A/N: WAZZUP, MY FANFIC READERS?!
I know, I know, "KTWriter, WHAT THE HELL are you doing?! Don't you have other stories to finish working on?!"
To which my answer is…of course I do!
Buuuuuuuut, this idea was just too good to pass up!
I hope you guys like it! Was kind of inspired by me binge-reading RWBY fanfics and a YouTube AMV of Netflix's Castlevania feat. Bohnes!
AND NOW, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO!
I PRESENT TO YOU ALL…..
Arc Of The Morning Star
CHAPTER ONE: A New Beginning...
Jaune Arc gazed at the empty, dark abyss surrounding him.
He wondered just what had happened in the spam of a few seconds. One moment, he and that murderous power-hungry pyromaniac were at each other's throats while evacuating Atlas on the Bridge, the next-
Huh!
For some reason, everything after that was a blur. He'll admit, he wasn't exactly thinking straight after killing Penny- 'Oh, sweet Oum! Ruby's never going to forgive me!'
No, no wait.
He remembered the fake Maiden breaking his sword - Crocea Mors! - in two! He also distinctly remembers grabbing the broken-off piece with his offhand and using it to savagely rip open Cinder's jugular and up through her skull in one strike. The sharp searing pain emitting from his chest told him that she managed to pierce his heart with one of her glass weapons. So with a bloody grin, the young Arc looked into her sole remaining eye to see that last bit of light flickering away and said:
"For Pyrrha."
It was amazing that Cinder could still scream between her teeth as he kicked off the edge of the bridge, dragging the two of them down into the abyss below.
The last thing he saw was Ruby's anguished face peering over at him from the bridge before hearing a bloodcurdling wail and a bright silver light flooded the area, encompassing both himself and Cinder. She was completely disintegrated from the blast of Ruby's Silver Eyes - Jaune felt that it was poetic justice, after he heard what she did to his partner.
And now here he was, drifting into the abyss...
Having the time to reflect, Jaune closed his eyes as he began to think about his friends and loved ones.
'Pyrrha...If you can hear me, I did it. She can't hurt anyone anymore...'
'Ren, Nora, I hope you guys get to grow old and live happy together. Watch each other's backs, and look after Oscar all right?'
'Yang, Blake, do me a solid and keep Nora out of trouble. If you have to, use Ren as a hostage.'
'Weiss, I'm so sorry for all the times I've annoyed you back in Beacon. No matter what happens, I wish you the best.'
Jaune could feel his heartbeat slowing down, his body starting to numb. It was calm - tranquil, even - that feeling of death. He always thought that it was horrifying.
It was here that his thoughts turned to sorrow.
'Ruby...I didn't want to kill Penny, I want you to know that. I just hope you can forgive me...Tell Saphron not to worry. I'll be alright.'
Here the pain finally ebbed away, leaving Jaune with a feeling of coldness without and within.
'Well, this is it...Goodbye, everyone.'
And so - with a final teardrop fleeting from his face - Jaune Arc, leader of Team JNPR, died with both pieces of his weapon in hand, no longer bound by regret. His lifeless body drifted into darkness, never to be seen again...
...But it was not meant to be.
"What is this?"
Suddenly, a massive rift opens from nowhere...and from it...
An otherworldly being had emerged from within. It was large, and draconic in origin; with scales the color of crimson and a large horn on its snout. Wings spread out and wide, its golden eyes peered forward into the darkness as though searching for something. Power unimagined seemed to radiate from its form; the dragon not bothering to withhold its sheer might. The presence of such a creature was enough to strike fear into the hearts of armies, kingdoms, and nations alike.
For who would dare stand against Great Red, Dragon of Dragons?
"Hmm..." The gigantic Dragon God of Dreams looked around the dark until his molten gaze landed onto Jaune's corpse. Flapping its wings, Great Red flew towards the deceased young man before stopping just in front of the floating corpse. Reaching out a gigantic clawed hand, it was able to catch Jaune and brought him closer to its eyes. "...Interesting...for a mortal."
Running his senses through the fresh corpse, Great Red was able to discern the young man's origins from the history of his dreams. Dreams from a distant world known as Remnant. Of fighting the Creatures of Grimm and the White Fang. Of the Huntsmen and Huntresses that have sworn to protect the people from the Grimm. As well as the Fall of Beacon and Atlas. The powerful Dragon God mockingly cackled at the memories of Salem and the Brothers bestowed by this Relic of Knowledge, laughing at the threat they had posed. True all three were powerful in their own right - no, no, he took it back; the pasty little witch would've made for a fine toothpick, let alone an immortal punching bag - but those two children were NOWHERE near the Top Ten, let alone strong enough to gain his attention.
And yet...it grants the Dragon of Dreams...an opportunity...
"...Eh, fuck it!" the dragon grinned to himself before channeling his power through the boy's lifeless body. Jaune's corpse began to briefly glow a bright red before disintegrating into a tiny ball of energy. Seeing the broken sword and scabbard being left behind, Great Red gave a curious hum before opening a tiny rift and sending it through a portal. "If that annoying dragon Ophis can gather people to get what she wants, then why can't I?!" Clasping his hands around the tiny orb, the dragon let his power pulse through his claws before opening them to reveal that the orb had disappeared. It didn't surprise the large entity; he knew exactly where he had sent the orb to where it could thrive. If anything, this could prove entertaining.
"Heh, this oughta be interesting!"
And thus Great Red, Dragon of the Apocalypse, opened another rift before making his leave of the empty abyss.
'Huh? I'm alive?"
Jaune was surprised to feel something - anything at all! - out of sheer certainty that he was dead. No, he knew he was dead.
He quickly looked around - 'Huh, guess being dead kinda left me a bit sluggish...' - to see nothing but darkness. The former leader of Team JNPR tried to move his arms and legs, but for some reason they didn't seem to be responding. Just when he had all but given up, there was a spec of light. Seeing it as a sign of life, Jaune felt himself being pushed out towards it head-first. When he was finally out, the former Huntsman had to shut his eyes at the sudden brightness that hit him.
'R-Ruby? Ren, Nora? Guys?! Oh, thank Oum! I thought I'd never see you again!'
Overcome with joy at the elation of finally being rescued, he had barely managed to pick up the words:
"It's a boy, my lady!"
'...What?'
The young Arc felt his - newly-small! - body being swaddled in a warm blanket before finding himself nestled in a pair of arms. Opening his eyes, he saw plenty of unfamiliar faces. One in particular was looking down at him; though his newly-found vision was starting to clear a bit, Jaune was able to see matted blonde hair, pale blue eyes, and thin vermillion lips pulled into a wide smile
"Oh, Trevor, look at him! He's so beautiful!"
'No, no, no, no, no...NO!'
Jaune heard the shuffling of movement nearby, and before long there was a man's face peering down at him. He had short, dark brown hair, blue eyes, and a shadow of a beard. Interestingly enough, he also had a scar running over his right eye and a cheeky smirk. "Hah! Looks like he takes after you, Sypha. Hopefully, he grows up like me."
'Oh, this can't be happening...!'
The woman - Sypha - gave the man a pointed look. "Oh? And what exactly do you mean by that, dear?"
To which the man - Trevor - simply raised his hands up in a placating gesture; his smirk quickly forming into a sheepish grin. "Easy, easy! I just meant that hopefully he'll grow to be a strong and respectable young man, that's all! Honest!"
Giving out a suspicious hum, Sypha turned to look at Jaune - who by now had just come to realize his predicament - with a returned warmth. "Yes, he will. Won't you, my beautiful golden-haired boy?" she cooed at him.
Jaune Arc wanted to rage and scream at the unfairness of it all. He personally wondered if this was Oum's way of saying: "Hey, kid! Sorry to stop your process of dying, but I'm gonna need you to start all over again because I feel like it! Good luck going through puberty!"
'Oh, shit. I DON'T WANNA GO THROUGH PUBERTY AGAIN!'
"Oh, I almost forgot your name." 'Really? REALLY?' "Hmm...how about..."
The newborn babe was currently busy ranting at the world to listen to anything else, mentally raging at the unfairness of it all. Perhaps this was what Salem or Ozma felt when the Brothers, in all their infinite wisdom, sought to screw them over before taking off.
"...-Jaune?"
The former Arc stilled at the mention of his name, finally calming down. Maybe it was the fact that his name was called or that it was his "mother's" soothing voice, but his rage had quelled.
"Yes, that's a wonderful name."
"Huh? You sure, Sypha? He looks more like a Leon to me." Trevor, his "father", quipped with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm certain, Trevor. Don't try to change my mind - you know what happens if you do." Seeing him finally relent, Sypha gave the gurgling newborn a warm smile.
"Welcome to the world, Jaune Belmont."
'Ahh, screw it. Hi, "Mom".'
-End-Chapter-
A/N: And thus, a new hope - er, story! - was born!
Will it continue?! Only time will tell!
CIAO FOR NOW!