Jaune Arc was bored. If you think about it, it really was inevitable when you're stuck in a time loop and could achieve your end goal every time. With Salem a problem of the past Jaune Arc decided he would have fun with the loops to try and make the most of eternity.
Gods he was bored.
There were only so many times you could relive your life before everything became a chore. It wasn't all bad he still enjoyed hanging out with his friends by the time Beacon rolled around. Sadly, due to the nature of the loops he woke up in his body when he was ten, meaning he had to spend 7 years just training and waiting for something interesting to happen.
On the plus side he could spend time with his family before beacon but after thousands of years even time with them became boring. He was also just waiting for beacon when he turned seventeen so he could see everyone again. Pyrrha, Ruby, Ren, Nora, Weiss, Yang and Blake. They were the greatest friend he could ever ask for, but even then Beacon was still boring just running on autopilot, having to run around manipulating events so that Salem died and all his friends lived.
In the earlier lives there was no problem, well apart from making sure everyone survived in the first place. It must have taken him a thousand lives before he killed Salem and kept everyone alive. He had spent countless lives running around Remnant to meet masters of every skill he thought he might need, engineering, hacking, fighting, stealth and infiltration he had it all.
All of this meant he had no clue what to do.
So, as Jaune was lying on his death bed he took a moment to survey the room he was lying in his bed at home the room was nice and homely it was better than being in a hospital bed. The doctors had told him if he stayed in the hospital there would be a better chance he would live. Although, he and the doctors both knew that wouldn't happen. So he decided he would die beside his friends and family the people he loved more than anything in the world. As he lay there he pondered the nature of his lives and realised he didn't want to spend eternity bored senseless. So he decided from now on in his lives he was going to try and make things interesting, do things he'd never done before, live life to the fullest every time so that when each life ended he could say he had enjoyed his life and not just coasted through it.
As he breathed his final breaths he promised to himself that he'd make the most out of life he almost felt eager to die and go again, now wasn't that a strange thought.
He was broken from his thoughts as he heard Pyrrha call out to him. "Remnant to Jaune is anyone home."
"Uhh…" oh yeah she was asking him something. "Sorry Pyr what was that? I was lost in thought."
"It's okay Jaune I was just wondering how you were feeling." Yeah, there was that they all thought he might survive but he knew his body better than anyone. Probably better than Ozpin or Salem herself, what with Ozpin's body hopping and Salem never actually dying- that she could remember anyways.
He realised that he should probably tell them he was dying so they could make their peace. So he did, "Honestly Pyr, I'm not doing great, don't think I'm going to make it." It was then Ruby cut in.
"Don't say that Jaune, the doctors say there's a good chance you'll live." He supposed that it was hard for them they would never see him again at least he didn't think so unless each time a version of himself ended up in the afterlife? Or maybe if the loops finally ended, the version of him that was accumulated from all his lives would pass on.
"Ruby, we both know that's not going to happen. So this goes for everyone, if you got anything to say to me I suggest you say it now." At that they all looked at each other and they talked, just talked about things and how much they would miss Jaune, cherishing the last minutes they would spend together. In a way I suppose that's true. Even for me. He thought, even though he would live again and again each time everyone was different thing would play slightly differently, despite his influence, he couldn't control everything.
After everyone had made their piece he spoke, "You all know I love guys and I always will, but I think I'd like to rest now." He wasn't a fan of dying and leaving everyone else to mourn, but it always happened, he exerted himself so much throughout his lives in order to save everyone that when it came to deaths of old age he nearly always died first.
This time it was Ren, his brother in all but name who responded as his friends no his family held his hands "Well Jaune, any last words." At that he had a rather nice thought and decided he'd go out with a joke, just so they weren't so miserable. "Well I'll see you all in the afterlife." Hmph, Yang would be proud, if she could actually understand the joke that is, was his final thought as he breathed his last breath.
It was on that day that Jaune Arc aged 72 died for, the 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th thousand time.
Blue eyes snapped open and Jaune lurched forward. It always was a strange experience; there was a slight feeling of nothingness for a split second where he knew he was dead. Then like nothing had ever happened he woke up after being a sleep on one night when he ten years old. At this the experience was so familiar that it felt rather nice; though it came with its own problems like having to spend the next decade or so, growing and getting his body into shape.
He made to stand out of his bed and fell straight onto the hardwood floor and banged his head on the dresser. A result of his mind being completely unused to his new or old height and weight meaning he was dreadfully of balance. He barely noticed the pain, dying over and over again meant you got used to pain. Now wasn't that a morbid though for a ten year old to be having. He stood back up and looked around his room seeing his old toys and clothes thrown haphazardly across the room and lying on different pieces of furniture. One thing he could count his lucky stars for was as the only boy, he had his own room so none of his sisters were woken up by his revival.
Well not since the earlier lives where he would experience the pain of his murder and scream as he awoke. Gods, he was complaining a lot recently. Even though he complained a lot he was grateful for the loops otherwise he would have only gotten the one life where everyone died and Salem won.
Remembering he needed to train as soon as possible, he started exercising in his room, jumping jacks, squats, burpees, etc. As it was exercising that he remembered what he had promised himself before death that he would make more of an effort to have the most fun he could before the loops ended if they ever would. He took time to think of what he could get up to and he had plenty of ideas to get through. And get through them he would because afterall…
…He had all the time in the world.
_Okay so this is the start for the story I know I haven't got into anyway of the new lives yet, but with this chapter I was just looking to set the stage. Currently I'm working on ideas for things I could have Jaune do, so if you feel so inclined feel free to give suggestions and I'll try to write them to the best of my ability.
If you have any criticism which you should, please don't be afraid to tell me as this is my first fic and I have absolutely no clue what I am doing. If you are worried about chapter length I think I should be able to write longer chapters once we get into the story proper where I have more interesting things to work with. If you think of any way to improve this chapter it would be much appreciated.
Current ideas include:
Champion Jaune-he'd enter tournaments and meet Pyrrha early and test his skills. Would mean more action scenes and you would get to see how Jaune fights with Millennia of experience. If wanted I could make him destroy the competition or make fights like Pyrrha seeing as she has a semblance that messes with his weapons.
The last day of Summer- I'd have to adjust ages mentioned in this chapter but it would entail Jaune attempting to stop the death of one Summer Rose.
Ren and Nora- Jaune leaves much earlier and sets out to find Ren and Nora to either get them to come to his home or stays with them until beacon.
I'm open to your open on these ideas and any others you think of.