Chapter 1
(Emerald Forest)
Jaune was trying to escape a horde of Grimm; they were chasing him because he was thrown out of Beacon. Some fake papers were fake for a reason. Jaune is the crown prince of Arcadia and was in exile for his protection. There was an assassination attempt on him when he was 7, and he was raised by his elder sister, Saffron, and a bodyguard. He wanted to become powerful, so he was trained and was good. But when he was supposed to test for his papers, his guard died, and Jaune's papers were destroyed.
But someone had gotten Cardin's ear and told him there was proof that Jaune's papers were fake, which started the avalanche of hatred toward him. That person wanted Jaune dead. Most students began to hate him, accusing him of taking someone's spot at the school. His team wanted him out; he had no friends, no team, nothing. This was perfect for the assassin. That was what led us to now.
Jaune was fighting his ass off, and he got a good amount of Grimm but, it was too much and as he was about to die, there was a huge explosion annihilating the Grimm horde, leaving nothing.
(The next morning)
Team PARN, headed by Pyrrha, was waking up, and the newest member was grinning. That weakling Arc was dead. Now, all he has to do is contact his family in Arcadia and tell them. Not knowing that they were already dead. Alix Davis, the newest member, the one who started this mess, was enjoying his morning. Pyrrha looked at him. "Good morning, Alix." She said, "Why are you so chipper this morning?"
Davis was so arrogant, he told them. "Now that it's over, I can tell you." He said, "That weakling Arc is dead." Pyrrha paled.
"What?"
"That's right, and you and these losers here played your parts gloriously!" Pyrrha lunged at him, and he dodged and pointed a gun at the back of her head. "Ah, ah, ah! I'm willing to tell Ozpin that it was your fault that Arc died." Just then, he was destroyed with a hammer, and then both of his legs were broken at the kneecaps. Pyrrha got up and stepped on one of his knees. He was screaming in pain, "PLEASE GET OFF!"
"Not until you come clean with EVERYTHING!" Said Pyrrha. "What did You Mean By 'Jaune's Dead'?" She didn't get an answer, so she put more pressure on the knee. "Well?"
"OKAY, OKAY! I'LL TALK!" He screamed, and he told them about his mission and why.
(Ozpin's office)
A woman was glaring at the headmaster. "Lady Rachel…" said Ozpin.
"I Tasked You, To Train My Prince, My Son! You Can't Even Do That?" She said Rachel was a very beautiful woman with long auburn hair and blue eyes and was dressed in a white pantsuit, a black blouse, gold spats, and her crown. She was with a gentleman, around 50 years old, dressed in a black tuxedo, with white hair and dark eyes. "Now, He's DEAD! HOW IN THE HELL DID HE DIE?" She yelled, and Ozpin gulped. He told her everything about how his transcripts were found to be fake. "The Only reason they were fake was that the original ones were destroyed!"
"Destroyed?"
"Yes, destroyed, and the man who had trained Jaune died of a heart attack!" Ozpin was in shock.
"But why was he…? He held back." He said.
"Yes, now where is this 'Alix Davis'?"
"Um, he's with his team." Just then, team PARN came into the office. Pyrrha saw Rachel and paled, and so did Alix. Rachel just grinned and started to crack her knuckles.
"Wait, Wait, WAIT!" He said, "Let me explain!"
"What's there to explain?" She said, "YOU KILLED MY SON!"
"It was an accident!" Pyrrha just scoffed.
"You told us you were, 'proud to get rid of that weakling!'" She said that Alix was now regretting his arrogance.
"Getting rid of the weakling?" Said Rachel, Davis was scared now. He thought since he got rid of Jaune, he would be all-powerful. He forgot, that the true power lay with his mother, and she was going to prove it. She grabbed him by the neck.
"If you… kill me…" He didn't finish as his neck 'crunched.' RWBY, Ren, and Nora watched in terror. Rachel locked eyes with Weiss.
"Now," she dropped the dead student. "Jaune never wanted your ass; he was engaged." They were shocked. "She is a very nice girl too. Guess what? You get to tell her that he's dead, and it was your fault."
"That's not… Urk!" Said Weiss. Rachel grabbed her by the blouse and lifted her.
"Listen, you untalented bitch! You are going to tell her what happened and that it was your fault because it was, or I'm going to make you wish you were Davis!" Weiss gulped and nodded, and then she threw her down. "Since you want to control things!"
The air crackled with residual energy where the explosion had been. Jaune Arc, prince in exile, lay battered and bruised, but alive. He'd survived, again. He pushed himself up, wincing. Every muscle screamed in protest, but the adrenaline coursing through him wouldn't let him succumb. He had to get out of the Emerald Forest. He had to disappear. Again.
He knew, with a chilling certainty, that Alix Davis was behind it. The whispers, the accusations, the orchestrated hatred. It had all been too convenient. Jaune's life had been a constant battle for survival since that assassination attempt, and it seemed the fight was far from over.
He staggered through the trees, his mind racing. He couldn't go back to Arcadia. If Alix Davis was successful in his plot, anyone associated with him would be in danger, including his beloved sister, Saffron. Duty, as always, demanded he protect them, even from afar.
His training kicked in. He needed to find a place to regroup, to heal, to plan. He remembered an old, abandoned cabin Saffron had shown him during one of their rare trips outside the palace grounds. It was a long shot, but it was his only hope.
Days turned into weeks. Jaune lived like a ghost, hunting small game, sleeping under the stars, his wounds slowly healing. He honed his skills, pushing himself harder than ever before. The abandonment, the betrayal, the constant threat to his life, forged him into a weapon. He was no longer the naive boy who had faked his way into Beacon. He was a survivor, a warrior, and a prince determined to reclaim his life.
Meanwhile, at Beacon, the fallout from Alix Davis' actions was devastating. Team PARN, shattered by the revelation of their complicity in Jaune's apparent death, wrestled with guilt and disbelief. Pyrrha, haunted by her role in pushing Jaune away, sought solace in training, her movements sharp and brutal. Ren and Nora, silent observers in the drama, felt the weight of their inaction.
As for Team RWBY, the encounter with Queen Rachel had left them reeling. Yang was furious at the blatant abuse of power, while Blake was conflicted, understanding Rachel's grief but recoiling from her ruthlessness. Ruby, still trying to grasp the situation, felt a profound sense of shame for her part in ostracizing Jaune.
Weiss, however, was truly terrified. The Queen's words echoed in her mind: "You are going to tell her what happened and that it was your fault because it was." She was engaged to someone special? And now, Weiss was tasked with delivering the news of her fiancé's supposed death? The task was impossible, cruel, and utterly terrifying.
Reluctantly, Weiss informed Winter Schnee, her older sister and a Specialist in Atlas. Winter, ever the pragmatist, immediately recognized the gravity of the situation. "This is a political nightmare," Winter declared. "Arcadia will demand retribution. You need to find this 'fiancée' and prepare her for what's to come."
Winter used her resources to track down the mysterious fiancée. Her name was Juniper Evergreen, a young woman known for her intelligence, compassion, and fierce loyalty. Juniper worked as a healer in a small village just outside of Vale. Weiss, accompanied by Winter, traveled to the village, bracing herself for the confrontation.
When Weiss finally met Juniper, she was struck by her quiet strength. Juniper's eyes, the color of emeralds, held a warmth that belied the pain she must have been experiencing. Weiss choked on her words, struggling to deliver the devastating news. Winter stepped forward, her voice calm and authoritative. "Miss Evergreen, we regret to inform you that Jaune Arc is presumed dead."
Juniper's face paled, but she did not break. Tears welled in her eyes as she turned away, whispering, "He's not dead. I can feel it."
Weiss and Winter exchanged a worried glance. Juniper's words held an unsettling conviction. Could Jaune still be alive? And if so, how could they possibly find him, especially with the Queen of Arcadia and potentially, other unknown enemies, searching for him as well?
Back in the Emerald Forest, Jaune stood on a rocky outcrop, gazing towards the horizon. He felt a faint stirring of hope, a flicker of connection. Juniper was right, he wasn't dead. And he would make sure he lived, not just for himself, but for her, for his family, and for the kingdom he was destined to lead. He would emerge from the shadows and reveal the truth, no matter the cost. The prince in exile was ready to fight for his crown. The game had changed. And this time, Jaune was playing to win.