Humanity is close to self-destruction, yet you and everyone else have the power to make sure it doesn't revolt. You will face this threat in your world. Soon you will be known as the man whosacrificedfor those you love. Don't repeat the same mistakes. Jaune Arc.
Jaune wakes up to see himself looking at a mirror and someone tapping him on the head.
Doree: Wakey, Wakey little brother, it is not time to sleep.
Jaune: Sorry, I haven't been sleeping lately. Things bothered me yesterday, that's all.
Doree: Well, you need to stay awake for a while, cause I need you to head into town to gather some dust from Borg if you could.
Jaune: Sure thing. By the way, have there been any letters lately?
Doree: Sorry Jaune, I have seen no letters.
Jaune: Oh okay..
Jaune leaves the farm and walks to the town. He is still upset that Ruby hasn't sent him letters, or he hasn't received them.
Jaune: Ruby promised, and no letters have come. Maybe she doesn't know I'm here?
Jaune enters the Tavern, where he sees many locals sitting down drinking and chatting as they watch the Vytal Tournament. Some locals look at him with annoyance and disgust. Heading to the counter, Borg is the only one happy to see him here.
Borg: Oh hey Jaune, sorry for that. The fight is getting intense.
Jaune: It's fine, I just need dust that will help for my sister's farm.
Borg: Sure thing, I will get those things for you. Do you want electricity or plants?
Jaune: Both of them, please.
While Borg headed to the back to gather dust, Jaune sat down on the chair and looked up at the television. He saw Pyrrha and Penny in the finale facing each other.
Local 1: Who do you think will win? I bet my line on Pyrrha Nikos!
Local 2: I don't know about that pal. Have you seen the things Penny did in her last fight?
Local 3: Pyrrha Nikos has never lost anyone, especially since she carried her team, so she cannot lose to these unknown players.
Local 2: Heh, we will see about that, buddy.
All of a sudden the door opens. A long shadow appears outside the tavern as rain pours in. Being about 6 feet 5 inches tall and wearing a green cloak. Every local face turned away from the battle on the screen and towards the unknown figure walking towards the counter.
The Figure: You!
Jaune, being the only one who watches television, turns around to see this figure towering over him. Jaune could see his blazing eyes looking down at him with dislike.
Jaune: C-Can I help you?
The Figure: You are the one, aren't you?
Jaune: The What?
The Figure chuckles and looks at the whole crowd, ready to say something out loud to the rest of them.
The Figure: Everyone, this is the prick that faked his papers and gottento the Academy!
Local 1: Uh yeah genius, we know that for like...seven months, when he came here to stay with his sister.
Local 2: Yeah, it's been a well-known thing through the four kingdoms, don't you know?
The Figure: What, you already know, and you're letting him sit in this place?
Local 3: Well, yeah, we are all just sitting down trying to have fun. Now, can you move out of the way? We are watchingthe Vytal Tournament finale here!
The Figure: So you will let this cheater sit down and have fun, not putting him down as he is a criminal!
Jaune: Hey what's your problem? I did nothing to you and you're acting aggressive.
The Figure: You, you did everything to me!
The Figure pushes Jaune off his seat, causing everyone to focus on these two. Jaune quickly got up and prepared to fight, putting up his fist.
The Figure: Many people could have been in that Academy, ready to pursue towards their dreams as a Huntsman or Huntress, yet you took that away knowing well enough that you didn't have the knowledge to do so!
As both The Figure and Jaune were about to fight each other, the back door opens to Borg, coming out with the dust now looking confused. The Figure calmed himself and was ready to leave this place before giving one last look at Jaune.
The Figure: You better watch yourself Arc. I will make sure you suffer one day for taking what could have been someone else's.
Borg: What was going on there, Jaune?
Jaune: I don't know. He just came into this place and started getting angry at him, saying I did something to him.
Borg: That's weird. Anyway, here is the dust you requested. That will be about twenty-four liens.
Jaune: Alright, here is the-
As Jaune was about to give the lien, he could hear the crowd in shock, some even screaming "Holy shoot!" and another shouting "Did you all see that?"
Borg see what?
Jaune and Borg turned to look at the television and what they saw was not what they expected. The Penny girl that faced Pyrrha has now been torn in half. This exposes not blood but wires and motors breaking into pieces that almost look like she was not human.
Jaune: Oh my god, is that a robot?
Things were getting even weirder, because something else appeared on the screen. It seemed to be a Queen Chess piece but now a woman's voice was speaking to the television talking about Professor Ozpin, the lies of what the Headmasters of each Academy have been keeping for the sake of their own skin as well as a potential war that could lead to something more destructive than the Great War itself. To which her last words were "May Salem be with us all".
Borg: Alright everyone, I'm closing the place tonight.
The locals booed but got up from their seats and talked with each other about what was going on. They also talked aboutwhat that was all abouton television and what did that woman mean when she said "May Salem be with us all?" Even Jaune was confused about all of this, and also all that stuff talking about Ozpin. Could it be about his transcript?
Borg: Jaune, you should leave right now. Tell Doree I said hi.
Jaune: Uh Sure, see ya Borg and thanks for the dust.
As Jaune headed to the farm, he looked up to see the broken moon still brightening in the centre. It looked beautiful as it always does.His mind is still processing what happened back at the Tavern.
Jaune: When I get back, I need a good night's sleep.
Jaune finally arrives back at the farm and knocks on the door, which Doree opens and allows him in.
Jaune: I got the dust you need sis, sorry it took me so long, there were many weird things going on back at the-
Doree: Jaune, I just got word from my husband back in the city. He said Beacon Academy had fallen.
Jaune: W-What?
Doree: He told me that ever since what happened at the Vytal Tournament finale, Grimm started attacking the school and the city and Atlesian Robots started attacking the citizens. Not to mention, the Faunus organisation known as The White Fang.
Jaune: Wait, what about the Beacon students...my friends?
Doree: I heard Atlas escorted many students before the attack began, but are you worried about them?
Jaune: Of course I'm worried about them. They are my team and I....I just want nothing bad to happen to them.
Doree: But you told me they didn't want to look at you before you left the academy.
Jaune: Well yeah, but I...I don't blame them. It's not like they hate me. They just...just disappointed in me, for what I truly was, a fraud.
They were quiet in the room and Jaune didn't want to make this more depressing than it always is. He made sure Doree got the dust she needed and headed upstairs to the guest room. A few minutes later, he is sitting on the bed thinking about everything that happened today.
Jaune: What is going on anymore? First, that guy with the green cloak attacked me, next that girl that Pyrrha was fighting turns out to be a robot and now I'm finding out Beacon is destroyed. I still can't forget about that woman on the television who talked about Salem...who was Salem?
Somebody I hope you never encounter.
Jaune: Huh?
Jaune thought he had heard someone. He got up to see if everyone else was in the room but nobody beside himself was here except for Doree who was downstairs.
Jaune: Okay, I'm trying to pretend I didn't hear that
Wow Mr Arc, for all the time you were at my school, I didn't know you were packing under that bunny hoodie.
Jaune: What the hell, P-Professor Ozpin?!
It is a pleasure to see you again, Mr Arc.
Jaune: What is going on here, a-are you inside my head?
In your mind, Mr Arc. I know it isn't normal to hear your Headmaster speaking right now, but you need to take a deep breath.
Jaune: I...I...I...
Hehehe, listen Mr Arc, just take a deep breath and I promise you I will explain everything.
Meanwhile, at the far distance, The Figure that wanted to start a fight with Jaune was waiting on the high hill near the forest, waiting for someone.
The Figure: It has been five minutes, where the hell-
Tyrian: Where were you?
The Figure: Ah! Damn it Tyrain, you need to stop popping out of places. It gets annoying. Also I was just dealing with something.
Tyrian: Dealing with something? You realise we were supposed to leave this morning, not tonight?
The Figure: Yeah, well, I just needed to meet someone.
Tyrian: Oh a girlfriend?
The Figure: No, someone that I wanted to meet for a while after hearing about him throughout Vale and Mistral, and yet I was disappointed by his looks.
Tyrian: Heh believe me Pine-boy, I always run into that disappointment all the time. It's just fighters these days are not that challenging anymore.
The Figure: but I warned him we will meet again and next time, I will not be gentle on him.
Tyrian: While that's lovely to hear, we need to continue our mission of finding the maidens. Come on Oscar.
He nods to the scorpion faunus and before leaving, he glances back at the town with a glare of hatred, before disappearing into the forest.
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Yes, Oscar Pine, who is now much older (somewhat between Jaune and Ruby's age) will be Jaune's rival throughout the story as he works alongside Salem's Faction to reach his own goal, as well as his hatred towards him. See you in the next chapter.