One Step Forward
So right now, I'm in the midst of watching some RWBY and I can't help but wonder, how can I make Jaune more than his canon self? So I turn to many sources of inspiration to see if I could make it so, this prologue will be here to see if it can garner interest. If there is more than 15 follows/favourite, I will continue with this story.
If anyone feels brave enough to BETA feel free to leave a PM.
Prologue
Jaune Arc was many things but the one thing he was feeling at the moment was exhausted. He felt worn out at fighting Grimm. He felt tired of fighting a pointless war. He felt fatigued at living in this world. Most important of all, he was tired of losing.
Jaune's state could be summed up in that one word and its many synonyms.
Right now, the aching in his muscles screamed at him, the sheer exhaustion weighing him down from the sleepless nights and the blood pouring from his stomach slowly whittled his life away. Jaune's back was against the wall and standing before him was the mastermind of this destruction and chaos.
Salem.
"Jaune Arc...do you feel your end approaching? I must confess I had always found your defiance...admirable." The deathly pale woman spoke with respect clear in her tone and she looked upon the fallen knight with a soft smile. "That is what is so fascinating with you humans...always defying fate until the very end."
Jaune clutched at his mortal wound, blood seeping between his fingers. His breathing became more ragged, the more his life drained. He gripped Crocea Mors tightly. He tried pushing himself up one more time. He tried calling his body to defy fate once again. To win.
Salem glided towards his broken body, graceful and deadly like a viper ready to strike at its prey.
"Shh, rest now… you no longer need to fight. Not when you've already failed." Jaune glared heatedly at Salem, his blue eyes like chips of ice.
"Your team, your friends, your family are all gone." Salem enjoyed the way his muscles tensed at the mention of his family. The contempt for her filled his entire being and she enjoyed every second of it. The torment that she inflicted upon him filled her with ecstasy. And how could she not feel victorious in this moment? The man who had defied her for twenty long years. "Everyone you have known, everyone you have cared for and especially little Ruby Rose. You let them die."
"RAHHH!" He roared, the blade whistled through the air and sliced through flesh. Salem's immaculate face was scarred and her smile turned into shock then a fierce scowl. She slapped him in the face for his insolence and knocked away his sword.
"Our little game is over, I'm not playing anymore." She gazed at him once again and her foot struck his wrist, turning the bones into powder. He had no aura left but he wouldn't cry out, he wouldn't groan or whimper to show that it hurt he wouldn't give her the satisfaction. She picked up Crocea Mors and held the blade in her hands delicately, caressing it.
"As a knight, it should be fitting that you should die by your sword." She looked down upon him once again and he held his gaze towards her. All the hate, rage and wrath directed at her that she flinched before recovering herself.
"I will kill you." His voice held such conviction that it surprised even her.
"You continue to surprise me, but how will you kill me when you're already dead." She thrust the blade forward towards his heart, the blade ripping through the organ, pinning his body to the wall. Jaune gasped and blood spilled from his mouth, his head bowed. "I shall you remember you fondly, Jaune Arc."
Salem leaned towards him and held his chin up. She beheld the man before her and gave him a kiss, the blood wiped onto her lips where she licked it sensually.
Jaune's vision blurred as the woman walked away. The fires were coming closer. Everything started to darken and Jaune began to wonder and regret.
'I'm sorry, everyone.'
Jaune awakened to find himself in a small room with a dim light fixed in the center of the room. There were no doors just four grey walls he could make out, the shadows dominating every corner. He looked down to find that there was no blood on him, no gaping wounds, it was all fixed.
SO ANOTHER ARC COMES INTO MY DOMAIN… A cloak figure shuffled from the corner of the room before he moved forward and stood before Jaune. The being had its hood up and the dim light didn't help Jaune see into the hood. It stood tall over Jaune and he could feel a cold chill run down his spine.
"Who are you? Where am I?" Jaune stared fearlessly into the hood. The hooded being tilted its head, its gaze piercing through Jaune, staring at him as if he was a fascinating specimen.
I AM THE END OF ALL THINGS, JAUNE ARC. YOU KNOW IT. YOU CAN SENSE IT, the cloaked figure boomed at him.
"You're death." Jaune said simply.
THAT IS CORRECT. AND AS TO WHY YOU ARE HERE. YOU ARE NEEDED, JAUNE ARC. The skeletal hand moved from within the cloak and withdrew a wicked-looking scythe that Ruby would have gushed over.
Whether it was the shock from his death or the stress caused by the war but Jaune didn't care stared openly at death until he began to snigger His snigger turned into a full-blown laugh that became hollow.
"Me? Why would you need me? I can't even do anything." Memories of those he had failed flashed in his mind, their lifeless bodies staring at him. He didn't know how long he laughed but it turned into a horrible sob, he fell to the ground wailing for his friends and family to forgive him. Death merely stood there, waiting, staring down at the mortal on the ground.
ON THE CONTRARY, JAUNE ARC, YOU DO HAVE THE POWER. YOU ARE A CATALYST, AN INSTRUMENT THAT I CANNOT ALLOW TO BE DESTROYED. Death mused that his words fell on deaf ears as Jaune stared at the ground with lifeless eyes.
AND IF YOU FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS THEN PERHAPS YOU CAN UNDO YOUR MISTAKES. Jaune's head whipped up so fast that Death had to wonder how he didn't die from whiplash.
"What, how!?"
THROUGH A DEAL, AN ACCORD BETWEEN MORTAL AND IMMORTAL. Death gestured simply.
"Ok, let's say I go through this deal, I get a new chance at life and then what? What will I have to give in return?" Jaune considered his words carefully, he didn't want to anger the being before him.
THERE WILL COME A POINT IN TIME WHERE I WILL REQUIRE YOUR SERVICES IN A WAR THAT WILL AFFECT CREATION ITSELF. I HAVE BEEN GATHERING OTHER WARRIORS TO HELP COMBAT THIS THREAT. Death stated truthfully before he mused to himself. I WONDER IF THE WEAVER WILL TAKE PART AS WELL?
"Wait what war? And how would I prepare for this, I'm just a human being. I can't take on whatever it is you're facing."
THEY ARE OLD GODS AND NO, YOU CANNOT, NOT YET. BUT YOU WILL, SOON. Death said ominously. WILL YOU AGREE TO THIS ACCORD?
Jaune paused for a moment and determination filled his eyes. "I accept."
COME, JAUNE ARC. YOUR DESTINY AWAITS. Death gestured towards the door that appeared in the room. Jaune had no idea where it came from but he made his way over to find himself surrounded by the vastness of space and stars. Large crystal mirrors floated around and Jaune could see… himself? Different versions of him, he mused.
"What is this place?" Jaune stared in awe and Death forward from the room, the door disappearing as it closed behind him.
THIS IS THE NEXUS. IT IS WHERE I AND MANY OF MY COUNTERPARTS CAN MONITOR THE MANY WORLDS AND UNIVERSES THAT ARE IN DEATH'S DOMAIN. Death continued and gestured to one crystal mirror. In it, Jaune could see himself but with dark tinted glasses and a mysterious smile on his lips ruffling Ruby's hair as she stared back in shock.
IN THIS UNIVERSE, AN ACCIDENT RENDERED YOU BLIND. HOWEVER YOU WERE TRAINED BY A HUNTSMAN, YOU KNOW HIM AS QROW, WHO HONED YOUR SENSES WHERE YOU WERE ABLE TO BECOME A HUNTSMAN YOURSELF. Death put his skeletal hand over the mirror and a silver orb floated in his hand.
YOU WILL NEED THIS. Death allowed the silver orb to float from his hand to Jaune where it entered his chest.
"What did you do?"
IT WILL BE CLEAR IN DUE TIME. Death gestured to another crystal mirror. IN THIS WORLD, YOU BECAME A HUNTSMAN THROUGH PURE SKILL ALONE AND YOU NEVER UNLOCKED YOUR AURA. YES, YOUR SKILLS WERE QUITE LEGENDARY INDEED. Once more another orb flew into Jaune's chest.
"All these other versions of myself, why don't you choose one of them?" Death paused before moving towards another mirror, shaking his head at what he saw.
YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED TOTAL LOSS, YOU REALISE WHAT THE STAKES ARE AND YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE. Death looked into another mirror before the orb flew into Jaune a third time. A QUALITY THAT I REQUIRE.
"I'm so glad, my loss and suffering is so useful to you." He remarked bitterly. Death once again stared back at Jaune. JAUNE ARC, I HAVE OBSERVED YOUR SPECIES MANY TIMES. I DO NOT BELIEVE I HAVE THE SAME DRIVE THAT IS SO INHERENT IN YOU HUMANS WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO FIGHT FOR.
"And this loss is what's going to drive me to win then."
YES BUT YOU MUST UNDERSTAND MY REASONING ON WHY I REQUIRE YOU. I AM A FUNDAMENTAL FORCE OF REALITY. MY JOB IS TO TAKE LIFE. SOMETHING WITH THE POTENTIAL TO DESTROY ALL LIFE IS A THREAT TO MYSELF. IF THERE IS NO LIFE, THERE IS NO DEATH. YOU CAN SAY THAT YOU ARE MY DRIVE. I NEED YOU TO PROTECT MY PURPOSE.
Jaune blinked in surprise not having expect that answer and Death moved once more and gestured towards a mirror where his mother was holding a baby, sobbing uncontrollably.
YOU WILL RETURN TO THIS WORLD, WHERE YOU DIED SHORTLY AFTER YOU WERE BORN.
"Wait how did this version of me die?" Two more orbs flew into his chest and Death put a hand on his chest. A faint glow resonated around his body.
YOUR BODY WAS TOO WEAK AND IT DIED NATURALLY. HOWEVER SINCE I DO NEED YOU IN TOP CONDITION, I WILL ALSO GIFT YOU WITH A STRONGER BODY WHEN YOU GO.
"So this is it, this is my chance to live again?" Jaune said wistfully, hope rising once more.
TAKE THIS CHANCE, JAUNE ARC. SEE IT AS A BENEFIT FOR BEING MY INSTRUMENT. Death pushed him into one of the mirrors and delivered his parting words. LIVE WELL, I WILL RETURN TO COLLECT WHAT IS OWED.
Juniper Arc cried openly as she reached out to the incubator where her son was but instead held onto the person next to her, a blonde-bearded man who shed tears as well. They didn't want to believe that their newborn son was dead. The doctor bowed his head solemnly to the side.
"I'm sorry but your son's heart stopped beating, there was nothing we could do." The doctor's voice was low and his eyes showed the sadness at the death of someone who just came into this world.
"Can I at least hold him? To say goodbye." She sniffed and the doctor nodded in response. The small bundle was given to her and in there was a lifeless baby.
"Oh Jaune, I miss you so much. I wish you were still here, with us. My baby, I love you." Juniper kissed his forehead, hugging him closely until a small cry startled her. She looked down into the bundle to see her baby crying. Breathing. Alive. Tears welled up into her eyes again but instead of tears of sadness it was joy.
"Alex, look he's breathing, he's alive!" Everyone looked at the baby in shock and the Arc family rejoiced that their newborn son would get to live.
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