RWBY: The Ascension of a King

After a rather harsh rejection from Weiss Schnee, Jaune realises that he needs to stop chasing her and become stronger. With the help of his team and that of Ruby, Yang and Blake, He will strive to become the hero he dreams to be. All the while hiding a secret that would rock the world of RWBY.

So, in this chapter, after watching World of Remnant – The Great War came out, I decided that I should go a bit more into the Kingdom of Arcadia. Seeing as apparently, there was a powerful man eighty years ago called 'The Warrior King of Vale' and I need a good reason as to why Arcadia still has a King title. I will be going back and editing some of the chapters, like changing the Kingdom's history of Atlas to the Kingdom of Mantle, the old Kingdom.

Well, for this one I decided to start off where I left off, with Jaune sitting on a park bench, where his grandfather greets him, who will gift us with a brief history of Arcadia and to give a valid reason as to why Arcadia has a King title and why Jaune received so little a training. And I also decided to draw some inspiration from a game I'm into now that helped me get back into Ascension of a King...

Called Final Fantasy XV! So, I will be drawing inspirations from the game with my own twists and ideas. I would also like to thank Dragoon109, for his/her contribution to the story and helping me sort out plots and hearing my ideas. Enjoy!

Chapter V: King's Legacy

Before Jaune stood a man shrouded by a black cloak with the hood removed, from a glance he could see that the man was dressed dark grey pants, a black shirt with chainmail and dark red armour over the top. Strapped to his waist was a sword with a dark grey hit in a black sheath. He looked roughly forty years of age but was older than he appeared.

He had long light blond hair tied at the base of his neck with his hair slicked back with one strand going down his forehead. A full trimmed beard covered the lower half of his face with small areas of lighter blond mixed in. He also had a scar on his left eyebrow and his lower right lip. The old man smirked at the stunned look on his grandson's face as Jaune could only stare in shock.

You see the man before him was the Former Twelfth King of Arcadia, Cornelius Arc the Fourth, a man who was once said to be almost as strong as the Legendary Warrior King of Vale years ago.

He was a man who was famous for his battle with the remnants of the former kingdom of Mantle and the role he played in the Great War. He ruled the Kingdom of Arcadia for over thirty years until handing the reigns of the Kingdom to the Thirteenth King, Roland The Second. After which he had gone off adventuring and only made periodical visits to the Kingdom.

Jaune had grown up hearing tales and legends of this one man who could take on an entire battalion and walk away with only a few scratches. To see him standing here before him, he only had one option.

Run!

He turned tail and ran as far away from the man as he possibly could go...

Only to discover that he was just running in the same spot, not even half a foot from where he looked down as he noticed that he was floating in one place, with his grandfather's left hand lazily stretched out with one eyebrow raised to the boy.

"...Jaune, what are you doing?" he asked as Jaune remained floating in the air.

"Um...running? Aren't you here to take me back to Arcadia? And how are you doing that anyway?" he asked as the man shook his head and lowered the boy to the ground.

"First off, no, I am not here to take you back to Arcadia. Second, this is my Semblance, Telekinesis. You have aura now so you should have figured that part out by yourself, though I'll admit it's not as powerful as it used to be. Third, I wanted to come see how my grandson was doing at Beacon. Instead, after getting an old friend of mine to forge his new weapons and armour, he runs at the first sight of me? I have honestly hurt boy, I truly am," Jaune blinked in surprise at him.

"Old friend, you mean Sylvia? You're the person she owed the favour to?" he said stunned as Cornelius nodded with a huge grin on his face.

"Yep, saved her life about ten years ago. I won't go into the details, but let me tell you, it was one heck of a battle...and one hell of a hangover afterwards," He laughed while Jaune only stared at him.

"But if you aren't here to take me back, why are you here?" he asked as the man hummed to himself and sat down on the bench. He then gestured to sit at the empty seat as Jaune slowly sat down next to his grandfather.

"Well like I said, I wanted to see how my grandson was doing. Seeing if this whole Huntsman life was too much for you...Is it getting too much for you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as Jaune looked away bashfully.

"Well it was at first, but I am getting better. My team has really helped me improve a lot and I've learned so much since I got here, it's really amazing" he said as the old man chuckled.

"Good to know brat, it seems coming to Beacon was the right choice for you. Just a shame your parents couldn't see that." He said as Jaune nodded slightly.

"How are they? I'm guessing they were a little bit angry that I left?" the man nodded as ran his hand through his hair.

"A little? Boy, I hadn't seen your mother that angry since your father forgot their wedding anniversary ten years ago, and you remembered what happened back then, right?" he said as Jaune nodded. They had to remodel the entire throne room after that incident and his father never forgot an anniversary since.

"So, I heard from a reliable source that you've become the leader of your very own team, that right?" he said as Jaune nodded while the man laughed heartily. "That's my grandson! A natural born leader!" he said as he wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder.

"So, what are they like? They any good? Any of them cute girls that you fancy?" he asked with a grin as Jaune blushed and removed his arm from his shoulder.

"Ok, first off grandpa they are my friends, and they are really great people, especially my partner, Pyrrha," he said as the man raised an eyebrow.

"Pyrrha? As in that Pyrrha Nikos girl who's on the front of that Cereal Box you sent all those coupons to?" Jaune nodded as the man folded his arms and smirked. "The same girl you said looked cute before you left for Beacon?" Jaune blushed heavily at that comment but nodded.

"I-I don't know what you are talking about, but yeah the same...she's uh...she's been really nice to me since I came to Beacon. She even offered to train me when she found out about my fake-! I mean my lack of skill," Jaune said as he tried to cover up his secret.

"You mean after she learned your transcripts are fake?" he said with a deadpan look while Jaune flinched at that.

"Relax boy, I already knew from my contacts here in Vale and I must say I'm a little disappointed. I know the reason was to hide your identity and to get as far away from your parents as possible, but that was a seriously stupid move. I mean I know I taught how to swing a sword a bit on my visits, but you still have years to learn before you could join an academy, what were you thinking?" he asked as Jaune nodded.

"Tell me about it?" he said and then shook his head.

"Anyway, Pyrrha is nice and strong, I mean ridiculously strong. If it wasn't for her I would have never survived initiation. Plus, she's the first person that was willing to help me since I got here until Ren and Nora started helping me too. But I kind of feel guilty that she's spending all her time helping me catch up, but she says it doesn't matter to her and that she's happy to help me, I don't know why?" he said

Cornelius chuckled at this as he could already guess why. Ah, to be young and in love.

"The others on my team are great too, Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. Ren is a nice guy, he's quiet and doesn't talk much, but if there is one person I could count on other than Pyrrha, it would be him. He's like the brother I never had. Nora on the hand is...odd...but she's a good friend. She's been helping me build my strength and control my aura. Though her methods can be rather...extreme..." Jaune had small flashbacks of flying wrenches that caused him to shiver, while Cornelius could only raise an eyebrow.

"I get the feeling I don't want to know, right?" he said as Jaune nodded.

"Figures, sounds like you got yourself quite the team then, huh?" he said as Jaune smiled and nodded. "Good, a King is nothing if he doesn't have those he can trust to stand by his side." He pulled out a metal flask as he drank and then screwed the lid back on. "So, you found any 'special girl' that you like? Someone that you fancy?" he said while wiggling his eyebrows as Jaune blushed for a moment then shook his head.

"No, yes...well...it's complicated...I used to like her, but not anymore," he said as the old man only nodded.

"Ah, she rejected you, didn't she?" Jaune spun his head at this as the old man smirked.

"I can tell just by the look on your face, it's the same look I had when I was your age. Now granted this was before I met your grandmother and I was still only a young troublemaker in my youth...oh boy those were the days," he muttered as Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"Point is, I know what it's like to have a broken heart. That feeling of never finding anyone to fill that void left inside, thinking that the one that's meant to fill it no longer can. But you've just got to realise that there are other fish in the sea my boy, you just need to be willing enough to look for them," he said as Jaune looked at him and looked at his hands.

"...But, what if she said something harsh, but at the same time true? Something that makes you just stop and think about your life and the choices you've made, and realise how bad you messed up. How can you just get over something like that?" he asked as the man placed a hand on his chin.

"Hmm, that is a tough one... Honestly, I don't think it's something I can just answer with just a short amount of words," he said as Jaune lowered his head. "But," he said as Jaune looked back up.

"If I were to make a wild stab at it. I would say that you don't get over it, but rather embrace it." His answer caused more confusion as Cornelius leant back on the bench.

"Whatever this girl told you if it really made you stop and think about your life that you're willing to change it, then don't try to get over it. Instead, use it as a motivation, let it be the foundation on which the new you can stand upon strongly, but never forget what it was that caused her to say those words. Otherwise, you'll just repeat the same mistake and end up back where you started." He said as looked at his grandson.

"Trust me, there are a lot of things I've done that I regret. But instead of wallowing in them, I use them every day to make me stronger, so that I never make the same mistake again, understand?" he asked Jaune looked conflicted but nodded.

"I guess, thanks, Grandpa," he said as the man nodded.

"Anytime Jaune, anytime." He said as they just sat on the bench and watched the fireflies and the crickets singing in the light of the shattered moon. "By the way, I have another reason for seeing you, a small gift for your new role as Leader. But before I do, I want to test your knowledge on our own...personal history," he said as Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"What do you know, of the Spectrum Goddess?" he asked as Jaune looked somewhat confused before he nodded.

"Well It's just a legend, a tale passed down our family for generations that supposedly ties into the birth of Arcadia..." Jaune said as the light of the lamppost began to flicker and the shadows on the floor began to move.

"Long before the rise of Arcadia, before the four kingdoms, there was once a clan of ancient warriors called the Arcadians. Our Ancestors. The Arcadians were a clan of warriors that fought and struggled to build a home in the world of Remnant. Back when clans often fought against other clans for territory, resources or just the chance to survive another day against the Grimm," men and woman armed to the teeth stood before the dark hoard of Grimm and clansmen as a courage's battle waged in the shadows.

"But roughly two hundred years ago amongst this clan was a man named Julius Arcadian, who was the son of the clan leader and next in line as chief to lead."

An image of a man dressed in rugged armour and a white cape stood before the men and woman. "But while Julius was a strong warrior, he had often questioned whether he had what it took to lead his people as chief." The young man was seen sitting near a waterfall, a look of contemplation on his face as he looked at the sword in his hand and the symbol on his gauntlet.

"His people had been fighting the Grimm for hundreds of years, and just as long against the other clans. He wondered whether he had the strength to protect his people and if he didn't, what would become of his people?" the man looked back as he hung his head.

"One day while hunting for food, he came across a small white lion cub that was surrounded by the creatures of Grimm. They had cornered and injured the animal and were preparing to devour the small cub. In any other circumstance, a hunter would have just left the animal to its fate. But Julius was as kind as he was strong and he leapt into battle against the beasts." Julius stood before the Grimm, protecting a small lion cub as the animal was whimpering and bleeding from its leg as the Grimm snarled and howled in hunger.

"After he had killed the Grimm, he took the small animal back home and nursed it back to health. For many days and many nights, he did everything in his power to save the young cubs life, even to the ire of his father who berated him for spending his time saving a dying animal." Julius was nursing the small creature as a tall man stood behind him.

"Yet every time he would respond the same. 'If the strong will not help the weak, who will?' and then he would continue to heal the injured animal. Until upon the seventh day, the animal was fully healed and released back into the wild. At first, it seemed that Julius would never meet the small club again." Julius released the animal into the wild as the small cub looked back and then dashed into the woods.

"Until one day while he was patrolling the forest, the small lion cub reappeared before him and gesture him to follow it deeper into the forest. The small animal led him to a crystal and gestured for him to touch the giant crystal that resonated with seven lights. And when he did, he claimed that a woman appeared before him, who's very being he could barely describe," Jaune spoke as an image of a divine begin stood before Julius.

"The woman claimed to be the Spectrum Goddess, the youngest sister to the gods of Light and Darkness who was charged with keeping the balance between the dark and light and claims to have helped them create mankind by giving them the power of aura. She had often watched the world from beyond through the eyes of her observers after she stayed behind, but never interfered like her brothers. But because Julius had saved one of her observers, she was grateful to him and in gratitude for his kindness, asked what his reward should be?" The spirit made a kind gesture as Julius seemed to ponder.

"In response, he asked the Goddess to give him the power to forge a place where his clan and those who seek peace would be safe. It was said that the Goddess gifted him with seven powerful guardian spirits, each one a powerful representation of the seven elements that bind this world." Jaune said as the woman enveloped him in a powerful light and seven creatures stood around him.

"Thor - The Yellow Giant of Thunder," a large being wielding a massive hammer summoned a storm of thunder and lightning with a strike on his anvil, as he stood upon the clouds. Large bolts of lightning surged then flew towards an army of Grimm into dust.

"Amaterasu - The Red Fire Dragon of the Sun," a massive serpent-like dragon with huge scarlet wings surged through the clouds, before erupting and circled around the sun as it released a massive roar, a large stream of fire escaping from its jaws as Grimm roared in pain.

"Nehalennia - The Blue Serpent of the Oceans," a massive serpent swam through the ocean as it erupted from the ocean and hissed at those who stood before its might. A large tsunami crashing into the lands and drowning the Grimm that had dared to enter its waters.

"Fei Lan - The Green Falcon of Air," a massive falcon soared through the air as massive hurricanes and cyclones erupted from every beat of its wings. The cyclone is so strong that any Grimm that was on land was blown into the air and thrashed against the winds.

"Oxylus - The Orange Titan of Earth and Mountains," a massive giant with pieces of earth and stone growing from its back lumbered between the mountains as the very earth shook with its footsteps. Large Grimm lumbered towards the Giant, only for the Giant to swat them away with a swing of its arm.

"Izanami - The Indigo Hellcat of the Underworld," a massive cat sat before a large skeletal gate as its flaming purple mane flowed in the wind. The crying souls of those who have committed crimes against the innocent screaming as they were dragged into the gates.

"And Flora - The Rose Fairy of Nature and Life," a fairy-like creature sat in the middle of the forest as animals and trees surrounded her as she lovingly cared for each of them. Grimm suddenly surrounded the Fairy as the forest suddenly came to life and strangled the Grimm.

"With these powerful spirits by his side, Julius pushed back the Grimm and forged himself the largest settlement in Remnant History, now known as the Kingdom of Acadia. A place that would stand against the darkness that bombarded mankind. And it was said that upon his death he realised the spirits from their bond with him and returned them to the goddess from which they were born," Jaune finished as he chuckled a little.

"But there's no way any of that happened thousands of years ago. It's just a story, there's no such thing as Guardian spirits, right?" He said as Cornelius merely stared and then chuckled as well.

"You're right, it is just a story. But anyway, the reason I asked you if you knew is that I wanted to give you something," He said as he reached into his cloak and held out his hand. "Here..." he said as he opened his hand.

In his palm was a small black ornate ring, with a flat surface and the Arc crest branded on its surface. Under the Arc's was an and image of a seven-point crystal pointing up to the crescents like a diamond sprouting from the earth. Jaune didn't know why, but somehow this ring seemed to be resonating with power, almost as if it's very presence was not of this earth. And that it was calling to him?

"W-what is that?" Jaune asked as Cornelius smirked.

"This Jaune is the ring that summoned the Guardian Spirits, the only physical connection to the King who founded Arcadia who began the lineage of our bloodline and the Spirits that protected him. This...is the Ring of Kings," he said as Jaune looked in awe at the small ring in his hands.

The man chuckled as he rotated the ring with his fingers. "But, like you said, it's just a story. This is no more than just a trinket from a very wise King passed down in our family for the past fourteen generations." He then held it out as he smiled.

"So, I want you to take it," he said as Jaune stared.

"What?"

"Take it, I figured you could use a little confidence boost," he said as Jaune continued to stare at the ring. "What's the matter?" he asked as Jaune shook his head.

"Nothing, I'm fine, it's just why are you giving me this? Something like this...I don't think I'm-OW!" he said before he felt a chop to the top of his head and the unamused look on his grandfather's face as he stared at the boy.

"Jaune, enough of this whole 'doubting yourself crap, you are a strong kid. You have talent, strength, skill and determination to be the very best huntsman and King this world will ever see." He looked into the boy's eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I've watched you grow up trying to do the best you can, I watched your test on the footage your parents showed me. You lead four strangers in the middle of a life or death test, analysed your opponent and used the resources you had on hand to achieve victory and earned your place as leader. While others fought for the survival of themselves, you fought for the survival of others, that makes you worthier of this ring than anyone in our family's history," he said with a stern but caring voice.

"Now, do yourself a favour and stop doubting your abilities. You're strong, act like it." He said as held out the ring and stared at the boy, almost as if commanding him to take the ring. Jaune looked hesitant before picked up the ring from his hand and held it between his fingers.

The Ring shimmered for a moment before he took a quick breath and slipped the ring on his left hand on his middle finger.

The moment Jaune placed the ring on his finger, he felt a sudden burst of energy rush through his body. It was like he had been plunged into an ocean of cool water, easing and relaxing every muscle in his body. The air seemed to feel fresher and cooler on his skin and the light from every lamp had a gentler warmth than before.

It was like his entire sense just got kicked into overdrive and then suddenly returned to normal.

"Jaune? You ok there?" his grandfather asked as Jaune blinked back into reality, looking over to his grandfather and then ring that now rested on his left middle finger.

"Uh, yes, I am fine. Just uh...just felt a little rush, that's all,"

He looked back to his grandfather, never noticing the small shimmer of light from the ring as the crystal shimmered with all seven colours before returning to its natural white.

Cornelius had noticed, however, and felt his heart sink at the sight.

For it would mean those terrible things were about to happen. Jaune, however, didn't notice as he placed the glove back on his hand, strangely thought he noticed that a section of the glove was altered to allow a ring to slip through. Why did Sylvia design it that way? Did she know about the ring? Or was it-

"Now," Cornelius said as he broke Jaune's train of thought. "I think it's best you be off now. It is getting late and you wouldn't want your pretty partner worrying about you now, would you?" he said as Jaune felt a sudden volt shock through his system.

"Oh, shoot! Yeah, of course! Thanks, Grandpa!" he called out as he bolted from the park, hoping he would make it back to the Airbuses in time.

"Oh, and Jaune!" he called out as he turned back to the man. "Do me a favour and keep an eye on your headmaster," he asked as Jaune raised an eyebrow. "It's nothing personal, but I get the feeling that man has more secrets than most Kingdoms put together. Even from his own people...so let's not mention the gift I gave you, okay?" he asked as Jaune looked confused before nodding and leaving the park

However, while Cornelius was watching him leave, a sad look frowned upon his face as he slowly turned his head up to the sky. "It had to be him, didn't it?" he asked as he rubbed a hand over his face.

"Damn it..." he looked up into the sky as his mind wandered back two weeks ago when he visited his old Kingdom.

Two Weeks Earlier – Kingdom of Arcadia

The Kingdom of Arcadia was a shining example of peace and prosperity within the lands west of Vale and North of Vacuo. Airbuses and military vessels patrolled the sky as the banner of the Arcadian kingdom fluttered in the wind. In the centre of the city was 'The Citadel' a large castle with tall spires of ivory white and crimson banners that stood tall and proud over the city, it was a place of royalty and diplomacy. A true symbol of the hard work of the Arcadian bloodline and its people.

A man wearing a black hood and cloak walked towards the large castle as two guards who wore deep crimson armour and javelins instantly spotted the man and aimed their weapons at him.

"Halt! Identify yourself!" one of the said as the man merely held up his right arm and removed the gauntlet.

Under the Gauntlet was a mark with the Arcadian symbol on it, but this symbol had the small seven-point diamond shard at the bottom, with a lion's head over the top. The Symbol then glowed as the guards gasped. This signified him as part of the royal family and was designed in a way that could not be forged by other hands. Their eyes widened as they instantly bowed to the man.

"Forgive us, your majesty! We had no idea you would be returning so soon!" he said as the man waved his hand and they stood up.

"No need to apologise," he said as he removed his hood to reveal his face as Cornelius, "You were just performing your duties. Feel great honour in that," he said as he moved past them. "Please alert my son of my arrival, I need to speak with him in the throne room." He commanded as the guards nodded and contacted their commander.

Cornelius soon entered a large and long hall with high ceilings depicting ancient battles and moments in history. At the end of the hall was a large throne, gold in design and intricate like a tree growing from the earth. Standing before the throne was a tall man with blond hair, a matching beard and piercing blue eyes that commanded attention and authority.

Beside him was clearly a general as he stood wearing a dark blue uniform with multiple stars and stripes pinned to his chest, dark grey hair slicked back with small strands of silver mixed into the mass as it showed he was a man of years and experience. The most obvious however was the fact that he had two grey lion-like ears on the top of his head. Identifying him as a Faunus.

The blond man turned around as stared at the approaching man, "Father? this is unexpected, I didn't know you were coming to visit." He said as the old man chuckled at the man known as Roland.

"Yeah well, I thought I might as well check up on the place, see if you hadn't burnt the Kingdom to the ground," he said with a chuckle as Roland crossed his arms.

"Really? Last I remember mother had told me of how you 'accidentally' set fire to the entire western forest during your reign?" the old man chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his head.

"Ah, that was a long time ago, how was I supposed to know there was a large fire dust deposit there anyway? The Mantle Army was about to bombard us, I had to do something?" he said as the general and Roland rolled their eyes.

"In any case, it's good to see you again, Son. And Damon, how is your granddaughter?" the man asked as the ageing general nodded.

"She is doing well your Highness. She just joined Vigil Academy and she is set on becoming Grand-Sentinel in the Arcadian Army," he said with pride as the man smiled.

"Good to hear my friend, if she is as loyal to Arcadia as you are, then the Kingdom will be in safe hands. Now if you don't mind I need to speak with my son. It is a...private matter after all," he said as the general nodded and bowed to the two Kings. The two men watched the general leave the hall as soon they were the only ones left in the grand throne room.

"What is it you need to talk about, father?" Roland asked as the man continued to look at the door. "You would never ask to talk me alone, not unless it concerned the safety of Arcadia. Why have you returned so soon?" The man sighed as he turned back to his son.

"Roland... it involves your son, and 'it'" he said as Roland stiffened slightly and nodded.

"...I see...We should take this to 'that' place" he said as Cornelius moved around the throne and placed his hand on the symbol of Arcadia located behind the seat.

His hand glowed with his aura before the symbol glowed and then sunk into the wall. The sound of gears shifting and turning echoed in the throne room as a section of the wall slowly moved to reveal a large elevator. Enough for several people or so. The two silently walked into the elevator as it shot straight down, down to the lowest depths of the Kingdom.

When the elevator opened the two men walked into a large cavern with large crystals hanging from the ceiling, that illuminated the cavern in artificial light.

The cavern consisted off a large body of water, with an island in the centre of the cavern and on the island stood what looked like a large crystal tree with seven shard-like 'branches' stretching to the ceiling. At the base of the crystal was a stone casket with a knight's armour laying atop the stone, its armour old and dented with the symbol of two crests branded on a tattered cape that was folded neatly beside it.

The two men walked forward as Roland and Cornelius bowed, "Julius Arcadian, the founder of Arcadia," Cornelius said as he looked at the stone casket. "The man who gave us the lands we rule, and the responsibility that we now bare..." he said as Roland looked at the casket, then at his father.

"Why are we here father?" the older man placed his hand on the crystal as he sighed and turned to his son.

"It's the Ring..." he said as Roland looked down at the ring on his left hand. "I've come to give it to Jaune," his head instantly snapped back to his father as his eyes were wide in shock.

"What!" he yelled as his voice echoed in the cavern. "The Ring! Are you insane! Jaune's not ready for that kind of power!" he said as he marched over to the man. "It's not his time yet, he still has time before he is to be crowned King! Why would you want to give him the Ring of the Kings!?" Cornelius shook his head as he walked away from him.

"I don't," Roland frowned as he looked confused. "It's not my decision, it was the crystals," he said as they both looked at the large tree-like crystal that grew from the earth.

"As you know, this Crystal was the connection point between Julius and the Spectrum Goddess. But it also has a 'special' connection to our blood, one that only we can possess. It was through this that Julius spoke to the Goddess who granted him the Ring and allowed him to summon the Seven Guardians of Arcadia. It's because of him that these lands are protected from Grimm, and why we kept the knowledge secret from the other four..." he looked into the waters of the cavern as he stared at his reflection.

"But on his deathbed, he foretold to his descendants of a great 'cataclysm', one that would shake the very foundations of Remnant to its core. And why a 'True King' must be born, to fight alongside the chosen 'Seven' and bring balance to the world. It is why Arcadia still has a King, rather than submitting to laws of the Warrior King of Vale...even though he knew the reason." He turned back to his son as a grim look was plaster on his face.

"And about a month ago I had a dream from the crystal, or more like a vision, telling me that I have to give Jaune the Ring. I couldn't make it out clearly, but I know that the Crystal was contacting me..." he turned as he looked his son in the eye.

"Just like I know it has been reaching out to you"

Roland said nothing as he turned his head away. "It's been telling you the same thing, hasn't it? To give Jaune the Ring," Roland looked at the ring on his hand as the crystal shard shimmered in the steel.

"He's not ready... the power that Ring grants the user is far beyond anything a normal Huntsman can ever hope to achieve, he can't handle that kind of power, he needs more time."

"Not if you've seen the same vision, and I know you have. He might be the one to summon the Guardians again, he may be the 'True King' Julius foretold!" Roland shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Father, you know as well as I do that the Ring hasn't been able to summon any of the Guardians for the past two hundred years! None of our ancestors has been able to since Julius, they may not even be real at all! They could be just a myth!" Cornelius scowled as he pointed to the Crystal.

"And yet here we are! Standing at the source of the Ring's power! What more proof do you need!? Or are you intending to defy the will of the Goddess!"

"If it keeps him safe! Then yes!"

Suddenly the crystal shimmered with seven colours as the whole caverns seemed to shake, several beings seemed to slither beneath the water's surface before it stopped and the crystal returned to its crystalline white form. Both men stared in awe before Roland hung his head and looked at his hand, the ring staring back at him.

"Roland, son...it's our duty, it's what we were born to do, what all our ancestors were born to do. Prepare the 'True King' who will fight alongside the 'Chosen Eight' to bring balance between the Light and the Darkness...it is our destiny"

Roland said nothing as he gripped his ring finger, holding onto the ring that was wrapped around his finger.

"I... I just want to keep him safe... I don't...I don't want him to be burdened with such a responsibility. I-I don't want him to feel overwhelmed by this 'Destiny' our ancestor foretold...I just want him to have a normal life," an uncomfortable silence lingered between them as Cornelius sighed and nodded his head.

"...I understand your intentions son, I too at one time considered holding back your training, allow you to grow up with a somewhat normal life and be free of the burden that rests upon our family. But the thing I've learned about our family is that nothing will ever be normal. We are Kings and Queens that are charged with protecting Arcadia, the ones who the Goddess herself entrusted with her most powerful creation. And the stress that comes with such a task"

"But now It's time to hand the ring to its rightful wearer, to the one our ancestors foretold. And if he truly is the 'True King' then we must support him and help him on his journey with the 'Seven'..." he held out his hand as Roland looked at his ring.

"Then we must help him, not just for the sake of Arcadia...but for the sake of our world..." Roland stared at the ring as its brilliance shimmered before him. And with a simple pull, the ring was removed and he felt a great peaceful energy stir within him.

He held the ring in his hand as he stared at one last time before handing it to his father. The elder man held the ring between his fingers, the dark grey metal band and the white crystal glimmering with the golden crest brought him memories of his time wearing the ring.

Almost instinctively he felt the urge to place the ring back on his finger, the ring near the tip of his finger before a small shock zapped his finger.

"So, the legends are true? Once passed on, a former king can never wear it again," he said as Roland too stared at the ring. The elder man sighed as he took some string from his pocket and placed the ring around his neck.

"I'll send a message to my contacts in Vale, get them to keep an eye on Jaune. If by chance he decides to upgrade his gear, I will use that to contact him and gift him the ring."

"Will you tell him about the Rings power?" the man shook his head.

"...No, if word got out about how Arcadia has possessed a 'Magical Ring that can double a warrior's power' for the past two hundred years, every Kingdom in Remnant would be after it. For now, I will just let the Ring decide when it will reveal its true power. Like all Kings that came before him, he must figure this out for himself" Roland nodded as they moved towards the elevator.

"And if Jaune is the foretold 'True King'?" he asked as Cornelius sighed.

"...Then may the Gods have mercy on us..."

The Present – Vale – Beacon Academy

Jaune walked in silence as he made his way back to his dorm room, the day's events still running through his mind as felt the weight of his new gear and the significance of the story his grandfather made him remember.

The First King of Arcadia, the Guardian Spirits that he commanded and the ring that was gifted to him from a goddess.

It was a lot for him to process. His eyes wandered back to ring that now rested on his finger as the white crystal shimmered in the light. Was it just a story? Or was his grandfather trying to tell him something?

And if so, why give it to him?

He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "It's just like my grandpa to leave me a riddle I have to figure out on my own. I am starting to think he likes to just mess with me on purpose?"

An image of his grandfather's smirking face came back as he brushed it aside he finally made it back to the dorm room as grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. The first thing he came across was Nora, as she was bouncing aimlessly on her bed, with her partner and childhood friend sitting on his bed reading another help book.

"Jaune! You're back!" Pyrrha said with a happy voice as she got up from her bed and walked towards him. "What kept you so long?" she asked as Jaune chuckled nervously.

"Sorry I am late, I ran into an old friend in town on my way back."

"Really, who?" she asked as Jaune only shrugged.

"Just an old friend from my hometown, he's only staying for the night, just wanted to catch up a little," he said as Pyrrha nodded, while Nora leant on the edge of her bed.

"How did it go? Pyrrha told us you got new weapons and armour?" Nora asked as she stopped bouncing on the bed to look at him. "Ooo~, nice armour, kind of suits you," she said as she inspected the armour while Jaune blushed slightly at the praise.

"You think? I was just trying out something different?" he said as Ren looked up from his book as he too noted his leaders change of wardrobe.

"It does look more durable than your last one," he then spotted the sword as he pointed at it. "You upgraded your sword as well?" he said as Jaune nodded and drew the sword.

Next time he had the chance, he would properly thank Sylvia for doing an amazing job on the blade.

The new cross guard was more elaborate, with the shield now accented with a golden trim that complemented the white of the metal. And while the sword did feel heavier than before, it was polished and sharpened to a brilliant new shine. It was as if the blade was just reforged from the fires and fresh off the anvil.

It was truly a beautiful blade, one worthy of the next King of Arcadia.

"Whoa, that looks cool, really suits you, oh fearless leader. Thou personally I would have added a grenade launcher," Nora said as Jaune simply stared at his reflection in the blade.

"I think you look amazing Jaune," Pyrrha said as Jaune turned to his partner and nodded.

"Thanks, Pyrrha, that really means a lot," Pyrrha felt a warm happiness at his words. As Jaune sheathed his blade into its sheath he noticed that the weight of the sheath was slightly heavier now and it caused him to think of a new idea for an upgrade, but decided to hold off until later. For now, he was tired, and he just wanted to rest.

"Well, it's late and I think we just go to bed, no telling what will happen tomorrow?" Jaune said as they all agreed and went to sleep.

Changing into their night clothes and resting in their beds. As the lights went out and the four warriors in training went to sleep, none realised what would later unfold as the ring on Jaune's finger softly glowed with a white light, then multiple lights before softly fading into the darkness of the dorm room.

Deep with Jaune's being, within the subconscious portions of his soul, the armoured knight slowly looked up at the tree behind him suddenly began to harden and morph until it was a large crystalline tree, like the one hidden beneath Arcadia. Several loud roars and voices echoing amongst the endless watery plain as seven lights softly illuminated upon the branches of the tree.

The Knight nodded as it remained put in his place. The sword in its hands shifting and changing into the updated Crocea Mors with the ring now resting firmly on his armoured left finger as the knight seemed to smile in approval.

"The key has been passed, and the locks are shifting...soon my King, the time of your Ascension will come..."

And Scene, well here is Chapter V of Ascension of a King. I will not lie, I had a hard time trying to continue this story. But thanks to FFXV I got some new inspiration and am ready to continue this story, in the name of FANDOM! ...sorry, needed to get that out.

Anyway, thanks for waiting for me and hope you all enjoyed this chapter, just finished University, like forever, and now have more free time to work on my other stories. Unless I get calls from work, fanfiction can't bring home the bacon. Ps, the story is still set before Season 2 so RWBY and the others have not headed to Mount Glenn yet, I plan on sending JNPR with them as back, with some plans for the Ring.

So, now that Jaune has the Ring of Kings what will this mean for out hidden prince? Will Jaune be able to defeat Cardin in his next match? And will his family be making any more surprise visits to Vale? And will it unleash unknown chaos on his 'normal life'? The answer to all these questions will be revealed...right now.

Yep, most defiantly and Oh my yes...

Stay tuned for Chapter VI: Cardin's Defeat and befriending a Cat.