AN: I don't really want to start the next chapter of Red Comet yet and while I'm planning a Wheel of Time story it's still in the planning stages. So here's just a stupid side story. Takes place while their in Mistral after the battle of Haven.
Chapter 1
Ruby was bored and had nothing better to do. Ren and Nora had told her that Mistral was the place to go if you wanted graphic novels or those cool cartoons she use to watch before… before all this started. Those days felt like they'd go on forever. They didn't have to worry about Salem, Relics, Cinder, reincarnating professors, or even lose. So that's what Ruby had hoped to bring back even if only for a short time. So far nothing she had found had caught her attention so she kept going store to store. She was about to give up until she saw a small store called Hope's Sky. They needed some hope so she went in and it reminded her of the comic shops in Vale. Her eyes slide over the comics and graphic novels but nothing caught her interest, she turned her attention to the cartoons and animations and was drawn to one in particular. It showed a blonde-haired man with piercing blue eyes and a scar on his forehead. He held a similar large mechashift sword-ax combo she had tried to convince Jaune to get. Leaning of his side was a hooded woman with a large Scythe. Finally, her eyes were drawn to a shadowed one-eyed form and the title, Arc of The Red Comet.
"Ah, that's a recent favorite. Many have come to order a copy." A woman in a light blue Mistralian dress said from behind the counter. "Its first season just ended and it's partly through its second."
"How much for the first season?" Ruby asked.
"Normally 4000 Lein but for you, I'll say 3000. It's the least I could do for a huntress like you." the lady said.
"Oh um, thanks." Ruby pays for the first season and leaves the store. She stops less than twenty steps away and something pops up in her head. " Hey wait I never said I was a huntress." She turns to see the store is no longer there.
"Wait what?"
"Yang, where's Ruby it's her turn to spar with Oscar… Ozpin? Well, whatever it's her turn." Weiss came into the room.
"She talked to Ren and Nora then said she was going for a walk," Yang said between bites of pizza.
"Come on?! Why didn't you stop her?" Weiss asked.
"I'm her sister, not her keeper that's Qrows job now." Yang sat back in her chair. The door to the house opened and a confused Ruby walked on through. "See she's back."
"Ruby where were you? You had Oscar duty." Weiss asked.
"Huh, oh. I went for a walk looking for a movie or show to help us relax." Ruby shook her head.
"Relax?! We're at war we can't relax!" Weiss screamed.
"See that's exactly why we need to relax! If we are always straining to get better it will cause more damage to us in the long run." Ruby explained.
"Indeed Miss Rose is correct," Ozpin says. "You've all grown so much since leaving Beacon. A day or two here and there won't hurt." Oscar's eyes go back to normal.
"Yeah, my aunt would constantly get on me for pushing too hard, back at the farm." Weiss sighs at that.
"I guess we can relax for a bit so what did you get?" She looks in Ruby's bag. "Arc of the Red Comet. Huh never heard of it. What's it about?"
"No idea the lady said it was a new show and has just finished its first season," Ruby explains. Jaune comes stumbling up the stairs.
"What the heck Oscar you just left in the middle of our spar?" Jaune complains.
"Sorry, that was Ozpins idea. But sparrings done for today ruby's got something for us to watch." Oscar apologizes.
"Oh, let me get Ren and Nora I'll be right back." Jaune runs off to the rooms.
"I'll get Blake." Yang stood up.
"Uh, I've been here the whole time," Blake said from the couch.
"Whelp my jobs done." Yang plops down on the couch next to Blake.
"Shouldn't we ait for your uncle?" Oscar asks as Ruby sits next to Yang and Weiss takes an armchair.
"Oscar he's out drinking. He's not coming back till late at night." Yang deadpans and Ruby nods.
"Ok, I guess that's true." Oscar sits next to Ruby. They all hear a door slam and look towards the rooms.
"Jeez put a sock on the door or something. Uh, they'll be with us soon." Jaune's face is bright red as he sits on the couch.
"Should have knocked Vomit boy," Yang says before laughing.
"So now that everyone is here let us start the show," Ruby says looking at a blushing Ren and Nora. She presses play all and the screen starts.
[Beyond the time OST]
The opening shows a blonde wearing a mask that covers his eyes staring at a field of Grimm. It then shows the masked blonde in red armor pushing the Grimm back with a sword and shield. A Beowolf tries clawing at him but he blocks the attack and stabs it through the head and as it fades it shows a close up at the fighter and a clear shot of the shield and its two upside-down moons.
"Wait what?!" Jaune yells.
"That's your shield Fearless Leader." Nora claps.
"You said it was an heirloom so maybe this is about your ancestor?" Ruby says.
"Well maybe. My dad kept saying my great-great-grandfather was a hero." Jaune chuckles.
It then shows a group of Grimm surrounding him util multiple are shot and a man with long black hair in green appears. He cuts down more with the curved blades on his SMGs.
"What the heck? Is that Ren? Come on you stupid show, show his face." Nora complains.
"Where did you get this from Ruby?" Yang asks.
"A small shop named Hope's Sky. The weird thing is I couldn't find it after I left." Ruby rubs the back of her head.
"You probably used your semblance and got too far away and ended up lost," Weiss says.
The screen changes to a tournament. The blonde is shown shifting his weapon and shield into a large ax and swinging it. There are quick shots of a trigger and a barrel than the man smirking before a large explosion and their shadowed opponent falling out of the ring.
"Whoah go great-great-grandpa break their legs!" Nora cheers.
"So cool." Ruby's eyes have stars.
"Uh, guys Ruby's drooling," Oscar says.
"That's normal," Yang waved away his concern and dabbed Ruby's chin with a handkerchief.
The screen changes again and the Blonde wearing a rose pendant and the guy in green are in two groups while looking at an intact Beacon. The camera spins showing Ren with Pyrrha, Weiss, and Yang. And the blonde man with Ruby, Nora, and Blake. It then shows the man reaching up and removing his mask showing a smiling Jaune.
"Ok, what the FUCK?!" Yang screams.
"Ruby, what is this?" Weiss and Jaune ask.
"I-I don't know," Ruby said in a confused and scared voice. Ren grabs the case and a note falls out.
"Hey you lads and lassies I know you have a war to fight but I figured you would like a break. Brigi your awesome God of Storytelling." Ren reads. "Ruby was the person who sold this to you a woman in a light blue dress?"
"Yes?" Ruby looks at him.
"So, that proves gods exist. Brigi is a woman from Mistralian legend in a light blue dress who finds those who are in need of some kind of help and with her powers grants said help in a form of a story." Ren explains.
"Intriguing," Ozpin speaks up. "What is Brigi trying to help us with? Perhaps watching more will answer that question." They all look at each other before nodding.
"You don't look half bad in red Vomit Boy." Yang tease Jaune.
The screen shows hundreds of robots in space. It zooms in on a White and black robot grabbing a red orb before slamming it into a giant Asteroid falling towards a planet. The White suit then uses all its thrusters and tries to push the Asteroid.
"Your insane!" A blonde man yells from the orb.
"I'm not as impatient as you. I can wait for humanity to learn and grow." A brunette yells from the white suit. Slowly more and more Robots join in trying to push it back. As the heat increases some robots start blowing up and screams can be heard.
"In the end sorrow will spread and destroy the planet. Then humans will only have themselves to judge. They will have to atone for their sins against the planet. Or so I thought. I don't feel any fear. Only warmth."
"Not sure what's going on but no shit sherlock that heats probably cooking you!" Yang yells.
"Shush, it's still going on," Ruby says.
"Lalah Sune was a woman who could have become a mother to me. But you took her life! So don't you judge me!" The blonde yells.
"Lalah? A mother?" The Brunette asks before a light engulfs the both of them. The light spreads over the world and redirects the asteroid. Before covering the Whole screen. When it fades they are now looking at an Atlesian dock.
"Please don't go!" A small ginger girl holds onto a young blonde.
"I'm so sorry Nora but we have to move. I can't stay around her or her family. I'll message you every day ok?" the Blonde tells Nora.
"I'll miss you Jaune." Nora hugs him again until an older woman who looks to be her mother places her hand on her shoulder. Jaune is seen entering the bullhead and Nora waves goodbye.
"So I knew fearless leader as a kid? Awesome!" Nora is shaking with excitement.
"Why Atlas?" Weiss asks.
"Because that's where I'm from?" Jaune says shocking everyone. "But we didn't move to Ansel till I was almost 13."
"You're from Atlas!?" All of Team RWBY asks. Jaune, Ren, and Nora just nodded.
"You never asked," Jaune explained. "My mom was born in Atlas and my dad was from Vale on a trip to Atlas once my dad meet my mom and everything from there is history."
"You certainly don't act like an Atlesian." Blake states.
"Ah, well my father never understood the whole racism thing and my mother's family believed as long as you worked hard you should be treated as an equal." Jaune chuckles.
"Who's her?" Oscar asks.
The screen then shows a slightly older Jaune climbing a tree after a blonde girl in green but a branch breaks and he falls slamming his head on a root. Blood starts pooling and the girl starts screaming.
"Well that explains the scar," Weiss says.
"Jaune could be dead Weiss!" ruby yells at her partner.
"Not really that height wouldn't have killed him. Also, head wounds bleed a lot. I should know." Weiss points to her scar.
"Still could have given him a concussion." Blake states.
All the screen is white except for a speck. It's the same man from the orbs but he's in a regal red suit. A small caption shows his name as Casval Deikun or better known as Char Aznable. He floated in a sea of white his consciousness fading in and out. He had hoped to free humanity from their Cradle they called earth. Ever since the Gryps war he had wanted that. But his hope for a peaceful solution died when a young newtype named Kamille Bidan was mentally destroyed. He had taken the boy under his wing and had once seen the future in his eyes. This was his fate for taking a violent approach and he had accepted it. He closed his eyes and waited for oblivion.
"Hello? Who are you? Where are we?" A young voice asked, drawing him from his wait. He seemed to be around five to six years of age and frightened.
"Why is Jaune there?" Ruby asks afraid of the answer.
"Near-death experience? I honestly don't know Rubes." Yang answers.
"This Char he sounds like so many members of the White Fang that were drawn in by Adam. they hoped for a peaceful life but in some way or another they lost that hope and became jaded." Blake says.
"I wonder what a newtype is," Weiss says.
"Why hello there. To answer your first question I have gone by many names, my birth name being Casval Rem Deikun but I prefer Char. As for your second well that will be trickier to answer. Who are you and what's the last thing you remember?" He did not want to scare the child by saying he was dead because he had no clue where they were. The boy thought for a second and Char noticed a small cut between his brows.
"I'm Jaune Arc! It;'s nice to meet you, Mr. Char. The last thing I remember was climbing a tree with my sisters. I was trying to grab a branch but slipped." He floated there as if thinking of something. "Am… Are we you know?" The boy was smarter than he looked. Char sighed as he thought of what to say.
"I know I am, but I'm not too sure about you boy no Jaune." He decided to treat the boy with respect. If he was also he couldn't be looking down on Jaune if he was going to be here a while.
"Ok." Jaune looked scared. He was breathing heavier. "I guess I really can't become a hunter." 'Hunter? Had the colonies started allowing hunting of wildlife?'
"That's not true!" ruby and Nora yell.
"You're going to be a great hunter Jaune, sure you stumbled at the beginning but we wouldn't have gotten so far without you." Ruby gives him one of her speeches.
"Exactly! You've gotten so much better! Without your quick thinking, we wouldn't have been able to beat that monster; and Weiss would be dead without that semblance of yours." Nora hugged her leader and brother-like figure.
"Why would you want to be a hunter? I can see hunting to eat but could you really kill those deer or rabbits?" 'Perhaps he's from the earth sphere and resources have become scarce?'
"Deer, Rabbit's, what are you talking about? The only rabbit I know is a girl a few years older than me in a village to the east. But no hunter would attack her." Jaune looked as confused as Char felt.
"Then what are you hunting?" He decided to get more info before asking further. He could have been floating here so long mankind had evolved. The pit of his stomach sank as Jaune told him what he as a child knew about the Grimm and how humanity has been fighting them for as long as they could remember.
"How are things like that even real? What about the colonies? Why haven't they come to help?" Something told Char he knew the truth but his mind wasn't accepting what was happening.
"Did his world not have Grimm?" Oscar wonders. 'It's quite possible Brigi looks for different realities to get her stories Oscar' Ozpin says to him.
"That sounds like a perfect dream." Yang sighs.
"What about the falling space rocks?" Blake asks.
"Ok, there are a few issues. But no Grimm can you imagine that?" Yang asks.
"Colonies? There was an attempt at some mountain but dad said it failed and we would have to hope the kingdoms don't give up on us." Jaune was confused even more now. 'He doesn't know of the colonies, there are soulless creatures hunting people based on emotion and as a defense Hunters protect humanity, and most importantly he didn't react to my name at all. Either he's from so far in the future that humanity has changed or I'm not in Kansas anymore. Wait, what was that about the only rabbit he knew being a girl? Nothing was making sense anymore. Ok just breathe and adjust we don't need another full-frontal incident.'
"Well I honestly don't know about you Jaune so much of your world seems foreign to me. These Grimm you speak of seem to be a problem. Training to be an umm hunter seems to be a noble pursuit you should be proud of. If you get out of this place I know you'll be great." Char tried cheering the kid up. The kid started to fade. Interesting is he passing on?
"Mr. Char, what's happening?"
"Jaune, please wake up dear. Please, I'm sorry I couldn't catch you in time."
"Jaune's still alive!" Ruby squeals. Yang looks at her sister with a raised brow. "He's my first Friend Yang of course I'm happy he's alive."
"Seems like you might get a second chance kid." Char could feel a small smile appear on his face. "Don't mess it up. Remember I believe in you." He felt the wind get knocked out of him as Jaune wrapped his arms around him.
"Thank you." The light grew brighter and then he was alone again.
The scene changes and Jaune is in a bedroom and the girl in green from earlier is crying on his arm. Struggling he opened his eyes and looked around his older sister Olivia was asleep on his arm. He could barely move his other arm to rub her head.
"It's… alright. I'm fine." His throat was dry and there was a little pain speaking. She mumbled something before opening her eyes and seeing a tired Jaune looking back at her. She blinked a few times before her eyes started to tear up.
"You're awake…" Jaune nods to that statement. "It's been a week. Don't you scare your older sister like that again?" She hugs him before saying "I'm so sorry you had to get hurt I wasn't fast enough."
"It will take more than a tree to stop me, sis." Jaune gave her a strained smile. "Where're the others?"
"Downstairs. No, don't get up. I'll go get them." Olivia told him as she made her way to the living room. This week has been hard on all of them. The doctors said he was physically fine but just wouldn't wake up. Each of them had taken turns watching over him hoping he'd wake up. Her other sisters were sitting on the chairs in the living room listening to Saphron and Terra's story of what happened at school. Their parents were out on patrol at the moment. They were all so distracted Olivia couldn't help herself.
"Guys! It's Jaune! Something happened!"
"God damnit Olivia! It's not the right time for one of your jokes." Jaune shakes his head.
"Is your sister really like that?" Oscar asks.
"Unfortunately." Jaune sighs.
"That's such a dick move," Yang says.
They all shot up to face her while they asked. "What happened?!" Olivia had to suppress a grin. "No time to explain, follow me!" She ran up the stairs with all of the Arc children on her heels.
Hmmm, that doesn't sound good. Jaune thought as he heard a stampede coming his way. He tried sitting up but he was still so tired. The door started bulging in and he could hear a muffled argument on the other side. Olivia, what did you say? The door burst open and a bunch of stunned faces looked at him. "Hey everyone."
"JAUNE!" His sisters all rushed to his side while Saphron and Terra glared at Olivia. He couldn't help but chuckle at that while his other sisters took turns exclaiming how happy they were that he was up and lecturing him on climbing the tree to go after Olivia. To think he'd be happy to hear the complaints. That place was so empty if Char wasn't there he would have been terrified.
"It's great to be awake again and all but where's mom and dad?" If Olivia had gotten his sisters, why not get them as well?
"Ah well… They went out on patrol. We didn't know when you would wake up Jaune and they kind of threw themselves into their work." his oldest sister Clarise explained.
"I don't see why the doctor said you'd be fine. / Yeah you were only asleep for a week. Jessica said she's heard of people sleeping for years. Guess they're just tired." the two youngest Sini and Violette said together. A flash blinded him for a second and he saw the twins had their scrolls out again.
"Aww, that's so cute Violette reminds me of Ruby at… that… age." Yangs eyes grow. Violette and Sini look to be around the same age as Ruby when they went looking for Raven.
"Yang?" Ruby asks.
"Huh oh just thinking about something sis." Yang laughs. Blake looks at her partner knowing she just lied. Yang was too stiff.
"That's different. My parents don't like Hunter or huntresses, and they are one in this story." Jaune says.
"Is that really necessary, you two?" Saphron spoke from the doorway.
"I'm telling dad Jaunes up. / And I'm sending proof that he's up to mom." Nila and Iris explained typing away. Or was it the other way they decided to wear matching outfits and had their hair down?
"I'm fine gals see," Jaune spoke up over the beginnings of another argument while waving his hands. They all turned with disapproving looks in their eyes.
"You aren't even sitting up. / Don't lie, Lil bro. / You sound like you're tired. / Mom says to keep resting till she gets home. / You've been in bed for a week. / What did you dream of?" All of his sisters shoved forward at that, but it was the last question that had him pause his response. How would they react? He knew how they'd take it. They would call him crazy.
"Not really sure it was just all a white void. It felt like it was over in an instant haha." He waved his hand noncommittally. Violette looked sad.
"Not going to tell your sisters you talked to a guy who tried to destroy the world?" Yang teased.
"Yeah no, that's a one-way ticket to the nuthouse," Jaune says.
"Your sisters seem so nice," Ruby says.
"They are when they want to be" Jaune smiles remembering all the fun he had.
"What? I'm the nicest sister there is Ruby!" Yang shakes ruby and they all laugh.
"Oh, I thought you'd have some fun dreams." Clarise had a suspicious look as she watched her brother try to divert the conversation.
"Ummm so what's for dinner?" Jaune was starting to feel uncomfortable with all his sisters worrying over him. Normally they are fighting with each other or tricking him into something that he regrets like the pigtail incident.
"You're having Chicken and noodles," Clarise informed him.
"What why?!" complained Jaune.
"You are still recovering brother," observed Sini. Jaune sighed in defeat knowing that if those two agreed on something they all did. Clarise nodded and left the room followed shortly by his other sisters and Terra leaving him alone with his thoughts. It had been a year since they had moved to a medium-sized village on an island in the Kingdom of Vale and he still missed his friends back home. The screen shows a map with Patch circled. Clarise came back with a bowl of the bland chicken and noodles he despised so much and made sure he ate every bite Before growing at her scroll.
"Mom says they're going to be late as someone's kids are missing so she and dad are helping the father look for them before Grimm can find them," Clarise explained.
"Uh, Yang... " Ruby looks at her sister. "You don't think they're talking about that do you." Yang just nods.
"I'm sorry Jaune," Yang says.
"Why?" Jaune asks.
"You see Sini looks about the same age as Ruby when I kind of got it in my head that my mom was living in an old house and got lost in the woods with Ruby. If it is that time your parents aren't there because they are looking for us." Yang bows her head.
"That's fine, it's a hunter's job to help those in need after all." Both Jaunes say.
"I still feel bad." Yang saws before Blake grabs her hand and squeezes it.
"Just you wait, one day I'll be helping people as well when I become one," Jaune exclaimed through a few yawns.
"Get some more rest little bro." Clarise tucked him in. "You'll need to get better if you're going to become a big strong hunter." As Jaune was falling asleep he remembered a friend he left behind he had told her they'd keep in contact but after she left him a message stating: I miss hanging out, all the adventures we would go on and all those delicious pancakes your mom would make. I hope you won't forget me in Vale. Just you wait one day we will meet again then we can become the best hunters ever! Well, I hope to hear from you soon Mom says we are going on a trip soon. He hadn't heard from her since. He had messaged her a few times but got no reply. Was she mad at him?
Char was still floating in the void and he had seen all that transpired when that boy Jaune had woken up. He had tried communicating with the boy but to no avail. The last thing he saw was an image of a ginger girl waving goodbye as he assumed Jaunes family lifted into the air. Strangely, these flying ships reminded him of small cargo ships that flew from colony to colony. Hopefully, I'll be able to speak to the boy again and learn more about this world. The screen fades to credits.
"NO!" Nora screams. "We don't need to go on a trip mom I'm fine. I'm not sad anymore that daddy's gone, please." She starts rocking back and forth until Ren grabs her in a hug and activates his semblance.
*Burp* "Well that was an interesting show." They all turn to see Qrow leaning against a wall.
"AH!" Ruby grabs Yang.
"How long have you been there Qrow?" Jaune asks.
"Long enough to know my nieces inconvenienced your family." Qrow sips from his flask and looks at Yang. "Just because it didn't happen here doesn't make what you did ok. You understand how foolish you were right?"
"I know. We could have died. I wish I listened to you when you said I wouldn't want to find mom." Yang lowers her head.
"I'm just glad we found you before anything happened." He looks over to Ren. "Do you think she'll be fine for another episode or should we wait?"
Ren looks at Nora who nods. He whispers that she doesn't have to if she doesn't want to. "I want to." Ren turns to Qrow and nods.
AN: So completely made this on a whim and had no intention of posting it but I had so much fun I just couldn't help myself.