[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[AndrewJTalon]

Radian, Gallus, North Sanus



One month after the fall of Beacon

- - -



He trained. He trained and he trained and he trained. As hard as he could, every day. Nora and Ren joined him, trained with him, and then rested. But Jaune kept going straight on until he was exhausted. His sisters had to drag him back to the farmhouse, or Nora or Ren.



His parents were out, helping in Vale. Trying to save it.



And here he was, training in the copse of trees around the family mausoleum... Useless.



"HAA! HAA! YAHH!" He roared, beating the tree trunk with Crocea Mors furiously. The slices went right through the ancient wood, and the tree soon toppled. Jaune fell to his knees after, panting in the shade. He bowed his head, trying to get breath back into his lungs.



Pyrrha... Pyrrha, I failed you...



She hadn't even wanted him around as a distraction... She'd just sent him away with a kiss and a declaration of love.



I failed her...



He heard soft footsteps behind him. He turned and stared up at a slim, feminine form.



"Nana?"



The old woman smiled sadly. Her white hair was in an elegant braid behind her head. Her blue eyes shone with understanding. Her blue dress waved slightly in the breeze, over her brown boots. Her walking stick held her up as she considered him.



"Hello Jaune," she murmured. "I heard about what happened."



Jaune again bowed his head. He heard her walk up, and felt her hand on his shoulder.



"There is nothing to be ashamed of," soft and kind she spoke, "You were outmatched. Overwhelmed-"



"I failed my team. I failed... I failed the girl who loved me," Jaune whispered, fighting back tears, "I failed... Everyone."



"You lost, yes," Nana said quietly, "But it was a battle. Not the war. The war against the darkness goes on, Jaune."



Jaune slowly looked up at her, still fighting the tears threatening to emerge. Her face held nothing but compassion.



"The question is," she said softly, "Are you willing to keep fighting?"



Jaune considered it. He was still so weak, so outclassed. Cinder may as well have just killed him instantly.



He shut his eyes. He could still see Pyrrha running off. His fists clenched.



"Yes," he growled.



Nana nodded.



"All I can say is... You must not give into hate, or despair, or desperation, Jaune," she said softly. She squeezed his shoulder. "If you do that, you may fall prey to... To worse things than Cinder Fall."



"Like what?" Jaune demanded. Nana didn't so much as flinch at his angry tone.



"You may give up all the things you fight for," she answered, "Humanity is a precious gift, Jaune. You cannot discard it. Without it... You become nothing more than a tool of uncaring forces. In a fight you are a mere pawn in. Do not give in, Jaune. She... She would not want that for you."



Jaune stared into his nana's eyes. She was very old, but still so sharp. Her eyes held a deep wisdom, born from pain. Jaune slowly nodded.



"I... I won't," he said, "I swear. But I... I still can't... Do anything. I try so hard and..."



He bowed his head again in his shame.



Nana nodded. She let him go and began to walk towards the mausoleum.



"Come with me," she ordered.



Jaune got up and obeyed. They went through the old fortress manse, Arcadia, which was overgrown with trees yet still possessed an ancient, mysterious splendor. They descended down marble steps into the mausoleum.



They passed the statues of Jaune's ancestors: Roland the Great, Renaud de Montauban, and Joan D'Arc herself were preserved in stone as silent guardians.



They finally came to a coffin, large and square, in the middle of the great mausoleum. As though the lid weighed nothing, Nana pushed it off and let it fall to the floor with a loud crash.



"Look inside," Arturia said quietly.



Jaune hesitated, but obeyed. He looked inside... And his eyes widened.



"A sword...?" He murmured. His eyes bugged out in shock when he recognized it.



"But...!"



"I chose to live here with your Papa, Jaune," Nana said quietly, "To build and share in the days of peace after the Great War. I gave up my sword, at long last... But I did not forget it. The one in Camelot is a replica. A very good one, but still a replica."



She bent over, reached in, and pulled the sword up and out. She grunted and winced a bit, before turning to him.



"You... You cannot imagine the battles I have fought, the things I have seen, Jaune. Same with your Papa. I do not regret my life with him, with your grandfather, your mother, you. I do not regret the sacrifices I have made. And I do not regret that I will die, and go onto an eternal reward."



She smiled sadly.



"For eternal life in this world is overrated. But this sword... This is more than just a weapon. It is a legend weaved purely out of hope. It represents the legitimacy of humanity, uses it, and thus is proof of our future. Even the most depraved, lost, and darkened souls will feel light when they see this sword, for it speaks of the universal truth of hope."



She looked into Jaune's eyes, and held the sword out.



Jaune recoiled instinctively, and shook his head.



'I... I'm not worthy-!"



"I didn't think I was either, Jaune," Nana said softly, "But I was. A minor king's daughter with a desire for glory and justice. That's all I was, when the sword chose me."



"Chose...?" Jaune stared at the holy blade in awe.



Nana nodded.



"Draw it. Let us see what it thinks of you. Focus, Jaune. Focus on what you want to be. What you truly want to be."



Jaune stared down at the sword. He knew its history, knew how his great-grandmother had used it. How the Pendragons had wielded it to help win the Great War and bring peace to Remnant. To slay so many horrible monsters and terrible foes.



He closed his eyes, and reached out.



I want... I want to be a hero... I want to help people... I want that terrible day to never, EVER happen again... Not to anyone.



I want to justify people's faith in me...



I want... I want Pyrrha's death to mean something...



I want... To bring hope again. To make people smile once more...



He took hold of the hilt... And pulled the sword. It caught for a moment, but he kept pulling... Until it came out with a flourish. He held it up, and opened his eyes. The sword gleamed in the dim light of the mausoleum, as pure as the clouds on a sunny day.



This was Excalibur. The Sword of Light.



Nana nodded, looking very proud.



"It has chosen you, Jaune," she said quietly. "But it will still great effort to master it. You will have to abandon the shield. You will have to make yourself a shield for others. Are you willing to do that?"



Jaune nodded slowly, feeling the weight of history on him... Yet his heart was light.



"Yes."



"Then," Arturia Pendragon-Arc, once Queen of Albion and Empress of Vytal, the Lion Queen, the Queen of Knights, smiled, "Let us begin."



- - -



Damnit, I watched a little Fate for this and now I'm hooked.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -



Jaune awoke to his bedroom door opening. He was up in seconds, hand going for his sword-



"It's me, Jaune, it's your Dad," Nick Arc said, stopping some distance away with his hands open and up. Jaune relaxed, and slowly nodded.



"Hey... What is it-?"



He heard angry voices echoing from the hallway. He frowned and stood up. He looked to his father, who stood there with a very serious look on his face.



"... I guess she told you, huh?" Jaune asked quietly.



Nick nodded.



"Your mom's not happy."



"I figured," Jaune sighed. He gird his sword and belt on, over his boxers and T-shirt. His father looked at the sword, and smiled softly.



"You know," he said, "When I was a boy... I dreamed of getting to wield Excalibur. The weapon of legend. The day your Nana accepted me into the family, wearing it? Was one of the happiest days of my life."



He paused and shrugged.



"It was also our wedding day, so... Super happiest day."



He reached out and ruffled Jaune's hair. He smiled a bit, but then grew serious.



"Dad," Jaune said, "I... Why did you let me go? You were always agreeing with Mom that... That I shouldn't be a Hunter."



Nick slowly nodded.



"Yeah... Well..." He sighed. "I would be proud of you as long as you did something good with your life, Jaune. As a doctor, a teacher, or a Hunter. Because... We know how horrible it can be. And nearly losing you as a baby? It... It scared her. She's always blamed herself. The world's greatest healer and she nearly lost her son... Her baby boy... Feeling helpless like that is... Is horrible. I understand it, her desire to protect you from any harm. And there's a lot of harm involved in being a Hunter."



Jaune slowly nodded. Nick reached out and squeezed his son's shoulder.



"We were trying to protect you from that. To be the shield between you kids and those kinds of horrors," Nick said softly.



"I know," Jaune said quietly. Nick then pulled his hand back, and shrugged.



"But... Since you've seen those horrors. Since you've fought through them. And since you're still going to keep doing it...? Well. I can't stop you. I won't stop you. Just know that... That your mother and I? We both love you very much. Your mother just wanted you to be safe and happy, and so did I. But you won't if we keep you cooped up here."



Jaune nodded slowly.



"I... Thanks Dad," he whispered, voice thick with emotion. Nick hugged his son, then patted him on the back and let him go.



"For what it's worth? I am very proud of you, son," Nick said, "And your mother is too. You just need... To make her understand."



Jaune sighed heavily. He stood up straight as though going into battle. His father stood aside, and let him march out of the room.



He descended the stairs, the shouting becoming much clearer. He walked into the living room, where Nana Arturia sat as regal as a queen on a green couch. His mother was stalking back and forth, waving her hands around and ranting.



"-So irresponsible-He needed therapy! He needed to recover! He doesn't need a SWORD!"



"It chose him," Arturia said patiently, "If it hadn't, he wouldn't have been able to draw it. His path is set."



"Bullshit his path is set!" Isabel raged. "He's just gotten out of a warzone! Did you SEE his eyes when he came back?! Do you know what he went through?!"



"Yes Izzy, I do," Arturia stated firmly, "And so do you. We both know what the path of the warrior holds."



"So why are you encouraging him?!" Isabel demanded, her fists clenched as she shook them at her grandmother.



"She didn't. I chose this path."



His mother started, and looked over at Jaune. He stood there feeling... Calm. Or at least, focused. He'd thought about meeting his mother after Beacon many times. How fearful he was of her reaction.



Yet now he saw less anger in her eyes and just... Fear.



"Jaune," Isabel said, "Please. Just... Give back the sword. You want to help people? I'll train you myself! There are so many people that need help-So many wounded-!"



"They'll need protection, Mom," Jaune stated firmly, "They need hope. I... I can provide that."



Isabel glared at her only son.



"You almost died when Beacon fell! You admit this-!"



"And I'm still willing to fight," Jaune said, eyes narrowed. "Or are you not going to help?"



"There are other ways to help, safer ways-!" Isabel insisted, but Arturia snorted.



"There are no more safe places, Izzy," she stated quietly. "The sword chose him. If he masters it... He could help save more lives than even you could with a hundred hospitals."



"He's my son!" Isabel snarled, tears threatening to leave her eyes.



"I know," Jaune said quietly, "But I'm not a child anymore. I haven't... I haven't been a child since my partner was murdered."



Jaune stepped forward, and faced his mother. He took a deep breath.



"I know you've never liked the idea of me being a Hunter, Mom. I know you wanted me to be safe... But I can't be. This..." He held up Excalibur, "I can't just ignore this. Ignore what's happened. I'm not asking you to be happy about this, Mom... I'm just... Just asking you to accept it."



Isabel tried very hard to hold back a sob. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, and kissed the side of his head.



"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... This is my fault-"



"No!" Jaune insisted. He pushed her back just enough to look her in the eyes.



"No... It was never your fault. I don't blame you... Please. Stop blaming yourself, Mom. Stop trying to make up for something that wasn't your fault... I-I..."



He closed his eyes tightly. He still saw Pyrrha's sad face as the locker door closed.



"I know how hard that is... So... So let's both try... Please?"



Isabel continued to cry. He held her tightly, as he sobbed into his chest.



His father gracefully walked in, and took Isabel into his arms. He guided her up the stairs, after she gave Jaune a last hug and kiss. They disappeared up the stairs. Jaune watched them go, before turning back to his Nana.



"Nana... Do... Do you think I can do this?"



Arturia nodded.



"The sword would not have chosen you if I didn't believe... But you can't do it alone. Or without proper training."



Jaune felt a strong arm wrap around his shoulders from behind, and yank him against a tough female body. He looked to his side to see a familiar scowl on a graying blonde woman in black and red armor.



"Aunt Mordred-?!"



"UNCLE DAMNIT!" Mordred growled.



Arturia rolled her eyes.



"We've been over this many times Mordred, there is no need to hide your gender-"



"Well I got into the habit, so there, Father," Mordred scoffed. She scowled at her great-nephew. "So... The sword chose him."



She did not bother to hide her hurt. Arturia nodded.



"Why?" Mordred demanded. "Why him?! Why not me?! Your own firstborn?!"



"Because he does not seek a crown and throne, Mordred," Arturia stated patiently, "But to help all. I'm sorry, Mordred. It does not mean you are unworthy of succeeding me."



"No, just that I cannot be the greatest of warriors," Mordred snorted. Arturia chuckled.



"Life is full of disappointments. But also great joys. After all... You will be my heir."



Mordred and Jaune's jaws dropped.



"Nana?! You-You-?"



"The situation in Vale is so grave that I have used all my connections to enact an ancient law," Arturia stated, slowly rising, "I will take the throne, as Emergency Dictator. I will take our friends and forces down to restore order, and government. It will be temporary... And I will expect you, Mordred, to take my place as Queen of Vale when the emergency has passed. I can think of no one better suited."



Mordred gaped in astonishment at her mother. Tears sprang from the corners of her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.



"I... Father... Th-Thank you," she whispered.



"So, um... What do I do?" Jaune asked.



Arturia smiled.



"Kneel, Jaune," she commanded. "Mordred? Your sword please?"



Mordred handed it over to her mother in reverence. Arturia took it, as Jaune knelt before her. She held the sword up over Jaune in a salute.



"Jaune Arc. As Queen of Vale, I charge you with a sacred quest," she began, her voice grave and full of ancient power, "You will find allies, form a party... And seek out the intelligence behind these forces of Darkness. While long have I lived, the mysteries of this world still remain enigmas... Yet I have seen enough to know there is an intelligence behind the Grimm. You will seek it out, and destroy it."



It was the task of a lifetime... But if Nana thought he could do it? It could be done. It would be done.



"I will," Jaune said firmly, "I swear it."



Arturia hummed.



"Do you swear to uphold the principles of chivalry? To follow and glorify the True Divine in all you do? To bring mercy and aid to those in need? To bring light into the darkness, even if it costs you your life?"



Jaune felt a conviction arise in him, stronger than any that he'd ever felt before. He looked up into his great-grandmother's eyes, firm and focused.



"I do," he stated, before bowing his head again.



Arturia pressed the flat of the sword on his right shoulder, and then on his left, before she pulled it away.



"Then I, Queen Arturia, first of my name, Lion Queen of Albion and Vale, hereby dub thee Sir Jaune Arc," she stated.



Jaune rose, the solemn gravity of the moment making it hard to stand, but he found it in himself to do so. Arturia smiled softly.



"And for the next three months? Mordred will train you and your friends to ensure you can accomplish this," she stated. "After that, I shall need Mordred in Vale with me. You must not speak of your mission to any but those who will join you. You must be sure of their loyalty. Secrecy is of the utmost importance, Jaune. Do you have companions who you can trust with this quest?"



Jaune nodded, his mind already going to Nora and Ren (who were sleeping in the rooms above) and Ruby (down in Patch). It wasn't much, but it was a start.



"I do."



"Then I leave it to you, and my... Son," Arturia decided. Mordred grinned.



"Though if you are to appear at court," Arturia said wearily, "Please cease this nonsense?"



"I've kept it up for eighty years!" Mordred declared.



"Yes, we are all well aware," Arturia sighed.



Jaune snickered. Geez. One minute, his great-grandmother and his great-aunt were like the warriors of legend... And then the next squabbled like they were still kids.



It was strange but... It gave him some hope for the future.



"Don't you laugh at me!" Mordred growled, putting Jaune in a headlock, "I'm gonna make your life hell, Usurper!"



"URK! S-SORRY AUNT MORDRED-ARGH!"



"UNCLE!"



- - -

 

[Fusion Blaster]

- - -



Jaune awoke to his bedroom door opening. He was up in seconds, hand going for his sword-



"It's me, Jaune, it's your Dad," Nick Arc said, stopping some distance away with his hands open and up. Jaune relaxed, and slowly nodded.



"Hey... What is it-?"



He heard angry voices echoing from the hallway. He frowned and stood up. He looked to his father, who stood there with a very serious look on his face.



"... I guess she told you, huh?" Jaune asked quietly.



Nick nodded.



"Your mom's not happy."



"I figured," Jaune sighed. He gird his sword and belt on, over his boxers and T-shirt. His father looked at the sword, and smiled softly.



"You know," he said, "When I was a boy... I dreamed of getting to wield Excalibur. The weapon of legend. The day your Nana accepted me into the family, wearing it? Was one of the happiest days of my life."



He paused and shrugged.



"It was also our wedding day, so... Super happiest day."



He reached out and ruffled Jaune's hair. He smiled a bit, but then grew serious.



"Dad," Jaune said, "I... Why did you let me go? You were always agreeing with Mom that... That I shouldn't be a Hunter."



Nick slowly nodded.



"Yeah... Well..." He sighed. "I would be proud of you as long as you did something good with your life, Jaune. As a doctor, a teacher, or a Hunter. Because... We know how horrible it can be. And nearly losing you as a baby? It... It scared her. She's always blamed herself. The world's greatest healer and she nearly lost her son... Her baby boy... Feeling helpless like that is... Is horrible. I understand it, her desire to protect you from any harm. And there's a lot of harm involved in being a Hunter."



Jaune slowly nodded. Nick reached out and squeezed his son's shoulder.



"We were trying to protect you from that. To be the shield between you kids and those kinds of horrors," Nick said softly.



"I know," Jaune said quietly. Nick then pulled his hand back, and shrugged.



"But... Since you've seen those horrors. Since you've fought through them. And since you're still going to keep doing it...? Well. I can't stop you. I won't stop you. Just know that... That your mother and I? We both love you very much. Your mother just wanted you to be safe and happy, and so did I. But you won't if we keep you cooped up here."



Jaune nodded slowly.



"I... Thanks Dad," he whispered, voice thick with emotion. Nick hugged his son, then patted him on the back and let him go.



"For what it's worth? I am very proud of you, son," Nick said, "And your mother is too. You just need... To make her understand."



Jaune sighed heavily. He stood up straight as though going into battle. His father stood aside, and let him march out of the room.



He descended the stairs, the shouting becoming much clearer. He walked into the living room, where Nana Arturia sat as regal as a queen on a green couch. His mother was stalking back and forth, waving her hands around and ranting.



"-So irresponsible-He needed therapy! He needed to recover! He doesn't need a SWORD!"



"It chose him," Arturia said patiently, "If it hadn't, he wouldn't have been able to draw it. His path is set."



"Bullshit his path is set!" Isabel raged. "He's just gotten out of a warzone! Did you SEE his eyes when he came back?! Do you know what he went through?!"



"Yes Izzy, I do," Arturia stated firmly, "And so do you. We both know what the path of the warrior holds."



"So why are you encouraging him?!" Isabel demanded, her fists clenched as she shook them at her grandmother.



"She didn't. I chose this path."



His mother started, and looked over at Jaune. He stood there feeling... Calm. Or at least, focused. He'd thought about meeting his mother after Beacon many times. How fearful he was of her reaction.



Yet now he saw less anger in her eyes and just... Fear.



"Jaune," Isabel said, "Please. Just... Give back the sword. You want to help people? I'll train you myself! There are so many people that need help-So many wounded-!"



"They'll need protection, Mom," Jaune stated firmly, "They need hope. I... I can provide that."



Isabel glared at her only son.



"You almost died when Beacon fell! You admit this-!"



"And I'm still willing to fight," Jaune said, eyes narrowed. "Or are you not going to help?"



"There are other ways to help, safer ways-!" Isabel insisted, but Arturia snorted.



"There are no more safe places, Izzy," she stated quietly. "The sword chose him. If he masters it... He could help save more lives than even you could with a hundred hospitals."



"He's my son!" Isabel snarled, tears threatening to leave her eyes.



"I know," Jaune said quietly, "But I'm not a child anymore. I haven't... I haven't been a child since my partner was murdered."



Jaune stepped forward, and faced his mother. He took a deep breath.



"I know you've never liked the idea of me being a Hunter, Mom. I know you wanted me to be safe... But I can't be. This..." He held up Excalibur, "I can't just ignore this. Ignore what's happened. I'm not asking you to be happy about this, Mom... I'm just... Just asking you to accept it."



Isabel tried very hard to hold back a sob. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, and kissed the side of his head.



"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... This is my fault-"



"No!" Jaune insisted. He pushed her back just enough to look her in the eyes.



"No... It was never your fault. I don't blame you... Please. Stop blaming yourself, Mom. Stop trying to make up for something that wasn't your fault... I-I..."



He closed his eyes tightly. He still saw Pyrrha's sad face as the locker door closed.



"I know how hard that is... So... So let's both try... Please?"



Isabel continued to cry. He held her tightly, as he sobbed into his chest.



His father gracefully walked in, and took Isabel into his arms. He guided her up the stairs, after she gave Jaune a last hug and kiss. They disappeared up the stairs. Jaune watched them go, before turning back to his Nana.



"Nana... Do... Do you think I can do this?"



Arturia nodded.



"The sword would not have chosen you if I didn't believe... But you can't do it alone. Or without proper training."



Jaune felt a strong arm wrap around his shoulders from behind, and yank him against a tough female body. He looked to his side to see a familiar scowl on a graying blonde woman in black and red armor.



"Aunt Mordred-?!"



"UNCLE DAMNIT!" Mordred growled.



Arturia rolled her eyes.



"We've been over this many times Mordred, there is no need to hide your gender-"



"Well I got into the habit, so there, Father," Mordred scoffed. She scowled at her great-nephew. "So... The sword chose him."



She did not bother to hide her hurt. Arturia nodded.



"Why?" Mordred demanded. "Why him?! Why not me?! Your own firstborn?!"



"Because he does not seek a crown and throne, Mordred," Arturia stated patiently, "But to help all. I'm sorry, Mordred. It does not mean you are unworthy of succeeding me."



"No, just that I cannot be the greatest of warriors," Mordred snorted. Arturia chuckled.



"Life is full of disappointments. But also great joys. After all... You will be my heir."



Mordred and Jaune's jaws dropped.



"Nana?! You-You-?"



"The situation in Vale is so grave that I have used all my connections to enact an ancient law," Arturia stated, slowly rising, "I will take the throne, as Emergency Dictator. I will take our friends and forces down to restore order, and government. It will be temporary... And I will expect you, Mordred, to take my place as Queen of Vale when the emergency has passed. I can think of no one better suited."



Mordred gaped in astonishment at her mother. Tears sprang from the corners of her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.



"I... Father... Th-Thank you," she whispered.



"So, um... What do I do?" Jaune asked.



Arturia smiled.



"Kneel, Jaune," she commanded. "Mordred? Your sword please?"



Mordred handed it over to her mother in reverence. Arturia took it, as Jaune knelt before her. She held the sword up over Jaune in a salute.



"Jaune Arc. As Queen of Vale, I charge you with a sacred quest," she began, her voice grave and full of ancient power, "You will find allies, form a party... And seek out the intelligence behind these forces of Darkness. While long have I lived, the mysteries of this world still remain enigmas... Yet I have seen enough to know there is an intelligence behind the Grimm. You will seek it out, and destroy it."



It was the task of a lifetime... But if Nana thought he could do it? It could be done. It would be done.



"I will," Jaune said firmly, "I swear it."



Arturia hummed.



"Do you swear to uphold the principles of chivalry? To follow and glorify the True Divine in all you do? To bring mercy and aid to those in need? To bring light into the darkness, even if it costs you your life?"



Jaune felt a conviction arise in him, stronger than any that he'd ever felt before. He looked up into his great-grandmother's eyes, firm and focused.



"I do," he stated, before bowing his head again.



Arturia pressed the flat of the sword on his right shoulder, and then on his left, before she pulled it away.



"Then I, Queen Arturia, first of my name, Lion Queen of Albion and Vale, hereby dub thee Sir Jaune Arc," she stated.



Jaune rose, the solemn gravity of the moment making it hard to stand, but he found it in himself to do so. Arturia smiled softly.



"And for the next three months? Mordred will train you and your friends to ensure you can accomplish this," she stated. "After that, I shall need Mordred in Vale with me. You must not speak of your mission to any but those who will join you. You must be sure of their loyalty. Secrecy is of the utmost importance, Jaune. Do you have companions who you can trust with this quest?"



Jaune nodded, his mind already going to Nora and Ren (who were sleeping in the rooms above) and Ruby (down in Patch). It wasn't much, but it was a start.



"I do."



"Then I leave it to you, and my... Son," Arturia decided. Mordred grinned.



"Though if you are to appear at court," Arturia said wearily, "Please cease this nonsense?"



"I've kept it up for eighty years!" Mordred declared.



"Yes, we are all well aware," Arturia sighed.



Jaune snickered. Geez. One minute, his great-grandmother and his great-aunt were like the warriors of legend... And then the next squabbled like they were still kids.



It was strange but... It gave him some hope for the future.



"Don't you laugh at me!" Mordred growled, putting Jaune in a headlock, "I'm gonna make your life hell, Usurper!"



"URK! S-SORRY AUNT MORDRED-ARGH!"



"UNCLE!"



- - -

Click to shrink...

So he's got THE sword.. but it don't feel right without a shield. Then i thought what would be considered THE shield... and it hit and would not let me go... so here we go





Ruby Rose walked into training room where Jaune was praticing, carraying a large square box. "Hey'ya Captain."

"Oh come on Ruby."

She smilied Impishly "What it's the rank your 'Uncle" gave you. I'm just using it Captain Jaune Arc"

Jaune sighed "Okay what do you need Rubes"

Ruby "More like what have I got for you." She passed him the box. "Open it."

He did quickly and found something he didn't expect. A large round shield. "Wow. Where did you get this?"

"I got given the metal a while back. This old guys gave it to me said' I'd know when I'd need to use it. I was gonna use it for upgrades to Crescent Rose but with how light and strong it Is and how I know you still miss using a shield. Well. I got inspired."

"You made this?"

"Yes"

"Seroustly?"

"What?"

"It's just so simple"

"Yeah. . but that metal…the old guy who gave it to me. He said it fell from the stars and thats why it's so hard to work with so I figured Simple was better."

"So since it fell from the stars thats why you put a star in the center"

Ruby nodeed and turned away"Yep.. that and… well you've been the guiding star for us the last few months so to speak"

Jaune took the shiled and hefted it into his left arm like he would into battle. "Ruby I…"

"You don't have to say anything Cap.

"So why the red and blue?

"It felt right."

"Does it have a name?"

"Considering what started this path.. I thought…. Avenger"


As for the old man. Well Hail to The King

 

[SharkCultist]

Jaune Arc was terrified.

He wasn't quite sure what he had walked in on.

Pyrrha was in some kind of pod, there was another pod with a really messed up girl in it, and cinder was trying to get a shot off on the pods while Ozpin was beating her like a unwanted stepchild (for unknown reasons cinder made a note to torture Jaune later).

And then there was a flash from the pod before it exploded sending shrapnel flying everywhere. Including into cinder.

A light left cinder before flowing into where the pod once was.

Standing there was a girl who was Pyrrha but...not.

The hair was the same deep crimson color but it moved on its own flowing lazily like a campfire.

Her eyes were still green but now he could see a ring of yellow and flecks of brown, reminding him of falling leaves.

And most concerning her armor had melted, but instead of burning her or dripping to the floor it stayed on her like a dress of molten bronze.

She seemed off, like someone just waking up from a long nap.

"Pyrrha?"

She at least responded to her name. Her eyes quickly found his before a storm of emotions seemed to go through them.

Confusion, recognition, fondness, hate, more confusion, horror, sadness.

"Not completely, not anymore."

This was wrong. Something about this is very very wrong.

"Pyrrha I don't know what's going on but I'm sure we can figure this out. You, me, Ren, and Nora."

"It's too much Jaune. Too many embers. There's Pyrrha, Amber, Cinder, and so many others. Ozpins machine woke us all up and we're being blended up. It's scary Jaune, I don't want to disappear!"

She's shaking, the strongest person I know is shaking like a leaf. Ozpin what the hell did you do to my partner?

"Listen. It doesn't matter how much you change or how much you add. You'll always be my partner and we'll always have a place for you. I swear."

The shaking stops but she still looks miserable.

"I have to go. I need to fix myself and hide."

"Hide from what? Ozpin? He should be the one hiding from what I'm going to do to him with Nora's help!"

"There's a bad lady out there Jaune. Worse than cinder and she wants what's in me. I need to go. But I'll be back, when it's safe. When I'm strong enough."

That last bit definitely didn't sound like pyrrha. It almost sounded like cinder. But before I could try to talk her out of leaving she flew up through the roof trailing fire.

My partner was gone and there was only one thing I could do.

I walked over to where the explosion had tossed Ozpin after knocking him out.

And I kicked him in the ribs.

"Wake up. You've got a lot of explaining to do."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Team JNPR and Team RWBY were returning from a joint training mission. They walked through Beacon's Star Maiden garden filled with beautiful fountains, flowers, marble columns...

Which is when loud music begins to play. Jaune pales as he hears it.

Ruby: "What is that song? It sounds super old!"

Yang: "I think Dad used to play it all the time... VB?"

Pyrrha: "Jaune?"

Jaune has his weapon out and shield up.

Jaune: "ARM YOURSELVES-!"

A figure in heavy combat armor, with horns on her helmet, charges in and swings her sword. Jaune barely parries the first three blows, before the figure sidesteps his desperate counter attack and slaps him on the ass with the flat of her blade. This sends him flying headfirst through a stone bench. Everyone else scatters and pulls their weapons.

Ruby: "!!! JAUNE!" She leaps into super speed with her Semblance, and strikes the armored figure several times. Each time the figure parries or deflects the hits with her sword, before yanking Ruby into range, punching her in the stomach, and throwing her into a column.

Ruby: "URK!"

Figure: "A Lancer who gets too close and fights too predictably..." She blocks Pyrrha's furious counter strikes and then evades Yang's berserker rage "Hmmm..." She trades sword blows with Pyrrha while evading everyone else's fire, before Yang charges at her.

She then catches Yang's wrist and throws her into Pyrrha. Pyrrha tries to catch Yang... Which is when the figure closes the distance and slaps them into a fountain with her sword.

Figure: "A Berserker without brains or agility and another Lancer who is far too showy and emotionally compromised-" She dodges around Nora's wild swings and slams, using her agility to disarm Nora and then kick her into a tree. "Another Berserker who is too wild-"

Ren pops up and tries to strike her from behind, but the figure swings around and unleashes an Aura blast that sends him crashing through a fountain statue.

Figure: "Assassin with shitty weapons and-" She casually backhands Weiss who tries to charge her. Weiss plows into a flower garden with a screech. "A Caster who thinks she's a Saber."

She looks over at Blake, who was hesitating behind a pillar.

Figure: "And finally, another Assassin who thinks too much." sighs "JAUNE! Your teams are very disappointing!"

Pyrrha gets up and attacks again. This time the figure is forced to fight a bit more seriously, having to parry and counter and even evade Pyrrha's furious assault. Pyrrha manages to get a hit on her helmet. The figure traps Pyrrha's blade against hers.

Figure: "Ooh... I may have misjudged you. You might be fun-"

Jaune: "DAMNIT MORDRED! STOP IT RIGHT NOW OR I'M CALLING NANA!"

Mordred: "YOU WOULDN'T!"

Jaune holds up his Scroll. Mordred huffs, and pulls back. The rest of RWBY and JNPR get up. Weiss is glaring hot death at Mordred, and then at Blake.

Weiss: "You SAID you were gonna back me up!"

Blake: "Well, I-!"

Yang: "I thought you were gonna do the same!"

Blake: "Would it have actually mattered?! We all got clobbered!"

Ruby: "YES! YES IT WOULD! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU AND WHY DID YOU ATTACK?!"

The woman's helmet slides open, revealing a rather strikingly beautiful older blonde woman with blue eyes, a ponytail for her slightly white streaked locks, and a cocky grin.

Mordred: "I am Sir Mordred Arc! Knight of the Round Table! Heir to the throne of Albion! And... Jaune Arc's great-uncle."

Weiss: "WHAT?!"

Ruby: "Wha-You're Jaune's unc-but you're a-!"

Jaune: "DON'T! Don't! It's not worth it! Just call her-um, him, Uncle Mordred." sighs

Weiss: "Did you really have to attack us as a greeting?! Are you insane?!"

Mordred: "YES! It is how one should properly greet Hunters-in-Training! And given I mopped the floor with you all except the redheaded Lancer, you clearly need a lot of work! Jaune I can understand-His parents forbade him from training and he is catching up! But YOU! How the mighty have fallen!"

Jaune: "Mordred, you are literally 80 years old and have seen more combat than most of us have in a lifetime."

Mordred: "BIG DEAL! If you'd worked together you might have stood a chance! Well, nothing for it! I shall have to train you myself!"

Nora: "Oh wow... Jaune? Your uncle is cool and super hot!"

Mordred: "DAMN RIGHT I AM!"

Weiss: "She's a lunatic-" Mordred has a sword to her throat "Urk!"

Mordred: "Don't call me a woman, damnit! Just because I have a husband and have borne him children does not MAKE ME A WOMAN! It merely makes me very manly!"

Weiss: "I-You-!"

Jaune: "Please. Don't. You'll only make things worse."

Weiss: "S-Sure, um, Mordred. You are... Very manly."

Mordred: Withdraws her sword "EXCELLENT! Now, all is not lost! You have promise! But back in MY DAY, we were fighting bandits and Grimm beasts every single day for classes! None of this book learning nonsense! We shall go get alcohol-!"

Jaune: "AHEM."

Mordred: "We shall go get drinks of some sort! And then perhaps get our nails done! I like the star designs on my nails, that's extra manly!"

Nora: "Question!"

Mordred: "Yes?"

Nora: "Why that old music?"

Mordred: "It's catchy and I enjoy listening to music while training!"

Nora: gasp "IT IS SUPER CATCHY!"

Jaune: "Pyrrha? You okay?"

Pyrrha's eyes are sparkling.

Pyrrha: "That was the most amazing and intense fight I've ever had, Jaune! I can't wait for your uncle to train us more!"

Jaune sighs.

Jaune: "Yeah, me too..."

 

[SharkCultist]

Though it doesn't come up often (especially in remnant a literally god forsaken world) there are 3 ways to become a demi-god.

The first is to be born one. The second it to kill or severely injured a god and usurp some of their power.

The third is to be blessed by a god with a piece of their divinity, basically godly adoption.


Once again normally this wouldn't come up in remnant except for in this very specific situation.

Nora was in her own without Ren. The poor boy ended up in detention for falling asleep during a lecture from goodwitch (because they didn't watch Nora well enough and she got some redbull somehow.)

Nora had already completed her punishment (repairing everything she broke and writing a 50000 word apology letter to every person caught up in her mayhem.) and was now enjoying her Sunday.

By picking up something for a lunch on the go and getting lost.

See Nora likes to wander, and it's led her to many fun and interesting things, like the store that sells maple flavored soda!

Currently it led her to a moss covered alter under the city.

This thing was OLD but somehow the inscription was still readable. (We're Ren here he'd be suspicious of such a old inscription being in a dialect they could understand)

"Present thy offering to the gods, and should it be accepted you shall be rewarded accordingly? Huh. Seems legit."

So Nora gave the gods the only thing she had in her she was willing to part with.

---

Meanwhile deep in the depths of space the brother gods were spending another day exploring existence (and dodging the many limbed and eyed horrors in the cold void of space) when something unexpected happened.

The brothers received a tribute.

Nox the dark brother was the first to notice it so naturally he grabbed it first. It was a paper sack dripping with some sort of grease, and there were words up on the sack.

"Bluefords big belly buster burgers? What in our names is a burger?"

So naturally he had to rip open the sack.

Inside was something neither brother had seen before. Large pieces of bread with cheese and jalapenos baked into it covered in layers of beef, onion rings and bacon stacked higher than a baby and held together with a mix of cheeses, BBQ sauce, and hot sauce.

It was something that would horrify any doctor.

To the brother gods it was a creation on par with humanity. Masterfully crafted with the stickiest of sauces to hold it all together it's the peak of redneck creation. While also being a tool of total organ destruction.

The brothers didn't need words to come to a agreement. They were gonna eat this thing.

Lux ended up trying the first bite.

"Oh my fucking me that's good."

The sounds and moans the two brothers made while enjoying their tribute weirded out the space horror that was stalking them enough that it decided to go elsewhere for a meal.

---

And now comes the consequences of Nora's adventure.

The brothers did truly enjoy the tribute they received, and as the sign promised good tributes get rewarded. So what did the brother gods decide was a fitting reward for a foodgasm? Well....

"Renny I'm a god!!!"

Normally when this happens Ren assumes she got into some bad syrup (or good rum). However Normally she also isn't riding in a magically constructed sloth made of living lightning.

While this was happening Ozpin was currently waking up in the back of a farm boys head after having a heart attack.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

As an aside: I would love to read a fic where Jaune reveals his faked transcripts to his other friends and... Well... They don't believe him.

Jaune: "No! I really didn't attend combat school!"

Ruby: "Riiight, and you really didn't unlock your Aura until Initiation."

Jaune: "I didn't!"

Weiss: "Okay. So. What you're telling us is that a dolt like you somehow faked his way into Beacon with fraudulent transcripts, and had no Aura."

Jaune: "Yes! I am completely a fraud!"

Weiss: "That would mean that a dolt like you not only has enormous Aura potential, but that you figured out how to use your Aura in... What, an hour after it was released?"

Jaune: "Er... Well... Yeah?"

Weiss: "HA! It took me YEARS to learn how to use my Aura! Are you saying an idiot like you managed it in an HOUR?!"

Yang: "It also took us years to figure out how to use it to strengthen ourselves and increase our speed and reflexes. What, you're saying that in a few months you went from untrained civilian to able to kill Ursas with a single blow? You have any idea how INSANE that is?"

Weiss: "You'd have to be an outright prodigy! Like the harem protagonists in Blake's terrible erotica!"

Blake: "They're not terrible! It's just fantasy! Escapism! Nobody could be like that in real life! If they were, th-they'd be... Amazing!"

Yang: "And your perfect man, huh?"

Blake: blush "W-Well... Maybe? Certainly better than what I have dated in the past."

Weiss: "HA! If you were really that incredible, I'd date you!"

Yang: "If you were that amazing, I'd marry you, Stud!" winks "Ten babies, for sure!"

Ren: "No offense, Jaune, but it was a miracle I managed to unlock my Aura and Semblance in a matter of minutes. I only did it because it was either do that or Nora and I would die. It's not uncommon but it still seems hard to believe."

Nora: "Yeah! I mean sure, you're rough but you're also really good at stuff other than fighting! Which is great, cause I don't think I could do leadership! Or make crepes either!"

Ruby: "So, come on Jaune. There's no way you're a once in a lifetime super prodigy who could fight, I dunno, legendary warriors after only a year or two of training!"

Jaune: "Uh... Yeah! Yeah, totally! It's just... I told Cardin that."

Yang: grins "Oh wow! He believed you?"

Jaune: "I was trying to troll him, ya know."

Yang: "HA! Nice one! Geez, can you imagine how shattering it would be to his ego if you were some super prodigy? You'd make him look like a dumbass! And well, the rest of us too!"

Jaune: "... Yeah, no. It was just a dumb joke. Don't pay it any mind, okay? You guys are amazing, and I'm just the deadlast."

Ruby: "Yeah, but you're a great leader and you're getting better." hugs him "Mm!"

Pyrrha smiles wanly as Jaune pulls away from their friends.

Jaune: "I think... I understand you a little better now, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha: "And I you."

Jaune: "... Am... Is it really that incredible?"

Pyrrha: "Jaune... You are. So please, stop being so hard on yourself. You should never cease for improvement, but don't hate yourself for your weakness. That is something you will correct. You just need to keep working as hard as you have, and you'll be the great warrior you want to be."

Jaune: "... Thanks Pyrrha. You're the best."

Pyrrha: "Hopefully, not for much longer. It gets lonely at the top... And I want us to stand there as equals."

Jaune: bright smile "Me too, Pyrrha. Me too."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

A bit random but... I've got a fever and I'm feeling sick. So...

- - -

JNPR and RWBY have arrived at Radian.

Weiss: "Well... At least it's not a bunch of straw and mud brick huts."

Ruby: "Weisss! You said you weren't gonna be mean anymore!"

Weiss: sigh "... Sorry. But it is rather... Rustic."

Pyrrha: "I like it!"

Yang: "Same! It's all homey and has a castle! Rolling fields, barns... The smell of manure..."

Jaune: "You get used to it."

Weiss: "Ewww!"

Nora: "YAY! MANURE! AND COWS! Can we tip over a cow, Jaune? Can we? CAN WE?"

Jaune: "No."

Nora: "Awww!"

Ren: "The town is very beautiful. I can practically feel the Aura of life flowing through this entire area."

Jaune: "Yeah, see? Complete and total relaxation!"

A catman with a tail, ears, and teeth comes up in a truck.

Mercer Sith: "Howdy Jaune!"

Jaune: "Hey Mercer! How are you?"

Mercer Sith: "Doing great! These yer friends and the Menagerie bint?"

Jaune: "They're all my friends."

Blake: "Wha-Why are you so rude to a fellow Faunus?"

Mercer: "I'm not a Faunus!"

All: "Wha...?"

Mercer: "I'm not a Faunus! I'm a Cat Youkai!" Shifts into a full cat form "Or Werepanther. See?"

RWBY and P: "WHA?!"

Nora: "SO CUTE!"

Ren: blinks "... Huh?"

Blake: "N-No! You're a Cat Faunus with... With a transforming Semblance!"

Mercer: "You're really starting to piss me off, bint."

Jaune: "Easy guys, easy! We're all friends here! And uh, yeah. The Sith aren't Faunus, Blake."

Mercer: "Yeah! Deal with it, ya bloody poser!"

Blake: "E-Excuse you?!"

A mole pops out of the ground... A mole the size of a large dog wearing glasses.

Mole: "Yo, hey Jaune! You've been away for a while!"

Jaune: "Hey Doug!"

Doug: "You want some Dust? I found some-Oh. Your friends?"

Ruby: "He-Wha-?"

Jaune: "He's a Moleman. There's a community here-"

Weiss: "That-Then they're also Faunus-?"

Doug: "What? No, girlie! We actually work for a livin'!"

Blake: "HEY!"

Doug: "Anyhoo, tell ya all about it later!" He dives back into the ground and tunnels away

Weiss: "I... You... Are we being pranked?!"

Jaune: "NO! Nonono! I mean uh..."

Pyrrha: "This is a bit... Unusual..."

Jaune: "Well-"

A white haired girl the size of a doll flies up on fairy wings. She hugs Jaune tightly.

Fairy: "Hey Jaune~! Welcome home!"

Jaune: "Oh, hey Sylphie!"

She then expands into human size, and beams.

Sylphie: "It's so nice to see you! You've gotten so big! Oh hey! Your friends are neat! I like your silver eyes!"

Ruby: "Thank you...? Oh my God, a fairy?!"

Weiss: "FAIRY?!"

Blake: "F-Fairy?!"

Pyrrha: eyes narrow "Fairy?"

Jaune: "Um... Hey? Her father Oberon lives here too."

Weiss: about to have a heart attack "OBERON?!"

Blake: "Seriously?!"

Yang: "You weren't going to tell us?!"

Jaune: "Ummm... Well, I hoped to ease you into it. Hell, I didn't even get into the dragon."

All: "DRAGON?!"

Sylphie: "He's super nice!"

- - -

Yes. Radian in this iteration is a haven for all sorts of magical creatures and beings. Totally normal to Jaune. A complete surprise to everyone else.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

In the past, Edward Elric-Arc and his family are visiting the Arc Farm for dinner... At the same time Arturia Pendragon-Arc and her husband were visiting. Dinner goes well, for the most part, until...

Edward: "I don't see why you have to insist on swords when guns work just as well. Even better in many cases. You and your absurd Aura."

Arturia: "Please! You and Alphonse can't speak about absurd Aura levels with some of the things you pulled off."

Edward: "That is the product of years of study, practice, and efficiency! We're not barbarians slinging around our Auras willy-nilly!"

Arturia: "Oh, and I suppose I just wasted all my time studying combat, military tactics, and Aura control, hm?"

Alphonse: "Ed, come on, we're family..."

Nick: "Nana, please, not again..."

Edward: "Not now Al, I need to teach this hag a lesson..."

Arturia: "HA! Says the tiny shrimp who never broke five foot nothing?"

Al and Nick calmly usher everyone else out of the dining room.

The resulting explosion can be heard for miles.

Shirou is late getting back with ice cream, along with Mordred and Isabel. They see everyone eating outside while explosions go off in the house.

Shirou: "... She made a short joke didn't she?"

Mordred: "Ooooh! Let me get in on this-!"

Isabel: "NO."

Al: "Brother is still tetchy about that."

Isabel rolls up her sleeves and storms into her house.

Some violence later... Isabel is waving a sheathed sword at her grandmother and her great-uncle as they sit seiza in the wrecked dining room.

Isabel: "What kind of irresponsible nonsense is this?! You're both over a hundred years old, act your damn age! You have any idea what ideas you're giving your grandchildren?! Also, STOP WRECKING MY HOUSE!"

Nick smiles proudly. After all, his wife is strong enough to put some of the greatest warriors in history in their place

Arturia, looking to the side: "... The castle wouldn't have broken."

Shirou: coughs "Um, dearest, she was there for that spat you had with Cousin Astolfo."

Arturia looks blank.

Shirou: "The chandelier?"

Arturia: wince "Ah."

Ed: "Ha!"

Isabel: Glares at him "And I haven't forgotten my sixth birthday party, either."

Ed: Wince "That... That was obviously overblown in your memories! Tell her, Al!"

Al: "Brother, you blew up the greenhouse because you mistook the clown for an assassin."

Ed: "NOBODY TOLD ME THERE WOULD BE CLOWNS!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Here's the start of my Arc Family Tree:

 

[SharkCultist]

Had a kinda funny idea of Jaune having a companion/guide that randomly shows up and disappears after offering help or pulling him in some kind of adventure. (Not quite a Merlin but kinda similar).

Blake: I still don't know how you snuck into beacon. You really shouldn't have gotten this far.

Jaune: mean.

Blake: you live with a bunch of former and semi-active huntsmen in a small town. I'd be surprised if you could scratch your ass without them knowing one way or another, much less steal a sword and supplies.

Jaune: Well I did have some help.

???:are my ears burning? Is someone talking about little old me?

*Blake jumps and looks around before spotting a fox faunus sitting in a tree nearby (that she's almost positive was empty just a second ago). Golden brown hair and ears sticking out from under a white bucket hat the faunus has crystal blue eyes and slit pupils (along with what appear to be some very sharp canines Blake notes). Across their chest are stretched tightly wrapped bandages covered in writing (mistralian maybe?) sitting under a open light blue Hawaiian style shirt covered in waves and paw prints. Around their waist is a fur belt that matches their hair and some loose white cargo shorts seemingly stuffed to the brim with random objects. The strange faunus is also barefoot (and has very sharp finger and toe nails Blake can't help but notice).

Jaune: oh perfect timing! Blake this is Inari Teumessian, he helped me get out of Radian and make my way to beacon.

*The faunus twitches slightly at being called he*

Inari: I just grabbed you a few things you forgot. Like food, or a weapon, or underwear.

*Inari stands on the tree branch before seeming to fall off only to somehow pop out of the bushes behind Blake*

*Blake flinches*

Blake: how did he?

Jaune: yeah he just does that. I think it's a semblance but he won't tell me, anyway what's up Inari?

Inari: well my fine friend of fraudulent education I was wondering if you'd like to go fishing with me?

*Inari pulls a mechashift fishing rod that can also turn into a harpoon out of the bushes*

Jaune/Blake: fishing?

Inari: fishing.

Jaune: just fishing?

Inari: just fishing.

Jaune: no weird Grimm attacks? No stealing? No mafia?

Inari: Jaune I'm hurt by those accusations.

Jaune: fine....

*Blake makes a note that Inari never actually denied any of those accusations*

*Six hours later the three of them are covered in bruises and being hugged by a bunch of dirty and scared women and children*

Jaune: fishing huh?

Inari: I'm as shocked as you that someone was using this out of the way dock for human trafficking, after all why smuggle a human when there's better options? Like fish, or fried tofu.

*One of the crying kids buries his snotty face in Inaris belt causing the fox faunus to have a full body shiver*

Inari: tell you what, you and kitty-cat get out of here, I'll handle talking to the cops when they get here. And you can keep all the actual fish we caught.

Jaune: fine *sigh* let's go Blake.

*As they're walking away*

Blake: Is he always like that?

Jaune: shifty and manipulative? Yeah but it's usually helpful so I don't raise too much of a fuss.

*Blake looks back at the strange faunus who's now entertaining the kids with some kind of water manipulation trick making small foxes out of water*

Blake: interesting.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune is refletching his arrows in the JNPR common room when Weiss walks up to him with a scowl.

Weiss: "Ahem. Jaune..."

Jaune: "Weiss."

Weiss: "Would you mind NOT blasting around me when we're in a training exercise?! What are you trying to do, kill me?!"

Jaune: "I wouldn't have to if you actually fought like you should!"

Weiss: "Who are you to tell me how to fight?!"

Jaune: "Because I know how to stick to my fighting role! One I'm actually decent at!"

Weiss: "Explain, you dolt! What's your role? Hiding in the back line?"

Jaune: "I'm an archer. I have excellent vision and great aim. I also remain mobile and stay out of melee range because I suck at it. I'm no good to anyone if I get mauled by a Grimm because I tried to stab one instead of shooting one. You are a caster-type combatant. Your Glyphs let you hit targets with Dust effects at medium range and to move about the battlefield at high speed, but you cannot last long up close in melee. So guess what? Every time you do get up close, I have to make sure you don't FUCKING DIE!"

Weiss: "I-I'm a fencer-!"

Jaune: "Which also requires reach. As in range! So before you tell me how to do MY JOB, why don't you do YOURS?!"

Weiss: "Arrogant ass!"

Jaune: "Stupid child!"

Ruby: "Guys, guys!" She steps in between them "Look... Jaune, maybe you should try to make your point in a less... Mean way?"

Jaune: "..." sighs "Sorry Ruby."

Ruby: "And Weiss! Jaune's only trying to help you! You are basically our caster and you shouldn't get too close to the enemy if you can help it!"

Weiss: "Says the girl with a sniper rifle that's also a scythe."

Ruby: "At least I can take a punch!"

Weiss: "I-I can take a punch-!"

Jaune: "But not a Dust blast, clearly."

Weiss: "SHUT UP!"

Click to shrink...

Yang had snuck off into Junior's to try and get some more information... But they were expecting her this time. A few Atlasian guard robots were among their numbers, with clearly illegal weapon mods.

Junior: "Now... We gonna do this the nice way, Blondie? Or we gonna do this the hard way?"

Yang: "Still a pervert, huh Junior?"

Junior: "I did NOT know you were sixteen, you crazy bitch! And another thing-!"

Several arrows flew through the windows and exploded with Electric Dust. The EMP knocked out the lights. Yang took the chance to run in the darkened chaos, smashing through a window and running out. Gunfire followed her, but a few more arrows impacted the ground and formed ice to cover her escape.

She climbed up onto the rooftops and parkoured her way (with some boosts from Ember Celica) out of the neighborhood. She came to rest on an old banking building, and took the time to catch her breath.

Jaune: "You know, I'm pretty sure your probation means you don't go out and get into trouble?"

Yang: "GAH!" She threw a shotgun blast... At Jaune, blasting him off his feet and onto his back.

Jaune: "URK!"

Yang: "AH! Vomit Boy!"

She ran to his side and helped him up. He scowled at her.

Yang: "Sorry. You're too damn stealthy for your own good, ya know?"

Jaune: "Yeah... Next time I'll wear a bell."

Yang: "On a collar? Heh. Blake will call that racist."

Jaune: rolls his eyes "Let her, if it keeps me from getting shot again."

Yang: "Yeah... Hey uh... Thanks for the back up."

Jaune: scowl "Ruby asked me to look after you."

Yang: "That little-!"

Jaune: "She's worried! About you and Blake. You always run off and do your own thing, regardless of the danger or what it might mean!"

Yang: "Hey! I can take care of myself-!"

Jaune: "Uh huh. I saw."

Yang: "I..." scowls "Why do you care, anyway? You have your own team."

Jaune: "Yeah. And Ruby's my best friend, and I like to think we're friends too. So if she asks me to help? I'm helping. Even if it pisses you and Blake off. Even if it makes us not friends.."

They glare at each other, silent for a while. Yang sighs.

Yang: "Yeah well... I... You'd still be my friend, even if you pissed me off, so... Thank you."

Jaune: "Same." They get back up

Yang: "So... How much of an eye are you keeping on us, anyway~?" She winks "You watching us in the showers, too?"

Jaune: blush "Er, um... No! Of course not!"

Yang: "Heh! I bet you do! Though really, seeing Weisscream naked is no different clothed."

Jaune: "I wouldn't know."

Yang: "Uh huh, surrrre you don't~."

Jaune: "If I was going to peep on a girl... It'd only be with her permission, thank you."

Yang: "Hmmm... Good to know." She leaned in and smirked "You got mine, stud~."

Jaune: sputters

Yang: giggles "Aw, you're cute when you blush!"

Jaune: "Impossible woman."

Yang: "That's the best kind!"

And at some point...

Jaune was practicing his archery at the shooting range. One Cinder Fall walks up and watches him carefully.

Jaune: "Uh... Hello, Miss... Fall was it?"

Cinder: smiles "Yes... I see you practice Pandavan style archery."

Jaune: "Oh, you're familiar with it?"

Cinder: "Somewhat. Though of course, your godfather's reputation proceeds him."

Jaune: blush "Er, I guess so..."

Cinder: "You were trained by him, the King of Archers?"

Jaune: "Uh, well... Yes. It wasn't easy."

Cinder: "I imagine so... It's quite impressive, however. Tell me... Would you care to train together for a bit?"

Jaune: "Sure, I suppose."

Cinder pulls out her own bow and arrows, and takes up a position at the firing station next to his. She pulls back and lets loose, hitting an arrow just an inch or two off the bullseye. She puts several more arrows downrange, all the arrows slightly off.

Cinder: "Forgive me... I'm not nearly as good as you."

Jaune: "... Yes you are."

Cinder: "Pardon?"

Jaune: "You're deliberately leading your shots. The distribution of your hits is too precise to be otherwise." He smiles and shakes his head "That's very impressive."

Cinder: "... Oh. I see."

Jaune: "If you don't want to show off before the Vytal Tournament, I get it. I just ask that you don't spy on me in so brazen a manner. We can train together, but only if we both demonstrate our true abilities."

Cinder: "That would give the other an unfair advantage, wouldn't it?"

Jaune: "Not at all... Not like I'm going to show off all my tricks, after all."

Cinder: thin smile "I suppose that's fair."

They do some more shooting, both much more accurate. Jaune then gets a call on his Scroll.

Jaune: "Sorry, I have a prior engagement. But this was fun. Not many Archers around, ya know?"

Cinder: "Indeed. I will see you later?"

Jaune: "I'd love to!" He ran off. She watched him go.

Cinder: Not as big a fool as I thought... You may require some watching, Jaune Arc...

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The other storyline in Cowboys of Remnant is being worked on. Don't worry about that. But I got a wild hare of an idea...

- - -

The town was called Hackberry, and it straddled a mountain pass between Vale and Vacuo. Despite its lucrative position, the harshness of the pass compared to other paths between the two nations had restricted it's growth severely. As a result, it was still fairly small despite being established at the end of the Great War.

Still, they needed Grimm exterminated, and so Teams RWBY and JNPR were deployed on a training mission to help out the local Hunters. Weiss managed to win rock, paper, scissors and had gotten to go on patrol with Jaune alone: The envy on everyone else's faces was something she rather enjoyed.

Once out with Jaune though, she was all business. They went out through the center of the town, scanning for any trouble.

A couple was trying to repair the wheel on their truck. Jaune smiled kindly and walked up to them, Weiss in tow. The five children belonging to the couple all stared at them from the truck bed.

"Howdy Sir and Ma'am, do you need any help?" Jaune asked with his usual friendly smile. One that made her smile.

Most Hunters wouldn't bother with helping out like this, but Jaune was different. And while Weiss had thought it unnecessary at first, seeing how people's faces lit up made clear that such kindness was something a Hunter should offer as a matter of course.

It was just one of many reasons she truly admired-

"N-No!" The man's wife cried, shaking her head and drawing back. Her husband glared at Jaune.

"We don't need no help from the likes of you!" He spat on the ground in front of Jaune.

Jaune blinked in confusion.

"But-!"

"Get goin'!" The man snarled. Weiss scowled back.

"He was only trying to help, sir," Weiss stated firmly.

"You and your little skank can go jump in an Ursa cave!" The wife sneered, as their children gasped and giggled. Weiss' face turned red in anger.

"You-!"

Jaune took hold of Weiss' arm. Weiss's years of comportment training returned to her, and her face became an icy mask again.

Jaune calmly tipped his hat to them, then led Weiss away. Weiss resisted the urge to glare back at them.

"If they don't want help, they don't want help," Jaune said quietly.

"Still... To be so rude about it," Weiss grumbled.

Jaune shook his head, taking a few deep breaths.

"It ain't worth blowing up over," he muttered. Weiss nodded slowly.

"I know... I just... Why were they so upset?"

Jaune shrugged.

"Might be some Huntsmen took advantage of them in the past," Jaune sighed, "I've seen it on the Frontier. Folks with power abusin' it."

Weiss' face darkened.

"That's terrible," she murmured.

"It is," Jaune nodded, "Unfortunately, not everyone's gonna be responsible when there's nobody to check them."

A pang of regret filled her heart.

"Or even when there are," she said quietly. Jaune looked at her curiously. She shook her head. "It's... A long story."

"You can tell me... Or not, it's up to you," Jaune said with a kind smile. One that made her heart flutter a bit.

Honestly, he was just... So wonderful sometimes...

"JONATHAN ARC! YOU ARE BOUND BY LAW! PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD AND SURRENDER!"

Jaune and Weiss looked around. Four men in Valean Ranger longcoats emerged from behind barrels and drinking troughs, all holding high powered Dust rifles and pointing them at Jaune's head. Weiss' eyes widened. A thin, nervous looking man with large eyes and fish lips emerged from behind a door, as civilians all scattered and went into hiding. A shiny badge was on his khaki uniform, and his hat was a matching Stetson. He held a revolver up, adding to the firepower locked onto them.

"MA'AM! STEP AWAY FROM THE FUGITIVE!" The fish lipped man shouted.

"W-Wait!" Weiss cried. "There has to be a mistake! This is Jaune Arc-!"

"STEP AWAY FROM THE FUGITIVE, MA'AM!" The fish lipped man repeated. "HANDS ON YOUR HEAD, ARC!"

Weiss grit her teeth. Her hand began to reach for Myrtenaster-

"Stand down, Weiss!" Jaune barked. He slowly held up his hands from his poncho, and put them behind his head. Weiss gaped.

"Jaune! No! You haven't done anything-!"

"Get the others, get to the Ranger Station," Jaune said tersely, "We'll sort this out, I promise. But do not let anyone do anything rash, understand?"

"But-"

"Do you understand?" Jaune demanded, his voice harsh and commanding. Weiss nodded.

"Yes!"

She backed away. The Rangers surrounded Jaune, one forcing him down to the dirt while another put Aura-suppressing cuffs on his wrists. Weiss cringed, then quickly pulled out her Scroll.

- - -

It didn't take long to gather everyone else. They'd quickly met up in response to Weiss's Scroll call, and they'd arrived in the square. Jaune's progress to the jail house was slowed by the curious onlookers, which had the added benefit of preventing anyone from trying to free him.

"I could get him out, no problem," Pyrrha said firmly, "Just knock them all out-"

"It would take even less time with me," Yang snarled.

Ruby grimaced.

"We-I'm sure it's a misunderstanding," Ruby said optimistically.

"I'm not," Blake muttered.

"So, break him out and run to the border?" Nora asked with a grin. "I'm game!"

"We're not doing that," Ren stated.

Weiss nodded.

"Agreed."

As a group, they pushed through the crowd to the nervous looking fish-lipped man. Weiss took the lead.

"Mister... What is your name?" She asked the man. He puffed himself up.

"Deputy Pitch Fife, Miss! And don't you worry: This scoundrel ain't gonna hurt you no more!"

"Hurt us? What's he done?" Blake demanded.

"Yeah! Isn't he innocent until proven guilty?" Nora shouted, waving her hammer around. Fife gulped a bit. Pyrrha, ever the PR specialist, pushed Nora's hammer down and delivered a winning smile to Fife.

"Surely we can all go to the station and sort this out. I'm sure there's just been a terrible mistake," she said kindly.

"Nope!" Fife said, shaking his head, "Arc's pulled a fast one before! Even escaped my eagle eyes! Mine! But not this time! But uh... You can come along if you really want to, ladies."

"I'm a man," Ren stated. Fife coughed.

"My mistake!"

The Rangers escorted Jaune towards the jail house. Teams RWBY and JNPR followed. Fife led the way, and practically kicked in the door to the sheriff's station. He led the precession inside, and tipped his hat cheerfully at a grave-looking man in a similar sheriff uniform behind a large oak desk. He was dark haired and lantern jawed, and looked up at Fife with some fond exasperation.

"Andy! Andy! I caught the fugitive!" Fife chirped excitedly. "He didn't get away this time!"

Andy raised an eyebrow, and looked over Jaune and his friends. He then let out a sigh.

"Well, you're not wrong about that, Pitch," Andy stated, nodding over to the jail cells nearby. All eyes turned... And saw what at first glance was another Jaune Arc in the cell. His clothing was more slovenly: Dirty jeans, rough boots, sweat stained shirt, blue coat, and ratty hat-But aside from thicker stubble and greener eyes, he was the spitting image of Jaune.

"Wha... TWO JAUNES?!" Nora cried. "One of them must be a robot!"

"Hwah?!" Ruby gasped.

Weiss's jaw dropped. Ren looked perturbed. Yang's eyes widened. Pyrrha stared intensely. Blake blinked rapidly.

The young man in the cell... Grinned broadly.

"Cousin Jaune!" He cheered. "You've come to spring me from my unjust incarceration! Told you I had powerful friends!"

His crooked grin shone in the light as he tilted his head.

"Come on, Jauney! Don't you remember your ol' Cousin Jackie?"

Jaune's eyebrow twitched. His face was a stony mask of rage. He flexed his muscles, and the Aura Suppression cuffs snapped. He stalked his way through the surprised Rangers. He pulled his fist back and punched Jackie so hard the doppleganger was slammed into the backwall of the cell. The Rangers quickly grabbed him and pulled him back, as Jackie's eyes spun and his Aura flared to heal him.

"Yep. I remember," Jaune seethed.

- - -

It took some time for everyone to calm down. When they did, Sherriff Andy sat everyone down on some wooden chairs around Jackie's cell. Weiss managed to sit next to Jaune on his right side, as she had managed to get everyone's attention with a shower of Ice Dust. Pyrrha had taken his left, while Ruby stood behind him anxiously. Yang shot scowls at Jackie, while Nora stared at him in fascination and Ren remained stoic.

Jackie was sitting up close to the bars, rubbing his cheek and shooting his cousin a wounded look. Fife looked extremely embarrassed and stood behind Andy. The Rangers were near the back wall, looking exasperated and amused.

"Sorry for the case of mistaken identity, son," Andy said, "My deputy is a little too excitable." He shot a glare at Fife, who coughed and shrugged.

"H-Hey! He's already escaped once! And his cousin-They look like they're the same person!" He protested.

"I clearly got the better looks," Jackie snorted, "And manners-"

Jaune clenched his fists audibly. Jackie gulped.

"N-Nevermind!"

"What's he in for, anyway?" Ruby asked, squeezing Jaune's shoulders in concern. Andy held out his hand. Fife gathered some papers, and ran them over to Andy before shrinking back. Andy pulled on some reading glasses and held up the papers. He cleared his throat.

"Nine counts of petty larceny-"

"Hey! I was stealing food so I wouldn't starve! That's a crime?" Jackie protested.

"One count aggravated assault-"

"I was accused of cheating at gambling! My honor as an Arc demanded I respond!"

"Two counts breaking and entering-"

"I forgot my glasses in the shops!" Jackie explained. "Twice!"

"One count impersonating a member of the Church of the Broken Table-"

"Those orphans needed charity! Besides, nun uniforms are more comfortable in the heat!"

"One count prostitution-"

"I just said I would be paid to give ladies pleasure!" Jackie squawked. "That doesn't necessarily mean sex!"

"Five counts soliciting prostitutes-"

"Is love a crime?!" Jackie demanded. "Besides, with my good looks, why would I need to pay for sex?!"

"And twenty-five counts of fraud and malicious mischief," Andy finished, lowering the papers.

"Oh, so just because the government has a 'patent'," Jackie made finger quotes, "on something means I can't sell it? That's communism, that's what it is!"

Jaune turned his furious glare on Jackie. His cousin gulped and scooted back from the bars.

"Honestly, I don't want to keep him in here," Andy sighed, "He's a nuisance."

"That's a polite way of putting it," Yang deadpanned, glaring at Jackie. He grinned and winked back.

"You know, I can be as polite as you like, babe!"

Jaune heaved a very, very long sigh.

"... How much is his bail?" He asked.

"You're not seriously going to bail him out, are you?" Yang protested. "Look at this guy's rapsheet!"

"Come on, Jauney!" Jackie pled, "Remember all the good times we had?"

"Yeah, I am," Jaune growled. Jackie winced. Jaune shook his head.

"But I know Auntie Marie's heart can't stand any more breaks, so... How much?"

- - -

Teams JNPR and RWBY stood outside the sherriff's office. Jackie Arc brushed off his hat, and donned it with a happy grin.

"Thanks Cuz! I knew you'd come through-URK!"

Jaune grabbed his collar and lifted him up with one hand.

"You are going to get yourself back to Radian," Jaune snarled, "You are gonna go back to your mother, apologize, and get an honest job. And if I so much as hear about you putting a toe out of line, I'm skinning you alive. Understand?!"

Jackie nodded quickly.

"Y-Yep! Sure! No problem, Cuz! No problem at all!"

Jaune dropped him. He barely landed on his feet, and coughed. He rubbed his throat.

"Geez... You ladies sure you want to be around him? Cousin Jauney's got a bit of a temper-"

"Git," Jaune snarled. Jackie nodded quickly, then turned and walked off as fast as he could without looking like he was fleeing. Jaune glared after him. Yang reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey... You can't choose your family," she said quietly.

"Indeed," Weiss said, squeezing his hand. Jaune nodded.

"Yeah... Unfortunately," he sighed. He shook his head. "He's always caused a headache for me since the day we met. But... If I don't look after 'im, he'll get himself killed. So..." He shrugged. "I just don't like him staining the Arc name... Getting me in trouble."

"We'll always be here to stand up for you, Jaune," Pyrrha said with a soft smile. Ruby nodded eagerly.

"Yeah! Count on it!"

"Or break some legs!" Nora said cheerfully. "Which we could still do! Creep was ogling me the whole time!"

Ren's eyes narrowed. Jaune sighed and shook his head.

"Nah... Let's just forget about him. Hopefully, he ain't gonna get into any trouble between here and Radian... At least, trouble that involves us."

- - -

Some time later...

Jackie Arc adjusted his plate armor, poncho, and sword. He grinned at himself in the mirror as he pulled on a brown leather hat.

"Perfect," he muttered, "Now..."

He held up his Scroll, and began to type.

"'Wanted: Female Huntresses for an exciting business opportunity! Must be within these body parameters. One Cat Faunus Girl only. Must be comfortable with nudity. Some acting required. Contact: Jaune Arc of Radian.'"

Jackie grinned. This was gonna be his best venture yet!

- - -

There are plenty of frauds, shysters, and rogues in Westerns. So I decided to make one who was a relative of Jaune's. Who is no doubt going to get him, RWBY, and JNPR into all sorts of trouble.

Naturally I borrowed Fife and Andy from 'The Andy Griffith Show'.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Yang had, for once, been studying. Cramming at the last minute was an unfortunate habit of hers. After all, her physical abilities had let her get through anything at Signal Academy. Still, Beacon was on a whole new level. So even she had to study.

Especially since Pyrrha freaking Nikos was now her biggest competition. Honestly, it was kind of humbling to come here and learn she wasn't the biggest fish anymore.

Still, she wasn't going to let that discourage her. She'd figure a way to beat the Invincible Girl...

Just you wait, P-Money. I'm not gonna let you rest on your laurels forever...
She stretched her arms up over her head, and let out a little grunt. She then smelled something coming from the JNPR common room.

"Huh? That's weird..." She checked the clock.

"Geez, it's really damn late... Who is cooking this late at-?"

Oh. Ohhhh.

"Heh... VB's sleepwalking again," Yang grinned. "Can't wait to see what he does!"

After all, Blake was making breakfast and actually trying to sociable. Whatever he'd done must have been pretty amazing.

She got up, silently opened the door, and headed across the hallway. She opened the door and entered. She grinned.

There he was. Cooking something with that silly apron of his. It smelled really good, honestly.

"Hey VB," Yang greeted carefully. It wouldn't do to wake him up before she had some fun.

"Hey Firecracker," Jaune greeted her without skipping a beat. Yang's eyebrows went up.

"Oh? You like giving out nicknames too, huh?"

"I just think it fits you," Jaune said.

"Oh?" Yang asked, leaning over the stove. She sniffed the bubbling pan. "Geez, this smells really good... Why don't you ever call me that?"

"Dunno... I guess I think you won't like it," Jaune admitted. "Makin' curry... You like curry?"

"Love it!" Yang said cheerfully. She leaned in. "So..."

This might be pushing it, still...
"Do you know P-Money's secret weakness? Does she have one?"

It was a bit unfair, but...

"She's lonely."

Yang blinked.

"Eh?"

"She's lonely. She doesn't know how to relate to the world," Jaune mumbled, stirring the rice cooking in a pot, "She's afraid... Afraid that people won't like the real her... But I think she's great. I just wish she'd be more open... She's just really scared to open up. Maybe because so many people in her life were fake. I don't know. I haven't pried a lot..."

Yang blinked.

"Wow... You know, you're usually pretty oblivious..."

"Well, it's a dream," Jaune said with a smile, "So I don't need to hold back, right?"

"I... I guess," Yang said, feeling awkward. She looked directly at him.

"So... So what's my weakness?" She asked softly.

"You're afraid of being abandoned," Jaune said, without skipping a beat. Yang's jaw dropped.

"I-I-How-?!"

"I talked to Ruby. And other stuff," Jaune said, "I watch people a lot. When I stop blabbing. That's why I think Weiss is amazing and... And I just wish she'd like me back..."

Yang gaped at him in disbelief. Jaune smiled at her.

"But it's okay. Maybe she'll like me... Some day..."

"Enough about Weiss, how did you...?" Yang shook her head. "About me?"

"Seven sisters. Aqua always put on a brave front. Always boasted and shouted and declared she was the greatest. And teased. Teased so much... But she was scared of people seeing the real her..."

He finished preparing the curry, and poured it out over a bowl of rice. He set it out in front of Yang, who stared at it.

"So... What happened to her?" Yang asked softly.

"No matter what she did... She found people who knew the real her... And would never leave her. Because they love her. Even with all her flaws."

Jaune smiled.

"Just like I love you. Flaws and all. And would never leave you. Just like Ruby..."

Yang's face turned bright red. She gaped in disbelief at him.

"I-You-Wh-Why are you-?!"

"It's a dream. And since it's a dream..." He leaned in and kissed her on her cheek. "Eat up!"

"I-I... You...!" She trembled. "G-Geez..."

"I'm gonna get some sugar for cookies," Jaune said, smiling at her and started walking towards the windows. Yang blushed harder, staring at the curry... Then realized...

"AH!"

Jaune was already stepping out the window. In a flash, Yang was there and wrapped her arms around his chest.

She yanked him back, and fell. Jaune twisted against her. They both hit the floor with a thud.

"OOF!"

"ACK!"

Jaune blinked rapidly. He looked bewildered. He then stared down at Yang.

"Uhhhh... Yang? Wha... What happened? Oh shit... Did I sleepwalk again?"

Yang stared at him, her cheeks burning bright red. She let out a sigh.

"Yup," she managed.

"O-Oh geez... Did I do anything bad-?"

"NO!" Yang shoved him off, and glared away from him with bright red cheeks. "J-Just made some curry and said... Stupid crap..."

"Oh um... Sorry?" Jaune managed. His eyes widened. "Aw crap! The curry!"

He got up and rushed to the stove. Yang rubbed her cheek, still blushing bright red.

"Geez... Stupid jerk," she muttered, though she did have a smile on her face.

- - -

I can only blame being sick on this pile of crap. Hope you don't hate it too much.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune: "Hey Ren. I got you a drink from my farm!"

Ren: "Really? Thank you. What is it?"

Jaune: "It's tea. Well, a special kind of tea."

Ren: "I see." He opens the Ice Dust cool container, and opens the bottle. He sniffs it. "Ah, Jasmine... And fizzy."

He drank it down.

Jaune: Reads the letter "It's... Oh crap... Jasmine fizz? It's a cocktail made with... VODKA?! Well, it shouldn't be an issue if Ren's not a lightweight-"

Ren: Red faced, grinning "Haaa... Thish... Thish is grrreat, Jauunnne!"

Jaune: Oh shit he's a total lightweight!

Nora: Enters "Hey Renny and Jaune-Jaune-!"

Ren: "NORRRRRAAAAAAA!" He grabbed her and kissed her deeply "OMNOMNOMMMMMM~!"

Nora: "MMPH?!"

Jaune hauled Ren off the dazed Nora.

Jaune: "Woah woah woah... Are you all right, Nora?" He held Ren back, who drunkenly giggled "Um, sorry about that. My sisters sent me some alcohol and I didn't know it was alcohol-I thought it was tea! Well it is tea but it's made with vodka and now Ren's drunk! I had no idea he was such a lightweight-You okay?"

Nora: "..."

Nora calmly shoves Jaune out of the room, shuts and locks the door. She then grabs the alcohol, tips Ren's head back, and pours it down his throat.

Nora: "DRINK MAN! DRINK FOR OUR VALKYRIE NINJA BABIES!"

Jaune: "... I think I'll avoid the dorms for a while..."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Blake waited for Jaune at the Bullhead port in Vale. She's dressed in a white sweater with a black skirt and stockings: Every inch the naughty book loving girl she fantasizes about.



Jaune arrives, driving a Wayland 205 heavy offroad bike. Blake flushes.



Blake: "Oh! Uh... I didn't know you had a motorcycle."



Jaune: "Well, I couldn't travel from Radian all the way on foot. Besides, my dad gave it to me for my birthday. I've uh, I've kept it in storage because it's cheaper." Smiles "But it's a good day to take it out for a spin. Don't you think?"



Blake: blushes harder "S-Sure."



She got onto the back of the motorcycle and wrapped her arms around his waist. He revved up the engine and drove off at a reasonable speed into traffic... But Blake's mind was going very unreasonable places.



"Even if it's just us against the world, Princess," the noble Biker Knight Tetsuo swore, as he dodged around explosions, "I will never leave your side!"



"Oh Tetsuo~!" Princess Nekomata cried, clinging to him tightly as her kimono rode up over her smooth, long legs-



Jaune: "We're here!"



Blake: "Ah! O-Oh! Good."



Jaune parked, and they got off. They walked to the Celsus Bookstore.



Jaune: "Do you want to browse or get lunch first?"



Blake: "I... I think lunch would be nice first."



Jaune: "Works for me."



They got a table. The waitress came. They got some coffees and teas, and Blake looked over the menu. The sun was shining, only partly cloudy. The wind was low speed. She could see the beautiful architecture of Old Vale all around them. People were going about their business, peacefully, happily.



And yet...



Jaune: "Blake?"



Blake: "Sorry... I just..." Her bow twitches "I guess I just feel... A little guilty. You're being very kind to me and... And I realize I haven't been very kind to you."



Jaune: "Well... I mean... No."



Blake scowls.



Jaune: quickly "You're doing okay now though."



Blake: "I... I guess I just..." She frowned "I don't know what I'm supposed to say or do."



Jaune: "Just talk. About something you like. I mean, I don't read a lot of novels anymore, but I do like to read for fun."



Blake: "I've only seen you with X-Ray and Vav."



Jaune: "I mean, yeah, but that's just like, potato chip reading. My parents were actually really big on the classics."



Blake: "Oh? Like what?"



Jaune: "Well, um, Aristos' Physics, Politics, Metaphysics... Bardic's plays... The theological works of Saint Edmund, Eustace, and Lucy... And lots of classic kids' books. Ya know, Mark Clemens, T. Selliot, Yules Tern..."



Blake: lights up a little "I grew up reading a lot of those too, actually." smiles "I still do from time to time."



Jaune: "No kidding? That's great!" Smiles "I mean, the CCT signal wasn't always the best out in Radian until my teens so I had to entertain myself with a lot of other things."



Blake: "Same. Fishing, hiking... There are a lot of beautiful beaches around Menagerie, and coral reefs. Despite how dangerous it is, I always liked going out. Not so much swimming but I loved watching whales and fishing. My father cooked a lot of food on an open fire."



Jaune: "Hey, mine too! We had the mountains, and I hiked a lot. There's the Hanging Lake above Radian, and there's this beautiful waterfall! My uh..." screws up his face "Great-Great-Great Grandfather made it as a wedding gift for his bride, by redirecting a mountain river. It's called the Love Story Waterfall."



Blake: "I've heard of that! I always wanted to see it..."



They talked... And talked... Their food came, and they kept talking.



They finished their food, and Jaune paid. They then went into the bookshop... And kept talking.



Blake: "I always thought Plateau was overrated as a philosopher."



Jaune: "I dunno, I did like the dialogue he wrote about his teacher and the giant dragon monster."



Blake: "Heh. I suppose you would remember that one."



Jaune: "Well, he is talking about how a creature that is so alien to our experience would see us as... As abominations. If it was like, a pure ideal in physical form. How something pure, even if it's pure evil, would be out of place in a world that's compromised like Remnant. That's kind of neat."



Blake: "Hmph. His ideal 'Republic' is the very worst kind of tyranny."



Jaune: "Yeah, but, nobody's perfect." He made a face "Urgh. My brain feels like it's turning rusty gears remembering all that stuff."



Blake: "You know a lot more about it than I would expect a... Um, farmboy to know. No offense."



Jaune: "None taken. My mom wanted me to be a doctor, like her. But well... I wanted to be a Hunter more. Like my dad... And her."



Blake: "I see... My parents wanted me to take over their... Business as well. I worked very hard with the movement. I studied, I protested, I wrote letters... It just... It never seemed like it was enough."



Blake frowned.



Blake: "I thought that... That political power only grows out of the barrel of a gun. That if you wanted real change to happen, you needed to force it."



Jaune: frowns



Blake: "... Turns out it's... Not that simple."



Jaune: "No." He smiled softly "I used to ask my great-grandma why she didn't just force people to do what she wanted. She was... Very powerful in her youth. Everyone in the town respects her deeply. But bad things still happen."



Blake: "What did she say?"



Jaune: "She said that no one, no matter how much power they have, can fix everything. And nobody with ultimate power can be trusted not to abuse it. So... You have give and take. It sucks, but..." He shrugged. "I guess no matter how right you can feel you are, you can still be wrong."



Blake: "... I suppose there's something to that... But it's not the easiest thing to accept."



Jaune: "No."



Blake: "But it is better to accept it than to deny reality..." sighs "You've been nothing but nice to me. The others too... Even Weiss, sort of. And I just... Lash out. Like I'm fighting injustice. And... And I don't really think I am."



Jaune: "I mean... I don't think fighting injustice is the problem. It's just how you're doing it."



Blake: "I know, I know... I just don't know how to do it differently. Or if it would even work. And so I'm just... I'm frustrated. And I don't know what to do."



Jaune: "I don't know either... But I'm willing to help you, Blake. So is everyone else."



Blake: "... I'll think about it. It... That's not a no. I just..."



Jaune: nods "Yeah. I-I get it..."



They paid for their purchases and headed back out to the bike.



Blake: "... You know, all of our friends have been spying on us since we got here."



Jaune: sighs "Yeah... I'm aware."



Blake: "... You're... What do you feel about that?"



Jaune: "Well, they're concerned about you. Pyrrha's also really concerned for some reason. I guess she's just being an overly protective big sister."



Blake: stares "... Really?"



Jaune: "Well, that's how she comes off as. Like I appreciate everything she's doing for me but she keeps coddling me like she's afraid she'll break me."



Blake promised she wouldn't be mean anymore. She promised she wasn't going to stir shit anymore... But...



Blake: "I see... So... Are you still interested in Weiss?"



Jaune: "Hm? No. I mean, she's great but no. I was kind of a jerk and she was like, the opposite of my last girlfriend-Oh, um, sorry. I shouldn't mention her-"



Blake: "You're not just taking me out on a date because I remind you of her, do I~?"



Blake gets closer to Jaune. He gulps.



Jaune: "I uh... N-No! No! She um, she wasn't big on books or uh... Nerding out, really..."



Blake: "So you're... Definitely single?"



Jaune: "Y-Yes?"



Blake: "..." smirk "Not anymore." She pulls him into a kiss.



From a less than properly concealed hiding spot nearby...



Ruby: "WHAT?!"



Yang: "I-SHE'S JUST A RERUN! AND I CAN TALK NERD STUFF!"



Weiss: "How DARE she-She can't just-She's doing it to get to me, I just know it!"



Ruby: sarcastically "I thought you didn't have any feelings for him."



Weiss: "I DON'T!"



Pyrrha: twitch "Sister...?! He sees me like a sister?!"



Nora: "I don't see the problem! It's right here in one of Blakey's books: 'Incest is best, put your sister to the test!'"



Ruby: "NORA!"



Nora: "WHAT?!"



Pyrrha: blushes bright red... Considers...



Ren: sighs "Jaune... I shall pray for your departed soul."



- - -



So it turns out Blake's not quite so racist after all... But she's still a cat at heart.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Raven bursts through the door into Team AARN's dorm.

Isabel: "Oh hey Raven. Still haven't figured out how to knock, I see?"

Saia: "Hello Raven, what can we do for you?"

Raven: "... I might like Taiyang. A little. Sort of." blush

Isabel: "... Okay... And you want to...?"

Raven: "How do you... Settled people... Show a tiny bit of affection for... Someone you care about?"

Isabel: "I... Are you serious?"

Raven: "YES!"

Isabel: "Okay... How did your parents, um... Get together?"

Raven: "Our father was the strongest warrior and so he had first pick of the strongest women! The strongest became our mother! She proved this by beating up her competitors!"

Saia: "Oh... Well... Isn't that... Lovely? I'll go make some tea."

Saia does her best to not look like she's escaping. Isabel sighs.

Isabel: "Great... Ahem. Raven? We don't do that here. But um... Surely your parents did... Stuff together?"

Raven: "They had sex to conceive my runt twin and I!"

Isabel: "... Riiight... How about you go out for lunch instead? And build up to that?"

Raven: "I NEED MONEY TO DO THAT!"

Isabel: "Don't look at me! Go get some from... I dunno, Goodwitch!"

Raven: nods "I see... I should go rob Goodwitch of her money!"

Isabel: "Ohhh Breaker..." sighs "Okay... Usually the guy pays for the date. So you shouldn't have to worry about that."

Raven: "Very well! ... Do you... Think Taiyang... Likes me too?"

Isabel: "I'm pretty sure he will. You just have to ask him on a date."

Raven: "Ask?"

Isabel: "Yes... You say "Taiyang, I would like to go out on a date with you, please.'"

Raven: makes a face "'Please?' That is a weakling's word!"

Isabel: "Yes, well, it works pretty well."

Raven: "Hmph... What else should I do for this 'date'?"

Isabel relates a few more things. Raven keeps scowling.

Raven: "And makeup? Why do I need that?"

Isabel: "It makes you look prettier."

Raven: "I do not NEED to look prettier!"

Isabel: under her breath "That's a matter of opinion..."

Raven: "What was that?"

Isabel: "Oh, nothing! Nothing! Anyway, that should be all you need! We'll help you when you set a time for the date! Promise!"

Raven: "Good! You'd better, or I'll gut you like a pig, Medicine Girl!" She stalks off

Isabel: "... Took your damn time with that tea, Saia!"

Saia: "I'M SORRY! SHE'S SUPER SCARY!"

- - -

What else did Summer and Isabel's teams get up to when they were at Beacon together?

And I changed Isabel's team name to
AARN (Amaranth.)

Isabel Arc
Arjun Sarkara
Saia Radhri
Nicholas Noname

Unofficial Names: Arson, Arsenic, Arse (Always from behind.)

 

[AndrewJTalon]

-Pyrrha meets a potential suitor at a high society party her mother made her go to: Turns out it's Jaune, as he is the great-grandson of former Empress Arturia Pendragon. He's not very happy to be there (any more than she is) and they bond over the experience.

Click to shrink...

- - -



The ballroom was in the old Jade Exposition Building in Downtown Vale. It was a gorgeous greenhouse of lightly green tinted glass held up by Dust forged steel, forming a lattice in the shape of a series of ocean waves frozen in time. Exotic plants from across Remnant filled the interior, in between floors of the purest marble. Fountains sculpted from the finest seastone dotted the floors, while gorgeous birds and butterflies flew overhead. The highest echelons of Vale's society filled the ballroom in tuxedos and dresses that cost tens of thousands of lien, talking and dancing and eating to live music performed by some of the best musicians that could be spared from the Vale Philharmonic.



It was truly a breathtaking spectacle. One that Pyrrha Nikos loathed with every fiber of her being.



"Don't slouch, Pyrrha," her mother Athena gently admonished her, "You're picking up bad habits from your schoolmates."



"Yes Mother," Pyrrha returned dutifully, standing resplendant in a red dress perfectly tailored to show off her body. She could feel the jealous looks of numerous upper class women and the lustful eyes of men of all ages and classes. Yet she retained her poise, and her dazzling smile.



(Smile Number 23: 'All is right with the world'.)



"Don't be so down," Athena consoled her daughter, adjusting her glasses minutely so as not to spoil her make up, "I found a good one for you this time!"



"Yes Mother," Pyrrha managed, her smile not dipping even a tiny bit.



She hated these introductions. Mother was trying to find her a husband: Someone she could marry out of school. It seemed that because Athena Nikos' own marriage had been a catastrophe, she was determined to ensure Pyrrha's wasn't.



Pyrrha had done her very best to politely turn down every suitor so far. Athena respected her opinions on that, at least. Every time though, she had to get more creative with why they didn't live up to her standards.



Simply put: They weren't Jaune Arc.



Jaune... He said he had to go see to some family business this weekend. Ren and Nora had gone out to have another of their 'not-dates'. And RWBY... Well they did their own things.



If only the White Fang would crash this event, Pyrrha thought longingly, as her mother guided her underneath a beautiful tree with purple flowers covering the branches, Maybe I could get out of this.

"He really is good!" Athena insisted with a beam. "His great-grandmother is here tonight! You were excited about her, weren't you?"



To be fair to her insufferable mother... Pyrrha was. She looked across the ballroom to a set of white table clothed tables, behind which were stately high-backed chairs probably worth more than her weapons. Sitting in them were two of the greatest warriors Remnant had ever seen in the Great War:



Former Queen Arturia Pendragon, and her husband Shirou. Both radiant in their dress: Arturia opting for a blue and white dress that showed off that, despite being over a hundred years old, she was still fit and prim. She wore a simple gold band around her white hair.



Her husband Shirou, Master of the Unlimited Blade Works, was in a long red coat with a black vest, pants, and white undershirt with a blue tie. Despite being the same age as his wife, he too looked fit and strong with his slicked back white hair and keen blue eyes.



Both looked rather bored, which helped Pyrrha a lot more than she thought it would. Her smile was a little more natural.



"I am," Pyrrha admitted. Athena beamed.



"Getting a direct audience with her is nearly impossible! She's been living in some boonie hick town with her husband since the war, can you believe it? But, she brought her great-grandchildren here! He goes to school at Beacon! The sheer luck!"



Beacon? Pyrrha frowned inside. She wracked her brains for anyone named Pendragon at Beacon. Nobody came to mind, though admittedly she didn't pay all that much attention to students outside of combat class and her friends.



Oh, her mother was still talking. She should probably pay attention.



"He's not much in terms of combat or grades. But the name is the important thing! And if he's a bit weak willed, you can manage him better," Athena went on. Pyrrha internally grimaced.



Oh great. Some loser riding off his family name. What kind of sad, pathetic waste of space did she get me this time?

She just wanted to be back at Beacon. Away from all this. Away from-



"Oh! Here he comes!" Athena whispered, beaming brightly. "And his sister, too!"



Pyrrha turned and looked out at the crowd. She could spot a tall blond young man in a smart black tuxedo. Alongside him was a pretty, short blonde girl with a messy hair cut up in a ponytail, wearing a smart dark blue business suit with a skirt.



The blond man ate up all of her attention as Pyrrha's eyes went wide.



It can't be...?!



Jaune Arc smiled nervously at her and shrugged.



"Hey Pyr. Fancy uh, fancy running into you here?"



The blonde girl snorted.



"Yeah. 'Fancy'," she observed in a cold voice.



Pyrrha blinked in shock. Jaune didn't notice and plowed on ahead.



"Oh! This is my little-URK!"



The girl elbowed him, hard. Jaune coughed.



"My younger sister Tangerine, but you can call her Tangy. Tangy? This is Pyrrha Nikos, my partner."



"Charmed," Tangy stated dryly. Pyrrha curtesyed back. Her mother stepped up with a broad smile.



"Hello Lord and Lady Arc! I am Athena Nikos, you of course know my daughter Pyrrha! Oh, how wonderful to finally meet you! Your great-grandmother has been such a recluse! I haven't been able to get anywhere near her!"



"Yes, I'm sure," Tangy said dryly, eyes ice cold. "Bro, how about you and your partner go have a chat, huh?"



"Sure thing," Jaune said, taking Pyrrha's hand. She nearly swooned, but she kept it together.



It was Jaune. Her Jaune!



- - -



He led her out into one of the secluded courtyards of the greenhouse, the sounds of the orchestra muffled by the thick glass panes. Only a few waiters lingered nearby, on a smoke break, but she didn't care.



Her heart was fit to burst with joy. Jaune! Her Jaune!



Yet... So many questions filled her head. So many things needed answering!



"Relax Pyr, I'm not running away," Jaune managed with a nervous smile. Pyrrha belatedly realized she was holding onto Jaune's arm in a vise grip. She released him and blushed. She coughed.



"Ah, s-sorry," she managed. "I-I just... I had no idea you were... You were..."



"Nana Arturia's greatgrandson?" He rubbed the back of his head with a sigh. "Yeah. Papa Shirou is my great-grandfather. After the war, when my Nana abdicated, they retired to Radian and did a lot of information control to avoid drawing too much attention to themselves. So uh, yeah. He's an Arc. So is she. And well..." He shrugged.



"I have to do this every now and again because Nana needs to maintain her political standing," Jaune sighed.



"I-I see," Pyrrha nodded. Jaune smiled and shrugged.



"Its uh... It's not a lot of fun, really," he admitted.



"N-No... No, it isn't," Pyrrha said with a warm, relieved smile.



This... This was perfect. She could ask Jaune to pose as her fiance! That would keep her mother off her back, and let her work up the courage to express how she truly felt! It would keep him from going after Weiss! She just... She just had to explain it... Had to...



"I um... Is your great-grandmother pushing you to get married?" Pyrrha asked carefully. Jaune shrugged.



"I mean... If there's a connection between the two, sometimes she'll give a nudge. She doesn't force it. She just wanted a quiet life, after all. Why, is your mom...?"



Pyrrha slowly nodded.



"She... She is," she admitted. "She's um... She's very keen on my future."



Jaune grimaced.



"Oh. I-I had no idea. I'm sorry."



"Y-Yes," Pyrrha managed. "So um..." She worried her hands, "So uh... You don't like doing these things?"



"Not at all," Jaune sighed.



"I don't either," Pyrrha said, wild hope beating hard in her chest, "So um... I was... I was wondering if-"



A short blonde girl in a blue skirt and jacket stepped up to Jaune's side, and gripped his arm. She smiled widely, though with her intense eyes it looked very intimidating.



"Hey Jaune. Nana and Papa want to talk to you," she stated sweetly, "And they're not taking no for an answer. I think Nana's about to pull out Excalibur to take off someone's head."



Jaune winced.



"Geez... That bad, huh?" He smiled at her in exasperation. "Well, I'll do what I can. I'll be right back Pyr, promise."



He scowled playfully at his younger sister.



"Be nice," he said. Tangy sniffed.



"I am nice," she retorted.



"I mean regular nice," Jaune admonished, before turning and heading out the doors. Tangy then turned her glare on the waiters, who suddenly had other places to be and shuffled out. Pyrrha blinked in some astonishment. That was some glare.



"All right," Tangy stated, her voice cold and hard as an Atlasian winter, "I'm making this clear: You aren't the first blessed bimbo to look his way."



"I-I beg your pardon-?" Pyrrha asked, eyes wide, but Tangy didn't let her finish.



"You see a kind, simple, hardworking farm boy who isn't part of these bullshit social games and you think 'Oh, my savior! He'll see the real me! I'll be free from all this social obligation and I'll be happy!'"



Pyrrha winced. Tangy's icy glare didn't let up.



"Am I in the ballpark?" She growled.



"It-It's not like that!" Pyrrha insisted, "We're partners! I-I'm training him-!"



"Yeah. I know," Tangy stated firmly, "I also know your type. You may actually know how to fight but you're hopeless at being sincere. So one earnest farmboy gets your attention and you plan to ask your mother to accept an engagement."



Pyrrha grimaced.



"It-It-He wouldn't-!"



"No. He wouldn't say no," Tangy growled, her brow tight and her teeth grit, "He's kind and caring and selfless. He'd do it in a heartbeat for you."

Tangy crossed her arms over her chest and glared death.



"So what's in it for him?"



Pyrrha gaped.



"Wha-How can you-I've saved his life! I-I care... I care deeply for him-!"



"You've known him for less than a year and you're already thinking of wedding bells?" Tangy scoffed. "You really think that will work? No matter how much you insist upon it, if you even get the courage to admit your real feelings-"



Pyrrha winced again, but Tangy kept talking.



"-There will always be that uncertainty in the back of his head. He'll wonder if he did it just because you needed help. He'll wonder if you were just bored with your celebrity life and wanted him for some sincerity and love. Like he was a pet or something."



Anger surged in Pyrrha's breast. She glared back at the short girl.



"I would never do that-!"



"You can't even be honest with your feelings for him," Tangy shot back, "Why should I believe a word you say? Like I said... I've seen it before. Some bored rich girl hoping that a bit of honesty and even lust for a normal life is the same as love. It isn't."



"It's not like that!" Pyrrha growled, clenching her fists. Tangy didn't even flinch.



"Then why are you trying to shackle him down before you even tell him a word? Is that something a woman in love would do? Or is it something a desperately lonely girl would do?"



Pyrrha opened her mouth... Then slowly closed it. She bowed her head. Shame filled her.



"I... I don't... I don't know..." She admitted.



"Lying is sometimes necessary to get things done, or for a greater good," Tangy stated firmly, "But not when it comes to my brother. You don't get to lie to him like this. Not if you really care for him. I won't let you."



Her mask was close to breaking. She felt hot tears at the corners of her eyes. She fought them back as she always had, but... Jaune...



Tangy sighed softly. Pyrrha managed to look back up at her. Her expression was less cold rage and more pity. She hated it.



"... I just... I don't really know... How to be honest with my feelings," Pyrrha whispered.



"Then until you figure it out," Tangy stated flatly, "You're not pulling any shit with my brother. Sort your crap out with your mother. Be honest with him. Until you can do those things? Don't even think about some engagement racket. You're not the first to try it, and I will not let you get away with it."

Pyrrha was silent, morose. She then slowly nodded.



"... You're right," she murmured. "I... I'm sorry."



Tangy's glare softened, just a hair.



"Look," she murmured, "I get how dysfunctional people can get with crazy mothers. I was lucky to get a functionally crazy one. That's how I know that this isn't how you want this to go, believe me. Not unless you want to destroy him... And you. And I don't think you want that."



How many high society girls had she scoffed at in secret? How many had she looked down upon... And here she was, trying the very same things they would do. She felt like the lowest of the low.



"... No," Pyrrha whispered.



Only the muffled sounds of the party could be heard for a time. Tangy let out a sigh.



"Look," she said, "If you promise not to pull any crazy bullshit like trying to get engaged... You can go out there. You can dance with him. You can have fun. You can get to know him as more than just... Just this prize. All right? If you can do that... I'll give my tacit approval."



Pyrrha looked at Tangy in a mixture of shock and hope. Tangy shook her head, and held up a single well manicured finger.



"You try anything like this again though? I will destroy you. Count on it."



It was strange to feel utterly helpless... And yet still feel hopeful. Pyrrha slowly nodded.



"... You must love him very much," Pyrrha murmured. Tangy flushed a bit and scoffed.



"Please. Family's a sunk cost investment. I'm just making sure he doesn't embarrass me."



Pyrrha slowly nodded.



"I-I see..."



Tangy huffed.



"Now get out there before I change my mind. You're a high risk investment as it is. Especially with that bitch of a mother."



Pyrrha flushed... But smiled.



"... Thank you," she whispered. She quickly fixed her make up before she headed out, feeling Tangy's eyes on her the whole time.



She found Jaune by the head table, talking excitedly with his great-grandparents. For the first time all night, they actually looked interested. Jaune turned to look at her as she approached, and smiled broadly.



"Oh hey! This is Pyrrha! I was just telling them about you, Pyr!"



Pyrrha met Arturia and Shirou's eyes. She bowed politely, in the form she used when she was in the arena.



"I am honored to meet you, Your Majesties," she said, "And more honored to call Jaune my friend."



Arturia's gaze was as hard and piercing as Tangy's. Her husband's stern glare was no better, but Pyrrha steeled herself.



After a moment, Arturia smiled gently. A smile she shared with her husband.



"It is an honor to meet you, Pyrrha," Arturia spoke, "I am glad my great-grandson has someone looking after him."



Jaune blushed, and then smiled.



"I'm glad too," he said, shyly meeting her eyes. Pyrrha smiled back warmly.



"Same... So... Um... Can... Can we dance, Jaune?"



"Sure!" Jaune said with a grin. "Excuse me, Nana, Papa."



"You're excused," Shirou chuckled, "Have fun."



"Thank you, sir," Pyrrha said with a nod back, letting Jaune pull her out to the dance floor, "We will. I-I promise."



And they did. Even under Tangy's watchful glare.



- - -



Well, that went in a different direction than planned. But I hope you liked it.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -



Pyrrha reached out for the book in the book store. It was innocuous enough. She was in her go-to disguise for public outings: Hoodie, sunglasses, face mask. She also slouched a bit. No one would confuse her for Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl.



Especially not here. Not in this bookstore-



"Pyrrha?"



Her name was whispered, but it sounded like an alarm klaxon. Shakily, Pyrrha looked to her right.



Standing there in a similar disguise was a shorter, paler girl. Yet behind the sunglasses she could make out yellow eyes.



And beyond that... Her magnetic signature was too familiar to discard.



"Blake?"



The clerk looked up from his desk with a bored expression.



"Will you ladies buy your porn or get out? It's almost closing time!"



"Erotica!" They both shouted at the offending man, before looking at one another in shock.



"Whatever," the guy snorted, going back to his Scroll.



- - -



They bought their books and went outside. They sat down together on a bench in a nearby park. Children played on a playground while their parents watched. Pyrrha took deep, calming breaths. Blake sat with a nervous expression, playing with the handles on her opaque paper bag.



"I uh... I didn't know you were... Into that sort of thing," Pyrrha tried. Blake stared. Pyrrha flushed, and bowed her head.



"Okay, I did," Pyrrha mumbled.



"You are a bit more of a surprise," Blake said quietly, fidgeting on the bench.



"I-I just think Miya Akatsuki is a wonderful author," Pyrrha said defensively, "Her plots are funny, engaging, dramatic-"



"And hot?" Blake asked. Pyrrha's blush deepened.



"... Y-Yes," she mumbled. "I um... I needed... Something to relieve stress from all the appearances... Autograph signings..." She made a face.



"Commercials..."



"I completely understand," Blake said gently. She reached out and squeezed Pyrrha's hand. It was a very comforting gesture: One she didn't expect from the normally tactiturn Cat Faunus.



"I... It's hard to believe you're being so... Kind," Pyrrha said. She winced. "Um, no offense-"



"None taken," Blake said, "I am, um... I am trying to be less anti-social. I just..." She smiled. "I'm just so glad to find someone who likes the same things I do. I'll admit, Murasaki's take on the harem genre is spectacular!"



"I know right?" Pyrrha giggled. "He makes all the characters so believable and the lead male is so endearing! He's not oblivious, he's just juggling so much! I just... It's so engrossing."



A beat of silence.



"And hot," Blake added.



"Yesss," Pyrrha hissed happily.



Blake smiled.



"Would... Would you like to read these... Together?"



Pyrrha blushed.



"I... I would like that," she said quietly.



Blake frowned and then hesitated.



"Your uh... Your team leader isn't going to think this is filth, is he? Mine... Had a harsh reaction to my reading material."



Pyrrha blushed heavily.



"N-No! Of course not! Um, he's not aware, but-but he... He reads a lot of less, um, risque literature from the same sources."



Blake raised an eyebrow.



"Does he~?"



A flare of jealousy burst in Pyrrha's heart... But she calmed herself.



"Yes... But... Let's keep this between us, for now... Friend?"



Blake stared at Pyrrha for a long, silent moment. Pyrrha internally winced.



Stupid stupid stupid! Why... Why do all my PR lessons vanish the moment I'm with someone whose opinion I care about-?!



"I would like that... Friend."



Pyrrha stared at Blake. She stared back.



They smiled. They scooted a bit closer together and began to look through the books.



They didn't read them though. That they would reserve for when they had some privacy...



- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Saia was doing some laundry in the laundry room: Arjun's in particular. She bends over to get into a dryer, and stands up... To see a smiling young man with silver hair and dark eyes.

Saia: "Oh! Hello...?"

Jett: "Jett Ivory."

Saia: "Yes, hello Jett. What can I do for you?"

Jett: "Well, I just wanted to ask... Why are you doing laundry for that prince of yours?"

Saia: "He's my prince. Of course I'm going to do laundry for him."

Jett: "But you don't have to. You're both students. Make him do his own laundry!"

Saia: "I'm doing it for him." She pulled more clothing out of the dryer

Jett: "Yeah, but why? He's always so cold to you! He's a total jerk... Why do you put up with him?"

Saia: tense "Because it's my duty to my prince."

Jett: scowls "He doesn't even have a kingdom anymore! He's not a prince, you don't owe him any-"

Saia: "Stop it!"

Saia glares at Jett, who stares in shock. Saia takes a deep breath, calming herself.

Saia: "As long... As long as he's alive... We have hope that our kingdom can be ours again! That we can get back what was taken! How dare you say he's not a prince! That-that we don't have a kingdom anymore!"

Jett: "I-Sorry-!"

Saia: "Don't talk to me about this ever again!" She huffs, and storms off. Jett watches her go.

Jett: "Geez... What's her problem...?"

Back in the AARN dorm, Saia comes in, still upset. Arjun, studying, looks up with a frown.

Arjun: "Saia? What's wrong?"

Saia: "I... It is nothing, Prince Arjun. Do not be concerned-"

Arjun: "Saia..." He rises and walks over to her. He holds the laundry basket "You are the only servant I have left. Your welfare is my concern. So... What is it?"

Saia: "I..." sighs "Some student thought you were... Mistreating me. He did not believe you were a prince... That we do not have a kingdom anymore. I became very angry with him."

Arjun: "... I see." He sighed

Saia: "I apologize for my lack of control, Prince Arjun. You cannot afford me to be weak-"

Arjun: "There is nothing to apologize for."

Saia: "But-But Prince Arjun-!"

Arjun: "The bleating of fools does not matter to me, Saia." He looks into her eyes "I made a promise to you... To our people. One day, I will reclaim the throne. I will free our people. And I will get you back to our home. I intend to keep that promise, Saia. No matter how many people think it is impossible... I swear. I will do this."

Saia: sniffles "Prince Arjun..."

Arjun dabs her eyes with one of his shirts. She gasps.

Saia: "P-Prince Arjun! You shouldn't-!"

Arjun: "It's a shirt, Saia." sighs "You shouldn't fuss over me. I can take care of myself."

Saia: "Yes, but..." She refolds the shirt "You are working so hard... I-I wish to do whatever I can to ease your burden, My Prince. You... You are our hope."

Arjun: sighs, small smile "... Then do as you wish. I will not stop you."

Saia: smiles "Thank you, My Prince."

Someone clears their throat. Both Arjun and Saia look over at a smirking Isabel and Qrow, and a grinning Nick.

Arjun: annoyed "... Something we can help you with?"

Isabel: "Do you two need to be alone?"

Arjun: "Yes! Must I suffer you fools constantly? Can I not have some peace with my maid?"

Qrow: "Looks like you want a piece of your-"

A arrow shoots right by Qrow's ear and imbeds itself in the wall behind him. Qrow looks back at the arrow, and then back at Arjun who is notching another arrow.

Arjun: "Would you like to complete that thought, Branwen? It will be the last you ever have."

Saia: "My Prince! Please! It-It was a mere jest!" blush "Of-Of course you would never have a romantic interest in-in a mere maid! It's ridiculous!"

Arjun: "I..." coughs "Yes... Of course..."

Saia: "If you will excuse me, My Prince. Friends. Branwen." She leaves with the laundry to sort it.

Qrow: "Huh... And people say I'm bad with women."

Arjun: "I can still kill you."

Qrow: "Yeah, but I'm still right."

Nick: "Come on, Arjun! I think it's great you and Saia have kissy feelings for each other!"

Arjun: "We don't. She is my loyal servant. I made a promise to her. To free our homeland. There is no romantic interest involved! I would make that promise to any of my subjects. Their welfare is my duty."

Isabel: "Uh huh... We totally believe you, Arjun." nods

Arjun: "Sarcasm is for those without anything intelligent to say, you know."

Isabel: "Isn't that just what people say when they don't have a good comeback?"

Arjun: glares "... I would shoot you with an arrow if I didn't know it wouldn't do anything."

Qrow: "Thinking of penetrating another woman? What would Saia think?"

Arjun: "BRANWEN YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Now... Admittedly, I haven't done anything with Roman Torchwick in this verse because, well... Cowboy!Jaune would be rather straightforward about dealing with him.

However? I have an idea...

- - -

Roman Torchwick wasn't having the best night. Bad enough Red's Kitty friend and her boyfriend were crashing his deal with the White Fang, now she got backup?!

He was tough, sure, but he was a Gentleman Thief. Not Gentleman Bruiser! And none of these White Fang were worth their pay given how a bunch of school kids were clobbering them!

He turned to give a parting, pithy remark to Red and her little friends... When his trademark hat went flying off his head as a rifle boomed.

"What the-?!"

He spotted the shooter. His eyes went wide.

No... No way... It can't be...!

From this distance... That hat. That poncho. The hair was a little blonder, maybe, and he couldn't make out the face behind the scope... But who else could it be?

"Next one's taking off your head, Torchwick!" Someone bellowed. Roman paled.

No fucking way... Blanco?!

He had very seldom needed to hit the emergency button... But he clicked it anyway. Neo had been told to hang around. If she wanted any more ice cream then by God she was gonna respond!

"Well, see, about that..."

He felt Neo's Semblance slide in front of him, like a mirror curtain descending on the world. Roman looked over at his adoptive daughter/partner sitting on a crate nearby. She was licking an ice cream cone and smirking a bit.

"What took you?!" Roman hissed. "That's Blanco out there!"

Neo paused. She then grinned.

"No, you are not gonna fight him!" Roman growled, hustling away under the cover of Neo's illusions. "Once was bad enough!"

Neo pouted. She then signed something a bit more complex. Roman shook his head.

"I don't care if it's his understudy! We are not tangling with that man! NOW GO!"

They managed to run to the Bullhead and took off, just as the illusion broke. Gunfire followed them, but the aircraft fled with one container of Dust still underneath. Roman sighed and sat back on the Bullhead.

"Great," he muttered, "Now they know you're working with me."

Neo looked thoughtful. She then held up his hat. Roman took it into his hands and mournfully poked a finger through the bullet hole.

"That helps a little... But you know what the Hatter's gonna charge me to repair this?"

Neo shrugged.

"No I'm not buying a new one! This is my hat! That's the point!"

- - -

Back on the ground, Jaune finally made it to the meeting point with the rest of his friends and the two newcomers.

"Pyrrha? Ren? Scout out for any strays, bring 'em back here. I think we got most of 'em but let's be thorough," Jaune ordered, handing out some rope. Pyrrha smiled as Ren nodded.

"Of course Jaune!"

"On it."

They ran off. Jaune looked at the White Fang members all lying on the ground, moaning and otherwise incapacitated. He handed another bundle of rope to Nora.

"Tie 'em up, and stand guard," Jaune ordered. Nora saluted.

"Aye aye, Captain! Can I break their kneecaps if they try to run away?"

Jaune waited until he felt the eyes of the White Fang members on him, and nodded.

"Yup. And if they crawl away, you can shoot 'em," Jaune stated.

"WOO!" Nora cheered, taking the rope and running out.

That done, Jaune looked to Blake, who was standing off a bit awkwardly away from the rest of Team RWBY with that blond monkey Faunus boy.

Ain't he ever heard of buttons? Jaune thought to himself. He looked at Blake intently.

"You all right, Miss Belladonna?" He asked.

Blake slowly nodded, squeezing her bicep nervously.

"Y-Yes... Thank you."

"Just doin' my job," Jaune said kindly. He smiled at the monkey Faunus Boy. "Thank you fer keepin' her safe, Mister...?"

"Wukong! Sun Wukong!" Sun volunteered with a pose. He chuckled. "Man! You look like you walked right out of a movie!"

"Er, thanks, get that a lot," Jaune said. His eyes settled on the strange orange-haired girl also with them. She smiled and waved.

"Salutations, Jaune Arc! I am Penny Polendina! I am combat ready!"

"... Thank you Miss, I can see that," Jaune said with a nod and smile, "You sure are somethin' else with those flyin' swords!"

"Oh, I didn't do much, for I am just a normal human girl!" Penny said with a wave of her hand and a smile. Jaune blinked.

"Er... Certainly, Miss."

He looked at the rest of Team RWBY. Ruby herself looked very worried, Weiss was scowling, and Yang was forcing a smile.

"You all okay?" He asked.

Ruby raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't know you had a scope for your rifle," she said, half-accusatory. Jaune shrugged.

"Haven't needed it until now," he said, his rifle still on the prisoners.

"Good shootin', Tex," Yang chuckled with a wink, "You that precise with a rifle all the time?"

"Yes miss, I am," Jaune said with a nod... Then he blushed as Yang smirked. "Er... Um..."

"Not the time, Xiao-Long," Weiss growled. Yang winced.

"Just... Trying to lighten the mood?"

Jaune wasn't exactly an expert in interpersonal relations... But having seven sisters? He knew when it was his job to butt out.

"We'll watch the prisoners until the cops get here," Jaune said quietly, "So... You can talk things out. All right?"

"I... Thank you, Jaune," Ruby said with a warm smile. Jaune nodded and tipped his hat again.

"No problem, miss."

Team RWBY walked off to one of the docks. Jaune kept his eyes on the prisoners, as Nora gleefully tied them up while singing a bawdy barroom song. Sun and Penny stood there, Penny as ramrod straight and still as ever, Sun bouncing on his heels with nervous energy.

"So," Jaune said, "Where you two from?"

"Mistral, Haven Academy," Sun said with a grin. "I showed up early to scope out the town, have some fun!"

"Atlas!" Penny said cheerfully, "I am here to acclimatize myself to the environment I will be at for the Vytal Tournament, and to make friends!"

"Sounds good," Jaune agreed with a nod. "Welcome to Vale. I ain't too familiar with it myself, cept for Beacon and the stockyards, but it's a nice enough place."

"Stockyards? What, you're an actual cowboy?" Sun asked with a blink. "You're not just cosplaying?"

"Cos-what?" Jaune asked with a blink. There was a loud commotion at the front of the docks. The sound of hoofbeats filled the air. Racing around a pile of containers was Orleans, who skidded to a halt just in front of Jaune and began to lick him.

"Ack! Hey! Okay, okay! Nice to see you too, girl!" Jaune laughed. He reached up and patted the back of his horse's neck comfortingly. "I know staying' out the fight ain't yer thing, but it was mighty dangerous around here."

Orleans pouted. Penny beamed.

"A horse! As a normal human girl, I love horses!" She walked up and held up sugar cubes. "Here you go, girl!"

Orleans sniffed the cubes, and then Penny with a dubious look in her eyes... Before she licked them up. She neighed happily, as Penny reached up and stroked her neck.

"Such an amazing example of Equus ferus caballus! And with her Aura unlocked too!" Penny patted Orleans on the head. "You are a magnificent violation of Atlasian Law 405-7! Yes you are! Yes you are!"

Jaune and Sun blinked. They looked at each other.

"... Women, huh?" Sun asked with a shrug.

Jaune sighed, then nodded.

"Eeyup."

Friendship thus established, Sun grinned.

"So... You do realize you look like the Man without a Name, right?"

Jaune blinked.

"The what without who now?"

- - -

Because Roman Torchwick would have been one of the few criminals to have escaped Blanco, aka The Man With No Name expy in this universe. Which is like escaping Boba Fett or Samus Aran. It's NOT easy.

And even running into a guy who just looks like him and shoots like him is enough to make Roman decide "Nope, I'm out."

At least for now...

 

[AndrewJTalon]

I wanted to write something else, but then this happened:

- - -

Cinder went through the transfer papers one more time. It was late, Emerald and Mercury were already asleep, and yet... She couldn't let it go. She had to make sure it was all perfect, every bit.

This plan... It was everything. Everything she had worked for, everything she had bled for.

She sighed as she looked out the safehouse window. She narrowed her eyes as she saw a familiar form climb out of the window next door and get up onto the roof.

"Idiot," she muttered. She rose and walked to the window. She opened it and then jumped out and up, climbing to the roof. The power of the Maiden thrummed under her skin, and almost felt strongest under the moon. How curious.

She put the sensation out of her mind as she glared at Jack.

"Why are you still up?" She demanded, "You should be resting. You're no good to anyone if you're exhausted."

Jack grimaced and bowed his head. It was strange how easily she could scold him. He actually cared about her opinions, even though if he willed it, she would be killed.

Not now, not when she had the Maiden's power... Well, half of it... But still.

"Sorry," Jack admitted, "I had the dream again."

Cinder stared at him, taken aback. Only the sounds of honking cars and the wind filled the city night. She shook her head slowly.

"You shouldn't... Worry about things like that," she said quietly.

"I do," Jack stated calmly, staring into her eyes. "I got careless, while you were taking the Maiden power."

"You..."

Cinder sighed. Her mind was cast back to that day. It should have been a triumph: They'd cornered Ozpin's Maiden. She had insisted on wandering alone wherever she wished. Her bodyguard, the unlucky drunk swordsman, was distracted. They'd fallen upon her and despite her power, they had taken her down. They were draining her of her magical power.

The power... It was what Cinder had craved all her long life. Even now, she felt so much more. More than some scullery maid or slave.

The swordsman had arrived sooner than they thought. Jack, in his cloak, had thrown himself into battle against him. Despite Jack's skill and training, despite anything else his mother may have done...

He had gotten struck across his chest. Blood had erupted from his armor. Cinder had called it off, and they'd retreated under a hail of flames she had conjured up. Mercury had carried Jack while Emerald cast illusions to cover their escape.

It had been a near thing. Thankfully, Branwen had been more concerned with the dying Maiden than them. Jack's Aura had healed him, and they'd gotten away.

Even so... It was an unacceptable... Interruption of their plans.

"You did get careless," Cinder stated in flat angry tones. Even as a chill went up her spine at the memory. "The Maiden Power is important. Half of it in our possession is... Is better than losing you."

Jack stared at her. Her eyes narrowed.

"Your mother would make me suffer the worst pain and agony imaginable if I lost you," she said in quiet anger.

Jack nodded.

"I know... But if I hadn't, you'd have been cut in half."

That... That was true. Qrow Branwen may have been a drunk, but he was formidable. He'd brushed past Emerald's illusions, parried Mercury's strike with contemptuous ease. If Jack hadn't been there...

"... Still," Cinder sighed, "You really shouldn't be out here. With us."

Jack looked away from her, onto the lights of the city.

"... I should know what the human world is like," he said, "Where I came from... Before we destroy it. I should know what it was before Mother wipes it clean. The New World won't be better unless we know what the Old World was like, right?"

Cinder snorted. Salem's overall plans were vague, at best. She promised power, influence, and a place in a new order. That was enough for her.

"It's not worth remembering," Cinder opined, walking up and sitting next to him. Jack stared at her.

"But you, Emerald, and Mercury came from it. So did Mother, long ago."

"So?" Cinder demanded.

"So," Jack said, looking back out at it, "It can't be all bad."

She was not blushing. She was not.

Honestly, she needed to nip this in the bud. Now. He'd been confusing and vexing her since they'd met, and with how crucial this operation was? They couldn't afford any distractions.

With that in mind... She decided to be direct.

"... If you wanted to woo me... If-If you wanted me," Cinder said, almost nervous, "You just had to ask."

Jack looked at her in confusion.

"Huh?"

Cinder glared, even as her cheeks burned bright red.

"You... You want me, don't you? As... As your woman? I... I'd be willing to do it. You... You'd just have to order me! So why... Why are you doing all this?"

Jack blinked rapidly. He blushed.

"What?!"

"Isn't... Isn't that why you're doing all of this?" She demanded. "The kindness? Defending me? The... The personal entreaties? You're trying to make me care for you, aren't you? Why bother? I... I'm bound to your service! You could make me do anything you want!"

Jack blinked a few times. He cleared his throat as his face burned red.

"Cinder... Y-yeah. I could do that. But... You were already a slave. Already forced to do things you didn't want to do. Why would I want you to suffer like that?"

"I... You have power over me," Cinder explained, exasperated and angry, "Why wouldn't you abuse that power over me?! Why are you playing these games?!"

"I don't know what you mean, Cinder," Jack said, "I just care about you. I want you to be happy."

Cinder's jaw dropped. She stared at him in utter disbelief.

"I... But... Wh-Why?!" She finally demanded.

Jack shrugged.

"I like you. I like Emerald and Mercury too, but... I like you the most. You're strong, you're smart, you... You treat me like a normal person. You look after me." He smiled gently. "And I think you're beautiful. And I just want you to be happy."

She looked at her knees, feeling like a lost little girl again.

"... Why would you want that?" She whispered.

Jack scooted up to her.

"If I have power over people I care about, why wouldn't I want them to be happy?" He asked. "I don't like the idea of anyone I care about suffering or being in pain. You... You make my life better."

He leaned in a bit.

"Do... Do you care about me too, Cinder?"

Cinder was silent for a while, the city ambiance washing over them. She sucked in a deep breath.

"... If I said yes, what would you want me to do?" She asked, soft as a butterfly wing.

"Only what you wanted to do," Jack said earnestly.

Cinder sighed and shook her head.

"You're a sentimental fool, you know that right?" She muttered.

Jack smiled.

"Yeah. That's why I'm lucky to have you around."

Cinder snorted, though there was a hint of a smile on her lips.

"You don't have to answer or anything," Jack said, "Just... Ya know... That's how I feel."

He looked out at the world again. Cinder looked out with him.

"I still think this is a mind game of yours," Cinder admitted.

Jack blinked a few times.

"I was never good at those," he admitted, "Uncle Hazel always won... Or lost...?" He frowned. "I don't know for sure."

Cinder snorted again. He scooted up a little closer. She sighed and leaned against him.

"... You're a hopeless idiot," she muttered.

Jack nodded with a smile.

"I know."

"I might just use you for my own purposes," Cinder muttered again.

"I know that too."

She scowled.

"Do you have to be so sincere?! You're going to get us caught at Beacon."

Jack coughed.

"Sorry..."

Cinder grumbled. She felt his arm go up around her shoulders, and she let him hold her. He was very warm and it was a little cold out.

"Just... Don't do anything stupid, all right? Leave everything to me," she ordered.

Jack chuckled.

"I always do..."

- - -

Yang Xiao-Long sighed as she walked back towards the dorms. Her gym session had run overly long due to some stupid drama between Blake and Weiss, she'd missed dinner-In a word, she was done.

She walked the Beacon campus, grumbling under her breath... When she smelled food. She followed her nose, and her eyes soon located the source:

Jaune Arc, of all people, sitting on a bench and looking up at the sky. He had a to-go box of chicken fingers and fries, with some sodas. Her mouth watered. Okay, so it was greasy and unhealthy as fuck: At this moment, she didn't care.

"Hey VB."

Jaune looked away from the stars, startled. He then sighed.

"Oh, hey Yang," he said. "Late from the gym?"

"Yeah," Yang said with a nod, "Thought you were training with Pyrrha?"

"We had to cut it early due to a call from her mom," Jaune explained. He picked up a chicken finger and put it in his mouth, chewing softly.

"Mind spotting me some food?" Yang asked with a grin, "I missed dinner."

She leaned over and winked at him. Hey, if he was sharing some food, she may as well be nice... And tease him a little. She loved doing that.

Strangely he didn't even seem to notice. He just nodded and went back to looking up at the sky. Yang frowned a little, but soon her stomach growled and she walked over to sit next to him. She dug in happily, enjoying the greasy goodness.

"So," she said, after dousing her hunger with some food, "Why are you out here, anyway? Thinking up love poems for Weiss?"

She popped a soda and drank it. Jaune shook his head.

"No. Just remembering my brother. This was the day he..."

He trailed off, and shrugged.

Yang paused and set the soda can down. She looked at Jaune, really looked at him. His body language could often be overly dramatic but it was rarely so... Down.

She put it together in an instant.

"Oh... I'm sorry," she murmured. "I can go if-"

"No, no, it's cool," Jaune said, shaking his head, "Um... I mean, you're still hungry and... And I can't eat all this myself."

Yang nodded slowly. She ate, though more slowly. Jaune kept staring up at the sky.

She hesitated.

"... You... Want to talk about it?" She asked. Jaune shook his head.

"I... I mean... You probably don't want to-"

"If you want to, that's okay," Yang said gently. Jaune turned to stare at her. He shrugged.

"It... Not much to say," he admitted. "His name was Jack. He was my twin. We were... We were five. On a camping trip around Argus. We were just having fun near the edge of the campsite... We'd found this really cool stick and... Well... We were walking back to the tents. We were still in sight of them so our parents thought it would be safe."

He looked away, back at the sky.

"There was a perimeter breach," he said, "Grimm were on us in no time. My mom and dad... They were Hunters, so they fought them. My big sister tried to get to us but... An Ursa charged through the trees. I..."

He stared at his hand. His tone remained cold and detached, even as it shook.

"Jack got separated. My sister got me... Tried to get to Jack, but the Ursa roared. So many other Grimm charged... My dad threw himself into the fight. He cut through them... But more and more came and... And we had to run."

Yang stared at Jaune intently. He didn't look grief stricken so much as... As tired. Aged.

"When the Rangers got control again, my parents went back in," he said, "They... They searched everywhere. We tried to months, scoured all over the park, but..."

He bowed his head. Yang bit her lower lip, before she reached out. She rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

"That's horrible, V... Jaune," Yang said softly.

He glanced at her hand, and for a moment Yang thought about pulling away. Even though a warm hand and some comfort was all she had ever wanted when Summer had...

He nodded, a wan smile on his face.

"... Thanks," he mumbled. He looked back towards the stars again. He sighed.

"I... That's kind of why I'm here, I guess," Jaune muttered, "My parents wanted me to do something safer. Tried to discourage me, but... I don't want that to happen to anyone else."

Yang nodded.

"I... I get it," she murmured. "My mom... She was amazing. A great Huntress. She was basically my hero. She died on a mission when I was five so... So I don't remember her well but she was just amazing. And losing her was..."

Jaune looked back to her. He rested his hand on hers, and squeezed it.

"Yeah," he murmured. He shook his head. "I'm sorry about her."

"I'm sorry about your brother," Yang said quietly.

"I-I mean... I know that... There's nothing I could have done," Jaune admitted, "Nothing I could have tried. I was a kid... But..."

Yang nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I know what you mean," she said. "You hate feeling weak. You hate feeling helpless. You don't want to... To go through that. Or let anyone else go through that again."

She still remembered how terrified she'd been when those Grimm had closed in on her and Ruby in the woods. How helpless she had felt, how loudly Ruby cried... The relief when Qrow jumped in and saved them, and the guilt over putting her little sister into danger.

Jaune nodded back with similar gravity.

"Yeah... Exactly,"

Jaune sighed. He grabbed another chicken finger and ate it. She did the same. They chewed in silence as they looked up at the stars.

"We'll make them proud," Yang stated impulsively, "We... Both of them. I promise."

Jaune looked over at her and smiled. And despite the sorrowful feeling over them both, she couldn't help but feel warmed by it. Just a little.

"Yeah. Yeah, we will..."

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

RWBY and JNR are confronting Merlot in his evil lab.

Ruby: "Merlot! But I thought you were dead!"

Merlot: "Please, Miss Rose, you have so few villains as it is! At least I'm somewhat interesting!"

Nora: "He's got a point there."

Blake: "So, what's your evil scheme this time, Merlot? How are you oppressing Faunuskind now?"

Ruby: "Blake!"

Blake: "Also humanity... I guess..."

Merlot: "I'm glad you asked! BEHOLD!"

An evil, sexily dressed Pyrrha with dark make up walks up.

Jaune: "P-Pyrrha?!"

Pyrrha: "Hello Jaune~. Hello everyone~."

Ruby: "Wha-What-How-?!"

Merlot: "I'm a master of the biological sciences, Miss Rose, do keep up. I cloned Pyrrha! I grew her in a lab and loaded her with all the memory scans I could find to reproduce her! I even used scans of her soul!"

Jaune: "You're a complete fucking monster!"

Pyrrha: "Why are you so angry, Jaune? He did this for you."

Jaune: "I-What?"

Pyrrha: "I may be a copy of Pyrrha, but we have the same feelings for you. I'm madly in love with you and I want to have your babies!"

RWBY and N: "Say what?!"

Jaune: "What?!"

Pyrrha: "Yes Jaune. I'm not longer bound by my non-existent backstory! I am free to pursue my heart's desire and it's you!"

Merlot: "Yes Jaune! You see, I agree with my clone's desires! They were so strong they transcended Death itself!"

Yang: "But why?!"

Jaune: "Yeah, seriously, why?!"

Merlot: "Because you're absolutely broken, Jaune! Your growth in my video game is nothing short of phenomenal! You could solo the whole campaign! Even better than Ruby!"

Ruby: "I'm not that bad-!"

Merlot: "You absolutely are."

Ruby is sad.

Nora: "Hey, I do the meta jokes around here!"

Merlot: "If you and Pyrrha had children, you would produce the most powerful warriors who ever lived! Same with you and any other girl! Well except for Weiss."

Weiss: "EXCUSE YOU?! OUR BABIES WOULD BE SUPER POWERFUL! N-NOT THAT I WANT THEM!"

Ruby: "You tsundere!"

Weiss: "I AM NOT!"

Merlot: "Indeed, Pyrrha would only be the first to have your children as part of my plan! YOU ALL WOULD! Except for with Ren, since he's a guy. For now. I could fix that?"

Ren: "Please don't."

Ruby: "WE'LL NEVER HAVE BABIES WITH JAUNE! I-I mean, not under an evil scheme! Just because I come off as autistic doesn't mean I don't have a libido or-or anything and I'd be totally fine with having his children! BUT NOT LIKE THIS!"

Weiss: "I-I don't want him at all! Never have I ever! NEVER! IT'S ALL IN YOUR MIND!"

Blake: "And I'm totally devoted to Yang despite the fact our relationship seems based on nothing more than killing my ex-boyfriend and Tumbler pressure from twelve people! It's not like it will just fall apart the instant we're out of peril and I'll just get a harem of Faunus when I inherit my parents' position!"

Yang: "S-Sure! She... She totally won't abandon me! ... Again!"

Blake: "You could stop eying Jaune's butt, ya know."

Yang: "YOU FIRST!"

Blake: "I MISS SUN DAMNIT!"

Yang: "WELL I WANT A REAL RELATIONSHIP!"

Blake: "And yet you picked me, so that's really on you!"

Jaune: "This is crazy! I don't care how sexy and seductive your evil clone Pyrrha is, or how confused you've made all my friends! I will never betray humanity... Or Faunuskind... for your mad scheme!"

Merlot: "Mad scheme?! I want to destroy Salem and create a utopia for Faunus and mankind! Where we will all be equals!"

Blake: "THE FIEND!"

Merlot: "And I want you to have a large happy family with the first girl who saw your potential, Jaune!"

Pyrrha: "It's what I want too, Jaune! I have a maid outfit all ready to go!"

Merlot: "I'll take pictures, Jaune! Pictures that will go with my fanfiction!"

Jaune: "Your what?!"

Merlot: "My scientific documentation of your children, Jaune! So, what do you say?"

Jaune: "I mean... Um... It is tempting but uh... I can't duck my bro Ren like this."

Ren: "Thank you Jaune."

Nora: "Appreciate it!"

Merlot: "Well, they can just have babies independently. I'm not a monster!"

Yang: "Says the mad scientist who cloned our dead friend."

Merlot: "FOR SCIENCE!"

- - -

... I don't know what this is. I'm a little afraid, really.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Merlot: "Look Jaune! You can either join me and have a solid plan of defeating Salem-"

Jaune: "How is me having a harem and dozens of babies a solid plan?"

Merlot: "Or you can stick with the body hopping immortal who has failed to stop his ex-wife for thousands of years and even now is consuming that boy's soul!"

Oscar: "Wait, is he really-?"

Ozma: "No! Well yes, unfortunately. Not my fault, blame the gods!"

Ruby: "Oh my God, was it you or Ozma who checked me out?!"

Oscar: "Me! I mean him! Fifty-Fifty?"

Ozma: "I can't help these hormones!"

Ruby: "Jaune, I'm voting for Merlot."

Oscar: "Wait what?!"

Ruby: "Look, my sister is gonna end up some lonely angry biker lesbian with an apartment full of cats. I'm not gonna go that route!"

Yang: "Like hell I am! I'm taking Jaune!"

Ruby: "You don't get him! I called dibs!"

Yang: "Well I called secret dibs so there!"

Blake: "HA! He'll be part of my harem, thank you! Everyone knows I'm the harem lead in this series! He's mine!"

Yang: "Scat, cat! I came to my senses and you're a dumpster fire!"

Blake: "Oh please! I'm basically a princess!"

Weiss: "EXCUSE YOU, BITCH?! I'm the real ojou-sama around here and I'm getting my knight! Suck it, you whore!"

Blake: "I'm willing to wear a collar for Jaune! Just like in my porn!"

Weiss: "LIKE HELL YOU WILL!"

Pyrrha: "I'm totally fine with sharing, Jaune! The more the merrier!"

Jaune: "Were you always this freaky or is this the cloning thing talking?"

Pyrrha: "YES."

Ozma: "This is ridiculous. Merlot can't beat Salem! She can't be killed!"

Merlot: "No, but she can be contained, or mitigated, or weakened, shoved into a rocket and then blasted into the sun."

Jaune: "She can be?"

Merlot: "I did the math. I'm good at math."

Ozma: "That's ridiculous, Dust can't go past the atmosphere!"

Merlot: "I'd be using a regular rocket. With fossil fuels and hydrogen powering it."

Ozma: "That's nonsense!"

Merlot: "It's SCIENCE. Honestly, it's not like we're suffering Kessler Syndrome and we have flying battleships. A simple chemical rocket isn't that hard to put together and launch. It's just math."

Ozma: "I INVENTED MATH!"

Merlot: "Well you didn't do a very good job of it now did you?!"

Nora: "Should we do something?"

Ren: "I don't think it will help."

Nora: "Probably not. Popcorn?"

Ren: "Thank you."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Merlot: It doesn't have to work past the atmosphere, with sufficient velocity it won't fall back to Remnant. Get her contained, use a ton of gravity dust to make things lighter, fire dust to get a powerful enough blast and you could get past the gravitational pull of Remnant!

Ozma: You're going to contain her? How?

Merlot: "With the help of an army of Jaune's children with their superpowered Semblances, we can contain Salem!"

A pause.

Merlot: "Failing that, we can use his incredible Rizz to seduce her!"

Jaune: "WHAT?!"

Ozma: "Seriously?!"

Merlot: "Hey, I have MANY plans! And they're all better than 'Stalemate until we all die!'"

Nora: "Would Jaune have to make out with Ren as part of your Rizz Up plan?"

Merlot: "Possibly!"

Nora: "I'M IN!"

 

[Grrrrrrr]

The Birds and the Bees (no sex)*

Inspired and taken from this https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3868283/1/Adventures-In-Education

It was just an ordinary day at Beacon, with the sky smiling down on the school and the birds chirping happily. Isabel was scribbling away in her notebook while nick was mindlessly playing catch with himself throwing a ball at a wall.

After a particularly limp throw and catch Nick stopped and turned to his partner. "Hey Izzy?"

"Yes, Nick?"

"You're studying to be a doctor right?"

Isabel raised an eyebrow. She's been clear about that ever since she first came here. When was that ever in doubt?. "I am. Why?"

She did not expect what Nicholas said next.

"Do you know where babies come from?"

Isabel froze. She knew Nick was ignorant about many things due to his upbringing. But surely that priest grandfather of his would at least tell him that. Right? She slowly turned to face her partner. "Do,.. Do you not know?"

Nick shrugged. "Nah, it never seemed important."

"And yet you're asking about it. So what changed?

Nick paused. " Remember those kids we had to babysit for a few days?"

Isabel smiled fondly. It was a simple enough mission. A couple veteran hunters had to go on a week long mission. And so they hired Beacon to help find babysitters. They were rambunctious and difficult at first, but Nick's lack of shame and maturity allowed him to bond with them easily. By the time they left they were asking if they can see him next time they went on a mission.

"I do. I'm surprised we didn't need to pry them off you when we had to leave."

Nick caught the ball in his hands and placed it on the bed. "It had me thinking that not too long ago I was their age. Their size… and then… I was thinking… where did they come from? Where did I come from? How are they made? Do yoh Know Izzy? Qrow said you'd know better than him about this." Not for the first time, Nicholas looked to Isabel with… thatlook. The one that resembled a lost puppy desperately trying to find its toy. The look he gave when he genuinely wanted to learn something and was interested. The one that always did infuriating things to Isabel's heart.

Isabel fought the blush in her cheeks and sighed rubbing her temples.

"You're… going to want to sit down.. and take notes! I'm not repeating it twice!"

Isabel pulled out the chair from her desk and placed it in the center of the room.
At the same time she pulled out a giant whiteboard from… somewhere and hammered it to the wall. After grabbing onto Nick's hands she dragged him to the seat, sat h8m down in it and shoved an empty Notebook and pen into his hand.

Isabel started drawing a diagram of the female reproductive sytem just like in her books. She began labeling each part dilligently while Nick tried to follow along and copy her drawing.

Once the drawing was done Isabel inhaled.

"Okay… so… Babies…. They… come from the uterus. It is an organ exclusive to the female reproductive syste,"

Nick nodded and scribbled in his notebook. "So only girls can have a baby?"

Isabel's lips firmed. "Yes and No. The girls would have to reach maturity first. Say… about 12 years old minimum. Before then they won't even have any eggs to fertelize."

Nick's eyebrows shot into his hairline. "Woman lay eggs? I thought it was just birds!"

Isabel lightly chuckled. She was eternally grateful no one else was here to laugh at him for this. "Well, it's a little bit different, but essentially, yes; women do lay eggs on a monthly basis. But unlike a bird, humans only lay their eggs once they've gone bad- if they're fertilized, they stay inside the body to develop."

Nick nodded as he faithfully wrote in his gifted notebook p. "So, women lay rotten eggs every month, and if the egg doesn't go bad it stays in the body?"

Isabel nodded. "Correct. This is called menstruation, in which the Uterus prepares for pregnancy by shedding its outer skin and becomes excreted from the Woman's Vagina."

An enlightened look crossed Nick's eyes. "Ooooh so that's why you needed those pads. To clean up the skin.

Isabel smiled. "Indeed. Now once the outer skin is removed, a fertilized egg will enter the Uterus and develop into a baby, over a period of nine months. When the fetus is ready, birth takes place."

Isabel took a look at Nicholas praying that this would be the end of it. Praying that this was as awkward as it was going to get.

Sadly reality was a cruel sadistic bitch." …How does it get fertilized ?"

Isabel's semblance was the only thing keeping her from blushing. Tdesperately thinking of what to say. She couldn't find anything so she did the next best thing… Stall.

"I'm sorry?"

Nick pointed to the egg in the diagram. "The egg, how does it get fertelized?"

Okay times up. " I… well….Sperm travels through the fallopian tubes into the ovum, or egg."

A look of c onfusion crossed his face as he quickly over the diagram and saw nothing for "sperm" "…What's sperm?"

Isabel's blush darkened. She spoke slowly and deliberately to make sure she didn't lose a single shred of her dignity. "A man's genetic material. It's a white Liquid excreted from a man's… penis… Have you ever …had that happen before?"

Now it was Nick's turn to blush.

" A…few times in the past month or sobut why does it do that? I'm not making a baby. Not yet anyway."

Isabel put aside any and all thoughts of Nick's… 'Ejaculations'. She took a deep breath. "Let's…. Put that… aside for now. Now let's get back on track. A sperm fertilizes a woman's egg and becomes a fetus."

"But how does it get into the tubes?" Nick asked

"Fallopian tubes. Well… they… they would usually have… Sex."

Nick put his finger to his chin in a conetmplative gesture. "I've heard that a couple of times but i never really thought to ask. What's sex?"

It took every ounce of control in Isabel to not let her blush darken further at what she was about to do. About explaining Sex to a well built sculpte- NONONONONO! FOCUS!

Isabel sighed heavily. She focused on her current objective. teaching. Teaching and informing Nicholas. Just… get it all done.

" It's when a man and a woman… or really two individuals… attempt… to pleasure each other through touching their bodies… usually their… penis and their vaginas. The important part is. Through this proccess, A man's penis would enter the vagina and eject their sperm inside the Woman's tubes into their Uterus. Which would then fertilize the egg turning it into a fetus."

Isabel began to speak faster desperate to end this.

"The uterus then expands to accommodate the growing size of the fetus. When the uterus expands, the woman's stomach gets bigger. And that's where babies come from. Now let me see your notes I need to make sure you got everything down properly."

Without waiting for Nick to respond she carefully snatched the notebook from his lap and hid her face behind it pretending to examine his notes. While she took a moment to come down to reality.

10 years later

Nick confidently pointed at his poorly drawn diagram of the female reproductive system. "And then the Uterus grows bigger so it can take care of the baby. And that's where babies come from! Any questions princesses?" He ended his lesson with a smile.

Aqua and Saphron, 5 years old, sat on the couch staring at the information on the board still trying to process what they just heard. Eventually Aqua raised her hand.

"Yes Aqua?"

"Is that why you and mommy tell us to go play with the neighbors when she gets that look in her eye?"

Nick nodded. " well, ye"

An opening door signaled Isabel's return from work. "i'm home!"

We're in the kiving room!" Nicholas called Back. Isabel's heels clacked louder as she approached the kiving room untill she entered it, cheerfully sauntering toward her husband.

"Hi Nicky <3" The doctor gave a quick peck on the cheek to Nicholas before turning to the Whiteboard. Her look of serene happiness quickly dropped into a look of fringe horror.

This change in behavior didn't go unnoticed by her husband. He put hsi arms on her shoulder. "Honey? You okay?"

After a long beat of silence Isabel spoke ":…….. Saphron dear, what has Daddy been teaching you?"

Saphron answered her with a slightly haunted look. "Daddy told us where babies come from!"

Aqua shuddered next to her. " I'm never having babies. I do NOT want a yucky boy sticking his wee wee in me."

Isabel patted her head gently consoling her. "You won't have to if you don't want to sweetie, don't worry." Isabel then turned to glower at her idiot of a husband.

Nick stepped back in fear, instinctively understanding he fucked up. "Wha? What did I do?

"Kids go to your room. I have to teach daddy the importance of "Age appropriate learning" Her voice would've frozen the water vapor in the air.

Aqua scrunched her face in disgust "Ew. Is this another sex thing?"

Isabel glowered at her daughter. "It isn't. Rooms. Now."

The girls exited the room without further complaint.

Nick gulped as he prepared to face his wife's wrath.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Yang woke up the next morning to a knock at the door. She sat up, already reaching for her artificial arm. Ruby sat up just as quickly, already groping for Crescent Rose.

The door opened, and a woman who looked very much like Isabel Arc stood there. She was younger, had no glasses, and had her hair in a high ponytail that fell back over her shoulders, tied with a blue handkerchief. She smiled warmly.

"Good morning! I'm Lilac Arc! You must be Yang and Ruby! I got you because it's time for breakfast. Do you want some?"

"We would love breakfast!" Ruby said with a sleepy smile. Lilac beamed, almost radiating motherly energy.

"Of course! Come down when you're ready, it will be done in twenty minutes!"

"Thanks!" Ruby said. She looked over at Yang. "You set, Yang?"

"Sure," Yang said tiredly. She reached out and attached her arm.

In truth, she was starving. Staying up late last night had definitely taken it out of her though.

They went out to the bathroom. It was quite large, with a big shower and bathing area down on the first floor. Given Jaune had seven sisters, it wasn't surprising that they had a large bathroom. It was tiled in green and white but was a full Fuujin style bath, with a shower for cleansing. It was honestly very refreshing: Lilac had even laid out their normal clothes for them, laundered and cleaned.

So they arrived in the dining room, fully clothed. The dining room had large windows that looked out onto the mountains, and the opposing wall was also covered in photos. The dining table itself was very long and very old, but well polished and covered in a green tablecloth. Neptune, May, Arslan, Velvet, Cardin, Jaune, Nora, Ren, Orchid, and twin girls who resembled Jaune and Orchid sat on either side of it, the chair at the head of the table left empty.

Jaune's eyes met hers. They held their gaze for a moment, before Jaune looked back down at his breakfast.

"Morning Yang, Morning Ruby," Jaune said. Ruby smiled at him.

"Morning Jaune!" Ruby greeted. "Morning everyone!"

"Morning Jaune," Yang managed, "Everyone else."

"Morning Ruby and Yang," Neptune cheered, waving at her, "Nice to see you, good looking!"

"Good morning Ruby and Yang," Arslan greeted. May shyly greeted her under her breath. Cardin and Velvet were staring into eachother's eyes, sitting together and holding hands. Ruby cleared her throat. Cardin coughed.

"Ah... Hey Xiao-Long, Rose," Cardin said.

"Morning," Velvet said with a nod and smile. It was guarded, but not as hostile as Yang was expecting.

I guess getting laid put her in a good mood, Yang thought.

"Good morning Yang, Ruby," Orchid replied in a monotone.

"Morning!" The twins said cheerfully. One had orange highlights in long, spiky hair while the other had green in short, tomboyish locks.

"GOOD MORNING RUBY AND YANG!" Nora cheered. "THEY HAVE PANCAKES! WONDERFUL PANCAKES!"

"They're to die for," Ren deadpanned. Nora grinned in a feral fashion.

"Or kill for!"

Lilac Arc giggled, peeking out of the kitchen briefly.

"Oh, you! Eat up! There's plenty, Yang and Ruby!"

She ducked back into the kitchen. Yang and Ruby took their seats, and examined their plates. They were stacked high with flapjacks, bacon, strawberries, hashbrowns, and blueberries. It smelled wonderful, and it didn't take long for both sisters to eat their fill.

Even with Cardin and Velvet making gooey eyes at one another.

"It's so weird," Ruby mumbled through her pancakes. Yang nodded, and grimaced as Cardin fed Velvet some blueberries. Velvet giggled, and kissed his cheek.

"Yeah, I saw them out last night," Yang muttered back. Ruby's eyes widened.

"Really?" She whispered back. "Like... Were they...?"

"I'm not saying any more," Yang mumbled, "I want to finish my food."

"Can you two please cut that out?" Neptune moaned, as Velvet fed Cardin some pancakes, "You're grossing us out."

"Deal with it," Cardin huffed, "She likes it."

"I do!" Velvet said cheerfully. Neptune sighed and looked around. He smiled at Orchid, who was sitting next to him.

"Hey Orchid, you want to-?'

Jaune glared at Neptune so hard Yang could feel the heat from across the table. Neptune coughed.

"No thank you," Orchid stated, eating her pancakes, "I prefer to feed myself."

"May!" Neptune seized upon the shy sniper. May blushed.

"Um... N-No thank you?"

"Arslan!" Neptune tried.

"No thank you," Arslan stated, eating some strawberries. Neptune looked over at the twins.

"Verdy? Coral?"

Jaune's glare was especially intense. Verdy grinned, and got up. She walked over to Neptune's side, and leaned over with her hands on his shoulders.

"Oh my~! This is so sudden~! But I'll give it a try..."

She held up a grape. Neptune flushed. He opened his mouth nevertheless. She leaned in and pushed the grape into his mouth.

Which he bit down on. He then coughed... As his face went bright red.

"Ahh... AHHHH... HWAAAHHHH?!"

He grabbed the water jug and chugged it like a madman, guzzling it all down as he fell out of the chair to the floor. Jaune turned his glare onto Verdy.

"Verdy!"

"What? He wanted me to feed him," she giggled, "And I wanted to test out Coral's new pepper bomb mixture!"

"Heh. Brutal," Cardin chuckled.

"VERDY! CORAL!" Jaune growled.

"Sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood," Coral said with a shrug. Verdy giggled and helped pull Neptune back to his feet. She set him down in his chair, and patted his shoulder. "Thanks for being a good sport about it."

"S-Sure," Neptune managed, coughing a bit. Arslan sighed. May winced. Nora grinned.

"That's so awesome!" Nora cried. "You were really funny Neptune!"

Yang smirked a little. Coral sipped her tea.

"Besides, we're getting tired of fixing up weapons," Coral sighed, "It's all we've been doing since this started."

"Yeah," Verdy groaned, "Replacing firing pins, blacksmithing new swords-It's been exhausting."

"You're weapons engineers?!" Ruby cried excitedly.

"They are," Jaune said with a nod, "Though they work at the hospital too."

The twins made faces at this.

"We're so tired of medical filing," Verdy grumbled.

"And fixing ultrasound machines," Coral added.

"That's so cool!" Ruby cried. "I-I mean, the weapon engineering part, not the-You want to talk shop? Do you have custom weapons?"

"Just guns," Verdy shrugged, "We're not really any good at hand to hand."

"Which is why we stay behind the front lines," Coral added.

"I'm something of a weapons engineer myself, you know," Neptune said with a smile, finally recovered. "Maybe we can talk shop too-?"

Jaune glared DEATH at Neptune. He coughed.

"N-Nevermind!"

"He can learn," Arslan said in soft amusement.

The front door opened and slammed shut. Isabel Arc came into the dining room, looking utterly exhausted. All conversation ended and everyone stared intently at her. Isabel sighed.

"Uh, hey Mom," Jaune said carefully.

"Mom!" Coral and Verdy greeted.

"Mmph," Isabel managed. She collapsed at the end of the table, exhausted. Lilac was by her side in an instant, with six plates of food she set in front of her mother. Isabel tore into the food with a ravenous hunger that even Nora stared at in shock (and awe). When she was finished, she sighed heavily.

"Mom?" Jaune asked worriedly. Isabel shook her head.

"I finally got a break," she said quietly. "But... The hospital needs more medical supplies. Jaune?"

Jaune stared at his mother.

"Um, yes?"

"You know all the usual herbs and materials, and where to find them," she said. "Take your friends and go up today to gather them." She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it over to him. Jaune took it, his face stony.

"Picking flowers?" Cardin complained. "You can't be-!"

Isabel glared at him. A glare that spoke of several days without proper sleep or rest, and sheer maternal might. Cardin squeaked, and scooted his chair back. Velvet squeezed his hand comfortingly.

Jaune took a deep breath.

"Sure Mom," he said, "I know what we need to get."

"You've done it plenty of times, and in a big group, you'll be safe," Isabel managed, "Besides. It'll do you all some good."

Jaune stared at the paper list for a moment longer. He then took hold of it. He tucked it into his duster pocket.

"Yeah," he said. "Finish your breakfast, everyone. We're moving out soon. I'll go hitch up the cart."

He got up and headed off. The rest of the group soon finished their breakfasts, and headed out after him. Yang and Ruby took a bit longer, as Lilac got her mother a few jugs of water and juice. These she consumed as well.

"Haaaa... My Semblance lets me go without food or rest for a while," Isabel admitted, "But I have to replenish it all."

"You really shouldn't push yourself so hard, Mother," Lilac said.

"Ha, like she'll listen to that kind of stuff," Verdy snorted.

"She does sometimes," Coral said with a shrug. Isabel shook her head.

"Well, we finally have some reinforcements and replacements," she said, "So we can afford to relax a little. Your father should be home tonight, once his relief shows up."

She looks over at Yang and Ruby, finishing up their food.

"You two doing all right?" She asked.

"Just fine, Mrs. Arc," Ruby said.

Yang flexed her hand and nodded.

"All right, I guess," she said.

Isabel smiled at the two.

"I'd appreciate it if you could do me a favor? Keep an eye on Jaune, will you?"

Ruby flushed.

"Um... We usually do," she admitted, "Along with Ren and Nora."

Isabel nodded.

"I know... But it would put my mind at ease. I know you don't like being on standby... Nobody does..."

She scowled a bit, then shook her head.

"But you all need a rest. Believe me," she stated.

Ruby scowled.

"We're not that-!" She looked over at Yang. "I-I mean-!"

"It's fine," Yang said quietly, "We'll keep an eye on him, ma'am."

Isabel nodded and smiled.

"Thank you. I appreciate it. Now... If you'll excuse me, I'm-Zzzzzz..."

Her head bowed as she began to sleep, snoring softly. Lilac sighed.

"She overdid it again," she mumbled.

"Runs in the family," Yang grunted.

"Don't we know it," Orchid, Lilac Verdy and Coral said with long suffering expressions.

"Wow, in synch too!" Ruby gasped.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

As a reminder, this is what Radian looks like:

Radian itself is borrowed from the map of Shildia from an old JRPG named "Shining Tears".

 

[SharkCultist]

For once I have a idea that's not terribly dark or silly.

---

He had the dream again. Still a chaotic mess of sights and sounds but it's a bit more clear.

There's trees with red leaves and he's on something moving fast. There's a flash of something he can't remember clearly, beautifully dark with haunting yellow eyes.

Then there's a feeling of sadness mixed with anger followed by some kind of explosion and suddenly he's flying through the air before he wakes up like always.

The dream always bothers him but he can't dwell on it, there's work to do.

His room is a comfortable thing with it's own bathroom where he quickly showers and throws on his work clothes. A old pair of burgundy pants and a white sleeveless shirt.

A far cry from the (ruined) formal looking suit he was found in.

But it's comfortable and durable, something essential for farm work.

He steps outside and the cool air ghosts across the scar covering the left side of his face from temple to the bridge of his nose.

"Morning Red, you ready for work?"

Lost in his head Red didn't notice his boss approaching him.

The man who pulled him from a burning wreck and gave him a home. Nick Arc.

"I'm ready, shouldn't be a hard day today, besides the quicker we get done the quicker you can get back to preparing for your son and his friends visit."

Nick brightens at that.

"You're gonna love Jaune, his friends are a bit weird but they're good people, Even the racist one."

Something about that word twists his guts and makes him want to reach for a weapon that isn't there. But the bull faunus squashes the feeling.

"A racist? Doesn't seem like someone you'd be ok with your kids associating with."

"Well she isn't really hurting anyone she's just jumpy and snappy. I think Izzy said she has a prosecution complex? Dunno what that is. Tangy just said she's a soap opera bitch."

Something about that description makes part of him want to burst out laughing. Again he kills the strange urges.

"I'm sure it will be a interesting meeting."

Red has no idea how right he is.

---

So the idea here being when Blake cut the train in this timeline Adam was on the part with the bombs and got blasted in his shock of her leaving him.

His SDC scar got burned away by him getting a bigger scar on his face.

He was saved by Nick who took him to Radian and gave him a job and helped him find a place to stay after they realized he didn't have most of his memories.


Edit: Also figured I'd share what inspired this little idea. A song I really like.


View: https://youtu.be/G5-KJgVsoUM?si=8Zu9LU3uhHQk40Mj

 

[Unknown_One]

2/ The two teams decide to have a break and do a karaoke night, Turns out when Jaune is not nervous he's a top tier singer and ends up serenading Yang much to the jelly of the others, Nora trolls Weiss by giving her all the death metal scream music to sing (She rocks it hard), Blake is racist (nothing new there) Ren sings Baka Mitai and steals the show, etc etc etc (not sure about the others), all in all a great and fun time was had by all (Nora live streamed the entire thing and they are now world famous).

Click to shrink...

Jaune: *singing* "…Like a river flows, surely to the sea. Darling, so it goes. Some things are meant to be.~"

Yang: *mouthing the words along with Jaune, slowly being emotional*

Jaune: *Still singing* "Take my hand. Take my whole life, too. For I can't help falling in love with you…"

*Jaune then looks at the group, leveling his eyes at Yang on instinct.*

Jaune: *Singing one more time* "For I can't help… falling in love… with youuuuu~"

Yang: *Breaks down crying before Jaune places the microphone down and hugs her*

Pyrrha: *Also slightly emotional* "Th-that was… that was beautiful, Jaune."

Jaune: *Holding Yang and turns his head to Pyrrha* "Thanks, it just felt right."

Weiss: "No fair, Tall, Blonde, and Scraggly had to get Pelvis Everly and I got Barrels and Flowers."

Nora: "Like you're not rocking it, Weisscream!"

*****

Yes, I used Elvis Presley's 'Can't help falling in love with you'. Might be cheesy, but hey. It is a serenade.