key one being Uther. It was said that he was only able to summon Merlin due to a disastrous experiment involving a living sacrifice. No one could confirm it, even with the entirety of the than Round Table investing everything into figuring it out.

The civil war that was brewing didn't come from a stomping of rights via Ironwood. No, it was minority who feared retribution for actions passed that took action now. It cemented the image of their guilt…but unfortunately the laws forbade direct action without proof. Thus the back and forth as both parties garnered their support…whether that was through political means or…less savory methods was irrelevant. Even a simple walk to the man made Jaune painfully aware of the sentiment this man carried. To be both hated and admired all at once…it was a heavy burden.

With that said though, fuck the guy. Jaune nodded, intent on being an issue with the dick.

"Welcome," came the brass tone of Ironwood, "I am pleased to see that Beacon Academy maintains its stellar reputation. Imagine my surprise when members of their student body were already prepared for the yearly quest."

The man meant it to. There was a clear sense of respect in his tone. He wore no robes as he stood from his desk, instead wearing a military uniform that was reminiscent of a Round Table Knight. Which was easy to tell…since the man was a Knight class. A searing blue shone above his head detailing him a member of the Knight Class. But as he rose it switched, the class becoming a duller blue Mage. It was a show of power, as the ability to switch between classes cemented one as a truly powerful individual. Many could attain the rank of A, with effort. But the power to switch classes was one that could only be developed by a crucial few. To put it bluntly, the ability to shift between classes, once developed, was an indicator of S rank potential. It was believed that everyone in Remnant could attain a second class once they were A rank, the obscene power within them awakening their inner potential. Whether that second class blossomed and was than further nurtured to S rank…well…the single digit number of S rank people was more than enough proof of how difficult that was.

Ironwood locked eyes with Jaune, and for a moment Jaune saw a hint of annoyance. Not enough to be confidant about his judgement…but enough to be wary. There was more going on here.

"It is a tradition to allow Beacon students the right to clear out our red gate beneath us."

Jaune bristled, where was this going. Thankfully Wiess was quick to catch on as well. Blake was behind her, her golden eyes narrowing.

"By your words…am I to assume we are not going to?"

Ironwood blinked.

"…No? Whatever gave you that impression? No, unfortunately your clearing of the Red Gate will be a bit unusual. There has been a resurgence of the undead pouring from the gate."

Yang swallowed.

"Is…that normal?"

Ironwood relaxed a bit as he nodded. A more easygoing smile spread across his face. He seemed more at ease with the likes of warriors than mages it would seem.

"Surges like this are in fact normal. They don't happen all that often but when they do we get assistance from the denizens of the Red Gate. They will be meeting you today when you start."

Ironwood help open a document. It was signed and already stamped with his approval.

"Ordinarily I would seek to verify that you have accomplished the task, but the truth is that such a deed is easy for a group of your calibur."

His eyes suddenly glowed an azure and Jaune felt as if he peered within him.

"It is rare to see a young guild like yours filled with so many B ranks. Add to the fact that you even recruited a Reaper! I have to say, it is a privliedge to actually meet someone like you."

Ruby blinked, her hood lifting from her face.

"…what?"

Ironwood blinked.

"Did Ozpin not tell you? Than again…it's not as if I shared this information…ask the denizens to explain it to you. They'll know more."

"….that's it?" asked Ren, "that's all the information we'll receive for this gate?"

Ironwood rose an eyebrow, his face settling into a more passive state.

"Let us not kid ourselves here. This first year Grand Quest is a cinch. In fact, the only reason we allow it as a Grand Quest is due to the absurd number of enemies that could potentially spawn from the Red Gate during this time of the year. Sometimes you barely fight…other times you'll be fighting for your life."

Ironwood stood, his presence climbing as Jaune felt an invisible weight settle on his shoulders.

"The dungeons will always be unknowing. Rarely will you have any sort of preparation for the gate within. The landscape, the creatures, even the ambient atmosphere are all unknown to you. Those who are born with the scout class can enter and exit gates at their leisure, but as you know they are a rare class and are subsequently hired by the larger guilds in our society. Most likely, you will have to make do with split second decisions and a bare minimum set up. This is a Grand Quest not because of the difficulty it possesses, but because of the difficulty it could possess. It makes this the ultimate tool to gauge just how prepared you are. So no, young man. I will not be giving you more information. The very fact that you will have the denizens of this gate helping you in this endeavour should invalidate your entire Grand Quest…but politics stats that I cannot. Not to mention that I just argued for how it should be allowed, as there is no certainty that they will actively help you."

Ironwood's wrist dinged as a small series of wards circled around.

"Apologies. I fitted you all in when I could, but I have other business to attend to. Winter, if you would."

Jaune swallowed at the incredible beauty that was Winter Schnee. She was the best of both worlds so to speak….god damnit, he did have a type. Winter gave her sister a small smile as a teleporting sigil appeared beneath the group. Above Winter's head was the class "Magus", a sort of mage class based upon calculations. With a snap the group disappeared, leaving Ironwood alone with his people. He took a deep breath and than narrowed his eyes at Winter.

"Get me someone from the Round Table, Agravain if you can."

"Sir?"

Ironwood rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I need one of those idiots to explain why they brought back Arturia's son."

Damnit! He was already swamped with the preparations for Ragnarok, not to mention Uther's ridiculous attempt at using that stupid…no…now wasn't the time. Distractions would only delay his response. He needed to know why he was here…and for what purpose. Because everyone with a pair of eyes knew exactly who this "Jaune" was. Because no one would forget the boy who brought the cure to the masses…no matter how they felt about the subject. He needed to be ready for the fallout.

-Basement of the Clocktower. Red Gate-

When one thought of a Red Gate, one would think a swirling red mass of energy, not unlike a standard gate. The truth was that it was more than that. It was like someone broke the window of reality, leaving jagged edges lined in red. Inside the crack would lie another world. It was difficult to see that though. After all, the swarm of "undead" was utterly ridiculous. Also, the title of undead was entirely inaccurate. When one thought of the recently deceased, one would think of skeletons or shambling corpses. Even the strange calcified shadows of the Shadow Lands was a close enough match to popular opinion. This?

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!?" demanded one strange mage.

Yang's eyes glowed blue as she fired a straight jab. A torrent of physical might tore through the air and detonated in the face of what seemed to be a white, bone shaped bear. It was like someone gave the Grimm armour and sent it down their merry way. The eyes of this creature burned with aura though, making the creature as far from a Grimm as those in remnants recognized it. The group had been teleported to a ledge of some sort. It was lined with various spells and manned by a number of what seemed to be high level mages…save for the one new guy they called Jim. That wasn't his name…but apparently all the new guys were named Jim.

"Wow, so…what?" asked Yang, turning to the mages, "we're supposed to wait for these…denizens?"

A slightly older woman with flaming red hair and an eyepatch looked at Yang. She was smoking a pipe and had a few scars across her stomach. She was a mage of some sort, a bunch of little fire balls forming and firing around her proved that much. She must have been skilled at it, as the spells kept going and hitting their mark no matter where she looked.

"That's about right. Gonna be honest though, not really expecting them to do much. Not if they bring that ass along."

Blake shrugged, not really caring. They never expected any help to begin with. No one thought anything of it, till the woman stared at Ruby. She rubbed her one good eye, and whispered to one of her fellows. The man was busy blasting fireballs like they were going out of style. He turned and his jaw dropped as he stared at Ruby.

"….You're not seeing things boss."

The woman blinked…and than began laughing. Ruby blushed horribly as her laughter got louder and more obnoxious.
"HEY, WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA!" growled Yang, "you think this is funny!?"

"I think its hilarious!" grinned the woman. She had a savage look in her eye, "will serve that prick right!"

"WHAT PRICK!?" said Yang, her hair glowing an explosive amber. Her fists began to crackle with unused energy, "ALL I SEE IS A BIT-"

"She's talking about me," drawled a voice.

It was if the earth itself shook from the depth of this man's voice. Everyone turned to see a humanoid not unlike the creatures they saw. Their bony exterior was a pure ebony black, shrouded in a fiery blue cloak. A hood obscured their face, only two azure sockets in the place of eyes. They were willowy, long in limb and thin in build. Ruby stared at it as it stared back, crouching to cup her face. The shock was great enough that everyone let this thing do whatever it was doing. After all…before them stood a being with a name and a class.

"The name's Zagreus," it drawled, gently twisting Ruby's face side to side, "fancy meeting you darling."

Yang stared at it, silent as the dead.

Zagreus stood to their full height, rolling their shoulders. It opened their hand, a flaming red weapon beginning to form. It balanced their scythe across their shoulders as it tilted their head to Ruby.

"Been a sweet long time since I've seen another of my kind. I bet you have some questions?"

Above Zagreus' head was the word Reaper. Ruby nodded, still staring.

"I was in a similar place myself. None of these idiots know what they're doing."

Zagreus ignored the indignation from all the mages.

"Still," it muttered, "they've a right to defend their home from the soulless…still a little shocked are ya? Don't worry…I got time."

Everyone began to gather themselves, as they looked upon Zagreus the Reaper…Zagreus with the Prestige Class REAPER.

"….Oh shit," muttered Nora.

Ren looked inside his pouch, wondering if perhaps that Yokai tea was finally hitting in the worst way.

-END-

ALRIGHT! Was a bit more of a transition to get to this point than I would have liked. While I don't regret the experimentation of the previous chapter, I admit it was a lot harder to bridge the gap than I thought. Felt the pacing was still a tad too quick, but I've sat on this long enough. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it and the introduction of Zagreus! YOU THOUGHT THIS WOULD ALL BE ABOUT JAUNE DIDN'T YOU! HA!

Either way, enjoy. For now all the chapters are up in flux thanks to those two stories I mentioned. At the moment, my muse is pointing me to Supernatural love, so I hope for that to be the next chapter. I won't apologize for my lazy nature, though I do apologize for those that were waiting for this chapter. I promise, no matter what, that if I axe a story it won't simply be left on read. I will always make an announcement if my inspiration and motivation die for any story I write. So, no news is good news!

Please, as always, any feedback is great!