It was bright. That's all the soldier could remember for the moment. The young soldier. The Arc, the only son of the Arc family.
Jaune Arc could only feel the dull ache of the Matter Rocket that blew apart his chest. Now he is in a dark place. Hell? Not likely. Hell would be more expecting. No, he could feel the cold metal of his Infinite Stratos suit. He could feel the rock and moss of the ground he now lay upon. Opening his dry mouth, no words would escape the sore cavern. His muscles were heavy and his vision slowly, painfully slowly, adjusted to the darkness.
A cave.
A very big cave. The corpses of his fallen foes strewn around him in ancient and rusted armor and weapons. Old and dried holes and craters of explosions and fighting covering the ground. It was odd. As Jaune would look around, he saw age and rust. Decay and mold. But his armor was clean. It was smooth and polished. His weapons were combat ready. His vitals and screens, that gave little light, worked flawlessly. He did not understand.
One moment he was covering his allies from the I.S. forces that flooded the lands. The mission, the one to stop the war, was a success.
At the cost of his life.
He had been shot by a surviving Matter Cannon and was bleeding out with his chest crushed and his armor shattered. He detonated the Ion bomb. There was a bright flash. Now he is in a cave.
His Stryder was heavy. His strength returning. Finally, with what felt like eons, he could move. First the arms, he raised his left and right arm, although sluggishly. Opening and closing his clawed appendages, he felt the relief of popping bones. Standing, his vision nearly blacked out, even though his legs were numb and hardly felt what he was doing.
Done, now speech. "Hrgh."
A deep breath, "Chgs"
Another, "Check. Check."
Damn, that felt good. The way his neck would vibrate, a comfortable and soothing feeling. Smiling, Jaune checked his weapons: his synthetic Rail Gun shifting Dust arm, thankfully, didn't have any bugs in change from claw to firing mode. His Dust cartridges were in good shape, although he didn't have many. His sword and shield, Crocea Mors/Mars, were still with him, thankfully the rumors about never rusting or dulling were true, the blade was still sharp.
His rifle, a M5-55 mark-A assault rifle/scissor sword. The rifle and barrel were straight, although lightly clogged up. Aura abilities, he checked his Aura through flares and small flows, all were checked. He was sane.
His armor was as good as new as well. No scratches, no dents, no cuts. Perfect.
Heh, Summer would love this. She was always a armor nut. When he finds Summer he would finally take her out to the dinner he promised her. He knew that crossing her was the death penalty. Rose family members were usually like that. Summer Rose was special in Jaune's book. Especially with that time travelling ability she learned and when she met him. He loved that day.
First things first: get the Hell out of the cave.
His rifle, Reaper, is a Aura/Dust/Matter ammo user, Aura only strengthens and makes the barrel not overheat, the Dust was simple Dust bullets, Dark Matter bullets? Hell yeah, the most bad-ass bullets he could use. Dark Matter could also last for just about ever.
So with this thought, he took the dark purple clips he could find that didn't rust away. He only managed to scrounge up three extra clips with his twenty already. Changing Reaper back into the dark red scissor sword, he sheathed it and his mask looked for possible exits.
His armor was a full body suit, dark purple with jutted angles and pieces on the gauntlets, several plates going up and down the arms and legs, but it still covered him, letting some latex suit covering the upper and lower body was smooth dark purple metal, jutting pieces coiling up and around his shoulders, ending in long plates on his upper forearms. The suit also had six foot long detached wings, a twelve foot long wing span from tip to tip. The thrusters in the middle and ends were twin turbine mark-A Dust thrusts.
His helmet, had dark red streams going from the plexi-glass and down the body, giving it a intimidating feel.
Jaune had no idea why there was a cave. Last he checked, he should be in a field, surrounded by his enemies and allies as they fought in the most important battle he had ever fought in. Sucks though, so many people looking up to his family, Jaune even more so. They couldn't rest. The Arc family was surrounded by cadets, injured veterans, refugees signing up and taking up perimeter patrols. That life was chaos. Jaune hardly got to talk with his sisters or his parents, to wrapped up in paper work and missions. His family didn't fare any better.
His father hardly slept or ate, his mother never had that glow of beauty and care, instead tiredness and ache, his sisters never laughed, never had the time to do anything their teenage and young adult lives should've given them. But instead of living happily, they became soldiers. Fighters who couldn't sleep or spend time, even just to have a happy thought.
There. Jaune's helmet showed him weakened spots of wall and stone. Aiming his Rail arm up, his hand flickered and sparked with small lines of electricity. Heating up, as they call it, he fired a Pulse Blast at Mach-4, creating a giant gap where stone used to be and sending a small amount of light through the cracks.
Jaune smiled as the small beams of light hit his vision, he was alive. He could hear the faint sounds of brids chirping, a Beowolf howling through the trees, leaves blowing in the wind. Most importantly: he felt the wind. Removing the gauntlet off of his human hand, he felt the chill of the wind kiss his skin. It was beautiful and, for some reason, made him want to cry. It was as if he hadn't felt the wind in ages.
If only he knew.
Summer Rose was sad. Even though she managed to return to her time through the Aura Field years ago, she still couldn't find the happiness with her own family. She knew why though: Jaune Arc.
The boy was only fourteen when he found her, her in her standard armor suit, weapons by her side and absolutely no idea what was going on or where she was. Maybe it was fate, but ever since her encounter with the blonde knight, she felt joy and a warmth in her chest. She knew she couldn't be falling for the boy, even after she had been with him for over four years, she just knew she couldn't.
She wasn't supposed to be there, not where she ended up. No, she went back to try and change the time so she could be with her daughters. Luckily, she managed to, but not after shedding tears for her beloved friend. The time she ended up in was a time of civil war: people who knew not what they were doing, just following impulse and killing those they once trusted over this reason or another.
The Infinite Stratos suits caused it all. With their development, it was believed to be the next step in history, but with a flaw: only women could pilot them. While not a terribly bad thing, anti-feminists and most others disagreed with the thought of having women pilots. Sexists gathered together and brought fight after fight on them. Then the military weaponized them and the suits where hated on by government haters and extremists. The time for the once wonderful suits became a target for fight and war.
After the suits were even more advanced, men could pilot them, but it was too late. People stole them, the pieces, the tech and built their own, made a war, brought Hell on Remnant.
The Arc family where heroes and generals, so they got the brunt of it. Forced to be soldiers and lead thousands against their own, they were hardened and broken. Jaune Arc was considered lucky because even with all the danger and problems that wore him down, he still had that dazzling smile, that joy that brought others to his side, the bravery and compassion that won the hearts of many, and encouraged many to continue with their lives. Even without his knowledge in the matters, he was needed, depended on and loved. He was a leader without his own knowledge.
It must have been the reason it was hard to leave, the Infinite Stratos suits in her time were completed, and the time she appeared in was a terrible one: the Great Wars. Instead of years of piece, the treaty after the first war only lasted three years, then the second began. War happened again, and then the Arc family brought the most important and dangerous mission to light: the Ion Bomb. An incredibly powerful bomb that was intended to destroy the heart of the Dark forces, the Emerald City. The city was one of the most militarized and powerful cities in the war, and the fight that brought it down went down in the history books forever.
And Jaune Arc took the fall.
The boy took the football sized bomb and continued on, even as his family and forces retreated and ran the other direction, he continued. It was seen by hundreds of drones, thousands of eyes, millions of lenses and cameras, his triumph. Jaune Arc, in his signature purple armor that granted him the name Dark Knight, charging through the barricade, bomb in hand, fighting single-hnadedly into the heart of the city, then detonating. The entire city was glassed, nothing left but stone, metal and ruins.
A small cave was left over the crater, a reminder of his sacrifice. None, not even the enemies, would ever desecrate it, for that grave held the most powerful and loved person in existence.
The remains grew over in time, trees grew rather quickly, plants and animals took over, Grimm made dens, travelers went to pray, it was beautiful. But Jaune Arc wasn't given the credit he deserved, not at all.
Even if the Arc family fought for him to take the credit, the rest of the family was famed and worshipped, the cause for the Arc family downfall. The family stopped fighting, gave their responsibilities to other families and resigned, given them the feel for what they felt. No longer bothering to be remembered.
It saddened Summer. The boy she fell for wasn't even worth trying to thank, his family was more important than the actual person who helped forge the peace in which they live.
All of Patch and many more beyond knew that Summer had ended up back in that time, knew that she met Jaune, knew that she saw things in the history books, and everyone who knew loved and respected her. Which is where she is now, with nearly two hundred others, all human and Faunus, walking down the path and roads towards the decorated grave of the Hero of Patch. All Patch residents know or have heard of his great triumphs, and only Patch openly loves Jaune and his triumphs.
Everyone holds withering hope for the boy, the reason: thee grave was deteriorating and the Ion bomb was proven to preserve the user. The bomb was made to detonate manually, so the design was made for the user to be protected and possibly still live. Possibly being key in the sentence. Jaune's family and followers believe that Jaune could still be alive, while the rest of the world scoffs at the mere thought.
Summer held the most hope, mainly love. She knew no matter how she felt, it would be to awkward and really bad to date the teenage soldier, especially after she doesn't have a husband anymore. There was talk that she should marry Taiyang, but she politely shot the idea down. Yang was desperate to see her real mother and Summer didn't have the heart to take her place.
Fifty hooded priests walked in the front of the massive group, the Arc family and several smaller groups of supporters and fighters sporting weapons to defend themselves. The civilians walked slowly and basked in the ambiance of the forest beauty. With her smaller daughter, Ruby, holding her hand Summer kept a small smile and continued down to the center of the forest.
The area was all stone, several pillars with patterns from the Arc ancestors lining them, flat and intricate swirls and patterns etched into the stone on the ground and the steadily descending stone seats towards the big circle of stone where Jaune lays.
Taking their positions, the Arc family walked to the front, the priests behind them and the rest filing into seats and taking up praying positions.
The prayers went normally, the people all giving their respects and the Arc members drawing their weapons and bowing in respect. Everything was normal.
CRACK!
Looking up startled, everyone was amazed to see spider webbing cracks on one end of the aged stone, small holes revealing light but not big enough to give noise as the stone was to thick.
Summer was gasping and holding back tears. It's working!
The Arc family was dumb-founded, but they quickly regained their position and held up their weapons, the other fighters taking up in a circle around the cracks.
CRACK CRACK CRACK CRRRRACCCKKKK!
Several more spider webs showed and noise of explosions and thumping was heard. Everyone began to back up sub-consciously. All at once, the grave exploded, showering the stands and people with stone and dust. The soldiers and weapon wielders took up fighting positions, but their wariness didn't last for long.
A human shaped figure in dark purple and shiny armor was standing in the middle of the un-existent cave, the right arm crackling with electricity. Everyone gasped, Summer was trying not to faint.
It was him. The object of her affection, the peoples hero, the legend, standing in the middle of the crater as if he was just out of a fight. Summer could only squeak one word as everyone looked at her.
"J-Jaune?"
Jaune did it! He was free! The smoke from his powerful blast destroyed his cage, and now he was blinded by bright sun light.
Blinking, he saw the hazy shapes of people. Many people.
Jaune didn't recognize the armor nor clothing, but he did see weapons and he immediately thought of ways to dispel the oncoming fight without violence. He was about to speak, but a certain woman's voice made him stop in his tracks.
"J-Jaune?" Summer!
"S-Summer!" He immediately brightened. The woman he considered his closest and most dearest friend was her! But his joy immediately went to that of concern, if Summer was here, right where he fought and his enemies were, is she in trouble? As the teenager's vision cleared, he saw children, trees, and civilians.
OK, so he's not in trouble if civilian' are here, but why did they wear such weird things? He also noticed that a blonde girl was wearing some form of gauntlets with shotgun shells sticking out. Weird.
Then he noticed the Arc family crest. On many of the humans in front of him. Looking down, his wing unfurled and the turbines lifted him slightly.
"Who are you people?" What Jaune didn't expect was for them to start bowing and holding their weapons in front of them. Jaune's grip on Reaper's hilt lessened even more as the rest of the big group of people got on their knees and bowed. He didn't know what to do in this moment.
So he began to walk. His armored feet click clacking on the stone, looking down at the all of the bowing figures. He approached Summer where a small girl in a red cape was holding her leg tightly. He realized he probably didn't look like a nice guy, so he inwardly scolded himself and moved to remove his helmet.
Releasing the helmet in a small whiiisshh! of air, it was able to be removed.
Removing the helmet, it revealed a mop of blonde hair and sky blue eyes. A firm jaw with a joyous smile. Summer's and Yang's hearts as well as many other female's hearts fluttered at his goofish smile.
"It's wonderful to meet you miss. I take it you are Ruby Rose, correct?"
Ruby nodded, warming up to the boy. "She looks wonderful Summer. She is quite fetching." Ruby flushed at the comments. Summer was still coping to see her dead friend alive. Doing what she didn't expect to do ever again, she hugged him, ignoring the sharp pieces of his armor harming her skin.
"Jaune!" she ignored the fact that she sounded like a little girl.
"Its..good...to see..you again...Summer."
YO! Let me know what you all think! Now back to my other stories!