Hello everyone! I decided to write this RWBY x Elden Ring story after being so obsessed with the game for months on end. Here's hoping they announce some DLC soon, as the game has a lot of cut content and remaining mysteries to flesh out!
I'll try my best to adhere to the canon of the game's lore as much as possible, though due to the way the game was made, a lot of the story and lore is left up to interpretation. For this story, I'll be writing about the game's story and lore using a combination of my own interpretations of the story, lore discussed by Vaatividya, and I'll be using the Japanese translations/source material for certain item descriptions and dialogue provided and interpreted by Youtubers The Last Protagonist and DoogManGuy. All three of these guys have incredible videos about the lore of the game, and I highly recommend watching them! If you feel that I got a part of the lore incorrect or I used an incorrect translation, feel free to let me know.
Of course, I do not own RWBY, Elden Ring, or any of their characters. All rights go to Rooster Teeth and FromSoftware/Bandai Namco.
EDIT/UPDATE 11/15/23: Hello everyone, and thank you for tuning into this story!
For those of you unaware, recently I had put in a PSA note letting you all know that this story would be rewritten, and I was blown away by all the genuine support you guys gave! I'm beyond humbled to think that there were still so many of you guys eagerly waiting for a new update to this story, and I'm so grateful that you all were extremely supportive of my decision to go with the rewrite!
There were a few who were worried that this might spell a doom sentence for this story, but don't be! One of the main reasons I wrote this story was due to my immense love of Elden Ring (hell, anything FromSoftware) and for RWBY despite its flaws. And as long as I still have that passion, then this story will never be abandoned! And besides, with Shadow of the Erdtree coming out February 5th, I'm just building up the hype for its release!
And for those of you reading this story for the first time, welcome! I'm a die-hard fan of FromSoftware, and Elden Ring has by far my favorite world-building and lore in the entire series! A lot of my interpretations of the lore mainly come from Lokey's translations, and Youtubers Last Protagonist, Tarnished Archaeologist, Vaatividya, and a bit of my own speculations and interpretations mixed in. Should you guys have any questions concerning the lore, feel free to PM me via the mobile app or leave your questions in the reviews and I'll answer them!
Without further ado, please let me know what you think about this rewritten chapter!
Chapter 1: A Tarnished Returns Home…
My Lord, and thy warriors.
I divest each of thee of thy grace.
With thine eyes dimmed, ye will be driven from the Lands Between.
Ye will wage war in a land afar, where ye will live…
And die.
.
.
.
.
.
A single, red-colored leaf gently swayed in the breeze that brushed through the forest, before eventually falling down from its tree branch. It hovered through the air, twisting and turning in the wind, until it started to descend, landing atop a prone figure lying on the forest floor.
And when it gently landed on the figure's nose, the body twitched in its slumber, until a pair of deep azure eyes tinged with gold slowly opened, taking in the sight of a shattered moon hovering in the night sky.
The figure jerked awake as the sight of the moon dredged up long since forgotten memories and nostalgia. Brushing aside the many other red-colored leaves off of his blue and silver colored armor, the knight hastily stood up, head swiveling back and forth as he took in the familiar look and scent of the forest around him.
"This place… wait, is this Forever Fall!?"
There was no way he could ever forget this autumn-touched forest. Not only due to its renowned flora, colored crimson every day of the year regardless of the season, but it was also where he…
The figure, revealed to be a young-looking man with messy blond hair tied in the back as a ponytail, gazed down at his body. He let out a sigh of relief as he felt the presence of several items on his person, including a pouch on his belt that carried far more than its small size would indicate, a long silver staff with a blue gem bedded at the top, a silver shield strapped to his left arm, and a magnificent greatsword strapped to his back that was as blue as the night sky and emitting a gentle, cold breeze.
"At least I have most of my things with me. But… if this is Forever Fall, then could I be near where I…"
The sapphire knight cast a furtive look around the vicinity, seeing nothing but scattered, fallen leaves and aged trees smelling distinctly of sweet sap.
It almost looked exactly the same as the day he had left this world entirely. The only question was, how long had he been gone?
Not wanting to take his chances like the last time he ended up in this forest, the man drew his greatsword from his back, ready to slice apart anything that would dare attack him as he walked around the area, looking for any familiar scenery.
"Let's see, if I remember correctly… yeah, I remember these trees. I carved my initials there in case I got lost." The knight muttered, sliding his hand across the trunk of a large tree, where on the surface lay a crudely carved pair of letters labeled J.A. "And if this is here, then I should be close… by."
His sentence quickly died as he found what he was looking for.
A few meters away from where he first woke up, a section of the forest floor was covered with dried blood, the splotches of red still lingering and darkening the leaves around them. Bits of torn clothing littered the area, and a few feet away was a discarded bag, the contents of which spilled out onto the floor.
It was the sight of a grisly murder, one that was reminiscent of a wild animal mauling a person to death and tearing them apart limb by limb.
A reality that the knight was too familiar with.
Inspecting the bag and the scattered items on the ground revealed several articles of clothing, including a few pairs of pants and shirts, underwear, and an adult-sized blue onesie, much to the figure's embarrassment.
"...Good thing I wasn't wearing this when I first showed up in the Lands Between. Otherwise she'd never stop teasing me about it." The figure muttered lightheartedly, until the sharp pain of loss tugged through his soul once more.
He can't think about her now. Not while he still had a job to do.
After gathering most of the clothing on the ground, the knight then rummaged through the bag, before eventually digging out a small rectangular device. Opening it like it was second nature to him, the knight looked to the corner of the screen, and did a double-take as he found the date and time.
"Saturday!? Wait, if I remember correctly, I was here in the forest training by myself on Friday night. I've only been gone for a day!?"
That was insane! He had no idea how long he was in the Lands Between, potentially being there for years or even decades, and somehow not even a week had passed on Remnant!?
"But if it's only been a day, then does that mean I still have…" the knight muttered, before clicking on the touchscreen to one of his emails, and felt his heart stop as he looked at the most recent one dating back the day before.
A set of fake transcripts, belonging to Jaune Arc and supplied by a man by the name of Junior. And an acceptance letter from Beacon Academy.
Many lifetimes ago, he would have once jumped with joy while also feeling near-crippling anxiety about the trials he would face. He would have felt a savage glee as he set out to prove to his family that he had what it took to become a Huntsman. To be a hero like his ancestors. Even if he was woefully unprepared, he at least would have felt some sense of relief in the fact that this nonsense scheme of his worked, costing only his entire allowance and the little dignity he had. He would have proven to himself that he could do this, that all he needed to do was just fake it till he made it.
Instead, all Jaune felt at that moment was emptiness. No anger, no regret, not even a droplet of satisfaction.
It all felt so… foreign to him. All the arguments he had with his parents and sisters, wanting to prove them wrong and showing he had what it took. The sense of shame he felt as he used fake papers to get his acceptance into Beacon despite having none of the training to back it up. The anger that built up inside him when he called his family to let them know he got accepted, only to be met with skepticism from his father and looks of worry from the women. The frustrations he vented when he then ventured into Forever Fall to train, recklessly trying to fight a Beowolf by himself without even having his Aura unlocked, and the sheer despair and regret he felt as one Beowolf suddenly became many, and he found himself surrounded and eventually torn apart.
It all felt like it happened to a completely different person, a completely separate Jaune Arc. Could he even say he was the same Jaune Arc as the one who died here a day ago?
All those emotions, all those regrets, all those memories. They all slowly ebbed away like the rivers of blood that coursed through him as he awaited death. On that day, Jaune died a failure, a mediocre Huntsman-to-be and a stark reminder of his sheer stupidity, thinking he could ever be like the heroes of old.
He couldn't even kill off one single, measly Beowolf. What good would he have been at Beacon, where even the weakest student could slaughter tens of them without breaking a sweat?
As he lay in a growing puddle of his blood as the Beowolves tore him to pieces, Jaune could only laugh at his fate, his last conscious thought being the faces of his family once they learned of his grisly fate. No doubt they would have found their misgivings proven 100% correct, and his death would have been a stark reminder of what a lack of training and foresight would cost you.
It should have been the end for him. And yet, it wasn't.
Hovering above his corpse was a small, golden bead of light that instantly repulsed all the Grimm around him. In mere moments, his entire body dissolved into particles of light, and soon afterwards, he found himself in another world, bereft of everything save for his clothes, armor, and ancestral weapons. His memories vanished like the wind, and he found himself on the adventure of a lifetime.
This time, accompanied by a friend. The greatest friend he could ever ask for, and one he owed a multiple lifetimes worth of debts to.
Jaune wiped his eyes, brushing away his tears as memories of his dear friend resurfaced. It was far too late for his tears to do anything, and crying up a waterfall wouldn't change the reality of his situation.
He still had a job to do. One that he could not, and would not fail.
Thankfully, his Scroll's battery was relatively full and it barely had any scratches or dents. Pulling open a map, he was relieved to see that the nearest city was only a few short miles away. Gathering his things and strapping them to his belt, Jaune set out from the depths of Forever Fall, his promise to his friend seared into his thoughts and soul.
"Now, where can I find her?"
Even though he knew from his Scroll that only a day had passed since he had died and returned to Remnant, Jaune still felt a massive sense of culture shock as he walked through Downtown Vale.
The city lights were blaring, cars were driving back and forth across the roads, and people gave him funny looks as they walked past him, pointing at his blue Greatsword, staff, and glistening Carian Knight armor.
Downtown Vale was the complete opposite of the Lands Between in every way possible. So many people walking and buzzing around without a care in the world, so many young men and women, human and Faunus, gossiping and talking about random things, so little negativity hanging in the air as people went about their daily business.
And no giant, glowing Erdtree in the background.
It was rather funny. Despite being born in the Kingdom of Vale and having ventured through the city plenty of times with his family, Jaune still felt like a foreigner as he walked down the streets, made even worse by the complete contrast of his attire to everyone else around him.
He had lived and died in the Lands Between for such a long time, that even the concept of Remnant, his home world, felt alien to him. It felt strange, not traversing the world on the back of his friend's incredibly intelligent and capable horse. It felt weird, seeing so many people inhabiting a vibrant city, where the majority of the population wasn't out to kill him.
Was this how people felt when going abroad and returning home after so many years?
A few electronic billboards and TVs blazed to life, airing advertisements before turning to a news report concerning the White Fang. Jaune frowned seeing the same news concerning the prejudice still prevalent in Remnant against Faunuskind, even decades after the Faunus Rights Revolution had ended. Though he had never once harbored any resentment or hatred towards the Faunus, and was proud of the fact that his family had a very long history of tolerance and friendship towards them, even going so far as the participate on the side of the Faunus during the Revolution, seeing the many headlines about the White Fang greatly soured his mood.
It seems racism would always be present, even across other distant worlds. And the treatment of Demi-humans in the Lands Between only further cemented his distaste for people who refused to treat the Faunus with respect.
But that was a discussion for another time. Right now, Jaune was looking for a local police station or even a local store where he could get some information.
Turning across the street, Jaune's attention was grabbed by the blaring colors coming from the large sign of a store named 'From Dust till Dawn'. A local Dust store, if he recalled correctly.
Perfect. Maybe the person he was looking for frequented this place. It wouldn't hurt to ask the clerk if they knew anything.
Setting out for the store, his attention was soon grabbed as he thought he heard a commotion coming from inside, followed by the sound of crashing objects and pained yells.
'A fight broke out? Or somebody getting mugged?' Jaune thought, before pulling out his Greatsword from his back. He took a step forward, ready to enter and stop any would-be robbers, when the large glass window of the shop burst open, as the unconscious body of a stereotypically dressed goon flew out followed by a whirlwind of rose petals.
Jaune felt his heart stop beating as time froze to a standstill. The whirlwind of red rose petals coalesced into the form of a young girl a couple of years younger than him. Sporting a red and black combat skirt, a long red cap and hood, and a mechanical scythe that was as large as she, the girl gave a confident smirk as she gazed at the goons that soon burst forth from the shop entrance, her silver eyes glistening in the moonlight.
'I can't believe it… she's the one. She's really her daughter…'
Ruby Rose couldn't have been more excited for her sister when she heard the good news this morning!
Yang had been accepted into Beacon Academy! One of the most elite Huntsman academies across all of Remnant, and the very school that her mom, dad, and Uncle Qrow graduated from!
Oh, she was so happy for her sister! And yet, she couldn't help but feel a bit lonely and jealous at the same time.
She was a couple years younger than Yang, so it made sense that eventually Yang would be moving on to Beacon ahead of her, but she couldn't help but feel a little bit lonely from the news. Throughout most of her life, Yang had always been by her side, being the best big sister anyone could ask for, and she had stuck by her side all through her first year at Signal Academy.
Being the odd, quirky girl that she was, she was far more fascinated with making her beloved Crescent Rose and being the best Huntress ever than she was with making new friends like Yang had. Sure, it wasn't like she was a complete loner at Signal, having made a few friends of her own, but they weren't as close to her as Yang was to her.
Dad and Yang were quick to console her, with Yang in particular saying that she'd call her every day if need be, and stressing that she'd always come home for the holidays and eagerly wait for the say Ruby would enter Beacon. It was only 2 more years for her after all, and thanks to Uncle Qrow she was already leagues ahead of the rest of the students at Signal.
Yang would be heading to Beacon a few days from now, and Ruby had the idea of getting her sister a farewell present before she left. A few days ago, she found her sister outside of a shady bar that looked like it had a disagreement with a tornado. A blonde, fiery one to be precise. Well, Yang for some reason had trashed the place and was now all out of Dust for her gauntlets.
Might as well restock on Dust and maybe pick up some parts to modify Ember Cecilia as a farewell gift. And besides, the latest issue of her favorite weapons magazine just came out, and she was lucky enough to find it in this store! Strapping on her favorite headphones, she settled in for a good read as her favorite song blazed through her ears.
A sudden, rough tap on her shoulders drew her attention, as she gazed at the shady-looking guy who gestured to her headphones.
"Yes?" Ruby asked, as she took off her headphones.
"I said, put your hands in the air, now!" the stranger yelled.
Ruby felt a lightbulb pop up above her head. "Are you…robbing me?"
"Yes!" the stranger said, clearly pissed at her nonchalant attitude.
Welp, time to put Crescent Rose and Uncle Qrow's lessons to the test!
Ruby couldn't help but smirk as she grabbed her sheathed weapon and rammed it right into the robber's stomach, before twirling in the air and landing a kick on his chest, sending him flying across the store and landing painfully on a pile of scattered boxes.
Soon, another henchman rounded the corner and pulled out a firearm on her. Not wanting to start a firefight in a small store like this, she activated her Semblance and flew herself and the gunman straight through the window. Unveiling her Crescent Rose in its full form, she smiled and dug the blade of her scythe to the ground, taking aim at the suspected leader of the robbers, a man with orange-hair, white coat, and a black-and-red bowler hat, who ordered the henchmen to charge at her.
'Time to show these guys what you can do!' Ruby thought with glee, as she swung her body over the long handle of her scythe and landed a devastating kick to the face of one grunt, followed by her using the barrel on her scythe to rapidly swivel herself and her weapon, slamming and knocking out several more grunts and using her Semblance to dodge the hail of gunfire heading towards her.
"You were worth every cent, truly you were." The leader said sarcastically, watching the last of his men get pummeled to the ground. As much as he would have liked to take out his frustrations on the young girl, the commotion they caused had alerted almost everyone in the vicinity, and soon the police and other Huntsmen might arrive. He can always gather more Dust later, and soon there'll be a big prize.
"Well, Red, I think we can all say that it's been an eventful evening. And as much as I would love to stick around, I'm afraid that this is where we part ways." Putting out his cigar and aiming his cane towards the girl, he fired a flaming cannonball from the tip. Ruby twirled her scythe and prepared to jump and avoid the ball of fire careening her way.
Until someone suddenly threw themselves between her and the fireball, blocking the entire blast with his shield, as both of them were covered in smoke from the explosion.
Coughing, Ruby rubbed her eyes and tried to make sense of what was going on. Seeing the smoke clear, she could finally glance at the person who blocked the attack. He was covered in blue armor lined with soft leather decorated with several jewels, and inlaid with silver-steel that covered his arms and hands. He carried a large, bluish Greatsword, and on his left arm was a silver heater shield that remained miraculously intact even after taking the full brunt of the explosion. Having checked that he blocked the projectile, he turned around and Ruby saw that her savior was a young man, probably a year or two older than her, with blonde hair and blue eyes that gleamed with an oddly golden glow.
The knightly figure stared at her with awe and remorse, tears suddenly flowing down his face as he stared into her silver eyes.
Before she could thank him or even ask if he was okay, she quickly noticed the leader of the criminals climbing up a ladder leading up to the roof of an apartment building. Casting a quick parting glance at the young man, she activated her Semblance, bursting into petals and flying up the ladder. Landing on the roof, she spotted him climbing into a Bullhead before turning around and pulling out a red Dust crystal.
"End of the line, Red!" The criminal shouted, as he tossed the crystal at Ruby's feet before pulling out his cane-cannon, preparing to fire once again.
Right before he could pull the trigger, a small ethereal blue dagger flew straight towards him, impaling his hand and forcing him to drop his cane. As he loudly cursed while holding his bleeding hand, Ruby turned around and saw the same knight from before holding up his scepter in the air with a look of cold fury on him. Grabbing the scepter with both hands, he thrust it downwards and a large, purple sigil briefly appeared before several purple orbs spawned near his feet and suddenly flew towards the rising Bullhead. Each little purple orb buffeted the ship, leaving several large dents in the ship's hull and somehow pulling it closer to the two.
As the criminal, Roman Torchwick, stumbled and made his way to the pilot seat, he called out to the lone pilot as he began bandaging up his wounded hand.
"We got a Huntsman over there! Deal with him!" he shouted as the pilot left for the side of the Bullhead. Roman cursed as he manned the Bullhead, grabbing the wheel with his injured hand. "Dammit, how did that punk get me to bleed? I had my Aura activated the whole time!"
Making her way to the side of the Bullhead, the female pilot readied herself, bathing her arms in flames as she hurled a large fireball at the knight below. Although expecting some kind of defense, she was shocked to see her fireball dissipate into nothing as the knight bashed the fireball away with his silver shield, transforming it into 3 more of those floating blue daggers that once again flew towards her. Destroying them with more fireballs of her own, she braced herself as the knight held his scepter aloft, charging more blue energy at the tip before thrusting it forward, a massive blue cannonball flying out of the end and careening towards them.
Charging her arms with fire once again, she hurled a large fireball herself at the incoming projectile, the two colliding together and causing a massive explosion that made the Bullhead begin to careen out of control.
The mysterious female cursed silently as she held onto the ship door while Roman struggled to stabilize the Bullhead. Whoever this knight was, he was stronger than she anticipated, and if she spent too much time here, she would only be stalling until other Huntsmen and the police showed up. Noticing the lone silver-eyed girl hanging behind the knight, stunned by his unique abilities, she used her abilities to form several flaming sigils all around the two.
The knight, noticing the building energy within each, immediately grabbed Ruby by her waist and dived away before the sigils exploded. Ruby, jolted back into action by the explosions, noticed the Bullhead start to leave and switched her scythe to its sniper form, shooting multiple times at the unknown pyromancer, who simply blocked each bullet with her hand. The knight charged up his scepter once again and launched yet another blue fireball at the ship, which dodged it in time, leaving its trajectory unknown as it crashed farther away down the street and resulted in another massive explosion.
As the Bullhead started to make its way out of the area, the female warrior couldn't help but grimace at the surprising difficulty she had in driving off the knight and silver-eyed warrior.
'Whoever that knight was, his abilities were no fluke.' The unknown woman thought. 'Something's not right, those attacks he used were easily a match for the Maiden's powers, and he could bat away all my attacks without blinking an eye. Whatever it is he's doing, it's definitely not the work of some Semblance. Did that fool Ozpin have something to do with this?'
The woman sighed, before deciding to shelve the matter for later. 'No matter. Regardless of whatever new pawn he has, he and all the others will fall in time. Soon, I'll figure out where he kept the Fall Maiden, and when I claim the rest of her power, Vale will fall all the same.'
Ruby slowed her breathing as she saw the Bullhead shrink and eventually disappear in the night sky as it flew away. Part of her felt disappointed that she wasn't able to catch the criminal, but at least he wasn't able to escape with any stolen Dust. There have already been too many Dust robberies around Vale, and the rest that remained were now being sold at triple the normal prices.
But that was a matter for another time. Looking to her left, she stared at the blonde knight as he frowned at retreating Bullhead before turning to her.
"Are you okay?" the knight asked, his eyes frantically scanning her figure for any injuries.
"Don't worry, I'm fine, but forget about me! Ohmygosh, what on Remnant was that!? That was SO COOL! It was like something right out of my comic books! Oh, was that your Semblance you just used!? Or wait, did that weird staff you have use some brand new kind of Dust!? NO WAY! ARE YOU A HUNTSMAN!? CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH!? PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE WITH A STRAWBERRY ON TOP!?" Ruby said with barely restrained joy.
The knight was taken aback by her enthusiasm, clearly not prepared for her actual response. But before he could even answer her question, another woman, much older than the two of them (well, appearance-wise at least) jumped up and landed across from them,
The knight immediately raised his Greatsword straight at the other woman, quickly stepping in front of Ruby and raising his shield up protectively.
"You can put aside your weapons, I mean you two no harm." the woman replied, lowering her riding crop. "My name is Glynda Goodwitch, a Huntress from Beacon. However, you two are in a lot of trouble right now. If you don't want to land yourself in even more of it, I suggest you come with me immediately."
The knight looked behind him towards her as he raised his own eyebrow, asking the silent question of whether to listen to the blonde witch or not. Ruby didn't feel like getting into more trouble than she's already in, so with a heavy heart she nodded in agreement.
Jaune expected a great many things when he woke up on the surface of Remnant once more.
He expected that he would probably find the girl he was searching for, check to see if she was okay, return what was rightfully hers, and maybe even return home to check up on his parents and family.
Landing himself in jail was not one of them.
After saving Ruby from that criminal, both of them were escorted to Vale County Jail, where they sat in a dark room illuminated by a single lamp on the ceiling. Their belongings were quickly confiscated, and had he not wanted Ruby to land into further trouble, he'd have easily freed them and beaten up anyone who wanted to turn them in.
It was beyond stupid, how they somehow ended up in jail for stopping someone from robbing a Dust shop. What were the two of them supposed to do? Just stand there and let it happen? That Glynda lady certainly took her sweet time getting there.
A soft, pitiful moan escaped Ruby's lips, and Jaune felt his heart break seeing the downcast expression on her face. She had performed admirably, fighting off those crooks by herself and stopping them from making off with the stolen Dust. Had he been the Shopkeep he would have given the girl a rib-cracking hug and a lifetime discount on Dust. It was clear that getting arrested wasn't on her bingo-card tonight.
He reached out and gently squeezed Ruby's hand in a comforting fashion.
"Hey, don't worry too much. If worst comes to worst, I'll just say it was my fault you got dragged into this mess in the first place." Jaune replied calmly.
"No, don't say that! I'd feel bad that you got in trouble for my sake! And besides, I did kinda smash the shopkeeper's windows." Ruby said shyly.
Jaune shook his head. "He can pay for another window easily, but he can't pay back the damages from all the stolen Dust. The same stuff that you stopped those guys from making off with. What you did was incredible, and don't let anyone convince you otherwise."
Ruby flushed a brilliant red as she took in the unexpected praise.
"We never really introduced ourselves, didn't we?" Jaune replied. "Name's Jaune. Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, and the ladies love it." He decided to include the cringeworthy add-on as a way to lighten the mood, and thankfully it worked, Ruby stifling her giggles as she shook his hand.
"Ruby Rose, and did anyone ever tell you that that was a really bad pick-up line?" she replied.
Jaune rolled his eyes playfully. "Oh, I agree. And for the longest time I thought that line was pretty good. But hey, at least it helped cheer you up."
Their conversation was interrupted by the door opening, revealing the same stern Huntress from before. She frowned at their interlocked hands, making Ruby let out a quiet 'eep!' as she withdrew her hand, causing Jaune to frown slightly.
"I hope you two realize that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly. You put yourselves and others in great danger." Glynda said, her eyes switching from between her Scroll and the two of them as she paced around the table.
"They started it!" Ruby retorted, before quickly shrinking back as Glynda glared at her.
"Hey, that's a bit unfair. Ruby was just doing what anyone else would have done." Jaune retorted, glaring back at the Huntress and not even flinching as her glare focused on him. "Sure, we weren't able to catch the leader of the robbers, but we stopped a robbery in the process. Besides, you certainly took your sweet time getting there."
"Don't get me started there, young man!" Glynda retorted. "While it is true that I wasn't able to get there in time, I would also like to remind you that your reckless use of your… cannonball, caused an explosion in the next street that left a crater in the middle of the road! Consider yourself lucky that that street was completely empty of all civilians before it was destroyed, otherwise you would have been legitimately arrested and tried for gross negligence, harm to civilians, and wanton destruction of public property." Glynda remarked, giving a disappointed glance at the knight, who didn't seem even a little bit affected by her remark.
"Even if that were true, Ruby here wasn't involved in any of that. All she did was just stop those crooks from hurting the shopkeeper. Everything else is on me." Jaune retorted, causing Glynda to raise her eyebrow.
Before she could reply, the door opened once more and a man with gray hair and glasses arrived inside, carrying a tray of chocolate-chip cookies and a cup of steaming coffee. He gave both Ruby and Jaune an amused yet calculating glance, before fixing his attention entirely on Ruby.
"Ruby Rose. You… have silver eyes." He said as he leaned forward and gazed at her eyes. Jaune tensed up, ready to intervene if necessary, but the older man in front of Ruby leaned back and placed the plate of cookies in front of them.
"So. Where did you learn to do this?" the man remarked as he gestured to Glynda's Scroll. On it was video footage showing Ruby's fight between her and the robbers.
"Uhm… Signal Academy?"
"Really? They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapon combinations ever designed?"
"Well… one teacher in particular." Ruby finished as she timidly gazed down, becoming more uncomfortable with the newest batch of questions. Seeing her growing reluctance, the gentleman pushed the tray of cookies towards her. Once she took one and bit into it, her timid nature seemed to pass away in an instant, and soon she started swallowing cookie after cookie in rapid succession. Jaune could only raise his eyebrows at the speed and energy she devoured those sweets in.
"My apologies. It's just that I've seen only one other person before using that weapon combination and fighting style before. A dusty old crow…"
"Oh, that's my uncle Qrow! He was a teacher at Signal! I used to be complete garbage before he trained me, and now I can do all these cool things with my baby, Crescent Rose!" Ruby exclaimed as she finished the entire tray of cookies in a matter of seconds.
The man couldn't help but chuckle at her energetic remarks. "So I've noticed. And what is an adorable young girl such as yourself doing in a school designed to train warriors?"
"I want to be a Huntress."
"You want to slay monsters?"
"Yeah. I only have 2 years left at Signal, and my sister is starting at Beacon in a few days! She wants to be a Huntress, I want to be a Huntress, and my parents always said to help other people, so I thought, why not make a career out of it? And being a Huntress sounds so romantic, cool, and exciting and yeah!" Ruby exclaimed with happiness practically oozing out of her. Glynda merely gave her a disappointed look, clearly unimpressed by her less-than-mature reason for being a Huntress, while the spectacled gentleman only gave a polite and calm nod, and Jaune gave a slight smile at her joyful expression. A smile that slowly faded away as she started to gaze at her knees.
"And also… to make my mom proud."
Glynda and the man both raised their eyebrows, whereas Jaune's eyes shot wide open at her last sentence. Something that the man noticed but shelved into his mind for a later discussion.
"Your mother?"
"Yeah, my mom Summer. She… disappeared when I was a little kid, and hasn't come back since. Dad said she died during a mission, and I always wanted to be just like her! My dad, uncle, and sister always said that she was an amazing Huntress, one of the best out there, and I wanted to become a Huntress as amazing as her! And maybe… find out what happened to her."
Jaune began to cast his gaze to the floor, unable to look at Ruby anymore. The man gave a slight smile and tilted his head back to gaze at the ceiling in quiet remembrance.
"Ah yes, Summer Rose. Leader of Team STRQ, one of the most accomplished and legendary Huntsman teams ever to graduate from Beacon."
"Wait, you knew my mother?" Ruby's eyes widened.
"Of course, don't you know who I am?"
"Yeah, you're Professor Ozpin, Headmaster at Beacon!"
"So, miss Rose. Would you like to come to my school?" Ozpin asked as he leaned forward toward Ruby.
Jaune's eyes widened. The headmaster of Beacon, letting Ruby into his school just like that!? 2 years early!?
Well, if it was that easy to get into Beacon, then maybe he wouldn't have needed to bother with fake transcripts at all…
Ruby was beyond ecstatic by his words. "More than anything in the world!"
Sharing a quick knowing glance at Glynda, who could only roll her eyes in disbelief, Ozpin nodded towards Ruby. "Very well. You're in. It is my privilege to welcome you to Beacon Academy. I'll personally send notice to Signal Academy, and handle all the paperwork needed to bump you to Beacon's first year. Congratulations, young lady."
As Ruby's eyes widened in happiness, Ozpin finally casted his eyes toward Jaune, who had remained mostly quiet throughout the conversation.
"I apologize, I didn't mean to ignore you for so long. You are Jaune Arc, yes?"
Jaune only gave a cautionary nod.
Ozpin let out a small laugh. "Please don't misunderstand, you aren't in trouble. I just remembered, you're also an incoming freshman, aren't you? I was watching the surveillance footage with Glynda, and couldn't help but be impressed by your capabilities. Had Miss Rose not been in danger, I'm sure you would have taken down the Bullhead by yourself. I wonder, was that the work of your Semblance?"
Jaune frowned. "Why do you ask?"
Ozpin raised his hands placatingly. "My apologies, I didn't mean to pry into your affairs. It's just that as Headmaster of Beacon, I encountered many different kinds of Semblances in my line of work, and I was fascinated by yours. The only one I could think of that was similar to yours was the Schnee Semblance."
"The Schnee Semblance? Who's Schnee?"
Ozpin, Glynda, and even Ruby raised an eyebrow at his words. "Schnee? As in, the Schnee Dust Company? The single company that provides the overwhelming majority of Dust used all across Remnant?" Glynda answered skeptically.
"Never heard of it." Jaune replied candidly, though a part of him felt that he had shot himself in the foot by being that honest.
"You don't get around too much, do you Mister Arc?" Ozpin asked with a slight bit of humor in his eyes.
"I live out in the boonies." Jaune said, lying through his teeth.
"Is that so? Well then, I'm looking forward to seeing you both at Beacon in the following days. I have a feeling you two will make waves." Ozpin stood up and walked to the door. "Rest assured, neither of you are in trouble. And once again, welcome to Beacon Academy."
Ruby let out a sigh of relief, one that was soon joined by Jaune's as they relaxed in their chairs, before turning to each other and laughing at their good fortune.
"I can practically feel your eyes glaring at the back of my head, Glynda." Ozpin stated as the two of them left the police station and made their way to their Bullhead to transport them back to Beacon. "What seems to be the problem?"
"The problem, Professor Ozpin, is that I believe it was a mistake to admit Miss Rose this early into Beacon. She's only 15, and has 2 years worth of classes at Signal to make up for when she arrives. She's too young, and I fear she lacks the maturity and level-headedness that Huntsmen and Huntresses need in this field." Glynda made it perfectly clear what her thoughts were on Ruby Rose, and though Ozpin could see where she was coming from, he felt that the girl was more than ready to tackle the challenges ahead. He knew Qrow, and he knew that Qrow had taught his niece well. By his standards, she was overqualified for anything Signal could offer her at this point.
"And do you really believe this is a good idea to bring Miss Rose in so soon? She will no doubt become a new target due to her silver eyes, and we don't know of any other Silver-Eyed Warriors out there, Professor. I wouldn't be surprised if Miss Rose turns out to be the last of her kind, and if she dies then the Silver-Eyed line is gone forever. There will be no one else able to stop her. The Grimm Reaper has been out of action for decades, Summer Rose died a decade ago, and now you're sending her daughter out onto the battlefield."
Ozpin could only sigh in resignation. "It's because she has silver eyes, that she must be introduced to these challenges sooner than later. At least she can be safe at Beacon and train to become an accomplished Huntress with a team to protect her. Even if I didn't offer her a spot at Beacon, she will no doubt still be a target, and as much as I trust Tai, he cannot protect her forever. Like it or not, she is a part of this war now, and it's best to prepare her for it. You can see that Qrow had taught her well. I'm sure she will shine during her time with us."
"And what are your thoughts on Jaune Arc?" Ozpin asked as he turned to Glynda. "You were clearly unamused by Miss Rose's acceptance, but you seemed particularly raddled by the footage of Mr. Arc."
"I don't trust him, Professor." Glynda replied bluntly. "I've seen my fair share of Semblances over the years, and there is absolutely no one on Remnant who shares any similar Semblance to his. Have you not seen its destructive capabilities? I doubt even Winter Schnee could pull off something of that power. In addition, he is clearly hiding something. He may have acted all nonchalant when answering our questions, but even a monkey could tell he wasn't telling us everything. Do you not find that at all suspicious? Especially with the recent state of Miss Amber?"
"I do, and that is one of the reasons I didn't try to question him further." Ozpin could tell almost instantly that Mr. Arc was hiding something. Being as old as he was and having experienced nearly every possible human life that he could, Ozpin could see from a glance that Jaune kept a lot of secrets and peculiarities. For one, both the video footage and the conversation at the police station showed that Jaune was very protective of Ruby Rose.
Oddly enough, he had a peculiar reaction to hearing Summer Rose's name. Ozpin briefly wondered if he had ever encountered Summer Rose in the past, but quickly discarded the idea. Jaune Arc seemed to be only a couple years older than Ruby, and Summer Rose disappeared over a decade ago. Even if he had met Summer in the past, it was most likely that she had met him for only a brief period, and as a child.
And he doubted Summer was still alive. She had gone on a dangerous mission all by herself to the Grimmlands, with neither Qrow nor himself knowing why or how. When Qrow went to try and find her, all he found were bloody scraps of her once pristine signature white cloak. Knowing the long string of deaths of various Silver-Eyed Warriors over the years, and certain that she was likely involved in what happened, Ozpin and Qrow could only conclude that Summer was indeed killed.
"Do you think that Mr. Arc is potentially involved in what happened to Amber? Do you think he-" Glynda said, bringing Ozpin back from his thoughts. While he did entertain the idea, the evidence just didn't seem to add up.
"…No, I don't think Mr. Arc was involved in the attack on Amber, and neither do I think that he was the thief behind the loss of some of the Fall Maiden's powers. The power of the Maidens can only be passed from one female to another, and if he was against us, he would have had plenty of opportunities to kill Miss Rose before we arrived."
Of course, there existed another potential possibility, and one that filled him with dread, but that train of thought was quickly discarded. She never seemed the type to share her powers with anybody else, unlike himself.
"However, I still would like for Mr. Arc to be kept on watch just in case. If he's not aligned with the group who attacked Amber, then we will have welcomed a formidable future Huntsman into our ranks. If he was involved, then where better to catch him in the act, when he's right under our noses? Amber is safe with us, and our enemies know that too. I imagine that their next step will be to infiltrate Beacon in some manner. That is why I've called Qrow and let him know to return as soon as he can."
"You're really calling Qrow back for this? Do you really think he can keep watch on Mr. Arc, protect Miss Rose, and watch over Amber at the same time?"
"Whatever you think of his drinking habits, Qrow is still one of the most accomplished Huntsman in Remnant, and has never failed us even to this day, Glynda. And besides, now that his protégé and niece are coming to Beacon, that should be sufficient motivation for him to keep up the good work, don't you think?"
Ruby couldn't stop smiling, even as both her and Jaune made their way from the police station to the docks. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she would be accepted to Beacon so fast! Oh, her friends back at Signal would be so jealous! And she would get to be with Yang again as classmates! She couldn't wait to finally get to Beacon, reunite with Yang, see all the amazing weapons everyone uses, and finally accomplish her dream of becoming a Huntress!
"Oh man, I'm soooo excited! I can't believe this is actually happening!" She was so ecstatic that she could barely stop herself from bouncing around.
"Congratulations, Ruby. You earned it." Jaune said cordially, feeling happy himself as he saw Ruby bounce on her feet with joy. "I'm sure you'll do fantastic over there."
"And so will you! I mean, did you see what you did back there on the roof!? Shooting all those blue fireballs and purple-looking orbs! You even turned that fireball into a bunch of daggers! How!?"
He couldn't help but chuckle seeing her awestruck expression. It had been a very long time since anyone looked up to him in such a manner. "I guess you could say it's my Semblance. Please keep it a secret between us for now, alright? And besides, if anyone deserves praise, it's definitely you. I saw how you handled all those guys back there. You're really something, you know that?"
Ruby couldn't help but blush at the lavish praise Jaune gave her. "Aw, thanks! But honestly, the real star tonight during that robbery was my baby, Crescent Rose!" Ruby said as she unfurled her weapon to its scythe form, twirling it around and slamming it to the ground. Jaune couldn't help but jump back at the speed and ease she twirled her admittedly large weapon around.
"It's also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle!"
"A what?"
"It's also a gun." Ruby smiled as she reloaded her weapon.
With the initial shock out of the way, Jaune spent a few moments gazing at the large scythe Ruby easily hoisted onto her shoulders. While he would easily admit that he was still a complete novice when it came to transforming weapons, he could still admire the craftsmanship of Crescent Rose. The entire weapon gleamed without a single speck of dirt or dust on it, the scythe transformed without any odd squeaking noise, and each part looked like it was handcrafted by an exceptionally talented blacksmith. Whoever built Crescent Rose clearly put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into forging it, and the passion put into its creation was apparent even to him.
"Amazing. If only I was as talented as you."
"Aw, stop it! You're just making me blush more!" Ruby chided, her cheeks still a healthy pink. "What about your weapons?"
"Take a look." He pulled out his Greatsword from his back and presented it to her. Ruby let out an 'Ooo!' as she ran her hand across the blade, amazed at how cold it felt on her fingertips.
"Does it transform into anything?"
"Not quite, at least not the same way as Crescent Rose. Watch this."
He raised the sword straight into the air and concentrated. Ruby's eyes then nearly bulged out of her head as the sword suddenly glowed a brilliant bluish-white, the blade suddenly engulfed in an icy aura.
"SO COOL! Did you infuse it with Ice Dust!?"
"...Something like that. And that's not the only thing it can do." He then turned to the side and swung the blade. Ruby's eyes then widened again as a shining arc of ice and energy flew out of the blade, before crashing into a nearby tree and freezing it solid. The tree held firm for a few seconds before rapidly disintegrating into thousands of pieces.
"And I got this shield and staff," Jaune said, chuckling quietly at Ruby's thunderstruck expression. The shield shone with a brilliant silver hue, and was covered in elaborate carvings with a blue gem embedded in the middle. The scepter was also around a meter in length, with the top section covered by a large blue crystal and surrounded by metal that twirled around the top. Each one of these items were all intricately designed and Ruby could tell that these were all made by a master craftsman like herself.
"That's awesome! Did you make these yourself!?"
He shook his head. "No, these were… gifted to me. Though I do have to thank a certain Blacksmith for making these as strong as they are. Without him, these things wouldn't do nearly half as much damage as they do now."
"Wow! Do you think you can introduce me to him? I'd love to know how he made all these things so OP!"
"..."
Ruby's face fell as she noticed Jaune remaining uncharacteristically silent. "J-Jaune?"
"...Anyways, what are your plans for the next few days? You gonna be celebrating for the next few days?" Jaune replied, pretending as if the previous conversation didn't happen.
Ruby decided to drop the subject, having a funny feeling as to why he remained silent. "Y-yeah! My sister and I are gonna be classmates soon, and I know Dad's gonna be a little bit lonely at home by himself, so we're probably gonna be spending some time together. There's a bunch of stuff we can do back at Patch, and then it's off to Beacon! What about you?"
"Hmm, to be honest, part of me felt like I didn't really want to go to Beacon anymore."
Ruby gasped. "What, why!?"
Jaune shrugged, the response surprising even him. "I dunno. Once upon a time, I would have been over the moon about it, but now? Now it just feels… like it's another small step in a journey I've started long ago. Just another set of chores to do until I find my real purpose."
Heh, to think that he would say this after having spent so much hard earned cash and dignity on getting fake transcripts. But after his time in the Lands Between, these old anxieties now felt so small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
Why did he even want to go to Beacon in the first place? Was this due to his family history? To want to be like his father and forefathers?
For glory? To be remembered as a legend like all other Arcs?
Or was it to just get out of that small village of Ansel that he grew up in? Away from the chaos that was his home, surrounded by so many annoying sisters and an overprotective mom?
Well, if he really wanted to be a hero, then he could kiss those dreams goodbye. For all the renown that came with becoming Elden Lord, he never once felt like a hero. Certainly not some champion who brought peace by ending a long drawn-out war.
Only the poor fool who put down people who've long since lost their minds.
And if he wanted glory and prestige on the battlefield, then he had surpassed his ancestors by a landslide. After all, the most his ancestors did was win wars and defeat Grimm.
He had gone and killed a God.
He no longer needed to prove himself to anyone, least of all his family. He had seen enough 'glory' for a lifetime, and had done what he needed to do as a Tarnished.
There really was no need for him to go to Beacon at all.
He could just as easily turn down Ozpin's invitation and withdraw. Return to his family who would welcome him back, and maybe tease him every now and then for not making it in.
And honestly? He wouldn't mind in the slightest. Silly things like that don't affect him anymore.
Jaune never realized just how much he missed his old life until he regained most of his memories. For all the grief his family puts on him, he still missed them immensely. And looking back on things, his father had ultimately been right in saying how underprepared he was for Beacon.
He had never gone through any combat training, never tried seeking for an apprenticeship when his father refused, and never tried applying to Signal or even doing the bare minimum and self-training himself.
He really was a deluded fool.
So what was stopping him from turning down the invitation, potentially relieving himself of the anxiety concerning his fake transcripts, and returning home?
A single glance at Ruby revealed why.
"But you know what? Since you're going to Beacon, might as well throw my helmet into the ring. I'd feel bad letting my friend go all by herself."
Ruby's eyes widened. "You really think I'm a friend?"
Jaune smiled somberly. "Of course. After all, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."
He then felt tiny arms wrap tightly around his stomach. "Oh, I'm so glad you're coming to Beacon with me! The last thing I want is for people to think I'm the bee's knees!"
Jaune returned the hug. "Don't worry. I won't let you down again."
'Again?'
"Oh, by the way, where are you heading to? I'm actually taking the ship to Patch." Ruby realized as Jaune followed her onto the boat.
"I actually have some business in Patch as well." Jaune replied. "I need to… visit a friend."
"Oh, if you need a guide then leave it to me!" Ruby pumped her chest proudly. "I can show you around if you want. Oh, maybe I can introduce you to Dad and Yang! You did rescue me back there."
"No need. Besides, it'd probably be a bad idea to introduce me like that. Might give your Dad and sister the wrong idea. And trust me, it's always unpleasant when that happens."
Ruby rolled her eyes, no doubt thinking of how Yang would tease her and how Dad would give Jaune the stink-eye like he always does for any boy or girl Yang dated.
The two continued to talk back and forth as the ship set out from Vale, before eventually reaching Patch. After a lengthy walk back, Ruby finally bade farewell to Jaune as she stood in front of her house.
Jaune waved back as Ruby finally passed through the front door before getting pulled in by a set of arms inside. He could have sworn that the arms belonged to her older sister Yang, who stepped outside and tried to take a peek at him from the door. Thankfully, he was already out of sight by the time she poked her head out.
When he was sure he was out of eyesight, Jaune let out a heavy sigh before reaching into his bag.
He had to return to Ruby what was rightfully hers.
The Next Day…
Ruby let out a sleepy yawn, still feeling tired from yesterday's events. Just as she suspected, Yang and Dad both learned of what happened from Professor Ozpin himself, and the moment she walked through the door she was bombarded with questions from her family. It had been a chaotic evening, especially after Yang started teasing her for being rescued by a literal 'knight in shining armor', but it was more than worth it to see the looks on their faces when she told them she was accepted to Beacon early.
And with this week being a vacation week for everyone, she and her sister had so many plans! They could hang out at the arcade, go to the amusement park, catch up with their friends, call Uncle Qrow if he's around and invite him to celebrate, and even have a nice barbeque with Dad!
This week was gonna be amazing!
Rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes, she dashed to the bathroom and brushed her teeth before heading down to the kitchen, where her sister and father were already sitting and eating.
"Morning, little Rosebud!"
"Morning, Rubes! Ready to celebrate like there's no tomorrow?" Yang said happily. To her side Zwei was jumping back and forth with joy, already excited for the week.
"You bet! We're gonna party like crazy!"
"Easy there, you two." Tai said jokingly, placing some pancakes in front of the girls. "I know you two are excited to go to Beacon, but just be careful out there, okay? I've heard there's been a lot of robberies recently, and the last thing I want is for you two to get hurt out there. Or in your guys' case, destroying public property. Don't think I don't know about Junior's bar, Firecracker."
Ruby laughed as Yang's face turned pale. "At least I saved someone!"
"S-shut up!"
"Well, if you two are aware of that, then just be careful out there. Yang, do you mind grabbing the mail for me?"
"Sure!" Yang stood up as Ruby quickly scarfed down her breakfast before heading upstairs to get dressed. After a quick shower and change of clothes, she raced downstairs and found herself puzzled, as Yang and her dad were huddled around something at the kitchen table.
"What's going on?" Ruby asked.
Yang looked up and gave her an inquisitive glance. "Um, did you order something from the mail again?"
"What, no? I didn't order anything online. What happened?"
"Well, there was a package on our doorstep this morning. And it's addressed to you."
"?"
Ruby walked to the table where, as Yang said, a large, brown package lay unopened with a small envelope on top labeled 'To Ruby Rose' in elegant writing.
"Uh, should I open it?" Ruby asked, puzzled as to why there was a package addressed to her.
"Maybe you should read the envelope first, before opening up the package just in case." Tai said.
"Sure it's safe for her to open it?"
"Probably something from Ozpin or one of her friends. Besides, I'm here, and Zwei hasn't noticed anything unusual about it."
Ruby reached out and opened the envelope, revealing a lengthy letter from an unknown correspondent as she read the contents aloud.
To Ruby Rose,
Your mother, Summer, left these in my possession before she passed away, and now it's time for them to be returned to you.
I wish I could say more regarding your mother, but some things just can't be said through a letter. At least know that your mother thought the world of you, your sister, and her husband, and wanted nothing more than to return to you all. Had there been anything in my power to save her, I would have done so in a heartbeat. I would have defied the Gods, risked life and limb, and even driven back Death itself to bring her back, but the only thing I can do now is lament my own powerlessness, and return to you what is rightfully yours.
I wish I could have given these to you sooner, but certain circumstances made it difficult for me to find you all these years. I know you still have questions, but I'm not at liberty to answer them.
All I can do is wish you well, and all the luck in the world as you venture on through your life. At least, with these in hand you will have something of your mother's by your side. And should we cross paths, I will do everything I can to keep you safe.
And so, I return to you your mother's cloak, fixed by the best tailor this world could ever know, and her weapon, Sundered Rose.
May it forever protect you from harm, and smite all enemies in your path. I know it will never let you down should you choose to wield it.
After all, it is the weapon that killed a God. And no, I'm not exaggerating or joking.
Best wishes,
Summer's Apprentice
P.S. Do be careful with Sundered Rose. I made some modifications to it to make it even stronger than it was previously. Its blade can cut right through Aura, so be cautious.
The entire room was permeated in an uncomfortable silence as Ruby finished reading the letter. Even Zwei remained still, not even letting out a single bark.
Ruby didn't know what to think, or even say. Though she was very young when her mother passed away, she always felt a sense of loss at never spending more time with her mother, only hearing about her from Yang and Tai's stories.
And now? Now she received a package from someone claiming to be Summer's apprentice, here to return her things? She couldn't believe it, and yet how did this stranger know about her mother? About the name of her weapon?
To her side, Yang and Tai also were deeply disturbed. Summer's death still left a gaping hole in their hearts, and not a day went by where they didn't feel affected in some way by her passing. Yang wouldn't be spending so much of her time and energy looking for Raven if she had Summer as a mother again, and Tai felt the deep sense of loss that came with losing someone who was both his best friend, partner, and love of his life. Summer had crept into his life and brightened it up after Raven left him, and her death still left its wounds on his soul.
But another part of him felt wary about this package. It felt strange, how today of all days someone had decided to return Summer's things to them, so soon after Ruby was granted acceptance to Beacon. And Qrow said that the only thing he found of Summer were pieces of her cloak, found in a bloody pile.
And since when did Summer ever have an apprentice? She hardly ever had the time for something like that, always being busy traveling the world, hunting Grimm, and doing missions for Ozpin while he played the stay-at-home Dad. Summer wouldn't have kept something like this from him, especially something as important as having an apprentice.
Who even was this person? And how did they get their hands on Summer's things?
"Uh, should I open it, then?" Ruby asked hesitantly, bringing Tai out of his thoughts.
"Let me open it first. I just want to make sure this isn't some kind of prank or worse. And if it is a prank, then whoever sent this is gonna get a piece of my mind." Tai muttered darkly, before carefully and slowly opening the package.
With most of the covering torn off, Tai gently opened the package by a sliver and let out a gasp.
""Dad!?""
"Nono, it's okay!" He quickly stated. "I was just… surprised. But, whoever this guy or girl is, they weren't lying at all. Take a look."
Tai fully opened the package and reached inside, pulling out a long, stark white cloak from the inside.
"Woah…"
Ruby couldn't help but gasp in wonder as her mother's cloak unfurled in front of her eyes. It was an almost exact match as hers aside from the color, and it was beautifully tailored, shining with a pure white glow that almost seemed to dull the surroundings.
"This really is her cloak…" Tai muttered in awe, before carefully handing it to Yang and Ruby. "And this is… no way."
He reached to the bottom of the package and pulled out an achingly familiar axe.
Ruby's eyes widened. "Is that?"
"Yeah. This is Sundered Rose. Your mother's weapon."
Sundered Rose was a long, wooden-colored axe that reached about half her height, with gold trimmings along the stalk, grip, trigger, and blade. At the bottom of the axe was a barrel, and nestled below the head of the axe was a trigger, showing that Sundered Rose could transform into a rifle.
Eerily enough, when Tai raised the axe to the light, the trio gasped as they heard the weapon shudder and vibrate with each movement, distorting the space around it. When Tai later placed the axe onto the table, everyone soon jumped in surprise as a single, red arc of lightning raced across the blade, the entire weapon brimming with energy.
"Summer's weapon couldn't have done that. Was this the 'modification' her apprentice mentioned?" Tai wondered. When an arc of lightning raced down the stalk and through his arm, he accidentally dropped it, and the family watched as the blade fell before sinking right through the concrete on the floor.
"Holy shit…" Yang let out, forgetting to not curse in front of her father as they saw just how cleanly it cut right through the floor. "It just sliced through like butter."
Ruby hesitantly reached down and gripped the handle before tugging, soon finding herself surprised as the axe easily slipped from the cut it made into the floor due to its sharpness. She moved the axe back and forth in her arms, still in awe at the vibrations it made through the air, as if space and time were being distorted by the blade itself.
She then found a switch near the head of the axe and watched with awe as it quickly transformed into an automatic rifle in her arms.
"There's no doubt about it. It really is Sundered Rose. It even has your mother's initials on the butt of the rifle." Tai gestured.
Ruby felt herself tear up as she realized what she had in her hands.
This was her mother's trusted weapon. Her mother's cloak was here.
"But how?!" Yang yelled. "How did this show up here after all these years!? And who is this guy who says they're mom's apprentice!? She never took one, right?"
"Not to my knowledge, though she did have her secrets." Tai answered, feeling a little lightheaded seeing his love's most prized possessions returned to them. "I… I need to make some phone calls. Please be careful with it, Ruby. The letter said it was really sharp."
As Tai went to grab his Scroll to call Qrow and Ozpin, Ruby and Yang sat on the couch, slowly admiring Summer's cloak and weapon.
"It's incredible…" Yang admitted, watching as tiny streaks of red and yellow lightning continued to travel through the blade after Ruby returned it to its axe form. "What do you think, Rubes?"
"It's beautiful." Ruby may have considered Crescent Rose her darling baby, but even she could admit that Sundered Rose just blew it out of the water in every shape and form.
Whoever had modified it to make it so strong and sharp, and to even have lightning course through it, was a true master smith. Ruby couldn't even begin to fathom what her mother's apprentice could have done to make it so powerful.
And seeing it up close and personal, running her thumb over her mother's initials, she truly felt like she was having her mother by her side.
"Will you be using it?"
Ruby was jolted from her thoughts as Yang turned to her with a concerned look. "Huh?"
"Sundered Rose? Will you be taking it with you to Beacon? Whoever this 'apprentice' was, they wanted you to have it. And besides, just look at it! I know that thing can slice up Grimm like a hot knife to butter. You'd do wonders with it."
"I… I dunno." Ruby admitted. "I mean, I already have Crescent Rose, and shouldn't I leave this with Dad? What about you?"
"Me? Rubes, I'm good with my fists, not with other stuff like Crescent Rose. I'd be having trouble trying to adjust. Besides, I'm all good with Ember Cecelia. Dad also uses his fists like me, and he's just teaching nowadays. He wouldn't really be using it for much, and I doubt he'd be fine with just hanging it over the fireplace. But it would fit your style really well, wouldn't it? It's almost the same as Crescent Rose, just a little smaller. And you'd be having Mom by your side all the time. Just give it some thought."
Ruby nodded, her eyes still roaming the axe, all while she tightly clenched the silver rose emblem in her hand.
A Few Days Later…
Ruby quietly strode through the grassy backyard until she reached the cliff overlooking the entire forest.
At the very edge lay a carefully maintained grave, with the words "Summer Rose. Thus Kindly I Scatter" imprinted on the stone. Carefully placing the roses on top of the grave, Ruby cleared her throat.
"Hey Mom. It's been a while since I spoke to you. Well, to be fair, a lot of stuff's happened. Yang graduated from Signal a couple of weeks ago, and get this, I got accepted to Beacon too! I know, you're probably wondering how that happened, and well, I helped stop a robbery, fought off a criminal, and somehow got into Jail. No, not like that! But Professor Ozpin stopped by, and he said I could join early! So now I can go with Yang!
Oh, and also I met this super cool guy a few days ago! He was like this knight in shining armor just like from our storybooks, and he has this really cool sword and Semblance! He actually saved me that night when I fought off the criminal, and he's also going to Beacon with me! I wish I could introduce you to him, he seems really nice!
And also, a few days ago somebody left a package at our doorstep. And get this, it actually had your stuff in it, like your cloak and axe. And wow! Can I say that your weapon is SO COOL!? I mean, wow Mom! Whoever fixed your weapon did such a good job with it! I was testing it out, and it could cut through pretty much anything! Wood, rock, even Grimm!"
Ruby smiled. "I… I hope you don't mind if I take it with me? I mean, yeah I've got Crescent Rose, but I really want to try out your weapon too, and, it'll be like you're by my side, you know? And uh… I didn't know you had an apprentice. I mean, Uncle Qrow trained me, so I guess it isn't strange that you trained someone else too. I just kind of hoped you introduced us to them. I'd have really liked to be their friend.
Anyways, just wanted to let you know that Yang and I are heading to Beacon today! Wish me luck! I promise I'll make you proud!"
She smiled one last time before turning around and racing back to her sister, who was waiting for her on her bike.
"Ready to take off to Beacon?" Yang asked with a grin.
"You bet!"
"That's what I'm talkin' about! We're gonna be the best students Beacon's ever seen!"
And with a roar of her engines, Yang and Ruby took off.
Not noticing the lone person hidden amongst the trees.
Jaune stood by, hidden by the foliage of the forest as Yang and Ruby drove away on their bike, waiting before there was no one else around.
He felt guilty, accidentally spying on them like this, but he wanted to make sure that the two of them were doing okay. And it wasn't like he was watching them 24/7. He valued their privacy and only took a quick glance before leaving.
Today was the day that he, Yang, and Ruby would set out for Beacon, and he decided to check up on them one more time before leaving. He was relieved to see Ruby and her family react warmly to the return of Summer's cloak and axe, even more so now that he saw Ruby strapping it to her waist, another tool in her arsenal.
Good. She had a God-killing weapon by her side. Nothing else in this world would ever be safe from Sundered Rose's blade should she ever find the need to protect herself.
But that was only one part of his duty. And now that he was here, near Summer Rose's grave, he wanted to air his own thoughts like Ruby did, before he set out to Beacon as well.
Standing in front of the lone gravemarker filled him with an immense sense of shame and remorse. Summer Rose couldn't even be given a proper grave in the Lands Between, and neither could he bring her home with him, give her a proper burial.
She was beyond his reach now. And it was all his fault.
Tears swelled up in his eyes as the gravity of everything that had happened during his time in the Lands Between finally settled on his shoulders. With a heavy thud, he fell on his knees in front of the grave, as tiny splotches of liquid fell from his eyes onto the gravestone.
Out of all the immense regrets he had as a Tarnished making his way through the Lands Between, the loss of Summer Rose scarred him in more ways than he could have possibly imagined.
Had it not been for Summer, who rescued him, took him in, trained him how to fight, and acted as a mother to him, he would have long since been dead or another hollowed out figure aimlessly wandering the Lands Between.
And no matter what he did, no matter how much he wanted to pay her back, no matter how much he busted his body and mind to be of use to her, he always held her back, always made her look out for his sorry ass, always made her save him, not the other way around.
And in the end, the only thing he could do was cause her pain. No matter what he did, he always hurt her.
Him, as Elden Lord? Nothing but a sick, cosmic joke.
Summer should have been Elden Lord. She was the one who deserved to live. She was the one who had the most to return home to. She was the one who deserved to return to Remnant.
Who was he, compared to someone like her?
"I'm sorry." He muttered, tears still falling down his face. "I'm so, so, sorry! I'm sorry for everything! I couldn't do a damn thing without you by my side, and in the end, even though I promised to help you return home, I was the one who came back. You didn't deserve this fate. You didn't deserve any of this!"
Jaune had made many mistakes, failed so many times. He always ended up with people dying for him, or because of him. He was a helpless, besotten fool.
In the end, Varre was right about him after all. He should have just gone and died in a ditch somewhere, alone and forgotten.
But instead, he was here now. Back where it all began on Remnant. And he still had one final job left to do. One last promise to fulfill.
And this time, he will ensure that he fulfills that promise to the letter. No matter his failures.
"I swear, I will do everything in my power to fulfill your promise." Jaune vowed, angrily brushing his tears away. "I swear, that I will protect your daughters. That I will protect Ruby from anything that tries to hurt her. Even if I die a hundred thousand more deaths, even if the Outer Gods curse and wreck my body, even if I lose my mind and sanity, I will save her, and I will protect her from all harm."
"Thank you, Summer Rose. For everything." Jaune concluded as he gazed at her grave one last time. Turning away and never looking back, he made his way out of the forest before heading towards the docks, where he will no doubt be joining Ruby and Yang, as the three of them began their journey as Huntsmen together in Beacon.
Where he will finally find his redemption.
UPDATE 11/15/23: Hope you enjoyed the rewrite of this chapter! Got rid of some of the fluff, and removed some of the drama concerning Jaune and his family since I felt that it really didn't seem that important in the grand scheme of this story.
I also changed Summer's weapons from a pair of dual swords to an axe. Originally, I had no idea what Summer's weapons could have been when I first started writing this story, so I settled with dual straight swords since I always imagined Summer to be a Dex/Faith user were she an actual Tarnished in-game. After Volume 9 revealed that her weapon was an axe, mirroring the Huntsman of the Red Riding Hood story, I decided to fix it for this and future chapters. And also for lore reasons, which made the reveal of her weapon being an axe much more fascinating for me to write!
I hope this rewritten chapter helped address some of the issues you guys had concerning this story, and I hope it was up to par with what you guys want. Thankfully, I didn't need to rewrite too much stuff, but I believe this chapter is shorter than the original one. I won't be writing 20k+ chapters anymore for my mental sanity, and honestly most of that stuff was fluff.
Hopefully the next rewritten chapter won't take too long to come out, but until then!
And that's a wrap! Apologies for the lengthy first chapter, I wanted to get this set-up chapter done so I can finally get to the meat of the story I have planned out. While most of the story will take place on Remnant and mostly follow RWBY's canon story, there will be a large section of the story later on which focuses on Jaune's entire journey in the Lands Between. Some flashbacks will be shown here and there, but the entire story of Elden Ring that Jaune takes part in won't be fully revealed until much later. Sorry if any of you were looking forward to what happened in the Lands Between, but please bear with me!
This is my first story every written on this website, so I appreciate any and all constructive criticisms and advice! Like I said earlier, I'll try to be as lore-accurate as possible though I will put in my own personal interpretations of the lore as well as other tidbits like some cut-content and Japanese translations.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this story!