[RWBY] A Character Arc: Jaune Arc RWBY SI BS Revised

[AJ_Talon]

[RWBY] Jaune BS Self Insert

A Jaune Arc self insert. How original.

forum.questionablequesting.com

---

Everyone knows the story of an isekai. Some loser gets transported to another world where he can be a hero. It's a tale that's over a century old, from The Wizard of Oz and A Princess of Mars to modern-day Japan. And it can be a hell of a lot of fun, or terrible, or brilliant.

This? I don't even know what the hell kind of story this is, because the original never finished in my world… and frankly? It kind of sucked.

I do know how it began. With a loser.

Well, not a total loser. Okay, I was a thirty-something American man who didn't have a wife or kids yet because of a number of reasons. Being a socially awkward nerd who obsessed too much over anime and science fiction (and struggled to be a novelist while writing a lot of fanfiction) was definitely one of those. But I did have a good job, good friends, and had dodged a bullet by not marrying some illegal immigrant after a green card. So no, I wasn't some awkward Japanese high schooler or businessman.

I had admittedly struggled a lot in life for various reasons—some my fault, some the fault of genetics, some the fault of this twenty-first-century hellscape we call civilization—but I was a proud American, a (mostly) good Christian, and I tried to be a good, kind person. Nothing really out of the ordinary.

So when I saw a kid from the daycare at the college campus I worked on rushing into traffic in front of a speeding Uber… what else was I supposed to do but try to save him?

I wasn't really thinking about anything other than saving the kid. I winced when I felt the car hit me, cried out… and everything went black.

When I came to, I was hanging from a tree in a huge forest in a truly magnificent valley. I blinked.

What.

I looked at my hands… hands wearing gloves with white greaves.

WHAT.

I rummaged around. I had… a cellphone that unfurled? I did so, saw a lot of messages and apps I didn't understand… hesitated… then checked the one I could make sense of—the camera.

I stared into it.

Jaune Arc from RWBY stared back.

"…WHAT THE HELL?!"

I gaped at… My face. Opened and closed my mouth. Turned my face back and forth.

Reached up to ruffle my hair. Yeah… Yeah… That was me. This was me.

This was all me.

"WHAT?! WHAT?! WHAT?!" I screamed again, panting desperately. "Nonononononono…!"

How… Why… What in… WHAT?!

I saw a sliver of white below. I focused. A beautiful, white haired girl in white picked through the forest. She looked up at me, her gorgeous blue eyes staring up at me. Even with a slight scar over her left eye didn't diminish her beauty-Enhanced it, really.

The jumble in my brain of memories and emotions managed to crystallize. Weiss Schnee.

From RWBY too… Just as she was in Volume 1… In Initiation…

I held up a hand and waved frantically.

"H-Hey! HEY! Help me! Help! Get me down!"

The girl's nose wrinkled like she'd smelled something foul. She shook her head.

"Nope," she stated succinctly, before turning and walking right back.

I gaped at her. The jumble of my memories and feelings pulled together.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FU-?! ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!"

---

Pyrrha Nikos moved through the forest with the quiet confidence of someone who had already decided the outcome of the day. The trees were dense here, the canopy thick enough that the midday sun only filtered through in scattered gold. She had thrown her spear with perfect accuracy, pinning a boy to the trunk of a massive oak before he could hit the ground. That should have been the end of it—simple rescue, simple team formation. Instead, the boy was still up there when she arrived, and the look on his face was not the usual mix of gratitude and embarrassment she expected from him.

He looked terrified. Like his world had collapsed around him.

She tilted her head, offering the same small, practiced smile she used on cameras and interviewers. "Hello, Jaune… Is there still room for me on your team?"

The answer came out strained. "…Yes."

Pyrrha's smile faltered. She stepped closer, reached up, and carefully pulled the spear free with her Semblance. The boy dropped to the ground and immediately folded, hands on his knees, breathing hard. His whole body shook.

Pyrrha's frowned deepened in concern.

"Um… Sorry about the—"

"Saving me?" He cut her off, voice cracking. "No, thanks, that was great. Holy shit, what was this idiot thinking?! That was terrifying! And why do I have sneakers?! WHAT FUCKER BECOMES A HERO IN SNEAKERS?!"

Pyrrha blinked. He kept muttering under his breath, words tumbling out too fast for her to catch all of them. Something about Hell. Something about God's punishment. Something about starting over in a show. Then he groaned, both hands flying to his head as if something had just slammed into the inside of his skull.

"…Holy shit… So that's canon. I don't even know what the hell to think about that… Or that… Or… Wha…?"

"Um, Jaune?"

He jerked upright like she'd startled him out of a dream. For a second he just stared at her, eyes wide and a little wild. Then the panic settled into something quieter and more exhausted.

"Ummm… Look. I know we just met and I was kind of a douche, but… Can I please have a hug?"

Pyrrha felt heat climb her neck. She had been hugged by fans, by teammates, by her parents. This felt different—raw, almost desperate. She hesitated only a heartbeat before stepping in and wrapping her arms around him. He was taller than she expected up close, and he smelled like forest and fear and something faintly metallic she couldn't place. He relaxed the moment she held him, a long, shaky breath leaving his body.

"Thanks…" He pulled back carefully, looking suddenly self-conscious. "Oh crap, now this feels creepy."

"Why?" Pyrrha asked, "Did I-?" Jaune shook his head rapidly.

"Nonono! This is… Ugh… Um…"

He cleared his throat, straightened, and met her eyes with deliberate seriousness. "An-Anyway… Um… Pyrrha? I'm gonna level with you here… My Aura is not unlocked."

That stopped her cold. She had suspected, of course… But for him to come right out and say it…

"Oh?"

"Yeah. My mom was… Holy shit, that's canon too?! I just made that up! How—Questions for later. Anyway! My mom was going to unlock it for me when I went to medical school… Which is where I'm supposed to be right now, but I wanted to be a Hunter and so, uh… Here I am."

He winced.

"You… Can probably guess a lot of the rest… And if you want to blow me in… I get it."

Pyrrha studied him. Defying parents was something she understood more than most people realized. She'd defied hers to come here.

She nodded slowly. "I… I see. Defying your parents is… Is difficult."

"Yup…" He looked almost hopeful. "You do have parents, right? Like, you know their names? Faces? History?"

The question was strange enough that concern flickered through her again. "Yes?"

"Oh thank God…" Relief washed over his face so strongly it was almost painful to watch. "Anyway! If you could do me a solid and unlock my Aura, I promise I will not slow you down. I just… I really want to be a Hunter and help people, like my family before me. Can you help me, please?"

Something in the way he asked—honest, almost pleading without being pathetic—made her smile for real this time. "I'd be happy to, Jaune."

He smiled back, and for the first time since she found him, the terror in his eyes eased.

She pressed her hand to his chest, and recited the chant she knew by heat, surging her Aura into Jaune's. Their souls briefly touched:

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee…"

Strange… For a moment it felt like two souls inside him… Yet the power unleashed was unmistakable. She released her hold over his chest, as he panted for breath.

"I… W-Wow… That… That is a rush," he murmured. He smiled so warmly it made her heart pound, just a little. "Pyrrha… Thanks. I promise… I won't let you down."

Pyrrha smiled back, the warmth of their soul connection lightly pinking her cheeks.

"I know you won't."

---

Sooo… I was Jaune Arc. Jaune. Fucking. ARC.

The accidental main character of the (at best) mid CGI action anime-esque show.

Created by the talented and sadly deceased Monty Oum. In a world written by idiots and with the most radioactive and toxic fandom that ever existed until Hazbin Hotel came along.

The guy who was the first choice for a generic harem lead in RWBY fanfic.

(Which I was familiar with because I had written more than a few of them. And maybe 2 percent of them weren't terrible!)

Holy shit… How? Why?!

I had no idea… But I wasn't just me anymore. I was him.

I mean… I had this Jaune's memories.

And the memories of the universe were merged with my fanfiction worldbuilding. Or at least some of it. Maybe? I wasn't sure about all the details, and just based on my memory I couldn't make any assumptions.

(It wasn't hard to fill up worldbuilding when Rooster Teeth had only done the bare minimum-And the dumbest possible way.)

That said… Damn… I hadn't expected this after death. Not some kind of weird isekai…

"Jaune?"

Shit, at least I didn't have a cellphone. Well I did, in the form of a Scroll. Shit…

"Jaune?"

Maybe I was more like Kazuma from Konosuba? Lucky but also unlucky?

"JAUNE!"

I started and looked over at Pyrrha, who looked concerned and was pointing her weapon to my left. I looked where she was pointing.

"Yes Pyrrha-?"

A dark, monstrous-looking wolf thing lunged out of the underbrush and snapped onto my wrist.

"What the-?!"

Oh, that's a Grimm, a part of my brain pointed out. It looked… Way scarier than I thought it would. A monstrous parody of a wolf all in black, little… Ethereal bites waving from its fur, its red eyes glowing in the white bone mask. Its razor sharp teeth digging into my gauntlet.

I expected pain, agony…

Only for it to just… Gnaw at my wrist, an energy field glowing against it around my skin, like glass. I felt… A warmth in my chest, that was also my arm…?

Woah… Aura… I felt a little detached. Like it was happening to someone else.

"JAUNE!" Pyrrha shouted urgently.

Oh… I need to deal with that… What do my instincts say?

I beat the Grim in the face as hard as I could with the pommel of my sword. Then again, and again, and again-

"MOTHERFUCKER! LET! GO! YOU! GODDAMNED! ASSHOLE!"

The bonemask shattered. The damn thing kept holding on. I smashed it again, and again, until the braincase shattered. The Beowulf dissolved into smoke and ashes, blown away in the wind.

I took deep breaths, glaring at the remnants. Pyrrha rested a hand on my wrist.

"Jaune? Are you okay?"

I shook my head.

"WHY THE FUCK DO THEY LOOK SO MUCH SCARIER?! IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FREAKING ANIME CGI!"

Pyrrha blinked, staring at me like I was insane. Which, from her perspective, was pretty much the case. I slowly nodded.

"I'm fine… Fine… Just uh… I'm… I'm okay." I paused.

"... Pointy end goes into the Grimm, right?"

"Well," Pyrrha smiled, nodding at the pommel of my sword, "That works too?"

I sighed.

"Right, right…"

More Grimm roared out of the underbrush. I held up my shield and sword.

I knew what I was. Even with Aura unlocked… I was not much more than a target. Especially compared to Pyrrha. The Grimm couldn't hurt me as easily (At least the small ones) and I could hurt them… But that was it.

Well then… There was only one role my gamer ass could play.

"I'll draw them to me, you knock them down!" I shouted. "And let's keep moving!"

Pyrrha smiled and nodded. "Yes!"

It wasn't much, but it was a plan. And that's better than nothing.

I'd have my existential freak out later. There were monsters to slay.

---

 

[AJ_Talon]

We made it to the cave where in the show, Jaune had woken up a Deathstalker. That wasn't intentional, we'd had to go towards the mountains due to the terrain. The moment I spotted the cave though, I detoured hard. I could just barely make out the temple dome some distance away.

"Sorry for the roundabout way," I whispered to Pyrrha. Pyrrha smiled and shook her head.

"It's all right. It is beautiful around here, isn't it?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," I nodded, "It is at that."

Of course our surroundings were beautiful but the horrible soulless monsters around were a bit of a bummer. Still! We avoided the worst of it. I was feeling pretty good, too-We'd run into a fair number of weak Grimm, but me as the bait/tank and Pyrrha as the competent one had dealt with them.

I felt moderately less useless and less terrified. Moderately.

I stumbled again over some rocks and cursed.

"I need boots," I muttered, "First thing."

"Couldn't hurt," Pyrrha advised as we got to the cliff overlooking the

Now, as for looks… Well… It was all "real". Like, actually real. Not like being in a video game. And Pyrrha… Yeah, she was absolutely beautiful. Tall, curvy and athletic, like a goddess come to life.

So naturally I kept my eyes on her eyes as much as possible, no matter how distracting she was. Damn…

Not something to focus on! Focus on survival!

Geez, teenaged hormones were something else.

I really didn't want to ruminate on the metaphysics of this situation. Brooding over stuff would just get me killed. Definitely me killed because I was a scrub.

I mean I was tall, strong, and the Aura let me take hits… But Pyrrha? She was a creature of grace. Of speed and power, she walked like a panther. A sexy panther-DAMNIT HORMONES!

We made it to the temple, hopping over the stone pillars to the domed structure.

Yang was… Okay, wow. Again, her smile just made me catch my breath. Blake… Yeah, okay. She was hot. Probably knew it. I looked around as Yang laughed.

"Guess we're the first here, VB and Cereal Girl!"

"Yeah, yeah, that's us," I said, rubbing the back of my head, "Sooo… Grab the relics, wait for everyone else, and get out of dodge. That's my plan, you're free to use it too."

Yang grins. "Aw, initiation already too much for you, Vomit Boy?"

"No, I just want to get back and out of the man eating monster infested forest. Grab a shower, chill out," I said. I nodded to Blake. "Yo. I'm Jaune Arc, that's Pyrrha Nikos, nice to meet you-Blake right?"

The not so well hidden cat Faunus blinked at me and nodded slightly. Or maybe it was a trick of the light. I nodded back.

"Cool, cool…"

Not even going to mess with that hot mess. No sir. Not at all.

"Nice to meet you," Pyrrha contributed, "Both of you! But I agree, let's get going as soon as everyone else arrives."

"Guess you don't have the stomach for a long fight," Yang deadpanned. I winced-Okay, I totally remembered throwing up on her… Or Jaune throwing up-Him-Me-Problem for another time! I walked into the temple proper and looked at the stone table.

I found the rook piece, and grabbed it off the table. I sighed and swung around as I tucked it into one of my saddlebags. I would have preferred the knight but what can you do?

"Again, very sorry for that. I will buy you new boots," I said. Yang blinked.

"Wait, really?"

"Yes, really," I said. I held up a hand as her face lit up. "At the same price as your current ones. I have seven sisters, I know how you can find loopholes in promises."

Yang made an innocent look. "Would I do that-?"

"Yes," I stated flatly, "Yes you would."

Yang gave me a scowl.

"How do you know that-?"

"Seven. Sisters," I stated flatly. "Also Ruby is a blabbermouth," I added quickly to try and cover my tracks. Yang sighed.

"Yeah, she is…" She shook her head and smirked, which… Did things to my stomach. "Deal."

"Cool, cool," I said with a nod. "We can take Ruby along, buy her cookies."

Yang scowled.

"Why do we need to bring Ruby along?"

"Oh, well," I hesitated. It had been a flippant remark, why was she upset?

"Ya know… Um-"

Thankfully, there was a rumble in the distance. A Grimm Ursa burst into view, an orange haired girl and a black haired boy in green riding it. The orange haired girl was whooping happily, before she slammed the Ursa face first into one of the stone pillars, and it stopped moving. It slowly began to dissolve.

"Aw, it broke!" The girl whined. She looked up and grinned. "Hey new friends!"

I smiled and waved.

"Hey Nora, hey Ren," I greeted. Nora blinked.

"How does he know our names?" She whispered. "Does he know the future?"

"Why are you whispering like that, I can hear you," I deadpanned back. Nora gasped.

"HE'S PSYCHIC! Oh look, old shaped rocks!"

Nora jumped off the dissolving Grimm and bounced around the temple, chattering excitedly. I looked at Ren, who shrugged.

"Nice to meet you," Ren said with a bow, "I am Ren Lie. That is Nora Valkyrie."

"How did you know?" Pyrrha asked, curious. I shrugged, trying to look casual.

"I just… Eavesdrop a lot. Ya know. Remember the most random things, like the kissing number of a sombrero-shaped universe."

Much staring. I shrugged again, waving my hand vaguely.

"It's eleven. In case you wanted to know… If the universe was shaped like a sombrero that's… It's number…" I shook my head and put my hand down. "Nevermind."

Nora hummed. "A sombrero shaped universe? I guess I could live with that… Ooh! Or a fedora!"

"Too complex mathematically," I deadpanned.

Nora scowled.

"You're too complex mathematically!"

"Probably," I agreed. "Anyway! I guess we're just waiting on Ruby and Weiss-"

"GERONIMOOOOO!"

"RUBYYYYYY!"

We looked up. Ruby and Weiss fell from above. Ruby managed to use her Semblance to stall out her momentum and landed roughly but safely. I sighed, spread my feet and opened up my arms.

"OOF!"

Weiss landed in my arms. Ruby waved weakly at me.

"Hey Jaune!"

"Oh, hey Ruby." I looked at the furiously red girl in my arms. "Hey, bitch who left me to die."

Weiss's eyes went wide. "Wha—Excuse you—?!"

I let go. She hit the ground in an undignified heap. I stepped over her without slowing down.

"ACK! HEY!"

"Sooo," I said, ignoring the sputtering heiress, "we've got the Relics. I vote we all run for it. Any objections?"

Yang grinned. "Nope!"

"Cool! I love democracy!" I cheered.

We ran.
Unfortunately… There was a familiar rumble behind us. As well as a horrible screeching overhead. I looked back over my shoulder, and a gigantic horrific Grimm scorpion was charging after us.

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WHERE DID THAT THING COME FROM?!" I shouted.

I had avoided the damn cave for that very reason!

"I'm sure we can handle it!" Pyrrha shouted. Ruby grinned, even as she dodged several feather missiles fired at us from above.

"TOTALLY!"

We made it out to the bridges… But the damn Nevermore spitfully took out our route with several feather missiles, cutting a hole in the bridge.

"What the hell did you do to piss that thing off, Ruby?!" I shouted, as we spun around to face the two attacking Grimm. Ruby blushed and coughed.

"Um… Well… Ya know…"

"Forget it. You kill the bird, we'll handle the nightmare made flesh," I stated, drawing my sword and opening my shield. "I'll buy us all donuts after we survive."

"... With extra sprinkles?" Ruby asked.

Goddamn, she really was adorable… Also kind of hot-FIFTEEN! SHE IS FIFTEEN RIGHT NOW! SHUT UP TEENAGED LIBIDO!

"Extra sprinkles!" I shouted. "You good with that, Nora?"

"Totally good, Captain!" Nora shouted. I nodded to Ren.

"Okay!"

"Who put you in charge?!" Weiss demanded. I shrugged.

"Fight now, talk later! GO!" I shouted, charging with Pyrrha, Ren and Nora against the Deathstalker. Weiss scowled after.

"What are you-?!" She narrowly dodged a feather missile. "ACK!"

"COME ON WEISS! LET'S KILL THIS THING! KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BIRDY!" Yang shouted.

Weiss scowled angrily. "Oh-FINE!"

The Deathstalker charged. Pyrrha met it head-on, spear and shield flashing in practiced rhythm, while I—Aura freshly unlocked and still raw—threw myself between the creature and the others with more courage than skill. My shield took a blow that should have folded a normal person in half. The impact drove me back three full steps, boots carving trenches in the dirt, but I held.

I struck furiously at the damn thing's eyes and pedipalps, as hard and angrily as I could. Audacity could do many things that just taking it wouldn't.

It was all I could do… Well, that and bark orders.

"PYRRHA, REN, FLANK IT! NORA! HAMMER ITS DAMN STINGER INTO ITS HEAD! I'LL KEEP IT PINNED!!"

Nora arrived like a thunderclap, hammer already swinging. "CAN DO VIOLENT LEADER!"

The four of us—Pyrrha's precision, Nora's pure destructive joy, Ren's quiet support, and my stubborn refusal to stay down—drove the Deathstalker back. Every time the stinger came down, I was there with Crocea Mors raised, yelling like I was trying to be brave.

"COME ON MOTHERFUCKER! COME ON!"

We finally lured it into open ground. Pyrrha and Ren, working together, knocked the stringer into the right angle. Nora's hammer came down with a crack that echoed for miles. The Deathstalker shattered into black mist and bone fragments that dissolved before they hit the ground.

We stood, panting for breath. I let out a nervous little laugh. Nora giggled. Pyrrha laughed softly, almost politely. Ren actually smiled.

"Haaa… Let's go see RWBY, help them out," I said, "Glad they're dealing with that thing instead of us."

"Can do, Violent Leader!" Nora cried with a salute.

"That's… That's not going to get old any time soon," I chuckled, but the same fondness I had for the character was in my voice. She grinned happily.

"There are worse nicknames," Ren counseled, but he still had his soft smile. Pyrrha nodded.

"Yes!"


---

I stood a little apart from the others once the immediate danger had passed, one hand pressed to the fading burn of Aura stress across my shoulder. The forest smelled like ozone and scorched feathers and the copper tang of fear-sweat. Somewhere behind me Ruby was already talking too fast about how cool everything had been. Nora was laughing. Yang was cracking her knuckles like she hadn't just helped drop a flying nightmare.

I still couldn't quite make the world settle into place.

This was supposed to be a mid cartoon. A show I'd half-watched, half-skipped through, rated somewhere between "entertaining enough" and "not worth the time." Especially after poor Monty's death, and the 'creators' behind it turned it into a Tumbler poisoned nightmare.

Now the trees were real. The blood on my lip tasted real. The girl who had unlocked my Aura—the invincible champion of Mistral—was real and standing only a few feet away, looking at me with quiet concern like I was someone worth worrying about.

A girl who would die… For me.

The knowledge sat in my chest like a cold stone. I had the body of a seventeen-year-old farm boy who'd never unlocked his Aura until five minutes ago. I had the mind of a man who had already lived a full life, made adult mistakes, buried people, and walked away from the kind of future these kids were still dreaming about. Standing here among them felt like wearing someone else's skin. Every time Pyrrha smiled at me, every time Ruby bounced on her toes, every time Yang clapped me on the shoulder, something in the back of my head whispered you have to save them, desperate and sure.

So much pain. So much death. So much loss and… Stupidity and… What could I do to stop it? Could I do anything? Anything at all? The Deathstalker had still attacked, after all.

Was there nothing I could do? Was this Hell? My punishment…?

I forced the thought down. I was here. The show had become the world. The mid cartoon had teeth and blood and people who would die if I treated them like pixels. I could either spiral about how wrong it all felt… or I could do the only useful thing left.

I straightened, adjusted the strap of my shield, and walked back toward the group before anyone could ask why I was standing alone.

Whatever this was—isekai, punishment, second chance—I was going to treat it like it mattered.

Because it did… And for better or worse? I was in a position to save this world.

Which was a good thing since I happened to be living here now.

---

Later, after the teams were selected and we were assigned our classes, we went to our dorms. I sat on the edge of one of the beds with my head in my hands.

"Ohhh geez… How did I end up the leader? Ohhh we are so fucked… I couldn't even handle being a supervisor at Amazon. How's this gonna work out…?"

Yeah, my determination had lasted only so long.

Soft footsteps. Ruby hovered in the doorway, silver eyes big with concern.

"Hey Jaune! You okay?"

I looked up and managed a tired smile. "Just… rethinking my life choices. Or death choices."

"Oh…" She stepped closer. "Can I help?"

"I don't really know… But thanks for being here for me. You're just as sweet and kind as… uh… I thought you'd be."

Ruby beamed like I'd handed her the moon. "Awww…!"

She launched herself at me in a full-body hug. The impact drove the air out of my lungs.

"HURK—Ruby… loosen your grip a little?"

"Sure!"

She did, but only a little. I patted her back awkwardly and tried not to think about how young she still was.

---

Night settled over Beacon. The others had claimed beds and started settling in. I slipped into the bathroom to splash water on my face and try to get my head on straight.

Okay… so there are two almost-legal, super-hot girls on my team. One is Nora, and she's with Ren. And just because I'm stuck in a teenager's body doesn't mean I'm a horny idiot, right?

Right. Plus, he's my bro. Bro code applies. But unfortunately, that leaves…

I stepped out.

Pyrrha was already in her pajamas—a very tight T-shirt and panties—standing by her bed with that same bright, earnest smile she'd worn in the forest.

"Ready for bed, Jaune?"

I stared for half a second too long, then forced my eyes to the floor.

"…Sure."

I am so going to hell, I thought as I crossed to my own bed. Or maybe I'm already there.

---

 

[vagabond_13th]

Good news you don't have to deal with the two horned dick heads. Bad news Mommy Salami is no longer suicidal.

 

[AJ_Talon]

Good news you don't have to deal with the two horned dick heads. Bad news Mommy Salami is no longer suicidal.

Click to shrink...

Oh... They're still around. You'll see.

 

[overmind]

Man, I don't usually hang around the SFW section, but this definetely has my attention going forward.

 

[IvanR1314]

oh cool a revised aka improved version of the Jaune SI BS fic, cool stuff.

 

[AJ_Talon]

Now I get it: the Jaundice Arc was weird. And it led to every Tumblrite weirdo the show later pandered to screaming "JAUNE IS STEALING THE SHOW." But the truth is, Monty's own notes reveal he wanted RWBY and JNPR to be equal. JNPR handling internal threats to Vale in the underworld, RWBY handling external ones like the Grimm and Cinder, and they would cross over as the threat got bigger. The first two arcs after Initiation clearly show this—Jaundice about Jaune and JNPR, Black and White about Blake and RWBY. They were clumsily done and both have a lot of problems, but the ideas were solid. As usual though, CRWBY took the wrong lesson from the fan feedback: no character arcs ever again.

Which worked out just great for them, huh?

In any event, the timeline in the actual universe was more stretched out. It took Cardin a week or two to start bullying me. Long enough for me to start thinking maybe the show had exaggerated that part. Long enough for me to get used to the idea that I might actually get through the first semester without someone trying to shove me into a rocket locker for sport.

Look, I may be a nerd from our world, but I am not a pussy. And I've dealt with bullies before. Ignoring it doesn't work if they're getting physical—they'll just keep attacking. Going to the teacher only works if they'll respect authority, which they won't. So the only way to deal with bullying is simple: make it clear that it is not worth it for them to bully you.

In the cafeteria, Cardin stuck his foot out to make me trip. I barely avoided going face-first into my tray. Eggs still ended up on my cheek and collar. Cardin and the rest of CRDL laughed like it was the funniest thing they'd seen all week.

I stood up slowly. Wiped my face. Brushed the jacket. Smiled.

"Sorry about that, Jauney Boy!" Cardin called, still grinning.

I smiled back. Then I tripped on purpose, caught his tray on the way down, and smashed it straight into the front of his uniform.

"OOF! Oh, clumsy me! Sorry Cardin! Slipped!"

Cardin went quiet. The tips of his ears went red. He started to push himself up, already winding up for something louder, and then he saw Professor Goodwitch a few tables over. She wasn't even looking at him directly. She just had that usual very-hot-disapproving look on her face, the one that suggested she had already decided who was going to be writing lines later. Cardin scowled, grabbed a napkin, and trudged off toward the bathrooms without another word.

I sat down with my team and RWBY. Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, and Ruby all looked concerned. Weiss looked irritated. Yang was smirking, but there was actual anger in her
eyes—not at me though. Blake was nose-deep in a book. No surprise there.

"You okay?" Ruby asked.

I shrugged. "Yeah. Fine."

Yang grinned. "Geez, VB. You gotta stop being so clumsy. You're gonna get egg on your face one of these days."

"Little late for that," I said wryly, and she snickered.

Weiss was still frowning at me. "You shouldn't have done that. He's the son of a Councilman."

"So he should know better."

She scowled. "And how is starting a fight with him supposed to help anything?"

"He hit me," I said. "I hit him back."

Nora perked up. "I could break his legs for you. If you want."

"…I'll keep that in reserve. Thanks, Nora."

Ruby tilted her head. "Why's he even picking on you, though?"

Weiss snorted. "He picks on the weak."

I nodded.

"Pretty much."

Weiss gaped at me.

"You just admit it?!"

I shrugged.

"I mean… Pyrrha's on my team. Kind of hard to pretend I'm the strongest guy around."

Pyrrha started to open her mouth. "Sorry—"

"Don't," I said. "It's not a problem. For now I'll handle it myself. If I get in over my head, I'll ask for help."

And I would. Unlike Jaune, I was willing to swallow my pride and ask. I'd spent most of my previous life getting my ass kicked for trying to do everything myself. Just stubborn, I guess. But if Cardin decided to escalate past cafeteria pranks, I needed options that weren't "hope Glynda notices."

Ruby glanced between me and Yang. "When I got bullied, Yang just beat them up."

Yang smirked. "I did. Offer still stands, you know."

I shook my head. "Only if I need it. Right now I just have to make him realize it's not worth the trouble."

---

Later, in the locker room, I'd taken to sticking with Ren out of pure paranoia. The guy was quiet, competent, and honestly? Really cool. The show just undersold him completely-But then, it did that all the time. Ren was halfway through swapping shirts next to me when he cleared his throat in warning. I checked the mirror of my rocket locker. Team CRDL, all in towels, were trying to sneak up behind me.

In the show, they'd shoved Jaune into the rocket locker and he'd gone flying in a joke shot. A joke shot they later reused for when Pyrrha sent me off in a rocket locker to save me when Cinder… anyway.

I wasn't confident in my fighting skills in general. So instead I held up the grenade Nora had pressed into my hands that morning and studied it like it was a particularly interesting homework problem. I then clicked the detonator.

"Hey Ren?" I said, loud enough to carry. "I've got this grenade from Nora. I think I turned it on. How do I turn it off?"

It was beeping. Ominously. Nora was honestly just incredible. She made things work perfectly for timing.

"I'm not sure," Ren said, "But I believe you-"

Team CRDL hit the door at a dead run and shoved out into the hallway. Even from here I could hear them yelling.

"You don't think that was a bluff?" Skye, the nerdy one asked, out of breath.

Russel, the mohawk wearing punk, was roughest in his tone. "Maybe. I wasn't gonna stick around and find out."

Cardin punched the nearest wall hard enough to make the panel ring. "I'm gonna get that loser if it's the last thing I do. He's not making a fool out of me again!"

Sky, the most competent and calm one, stated: "Looks like he just did."

There was a short pause. Then the sound of laughter and Scroll cameras. Then Cardin's roar:

"ARC!"

Back inside, I lowered the grenade. The pin was still in. Nora had sworn it was a practice one, but I hadn't actually checked until that moment.

I smirked. "I didn't even plan that."

Ren finished pulling his shirt on. "But you're taking the credit."

"Wouldn't you?"

He considered it for a second. A small smirk. "…Maybe."

Ren was a bro. That was for sure.

Outside, the shouting was getting louder. I set the grenade carefully back in my locker, made sure the pin was still secure, and closed the door.

Some days the universe just hands you the punchline.

---

Of course, I was still Jaune Arc. And in combat class…

"Jaune Arc and Cardin Winchester," Glynda said. "Get up here."

I got up into the ring, shield and sword up, as Cardin smirked nastily and brandished his mace.

Unlike Jaune, I had gratefully accepted Pyrrha's offer to train me. She was honestly so giving and nice it made me feel guilty… but I wasn't going to let her down.

And we'd trained furiously for two weeks.

So... How bad could this go?

"Begin!" Glynda shouted.

Well. Ten minutes later I had my answer. Two weeks of hurried late-night training didn't overcome Cardin's bulk and years of experience. I got in some hits. I dodged the obvious swings. I made him work a little. I even managed to poke him in the eyes once, which was funny for about half a second. Then he put me on the floor and kept me there until Glynda called it.

"Cease combat."

I clambered to my feet, and stood there panting, exhausted, and battered. Barely able to stay upright. Cardin was breathing a bit hard but otherwise looked fine. He smirked. Even with Aura, you could feel hard enough impacts-And getting blasted with Fire Dust at point blank range still hurts like a motherfucker.

Glynda turned her intense stare onto Cardin first.

"Mister Winchester, good use of your size and power. But this is a training class. No need to go all out."

"Yes, Professor," Cardin said, still smug as hell. Glynda then turned her MRI-like gaze on me.

"Mister Arc… your footwork was adequate and you got in some hits. Those are the only good things I can say about your performance."

Wow. Right to the heart. I managed a slow nod.

"Haa… haa… haa… Yes ma'am…"

"I suggest you shape up before next class. Beacon has higher standards than where you trained."

I winced. "…Yes ma'am."

I trudged over to my team and RWBY, while Cardin practically strutted over to his whooping teammates. I sat down on the bench, and sighed.

Yang tilted her head. "Well. You did poke him in the eyes. That was funny."

Weiss crossed her arms. "Seriously, what combat school did you even go to? That looked like a lot of flailing. And the insults."

"If he's mad he's more likely to make mistakes," I explained.

"Was that crack about his mother really necessary?" Weiss demanded. Ruby giggled.

"I thought it was funny! But um... It didn't seem to help, did it?"

I sighed. "Nope…"

Pyrrha winced.

"I'm really sorry Jaune, we didn't train-"

"No, no, you did great," I said quickly, "Really. Just... I'm more of a thinker than a fighter."

"Are you?" Yang asked, a bit pointed but still looking concerned. I shrugged.

Academically I was still doing fine, and I didn't think Ozpin would let me get expelled or anything… but…

Nora leaned in. "Don't worry. You'll get him next time. How about… grenades?"

I hummed.

"…I'll think about it."

Weiss stared at her. "You are not allowed to use grenades in training class."

"What? Bull!" Nora growled.

I slowly nodded.

I guess it was time for Plan B.

 

[AJ_Talon]

I am making some changes from the original Patreon commission, to expand the story out a bit. I wanted to stay within budget but I'm making some changes here and there and expanding the story in a few places. I am also trying very hard to avoid Jaune SI being a Gary Stu. So hopefully I avoid that.

 

[David Alvarex]

I am making some changes from the original Patreon commission, to expand the story out a bit. I wanted to stay within budget but I'm making some changes here and there and expanding the story in a few places. I am also trying very hard to avoid Jaune SI being a Gary Stu. So hopefully I avoid that.

Click to shrink...

Nonsense; the previous version of Jaune SI was not a Gary Stu. I just hope he doesn't change too much from that earlier version—which, in my opinion, looked really good.

 

[AJ_Talon]

That night, after everyone else had finally settled, I sat on the edge of my bed with the unfurling Scroll in my hands and stared at the contact labeled Mom & Dad. My thumb hovered for a long time over the Call button.

In my own world, I'd lost my mother when I was a kid. My father had raised me and my little brother. I loved them both dearly, even if we could all get on eachother's nerves. But my mother… I had pictures of course. Recordings, but…

Yeah.

On Jaune's side, his memories of his mother were a mix of love, and frustration. She'd been overprotective, which is literally the only reason he hadn't had his Aura unlocked.

I guess Monty Oum and Miles Luna didn't get a clear transmission from this universe? Geez, the cosmological implications were bizarre-

No. No, I didn't have time for that. I had to act… I had to keep going.

I took a deep breath… And hit the call button. The connection clicked. Isabel Arc's face appeared, already looking suspicious.

"Hey Mom… Dad… Um… I know this is a little awkward—"

"Are you going to come home and go to medical school?" She asked bluntly.

I didn't even try to soften it. "No. No I am not."

Her expression tightened into the familiar scowl. "Jaune, we've been over this a hundred times—"

"Yes Mom, I know. You saw a lot of terrible crap as Hunters. I get it. But I want to help and protect people like you two. So please, at least let me try? If I fail, I'll come back and study. I promise."

There was a long pause. I could practically hear the internal debate happening on the other end.

"…Well… I mean… I suppose you're being mature about this…"

I seized the opening. "Also? You know those medical techniques you were going to teach me with unlocked Aura? I kind of need them now."

Isabel sighed. "What makes you think I'll teach you them now—?"

I looked as contrite as a guy who had just woken up in an anime boy's body could manage and mumbled, "This big guy's been bullying me in combat class…"

Her eyes narrowed to slits. "Who?"

"Oh! Uh, nothing! I mean, it's no big deal—"

"WHO IS BULLYING MY BABY BOY?!"

Sheesh, no wonder the original had such low self-esteem.

"Uh… Mom, you know that calling the school about it only makes it worse, right? Besides… if I do learn these medical techniques and I fail? I'll be a shoe-in for medical school."

Another long silence. Then a reluctant sigh.

"Well… I suppose I can give you the basics…"

I grinned. "Thanks!"

It's funny. I had conceived of Jaune's mom because I wanted a different take on her character from the fanon… But now that I was in the universe itself, she was my mother… That was really weird-

"Focus Jaune!"

Right, not thinking about that…


---


The next morning I was running on fumes. Training had gone late—later than I'd planned—and the only thing keeping my eyes open was a cup of coffee I'd drowned in enough sugar that even Ruby looked concerned.

I took a long sip.

"Uh, Jaune," Ruby said carefully, "I think you overdid it with the sugar."

Yang snorted. "Yeah. When you get Ruby worried about sugar, we know something's wrong."

Ruby leaned in a little. "Are you feeling alright?"

I kept drinking.

"Oh, he's fine," Nora said brightly. "He's still below the threshold where you start seeing hallucinations."

Ren nodded once. "Yes. Personal experience."

I lowered the cup. "Sorry. I was up late and I hate coffee. I need this much sugar just to make it taste like not crap."

Pyrrha's expression tightened. We'd trained late the night before. She was clearly trying to figure out who I'd been with after she left.

"It's good that you're keeping up with your regimen, Jaune," she said, "but overdoing it will affect your performance. I can put together a proper training schedule if you want. Something that optimizes your results. I learned a few things from the trainers I worked with."

Nora grinned. "Or just train until you drop. That's how I buffed myself out."

Ren sighed and drank his coffee in silence.

I stared into the cup for a second. "It wasn't just training. I had to talk to my parents. They… don't like that I'm here."

Weiss's eyebrows went up. "…Oh?"

"…Technically I'm supposed to be in medical school right now."

That still blew my mind. The medical school thing. It was actually canon here. Did I somehow tap into something Monty had too? Weird.

Blake looked up from her book. "Technically? You didn't tell them you're at Beacon instead?"

"…No. I didn't. I also didn't tell them I got into Beacon."

Yang laughed. "What?! You're supposed to be in medical school?!"

I nodded slowly and took another sip. "Yup."

Ruby frowned. "Why wouldn't they want you in a Huntsman school?"

Weiss studied me. "Your parents were set on making your future for you?"

I sighed. "My mom and dad were great Hunters. They went to Beacon. But they went through a lot. They didn't want me to go through the same thing, so they wanted me to be like my mom. A doctor. Which, I mean, that's not bad, but…"

I shrugged. "But I wanted to be a Hunter. So here I am. We had a very long conversation last night about… stuff. And training."

Ruby's face fell a little. "Do you have to go home?"

"No," I said, managing a small smile for her. "Not unless I get expelled or flunk out."

Yang tilted her head. "Couldn't you just tell them what you wanted to do with your life? They couldn't just lock you into one path."

"I tried," I admitted. "It was mostly my mom pushing it. "My dad was fine with me being a Hunter, but he went along with her plans. I argued with her a lot but… Ya know… Some parents don't listen."

Weiss made a quiet sound. "I can believe that."

Pyrrha shifted closer and set a hand on my shoulder. "I'm guessing she heard you, but she barely listened."

Blake's voice was quiet. "Did you ever figure out why she didn't want you to be a Huntsman?"

I stared at the table for a second. "She was a combat medic. And she was at Mount Glenn with my dad."

The table went quiet.

Nobody said anything for a moment. We'd all heard the stories. None of us wanted to imagine what it had actually been like on the ground.

Blake was the first to break the quiet. "Mount Glenn. That mustn't have been easy to live with, if they survived it."

I nodded.

"And… yeah. No. She wouldn't hear me. I get why, but…"

Yang recovered first. "Heh. Well, no worries, VB. Once they see how well you've improved, they'll realize what they missed on you."

Pyrrha's hand tightened a little on my shoulder. "And I'll make sure to guide you there, Jaune."

I smiled in thanks.

Nora leaned in, speaking softer than I was used to hearing from her. "Must be nice. Having arguments and disagreements with your parents."

I didn't answer right away. I just reached over and patted Nora's shoulder.

"…My parents are tough sometimes," I said, "but I know they love me. And trust me. They're gonna love you, too."

Nora's eyes lit up. Before I could react she grabbed me and hauled me out of my seat.

"Does this make us siblings?!"

"URK—! Well… you killed a horrible Grimm with me. That's halfway to siblings as far as I'm concerned."

I managed to pat her back while my feet left the ground. I shot Ren what I hoped was a reassuring look.

I would never take her from you, bro. I promise…

Something in his expression shifted. Just a little. A smile.

Nora beamed. "Yay! I finally got a baby bro!"

She started shaking me. What was left of my coffee sloshed over the rim.

"Nora—enough with the shaking—!"

"But I love how you jingle."

Once she finally set me down, Pyrrha was watching me with that focused look she got when she was already rearranging a training plan in her head.

"So," she said, "what exactly were you training last night? You seemed more tired than usual. It couldn't have been the regular forms and strikes I showed you before."

I poured myself more coffee, took another sip and tried not to wince.

"Medical techniques," I said. "You'll see."

Yang smirked. "You're being mysterious again. It can be kind of fun. Also kind of annoying."

"Spoilers."

Ruby perked up. "Professor Paradox?"

"My granny's from Albion. Of course I've watched it."

Yes, they had the equivalent of Britain and Doctor Who here. That was a weird multiversal constant. For all I knew, a TARDIS would pop by to suck my brain out of Jaune and fix anything I'd broken. That was a comforting thought… Sort of.

Ruby's eyes lit up. "Ooh, I love that series. Shame some of the early episodes got lost in that Grimm stampede, but the restorations are—"

Yang shot me a look that was half amused, half irritated. "Great. You got her into dork mode. Now I have to snap her out of it." She turned the smirk back on me. "So how about you and I put that training to use? Just to see how well it helps you."

I opened my mouth to answer.

Velvet cried out across the cafeteria.

Cardin and his team had surrounded her. Cardin had one of her rabbit ears in his fist and was tugging hard enough to pull her off balance. "Hahaha! They're real! She's a real freak!"

Velvet's voice was small. "O-Ow! Please! Let go!"

I sighed.

Seriously? I have to deal with this, too?

In the show, naturally, nobody got up to stop it.

Blake's book was already closed. Her ears were twitching under the bow. "That bastard…"

Ruby looked around, frantic. "Shouldn't we get a teacher?!"

There wasn't one. Not close enough to matter.

Nora's chair scraped back. "I see an ugly nail I need to hammer down."

Ren's expression had gone flat. He looked ready to let her.

I put a hand on Nora's shoulder. "I'll handle this."

Seriously, why the fuck did no one intervene? Well. Guess I am.

I stood.

Pyrrha started to rise with me. "Jaune, wait—"

"I will handle this," I said. Gentle, but firm. The closest thing I had to a Captain Picard voice. I was no Patrick Stewart, but Pyrrha apparently respected me enough to stop. "Stay here."

Yang was already halfway out of her seat. Pyrrha caught her arm. The rest of the table stayed put, but they were ready. I could feel it.

I picked up my coffee and walked over like I had all the time in the world.

Cardin still had Velvet's ear. He noticed me when I was a few feet away and grinned, ugly and pleased with himself. "What do you want, Jauney Boy? I'm busy with one freak. I don't need another."

"Geez, Cardin," I said, taking another sip. "At least buy her flowers and dinner first."

Velvet blinked through the pain. "Oww… wha?"

Cardin stared at me. "What?"

"I mean, if you're gonna do this, maybe do it in private?" I shrugged. "Not that I can fault you. She's gorgeous, and I've heard she's a great cook."

Velvet's ears twitched under his grip. "Wait, what?"

Cardin let go like the ear had burned him. "Wait—you think I'm into this freak?"

"You're literally tugging on her ears," I said. "That's what rabbit Faunus do when they're showing romantic interest in each other. And she's letting you do it even though she's a second-year and could fold you all like laundry. So you tell me, Cardin." I smiled. "You're clearly announcing your romantic interest in her to everyone. She must be very flattered."

Velvet turned bright red.

Cardin looked between the two of us, stunned. "What—wait. This isn't what it looks like."

I grinned wider. "Now now! There's no need to be so coy! She's hot! If she's into you, go for it!" I raised my free hand. "Congrats, Cardin! I mean, come on, guys. If a hottie like Velvet is into you, that's worth high-fives."

Cardin opened his mouth. Nothing came out. The rest of CRDL stared at me: Half in agreement, half like I'd lost my mind.

"What is going on here?"

Glynda's voice cut across the cafeteria like a blade. She approached like a stormcloud, arms crossed, expression already promising pain as she walked up to us. The rest of CRDL had gone very still. Velvet was still red. Cardin looked like he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him.

I took another casual sip of my coffee and didn't lower my hand.

Glynda Goodwitch finally entered the scene, her arms crossed under her impressive bust. "I asked you all a question."

I took another sip of coffee and answered before Cardin could. "Winchester's trying to woo Velvet. He thinks she's like an actual rabbit, so he has to pull on her ears to get her romantic attention. Flowers would probably work better."

Velvet's face went from red to nuclear. "Wh-Wh-Whaaaaaat?!"

Glynda's eyes narrowed. She clearly didn't believe a word of it, but she also didn't look interested in digging. "I see."

Cardin finally found his voice. "N-NO! I-I wasn't—!"

I lowered the cup just enough to glance at him. "That, or he's bullying a Faunus for her ears and thus is a racist."

Cardin went pale so fast it was almost impressive. "Yeah. I was trying to woo her."

Glynda's glare sharpened. "Really?"

Velvet looked like she wanted to sink through the floor. "U-Um… uh… Oh..."

I smiled, easy and pleasant. "Absolutely. But Cardin here hasn't evolved past tugging pigtails yet. I'm sure they can work it out."

Glynda's scowl deepened, less than impressed. "Do your wooing somewhere else, Mister Winchester. Miss Scarlatina. The rest of you, back to breakfast."

Velvet ducked her head, still bright red. "S-Sorry, ma'am." She glanced at Cardin, shy and flustered, then quickly looked away again.

Cardin's hands were clenched at his sides. He was furious—I could see it in the set of his jaw and the way his ears had gone red—but he couldn't do a thing with Goodwitch standing right there. He settled for a glare that promised this wasn't over. I smiled at him, pleasant and empty, and took another sip of coffee.

"Yes, ma'am."

I turned and walked back to the table like nothing had happened. Sat down. Picked up my fork. Resumed breakfast.

Yang leaned back in her chair, smirking. "Well look at you, Mr. Hero. Pretty sure you were trying to score some points with the bunny girl."

Blake's eyes were sharp. "Surely you aren't expecting her to owe you something."

Pyrrha shook her head. "Jaune isn't like that. I'm sure he had the best motives."

"No," I said. "Course not. I just don't like bullies." I stabbed at the eggs. "Plus, nobody else was standing up."

Ruby glanced toward where Cardin had been. "He'd cream you, though."

I shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

"And yeah," I added, "he'd cream me. Which is why I didn't attack with my fists."

Blake was still watching me. "Still… she's a Faunus—"

"And?" I looked at her. "What's that got to do with anything? I've grown up with Faunus all my life in Radian. They were my friends. My mom's best friend is a Faunus. Why does that matter?"

Nora beamed and slung an arm around my shoulders. "That's right! My little bro saves anyone regardless of what animal parts they got!"

Weiss scowled at her plate. She held her tongue, but the irritation was obvious.

Blake just stared.

That's worrisome.

I kept eating. My head was already turning the whole thing over.

Fuuuuuck… I need to stop being like this. I can't… I can't afford to take away the spotlight…

Or did I?

I wanted to change this world for the better. I didn't want to lose anyone. I sighed into the coffee.

I had already made changes. And if I didn't keep making them, I'd be screwed. I couldn't afford to coast along. I couldn't trust anything. For all I knew there were millions of differences between this world and the actual show. I couldn't assume anything.

So I had to step up. Be someone my friends… Jaune's friends… could rely on.

I took another bite of eggs and tried not to think about how many ways that could still go wrong.

That wouldn't help. I had work to do.

---

In combat class, Cardin was practically chomping at the bit. He was so angry his Aura was almost visible—flickering gold around his shoulders every time he flexed his hands around the mace. He hadn't looked at me once since the cafeteria. He didn't need to.

Glynda's voice cut across the room. "Mister Winchester. Mister Arc. First round."

I took a deep breath and stepped into the ring.

Ruby leaned forward on the bleachers. "You think she set this one on purpose?"

Yang didn't look away from the ring. "Doesn't matter. Something tells me VB's got this one."

Nora grinned. "Yeah! Jaune-Jaune ain't gonna let Cardin get the best of him!"

Pyrrha just watched me. I could feel her trying to figure out what I was going to do this time.

Okay. Okay. I lose here… fine. But I'm not going to lose. I'm not going to lose…

Glynda raised a hand. "You know the rules. First one to yellow Aura. Begin!"

One chance. End it fast.

Cardin rolled his shoulders and smiled like he'd already won. "I'm going to enjoy this, Arc."

The technique was deceptively simple. Isabel—my mother—had invented it to give herself massive, short bursts of strength. Clear debris. Lift patients. Get people out of wreckage before the Grimm closed in. She'd figured out pretty quickly that it worked just as well for combat. Relatively.

It wasn't easy. You needed a fuckton of Aura and a high pain tolerance, or it tore you apart from the inside. Fortunately, I had both.

Cardin charged, mace already swinging, trying to end it in the first exchange.

Surge One.

I planted my feet and knocked the mace aside. The impact rang up my arm hard enough to rattle my teeth, but the weapon went wide. Cardin had half a second to look shocked.

Surge Two.

I drove my shield into his chest as hard as I could.

Cardin left the ground. He flew backward out of the ring and slammed into the bleachers hard enough to make the seats rattle. His Aura flared bright yellow on impact.

I stayed upright. Barely.

"…Shit." My voice came out thin. "O-Overdid it…"

My knees wanted to fold. Every breath felt like it was dragging across broken glass. The technique had done exactly what it was supposed to—and then kept going. My insides felt scraped raw. Aura was already rushing to patch the damage, but it was slow, and it hurt. I locked my legs and forced another breath. Then another. The room swam for a second before it steadied.

Ruby's voice carried from the stands. "Wow. It's like he got super strong. What kind of training did he do?"

Yang was studying me with her head tilted. "It looks similar to my Semblance." The others glanced at her. "Somehow Jaune gathered his strength in short bursts and let it loose at the right time."

Weiss crossed her arms. "He won. Barely."

Nora was already bouncing. "Just imagine what he could do with a hammer!"

Glynda's expression didn't change. "…Winner, Mister Arc."

Cardin pushed himself up off the bleachers. He was still staring at me, Aura flickering, shock written all over his face. He walked back into the ring like he wasn't entirely sure how he'd gotten there.

Glynda turned to him. "Good initiative, Mister Winchester. Your aggression can serve you well. But you need to be able to expect the unexpected." Her tone was flat. "If the enemy does something unusual, it's better to back off and reassess than charge in."

Glynda turned to me next. Her expression was the same flat, assessing look she used on everyone, but her voice made the point simple.

"Using a medical technique like that in combat is risky, Mister Arc. If you do not master it properly before you go into the field, you will become a liability to your team." She held my eyes. "Practice it constantly. Make certain you can use it without succumbing. Understood?"

I nodded, glum. She was right. "Yes, ma'am."

Glynda studied me for another second. Then, barely, the corner of her mouth moved.

"…And congratulations on your first win."

I managed a small, tired nod. My ribs still felt like they'd been scraped from the inside. But the words settled somewhere under the ache anyway.

I took a seat closer to the action but further from my friends for the rest of the class, carefully observing the following fights.

My friends descended on me the second class ended. Cardin scowled and headed off with his team. Good. Maybe he'd finally gotten the picture.

Yang clapped me hard enough on the back to stagger me. "Nice bash, VB! Really left an impact!"

I grinned. "Thanks, Dragon Girl."

She blinked. "Eh?"

"Well, why should you be the only one with pet names?" I added a wink for good measure.

Yang's mouth fell open. "Wow… One win and you're smooth?"

"Looks like!"

Wait, shit… They're all still underaged to me. It's so creepy. WHY ARE YOU BEING CREEPY?! STOP BEING CREEPY!

Pyrrha stepped in, smiling, though there was a thoughtful crease between her brows. "That was… pretty good, Jaune…"

I caught the hesitation immediately. "But?"

"Um, well…"

"I need honest feedback to improve. So… what did I do wrong?"

She winced, but she didn't sugarcoat it. "Well… your parry was good. You've improved. But it had too much flair—that wastes energy. And your shield bash needed more motion from your hips and a better stance. You're lucky that Cardin wasn't taking you seriously, but now he will."

Well… there goes my confidence.

I still meant it when I said, "Thank you, Pyrrha. I mean that. Really."

"Sorry… you just need to train to get better."

"That's what I'm here for."

Ren, quiet as always, spoke up. "It is impressive you were able to learn an Aura technique in one night."

I yawned, the adrenaline finally wearing off. "Yeah… though to be fair, I knew the basics very well thanks to my mom's instruction. I bet you guys could all pick it up way faster and better. You wanna learn too?"

Nora's eyes lit up like someone had offered her a lifetime supply of pancakes. "YES! How much does it boost your strength?!"

"Like… ten times in short bursts? My mom can go to a hundred times though."

Yang's hand shot out and locked around my arm. "A hundred times?! You're training with me!"

Pyrrha's voice rose a fraction. "He—he is on my team—"

Ruby bounced in place. "I WANNA STOP BEING A PIPSQUEAK!"

I stared at her. "How will being stronger help with that?!"

Nora was already vibrating. "HE'S ON OUR TEAM! TEACH ME! I WANNA LIFT A PANCAKE HOUSE OVER MY HEAD!"

I held up both hands. "Mayyyybe we'll wait on teaching you, Nora. Just a little."

Shiiiiiit… See, this is why the original Jaune didn't train. It just causes so many issues… Fuck. I'm a smartphone away from being a shitty isekai protagonist… Well, at least I don't have a token animal girl love interest… Or do I? God I hope not…

 

[Macdaddy]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[IvanR1314]

haha, avoided the Jaundice, but got the RomCom arc along with Training Action!

 

[zMADLAXz]

You know since the original story, I had a headcanon, that Rusted Knight and The Blacksmith had something to do here.

It was still partially luck, but at that point of time RK had gone so suicidal he was willing to bet the life of his younger self just to save his friend.

Worst part is, younger Jaune won't even be angry at the decision onve he is told the full story.

 

[AJ_Talon]

"...Hey, Ruby? I need a gun."

She spun around so fast her hood nearly took out a chair. "Finally!"

I blinked. "...That bad?"

"No, no! The classics are cool." She waved a hand at Crocea Mors like it had personally offended her sense of aesthetics. "You could just use a bit more… pizazz!"

"I mean… I am the tank of my group. I'm supposed to get all the attention and get and deliver hits. And I can hit really hard…"

"Exactly! And what do tanks have?" She planted her hands on her hips, eyes bright. "A cannon!"

"Or a P90."

Ruby recoiled like I'd suggested she switch to a stick. "What?! That little pea shooter?! No! Just no! Plus a bullpup? Are you kidding me? What are you, an Atlesian?"

"It is the coolest gun, though. I love it. I mean, you have an anti-material rifle, Ruby. That's not very practical—"

"It's very practical, and it has OOMPH!" She made a fist. "You need something with oomph! Like a .44 magnum or a 12-gauge with slugs if you want close and mid-range! Something with cheap ammo, too!"

"But the P90 can saw wood in half!"

"So can a 12-gauge! With a fraction of the shots fired!"

"But it's sooo cool!"

Ruby crossed her arms. "You grew up on a farm! You're a rugged farm boy! Why wouldn't you want the shotgun?!"

"I mean, I like shotguns, but P90s are great."

"If you want an automatic, at least get an M4! Heck, even a SCAR-H!"

I leaned in and tried the look. "But Ruuuubyyyy… come onnnn… can we go shoot P90s?"

She didn't even flinch. "Jaune, I invented that look. It doesn't work on me." Hands on hips again. "We will go shoot guns, but proper guns. And you will like it, mister."

---

We went to the range.

I got a P90. It was amazing that the same gun had been developed on a totally different world: Not by the same people but still, wow. That was freaky.

Ruby stood just behind my lane with her arms crossed and a face like someone had desecrated a holy site while I put a magazine through the target and grinned like an idiot.

"It's like I dreamed~!"

The burst ripped the paper to confetti.

"Just like Wormhole X-Treme!"

"This is blasphemy," Ruby said flatly. "Horrible, terrible blasphemy."

"Oh, come on. Women do not respect men they can browbeat. And you're just… gun racist."

"I'm not gun racist! I'm just a purist. You know, like a proper gun enthusiast."

"Gun racist!"

"NUH UH! I just know what's what!"

I reloaded, still smiling. "Come on… with Teflon coating and Dust cores, these things could… slice a Beowulf in two."

"They have zero stopping power! What are you gonna do if you run out of ammo because it didn't stop a charging Ursa or something?!"

"I just use my sword. Or punch stuff. Or grenades."

"Or you use a proper gun!"

"But you barely use Crescent Rose as a proper—"

Ruby's eyes narrowed into a full glare.

I sighed. "Fine…"

"That's right!"

She's not wrong about the stopping power. She's also not going to win this one. Not today. A man has to have principles, and one of mine is that the P90 is cool.

I put another burst into the target and tried not to laugh at the way her eye twitched.

 

[UndeterminedError]

"Just like Wormhole X-Treme!"

Click to shrink...

Indeed.

That Murray Guy was the funniest character on that show.

 

[John Jackson]

Ruby if it's good enough to topple a spacefaring empire it's good enough to shoot grim beside it was invented for tank crews

 

[Phoenix Invictus]

Snip

Click to shrink...

Only thing missing was Ruby going full Chad Yes to being called a gun racist. Otherwise, well done.

 

[AJ_Talon]

Only thing missing was Ruby going full Chad Yes to being called a gun racist. Otherwise, well done.

Click to shrink...

She's only racist against Faunus, not guns!

 

[AJ_Talon]

Forever Fall went surprisingly well. I even managed to kill a Grimm on my own—an Ursa that Nora, Ren, and Pyrrha had missed. I drew a few more toward the group afterward so the others could finish them. I was the anvil. My job was to take the hits and let my team be the hammer.

That said, I still had to work ridiculously hard. I was still inept as hell. My past life hadn't exactly been filled with combat experience, and I didn't have some convenient cheat system to level up. It was just study, train, study, train.

But we still couldn't avoid the realities of this world. Blake Belladonna was still a former White Fang member who had run when Weiss rightly lost it over the fact that Blake's old organization had murdered members of her family. And we'd still gone after her because Ruby crying was the worst thing in the world to see. And we'd still had a big showdown at the docks where I had done... A little, but everyone else had carried the real fight.

Sigh. Still a lot to do. And my most valuable asset was knowledge.

So in the aftermath of the fight with the White Fang and Roman Torchwick at the docks, when Blake tried to slip away, I finally caught her alone.

"Okay, Blake? Real talk. Don't do this again."

She bristled. "What? But I have to—"

"Blake, why is it your job to go on a one-cat crusade against the White Fang? It's not in your job description, is it?"

"I… I don't have a job—"

"Princess is technically a job."

Her eyes went wide. "J-Jaune, you… How—?!"

"Grew up with Faunus in Radian. One of them was a huge fanboy of yours. It was honestly kind of weird and unsettling. He was devastated when you joined the White Fang."

"Wha—You're blackmailing me?!"

"I'm telling you the truth. If you do this all on your own and get captured or worse, one: you'll make Ruby cry again. Two: you'll make your parents cry. Three: you'll be playing right into their hands, because as long as they had you as a hostage they could keep your parents from getting directly involved. You want to stop the White Fang? You're going to need help."

Blake's ears flattened. "How… how do I know I can trust you?"

"I've kept my mouth shut from the moment I met you. But if you keep trying to pull this tragic-heroine shit on us—your friends—I will do more than talk."

"Like what?"

"I will tie you up and gag you if I must."

Color flooded her cheeks. "…Y-You wouldn't dare—!"

"I dropped Weiss Schnee on her small but well-toned ass. Do I look like the kind of man you want to mess with? I care about all of you, Blake. That's why I'm going to push back on this. So if you want to fight the White Fang, sure thing. But we're doing it smart, and we're doing it together. Got it?"

She stared at me for a long second, then licked her lips. "No man tells me what to do—"

I stepped over her. Sure, she could clobber me, but I still had a size advantage I was not afraid to use.

"Do not pull that shit with me, Blake. Your dad may have been permissive, but I'm not. He's not here. I am. You keep this up, I'm bringing the hammer down. But only because I care. We good?"

Her scowl stayed, but something else flickered underneath it. "…Fine. But you'd better not forget to keep me in my place, Jaune."

"Don't worry. I won't."

Especially given your actions help lead to the deaths of thousands in Atlas, so yeah, not letting that happen, Shitty Kitty, I thought.

She walked off without another word, heading over to Sun. Sun smiled and waved.

"Hey!" He called out.

I smiled and waved back.

"Hey! Nice job, dude!" I called back.

"You too!" Sun grinned.

Honestly, Sun was a bro. Okay, he was maybe a bit of a simp but he was a great guy. I'd hate for him to end up like he did in canon: Forgotten and cucked because CRWBY tried to pander to the smallest, brokest, loudest part of their audience. He didn't deserve that.

And of course...

"HELLO NEW FRIEND!" Penny Polendinia walked up, all smiles and sunshine. My smile continued as I shook her hand.

"Hey, Penny right?"

"That is indeed my designation! I mean name! Because I am a perfectly normal human girl!" Penny announced... Followed up by a hiccup.

... Okay, how the hell did Atlas expect to keep this a secret? Maybe they were relying on her being so cute nobody put two and two together. Still, bad form Atlas, putting an experimental superweapon into a tournament. They had to know she'd win!

Nothing against Penny but come on! How is that fair?"

"No," I said, "You're not."

Her face fell. I grinned.

"You're an extraordinary girl!"

Penny beamed.

"Why thank you, New Friend!"

"Call me Jaune!"

"New Friend Jaune! Happy to meet you!" Penny said cheerfully, shaking my hand so hard it felt like it might come off.

"Ack... Ah... Penny?!" I tried. Penny let me go, and coughed.

"Apologies! I was unaware of how weak you are!" A pause. "Apology! I did not mean to imply you were weak, Friend Jaune! Only that your strength was insufficient to withstand me!"

Another pause. She winced.

"Apologizes again-"

I laughed. God, after a night like this? I needed it.

"No, no... It's fine. I get what you mean, Penny. Thanks." I looked back towards Team RWBY, who were talking with Sun and Professor Goodwitch. "You might want to clear some things up with them though."

Penny nodded.

"I am clearing up ready!" She turned and headed off.

. A moment later Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora approached.

"What was that all about?" Pyrrha asked. I shrugged nonchalantly.

"Just making new friends."

"She means about Blake," Nora said. She narrowed her eyes. "You were all hush hush quiet with her."

I shrugged.

"Just making a few things clear," I said. "I mean, we're only avoiding detention because we stopped some terrorists. But I think she's gonna get us into more trouble."

Nora grinned and hefted her hammer.

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" She giggled.

Ren looked a bit resigned. Pyrrha winced. I was thoughtful.

She'll probably still run off at least once… but maybe I can at least check her worst impulses for now. She'll probably hate me for it, but… we can work that out later.

---

That night I went up to the roof and stared up at the stars. Thankfully we had been allowed to go home after giving testimony to the cops and Professor Goodwitch. We got a lot of detention for that stunt, but helping to capture members of a terrorist cell definitely helped lessen the consequences. Funny how that worked.

Still... I needed to think.

So far, I'd made tiny changes. Nothing too big... And yet the same things had happened. Well, not exactly the same things but a lot of the same beats. Was it because I was trying to stick to the story as much as possible and only change inconsequential things? Or would those inconsequential things lead to bigger, worse outcomes?

Was I here because God wasn't real and I was reincarnated? Was Buddhism the true faith? Or was God involved here, too?

What could I do against Salem? Was there anything I could do?

Could I save anyone?

I'd been trying to avoid thinking about all of this for weeks but... It's like it just finally came out in a flood after being held back for so long.

"Jaune? Are you all right?"

I glanced over. Pyrrha was on the roof, looking concerned. I worked my jaw thoughtfully, then offered a small, sad smile before looking back up.

"Hm? Oh, yeah."

She hesitated.

"I just… you seem so sad when you look at the stars."

"Oh. Well…" I shrugged and let out a long breath. "Life… isn't quite what I thought it was. A lot of my conceptions for how things worked were… well… shattered."

"Oh?" She sat down beside me.

"Yeah."

Silence stretched between us for a while. She cleared her throat.

"Um… if you need to talk… I'll listen?"

"I appreciate it, but… I don't want to worry you."

"I'm worried about you anyway. You seem… older, somehow."

I tensed. "D-Do I?"

"Yes. Like you've seen terrible things. Things that have aged you."

I sighed. "…I guess I kind of have. It's… complicated."

"I'm still here."

The words sat in my chest for a long moment before I finally spoke again.

"…I thought that was it. That this was my end, my release. That I'd get my eternal reward… and here I am. It's a fantasy to some, but to me? It's… not what I was hoping for. It's just living someone else's dream with a lot of responsibility I didn't ask for."

Pyrrha's voice was soft. "Oh… my…"

"But… since I'm here, I have to use what I know to help people. Because you are people. You're not just characters in a story. You're real. You have hopes and dreams and fears, and… I have to do what I can to help you. But I don't know if I even can help you. If I can do anything to change things. Even this knowledge I have is incomplete. I only got a tiny picture of what this world was like, and there's so much I don't know."

Pyrrha was quiet for a moment. Then she smiled, gentle and steady. "…Then… then you are no different from anyone else. You're just another mortal doing the best he can. There's… there's no shame in that."

"I wish I could think like that… but I'm not quite that either. There's so much on my shoulders, and all I can do is try to help others with their burdens. Because they wouldn't understand mine."

"Isn't that presumptuous? Egotistical? Maybe we'd understand better than you think."

I laughed softly under my breath. "Maybe… I just know that this is kind of a second chance for me. One I didn't want… but one I won't squander. Because… well… I love you."

Pyrrha went bright red. "L-L-L-Love me?!"

"All of you. Ruby, Yang, Weiss, Blake, Ren, Nora… you're all dear to me. Even more so now. I… I can't let anything happen to you. Any of you." I pulled her into a careful hug. "And I won't. Just… help me do the best I can, please."

She hesitated only a second before hugging me back, voice small and giddy. "I-I… y-yes, of course…"

A familiar voice cut through the quiet.

"Wait… you love us?!"

We both looked up in shock. The rest of RWBY, plus Nora and Ren, were standing on the rooftop.

Yang was already blushing. "W-Wow… kind of forward of you, huh VB?"

Weiss scoffed. "Geez… like anyone would believe that!"

Blake's ears twitched. "You're blushing."

"Shut up!"

Nora clasped her hands together. "Awww… so can we be adopted, Jaune? I can't marry you but adoption is totally on the table!"

Ren, perfectly deadpan, added, "…I also love you, Jaune."

Blake's expression brightened for half a second.

"In a brotherly way," Ren clarified.

Blake's face fell.

I scrambled. "No, I mean, I love you all but I mean, uh… er… Platonically! I mean, we've fought monsters and terrorists together! That's definitely a kind of love since friendship is a kind of love and... Uh..."

Goddamnit, you KNEW that kind of talk would get you into trouble but you had to get all poetic! Idiot!

Nora smiled.

"I get what you mean, Fearless Leader!"

I chuckled.

"Thanks Nora. Least someone has their head on straight around here."

"Hey!" Ruby cried, offended. Weiss stared at Nora, then back at me, disbelief written on her face. Yang bit onto her fist as she tried not to laugh. Blake stared intensely. Pyrrha held me tighter.

I sighed... Well, I'd taken some action. Now it was time to take more, if I was serious about saving the world. It was risky, and frankly I had been scared to... But seeing my friends... Looking up at the stars... I made my mind up.

I had to talk to Ozpin.

---

Later that week I finally managed to force a meeting with Ozpin. The Headmaster was clearly busy, but I pressed until he agreed to see me in his office high above Beacon.

The elevator ride up was quiet enough that I could hear my own heartbeat. When the doors opened, the office stretched out in a wide circle of polished wood and glass. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrapped the room, showing Vale far below under a late-afternoon sky the color of bruised peaches. The air smelled faintly of old books, polished metal, and the rich, sweet scent of chocolate. Ozpin was already seated behind the wide desk, a steaming mug cradled in both hands. Soft light from the windows caught the silver in his hair and the green of his eyes.

"Please, have some hot chocolate, Mister Arc."

"Thanks, but I just had dinner sir."

"Suit yourself." He lifted the mug and took a slow sip. Steam curled past his face. The sound of him swallowing was oddly loud in the quiet room. "Mm. I find it better than coffee."

"Depends on the coffee, I suppose. And how it's prepared, sir."

Ozpin's eyes crinkled slightly at the corners. "Mmm. To each their own, but my personal experience is that humans just keep trying to make coffee and alcohol taste better just to make the experience of imbibing it more pleasant."

I met his gaze and smiled, though my palms felt damp against my jeans. "I suppose you would know best, sir. After all, you were around when it was invented."

He chuckled, a low, dry sound. "A crack about my age! And a very good one."

"No." I kept the smile in place even as my stomach tightened. "I mean that very literally, Ozma."

Dead silence filled the office. It was the kind of silence that pressed against the eardrums. Ozpin stared at me for a long moment, the steam from his mug still rising between us. Then he slowly, carefully set the mug down on the desk. The soft clink of ceramic against wood sounded final.

I continued before he could recover, forcing my voice to stay even. "I'm going to guess you're going for your cane, which is filled up with energy from you constantly doing stuff. You really should make better use of it."

"How could you possibly—?"

"I just hit my head and… I had a vision. A vision of the future. I know that the sword my Nana keeps in her closet is actual magic. I know that the moon wasn't fractured on accident. And I know about you… and Salem. I saw the Fall Maiden's powers taken by one of Salem's agents. Vale and Atlas, destroyed. And the Ever After." I shrugged, the motion feeling too sharp in the heavy quiet. "How? Got me. Maybe it's my Semblance. Maybe it's magic. You got any Arcs in your body-hopping family tree, Ozzy?"

Ozpin looked absolutely flabbergasted. The color had drained a little from his face. Outwardly I kept the smirk. Inwardly I was barely holding it together; my heart was hammering hard enough I was half-afraid he could hear it.

Shit shit shit… Why do I have to play it like an asshole Independent Harry Potter fic?! TONE IT DOWN!

Ozpin's voice, when it finally came, was very quiet, almost lost beneath the distant hum of the city far below. "…And what is it you intend to do with this information, Mister Arc?"

I dropped the smirk. The leather of the chair creaked as I leaned forward. "A lot of people I care about died in this future. A lot of it due to mistakes. Mistakes we could avoid. I want to avoid those mistakes, Headmaster. So… I'm going to give you as much information as I can to help you. But… I have to be careful about it. The second we use this information, the future changes and a lot of other things become worthless. And for all I know, I got a lot of things wrong."

I shook my head. The movement felt heavy.

"All I know is… I think I've got the memories of a much, much older man in my head. One who has seen horrors. Horrors beyond comprehension. If I can save my friends, my family… just people in general from it? Then it's worth it. So please, sir… I am asking you to help me."

Ozpin studied me for a long time. The light from the windows had shifted, painting one side of his face in gold and leaving the other in shadow. Then he inclined his head.

"…I will." He shook his head slowly, the motion almost weary. "…Thank you for surprising me for the first time in a long, long time. It's… a unique experience."

"I can imagine. Anyway, first off… I have some questions since the vision wasn't entirely clear. Can I ask some?"

"If it does not compromise anyone's safety, I can try to answer it."

"Don't worry, this is ancient history. Namely: why hasn't Salem steamrolled Remnant already? She's immortal and has incredible magic. She controls the Grimm. She should have already won."

Ozpin took another sip of his chocolate. The rich scent drifted across the desk again. "Did not the vision show you the moon breaking?"

"I mean, it did, but I saw a war between Salem and the Gods and… uh… stuff."

"Hmmm… Perhaps it interpreted things in a metaphorical sense. Something easier for your mind to comprehend." He set the mug down again; the ceramic gave a soft, precise sound. "Salem… well… you saw how we met and fell in love?"

"Rescued her from a tower, yeah."

He nodded. The light caught the green of his eyes. "Our magical abilities were so in tune, we revolutionized it. We brought about wonders… but even with all our power, I was still prone to mortal failings. I died from a disease. Salem… used all her magic, all her knowledge, to bring me back. But in doing so? She unleashed the greatest evil this world has ever known."

My jaw dropped. The words landed like cold water. "You don't mean… the Grimm?!"

"The story got twisted and altered over thousands of years in many religious traditions. The Table Breakers hold that Man brought forth the Grimm due to temptation by Evil herself to gain power over life and death. The Pathists believe that desperate desire, unchecked and unmanaged, brought forth a darkness to consume the light. The Dharmists believe it was a battle between the arrogant humans and the saddened gods as humanity sought to gain eternal life. In the end… they each have a piece of the truth. Salem brought forth the Grimm to save me."

"Holy shit…" The words came out barely above a whisper.

Ozpin's expression was grave. Shadows had deepened under his eyes. "This act made us both immortal, and powerful. We united man and Faunuskind together into a grand magical civilization. We fought the Grimm, made the world safe… but all the while, the price of ripping through the barriers of reality to the afterlife was paid by my wife. She was consumed by evil. She wanted to eliminate all death, all suffering… by making us all like her. Grimm."

I could only stare. The city lights far below had begun to flicker on, tiny and distant.

"I fought her. She gathered followers, promising them immortality. With the combined might of our armies? It was very much like a war between the gods. The world was devastated. She… she killed our daughters. I had only one chance: an ancient ritual to seal her away, as death had no hold on her. I managed to do it… sealed her away into what was our home on the Dragon Continent… but the backlash of it shattered the moon, destroyed almost all magic, and sealed most of my power away into the four souls of our daughters, and four other items of great power."

Holy shit… This is better than the original by leaps and bounds! How did this not get through to Monty?! Ah well…

I forced myself to stay on track. My mouth felt dry. "So, if Salem gets her hands on the Maidens and Relics—?"

"Her full power will be unleashed. Even as she is, after centuries, she can manipulate through dreams and at times, project her image. She can control the Grimm but not as she once did. Even so… she has kept up this war for thousands of years. If she were to be released with her full power, and in possession of mine…? Remnant would be doomed."

"Damn… so… yeah. We totally want to stop that from happening."

"There is another problem… her seal is weakening. There are still safeguards she cannot overcome without my power thanks to the ritual, but her power is growing. Enough that she's been able to take physical form in her castle for a few centuries. Even without her full strength she is formidable."

"And I guess we can't just nuke her into oblivion?"

Ozpin's mouth twitched, though there was no real humor in it. "I have considered it… but frankly, unleashing that much energy against the very thing keeping her sealed is probably not a good idea."

"I kind of have to agree… though I think General Ironwood still wants to try that strategy. Maybe you should tell him why it's not a good idea?"

"I have, though I didn't tell him the full details. However, if we're talking about the fate of billions, I may need to rethink that. Among other things."

I studied him for a moment. The last light of the day was fading from the windows, turning the glass into dark mirrors. "Wow… you're… uh… no offense, Headmaster, but you're way different from in the visions!"

"I am?"

"Yeah."

"How so?"

I told him. Ozpin listened without interrupting, fingers steepled, the cooling mug forgotten. When I finished he paused a long moment to digest everything. The only sound was the soft tick of some unseen clock and the distant wind against the glass. Finally he shook his head.

"If I did make such decisions, Jaune… no wonder we were losing in the future."

"Yeah, I kind of agree… I don't know if I got a bad transmission or something, but… even if only bits and pieces of it are true? I hope it helps."

"Prophecy has always been a difficult and complex subject, Jaune. Don't feel bad about not getting a complete picture. The future is always in motion."

I couldn't help the small snort that escaped. The sound felt too loud. "…Uh, sorry. Little in-joke."

Ozpin's eyes glinted with faint amusement. "Indeed. Also… rest assured that even if I did inhabit a teenaged body? I am unlikely to ever 'mack on' Miss Rose."

"Oh… that's good."

"Though do take care with your own romantic endeavours? Miss Xiao-Long and Miss Nikos would be most put out."

Heat crawled up the back of my neck. "Uh, n-no! I'm not—I'm totally not—!"

"Unless you intend to emulate your great-grandfather and go for a harem ending? It's not uncommon in the Arc line, you know—"

"WHAT?! NO! I—I didn't even know that was an option—!"

Ozpin's expression remained perfectly mild, but the corner of his mouth had lifted. "Of course it's an option. And if it gives us a better chance for survival, perhaps we should take it. I could give you some advice—"

"NO! NO! I AM GOOD! TOTALLY GOOD!"

He smirked and took another sip of his now-lukewarm chocolate. The smell of it still hung in the air between us.

I let out a long, suffering sigh that fogged faintly in the cooling room. "That's really not funny, Headmaster."

"Who said I was joking?"

"…Fuck. I am a terrible isekai protagonist."

"Language."

---

Ugh. Sorry guys, I was using an older draft that got mixed into the actual story. So I had to rearrange things a little. I was tempted to expand Black and White a bit, but honestly, SI Jaune didn't change much and there's not much point in him being too involved.