Hey, hey, hey, hey! It's me, back, and with a NEW story. Now before I start with this fanfic I need to stress that I will only post chapter one and maybe two and then update once one of my stories has reached a certain point. Also, I'm pretty sure that all of you have guessed by now that the white wildcard is going to be Jaune. I LOVE using Jaune as a protagonist. When we see him during the first 3 seasons of RWBY he is essentially a blank slate. Then in the next 3 seasons, he is still a blank slate, however, he is now starting to be involved with the secret shadow war that is going on between Ozma/Ozpin and Salem. He is essentially the same as a Persona protagonist. Blank, and in need of direction, which is given to them in the form of bonds, battles, friendship, etc; etc. I will not be starting this with the hotel/gambling place/Sae's palace or whatever you would like to call it. The reason for this is because of the way my story is going. Also, sorry to all of you Akira/Ren fans but this isn't going to end well for him… or will it? Anyway enough of me rambling. As Joker would say "It's SHOWTIME!"
I do not own the Persona franchise or RWBY, they are owned by Atlus and Rooster Teeth respectively. Though if I did, I wouldn't be here making fanfictions
Lavenza speaking: The Tarot cards, also known as the Arcana, were said to be gifts from some higher power so that they may guide humanity throughout life. The Minor Arcana cards are used to reveal small changes and happenings in a person's life, whereas the Major Arcana are larger and more meaningful influences. They help those who are lost throughout their journey in life by giving them direction. Everyone embodies one of the Arcana, be it The Star, or The Hierophant, or The Chariot. However, once in a rare blue moon there are those who embody The Fool. My master once asked me, "Do you know why the fool is the most powerful card in the tarot?" and I responded that I did not know. He told me that "Not because the person who draws it is a fool; they are a fool because they are a clean slate, and therefore can become anything." Essentially they are nothing, yet can be everything. They are the dust beneath your feet and the Universe that surrounds you in which you are a speck of dust.
Igor speaking: This story is a work of fiction. Similarities between characters or events to persons living or dead in your world are purely coincidental. Only those who have agreed to the above have the privilege of partaking in this game.
?: I agree.
Igor speaking: ...The contract has been sealed. The world is not as it should be. It's filled with distortion, and "ruin" can no longer be avoided. Those who oppose fate and desire change… From time to time, they were referred to as Tricksters. You are the Trickster… Now is the time to rise against the abyss of distortion.
Scene change
Japan, undisclosed location, train to Tokyo (on a side note, where does Akira's 'crime' happen? I've scoured every place but it just says that he was transferred to Tokyo. Nothing about his hometown.)
Jaune Kurusu was not a happy man, he wasn't angry however. No, he was mourning. His brother, Akira Kurusu had been shot by a man and had died of blood loss. The man had gotten off scot-free while he was here on probation from trying to defend the woman that his brother had died for. Jaune smiled a bitter smile, he was repaid with betrayal and lies. At least his friends saw him off from the station. Jaune was part of two teams back in his old school. He was a linebacker/running back in football and a middle blocker in volleyball. He was the school's golden boy with expectations on him… unlike his brother. He sometimes envied his brother for living so feely.
Jaune was shaken from his thoughts when the bus announced that his stop was next. When the train reached his destination and told everyone that they were in Tokyo Jaune walked out with everyone else, plugged in his headphones to his phone and hit one of his playlists that read ✯American✯. Jaune was proficient in four languages. English, Spanish, French, and of course his native tongue, Japanese. Jaune sorrowfully chuckled when See you again played. He would indeed see his brother one day. It just wouldn't be for a long time. (Or will it?) Jaune was shaken out of his thoughts when a notification rang on his phone. He took out his phone to see a strange app with what looked to be an eye icon on his phone. Jaune just tapped it not remembering if he downloaded an app or not. At once all movement around him stopped. Jaune looked around in bewilderment.
Had, had an app just stopped time? Jaune walked through the crowd, waving his hand in front of people, slapping people, poking them, until he heard a crackling sound. The same cackle of a fire. He turned around to see a blue fire that quickly took the shape of a vague human-like form before it quickly became more solid and grew wings and a… top hat? He stared at it when all of a sudden, a fiery mouth and pair of eyes appeared, both the color of burning lava. Those eyes quickly surrounded his very being before showing him… himself? But it wasn't him at the same time. That version of him had a sadistic grin, wild and waving tresses of golden and spiky hair -yay!he went super saiyan-, sickly golden eyes, and most importantly was wreathed in the same blue flames he had seen earlier without the slightest hint of discomfort.
The vision faded as quickly as it had come. Voices and sounds of vehicles came back when the world suddenly went back into motion. Jaune, not wanting to deal with any more weird shit happening decided to just walk towards his destination. Along the way, there was a person who was dressed mostly in white but had black sunglasses and some yellow-golden etchings. He handed out some flyers, pamphlets, or even little books. He gave Jaune a booklet after stopping him, staring at him, and then ruffling through his little booklets. He gave it to him with a smile on his face and said
"God bless you brother, oh and remember, what seems like hell, might be a trial in disguise"
A little put off by the person he quickened his pace somewhat to Yongen-Jaya. Sometime later Jaune ended up outside Sojiro Sakura's residence. He rang the doorbell waited for a while before starting to get bored. His attention was diverted to a delivery man that said that he was usually in his cafe at this time. 'So after all this walking and waiting, he still isn't here?'. The man continued on to say that Leblanc was in the back alley which was everything he needed to know. Jaune walked before ending up in front of
coffee&curry
Leblanc
'Not the weirdest combination I've had, I'll give it a try someday'. Jaune entered the store and took in the smell of curry and coffee. He noted that it seemed to blend quite well, also, there were a total of three people inside the restaurant. An elderly man and woman, and a middle-aged man doing a crossword puzzle. He took a seat and looked at the menu in front of him. As he scanned through the options the 'Hell's ground' caught his eye. Probably a curry so hot it could be likened to the plains of Hell. Akira always did love spicy food…
Sojiro Sakura looked at Jaune from the corner of his eye. When he was told of the kid he was to the guardian of and his situation he felt some slight sympathy for him. The kid got handed the short end of the stick from life and fast. The kid's brother dies, he gets put on probation for protecting someone, and he was expelled from his school without a second thought, and then that happens. Shaking his head he saw the kid looking at one of his options with sadness in his eyes. Walking over to him he asked
"What'll it be kid?" his notepad out and ready. The situation Jaune was in reminded him so much of Futaba's situation that he felt like he was in the past all over again.
"I'll have Hell's ground please," he said softly
"You sure kid?" he asked with skepticism in his voice "that thing has some bite to it"
"Yeah," he said looking beyond the menu and to the past "my brother always did like spicy food, might as well eat one for him"
Sojiro internally winced at his words and just nodded. "Anything else?"
"The coldest drink you have for when I inevitably burn my tongue" he said with a chuckle.
"Alright then, wait 15 minutes, and don't worry kid, this one's on the house"
Jaune just nodded his head at the chef in thanks.
While Sojiro was making the curry for Jaune to kill his tongue, the man himself was scrolling through pictures of him and his brother together. Jaune smiled he found a picture of him and Akira in France on top of the Eiffel Tower. They were both dressed in suits and a top hat trying to impersonate Arsène Lupin. After reading the story about the great gentleman-thief Jaune had begged their parents for a trip to where the events in the book took place. The next one had Akira dressed as Herlock Sholmes and the one after that vice versa. Going through all of his photos Jaune frowned slightly as he noticed a peculiarity. In at least 61% of them, there was always a person who had a red armband with two repeating letters from the English alphabet. Of course the armband wasn't fully visible in every photo. He looked at consistent enough angles and determined what the armband spelled. His answer was confusing but the evidence pointed towards the armband spelling
S.E.E.S.
Jaune drew two conclusions from this.
Conclusion #1: He was being observed, followed, or whatever by this S.E.E.S. group was
Conclusion #2: Someone else was following him and this S.E.E.S. was going after them
He looked up when a plate of curry was placed in front of him. The thing seemed to have a fucking haze around it. If that didn't show how hot the damn thing was, he didn't know what would.
"Alright kid, Bon Appétit" Sojiro said
Jaune just took a spoonful and then bit down. Instantly, a rush of flavors rushed through his tongue. The most predominant one, however, was one that Jaune didn't see coming.
Nostalgia.
A single tear fell from Jaune's left eye. This was just like the time Akira tried to make his own spicy food but ended messing up so badly the food turned black. A sad chuckle escaped his lips.
"Too hot kid?" Sojiro asked seeing the tear fall.
"No, it's just" Jaune struggled to find the words to explain the nostalgia he felt tasting the curry before him.
"Say no more kid, I got ya" He said understanding what the kid was trying to convey. He himself had tasted nostalgic foods so he knew what it felt like when you took a bite and found yourself back in the past.
When Jaune finished eating Sojiro walked up to him and said
"Follow me, kid, I set up a bed for you to sleep in, I'll drop by later to drop off some blankets for you" He didn't mention why he was here. He remembered how Futaba was after her mother died. Granted Jaune was older than Futaba when he saw a loved one die but that didn't make the situation any less traumatic. It only made it marginally easier for him to process.
"Thank you," Jaune said politely bowing his head. After all, it wouldn't do to disrespect those who give you shelter.
Sojiro winced internally at seeing the kid so down and dead to the world. His parents had said that he was a bright, energetic, lively, and empathetic kid. The person in front of him was the opposite of what he was described as. The only bright thing about the kid that was left was his blond hair and even that seemed to be losing life.
"Alright, tomorrow we're going to Shujin Academy to get situated with the place" Sojiro turned to face his charge "Good thing you have a school that can accept you with your given track record" he said trying to bring some life into the kid.
"False" was the word rasped out with a voice that left Sojiro with a chill down his spine. Daring to turn around, he knew that he was treading on thin ice with this kid.
"I know kid, but not everyone else knows that your assault charges are false" Sojiro said looking straight into sapphires that seemed to burn if he were to describe the kid's eyes at the moment.
Jaune felt bad and internally chastised himself for losing control of his emotions so easily. However, the mention of the memory of his brother being dragged through the mud made his every cell cry out for vengeance, justice, revenge or whatever.
"I'm sorry for lashing out like that Sakura-san, please forgive me," he said while bowing his head "I didn't mean to lose control like that"
Sojiro was starting to get whiplash by the kid. First, he's apathetic, then nostalgic, then angry, then apologetic? He internally sighed as he felt that this kid would need some help. "It's alright kid, the wounds are still fresh, I understand, see you tomorrow" with that he turned around and left.
Jaune looking around his new room decided a cleanup was an order. Doing everything that he could, he left his new living quarters as neat as possible and started scrolling through his photos while lying on his bed to see if he could identify any of those stalkers. Nothing was gained much, as he had expected since he didn't figure that a group that was stalking him or a person that was stalking him would actively try to integrate themselves with him. There was one thing, however. In at least 67 percent of the photos that contained that S.E.E.S. group there was a woman with vibrant red hair. She was the clearest one to see and identify. Where the others had clothing that blended in with their surroundings, she had on a skintight suit with various additions which, Jaune had to admit was quite alluring, and a white fur coat. Jaune could admit that she was aesthetically pleasing but, he wasn't looking for a relationship right now. Not after, that.
"Hey kid!" a voice shouted out bringing Jaune out of his thoughts "I got your bedsheets," Sojiro said as he entered Jaune's new living space. "Huh, not too shabby kid" he remarked being a little impressed by the order Jaune managed to put the previously messy space into.
"Thank you, I didn't know if you had any wipes, or if any products would damage some of your stuff here" Jaune said
"Nah, it's fine kid" Sojiro replied while looking around "your stuff doesn't seem to be here, think it'll arrive tomorrow?" he asked the blond. A single nod was his reply. Sojiro just shook his head at the kid's weird mannerisms. If he didn't know any better, he'd say the kid had was made out of masks prepared for any situation. (You don't even know hehehe)
An hour later Jaune went to sleep trying to forget any happenings, definitely trying to forget the circumstances that led to his current situation, and most certainly above all trying to forget that.
Inside Jaune's dream
Jaune opened his eyes to see… his head. No seriously, it was just his head floating in front of him like some sort of ghost.
"Hey!" it shouted "Can you hear me?"
"Yeah" he responded blandly while wondering what he must have accidentally inhaled to have a dream like this.
"Good," his head said to himself "There isn't much time but I need to tell you this, so listen closely and remember this, engrave it into your mind, brand it into your memories"
Jaune, being slightly unnerved by this dream just nodded his head and focused
"Okay, what was once real has become myth, what was once myth has become real, what were once tools for trivialities are now many weapons of untold danger, the line between man and gods has been erased, mere men can now rival gods, gods can now be reduced to less than mere men, bonds of the past are chains of the future, seek the child of death and her house of life, he who is gone has new life, your true journey starts when you believe a foolish one has ended" It said.
Jaune was flummoxed. This was a cryptic message yes, although he could not out why a dream was being so mysterious.
"FUCK!" the head cursed "It found me!"
Immediately Jaune realized that this was like the situation with the app. Something was not as it should be. Why was he, or rather, his head so worried in a dream?
"Here," he said passing a floating blob of light to Jaune "don't eat it until you are awake, understand?" he stressed out "you can not be allowed to absorb it until you have woken up"
Jaune becoming increasingly worried by his head's behavior just nodded.
"I know not how you obtained the power to bend the world to your will," said a voice that paralyzed Jaune. The voice was filled with power. The sheer pressure of the power made Jaune feel like he was at the absolute bottom of the ocean. "It matters not to me, you made the grave error of allowing me back with you, now knowing the threat you pose, I cannot allow you to live"
"OH NO YOU FUCKING DON'T" his head cried out "********" he shouted, something distorting Jaune's hearing, not allowing him what his other had shouted. Static appeared in the air, giving Jaune a headache just by trying to look at it. The presence of whatever the static was, in reality, was a violation of the very world itself. It shouldn't exist, yet existed thanks to *** ***** **** and *** ********* ** *** *********.
"I shan't underestimate you any more *********" the voice intoned. Out of nowhere a beam of light rushed towards Jaune at incomprehensible speeds. Somehow, his head and the static managed to get in between him and the beam of light and block it. (because praise the unbreakable plot armor)
"WAKE UP" his head said as he gave him a headbutt turning everything distorted.
"NO!" the voice raged "I WILL NOT LET YOU WIN!"
"LEAVE" his head shouted at him "tell nobody of this dream Jaune, nobody"
Jaune just nodded his as the dream started to become distorted. Before he left, he heard a phrase that would unknowingly give him an edge on his foolish journey.
"I won't let you win, creation of Sophia!"
Scene change
Unknown location
Jaune opened his eyes and saw blue, blue and chains that were rattling around him. He looked around and saw himself to be in some sort of prison. He looked down and saw himself in a prisoner's outfit with a chain ball attached to his left foot and his hands in cuffs. He heard the sound of something be rapped on the metal bars of his prison and a voice saying
"Wake up inmate!" a little girl in a blue officer suit said. Jaune looked at the two girls and wondered who the fucking hell thought it was a good idea to have twin girls, who should be in middle school, be goddamn correction officers.
"What's with this sassy... lost child?" Jaune said quoting One Punch Man. It was worth it though after the girl with her hair in buns blushed like a freaking tomato. When he heard some chuckling he looked beyond them to have his attention immediately drawn to that nose. Shit, that nose was long. Knowing what he knew now there was really only one thing to say…
"Are you Pinochio's secret brother?"
The long-nosed figured just continued on to smile and slightly chuckled, buns -as he now dubbed her- was steadily turning the same shade as chili peppers, and the last one just smiled amusedly.
"Anyway," Jaune said, wanting to get some answers "Where am I, who are you, and what is going on?" getting straight to the point.
"Ah," the being in front of him said with approval in his eyes "you are asking the correct questions now" the being gestured to the area around him and then extended his hand towards him "Trickster, welcome to my Velvet Room" he finished.
Scene Change
Undisclosed location
Red eyes looked at a photo on the computer in front of her. The info provided next to the photo had been partially alarming, but nothing too alarming in comparison to the things she went through in the past. As she went through the info one particular note captured her attention.
"So it's begun," a voice said softly. "Well, I hope you succeed in the upcoming trials," she said looking fondly at a photo from the past containing a group of teenagers including herself. She focused on one figure, in particular, blond hair and blue eyes stared back at her forever frozen in time.
"Mitsu-chan," a voice said from behind her "Is it true?" the voice asked with some desperation "Is he really back?"
"According to this and what he said," the voice said with a slight tremble when saying he "yes" she finished with a hushed tone.
"We have to go after him!" the other voice said with some desperation
"NO!" the other person in the room shouted "he isn't himself yet, he's still missing some pieces of himself" she clenched her hands into fists "if we approach him now" her voice turned small with her next words "we may lose him… forever" memories of a smiling, laughing, sarcastic, and overall lively blond went flowing through her mind.
"You were thinking about him," the voice asked now hushed "weren't you? You know, out of all of us, you were the one who was closest to him"
This incensed the other person "IF I WAS CLOSE TO HIM, HE WOULDN'T BE GONE!" she shouted, with that, she walked out of the room hoping to quench her rage somehow.
Looking at the picture and information on the computer the figure's heart clenched. He was here. He was so close, yet so far. The male in front of her had captured the hearts of the women on their team, yet he didn't accept their love always saying something about how their love for him would make it so much harder. They never knew what it was until the very end. It had been eleven years since they last saw him. Eleven years since the dark hour had ceased to happen.
It had been eleven years since Jaune Kurusu died and became the Great Seal.
BUM, BUM, BUUUUUM! HAHAHAHAHAHA! I bet you didn't see that coming eh? Also, the person in white is my Multiversal OC that I talked about and described in more detail in the fourth chapter of my first fanfic, go check it out.
Anyways, what is up fam? Here I come with a brand NEW fanfic. Honestly, the ideas just keep flowing and flowing. This may be what I consider my greatest fanfiction, even greater than my first idea An Arc's return from the Inferno. To anyone who is new to me; welcome to ZA WARUDO of Broken Requiem. Here we have death, dramatic teenage angst, weird love relationships, LOTS of blood, ideas SO outside the box that they sit on said box. To anyone who has been following me, here you go. Content. Also, there will be a chapter 2 after I realized where to end this one. After that, I'm going to be working on my other fanfics.
Estimated release for Chapter 2: Valentine's day.
Anyway, Favorite. Follow. Review. And as always, stay weird fam.