Nora had to be struggling when she contained her excitement and joy at the sight of Rider's presence. Pyrrha had spent a good enough of her training in the competitive scene learning how to read her opponents. Having Rider around definitely gave them all a sense that everything was alright, that team JNPR was still together. But there was something that always reminded them that it wasn't exactly how they wished it was.

"Is there anything else you wish to bring for your journey, brave huntress?" the Paper Pleaser called Jaune asked. Out of every possible sentient piece of origami paper that Pyrrha could have gotten, it had to be the one called Jaune. He didn't quite act like him though, neither the partner nor the Servant.

"I have prepared extra scarves, brave huntress." There was a Paper Pleaser called Pyrrha too, apparently. This one was of a reddish-bronze color. "The brave knight told us that Mistral is going to be cold."

"Thank you, Pyrrha," said Pyrrha, the human one. Next time, she'll ask if Rider could get a different Paper Pleaser to be an assistant. It made things confusing when someone calls out her name and the other person responding was literal parchment.

In fact, helping them all were different Paper Pleasers, each one named after their friends. Ren and Nora were no exception to that. There was Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Blake, even Ozpin and Qrow had one apparently. Nora had the most enjoyment with hers. It seemed like the Paper Pleasers shared some traits of their namesake as Paper-Nora could somewhat keep up, or was it just Nora trying to keep her spirit high. There were traces of the original in them all but they weren't enough to blur the lines. The Paper Pleasers are too courteous and reserved.

"They're new additions," explained Rider. "Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet and all that. New people get added to the Acre as Paper Pleasers. Though I would usually start with just you guys."

Though the most common shape they took were that of stars, they weren't always in that form. Being made of paper, they could actually fold themselves into different shapes that one could actually accomplish in origami. Paper birds that fly and paper horses that could somehow carry a person on their backs. How Rider managed them all was beyond him. He said that there is a friendly mouse back there but he doesn't really come out much, preferring only to stay there. Someone had to manage the Acre while he's here and there were many Paper Pleasers there.

"They start to take shape once I consider them a friend," Rider said.

"Does that mean you could make up an entire army of them?" Pyrrha asked.

"Only if you have enough aura to keep them all up," he replied.

With them around, the cleanup and packing was way shorter than they had anticipated. The place actually looked more beautiful than when they first arrived here. It was also really dry and bereft of even the smallest drop of liquid stains. Considering that their helpers were paper, it made sense that water should be kept at a distance. They were then left with a lot of time to be idle before they were to leave Vale. They could go to Beacon already but they wouldn't have anything much to do there.

Pyrrha stayed in one of the rooms. She was looking through her scroll. Many images that were taken and messages that were exchanged between herself and others brought a sort of relief. Times when she had to reply to business deals and well-wishers from family and friends had allowed her to smile only a little. But that smile quickly dropped once she came across Jaune's messages.

She paused when she found his message. There was one that she hadn't seen yet. It was sent just before the final round of the Vytal Tournament, just before disaster had struck Beacon. Opening the message, Pyrrha had to cover her own mouth at the mere sight of the video, not allowing her voice to leak out again.

"Hey Pyrrha," his voice, that familiar voice was heard. She was hearing his voice again. Not Rider's voice, but his voice. "Just sending you this message—I mean yeah, obviously, what else would I be doing if I—getting off track here."

For a moment, Pyrrha chuckled. Rider was more certain in himself now. But the Jaune she knew wasn't quite there yet. Here he was still somewhat nervous and uncertain. If only he could get a glimpse of what he would be someday. Jaune wouldn't believe that he would one day become the Rusted Knight.

Pyrrha's heart sank further down. Jaune had a hard time believing in his own heroism and yet it was he who would inspire others to become heroes in their own right. There was an irony there for her. She too had grown up with tales of the Rusted Knight and was inspired by it and seeing who he turned out to be before he would even be? There had to be some joke in there somewhere.

"Um… I just wanted to say," the message continued. "No, not just that—gah! I'm no good at this!"

He's doing fine. He's doing more than fine, actually. Pyrrha hoped it kept going for longer. Just a little longer. Please.

"Okay, Jaune. From the beginning. Ahem. I'm fine, by the way. Got a few branches and twigs in my hoodie but on the bright side, no sap and no stains."

There was a silence that followed as Jaune's recording had him chuckling awkwardly. Pyrrha wanted to answer before the message resumed. She wanted to apologize. She never meant it. Anything if it meant keeping him around for a little longer.

"If… if I said anything, I'm sorry. You're going through something, I get that. A-and if you ever feel like talking about it, I'm here, you know?"

Pyrrha's red sash will have to do as tissues. Please. Just a little longer. Let her hear his voice a little while longer.

"You've—you were always there for me, Pyrrha. Even when I feel like I don't deserve it. I-I want to be there for you, too. You know. I-I'm just…" for a moment, even Jaune's eyes appeared wet. "I'm just really happy that someone like you gave me a chance. I'll be there for you—wait, didn't I already say that? Uh… you know what? I'll just tell you when I get the chance after you win the tournament."

Her hands were shaking. Her breathing struggled to stay normal. Her eyes were blinded by the wetness that her tears formed. Her voice was leaking out no matter how tight she kept her mouth shut. Whimpers and whines escape the prison bars that are her lips. She soon buried herself in her own hands. Her tears creating a body of water that threatened to drown her. Why did it have to end? Why couldn't it last a little longer?

"I'm sorry, Jaune." Her voice was weak. Her throat was hurting. "I-I wasn't strong enough. W-wasn't fast enough. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry…"

Unknown to her, someone had eavesdropped on her. Rider never meant to do it but as a Servant, he had a duty to his Master. He was her Servant now, not her partner. With what lies ahead of them, it was best that it stays that way.

It was by the sudden feeling of a presence felt that Pyrrha forced herself to stop. She realized it then. Still, she had that frown on her lips that no amount of force could make them neutral. Her hands could force those lips upward and it wouldn't last the moment she would let go. Even if she did, there was no denying that her eyes were redder than they were earlier nor was there any denying of the wet patches on her red sash.

"Rider," she asked. "D-did you ever send a message to your Pyrrha?"

"I did," he answered. "Never found out what she would have thought of it."

Sniffing once, Pyrrha nodded. That was all she needed to know. She envied her. At least his Pyrrha would never get to feel what she feels. His Pyrrha would never know what it was like to lose Jaune. Because he lost her first. The cruel reminder betrayed her.

"Master. It is almost time." There was a melancholy in his voice. An understanding sorrow. She may have lost her Jaune but Rider lost his Pyrrha.

"I know." She stood up slowly and placed the scroll on the shield, just above where her arms would be; it makes gauging her aura levels easier. They were still relatively full though the amount was clearly greater than before because of the Grail War side-effect or something. It would be more accurate to say that her reserves were back to where they used to be before the Grail War. Those Paper Pleasers were quite numerous and stuck around for a while. Pyrrha's reserves had to support all of them.

"I'll keep their involvement as small as I can," Rider promised.

"If it's alright with you." Pyrrha's voice was as neutral as she could make it. Still, whimpering leaked out. "J-Rider. After Beacon fell… did you ever continue to train?"

"Always did. Wouldn't have made it as far as I did without y-my partner." He too was struggling, huh. "There were… many things I wanted to say."

"I'm sure you did." She did too. But right now, she couldn't find the words to say it. She didn't have the courage for it either.

Nora and Ren were there, waiting for them. They didn't need to look for Rider. They knew he was there; secrecy among the common populace was what they were looking for. Rider could disguise himself and most wouldn't really recognize him, there were only a few who would. Those in Beacon would have many things to say if they saw Jaune back. If he had gone in his armor, there would be many questions as to why there was someone pretending to be the Rusted Knight walking about.

"We're going on a hike," sang Nora. But her voice was almost trembling, trying to keep everyone's spirit up. "We're going on a hike. We're going on a hike. Hip, h-hip, hooray."

"It's alright, Nora." Pyrrha assured her. "It's alright. We're all going through the same thing."

Right. Without Jaune, would the leadership role fall to her now? With Rider, she was the Master and would be the one making the commands. Could she even do that? Maybe she'll have to default to Ruby's leadership; at least she has experience.

"I'll be there to help, Master." Rider must have felt her distress. "I can be an adviser too."

"Thank you, Rider." Even like this, he would always want to help.

/-/

Returning to Beacon wasn't an easy affair for Rider. Having been gone from Beacon for so long, he still couldn't bear to see his old school without memories of those better and simpler times flooding his mind. Those days when his biggest problem was graduating school and getting a girlfriend. Rider would not deny his longing of those simpler times.

He never did get to see how Beacon's repairs were going. Much of the school was being renovated but there were still traces of the hallways and doors that he was familiar with. Some were charred from the fires while others had many scratches, among those that were still standing anyway; most were gone and had to be replaced or upgraded with the latest models or designs.

To be with his old team again and to walk these halls should have been a dream come true. JNPR together again. He wasn't alone in that sentiment. Nora and Ren made that clear with the former being more vocal about it. Nora never ceased floating around Rider and used any chance she could to ride his back. The latter was just better at hiding it. Still, it wouldn't last long. Not just these hallways but the course of the Grail War.

His old uniform. Those old notebooks. That Pumpkin Pete pajamas that were the pinnacle of comfort. Those duller days had never looked more beautiful looking back. Funny how that goes, he supposed.

Rider could still remember the exact location when he and his Pyrrha trained on the rooftops. Cardin blackmailing him for his transcripts. That time he wore a dress to keep a promise. Those days, some embarrassing and others boring, were much preferred than what came after. Would he have returned Pyrrha's feelings had he known it then?

Would she even have said yes? He didn't think that there was much doubt in that regard but there was still a nagging part of him that said otherwise. He didn't want to hurt their friendship then and he certainly doesn't want to compromise it now, even if his current physical form made him closer to them age-wise.

Rider is a Servant now. That meant that his life was put at risk. On one hand, he could always have used the Grail's wish to make himself mortal again but that would mean endangering the rest of Remnant with Salem. The Grail made things equal among them. Fuzzy memories aside, victory without the Grail meant that Salem had to understand the value of life and death or the Brother gods deeming that humanity was worthy.

Speaking of the Grail, he reminded himself of the current participants. Leaving out Archer, Caster, and Assassin, there were other figures of Remnant. Lancer was relatively the least known among them, being known primarily among huntsmen and huntresses. There was that added benefit, Rider supposed that the Silver-Eyed warriors must have been combined with her. Saber was the King of Vale and thusly would be at his peak here in Vale. It matters little considering Rider was known pretty much everywhere in Remant. But he wasn't alone in that regard, which leads to the Berserker of the Grail War.

The Jabberwalker. The Jabberwalker was present as well. If it wasn't for that Berserker, Rider would have been confident in his capabilities in this Grail War. After all, the Rusted Knight was practically a child's first hero. Many huntsmen and huntresses started out wanting to be like the Rusted Knight or at least have heard of him. That fame though was comparable to the infamy of the Jabberwalker.

No. He shook his head. I will not fail them. I'm not just Jaune, I'm the Rusted Knight. If anything, he should be more Rusted Knight and less Jaune Arc. A difficult task to be sure. Lewis really must have thought highly of him that he could keep much of himself intact.

Rider felt a presence of another Servant. There was no doubt that two of them must have been Saber and Lancer. Who was the other one? Had Ozpin found another ally, already? That was swift even for the headmaster.

Everyone else was there already minus Ozpin himself. In his place was Glynda Goodwitch. Ruby looked at the newcomer with confusion. Qrow was uncertain and Lancer just shook her head, shrugging.

It was the additional person that took Rider's attention. Pink hair, a singular fang, seemingly female in appearance. That had to be the other Servant. There was a sword on the side but they couldn't be a Saber.

Rider materialized when there was no one else around. He kept his helmet on, better that everyone else think of him less as Jaune. That and he learned his lessons. It wouldn't do if this other Servant would be their opponent in the future.

"Who's this?" he asked.

"Rider," Saber replied. "Meet Rider. Or rather, meet Astolfo. He's the new staff of Beacon Academy."

"Yahoo!" Astolfo was waving his arm aggressively. "Don't worry! I'll be keeping Vale safe while you go! Oh and say hi to the other Companions for me! Or should I know who they already are?" There was a pause as Astolfo seemed to be in deep thought. Keyword: seemed. Nobody could possibly be thinking that hard making faces like that.

"Companions?" Pyrrha asked. The rest of JNPR felt the same.

It was Glynda who explained. "Astolfo is a Companion Servant. For reasons that is currently unknown to us, these additional Servants have been summoned as well. With Astolfo being Vale's Companion—whatever that means—it would imply that other locations have their own Companion's as well."

"Means we got our allies," Qrow added. "We'll be looking for Mistral's Companion and recruit them to our side."

"That's a bit convenient," replied Ren.

"I do not believe that it is coincidence, Mr. Ren," said Saber. He really was one of Ozpin's previous incarnations with the way he held that sword like a cane. The resemblance is uncanny. "These Companions, appearing at this time, couldn't be up to chance. Their names being Companions instead of Rogues or Strays is evidence enough of that."

"The previous Grail War," Rider guessed. "It's the only place we could look into, really."

Saber nodded. "That is where I believe the answer lies. We never did figure out the wish made during that time."

"Well." Nora shrugged her shoulders. "We'll find soon enough, won't we? How do we know if we found them?"

"Rider and I can handle that kid," Lancer answered. "Unless Mistral gets an Assassin, or if Salem got to them first, we'll be able to detect them just find. Presence like that isn't too easy to conceal. Assassins get a pass in that regard."

Glynda soon led them to the docking station where the Bullhead was already there waiting for them. There were crates of Dust there as well. Fuel for the journey. Even if they sped up to the swiftest, they would need to land somewhere and refuel.

"Well Rider." Lancer patted him on the back. "Time to live up to your class. Show this lass how good at Riding you really are."

Rider rolled his eyes. Lancer had to be winking behind her mask. But he wasn't about to grace her with a reaction. Besides, his own face was behind the helmet. He could pilot it, without a problem but that had little to do with his class. Maybe to some extent but that wasn't the case. While everyone else had found a place to be comfortable, both he and Qrow were the pilots here. Rider wasn't certain about having a literal bad-luck charm as a co-pilot but he could manage. They could get there swiftly but they would still need to land at some point. The Bullhead they were didn't have the largest tank capacity.

Buttons were pressed. Switches flipped and with hands on the flight controls, Rider was responsible for the smoothest operation of the Bullhead. A small chuckle escaped his lips. Once, he should have been anxious at the thought of possibly puking and yet there was a calmness to him. It was as though he was familiar with flight greater than this. Rider could almost imagine vividly what it was like. Like he had been here before.

"Ignition sequence start," Rider had said. "Engines on. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. All engines running. Beacon, we have lift off." Rider chuckled to himself a little. Where did you get that one from, Lewis?

"You sure you didn't get any flight classes?" Qrow asked. "That's pretty good flying. Best I've ever had, in fact."

"Nah," Rider replied. "My Riding skill just lets me really go at it. I could ride pretty much anything that isn't a dragon."

"Who rides a dragon?"

"There are few. But considering that I'm the Rider-class Servant and we just met a Companion Rider, yeah that isn't happening any time soon."

It was one of the smoothest flights that had ever occurred that even Rider found himself surprised. Though, that surprise had more to do with Jaune Arc rather than the Rusted Knight given the man's problems in regards to air travel. After Qrow's initial surprise at their appearance, the Paper Pleasers were even serving as flight attendants. Granted, there were no snacks nor entertainment of the luxurious kind but they made things more comfortable and provided enough amusement with their capacity to fold into whatever shapes their bodies allow. It was as close to a luxury flight as they were going to get. At the earlier request of his Master, the Paper Pleasers weren't those of his friends currently on the airship. Jaune the Paper Pleaser was present though; he was the most convenient one.

Not even a full hour had passed and they would already be smelling the scent of ocean water if they had let the air in. The windows provided a clear view outside. The calm and serene blues of the waters below them could only hide the dark Grimm that were swimming deep beneath the depths. Airborne Grimm were flying at a distance and did not approach. The few that did were instantly shot down by Rider. Beacon's Bullhead had some self-defense systems in place. Most airships in Remnant did.

The Paper Pleasers surprised the others again as they folded themselves into weapons, usually javelins, and flung themselves towards the Grimm. Despite being literal paper, they had enough force to match those made of steel. It was more accurate to say that they were as hard as gemstone. Rider chuckled to himself at the comparison. Nobody understood why, only him and he was keeping that to himself.

He had to be careful with it though. While the individual Papers couldn't even count as a drop, too many and he would eventually drain Pyrrha's aura reserves faster than she can recover. She had focused entirely on meditation to keep it up the moment she realized it. In order to conserve it, Pyrrha, along with the others, had the doorways open and shot any airborne Grimm that dared approach. It was nothing more than target practice that they were confident in saying that these ones weren't under Salem's direct control.

Beacon's bullhead also had its own defense system. Ruby had volunteered in that regard and her aim was just as excellent as the one he knew in life. They had limited ammunition though which sadly meant that they had to ration it as they approached. Still, the Grimm flock that was more of an annoyance had dispersed eventually.

Rider's piloting actually somewhat pleasant as kept the flight smooth even as he was performing different maneuvers that avoided those Grimm just as much he would any other flock of birds. The bullhead lowered its altitude as the continent of Anima was slowly coming within view. There wasn't even the slightest of scratches that were present with the only cleaning would be whatever dust particles that stuck to the metal.

"That quick, huh," Qrow commented. "Only been a few hours." His hands weren't even on the controls anymore. Rider didn't even need that much help in reality.

"Riding A+" Rider replied. Underneath that helmet of his, he flashed a smile. "It comes in handy."

Once they were over land, Qrow got up from his seat and called for Pyrrha to take his place. The two shared their greetings with Qrow even assuring Pyrrha that she would be fine.

"Yeah just listen to the ace, over here." Qrow pointed to Rider. "Frankly, you might not even need to fly the thing and just sit there and enjoy the front view."

The warnings rung out as the bullhead's doors opened wide. Soon enough, Qrow had left them to search for Raven, transforming into a crow as he did so. The doors closed immediately after.

Qrow's crow form was hard to see. He was already a small avian to begin with, practically a dotted stain on a canvas of blue and white. The further down he went, the less his shape could be made out. No one could tell where the Branwen Tribe was from their altitude. But Qrow probably has some ways of finding them.

Being closer to the ground than they were earlier, the vast landscapes of Anima were still untamed. There were patches here and there that spoke of former settlements and outposts that must have been lost. Whether they were Grimm or not, only broken structures of wood and stone remained.

They flew by on what should have been the town of Shion. That place still had some smoke rising in the air but Rider knew that there was nothing that could be done. Shion was already decimated.

For a moment, Rider had thought about taking a different direction. If memory served him right, there was a Geist Grimm somewhere. It had been as team RNJR at the time though Rider will insist that team JNRR was better, it just needed tweaking of letters, that's all. His grip on the controls tightened as he stayed the course. That is a small matter in the large scale of things. He could only hope that what huntsmen remained in Mistral's borders dealt with it.

There won't be, he thought grimly. Here's hoping that this Companion Servant did something about it. Definitely a friendly one if they did. Rider continued to observe the general area where the Geist would have been. A flock of birds flew in the air, disturbed by something. Huh, guess someone did do something about it.

Rider and Pyrrha had a silence between them. Pyrrha, unsure of what to do, didn't really do much with the controls beyond what Rider guided her with. He tried his hardest to find that balance between gentleness and firmness in his voice. He didn't want to strain his relationship with his Master but he also didn't want her to be too close to him as Jaune.

No one is guaranteed to live forever, not even those like Salem and Ozma with this Grail War ongoing. But as Servants, their lives were already forfeit to begin with. As shadows of distant pasts, Rider wouldn't be alone in thinking that he would willingly give up this second chance of life if it meant that others don't have to. He will do what he must as a Servant and win but every other Servant would be thinking the same. These people here, the friends and family of this time, they were all treasures that should be protected. If by their second death, these people get to live for a while longer, it was an easy choice to make for Rider.

Bastard Saber, Rider thought. Whether that had been intended or not, any camaraderie that they would have with one another would make the eventual confrontation more difficult on the side of their Masters. Saber and Ozpin being away from the rest of the group would make things less difficult for the two. While Lancer and Rider knew that it would come eventually, and though their Masters had been informed of it, could they really push through with it once that had come to pass?

Checking the fuel gauge, it wouldn't be enough to make a full trip to Haven Academy. The bullhead's tank just isn't meant for that distance. They had to make a stop at some point. That was expected but that was where the reserves come in. He just needed to find an open space and he knew just where to land. He could only hope that Ren and Nora wouldn't mind it as much.

"So," Pyrrha said, breaking the silent wall. She had been twiddling her thumbs for a while now. She wasn't holding on the controls either. "Any idea on who Mistral's Companion might be?"

Rider shook his head. "I was just as surprised as you were. Honestly, I didn't even know that it was possible. I'll be able to tell for the most part though. Both me and Lancer, that is."

"Maybe we could ask my old mentor? I'd think he would know a thing or two about peculiar existences."

"If you think that he could be trusted, I don't see why not, Master."

Pyrrha, for a moment, was elated. "He's great! You'll like him Rider! Most of the things that I taught yo—Jaune, sorry. Most of the things I taught Jaune came from him. He's probably better at teaching though. Better than me, definitely."

"You must really admire the man."

"Faunus. He says he's a horse faunus. I may regret being the Invincible Girl a little but I could never regret everything that he gave me, making that status possible."

This was good in Rider's mind, seeing her smile again. It was a better thing that he was behind his helmet. He didn't want to image what it would be like if Pyrrha lost it again. The least he could do is be the last Servant standing. He was sure that both Saber and Lancer were the same. In the meantime, he would hear her talk about this mentor of hers.

/-/

"Are you certain that I cannot convince you to come with, Mrs. Nikos? I may have returned a bit too soon given that mission I was requested to do but I am in no rush at all."

"I will only be a burden to both you and my daughter, sir Chiron. It may be that this is as far as I go from what you told me. Besides, you can already guess what would happen if I did come with."

He sighed. She was right. But he still wanted to try for the sake of her daughter, his student. His former student, now. "Then, I suppose that this is farewell."

"Take good care of her."

He chuckled. "Though I may meet young Pyrrha as a Companion this time, I was still her mentor. I know what she is capable off and she is stronger than even she knows."

She laughed as well. "Yes. And she always reminded you of this Achilles you spoke highly about."

"Very well then, Mrs. Nikos. I suppose the headmaster of Haven should be happy that I'm finally responding to his messages."

"I'm sure headmaster Leonardo couldn't wait, sir Chiron."

Right in front of her eyes, Chiron vanished. Mrs. Nikos could swear that she heard the sounds of galloping. Then again, he always did say he was a horse faunus.

AN: Out of all rankings and stats, Rider's Riding is pretty much the only one I have some certainty with, mainly because of the mount.

Funnily enough (or cruelly, depending on how you look at it), this one came from Volume 4 itself. Jaune had Pyrrha's video so now we have a Pyrrha who has Jaune's video. I make no promises that this won't happen again.

Additionally, Ideal Sembalnce and Knight War Order has me using Jaune's allusion with Jeanne and Gilles, now, we have Pyrrha's allusion to Achilles with Chiron as her teacher.