Jaune Arc stood alone in the Emerald Forest, his bare torso glistening with sweat, his breath steady but heavy. His grip tightened around Crocea Mors, held firmly in both hands. He swung it again and again, each strike cutting through the air with sharp precision.

Arrogance. Disdain.

He had once believed that sheer effort alone could bridge the gap between himself and those stronger than him. But even after years of training under his Master, even after fighting Grimm and saving villages outside the reach of the kingdoms, it still wasn't enough.

Menagerie had taught him that much.

A hard lesson. A brutal one. It showed him the limits of what he and his team could do without the right influence, without power. A sword alone could only take you so far.

"Damn it," Jaune growled, swinging his weapon in frustration. The force behind his strike cleaved a deep scar into the bark of a nearby tree.

If I were faster… stronger… then I wouldn't have—

His thoughts trailed off, the weight of unfinished sentences pressing down on him. Anger boiled in his veins, but he didn't let it consume him. Instead, he channeled it.

Aura surged through his muscles, raw and burning. He swung again, unleashing his frustration into the world. The energy-infused strike tore through the surrounding trees, sending five of them crashing to the ground.

Jaune exhaled sharply, lowering Crocea Mors.

Be better than this.

Footsteps approached from behind, light and measured.

Jaune didn't turn immediately, recognizing the familiar cadence of Weiss Schnee's stride.

"You do know that deforestation isn't exactly a heroic trait, right?" Weiss remarked, arms crossed as she watched him.

Jaune huffed a quiet laugh, reaching for a towel draped over a nearby branch. He wiped the sweat from his face and chest before slumping onto a fallen log, glancing up at her. "What's up?"

Weiss tilted her head, appraising him, not just his words, but his body as well.

She wasn't subtle about it as of late.

Jaune had noticed it more and more lately. The way her gaze lingered, the way she carried herself around him, a newfound boldness that hadn't been there before. And yet, he couldn't quite figure out what those glances meant. No, he knew, but wasn't sure how to handle it.

"I was going to ask if you were alright," Weiss said, stepping closer.

Jaune nodded, offering a small smile. "I'm fine. Really."

Weiss frowned slightly but didn't press the issue. Instead, she moved to sit beside him on the log, crossing her legs elegantly, resting her chin against one hand. The angle of her pose, the way her uniform dipped slightly, Jaune couldn't help but notice that she was showing off just a little.

She smirked when she caught his glance, tilting her head playfully. "So… any idea when Pyrrha's coming back?"

Jaune's expression darkened for a fraction of a second. He shook his head. "I don't really know."

Weiss sighed, folding her arms. "Why did Autumn take her away?"

Jaune let out a quiet breath. "I wish I knew."

A breeze rustled through the trees, carrying the scent of damp earth and leaves. Weiss leaned back slightly, exhaling. "After that whole disaster, it feels like we're grounded," she murmured.

Jaune chuckled, shaking his head. "Pretty much."

Weiss looked at him, thoughtful. "And yet, I feel like we could have done more."

Jaune glanced at her, curious. "How are things back in Atlas for you?"

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Weird. The SDC spun everything into a ridiculous PR stunt. Now I'm some kind of 'merciful heroine' who reached out to help the enemy."

Jaune raised a brow. "Isn't that… good?"

Weiss snorted. "I suppose. But I still feel like I could have done more."

Jaune frowned. "How can you do more when you're already spending millions of Lien out of your own pocket?"

Weiss let out a small grunt, rubbing her temple. "I felt obliged. After failing. After seeing what happened." She shook her head. "We were too passive."

Jaune studied her for a moment before murmuring, "Were we?"

Weiss turned her gaze toward him, her blue eyes sharp.

"We did so much to save them," Jaune continued. "We cleared settlement after settlement. We fought until we couldn't stand anymore. But even that wasn't enough."

Weiss exhaled. "We weren't efficient enough." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "But we'll do better. Isn't that what makes us students?"

Jaune blinked, then chuckled. "Hah. Tell that to Miss Goodwitch."

Weiss visibly shuddered. "She was furious."

"And yet, weirdly proud," Jaune added, smirking.

Weiss covered her mouth as she laughed, a rare, genuine sound.

Jaune straightened slightly, his smile fading just a bit. His expression softened. "Do you think… we did good?"

Weiss quieted, studying him for a long moment.

"We tried," she said finally. "We should be proud of that much. When even the others didn't try at all… we did. I think those that survived… knew that much."

Silence settled between them, heavy yet oddly comfortable.

Jaune turned his gaze toward the horizon, his thoughts distant. Weiss, however, was watching him.

Deep in thought.

After a moment, she sighed and stood up, brushing off her skirt. She reached down, grabbing his shirt and uniform.

Jaune arched his brow. "What are you—"

"Get dressed," Weiss ordered, tossing his shirt at him.

Jaune rolled his eyes but complied, slipping the fabric over his head. As he adjusted it, Weiss stepped closer, smoothing out the wrinkles before reaching for his tie.

She tightened it carefully, her fingers lingering for just a moment longer than necessary.

Jaune swallowed.

She smelled… nice. His thoughts must have been obvious because Weiss smirked slightly. She patted his cheek lightly before stepping back, hands on her hips.

"Come on," she said, turning on her heel. "Hurry up."

Jaune let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his head as he watched her walk away, the sway of her hips seemingly deliberate.

He huffed a quiet laugh before following her out of the Emerald Forest, back toward Beacon.

The warmth of the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the courtyard.

It was a quiet walk back, but not an unpleasant one.

That peace, however, didn't last long.

"Well, well, well," Yang drawled, arms crossed and a teasing grin stretched across her face. "Look who's been spending an awful lot of time together lately."

Jaune sighed, already knowing where this was going.

Nora leaned closer to Ren, whispering just loud enough for everyone to hear, "Weiss Cream is pushing hard while a certain redhead's gone."

Weiss snorted but said nothing. More importantly, she didn't deny it.

Jaune rubbed the back of his neck. "Alright, alright, very funny." He looked at the gathered teams. "So, uh… what's up?"

Ruby, standing on a bench for extra height, clapped her hands together. "Oz wants to talk to us."

Ren frowned slightly. "Did we do something wrong?"

The group collectively paused, exchanging uncertain glances.

"Well," Yang said, tilting her head, "we've actually been behaving for once."

Nora nodded sagely. "And catching up on all the ridiculous amounts of work Miss Goodwitch left us."

Jaune crossed his arms. "So unless someone had decided to set off fireworks in the cafeteria again—"

"That was one time," Yang interrupted.

Ruby waved a hand. "Anyway! Let's not stand around overthinking it. Come on."

With that, she led the way, the others falling in step behind her as they made their way toward the elevator that would take them to Ozpin's office.

When the doors slid open, they found a familiar figure already waiting inside.

Pyrrha.

She still wore her armor, standing tall, her red hair catching the light from the windows behind Ozpin's desk. In her hands was a data drive, which she handed to the Headmaster without a word.

"All the information is on there," she said simply.

Ozpin took it, nodding in thanks before glancing at the group that had just entered.

Before Pyrrha could react, Team JNPR and RWBY surged forward, tackling her into a hug.

Pyrrha let out a startled laugh, stumbling slightly under the weight of her teammates. "O-Okay! Ow—armor, remember?"

"You deserve it," Nora declared, squeezing her tighter.

Pyrrha huffed in amusement, though her green eyes shimmered slightly as she looked around at them, taking in their faces. She had missed this. Missed them.

"I missed you all," she admitted softly.

Weiss, standing a bit further back, blushed at the affectionate look Pyrrha gave them.

Jaune, on the other hand, simply grinned, his relief evident. "Welcome back."

A flurry of questions followed, everyone talking over each other. Where had she gone? What happened? Was she alright?

Pyrrha raised a hand, stopping the barrage. "I learned a lot," she said vaguely. "And I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly. But I'm here now."

Ruby turned to Ozpin. "Can we…?"

Ozpin inclined his head. "Yes, of course. You're all dismissed."

As the group turned to leave, Pyrrha following closely behind them, Ozpin turned back to his desk, inserting the data drive into his terminal.

The screen flickered to life.

A video played.

Oscar Pine's face appeared on the screen, looking grim, weary.

"This is a warning," Oscar began, his voice low and urgent. "Leonardo was a traitor. And we… we pushed Ironwood too far."

Ozpin's grip on his cane tightened.

"Atlas fell," Oscar continued. "Because we didn't listen. We cornered him, backed him into a wall, and he made the worst decision possible because of it. We could've prevented it, but we were so caught up in what we thought was right… we lost sight of the bigger picture."

He exhaled shakily, looking directly into the camera.

"Don't make the same mistake we did. Please do everyone you can with this."

The screen dimmed, falling into silence.

Ozpin sat still for a long moment, absorbing everything he had just heard.

Finally, he reached for his scroll.

He could not change the past.

But perhaps, just maybe, he could change the future.

He dialed Leonardo Lionheart and James Ironwood.

If he had to meet them personally, so be it.

The night air was cool against their skin, a stark contrast to the warmth and energy that had filled the halls of Beacon just hours ago. The reunion had been loud, chaotic, and filled with laughter something all of them had desperately needed. But exhaustion had eventually caught up with everyone, leaving the dorm halls quieter than they had been in weeks.

Yet, instead of going to bed like the others, Pyrrha had grabbed Jaune's wrist and led him through the corridors, up the stairwell, and onto the rooftop.

Jaune followed without question, though curiosity burned in his chest.

Now, standing under the vast expanse of the night sky, he finally spoke. "Okay, so are you gonna tell me what this is about?"

Pyrrha didn't answer immediately. Instead, she leaned against the railing, arms resting on the cool metal, gazing out over the academy grounds. The moonlight highlighted the sharp angles of her face, her red hair glowing softly in the silver light.

Jaune sighed, running a hand through his messy blond hair. "Pyrrha—"

"You know," Pyrrha cut him off, a small smirk tugging at her lips, "it's not every day that someone becomes the apprentice of a fairy tale."

Jaune blinked. "What?"

Pyrrha chuckled, tilting her head to look at him. "The Rusted Knight, Jaune. You're his apprentice."

Jaune felt a sudden warmth creep up his neck. "That—that's not—" He groaned, rubbing his face. "That's not how it works."

Pyrrha laughed softly, the sound light and teasing. "You're part of a legend, Jaune. Own it."

Jaune crossed his arms, giving her a skeptical look. "You must've learned a lot while you were away."

The amusement in Pyrrha's eyes dimmed slightly, replaced by something more serious. "I did," she admitted. "And it was… shocking."

Jaune frowned. "Where were you?"

Pyrrha hesitated. "In a nightmare."

Jaune's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Pyrrha's grip on the railing tightened. "A place where everything had gone wrong. A future I refuse to let happen."

Jaune's stomach twisted at the intensity in her voice.

"Pyrrha…"

She turned to face him fully, the determination in her expression unwavering. "It doesn't matter where I was, Jaune. What matters is that I'll do whatever it takes to prevent it."

Jaune wasn't sure what that meant. But the way she said it, the way her voice held that unshakable conviction, it made him uneasy.

Still, he knew better than to push. Instead, he exhaled and leaned against the railing beside her. "So… what now?"

Pyrrha's lips pressed together in thought. Then she nodded to herself. "We have a lot to do. But first, we need to earn our licenses."

Jaune tilted his head. "Our Huntsman licenses?"

"Yes." Pyrrha turned her gaze to the academy below. "If we want to act independently, we need to be recognized as fully-fledged Huntsmen. That way, we won't have to wait for permission to do what needs to be done."

Jaune rubbed his chin. "Okay, but what about the White Fang? Merlot? Are we just supposed to sit back and do nothing?"

Pyrrha's expression darkened slightly. "Ozpin has a plan now."

Jaune's skepticism was immediate. "What kind of plan?"

"A plan to make things quiet for all of us," Pyrrha said. "At least long enough to prepare. To get ready."

Jaune frowned, glancing at her. "And you believe it?"

Pyrrha met his gaze, unwavering. "I have to."

Jaune sighed, running a hand down his face. It was hard to believe.

But seeing the way Pyrrha stood there, so resolute, he had to admit… he'd try to see if it worked out.

Pyrrha nodded, satisfied.

Her eyes, however, remained fixed on a distant horizon.

A horizon Jaune couldn't see.