Happy Friday, everyone! Today is the fourth and last chapter of this little fic. Here, there shall be Arkos! This was a fun idea to explore, and I'm glad you guys have enjoyed it.

On the day Pyrrha turned eighteen, she packed a bag with all of her important possessions and made her way to the Temple of Inari, where she would be living until she could afford something else.

Her parents had begged and pleaded with her to reconsider her decision to not enlist. When she remained adamant, her father responded by saying that she needed to leave on her eighteenth birthday. "An adult must support herself," he said firmly. "Maybe realizing that will make you think more about your future."

Pyrrha didn't bring up the fact that most people remained with their parents until they married, or that her parents had obviously planned to house her when she joined the army. She just went to Ozpin, asking if he had room for one more person. He accepted her gladly.

He couldn't pay her for the help she gave him at the temple, of course, so Pyrrha had to seek employment in town, eventually hiring on with the local woodcutter, who welcomed her strength and assistance in chopping trees into logs and carrying the heavy loads back to his shop. Every week, she filled a box under her bed with money. During her days off, she researched how much it would cost to buy a good horse, and what materials she would need for a life on the road.

No matter what, however, she made sure that she had time to spend with Nora and Ren, and time with Jaune.

On the day she first returned from her battle with the bandits, her beloved fox had remained curled up against her side, his body warming her bandaged wound. When she told him that she wouldn't be joining the army after all, he had licked her face with relief.

Over time, he started taking on his human form more often when Pyrrha visited. He showed off different outfits, most of which were women's kimonos or fancy dresses, and took her to the tanuki's territory for evening parties.

The tanuki, it turned out, could also shapeshift into humans, though they preferred a more humanoid version of their natural forms. They looked both comical and terrifying as they blundered about, giant raccoon dogs on two legs, juggling or drinking or eating with perfectly-formed hands.

"Do you have a half-human form like that?" Pyrrha once asked.

Jaune responded by standing up fluidly, his fur sprouting and his face turning vulpine while his upright stance and size didn't change. He laughed, showing off his sharp canines, at the stunned look on Pyrrha's face. "Yeah, I do," he said. "It's just not a form I take a lot. I mean, most humans in this time period would faint if they saw this."

Pyrrha let out a breathless laugh. "I can't imagine why."

After that, Jaune switched easily between his three forms, and was relieved to see that Pyrrha treated him the same regardless of which shape he took. Their relationship remained that of two devoted friends, even with the arrival of Pyrrha's adulthood.

It would be another two years before the shift toward romance occurred, when Pyrrha was twenty years old.

It was after a long day of work. Pyrrha had just cleaned herself and was sitting in the forest with Jaune in his human form, her hair damp as they sat together in a patch of sunlight. At one point, Jaune let out a yawn and lay down on his stomach. He rested his head on his folded arms, and his tail flicked back and forth lazily. Pyrrha's familiar scent filled him, along with that of the forest, and he was more than happy to just stay there forever, feeling the sun soaking into his skin.

Pyrrha looked down at him, noting with a smile how his current pose was almost identical to when he would rest next to her in his fox form, head on his crossed paws as she scratched his ears. Before she had a moment to think about it, her hand was already on his head, and she gently started combing her fingers through his hair.

Jaune sighed blissfully at the familiar touch to his head, and snuggled closer to Pyrrha's side, nuzzling against her leg. She stroked his hair gently, her fingertips occasionally skimming his cheeks. Slowly, her hand traveled to the base of his neck, which she massaged tenderly, then his back.

It was at that point when, out of habit, Jaune rolled onto his back so that Pyrrha could scratch his belly. Her hand ran up his abdomen and pressed against his chest where his kimono was starting to slip, and Jaune's eyes flew open as he abruptly remembered that he was in his human form, not his fox form.

He looked up at Pyrrha. The sunlight was shining on her fiery hair, and there was a dusting of pink on her cheeks. Her emerald eyes held a softness that was both like and unlike what Jaune was used to. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears. His tail was wagging uncontrollably, something that Pyrrha noticed with a quiet laugh.

Her laugh was like music, and just like that, Jaune knew that he was in love. Slowly, he shifted until his head was resting in Pyrrha's lap. He gave her a questioning look, which she answered with a smile. One of her hands remained on his chest while the other softly brushed his hair from his face, caressing his cheeks with the gentleness of a kiss.

Pyrrha watched as Jaune fell asleep under her touch, her heart warming at the peaceful expression that decorated his beautiful face. She glanced at his tail, which was still wagging a little in his sleep, and smiled.

It had honestly been inevitable, now that she thought about it. How could she fall in love with anyone else but the person who had been by her side from the beginning, who had understood her in a way no one else had, who had given her the courage to be herself and follow her own path?

Even if Jaune had never revealed his human form, Pyrrha had a distinct feeling that she would have never been satisfied with any other man. The connection they shared, the comfort, the trust… Something like that was an entirely different type of magic, something that was meant to last forever.

Carefully, she maneuvered herself and Jaune until she was lying next to him. She cuddled against him and fell asleep with silk on her cheek and the setting sun on her hair.

When she woke up, it was night and she was holding a sleeping fox in her arms. She smiled, nuzzling a kiss into his sweet-smelling fur. He stirred a little, letting out an adorable, sleepy whimper. He blinked at her with bleary golden-brown eyes as she sat up. He parted his jaws in a yawn and tilted his head up at her.

Pyrrha smiled. "I need to go. Ozpin's probably worried about me."

Jaune nodded. "Be careful at work." He put one paw on her leg and moved up enough to lick her cheek. He trotted off into the forest, pausing to smile over his shoulder once more at her before vanishing in the bushes.

After that, things were pretty straightforward. Jaune accepted these new feelings gladly, though he was aware of the responsibility he had concerning how he went about courting Pyrrha. He couldn't inadvertently glamour her with the small amount of magic he possessed, and he couldn't make her feel like she wasn't allowed to change her mind about her own feelings.

In the end, he decided that going the human route was the best option.

So, when Pyrrha sought him out again, he was sitting on a rock in his half-fox form with a guitar in his hands. He strummed a little as she approached, allowing his fox claws to act as picks.

"Have you always had this?" Pyrrha asked as she sat down next to him.

"I borrowed it from Granny, actually." Jaune noticed the glimmer in Pyrrha's eyes, and the way her mouth kept twitching, as if she was trying not to laugh. "I heard human males play music for the girls they like…" He hesitated. "Unless…wait. Is that something they do later on? Inari, I'm bad at this…"

Pyrrha did let out a chuckle then, leaning over to kiss Jaune's cheek. "I think it's sweet," she said honestly.

Relieved, Jaune started to play an old folk song he had heard when he was a cub. He was aware of Pyrrha watching his hands as they moved across the guitar. Her head came to a rest on his shoulder, and she closed her eyes with a content smile. When he was done, he carefully set the guitar down and grasped Pyrrha's hands in his, resting his head on top of hers. His tail wrapped around her waist and went across her lap.

Eventually, Pyrrha freed one of her hands to stroke the long, soft fur of Jaune's tail, carefully picking out the occasional burr or twig. She frequently had to stop, however, due to its uncontrollable wagging whenever she touched it. She glanced up at Jaune's face to see his ears folded back and a bashful grin on his muzzle. It was too adorable!

Over the course of autumn, Jaune developed a habit of stopping by Pyrrha's room in the middle of the night in his fox form. He would check on her, making sure she wasn't having any nightmares, and then place a small gift by her pillow for her to find in the morning. Mostly, these were flowers and blackberries.

The first night, he almost brought her a mouse. Thankfully, Mary had been in the area and informed him that no, humans generally don't like receiving dead animals when being courted. She was more than happy to help herself to the mouse, of course.

With the coming of winter, Jaune noticed during his nightly visits that Pyrrha used a large number of blankets.

"Doesn't your room have a furnace?" he asked one day.

"No, only a few of the main rooms do," Pyrrha explained. "It's fine, though. I've gotten used to it."

"Would it…help if I stayed?" Jaune asked his tail flicking nervously. "In my humanoid fox form, I mean. My fur would probably help a lot." When he noticed the way she wasn't quite meeting his eyes, he quickly added: "Just to sleep, obviously. We don't need to do anything else."

Pyrrha smiled, slowly looking up at him again. "I'd like that." A strange combination of excitement and disappointment filled her. A good part of her was disappointed that Jaune had clarified that they would just be sleeping, but another part was relieved. I'm not ready quite yet, she thought. Maybe soon, but not now.

That night, Jaune slipped into her room in his fox form, as always. This time, however, Pyrrha was awake and waiting for him. He transformed into his half-fox form, this time wearing only long cloth pants. He waited for her to move her blankets aside for him, then slipped in, opening his arms for her. He drew her close, his muzzle resting on her head, his tail wrapping snugly around her waist and traveling up her back.

The first thing Pyrrha noticed was just how thick and soft the fur on Jaune's chest was. She rested her head there gladly, inhaling the scent of grass and dew. The comforting press of his warm tail on her back lulled her to sleep quicker than anything.

The snow became thick, and Pyrrha spent most of her time working for the woodcutter. Eventually, it reached a point where the only time she saw Jaune was at night, when she would cuddle into his fur and sleep soundly until morning.

On some nights, when she hadn't worked quite as hard and wasn't overly tired, she found herself becoming a little playful with her beloved fox. When he pulled her close, she would run her fingers through the fur on his chest and belly while leaving soft kisses on his muzzle. Sometimes, she would nibble his pointy ears, and his giant tail would wag hard enough to fling her blankets across the room.

When spring came, the two became even closer. The warm weather and the scent of cherry blossoms filled their young souls with a desire that was very new to both of them.

It was Pyrrha who made the first move as she and Jaune sat under a tree together, Jaune playing his borrowed guitar. As he came to the end of the song, Pyrrha gently took the guitar and set it to the side before pressing her lips eagerly to his, her hands asking a silent question as they ghosted the territory between silk and flesh.

Jaune responded by tugging at the rough cloth of Pyrrha's work uniform, slipping a hand underneath and caressing her sun-warmed skin. After that, all either of them cared about was the softness of the moss and grass beneath them, the feel of silky fur against sensitive flesh, and the gentle passion of their joined lips.

They lay together in the aftermath, Jaune's kimono blanketed over them. Pyrrha shivered delightedly at the cool silk against her skin, and how it contrasted with Jaune's warm chest. She kissed his collarbone lazily, giggling as the tip of his tail tickled her side.

"Jaune?" she asked eventually.

"Hm?" Jaune nuzzled the side of her neck, kissing a few bite marks he had left there.

"Remember when I talked about traveling?"

"Of course." Jaune drew back to look at her. "Why? Did you find a horse?"

Pyrrha nodded. "In the next town. Also, I think I have enough for the other supplies I need. I can leave before spring ends, though I can be delayed a bit."

"Delayed?"

"To get supplies for you," she explained. "If…If you want to come with me, of course."

Jaune hesitated, glancing to the side before looking back at her. "You won't have to get supplies for me, Pyrrha, but…traveling with someone like me won't be easy."

"How so?"

"Well, we won't be able to go to any big cities, not unless they're near large forests. There are a lot of places that would kill me on sight, and I'm not exactly good at hiding unless I stay in my fox form." He glanced at his large tail.

"We don't have to go to any big cities," Pyrrha insisted. "I just want to see more of the world. I've always preferred the wilder places, anyway. We can go from forest to forest, visit other temples, and find places untouched by humans." Her eyes lit up with excitement as she talked about it. "We can meet other foxes and tanuki and spend time with them if we need more company. And we can always come back here. Nora and Ren will likely get married within the next year or so. I don't plan on missing that."

Jaune's tail started to wag, even as he tried to not get too hopeful. "That'll mean a lot of camping in the wild."

"I did plenty of that during my army training."

"We may get chased by spirit hunters."

"I'll protect you."

"I'm incredibly needy. I'll demand your attention pretty much all the time."

Pyrrha smirked, rolling over so that she was leaning over Jaune, her hair shrouding both of their faces. "My attention, along with the rest of me, is all yours."

Jaune pulled her into a rough, messy kiss, and they didn't talk much for the next half hour. When he did speak, Jaune murmured against Pyrrha's shoulder. "Well, I guess this is an offer I can't refuse."

"You can," Pyrrha corrected.

"Yeah, but I won't." He smiled at her, his tail swishing in the grass. "I love you, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha kissed his brow, combing her fingers through his hair, watching as his eyes immediately started drooping. "I love you too."

Near spring's end, Pyrrha said her farewells to Ozpin, Nora, Ren, and her parents, who surprised her by giving her several packages of traveling cakes. She left in the early morning with a spirited chestnut mare, who bore all of her possessions. As she left the border of the town, she thought she saw a large, white-furred face peering at her from the trees. When she turned to look, there was nothing.

After a moment, however, there was a rustling in the bushes followed by the arrival of eight foxes. Jaune's sisters were all nuzzling him, muttering goodbyes to him. The eldest trotted over to Pyrrha.

"Take care of my brother," she said. "Or I'll inflict you with a curse that'll make you wish you were dead."

"Don't say that to her!" Jaune snapped.

"You have my word," Pyrrha assured the Queen. "We'll be back to visit."

"We'll be waiting," the vixen replied, flicking her tail before turning to Jaune. "Have fun, brother!"

Just as suddenly as they appeared, the seven sisters vanished back into the brambles, leaving only Jaune.

He looked up at her, his eyes alight with excitement. "Ready to go?"

"I've been ready for years." The two started down the path, Pyrrha holding the reins of her horse, Jaune trotting easily beside her. After a few minutes, she noticed him stealing a few glances toward the mare. "Do you want to ride?"

"Yes!" Jaune said immediately.

Pyrrha chuckled, picking up the golden-yellow fox and setting him on the saddle, where he sat proudly, his tail arced regally. "What path?" she asked.

Jaune's muzzle stretched back in an easy grin. "Whichever one you choose!"

….

One Hundred Years Later

Watching over one's descendants was hard work. Jaune had long ago lost count of how many times his grandchildren would make some stupid financial decision, or one of his little great-grandchildren climbed a too-high tree or did something else that would probably get them killed if they didn't have a certain fox waiting in the bushes to cast a quick spell to soften their fall.

The children always had a good amount of sense, Jaune lamented as one of his great-granddaughters, a spirited child with dirty knees and a bright, eager smile, picked herself up after being washed ashore from the river. What happened?

His twin tails bristled, and his ears were flat. When he went by the town again, he'd have to make sure one of his grandsons hadn't drunk himself into a stupor over that girl who had rejected him last week.

Of course, all of his descendants weren't idiots. There were several scattered across many towns and cities. There were healers, fortune tellers, priests, and soldiers. Jaune often saw to them, particularly the soldiers. The last time he had been on the battlefield, he had noticed a boy with black hair and turquoise eyes who may have been descended from Ren and Nora.

It was hard to tell where he was anymore. The human town names all blurred together. Only the occasional child, grandchild, or great-grandchild who particularly stood out marked each place. Jaune wondered what he would do when his children and older grandchildren passed. Would he reveal himself to the younger generations, or would he withdraw to the forest, watching from afar?

As the little girl went home, Jaune lay down in the grass, his head on his paws, and breathed a long sigh. This was tiring work. Tiring, and lonely. Pyrrha would know how to deal with this…

Pyrrha had died at ninety-nine years, surrounded by her family. Jaune definitely remembered that particular town. He remembered spending many years wandering the forest surrounding it, lost, hesitant to go near his children who reminded him so much of their mother.

They all reminded him of her. Children, grandchildren, and further. That was why he couldn't stay away.

Jaune closed his eyes and didn't even notice when he had gone from wakefulness to sleep. He just got up and started walking. Then, he noticed a new path, one he didn't recognize, one that shimmered when he set his paws on it.

Realizing then that he was in a dream, Jaune trotted along the path, looking around, wondering whether this was a simple fantasy, or a vision that would mean something.

His answer came at the end of the path, where a large, mighty, nine-tailed fox sat. It turned its white head in Jaune's direction and bowed.

Jaune bowed back, deeply. "Mistress Inari," he greeted.

The fox nodded, then turned her head, peering into a large, still pool. Jaune padded over and looked as well.

What he saw made him gasp: In the pool, he could see an image of a forest, one far away from where he was. Walking through the trees was a three-tailed fox bearing a mouse in his jaws. He trotted to a den at the base of a large oak tree, offering the food to his mate.

The image shifted, and Jaune saw inside the den. The mother fox, a two-tailed beauty with cream-colored fur, was curled up next to her mate. Nestled against her side was a single cub, a cub with fiery-red fur. Jaune watched the cub's eyes open and, for a moment, saw a circle of emerald green around the pupil.

In that moment, he felt the first surge of true happiness he had felt since the growth of his second tail. He gazed up at Inari, who was smiling down at him. "Thank you, Mistress."

He looked back into the pool, committing the image of the cub to memory. He knew that he'd have to wait for several years before he could see her. She needed to grow up, have her own cubhood, and live her own life. Then, when her adult years began, she would start to remember. That was the way of things. Then, once she remembered Jaune, she would come looking for him.

Jaune could be patient. He could look to the future with confidence, now that he knew he would be seeing his love again one day.

When he woke up, his first amused thought was: I guess Pyrrha is going to be the Seeker Fox this time around.

His tails swished happily as he stood up, wholly ready to attend to his responsibilities as the patriarch of his family. The sun was on his fur, the wind was tickling his ears, and, somewhere far away, Pyrrha Nikos was beginning her life anew. All was right with the world.

"Thank you, Inari," Jaune whispered as he padded through the trees and toward the human town. "Thank you so much."

I was going to end it when Jaune and Pyrrha left but realized that I had to cover the fact that they do indeed get to spend an immortal life together. Jaune just has to wait a bit and play babysitter for his descendants in the meantime. Because, let's face it. Every family has a handful of people who would probably get themselves killed if they didn't have other people looking out for them. And I see Jaune and Pyrrha having a pretty big family, so yeah.

Stay tuned for Sunday, when I post the first chapter of my Freezerburn Dæmon/Soulmate AU fic. It's also the first day of Freezerburn Week, so you'll be getting a nice collection of oneshots after that.

If you like what you see and want to show some extra support while earning sweet rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.

Peace out!