Reincarnation Sucks... Sometimes
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot. Jaune x Harem(fem!Ozpin/Ozma, good!Salem, RWBY, Pyrrha, more probably) M for a reason
Summary: Aurelius Aurea d'Arc I, first and only king of Remnant, renowned warrior and magic user, discoverer of Aura, consort of Grand Sorceress Ozlyn the White and the Witch, Salem the Dark. Known as possibly the greatest figure in Remnant's history, and was now reduced to a distant fairy tale. Jaune Arc wakes up with limited memories and a whole new(old?) life in his head. The King has returned, and he has vowed to fix the world that has fallen apart in his absence.
RS...S
"-'s lost a lot o-"
"-into shock!"
"-eed more gua-"
"-lood transfusion! Now-"
Jaune Arc was dying right now if that wasn't obvious. Why, you may ask? That was a pretty great question considering he couldn't tell you either. All he remembered was a sort of mounting frustration, followed by anger, sadness, and misplaced confidence. It could also be that hole in his chest and the chunks taken out of the sides of his torso. How could he have forgotten? Again, how was he not dead right now?
'This darkness is kinda nice, pretty comfy. Are my eyes closed right now? If they are I don't wanna open them.'
Jaune's muddled thoughts weren't helping his case, considering if he fell any more asleep he'd probably never wake up again.
"-rt's slowing do-"
"-wo LD crysta-"
A distant, tingly feeling lighted up on Jaune's chest. The feeling was crystalline and it was humming with stored, electric power.
'Hmm... feels kinda funny. In fact, everything feels kinda funny. And fuzzy, my eyes feel heavy and I'm pretty sure they're already closed, I wonder how that- hurk?!'
"Clear!"
An electric jolt rushed through Jaune's body, making it convulse quickly before returning to normal. As a result, the fog around his mind seemed to lift slightly.
'Oh right, I'm dying. Probably shouldn't have run off into the woods like that.' His thoughts were detached and clinical. 'Jen will cry, so will Jaz and Jane. Jeanne would probably yell at me...'
The effects of the lightning dust shock faded away, replaced by a growing numbness. It started from the tips of his fingers and toes and slowly spread upwards through his body, like a cold fog was slowly coursing its way up to his head. Everything started to slow, the cold was at his chest now, it felt as if a hand was wrapped around his heart, a snake constricting around his lungs.
'I... is this how it ends?'
The cold continued to climb up, wrapping around his mouth and into his eyes. It felt as if there were dozens of pins and needles stabbing into him, yet not causing any pain. Only a vague sense of discomfort and a twisted sort of peace settled over him.
'I never even got to say goodbye.'
The cold had coiled into his ears, turning into cotton that had slowly snuffed out the sounds of the world, extinguishing the frantic voices and the sobbing pleas to wake up.
'Huh, guess I was right and wrong. Jeanne was yelling and crying.'
Everything went quiet, the insidious cold worked its fingers into his head, the digits piercing his brain and ceasing activity with its touch. Everything slowed down even more. Jaune's thoughts disappeared into nothingness, his sisters' pleas for him went unheard, and the actions of the people who attempted to save him were all for naught as feeling left him completely. No more cold, no pins, no needles. Just floating in a peaceful darkness.
'I'm sorry, everyone. Guess I was never cut out for this sort of life...'
RS...S
The exhausted medical personnel filed out of the room silently, the loud hum of the heart monitors flatlining still ringing throughout the room. Considering all of Jaune's family were Huntsman in training or fully certified Huntsman, there were very few in attendance. Jeanne, the eldest sister at 27 and Jaz, the youngest at 14.
Jeanne was a beautiful woman, standing at 6' tall with a toned and curvaceous body honed after years of fighting Grimm and being an active Huntsman. Sky blue eyes framed by a heart-shaped face with a halo of golden hair tied into a messy bun. Currently, she was a mess, eyes puffy and red from crying, hair disheveled from pulling at it in worry.
Feeling a tug at her wrist, the oldest of the Arc Sisters looked at her youngest sibling. Jaz was much shorter, having inherited her mom's side of the gene pool. She stood at 5' 6'', similarly colored eyes and an identical face shape. Unlike her sister, she had yet to grow into any of her womanly curves, though she still got points for being adorable. Her hair was a slightly paler blond and hung down to her shoulders. Like Jeanne, her eyes were red and puffy, though she hadn't seemed to stop crying.
"J-Jeanne? I-Is Jaune gonna be o-okay?" The teary question -interrupted by Jeanne's own attempts to stop herself from breaking down- was met with an equally teary answer.
"I don't know Jaz." Jeanne knelt down and scooped her younger sibling into a tight hug, both trying to reassure themselves that Jaune would pull through and they could eventually go back home and put this nightmare behind them.
Someone cleared their voice from behind them. Jeanne broke the hug and turned around to see a solemn-looking doctor. Looking past her, Jeanne could see the grave looks on the surgeons as they left the operating room. This only brought a fresh round of tears to her eyes as she assumed the worst.
The doctor only offered a few words of condolences and a brief summary of Jaune's death. Jeanne's world fell out from under her, despondent when she was handed a cause of death certificate and an assurance they could see his body. Looking down at the certificate, her hands shook as another wave of sobs racked her body.
Jaune Arc, age 17, first and only son of the late Jonathan 'John' Arc and Irene Arc nee Goodwitch, younger brother of six sisters, older to one was declared brain dead at 4:23 PM on January 29th, XX80 P.G.W. (Post Great War). Cause of death: Grimm (Beowolf) attempted disembowelment (Large chunks missing from sides), Grimm (Unknown) Impalement in torso, missed heart, pierced left lung.
'I never got to tell him that I loved him.' Jeanne's realization only saddened her further as she slumped to her knees sobbing and was joined by Jaz soon after.
Their beloved brother was gone from this world.
RS...S
POV Shift: Jaune
Is this death? Kinda thought it would be a bit more... anything, really. A big empty void seems like a really sucky afterlife in my opinion. Maybe this is my punishment for being so stupid? Running into the obviously Grimm-infested woods was probably the worst idea in the history of ideas. And there were a lot of those! There was the... the uh... the what?
Why can't I- holy fuck this void is mind wiping me. Now that is pretty panic-inducing, right? Yes. The answer is yes but considering my current situation, I can't do anything. I just died! I can't even remember the thing that put the hole in my lung. The Beowolves were pretty memorable but I'd think I would be able to remember the thing that impaled me.
Wow.
Who was that?! Have I gone insane that quickly?
No, I'm you. Well, technically I'm a-
Wonderful. Just a couple minutes in the afterlife-void thingy that is trying to take my memories, and I've created a split personality.
Would you stop for a moment, I am-
Lalalala I can't hear you split personality! I'd rather keep my sanity as my soul fades away into the void.
Was this how I was when I was younger? No wonder Oz called me endearingly stupid...
Who's Oz? Another imaginary friend? Did my split personality just make an imaginary friend?
No, if you'd just listen to me I could explain what's happening and-
Being lectured by a split section of my subconscious is weird. Could I just-
SHUT UP YOU FUCKING IDIOT
...
Jeez, it's like talking to a particularly stupid brick wall. I can't believe I was like that. Anyways, Jaune, I am you and you are me. I am going to help us wake up from this death thing you've got going on so you can continue your dream and make your sisters stop crying, as well as figure out the utter mess my kingdom is in.
...sisters?
...shit, we've been here too long. Expediting the process!
Voice-in-my-head-say-what-now?
Color exploded into the void, filling it with an explosion of light. The coldness slowly started to recede, once again starting with the tips of my fingers and seeping through the rest of my body. I hadn't even noticed I was cold, what is happening?
*thud*
My face was introduced to an invisible surface as the previously empty void materialized a platform underneath me and dropped me on it. Standing up, I take stock of my surroundings. As of now, the void is no longer dark, now it is filled with a bright, warm golden shine, emanating from seemingly nowhere.
Call me glass half empty and all that, but now it's just a bright void instead of a dark one.
"You are a scrawny little string bean."
Well, that's not nice- waitthatwasmyimaginaryheadvoice. Spinning around in panic, I am met with a confusing sight: Me. Except not.
For one, he was cooler, hands-down actually just a whole super badass vibe coming off from him. And he was tall. Taller than even my own 5'10''. He stood at what looked like an intimidating 6'8'', literally looking down on me. He was decked out in a full suit of armor, sans helmet. Like, a medieval knight from the stories armor.
Primarily white with golden filigree, the armor seemed nigh impenetrable. Pointed pauldrons and an imposing frame made for an intimidating image. In the middle of the cuirass stood a golden regalia. The two half moons of the Arc family with a crown imposed in the middle, a scepter and wand crossed underneath it. In the knight's hands was a helmet, an armet to be exact, with what seemed to be a crown-tiara welded into the brow of it. Was he royalty or something?
As if sensing my thoughts, the Knight looked me in the eye and continued speaking. "My name is Aurelius Aurea d'Arc I, the first, and only King of Remnant."
What. Wasn't the King of Remnant a fairy tale?
And did I forget to mention the massive claymore situated on his back?
The knight/king's face flashed with irritation.
"Fairy tale, pah! I single-handedly united the divided nations of Remnant under a singular glorious rule, my glorious rule, and I was regarded as the most powerful and well-respected figure to have ever graced this land! The very person who fended off armies of the God of Darkness's foul, soulless creations, master of magics regarded as miraculous, granted, my wives helped with that, but regardless! It was I who first granted full and unequivocal equality to everyone! Faunus, Vacuan, Mistrali, all of them united under my banner peacefully! It was under my hand that this world flourished for the first time, I who ushered in an era of peace not heard of since the God of Light walked these very lands! Under my shield and by mine own sword, Remnant prospered into a golden age, advancing by leaps and bounds! Warriors could lay down their weapons, go home to their loved ones, scholars could take the time to learn the very language of the universe and the mysteries of the world, and cities were built that have since stood for centuries! And history dares to write me in as a footnote?! A fairy tale?!"
Welp. Now he's mad. Maybe if I could just turn around and walk away from the crazy king-
Blue eyes locked with equally blue. One pair blazed into a steely gold.
"Kneel."
My knees gave out and I fell into an unceremonious heap.
King Aurelius' eyes melted back into the standard blue. He let out a long sigh before speaking.
"I seem to have gotten ahead of myself," he muttered, "From the top, then."
He straightened, the almost manic anger displayed earlier melted away and the stern gaze of my future(past) greeted me.
"We are one and the same. You are a very distant descendant of mine, yet we share a soul. Or more like a transmigrated into you now that your body has reached a critical state."
I feel like this is getting old. What?
The King sighed again. "We are going to combine, you will get my memories, experiences, witty humor, and more. In return, we are going to fix everything. This world has gone to complete shit and I don't even have my wives or daughters here to help cope with the loss of literally everything."
He said it again, wives, as in plural. Could this guy get any cooler?
Chuckling lightly, the -ghost? Soul? Transmigrating echo that defies space and time?- pulls the heavy gauntlet off of his hand. Holding it towards me, it starts to glow a soft gold.
"Now then, take my hand and the process will start. Since you've been dead for a bit, your soul has been trying to jump ship and I've been keeping it here so we can complete the reincarnation. Unfortunately, due to some timing issues, you have already started to forget a lot of basic stuff. But don't worry! You'll have my experiences and memories at your disposal and all the aura and magic right along with it. Of course, I'll probably keep it sealed so no questions are raised, ah we can worry about that later. I'll be along with you for the ride as a voice in your head."
Great. I actually get to have a voice in my head.
"It won't be that bad," the King's hand shone brighter. "C'mon, we're going to change the world."
Holy shit this guy was so fucking cool.
I took his hand.
"C'mon Jaune, you need to-"
"No, no, no, that's not how you do it. Here, put your foot right here, the other right-"
"My liege, a small village has sent a request for-"
"My dearest Consort," two faces, smiling radiantly down at him, "wake up."
"No, I will not train you in-"
"I know it's unfair, sweetie, but please understand-"
"I, Aurelius Aurea d'Arc I, do solemnly swear-"
"I'm pregnant." "So am I..." "WHAT?!"
"Remember to keep the dry ingredients separate from-"
Two womanly figures, one wreathed in gold, the other shrouded in black looked at me with love and adoration. "We love you, Aurelius."
Seven different people, all girls with some form of resemblance to me. They looked at me. "Wake up, Jaune. Please."
Gold filled my vision.
Jaune(Aurelius Aurea d')Arc (I) opened his eyes.
RS...S
R&R and all that jazz. I like feedback. Sporadic updates.
PS: Jaune will get some of his sisters