New Game Plus Chapter 10: Glitch, a rwby fanfic

This is the second version of chapter ten I have posted. Despite the initial similarities between the previous chapter, this chapter is nearly three times the length of the previous one, and is very different. Though any who have read the previous chapter ten can go on to eleven, I advise that they read this version to get the full experience of this story. Thank you.

Jaune woke up feeling… Happy. Why wouldn't he be? Blake had agreed to the date he had planned and now all he had to do was set it up. Whatever 'it' was… In all truth, Jaune wasn't the most experienced when it came to dates- which is to say, he's never been on one ever. However, that fact didn't get him down, as he knew everything would work out in the end.

Unfortunately, Jaune wasn't able to start preparing immediately. Though it was Sunday, they were required to go to remedial lessons. Apparently, Professor Port had held them back so many times that they were losing valuable class time with the history professor. Annoying, yes, but the students of Beacon accepted with a grumble. Hard to protest something when Ms. Goodwitch enforces it.

"Alright students!" Oobleck began the class with a shout, waking the students from their stupor. "I don't want to be here as much as you do, so we'll make this quick- It'sthatdamnfuckerPort'sfault- Today we will be going over everything we were unable to talk about about the Faunus Revolution. Then we can all get out of here and enjoy our day off, alright?" Having said that all in one breath, the doctor took a moment to breath.

Unlike most, Jaune could- for the most part- understand what his teacher was saying. Though, he didn't catch that bit in the middle. Despite this, Jaune still had about as much fun as anyone else in Oobleck's class. As to say, none at all. Unlike with Port, however, you couldn't just sleep through the history professor's class, as he would actively make sure everyone was listening. And because of this attentiveness, the green haired teacher was the most hated out of all the staff.

Almost instantly, Jaune started to zone out. He had more important things to think about. Mainly, what would he be serving Ren and Blake for dinner? And where? And how? So much to do and so little time to do it. Perhaps he'd ask one of his friends for help. Blake and Ren were off that list for obvious reasons, as was Ruby. Nora… Didn't seem like the 'type' to know much about dating, leaving Jaune with a few options.

Speaking of those options, just in that moment, Yang bumped his shoulder. She and Weiss made up the seats next to Jaune, while Ruby and the rest of his friends sat on the opposite side of the classroom.

"What?" He whispered to the boisterous blonde, slightly agitated. He knew she wasn't mad at him for fighting with Ruby, but he still felt a little annoyed that she hadn't made any effort to talk to him in the days since. Well, maybe today was the day.

"I heard what you were planning from Blake. You're making a mistake." Yang warned. Jaune's eyes widened, then his fists curled.

"It's good to talk to you as well, Yang. How have you been?" The snark in his voice was evident. Perhaps it was due to the building stress of the upcoming date, but Jaune really wasn't in a good mood to be criticised today. Yang, for the most part, brushed his comment off.

"I'm trying to stop you before you do something stupid. Ren doesn't like Blake." Jaune rolled his eyes.

"And if that were true? What are you trying to make me do?"

"Call off the date. Call it off before you hurt Blake's or Ren's feelings." Silence stood between them as Jaune processed the information given to him. Finally, he spoke back up.

"The reason I'm setting up the date in the first place, is to distract me from your sister. So if she set you up to this for some petty revenge, it's not going to work. Not to mention, I think I know my partner a bit better than you do." Yang frowned.

"You're being an asshole right now. But I get it, you feel hurt and you want that feeling to stop. I understand that. So, when you've gotten over your shit and realized your mistakes, we'll hit the town and you can buy me drinks as an apology." She paused a moment, considering her next words. "Besides… This isn't about you. Ren and Blake are the important ones here." He gritted his teeth.

"And who exactly do you think Ren is actually attracted to?" Jaune mocked, voice raising.

"Nora." Yang blandly stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Nora?!" The team leader repeated incredulously. Then, he remembered where he was, and looked around to see everyone staring at him.

"Mr. Arc! Glad you could finally join us!" Doctor Oobleck shouted at him. He was screwed. "Now, since this is the weekend, I will allow you one chance to get away from this class punishment free. Simply tell me, what advantage did the Faunus forces have over General Lagoon's forces during the battle of Fort Castle? Answer correctly, and you are forgiven for the interruption. Answer incorrectly, and you will be staying after with me."

Jaune went into something of a panic mode. He wasn't truly panicked, as Gamer's Mind finally decided to kick in after that rough conversation with Yang, but the sense of dread still flowed through his body. If he got this wrong, he wouldn't be able to provide Blake and Ren with their date. Not only would they be annoyed, but he'd fail the quest and lose their bond. That couldn't happen.

Stalling for time, Jaune looked around the room as if he was trying to think. Oobleck was waiting for him, but wouldn't wait much longer. Yang was no help, and it seemed the other side of the class had gone mute, but Jaune's attention was finally drawn to Weiss. She had stopped feverishly taking notes and was instead underlining two words. 'Night Vision.'

"Night Vision, Doctor. The Faunus forces all had excellent night vision." Jaune answered, adding the 'Doctor' part for some extra flattery. Oobleck smiled.

"Good work, Mr. Arc. I knew you had it in you. No need to stay after today. Never say I was unfair- UnlikethatsonofabitchPort- and let's get back on track." Once the teacher had launched back into his rants and away from Jaune, the leader of Team JWLR turned to his teammate.

"Thanks for the save, Weiss." She shook her head, not looking at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Just pay attention." She insisted.

+1 Bond with:
Weiss Schnee
Bond LV: 4/200

[OK]

"Right." He complied with her demands, ignoring the glaring blonde on his right to focus on the teacher and what was going on in the classroom. Cardin raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Winchester?" The teacher called.

"I understand why they won the battle of Fort Castle, but how did the Faunus win the war? Isn't it true that humans are naturally stronger than Faunus because of their consistent genes?" The question was genuine, but it seemed to stir an unwelcome feeling throughout the class, particularly, from Blake.

"Be careful with your words, Mr. Winchester. It is not healthy to throw around blanket statements like that. While some Atlesian Scientists have found that more… 'Peculiar' types of Faunus, such as any Insect Faunus, score slightly below average in terms of strength, this difference is negligible and completely vanishes when the subjects are given aura. Some types of Faunus, like the Bull Faunus, have actually been recorded with higher strength averages than a normal human. Of course, none of this conjecture truly matters, as in the end, skill will shine over strength everytime. And as for how the Faunus won the war- Skill. Skill and hope."

"Right." Cardin responded simply enough. At this, many of the Faunus and Faunus Supporters in the room backed down their glares, but Blake was not one of them, still viewing Winchester with a haineous look. And while even she went back to paying attention to Oobleck, Jaune's own gaze still remained.

He'd quickly dismissed Yang's words- and rightly so- but the thoughts she placed in his head still lingered. He inwardly scoffed at the ideas that Ren had a crush on anyone other than Blake, though he couldn't help but doubt himself. Jaune grimaced.

That doubt. It was so similar to his feelings before he started to hook up Blake and Ren. Nagging feelings, pulling at his very essence and telling him he was useless. Why had Yang felt the need to tell him such things? To hurt him like this? Couldn't she see that he needed this? That he needed this to work, or else…

The first time, Cardin had given him advice on how to get out of his stupor. And while it wasn't much, it helped. Perhaps he could help now, as well.

When the class finally ended, Jaune sought out Cardin. Thankfully, the larger student was kind enough to lend his advice once more. The time, they talked on the school roof- a place away from the other classmates.

It was midday, but the view was no less stunning. The sun shined over the castle he called home, letting it's edges shine out with a radiance. It seemed that every window and balcony in Beacon was crafted to give only the greatest view possible. Frankly, Jaune had not yet stumbled upon one that failed to please.

"Does Ren like Blake or Nora?" Jaune suddenly asked as they made themselves comfortable. Cardin blinked.

"What?"

"Does Lie Ren like Blake Belladonna or Nora Valkyrie? 'Like' as in, 'have a crush on.'" Jaune repeated, a little desperate. Cardin gave him a sad, almost pitiful, look.

"I have no idea. I'm not into gossip, remember?" The leader of Team JWLR sighed and walked over to the guard railing. Cardin joined him. "Why do you want to know?"

"I was setting up a date for Blake and Ren, a distraction like you said, and now Yang has to come up to me a tell me that Ren actually like Nora! Like she'd know Ren better than I do. Ugh." He stopped himself complaining, realizing that Gamer's mind wasn't kicking in. "I just wanted your advice on the situation as a whole, I guess."

"Well, I can't tell you about Ren's romantic life, but I can do that." Jaune looked at him. "Just ask Ren. Easy."

"Just like that?"

"Yup." Jaune faltered, unsure of how to respond. The way Cardin put in made the whole deal sound so simple. Yet, Jaune couldn't help but feel a certain hesitance at the prospect of talking to Ren about something like that.

It was an uncomfortable thought, that he was wrong about something that should've been so blatantly obvious, and at the moment, Jaune wasn't much for uncomfortable feelings. But… As Yang said- This wasn't about him. Whatever reasons he had for wanting to keep the date on, they meant nothing if Ren didn't actually want to go with Blake. The solution was obvious, and despite his pride, Jaune did what he had to.

"You're right, Cardin. I'll go talk to Ren." Jaune finally agreed. Winchester patted him on the back.

"Good to hear. I know you're afraid that you'll be wrong, but you have to remember- Helping people is indeed a noble thing to do, but only if they want to be helped. Trying to force help will only make the situation worse for everybody." Jaune nodded, showing he understood Cardin's final bit of advice. "See you around, Jaune." And like that, the advice giver was gone, leaving Jaune in his thoughts.

Not long after, though, did the leader of Team JWLR detach himself from the railing and go out to seek his partner- Ready for whatever he had to hear.

Jaune found Ren in the most obvious of locations- training with Nora. Though it was Sunday, the pair didn't seem to have any other concept of fun. At least, Jaune assumed they fought for fun. Certainly, Nora did.

The fight dynamic was the same as always, with Nora acting as a devastating powerhouse in all her attacks, and Ren being able to dodge each and every one. They continued their flawless dance together and Jaune took a moment to appreciate the skill they displayed. Once more, he was reminded that no matter how far he had come, his friends and foes still wildly out classed him.

Finally, during a lull, the Team Leader took his chance to interrupt. Walking in between the two combatants, specifically for the purpose of not getting accidentally killed, Jaune made himself known. It… Didn't work. At least, not at first.

Nora and Ren were locked in each other's eyes, panting. Neither reacted to his presence, for neither truly saw him. They weren't taking in the world, only each other. Then, with Jaune nearly between them, they charged each other with renewed vigor.

"Guys!" Nora stopped instantly, blinking out of whatever trance she was in by a matter of seconds. Ren took a bit longer- around thirty seconds- before he realized where he was. Having both brought back to the land of the living, Jaune was now the center of attention- an awkward position. "Uhh… Hello."

"What is it, Jaune?" Ren said curtly as Nora gave back her greetings. He wiped the sweaty hair from his eyes.

"I… I need to speak with you about something." Jaune explained to his partner, slightly embarrassed.

"I'm a little busy at the moment." Ren gestured to Nora, who gave a cheeky little wave.

"It's important." He insisted, making Ren grumble.

"Fine. What is it?" The leader of Team JWLR shook his head.

"Not here." Giving a glance to Nora, he added another caveat. "And alone." Sick of his partner's antics, Ren sighed and started walking away. "Where are you going?" Jaune called after him.

"Somewhere private. Are you coming or not?"

"Come back soon!" Nora said her farewells as Jaune rushed to catch up with Ren.

They didn't go far, just to an unused room right outside the sparring chamber. There, Jaune found Ren already waiting for him, tapping his foot.

"Well?" The ninja eventually inquired, breaking the silence that built up around the two.

"I-" Jaune went to open his mouth, but had to close it again. The nervousness had grown within him, coming to a head at this moment. A hint of shame was also tied into things- Was he really going to ask Ren who his crush was? Had he been such a bad friend to have never even realized the truth? Surely not, but it still felt that way.

Asking the question, speaking the words, it was like admitting defeat- Not something that Jaune did easily. For all his faults in strength and skill, Jaune had yet to let any challenge simply roll over him. Sure, he had failed his quests time to time, but that wasn't the same thing. At the very least, Jaune tried. Which seemed to be a point of conflict for today.

"Can we make this quick? I don't have all day." Ren's voice once again broke through Jaune's thoughts, causing Jaune to remember all the advice he'd been given that day- Specifically, Yang's words.

This wasn't about him. This was about Ren, Nora, and Blake's happiness. It was good of Jaune to do something nice for his friends, but if he continued on without asking, he'd be twisting his help into something worse, something darker. Help was only right when the other person wanted it. Anything besides that was using force, no matter what the intentions were.

Jaune took a deep breath.

"Ren, this is going to sound silly, but I need you to answer honestly. Do you have a crush on Nora or Blake?"

Ren opened his mouth, but what came out wasn't a name. Rather, it was a noise- Similar to one a computer would make if it experienced an error. Then, Ren's mouth closed, and opened, and closed and opened and closed and opened and soon- It was just blinking in and out of existence with Jaune, frozen in horror, doomed to watch.

The world shifted, slightly. Not as in the physical room shifted, but the textures did. Half of the chalkboard was now splayed on the bare wall and vice versa. The chairs had taken in the look of the desks and the desks, the chairs.

From Ren's mouth, the error noise came once more, but this time, it didn't stop. Instead, it just kept whirring on, becoming nearly deafening in intensity.

Jaune wanted to react, but found that he couldn't. He had moved into some sort of position, but he hadn't meant to. Whatever was going on, whatever was happening, it was affecting him as well. He- He wasn't in control.

Ren suddenly disappeared and Jaune let out a scream within his own mind, something guttural, directly from the soul. Right after Ren went the desks, and after them the building. Jaune fell to the ground, completely paralyzed, looking out at the horizon as it slowly blinked away.

'This is hell.' Jaune thought with the last of his comprehension.

And then, the sun disappeared.

Want.

Jaune woke up feeling… Confused. At least, for the briefest moments until he found himself happy! Why wouldn't he be? Blake had agreed to the date he had planned- the hardest part, out of the way- and now all he had to do was set it 'it' was…

Almost the instant class started, Jaune started to zone out. He had more important things to think about. Mainly, what would he be serving Ren and Blake for dinner? And where? And how? So much to do and so little time to do it. Perhaps he'd ask one of his friends for help. Blake and Ren were off that list for obvious reasons, as was Ruby. Nora… Didn't seem like the 'type' to know much about dating, leaving Jaune with a few options.

Their conversation… Did not go well. For some reason, Yang had gotten it in her mind that Ren didn't have a crush on Blake. Apparently, he was making a 'big mistake' by continuing on with the date. And to top it all off, he was being the 'asshole.' The nerve!

"And who exactly do you think Ren is actually attracted to?" Jaune finally asked, voice raising.

"Nora." Yang blandly stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Nora?!" The team leader repeated incredulously. Then, he remembered where he was, and looked around to see everyone staring at him.

Jaune's eyebrows furrowed. This situation seemed so… Familiar. For whatever reason, Jaune couldn't shake the feeling that they had talked about this before. Of course, that didn't help his current situation, as he didn't actually have an answer.

"Night Vision, Doctor. The Faunus forces all had excellent night vision." Jaune answered, adding the 'Doctor' part for some extra flattery. Oobleck smiled.

"Thanks for the save, Weiss." She shook her head, not looking at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Just pay attention." She insisted.

+1 Bond with:
Weiss Schnee
Bond LV: 4/200

[OK]

"Right." He complied with her demands, ignoring the glaring blonde on his right to focus on the teacher and what was going on in the classroom. Cardin raised his hand.

As Cardin made something of a splash in the classroom, Jaune thought on Yang's words. He didn't want to, but his mind seemed to have other prerogatives. How could it be true- That Ren liked Nora and not Blake? Surely not. Then why did he ruminate on these thoughts so much? Ugh. He needed to talk to someone.

The first time, Cardin had given him advice on how to get out of his stupor. And while it wasn't much, it helped. Perhaps he could help now, as well.

"Does Ren like Blake or Nora?" Jaune suddenly asked as they made themselves,comfortable. Cardin blinked.

"What?"

"Does Lie Ren like Blake Belladonna or Nora Valkyrie? 'Like' as in, 'have a crush on.'" Jaune repeated, a little annoyed. Cardin gave him a sad, almost pitiful, look.

"I have no idea. I'm not into gossip, remember?" The leader of Team JWLR sighed and walked over to the guard railing. Cardin joined him. "Why do you want to know?"

"It's a stupid thing Yang told me. I was planning a date for Blake and Ren, when she came out of nowhere and made me doubt myself. I wanted to hear your input because I know you'd be honest." Cardin took a moment to think.

"Well… I'm sorry I can't help you there, but I would say to ask Ren about it-"

"No." Jaune cut him off. "I don't want to do that." Cardin raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to. It was meant to be a surprise and it'll stay that way." The team leader's voice had hardened, losing the friendly tone it once held.

"Then why come to me?"

"For reassurance. I had a stupid gut feeling that made we want to talk to you. Obviously, that was a mistake." The pair stopped leaning on the railing and faced each other.

"You're going to continue with the date?"

"Yes."

"Even if Ren doesn't like Blake?"

"Yes. I said I would give her a date and that's what I'm going to do." Cardin was at a loss to Jaune's words.

"That doesn't make any sense. If you're helping your friend get a date, that's fine, but you can't just ignore their feelings. How-"

"They are going to have a nice date tonight, Ren and Blake. That's final." Cardin scowled at being cut off again.

"No, it's not. You can't just do what you want Jaune."

"Yes, I can." Jaune insisted, his voice raising. "This is my world, my game, and what I say-"

Smack!

Jaune was knocked off his feet, flying back into the nearest wall with a thud. Slumping to the ground, the Beacon student was at a loss. Before he could say anything, though, Cardin came up to him with a scowl.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, Arc, but if you really think your some sort of 'god,' I'll be happy to prove you wrong each and every day we spar." The threat firmly in place, the bigger student stormed off, leaving Jaune with his thoughts.

What… What the hell? Those words… Why would he say those words? They came out of his mouth, he meant to say them, and yet… They felt foreign to him. The words themselves were uncomfortable to even think about, much less, speak with sincerity. What had possessed him to say such things?

He felt cold, dirty. It wasn't right, it would never be.

Finally standing, Jaune rubbed his forehead with a shaky hand. He needed to talk to someone. If not about what had just happen, then about Ren and Blake- He hadn't been lying when he said he didn't want to ask Ren his crush, and that hadn't changed.

Whatever his course of action, Jaune needed to get out of here. Despite being on an open balcony, he couldn't help but feel like the walls were closing in on him, the weight of his own words pushing him down more than anything.

Without any other options, Jaune Arc ran.

He only stopped when he bumped into Pyrrha, who stood firm like a brick wall. She barely flinched at their collision, while he was sent to the floor for the second time that day. Her hair was slightly damp- most likely from the shower after her extensive training- but aside from that, she appeared exactly as she always had, with not a glitch in sight. Wait what?

"Are you okay, Jaune?" Pyrrha inquired gently, picking him up by the shoulders. He knew she meant his fall, but he couldn't stop himself from using the outlet provided to him.

"To be completely honest… No, I- I'm not." He confessed to the red haired beauty, who had gained a concerned look.

"What's wrong? Tell me." Pyrrha insisted while leading him somewhere more private than a hallway.

"I… Was planning a date for Ren and Blake when Yang told me that Ren doesn't actually have a crush on Blake. I don't want to believe her, but at the same time, I don't want to ask Ren. It was a surprise that I worked towards, why can't she just let me have that?" The resident champion rubbed his back soothingly, trying to make him feel better. But it wasn't going to work.

Right now, he really couldn't care less who Ren had a crush on. That was beyond him at this point. Now, he wanted to know what had came over him, why he'd acted so horribly in front of Cardin- And, even more so, would he do it again? That's what clung to his conscious, yet he couldn't bring himself to tell Pyrrha that, instead defaulting to the previous problem on his list.

"Why were you setting up a date for them? Did Ren ask you to?" Pyrrha prodded some more information out of him- Though, he had a feeling she already knew the answer.

"No. I just wanted to do something nice. He told me that he was having trouble talking to his crush, so I tried to help. Maybe once Ren had a nice dinner with her, or something, he'd be able to really confess his feelings. She'd accept them and- Bam. Everyone's happy."

"Well, that's kind of you to do. So Ren mentioned Blake specifically?"

"Umm… No." Jaune admitted. "But his crush couldn't possibly be on Nora, I know that." He quickly explained, making Pyrrha hesitate.

"How so?" Now it was Jaune's turn to falter.

"I… Uhh… It just- It just doesn't make any sense to me. I mean, think about it! Could you actually picture Nora as some sort of 'housewife?'"

"No." Pyrrha conceded. "But this isn't about marriage, it's about whether Ren has a crush on Blake or Nora."

"Yeah, but still. I can't even fathom to think about Nora dating anybody, let alone Ren."

"…Do you like Nora?" The P of Team PBNY asked as if she'd caught on to something. Jaune instantly made a face.

"What?! No! Ugh… She's nice and pretty and all, but… No, just no." Pyrrha was taken back by the emotion displayed in his answer, but saw the truth in it nonetheless. "What do you think?" Jaune suddenly inquired.

"About what?" She played dumb.

"About who Ren has a crush on." He clarified, making her cringe.

"Well… In my best guess- and I could be totally wrong here- I would say… Nora." Jaune's face fell.

"Oh."

"If you really are sure it's Blake, though," Pyrrha tried her best to recover. "Then you should probably just ask Ren."

"I-" Jaune started, but then he stopped himself from saying it. 'I don't want to.' But why? Sure, it would suck if his plans to set Ren and Blake up fell through and he failed the quest, but that wasn't any reason to want to not know the truth.

Something wasn't right. He wasn't right. Pyrrha capitalized on his moment of doubt.

"Jaune. You are trying to do something good, and that's good, but hurting them isn't." She held him steady by the shoulder, making sure he couldn't avoid her eye. "You're scared. You're scared that you're going to be wrong and that once again, you'll lose your friends. I understand that." She paused, regaining herself.

"To be completely honest," She continued. "I'm a little scared as well." Jaune stared at her with confusion. "Had I been in your position just last morning, I would probably do exactly as you do, avoiding the facts so I could help people the way I wanted to help people."

"What changed?" He hazarded to ask.

"I don't know. It was like I was living my life with the wool over my eyes, and all of a sudden- just this morning- it was removed. I have no idea what changed, but I don't really care. What matters is, you need to talk to Ren, to ask him for the truth." Jaune went to object, but Pyrrha cut him off. "If not for them, then for me." He hands hand moved from his shoulders to his cheeks, cupping them softly.

"We're friends, right?" She expressed to him in a way that he just couldn't say no.

"Yes. You're a good friend." He answered simply, causing her to smile a tiny bit.

"Well, sometimes friends have to push each other in the right direction, even if they might not want to go." She pulled him into a tight hug. Her body pressed against him without reserve, and it seemed that she clinged to him like her life depended on it.

"Pyrrha?" Jaune was taken aback by her sudden show of emotion, that seemed to contradict every conversation they'd had before. He knew they were friends, but this was completely unexpected.

"Do it for me, won't you?" She finally whispered in his ear, making him shiver at the hot breath on his neck, the smell of her fresh shampoo in her bright red hair.

"Yes. I will. I promise." The leader of JWLR promised. Jaune didn't want to confront Ren, but he was a man of his word.

"Good." He could hear the relieved smile she now had. But then… Something changed. Pyrrha's grip on him became infinitely tighter, nearly strangling him. "I'm so scared Jaune." The champion admitted suddenly. "I don't want to go back."

"Pyrrha, what are-" The words died in his mouth- No. actually, they were strangled there.

Jaune found himself unable to move, beyond just Pyrrha's ridiculously tight hold. But that wasn't what caught his attention. The most pertinent thing in his vision was the fact that the hallway was missing. As in, actually gone. They were now outside, but even that was disappearing.

Soon, Beacon, the surrounding area, and even Pyrrha vanished from him. He wanted to scream, to move, to just do something, but the world wouldn't let him. Unable to adjust himself, Jaune fell to what used to be the floor, staring up at the sun.

'This is hell.' Was all he could say before even that giant celestial body in the sky vanished.

Leaving him in darkness.

Can't

Annoyingly, Jaune couldn't use the day to focus his efforts on the date, as he had a class with Oobleck. Yeah, on the weekend. Apparently Professor Port has held them back so many times, that the entire class now had to attend make up lessons if they wanted to meet the course requirements.

Just like everybody else, however, Jaune paid minimal attention to whatever nonsense Oobleck was spouting, as he had better things to worry about. Perhaps he could If up the pair a nice dinner. But where would he get the food? Or just even, where would it be set up?

These questions were put on halt, however, as Yang decided to make conversation. Rude conversation.

"I heard what you were planning from Blake. You're making a mistake." Yang warned.

It only went downhill from there. Eventually, though, Jaune got fed up with Yang's baseless statements and lashed out.

"Nora?!" The team leader repeated incredulously. Then, he remembered where he was, and looked around to see everyone staring at him.

"Mr. Arc! Glad you could finally join us!" Doctor Oobleck shouted at him.

The whole class- and the conflict itself- seemed to fly by, and once class was over, Jaune was left with the odd feeling of wanting to talk to Cardin.

"Does Ren like Blake or Nora?" Jaune suddenly asked. Cardin blinked.

"What?"

"Does Lie Ren like Blake Belladonna or Nora Valkyrie? 'Like' as in, 'have a crush on.'" Jaune repeated, a little desperate. Cardin gave him a sad, almost pitiful, look.

"I have no idea. I'm not into gossip, remember? Why do you want to know?"

"I-" Jaune paused, cutting himself off. "No reason." The bigger student raised a brow.

"Ok… Well, if there's nothing to it, why don't you ask Ren instead of-"

"No!" Jaune suddenly bursted out in fear. "I can't do that."

"What?" The leader of Team CRDL inquired, genuinely confused. "Why not?" He took a step closer, and Jaune flinched.

"I can't!" The hysterical team leader cried. "It's not possible! Not allowed…" Cardin made contact despite Jaune's moves, seizing him by the arm.

"Jaune. Are you okay?" The question was clear and direct, causing Jaune to snap out of whatever spell he was under. He moved away from Cardin.

"Uhh… Yeah, yeah. Sorry about that…"

"If you need help, just tell me."

"No no, I'm fine. I just… I have to go now."

And with that pathetic farewell, Jaune ended the conversation just as soon as it started, leaving a concerned Cardin in his wake.

Immediately after his talk with Cardin, Jaune went to see Weiss. Right now, he needed someone to talk to, and Weiss seemed like the safest choice. He found her in the library, as per usual, studying what looked to be news articles on the computer.

"What are you doing?" Jaune asked politely to his teammate. Hearing him, Weiss instantly closed out of her tab and whirled around in her seat to met him.

"Nothing!" She insisted before he could say another word. He blinked in surprise and she sighed, letting her shoulders drop from their tense position. "Sorry. I'm a little too used to hiding things." Weiss explained.

"It's fine. You don't have to show me if you don't want to." He brushed her off. What she did was her business- and right now, he couldn't care less. Jaune thought this was obvious, but apparently, Weiss hadn't gotten the memo. Her eyes widened after she said this, and their bond went up by one. Despite his stress, he couldn't help but crack a smile at the waves of appreciation the girl was letting off.

"No, it's alright. You can look." The heiress said anyway. Turning back to the computer, Weiss pulled up the tab she had previously exited. The following article was a short biography on a man called 'Roman Torchwick' following his successful attempt to rob yet another dust shop.

"What's this about?" He pressured a little more, unsure how willing she was to talk.

"Over the years, this man has been responsible for nearly thirty million lien in lost dust equipment. Recently, though, the rate of dust shop robberies has gone up, but Roman's nowhere to be found. I'm doing a bit of an investigation to see if I can found out any reason for this, perhaps even informing the police where he plans to strike next." Jaune gave this all a thought.

"But why does all this matter to you? It seems more like a problem for the SDC to me." He reasoned, to which she gave him a look.

"SDC. Schnee Dust Company." He chuckled.

"Oh, right." Then another question came to his mind, and he spurted it out before he could stop himself. "But why should you care? You didn't seem very close to the family when you were talking with your sister."

Unbearable silence. For the few seconds it remained, Jaune felt as if it was screaming inside his mind. Before he could back up on his thoughts to get to why he was there, Weiss sighed.

"We… Used to be closer… In another life."

"Sorry for bringing it up." At his apology, Weiss just shook her head.

"Why are you here?" She asked, getting down to business.

"Right, Yes. I was looking for you. I need some advice." He sat down next to her. Once more, she was surprised by his words.

"Advice? What for?"

"A couple things, actually." He explained. "If you had to set up a date, here in school, tonight, what would you do?"

"Well." Weiss smirked. "You certainly have some interesting questions. Anyways… I would use an empty classroom to prepare a candlelight dinner. A three course meal from the kitchen, some music to dance to, the works. Of course, I would ask Ms. Goodwitch if it was okay before I went off to do this." Weiss made her position on the idea clear.

"Obviously." Jaune hurriedly shook his head in agreement. He hadn't really thought about the possible 'administrative problems' posed by his date, so Weiss' reminder was a welcomed one. As was her date suggestion. Sappy and romantic, traits Jaime suspected Blake would enjoy if her taste in books was anything to go off of.

"Anything else?" The W of Team JWLR finally inquired. Jaune stayed silent for a moment, before resolving himself.

"Who do you think Ren has a crush on?" Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"Not really advice, but if I was a gambler I would say Nora."

"Or Blake?" Jaune insisted. Once again, a person had told him Nora's name instead of Blake's. Like the universe was out to make him sweat, he would receive no reassurances from his colleagues.

"Sure. I really have no idea." The heiress agreed with a shrug. "If you're unsure, why don't you just ask?"

Jaune cringed and looked away. There was that feeling again, stabbing in him, hurting. He couldn't quite get a gasp from where the pain originated from, but he knew he didn't like it.

"I can't…" He just barely whispered. He wanted to shout it out, but he was in a library. Weiss reached over and took up his hand. He pulled it away and whirled around to meet her. Unlike Cardin, however, Weiss' eyes were filled with understanding as opposed to confusion.

"Yes you can, Jaune. You've done it before." Weiss pushed, making him flinch even more.

"What do you mean? No I haven't." She grabbed his hand again.

"Yes you have, and you can do it again. You can, Jaune. I know you can."

"I- I- There's something wrong with me. I can't do it." He confessed.

"No." Weiss spoke with absolute certainty. So much so, that the pain in his head was pushed back by the sheer force. "You can talk to Ren. You can accept whatever answer he gives you. And you can save-" She cut herself off, regaining her thoughts. "You're afraid. Afraid that it will hurt, afraid that he'll tell you what you dread to hear… But you're stronger than that. You can do it. And you will."

"But-" Whatever he wanted to say, she wouldn't allow it.

"Promise me. Promise me that you won't let your fears overcome you. Promise me you'll make this right."

Her words held only pure truth in them. And as such, any arguments he had were useless. He wasn't afraid- Not with her. The pain receded back where it came from, unable to latch on to his dread, and Jaune nodded confidently.

"I promise." He said, making her smile.

"I know you're a man of your wor-" She froze, and the grip on his hand tightened. Her once sweet smile now seemed strained, and her eyes were frozen in fear.

The world was disappearing around the two of them, but Jaune didn't even notice. He was too busy internally screaming as the pain came back with a vengeance, tearing through his mind with the force of one thousand suns. Jaune barely comprehended when Weiss vanished, and even less so the school around him.

As he fell from his chair to the ground, looking up at the sun, Jaune couldn't even bring himself to think of any words to describe his current situation.

With nothing more to say and nothing more to do, the sun deleted.

When Jaune next opened his eyes, all he saw was black. But it wasn't the type of black from a lack of light, nor was it the black from paint- Rather, it was something else entirely. Once he was able to wrap his mind around the blackness of his surroundings, Jaune's mind finally caught wind of the noise near, and with it, a person.

The mysterious person was panting, hands on his knees, and looking exhausted. While what he wore wasn't familiar, the blonde hair was startlingly so- And when the man brought up his face, Jaune's suspicions were only confirmed.

"You're… Me." Jaune noted to his doppelgänger, incredulousness in his voice.

"Well, no. But close." His doppelgänger replied, gaining control of his breathing enough to stand up straight. "I am not you, but rather, your consciousness." His 'consciousness' coughed. "You have no idea how hard it was to bring you here."

"And where is 'here?'" Jaune hesitated to ask.

"Umm…. The void. Or your mind. Or somewhere in between. Hard to say, really."

"Right… And why am I here?" His consciousness nodded, thankful that he brought them back in track.

"Let's just say, you need to have Ren go on a date with Blake." Jaune raises an eyebrow.

"That was the plan anyway. Aren't you supposed to be my consciousness? Surely you would know that."

"Again, it's hard to say. I'm also from the future- kinda- and when you wake up tomorrow, the universe will do everything in its power to make it so you don't set up the date. Don't listen. You have to do it anyway. No matter what."

"Okay. Well, assuming this is all true, how do I do that?" The doppelgänger gritted his teeth in contemplation.

"I shouldn't really do this, but I think it's my only choice." His consciousness took a deep breath and cracked his knuckles. "I'm going to give you a skill. 'Confidence.' Before you get Ren for the date, use it on him so that he isn't awkward during the date. He and Blake will have a better time that way."

"What does that have to do with getting them on the date to begin with?"

"Oh, yeah. Umm… For that, you're just going to have to ignore Yang. Don't talk to Cardin. If you do that and use the skill afterwards, everything should go smooth as butter."

"I- Uhh…" To Jaune, all of this was insane. Yet, for whatever reason, he had no choice but to recognize the truth of his doppelgänger's words. The team leader wanted to deny all of this as crazy, but couldn't actually do so without feeling a splitting pain in his head. "Ok. I'll do it."

"I know."

"One more question, though."

"Yes?"

"Will I remember this?"

"No."

"How are you sure?"

"Because you've asked that question every single time."

"Wait, wha-"

New Skill acquired:
Confidence

[OK]

Jaune woke up to that notification and one hell of a headache. Today was supposed to be a good day, considering yesterday's success, but it clearly wasn't starting off well. He found it strange that he suddenly had a new skill, but the headache wouldn't allow him to dwell on it.

After taking an early morning shower and a healthy breakfast- He didn't need to eat, but it helped to distract him- the pain finally subsided. Thankfully, before he had to go to Doctor Oobleck's class. Though I was Sunday, Professor Port had held them back so much that they'd lost a significant portion of class time with Oobleck. To supplement this, Oobleck decided to hold an extra lesson today- enforced by Ms. Goodwitch.

As Jaune finally made his way out of the dorm, he couldn't help but shake the feeling that he was missing something. And on top of that, that his new skill had said 'Charm' before it said 'Confidence.'

Oobleck's class was just as annoying as he'd suspected, but not for the same reasons. Instead, Yang had decided to annoy him all period, insisting that 'Ren didn't like Blake,' or something stupid like that. Eventually, he got so annoyed talking with her that he had an outburst before Gamer's Mind could take control, grabbing the teacher's attention to him.

Oobleck had threatened him with detention should he not get the question right, but thanks to some help from Weiss, Jaune pulled through. Their bond went up, and thankfully, Yang ignored him for the rest of the class.

The rest of the day, Jaune had free, and he decided to see if Weiss had any ideas for the date. She suggested a nice and cheesy candlelight dinner- cleared by Ms. Goodwitch, of course. He took a liking to this idea, and gave her a thanks and farewell.

Later on, Jaune would do as Weiss asked and check in on Ms. Goodwitch for permission. Surprisingly, the blonde teacher agreed almost immediately, even offering to clean out the room needed using her semblance. Jaune was flattered by the offer, but had to decline.

It didn't feel right to wave off all the hard work in preparation for the date, something he was constructing. Glynda understood this, yet did not back down on being able to help. After much fierce negotiation, it was decided that Ms. Goodwitch could help by having the cooks prepare the meal for the evening, while Jaune used the materials from the supply closets to make an abandoned classroom look nice and pretty.

Once the teacher provided him a key and location, Jaune was off on his way. Coincidentally, the room was located right near the clearing he'd become so found of. Apparently, that entire branch of the school lay unused. Not that Beacon could even staff the area, should they want to, having only four teachers and all.

The first thing Jaune noticed was the dust. As soon as he swung open the door. It wafted out a hermit reaching out of his cave. Just as old too. Beyond that, desks and chairs were strewn about, giving off the impression that whoever was here last left in a rush. Pencils, papers, and all the supplies in between sat abandoned and forgotten. Taking in the scene, Jaune came up with what he had to do.

First, he'd empty the room, shoving the desks and chairs into a storage closet somewhere. Once that was done, he could sweep, dust, and clean, the room into a more pristine condition. Finally, he'd bring in the chairs and table needed for the date, along with some decorations. An easy task, but a diligent one for sure.

As he delved into his task, the team leader was surprised by a visit from Nora, who popped up out of nowhere to scare him.

"Whatcha doin' Jaune-y?" She practically teleported in front of him, making him jump in surprise. Gamer's Mind took care of his problem quickly enough.

"Oh, hey Nora." Jaune greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"Well… I was training with Renny, but accidentally went a little overboard. Now, while he's unconscious in his room, I decided to check up on his partner. So, whatcha doin'?" The orange haired girl explained in a single breath.

"I'm setting up a date for Ren and Blake." He explained.

"Ooo! Like a playdate?" Nora exclaimed with glee.

"No," He corrected. "Like a 'date' date." For a moment Nora stared at him, an unreadable expression on her face and for a long moment, it stayed that way.

"Really?" She clarified.

"Yeah…" He responded, slightly worried now. At this, her expression shifted to one of joy.

"Really!?" Nora repeated. "My Best-Friend-Forever and my Partner, together!? Wonderful! Oh, we could hang out all the time, just the three of us!" At her over the top reaction, Jaune laughed, completely forgetting what had made him nervous in the first place. "So, what's the game plan?" The orange haired girl inquired in a faux whisper.

"About the date? Well, I'm going to be serving them dinner in this room. After I get it clean, it'll look nice and romantic."

"Can I help?" Nora begged eagerly. Jaune thought on it a moment. He had planned on doing it by himself… But surely Nora's help wouldn't hurt.

"Why not? Grab a desk, and we can start getting this room into shape."

"On it, Captain!" Nora saluted him before running to carry as many desks as she possible could at once. Jaune wasn't sure if he was more happy from the girl's antics or her happiness for his plan, but regardless, he was a grinning fool the rest of the time setting up.

By the time they finished, night had nearly eclipsed the land. And, oh boy, were they not tired! Actually, yes, they were not tired. At all in fact. Whether it be boundless stores of energy or a semblance that disabled exhaustion, neither date planner felt remotely tired after their day of manual labor.

Yet still, they sat opposite each other, where Blake and Ren would be sitting later tonight, admiring their work. The dust and grime had been long since scrubbed away, leaving a spotless classroom in their wake. Despite the lack of chairs and desks, the room was certainly not empty. The plethora of potted plants, couches, and other such miscellaneous furniture item spread around gave the room a cozy feel- an idea courtesy of Nora herself. The candle lit table stood slightly off the middle of the room, leaving a spot for dancing to one end. All and all… They did a good job.

"Why are you doing this?" Nora questioned from the silence. Jaune glanced over to see that she was still looking around the room.

"Well, it's a distraction." He answered honestly.

"From…?" She prompted.

"From my fight with Ruby." Nora looked at him.

"The only reason you're setting up Blake and Renny is to distract yourself from your problems?" The N in team PBNY asked. There was no accusation in her voice, yet Jaune couldn't help but feel like she was seeing right through him.

"No!" He rebuked. "Sure, that's one of the reasons, but it's not the only reason. That makes it sound bad. I just… I guess I wasn't doing anything at the time, so why not use my spare time productively by making two of my friends happy?"

"Good." Nora nodded. "I just wanted to check."

"Check what?"

"Check that you weren't secretly evil and the only reason you were setting all this up was so that you could break two hearts and use their grief as some sort of magic for your horribly evil rituals. You know, that sort of stuff." The two stared at each other before Nora's serious facade started to crack. Simultaneously, the two bursted out laughing.

"Rest assured, Nora. I'm not evil." Jaune said as his laughter calmed down. "Everything I do, I do out of love. For my friends and family." Suddenly, a pang of deja vu hit him and Nora stopped laughing. Nothing had changed, yet everything seemed off.

"Right." Nora replied somberly, setting yet another spell of silence for the pair.

The seconds passed, and neither bothered to say a word. Finally, Jaune couldn't bare it anymore, and blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.

"Have you ever been in love with someone?"

Of all the questions…

"…Why do you ask?"

"I don't know, it was just the first thing I thought of."

"Hm. Well, yes, I used to. Two someones, actually."

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking."

"We… moved apart. Both times.

"And do you love anyone now?"

"…"

"Nora?"

"...No. I don't."

"Oh."

Special Thanks to my Betas CasualPosting and Macheddy, as always.

Next time, the Date. And don't worry, it won't be nearly as insane as this chapter was. I said that this would be a mystery and I damn well intend to deliver. Last time, I had tried to do something similar in concept, but less obvious. But many people didn't seem to catch on, and I was disappointed with the chapter quality anyway. So this time, my approach was to be much more obvious, albeit, more confusing. Don't worry though, it'll all be explained in time.

Alright, time for the long awaited Review Responses.

Though I've implied this from time to time, I feel a need to clarify it now. New Game Plus isn't really a 'Gamer' fic. Yes, many elements from Gamer fics are used, such as the leveling system and otherwise, but it isn't really the point. What I'm trying to explain is that, the Gamer Elements are merely used as a catalyst for the plot. Unlike many stories where Jaune focuses on his gamer abilities, New Game Plus is much more focused on the plot and characters.

Ugh. I feel like I'm not explaining this properly, but I'll try and word it another way, and you guys can tell me if you understand. What I'm trying to say is, this is a normal story that simply has Gamer elements, as opposed to an actual Gamer story.

Now, I'd like to address a few criticisms about me not liking Jaune or bashing him. Jaune is my favorite character, so that is certainly not the case. And, I'd like to remind people that, though Jaune's had a rough time during his quests, so far, he's managed to succeed on every major event. Now, he hasn't succeeded every time, but that's just what happens in life. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

I'm not going to respond to previous chapter ten reviews, as I feel many aren't many that apply now. And for the rest, this is a mystery story, so I can't exactly answer some of those reviews.

Until next time,

-RMV