Author's notes - Bringing a brand new story here for you all and I'm not too sure how exactly this is going to play out, but I wanted to write something different and this idea came to mind.
This will be Experimental and somewhat different from most story's-ish, and that 'Ish' is very implied. I'll say more of what kind of story this is going to be in the next chapter.
JNPR: lost across time and space
Chapter 1 - The missing
Unknown location a week ago
There was a chill in the air, as a man was walking back and forth at a quick pace. Quiet but fast mumbling was being tossed out of the man as he walked in a circle trying to figure out something or trying to understand something even he had a hard time with.
Not far off was a desk and chair, the chair had already been knocked over onto the floor. The desk was filled with empty coffee mugs and half eaten containers were thrown around, what was once a clean office is now in disarray.
If one was to look at the man, anyone can tell he was stressed. Big bags were under his eyes from lack of sleep/overworked and stress lines were cut across his face. The outfit he wore was stained and disheveled. But his looks were not important right now as he had bigger problems at the moment.
"No no nonononono this can't be happening…this can't be happening!" the man said to no one but himself. His eyes never left the screen set up across from his desk, on it was maybe the most damning thing he could have thought of. "WHY ARE YOU THERE!? You can't be there! You shouldn't be... but you are." he breathed out into an almost yell.
There were others who were counting on him to figure out what was happening. But it took him a long time to figure out where they just came from! Let alone who exactly they were! He was working with just as much information as they had. But nooo he had to be the one to turn up with something.
Luckily he had.
"Just calm down, take a deep breath, innnn and out. Innnn-" A loud crash can be heard just outside of his office. "CAN YOU KEEP IT DOWN OUT THERE! PLEASE"
A timid voice can be heard outside the door. "Sorry."
"Thank you!... Jeez, the things I do for them." he walked back to his desk to pick up his chair and just as it was set he fell into his seat. Arms dangling down the sides as he swiveled back and forth for a bit in a lazy half circle until he turned around to gaze outside his window to his office.
Just outside his workspace/home stood a planet with a cracked moon in its orbit.
"Remnant huh…I can see why you are called that... Now what can you tell us about our four friends?"
The Taiyang household
Tick…tock…tick…tock.
The loud click of the clock hand rang out over the whole room, as the only person in the room was laid on the bed. The season was just changing as bright colors were being casted from the window and muffled sounds of birds outside were chirping in the distance.
Tick…tock…tick…tock.
With each passing moment, the clicking sound seems to grow in a much louder pitch. Enough to wake anyone up for the new day and a fresh morning. The person who was laying on the bed only covered their head from the outside world with their blanket.
It only made the sound more noticeable as the world became more muffled. The clicking of the clock was not only tolling in the room but also in their mind. The sound grew until it became unbearable.
"Shut up, please." the voice in the bed said in a low, murmuring pitch. It did not listen as it sounded out. After a long silence a low sigh was breathed out and slow movement was made.
With some effort, the body on the bed moved the covers away and sat up straight on their bed. They took a minute to take in all the sounds and smells before opening their eyes.
Lidded silver eyes took a look around the room and finding the bed across from her was empty. A quick glance to the clock told her it was just a little over past noon, and that lunch was just had. Her eyes slowly moved down the wall onto a calendar.
A new year in Beacon was going to begin soon.
"Not like it's going to mean anything." Ruby said to no one in particular, her eyes were set to the floor. She was going to start her second year in Beacon in just a few weeks but she was not feeling any excitement to go back what so ever after this long. It has been almost a year since the vytal, and still there were no signs.
No signs of them or the rest of her team.
Her eyes laid on the empty bed across from her and looked for a long moment. "At least I still have you Yang." The knot in her stomach was getting tighter as the days got closer to the reopening of Beacon.
Once upon a time she held great hope for the best outcome even in the worst of times, but that hope feels like it was finally dying out now. With half her team gone, Wiess being in Atlas and have not spoken to each other since that day and Blake…just disappearing. She hoped it was for selfish reasons or something in the like, because the alternative was way worse.
Like what happened to team JNPR that day.
Her eyes felt moist and heavy just thinking about them, but it only got that far. She cried her eyes out tenfold during and months after the event. That night had been one of the worst things most of them ever experienced. There was so much death and things were happening all at once it all kind of blurred together after a while.
We were losing hard that day but at the very end we managed to pull through.
One of the only things that she can remember in almost perfect clarity that day was leading up to it. She could never forget it, almost like it was just yesterday. She and the rest of JNPR minus Pyrrha were sitting on the stands watching the finals. She was feeling conflicted on who to cheer for and a bit sad that her team couldn't be there for one of their sister teams matches together. But she would be happy no matter the outcome, be it Pyrrha or Penny.
Sadly it never came. As the match fought on and both were giving it their all, something happened to Pyrrha. Big eyes and a shock feeling, almost paralyzing, took hold of her and all those who were watching. Dark black smoke ebb from her, she looked down her arms and whatever it was, rob what strength she had left. She fell onto one knee and fell over.
She did not even hit the ground. There was the barest flash of light that showed and she was gone.
Everyone who was there watching were petrified, but not a single one of them came close to what was happening next to her. The Absolute horror on their faces…she can still see it, even now after so long. The lump in their and her throat was too large for any of them to swallow, hearts were beating so fast it could probably be heard and their eyes.
It broke her to see them like that. Then it got worse.
Jaune who was between a yell and a cry. Hand out stretch began to smoke too. There was no heat, only silence. He turned around to look at both her and his team, eyes big as dinner plates. "Guys I-" he did not finish as he fell over and was gone.
Then there was screaming. From her, Nora, Ren and everyone else. It drowned out everything. The broadcast was cut, orders were being shouted out to anyone who was listening but none of that mattered then.
Then it was Ren's turn.
The naked fear in both Nora's and Ren's eyes told so much. Nora latched onto Ren and was not letting go, she clung to him as close as humanly possible. She cared not if the smoke hurt her, only that it won't take him away. they both fell onto the floor, then he too was gone.
The pure shriek and wail from Nora was almost inhuman. Tears were running down her face as she clawed the ground where Ren was. Ruby can feel her heart break by proxy from the grief she was radiating. Until she too was smoking.
What happened next left a scar in her heart. As soon as Nora saw what was happening to her she stopped. The sobbing of pure grief turned into something else. It became relief.
Before she left, she held herself, put her forehead to the spot Ren was at and put on a small smile.
That image burned a hole into her mind. Ruby herself could barely remember what happened next after that. All that she could remember was moving, crying and feeling scared. Wondering if she and her team was next.
It never came.
What followed was maybe the hardest and longest fight of her life. Somehow she got back to her team, she was not sure if they found her or if she sought them out. It mattered not as grimm in mass was invading vale as a whole. The night was long and fighting was taxing on nearly everyone, it only got worse when the bots from atlas fought any person they could find. But hers was especially because the grimm seemed to attack her as soon as they were in range no matter where she was.
It took until morning to figure out why that was the case. She was crying and grieving the entire night. As soon as the fighting was done, she fell onto her knees and balled. She was out cold after that.
The next day she was home on her bed. She got the rundown on everything from Qrow. JNPR was gone. Torchwick escaped and CCT was cut in vale. Apparently the white fang attacked during the event but between the grimm and the bots the numbers were too great for them to do any real damage.
Ozpin, along with the teachers and students from the schools, manage to keep beacon safe for the most part. The School had to close for the rest of the year after that. Vale as a whole was a mess. Everything needed to be worked on.
Both her and her sister partners never manage to contact them since and they were essentially stuck at home. The months after were dark times for both of them, they agreed to stay in the same room ever since.
It has almost been a year since then and with her seventeenth birthday coming up soon, all she wants more than anything in the world is to go back to how things were before the fall.
Ruby falls back onto her bed as she looks into the ceiling. Eyes close as she breathes slowly.
She never told anyone but Yang and her dad that she still believes that JNPR was still alright and they are somewhere. But with the new year around the corner and still no signs of them. She had a feeling of what truly happened to them. Yang tried to brooch the subject some time ago. It did not end so well.
Tick…tock…tick…tock.
"I want them back…I want them all back" small tears slid down her face. Her chest felt tight. She wanted to believe that everything was going to be alright, that her team was going to be back at Beacon soon. That Jaune was going to be there to share his comic ideas and play some games. That Pyrrha was going to finally tell Jaune how she felt. And that Nora and Ren were going to be the best dysfunctional duo ever to grace the halls of beacon.
Before she could continue tearing up. A knock came from their door. She tried to clean up her face before the door opened up.
In step in Yang with a small tray of food and milk. Yang tried not to notice the redness around her eyes. "Hay sis. Are you okay? How are you feeling?" She set the tray down on the nightstand and took a seat on her bed. "Look I know how you feel about going back to beacon bu-" but before she can continue, she interrupted from a yell down the stairs.
"HAY GIRLS, CAN YOU COME DOWN QUICKLY! WE GOT VISITORS THAT NEED YOUR HELP" Taiyang voice carried out.
Author's notes - behold my new story and the beginning seeds of what's going to come. I just wanted to lay some groundwork here and get into the meat of the story and what kind of story it's going to be in the next chapter. Other than that, have this little lore dump I have come up with.
Anyway I'll say more in the next chapter notes and why this exists. Also I have not forgotten my other story, it's still in the works kind of. All I can say is, it's a mix of procrastination and events IRL. some is bullshit. Anyways see you folks next time.