I'm assuming Jaune had a melt down going to Jeanne's world and seeing Beacon perfectly fine made even worse by swapping in front of class seeing male Pyrrha and him saying "oh great the failure is back".
An Unfair, and Cruel World
Green grass, emerald trees, blue sky. A tower rising high, high into the sky. Buildings of stone, and students milling about their day, and lessons. This was Beacon Academy. A world Jaune never thought he would see once again. Only in his dreams did he think he would walk these halls, hear these sounds again. But, he knew he would always return here in his nightmares.
Jaune: W-W-What…?! B-Beacon Academy?! No no nononono! This is a dream, just a really, really vivid dream?! Haha?! Yeah, I can just wake up, yeah, wake up?! Haha~?!
: Uhh…? Jaune, everything okay?
Jaune turned on the dime, and turned to see who spoke to him. A wide, almost mad smile went across his face as he neared her.
Nora: H-Hi Jaune… Nice outfit…?
Jaune: Slap me! I-I-I gotta wake up from this nightmare?! So slap me, and wake me up!
Nora really, really didn’t want to slap Jaune. She does like to go in for a playful slap every now, and then, but not when, Jaune was acting like this. Nonetheless, she did hit him, not as harshly as she would often do. But, it wasn’t hard enough, at least he said so.
Jaune: What?! W-W-Why am I still here?!
Nora: What do you mean, Jaune?
Jaune: Hit me again! Harder this time!
Nora: W-Why do you want me to hit you? No, why are you freaking out?! What’s wrong, Jaune?!
Jaune: What’s wrong…? What’s wrong?! This is a nightmare! None of this should be here! It should all be a Grimm infested hell hole?! Why is Beacon still…?!
The door opened, and his voice fell. For in the door was someone he didn’t want to see. Not because he didn’t want to see that person. But, he didn’t want to see what that person represented.
: Nora, what’s taking you so long, we’re going to miss… Oh, hello, Jaune. It's nice to see you again~!
Rin: Hi, Jaune… Are… Are you okay?
Jaune: No?! I-If you’re here?! T-That means I’m in her world?! Where everything is nice, and perfect, and not an absolute hell hole?!!
Rin: Jaune? Jaune what’s wrong?!
Rin, and Nora were getting scared; Jaune’s actions, his behaviour, it all seemed too erratic, too unrestrained. Like his whole world was falling apart, and he was going to break under the pressure.
He turned to face them, a mad, and wild look in his eyes, as he stood above them, his frame having become bigger, and taller since they last saw him.
Jaune: Cinder… Cinder Fucking Fall!
Rin: I-I don’t know anyone named that?!
Jaune: Noo…?! Hehe…Do you know Nora?!
Nora: No, why are you looking for her?
Jaune: Haha~?! So I can kill her…
His words were said so casually, so calmly that it sent chills down the girl's spine as he shoved them aside, and left the room with a bloodthirsty gaze as he ran down the halls of the school.
Nora: Shit! He’s getting away!
Rin: I should have used my semblance on him!
Nora: Well why didn’t you?!
Rin: He was scaring me! That mad look in his eyes… We better get after him!
Nora: I’ll send the others a text to tell them to keep an eye on him.
Jaune: Where is she?! Where the fuck is that bitch!
: Where is that failure of a huntsman?
: Well, he’s had an upgrade.
Jaune: Oh look, the simp squad, the fuck do you losers want?!
Achellis: We just want to talk.
Jaune: Before, or after you insult me again?
Ruben: Shit, he heard you.
Jaune: Of course I heard you, you pathetic little shit! Now, what do you want!
Blake: Nora asked us to keep an eye on you, that’s it.
Jaune: ‘Keep an eye on me?!’ Hahah~?! What are you going to do; beat the hell out of me, and lock me up again?!
Ruben: T-That was just a misunderstanding…
Jaune: Really?! Hehehe?! Being attacked by everyone for just showing up? While you are also planning on attacking me?!
Achellis: We weren’t going to attack you.
Jaune: Then, why are you all armed…?
Achilles: We’re at a Huntsman Academy, of course we have your weapons.
Jaune: Hehe?! Really~?! All of you, dressed in your school uniforms, armed, while you’re looking for me? Haha~! If you were a jokester I would have thought it was hilarious~?!
Ruben: Okay… Something ain’t right in his head…
Jaune: It doesn’t matter! We both know you’re full of it! So, just tell me where Cinder Fall is, and I’ll be on my way!
Jaune: Cinder Fall? Smug smile?! Burning eyes? A psychotic serial killer?!! Does that ring any bells?!
Blake: Okay, I have no idea what happened, but I think he’s gone through some shit…
William: Burning eyes…? Does she have black hair?
Yin: You know someone like that?
Jaune: Really?! Where! Tell me where she is!
William: I can’t tell you, even I don’t know what my sister gets up to.
Jaune: T-Then contact her!
William: My sister is a Specialist in the service of Atlas! I can’t just ask her about something that might be related to her job!
Jaune: Contact her! NOW!!!
It was a growl of rage, and desperation, the sound of which sent them stumbling back in shock, and fear.
William: N-No! You can’t tell me what to… GRK?!
With the speed of a wolf, Jaune lashed out grabbing the heir apparent's throat in a vice tight grip. He spoke down to the boy in a voice of jagged ice, and cold steel as he stared down the arrogant boy.
Yin: Oh that’s it! Get ready for a world of pain bucko!
Jaune didn’t move, for the strategist was now upon the battlefield. He kept his eyes glued on, William’s face, as he heard the mechanical shifting of Yin’s bracelets into their gunned gauntlet forms. He listened to the sounds of Yin’s roaring as he charged him, and as he saw him grow ever larger in the corner of his eyes, his hand held out high as he prepared to attack the knight. Only for Jaune quickly held William in the way, using him as a meat shield to take the direct brute force of Yin’s attack, sending the poor boy flying as he felt Yin's punch connected with the back of his head.
Yin: Shit! William, are you okay?! Ahck?!
A solid punch connected with Yin's jaw, sending the boy reeling. He was used to getting punched, but this guy punched harder than his father ever did.
Jaune: Pay attention you bastard!
Yin shook off the brunt of the impact as he launched a series of counter attacks. Jaune entered a boxers stance as he defended himself against Yin's wild attacks that couldn’t seem to land a solid hit, but was getting pummeled in turn.
Yin: The fuck?! Ooph?! (Cough cough!) How are you this good?! It’s like I’m fighting myself!
Jaune: You are fighting yourself! At least the better version of you…
Jaune caught one of Yin's wild explosive punches with his bare hand. He then pulled Yin closer, and head butted him to the ground, where he proceeded to berate the boy.
Jaune: As an apology for being a bunch of jackasses to me, the Team RWBY of my world trained me! And, you have nothing on my Yang! Your punches are wild, predictable, and slow! You are leagues behind her!
Yin growled in rage, as his eyes turned red as he used the blast from his gauntlets to send himself flying forward. Hoping to use the power of his semblance’s abilities to put him down. Jaune, just scoffed as he easily sidestepped his attack, drawing his sword still encased within his sheath, landing a hard strike against his legs, tripping up the brawler mid flight sending him flying into a barrier, shattering it, and his aura on impact.
Jaune: Temper, temper… Hehe… You’d best keep that in check unless you want to lose an arm like Yang did~!
Yin’s back was in the crater in the pillar his body had just made. His eyes widened in shock as he stared at the upside down male version of Jeanne as Yin silently whispered in fear, and shock in response.
Yin: S-She lost her arm…?!
Before, Jaune could say any more, he had to side step, Blake’s weapon coming at his face. He quickly deployed his shield as he felt a blast of William’s dust attack impact his shield, as bullets followed, ricocheting off of his shield.
Jaune: Hahaha~?! Great, the gangs all here, now we can all die together! Or, however the hell you said it, Yang…
Before Jaune could say another word, the trio launched their attack at him. Ruben, coming from his left, Blake to his right, and William directly in front of him. Jaune knew he had to move, so with an unhinged laugh he charged the weakest link of the three: William.
As Jaune charged the boy, his eyes flashed for the briefest moments in shock, before he quickly recovered, and readied himself for the attack! There was a problem, however, he wasn’t ready for Jaune's attack.
Jaune was faster than any of them expected, more trained, and far more used to fighting humans than they were. There was a massive difference in fighting against your fellow student, and fighting against someone who wanted to kill you, or if you wanted to kill them at that.
He brushed Williams' stab away with his shield, before stabbing in turn with his own sword, hitting the Schnee square in the chest. The hit chipped away massively at his meagre aura supply.
But, before Jaune could attack again he had to move aside as Blake attacked him. Bullets ricocheted off of his aura as Blake attacked him. Jaune just simply shrugged them off as he went on the offensive. Blake kept using his semblance to evade his attacks, preventing Jaune from landing a hit. So, Jaune did the only thing he could do, change his means of attack.
Jaune: Ha! How predictable! Belladonna is running away from a fight! You’re just as much of a coward as she is!
Blake: What did you say?!
Jaune: That you’re a coward! Running away from a battle. Like a scared dog with its tail between its legs! Or, is it a cat in your case?
Blake: W-What are you talking about?!
Jaune: That you’re a cat faunas, obviously. Unless… Don’t the others not know because you’re hiding your ears underneath that took of yours?!
Achellis: Wait, for real?!
William: You’re a faunas?!
Ruben: Why didn’t you tell us?!
Blake: B-Because I…?! Ahh?!!
Jaune closed the distance,and bashed Blake in the face with his shield, sending the faunas reeling back. But, before, Blake could counter attack, Jaune was upon him, sword held high, raining blow after blow on him.
Jaune: Because he’s a fucking coward! Just like my Blake is, or was! Then she got her partner's arm cut off, stabbed, and went on some damned spiritual quest, where she finally grew a spine, and was capable of displaying her faunas ears with pride, but until that happened she was a goddamn coward like you are!
Blake wanted to retort, needed to retort his claims of cowardice, but how could he? Jaune was right, no matter how much he thought he wasn’t a coward, he was. And, that was the last thought upon his mind as unconsciousness took him.
A flash of red roses flew in the air towards Jaune. Ruben Rose, weapon held high, and posed to strike. But, before he could, his weapon was sent flying through the air, where it harmlessly clatter on the ground. There, Jaune had catched, Ruben by the neck, and was holding in the air by him as he struggled to break free.
Jaune: Is that seriously the best you can do?! You’re nowhere as near as fast as my, Ruby, and you have no idea how to use your goddamn semblance!!!
Jaune raised Ruben in the air before slamming him into the ground, shattering the floor upon impact. Ruben cried in pain as he felt his head be buried into the cement. He was about to get up but he was pushed down deeper into the dirt as he felt Jaune stomped down on his face. Ruben tried to get up, but as he felt his aura shatter, and the crunching sound of his nose breaking, all he could do was embrace the black void as it took him.
Jaune scoffed in disgust as he moved his foot away from Ruben's broken face. Disgust at how pathetically weak these boys were, or how brutal he was taking them down. No doubt the latter, these people brought out the worst in him.
Jaune heard a whistling in the air as he was knocked off his feet, and sent flying. He rolled on his back, looking back he saw a crater of smoke, and ash as he looked to see William standing there, no doubt having sent him flying with his dust. Before Jaune could react, he felt something hit the side of his head, making the world around him start ringing in pain as he saw Achilles stand before him.
Achilles: Enough! Stand down, Arc!
Jaune: Arc?! Ha! I thought it was, ‘failure?’ Tell me, am I really such a failure now?
Achilles: I’ll admit you’re better than last time we fought! But your aura is low, and you're nearly exhausted! Surrender now, or face the consequences!
Jaune: Hahaha! Is it now~?
Jaune continued to laugh as he stood up. A white light enveloped his body as he felt his aura recharge, and what minor bruises he had across his body disappeared, making William, and Achllies recoil in shock at the sight before them.
William: W-What the hell?!
Achilles: Is that a semblance?!
Jaune: That’s correct! My semblance allows me to supplement the aura of another, boost the power of their semblance, and recharge my own! And I got this nifty semblance after nearly getting Weiss killed?! Isn’t that great?!!
William: Shit! That’s a powerful semblance!
Achilles: Powerful, or not! We can still take him!
Jaune: Can you? Because the only difference between you, and Pyrrha is that you are a massive dick!
Achilles: Just bring it you…?! Whoa?!
Jaune remembered his training with Pyrrha, oh he remembered it all too well. Deciding not to give him the advantage, Jaune converted his sword, and shield into its bastard sword version, and charged Achilles. Bringing down the heavy weapon upon his sword.
Achilles' knees buckled under the attack, quickly rolling away as Jaune ruthlessly launched attack after attack at the spartan. But, as they fought, Achilles couldn’t help, but feel unnerved as he heard Jaune's laughter grow ever louder in his ears.
Achilles: The hell is so funny?!
Jaune: You! Hahaha!! You fight just like her! Using your semblance to divert my attacks ever so slightly, never allowing an attack to properly connect! Such control, such percussion! You’ll die just like she did at this rate!!! Hahaha?!!
That one second, that one second that Achilles flinched was all that Jaune needed to end this fight.
Jaune struck harder than before, knocking Achilles to the ground. Before Achilles could get back on his feet, he felt himself being picked up, an armed wrapped around his neck, and a hand covering his mouth with a vice-like grip. He could feel the oxygen leave his lungs as he felt himself fall to the ground with a dull thud unconcerned.
William: H-H-How are you strong?! You were nothing like this last time we met?!
Jaune: Well, William… You fought people who wanted to train you in how to fight. I fought people who wanted to kill me!
Jaune: Yes. There’s a world of difference in what you learn from those! For example, Weiss can call forth summons! Not little Beowulfs, and the like, but massive, Chimera’s! Can you do that, Willy?! Can you do anything close to that?!!
William would have retorted him if he could, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t do anything like that. What the hell had he gone through, let alone the people of his world had gone through to create such monsters?
Jaune: Nooo…? Ha! Pathetic! Now then, call your sister, or you’ll end up just like the rest of them!
Before William could refuse his demand, a cry came out to his left, from a person he was all too happy to see; His older sister, Winter Schnee.
Winter: Hey! Get away from my brother!
Jaune: Ahhh~! Specialist, Winter Schnee! Just the woman I was looking for! Tell me, where is Cinder Fall! I was told you could find her for me!
Winter shot him an inquisitive stare as she levelled her weapon at him.
Winter: What do you want with Specialist Fall?
Jaune: S-S-Specialist… F-Fall…? Hehehe?! S-She’s a Specialist?!
Winter: She has been a highly decorated Specialist for years now! Now I asked again; what do you want with Specialist Fall!
The word echoed through his mind as it shattered into thousands of pieces as all could hear was his mad laughter.
Jaune: Specialist?! Hahah?! You get a fucking Specialist, while I get a raving, power hungry murdering psychopath?! HAHAHAHA?!!
The Schnee siblings could only stare in fear as they watched the boy break down into a maddening laughter as he howled at the sky.
Jaune: Why?! Hahahaha?! Why! Why the fuck is this world so NICE?!! Why is it like this?! W-Who made this world this way?!!
Jaune raised his head to the sky as he let loose a blood curdling scream! But, as his scream echoed into oblivion, he saw his salvation. Or, more precisely, what could lead to his salvation.
Jaune: W-Who indeed…?! Hahaha-HAHAHAHAAA!!!
And, with a mad cackle, Jaune made a mad dash away, and while Winter, and William wanted to chase after him, the rest of William's team, and Pyrros needed their attention. They would have to deal with the mad knight later.
Beacon Tower. A tower that overlooked all that lay beneath it. Within it rested the office of Headmistress Lilith’s office. A room where hundreds of secrets were kept, where they will stay secret. But, as a broken man rode up the elevator her secrets would soon be divulged.
Lilith: Hmm? Did I have a meeting scheduled for today?
As soon as the door opened, Jaune Arc rushed forward and slammed his hands on her desk as he shouted at her with a mad, desperate look in his eyes as he stared at the Headmistress.
Lilith: Hello again, Mr. Arc. Are you well, you look… quite stressed…? And, for the record, its Headmistress Lilith.
Jaune: Don’t give me that bullshit! I know that your real name is Salem! That you’re a thousands year old woman, who tried to get the God of Light to bring back your dead husband! He refused, then you went to the God of Darkness, who agreed to bring him back, then the God of Light came, and said you can’t do that! They then cursed you with immortality with a bullshit talk about learning to understand life, and the balance of life, which is bullshit when you throw an immortal into it! You then lead the humans in a rebellion against the Gods to spite them! They threw a fit, took the magic back, and blew up the moon! Then you wandered the world for thousands of years, had enough, threw yourself into a Grimm pit, and became some sort of Grimm-Hybrid! Then they brought Ozma back! Despite that whole balance bullshit! Then you reunited, had kids, had a fight, your kids died, and now are stuck in some stupid ass shadow war, the worst divorce in history ever created! And, it's being fought by an immortal witch, and a mind stealing parasitic bastard!
Lilith stared at the boy before her, her mouth agape as she stared at him in utter disbelief.
Lilith: H-How the hell do you know all of that…?!
Jaune: Jinn! Ruby asked Jinn what Ozma was hiding from them, so I learned the whole truth! T-Though it might be slightly different in this world now that I think about it…
Lilith: Well, you are correct, Mr. Arc. Mostly correct, but correct nonetheless. The differences are that I never threw myself into a pit of Grimm. So I never became this Grimm-Hybrid you spoke off. And, Ozma did come back to me. But, it wasn’t the Ozma I knew…
Jaune: What happened then?
Lilith: He became obsessed with my immortality. He wanted to live forever, and started doing experiments behind my back ways he could gain his immortality. He eventually became the brain parasite you spoke off… by experimenting on our own children… Then we fought, and there I lost my children…
Jaune: I’m sorry to hear that… B-But, did you defeat him?!
Jaune: Is… It still out there?! Are you in the middle of a shadow war with him! What has happened to your Ozma?!
Lilith: Since you are aware of Jinn I can assume you are aware of the other relics?
Jaune: Yes; The Sword of Destruction, the Staff of Creation, The Crown of Choice, and the Lamp of Knowledge!
Lilith: I see… Well then, Ozma is in a prison. A prison I created with the Staff of Creation. A prison he will stay asleep in forever, that only I know the location of, and that only I can open. But, tell me, Mr. Arc, why do you want to know all of this…?
Jaune: When did you capture him…?
Lilith: A hundred years after his return. It was difficult to do since I couldn’t kill him, but I managed it in the end. He has been locked away for nearly… 820 years now.
As Lilith finished speaking, she couldn’t help but feel as if she said something she shouldn’t have said as she watched a crooked smile break across his face. His eyes had this far off, and wild look in them as he started to laugh, as he ran his fingers through his hair as a wave of madness set in.
Lilith: Jaune…? Jaune, what’s wrong?!
Jaune: Haha?! Hahahahaha~?!! Y-You’re fucking with me?! T-T-This is all some sort of mad joke?! Isn’t it?! Haha?!!
Lilith: Jaune, tell me; Tell me what’s wrong?
At this point, Lilith stood up, and started to approach Jaune. All the while he ran his fingers through his hair as he laughed at the cruel world he was forced to live in.
Jaune: Beacon still stands?! No, Fall?! Hahaha?!!
Lilith: Fall? What fell, Jaune, tell me.
Jaune held his hands out he spun about, gesturing to all around him as his laughter broke into tears.
Jaune: My Beacon fell?! Salem, and her minions attacked it! It fell in a single night, and now it's a Grimm infested hellhole! But, this place is still standing just fine?!
Lilith saw the door to the elevator open, and she saw Rin, and Nora rush in. They were about to rush over to Jaune, and speak with him, but Selma frantically gestured for them to be silent. All the while, Jaune continued to rave on.
Jaune: The White Fang are a bunch of peaceful equality rights activists in this world. Unlike in my world where they’re a bunch of race supremacists terrorists?!
Rin, and Nora recoiled in shock, the idea of the faunas being like that was an impossible thought for them to comprehend. They couldn’t even imagine what horrors the faunas went through in his world to be pushed to such extremes.
Jaune: Hundreds, no thousands, tens of thousands of innocent people still alive because some stupid little shadow war never happened?!
Lilith: Jaune, Jaune listen to me…?!
Lilith's words were interrupted as the door to the elevator opened once more as she saw Team RWBY, Achilles Nikos, and Specialist Winter Schnee came running in, Shoving, Nora, and Rin aside weapons held at the ready as the surrounded, Jaune as he descended into his raving madness.
Lilith: W-What is this?! What are you doing here?!
Winter: I’m sorry, Headmistress! We're here to detain this person!
Winter: He viciously attacked the students before coming here. He is a dangerous criminal who needs to be apprehended!
Lilith then looked at the students assembled before her; bruised, bloodied, and battered. Ruben Rose's nose clearly has been bandaged, no doubt from a broken nose. She couldn’t help, but wonder what pushed Arc to go this far to hurt her students like that. But, based on his ravings; it could have been any number of things.
Jaune: Ahhhahaha!!! Why?! Why does a perfect world such as this one exist?! Where everyone I know is alive, and happy, whereas everyone in mine is dead?! Why?! Why must I experience this waking hell! Why?! Why?!!! WHYYYYYYY?!!!!
And, with that unimaginable cry of grief, and sorrow, Jaune Arc, the Huntsman lost in a world completely opposite to his own, fell to his knees. A lost void less gaze filled his eyes as nothing, but waves of tears fell down his eyes onto the glass floor.
They all stared at the broken boy as he cried his heart out. All utterly lost at the unfathomable pain, and loss this poor boy had endured. And, in the blink of an eye he was gone, and in his place returned, Jeanne Arc as she fell to the floor. She slowly propped herself up, staring at her friends as they held their weapons pointed at her. All of them starred for a moment before Lilith decided to speak up.
Lilith: J-Jeanne is that you? Are you okay?
Jeanne stared at them all, her eyes wide as she startled to sniffle. Her hands cupped her face as tears fell from eyes. Her loud cries of grief cause most to move back, moving their weapons away as Rin, and Nora rushed forward, wrapping their arms around their heart broken friend. Muttering the same words over, and over again under her breath.
Jeanne: I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, we had to meet, Jaune… I’m sorry…
And, Lilith… No, Salem, just like her, couldn’t help but feel sorry for the broken boy, and whatever hell he had been forced to endure. To come from a world where many of the people he knew were dead, the places he’d seen were nothing but rubble. To a world where everything was still intact, where everyone was still alive. Must have been mind breaking.
And, based on what she had just seen; Jaune’s mind wasn’t just broken, but his soul was too. And, that filled Lilith with more dread than she knew she could possibly experience.
More than any person should experience.
Ha! Finished?! This has been in the works for days! And, it's finally finished!
Damn my hand is bugging me. I’m gonna go work on something simpler next.
(Oh, I remember the cramp I got in my hand writing this. Used to do it on my phone, so it hurt my hand more than typing it out like I do now.)
