actrixquadras

[actrixquadras]

Jaune: You can’t fly lol

Penguin: You can’t get someone to mate with you for life lmao

Jaune:

Penguin: Dude don-don’t cry at the zoo.

[actrixquadras]

To be honest, I never heard that one. The so far away I heard was done by Martin Garrix

So Far Away AU Part4

Chapter 3: Ansel and Arcs

Jaune couldn’t help but let out a huge sigh of relief as he saw the tire pressure go up. As it reaches the optimal number, he switches off the air compressor and detaches it from the tire and power source. He then quickly rolls it up in a bundle and shoves it in the back of the jeep. The sun was setting and the knight could only hope to reach his destination before it got too dark.

It took 6 hours for the cargo plane to reach Frimmel, the nearest settlement to Ansel that could land an aircraft of that caliber, but Jaune’s hometown was 12 hours away from Frimmel. Not wanting to stumble around in the dark, the blonde knight had decided to stay a night at Frimmel and had gotten himself and Weiss a room in the inn.

Taking care of Weiss was harder than expected. It turns out that even in a vegetative state, a person would still retain their normal bodily functions and Jaune found that out the hard way. He could easily change the IV bags and set up the oxygen concentrator, but there were some things that he could have done better. 

One of them was bathing. Jaune knew well that he couldn’t set Weiss down in the bathtub and was supposed to clean her up with a hot water sponge. But the problem was that to clean Weiss, he had to undress her and from what he knew, she was not wearing anything underneath. 

The idea of looking at Weiss in her vulnerable state terrified Jaune a lot. He considered Weiss his friend, she was someone he cherished a lot. Seeing those scars on her body made him loathe the life they had been living. Seeing her naked was not something the knight liked. He would avert his eyes as his hands dabbed her body clean. He tried his best to not look. There was also getting rid of her diapers and flushing her leg bags empty. At that time, Jaune wondered why Winter considered him an ideal person to take care of her.

There was also the activity of moving her body once in a while. It was to relieve Weiss from… what was it called again?... Pressure sore? Doctors had told him that he needed to do that to prevent muscle atrophy. With those activities, they had managed to spend the night, and as soon as the sun came out, Jaune was back in the jeep alone with Weiss and they set off from Frimmel.

The ride to Ansel though, was lovely. Jaune drove safely and once in a while, he would stop to check on Weiss. They passed through villages and towns, the knight waving at anyone who would greet him. The jeep cabin was filled with recorded songs sung by the sleeping beauty. Doctors told him that even though she was in a coma, Weiss might hear things that were happening around them. So, the knight would occasionally talk out loud, telling her what he saw, telling her what he was thinking, and sometimes he would sing along to Weiss’ songs. He would sometimes stop to take in the beautiful sceneries that they came across and he would record them in his scroll so that one day Weiss could enjoy them too.

One day…

She will enjoy them.

He just needs to be patient.

He just needs to wait.

The art of patience was something he had mastered a long time ago.

Right now, he was in a bit of a hurry. The sun had gone down long ago, and the moon was out. Driving non-stop had caused air to leave some of the tires and filling them up had taken some time. He was hoping to reach Ansel before sunset, but with the number of stops he had taken, it seemed like they would reach midnight.

“Don’t worry Weiss. We’ll reach there in no time”, Jaune says out loud, but he doesn’t get any response, nor does he expect one. With every passing minute, the shadows of the trees loomed over them and it made the knight anxious. They were lucky enough to not encounter any Grimm during their trip but he doesn’t want to face one during the last leg. The headlights from the jeep were bright enough to lighten up the path, but it didn’t put him at ease.

Suddenly, his eyes caught the light in the distance and he grew excited as he saw the huge signboard that boldly proclaimed, ‘Welcome to Ansel’.

“What did I tell you, Weiss?” Jaune exclaims with a laugh as he starts to slow down the jeep. They drive past the wheat fields and approach the walls. 

While Ansel was mostly plains, the walls didn’t cover the entire town since it was built in a valley. The mountains were the natural deterrent to the Grimm, but it didn’t mean that it was completely safe. While the heavier Grimm were stalled by the hills, the more agile ones could cross them easily. The aerial type Grimm was also a problem. But it was not a big deal due to huntsmen who lived and patrolled these woods. The wall only covered the side that was open to the flatter topography.

The knight saw someone wave him down and he immediately brought the jeep to a stop. He knew the procedures. He escaped from this town once. He glances at Weiss and as he gathers his documents, he says, “I’ll be back in a minute”.

As he steps out near the walls, two people, one huntsman and a huntress on guard duty, approach him. The huntsman walks up to him and in a stern voice, asks, “Your business?” 

Jaune saw the huntress walk up to the jeep from his peripheral vision. The knight hands the huntsman his documents and replies, “Just going back home”.

The huntsman eyes the document and does a double take and says, “Arc? You are Julius’ boy!? What happened to you kiddo!? You seem like you have been through a lot”.

“It’s a long story, sir”, Jaune says with a chuckle.

“I hope it's worth it considering you ran away from your home”, the huntsman says as he goes through the documents. He then looks at the knight and asks, “Well, you have documents for two people here. Where is this Weiss Schnee?”

“Ethan…” Jaune hears the huntress speak up and it causes both the knight and guard to look in the direction. The huntress points at the jeep and says, “Looks like Miss Schnee is not in the condition to appear before us”.

The huntsman, who is revealed to be Ethan, walks towards the jeep and his eyes fall on Weiss. He was taken aback but didn’t show it on his face. He looks at Jaune and in a voice that was missing the prior stern tone, he says, “I’m sorry for being insensitive”.

Jaune shakes his head and replies, “You were just doing your job, sir. There is no need to apologize”.

“So this woman…. Is she your lover?” the huntress asks.

“ANNA!?” the huntsman exclaims and Jaune can’t help but chuckle.

In denial, the knight shakes his head and replies, “No. She is just a friend”.

“Just a friend?” The huntress asks, raising her eyebrow.

“Just a friend”, Jaune confirms.

“A man wouldn’t go this far for a woman he considers a friend”, the huntress mutters.

“Anna… that’s enough”, The huntsman chastises his partner. He then looks at the blonde and says, “I’m sorry about her. She tends to get excited when there is gossip or something like that”.

“I don’t mind”, Jaune replies with a small smile. He then looks at the huntress and says, “You are right! No sane man would go this far for a woman he just considers a friend. But I do. Weiss and I have been through some stuff. I just can’t leave her behind”.

The understanding dawns on the huntress and as she nods, she says, “I’m sorry about your loss. But it's a good thing that you came back. I believe two or three years ago your sister came back with her family”.

Jaune was surprised to hear that. He had long heard that Argus was attacked, and he made peace with the fact that Saphron and her family might not make it. To hear that she was doing well and that she had brought her family here was also relieving.

But as much as he was happy to hear about Saphron's survival, he couldn’t help but grimace. He might have suffered a lot, but at the same time, he was lucky in other things. His entire family surviving brought him joy but the same couldn’t be said about the sleeping beauty he was traveling with.

“Well, you are free to go. Also welcome back to Ansel, kiddo”, the huntsman says with a smile and Jaune returns in kind. He climbed back in his seat and with a nod to the guarding huntsmen, he drove through the gate.

Ansel was not a big town, but one couldn’t call it small as well. The streets were still well-lit and unlike small towns, some of the establishments were still open. He drove carefully through the empty roads, looking out for any drunk person stumbling around.

Soon the buildings got smaller and less frequent, and he was greeted by the familiar farmlands. His family owned a vineyard along with a ranch. It was his great-grandfather who brought this land, but it was his father who had built this place when he retired from being a huntsman. The main income from his family came from the wine they sold, but they also made good money by selling grapes, eggs, and milk. Sometimes they would sell the wool they would shear and rent out the horses for rides. It was not much, but it was honest work. It was enough to raise a family as large as his.

This was the life Jaune had left behind to be a huntsman. The younger him didn’t find the appeal in this life, but now… he could see its charm. He drove slowly until he saw a familiar-looking tall picket fence. In the distance, he saw the lights in the house that he grew up in. He stopped his vehicle and got down to open the gates to his house. The waft of grapes and wheat attacked his nostrils and for the first time in a while, Jaune felt that he was truly home.

He quickly got in the car and inched his jeep through the gates. As soon as the rear tires entered the premises, howls of dog barks filled the knight’s ears and Jaune couldn’t help but smack himself on the forehead. How could he forget about the dogs his family was raising!? They protected the animals from wild animals that roamed the forests behind their house and altered them if the Grimm were present. They would surely raise hell if something unfamiliar entered their territory. Jaune just hoped that the howls wouldn’t wake up everyone in the house.

While the house was not far away, it sure felt like an eternity for the knight. What was he supposed to say? ‘Hey Mom and Dad, I’m back! I have brought a friend with me so can you let us stay over for a night?’ No! That was too casual. ‘Hey Mom and Dad, it’s been a while…�� That didn’t sound good enough. The knight couldn’t help but cringe. He had prepared everything for this trip and yet he had no inkling of how to approach his parents whom he had run away from twenty-six years ago. Heck, he is having trouble remembering his parents and his sisters.

As he brought the car to the rest, he could hear the dogs surrounding the vehicle. He hesitantly stepped out and from the lights from the building, he could make out how alert the dogs were to his presence. He had recognized some dogs, but there were few that he didn’t. His eldest sister Scarlet had a keen interest in canines and he remembers how the people of the town would bring their dogs to her to train them. Maybe these dogs were on a temporary stay.

“Popo! Bruno! Cruz! Rover! Bob! Colt! Muffin! Pete!” he hears a commanding shout, and Jaune freezes like the said dogs. His eyes go in the direction of the voice and his eyes widen. On the patio, stood a woman. Blonde hair showed signs of thinning and blue eyes that held a kind gaze. She had a slightly plump frame covered by the long flowing dress that one would wear at the farms and the crow’s feet near her eyes told her age. Unlike Jaune, she was short. The knight couldn’t help but tear up as his memories started to unblur itself. He might have a hard time remembering the faces, but just one look and he knew who the person was.

She was Isabelle Arc. She was Jaune’s mother. The woman steps forward on the steps and gasps as she sees the knight. The rusted knight couldn’t help but chuckle. His mother was a stubborn woman who refused to wear her glasses believing that it made her look old. It also didn’t help the fact that Jaune looked different as well. His hair was a bit longer and he had forgotten to shave. Not to forget the white streak in his hair. He was completely different from the person who left this place.

“Jaune… is that you?” the Arc matriarch asks in a hopeful voice.

At that moment, the only words that left the knight’s mouth were, “Hey Mum”.

As soon as he said that, his mother flung herself at him and Jaune nearly buckled under her weight. She held his face and while sobbing she asked, “Where were you, Jaune? We heard from you last time while Atlas was standing and the next thing we knew the war had started! We couldn’t get a word about you! We thought… we thought….”

“I’m sorry that I worried you, Mom”, Jaune says as he tries his best to not cry in front of his mother. He had missed her embrace a lot. He had missed her voice so much. Jaune was half convinced that he was still in Ever After dreaming this after a long day taking care of Paper Pleasers.

“Honey…. Is everything alright?” a voice falls on Jaune’s ears and he and his mother look up to see a man standing at the door. Tall stature and rugged look talked about his prior past as a huntsman and working all day on the farm. He was blonde like his mother but it was of a lighter shade, maybe due to age. The beard and the mustache framed his face well, and looking at him the respect in Jaune’s heart and mind soars, for the man was his father, Julius Arc.

“Hey Dad”, Jaune says as he lets go of his mother, and the patriarch is taken aback by the appearance of his estranged son. The knight was hesitant about how his father would react. He expected him to be angry. He ran away with their family heirloom after all.

But with the composure that would put Late General Ironwood to shame, the father says, “Hello Jaune. It’s been a while”.

Jaune didn’t know what to make of this. Was his father happy? Was he angry? Was he sad? It was always hard to understand him. He rarely let his emotions get a hold of him.

“You should come in”, says Julius and adds, “From the way you look, you must be tired. We will talk in the morning”.

At this moment, Isabelle perks up and says, “Yes! What are you waiting for!? Your sisters' are asleep right now, but your room is still empty. You can use that! Also, don’t worry about your stuff. We can bring them in the morning”.

At that moment, Jaune remembered about Weiss and he quickly rushed towards his jeep. With careful maneuvering, he puts the portable oxygen cylinders on his back and he carefully carries the sleeping beauty out of the jeep. His mother gasps as he sees the woman in his arms and without a word, she shoos the dogs away, who are now curious about why the man their lady was hugging smelled like their owners.

Julius holds the door open for them and Jaune enters the familiar-looking hallways. After climbing a set of stairs, he approaches the familiar-looking door that still holds the plaque of his name. His mother opens the door for him and he carries Weiss into his room and gently places her on the bed. He then leaves her behind along with his mother, rushes back to his vehicle, and carries the oxygen compressor back along with Weiss’ bag.

Within the next thirty minutes to one hour, Jaune had set up the oxygen compressor, cleaned Weiss up, and hooked her up with a new batch of IVs. All this time, Isabelle stood there with her eyes widened, not believing a single thing she just saw. She then walked out of his room as Jaune tucked Weiss under the blankets and replaced her oximeter. He sat down at the study table while taking a look at his scroll. Weiss’ pulses were doing fine. She was breathing easily. With a sigh of relief leaving his mouth, Jaune leaned back on his chair and took this chance to take a look at what was supposed to be his room.

As far as he remembers, his room hasn’t changed much over these six years. The posters of his favorite video games were missing, but that was giving considering they never lasted long enough. He didn’t check the closet but could easily tell it was empty. Either its content was moved to the attic or his mother had given it away to the people who needed it more, he didn’t know. The clock he used to wake up to was still up and running and sat snugly on his study table. The small television he used to play his video games on was still in the corner of the room. Weiss fit snugly on the bed, but the same bed was small for him. The room was not dusty at all. It was as if his mother had regularly cleaned it, expecting him to return and at that moment, he couldn’t help but feel guilty for making his mother go through all the stuff he made her go through.

A quick rap of knocking at his door catches his attention and he looks to see his mother walk in with a foldable mattress, pillows, and bedsheet. The knight hastily gets up from his place and takes the stuff from his mother’s hand. He gives her a quick smile and says, “Thanks, Mum! I will take it from here”.

The Arc matriarch couldn’t get a word as Jaune started to lay the mattress on the floor. She stood there awkwardly as she saw her boy set to work and she awkwardly walked to the free side of the room to reach the sleeping beauty on her son’s bed.

“She’s a pretty woman”, Isabelle states as she hesitantly brushes the white-haired woman’s hair off her face.

“Yep!” Jaune replies as he places the pillow as a final touch.

“What’s her name?” his mother asks.

“Weiss. Weiss Schnee”, was the reply Jaune gave.

“Schnee? Like in the Schnee Dust Company?” Isabelle asks to which Jaune just nods. The matriarch couldn’t help but frown and say, “Poor child… What about her family?”

“Her Mother and little brother are dead. She has an older sister but right now, her hands are tied. So I’m looking after her for a while”, replies Jaune.

For a while, the mother of the house didn’t say a word but Jaune knew very well that she had a lot to say. But instead of voicing what she was thinking, she gives a small smile to her son while patting his head and says, “You should get some sleep. We can talk later. How long did you travel?”

“We started from Frimmel at dawn”, Jaune says to which she nods. 

She kisses her son on his forehead and says, “I’m glad you’re back. Your sisters will be in for a surprise today”.

Normally, Jaune would have joked about recording their reaction, but he was too tired to speak. He nods in reply and with a quiet voice, says, “Yeah, Mum”.

The mother of the house was anxious at his reply but didn’t show it on her face. She rubs the knight’s hair one last time and walks out of the room, closing the door behind her. Jaune kept looking at her door. He could tell how awkward his mother was around him. It was as if she was talking to a stranger and Jaune couldn’t blame her for that. Her son came back as a different man along with a woman who was neither his wife nor his lover. No sane person would be comfortable with that, but he was happy that his mother was making an effort. 

His father, on the other hand, kept his distance. As much as he wanted to talk to his Dad, Jaune himself was feeling awkward around him. The fight he had with his Dad the last time he saw him came to his mind and the knight couldn’t help but cringe. He couldn’t help but dread the morning that was about to come. There are going to be a lot of questions going around and he could only hope that he could answer them without fumbling around.

With those thoughts, Jaune lay down on the mattress and his eyes looked back at Weiss. He couldn’t see her face, but seeing her chest move up and down, brought a semblance of relief in him. Both her IVs’ were still full and with the rate they were going down, it would take at least four to six hours to be empty. That was more than enough sleep he could muster. 

Provided whether he could sleep tonight or not.

Fire.

Smog.

Blood.

Wherever his eyes fell, that is all he saw. Jaune doesn’t know how he ended up here. He was sure that he was at his childhood home, trying to catch some sleep. Blood stained his broken blade but he was too shell-shocked to realize it.

“Jaune…” a very familiar voice calls him and he turns around and lets out a gasp as he sees Ruby standing knee-deep in a pool of blood. He tried to reach out but couldn’t since he was in the same situation. He tried to tread the crimson liquid but with every step he took, he felt himself sinking lower. But he couldn’t care less because the only person on his mind was Ruby.

Ruby… she looked worse. Bruises and cuts adorned her body. Her clothes were torn, threatening to forgo her modesty. Crescent Rose was broken but the girl held on to it as if her life depended on it. Blood caked half of her face, but it was her eyes that worried the knight the most.

Her silver eyes were lifeless. They didn’t have their usual luster. It was the eyes of someone who had given up. Jaune continued to tread and eventually reached the silver-eyed warrior and hugged her.

But she didn’t return it.

“Why?” was all Ruby asked. The knight held onto her tightly as she asked, “Why didn’t you come to save me?”

At that very moment, bloodied hands and bodies emerged from the pool engulfed them both, and tried to pull them under. The knight recognized a few of them. He recognized a figure that resembled Yang. There was a figure who was Blake and he recognized Oscar. Penny was there too and so was Pyrrha. There were some he didn’t recognize. Nameless people whom he couldn’t save. Ironically, Cinder and Salem were there too.

The knight doesn’t say anything as both he and Ruby are being dragged. She didn’t resist and he couldn’t find the strength to do it himself. Before the blood engulfed him, he heard Ruby’s voice, filled with pain and hopelessness, ask, “Why didn’t you come for us?”

Jaune was woken up by the cry of the rooster and he got up with a gasp. He has been having these dreams whenever he has the luxury to sleep. He rubbed his eyes as if trying to get rid of that scene from his very sight and mind. He knows very well that his Ruby would never blame him but deep in his mind, he agreed that she should. Ruby was too good to him. If she had resented him before she had died, he would have an easier time living but he knew in his heart very well that she would never resent him.

He slowly swung himself up and he turned to see the beauty who was still sleeping in his childhood bed. She was just the way Jaune had left her before going to bed, unmoving, breathing, and nearly lifeless. The knight sits on the chair and looks at the clock just to realize that it is six in the morning. 

Five hours… The dreams were being generous to him. Usually, they would bother to wake him every three hours, this was an improvement. Either that or exhaustion from yesterday helped him to sleep. Whatever it was, he was grateful for it. His eyes caught Weiss’ IV and he saw that they were nearly empty. He quickly changes them for a new batch. He took a look at her pulse and he let out a sigh of relief as it showed no signs of deterioration. 

After a quick shower and cleaning up his face, he drained her leg bags. After a session of gentle massages, movements, and combing, Jaune sat there by her side and started using his semblance on her. He did this for a while until he felt his aura get weak.

As much as he wanted to stay by her side, Jaune had to leave the room. He can’t stay at his parents’ place all the time. He was planning to go out and find a place to move in. He had saved enough funds during his time as Atlesian Huntsman and also Winter was generous enough to lend him some lien. So he had come up with a simple solution that helped him move around and yet keep an eye on Weiss.

He places the baby camera on the table gently and adjusts the angle just enough to see the entirety of Weiss. If she was awake, the dust princess would have been cross at him using a baby camera, but drastic times brought drastic measures. His scroll would already update him if there was anything wrong with her pulse and now with the addition of the camera, he could go anywhere.

But now, there was a larger problem at hand. He had told his mother that he would explain everything in the morning and now regretted saying it. As he hesitantly made his way downstairs, a sweet aroma engulfed the knight’s nose and it led him into the kitchen. Jaune’s parents were early risers. While his mother woke up every day to start working on breakfast and other mundane things, his father would head out to check up on the animals.

As he enters the kitchen, his eyes fall upon his mother who was working at the counter. Isabelle’s face was scrunched with concentration as she cut through vegetables and meat.

“Good morning, mum”, Jaune says, walking towards the counter.

His sudden speaking up caused the mother of the house to jump in fright. The very sight made the knight guilty, but before he could apologize, the matriarch looked at her son, and said, “Jaune! Good morning… I thought you would be sleeping in”.

“Didn’t feel like it. Do you need any help?” Jaune offers.

“Can you peel the eggshells?” his mother asks, to which he nods. He grabs the pot which was already done with boiled eggs and he pours in the cool water to calm them down.

As he starts to peel the eggs, he asks, “Where’s Dad?”

“Oh you know… with the cows. Bessie’s pregnant, so he went to check up on her”, Isabelle replies and Jaune nods in understanding. For a while, they don’t say anything as the Arc mother happily prepares the food and suddenly, she asks, “How is that girl doing?”

“She is doing well”, Jaune replies as he takes another egg and starts peeling it.

“What had happened to her?” Isabelle asks and at that moment, his hands pause. 

The memories of the war engulf his thoughts, but he shakes his head and replies, “She got injured in the war”. 

The mother pauses what she is doing, but she resumes her duties within a second. She didn’t say a word, but when Jaune looked at her face, he saw tears flowing silently.

“Mum… Don’t cry, mum… I’m fine. Nothing has happened to me”, the knight says, hugging his mother and the woman sobs into her son’s chest. They held onto each other for a while, but they had to let go when they heard the voices coming from the dining room. 

They could hear a bunch of yawns and good mornings. The mother’s eyes sparkled and Jaune immediately knew what she was thinking. He lets out a chuckle and just nods and the Arc matriarch walks out of the kitchen to greet the rest of the family.

“Good morning children!” Isabelle cheerfully greets and a chorus of greetings rings throughout the room.

“Mum, why there is a car outside?” Scarlet, the eldest daughter asks. Saphron might have been the first and the only sibling who had gotten married, but she was not the eldest. That title went to Scarlet, even though she was just a year older. Every sibling’s age differed by a year except for the twins. Sporting the shade of blonde that siblings shared, she had a pixie cut and unlike Jaune, she loved working at the farm, especially with the dogs. Even though she had short hair, she never gave off the vibe of a tomboy and she was more girly.

“It’s not just any car”, Jade clicks her tongue, the actual tomboy among Jaune’s sisters. Born a year after the knight, she was the fourth child who was born to Julius and Isabelle. Her hair was shoulder length and the thing she loved the most was machines, mainly cars and tractors. You would find her in town, working in her automotive store if she was not at home. She was clean, but the tan and grease were some of the prominent features. 

With a tone of annoyance, she says, “It’s an Atlesian Military Jeep. Hulk-500. You won’t find it on the roads normally”.

“Is that the reason why the dogs were barking at night?” Azure asks her mother. The prim and proper sibling of the Arcs. Her outfits were mostly sky blue shades, and she wore flowy skirts. She was also near-sighted due to the amount of reading she did. Born after Jade, she taught kids at the local school.

“Even Mum seems excited! Do you know the reason, Indica?” Indila asks, to which the woman who looked identical to her, replies, “How would I know!? I just woke up!” Indica and Indila. The twins were born after Azure. Indica was older than others by seven minutes but everyone who met them would say that Indila felt like the older one. Both of them had different tastes. They had different styles, but one would never see one twin without the other. It was as if they were joined at the hip. Isabelle sometimes would tease them, saying that they would end up marrying the same guy, and how they acted sometimes felt true. As kids, they were a chaotic bunch of gremlins and were a constant pain in Jaune’s behind, and even as grown-ups their mischievous side hadn’t left them. They owned a bakery in the town and they were well known for the rainbow croissants they made.

“Can anyone tell me why an Atlesian Military Jeep is outside our home?” Saphron asks as she enters the room, and she is being followed by her wife Terra, and their four-year-old son, Adrian.

“I never expected to see that so far inland”, Terra says as she helps Adrian onto the chair. Two years ago, the couple and their son moved to Ansel to escape the war and until recently, she was the last person who saw Jaune before he went to Atlas.

Suddenly, a girl rushes into the room, and everyone stops asking questions when they realize Violet, the youngest child of the Arcs, is panicking. Before Isabelle could say anything, the mother mode switches in Scarlet flips and she rushes towards her sister. She holds the youngest by her shoulders and in a gentle but worried tone, she asks, “Vi, what happened?”

Violet was a soft-spoken and meek girl. At the age of eighteen, she was someone who was always riddled with anxiety. She always braids her hair in a ponytail, but this time it was a mess. She stutters, “You know… I was coming down for breakfast when I saw Jaune’s room was slightly open. I thought maybe Mum might have opened it to clean the room. You know how mum tends to get when it comes to cleaning…”

“Vi… get to the point”, Saphron says, who was now beside her sisters.

“A woman is sleeping on Jaune’s bed”, Vi blurts out and the entire room is taken aback by what she has just said. 

Before chaos could fall in the dining room, Isabelle clears her throat and says, “Kids… I have something to say”.

“Don’t tell me you are pregnant!” Indila exclaims. 

Indica smacks her twin on the head and says, “Obviously she’s not, dolt!” but at the very next second, she looks at her and in a doubtful tone, asks, “You’re not right?”

“No way Mum is pregnant guys!” Vi exclaims. “I mean Dad and Mum do love each other, but I don’t think she is pregnant. I mean… look at her age. No offense to Mum but instead of asking if she is pregnant, we must be asking if she has menopause or not. Maybe that woman might be a surrogate…”.

“Well Vi honey, you are the youngest child to be born in our family. If I were to get pregnant, you wouldn’t have been the youngest”, Isabelle replies while being slightly annoyed.

“Guys, let's hear what Mum has to say first!” Azure says from her seat. 

The girls go quiet and look at their mother expectantly. The matriarch lets out a sigh and says, “Well, someone did come at night, and the person who is right now in Jaune’s bed was not the only person who came”.

At that very instant, Jaune walks out of the kitchen, and with a sheepish smile on his face, he says, “Hey guys”.

What happened next, Jaune has no idea. One moment, he was standing at the kitchen door, the next moment he was on the floor dogpiled by his sisters. The amount of squealing and sobs nearly deafened him but he couldn’t help but laugh. Isabelle starts to cry but this time it is happy tears and is joined by Terra. The Arc family was finally complete and the happy days were not so far away.

[actrixquadras]

So Far Away Part6

Chapter 5: Returning Snow

“From what I can see, Miss Schnee is doing quite well. Just like always, you are doing a phenomenal job taking care of her, Mr. Arc”, the lady dressed in a shirt and jeans says as they gently place the sleeping beauty’s hand back on the bed.

“Are you sure, Dr. Wissend? Weiss has been breathing differently lately” Jaune asks with concern as he enters the room, looking at his sleeping friend anxiously. 

It's been six months since Jaune had moved back to Ansel with Weiss. After taking over the log cabin from his father, he had spent most of his waking hours trying to bring the place to a hospitable condition. He had personally replaced the defective wood. He had hammered the nails in place and placed the missing glass. He had treated the house against any possible pests just so that Weiss wouldn’t have a problem recovering her health. His mother and sisters took turns to watch over her when he was not around and within three weeks, after the talk with the town board for electricity and running water, the cabin was ready to be occupied.

The cabin was not huge per se. It had two bedrooms, out of which the master went to Weiss, while he took the smaller one. Much to his chagrin, his sisters went out of their way to decorate her and his room. The living room was not big but shared its space with dining and kitchen, and it had an old-fashioned fireplace to keep the place warm during nights and winters. There was a loft as well, but currently, it was left unused. There was a patio both at the front and back, opening the space to sunlight, a cool breeze, and a good view.

It was a space, ideal to raise a small family but now, only he and Weiss were living here. Not a day went by when Jaune wasn’t busy. He would be either outside the cabin, cutting trees to make way for the orchid that his father proposed, or he would be attending to his huntsman duties. By now, 80 percent of the woods have been cleared. The discarded wood was not wasted at all. It was either converted to firewood or was reused to make a shed for the jeep and other trinkets Jaune was planning to make.

Speaking of his father, the knight was doing his best to assist him whenever he could. He would sometimes help him at his vineyard and sometimes he would help at the ranch. Even though Jaune insisted against it, his father always paid him for his job, saying that no work should be done for free. His father was still awkward, but now, the knight of Rust found it easier to talk with him. Sometimes, they would go to fish, sometimes they would head out to town to get supplies for the house and the farm.

It was his father who had introduced him to the local huntsmen and Weiss’ current doctor in charge, Dr. Allison Wissend, who preferred to be referred to as Dr. Al Wissend. They were a traveling doctor, a neurologist to be exact, who would drop by Ansel once a month to check on patients who suffered from ailments related to what Weiss was dealing with. The town has a fair share of clinics and medicine practitioners, but there was no neurologist, so Dr. Wissend is a blessing to have whenever they are around.

Right now, they were here at their place. Dr Wissend had come over for Weiss’s monthly check-up. The past few days have been rough on Jaune. The sleeping woman’s breathing had changed a lot, causing the knight to be scared. He can’t rush the doctor to come over, nor does his aura amping help ease the breathing. All Jaune could do was sit beside Weiss’s side and worry. Even though he knew about the brother gods’ existence, Jaune was not a believer, but he was praying to those very gods for the good health of his friend.

“That’s quite normal for a patient like her. Did you notice anything else?” Dr. Wissend asks.

Jaune shakes his head in denial and says, “Other than occasional twitching, nothing else. I believe you told me that twitching is normal as well”.

“If it's beyond normal, I wouldn’t call it twitching but rather a seizure”, they say as they jot something down in their notebook. They look at the blonde knight and say, “Her bladder movement is good. Her pulse is good. I didn’t find any bedsores and she is very clean. All I have to do is send her blood to the lab and you can pick it up tomorrow. As far as I’m concerned, she is very healthy”.

“Is there anything I have to keep in mind for the future?” Jaune asks earnestly.

The doctor shakes their head in denial and as they gently remove the sleeping woman’s nasal cannula, they say, “No. You are doing well, Mr. Arc. You are doing very well. I don’t have to say anything, because you are already doing it. But if there is anything I have to add, she is ready to start a liquid diet. She is showing enough strength to digest, maybe you can start with something. If she throws up or appears to have a digestion issue, you can switch back to glucose. Do take care to make sure that she doesn’t choke. Also, her lungs are getting strong as well, so we can get her off the ventilator. ”.

Jaune just nods. A moment of silence grows between the two and suddenly, the doctor asks, “Is there anything you want to know, Mr. Arc? Is something bothering you?”

A lot of things were bothering Jaune. It’s been six months. He was already halfway through the time he had agreed with Winter. Weiss… She was not showing any signs of recovery. With every passing day, he was growing anxious. Was the effort he was putting in not enough? Was he lacking somewhere? He was using his semblance on her every day… Was it hampering her progress? Jaune had too many things to ask, but he needed to consider Dr. Wissend’s time as well. They were busy people after all. So, he decided to ask a question that mattered to him the most at that moment.

“Doctor… when can I expect her to wake up?” Jaune asks after taking a deep breath.

Dr. Wissend lets out a huge sigh. They shrug their shoulders a bit as they reply, “It’s tough to say, Mr. Arc. Patients like her tend to be unpredictable. She might wake up in a few hours, a few days, or maybe in a few months as well. She might not… You get what I’m trying to say. We must also consider the damage that has happened to her brain. If she wakes up, she might be able to articulate her words properly, she might not be able to walk properly, she might not even remember you. With therapy we can recover most of Miss Schnee's cognitive function and mobility, but memories… I have doubts about that. All I can say is to prepare yourself for the bad news”.

Jaune couldn’t help but grimace at their reply. The doctor continues to say, “I know that as a doctor, you have certain expectations from me, but this is the most I can do”.

Jaune shakes his head and with a small smile, replies, “It’s fine, doctor. I appreciate you making time for Weiss”.

Dr. Wissend nods and as they return the smile, they say, “You have no idea how much I appreciate your understanding Mr. Arc”. They begin to gather their belongings and as they are putting it together, they say, “I shall get going then. I shall mail you the recipes and supplements that you should add to her diet. If there is any problem, don’t hesitate to contact me. I will be leaving Ansel tomorrow evening”.

“Oh yes... Your fees?” Jaune asks as he reaches behind for his wallet.

“You know… the regular amount you pay” Dr. Wissend replies and Jaune doesn’t hesitate to fork out the Lien. The exchange goes without a hitch and the knight sees the doctor off at the main door. As soon as they were out of sight with their rental car, Jaune let out a sigh and headed back into Weiss’ room and flopped down on the recliner that Saphron and Terra had brought in for his comfort. 

He reaches out to the scroll in his pocket. This was a habit he had developed since the doctor had made their first visit. He searches for the contact he wanted at that time and with a quick swipe he dials and places the transparent device against his ear.

After a series of short incessant rings, a connection is formed and a crystal clear voice fills his ear saying, “Hello Jaune”. 

“Hey, Winter. How are you doing?” Jaune asks as he sits up. Speaking to Winter on the scroll has always been weird to him. The knight always felt a need to sit appropriately around the elder Schnee even though she was not physically present in the room. Was that because she always talked to him with a formal tone or was it because she was his superior? He had no idea.

“I’m doing good. What did the doctor say about Weiss?” asks Winter.

“They said that it's quite normal for her breathing to change. She is off the ventilator”, Jaune replies as his gaze falls on the sleeping woman.

“Did they say anything about… you know…?”

“They were not sure about that. Told us to be prepared for bad news”, was the reply Jaune.

A moment of silence fell upon the two, and the knight could hear sounds of heavy breathing coming from the other side. He doesn’t say a word as a quiet sob passes through his ear. For a moment, he thought of saying something to cheer her up, but words died in his mouth as his tongue failed to articulate his thoughts. He doesn’t hang the call and lets Winter take her time.

“Did they say anything else?” Winter finally asks.

“Yeah. Apparently, Weiss can start a liquid diet”, Jaune says.

“Oh… Weiss is going to hate that”, the knight heard his superior let out a chuckle and he couldn’t help but smile.

“I will try to sneak some of her favorite stuff into her diet”, he says with a smile.

“Please do. She would appreciate it”, Winter replies cheerfully. Then she asks, “How are Mother and Whitley doing?”

“Oh them?”, Jaune starts as his sight then moves to the corner of the room where he had set up a small shrine for them. He swiftly gets up from his place and as he walks up to the shrine, he replies, “They are doing well. Always making sure that they are dust-free”.

The knight hears a content sigh and he hears the former maiden say, “Thank you for your efforts, Jaune. I appreciate it”.

The knight shakes his head in denial and says, “I should be thanking you Winter. If you haven’t given me this task… I wouldn’t know whether I had enough to hope. Weiss… she means a lot to me. She helps me focus”.

“Well then you shouldn’t worry about her much. I have some news for you”.

“What is it?” Jaune asks as he pauses himself mid-stride.

“Do you remember how I said that it would take me a year to find the remaining relics?” Winter asks.

“Yeah, it's been six months since then. What about it?” Jaune asks, remembering. They already had the Sword of Destruction on hand thanks to Ruby holding on to it and over six months, the Staff of Creation and the Lamp of Knowledge were unearthed from the ruins. The Crown of Choice was yet to be found and from what he had heard from Winter, the situation had started getting tense at the sight since now the Grimm had started to converge to that area.

“We found new signatures. We have pinpointed the location of the Relic of Choice. It’s only a matter of time since we will be able to get it out”, Winter replies and the knight can sense the tone of excitement in her voice. 

“How long do you think it would take to get it out?” Jaune asks, breathlessly.

“A month or two, give or take. Four months if you consider the formalities that will follow after. Headmaster Theodore suggests that we encase the relics in the concrete and throw them out at sea. That way we could divert the Grimm migration a bit. We are planning protocols for that right now. This would be my last duty as an Atlesian Specialist. So in four months, I will be moving to Ansel and taking Weiss from your hands”.

“That’s great news, Winter!” Jaune beams. The knight was elated to hear this.

“Well, yeah… That’s all I had to say. Once again, I’m very grateful for you doing this for me Jaune. I don’t have enough words…” Winter awkwardly ends and the knight couldn’t help but smile. She might be his superior, but small talk was never her forte.

“It's all good, Winter. Weiss is my friend, and for all the things she has done for me, this is the least I can do”, Jaune replies with a small smile, as his eyes fall on the said person, who was unconscious to the world.

“Take care, Jaune. I shall assure you that I will do my best to finish this as soon as possible”, says Winter.

“Don’t overwork yourself. Bye Winter”, says Jaune.

“Bye Jaune. Give Weiss my love”, Winter says before the connection to her scroll ends, and the knight is flabbergasted, trying to figure out how exactly he is supposed to do that.

As he pockets his scroll, his gaze falls on Weiss. In a few months, their situation will come to an end. He takes her hand gently and says, “Did you hear that Weiss? Winter is finally wrapping up her duties. I will be out of your hair once and for all”. As much as he didn’t mind taking care of Weiss, knowing that his time with her would shorten brought joy to him. The sleeping beauty should be around people close to her heart, not a stranger who she had just known for six years at best. He was maintaining her rapier anyway, so once she is up and about she would like to use it. He was already planning things to do once Winter took Weiss away from him. Maybe he could visit Nora and Ren and see how Kuroyuri is coming along. Maybe he could take a trip to Menagerie and pay a visit to Blake’s grave. Maybe he could do the same for Oscar as well. He definitely would like to visit Patch.

But a part of him still wanted to be around Weiss. The feeling was indescribable. Taking care of her made him feel enabled. It made him useful. Something that he was never. Something that he was supposed to be when Ruby needed him the most. It made him feel fulfilled.

It made him feel satisfied.

He hated this feeling.

It was as if he was put with Paper Pleasers again. But this time instead of fragile sentient paper, it was a fragile friend. Jaune didn’t mean to think like that, but he couldn’t help but draw comparisons to both of them. How Paper Pleasers were always in danger of killing themselves if he was not around, he felt Weiss was just like that.

And he loathed himself for thinking like that.

Weiss is strong. He was not.

Weiss is graceful. He was not.

Weiss is perfect with her flaws. He was inadequate.

She doesn’t need a dead weight like him around. She was better off without him. All this time, he believed that he was taking care of her to help Winter, but in truth, it was just to ease his guilt for not saving Ruby and others a bit.

But the guilt only grew.

That was when Jaune decided. If Weiss tells him to get out of her life, he will leave without any hesitation. He would not protest. He would not beg. He would just leave.

The chime of the bell at the front door fell into ears and the knight broke out of his reverie. He looked out of the window to see that the sun had already gone down and darkness was claiming the land. He was still holding onto Weiss’ hand. Was he brooding all this time?

With a flustered face, he sets down the sleeping beauty’s hand gently and walks towards the door to get it. Knowing his arrangement, it was one of his sisters. Thrice a week, one of his sisters, except for Saphron, would stay over at the place to watch Weiss. They were doing this so that the knight could get some very much-needed sleep. At first, Jaune was against it but his sisters didn’t take no for an answer. After an intense debate, the knight caved in and allowed them to come over, but only with the condition that if anything happened to Weiss, they would wake him up no matter what.

Till now, there was no incident and he was grateful for that. He was having lots of rest and that made him feel even more guilty. He was already busy with occasional huntsman work and orchard, with his mother and sisters taking over for him and now they let him sleep. He only got to attend to his friend during the mornings and nights. He was not putting in enough work.

He opens the door and Violet walks in, in her pajamas and a backpack.

“Wasn’t Scarlet supposed to be here today?” Jaune asks as he eyes his little sister suspiciously.

“Oh yeah… Well you see, do you remember the guy Big-sis-Letta was crushing on? She finally asked him out and he said yes! So I will be taking over her role for tonight as she goes out there enjoying her youth”, Violet beams.

“You seem to be more excited than Scarlet”, Jaune asks with a smirk.

“Well, I would like to let you know that I have been shipping them for a very long time. And now… my ship is sailing! Of course, I would be excited!” Vi exclaims exaggeratedly.

“Don’t use your sisters as material for your fanfiction”, Jaune grimaces as Vi settles down on his recliner and brandishes her laptop from her backpack.

“So you won’t mind if I use you as my inspiration?” Vi asks without looking up.

“What are you going to write about, a clown?”

“I was thinking more of a second lead, but sure… let's go with that”     

Jaune couldn’t help but grimace and his sister shooed him away, saying, “Just go and sleep bro. If there is anything that needs you to be awake, I’ll wake you up”.

“Much appreciated”, Jaune says as he walks out of Weiss’ room. The knight without a thought crashed on his bed, hoping for once that he would not dream in his sleep.

The feeling of the blowing winds.

The sound of the crashing sea.

The smell of the dirty soil.

The sight of the wheat fields.

The combination of the above elements was very much unlikely in real life and it gave way to Jaune that he was dreaming. But the sensation and sight in front of him soothed his soul. He takes a step forward, his bare feet taking in the feeling of every single loose grain of soil and wheat. He takes a deep breath. He does it again while getting addicted to the smell of sea salt and the feeling of the wind blowing his hair.

“Jaune…?” a familiar voice fills the knight’s ears and his eyes widen like a deer caught in the headlights. He turns slowly in the direction of the voice, and his sight is filled with a woman he always seemed to occupy his mind during his resting hours.

Her hair was slightly longer than before, but they were still lustrous black with red highlights. Her skin was pale, but not in an unhealthy way. Her silver eyes were gazing at him lovingly and the white sundress covered her frame modestly.

As much as he remembers, this woman always came into his dreams. The scenarios were different but the ending was always grim and covered in blood. But this… this was different. He was not getting the sense of foreboding that he always felt in his dream. 

He was at ease. 

And this easiness made him doubtful. 

Was this really a dream? 

Or was this his longing for a real connection? 

Jaune doesn’t know. 

“Are you joining me?” Ruby asks as if he was with her all this time and he takes a step forward. No matter how repetitive his dreams got. No matter what the situation was. He was always drawn to Ruby. She didn’t have mass but her presence caused Jaune to gravitate towards her like the moon who found its world.

Ruby leads him through the wheat fields, while playfully touching this crop. The silence that was growing was filled by the wind and Jaune was racking his brain, trying to make sense of the situation. A person usually dreams of things he has seen. It doesn’t matter if the things are detailed or vivid. Detailed things tend to be more accurate while vivid sights are more based on a person’s interpretation. The wheat fields reminded him of the fields that surrounded Ansel. The sound of the sea reminds him of the time he was stranded in Ever After. 

Is his mind implying that he saw Ever After as his home?

Or was it more related to Ruby’s presence?

Jaune hesitates, but the silence is deafening to him. It was getting to him. He needed to say something or he would act out.

“Ruby?”

“How is life treating you, Jaune?”

Great! He is hallucinating in his dreams now. Could it get any worse for him? Real Ruby would ask this but Dream Ruby never asked stuff like this. The Dream Ruby was like a broken record, saying the same things repeatedly.

“So and so”, Jaune replies, because he loved to hear Ruby speak.

“So and so?” Ruby asks, turning to him, her one eyebrow raised.

“Nothing interesting is going on. Well if you think taking care of Weiss is interesting that is”.

“Hmmm….” Ruby ponders and for a second she doesn’t say anything. Then suddenly, she turns around and as she starts to walk backward, with her arm behind her back, she asks, “So… what were you going to tell me after the war?”

“I forgot”, Jaune replies, trying to move away from the topic.

“Forgot?” Ruby asks.

“Yeah…” 

She stops in her tracks and suddenly exclaims, “So the thing you were so excited to talk about to the point that you walked in on me changing and you forgot!?”

Jaune couldn’t help but go red. Well, that did happen, but in his defense, Ruby always told him to not bother asking her permission to come in.

“Please leave it… It’s embarrassing!” Jaune exclaims, his blush growing.

“Hmmm…” Ruby says with a shit-eating grin. Jaune couldn’t help but grimace. This woman was enjoying his discomfort. Look at her rocking on feet. The audacity of this girl!

“Well… I wanted to marry you”, Jaune says in a matter-of-fact tone and the grin on Ruby’s face falls. Her face slowly got flustered and she was doing her best to avert her gaze from his eyes.

“That… is something. Isn’t there a sequence of things you are supposed to do before you pop the question? You know, like asking for a date, then being your girlfriend, then… you know the other stuff couples do?” Ruby asks sheepishly.

“Yeah…” Jaune asks, mirroring her awkwardness. “But you see….” he begins to protest, but words die in his mouth. As much as he wanted to refute what the silver-eyed woman said, she was right and he couldn’t help but realize that he was being an idiot for not thinking about other stuff.

“You’re right”, Jaune replies with a sigh.

“You know… if you asked… I would have said yes”, says Ruby.

Jaune couldn’t help but let out a sarcastic chuckle and say, “Who is saying this… the Real Ruby or the Dream Ruby?”

“Who knows?” Ruby replies offhandedly.

For a second, they don’t say anything. Well, Jaune didn’t have anything to say. How could he? He has seen so much stuff in his life that it is hard to say what was real and what was not. He would like to believe that this is the real one, but at the same time, he wishes it was not. The silver-eyed woman had done a lot for this world. She doesn’t have to bother herself for a guy from her grave just because the said guy loved her. She deserved to be at peace and Jaune’s existence denied that.

He was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts when he felt something on his cheeks. His vision dials back in, and he sees that the woman in front of him is caressing his cheek, with a loving gaze in her eyes. The touch felt real. It felt so real that the knight of rust couldn’t help but lean into it. He and Ruby had never touched each other intimately, but he missed this a lot.

“I missed this so much…” Ruby whispers.

“I miss you”, Jaune replies, cupping her hand with his own. The woman’s lips quiver a bit, but she bites it to keep it in control. Before he could say anything, a sound of shattering rang throughout the space, taking both of them back.

“What’s that sound?” Jaune asks frantically.

“You are waking up. Your sister is waking you up”, Ruby says as she looks up. Jaune mirrors the direction and sees that the sky is shattering. The cracks were going downwards toward the ground as if the entire reality was breaking. Without wasting any second, Ruby hugs Jaune and as she lets go, she says, “Jaune, when you wake up remember this…”

Cracks grow on each other’s bodies and as a piece of Ruby’s skin falls off like a porcelain clay, she says, “Don’t lose hope”.

With a loud shatter, Jaune jolts up from his bed. His eyes were unfocused, as his lungs searched for oxygen to recalibrate. He looks at his sister, who is panicking, and asks, “What’s wrong?”

“Jaune! Weiss!” was all his sister managed to get out from her mouth and within seconds, the knight was on his feet, racing towards the sleeping beauty’s room. He nearly busts the door down and what he sees fills him with dread.

Weiss was breathing heavily as if she was choking. Her pulse was growing erratic. Jaune immediately knew what was going on.

Weiss is undergoing a cardiac arrest.

Without a second thought, the knight leaps the distance and straddles the woman between his legs. He unbuttons her shirt a bit and starts applying compressions to her chest. With every few compressions, he forced his breath into her mouth and repeated the process all over again. He was so engrossed that he didn’t even realize that his sister had entered the room, about to go under her panic attack.

Time slowed down for the blonde man. All he could hear was his own heart and the Weiss’ pulse flatlining. Tears filled his eyes as he continued to do the chest compressions, only for her pulse to fail.

No….

He can’t do this.

He can’t let Weiss die.

He will be all alone.

He can’t deal with this.

Out of desperation, Jaune slams his fist onto her chest and suddenly, Weiss takes in a deep breath and her pulse stabilizes. The knight, without any thought, pulls her into his chest. He cradles her head as tears fill his eyes, but this time out of joy. He held onto her until he heard a voice.

“Unhand me”.

For a second, Jaune thinks that he is going delirious due to adrenaline rushing through his veins. When suddenly, she feels a force on his chest, and a voice, though hoarse, nearly shouts, “Unhand me, Arc!”

The knight lets go and as he backs up a bit, his words get stuck in his mouth.

Her long hair was waving in the wind. Her pale figure had already shown signs of color. Her face was ever beautiful but it was the eyes that had his attention. 

Her ever-closed eyes he had longed to see were open and they were not looking at him kindly.

“How dare you touch me like that?” Weiss slurs as she asks, with rage and venom seeping into her voice. 

But the knight was shell-shocked. He had no idea how to respond. His brain shut down completely, and he hugged her once again, completely ignoring the volley of insults that was coming out of her mouth.

She is awake.

Weiss is awake.

“I missed you so much!” Jaune exclaims and for a second, Weiss goes quiet. She was fuming, but she was doing her best to regain her composure.

In a controlled tone, she slurs, “Will you please let go of me, Arc?”

Jaune promptly lets go and Weiss is taken aback by seeing tears streaming down his face. He gets off of her and repeats, “I missed you so much!”

“Ok… I get that you missed me, but that was not a good way of responding”, Weiss slurs awkwardly. She then looks around and asks, “Where am I and why am I dressed like this?” Her gaze then falls upon her unbuttoned shirt, and her face starts to go red with embarrassment. Before she could button herself up, Weiss found herself falling back on her bed.

“Wha…” Weiss exclaims, trying to move her body. She then looks at the knight and asks, “Arc! What is going on!?”

Jaune covers the distance between them a little bit and replies, “You have been sleeping for a very long time, Weiss”.

“Wha… How long?” she asks.

Jaune was about to reply, but he was not sure how to give her the news that she was sleeping for six months. He looks at her, and says, “We can talk about that in the morning. I will let Winter know that you woke up”.

“Wha.. Winter! How do you know her!? Answer me now, Arc!” Weiss slurs and that is when it hits Jaune. The smile on his face fell a bit, and judging by now awake beauty, it was quite noticeable.

“A lot of things had happened, Weiss. You should relax a bit. I will let you know tomorrow”, Jaune replies while regaining his composure.

For a second, Weiss doesn’t say anything, but she nods and simply asks, “You promise?”

The knight gives her nod and replies, “I give you my word, and an Arc never goes back on their word”. As soon as he said that, the woman visibly relaxed, and Jaune took this moment to look at his sister and say, “Vi… Can you stay with Weiss tonight? She won’t feel comfortable with me being around her”.

Vi looks at her elder brother awkwardly but she nevertheless nods. Before Jaune could step out, Weiss asks, “Arc… where is Ruby?”

At the question, Vi visibly gets flabbergasted, but Jaune retains his composure and says, “Tomorrow Weiss. I will let you know everything tomorrow. I have given you my word, didn’t I?”

Weiss doesn’t say anything, but from the way she reacted, she didn’t like the answer he gave. But that was all he was going to say at that time. He had to be firm. Weiss would hate him for this, but he was not willing to give her an inch. He was trying his best to hold his composure. He was not sure how to say that. The last thing he wanted was to break the news of what happened to her friend. He will reach out to Dr. Wissend and after getting their consultation, he will act.

He walks out and as soon as the door to Weiss’ room closes, all hell breaks loose. He rushes to his room, fearing that his sister might hear him cry.

Weiss referred to him as Arc.

There was only one point of time in their life where she used to call him that.

She used to call him that while they were at Beacon, training to be hunters.

She doesn’t remember anything after that.

She doesn’t remember how they became friends.

She doesn’t remember how she got stabbed because of him.

She doesn’t remember what happened to Atlas.

She doesn’t remember the Ever After.

She doesn’t remember how she helped him recover.

She doesn’t remember the war.

Weiss was stuck in Beacon.

Jaune couldn’t help but fall to his knees. His friend was back but at what cost!? This was the Weiss he knew, but at the same time, she wasn’t. 

Weiss was in the room beside him but for him, she was so far away.

[actrixquadras]

So Far Away AU Part5

Chapter 4: Father's Love

If one was passing by the Arc Acres that morning, they would point out how loud the house was before they went on their merry way. Well, the house was always noisy in the mornings, but today… it was noisier than usual. Around the dining table sat Isabelle and her children, all of them. Today no one was missing from her family. Sure her husband was out at the stable, but he would join them sooner or later, for the breakfast was one activity the entire family came together.

“You are getting married!?” Jaune asks in shock as he sits down at the seat that he always sat on during childhood. His sisters had helped him bring in the remaining stuff from his jeep before they had decided to settle down to have their morning grub.

Azure looks at her only brother and replies, “Yes. He is a traveling huntsman but he is planning to settle down in town as soon as we tie our knots”.

“Not only that, Jaune…. Jade is crushing on the boy who has joined her at her garage and even Scarlet likes this man who comes to drop his dogs”, Isabelle states with a grin.

The knight looks at his sisters with a gentle smile. says, “I’m happy for you guys”.

“Jaune, Azure is the only one who is getting married. Jade and I are just talking”, Scarlet replies with a blush.

“Well talking is the first step anyone could take”, says Indila.

“Leave that… Bro… do you have someone like that!?” Indica asks excitedly and suddenly, the smile on the man’s face drops, and all the color drains from his face. The entire table goes quiet, the sisters and the mother realizing how heavy the topic is. But before they can say anything, the door connected to the kitchen opens and Julius walks in.

“Good morning Dad!” Vi takes this opportunity to greet and everyone including Jaune greets the patriarch a good morning which he replies in kind. 

The father of the house sat down at the table, opposite the knight. He looks at the knight and asks, ”How is that woman doing?”

This causes Jaune to perk up and reply, “She is doing well for now”.

“Hmmm”, the man grumbles stoically and Jaune can’t help but look at his plate. Suddenly, his father asks, “So is that woman your lover or something?”

In denial, the knight shakes his head and replies, “No… Weiss is just a good friend of mine”. 

The father nods at his reply and Saphron takes this as her chance to speak up and say, “I never expected Weiss to end up like that. What about Ruby and others? Where are they?” and Jaune’s face falls.

“You know her Saphron?” Scarlet asks from her seat.

“She dropped by our place when Jaune came to visit us at Ansel”, Terra replies in her wife’s stead and she continues to say, “She was… a bit stiff but you could see how much she adored her team. A bit awkward and how she carried herself made me feel that she was a high-class girl. She adored Adrian a lot though”.

“If she adored Adrian then she is a good person in my books”, Vi says as she munches her breakfast.

“Ren and Nora went back to Kuroyuri to rebuild it”, Jaune starts, and the entire family pays attention to what he has to say. He continues, “Ruby and others… they didn’t make it. Weiss is the only one who has survived”.

“Jaune…” his mother starts but gets cut off.

The knight leans forward on the table and as he crosses his fingers, says, “Never in my life, I had thought that my life would take such a turn. I was enjoying my life at Beacon. I was training my body and skills to keep up with my friends, to achieve the dream I always dreamt of, and the next moment I was thrust into this war. My partner died and I was powerless to do anything. I have taken the lives of someone who was deserving… and someone who didn’t. I have fought alongside some people who didn’t even understand why they were fighting and who they were fighting. I tried to save everyone. Anyone who was within my reach and yet I have failed. I was lost. I have returned. I have grown old, I have grown young, and yet I don’t feel that I belong in this body. I lost Ruby, the one person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I have lost my friends. I don’t know why I’m still here... I don’t know…”

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see that his mother, who had got up from her place at the dining table, was the one who stopped him from droning. The knight couldn’t help but berate himself. He made his family uncomfortable talking about the war. He was the worst son and brother.

“It’s fine, Jaune… What matters to us the most is that you came back”, Isabelle says and a voice of approval choruses all over the table.

“Jaune… Mum is right. As long as you are fine and healthy, that would be enough for us”, Scarlet says gently. A small smile grows on Jaune as he nods at his eldest sister. The words of encouragement and support that followed from the rest made the knight tear up a bit.

“So… what do you plan to do now?” Julius asks while folding his hands on the table. His expression was unchanged, but if one were to look at his eyes, one would have noticed how they softened up seeing his son tear up.

“I was planning to find a place to stay”, Jaune replies.

“I don’t mind you staying here”, Isabelle perks up and his sisters nod.

The knight shakes his head and replies, “I know that, Mum. But that is something I can’t do. Weiss’s sister is moving to Ansel in a year and I think it would be convenient for her if she already has a place to stay. Also, she had given me some funds to buy a place and I believe it would be rude if I didn’t use it”.

“But…” Isabelle tries to protest but Julius shakes his head at her, stopping her. 

The patriarch looks at his son and says, “Do whatever seems fit. If you want, I can introduce you to a broker”.

“That would be nice”, was the reply Jaune gave. He also adds, “I will also find a job. As much as I want to avoid Huntsmen jobs, that is a job I have a large expertise in. So I might take those jobs occasionally. Also, my semblance would be helpful. I will find something to work on”.

Julius nods and says, “It’s a good thing that you know what you have to do. You also have carpentry skills that I have taught you. You can stay here as long as you want”.

“I won’t take much time”, Jaune assures and after taking a sip from his coffee, he says, “There is something I wanted to say”. Before anyone could let out a peep, the knight walked out and came back within a minute, but this time with Crocea Mors in his hands. He then proceeds to unsheathe the weapon from its home and everyone gasps at the broken blade and dried out blood at the broken part. The knight places the shield-sheath on the floor gently and as he cradles the sword in his hand, he says, “I had stolen her because of how badly I wanted to be a hero, but I have done nothing but disgrace her. Crocea served me well and as much as I wanted to fix her, I couldn’t. The least I could do is bring her back home”.

Julius gets up from his seat and walks over to his son. Without a word, he takes the sword by its pommel and holds it up in the air, letting the sunlight glisten the blade. Despite being broken, the edges were sharp. There were modifications on the pommel and the sheath, but other than that the sword was intact. The blood on the broken part would have been scrubbed off, but it was still there for some reason. The father of the house gave a few practice swings and said, “I see some changes”.

Jaune replies, “Yeah… I have incorporated the metal of my partner’s weapons and her tiara. The shield has been through some modifications since I became an official huntsman at Atlas. Other than that, I left the blade intact. Well… it was supposed to be intact”.

“Tell me Jaune…” Julius starts, looking at his son, and asks, “How do you plan to take on huntsman jobs when you don’t have a weapon?”

“Maybe buy a new weapon or commission one to be made”, the knight replies. 

The father doesn’t say anything at first, but then he hands back the sword to his son. Jaune was shocked by the gesture and before he could say anything, Julius said, “It’s better if you keep using Crocea Mors. You're more used to this weapon than any other out there”.

“But…”

“Jaune… It’s better to use the tools you are familiar with rather than the new ones. It’s efficient. The same applies to the weapons”, says Julius. He then looks at the sword and says, “And considering your concerns with it being broken, I can see that the edges are sharper than ever. It’s made of an old alloy. It’s a miracle that it lasted this long. As much as I hate to say it, it can’t compete with the newer alloys in the market. I believe you would put it to good use”.

The knight wordlessly looks at the sword. As much as he wanted to deny it, his father was right. He has used Crocea for 26 years now. Now, it felt like another limb. Not having the sword on him made him feel helpless, a feeling Jaune didn’t want to experience.

Julius walked to his chair and said, “Let’s finish our breakfast. I believe your mother and sisters have much to discuss”. Jaune nods as he carefully sheaths his sword back in its rightful place. He keeps looking at it, unsure of what to say at his father’s indifference towards the blade. Didn’t his father care about him tainting the family heirloom with blood? Didn’t he care about Crocea’s condition?

“Jaune… Finish your breakfast. We can continue later”, Isabelle says to which the knight nods. He couldn’t help but sigh and internally hope that one day, he could understand his father a little more. That day would come, but it seems like that day wasn't today.

Isabelle sighed as she locked the front door. She was tired. That tends to happen when working all day around the house and the farm. The night had come a long time ago and right now it was half past eleven. Jaune had come in after his day out house searching, and right now he was in his room, tending to the girl he had brought with him. He has been in and out of the house a lot and the mother of the family couldn’t help but grimace on how restless he seemed.

The conversation they had after breakfast was not much to build up from. Jaune mainly spoke about his friends, his time at Beacon, and his journey to Atlas. He spoke about Weiss, he spoke of this girl named Ruby whom the mother recognized as the girl from the message but not once he spoke about the fall of Atlas and the war that followed. He did slip up occasionally, but the things Jaune spoke during the breakfast were the most they got from him.

Isabelle cursed herself for stopping her son from speaking but what could she do at that time? Hearing about the turmoil her son went through was too much for her. She couldn’t imagine the horrors her son went through. The boy who always had a smile on his face was no more. The man who seemed far older than he looked stood before Isabelle. She didn’t know why, she couldn’t place it quite right, but something was different.

As she enters the living room, her eyes fall upon her husband, sitting on the rocking chair, staring into the fire that was burning at the fireplace. Winters were long gone, but the nights tend to get chilly around here due to the elevation. Having the fireplace running made the house feel toasty. But right now, the fire was the least of her concerns, as her gaze locked on Julius.

“How is Bessie doing?” asks the mother of the house.

“Other than contractions, she is doing well”, she hears the reply from her husband.

“I hope the calf is born healthy. It broke my heart to give the last one to the butcher”, Isabelle says, remembering the stillborn calf their other cow gave birth to.

Julius lets out a grunt and says, “Nothing we can do about that, Belle. We have done all we could have done. Now all we can do is pray”.

“I hope everything goes well. I can use some positivity”, says the matriarch as she walks right up to him, and as she takes the empty chair that accompanied him, takes a good look at his face.

For a minute, the only sounds that were being heard in the room were the crackling of the firewood and an occasional howl of the dogs outside. But suddenly, out of nowhere, Julius asks, “Did Jaune return? I saw his jeep outside”.

“Yeah, he is with the girl. Never leaves her side”, was the reply Isabelle gave. 

The father gives a nod and he offhandedly says, “To be honest, I never expected him to bring a girl home”, and Isabelle couldn’t help but sigh. Julius was hard to read, but years of living and having a family with him made Isabelle read him like an open book. He never wore his emotions on his sleeve, but she knew well what he was thinking or feeling. 

She sighs as she says, “You could at least show that you are happy about him being back”.

Julius, without looking at his wife, replies, “How am I supposed to be happy when our son looks like that?”

Isabelle couldn’t argue with that. Though husband and wife, both of them tend to look at things differently. Is it because she lived a sheltered life before marriage or is it because of her husband’s prior occupation as a huntsman? She never knew. Isabelle and the girls were happy that Jaune was back and he had to suffer no more, but Julius was worried about how war affected their son.

Julius was happy. There was no doubt about that. He and his son parted in anger and seeing him look well, brought peace to him. But years of experience alerted him about the chaos that was going through in his son’s mind. The way Jaune carefully chewed the first bite of the breakfast as if it was poisoned. The way he was always on guard. Those were the habits of a huntsman who had seen a lot and that didn’t bring the father of the house any joy.

“It was as if I was looking at a mirror. Those eyes, those expressions… Jaune isn’t doing well, Belle. The war has changed him”, Julius replies in a somber voice.

“This is why he needs us, Juli. If we aren’t there for our kids, then who is gonna be for them? Our job as parents never stops. The day it stops is the day we die”, Isabelle says as she leans closer to her husband.

“That’s the thing, Belle. I just don’t know what I am supposed to say. The innocence he had is long gone. Now, he has brought some girl home. I don’t give a shit about the damn sword, but this… this is not what I expected. This is why I didn’t want him to be a Huntsman. He was not ready for that world”, Julius exclaims.

“Julius… Your denying Jaune his desires contributed to him being attracted to the idea of being a Huntsman. You pushed him away last time. Don’t push him away now”, says Isabelle.

“Then tell me what I am supposed to do, Belle? Whatever it is that I have to do, I can’t do it alone”, Julius exasperates as he visibly deflates in his chair.

The mother of the house reaches her hand out to her hand and as she gently nudges it with his hand, she says, “There are only a few things we can do. As much as I hate to say, Jaune has to help himself first before we can help him. Until he accepts that, all we can do is support him and be there for him”.

The father of the house doesn’t say a word but he lets the mother know that he understands what she has just said by taking her hand gently in his rough palm, He gives it a slight squeeze which is returned in kind. He stares back into the fire, trying to think of ways he could help his son and ultimately reconnect with him.

Jaune couldn’t help but sigh as he discarded another catalog in the trash. His father was kind enough to help him get in contact with the broker but the options the broker had to offer were not something he was looking for. Few options were too pricey for his liking. Winter might have given him the funds to buy a house, but spending it without consideration didn’t sit well with him. There were also some cheaper options, but those houses needed repairs, and when Jaune said repairs, he meant a lot of it. It was better to buy a new house if he had to spend a house’s worth of money to make a house a livable space.

It’s not that there were only bad spaces, but Jaune didn't like it for some reason or other. Maybe it was in the center of town. Maybe it was at the edge of the cliff. The knight just wants to give Weiss a comfortable space. A space where she can take her time to recover. Away from noise, away from hustle and bustle. A place where she doesn’t have to worry about anything.

The knight looks at the woman in question. Ever sleeping, never moving. Taking care of her was never a hassle for him and he was easing into the routine very well. He reaches out to rub her forehead gently and he can’t help but grimace. The faster he finds a house, the quicker he will be able to focus on finding a job. His mother and Vi had offered to stand in when he was not around, but he couldn’t depend on them. He was already overstaying his welcome. He needs to get moving as quickly as possible.

He was broken out of his thoughts when suddenly he heard a knock on the door. He looks up in surprise as he hears his father’s voice, asking, “Jaune, may I come in?”

“Sure”, the knight replies suddenly, unsure what to make of his father’s sudden appearance. It’s only been a day since they had that conversation during breakfast and now his father appearing at his door was jarring. The Arc patriarch opens the door hesitantly, looking everywhere but at Jaune.

“How are you doing, Jaune?” Julius asks suddenly.

The sudden question catches the knight off guard, but he replies, “Fit as a horse”.

The father nods and a pregnant silence falls in the room, with the only noise being Weiss’s oxygen compressor humming. Julius was not much into talking. Jaune knew that well, but seeing him go out of his way to ask him how he was holding up pulled the knight’s heartstrings.

“I want you to join me for a while. I want to show you something. I have asked your mother to be here while you are out with me”, Julius says, with a matter-of-fact tone, making it very clear to his son that there is no room for denial. The knight nods and as the father walks out of his room, he takes one last good look at the sleeping beauty. With a deep breath, he walked out of the room, preparing for what his father had to show.

The knight follows his father, who has now decided to walk out of the back door and into the woods behind their house. Jaune was familiar with these trees. He and his sisters played around those trees. There was a time when he and Jade got lost, but thinking back now, they were just a few feet away from the house. But why was his father leading him through the woods?

“I’m planning to convert this place into an orchard," Julius says suddenly, which causes Jaune to jump slightly. Without noticing, the father of the Arc continues to say, “Maybe there be some oranges and apples. Pomegranates would be lovely as well. It would be nice if we could use this place as well”.

Jaune nods in agreement. As much as he had memories in these woods, it was better to put this place to use. These woods were part of Arc Acres, and the knight always wondered why his father kept this place intact. So he adds, “You could also get into beekeeping. I heard that honey is in high demand. Maybe add some flowers too”.

“Hmm,... I never thought about that”, Julius replies with an understanding hum. 

They kept on talking about prospective expansions when suddenly they came across a log cabin. It was not run down but it had seen some better days. Jaune instantly recognized the place. It was the house Scarlet and Saphron were born in. Jaune and the rest of the siblings were born in the current house. He has been to this place with Scarlet where she would force him to play house. Is that the reason why his father never bothered to touch this place? Because he cherished those memories as much as he did?

Julius speaks up before he can say anything, saying, “This place is nice. The sun shines well during winters and in summers it won’t come in. The place is breezy. You might have to replace a few boards and have power and water running. Maybe a good varnish might help as well”. He then looks at Jaune and asks, “What do you think of it?”

Jaune replies, “Sounds like a plan. Are you planning to rent it out?”

“I am giving it to you”, was the reply Julius gave, and the knight was flabbergasted. 

He sputtered. He stammered, but he couldn’t get a word out of his mouth. But Julius beat it to him and says, “I’m also employing you. It will be your job to convert these woods into an orchard. I will be paying you for every hour you put into this place. You could continue to be a huntsman, but as far as I know, those jobs are on-call. You might be jobless for a long time. At least you could work on this. Bring that lady here too. I bet this would be helpful for her”.

“Dad… I can’t take this. This is too much”, Jaune protests.

“You will take it and that is final '', Julius indignantly replies.

“But Dad… Weiss’s sister is planning to move here...” 

“Then she can move in here too. I don’t mind if she brings along her lover or children”.

“But… Why Dad?” Jaune asks. He continues to say, “I was never a good son. I ran away from my responsibilities. I never wanted to be a part of this farm. Then why are you trying to help me?”

“What’s wrong with wanting to help my son?” Julius asks, matter-of-fact and words die in the knight’s throat. He continues to say, “I and your mother didn’t give birth to you because we wanted something from you. We wanted to do something for you”.

Jaune doesn’t say anything and Julius suddenly feels awkward to continue. The stoic man takes in a deep breath and he hesitantly reaches to his son’s shoulder. While giving it a firm rub, he says, “It doesn’t matter what you did in the past, Jaune. What matters to me the most is that you came back. You can come to me anytime if there is anything to discuss. Maybe this old man might have a few words of wisdom for you”.

He then pats Jaune on the back and says, “Check the place out. You are still spending your money to get this place up and running”, and he starts walking down the path they came through.

For a minute, the knight doesn’t say a word, but suddenly he calls out, “Dad!”

Julius turns around and asks, “Yes?”

“Thank you!” Jaune says with a genuine smile on his face.

And for the first time in forever, Julius smiles and says, “Don’t mention it, son”, and he continues to walk down the path.

Jaune looks back at the cabin, making some plans in his head, but in his heart, he is elated. He and his father had taken the first step. The first step is to mend their relationship. It was a small step, but the first step nonetheless. Jaune couldn’t help but smile for the day he and his father would be a family, was not so far away.

[actrixquadras]

So Far Away AU Part4

Chapter 3: Ansel and Arcs

Jaune couldn’t help but let out a huge sigh of relief as he saw the tire pressure go up. As it reaches the optimal number, he switches off the air compressor and detaches it from the tire and power source. He then quickly rolls it up in a bundle and shoves it in the back of the jeep. The sun was setting and the knight could only hope to reach his destination before it got too dark.

It took 6 hours for the cargo plane to reach Frimmel, the nearest settlement to Ansel that could land an aircraft of that caliber, but Jaune’s hometown was 12 hours away from Frimmel. Not wanting to stumble around in the dark, the blonde knight had decided to stay a night at Frimmel and had gotten himself and Weiss a room in the inn.

Taking care of Weiss was harder than expected. It turns out that even in a vegetative state, a person would still retain their normal bodily functions and Jaune found that out the hard way. He could easily change the IV bags and set up the oxygen concentrator, but there were some things that he could have done better. 

One of them was bathing. Jaune knew well that he couldn’t set Weiss down in the bathtub and was supposed to clean her up with a hot water sponge. But the problem was that to clean Weiss, he had to undress her and from what he knew, she was not wearing anything underneath. 

The idea of looking at Weiss in her vulnerable state terrified Jaune a lot. He considered Weiss his friend, she was someone he cherished a lot. Seeing those scars on her body made him loathe the life they had been living. Seeing her naked was not something the knight liked. He would avert his eyes as his hands dabbed her body clean. He tried his best to not look. There was also getting rid of her diapers and flushing her leg bags empty. At that time, Jaune wondered why Winter considered him an ideal person to take care of her.

There was also the activity of moving her body once in a while. It was to relieve Weiss from… what was it called again?... Pressure sore? Doctors had told him that he needed to do that to prevent muscle atrophy. With those activities, they had managed to spend the night, and as soon as the sun came out, Jaune was back in the jeep alone with Weiss and they set off from Frimmel.

The ride to Ansel though, was lovely. Jaune drove safely and once in a while, he would stop to check on Weiss. They passed through villages and towns, the knight waving at anyone who would greet him. The jeep cabin was filled with recorded songs sung by the sleeping beauty. Doctors told him that even though she was in a coma, Weiss might hear things that were happening around them. So, the knight would occasionally talk out loud, telling her what he saw, telling her what he was thinking, and sometimes he would sing along to Weiss’ songs. He would sometimes stop to take in the beautiful sceneries that they came across and he would record them in his scroll so that one day Weiss could enjoy them too.

One day…

She will enjoy them.

He just needs to be patient.

He just needs to wait.

The art of patience was something he had mastered a long time ago.

Right now, he was in a bit of a hurry. The sun had gone down long ago, and the moon was out. Driving non-stop had caused air to leave some of the tires and filling them up had taken some time. He was hoping to reach Ansel before sunset, but with the number of stops he had taken, it seemed like they would reach midnight.

“Don’t worry Weiss. We’ll reach there in no time”, Jaune says out loud, but he doesn’t get any response, nor does he expect one. With every passing minute, the shadows of the trees loomed over them and it made the knight anxious. They were lucky enough to not encounter any Grimm during their trip but he doesn’t want to face one during the last leg. The headlights from the jeep were bright enough to lighten up the path, but it didn’t put him at ease.

Suddenly, his eyes caught the light in the distance and he grew excited as he saw the huge signboard that boldly proclaimed, ‘Welcome to Ansel’.

“What did I tell you, Weiss?” Jaune exclaims with a laugh as he starts to slow down the jeep. They drive past the wheat fields and approach the walls. 

While Ansel was mostly plains, the walls didn’t cover the entire town since it was built in a valley. The mountains were the natural deterrent to the Grimm, but it didn’t mean that it was completely safe. While the heavier Grimm were stalled by the hills, the more agile ones could cross them easily. The aerial type Grimm was also a problem. But it was not a big deal due to huntsmen who lived and patrolled these woods. The wall only covered the side that was open to the flatter topography.

The knight saw someone wave him down and he immediately brought the jeep to a stop. He knew the procedures. He escaped from this town once. He glances at Weiss and as he gathers his documents, he says, “I’ll be back in a minute”.

As he steps out near the walls, two people, one huntsman and a huntress on guard duty, approach him. The huntsman walks up to him and in a stern voice, asks, “Your business?” 

Jaune saw the huntress walk up to the jeep from his peripheral vision. The knight hands the huntsman his documents and replies, “Just going back home”.

The huntsman eyes the document and does a double take and says, “Arc? You are Julius’ boy!? What happened to you kiddo!? You seem like you have been through a lot”.

“It’s a long story, sir”, Jaune says with a chuckle.

“I hope it's worth it considering you ran away from your home”, the huntsman says as he goes through the documents. He then looks at the knight and asks, “Well, you have documents for two people here. Where is this Weiss Schnee?”

“Ethan…” Jaune hears the huntress speak up and it causes both the knight and guard to look in the direction. The huntress points at the jeep and says, “Looks like Miss Schnee is not in the condition to appear before us”.

The huntsman, who is revealed to be Ethan, walks towards the jeep and his eyes fall on Weiss. He was taken aback but didn’t show it on his face. He looks at Jaune and in a voice that was missing the prior stern tone, he says, “I’m sorry for being insensitive”.

Jaune shakes his head and replies, “You were just doing your job, sir. There is no need to apologize”.

“So this woman…. Is she your lover?” the huntress asks.

“ANNA!?” the huntsman exclaims and Jaune can’t help but chuckle.

In denial, the knight shakes his head and replies, “No. She is just a friend”.

“Just a friend?” The huntress asks, raising her eyebrow.

“Just a friend”, Jaune confirms.

“A man wouldn’t go this far for a woman he considers a friend”, the huntress mutters.

“Anna… that’s enough”, The huntsman chastises his partner. He then looks at the blonde and says, “I’m sorry about her. She tends to get excited when there is gossip or something like that”.

“I don’t mind”, Jaune replies with a small smile. He then looks at the huntress and says, “You are right! No sane man would go this far for a woman he just considers a friend. But I do. Weiss and I have been through some stuff. I just can’t leave her behind”.

The understanding dawns on the huntress and as she nods, she says, “I’m sorry about your loss. But it's a good thing that you came back. I believe two or three years ago your sister came back with her family”.

Jaune was surprised to hear that. He had long heard that Argus was attacked, and he made peace with the fact that Saphron and her family might not make it. To hear that she was doing well and that she had brought her family here was also relieving.

But as much as he was happy to hear about Saphron's survival, he couldn’t help but grimace. He might have suffered a lot, but at the same time, he was lucky in other things. His entire family surviving brought him joy but the same couldn’t be said about the sleeping beauty he was traveling with.

“Well, you are free to go. Also welcome back to Ansel, kiddo”, the huntsman says with a smile and Jaune returns in kind. He climbed back in his seat and with a nod to the guarding huntsmen, he drove through the gate.

Ansel was not a big town, but one couldn’t call it small as well. The streets were still well-lit and unlike small towns, some of the establishments were still open. He drove carefully through the empty roads, looking out for any drunk person stumbling around.

Soon the buildings got smaller and less frequent, and he was greeted by the familiar farmlands. His family owned a vineyard along with a ranch. It was his great-grandfather who brought this land, but it was his father who had built this place when he retired from being a huntsman. The main income from his family came from the wine they sold, but they also made good money by selling grapes, eggs, and milk. Sometimes they would sell the wool they would shear and rent out the horses for rides. It was not much, but it was honest work. It was enough to raise a family as large as his.

This was the life Jaune had left behind to be a huntsman. The younger him didn’t find the appeal in this life, but now… he could see its charm. He drove slowly until he saw a familiar-looking tall picket fence. In the distance, he saw the lights in the house that he grew up in. He stopped his vehicle and got down to open the gates to his house. The waft of grapes and wheat attacked his nostrils and for the first time in a while, Jaune felt that he was truly home.

He quickly got in the car and inched his jeep through the gates. As soon as the rear tires entered the premises, howls of dog barks filled the knight’s ears and Jaune couldn’t help but smack himself on the forehead. How could he forget about the dogs his family was raising!? They protected the animals from wild animals that roamed the forests behind their house and altered them if the Grimm were present. They would surely raise hell if something unfamiliar entered their territory. Jaune just hoped that the howls wouldn’t wake up everyone in the house.

While the house was not far away, it sure felt like an eternity for the knight. What was he supposed to say? ‘Hey Mom and Dad, I’m back! I have brought a friend with me so can you let us stay over for a night?’ No! That was too casual. ‘Hey Mom and Dad, it’s been a while…’ That didn’t sound good enough. The knight couldn’t help but cringe. He had prepared everything for this trip and yet he had no inkling of how to approach his parents whom he had run away from twenty-six years ago. Heck, he is having trouble remembering his parents and his sisters.

As he brought the car to the rest, he could hear the dogs surrounding the vehicle. He hesitantly stepped out and from the lights from the building, he could make out how alert the dogs were to his presence. He had recognized some dogs, but there were few that he didn’t. His eldest sister Scarlet had a keen interest in canines and he remembers how the people of the town would bring their dogs to her to train them. Maybe these dogs were on a temporary stay.

“Popo! Bruno! Cruz! Rover! Bob! Colt! Muffin! Pete!” he hears a commanding shout, and Jaune freezes like the said dogs. His eyes go in the direction of the voice and his eyes widen. On the patio, stood a woman. Blonde hair showed signs of thinning and blue eyes that held a kind gaze. She had a slightly plump frame covered by the long flowing dress that one would wear at the farms and the crow’s feet near her eyes told her age. Unlike Jaune, she was short. The knight couldn’t help but tear up as his memories started to unblur itself. He might have a hard time remembering the faces, but just one look and he knew who the person was.

She was Isabelle Arc. She was Jaune’s mother. The woman steps forward on the steps and gasps as she sees the knight. The rusted knight couldn’t help but chuckle. His mother was a stubborn woman who refused to wear her glasses believing that it made her look old. It also didn’t help the fact that Jaune looked different as well. His hair was a bit longer and he had forgotten to shave. Not to forget the white streak in his hair. He was completely different from the person who left this place.

“Jaune… is that you?” the Arc matriarch asks in a hopeful voice.

At that moment, the only words that left the knight’s mouth were, “Hey Mum”.

As soon as he said that, his mother flung herself at him and Jaune nearly buckled under her weight. She held his face and while sobbing she asked, “Where were you, Jaune? We heard from you last time while Atlas was standing and the next thing we knew the war had started! We couldn’t get a word about you! We thought… we thought….”

“I’m sorry that I worried you, Mom”, Jaune says as he tries his best to not cry in front of his mother. He had missed her embrace a lot. He had missed her voice so much. Jaune was half convinced that he was still in Ever After dreaming this after a long day taking care of Paper Pleasers.

“Honey…. Is everything alright?” a voice falls on Jaune’s ears and he and his mother look up to see a man standing at the door. Tall stature and rugged look talked about his prior past as a huntsman and working all day on the farm. He was blonde like his mother but it was of a lighter shade, maybe due to age. The beard and the mustache framed his face well, and looking at him the respect in Jaune’s heart and mind soars, for the man was his father, Julius Arc.

“Hey Dad”, Jaune says as he lets go of his mother, and the patriarch is taken aback by the appearance of his estranged son. The knight was hesitant about how his father would react. He expected him to be angry. He ran away with their family heirloom after all.

But with the composure that would put Late General Ironwood to shame, the father says, “Hello Jaune. It’s been a while”.

Jaune didn’t know what to make of this. Was his father happy? Was he angry? Was he sad? It was always hard to understand him. He rarely let his emotions get a hold of him.

“You should come in”, says Julius and adds, “From the way you look, you must be tired. We will talk in the morning”.

At this moment, Isabelle perks up and says, “Yes! What are you waiting for!? Your sisters' are asleep right now, but your room is still empty. You can use that! Also, don’t worry about your stuff. We can bring them in the morning”.

At that moment, Jaune remembered about Weiss and he quickly rushed towards his jeep. With careful maneuvering, he puts the portable oxygen cylinders on his back and he carefully carries the sleeping beauty out of the jeep. His mother gasps as he sees the woman in his arms and without a word, she shoos the dogs away, who are now curious about why the man their lady was hugging smelled like their owners.

Julius holds the door open for them and Jaune enters the familiar-looking hallways. After climbing a set of stairs, he approaches the familiar-looking door that still holds the plaque of his name. His mother opens the door for him and he carries Weiss into his room and gently places her on the bed. He then leaves her behind along with his mother, rushes back to his vehicle, and carries the oxygen compressor back along with Weiss’ bag.

Within the next thirty minutes to one hour, Jaune had set up the oxygen compressor, cleaned Weiss up, and hooked her up with a new batch of IVs. All this time, Isabelle stood there with her eyes widened, not believing a single thing she just saw. She then walked out of his room as Jaune tucked Weiss under the blankets and replaced her oximeter. He sat down at the study table while taking a look at his scroll. Weiss’ pulses were doing fine. She was breathing easily. With a sigh of relief leaving his mouth, Jaune leaned back on his chair and took this chance to take a look at what was supposed to be his room.

As far as he remembers, his room hasn’t changed much over these six years. The posters of his favorite video games were missing, but that was giving considering they never lasted long enough. He didn’t check the closet but could easily tell it was empty. Either its content was moved to the attic or his mother had given it away to the people who needed it more, he didn’t know. The clock he used to wake up to was still up and running and sat snugly on his study table. The small television he used to play his video games on was still in the corner of the room. Weiss fit snugly on the bed, but the same bed was small for him. The room was not dusty at all. It was as if his mother had regularly cleaned it, expecting him to return and at that moment, he couldn’t help but feel guilty for making his mother go through all the stuff he made her go through.

A quick rap of knocking at his door catches his attention and he looks to see his mother walk in with a foldable mattress, pillows, and bedsheet. The knight hastily gets up from his place and takes the stuff from his mother’s hand. He gives her a quick smile and says, “Thanks, Mum! I will take it from here”.

The Arc matriarch couldn’t get a word as Jaune started to lay the mattress on the floor. She stood there awkwardly as she saw her boy set to work and she awkwardly walked to the free side of the room to reach the sleeping beauty on her son’s bed.

“She’s a pretty woman”, Isabelle states as she hesitantly brushes the white-haired woman’s hair off her face.

“Yep!” Jaune replies as he places the pillow as a final touch.

“What’s her name?” his mother asks.

“Weiss. Weiss Schnee”, was the reply Jaune gave.

“Schnee? Like in the Schnee Dust Company?” Isabelle asks to which Jaune just nods. The matriarch couldn’t help but frown and say, “Poor child… What about her family?”

“Her Mother and little brother are dead. She has an older sister but right now, her hands are tied. So I’m looking after her for a while”, replies Jaune.

For a while, the mother of the house didn’t say a word but Jaune knew very well that she had a lot to say. But instead of voicing what she was thinking, she gives a small smile to her son while patting his head and says, “You should get some sleep. We can talk later. How long did you travel?”

“We started from Frimmel at dawn”, Jaune says to which she nods. 

She kisses her son on his forehead and says, “I’m glad you’re back. Your sisters will be in for a surprise today”.

Normally, Jaune would have joked about recording their reaction, but he was too tired to speak. He nods in reply and with a quiet voice, says, “Yeah, Mum”.

The mother of the house was anxious at his reply but didn’t show it on her face. She rubs the knight’s hair one last time and walks out of the room, closing the door behind her. Jaune kept looking at her door. He could tell how awkward his mother was around him. It was as if she was talking to a stranger and Jaune couldn’t blame her for that. Her son came back as a different man along with a woman who was neither his wife nor his lover. No sane person would be comfortable with that, but he was happy that his mother was making an effort. 

His father, on the other hand, kept his distance. As much as he wanted to talk to his Dad, Jaune himself was feeling awkward around him. The fight he had with his Dad the last time he saw him came to his mind and the knight couldn’t help but cringe. He couldn’t help but dread the morning that was about to come. There are going to be a lot of questions going around and he could only hope that he could answer them without fumbling around.

With those thoughts, Jaune lay down on the mattress and his eyes looked back at Weiss. He couldn’t see her face, but seeing her chest move up and down, brought a semblance of relief in him. Both her IVs’ were still full and with the rate they were going down, it would take at least four to six hours to be empty. That was more than enough sleep he could muster. 

Provided whether he could sleep tonight or not.

Fire.

Smog.

Blood.

Wherever his eyes fell, that is all he saw. Jaune doesn’t know how he ended up here. He was sure that he was at his childhood home, trying to catch some sleep. Blood stained his broken blade but he was too shell-shocked to realize it.

“Jaune…” a very familiar voice calls him and he turns around and lets out a gasp as he sees Ruby standing knee-deep in a pool of blood. He tried to reach out but couldn’t since he was in the same situation. He tried to tread the crimson liquid but with every step he took, he felt himself sinking lower. But he couldn’t care less because the only person on his mind was Ruby.

Ruby… she looked worse. Bruises and cuts adorned her body. Her clothes were torn, threatening to forgo her modesty. Crescent Rose was broken but the girl held on to it as if her life depended on it. Blood caked half of her face, but it was her eyes that worried the knight the most.

Her silver eyes were lifeless. They didn’t have their usual luster. It was the eyes of someone who had given up. Jaune continued to tread and eventually reached the silver-eyed warrior and hugged her.

But she didn’t return it.

“Why?” was all Ruby asked. The knight held onto her tightly as she asked, “Why didn’t you come to save me?”

At that very moment, bloodied hands and bodies emerged from the pool engulfed them both, and tried to pull them under. The knight recognized a few of them. He recognized a figure that resembled Yang. There was a figure who was Blake and he recognized Oscar. Penny was there too and so was Pyrrha. There were some he didn’t recognize. Nameless people whom he couldn’t save. Ironically, Cinder and Salem were there too.

The knight doesn’t say anything as both he and Ruby are being dragged. She didn’t resist and he couldn’t find the strength to do it himself. Before the blood engulfed him, he heard Ruby’s voice, filled with pain and hopelessness, ask, “Why didn’t you come for us?”

Jaune was woken up by the cry of the rooster and he got up with a gasp. He has been having these dreams whenever he has the luxury to sleep. He rubbed his eyes as if trying to get rid of that scene from his very sight and mind. He knows very well that his Ruby would never blame him but deep in his mind, he agreed that she should. Ruby was too good to him. If she had resented him before she had died, he would have an easier time living but he knew in his heart very well that she would never resent him.

He slowly swung himself up and he turned to see the beauty who was still sleeping in his childhood bed. She was just the way Jaune had left her before going to bed, unmoving, breathing, and nearly lifeless. The knight sits on the chair and looks at the clock just to realize that it is six in the morning. 

Five hours… The dreams were being generous to him. Usually, they would bother to wake him every three hours, this was an improvement. Either that or exhaustion from yesterday helped him to sleep. Whatever it was, he was grateful for it. His eyes caught Weiss’ IV and he saw that they were nearly empty. He quickly changes them for a new batch. He took a look at her pulse and he let out a sigh of relief as it showed no signs of deterioration. 

After a quick shower and cleaning up his face, he drained her leg bags. After a session of gentle massages, movements, and combing, Jaune sat there by her side and started using his semblance on her. He did this for a while until he felt his aura get weak.

As much as he wanted to stay by her side, Jaune had to leave the room. He can’t stay at his parents’ place all the time. He was planning to go out and find a place to move in. He had saved enough funds during his time as Atlesian Huntsman and also Winter was generous enough to lend him some lien. So he had come up with a simple solution that helped him move around and yet keep an eye on Weiss.

He places the baby camera on the table gently and adjusts the angle just enough to see the entirety of Weiss. If she was awake, the dust princess would have been cross at him using a baby camera, but drastic times brought drastic measures. His scroll would already update him if there was anything wrong with her pulse and now with the addition of the camera, he could go anywhere.

But now, there was a larger problem at hand. He had told his mother that he would explain everything in the morning and now regretted saying it. As he hesitantly made his way downstairs, a sweet aroma engulfed the knight’s nose and it led him into the kitchen. Jaune’s parents were early risers. While his mother woke up every day to start working on breakfast and other mundane things, his father would head out to check up on the animals.

As he enters the kitchen, his eyes fall upon his mother who was working at the counter. Isabelle’s face was scrunched with concentration as she cut through vegetables and meat.

“Good morning, mum”, Jaune says, walking towards the counter.

His sudden speaking up caused the mother of the house to jump in fright. The very sight made the knight guilty, but before he could apologize, the matriarch looked at her son, and said, “Jaune! Good morning… I thought you would be sleeping in”.

“Didn’t feel like it. Do you need any help?” Jaune offers.

“Can you peel the eggshells?” his mother asks, to which he nods. He grabs the pot which was already done with boiled eggs and he pours in the cool water to calm them down.

As he starts to peel the eggs, he asks, “Where’s Dad?”

“Oh you know… with the cows. Bessie’s pregnant, so he went to check up on her”, Isabelle replies and Jaune nods in understanding. For a while, they don’t say anything as the Arc mother happily prepares the food and suddenly, she asks, “How is that girl doing?”

“She is doing well”, Jaune replies as he takes another egg and starts peeling it.

“What had happened to her?” Isabelle asks and at that moment, his hands pause. 

The memories of the war engulf his thoughts, but he shakes his head and replies, “She got injured in the war”. 

The mother pauses what she is doing, but she resumes her duties within a second. She didn’t say a word, but when Jaune looked at her face, he saw tears flowing silently.

“Mum… Don’t cry, mum… I’m fine. Nothing has happened to me”, the knight says, hugging his mother and the woman sobs into her son’s chest. They held onto each other for a while, but they had to let go when they heard the voices coming from the dining room. 

They could hear a bunch of yawns and good mornings. The mother’s eyes sparkled and Jaune immediately knew what she was thinking. He lets out a chuckle and just nods and the Arc matriarch walks out of the kitchen to greet the rest of the family.

“Good morning children!” Isabelle cheerfully greets and a chorus of greetings rings throughout the room.

“Mum, why there is a car outside?” Scarlet, the eldest daughter asks. Saphron might have been the first and the only sibling who had gotten married, but she was not the eldest. That title went to Scarlet, even though she was just a year older. Every sibling’s age differed by a year except for the twins. Sporting the shade of blonde that siblings shared, she had a pixie cut and unlike Jaune, she loved working at the farm, especially with the dogs. Even though she had short hair, she never gave off the vibe of a tomboy and she was more girly.

“It’s not just any car”, Jade clicks her tongue, the actual tomboy among Jaune’s sisters. Born a year after the knight, she was the fourth child who was born to Julius and Isabelle. Her hair was shoulder length and the thing she loved the most was machines, mainly cars and tractors. You would find her in town, working in her automotive store if she was not at home. She was clean, but the tan and grease were some of the prominent features. 

With a tone of annoyance, she says, “It’s an Atlesian Military Jeep. Hulk-500. You won’t find it on the roads normally”.

“Is that the reason why the dogs were barking at night?” Azure asks her mother. The prim and proper sibling of the Arcs. Her outfits were mostly sky blue shades, and she wore flowy skirts. She was also near-sighted due to the amount of reading she did. Born after Jade, she taught kids at the local school.

“Even Mum seems excited! Do you know the reason, Indica?” Indila asks, to which the woman who looked identical to her, replies, “How would I know!? I just woke up!” Indica and Indila. The twins were born after Azure. Indica was older than others by seven minutes but everyone who met them would say that Indila felt like the older one. Both of them had different tastes. They had different styles, but one would never see one twin without the other. It was as if they were joined at the hip. Isabelle sometimes would tease them, saying that they would end up marrying the same guy, and how they acted sometimes felt true. As kids, they were a chaotic bunch of gremlins and were a constant pain in Jaune’s behind, and even as grown-ups their mischievous side hadn’t left them. They owned a bakery in the town and they were well known for the rainbow croissants they made.

“Can anyone tell me why an Atlesian Military Jeep is outside our home?” Saphron asks as she enters the room, and she is being followed by her wife Terra, and their four-year-old son, Adrian.

“I never expected to see that so far inland”, Terra says as she helps Adrian onto the chair. Two years ago, the couple and their son moved to Ansel to escape the war and until recently, she was the last person who saw Jaune before he went to Atlas.

Suddenly, a girl rushes into the room, and everyone stops asking questions when they realize Violet, the youngest child of the Arcs, is panicking. Before Isabelle could say anything, the mother mode switches in Scarlet flips and she rushes towards her sister. She holds the youngest by her shoulders and in a gentle but worried tone, she asks, “Vi, what happened?”

Violet was a soft-spoken and meek girl. At the age of eighteen, she was someone who was always riddled with anxiety. She always braids her hair in a ponytail, but this time it was a mess. She stutters, “You know… I was coming down for breakfast when I saw Jaune’s room was slightly open. I thought maybe Mum might have opened it to clean the room. You know how mum tends to get when it comes to cleaning…”

“Vi… get to the point”, Saphron says, who was now beside her sisters.

“A woman is sleeping on Jaune’s bed”, Vi blurts out and the entire room is taken aback by what she has just said. 

Before chaos could fall in the dining room, Isabelle clears her throat and says, “Kids… I have something to say”.

“Don’t tell me you are pregnant!” Indila exclaims. 

Indica smacks her twin on the head and says, “Obviously she’s not, dolt!” but at the very next second, she looks at her and in a doubtful tone, asks, “You’re not right?”

“No way Mum is pregnant guys!” Vi exclaims. “I mean Dad and Mum do love each other, but I don’t think she is pregnant. I mean… look at her age. No offense to Mum but instead of asking if she is pregnant, we must be asking if she has menopause or not. Maybe that woman might be a surrogate…”.

“Well Vi honey, you are the youngest child to be born in our family. If I were to get pregnant, you wouldn’t have been the youngest”, Isabelle replies while being slightly annoyed.

“Guys, let's hear what Mum has to say first!” Azure says from her seat. 

The girls go quiet and look at their mother expectantly. The matriarch lets out a sigh and says, “Well, someone did come at night, and the person who is right now in Jaune’s bed was not the only person who came”.

At that very instant, Jaune walks out of the kitchen, and with a sheepish smile on his face, he says, “Hey guys”.

What happened next, Jaune has no idea. One moment, he was standing at the kitchen door, the next moment he was on the floor dogpiled by his sisters. The amount of squealing and sobs nearly deafened him but he couldn’t help but laugh. Isabelle starts to cry but this time it is happy tears and is joined by Terra. The Arc family was finally complete and the happy days were not so far away.

[actrixquadras]

Jaune: Hello...? Neo...?

Benji: (Femboy Neo, Twerks and dances)

Jaune: (Thinking) I should resist this femboy ass, but...

---------------------------------------------------

Neo: (Looking for Jaune, Stops)

Joan: (Musclegirl Jaune, Back from jog)

Neo: (Thinking) I should resist this sweaty musclegirl, but...

I'M ONLY HUMAN~!

[actrixquadras]

So Far Away AU Part3

Chapter 2: New Start

During their journey to the Haven Academy, Jaune couldn’t understand why Qrow bothered to get drunk. Back in his hometown, he had seen many people get drunk and had their lives and their families destroyed by it. His father used to indulge in alcohol from time to time, but he remembers that he was always in control. Weiss’ mother was an alcoholic too. Alcohol was a poison Jaune never wanted to indulge in and yet here he was sipping it away at the bar, realizing why a person indulged in alcohol.

With every sip he took, he felt himself numb to what he was feeling. With every single swig he took, he found himself numb to the world. Jaune was not a lightweight, but he was also not someone who identified in the opposite spectrum. The hustle and bustle of the bar served as a soothing drone, but it was not hypnotizing enough to send him to a slumber.

“So what now?” Ren asks and at this moment Jaune looks up and remembers that he was not alone at the bar. Ren and Nora were here as well with him at the small table they had occupied. While he and Ren indulged themselves with a whisky on the rocks, Nora bothered herself to get a beer. Qrow was here as well, tucked away in a corner, drinking water which half surprised Jaune. Ilia, Sun, Coco, Velvet, and Neptune were huddled at one of the bigger tables, softly talking and from the expression they had on their face, the knight deduced that it was not a lively discussion. Neo, just like Qrow, occupied another corner, and Emerald and Mercury were seen at the counter, talking away.

What surprised Jaune more was the sight of Winter. Considering the history of alcohol in her family, Jaune expected her to be one of those people who despised alcohol. Well, he knew Weiss loathed it. But here she was, sitting at the counter, drinking the wine away, albeit in moderation.

“About what?” Jaune asks while taking a sip of his whisky.

“You know, fearless leader… what do you plan to do?” Nora asks while running her finger on the rim of her glass.

“What do you plan to do?” Jaune asks as he places his glass gently on the table. With the direction this conversation seemed to go, it was better if he remained sober. 

Nora and Ren look at each other and an unspoken agreement happens between them. They look at their leader and for a second, they hesitate to say what they had on their mind. Ren unconsciously cracks his knuckles and Nora starts rubbing her palms. Sensing their hesitation, Jaune gives them a gentle smile and says, “Before you say what you guys want to do, just remember that, whatever decision you take, whatever path you choose, I will always support you”.

The duo straighten their backs a bit as soon as Jaune says that as if a huge weight was lifted off their shoulder, and Ren looks at Nora to which the red-head woman nods. The man nods and then he looks at his leader and says, “I and Nora are planning to quit being huntsmen. We want to go back to Kuroyuri and rebuild it”.

Judging by how worried they looked right now, it was safe for Jaune to assume that he looked flabbergasted. He didn’t expect that. He didn’t mind them doing this, he just didn’t see it coming. Not even once did Nora nor Ren talk about Kuroyuri, so he was blindsided by their decision. Maybe the saying that war changes everything was true in every sense.

“We have been around the block, asking anyone who wants to join us. We have a good number. We thought if you don’t have anything going on, maybe you could come with us”, Nora says, a bit of hesitance in her voice.

A small smile grew on Jaune’s face. Even in tough times, they were thinking about him. Sure, he did have plans. He was planning to confess to Ruby and if it went well, maybe take her to his hometown to meet his parents who he didn’t see for a long time. Maybe meet Taiyang as well and ask for his blessing. Then get married and settle down. He and Ruby would continue to be huntsmen, but he would retire early to take care of the kids. 

But now, Ruby is gone. So most of his plans were down the drain and thus he had to begin from square one. Sure the offer Nora and Ren were giving was tempting, but he didn’t see himself going with them. They needed their privacy. They needed their space to grow and him being there would intrude that space and it didn’t sit well with Jaune.

He replies, “I’m happy that you are considering me in your future. But I must stop you right there. There are things I want to do and I won’t be able to do if I decide to join you guys”. 

“Do we have the right to know those things?” Ren hesitantly asks.

Jaune’s eyes soften a bit as he replies, “It’s been 26 years since I saw my parents. I fought with my Dad before I came to Beacon. I did talk to Mom but after the fall of Beacon, we fell out of touch. The last person from my family that I had talked with was Saphron and that was ages ago. Now, after everything that has happened, I think it is time to go back home and be there for my family. Also, Crocea Mors can’t go back to its rightful place if I don’t go back home”.

“Where exactly is your home, Jaune?” Nora asks.

“It's a small town in Vale by the name of Ansel”, Jaune replies.

“But didn’t Vale get destroyed?” Nora asks.

“The main city got destroyed, but places in the countryside like Patch, Ansel, and Strot are relatively safe. Also, my town has its fair share of good huntsmen”, the blonde replies.

“But do you have to go? You can still come with us and visit them once in a while right? Maybe you could…” Nora starts but Ren cuts her off by placing his hand on her shoulder. She looks at him and he just shakes his head. The knight understood where Nora was coming from. Her own experience related to her mother might have made her assume that his family might be the same. 

But Jaune knew well. He might have shared differences with his father but over the years, he has come to know why his father never bothered to train him. His mother was on the passive side but she always meant well. And then there were his sisters. He fought with them, he argued with them but he also loved them. You can’t forget about family just because you have one difference with them.

But at the same time, he was nervous. As he said before, it has been 26 years since he had seen them. The scroll which he had with him when he fell into Ever After, was lost in the unknown. It contained everything about his family and friends. The memories it held in it were lost forever to the blackness of the void. It has been so long that he even struggles to remember how they even look. He is also scared of the fact that anything could happen to them during these years.

“We understand, Jaune. You should go back to your family and regarding Kuroyuri, I believe you can visit us from time to time”, Ren says with a small reassuring smile. Did Ren sense the dilemma Jaune was going through in his mind? The knight had no idea. But knowing that he had his back brought ease to his soul.

“Yeah… you can do that!” Nora chimes in.

“That seems like a good alternative”, Jaune replies with a smile and as he picks up his glass, he asks, “So when are you two leaving?”

Ren shrugs his shoulders in reply and says, “Since it's a big group, it might take some time for us to prepare. If I have to give an exact number, maybe in three to four weeks”. Jaune simply nods.

“When are you leaving, Jaune?” Nora asks.

Jaune shrugs his shoulders as he replies, “I don’t know… maybe in a week. I don’t have much stuff to carry. Tomorrow, I was planning to get in contact with one of the Bullhead pilots and ask the place where he could drop me. Then get some stuff sorted out”.

“Only a week! I thought we had enough time to hang out”, Nora groans to which both Jaune and Ren let out a chuckle. 

The knight reaches out to pat the short woman’s head and says, “If it makes you feel better, I’m not sure whether I will be leaving early. As far as I know, the flight towards Vale might not occur this early. So if I get lucky, I might be around for a few more days”.

“But there is also a chance the flight might be in three days! What if there is one tomorrow?” Nora asks with concern.

Jaune smiles and replies, “Well, if that is the case then I guess I will miss that flight and wait for another”.

“You know… why can’t you wait till we leave for Kuroyuri!? That way we have plenty of time to spend!” Nora suggests.

“Nora…” Ren chastises her.

The knight couldn’t help but chuckle and said, “Well, that is something I can’t do. You guys would be busy with the preparations. So it's better if I get myself out of the way”.

“You are never in the way, Jaune”, Ren immediately replies in an offended tone.

The blonde takes a sip and with a grin on his face, he replies, “I know, Ren. I know”. A moment of silence grows among them and his eyes gaze back into his glass. In one big sip, he empties the glass and then he says, “Well, I will take my leave then”.

“You’re leaving?” Ren asks with genuine concern.

“I'm drained, man. I just want to sleep”, he replies and both of them understand.

They nod in synchrony and the short red-haired woman reaches out and hugs the knight. She then looks at her partner, who just nods and goes to hug them. They held onto each other for what felt like an eternity. None of them wanted to let go. It took Jaune all of his restraint to let go.

“Good night, fearless leader”, Nora beams.

“Good night, Jaune”, Ren says with a soft smile on his face.

“Good night guys”, Jaune replies as he walks out of the bar into the cold winds of the Vacuan night.

The night was beautiful but Jaune was not in the mood to savor it. Even with the presence of the shattered moon and stars, he seldom felt at ease. The local huntsmen were patrolling the camps. Just because Salem was dead, it didn’t mean that the Grimm would rest. After all, they existed before her. Her presence in this world acted as a control and now… since she was gone, they were back to their instinctual predation. The huntsmen were on their toes patrolling day and night.

Some waved at him as he walked past them and he returned the gesture in kind. He was acquainted with a few of them. Having Aura Amp as his semblance meant that he was in high demand. Sometimes they would reach out to him in the middle of the night to help and the knight would oblige. At least he could be helpful now, but also left him with little time to mourn. Jaune couldn’t help but shudder to imagine how these guys would fare after his departure. He was half convinced to stay back just to treat these people, but he had to stop himself. They were in this business knowing that their death was part of their main course… he can’t save everyone.

Pondering, Jaune enters the area where the refugees are camping. The sight of him brought smiles to the eyes of the children who were awake and they would rush to him asking about how his day was. The knight liked children a lot. Their smile eased him and it also made him work hard. This is not the place a child should be, yet here they were. The guilt that was present in his heart, rears its ugly head and worms its way into his mind. 

This was a newly built settlement. The last settlement where people from Atlas were camping was attacked overnight by Salem in the early days of the war. That skirmish took the lives of many people, including Weiss’ mother and brother. Many children died that day. Weiss and Winter were never the same after Willow and Whitley's death. There were times when Jaune would hear Weiss cry in the night, but he never dared to approach her, and that made him feel worse. She had helped him recover and he couldn’t help her back then and he can’t help her now.

The children would accompany him to his tent and they would say their goodbyes and be on their merry way. Jaune’s tent was not big but it was also not small. It was enough to room three people with beds and he used to share this space with Oscar and Qrow. It had enough space to hold a small portable stove in between and it was high enough for Jaune to stand up straight. But these days it is quite different. Oscar’s bed was neatly folded away and given to someone who needed it more than them. Qrow rarely appears back, so Jaune is mostly alone. 

The knight flops down on his bed and he unbuckles his sword from his waist. His eyes get drawn by the small moths that are hovering around his camp light and he is drawn to it. Today was a very long day and he was exhausted. The stove was warming the camp enough to make it cozy and Jaune slowly got rid of the coat he was wearing. As he folded the coat to act as his makeshift pillow, he sensed someone standing outside his tent.

“Jaune, are you awake?” a voice asks and Jaune immediately recognizes who the person is.

“Winter? Yes, I’m awake”, Jaune replies and the flaps of the tent open to reveal Winter. Prim and proper, but she seemed quite hesitant to enter.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you”, Winter asks standing at the entrance.

Jaune smiles and says, “No! You were not. Please make yourself comfortable”. The military officer takes up the offer the knight made and sits on the Qrow’s bed. While she was making herself comfortable, Jaune took this moment to study her. 

She had no sway in her movement, it meant she was sober. The way she appeared at his tent, meant that she followed him from the bar. The way she was hesitant to enter, explained to Jaune that she was not here for pleasantries. It was at this moment, Jaune knew very well that Winter came to him to discuss.

“How is life treating you, Jaune?” Winter asks as an ice-breaker.

Jaune shrugs his shoulders in indifference as he replies, “Same thing, different day. Nothing new. How are you?”

Winter lets out a sigh as she says, “Same here. Still trying to get used to not having my powers, but other than that, just like you said, nothing new”.

As soon as the explosion that claimed the lives of Ruby and others occurred, Winter lost her maiden powers. From what Jaune knew, the powers of maidens came from Ozpin. Since Oscar was dead now, it would make sense that he would reincarnate, but this time Salem was dead for good, which means that Ozpin’s hell also came to an end and thus the maiden power, which was his essence, also vanished. Winter was not overly sad about losing the powers if it meant that Salem was slain for good.

“And how is the search coming together?” Jaune asks.

“Yeah… about that. We are still looking. The Grimm concentration has gone down due to what Dr. Polendina calls the residual energy left by Ruby’s silver eyes, but it won’t stay for long. We have to find the relics as soon as possible”, Winter replies.

Jaune nods in agreement and replies, “Well, it's a good thing that we have the relic of destruction”.

“We have to thank Ruby for holding onto that”, Winter says and suddenly she sensed the knight’s mood go down into a spiral. The soldier had an inkling of how much Ruby meant to him. Her sister had given her enough hints regarding that. But seeing the knight so heartbroken saddened Winter a lot. He was a good man. He had suffered enough. So, she decides to steer the conversation in the direction she intended to at the beginning.

“I got a word from the hospital. They told me that Weiss would be fit for discharge in a week. She would still be hooked up to oxygen and IVs but we can take her away”, Winter says.

Jaune’s mood brightens up immediately and with glee, he exclaims, “That’s great news, Winter! I’m happy for you”. 

It causes the white-haired woman to smile but her mood drops and says, “It is good news, but I’m not sure about this, Jaune”.

“What’s wrong? You can tell me anything, Winter”, the knight asks.

“Jaune, as you know, my hands are tied. As much as I want to make Weiss my main priority, it's… it's just that I don’t trust anyone enough to find the relics and not use them for their gain. Headmaster Theodore is a good man, but I want to be there when we find those relics. I also don’t have enough trust in a stranger to take care of Weiss in my place. And not to forget, I hate to be that person, but this is not the place I want Weiss to be in as she recovers”, Winter laments as she leans forward, using her knees as support.

Jaune understood where her concerns came from. Vacuo, while it was kind enough to let the refugees live, the natives wouldn’t hesitate to abandon them when the chances of survival come into play. The Vacuan arms were open to anyone who was able to survive the harsh conditions and the refugees were mere civilians who were thrust into this war. He had heard a passing rumor about how few of them were planning to make a trip to East Sanus and Anima. Some were even contemplating to travel as far as Solitas and Menagerie. This was not a place you would have someone like Weiss stay.

But there was something that bothered Jaune a lot. The way Winter hesitated to find words after what she had just said, the way she refused to look into his eyes said that there was more she wanted to say. He doesn’t say a word, allowing all the time he could spare for Winter to articulate her thoughts.

“At the bar, I overheard you saying that you were planning to move back to your family”, Winter starts, looking a bit guilty.

“I am”, Jaune confirms.

“Jaune, what Ansel is like?” Winter asks.

The knight was taken aback by the question his friend’s sister posed. The only person he had divulged about his hometown was Ruby and it was during their trip to Haven Academy. To hear someone ask about it… it was new.

Racking his blurry memories, Jaune replies, “It’s a small town in Vale. It has a lot of farms and vineyards. We don’t live near the sea, but the rivers make up for it. It doesn’t get too hot in summer and it doesn’t get too cold in winter. Once in a while, the snow sticks. The people are friendly and we do have a good number of huntsmen protecting the town”.

Winter nods and in a hesitant voice, she asks, “So is it a good place for Weiss to recover?”

“Definitely! It is a great place for anyone who wants to settle down”, Jaune replies absently. 

The soldier bites her lips as if she was contemplating what to say next. She looked at him, and Jaune could easily say that she was being hesitant.

“Winter, is there something you want to say?” Jaune asks with a small smile on his face. This causes the white-haired woman to be surprised, but in the end, she just lets out a sigh. She remains quiet for a while, and then she takes a deep breath and looks into the knight’s eyes directly.

“There is something I wanted to ask. It’s more of a request”, Winter starts and she pauses for a second. She takes in one more breath and asks, “Will you take Weiss with you?”

Jaune didn’t see that coming. To be honest, he expected something along the lines of staying here which he was about to decline. But taking Weiss with him… that had never occurred to him. Why would it occur? Weiss, at best, was a good friend. He used to have romantic feelings for her in the past, but he outgrew it. And now, her sister is asking him to take her with him to his home.

“Winter, do you even realize what you are talking about?” Jaune asks while trying his best to keep his voice in check.

“I know what I just said, Jaune”, was the reply Winter gave.

“Why me? Just a moment ago you told me that you don’t trust a stranger to look after Weiss! What made you think that I am the right man for the job!?” the blonde knight asks in bewilderment.

“You are not a stranger, Jaune”, Winter starts in a gentle voice, which was quite rare to hear from her. She takes his hands in hers and says, “Weiss never considered you a stranger. As far as I know, she considered you as someone more than a friend. You are Weiss’ family”.

This causes the words to get stuck in Jaune’s throat. He… He had no arguments against that. He remains quiet as the elder Schnee sister continues to say, “You might be wondering why I chose you. It's because I know very well that you would do everything in your power to care for her. Nora and Ren will travel back to Kuroyuri to rebuild it and they won’t be able to look after her. I don’t know others well enough to know how they were with my sister. But you Jaune… I know you well. You never shirked away from responsibility and I feel at ease when she is with you”.

She continues to say, “And you just explained what Ansel was like. With how peaceful it sounds, I believe that place is the best place for Weiss to recover”.

“What if… what if screw up?” Jaune asks hesitantly. He would do that. Things never go right when it comes to him. If Winter was trusting Jaune enough, she should also know what she was getting into.

“You won’t. I know you enough to know that you won’t fail”, Winter says but Jaune doesn’t look convinced enough.

“I don’t know about that, Winter. It's a huge risk we are taking here”, the knight says.

“Then how about this? With things I have going on for me right now, it would take at least a year for me to wrap up. How about you just look after her for a year, and then I will move to Ansel and take her from your hands?” Winter suggested and Jaune took a moment to go through what she had just said. A year didn’t seem long enough. But if Winter says that it would take her a year to dig up the other relics, then it would be better if he is around Weiss for that time.

“Jaune. You are the only person I trust. I beg you to take Weiss away from here. My little sister has suffered enough. I don’t want her to be in pain any longer”, Winter states with tears in her eyes, and that is something Jaune doesn’t want to see.

“Ok”, Jaune replies, which causes the white-haired woman to look at him. “I will take her with me. Just… Please don’t cry. You can rest assured that she will be cared for”, he says as the soldier moves in for a hug. It was not an intimate one. He could feel how exhausted Winter was and he could imagine how good it must have felt for her to have this weight lighten up a bit. He didn’t have anything to do in his life. He couldn’t save his friends. He couldn’t save Ruby. But if he can seek some sort of satisfaction and redemption by taking care of Weiss, then he shall take this chance.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Did you get everything you needed?” Winter asks as she walks Jaune towards the Atlesian Cargo plane. 

“Yep!” Jaune says with a slightly upbeat voice.

“Your driving license?”

“In my pocket

“Weiss’ medical reports?”

“In my bag”.

“Medicines?”

“In Weiss’ bag along with her clothes and her stuff”.

“Myrtenaster?”

“Perfectly polished and in the car”.

“Crocea Mors?”

This causes Jaune to pause in his stride. He looks at the elder Schnee sister and with a deadpan expression on his face, he asks, “Winter… did you seriously expect me to forget about my weapon?”

She raises her hands in exasperation and says, “Weiss told me that while you were competent in some things, you are also absent-minded in other things”.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Weiss”, Jaune mutters to himself as both of them walk into the cargo bay where the car Winter had acquired for him was parked. It was a top-class Atlesian Military Jeep. It had some wear and tear due to its use, but otherwise, it ran like a breeze. Its tires were secured to the floor of the plane and it held a lot of spare dust in its canisters. It was not too big, but it could hold a lot of things and right now it was holding precious cargo.

Strapped to the back of the driver seat was Weiss. She was hooked up to an IV and a portable oxygen cylinder hooked into her nasal cannula. The back seats were detached and were tied to the jeep’s roof. There were a lot of things next to the sleeping beauty. A long wooden case where her weapon was carefully stored away. There was an oxygen concentrator that Jaune was supposed to set up when the portable cylinder was not in use. A bag that had her medicine and clothes. Jaune’s rucksack was next to her bag since he had too little to carry. There were some tools and spare dust in case of an emergency.

“So it’s time, huh?” Winter says as she tears up a bit she reaches out to Weiss and kisses her forehead. She then looks at Jaune and says, “Please do take care of her and yourself. I will try to finish my job as soon as possible”.

“I will hold onto that”, Jaune says with a smile as he goes in for a hug which Winter graciously returns.

“Thank goodness we are on time”, they hear Nora exclaim and they see both Ren and Nora jog into the bay.

“Hope we are not late”, Ren pantingly says.

“You guys are just in time”, Winter says with a smile, and at that moment, Nora tackles her leader into a bear hug.

“I’m going to miss you so much, fearless leader” Nora sobs, and Jaune can’t help but smile and hug her back.

“I’m gonna miss you too, Nora”, Jaune says as he lets go and then he looks at Ren and hugs him.

“Take care of Weiss and yourself, brother. Do visit us once she recovers”, Ren says with a small smile on his face.

“Sure”, was the reply Jaune gave.

“One more thing, Jaune”, Winter says, and Jaune looks at her as she carefully rummages through the sling bag she had on her. She produces two jars and looks at them lovingly with a sad expression on her face and says, “It's Mother and Whitely. I thought it would comfort Weiss a bit if they are with her”, and she hands them over to Jaune gently. 

“I will take good care of them”, Jaune reassures Winter as he holds those jars as if his life depended on it.

“I know you will”, Winter says in a gentle tone, and at that moment horns go off. 

At first, it startled the group, and they looked around to see how everyone was gearing up. The knight looks back at the people and says, “Well I guess it's time to go”.

“I will inform you if something happens here. Just send me an update on Weiss’ health every week”, Winter says to which the blonde nods. Then all of them engulf him in a hug. It surprised him but he couldn’t hug them back since his hands were full and he returned the gesture by craning his neck over their shoulder. They held onto each other for what felt like a minute and then they let go. 

“Stay in touch”, Ren says with a smile and he drags Nora away who was waving at him madly. But Jaune knew very well how awkward Ren was. He smiles at his departing friends.

“Give me an update as soon as you reach Ansel”, says Winter.

“Sure”, Jaune replies with a smile on his face, and the white-haired woman returns in kind. She then walks away, just in time for the doors of the cargo bay to start closing. The blonde knight opens the door to the passenger seat and places the jar on it. He then looks at Weiss one last time, making sure that her ears are well covered with earbuds.

He then sits in the driver’s seat and his mind wanders. He was going to start a new chapter in his life. Weiss would be with him for a year. Till then, he would do his best to make her better and comfortable. As he felt the plane take off, he couldn’t help but get excited because Ansel was so far away.

[actrixquadras]

So Far Away AU Part2

Chapter 1: Goodbye

It’s been a week since the war ended but the sense of melancholy was high in the air. The sound of scurrying people in white and the incessant beeping of the life support was ever present, but Jaune’s attention was not focused on them at all. His tired eyes looked softly at the young woman on the hospital bed, dressed in a light blue hospital gown. 

Her skin was ghostly pale and her arms were weak. Her usual light blue eyes were hidden behind her eyelids and her usually tied up platinum blonde hair was free. The scar that runs vertically down her left eye and face, didn’t diminish her beauty. The white-haired beauty lay there, seeming lifeless, the beeping of the monitors betraying that notion every single second. The dripping IV needles that were pinched into her veins gave her enough nutrients to nourish her and the nasal cannula leading into her nostrils gave her the much-needed oxygen. 

She was Weiss Schnee. The only survivor of Team RWBY was declared to be in a vegetative state. A dear friend of Jaune. He held her frail hand gently and activated his semblance. It was a futile attempt. The doctors have told him that. The injuries Weiss had received were internal. No amount of aura amping could heal the damage in such a manner, but the blonde could only hope.

Weiss… she meant a lot to Jaune. Sure they started on the wrong foot, but they have come to see each other as trusted friends. She even helped him a lot when he tried to assimilate back into society after the Ever After shenanigans three years ago. 

She was also the first person the rescue had found in the rubble. He was the one who found her. She was stuck in between rocks and he had heard many rescue personnel how lucky she ended up being stuck in that small space. But Jaune didn’t know whether Weiss would consider herself lucky. Three hours after Weiss was pulled out, Yang’s body was found and six hours later, they found Blake’s corpse. It was after twelve hours after finding Weiss, they found Ruby and Oscar’s bodies along with the sword of destruction. Right now, the sword was in Winter’s possession.

Suddenly, a low rap of the tap was heard against the door and Jaune looked in the direction to see Nora enter the room, wearing her mourning clothes. The knight goes back to watching the sleeping beauty as he feels a hand on his shoulder as Nora asks, “How is she doing?”

“Same thing as usual”, was the reply Jaune gave and the red-headed woman couldn’t help but grimace.

“Ren was asking whether you would be joining us. You know, we can understand if you don’t want to…” Nora hesitantly asks.

“Just give me a minute”, Jaune cuts her off and as he looks at her with his sapphire eyes, he says, “Can’t afford to miss it, can I?”

“But Weiss…” Nora states but she stops herself as Jaune stands up from his seat, while placing the sleeping woman’s hand gently in its place. With his index, he slightly shifts the white hair clear from her face.

He then walks towards a coat hanger, he says, “The doctors can see her for a few hours. But if there is any development, I’ll be coming back”, and he picks up his coat. Without slinging it on his body, he walks towards Nora and as he gently holds her by her shoulders, he says, “I want to give Ruby and others a proper send-off and that won’t happen if I coop myself over here”.

Nora’s lips quiver a bit as Jaune smiles gently at her and he simply nods. She then walks out of the room and the blonde knight follows right behind her, not before giving a glance at the sleeping woman. He lingers for a while, then without a word, he walks out, keeping in mind to inform the nurses to check up on her once in a while.

It was collectively decided that every single casualty of war would be laid to rest through cremation. Jaune had no idea whether the method was because they were on Vacuan soil or it was decided with logistics in mind. Well, he had to agree on one thing. It is easier to transport ashes when compared to an entire body.

Right now, he was patiently waiting in the cremation room, along with Nora and Ren. Headmaster Theodore was kind enough to lend them the largest room which had four incinerators. Cremating them together seemed more appropriate at the time. Qrow was also in the room holding on to Ruby and Yang’s weapons while Ilia was doing the same for Blake’s, silently mourning the loss of their dear ones. They held onto those weapons dearly and the blonde knight understood their attachment to it. 

They had this tradition in Vacuo where they burned the weapons of the warriors along with them. Weapons are considered the extension of one’s soul and burning them together with the corpse of their owner is considered letting go of this world completely. It made Jaune wonder if he were to die in this war, would Crocea be burnt with him? The sword was never his, to begin with. It was passed down through the family and he stole it to become a huntsman. There was some aspect of Pyrrha in it too. So would the burning of his sword be considered his death or the death of the heroism in his family?

If Jaune had his way, he would never have burned his friends’ weapons at all and in fact, he would keep them with him till the day he breathes last. He already has experience maintaining weapons that were not his. But in the small corner of his mind, he couldn’t help but ask whether it was right or not. Well, he didn’t have the right to say it. He didn’t hesitate to assimilate Pyrrha’s weapon into his sword. So who was he to have an opinion?

The door opens and personnel in hospital gear come in, wheeling in four stretchers, and is closely followed by Winter. The stretchers were covered in white sheets and Jaune didn’t need to know who was under those sheets. The somber mood that was already present in the room fell as the personnel gently lowered the covered bodies into the coffins that were prepared beforehand, and as they removed the covers to reveal their face… that was when all hell broke loose.

The wails, the tears… It was indescribable. Qrow broke down on the floor hugging the sisters’ weapons tightly to his chest while Ilia cried in her place, being consoled by Sun and Neptune. Nora cried in Ren’s arms while tightly holding onto Oscar’s cane. Winter… the usually stoic and calm Winter was also crying. The only person who was not in the room was Weiss and Jaune knew that if she was here, she couldn’t bear to see her team’s cremation.

Jaune couldn’t hold his tears in. He has seen many people die. He already knew what it felt like to have someone close pass away, but… he couldn’t help it. Ruby was the first friend he had in years. It felt like yesterday when they had met each other for the first time. Yang and Blake were close too. He still remembers how Yang used to nag him and how they used to train together. He still remembers how Blake used to go fully cat mode from time to time. Oscar… Oscar was like his little brother. He still remembers how he had gone with him to movies with Weiss. 

They had been through a lot of stuff together. They cried together. They fought together. They laughed together. But the very idea of sending them off pained Jaune a lot. He couldn’t do anything. There were times when he would remain wide awake at night, thinking what would have happened if he had left Winter to deal with Cinder and went after them. What would have happened if they didn’t waste time with Cinder? What would have happened if they had reached the site early? Would his friends be alive? Would he live to protect them for long? Thoughts like them made him wish that he would also have died with them.

It was Ilia who made the first move. She stumbles towards Blake’s coffin and as she places Gambol Shroud next to the feline faunus’s corpse, she breaks down once again. Sun was trying his best to hold his tears as he helped her up. Nora takes this as her turn and walks towards Oscar’s corpse. She places the Long Memory next to him and a few of the things he had collected over the years with them. There were a few of the things Jaune recognized. It took Qrow the most time to collect himself. He saunters towards his nieces’ coffins and he starts to cry as he places their weapon in along with them. 

Jaune didn’t dare to look at his fellow leader one last time. He had yet to properly apologize for what he had told her in Ever After. He was yet to make those cookies Ruby asked for as an apology. He had yet to tell her what he felt for her. He had yet to hear what she had to say about the feelings he had for her. Then why? Why did she leave so early? He believed that if he saw her one last time, then he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back. He might not be able to…

But he has to see through. Ruby was his best friend. Ruby was someone he loved. She is someone he still loves. 

So he took the initiative.

He steps forward, slowly but surely. With every step he took, he took deep breaths to calm himself down. It felt like an eternity when he finally stood beside resting Ruby. His lips quiver as his hand tucks her stray hair behind the ear. Her normally flushed skin was now pale. Her eyes brightened his day and many others were closed to the world. Her smile was non-existent. It was as if she was in a deep sleep, but Jaune knew better.

“Hey Rubes”, Jaune starts, his voice quivering. His sapphire eyes shed tears as he struggled to find words to say. What was he supposed to say in the first place? He was never good at articulating his emotions properly. He was called dense many times. He took his time to process things. Coming up with something to say was not up to his forte.

His eyes took in every single detail that he could see. The coroners did a good job of cleaning them up, but Jaune could see those faint scars and bruises on Ruby’s corpse. He could see that one wound which was hidden under her hair. He could see how her lips were dry and he couldn’t help but tear up even more. How did she feel at the last moments of her life? Was she scared? Was she in pain? How long did she endure against that witch?

So Jaune decided to do one thing that felt right to him. Ruby might have had a painful death, but he will comfort her as she is being laid to rest. 

He takes her hand, slightly flinching at how cold and stiff it is, and gently rubs it in his palms. A gentle smile grows on his face as in a low voice, he says, “There were many things I wanted to talk to you about and I’m not sure where I’m supposed to begin. I’m… I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there for you. I’m sorry for the things I have said. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be by your side when you needed me the most. I… I’ve always loved you, Ruby. You helped me a lot, that I couldn’t help myself falling for you. I couldn’t say it because I was weak. I was scared. You were my light and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. But you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll figure something out. We always did. So… so sleep”.

He then leans down and places a kiss on her forehead and he ends by saying, “See you on the other side, Crater Face”. And with that being said, he walks out of the room, tears streaming down his face. Nora and Ren didn’t try to stop him; he wouldn’t have stopped even if they had tried. He didn’t go far. His legs gave out. He couldn’t control his fall. He just wanted it to stop. He just wanted it to end.

How long he was there… he had no idea. He came back to his senses when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up expecting to see Ren or Nora, but it was Winter. He must have looked like a mess when the frown on the woman’s face fell even more. Her eyes soften up as she says, “It’s time”.

Jaune nods as he slowly heaves himself up. The white-haired woman just looks at him as he collects himself. The blonde knight of rust stood there, unable to bring himself to attend the send-off but he must go through it. Ruby and others deserved that at least. He looks at Winter who looks at him with concern and he says, “Let’s go”.

Winter nods and walks forward and Jaune follows her. They entered the room once again and this time it seemed everyone had collected themselves. The sense of melancholy was weighing upon them but they had collected themselves. Jaune finds himself standing next to Nora and Ren once again and with him in his position, Winter gives the incinerator operators a nod of approval.

The operators nod and they gently slide the coffins into the furnace and close the door behind them. As soon as the last door was in place, the operators collectively nodded at each other and fired up the machine.

Slowly but surely, the fire envelops the coffins and heat engulfs the room. The sight of fire behind the glass of the furnace was mesmerizing but Jaune felt no joy looking at them. Sobs broke out in the room once again and tears found their way out of Jaune’s eyes once again.

The knight thought to himself. What was he going to do now? He wanted to be a huntsman all his life, and Pyrrha helped him shape up to tackle that dream. He might have been a leader, but he looked at Ruby for guidance. But now… what was he supposed to do? The war with Salem was over. Ruby is dead. But the Grimm are still around. But he is tired of being a huntsman. So what now?

His gaze falls on Ruby’s burning coffin. At the end of his life, he would see her again. He would see Yang and Blake too. He would see Oscar too. He was prepared to die but death was not ready to claim him. He would definitely die but the day of his death was yet so far away.

[actrixquadras]

So Far Away AU Part1

Chapter 0: Prologue

The moon, as a sentinel, stood in the silent expanse of the cosmos, where the stars twinkled like a distant memory. Ever glowing, ever moving, and in its long existence, it had seen everything. The birth of the world that it orbited, the creation of life, the creation of Grimm, the rise of magic, the rise of civilizations, their subsequent fall, the departure of its creators, mortals imitating its creator. It had seen it all. 

But throughout its eternal life, it could never understand one thing. Why didn’t the living give up? Its creator before leaving the land below and before scarring its body, along with his brother had killed off the living, and yet the living came back. The living fell victim to her creator’s creations yet they doubled back and thrived. They went to war with each other, and some had their souls forcefully merged with the beasts, yet they held onto their short lives like a natal seeking to cling to its mother. 

The moon questioned it a lot. It sought the counsel of the sun, the only other body that held onto this land in this celestial space, and even it didn’t know the answer to the living’s tribulations. The living were stubborn, they were tenacious, and that very quality of their made them a joy to watch, and yet their pain ached the moon the same way the shattered pieces of itself once did.

The situation that was going on below it now was also not helping. From the vantage point it sat, the moon could see the battle that was currently going on. It witnessed the tumult below, the clash of steel, a symphony of war cries echoing through the dark forests her creator once called home. The living and the Grimm collide, their struggles etching upon the canvas of the land. From the experience it had, it was clear what the living was trying to achieve. A way into the castle that loomed over the dark horizon, fenced behind the walls of the creatures of darkness. 

It was a battle against the living and the being of old times. A being who was cursed by the moon’s and her fellow celestial body’s creators to live eternally. It was a war against impossible odds. The being who wanted nothing but to die but take the world with her as an act of revenge and resentment.

The amount of explosions, blood, and sweat flowing there was enough to fill a lake. The strewn flesh and buzzing of flies that surrounded them made the lunar entity nauseous. It was pitiful, it was painful. It could have been short if the living just gave up.

The moon’s eyes wander as its gaze catches action all over the battlefield. One unlucky man was facing off against a madman who had his soul merged with a scorpion at the time of his birth. There was a standoff between two maidens, one fond of fire and the other fond of ice. The only difference between them was that the fire-crazed maiden stood all alone while the woman touched by the frost was protected by the knight of rust and two of his close comrades. 

But there was one entourage of warriors that caught the lunar entity’s eyes the most. 

It was a group of four women and one young man steadily breaking their way through the enemy lines. Their first major advance was pushed by the maiden of frost and the knight of rust before they were halted by the maiden of flames. Their second breakthrough was achieved with the help of the man with automaton legs and two shapeshifting damsels. The moon looked at them with bated breaths as they fought its creator’s creations just to reach the abode of the sad witch. 

The heft of those punches, the twirl of those ribbons, the precision and grace of those stabs and dust, and the swing of that scythe all made the metaphorical heart of the shattered celestial shudder. Such grace, such bravery was admirable. But the moon knew better. The moon knew well. It was for naught. No amount of bravery would let them come out of this place alive. No amount of grace would allow them to come out of the place unscathed.

Some of them will perish, dying a hero’s death. Others will be left to pick up the pieces, forever stuck in the cycle of mourning. All the moon could hope was that the ones who would be left behind could make something out of their life, for they still had a long life to live.

The moon lost sight of those warriors as they entered the witch’s keep. It might be a celestial that orbited the land below, but there are certain places where its gaze couldn’t reach. It never knew what goes on behind closed doors. 

Its gaze goes all over the battlefield. At first, it fell upon the group of soldiers who were holding a line of defense. The soldiers consisted of groups of different uniforms. From leather to cloth. From the knightly armor to carbon kevlar. From flesh to automaton. From humans to the beast people. All of them came together to defend their right to live.

Few warriors held the lunar entity’s eyes longer. There was this one man who was touched by the spirit of the monkey, if that’s what his tail meant, bouncing around from one Grimm to another, spinning his weapon with such force and athleticism that it would make any person with an eye for such things swoon. One woman simply smiled with her black glasses on as her weapon tore through the beowolves. There was also this one rabbit woman who seemed to change weapons on the fly, but for some reason, her weapons looked transparent. Was it the result of the so-called ‘Dust’? It was pretty, yet the moon understood how vicious it could be. Did her creators intend the so-called dust to be this powerful?

But the moon couldn’t help but sigh. This unity would come to an end once the war was over. That is how it always was. Every single time the living would come together for a common cause, then when they achieved that cause, they would go back to being enemies. It was nothing new to the moon. Like how birds needed to fly. Like how animals had the urge to feed. Like how the sun and moon had the instinct to always orbit the land below, the living always had the instinct to fight. Maybe it helped to give them a purpose to live, maybe it was a thrill… the moon never knew.

The moon’s mind found itself wandering back to the warriors back at the castle. It glanced in its direction, and it could feel the ripple of whatever was going down at the castle. But the walls that surrounded the stand-off between the warriors and the ancient witch protected them from the lunar entity’s peeping eyes and like a fickle being it was, its gaze went back to the battlefield, but this time to the likes of the unlucky man.

The fight between the man cursed with bad luck and the crazed beast-man was uneventful for the moon’s taste. To be specific, it was the way it ended that left a bad taste in the orbiting celestial’s mouth. Those two warriors bounced around the battlefield, decimating everything around them. Any Grimm that got caught between them was reduced to dust and the moon didn’t know whether it was because of the bad luck emitting from the curse man or the sheer intensity between those two warriors. The walking scorpion would steal his aura, and the cursed man would retaliate by swinging his sword-scythe, cutting off the madman’s sting in the process. The crazed man would acrobat his way around the unlucky man. 

It was when it happened. The moon doesn't know exactly what happened back there. Was it intentional, or was it purely accidental? During his hijinks, the beast-man lost his footing for a second and he fell on his sting. It was also a sting that was man-made and filled with more potent venom. The crazed man died instantaneously, with a crazed grin on his face and the unlucky man looked at his corpse with an unfazed expression.

Maybe the death of the humanoid scorpion was planned after all.

As the man cursed with bad luck walked towards the castle, the moon found its gaze on what it considered a more interesting fight it could watch at the moment.

The maiden of winter was doing all she could do to keep the maiden of fall near the ground, but she was struggling as the fall maiden was powered by not one but two maiden powers. The knight who was on an ethereal jackalope, courtesy of the dust princess, was doing everything to support the winter maiden along with his comrades. One of the comrades, a woman with a huge hammer, was setting off explosions while another comrade, a man was trying to grapple the said maiden with his hooks. 

The moon had always hated the fall maiden. All she did was take from everyone else. There was a time when it sympathized for the woman but now all it felt for that woman was loathe. The lunar entity was one of the two witnesses of when the maiden killed a girl who was originally supposed to be the maiden, the other witness being the warrior with silver eyes. There was a time when the moon thought that the woman was redeemable. But that feeling left the entity when the fall maiden killed a child to gain the summer aspect.

Now, all the moon wanted was to see the maiden of fall have a taste of defeat. The winter maiden and her supporters were already running on fumes. At one point in their fight, the fall maiden had destroyed the jackalope leaving the knight at a disadvantage. Powered by the aspects of two maidens, the fall maiden goes on the offensive, forcing her opponents to take cover behind the rocks.

Suddenly, the knight walks out from his cover. His shield was fully deployed and his sword was in his dominant hand. His helmet revealed nothing other than his blue eyes which were glaring at the fall maiden. The knight takes the stance, his shield close to his chest and his sword ready. The moon was not sure what history was between the knight and the maiden but as soon the said knight took the stance, an evil smile grew on the fall maiden’s face and she shot out a continuous stream of fire on the knight, completely engulfing him.

At first, the moon was concerned. The amount of fire the maiden had used was too much. No normal human could withstand it. But it was in for a shock when the knight tanked the fire and kept walking through the flames, one small step at a time. His eyes were locked on the fire maiden and he boldly waded through the flame as if it were a bog. The fall maiden took his stride as a challenge and kept spewing the flames and as a statement, she brought herself close to the ground, but the knight kept walking towards her, unfazed and the fall maiden didn’t like it at all.

What the fall maiden failed to realize was how the winter maiden and the other two of the knight’s comrades were sneaking closer toward her. The Knight of Rust was just a distraction. The hatred and mockery the fall maiden felt for the knight made her narrow-sighted. 

It was quick. The fall maiden didn’t have enough time to realize when two grappling hooks attached themselves to the ground and as she looked in the direction from where the hooks came from, just for her gut to be kicked by the man who was reeled in by those hooks. The maiden was not given enough time to react when the hammer girl swung her hammer into her back with unadulterated rage. The winter maiden swoops in to incase evil maiden’s lower body in ice and the last thing the evil scourge saw was the knight she called weak, swinging his sword in full force, aiming for her neck.

There was no hint of hesitation. His armor was burned in some places and it melted in some places. The red sash he wore around his waist was scorched with heat. He had discarded his shield to use his free hand as an extra force. There was no anger in his eyes. The only thing that was left in them was indifference as he committed himself to that strike.

And just like that, the head was separated from the torso. Smooth like butter. It was quick. It was painless. The moon knew very well that the people who brought that fate on the evil maiden wanted her to suffer, but some victory is better than nothing. The knight stood there as the winter maiden burned the corpse for an extra measure. They were exhausted but they were glad. 

But their joy was short-lived as a loud noise caught the moon’s attention. The castle was crumbling. It was falling to pieces. From the exposed section, the moon could make out a few figures. The lady with the scythe was the only one standing facing against the ancient witch. Her teammates were on the ground, battered and bruised and the moon was not sure whether they were breathing or not. The boy who went with them was missing an arm but was still standing, albeit barely and he was using his predecessor’s cane as a support. The lady in red was bruised and bloodied and in her hand was what the moon recognized as the sword of destruction. 

The witch loomed over them with a pitiful smile on her face. The lady in red looks at the young man, who just nods at her. A grim expression grew on the red huntress’s face as she closed her eyes and from the tips of her eyelashes, the moon saw a silver light leaking out. The boy stumbles into position right in between the witch and the huntress, his cane charging up some sort of attack. 

The moon’s eyes widen as the sword of destruction starts to glow with a silver aura, keeping the witch at bay as the field of aura generated by the cane is sucked in by the sword, and in a blink of an eye, the light explodes, blinding everything in the battlefield.

The explosion was so powerful that every single Grimm that was nearby vanished without a trace. The Grimm which were farther away scurried away in fear, an emotion that was foreign to them. The castle was decimated by the said explosion and the moon knew that the odds of someone surviving that explosion were very low.

There were varying emotions and expressions among the forces as they saw the castle come down into dust. Some looked in awe at the destruction and some stood like a deer caught in headlights. Some were rejoicing and some let out a sigh of relief. But there was one group of people who were making a break towards the castle. The knight was in the lead, his exhaustion all up in smoke as he saw the keep crumbling down, closely followed by the winter maiden and his comrades with the man with unconventional bad luck in the back.

But it was never enough. The moon lamented. No matter how much effort they put in, it would never be enough, for the castle was so far away.

Hey guys, this is my first au for my favorite pairing. Please forgive me if its difficult to follow since English is my second language. I hope you enjoy it.

[actrixquadras]

Yoo this is fire 🔥

!!! Eye Strain Warning !!!

Stoplight siblings inspired by @birbyarts ‘s piece for the @rwbycouture zine from way back when

[actrixquadras]

Bittersweet ending? Oh... This is fine

First thing you see after you zoom in is how you die

How you dying 👀

[actrixquadras]

I have two AUs on my mind that I would like to start my work on if it weren't for my busy schedule.

One AU is nothing but vol 9, but the only difference is what if the speed of time in Ever After is the same as that on Remnant. This solely focuses on Team RWBY but there are some changes to the story

The second one is what I call Aftermath AU. It's kinda tragic and takes place after the war with Salem. In war only Jaune and Weiss survive but the catch is that Weiss is in vegetative state. So Jaune decides to take her back to his home town.

Hint: Jaune suffers in both the AU

[actrixquadras]

If Pyrrha is Gwen Stacy of Jaune's Peter Parker... Then who is Mary Jane?

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So I used DALL.E AI to create Izuku Midoriya in cyberpunk 2077 style. I’m totally hooked by the way he looks.

[actrixquadras]

Remember me, saying how Dr. Strange and Christine Palmer remind me of Jaune and Pyrrha and how I said that I might right a fic regarding this.

Well....

This is it...

I hope you enjoy this.

[actrixquadras]

Jaune and Pyrrha's relationship kinda reminds me of Dr. Strange and Christine Palmer.

They both love each other but they can't be together.

Now I just want a fic where Jaune says the same words that Dr. Strange said to Christine in DS:MOM.

Who knows... Maybe I will write it myself

[actrixquadras]

I present you my first novel, "Romulus : The Rise Of The Demon". If you are a user of wattpad please do read it and give me some feedback. Hope you enjoy it. 😁