This couldn't be real, it couldn't be happening.
He was a 30 year old, why did have his body at 17. Ruby's voice was also clearly younger too. Which made no sense.
He stood to look for her.
He couldn't get far before his stomach protested to the movement. He almost vomited right there, but thankfully he was near a trashcan. So most of it went in there. In between painful stomach heaving, Jaune was thinking a mile a minute.
It had been literally 10 years or more since he had ever dealt with his motion sickness.
What was HAPPENING?
It almost felt like he had been rewound.
Wait a second! What had the old man said?
Not where but when, right.
It couldn't be. Jaune stood from the bin for a second before he was forced to bend again. He heard the voice of Glynda Goodwitch over the airship's intercom.
He hadn't realized how much he had forgotten about her. She spoke with a tone both stern and hard. He had forgotten about that.
From the sound of the engines. They were getting close to the end of their flight.
Jaune, still very unsure, slowly stepped over to the doors. His stomach complained but he forced himself to continue.
He looked out of the corner of his eye through one of the ship's taller windows. The sight was so shocking He needed a double-take. He gasped in utter shock.
There it was; Beacon Academy. He couldn't believe it. It stood bright and unbroken in the midday sun.
It couldn't possibly have been rebuilt.
The entire foundation the campus was built on had been compromised in Finder's attack. And every Hunter or Huntress knew to stay away from its ruins. The Grimm presence was too great afterwards as well.
It didn't help that the school was an unmoving blot on everyone's mind. An unholy reminder of the beginning of the end. Nobody really wanted to go back to it.
Yet here it was, complete and vibrant.
The only logical explanation Jaune had was what he had sort of suspected since he arrived out of the darkness.
This must be the past. The old man must of told the truth. It was the best, most reasonable explanation for what he was experiencing.
Jaune stood there, looking out the window, completely and utterly stumped. How could this be?
His question was answered by a particularly powerful need to barf. He couldn't find a trashcan fast enough.
He closed his eyes and let what little he had left, out. When he opened up he saw a pair of boots underneath him. They were covered in—, oh no.
He didn't want to but he had to look.
He could virtually hear the tension building as he followed the boots up their owner's legs, past their torso, before finally looking the person dead in the eyes.
Yang looked at him like was dirt.
He dropped his eyes out of fear, but he couldn't stand to look at the mess he made. Eventually he settled for glaring icy daggers at her exposed midriff.
His terror was short lived however. As Yang's belly started to shake from forced laughter, he looked up.
She was fighting her desire to fight, he knew that face. And, surprisingly, it looked like she was winning.
Finally, she walked away, dragging away a teeny tiny Ruby. He looked at her, she was gasping from the strangeness of it all. Her face was red with shock.
Yang called out, as she left, something that sounded sarcastic about killing him later. He didn't really know.
…
As the doors opened he realized how truly surreal it all was right then.
He could faintly remember the first time he saw Beacon. And it was almost exactly like this. He remembered being called vomit-lad, or something like that that day. He assumed it was because of what happened in the ship, both 15 minutes ago and 15 years ago. That whole situation, from everything he remembered, was exactly like what he had gone through up to this point.
He stepped into the arrival hanger, still a little unsure and sick. He had to find another trashcan.
He wobbled further out into the schools huge outdoor lobby. He looked around.
He caught another glimpse of Ruby. She stood out in the open, looking so small. He was enamored by her, her wacky nature was still pure.
He really had missed his friends.
Obviously some of that was his memory reminding him about her every little trait and quirk, what every facial expression really meant. He just stood there, reveling in what she looked like now that there wasn't a war on.
Well there wasn't one on … yet, he guessed. It was still hard for him to even accept that.
He saw Ruby walking slowly forward across the courtyard. She wasn't looking and bumped into a young girl.
Wait!
Was that Weiss? She was tiny, he had forgotten about that too.
It was like looking at a chibi versions of all his friends.
Sadly, neither one looked very happy. He didn't like seeing children unhappy.
Children!
Good Lord he really was old, these warriors were technically his own age.
…
Pfft, yeah right, these children were still growing.
He had already grown up.
Getting out of his own head, he started to stride over to the pair.
He saw Blake out of his periphery. She was still some what closed off to him before all of … this happened. Even as adults they weren't friends per se. So she didn't look to different to him, just younger. She was walking towards Ruby and Weiss' argument same as him.
Her bow, she was wearing it. She had stopped after she stopped caring what people thought. And that had been at least 12 or more years ago. This was all so strange to go back to.
He kept walking, but he held back once he got closer. Not exactly sure if he should intervene.
The three looked to be very uncomfortable. Eventually Blake stomped away.
Suddenly, a small ball of fire exploded out from them. He stopped completely, than ran faster determined to help.
He slowed when he could start to see them still standing in the smoke, apparently they didn't need any.
Well Weiss was standing at least, or rather walking away. She was black with soot. Ruby didn't look to have been touched. Though her eyes were sad.
Jaune walked up, remembering sharply how he and Ruby's friendship had started after a dust explosion.
He couldn't remember specifics any more, but that stuck in his memory.
As he got closer he caught a glimpse of Blake walking away towards the school.
Ruby slumped to the pavement.
He stopped just above her. He just stared. Amazed at seeing his old friend again, as he remembered her before the war.
She was grumbling cutely until she saw his shadow. She looked up, blocking the sun's rays with her hand.
Jaune didn't say anything for a while. Until Ruby finally got up enough nerve to clear her throat.
"Can I get some help here?"
Jaune shook himself out of his awed staring and reached down.
"H-hey, um, how you doing?" He was nervous.
She took his hand and hoisted up. "I'm doing great, peachy even." She sounded sarcastic.
Jaune figured the whole meet up between her and her future partner hadn't gone too well the second time around.
"Oh, don't worry about snow queen over there, you two make up." She stopped and looked up at him, "we what?" "Oh, you and Weiss, you guys make up eventually."
She tilted her head, "you sound pretty confidant."
Well of course he was, he knew that that was what was going to happen.
"I mean, that's great and all but I'm not the greatest at making friends."
Jaune stopped as he realized what he did. To her he was just a weird kid right then.
He had to act like it.
Lest he break the space-time continuum or something. That was always important in the movies and comic books, right?
She spoke again, "hey aren't you that kid who threw up on my sister?"
"Yes … is she going to be angry at me?" Ruby hunched her shoulders in the symbol for "uh, I dunno'."
Great. "Speaking of which, where is Yang, I didn't see her leave."
Ruby looked around, wondering that herself. "You know I'm not sure, I know she left with her friends." She quieted down suddenly.
She stared at him suspiciously, "how do you know her name? Are you a stalker?"
Jaune froze, then started to wave his hands wildly as he racked his brain for any good explanation. "No no no, I, uh, heard you say her name on the ship!"
Not a lie.
She got up on her tip-toes as she looked him in the eyes. She scrunched her face up in a childish yet adorable version of an inquisitive detective look. Complete with the chin rubbing.
She backed away slowly after a minute or two. "Ok, I believe you for now … vomit-boy."
Ah, that was it. Boy, not lad. He dug deep for a scathing sarcastic reply.
"Yeah sure thing, uh, Red. Why don't I call you crater face, hmm!" Again she snapped to his face, hers was plastered with suspicion. She had been called Red before by a less than reputable source. It made her wonder.
"Anyways … do you know where we're supposed to go?" Without thinking about the part he was supposed to be playing, a new student. He answered honestly.
"Yeah the main auditorium, it's right this way." He started walking and Ruby followed. He didn't have to think too hard, he knew almost every corridor, classroom, and hall. The two of them eventually mingled into a large crowd slowly moving into a huge room.
"I think this is it." Jaune said assuredly. Ruby smiled, "Hey thanks, whatever-your-name is."
Jaune turned, "my name is Jaune Arc." He smiled before realizing what he was missing.
"Oh, um, what's your name … crater-face?"
She puffed her cheeks out, "it's Ruby, Ruby Rose, thank you very much."
Jaune chuckled and stuck his hand out to her, "well nice to meet you: Ruby, Ruby Rose. I hope we can be friends." Ruby, playing along, rolled her eyes and they amicably shook hands.
…
Yang called out to the pair when they finally entered the auditorium. "Ruby, over here, I saved you a spot." Ruby met her wave and started to move towards her before stopping and saying goodbye to Jaune. He waved her on, saying goodbye.
He stood there, looking around aimlessly.
He saw some faces here and there that he kind of recognized. But none that were really close friends.
He saw someone who eventually joined the White Fang. Someone who left to live outside the kingdom's. Someone who died in the infantry. A couple people who became full-time professional Hunters too.
And Car—C—CARDIN!
Wow, he sure looked different too.
Cardin, from what Jaune remembered, had gotten out of the war pretty quickly. He got himself elected in a city's government somewhere in Vacuo.
Last he heard of Cardin was he had been killed. He found out later it had been Blake who had done it.
Cardin had never let go of his racism, and it had only gotten worse when he was given office. The council suspected he was corrupt to boot. So basically, completely undesirable.
They wanted him out of office fast, and the police investigation into him had come up lacking in solid evidence against him. The council asked team RWBY to bring him in for questioning.
It was technically illegal, but his once friends had gladly made an exception for an old racist, misogynist, corrupt bully.
Cardin resisted and Blake killed him.
That was the first big wedge that started the schism between him and his friends.
That showed him what controlled his friends and most everyone else too. It wasn't a heroic duty, or an ethical journey, but emotions. Their emotions had complete control over them.
And the only difference between his friends and those they were fighting were what there emotions told them.
An extremely unreliable source of ethics If ever there was one.
…
Jaune stared on at the imposing young man.
His train of thought was finally derailed by Headmaster Ozpin's soft voice. Just another thing he hadn't heard in a long time.
"I'm going to keep this brief." Yeah, Ozpin was never one for long speeches. Even when he wasn't a little boy named Oscar.
Ozpin's unconventional morale boosting speech though was surprisingly helpful, despite Jaune's sarcasm.
Glynda stepped up from behind Ozpin afterwards. "Tonight you will all be sleeping in the great hall."
The great hall was actually the campus' cafeteria if he remembered correctly. He started to meander that way along with everyone else.
On the way he picked up his luggage and prepared for sleep.
Once everyone picked their spot on the floor, the crowd was easier to view. With some people wandering around or showing off their teen muscles to whoever was still awake.
He got dressed in his pajamas and walked out of the changing rooms. He had forgotten about the Pumpkin Pete's onesie he had packed for his first, now second, trip to the prestigious school.
It really was a comfy sleeping arrangement. And he wished he could say the snickering of children at his bunny look didn't affect his security.
But they did, apparently a bright blue onesie wasn't cool enough. So he speed-walked over to his sleeping bag and dove under the covers. Hiding his pajamas from view.
As he lay there under the cover he realized something, he almost missed the caring. The caring about what other people thought. It was peer pressure sure, but it didn't harm him. It was comfortable and he reveled in the feeling of others judging him.
It was weird for sure.
Out beyond the kingdom walls with his group of once friends made an environment of complete comfort with each other. Coming back to the rigidness of teenage hierarchies was a little bit like coming back to civilization.
He fell asleep that night hearing the playful banter of what would become team RWBY.
…
And he woke up to the voices of Ren and Nora. It was perfect.
He slowly became aware of more of the world around him. He cracked his eyes open and saw Ren and Nora shuffling and skipping respectively off to the bathrooms.
He heard the general noise of a crowd waking up together. Trying in vain to keep quiet.
He was up and at'em much faster than the other students. Probably because he was used to waking up at ungodly hours in the morning.
Typically to kill more people or Grimm.
His head dropped back onto his pillow as that knowledge hit him like a freight train. He had done such … things with his friends. He used to think that he and them were heroes. Taking out the trash and leaving the world cleaner because of it.
All they did was push the trash around. For all of his friends killing, fighting, interrogating, and hunting the White Fang was gaining members. The kingdom's government was more corrupt and angry than ever.
His eyes watered somewhat as he yet again thought it all over.
Through his dreary mood and rising noise of the cafeteria, a single voice broke through.
"Oh don't worry, please go ahead."
He clambered up to his feet. His sleeping bag impeded the process and he tripped up into the ground.
Finally he was able to kick off the nylon snake and look at the voice.
There she was.
He saw her red hair first.
The invincible girl.
Pyrrha Nikos.
He gasped, his mouth squishing and opening like a fish.
She walked into the girl's changing room. Jaune stared at where she used stand.
…
He had stared at Pyrrha all through out the morning. Not in a creepy way but more in away that you look at a nostalgic movie.
Most people are so happy to be back in their happy place they can't see the bad, only the good. That was what it was like seeing his old partner again.
Unsurprisingly she didn't look at him at all.
The entire entering class was milling around in a special room designed to house rocket propelled weapon lockers. A strange but usefully design perk for sure.
Jaune found his locker and stood by it as he looked on at her. He had to talk to her. Just for her to look at him would be enough.
He slowly walked up to her, almost scared of someone who had been dead for over a decade. He stopped just behind her, she was having a conversation with Weiss.
It sounded like they were planning on trying to form a team. Weiss seemed to like the idea much more than Pyrrha did.
He tapped her on the shoulder. She turned, flipping her hair out of the way.
She looked at him with a guarded smile. "Hello."
He crumpled under her warm gaze, "H—h—hi, my name's Jaune."
Pyrrha, wanting to be nice, ignored his stumbling and tried to continue the awkward conversation.
Fortunately for both parties involved she didn't get a chance. Glynda's stern voice cut through a speaker high up on the wall.
They all needed to meet up by the western cliff. Jaune took the opening given and ran nearly full speed away from Pyrrha.
He got there first needless to say.
His embarrassment and secret excitement leaving his face red.
Slowly but surely the rest of their entering class joined him. Along with Glynda herself, Ozpin came last.
He explained what would be involved. Artifacts, Grimm, and a lot of walking. Oh and one other thing.
"You will be coming up with your own landing strategy."
Ruby didn't seem to like that, she squeezed in protest.
Jaune could definitely remember this. You don't soon forget being launched that high into the air that fast.
Speaking of which, he could hear the gears beneath him turning. The twang and grind of a spring being tensioner was softly emanating from beneath the metal patch he stood on.
Ozpin told them to get ready.
He heard the first kid get launched with a scream. He quickly went through his possible strategies.
More students were launched.
Blake, Ren, Nora, Weiss, Cardin, Yang, and finally Ruby. He decided to go for a good old fashioned cannonball, his aura could handle the impact.
Wait a second, … aura. He couldn't feel it. OH NO!
He screamed at Ozpin to stop, but it was too late.
He launched with enough force to move a couple elephants.
His very manly scream ebbed as he traveled over the great forest.