8Chapter Summary: What would you do to have the 'one thing' that really mattered to you brought back into your life? Would you sell your soul? Sacrifice another innocent for it? Or...cut the very fabric of space and time (even if by accident) into an alternate universe, and bring back that 'one thing'? Well, if you're Jaune Arc, then the third option is exactly what you should exactly do over the former two.
Prologue:
I will always be with you
Continent of Anima
Six months after the Fall of Beacon.
It had been a long six months since the day that everything changed for everyone who attended the once great Beacon Hunter Academy. Eight months since everyone lost a piece of their innocence, as the great school was overrun by the creatures of Grimm and White Fang grunts, and Beacon Tower was destroyed with efforts by the Kingdom of Vale to repair it failing miserably.
Thus, the incident became known as the Fall of Beacon.
Of course...for one called Jaune Arc, it was the night that he learned that his partner, the famed tournament duelist Pyrrha Nikos, had shown her feelings to him, and the said Arc finally realizing it. Only for the moment to be VERY short-lived as he was unwillingly sent away by the red-haired champion, and the said girl dying soon after, fighting the one behind the attack in the first place...Cinder Fall.
For Jaune, he didn't just lose a piece of his innocence. To him, he lost everything.
While he had good memories of Pyrrha, including their first meeting, her unlocking his aura, their training sessions on the roof, and finally, his most cherished, dancing together in the Ballroom, they all only served to remind him of how much of a dunce he was for not seeing how strongly she felt about him sooner, and how he unintentionally pushed her away.
And then there was the kiss, the first and last kiss the two of them will ever share, and her final words to him before throwing him into a rocket locker and sending him away. That kiss will forever leave a scar on him, something no one can see with the naked eye, till the day he dies.
Right now, at the moment, Jaune, along with what's left of Team JNPR, along with their good friend from their sister team, Ruby Rose, had just left the village of Shion, after it, according to the Huntsman they found who later died of his wounds, was attacked by a double combination consisting of a bandit tribe and a horde of Grimm that wiped out the whole village, and destroyed the airship they were intending to use to get to Mistral.
Seeing all the dead bodies, the destroyed buildings, and watching yet ANOTHER life be snuffed out in front of them, brought back terrible memories of that night.
Of how he lost Pyrrha...
Though a part of him wanted to move on, Jaune knew he will just mess up again, as usual, and break another girl's heart.
He sighed mentally, remembering those damn words he said to Pyrrha when he tried to help the Mistralian, after seeing her depressed and troubled. Only for her to start talking about Destiny, and after...'encouraging' her to not let anything stand in the way of her 'Destiny', her reaction told him that he'd screwed up...bad.
'Worst. Comforting. Words. Ever.,' he thought somberly, 'Of all time."
Then, came the match between her and Penny, which ended tragically, with Pyrrha being manipulated into accidentally killing the robot girl.
And then...all Hell broke loose.
The Grimm and the White Fang show up after that woman spoke on the CCT screen, causing chaos and death in both Vale and at Beacon. It was later made worse when, somehow, the Atlesian Knight robot soldiers were hacked and then turned on them.
Of course, things then became more mysterious when during the middle of the battle, Ozpin came and took Pyrrha down below the school, and Jaune, out of curiosity and concern for Pyrrha, followed them. That was where things began to get more and more weird for him.
A girl in some kind of pod...
Golden light...
Pyrrha getting into the other pod, and her scream of pain following that, after being covered by the said light.
And then the woman behind it all, Cinder Fall, shows up, kills the girl in the first pod, stopping whatever was happening and taking whatever power it was that she held, and Ozpin telling them to leave to get help.
...It all just happened way too fast.
And then, came the moment when he last saw her, alive. Her telling the Arc to head to Vale to get help while she stayed behind to stall the Fallen Maiden. He tried to convince her not to do it, only for her to kiss him quite passionately.
And then...after they finished and his eyes were finally opened...she said those two words that still continue to haunt him.
"I'm sorry,"
Jaune fought to keep his composure, and keep back the tears threatening to come out. He couldn't let the others see him break down now.
However, one of their group did notice. And they felt, that it was partially their fault, for not saving Pyrrha in time. And that someone was Ruby Rose herself, as she looked at her first friend from Beacon.
Ever since the Fall, and the death of Pyrrha, she had noticed the signs of obvious depression, despite Jaune's best efforts to cover it up with a friendly smile. However, her Uncle Qrow drilled it into her to always look for the details.
Though he was getting better in the last half year, seeing what happened to Shion had no doubt reminded him of what happened that night.
"Jaune," the red hooded prodigy spoke out as she reached out and placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder, causing him to jump slightly and looked at his first friend from Beacon.
"Yeah, Ruby?" he hesitantly asked, "What is it?"
Ruby's silver eyes showed great concern as she looked at the blonde knight.
"Are you okay?" she asked, "You've been like this ever since we saw what happened to Shion."
Jaune was quiet for a moment as he took in some breaths to calm himself down.
"Yeah...I'm fine Ruby," he said, and noticed the girl's look that told she wasn't buying it, and it caused him to sigh, "Look Ruby, it's okay, don't worry about me.
He then turned away from her, as he kept on walking, "Like I said before...I'm just tired of losing everything,"
Ruby stopped for a moment, as she watched Jaune walk away, leaving her greatly worried.
"...Jaune...,"
She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Ren and Nora, with the latter with his hand on her shoulder, while both had looks of great concern for their team leader.
"Even though it's been months, he's still in mourning," Ren said, "I'm not the type to tell him to stop...but I know that if he doesn't move on soon, I'm afraid he just might follow Pyrrha into the Afterlife."
Both girls winced at that, both of them not liking the idea of the blonde knight dying on them.
"Wh...what do we do?" Nora said in worry, "We...we already lost Pyrrha and that was hurtful enough...I...I can't bear it if we lost Jaune, too,"
Ruby placed her hand on the older girl, "I agree with you Nora...but, like Ren said, none of us has the heart to tell him to just stop and forget about her,"
They all nodded before they continued to walk forward to catch up with their friend.
However...unknown to Team RNJR, there were others who were also concerned for the mourning knight.
Hours Later
Nighttime
Silver eyes groggily opened as Ruby awakes from another dream she had of that night months ago. Where she watched as one of her closest friends died right in front of her.
Only the strange thing was, she kept hearing Pyrrha's voice desperately calling out to Jaune.
Ruby didn't know why she was having these dreams.
One reason could be that she hadn't fully come to terms with the late champion's death yet.
She then closed her eyes as she attempted to go back to sleep.
"...Jaune...,"
Ruby gasped as her eyes snapped back open, and she sat up in her sleeping bag.
'Pyrrha!?' she thought in shock and confusion, as she looked around, spotting Ren and Nora still in their sleeping bags, but when her eyes landed on Jaune's she saw that it was empty, with the Arc nowhere in sight.
Before she could call out to him, she heard Pyrrha's voice once again.
"Alright Jaune...ust like we practic...ollow these instruction...,"
She blinked in confusion as she stood up her bed, carefully sneaking away from the camp in order to avoid waking Ren and Nora, before proceeding to follow the late Mistralian's voice.
As she walked through the woods, being as quiet as possible, while the fireflies buzzed softly around her, their luminescent bodies acting as a guide for Ruby. As one flew next to her, she held her hand, smiling slightly as the insect buzzed around her finger tips before flying off.
Ruby returned her focus to the voice, as she approached a oak tree and moved around it, only to duck back behind it, and her face contorting to a sad frown as she saw Jaune, with his weapons drawn, and his scroll...originally Pyrrha's scroll, was placed on a stump not too far, and on it, was a video recording of the said girl...before the calamity that was the Fall of Beacon took place.
"Alright Jaune, just like we practiced. Follow these instructions:..." the recording said, and Ruby watched on as it began to instruct.
"Shield up."
Jaune did that as he rose his shield up, with his sword also raised in readiness.
"Keep your grip tight."
Jaune's hold on his sword tightened, as his gauntlet creaked in exertion.
"Don't forget to keep your front foot forward,"
The said limb shifted slightly, placing Jaune into a perfect position.
"Ready? ...Go!"
With that said, Jaune stabbed forward, while giving a yell.
"Again!"
Jaune then delivered a diagonal slash, the strength behind it that causing a wave of air to form and fly off into the woods.
"And again!"
Jaune swung around, before doing the same thing, this slash much stronger, and showed more emotion. The effort seemed to exhaust the Arc, as he gasped and wheezed.
"Okay...," Pyrrha said, while giggling slightly, "Assuming that you aren't cheating...we can take a break."
Jaune stood back up, and Ruby watched from her hiding spot as Jaune's face morphed into pain and sadness, causing her heart to wince in agony at her friend's loss.
"I know this can be frustrating...," Pyrrha's recording continued, as her partner and team leader turned to look at it, "And it can feel like so much effort to progress in such a small amount. But...I want to you know that I'm proud of you. I've never met someone so determined to better themselves. You've grown so much since we started training. And I know that this is just the beginning."
Ruby and Jaune then watched as Pyrrha looked to the side, a conflicted and...rather shy look on her face before she spoke.
"Jaune...I...I...," she stammered, unsure of what to say to him, while Ruby watched, looking at Jaune as he waited for her to say the words she wanted to say, his face practically pleading her to say it, but alas..., "I just want you know that I'm happy to be a part of your life."
Ruby actually winced as Jaune deflated in disappointment and longing, showing clearly it wasn't what he waiting for.
"I'll always be here for you Jaune," She said, before the recording stopped and rewound itself, as Jaune stood there, his expression showing it all, guilt, and heartbreak.
The message replayed itself, and Ruby, knowing that she had seen enough, decided to leave Jaune alone to train... And grieve. Sure she could've helped him, but she knew when not to step on boundaries she shouldn't cross. As she left, she could still hear Pyrrha's voice instructing the knight, as his yells of exertion echoed through the forest.
'I should've been faster,' she thought regretfully as she continued her way back to the campsite.
Back with Jaune, he had just finished his last bout, before he collapsed to his knees, gasping heavily, all the while listening to the rest of Pyrrha's message, before it rewound itself again.
'Why...?' he thought miserably, 'Why didn't I see it sooner? ...Why didn't she tell me?'
His mind traveled back to the many times they interacted with one another, and as he went through those memories, his heart ached as he remembered that he did see it before...the dance, their moment by the cafeteria. And the words that Pyrrha spoke to him, when he found out that no one asked her out to the dance.
'I'm an idiot...I'm such a fucking idiot!' he raged mentally, blaming himself for his stupidity. All the while, praying to anybody to bring her back and give her and him a second chance. But, he knew that there will be no God, fake or real, who would answer his prayers.
Then, his mind went to the person who killed his partner. The one who ruined Pyrrha's reputation, sullied her image, and murdered her in cold blood...
...Cinder Fall.
He began gritting his teeth, as the thought of that ashen haired, ambered eyed bitch smirking in triumph as she shot an arrow into Pyrrha's heart, all the while burning her corpse to ash, denying her friends and family a body to mourn. His blood boiled in anger at the audacity of what that woman did to his partner...the girl who actually loved a guy like him, and whom he failed to love in return until it was too late.
'I swear...,' he vowed, '...I swear...I will hunt you down, and I will make you regret what you did to Pyrrha. I'll make you pay for what you did to her! You understand me!? An Arc never goes back on his word...and this is definitely one promise I intend to keep! Even if it kills me, I don't care! I'll make you pay!'
"I'll make you pay," he growled, as he stood, before taking in some breaths, "I'll make you pay!"
He then raised his sword again as he gave a shout of fury, imagining seeing the fire mistress right in front of him, all the while, unknown to him, channeling his aura into his sword, "I'LL MAKE YOU PAY~!"
With that he slashed forward, the aura in his blade sent forth like a bullet from Ruby's Crescent Rose. It flew about a meter, chopping down trees before exploding in a flash of light, causing Jaune to close his eyes in order to shield them from the intense brightness. A few seconds passed before the brightness toned down enough for him to open his eyes again, only for them to widen at what he was now seeing in front of him.
"W...What the?" he managed to gasp out, as what appeared to be a shimmering 'rip' in the air before him…
"...I can't stand this anymore..."
"He suffers so needlessly… we must do something..."
"While it is in our power to ease his suffering, our brother would stop us if we intervened in that particular way… just like before..."
"Our brothers qualms devastated this world once before, and refused to take responsibility. If they will not, we will… and I know how..."
"Sister?"
"We may not be able to change what we would like… but we can create something new… a new path, one which will cross with their own… "
"But… to do such would-"
"The balance of life and death will be preserved, so our brothers need not worry if they discover this… it is time space and time had their way with this world as well..."
"...I can only hope you two know what you are doing..."
"Only one way to find out… now we simply need to give him a little… push… "
Jaune just stood where he was as he gazed at the swirling vortex, unable to comprehend on what just happened. Just a minute ago, he was practicing his combat forms with help from Pyrrha's instructional recording for him, and now this happened.
"What's going on here?" He asked himself in confusion, "Is...is this my semblance?"
However, his current thought was derailed, as he heard something...or someone from the vortex...one he thought he'd never hear alive ever again.
"...W-What'll I do? How...how could this have happened?"
He froze at that voice, as his eyes widened in shock.
"N...N-no way...P...Pyrrha?" he gasped out, thinking he was hearing things. But then he was shocked again when the familiar voice of his partner answered back.
"...Jaune?"
Hearing her voice answer Jaune began feeling something in his heart he hadn't felt in months...
...hope.
He then felt his face getting wet, due to the tears of happiness he was shedding. His heart beating with renewed vigor.
But then he noticed that the rip was beginning to shrink, causing his eyes to widen in panicked alarm.
"No...NO!" he yelled before he ran toward the rip and...not even taking concern for his own well being, shoved his arm through the hole. "Pyrrha! If you can hear my voice, please listen to me! If you see the same thing I do, reach your hand inside, and I'll grab it! Please hurry!"
He stood there as the rip got smaller and smaller, and Jaune's heart dropped as it did...fearing he would have to pull his arm out and lose Pyrrha forever.
'Please...Please...Please, please, please, pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease PLEASE!' he begged mentally, and then was about to decide pull his arm out...
...before he felt another, familiar, hand grab onto his.
Without thinking twice, and not waiting a second longer, he gave one hard pull.
The result, was a figure being pulled from the rip, and just a second later, the rip closed, and the two landed on the ground with a loud thud, and two sets of groans.
"Oh man...," Jaune groaned painfully, "...that was...,"
He was cut off when the figure, who he felt was on top of him spoke.
"J...Jaune?"
The knight's eyes snap open, before he looks forward, and he's frozen solid at what he was seeing before him...
Red hair in a familiar ponytail, fair pale skin, and green eyes that looked like emeralds, but looked like they had lost their shine, but it was slowly coming back. Her armor, though still looking the same, looked like it was modified, with her now wearing a skin tight long sleeved shirt, her armored corset now modified with a top that covered the exposed area of her chest, two pauldrons on her shoulders, another vambrace on her right forearms, and an armored short skirt, the red sash now acting as a shoulder cape. The one thing that remained the same...was the circlet that rested on her head.
He then felt a hand touch his face, and then he hesitantly returned the gesture, hoping this wasn't a dream.
"Jaune...is it you? Is it really you?" Pyrrha asked again, as her gloved hand gripped the one caressing her face while he did the same with hers. Jaune gasped out, as tears leaked from his eyes before he suddenly sat up and brought the redhead that was his partner into a embrace, causing the girl to gasp herself in shock.
"Pyrrha!" he sobbed out as he just holds her, which he soon felt her returning the gesture as he wrapped her arms around his neck. Jaune then nuzzled into the crook of her neck before he began speaking. "You're back...you're really back,"
With the said girl, Pyrrha blinked in confusion as she heard those words.
But, right now...she didn't care as she continued to hold the Paladin, while shedding tears of happiness of her own.
"Jaune! Jaune what happened!?" came the shout of the Rose reaper herself as she came back after hearing the noise, "What was that noi-,"
Her words died in her throat, as her silver eyes widened in total shock and disbelief at what she was seeing before her...
"Wha...wha...wha...?" was all she managed to whisper out, all the while seeing a living, breathing, and not so burned to ashes, Pyrrha Nikos, being held in a desperate embrace by her fellow leader. She was so shocked that she didn't hear the voices of Ren and Nora as they ran toward her.
"Ruby! Ruby what happened!? Where's Jaune?!" shouted Ren, "Is he alright!? What happ-,"
Ren's own question died in his throat, as he and Nora arrived, and their expressions matched that of Ruby's as they spotted their leader holding onto, what they believed, was their deceased teammate.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...PYRRHA!?"
Patriot-112: *Sniffs* Not gonna lie...even a grown man can be reduced to tears. *Blows nose with a tissue* Ahh, okay, hope you all enjoyed that folks. Had help from 117Jorn, who without him, I would be lost.
Hope you all enjoyed this, see ya at the next chapter.
