Hey all, this is going to be my take on a story involving Jaune Ashari and Jeanne Ashari-Schnee from Couer Al'aran's Relic Of The Future. It will switch around a fair bit between Jaune in his original world and Jeanne in the saved World of Remnant. Anyway, let's get to it.
Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Relic of The Future belongs to Couer Al'aran.
Jaune Ashari-Schnee held Ruby close to his chest, the wounded girl would almost certainly die without medical attention. Thankfully there was a considerable amount of Loyalist Atlesian forces that survived the battle, and they were all more then willing to assist anyone that needed it. As was evident when Jaune came stepping out of Salem's now destroyed tower.
Two medics, both wearing Atlesian armor with red crosses on the helmet rushed to him with a stretcher. They quickly yet gently took a now unconscious Ruby Rose from his arms, she attempted to hang on to him yet given her state it was impossible for her to have the strength to hang on. The medics ordered him to follow him down to the crash site of the A.L.S. Pride of Atlas, where they had set up their field hospital.
Once they arrived the medics took Ruby to the area designated for those with serious wounds as Jaune was directed to sit in a chair for those who just needed a quick look over.
A quick scan of the room revealed another person who he had suspected of dying a gruesome death was visibly none the worse for wear, Jaune called out to him. "Marrow, is that you?"
Marrow Amin looked up from the scroll he was using before his tail began to uncontrollably wag from the happiness he was feeling. "I don't believe it, you're alive Juan?" Marrow questioned the man across the room, once again getting the name wrong.
"Jaune, Marrow, Jaune. And yeah I am, Ruby too. the rest... didn't make it. As soon as I can these medics to clear me I'll be going out to retrieve their bodies." Jaune responded, surprised by how cold he himself sounded by saying all but one of his closest friends are dead.
'It was over 10 years ago for me, there's nothing wrong with moving on, right?' Jaune thought to himself.
Marrow seemed to deflate quite a bit at the news that none of the others made it out. "Well I'll go with you, we've got a lot of bad news to go over and with most of our leaders being dead or kneeling before Jaques, we're going to need you."
"Yeah... alright, I honestly don't have the first clue about leading an army, but if there's no other option, I'll bear the burden." Jaune said as a medic rushed out, gave him a quick look over and informed him that Ruby was stable and would be regaining consciousness soon. Jaune said a quick apology to Marrow before rushing off to the back where they'd taken Ruby.
Ruby awoke to pain, soreness and tightness all around her body, she could feel the dried blood sticking to her body. She went to open her eyes and immediately slammed them shut as the bright lights attacked her vision. Slowly, she let them open once more, and found the pain was more discomfort then anything.
"Hey there Crater-face."
She immediately recognized the voice and whipped her head to the owner of it, she tried to get up but a firm yet gentle hand held her down. Jaune Arc, her first friend, her fellow leader, and the man she was all but certain she had feelings for stood beside her bed, smiling sadly.
"Jaune? What... what happened?" She asked the man, who winced with pain, almost as though he'd been struck. Ruby worried that her question had such a visceral reaction on him.
"You... you did it Ruby, you killed Salem, we won." Jaune said, looking away from the girl, his blue eyes threatening to burst with tears, a dread creeped its way into her stomach but she couldn't tell why.
"That's great! We did it, I can't wait to see the look on Weiss' face when she finds out her former goofball of a partner defeated the Queen of All Evil!" Ruby said with her usual enthusiasm, surprised when Jaune did not laugh, only took a deep breath in, and began to speak.
"Ruby... Weiss is... she's gone." Jaune spoke with such certainty that to her meant she must have run back to Atlas, to challenge her father.
"W-what!? What about Blake and Yang? They'd never have let Weiss do that!" Ruby exclaimed, almost ripping her stitches open before Jaune pushed her back down and sat on the side of the bed, much like her father would've when she was younger.
"Ruby... they're... they're all dead, you and I are the only surviving members of - What did they call us again? - Team RRAYNBW." He said as he looked distantly at the wall, not seeming sad about the news but sad about being the one to tell her. She was unable to process what she'd just heard properly, the shock of it all sent her back into the darkness that was unconsciousness, before she completely fell into the void, she heard his voice whisper something.
"Summer, I'm sorry I can't spare her the pain... but she won't have to deal with it alone."
Jaune and Marrow arrived at the entrance to Salem's tower with a small squad, all carrying body bags on their shoulders. This would not be easy, for any of them, but it would be so much worse if they were to leave their friends, their heros to rot in this forsaken land. So it was that when Jaune reached Ren and Nora, he fell to his knees. Coming to terms with the deaths of everyone you loved, it was hard. But then having to see their freshly killed bodies was downright torture. There were no tears as none could be shed, yet the pain remained, so it did when they were placed in their separate bags, so it was when said bags were sealed and brought to their ship to be sent to the morgue.
Sun, Neptune and Blake were easier, only slightly, though, considering that Jaune now thought of Sun Wukong as a son he'd never had, and could've had. He silently wondered how the Sun of the world he saved would get on with Emerald now that he was gone. He hoped that she'd be able to move on, and he knew that with her family there, she'd be able to.
When it came to Yang and Weiss, Jaune could bear it no longer and stepped away, allowing the soldiers to handle their bodies. He couldn't look at Weiss without thinking of Winter, and his little Sister-in-law. He was so lost in thought he didn't hear Marrow come up to his side. "Hey, Jaune. I've got a report for you."
"A report for me Marrow? When did I become the person you reported to?" Jaune asked, his voice strained from all the emotions he was holding back.
"When you made a good half of our battle plans moments before we arrived here. You may not think it, but these men and I will follow you through hell and back. Which is convenient now, cause it seems that's where we're going." Marrow responded, a grim smile on his face.
"What do you mean by that?"
Marrow straightened up as though he was speaking to someone like James Ironwood. "Well sir, we've lost roughly 45 percent of our battleships. The Pride of Atlas is damaged, but she'll fly, however, we need to dock and refuel soon... and the only place to do that is... Atlas. And well, I don't think Jaques Schnee is just going to let us refuel."
Jaune took in the information, uncertain what to make of it all until Marrow all but told him directly, he never understood why Atlas ships could only refuel in Atlas, but he never bothered to look into it, either. "Alright, so... we need to go to Atlas, which is under control by a megalomaniac who went as far as to kill his own wife, daughter, and son for speaking out against him. This same megalomaniac also has control over an entire air fleet, and has nearly limitless ammunition and fuel, compared to us. What could go wrong?"
As the soldiers signaled their end, Jaune and Marrow found themselves walking towards the bridge of the Pride of Atlas when they suddenly heard an alarm blaring throughout the ship. This was not a sign of them being under attack, as Marrow got a notification on his scroll and signaled for Jaune to follow him.
They arrived on the bridge to see numerous crew scurrying around, all trying to make repairs to the command consoles so the ship could take off, however, one of them was waving the two over.
Marrow walked up next to the officer with Jaune following close behind. "What's the situation Lieutenant?"
"Sirs, we've got a distress signal coming in from about 5 clicks east of here, I think it may be other survivors." The Comm Lieutenant said as he brought up a transmission being sent to their own ship.
"This is A.L.S. Dauntless, we've suffered major hull damage and are going down, the Grimm are swarming us from all sides, we need help. If anyone hears this, please respond."
Marrow went to speak but Jaune was already at the Terminal, transmitting a message in response.
"We read you Dauntless, this is Jaune Arc aboard the Pride of Atlas, we're unable to respond with our full strength, but we will dispatch teams to evacuate any survivors, Asha- Arc out." He said with all the professionalism expected of a Specialist, yet those near him looked at him as though he was crazy. They were probably used to the timid clumsy goofball he'd been 10 years back. He wasn't going to give them time to think however as there were lives at risk. "Come on, let's go, I know we have at least 3 good Manta's in the hangar bay, prep them for launch, now!"
Marrow flinched but nodded, silently noting just how much like General Ironwood Arc was acting right now, and as such only responded with a salute and a "Sir, yes sir!" Before running off towards the Hangar.
Ruby was finally allowed out of the Medical bed but told by the very insistent doctor that she should remain inactive until her wounds heal entirely, lest she tear them open again.
So it was that she immediately began running through the halls of the ship searching for Jaune, her Teammates, anyone she knew, ignoring the cries of her body in the process. She had to know, she had to find out Jaune was lying, she'd be mad but they'd all be alive still!
When the alarm blared throughout the ship she couldn't register it at first, until the distress signal followed that over the loudspeaker. Ruby then made a beeline for the hangar bay, knowing that's most likely where Jaune would be.
When she arrived at the hangar bay she was surrounded by movement and noises, yet none of that mattered to her, no, what mattered was Jaune Arc standing on top of a crate giving orders to soldiers rushing around before he jumped off and grabbed the crate, carrying it to the nearby Manta.
"Jaune!" Ruby called out, attempting to run towards him but her legs failing her as she fell to her knees.
Jaune rushed over to her and kneeled next to her. "Ruby, you need your rest, I've got to go and can't stay by your side. I'll be back soon, but I need you to trust me, okay?"
He sounded impatient, worried. It must be serious, so she was willing to, against every fiber of her being, let this issue go for now. However she leaned up and planned to do something she'd wanted to do forever. To kiss him and wish him good luck, which is why she was surprised when he leaned back, appalled and looking genuinely disgusted by the idea, she didn't know why.
"I'll be back soon, don't worry." Jaune said as he stood up and called out to a random soldier. "Can you take her back to the Medbay, I've got to get going."
The soldier nodded and went to go help Ruby up and all she could think of as she mindlessly followed him was one thing. Just one simple question.
'None of what I heard was a hallucination, was it? Jaune accepted Salem's offer and this is all that remains of him, isn't it?'
Well that's chapter 1 done, I'm not sure if it lives up to anyone's standards, but I think the story itself might come together.
Oh, and if anyone's wandering, Jeanne Ashari-Schnee is the Daughter Jaune had with Winter.
Anyways, Peace out!