A/N: Hey everyone! Ugh! Finally got passed that pesky, serious, Writer's Block. Anyways, here is the next chapter of A Broken Man's Last Chance. I gotta admit, with each new chapter, this fic gets more popular. And that's good news for me.
Of course, there are some reviews I disagree with. Especially a certain, Emiliano733.
But I will not overly bash him, since he didn't exactly flame trolled me. But I will say this: As an Arkos fan, I simply refuse to believe this shipping to be outright dead, regardless of official statement, or what other (canon) fans of RWBY think. And since Volume 5 has confirmed Lionheart to be a traitor...and by the finale, (skip to the chapter to avoid spoilers) a now dead one, there's no need for complaining about it, now.
Now, enough with that. Let's continue!
P.S. I forgot to mention that I had also been doing some weedating work REALLY hard, which is one of the other reasons why I was MIA for so long...damn rain. Another reason, my work obsessed grandfather who doesn't know when to stop when ahead.
Chapter 4: Reunions, Discoveries... and Second Chances?
Unknown
(BGM: Arkos Theme)
Jaune could not believe what he was seeing. It was just nigh impossible.
She couldn't be here.
He was completely shocked, that he didn't even noticed that he was in his old armor when he joined Beacon, and the fact that he looked like a 17 year old teenager again.
"P...Pyrrha?" he croaked out, as the redhead gave a sad smile and placed a hand on her Paladin's cheek, which caused his blue eyes to widen, "Is it...is it really...are you really... Did...Did I fa-...,"
A gloved finger placed itself on his lips, stopping him from talking.
"Shh~...it's okay," she said softly, "It's okay, Jaune,"
Jaune could only look at her, as tears formed in those emerald orbs he missed so dearly.
"I'm here Jaune, and I missed you so much," she said, and Jaune couldn't take it anymore as he sprung up and wrapped his arms around her, surprising her, but she only returned the embrace, as the two lovers reunited.
"But...how?" Jaune whimpered out, "How are you here...with me? The last thing I remember is seeing you trying to save me from the Grimm Dragon...and what is this place?,"
Pyrrha's hold only tightened, as she kept the Arc in her hold, not willing to let him go. Never again.
"I'm not sure where we are now Jaune. But I have a pretty good guess we're in Limbo waiting for our turn to wherever the Gods send us," she said, making Jaune blink, before his face became sullen.
"So...that means I finally died huh?" he asked and Pyrrha nodded. "But still, why are you here?"
Pyrrha's face bore a sad smile as she caressed his blonde hair.
"You remember when I unlocked your aura during initiation?" she asked, and Jaune nodded into her shoulder, "And a piece of my aura was absorbed by yours?"
At another nod, Pyrrha gave a sigh.
"Well, something else happened, and that was what allowed me to stay with you...," she said, making Jaune hesitantly break the embrace to look at her.
"W...What happened?" He asked as the Spartan took in a breath.
"I'm not sure how, but...a piece of my soul was also absorbed," she said, and Jaune's eyes widened, "And when I died, I suddenly found myself within your mind,"
This shocked the Arc once more, as he looked into Pyrrha's eyes as they begin to glisten even more with tears of regret.
"I...I watched, as you grieved after my death. Unable to move on, but kept going forward in order to seek justice against Cinder for what she did to me." she said, her hands shaking as she remembered watching the last ten years of Jaune's life, "I watched as you nearly died each time you fought against Salem's forces, the deaths of your family, our friends... Ren and Nora's deaths, and witnessing the Fall of the Four Kingdoms...,"
A half sob escaped her mouth, as the once confident champion, in the same way as Jaune, broke down.
"I... I saved you, only to watch as you suffered in despair, as a consequence after I died," she said, looking down, while the shadow of her hair hid her eyes, unable to look at her love. "I...I-I hurt you. And I'm to blame for it. If only I had just said no to Ozpin's offer, I would've been more focused on the tournament...Penny would've been alive, and-huh!?"
She was stopped as Jaune gave her another embrace, shocking her, while her eyes widened.
"Please stop...," Jaune whispered, but loud enough for Pyrrha to hear as she blinked, "...Just stop...I don't care about what did, could, or should've happened. The only thing I DO care about right now, is that you're here with me."
The champion didn't respond at first, surprised by the embrace he just sprung on her. But after hearing what Jaune said to her, her eyes only glistened with more tears, before she happily returned it, while snuggling into the crook of his neck.
"I...I missed you Jaune," She finally said, "I missed you...so much,"
The two stayed like that for what seemed like hours. Both of them, not willing to let each other go.
But soon Jaune was the first to speak again.
"So, what happens to us?" Jaune said, his tone serious as the two ended their embrace.
"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.
"I...I saved you... the younger you," Jaune said, and the Champion blinked, "And I know my younger self is still alive in Vale, so why are we still here?"
"It's because you're still needed, Scion of Arc,"
The two jumped at the voice and immediately darted their heads to the source, and were surprised to see someone was here with them. The said person was a young man whose hair looked to be it was dyed blond with some highlights of black, wearing a white suit with a black undershirt.
The man gave a smile, as he looked at the reunited couple.
"Hello... Jaune Arc, and Pyrrha Nikos," he greeted, while making a two-fingered salute, "Glad to meet you in person,"
The two looked at the man warily as they cautiously stood up.
"Who are you?" Jaune said, a slight edge to his tone, as he kept Pyrrha behind him. The said redhead had to admit, she liked...loved, how protective Jaune was of her.
The stranger held his hands up as a sign of peace.
"Whoa, easy there, kid...,"
"I'M TWENTY SEVEN!"
"Whatever...point being, who I am doesn't matter. But what does matter is that considering how you two suffered for something far out of your control," the man said, not at all fazed by Jaune's shout.
The said two only blinked in confusion at that.
"W...What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked, and the man sighed.
"Well, let's just say there are a LARGE amount people who really didn't like the way you two got the short end of the stick." he said, as he brushed some imaginary dust off his pant leg, "And with some convincing, the big guys upstairs have decided to give you two lovebirds another chance."
Both Pyrrha and Jaune gaped at that, completely flabbergasted at what they just heard.
"...What...?"
Meanwhile.
In the world of the living.
Vale
10 minutes before Old Jaune's End.
Jaune could only look at the man in front of him, his eyes wide and his jaw hanging in shock. He was having a hard time believing what he was just told.
"...S-So wait...you're saying that you helped my future self, who is a badass in the future, come back here to this point in time to save Pyrrha, while taking her place to fight Cinder, and the reason you're back here is because you have the power to send your consciousness back to your past self with memories of the future. Do I have it right, so far?"
Canus sighed as he nodded his head.
"That's pretty much the gist of it," he said, "And let's just simply say this...you were a mess,"
Jaune was completely floored by this, hesitant to believe what this apparent stranger said. But right now, knowing that Pyrrha still needed help, all he had wanted to do was to get back to Beacon and help her.
"Look, I'm not sure whether or not what you just told me was true, but right now, I don't care," Jaune stated, his tone now firm, "Right now, all that matters to me at the moment is Pyrrha."
Canus just smiles, "Even though you just realized your feelings for the Spartan, your love for her is already iron-clad strong." he said, while making Jaune blink, as a light blush formed on his face, "Well, I doubt you can get there on foot, so...how about I give you a lift?"
Though was still wary of the man before him, desperate times call for desperate measures. And times were DEFINITELY desperate.
"Just don't do anything funny," Jaune said, and Canus just smirked, as he motioned Jaune to come with him.
But just before Jaune could take a step. Canus suddenly vanished, startling him before feeling a chop to the back of his neck.
Before he blacked out, he heard Canus speak one last time.
"Don't worry Jaune. By the time you wake up, you'll thank me for this..."
With that, the Arc was out like a light, as Canus caught him before he hit the ground.
The grey-eyed man said nothing, as he hefted the unconscious heir to the throne of Vale, as he carried him to his rented out airship.
Pain...
That was all she felt.
The pain from the injuries she suffered. The humiliation from the blow to her pride.
And she knew perfectly well who was responsible for her current condition.
As she currently rode on the back of the Griffin that was taking her away from the ruined Academy, she cast a burning amber gaze at the now destroyed tower, hatred clear in the single eye.
'Damn you, Arc...you will pay for this...I swear, I will kill all you hold dear...and I will watch with glee as I kill your 'invincible girl' right in front of you, and you fall into despair...I swear, you WILL suffer,' she thought, as the creature of Grimm continued to carry her from the Kingdom of Vale to the Northeast, where she would receive better medical treatment for the wounds she received.
She had managed to stop the blood flow from the stab wound in her side by cauterizing the wound, after the Griffin saved her from the fall from Ozpin's office.
It will leave a scar, one of few including her now missing right eye...reminders, that even the lowliest of pawns, can defeat a queen.
Back in Limbo
The reunited couple could only stare in shock at what the man just told them. Unable to believe what their ears heard.
"W...W-What did...you just...say?" Pyrrha managed to squeak out, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jaune's jaw was hanging as he tried to process what was just said.
The man in the white suit just chuckled at the expressions on the two lovers' faces. It was definitely funny seeing the reactions of people who didn't expect anything like what he had just dropped on them.
"I think I said it right, didn't I?" he asked, "I said you two are being given another chance,"
This caused the Arkos couple's eyes to, if that's possible, widen even more.
This...this had to be some kind of joke, right?
"H...How?" Jaune managed to gasp out, "I mean sure, Pyrrha could possibly go back...I stopped her past self from going back up the tower and getting killed, not to mention Cinder's..."
The man interjected as he said the one phrase that caused the two to shock them even more.
"Cinder's still alive." he said, causing Jaune to shut up, and both him and Pyrrha looked at him, as if he said Ozpin was Salem's brother.
"E...E-Excuse me...?," he managed to stammer out, while the man scratched behind his head.
"Yeah, you got the flaming bitch good, and kicked her off the tower, but unfortunately, she was caught by a Griffin at the last minute...damn plot armor," He said while grumbling the last part.
This caused the two to look at him with expressions of shock before Jaune's face morphed into frustration and then anger.
"OH COME THE FUCK ON!" He shouted, as he open palmed his face and groaned, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? SHE'S STILL ALIVE!? WHY CAN'T THAT BITCH JUST STAY. DEAD!?"
He would've continued on with his rant had Pyrrha not flicked him in the ear causing him to yelp in pain. He turned to her and upon seeing the look on her face, he immediately shut up, knowing Pyrrha didn't need to say anything to keep him quiet.
The man chuckled at this, knowing these two were perfect for each other. Though people would call Pyrrha an Yandere, or Tsundere, or any of those titles, she was considered more tamed and less crazy than the ones he saw in anime. Especially considering some certain psychopaths...like a white haired red eyed female prisoner**.
He shivered at the thought before getting all serious.
"Anyway Jaune, as I was saying, the info you left behind for the others did help in thwarting most of Salem's plans, but in the end, things still went to hell," he said, causing the two to begin worrying about their friends, as the man continued, "Though the casualties were less than in the original, they were still heavy, and despite their attempts, even with all the evidence, your counterparts' warnings to the Councils of Remnant all fell on deaf ears, and the tensions were still near boiling point. The reason being that Salem had her own people acting as advisers to the councilors, who gave them the 'infinite wisdom' to ignore what they termed: ramblings of traumatized school children."
That caused the two to begin bristling in anger. Jaune most of all.
All that evidence, all the sacrifices made...and still things went badly.
'Godsdammit! Why the hell does this shit keep happening!?'
Pyrrha looked at Jaune, a concerned frown on her face before she placed a comforting hand on Jaune's shoulder to calm him down. He looked toward her and gave a small smile of gratitude, which the Spartan returned.
While this happened, the Stranger only smiled as he watched the two looked at each other. Love brimming in their eyes.
Jaune then breathed in and out to calm himself further before looking at the man.
"So, why us?" he asked, "I thought we would've faded into nothingness after I saved...the other Pyrrha,"
The man nodded at that.
"Yes you are correct. You would've just disappeared at this very moment." he said, before he gave a neutral expression, "However, considering that Salem and her 'Inner Circle of Doom' are still a threat, we believed it was best to send the only two who know her weaknesses. And yes, I know you placed it in your scroll, but hear me out. And also, since you two got the shit end of the stick, we believed it was best to send you back, since your experience could help turn the tide."
The two lovers could not believe it...they never thought that they would be given a second chance. However they blinked when they remembered the 'we' that the man talked about.
"We?" Pyrrha asked, and the man held up his hand.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you who the other person was, for one they threatened to castrate me. But trust me that you will soon later find out who they are," he said, and the two blinked, curious on who it was.
"Of course, you two will merge with your past selves." The man continued, "In simple terms, your memories, aura, and past experiences will merge with that of them,"
Both Jaune and Pyrrha looked at each other, both of them having a silent conversation, it seemed to to take a long moment, but it was only a few minutes. The slight smiles that lit up on their faces, were what the man was waiting for, but he decided to wait for the confirmation.
And he didn't have to wait long.
Vivid emerald eyes fluttered open, before a groan was heard, as the owner of said eyes groaned before trying to stand up before she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Steady there," a voice she didn't know said, "Just take it easy for a minute,"
Pyrrha looked and saw a man wearing a grey cloak, with a hood hiding most of his face, looking at her.
"Wh...W-Who are you?" she asked, and the man sighed.
"For right now, I'm the guy who saved you, the little Rose, and your boyfriend from being meat for the worms. You're welcome by the way," he said, while Pyrrha processed what she meant, before her eyes widened.
"Jaune!" she said, and snapped up into a sitting position, and looked around seeing she was in the cargo area of a Bullhead. But the one thing on her mind right now, was finding her partner.
"Whoa easy there kid-!" the man tried to say before being grabbed by the frantic champion, who looked at him with a glare in her eyes, that showed her anger and fear all rolled into one.
"WHERE IS HE!?"
"Hey cool your jets for a minute! First let me go and I'll tell you," he said, while Pyrrha, though initially reluctant, let him go, "Thank you...now turn to your left and look down,"
Pyrrha did exactly that, and a feeling of great relief and surprise filled when she saw the boy she loved so much laying next to her. Clad in the armor she knew so well. She didn't waste any time as she gently grabbed his head and placed it in her lap. She didn't bother hiding the tears of happiness glistening in her eyes as she gently stroked his cheek, as he breathed softly showing he was still alive.
"And if you're wondering about the...other one, I already took care of it," the man said, and Pyrrha turned to him, confusion on her face, before a look of realization adorned it and then turned sorrowful.
"I see...," was all she said, and the man looked at her before nodding before standing up and heading to the cockpit, carefully stepping over the unconscious form of Ruby Rose.
Pyrrha didn't say another word, as memories passed through her mind...memories of a past life...a life where she perished, and her soul trapped as she watched the young man she had loved suffer without her.
All because of her foolish decision.
But now, she was given a second chance. And by the Brother Gods themselves, she was NOT gonna waste it.
She then proceeded to stroke Jaune's hair, before placing her forehead on his. Her eyes closed as she quietly spoke to him.
"I promise, Jaune," she whispered, "I'm never going to send you away again...never again,"
She knew he probably wouldn't respond, but then was surprised when he felt a hand on the back of her head, before being pressed against Jaune's lips in a kiss, which she eagerly returned. It lasted for a few minutes before they stopped and Pyrrha lifted her head and saw the familiar blue eyes staring back at her.
"You better keep that promise,"
Patriot-112: And done! Finally! Again, sorry it took so long everybody! But finally, here it is! I gotta admit, it was hard trying to get over the roadblock. But hey, better late than never I always say.
For those of you wondering. Yes, the older Jaune's body died, and his soul, along with our canon Pyrrha's soul have merged with their younger selves. I know nothing original, but hey I like it.
Until next time my friends!
P.S. For those of you who watched the whole of Volume 5...I was somewhat disappointed that we didn't get what we Arkos fans didn't TRULY get what we want, and questions still left answered. But hopefully Volume 6 will clear that up for us. And pray RT doesn't screw up.
As always, LATER!