[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[AndrewJTalon]

The JNPR common room was lively with the usual morning chatter and the clatter of utensils on plates when the door swung open and Penny Polendina stepped inside, bright smile already in place.

"Salutations, Friend Ruby! Hello, Friend Yang! Hello, Friend Weiss! Hello, Friend Blake! Hello, Friend Nora! Hello, Friend Ren! Hello, Friend Pyrrha!" She paused, scanning the room until her gaze landed on Jaune. "Hello, Friend Jaune!"

"Hello!" Jaune grinned, as everyone else returned Penny's cheerful greeting with varying levels of enthusiasm. Penny smiled back.

Then her eyes dropped to the small blonde girl sitting on Jaune's lap, happily eating a muffin.

Penny tilted her head.

"Why do you have a smaller, female, half-Faunus duplicate of yourself, Friend Jaune?"

Jaune nearly choked and smiled in confusion.

"Uh, this is my daughter, Mia."

Mia waved cheerfully, ears perking up.

"Hello!"

Penny's smile widened instantly.

"Hello, Friend Mia! You are very small and cute!"

"Hee! Thank you!" Mia giggled, clearly delighted by the compliment.

Penny leaned in a little closer, curiosity sparkling in her green eyes. "Where did you come from?"

"My parents!" Mia answered proudly.

Jaune nodded. "Yes."

Penny's head tilted even further.

"So… did you make her yourself?"

Jaune's brain short-circuited. "Huh? What? No!"

Mia, trying to be helpful, added, "The stork brought me!"

Penny's eyes widened. "The stork? How? That is illogical! How do storks participate in human and Faunus reproduction? How do babies come about?"

Mia blinked. "Huh?"

Yang, who had been lounging on the couch, suddenly grinned wickedly. She reached over and gently covered Mia's ears with both hands.

"Sex," she said cheerfully.

Jaune sputtered, nearly choking on his cookie again. "YANG!"

"Seriously?!" Ruby demanded.

"What? I covered her ears!"

Penny's head tilted the other way. "Hm. Interesting. I looked up the term 'sex' but all search results were quarantined off by my father and General Ironwood."

The entire room went dead silent. Nora blinked, but didn't stop eating her pancakes.

Penny blinked innocently.

"…On my scroll! Which I quickly used to look up 'sex!' Like a normal human girl!" She hiccuped.

Blake muttered under her breath, "That's… not untrue."

Weiss turned bright red. "Wha— You perverted creature, you—!"

Blake raised an eyebrow at Weiss. "So if I were to hand me your scroll right now and we went through your search history, you'd be squeaky clean?"

Weiss stared.

Blake stared back.

Weiss immediately yanked out her scroll and started frantically deleting things.

Blake smirked. "That's what I thought."

Yang leaned over, looking concerned as Weiss kept scrolling and deleting at lightning speed. "Good gods, girl… at least use the private tabs."

"Seriously," Nora said sagely. Ren nodded in agreement, his eyes momentarily haunted.

Meanwhile, Mia squirmed under Yang's hands. "What are they talking about, Papa—?"

Jaune's face was bright red. "I'll tell you when you're older!"

"But—"

"When you're older!"

Mia pouted but eventually nodded, accepting the mysterious adult rule for now.

- - -

And now I'm going to collapse and sleep.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Last one for today...
- - -
The window to the RWBY dorm slid open with a familiar creak.

Qrow Branwen slipped inside like he owned the place, boots landing lightly on the floor despite the bottle in his hand. Yang looked up from the kitchenette, wearing a pink apron with little strawberries on it, and rolled her eyes.

"Uncle Qrow. You know there's a door, right?"

"Yeah, but windows are more fun," he grinned, taking a swig from his flask. "Besides, doors are for people who aren't trying to avoid Ozpin's paperwork."

Yang was in the middle of making snacks: Cutting apples into bunny shapes and arranging cupcakes on a plate, while Mia sat at the small table, swinging her legs and coloring.

Mia looked up at the newcomer, wrinkled her nose, and declared loudly, "You're smelly and weird."

Qrow barked out a short laugh. "Kid's not wrong."

Yang snorted, wiping her hands on the apron. "Mia, this is my Uncle Qrow. He's… an acquired taste."

Mia tilted her head, ears twitching. "Like pickles?"

"Exactly like pickles," Qrow agreed, amused.

Yang finished plating the snacks and brought them over, the strawberry apron still tied neatly around her waist. She looked every bit the picture of domestic warmth as she set the plate down and gently adjusted Mia's napkin.

Qrow leaned against the wall, watching the scene with a faint, almost wistful smile.

Yang caught the look and raised an eyebrow. "What are you smirking about, old man?"

Qrow took another slow sip from his flask, eyes softening. "Just… you in an apron, playing mom. Making bunny-shaped apples and everything. Reminds me of Summer. The way she used to take care of you and Ruby when you were little. Same energy."

Yang's face instantly turned bright red. "S-Shut up! It's not like that!"

Mia, who had been happily munching on an apple bunny, suddenly perked up and announced with zero filter:

"I want Yang to be my new mama! She'd be great!"

Qrow's grin widened, sharp and teasing. "Oh? Is that so?"

Yang nearly dropped the plate she was holding. "Mia-!"

She quickly stuffed a whole cupcake into the little girl's mouth to cut her off, cheeks burning even brighter.

"Nah! She's just a kid!" Yang laughed nervously, waving her hands. "Kids say weird stuff all the time! So what if I like Jaune a little? It doesn't mean anything! We're just friends! Totally normal friends!"

Qrow raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying a single word. His smirk grew into something knowing and far too amused.

"Uh-huh."

Mia chewed the cupcake with big, innocent eyes, then swallowed and tried again. "But Auntie Yang likes Papa and—"

"Another cupcake!" Yang squeaked, shoving a second one into Mia's mouth before she could finish.

Qrow chuckled lowly, shaking his head as he watched his niece fluster and flail.

"Relax, Firecracker. Your secret's safe with me… for now."

Yang groaned, burying her face in her hands while Mia happily munched away, completely oblivious to the chaos she'd just caused.

Qrow just took another sip from his flask, still smiling faintly.

Summer would've loved this.

Of course, if Ruby was also into the blonde doofus... Well. He'd have to kick his ass.

He seemed like a good dad. So he wouldn't beat him up too hard. But it was the only way to keep blonde doofuses from thinking they could build a harem.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The Aslanmas lunch had been perfect—elegant but not stuffy, held in the glass-walled conservatory of one of Atlas's oldest restaurants, overlooking the snow-covered botanical gardens below. Ruby and Whitley had enjoyed it. Ruby had filled most of the time with her chatter, asked thoughtful questions, and blushed every time Whitley's hand found hers under the table. Whitley had been quiet. Even quieter than usual.

Now the two of them strolled a lighted path through the gardens themselves. Snow fell in fat, lazy flakes, catching in Ruby's dark hair like stars. Something Whitley stared at intensely.

Whitley's heart hammered so loudly he was sure Ruby could hear it. The small velvet box in his coat pocket felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.

He stopped beneath a wrought-iron arch heavy with frost-laden evergreens. Ruby paused beside him, tilting her head.

"Everything okay?" she asked, silver eyes soft with concern.

Whitley swallowed. He'd rehearsed this a hundred times—elegant words, perfect phrasing—but every script fled his mind the moment he looked at her.

"Ruby," he started, voice quieter than he intended. "I… need to say something."

She waited, patient as always. Snowflakes melted on her lashes.

He took both her gloved hands in his.

"I used to think the world was a ledger," he said. "Assets and liabilities, numbers and variables. Influence and control. My father taught me that love was just another transaction—something you leveraged or lost." His throat tightened. "I was cruel because I was terrified of being weak. Of being worthless if I didn't win."

Ruby's fingers squeezed his gently. She didn't interrupt; she never did when someone was finally being honest.

"Then you crashed into my life—literally, sometimes—and you… you never treated people like numbers. You saw worth in everyone. Even me, when I gave you every reason not to." He laughed, a small, shaky sound. "You believed I could be better. And somehow, because you believed it, I started to."

He dropped to one knee in the snow, not caring that the cold soaked through his trousers. The box came out with fingers that barely trembled.

Ruby's eyes widened.

"I don't have a grand speech," Whitley said, opening the box to reveal a ring—white gold shaped like delicate rose petals, set with a single ruby that caught the garden lights like captured starlight. "I just know that every day since the war ended, I've woken up wanting to be the kind of man who deserves to stand next to you. Not because of my name or money or anything I can give you—because I want to spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you've made me."

He looked up at her, blue eyes steady despite the tears threatening.

"Ruby Rose, will you marry me?"

For a heartbeat, the only sound was snow falling.

Then Ruby dropped to her knees too, right there in the snow, cupping his face in her mittened hands.

"Yes," she whispered, laughing through sudden tears. "Yes, of course, you ridiculous, wonderful man."

She kissed him—fierce and sweet and tasting of winter air and hot chocolate from lunch. Whitley's arms went around her, ring box forgotten in the snow as he held her like she was the only real thing in the universe.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Valean Defense Force – Technical Data Sheet

Designation: EMAT-3 Tarrasque Tactical Assault Transport (Mark I)
Classification: Heavy Mechanized Walker / Troop Transport / Fire Support Platform
Role: Urban pacification, rough-terrain assault, anti-mech countermeasure, mobile command and deployment node
Manufacturer: Wayland Motors Military Mecha Division

Physical Specifications

• Length (hull): 15.8 m (excluding main gun overhang)
• Width: 6.2 m
• Height (to dorsal turret): 8.4 m (low-profile crouch mode reduces to ~6.8 m)
• Leg Configuration: Six articulated reverse-joint hydraulic legs with wide, clawed footpads allow for superior grip on rubble, mud, or broken pavement
• Mass: 48 metric tons (combat loaded)
• Armor: Layered composite with Dust-infused reactive panels; mechashift joints allow some sections to flex and dissipate impacts from Grimm charges or other strikes
• Powerplant: Twin high-output Dust reactors paired with advanced mechashift hydraulic arrays. Mechashift technology enables real-time reconfiguration of actuators and pistons for efficient power delivery and reduced lag.

Mobility

• Maximum Speed: 60 km/h on open or semi-open terrain (surprisingly agile for its mass thanks to optimized six-leg gait and low center of gravity; sustains 45–50 km/h in dense urban rubble or thick woodland)
• Terrain Capability: Exceptional in city streets, steep hills, muddy forests, and debris fields. Legs can crouch for a lower silhouette or extend for short climbs and obstacle crossing.
• Maneuverability: Tight turning radius; capable of pivoting in place while keeping the main gun on target. Mechashift hydraulics provide burst "spring" steps for evasive maneuvers or closing on enemy targets.
• Operational Range: 450 km on internal Dust cells (extendable via external pods).

Armament

• Primary Weapon: 105 mm rifled Winchester cannon in dorsal turret (high-elevation traverse for direct or indirect fire). Fires HE, APFSDS, and HEAT rounds; sustained rate of fire 6–8 rounds per minute.
• Secondary Turrets: Six Wallace Arms 12.7 mm heavy machine guns in remote weapon stations (four forward-heavy arc, two rear). Optimized for anti-infantry, anti-Grimm suppression, and soft-target engagement.
• Defensive Systems:
  • Dual side-mounted 40 mm automatic grenade launchers (HE or buckshot loads).
  • Hull-integrated smoke grenade launchers.
  • Anti-Grimm Sonic Emitters (50 meter range)
  • Reactive armor.
  • Slat armor for cab.
• Close-Quarters: Reinforced leg claws and optional front ram plate for crushing lighter Grimm or grappling disabled vehicles.

Crew & Capacity

• Crew: 6 (pilot, co-pilot/systems officer, gunner/commander, 3 turret operators; reducible to 4 with semi-automated assistance)
• Troop Capacity: 20–24 fully equipped VDF soldiers or mixed Hunter teams. Rear ramp with mechashift seals for rapid combat deployment.
• Vehicle Bay: Internal bay capable of carrying 2–4 recon motorcycles or light scout drones.
• Drone Integration: Command uplinks and hardpoints for up to 8 reconnaissance or strike drones, providing real-time battlefield awareness to the Tarrasque's command station.
• Medical/Evac: Configurable space for 4 stretchers or a compact field hospital module.

Key Features & Design Philosophy

• Urban & Tough Terrain Focus: The low-slung six-legged stance gives the Tarrasque unmatched stability in Vale's dense city blocks and surrounding wilds, making it far harder to topple or immobilize than Atlas's taller, bipedal Paladins.
• Mechashift Advantage: Remnant mechanical transforming technology turns hydraulic systems into a strength—joints shift geometry on the fly for optimal leverage, allowing the walker to keep pace with lighter forces while absorbing punishment that would cripple conventional mechs.
• Anti-Atlas Counter: Heavy frontal armor and the powerful 105 mm gun provide decisive standoff capability. In close quarters the Tarrasque can literally step over or body-check lighter enemy machines.
• Combined Arms Platform: Serves as a mobile anchor—deploys troops and recon bikes for flanking maneuvers, coordinates drone swarms for spotting, and delivers heavy fire support while agile Hunters handle fast-moving Grimm threats.
• Drawbacks: High Dust consumption during extended use; vulnerable if multiple legs on one side are crippled (though partial "limp" mode is possible); requires experienced crews to fully exploit the leg gait in narrow streets; higher maintenance requirements for six legs than two; Slower than Paladins.

Note: Yes, it's the AT-TE All Terrain Tactical Enforcer from Star Wars. I named it for a legendary giant monster with heavy armor. I thought to myself, why can't Vale have their own walkers? But it would be a different design and philosophy from the Paladins.

I was inspired by this set of images:

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/nY3dyO

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Designation: ALAAT-44 "Darner" Low-Altitude Assault Transport
Classification: Tactical Assault Gunship / Infantry Transport / Close Air Support Platform
Role: Rapid troop insertion, fire support, armed reconnaissance, anti-vehicle and anti-Grimm suppression
Manufacturer: Neith Aerospace

Physical Specifications

• Length: 17.7 m
• Wingspan: 17.2 m (28.5 m with extended ordnance pods)
• Height: 6.2 m (to repulsor housings)
• Mass: 22 metric tons (empty) / 38 metric tons (combat loaded with troops and full ordnance)
• Propulsion: Twin high-thrust Wayland Motors WE3440 Dust-repulsorlift turbines with vectoring nozzles for rapid attitude changes and silent hovering. Auxiliary Gravity Dust generators allow stable low-altitude loiter even with heavy damage.
• Armor: Lightweight composite skin with Dust-reactive layering on critical sections; cockpit and troop bay feature reinforced blast doors. Designed for survivability against small-arms, light anti-air, and Grimm claws rather than prolonged dogfights.

Mobility & Performance

• Maximum Speed: 520 km/h (atmospheric dash); cruising speed 380 km/h at low altitude
• Service Ceiling: 2,500 m
• Terrain/Environment: Exceptional nap-of-the-earth capability over dense forests, urban canyons, and rough hills. Can hover or perform tight turns in city streets while maintaining fire on targets.
• Operational Range: 850 km (internal Dust cells); extendable with underwing drop tanks.
• Maneuverability: Highly agile for its size thanks to thrust vectoring; can pivot 180° in hover or perform evasive "jinks" while laying down fire.

Armament

• Primary Heavy Weapon: One forward-mounted Winchester Armaments 20 mm rotary cannon in a chin turret (6-barrel Gatling-style, 3,000+ rounds per minute). Devastating against infantry, light vehicles, and Grimm swarms; selectable burst or full auto with tracer and API rounds.
• Wing-Mounted Ordnance:
  • Dual rocket pods (38-tube 70 mm unguided rockets total) for saturation fire against ground targets or clustered Grimm.
  • 8 × anti-armor guided missiles (fire-and-forget or semi-active homing, capable of penetrating Paladin-grade plating at standoff range).
  • Optional Winchester M33 20mm Gun pods for additional firepower.
  • Wallace Arms 40mm grenade launchers for air burst or direct HE/fragmentation against soft targets.
• Defensive/Secondary Turrets:
  • Two side-mounted 12.7 mm heavy machine guns in articulated door gunner positions (or remote stations) for sweeping flanks during troop deployment.
  • One rear-facing 12.7 mm heavy machine gun turret for covering extraction or rear threats.
• Additional Systems:
  • Smoke/flare/chaff/Dust Grenade dispensers for evasion.
  • Optional underbelly hardpoints for extra weapons or sensor pods.
  • Weapon hardpoints allow rapid reconfiguration (e.g., swapping rocket pods for extra missile racks mid-mission at forward bases).

Crew & Capacity

• Crew: 4 standard (1 pilot, 1 co-pilot/gunner for chin cannon and missiles, 2 door gunners; can operate with 2)
• Troop Capacity: 24–30 fully equipped VDF soldiers or Hunter teams. Side doors allow rapid rope, fast-rope, drop or hover deployment.
• Vehicle/Drone Bay: Rear/internal rack for 2 recon motorcycles or a small drone swarm (up to 6 light reconnaissance/attack drones).
• Medical/Evac: Configurable for 6 stretchers or emergency casualty evacuation with onboard medical kits.
• Command Integration: Secure uplinks for real-time coordination with Valean/Allied forces and drone feeds.

Key Features & Design Philosophy

• Low-Altitude Assault Focus: Built to fly "in the dirt," using terrain masking to deliver troops and firepower exactly where needed—whether inserting Hunters into a Grimm-infested ruin or providing suppressive fire while VDF forces advance through an urban environment.
• Mechashift Integration: Repulsorlift nozzles and weapon mounts use mechashift-based tech for smoother vectoring, faster reload cycles, and emergency "burst" maneuvers that let the Darner dodge anti-air fire or repDF ground forces, tanks, and walkers: Provides overhead cover and rapid troop drops while heavy armor anchors the ground fight and infantry/lighter vehicles flank. Winchester 20 mm rotary cannon clears paths through light armor or hordes that ground units struggle with.
• Anti-Atlas/Grimm Counter: Heavy rocket and missile loadout can disable or destroy enemy armor from above; rotary cannon and grenade launchers shred Nevermores, Beowolves, or infantry screens.
• Drawbacks: Limited armor means it relies on speed, terrain, and escorts for survival; high ordnance consumption during sustained engagements; vulnerable to concentrated anti-air from advanced forces or overwhelming numbers of Grimm; requires skilled pilots to exploit low-altitude flight without crashing in tight urban corridors.

Note: And yes, the LAAT too. This baby is fully loaded and meant to bring the pain. You can just imagine how much fun Ruby would have piloting one, or how much fun Jaune WOULDN'T have throwing up in the back.

One again inspired by this great artist:

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/WBy2BD

 

[AndrewJTalon]

It's funny when realizations hit you. Often when you're doing something potentially unwise.

The realization hit Whitley Schnee like a slap to the face while he was standing in the middle of Vale's bustling commercial district. He had decided to leave his hotel where he was staying while he worked on the Vytal Festival for his father.

He was rich. He was famous. And he was completely, embarrassingly defenseless.

His name alone made him a walking target. His father's enemies, the White Fang, random opportunists: Any of them could decide today was the day to grab the youngest Schnee heir. And what would he do? Throw lien at them?

…Actually, that gave him an idea.

Whitley scanned the crowd until his eyes landed on the first person who looked like they might know how to throw a punch. Or shoot a gun. Or both.

She was standing outside a weapon shop, bouncing on her heels while eating a cookie the size of her face. Short black-and-red hair, bright silver eyes, and a massive scythe strapped to her back like it weighed nothing.

Perfect.

Whitley marched up to her, pulled out his wallet, and slapped an entire stack of high-denomination lien into her hands.

"You're a Huntress, correct?" he asked, voice crisp and business-like. "I require a bodyguard for the day. That should cover your fee, plus hazard pay. Do we have an agreement?"

Ruby Rose blinked at the money, then at him, then back at the money.

"Uhhhh… sure?" She tilted her head, cookie crumbs on her cheek. "Wait, are you being chased by Grimm right now? Or bad guys? Or both?"

"Not at this exact moment," Whitley said, already regretting everything and nothing. "But the odds are statistically high. Shall we?"

Ruby's entire face lit up like Crescent Rose on overdrive.

"OKAY!"


What followed was not a bodyguard assignment.

It was a roller coaster.

Ruby decided the best way to "protect" him was to show him how normal (As if either of them knew what that was) people lived in Vale. Within twenty minutes Whitley found himself in an arcade, holding a plastic gun and being screamed at by an overly enthusiastic Ruby.

"Shoot the zombies, Whitley! Not the civilians! No, not that civilian either—okay, maybe that one was a zombie, good job!"

He lost horribly. Ruby won every round and celebrated by buying him an oversized slushie "for morale."

Then came the "gallivanting" portion.

Ruby dragged him to a food truck festival, a weapons shop where she gave him an exhaustive rundown on so many guns that his eyes began to glaze (and he bought one just to shut her up and get out of there), and a comic book store where she spent forty minutes explaining why a certain issue of The Adventures of Xray and Vav was peak fiction. Whitley, who had never been allowed junk food or "frivolous reading material," discovered he actually liked both.

He didn't like getting shot at, which he learned quickly.

This happened when a small group of low-level White Fang thugs spotted his distinctive white hair and decided to make a quick score.

Ruby's reaction time was terrifying.

One second she was mid-sentence about weapon maintenance. The next, Crescent Rose was unfolded and she was a red-and-black blur of petals and high-velocity gunfire.

Whitley stood frozen as she took down four armed Faunus in under ten seconds without breaking a sweat.

When it was over, Ruby spun back to him, scythe collapsing with a cheerful shink, and offered the brightest smile he'd ever seen.

"You okay? They didn't even get close!"

Whitley stared at her, heart still hammering, adrenaline singing in his veins… and realized he was grinning like an idiot.

"That was the most fun I've had in my entire life."

Ruby laughed and punched his shoulder lightly. "See? Being a normal person is awesome! Well… mostly normal. With occasional gunfire."

By the time the sun began to set, Whitley was exhausted, sticky from various street foods, and carrying a small bag of comic books Ruby had insisted he needed "for cultural education."

They stopped at a quiet overlook near the cliffs.

Ruby turned to him, silver eyes sparkling in the dying light.

"So… same time next week? I still gotta teach you how to actually aim that pistol you bought earlier."

Whitley hesitated only a second before pulling out his scroll.

"I would like that very much." He held it out. "If you'll give me your number?"

Ruby's face went pink, but she beamed and quickly tapped her contact in.

"Deal! But only if you promise to let me drag you to the new amusement park when it opens. They have a ride that spins you upside down!"

Whitley, who had never been on an amusement park ride in his life, found himself nodding immediately.

"I look forward to it."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The arcade was loud, bright, and full of cheerful chaos — exactly what Ruby had hoped for.

After she'd learned that Jaune used to be a pretty big gamer before Mia came along, Ruby had made it her personal mission to drag him and Mia out for a "rediscovery day." Jaune had been hesitant at first, but the moment Mia heard "video games," her eyes lit up like Crescent Rose in scythe mode.

Now the three of them were deep in the arcade, moving from station to station.

They started with fighting games. Jaune and Ruby went head-to-head while Mia cheered from Jaune's lap. Ruby won most rounds, but Jaune managed a few surprise comebacks that had Ruby yelling in delight.

Then came the rhythm games. Mia insisted on playing with them, standing on a box between Jaune and Ruby. She stomped and clapped with wild enthusiasm, missing almost every beat but laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

Shooter games came next. Jaune and Ruby teamed up in co-op mode while Mia "helped" by pressing random buttons and shouting "PEW PEW PEW!" at the screen.

By the time they took a break, all three of them were smiling and a little sweaty.

They wandered over to the small café attached to the arcade. Ruby ordered the most ridiculous sugary dessert she could find — a towering ice cream float with extra whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry on top. Jaune got a sensible sandwich. Mia had a healthy lunchbox Jaune had packed, but she kept eyeing Ruby's float with open longing.

"Can I have some?" Mia asked, ears perked hopefully.

Ruby grinned. "Sure!"

Jaune gave her a pointed "Dad Look."

Ruby flushed instantly. "I mean… one bite. Just one!"

Mia took her bite, eyes widening in pure bliss. "It's so good! More please!"

Ruby glanced nervously at Jaune, feeling the full weight of his parental energy. "Sorry, Mia… that's all for now."

Mia's lower lip immediately wobbled into a world-class pout.

Jaune leaned over and gently wiped a bit of whipped cream from her cheek. "If you're good for the rest of the day, we can get a big dessert back at Beacon tonight. Deal?"

Mia sniffled but eventually nodded. "Deal…"

A few minutes later, Jaune stood up. "I'll be right back. Gotta use the bathroom. Ruby, can you watch her?"

"On it!" Ruby said, giving a determined salute.

The moment Jaune disappeared around the corner, Mia turned those big blue eyes on Ruby again.

"Auntie Ruby… pleeeeease can I have more float?"

Ruby hesitated, biting her lip. "Mia, your dad said—"

"But it's so yummy!" Mia whined, giving the most effective puppy-dog eyes in Remnant.

Ruby lasted about ten seconds before caving. "Okay… just a tiny bit more."

Five minutes later, Jaune returned to absolute mayhem.

Mia was running around the arcade like a sugar-fueled goblin, cackling wildly and weaving between game machines. Ruby was desperately chasing after her, arms outstretched, clearly trying (and failing) not to use her Semblance in a public place.

"Mia! Come back here!" Ruby called, voice cracking with panic. She jumped ahead of her with her Semblance, reappearing right in front of Mia... Who turned and dove between the arcade cabinets to the next row. "AH! HEY! GET BACK HERE!"

Ruby leaped over and landed, trying to catch the little half-Faunus girl, but Mia had dashed away again between some claw machines.

"MIA!"

Mia darted straight for the ball pit, scrambled up the nets surrounding it with surprising agility, and perched at the top like a triumphant monkey.

Jaune's voice cut through the noise, firm and stern. "Mia Arc. NO. Down. Now."

Mia froze, ears flattening. She looked at him defiantly for a second… then her face crumpled when he added, "If you don't come down right now, no more dessert for a month."

Mia gasped.

"No!"

"Yes!" Jaune insisted. "And no more game days with Ruby!"

"Th-That's right!" Ruby added weakly.

She sniffled, eyes filling with tears. "I… I can't get down…"

Jaune sighed and stepped in front of the ball pit, holding his arms out. "Jump. I've got you."

Mia hesitated only a moment before dropping into his arms. He caught her easily and held her close as she buried her face in his shoulder, still sniffling, the sugar rush winding down.

"Excuse me you two."

Which is when security found them.

- - -

Five minutes later, they stood outside the arcade on the sidewalk, the noisy honks of mid-day traffic filling the air. The owner made things clear: Don't come back for two weeks, or get a permanent ban.

Which felt like a death sentence to Ruby.

Looking utterly mortified, she turned to her friend. "Jaune, I'm so sorry! I only gave her a few more sips, I swear! I didn't think she'd turn into a hyperactive gremlin!"

Jaune shifted Mia to one arm and gave Ruby a tired but gentle smile. "It's okay. She's very sly and cute… and that makes it really hard to say no to her." He raised an eyebrow. "Without experience."

Ruby groaned, covering her face with both hands. "I ruined everything…"

Jaune chuckled softly. "Not at all. I'm actually glad you dragged us out today. I'd almost forgotten how fun this stuff could be." He glanced at the chaos around them and smiled wider. "Plus… watching you try to catch her was pretty funny."

"It was not!" Ruby pouted.

"It was," Jaune chuckled, as Ruby covered her face.

Ruby peeked through her fingers, still blushing. "You're not mad?"

"Nah." Jaune adjusted Mia, who was already calming down in his arms. "I appreciate how hard you try with us. And honestly… I think you'd make a really good mom someday."

Ruby turned scarlet, eyes going wide. "Wha- I- That's-!"

Jaune just laughed warmly as they started walking back toward the exit, Mia already dozing against his shoulder, sticky hands clutching his hoodie.

Ruby trailed after them, heart racing and mind spinning with way too many thoughts she definitely wasn't ready to examine yet.

But one thing was certain: arcade days with Jaune and Mia were going to become a regular thing.

... In two weeks.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

TRANSCRIPT 1



Private Meeting: Beacon Academy Headmaster's Office

Date: 14 June 2000 AMF



Participants:

Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy and Chair of the H.A.R. Council

Chancellor Edwina Browning, newly elected Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Vale



Chancellor Browning:

Headmaster, I didn't ask for this meeting to be lectured on history. I've read the sealed files. Mount Glenn was a tragedy, yes, but it's been thirteen years. The city sits on some of the richest untapped Gravity and Fire Dust veins on Sanus and contains advanced technologies thst could benefit everyone. My administration campaigned on renewal, on showing the people that Vale does not simply abandon its dreams. Reclaiming it would be a symbol — proof that we are not ruled by fear.



Ozpin:

Fear is a rational response to certain realities, Chancellor. And the reality inside Mount Glenn is not the one the public was told.



[A pause. The sound of Ozpin stirring his cocoa is audible.]



Ozpin (calmly):

Doctor Merlot did not merely fail to contain Grimm. He succeeded in changing them. The sonic emitters you have seen in every modern settlement were only the first, safest layer of his work. The later experiments — the ones that remain sealed — involved cybernetic augmentation and Aura imprinting. He attempted to give Grimm fragments of human souls so they could be trained, commanded… domesticated.



Chancellor Browning:

I've seen the summaries. "Augmented specimens." "Echoes of human personality." The Committee said it was a failure.



Ozpin:

The Committee called it a failure because the alternative was admitting that some of those specimens are still alive down there. Still learning. Still remembering the imprint of the men and women whose Aura Merlot grafted onto them. They are no longer simple beasts, Chancellor. They are something worse — something that can plan, that can wait, that can mimic human voices and more when the mood strikes them.



[Browning shifts in her chair. The leather creaks.]



Chancellor Browning:

Even if that's true, we have Huntsmen. We have the VDF. We have sonic arrays improved tenfold since Merlot's day. We could sterilize the underground levels, seal the worst sections permanently, and begin extraction operations under heavy guard. The economic benefit alone—



Ozpin (quietly, but with steel):

Would be dwarfed by the cost if even one augmented pack reaches the surface. Imagine a Beowolf that remembers how to operate a gun. Imagine a Nevermore that has learned the sound of a child's voice and uses it as bait. Imagine the first rescue team that goes down and never comes back — because the things wearing their friends' faces are waiting in the dark.



[Silence. Ozpin sets his mug down with a soft clink.]



Ozpin:

I was there the night the High Council voted to seal the tunnels. Chancellor Taurus resigned three weeks later because of the weight of what he had to do. He understood what we were burying alive. I am asking you, as someone who has watched far too many well-intentioned reclamation efforts end in new graveyards, to choose the better path. Leave it buried.



Chancellor Browning (lower, almost angry):

You're asking me to begin my term by telling the people of Vale that one of our greatest utopian projects must remain a tomb. That is political poison, Headmaster.



Ozpin:

Better poison now than plague later. The city is not merely lost, Chancellor. It is quarantined. There is a difference. The Grimm down there are no longer wild. They are… curious. And curiosity, in creatures that once fed only on despair, is the most dangerous thing of all.



[Longer silence. The distant sound of a Bullhead passing overhead.]



Chancellor Browning (finally, tired):

…You're certain the threat remains active?



Ozpin:

I have never been more certain of anything.



Chancellor Browning:

Then the quarantine stands. For now. But I will expect a full, unredacted briefing within the month. And if I ever discover you withheld material information from me, Headmaster, our working relationship will become considerably less cordial.



Ozpin (softly, with the faintest trace of a smile):

I would expect nothing less from Vale's Chancellor.



Chancellor Browning:

Good night, Headmaster.



Ozpin:

Good night, Chancellor. And… welcome to the chair.



[End of recording.]

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The Arc family farmhouse smelled like Isabel's famous pot roast and fresh baked bread. The rest of the Arc family daughters were elsewhere, leaving just Jaune to sit quietly next to his father, looking mildly traumatized. He was back for the weekend after starting Beacon, and the airship ride had been rough. But he'd made it and that was what counted.

Nicholas Arc, former Jedi Padawan and current clueless Huntsman, was happily chewing his food when his wife finally spoke.

"So," Isabel said, voice deceptively sweet as she cut into her roast, "I heard something interesting today from Headmaster Ozpin in Vale."

Jaune's shoulders hunched.

Nick blinked innocently. "Oh? What's that, dear?"

Isabel set her knife down with a little too much force.

"Apparently, there are four different young women at Beacon Academy who have received orders from their respective families or mentors to kill you — or your child — on sight."

A beat of silence.

Jaune turned to stare at his father in disbelief.

Nick scratched his cheek. "Ah. You heard about that."

Isabel's eye twitched. "Yes, Nicholas. I heard about that. Would you care to explain why the daughter of a Sith Lord, two Mandalorian-raised girls, and the granddaughter of a Dathomir Nightsister all want my husband and son dead?"

Nick smiled that same dopey, lovable smile that had somehow won her over decades ago.

"Well, you see, honey… it's a long story."

"I have time," Isabel said, voice dangerously calm.

Jaune tried to sink into his chair and disappear.

Nick rubbed the back of his neck. "When I crash-landed on Remnant all those years ago, I wasn't exactly… subtle. And um... There was a gigantic interstellar war going on... The Sith are like the Jedi's dark mirror and apparently, Pyrrha's mother was a Sith apprentice who crashlanded-I think I know the one. Taiyang's father was a Mandalorian who taught Ruby and Yang the old 'shoot Jedi on sight' rule-They're a warrior culture, love to fight us. They lose all the time against us but they keep fighting. And Willow's mother — the Nightsister — well, they're not exactly fond of Jedi either. Like, they use the Darkside too and use it like magic and uh, they try to kill us. A lot."

Isabel stared at him for a long moment.

Then she picked up her wine glass and drained it in one go.

"You absolute idiot," she growled, though there was more fond exasperation than real anger. "You crash-land on a death world, fall in love with me, have eight children, and somehow forget to mention that half the galaxy's worst monsters followed you here?"

Nick shrugged sheepishly. "I didn't know for sure! And I didn't want to worry you!"

"Worry me?" Isabel laughed, sharp and disbelieving. "Nick, our son is at Beacon with four very dangerous, very skilled young women who were all raised to murder him. One of them is a Sith apprentice!"

"Technically she's a very nice girl," Jaune mumbled.

Isabel pointed her fork at him. "You stay out of this, young man. You're already in enough trouble for not telling me sooner. I had to hear it from Ozpin!"

Jaune sank lower.

Nick reached over and gently took his wife's hand, his expression softening.

"I know it sounds bad, Izzy. But they haven't actually tried to kill him yet. In fact… I think some of them might like him. A lot."

Isabel stared at him. Then at Jaune. Then back at her husband.

"You're telling me our son has somehow attracted four women who were ordered to assassinate him… and they're now romantically interested instead?"

Nick beamed proudly. "He takes after me!"

Jaune buried his face in his hands.

"It's not like that! W-We're just friends! Who occasionally threaten to murder me!"

"Definitely after me!" Nick added.

Isabel pinched the bridge of her nose, but her lips were twitching with reluctant amusement.

"I married the most ridiculous man in the galaxy," she muttered.

"You sure did, honey!" Nick beamed.

Then she sighed, stood up, and walked around the table to pull Jaune into a tight hug.

"You listen to me, Jaune Arc," she said, voice fierce but warm. "If any of those girls so much as looks at you wrong, you tell me immediately. I don't care if they're Sith, Mandalorians, or Nightsisters. You're my baby. I will handle it."

Jaune hugged her back, smiling into her shoulder. "Yes, Mom."

Isabel kissed the top of his head, then turned and pointed at her husband.

"And you," she said, eyes narrowing, "are sleeping on the couch tonight for keeping this from me for twenty years."

Nicholas accepted his fate with a dramatic sigh. "Yes, dear."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune was training in a simulator with his lightsaber. He wasn't sure how many people really bought the explanation that it was "An ancient coherent Aura Blade powered by Dust", but it seemed to be working all right. He let the Force flow through him, deflecting the low powered shots from the drones.

The Force warned him, and a wire lashed out and wrapped around him.

"Ack!"

Then, metallic cuffs were launched, locking onto his ankles and wrists. He fell to the ground, shutting his lightsaber off.

"Oof!"

Yang and Ruby flew down from the ceiling rafters, in gold/black and red/black Mandolorian armor. They pointed their weapons at him, and Jaune gulped.

"So, VB," Yang said conversationally, "Dad told us Mandalorians have one standing order when it comes to Jedi. 'Shoot first, ask questions never.'"

Ruby spun Crescent Rose with a cheerful grin. "And we're really good at following Dad's training!"

"So," Yang said lazily, "You got a reason we shouldn't fulfill our mission?"

"Ummm... Well... A few?" Jaune managed. "One, what does Mandolore and the Jedi's conflicts have to do with us? We're friends, right?"

"Well," Yang tried.

Ruby nodded.

"Yeah!"

"We did have movie and game nights, and I made you guys dinner, lunch, and breakfast," Jaune pointed out.

"He did!" Ruby nodded enthusiastically.

"And that was good," Yang hummed.

"And we both want to fight the Grimm, right?" Jaune pressed.

"True!" Ruby chirped.

"Mmhm," Yang nodded.

"And," Jaune added, "Mandalorian training is awesome. I mean, you caught me like that! You guys wanna show me some moves?"

Ruby and Yang exchanged a long, suffering look.

Yang groaned. "He's too nice. I can't shoot him. It'd be like kicking a golden retriever."

Ruby pouted. "But Granddad and Dad said—"

"We'll table the murder for now," Yang said. "I mean, those were really great cookies. And you'd be really sad to kill your best friend, right?"

Ruby nodded.

"Yeah, I would... You'd be sad to kill your boyfriend, too."

Even behind the helmet, Jaune could see Yang's blush.

"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"

"I'm fine with being whatever, as long as it's not dead!" Jaune offered.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune sat cross-legged on the dorm floor with Mia curled in his lap, his scroll open in front of them. The screen glowed soft and warm, casting little flickers of light across her curious face as he swiped to the album slowly, like every photo was made of glass.

"This one's from the first barn dance Katie ever dragged me to," he said, voice low. The picture showed a younger Jaune-hair even messier, cheeks flushed-grinning sheepishly while a pretty cat-eared girl in a sundress glared at the bright red punch stain down her front. "I tripped over my own feet and dumped the whole bowl on her."

Mia giggled, ears twitching. "Mama looks funny!"

"She was furious," Jaune admitted, smiling despite the ache. "Threatened to skin me and use my hide for a new purse. Then she laughed so hard she snorted, and forgave me on the spot."

Mia traced a tiny finger over Katie's smiling face. "You and Mama liked dancing, right, Daddy?"

"We loved it," he said softly. "She could spin me until I was dizzy and still make it look easy."

Mia tilted her head. "You like dancing with Yang, right? And Pyrrha? And Weiss? And Blake?"

Jaune's thumb paused on the scroll. "Yeah, sweetheart. Those nights were… a lot of fun."

"So…" Her voice got smaller, careful. "Why can't one of them be my new mama?"

The air left his lungs like someone had punched him. For a second he couldn't speak; the dorm felt too quiet, the glow of the scroll suddenly too bright.

"Mia…" He swallowed. "It's not that simple, baby."

Her ears drooped. "Why? Don't you like them?"

"No—no, I like them a lot." The words came out rough. "But your mama is your mama. She loved you more than anything in the world. I can't just… replace her."

Mia stared at the photo, lower lip wobbling. "But Mama's gone. I don't remember her, Daddy."

The confession hit harder than any Beowolf ever could. Jaune's eyes stung hot and sudden.

"Mia…"

"Other kids have mamas," she whispered, voice cracking in that tiny, broken way only little kids can manage. "Why can't I?"

He pulled her in, arms wrapping tight around her small frame, pressing her head to his chest so she wouldn't see the tears he was barely holding back. He would not cry. Not in front of her. He couldn't.

"Daddy? Did I say something wrong?" She asked, innocent and quiet.

"You didn't say anything wrong," he managed, voice thick.

She sniffled against his hoodie. "Promise?"

"I promise." He kissed the top of her head, right between her fluffy ears, and held her until the shaking stopped—for both of them.

---

The holodisk sat in Jaune's hand like a loaded gun.

It was small, no bigger than a coin, matte black with a single silver rune etched on the surface. Katy had pressed it into his hand the night before they wheeled her into surgery, her fingers cold, her smile crooked and fearless. He'd promised he would watch it "when he was ready."

Since then… Four years. Four years of moving it from drawer to drawer, box to box. Every time he'd been tempted to put it into a player, his insides had turned to ice. It had gone back in a drawer, a box-Anywhere out of sight.

Except now.

Jaune sat on the edge of his bed, elbows on knees, staring at the disk in his hand like it might detonate.

The door creaked. Yang slipped in, arms crossed, hair still damp from the showers.

"Hey," she said softly. "Thought I'd find you brooding."

"I'm not brooding," he muttered. "I'm… contemplating."

Yang snorted.

"Sure." She dropped beside him, close enough that their shoulders brushed. She was silent for a moment, staring at it with him.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Katy's… Her last message," Jaune whispered. "She left it for me before…"

Yang's face was stony. She nodded.

"I get it," she murmured.

"... I promised I'd show Mia it," he said quietly, "That I'd watch it. So she could see her mom. But I…"

He clenched his fist around the disk.

Silence fell, hard and thick. Yang sucked in a breath, then she spoke.

"Jaune…" She paused, then continued, her voice far softer than usual. "You know, I remember my mom more than Ruby does. Dad and Qrow made damn sure of it. Videos, pictures, stupid stories about how Summer once punched a guy for calling her short… Ruby and I are just now reading her journal together. Hurts like hell every page, but…" She shrugged. "If I were Mia, I'd want to see it."

Jaune's throat worked. "…I can't watch it. I open the case and my hands shake and I just—" He bowed his head, fingers digging into his scalp. "Why can't I watch it?"

"Because losing her fucking sucked, that's why."

He let out a wet, startled snort. "Yeah…"

Yang nudged his knee with hers. "So… why don't we watch it with you?"

"Yang… I-I don't know—"

She huffed, half-laugh, half-growl. "You know I'm not stupid. I'm not some bimbo who only cares about hair and punching. We all wear masks, Jaune. You put on the big stoic leader face, swallow every tear, because you think if Mia or any of us sees you crack, the world ends. You want us to believe you've got it handled." She leaned in, lilac eyes fierce.

"Newsflash: your friends will forgive you if you're not handling it well. Hell, we'll forgive you if you never handle it perfectly. Because we're your friends. And if you can't trust us to hold you when you're weak, why the hell should we trust you to do the same for us?"

The room was dead quiet except for the faint hum of the lamp.

Jaune stared at her for a long second, something raw and exhausted flickering across his face.

"…You're a pain in the ass sometimes, you know that?"

Yang flashed a small, crooked grin. "It's because I'm right."

He exhaled shakily, shoulders slumping. "…That's the worst part."

She bumped his arm. "Tomorrow night. Everyone. We'll put Mia to bed early, and we'll watch it together. You don't have to be the strong one for once. Just show up."

"Okay," he whispered. "Tomorrow."

Yang grinned, soft and fierce. "Attaboy."

She stood, ruffled his hair like he was the kid, and headed for the door. Halfway out she paused.

"Hey, Jaune?"

"Yeah?"

"She'd be really proud of you. Both of you."

The door clicked shut behind her.

---

The common room lights were off, only the faint glow from the holoprojector painting everyone's faces soft blue. Weiss and Blake had taken Mia next door to put her to bed with stories. The rest of them sat in a quiet half-circle on the carpet: Ruby and Yang on either side of Jaune, Pyrrha behind him, Nora and Ren close enough to reach.

Jaune knelt in front of the projector, holodisk trembling between his fingers.

"…I appreciate this, guys," he said, voice cracking on every other word. "I don't… I don't know if I can do this alone. I just… I want to watch it with Mia… but only after I see it first, you… you know?"

"It's okay, Jaune," Ruby whispered. "Really."

"Yeah…" Yang added, soft.

Jaune stared at the projector for a long, silent minute.

Pyrrha leaned forward. "I can start it for you? Or—or we could do this another day, any day—"

"Jaune," Nora said, completely serious for once. "It's okay."

"Yes," Ren murmured. "It's your choice."

Jaune swallowed, nodded once, and raised the remote. His thumb hovered, shook. Pyrrha looked at him, and rested her hand over his. His shaking stopped. He slowly nodded, then pressed play.

The hologram blossomed open.

Katie sat propped against white hospital pillows, pale as paper, oxygen tube under her nose. But her smile was the same crooked, fearless grin Jaune remembered from barn dances and stolen nights under the stars.

"Hello Jaune. Hello Mia. I've made this recording for you… You know." She took a shallow breath. "Jaune… I can't imagine how hard this is for you. You always felt so much, took on so much. You keep blaming yourself for this… You shouldn't."

Her smile widened, tired but warm.

"The parting… is going to be hard. It's okay to be mad at me, to be sad. It's natural to feel this way. I know you will hurt a lot and won't know how to handle it. You'll try to carry on and be strong for Mia. I know you will… Just know that it's okay to open up to others. It will hurt. It will never stop hurting. But it won't destroy you… It will make you stronger. And you want to be strong, that's your dream, to protect everyone. Don't be afraid to pursue that dream, because I know you'll be great at it. Because you care so much. And don't close off your heart, please. I know how sweet and kind you are, so never lose that. Please."

She paused, gathering strength.

"I'm sorry I can't do more for you… But you made me the happiest I've ever been. We… we've made a baby. And she's wonderful. Even now I can feel her and I know she's going to be beautiful. And I'm only sorry that we didn't get more time together… That's the only regret I have. But I am so, so glad we met, and I am so glad we made her. And even happier that she will be healthy and happy."

Tears slid down her cheeks now, but she kept going.

"Mia… I am so sorry I won't get to be there with you. I'm sorry I won't get to read you bedtime stories or cook you dinner, or play with you. You'll be confused about it. Maybe even sad. And that's okay, because it's something to be sad about. Don't… don't hide your feelings, okay sweetie? Be honest and kind and straightforward. Listen to your father, he loves you and only wants the best for you. You and he might fight, especially when you get older… But he only ever wants you to be happy, and so do I."

She laughed once, a small, watery sound.

"The world can be a very dark and scary place sometimes. So dark and scary and terrible that you want to hide forever. But there's also so many wonderful and beautiful things in it. Love. Family. Friendship. These… these are the most valuable things in this world. Though it doesn't hurt to save your money and be careful with it." Another tiny laugh. "Your family will teach you, we're good at it. Be careful of bad boys: a lot of them might look flashy and cool, but it's the good guys who can be dangerous but know when not to be who are the best, just like your dad. You're going to have bumps and bruises and bad things will happen… But please, never stop being a good person. Don't let the darkness in this world remove the light, because that's what we're here for: to be the light when things are dark."

Her breathing was ragged now, but her eyes never left the camera.

"Finally… there are many kinds of battles. I… I couldn't take the medicine that would cure me, because it would hurt you. Don't ever, ever feel guilty about that, Mia. I fought this battle, and I'll win it. Even if this takes me… you will live, and that's a win because I love you. A mom is supposed to protect her child, and that's a battle worth fighting. If I had to go back and do it over again… I wouldn't change a thing. Not meeting and loving your dad, and not having you. Because I love you both so much. One day… one day, we will meet again. On white shores, in a green land without pain or suffering. We will all be together. But not for a long time. So, be a good girl, say your prayers, and be kind. I love you, Mia. I love you, Jaune."

The hologram winked out.

The room was silent except for quiet, stifled crying.

Jaune's head bowed, tears rolling off his chin onto the carpet. Ruby and Yang wrapped around him from both sides. Pyrrha's arms came around him from behind, chin resting on his shoulder. Nora wormed in and hugged his arm with all her strength. Ren laid a steady hand on the back of Jaune's neck.

Jaune's voice came out broken and small. "…Thanks, guys."

Ruby's answer was muffled against his sleeve. "…Any time…"

No one moved for a long, long while.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The late afternoon sun filtered through the tall windows of Ozpin's office, casting a warm, golden light across the room. Professor Oobleck had handed Mia off with his usual whirlwind energy, leaving the little girl standing in the middle of the grand space, ears twitching as she looked around curiously.

Ozpin sat behind his large desk, a gentle smile on his face as he regarded the small visitor.

"Ah, Miss Mia Arc," he said warmly, gesturing to the comfortable chair across from him. "It seems I have the honor of looking after you this afternoon. Would you like some cookies and milk while we wait for your father?"

Mia nodded shyly and climbed into the chair, her legs dangling. Ozpin poured her a small glass of milk and offered a plate of sugar cookies. Once she was settled with her snack, he leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled.

"Would you like to hear a story, Mia?"

Her ears perked up immediately. "Yes please!"

Ozpin's voice took on a soft, storytelling cadence as he began.

"Once upon a time, there was a Foolish Knight and a Girl who lived in a Tower…"

He told the tale with quiet gravity. How the Foolish Knight climbed the tower and saved the lonely Girl. How they fell in love, married, and together mastered powerful magic. How the Knight eventually fell ill and died, leaving the Girl heartbroken. How, in her grief, she delved into forbidden arts and brought him back — making them both immortal.

"But the magic she used came from a dark place," Ozpin continued, voice growing heavier. "It consumed her from within. She tried to hide the darkness from the Knight, but it grew stronger and stronger until it took her completely. The Knight was forced to fight the woman he loved. Their battle became a terrible war that scarred the entire world… and even shattered the moon into pieces."

Mia's eyes were wide, her half-eaten cookie forgotten in her hand.

"The Knight eventually sealed the Girl away in a new Dark Tower so she could not hurt anyone else," Ozpin finished softly. "And ever since, he has continued to fight her… hoping, perhaps, that one day she might be saved."

The room fell quiet.

Mia looked up at him with big, earnest blue eyes.

"Does the story have a happy ending?" she asked. "Even if it's really hard… if the Foolish Knight loves the Girl, then there has to be a happy ending! Right?"

Ozpin smiled, but it was a small, sad smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"That remains to be seen, little one," he said gently. "Not every story has a happy ending."

Mia's ears drooped. She frowned deeply, crossing her arms. "That's stupid."

Ozpin let out a quiet chuckle, the sound warm despite the melancholy in his gaze.

"Yes," he agreed softly. "It is rather stupid, isn't it?"

He reached across the desk and gently patted her hand.

"But sometimes… the foolish ones keep hoping anyway."

Mia thought about that for a long moment, then picked up her cookie again with renewed determination.

"When I grow up," she declared, "I'm gonna find the Girl in the Tower and give her a big hug. Then she won't be dark and scary anymore."

Ozpin's expression softened even further.

"I have no doubt you would try," he murmured. "And perhaps… that is exactly the kind of foolish hope the world needs."

They sat together in comfortable silence after that, Mia munching on cookies while Ozpin watched her with an ancient, weary fondness in his eyes.

 

[Sliverhero]

The Ancient Way

The throne room of Evernight Castle was supposed to be the site of humanity's last stand. The air was thick with Grimm essence, Salem stood tall at the top of her stairs, and Cinder flanked her with that insufferable smirk.

Team RWBY had formed up. Oscar's hands were trembling. Even Ozpin's ancient consciousness was running through scenarios, finding none with a victory condition above twelve percent. "This is it," Ruby whispered, Crescent Rose drawn. "Everyone, together..."

"Wait."

Jaune Arc stepped forward. His shield was on his back. His sword was sheathed. His hands were empty. "Jaune, what are you doing?" Weiss hissed. He held up a single finger.

Salem raised an eyebrow. Even she, immortal queen of darkness, had to admit this was unusual. "Jaune, please," Oscar said nervously, hands raised. "We planned this for weeks..."

"Oscar. Oz. Everyone." Jaune took a deep breath. He rolled his shoulders. He cracked his neck. He looked Salem dead in her red eyes with the confidence of a man who had already won. "I'm using the Ancient Way."

Silence.

Complete and utter silence. Cinder's smirk faltered. "The what?" Yang blinked. "Is that a fighting style?" Blake's ears twitched. "I've read every combat manual in the White Fang library. I've never heard of..."

"It's not a fighting style," Jaune said, voice low and reverent. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a single d20 die. It was old. Chipped. The numbers were barely visible. Ruby gasped. "Is that Crocea Mors's hilt pommel?"

"No. This is older." Jaune held it up to the light. "This was my great-great-grandfather's. Passed down through the Arc line. Not the sword. This very thing.

Salem, for the first time in centuries, leaned forward slightly. "I declare..." Jaune pointed the die directly at Salem. "...a Seduction Roll." The room exploded. "JAUNE WHAT THE HELL.." Yang roared her hair blazing. "ARE YOU INSANE..." Weiss shouted "Is this legal?" Blake. "Jaune, buddy, I say this with love, that is Salem.." Ruby said concerned. Cinder looked like someone had just told her the moon was made of cheese. "You're WHAT?"

Even the Grimm in the corners seemed confused. One Seer literally just deflated a little.
Salem stared at him. Jaune stared back. He rolled. The die tumbled through the air with almost cinematic slowness. It hit the black stone floor, bounced once, twice, three times, and...

Clatter....Natural twenty. The number faced up like a glowing beacon of absolute bullshit. Nobody breathed. Oscar felt something shift deep in his consciousness. Ozpin, the ancient wizard, the man who had fought Salem across millennia, sat up straight in the back of Oscar's mind like he'd been electrocuted.

"No," Ozpin whispered in Oscar's head. Jaune pocketed the die with the energy of a man who just won the lottery and knew it. Salem looked at the die. Then she looked at Jaune. Then back at the die.

Her immortal, ancient, darkness-woven face did something none of them had ever seen before.
She blushed. "There's..." Salem cleared her throat. The Queen of the Grimm, the immortal scourge of Remnant, cleared her throat. "There is nothing I can do. The Ancient Way is... absolute." "WHAT?" Cinder shrieked.

"It's tradition," Salem said, as if this explained anything. "The roll was clean. Natural twenty. I am... bound." "YOU'RE BOUND BY A DICE ROLL?"
"Cinder, do not make me strip your Maiden powers again." Cinder shut up.

Salem descended the stairs with an eerie grace. She took Jaune's arm like they were attending a ball. "We will retire to the east wing. Do not disturb us." She paused, looked back at Team RWBY, and added with complete seriousness: "For any reason." And then the Queen of the Grimm walked off with Jaune Arc, who gave his friends a double thumbs up as he was led away.

The east wing door closed with a sound that would haunt them forever....Click.

Team RWBY, Oscar, and Cinder stood in the throne room in absolute silence for forty-five seconds. "...Did that just happen?" Ruby asked weakly. "No," Weiss said firmly. "It didn't."
"Then where's Jaune?" Yang said, pointing at the empty space where their friend used to be.

Nobody had an answer. They set up camp in the throne room because none of them could process leaving. Ruby sat on the stairs hugging her knees. Yang kept opening and closing her mouth. Weiss had started furiously writing in a notebook, possibly trying to logic her way out of what she'd witnessed. Blake was reading through every book she'd brought and what she found in the library after seeing it when they were looking for the throne room. She then started to look for any reference to "the Ancient Way."

Cinder was just standing in the corner, arms crossed, staring at the east wing door like it had personally insulted her. "I trained for years," Cinder muttered. "YEARS. I killed, I schemed, I sacrificed everything to get close to her power. And this... this *blond idiot* just...." She made a sound like a teakettle reaching boiling point.
"You're not taking this well," Blake observed.

"SHUT UP."

Oscar was sitting against a pillar, quietly having the most surreal conversation of his life.
"Ozpin?" "Yes?" "What is the Ancient Way?"
A very long pause.

"It is... exactly what it sounds like."

"And that's... a real thing? People just roll dice to...to..."

"It predates the kingdoms, actually. Before the formalization of Aura manipulation, before Semblance documentation, before Huntsmen academies... there were other traditions."

"Traditions where you just ROLL TO SEDUCE?"

"The die was sacred. The roll was absolute. Even Salem, in her youth, respected the tradition. We all did." Oscar stared at nothing. "You knew about this?"

"I did not expect young Mr. Arc to be aware of it. The Arc family... they were always an interesting line."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US? We could have just ROLLED on Salem!" "It doesn't work if the other party doesn't acknowledge the tradition. Salem acknowledged it. That's the only reason it..."

Oscar then relays the information to the others.
After that a sound starts to echo from the east wing. It was muffled. It was structural. It may have been furniture. Everyone froze. "That's... the wall," Blake said slowly. "La la la la la," Ruby said, pressing her hands over her ears.

"I'm going to kill him," Cinder said quietly. "I'm going to kill him and then I'm going to find whoever invented that die and kill them too."
"You can't kill the tradition, Cinder," Yang said hollowly. "It's older than kingdoms."
"I'LL FIND A WAY."

Day One

They tried to leave. The Grimm outside wouldn't let them. The castle was impenetrable. They were, effectively, trapped. The sounds from the east wing were... educational. "I didn't know Salem could make that sound," Ruby whispered, rocking back and forth. "She's immortal, Ruby. She's had millennia to practice," Yang said, staring blankly at a wall.

Weiss had torn up her notebook and was now staring at the ceiling. "I could have been a singer. I could have been anything. Why am I here." Blake gave up on research. The books didn't cover this. Nothing covered this.
Cinder tried to break down the east wing door. She bounced off it. There was some kind of barrier. "TRADITION PROTECTION, why does the barriersay that " she screamed. "TRADITION....BLOODY... PROTECTION."

Oscar sat in the corner. Ozpin had gone suspiciously quiet. "Ozpin?"
"I am meditating."
"You're hiding."
"...Oscar I am meditating."


Day Two:

They found food in the castle kitchens. None of them could eat much at the moment. The structural sounds had shifted to a rhythm. A terrible, immortal rhythm that none of them could unhear. "He's been going for... what, thirty hours straight?" Yang said. "Aura," Blake said.
"Aura doesn't work like that.?" Yang questioned
"His Semblance is literally about amplifying. Maybe he's... amplifying." Blake wondered.
Weiss threw a plate. "I want to go home," Weiss said, with the vulnerability of a woman who had seen too much.

Ruby had stopped talking entirely. She just communicated through aggressive thumb-up gestures that felt more threatening than encouraging. Cinder had sat down next to them at some point. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, apparently, when the enemy is the sound of Jaune Arc satisfying the Queen of the Grimm through load-bearing walls.

"I hate this," Cinder said. "We know," everyone replied. "I hate this SO MUCH." "We KNOW." Team rwby shouted back

Day Three:

The sounds stopped at dawn. The silence was somehow worse. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. They sat in the throne room like soldiers waiting for an all-clear siren. The east wing door opened.

Jaune walked out first. He was... fine. Completely fine. Whistling. His hair was a little messy but he had the energy of a man who had just had the best weekend of his entire life and then some.

Behind him, Salem emerged. The Queen of the Grimm was... Her hair was down. She was wearing what appeared to be one of Jaune's spare shirts. She was standing slightly behind him. They looked again and she is slightly behind him and blushing. The most powerful being on Remnant was standing behind Jaune Arc like a shy prom date.

Team RWBY's collective sanity left the building.
"I have an announcement," Salem said.
Nobody responded. Ruby's eye twitched.
Salem cleared her throat. "In accordance with the Ancient Way and the sacred bond of the natural twenty, I hereby declare a truce between myself and the forces of humanity. This truce shall persist for the duration of Jaune Arc's natural life, and shall extend to all of his direct descendants in perpetuity."

Cinder's eye developed a tic. "Furthermore," Salem continued, and her voice wavered in a way that none of them had ever heard, "I will be... stepping back from my campaign. The Grimm will withdraw from active aggression. I will be... relocating. To Patch." "TO PATCH?" Yang shrieked. "Jaune has suggested it has a lovely climate."

"HE SUGGESTED...." Salem held up a hand. Yang stopped. Even she wasn't immune to the aura of a woman who had just experienced whatever the last three days had been. "There is, however..." Salem paused. Her immortal composure cracked just slightly. Her cheeks darkened. "I require... assistance." "Assistance with what?" Oscar asked carefully.
Salem looked at Jaune. Jaune gave her a reassuring smile. She looked back at the group.

"He is... too much." Dead silence.
"He's too much," Salem repeated, and her voice held the tone of someone confessing to a war crime. "I am immortal. I have endured centuries of solitude, war, loss, and agony. I have never once... once... felt overwhelmed. But Jaune Arc does not stop. He does not stop. I have not slept in three days. I regenerated my entire body twice. My Aura, which I did not even know could be depleted, needs recovery."

She took a breath. "I need you people to help me manage him. I cannot do this alone. No one can do this alone." She pointed at Ruby. "You. Silver-eyed warrior. You will take shifts." Ruby made a sound like a dying animal. Salem pointed at Yang. "You seem sturdy. You're on rotation."

Yang looked at her fist, then at Salem, then at Jaune, and something behind her eyes simply gave up. Salem pointed at Weiss. "You seem organized. You will make schedules." Weiss, somehow, reached for a pen. Trauma was a hell of a drug. Salem pointed at Blake. "You will research if there are historical precedents for this level of... endurance. I need answers."

Blake, incredibly, opened a book. The Faunus need to know had been weaponized against them all. Salem pointed at Cinder. "No." "Jaune says you're part of this now." "I WILL BURN EVERYTHING..."

"Cinder." Jaune's voice was calm and warm. "It'll be fine." Cinder's mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. She sat down. Salem turned to Oscar. "You have Ozpin in your head. He knows the tradition. He will advise."

"I want no part of this," Ozpin said immediately in Oscar's mind. "You'll do it," Oscar muttered. "You'll do it because you're a responsible adult."

"I have made many mistakes over my lifetimes. This is not one I wish to add to...." "Ozpin."
"....Fine."

Salem nodded, satisfied. She took Jaune's arm again. "We will be relocating to Patch by the end of the week. I expect everyone there by Monday. There will be a chore wheel. There will be boundaries. There will be...." She faltered. "There will be rules." She looked up at Jaune with an expression that was equal parts devotion and exhaustion. "He agreed to every other weekend off." Every other weekend. The Queen of the Grimm had negotiated every other weekend and considered it a victory.

Jaune smiled his stupid, golden-retriever smile.
"This is going to be great, you guys." Ruby Rose, leader of Team RWBY, savior of Remnant, silver-eyed warrior, looked at her friends. They looked back. None of them had words. None of them would ever have words again. Cinder, enemy of humanity, slowly raised her hand. "Do I at least get my own room on Patch?" Salem considered this. "You will be in the guest house. With Blake."
"Why with Blake?" "Because she seems like she'll be reasonable about boundaries." Blake, mid-page-turn, went pale. Jaune clapped his hands together. "Alright! Team meeting to discuss the chore wheel at seven! Salem made snacks!" The Queen of the Grimm had made snacks. Remnant was saved...Yeah ...nobody felt saved.

"In all my centuries,"* Ozpin said quietly in Oscar's mind as they walked toward the exit, "I have never been more terrified, more confused, or more impressed." "Same," Oscar whispered.
"He rolled a natural twenty, Oscar. Against Salem."
"I know."

"The boy didn't even hesitate."

"I KNOW."

"....He knew. He absolutely knew."

Oscar stopped walking. The realization hit him like a truck. "He brought the die....He brought the die to the final battle."

Ozpin was silent for a long, long moment.

"The Arc family," he said finally, "has always been interesting." In the distance, Jaune could be heard asking Salem if she wanted to try a restaurant in Patch that had "really good pasta." Salem said yes. Cinder just screamed sick of the whole thing already.

The Ancient Way endured.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Weiss was the most direct.

She waited until they were alone in the library, then leveled Myrtenaster at his throat, eyes cold.

"My grandmother was a Nightsister of Dathomir. She made it very clear before she died: Jedi are to be killed on sight. No exceptions."

Jaune slowly raised his hands. "Uh… any particular reason?"

"They're annoying," Weiss deadpanned.

Jaune considered this. "That's fair. I can be pretty annoying."

Weiss's eye twitched. She lowered her rapier with a frustrated sigh.

"Damn it, Arc. Stop being so disarmingly earnest. It's making this very difficult."

"I'm making this difficult?"

"Yes! You-Your earnest honesty is so annoying! And how kind and sincere you are!" Weiss growled.

Jaune smiled.

"Well, thank you?"

"It wasn't a compliment!"

"Oh... Um... Sorry you feel that way?"

"UGH!" Weiss groaned. "Can't you recite some-some asinine condescending Jedi quote at me to make this easier?!"

"Easier for you to kill me? Why would I do that? I don't want to die," Jaune pointed out, "Plus, if you kill me you'll get in trouble."

Weiss flushed.

"I-Leave those details to me!"

"The details of you killing me? I mean, I'm involved so maybe I should know about them?" Jaune asked. Weiss scoffed.

"Do you think you're cute?!"

Jaune flushed.

"Well, my mom says so..."

"You-!" Weiss paused, and her eyes widened. "You... You're using a Jedi Mind Trick on me!"

Jaune blinked.

"I am?"

"YES! You-You're making yourself infuriatingly endearing so I won't murder you!" Weiss hissed. "It's diabolical-My grandmother and mother were right about you! You sadist! You're trying to make me feel GUILTY about killing you! Playing the charming idiot!"

Weiss stood up, walked around, and poked Jaune threateningly in his chest.

"Well it won't work! You-you idiot! I know your game!"

"Ummm..." Jaune blinked. "Okay?"

"So I'm going to kill you... When I'm good and ready!" She snarled. "You hear me? You can't escape me, Jaune Arc! I'LL TAKE YOUR LIFE!"

She spun around on her heels and stormed out the library, the double doors swinging in her wake. Jaune stared after her, then back over at Sun and Blake. The two were watching from nearby, Blake looking irritated and Sun looked amused.

"I have no idea what that was about," he said, mostly honestly.

Blake scowled, her ears twitching under her bow.

"Why am I not the center of attention?"

Sun and Jaune shared a commiserating, brotherly look. Best summed up in one word:

Women.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune had actually gotten Jedi training, despite his mother not wanting him to become a Huntsman. His father had done it, and it had let him get through the initiation. His training wasn't complete though: He'd have to go through what his father called "The Trials". And he'd managed to build his own lightsaber... After like, twenty tries.

Still! He was doing what he dreamed of doing, and he was happy. He'd even met some great friends! Like Pyrrha, who was happy to train him! A real live Mistral Regional Champion was his partner! She was so graceful, so beautifu-Nope! Nope, not thinking about her like that. Not at all.

She had also asked him to meet her on the rooftop for special training. How it was different from their regular training, he didn't know, but he was happy to do so!

He flipped up onto the roof and smiled at Pyrrha, who was standing on the edge of the roof. She was wearing a long black robe that waved gently in the twilight breeze.

"Hey Pyrrha!" Jaune said cheerfully.

Pyrrha turned and smiled at him.

"Hello Jaune! So... For tonight's training, I was thinking of something... A bit different!"

"Different?" Jaune asked, blinking, "Different how?"

Pyrrha dropped the robe, letting it slide off her amazing figure. Jaune's eyes bugged out. It wasn't like her regular outfit wasn't... Uh... Formfitting and flattering, but this tight black number was much more... Alluring, somehow. Especially with the black make up she had applied... And the red lightsaber she ignited-Wait what?!

"Huh?" Jaune managed. Pyrrha reached out to him.

"You are strong in the Force... And so am I," Pyrrha said, "But I follow the Darkside! For I am Sith!"

She spun her red lightsaber around dramatically. Jaune gaped in disbelief.

"No... You... You're a Sith?! How?!"

"The Darkside is the path to many abilities some may consider... Unnatural," Pyrrha purred, strutting towards him. Jaune shook his head rapidly.

"N-No! I mean, how?! My dad crashlanded here years ago-!"

"So did my mother!" Pyrrha declared, "She had been hunting your father! To end him and the rest of the Jedi Order so we might take our rightful place as rulers of the galaxy! So I must destroy you... Or you can join me! Together, we can conquer this puny world and bring ORDER to the Galaxy!"

Jaune shook his head. Everything his father had told him about the Sith came to his mind. All the pain, the suffering, the horror. He stood firm.

"I'll never join you!"

Pyrrha blinked.

"Wait, you won't?"

"NO!" Jaune declared. "That's EVIL! That's not what I signed up for!"

Pyrrha blinked.

"But... Um... Are you sure?"

Jaune blinked. He must have missed this part about Sith when his dad told him about them.

"Yes...?"

Pyrrha sighed.

"So I have to kill you now."

"Wait, now?!" Jaune yelped. Pyrrha nodded sadly.

"Yes... I-I don't want to!" Pyrrha insisted, "Really! You're a g-good friend! Like... My first..." She blushed, and giggled. "And I like being at Beacon and hiding your body is going to be a pain and... And I'll miss everything and..." She looked even more depressed, then scowled.

"But I must destroy you!"

She advanced on Jaune.

"Woah! Woah woah woah!" Jaune said, holding up his hands, "Why?"

"Because my mother said I must destroy any Jedi who refuses to submit to me!" Pyrrha declared. Jaune racked his brain frantically for ideas... When it hit him.

"Well... I mean, do you really have to? I mean, uh... You only tried to seduce me to the Darkside this one time. And you failed."

Pyrrha blinked. She flushed.

"I-It's the first time I've tried!" She insisted, "You're the first Jedi I've ever met!"

"So," Jaune pointed out, "Maybe you should, uh... Keep trying? I mean, you've never done this before. And uh... Don't you have to eventually kill your master? You'll need an apprentice and uh, well, I'm here right?"

Pyrrha blinked and considered his words. She nodded.

"That's true... I suppose that's why you were chosen to be team leader," Pyrrha mused. She beamed. "YES! I will keep trying to seduce you to the Darkside! Then we can rule together... Well I'll rule and then you'll be my apprentice and..." She frowned. "Oh, then you'll have to kill me to prove you're stronger... That's not good..."

"Ummm... I'm sure there's an exception for... Friends. Or other?" Jaune grasped at straws. Pyrrha blushed bright red, and nodded happily.

"Y-Yes! I'm sure there is! Again, wonderful Jaune! Oh! Or maybe we could trade off being apprentice and master?"

"Yes... Good idea," Jaune managed. Pyrrha hugged him happily.

"Oh, we're going to rule this world so WELL! I didn't really want the spotlight! Having you alongside will make conquest so much easier!"

"It... Sure will," Jaune managed, patting her back.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Family

Whitley Schnee had faced boardrooms, his father's cold disapproval, and even the occasional assassination attempt.

None of that prepared him for the Xiao Long-Rose household.

The front door had barely opened before a whirlwind of red petals and excited squeaks dragged him inside.

"Dad! Yang! Qrow! This is Whitley!" Ruby announced, still holding his hand like she was afraid he might bolt.

Taiyang Xiao Long stepped out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and had the easy, warm smile of a man who had survived raising two daughters and Qrow.

"Whitley! Good to finally meet you," Tai said, offering a firm handshake. "Ruby's told us a lot about you. Come on in, dinner's almost ready."

Whitley shook his hand, slightly dazed. There was no calculating glint in Tai's eyes. No hidden agenda. Just… genuine welcome.

This was new.

Yang appeared from the hallway, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised. She looked him up and down, then smirked.

"So you're the fancy Schnee boy who's been making my sister all blushy. You hurt her and I'll break your spine. Otherwise, welcome."

She said it so cheerfully that Whitley almost missed the threat.

"Understood," he replied, trying to sound dignified. "I have no intention of hurting her."

Yang's smirk softened into something almost approving. "Good answer."

Then came the drunk.

Qrow Branwen wandered in from the living room, flask in hand, already three sheets to the wind. Whitley braced himself — he was used to powerful people who became cruel when intoxicated.

Instead, Qrow squinted at him, then grinned.

"Well I'll be damned. You really are a Schnee. Good on you for not being a complete asshole like your old man." He raised his flask. "Name's Qrow. I'll remember it even when I'm blackout drunk. Nice to meet ya, kid."

Whitley blinked.

Before he could respond, something small, fluffy, and incredibly fast launched itself at his legs.

"Zwei! No-!" Ruby started, but it was too late.

The corgi had already decided Whitley was friend-shaped. He bounced excitedly, yipping and pawing at Whitley's expensive slacks, leaving little muddy prints.

Whitley stared down at the tiny ball of love and fur currently trying to climb him like a tree.

"…He's very enthusiastic," he said faintly.

Ruby laughed, scooping Zwei up. "He likes you! That's a good sign."

Whitley, still processing the fact that no one had insulted him, threatened him politically, or implied anything unpleasant, simply nodded.

- - -

Dinner was loud, warm, and chaotic.

Yang teased him about his posture. Tai asked about his interests with genuine curiosity. Qrow told increasingly ridiculous stories while somehow never forgetting Whitley's name. Ruby kept beaming at him like he was the best thing she'd ever brought home.

And through it all, Whitley sat there quietly fascinated.

This was… a family.

Not a calculated alliance. Not a cold hierarchy. Just people who loved each other messily and openly.

When Ruby leaned against his shoulder halfway through dessert, he found himself instinctively wrapping an arm around her.

Yang noticed and raised an eyebrow, but there was no hostility in it; just the protective look of a big sister.

Later that evening, as Ruby walked him to the door, she looked up at him with those bright silver eyes.

"So… what did you think?"

Whitley was quiet for a moment, then smiled — small, genuine, and a little overwhelmed.

"I think," he said softly, "that I've never been more envious of anyone in my life."

Ruby's expression softened. She rose on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

"You're part of it now. I-I mean, if you want to be."

Whitley looked back toward the house — at the warm lights, the sound of Yang laughing at one of Qrow's stories, and Tai calling out that there were leftovers for tomorrow.

He squeezed Ruby's hand.

"I'd like that very much."

And for the first time, Whitley Schnee didn't feel like an outsider looking in.

He felt like he might actually belong somewhere.

Even if that somewhere was loud, chaotic, and came with a very messy, affectionate corgi.

He was more than okay with that.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Neith Aerospace – Technical Data Sheet
Designation: Neith Aerospace VFA-47 "Tempest Viper" Strike Fighter (Mark III E-model)
Classification: Supersonic Multirole Strike Fighter / Air Superiority Platform
Role: Deep strike, close air support, anti-Grimm saturation, fleet defense, air to air combat, and forward air control.
Manufacturer: Neith Aerospace
Origin: Vale

Physical Specifications

• Length: 19.2 m
• Wingspan: Variable-geometry (Mechashift sweep): 13.8 m (fully swept for supersonic dash) to 21.4 m (fully extended for low-speed loiter and high-lift)
• Height: 5.6 m
• Mass: 32 metric tons (empty) / 48 metric tons (combat loaded)
• Configuration: Twin-engine, tandem two-seat cockpit with reinforced composite airframe. Mechashift variable-sweep wings allow real-time geometry changes for optimal performance across speed regimes.
• Armor: Lightweight layered titanium-carbon composite. Strike-focused E-model adds modular belly armor plating for low-level CAS runs; pure air-superiority variants (A/C) remain lighter.
• Powerplant: 2 × Beltane F-280 Dust afterburning turbofans + 4 × retractable Neith Gravity Dust VTOL projectors (wing-root and fuselage-mounted for vertical takeoff/landing on carriers, forest clearings, or damaged strips).

Mobility & Performance

• Maximum Speed: Mach 2.1 (supersonic dash at altitude); Mach 1.2 at sea level
• Service Ceiling: 55,000 ft (16,800 m)
• Range: 1,800 km (combat radius with full ordnance; extendable to 3,200 km with external drop tanks)
• VTOL Capability: Full vertical takeoff and landing via Gravity Dust projectors; mechashift wing sweep enables stable hover or short-field ops from austere bases in the Hellenic League, Mistral sub-kingdoms, or Vacuo.
• Maneuverability: Exceptional thrust-vectoring and variable-geometry wings provide superior turn rates and low-speed agility. Mechashift actuators allow mid-flight reconfiguration in under 4 seconds for rapid transition between high-speed ingress and tight forest strafing runs.

Armament

• Primary Gun: 1 × Winchester Armaments 20mm rotary cannon in chin-mounted mechashift turret x899 rounds
• Optional Secondary Guns: 2 × Winchester Arms GPU-3 30mm Cannon Gun Pods x569 rounds each on hardpoints
• Hardpoints: 10 external hardpoints (Mechashift quick-release pylons) plus 2 internal conformal bays:
  • Ground Attack Ordnance: Up to 8 × 70 mm unguided rocket pods (152 rockets total) or 8 × 500 kg high-explosive laser guided Dust bombs or 12 x 250 kg high-explosive laser guided bombs or 4 x 1000 kg high explosive laser guided bombs or 12 x 200 kg cluster munition bombs.
  • Precision Missiles: 8 × Wallace Arms WAM-19 "Stormlance" radar guided air-to-air missiles or 10 x IAM-7 Orko Aerospace "Nirah" heat guided air-to-air missiles or 8 x Taranis Arms WAM-22 "Harpe" radar guided air-to-ground missiles or mix.
  • Additional: External Dust Fuel Tanks, Prende Techtronic "Redeye" External Sensor Pods, Prende Techtronic XZAP-19 Optical Laser Pod (Experimental).
• Defensive Systems: Smoke/flare/chaff dispensers, Njord QSA-440 ECM jammer suite.

Sensors & Avionics

• Radar: Taranis-Orko Electronics Company AESA "Alatyr" active electronically scanned array radar (tracks 40+ air and ground targets simultaneously at 200+ km range).
• Sensor Suite: Orko Electronics "Deadeye-II" multi-spectrum package (thermal, Dust-signature, motion tracking, and low-light imaging) integrated with AI-assisted targeting optimized for Grimm weak points.
• Data Link: Secure real-time uplinks to Banshee/Valiant-class carriers, VDF infantry and vehicle, and embedded Hunter teams for coordinated strikes.

Crew & Capacity

• Crew (E-model): 2 (1 pilot in forward cockpit, 1 Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) in rear station handling sensors, targeting, and weapons systems).
• Variants Overview:
  • A/C models: Single-seat air-superiority variants (lighter, faster, focused on dogfighting).
  • B/D models: Two-seat forward air control / strike variants (RIO station optimized for laser designation, Hunter coordination, and battlefield management).
• E-model Focus: Dedicated two-seater strike fighter — the backbone of Vale's deep-strike and CAS missions.

Key Features & Design Philosophy

• Mechashift Variable Wings: Remnant transforming technology gives the Tempest Viper F-14-level sweep control without hydraulic lag — sweep back for Mach 2 dashes across continents or extend for stable low-altitude gun runs through Vale's forests and urban canyons.
• Gun-Centric Anti-Grimm Focus: While capable of precision missile strikes against human or Faunus hardware, the Viper's 20 mm rotary cannon, optional gun pods, and heavy dumb-ordnance loadout make it the ultimate horde-breaker. Pilots call it "the Reaper's Paintbrush" for the way it turns Grimm swarms into mist.
• Power Projection: Built specifically to counter enemy aircraft while maintaining Vale's influence from Argus to Vacuo. A flight of Tempests can escort a Banshee carrier, provide top cover for Hunter Insertions, or engage enemy fighters in air to air combat.
• Carrier & Austere Ops: Gravity Dust VTOL and reinforced landing gear make it equally at home on carrier decks or remote forward bases.
• Drawbacks: Higher maintenance than lighter fighters; relies on speed and agility rather than heavy armor (CAS variants trade some speed for extra plating); Dust consumption spikes during prolonged mechashift wing use or VTOL operations.

History:

The Tempest Viper entered production after the Atlesians unveiled their new advanced strike fighter, the Vityaz. Based on erroneuous reports of its incredibly advanced technology and amazing performance, the Temper Viper was created as the ultimate air to air combat platform. The Vityaz was not the incredible superfighter it was presented as, at first. The Cavalier-model would be that exception and would become the mainline Atlasian strike fighter, but by then the Tempest Viper was in full production and across Vale, as well as used by numerous Valean Allies.

The E-model is the latest and most advanced, and is quickly becoming the mainstay of the Vale Defense Air Forces, with hundreds fielded across Banshee- and Valiant-class carriers as well as forward bases in the Hellenic League, Mistral-aligned sub-kingdoms, and Vacuo. It remains the VDF's most powerful and versatile tactical aircraft: The aircraft that ensures Vale can project power anywhere on Remnant with or without their carrier force.

Note: Decided to rework the Tempest Viper to make it fit a bit better into the world and not be quite so ridiculous. The family is now like a mix of the F-14 and F-15 Strike Eagle, and fills out the air defenses of Vale and her allies better. I'll be doing similar reworks of other technical datasheets.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The Vale Metropolitan Museum of Art was quieter than usual Saturday morning, thanks to Pyrrha's quiet influence and a generous donation from the Nikos family. The entire Hellenic History wing had been cordoned off for their private visit, golden morning light streaming through the high windows onto marble statues and beautifully preserved artifacts.

Mia's eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

She was dressed in a tiny but authentic-looking Hellenic chiton, a soft white dress with golden trim, and a delicate laurel wreath rested on her blonde curls. In her hands she proudly carried a child-sized replica Argusian javelin, which she waved around like a magic wand and giggled over.

Pyrrha walked beside her, smiling softly, while Jaune trailed just behind, carrying Mia's stuffed bunny in one hand and looking a little overwhelmed by how fancy everything felt.

"Pyrrha, you really didn't have to go this far," Jaune said, adjusting the laurel wreath that Mia had insisted he wear too.

"Nonsense," Pyrrha replied warmly. "This exhibit is on my people's history. I wanted you both to see it properly."

Mia ran ahead a few steps, then spun around, the little chiton fluttering. "Look, Papa! I'm a princess warrior!"

"You look amazing, kitten," Jaune laughed. "Just don't touch anything, okay?"

"Okay!" Mia laughed, rushing ahead.

They stopped in front of a grand mural depicting ancient battles and heroes. Pyrrha's voice grew softer, almost reverent, as she traced her fingers near the glass.

"My grandmother used to tell me stories every night about our ancestors," she said. "We can trace our family line all the way back to Iksander the Great =the conqueror who united the known world. She always said our blood carried both his brilliance and his burdens."

Jaune glanced at her, then looked back at the mural. "I get that. My family has its own long lineage too… the Arcs have been knights and protectors for generations. It feels… like a lot sometimes. Like I have to live up to all of them."

Pyrrha turned to him, her emerald eyes gentle. "It can feel like a burden, can't it? Carrying the weight of so many expectations."

She hesitated, then continued more quietly, "But… maybe we don't have to carry it alone. Maybe we could carry it together?"

Jaune met her gaze. The air between them grew thick with something warm and unspoken.

"I'd like that," he said softly.

Pyrrha's breath caught. She leaned in slowly, heart hammering, willing herself to close the distance. Jaune's eyes widened slightly in confusion, but he didn't pull away.

Then—

CRASH!

Mia had wandered over to a low display stand holding replica hoplite armor. In her excitement, she bumped into it. The entire stand wobbled and toppled over with a loud clatter, the shield bouncing across the polished floor.

Both Jaune and Pyrrha jolted apart.

"Mia!" Jaune yelped, rushing over.

Pyrrha's cheeks flushed bright red as she hurried after him. "Are you alright, little one?"

Mia sat on the floor, laruel slightly askew, looking sheepish but unharmed. "Sorry Papa... I'm really sorry! I-I didn't mean to-!"

Jaune helped her up, brushing dust off her chiton. "It's okay, it's okay. Let's slow down from now on huh?"

Pyrrha gently pushed the shield and armor back up, inspecting it with a practiced eye. She sighed and smiled.

"It's all right. It's just a replica, and no harm done," she said. Jaune sighed in relief.

Pyrrha let out a nervous laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. The moment was gone, but the warmth in her chest remained.

Mia looked between them, then grinned mischievously. "Were you gonna kiss Papa?"

Pyrrha turned scarlet. Jaune made a strangled noise.

"Mia!" they both said at the same time.

The little girl just giggled and hugged her replica spear tighter.

Pyrrha eventually recovered enough to smile again. "Come on. There's still the Hall of Heroes to see. Maybe we can find her a helmet that will fit?"

"Oooh! Can I Papa? Can I?" Mia asked. "I wouldn't run into things so much with a helmet!"

"Somehow I doubt that," Jaune chuckled.