For the last time… AWOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUTHAFUCKAAAAAAS! Here we are at last. The epilogue to my longest project. It's done. It's complete. I can honestly say that I didn't picture it being this long when I first started typing. I honestly thought I'd get twenty chapters at most out of this idea, but it just took off. I couldn't have done it without you guys.

Enjoy the grand finale of "Once in a Shattered Moon."

It was midday, and Pyrrha was kneeling by a groaning pile of blankets, gently shaking it. "Helena," she urged. "Wake up. It's time for school."

The blanket pile growled.

"Helena." Pyrrha's voice became sterner. "You don't want to be late for your first day, do you?"

"Do I have to?" a muffled, grumbling voice replied.

"Yes. It's the beginning of your second spring. That means you have to start going to school."

The pile sat up until the blankets slid away, revealing a pouting red-haired girl with squinting blue eyes. "It's not fair. Mei gets to wait six more years before going."

"That's because Mei is a human, and ages slower," Pyrrha said patiently. "Now, get up. Your father's going to walk you down. Remember, it's Luna and Perry's first day too. Are you really going to let them go without you?"

Helena considered, this, then sighed, starting to rummage through the den for her tunic and pants. "I guess not. Someone needs to keep them safe from bullies."

"If anyone does bully you, you may fight back, but remember not to bite them," Pyrrha warned.

"I know, I know." Helena rolled her eyes. "You only tell me a thousand times a day."

"Only because it's important." Pyrrha waited until Helena was dressed before pulling her into a hug. "Have fun today."

Helena hugged her back. "Can we go hunting tonight?"

"If you behave today, certainly," Pyrrha promised. "Now, get some breakfast before you leave. You can't learn on an empty stomach."

The two exited the den, at which point Helena hurried toward the fire pit to have some of the leftover deer from the previous night. Already at the pit were two pups her age, and another who looked to be an adolescent, but was really only a year older. The older child was Opal, Flynt and Neon's daughter, who had twitching cat ears, ginger hair, and her father's dark eyes. She was teasing her little brother Perry, a boy who resembled his father completely except for his green eyes and furry black tail. Luna, a golden-eyed Faunus with a prehensile lizard tail, had a calm, contemplative expression that made her almost the spitting image of Blake.

Jaune was already awake and gnawing on a leg bone. He stood up when he saw Pyrrha, pausing to ruffle Helena's hair before walking over, pulling his mate into a kiss. "Big day, huh?"

"I'm just glad I convinced her to wake up without using the alpha stare," Pyrrha chuckled. It was a joke, of course. Neither she nor Jaune would ever use their alpha stares on the children.

"She'll be fine once she's there and realizes that she won't be boxed inside all day," Jaune pointed out. "Blake and Ren will make sure they get plenty of time outside."

At that moment, Sun swung down from a nearby tree. "Luna! Time to go! Your mother'll kill me if I don't get you there on time!"

"No, she won't," Luna said calmly, finishing her meat and carefully burying the bones before standing up. "Besides, Mom teaches the older students. Uncle Ren handles the ones our age, right?"

"Doesn't mean she won't want you to be on time," Sun pointed out. "Hey, Flynt! Let's get going!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Flynt emerged from his and Neon's den, holding a brass trumpet in his hands. "Sorry. I have a lesson this afternoon, and wasn't sure where the case ended up." He paused to kiss Neon goodbye before walking over. "Opal, Perry, are you ready?"

"Yeah!" Opal said with an eager grin.

"Uh…" Perry muttered.

"You'll do fine," Flynt assured him. "And all your friends will be there. Let's go."

The three fathers led their children from the denning area, through the forest, and into town. Jaune paused at the entrance to the forest, bowing his head to the marble shrine to the Moon Goddess, who appeared as a howling wolf. "Good morning, Fennec," he called.

Fennec, wearing the red robes that had been made the official uniform of a werewolf priest, turned around with a smile. "Good morning, Jaune. Will you be coming to tonight's service?"

"Not tonight. Pyrrha and I are taking Helena on a family hunt after school."

"Have fun!" Fennec returned to the shrine, lighting some sandalwood incense and kneeling in the grass, mumbling a quiet prayer. A few werewolves and a scattering of humans and Faunus who were interested in Moon worship sat in different parts of the small, cleared area.

They passed Ren and Nora's house, where Nora was playing outside with her daughter Mei, who was just learning how to walk. The baby's turquoise eyes were scrunched with concentration as she took another wobbly step.

Helena grinned, running over and scooping up the baby. "I gotcha!"

Mei squealed with delight, waving her hands in the air.

Nora laughed. "Hi, everyone! Getting ready to cause a bunch of trouble for poor Ren?"

"I'd never cause trouble for Uncle Ren!" Helena gasped, scandalized. "He's my godfather, after all!" She handed a protesting Mei over. "Sorry, Mei. You're not old enough for school yet."

Luna looked up at Sun. "Dad, will I be able to read on my own for a little while? I saw a really good book in the library yesterday."

Sun smiled, using the tip of his tail to push some of his daughter's hair back. "I'm sure there will be free reading time. If not, I'll bet Weiss won't mind you taking a book home. You always take good care of them."

Perry's eyes were scrunched shut with concentration as he tried to sense how many students were at the old Schnee manor. He couldn't detect an exact number, but sensed something that made him gasp. "Trader Roman is here!"

"What?!" Helena squeaked.

Immediately, the three children were rushing down the street, calling goodbyes to Nora over their shoulders. They let out simultaneous cries of joy when they saw Roman's cart in the center of town, several kids already crowded around. Some were petting Lupin while others oohed and ahed over the goodies from other towns.

Luna saw a familiar, gold-haired figure stepping out of the cart. "Aunt Yang!" She rushed over, throwing herself at Yang, who easily picked her up.

"Is this Luna?" Yang gasped. "Maidens, kid! You need to stop growing!"

"I can't do that," Luna giggled, wrapping her tail around Yang's middle as she clung to her shoulders. "I'm starting school today."

"Nice! Tell your mom to come find me later. We need to get caught up."

Neo peeked out of the cart. "Speaking of school, shouldn't we be sending these children there now, Roman?" she asked, glaring pointedly at the trader, who was handing out free chocolate samples. "And maybe not fill them with sugar?"

Roman grinned innocently. "It'll keep them awake. Okay, kiddies. You heard the spoilsport. Off to school. I'll be here for a few weeks, so don't worry."

Helena quickly pocketed an extra chocolate as Jaune steered her away. "Hey, Dad?" she asked.

"Yes, Helena?"

"When Roman leaves, can I ride on his cart and see the other towns?"

Jaune chuckled. "That's a long journey for someone your age."

"I can handle it!" the pup insisted.

"Tell you what? If you behave all season, I'll take you on a trip to Burgundy in the summer. We'll visit the marketplace, the shops, and the church with the stained-glass windows I told you about. In another year, we'll see about taking a trip to Obsidian, so you can meet Ilia's pack."

Helena considered it for a second, then nodded. "Okay, but do I have to behave all season? That's a long time, and you know how much trouble Perry gets us into."

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure it's Perry that causes the trouble," Jaune snickered, ruffling her hair. "Get going."

Helena hugged her father before following her friends into the former Schnee mansion, where a tired but happy Ren and Blake welcomed them to their first day.

Jaune waved to his friends, then started back down the street. As he walked, he took a moment to take everything in. The town and forest had truly become an integrated community, with several open spaces in Vale for the wolves to run, outdoor stands, and combined religious ceremonies by both Winter and Fennec. In the forest, several small huts had been set up, where people were free to learn more about tracking and even cultivate small patches of wild berries and roots. The deer herds were finally at a stable population, meaning that no one would starve. The Faunus District was gone, replaced by a fully-integrated outer part of the town.

A quick talk with Roman revealed that Ilia's pack had grown even more over the course of the last year. There had been a minor scuffle, during which an alpha from the south tried to take control from Ilia, but he was quickly driven out, eventually forming a pack that was existing peacefully alongside Roan Town.

"What about Barty?" Jaune wondered.

"Oh, he's settling in Vermillion for the time being," Roman explained. "He's compiling all his notes from the past few years, and is finally going to make that book of his into a cohesive whole. I'll be selling advance copies, if you're interested."

"Shouldn't we get free copies, since the story's literally about us?"

"How about a discount?"

Jaune snorted. "Qrow's not kidding. You really do fleece people."

"Speaking of Qrow, I really need to buy that rascal a drink," Roman mused.

Yang and Neo finished organizing the stock before approaching Jaune. "Are you going back to the forest?" Yang asked.

Jaune smirked. "Well, my daughter is at school, and it is spring, and Pyrrha is back at the denning area, so…" It had taken a while, but Pyrrha's werewolfy bluntness and lack of shame had finally rubbed off on him.

"Say no more, my friend!" Yang winked. "We'll walk you back. Hopefully Ruby and Weiss aren't too busy acting cute to spend time with us."

"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about," Jaune assured her.

They walked back through town and into the forest. Yang paused to admire the huts that sat just within the trees. "You know, I could live in one of these."

"Could you?" Neo asked, slipping her hand into her lover's with a smile.

Yang grinned easily. "Absolutely. Once we're sure Roman can survive without us, of course."

"Not sure that'll ever happen," Neo muttered, rolling her eyes.

They reached the denning area, and Jaune called out: "Hey, everyone! We have visitors! Someone get Ruby and Weiss!"

Seconds later, Ruby burst out of her den and leaped into her sister's arms. "Yang! You're back!" She laughed as Yang twirled her around, then groaned when she felt the familiar sensation of her ribs being crushed.

Pyrrha emerged from her den, her eyes alight with joy. "Yang! Neo! What a lovely surprise. I hope you had an easy time traveling here."

"Too easy," Yang grumbled. "The Grimm don't even come near us anymore. It's almost boring."

"It just means that your success as a bodyguard is unparalleled," Weiss pointed out, giving both Yang and Neo a light, non-bone-crushing hug. "I hope you'll be staying for dinner."

"Wouldn't miss it! No one cooks venison like a werewolf."

"There will be several hunts tonight," Pyrrha assured them. "So, you won't go hungry." She noticed Jaune giving her a hopeful smile and glancing toward their den. "Make yourselves at home in the meantime." She followed Jaune into their den, where they sat down on their shared bed, glad of the momentary quiet.

"How did she seem when you dropped her off?"

"Just fine," Jaune assured her. "Also, Silvia will be in her class, so that'll help even more. You know how protective my sisters are of her."

"Oh, I know," Pyrrha chuckled. "They rival only Nora in that."

"We should have dinner with her, Ren, and Mei later this week."

"We really should." Pyrrha snuggled against Jaune's front with a happy sigh. It was spring, and both of them were certainly feeling the effects of the season, but they were in no rush. Just then, all they wanted was to enjoy this moment of peace.

Eventually, however, after several minutes of cuddling, Jaune spoke up. "So, Pyrrha… I was thinking." He brushed his lips against her ear. "What do you think of giving Helena a little brother or sister?"

Pyrrha pressed her lips eagerly to Jaune's, drawing back just enough to speak. "That sounds grand."

Jaune grinned, taking in his mate's emerald eyes and loving smile. His hands traced her scarred back, reminding him yet again of just how much they had all gone through to get to this point.

Pyrrha noticed the slight shift in Jaune's expression and touched his weathered, flushed cheek with all the softness of the new, fresh grass that shined greenly in the spring sunlight. "I love you," she breathed.

Jaune leaned into her palm, closing his eyes as he savored the familiar, warm, rough press of her hand, his expression melting into a blissful smile. "I love you too."

They were happy, and they knew that they deserved to enjoy every single moment they were given.

….

"Okay, everyone!" Ren lightly tapped a wooden pointer on the desk. His classroom was in what used to be the Schnee family's dining hall, which now held several small tables, chairs, and shelves filled with books. The windows were open, letting in a sweet-scented breeze. "Settle down."

Obediently, the children found seats. Helena sat with Perry, Luna, and Silvia, who kept shushing everyone around her, reminding them that they had to listen to her since she was their aunt.

"Oh yeah?" Helena muttered. "I'll be bigger than you next year!"

"I'm still your aunt!"

"Quiet, please," Ren urged gently.

The children obeyed. Most of them figured that it would be relatively easy to talk over Ren, but none of them wanted to risk hurting the kind Huntsman's feelings. So, they folded their hands and stared attentively, even though more than a few fidgeted.

Ren smiled. "Very good. I would like to welcome all children and pups to the Vale School. Can anyone here tell me why this school was made?" He smiled when one student raised her hand immediately. "Yes, Luna?"

"It was made so that humans, Faunus, and werewolves can learn together so that they can live in peace forever!" Luna answered dutifully.

"Correct! Because of this, we will be having several different kinds of lessons during our time here. With help from the other adults in town and the forest, we'll teach you the histories of the pack and of Vale. We'll show you how to hunt like a werewolf, and like a Huntsman. You'll learn to defend yourself against Grimm. For those of you who can't read yet, we'll teach you how. Later on, we may even take trips to the other towns."

This elicited several murmurs of excitement.

"Since this is your first day, we'll go easy. We'll have a few hours of class, some outside time, then some quiet reading at the end of the day. How does that sound?"

Everyone murmured their assent, especially Luna, who was very happy to hear about the quiet reading.

"For class today," Ren continued. "I think it is important to tell you all a story. This is the story of how Vale came to be the way it is today. How many of you are familiar with the story I'm talking about?"

Everyone raised their hands. "It all started with my parents!" Helena declared proudly.

"There was an omega who I'm named after!" Perry chirped. "He saved Leader Pyrrha's life!"

"My mom escaped an evil, crazy wolf with bloody fur!" Luna added.

"There was a huge Grimm battle. I was there!" Silvia said, waving her hand eagerly.

Ren held up his hands for silence. "I figured you all knew of the story. It's time, however, that you heard it from beginning to end. It's a very important story that needs to be passed down, so that those who come after us don't make the same mistakes our ancestors did. That, after all, is one of the most important points of studying history."

He sat down at his desk and took a deep breath. "It all started many years ago, before any of you were born, when a young boy found a werewolf pup stuck in a thorn bush."

*falls over dead* Holy crap, I did it! I can't believe I did it!

Once again, I gotta thank all of you for supporting this fic, especially through my long hiatus. And don't worry about your Fridays getting boring! I have several ideas for oneshots and shorter chapter fics that I had to put off due to updating both this and "Wings of Dust." Now, you'll get to see more of a variety from me. This coming Friday will be a nice chunk of Black Sun fluff, so stay tuned.

If you like what you see and want to join an awesome fan community while earning sweet rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.

Thank you, and peace out!