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"Ah!" Pyrrha flinched back in surprise, taking several steps away to gape at Jack. The huntsman withdrew his hand from where he had flicked her nose none too gently. The blonde man was giving her a stern look, not quite a glare but definitely conveying that he was unhappy.
"Don't you ever fight like that again, Pyrrha."
She rubbed her nose out of instinct than any real residual pain, she had aura after all. Instead she marveled at how forward he was, how familiar.
"I had to win." Pyrrha grumbled.
"Had to?" He cocked an eyebrow and leaned forward, "Or wanted to?"
The young woman flushed and looked away, this man was very good at getting under her skin. Not in a bad way, however, though she wouldn't say she liked it either. It was just so different. Adults usually treated her differently, with more deference. Instead he acted as if she was just some presumptuous brat. It was refreshing.
She forced her emerald eyes back to his, "A win is a win. Now you have to answer my questions."
"I don't have to do anything." Her heart sank as he crossed his arms, "But I did promise, so what do you wanna know first?"
Just like that? Pyrrha thought, narrowing her eyes at him. It felt too easy. Though she could tell he hadn't gone easy on her, and he was legitimately irritated as to how she had won, it felt like it was too simple.
"Why did you agree to that bet?" Was her first question and it surprised him.
"Well." Jack scratched the back of his head, "Can't say I saw that coming. Truth is I couldn't make up my mind. I wanted to tell you but couldn't decide. So I figured I'd just let the chips fall where they may."
"What couldn't you decide to tell me or not? What was so important, so unbelievable, that you couldn't decide to tell a stranger?" Pyrrha crossed her arms underneath her chest, "We only just met? Is it about your family? The Arcs? Jaune?"
"The last one, actually."
A heavy feeling settled in her gut, weighing her down as an ugly feeling took hold and she glared hotly at him, "He's my leader and my partner. Nothing you say will change that. No matter what."
"Oh, no, I wasn't going to divulge a secret about him."
"But-"
"It's my secret, he's just slightly involved though he doesn't know it." Her mouth clicked shut, the confusion written on her face. The man wasn't making any sense and she was growing increasingly worried.
"Just.." She trailed off, knowing it was about her partner, even if only a little, made her want to know even more and she hated herself for it, "Just tell me?"
"Right." He paused to gather his thoughts, blowing air out of his mouth in an explosive breath of air, "Right, there's no real easy way of saying this, so I'm just going to rid the bandage off. I'm from the future. My name, my real name, is Jaune Arc."
Pyrrha stood there, speechless and staring at him, beginning to lose the temper she normally had such tight control of, "You promised to tell me the truth. Stop messing with me."
"I promised to answer your questions truthfully and an Arc always keeps his promises. I did say you wouldn't believe me."
He had. She searched his face for a hint of a lie but found none. All she could see was a plea, a desperation hidden behind a calm mask. Pyrrha opened her mouth but had no words as her mind struggled to make itself up. He had to be lying but every instinct in her body was telling her to trust the man in front of her. He felt safe, familiar, and it was like a bolt of lightning jolting through her body that she realized it like a revelation.
He was familiar. The reason she wanted to trust him, why she felt safe around him even though he was a stranger. It was something her soul already accepted. This was Jaune, her Jaune. Like a puzzle with its final piece being place the picture became clear. The nickname, the odd friendship between an Arc and a Rose, his uncanny looks that looked more than a passing familial resemblance.
Logically there could have been other explanations. Maybe this was some kind of clone, she'd heard of that before. Perfect copies of people. But this person was older which would make her Jaune the clone. She revolted at the idea.
"Jaune?" He nodded slowly at her, almost afraid to move and startle her, "H-how?"
"I don't know." He shrugged, "I genuinely don't know how we came back in time."
It took a moment before she processed what he said, putting the clues together, "We? Professor Rose is Ruby, isn't she?"
"No points for obvious answers, Pyr."
Pyr. That was as close to proof as it could come for her. There was exactly one person who called her that and two others who knew it. The sound of the nickname made her eyes water slightly.
"It really is obvious, isn't it?" She laughed in slight hysterics, "On you two?"
"She and I were the only ones there before we ended up here."
"Why?"
He bit his lip and she could tell he didn't want to tell her until she pressed him again for an answer and he screwed his eyes shut, "Because we were the only ones left."
It was like a slap in the face and she wished she didn't believe him. But it made too much sense, even if it sounded impossible. Something whispered to her that it was real and it was the truth and that same stony feeling in her gut from earlier grew and grew until her legs gave way from under her and she sank to her knees. Pyrrha barely noticed as her knees impacted the rough surface of the roof, the grit digging into her skin. She felt like throwing up.
"Pyrrha!" He shouted and crouched in front of her, taking her shoulders in his hands.
"When?"
"Pyrrha it's okay. Trust-"
"When?!" She shouted at him, raising her voice and screwing her eyes shut. Pyrrha could feel his firm hands clench, shaking.
"My partner died at the end of the Vytal Festival of my first year of Beacon."
Oh. That was… that was a couple weeks away. The Vytal Festival was set to conclude in just over a month with the finale of the Vytal Tournament. She only had a month left to live. The tears started streaming down her face even though she tried to stop them.
"Pyrrha. Look at me."
Her breath hitched as she tried desperately to dry her face but she just couldn't her life would come to an end without the man she loved even knowing she loved him.
"Look at me!" Pyrrha felt the hands grip her face and force her to look up and she opened her eyes to see the older Jaune staring at her, face etched with worry and heartache, "Pyrrha, that is my past but not your future. I promise you, on my word as an Arc, that you will not die."
Pyrrha couldn't respond, she couldn't put into words the feelings in her chest. It was a sense of dread and despair that mixed with desperation. Those strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her in close. Head against his shoulder, her tears started staining his coat as she clung to him. She didn't know why she was so upset or why his presence was so comforting. No, she did know. As she breathed in, she could tell that his scent was the same as Jaune's.
"Easy, Pyr." He rubbed a hand up and down her back, "Everything's gonna be okay. I promise."
And she believed him. It was enough for her to start to get herself under control and for the embarrassment to creep in. If her fans saw her like this, it would cause a scandal and shatter her image as the Invincible Girl. She kind of wished it would happen. In the end, logic won out. The media would disparage her friends and this Jaune she was clinging to, bringing unwanted attention to him.
"I can't believe I broke down like this."
"I can." Older Jaune's tone was light and breezy, but she couldn't see his face, "t wouldn't be the first time I've made a woman cry."
A giggle escaped from her and she pushed him to arm's length, wiping her eyes with one hand, "Stop it, Jaune. You're not that bad."
"Really?" He raised his eyebrows, "But I thought girls like bad boys?"
"Jaune!" She elicited a gasp and a snort at the same time, fixing him with a glare. It wasn't lost on her that he had wiped away her mood so quickly.
"Are you okay?" He asked, much more sombre.
Pyrrha took a deep, steadying breath, "I think I will be fine. It's a lot to take in, I don't even know where to begin."
"Hey now." He pulled her hand away from him and cupped it in his, "Just take it slowly. And don't worry. Ruby and I can handle this. We're working with Beacon and some other people to make sure everyone is safe."
Pyrrha looked Jaune in the eyes and then, for the first time, let her eyes roave his face. It was weathered, the star on his forehead pink and new. His beard made him look mature, she liked it. She found her partner handsome to begin with but he really did do well with facial hair. His brown coat over a simple affair of jeans, boots, and a breastplate. There was a dirty red sash tied around his waist, pale and discolored. She began to suspect something as she looked to the one tied around her own.
Silently, she took his weapon from him, Crocea Mors, and opened the sheath. Pyrrha ran her fingers along the design and Jaune sat there and let her, letting her go at her own pace. The paint looked to have been touched up from time to time and there were small nicks and dents in the metal. The bronze colored metal that accented the white shield was set into a peculiar pattern and she tilted her head at it.
"What is this? Is this Mistralian?"
"Yeah, you should know it pretty well." He tapped her tiara, "It used to be my partner's"
Her hands flew up to her head, touching the metal. Pyrrha felt her heart break at the expression on his face. It was one of failure, of shame, and she could tell that he was carrying her around with him, for better or worse.
"This is weird."
"You're talking to someone from the future, of course it is, you think it isn't for me?" He stood and took Crocea Mors back, placing the weapon on his belt once more.
"Jaune? Did I ever…"
"Confess?" He guessed her question and she blushed, looking away but nodding nonetheless, "In a way. It came too late for us, but I suppose that's why I want you to succeed."
"Does that mean…?" She looked up at him and couldn't help but feel her heart soaring.
"That's something you'll have to find out for yourself, Pyrrha." He leaned in to whisper, "Between you and me, though? I think you've got a good chance. Just don't wait."
Her heart fluttered at the thought and her legs threatened to give out for an entirely different reason. The thought of making a move was scarier than any competition she had been in, the idea of rejection was terrifying.
"What about you?" She blurted out.
"What about me?" He cocked his head, confused.
"Did you ever… find anyone?"
"Never really got around to it. Always too busy." She could tell he was hiding something behind the shrug and apologetic smile but had no way of calling him out on it.
A flutter of movement caught her eye and she saw a bird land on the AC unit next to them, it fixed both of them with its beady glare, and she wondered at how a bird could glare, before it opened its beak.
"Caw!"
The older Jaune's sharp and suspicious look at the bird had her hackles raised but she didn't know why.
"Is that a crow?" She asked him, "Do you recognize it?"
"Yes." He growled, "A friend has two birds but I can never tell the difference between the two."
She didn't know how but the crow looked offended, puffing out its feathers.
"Caw!" It squawked again.
"Oh shut up, like I'm a gods damn bird expert! Which one are you? The angry one or the drunk one?"
Drunk one?
"Caw! Caw!"
"What do you want?"
The bird flew to his shoulder, settling down and pecking at his ear and pointing its beak at the door.
"Fine!" He flinched away from the sharp pecking, "I'll go talk to him!" Jaune turned to the very confused Pyrrha Nikos, "Sorry, Pyr, I gotta go deal with this. I'll make this up, though. I'll be back around to train with the team another time, okay?"
She smiled brightly at him, but then faltered, "That sounds grand. Are you going to tell the others too?"
"Eventually, I'm just-ow!" He glared at the bird, "Okay I'm going! Talk to you later Pyrrha."
The man that was her partner from another time practically sprinted back into the school, cussing out the bird pecking away at him on his shoulder as he did so. It was less than a few moments later that her actual partner appeared, fully armored and with his weapon on his belt, looking just as confused as she felt.
"Was that Jack with a bird?" He asked, pointing back the way he came, "Is he not going to train with me?"
She shook her head, "Apparently something urgent came up, but we can still train."
-SY-
Jaune slammed the door of the empty classroom shut and the bird on his shoulder hopped off his shoulder, transforming in one fell swoop into a glaring, middle-aged man. Qrow Branwen gave him a once-over before leaning on the lecture podium..
"The hell are you doing?" He accused as he sipped from the flask he fished out of his pocket, "I decide to look in on whoever's having a match on the rooftop as I'm coming and lo and behold it's the blond bastard spilling his guts to a young, impressionable girl."
"Don't make it sound weird." Jaune snapped at him, "Pyrrha has a right to know."
"Does she? Ever heard the phrase ignorance is bliss?"
"Oh I certainly have." He rolled his eyes, "But why do you draw the line at my old team? Ruby's knows."
"Oh I know but that couldn't be helped or stopped. It was them who found her in Forever Fall." Qrow explained, "But we shouldn't be spreading this around."
Jaune scoffed, shaking his head, "Are you telling me if you could go back in time to visit your dead teammate you wouldn't want to tell her who you were?"
Qrow looked like he'd been slapped in the face, "That's not fair."
"You're right, it's not. But so is putting me here and expecting me to do nothing. If you think they're incapable of noticing something is going on, then you're blind. At least this way they won't stick their noses in things without notice."
The other man blinked, "You really thought it through like that?"
In truth he hadn't but Qrow didn't need to know that. The fact was that between Pyrrha and then they'd have put together something eventually and who knew what they would do about it if they got it into their heads he was hiding something nefarious.
"Of course." He lied, "But why were you spying on her?"
"I wasn't!" Qrow frantically denied, "Like I said I happened to see it. I was on my way back from talking to some people and happened to see the spar. Got curious as to why you were here."
"Ozpin said you could come and go, but I thought you were staying out in Vale with Raven?" He caught Jaune's grimace, "Ah, what'd she do?"
"That easy to tell?" Qrow nodded at him, "Well I guess I pried a little too much into Raven's motives and she snapped at me."
Qrow made a sound of understanding, "Raven never liked talking very much."
"Doesn't help that we've been waiting around for so long."
The older man smirked, "Nope. Luckily, the waiting's gonna be over after tomorrow. Wanna go get a drink?"
Jaune looked at the man and then shrugged, "Sure."
-SY-
Pyrrha leaned down to help her partner up, pulling him to his feet in a single, swift motion. He was a little flush from exertion and so was she. If he had noticed the rimming around her eyes, he hadn't mentioned it. It was finally time for them to finish up their training, having been at it for quite a while. The other Jaune had never come back, much to her disappointment and her distraction over his circumstances, and the bird, had led to Jaune getting a few points on her.
Even if she had been distracted she was still proud of him for that. Jaune was showing such good progress for someone who had only been training for a few months. It was clear he had some minor training before Beacon, likely self taught, as well as excellent physique, but he was no huntsman. Not yet. But the feeling of fighting his older version would not leave her, the swift and powerful moves, the experience that let him react to what she was doing before she moved. She knew Jaune was a natural, he had to be to learn this quickly, but he was easily a top tier huntsman in the future.
Which brought her back to Remnant and her partner. Her awkward leader stood there, beaming at landing a few blows and she didn't have the heart to tell him otherwise. Perhaps the boost in confidence was something he needed.
And perhaps it was time she take some advice she had gotten as well.
"Very good Jaune, you're coming along fast."
"Thanks, Pyr!" He babbled excitedly as he grabbed one of the towels he had brought along, dabbing it across his face.
"The dance is tomorrow, did Weiss say yes?"
"No." He sighed and she felt a small victory at that. "She told me she was too busy organizing it to bring a date."
That was a lie, she knew. Weiss would be on the floor the night of, regardless of her role in helping organize it. But she wasn't about to hurt Jaune by telling him she had lied. Of course that meant she could show the snobby girl what she was missing out on.
"Then why don't we go together?" She asked, her heart hammering in her chest as she did so, "As partners."
"Are you sure? Didn't you have people asking you out?"
Pyrrha laughed a little hollowly, "No, no one asked me."
"What?!" He exclaimed, "that's ridiculous! You're like, one of the prettiest girls in school!"
Pyrrha flushed at the implicit compliment, it sent the butterflies in her stomach into a frenzy, "Well, I guess people think I'm so far out of their league that they don't even try."
He looked at her and never had she been so desperate to be able to read a mind, to be able to tell what he thought of her. Was she also out of his league? Was that why her hints didn't work or was it that he was just that oblivious? Professor Rose had made it seem like everyone but the one person she wanted to know, knew.
"Unacceptable!" He declared, grasping her hand in his, "There is absolutely no way I am leaving my partner to go to the dance alone." He smiled at her, "Of course I'll accompany you, if you're fine with me."
Pyrrha made her mind up then and there, as her heart skipped a beat, that she would confess her feelings at the dance.