I'm really sorry about how long it's been. Here's the next chapter, and hopefully I'll be updating either What Remains or A New Beginning pretty soon. And not pretty soon as in some time this millennia, I do mean sometime in the next week or so. I know I've said this before, and I hope you guys get what I mean: Please review if you read this story. If you guys have written anything then you know how awesome it is to see that little email saying, "Hey, So-and-So reviewed your story" or "Somebody sent you a PM." So please, anything y'all feel like telling, just go ahead and say it. I'll take all the help I can get here. In anycase, I hope you enjoy.

Reconciliation.

Blake's stayed perfectly still as Jaune's attack stopped, a mere hairsbreadth from her cheek.

"There was a time, when you trusted me enough that you wouldn't have dodged. What happened to her? The one I spent all those nights with?" Jaune held his position as the clone in front of him dissipated.

Blake stood several paces back, her bow twitching madly and her body ready for a fight.

"You left Blake. I told you what would happen, I told you Adam was wrong. But you didn't listen to me." Jaune sighed as he turned back around, resting his arms on the railing.

"And now you show up here. When I finally get my head on straight and I finally get the shot to make a difference, you come along and throw my plans out the window."

Blake lowered her guard, memories of the times she spent with Jaune flashing unbidden through her mind.

"Jaune, I'm sorry. Something had to be done, but I didn't know what Adam was going to do. He changed, and I didn't see it in time."

Jaune turned to face her, closing the distance slowly so he wouldn't startle her again.

"I'll be honest, I don't really want your apology Blake. You wanna know why?"

Blake didn't want to hear the answer, but she couldn't bring herself to look away.

"Because I love you."

Whatever response she had expected, it wasn't this. Jaune grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Blake, I knew you weren't going to listen to me. I saw what was coming from a long way off. I still think you're a fool for falling for Adam, but it doesn't matter. You came back, not to me or to your family, but you came back to the light. How could I ask more Blake?"

For the second time in as many days, Blake succumbed to the torrent of emotion within her, weeping silently into Jaune's chest.

Well, don't I feel like a jerk. I mean, I couldn't just up and say "I knew you'd be fine and it didn't bother me nearly as much as it probably should have, considering I had knowledge of a previous world." Still, I'm already getting tired of lying to them.

"Jaune, I-"

"Don't, Blake. I'm not angry with you, but I can't say I'm exactly happy either. So, we'll leave it like this: It'll take a while for us to get back to how we were, if we can, but in the meantime I'll hold true to my word."

Blake could see that the conversations had taken a toll on Jaune, though perhaps not for the reasons she thought. She nodded, resting her head on his chest for a bit longer before leaving to go back to her room.

Jaune sighed as he looked over Beacon.

How much time do I have? How carefree can I afford to be?

How long can I keep this up?


Dawn once filled Jaune with joy, promises of new beginnings and brighter futures.

During the war it held no such meaning. It merely meant another night was survived, it brought the possibility of more loss, more death. It meant one day closer to Salem killing them all.

Now, it was conflicting. A chance for a fresh start, to be sure, but with the looming threat of great failure.

All in all, it lead to a rather depressing mental state.

Well, we can't have that. I've got about two hours before everyone needs to be awake and getting ready for classes. Been a long time, but maybe it'll help all of us.

Jaune shrugged on his clothes as quick as he could, making his way to the docks.


For the most part, Vale was as he remembered it being. The only difference was him. He was stronger, less naïve, and more vigilant.

Well, he had four ears now, too.

All of these factors were what let him locate an old… acquaintance, shall we say?

Admittedly, Jaune had only heard of her in his past life, but that was enough to make him wary. Ironic, if you thought about it. A Twenty-something Huntsman-in-training, having been personally tutored by Ozpin and Qrow themselves, the man to kill the Queen of the Grimm…

Was scared of a woman who was five foot flat and currently pouting about the lack of Ice Cream.

This is a terrible idea.

"Excuse me, miss?"

Heterochromatic eyes turned to address him, an eyebrow silently cocked in curiosity.

"Is everything alright? You seem to be giving the frozen section quite the cold shoulder." And thank you, Yang, for infecting me with your stupid puns.

The deceptively small combatant smirked a little, then pointed at one of the shelves, currently labeled "out of stock."

"Ah, okay. Neapolitan a favorite of yours? Wouldn't have figured that one."

The girl, conveniently dressed in cream, brown, and pink, decided Jaune deserved a quick jab to the ribs for his insolence.

"Okay, okay, no jokes about the color scheme, gotcha. Well, if I remember correctly, there's a little hole in the wall about a block and a half to the west of here. Some pretty fantastic ice cream there."

Neo quietly inhaled, obviously intrigued, but rested her hands on her hips and gave him a suspicious look. She pointed to him and then the exit.

"No, no, no, nothing like that, honest. Just trying to be a good neighbor. I've gotta get back, my roommates will be up soon. I'd recommend you check it out if you get a chance. Have a good day miss!"

As Jaune turned to leave, Neo stopped him with a small hand on his arm. She tapped a single finger on his chest, then shrugged as if she didn't know something.

"Uhh… Oh, my name? Jaune, Jaune Arc. And your name, if I may be so bold?"

She grinned and pointed to each color on her outfit, deliberately slowly.

"Ah, Miss Vanilla Chocolate Strawberry. Well, good to meet you Vanilla."

"Alright, I promise I'm done with the jokes. It was nice to meet you Neopolitan."

She held her hands apart from each other, then closed the distance between them.

"Shorter? Just, Neo?"

An emphatic nod.

"Okay, Neo it is. Well, hopefully I'll see you around Neo."


It was almost seven when Jaune returned to the dorms. As it was the first day, classes didn't begin until eight-thirty. He could afford to let everyone sleep in a little. They would have time to unpack after lunch, if this time was similar.

Jaune slowly prepared his workspace, setting out his tools and all his materials.

Now, let's see if I remember what I'm doing.

Jaune finished with time to spare, the clock only just showing seven-twenty.

Hope JNPR is still the same. If it is, then I want Ren first.

Jaune calmly approached the martial artist, laying a hand on his shoulder. As expected, the man's magenta eyes snapped open.

"Hey pal, it's morning. You got about an hour before classes start. I've already made breakfast, and I was thinking about inviting RWBY to join. Figured I'd leave your friend to you."

Ren nodded in appreciation, slowly stretching out before moving to the delicate art of waking Nora.

Jaune turned his gaze to his slumbering partner, once again reeling from the fact the she was actually alive. He quietly made his way over and kneeled before her bed. He softly shook her shoulder, whispering her name.

Sleepy emerald eyes opened, slightly confused for a second.

"Morning, partner. Sleep well?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Yeah? Good. You still kinda sleepy?"

"A little." She yawned.

"Sorry, but class starts in five minutes. No more sleep."

"Oh, okay."

Three… Two… One…

"Wait, what?!"

"Relax Pyr, I was just messing. You've got about an hour before classes." Jaune couldn't help but chuckle when Pyrrha blushed, the Spartan having shoved him out of the way in her panic.

"Jauney! Don't scare our new friend like that!"

Ah, Nora's awake.

"I'm sorry Nora. I promise I won't scare Pyrrha again."

Ren gave Jaune a look that made it very clear the Mistralian did not believe him.

"Breakfast is already set up guys, I'm gonna go see if RWBY is up and moving. Knowing Yang and Ruby, the answer is no."

Jaune crossed the hall to their sister team's dorm, barely touching the door. He gently scraped his nails against the wood.

Ruby and Yang definitely won't hear, hopefully Weiss won't, but it'll drive Blake up the wall.

Sure enough, a rather displeased Blake appeared , eyes narrowed at Jaune.

"You know how irritating that is."

"Yes, but I got you up in time for classes, and I made you breakfast." She still seemed unconvinced that this was worth being woken up for. Jaune leaned in to whisper in her ear, Blake's eyes widening and her bow twitching like mad.

I'm afraid even I am not privy to what Jaune had said, but whatever it was convinced Blake to wake her team, post haste.


Ah, Peter. I forgot about you. How impressive your presence was, how grand your voice, how powerful your skill….

AND HOW PAINFULLY BORING YOUR STORIES WERE. AND STILL ARE.

Jaune cradled his head as he listened to his professor. Most of the class had already fallen, RWBY and JNPR included. Only Jaune, Pyrrha, Weiss, and a select few others were still holding on.

I know there's information in here, and that he tells these ridiculous tales so that his students had to actually think during his class, but I already took this class. And I've actually lived stuff crazy than this. Well, might as well use this time productively.

Thus Jaune began to test a theory he had. When he had awoken here, Jaune was drastically different. His mind, his body, and perhaps even his soul. Should this be the case, Jaune had a rather large problem.

What was his semblance?

A Semblance is a reflection of one's soul. Just as Aura was the physical manifestation, Semblance was the more physical aspect of the core traits of a person.

For Ruby, her speed. Her desire to be strong, her desire to help others, wanting to grow faster than the others. Wanting to make it in time, so that no one else would have to suffer.

For Yang, her strength. Her rage, her sorrow, her pain, her love, all directed at her enemy.

For Blake, her desire to change fate, even if she must do so from the shadows.

For Ren, his desperate wish to shelter Nora from the world.

For Jaune, everything that made him who he was, was to help others. Even to the extent of giving another the very power of his soul.

But that Jaune was different. Younger, emotionally compromised, and still somewhat innocent.

So the question becomes: Who, or rather, what am I now?

Jaune left his hand near Pyrrha's pen completely by happenstance, and it just so happens that Pyrrha reached for her pen (though to be fair, she hadn't been using it much, so it was rather lucky.) and brushed her hand across Jaune's.

At that moment, Jaune tried to recall the feeling of his Semblance, to let his aura flow to his partner.

Nothing. Not a drop.

That is going to make this a bit more difficult than I actually needed it to be.


The rest of the day passed without incident, though a situation did seem to be developing that caused Jaune some concern.

"You know, that Cardin guy really doesn't seem to like you Jaune."

"Yeah, Yang, I noticed. Honestly I kinda expected it."

The rest of the table looked over to him with sympathy, whilest Ruby cocked her head to the side.

"Why would you expect someone wouldn't like you? Seems like that would kinda work against you, right?"

Jaune smiled, once again reminded that this Ruby had yet to go through what he remembered. She's still the lovable, innocent goof I met all that time ago.

"Well, Rubes, ya see-"

"You're totally right, Ruby. You sound just like my Mom. She always says, 'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.'" Jaune looked to Yang as Ruby smiled, a small wink passing between the elder siblings.

"Well, I'd say-"

"Ow, that hurts!"


I know, I know, I know: I did it again. But hey, not nearly as much of a cliffhanger as last time, right? Either way, it's 2 am, I'm tired, sick, and honestly a little hungry. But I've also waited waaaaaaaay too long to update. So, here's a little something, and like I said, hopefully y'all will have one maybe two more updates coming your way. Thanks again for reading!

Night,

Arebus.