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Chapter Text

Epilog to Volume 5 , Episode 13

After Yang made her way into the elevator to follow her mom and Cinder into the vault of the spring maiden Jaune took stock of his surroundings. Hazel was still a threat, but Weiss with her replenished powers seemed to be holding him in check. It seems that after he had fought Oscar and Qrow his power reserves were lessening. Rwby and Norah were still standing and were once again engaging Mercury and Emrald. That left Ren, Oscar and Qrow down for the count. Meanwhile outside the white fang was most likely creating havoc but, Jaune thought to himself, it is better to worry about one problem at a time. Instinctively he got up and moved over to where Qrow was crouching on the floor, struggling to summen his powers to undoubtedly rejoin the fight.

Jaune approached the older man, kneeling next to him to share his aura. Qrow, who should by all accounts have been unconscious already, given the abuse he had been faced with in this fight, by constantly jumping in between Hazel and Oscar to take the hits, unexpectedly grabbed Jaune's arm roughly. "Save it kid, I'm ok, don't waste your energy on me."

Jaune very gently shook off the offending arm and instead lightly touched Qrows shoulder to push him into a lying position on his back. "Please Qrow, I know how many hits you took. By God, I don't even know how you are conscious at this point, but I beg you, let me help you get your strength back."

As the healing aura from Jaune started effecting Qrow, he again grabed Jaunes hand in a effort to stop him. "Jaune, was it? Please, I really appreciate the gesture, but aura is your most precious possession and should not be dished out to people lightly. I will be ok, just give me a minute and I will be back on my feet."

As he said it, Qrow was attempting to push himself into a sitting position but Jaune was having none of it. He again pushed him back down but stayed just as gentle with his words. With a very heartfelt voice he said "Please, listen to me Qrow, yes, my aura is precious, but so is my life." He said his next words with a deep sense of urgency and sincerity. "And so is Ruby's, Norah's and Ren's. All lives that you've saved whilst almost loosing your own in your fight with Tyrian." As Jaune was speaking, emotions started crowding into his voice and moisture into his eyes. The events of the day really started getting to him. "And today you were again and again taking hits from Hazel and Leo all in an attempt to again save someone else. While I am sure everyone appreciates your actions, you need to let someone else take a hit for you once in a while. I'm sorry, but I will be sharing my aura with you because I can feel that you really need it, no matter what you are saying."

With that said, Jaune once again focused his thoughts on strengthening Qrow's aura. The older man didn't seem to know how drained he really was, otherwise he may have put up more of a fight. Instead he let the words sink in, lie back and close his eyes. The process felt very endearing, like being enveloped in a warm embrace of light and strength flooding his system. It felt relaxing and comfortable and it felt loving. In this moment Qrow understood the depth of this kid's semblance, it was triggered by love. He seemed to be carrying love for everyone around him. So much so, that he was able to use it to strengthen not just their aura but their very soul. It felt healing. Something Qrow hadn't felt in a very long time. Like a cooling agent was soothing the burning pain in his soul. All Qrow could think was how grateful he was that Ruby and Yang had a friend like that watching their backs.

Jaune realized that healing this man was quite different from Weiss. She had been more deeply wounded physically while Qrow was more hurt emotionally. It wasn't something he could pinpoint onto a certain reason but it did feel like he had opened up a vault of sadness within him that was now washing over him. It was nothing though compared to the light that was in Jaune's heart as he was focusing his healing energy to Qrow's aura. The process took way less time than healing Weiss, but it somehow felt more straining to Jaune than before.

Qrow could sense the kids struggle and decided enough was enough. He inhaled deeply and with his renewed strength finally was able to sit up without pain. Jaune noticed the change in pace and ceased his actions. Sitting in front of the now healed Qrow Jaune felt an understanding for him more deeply than he ever had before. Before he was able to say anything however Qrow had already gotten up and reach a hand down to pull Jaune to his feet. After a beat of silence the older man spoke with a deep sincerity in his voice.

"Thank you Jaune, for that. I really appreciate it. But I need you to never do that again, ok kid? You have an amazing gift but you have to be frugal with it. Leaving yourself unprotected like that is extremely dangerous, especially in this kind of environment." He looked around to the others who were all in varied states of exhausted, while some still engaged in battle, though all in all the situation seemed contained.

"Use this gift wisely, and use it on them." Qrow continued and pointed instinctively to his nieces but meant the whole team. "But also never forget that you don't have an unlimited supply. If you overextend yourself with this, you will die."

Before Jaune could even answer, Qrow had already picked up his sword and was racing again toward the battle to protect those he felt needed him.

Jaune could only look on in awe as he was processing what he has been made privy to. Whatever horrors their protector had faced in his life, it left him scarred yet unyielding in the face of danger and determined to protect those he could, with his life if need be. It was in that moment that Jaune knew this man's love for everyone was even greater than his own and they could count themselves lucky to have him on their side.
With a last grateful look and a renewed determination to protect those around him, Jaune grabbed his sword and also stormed into battle.

Chapter Text

Epilog to Volume 5, Episode 14

Chapter 2

As Qrow saw Oscar blacking out he realized his old friend had overextended himself and the kid to the extreme. He knew his mentor was determined to finish this war once and for all but sometimes he feared the old man was taking things way too far for himself. As Qrow took a look around the room he realized it had been a close call for all of them. If the Faunes hadn’t shown up when they did or that Jaune kid hadn’t unlocked his semblance, well, things would probably look a lot different now. Qrow couldn’t help but wonder what happened to Cinder and his sister, but the relief he felt in his heart upon seeing his little firecracker stand there with the relic was almost overwhelming. All else was secondary, as long as his nieces are alive and well all else could be figured out.

As Qrow got up to assess their situation more he saw that the kids all seemed ready to pass out. Before he could point that out to anyone in came a few officers of the Mistral police force. Upon seeing the students in their miserable condition one of them spoke up: “Does anyone here require medical attention?”

Qrow was happy to see that he wouldn’t have to cart those kids off someplace by himself. He quickly responded. “Yes, officer, I would say all of the students here need your help, particularly this one.” He nodded gravely toward Oscar. The officer to his credit quickly reacted, calling for medical backup on his scroll. After assuring that the medical team was on its way he asked “May I ask where you all are from? Are these students from this academy?”

Qrow shook his head and replied “No, they are from Beacon actually. We got invited tonight by the headmaster under false pretenses. It turns out Professor Lionheart had lured the students and me into a trap that was planned by the white fang to undoubtedly get rid of us and this academy all at once. A plan that thankfully failed.”

That was all the explanation the Mistral officer seemed to need. His eyes grew wide as he realized that the Beacon students had risked their lives to ensure the protection of Haven Academy. A favor the people of Mistral weren’t able to grant to the poor people of Vale back during that horrible attack they had to endure.

“Yes, thankfully that plan didn’t succeed.” The officer finally said. “The people of Mistral owe you and your students a debt of gratitude sir. I will personally make sure that everyone here will receive all the care they require.”

Qrow just nodded in answer to that, being a bit too worn out to come up with anything more to say. The officer started getting busy coordinating the clean-up crew.

Qrow saw Jaune, Ren, and Nora finally having succumbed to their exhaustion and sitting on the floor not too far away from the exhausted but overjoyed team Rwby. He saw the kid sending some of his aura toward his two team members next to him, which Qrow felt to be alarming. Upon seeing Qrow look at them Jaune got up slowly and moved over to where Oscar lay motionless on the ground. As the kid approached, Qrow realized his aura was fuzzy, something that usually happened during very intense combat. Before this kid could kneel down next to Oscar, Qrow grabbed his arm, making sure he caught his attention.

“Listen, kid, I know you want to perform your little parlor trick again, and I am in fact in no shape to stop you right now, but I need you to make sure that you don’t completely run out, understand? I cannot help you once you are out of aura and probably neither can your friends here. Oz seems to have run himself into the ground, but I know he will live and he doesn’t have to be on his feet all too quickly, understood?”

Jaune actually looked grateful as he nodded his understanding to the older guy “Yes, yes, I get it, and thank you for looking out for me. I will try to be frugal since we are in no real danger anymore. But I do want to give him at least a little boost since it was the kid’s first real fight and all.”

Jaune was indeed happy that at least someone understood his power immediately, probably even better than he did himself at this point. It felt reassuring to have a pro-huntsman among them who really understood things about fighting and aura.

Having said that Jaune knelt down next to the youngest member of their group. Oscar looked so vulnerable and impossibly young. It was crazy to think that he had just participated in one of the deadliest brawls these halls had undoubtedly seen in decades. As Jaune started recharging the kid’s aura he realized just how strenuous this whole process was on the young boy. Every nerve and fiber seemed to have been pushed to its limits. Jaune felt so sorry for this poor kid and held him in a new light. In his interactions with Oscar Jaune never realized how hard it must be for him to grow up so fast, not just mentally and emotionally but physically. In spite of Qrow’s warning, Jaune decided to flood this kids system with energy, feeling like he had to give him something for all he had given for them.

As Qrow noticed that Jaune’s aura was flickering again he grabbed the kid’s shoulder. “Okay, Jaune, enough is enough. Time to use some of that aura you have left on yourself, do you hear me.”

As he felt the shake Jaune immediately stopped what he did and realized how strained he felt. Oscar was beginning to stir and Qrow knelt down next to the youngest member of their team to help him. Jaune moved past them and a bit unsteadily walked back to his team. As Ren and Nora noticed their team member walking drunkenly towards them they felt incredibly alarmed and instantly moved towards him to help him.

“Jaune, are you okay?” Ren asked as he helped his friend sit down once more on the ground. “You look like you are about to faint.” Jaune just sat there, feeling incredibly exhausted and tired. As he realized Nora was behind him he promptly leaned back and almost instantly fell into an exhausted sleep between his two teammates.

“Oh my God, Jaune, what is it, what is going on with you?” Nora asked her now unconscious friend.

“It’s his healing power, Nora.” Ren surmised, having unconsciously moved closer to their heroic friend, in a protective way. “He shared his aura first with Weiss and essentially brought her back from the dead, then he moved on to Qrow, then you and me and then Oscar. I think it has been far too much for him as he needs his aura also to heal himself from the battle we just went through.”

They noticed Ruby approaching them suddenly. She looked at Jaune with eyes full of concern. “Oh my God, guys, what is going on with him?”

It was Qrow who answered, sitting next to the now again conscious Oscar. “It’s ok kiddo, I think your friend just overdid his hero gig a little too much. He got a little too excited that he can facilitate healing for others that he forgot his limits. I tried to warn him, but I think he probably needed to learn the hard way. Just everyone, be wary of him doing this for you all. It is good to use from time to time, but especially after he brings someone back from the dead,” Qrow was looking at Weiss as he said it, “it is best not to use it too much on others anymore, at least until he had some time to replenish.”

The rest of team Rwby had gathered around Ren, Nora, and the unconscious Jaune at this point, all looking at him with concern. Ruby wished she had his powers and would be able to help him heal, but she doubted that she could do anything of the sort right now since she felt as exhausted probably as he did.

Sitting in a tightly knitted circle, however, felt healing in and of itself, Ruby decided. It felt so safe to be surrounded by her friends. They had all sat down in such a way that Jaune and Ruby were in their center, the two members that seemed to need healing more than anyone. Qrow felt a rush of pride as he saw how protective these kids were of each other. He was so grateful that his nieces had such amazing friends.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

Slowly everyone was being taken care of. The whole group of them was being loaded into a medical airship. Ruby, Jaune and Oscar were transported on stretchers, and the rest of the battle worn warriors walked alongside them. Blake and Sun came along while Blake’s parents were coordinating with the authorities to find overnight places for all the brave Faunes that came to protect Haven.

All the while Qrow was keeping watch over these kids and keeping the relic where he could see it. He was glad things turned out the way they had but never the less he felt a bit overwhelmed by the whole situation. Even Oz was out of commission. The Oscar kid had vaguely stated the old guy was resting because he had expended too much energy in this fight.

Qrow could really use a drink right about now, but it would seem that would have to wait a while. First, he had to make sure everyone was taken care of, especially Ruby and Oscar. Now with the enemy knowing Oz had reincarnated the kid was in terrible danger just like his precious silver eyed niece. And above all that he was holding the Haven relic in his hands. If some thug would decide to take it from him right now he probably couldn’t put up much of a fight. That scared Qrow to no end. Even though they won the fight they were now more of a target and at the same time more vulnerable than ever before.

With these thoughts in mind, Qrow was keeping watch as these brave kids were all taken to the hospital to be patched up. Qrow arranged for Oscar and Ruby to be in the same room, so he could keep an eye on them. The others didn’t argue as it seemed that they were either all following his train of thoughts or were too exhausted to care either way.

As everyone was settled in, one of the nurses approached him and said: “Can we offer you a bed as well sir? You seem to have been through the same ordeal as your compatriots.” The nurse who said it had a very kind but stern look on her face. Qrow knew what he must look like if his exhaustion was any indication but he just couldn’t be bothered about this at the moment, having bigger things to deal with, like the fate of the world and whatnot.

So he said “Listen, I don’t wanna be rude but please don’t worry about me, alright? I’ll be fine. As long as you take good care of those kids I’m happy.”

The nurse didn’t know what else to say to convince this man so she just left him to it. They had a lot to deal with after all.

“You know she is right, you do need some rest.” Said a voice from behind him. After taking a closer look Qrow realized it was the Ice Queen’s little sister.

“Shouldn’t you be in one of those beds and letting the lovely staff here take a look at your stab wound?” He said, feeling perplexed that she would be up and about after all she’d been through.

“Well, to be honest, I don’t feel too bad. I think Jaune really gave my aura a gigantic boost because I felt stronger than ever afterward. I know he tried to help you as well, but by the looks of it, he didn’t give you nearly as much as he had given me.” She said with a calculating look on her face.

“Now what is that supposed to mean?” Qrow said defensively.

“Look, I don’t mean to be condescending, but I know you need help and so I am here offering it. I know you are worried about Oscar and Ruby as well as the safety of the relic. Since I am in a better shape to protect all of those things right now than you are, I propose to let me be the watchdog while you get some rest.” The girl finished with an air of determination.

Qrow had to admit, the pipsqueak had a point, but he didn’t feel comfortable handing her the relic and leaving her all to herself, it just wasn’t safe.

“Ok kid, I tell you what, how about I convince the staff to let me crash in Oz and Ruby’s room and you come be the guard. And maybe get one of your friends to relieve you in a few hours. Is that a deal?”

Weiss looked happy to have gotten through to their guardian and happily agreed. “Yes, this sounds like a plan.” She replied and they both went off to make the arrangements.

As Qrow was finally in the third bed of the room next to his niece he immediately felt so exhausted that he couldn’t for the life of him understand how he was able to keep going all this time. A vague feeling of panic was still present in his mind about how defenseless and vulnerable Ruby and Oz were right about now and how the Relic Of Knowledge, an item that could be a turning point in the war against all the evil in this world, was just hidden from view in a hospital’s closet. It was enough to flood his overtaxed system with adrenaline time and time again, but seeing that Weiss girl looking so confident gave him a bit more peace of mind. He knew she was a strong fighter and a reliable ally, much like her sister. By the Gods, he wasn’t looking forward to that particular conversation, but it seemed it was inevitable as Oz’s last message before he collapsed was to get the relic to Atlas.

Knowing there was little he could do right now but rest he decided to finally do just that.

All the while Weiss was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, gladly being the guardian of these brave souls she had the honor to fight alongside with. She also felt it very reassuring that Blake and Sun were outside guarding all of their rooms. Noone had filled them in on who they were fighting and exactly what they were up against but thankfully they were willing to be on guard for their friends anyways. There was an amazing peace present in the room. As Weiss was looking into the faces of Oscar, Ruby, and Qrow she realized how all three of them had given everything and more to ensure the protection of Haven Academy and consequently all of Mistral. In the quiet moments of the morning hours, Weiss made a promise to herself that she would be the best guardian these guys ever had. No evil would get anywhere near them or the rest of her friends as long as she could help it.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

As Qrow woke up again he felt somewhat disoriented but upon opening his eyes he saw an old friend sitting in the corner of the room, where the young Schnee was sitting before, giving him a look of concern. Qrow inhaled deeply while closing his eyes, a feeling of relief overcoming him that was so strong, it left him feeling slightly dizzy. "Oh my God, I can't tell you how good it is to see you, James," he stated while trying to sit up.

General Ironwood approached his old friend and took a seat in the chair right next to his bed. "Likewise, Qrow. I came here as soon as I heard of the attack on Haven. How you and your team managed to defend the academy all on your own still evades me. This was an extremely risky endeavor and by the looks of it, a very close call. Your whole group is out of commission. Please tell me, why didn't it occur to you to call me?"

Qrow realized this question must have been weighing on the General's mind for a while and he felt slightly taken aback by it. However, the General did deserve an answer, no matter how fuzzy Qrow's thoughts were at the moment. "Well Jimmy, to be honest with you, we didn't even know the shit would hit the fan quite this quickly. All I knew was Leo, acting suspiciously, invited us to talk about a council's decision to send us some more huntsman so we could attack my sister's tribe and extract a certain someone she was harboring. As we arrived at the Academy we realized the White Fang had planted demolition charges and on top of that Salem's goons were waiting for us to pick us off. I deliberately walked everyone right into a trap." Qrow finished his sentence with a hand covering his face. He really couldn't believe he had been this stupid. It was sheer luck everyone made it out of there in one piece.

James, for his part, put a hand on Qrow's shoulder and spoke in a softer voice than before "Don't beat yourself up, Qrow. The mission was a full success. The White Fang members were caught, the school was saved and all of your people made it out of there alive. I'd say you did a damn good job, given you were all on your own, accompanied only by a bunch of students."

At this statement Qrow looked curiously at the Atlassian General, noticing for the first time his appearance, particularly his disheveled hair and tired eyes. It looked like the General wasn't kidding when he said he got there as fast as he could.

"So I take it no one has filled you in yet," Qrow stated. "I wasn't in fact on my own. I had help." As he said it, Qrow looked over to the bed in which Oscar was still sound asleep.
As James only looked confused upon hearing this, Qrow, after making sure there was no one who could overhear him said 3 words in a low voice while looking again at Oscar.
"Oz is back."

At this, the General's eyes went wide. "Are you saying-"

"Yes, I am saying, he has reincarnated as a kid named Oscar and has found me in a bar in Mistral. All of that was quite overwhelming in and of itself, but to top it all of he has revealed himself to Leo while fighting him and consequently to Salem. So, counting my niece, I now have two priority targets under my wing." Qrow stated, sounding almost defeated.
The General empathized with his friend's situation and said, "Well you mustn't worry Qrow, even though I wasn't aware of the severity of our situation I secured this building and one of my ships is currently patrolling the airspace in Mistral with the government's consent." He had stated this in a military fashion. In a lower voice, he added: "And don't think for a moment you are alone in your fight or your efforts to protect those that need protection, I will from now on personally make sure no one will get to you or any of these kids."

This statement hit home more than Qrow would ever care to admit. With a sigh he let himself sink down on to his pillow once again. "James, you have no idea how good it is to see you," he said again, meaning every word. After a beat of silence between the two comrades he added. "Now get ready for the real kicker."

James' head shot up at that casual statement from the battle-worn huntsman. With a curious look, he kept silent, giving his friend time to explain what he meant.
"The reason why Salem attacked Haven was not to destroy it. It was to get to the relic."

That sentence drove fear into the General's voice. "Oh my God, Qrow does that mean she-"

"She never got it. We have it. It is in fact in this very room." he said, looking at the closet in front of him. Upon hearing this, the General went to the closet to in fact find the Relic Of Knowledge just at the back of it. Sighing deeply James closed his eyes, for the first time realizing in what crazy predicament his friend had put himself. He always knew Qrow was reckless and borderline suicidal but this was really pushing the line.

With another deep inhale he turned around to again face his friend. "Does Salem know you have it?"

After the huntsman didn't answer, James continued in a slightly irritated voice "By the Gods Qrow, you really have a talent for making yourself into a target."

"I know Jimmy, and before you say anything, we really didn't have a choice in the matter. It was sheer luck that everyone made it out alive and an honest miracle that we got the relic. If anything had even gone slightly differently none of us would be here." Qrow said, still feeling unnerved by the miraculous outcome of their fight.

James didn't know what to reply to that. He felt eternally grateful that everyone had survived and that his insanely reckless friend was indeed able to pull off this so-called miracle. The General was sure there was far more to it than what he was just made privy of, however, the information would have to do for now, as Qrow still looked weak like a kitten and in need of some urgent rest. All the General could do was mobilize his entire fleet to ensure Salem wouldn't get their most precious assets which incidentally all ended up in the same room, under the protection of a dusty, old crow. James had to smile to himself at that thought.

"Listen Qrow, what you did was insane, reckless, and entirely impossible to accomplish with a bunch of students even if one of them was the reincarnation of Ozpin. But at the same time, it was one of the bravest actions I ever heard of. You deliberately walked yourself into a trap to take on all the evils of this world at the same time. I am grateful to whichever merciful power was responsible for helping you succeed. But I would ask you to please next time at least inform me when you are in a situation like this again. Even if you aren't sure what may come your way, I want you to know that I will always be willing to help out. Do you understand?"

After seeing Qrow nod his head James continues "My entire fleet will be at your disposal. For now, just rest easy in the knowledge that you will no longer have to carry this burden on your own. I will stay here and watch over all of your comrades. All you have to do Qrow is rest and recover so we can take the next steps together."

Qrow felt so grateful and at the same time overcome with bone-weary exhaustion that it was getting increasingly more difficult to keep his eyes open. He realized that he must not have let himself fully rest until this point because the stakes were too damn high had they been attacked. With James now securing not only the whole group but also the relic Qrow felt more at ease than he had since the fall of Beacon. With the last energy he could muster he said in an emotionally stricken voice, "Thank you, Jimmy. I owe you big for this."
With that Qrow fell into a deep state of unconsciousness that was necessary to fully regenerate his aura.

James again sat down in the chair he had previously occupied in the corner of the room, which was strategically the best place to keep watch over everyone and everything in the room. To the now unconscious man, he muttered, "Don't worry Qrow, you owe me nothing, but we owe you everything."