For Want of a Nail

RWBY is the property of Rooster Teeth Productions

Created by: Monty Oum

Beta: Tabjoy13

An innkeeper was cleaning his bar for the night and preparing to go to bed when the door opened. He glances up to see a tall man in a tattered cloak that may have once been white but the filth of travel now stained it a dirt gray color. A red sash was tied off at waist and a sword hung on his hip.

"What can I do for you ?"

"I'm looking for someone and a room for the night."

"I can help you with that. Who ya looking for?"

"Ozma."

The innkeeper scratched his beard. "Aye I know the man, he and his companion haven't been through in a few days but they should be coming around soon."

The mystery man nodded. "Thank you."

The man placed a few gold coins on the table and the innkeeper pointed to the last room on the right. He watched as the man strolled to the designated room.

"Who are you stranger?"

The man paused. "I'm a Huntsman." Then he continued without another word.

"What a strange fella," the innkeeper said to himself shaking his head.

The next morning:

Jaune checked the sharpness on Crocea Mors one last time and slipped the faithful sword back into its sheath. Jaune checked the collapsed pistol hidden at the small of his back, the two holdout pistols hidden up his sleeves, and the collapsed multi dust short swords in his boots. The compulsive check was a nervous tick he had developed after being ambushed one too many times. I suppose I am paranoid. Jaune chuckled to himself as he left his room.

Jaune nodded to the innkeeper as he passed and stepped out into the street. I'm so close now. This will all be worth it, it has to.

Salem was in the market shopping for herbs when she felt a tug on her dress. Salem looked down and noticed a familiar boy. Salem smiled, "Hello Max what do you need?"

"There is a strange man in town looking for you."

Salem knelt down. "Max what did this strange man look like?"

Max's eyes widened. "He's over there at the edge of the market."

Salem followed the child's finger and saw a blond haired man standing at the market entrance watching her. He wore battered white armor trimmed in dull gold. Salem spotted a sword at his waist, but what drew her attention were his cobalt eyes looking right at her.

"Max, I need you to run to the guard house and tell Ozma."

"Okay, I'll run as fast as I can."

Salem watched as the man turned and walked out of the market. Salem ran to the market entrance and spotted him walking down the street outside the market. Salem was following him through the streets toward the village entrance, but was interrupted by a shout.

"Salem!"

She turned and saw Ozma rushing down the street towards her.

"Ozma, we have to follow that man. Whoever he is, he's after us, we need to stop him."

Ozma's eyes narrowed. His hand lit with green magic, a small sigil wrapping its way around his finger. Salem watched as he pointed at the stranger, and with a small flash a tiny orb of green light shot off to follow the man.

Ozma turned to her and smiled. "There now. If he comes back I'll be able to sense his presence."

Salem turned to look at the man again but he was already out of the village. "Alright. Let's get something to eat."

Ozma smiled, "Maybe we'll find the beginnings of an adventure."

Salem smiled back, "I think I would like that."

Jaune chided himself for letting Salem spot him. I should have approached her, instead of falling back. All this time and I freeze at the worst moment possible. Now they will be looking out for me. Jaune fingered his necklace for a moment, a simple bronze shield, warded by Oscar to prevent Salem from spying on him or his mind. Bet you didn't think your wards would be used on Ozma's magic huh? Jaune chuckled to himself at the irony of Ozma's last incarnation, giving him a warded necklace that fooled the original's tracking spell.

Jaune placed more wood on his fire, and frowned. Now I'll have to approach them in travel, hopefully they will listen and accept my gift.

Jaune watched Salem and Ozma from a distance through his helmet's zoom. He activated the listening mic on his helmet. Thank you Ironwood for the fancy toys.

Ozma was shaking his head. "That's not a good idea, not with those people following us. I'll go into the village and grab the supplies."

Salem argued back, "What if they set a trap in the village? Besides I don't need to hide from them even if they may be my father's men."

"I'll be fine if they set a trap. They want you not me. As long as I'm careful I can slip in and out without difficulty." Ozma explained.

Salem sighed, "Fine I'll indulge you, but you will owe me sweets at the next village."

Ozma smiled. "Deal."

Jaune couldn't help but smile at the couple's interaction.

Ozma leaned in with a smile still adorning his face. "Perhaps when we re-schck"

Jaune winced and disabled the mic. Damn it, Jaune pulled his helmet off and glanced down at it. His once proud white and gold helmet was as worn and battered as the rest of his armor. Maybe I should have taken Winter's offer to replace my gear before I made this trip. Jaune looked down at his armor again, scratches and wear from Grimm and human alike plainly evident on its once bright surface. Jaune shook his head. I could never. Jaune turned his attention back to his targets.

Ozma was leaving the camp with a laugh, and Salem waved to him.

Jaune slipped his helmet back on and crept slowly towards the camp.

Jaune could hear Salem humming a tune to herself as he stepped out of the woods. She froze and turned to him. Jaune spoke first.

"We need to talk."

Salem stiffened as the strange man spoke. He wore a helm this time, as worn as the rest of his armor.

"We need to talk."

Salem called her magic up, preparing to fight.

The man raised his hands in surrender. "I just want to talk."

Salem narrowed her eyes. "Then why are you hiding your face?"

The man tapped the side of his helmet twice and with a click the face of his helm slid open. He wore a soft smile. "Old habits die hard I guess."

Salem tilted her head in confusion, not quite understanding what the man was saying. "Who sent you? Was it my father?"

The man shook his head. "I'm not here on behalf of your father. I'm here because of Ozma."

"What do you want from him?"

Before the man could speak a new voice weighed in. "Well then since you're not here for the lady, do you mind if we take her off your hands?"

Salem turned her attention away from the man and noticed they were surrounded. She didn't recognize the colors the men and women wore. Salem turned to the leader, the woman who had interrupted them. "Who are you?"

The woman smiled at her. "Why lady Salem, your father hired us. We're your royal escort, here to bring you home to your father." The woman mocked.

Her crew laughed at their leader's jab. Salem narrowed her eyes. "I'm not going back with you, I spent long enough in my father's clutches."

The bandit leader opened her mouth again. Before she could speak the man moved to stand next to Salem.

"Apologies, but lady said she's not going anywhere with you."

The leader cocked an eyebrow. "And who are you supposed to be?"

The man smiled wistfully. "I'm nobody, just a Huntsman."

The leader of the bandits grinned and started rolling a fireball in her palm. "Okay Mr. Nobody, do you think and an old hunter like-"

Faster than the eye could see the man drew something forth from his back and with a loud crack the bandit leader fell dead with a tiny hole in her chest. A splatter of blood left her back.

Salem looked at the man in shock. He examined the odd weapon in his hand with a surprised expression. Looking back and forth between the weapon and the bandit leader, finally he turned to her.

"Usually they block the first shot. My bad."

This comment seemed to snap the other bandits out of it. One of them charged the man with a sword. He calmly raised his weapon and a loud crack sounded. The man dropped with a scream clutching his knee, until the calmly kicked him in head with his boot. The stranger turned his weapon to the next bandit before a blast of magic knocked it out of his hand. Salem shook her head and turned her attention to the other bandits. Calling up her magic, Salem prepared to fight.

Jaune frowned as the gun was knocked from his hand. It's never easy for long is it? Jaune turned his attention to the bandit that blasted him. The man seemed surprised the Jaune still had his arm. Jaune grinned and tapped the side of his helmet, closing it up.

"My turn."

The bandit readied another blast but Jaune gave him no time, drawing Crocea Mors and dashing up to the man in the blink of an eye. The man tried to back pedal and cry out for help but he was silenced by Jaune's sword pommel slamming into his throat.

Jaune let the man drop to his knees before he knocked him across the head with the flat of his blade. Jaune turned his head to look for another bandit and was promptly blown off his feet by a powerful blast of fire. Jaune landed in a roll and came up with his shield deployed. Jaune coated the surface with aura and amplified it with his semblance, weathering the heat as he had become accustomed to all those years ago.

As the fire died Jaune looked up at his attacker and for a heartbeat he thought he saw Cinder standing there, her eyes alight with fire. Jaune shook the image from his head and charged the black haired woman in red armor. Her eyes flashed and Jaune raised his shield to block the jet of fire, and continued forward through the flame. Jaune reversed his grip on Crocea Mors and planted the blade in the ground., then heard the woman's strangled cry as the fire dissipated. Jaune wasted no time collapsing his sheath. Shifting it to a spear, he spun and took aim at the nearest bandit. Jaune flipped the spear backwards, hurling the spear butt into the man's face breaking his nose with a crack. Jaune drew his hidden short swords as he heard the body collapse. Turning his attention to the battlefield, Jaune noted that the bandits were nearly dealt with.

The white knight instead spotted a bandit preparing a spear of magic to throw at Salem's back. Jaune rotated the dust cylinders on the short swords to lightning, and threw the sword into the man's leg. The man screamed as the blade pierced his leg, he went ramrod straight and collapsed from the electric shock. I think he survived that. Jaune strode over to his dropped weapons and collected them all. Walking over to the final bandit, Jaune pulled the weapon out and checked his pulse. Good, he's alive. The battle field grew silent and Jaune surveyed the carnage. That went better than expected. Though, I should bandage the wounded.

Jaune set about his task while Salem collected herself. When he had finished his task Jaune turned back to Salem who was watching him cautiously. "Now, where were we?"

A new voice interrupted them. "You were just getting knocked out so we can prepare to ask you questions."

Jaune turned to the newcomer only to be met with a wall of green. Jaune went flying through five trees and slammed hard into a boulder. Jaune felt his aura drop well into the yellow from the hit.

"Ow."

Salem whipped around to face her companion. "Damn it Oz, you probably killed him!"

Ozma winced, "Sorry, I saw a pile of dead bodies, and unconscious people and I reacted."

Salem felt her eye twitch. "He was helping me fight them! He even aided the ones he injured."

Ozma winced again. "Okay, maybe I should have asked you first."

Salem was going to continue scolding Ozma when she heard the stranger speak up from behind them.

"You've got a damn good swing Oz." The stranger said, before calmly sitting at the base of a tree and taking off his helm. She watched him press his finger on the side of the helm, suddenly the helmet collapsed down and he calmly pocketed it behind him. Salem glanced over to Ozma and saw he was a confused as her. He didn't use any magic.

"Well, are we going to finish our conversation or what?"

Salem turned her head back and saw the stranger sitting patiently. "I suppose we are."

Jaune waited as Ozma and Salem sat across from him.

"Who are you what do you want from us?" Salem asked.

Ozma narrowed his eyes, "And how did you neutralize my spell?"

Jaune chuckled and pulled his necklace out for Ozma to see. "I didn't fool your spell Oz, this did."

Ozma nodded. "Of course, I'll have to alter the spell to compensate in the future."

"You didn't answer my question." Salem stated.

"Of course. I was sent here by a soothsayer. She tried to amplify her abilities and see further in the future. The effort killed her, but she saw something. Something terrible enough for her to write me a message on her death bed to ensure I would be able to prevent it." Ozpin would be proud.

Ozma and Salem shared a glance. Ozma asked the next question. "What did she see?"

Jaune shook his head, "I can't tell you that."

Salem was about to protest but Jaune cut her off. "To know too much of one's future is dangerous. I'm here to give you gifts and advice to prevent this future."

There was a long pause before Salem asked the obvious question. "And if your gifts and advice don't work?"

Jaune closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before opening them and meeting Salem's eyes. "Then I will do what needs to be done, but I won't like it."

Salem nodded.

Ozma spoke up. "So I take it we are key players in this future?"

Jaune nodded. "Yes." If only you knew Oz.

"What gifts do you have for us then?" Salem asked.

Jaune gestured for them to come closer. The pair moved right in front of him and Jaune held out his hands. "Grab a hand."

The two reached out for a hand. Jaune closed his eyes and focused his remaining aura into his hands. "For it is in fear that we find our conviction. Through this, we become a voice of justice and peace to rise in the silence. Strengthened by will and unyielding, I release your soul, and by my hand arm thee."

Jaune felt the drain on his aura almost immediately. A deep emerald green glow covered Ozma, while a soft red glow covered Salem. Their eyes opened in wonder. Jaune chuckled, remembering the feeling of first gaining his aura. "This is my gift to you, Aura. The light of your soul brought to bear as both shield and weapon."

Ozma looked at his hands in wonder, "How did you discover this power?"

Jaune smiled and remembered Pyrrha unlocking his aura in the forest all those years ago. Though I suppose it's all those years from now. Jaune mused, before answering. "A friend unlocked mine, and now I'm giving you the power. Your aura will protect you from sickness, heal your minor wounds and aid in the recovery of severe wounds."

"How can we thank you?" Salem asked.

"Thank me by keeping each other close, and knowing when to let go." Jaune replied.

Salem nodded.

Jaune stood up. Exhausted and almost out of aura, he turned and began to walk away.

"Wait!"

Jaune turned.

Salem had stood up. "You never told us who you are."

Jaune smiled. "I'm a Huntsman." He turned around and began to walk away.

"But what's your name?"

Jaune paused. He turned back to Salem and Ozma, "My name is Jaune Arc." Jaune turned his back and walked out into the woods away from the couple, who made no move to follow.

Jaune crouched down on the cliff side of an island that would one day be known as Patch. Jaune looked over to the point of the cliff where they would have to bury Qrow one day, right next to Summer Rose. Jaune smiled to himself. "I hope you're proud old man. It was all for the greater good right?" Jaune was met with silence. "I lied to them, I had to." Silence. Juane chuckled, "You know I think I understand why he didn't want to tell us truth." There was no response from the empty air. Jaune shook his head and dug into the ground for the safe he had hidden. He keyed in the code and opened the safe, revealing the Relics in all their glory. Their return with him was an unintended side effect of his travel but one he planned to use to his advantage one last time. Jaune pulled out the Relic of Knowledge.

"Jinn, I have a question."

The lamp glowed blue and Jinn floated out with a smile.

"Hello Jaune, it's nice to see you again so soon."

Jaune returned her smile. "It's nice to see you too Jinn. I have a question for you."

Jinn held up her hand. "I know what you want to ask already, save my questions for when you truly need them. This one's on me."

Jaune blinked in surprise. "I didn't realize you could do that."

Jinn smiled. "I am allowed to bend the rules to an extent. Now to satisfy your unasked question, yes. Your plan worked, the timeline has changed dramatically. The world you left behind has been all but erased, the only thing left of your world is the people that now inhabit it."

Jaune opened his mouth to ask a question but Jinn cut him off.

"Your friends all are still live, their souls are the same, but they are something more now."

Jaune nodded. "Then I suppose that makes me the first and last Huntsman, a relic of a time that shall never come to pass."

"That makes two of us."

Jaune smiled at Jinn. "Thank you Jinn, for everything."

Jinn waved his thanks off. "It was my pleasure."

Jaune was about to dispel her when Jinn spoke up again. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Jaune blinked, and shrugged. "Ask away."

"What are you going to do now?"

Jaune thought for a moment. "I have a few ideas."

I could not get this idea out of my head. I just had to write it down. I know the Relics probably can't be used for time travel, but this a fan fic so I'm taking some creative liberties. Feel free to leave a review, let me know what you thought.