I got a lot of bad feedback last chapter but that's okay. I already knew that I wouldn't be able to please everybody. One guy even told me to rewrite the whole story because I bungled it but nah I'm not good with rewrites, besides I already have plans for this baby. And none of those includes dropping it all of a sudden.
For those so disappointed out there who still came back to read this I'd like to say thank you for the feedback and I still hope you stay for at least a few more chapters. We haven't even gotten to the Docks and Watts arriving in Vale part yet. Stay tuned because this is another longfic and don't expect to receive all your answers in just one chapter.
Updates weekly on either tuesday or wednesday.
"It's short, sweet, rolls of the tongue, Pyrrha loved it."
Silence engulfed the arena and Jaune smiled as he saw his younger self gawk at Pyrrha who had a glowing blush on her face.
Ahhh...mission accomplished.
As dense as his younger self was, hopefully this time Jaune Arc notices Pyrrha Nikos' feelings.
She didn't deserve to suffer like his Pyrrha romantically did back in his own past.
If his meddling leads to her and Jaune's younger self dating?
Well, he doubts anyone among them will complain.
He felt like laughing at the thought of him becoming a matchmaker to his younger self but a voice cut through the silence.
"Cool intro but can someone help me with my broken arm now?!" Yang called out and Jaune's eyes widened as she saw her grit her teeth in pain.
Before he could leap into action however, another voie took his attention.
"Nice...cough... introduction, but while you're at it. Can someone help before my host dies?!" Oz...cat yelled?
That was definitely Ozpin's body but it was the Curious Cat's voice, eyes, and snarl currently aimed at him.
Thus, Ozcat.
"Anytime now." Ozcat growled as they locked eyes with each other and Jaune shook his head.
Right, triage dictates that he prioritize the one with worse injuries and considering Ozpin was knocked out and slumped against a broken wall, he had the worse injuries.
Still, its not like Jaune can't multitask. Literally.
"Mini me, tend to Yang. It's time for you to learn your Semblance."
"M-My Semblance?"
"Yup, Aura Amp. Now get to it." He waved absently as he walked towards Ozcat.
They glared at each other even as Jaune knelt beside him.
"How did you do it?" Ozcat asked and Jaune only looked at him as he laid a hand on his arm.
"Do what?"
"Ozpin's last attack should have knocked you out." Ozcat scoffed at him before narrowing his eyes. "You didn't only come back from it, you sent it back. How?"
Jaune paused at that.
To be honest, he didn't know either.
He remembers seeing Ozpin charge in for a strike.
A fist clad in black lightning that broke through his Aura, Semblance, and lousy attempt at regenerating his Magic Armor.
He remembers the pain rushing through him, of course.
He also remembers...darkness.
And in that darkness, he heard a voice.
He didn't understand what the voice was saying but it felt familiar to him.
CLANG!
Before he could hear more however, a resounding sound echoed throughout the dark.
It sounded like the Blacksmith's hammer back in the Ever After yet as he tried to search for its source, he saw a spark.
A spark from two solid balls colliding against each other.
One white, one black, and in the background of watching that spark come to life, Jaune felt tingles all over his body.
They collided again and this time, he felt it then.
He felt power.
Power overwhelming.
But also power excruciating.
It felt like he was being filled too much and being pulled apart at the same time.
His mind cracked, not unlike the time it did back in the Ever After.
Back then, he was overwhelmed by the burden of his failures and tragedies.
This time however it was two titanic bodies of power that threatened to overwhelm him.
Yet in the brink of losing himself, that's when he heard the voice again.
This time, it was clear and it said one name.
"JAUNE!"
His name.
Jaune breathed and he knew...things. he knew magic that was tearing him apart. He knew himself. He knew his traumas.
He also knew that he was falling back into his habits with the Paper Pleasers in his desire to protect the younger versions of himself and his friends.
And in that same breath of knowing things, he felt one of the titanic energies wrecking havoc inside his body seep into every single cell.
The remaining one however, rushed out in a burst of power.
"Well, how did you do it?" Ozcat asked again and Jaune snaps back to reality.
Right, he was trying to heal Ozpin. Breathing deep, he activates his Semblance and amplifies Ozpin's regenrative abilities thru his Aura just as he answers the Cat's question.
"I don't know." He shrugs and he smiles a bit when he sees a vein pop on Ozcat's forehead.
"You don't know?"
"Nope." Jaune smirks, popping the p on that particular way Ruby loves.
It wasn't the entire truth but how could Jaune know when he didn't know the answer himself?
What he had was an idea.
He thinks that the energy that seeped into every cell of his body healed and empowered him while the one that rushed out knocked Ozpin out.
"How can you not know how you did it?! You..." Ozcat roars before trailing off as he slumps in defeat. "It doesn't matter. We'll beat you for sure next time."
"Until then, it's two wins for me and zero for you." Jaune laughed, patting its shoulder mockingly once he sees the body breathe easier.
"Hey! You said we won earlier!"
"Only by a technicality."
He stood up, turning to Yang's position only to see his younger self panicking over Yang's arm on the sidelines with Pyrrha and Weiss still standing out of it in the middle of the arena.
Jaune sighed and shook his head before slowly walking towards their direction.
"Are you two okay?" He asked worriedly as they squeaked at him in surprise.
The only response he gets from them are nods as their gazes flicker to and away from him.
Tilting his head before shrugging, he walks past them and climbs the stairs up Yang's position to look at what was happening.
"What are you doing?" He asked his younger self from behind and he sees him stiffen up in surprise before turning towards him as the rest stayed silent in shock.
"T-Trying to use our Semblance?"
Jaune looked down at Yang's still broken hand and then back up at blue eyes nervously looking at him.
"Right, it's my fault in the first place. Here, let me show you. Put your arm over hers and feel what I'll do." He sighed as he scooted offer and he sees Yang grin shakily at him.
"Finally."
He cringed at her word and only smiled back apologetically as he laid a hand on her broken arm.
"Sorry about your arm, Yang."
Yang's eyes widened at that before her brow scrunched at him.
"Dude, sorry?! You broke my arm and all you have to say is so-ooohhh!~"
SNAP!
"~ohhh my Gods! What was that?!" Yang asked in wonder as her arm glowed and snapped back into perfect shape.
Jaune laughed as they all gawked at Yang's healed arm.
"That...was my Semblance. I'm not limited to using it on myself you see."
"Damn, so you can power yourself and heal injuries? Talk about being broken." Yang said in wonder as she tested her arm before looking at his younger self. "Guess you have something to look forward to, Vomit Boy."
Jaune shook his head at that.
"It took a lot of training to get this good with it."
If his Semblance was really broken then he could have saved a lot of lives. He could have saved Penny. He was only capable of doing this much after 20 years of isolation in the Ever After and travelling back to the past.
"So... you really are Jaune from the future, huh?" Ruby asked worriedly, jolting Jaune out of his dark thoughts.
Taking a moment to look at them, he sees all of them waiting expectantly to hear his answer.
He already answered it earlier but he could still understand the disbelief.
His answer with a slow nod and a small exhale releases from their breath at his confirmation.
"Wow." Ruby breathes out with stars in her eyes and Jaune only laughs sadly.
"It's not as wow as you think. I already told you my story, remember?"
They gasp at the reminder and everyone turns to Pyrrha who were climbing the steps to their position with Weiss.
Jaune smiles sadly as his eyes lock with hers before Yang slams her hands on the table.
"Alright! Future knowledge! Am I still hot in the future, Vomit Man?!" She asks rapidly and Jaune blinks at the question before he laughs at a realization.
She was changing the subject. Uplifting the mood that Jaune unintentionally brought down.
Wiping the happy tears from his eyes, he leans back and smiles at Yang. "Yes, Yang. You're still hot in the future."
"Sweet!" Yang exclaimed but Jaune's eyes widened in horror when she looks down and leers at him. "So...why didn't we do anything?"
"Yang! You can't just ask him that! It's embarrassing!" Ruby cut in, trying to cover Yang's mouth who only pulls her hand down.
"I mean look at him, Ruby! A beefcake like that and nothing happened?! What a waste!"
Right. Other than his pants, he was wearing nothing. Even Crocea Mors was buried in the wall where Ozpin launched him into.
Heat rushed to his cheeks as he looked away from her. If he was being honest...he was not as dense back in Atlas as he liked to portray himself to be.
Ever since...Pyrrha, he had been highly sensitive about feelings like that for fear of unintentionally hurting someone again.
So naturally...he knew how attractive he was to the single mothers of Atlas. He was just afraid of acting on anything because of how much baggage he was carrying.
He didn't think he would worry about anything like that with his friends but he forgets, these were their younger versions untempered and unburdened by war, tragedy, and the fate of the world on their shoulders.
"Ahem, we've had this conversation before Yang. I'm too old for you but you could always aim for the younger version if you like." He aimed at his younger self who only blushed red at them especially when Yang looked back and forth between them.
"I mean...he's a bit too lanky for me but if he grows into you..." Yang trails off, not noticing Pyrrha suddenly freezing up at her words.
Jaune smirked at this before shaking his head and deciding to help.
"Take in mind that I did puke on your shoes the first time we met." He said before flicking his eyes at Pyrrha's direction.
"Urghh. That's true. But still...the potential is there. Regardless, I'm leaving you to Pyrrha for now." Yang replied immediately, flicking her hair back as she smirked at his younger self.
"Eep!" Pyrrha squeaked, hiding her face and looking away from them.
"Yang! W-W-We're not like that!" His younger self stuttered with a blush to which Yang only points a thumb at Jaune's direction.
"You heard him, mister short, sweet, rolls of the tongue, and Pyrrha loved it."
His younger self looked speechless at that and Jaune only shook his head indulgently.
As much as he wanted his younger self to end up with Pyrrha, this was not his choice anymore.
"Don't think too much about it. You should live your own life the way you want to. Who knows? Pyrrha might not even really like you the way mine did." He smiles sadly, crossing his arms as he looks at his younger self.
Before his younger self could reply however, a voice cuts in.
"Does!"
Jaune blinked. In fact, everyone blinked as they all looked at Pyrrha's blushing face.
"Excuse me?" Jaune asks incredulously.
"L-L-Like you the way she does!" Pyrrha stuttered, finishing her words with her eyes clenched shut.
Jaune's jaw drops at that as color leaves his skin.
"Y-Y-You're not flirting with me, are you? Because if you are then I'll also direct you to my younger self." He answers, looking at his younger self's own pale face.
"N-No! I meant her!" Pyrrha replied, pointing beside him to everyone's confusion.
He frowns when he sees nothing but air.
"Pyrrha, this isn't funny anymore. You should stop joking now."
Pyrrha however only shook her head.
"I-I'm not joking! She says you should say the words!"
"What words?" He asks, uncrossing his arms as he looks at the blank place Pyrrha pointed at and her.
Pyrrha however took a deep breath and says the words. Familiar words.
"For it is in passing-"
The group falls silent as he gasps when he realizes and involuntarily speaks them together while looking at the air beside him
"-that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all."
Everyone gasped as he began to glow yet Jaune continues intensely.
"Infinite in distance and unbound by death."
The space beside him glows as well but his focus does not waver even as red hues appear around the edges of an outline.
"I release your soul, and-" Jaune gulped as he hears her voice whisper the same.
He takes a moment to close his eyes, tears coming unbidden to the fore.
"-and by my shoulder-" Jaune Arc starts.
"-protect thee." Pyrrha Nikos finishes.
He gasped behind his closed eyelids as he heard her voice.
An explosion could have happened and Jaune would not have heard anything.
Yet as he slowly opened his eyes, he hears the world pounding, or was it his heart?
Regardless, blue eyes meet green and they both spilled forth tears.
"Pyrrha." He whispers her name in awe but she only chuckles at him wetly.
"Hello again."
Jaune smiled.
And then the world turned black.
He thought this day couldn't get any weirder but apparently he was wrong.
The revelations he heard from his older self and their headmaster were already enough to turn his world upside down but this? This was just world-shattering.
Because apparently, ghosts were real now.
He felt faint as he watched his older self look speechless at the glowing form in front of him.
It was his partner.
Or the dead version of her at least.
He looked to his own Pyrrha to see her own reaction but when blue eyes met green...they snapped away immediately.
Heat rushed through his cheeks as he remembered Arc's, his older self's, words.
Pyrrha loved him.
Or his name at least.
Yet judging by how awed his older self was looking at the glowing ghost in front of him, Jaune could surmise the feeling was at least a bit mutual on their part.
Thoughts ran through his head.
Did he like Pyrrha?
Sure, she's the reason he was still here after all. Without her, Jaune never would have had his Aura unlocked so it was no exaggeration to say that he wouldn't even have survived Initiation without her.
So yeah, he likes her.
But does he like her that way?
Now that was a question that needed a lot more thinking.
Thinking that he would have to do later as his eyes widened when he saw Arc's eyes roll toward the back of his head.
"Oh shit!" He cursed as his older self fell forward, Pyrrha's ghost twinkling out of existence at the same time he scrambled to catch his older self.
He grunted as he almost stumbled backward trying to catch his older self from the front.
Was he that heavy or was Jaune just that weak?
"Help me carry him!" He called out just as Yang and Pyrrha moved besides his older self to help him.
"Ooooh, mama likes." Yang leered as she rubbed his older self's biceps to Jaune's embarrassment.
"Not the time, Yang!" He scolded with a blush on his face.
"What? Pyrrha's doing it too!"
His eyes immediately snapped to the opposite side to see Pyrrha absently squeezing his older self's arm.
Her eyes widened before instantly turning away with a blush on her face as Jaune flatly stared at her.
"N-No, I'm not! I'm just helping!" She denied.
And yet despite her words and supposed crush on him, Pyrrha continued to rub her fingers along the Rusted Knight's cuts.
Jaune bitterly shook his head at that.
Perverts. He was surrounded by perverts.
There was only one solution to this predicament.
To carry Arc by himself.
He sighed as he took a moment to turn around and crouch a bit.
"Here, put him on my back. I'll carry him to the infirmary-"
SLAM!
"WHAT IS THE MEANING...of this?" Professor Glynda Goodwitch slammed the door furiously before trailing off as she saw the destruction.
The arena laid in pieces. Two walls cracked and cratered with Ozpin slumped on one of them.
And then there was them.
Carrying a knocked out Professor Arc while looking at Professor Goodwitch with wide eyes.
Call it instinct or reflex but the moment Professor Glynda glared at his direction with her blonde hair and angry green eyes, Jaune's mouth automatically blurts out its first response when usually confronted by his mother.
"I can explain." He says before his eyes widen in realization.
Why did he say that?! He didn't even need to explain anything! This wasn't even his fault! She wasn't even his own mother! She just reminds him of her!
He winces at his own words just as Professor Glynda took a deep breath.
Thankfully however, she releases it gently as she pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration.
"There is no need to explain, Mr. Arc. I came because the whole school felt tremors from this place. Unless you destroyed the stage by your lonesome, this is not your fault. I assume they were the ones who went overboard?" Professor Glynda sighed as her eyes flicked towards Headmaster Ozpin and his older self.
Jaune nods as he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Typical." Professor Glynda scoffed and with a wave of her hand, everyone's eyes widened as the whole arena slowly repaired itself.
Motes of purple light glowed all over them as they saw pieces of the wall arrange themself as if nothing ever happened to them.
"Wow. Are you magic too, Professor?!" Nora asked excitedly and everyone sees Professor Goodwitch stiffen at that before raising an eyebrow.
"Ms. Valkyrie, you've seen me use my Semblance back in Initiation Day when the Rusted Knight first arrived. Why would you think I am, as you say, magic?"
Nora shrugged.
"I don't know. Lots of people seem to be using magic nowadays. We've got Jaune-Jaune's older self, Headmaster Ozpin -"
"Stop! Just...stop for a moment."
They all watched in worry as Professor Goodwitch turned around, covered her face with both hands, and released a muffled shriek.
Eventually however, she regains herself and turned back to face after a deep breath.
"Forgive me, I lost myself for a moment. Tell me, what else has been shared with you?"
Jaune and his friends looked at each other nervously at that before Professor Goodwitch coughed to catch their attention again.
"I assure you students, whatever you think you might know, I know of it as well."
Jaune nodded slowly as he saw his friends' eyes aimed towards him but before he could answer, Weiss stepped forward.
"Of course, Professor Goodwitch but we were told that the Headmaster is immortal, Maidens were real, and...something about relics and silver-eyed warriors?" Weiss finished, her eyes flicking towards Ruby's own silver eyes.
Professor Goodwitch clicked her tongue at that.
"It seems you are now privy to knowledge that isn't as secretive as I thought." She finished with a glare towards Headmaster Ozpin who was...playing dead.
Jaune couldn't blame him. He himself used the same tactic against his own mother. Yet from Jaune's own personal experience, he knew it was futile.
"Ozpin! I know you are awake!" Professor Goodwitch growled as Jaune and his friends stayed silent.
Headmaster Ozpin opened an eye only for the Curious Cat's voice to come out of his mouth. "He's still out of it actually but he's coming around."
"Cat." Professor Glynda hissed before shaking her head and looking towards Jaune's direction.
"What is Professor Arc's condition?"
"Uhm...he passed out after summoning Pyrrha's ghost." Jaune answered, looking at Pyrrha who only bit her lip and turned away from him with a blush.
Right, there was that supposed crush.
"Pyrrha's...ghost?" Professor Glynda repeated with wide eyes and Jaune only nods in confirmation.
"Alright, fine. Ghosts are real now too apparently." Professor Glynda sighed again resignedly before looking at them sternly. "I suppose I do not need to tell any of you to keep this to yourselves?"
"""Yes, Ms. Goodwitch.""" Multiple voices sang out and they all see Professor Goodwitch smile for the first time today.
"Good, in the meantime, you will return to your classes while I take our headmaster and Professor Arc to the infirmary."
Jaune breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the Rusted Knight's weight be literally taken off of his back as Professor Glynda uses her Semblance to carry his older self.
Yet as they all watch the Rusted Knight float into the air via use of Professor Glynda's Semblance, Jaune is shocked by a sight he sees.
"Don't look!" He shouted as he turned to look at his friends in horror but it was too late.
"What is that?!" Ruby squeaked out before Weiss, who choked on air, immediately turned the both of them around to look away.
He wished everyone else had the same reaction.
Instead, he saw Blake whisper something to herself before blood dripped down her nose.
"Damn." Yang whispered in awe, staring unabashedly despite Jaune's shout.
Pyrrha...Pyrrha looked at the Rusted Knight before turning to Jaune in awe to his own embarrassment.
Even Professor Glynda's concentration wavered so much that she almost dropped his older self.
The worst reaction however came from Nora.
"Damn, fearless leader! Is that a stiffie?!" She annouced to the whole world while pointing at the tent they were all seeing located at the Rusted Knight's pants.
Jaune looked helplessly at Ren beside Nora who only shrugged at him.
"It could be worse, you could have been small."
Jaune will admit that he took a bit of comfort from that compliment but big or small it didn't matter!
This was like one of his nightmares!
Everyone was seeing his body pop a boner!
Sure, it was his older self's body but it was still his body damn it!
He was never going to live this down especially with how Yang now seemed to be looking at him with a grin on her face!
Jaune turned around and hid his face behind his hands as he bent over himself.
Just what the hell was his older self thinking to get a boner like that while unconcious?!
"Oooohhhh~ Jaune, yesssss! Yessss!" Pyrrha moaned crossed eyed as she got railed from behind.
He huffed to himself before giving a slap to his partner's fat ass.
At the age of 40 years old, Jaune Arc, the Rusted Knight, was a virgin no more.
In his dreams at least.
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