AN: To those confused as to why/how Mehrunes Dagon was at the party without everything and everyone being on fire, that's because he's the Daedra of Change. Change can be good or bad, peaceful or turbulent, slow or instant. He embodies all of that, so I don't see him as evil, more chaotic neutral.

AN2: I'm wondering if, after this story is completed, if my readers would like to have another story that's about Jaune and his wife's adventures in Skyrim during the plot of the games. This fic is about the Remnant people finding Jaune after what's only been a couple years for them and seeing how drastically he's changed, seeing his power with little context as to what transpired. Would you all prefer it that way and only have comments here and there about the past to fill in blanks or a full-on prequel once this is completed?

Forged in Dragon's Fire

Chapter 4

-Ruby-

Groaning, Ruby sat up from the bed she was in, Jaune and Sylgja having shown their group to a guest house in their compound, even if most of the party goers suggested someone as uncultured, rude, and boorish as Weiss should sleep in the stables till she learned manners. Weiss had been less than amused but thanks to Professor Goodwitch literally holding the albino girls' mouth shut with her semblance things weren't made worse. Hearing a loud thud from outside, Ruby remembered why she had just woken up and rushed over to the window to see Jaune and his wife training with some of their friends, most everyone having stayed the night in one of the various buildings.

Sylgja was as graceful as a dancer, dual wielding her axes as she moved and dodged around the groups from Riften who were wearing black leather armor and the four people that she had been told used to be assassins but were now bodyguards for the King. Even though she was fighting ten different people they weren't managing to land a hit on her as she oved, axes a blur as she dodged, ducked, and parried, lashing out as she took them down one by one.

Jaune was a tank, no other word for it. She saw her friend fighting the warriors from the companions, the mages that came from the college, and several other fighters and while he was being hit constantly her old friend just kept shrugging it off, his aura never shattering. In one hand she saw her friend had a large shield while the other was one handing a greatsword of all things. The shield and his armor seemed to be made out of some sort of bone while the sword looked like it was hewn from ice itself.

"So cooooool!" Ruby squeed starry eyed as she watched her old and new friend train.

"Did my baby sis make a pun?!" an excited Yang glomped her from behind, the rest of her team having apparently been woken up by the training just as she was.

"Yaaaaaang." Ruby groaned as she worked to get her sister off of her.

"And you should be careful watching Wonder Boy train," Yang grinned, having thankfully gotten the hint that Jaune really didn't like the nickname 'vomit boy' and given that he could apparently bitch slap them into the stratosphere given what happened to the giant it was best not to push his buttons too much "wouldn't want you getting penis envy over his icicle…again."

"Xiao-Long!" Weiss all but screamed in indignant outrage, "That is grossly inappropriate!"

"Your point?" Yang chuckled while Ruby shook her head and turned towards Blake, "And what were you arguing with that a…Argonian?" she paused, trying to remember the term, "The lizard man, what were you arguing about with him last night?"

"…His people as well as the Khajiit and the elves are treated in Skyrim much like the Faunus are in Remnant." Blake crossed her arms and looked away, a sure sign that she was either uncomfortable, had a lot on her mind, didn't want to talk, or a combination there of "I asked him why he was so willing to just accept it, why none of those there seemed bothered by it, nor the Khajiit caravans we came across."

"Yeah, I was wondering that too." Yang looked over from where she was fending off an angry heiress, "So what mean green say?"

"That the best revenge was living well." Blake shook her head, "That he didn't care what the rest of the world thought as he had his friends, he had a good position, and he was making a good living. He said he and his friends intended to change the world by example and even if that doesn't work, why should he bother getting angry at people not liking him when he doesn't even know them? Many of the local Jarls are improving things somewhat in the worse holds but to those like Veezara they care more about just living their best life than raging against the world for not being fair."

"That and most of my kind think the Nords are just 'slow' for wanting to live in a place this cold." A new voice spoke up from the door as the group all jumped startled, finally seeing the blue Khajiit Inigo standing there, "Breakfast will be soon if you are going to join us." Without even another passing glance, Inigo went down the hall to wake up everyone else. At the notion of Food, Yang promptly dropped Weiss to the ground and hurried out of the building and towards the tables that were still set up. Getting to the tables as well, Ruby found Pyrrah, Ren, and Nora playing with Jaune's kids, the trio of children having happily taken to their namesakes much to the join of the remnants of JNPR.

"Morning guys." Ruby yawned as she sat down beside Pyrrah, "Sleep well?"

"Yep!" Nora smiled happily while tiny Nora cheered, "Jaune-Jaune's house is awesome!"

"Indeed." Ren smiled, genuinely happy in a way Ruby hadn't seen him be in public for quite some time "He and Sylgja even agreed to team me some magic later to see if I can do it."

"I'm working with a buddy of theirs, Mister Sheogorath." Nora grinned and struck a pose, "I'm going to be one of the champions of the god of madness!"

"…We're doomed." Ruby sighed, "Pass the butter please?" the buttery roll was only made more satisfying by Nora pouting at the lack of reaction. Looking about, Ruby saw Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch exiting the house and joining them while Uncle Qrow came out of another building along with the woman he had been talking too last night, their current state indicating things about her uncle she could do without details on.

"Alright," hearing Jaune's voice, she turned to see he and Sylgja had finished training and were now sitting down with the rest of the remnant group at the table, "everyone will be trickling away throughout the day to go home. When do you want to talk about whatever it is you came her for?"

"You're needed back in Remnant." Ozpin said instantly, the man gazing seriously over his glasses.

"You already said that, I would prefer some details." Jaune snorted, not in the least bit phased by the Headmaster's intense gaze.

"The Grim Dragons." Pyrrah shuddered as she remembered fighting the beasts and their hordes, "They create Grim just by existing, the monsters forming from liquid that drips off these things like sweat. And even when we've killed the dragons, they just reform themselves and we can't figure out how to stop them."

"I'm surprised I didn't hear about anything like that before I left." Jaune gave them all a surprised blink as he began eating, "I figured something like that wouldn't just appear overnight."

"They were sealed away long ago." Ozpin shook his head, "But Vale was attacked, Beacon fell, and we all barely got away with our lives as we sought out a way to destroy these monstrosities for good."

"Who attacked Beacon and why come to find me?" Jaune raised an eyebrow "How did you even know where I was?"

"The relic of Knowledge!" Nora grinned happily, "It makes a pretty naked blue lady who can answer any question you want!"

"Sadly, there are only three questions available per century." Ren added on, likely sharing more than Ozpin wished given his brief look of annoyance.

"Bring out this relic." Jaune ordered seriously, eyes showing he had an idea of some sort.

"I don't believe that to be-" Ozpin began only for Jaune to cut him off with a hard look.

"You've come to me for my help. You expect me and my wife to go back with you. By the Nine either you take this seriously or I will simply take those I care about from Remnant and keep them here while you fix your own damn mess."

"The questions are used up anyway." Ozpin grumbled, pulling out the lantern as Jinn emerged, just as nude as Ruby remembered althought she was impressed Jaune managed to keep from looking bellow the entities eyes.

"I have three questions for you Jinn." Jaune spoke up, "First, I want to know why my wife and or I are needed to deal with these Grimm Dragons. Second, I want to know what all Ozpin is hiding from me about this situation. Third, I want to know how to fully take down the Aldmeri Dominion."

"I told you, her questions are already-" Ozpin began before Jinn nodded to Jaune.

"Time moves differently between the worlds, your questions may be answered." She nodded as Ozpin gaped at this development, "To begin with, the Grimm Dragons are not natural Grimm. They were created by Salem through her experiments, taking human and Faunus and combining them with the essence of Grimm to form these regenerative behemoths that are the only Grimm to exist with a soul."

"Salem?" Ruby muttered to herself, wondering if that was who was helping Cinder with her plots. Uncle Qrow and the professors had hinted there was someone like that, but the Headmaster had been insistently silent on any details, she still didn't even fully understand what the relic itself was, just what it did.

"Be silent Jinn!" Ozpin snapped, trying to command the entity not to answer the next question.

"As for what he is hiding? Well that is indeed a story." Jinn seemed quite pleased with herself as her eyes glowed before everything around Ruby went white. Then she saw it all, the history of Ozpin, of this 'Salem' woman, of magic, and gods, and relics. She saw it all and couldn't find anyone who was right. The gods were callous and cruel and murderous. Salem went too far in wanting revenge against the gods. And Ozpin showed even back then he didn't care what others thought or for talking, him trying to just walk out on Salem in the night with their children likely being a major factor in how she treated the world today. The Kingdoms were formed thanks to Ozpin's past lives, the academies were formed by him. The relics, the things Salem wanted, likely to remove her own curse, were held in the hearts of the most populated places on Remnant which just made the civilians targets or obstacles.

Eventually, the white void receded as Ruby found herself back at Jaune's table, Jaune and Sylgja shaking themselves a moment later, likely getting the answer to the third question they had asked. Hearing a loud and painful impact, Ruby turned to see Uncle Qrow, eyes blazing with rage, having punched Ozpin hard enough to ragdoll the man and send him flying.

"Pathetic." Jaune scowled down at Ozpin who looked to be struggling to process Qrow having punched him. After a moment to quietly speak with his wife, Jaune turned back towards Uncle Qrow and Professor Goodwitch "We'll come back and help deal with this issue."

"Why?" Ruby heard the question be asked and after a moment realized she was the one to voice it, "Why even bother? After…after all that?!" she pointed at Ozpin.

"A few reasons Rubes." Jaune snorted as he went back to eating his breakfast, "The first is that I still have people I care about there. My Sister, her wife, and their little boy for one. Second, is that there are millions of innocents in Remnant who don't deserve to die because this bastard is an imbecile. And third," Jaune laughed as his wife threw an arm around his shoulders, "We're adventurers! Fights and battles are in our blood and it's been awhile since we did anything big like this! It'll be a nice little warmup before we return home to destroy the Aldmeri Dominion to keep them from fucking up Tamriel any more than they already have."

"So, you'll help us kill the dragons?" Professor Goodwitch asked again, seemingly having a hard time believing it.

"We'll kill them, might even kill Salem, the gods, and this piece of shit if he doesn't get his act together." Sylgja ate an apple calmly, as if she hadn't just made an incredibly bold statement.

"But…Salem can't be killed." Blake frowned, the raven haired faunus' ears having drooped ever since the vision ended.

"Not with that attitude she can't." Jaune grinned.

"Trust my husband, we have our ways." Sylgja added, both of them showing not an ounce of doubt. Seeing that, Ruby started to feel her own confidence return. They had her friend back, they had a plan, and now they knew more than they ever had before and would be returning to Remnant. What she didn't know, was that some things from Skyrim had already slipped through to her home, and more changes than she expected would soon come to pass.