A large Ursa stalked though the forest, attracted to a loud noise echoing through the trees. As it got closer, the sound stopped. The Ursa paused, confused. But then, something irresistibly sweet caught its nose: the unmistakable scent of honey. The Ursa followed the smell into a clearing. The honey was stored in a container located in front of a pile of chopped wood. The Ursa was immediately alarmed when it saw that an ax lay by the pile, but relaxed after realizing no one was wielding it. It took one step towards the honey. That's when a wolf leapt out right in front of it, growling furiously. The Ursa responded with a growl of its own. It had dealt with wildlife before, they were no threat. The Ursa prepared to attack, but never got the chance to make another move.
Jaune swiftly leaped from the tree branch he was crouched on and took off the Grimm's head with one clean stroke from his sword. He watched as the creature's body disintegrated before sheathing his weapon. He looked over at the wolf and grinned. "Good boy Ace! He never saw it coming." The wolf dropped his aggressive stance and sat upright, tilting his head slightly to the side, all signs of hostility gone. It let out a short high pitched howl. "Seriously?" Jaune spread his arms in exasperation. "I literally just gave you one." The wolf howled again. Jaune's shoulders sagged. "Alright fine, you win." He tossed the wolf a treat from his pocket, who caught it in midair and began demolishing it. "But that's it for today." Jaune finished, pointing a stern finger. He smiled.
The wolf was rescued by Jaune half a year ago when his mother had been killed by Grimm. Jaune had heard the commotion and was able to kill the beowulf before it could kill the cub. He was barely a few days old then, and Jaune had raised him up ever since. He named him Ace because the wolf's pointed ears reminded him of the letter 'A'.
Ace now lay comfortably on the ground as Jaune finished chopping his firewood. The sun was beginning to set. The young huntsman placed all of the wood into his backpack and slid it on his back. He picked up the jar of honey he had collected and placed the ax on the side of his utility belt opposite to his sword. "Let's go buddy." He called to Ace, who got up and trotted after him, tail wagging.
It took about half an hour for them to reach Jaune's home; a small cabin perched on a small hill in the center of a small clearing. Everything about Jaune's home was small. But it was also neat and clean. The cabin had four rooms. A kitchen, a living room, the bedroom, and the bathroom. Everything inside was well organized and fitted with hardwood floors. There was even a backyard for growing crops. Jaune opened the front door and Ace rushed in and jumped straight on to the couch.
Jaune placed his gathered wood into the fireplace and started a small fire. He headed into the kitchen and fixed a small dinner from the groceries he had bought earlier from the nearby village. The result was a savory beef stew. He filled two bowls and carried them into the living room. One bowl was placed on the floor for Ace and the other one he ate from himself. It was dark out by then and the fireplace dimly lit the room. The two companions enjoyed a quiet meal. Jaune did the dishes afterwards, put out the fire, and took a shower before crawling into bed. Ace leapt on and curled up next to him.
Jaune had both hands behind his head as he laid down on his pillow. It was hard to believe he had almost been living in Mistral for five years. It had been six years since Beacon had fallen. Six years since he had lost Pyrrha. He still thought about her all the time. When Pyrrha died, Jaune had been devastated. He didn't think it could get any worse. Luckily, he had the support of his family and friends to carry him through one of the lowest points of his life. Pyrrha's passing had inspired him and his friends to hunt for the truth. The journey brought him, Ruby, Nora, and Ren to Mistral, where they found the mastermind behind everything. A woman named Salem with power that knew no bounds. With help from Ruby's uncle, they were able to put up a good fight, but in the end, Salem managed to get the upper hand, despite the overwhelming numbers.
Just when it seemed like it was over, it was none other then Ruby who stepped up to the challenge. It turned out she had some godly powers of her own. The fifteen year old singled handedly took Salem out. Jaune remembered the brilliant flash of pure white light, and just like that, Salem was gone. But Ruby had used up too much energy. Her aura couldn't provide all of the power she needed so she had to tap in to her own life force. Jaune could still remember holding her in his arms as she murmured her dying words weakly to him. 'Please don't be sad Jaune. Everything will be ok now. Take care of everyone for me alright? And tell Yang that I'm sorry...'
Jaune shuddered at the memory, feelings from the past were rushing back at him. Ace picked his head up and whimpered softly. Jaune shook his head to clear his thoughts. "It's alright buddy." He soothed as he petted the wolf's head. But it hadn't been back then. Jaune had lost two of the closest people he had in his life within one year. Ruby was the first genuine friend he had ever made and Pyrrha was so much more. He was even getting teary eyed now just thinking about it. He quickly blinked the tears away. He shouldn't be feeling sad, he had already come to terms with everything five years ago. Admittedly, there had come a point where he didn't feel that living was worth it anymore. Then he realized how selfish and pathetic a thought that was. He wasn't the only one dealing with the loss. Ren and Nora had lost two friends, Weiss had lost her partner, Yang, her sister and Qrow, his niece. Pyrrha's family was also grieving. What right did he have to take the easy way out?
Besides, he also realized that there was no way that either Ruby or Pyrrha would have wanted everyone to be so sad. They were gone, true, but that didn't mean they didn't exist anymore. Jaune had decided on a fateful day five years ago that he would carry on their legacy through his life. He would make sure people could still feel their presence, and he wouldn't let anyone forget the kind of positive impact they had made in their lives. He would be the supporting shoulder to his friends and family, like Pyrrha was to hers. He would try his best to brighten everyone else's days around him, like Ruby always did so naturally. But most importantly, he would continue to protect the people around him and the world he lived in to the best of his abilities, like both Ruby and Pyrrha did so fearlessly.
That newfound motivation was what inspired him to finish out his education at Haven academy, where he had graduated a year ago. He had become a professional huntsman. The whole journey had been long, hard, and filled with pain, but it also brought on a ton of long-lasting friendships and many fond memories. And for the first time, he had found real purpose in life. Through purpose, Jaune had found his happiness again. He knew that Pyrrha and Ruby would always be with him in spirit, and no one would ever be able to take away the good times he had with them in their short stay together at Beacon.
Beacon. Sometimes Jaune couldn't help wishing he could go back in time and relive those days. So much had changed since then. The balance of power had shifted within the four kingdoms. Vale was probably the worst place to be on Remnant right now. The White Fang had taken over completely. All humans and faunus who opposed them were thrown out of the cities and left to fend for themselves. It was the same as being executed. The Grimm population in Vale was out of control. Without the protection provided by a city, it would only be a matter of time before the stragglers would be found by the Grimm. Put simply, if someone wasn't living in Vale as an ally or member of the White Fang, then they weren't living at all. The borders had been closed off, making travel to Vale impossible. Everything going in and out was strictly regulated by the White Fang.
Vacuo wasn't much better off. White Fang influence had also been on the rise in the desert kingdom. Soon after Vale fell, war broke out in Vacuo between the White Fang and those who stood against it. Vacuo was never a rich kingdom to begin with and the war took a heavy toll on its economy. The government didn't last long and the White Fang rose to power over there as well. Nowadays, the resistance force consisted of a number of rag-tag rebels operating through a network of villages outside the cities.
That left Atlas and Mistral as the last two kingdoms still in power. A new pair of CCT towers were constructed so the two kingdoms could communicate. In reaction to the uprising of the White Fang, Atlas had elected to seclude all faunus into various military internment camps throughout the kingdom, where they were kept under strict surveillance. At the same time, Atlas continued to upgrade their military and mass produce weapons and vehicles. The number of military academies had doubled and the size of the Atlesian army was at an all time high. The kingdom had essentially turned into one giant military base.
Mistral had also militarized their army, but not nearly as rapid. The Council of Mistral had focused more on making progressive movements for equality. The idea was that if equality could be achieved, then violence would be avoided. And for the most part it worked. Occasionally, there was the common crook, but most of the people, human and faunus alike, lived together in peace. The academies continued to train hunters, and with each new wave of new graduates, came a new wave of growth. But it wasn't without problems. Atlas had taken notice to Mistral's strategy and strongly disagreed, believing Mistral to be putting both of them into great danger. On the other hand, Mistral believed Atlas was sending the wrong message with the internment camps and advised them to close them down. An agreement over the faunus was never reached and the debate still continued between the two kingdoms. It also didn't help that two out of the nine members of Mistral's council were faunus either. As a result, there was a great deal of tension between the two nations.
Jaune sighed. What a mess. Things used to be so much simpler. But he knew there was no use in dwelling in the past. There was only the present moment. And it was up to him to make it better. Never stop moving forward. He thought to himself as he closed his eyes. Someone important had said that to him before, but he couldn't quite remember who it was. He fell into a deep sleep before he could figure it out.
A/N:
What it is homies, yaboi was feeling a little inspired after watching the finale, so this story was born. This chapter is basically meant to set the current state Remnant is in right now as well as provide a little background on Jaune and what happened over the six year gap. It will be explained more in depth as the story progresses. This was a new idea that just came to me so I thought I'd put it into tangible form lol.
Peace out,
KP6