The acres of the Everafter stretched as far as the eye could see, bathed in the soft glow of its two suns. The Tick Tock Trees hummed in the distance, their rhythmic chimes marking the passage of time, though time itself meant little in this world.
The air smelled of fresh earth and blooming flowers, an unnatural peace lingering over the land.
Amidst it all, a man tilled a field, his broad shoulders moving with quiet, practiced strength.
The Rusted Knight, as he had been called, was not clad in armor today. Instead, he wore a simple linen tunic, its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing arms hardened by labor. His beard was well-trimmed and cared for. His golden hair streaked with some white had grown and tied in a wolf's tail, yhis piercing blue eyes remained the same, sharp, thoughtful, kind, and ever watchful.
As he worked the soil, a faint chuckle broke the silence.
"Well, well. Look at this," a playful voice purred. "A knight reduced to a humble farmer. How poetic."
The Rusted Knight didn't look up, he knew that voice.
He sighed, setting his hoe aside before finally turning toward his visitors.
The Curious Cat, a creature both feline and not, grinned at him with mischievous slit eyes. Beside him stood Little, the tiny mouse who had once scurried across the Everafter.
And then… her.
A woman of elegance and grace, with platinum blonde hair tied in an intricate half-up bun, strands framing her delicate face. She was draped in flowing white and lilac fabric, adorned with glistening jewels that shimmered under the Everafter's eternal light. The crystal at her collar glowed faintly, its energy pulsing in quiet harmony with the world around them.
She was no mere woman.
Once, she was the Queen of Grimm.
Now... she was Ms. Marraine, the Fairy Godmother.
The Queen of the Fairies... who
At least that's what everyone call her.
"Ms. Marraine," the Rusted Knight greeted, his voice even. "What brings you here?"
Ms. Marraine stepped forward with a gentle smile, her hands clasped before her. "I was in the neighborhood."
The Rusted Knight raised a brow.
The Curious Cat snickered. "Oh, come now, dear Knight. You know better than to believe that."
Little nodded. "We're here for a favor."
The Knight wiped the dirt from his hands, regarding them carefully. "A favor? What kind?"
Marraine's expression turned somber. "One that concerns the future of both the Everafter and Remnant."
The Rusted Knight crossed his arms. "And the Brothers?"
"They are quite occupied trying to please their mother dearest," she said with a dismissive wave. "Expanding the acres of this realm, reshaping what was once broken. But my concern lies not with them. My concern is with the Grimm... of what we left behind."
The Rusted Knight frowned. "The Grimm?"
Marraine nodded. "You know who I was before I became what I am now. I have spent a great deal of time in Remnant.. But there is one kind of soul that was never given the chance to become whole."
The Rusted Knight's jaw tightened. He already knew what she was about to say.
"I want to give the Grimm a soul," she continued. "To mend what was taken from them. To turn them from creatures of endless hunger into something… more."
His fingers twitched toward the handle of his Crocea Mors, the weight of the Jabberwalker's essence pulsing faintly through it.
"You've spoken with the God of Darkness about this?" he asked.
Marraine nodded. "I have. And I have spoken with the Blacksmith. Both have agreed to my request."
The Rusted Knight exhaled slowly. "Then you know why I disagree."
Marraine remained calm, watching him with knowing eyes.
"If we give the Grimm intelligence," he continued, "then it could lead to Remnant's destruction."
"No," Marraine said gently. "I do not wish to give them intelligence. I simply want to give them a soul."
The Rusted Knight shook his head. "You don't understand. The Grimm crave souls because they lack them. They are drawn to life because they are empty. What happens when you give a starving beast exactly what it wants?"
Marraine tilted her head. "Perhaps it learns to become something else."
The Knight stared at her, unconvinced.
The Curious Cat stretched lazily. "I hate to interrupt, but she does have a point. After all, dear Knight, you yourself were once… lacking, weren't you?"
Little piped up. "Maybe if we understand them, we can end this cycle."
The Rusted Knight sighed. "Even if I agreed, what do you expect me to do about it?"
Marraine smiled knowingly. "I'm glad you asked."
With a graceful movement, she lifted her hands.
From within the folds of her gown, she produced something glowing blue, its very presence humming with creation itself.
The Staff of Creation.
The Rusted Knight stiffened.
His voice dropped to a whisper. "How is that still here?"
Marraine merely chuckled. "Let's just say… some things are meant to return home."
She extended the staff toward him, but before he could take it, she pulled out something else, a small, unassuming seed.
The Rusted Knight narrowed his eyes. "And this?"
Marraine placed it in his palm, her fingers brushing his gloved hand.
"This," she said softly, "is the beginning of a new era."
The seed pulsed faintly, filled with something ancient, powerful, and unknown.
"Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter," Marraine whispered. "The four seasons shall nourish that broken land. Plant them, and they will bloom with renewal."
The Rusted Knight stared at the seed for a long moment.
Finally, he exhaled. "You're asking a lot of me, Marraine."
She smiled. "I trust you."
A moment of silence passed between them.
Then… The Rusted Knight closed his fingers around the seed.
"I'll do it," he said.
Marraine's smile widened, relief flashing across her delicate features.
As she stepped back, he turned to the Curious Cat and Little. "I have a favor to ask of you two as well."
Little perked up. "Oh?"
The Rusted Knight gestured toward his field. "Keep an eye on my farm while I'm gone."
The Curious Cat grinned. "Oh? But what of that little version of you? That little boy that call himself Jaune Arc too. Didn't you teach him how to fight with a sword?"
The Rusted Knight let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "I did. But in the end, he wanted to be a farmer."
The Cat flicked his tail. "Hah! What a waste of potential."
The Knight gave him a knowing look. "Or maybe… he saw something worth doing. There's no rule that you can't just be a farmer if things don't work out. Even without Aura, he was pretty tough, I'd bet if he gets throw to a cliff, he wouldn't be hurt."
Little hummed thoughtfully. "Lewis would have liked that too."
The Rusted Knight let the name linger in the air.
Then, without another word, he secured the Staff of Creation on his back, pocketed the magic seed, and then whistled, with Juniper offering her back as they exit the Everafter through the portal the Godmother created.
"Good luck, Mr. Knight."
"Please watch over them, and keep Little off my cheese!" The Knight warned.
The portal shimmered, swirling with golden light as the Rusted Knight and Juniper emerged just outside of Vale.
For a brief moment, the knight paused, adjusting to the change in atmosphere. The air was different here, heavier, filled with something more grounded than the whimsical eternity of the Everafter.
The sky was gray, the remnants of a storm still lingering in the distance. The familiar hum of the city was faintly present, yet not overwhelming.
He had not set foot in Remnant in years.
Not since he had taken Lewis and Alyx out of the Everafter.
Not since he had become something else.
A Rusted Knight, waiting in the Everafter.
Now he was here again.
And almost immediately, trouble greeted him.
A cry for help broke through the quiet field.
The knight turned his head sharply, his keen eyes locking onto the sight of a young boy running frantically, his breath coming in ragged gasps as a Grimm, a large Beowolf chased him through the field.
Before the Knight could react, Juniper moved first.
The golden jackalope let out a low chuff, muscles coiling as it charged forward with startling speed.
The Grimm never stood a chance.
Juniper slammed into the Beowolf with bone-crushing force, sending the creature sprawling into the ground.
The Knight followed up instantly.
His hand glowed with aura, forming an arc of of golden light, condensed into a burst of power. With a flick of his wrist, he threw the aura-infused flash soaring through the air like a comet.
The moment it made contact, a blinding eruption of light consumed the Grimm, burning it away into nothingness.
The boy, wide-eyed and panting, stared at the Knight in pure awe.
The Knight slowly approached, his heavily armored boots echoing against the soil. The boy flinched slightly but didn't run.
"Are you alright?" The Knight asked, his voice gentle yet firm beneath his helmet.
The boy hesitated for only a moment before nodding quickly. "Y-Yeah…"
The Knight took in the boy's disheveled state, he looked about ten years old, with messy brown hair, wide green eyes, and a slight dusting of freckles across his face.
Then the boy's gaze lit up with recognition, his expression shifting from fear to astonishment.
"Wait, you're the Rusted Knight!"
The Knight stiffened.
His fingers twitched, but he didn't answer.
Instead, he lifted a single gloved finger to where his lips would be beneath his helmet, a silent gesture for secrecy.
The boy's eyes widened in understanding.
The Knight then tilted his head slightly. "Go home now, little one."
The boy, still stunned, hesitated for a moment, before finally nodding and taking off in a sprint.
The Knight watched him go, his expression unreadable beneath the steel of his visor.
Then the multi-colored leaves fluttered in the wind, carried by an unseen force.
A silent call. The Rusted Knight turned away from the boy's back, following the dancing leaves as they guided him toward his true purpose. He walked for what felt like hours, though time had never mattered much to him. Through winding dirt paths, in the outskirts of Vale, up a secluded hill where the land was untouched and peaceful.
Here, the air was different. Still, and this place was where it would begin.
He took a deep breath, stepping onto the crest of the hill, where the wind whispered softly around him.
This was where he would plant the seed.
Reaching into his belt, he carefully withdrew the small, glowing seed that had been entrusted to him by the Godmother.
It pulsed faintly in his palm, as if carrying something ancient and alive.
The Knight knelt, his gauntleted fingers pressing into the soft soil.
He dug a small hole, the earth cool beneath his touch.
Then, with deliberate care, he placed the seed into the ground.
For a moment, he simply stared at it.
Then, placing both palms over the soil, he closed his eyes and focused.
His aura flared, golden and warm, pulsing through his veins, flowing into the earth like a gentle heartbeat.
The ground rippled beneath his hands.
And then something stirred.
A glow pulsed from beneath the soil, soft at first—then brighter.
The earth trembled, the wind whipping around him as the seed awoke.
And then… it grew.
Before his very eyes, a tree burst forth from the ground, its roots expanding outward, its trunk spiraling toward the heavens.
The bark shimmered with a faint golden hue first, its branches stretching wide and strong, as if welcoming the sky itself.
Leaves sprouted, their colors shifting between red, orange, gold, and silver, flowing like the very seasons themselves, before matching the season.
It was breathtaking.
The Knight stepped back, gazing up at the splendid creation before him.
It was unlike any tree that had ever existed in Remnant.
One of the four pillars of the new age.
He exhaled, feeling an odd mix of relief and sadness. He didn't leave immediately.
He stood beneath the tree, watching as its leaves rustled softly, their colors shifting like the passing of time.
He reached out, letting his fingers brush against the bark. It was warm, alive in a way that few things in Remnant were.
And then, the Rusted Knight, removed his helmet and let the cool air brushed against his face, his golden hair catching the wind. His blue eyes, deep and weary, reflected the glow of the tree.
He closed them for a moment, breathing in deeply.
Then he turned his gaze toward the distant city of Vale, where life carried on, unaware of the change that had just begun.
"Let's go Juniper, it's time to move."
Jaune, the Rusted Knight, gave a faint smile, and then strode on the back of the Jackalope, disappearing into the forests of Sanus.