Aargh! I be a pirate cause iunno.

Anyways, next chapters here.

Ruby looked between the three blonde individuals, confusion written all over her face. The blonde guy looked like he had seen a ghost, the super cool Huntress looked alert and wary, and the Headmistress of Beacon only seemed amused. She saw the blonde boy's hand twitching towards the hilt of his awesome looking blade and the super cool Huntress holding her crop just tighter.

"Who's Salem?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

She would come to regret asking when all three turned to her. Never had she felt the need to curl up more than when three pairs of blue and green eyes turned to her. They then glanced at one another, came to a quick conclusion, and turned back to her all within perfect synch. It was so perfect that she would have thought they were robots.

"It's nothing. I just thought she was someone else," Jaune answered.

"But it looked like-."

"Miss Rose, I saw what you did tonight and, I must say, you are very well versed with your scythe. You actually remind me of an old friend of mine," the Headmistress complimented.

Ruby beamed at the praise, taking it immediately after the negativity she received from the blonde guy. "Thanks! I was trained by the best!"

"Is that right?" Salem continued to muse with a chuckle. "She wouldn't happen to be Maria Calavera, would she?"

"Whaaaaat? How did you know? Wait, were you the best friend she told me about!?" Ruby asked, stars in her eyes.

"That I am. And now I have found out the reason she mysteriously decided to leave my school." She teased with a smirk and wink.

Ruby took the bait. "Ah, I'm so sorry!" She bowed her head immediately, forgetting the table was there and bonking her head against it. "Oww! Gah, I'm sorry! I didn't know she was leaving Beacon to-."

Salem started to laugh gently. "There is nothing to be sorry for, Miss Rose. The decision was hers to make and she did always complain of getting too old for those large classes."

Ruby still seemed a bit worried. "So you aren't mad?"

"Now why would I be mad?" The Headmistress replied with a raised brow. "After what you did tonight, I'm actually relieved that there is someone to carry on Marie's special craft. The scythe is not an easy weapon and yet you make it seem as elegant as she once had albeit a bit more flashy."

Ruby sat straighter and looked much prouder. "Thank you so much! I was absolute garbage before she took me under her wing. She was strict and didn't hold back but I appreciate her for what she did! Now I'm all 'yaaah', 'huaaaa', and 'watchaaa'." She demonstrated with quick and powerful karate chops against the air and mimicking the same noises those martial artists in movies made.

"I can see that," Salem continued, smile still present. "Do you know who I am?"

Ruby nodded immediately. "I do, or, at least, I think I do. You're Professor Selina, the Headmistress of Beacon."

"And, I am to assume that you wish to attend my school in the future?"

Ruby started to squeak, looking to almost vibrate with excitement. "Uh, heck yeah! It's only been my dream since forever!"

"Truly?"

"Absolutely!" She cried back.

Selina smirked. "Well okay."

"Really!?" Ruby was now visibly vibrating.

"Really really," she answered. "Welcome to Beacon Academy, Miss Rose!"

"Oh. My. Gods! I have to tell Yang!" With the help of her Semblance, she began to spin around the room, leaving rose petals to flutter down, covering the table, floors, and three blondes in the room.

Selina tittered, Glynda showed no visible reaction, and Jaune couldn't help but chuckle at his best friend's antics. He missed this childlike glee that she had possessed before. That wonder and joy that she felt before the weight of saving the world had crushed it out of her.

It wasn't but a few moments later that she skid to a halt, stopping in front of the Headmistress. "Oh, that is if I'm free to go..."

Seline smiled. "Well, I have nothing left for you. Glynda?" The deputy shook her head. "And you, sir?" Three pairs of eyes then landed on him.

Jaune stared at each of them. There were still things he wanted to say to Ruby but, with the arrival of Salem, he had bigger matters to handle. The situation was no longer in his favor with the appearance of the biggest enemy to humanity.

"I have nothing more for her," he replied, turning away.

Ruby beamed, happy to be free and with much better news to take home. She flung the door open and raced out into the hall, nearly knocking over a pair of officers walking by. She even went as far to tell a few of the workers that she was accepted as she ran down the hall.

What she failed to notice in her excitement to find her sister, was the change in atmosphere within the interrogation room the moment she stepped out. The door was closed and locked and the trio turned to face each other.

"You're quite paranoid, Mister..."

"Arc. Jaune Arc."

This caught both women's attention. "An Arc man? So far away from Mistral? Lady would have my head if she knew you were here," Selina tittered.

This caught Jaune by surprise and his grip on Excalibur tightened. "What do you know about my mother..?"

The Headmistress was unfazed. "Of course, she and I were close friends before she left for Mistral in pursuit of love. She was very true to her duty and took to protecting others before thinking about herself. And I know because of who she is that she would not have allowed you to be here. So I ask, why are you here, Mister Arc?"

"I came looking for the true Headmaster! Where is he? Where is Ozpin!?" He could see the confusion. "You probably remember him as Ozma..."

He could see the surprise flash across her face. Glynda only seemed to tense more, her eyes narrowed in great suspicion.

"You seem to know a little too much, Mister Arc. My true name and that of my past lover."

"I know much more than that. I know everything."

"Everything, you say?"

"Yes. I know of your plan to destroy the kingdoms, to collect all of the relics, summon the Brothers back, and have them destroy the world and kill you!"

The two women shared a glance before turning back to him. Glynda was the one to speak. "Mister Arc, I believe you are confused."

"I'm not confused! Professor, you worked under Ozpin! You fought against Salem! You... You..."

A hand clasped his shoulder. He looked up to see Salem, concern on her face. Genuine concern. "Mister Arc, you are indeed mistaken. Never, in my vast lifetime, have I desired to bring the kingdoms to ruin."

He moved away, shaking her hand off of him. "You can't expect me to believe that. I don't know what is happening, or why Professor Goodwitch is with you, siding with you, but I will find Ozpin!"

"You are free to, if that is what you desire. But, I shall warn you, the Grimmlands is no place for a man. Especially one as young as yourself."

Jaune's hand returned to Excalibur, hints of white bathing across it. "I am no normal man."

And that was when Salem's eyes widened. She saw it, she could actually see it. "You... You have aura!"

In a rare sight, even Glynda's eyes widened in surprise. Salem was in front of him at about an equal speed to Ruby's Semblance. He almost brought out the claymore if not for the lack of killing intent. His free hand was taken into both of hers and she ran her thumbs over his palm, feeling the hardened protection of his soul. Her eyes only widened further as she continued to feel up his arm. In any other scenario it would be seen as the older woman essentially groping him. However, he could tell it wasn't meant in that regard as she was far too focused on his aura. One of her hands did start getting a little too close to his chest, the other still feeling his bicep.

"Uh..."

"Glynda, feel it too! It truly is aura!" She exclaimed.

"I don't think-."

"You're correct, Selina!"

"Right!?"

The two older, and very beautiful, women continued to feel across him to the point he even wondered if they were only feeling for his aura now. Arms, chest, back, legs. He couldn't help the burning of his face, no doubt a result of the growing embarrassment within. It wasn't until he felt something else starting to get hot and bothered that he eventually forced his way out of their grasp.

"Okay, I think that's enough," he said, a little louder than he'd have liked. The two fellow blondes looked surprised and the realization struck them not too long after.

"Ah, our apologies, Mister Arc. It is... just a little unheard of that a man possesses aura." Salem even bowed slightly, Glynda doing the same after.

"So I've been able to gather. Can you tell me why that is?"

Jaune still had his reservations towards the woman who came for his life several times in his past life. But she hadn't given him any signs that told her she was the same as what he had once known. The way she spoke, the emotions she expressed, the people that were around her and knew her, or in Ruby's case of her.

Not to mention the biggest piece of proof. The speed in which she had moved to him proved that she was still extremely powerful. There was no aura enhancement or Semblance at work. She could have simply killed him and Ruby at any time without breaking a sweat. Yet she didn't. She allowed Ruby to walk, er, run away, with one of the biggest smiles he ever saw on her face. Not only that, Ruby showed no signs of wariness or hostility.

Salem's purpose for fighting and taking Ruby was mostly due to her silver eyes and yet the woman had not made a single note of that. He initially thought it would be because she was young and inexperienced but that wasn't the case as they continued to speak. Maria Calavera was alive and well, and she was definitely well versed in the use of her eyes by this time, by the story she told him. More than that, she had personally trained Ruby after being a former professor at Beacon. And it sounded like they had been very good friends.

So, in the eyes of everyone else, there was no reason why he shouldn't trust her. But, for him, he was still skeptical, still wary of the woman who had tried to take everyone from him.

Salem had shared a look with Glynda while he had his inner conflict. It wasn't until she turned back to him, looking a little worn, that he focused back on them. She had already wiped it away for that silky smile.

"It is a long story."

"Make it simple."

The corner of her lips twitched. She chuckled but it rang a little too hollow for all parties in the room.

"You're a very difficult man, Mister Arc."

"I've been through a lot. Spare me the sympathies."

"Well, let me first ask of you, what do you know?" He raised a brow. "Humor me for a moment."

Jaune's lips thinned but he did begin to tell. He told her all of what Team RWBY had told him all those years back in Argus. Her time in the tower, when Ozpin, Ozma, had come to save her, how they battled their way out of the castle and fell in love. Then the moment when Ozma had first died. How she had come to talk to the God of Light and God of Darkness to bring him back. And the results that had ensued for her going behind the God of Light's back. All up until her being turned immortal.

"That all sounds about right," Salem replied, then she met his gaze. "Except it was the God of Light who brought Ozma back."

Jaune couldn't help both the widening of his eyes and further knitting of his brows. "What..?"

"Yes. It was the God of Light who granted my request. I was so happy to have Ozma back but... it was the God of Darkness who was not pleased." There was an off stare into nothing within her eyes, one that stretched for a time before she focused back on him. "He said what his brother has done upset the balance. That as the God of Darkness and death, it was bringing his power into question. The God of Light disagreed due to who or what Ozma was to be. It was obvious the two would not see eye to eye and a fight did ensue between them."

Jaune turned to Glynda, the woman as stone walled as ever. There was no clear expression on her face but he noticed her hand. It was placed on the Headmistress's shoulder. He looked back to see Salem's shoulder slump and her hands clasped tightly over her lap.

"What happened?"

"I offered my own life in exchange for his. I was blinded by love and, if his death would upset the balance, then I would replace it."

Now this threw Jaune for a loop. From what he had heard, Salem would sooner sacrifice her pawns to get closer to her goal. It was why Watts had died. Why Hazel died. Why he was allowed to kill Tyrian...

"Why?"

"As I told you, the God of Light said he would do amazing things. He had saved my life so I felt it only right to do the same if it meant the betterment of humanity."

Jaune almost snorted. After all the times he had faced Salem and her forces, the betterment of humanity sounded weird coming off her lips. And, yet, he believed her. Her words sounded genuine and the look in her eyes, it was so unnatural for her that it didn't seem like a lie. The Queen of Grimm never showed regret or sorrow. She was hellbent on her goal and allowed no one to stand in her way.

It was why they had performed that suicide mission of charging her castle as she would have never backed down otherwise.

But this Salem? She was truly different from his.

"Did they accept?"

Salem chuckled. "The God of Darkness was more than eager to accept. It would balance things out and I was still a powerful witch, after all. Ozma and myself were of equal power."

Jaune's fist clenched. "How was it?" She looked at him. "Death, I mean."

She was quiet for a period.

"...Nothing."

He cocked his head to the side in confusion. "That doesn't..."

"It was nothing. There was no time, no space, no feeling. Just...nothing. And then the God of Light appeared. He told me that it had been fifty years and yet it had only felt like seconds for me. Death was nothing but this borderline consciousness. Hazy and clouded but still clear."

"What?"

"I thought the same thing. When I returned, apparently, Ozma also didn't take kindly to the one he loved being taken from him." She held her hands over her heart, smiling just a bit before it slipped from her face. "Originally, he begged the gods to bring me back but they did not hear him. He then decided to take revenge and rallied humanity against the gods. They didn't take too kindly of that and wiped out most, if not all, of humanity."

"Well that part of the story aligns, somewhat," Jaune replied. "Except you were immortal and survived. It was a lesson to you, to not challenge their power again. That until you learned that death was inevitable and you accepted that, you wouldn't be allowed to die."

"That sounds like both sides were simply stubborn." It was Glynda that spoke.

"Yeah, I came to that same conclusion," Jaune agreed, folding his arms and leaning against the wall.

"You speak as if-."

"I know? It's because I do. Because I come from a time where it did happen and where me and several others were trying to stop the end of the world. To stop you," he answered, turning back to Salem.

There was confusion at first. Questions that danced between blue and green. Then the former's eyes widened and the puzzle pieces began to fall into place. "Wait, you're... you're from..."

"The future? Yes and no." He closed his eyes and took a slow breath. He had planned to tell Ozpin when they met but it appeared that that would no longer be a possibility. The two sides had been flipped, the world had completely changed. So, it wasn't that Jaune had traveled back into his own twisted reverse world of simple gender reversal... "It seems I'm in an entirely new world. A new universe. Haah, I'm a complete idiot for thinking things would be the same."

"But that isn't possible!" Glynda shouted. "Something like this has never happened in the entirety of history! No one should just be able to travel to a new universe! Know of their lives in their former! It would disrupt the balance!"

"And yet here I am. Still standing. Still fighting." He spoke low but it was easily heard in the small room.

Salem tittered from her seat, drawing the other two's attention. She turned to Jaune and stood from her seat. "You've had a lot on your plate, haven't you, dear?"

Jaune watched her as she moved towards him. She placed a gentle hand on him, one far more comforting than anything he thought capable of her, and, for the first time, took a shaky and wavered breath. This time, he did not move from her. "I don't even know what happened to my friends."

"It is a hard journey to walk alone."

He nodded his head. "It shouldn't have been me given this second chance..." He could feel the stinging in his eyes.

"I thought the same thing too, when I gave my life for Ozma." He looked up at her, to see her own tears. "We cannot pick and choose our responsibilities, unfortunately."

Jaune looked at her and she looked at him. The former could see the similarities between who he knew and who this woman now was. But the differences were much bigger and the new Salem was a much different woman. She was open with the truth, open with her emotions, and she was trying to keep him grounded as he could feel the reality of his situation trying to sweep the rug from under him.

The young knight had to admit, he felt himself ready to fall apart. In his entire time in this new world, he didn't focus on what had happened and only on what he could do next. He didn't mourn, much like with Pyrrha, he only focused on what was to come.

Back then, Ruby needed help and he didn't have time to be sad. He couldn't allow the guilt or the anguish to swallow him whole. He was needed and he only wanted to get revenge on the woman who had taken his partner from him.

But, then again, that same song and dance always seemed to play in his head. He had to constantly sacrifice his own emotions to be that person for others. Those who fell into the hole and needed a hand to get out. Much like how he had once been when Pyrrha pushed him to the ground that fateful night on the roof.

He never allowed himself to fall apart because everyone needed that pillar. And he was always that pillar.

"I miss them..."

"Are they not all students of Beacon? Your former team? Your friends?"

Jaune took a stabilizing breath. "No but most of them are. Or...they should be. So many things are already different in this new world. I wonder if they are the same. If they'll even give a guy like me another chance in another life."

"Spare me. That kind of attitude is unbecoming of you." Salem smiled. "You're a special boy, Jaune. The fact you have aura already puts you above all other men in the world. But it's your own personality that made them your friends in the first place. I'm sure you'll have no problem. Besides, if they don't, I'm confident the tabloids would have a field day with you. They would want to eat you alive."

The boy shivered. "I'd rather not. Please keep them away from me..."

"I shall only do my best. Beacon does have its own governing system." Salem laughed out.

"Really? The council doesn't annoy you?"

Now that question made the Headmistress roll her eyes. "Oh please, they can babble all they want but my decision pertaining to my school is final. I made sure of it during my reign as queen."

"Wait... queen? As in the First Queen of Vale!?"

"Oh, so you have read your history." She teased with a smirk.

"There is hope yet, for him," Glynda added with folded arms.

"You!"

"Me!"

"You were the one to shift the balance of power! To make women superior to men!"

The witch chuckled awkwardly and placed a hand to her cheek. "Ah, you read that too..."

"Uh... yeah!"

"Would you believe me if I said I wrote that while inebriated on my late Ozma's anniversary of passing?"

Jaune blinked twice. He said nothing for a brief period of time. A moment in which the two professors shared a glance at one another as he blankly stared back. It was such a long period of stillness that the women could actually see the system rebooting in his eyes.

Then it finally hit him.

"YOU CHANGED THE COURSE OF HISTORY BECAUSE YOU WERE DRUNK!"

Salem had covered her ears from the sheer volume. She removed them once he was done and tried to give a reassuring smile. Tried.

"It's not changing the course of history since it's our world and our present..."

"Salem!"

"It's not that different. Just a simple switch in roles."

"You do realize that Mistral is practically a place of men's nightmares, right? The very laws don't allow me out at night past a certain time without an escort! Job opportunities are nowhere near as opportunistic as it is for a female! My family only expects me to be a househusband like my father! Oh, and let's not forget, I was drugged, almost raped, had my sister kidnapped, and almost blackmailed into becoming someone's FUCKTOY! So yes, it is extremely different!"

Salem and Glynda blinked several times. They looked at each other, then back at him. At each other. And back to him.

"Truly?"

"Do I even have a reason to lie to you?"

Salem turned to Glynda.

"Besides Vacuo, Mistral is usually the last to catch up. However, even Vacuo has come to accept some kind of progression some decades ago."

Jaune sighed. "Do I even want to know of Atlas?" A silence followed. "Right..."

"Do not stress yourself, Mister Arc. You are here in Vale and I have taken careful steps to ensure men and women are treated fairly and equal."

"So I've - thankfully - taken note of."

"And it is because of that equal opportunity that I offer you an invitation to Beacon Academy."

"What if I decline?"

"I know you won't. You've given up too much and done all of this in hopes that we would find you. You even went as far as to reprimand my Deputy Headmistress for a miscalculation on her part during your scuffle with Mister Torchwick. You, Mister Arc, who's family is all the way in Mistral, did not simply do this because you just so happened to be passing through."

Jaune stared at her and that smug smirk on her face.

"You and Ozpin are too good at this."

She tittered. "I shall take it as a compliment."

"It really wasn't..."

"Shall I phone your mother then?"

"Please don't..."

"Good boy~."

Yeah, so this was an interesting chapter for me. One of those ones that has its moments for me but was necessary for plot progression.

Now, first thing I want to say is that this story is not serious for me. Some of you do find plot hole points or things you dislike and that's fine. However, all I have to say to that is anime (because it's officially anime now) and that's all the plugs to a hole I need for plot progression. This story will have plot and moments of drama, such as the setup I've placed, but I'm playing more of the comedy aspect that Infinite Stratos has pushed. Yknow?

As for Salem, a lot of you guys seemed to know where I was going but I haven't explained what exactly has happened to Ozpin/Ozma. You swe that part of the story didn't get finished as the trio got distracted. So that's left to your imagination to decide.

And, finally, we have reached Beacon and we get to see just what happens with Jaune arriving as the only male. What I've done with his name. And how the girls will now react to him.