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He had dropped her as the fire washed against his form, the shockwave sending him to his knees. Weiss fell and glimmered away in a sheen of gold. The heat and flame lingering on his back matched only by the self-loathing in his heart. Winter's face of anger and guilt as she outstripped his Auraless running speed as she turned back and saw that he wouldn't make it while passing through the gateway.
The pathway below fading away and falling into the abyss.
The sensation of his very atoms being torn asunder.
These were the last things that Jaune Arc remembered.
That's why he didn't expect to wake up to see what looked like a plastic capsule around himself.
He lifted his hands, looking almost translucent in his bleary vision.
It was like looking at the inside of a plastic egg, the kind that you would fit chocolate in and hide during spring solstice festivals for the kids to go find. For him and his sisters to fight over.
…When was the last time that he even called home? He should… he should call home. He missed his family.
Then there was a twist in his encasement, a worrying creak as the material bent, resulting in a small pop as the air displaced.
A rush of atmospheric current ensued as he was flung out of this small capsule, feeling his own body stretch and grow, rather comically, in size.
Jaune's eyes grew wide as he realized as his legs formed from a trail of gaseous mist that his body was formerly in a small plastic ball the size of a child's fist.
And that said ball was currently in the hands of a much younger version of himself.
A Faunus version of himself. It didn't make any sense, but Jaune knew they were one and the same.
Long golden ears drooped sadly over a bleary, red eyed, version of a much younger Jaune Arc. He couldn't have been older than five or six.
So why was he hiccuping in the dark, in the forests of… actually. Where was this place? The soil was rough and patchy, almost gray instead of brown, but not gravelly. The trees were mostly withering, though evergreens still painted a dark forest against the setting sun. They were by a few trees on the edge of a clearing, but even the soil here looked malefic and wasted.
"M-mister?"
The miserable voice of his younger self snapped him back into focus.
"O-oh. Uh, hi. Who… who are you, little guy? Where are we?"
The smaller, Faunus version of him sniffled pitifully.
"I'm Jaune." He replied, still clearly miserable, "I-I ran away from home. I used the Random Teleport Ticket from the Gacha. I-I don't know where I am."
Jaune blinked.
Teleport Ticket? Gacha? What did any of that mean?
"Could you… explain what those are to me, bud?" He did his best to sound friendly and understanding as he crouched, somewhat more floating low to the ground, by Faunus-Jaune's side.
He still had absolutely no idea what was even going on.
"M-maybe you can s-see it!" Suddenly Faunus-Jaune's eyes gleamed with excitement, a look of desperate joy.
That was when Jaune knew that despite everything that was happening, this small rabbit Faunus truly was himself. A younger version of himself.
That was the same eyes he had when his forged transcripts had got him into Beacon.
Oh gods… what was happening.
"You're the Spirit of Hindsight that I pulled from the Gacha! If you're from the Gacha, maybe you can see it too! I'm not crazy! I'm not!" Faunus-Jaune raised his hands up to the air and a giant red slot machine appeared in the air.
Jaune blinked.
"Wha-"
A candy-red slot machine with a golden arm to crank and a large glass top filled with multi-colored plastic orbs like the one that he had just been released from occupied a space above his mini-me. A small sign above that glowed with neon.
"Trans-Dimensional Ultimate Gacha?" Jaune read aloud with confusion.
He was thankful that he couldn't seem to enter a state of hyperventilation. Probably because he was currently some kind of ghost that didn't need to breathe.
"You see it too then, Mister Spirit?! That's great! I'm not crazy! I'm not crazy!" Faunus-Jaune leapt for joy, bouncing off trees and spinning with a sort of desperate laughter that should not have to belong to a child.
"Ok, ok, calm down kiddo." Jaune didn't know if he was dreaming or if he himself had gone crazy, but all he knew was that he didn't feel comfortable addressing someone else with his own name right now. Even if that someone was a younger alternate universe version of himself. "I see this, uh, Gacha thing. I don't know what it is though. Could you tell me?"
That took some of the wind out of Faunus-Jaune's sails.
"Oh." The little boy seemed to deflate, "I was hoping you'd know more than me, cuz you came out of the Gacha and all…"
"Why… why don't you tell me everything that you know about this Gacha and I can't try to fill in the blanks?" Jaune offered with a white lie, as if he could even explain what anything was at the moment.
He leaned out a hand towards a tree to try to give himself some physical support so that he could take a moment to think, but his arm passed through the tree that he was trying to lean up against.
Faunus-Jaune nodded.
"Ok! Uh. One day I woke up and I could summon the Gacha Machine. Every day it lets me get a free pull, but if I wanna do more it'll cost me Dust crystals. Mama got mad when the fire Dust for the heater went missing though, so I didn't use any more of the Dust I found in the house cuz im a good boy. Even though I got two full sets of ten out of it…"
Jaune winced.
That was considerably better than when he had found the fire Dust meant for the house's heating systems at a similar age. He had tied it to the end of a stick and declared himself a wizard as he ran around the house.
It was a small miracle that he didn't set anything on fire.
Though it must have hurt the family bank accounts a little harder to have a refined Dust crystal large enough to heat a house for ten just disappear outright. Still shouldn't have been bad enough to run away from home though.
"Ok, so one pull a day. More if you had Dust. And you pulled me from this Gacha? What else did you get?"
Faunus-Jaune waved his hands again and a grid-lined box appeared in front of him, filled with a slew of random objects and items. Most of it looked like assorted garbage, hell, one of the grid squares was just a stack of pocket tissues marked with x17 on it.
But there were some seriously cool things mixed in with the random junk.
Like a long black spear, golden blade at the tip close to the length of his own Crocea Mors before its rebirth using Pyrrah's Milo. Shaped not too differing from Milo in it's xiphos form as well, sharing some cultural roots in its appearance. The blade was joined to the haft by a gorgeous gold and black crossguard, once agin more reminiscent of a sword than a spear, and finalized a golden pommel at the end, uncharacteristic for spears, especially for a thinner, lighter, throwing spear such as this one. It took up the length of multiple grid spaces in this strange inventory of sorts.
More of a Resident Grimm 4 feel of inventory compared to a bottomless bag.
And it looked expensive.
As he focused to look at the beautiful weapon, a helpful pop-up box appeared.
SSR Rarity Weapon: Durindana
Origin: Ancient Greece of Planet Earth (Baseline)
Description: The Ultimate Unbroken Sword, Durindana Spada, can expand the length of its handle to turn into the Durindana Philum, the Ultimate Unbroken Spear to be utilized as an Anti-Army weapon.
Thus, naturally, the Philum may return to the Spada to regain its Anti-Unit properties instead of its Anti-Army specialization should the master of this weapon be acknowledged by this Noble Phantasm or by means of a Command Seal.
Alternatively a Command Seal and knowledge of this weapon's dual-natured True Name may unleash its destructive might.
Additionally the hilt of this weapon is hollow, and a future iteration of this weapon may have once changed its nature under the ownership of a certain peerless Paladin of Charlemagne.
That… held many implications that Jaune was not educated or equipped enough to handle.
Especially when in relation to a planet that was not even Remnant. But at this point, he was a sort of ghost that may or may not have been dead. Who cared?!
Without thinking Jaune extended an arm to lean against a tree, only to pass harmlessly through it to the elbow before he adjusted himself.
"Ok, have you… used any other item here aside from me?"
Faunus-Jaune winced as he curled in on himself.
Jaune began to worry about any potential negativity attracting the Grimm, so he quickly kneeled next to this alternate-younger self and gave him a reassuring grin.
"It's ok, I'll help you through whatever it is. You sort of summoned me here, right? Think of me as a…" Jaune paused, racking his brain for something that a younger version of himself had wanted or could trust. Then he remembered. "-a Big Brother."
Faunus-Jaune smiled a bit as he looked up.
"I've… only had sisters. I've never had a brother."
Jaune could feel his heart tighten, despite his new incorporeal form. Perhaps less a heart and some sort of core of his spiritual being.
"Me too, kiddo. I've only had sisters too, so you'd be my first brother."
That was a bit of a lie. Ren was his brother in all but blood. But his mini-me didn't have to know that.
As if being awashed in empathy, Faunus-Jaune grinned excitedly.
"Ok, big bro!" The golden rabbit ears perked up to their full length before wilting, "I ripped a ticket to teleport. Plus I've used something to beat my sisters at cards twice! And also I uh, drank a potion."
"What kind of potion?"
Faunus-Jaune pointed guiltily at an empty bottle in his inventory grid.
Another helpful window appeared.
R Rarity Consumable: Bloodline Awakening Tonic (Consumed)
Origin: Mizu no Kuni of the Elemental Nations of Ninkai
Description: A primer to facilitate the increased chance of Kekkai Genkai, Bloodline Limit abilities, of the Shinobi of the Elemental Nations. This tonic in particular bears the history of the village Mizugakure, the Hidden Village of the Mist. Though a civil war orchestrated by an ancient evil would eradicate many a Bloodline Limit from this country, their history and their alchemical scripts remain hidden in a certain Snake's laboratory.
Even so, once in its history it was said to be a draft that would turn normal shinobi into the best, most powerful heroes of Mizu.
This Tonic has already been Consumed. Congratulations for awakening the strands of Faunus lineage hiding in your bloodline! Additionally many physical traits that will assist the growth of a powerful warrior have also been awakened!
"Oh dear." Jaune muttered worriedly.
"D-daddy accused mommy of cheating. They took some blood from me and I- I- was scared of what the test would say so I ran." Faunus-no. Kid-Jaune sniffled as he held back the waterworks. "I didn't- I just wanted-"
"...to be a hero, right?"
Kid-Jaune's eyes snapped up, so painfully honest and… it was truly like looking in a mirror through time itself.
"...yeah."
Jaune smiled and reached over to ruffle his younger-self's hair somewhat instinctively, only to be surprised that unlike the tree he attempted to lean against earlier, he could actually make contact with his younger self.
And contemplated that as his younger self melted under the small act of physical affection.
"How long have you been away from home, bud?"
"T-two nights? I had some food in my inventory! Still do but… but I ran out of water earlier today."
Jaune grimaced slightly.
First things first, while it was a bit of a bad idea as it would make his emotions more of a beacon for the Grimm, his younger self needed protection. Which meant that he'd need Aura. Surviving out in the wilds for two days alone was just luck.
Jaune knew a thing or two about luck and how it always inevitably ran out.
Maybe this was a fever dream, but at least he could make things right in his dream. Hopefully.
While there was a weapon in his inventory that would make even Ruby drool with jealousy, and reminded him too painfully of Milo, his younger self couldn't make use of it properly. He lacked both the conditioning and training. Probably. He didn't know what exactly that ninja tonic did aside from giving Little Jaune Faunus features.
This put the fact that his parents had eight kids into better perspective though, he couldn't lie.
However, he could still touch his younger self, even if he couldn't make contact with anything else.
And if Aura truly was the light of the soul, and all that remained of him was this facsimile of a spirit?
He should be made of nothing but Aura itself.
"It is in our darkest hour that we find the path to immortality." Jaune began as he laid his hand on his younger self, "Through loss we find purpose, Ash and Flame to bind our will. Neither thirst for glory nor the passing of seasons can stop our pursuit of Truth. To protect our fellows, to shield them from their final ends, but there can be no more failure. I release your soul, that you may follow a different path. That mine Hindsight protect thee."
A golden light flared from his younger self, much stronger than even his own Aura when Pyrrah had unlocked his own seemingly so many years ago.
And Jaune grimaced in pain, gritting his teeth as his left arm began to disintegrate into particles of golden light as they entered his younger self's body. It triggered some intense feelings, suddenly flashing back to the sight of Weiss being torn apart into light, he himself having felt the same visceral end.
It did make some sense, still. Currently he was a sort of ghost. All spirit and Aura. And despite that their pasts had already taken a hard diversion, they were both Jaune Arc. It would be natural that the Aura he spent to unlock little Jaune's Aura would try to return to a living body, rather than a dead one. Probably? Maybe?
His dominant hand came to grip at the edges of his left shoulder, stemming the leaking of his Aura and energy as the bleeding essence quickly trickled to a stop.
Maybe that had been a bad idea after all.
"Whoa… what was that?..." Little Jaune looked dazed as his eyes fluttered sleepily, laying his back against a tree.
"I've unlocked your Aura. It's something that Huntsman have, and…" Jaune chuckled, "You've got quite a bit of it, little guy." Maybe it was the ninja tonic, but he might have more than when Pyrrha had unlocked his seemingly so long ago. "I'll explain everything later. Open up your inventory again so I can take a look at what you have and make some plans for you, ok? Don't fall asleep though, just adjust to your Aura, nothing more."
"I-" Little Jaune's eyes flickered to Jaune's arm, then down seemingly guilty but unable to process what to do with that emotion in the present, "-ok…"
Jaune… no. He'd probably have to start referring to himself by some other name at some point. Right now he was… probably dead. And little Jaune, the currently alive living one, who had become some sort of Faunus after a weird ninja potion-tonic-thing (wouldn't Blake be so curious about a ninja world?) was the only living Jaune Arc in this world now.
Unsure what to refer to himself as even within the confines of his own mind, the Spirit of Hindsight ruffled young Jaune's hair and rabbit ears with his remaining arm.
"Hey, all this means is that you've got a part of me with you at all times, little guy. I'm trusting you with that arm, buster."
Jaune giggled as he leaned into the playful hair tussle. And it was definitely hair. It might have been short and soft, but even the hair on Jaune's rabbit ears were the same texture as his regular hair. Then again chemically hair and fur were kind of indistinguishable. That was something he had learned back during a lesson under the Ace Ops in Atlas when undergoing some condensed courses on forensics.
It might be more accurate to say hair was just human fur and that everyone had a little.
The Spirit of Hindsight looked over the rest of his young protoge's inventory for anything of actual utility and value as he kept soothingly patting away at Jaune's head.
R Rarity Consumable: Beginner Pathfinder's Potion of Healing x8
Origin: Kenabres of Golarion
Description: A most simple Potion of Healing taken from a collapsing Alchemist Shop during the attack of Kenabres by the hand of the Lord of Locusts after he slew the great Silver Dragon Terendelev. As the whole shop would have been lost to the chasm below, never to be discovered by even the Mongrelmen of the underground, the whole of the shop had been taken as free spoils by the Trans-Dimensional Ultimate Gacha.
Restores health and mends the wounds of those that drink it. Not particularly powerful, but better than nothing in a pinch.
There were a solid eight of said potions, the Spirit no. He needed a name. If he referred to himself as an item like that it would become a habit, a habit that would become unhealthy. Maybe… maybe the name of his original team would work? JNPR or Juniper. More of a girl's name, but he had no real issues with that. It was a name that had a lot of meaning for him. What did gender norms even matter compared to the weight and importance of those memories?
What he now had a chance to protect once more?
Juniper suited him fine. It would serve as a reminder to himself.
SSR Rarity Equipment: Chaldean Command Seal System (Soulbound)
Origin: Incineration Era of Humanity/Lostbelt Logos of Apocalyptic Earth Scenario #0007
Description: A method in which a Master of Chaldea could impart power upon the Servants summoned by the Organization as well as Mystic Code C.H.A.L.D.E.A. It is a control system fashioned of a bastardized emulation of the Holy Grail using the massive amount of Prana within each seal, but functionally useless without a Servant or Noble Phantasm to power.
However, should one pull one or the other from the Trans-Dimensional Ultimate Gacha, one might truly perform miracles. To reshape mountains, split the seas, slay the very gods themselves.
Consumes User's Prana to reform a single Command Seals every 24 Hours, normally with an amount of Prana supplied by a Magus Engine Should no Prana be available, or should it be lacking, it may be supplemented with the User's blood. Only enough blood to not cause harm to the User shall be taken and partial charges may be stored up, though not consumed.
This item is Soulbound and thus cannot be unequipped upon use.
This… could work.
This might have even been the beginnings of the answer that Ozma had been searching for through all his lifetimes. A miracle, someone with a Semblance (could this even be considered a Semblance as it didn't require Aura? What was the Gacha?) that could act as a Balance Breaker.
A mere possibility at a wildcard, that with enough time and luck, could possibly become strong enough to upset the whole table. To upend the war against HER.
…But he couldn't let Ozpin get his hands on Jaune. Not yet. Not while he was so young and impressionable. Hell, Juniper barely trusted himself with this revelation. This was… so big.
Assuming that this Gacha thing wasn't just a giant braggart and that the items it dispensed were truly the real deal.
But it had brought him back from the dead. His thoughts nagged in the back of his mind. Maybe it could for Team RWBY as well. For Pyrrha, Penny, and-
Juniper shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and focus on what was here in front of him. There was no benefit for praying for what ifs at the moment.
After all, judging from the slew of actual trash, such as a stack of used socks and rotten eggs, it seemed that the odds of even getting at least a Rare item was about one in ten. Praying for something as big as a way to bring back his friends, even in spirit form, would be a small fragment of a chance at best. For now.
And so Juniper just looked over to the next item and froze.
SSR Consumable Item: Ring of Conditional Victory (1 of 3 Charges Remaining)
Origin: Fractionated Dimensional Amalgamate-Realm Telom
Description: In a fragmented universe created from other compiled realms, from the snippets of histories and worlds lost to time and memory a small miracle was crafted to defeat a most horrible fate.
Though it is but a replica of the original Ring of Conditional Victory it holds the same power- that a condition of victory being chosen and the wielder will act out whatever actions required to automate the success of said condition while ensuring the survival of the user itself. It does not guarantee a lack of lasting injury, although the action automation will also prioritize the user's safety.
The One Condition cannot react if the Victory Condition is not accomplishable within the span of 24 Hours with the means at the user's disposal. Currently two charges have been consumed to defeat Saphron Arc at a game of Valean Hold Em and Farbiglas Arc at a game of The World of Remnant TCG.
"Oh for fuck's sake." Juniper winced with a burning anger in his gut, just too quiet for young Jaune's ears. "This…"
It was huge. This needed to be preserved no matter what. Once they had the tools, this could… this could guarantee that they buried Salem. Once and for all.
And Jaune had wasted two of three uses on fucking children's cardgames.
Juniper didn't let it show as he took a facsimile of a deep breath to calm himself.
He definitely didn't need to and couldn't breath. The fact that he couldn't feel air fill his lungs was… suffocating, to say the least.
Jaune was just a kid. He couldn't know, couldn't understand, how incredibly important such an item was. This was possibly worth even more than a Relic. Juniper shook his head. He'd let Jaune know to never use this ring without his permission, that it was something more important than he could know.
And that made Juniper worry more, as kids felt more of an urge to do things that they were told specifically not to do.
Either way he'd have to play this object in particular very close to the vest.
SR Rarity Consumable: NIKKE Mid-Quality Mold Converter
Source: The ARK of Humanity from Apocalyptic Earth Scenario #0337
Description: In a world not unlike Remnant, a version of Earth went under its own Apocalypse. Like the Grimm, the Rapture struck civilization down, and Man was defeated. They retreated deep into the bowls of the earth and now desperately seek to reclaim the surface.
They do so by being led by the valiant and sometimes forced sacrifice of women from all walks of life, now no longer mere humans, but as NIKKE. The near-immortal android bodied Goddesses of Victory. But when only the brain remains… are they still human?
What does it even mean to be human?
Probability: 21% SSR Rarity Result, 79% SR Rarity Result
Admittedly Juniper was ignoring the blatantly pointless piles of junk. Some of it was literally trash that the boy would have to dump out into a landfill somewhere, but while the Trash Rarity existed, so was the Normal Rarity, in which there was a lot of junk that was just snacks from various universes as well as a weird fleshy object known as a Plumbus.
But somehow Jaune had pulled some remarkably good items from the Gacha. Which left the question of whether the boy had had the system for a long time, or had stumbled across more Dust than he let on.
His luck was certainly better than Juniper's had ever been, at least.
As Juniper noted that there was one more Random Teleport Ticket remaining, the last object of real use to him and Jaune, voices began to be heard in the distance.
"...it's suicide! I won't… do this…"
"Oh and… you cared!... this when you left…"
Two women, arguing. And the first voice was… somewhat familiar. Actually the second voice was familiar as well, just because it sounded sort of like-
Juniper's eyes widened.
She looked like Ruby if she was given ten more years to grow. But with a long white cloak lined on the inside in a deep rose red. And still with those striking silver eyes.
"Summer, listen to me!" Raven Branwen was desperate, fearful, so vulnerable in appearance compared to how Juniper remembered her back at Haven. When she attacked alongside Cinder, Hazel, and Emerald. "You don't understan-"
"I think I understand plenty!" The White Rose scoffed angrily, walking forwards ignoring Raven gripping at her shoulder, "That the Silver Eyes might be the only shot we have at Salem! That I agree that it's unacceptable that Ozpin wants to use Ruby when she grows up as a second wielder to fight her! That this is the only way I can protect my daughters, a feeling you clearly can't understand!"
Raven looked like she was actually about to cry.
Was… was the world ending? Did he leave the stove on?
"I didn't leave because-"
"But that DOESN'T change the fact THAT YOU LEFT. You married Tai and I on your insistence, your words and promise, that you were strong enough for the both of us. The three of us were meant to be forever, but your forever was you running at the first sight of danger!"
"I TOLD you both to come with me! That this war didn't need to be of our lifetime! Salem and that parasite Ozpin will be playing this chess game for generations to come! It doesn't have to be us, Summer!"
Summer Rose. That was right. That was Ruby's mother's name. She didn't bring her up often, but Juniper remembered now.
That Salem had killed her. Had wanted her. Either for her eyes or…
The memory of the Hound flashed in the back of his mind. That canine Faunus had… silver eyes.
He didn't need blood for cold dread to fill his form.
"We can't fight a war that's doomed to fail! I did… I DID swear it'd be forever! But the two of YOU are the ones siding with him! How can we have forever if Ozpin-"
"My issues with Ozpin's plans and schemes don't EXCUSE YOU ABANDONING YOUR WIFE AND HUSBAND! THIS is what you finally came to meet me after almost what, four, FIVE years of SILENCE?!"
It was crazy seeing Raven, the stone cold bitch, have her heart break in front of his eyes, flinching and trembling at the words of the shorter woman. Maybe because of her own estrangement Yang's words could never affect her mother like Ruby's mom could.
Also, what was the deal with Ruby and Yang's family anyways? They were half sisters that were just two years apart. Step-sisters being that close in age was one thing, but half-sisters were a bit harder to explain. He always had thought it was a bit strange, that unless Raven had Yang and jumped ship nearly immediately after her birth for Ruby's mom AND that their father Tai had immediately gotten together with her AND had been willing to sleep with her and try for kids only a year after it would have been impossible for the two to be so close in age. A two year difference in terms of childbirth was small. This also didn't even include the time that it took to successfully get pregnant for some couples as well!
Somehow this polyamorous trio situation made a world more sense than the assumptions that Juniper had made before in his head but had never brought up out of respect for his friends.
After all, Hunter families tended to be a bit weird and weren't odd, not common by any means, but not odd, for them to be poly in some manner.
Life expectancy for Huntsman and Huntresses could be distressingly short, after all. And though it was a skewed bell curve where powerful Huntsman could live well into their seventies (Ozpin had been biologically in his sixties when he died in Juniper's timeline, though he according to Qrow had methods that slowed down his aging to be in his mid thirties) the average life expectancy tended to be between the thirties to forties to any Huntsman that chose fieldwork as their primary form of employment.
Though the ones that worked cushier guard jobs also tended to live long as well by avoiding the majority of conflict altogether, which some Huntsman, Juniper himself included, felt like a slap in the face to all the training they had gone through.
Jaune had definitely come to now and was shivering at the sound of adults arguing. Juniper just kept patting his head, calming his younger self and whispering soothing words and asking for him to stay quiet.
Summer was dead when Juniper had met Ruby in his own timeline. What age did she lose her? Was it-
Juniper's worst fears were confirmed as Raven, despite her tears (it was so WEIRD seeing that woman cry!) drew a Dust-alloy blade in a blindingly fast motion, lunged past her wife (ex-wife?) and cleaved through a shot that appeared behind Summer in a small, black distortion in space.
Raven grunted as the Dust-alloy began to glow an ominous yellow, only for her to flick a mechanism in her weapon's handguard and fling the blade into the distance. It detonated in an air-rippling crack of lightning, sending dirt and detritus everywhere like a landmine.
"Sniper!" Raven bit out in fury, a protectiveness that Juniper had never seen before on her face as she clicked her katana handle back into her revolving sheathe, "Small black portal, watch your angles!"
Summer drew a shortsword with white and red segments, as if implying that it would mecha-shift into some sort of bladed whip and deflected another shot, this time aimed at Raven from a portal that appeared behind her sort of ex-wife. The shot ricocheted and tore a hole in the side of her cloak's hood, tearing through the left side and sending a scattering of hair into the wind as it better exposed her features.
To deep and bright silver eyes.
Jaune trembled, sensing danger, but not having any idea what to do.
"Nobody knows you're here." Juniper tried to keep Jaune calm. "Just stay low, don't make any movement or sound. Better yet-"
He tried to pull out a simple XL green camo shirt from Jaune's inventory, but to no success. While Juniper was also a Jaune Arc, it seemed that the Gacha's inventory was only manipulatable by his younger self.
"Drat. Jaune, pull this shirt out and hide under it." Juniper pointed the item out to Jaune, "No sudden movement or sounds."
Jaune just nodded, wincing as the sound of another shot was deflected, as he hid under the large layered sheet of cotton.
"We need more cover!" Summer's silver eyes flickered wildly, glowing with a faint light, as she readied her blade.
"What we need is to go back!" Raven argued, slicing another sniper round out of the air, aimed at the side of her knee. Her blade didn't take enough damage to go critical this time. "It's clear Salem knows you're looking for her and-"
"Ah, really. If you're going to let the name of my Goddess spill forth from your lips, you should have more REVERENCE."
"No, no, no, shit not him." Juniper's eyes widened as Tyrian fucking Callows stepped out from behind a tree on the other side of the clearing. He was younger than Juniper remembered, braided ponytail not quite as long, currently lacking the expansive scar on his chest.
That batshit crazy psychopath that could disrupt Aura and had a natural neuro-poison strong enough to keep even Qrow down.
And his body was bigger and more resistant to poisons with how much booze he guzzled.
"...Jaune. Listen to me very closely. Don't make a sound. Just do as I say. I promise that everything will be ok."
Juniper hated the younger boy's whimpering.
Maybe it was his new Faunus features, but Juniper was sure that Jaune had better instincts than he did as a kid.
A newfound sense for detecting danger.
"Don't be afraid. Everyone will get out of this alive." He assured.
But it would probably cost the Ring.
That ring could end Salem. But this was Ruby's mother. She was dead in the original timeline. What's more important? Just use the remaining ticket and book it. This is Ruby's mother. And Yang's too. It was the woman that raised them both. How on Remnant could you weigh this against the rest of the world? The planet? To end the threat behind the Grimm forever? THIS IS RUBY AND YANG'S MOTHER, YOU COWARD! WE'LL FIND ANOTHER GODDAMN WAY!
Raven and Summer engaged in combat, the latter's shortsword extending into a bladed whip, lashing out at Tyrian's leg as the scorpion Faunus laughed maniacally. He easily lashed out with a pincer bladed arm, instead letting Summer bind his left arm instead of his leg. He grinned, tut-tuting as his Aura protected him from the sharp edges of Summer's weapon, flashing with sickly purple sparks as he used his other arm to fire from the hidden gun under his wrist.
Summer quick-drew a pretty terrifyingly hefty heavy handgun as she counter shot the bullet fire, the opposing Dust rounds sparking and shattering in the air as Raven leapt forward with a dashing thrust. With another whispering crack of sniper fire resounded from another black portal striking the side of the blade, her now blue Dust-alloy blade to be shunting sideways. It deflected the blade just enough that it merely grazed at Tyrian's shoulder rather than giving him an amateur tracheotomy.
He grinned like a loon as frost creeped over the Aura that glowed against his shoulder and neck, behind from which Grimm began to emerge. Twin hulking Beringels and a smattering of Beowolves, all quite larger than the average.
"Sorry ladies," He cooed in a sickly sweet voice. "But the Goddess wants me to bring one of you in."
Juniper kept hushedly guiding Jaune who now pulled Durindana out from his inventory, the flashy golden blade hidden under the camo shirt. If everything came to worst and this plan of his wouldn't be feasible there was still the remaining random teleport ticket to fall back on.
"We're going to ask you to come in quietly, but please resist so I can have a little fun~ Especially you, miss Silver Eyes~ Whatever makes you so important, I don't care… I just need a reason to prove that I'm all my Goddess needs!"
Said eyes flashed in argent light, petrifying the Grimm behind Tyrian, who merely laughed and pulled harshly at Summer's Chain Whip Shortsword, almost causing her leading right leg to buckle under the wild jerking motion.
"What a lovely display of friendship." He let go with his right arm and lashed out with his pincering wrist blades, The Queen's Servants, deflecting Raven's blade as a layer of frost coated one of the blade edges.
Another whispery crack echoed upon the wind as a sniper round appeared from a portal, snapping against Raven's side, shattering its form against her torso over her left kidney.
"But I brought a friend today too~"
Raven hacked out a cough of wet air. Aura did protect one from damage, but certain weapons could still cause some shock through your body. Not all force could be perfectly negated and although rare it wasn't uncommon for bruising or light damage to organs to result from higher arms fire.
And pain was always still felt.
And some organs were simply weaker than others.
"RAVEN!" Summer cried out, pulling to release her weapon from around Tyrian's arm, only for the maniac to grab its bladed edges with his left hand, the wrist blades additionally latching further around her weapon.
"I don't think so~"
Raven deflected another shot, this time targeting Summer, and spinning and sending a blue shockwave blade of Dust at Tyrian who merely braced and took it head on.
"OOOOOH! That's cold, miss!"
A three round burst roared from another edge of the clearing, timed well against the opening created by Raven's attack. It shattered against Raven's back to a grunt of pain. A figure wearing an owl-shaped helmet appeared, gauntlets with what looked like the magazine of a Vacuoan National P90 attached. Another burst of Dust ammunition ripped through the air as Raven cut through and deflected this second volley.
"Ah, human Huntresses. Truly you did offer quite the interesting prey, brother." Owl Mask laughed in a gravelly voice, buttery smooth with a tasteful Mistralian accent. "It's been a long time since I've had such a worthy hunt."
Though his right hand gauntlet was pointed forwards, with every intent on spraying down Summer and Raven, his left gauntleted hand held a monster of an Atlesian KSVK Anti-Material Rifle, a black mote of light floating on its tip, seemingly acting as both a gateway, silencer, and flash muzzle in one.
The left index finger simply pulled against the trigger, and Raven swung around, seemingly on instinct feeling a threat to Summer's life as she cleaved through a shot aimed at her lower back, the blue Dust-alloy blade humming ominously as it began to threaten to reach a critical point.
Jaune shivered, looking half-scared and half-bewildered as a series of red lines began to carve themselves in the back of his hand. One set of connected lines formed the outline of a wide curved Y resembling more of a goblet's cross-section,.Within where liquid would reside was the outline of a wispy ball of flame in one unbroken set of crimson. Finally at that core of that flame was a simple red circle, small and perfect, a regal ring or regalia.
"Now, the Ring of Conditional Victory. Ask it to help us defeat those two." Juniper whispered, gesturing at Owl Head and Tyrian. "If it can't, just getting out alive with the two women is enough."
Juniper didn't exactly care to rescue Raven, but perhaps leaving her alive so that he'd know who a future Spring Maiden would be would still be very helpful.
Summer let her handgun roar with the sound of .44s as she let loose a series of shots towards Owl Helmet who grunted as he shielded his face with his right arm, Summer's shots exploding against his armored gunner gauntlets, preventing the rounds from piercing his skull.
Raven slashed at the ground by Tyrian's feet, encasing them in ice as her blue Dust-alloy blade shattered.
It was a mistake. Tyrian just grinned as he pulled again at Summer's weapon this time with the additional anchoring of his icy bindings, successfully pulling her forwards.
"NO!" Juniper cried out, feeling useless as only Jaune could even hear him.
Summer took a purple elbow to the face, Aura fizzling across the upper half.
"She will punish me for my heavy handedness, but-"
Jaune slipped on the Ring of Conditional Victory as Tyrian's scorpion tail whipped around slashing through Summer Rose's eyes, tearing past the bridge of her nose with viridian venom.
"-right now my jealousy is too much to contain, you see."
"I-" Jaune faltered, eyes wide as Summer screamed in pain, dropping her weapons to clutch at her eyes.
Raven drew a new Dust-alloy blade, eyes flashing with bloody murder, a howl of anger on her lips.
A sniper round blasted into the side of her head, sending strands of thick raven hair flying but it couldn't stop Raven from striking with a dark orange blade into the center of the scorpion faunus's chest, the edge erupting into an ear-ringing explosion of orange flame and concussive force, sending Tyrian flying back through a petrified Beringel, the statue shattering into what looked like salt.
"Jaune! New condition!" Juniper looked down at his younger self, who was gripping the shaft of his spear with wide eyes, his ears limp against his head. "Crap. Jaune, hey no. Look at me. Look at me Jaune!"
Jaune turned under the oversized tee, looking at Juniper's ghostly form.
"Jaune. Everything will be ok. Tell the ring you want to escape safely with the two women and save the lady that got blinded. It-" Juniper felt like his heart was dropping into his stomach, "It'll be fine. Trust me." He lied.
He just had to hope that what they had was enough. That whatever freaky ninja potion Jaune took would make him strong enough to help them get out alive. That they could save Summer, even if it was too late for her eyes. That the stacks of potions he had could squeeze them through.
Jaune closed his eyes, took a deep breath.
And made a small, desperate wish upon a faded gold ring now resting on his right hand's index finger.
It was just like playing cards against Saphron and Farbi.
The world went gray and a golden path shone against Jaune's hands and feet. A path to victory, one that he automatically burst into motion into.
He knew now that he had given up all control to the Ring. That his body was more a puppet than anything. But he also knew that he could do things that he had never learned to do as a result of the Ring.
Card counting, for one, was an ability that he had never known prior to his first utilization of the Ring, but he had done so, and the ability and knowledge still remained in his mind.
A slightly overwhelming sense of intent and the ability to read people was the aftermath of his victory in Remnant TCG with Farbiglas.
It told him that his dad didn't actually believe his mother cheated on him, but was panicked and conflicted due to his own prejudices against the faunus. That he didn't know what he would do if it was a part of either his or his wife's heritage. How he should treat and if he should fear the growth of his daughters.
It was why Jaune had run away, because he was scared. Scared to see what his father might become.
But the Spirit of Hindsight truly looked at Jaune like they were equals, albeit younger. That was the kind of good person that said would take him as a brother.
It was something that filled Jaune's lonely heart with joy.
A brother that knew how much he wanted to be a hero, a brother that gave up his arm to give him some sort of warm power that hummed at the edge of his senses, layering over him like a second skin. A kind older brother that chose to look at the messy pile of Gacha items he'd shoved and left in his inventory after three or so months of free daily pulls like a messy bedroom but was still trying to help him make sense of it all.
A brother that wanted to save the two pretty ladies under attack even though all of Jaune's instincts were screaming at him to run away.
One that lied to him to give him courage, because they both wanted to save those women from the obviously bad men that were attacking them.
No good man would… do what they did to the white cloaked woman's eyes.
He was stronger than any of the older kids in Domremy now, even though a good chunk of them were training for Haven. Despite ruining his life by giving him bunny ears and, weirdly a second animal trait, a small tuft of short tail that looked suspiciously dog-like that he could keep hidden (uncomfortably) in his pants, the potion did what it promised. It made him stronger, faster.
And the Ring of Conditional Victory was flooding his mind and limbs with some sort of memories that was making his muscles twitch rapidly and uncomfortably, a flash of a battlefield, the blue ocean sea, the thrust of spear and sword rending flesh, leather, and metal.
Durindana piercing through a fortress wall.
"Consume the flame of hope! By the power of this Command Seal-" The lines marking the flame within the cup glowed brightly, "Unleash this most Noble Phantasm's True Name!"
Jaune felt his body twist instinctively as he felt something graze by him, the corner of his vision revealing a black portal blipping into the edge of his vision.
"Target Confirmed. Angle set. For It breached even the unassailable walls of Troy!"
Gripped in his small hand, Jaune felt a thrusting force begin to form, somehow knowing that energy was beginning to spew from the pommel of this odd throwing spear, more a rocket than thrown weapon at this point.
The pretty black haired lady leapt away from Owl Mask, pulling the blinded lady in white with her, as if feeling the power erupting from the end of his weapon, aware of the nature of what was to come.
"Young whelp! A blood traitor at your age! You couldn't even know what I lost fighting for you in the rights revolu-"
It was too late, whatever he said was washed away in an explosion of white fire and light edged in crimson and gold.
"DURINDANA PHILUM!"
Jaune couldn't tell if the words left his lips first, or the rocketing spear did. Either way the words were almost consumed in the resulting explosion.
An explosion that flung away the scorpion faunus that was re-entering the clearing holding a bloody chest, sending him crashing through trees. An explosion that seemingly evaporated Owl Mask. Or maybe he could do bigger portals and whisked himself away. Jaune didn't know, or care.
Right now his body was on auto-pilot, his emotions too were dulled and muted.
The only thing that burned in him now was to make sure the two female Huntresses got to live to see tomorrow.
Durindana flew back into his hands though it shouldn't have had the ability to do that. Maybe it was something additive from the way the Gacha worked? To prevent others from easily getting their hands on his items?
It didn't matter as he pulled out a Potion of Healing and poured it over the white cloaked woman's eyes.
The flesh seemed to steam as the wound began to visibly mend and knit together, but the veins around the nose and eyes were still inflamed, darkening visibility against her pretty pale skin. And there was no recovering the damage done to her eyes. They had torn beyond recognition, already scarring as silver melted with white and black poisoned veins.
"Who are-"
"Antivenom! Do you have antivenom?!" Jaune felt his body cut off the powerful raven haired woman that was pointing her dark orange explosive Dust-alloy blade at him. "I can heal damage with these, but I can't do anything about the poison!"
The Raven Haired Huntress shook her head, her eyes filled with dread and panic.
"I'll be back with some." She swung her blade, creating a black and red rift in the air. "Keep her alive, or I'll find and kill you."
Ignoring the threat to his life, Jaune felt himself this time imbibe the second Potion of Healing by trying to get the White Cloaked Huntress to drink it.
"If you can hear me, you need to drink this. It will mend you from the inside. We're getting you antivenom. If all fails I have another way. Stay awake. Stay with us."
The White Cloaked Huntress groaned in pain, swallowing faintly as her breathing labored, her body trembling with pain.
Jaune felt his heart beat like a drum in his chest. If not for the Ring controlling his actions, he would have been a useless panicked mess.
She was fading in his arms. Dying. She wasn't responding further, having definitely slipped into a dangerous unconsciousness. Medical manners and information began to beat at the back of his brain, pulsing painfully, but nothing further could be done at the moment without taking drastic measures.
The blackening veins were spreading.
The Raven Haired Huntress reappeared, fumbling with a large white box. A first aid kit.
Jaune ignored the fact that it was covered in a bit of blood, fresh and wet, as he helped open it up and dug through it.
"Polyvalent Antivenom. We have to hope this works." Jaune stated matter of factly as he pulled out a vial with an attached syringe, pulling the clear plastic cap off of the pointy end with almost a practiced ease as basic battlefield medical knowledge had already become a part of his being from the influence of the Ring.
"..." It was odd seeing how capable of a combatant the Raven Haired Huntress was, for her to seem to tremble uselessly now as he injected the antivenom into the White Cloaked Huntress, into the blackening veins spider webbing around her eyes.
One second. Two seconds. The blackening was still spreading.
Another potion was imbibed, but the White Cloaked Huntress just coughed it up and out, unable to swallow in her unconscious state. The Raven Haired Huntress kneeled down to meet her lips to her partner, using her tongue to force the passageway open that the life-giving liquid could be swallowed.
"...it covers Deathstalker and King Taijutsu venom, but she's not responding to it. Scorpion Faunus must be too different." Jaune informed, feeling his own stomach clench. "She's not going to make it."
"Fuck. No! Summer! Fight it Summer!" The Raven Haired Huntress begged. "Fuck!"
A manic light filled her eyes, her hand reached over to her blade, drawing it in a quick motion, the edge arriving at Jaune's throat faster than he could blink.
"Fix this! Do something! Save her, or I'll kill you!"
Motion fluttered at the edges of the clearing as Grimm began to close in, drawn in by the beacon of the powerful Huntress's fear, regret, hatred, and helplessness.
"We need to get out of here. I have one last thing. It's different from the potions, but it'll save her. I don't know exactly-"
Another portal ripped into existence as the Raven Haired Huntress roughly forced Jaune and Summer, the name of the White Cloaked Huntress, through.
The Spirit of Hindsight seemed to fade helpfully into view next to him as the world shifted around his vision into that of some sort of large camp in the wilderness. That gave Jaune a feeling of comfort, that his big brother would reappear next to him if something happened and he moved too far away.
"Move out of my way!"
Every bystander, all rough in appearance, both humans and Faunus, leapt out of the Raven Haired Huntress's path as she dragged Jaune by the arm, carrying Summer over a shoulder, into the largest tent.
Jaune didn't resist. The golden path demanded as such. He merely reached into his inventory and touched what looked like a purple gem within his inventory while putting his spear away.
A large gem-like prism appeared, metal painted in almost a candy purple coating, making it gleam as it knocked over a pair of chairs next to a table. There was a seam in the middle, making the 'Mold" appear like two strange coffins stacked upon one another. With the hum of hydraulics, the middle seam split open with a hiss, the heavy looking top half lifting up revealing a space within lined with numerous mechanical arms and half-filled with some viscous clear liquid, smelling similar to mineral oil.
With enough space to place a human being within.
The Raven Haired Huntress changed her grip, pulling him in with a deathgrip over his shoulder, hard enough that his Aura flashed gold as it began to weaken to protect him. Jaune could already feel his shoulder begin to bruise under the pressure of her fingertips regardless.
"You. Are you sure she'll live if I put her in here? If she doesn't-"
"This is the fourth time you've threatened to kill me. You can keep doing it if it helps, but we need to put her inside the Mold. Her current body is dying."
Another flash of information began to flood his mind. A mix of biology, programming, engineering. Of a place known as the last Ark of Humanity, deep within the Earth's crust.
Oh there was a small problem. Nikkes were stripped of memories of their families. A history of suicide laid within their history when they could not fit back into their old families, either too different in appearance, or even out-living them.
There was the fear that he would save her only for Summer to take her own life, but the little bit of the conversation he could catch between the two Huntresses indicated that they had children. Probably close to his age. If their only remaining mother lost her memories of them… it was unacceptable.
The Ring protested. There was no point in saving Summer if she might take her own life afterwards.
Jaune fought back. All the Ring needed was to help him save her today. He'd have to try to do something about what came after. And he wasn't alone. The comforting hand of his new big brother pat him on the back.
He wasn't alone.
He reached over to open a built in keypad next to him, but the Raven Haired Huntress's grip kept him locked in place.
"I'm trying to save her too!" He half-exploded, emotions too numb for true anger or fear, but a mix of the building headache from the knowledge being crammed into his head for the third time today. "If you don't let me adjust the machine she'll be saved, but she'll lose memories! Of her family, and I also assume you! Let go!"
A flinch and immediate release, almost sent Jaune flying face first into the side of the Mold.
"You know how to do this?" The Spirit of Hindsight asked, confused, as Jaune released the side panel and pulled a small keyboard, a holographic screen flickering into existence.
"The Ring is guiding me." Jaune whispered, fingers blurring as he input a series of override codes, bypassing the standard protocol of the Nikke Mold. "It's how I knew how to throw Durindana and to provide medical aid."
His big brother hummed, his blue eyes staring at the Raven Haired Huntress as she gently put Summer into the Mold with trembling hands. His golden faux hawk seemed to flutter in some non-existent breeze.
"You did good, Jaune." His big brother smiled, gently, tiredly, "I'm proud of you."
Joy rushed through Jaune's body as he smiled, fingers still clicking upon the keyboard. The Spirit truly meant it. He was happy. Jaune was happy.
"W-what's your name, big bro? What do I call you?"
The spirit smiled as he tussled Jaune's hair.
It was nice. It reminded him of his father before-
"Juniper. You can call me Juniper."
It wasn't really the Spirit's name. He could feel that in his voice. But it was a name that had more meaning to the Spirit than he could explain, maybe more than Jaune himself could understand. It was something that filled the Spirit of Hindsight with a mix of strength and sadness.
For Jaune that was enough.
The Mold shut closed with a hydraulic hiss as Jaune finished the last of the input, his rear planting roughly on the dirt-packed ground, his tail jolting with a little pain as he flopped onto his back. The Mold began to hum as it began to operate on Summer. Hopefully this would be enough. The Ring certainly seemed sure she'd at least survive the operation.
He was tired.
And sleep came almost immediately as a golden ring shattered into fragments as color filled his world again.
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