[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[AndrewJTalon]

You know, it occurs to me that Isabel would have been the most well off of teams STRQ and AARN. Arjun and Saia were refugees, Nick was an orphan raised by a hermit, Taiyang was not the most well off, Summer was the last member of her clan, and Raven and Qrow were from a bandit tribe.

Meanwhile, the Arc Clan wasn't in the best of financial straits but they were definitely better off than all of these people. So Isabel DID provide them with loans from time to time. And favors with her various family members.

Naturally by the time they left Beacon, the majority of these debts were unpaid... And quite large.

So when the children of her former teammates begin attending Beacon with her son, Isabel decides it's time to collect. Politely, but firmly.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Isabel: "DAMNIT TAI, RAVEN LITERALLY TOOK AN ENTIRE HERD OF COWS! AN ENTIRE HERD!"

Taiyang: "That doesn't mean we need to have a beef, does it?"

Pause. Isabel lunges for Tai, while Nick holds her back.

Isabel: "Let me go, Nick! I'm just gonna break his arms!"

Nick: "He needs those to sign things!"

Isabel: "That's a good point."

Nick: *sighs and lets her go now that she's seen sense* "I'm glad you-"

Isabel: "But he doesn't need his legs!"

Taiyang: *running away* "I need my legs!"

Isabel: "Get back here Xiao Long, your kneecap privileges' have been revoked!"

Qrow and Ozpin intervene and everyone settles down.

Qrow: "All right. Look, so Raven owes you a lot. It's not like you're gonna get it out of her-"

Isabel: "Why not? She'll just run away, is that it?"

Qrow: "Well... That and she doesn't exactly have anything worth... Ummm..."

Isabel: "And how exactly do you know that?! Are you keeping in communication with your criminal bandit sister or something?!"

Ozpin: sip "He's not at liberty to say, Isabel. In any event, I'm sure we can work this debt out with a fair compromise. It can't be that-"

Isabel slaps the bill down on the table. Ozpin reads it. Taiyang and Qrow look at him hopefully.

Ozpin: sip "... Oh would you look at the time?" flees

Taiyang: "Wha-?!"

Qrow: "OZ! SERIOUSLY?!"

Isabel: glares, cracks her knuckles

Nick: "Woah woah woah! Now I'm sure we can work this out. Come on Izzy, these are our good friends! Comrades in arms!"

Taiyang and Qrow: smile

Nick: "Sure they're terrible with money... And parenting... And planning for the future..."

Taiyang: "Seriously dude?!"

Qrow: "I have a retirement pension! ... Maybe? I should check on that sometime."

Nick: "But they are our dear friends!"

Isabel: sighs "... Fine. We'll work out a better way to pay off the debt. First off though, we should be better friends. Jaune, Yang and Ruby don't even know they used to play together as children!"

Taiyang: "That's true. They are... Childhood friends..." He grins "I think I just thought up a way to pay off our debts, Izzy!"

Isabel: "And that would be...?"

Taiyang: "Your son can marry both of my daughters!"

Isabel and Qrow: "WHAT?!"

Nick: "Wait, you can do that? Aw man. I've been paying off my loans like Grandpa George told me to! You can marry off your daughters for debt?"

Isabel: punches him "NO YOU CAN'T!"

 

[zMADLAXz]

Arjun and Saia actually have set up a monthly payment system now that Pandu is thriving.

But to make sure that none of the more volatile elements in the kingdom take it in a bad way and start a rumor that the new rulers are just as corrupt and embezzling funds for their own needs Saia came up with a brilliant Idea!

Her Idea? Well why not make Arc's as the legally allied partners of Pandu that provide protection, Alcohol and Medical facilities to them.

No one dare says anything against it , they saw the ferocity of Nick and Isabelle Arc in protecting their homeland, the medical genius of Isabelle actually creating the entirety of medical experts training and code of conduct(taking inspiration from Tsunade here)

Plus no one wants to miss out on the sweet Arc Winery produce.

Still some people have doubts that the Arcs will use it to their own benefits so Saia revealed her trap card.

A legal matrimony of the heir to Pandu's Throne and any one of Arc children.

But that thing became problematic when Maia/May went missing so now the rulers were facing a lot of pressure to marry Abhimanyu with one of the Arc children.

So with a heavy heart the Parents on both sides(Arjun and Saia along with Isabelle and Nick) decided to make a sham marriage between anyone of the girls and Abhimanyu in which both the parties will be free to pursue whoever they wish to in secret and the conception of the next child will be done in secret via IVF and a secret Incubation facility at La-Arc-en-Ciel.

Both sides were not happy to put this on their children until the good news arrives, our resident Sniper seems to have gained a taste for the resident Paladin and it seems the feeling is mutual(they meet in Vale festival and hit it off, but during the assault at Vale, Jaune signals his parents and they come with backup in the form of Pandu's royal couple)

After the shenanigans(Pyrrha lives) there are still two main plots going on.

1. Actively dealing with Salem's forces now that they have shown their opening hand.

2. Making sure the next line of succession for Pandu's throne is ready for her ascension along with her prince consort(Both the families are trying their damn hardest to make sure May and Jaune tie the knot)

The feelings are their but so is the conflict with Pyrrha still doing her "kiss you one last time" thing.

Except now she can't conveniently die off and let Jaune comes to term with it.

Spoiler: "Another important change"

(Pyrrha has some royality in her due to her being descendant of the Myrmidions' last ruler The Invincible Achilles)

It's a thrilling tale for a Saint's heart, two warrior Princesses and neither of them ready to back down.

Whose mark shall hit true? Two descendants of Lightning and yet only one wire to their Hearts.

Spoiler

Achilles was the son of Zeus and Arjun is the son of Indra.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Tangy is briefed by General Ironwood before she takes command of Vale's Defense Forces around Vale itself... And...

Tangy: "... Why are we putting everything into mindless robots all attached to a single network? Forgive me General, but I'm making sure the VDF defense systems have multiple redundancies and back ups to ensure nothing goes wrong."

Ironwood: "I assure you the system cannot be compromised-"

Tangy: "And your assurances are not worth the lives of millions of people, especially since the security systems of Vale have already been compromised. How else would White Fang and Roman Torchwick be clowning on the police and your own security forces? Good grief, nobody was checking for unusual activity around Mount Glenn? It's a giant abandoned city, raiders and bandits would still be stripping it bare even with the Grimm and it has a tunnel right into the city rail network. A guard needed to be on it at least."

Ironwood: "I see. You have the authority to do as you wish in regards to your own forces as long as they do not interfere with mine."

Tangy: "Good. I will. Visha! Weiss! Start issuing all our troops the following." Hands out shovels and bayonets.

Ironwood: "Shovels and bayonets?"

Tangy: "Shovels mean fortifications, graves, trenches, ditches, latrines, camps, dams, roads, sandbags, bunkers, and can function as a weapon-In short, everything you need to wage war. And bayonets mean your gun is now a spear when you run out of ammo."

Ironwood: "I see... Your approach is old fashioned."

Tangy: "That is the nature of warfare, sir. Many things about it change, but many things about it will never change."

 

[RedDragonEmpress]

Look, this whole thing is rough, so bear with me. I've left my abstract notes here as well so you can see where I am/was going with this. Other than that, I hope you enjoy what I've done so far.

Some things to know going forward:

• Character-Name(A) refers to a character's alternate selves (Ex: Jaune(A))
• Character-Name by itself refers to the OG character (Ex: Jaune)
• This is for when both characters are in the same room or are being referred to as their alternate

Canon RWBY Meets "In the Family Way": RWBY One-Shot 2: Electric Boogaloo

Isabelle thinking on what she's learned and what she's going to do about it as well as how she's going to help these kids

The gangs' reaction to pregnant Yang and their Yang passing out + Ruby hugging Pyrrha + Both Blake criticizing one another + The Schnees sizing each other up + The alternate Team RWBYJNPR reacting to what OG RWBY has to say + sad boy hours + call to arms

Isabelle talking with everyone as best she can, Ruby + Weiss, or Blake + Blake, or Weiss + Yang, when she wakes up

OG yang finally wakes up in the nurse's office and is filled in on what she missed + a real convo with her alternate self + talk about relationships + motherhood + fears + OG Yang's robot arm + battle strategies + weapon and outfit upgrades + alternate Yang giving tips for if/when OG Yang wants to get with her Jaune on how to get him + fluff and blushes all around

Isabelle and OG Yang have a heart-to-heart, + a real functional and almost non-problematic mother's affection + Surrogate mom advice + comfort + hugs + acceptance + "I didn't realize how much I needed that"/"say that"/"hear that"

OG Yang's thoughts on everything and steeling her resolve

OG Yang asking Pyrrha for permission to date Jaune, should she end up going that route after they find their Jaune + Pyrrha's approval/acceptance and understanding + Pyrrha's teasing + Nora's teasing + tired Ren + the rest OG RWBY revealing to have listened in and teasing Yang for it because when are they ever going to get another chance

A quiet moment + A day of rest

Final meetings + strategies going forward + ammo and travel gear resupply + possible outfit change + Portal opens + The Last Goodbye (by The Gregory Brothers) + a kiss for good luck + a new adventure begins

---

Isabelle's thoughts on everything + talks with Ozpin

---

The gang talks to one another. Minus OG Yang who is sleeping in a medical cot. Explain who they are, where they've been, as well as the unique Jaunes they've met on their travels. Such as Raptor Jaune, Cowboy Jaune, Atlas Jaune.

---

Isabell to Ruby talk + comfort + much needed therapy/mother figure + confessions + Isabelle securing the Arc-Rose Bloodline +?

---

Weiss(A) to Weiss talk + ends with Weiss(A) taking Weiss to Coco to get better outfits for her and the rest of the team.

---

Blake to Blake(A) talk + Parents + Learning not to be a stray + ears out and I'm proud of it + a possible Shitty Kitty Ending averted + How to cat from a seasoned Troll Cat veteran + literary exchange

---

Yang(A) to Yang talk

---

Isabelle to Yang talk

---

Yang to everyone, but mostly Pyrrha talk

---

Ruby(A) to Ruby talk, ends with Ruby(A) gifting Crescent Rose to Ruby because she understands that without her weapon she's powerless, and with Ruby running around the multiverse she needs something reliable to help protect herself, her team, and anyone else they come across that needs saving. Besides, it's not like she, Ruby(A), can't build another one, and on the off chance Ruby decides to come back to return Crescent Rose, she, Ruby(A), will have a weapon that will have slain monsters from across time and space. Also, Silver eyes, the sakaras having info on them, and Maria, her mentor.

Addendum: If Ruby still has Crescent Rose, it is not the original, the one she got from the Ever-After is different in that it looks like a permanent hard light version of her scythe. Think Penny's Sword array after she became a Maiden.

---

Night time shenanigans + Rest and reflection + cleaning up + Breakfast in the dorm common room

---

"Is there anything else we should know before you head off?" Ozpin asked, readjusting in his seat, "Perhaps something you learned from a previous reality that you visited?"

OG Team RWBY look to themselves and try to remember anything significant from the other realities that could help the people here. Weiss then gets an idea, steps forward, and asks "The name Maia Sakara wouldn't happen to ring any bells here now, would it?"

OG Weiss and the rest of her team watch as each Arc within the room gives a pained look of recognition at the name. "Yes, we know that name. It's the name for the deceased daughter of our former teammates, Arjun and Saia Sakara," Isabelle speaks up before placing her head in a look of remorse and guilt. Nick sees his wife in distress and comforts her, eventually calming her down enough to continue speaking.

However, before she can start up again, Weiss quickly interjects, "N-no need to continue, we already got informed of this from a Jaune in another reality. I just wanted to confirm that she exists here too."

"Why would you need to confirm that?" asks Jaune.

"Because, if what we learned in the other reality is true, then she's still alive in this one."

"She's alive!? Wha- How?" asks Isabelle, staring at Weiss in sheer disbelief.

"While visiting other realities in search of our Jaune we stumbled upon a Jaune(A) who was dating her at the time. Both Jaune(A) and Maia(A) or May(A), as she went by in that reality, explained that her kidnappers decided to raise her instead of killing her as a baby. She grew up in a remote village in Vacou before eventually making her way into Shade, her 'parents' having died long before then. When the time came for the Vytal festival to begin, her team was one of the few from shade to qualify and participate in the tournament. From there she makes her way to Beacon, meets Jaune(A), becomes friends, and later starts dating. This leads him to introduce her to his Godparents who immediately recognize her as their daughter, and the rest as they say is history."

Nary a sound is made after Weiss finishes her tale until Nick, in an almost hurt tone, asks Jaune, "You introduced your girlfriend to your Uncle Arjun before me?"

"Yeah shame on you Jaune-Jaune," Nora teasingly remarks.

"What!? But that's not me. I didn't do that," Jaune sputters before looking to Yang(A) with pleading eyes. "Tell them Yang(A) you were there."

Yang(A), dramatically looking away in the distance with a hand covering her mouth to try and stifle her laughter, responds, "I can't believe you would do that to your father, Jaune. What kind of example are we setting for our children if this is how you treat your parents?"

Jaune, looking to the rest of his friends for help and only finding more of the same judging eyes before him, responds, "Really?"

Pyrrha walks up to Jaune placing a hand on his shoulder and says to him while also doing her best to hold in her laughter, "Really really."

This is when Nora starts laughing, unable to hold it in any longer, which gets everyone else to let loose too.

"You guys are awful," Jaune says with a pout.

Amidst the laughter, Isabelle sighed, looked at her husband, and asked him, "Did you have to embarrass our son like that?"

Nick, smiling ear to ear, looks to his wife and says, "Yup, and besides it was getting too heavy earlier."

"And I'm sure it has nothing to do with that bet you have with Arjun about who Jaune shows his girlfriend off to first."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," says Nick, trying and failing to hide his nervousness at getting caught.

"In Jaune's defense, that world's version of Jaune's parents arrived much later than his Godparents did at the time," Weiss responds.

The three teams continue laughing before calming down once more.

"Now Jaune's actions aside, is there anything else?" Ozpin inquired.

Ruby thinks for a minute before answering, "Well there's that thing between Pyrrha and Arslan, but it's not all that important, just something I'd thought I'd mention in case that was a thing here too."

"Me and who, exactly?" Pyrrha replies, confused as to why the name sounds familiar, but she's unable to put a face to it.

"She's supposed to be your rival," Ruby responds, nervously fiddling with her combat skirt as she does. "At least that's what she told us in the reality where she ends up dating Jaune(A)."

Pyrrha, now sporting an annoyed look, says, "Ah, yes, that Arslan. The table monk who kept challenging me to spars throughout my tournament and Sanctum years." Looks up to Ruby, and says in an exasperated tone, "I assume that's who they're talking about?"

"Yeah," Ruby says even more nervously. "I take it you two aren't friends in this universe?"

Pyrrha sighs, responding, "Kind of, it's sort of like a one-sided rivalry where she thinks we're destined rivals to one another, and that somehow gives her a reason to challenge me to a spar constantly. I'm not saying I hate her, but it gets tiring after a while, especially when I don't even know why she's so focused on me. I mean, I've had people hate me before and try to challenge me so they can prove they're better, yet despite the countless defeats, she keeps coming back to challenge me whereas most would have given up at this point. "

Before Pyrrha can continue, Jaune lightly taps on her shoulder and asks, " Um, Pyrrha, do you know what being a Rival means in the table breaker religion?"

"...that we're enemies?" Pyrrha answers confused.

"Pyrrha, for followers of the table breaker, a Rival refers to a life-long friend that helps keep you at your best by constantly challenging you to do better."

Pyrrha becomes almost silent when she hears this, thinking back to all of her and Arslan's interactions before asking, "So all those times she was challenging me to a spar and stating she was my Rival she was just reiterating our friendship and wanting to hang out?"

Getting a nod from Jaune, Pyrrha becomes melancholy at the wasted opportunities for a deeper friendship that would have grown had she known better. Jaune seeing Pyrrha like this, hugs her, which triggers everyone else to do the same. They stay like that for a bit until Pyrrha taps out explaining that she's fine and will just need more time to think on this. Everyone except for Nora moves away, Nora is unrepentant, and her eyes all but dare Pyrrha to tell her to stop hugging her. Pyrrha allows Nora to stay and turns her attention back to the rest of OG Team RWBY.

"Was it like this in that world too?" Jaune asks, once he's sure that Pyrrha is okay.

"I mean sorta," Ruby says, rubbing the back of her neck, "From what Arlsan(A) and Jaune(A) told us in that reality their Pyrrha(A) reacted more apologetically. Wanting more to assure Arslan that there was no beef between them, as that was what she thought Arslan(A) meant when she said they were Rivals."

"Yeah that sounds like Pyr would do," Jaune says fondly, much to Pyrrha's embarrassment.

"Yeah, apparently the whole reason Arslan(A) didn't explain anything at first was because she thought Pyrrha(A) already knew what she was talking about."

"Why would she think that?" Jaune asks, confused.

"Because her mom and Pyrrha's(A) mom were also Rivals at some point."

"My mom's not a fighter. She's an actress, how could Arslan's mom possibly be Rivals with her?" questioned Pyrrha, becoming more confused.

"Oh! Arslan's mom is also an actress. I think her name was Basara Altan. She and your mom went head to head competing for many acting roles for movies, and many of the films they starred in competed for various awards for which they were both nominated."

Pyrrha pulling out her scroll and looking at her mother's IMDB page, notices that Basara Altan was a notable figure in her mother's acting career. "And she never even thought to tell me about it," Pyrrha mutters.

"So what else you got," Nora cuts in, trying to avoid awkward silences.

Yang pipes up before the rest of OG Team RWBY can speak, "We fought an evil mad scientist. Did you guys also fight one?"

"NO!" yelled an irate Nora, Ruby(A), and Yang(A).

"Are you telling me I'm going to miss out on an amazing adventure fighting that has us pitted against one of the best villain archetypes in comic book history!" yells an upset Yang(A) before smacking Jaune on the arm, "Breaker dang it Jaune, you just had to knock me up now of all times!"

"First off, OW!" Jaune says, rubbing his arm. "Second off, I'm sorry for denying you an adventure. I'll consider that for next time," Jaune says, comforting an irate Yang(A).

Yang(A), slightly red-faced by his response, replies with a pout, "You better."

"So who's this mad scientist we fight!? Momma's looking to add to her leg breaking resume!" Nora exclaims, and Ruby(A) nods in agreement.

"I think his name was Merlot?" Yang says, trying to hide her blush at seeing her counterparts' affectionate behavior with Jaune.

Ozpin, alarmed by the name Yang brought up, asks, "This mad scientist you speak of wouldn't happen to be one Dr. Merlot, wouldn't it? The same Dr. Merlot who is partially responsible for the destruction of the Mt. Glenn expansion by illegally transporting Grimm into the city so that he could experiment on them. A man who by all accounts should be and was confirmed dead following the disaster."

"Uhhhhh, yeah," Yang awkwardly responds, noticing the growing looks of hatred on the older adults' faces.

Ozpin, leaning forward on his desk, says, "Ms. Xiao-Long, tell us everything."

OG Team RWBY then explains, as best they can, the plot of RWBY: Grimm Eclipse. By the time they finished Ozpin was holding his face in his hand, Glynda looked ready to snap her riding crop, Jaune's parents were silently communicating with one another about how best to destroy an island in one go, Ruby(A) was practically vibrating in excitement alongside Nora, and Yang(A) was even angrier than before.

"Giant robots, mutated super grimm, and a hidden laboratory base on a top secret island paradise!" Yang(A) yelled at Jaune, aggressively poking his chest afterward, " You. Owe. Me. Big."

Jaune puts his hands up, and tries to calm her by saying, "How about I rub your tired feet when this is over? Will that make it feel better about potentially missing out on this adventure?"

"It might, but if you add a back massage," adds Yang(A).

"Foot and back rub got it."

"And a fully drawn bath later."

"Consider it done."

"And more of those chocolate covered pickles. Damn cravings, I swear to the Breaker above, I can't wait for those to be over with."

Jaune slowly puts his hands down, and says, "I'll get Weiss(A) to deliver it to our room by the end of the day."

"Wha— Why do I have to get your disgusting food?" berated an irate Weiss(A).

Jaune stared at Weiss(A), and without skipping a beat, "Because that's the price you pay for wanting to hold our baby after they're born."

Weiss(A), wearing a shocked expression, begrudgingly responds, "Fair enough, I'll make some calls."

"So I guess that just leaves you, huh, Blake?" Nora says enthusiastically.

"What?" Blake responds, confused.

"Oh, come on, don't be shy. Everybody else told a story, now it's your turn."

"Nora, I don't…"

"Do you seriously have nothing to say? Nothing at all? Infinite possibilities and you can't think of one thing," Nora asks, becoming impatient.

"Nora, we've been to at most six dimensions. Not all of them are gonna have—"

Nora interrupts her saying, "I'm waiting."

Blake looks to Ren for help, but gets only an exasperated sigh from him toward Nora's antics. Looking back at Nora, she sighs, turns to Jaune, and asks, "Do you have a horse?"

"Uh, yeah. Her name is Epona. Why? Does something happen to her!?" Jaune asks, becoming panicked.

Blake, turning back to Nora, asks, "Satisfied?"

"Yep!" Nora happily responds.

"But, seriously, does something happen to my horse?" Jaune asks again.

"If that is truly everything then I'd say we can adjourn for today," Ozpin interjects. "There is much we must ruminate on given this new set of information and I have no doubt after all this time here you must be wanting to move on to your next destination. So with that, you have my permission to search with your other selves the location of the portal that will send you on your way. Once found, you'll inform the rest of us of its location so we can properly send you off."

OG Team RWBY looked at each for a second before turning back to Ozpin wearing confused expressions.

"Um, Headmaster Ozpin, I know we should have asked this earlier when you said it, but what do you mean by head off?" Ruby asked, scratching her head, "The portal usually just shows up wherever we're at so there's no need for us to go looking for it."

"Ah, I see. It seems I may have misinterpreted how your dimensional travel works from our previous conversations," Ozpin responds, readjusting his glasses, "Tell me then how long before the portal opens so that we may be able to give you the necessary supplies for your journey ahead?"

Yang, nervously massaging her hair, replies, "We don't know. It usually shows up some time after we meet up with that world's version of Jaune. Honestly, now that I think about it, this is probably the longest we've been in a reality without the portal opening up."

The room is silent as everyone looks toward OG Team RWBY with shock and worry at what they've just heard.

Glynda, having just gotten over her shock, takes off her spectacles to pinch the bridge of her nose, and asks, in a increasingly irate tone of voice, "You mean tell us that for the entire time you've been here you knew that that the portal not showing up sooner was not a normal occurrence and you didn't think to say anything!?"

OG Team RWBY flinches before collectively responding, "Yes?"

Glynda slumps while Nick laughs as Ozpin gives off an amused expression and Isabelle with a palm to her face mutters, "These are ones I've tasked with saving my son?"

"Hehe, now if that's over I must ask," Ozpin inquires, sitting up in his chair and becoming serious once more, "Is there anything you remember that went differently with your arrival to this reality that may explain why the portal hasn't appeared as of yet?"

OG Team RWBY thinks for a moment before Blake answers, "No, I don't think anything was different when we appeared here?" Looking back to the rest of her team for confirmation.

Weiss, nodding to Blake, responds, "Yes, other than some light nausea, everything appeared to be the same as when we arrived in the other worlds, and even then the nausea itself is nothing new as we've experienced it before whilst arriving in other dimensions."

Ruby, having thought some more about it, replies, "I think I may have an idea?"

All eyes are on Ruby as she does her best to ignore them in favor of looking toward her team and asking, "Do you guys remember in the last reality where I went off with Penny for a bit while you stayed with Jaune and the rest of team Jackpot (JCKP)?"

"Quite."

"Yes."

"Uh, yeah."

"Well…" Ruby says, beginning to gesture expressively with her hands, "You see, when you all went to speak with them about everything Penny took me aside as she wanted to understand what exactly was happening to us to allow us to travel dimensions in the first place. I tried explaining the whole ancient mystical Blacksmith Goddess that lives in a tree at the edge of time, but she wasn't having it and tried taking things in a more scientific approach."

"That's understandable," Ozpin remarks as everyone turns to look at him. "Few often believe that magic is real even when presented to them, I can't begin to tell you the number of colleagues I've had over time that even after showing them definitive proof that magic exists were still skeptical about it."

"Oh no, Penny knew magic existed, and very much believed in it, she was the Winter maiden after all. Penny just really believed in the idea that magic is just science that we don't understand yet."

"Ah…I see." Ozpin sighs, reminding himself that he shouldn't be surprised anymore by what OG Team RWBY says by this point, "So what did Ms. Polendina do after that?"

"She ran a bunch of tests on me using every type of sensor that she had both built into her and generally at her disposal within her father's R&D wing at Atlas Academy. From that data, Penny deduced that there was a type of energy emitting off of us which she was able to recognize as some form of magic. What kind? Penny wasn't sure at first, only that it was coalescing around us and building up in strength over time. A process that seemed to expedite itself the closer in vicinity we were to Jaune(A). Eventually, she concluded that to figure out more she would have to analyze the portal itself as it appeared."

"Wait, is that why Penny(A) kept following us everywhere in that reality!?" exclaimed Weiss.

"Geez ice queen, I know you're used to giving people the cold shoulder, but I thought we moved past all that," Yang says, teasingly.

"You're not the one that had to explain to her that you're perfectly capable of using the bathroom by yourself!"

"Well that doesn't sound too b—"

"She tried following me into the stall!"

"Ah," Yangs says, leaning away from a justifiably irate Weiss-cream, "W-well at least you got to her to stop?"

"Hmph, I suppose, but the experience was mortifying," Weiss answers with a pout.

Weiss(A) turns toward the rest of her team and whispers, "When this is over, we're having a talk with Penny about boundaries."

The rest of R_BY(A) respond, "Agreed."

Ozpin, clearing his throat, says, "As you were saying Ms. Rose."

"So, yeah, to understand more about how we travel dimensions she needed to analyze the portal directly, and the only way she could do that was by being there when it opened again, which was why she was following the whole time. She didn't know if the portal would appear if we were all together or just separately, so she and the rest of team JCKP shadowed us until it happened. Sorry for not saying anything earlier," Ruby explained, giving an apologetic look to Weiss for not explaining Penny's(A) actions earlier.

"You are forgiven," Weiss says, looking toward Ruby, before turning away and adding, "For now."

Ruby pouts before continuing, "So the portal finally appears and Penny(A) is there checking it out and trying to make sense of all the data she's getting while the rest of us are saying our goodbyes to Jaune(A) and the rest of team JCKP. Not too long after, however, the portal starts wigging out. We've seen this happen before in other realities, where we took too long to enter through it, so as far as we can tell things were looking pretty normal. Penny(A), on the other hand, pulls me aside and I can already tell that something is up because she looks frantic. She grabs my scroll and starts fiddling with it which at the time I assumed was her trying to give me the data she collected on the portal, but then her eyes start glowing, the portal becomes that much more erratic, and while still palming my scroll with a weird blue-greenish light she tells me that 'You have to go now!'. So we grab our things and walk through the portal, but not before Penny(A) quickly hands me my scroll as I go."

Ruby finishes speaking by clapping her hands together and looking around to see everyone's reactions, but finds they're all still waiting for something.

"Okay, and?" Weiss questioned, gesturing for Ruby to go on.

"And what?"

Weiss, face palming, asks, "And what did you think happened that led to the portal not appearing by now?"

"Oh! Right, yeah, totally remembered that I was supposed to answer that," Ruby says to the belief of no one.

"Of course," Weiss says, sighing in exasperation, before asking, "So you were saying?"

"Yeah, so I think Penny(A) might have done something to my scroll that may have messed with the portal right before we left," Ruby says, nervously teetering back and forth on her tippy toes. "Unless you guys have another idea?"

Ozpin, wanting to test a theory of his own after having listened to Ruby's explanation, asks, "Ms. Rose, could I by chance see your scroll?"

Ruby looks to the rest of her team for approval, and after seeing them nod back, hands Ozpin her scroll.

As Ozpin begins to fiddle with Ruby's scroll, his eyes begin to glow with an unnatural emerald light. Faint mutterings are heard in the distance as Ozpin begins moving his hands in a variety of different motions. Arcane runes begin to appear and dance around him faintly as the mutterings intensify alongside his hand motions before finally and abruptly coming to an end. The display leaves everyone stunned as they try to understand what they just witnessed until Ozpin, unaware of the effect his display had on everyone, breaks the silence by handing Ruby back her scroll and saying, "I believe that should do it."

Ruby, still partially stunned by the display, silently retrieves her scroll noticing the now faint Teal colored runes that are now engraved onto the device.

"Professor…what did you just do?"

"Hmm, in all my years of doing this never once have I ever encountered a level of spell craft quite like this save for my own, Salem's, or whatever wanton artifacts from before the moon-shatter that somehow survived to today," Ozpin answers, further intrigued by the situation, before looking to Ruby and continuing, "Your friend Penny might just be the greatest spell-caster of your age."

"...I mean that's really nice of you to say, but that doesn't answer my question. What'd you do with my scroll?"

Ozpin, having realized he never actually answered the question, flushes before trying to cover for himself by saying, "W-well you see Ms. Rose, it just so happens that no other maiden, before your friend, has ever shown any level of mastery over their powers to be able to do this."

"And that is?"

"Well it's best to think about it is to think of it as enchanting, although in this case it would be more like runecrafting, but that's besides the point. At any rate, enchanting is imbuing an object with magic until whatever intended magical effect that was placed on it binds itself to it. This is what your friend, Penny(A), tried doing with your scroll and very nearly succeeded in had it not been for the portal collapsing so quickly as a result of what she tried doing."

"And what did she try doing?" Ruby says becoming increasingly more exasperated by the minute.

"Oh it's quite simple really," Ozpin answers, taking a sip of his coffee, "She tried turning your scroll into a magical device that would allow you to summon the dimensional portal to you at will."

Ruby, stunned once more by this revelation, can only reply, "Come again?"

Ozpin, ignoring Ruby's response, continues, "Furthermore, her spell would have allowed you to track how long it would take for the portal to be ready as well as make use of the Jaunes from the various realities you visit as makeshift radar dishes to better locate your Jaune. Quite the complex and intriguing little spell isn't it? She wasn't able to finish or you'd have been to see the loading bar on your screen that told you just how long you had until the portal was ready or even the tracker that more or less tells you whether or not you're getting closer to your Jaune, but that's beside the point."

Ruby looks at her scroll to verify what Ozpin is saying is true before turning toward him and saying, "Okay, so I get what Penny(A) tried doing, and I'm assuming what you ended up doing was finishing what she couldn't. But why do I feel like there's a catch to all of this?"

Ozpin sighs before replying, " That's because there is, and we'll get to that in a minute, but before that you must understand a couple of things. First, I didn't finish Penny's(A) work, despite my best efforts, and as you're already able to tell, having met other versions of me, I am not the wizard I once was. My powers have been greatly diminished, so while that means I can perform acts of magic, their effects are severely weakened. What that means for you, however, is that I was only able to shore up and complete the runecraft necessary for Penny's(A) intended effects to take place, but I was not able to power all of them. If you want the full scope of what Penny(A) tried to give you you'll need someone with greater magical power than I to imbue it, in particular a Maiden."

"Okay, so, that's not good," Yang says, nervously rubbing the back of her neck, before asking, "So what can it do?"

"The device will still allow you to summon the portal to you as it was Penny's(A) magical power that was imbued into it which allowed for it to function in the first place. As well as the indicator displaying how long before the portal is ready to be summoned, as I was able to at least imbue my magical power into it for it to function properly. Every other feature is inert until you can find someone suitable to power, although again I highly recommend choosing a Maiden since they would have the magical power capable of powering it. The less said about going to Salem for this the better."

"Alright, and the other things we should know?" Weiss asked.

Ozpin, readjusting himself in his chair, says, "That I've left space on the device in case you ever want to add more features to it later on. Keep in mind, I'm likely the only one who could inscribe the runes necessary for whatever you're trying to do, so once you've figured out what you want it to do, find that world's version of me and I should be able to do it. After that, have a Maiden power it and in theory it should work as intended. However, the space left for runes on the device is not infinite, at most you'll be able to put 2 or 3 additional functions depending on what you want them to do."

"That sounds reasonable, so what's the ca—" Blake tries to ask before being interrupted.

"HEADMASTER OZPIN, I HAVE A QUESTION!" yelled Nora.

Ren, after making sure his ears worked, "Nora, please don't yell in front of the headmaster. Also, we shouldn't interrupt our friends while they're discussing with him."

"I know that Renny, but you can't tell me you weren't the least bit curious about it too," Nora says placatingly, before turning to Ozpin, "So you gonna answer it?"

Ozpin, with a fond smile on his face at Nora's antics, replies, "Of course Ms. Valkyrie, whatever it is you wish to know I'll answer to the best of my abilities."

Nora, after giving Ren a smug look, turns toward Ozpin and asks, "What's the whole difference between enchanting and runecrafting? You kept talking about one over the other saying they were the same yet different, but never explained how."

"Oh! Well that's easy Ms. Valkyrie, while both methods generally achieve the same thing, that being imbuing an object with a magical effect, the enchanting process as a whole is easier to learn, but requires a longer amount of time to produce an item with the intended magical effect and even then said item's magical effect varies in strength. Not enough to be called inconsistent, but enough that those who understand the process, and by that I mean other enchanters, can tell just by looking at it. Runecrafting in comparison is much more difficult to learn as a whole as even the slightest misstep can mean failure for the whole product, however, in return the time it takes to produce such items is greatly decreased, and the power of their intended effects is that much greater and more consistent. Think of enchanting like painting an object the intended color you want and after numerous coats of paint it finally becomes that color, whereas runecrafting is writing the name of the color you want on an object in a specific way such that when you are done it not only becomes that color it has always been that color," Ozpin finishes explaining, looks toward Nora, and with a smirk asks, "Does that answer your question?"

"Yep!" Nora says nonchalantly.

"Alright then," Ozpin says, readjusting his glasses before looking back toward Blake, "Now, Ms. Belladonna, what is it you were trying to ask earlier?"

"I was going to ask what the catch was?" Blake answers hesitantly, as if expecting someone else to interrupt her.

"Right, the catch is that once the portal has finished charging, so to speak, and is ready to be summoned you have a limited amount of time to summon it before the portal starts to lose track of your Jaune and you're thrown wildly off course."

"..."

"The device does allow you to track how long until such a thing happens, but note that the longer you wait the further off course you are sent."

This seems to be what brings everyone out of their stupor.

"WHAT!?"

"You can't be serious!?"

"You're kidding right!?"

"F***!"

"Swear!" Ruby(A) yells, pulling out a jar from seemingly nowhere.

Yang(A) putting her hand on the jar and pushing it away, "No, no, Ruby(A) let her have this one she's earned it."

Isabelle, turning towards Ozpin, yells, "You mean to tell me that after learning everything you did from that scroll that that wasn't the first thing you thought to mention!?"

Ozpin, trying - and failing - to not look slightly (read: very) intimidated by Isabelle's fierce glare, replies, "Given the circumstances, they needed to hear everything else first. Besides, it's not as if the time it takes the portal to charge and the amount of time they have afterward to leave is the same as in every reality, although the process is sped up the closer they are to that world's version of Jaune. Each world will be nominally different, case in point, this reality where it took almost a whole day for it to charge properly due to the device's previously unstable nature."

"So we're not gonna get thrown off course?" Ruby asks, hopefully.

"Oh no, you will," Ozpin retorts, much to Ruby's dismay. "The portal finished charging this morning and it's a little past midday at this point, so while I don't know how far off course you'll be thrown off I do know that you are more than capable of dealing with whatever threat comes your way."

Yang, pounding her fist into her palm, announces, "Alright, well, what are we waiting for? We gotta find our blonde goofball of a knight, and like hell am I going to lose him over something as simple as we took too long to get him."

Blake(A) turns toward the rest of her friends and asks, "Did she just—?"

"Yes, now nobody tells her, I want her to figure it out on her own." Yang(A) responds.

"So how do we summon the portal?" Ruby asks, wanting to quickly move past what she just heard.

Ozpin points toward Ruby's scroll in her hand, gesturing for her to open it before explaining, "You'll likely notice the interface is slightly different than what you're used to and that's to be expected. Penny likely designed it as such for easier use. Simply tap onto the icon of Chibi Penny and you'll be brought to the screen that gives you all the information you need on the portal as well as a button to summon it."

"And that's it?" Ruby asks, looking to Ozpin and after gaining a nod turns to everyone else in the room, "Well I guess this is it, we shouldn't wait any longer given the risk, I wanna say tha—"

"Hold on now," Jaune says, interrupting Ruby, before stepping forward, "Before you go we should probably make sure you're properly well equipped for the journey ahead."

"I guess that's okay, but we shouldn't take too long. We're pretty late as it is," Blake mentions.

"That's alright this should only take a couple of minutes," Jaune replies, turning toward the elevator and saying, "He should be arriving with the stuff any minute now."

Before Blake can respond, the elevator doors click open revealing the well chiseled abs of one Sun Wukong. "Alright dude, I got your texts and I brought the stuff with me. Now what is this super secret mission you were talking about—" Sun asks, stunned by the appearance of two sets of team RWBY.

Jaune, after nudging Ren to help him carry in the stuff Sun brought, says, " Thanks man, you're a real one for this, and I promise I'll explain everything later. Just remember to keep your mouth shut until I do because if not I'll make sure you never find out what's going on." Jaune then proceeds to send a still stunned Sun down the elevator before turning back to OG Team RWBY with the bags in hand.

"Sooooo, what do you have there, LB?" Yang asks, curiously.

Jaune, after almost tripping over himself from hearing the nickname change, answers back, "C-care packages. Didn't want you guys to leave unprepared, so I asked my dad to help whip these up. It's all the essentials from food and water rations, to sleeping bags, and other various travel/Camping supplies, but we also put together some more personalized stuff for each of you."

Jaune hands each member of OG Team RWBY a pack filled with essentials tailored to their unique specialization. Ruby's pack is filled to the brim with various tech and repair parts, a signal jammer, as well as a scroll range extender. There's even a miniature portable hand crank generator stuffed in there much to Ruby's surprise. Weiss's pack is lined with enough dust and ammo to take on a small army, every round catered to each of their weapons with various types for just about any situation. Blake's pack is the most peculiar containing the vast majority of the team's medical supplies as well as what appears to be a hefty sum of money with a note attached stating 'For Emergencies Only'. Yang's pack is at first the most common of the four, holding the bulwark of their travel supplies, but it doesn't take long for Yang to find the extra care package hidden within from Jaune containing various travel size shampoos and conditioners as well as other hygiene products tailored to her that he no doubt learned about her needing from her other self.

OG Team RWBY turned toward Jaune, having been rendered speechless by the thoughtfulness of his gifts, to see him rubbing the back of his neck and being a little bashful.

"I know it's not a lot, and given what you all are going to do it really isn't, but hopefully this will come in handy if you're ever in a pinch," Jaunes says, shrugging.

The members of OG Team RWBY look toward one another and put on their respective packs before coming forward and, to Jaune's surprise, hug him.

"Thanks Jaune."

"Thank you Jaune."

"We're grateful for this."

"Dang it LB, you just had to go and be sweet. I-we're going to miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you guys too, and I'm thankful for all that you've been able to do for us. I hope you find your Jaune as soon as you're able to, but please promise me you'll all stay safe. Knowing me, I don't think I could live with myself if anything happened to you all and I was partially responsible." Jaune admits, his eyes looking slightly downcast.

"Nope!"

"Nope?"

"Not happening."

"Wha— Weiss!?"

"Never."

"Blake!?"

"No means no LB, so quit it with all that. You're not responsible for what happens to us, and if something does that doesn't make it your fault. Worry about your versions of us here first, and then maybe worry about us, but most importantly look after yourself, we're not the only ones who matter." Yang says, patting Jaune on the back.

Jaune smiles for a bit before continuing the hug and saying, "Thanks guys, I appreciate it."

Soon after everyone joins in on the hug, saying their own number of goodbyes and before long OG Team RWBY is summoning the portal to their next great adventure more ready than ever to deal with the trials ahead.

"If you ever decide to come back, bring souvenirs!" Ruby(A) yells out, waving goodbye.

"Yeah! And make sure some of it is an interdimensional pancake mix, momma wants to taste the multiverse!" Nora exclaims.

"Safe travels," Rens says, giving a slight bow goodbye.

"Don't forget to take notes, you never know what could be useful as reference material," reminds Blake(A).

"Or possibly against Salem," Weiss(A) adds.

"Nah, I'm with Blake(A) on this one, just tone down the smut and you've got yourself the workings of a best selling young adults novel." retorts Yang(A).

"Or a fairly decent if not somewhat under budgeted animated internet series," Jaune responds.

Yang(A), Weiss(A), and Blake(A) look to Jaune doubtfully before replying with a collective "No," albeit Blake(A) does make an argument that it could be a very well thought out piece of Mistralian manga.

"Good luck" says Isabelle, praying to the Breaker above to watch over and keep them safe along their travels.

"Fight well!" exclaimed Nick, waving around a banner that says, "GO OG TEAM RWBY!" where he got it, nobody knows.

Glynda nods goodbye and says to them, "Remember to stay vigilant, our world is dangerous enough, the multiverse will be infinitely more so."

Ozpin, raising his prized mug to the group, says, "Fair the well."

With everyone having said their piece, OG Team RWBY makes their way through the portal…, but not before Pyrrha partially runs up and quickly yells out, "Wait! I never got to say goodbye yet."

OG Team RWBY mortified that they almost forgot about Pyrrha, quickly rush in to hug her and apologize for not properly saying goodbye the first time around.

"Oh, it's alright, I understand what with everything going on, but if you really want to make it up to me then can you do me this one favor?" Pyrrha asks in as a sincere and sweet tone as possible.

"Of course!"

"Anything!"

"No problems here!"

"Just name it and it's done!"

"Good!" Pyrrha says, wrapping her hands around all of them and squeezing them tight as she brings her face closer to theirs, and whispers, while staring intimidatingly at them, "Then here's what I want you to do. If you ever find a world that has a Jaune(A) that isn't dating anyone and a me that hasn't yet tried to claim him. You will by whatever means necessary get it through that version of me's skull to get off her ass and tell him how she feels. I lost Jaune in this reality, I'll be damned if I somehow lose him in the others just because I got cold feet every time I thought about telling him how I felt. Do we have an understanding!?"

Ruby, who was given the go ahead to try dating her Jaune from his mother, answers, "S-sure!"

Weiss, who has had a crush on Jaune since he saved her at Haven and has been actively trying to get other versions of her with him in their respective universe, responds, " Yup, consider it done!"

Yang, who got the encouragement to try to pursue her Jaune from both her other self and his mom, replies, "Will do!"

Blake, who has no stakes in the game, but knows all of what her friends have been doing and are going to try to do, smirks and says, "Sure thing."

Pyrrha releases them, and like that, the OG Team RWBY head off to their next great adventure.

---

Omake: When Penny met Penny(A).

After obtaining the digital files containing numerous upgrades for a variety of her components from General Ironwood, Penny begins to sort through the data with gusto, comparing parts and efficiently going over what needs to be done first to be combat ready in time for the festival. Nearly an hour passes before she stumbles upon a series of broken strings of code that have seemingly no rhyme or reason to be in the places they were. Rather than discard them, however, Penny congregates them until they form a fully functioning video file titled, " To Me." Opening the file, Penny is mystified at seeing herself, but looking slightly older, this confuses her until her other self begins speaking.

"Salutations! If you're watching this, then you must be the other version of me with whom the parallel Team RWBY was able to give this digital file set. If not, then you are an intruder and should know that this file comes with a virus that will destroy whatever computer device you are viewing this on."

Penny had already been aware of the virus and purged it before it became a problem to her, admiring her other self's excellent planning at thinking ahead before continuing to watch the video.

"Now then you might be wondering why I left this video for you. The answer is simple. I wish to help you achieve ultimate happiness by gaining the one thing we truly crave the most, true companionship."

If Penny wasn't intrigued before, she was now seeing as what her other self was offering was everything she had ever dreamed of having since she was just a computer program on her father's laptop.

"Here's what you have to do," Penny(A) says, bringing up a picture of a familiar-looking Blonde knight.

Soon Penny was writing up plans to get her man. So what if he already sort of had a wife, from what she's learned on the internet, harem endings are the best kind of endings.

---

Not counting this reality, OG Team RWBY has been to at least 6 separate realities thus far. Raptor Jaune verse, Cowboy Jaune verse, Jaune x May verse, Jaune x Arslan verse, [dealer's choice], and Jaune x Penny/ Second choice expy verse.

---

They were able to stay in this dimension so long because of Penny. Her upgrades to Ruby's scroll weren't just technological, but also magical. The spell she tried crafting into the scroll allowed OG Team RWBY to be able to summon the dimensional portal on their own by essentially absorbing the energy that came off of them, which they received from the Blacksmith, to charge it up manually rather than wait for it to appear. In addition, it utilizes Jaune(A) as a makeshift radar dish to locate their Jaune. Penny wasn't able to fully complete the spell, however, so OG Team RWBY didn't have a way of knowing it existed, let alone whether or not it worked. Penny couldn't tell them in time because the portal eventually closes and OG Team RWBY is not sure what happens if it does and they're not through it. So it was a rush job with the hope that OG Team RWBY would somehow figure it out. Ozpin compliments the attempt and does his best to finish what Penny started so that OG Team RWBY can more easily travel the multiverse. But like all magic it comes with a catch. First, the time it takes to charge the portal varies in reality, so in some cases, they could expect to be there a few days, while in others, they only have a few hours. Second, this process is sped up the closer they are to Jaune(A) as it uses him to triangulate where their Jaune is. Third, once the portal is charged, they'll have a certain amount of time to activate it; if they wait too long, they risk overcharging it and sending them off course.

---

Ruby - Tech/Repair pack
Weiss - Dust/Ammo pack
Blake - Medical pack + funds
Yang - Travel/Camping pack (heaviest/bulkiest)

---

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fe/c4/8f/fec48f6c0a815d7c7d515f574c157a68.jpg

 

[AndrewJTalon]

At one point it was assumed there was a dark, malevolent force, a mind, behind the Grimm. The Grimm cultists spoke of a Dark Queen who represented the end of everything. Dread were their names, and evil were their deeds and atrocities. The Witch Queen of Argus, the Necromancer of Vacuo, the Yaogai Emperor of Mistral, the Lich King of Animus, to name but a few. They were Salem's loyal lieutenants.

But over time, Salem abandoned the strategy of using open Grimm cults-They were too overt, and would unite the kingdoms against them. This happened at least 600 years ago, so over time the idea of there being an intelligence behind the Grimm became associated with ancient superstition (Akin to believing the world is flat).

Whether Salem covertly worked to discredit the idea of her existence is academic: By the modern day, most people believe that the Grimm are essentially a mindless plague upon Remnant, and that Grimm cults were humans desperately trying to reconcile the unknown in a way they could grasp. But Grimm Cults do still exist, hidden in the societies of the Kingdoms of Remnant. And some are still controlled by Salem directly.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Type: Medium Utility VTOL Transport/Gunship
Manufacturer: Wayland Air Motors
Origin: Vale
Top Speed: 250 mph
Service Ceiling: 19,000 feet
Range: 500 miles
Crew: 2 pilots, 12 passengers
Cargo: 10,000 pounds
Armament:
1 x Twin Barrel Winchester M77 30mm autocannon in external turret
4 x External Hardpoints for missiles, rockets, bombs (5,000 lb capacity)
Mountings for machine guns and grenade launchers in crew cabin

Brief: While Vale's Defense Forces were increasingly outsourced to Hunters Guilds, the VDF still functioned as an entity that dealt with border patrol, disaster response, anti-terrorism and power projection missions. However, the Atlasian Bullhead VTOL, while popular in the civilan and paramilitary markets, was too expensive for large-scale adoption by the VDF. As a result, the Wayland Air Motors Company was commissioned to create an indigenous variant to compete with the Atlasian Bullhead.

The prototype was designed and assembled in a mere 101 days, and tested extensively. It was constructed with off the shelf avionics and components by the Air Motors Advanced design team, which had been itching to compete with Atlas after losing a few contracts to them. The vehicle was shown off to the press and investments poured in. The AV-47 Tigertail (named for a dragonfly) was born.

While not as sturdy as Atlasian Bullheads, the Tigertail boasted a higher speed, lower operating costs, and more flexibility. It's modular construction soon saw it being used for everything from police duties, firefighting, ambulance duty, ground survey and Grimm interdiction. Valean elites purchased Tigertails in large numbers as the modular construction allowed them to be customized by the well heeled.

As a combat vehicle, the Tigertail performed very well. It was able to provide exceptional fire support for Hunter or VDF teams on the ground and was quick and nimble enough to evade even Nevermores. It's four landing thrusters gave it incredible agility and it was a very steady gun platform. Its Winchester 30mm autocannon, retractable, gyroscopically stabilized and computer guided, could be controlled by either the gunner or the pilot and deliver massive punishment to enemy units, Grimm or otherwise. It could also float thanks to gaps left intentionally in its superstructure, meaning it could make water landings without major issue.

Many private outfits and smaller independent sub-kingdoms have requisitioned it, and unfortunately, it has found its way into the hands of pirates, smugglers, and bandits. Shadow Company uses a stealth variant, the QAV-47 Skimmer. It is rumored to possess nearly silent thruster engines with thermal buffers to hide their heat signatures, electronic cloaking that hides it from radar, and even prototype active camouflage hull skin to blend into the night.

Because we need more tech porn in RWBY.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Type: Airborne Aircraft/Command Carrier
Manufacturer: Wayland Air Motors
Origin: Vale
Top Speed: 180 mph
Service Ceiling: 30,000 feet
Range: 80,000 miles
Length: 340m
Width: 770m
Weight: 200,000 tons
Propulsion: Dust reactor-powered turbofan engine x16
Crew: 300
Cargo: 80,000 tons
Troops: 150
Maximum Evacuation Limit: 700
Armament:
4 x Winchester M77 30mm CWIS autocannon in external turrets
4 x Redspot Multirole Missile Launchers x 30 rounds per launcher
Njord QSA-566 Jammer System
50 x aircraft

Brief: The biggest issue facing the Valean Defense Force was money. In light of defensive agreements with Atlas' military and outsourcing to Hunter Guilds, budgets were slashed and slashed again. However, the Mount Glenn disaster showed that Vale had a massive gap in deployment and projection of power, even a few dozen miles away from the capital. As a result, budgets were slightly increased and the Council called for the first significant expansion of the VDF's naval/air forces since the Great War.

Dust powered airships could grow quite large, but with the SDC's virtual monopoly on Dust, in the event of war or natural disaster this might make resupply difficult. As a result, rather than an air battleship/carrier to match the Atlasian fleet, they went in the direction of a carrier with command and control facilities. Its long suits would be endurance, speed, sensors, and its airwing.

To aid in its endurance, the vessel was designed around multiple wings. Using aerodynamics to its advantage, the Banshee-class carrier wouldn't be as durable as an Atlasian battleship, but would have greater range and speed. Advanced sensors arrayed on these large flying wings gave the carrier incredible sensors, which were boosted by its large air wing. The tradeoff was that a Banshee-class carrier could not stand and fight: Its only weapon was its air wing. It would have to stay away from intense combat and rely on its aircraft and escorts for protection. Against large Grimm incursions, it could ascend as most Grimm lacked the service ceiling of the carrier. Hardlight Dust shields were considered, but this technology was kept highly controlled by Atlas. Reverse engineering the technology was projected to take too long, so the Banshee project went on without it (though with the option to upgrade to hardlight Dust shields in the future).

Nevertheless, the Banshee would be expected to serve for more than warfare, and was properly equipped as such. A modular function deck could be reconfigured into a hospital with over fifty beds, a cargo platform, or to haul troops and their vehicles. Its powerful Dust reactors could be adapted to provide power to cities in case of blackouts. Its extensive sensors allowed it to keep track of Grimm movements across almost a hundred miles cubed in all directions. It could also function as a communications relay when CCT service was out for radio and lasecomm.

VSS Banshee was launched, with VSS Salamander, VSS Sylph, and VSS Undine following. These four carriers were well liked by their crews and, despite teething problems, went on to serve well in the Valean Defense Forces. Additional carriers are under construction, though due to cost cuts at least one may be sold to private interests.

Note: Yes, it's the Banshee from the ill-fated anime Battle Fairy Yukikaze. Not a great anime but the mechanical designs are like candy to military nerds like me.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Spoiler

Type: Airborne Guided Missile Frigate
Manufacturer: Neith Armaments
Origin: Vale
Top Speed: 230 mph
Service Ceiling: 30,000 feet
Range: 30,000 miles
Length: 190m
Width: 65m
Weight: 5,000 tons
Propulsion: Dust reactor-powered turbofan engine x4
Crew: 60
Cargo: 500 tons
Troops: 20
Maximum Evacuation Limit: 200
Armament:
8 x Cappadocia 155mm Dust Round Cannons in quadruple turrets
16 x Winchester M88 30mm CWIS autocannon in double turrets
14 x Balor ASM-44 Anti-Ship Missiles
2 x Redspot Multifunction Small Missile Launchers x 40 rounds each
Njord QSA-566 Jammer System


Brief: Small but heavily armed, the Rapier-class frigate is easily the most advanced warship in the Valean Defense Force. These small, fast, well-armed frigates escort Banshee-class carriers, patrol Valean and Vacuoan airspace, deal with Grimm incursions and show the flag for Vale across Remnant. Using a great deal of technology from the trade relationship with Atlas, these frigates were ordered to replace the aging air vessels of the VDF and simplify the supply chain.

Due to their more ballistic aerodynamics as opposed to the flying wing design of the Banshees, the Rapiers have a far shorter operational range. But they have greater speed and maneuverability than the carriers, along with heavier armament. Their guns and missiles make them a serious threat to even Atlasian battleships at range and in groups.

The price paid for these frigates, however, was high. One, they are very expensive: Only six have been built and are in operation. Two, their lack of armor or hardlight shielding means, like the Banshee-class carriers, the Rapiers are not built for slug matches despite their heavy gun armament. Three, their lack of internal space means diplomatic meetings can be a hassle, which is a problem given that they are often employed like water bound frigates from the age of sail. Four, while built in Vale, they do rely on a lot of Atlasian-based tech, much of which is hard to manufacture locally in case of supply line cuts. Not impossible, but difficult.

Nevertheless, they are well liked by their crews and are incredibly fun to fly. They can even land on the ground with landing pads or the water.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

It was the day after Teams RWBY and JNPR had fought White Fang at the docks. Ruby looked like death warmed over in the Leadership classroom, while Jaune looked tired but not too much so. Cardin and Coco came in and sat next to the two.

Cardin: "Geez, you look pretty bad, Pipsqueak."

Ruby: moans and slams her face into her Scroll "So. Much. Paperwork... And Professor Goodwitch put it all on me! Jaune's not allowed to help!"

Jaune: rubs the back of his head "I mean... I did call the police before we went in, so I guess she let me off easy?"

Ruby: groans

Coco: "There there." pats her on the shoulder "Hey, at the very least, you stopped some terrorists and didn't get expelled."

Ruby: mumbles "I hate Blake so muuuuuch... Don't tell her I said that."

Cardin: "What, she got a thing against Faunus or something? Weird given she is one."

Ruby: jerks up and stares "Wait what?! You know-?!"

Cardin: "Well duh. Her bow twitches. She's hiding her ears."

Ruby: "But-But why haven't you-?!"

Cardin: "Bullied her? I mean... Um... I stopped doing that anyway and..."

Jaune: deadpan "She would kick your ass."

Cardin: "Hey! She'd kick your ass too!"

Jaune: "I know."

Simin arrives, and begins the class.

Simin: "For this class, we're going to introduce the concept of tactical planning. Now, while you are in charge of four-person teams, there are Hunter operations that can require much larger groups. As well as operations where you cooperate with law enforcement or military forces. As a result, you need to learn how to manage not just your teams, but how to work with other kinds of forces. No one person can defeat every enemy all on their own: That is why we work together, and figuring out how to work together is critical to protecting people and not losing your team to injury or worse."

He is pointedly not looking at Ruby, but the little reaper winces all the same.

Simin: "As such, I'm putting each of you into groups of four and will hand you a tactical scenario. You will come up with a battle plan and then present it to the class next time. Rose, Arc, Winchester, Adel, you're first."

The team leaders all separate into their various groups. The tactical scenario assigned to Jaune, Ruby, Cardin and Coco is an urban combat set up.

Cardin: "So we're defenders then? That's new."

Coco: "Right... We stop these guys from getting our hostage. Okay, fixed defense it is."

Cardin: "What, just hide behind crates and shoot?"

Coco: "It works just fine for my team!"

Cardin: "Yeah, because you have a minigun!"

Coco: "So?"

Ruby looks a little discouraged... But Jaune smiles and elbows her.

Jaune: "Mobile defense would take the most advantage of all four of our teams. Pyrrha, Nora, Yang, Fox, Weiss, Russel, Dove and Ruby are all very mobile. We'd want to use that."

Ruby: "Y-Yeah... Fox is held in support with his telepathy Semblance. I can zip around and keep fire on them as a skirmisher, with Weiss supporting me!"

Cardin: "Yeah, but one hit and you're down, Pipsqueak."

Ruby: pouts "Nuh uh!"

Jaune: "Not one hit, Ruby, but you can't take as much punishment as a heavy tank. Besides, you're better supporting Ren and Blake, who would do recon and skirmishing to stack up and harass the enemy force as they entered the area. Weiss could become more engaged as they got in further and provide obstacles to further stack them up, while also skirmishing with you."

Coco: "Right. Nikos and Xiao-Long could give them more punch."

Jaune: "Except Pyrrha and Yang are our overall strongest fighters. We'd want to hold them in reserve. We'd split our forces into two main groups: Fixed and Strike. Fixed would defend the Person of Interest and act as the main objective the attackers strive for. Strike would at first engage and harass the enemy to help the lure while reducing their strength while they head for their objective... Then when they're fully engaged with Fixed, we bring in Pyrrha, Yang and Nora with the rest of Strike to counterattack."

Cardin: "Hmm... Yatsuhashi, me, and Jaune as the heavy shield part of Fixed, with Shades here as fire support. It would work pretty well."

Coco: "Well, you meat shields would definitely make my job easier. Still, Xiao-Long's not very patient."

Ruby: "Yeah, she has a tendency to be impulsive... Blake too."

Coco: "We might need to pair them with minders... Or, maybe keep Yang on the Fixed Team? Her Semblance gets more powerful the more she's hit."

Jaune: "Could work, and between us we could keep her focused. Russel might be good support for Weiss since he's also Dust focused, but he's tougher than her."

Cardin: "He'll be happy you said that."

Ruby: "What about Sky? What's his semblance?"

Cardin: "... He can perfectly imitate anyone or anything's sound."

Ruby: "Wha-Seriously?"

Cardin: "Yup."

Ruby: "That's so cool!"

Cardin: sighs "Yeah, not so much after the first hundred times. But, we could use him in Strike as a distraction and harasser."

Jaune: "Right... Let's establish the engagement areas too. We'd need to make some open areas to maximize line of fire..."

Ruby: "We could just go higher on these crates for line of fire. But that would expose us... Urgh..."

Coco: "Hence the mobile defense part."

Simin smiles a bit as he sees Cardin, Jaune, Ruby and Coco working things out.

Simin: Perhaps there's hope for them yet...

Cardin: "HEY! All I'm saying is that if the Person of Interest is a hot girl, I should get the kiss at the end!"

Coco: "HA! She happens to have actual taste! So she'd kiss me instead!"

Jaune: "How did we even get on this topic?!"

Ruby: groans

Simin: chuckles "Ah, youth..."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

During a bandit clearing operation in Mistral...

Weiss: "Major, we've got a problem."

Tangy: "And that is?"

Weiss: "The bandits are being supported by a local civilian backer. His factory is being used as a safehouse for them. We can't launch an attack on them without warning the civilians first under the rules of engagement and law of Mistral's Council."

Tangy: sigh "... It would be a pain to do, as it would warn the bandits... Hmmm..."

Visha: "But we have to, Major!"

Tangy: "... Or do we?"

Later, a fire starts in the factory. It immediately goes up in flames and the fire alarms sound. Everyone flees.

Tangy: cocks her rifle "Get ID Match on the bandits and shoot to kill! Avoid the civilians!"

PMC: "YES SIR!"

Later, when Tanya is confronted by the local civilian owner of the factory...

Owner: "You-You burned down my factory!"

Tangy: "You were harboring bandits and working with them in exchange for a cut of their plunder."

Owner: "I-You can't prove that!"

Tangy: "And neither can you prove that I or any of my troops had anything to do with the factory fire. That said, I have several dead bandits who were hiding out in your factory, and you have a fire conveniently starting that let me kill them. Which of these is the worse?" Glare

Owner: "Ah, well-"

Tangy: "Furthermore, if I was the type of person to set fire to your factory... What else am I capable of? With my utterly loyal troops and arsenal?" Psychotic Grin

Owner: "U-Um... I... I see your point..."

Tangy: "I thought you might."

In hindsight, Jaune having only fraud on his rapsheet is incredible considering what the rest of his family can get up to.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Here is a link to Battle Order, which defines the make up of a standard US Army Rifle Company. It is Light Infantry, basically the standard for a simple modern military unit:

https://www.battleorder.org/usa-rifleco-ibct-2020

5 Officers and 129 Enlisted + 8 Attached, with a Humvee and a truck as vehicles. It isn't very mobile, but it's cheap and highly deployable.

Armed with Dust-based weapons, such a unit could deal fairly effectively with a lot of Grimm in cover or from fortifications.

However, even this unit is more expensive and less effective than a four-person team of Hunters with training and their Aura unlocked. So you can see why Huntsmen would become preferred to a full-blown military for exterminating Grimm. The switch to the Huntsman System makes sense if the intention is to keep Kingdoms safe from Grimm while neutering their ability to make war on each other.

Unfortunately, the reality of the situation isn't that cut and dry.

Only so many people can become Huntsmen, and they cannot be everywhere. It is extremely difficult to train enough Huntsmen to replace a military, and they take longer to cultivate. And local militias are insufficient for many Grimm threats. As a result, you do need a military for certain threats and problems. In particular, it deals with human/Faunus foes, natural disasters, and so on. The military's logistics is both a strength and weakness: They can move more men and material than Huntsmen can, but Huntsmen have a FAR smaller logistic footprint and can operate without as much support. Yet both can be a weakness as well as a strength.

As a result, the military functions as a shield, while the Huntsmen function as a sword-The military is more focused on combat solutions with a defensive focus, while the Huntsmen, by their very nature, are far more offensive focused.

Atlas is the exception to a lot of this because they field extremely advanced equipment that can indeed match up to Huntsmen (and they're cheating with their Relic). They also have the smallest Kingdom in terms of territory. Their military can afford to be both sword and shield.

Militias and Huntsmen need to be regulated, though, just like the military. A Huntsmen Guild or Department needs to be around to help with this and provide oversight for their members, and militias need to meet requirements to not become a bunch of bandits.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Himera]

What are your thoughts?

Click to shrink...

The army and its role in the world of RWBY is a complex and confusing topic. In short, a team of Huntsmens cannot replace a company of soldiers. If you are ready to listen to my reasoning, then I will try to outline my opinion on this matter.

---

​

To begin with, the RWBY-verse itself was originally invented with a lot of internal contradictions. The most important of them is the discrepancy between society and the world. As the classic said: being defines consciousness. In other words, people in particular and society as a whole will adapt to the environment and shape themselves in accordance with it. Remnant is a death world in which civilization is: first, it is under threat of permanent destruction and has already slipped into the Bronze Age at least once. Secondly, there is an acute shortage of resources. It would seem that society should correspond to this state of affairs, but instead we have a typical Western (American/European) peacetime society with its own peculiarities and problems.

To exist for centuries, such a society simply must have the necessary survival tools, be survival-oriented, and as a result have a high degree of practicality, thrift, militarization, and civic responsibility. The public is above the personal, conservative values are above liberal, every grain of resources and manpower matters. One can only survive together; therefore, each person must become a useful part of society and contribute to its prosperity, otherwise, left without the support of fellow citizens, he will simply die.

Any harmful or useless elements, whether they are criminals, dissidents, or just loafers, should be treated as hostile and are highly likely to either be rejected or brought into subjection. You are either with us, or against us – in such a paradigm, the local population will exist, laws, culture, traditions, science and art will correspond to this.

Organizations such as the White Fang or the Branwen Tribe will not only not be tolerated, they will be ruthlessly destroyed at the slightest sign of criminal or terrorist activity. First, the government will offer them surrender, and then simply pour napalm or cluster bombs on their heads, after which it will clean up the survivors with a hunting squad. When the whole world is on the verge of destruction, rocking the boat is unacceptable. Crime can only exist in very moderate and mild forms, like the Junior Club. Any nail that sticks out too much will be hammered in as soon as possible, because the kingdom already has enough problems to spend its limited resources and forces on crime.

Therefore, the picture drawn by the authors of the script, to put it mildly, raises questions. Events unfold in the death world, but its inhabitants are openly disdainful of internal and external threats, wasting time and scarce resources. They do anything but strengthen society in the face of the threat of the Grimm. I repeat once again: we are being shown a prosperous Western-type civilization, a consumer society in peacetime, while it should be something similar to the USSR of the 30s. Or the Imperium from Wh40, if you want to take it to the extreme.

As for comparing the Huntsmen Corps and the regular army, this is a useless and pointless matter. Simply because they are two completely different structures with completely different goals and ways of organizing, neither of which can fully replace the other. Huntsmens should be used primarily for rapid response to threats, as well as for the destruction of particularly dangerous species of Grimm, which ordinary soldiers may have problems with. At other times, they can reinforce regular military units.

For all other tasks, the army is preferable. First of all, these are border protection, garrison duty in cities and towns, protection of strategic facilities such as power plants, mines, factories and transport hubs, and escort of transport convoys. Any small town should have a garrison whose sole task will be to protect it. One might think that the militia can handle this, but in all senses, a professional army is preferable, it will cope with this better, will have a higher level of training and material support. There are reasons why the people's militia has practically fallen out of use in the modern world.

Huntsmens, for all their strength, have several obvious disadvantages. Firstly, there are simply few of them. They cannot shut up all threatened areas, especially in times of crisis. This also applies to necessary but routine tasks, such as patrols or the protection of important facilities. For example, there is an ordinary railway bridge, through which communication is carried out between the Vale and one of the satellite settlements. Tons of food, consumer goods, dusts, fuel and ammunition are transported along it every day. It is through him that, if necessary, reinforcements will arrive and civilians will be evacuated. The Grimms or White Fang can destroy the bridge at any moment, creating a critical vulnerability in Vale logistics. So this bridge needs to be guarded around the clock or at least kept under surveillance, but we can't assign a team of professional Huntsmens to this, can we? There are hundreds of such bridges, as well as other facilities – mines, power plants, hospitals; there simply won't be enough Huntsmens for all of them.

Secondly, there are very few Huntsmens. Yes, I'm repeating myself, but it needs to be repeated. If a Huntsmen fails, for example, is injured, gets sick, or has diarrhea, it will be very difficult to replace him. Moreover, it takes about eight years to train a Huntsmen (correct me if I'm wrong), while a soldier can be brought up to an acceptable level in a year. In a couple of months, if you cut corners and focus on the most important things. And they can be cooked by the thousands, unlike the scarce Huntsmens.

Thirdly, compared to Huntsmens, soldiers are not that weak. Their main drawback is the lack of Aura, that is, personal protection that allows them to survive a fatal blow. They also cannot replace most of the Semblances. If we talk only about the attacking ability, then everything is not so bad here. Let's think about what the canonical teams are armed with. Let's put aside melee weapons and focus on shooting. RWBY team? A large-caliber sniper rifle, a pistol, and the equivalent of a shotgun. JNPR? A rifle, a grenade launcher, and a pair of small-caliber SMG. CFVY? A minigun and a Velvet's copycat weapon. And so on and so forth.

With rare exceptions like Penny, Huntsmens don't use some incredibly powerful small arms. They mostly use varieties of real weapons that simply have an exotic shape and appearance. At the same time, all of the above weapons are obviously quite effective against Grimms, since professional Huntsmens use them. It may well be used by soldiers without an aura and in much larger numbers.

You also mentioned that soldiers are less mobile than Huntsmens, but this is only partially true. Yes, Huntsmens are generally more mobile and this is achieved through two factors – the use of aura to accelerate and the small number of team members. If nothing can be done about the first one, then the second one is not such a problem. Let's not compare the Huntsmen squad with a motorized rifle company and go down to the platoon level. That's a total of thirty to forty soldiers, who can be transported by a pair of M35 trucks or one CH-47 Chinook (their equivalents).

At the same time, thirty to forty soldiers, even with M1 Garand rifles, can create a fire density greater than the entire RWBY team. They also carry significantly more ammunition and auxiliary equipment, such as grenades, for example. If you equip them with more modern weapons, as well as strengthen them with machine gunners and grenade launchers, then the firepower simply becomes incomparable. What can we say about technology – Huntsmens don't have it at all. Even a single M2 Bradley attached to a platoon can provide significant support against both humans and Grimms. I am more than sure that a series of shots from a 25 mm automatic cannon is fatal for a Huntsmen, regardless of whether he has an aura or not.

At the same time, it is not necessary to arm soldiers according to the standards of high-tech modern armies. Grimm's confrontation is in some ways easier than for other people, since there is no need for many devices and specialists, such as mine detectors or electronic warfare equipment. It is enough to develop a line of cheap, unpretentious and easy-to-learn weapons, and then start mass production. Soviet weapons fit almost perfectly: AK-74M, RPK, PKM, RPG-7, AGS-17, SVD and so on.

To summarize, the Huntsmen's Corps cannot replace the regular army in principle. It should be a highly professional special forces unit, whose task is to respond quickly to threats and strengthen regular units; it relies on and complements the army, rather than trying to replace it.

By the way, I don't understand at all the freedom with which Huntsmens operate in the canon. It looks like some kind of mercenary market without strict accountability. No contracts, protocols, or obligations to the kingdom are properly mentioned. It turns out that a random guy like Jaune can enroll with forged documents, and then die, wasting the lighthouse's time and resources? What if he finishes his studies and changes his mind at the last moment? Is there really no control at all? Against this background, Atlas looks like a model of foresight and common sense, although its creators did not think everything through very well.

I would like to emphasize once again that in a world like Remnant, the army is not a whim of the government or a burdensome expense item, but a fundamental part of society, the basis of its survival. Without professional military personnel, civilians can literally be devoured at any moment. Consequently, a lot of time and effort will be devoted to the development of the armed forces, and resources will necessarily be spent on them. I will say more: historically, society should have developed in such a way that the career of a soldier will be considered an honorable and heroic deed. Both public culture and state propaganda will work for this.

I see the system adopted in the USSR as a good, or at least reasonable, form of organization of military service. Such a system consists of several related elements and aims to maintain a permanent professional army, as well as create a large number of reservists who can either protect themselves or who can be quickly conscripted into military service. As shown by the canon of RWBY in general and the fall of the Beacon in particular, such a situation can occur without warning at literally any moment.

So, how do I see it:

1) Initial pre-war training. Teaching schoolchildren aged 14-17 the basic skills they may need to live in a society under constant threat of destruction by the Grimm. The training course should include the basics of handling and maintaining weapons, providing medical care to the wounded, using personal protective equipment, and basic topography. Regular exercises should be conducted both in schools and in production facilities. The entire population should know what to do in case of a Grimm attack, where shelters and arsenals are located. Civilian shooting ranges and clubs (with pneumatic and blanks) should be accessible to everyone.

2) Compulsory military service. Upon reaching the age of majority, all young men undergo compulsory one-year or two-year service in the Vale Army. The exceptions are those citizens who are already undergoing training in socially important professions, such as engineers or doctors. During this period, conscripts will complete a full-fledged combat training course and receive military specialties. Most of the time, they won't be used to protect the kingdom from the Grimm. In case of emergency, they can be used as reserves or auxiliary forces for the regular army of Vale. At the end of their term of service, all conscripts are demobilized as reservists.

3) Professional military service. Any adult citizen of Vale can sign a contract and enlist in the military. Recruits undergo training, take the oath of office, receive a military rank and position, after which they are sent to one of the active units. These are mainly border fortifications and garrisons located inside settlements or near objects of strategic importance. At the same time, unlike modern Earth's armies, soldiers are not transferred from place to place every few years, on the contrary, they are encouraged to grow into the local population. Soldiers are encouraged to form bonds with the community and start families. I repeat that in the Remnant, a soldier is primarily a warrior-defender; this is what state propaganda works for, this image is supported by traditions and public opinion.

5) The Huntsmen's Corps. Huntsmens should be considered as elite warriors necessary for the existence of society. There are always not enough Huntsmens, so a significant part of the resources and efforts are devoted to their training. This is a very attractive and socially acceptable career that promises a good salary, government benefits, as well as honor and respect among fellow citizens. Therefore, the state is looking for children with a high level of aura from an early age and very persistently offers education in specialized schools. This training is conducted in a paramilitary manner, where students are not only taught professional skills, but also instilled a high level of discipline and social responsibility.

Huntsmens for training have many privileges, but their level of accountability and responsibility is also much higher. Thus, the episode where Yang destroys the nightclub is not just a minor prank, but a serious criminal offense. An attack on a civilian will result in very severe punishment, unless it was committed in self-defense, to protect someone else's life, or to prevent the commission of a crime.

In general, Huntsmens should become the equivalent of special forces, an integral part of the army, whose abilities are in high demand. Alternatively, they can form highly professional military communities, such as knights' orders. However, one way or another, they will be accountable to the state and will benefit people. But what they definitely won't be is a mercenary labor exchange (a guild of adventurers from any typical fantasy) that you can't rely on and whose actions can't be controlled.

6) Military industry. To ensure its own security (and existence in general), any Remnant state must have a developed military industry. Not necessarily high-tech, but economical and focused on the mass production of cheap, reliable and unpretentious weapons. The armies of the Remnant as a whole should be more practical and defense-oriented than the armies of Earth. It makes no sense to spend a lot of money on aircraft carriers or ballistic missiles when several artillery batteries will be much more useful. When everything is filled with Grimm, there is no such thing as excess firepower.

At the same time, the entire military (and most of the civilian industry) will either be nationalized or have a high degree of accountability. When the survival of humanity as a species depends on timely deliveries and quality of products, corporate owners and private contractors will have to fulfill obligations on acceptable terms. If a businessman like Jacques Schnee decides to unreasonably raise the price of products above those approved by the state, or for some reason simply refuses to sell his goods to the Atlas army, he will simply be removed (arrested or killed as an enemy of the people in the truest sense of the word), replaced by someone more understanding and loyal. Remnant is not a Land, and if capitalism exists there, it will be in some other form, different from the one we know.

---

​

That's kind of how I see it. I hope you found this post useful or inspired some interesting thoughts. Otherwise, I wasted 6 hours writing and translating.

Good luck and have a nice day.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

One very interesting idea that would have given Ruby some badly needly character development is something I expanded on in my Discord:

I always headcanoned that the ONLY reason Ozpin let Jaune's obviously fake transcripts pass and let him into Beacon was so that he could be used as a measuring stick by Ruby. So she wouldn't feel as out of depth being forcibly made leader of her team and even if she wasn't an excellent leader, she could work her way up to it while comforting herself that she wasn't the worst in Beacon, a position Jaune definitely holds at the beginning.

However, Jaune began to improve rapidly by leaps and bounds. He also has better skills in leadership and management, skills Ruby doesn't have. It doesn't help that JNPR runs like a well oiled machine, whereas RWBY constantly sabotages itself and often only listens to Ruby when the alternative is death. So Ruby's frustration grows, but she can keep telling herself "At least I'm not as bad as Jaune."

But at some point, due to luck or skill, Jaune and his team are able to do something RWBY couldn't. Or Jaune manages a lucky win in combat class. And Ruby's frustration finally comes out:

Ruby: "H-How?! How did you-YOU LITERALLY GOT YOUR AURA UNLOCKED WHEN YOU STARTED! And now you're able to beat me?!"
Jaune: "I-I didn't-!"
Ruby: "I've worked my whole life for this and you-you just get in on a whim and-IT'S NOT FAIR!"

Ruby runs off. Jaune later manages to find her.

Jaune: "Ruby... I'm sorry. I don't know what I did but... Please. You can yell at me and even hit me, just don't shut me out. Please."

Ruby is able to, with some coaxing, admit she idolizes her mother. She sees her mom Summer as this invincible superheroine she can never measure up to. All the frustration, all the failures, and now Jaune is doing better than her. She feels like she's failing Summer. She has never told Yang or her father and uncle because she wanted to be like her mother's successor. She wanted to live up to that. And she's failing. Being a Huntress is basically the only thing in her life and all she's wanted.

Ruby and Jaune work this out, both recognizing they have similar issues: Wanting to be heroes and live up to a family legacy. But Jaune is able to help Ruby because while he is... Well... Reckless in how he got into Beacon, he also recognizes that his parents aren't perfect. Neither was Summer. She had to start somewhere, so will Ruby. And that Ruby's team is difficult, to say the least. Jaune offers to let JNPR be a safe place for Ruby, so she doesn't have to be the leader. And if Pyrrha's done wonders for Jaune, she might also help Ruby become better and realize her dream. Just as she's helping Jaune.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune entered the RWBY common room. There, he found his friends... And his aunt Yuffie. The brunette ninja girl was in one of her usual extremely provocative outfits. They were all sitting and chatting happily.

Pyrrha: "Oh! Hello Jaune!"

Ruby: "Hey Jaune! We just met your Cousin Yuffie!"

Ren: "She brought tea."

Nora: "AND SNACKS!"

Weiss: sips, smiles "Finally, a normal member of your family!"

Yuffie: "Aw, thanks! I uh, I think? And I'm more of an honorary aunt, Cloud's the one he's related to by blood!"

Ruby: "She just came up to visit! She's got so many great stories of traveling around and adventuring!'

Yang: "Yeah! She's a blast!"

Nora: "Hee!"

Jaune: "Well... It's very nice of you to drop by, Aunt Yuffie." tight smile

Yuffie: "Yeah! We'll have to catch up! Just let me go to the bathroom real quick..."

She gets up and heads for the door. Jaune blocks her way with a smile.

Yuffie: "The door is that way, Jaune."

Jaune: "Yes, it is." Crosses his arms over his chest

Ruby: "Eh? What are you doing, Jaune?"

Yuffie: "I mean, do you want a hug? Because I can certainly give one! Plenty of them!"

Jaune: beams "Sure! I'd love one!"

Jaune and Yuffie hug for a bit... Yuffie pulls away... And Jaune grabs her wrist. He holds it up, revealing she was holding onto his wallet.

Yuffie: cough "Oh dear... However did that get there?"

Ruby: "What?!"

Jaune: "Give them back, Auntie."

Yuffie: pouts "I was gonna!"

Weiss: "Give what back-?" checks her pouch "Wha-WHERE'S MY WALLET?!"

Ruby: "AND MY SCROLL?!"

Nora: gasp "MY POCKET PANCAKES!"

Many stares at her.

Nora: "What? I have needs!"

Yuffie turns over all the stolen items.

Jaune: "Is that everything?"

Yuffie: "Come on, Jaune! It's me! Your fun ninja aunt Yuffie! Remember how I used to cuddle you and take you out when I went tree hopping-?"

Jaune: "Is that everything?"

Yuffie: "Yesss..." sigh "Honestly, you are no fun!"

Jaune: sighs "You told me you were working on it."

Yuffie: "I am! But you can't put a former alcoholic in a bar and expect them not be tempted, right? I'm a thief! In a room with some of the richest girls on Remnant!"

Jaune: scowls

Yuffie: "Aw... I'm sorry Jaune." Hugs him

Jaune: "It's okay, Aunt Yuffie... But seriously. Get help?"

Yuffie: "Hmph. Just for that, I'm gonna set you up with a girl just like me and you'll beg me for help with her because you'll love her soooo much!"

Jaune: "Ha! That'll be the day!"

Somewhere, Neo sneezes.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

I've been playing around with Grok's AI for some story ideas. So here's more expansion on Mistral and their factions:

Green Dragon Faction
Core Ideology: Restore the Emperor and revert Mistral to a traditional, hierarchical society with limited democratic elements. They claim descent from the last true Emperor over a thousand years ago, pre-dating the Hellenic and Mughal conquests, and see themselves as preservers of Mistral's soul.
Motivations:

• Heritage: They aim to protect Mistral's central culture (strongest in Liu Bei Province) from foreign dilution.
• Legitimacy: Their power rests on lineage, giving them a sense of divine mandate.
• Unity: They believe a restored monarchy will end Mistral's cycles of division.

Key Figures:

• Lady Jia Xu: The faction's leader, a poised matriarch wielding a Dust-infused glaive. She's charismatic but rigid, clinging to ancestral traditions.
• General Wei Shen: A pragmatic warlord from Guan Yu Province, commanding the faction's armies with ties to Pandu's military traditions.
• Priestess Lian: A spiritual guide who interprets ancient texts, reinforcing their claim but pushing dogma.

Strengths:

• Deep roots in Liu Bei and Guan Yu Provinces, where tradition thrives.
• Elite warriors skilled in ancient Mistralian combat arts.
• Cultural appeal to those tired of chaos and foreign influence.

Weaknesses:

• Resistance to modern tech limits their flexibility.
• Lineage focus alienates the masses, especially in Mughal-influenced CaoCao.
• Vulnerable if their "heir" is exposed as a fraud.

Red Dragon Faction
Core Ideology: Abolish lineage-based power for a full meritocracy, influenced by Hellenic democratic ideals. They seek a Mistral where skill and effort trump birthright, even if it means tearing down the old order.
Motivations:

• Equality: They blame aristocracy for Mistral's woes and want a level playing field.
• Progress: They embrace innovation and trade, drawing from Zhang Fei Province's Western ties.
• Revolution: They're ready to destroy traditions to build anew, accepting short-term chaos.

Key Figures:

• Kael Draven: A revolutionary ex-Huntsman from Zhang Fei Province, wielding a rapier-whip. Charismatic but ruthless, he's the faction's idealistic core.
• Mira Solis: A Faunus engineer from Zhou Yu Province, crafting advanced Dust tech. She fights for the marginalized but distrusts outsiders.
• Toren Vex: A former syndicate thug turned strategist, bringing underworld savvy but shaky loyalty.

Strengths:

• Strong support among the disenfranchised in Zhang Fei and Zhou Yu Provinces.
• Cutting-edge tech like airships and Dust explosives, inspired by Hellenic designs.
• Loose alliances with Pandu and Taejo, who share anti-imperial views.

Weaknesses:

• No unifying leader risks factionalism.
• Radical change alienates traditionalists in Liu Bei and Guan Yu.
• Untested tech is prone to failure or sabotage.

Yellow Dragon Faction
Core Ideology: Blend authoritarianism and democracy, claiming Mughal Khan Dynasty descent. They favor expansionism, aiming to subjugate Pandu, Fuujin, and other sub-kingdoms to restore Mistral's past glory.
Motivations:

• Glory: They idolize the Mughal era as Mistral's peak and seek to reclaim it.
• Order: A strong state with some democratic input, they think, will end factionalism.
• Revenge: They resent the uprising that ousted their ancestors and see rivals as usurpers.

Key Figures:

• Khan Rostam IV: The faction's towering leader, wielding a scimitar and riding a warhorse. Ambitious and intimidating, his pride is his weakness.
• Soraya Vahl: A shrewd diplomat from CaoCao Province, balancing Rostam's aggression while plotting her own rise.
• Darius Khan: A brutal general leading Mongol-style cavalry raids into Pandu and Taejo, loyal but restless.

Strengths:

• Dominant in CaoCao Province and eastern deserts, with a disciplined Mughal-inspired army.
• Mobile cavalry excels in guerrilla warfare across Animus.
• Syndicate backing provides wealth and intel.

Weaknesses:

• Expansionism overextends their forces.
• Harsh rule sparks resentment, even in CaoCao.
• Syndicate reliance invites betrayal.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Name: Elias Vorn
Meaning: "Elias" evokes a prophetic, visionary figure (biblical roots), while "Vorn" is Middle German "vanguard" (leading the charge) and evokes "forlorn" (a hint of his fate).
Age: Mid-50s at Mount Glenn's peak (decades before RWBY's main timeline). Born roughly 60-70 years before Volume 1, placing him in Vale's post-Great War industrial boom.
Allusion: Walt Disney (dreamer, innovator, showman) + Andrew Ryan (industrialist, control freak, utopian idealist) + a dash of Howard Hughes (eccentric genius with a dark edge).
Appearance: Tall and wiry, with sharp gray eyes that gleam with intensity. Salt-and-pepper hair slicked back, a neatly trimmed mustache, and a perpetual half-smile—like he's always pitching something. Wears tailored suits in Vale's colors (green and gold), with a Dust crystal tie pin as a signature. In Mount Glenn's final days, he's disheveled—suit torn, eyes wild, clutching blueprints.
Personality:
-Public Face: Charismatic, inspiring, a born salesman. He speaks in grand, poetic terms—"Mount Glenn will be our lighthouse in the dark!"—winning hearts with unshakable optimism.
-Private Core: Ruthless, obsessive, and paranoid. He micromanages every detail, distrusts dissent, and sees failure as betrayal. His charm hides a temper that flares when challenged.
-Core Flaw: Hubris—he believes he alone can save humanity, blinding him to risks like Merlot's madness or Grimm unpredictability.

Background:

Born in Lutetia, capital of Gallia (Vale's subordinate kingdom), a bustling river city of trade and innovation. His father, Jove, was a Dust prospector who struck it rich. His mother, named Glennys, was a seamstress with a knack for machinery—Elias inherits their grit and ingenuity. He grows up in a post-Great War Vale, a time of rebuilding and hope. He's a tinkerer, sketching fantastical cities in the margins of schoolbooks, obsessed with tales of Vale's resilience against Mistral and Mantle. The Grimm are his boogeyman—he vows to conquer them. At 12, a Grimm raid kills his mother during a trip outside the city. His father squanders their fortune on failed ventures, dying broke. Elias, orphaned, swears to build something unassailable.

As a teenager, he works as a Dust refinery apprentice, mastering its chemistry. By 20, he's designing automated extractors, earning a small fortune. His charisma wins investors; his inventions win contracts.

At 30, he founds a Dust-tech empire—the Vorn Combine—specializing in industrial automation (robotic mining equipment, Dust-powered engines). He pitches Vale's council on "progress through ingenuity," securing their backing.

Known as "Vale's Visionary," he's a celebrity—parades, speeches, even a children's book (Elias and the City of Tomorrow). But rivals whisper he's a control freak, crushing competitors with lawsuits or buyouts. His childhood dreams though will be realized, one way or the other.

At 40, Elias surveys a mountain valley near Vale, uncovering a colossal Dust vein—pure, multi-type, a goldmine. He names the site Mount Glenn after his mother, Glennys. He believes humanity's survival hinges on transcending nature—Grimm, Dust scarcity, tribalism. Mount Glenn is his manifesto: a perfect society engineered to endure. He thinks here he can realize his vision. A city to outshine his parents' failures and banish his childhood fear of Grimm. It's his "gift to mankind," but also his monument.

Post-Great War, Vale lags behind Atlas's tech and Mistral's trade. Elias wants Mount Glenn to leapfrog them, proving Vale's industrial and cultural supremacy. He sells Vale's council on a utopian city: self-sustaining, Grimm-proof, a model for Remnant. "One triumph here, and we'll build a hundred more!" They fund him, eager for prestige, though many of them (like Ozpin) have some concerns.

Ozpin has been cultivating a relationship with the CEO, seeing something of himself in the man's ambitions. Ozpin is well regarded as a Huntsman at this point and Elias could be a valuable ally against Salem. The Mount Glenn project is very ambitious though, and Ozpin tries to counsel caution. They break over this a bit, due to Elias' ego and the fact he hires Doctor Merlot as his Chief Scientist. Ozpin warned Elias about Merlot's potential instability but Elias had to have it his own way.

As for Mount Glenn, Elias designs everything—spires of steel and glass, Dust-powered monorails, automated defenses. He hires architects, engineers, and Huntsmen, promising a new era.

The key features of the city: Vorn Tower, his skyscraper HQ, a gleaming symbol of progress with labs, a penthouse, and a panoramic view of "his" city. The Dust Nexus, a subterranean reactor channeling the vein's energy, powering homes, defenses, and Merlot's experiments. It's the largest Dust Reactor system ever built up to that point and is the most advanced. It features incredible automation for its communications, public transit system, and defenses. Said defenses include sonic barriers that are proven to drive Grimm off, remote turrets to kill them, and even early robot sentries to engage them. Being underground improves its defenses further, with plans for an artificial day/night cycle with projected views of the blue sky overhead.

Settlers sign a pledge, the Citizen Contract—loyalty to Vorn's vision, no outside affiliations. It's freedom... But with a leash.

Over time, even as Mount Glenn is constructed, Elias' relationship with the Council gets worse. Elias manipulates them with promises of glory, but they grow wary of his autonomy and his refusal to compromise with them. He calls them "short-sighted bureaucrats"; they call him "Vale's loose cannon" and a "tin-pot dictator". His relationship with Ozpin was also significantly strained by this time, though Ozpin still encouraged him and Hunters to work with him on the project.

During this time, Elias marries Lila Flores, an artist who designs Mount Glenn's aesthetics, and they have a daughter, Mara. Lila dies of illness mid-project, hardening Elias. Mara, a teen during the Fall, escapes—her fate unknown (a potential future figure?).

By his 50s, Mount Glenn is complete—10,000 settlers, gleaming streets, a buzz of hope. Elias stands atop Vorn Tower, declaring, "This is humanity's dawn!" It runs very well for a few years... Before Merlot's experiments get out of hand and breach containment. In doing so, they break the defensive systems and allow for a massive Grimm incursion into the city. Elias refused to leave, though he did allow for evacuation back into Vale and coordinated the defense himself.

When those fell, and the Vale Council decided to blow up the tunnel to Mount Glenn, Elias locked himself in Vorn Tower. He still broadcasted defiance to try and encourage his people to prevail—"We will not fall!"—as the Grimm swarmed. He died there, crushed by rubble or a mutant Grimm, clutching his blueprints. A less dramatic death would not fit such a dramatic figure.

Ozpin does mourn Vorn, he truly does. Ozpin was a distant mentor, intrigued by Elias's fire but wary of his pride. Their bond was professional—mutual respect, not friendship—cut short by Elias's refusal to heed warnings. Ozpin might've seen a younger self in him: a leader who dared too much, paid too dearly. He recognized Elias's brilliance and how his charisma could inspire. He subtly encouraged Vale's council to fund him, hoping Mount Glenn would have aided his war against Salem. Elias respected Ozpin as a sage but chafed at his cryptic warnings: "I don't need riddles, I need results."

In the aftermath, Vale quietly buried much of what happened at Mount Glenn to hide their culpability and because of the embarrassment. Many still quietly mourn the loss of the city and the visionary, Elias Vorn.

Ultimately, hubris and Merlot's betrayal undo him, his city a tomb for his vision and thousands of lives. As well as the dreams of Vale's dominance.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

General Sir Aldric Varnholt – "The Faded Crown"

• Inspiration: King Lear (Shakespeare) – A king past his prime, clinging to authority while the kingdom crumbles, blind to the need for renewal.
• Age: 68
• Appearance: A tall, broad-shouldered man whose frame has softened with age. His graying red beard is meticulously trimmed, and he wears an ornate green-and-gold VDF uniform festooned with medals—more ceremonial than practical. His brown eyes, once sharp, now carry a distant, weary glaze.
• Background: Aldric Varnholt rose to prominence decades ago as a field commander during police actions in Vale's sub-kingdoms—small, fractious territories like Arminus or the island communities that resisted central rule after the Great War. He earned his title, "The Stormbreaker," quelling bandit uprisings and minor Grimm incursions with ruthless efficiency, wielding a Dust-charged broadsword and barking orders from the front lines. His victories secured Vale's unity, and his reputation landed him the Generalship 25 years ago. But peace dulled his edge. What began as a ceremonial role—parades, speeches, and ribbon-cuttings—became his entire identity. He hasn't led a real battle in over a decade, delegating drills and patrols to subordinates while he lingers in Vale City's war rooms, sipping tea and recounting old glories.
• Personality: Complacent and self-deluded, Aldric believes his past triumphs justify his current idleness. He's a relic of a simpler era, when Grimm were less organized and Huntsmen were a novelty, not a necessity. He dismisses modern threats as "Huntsmen business," trusting Ozpin's assurances that Beacon's prodigies will handle the real fighting. His temper flares when challenged, a faint echo of Lear's rage, but it's hollow—more bluster than resolve.
• Relationship with Ozpin: Ozpin installed Aldric as a figurehead, valuing his loyalty and predictability over competence. The Headmaster uses him to keep the VDF in line with his secretive plans—maintaining a minimal military presence while funneling resources to Huntsmen and relics and not asking questions about Ozpin's requests for aid and support for his teams. But Ozpin has left the VDF to it's own devices, focusing on his plots, leaving Aldric to stagnate amid political corruption. The General suspects he's a pawn but lacks the will to confront it.
• Current State: The world has passed Aldric by. The Grimm and White Fang grow bolder, and the VDF chafes under his inertia. He clings to his title like Lear to his crown, unaware that his subordinates plot to replace him—or that Ozpin's faith has long shifted elsewhere.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune sat at the breakfast table with Team CRDL, the clatter of trays and chatter filling the air around them. Cardin, who had been making a genuine effort to be friendlier lately, leaned toward him. To Jaune's surprise, it felt good to hang out with the guys—Ren was his best male friend, no doubt, but he wasn't exactly the "bro" type.

Cardin raised an eyebrow, grinning.

"Seriously? You rode horses all the way here?"

Jaune shrugged, poking at his food.

"Well yeah, I'm a farm boy. We have horses back home. My dad had a few motorcycles, but I wasn't gonna take them to get here."

Sky's eyes lit up.

"Still, that's pretty cool, Jaune! Man, you riding on a horse must have been awesome! How did you not have a girlfriend?"

Jaune smirked faintly.

"Well, I did."

Cardin snorted, leaning back.

"Pfft, sure, Jaune."

"No! No, I did!" Jaune insisted, his voice rising slightly.

Russel slammed a hand on the table, laughing. "Pics or it didn't fuckin' happen!"

With a sigh, Jaune pulled out his scroll and showed them a photo. Cardin's jaw dropped.

"What?! A Faunus—!"

Dove cut in calmly, his tone measured.

"A really hot cat Faunus."

Cardin paused, then nodded. He assessed the picture of the busty blonde cat Faunus hugging on Jaune in the selfie.

"True. She is really hot."

Russel leaned closer, incredulous.

"And what, you fuckin' left her behind?"

Jaune sighed again, slumping slightly.

"We broke up. She wanted me to be a doctor, like my mom. I wanted to be a Huntsman, which she REALLY didn't want. We fought about it, but we decided we wanted different things and broke up amicably."

Cardin frowned, scratching his chin.

"Well, that sucks, man… But I gotta say. If you could land a hottie like that, why are you clowning around Weiss?"

Jaune rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, it's not like my method of getting Katy to date me would work on her! She's sophisticated, elegant—"

Russel scoffed, waving a hand.

"Feh! Come on! Whatever you did to land that hottie has to work!"

"It really wouldn't!" Jaune protested.

Dove tilted his head thoughtfully. "Perhaps not on Schnee, that's true… But it would work on another girl."

Jaune sighed, exasperated.

"Why would I—?"

Cardin's eyes flicked across the room, spotting Yang walking by.

"All right, Jaune," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "I'll make you a deal. You try whatever you did to land Katy on Xiao-Long."

Jaune's eyes widened in panic. "Wha—Are you kidding?! She'll kill me!"

Cardin chuckled. "If you do it, I'll do your homework for a week. And if it doesn't work, I'll do it for a month."

"And if it does?" Jaune asked, hesitant.

"Well, that's a reward all its own, right, Jauney-Boy?" Cardin replied with a wink.

Jaune stammered, "I—I dunno—"

Russel elbowed him, grinning. "Come on, ya pussy! Show us you can do it!"

With a resigned sigh, Jaune muttered, "…Fine." He pushed himself up from the table and headed toward Yang.

Dove glanced at Cardin, his voice low. "I thought we were trying to be nicer to him?"

Cardin shrugged, smirking. "We are! Look, Xiao-Long's just gonna shoot him down, but it'll toughen him up!"

Jaune approached Yang, who flashed him a bright smile.

"Hey, VB," she said playfully. "How's the bird boy club doing? Hope you're not getting all feather-brained—"

Jaune kept walking toward her, silent, his eyes narrowing with determination. Yang blinked, stepping back until she bumped into the wall.

"Uh, you're looking a little intense there, Ladykiller," she said, her tone more uncertain. "You feeling—EEP!"

Jaune slammed his hand against the wall beside her head, locking eyes with her. She froze, startled.

In an even tone, he said, "Hey. I wanna date you."

Yang's face turned bright red.

"I… Uh… What?" she stammered.

"You like to dance," Jaune continued, unflinching. "I do too. Let's go dancing together. On a date."

The cafeteria seemed to fall silent, every pair of eyes turning to witness the scene. Yang blinked twice, then looked up at him, almost shyly.

"…This Friday night?" she asked.

Jaune nearly faltered but managed a nod.

"S-Sounds good. I'll pick you up at seven. Dress nice, I'm bringing flowers."

"…Roses?" Yang ventured.

"Sure," Jaune replied.

"Okay. Sure," she said, still blushing.

Jaune nodded, pulled his hand back, and turned to walk back to the table. Yang watched him go, her expression a mix of shock and mild amazement, her cheeks still flushed.

He sat down with CRDL, and Cardin stared at him.

"…Dude," he said, dumbfounded.

Jaune exhaled shakily.

"Holy crap, that was terrifying."

A beat passed, and his eyes widened.

"Holy crap, that worked?!"

Cardin laughed.

"You have a date with Xiao-Long!"

"I have a date with Xiao-Long?!" Jaune echoed, still processing it.

Russel grinned, holding up his fist.

"Holy fucking shit, bro. Bro. Fist bump. You've earned it!"

Jaune blinked at him.

"But I—"

Nora popped up out of nowhere, startling him.

"Take the fist bump, Jaune!"

"GAH!" Jaune yelped, nearly falling out of his chair.

 

[zMADLAXz]

What if Jaune who is inspired by the IRL Joan who heard the voice of God and lead her country in war became the next reincarnation of Ozma? The guy who you could say is the pawn/representative of God Of Light through circumstance?

I know people had this theory back in the day and some "Genius Critics" said Jaune will not beat the self insert allegations instead of you know, actually watching the show ?

Anyway, this is my rendition of how things should have started to happen.

---

(In Jaune's mind)

Ozpin: Jaune I know you wish to improve but right now you are killing yourself. Training the entire night and the entire morning and well into the afternoon isn't good.

Jaune's Scroll(in Pyrrha's voice): ....and remember Jaune I will always be with you.

Jaune(out loud): ....Back to training.

Ozpin: For Brother's sake Jaune! This isn't what Pyrr-

Jaune: KEEEP HER NAME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!

Jaune: You good for nothing failure! Your decisions and your incessant need to butt youeself everywhere got her killed! She was not supposed to die like that! At the hands of a low life, scum of the earth, shit from a cunt, ugly whore like Cinder!

Jaune: She was a warrior!A true WARRIOR! Not like you, cowardly, stupid, good for nothing....

She was nothing like you......

Ozpin: I accept all that Jaune but tell me is it me you are saying those words to or yourself?

Jaune: YOU! ME! EVERYONE! NONE! Why does it matter?! If it wasn't for me she would have not taken that decision! If I was better she wouldn't have to cover my ass all the time! None of the team JNPR will have to! My Parents would never have to face such a disappointment good for nothing like me! None of this would have happened!

Ozpin:......Don't you think you are giving yourself too much importance?

Jaune......what?

Ozpin: Pyrrha didn't take that decision on your advice, it was my choice and her Noble nature, Cinder didn't invade Beacon for you, if it was someone else who isn't on the level of a Maiden, they would have been just as much of a help as you would have been, Your parents have 7 other children from you, that's too much to expect from only one child out of 8, Salem didn't think of the Arc lineage when she chose to go on this mad crusade against all of Remnant.

Ozpin: Jaune......Over the many, many centuries I have been alive, I realised something, every being is both more and less important than they realise.

Ozpin: Jaune Pyrrha's death and Vale's destruction wasn't your responsibility, not more than any other student's and certainly far less than any Huntsman like myself or the faculty. But you know what was your responsibility? you led your team, you helped the civilians, you even made a person like Mr. Winchester reconsider through your selflessness, you gave hope to Pyrrha, you became a rock for your team.

Mr Arc I both as a teacher and as a parent wouldn't dare ask more of you. Please, if not for me but for Pyrrha, the one that loved you the most, you have to live and become the magnificent man both she and I could see inside of you.

Jaune: ......Ozpin, when I came to Beacon, did you plan on this? Was I destined to be your next meatsuit? Was I your contingency ? Was this why you let an untrained civilian in your academy? Like a goat fattened up just to be sacrificed?

Ozpin: NO! Never! not in a Bilion years Jaune! Every single one of my reincarnation was out of my control, in fact you are a great exception! All of my incarnations have had some name beginning with Oz or Os or similar phonetic distinction, yet your existence proves that destiny can be broken.

Jaune: Destiny haa? (takes a deep breath and unfurls his sleeping bag), ..... Ozpin, right now I cannot promise you that I won't make a mistake, that I could simply heal from all that and go as healthy as hay. But, despite whatever happens, despite whatever happens to my soul, promise me you will help me so that I can take away all the sorrow Salem will bring to this world. I will no longer accept any single tear that she brings to this world, my world. Promise me.

Ozpin: I promise you this Jaune, whatever happens, we will protect this world from her, I have grown tired of these countless lives, giving up hope but this situation of ours, it tells me that the hold the Brother Gods had on us is diminishing. These chains will be soon shattered.

Jaune: ......Thank... you...professor....zz...zz(he falls asleep from exhaustion)

Ozpin: Rest well, Jaune, rest well, blood of mine.

---

(OMAKE)

Jaune: Ok, Oz, where are you leading me now?

Ozpin: Well Jaune, since you have shown progress with your Shield and Sword training, I thought it was time to help you get on with firearms and Spears. It might not look like it but I was quite an accomplished knight in my time. I could slay armies just as well I could woe the ladies.

Jaune: Chuckles.... you know prof.? I am starting to see why we are so compatible now. But firearms and Spear? Crocea Mors is good enough.

Ozpin: Jaune.....Jaune, you need to be able to set an example as a leader, while Crocea Mors is good, it is not something that is fully, how shall we put this, compatible with you.

Jaune: ....How exactly professor?

Ozpin: A huntsman's weapon is their soul, my dear knight, it is your friend, your lover, your brother in arms and any such thing you could think of. That is why even if students who don't forge their weapon are still asked for great input when constructing their weapon.

An easier way to explain is this, Crocea Mors is that one Grand Parent of the family that is older than everyone and loves all of them and has great wisdom, it is indeed loved by the family members in return but that, particular bond, the one between destined souls is not something that can be established.

You can certainly reforge it, but to use it as it is will be asking too much of those old bones of Crocea Mors.

No my brave paladin, this weapon had to be personal to truly encompass what you are.

Jaune: ........A spear and some sort of firearm you said? Then I have some ideas. But does this entire talk mean we are visiting a forge of sorts?

Ozpin: Oh? Already clear with what you need and perceptive as well. Good and yes that is exactly where we are going. An old friend of mine, he goes by Merlin Asmodeus, his work is like magic but Women and alcohol are his vice.

Jaune: So an old pervert that is possibly the greatest weapon-smith on Remnant? This sounds fun.

Ozpin: Quite fun indeed, though do tell me what you plan to do with your improvements?

Jaune: Hopefully you have some extra funds laying around and also plan to teach me, cause I will not compromise in either training or the weapon.

Ozpin: It would be a disgraceful of me as your teacher to hold anything back. Plus I have some theories on your Semblance based on the weird way your soul seems to have....amplified ..... Itself against mine to save you from succumbing to my curse and based on what happened when Mr Winchester tried to punch you in Forever Fall.

Jaune: What do you mean I am not succumbing to your curse?

Ozpin: Just that Mr Arc, I guess some theorizing is important. After Brother God of Light created the next creation of man, it seems my soul simply overwhelms my hosts by virtue of my magic, as if their souls aren't registered on the same level as mine, yet your soul is different .

Jaune: Ok let's move on before I get a big head. What was this about figuring my Semblance and more Training?

---

(Kuroyuri with team RNR(Runner))

Everything was gone to poop, Drunkle Qrow was injured, Ren and Nora were injured even with Ren's semblance evolution, after the Geist incident and everything not only did this stupid place have a Nuckelavee but also two Deathstalkers and small Nevermores?

Why oh why did it happen?

Ruby knows, that the entire time, their group was just reeking negativity, no one to help them no one to support them, no one to plan, no one to help, no one alive, no ones no one NO ONE!

Ruby thought, hoping her eyes would pull another miracle, hoping someone was there to save them.

Anyone.... please, Yang, Dad

A Nevermore swept down, Ren providing fire support to Ruby, who was tired but still better fighting shape than rest of them.

Blake......Weiss,

Qrow, still tried and injured keeping the Nuckelavee occupied along with one of the Death Stalkers.

Mom.......Pyrrha,

As the other Death stalker prepared to extinguis the final legacy of the silver eyed warriors,

.......Jaune

Suddenly! A bright projectile, too fast for anyone to react to, Flew, piercing the Deathstalker, and embedding itself next to Ruby, unfurling into a beautiful white flag with a golden shine and suddenly encompassing them - Ruby, Nora, Ren- in its glow.

Wait, this light, it's...... warm and so strong, safe.

Suddenly all three of them were rejuvenated, their stamina restored, wounds healed and spirits elated.

This was light, life, joy, a cup of hot chocolate and cookies in winter, Hot Pancake with syrup, nice relaxing Sunday of meditation. This was.....

Wait this, this Aura, this is familiar.

Suddenly all three of them looked towards Qrow, a hail of bullet, as if launched from a machine gun, tore down majority of the Grimm surrounding him and they all-along with Qrow tried to find the origin of those bullets.

Their eyes tracked it back to a mounted gun, jutting outwards from a ......shield?

Then they saw the mysterious stranger wielding the Shield - Machine Gun combo.

Spoiler: Mysterious Stranger

Then the stranger, leaped, nay, the stranger Soared over, Landing in between team RNR and the Nuckelavee and the remaining Nevermores, Crouching as he landed with a Beautiful sword in his hand.

Spoiler: The Sword

As he landed, his hood slipped, no longer covering his admittedly handsome face and once Nora saw who it was, a smile broke out on her face, a true Nora smile that they hadn't seen in ages.

"HAHAHAHA, OH YOU GUYS ARE SO SMASHED RIGHT NOW! HAHAHAHA HE IS HERE! HAHAA ", Nora laughed, she laughed in so long that Ren was worried she had forgotten how to. But Ren had no time to say anything about that because he was smiling and crying. Because for the first time in months, he could finally see him again. He knew it will be alright. After all,

Leader of Team JNPR, was Back.

"PERCEURRR DU CIELLLLLLLLL", cried the Noble Knight as he swept his sword, launching a beam of Light so Bright and so Pure, it vaporized the 4 Nevermores in an instant.

So intense was the attack even the Nuckelavee was burnt a bit despite the attack not reaching him directly. Without turning the knight said, "Ren, I may not have followed your journey, but, I know that you deserve recompense for the tragedy you had to suffer, I won't end that monster, That is your prey and so my only order is this to you as a huntsman,

Lie Ren, go out and Hunt"

Suddenly his hands touched Ren's shoulder, Power filled Ren, he felt greater than ever before, he felt better than ever before, suddenly he vanished, disappeared in his semblance and his speed, his father's knife in his hand as he re-appeared near the head of the beast he sought to hunt, as he slashed it clean of its shoulder, disappearing again and slashing the torso, then the Horse torso, then the legs, leaving nothing in his wake, finally he had conquered his nightmare.

But all this time, Ruby wasn't there, she was instead lost, as the knight turned around, standing tall, noble and proud, a simple smile on his face and playfulness in his eyes.

Here she was, sitting on the ground with Crescent Rose forgotten by her side, an impossibility otherwise but highly understandable now, as she looked at him.

Oh wait, did my heart get lost somewhere? I could've sworn it was beating a second ago, thought our heroine.

And the Knight Said, "Sorry, Crater face, I got lost on the way."

Spoiler: That Full Moon night

---

Sorry I guys I went too cliché but to be honest the setup was too good to miss and clichés are cliché for a reason am I right?

Anyway so Jaune has gotten an obvious upgrade.

So here is the new Weapons list, I haven't thought of name yet because I can't speak French properly so upto our dear viewers.


Sheath, Shield and Machine Gun combo(Think Coco Adels's handbag but shield), Sword and a Spear that is collapsible, about 182 cm(about 6 feet) which also has a flag attached to it(Think Joan from FGO's NP hat deploys a protective barrier with her flag)

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Arminus: The Ironwood Realm

Geography and Setting

Arminus sprawls across eastern Sanus, a land of dense, ancient forests—think the Black Forest scaled up—interspersed with rolling hills, deep river valleys, and rugged plateaus. The Arminwald, a sprawling woodland, dominates the heartland, its towering pines and oaks hiding quartz and Dust deposits. The Eisenfluss (Iron River), a broad, steel-grey waterway, winds through the region, powering mills and forges. To the north, the Albus Mountains loom, a natural barrier against Vacuoan raiders; to the east, Gallia's floodplains mark a tense border.

The capital, Eisenstadt, sits at the Eisenfluss's fork—a fortress-city of dark stone and timber, its skyline spiked with factory smokestacks and gothic spires. Forges glow day and night, and Dust-powered trams rumble through cobbled streets. The forests teem with Grimm, but Arminus's people have carved out strongholds, their villages ringed by palisades and watchtowers.

Historical Evolution

Arminus began as a loose coalition of tribes under the Quitalan Empire's fringe influence—less a province, more a buffer zone. These "Arminen" were fierce Aura-users, wielding axes and bows against Grimm and Quitalan tax collectors alike. The Empire's collapse left them free but fractured, their chieftains feuding over forest and river rights. Raids from Vacuo over the Albus Mountains and seafaring marauders from Animus forced a grudging unity, forged in the crucible of survival.

A millennium ago, the Hellenic Empire (Mistral's Greece analog) swept in, subjugating Arminus under the Witch Queen of Argus's vassals. The occupation was harsh—mines scarred the Arminwald, and Grimm swelled as despair took root. Resistance brewed in the forests, led by Wulfric der Jäger—a wolf-Faunus huntsman whose Semblance summoned spectral hounds. His guerrilla war, aided by Jeanne D'Arc's Gallian uprising, expelled the occupiers, cementing Arminus's independence.

Wulfric's line, the Wolfsjäger Dynasty, united Arminus into a kingdom, its forges hammering out steel and weapons. Over centuries, Arminus clashed with Gallia—border wars over the Eisenfluss—and Albion/Vytal, whose fleets probed its coasts. The kingdom industrialized early, its smiths mastering alloys and steam engines, making it a trade power. But ambition led to overreach; colonial ventures in Solitas and Menagerie faltered against Vytal's navy and local rebellions.

Three centuries ago, Kaiser Heinrich IV's tyranny—feeding dissenters to Grimm in a bid for power—sparked the Eisenkrieg, a civil war that shattered the dynasty. A merchant coalition, the Stahlbund, seized control, establishing a republic that prized efficiency and martial discipline. By the Great War, Arminus allied with Vale against Mistral and Mantle despite the many cultural ties to Mantle. Its factories churned out airships, mechanical mail, and Dust rifles. Post-war, it joined Vale's federation, retaining autonomy but sharing its industrial might.

Culture and Society

Arminus is stoic, pragmatic, and deeply tied to its forests and forges. The people—human and Faunus (wolf, bear, and owl traits common)—value craftsmanship and resilience. Aura training is mandatory, with children learning to channel it into tools or weapons. Folktales exalt Wulfric, his wolf-pack a symbol of unity; statues of him, axe raised, dot town squares.

The Arminen love order—towns are grid-like, festivals precise. The Jägerfest honors the hunt, with archery contests and Dust-fueled bonfires. Beer flows freely—dark, hearty brews laced with Earth Dust for stamina—paired with smoked meats and rye bread. Music is somber yet stirring, with horns and drums echoing through the woods. The Table Breaker faith took root post-Wulfric, its Shattering Chant sung in deep, resonant tones.

Technology and Industry

Arminus is Vale's industrial backbone. Eisenstadt's forges produce Dust-infused steel—blades, armor, guns, airship hulls—while its labs refine Gravity Dust for heavy machinery. The Stahlbund, now a governing council, balances trade with martial readiness, its small Huntsmen schools favoring teamwork and heavy weaponry. Wolf-riders—Huntsmen paired with local direwolf breeds, often Aura unlocked—patrol the Arminwald, a tradition from Wulfric's days.

Unique Grimm

• Eisenwölfe: Iron-clad Beowolf Grimm variant, their hides deflecting bullets. They hunt in packs, much rarer than Beowulves but far more deadly.
• Schattenkrallen: Owl-like Grimm with silent wings and razor talons, ambushing from the canopy. Light blinds them.
• Flussgeister: River spirits turned Grimm that resemble amphibians, dragging prey underwater. Ice Dust freezes them solid for easy shattering.

Modern Role

Arminus is a linchpin in Vale's economy and defense, its factories supplying Dust tech and its Huntsmen guarding the western frontier. Eisenstadt rivals Lutetia in output, though its dour efficiency contrasts Gallia's flair. Tensions linger with Gallia over old border disputes and Vytal over colonial ambitions, but the Stahlbund prioritizes Vale's unity—Grimm are the real foe.

Inhabitants

The Elric-Arcs
Cloud Strife-Arc

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Fuujin: The Rising Sun Island Nation

Geography and Environment

Fuujin's island chain sits in the southwestern corner of Anima, a jagged cluster of volcanic islands shaped by centuries of tectonic upheaval and relentless ocean currents. The Divine Currents—massive, swirling torrents around the archipelago—act like a natural moat, with winds so fierce they've historically shredded sails and capsized ships. The islands themselves vary wildly: the largest, Honmaru, hosts the capital Oda and sprawling urban centers, while smaller outlying islands like Kageshima and Mikojima remain rugged, dotted with dense bamboo forests, jagged cliffs, and hidden coves.

The climate is temperate but humid, with cherry blossoms blooming year-round on Honmaru thanks to Aura-infused soil—a phenomenon tied to the Miko/Geki's rituals. Volcanic activity still simmers beneath the surface, and hot springs are common, a major tourist attraction and cultural touchstone. The outer islands, though, are Grimm-infested wildlands, where the isolation and lingering negativity from past wars have spawned unique threats like the Jorougumo and Tengu Grimm. Add in the Kappa—turtle-like Grimm with claws that drag victims into rivers—and you've got a ecosystem that's as beautiful as it is deadly.

---

Culture and Society

Fuujin's culture is a fascinating blend of tradition and adaptation, shaped by its isolation and later exposure to the world. Honor, discipline, and harmony with nature are core values, reflected in everything from tea ceremonies to the sleek, minimalist design of Oda's skyscrapers. Cherry blossoms symbolize resilience—beautiful yet fleeting, a reminder of life's impermanence in a Grimm-haunted world.

The old warrior classes—Samurai, Ninja, and Miko/Geki—still hold cultural sway, even if their political power has waned. Samurai families maintain ancestral dojos, training in katanas and Dust-infused firearms, while Ninja clans operate in the shadows, running intelligence networks or mercenary guilds. The Miko/Geki, revered as spiritual guardians, oversee shrines and perform cleansing rites to keep Grimm at bay, their Aura techniques passed down through oral tradition.

Post-Great War, Fuujin's society has modernized but retains a tension between old and new. The younger generation embraces global trends—Vale's music, Atlas's tech—while elders cling to the "Way of the Blade and Blossom." Festivals like the Sakura Matsuri in Oda blend both, with holographic lanterns floating alongside traditional dances. Education is rigorous, with academies training Huntsmen and Huntresses who blend Fuujin's martial traditions with Remnant's broader combat styles.

---

History and Politics

Fuujin's history is a rollercoaster of ambition, isolation, and reinvention. Pre-Age of Empires, it was a feudal patchwork of warring clans united by the first Emperor, who harnessed the Divine Currents as a defense. Its early conquests against Mistral and Taejo were less about expansion and more about securing buffer zones—raids for resources rather than lasting dominion. The Age of Empires flipped the script: steamships breached the Currents, and Fuujin faced a choice—adapt or fall.

The Emperor's decision to export warriors as mercenaries was a masterstroke. Samurai became elite bodyguards in Vacuo, Ninja spied for Vale, and Miko/Geki healed war-torn villages in Pandu and Mistral. The influx of lien and knowledge fueled Fuujin's industrial boom—shipyards churned out ironclads, Dust refineries sprang up, and Oda transformed into a glittering metropolis. But the Great War exposed the cracks: the samurai-led coup aligned Fuujin with Mantle's authoritarian axis, only for the Ninja and Miko/Geki to rebel, seeing the betrayal of Vale as a stain on their honor.

The civil war was brutal—urban battles in Oda's streets, guerrilla strikes on Kageshima, and naval clashes in the Currents. Surrender left Fuujin humbled but not broken. Allied occupation rebuilt its infrastructure, and the parliament rose as a stabilizing force. Today, Fuujin balances independence with pragmatism—its navy patrols trade routes with Vale, while Atlas eyes its Dust deposits. Mistral's cultural pull is strong (shared aesthetics, old grudges), but Fuujin's parliament keeps them at arm's length, wary of being a pawn.

---

Factions and Power Players

1. The Sakura Court: The Emperor's advisory council, now an advisory body with real influence in cultural affairs. They push to preserve Fuujin's traditions, clashing with parliament's modernists.
2. Parliament: A democratic body with great influence which has the main agenda towards modernization to compete with the rest of the world, but held in the balance by tradition and culture.
3. The Blade Clans: Descendants of samurai, they run private security firms and Huntsmen academies. Loyal to Fuujin but nostalgic for their lost dominance.
4. The Shadow Collective: A loose alliance of Ninja clans, some legit (spies for hire), others criminal (smuggling Dust). They're the wildcard—pragmatic and fiercely independent.
5. The Order of the Blossom: Miko/Geki priests and priestesses, a neutral faction focused on spiritual balance. They mediate disputes and hunt Grimm, but their pacifism frustrates militarists.
6. The Oda Syndicate: A rising merchant class, flush with lien from trade and tech. They lobby for closer ties with Atlas, dreaming of Fuujin as a global hub.

---

Unique Grimm and Threats

Fuujin's isolation bred Grimm that exploit its terrain and culture:

• Jorougumo: These spider-human hybrids mimic lost travelers, their silk laced with paralyzing venom. They thrive in bamboo thickets, ambushing the unwary.
• Tengu: Crow-like fliers with razor claws and eerie caws that disorient prey. They swarm from volcanic peaks, targeting ships or villages in packs.
• Kappa: Aquatic Grimm with snapping jaws and tendrils, lurking in rivers and hot springs. They drag victims underwater, feeding on despair as they drown.
• Oni: Rare, hulking brutes with horned masks, once thought to be the ghosts of warriors born from old battlefields. They wield crude clubs and shrug off bullets, requiring Aura-enhanced strikes to fell.

---

Technology and Aesthetics

Fuujin's tech blends Mistral's elegance with Atlas's precision. Their navy boasts sleek, wind-inspired ships with Dust turbines, while their air force deploys agile "Kestrel" fighters modeled after birds of prey. Skylev trains in Oda zip between skyscrapers adorned with cherry blossom motifs, and personal weapons—like Samurai katanas with Dust-edged blades or Ninja kunai with explosive tips—marry tradition with innovation.

Sakura Castle is the crown jewel: white walls gleam with subtle Aura runes, and its cherry grove hums with energy, a natural amplifier for Miko/Geki rituals. The city around it pulses with neon signs, holographic billboards, and the chatter of a million voices.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The Role of Miko/Geki in Fuujin

The Miko/Geki are Fuujin's healers, protectors, and exorcists, revered as conduits between the physical world and the unseen forces of Remnant—be it Aura, Dust, or the lingering echoes of souls lost to Grimm. Historically, they emerged as shrine keepers, tending to sacred groves and hot springs where Aura naturally pools. Over centuries, their role evolved into a disciplined order, using rituals to cleanse negativity, bolster warriors, and maintain Fuujin's fragile harmony.

Unlike Samurai (who fight head-on) or Ninja (who strike from shadows), Miko/Geki focus on defense and restoration. Their Aura manifests as soft, radiant light—often pink or gold, evoking cherry blossoms—and they channel it through chants, dances, and talismans. They're not pacifists by necessity; they'll fight when pushed, but their strength lies in preparation and resilience, making them vital in a land where isolation breeds unique Grimm.

---

Core Rituals and Practices

1. The Cleansing Dance (Sakura-no-Mai)
   • Purpose: Purifies areas tainted by Grimm corruption—black ichor, festering negativity from Apathy, or cursed soil.
   • Description: Miko and Geki perform a slow, flowing dance with fans or staffs adorned with cherry blossom petals. As they move, their Aura pulses outward in shimmering waves, dissolving Grimm residue and calming restless spirits. The petals scatter, glowing faintly, and where they land, small blossoms sprout temporarily, marking purified ground.
   • Mechanics: Requires intense focus and a group effort for large areas. The ritual weakens nearby Grimm, making them easier to kill, but exhausts the practitioners' Aura. In emergencies, a solo Miko might perform a rushed version, risking collapse.
   • Cultural Note: Performed annually at Sakura Castle, it's a public spectacle that reinforces the Emperor's divine ties.
2. The Warding Seal (Fuin-no-Kekkai)
   • Purpose: Erects temporary barriers to repel Grimm or shield civilians.
   • Description: Using ink made from crushed Dust and sacred water, Miko/Geki paint intricate glyphs on paper talismans or directly onto surfaces (walls, trees, skin). When activated with a spoken chant, the glyphs flare with Aura, forming translucent domes or walls. The barriers shimmer like heatwaves, etched with faint cherry blossom patterns.
   • Mechanics: Strength depends on the caster's Aura reserves and the Dust type—Fire Dust adds an offensive burn, Ice Dust slows intruders. Barriers last minutes to hours but crumble under sustained Grimm assault. Elite Miko/Geki can layer seals for stronger defenses.
   • Cultural Note: Talismans are common gifts, hung above doorways or carried by warriors for luck.
3. The Soul Mend (Tamashii-no-Shūfuku)
   • Purpose: Heals physical wounds and restores depleted Aura in others.
   • Description: The Miko/Geki kneels beside the injured, hands hovering over wounds as they hum a low, resonant melody. Their Aura flows into the target, stitching flesh and rekindling their inner energy. A faint floral scent fills the air, and healed skin sometimes bears temporary petal-like marks.
   • Mechanics: Drains the caster's Aura proportional to the injury's severity. It can't regrow limbs or cure fatal blows, but it's a lifeline in battle. Overuse risks the Miko/Geki's own health—stories tell of priests fading into cherry blossoms from exhaustion.
   • Cultural Note: Reserved for dire need; casual use is taboo, seen as squandering a sacred gift.
4. The Grimm Banishment (Yokai-no-Tsukihami)
   • Purpose: Exorcises Grimm essence from possessed objects, people, or places.
   • Description: A high-stakes ritual requiring multiple Miko/Geki. They form a circle, wielding bells and mirrors to reflect their Aura into a concentrated beam. The target—say, a horde of Apathy or a Geist possessed blade—writhes as the light burns away the Grimm taint, often leaving behind purified Dust or ash.
   • Mechanics: Dangerous and imprecise; the Grimm fights back, and failure can amplify the corruption. Success purges the threat but leaves the casters vulnerable. Rare cases report the Grimm's "death scream" lingering as an echo.
   • Cultural Note: Tied to legends of Fuujin's first priests banishing an ancient Oni from Honmaru.

---

Tools and Symbols

• Cherry Blossom Petals: Sacred to Miko/Geki, these are often Aura-infused, carried in pouches or woven into clothing. They amplify rituals or serve as emergency foci.
• Kagami Mirrors: Polished bronze discs used to reflect and focus Aura, doubling as shields in combat. Engraved with blossom motifs, they're heirlooms passed down generations. They may have been based upon magic rituals and alchemy from before the Moonshatter.
• Suzumushi Bells: Tiny bells strung on cords, rung to disrupt Grimm senses or signal ritual phases. Their chime is said to mimic the wind through Oda's groves.
• Ofuda Talismans: Paper strips inscribed with Dust infused ink, used for wards or as thrown projectiles that burst with Aura on impact.

---

Training and Philosophy

Becoming a Miko or Geki starts young—children with strong Aura are identified by shrine elders and trained in secluded sanctuaries like Mikojima's Blossom Shrine. The regimen is grueling: meditation to hone Aura control, dance to sync body and soul, and study of ancient texts. They're taught the "Cycle of Bloom and Fall"—life's impermanence mirrored in cherry blossoms, urging them to act with purpose but accept loss.

Their philosophy emphasizes balance. Negativity feeds Grimm, so they strive to quell fear and despair, both in themselves and others. This makes them natural mediators in Fuujin's tense society, though some Samurai scoff at their "softness." In combat, they're support specialists—rarely killing Grimm directly but enabling others to shine.

---

Rituals in Action

Imagine a scene: a Tengu swarm descends on a fishing village near Kageshima. A Miko named Hana leads her team into the fray. She plants talismans in a perimeter, chanting to raise a Warding Seal as fishermen huddle inside. Her brother, Geki Taro, dances the Sakura-no-Mai, his staff scattering petals that weaken the Tengu's cohesion. As Samurai allies cut down the flock, Hana kneels by a wounded Ninja, her Soul Mend glowing to save him. The air hums with bells and blossoms—a fragile beauty amid chaos.

Or picture a darker moment: a Jorougumo's lair deep in a bamboo forest, its webs pulsing with Grimm essence. Three Miko/Geki encircle it, mirrors flashing as they chant the Yokai-no-Tsukihami. The spider screeches, lashing out, but the beam sears its core, leaving only ash—and one priest unconscious, her Aura spent.

---

Ties to Fuujin's History

During Fuujin's isolation, Miko/Geki kept the islands livable, their rituals holding Grimm at bay when warriors faltered. Their mercenary days spread tales of "blossom healers" across Remnant, bolstering Fuujin's mystique. In the Great War, they defied the samurai coup, using wards to protect rebel strongholds and healing defectors. Post-war, they rebuilt shrines amid Oda's ruins, their rituals a symbol of renewal.

Today, they're a bridge between Fuujin's past and future—respected but stretched thin as urban sprawl and global ties strain their traditions. Some young Miko/Geki even experiment with tech, syncing talismans to drones or amplifying rituals with Dust reactors.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Vale: The Emerald Bastion

Geography and Environment

Vale occupies eastern Sanus, a mountainous realm of jagged peaks, deep valleys, and emerald forests, its rugged spine rising between Vacuo's western deserts and the turbulent seas to the east. Vale City, the capital mega city, nestles in a high alpine basin, its modern spires and canals framed by sheer cliffs and the winding Emerald River, which spills into a narrow coastal plain. The Forever Fall forest glows crimson to the north, while southern fjords and islands—like Patch—dot the sea, granting Vale its maritime edge despite its isolation. Beacon, the ancient fortress now premiere Huntsman Academy, stands like a lighthouse warding off the sea of Grimm that surrounds the tiny islands of mankind and Faunus alike.

The climate varies—crisp alpine winters cloak the peaks in snow, summers bring mild breezes to the valleys, and coastal mists shroud the ports. The mountains, rich with Dust veins, isolate Vale from overland foes, their passes guarded by ancient forts. The sea offers trade but also peril, its currents clashing with those of Vytal and Gallia. This blend of seclusion and access shapes Vale's dual nature: a fortress and a gateway.

---

Culture and Society

Vale's culture fuses Dutch pragmatism, Swiss resilience, and Austrian elegance, a tapestry of trade, neutrality, and alpine pride. Resourcefulness, diplomacy, and unity define its people, who see themselves as stewards of the Emerald Emperor's vision—a beacon against chaos. Vale City's streets hum with financiers bartering and selling, diplomats and politicians arguing, and the latest techno music. The mountain air is thick with cocoa, cheese, and spiced ale. The Emerald Festival honors the Concert of Vale and the end of the Siege of 309, with canal boat races, trade fairs, and lantern-lit dances under the peaks. Cuisine from all around the world is available, like in any modern city, and Vale is among the biggest on Remnant.

Tradition holds firm in outlying communities: children still farm, fish, and play in the mountains, every village boasting windmills and Table Breaker chapels, often with a shrine in honor of the ancient Emerald Emperor. Yet, modernity thrives—skyscrapers tower over Vale City, airships hum through the passes, and Dust-tech lights the federation's sprawl. The tension between mountain roots and global reach fuels a stoic identity, with the weight of the larger responsibility of managing the Concert of Vale.

---

History and Politics

Vale began as a Quitalan province, its alpine valleys a mining outpost for metals and later Dust. When Quitala crumbled—torn by Grimm and revolt—the region splintered into petty kingdoms, warring over passes and ports. Vytal's naval raids, Gallia's Paladins, Arminus's knights, and Quitala Nova's legions vied for control, their battles scarring the peaks. Ozma, in an early host, emerged four centuries before the present, uniting these realms over decades into "Vale." As the Emerald Emperor, he forged a trade empire, its ships and spies spanning Remnant, feeding his secret war against Salem with lien and lore.

Vale's maritime might—Dutch-inspired cogs and frigates—rivaled Vytal's, while its mountain forts, Swiss-style, repelled invaders. It fought Vytal, Gallia and Quitala Nova over sea lanes but struck treaties, playing second fiddle as a trader to mask Ozma's grander aims. The Concert of Vale, established 300 years ago, turned Vale into a neutral hub—its chalet-diplomacy uniting eastern Sanus (excluding Vacuo) in a fragile and sometimes uncertain peace. Two centuries later, during the Great War, the Warrior King (Ozma's host) leveraged these alliances, leading Vale, Vytal, and the rest of Sanus against Mantle and Mistral. Victory cemented Vale's role, and post-war, it federated eastern Sanus into a kingdom akin to the European Union, Vale City its political core.

Today, Vale's Council—a federation of sub-kingdoms—rules from Vale City, balancing autonomy with unity. It mediates between Gallia's pride and Vytal's swagger, trades with Atlas, Vacuo and Mistral, and guards against chaos, its neutrality a shield for Ozpin's ongoing fight.

---

Factions and Power Players

1. Beacon: Beacon is the premiere Huntsman Academy of all of Vale. Huntsman from all across Remnant flock here to be trained, and it is Ozpin's citadel and home base.
2. The Vale Council: Akin to the ancient Quitalan Senate, this governing body is democratically elected and manages the governance of the entirety of Vale.
3. The Trade Hansa: A trade consortium controlling Vale's airships, trains and trucks, pushing global reach. They fund airships and overland trade, clashing with maritime concerns.
4. The Alpine Clans: Valley folk guarding the peaks. They resist urban sway, loyal to the old ways.
5. The Order of the Emerald Flame: Broken Table Priests and scholars preserving The Emerald Line's legacy, blending religious lore with anti-Grimm rites. They wield soft power in diplomacy. Ozpin uses them on occasion for his goals.
6. The Dock Syndics: Coastal traders and shipping magnates dominating the fjords, building freighters and frigates. They rival the Hansa for economic clout.
7. Roman Torchwick's Crime Syndicate: The Gentleman Thief runs an extensive criminal empire, maintaining an uneasy truce with the Spider syndicates from Mistral and the Nova Quitalan mafias. He runs Dust, weapons, and maintains a dramatic flair that earns him ire and admiration.

---

Unique Grimm and Threats
Vale's mountains and seas spawn distinct Grimm alongside the typical Beowulves, Ursa, Boarbatsusks, etc:

• Wendigo: A very rare Wraith-like Grimm from Forever Fall, their howls freezing resolve. They stalk the crimson woods, born of isolation. They only seem to appear in winter.
• Dust Wurm: Rare, serpentine Grimm from mountain mines, their scales sparking with stolen Dust. They burrow through passes, disrupting trade.

---

Technology and Aesthetics

Vale blends Dutch efficiency with Swiss precision. Vale City's railroad system is second to none, its skyscrapers massive and cutting-edge. Traditional Civilian life favors woolen tunics and boots, homes adorned with wood carvings and old maps. Mountain forts use modern Dust-cannons, and the Vale Defense Force and local Hunters Guild provide first rate security.

 

[SharkCultist]

Had a idea about RWBY running across a Grimm but a weird one and learning something about Salem and her powers.

Blake: it's a Grimm?

Ruby: I think so but I've never heard of a grey Grimm or ones with purple eyes.

Oz: I can explain. The Grimm are made from Salems darkest emotions. Hate and rage and despair. These? They're made of other emotions. Sorrow, regret and the faintest hints of lost love.

Yang: love? Oh yeah she's been killing you for hundreds of years I can feel the love.

Oz: I didn't say it was love for me.

The small grey bird born of magic sings a bird melody, like a child's lullaby it's a beautiful sound. Peaceful. And heartbreakingly full of yearning.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Shoots...Is there any way I can convince you to let me post the whole thing like when I did with the multiverse crossover chapter? Notes and all.

Click to shrink...

Go ahead, if you like. No worries. I just hope you finish them up!

Jaune was chilling out and looking over his homework. Ren was sitting with him.

Jaune: "I just don't see why we're focusing on the politics of the Faunus Revolution! I bet Blake made a complaint to the School Board again."

Ren: "Possibly. Increased White Fang activity could warrant paying attention to what happened. They might."

Jaune: "Yeah, maybe. Still, I'm better at more ancient history... Mainly because Nana and Papa told me so many stories about then."

Ren: "I confess I am much stronger on Mistral's history. Though I hate going into their politics-It gives me a headache."

Jaune: "I think that's politics in general."

Weiss approaches, wearing a grimace.

Jaune: "Oh, hey Weiss. What's up?"

Weiss: "There's... A weirdo here. Like, really weird."

Jaune: "And...?"

Weiss: "Well I usually assume anyone weird who comes here is related to you."

Jaune: "Come on, they're not all that weird... What kind of weirdo?"

Weiss: "Wellll..."

Cut to an empty dorm, where Ruby, Nora, Pyrrha, Blake, and Yang are watching a man in a light purple suit and fedora is laying out a large collection of photos, newspaper clippings, printouts and other things on a board, all linked together with string of various colors. Jaune, Weiss and Ren enter.

Yang: "Uh... Jaune? You know this guy?"

Jaune: "Oh... Hey Question."

Weiss: sighs "Of course he does."

Question: "Hello Jaune. You'll have to forgive me, I'm setting up shop here for the festival. Special assignment."

Jaune: "Um... So they gave you a student dorm?"

Question: "No, this is a decoy set up. My actual set up will be at an undisclosed location. This conspiracy map is also an extensive decoy... Or is it? The lies might just be the truth in disguise. Such that a new discovery might bring this into alignment."

Ruby: "... Huh?"

Jaune: "He's a friend of my dad's. He works as a private investigator."

Question: "I am the Question... Seeking answers."

Yang: "So, if he's related to you, does that make him a Question Arc?"

Ruby: groan "Yang!"

Blake: "Is he any good?"

Question: "Blake Belladonna, heir to the throne of Menagerie. Formally a White Fang terrorist and political hostage of Sienna Khan and Adam Taurus, being groomed into a role of leadership when her parents would be forced to step down. Has an unhealthy obsession with Atlas Ice Tuna Sushi, loves the Ninjas of Love series, is an extensive fan posting under the online alias 'PrettyKitty2223'. Has been writing her own prose, largely based on her fellow students, much of it erotic, under 'Blakkatshroudebony'."

Blake turns bright red.

Yang: "Seriously Blake?!"

Pyrrha: "Wha... How much? Sorry!"

Blake: "Ummm..."

Jaune: "That's a little personal, Question."

Question: "Secrets and lies are the fact of human and faunus nature. But there exists a truth. That is my obsession."

Nora: "What truth have you found?!"

Question: "For instance, the Achieve-Men are lab grown experiments, clones of a Huntsman who vanished near Mount Glenn with a vocal influencing Semblance. They are being used by the Illuminati to control the minds of young women, in particular Huntresses, to bring about their new world order."

Yang: "What? Come on, I only like them ironically now!"

Ruby: "I KNEW IT!"

Question: "Peanut butter pancake mix by the Nutty Buddy Pancake Company is laced with toxins designed to require you to get metallic fillings. These fillings are tuned to the radio frequencies necessary for Atlasian Specialists to listen in on private conversations."

Nora: "I KNEW PEANUT BUTTER PANCAKES WERE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! NO MORE OF THEM, RENNY!"

Ren: deadpan "Sure."

Question: "And Ozpin is an immortal body hopping wizard fighting his immortal ex-wife who is the Queen of the Grimm in a millennia-old battle to determine the fate of life on this planet. Their battle is what shattered the moon."

Jaune: "Pfft, sure Question. I've heard you say that before."

Weiss: "Please, who would believe such a thing?"

Question: "Ah, yes... That is the Question, isn't it?"

- - -

Naturally, he's based on the best Question:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfkNY-XBdOc

 

[RedDragonEmpress]

So here's one of them. This doesn't contain dialogue because it's just me planning out the story so the whole thing is a rough draft of a rough draft which now that I think about it is essentially an outline. I'll get back to it when I can, but for now, here you go.

P.S. I also wrote most of this a while back, so bear with me.

So with all this talk about Orochimaru!Jaune I feel as though we might have forgotten about Isabelle's other fallen protégé, one that may even share more with this version than would care to admit, I speak of course of Blossom Springfield.

1. Now hear me out, in this reality both of them would be researchers, and scientists, pushed to the extreme, albeit for very different reasons, and pursuing the same end goal of curing death. Jaune's motivations are entirely hinged on his resentment toward his mother, following her aggressively pushing him to become a doctor, and subsequent feelings of inadequacy stemming from trying to live up to her expectations, which inevitably lead him to try to prove himself better by any means necessary. Interestingly enough, Blossom's motivations and how she came to be the way she is are almost the exact opposite of Jaune's. Whereas Jaune resents Isabelle, Blossom has nothing but love and admiration for her mentor. In contrast, Jaune was forced into the medical field, whereas Blossom was gently guided. Jaune was crushed by the weight of his mother's expectations ultimately leading him to undermine himself Blossom has no such expectations as she views Isabelle as an equal and everything that Blossom does henceforth is done with the confidence and assurance that she will complete whatever task is set before her no matter what, in the end, it's only a matter of time for her. Now, while Jaune and Blossom, in this reality, have every reason to despise one another for their views in life, following their experiences, their end goal is the same, so out of necessity and sheer professionalism they work together. Over time they begin to reconcile as they learn to overcome their issues through collaboration. In talking with Blossom, Jaune learns to understand and eventually accept his mom's reasoning for pushing him so hard early in life, and though he still doesn't forgive him, he doesn't let that resentment control him anymore. Having moved on, Jaune is now able to think clearly about his past actions and begins to reevaluate his motivations for what he is currently doing following a realization that he doesn't need his mom's recognition to prove to his worthiness that the only person who gets to decide that is him. In talking with Jaune, however, Blossom can see the error in having viewed Isabelle so highly, an experience which humbles her as she questions who she is and where she's truly at if her mentor, someone she saw as an equal, is not as great of a person as she envisioned. A prospect she doesn't dwell on for long, as Jaune helps her resettle into herself, as he's also experiencing this new change within him and wants to help her through it alongside her. Ultimately, both agree to continue their scientific endeavors because Jaune still sees the merit in curing death and Blossom enjoys the challenge of trying to. Neither of course, see any wrongness in what they are trying to do and achieve, but do understand that for the time being they should continue keeping this a secret. Now they've been able to do this so far, as opposed to in other realities where Blossom has, conversely, already moved on from corpses to live human specimens, both of which were taken from Radian, because of Jaune. In this universe, due to Jaune's intervention, he can convince Blossom to continue working on corpses until they can move their lab far enough away from Radian that no one can find it so they can be left undisturbed by the greater population. Jaune does this because he has enough experience socially interacting with people, albeit not much more than Blossom, to understand that not a lot of people are going to be okay with what they are doing, especially Isabelle, so he convinces Blossom to keep everything on the down-low until they at least have something to show for it. Bare in mind, Jaune at this point has no qualms about using live human subjects to further his research, his issue is with using the innocent population of Radian, some of which are people he knows, for their experiments. Jaune then compromises with Blossom to instead use Bandit clan members, White Fang Terrorists, and other scum like them as he views these individuals as nothing more than monstrous animals whose only redeemable quality is the fact that their bodies can be used to help further progress their medical research and therefore save lives in the future. Plus it's not like anyone's gonna miss them, and if anything Jaune sees this as them doing the world a service by getting rid of them. Blossom agrees not so much because it's more ethical, but because it's more logical. They have a higher chance of being discovered by taking/using people whom others would actually look for if they went missing, but who would willingly look for missing criminals and/or bandits, let alone international terrorists? Sure there are Hunters and the various militaries and law enforcement organizations tasked with doing so around the world, but bureaucracy would stop them long before they would ever truly find them so long as the higher-ups believed said individuals were dead. Said Bureaucrats are not going to spend any more money than they need to, trying to figure out how said individual died when they can just take credit for it and move on.
2. Go to great aunt Morgana for loan, she agree in exchange for using research to take over world, they agree in exchange for secrecy, Morgana gives them old scientific research castle that she once used after it was gifted to her by a colleague. Castle Volkihar.

[Okay from here forward, bear with me as much of this is just pseudo-science as I lack the knowledge and intelligence to properly explain what they are doing. That being said, here's the rest of the way forward.]​

1. Go to the castle, clean it up enough to be livable, and begin setting their new lab.
2. Find both Morgana and Valeria's old research notes and equipment and repurpose it to suit their needs.
3. They begin collecting Bandit scum to use as research material, and once they have no more use, they sell their remaining parts on the black market to further fund their research.
4. Capturing Bandit scum proves to be a very unsustainable source of income, while it can provide a temporary solution to their funding issues it cannot reliably sustain them long term. Thankfully, they may not have to worry about such things for very long.
5. While interviewing various Bandit scum on possible locations for Bandit camps to seek and procure more research material rumors abound of a particular faunus within the Whitefang that was said to have been sent to clear out both Bandit and Out of Reach settlements within Vale. What made this information intriguing was the Bandit's fervent belief that the faunus in question was immortal.
6. After investigating the validity of these rumors and finding them to be true the duo set out to lure said individual into a trap. After a bit of time they successfully capture their new specimen, sedate him, and bring him to their laboratory for study and experimentation. It should be noted that the subject likes to refer to themselves as the immortal Thanh Qingquong. (Komodo Dragon faunus)
7. This leads to … Jaune and Blossom developing a crude variation of an Aura drain/transfer device, based on Jaune's own semblance, in order to better contain Thanh.
8. This leads to … Jaune and Blossom finetuning and eventually miniaturizing the device so that it can be sold and used commercially. Both as a way to fund their research and pay back aunt Morgana for giving them the castle. Said device runs at a 50% efficiency rating which is half of what Jaune's semblance can do but is still 2.5 times the standard rate of normal healing dust.
9. This leads to … Jaune and Blossom performing a series of interviews and tests on Thanh in order to understand his regenerative capabilities better. They also make use of regeneration ability to continually sell his organs and other various body parts on the black market in order to pay for their research whilst waiting for the returns on their portable Aura transfer device.
10. This leads to … Jaune and Blossom cracking the code on Thanh's abilities and extract the necessary components needed in order for the two of them to cure death.
11. This leads to … Jaune and Blossom developing and refining the serum that would allow them access to the same level of regenerative capabilities as Thanh, thus curing death by making oneself functionally immortal. They refine it by testing the various serums on the captured bandits and white Fang members.
12. This leads to … Jaune and Blossom discovering that serum has various side effects on individuals depending on whether or not their Aura is unlocked. These effects are more pronounced depending on if said individual is human. It should be noted that no matter how much they tweak the serum these side effects cannot be removed without removing the key function of the serum itself.
13. This leads to … Jaune and Blossom partaking of the serum themselves. Blossom turns out fine, but when Jaune partakes in it something goes wrong as both realize that due to the nature of Jaune's semblance the serum works a little too well on Jaune.
14. This leads to … Blossom interacting with Jaune Aura using her Aura in order to stave off whatever the serum is doing to him through his semblance only for her to stop part way as she witnesses Jaune's continued transformation and begins to back away in instinctual fear.
15. This leads to … Jaune breaking free of his bonds as he fully transforms into a dark furred lycanthropic creature who, once awake, begins to slowly stalk towards Blossom.
16. This leads to … Blossom being backed into the corner by said creature fearfully expecting to be killed by it only for the beast to stop part way as Jaune starts to retake control of his body.
17. This leads to … Jaune passing out after having somehow transformed back into his original self, and Blossom restraining him for both his and her protection, so they can figure out what happened.
18. This leads to … Jaune and Blossom running an extensive series of tests on Jaune in both states of his transformation. Ultimately realizing that the serum is more affected by aura than previously thought. Jaune's excess reserves and semblance applied the serum's effects on him leading him to gain the ability to transform into a beast like creature.
19. This leads to … Jaune and Blossom being more mindful of an individual's aura while administering the serum to them as well as testing just how much aura it takes for someone to turn into a similar creature. Further testing of Jaune's new transformation reveals that it does function similarly to lycanthropy with a few noticeable changes.
20. This leads to … Jaune using the semi-permanently transformed test subjects as a private military whose mission is to guard the island and all its inhabitants. The newly dubbed Wolf-Guard (No my heart we are not calling them that.(B) But my love think of how cool it sounds.(J) No means no Jaune.(B) *sighs* Okay, but can I at least give them individual names?(J) Of course, my love.(B)) Lycans also function as a psuedo-free labor force that aid in the reconstruction of the rest of the castle.
21. This leads to … Jaune and Blossom renovating the rest of the castle in preparation of the next phase of their plan to cure death. However, it is during this time that stumble upon Valeria's secret alcove whereupon she hid the Ancient Tome given to her by the Witch along with several other strange yet peculiar artifacts. The two not really having a need for such things opts to seal them away until such a time as when they might be needed.
22. This leads to … Jaune and Blossom beginning phase 2 of their plan which involves curing death in those that have already succumbed to it. Blossom, having been a former licensed mortician, advises that in order to do so they would need to procure a body that has become recently deceased as past a certain number of days a corpse becomes too decayed for any of the flesh still attached to it to be relatively useful for what they are trying to do. Jaune agrees with the understanding that they should still test to see just how long someone can remain dead before they can no longer be resurrected as well as how much of a person that individual still needs to be in order for them to remain that same person when they are resurrected. Would just their head suffice or would they need a certain amount of their original appendages to still function as they normally would?
23. This leads to … Jaune and Blossom stealing body parts from various grave sites in order to have enough usable material to assemble a body that they can then try to resurrect. It should be noted that for their first series of attempts they are not trying to bring back that individual person whom they've reassembled, but instead prove that bringing the dead back to life is possible. Jaune and Blossom understand that this would in turn create a whole new person that is entirely different from any of the original individuals whose various body parts make them up, and they are prepared to take full responsibility for the care, safety, and well being of this new being they've brought into the world. Jaune jokes that they are essentially making a baby which Blossom retorts that if Jaune wanted a child that badly all he had to do was ask, it's not like they don't already sleep together anyway, heck it's a miracle she hasn't gotten pregnant already, a sentiment which leaves Jaune a near sputtering mess.
24. This leads to … Jaune and Blossom assembling various bodies and performing numerous procedures in order to resurrect it. The core of which involved creating an artificial nervous system that utilizes an external electrical source to jump start the body such that the subsequent use of Aura and the Serum can regenerate and reconstitute any still dead cells within it.
25. This leads to … Jaune and Blossom constructing said system within the bodies they are trying to resurrect as they for the time being have no way of doing it externally. Treating it as though it were a necessary prosthetic for that individuals continued well-being. However this comes with its own set of complications as said system is crude, rudimentary, and requires an immense amount of space with the body in order to function causing Jaune and Blossom to make the body bigger than normal.
26. This leads to … numerous failed attempts as the Aura and subsequently the serum don't take to the body as the artificial nervous system fails to jump start it without damaging the flesh surrounding it. However, this doesn't discourage them as with each failure they learn what to do better getting them closer to being able to succeed as time goes on.
27. This leads to … Jaune and Blossom eventually succeeding at bringing a corpse back to life. (It's alive. IT'S ALIVE! HAHA!(J) *Jaune picks up Blossom and spins her around as they celebrate their first success*) They, and by they I mean jaune much to Blossom's chagrin, name their creation Victor Springfield-Arc and welcome them into the world with open arms.
28. This leads to …
29. This leads to …
30. This leads to …
31. This leads to …
32. This leads to …

---

[Author's Notes]​

1. 
   
2. Morgana = Brilliant Geneticist and Biotechnologist who specializes in Cloning Technology, who is now recently divorced and is, as a result, going through a midlife crisis which has caused her to become a partially insane supervillain who is even more hellbent on taking over the world than before. She is also a petty little troll who likes to mess with people.
3. Valeria = Ingenious Biochemist and Epidemiologist studying various hematological disorders to find a cure for her daughter Serana who at the time was slowly dying of an unknown blood disorder. However, as time goes on she becomes increasingly more desperate to find a cure and begins searching, pleading, and praying for anything and for anyone to save her daughter. Valeria's efforts and cries do not go unheard, whether by divine intervention or some other force in the universe, she stumbles upon rumors of an ancient witch who is believed to grant the wishes of those she deems worthy. Valeria seeks out this witch, eventually finding them, and pleads her case to the ancient being. Though the Witch is sympathetic to Valeria's cause, they nonetheless ask her what she is willing to give up in exchange for their gifts, and without hesitation Valeria answers back, "Anything.". The Witch smiles upon hearing Valeria's answer and proceeds to procure an ancient tome filled with long-forgotten and forbidden knowledge for her. The Witch explains that through this ancient tome, Valeria would have the means to save her daughter, but in exchange, Valeria would be bound in servitude to the Witch until the end of her days. Valeria agrees and takes the ancient tome back to her family's castle to study it and discover how to save her daughter. Valeria would go on to spend nearly all her time deciphering the tome and pulling away at the knowledge held within, eventually leading her to what she believed would cure her daughter's disorder by rendering it inoperable through the utilization of a separate disease she called Sanguinare Vampiris. Valeria believes that such a disease would be more manageable to deal with and allow Serana to freely live her life without obstacles, bearing that Valeria had the utmost confidence in herself to cure and control the disease should the need arise, it is unclear whether or not she was successful in either endeavor.
4. Thanh Qinquong "The Immortal" = Listed as Subject No.0197, Thanh is one of a hundred individuals with whom the Hunter Association of Remnant (HAR) considers to be dangerously lethal to the average Hunter and outright deadly to any Non-Hunter trained personnel. It should be noted that Thanh's designation has on several occasions been put up for review by the HAR to evaluate whether or not his current list of "feats" qualifies him as Hyper-Lethal. Thanh exhibits extreme animalistic tendencies that cause him to go into an uncontrollable state of frenzy when he feels threatened. Though testing and interviews have shown that Thanh does not need to consume human and faunus flesh, he still chooses to do so, and in most cases prefers it. Thanh's faunus feature consists of a reptilian-like tail that resembles those found on a series of Monitor Lizards called Komodo Dragons. However, further investigation of his outer body has revealed possible additional traits uncommon amongst his species. These include: 1) Reptilian-like skin appears above and around the base of his tail, his forearms, and lower calves as well as several other parts of his abdomen, 2) Sharpened and Elongated nails on each of his digits (It is currently unclear whether this is intentional or not on his part), 3) Sharpened and Serrated teeth (Also unclear), and most notably 4) Reptilian-like eyes that can switch between normal pupils to vertical slits.
   1. Semblance = One Above All, Thanh boasts a type of self-rapid regeneration ability that allows him to heal from almost any type of injury. From replacing lost limbs to regrowing entire sections of his body, allowing Thanh to survive life-threatening injuries so long as he has the aura to compensate. While Thanh's ability is overtly physical, his regenerative capabilities extend further, allowing him to heal from any illness. The downside to this process is that it causes significant Aura drain, and when used in tandem with his other regenerative abilities, can quickly empty his entire Aura reserve, leaving him vulnerable, proper aura control is therefore necessary when utilizing his power both in and out of combat. In addition, testing and interviews have revealed that while Thanh can heal from almost any injury, the pain felt from those injuries can still be felt by him.
   2. Addendum 1-B: It is to the agreement of both myself and my husband that Subject No.0197, otherwise referred to as Thanh, semblance is more than what has been described by the HAR and Thanh himself. We believe that the answer to what truly is Thanh's semblance resides within his DNA. This is due to the various tests and interviews done with Thanh that have revealed a possible correlation between the many additional traits found along his body and the timing of when he first gained his semblance. Thus more testing is required, and we'll update as needed.
   3. Addendum 2-J: After extensive testing and analysis of Thanh's genetic structure, we have been able to conclude that Thanh does not have a self-regeneration type of semblance, but one instead that focuses on enhancing the specific genetic sequences with his DNA that allow for regeneration. This essentially allows Thanh to undergo a form of rapid evolutionary adaptation wherein having a regenerative ability is paramount to his continued survival. This does not mean he can adapt to any environment as the specific enhancement seems to be restricted to only that genome. This is due to Thanh's nature as a faunus, particularly a faunus who is part Komodo Dragon. Komodo Dragons are a type of monitor lizard, the largest in fact, and unlike their cousins who have retained their ability to regrow the cartilage in their body, Komodo Dragons have long since evolved out of it. Despite this, Komodo Dragons still retain this specific trait within them; it is simply due to the nature of the environment in which they live that this trait remains dormant because to them it's unnecessary. However, if put in the right environment where the need for that specific trait is necessary for the species' survival, then the trait would become active again. In Thanh's case, due to having this dormant trait within him, all it would take is his semblance to reactivate it for him to have it, however, it would also enhance this trait allowing him to regrow more than just cartilage-based structures within his body. This is the truth of Thanh's semblance, one that masquerades as a simple self-regeneration ability but is instead an enhancement-based ability that targets the specific evolutionary adaptation trait found within his genetic structure that allows for regeneration. In a way, this is a much more fitting reflection of Thanh's soul as someone who sees himself as the pinnacle of his race and all others as his lesser.
   4. Addendum 3-B: I will be the first to admit that while I did agree with my husband that there was more to learn about Subject No.0197 I didn't expect the full scope of what we were getting. At first, I believed we could use the knowledge gained from researching Subject No.0197 to possibly get an idea of how such a self-generation ability might look if synthesized properly. Nowhere could I have even dreamed of getting ahold of the exact genetic sequence that allows such an ability to be possible. What should have been decades of research and development at best has only taken a few months. All that's left now is to refine and test it and we'll have achieved the first half of our dream. It is all quite remarkable, to say the least, we'll update as needed should any future developments arise.
5. Fulgrim = (Based on the character from the Darksiders series. I needed a demon for Faustian bargains and he was the first name to come up.)
6. Jaune Springfield-Arc = (Ph.D. in Geneology, Neuro-Science, and Auraology with additional degrees in Biochemistry (Biology + Chemistry), and Cellular-Biology, as well as an accidental degree in Child-Psychology via his wife's teachings.)
7. Blossom Springfield-Arc = (Mortuary Science + BioTechnology + BioEngineering + Autonomy + Microbiology + Virology + Cognitive Psychology + Accidental degree in Aurology via her husbands teachings)
   1. Semblance: Ashes to Ashes, Blossom can perform Pyrokinesis or Fire Manipulation. The drawback is that any fire she creates or manipulates turns black and white.
8. Victor Springfield-Arc = (Based on Frankenstein's Monster from the 2004 Van Helsing movie)
   1. Semblance: Key to Life, Victor can supercharge another person's Semblance and Aura by overcharging his internal battery. Not only does he have to charge up this ability, but it uses a significant amount of Aura to activate, however, this amount can be offset if he absorbs outside electrical energy. Note, while the nature of his being makes him resistant to electrical attacks, it does not make him immune. If he absorbs too much outside electrical energy, he runs the risk of damaging himself.
      1. 50% of Aura for 200% Power boost (Normal Rate)
      2. 15% of Aura for 200% Power boost (Offset Rate)
      3. 0% of Aura for 400% Power boost (Amplified Rate)
9. Elizabeth Springfield-Arc = (Based on The Bride of Frankenstein from the 1935 film of the same name, however, is named after Dr. Frankenstien's wife, specifically the 1974 Young Frankenstein Version)
   1. Semblance: Dramatic Lightning, Elizabeth can perform Tempestakinesis or Storm Manipulation. The drawback is that any storm she creates or manipulates turns black and white.
10. Fran Springfield-Arc = (Based on Fran from FGO)
    1. Semblance: Blasted Tree, Fran can perform Electrokinesis or Electricity Manipulation. The drawback is that it is very flashy because whenever she uses it, the electricity she's manipulating takes the same form as a tree when it's blasted by lightning. For an idea, think of a white neon streak outlined in a bright neon yellow.
11. The Serum = Jaune and Blossom's cure-all for death.
12. 
    
13. Yes, I am aware that naming the organization that governs the Hunters of Remnant the "Hunter Association of Remnant " spells out HAR. It is a special little in-joke to me and them in-universe as their motto is jokingly, "HAR bringing laughter to the people of Remnant one Grimm death at a time." Gotta have some amount of humor and levity in this bloody and cruel world of theirs after all.
14. It should be noted that I wrote all this while singing "They're Only Human" from Death Note: The Musical in my head.
15. Yes, this would be a dark romantic comedy story between Jaune and Blossom. Akin to something like the Addams family, but I know that some of the things that Jaune and Blossom are gonna get up to would be too inhumane and/or unethical even for the Addams Family or maybe it's just right up their alley I don't know it's been a while since I've seen the movie.
16. Additionally, for some reason I can also envision the two of them playing the "Danse Macabre" by The Oh Hellos wherein Blossom plays the Violin, Jaune plays the Guitar, Victor plays the Drums, Elizabeth does the vocals, and Fran plays the Mandolin. Just another wholesome albeit morbid family bonding experience.
17. Also, I just noticed this a while after, but Blossom excels the most at taking things apart and then seeing how they tick whilst the very core of Jaune's being is putting things back together again. Adds slightly more to the whole opposites attract bit with the destruction x creation thing going on there. And if you want to take things a step further, you could say there's some irony to be had with the whole idea that Ladybug is the one doing the destroying while Chat's over here fixing things.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Ruby smiles as the stream begins, Jaune sitting next to her as they both hold controllers.

Ruby: "Hey Roseheads and ArcFans! Yes, we're finally doing a stream together!"

Jaune: "Hey! So... How's the chat looking?"

Ruby: "I..." scowls "Yes he's hot! I know he's hot!"

Jaune: "Pardon?"

Ruby: "I-I mean... I think you look good! You have normal knees, just like me!"

Jaune: "I... Sure?"

Ruby: "ANYWAY! We're trying some new co-op indie horror games, since that's DarkArc's big thing when he's not being a jerk in MMORPGs."

Jaune: "I'm not a jerk... Exactly... Also you suck."

Ruby: "I do NOT suck! You're just some weird power fetish gamer!"

Jaune: "And you minmax! Seriously, do you have spreadsheets for your character builds?"

Ruby: "NO! ... Okay maybe one!"

Later in the stream...

Ruby: "Okay, so this is... The Backrooms: Deep Investigation! And this is... What do you call it, DarkArc?"

Jaune: "Liminal horror. It's an anthropology term meaning transitory spaces. Like hallways, or workspaces, or big empty spaces like malls and warehouses. They're places you don't live, and you don't feel comfortable in if no people are around. It's just... Off, strange, if they're entirely devoid of sound or people. Your imagination begins to turn every little noise into a monster. It's designed to emphasize your dread. The genre's been flooded thanks to the success of the original Backrooms with a lot of bad knockoffs, but you can still find potential gems."

Ruby: "Wow... That was hypernerd."

Jaune: "And? Um, is that bad?"

Ruby: blush "N-No! I uh, I actually kind of like it."

Jaune: "Thanks..."

In the Backrooms...

Ruby: "Ugh... I hate this shade of yellow. It's creepy and gross."

Jaune: "Yeah. I read it's unsettling because it matches the tone of a decaying corpse's skin."

Ruby: "How do you know stuff like that?"

Jaune: "Mom's a doctor, wanted me to be one too."

Ruby: "Oh. So uh, that didn't work out?"

Jaune: "No... Let's see... The sanity meter is very important, so let's keep that in mind."

Ruby: "Sure, sure..."

They wander through the first level.

Ruby: "Eesh... Why is everything arranged so spooky? Like all these chairs in rows-It's weird!"

Jaune: "That's kind of the point."

Ruby: "I guess so... When's a monster gonna appear? This is weirding me out!"

Jaune: "Again, kind of the point."

Ruby: "Well, I don't think anything will be scarier than-" She turns a corner, sees a mannequin "EEEEP!"

Jaune: "Hahahaahaha!"

Ruby: "You-You didn't tell me there would be killer mannequins!"

Jaune: "Ahahahaha!"

Ruby: "STOP LAUGHING! It was-It was surprising, that's all! Ten minutes of nothing and then BAM! Stupid mannequin!" She hits it... And it hits back "OW! How-HOW DID IT HIT ME?!"

Jaune: "Ahahahaha...!"

Some more time passes...

Ruby: "Ugh... I hate these stupid mannequins... They keep moving when I don't look at them! Like the Crying Angels in Professor Paradox..."

Jaune: "I really hope there aren't any Grimm like that. That would be horrifying, and they're already pretty bad."

Ruby: "I know right? Geez..." The lights begin to flicker and turn red "Uh oh. Uh oh, what-what's happening? What's happening?"

Jaune: "Yeah we need to get into shelter. NOW. There's a locker where I am!"

Ruby: "Where are you?! Where did you go?!"

Jaune: "I'm over here! I'm in the locker!"

Ruby: "Well where's my locker?! Where's the-" Sees a scribbly, squiggly abomination loping towards her "AAAHHH! AAAAHHHH! AAHHHHH!"

Jaune: "There's a shelter near me! Run! RUN RUN RUN-!"

Ruby runs to the locker... Hits the button to get in... And takes Jaune's place.

Jaune: "WHA-ROSESCYTHE!"

Ruby: giggles awkwardly "I didn't know I could do that-!"

The scribble monster grabs Jaune's character and kills him.

Jaune: "AAAHHHHH! AHHHH!"

Ruby: "SORRRRRRY! But you can always respawn and-"

The monster yanks the locker open and kills Ruby's character.

Ruby: "AAAHHH! WHAT!? IT CAN DO THAT?! WHY?!"

Jaune: "It saw you go into the locker."

Ruby: "THAT'S NO FAIR!"

Jaune: "Well we can always respawn." smirk

Ruby: "Sh-Shut up!"

 

[RedDragonEmpress]

So here's another one of them. Again this doesn't contain dialogue because it's just me planning out the story so the whole thing is essentially an outline. I'll get back to it when I can, but for now, here you go.

P.S. This was also written a long time ago, so bear with me even more.

[Story Description] ​

• <Neon Nostalgia (Beta Menu)>
• Of all the things Jaune Arc thought he would have to deal with during his time at Beacon, escaping from multiple armed groups out to kill and/or capture him was not one of them, that's more Team RWBY's thing after all. Now having to contend with Interpol agents trying to arrest him, White Fang Extremists looking to make an example of him, and a Mad Scientist who keeps sending mutated Grimm and Giant robots to kill him and Jaune Arc can safely say that he now understands Ruby's exasperation with her team's antics. Follow along with Jaune as he tries to avoid capture, clear his name, and stop an all too evil scientist from possibly taking over the world, and here Jaune thought that being a hero would be easy.

[Prologue]​

• [Intro]
  • <>
  • Having been just recently charged with multiple counts of murder in the second degree, Jaune currently finds himself being escorted into the back seat of a Valean police cruiser en route to the nearest police station for him to be processed. Jaune in shock over the current proceedings, but still having enough sense of mind to not escalate the situation, cooperates with the officers and heads with them down to the station. The drive begins relatively peacefully with Jaune doing his best to collect himself and try to understand what's going on as well as his next steps going further. All of this is cut short by the untimely arrival of an ever-increasing rumbling that has begun throughout the city. While emergency responders, and various scattered Hunters, across the Vale scramble to try to mitigate the damage, and eventual onset of negativity that such a mass panic would bring, their efforts are all too soon cut short as several massive explosions begin to occur across the city. The force of the explosions breaks through the concrete flooring of Vale whilst also sending out immense shock waves that shatter, crack, and crumble nearby surroundings. The police cruiser currently escorting Jaune is caught in one such wave, flipping the vehicle over and causing it to crash off the side of the road, Jaune loses consciousness not long after. After some time, Jaune awakes to find himself hanging upside down from his seat in the back of the cruiser and as he tries to reorient himself is stopped by a load Bang against the side of the car. Hunter's Instincts, born from a brief time as a Huntsman in Training as well as dealing with Nora begin to set in as Jaune starts to become aware of his surroundings. The first is that he is alone and seemingly trapped inside a wrecked vehicle and the second and probably most pressing is that an ursa minor is trying to break into said vehicle to get to him. Jaune, panicking at the second detail, begins to scramble for a way out of the car, and after managing to bust the aura-dampening cuffs off of him he uses a pseudo version of Ren's aura-infused palm strikes with his elbow to break open the nearby rear window and crawl out of the car. Now, free of the vehicle and his restraints Jaune begins to take a moment and breathe or at least he would have if the Ursa minor hadn't just happened to notice him get out of said car. Caught near unaware without his usual gear, Jaune begins to move around the car keeping it between him and the Grimm as long as possible to come up with a plan. Searching his surroundings Jaune very quickly realizes that there is no way to safely get away from the Grimm, all available routes are blocked off and he is not fast enough to outrun it with all the debris and even terrain surrounding them. Seeing no other choice, but to fight his way out Jaune searches for anything that he can use as a weapon, and fortunately, he can spot one in the form of a discarded plasma pistol lying near the cruiser. Hoping that the gun is still loaded, and properly functional, Jaune jumps for the plasma pistol and starts to unload onto the Ursa minor, but despite the blasts being what they are the shots are unable to penetrate the Ursa minor's hide. It is only after the Ursa minor jumps from the car after getting shot at that Jaune accidentally begins to hold down the trigger of the pistol, unknowingly charging it in the process. Dodging away the best he can from the Grimm's strikes Jaune tries to fire at it again hoping that maybe with the correct shot he can land a killing blow or at least enough of one to slow it down and let him get away. Going to take a shot Jaune doesn't notice the heat coming off the gun and it is only after firing that he realizes that difference in this shot as the recoil alone nearly sends him off his feet. Regaining his footing Jaune looks back to the Grimm only to see that it's missing its head and its body collapsing not long after, now able to finally focus on the rest of his surroundings Jaune takes in the devastation around him. Searching around Jaune is unable to find the officers who were driving him to the station, but he can find one of their sabers that they were carrying on them. Jaune now alone in quite possibly a Grimm-infested city and armed only with a standard issue police plasma pistol, with a basic Charge-Up Mod, and a saber begins to fight his way through the city streets killing any Grimm that comes in his way whilst trying to save as many people as he can.
  • (Charge-Up Pistol Mod - allows for plasma pistol to be charged up before firing increasing the amount of damage dealt to enemies. Charge-up takes time, however. Weakens/Breaks Non-Metallic Heavily armored enemies' armor.)

[Tutorial Stage]

////////// City Streets and Valean Heights //////////​

• [Stage 1-1] \Eastern Commercial District\
  • <Stage Music: The City Streets (From "No Straight Roads")>
  • Eventually coming across a young girl whom he was unable to save in time. She makes mention of her dog which she lost in the ensuing panic of the Breach before finally giving out and passing in Jaune's arms. The event hardens Jaune's resolve to fight the ensuing Grimm horde and he continues making his way through the city saving as many people as he can from the Grimm.
• [Stage 1-2] \Western Commercial District\
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  • Fighting his way further into the city he eventually hears soft whimpering from a young golden retriever. Going in to investigate and possibly rescue the pup he is stopped by a Gheist possessing a large pile of concrete rubble. After defeating the concrete rock Gheist golem, Jaune heads to free the puppy trapped in the debris. Finding the dog to be severely injured Jaune does his best to heal/tend to the animal's wounds unknowingly unlocking his semblance in the process as he was unaware that the dog had an aura. Once healed the dog begins to run away, but Jaune gives chase as he just healed this dog and wants to make sure they are okay stumbling upon an Attachment for his saber along the way.
  • {Mini-Boss: Gheist (Ruined Concrete Golem) (Non-Metallic Solid Enemy)}
  • (Empty Tri-Cartridge Dust Infuser - allows for elemental cartridges to be inserted into the saber therefore giving the sword the ability to switch between various elemental properties that can be used in combat. Unfortunately, it is currently missing the necessary cartridges to allow for elemental attacks, but should any be found they can be easily slotted into the infuser. Keep in mind that while these individual cartridges are reusable they can and will run out of dust eventually so keep a steady supply of raw dust to keep them filled up.)

[Interlude]​

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• Rushing after the dog Jaune finds himself back at the scene of the deceased little girl with the dog whimpering at the state of its previous owner. Realizing that this was the girl's missing dog Jaune moves to comfort the animal only to be stopped part way through as Vale Police close in on him to try and arrest him. However, rather than just try to detain him normally the police immediately seek to put down the wayward arc. Confused by their over-excessive use of force and not wanting to attack the police Jaune opts to run away and hide from them. The dog, whose name Jaune doesn't know, but lovingly refers to as Percival, follows him.

[Boss Tutorial Stage]​

• [Stage 1-3] \Nothern Industrial District\
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  • The duo runs from the police throughout the remaining western side of the commercial district and into the northern half of the industrial district. Unable to properly fight back and defend themselves in fear of escalating the situation even more they manage to finally lose their pursuers by hiding out in one of the many warehouses scattered about this district. After some time Jaune and Percival carefully make their way out of the warehouse and toward the dock area in the hopes of possibly obtaining a ship to get them out of Vale. However, the duo is all but stopped in their path as they stumble upon what looks to be another Jaune Arc. Jaune unable to do much except stare at this doppelganger version of himself from his impromptu hiding spot behind a warehouse wall, notices that this other Jaune, whom he promptly dubs Jaune-Alter, only really shares similarities with him in terms of his face. Whereas Jaune has an admittingly light going on moderate sort of build, Jaune-Alter is stocky -think Vol.7 Jaune Build-. Where Jaune is denoted by his not-too-combat-compatible attire of worn sneakers, faded jeans, orange shirt under an admittedly very comfy sweatshirt/hoodie, and hand-me-down training armor, Jaune-Alter is dressed from the head down in a series interwoven ebony and bronze plated armor that looks so perfectly fitted to the user that one could argue that it is his skin and an accompanying long coat with a similarly styled set of ebony gauntlets and vambraces placed atop them; all of which is outlined in a deep sickly neon yellow -think Goto Ryuji's outfit from the Jeju island raid-. The last of which Jaune notices is simply how Jaune-Alter seems to carry himself, standing stall with a level of seriousness and focus that presents an air of confidence which Jaune believes he can only ever hope to achieve. All in all, Jaune-Alter in this moment looks to be everything Jaune could ever hope or want to be, but that idea is shattered momentarily after as Jaune begins to hear more of Jaune-Alter's conversation with whomever he is speaking to on his scroll. Jaune overhears Jaune-Alter admit to their part in the current destruction of Vale, however, before Jaune can hear more he is spotted by Jaune-Alter who upon seeing the original smirks and taunts Jaune before causing a massive explosion to occur in the district weakening the defenses along the wall and allowing for a massive Alpha Griffon to appear and swoop over. Jaune-Alter disappears in the ensuing chaos leaving Jaune to deal with Grimm by himself, but armed with his new rocket boots and Percival, whose semblance allows for him to RUSH towards any target in front of them effectively becoming a dog-shaped rocket-propelled missile, they make quick work of the Grimm. Before the duo can celebrate however the majority of the Vale Police force and several Huntsman and Huntresses show up to apprehend Jaune believing him to be the cause of the explosion due to his already Wanted status as a fugitive of the law. However, Jaune is saved by an unknown man in Black and Blue with White plated armor who calls himself "Ten" and tells Jaune to run while he holds off the Police and various Hunters.
  • {}
  • ()

[Interlude]​

• <Stage Music: The Revolution Comes Around (From "No Straight Roads")>
• Jaune and Percival manage to escape capture, eventually making their way to a rooftop overlooking a portion of the city. Unsure of what his next actions should be Jaune begins to break down relenting to his current situation only for Percival to begin to comfort him. Jaune still distraught over recent events, finds comfort in the moment, "Have faith Jaune," he thinks to himself, "There is always light at the end of the path." Just as he thinks on his father's words a special news announcement begins to play on the jumbo tron some few blocks away. The report goes into detail on today's attack which is being referred to as the New Breach marking the second time within the last several months that such a tragedy has taken place within the city. Furthermore citing the overall damage and massive number of casualties that took place in comparison to the previous one. However, the report very quickly goes into the subject of possible suspects who are the cause of the incident citing Jaune as being the main perpetrator of it due to numerous reports from eye-witnesses that place him in the exact locations where the bombs hit the city and allowed Grimm to flow in. While the report does make a slight effort to explain the conflicting nature of the eyewitness testimonies as well as their lack of willingness to come forward and name themselves the damage has been done. The report ends with a statement from the Commissioner of the Vale City Police calling for the immediate apprehension and arrest of one Jaune [Placeholder] Arc. The commissioner cited that they'll be working alongside the Atlas military as well as various Hunters that are in the area to bring down this potentially violent and dangerous individual. Further calling for any information with regards to his location and promising hefty rewards in return for said information should it lead to Jaune's capture (effectively putting a bounty on his head). After the report ends Jaune is stuck in a state of shock as he is now the most wanted man in his own country for crimes he didn't commit and potentially albeit very likely the most reviled and hated individual on Remnant too. At that moment Jaune almost gives up, but as looks back to Percival nudging his leg and thinking again to his father's words he begins to think about everything that has transpired from his being framed for murder to the New Breach to the doppelganger version of him, and even the mysterious black armored stranger who saved him, he thinks of his friends who supported his claims of innocence at the initial allegations thrown at him, and he thinks of his family whom he knows believes in him despite their recent arguments and fights that they've had with each other. Jaune then strengthens his resolve to continue forward as he knows that he isn't alone and that despite everything that has happened there is a light at the end of the path he just has to keep moving to get to it. (Cue screen paneling upward as we see the night sky with the title card RWBY: THE MEGA-ARC appearing on screen in flash and staying there for a bit before finally fading away as the screen descends downwards back onto Jaune) With his Will to go renewed he sets off with Percival in search of answers as to everything that's going on and quite possibly, hopefully, mind you, clear his name in the process.

////////// Tunnels and Mountain Glen //////////​

• [Stage 2-1] \Tunnel\
  • <Wavelength of Oppression (From "No Straight Roads")>
• [Stage 2-2] \Underground Ruins of Mountain Glenn\
  • <take the bait - ‪@DEMONDICEKAREN‬ (Official Instrumental) | (Prod. Musicality)>
  • 
    
  • {Mini-Boss: Heavily armored Alpha Beowulf}
  • (Lightning Dust Cartridge - allows for Saber attacks to become infused with the electric damage type. This damage type does more damage to metallic - read: robotic - enemies and can more easily short-circuit auto-defense systems - read: traps -.)
• [Stage 2-3] \Old Hidden Merlot Facility\
  • <Methods of Madness (Kazan's Theme) (From "Omega Strikers")>
  • 
    
  • {Boss: Mutated Alpha Vulcanus (Salamander) That seemingly has a pseudo metallic hide along its body. (Metallic Enemy)}
  • (Proto-suit - NanoTech armor that glides over the body and assimilates all existing technology into it and allows the user to more easily use said technology. Requires helmet interface to use more efficiently. Does provide in the meantime Digi-struck armor for extra protection if the aura breaks. It should be noted that when the aura breaks you have only one hit before dying in the game. Proto-suit allows for one additional hit before dying giving extra time for the aura to recharge.)
  • (Key Item: Merlot Data-Sheet - Currently inaccessible due to lack of helmet interface to showcase data.)

[Interlude]​

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////////// Forests and Railway Cars //////////​

• [Stage 3-1] \Valean Forests\
  • <The Heart's Whisper (Era's Theme)>
• [Stage 3-2] \Back Train Cars\
  • <The Oni Drummer (Lobby Theme) (From "Omega Strikers")>
  • 
    
  • {Mini-Boss: Lt. Banesaw}
  • (Fire Dust Cartridge - )
• [Stage 3-3] \Middle Train Cars\
  • <A Demon's Thunder (Mako's Theme) (From "Omega Strikers")>
  • 
    
  • {Boss: Adam Taurus (Non-Metallic Solid Enemy)}
  • (Experimental Atlassian Combat Helm with Custom Interfacing, Visor, and Lower Face Guard - )
  • (Key Items: Adam Taurus's Scroll - Combined with the Merlot Data Sheet collected earlier and the new Helmet that allows for the Data to be processed and showcased to the user creates a roadmap of various locations of interest with regards to finding Merlot.)

[Interlude]​

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////////// Tundra and Atlas //////////​

• [Stage 4-1] \Atlassian Tundra\
  • <The City Streets (Posh Version) (From "No Straight Roads")>
• [Stage 4-2] \Abandoned Atlas Military Base\
  • <Rocket Science (From "No Straight Roads")>
  • 
    
  • {Mini-Boss: }
  • (Speadshot Pistol Mod - )
• [Stage 4-3] \Secret Merlot Drone Factory\
  • <Burden of Knowledge (Atlas's Theme)>
  • 
    
  • {Boss: New Grimm "The Changling" made from extracted pieces of Grimm essence that's been experimented on. (Non-Metallic Liquid Enemy)}
  • (Camo Cloak - )
  • (Key Items: )

[Interlude]​

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• • (Dash and Dash Slash Ability - )

////////// Jungles and Mistral //////////​

• [Stage 5-1] \Escape from the Argus Limited\
  • <The City Streets (Poppy Version) (From "No Straight Roads")>
  • 
    
  • (Energy-Erang Pistol Mod - )
• [Stage 5-2] \Jungles of Anima\
  • <Order Of Business (Nao's Theme) (From "Omega Strikers")>
  • 
    
  • {Mini-Boss: Lancer Queen}
  • (Ice Dust Cartridge - )
• [Stage 5-3] \Secret Merlot Research Facility (Death Mountain)\
  • <Shield Sister (Asher's Theme)>
  • 
    
  • {Boss: Mutated Gheist (Magma Golem) (Non-Metallic Liquid/Solid Enemy)}
  • (Power Gauntlet Mod - )

[Interlude]​

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////////// Open Seas and Menagerie //////////​

• [Stage 6-1] \The Docks/Shipping District\
  • <World's Largest Metronome (From "No Straight Roads")>
• [Stage 6-2] \The Crimson Sea\
  • <Go Strike (Juliette's Beach Theme)>
  • 
    
  • {Mini-Boss: Sea Feilong}
  • (Sawblade Pistol Mod - )
• [Stage 6-3] \Hidden Sky Temple Base (Menagerie)\
  • <A Champion's Redux (Estelle's Theme)>
  • 
    
  • {Boss: Cyborg Adam Taurus}
  • (V-Crown Visor Mod - )

[Interlude]​

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////////// Merlot's Island and Lab //////////​

• [Stage 7-1] \Merlot Island\
  • <Baroque Banditry (Rasmus's Theme)>
  • {Miniboss: Giant Merlot Industries Robot codename: Big Fuzz}
  • (Key Item: CCT Acess Codes - )
  • (Key Item: )
• [Stage 7-2] \Merlot Laboratory\
  • <Vice Versa (Vyce's Theme) (English Version)>
  • <Mega Man 2 medley - Super Smash Bros Ultimate>
  • 
    
  • {Boss: Jaune-Alter}
  • {Boss Phase 2: Malformed Jaune-Alter}
  • (Mega Buster Gauntlet - )

[Interlude]​

• <Long Way From Home (Zentaro's Theme)>

[End Credit]​

• <Curtain Call (Finii's Theme)>

• References:

 

[AndrewJTalon]

I think I'll just be vague about game details and let you guys imagine what the games actually are, or what they're based on. With the main focus being on the character interactions.

- - -

Jaune starts up the stream. Yang is with him, though the stream is hiding both of them with anime caricatures.

Jaune: "Hey DarkArc Fans! Our guest is a retired streamer who had some success but stopped it to focus on other things. Give it up for SunDragon!"

Yang: "Hey... And yes, they're real. Part of why I had to stop streaming. People thought I was using the girls to get views."

Jaune: "Er... Yeah well..."

Yang: "Heh! You might say they're my primary care guns, eh? Eh?"

Jaune: "... I-"

Yang: "They're boobs!"

Jaune: "I get it... Yeah. So, up today is another horror game: The Amusement Park."

Yang: "Pfft. Is it some dorky haunted amusement park that's a thin rip off of Five Nights at Frederick's? Or some SCP Foundation inspired junk?"

Jaune: "Neither, it's made in Unreality Engine by a college team that was interning for Maniacal Games. It's their final project and it looks pretty neat. And they asked me to beta test it. But since RoseScythe is uh... Indisposed right now-"

Yang: "Heh. She's trying to teach P-Money how NOT to suck at video games. It's amazing!"

Jaune: "Ya know, I did keep trying to teach her and Pyr-P-Money was happy to learn with me but RoseScythe started insisting on teaching her herself. That's weird... Anyway! Let's see how this game works!"

Yang: "Betcha there will be cheap jump scares within five minutes."

Jaune: "You're on."

Yang: "Oh ho? Taking my bets now, VB? You feeling confident in the nerd space?"

Jaune: "Like you're not into this stuff."

Yang: "Am not."

A few minutes into the moody, atmospheric game setting of an abandoned theme park...

Jaune: "You are so a real nerd! You threw a tantrum over Neptune beating you at a card game!"

Yang: "No! That was-He was being stupid!"

Jaune: "Well yeah, it's Neptune."

Yang: "I'm not a nerd! I left all this stuff behind!"

Jaune: "Uh huh. So if I said that the Thirteenth Professor Paradox was actually good and The Neglected Child was a brilliant retcon, you wouldn't be bothered?"

Yang: "NNnnnngghh... N-No! Who cares about that?"

Jaune: "Or that Captain Malcolm Irk of the Starship Serenity series was done well in the reboot movies, you wouldn't object?"

Yang: twitch "N-N-Not at all! He's hot and that's all I care about! N-Not story or character or bullshit like that!"

Jaune: "And if I said Maura Bagend was luggage in The Emperor of the Jewels-"

Yang: red eyes "You shut your whore mouth!"

Later on, as they investigate the amusement park...

Yang: "Haaa... Man I'm getting kind of bored. It all looks fantastic, the sound design is great, and it's all eerie but this feels pretty-"

And a monster clown statue that was minding its own business nearby reaches out and grabs the player, screeching like a Grimm.

Yang: "AAAAAHHHH! AAAAAAHHHH! AAHHHHHHH!" She leaps into Jaune's lap and hugs him "AAAAAAHHHHH!"

Jaune: "AAAAHHHH!"

Once they sort themselves out... Yang is still in Jaune's lap.

Yang: "O-Okay... So that bossfight was pretty good... But I swear this next fight had better not be-"

A happy cat mascot approaches...

Yang: "Oh geez, it's covered in blood. How original-"

Its head splits open revealing a bloody, gore covered human skull.

Yang: "AAAAAHHHHHH!"

And that splits open revealing a chainsaw made of teeth and eyes.

Yang: "AAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Jaune: Choking because his face is buried in her boobs "MMMMMPH!"

A few more fights ensue. Yang is permanently in Jaune's lap by now.

Jaune: "So uh... How are we enjoying the game?"

Yang: mumbles "Fine... It's actually pretty good... And you make for a good pillow, VB. You soft boy."

Jaune: blush, scowls "Well you're even better as a pillow, Spitfire."

Yang: "You calling me soft?!"

Jaune: "Well, um... In all the right places?"

Yang: scowls, blushes... Smirks "Oh really? And no hard feelings, DarkArc?"

Jaune: "Uh... N-No, not really-"

Ruby bursts into the room.

Ruby: "YANG! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Yang: "What? VB asked me to stream with him! You were busy!"

Ruby: "WHY ARE YOU IN HIS LAP?!"

Yang: smug "I dunno, why do you have a problem with it?"

Jaune: "Ladies, ladies, please! I can't get banned again!"