As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter! Let me know what you think!
Jaune opened his eyes to see green eyes looking back at him.
"Hey you. You're finally awake." The person looking at him says playfully.
"Pyrrha?" He asks sleepily as he straightened in place with furrowed brows.
"Hello again." Pyrrha giggled back at him.
Jaune takes a moment to take in his surroundings. Seeing Port's classroom and the people around him, he realizes one thing.
It's that sort of dream again, isn't it? Jaune was not a stranger to these sort of dreams. Sometines it was about Penny. Sometimes Team RWBY. Most of the times though it was about Pyrrha.
He might have already grieved for Pyrrha for years but deep down inside of him, Jaune knew he can't help but hold on to what ifs and could have beens.
Thus the dreams.
He's never had one so lucid before however.
Usually he'd start to wake up by now and try his best to crawl back into the land of dreams once he's had some awareness but that doesn't seem to be happening right now.
The bell rang to signal the end of class and Jaune feared that would be the end of it. Instead, his body had the sudden urge to yawn and relax in his seat. He clamps down on it, worried that it might actually make him fully asleep and lose awareness of his dream.
Sue him. He actually wants to remember this and make the most of his time with his own Pyrrha even if it was in a dream.
"-and that's how I singlehandedly strangled an Ursa!" Port yells, snapping Jaune into awareness as he finishes the story he was telling the class.
He'd have to thank Port when he wakes up for that and for the fun party last night he was just starting to remember.
"Jaune? Are you okay?" Pyrrha asks worriedly and Jaune's eyes widen to see the classroom suddenly empty except for them.
Right. This was a dream. The only sign of other people were the sounds of conversation coming in from outside the classroom. Except for that, it was only him and Pyrrha in here.
He smiles at that.
"Yeah, Pyrrha. I'm okay." He says shakily, his eyes becoming wet with unshed tears.
"You don't sound okay." Pyrrha frowns at him and Jaune couldn't help but smile at her concern.
"Hahaha. Sorry, I just had a bad dream I guess." He replies happily, wiping the tears from his eyes.
"Want to talk about it?" Pyrrha smiles worriedly at him but Jaune shakes his head.
"Not in the slightest. Come on, there's something better we can do." He finishes his words by standing up and pulling her with him.
Jaune doesn't know what he is doing but if this is his dream then he should be able to control it.
As they walk out of the classroom doors, Jaune closes his eyes and wills something or anything that could prolong this sweet dream he was having.
It took a tremendous amount of effort and a flash of inspiration but Jaune manages to change their location to their usual place. The student dorm's rooftop.
"Hmmm." Pyrrha furrows her brows in concentration at the sudden change in environment but Jaune interrupts her with a nervous laugh.
To be frank, he didn't know if it would work. Yet now that it has...a grin forms on Jaune's face.
"Ready for some training, Pyr?" He asks with a smile, Crocea Mors and Pyrrha's equipment materializing on opposite sides of the rooftop.
"Well someone is excited."
"You know it, partner!"
"Let me just change...into my armor. What?" Pyrrha blinked in surprised as she suddenly sees herself wearing her armor instead of her uniform.
Desperate to keep the dream going, Jaune chuckles nervously as he calls out. "Don't you remember, Pyr? We changed before we went here."
Pyrrha hums thoughtfully at him as she notices he was wearing his armor too. To keep things consistent, Jaune opted to use the first armor he wore back when he was still attending Beacon.
He grows nervous at her silence at first but Jaune grins as he sees Pyrrha pick up Milo and Akuou from the ground.
"Alright then, let's see what you've got." Pyrrha calls out, brandishing her sword at him with a smile.
Now this certainly brings back memories.
Adrenaline races through his veins as he makes the first move. He rushes forward with a backhanded swing from Crocea Mors that startles Pyrrha into action.
His smile grows as he sees the surprise on her face even as she blocks his strike with her shield.
Sparks fly as Jaune then deflects Pyrrha's own counterswing with his shield.
Their eyes meet for a moment and then the fight was on.
Grins appear on both of their faces as they both push forward at the same time. They clash in a storm of swords and shields as both warriors refuse to back down.
As always though, Pyrrha was a vision as they continued the fight.
She was like fire. Graceful and deadly as her long red hair danced wildly every time she darted in with quick stabs and strikes of her sword before agilely avoiding any close calls.
In contrast, Jaune was like a mountain. Sturdy and strong as he weathered her attacks. Retaliating with the force of a landslide that would discourage anyone, even Pyrrha, from even attempting to block his strikes.
It was a battle of pure skill. No Semblances were involved and for the first time ever, Jaune could actually say he was going toe to toe against Pyrrha.
It was exhilirating. It was exciting. It was also...sad.
It was a sobering thought that Pyrrha will always be like this while Jaune...Jaune will continue to improve and change as he lives his life.
He's had more than twenty years to think about those kind of things but even now the thought of her being always seventeen years old sends a pang of pain through his chest.
His smile slips off of his face and Pyrrha frowns as his moves get slower. That was all that was needed for this dream version of Pyrrha to sweep his feet off the floor.
Jaune lands on his back with a gasp as he is taken back to all those times she put him on his back every time they trained oh so long ago.
And just like before, Pyrrha peers down at him with a worried look on her face.
"Jaune, are you okay?"
And just like before, Jaune replies with a grunt.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
This time though, tears come unbidden as he looks at his partner's face.
Memories of all those nights spent training and talking to each other flash through his mind as he closes his eyes.
"Are you sure? You don't look fine to me." Pyrrha tilts her head cutely and a gasp of pain comes out of his mouth as he resigns himself to laying down on his back and covering his eyes with an arm.
"Y-Yeah, I am." Jaune denies hoarsely, a lump forming in his throat as emotions rise from within.
Closing his eyes like this, Jaune could pretend he was really talking to Pyrrha and not an apparition made up by his subconcious imagination of his partner.
"I don't know what's bothering you, Jaune, but you can talk about it with me." Pyrrha says softly as she kneels on his left side.
Even her concern feels like it really is Pyrrha talking to him. Which makes it all the more harder to hold everything back.
"I-I don't want to talk about it." He shakes his head at her words.
Because to talk about it. To put everything into words means he was done pretending.
For a moment, Jaune feared Pyrrha would push the topic but he shouldn't have been. Pyrrha has always been selfless and accomodating and Jaune almost breathes a sigh of relief when she strokes his hair instead.
Her next words however break his heart.
"Alright, but I want you to know...I'll always be here for you, Jaune."
The words hit like thunder and his chest tightens in pain. He remembers the nights he spent training while listening to her recording and he doesn't even try to stop the sob that comes out of his mouth because of it.
"But you're not, Pyr. You're not here with me." He admits with a sob as tears continue to spill out of the corner of his eyes.
As much as seeing her younger self fills Jaune's heart with happiness, he knew his partner was gone.
Yet even as his heart aches at the reminder of his loss, his mind tries it best to keep a tight hold on his emotions. He wasn't the Rusted Knight who resisted the Curious Cat for years for nothing, you know?
He could do this. Yeah, he could do this, right?
Nope. He could not do this.
Another sob escapes his mouth as Pyrrha hushes him gently while gently stroking his hair.
Who knew just one dream could make him a sobbing mess when it took the Curious Cat two decades to crack him?
Back in the Ever After, Jaune had the choice to keep himself sane by being busy protecting Afterans. Right now? He did not have that choice.
Still, there was one thing he could do right now.
Talk.
Removing his now wet arm from covering his eyes, Jaune opens his eyes and gives Pyrrha a shaky smile.
"I met your mother, you know? At least I think I did." He mutters as he starts wiping the tears off of his face.
"I know." Pyrrha replies with a sad smile.
Jaune stiffens at that before sighing resignedly.
"Yeah, of course you know." He lets out a deep breath causing the tightness in his chest to loosen.
She was a figment of his dream after all. Which means she knew everything that happened. Both the good and the bad.
"It was hard for you, wasn't it?" Pyrrha asks sadly and Jaune chokes back a sob at that.
"It was, Pyr. It really was. I lost everyone." His voice breaks as he remembers everything.
Pyrrha's kiss before she went to confront Cinder. Penny begging him for death. Team RWBY falling one by one. Heck, he didn't even know if Ren and Nora reached Vacuo safely.
He gasps however when Pyrrha raises his head and pulls him towards her lap. A lap pillow. He was being given a lap pillow by a figment of his dream.
"Hush, Jaune. It's okay now. We're okay." She whispers kindly and Jaune sighs sadly as he feels the softness of her lap and the gentleness of her hands stroking his hair.
"No it isn't. I lost you, Pyr. I lost Team RWBY. I had to kill Penny. I don't even know if Ren and Nora made it safely to Vacuo."
And just like that, his tears return as he reaches for one of her hands to hold tightly.
"Shhh. It's okay, Jaune. You did your best." She shushes him, squeezing his hand back
He shakes his head at that.
"It wasn't enough, Pyrrha. If only I stopped Cinder back under Beacon's vault. If only I stopped you from pushing away. If only I killed her back in Haven. If only-"
He blinks in surprise however when Pyrrha slaps him lightly.
Did...did a figment of his dream just slap him? Is this a message from his subconcious? Better yet, why didn't he wake up? He actually felt that. Not enough to sting of course but it was enough to surprise him.
"Enough, Jaune. You did enough with what you were given considering what you were up against." She scolds with a worried frown on her face.
"I still lost you, Pyr." He replies sadly, rubbing the tears out of his eyes.
Pyrrha's reply however was to sigh loudly before flicking his forehead with her finger.
"Ow!"
Jaune flinches at that before his face twists into a frown.
Shouldn't he be waking up by now?
This is the second time this dream version of Pyrrha did something like this. First with the light slap, and now with the forehead flick.
"Do you remember what I told you?" Pyrrha rolls her eyes at him.
"Which one? You said a lot." Jaune pouts while tilting his head in confusion.
This...is starting to get strange.
"Cheeky, aren't we? Well to answer your questions, it's I'll always be with you, Jaune." Pyrrha reminds him with a smile and a pinch on his cheek.
"But you're dead." Jaune immediately blurts out in surprise as his eyes grow wide.
That was the third time now. He should defintely have been awake by now if this was a dream, right? Unless...what?
He doesn't actually know what this could be if not a dream. What he knows however was Pyrrha was slowly leaning down towards him right now.
His heart beats faster as they touch foreheads and he gasps as he feels the heat and electricity between them.
"Say it with me, Jaune." Pyrrha whispers with a knowing smile and a glint on her eyes.
"S-say what?" He says breathlessly as he feels her warm breath wash over him.
Pyrrha smiles at him and opens her mouth to speak.
"For it is in passing-"
Flash!
"-that we achieve immortality." Jaune finishes with a gasp as he opens his eyes to the waking world.
Gone was the rooftop floor he was just laying on. Gone was Pyrrha who was just leaning over him.
What remains were the dried tears in his face as he lays atop a soft bed.
"What...was that?!" He whispers harshly in between heavy breaths as he puts a hand on his chest.
He could still feel his heart beating rapidly as his blood pounded in his ears. Taking a deep breath to calm his body down, Jaune raises his head and takes a quick look of-
"Hello again."
Jaune Arc did not scream like a girl.
Whoever says he did is a filthy liar. What he did was a warcry that summoned Port and Oobleck to bust down his doors.
"Where is the maiden in need of defending?!" Port shouts, brandishing his weapon, Blowhard, at Jaune and the intruder before freezing.
"My, my. This certainly does not happen every day." Oobleck quips as he adjusts his glasses while drinking coffee from his weapon turned mug, Antiquity's Roast.
"I...Wait?! What?!" Jaune blabbers as his stare flicks back and forth between Port and Oobleck and...
"Hello, Jaune. You are certainly jumpy this morning." Lady Blacksmith greets from beside his bed with her metal arms crossed together.
Before he could even reply however, his jaw drops as Peter Port suddenly appears between the Goddess and his bed.
"Well, hello there. The name's Port. Peter Port. Huntsman, Monster Hunter, and Professor Extraordinaire. Would you like to get some coffee while we get to know each other?" Port says suavely while wiggling his eyebrows.
Is he...is he flirting with a God?!
He turns to Oobleck to help him make sense of things but the man suddenly appears beside The Blacksmith!
"Hmmm, composed of metal alloy all throughout the body. No signs of internal organs anywhere. How does it work? I must study!" Oobleck exclaims rapidly as he taps the Blacksmith with his finger from head to toe.
Jaune's palm meets his face as he groans.
Just what is going on here?!
He remembers the dream of course but memories from last night start to trickle to the forefront of his mind.
He remembers punching Port in the neck just as he entered the Faculty Lounge.
He remembers the party and the fast friendship Port seems to have declared between them.
In his words, Port says that any man who could lay him low with one punch is a man worth befriending. Jaune couldn't fault the man's reasoning. He'd rather be friends with someone who can knock him out than have grudges between them for the rest of his life.
After that, a barrel of ale appeared and the next thing he knew Jaune was chugging alcohol like there was no tomorrow. The last thing he remembers after that however was arm wrestling with Port and Oobleck.
He remembers the power coursing through him and the titanic effort it took not to budge an inch. He was just about to marshal more strength when he suddenly saw Port smirk and then...the barrel they were using as a table broke, sending all competitors to the ground and releasing the pent up energy in one go.
After that...nothing.
His colleagues must have carried him to the Faculty dorms and threw him into the room assigned to him before returning to their own rooms beside his.
Well, that certainly explains how Port and Oobleck got to him so fast. It does not explain however what was currently happening in front of him.
Part of Jaune was afraid he was going to witness some godly smiting first thing in the morning but he breathes a sigh of relief when The Blacksmith only smiles indulgently.
"Excuse me, children. I must speak with my champion alone."
Port and Oobleck stiffen at that before going ramrod straight at the same time beside each other.
"Right, we'll leave you to it then! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Port giggles and Jaune would have puked at the insinuation in his voice if he had something to puke at all, instead, his stomach growls for him.
"Bye, Jaune! See you at Breakfast!" Oobleck greets, waving at Jaune before pushing Port out of the now broken down door.
"They certainly are an excitable bunch." Lady Blacksmith remarks as she waves her hand, instantly fixing the broken piece of furniture.
"Thank you, My Lady. What brings you here if I may ask?" Jaune nods gratefully before looking at the Blacksmith with an inquisitive, albeit worried look.
It's certainly not everyday a god decides to visit you first thing in the morning so when does...it's best to be wary and respectful.
"No need to be worried, Jaune. I just bring a message and a question." Lady Blacksmith smiles at him and Jaune sighs in relief.
For a moment there, he was afraid he was going to be given another mission or the Brother Gods have meddled again. A message though? That's curious.
"What's the message and from who?" Jaune asks curiously with a furrow of his brows.
"From Juniper-"
"Juniper!" He shouts in surprise as a grin finds its way on his face.
Is she going to be his-
"I see your penchant for interrupting me is unchanged."
"Right, sorry." He winces with a blush.
Right. Goddess in front of him is talking, interrupting is very rude. It's a good thing though that Lady Blacksmith takes it all in good stride as she only rolls her eyes indulgently with a smile.
"As I was saying, I have a message from Juniper. Live."
He tilts his head at that.
"That's it? Live?" Jaune blinks in confusion.
"Yes? Is there something wrong with that?" Lady Blacksmith asks back causing Jaune to shake his head rapidly.
"No, no, no! It's just that-"
"You were expecting something else, weren't you?"
"Yeah...I thought she was going to be my partner."
"Yes, I did ask her but she has made her choice. She has decided her purpose is in the Ever After."
"Right...Right...Live, huh?" Jaune says absently before being jolted back into focus by the Blacksmith's next words.
"As for the question...How have you been, Jaune?"
"How...have I been?"
As for as questions go, that was as mundane as it could get. He furrows his brows at the Blacksmith but receives nothing in reply as she continues to look at him intensely.
He purses his lips in concentration before finally answering her question.
"I've been...well, I think?" He answers absently as he tries to remember the days since he has arrived here.
To be honest, he feels like he's adjusting better than he thought he would. No small thanks to Glynda for being so helpful and accommodating but Jaune finds himself genuinely enjoying his stay here in Beacon. Still, he had to think about the future and how to stop Salem and her lieutenants.
His answer doesn't seem to satisfy the Blacksmith however as she shakes her head before humming and looking around his room.
"Anything else, Jaune?" She asks as she turns back towards him.
Jaune frowns at that. She's fishing for answers but without knowing what exactly she wants to know from him, he can't provide her with a specific answer other than answering fine at the question of how he has been.
Jaune lets out a sigh at that. If he can't provide a specific answer then he has to give every answer he could.
Racking his brain about the past two days, Jaune makes a mental list of just how he really is.
"Well...I feel young and strong. Faster, stronger, and a lot more sturdier than I ever was before."
That was the first observation he made ever since he got back and fought off Ozpin and the Curious Cat at the same time.
It seems to be the right answer because the Blacksmith nods appreciatively before waving her hand for him to continue.
"I'm...also apparently sharing my memories with my younger self." Jaune says slowly, looking at the Blacksmith's expression who hums thoughtfully at his answer.
"I see, I see. Is there anything else, Jaune? Anything strange happening with you lately?"
"Now that you mention it..." Jaune frowns as he remembers the dream he just had before shaking his head.
He feels silly even considering it as strange when it fact he's had weirder dreams courtesy of exposure to Nora Valkyrie all those years ago. In hindsight, his recent dream just seems like the type to be brought on by travelling back in time.
He must have missed Beacon so much and being here with the younger versions of his friends has influenced his mind to create something like that.
"Go on." The Blacksmith motions for him to share however and Jaune sighs at that.
"It's silly, really. I had a strange dream."
"Continue. While I am not familiar with the process myself, it seems to be something natural to you mortals. I am curious to what it entails."
Right, a Goddess here. Do Gods even dream? Apparently not. How to explain what exactly is a dream and how does it happen?
Jaune certainly didn't think he'd have to ask that question before but now that he has...he just shakes his head. Those are types of question someone would need a philosopher or scientist to answer to and Jaune was no philosopher nor scientist.
Still, it seems like the Blacksmith would be satisfied with him just telling the details of his dream. Jaune wets his lips as he thinks back on his dream before speaking to the Blacksmith.
As he starts his tale however, he fails to notice the Blacksmith peering closer at him. Unaware of the fact that while he was busy regaling her of his dream, the Blacksmith was watching a small pulsing light inside his soul connected to the ghostly form of Pyrrha Nikos hovering beside him.
OMAKE:
Pyrrha Nikos died.
That was something irrefutable. She died by the hands of Cinder Fall with only broken pieces of her equipment to remember her by.
Pyrrha Nikos died and it was supposed to be something permanent.
Apparently, it was not as permanent as Pyrrha thought.
Before...being a ghost, Pyrrha remembers being in another place so to speak. Where and what exactly that place was, she could not accurately say.
It all felt like a blur now that she was...aware again? She's not exactly alive seeing she was a ghost but...she's not completely dead either. At least, her soul was in Remnant not in the...whatever that place was.
What she knew about that place however was that...there were also people there. People who died. People she knew that died.
She actually has the distinct feeling of meeting Penny there.
"Friend Pyrrha!" Penny waves with a smile and Pyrrha gasps in shock.
"Penny! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to kill you!" She shouts apolegetically.
She could still remember killing Penny with her Semblance during the Vytal Tournament.
Penny however keeps a smile on her face as she reaches out to touch Pyrrha before open her mouth to speak-
Poof!
Pyrrha blinked as Penny disappeared in a puff of smoke.
What? What just happened?
That was perhaps the first time Pyrrha saw that death wasn't as permanent as she thought.
Before she could think about it deeper though, Penny appeared again in another puff of smoke.
Poof!
"Penny! Are you okay?" Pyrrha gasped as she takes in Penny's new form.
Her hair was longer now and her dress made her look more mature while keeping her image of innocence.
"Friend Pyrrha? A-am I dead?" Penny frowned as she looks at Pyrrha before disappearing again.
Poof!
Pyrrha's eyes climb up in shock. It happened again! Is Penny coming back to life?! If she is, then-
Poof!
And again, Penny appears in a cloud smoke.
"Awww...I died again. Sorry Jaune for making you kill me."
Pyrrha's eyes widen at her words.
"Penny, what?!" Pyrrha shouts in shock and Penny winces apologetically as she gives Pyrrha a small smile.
"Oops."
Pyrrha...doesn't actually remember what exactly happened after that or what else they talked about because next thing she knew...she was being pulled somewhere.
Somewhere else where there was Jaune.
Meet Pyrrha, the adorably friendly ghost! Can you find a videogame reference I put in here?
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