Mistral had changed over the years, yet in many ways, it remained the same. The grand sloping architecture, the winding roads, the marketplaces buzzing with life, it all carried an air of both tradition and resilience. The scent of grilled meats and fresh bread filled the air, mingling with the sounds of merchants advertising their wares and musicians playing in the alleyways.

Ruby walked beside Jaune, casually glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

Even disguised, he was unmistakably… handsome… no wonder her friends were into him and might still be into him. If they knew, the might just get a bit angry at her for keeping this a secret.

The black hair suited him. His faunus wolf ears twitched at the sounds around them, blending in effortlessly with the other Faunus travelers passing by. The well-kept beard, the wolf-tail styled hair, the broad shoulders, the muscular frame, all of it looked natural on him. But what stood out to Ruby the most…

There was not a single ounce of self-doubt in him.

She had expected some guilt, some hesitation, but Jaune carried himself with quiet confidence, not the arrogant kind, but the type that came from someone who had long accepted their fate.

Ruby folded her arms, exhaling.

She understood his reasons, even if she didn't like them. Ten years. Ten years of mourning an illusion. And yet, despite how unfair it all felt, she couldn't stay mad at him.

Not when she knew what would have happened if Salem had been left unchecked.

Not when she knew that Jaune had no regrets.

That, more than anything, frustrated her.

Jaune spoke about the Blacksmith, the one he called the 'Mother' of the Brother Gods, with a reverence Ruby had never heard before.

If she didn't know any better, she would have mistaken him for a priest… or a fanatic.

He didn't waver. He didn't hesitate.

Jaune Arc, though had grown older, remained somewhat the same.

Ruby let out a deep sigh, rubbing her temple.

"You know, as much as I'm still annoyed, I think I kinda begrudgingly forgive you."

Jaune glanced at her, surprised. "Oh?"

Ruby waved a hand dismissively. "Don't get me wrong. I'm still mourning a fake you, and I still think you're an idiot for not at least saying goodbye."

Jaune looked down, but Ruby poked his arm, making him look back at her.

"But," she continued, "I get it. If Salem had kept going… if things had played out the way we saw… who knows how much worse things could've been?"

Jaune's expression softened.

"Thank you, Ruby."

She huffed. "Yeah, yeah. Don't get all sappy on me. I still need a drink after all this just to sort out my emotions."

Jaune chuckled, shaking his head. "Guess I should've expected that."

Ruby then paused, frowning slightly. "You know… I should really check in with Penny soon. Haven't heard from her in months."

She tapped her Scroll, muttering to herself. "Not that she'd be bothered or anything. Probably busy."

Jaune glanced at her. "You two still keep in touch?"

"Of course," Ruby said, rolling her eyes. "Penny's Penny. She's like my besties. Can't just ignore her."

Jaune smiled at that. "Good."

They stopped at a roadside food stall, where a warm scent of spiced meat skewers and steamed buns filled the air. Ruby ordered some, munching away happily, while Jaune settled beside her, watching the street bustle with travelers.

And then, as casually as if he were commenting on the weather, Jaune said, "You know, I actually have the Staff of Creation with me."

Ruby froze mid-bite.

Slowly, she turned to him, blinking.

Jaune took another bite of his food, chewing calmly.

Ruby put her food down.

"I'm sorry," she said flatly, placing a hand on the table. "You have the what?"

Jaune swallowed. "The Staff of Creation. You know, one of the Relics."

Ruby stared.

Jaune stared back.

Then Ruby grabbed him by the collar of his tunic.

"YOU HAD THE STAFF THIS WHOLE TIME AND YOU DIDN'T USE IT TO FIX MY HOVERBIKE?!"

Jaune winced. "I—wait, what?! That's what you're mad about?!"

"YES!" Ruby waved her hands. "We spent hours fixing that damn thing! You could've just—poof!—problem solved!"

Jaune sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Ruby, the Staff isn't a convenience tool. I'm supposed to use it for something important."

"Oh, and my hoverbike isn't important?!"

"Not compared to giving Grimm souls, no!"

Ruby paused, the anger slipping into pure confusion.

She leaned forward. "Wait, wait, wait. Back up."

Jaune folded his arms, leaning against the counter. "The Staff of Creation is meant to help Merlot."

Ruby groaned as if she ate a bug. "You actually helping that nutjob sickens me."

Jaune winced, raising a hand. "Not in the way you're thinking…"

Ruby glared. "I swear to the Brothers, Jaune, if you've gone mad like him… and this goes all wrong."

"I haven't, Ruby." Jaune's voice was calm, patient. "The Grimm crave souls because they don't have them. The Blacksmith believes they deserve a second chance."

Ruby frowned, leaning back.

She wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Giving Grimm souls? Turning them into… what, not violent monsters? It still sounded like madness.

A dangerous idea crept into her mind.

"Couldn't you just..." Ruby tapped her chin, voice slow. "You know. Make something that wipes them out instead?"

Jaune immediately scowled, his eyes hardening with that dangerous resolve Ruby knew him for. The 'I won't stop until I get what I want' kind of stubbornness.

"Ruby."

She shrugged, twirling her drink in her hand. "I mean, you have a literal creation tool. Wouldn't it be easier to just make something that gets rid of Grimm forever?"

Jaune looked genuinely appalled.

"That's not my purpose. I wasn't sent here to commit genocide."

Ruby held his gaze for a moment, then sighed.

"Yeah… I figured you'd say that."

She rested her chin on her palm, watching the street again.

"Still, I don't know, Jaune. This whole thing with yours just feels…" She searched for the word.

Jaune finished it for her.

"Lonely? Burdensome?"

Ruby met his gaze.

Jaune sighed, running a hand through his black hair. "Maybe. But it's what I chose. And I don't regret it."

That, more than anything, was what frustrated her.

Because he meant it.

Because he really was satisfied.

Ruby took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

Then, with a forced smile, she tapped her fingers against the counter.

"Alright. Fine. I still don't like it, but I get it. You've got a mission."

Jaune smiled softly. "Thank you."

Ruby huffed, crossing her arms.

"Still should've fixed my damn hoverbike."

Jaune chuckled. "I'll make it up to you somehow for your help."

Ruby smirked. "You better."

Then she frowned at an alert on her scroll. Jaune looked over her shoulder and saw that there was a Grimm attack.

"Let's move," Ruby said, her playfulness disappearing into a hardened professionalism.

After dealing with the Grimm attack. The two continued on a village located in the coastline of Anima. It was hidden away , along the waterways that fed into the ocean, was where the more unsavory dealings took place. It was a part of the world that didn't abide by the same rules as the rest of Remnant, one where money talked louder than morals, and the right connections could get you anywhere, even into Atlas, where no one was supposed to go.

Jaune and Ruby walked side by side, their footsteps quiet against the damp wooden planks of the dock. The salty air was thick, the scent mixing with oil, rust, and old fish. Dim lanterns flickered in the sea breeze, casting long, distorted shadows against the shabby warehouses and docked cargo ships.

Jaune adjusted his hood, making sure his disguise was in place. His black hair and wolf Faunus ears made him unrecognizable to most, but old habits of caution kept him wary.

Ruby, however…

Jaune glanced at her.

She was completely unfazed.

Her red cloak barely fluttered, and she walked with an ease that unsettled him. Reminding Jaune again that this wasn't the clumsy, awkward Ruby Rose he remembered. No, she looked like she belonged here.

"You've done this before," Jaune muttered under his breath.

Ruby smirked. "Maybe."

Jaune narrowed his eyes. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

She shrugged, weaving her way through the crowd like she had done it a thousand times before. "You think I get into every kingdom the normal way? Come on, Jaune. You really think Goodwitch gives me 'official' permission for half the stuff I do?"

Jaune sighed, shaking his head. "I feel like I should be concerned."

"Nope, you should be impressed," Ruby teased, leading him toward a grimy old warehouse near the far end of the docks.

The inside of the warehouse was dimly lit, the walls lined with crates, broken-down machinery, and maps pinned against the walls. At the center, a small group of people huddled around a table, speaking in hushed tones.

One of them, a tall man with a thick beard, dark goggles, and a cigar in his mouth, looked up as they approached.

"Well, well, if it isn't Little Red."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. Little Red?

Ruby rolled her eyes. "That name's ancient, Ferro."

Ferro chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Yet you still keep coming back. You must like us."

Jaune cleared his throat. "You know these people?"

"We have history," Ruby said vaguely before turning back to the smuggler. "We need passage into Atlas. Quietly."

Ferro tapped his cigar against the table, eyeing them both. "Atlas? Now that's a difficult one."

Jaune crossed his arms. "Can you do it or not?"

Ferro grinned. "Depends on how much you're willing to pay."

Ruby pulled out a small pouch of lien and tossed it onto the table. The coins inside clinked softly.

"That should cover it, plus extra," she said smoothly.

Ferro picked up the bag, weighing it in his palm before nodding.

"Alright." He motioned toward the back of the warehouse, where a large cargo ship rested against the dock. "You'll board at nightfall. Stay below deck, don't make a sound. Once we reach Solitas, you're on your own."

Jaune narrowed his eyes. "That simple?"

Ferro smirked. "For you two? Yeah. But don't get caught. Atlas security isn't as forgiving as it used to be."

The hours leading up to their departure were uneventful, but Jaune used them to watch Ruby.

She spoke easily with the smugglers, joking around with some, negotiating with others. She was comfortable here—too comfortable.

"You know, I keep learning new things about you," Jaune muttered as they sat by the dock, waiting for nightfall.

Ruby grinned, biting into a meat skewer. "Yeah? Like what?"

"Like how you apparently have a side hustle smuggling yourself into restricted zones."

Ruby chuckled. "A girl's gotta get around."

Jaune sighed. "And here I thought you were all about the law."

"Pfft. Please. Laws are just rules made by people who think they know better." She took another bite. "And if those people are wrong, well… we improvise."

Jaune shook his head, but he wasn't entirely surprised.

Ruby had always been adaptable, even when she was younger. And now? She wasn't just adapting, she was thriving.

"You all really grew up, huh?" Jaune mused, with a somewhat somber expression.

Ruby's smirk softened, her silver eyes flickering with something… nostalgic.

"Yeah. We all did. Ten years is a long time, Jaune."

Jaune looked away.

Night fell, and they slipped onto the cargo ship unnoticed, weaving through the narrow pathways between crates.

Jaune kept his senses sharp, his Faunus ears twitching at every creak of the ship's hull. They stayed below deck, hidden among wooden containers of supplies and smuggled goods alongside Ruby's hoverbike.

The ship rocked gently as it left port, the ocean waves lapping against the sides. The only light came from a small lantern hanging near the entrance of the hold.

Jaune sat with his back against a crate, arms resting on his knees. Ruby sat across from him, stretching out her legs.

"So," Ruby said after a moment, resting her hands behind her head. "You excited?"

Jaune chuckled dryly. "Excited isn't the word I'd use."

Ruby smirked. "Nervous?"

Jaune sighed. "More like… cautious."

Ruby tilted her head, studying him. "Because of Merlot?"

Jaune nodded. "Merlot. The Grimm. The whole damn situation. Remnant will change, Ruby... for better or worse."

He leaned his head back, staring at the wooden ceiling.

Ruby exhaled. "But we'll figure it out. We always do."

Jaune glanced at her, his lips twitching into a small smile. "Yeah. We do."

The ship continued cutting through the waters, carrying them toward Solitas.