Jaune gawked as he watched Professor Glynda run towards the exit away from them.
"Well, Mr. Arc. What's your favorite fairy tale?" Headmaster Ozpin asked as the Curious Cat stretched on his lap while Nurse Tsune snapped towards them. "Ah, do not worry, Tsune. Mr. Arc is cleared to know some of these things."
Jaune jolted toward him at that, his eyes were still wide from the things he just heard earlier and he could only open and close his mouth dumbly as he tried to process what just happened.
"Ozpin! This is not the time!" His older self shouted from behind the curtains before sighing loudly. "Can someone please just hand me some clothes?!"
Jaune gulped at that. His older self was naked behind the curtains and Professor Glynda Goodwitch just came out of there. Combined with the sounds he heard near the end of it, what happened inside was unmistakable.
Busy as he was inside his own thoughts, the Curious Cat yawns loudly before Jaune could even respond to his older self.
"You humans and your issues with nudity and clothes. I don't really see what the fuss is about." The Curious Cat noted as they stretched their body on top of Headmaster Ozpin as he chuckles.
"Don't worry about it. I'll satisfy your curiosity and tell you all about how clothes started as protection against the elements to its evolution and involvement in propriety and fashion."
"It doesn't sound the most exciting of topics but it will do I suppose." The Curious Cat grinned as they looked expectantly at Headmaster Ozpin.
"Anytime now!" The Rusted Knight yelled again, jerking Jaune out of the incredulous sight of a cat asking to learn about the history of fashion from his immortal Headmaster.
"I am on it!" Nurse Tsune yelled back excitedly, stretching her hands out towards Jaune who was holding the extra clothes Professor Glynda told him to bring earlier.
""NO!"" Both he and his older self shouted at the same time and Jaune could only blush brightly as Nurse Tsune pouted at him.
"I-I'll do it!" He stutters as he pulls his clothes closer to him while standing up to walk through the curtains separating them.
And as the background of Headmaster Ozpin lecturing the Curious Cat washes over him, He pauses as he sees his older self lying there naked with only a pillow to cover his crotch.
And damn.
Muscles hardened by training ran all throughout his body that Jaune couldn't help but have a small part….okay, a big part of him was jealous.
"Not a word." The Rusted Knight growled before Jaune could even utter a word about his state of undress.
And just like that, his jealousy melts away as a realization comes through. This…This was the sight Professor Glynda Goodwitch just saw.
Jaune nods shakily at that, stretching his hands out and handing his older self the pile of clothes in his hands. "I-I brought some clothes. Professor Glynda told-"
"Ow!" Arc flinched at that before glaring back at Jaune while rubbing his temples. " What did I just say?"
"N-Not to say a word."
Arc sighed loudly and closed his eyes at that while Jaune looked on worriedly.
"Are you okay?" He asks, getting the older man to open his eyes and look up at him.
"Yeah, sorry. It's just Pyrrha."
"Pyrrha." Jaune blinked back at that.
"Yup. I may not be able to see her while I'm awake but I can still hear her. She says hello again by the way." Arc nods, a small smile growing on his face even as Jaune blinked again.
"Pyrrha says hello again?"
"Yup. My Pyrrha." Arc grins and Jaune blushes at the possesiveness before he slowly pales as a realization starts to dawn on him.
"S-She can hear us?"
"Yup. She can see us too!" Arc chuckled happily as he straightened the pile of clothes. "Huh, Pumpkin Pete. I haven't seen this for a while."
Contrary to the Rusted Knight's increasingly good mood however, Jaune gulped in horror. Pyrrha could see and hear them. Jaune….well, Jaune just heard things happening when Professor Glynda Goodwitch was inside here.
"What about Professor Goodwitch?" He whispers and just as he finishes that, the lights above them suddenly flare and flicker.
"OW!"
"What is it?!" Jaune flinches back as he sees his older self suddenly shut his eyes in pain.
"Sorry, it's just Pyrrha. She keeps ranting inside my head about…yeah." His older cringes at that before shaking his head and weakly trailing off.
Right, Pyrrha….well, her ghost at least, heard and saw whatever happened here. And judging by Arc's wry smile at him, Jaune knew her reaction was anything but negative.
"I'm just….I'm gonna give you some privacy."
"Yeah, thanks. You do that." His older self nodded gratefully before humming thoughtfully at him. "If the others are asking you some questions, tell them I'll meet all of you tomorrow. I'll tell everything then. The truth this time. I promise."
Jaune smiled brittlely at that.
Before today, he would have been ecstatic to hear that but…
Pyrrha dead, Weiss bleeding out in his arms, and a girl dying by his own sword.
…but Jaune knew the truth now and he wished for at least some time that life was simple again. How ironic it must be for his older self to be willing to do a tell-all while Jaune was the one who was now wary of more? Oh how the tables have turned.
His thoughts must have shown on his face because the Rusted Knight softens his gaze and nods at Jaune understandingly.
"You understand now, I see."
It was one thing to hear it and it was another for one to live through it like a memory.
"Yeah." He answers hoarsely and his older self gives him a sad smile because of that.
"I wanted to spare you this pain but…."
Jaune cringed before smiling bitterly.
"It's fine. I'm the one who didn't let you."
Arc sighed loudly at that before he suddenly clears his throat. Jaune looked as he saw his gaze harden and steel enter his eyes.
"For what's it worth, Jaune? I will not let you suffer like I did." He finished resolutely before a small smile twinkled into existence. "Arc's word."
"And an Arc never breaks their word." Jaune huffed at that with a smile on his face.
"Damn, straight. Now go on and give me some privacy." Arc nudges him out and Jaune laughs at that as the despair and fear creeping in slowly vanishes just because of how weird it is to receive a motivational speech from a naked man.
As he slowly walks out of the curtains, he sees Headmaster Ozpin smiling at him comfortingly before nodding him along. "We'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Arc. Have a good rest."
"Thank you, Sir. See you tomorrow." He replies respectfully, looking away as the Curious Cat watched him intensely before trying to continue his way and almost bumping into Nurse Tsune.
Nurse Tsune gasped as Jaune rushed to help her carry the blankets she was carrying.
"Sorry!" He squeaks out and she only giggles at him.
"No problem, Mr. Arc. This is just for Ozpin just in case we need to keep him for observation."
"I'm not that hurt, Tsune." Headmaster Ozpin groans but Nurse Tsune only snaps sharply.
"We don't know that, Ozpin! Better safe than sorry!"
Jaune cringed at the tone. It reminded him of his mother whenever she berated him and his sisters for something.
"Your older self certainly did a number on him." Nurse Tsune calls out and Jaune jolted at that before wincing apologetically.
"Sorry?!" He squeaks, getting her to shake her head.
"Don't be. It wasn't your fault but it seems like you have a lot to look forward to. Not just in strength but other things as well."
Something about her suddenly sharp gaze unsettles Jaune and he squirms uncomfortably as he hands back the blankets to her.
"Thanks, I guess?"
"Don't worry, Mr. Arc. I like my men a little older." Nurse Tsune winks and Jaune suddenly realizes what she was referring to.
He flushes and Nurse Tsune only laughs loudly before continuing on taking the blankets with her.
The last thing he hears is her dumping the blanket on Ozpin and then loudly shouting towards his older self.
"Need a hand, Jaune?!"
Lights flickered at that and Jaune knew it was his signal to rush out. And rushed his way out he did.
SLAM!
Pyrrha jolted as Jaune slammed the door to their dorm room open.
"Jaune?! Are you okay?!" She asked, instantly turning around and meeting his bright blue eyes.
He looked breathless as he rushed inside and immediately closed the door behind him. She registers the light blush on his face before heat creeps up her own.
Despite the sweat caking his forehead and the panicked look he had, he looked handsome, cute-NO!
She shook her head with a blush at that. Look at her! Thinking that his disheveled look was handsome just because they met eyes?! Just what was happening with her?!
Ever since her possible crush on him was outed, Pyrrha felt uneasy as butterflies inside her stomach wrecked her composure. Everything felt awkward now that everyone thought she had a crush on him while she wasn't even sure with what she felt.
Sure, she liked him. She wanted to be friends with him. She was even positive that given enough time, she could fall for him but that was the thing. They didn't have that time.
They only knew each other for days before the prospect of her having a crush on him got thrown into everyone's faces.
Part of Pyrrha was bitter at his older self because of that but another part of her was also thankful for it because of one fact. Jaune looked at her. Like really looked at her. Not to say that he didn't look at her before but even now he looked at her in a way that she didn't know was pleasing.
He saw her as a woman.
And it wasn't in the way that he saw her as a conquest or a notch on his bedpost. It was more of like he was looking at her and trying to assess how she was as a potential mate.
It might have sounded a bit crude but the thing was, Pyrrha was doing the same thing.
And yet despite the strange start to a possible courtship start to a potential courtship, what Pyrrha really appreciated the most was Jaune approaching her as a friend.
It seemed that despite the possibility of her having a crush on him, he was just as nervous and uncomfortable about it as she was.
Instead of reveling in her supposed attraction to him, Jaune opted to nurture their friendship and Pyrrha was infinitely thankful for that.
Yet growing friendship between them or not, butterflies stll flew inside her stomach as he smiled comfortingly at her.
"Y-Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for asking, Pyrrha."
Luckily for Pyrrha, she didn't have to think of an answer as she squirmed bashfully because Nora answers for her.
"What's the problem anyway, fearless leader? Why are you such in a hurry?" The ginger asked from atop her own bed and Jaune's blush glows brighter at that.
"N-Nothing! Nothing is wrong!"
Pyrrha frowns at that but stays silent as Ren interjects.
"What did your older self say anyway? You said you were on your way to meet him."
Jaune shook his head at that before clearing his throat.
"He said he'll meet us tomorrow and he'll tell everyone everything then."
"What about my older self?" Pyrrha cuts in and everyone turns to look at her before turning back to Jaune.
Jaune's eyes widen at that before a the blush returns full force with a shy smile on his face. "She can talk with my older self. Their together though…" Jaune cringes before looking at her apologetically. "My older self can't see her? Except in his dreams apparently….I think."
"I…see." She says slowly before shaking her head. "It's okay. I could both see and hear her before."
Everyone gasped at that and Nora suddenly gushed beside her. "You could see ghosts and you didn't tell anyone?!"
Pyrrha chuckled nervously at that, raising her hands to put some space between them as she stuttered. "I-I thought I was going crazy and besides, she was the only one I could see."
The first time she saw her older self was when they met the Rusted Knight in the cafeteria just before they had their fight with him. She was so shocked and surprised then that she could only turn pale and stay still as events happened around her.
She still didn't know why it happened but it happened and Pyrrha was now a lot more adjusted to handle it. Which didn't seem like Jaune was as he only stared at her shakily.
"O-Oh." He mutters with a pale face and Pyrrha could only frown at that.
"What is it, Jaune?"
"I…uhm…I guess you'll just have to see tomorrow?"
And see she did.
Another day of classes went by and for the whole day Pyrrha's nerves felt frayed as she worried about Jaune's warning. She didn't see the Rusted Knight during their Combat Class but she did see Professor Glynda look nervously at their direction.
"Team RWBY and Team JNPR, you are to meet Professor A-Arc at the launchpads near the Emerald Forest."
Murmurs sounded out at that and even Yang groans annoyedly at the announcement. "Is it going to be like Initiation again?"
"I doubt it. He must have a plan." Weiss retorted although everyone could see the frown on her face.
"Whatever it is, I think it's going to be fun!" Ruby yelled out excitedly as they began to walk toward the launchpads.
"Do you have any idea, Jaune?" Blake asked and Pyrrha frowns nervously as she sees Jaune blush away from the dark-haired girl.
What…What was up with those two?
"I-I have no idea what we'll do there but he did tell me he'll tell us everything we need to know. The truth this time." Jaune answered, his tone taking a somber tone at the end.
Everyone stayed silent after that and only perked up as she began to hear words.
"-no good hussy! How dare she touch you like that?! Can't she stick to men her own age?!"
As the rant continued, Pyrrha wondered why no one else was reacting to it. That was until she saw the sillouhete of her own ghostly form hovering back and forth behind the Rusted Knight and Headmaster Ozpin.
She gawked at the fury etched in her own face and she is jolted out of her thoughts by the Rusted Knight in his armor sighing loudly at them.
"Great, you are all here." He greeted, rubbing his forehead frustratedly as one hand held his helmet beside him.
Before anyone else could say anything however, Headmaster Ozpin taps his cane loudly on the ground.
"Well, students. Let's not waste anytime. What's your favorite fairytale?"
"-And so Alyx returns home and lives happily ever after."
Salem frowned as she finished the story.
CRASH!
Another chandelier crashed behind her as Tyrian leapt out of the Jabberwalker's reach. It didn't take long however for the two of them to chase each other again and leap out of the window of one of her libraries.
Salem closed the book in her hands and sighed loudly as she lazily waves a hand to fix everything back together.
It was like wrangling a pair of dogs really but she has found out it was better to tire out the two than suffer their stilted conversations together.
In the meantime, she satisfied herself with looking for clues on the Jabberwalker's origin and it's possible counterpart tied to Ozpin.
And she has managed to identify two. Going by the classification of magical creatures and their purposes, Ozpin must be bonded to either the Curious Cat or the Jackalope, Juniper.
Yet even knowing the possibilities of Ozpin's current partner, it still does not answer on question.
Just what the hell were the gods playing?
She frowned at the question before a simple pull of her thoughts makes her smile as a seer manifested itself in front of her.
It's tentacles unfurled and she opens her mouth to speak as the sight of her kneeling subjects form in front of her.
Finally. Some progress.
"Cinder, report."
I'm back! Starting a bit slow but we are progressing the plot now!
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