[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune is reading a cookbook in the common room. He's doing it so intently he doesn't even notice Yang sneak up on him.

Jaune: "Hmmm..."

Yang: "Whatcha up to, VB?"

Jaune: "ACK! Oh! Hey Yang! I'm looking up a recipe for goat curry. It's Nora's favorite and since her birthday is coming up, I thought I'd make it for her!"

Yang: takes the cookbook, looks it over "Hmmm... You know, I've cooked a lot of curries back home. How about I handle it?"

Jaune: "You sure?"

Yang: "Hey, I wanna brighten up Nora's big day too!"

Jaune: "That's great! I was going to get the goat!"

Yang: "Right now? The shops are closing soon!"

Jaune: "I'll be getting a wild goat. It's what Nora wants and I wanted to test out the recipe to see if it would be good."

Yang: "Well... How about I get the rest of it ready and you get the goat?"

Jaune: "Really? Thanks Yang!" beams

Yang pulls on an apron and starts gathering the ingredients. Jaune heads out. An hour later, he returns with a dead goat over his shoulders.

Yang: "Ack! Jaune! You can't just bring it in here-!"

Jaune: "I just need to skin and dress it, Yang! It won't take too long, I promise. Besides, we can get the goat skin tanned and make it another gift for Nora!"

Yang: "I thought she loved sloths?"

Jaune: "Yeah, she loves live sloths and dead goats." shrugs

Yang: "Well do it over there on the balcony! You don't want to make a mess!"

Jaune: "All right, I won't. Promise."

Jaune is as good as his word. He skins and prepares the goat expertly, bringing in the meat. Yang uses some Ice Dust to freeze the rest and Jaune wraps it up in a foil bag.

Jaune: "We'll be eating goat for a while..."

Yang: "Lots of ways to prepare it!"

Jaune: "Do you need some help?"

Yang: scowls "What, you saying I can't do it?"

Jaune: "No, no, just offering. I know you're a good cook, Ruby praises you all the time."

Yang: blush "O-Oh? Well, uh... Heh. Yeah. I had to make sure she grew up big and strong, didn't I?"

Jaune: smiles "You did a great job."

Yang: "Oh... Well... Thank you... Vomit Boy."

Yang cooks the goat curry. Jaune takes the frozen meat to the school cafeteria's freezer. He returns to an amazing smell in the kitchenette. He walks in and sees Yang humming along to a song on the radio, dancing a bit in the apron.

Jaune: "... Wow..."

Yang: "Hm? What?"

Jaune: "Ah... N-Nothing! Nothing!"

Yang: "It's about done. Sit down, I'll prepare a sample."

Jaune sits down with a smile. Yang soon prepares the goat curry and brings it out. She sets it down in a bowl in front of Jaune with a smile.

Yang: "Dig in!"

Jaune uses a spoon, takes a bite... Moans happily.

Jaune: "This... This is amazing!"

Yang: "Really?"

Jaune: "Yeah! It's as good as my mom's! Or my big sister Saphron's!" He grinned "You're just... Amazing, Yang."

Yang: "Heh! Come on, cut it out."

Jaune: "N-No, I mean it. You really are amazing." smiles "You're going to be an amazing wife and mother some day."

Yang stares at him intensely. Jaune coughs.

Jaune: "I-I uh, I'm not being sexist or anything! Promise! I-I just think you're amazing! Like, my mom is a doctor and a super strong fighter but she's also an amazing housewife! She-She did it all and she was amazing and I just... I just think you're just as amazing."

Yang: panting hard, her eyes are red as are her cheeks

Jaune: "I uh... I-I'm gonna... S-Sorry!" He turns and runs off

Yang: "W-Wait! I-!"

Jaune dashes out. Yang scowls after him.

Yang: "... That dense idiot... He... He...!"

She giggles a little, then shakes her head rapidly.

Yang: "No! Nonono, you do not have a crush on him! C-Come on! So he went out and hunted an animal, brought it back for you to cook and complimented you... Th-That... Doesn't mean... Anything..."

She sighs.

Yang: "... Goddamnit. I'm just like Mom."

She then brightens.

Yang: "I'm just like Mom~!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

huh...would be ironic if Nick and Tai both did the same thing for their wives...which means Yang and Ruby have a preference, also means that Nick's side of the family is the Himbo Squad.

dear lord Qrow would flip his shit that its another damn Blonde Himbo!

Click to shrink...

Qrow: "Damnit Tai! You-Another you is seducing Ruby and Yang!"

Tai: "Who? Who is this bastard?!"

Qrow: "Jaune Arc!"

Tai: "Wait... Nick and Isabel's boy?"

Qrow: "YEAH! I didn't know they'd raised him to be a playboy but-!"

Tai: "OH THANK GOD!"

Qrow: "Eh?!"

Tai: "Qrow, Isabel is a doctor and Nick is a militia captain. They own a farm. They're old money! You know what that means?!"

Qrow: "... That if Ruby and Yang marry him, we'll all be set for life?"

Tai: "EXACTLY!"

Qrow: "I dunno Tai. Shouldn't they marry for love or something like that?"

Tai: "Come on, he was raised by Nick and Izzy! He'll be a golden retriever in human form! It'll all work out!"

Qrow: "I don't know-"

Tai: "They also own a brewery."

Qrow: "... You talked me into it."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Neo, currently in the form of Mint, wandered the hallways of the Beacon student dorms. She was bored, which she usually relieved by finding someone or something to stab or prank. But Meany McBurnsalot didn't let her cut loose. They had to "maintain their cover". Hmph.

Sure, Neo could appreciate a good set up and ambush, but this fire chick was taking so damn long. She was also threatening to burn Roman to ashes, which definitely cheesed her off.

She noticed the door to the team JNPR common room was open. She could check in on one of their top targets. She could see Green Boy keep pretending Pink Hammer Girl wasn't flirting with him. Or see the Blonde Doofus goof off on his Invincible Girl Partner. Or-

She froze. The smell of sweet pastries and the soft scent of mint and hot chocolate fudge filled her nostrils. Her eyes locked onto the source.

And widened in shock.

The blonde doofus was cooking crepes... And... And... Filling them with... Ice cream?!

"Oh hey!" Jaune Arc greeted her with a smile. "Mint, right? Come on in!"

Neo blinked a few times, but shrugged. She walked up to the kitchenette, where ice cream, nuts, fruit and many other items laid out. The doofus himself had a blue apron on and had just finished filling a crepe with ice cream. He added nuts, chocolate sauce, and fruit to it before expertly wrapping it up. He put a paper towel around it, serving as a wrapper, before he added whipped cream and a cherry on top. He beamed at her.

"You mind acting as taste tester?" He asked. "I'm making desserts for this week since we passed midterms and-"

Neo snatched the crepe from his hand with her usual speed and dexterity, and took a bite.

"I... Guess that's a yes," Jaune observed dryly.

Not that Neo noticed. The delicate mixture of flavors danced across her tongue, before spreading up into her brain and throughout her body. She sucked in a breath through her nostrils as a truly divine chill filled her entire body, from her head to her toes.

She moaned mentally, closing her eyes. The crepe has just the right mixture of sugar, egg, milk, and even a hint of lemon. And the ice cream...! The toppings...! All picked for the perfect mixture of sweetness, tartness, and crunch!
She took another bite. And another. Another!

It felt like a cold arctic breeze washed over her as she dragged herself through the desert. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.

Mmm... All together, it's not just food... It's an experience!
She opened her eyes. She licked her lips. The blonde doofus smiled warmly at her, another crepe already prepared.

"Good?"

Neo nodded furiously. He held up the next crepe, and her mouth watered.

"Want more?"

She grabbed the treat. She locked eyes with him this time as she bit down on the crepe. She slid her tongue into it and slurped up the cream and fruit sensuously. She downed the crepe, slowly, sensually, and finished it off with a loud, almost lewd gulp. She licked her lips, the divine essence of the dessert again transforming her mortal existence into something... More.

Jaune smiled widely.

"Good?"

A handsome blonde dessert chef offering her the very food of the Gods themselves?! How could it be anything BUT good?!

She nodded and shot him her warmest bedroom eyes. She was sure her pupils were hearts right now.

"Great! I'll make more," he said cheerfully. He turned to rummage in the cabinets. Neo paid close attention to his rump, which was quite nice.

Perhaps Neo had been approaching this job all wrong. She could get closer to their targets by befriending this doofus. Get this doofus to trust her. Then at the right moment, this doofus would be at her mercy. Covered in chocolate sauce that she would lick right up-

She shook her head rapidly. Now was not the time. She had to be patient.

"Ow!" Jaune groaned and rubbed the top of his head. He'd bumped it on the inside of a cabinet and now his rump was higher in the air. "Stupid cabinets, too small-EEP!"

He bonked his head and groaned before he pulled away and looked over his shoulder. Neo sat perched on her chair, looking innocent, as Jaune rubbed his behind.

"Ow... What pinched me?"

Neo smirked.

But not too patient.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

<Teams RWBY and JNPR are sharing a cabin in the woods on a mission.>

Jaune: "Hold on a moment, I'll go chop up more logs for the fire."

Yang: "Sure, you...do...that..."

*Jaune, wearing a flannel shirt stretched over his frame, jeans and sturdy boots, walks out whistling with an axe over his shoulder*

Yang and Weiss: "Hubba hubba."

Click to shrink...

Later in the laundry room in the dorms, as Jaune brings in a load of clothes...

Yang: "Jaune! Help!"

Jaune: "Eh?"

Yang is stuck in the dryer and kicking her legs.

Yang: "Help me! I'm stuck in the dryer!"

Jaune: "I'll get you out, Yang!"

Yang: "Yes! Just uh... Just grab my hips real tight~..."

Jaune does so... Yang doesn't make it easy though as she keeps bumping her round ass against his crotch

Jaune: "S-Sure, got you!"

Yang: "And... Pull!"

Jaune does so... Yang seems to be fighting him, rubbing up against him... But he gets her out. He pulls her to her feet and holds her.

Jaune: "You okay?"

Yang: smirks "Sure am~..."

 

[SharkCultist]

During class Jaune shows surprisingly deep knowledge of a piece of classical literature.

Yang: ok but how? Even Weiss was struggling and here comes farm boy reciting the answers from memory!

Jaune: look it's no big deal, I needed to be familiar with the story for a job I did to earn some money for Beacon.

Yang: what kind of job needs memorizing a entire book?

Jaune: ....promise not to spread it around?

Yang: I mean I'll obviously tell my team as long as it's nothing too bad.

Jaune: I did some voice acting for a show based off of that book.

*Blake falls out of the rafters*

Blake: no way. There's only one show based off of this book and only one voice actor using a pseudonym.

Yang: were you spying on us?

Blake: you played the empty king!

Jaune: shhhh not so loud! I have no idea why girls like that show so much but I am not getting dragged into that crazy fan crap. I still hear horror stories from the others.

Yang: how bad can it be? Also Empty King? Context?

Jaune: Dominic got asked to sign a placenta.

Yang: what the fu-....no on second thought don't elaborate on that part.

Jaune: well there's not much to explain, I got cast to voice a character that showed up in some flashbacks and one episode with the main character then died. Thought that would be it, just a paycheck.

Blake: Just a paycheck? That's one of the most heartfelt performances in mistrialian anime, it was so good that the show got nominated for awards!'

Jaune: look can we just drop it?

Yang: oh heck no now I'm curious. Come on do some lines for us.

Jaune: I really would rather not...

Yang: please?

Blake: she's asking. I'm blackmailing.

Jaune: mother fucker. Fine. I'll do ONE line.

*Blake fist pumps as Jaune clears his voice then speaks in a much deeper smoother voice*

Jaune: Cherish your bonds hero. Accomplishments and accolades are wonderful things but fleeting. Your glory will fade, But friendships cultivated and families built will remember you far longer and far better. Love and laughter is far better than legendary, something I wish I had known long ago.

*Jaune coughs*

Jaune: man that's murder on the throat, there. Happy?

Yang/Blake: gotta go need new panties.

*The girls run off*

Jaune:....what?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -



Blake hadn't been the most social creature since she'd arrived at Beacon. It had taken a lot of work on behalf of her friends to get her to participate in activities other than training, reading, and vigilantism.



Blake could admit, it was slow going mostly because of her. Which made her feel guilty. Which made her want to be more isolated.



And honestly, she did enjoy her solitude. She always had.



Right now she was enjoying a quick catnap in her favorite tree on the Beacon grounds. It had wide, comfortable trunks, just the right kind of shade and foliage to shield her from view, and no pesky birds nesting to ruin her snooze.



It also offered a lot of privacy from below: A ring of rosebushes with beautiful buds and sharp thorns guarded the grass around the base. Even on people with Aura, they were capable of harm. An oddity, but not one Blake was complaining about.



So she snoozed in the afternoon sun, letting her mind wander... Until she heard a guitar being played. And a woman singing.



"I am lonely wherever I go,

Sanctuary is all that know~..."



Blake looked down. In the one clear spot under the tree, free of rosebushes, Jaune Arc sat and played his guitar. And next to him... Her eyes widened.



It was a beautiful woman. Brunette, pale white skin, with blood red lips and high cheekbones. Her black hair was brushed back in shoulder-length pin curls. She wore black nose, a black pencil skirt, and a white blouse with blue collar and cuffs. A pendant of a bird was on a red ribbon tied around her neck.



"And I dream of the sky

Broken clouds drifting by

And I dream of the sky

My utopian lie~..."

Her voice was absolutely gorgeous, yet carried an intense sorrow that cut right to her heart. Blake felt tears come to her eyes, and she quickly brushed them away.



The woman paused and smiled at Jaune. Jaune smiled back.



"You're just amazing, Lizzie," he said happily.



"Lots of practice," she demurred, "You've been getting better at the guitar, too!"



"Oh, well, uh, ya know... Practice," Jaune shrugged.



Lizzie looked up and smiled warmly up at Blake. Blake blanched.



"Hello," she called out, "Are you one of Jaune's friends?"



"Hm?" Jaune looked up with the woman and smiled. "Oh! Hey Blake! Uh, we didn't bother you, did we?"



"... No," Blake decided. She flipped up and dropped out of the tree, landing in silence between the two. "Another of your relatives, Jaune?"



Jaune flushed and rubbed the back of his head.



"Er, well... Y-Yeah. Family like mine, everyone wants to drop by, I guess. This is Lizzie DeWitt. She's my aunt!"



"Not blood related, just honorary," Lizzie chuckled, her blue eyes fixated on her. Blake fidgeted. The cat Faunus didn't know why, but something felt... Strange about Miss DeWitt. Her gaze in particular put her on edge. Those eyes... They seemed to look right through her.



"Blake Belladonna," Blake introduced herself politely, nodding to Lizzie. She nodded back.



"I love this spot," she sighed, reaching out to pick out of the roses. She put it up in her hair behind her ear and smiled warmly. "My favorite roses grow here. Always have, since this tree was planted. It offers perfect shade to the roses."



Well, she had good taste in trees, at least.



"Are you a Huntress?" Blake asked.



Lizzie again smiled, but there was a hint of mischief in her eyes. Jaune shook his head.



"She's a singer! Does a lot of shows at clubs around Remnant!"



"I'm always on the move, so it's hard to keep in touch," Lizzie added, grabbing a rose and handing it to Jaune. He took it with a smile and put it on his guitar, "But I try to make time for my favorite nephew."



Jaune flushed. Lizzie chuckled then gave Blake a scrutinizing look.



"Are you two close friends?"



"W-Well..." Blake fidgeted. Under those eyes, it was hard to think of any platitudes. "We... Both like to read. Our teams work together a lot. He makes good tuna salad."



"Thanks," Jaune beamed, "I like reading with you too. Though uh... Ninjas of Love is um... A little racy for my tastes."



"It's still brilliantly written," Blake insisted.



"I didn't say it wasn't! Honest!" Jaune insisted.



Lizzie laughed.



"Hey, Jaune? Can you get me some cola? We have the same favorite, after all. And I'd love to get to know your friend here."



"Well," Jaune hesitated. Lizzie made puppy dog eyes at him.



"Please? For me?"



"Well... Sure," Jaune said with a nod and a smile. "Just be nice, okay? She is my friend and I care about her."



Blake fought a blush. She wasn't used to people being so... Open.



Lizzie smiled back. She pulled out some coins and tossed them to Jaune. The blond caught them with remarkable dexterity.



"We'll be right here," she said with a beam. Jaune nodded and looked to Blake.



"What can I get you?"



"Um... Tea please. Green," Blake said, staring warily at Lizzie. Jaune nodded with a smile, got up, and carefully navigated around the rose bushes. He headed for a drink machine near one of the office buildings. Blake looked back at Lizzie, her ears twitching underneath her bow.



"It's all right," Lizzie said gently, "I know who you are but I'm not going to announce it to the world. I understand why you're keeping a low profile."



"How could you-?" Blake tried, but Lizzie stared at her.



"I know," she said, her voice deepening slightly. Her eyes, the color of the clearest skies, seemed to glow with an eldritch power. For a moment, Blake thought she was staring into the infinite.



Then it ended, and Lizzie was pulling out a cigarette from her sleeve. She brought it up to her lips and ignited it with a snap of her fingers. It took Blake a moment to notice that where her pinkie finger should be on her right hand was a shiny thimble.



"... Who... What are you?" Blake whispered.



Lizzie took a deep drag off the cigarette, before letting the smoke out as a ring. She stared intently at Blake.



"I am the angel with no beginning and no end," she spoke softly.



"Before you lie two paths, Blake Belladonna. One choice? You lose your friends and family because of your fear. Your dream dies. And human and Faunus alike become a memory on a dead world."



The ring flashed, and Blake gaped in horror. She could see Menagerie, see it engulfed in darkness. The moon was blood red and the sun blocked out by smoke clouds. She saw figures of darkness shuffling through the ruins, sorrow radiating from them like a toxic fume. They seemed almost human if not for the Grimm muck covering every inch of their bodies. Above them was a pale woman: Beautiful, pale, with glowing red eyes. Her rage and sorrow consumed everything and yet could never be sated.



There were two other figures. A dark knight with red hair, burning red eyes, and horns. He carried a sword of flames. Next to him was a similar dark figure, but with cat ears and a whip. Her eyes glowed amber. They staggered through this hell, locked together by chains of flesh and bone, drenched in Grimm muck.



The vision disappeared, and Blake took deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She shakily looked down. Her hands were trembling.



Lizzie's hand reached out and squeezed hers. Blake looked up. Elizabeth's face was full of compassion. She breathed another smoke ring.



"Or you can make the other choice," Lizzie said softly, "And life... Is different."



Blake sat on a hill. It was covered in grass and wildflowers. The sun shone overhead and the clouds rolled on by, pure white against limitless blue.



"Mama!"



She started and looked to her side. Two little blond Faunus children, twins, a boy and a girl, rushed up to her. They carried crowns of woven flowers, and wore bright yellow and blue.



"Look at mine! It's super great!" The girl insisted, shaking her crown at Blake.



"Nuh uh!" The boy countered, holding up his flower crown with a pout, "Mines' super duper great! You wanna wear mine!"



"Does not!"



"Does too!"



Blake giggled and wrapped both children in a tight hug. They hugged her back, their little hearts beating fiercely against her chest.



"They're both wonderful," she said, "So I'll wear them both!"



They beamed. Behind them she could see a crowd. All her friends: Older, more worn, but all smiling. All human or Faunus, all free of darkness. All ready to celebrate life itself.



A smile came to her face and tears came to her eyes.



The vision abruptly ended. She looked around in shock. Elizabeth was back to smoking, studying Blake intently.



"How... How will I know what the choice is? Wh-When do I have to make it?" Blake asked.



Elizabeth shook her head.



"You won't know until it happens, Blake Belladonna," she said, "That is the nature of free will. Those are possible futures only. You have to create the future."



She smiled sadly.



"All I can say is... Don't push everyone away. Don't break off all ties, even if you think they'll be better for it. I did the same... And now? I am alone."



"But... You have Jaune," Blake pointed out, "You have his family."



Lizzie nodded.



"I do... I am holding Jaune when he is only a few minutes old. His mother is fretting over his breathing. I am hugging Jaune when he is five. He scraped his ankle. I am comforting him through his tears. I am congratulating him when he is seventeen for getting into medical school his first try. I am comforting him when he is eighteen, because his partner was murdered and he couldn't do anything. I am dancing at his wedding when he is twenty-four. I am playing with his children when he is thirty. I am holding his hand when he dies when he is thirty-six... When he is fifty... When he is two-hundred... When he is nineteen..."



Elizabeth shook her head.



"These are all precious to me... But it is not the same as experiencing it as a mortal does... As a mortal should."



"Are... Are you a goddess?" Blake whispered.



Elizabeth smiled softly.



"I am what I said I am."



"I-I don't understand," Blake admitted.



"That's all right," Elizabeth said gently, "One day? You will. Or you won't. It's up to you."



"Blake!"



Blake jumped and turned her head. Jaune was against gingerly navigating the rose bushes, holding two cans of drinks. He frowned and looked around.



"Where's Lizzie?"



"She's right-"



Blake turned... And saw nothing. She stared in disbelief: There was no scent, no heat left behind. Elizabeth hadn't even left a trace in the grass!



"Oh," Jaune sighed, walking up to the shocked Blake, "She does that. Mom keeps trying to lay traps for her but she always gets around them somehow."



He looked at her in concern.



"Are you all right? What did she say to you?"



Blake frowned. She thought about what she had seen, what she had been told...



She sucked in a deep breath.



"I... It's personal," she decided on. Jaune nodded again.



"I get it," he said. He smiled and held out her tea. "You still want a drink?"



Blake stared at him for a while. She then slowly reached out and took the drink. Jaune turned to go.



"Wait," she said. Jaune turned back curiously.



"I... Let's drink and talk together," she said quietly. Jaune blinked.



"Er... You sure?"



Blake nodded with a small smile.



"Positive."



He blushed. He smiled back and sat down with her.



And overhead, the sky was blue with pure white clouds rolling by, and the sun shone brightly.



- - -



Naturally Jaune's "Aunt" is Elizabeth from Bioshock: Infinite.

The song she sang is "Dream of the Sky" by Miracle of Sound:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK9L5zSDRiA

 

[SharkCultist]

As a Huntress Summer Rose had seen many strange things, she'd also seen many terrifying things. Right now she was seeing something that definitely topped both of those list.

She'd been on a mission trying to push back the border of the grimmlands a bit, a fairly standard job but not usually one you take solo, but she'd been sure she would be fine with her magic glowing eyes of doom.

She hadn't planned to see a little blonde boy coming out the bushes half dead from starvation and bleeding from a head wound.

Gods he looked like he was around yangs age.

So she quickly grabbed the kid and made a camp with the intention to terminate the mission and get him to a hospital. In the meantime she awakened his aura to hopefully keep him from getting worse.

Then the Grimm started. She knew there were more of them at border, but it's usually like a pack or three more beowolves. Not almost a hundred and fifty Grimm!

So summer plopped herself into a defensive stance in front of the tent and fought to protect the kid.
And fought.
And fought.
And fought.
Until she couldn't.

Out of aura, out of bullets, and out of luck Summer despaired she'd never see her girls again.

And as a tent flap opened and a small body stumbled out she despaired that she'd watch a child die.

He still looked rough. His blonde hair was caked to his head in clumps by sweat and blood and his blue eyes looked glassy and unfocused.

Not quite a knight in shining armor. But still it looked like he was going to try. Stumbling and jerky like a badly built puppet he moved towards the Grimm.

It should have been a slaughter, and it was. But not how she expected.

Unknown to summer the child had been awake for a little bit before he came out of the tent ,watching the fight. Taking it all in.

And as he stumbled and switched his way towards the Grimm something odd happened. He was getting better. His movements becoming less jerky by the second, his twitches stopped, he was moving like a normal person.

And then he was moving like a hunter. Defensive but quick. He met the Grimm and began to weave around it with familiar movements. Movements summer had spent weeks practicing were being copied by a child.

No more than that they were being Improved on! His movements were changing again. It still kept the traits of a hunter but summer also began seeing other traits in his fighting and she realized that just as he picked apart her at a glance he was doing the same to the Grimm.

In a beautiful and horrifying display this child who by all rights should be comatose right now began tearing through Grimm like a hot knife through butter. Wasteful blasts of aura gouging chunks out of Grimm and the land also began to refine in the middle of combat until he was bouncing around and shredding the surrounding Grimm with very stable and solid looking claws of aura.

Summer didn't even know that was possible!

Eventually somehow the tide of Grimm started to subside. Until it was just summer, the child, and a whole lot of questions. Chief among them being

"Kid are you ok?"

He started at her with those glassy eyes before speaking.

"Kid are you ok?"

Oh that's not good.

"What's your name?"

"What's your name?"

Definitely not good. How aware is he right now? Is he even awake or just in some kinda weird auto copy mode.

"My name is Summer Rose, what's yours?"

This time he paused and seemed to struggle for a bit.

"What's my name? Kid?"

Ok not just copying. Well he is but at least he's using what words he's copying in different ways, he's not fucked up beyond repair!

"I don't know your name, I just found you, but I'm a huntress! I'm here to help. Let's get you back to civilization and see if Ozpin can find your family."

Her words seemed to trigger something in him. His eyes got slightly less glassy. A spark of life seemingly flaring inside them.

"I'm here to help."

---

So we've got a amnesiac Jaune saving summer from her destined death.

His semblance here is similar to his normal one but different and is also tied to him getting his aura awakened while having amnesia.

Your semblance is born of you as a person, your sense of self in a single ability.

Jaune when he had his aura awakened didn't HAVE a sense of self. His aura and body are both taking everything around him in. Skills, movements, experience Jaune is pretty much a version of shirou emiya that copies people and semblances. The only reason he didn't use Summers is because he didn't see it.

But there's still traces of the old semblance he would have had. He's not amplifying anything but what he is doing is refining. All those skills and semblances will pretty much be blended together into the best versions he can make at the time.

He is not however invincible (despite how this chapter makes him out) he's doing this automatically so there's really no way for him to stop integrating things he sees, so a smart enough opponent would make him see something very different from his fighting style that he'd have to adjust to, he would adjust but it would throw him off.

For example if he's in the middle of a sword fight and you somehow position him to see a breakdance he's going to incorporate that breakdancing in the middle of the fight. No matter how much it throws him off.

He can also be overwhelmed and sorta shut down. It didn't happen here because this was mostly the same stuff he was copying. Claw slashes, lunges, bites. Mostly standard across the board.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

FUUJIN

Fuujin is a small but densely populated island chain nation in the southwestern part of Anima. The prevailing ocean and wind currents are strongest directly south of the country, which has aided in its relative isolation for centuries. While greatly influenced by Mistral over the centuries, it has rarely allowed outsiders in. It made several forays of conquest against Mistral, Taejo, even Rostam at some point but its imperial ambitions were always limited by its relatively low population.

In the Age of Empires, where Vale, Mistral and Vacuo's kingdoms began to go out to explore and colonize Remnant, Fuujin's isolation became a liability. Its strategic location and resources would make it a target of exploitation and conquest, much as Mistral and Pandu had suffered. The Divine Currents could no longer prevent steam powered ships from making landfall. As a result, the Emperor of Fuujin opened up his nation to the world.

The biggest assets that Fuujin had to offer were her formidable Aura activated warriors: Samurai, Ninja, and Miko/Geki. Samurai made use of swords, guns, armor and fought openly. Ninja used knives, short swords, stealth and speed to strike from the shadows. Miko/Geki were priestesses and priests who could use their Aura to heal, defend, and cleanse Grimm taint. The Emperor allowed them to become mercenaries to the world, "Hunters", and as they travelled the world they would return with new knowledge Fuujin would use to advance.

In less than a century, Fuujin went from a backwater island nation to a world power. Democratic government was introduced along with formal schooling, industry, and advanced technology. Fuujin built a world class navy, air force, and army. The Emperor was retained and willingly ceded much of his power to a parliament, and the nation flourished.

However, the samurai classes did not take this downgrade in power well. They, the ninja, and the priests had given the Emperor his power: Power he was now ceding to commoners. During the Great War, much like in Mantle, a military coup reduced the Emperor to a figurehead and Fuujin fought against the Allies.

However, the influence of the outside world and many Fuujin who had left to live in other kingdoms was strong. And while many Fuujin were obedient to authority due to their culture, they also had a sense of justice and honor. Vale and Vacuo had never been anything but allies to Fuujin, and the samurai had rewarded them with betrayal. The ninjas in particular led this resistance with many of the priests, as they had ventured out into the world more than the samurai.

The Great War and this civil war left Fuujin in ruins. They surrendered to the Allies unconditionally after years of siege. The Allies occupied Fuujin as they did Mantle and Mistral, but rebuilt them. When the occupation was over ten years after the war, Fuujin began to advance once more and resumed its status as one of the greatest non-aligned kingdoms on Remnant.

Much like Pandu, Fuujin retains a nominal independence from the Big Four Kingdoms, but has very strong ties with Vale and Atlas. Mistral continues to try and get it into their sphere of influence, but Fuujin resists. Its isolation still remains in many ways but so too does its fascination with the outside world.

Its capital city is called Oda, an advanced port city with towering skyscrapers and skylev trains. It is on track to become one of the most populated cities on Remnant. The Emperor's palace is situated in the city, the Sakura Castle. Its tall while walls contain a massive grove of cherry blossom trees, the symbol of the kingdom itself.

Like all isolated regions on Remnant, Fuujin has many distinctive Grimm sub-species. Ranging from the Jorougumo, a Spider/Human-like Grimm smart enough to lure unweary travellers into ambushes, to the Tengu: Ravenous crow-like Grimm that hunt in packs with razor sharp claws.

If you need a Japan analogue, here you go! And yes: You now have Aura Ninjas fighting Raptor Tengu Grimm. You're welcome!

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Ruby Rose stood outside the door to an extremely fancy hotel room. It was located in one of the ritziest hotels in Vale, the Cottonwood Tower. She'd been invited but she still hesitated for a moment.



After all... While Miguel was her friend, what she had to ask him was a little personal. And she wasn't great at personal stuff.



Summoning her courage, she reached up and knocked on the door. There was a moment of silence, before the lock was undone and the door opened. Ruby took a deep breath and smiled.



"Hey Mig... Uel?"



A stunning Vacuoan woman stood before her in a simple but elegant red house dress and apron. A blue silk scarf was tied around her neck. She stood there, voluptuous but athletic, as she looked Ruby up and down with chocolate brown eyes. She raised an eyebrow and her lips thinned. A small mole sat on her pointed chin.



"Ruby Rose, yes?" She asked, her voice lightly accented.



"Ah, y-yes," Ruby said. The woman took Ruby's hand and turned, leading her into the hotel. Ruby looked around with wide eyes at the huge expanse as the door shut behind them.



The hotel windows offered a panoramic view of the Vale skyline and the mountains behind it. Everything was done in plush blue carpets, with burgundy and gold furniture. A fully stocked bar of glass and rich mahogany lined the back wall and a crystal chandelier gleamed overhead.



The woman set Ruby down on a couch and smiled.



"I am Margarita. Miguel's mother." She raised her voice. "MIGUEL! The girl is here!"



Miguel came out of the nearest doorway, yawning a bit. He was in his jeans, suspenders, and white undershirt. He smiled at Ruby.



"Hey again Ruby, it is nice to-"



"MIGUEL!" Margarita barked angrily, "How dare you greet a guest so slovenly! You are a respectable man now! You must act like it!"



"But I was up all night doing reports-" Miguel protested but Margarita's glare intensified. Ruby felt like she was projecting Fire Dust through her eyes with how the air heated up.



"No excuse! A young lady is here and I raised you better!"



Miguel nodded quickly.



"Yes Mama! Sorry Ruby!"



Miguel disappeared back in the bedroom. Margarita sighed and shook her head. She gave Ruby an apologetic smile.



"He's such a good son, he just forgets things sometimes when he is tired. Please forgive him."



"O-Oh! No! I uh, it's okay!" Ruby said quickly, waving her hands. "I-I'm not offended!"



Margarita smiled slyly.



"He is quite the looker, isn't he?" She asked with a wink. Ruby flushed.



"Y-Yes! I mean, no! I mean, um, th-that's not why I'm here!"



Miguel emerged from the bedroom, now fully dressed in a smart red and white suit. He shook his head with a chuckle as he walked over.



"She is not here for me, Mama," he said kindly, sitting down next to Ruby on the couch. "I admire her valor, but her heart belongs to Jaune."



"I-You-But-!" Ruby sputtered, her entire face as red as her scarf. She flailed frantically. "It-It isn't that-I mean-I do-But-!"



Margarita chuckled.



"Ah... I see," she said with a nod. "Jaune was always a good boy. Helped me with chores. Cheered me up."



Her smile turned smoky.



"Worked without a shirt in the yard~..."



"Mama!" Miguel gasped in horror, "Please! None of that!"



"Forgive me my son," Margarita chuckled, "But I am still a woman. And your friend is becoming a fine man."



"Y-Yes, yes he is," Ruby mumbled. Margarita smiled down at Ruby. She sat down on the coffee table across from her, and took Ruby's hands in hers.



"But you do not know how to woo him?"



Ruby bowed her head, and slowly nodded.



"I... M-My mother died when I was very young," Ruby mumbled, "Sister Lucy at the local church taught me some... Some girl stuff, but I wasn't, ya know. As interested in that as my older sister."



"Until now," Margarita surmised. Ruby nodded quickly.



"I um... I was hoping Miguel could-could tell me about him? What... What he likes?"



Miguel laughed.



"Ah, Jaune was always the shy type," he said with a nod, "Always kept away from women. I did too, but him? He was hilarious. Like a dumb puppy."



"Miguel!" Margarita snapped. Miguel scowled at her.



"He was!"



They conversed back and forth in Hispania's native tongue, a spicy and passionate language that Ruby couldn't really keep up with. She looked back and forth as they argued, the language almost musical.



Finally Miguel sighed and held up his hands.



"Very well Mama, you know best," he said. "And it would be nice for him to relax once in his life with a good woman."



"Y-You think I'm a woman?" Ruby asked shyly. Miguel nodded. Margarita huffed.



"I'll be the judge of that." She pulled Ruby to her feet and out to an open space near the windows. She walked around Ruby, her keen eyes looking her up and down. Ruby stood up straight, nervous but trying not to show it.



"Yes, yes... You are still a girl," Margarita sniffed, "The feminine remains a mystery and an annoyance to you. A tomboy."



Ruby flushed then looked down shamefully. Margarita laughed and hugged Ruby.



"But so was I! We women must help guide one another through life," she said. "Femininity is it's own strength, and one all girls must master to become women."



"Do... Do you think I can do it?" Ruby asked.



"I wrestled boys and shot Grimm and rolled in the mud since I was eight, chica," Margarita chuckled, "And I still do! But I do it in style! And so will you!"



Ruby gasped happily.



"Th-Thank you, Mrs. Flores!"



"Do not thank me yet," Margarita said grimly, her voice and eyes hard, "We have a lot of work ahead of us. Miguel! The music, please."



Miguel nodded and opened up his Scroll. He tapped it, and a spicy Hispanian tune began to play on the speakers. Margarita strutted out across the carpet, her necklace jingling, before she clapped twice.



"A woman entices a man with her dancing!" Margarita boomed, "She conveys her love and heat through her body and the music flows through her! When you have that confidence, all else will follow! Especially the man! Now, copy me exactly!"



Margarita did the provocative steps again, shaking her hips and strutting like a tigress. She clapped twice, then nodded to Ruby. Ruby did the same movements, trying to copy them exactly... Then upon the clap step, she tripped over her boots and fell on her face.



"ACK!"



"We have a lot of work to do," Margarita sighed. "Up, Chica! If you want your man, you must TAKE HIM! Do you want him?"



"Y-Yes-"



"DO YOU WANT HIM?!" Margarita bellowed. Ruby nodded furiously.



"YES!"



"Then get up, and repeat after me again!"



Miguel sighed. The fire in Ruby's eyes was impressive, if intimidating. He could admit all Huntresses were lookers, but he felt that someone more low key would be better for him-Especially after Laura.



Jaune though was so dense he probably needed a powerful Huntress girl to knock him off his high horse.



Good luck, hermano, he thought, you're gonna need it...


THUD!


"EEP!"



"AGAIN, CHICA! ARE YOU EVEN TRYING?"



And you too, Ruby, he mentally chuckled.



- - -



Margarita is Spanish for "Pearl" and is also the full name of Rita Hayworth, a fantastic Latina actress who starred in a lot of Westerns.



Music is from Bleach.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Nick: "All right kids, guests... It's time for an annual event! JAUNE!"

Jaune: "Yes Dad?"

Nick: "Get out there and get us some firewood! You too, Ren! This will be intense training!"

Jaune: "Er, how?"

Nick: "You're going out in nothing but your underwear!"

Ruby: "What?!"

Nick: "Using your Aura, you will maintain your body heat! This is an excellent exercise in Aura control! Get to it!"

Jaune and Ren: "Right Dad/Mister Arc!"

They strip and head out. They are soon chopping wood and gathering it in their skivvies... While the ladies not related to them watch.

Ruby: "I... Oh wow..."

Yang: blush "Huh... Didn't know Vomit Boy had a six pack?"

Nick: "HAHAHA! That is the ancestral Arc six pack! Passed down through the generations!"

Pyrrha: "Oh my~..."

Weiss: "It-It's so uncouth and barbaric and yet..."

Blake: "Hwah... Wow..."

Weiss: "Don't you have Sun? D-Doesn't he constantly show off his six pack?"

Blake: "Eh. When you show it off constantly, it loses its power. Besides, Sun doesn't do manual labor..." licks her lips

Yang: "Farmboys know how to put in a hard day's work huh~?"

Nora: Drooling happily "Mother, Father: This is the best Yuletide I've ever had!"

Isabel: "We haven't adopted you yet, sweetie, but thank you."

Nora: "May I kill the other girls for ogling my man?"

Isabel: "No, and they're not. That's why we sent out Jaune, too."

Nora: gasp "You're the best mother I ever had! Which is not hard since the other one abandoned me to die."

Isabel: "Oh... You poor thing..." hugs her "Nick?"

Nick: "Got the adoption papers, sweetie!"

Nora: "YAY! NOW REN HAS TO MARRY ME IF WE'RE GONNA STAY IN THE SAME ROOM!"

Outside...

Ren: "Do you feel a sudden chill?"

Jaune: "Your Aura Control must be slipping, dude. You gotta focus!"

Ren: "Right, right..."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Ever since Blake had admitted she was a Faunus and made it public at Beacon, she'd begun to express her political views much more openly. Which her friends had supported... At first.

Blake: "A cowkini is absolutely cultural appropriation, Yang!"

Yang: "But I look so hot in it-!"

Blake: "NO!"

Nora: "So, wait, I can't wear my sloth snuggie and pretend to be a sloth Faunus? That's bogus!"

Blake: "You can't just pretend to be a Faunus!"

Nora: "But I wanna cuddle Ren as a Sloth Faunus!"

Blake: "No!"

Nora: "What if it was kinky?"

Blake: bright red "N-No! Not at all!"

Jaune for the most part was tuning it out, focusing on studying... When Blake said something next.

Blake: "Also, I don't think it's right to-to romanticize the knights of Albion and Gallia!"

Weiss: "What? They're the ones who helped found Huntsmen!"

Blake: "Yes, and they were all oppressive slaveholders of Faunus! Their Kingdoms engaged in the slave trade before they became part of Vale! They shouldn't be seen as heroes!"

Jaune slams his fork down on the table, getting everyone's attention. Blake scowls.

Pyrrha: concerned "Jaune?"

Ruby: "You okay-?"

Jaune stood up, pulled out his Scroll, flipped through several pages and then, upon finding what he wanted, he marched up to Blake. He towered over her. She glared back.

Blake: "What do you want, Jaune? I-"

Jaune: reading "'On this day of our Lord 1839, in cooperation with the Parliament of Albion, it is decreed that slavery and involuntary servitude of man or Faunus alike shall be outlawed in our dominion. All slave masters shall be compensated appropriately for freeing their slaves within our territories, colonies, and outposts, but those who persist in this ungodly and horrific trade shall be considered enemies of God and the Crown, and shall henceforth be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law of the Vytalian Empire. All former slaves, human or Faunus, shall be considered Subjects of the Vytalian Empire and like all subjects, shall be under the protection of the King and have the same rights and privileges thereof.'" He glares at Blake "This is a proclamation by Emperor Liam IV, the King of Albion, Emperor of the Vytalian Empire, and Lord Protector of Pandu. He was also a knight and my direct ancestor."

Blake: "I-W-Well-"

Jaune: Holds up a finger, flips to another page "And this is by the Gallian monarch at the time, Queen Josephine, to the National Assembly of Gallia: 'This final act of this Republic's session will be to signify an alliance between ourselves and Vytal to abolish the international slave trade and end the subjugation of all human and faunus within our empire. For those who have souls must be free lest the darkness consume us all.' She deployed Gallian Knights, including several of my ancestors, to liberate slaves across the Empire. The Vytalian Navy did the same, shutting down the Faunus slave trade to Atlas and Mistral."

Blake: "But equal rights-!"

Jaune: "You're absolutely right. There is plenty of injustice in the world, Blake. And it's good to fight it. I will happily fight alongside you against it. But you do not win by twisting and distorting history. It just pisses people off! Hell!" He points to Cardin "The House of Winchester helped end Faunus slavery in Arminus when they continued to do so against Vale's laws!"

Cardin: "We did?"

Jaune: "You did!"

Cardin: "Cool!" At the looks he gets "... What? I have issues with Faunus, but I don't want you as slaves!"

Velvet: "What about me~?" winks

Cardin: blushes, sputters

Jaune: "So, yeah Blake. I get that you want justice and equality. But haranguing us isn't going to get you that. Okay?"

Blake: "..." slowly nods "O-Okay."

Jaune returns to his seat and resumes eating and studying. Pyrrha beams in pride.

Weiss: "... Jaune?"

Jaune: "Uh, yes Weiss?"

Weiss: "Good boy. You actually made her shut up."

Blake: "YOU HAVE ZERO ROOM TO TALK, WEISS!"

Weiss: "Oh I think I do~!"

The two begin to argue.

Ruby: "Wow... You were like, a super nerd!"

Yang: "As much as I like her, it is nice to see her back down. Good work, VB!"

Jaune: "Oh, uh, ya know... I mean, I know my ancestors did a lot of bad things, but they also did a lot of good things too. I just hate it when it's oversimplified, you know?"

Pyrrha: smiles "Exactly..."

Nora: "So... I can wear a sloth costume to cuddle Ren?"

Jaune: "As long as Ren has no objections, yes."

Nora: "HEE!"

Ren: "At last. My life is complete."

Yang: "Is... Is that sarcasm?"

Ren: "No."

- - -

Again, I wanted Blake to grow and change as a character. But the writers have a very shallow idea of what the history of oppression, slavery and civil rights is. And so they were never able to write the Faunus rights issue properly. The actual history of slavery and oppression is wonderfully complex with a lot of potential things to draw from! But RT failed to do it. So hey, I may as well play around with it.

And of course, just because slavery was made illegal doesn't mean racial discrimination and injustice didn't happen. But the biggest and most powerful empire in the history of the world, the British Empire, did gradually end slavery as a legal institution throughout their territories over a period of 30 years and deployed their powerful navy to suppress the slave trade, along with many other European nations: And that was certainly a good thing.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Getting out of Dust Class to deal with an emergency hadn't been the easiest thing to accomplish, but The Huntsman and his faithful sidekick, Wonder Zwei, had managed it.

Though Jaune felt that detonating Dust under the fire sprinklers was a tad excessive. He'd have to volunteer in Professor Peach's class more often to make up for it.

That aside, he and Wonder Zwei arrived on the Huntscycle (Copyright pending) at the corner of Perrault and Lang in Vale. The silent alarm inside the nearby Museum of Boxing had gone off, and both Huntsman and Wonder Zwei raced inside.

They found the cashier lying in a pool of his own blood near the commemorative shot glasses. Huntsman's eyes widened in horror as he knelt beside the fallen man.

"You poor man!" Huntsman cried, as Wonder Zwei sniffed him, "What dastardly fiend did this to you?!"

"That would be me, Huntsman!" A female voice laughed. Huntsman looked up... And his own face exploded in red.

A very... Very... Healthy woman with generous curves and abs you could grind meat on strutted out of the main museum. Her "costume" consisted of a golden dragon mask over her eyes, a yellow string bikini top, black short shorts, boots and gloves. Huntsman focused his extraordinary willpower on the woman's face-Not that that was much help.

"Name's Sun Dragon!" The woman cackled, "On account of how I'm gonna warm you right up~!"

"You assaulted this man?!" Huntsman demanded.

The Sun Dragon snickered.

"What? No! I had a jacket I took off and he just keeled over with a nosebleed!"

The Huntsman inspected him. Indeed, all of the blood had come from the victim's nostrils, which were still drawing breath. The extremely silly smile on the man's face was another dead giveaway as to the cause of his unconsciousness.

"Ah... I see," The Huntsman stated. He dragged his eyes back to Sun Dragon, and kept them locked on her eyes. "Well! What are you after, Sun Dragon?"

"Well~," Sun Dragon spun a very worn set of boxing gloves around her finger with a grin, "I thought I'd try on Ozark Ike's boxing gloves! The ones he wore when he became Remnant's Heavyweight Champion~! They'd look great in my collection!"

"That's theft!" Huntsman declared, standing up to point an accusatory finger at Sun Dragon. "You can't deny schoolchildren the ability to look upon the gloves Ozark Ike used on his difficult journey from a hillbilly in Vale to world champion! That inspiration is critical to promoting a healthy culture and future for us all! We need heroes to look up to and be inspired by!"

Sun Dragon looked taken aback by Huntsman's passionate speech. She then smiled with a light blush over her cheeks.

"So... You really care about children, do you~?"

"Absolutely!" Huntsman declared. Wonder Zwei was busy looking through the keychains for one with his name.

Sun Dragon hummed, then shrugged, which did many interesting things to her chest that Huntsman tried very hard not to notice.

"Well, I guess if it's for the children, I give up~!" Sun Dragon declared, setting the boxing gloves down reverently on the cashier's desk.

Huntsman blinked.

"I... Um... G-Good!" Huntsman stated. Sun Dragon sashayed her way up to him, and held out her hands. She did it in such a way to ensure her chest was pushed up. Something Huntsman again tried very hard not to notice.

"I guess you're gonna cage this dragon up for good, huh?" Sun Dragon asked in a honey sweet voice. Huntsman coughed.

"I uh... I-I mean... It is your first offense and you did give up," the Huntsman said, "And the cashier will be fine so um... M-Maybe I could let you off with a warning, or uh... Community service..."

Sun Dragon cooed and leaned in closer. Their noses were nearly touching.

"How would you like me to serve you? You're part of the community, after all~," Sun Dragon teased.

Huntsman sputtered. The barely clothed burglar giggled. It was a very nice giggle, Huntsman decided. And a strangely familiar one.

"You do this for all the hot supervillainesses?" She asked, "Or just the ones with a great rack? I saw you looking~."

"I uh... It, uh," Huntsman stuttered. Sun Dragon chuckled, her violet eyes boring into his.

"I don't mind if you look, Huntsman," she teased, "Why aren't you? They're my best features."

"It... Uh... W-Well, um..." Huntsman coughed, staring back into her eyes, "I disagree."

Sun Dragon blinked.

"Huh?"

"I-I mean, um, they're very nice, but your eyes are absolutely gorgeous," Huntsman said quickly, "Like amethysts gleaming in the flames of a dragon's fire."

Sun Dragon's entire face went bright red. Huntsman's face was not much better.

Wonder Zwei was trying to figure out Venmo so he could pay for a collective mug.

Glass shattered behind them and both Huntsman and Sun Dragon broke apart and looked. A girl in a red and black costume with a domino mask and her short hair up in a ponytail posed dramatically, wielding a scythe with the words "NOT Crescent Rose" written on it in what looked like markers.

"Halt fiend! Don't you dare deceive my partner!"

"Partner?!" Sun Dragon and Huntsman shouted at the same time, Sun Dragon sounding offended while Huntsman was just confused.

"Yes! I am the Huntsman's loyal sidekick, RED REAPER!" The girl declared, spinning her scythe overhead with a flourish. She grinned and winked at Huntsman. "I mean, a good superhero needs more than just one sidekick, right?"

"Ruff," Wonder Zwei opined. Huntsman scowled at him.

"You do not have a lot of paperwork to do! I do all the paperwork!"

"Ruff."

"No, you're just browsing XYZ all day, I know it!"

Sun Dragon snorted and put a hand on her hip.

"Run along home, little girl! This is a private superhero and supervillain fight!" She declared.

"Nuh uh!" Red Reaper cried, "I'm gonna back my hero up and keep supervillainesses like you away from him!"

"He could take me all on his own!" Sun Dragon boasted, pressing herself against the Huntsman and making his face turn bright red. "I don't stand a chance! You can take the day off!"

"NO WAY! It's too dangerous, Huntsman!" Red Reaper declared. She charged in and swung her scythe, making Sun Dragon jump back. Sun Dragon glared back.

"It's not remotely too dangerous! There's plenty of water in the gift shop!"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Huntsman sputtered.

"To avoid dehydration~," Sun Dragon grinned.

"THAT'S why it's too dangerous!" Red Reaper growled. "Hands off!"

"What happened to sisters before misters?!" Sun Dragon demanded as she threw a punch. Red Reaper dodged around it and attacked Sun Dragon from above.

"He's MY mister! I saw him first!"

"YOU DID NOT!"

The Huntsman, baffled, watched his supposed new sidekick and newest supervillainess adversary fight furiously like belligerent siblings. He looked over to Wonder Zwei.

"Wonder Zwei? Chum? Any thoughts?"

Wonder Zwei was silent for a moment as he ate some popcorn.

"Ruff."

"What do you mean 'Zwei is a good name for a child?!' That's not helpful!"

"Ruff."

"No I'm not and that's very politically incorrect!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Training missions were the bread and butter of Beacon students. Headmaster Ozpin firmly believed that Hunters should get to know the people and lands they would be protecting and get a taste of how the job really worked beyond the sensationalistic books, comics and movies portrayed.

What Ruby Rose was learning was that most of it was... Dull.

"Uggggh," Ruby moaned, leaning against the wall in the Beacon mission office as other Hunter teams milled around or waited in line, "This is sooo boring!"

The rest of RWBY was gathered around in a waiting area of cheap couches, coffee tables, and chairs.

"It is a critical part of being a Huntress, Ruby," Weiss gently scolded, though judging from the fashion magazine she was reading, she too was not enthused about the wait time.

"Yeah, the worst part," Ruby grumbled. Yang shadowboxed nearby, while Blake read through another of her novels. Ruby laid on a couch and childishly kicked her legs up in the air.

"Our trainer should have already shown up!" Ruby whined.

"Yeah, he should, and stop that," Yang stated with a scowl, "You're giving the boys a show."

"Nuh uh! I wear shorts under my combat skirt!" Ruby insisted.

"Skintight shorts!"

"You do go around in those yourself, Yang," Blake observed. Yang flushed.

"Well my little sister shouldn't act like that!"

"You were the one bending over in a low cut top around Jaune yesterday," Ruby accused Yang. The blonde brawler had the decency to blush before clearing her throat.

"Th-That's different! He has seven sisters, he knows how a girl should look!"

"And you say I'm tsundere," Weiss huffed.

"You are," Blake smirked.

"I am not!"

"Team RWBY!"

All four girls got to their feet at the barked order and stared at the newcomer. It was a tall, neatly coiffed blond man in a tan business suit, blue undershirt, leopard-print tie, and stylish goggle-like sunglasses. A small battleaxe wrapped in white tiger print hung from his side. Yang was the first to recover and scowled.

"Who are you?"

"I'm your trainer for the day's mission," the man spoke firmly, "Brand Arc."

Four sets of jaws dropped. Ruby recovered first this time.

"Are-Are you related to Jaune Arc, by any chance?"

"Yes," Brand stated firmly, "He is my nephew. I am Isabel's younger brother."

"Another one?!" Weiss muttered in exasperation. Yang elbowed her. "OW! What?"

JNPR was passing by at that moment. They stopped and Jaune grinned. He ran up and hugged Brand.

"Uncle Brand! You made it!"

The grim look on the man's face softened just a bit, as he briefly returned the hug.

"It's good to see you well, Jaune," he said with a nod. Jaune grinned back as his other teammates walked up too. Pyrrha beamed warmly as Nora waved and Ren nodded respectfully.

"Nice to meet you, Mister Arc," Pyrrha said, "I'm Pyrrha Nikos, this is Nora Valkyrie, and that's Lie Ren. We're Jaune's teammates."

Brand nodded respectfully back as Jaune pulled away.

"Both of your teams have been assigned to me," he stated, "For a routine investigation mission near Gallia." He stared at Weiss. "Weiss Schnee, correct?"

"Yes sir," Weiss said with a respectful nod. He shook his head.

"Your father made a catastrophically bad deal with Wayland Motors. He should find people who know the military airship business next time," he stated. Weiss blinked rapidly with a new respect in her eyes.
"You know about that?"

"Yeah!" Jaune grinned, "Uncle Brand was an investment banker for Njord Investments!"

Weiss and Pyrrha's eyes bugged out.

"The biggest investment firm in Atlas?!" Pyrrha gasped. Brand nodded.

"The same," he stated. "I worked as a Level One Advisor."

Blake's eyes narrowed.

"So you were good enough to advise on the state level in regards to international trade," she said, "For Atlas."

Brand nodded.

"Yes. Incidentally, Miss Belladonna, your parents are making excellent gains in the metals market, but every time White Fang launches an attack their efforts to set up a CCT tower in Menagerie has to restart from scratch. Until that changes, Menagerie will always be a high risk investment, though your parents have done a good job on the local economic level."

"I..." Blake blinked rapidly, her ears twitching beneath her bow, "Th-Thanks?"

"Wait," Weiss interjected, "If you're so good, why are you working as a Huntsman? Um, n-no offense."

Brand nodded gravely.

"That's simple: The current finance market is shit!"

The vehemence in his voice made almost everyone jump. Brand shook his head.

"The economy is in a slump right now and dealing with a bunch of spoiled brats with too much money is deleterious to the soul."

"So, you like being a Huntsman better?" Pyrrha asked with a photogenic smile. Brand shook his head.

"No. Being a Hunter is also shit!"

Again, everyone jumped at the force he put into that word. Brand adjusted his glasses.

"The same economic slowdown means that while Grimm are still a problem, Hunter wages aren't going up save in areas of the worst trouble. And even then you need to get paid by corporations with investments in the area to make any real money. If they don't just hire on mercenaries for cheaper. In short..."

He shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Work is shit! But, man must work to survive. So you may as well do the work you are best suited for. And that's Hunting."

Jaune smiled at his brusque uncle.

"You haven't changed at all," he said. Brand nodded.

"It happens to all adults, you get set in your ways. Now, give me your paperwork. I'll sort it out."

Ruby transmitted the paperwork. Brand opened his own Scroll, and sorted through it. He hit "send", and green lights appeared on his Scroll screen.

"Good. We're all set," he stated.

"That fast?!" Ruby gasped.

"Uncle Brand is great at sorting out paperwork!" Jaune enthused.

Brand nodded grimly.

"It is a suffering one must get used to," he stated. "Come! Let's get on our way."

"So, he's a finance wizard but he's back to fighting?" Weiss muttered to Jaune as the two teams followed Brand out the door. Yang, Ruby and Pyrrha all seemed to cluster around Jaune and shoot eachother dirty looks.

Jaune nodded.

"Yeah. He paid his way through college by hunting after my grandparents died when he was a kid. Same for my mom, my other uncles and my aunt."

"I see," Weiss frowned, "I do hope he's not out of practice."

"Come on, Weiss, he's built under those clothes," Yang grinned. Weiss huffed.

"That's not enough to prove he's any good! Jaune's built like a beast but-but he's still terrible at fighting!"

Jaune blushed deeply. Weiss, after a moment, followed suit.

"N-Not that I was looking!" She declared.

"Tsundere~," Yang mocked.

"I AM NOT!" Weiss shook her head. "Anyway, Mister Arc needs to prove his prowess! L-Like anyone else!"

- - -

As it turned out, a bandit gang attacked one of the settlements on their investigation mission. They had the bad luck to attack the village just as Brand and the teams arrived. It was short, brutal... And extremely one sided.

As Brand proceeded to demolish most of the Bandits all by himself with just his short axe and fists. One bandit tried to knife him in the back, but Brand just backhanded him back through a wall.

JNPR and RWBY stared as Brand seized one bandit by the ponytail. The young man whimpered in terror as Brand loomed over him.

"Where is your base and how many comrades do you have?" He snarled.

"I-I can't-!"

"Where is your base and how many comrades do you have?" Brand growled, tightening his grip on the young man's ponytail and pulling back hard. The young man yelped.

"N-NEAR THE WATERFALL! BY THE LAKE! FIFTEEN AT LEAST!"

Brand slammed the man face first through a brick wall. Having his Aura activated, the man was shaken but not badly hurt.

"How many comrades do you have?" Brand again demanded. The ponytailed man screamed.

"Um... Maybe we should stop this?" Ruby offered, staring with the rest of her team at the scene. Jaune shook his head.

"No. These bandits have been killing innocent people and worse things around here," he said firmly, "He should be scared. My uncle's not a sadist though: You won't get any useful information with torture. Intimidation and some rough treatment will do the trick."

"Oh yeah, totally!" Nora said cheerfully, "I mean, you gotta build up to that! Only break their limbs if you need to! They're a huge hassle if you hurt them too badly!"

"Indeed," Ren stated, "We've learned this the hard way."

"Wha-" Ruby's eyes bugged out. "Seriously?! Don't you have any-any issues with this, guys?!"

Yang, Weiss, Pyrrha, and Blake all stared at Brand manhandling the prisoner... With deep red faces.

"Guys?!" Ruby demanded.

"Wh-What? What?" Weiss mumbled. "Oh, um, as long as he's not too badly harmed, it should be okay?"

"JAUNE!" Brand shouted, "Get over here. You're going to help me demonstrate the proper way to interrogate a prisoner!"

"Sure thing Uncle!" Jaune said cheerfully.

"C-Could I volunteer to play the prisoner?" Pyrrha asked hopefully.

"You?!" Yang growled.

"I'm very familiar with interrogations, I'd be best at it," Blake said quickly.

"Seriously?!" Weiss demanded. Ruby brightened. "I should do it! I've gone through the training! And-And I have a ponytail too that he can grab onto!"

And Ruby's face fell.

"Seriously?!"

Brand shook his head.

"No, we already have the bandit for that," Brand stated, "And different interrogation styles will help you learn from your mistakes. Though keep that in mind for the future! Practice is shit, but if you don't do it you will be shit!"

"Yes Uncle Brand!" Jaune said cheerfully. He seized the whimpering bandit's ponytail and yanked hard. "Like this?"

"No, no, more with the wrist," Brand corrected his nephew.

Ruby turned bright red. Thoughts of growing out her hair to get a ponytail emerged... And she frantically shook her head to clear her thoughts.

Stupid hormones!

- - -

Naturally, Brand Arc is heavily based on Nanami Kento from Jujutsu Kaisen. Kento means "Sword" in Japanese, so I replaced his name with "Brand" which means the same thing in Old English. And I had to reference how thirsty girls got over seeing Nanami manhandle a badguy with a ponytail.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

In the cozy common room between teams RWBY and JNPR of Beacon Academy, Jaune Arc was perched on a worn-out couch. His brow furrowed in concentration over a cookbook titled The Art of Exotic Cooking. His blond locks fell over his eyes as he studied the intricate details of a recipe for goat curry, oblivious to the world around him.

"Hmmm..." Jaune murmured, his finger tracing the lines of text.

From behind him, Yang Xiao Long crept up with the stealth of a panther, her golden hair tied back in a ponytail that swished with each careful step. "Whatcha up to, VB?" she asked, her voice laced with playful mischief.

Jaune jumped, nearly dropping the book. "ACK! Oh! Hey Yang! I'm looking up a recipe for goat curry. It's Nora's favorite, and since her birthday's coming up, I thought I'd make it for her!"

Yang snatched the book from his hands, her violet eyes scanning the pages. "Hmmm... You know, I've cooked a lot of curries back home. How about I handle it?"

"You sure?" Jaune's voice was tinged with relief.

"Hey, I wanna brighten up Nora's big day too!" Yang grinned, her enthusiasm catching.

"That's great! I was going to get the goat!" Jaune said, his enthusiasm returning.

"Right now? The shops are closing soon!" Yang warned, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll be getting a wild goat. It's what Nora wants, and I wanted to test out the recipe to see if it would be good," Jaune explained.

"Well... How about I get the rest of it ready and you get the goat?" Yang proposed. She headed over to the kitchen and pulled out an apron.

"Really? Thanks, Yang!" Jaune beamed, his face lighting up.

While Yang gathered spices and ingredients, Jaune headed into the evening light. An hour later, he returned, a dead goat draped over his shoulders like a barbarian returning from a hunt.

"Ack! Jaune! You can't just bring it in here-!" Yang exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.

"I just need to skin and dress it, Yang! It won't take too long, I promise. Besides, we can get the goat skin tanned and make it another gift for Nora!" Jaune countered.

"I thought she loved sloths?" Yang questioned, puzzled.

"Yeah, she loves live sloths and dead goats," Jaune shrugged as if this were an obvious fact.

Yang, having lived with Ruby, just rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Well do it over there on the balcony! You don't want to make a mess!" Yang directed, pointing towards the open air.

Jaune, true to his word, skillfully prepared the goat on the balcony, the setting sun casting long shadows as he worked. He brought in the meat while Yang used some Ice Dust to freeze the rest, wrapping it neatly.

"We'll be eating goat for a while..." Jaune observed, looking at the substantial amount of meat.

"Lots of ways to prepare it!" Yang chimed in, her culinary creativity sparked.

"Do you need some help?" Jaune offered, wiping his hands on a cloth.

"What, you saying I can't do it?" Yang scowled, hands on her hips.

"No, no, just offering. I know you're a good cook. Ruby praises you all the time," Jaune quickly backtracked.

Yang blushed, her scowl softening. "O-Oh? Well, uh... Heh. Yeah. I had to make sure she grew up big and strong, didn't I?"

"You did a great job," Jaune smiled warmly.

"Oh... Well... Thank you... Vomit Boy," Yang replied, her voice softer now.

As Yang cooked, the common room was filled with the aroma of spices. Jaune returned from storing the excess meat to find Yang dancing lightly to a tune from the radio, her apron dusted with flour.

"... Wow..." Jaune couldn't help but murmur.

"Hm? What?" Yang turned, her eyes questioning.

"Ah... N-Nothing! Nothing!" Jaune stuttered, caught off guard.

"It's about done. Sit down, I'll prepare a sample," Yang said, her voice now all business.

Jaune sat, his smile lingering as Yang brought out a bowl of steaming goat curry and proudly set it before him.

"Dig in!" she encouraged.

Jaune took a bite, his eyes closing in bliss. "This... This is amazing!"

"Really?" Yang's voice held a note of hope.

"Yeah! It's as good as my mom's! Or my big sister Lilac's!" Jaune grinned. "You're just... Amazing, Yang."

"Heh! Come on, cut it out," Yang dismissed, though clearly pleased.

"N-No, I mean it. You really are amazing." Jaune's smile was genuine. "You're going to be an amazing wife and mother someday."

Yang stared at him, her breath catching, her cheeks flushing a deep red. Jaune, realizing he might have overstepped, coughed awkwardly.

"I-I uh, I'm not being sexist or anything! Promise! I-I just think you're amazing! Like, my mom is a doctor and a super strong fighter but she's also an amazing housewife! She-She did it all and she was amazing and I just... I just think you're also amazing," he rambled, panic setting in.

Yang gaped.

"O-Oh! Um, I-I better go make sure Nora isn't setting something on fire!" Jaune got up and dashed out.

Yang, overwhelmed by a rush of emotions, watched him go.

"... That dense idiot... He... He...!" Yang muttered, then giggled, shaking her head. "No! Nonono, you do not have a crush on him! C-Come on! So he went out and hunted an animal, brought it back for you to cook and complimented you... Th-That... Doesn't mean... Anything..."

She groaned and covered her face.

"I'm just like Mom..."

After a moment, her expression softened, a smile creeping back.

"I'm just like Mom~!"

 

[SharkCultist]

Ruby Rose was old. One hundred and six years old. The oldest huntress in the world (but nowhere near the oldest hunter).

In her life she had seen many things, more than people expected with the help of her silver eyes.

Wonderful sights, awe inspiring visuals, terrifying monsters.

And she had seen death. Three times in fact.

Once as a little girl. She saw death as a snarling mad beast. Terrifying and wanting nothing more than to hurt her, to take her away like it took her mother. As a child Ruby saw death as a monster.

The second time she saw death was when Pyrrha died. It stood vigilant waiting for the right moment before snatching away her friend forever. Cold and quick. She hated it. As a young adult Ruby saw death as a enemy.

And now as a old woman Ruby sits at her mother's grave enjoying the wind and sounds of nature.

"Wonderful evening isn't it?"

He looks like Jaune. Not the hardened warrior he became but the gentle boy he once was, back when she thought they could be something more.

"It is."

He sits with her. There's no rush, no fight. They both know it will happen when it happens.

"Can I ask a question?"

"Is it about how I appear?"

Well trust death to be all knowing.

"Miss Rose everyone sees death differently, and so I appear to everyone differently. Some see me as a monster something that only hurts them. Others I'm a cold part of life not seen as cruel because I don't care it is simply how things are."

"And your current appearance?"

"My favorite way to be seen. As a reward and a friend, a gentle figure leading you to your rest and lost loved ones."

Ruby was tired. The winds blowing through the leaves like a gentle lullaby.

"Rest sounds nice."

And so she did. Her family would later find her leaning against the grave peaceful almost as if asleep. With a small smile on her face.

 

[SharkCultist]

Cardin Winchester had a problem and like most problems in life it started with a Grimm.

His team had been sent to exterminate a Grimm which turned out to be a swapper.

Swapper are strange Grimm. Almost looking like a jellyfish with muscular legs.

Kinda goofy. What isn't goofy is their tentacles ability to bypass aura to inject a very odd venom.

A swappers venom does exactly what it says. It swaps things around. It could turn a redheads hair blue, could invert the color of your aura, could make a optimist out of a depressed guy. It can even invert semblances.

The only reason they aren't high ranking Grimm is because the effects are almost always minor and are completely random.

This one unfortunately was a elder so it's effects were a bit less minor.
Cardin managed to avoid getting hit but his teammates all got hit at the same time by one big tentacle.

But other than that it was a quick mission without too many problems.

So why is it ruining his life?

Well the effects of the swapper venom hit his teammates when they got back to beacon and it was a big and permanent change. Their bodies and minds had been twisted and remade.

Into teenage girls.

Ok weird but nothing too bad, sky still loved dumb jokes, dove still liked gaming, and Russel still made great music. They were different but still his friends.

Except for some reason all three of them were kinda hostile to his girlfriend now. It's weird they got a long just fine when they were guys but now they glare anytime he goes out with velvet.

It's pretty dang stressful and he's not sure what to do. What could possibly be the issue?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Doctor Knowall entered his first class with a Scroll, a box of medical supplies, and a neutral enough smile. He walked in and scanned around. He easily caught sight of his younger self, which gave him a bit of pride.

Glad to see he's not slacking off, he thought. His mood improved a bit more when he saw the rest of his younger counterpart's team... Then dropped a bit when he saw RWBY. That's... Gonna be tough.

His mood soured entirely when he noted that the vast majority of his students were females, all eyeing him with varying looks of adoration. He held in a sigh as he walked up to the front of the room.

Geez... Yang did always say I underappreciated my appeal.

His mood darkened even more. He shook his head free of it and looked around the classroom with a neutral expression.

Don't think about her... You're doing this so she'll have a happy future... Without you.

"Welcome to First Aid and Emergency Response," Knowall stated, "A lot of Hunters think Aura is all you need out there to survive. These are what we call 'idiots.'"

There were some giggles. He let them die down.

"But the fact of the matter is? Even if you have Aura, most people don't," Knowall continued, "Not enough to be useful as protection, which is why most people don't bother unlocking it. And even with Aura? You are not invincible. There are countless ways to bring down Hunters. You might choke to death in a fire because you have no oxygen. You might drown. You might get overwhelmed by countless strikes. There might be so many Grimm you can't escape. Grimm can use venoms, toxins, and other effects to make accessing your Aura difficult or impossible."

He dropped his first aid kit on the desk in front of him. The loud bang made everyone jump. Good.

"So, two important pieces of advice," he stated, "One: You are not going to defeat the Grimm on your own. There are many songs of heroes who stood their ground to the last. You will never get to hear that song. So if it is an option-And believe me, 99 times out of a 100, it is an option-Retreat. Keep your team together. Get anyone you can out of danger and to safety. Houses and towns can be rebuilt. Beings with souls are priceless."

He looked around slowly, glad that everyone's eyes were on him. He was cheating now, using one of his mom's techniques to keep himself calm.

Because he knew many people who hadn't retreated. He didn't want to think they didn't have the option... And yet...

Focus, he admonished himself.

"Your job is to save lives. Don't forget that."

He then smiled.

"And two? Being able to do first aid of any kind maximizes not only your changes of survival, but those of the people we protect."

He opened the first aid kit. He held up a vial of white Dust.

"Who can tell me what this is?" He asked.

Weiss' hand shot up. He nodded to her.

"It's healing dust, Doctor Knowall," she said happily, "Grade 2.4, for standard field issue!"

Knowall raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"Very good, Miss Schnee. How do we use Healing Dust? Anyone?"

Jaune's hand shot up, and Knowall nodded. Jaune coughed.

"Ah, you channel your Aura through it into another person, giving them some of your Aura."

"Explain the process," Knowall ordered. His younger counterpart nodded, his voice growing a bit louder and more confident.

"Well, uh, Aura has energies that repel other Auras-Souls are different for everyone, after all, so most Aura can't be transferred into another person without being filtered. Healing Dust absorbs the part of Aura energy that are, well, unique to an individual so only a neutral energy enters another. The conversion rate is only about 25% though."

"True," Knowall nodded, gesturing for Jaune to sit down, "But twenty-five percent is better than no percent. In this way, healing dust has revolutionized medicine. Especially out in the field. Giving someone a few extra points of Aura in combat can mean the difference between life and death."

A few of his classmates were eyeing Jaune with some new respect. Good. He'd been good at school but he had a bad habit of slacking off when he got too stressed out. Hopefully his extra training was letting his younger counterpart manage that.

"So," Knowall stated, "We'll begin with basics of Aura transfer through Healing Dust. How to apply it and how to channel it. Not everyone is going to be very good at this to start with... And that's fine. Everyone is terrible at something until they get good at it. Practice and hard work is how you get good at something, so don't get discouraged."

"So uh, what will we be practicing on, Doc?" Yang asked. Knowall turned to stare at her. He calmly reached up to his left forearm, and lowered his Aura down to almost nothing. He adjusted his pain receptors, focused...

Then snapped his radius and ulna with an audible crack.

"Me," he stated calmly, ignoring the gasps, cries, and one student vomiting. He wasn't going to apologize though.

It was how his mother had taught him, after all.

- - -

Click to shrink...

Doctor Knowall retired to his office in the Beacon Infirmary after classes were done for the day. It was clean and cutting edge, like the rest of the building. None of the medical scanners had been cobbled together out of anything he could salvage. None of the beds were cots made out of wood duct-taped together with cut apart bedsheets. There was no snarling of Grimm, no pounding of guns or missiles.

It was calm, pristine even.

It all made Jaune feel... Twitchy. Jumpy.

"Hey Doc?"

He took a deep breath. He turned on his chair to face the open door out into the infirmary. He went through every meditative technique he knew.

For standing there with a bright, cocky smile on her face was Yang Xiao-Long.

"Miss Xiao-Long," Jaune said, "What can I do for you?"

Yang smirked a bit, mischief in her violet eyes. It was so familiar it was utterly painful.

"Well, I wanted to get a check up," she said, rolling her shoulders, "My last combat class was pretty rough, and I'm a little sore."

Knowall's keen eyes and Aura senses identified that there was literally nothing wrong with her. He should tell her to run off, stop wasting his damn time. She used to flirt like this with him all the time, in... In the future.

He should just...

"Sit down," he sighed. Yang grinned and sat down on one of the beds, perched like a glamour model. Knowall nodded and scooted over on his chair's roller wheels. He rested a hand on her shoulder, and flared his Aura. Yang sucked in a deep breath as he poked a few muscles and studied her Aura reactions.

"You'll be fine, minor overextension of your ligaments," Knowall stated, standing up and walking over to pick up his Scroll. He tapped out a few notes and added it to her digital chart. He turned back and shook his head.

"You need to diversify your attacks," Knowall stated, "Kicks can be very useful, too. As well as blocking."

Yang pouted a bit at him.

"You sound like my dad," she huffed. She complained about that all the time in the future, too. Whenever he warned her. Whenever he tried to get her to be safer.

"Listen to him," Knowall stated, once again looking over the infirmary and finding it spotless. He hated it.

"You'll avoid a lot of pain if you do," he stated, glaring at her. Yang scowled in confusion. It was just like her... So bright, so defiant...

"What's your problem?" She demanded bluntly. "I just wanted to get some attention. Maybe..." She smirked. "Brighten up your day-?"

Knowall slammed a fist into the wall, leaving a crater. He took slow, deep breaths. He slowly turned to look back at the shocked Yang.

"... Sorry," he murmured, standing up straight. "I'll have to ask Miss Goodwitch to fix that."

"... I..." She shook her head slowly. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... To touch a nerve."

Knowall slowly nodded. Silence fell in the infirmary for a bit. A silence Yang predictably broke.

"Who... Who was she?"

Knowall started and looked back at her. Yang shrugged with a small, apologetic smile.

"Someone... Someone had to have made you this angry. Fifty-fifty, right?" She asked. "Did..." She sucked in a breath. "Did she... Run out on you? Abandon you?"

She looked down at her hands, resting in her lap.

"... Break your heart?"

Knowall sighed. He took off his glasses and wiped them off.

"No," he said, "She... She was murdered."

Yang looked up in shock. Knowall stared past her. He just... He couldn't look directly at her. To see her here, intact, whole, alive... While his memories showed everything...

"Our wedding day," he mumbled, "White Fang broke in. She was... She was friends with someone the leader was obsessed with. He wanted to punish her. Kill all her human friends..."

He closed his eyes. Yep... It was still there. She fought for her life. She killed so many of the White Fang members. He had screamed himself hoarse, tried to pull free. To help her. His captors were too strong for brute force alone.

Even then, he just couldn't bring himself to use his arts to hurt people.

Then Adam descended like a demon out of myth... And stabbed her through the heart. He saw the life go out of Yang's eyes.

And after that... There was only rage. And pain.

"... When they killed her," he mumbled, "I... I broke my oath. I finally... Had enough. I used everything..." He stared at his open palm. Funny, he expected it to be covered in blood.

"Everything I knew... To kill them all."

He shut his eyes again. All the members of the White Fang were dying in horrible agony. Adam? He had saved the worst for him. Every minute of his death had been an exercise in pain and cruelty. Even when the mighty White Fang leader, humbled and broken, had begged for mercy... Knowall hadn't responded.

He'd watched him with unblinking eyes as he perished, his very body eating itself to death.

In the end...

"... It brought me nothing but more pain," he whispered. "Not even absolution. I... I haven't felt peace since that day. Just... Nothing."

He felt her rise. Felt her wrap her arms around him. He opened his eyes and looked down at her. Yang was doing her best to keep the tears out of her eyes, but... The sheer compassion in her gaze was heartbreakingly familiar.

"... Sorry," she whispered.

Knowall very slowly nodded.

"Thank you."

He cleared his throat. He got himself under control... And pushed her away to a respectful distance, pulling his hand back just as carefully.

"Thank you," he repeated, "I'm very sorry I got so... Unprofessional."

"I, no, I-I get it," Yang admitted quietly. She smiled softly. "I know how you have to be strong... Even when-"

"You're crying on the inside," Knowall finished. Yang stared at him in mild shock, but nodded.

"Yeah..."

Knowall again cleared his throat.

"You should get back to your team," he said. She turned to go, slowly. He watched her walk out.

He sighed and rubbed his face.

Goddamnit...

When Yang Xiao-Long was involved? He was always weak. Too damn weak.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Now, I've been stressed to hell and back with real life and my job... But I do have something Christmas-y to share.

- - -

Staying with Ruby after Vytal had been... Rough. Yang was closed off, and when she wasn't closed off, she was angry. Ruby tried to smile and be cheerful, but it was all a facade Jaune could see right through. Taiyang was busy a lot of the time, though when he was home he trained with them. He was an absolute monster and kept a good attitude about things.

"It's not about you, son," Taiyang had confided to him, after a grueling training session that had left himself, Nora, and Ren exhausted and bruised, "It's about them. You have to be strong for them."

The older man shook his head, his eyes filled with sadness.

"I've been weak. I've broken down. I've failed them... I can't fail them again."

Jaune slowly nodded. That conversation stayed in his mind, even as the snow began to fall.

Yuletide was coming. Taiyang was called away to fight in Vale: The city was still in bad shape but they'd pulled together forces for a counter attack. That left them on their own.

One night, Jaune had gone out to get firewood in the forest. He'd wandered around, getting a bit lost as the snow was now covering the tracks.

He broke out of the trees onto a cliff overlooking the valley below and the sea in the distance. He saw Ruby crouched down in the snow, wiping something off... And talking.

"... She just... I don't know how to help her," Ruby admitted, staring down at the object, "I don't know how to help anyone. Jaune... Jaune's holding it together. He's doing so much. I-I know he's hurting but he's so strong and I..."

She bowed her head. Her voice hitched.

"I-I can't do anything right," she whispered. "How... Why would they come for me? I... Don't... I don't deserve it..."

She began to sniffle. Tears fell onto the stone marker. Jaune stared, hesitated... And then clenched his fists.

Your mother is the strongest person I know, son, his father had once told him, but she has weaknesses. And the job of a man is to stand up and protect the ones we love where they're weak.

He walked towards her. Ruby didn't even notice until his boots crunched in the snow right next to her. She started and looked up in shock.

"J-Jaune?!"

Jaune looked down at the stone marker. He read the words carved into it.

SUMMER ROSE - THUS KINDLY I SCATTER

Ruby sniffled again. She stood up and hurriedly wiped her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't-"

Jaune reached out and pulled the smaller girl into his embrace. He hugged her tightly. She stiffened for a moment, before she trembled.

"It's all right," Jaune murmured. "It's all right. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

"..." Ruby broke then. She began to sob into his chest, burying her face in it. Jaune rubbed her back up and down, murmuring soothing things.

They stayed like that for a while. Jaune honestly wasn't sure how long. The clouds covered the sky, there were no stars to be seen.

"... Do..." Ruby whispered, "Do you think she's in Heaven? Do... Do you think any of them are-are in heaven? Waiting for us?"

Jaune was silent. He stared out into the night. A pair of green eyes in a heart-shaped face under red hair appeared in his thoughts. He took a deep breath.

"I do," he said.

"Even... Even after everything?" Ruby asked.

Jaune nodded again.

"I do," he murmured. "We will see them again... But not before we've made the world a better place."

Ruby nodded, still sobbing intermittently. Jaune rubbed the top of her head, and kissed it. She blushed, and snuggled closer against him.

"Come on," he said, "Let's go home where it's warm, okay?"

"Wait," Ruby said quickly. She turned to the grave. She took Jaune's hand, and let his larger hand encompass hers.

"Mom... This is Jaune," Ruby said quietly, "He-He's my best friend. He's a good man. And, and I hope you approve."

Jaune smiled at the grave, then looked beyond it.

"Hello ma'am. I'm going to take care of Ruby. I promise... I won't let anything happen to her."

He squeezed her hand tightly.

"I swear it."

The clouds parted for a moment. A bit of starlight got through, and the rose on the grave seemed to glisten in the faint light.

Ruby squeezed his hand back. They shared a smile. The silence stretched on before Ruby spoke again:

"It's really cold."

"Yeah," Jaune said, "Hot cocoa?"

"S-Sounds good," Ruby agreed.

They turned and slowly walked away together.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

One thing that Jaune enjoyed about being back in Radian was that when he looked up at the night sky, he could see the hundreds of thousands of stars stretching overhead. Back in Vale, the city had too many artificial lights that obscured a clear view of the sky. The only overhead lights Jaune ever saw were from towering skyscrapers or relay towers as well as any blinking signals from bullheads and other aircraft flying at night.

Standing outside the bathhouse, Jaune combed some damp blonde hair away from his eyes and craned his neck upwards to stare up at the river of astral radiance that spilled across the expanse above him. Even if the tree tops were bordering around his peripheral vision, it didn't detract from the amazing sight. The paper lanterns that lined the stone path leading to the hot springs were the only other sources of light, but the subtle luminance of the dust crystals powering the lanterns didn't hold a candle to the loud flashes of the city.

It was a quiet, peaceful night.

It didn't match Jaune's mood at all.

"Not exactly the most relaxing soak we'd hoped for."

Ren announcing himself with his comment didn't draw Jaune's attention away from the sky. The leader of JNPR really didn't want to address the tension still present amongst them and how their dip in the hot spring had been unsuccessful in alleviating it. He didn't want to respond to the melancholy and simmering frustration that colored Ren's tone. He didn't want to ask his friend if he'd heard Nora's sobbing on the other side of the bath… or if he'd heard anyone else.

Jaune just wanted to lose himself to the void for just a few more seconds. He wanted to be silent, let his mind drift amongst the stars, and ignore everything that was happening on Remnant for just a little longer.

Ren stared at his leader's back for a few moments before letting out a quiet sight and stepping up next to him.

"Neptune and Cardin will be out soon. Just as soon as Cardin can convince Neptune to not try and sneak a peek at the girls as they're exiting the bath." Ren said. "I'm looking forward to seeing what your family's cooked for dinner."

There was still no reply from Jaune. Ren glanced over at the blonde, frowning worriedly before reaching out tentatively.

"Jaune-"

A sharp cry sounded out from inside the bathhouse, making Ren flinch and causing Jaune to finally look away from the sky and over his shoulder towards the door. A few seconds later, Ruby and Arslan stepped outside, with RWBY's leader giggling lightly to herself while Arslan was rubbing her knuckles.

"Neptune?" Ren asked, earning a snort from Arslan.

"Velvet's paramour held him off. I put a stop to his antics." Arslan reported.

"He wasn't doing anything. He didn't even get past the cabinet and cupboards where we left our stuff." Ruby pointed out.

"You overheard his proposals to Cardin. He tried to make an accomplice, but I'm glad that our fellow leader maintained his integrity. Velvet isn't the only one who appreciates that." Arslan replied to the shorter girl before turning to face the two young men standing in front of her. "The rest should be out shortly."

"It… was a good bath." Ruby smiled, but the other three could see how shaky her smile was and also heard the hitch in her voice. The redness around her eyes that had nothing to do with the heat of the water they'd all soaked in also stood out even with the darkness of the night blanketing them. "Your family has a lot of cool things, Jaune. I'll make sure to thank your mom and dad when we go back to the house!"

"Yes. Repaying your parents for hosting us and providing shelter… the list of things that require us to show them proper gratitude grows even larger." Arslan nodded to the blonde, managing to pull a genuine smile onto her face as she said so.

"Yeah. Even if we… well, um…" Ruby trailed off, shutting her eyes as she thought back to what had happened in the springs.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and mentally patted herself on the back for not breaking down again. After Nora had gotten going and May had started crying, she hadn't been able to hold herself back either. Neither had Yang or Velvet. Arslan was the only one that hadn't had any tears to shed, but the words she'd spoken in the bath had been heartfelt even if Ruby hadn't understood them.

Maybe if she were in a better headspace she'd have asked the older girl to translate them into words she could understand.

Instead, Ruby quietly stepped forward and tugged on the sleeve of Jaune's jacket. Jaune didn't react to it, simply staring down at the smaller girl as she gently turned him around and wrapped her arms around his midsection, burying her face in his chest. Jaune didn't react to that either. He didn't return Ruby's hug. His arms hung limply at his side, eyes vacant as he stared at the empty space above the silver eyed girl's head. Ren sighed and stared down at his hand, wondering if it would be worth it to use his semblance for this if it could stop his friends from hurting for just a minute or two. Arslan merely clasped her hands together, muttering a few prayers to herself to bolster her own waning spirit.

A loud growling noise suddenly pierced through the night.

The four hunters were quiet for a moment

…And then a light chuckle from Jaune broke the silence as he finally returned Ruby's hug.

"We'll eat first thing when we get back." Jaune told Ruby, chuckling a little more when he noticed how red the tips of her ears had gotten. "My family's probably got us a big feast cooked up for us, and I promise you'll get first dibs."

"...Thank you." Ruby mumbled into Jaune's shirt, stoutly ignoring Ren's quiet chuckles and Arslan's sharp bark of laughter.

Holding his friend, Jaune glanced up and felt a little lighter seeing the slight smiles on both Ren and Arslan's faces. Past them, he saw the rest of their party stepping out of the bathhouse. Neptune was rubbing his jaw but looked more upbeat than he did before in the spring and was chatting with May about something that had the girl smiling slightly. Velvet was clinging to one of Cardin's arms and while both had tired looking eyes, they both seemed content in each other's presence. And Yang had an arm, the one with her new prosthetic attached, wrapped around Nora's shoulders as spoke softly to her… and the orange haired girl's usual megawatt smile was slowly emerging back on her face.

Jaune stared at the group and felt his own lips twitch upwards slightly.

…Plenty of things were still broken, but he felt a little more ready to face the world now.

- - - - - - -

Like everything else in the Arc estate, the dinner table was big. So much so that even with the academy students and those from Jaune's family who were present all sitting down together it only took up a third of the table. Neptune made a joke about whether or not Jaune's family had a bigger dining room or if the Schnee family would beat them, and luckily the quip had gotten chuckles out of most of the group instead of depressing everyone over the fact that Weiss had been abducted back to Atlas by her family.

And for once, everyone was able to put their morose thoughts on the backburner. As it turned out, good food did much more for restoring the spirit than a hot bath did. It was likely because if each of the fragmented teams thought about it, they hadn't been able to sit down and have a decent meal in a week. For most of them, it'd been quick meals in between jobs or rations they'd been given by the Radian militia. It was hard to dwell on the negatives when you had a feast of [insert foods here] to distract you.

"So… Lilac-" Neptune started.

"She's engaged." Jaune spoke up, cutting Neptune off before he could get started.

"And I am willing to fight her fiance if she can cook like this." Neptune replied immediately.

"You'd probably have the advantage if it came down to fists. Mercer isn't a fighter." Orchid said. "He makes a living as a mechanic, courier and part-time racer."

"He's a mechanic?" Ruby asked, interest piqued.

"He's a racer?" Yang asked at the same time, interest piqued for another reason.

"Speaking of, mom, how's he…?" Lilac looked to her mother who sat at the head of the table.

"He should be at the hospital helping Verdy and Coral with the supplies manifest and making sure that the shipments are getting to where they need to go." Isabel answered, smiling as her daughter let out a calming breath at the news. "He said he'll make time to visit sometime the day after tomorrow once his relief comes in."

"I'm glad…" Lilac sighed in relief. "What about Nana and Papa?"

Nick hummed.

"They should be getting to Vale soon. They've been sending messages whenever they can."

At the questioning looks on his friends' faces, Jaune explained:

"Nana Arturia and Papa Shirou are my great-grandparents," he said, "And they have, um, political connections. They're trying to pull together support to retake Vale."

"They fought in the Great War," Verdy supplied with a grin, "Total badasses!"

"Wow," Ruby supplied. She grimaced.

"Wait, wouldn't that make them really, really old?"

"They are," Isabel noted in amusement, "But it's barely slowed them down since they both hit their hundreds."

"Huh," Yang observed, "So they're getting a lot of old vets to go fight in Vale?"

Was the situation that bad?

Isabel chuckled and shook her head as she took a sip of wine.

"Oh no! Just talking to old friends in high places to get support… Hopefully."

"You know Nana, she's not one to stay on the sidelines," Nick chuckled. "Tangy is doing well, too. Her company is with Nana."

Again, Jaune felt the looks from his friends and quickly explained:

"My sister Tangerine. She runs a private military company."

"Geez," Neptune muttered, "How connected are you guys?"

Jaune flushed, a bit embarrassed.

"Plenty!" Orchid said cheerfully.

"So, um," Ruby began, "What news? From Vale? Have-have you heard anything?"

Nick grinned.

"Plenty! Was waiting for someone to ask!"

"Nick," Isabel said warningly, "Not at dinner-"

"We should know!" Velvet interjected. At Isabel's scowled, she shrank a little but scowled back. "Don't we?"

"We do," Cardin said firmly. Arslan nodded, her eyes intense even as she sat quietly. May looked shy, but didn't look away. Ren nodded in agreement, while Nora's smile dimmed. Yang stared intently, clenching her mechanical fist. Ruby and Jaune looked at eachother, nodded, and then looked back to Isabel and Nick.

"We deserve to, Mom," Jaune stated firmly.

Isabel looked over at Nick, seeking some support. Nick slowly shook his head, before he took a bite of some roast.

Isabel sighed and leaned back in her chair with a scowl.

"All right," she muttered. Lilac patted her on her hand as Nick took a deep breath. Yang leaned in eagerly, as did Ruby.

"About two thirds of Vale has been overrun," Nick stated, "The local forces and reinforcements have control of about one third, but the dragon's making it harder."

"How?" Ruby asked in shock. Nick grimaced.

"It's spawning Grimm that support the White Fang," he stated, "And somehow the Grimm aren't attacking them. We don't know how."

Velvet audibly grit her teeth and clenched her fists. Cardin put a hand on her shoulder.

"We might have a few ideas," Jaune grumbled. Lilac frowned but nodded. Nick continued, his eyes locking onto Ruby and Yang.

"Patch is being used as a refuge, along with every other nearby community that can take refugees," Nick stated, "Your father is fighting in Vale. He's doing all right, last I heard. He's glad you two are here."

"Th-That's great," Ruby said with a warm if tense smile smile. Yang's fists clenched but she slowly nodded.

"Yeah," she allowed.

"What about my dad?" Cardin asked urgently. Nick grinned.

"Councilman Winchester is one of the few members of the government who survived. He was a former Huntsman Captain, after all! He's essentially in command of Vale's forces. The staff of Beacon all survived and are fighting under his command." He frowned.

"I don't know anything about the rest of your family but-"

"No... It's okay," Cardin shook his head. "My mom and sisters were out of the country at the time-They should be all right. I'm just glad to hear my dad's all right."

Cardin leaned back and let out a soft sigh of relief. Velvet reached out and squeezed his hand with a warm smile. Cardin squeezed her hand back and smiled happily. They leaned in close to each other, touching foreheads. Neptune scowled and looked to Nick.

"So? What about my team?" He demanded. "And Arslan's? And May's? I…"

He glanced at May, wincing. She closed her eyes tightly and looked down. Arslan reached out and wrapped her arm around her waist.

"I'm sorry," Neptune mumbled, eyes blank. "I'm-I'm so sorry, I didn't-!"

"It's fine," May whispered, "I-I know… I know…"

Ruby shuddered. Yang held her hand under the table, and it calmed her down. Ren and Nora were very grim, as was Jaune.

They all remembered how Team BRNZ had gone out, after all.

Nick cleared his throat.

"Neptune, Scarlet and Sage were picked up by Scarlet's father on his airship," Nick explained, "And Arslan's team was evacuated over the mountains to Vacuo's capital city. Their transport made it safely."

Arslan murmured a soft prayer in relief, even as she held the sniffling May. Neptune also looked relieved.

Nick paused a moment before he continued, his eyes kind.

"Sun is also all right. Made it to Menagerie with Ruby's friend Blake."

Neptune looked conflicted, but nodded his thanks.

Yang grit her teeth. Velvet sneered.

"Did she?" The rabbit Faunus demanded, glaring over near Ruby. Ruby glared back.

"What?!"

"I-!"

"That's enough," Cardin muttered, wrapping an arm around Velvet's shoulders. Velvet fumed but slowly nodded. She looked back to Nick.

"Any-Anything about Teams CVFY and CRDL?" She asked. Cardin tensed, but made no other moves. Nick shook his head, looking regretful.

"No news." He brightened. "They're not on any lists of the dead though, so there's still hope."

"Yeah," Cardin muttered bitterly, glaring down at the table. Velvet squeezed his hand again and leaned into him.

"What about Atlas?" Ruby demanded. "They were able to sneak in and kidnap Weiss!"

"They've gone to Status Alert One," Isabel explained, "They recalled their fleets to try and stop the cyberattack. Ironwood is in intermittent contact with what's left of Vale's government. They were planning on a joint action…" She sighed heavily.

"When Mistral fell into civil war."

Arslan and Neptune's eyes widened in shock. Isabel nodded slowly, looking very tired.

"Mistral's three main factions, the Yellow, Red, and Green Dragons, are in full civil war. Many other sub-kingdoms like Pandu and the Hellenic League under Argus are threatening to be drawn in. The reports are scattered and confused, but it looks like the moment the CCT went down, elements of each began attacking the others. Vacuo's also suffered terrorist attacks from revolutionaries." She sucked in a deep breath.

"They're also threatening to attack Menagerie in retaliation, since White Fang is involved in these and other attacks."

"All at the same time?!" Velvet demanded. "All across the world?! At once?"

"Looks that way," Nick confirmed.

"...What exactly happened?"

Everyone at the table turned to Yang, who had remained strangely silent throughout the discussion. Other than her reaction to news of her father and uncle, she hadn't made any outstanding comments so far. The intense expression she wore gave everyone pause.

"I just…" Yang started before faltering. After a moment, she shook her head and forced the words past her lips. "I barely remember anything about the Fall. I mean, the night everything happened I was sitting in my room with Zwei and kicking myself over what happened in my singles match for the Vytal festival, then suddenly the alarms hit. Grimm, White Fang, and even Atlas's robots start attacking and I fight my way to Beacon's plaza area where most everyone was fighting and met up with Weiss. She told me where Blake was and I rushed to help my par-"

The word got stuck in Yang's throat as Blake's face flashed in her mind. The brawler felt herself grow irritated when she saw a few sympathetic looks from her friends, but shook her head with a small growl as she continued.

"A-Anyway, I find her being attacked by this… this guy who isn't dressed up like any of the White Fang mooks we've fought before. Blake's on the floor, disarmed, and the guy has a sword and looks like he's about to run her through. I rush in, ready to beat his face in, he… he s-sees me coming, draws his sword back, a-and t-then…"

Remembering Blake had made her voice quick and heated, but as she got closer to that final moment, that last memory she had before she'd woken up with Jaune's mom hovering over her, Yang's voice had been reduced to a shaky whisper. The young woman shook violently in her seat as phantom pain suddenly raced up her arm from the point where her prosthetic connected with her arm, and for some reason it had gotten a lot harder to breathe and her heart felt like it was trying to hammer its way out of her chest-

"YANG!"

Yang gasped and suddenly sat ramrod straight when she suddenly registered that Ruby had her arms around her and was clutching against her fearfully as she stared at her sister. Isabel had also gotten up out of her seat at some point and was on her other side, grasping her arm just above her prosthetic limb and pressing down on one of her legs to keep her steady. Looking around, Yang could see how severe the reactions of everyone else had been to her sudden fit. Nora, Cardin and Arslan were all up out of their seats with extremely concerned expressions. Neptune was staring down at his plate, expression pained. Velvet mirrored his pose, only her eyes were tightly shut and Yang swore she saw a couple tears leaking from the rabbit faunus's eyes. Ren had one hand on May's shoulder and both looked oddly serene in contrast to everyone else's distress. Jaune's sisters looked like they wanted to help but didn't know what to do, while Nick was staring at… something behind her? Come to think of it, where was vomit boy? Yang noticed that his seat next to his dad's was empty. Did he go to the bathroom or was he-"

"Yang, calm down."

Yang blinked when she heard Jaune's voice from behind her, and a second after that realized that the hands she felt gripping her shoulders belonged to JNPR's team leader.

"Yang, it's okay. You're safe." Jaune's voice said firmly from behind her, and for some reason his words along with the steadying grip he had on her shoulders helped calm her rapidly beating heart. "No one's gonna hurt you here. Everything's gonna be fine. Take deep breaths. In and out. In and out…"

Yang listened to Jaune better than she had any teacher who'd suffered her antics in the classroom. She didn't know why her hands were shaking so badly, or why her chest pounded with every breath she took, or why every sound except for Jaune's voice felt so muted in her ears, or why the area where her right arm used be was throbbing so much, but she followed along with Jaune's instructions and finally managed to steady herself. The shaking stopped and her heart suddenly wasn't beating so loudly. And the pain she felt slowly receded with each slow breath she took.

When she came back to herself, Yang felt some wetness on her left shoulder and glanced down to find Ruby quietly crying into it. Gingerly, Yang pulled her right arm out of Isabel's grip and enveloped her sister in a hug.

Jaune's hands slowly lifted off of her shoulders.

Yang glanced back at him and Jaune met her gaze for a moment. Both blondes held eye contact for a long minute before Jaune nodded his head a fraction. Yang returned it with a small smile.

"...I think that's enough for tonight." Isabel announced as she stood up from where she'd been crouching next to Yang's chair. "All of you, go get some rest. We've told you all a lot and you'll need time to process everything and decide-"

"No, we're not done yet." Yang protested, squeezing Ruby against her and feeling a little more grounded when she felt her younger sister squeeze her back. "I still need to know. After what… after what happened to me, how did I get here? How did all of us get here?"

Yang looked around and met the eyes of everyone who had been there that night.

"How did Beacon… how did Vale fall?"

Yang waited for someone, anyone, to start elaborating on the events of that night and answering her questions, but noticed her friends were all staring over her shoulder… and glancing behind her, Yang realized everyone was staring at Jaune.

Jaune caught Yang's gaze for a second before sight and gesturing to the other room.

"...Get settled in the living room. I'm gonna help clean up and then I'll join you all in there. Then we can all… go over things together." Jaune said.

"...Right. Sounds good." Yang nodded. Glancing down, the brawler smiled softly. "Ruby, I'm gonna need that arm back. Gotta be extra careful now since I'd like to keep one that isn't detachable."

Ruby giggled wetly into her shirt for a second before pulling back and smiling at her sister. If she could joke, then hopefully that meant Yang was feeling a little better.

"Thank you for the food, Mrs. Arc." Arslan said loudly, her words prompting the rest of their group to voice their gratitude to Isabel and Lilac as they got out of their seats.

Yang shuffled into the next room with her hand held in Ruby's. Both sisters sat down on a long couch together, with May dropping into the open spot next to Ruby's other side. Cardin and Velvet sat together, mushy couple that they were, while Arslan grabbed a cushion and placed it on the floor before sitting down on it in a sort of meditative pose. Nora took the big chair in the room for herself and Ren sat on a small stool next to it. Neptune dropped down onto one of the big chair's armrests, and Nora seemed fine with sharing the space since she didn't attempt to shove him off.

After approximately five minutes of sitting in silence, Jaune walked into the room… carrying a tray of steaming beverages that he set on the table before passing them out. At a glance, Yang thought it was coffee but after being handed her cup, the smell and Ruby's giddy smile gave the game away.

"Hot chocolate?" Yang asked.

"Secret Arc family recipe." Jaune replied with something that actually resembled a smile.

"...Well, it's no strawberry sunrise, but I'll take it." Yang grinned over the rim of her cup.

Jaune shook his head as he passed around the mugs before settling himself in a chair that was placed in front of everyone else in front of the fireplace. Taking a sip of his own drink, Jaune let out a sigh as he drummed some fingers against the armrest of his chair.

"So… anyone got any suggestions on where to start?" Jaune asked the group.

Jaune looked around and it seemed like no one was willing to volunteer a suggestion on how to kick off the recounting of the attack on Beacon and Vale. After a minute or two, Yang cleared her throat.

"Why don't you… start it from your perspective?" Yang suggested. "Thinking back, when I rushed outside, I actually don't remember you being there. Where'd you go during the attack?"

Yang felt a spike of guilt shoot through her heart when she saw the flash of pain that crossed Jaune's face. The Arc son took a shaky breath before he started speaking.

"I was… I'd been with Ozpin and Pyrrha. The woman responsible for the attack on Beacon, Cinder Fall, had us cornered in Beacon's basement. Ozpin-"

"Beacon has a basement?" Yang asked.

"This is news to us." Cardin added with a frown.

"Was it like, a shelter or something? Why did none of us hide there?" Neptune inquired.

"It… look, I actually don't know what it was." Jaune admitted. "Pyrrha actually referred to it as a vault after Ozpin took us down there. It had these machines and some woman was…"

Jaune trailed off when he saw the puzzled looks on everyone assembled. Giving a frustrated sigh, the swordsman pushed forward.

"Look, I don't have the answers about what was down there. Pyrrha and Ozpin knew, I was just trying to keep up. I never got any answers before Cinder showed up and started blasting at us. Ozpin stayed to hold her off while Pyrrha and I escaped." Jaune sighed. "When we got outside, Pyrrha, she… she decided to go back. To try and help Ozpin fight. To try and stop Cinder. I tried to stop her, tried to tell her we should focus on getting out, but…"

One hand came up to cover his face. Gods, he hated remembering that moment. The moment he saw the look in Pyrrha's eyes when she turned to him. The look of resolute determination on her face. The… the kiss she'd given him. The way his heart had leaped into his chest and how he felt ready to take on the whole world so long as he could stand by her side…

Jaune could feel his fingernails digging into his face, feeling his own agonized expression behind his fingers as he remembered the next moment after that kiss… when his partner had shoved him into a nearby rocket locker and launched her away from him despite his protests.

Feeling completely useless as the first person who ever thought he'd been worth anything rushed off to fight an unwinnable battle.

"Jaune…?"

Ruby's voice pulled him back out of the memory. Looking at his best friend on the verge of tears had him glancing away from her… which had his eyes landing on Yang who looked at him with eyes full of sympathy.

"...Y'know, on second thought, we don't have to talk about this right now." Yang started but stopped when Jaune held up a hand.

"No, you deserve to know the full story. And… I think it's something all of us need to finally sit down and talk about. We all experienced it, but we've never had a chance to sit down and really process everything." Jaune murmured. "May as well do it now."

"We'll help you through it, Jaune." Ren assured him from where he sat.

"Together." Nora added, reaching over and squeezing Ren's hand in solidarity.

"You were there for all of us. If gets to be too much, one of us can always pick up where you left off." Cardin offered.

"I think I'd make for a better storyteller anyway, so if you want me to get things started, I'm willing." Neptune smiled.

"Because your account won't be biased at all." Arslan snorted, rolling her eyes when Neptune stuck out his tongue at her.

"I-I don't mind answering any questions you have, Yang." May spoke up, raising her hand with a nervous smile.

"We can always take a break and pick things up later too. We don't have to tell the whole story tonight." Velvet suggested.

"But we shouldn't put it off either." Ruby interjected softly, making everyone fall silent. The young reaper nodded encouragingly toward Jaune, who returned the gesture with a small nod of his own. "Go ahead, Jaune."

"Right…" Jaune sighed, deciding to move past that part quickly so that he wouldn't stall things any further. "So, Pyrrha shoves me in a rocket locker and launches me away before going off to fight Cinder. I land somewhere else in Beacon and call Weiss to tell her what Pyrrha's planning to do and trying to get help. If I remember right, Ruby and Weiss had been looking for us."

"We were." Ruby nodded before giving Jaune a rueful smile. "Weiss and I… went after Pyrrha together after you called us."

"Thanks for that." Jaune forced a smile before he shook his head. "Anyway, after I hung up I was on my own. I was scared, angry, lost, and saw Grimm and White Fang all over. So then I just…"

Jaune's gaze drifted over to May for a second before turning in Yang's direction as he began to explain what had happened on the night of the Fall.

- - - - - -

This chapter written with a lot of help from @UnknownAnon It'll be in two main parts, as we do need to do a proper flashback to show how our heroes ended up in Radian.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Things calmed down a lot after the Dance. School was about the same. Jaune's parents and godparents became regular fixtures. They even taught some of the classes part-time.
Though some were more... Interesting than others.

Isabel: "Now, you're going to learn how to set a broken bone properly."

Cardin: "Professor Arc, where's the mannequin?"

Isabel: "Mannequin? FEH! Who needs a mannequin?" Snaps her own forearm with a smile

Isabel: "All right, let's get to work! Please stop screaming, it's very unprofessional!"

Others were... Odd.

Saia: "Politics is much like a game."

Weiss: "Of chess?"

Saia: "No, no, chess is much too rigid for politics! Instead we're going to play Ogres and Ordensburgen! Here are your dice and character sheets. I shall appoint the DMs!"

And others were depressingly predictable.

Arjun and Nick were supposed to teach combat class... But...

Arjun: "HAHA! SEVENTEEN!"

Nick: "EIGHTEEN!"

Arjun: "That one doesn't count! I winged it!"

Nick: "Does too!"

They got distracted competing to see who could kill the most Grimm. But overall things were pretty peaceful.

Then... Came the day of the training missions.

Jaune: "Oh boy..."

Pyrrha: "Isn't this great, Jaune? We get to go on our first real training mission!"

It was also the countdown to the Breach. He hadn't seen Cinder in days. He didn't know if it was still on or not. He had warned Ozpin about it so all he could do was pray they could stop it in time.

Jaune: "Y-Yeah, great..."

Team RWBY was meeting with Oobleck. So things were going as planned from there. He smiled and waved. Yang and the others waved back. Yang walked up with a broad grin, followed by the others.

Yang: "So, we got Oobleck and we're patrolling some old ruins. How about you guys?"

Jaune: "Well we were going out to a border town but... Um..."

Nick: "HAHAHA! Come on, kids! We're gonna make someone's day at the children's hospital!"

Nora: "YAY!"

Ren: monotone "Yay."

Pyrrha: "Wonderful!"

Yang: "Aw! No fair!"

Ruby: "Wait! You aren't going on some incredible combat mission?! That's your dad!"

Jaune: smiles "Yeah, and he always goes to the hospital in Radian every Sunday to cheer up the sick kids. So we're doing that."

Weiss: "I see... It's a very noble thing to do."

Jaune: nods "We're supposed to bring hope as much as protect people, after all."

Blake: "Indeed."

Jaune: "So yeah. See you guys afterwards?"

Ruby: "Definitely!" She jumps up onto him and kisses his cheek "Hee! Stay good, Jaune! We got a lot of video games to play!"

Jaune: "Don't I know it." He still smiles and beams at her

Yang: "Yup... Now off, you spider monkey."

Ruby: "Aw... But Yang-!"

Yang: "Off!"

Ruby pouted but slipped off. Jaune coughed.

Jaune's Brain: Did... She try to cop a feel? No, no... Come on, she couldn't...!

Yang: "So, next date when we get back is on you. What are you thinking?"

Jaune: low voice, as Nick laughs nearby "Somewhere far away from prying eyes."

Yang: equally low voice "Totally. Your mom gave me advice on birth control, geez!"

Jaune: "Sadly, that means she likes you."

Yang: "Why sadly?" grins "You ashamed to bring me to meet your folks?"

Jaune: "You've already met them. I'm not ashamed of you."

Yang: "Ha! Come on, you love them."

Jaune: sighs "Yeah..." Hugs and kisses her "Mmm... But I would like having more time with you. Privately."

Yang: "Totally. We'll figure something out."

One last kiss that made everyone but Nora and Ren tense, and the teams headed out on their assignments. May waved with her team, as her father Arjun stood nearby.

Arjun: "Hello Jaune! Nick! Nora! Ren! Pyrrha!"

Nora: "Hi King Arjun! May! Other guys!"

Brawnz: "We have names!"

Nolan: "And feelings!"

Roy: "Well they do. I'm actually a man."

Brawnz and Nolan: "HEY!"

May: giggles "We're going to follow Father around at the capitol tower as he does diplomacy."

Arjun: "I will be teaching you how to operate as bodyguards. Hunters often are called upon to do such work. I have asked my protective detail to stage mock assassination attempts on me: You will not let any get through or I will fail you all!"

May, Brawnz, Nolan and Roy: "Yes Father/Sir!"

Nick: "Hmmm... Maybe I should try that training with my team?"

Jaune: "Dad, you don't have a security detail."

Nick: "But I could try to assassinate myself! You could try to talk me out of it!"

Nora: "Isn't that suicide prevention?"

Nick: "Or hostage negotiation!" Holds his sword up to his neck "Do as I say or the blond guy loses his head!"

Jaune: "Dad, come on. You couldn't cut your own head off with Blont Joyeux, it's too big!"

Nick: pouts "Well I could try!"

Arjun: sighs "Just keep to spreading joy to children, Nick. It's what you're best at... In a heavily populated area."

Nick: "Hey! I did not make that skyscraper collapse! It was a team effort!"

Arjun: "You were clearly the MVP of that effort."

Nick and Arjun begin to argue... Before their wives walk in. Both men shut up at their glares.

Isabel: smiles "Have fun on your training mission, Nick, Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora. I'll be leading a class in disaster response. We're going to be setting up some scenarios for teams staying in Vale to deal with. You might run into one of our simulations." Glares at JNPR and RWBY "I trust you'll be ready?"

Jaune: "Y-Yes Mom!"

Ruby: "Totally Mom! I-I mean Doctor Arc!"

Isabel: smiles "That's all right dears. Anyway, I'll be taking team CMEN with me."

Cinder's team emerges from the crowd. Cinder gives Jaune a little smile.

Jaune: "Ah... I see."

Jaune's Brain: Crap crap crap... I mean Mom can take care of herself but... Seriously, what's their gameplan here?!

Cinder: "It's a pleasure to work with you, Doctor Arc. I know we're going to learn a lot."

Isabel: smiles "I hope so. Anyway, let's get going! Time is wasiting!"

The teams soon depart... Though Cinder bumps into Jaune.

Cinder: "Oops. Sorry about that, Jaune."

Jaune: "Ah, no worries!"

She slipped him some paper and went on her way. Yang scowled a bit, but was relieved when Jaune beamed at her, winked and blew a kiss. She made a big production of catching it. They headed out. Jaune pulled out the piece of paper and read it.

Paper: TOMORROW. 12 NOON.

Jaune: lets out a breath

Jaune's Brain: Well... Let's see what I can do about this...

Click to shrink...

They went to the children's hospital, then Saint Lucy's Orphanage. Each place, Nick directed them to help cheer up the children and to help fix things up around as needed. Nora, Ren, Pyrrha and Jaune took to it happily. And even with Jaune's distraction, he gave it his all.

Kid: "Die evil Grimm!" He charges with a stick. Jaune growls and snarls, as the other children squeal and laugh. The kid misses Jaune... And Jaune clutches at his chest.

Jaune: "ARGH! You struck me! I'm dying... Everything's... Going dark...!"

He falls over dramatically. The kids all cheer.

Kids: "YAY!"

Kid 2: sniffles "Oh no! Don't be dead, Jaune! Don't be dead!"

Nora: "I'll apply some lightning!" She holds up her hand and it crackles with lightning

Pyrrha: "Or maybe a princess needs to kiss him better?"

Jaune quickly sits up.

Jaune: "I'm totally fine! I'm better, I'm better!"

Kid 1: makes a face "Kissing? Ugh!"

Jaune: "Heh... You might not mind it so much when you're older."

Nora: "THE KISSING GRIMM IS GONNA ATTACK! RAWR! MWAH! MWAH! MWAH!"

The kids scream in laughter and flee as Nora chases them. Ren chuckles and shakes his head as he follows her. Jaune sits up as Pyrrha walks over to him.

Jaune: "Heh..."

Pyrrha: smiles "You're very good with children."

Jaune: "Oh... Thanks. You've been doing well too, you know."

Pyrrha: blush "I... My favorite PR events were when I got to meet children. Read to them in the hospital. I... I liked how they smiled."

Jaune smiled warmly at her.

Jaune: "Yeah. It makes it all worth it..."

Pyrrha: "Are you all right, Jaune?"

Jaune: lets out a breath through his nostrils "... I've done all I can."

Pyrrha: "So... It's to do with Cinder's plan?"

Jaune: slowly nods "Yeah... I'm hoping they'll handle it."

Pyrrha: "RWBY?"

Jaune: "Yes."

Pyrrha: sighs and slowly nods "I see..."

Jaune: sighs "Ozpin told me to keep to this mission."

Pyrrha: "You think he has a plan?"

Jaune: "Probably."

Pyrrha: "What happens when Cinder finds out you've been playing her?"

Jaune: "..." sucks in a deep breath "You think she's onto us?"

Pyrrha: "I think she's smart enough to figure it out."

Jaune: "I have some ideas. I think we can take her... I also hope we won't have to fight her."

Pyrrha: "Because she kills me?"

Jaune: "She won't. I won't let her, Pyr. That will never happen, I promise."

Pyrrha: blush "Jaune..."

Nick: "HEY!"

Jaune and Pyrrha jump. Nick laughs his big, booming laugh.

Nick: "HAHAHA! Come along, Jaune! Pyrrha! We need to work more on cheering more kids up! LET'S GET TO IT!"

Jaune: "Yes Dad!"

Pyrrha: "Yes Mister Arc!"

Nick: "Pyrrha! You go and help unload that truck of donations! Jaune? A moment."

Pyrrha: "Right!" Pyrrha heads off

Jaune: "Yes Dad?"

Nick: "Yang is a very nice girl, son."

Jaune: blanch "Y-Yes, she is! I'm not cheating on her Dad-!"

Nick: "I know son, hahahaha!" He slaps Jaune on the back, nearly making him stumble "I know! But you gotta be careful! You see, the Arc Rizz is dangerous!"

Jaune: incredulous "Rizz?"

Nick: "It's short for 'charisma', son-"

Jaune: "I know what it means! I just-How do you know what it means?!"

Nick: "HAHAHA! I'm hip! I'm up on modern slang, son! I'm not cringe!"

Jaune: "What?"

Nick: "I'm just like you, fr! Fr!"

Jaune: "Please stop."

Nick: "No cap! Also, I love your drip!"

Jaune: "DAD!"

Nick: "HAHAHAHA! Lighten up, son! I'm just having fun!"

Jaune: groans

Jaune's Brain: Well, at least someone is having it right now...

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Doctor Knowall retired to his office in the Beacon Infirmary after classes were done for the day. It was clean and cutting edge, like the rest of the building. None of the medical scanners had been cobbled together out of anything he could salvage. None of the beds were cots made out of wood duct-taped together with cut apart bedsheets. There was no snarling of Grimm, no pounding of guns or missiles.



It was calm, pristine even.



It all made Jaune feel... Twitchy. Jumpy.



"Hey Doc?"



He took a deep breath. He turned on his chair to face the open door out into the infirmary. He went through every meditative technique he knew.



For standing there with a bright, cocky smile on her face was Yang Xiao-Long.



"Miss Xiao-Long," Jaune said, "What can I do for you?"



Yang smirked a bit, mischief in her violet eyes. It was so familiar it was utterly painful.



"Well, I wanted to get a check up," she said, rolling her shoulders, "My last combat class was pretty rough, and I'm a little sore."



Knowall's keen eyes and Aura senses identified that there was literally nothing wrong with her. He should tell her to run off, stop wasting his damn time. She used to flirt like this with him all the time, in... In the future.



He should just...



"Sit down," he sighed. Yang grinned and sat down on one of the beds, perched like a glamour model. Knowall nodded and scooted over on his chair's roller wheels. He rested a hand on her shoulder, and flared his Aura. Yang sucked in a deep breath as he poked a few muscles and studied her Aura reactions.



"You'll be fine, minor overextension of your ligaments," Knowall stated, standing up and walking over to pick up his Scroll. He tapped out a few notes and added it to her digital chart. He turned back and shook his head.



"You need to diversify your attacks," Knowall stated, "Kicks can be very useful, too. As well as blocking."



Yang pouted a bit at him.



"You sound like my dad," she huffed. She complained about that all the time in the future, too. Whenever he warned her. Whenever he tried to get her to be safer.



"Listen to him," Knowall stated, once again looking over the infirmary and finding it spotless. He hated it.



"You'll avoid a lot of pain if you do," he stated, glaring at her. Yang scowled in confusion. It was just like her... So bright, so defiant...



"What's your problem?" She demanded bluntly. "I just wanted to get some attention. Maybe..." She smirked. "Brighten up your day-?"



Knowall slammed a fist into the wall, leaving a crater. He took slow, deep breaths. He slowly turned to look back at the shocked Yang.



"... Sorry," he murmured, standing up straight. "I'll have to ask Miss Goodwitch to fix that."



"... I..." She shook her head slowly. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... To touch a nerve."



Knowall slowly nodded. Silence fell in the infirmary for a bit. A silence Yang predictably broke.



"Who... Who was she?"



Knowall started and looked back at her. Yang shrugged with a small, apologetic smile.



"Someone... Someone had to have made you this angry. Fifty-fifty, right?" She asked. "Did..." She sucked in a breath. "Did she... Run out on you? Abandon you?"



She looked down at her hands, resting in her lap.



"... Break your heart?"



Knowall sighed. He took off his glasses and wiped them off.



"No," he said, "She... She was murdered."



Yang looked up in shock. Knowall stared past her. He just... He couldn't look directly at her. To see her here, intact, whole, alive... While his memories showed everything...



"Our wedding day," he mumbled, "White Fang broke in. She was... She was friends with someone the leader was obsessed with. He wanted to punish her. Kill all her human friends..."



He closed his eyes. Yep... It was still there. She fought for her life. She killed so many of the White Fang members. He had screamed himself hoarse, tried to pull free. To help her. His captors were too strong for brute force alone.



Even then, he just couldn't bring himself to use his arts to hurt people.



Then Adam descended like a demon out of myth... And stabbed her through the heart. He saw the life go out of Yang's eyes.



And after that... There was only rage. And pain.



"... When they killed her," he mumbled, "I... I broke my oath. I finally... Had enough. I used everything..." He stared at his open palm. Funny, he expected it to be covered in blood.



"Everything I knew... To kill them all."



He shut his eyes again. All the members of the White Fang were dying in horrible agony. Adam? He had saved the worst for him. Every minute of his death had been an exercise in pain and cruelty. Even when the mighty White Fang leader, humbled and broken, had begged for mercy... Knowall hadn't responded.



He'd watched him with unblinking eyes as he perished, his very body eating itself to death.



In the end...



"... It brought me nothing but more pain," he whispered. "Not even absolution. I... I haven't felt peace since that day. Just... Nothing."



He felt her rise. Felt her wrap her arms around him. He opened his eyes and looked down at her. Yang was doing her best to keep the tears out of her eyes, but... The sheer compassion in her gaze was heartbreakingly familiar.



"Sorry," she whispered.



Knowall very slowly nodded.



"Thank you."



He cleared his throat. He got himself under control... And pushed her away to a respectful distance, pulling his hand back just as carefully.



"Thank you," he repeated, "I'm very sorry I got so... Unprofessional."



"I, no, I-I get it," Yang admitted quietly. She smiled softly. "I know how you have to be strong... Even when-"



"You're crying on the inside," Knowall finished. Yang stared at him in mild shock, but nodded.



"Yeah..."



Knowall again cleared his throat.



"You should get back to your team," he said. She turned to go, slowly. He watched her walk out.



He sighed and rubbed his face.



Goddamnit...



When Yang Xiao-Long was involved? He was always weak. Too damn weak.

Click to shrink...

Over the course of the next few weeks, Doctor Knowall got several visitors. Many of them Huntresses, hoping for some attention. He shut them all down professionally and sent them on their way. They were disappointed, naturally, but he paid it no mind.



He also got a few surprises.



"Doctor?"



He looked up from his studies on White Fang movements to see Cardin Winchester standing in the door way. He was holding his right wrist and wore a grimace.



"Yes, Mister Winchester?" He asked politely.



"I uh... I've been having these pains in my wrist for the last two days," he said.



Out from behind him stepped Velvet Scarlatina. She scowled up at him, her hands on her hips.



"The dummy just refused to go and get it treated," she huffed. Cardin scowled.



"I'm tough! It's gonna go away on its own!"



"Well it hasn't yet!" Velvet insisted, "So you'd better get it looked at!"



Knowall held back a small smile. He gestured to the examination bed, and Cardin walked over to it. The big paladin sat down with a huff, as Velvet stayed by his side. She wore a scowl as Knowall held out his hands and examined Cardin's wrist.



"You're channeling too much Aura through your muscles," Knowall deduced, "Even though it heals and protects you, too much of it can leave your muscles feeling sore. Apply a cold pack, then hot pack, and rest it for a day or two. You'll be fine."



Velvet smiled in triumph. Cardin grumbled but slowly nodded.



"I told you," Velvet murmured.



"Fine," Cardin sighed, "I'll take it easy."



"Good," Knowall nodded, "Also? Focus more on Aura control exercises. I believe Mister Ren is adept at it. You should ask him for pointers."



Cardin grumbled a bit more, but Velvet touched his bicep. He glanced at her then slowly nodded.



"I will, Doctor."



"Good," Knowall stated. He turned away to add some notes into Cardin's file. He heard Velvet and Cardin whisper a bit between themselves. After a few moments, she sighed and kissed his cheek.



"All right. But I'm going to make sure you take care of yourself," she stated firmly. Cardin smiled for a moment before his usual brash expression returned.



"Fine. Just not in front of the guys, okay?"



"Yes in front of the guys!" Velvet argued. "They're just as worried!"



"Hmph," Cardin grunted, "Fine. Now go. I'll catch up."



Velvet smiled and kissed his cheek again. She turned and headed out of the infirmary. Cardin watched her go then looked back to Knowall. He cleared his throat. Knowall raised an eyebrow.



"Yes, Mister Winchester?"



"I..." He shook his head. "Thanks. For-For making me make things up to her. W-We're dating now and uh..." He smiled. "It's amazing. It's like... It's like we just click, you know? I... I feel like a jackass for bullying her. She's really amazing. So thank you, Doctor."



Knowall nodded slowly.



"You're welcome."



"Can I ask a question?" Cardin asked. Knowall shrugged.



"Certainly."



"How did you know?" He asked.



Knowall stared at him. He slowly shook his head.



"I just had a feeling," he said. He smiled wanly.



"Make sure you treasure every moment you have with her, Cardin," he stated, "because it will never come again. Understand?"



Cardin nodded seriously.



"I will, Doctor," he said. He slowly got up and headed out the door. Jaune watched him exit. He closed his eyes.



For a moment he wasn't in Beacon's infirmary. They were in wartorn Vale near the Franklin Kingdom. Artillery was pounding overhead in the makeshift field hospital Jaune had cobbled together. The scent of blood, Dust, and gun oil filled the air, along with the screams of the dying.



On a cot, covered in blood, lay a dying Cardin Winchester. Older, with a scuffy beard and a missing eye, and desperately shoving a locket into his hands.



"Please... My wife and kids," he wheezed, "Tell them I... Tell them...!"



His Aura faded. His soul vanished. His eyes dimmed and he went limp as he let out his last breath. Knowall stood there numbly, stumbling back as the nurses did everything they could for the man... But there was nothing more to be done.



He shakily looked down. He opened the locket. A small hologram emerged, blue and translucent. An older Velvet Scarlatina sat on a couch, smiling with eyes full of love and warmth. Around her were three human/rabbit Faunus hybrids: Two girls and a boy, all smiling broadly for the camera.



Knowall took a deep breath. He closed the locket and shoved it back into his pocket. He was back in Beacon, back in the past.



He still didn't know why he had held onto the locket. By the time he got anywhere near Vale, the city had been left in ruins without a soul alive. The Winchester mansion lay in ashes. He didn't know if Velvet or their kids had survived.



Hell he didn't even know if they would survive this time around.



He clenched his fist around the locket tightly.



"It won't happen again," he swore, "I won't let it happen."



- - -



Jaune Arc had just finished up some training in one of the simulation rooms. Pyrrha had to beg off joining him as she had a meeting with her agent while Nora and Ren were off to have fun. RWBY had gone out into the city for a day trip.



Jaune didn't mind the solitude too much. He loved his friends but every now and again he needed some time to himself.



He got out of the shower and made it to his locker. He dressed then turned around-



"Jaune!"



"GAH!"



Jaune fell back in shock. Blake was standing there, her eyes wide.



"Blake? Wha-This is the boy's locker room!" He whispered, his eyes scanning around frantically, "We're going to get in trouble-!"



"Jaune, listen! I... I need to tell you something," Blake said, her voice thick with restrained emotion.



It only took a moment for Jaune to calm down. Blake was in distress. It had to be important.



"What is it?" He asked quietly.



"I..." She shook her head. "I-I came to say goodbye."



Jaune blinked.



"What?" He asked dumbly.



"I..." She winced. "Weiss... I-I told Weiss that... That I was White Fang. I-I told my team and... And I can't stay here anymore."



Jaune's eyes bugged out.



"What? Blake, I-!"



"I'm sorry I lied!" Blake cried, her voice harsh from holding back a sob, "I-I'm sorry! I was White Fang! I-I did terrible things! I-I don't belong here, all right?! I-I don't deserve your kindness! I don't deserve anything! N-Not until I fix this! Not until I stop them!"



Jaune gaped.



"Blake, I-Wait a-!"



"Goodbye! I... Please forgive me," she whispered. Jaune reached out again.



"I do forgive you-Wait-We can talk this-!"



His arms went through Blake, and she vanished as the shadow clone dissipated. He pulled his hands back with wide eyes.



"Blake. No," he murmured.



His Scroll screamed at him. He picked it up and answered the call from Ruby.



"Jaune! Blake just ran off! It-It's a long story-But can you and your team help us find her? Please?!"



Jaune stared at the place Blake's clone had stood. He slowly nodded.



"We'll be right there."



"Thank you," Ruby sighed in relief, "I'm just... It's a long story. I don't know how much you know but-"



"It doesn't matter," Jaune said firmly, "She's my friend. We're going to find her."



"Yes," Ruby agreed with equal determination, "Yes we will."



- - -

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

Yes but if that was the case, mankind would have gone extinct long ago to sexy catgirls. It would also make the Anti-Faunus racists right. So I think them being able to interbreed is more interesting.

Click to shrink...

Cardin - "....and that's why I feel the way I do about Faunus!"

Jaune - "Wait a minute, you don't like Faunus because you think their sexiness is a danger to the extended survival of mankind???"

Cardin - "Precisely, dude! Look at me and Velvet. She's gotten me wrapped around her finger with those long, soft, gorgeous ears in under a month. But it's not rabbit faunus that are the real threat, Velvet is a super hotty, no doubt, but it's the cat faunus that are the real danger to mankind!"

Jaune - "I dated a cat faunus, Katy Sith, and I'm just fine!" *Flashes Katy's picture to Cardin*

Cardin - "And how hard was it to walk away from a cat girl built like that, to pursue your dreams of being a Huntsmen?"

Jaune - "There do seem to be an inordinate number of hot cat girls.... Katy, that Neon girl from Atlas, Sienna Kahn, politics aside..."

Cardin - "It's not just the women dude, have you seen the guy that founded the White Fang, before it went crazy? Man's built like the cover model for every women's romance novel on those Ember tablets."

Jaune - "Are there any other sexy cat faunus at Beacon?"

Cardin - "Don't think so...."

Elsewhere in Team RWBY's common area...
​

Ruby - ".....and I said, you call that a large cookie?"

Yang - "Yeah, mom's cookies were always the best!"

Weiss - "Their cake was sub par as well, my families Cake Butler's offerings were far and away superior to that bakery.

Blake - " That's precisely the attitude I would expect a Schnee to have......"

Blake suddenly bolts upright
​

Blake - "I sense discrimination against cat faunus!"

Yang - "Dogpile her, and tie her up before she runs away again!

 

[SharkCultist]

Ok so this is a idea born through a weird mesh of my interest.

Megaman StarForce, ronin warriors, digimon frontier ,megaman zx, Kamen Rider, mobile fighter G gundam and a few others. Now I'm mostly saying these are the inspirations for this idea so most of it might not be directly apparent what inspired what bit.

---

Jaune Arc had the heart of a hero. He just didn't have the body to go through the training. By the time he would be healthy enough to train it wouldn't be enough to matter.

His family wanted to give him a shot, just a single chance, at his dream. So they pooled everything they had and worked on one of the greatest projects ever made in remnant.

Computer programming, forging, mechanical engineering, combat of every sort, biological mapping, theoretical energy sciences, nanotechnology, more money than most people will ever see in a lifetime, and enough connections and favors that they could have reshaped nations.

All poured into a decade and a half of development with the greatest minds in the world working on the project.

Hundreds of failures and two successes.

The Red Joker and The Black Ace.

The red joker a crimson katana and the Black Ace a pitch black handgun.

Amazing weapons who's true power would only reveal itself to the one they would bond with.

Both were gifted to Jaune Arc to bond with.

But a mistake had been made.

The weapons had their own will, That was expected, what wasn't expected was how the combat data and knowledge stored inside them shaped that will.

Both weapons asked their intended user two questions.

"What is the purpose of power?"
"What is the source of power?"

Jaune believed that the source and purpose were the same. People and their protection.

The Black Ace accepted this answer and gladly bonded to Jaune.



The Red Joker did not.

The blade rejected him, quite violently, and was sent away. It had been forged too well. They couldn't destroy it with anything they tried so they gave it to Atlas to at least study and keep safe. It's not like they could use it.


Time passed and eventually even Jaune forgot about the sword. Until he ran into it again.

The base that contained the blade had been raided by the White Fang. And The Red Joker felt one who could be it's master so it asked its questions once again.

"What is the purpose of power?"
"What is the source of power?"

It's candidate told the sword that the purpose of power is to be used and the source of power is purpose.

The sword accepted this answer.

And Adam Taurus unleashed the blade upon the world.

---

So a bit more explanation here.

The two weapons are biologically locked, once they have a chosen owner then as long as that owner is alive the weapon won't work for anyone else.

The weapons contain something called a aura core forge. Basically as long as they can be supplied aura they can repair and strengthen (assuming they can even be damaged) they can form armor for their user that can boost all parameters. They boost the learning and skill of the user.

The A.I inside the weapons are constantly learning and can develop new abilities.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

This is the year I decided to focus on RWBY fanfiction. In all honesty it started as a whim, as I ran out of ideas for Star Trek fics and I was going through a LOT of personal crap. And then I decided that I would write and post something RWBY related every week for the entire year, as a challenge.

I suppose as a broken person, I appreciate broken things like franchises. Things destroyed by others in their greed, vanity, and stupidity. And I want to put those things back together, to show off how beautiful they can be.

I've learned a lot about myself and about the fandom. I've made some new friends. And I'm going to continue on into the New Year, though my update schedule may slow down to avoid burn out.

I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you for your support. Thank you for sharing your creativity. And here's hoping 2025 brings even better things.

 

[Unknown_One]

And so, my last prompts for 2024:

-Jaune and Yang end up together for the Vale New Years' party, as the rest of their teams are off with other people or doing other things. They hit the bars, bond... And when the ball drops? They kiss. What happens after?

Click to shrink...

No need to add the bars or alcohol to the mix, IMO.

That being said:

Jaune stood on a bridge near the Pier in Vale. The cool air nipping at his face as he took in the serenity of the moment. He wore a dark blue Fatigues jacket, accompanied with his jeans and shoes.

Pyrrha had been out, unfortunately due to her sponsors being over insistent on her solo attendance to their function.

Ruby was with Weiss, enjoying the festive atmosphere of the moment. Blake was taking in the sights and sounds with Sun. While Nora was dragging Ren through the vendors.

As Jaune took a deep breath, he exhaled in a small sigh. Being this far from home did slightly pain him. But, he was enjoying the brief return to his normal.

"Hey VB, why are you standing alone?" Yelled Yang as she jogged to him. Her clothing being a Brown Waist-coast with a yellow and red scarf matching with Black pants.

Jaune looked at Yang and shrugged his shoulders before looking back up at the dark sky. "I loved watching the New Year's celebrations when I was a kid. The night sky being lit by fireworks, faint singing at the town square. It was tradition."

He then looked back at Yang, as she stood next to him. "Did you have any traditions on Patch?"

Yang nodded slightly as she also looked at the sky. "Yeah, we would all meet in the middle of the island. There would be a bonfire, music, and a countdown to the New Year. Couples would always end up kissing at the stroke of Midnight."

She said the last part with a chuckle, remembering how she and Ruby would act grossed out when they were children, then slowly turn hopeful they might have that moment.

Jaune huffed in amusement as a smile graced his features. "Yeah, I've heard the same. Saphron, my sister, would tell me about the kissing as well."

They heard a the loudspeaker from the pier call out one minute left, and Jaune looked back at the night sky. "Another year gone."

Yang nodded. "Yeah."

The countdown was on, as the New Year was approaching. The crowd from the pier began counting down. "Ten, Nine, Eight…"

Jaune began counting with them. "Seven, Six, Five…"

Yang joined in. "Four, Three, Two, One!"

Together, everyone exclaimed "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Fireworks were launched, dazzling the night sky. The old year was gone, a new future was upon.

Jaune and Yang watched the display, enjoying each other's quiet company.

Yang turned her head from the display and looked at Jaune. "Happy New Year, Jaune."

He turned and looked at Yang. "Happy New Year, Yang."

Yang lightly bit her lower lip and closed the distance between them. Lavender met Cobalt and an unanswered question lingered between them.

Jaune turned to her, and wrapped his left arm around her. He brought his right hand to Yang's chin and brought his lips to hers, angling his head before their lips touched.

The kiss lasted longer than they expected. Both pairs of eyes closed as the lip lock was going.

It felt good, it felt nice, it felt… right. After a solid minute of kissing, the pair split and opened their eyes.

Jaune took his hand off of Yang's chin and brought his right arm around Yang's shoulders in a loving embrace. Yang wrapped her arms around him in a similar manner.

"Happy New Year, Jaune." Yang said, after burying her face in his left shoulder.

Jaune looked down slightly at the head of Yang. He gave another light kiss to the back of her head. "Happy New Year, Yang."

 

[SharkCultist]

Penny becomes a benevolent eggman.
Kinda.

See Penny wants a big family bigger than just her and her dad.

But Atlas isn't too keen on giving her the space or money for a big production of sentient AI.

So Penny does some....creative application of the truth and resources.

Penny is technically a member of the military after all so she should be getting a officers salary. Surely they just forgot to sign her up for it so she signs herself up, even arranges for the missing backpay. All properly filed and legal(ish).

Since there isn't space for her to make her factory in Atlas? Then she'll just make it outside of Atlas. There's plenty of unused land out there, in fact they send recon drones out to those areas often. She can just leave some equipment and robots behind when the drones gets there.

That nice dormant volcano in the mountain range would make a good base, should be easy to set up some thermal generators.

So fast forward a year or two and Penny has her first few family members. Some are AI, Some are Robots, and a few are Cyborgs.

There's her adorable little sister Sage the AI.

There's her big brother Robotic Rodent Robot Speed Tester Unit...He prefers to be called metal sonic.

There's the two faunus cyborgs Kit and Surge. They needed a LOT of repairs but they're all good now! Except surge keeps shocking herself in the shower. But they're a good big sister and little brother pair.

Penny even made herself a new body, a bit more mature with really cool glasses!

She can't wait to show friend Ruby her new family and form. And it looks like she won't have to wait! It appears some trainee hunters teams have been sent to say hello and check out her really cool lab home.

It's shaped like a smile!

---

Nora: "Holy shit that is creepy."

Ruby: "Really? I think it looks kinda goofy."

Ren: "I wouldn't call a secret fortress that just appeared out of thin air a few months ago goofy."

Ruby: "Maybe they're friendly?"

Surge: and who the H-E-double fuck are you guys?

---

Oh yes this can only end well.

Penny accidentally makes herself a new faction.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Professor Peach: "All right, Miss Schnee, you'll work with Miss Valkyrie!"

Weiss: "Oh no... Not in Dust class..."

Nora: "WOO! All right Weissy, let's get to work!"

Weiss: "Save me... I'm too young to die..."

An hour later...

Nora: "... So you adjust the mixture to 1/45. Add it in with a little shake of your wrist each time for even distribution."

Weiss: "All right..."

Nora: "Ooh! We should add some Lightning Dust in this layer to ensure that the detonation is within 1.2 milliseconds!"

Weiss: "Okay..."

Peach: "All right. Let's test your mixtures in the test chamber. Goggles, everyone!"

Each team has their mixture detonated and examined. At the end...

Peach: "Perfect score, Miss Schnee and Miss Valkyrie! Your mixture was spot on for precision!"

Weiss: "Thank you, Professor!"

Nora: "YAY! Do we get gold stars?"

Peach: "Just A-pluses, Miss Valkyrie."

Nora: "Oh. Guess we gotta do better next time for those!"

Peach: chuckles "Keep it up and I'll see what I can do."

Nora: "Okay!"

Weiss: Stares in Disbelief at Nora "How did you learn so much about Dust?"

Nora: "Well, we learned the basics of Dust from some old books we found in the village ruins. Renny's good but I really took to it! I had to learn to help keep Renny safe! Nearly blew myself up a few times but it was worth it!"

Weiss: "O-Oh... I see... You learned very well."

Nora: "Thanks! You too!"

Weiss: I want to be nicer... I want to show my gratitude... And I want to show that we're friends... But how? I know!

Later... In the common room... Weiss enters with a smile.

Weiss: "Nora! Here!"

Nora: "Eh?"

Weiss hands over a letter. Nora opens it.

Nora: "What is it?"

Weiss: "It's a job offer. Would you like to become an SDC Dust Quality Control Engineer?"

Nora: "What's that?"

Weiss: "Basically, you would test Dust mixtures for their volatility and effectiveness."

Nora: "Really? That would be great! But I gotta look at pay..." She holds it out to Jaune "Jaune-Jaune? Is that a lot?"

Jaune: eyes bug out "That's a LOT, Nora."

Nora: "Really? HEE! Renny! I'm the breadwinner of the family!"

Ren: "I knew you could do it, sweetheart."

Nora: "You'd better have dinner on the table when I get home and you'd better wear the silk underwear!"

Ren: "Year dear."

Jaune: "Er... It seems kind of sudden, Nora."

Pyrrha: "Also, don't you need to finish schooling and become a Huntress, Nora?"

Nora: "Eh? OH! Right!" smiles and hands the offer back "Sorry Weissy, I wanna be a Huntress!"

Weiss: "But I... Oh..."

Nora: "The job sounds neat though, so maybe I'll take it in the future?"

Weiss: "I... Oh... Um, sure."

Nora: "But, let's work on Dust Class homework together!"

Weiss: smiles "I... I would like that."

Nora: "That last mixture was all about precision, which is great! But sometimes you just wanna make a REALLY big explosion! Ooh! Maybe we can add in some Ice Dust and make giant exploding Snowflakes! Wouldn't that be great?!"

Weiss: "I... Suppose it would."

Nora: "YAY!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

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

"Geez, after that training mission, this boring place is just what the doctor ordered!" Yang sighed happily.

"I will admit, serenity is very nice after dealing with all those issues," Ren sighed.

"Aw, it was fun!" Nora protested with a grin as she hefted up her hammer. "I got to smash those Grimm right in their stupid faces!"

"Along with the chicken coop behind it," Jaune sighed, brushing off some leftover feathers. Ruby grimaced.

"That was the worst!" She groaned. "We should be-be fighting super awesome evil Grimm and saving kingdoms and-and handsome princes or something!"

"Or handsome knights," Yang said with a wink at Jaune. Jaune coughed as his cheeks burned red. Ruby scowled.

"Yaaang! Enough flirting!"

"Did you want to get some flirting in, too?" Yang grinned. "Maybe we should make a sign up sheet!"

"Ease up, guys," Jaune siged, "I want a shower."

"Yes, please," Pyrrha cleared her throat, brushing some feathers out of her red hair, "A shower would be nice."

Yang sighed and brushed some stray feathers from her jacket.

"Fine, fine."

"Honestly," Weiss sighed, still scrubbing her hands with antiseptic gel, "I had no idea chickens were so disagreeable!"

"This is why I prefer fish," Blake said. "Also, do you always carry antiseptic gel?"

"Yes. Why, don't you?" Weiss asked curiously.

This is when loud music began to play over the courtyard speakers. Jaune paled as he heard it.

"What is that song? It sounds super old! 'Bye bye bye?'" Ruby exclaimed.

"I think Dad used to play it all the time... VB?" Yang added, noticing how Jaune tensed.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, staring at Jaune's reaction as he pulled his weapons out.

"ARM YOURSELVES! NOW!" Jaune shouted.

"Are you kidding-?!" Weiss tried, even as everyone else obeyed. Just in time, too.

A figure in heavy combat armor, with curved horns on her helmet, charged in and swung her sword at Jaune. Jaune barely parried the first three blows, before the figure sidestepped his desperate counter attack and slapped him on the ass with the flat of her blade. This sent him flying headfirst through a stone bench, his Aura flaring brightly. Everyone else scattered, Pyrrha, Ren and Nora regrouping immediately.

"JAUNE!" Ruby however was the first to strike back. She leaped into super speed with her Semblance, and struck the armored figure several times. Each time the figure parried or deflected the hits with her sword, before yanking Ruby into range, punching her in the stomach, and throwing her into a column.

"URK!" Ruby gasped.

"A Lancer who gets too close and fights too predictably..." The Figure commented while blocking Pyrrha's furious counter strikes and then evading Yang's berserker rage. "Hmmm..."

She traded sword blows with Pyrrha while evading everyone else's fire. Yang then charged at her, her eyes glowing red and her Aura burning like fire.

She caught Yang's wrist and threw her into Pyrrha. Pyrrha tried to catch Yang... Which is when the figure closed the distance and slapped them both into a fountain with her sword. They smashed through the marble fountain and fell into the pool with a large splash.

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

"Another Berserker who is too wild-"

Ren popped up from behind a stone bench and tried to strike her from behind, but the figure swung around and unleashed an Aura blast that sent him crashing through a statue.

"Assassin with shitty weapons-" She casually backhanded Weiss who tried to charge her. Weiss plowed into a flower garden with a screech.

"A Caster who thinks she's a Saber-"

She looks over at Blake, who was hesitating on top of a pillar. She swung her blade and unleashed an Aura blast. Blake used a clone to avoid it, sent two more in… Who the figure plowed through to backhand Blake into the recovering Yang, sending both back into the fountain pool.

"EEYAH!"

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

Pyrrha got up and attacked again. This time the figure was forced to fight a bit more seriously, having to parry and counter and even evade Pyrrha's furious assault. Pyrrha managed to get a hit on her helmet, cutting off the tip of her horn. The figure traps Pyrrha's blade against hers.

"Ooh... I may have misjudged you. You might be fun-" the Figure said, a feral grin in her voice.

At last, Jaune got up and yelled a threat.

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

Mordred gasped and turned her head to look at Jaune.

"YOU WOULDN'T!"

Jaune held up his Scroll. Mordred huffed, and pulled back from the panting Pyrrha. The rest of RWBY and JNPR got up. Ren was slightly tense. Nora was curious. Ruby was scowling. Yang and Weiss were glaring hot death at Mordred, and then at Blake.

"You SAID you were gonna back me up!" Weiss accuses.

"Well, I-!" Blake tried to defend herself.

"I thought you were gonna do the same!" Yang interjected.

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

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

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

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

"WHAT?!" Weiss cried.

"Wha-You're Jaune's unc-but you're a-!" Ruby stammered, but Jaune held up a hand.

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

"Did you really have to attack us as a greeting?! Are you insane?!" Weiss demanded, shaking her fist.

"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!" Mordred exclaimed, standing at attention with her blade held downwards between her hands.

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

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

"Oh wow... Jaune? Your uncle is cool and super hot!" Nora expressed in awe. Ren raised an eyebrow.

"DAMN RIGHT I AM!" Mordred boasted.

"She's a lunatic-" Weiss started to say before Mordred held a sword to her throat, "Urk!"

"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!" Mordred clarified.

"I-You-!" Weiss stuttered. Jaune again reached out and pulled Weiss away. He shook his head.

"Please. Don't. You'll only make things worse." Jaune warned. Weiss sucked in a breath and slowly nodded.

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

Mordred withdrew 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 cushy boarding school nonsense! We shall go get alcohol-!"

"AHEM. Underaged? Ahem?" Jaune coughed.

"In Vale?!" Mordred demanded. Jaune nodded sadly. "DAMNIT! FINE! 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!"

"I like stars on my nails too!" Ruby said cheerfully. "I just learned how to do them!"

"WONDERFUL!" Modred declared with a grin.

Nora held up her hand.

"Question!"

"Yes?" Mordred responded.

"Why that old music?" Nora asked.

Mordred huffed.

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

Nora gasped, her eyes bright.

"IT IS SUPER CATCHY! Right Renny?"

"The catchiest," Ren agreed in his usual deadpan.

"Why can't there be a normal Arc?" Weiss muttered. Blake grumbled in agreement.

Jaune looked over at Pyrrha, who was looking very intensely at Mordred.

"Pyrrha? You okay?"

Pyrrha turned to Jaune. Her eyes were sparkling, "That was the most intense fight I've ever had, Jaune! I can't wait for your uncle to train us more!"

Jaune sighed. He wore a wry smile.

"Yeah, me too..."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Since I established Arslan and Neptune as childhood friends (but not romantic at all, more like siblings), one possibility for their relationship is tension over who Neptune's leader is. Arslan was able to perform so well that Lionheart couldn't sabotage her team as he did others-At least not as easily. Team SSSN though is an utter disaster. And Arslan would have opinions on that.

Arslan doesn't hate Sun, but she does think he is a terrible leader.

In the past... At Haven... Arslan meets with Neptune halfway through their first semester..

Neptune: "Hey Arslan. You know, if you wanted to join my team, you already rejected my offer. And to be my girlfriend, too! That hurts as much as it did the five hundredth time as it did the first but-"

Arslan: "You should switch to my team."

Neptune: "Selections are final, but if you really want to try dating we could-"

Arslan: "Your team leader is dangerous, Neptune. He's unreliable. Reckless."

Neptune: "Sun? Nah... He would never! Sure, he's a flake sometimes-"

Arslan: "All the time."

Neptune: "But he would never abandon us when we most needed him! You gotta have faith! I mean... You've devoted your life to faith!"

Arslan: "I have faith in God. Faith in mortals is another matter entirely. Faith in Sun? No."

Neptune: sigh "You're really making a big deal out of this-"

Arslan: "He's going to get you killed, Neptune."

Neptune: "Yeah well... I'll just have to prove you wrong, won't I?" snorts "You can stop acting like I'm the snot nosed brat you picked on. I'm basically a man and I'm gonna do great!"

Arslan: "..." nods "Then I will pray you are right, and I am wrong."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Vale, Dockyards

- - -

Cinnamon Berahard was nearly seven years old, and she was super bored. Her mama and papa had told her that a trip up to Vale would be fun and exciting! But most of the trip had been about Papa buying and selling and talking to boring old people. Mama had at least bought her a dolly. It was a beautiful china doll, and she'd named her Priscilla.

She held onto Priscilla tightly as she sat in the back of the car, bored. Their front left tire had gone flat and Papa was fixing it. She watched Papa and Mama work on it together while they argued. The world outside was dark except for street lights and big, grim looking warehouses. They were creepy, so she focused her attention on her parents.

"I told you we were lost," Mama sighed, "Why didn't you just buy a proper Scroll?"

"Feh!" Papa snorted. "My old Scroll works just fine! We just took a bit of a detour, that's all."

"A detour, he says," Mama groaned, "who knows what kinds of thieves and cutthroats could be around here!"

"Please," Papa chuckled, "This is a civilized city! There ain't no bandits or thieves or-"

There was a loud explosion nearby. Everyone jumped, especially Cinnamon. She saw a gout of flame rise up behind the buildings. She gasped in amazement.

Maybe it was like her CCTV programs back home! Hunters and Huntresses on the street, fighting against bad guys!

"... Let's call the police," Mama suggested. Papa nodded.

"I think you're right." He pulled out his Scroll, and made the call. "Hello, Vale Police? Yes, I'd like to report a-"

A ragged looking young Faunus with cat ears, black clothing, and a white mask jumped through a window in the building across the street. He landed hard on the pavement and sprang towards them faster than a horse! He slapped Papa and Mama, sending them both sprawling to the pavement.

"MAMA! PAPA!" Cinnamon shrieked. The Faunus man opened the door and checked the keys. He groaned.

"Great, I gotta fix the tire..." He glared at Cinnamon, and she shrunk back. "You're really fucking slow, you humans!"

"I-I-!"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Cinnamon and the Faunus looked back. Four young women in yellow, black, white and red leaped down, landing on the street. In an instant, the Faunus seized Cinnamon and yanked her in front of him. She screamed in fear and began to cry as he held a gun against her head.

"One more step, and goodbye little human!" He snarled. The girl in red, with black hair with red tips and a huge red scythe, froze. She shook her head.

"Y-You're bluffing!" She cried. "You're not gonna kill her!"

The Faunus grinned and jabbed the gun against Cinnamon's head. She whimpered. She wet her pants. She shook and trembled violently.

"You think I care?" The Faunus scoffed. "You'd better back up, nice and easy. Even you aren't fast enough to get to me before I pull the trigger!"

"Let her go!" The girl in black offered, "The White Fang is better than this!"

"FEH! Where have you been, Princess?" The Faunus scoffed. "Now, back off! Weapons down!"

"You're a scum sucking scoundrel!" The girl in white cursed, while the girl in yellow with blonde hair snarled angrily. The Faunus laughed.

"It keeps me breathing, darling. Now, you-HEY!"

Cinnamon stared through her tears. A man had appeared, jumping down from the same window. His poncho waved dramatically as he held onto his cowboy hat. He stared intently at Cinnamon and the Faunus as he stood up. The Faunus growled.

"YOU! Same thing, cowboy! You try anything and-!"

BANG!

The Faunus' body went limp even as Cinnamon's ears hurt. The Faunus dropped like a puppet with its strings cut. In an instant, the girl in red appeared and caught Cinnamon as she felt. She buried her face in her chest, sobbing loudly even as the girl in red rubbed her back.

She glanced up: The man was holding a revolver and pointing it at the Faunus. The Faunus had crumpled to the ground. He wasn't moving.

Cinnamon shivered and buried her face back in the girl's chest.

"Mama... Papa...?" She managed.

"They're okay," the girl said softly, "They're just... Just asleep."

"... The bad guy?" She asked.

The girl in red was silent as police sirens filled the air.

- - -

Yang was the first to recover from the abrupt end of the pursuit. Jaune barking orders into his Scroll helped take her eyes away from the dead Faunus.

"Pyrrha, Nora, make sure nobody else gets away, we caught one straggler," he stated, "Ren, sweep the area one last time. All of you, come to my signal location ASAP."

"Roger," Pyrrha spoke.

"Okey dokey Jaune-Jaune!" Nora replied.

"Understood," Ren said.

Jaune closed the Scroll as the cops arrived. He holstered his weapon, his face grim and stony.

"You... You killed him," Weiss said, soft and disbelieving.

Jaune very slowly nodded.

"Yes miss," he said, his voice devoid of its customary warmth. He glanced at the corpse briefly. "Let's check on the adults, make sure they're all right. Weiss, you got Healing Dust, right?"

Weiss kept staring.

"Weiss?" He pressed.

"Y-Yes, I'm on it," Weiss said, turning and heading over to the two groaning humans. Blake continued to stare at him intensely. She walked up close, her yellow eyes narrowed.

"Was that necessary?" Blake asked, quiet but angry. Jaune let out a soft sigh.

"... I hope so," he muttered.

Yang walked up and rested a hand on his shoulder. She gave Blake a very stern look.

"Threatening to murder a child is rarely something a good person does, Blake," Yang stated in a flat, angry tone.

"He was desperate, he was scared-" Blake tried. Yang glared.

"He had a choice. He made the wrong one," Yang practically spat.

Blake stared intensely at Jaune, who was still as blank faced as a cube of marble. A few moments later, Pyrrha, Ren and Nora jumped in. The cops were securing the area. One, a sergeant by her stripes, walked over to look down at the body. She then turned to look over the assorted Hunters-in-Training.

"Which one of you shot him?" She demanded, brushing a few stray black hairs behind her ears as she scowled.

Ruby opened her mouth-To what end, Yang didn't know. Jaune shook his head and stepped foward.

"That would be me, ma'am," Jaune replied calmly. Pyrrha's eyes widened. Ren and Nora stared intensely. Ruby shook her head and dashed forward, still holding the weeping girl.

"He was holding a girl hostage, he was going to shoot her-!"

The sergeant held up her hand and Ruby fell silent. The Red Reaper glanced at Jaune, looking distraught but over what, Yang couldn't tell. She could guess a few things, though.

"You can all give your full statements at the station," she stated, "What's your name, son?"

"Jaune Arc."

"Sergeant Matty Dillon," she introduced herself, "Under city policy when it comes to Hunters-in-Training, I'm going to have to take you into custody pending assessment of the incident and interviews with the witnesses." She held out her hand. "I'll need you to surrender your weapons and come with me."

"Hey! Hang on a second!" Yang argued, "That bastard was going to kill a little girl! You can't just arrest Jaune for that-!"

"It's all right, Yang," Jaune said quietly. He undid his gun and swordbelt, and handed it over to Sergeant Dillon-His revolvers and Crocea Mors hung from it. He pulled out a knife from his boot, and pulled his shotgun off his shoulders and handed it over too. Dillon raised an eyebrow.

"Anything else?"

"No ma'am," Jaune said politely. He held out his wrists. "Do you need to cuff me?"

"Yes," Dillon said, slapping them on, "It's just procedure."

"But he didn't do-!" Ruby tried, but Jaune shot her a look.

"It's all right, Ruby. I've..." A look of shame came over his face, before his determined expression returned.

"I've been through this before," he said carefully.

Ruby's jaw dropped. Yang gaped. Blake gasped. Weiss, still tending to the wounded, still shot a shocked look back. Pyrrha's eyes widened. Ren closed his eyes while Nora shook her head.

"You can all come along in another car," Dillon stated, "We'll try to get this sorted out as quickly as possible. I'll read you your rights on the way."

"Yes ma'am," Jaune said. He looked around at his friends.

"It's gonna be all right, I promise," he said, as Dillon escorted him towards one of the police cruisers. Ruby stared in shock, even as the little girl stared after him.

"Is... Is he gonna go to jail?" She asked.

"Not if we can help it," Yang growled.

"Cinnamon!"

The little girl looked over. She beamed as she saw her parents standing up, smiling.

"MAMA! PAPA!"

She dropped from Ruby's arms and ran over to them. They embraced the little girl happily.

"Well," Yang muttered, "I can think of a few people thankful Jaune took his shot."

Blake just scowled deeply.

Weiss approached, looking anxious.

"We-We should go with him," she said, "After all... He'll need our testimony... R-Right?"

"Let's go," Pyrrha said grimly, as they headed towards a second police cruiser.

- - -

I'm working on the other Cowboys of Remnant bit, but I wanted to try something a bit darker. Any thoughts so far?