[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[SharkCultist]

A small snip here but I always did like character shake ups.


*Summer Rose lies on the ground. Beaten, aura broken, weapon shattered*

??: "look at you, the great Summer Rose, heroine of the kingdoms! Beaten like a dog and crawling in the dirt."

Summer: "p-please you don't have to do this."

??: "begging? Well I guess you're a coward to the end."

Summer: "I'm not a coward."

*Her opponent kicks her in the stomach*

??: "oh really? You're right. Abandoning your family and friends to run off and play hero after your partner dies in childbirth. You're not a coward. Coward is too good a word for you!"

*?? Stomps on summers knee breaking it and seems to be enjoying her screams*

??: "you're scum. As bad as that washed up old wizard who enabled you."

Summer: "a-and Salem is any better?"

*?? Grabs summer by the throat and holds her other hand in front of her face*

??: "at least she's honest about it. Now, it brings me great joy to tell you that playtime is over."

*A grimm parasite comes out of her hand and latches onto summers face as summer starts screaming again*

??: "first birthday gift you've gotten me in a long time."

*Rose Fall drops the corpse of summer Rose to the ground and sits down next to it*

Rose: "happy birthday to me...."

 

[dwennon]

Basically, a group of Ponies got transported to Remnant via magic outside of Radian. In this timeline, Nick Arc was the sole male heir to the Arc Clan and was working on becoming a Huntsman. His friendly ways endeared him to Celestia, and they hit it off. Like, REALLY hit it off.

Click to shrink...

Huh, not far off from the Saint Seiya thing in how some stuff goes down. In a way. Eh, might as well write a bit of it down. Lacking as it may be. May come back and try to bother actually writing out more than this...script outline thing.

---

Jaune: So turned out some family friends are going to arrive today. Places metal box on table.

Pyrrha: Oh? If you had told us sooner then we could have done something more for them.

Jaune: I just found out...Norra, when did you bring in the package this came in?

Nora: About ten minutes ago fearless leader.

Jaune: So I found out technically ten minutes ago.

Pyrrha: Huh, well that's alright. I'm sure we'll be able to give them a warm welcome.

Jaune: I'm not too worried about Aunt Athena, Uncle Seiya though...well, as long as no one challenges him to a fight.

*A loud boom as Yang comes crashing through the wall.*

Yang: Ugh, that might have been a real meteor punch. *Slumps over unconcious.*

Lie Ren: Would that be an example of what might happen?

Jaune: Yeah, pretty much.

*Jumping through the hole in the wall, a tall man with wild brown hair and a red shirt looks over the room. With a pair of sunglasses and bronze box on his back with the image of a Pegasus on it.*

Seiya: Jaune, how's your time at school been so far? Been able to keep up with your cosmo training at all.

Jaune: Fine so far Uncle Seiya, where's Aunt Athena?

Seiya: Hmm. And she met some girls who wanted to ask he some questions about her staff.

Jaune: Did she wear black and red?

Seiya: Yeah, you know her?

Jaune: I do, yes.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Isabel Arc smiled happily as she saw the gifts and well wishes from her daughters. Sitting here in a spare Beacon office, she looked over them all and held back tears. Saphron, Verdy, Aqua, Coral, Lilac, Tangy, Orchid-They had all sent wonderful cards and videos.

She heard the door open, and looked up. She beamed up at Jaune, who beamed back.

"Hey Mom. Happy Mother's Day!"

He walked up and hugged her tightly. She returned it, beaming as she snuggled her only son.

"Oh, thank you Jaune!"

Jaune grinned, and pulled out a box of chocolates. Isabel frowned a bit.

"Are those Death by Chocolate Squared Chocolate Truffles?"

"Yup!"

"The kind I told you were completely unhealthy for anyone or anything human or close enough?"

"Yup!"

Isabel chuckled, and took the chocolates. She opened the box and popped one in her mouth. She moaned happily.

"Ooooh... You're such a good boy!" She kissed the top of Jaune's head. He flushed.

"Thanks Mom..."

"How did you get these?" She asked.

"Pyrrha got some from her agent," Jaune shrugged, "She's meeting with him and her mom today, and she got some promotional stuff and shared it with us. She was very happy to give us some chocolate-That's the only stuff she really likes from these promo deals."

Isabel beamed.

"Such a good, generous son I have! With the most wonderful friends!"

"Geez Mom," Jaune flushed, "You don't have to go overboard."

"What? I'm serious! I know I give you the business but... I am very proud of you," she said warmly. Jaune blushed harder. He then coughed.

"Ah... Hey... Mom? Um... I have a favor to ask?"

"Hm?" Isabel looked at him intently. "What kind of favor?"

- - -

Mother's Day was... Well... Most of the time, Yang didn't even acknowledge it. Her egg donor had run out on her, and Summer was dead. In the past, she and Dad would take Ruby out to Summer's gravemarker. She'd even caught Ruby doing it a few times herself. She had never pried into those incidents though. Ruby needed it, and she was only going to intervene if she was asked.

It wasn't exactly a day for celebration in her mind. So she was lounging in the dorm, showered after her workout, just lazily looking through CCNet posts. Weiss had gone off with her sister, Blake had run off somewhere mysterious, leaving the two sisters alone.

Ruby was working on Crescent Rose at the desk, as she often did. She wasn't very into it though. Like she was going through the motions.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Ruby said softly. The door opened. Jaune stepped in, smiling at them.

"Hey Ruby, hey Yang," he said. "Um... My mom and I are going out to Vale for the day. I was wondering if you wanted to come?"

Isabel stepped up behind Jaune, and offered a gentle smile.

"Only if you want to, of course," she said, "But I thought it might be fun. Nora and Ren are coming along, too. They just had to get some things."

Yang blinked a few times as Ruby grinned. She leaped up.

"Really? Can we stop by the Weapons shop on 80th?"

"Of course!" Isabel said with a nod.

"WOOHOO! Yang! Let's go!"

Yang nodded, and stood up.

"Sure thing," she said. "I just gotta get changed. You go on ahead." She eyed Jaune. "And I need to talk with your son, too."

"Me?" Jaune gulped.

Isabel smiled and shook her head.

"It's fine Jaune. We won't leave without you. Come on Ruby," Isabel said with a beam, "Why don't you show me Crescent Rose while we're heading for the Bullheads?"

"Oh sure!" Ruby cheered. She held up her Sniper Scythe and ran out the door, walking alongside Isabel, "It's a high velocity integrated antimaterial rifle with..."

Her voice trailed off as they went down the hallway. Jaune looked back at Yang, and shrugged.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you doing this?" Yang asked quietly. She kept her face carefully blank.

Jaune shrugged again.

"Because... Because you're my friends," he said firmly, "And my mother likes you. Do... Do I need another reason?"

Yang stared at him for a long, silent moment. She then sighed, and smiled.

"Pro tip... Never play poker," she said, "You're too damn honest."

Jaune scowled.

"Hey, I'm not that bad in a game! It's mostly math!"

"Yeah yeah, Vomit Boy," Yang chuckled. She got up, and hugged him. "But thanks," she whispered in his ear. "Ruby's almost always glum on this day, so... It means a lot to me."

Jaune blushed, and nodded.

"I... I hope it means a lot to you, too," he said quietly. Her own cheeks went bright red.

"G-Geez..."

"HEY!"

Both blushing blonds jumped apart as Nora shouted. They turned to see Nora and Ren in civilian clothing: A pink sundress for Nora with a yellow sunhat, and a green T-shirt and khaki shorts for Ren... Along with a floppy blue sun hat.

"Uh... Warddrobe change?" Jaune asked carefully. Nora grinned.

"We're gonna get adopted! REN! HOLD UP THE LOLLIPOP!"

Ren sighed, and held up an oversized lollipop that was a swirl of colors. Nora did the same.

"Do you think your mom and dad will make us part of the family like this?" Nora asked. Her tone was cheerful, but there was just the tiniest hint of worry in her eyes. Ren was stoic, almost apologetic, yet his own eyes held some pain too.

Jaune chuckled, and hugged his friends tightly.

"I think you already are."

- - -

A bit short and schmaltzy, but I hope you liked it.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Nick Arc burst into JNPR's room early in the morning.

Nick: "KIDS! GREAT NEWS!"

Jaune: "GAH! DAD! WHAT THE HELL?!"

Pyrrha: "Huh?"

Nora: "DEATH!"

Ren: "Ugh... What?"

Nick Arc grinned, and held up some adoption papers.

Nick: "It went through! Welcome to the family, Nora and Ren! Jaune! They're your new sister and brother!"

Jaune: "Wait what?! For real?!"

Nora: "YAYYYY! WE'RE A REAL FAMILY!" She hops up to hug Nick, who laughs and hugs her. Nick then pulled the shocked Ren into a hug.

Ren: "What... Those forms you made me fill out were real, Nora?"

Nora: "Well of course they're real, silly!"

Jaune: "I... Well... Welcome to the family, guys."

Pyrrha: sobs as they all hug "Oh... It's so beautiful...!"

Nora: "So! When can I marry Renny, Daddy?"

Nick: "Eh? Nora, you can't marry your adopted brother! Even if you aren't blood related!"

Nora: "... WAIT WHAT?! I CAN'T?!"

Jaune: "Didn't... You think about that before you thought this up?"

Nora: sobs and wails "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Ren: deadpan "She did not."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

This part of Vale was known as Old Town, which stretched from the river to the main walls. The neighborhood had been old but stately, with numerous shops and homes lining well kept streets. When the Vytal Attack had happened, most of these places had been abandoned. The city's automatic defenses had been disabled, thankfully, but the Atlasian drones had done plenty of damage to the populace.

Now the streets were deserted. Except for the Grimm, of course.

An Ursa roared and charged Jaune. He held his ground, Crocea Mors burning with Aura in his hands. He waited, waited, waited for the Ursa to get close enough. It rushed for him, extended its claws and fangs...!

Jaune sidestepped the Ursa, and brought his sword down on the bear-like Grimm's neck! It went right through, and the Grimm's head went flying from its neck. The rest of its body dissolved into smoke, as Jaune turned to face the next Grimm.

Several more Ursa barreled through the ruined shops, roaring as they went right for him. Jaune fell back a bit, as the large gang of Ursas headed right for him. He waited, waited...

"NOW!"

Nora and Cardin emerged from their hiding place, Ren's Semblance bleeding away their colors. Cardin swung his mace and unleashed a massive blast of Fire Dust. Nora let loose with her grenades, unleashing another huge blast. These combined, blowing apart the Grimm's first line.

The Ursas at the back of the mob slowed and turned to head away... But Ren and Blake appeared in front of them and mercilessly cut them to pieces.

The street fell silent, as the monsters were all slain. Jaune took some deep breaths, and nodded to his companions.

"Good work everyone," Jaune stated. He tapped his earpiece. "Professor Goodwitch? Section 33-A is clear."

"We're updating the map now, Your Majesty," Glynda replied, "Also, it is unnecessary to call me that, King Jaune."

Jaune wore a wry look.

"You gonna stop calling me that?"

There was a poignant pause.

"... It is what I must call you-"

"Then no, Professor Goodwitch it is," Jaune replied. His friends held back smirks. He could only imagine Goodwitch's exasperated expression.

"Very well, Your Majesty. Also, Chief Ranger Arathorn would like to inform you that his forces will be there momentarily."

Jaune slowly nodded, as he heard a Bullhead's engines overhead.

"Good. We could use the back up."

"Also, Chieftain Belladonna's party will be arriving in three hours," Glynda stated, "You and your fiancé will probably want to attend."

Jaune sighed, and looked over at Blake. The cat Faunus winced a bit, but nodded.

"Right, we'll be right there," he said. The Bullheads came in for a landing, their engine wash clearing the Grimm dust away from the area. Jaune headed up to the Bullhead, Blake joining him and taking hold of his hand. She smiled nervously at him as they got up into the cabin of the aircraft.

"Just when it was getting good," Cardin grumbled.

"I know right?" Nora shouted. She hugged Renny. "Such is the life of the Royal Guards! Fun one moment, then boring dinner parties the next!"

"Indeed," Ren observed wryly.

"Hey Jaune!" Nora said cheerfully, as the Bullhead lifted off and headed back towards the central towers of Vale's government city, "When we gonna get like, knighted for real? I wanna be a Duchess!"

"There are a few steps before you get there," Jaune observed wryly.

"Awww!"

- - -

The Admin Center of Vale was a large complex of many towers, arranged almost like a modern take on a castle. During the Vytal Attack, the Atlasian drones had turned on the government and slaughtered almost everyone in the area.

One of the few government officials who had survived had been Councilman Rufus Winchester, Cardin's father. The tall, broad shouldered redheaded man had relied on his own personal security, and not taken the offer of Atlasian robots for his detail. It had saved his life, though he had been badly wounded nevertheless. Jaune and Cardin's team getting the automated defenses back online had saved his and the lives of thousands of other people in the Admin Center.

Councilman Winchester awaited them on the airship pad on city hall, his arm still in a sling. A pale woman with green hair in a smart blouse, jacket and skirt stood at his side, holding a Scroll.

The young King and his friends came out of the Bullhead, Jaune leading the group. Rufus smiled and nodded as the engines died down.

"Welcome, Your Majesties! Son, Lady Nora, Lord Ren!" He greeted.

"I didn't make those official yet," Jaune said wryly.

"WOO! LADY NORA! FIRST STEP ON THE PATH TO QUEENDOM!" Nora cheered.

"How soon will my father arrive?" Blake asked. Rufus looked to the pale woman, who checked her notes.

"In about two hours, Your Majesty," she cried, "We were able to resolve his flight plan faster than we thought."

"Good," Blake said with a nod, "Please send the rest of our itinerary to our Scrolls. We'll be retiring to our quarters to get ready."

"Yes your Majesty," the assistant said cheerfully.

"I've put together the meeting schedule for the summit... And the wedding," Rufus added. He looked over at Cardin. "You have a Best Man candidate yet?"

Cardin smiled. Jaune coughed.

"Ah... No offense, but I was gonna ask Ren," he said. Cardin drooped a bit, but nodded.

"That's fair," he sighed. "Can I still be in the wedding party?"

"Definitely," Jaune said. Cardin grinned.

"Yes! Bridesmaids!"

"WOO! Go get 'em, Cardy!" Nora cheered. Rufus Winchester, dignified Councilman... Laughed indulgently.

"Ah well... Maybe you'll get the King to be your Best Man for your wedding, son. Hope you're working on that."

"Er... Yes Dad," Cardin managed, blushing a bit.

"We'll see it all later," Blake said, smoothly leading Jaune off to the elevator. He sighed quietly as the elevator doors closed behind them.

"Thank you so much," he muttered.

Blake chuckled.

"I did have some practice escaping meetings with officials in Menagerie," she said softly.

The elevator doors opened on their floor. They walked into the ambassadorial suites. They were usually reserved for heads of state visiting Vale. Jaune had originally tried to just get a normal hotel room, but given the dangerous situation in Vale, he'd bowed to the logic that the King of Vale needed to be somewhere secure.

The room was at least tasteful. Not covered in gold and silver. Just nice hardwood floors with fine furniture and a large bed. The balcony was secured with fine blinds. A bed Blake led him to.

"Um," Jaune tried. Blake turned to him, blinking.

"Yes?" She asked softly. Jaune blushed.

"Er... I-I mean..."

Blake slid her fingers between his, and smiled softly.

"We've been sleeping together for the past few nights, you know," she said quietly. Jaune slowly nodded.

"Y-Yeah, but... Not like that," he said. "And uh... Your parents are coming."

"I know," Blake said quietly. She closed her eyes tightly for a moment. "I haven't seen them in years... But they did agree to help us. Helped save Vale."

Jaune nodded.

"Yeah... If I married you," he said quietly.

Blake stared up into his eyes.

"I'm willing to do whatever I have to in order to make this happen, Jaune," she said softly. "Do you want me to a wear a collar? Want to invite more women into our bed? I'm willing to do it."

Jaune shook his head.

"Would... Would that make you happy though?" He asked earnestly.

Blake flushed.

"Geez... You're asking me that when we're already engaged?"

"Yeah," Jaune said.

Blake sighed, and hugged him tightly.

"... Things could have been much worse, for both of us," she murmured.

Jaune patted her on the back, feeling a bit confused.

"Er... Yeah, I guess..."

He cleared his throat.

"So, um... Your mom and dad... What do they feel about, uh... Me?"

Blake sucked in a deep breath.

"They'll be concerned, but I... I know they'll see what a good man you are. I did, after all."

Jaune flushed.

"Thanks," he murmured. He kissed the top of her head. Blake blushed.

"Er, sorry, was that too much?" Jaune asked.

"We're engaged," Blake pointed out.

"So... Yes?"

Blake sighed, and gently bumped her head against his.

"You dork."

"So I've been told," Jaune deadpanned.

- - -

The throne room was in the oldest of the Admin Center buildings. It had been made when the position of King was formally abolished, so it was fairly modest. Vaulted ceilings of plain white, with little alcoves in between the columns that led to the throne. In each alcove was a suit of armor, holding a weapon.

The throne itself was made of black marble, blocky, plain and functional.

It was also uncomfortable, which is why Jaune was fine with not sitting in it any more than he had to. He stood in front of the throne with Blake. He was in a well tailored suit with a sash over his chest in the colors of the Valean flag. A simple gold band was around his head.

At his side, holding his hand, stood Blake. She was in her black dress from the Beacon Dance, as it was the best they could find for her on such short notice. She wore a silver band around her head, and her ears were bare.

The rest of their friends, guards, and the surviving government officials stood on either side of the throne room as a long red carpet was rolled out.

The door to the throne room opened, and several Menagerie Knights in bronze and black armor marched in. They took up station on either side of the carpet, holding up their weapons. Under this protection walked in Ghira and Kali Belladonna. Both in ornate black and purple robes of Fuujin style, they approached Jaune and Blake with grave expressions.

Ghira himself was a bear of a man, gigantic and powerful. Kali was shapely but athletic, and her golden eyes bored into Jaune's. He held it as best he could, matching her stare.

He smiled politely as they stopped a few meters away. He inclined his head respectfully, a motion Blake copied.

"Chieftain Ghira, Lady Kali, it is an honor to meet you," he said, "We thank you for your aid and assisting us in our hour of need."

Ghira glowered at him.

"You're King Jaune, huh?"

Jaune blinked. Blake became tense next to him. Cardin, Nora, and Ren began to go for their weapons discretely.

"Yes sir."

"You marrying my daughter?"

"Yes sir."

"You gonna treat her right, even as a king?" Ghira went on.

Jaune slowly nodded.

"I would die before I let any harm come to her," he swore. Blake blushed severely.

Ghira stared intently at him... Before grinning and hugging him.

"Thank you!" He cried happily, as the rest of the Valeans stared at him in disbelief. "You've saved our daughter from a life living with some genocidal maniac!"

"Or alone in an apartment, her only joys a can of tuna or a new book!" Kali sobbed, hugging Jaune on his other side. "Oh, thank you, wonderful son in law!" She hugged Blake next. "Congratulations, Blake! Are you pregnant yet? When can we expect grandkitties?!"

Jaune let out a long sigh of relief, even as Rufus Winchester chuckled and Goodwitch pushed her glasses up to pinch the bridge of her nose.

Well... Least they're not big on decorum, he thought.

- - -

 

[SharkCultist]

*Yang violently kicks in a door*

Yang: which one of you dead bastards showed Ruby Tokusatsu?!

*Everyone points at Jaune*

Jaune: what? It's just harmless fun.

*Yang grabs Jaune by the back of the shirt and lifts him like a kitten to force him to look out the window*

Ruby: You creatures of darkness and sin! Beware for I am here.

Jaune: Don't tell me.

*Ruby pulls out a weird looking belt with a bulky buckle etched with pictures of roses and corgi*

Yang: oh I'm telling you.

*Ruby slaps on the belt*

Belt: rough and tumble! Roar and rumble! Stand up!

*A storm of rose petals surround Ruby before dying down to reveal a figure in a rose red body suit covered in black and white armor panels and a vaguely dog like helmet*

Belt: First Hero Second Edition! Kamen Rider Zwei!


Jaune/Yang: I/you fucked up.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Radian, North Sanus

- - -

"I tell ya Nick, it's a damn catastrophe!"

Jaune peeked into the family kitchen, his eyes wide. The thirteen year old was used to tall men: His father was nearly seven foot tall, same with his grandfather. Yet here was a man who could barely fit into their kitchen, sitting across the table from his dad.

He was built broad and brawny, with a face weathered by the sun. His eyes were deep blue, his hair was silver brown. His chin was like a lantern made of solid brass. He wore riding leathers, khaki, black, and yellow. A red scarf was tied around his neck, and he wore a tall gray ten gallon hat. A revolver hung from his belt, and a shotgun over his back. He sipped his beer, the same as his father.

"All your hands just up and quit, huh?" Nick asked sympathetically. The tall man nodded.

"Mm. A new Dust Mine opened up, and they all went to go work for the Schnees instead of me! ME! Most of 'em I taught the cattle business when they were no taller than a damn fence post! All my cattle are ready to go down to Bulwark, and they just up and leave!"

"Well, you didn't exactly help your case, Rooster Duke," Isabel observed, sipping some tea at the other kitchen door, "You had a few hands willing to work, if you let them go up to the Schnee mines to see how the work was."

Rooster snorted.

"If you can't trust a man in safety, you can't trust them in the Grimm infested wilds. I've seen men turn tail at the hint of a Beowulf, where only hours before they'd sworn everything to the job in the bar. No, no..."

"You could wait until next year," Nick suggested. "A lot of ranchers wait every two years for a drive."

Rooster huffed.

"Lot of ranchers get fat off government money. Paid to not grow, to not work, all for some politician's pocketbook. Ain't for me, Nick. And it ain't for either of you, even in an old town like this."

Nick smirked. Isabel nodded slowly.

"No more than we have to," Isabel agreed. "So, why are you here?"

"I need hands, and I need Hunters," Rooster stated flatly. "I can pay you top rate, Nick, you're worth it. I can't pay you until we get to Bulwark, but it'll be worth your while."

Nick looked to Isabel. She smiled at him.

"The training school is closed for the season, and I think Sarge can run the militia for a few months without you," Isabel observed.

"Guess I'm your man," Nick chuckled. "As for hands... Well. Mercer Sith is off school. Orchid can handle a horse. The Gaffer boy is old enough."

"Kids?" Rooster made a face. Nick shrugged.

"You got any better ideas?"

Rooster scowled harder. He sighed.

"Ain't like I got much choice, God help me." He looked over. "What about your son?"

His parents looked over, and Jaune winced. Her walked out into the open.

"He's too young-" Isabel started. Jaune shook his head.

"I can ride a horse, and handle a rope, sir," Jaune stated. "I also know how to shoot a gun, though I want to use a sword."

"He ain't even had his Aura unlocked," Rooster growled.

"I'm hoping he'll take after his mother and become a doctor," Nick said. Jaune shook his head.

"Dad, Mom... If Mister Duke needs a hand? I'll be a hand. Let me help."

Nick hummed. Isabel shook her head.

"Nick, please-!"

"It's his decision," Nick stated calmly. Rooster stared at him, hard, with those brilliant blue eyes. It felt like a knife was cutting right through him. Jaune stood his ground.

"I want to protect people, and fight the Grimm," he said, "And working as a hand on your drive will help me do it."

"It won't be easy, and I'll drive you until you can't even see straight," Rooster stated, cold and hard, "It will be rough and tough. No breaks, not even on Sundays. But if you can make it, boy... You'll be paid well in lien, and you'll be a man. What do you say?"

Jaune glanced over at his parents. Isabel frowned deeply. She looked to Rooster.

"You'll keep him safe?"

"I'll teach him to keep himself safe," he grunted. Nick nodded grimly.

"We'll keep him safe, Isabel, I swear."

Isabel sighed. She looked to Jaune.

"Is this really what you want?"

"Yes Mom, it is," Jaune said.

Isabel slowly nodded. Rooster looked to Jaune.

"Well then, Mister Arc," Rooster stated, holding out his hand, "Welcome aboard the Duke Ranch Company."

Jaune shook Rooster's hand. The grip was stronger than steel, but Jaune held back his wince.

"Yes sir!"

- - -

I am a huge fan of John Wayne, and his westerns. And hell, people still gotta eat. While railroads would let you get cattle to many major cities, like today, you'd still need to do cattle drives to move cattle around. They'd require Hunter protection, and cow hands.

So basically you could do some Western-style stories in Remnant.

Rooster Duke is naturally named for John Wayne's role in "True Grit" and John Wayne's nickname "The Duke".

 

[SharkCultist]

I honestly feel like Jaune would do pretty well, and Ruby would produce nothing but inedible abominations unless she's baking cookies.

Click to shrink...

Weiss: HOW?!

*Ruby covering her face in shame with a plate of perfect chocolate chip cookies in front of her*

Ruby: I don't know ok!

Weiss: you had ham, cheese, some onions, a handful of mushrooms, and pasta.

Ruby: and now we have cookies. I'm aware.

Weiss: show me.

Ruby: what?

*Weiss slaps a steak, some butter, garlic, and rice down in front of Ruby*

Weiss: cook me a steak with garlic rice.

Ruby: Weiss I ca-

Weiss:Do it.

*Ruby perfectly cooks the steak and rice*

Ruby: so far so good.

*Ruby puts the plate of steak down in front of Weiss*

Weiss: I knew it was some kind of silly game.

*Weiss cuts into the giant cookie on her plate and freezes*

Weiss: buh?

Ruby: I told you!

 

[AndrewJTalon]

A new draft of the original bits, now combined into one big chapter.

- - -

Knocking Yang out had been one of the most painful things Taiyang had ever had to do. He'd tricked his own eldest daughter, lied right to her face... And knocked her out.



He had handed her to Jaune and Pyrrha, and told them to run. To save as many civilians as possible, and to get out of here. To take care of his daughters... Though that was mostly directly at Jaune.



They'd obeyed, thankfully. He'd seen the look in their eyes, all of their eyes.



They were all too willing to give their lives in a futile battle for others.



It was foolish, it was ridiculous... It was noble.



He snorted. It was all too familiar.



They would be great heroes one day... But this was a war. The old shouldn't sacrifice the young for their safety.



That had been the one thing he would always disagree with Ozpin on.



But if the old wizard's current body was dead... Well... Nothing for it.



He climbed all the way up to the top of the tower through the elevator shaft, and hopped up. There stood Cinder Fall, cackling madly as she threw fireballs. She twisted the flames in her hands into lightning, and let it fly. Tai barely dodged the shot she fired, as she giggled.



"Ohhh... Professor Xiao-Long! I'm afraid I'm in charge now," she cooed. "If you're here to give me a detention, I'll have to refuse!"



"No," Tai said with a shake of his head, "I'm here to stop you."



Cinder laughed out loud, before channeling another blast of lightning and striking him dead on. He was slammed through the metallic walls, almost right off the tower. He grabbed onto the outside and swung himself back in, breathing hard. He tossed aside his burning vest, leaving him in his undershirt and khaki shorts.



"You? The old has-been with a neat little trick?!" Cinder mocked. "The dorky dad whose well past over the hill! I've got the powers of the Maiden! You can't even think to stop me!"



Taiyang let the insults flow over and past him, like he always had.



"Children don't belong in war... Adults should protect them, and end threats to their happiness. That's why I'm here."



Cinder scoffed. Taiyang smirked.



"Tell me... Do you want to see a power even your queen fears?"



Cinder stared at him for a moment, uncomprehendingly... Before she laughed with a mocking sneer on her face.



"There is no such power!"



Taiyang nodded slowly and took a deep breath.



"Guess I still have one last thing to teach."



Summer... I'm sorry I didn't figure this out until after you were taken from me... I'm sorry I wasn't there for you... But I am grateful for your love, and the children we made... I won't let them be taken too... No more today...



He pictured the faces of his wives, his best friend, his children... And let the fire within burn.



"This is Burn Level One, you're familiar with it," Taiyang said, "And this?"



He pushed further, and his eyes burned red. His hair waved, as lightning erupted around him and through his hair. His Aura burned like a bonfire around him, yellow as the sun. His heart glowed in his chest, as his hands gained claws.



"This is Burn Level Two. I learned this fighting your mistress," Taiyang hissed. The lightning arced up and down his spine.



"And it wasn't enough to bring her down!" Cinder said mockingly. Taiyang smirked, his teeth jagged and sharp. He clenched his fists.



"And this…? This… Is to go…"



Summer… Qrow… Ruby… Yang… Zwei… Raven…



" Even further… BEYOND! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"



Not since after the night Summer had died... Not Qrow had beaten the living shit out of him to remind him that he was a father, he had responsibilities... And he had power .



A power that exploded all around him, tearing gouges and cracks in the floors and walls, forcing Cinder to put up a magical barrier. She stared at him, uncomprehendingly, with fear behind her anger.

---

Qrow, fighting Grimm on the Vale outskirts… Froze mid swing. The Ursa he'd been about to cut down turned and fled. He looked around. Dozens of Grimm were turning and fleeing, as though in pure panic.



He looked towards the tower, and sucked in a deep breath. He could see white light burning from the top, miles away.



"Tai, no!" Qrow hissed. "You damn fool! If you do this now…!"



People cried for help nearby. He grit his teeth, and charged off to save them.



Damnit Tai…! Don't you die on me...!

---

Ruby was nearly bowled over by fleeing Grimm. She had ended up on the edge of Beacon, having barely escaped Vytal. Her silver eyes widened as she looked at the top of the tower.



"What… What is that light? It… It can't be…"



She gaped in astonishment.



"Dad?!"

---

Raven, in her White Fang mask, watched over the chaos with a dispassionate eye. The weaklings were fleeing, the plan was going down. She felt utterly empty… Then she felt it.



She looked towards Beacon in the distance, and the new star glowing atop it. Her jaw dropped as her Semblance gave her knowledge on Tai.



Despite all her denials, all her suppression of her feelings… She could still sense him. So she still cared for him on some level.



"Tai…?!"

---

Even while unconscious, in Jaune's arms as they ran, Yang still stirred.



"Dad…No…" She whispered.

---

Taiyang breathed out white flames, which he blew out like the dragon he was named for. The flames flew back into his face, burning it black. His hair caught fire waving wildly behind him like a white hot flag. His eyes burned blue, as his mouth glowed white and wide. His body bulked up, a strange ecstasy mixed with an almost unbearable pain. Yet he could see beyond, feel beyond, anything he had before.



He could feel the energy threatening to tear him apart from the inside. His soul was on fire, it might all burn away, and leave him as nothing but dust thrown into the wind afterwards.



But whatever the outcome, the fear in Cinder's eyes was never going away.



"Sorry that took so much longer than the others," he apologized with the grin of a demigod, "I call this one... Burn Level Three."



He'd make sure of it.

---

Of course Cinder Fall had seen Taiyang Xiao-long's Semblance. She'd been in the classroom when he began doing substitute teaching. She had looked up his public records, and any private files she could on the man who had once tried to kill Salem with his team.



His Semblance at Level 1 was certain intimidating. Level 2, he appeared like a god of thunder from the ancient mythologies of northern Solitas. Now at level three, his hair burned and waved like white flames, as his eyes burned blue. There was none of the rage in his previous transformations-There was anger, but it was tightly controlled and focused right on her as power crackled around him like a storm held in human form.



His combat prowess had been formidable back in the day. He certainly looked formidable now. But he had retreated to a backwater little island to teach brats. In her mind, he was nothing: Especially not when she had the power of the Fall Maiden.



She realized she might need to reconsider that exactly one second after his fist connected with her jaw, and she felt teeth get knocked out of her mouth as she herself was slammed into the nearest wall hard enough to knock the wind out of her.



"Wha-!"



She summoned up all her new magical power to form a barrier and unleashed a fire blast. Her jaw pulled itself back together, the Grimm, her Aura, and her Maiden Magic all working in tandem to heal her. She'd just gotten her jaw back into place and her teeth were regenerating just as her fire blast wiped out everything in front of her...



And he reappeared right above her, slamming a kick she barely blocked with her arm and a summoned sword. The force still slammed her back, and she flew away from the wall to get some open air. She turned and unleashed a dozen conjured arrows! He punched and kicked them all to pieces, before he vanished again. She swung around to fill the air behind her with flames, blasting holes in the walls!



Another super strong punch hit her in the kidneys, then another, another, another-!



A kick to the small of her back made her bones creak as she was slammed through the wall to the outside of the dome. With a roar of rage, she rose into the air. She held her hands up, and summoned the storm.



The cloud churned and spun over her, and lightning crackled overhead. She threw her hands down, and nature's fury rained on the Beacon Tower's top. Lightning lashed like whips of the gods, tearing apart the dome and causing explosions and fires!



A burning white blur emerged from the dome, flipping back and dodging the lighting blasts!



Impossible...! Cinder thought, just as that blur resolved itself into Xiao-Long. He vanished, then reappeared right in front of her. She summoned her swords and stabbed into his chest!



He just flared his Aura hotter, and they snapped against his flesh. He grabbed her shoulders, and, using a blast of Aura from his feet that vaporized his sandals and sent them spinning, threw her back through the dome!



"GAH!"



She went through the wall and the floor and the next floor... Ending up a battered, bloody heap in a scrappile that had once been a collection of machines. She looked up as her bones knit and her flesh healed... Only for Xiao-Long to plant both his feet right in her gut, wrenching a scream and a spray of blood from her mouth!



Summon... Summon...!



This was more complicated... The Grimm were resisting her orders. She could guess why-The Grimm inside her were filled with the closest equivalent to fear they could feel. She mustered up her magic and Aura and projected both as hard as she could, blasting Xiao-Long back through several large machines. She managed to get back up, drawing breath frantically into her lungs as her ribs painfully got back into their proper places.



Xiao-Long shook his head, standing up with a shudder. His power was intense-Intense enough it was tiring him out. She had only one chance to win this, then.



"DIE!" She roared, summoning dozens of glass arrows and unleashing them. She let loose a second wave of fire blasts, and lightning she called down from above. She was tearing the top of the tower to pieces, causing explosions and fires. She had to protect herself from that, too, but the bigger threat was Xiao-Long. He kicked and punched his way through the hail of arrows, then blasted through the flames. The lightning... It was hurting him, she could tell, but his flames rose higher as he fought through every blast.



His eyes were fixed upon her. Filled with no remorse, no mercy, only a grim determination and a cold fury.



It was easily the most terrifying thing she had ever seen, as he kept advancing no matter what she threw at him!



"DIE! JUST DIE!" She shrieked, gathering up her power and exploding it through her Aura in all directions!



The massive blast tore through the metal walls and supports of the upper levels. The metal groaned, then began to shriek as the ceiling began to collapse. Cinder summoned her power and flew upwards through the many holes their fight had produced, trying to escape as hundreds of tons of metal began to collapse. She looked back over her shoulder and gaped.



Xiao-Long was right behind her, those eyes still burning...!



She reached out to the Grimm, with as much raw fear, rage, and power she could...!



One answered.



KABOOOOOOOOM!



One of the mountains nearest Beacon exploded. A huge black form spread its terrible, reptilian wings. It took flight, causing a hurricane-level gale as it ascended. A horrific roar issued from its mouth, filling every living creature across Vale with horror and dread.



Cinder flew for all she was worth, and landed on the back of the great Grimm Dragon. She sucked in a breath, tried to calm herself.



Kill the glowing one! She ordered the Grimm. It roared, and dove on the smoldering Beacon Tower. She looked back at last, her smirk re-emerging.



The idiot had fallen back, landing on the tower. There was no way he could reach her-!



He vanished. He reappeared up above the Tower, fifty meters... Then disappeared to reappear, and again, and again-!



Wha ... Cinder gasped, He's propelling himself with his Aura to FLY?!



He reappeared right above her, and dove like a falcon. Cinder barely dodged out of the way as his fist landed. The Aura blast unleashed from the impact exploded outward, making the Grimm Dragon roar in pain!



"You...!"



Xiao-Long reared back, ready for a much more powerful blow targeted at her head. She slammed her hands down onto the back of the Grimm Dragon.



CONSUME ! She screamed in her mind.



Hundreds of Grimm limbs erupted from the dragon's back, clawed and grasping. They dragged Xiao-Long down, and he sank down. He fought furiously, but unable to build up momentum for his blows, he was weakened. She could see his power was doing a lot of her work for her, too-Parts of his skin were blackened, burning up from the inside.



Cinder managed to stand on shaky legs, and her arrogance returned.



"Haa... Haaa... Pathetic effort... Hasbeen...!" She sneered, as Xiao-Long was consumed by the Dragon Grimm.



He grit his teeth, his eyes burned, before he vanished. Pity. She would have liked to have seen the look of despair on his face as he broke...!



Now, she had to focus on healing, and destroying Vale. She slowly made her way towards the head of the Dragon-The best place to watch her plan come to fruition.

---

The Grimm held him tightly. His Aura was fading... He'd used too much energy... He was familiar with this, the feeling of burning away.



He'd felt it before... When they failed to stop Salem. He'd pushed himself to his limits. He was well beyond his limits from back then... But it felt the same way.



Like he was fading away, burning like paper, leaving nothing but ashes behind that would blow away into the wind...



He could still see Summer as she fell. He still heard his screams as he was dragged away by Raven and Qrow.



Strange... He could see her face now, even in this all-encompassing darkness and pain.



He could almost feel her hand on his cheek, so familiar...



Tai... You can't give up... Not yet...



"I've... Got... Nothing left," Taiyang gasped into the snarling, all consuming darkness.



She still felt warm against him.



You can't give up... Not yet...



"... I can't," he agreed. Summer smiled at him, full of love and hope.



Just like she was when she fell. When he failed her.



You didn't fail me then, and you won't fail me now. You can do it, sweetie, she said, Now ...



She rested a hand on his heart. His burning dragon's heart.



Get up... And finish this...



Tai breathed in. He focused on the warmth. The burn began to ebb, the pain faded... But the light exploded around him.



I'll see you soon, Summer...

---

Cinder had mustered up the breath to laugh again. She could see the helpless people below her, fleeing like ants. She had just told the Dragon to pick out one of the larger skyscrapers first, to topple it like a tree onto the city streets...



The Dragon bellowed in pain, and she heard and felt a rumble throughout its body.



She turned around back towards the back of the beast.



No... No...!



White light burned from between the jagged spines and ribs of the might Grimm Dragon. Another rumble, and the entire monster shook. It bellowed again, and another blast of Aura erupted from its insides.



No no no...!



Another blast erupted, this time from below. She could feel the Grimm's pain, and clutched at her chest in sympathetic connection. The entire Grimm Dragon began to falter, shudder...



Because someone had just destroyed its heart.



Another blast, another, another! Each time, it got closer, traveling up the Grimm Dragon's neck. Cinder screamed and unleashed everything at the bit connecting the Grimm Dragon's head to its neck-Every arrow, every blast of fire, every jagged sword, every blast of lightning!



The neck burst, and the beast's screams were cut off as its head came clean off its body.



And through the hail of death she had unleashed, He came.



"NO! NOOOO-!" Cinder shrieked. She threw up every barrier she could-Her fire, her Aura, her swords, her godsdamn arrows-!



And none of it mattered as Xiao-Long's burning fist broke through all of it. The impact stuck so hard she felt every bone along her right side shatter. Her skin burned and crackled, and she fell. All she could hear was the sound of her screams, all she could see were those eyes ...!



She hit the ground like a fallen angel, the pavement exploding around her. Agony like nothing she had ever felt burned through her, so intense she couldn't even scream anymore. She couldn't see out of her right eye, she could feel nothing but agony inside and out... Her Aura burned, frantically trying to keep her alive even as the Grimm inside her did the same.



The pain fed the Grimm... She knew this... But she found herself begging for death to end it...!



She vaguely made out a familiar mop of green hair, and one of silver, over her. She felt herself be moved, carefully. She could just make out the sounds of a Bullhead, and felt medical instruments being applied to her. It was only then she mercifully blacked out.



Yet those eyes still remained in her nightmares.

---

Tai managed to use a little bit of Aura to slow his descent. Just enough to land without breaking anything. He slammed into the ground pretty damn hard all the same though, so he wasn't in great shape.



He looked up from the crater he'd formed. He took as deep of breaths as he could manage. They just got shallower and shallower, as his body seemed to... Fade around him.



He looked up. He could see green grass, flowers and trees. Just at the edge of the crater, he made out two red flowers, and two yellow flowers, waving in the slight breeze but otherwise unharmed. Despite everything, they still lived. Still grew. Still endured.



He let out a soft laugh, as he collapsed onto the dirt. He felt warm arms embracing him.



I knew you could do it, Summer whispered. Now... Let's go home.



Right behind you , he thought. Yang... Ruby... Qrow... Raven... I love you. You'll be okay...



Taiyang Xiao-Long closed his eyes, and smiled.

 

[SharkCultist]

Remnant became a much more dangerous place after beacon fell. Not just because of the scroll system becoming much more limited.

But also because suddenly there were a few dozen displaced and traumatized teenagers scattered around the kingdoms.

Some found their way to other academy or towns that needed defenders.

Some became part of the problem, bandits and thugs.

A lot died.

But one became a legend. Told in whispers.

Clad in the oddest outfit, a ragged cloak red as blood covered it patches of many materials and colors. Black, yellow, green, white, and even a different shade of red.

The only thing stranger than the cloak was the weapon. A large collection of weapons melted together into a misshapen mess that brings death.

A large sniper rifle stands as the base body with a rocket launcher sitting on the end serving as the base of the head for the rest of the giant Warhammer. Jagged chunks of a few noticable weapons stick out of the mass that makes up the head.

A sword and shield, some daggered pistols, a rapier, a cleaver, even a metallic arm sit as part of the monster. All almost comically wrapped with a black ribbon and a red sash.

It is one of two signs of death approaching.

The first sign is the constant roaring thunder that follows it's wielder. Angry and boiling a storm that never ends.

The second is the weapon itself.

Ragnarok.

The woman who uses it claims that the word means "the end of the world" and that the weapon is made of the remnants of her entire world.

(Sorry Nora. Eventually everyone is gonna get a sad one I guess.)

 

[dwennon]

Some fun potential friendships not explored in the canon:

Click to shrink...

Huh, this has got one coming to me of Blake and Cardin. Cause I had the idea of Cardin and Velvet being cousins, and she was rather more...let's say spirited, when they were younger. Like messing with him, massively. And while she might regret it some now, it'll leave a mark when that cousin who was almost like a sister suddenly has to move away for who knows how long. Also making it seem like she's a faunus out of nowhere and that's why she has to say goodbye forever before terrorizing him some more that last day before she leaves.

No clue why them having a familial relationship like that came to mind, but it did. And not as bad as the more, adult thread leaning version.

Pyrrha, being from Mistral, might handle the cold less easily than any of the others. Then again, Weiss & Ruby are pretty small, and would lose body heat pretty easily.

Click to shrink...

I can see it being while everyone else is fighting over the one hoodie they've all generally seen, at least Pyrrha and Ruby are sharing the space in Jaune's new oversized home made hoodie with him. Maybe Blake or Weiss too, considering things.

---

It had been a week since winter hit beacon, three since the heating went on the fritz, one since a cold snap dropped the temperature even further. For many, it was rather miserable and most did not have clothes that would actually keep themselves warm. At best there were either long sleeved but thin shirts and pants, or the inverse in thick but short wear. With Jaune Arc one of the few not especially bothered thanks to having a decent hoody. Not noticing the predicament his friends were all dealing with. Carrying some packages with him to lunch, noticing none of the shivering from all around him.

"Weird how nippy it's been recently." Taking his seat, Jaune took a sip of some water.

"Y-yeah. No heating and snow will do that v-vomit boy." Shivering and rubbing her arms, Yang's eye twitched at seeing Jaune barely bothered by the temperature.

"Huh, I hadn't noticed." Saying that, he didn't even notice the glare coming from Weiss under three layers of sheets bundled around herself like a cloak.

"R-really." Blake as well began half heartedly glaring at him and looking him over. Eyes latching on to the hoody, and glancing back to the few thin blankets she wrapped around herself.

"Mhmm, guess this hoody was worth all that cereal." Shrugging, Jaune pat one of the packages he had. "So, I got a package from my family. Talking about wanting to make sure I would be-"

"J-Jaune, wh-what would it take to...borrow that hoodie?" Leaning over the table, Weiss was staring at him with a twitch.

"Oh, well if you're feeling that cold then go ahead. Just try and get it back to me when you can. And wash it if you spill something on it." Pulling off the hoodie, he held it out.

Once it was held out, both Yang and Weiss reached out for it and began tugging on it towards each other. Not even sparking, just snarling at each other. Seeing that, Pyrrha looked over at Jaune. Gulping at seeing him with just a t-shirt on, she began to scoot close to him on one side. With Ruby doing the same on his other side after noticing what Pyrrha was doing.

"N-now that's no good Jaune. I-I guess I'll just need to stay close to you until you can find something to wrap yourself up in." Glancing side to side, Pyrrha was blushing brightly.

"Y-yeah. With how cold it is, it would be pretty bad if my fellow team leader got sick." Blushing lightly, Ruby leaned to the side to frown at Pyrrha for a moment.

"Oh, it's fine. My mom sent me a new home made hoodie. She was already working on it, and hearing how cold things were supposed to be sent it and a few other things." Opening the puffed up package, Jaune pulled out a black and grey hoodie with his yellow symbol on it. One many times his size. "Huh, guess she decided to make it extra extra big. Ah well."

Sticking close to him, Pyrrha and Ruby were both easily fit inside the knit hoodie alongside Jaune. Both letting out sighs after a few moments of no longer feeling the cold. Wrapping Jaune into a hug from both sides, much to the blonde's confusion. Looking between them, he turned back to the others. Finding Weiss and Yang continuing to fight over his hoodie. Lie and Nora bundled together under the blankets and sheets from their room. Blake nowhere to be found.

"Uh, guys. What's going on?" As he asked that, he felt someone slip under the sweater and sit in his lap.

"Shh, less talk more warm." Popping her head out of the oversized neck of the hoodie, Blake began purring.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Rufus Winchester knocks on the door to Jaune's office. Jaune quietly says "enter", and the old politician opens the door and enters. He shuts it behind him.

Jaune is sitting behind his desk, staring at his computer screen. As he has been for the last hour. Nothing is written. There's just a picture of a dark haired woman.

Rufus: "Your Majesty?"

Jaune: "I..." sighs "Captain Arathorn lost some troops to a White Fang ambush... Sergeant Mary Walker is one of them. She was a police officer before she was recruited into the Royal Guard... And she's dead."

Rufus: "I see."

Jaune: "And... And she's dead, and... And I have to write to her family and explain why she's dead... And I don't know... I don't know what to write. What to say. I-I mean... I'm supposed to tell them she was brave and she was selfless and she served her country and... And I didn't know her at all! I feel like... Like I'm lying. And... And I don't know how I can do that..."

Rufus walks to Jaune's side, and rests a hand on his shoulder.

Rufus: "Politics is... Complicated. Being a leader, moreso. The worst politicians and people think that the truth is whatever they want it to be. Me? I stayed in this job by realizing there is a truth, and there are lies... But there are many viewpoints of the truth, many of which are equally valid."

He took a breath.

Rufus: "It is true that war is horrible and terrible. It is something politicians have to tell their people is worthy of their sacrifice, their blood, their sweat. It is something veterans must tell their people was worthwhile. That their loved ones will never come home was worth something. Meant something. To make that pain have meaning... Because in the end, that's all you can do."

Jaune: "... Is it true though?"

Rufus: snort "When it comes to wars between men, or Faunus? It depends. Sometimes it was a noble, worthy sacrifice for the greater good. Most of the time, men killing men or Faunus is a worthless exercise. But warring against the Grimm? That is always a noble sacrifice. The Grimm care nothing for politics, they have no greed, they do not lie. They only want our destruction. And the simple truth is? For all of us to live... Some of us have to die. But because of that sacrifice, we go on. So their deaths are never senseless, or wasted."

Jaune: "... It's not much comfort."

Rufus: "No. It is not... But the small comforts can let people go on. That's your job as king. To give them hope to keep going... And to remember that no matter how terrible the pain is... It is worth something. That will let them fight on, and make that hope into a reality."

Silence falls. Jaune keeps staring at the screen. Rufus clears his throat.

Rufus: "If you want, I can get someone to-"

Jaune: "No... No. I'll do this one myself... Thank you, sir."

Rufus: "... You're welcome, Your Majesty."

- - -

Just had to get this out.

 

[SharkCultist]

The Human Supremacist's have their headquarters hidden underneath a taxidermy shop.

Click to shrink...

So a different idea for this. Cardin is a god.


*Cardin stepped into the shop, his rage making him seem bigger than normal*

Cardin: you. What do you think you're doing?

Racist 1: what's it look like? We're huntin animals boy!

*No wait. Velvet is sure of it. Cardin is getting bigger. Is subtle and slow but she can also see what look like tree roots growing along his armor. And his hair is growing as well*

Cardin: This is no hunt boy. This is idiots acting out.

Racist: well who the H-E-Double-Fuck made you the expert?

*The idiots haven't noticed (too busy heckling and being drunk) but Cardin has grown so large he has to stoop to fit inside the room. His armor now looking like it was completely made of old gnarled wood (and covered in a array of moss and flowers) and a cloak made of furred hide (that velvet is sure wasn't there before) attached to the pauldrons of his armor*

Cardin(?): who made me an expert? I did you fool! When I hunted every creature under the sun and moon! From man to unimaginable monsters.

Racist 3: boss I think this guy is crazy.

*Another change seems to come over Cardin. A large pair of deer antlers made of wood and covered in moss burst out of his head and a mighty beard grows out of his face*

Cardin(?): But if you truly desire a hunt then who am I to deny you?

*Velvet sees it out of the corner of her eyes. That bear statue just twitched.*

Racist leader: what the fu-

*All the creatures even the skinless ones stand up, flesh mending and expanding as even the smallest of rabbits turns into a mighty beast*

Cardin(?): rejoice "mighty hunters" for today you join the Wylde Hunt.

*Briefly the surroundings take on the appearance of a massive and misty Forrest before reality seems to snap and suddenly it's just Cardin(?) and Velvet alone in a empty shop*

Velvet: I don't...you? You're the father of faunus? Cardin Winchester is the Erlking?! You hate faunus!

Cardin(?): I do not hate but I hold a grudge. I brought faunus forth into the Forrest and they left me for the remnants of man! Not a single one of my children stayed.

*Cardin starts to change back*

Cardin: and worst of all. Even now if I offered to take them back into my home I know they will reject me.

*Velvet doesn't know what to say*

Cardin: let's go. Your team must be worried.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Two years later...

- - -

Ruby Rose trudged around Beacon in tears. First her older sister had abandoned her right as they touched down, then some snooty white-haired girl had blown her up with some Dust and yelled at her, and now... Now...!

"Now I'm lost!" Ruby wailed, looking around her surroundings. There were some old stone stables painted in white and green, the scent of horse and manure in the air. There were some paddocks and fences around, and a gorgeous view of Vale proper.

She hadn't thought Beacon would have stables, but she stood corrected. She sighed and bowed her head.

"Not where I want to be," she muttered.

A few notes from a guitar filled the air. She blinked and walked over to one of the stables. She looked in curiously.

She met a horse: A rich, chestnut mare with inquisitive eyes. Ruby yelped as the horse whinnied at her.

"Easy, Orleans, easy," a male voice said easily. She looked over in the other stable. A blond boy, two years older than her, sat on a hay bale. He was thumbing his guitar. He wore a black wide brimmed stetson on his head. He wore old white armor over a black shirt and dark blue pants. His boots were rugged and worn, but tough leather. A revolver hung from his belt on his right side, while a sword hung from the left. A well woven blue and white poncho hung over his shoulders. He looked at her with intense blue eyes.

Ruby flushed.

"Well miss, you appear to be lost," the young man said with a polite smile.

"I am, on my first day here at Beacon," Ruby sighed. The young man snapped his fingers and put his guitar aside.

"Oh, damn. I forgot all about that," he muttered. He stood up. "Begging your pardon, miss. I can get you right to Orientation, don't you worry."

"You can?!" Ruby gasped happily. The boy nodded.

"Sure can," he said. "My name's Jaune Arc, what's yours?"

"R-Ruby Rose!" Ruby said cheerfully. "It-It's great to meet you!"

Jaune smiled.

"Same."

He hopped over the stable door, and walked over to his horse. He patted her as she neighed in frustration.

"Now now, Orly, I'll be back here soon, promise," Jaune said. Orly huffed but seemed appeased. He looked over at Ruby and offered his arm.

"Shall we, Miss Rose?"

"O-Oh! Yes!" Ruby stuttered, blushing hard. "Um... Wh-Where do I...?"

Jaune reached out and took her hands. He gently put them around his bicep and smiled.

"O-Oh," Ruby mumbled, "Um..."

"I know it's a bit old fashioned, Miss Rose, but it will ensure you don't get lost," Jaune said with a smile.

"N-No! I really appreciate it!" Ruby said. "I-I like old fashioned! Like... Um... That revolver! It's a Smith and Winston 686!"

"Yes miss," Jaune nodded, guiding Ruby up the path.

"And that shotgun! A Winchester 76! They're classics! Any mechashift options?"

"'Fraid not," Jaune said, "They're a little too finicky for my taste. Sides, I switch to my sword if I run outta rounds."

"But-But mechashift weapons are the coolest!" Ruby insisted. Jaune nodded.

"I'm sure yours is amazing, Miss Rose. But dust and grime gets in the works and suddenly, your gun can't shift into anything else."

Ruby pouted up at him.

"Maybe if they do it wrong, but I can do it right!"

Jaune nodded and chuckled quietly.

"I'd be happy to see you do it, Miss Rose."

"You can just call me Ruby, you know," Ruby insisted. "I-I mean... If we're friends, and all? Er... If we can be friends?"

Jaune smiled.

"I'd be happy to be your friend, Miss Rose."

"Ruby!"

"That may take some getting used to, Miss Rose."

Ruby groaned.

They made it to the orientation hall, a large auditorium filled with chattering students. Ruby beamed.

"Oh, thank you Jaune! Uh... Um... So will I get to see you around?"

Jaune nodded.

"I expect so. You're a new student, ain'tcha?"

"Yes!"

Jaune beamed and winked.

"So am I."

Ruby gasped.

"You... You are?!"

"Yes miss." Jaune shook his head. "I near plum forgot it was orientation day! Thanks for that!"

"Wha..." Ruby gaped. "Have you been living in the stable? How long?"

"Well... I had to take the long way with Orly. I wasn't going to leave her behind," Jaune said. He then shrugged. "About two weeks?"

He smiled.

"Hey, hunting's all done outdoors, right?"

Ruby blinked, then giggled.

"Oh geez... You're... You're kind of weird, aren't you Jaune?"

Jaune shrugged.

"If you say so, Miss Rose. But would it be all right for us to be weird together?"

Ruby beamed.

"Yeah!"

"Works for me..."

- - -

Jaune after a few cattle drives is a bit less blinded by romance and a bit more wild in some ways. But he's still Jaune Arc. Still a bit of a dork. Much better with a gun than a sword.

 

[SpaceK0k0nut]

Hear me out: Salem has fucked around enough that the Old Gods are coming down to reality to make sure she finds out.

---

In the broken remnants of Ozpin's tower, Cinder had naught to do but gloat. Ozpin lay in a growing pool of his own blood and the Invincible Girl was forced to grovel before her, Pyrrha's wounds too great for her aura to heal.

Cinder beheld her own work beyond the shattered glass of the tower's balcony and smiled. The screams, the scent of fire and blood, and the growing pools of black ichor that spawned increasingly more horrific monsters.

She did this. She masterminded the fall of an entire kingdom. She was, unquestionably, above all of mankind.

she opened her mouth to gloat

Then the sky opened.

Sunlight hit the land bellow, and any monster born of darkness hit by the dawning light burned.

The screams of misery were replaced by sounds that vaguely sounded like the unholy marriage of a pressure cooker, a person choking on their own blood and the popping of a specially ripe boil.

But Cinder paid none of that mind, for before her laid an existence so far beyond her that merely laying eyes upon it was causing her ego to frail and crack.

A being of sunfire, its form genderless and only vaguely human in shape, was before the Evil Maiden.

It spoke in the language of the cosmos, in background radiation and chirps of exotic particles who existed for fractions of time so infinitesimally small they defied definition. Cinder understood none of it, yet knew exactly what had been spoken: She had broken The Law, and so must be punished.

The Sun hath spoken, and so it was.

Beside it, growing from festering filth and fungi came Death, A singular hand of maggots and iridescent slime upon its shapeless mass holding the Eternal List. In uncountable tongues of rot it intoned its terms to The Sun: Two were to die today.

With the click of gears and whisper of sands The Ruler of Everything,Time, joined its kin. A field of stars, formless and yet humanoid, bore its gaze upon the judged. The Three were in agreement, and Cinder's mind broke.

She gouged her eyes and chewed on them, broke her own wrist and ripped the hand off, to cut her own throat, and banged her head upon the glass floor until her forehead had become concave.

In her final moments of consciousness before her soul was annihilated by the assembled presences, she had come to understand that Salem had taken a step too far and she had become caught in the witch's reckoning.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Jaune and Team RWBY arrived atop the Headmaster's Tower, all they found was the corpse of Ozpin and an unconscious Pyrrha. Whenever the Amazon Warrior was asked what had happened, all she could do was freeze with a manic look in her eyes...

Spoiler: A/N

So, what are the Old Gods anyway? The easiest way I can explain is by equating then to the C'Tan of 40K: Literal universal concepts given will. They are the "Big Boss" of reality and lesser gods like The Brothers are subservient to them, and they are the ones to menage reality, while the Big Guys usually don't get involved. But what did Salem do to warrant them getting involved? More importantly, can she even stand up to such beings? Let me answer the latter before the former: Salen can 1v1 an Old God and have a chance at victory, it would be capital B bad for reality as a whole if she did but she doesn't care now, does she? What she wants is to remake all of reality in her image (and make sure Ozma watches) but this goes against The Law that the Old Gods created and uphold, so now the Big Boys have to get involved.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

One other stupid idea I had was this:



In Harry Potter and Naruto fanfiction there's the Wrong Boy Who Lived trope. Basically the MC's parents thought the twin brother of the MC was the child of prophecy, faked their deaths, and abandoned the Main Character to the canon timeline.



Yes it is incredibly stupid and makes no sense.



So a RWBY version of this is dubious at best. So here's my take on it:



Cinder's team shows up with one Jack Arc. He is Jaune's twin brother, presumed dead due to some tragedy. He was brought up to serve Salem and to despise humanity.



Just one problem: Cinder didn't know Jaune Arc, Jack's twin, was at Beacon.



Jaune sees his twin. Jack stares back.



Jack: "You... How-Who-?!"



Jaune: "Jack..?"



Jack: sneer "Yes. You must be the brother who-!"



Jaune: sobs and hugs him "JAAAAACK!"



Jack: "Huh...?"



Jaune and the rest of the Arcs act like anyone sane would when they find out Jack survived: They are overjoyed and happy.



And now Cinder has a problem...

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Because a government of three elected officials is... Not a government. Seriously, it's just not. That's a triumvirate dictatorship at best, nothing can get done. There is a reason governments do tend to get big, you need to work out a way to ensure proper representation of your citizens, if you don't there are a lot of things you can't get done and you might get rebellions.

So! Basic proposal for the Valean government, at least, is three branches. Mostly.

The Assembly, or Low Council, is made up of representatives directly elected, proportional to the population of the smaller kingdoms and provinces that make up Vale. They would represent the interests of the people most directly. Rufus Winchester in White Knight Errant would be the Speaker of the Assembly, the highest ranking member of that assembly.

The Senate, or High Council, would be made up of representatives chosen by the governments of the Kingdoms and Provinces themselves. They basically function as Ambassadors of the Kingdoms to the main government, akin to how the US Senate was before the 17th Amendment was passed. In the Roman Republic the Senate was the province of the aristocrats, representing all the landowners. In this case, most High Councillors would be of aristocratic bent with long family lines, but not always.

The Executive Council, or Consuls, would be the elected leaders of the Kingdom in general. There would be a Chairman/Chairwoman, essentially a Prime Minister, who would be chosen by vote by both the High and Low Councils, to lead the Kingdom. There would also be other positions voted on by the Councils as well as those chosen by the Chair. One of these positions would be Warden of Vale: Essentially the military commander and the person who manages the Hunters. In this case, this would be Ozpin, who is voted into this position regularly.

There is a judicial branch as well that keeps the other two in line.

I mean it wouldn't be much good for fight scenes and so on but it is good for worldbuilding purposes and could present some storytelling possibilities. Plus, it makes more sense than voting for, what, three executives? What? No wonder Salem beat these idiots so easily.

So, what could you do with this?

 

[Guikoi]

Right... So... I've been trying to write an SI-OC RWBY story, and I had this first part written out amd had a thought...

So I copy and pasted it in another file, editted and wrote a little oneshot about Jaune gaining the Fifth Magic: "Magic Blue".

I have never read Mahoyo, so I just based this on FGO's version, using the translations on the FGO wiki, adding a couple NP dialogue lines together, and kitbashed the fuck out of this.

Also, I changed the scene against the Ursa in the Forever Fall. I wanted team CRDL to not look pathetic. Like... Really? Running away and leaving your team leader to die?

So... Here. I left my dinner unattended while I wrote this, so I'm gonna go have some cold spaghetti.

---

A black space filled with mist.

That's what I woke up to. I cast quick looks around but see only the same thing. Except in one direction, I see the tiniest of twinkling lights.

Was I dead?

No… No, I was sure I was alive. But then, how did I get here?

Looking through my memories I went over the day. We all went on a field trip to the Forever Fall forest. It was beautiful. Endless red trees as far as the eye could see.

Of course, Cardin had to be there. He dragged me away from my team and had me fill up his team's jars with sap. Then he… He wanted me to throw one of the jars at Pyrrha. He wanted to sick rapier wasps on her.

I couldn't do that. Cardin could bully me all he wants, I'm fine with that. Used to it, really. But I didn't want to burden my team, my friends, anymore than I currently was. I couldn't do that to them.

So I acted against my nature as a liar and coward. I struck Cardin with the jar. All I did was make him angry. I remember him lifting me up and punching me. Even through my aura, that hurt. My vision swam and I didn't see the second punch coming.

I… I remember seeing something charging out of the forest behind Cardin. Then…

Then I found myself here. In the foggy dark with a tiny light in the distance, ever distant yet so close.

I wanted to get closer.
I wanted to see it.
I wanted to reach my hand out towards it.
I wanted to touch it.

My feet moved me closer, and I felt a pressure on me that I had never felt before. It was like the weight of the world had suddenly fallen onto me. My legs shook, but as it wasn't a physical weight I remained standing.

I took another step, and the pressure increased. What was this? I took another step and the weight bore down on me even harder. I felt something behind me, and fear gripped my heart.

There was something else here? Since when? I didn't see anything! How could there be…? I craned my neck and twisted my waist until I could see what was behind me.

Tattered red cloth. Blackness even darker than the void around me. A single white orb staring back at me. The fear that gripped me skyrocketed to heights I didn't know I was capable of feeling.

It was a shadow. A shadow cloaked in red. It had a shape that only superficially resembled a human. The red cloth fluttered in a wind I did not feel. Its single glowing white 'eye' was boring through me and into my soul. It simply stood there amidst the fog above and below me.

I turned back to the tiny light ahead of me. What should I do? Do I keep going? Would it get me before that? Something tells me that letting it get to me would be... Do I turn around? Go back towards it? Did it not want me to reach that light?

I took one more step forward.

I felt a breath on the back of my neck.
I saw red cloth in my peripheral vision.
Oh gods it was right behind me…!
It felt like a hand had gripped my heart.

If I stepped forward, it would get me for certain. But the light was nearly within arms reach. Would I be able to get to it before the Red Shadow got me? Do I risk it? Or do I step away from the light? Would it back off?

The Red Shadow closed in around me, and I dared to step away from the light.

The Red Shadow stopped. It froze where it was.

Did I do it? Will it spare me?

The red cloth suddenly shot towards me like a thousand blood red spears. They snapped shut around me, and the only thing I could see was the dull glowing white orb staring through me.

And then it all vanished like a dream come the morning sun.

---

"Cardin!" Someone shouted. "Grimm!"

"Huh?" Cardin hesitated too long before turning to see the bear-like Ursa Major barreling down on him and his team.

The Ursa knocked the bully flat onto his back and Jaune against a tree. The Grimm bear growled and roared at team CRDL. Cardin's teammates attempted to go for their weapons, but the surprise attack and the shock of seeing their team leader so effortlessly knocked around under its bulk…

Their fear froze them, but Dove pulled himself together and drew Hallshott. He took aim at the Ursa which had turned back to Cardin, and fired into its oily hide.

The bear grunted at the attack, but focused on the team leader. The sticky red sap on Cardin's chest had its attention more than a little pain did. "Get off me!" Cardin roared and slammed his fists into its face, only to get a lazy swipe of its paw to his in return.

His own attacks barely fazed it, but that one swipe took out a good chunk of his aura. Cardin knew that Grimm were strong, but even with his build and aura enhancing him, he couldn't even hurt it. He needed his weapon!

Russel leaped up and slammed down his Shortwings and let loose with the lightning Dust. The Grimm finally pulled away from Cardin and stood on its hind legs.

The Ursa turned around and Sky pierced its belly with his Feather's Edge. Sky pulled the trigger and fired round after round into its non-existent innards.

With his Hallshott empty, Dove charged into melee. He slashed at its legs and arms, while Russel let loose with fire Dust. Sky ripped Feather's Edge from its belly with a sideways swing.

The Ursa started to fall forward, and Sky braced himself against the ground, Feather's Edge pointed at the Grimm's throat.

But the Ursa was faster. Its paw knocked the weapon aside and its maw came down over Sky. The young man screamed in pain, his aura protecting him from damage but not pain.

Cardin stumbled to his feet in a hurry. He didn't have his weapon on him. Was Executioner thrown away when the Ursa knocked him over? He needed to help his team!

Sky crashed through a tree and the Grimm stood back up on its hind legs. Russel was about to use ice Dust to freeze the Ursa solid, but the bear threw itself onto its back, crushing Russel against the ground with its bulk. He felt the handles of his own Shortwings pressing into him.

The Ursa rolled back over, the Shortwings falling out of its back. Russel groaned from an indentation in the ground his body formed. Dove tried to go for a fatal thrust to its neck or head, but the Grimm moved and he only pierced its shoulder.

The Ursa spun around and dragged Dove along with it. When it stopped to face Cardin, Dove's body flew in front of it and it bit down on him. With a twist of its neck it threw the boy around, his grip on his blade wrenching Hallshott out of it.

Cardin hefted his mace and readied for combat. He didn't know exactly how badly it thrashed his team. He didn't know if they were seriously hurt. But if he tried to check, the Ursa would crush him.

Cardin kicked back and hit Jaune's leg. "Wake up, Arc! You need to run and get help!"

Jaune's head lifted up. "Grimm?"

"Yeah! It's a Grimm! So we have to put aside what just happened and beat it, or it'll kill us!" Cardin shot back, not taking his eyes off the Grimm in front of him.

Jaune Arc stood, and he felt his soul thrum with power. Had he unlocked his Semblance? What about the Red Shadow? It caught him, didn't it? It… What did it do to him?

He felt his soul answer. 'I… I see. So that's what that was.'

"Enough daydreaming, Jauney Boy!" Cardin called out. "You need to go! I'm bigger, stronger and more skilled than you. So it's your job to run and get Professor Goodwitch!"

"No."

"The fuck you mean 'No'!?"

Jaune walked forward. The once timid, spineless coward that Jaune was, was replaced by a confident, self-assured Jaune.

"I just unlocked my… Semblance, I suppose."

Cardin noted the way he said that. Like it was something else, and he was just using the name. But that doesn't matter.

"Jauney Boy? What are you doing!?"

"Enough with the talk." Jaune shot back. "In times like these the first move takes the win, yeah?"

"W-What are you talking about!?"

"Particle Acceleration, start." Jaune intoned as he glowed blue, his aura turning into bolts of lightning around his body.

"Contact." A glowing blue sigil expanded from Jaune's feet, and extended until it was underneath both Cardin and Jaune, and even the Grimm. The Grimm tensed when it saw the sigils.

"From the bottom of the outset to the end of my last times." Cardin saw the surroundings change. The blue sigil vanished, and instead they were in a green space filled with gold orbs of light, all slowly moving one way.

"I declare. In the name that represents the Blue." Once more they were somewhere else. This time it was almost like what Cardin imagined space was like. Even though they stood on a solid surface, there was no ground below them. Only an eternal, endless darkness and stars shooting up past them, as if they were descending at incomprehensible speeds.

"From outside to inside, from one to zero." Now they were someplace else. Everything was white. The ground was pure white. Cardin saw buildings in the distance, but they were wrong. As if multiple houses were layered on top of each other, some even on their sides or upside down, and then forced them all to occupy the same space.

"Shift, re-clicked. Not: SANE. Five. Timeless Words." Now they were in a field of wheat. The wind gently blowing them. The wheat covered the ground even to the horizon, like a blanket of gold.

"One stride for the plane layer." This time there were buildings made of gemstones and lined with gold. The people around them went about their daily lives, uncaring of the dangers of the world.

"Time difference disabled for hundreds of millions of light-years!" Cardin saw changes flash past him, the interval between changes, and how fast it changed, speeding up until it was nothing but a blue of colors.

"Sorry for the wait! After so long, I'm back!" Finally it stopped. The moon was whole above them, and they were standing in a field of flowers. Beautiful white flowers that he had never in his life seen before.

"Jauney…"

Jaune looked different. His normal armor was gone. He was wearing a white suit and vest with matching pants. Black gloves and boots. From his waist draped a long flowing cloth like a shroud. It too was white on the outside, but on the inside it was a dark but vibrant blue. His hair was longer, flowing in the wind and it was the same white as the flowers around him.

"Unfinished Blue: Retrograde Milky Way - Redshift!" From the tips, Jaune's white hair turned the color of blood and began to glow. His hair was shining red.

"...You alright, Cardin? Your team?"

"Huh? O-Oh, I'm alright." Cardin pulled out his scroll and sighed in relief. "My teams good too. Their aura isn't broken."

Jaune nodded. "That's good. Now… Cardin, watch this… I'll show you thr newest Magic!"

Jaune vanished and appeared above the Grimm. The creature of darkness looked up and tried to swipe at him. "Sphere Blaze!" Spheres of blue energy formed around the Grimm and detonated, tearing chunks off the Ursa. But it was a Major, and was tougher than other Grimm.

Jaune appeared in front of the Grimm. Blue sigils, almost like Weiss' glyphs, bloomed around his fists.

"Hook!" His first punch buried itself in the Ursa's shoulder, and a beam of blue energy tore through the beast. "Smash!" It reared back in pain, and an uppercut met its gut and blew another hole through it.

Jaune brought both fists back and hammered them into the Grimm at the same time. "Blowback!" Another blast of blue created yet another hole through the Grimm. But it wasn't done yet.

The Grimm stumbled, and Jaune jumped back. He reached his right arm across his chest and turned so that his hand was facing away from the Ursa. A blue glyph appeared underneath Jaune, behind him and in front of him. He clenched his left fist, readying for the attack he's about tp unleash.

"Sphere…" Jaune's fist hit the glyph and a larger beam shot forward. The Grimm curled up, facing the bone plates on its back towards the attack. The beam washed over them, causing them to steam from the heat.

"Break…" Jaune slammed his other fist against the glyph and fired another beam. This time the plates were glowing orange.

Jaune jumped into the air and backflipped. The glyphs formed around him again, this time there were even more. "Strider!" He kicked out with both of his legs, and sending another blast of energy.

This time the bone plates shattered and melted under the extreme heat. The Ursa Major roared in pain and once more stood on its hind legs.

Landing on the ground, Jaune let the fall take him to a kneeeling position and laid his hands on the ground. "Strange Down, Charm Top." Blue lightning flashed from below him and into the sky.

"Ritual expansion, satellite valve deployed!" More blue glyphs appeared under Jaune, but also above him. They kept appearing, creating a kind lf tower of glyphs above him. At the top, five lines of blue spread out upwards and more glyphs formed, this time they started sucking in the energy in the air.

"Ignited!" Jaune raised his right hand towards the weakened Ursa Major. More glyphs manifested in front of him, with a large one around his arm. "Let's go!"

"Earthlight Starbow!" Jaune screamed as he released all the energy he had collected.

It was less a beam and more of a pillar. A great tower of energy, blue and white, faced towards the horizon and beyond. The Grimm was incinerated instantly, and so too was everything behind it. The mountains and forests in the distance turned to ash, then that too vanished into nothingness.

The glow hurt Cardin's eyes, and he had to shield them with his arms.

"You alright, Cardin?"

Blinking, Cardin dropped his arms and saw that they were back in the Forever Fall, the Grimm absent. The only evidence of what he'd seen being true was the glowing red hair and outfit that Jaune had.

"What the fuck was that?" Cardin spoke to himself.

"Ah. That was 'Magic Blue'. It's my… Semblance. Yeah, let's go with that."

Jaune turned back to where the Grimm was. "I could have finished the fight in one shot, buuuuuut… I kind of felt like showing off a bit. I mean, when you unlock a suoer cool magic power, don't you want to be a bit of a show-off too?"

"I… I need to sit down. That shit was too much." Cardin groaned and sat himself down on the red grass.

"Right. I'll… I'll go grab Professor Goodwitch." Jaune said before his clothing and hair turned white and then shattered into motes of light. He now looked just like he did before… whatever the fuck that shit Cardin saw him do was…!

"Yeah. You go do that. I'm gonna pass out from shock now. Good nigh-" Cardin was ready asleep before his head hit the soft grass.

"Right, now I just need to find Goodwitch… I can't remember the direction. Fuck it, North!" Jaune nodded to himself, turned to face west, and marched forward in the completely wrong direction.

 

[IvanR1314]

alright, going to write something bouncing in my head, hopefully it is good. Also, I see mentions of Westerns and how you are fans. My people!

RWBY: There at a Minute's Notice - Lore chapter 1
Frontiersman, Pioneers and Militiamen. Defenders of Frontier's Settlements and fighters against enemies within and without.

It is said that Huntsmen are the best hope of Humanity United against the Grimm. While this is true, it also means that good Huntsmen are hard to come by, as well as can come to late to help. This means that even the implementation of Great War Accords where most countries disbanded their armies but kept their police and their variants with some of the mechanized Great War Armored units, and enforce these accords in their cities. Those Accords did not stop and could not stop the determination and desire of Communities to form Village and Town Militias. In fact, it was a start of great new tradition that had Villages and Towns away from walled off Capitals make at minimum organized fighters with Weapon mounted Technicals for defense of their Community. Each and every little sleepy village that welcomed back their weary soldiers from the Great War, had those soldiers start up appropriate training regiments for every able bodied man, woman and child, so that they can learn to handle coldsteel and firearm weapons, combat command, defense siege weapons, machinery and of course Aura techniques to use in combat and as a Medic. These new Militias trained by Veterans, became the new standard of Frontier Defense Forces. These new Traditions helped more villages survive and thrive against Grimm, Bandits, and the worst of all, various type of Cultists. From the end of the Great War to 80 years later present time, more weapons, more armor, more mechanized vehicles and more Aura Techniques were added to the training regimes, which increased survivability of Frontier towns more and more. All this means, you can see Army Grunts, Cowboy types and Grease Monkeys in a Militia and PMC, with them working together being a standard for Frontier Forces.

I decided to add on a bit of lore for Frontier towns, and ask for feedback.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Yang cringed at her opponent. She held up her hands and smiled desperately.



"H-Hey... Vomit Boy, I mean, Jaune... Can't we talk this out?"



Jaune stared at his opponent coldly. Yang's grin became a bit more pleading.



"I-I mean, we could work something out... I could be very appreciative... Very, very appreciative! If you just let this slide?'



Jaune smirked, his eyes cold and deadly.



"Yes, you will be. But I find it better to put you on your knees in such a way you will never think of rising against me again. That your submission was inevitable, necessary... Even desired. For in your defeat, you realize you never stood a chance, and have found your proper place."



"Give in, Yang," Ruby agreed, "There's no stopping him."



"Submission is really the best choice," Pyrrha added, beaming in bliss.



Yang flushed.



"N-No, Jaune, please-!"



"I hear a no... But I know what it really means," Jaune purred. He reached out...



And slammed his army unit down on the map of Remnant: The Board Game. Yang covered her face as she joined her sister and Pyrrha in total defeat.



"No!"



"YESSS!" Jaune cackled, "I am the Lord of all Remnant once again!"



"Great job, Jaune!" Pyrrha said genuinely, and Jaune dropped his Conqueror's persons to blush modestly.



"Aw, thanks Pyrrha. Good game guys."



"How in the hell do you keep winning?" Yang demanded.



"Years of practice," Jaune chuckled. Yang sighed and cracked her knuckles.



"Fine. I'll train you in hand to hand. But I'm not going easy on you, VB!"



"Good," Jaune smirked, "I'd prefer the hard way with you."



"Oh trust me, I'll make it the hardest," Yang hissed.



"Geez, can you two stop flirting?" Nora complained from another table, "I'm trying to flirt with Ren!"



Yang and Jaune both went bright red. Pyrrha gaped. Ruby flushed as well.



"W-We're not flirting!" They both insisted at the same time.



"Y-Yes! They're friends! Just friends!" Pyrrha and Ruby insisted at the same time. Everyone gave eachother strange looks.



"I'm totally convinced," Cardin deadpanned from another table.



"Shut up you tsundere!" Yang shouted back. Cardin went bright red.



"I am not tsundere! I-I hate Faunus and I wasn't thinking about Velvet's eyes!"



Silence. Someone cleared their throat behind Cardin. He turned and made a choking sound as Velvet stared at him.



"Um... W-What about my eyes?" She asked.



Cardin choked.



"Knew it," Weiss sighed, "I have my issues with Faunus but he is so obvious..."



Cardin tried to speak... When the wall behind him exploded in a cloud of debris. A piece of the wall smacked him in the head, sending him toppling into the very surprised Velvet's lap. Everyone else stood up, ready for a fight, as a female figure entered.



She was all curves and muscle, like a Mistralian tiger. Her hair was light purple and well brushed. Her legs were long and covered by white silk pants, while she wore an elegant violet Mistralian style cheongsam over it. Her keen eyes locked onto Yang and Ruby... And she smiled.



"YANG! RUBY! AUNTIE IS HERE!" She cried in broken English, grabbing up both girls and hugging them tightly to her bosom.



"HURK! H-Hey, Aunt Shampoo!" Yang managed, struggling against the hug.



"So good to see you!" Ruby gasped.



Glynda Goodwitch walked in through the hole in the wall and scowled.



"Miss Xiao-Long-!"



"Mrs. Saotome," Shampoo replied, holding up a ring, "Unlike you, have husband. And children."



Goodwitch's glare could have melted down a Bullhead.



"Was it necessary to go through the wall?!"



"Yes," Shampoo said.



- - -



Yes, the silliness definitely went up before Shampoo showed up. That was intentional.



Shampoo is Taiyang's sister and loves her brother very much. She always hated Raven but loved Summer.



And as for who she married, fine, it's Ranma.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Ruby: "Behold... Bunk beds!"

Teams RWBY and JNPR look upon the hastily hung and tied together bunk beds. Jaune sighs and adjusts his hat.

Jaune: "Miss Rose, if you don't mind some constructive criticism?"

Ruby: "Not at all!"

Jaune: "Orly! Get me the carpentry supplies!"

Orleans gallops off, and soon returns with a tool box and several pieces of wood.

Jaune: "Thank you."

Everyone, under Jaune's direction, work and soon the bunkbeds look much more sturdy.

Ruby: "Wow... Thanks Jaune! Why do you know carpentry anyway?"

Jaune: "You live on a farm or work a ranch, you gotta know how to fix and repair everything. And whenever I was at a ranch or stockyard, if I didn't keep busy somehow, Mister Duke or my dad put me to work. So I got a lot of practice."

Pyrrha: "So good to know you're good with your tool!"

Silence, then snickers break out. Pyrrha blushes.

Pyrrha: "TOOLS! I MEANT TOOLS! AND-AND HANDS!"

Jaune: sigh "Women, eh?"

Ren: "Indeed."

Blake: "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jaune: "It means, Miss Belladonna, we're more alike than we would admit behind closed doors."

At her team's smug looks, Blake coughs.

Blake: "Er. Um... I suppose you're right."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The setting sun shone through the windows of the RWBY/JNPR common room. Jaune sat at the round dinner table, his fingers playing over his guitar's strings. He looked intently down at the sheet of music on the table before him, humming a bit here and there before scribbling down notation or lyrics. He tried a few bars, humming along. At the end, he scowled at the pages carrying his song, and let out a growl of frustration.

"URGH! 'Crazy and cool?" Weiss would kill me if she heard that!"

He sighed as he reread the lyrics.

"None of this really sounds like her," he muttered. "Not one bit."

He leaned back in his chair and began to strum mindlessly, letting the music drift with his thoughts. It had always been calming in the past.

"Hmhmhm... Hmhmhm... Can't find no heaven no matter where you go," he sang quietly.

Playing the guitar had helped him get to Beacon. Busking at every railway station to get money for food and the next trip. He'd always made just enough, and the music was reassuring in a strange way. Every song, every lyric, he had gotten closer to his goal.

"So why do I feel like I'm lost again?" He muttered.

"Hey!"

"GAH!"

Jaune jumped. He looked over to his right. Yang was smiling at him, leaning her face close to his right shoulder with her hands behind her back. She smirked like a schoolgirl caught peeking.

"Yang, don't do that!" Jaune gasped. "Seriously, trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Hey, I did try to get your attention. Which shouldn't be hard," Yang winked. She took the seat next to him and relaxed. "I just wanted to listen to your music. Ya know, like we usually do?"

"Er, uh, yeah, usually," Jaune agreed. Weiss may not have liked it, but his other friends enjoyed him just playing around on the guitar. He could even do some requests. Nora and Ruby's were often fast, loud and cheerful songs. Ren liked slow, melodic themes. Blake was surprisingly fond of romantic themes, though low and quiet so she could read. Pyrrha was fine with whatever, though she often requested sad songs. Yang's requests were all over the place, but she always sat and listened regardless of what he played.

No matter how tired he was, he tried to play for her. It always made her smile, and he had to admit, he liked her smile.

"So, new song for Weisscream?" Yang asked, looking over the notes. Jaune coughed.

"Uh, well... Yeah. I mean, I'm trying with this one," he explained. Yang reached over and took the pages. "Hey!"

"Whaddya got?" Yang asked, eyes sweeping the pages. She frowned thoughtfully.

"You are my star/You are the one/You make me smile when the world's come undone... Hey, this is pretty good!"

"R-Really?" Jaune asked, smiling shyly, "I mean, uh... It's not much but thanks. My mom taught me music, after all. I should use it and-and all..."

Yang flipped the pages and read the next lines of lyrics.

"You totally rock/You're crazy and... cool?" She paused, then read further down the page. "Are you sure this is about Weiss?"

Jaune shrugged, flushing a bit.

"Uh... Um... What do you mean?"

"What am I supposed to do/Just sit here and not fall in love with you?/Can I do anything to conceal it?/Can I lock up my heart and not feel it?"
Yang gave him a strange look.

"That doesn't sound anything like what you have with Weisscream. You're not exactly subtle, ya know."

Jaune began to sweat. His cheeks burned red. His strumming became a bit erratic.

"Uh, um... Eheh... Well... Wh-Who else would it be about? You know me... Trying for what I can't have... Not sure why I bother sometimes."

He looked down at his hands. He then felt Yang's hand on his shoulder. He looked up. She was smiling kindly, not even a little cocky.

"Gotta work on that confidence, VB. But honestly? You should probably give up on the Ice Queen."

"I should?" Jaune asked.

"I mean... If you're not sure this song is for her, then your feelings aren't that clear, right?" Yang asked, glancing to the side.

"I... I suppose not," Jaune agreed.

"Sides, One of these days, she's gonna tell you 'No' in a lot more permanent way. Maybe... Maybe you should try asking someone else?"

Jaune blinked. He had seven sisters. He'd seen them all go through crushes, romance, and heartbreak. The way Yang was looking away from him, almost shyly...

No... No way...

"I... Um... Like who?" Jaune managed, letting out a nervous little laugh. "Nora? I couldn't do that to Ren, even if she was interested. Pyrrha is..."

"Is?" Yang prompted softly.

"I mean... I care for her deeply, but she's... She's like a sister to me," Jaune admitted, "It would be weird. Blake and Sun have their thing... And Ruby? You'd kill me if I tried anything with Ruby."

He paused and shook his head.

"Scratch that. I'd kill me if I tried anything with Ruby."

Yang laughed quietly, looking back at him. She put her hands together, almost nervously.

"I'm glad you have some self preservation instincts... But you're forgetting one very important person."

She struck a silly pose with her fingers pointing at her smiling face.

"Ta da~!"

Jaune blinked. He blinked again.

"You?"

Yang's smile got a little brittle.

"Ya got something against blondes?" She asked flatly. Jaune shook his head frantically.

"No! Nonono! That's-That's not it at all!"

"Then what is it?" Yang asked very pointedly.

"It's just... You're... You're you and-"

"Yeah. I am me. And me is waiting for you to pull your foot out of your mouth," Yang stated firmly, eyes narrowed.

Jaune blinked rapidly.

"Wait... You... You like me?"

Yang slowly nodded.

"Like... Actually like me?"

"Yes, despite how you're acting," Yang snorted.

"But..." Jaune clutched at his guitar. "But... Why me? You-You could have literally any man you wanted, Yang! You're the most beautiful, amazing, powerful, funny and caring girl I know!"

Yang blushed deeply, and her grin widened.

"You know, if you'd actually led with that you might have actually gotten Weiss to take you seriously." She paused and smirked impishly. "Keep 'em coming."

"I'm serious!" Jaune insisted, "I-What would a girl like you want with a guy like me?! And don't tell me it's because I fixed Bumblebee that one time! It was a complete accident!"

Yang scooted up to Jaune, until their knees bumped together. She placed her hands on his guitar, and looked deeply into his eyes.

"Tell you what. I'm gonna sit here, right in front of you. You're gonna keep writing your song, play it... And we'll see what happens. Okay?"

Jaune turned bright red. He nodded.

"O-Okay."

Yang slid back, and smiled warmly. Jaune quickly wrote up some lyrics, barely even paying attention to the sheets. It all just came like someone was whispering it to him.

When he was finished, he cleared his throat and began to play. He couldn't quite look at Yang, but her golden hair gave him a focus as he played and sang the chorus, and the bridge.

"What am I supposed to do-
Just sit here and not fall in love with you?
Can I do anything to conceal it?
Can I lock up my heart and not feel it?
Try to hide from the fact
That theres no turning back
I'm in love~"

"And like the autumn leaves
I just can't help myself
I'm falling there's no doubt
It's you and no one else
Is there any chance
For this dream romance?
Should I just give up
What's a fool to do?
Could you fall for me
Like I fell for you?"
He stopped, and looked at Yang's face shyly.

"So uh... How was that?" He asked softly.

Yang, bright red, with stars in her eyes, reached over, grabbed Jaune by his collar, and kissed him.

- - -

Talking with Insomnius led us both to realize that the song "Not Fall in Love with You", which is ostensibly for Blake and Sun, actually might fit better with Jaune and Yang. The use of French in the lyrics, the low self esteem of the singer in the wording of the lyrics, and the description of the girl all fit Jaune and Yang a lot better than Sun and Blake. So, I decided to write this out.

Plus, Musician Jaune is always a lot of fun to write.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxVsjiyagKI&pp=ygUebm90IGZhbGwgaW4gbG92ZSB3aXRoIHlvdSByd2J5

 

[AndrewJTalon]

For White Knight Errant, I put together a list of the Arc sisters, each based upon a different character or characters:



-Saphron Cotta-Arc: Eldest, happily married to Terra Cotta, lives in Argus. She is an editor at a publishing house while Terra is a technician for the Argus CCT System. Her canon self. About nine years older than Jaune. Son named Adrian.



-Aqua Arc: A trained field medic with unlocked Aura, travels around with a party of Adventurers who go out and find ancient relics, people, or deal with Grimm. Has a Water Control Semblance, often called the "Goddess of Healing Water". She is based upon Aqua from Konosuba. She dyes her hair blue from blonde.



-Lilac Arc: Engaged to marry a local mechanic and racer, manages the farm's finances and operations. Based upon Belldandy from Ah! My Goddess!



-Orchid Arc: Works as a bookkeeper at the Arc-En-Ciel Hospital in Radian, is very scientifically inclined and stoic. Extremely deadpan. Based upon Yuki Nagato from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.



-Verdy and Coral Arc: Twin sisters, both in college for their doctorates, and they love to mess around. Based upon Kururi & Mairu Orihara From Durarara!! with a touch of the Weasley Twins from Harry Potter in how much they love pranks.



-Tangerine "Tangy" Arc: Is apparently a very aggressive saleswoman who travels a lot, most recently in Atlas selling refrigerators. Whether this is entirely true or not is a matter of speculation. Also goes by "Tanya" due to how much she despises her given name. Based upon Tanya von Degurechaff from Saga of Tanya the Evil.



-Jaune Arc: Youngest of the family, only son.



So! What kind of misadventures could be had with any of Jaune's sisters visiting him at Beacon?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

It had been a long day, even for Pyrrha Nikos. Getting into Beacon and finding people who had no idea who she was was probably the most liberating experience of her life thus far. Meeting her new partner was just... Wonderful.



Oh, he had some need of refinement and training. A great deal of it. That said, his shooting, his riding, and his keen tactical mind had all shone through his rugged exterior. Jaune Arc had been made her team leader, and honestly? She was grateful for it.



She could trust him. He could trust her.



Though his horse was a little... Aggravating.



Her dreams were filled with joy and possibilities otherwise... Until she was woken up by soft guitar strumming. She blinked and pushed herself out of REM in seconds, looking around in confusion and slight alarm.



Near the open window, she saw Jaune sitting on the sill. He was strumming his guitar softly, and sang a song very nearly under his breath.



"Go fetch me some water, a cool cup of water

To cool my parched lips, then the poor cowboy said

Before I returned, his spirit had left him

Had gone to his Maker, the cowboy was dead~"



"Oh, beat the drum slowly and play the fife lowly

Sing the Death March as you carry me along

Take me to the valley, there lay the sod o'er me

I'm a young cowboy, I know I've done wrong~..."



She glanced over at Nora and Ren. The two were cuddled together on their bunks, having pushed them together some time after Pyrrha went to sleep. The two were snoozing away, both utterly at peace.



Jaune stopped playing, and looked over at her in concern.



"Sorry, Miss Nikos," Jaune murmured, "Didn't mean to wake you."



Pyrrha shook her head and smiled. She rose, and, silent as a cat, padded over to Jaune. She sat some distance away on his empty bunk.



"N-No... It's all right," she murmured back, "Why are you still up?"



Jaune shrugged. The faint sound of crickets from the campus came through the open window, as did the rustling of the leaves by the wind.



"I couldn't sleep," Jaune explained softly. "Same for Mister Lie and Miss Valkyrie. We... We're all too used to sleeping outside, I suppose."



"On your cattle drives?" Pyrrha asked. "I-I mean... You did those. Them, I don't know..."



Jaune nodded with a smile.



"Yes miss. The bed is comfortable, no doubt. It's nice and quiet...."



"Too quiet," Pyrrha finished his thought. Jaune nodded back.



"Yes miss. I used to play music when I stood watch. It helped the others sleep."



He frowned.



"I-I can stop if you want me to-"



"No!" Pyrrha nearly cried, but she kept her voice low just in time, "N-No. That's all right. I... I like hearing you play and sing."



Jaune flushed a bit.



"Shucks... I'm sure you've heard better singers and players."



"I..." Pyrrha shook her head. "Maybe, but... But I still like hearing you."



Jaune nodded, and smiled. It sent Pyrrha's heart racing, but she stoically kept her face neutral, kind, but polite.



"Well, thank you Miss Nikos."



"You... You don't have to call me that," Pyrrha insisted. "You... You can just call me Pyrrha."



Jaune winced.



"You sure, Miss? You're just such a... A fine lady. Famous, even. Me, I'm just a farm boy trying to become a Hunter-"



"I'm just trying to become a Huntress too, Jaune," Pyrrha insisted softly. "I... We're the same. Please?"



Jaune stared at her for a moment.



"I guess someone like you might want to just be treated normal like, am I right?"



Pyrrha blushed, but nodded.



"Y-Yes... If that's okay?"



"... Sure thing, Pyrrha," Jaune said with a smile. Pyrrha's heart fluttered again, and she held back a giggle.



"Thank you Jaune."



"Though uh... I may slip up from time to time," Jaune warned her, fingering his guitar strings quietly, "It's a habit that got beat into me."



Pyrrha's eyes widened. Jaune chuckled at her expression.



"Nothing too rough, Miss-Er, Pyrrha. I promise. Better to get cuffed by Mister Duke or Dad than get shot cause I offended some village mayor, right?"



"I... I suppose that's fair," Pyrrha muttered. She smiled. "Um... Would you play me a song?"



Jaune frowned thoughtfully.



"If you want. Got a request?"



"Um..." Pyrrha blushed. "M-Maybe... Something romantic?"



Jaune blinked.



"N-Not that I have anyone... In particular... In mind," Pyrrha mumbled.



Jaune smiled.



"Course Miss... Um, Pyrrha."



He began strumming a bit more uptempo than the last song, but still quiet.



"Around her neck she wore a yellow ribbon

She wore it in the springtime and in the month of May

Hey, hey!

And if you asked her why the heck she wore it,

She wore it for her lover who was far, far away~!"



"Far away (far away)!

Far away (far away)!

Oh, she wore it for her lover who was far, far away,

Far away (far away)

Far away (far away)

Oh, she wore it for her lover who was far, far away~!"



Pyrrha sighed dreamily. She had fantasized about some kind, wonderful young man serenading her by moonlight.



Coming to Beacon was truly the best decision she'd ever made...



A boot slammed into Jaune's face from outside the window, and he went sprawling face first onto the floor. Pyrrha barely saved his guitar.



"Jaune!" She cried.



"SHUT UP! PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!" A male voice bellowed from outside.



"Yes sir," Jaune mumbled.



- - -



The two songs Jaune played are:

"Streets of Laredo"


View: https://youtu.be/_1qfIPXjGn4?list=PL8wMicbj-toLE5r8XdAvYbSiCCoe1UPjt

and

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDFkpyDB-cs

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -



It wasn't that Yang disliked Jaune Arc. Far from it! He was a little... Eccentric. The guy sang his horse and teammates to sleep with his guitar and (admittedly nice) singing voice. He insisted on being super polite. He had a lot of weird little gaps in his knowledge (You'd think with a Hunter father, he'd know what the Vytal Festival was!)



That said, she did find his little quirks kind of endearing. The way he would give Ruby his full attention, be kind and thoughtful towards her and anyone else? It was very nice.



The fact Weiss was in desperate denial over thirsting after him was also hilarious.



That said... There was one quirk of his that did get on her nerves a bit. He stared at her. Not in a creepy way, or a lustful way. Well, not in a creepy way.



He just stared at her like he'd seen her before. So, being Yang, she decided to ask him about it.



She tromped out to the stables, where Jaune often could be found when he wanted to be alone. She rested on the fence of the paddock and watched him go. He was practicing with his rope, Orleans obligingly galloping around as a moving target.



"Haa... Haa... YAH!"



Jaune cast his lasso at Orleans. The lariat sailed right over Orlean's neck, and Jaune pulled back with all the Aura infused strength he could. The mare struggled hard, jumping up on her backhooves and whinnying loudly. She thrashed her neck and tried to get clear, but Jaune got up and yanked down hard.



"Easy girl, easy...!" Jaune stated, tugging firmly but not as harshly now. The mare settled down, and Jaune reeled her in. He smiled and rubbed the side of her neck.



"Good girl. Really made me work for it, good girl," he murmured. Orleans neighed in appreciation and licked his face. "Aw come on, enough Orly!"



"Should I leave you two alone?" Yang asked with a teasing grin. Jaune glanced over at Yang, and smiled.



"Howdy, Miss Xiao-Long! Nah, we were just about to finish."



He pulled the rope up over Orleans' head, and patted her side affectionately.



"Go on and graze, girl. Be back by sundown," he said. Orleans snorted then glared over at Yang. Jaune scowled.



"I said git! You need the exercise. Git!"



He slapped her backside. Orleans whinnied, then obediently trotted off. Yang swore the mare shot her an evil look before she leaped right over the fence and galloped off, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake.



"What can I do for you, Miss Xiao-Long?" Jaune asked, walking up to the fence to face her. He rested his gloved hands on either side of hers, and looked directly into her eyes. Yang imagined that Weiss or Pyrrha might have been left red faced and stuttering at this act, but she knew Jaune didn't mean anything by it.



Still, she appreciated that he wasn't skittish around her.



"I guess I'm just curious about some of the looks you've been giving me," Yang stated bluntly. "You look like you're seeing someone else when you look at me."



Jaune shrugged, trying to look nonchalant.



"Er... I-I mean... Is it wrong to look upon such a pretty, fearsome huntress?"



Okay, now her cheeks were red. But the way he'd deflected that question...



"Did you see... Someone who looked like me?" She asked quietly.



Jaune stared at her intensely. She pressed on.



"Someone with black hair, red eyes, and used a red sword?"



"... Yes miss, I did," Jaune replied quietly.



Yang leaned forward eagerly.



"Can you tell me about it?"



"I..." Jaune winced. "I'm not sure if you want to hear this, miss-"



"My mother ran off without so much as a note when I was barely two months old," Yang stated bluntly, "I want to know why."



Jaune looked back into Yang's eyes grimly.



"Mister Duke once told me, sometimes, you don't want answers to your questions," he said quietly.



"I want these," Yang insisted. "Tell me."



Jaune was silent for a moment. He then slowly nodded.



"My second run for the Duke Ranch, we took a long route down to Vitulus in South Sanus. We'd heard bandits were in the area, shaking down anyone for resources. Anyone who didn't pay? Got their village or caravan wrecked, and was left for the Grimm."



Jaune was silent for another moment, his eyes far away.



"One night, I woke up to a loud argument. I looked out of my tent. My pa and Mister Duke were standing off with some bandits in red and black armor. That woman... The one who looks like you... She was in front. She basically said she'd kill all of us if we didn't hand over half the herd. Pa and Mister Duke refused... So a fight broke out."



Jaune sucked in a breath.



"... I grabbed my rifle. I... I was scared. So scared... I just started blasting. Two bandits they... They just seemed to vanish in the blast. Burn Dust rounds are... Are really powerful. Especially with Aura like mine."



Yang winced. She rested her hands over Jaune's.



"... I didn't feel anything when I saw what I'd done," Jaune confessed quietly, "I-I just... I went numb. Nearly... Nearly got my head taken off by her. My dad managed to block with his sword while Mister Duke fired on her. My dad and Mister Duke are some of the roughest, toughest men I have ever known and... And even they were struggling against her. She was like a force of nature."



Jaune swallowed hard.



"Bert, a friend of mine from school... He tried to shoot her in the back while my dad and Mister Duke fought her from the front and... And she took his head off. I didn't even see her move. One minute he's shooting, next he's..."



Yang grimaced. Jaune's head bowed.



"... I guess... I guess she figured we were more trouble than we were worth. She lost too many men, so she ran. We... We buried all the dead, and got moving again. I..."



He closed his eyes. Yang felt her hand move up to cup his cheek.



"Hey," she whispered, "It's okay. I... I'm sorry."



"Not yer fault," Jaune mumbled. "Just... He was as old as me. Liked to collect bugs and study 'em. He said his prayers every night out loud, even though we'd tease him about it. He... He never hurt no one. And she just..."



He shut his eyes tightly. Yang pulled him into a hug. She sighed deeply as he sniffled.



"... Thank you for telling me this," she said quietly. "I... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."



They stayed like that for a while. Yang didn't keep track. Jaune wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.



"... Sorry I... I couldn't be more help," he admitted.



"It..." Yang frowned. "It's a lot more than I was expecting. I... I want to find her."



"Why?" Jaune asked softly.



Yang shrugged.



"I guess... To get some answers. Something. Even if it's ugly, I guess I just... I just need to know."



Jaune slowly nodded.



"I guess I can understand that," he murmured.



"Are..." Yang paused. "Are you afraid I'll be like her?"



Jaune stared in shock.



"Miss?"



"Is... Is that why you stare at me?" Yang asked, her eyes avoiding his.



Jaune shook his head rapidly.



"No! Nonono! I just... I never expected someone who looked like her to be... To be the exact opposite. Warm, kind, friendly, funny... I-I'm real sorry, Miss Xiao-Long. I swear... Whenever I look at you from now on? I'll only see you. Promise."



Yang blushed bright red.



"I... Y-Yeah, see that you do," she ordered gruffly. She then smirked.



"Also? You can just call me Yang."



Jaune blinked and shook his head.



"City women are the darnedest things," he muttered.



"Yeah, but that's what makes us fun to Yang out with," Yang chuckled, shooting Jaune a wink. Jaune flushed.



"Ah, er, um-"



"Heh. You are cute when you blush," Yang snickered. "Guess I'll have to make sure you do it more~!"



- - -



Yeah, again, not too sure where this came from but here it is.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Originally Walt Disney didn't want to just create another theme park. He wanted to create the American City of the Future. Basically a city that would be a radical departure from anything in the past, to showcase the latest American technologies. Everything, agriculture, industry, even suburban home living and transportation would be revolutionary and cutting edge.

Underground highways with monorails. Completely computerized homes with central remote controls. Electronic surveillance for local police. Separate sections zoned to be environmentally friendly and super efficient. The works. If this all sounds familiar, it's because it was a major inspiration for Andrew Ryan and his city Rapture in Bioshock.

So, what if on Remnant, there was a man like Walt Disney and Andrew Ryan? An ambitious futurist, corporate genius, and man of vision? Who wanted to create a city of the future that could let mankind reclaim Remnant?

This man would be named Roger Bacon, after the English friar and philosopher who first recorded the formula for gunpowder and was an early proponent of scientific empiricism. This man would have become a rich and powerful business magnate, who had improved the lives of millions of people around the world with his businesses. But his ambition would be far greater.

"Man once ruled this world. It was called Earth then. Now it is a Remnant of its former self... But it can be ours AGAIN!"

He would spearhead a city to be built. A city of the future to lead the way for all mankind across Remnant. To free mankind from fear of the Grimm permanently and revolutionize all aspects of civilization.

Bacon's dream city would be built... But would fall.

Yet... People have survived here. Roger Bacon himself is still there, alive. Even as his dream has become a nightmare.

One our heroes will have to deal with.

The original EPCOT concept film Walt Disney made:


View: https://youtu.be/sLCHg9mUBag

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Jaune had asked for a brief break before meeting with his in-laws properly. This let Blake and her parents go into the conference room first. Jaune walked off to a bathroom. He went to the sink washed his hands. He stared into the mirror, and took a deep breath.

"Professor Oobleck?"

The glasses-wearing professor zipped into view behind him.

"Your Majesty."

Jaune sighed. Oobleck chuckled.

"You will need to get used to that eventually."

"Eventually," Jaune mumbled. He turned and looked at his professor. "So...?"

Oobleck sipped his coffee from a thermos. He hummed thoughtfully.

"You know as well as I do that nobody does anything for free in politics."

"Yeah, Empires at War taught me that," Jaune muttered. Oobleck smiled.

"Oh? You played that?"

"Yeah, the board game too," Jaune admitted, "Nana Arturia made me play it and Diplomacy, Stock Market, dozens of others. They were really brutal."

Oobleck chuckled again.

"Well, that's good to hear. I thought you were a complete novice, Your Majesty... And you are. But at least you've got some grounding in the game you are playing."

"But the stakes are real, and you can't reset the board," Jaune said quietly. Oobleck nodded. "So... What will they want?"

"Of the Aspirant Kingdoms that seek to become great powers like the Four? Menagerie is probably the closest to becoming the Fifth. Their economy has expanded by leaps and bounds, their cultural production is becoming fairly strong, and their industry is advancing. They are also one of the few Kingdoms that can actually project power through a Navy, though not easily. Deploying their navy all the way to Vale is no doubt very costly, as is deploying their forces and bringing in aid. They're mostly just replacing our existing logistics, but it's still expensive."

He sipped his coffee.

"And of course, they offered their daughter as your wife and our Queen. A full formal alliance is the least they will ask for, along with full diplomatic and trade ties. We can catch up, rebuild our military forces and the damage done... But they're here now. As the saying goes, it doesn't matter if you have a machine gun if it's at home and a man has a knife to your throat."

Jaune grimaced.

"Kind of an awkward saying."

"Well they can't all as pithy as 'never fight a land war in Animus', can they?" Oobleck smirked, "In short, Your Majesty, Ghira Belladonna has the opportunity to make Menagerie into the Fifth Kingdom. He will not squander it."

"And like you said... He's got a potential knife to our throats," Jaune muttered, looking back at the mirror and setting his hands down on the sink.

"I don't think he'll push too hard," Oobleck said, "But he's a canny political operator. He didn't get his kingdom to where it is by being soft. You are young and inexperienced. He will know this too. My suggestion? Be as open and honest as you can. Don't try to bluff. If you don't know something, admit it. But don't let him dissemble, don't let him be vague. Make sure you don't take vague or half-hearted answers. Be polite, but firm."

Jaune sucked in a deep breath and nodded quickly. He stared into his own eyes intensely.

"Right, right," he murmured.

Oobleck patted his shoulder.

"If it helps? I think he likes you," he said, "His daughter was a virtual hostage of the White Fang for years. The fact you are marrying her and working with him is probably more than he or his wife could have hoped for. He also respects strength. You've demonstrated that."

"And it's exhausting," Jaune sighed. Oobleck chuckled.

"Well, that's the nature of the world: There are nothing but tradeoffs. But someone's got to do the business of leading, and it is preferable that it is a good man: Or as good a man as can be found who takes possession of power."

"Yeah, my Nana Arturia said a lot of stuff like that," Jaune sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"And you listened! Good to know!" Oobleck nodded.

Jaune smiled at his professor and shrugged.

"Mostly. Thanks, Professor. You're a real help."

"We're all in this together, Your Majesty," Oobleck said, patting him on the back. "Now, go on. You have your in-laws to attend to."

"Thanks," Jaune sighed. "Also, uh... Check on Pyrrha and the others for me? I heard Pyrrha is going to try walking again, I want to be there for her."

Oobleck nodded.

"Of course, your Majesty," he said.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Despite the fact he was a rugged cowhand, Weiss did appreciate that Jaune Arc kept himself clean, neat and tidy. He rarely shaved, but it suited him somehow. It made him look older, more mature.

So it was a shock to see him walk up to breakfast with pink splotches on his uniform jacket. Pyrrha frowned as the blond young man sat down at his usual spot with his breakfast. His face was as calm and placid as ever though. Ruby leaned forward.

"Jaune? What happened?"

Jaune sniffed.

"It seems Mister Winchester thought ruining my laundry was a good practical joke," Jaune stated. Nora grinned.

"Want me to break his knees?"

Jaune appeared to give this serious thought. He then shrugged.

"Nah."

"A wise decision," Ren nodded. Nora pouted.

"His wrists?" She offered.

"Don't break anything on him until I say so," Jaune ordered firmly. Nora pouted, but nodded.

"Aye aye, Captain!"

Weiss shook her head, scowling a bit.

"He can't get away with harassing you, Jaune," Weiss sniffed.

"I agree, Jaune," Pyrrha added, "You should go to a teacher!"

Jaune huffed.

"When you've been on a few cattle drives, bullying's not something I pay much mind to," Jaune said with a shrug, beginning to eat his food, "Winchester's got his issues, but they ain't mine."

"Yes, but we don't like seeing you get bullied," Ruby pouted. Jaune shook his head again, sipping his coffee before he answered.

"My Pa and Mister Duke said there are only a few things a man should fight for. Some prissy jock who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth thinking he'll put me in my place ain't one of them."

"O-OW! OW!"

A loud female cry filled the cafeteria. All eyes went to a young rabbit Faunus girl. She winced and cringed in pain as Cardin Winchester yanked on one of her ears, his other teammates around her and laughing.

"See? Told ya they were real! She's a genuine freak!"

Jaune's jaw was set like stone. He set down his silverware, wiped his lips with a napkin, and stood up.

"Excuse me," Jaune stated, his voice quiet but there was a fury boiling underneath it.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked. Jaune stalked right up to Cardin Winchester. The redhead looked over at him and sneered.

"What do you want, hillbilly?"

"You. Me. Outside," Jaune stated coldly. Cardin scoffed.

"Really? Want to try to fight me like a man?"

"Big talk from the coward picking on a lady," Jaune stated coldly.

Cardin growled. He let go of the Faunus girl, who scampered away. Cardin smirked and cracked his knuckles.

"You've been asking for this for a long-!"

Jaune threw a haymaker that knocked one of the redhead's teeth out. He staggered back, putting a hand over his cheek in shock. Jaune didn't stop there, grabbing his shoulders and ramming his knee into the bully's crotch. The other three members of Cardin's team swarmed Jaune, punching and kicking him. He was put down on the ground, even as he kept swinging his fists and kicking his feet.

Pyrrha intervened, punt kicking one of the boys right in the face and sending him flipping off Jaune. Nora and Ren were next, slamming the bullies back. Cardin was back on his feet, as was Jaune. Cardin roared in rage and charged. Jaune took the hit from the big Huntsman in training, but returned a punch right to his gut. Other students got up and surrounded them in a ring, cheering and shouting...

Telekinetic force swept over them, and both sides of the fight were pushed apart. The other students parted like the sea before a boat, as Glynda Goodwitch walked up. Her glare was a thing of legend.

"Students! Who is responsible for this fight?"

Silence fell. Glynda's eyes narrowed.

"Who threw the first punch?"

Weiss opened her mouth. Pyrrha moved to step forward. Jaune shot them both hard looks. It was harsh, commanding, manly-No! No no no! Don't think like that!

"But Jaune, he-!" Ruby tried, but Jaune shook his head.

"Quiet."

Ruby pouted at him.

Jaune sucked in a deep breath, and let it out through his nostrils. He stepped up.

"I did it, Ma'am," Jaune stated, "I threw the first punch. This is my responsibility, and I'll take the punishment for it, ma'am."

Glynda stared intensely at him. Cardin gaped at him in shock.

Glynda then slowly nodded.

"Very well, Mister Arc. Detention with me tonight. You'll be helping me with paperwork."

"Yes ma'am."

Glynda waved her riding crop, and the damage to the floors and furniture wrought by the brawl was instantly repaired.

"Back to your meals, all of you," she stated, before turning and walking off. Jaune looked around.

"You heard her, back to breakfast," he stated flatly.

"Nothing to see here!" Ruby ordered as well.

The group broke up. Cardin shot Jaune another disbelieving look. The Faunus girl blushed as she looked at the blond as well. Jaune pointedly ignored both of them, as he sat back down to resume eating.

"That was very kind of you, Jaune. Very brave."

All eyes went to Blake Belladonna, who was looking intently at Jaune.

Jaune nodded slowly.

"Like I said. there are only a few things a man should fight for. A lady is one of them."

"Even if she's a Faunus?" Blake pressed. Jaune frowned.

"What difference does that make?"

Blake gave him a very small smile, and returned to her ever present book. Weiss frowned in confusion at her teammate.

What was that about?

"Also friends?" Nora asked, a bit softer than usual. Jaune smiled.

"Of course."

Pyrrha's own smile became much softer at that. It made Weiss's hackles rise...

Because her idol wasn't paying any attention to her, of course! Th-That's all it was!

- - -

Tsundere Weiss is so much fun to write.

GentlemanRogue Hope you enjoyed it.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

The man in black with redhair stood over her. She screamed in pain, the stump where her right arm was bleeding and burning with agony. She scooted back away from the man as he advanced, his red katana gleaming ominously.
"Time to finish what I started," he hissed. He held the sword up, brought it down upon her-
"AAAHHH! AAHHH! AAAAHHH!"

Strong arms held her shoulders against a bed as she thrashed. She opened her eyes, frantically looking around as a woman spoke to her.

"Calm down! Calm down! It's all right, it's all right, you're safe, you're safe..."

Yang Xiao-Long looked into blue eyes. They were kindly and compassionate, outlined by black framed glasses. She took deep breaths, her chest heaving as her heart threatened to beat right out.

"That's right, that's right, calm, calm," the woman said softly, "You're safe, you're safe."

The panic slowly subsided. She managed to focus her eyes as her heartrate slowed.

She was in a warm room, covered in red wood paneling. A large window, covered in blinds, was to her left. She was in a hospital bed, with several beeping machines on either side of her. The woman was older, curvy, but beautiful. Her light golden hair was tied in a bun. She wore green scrubs underneath a white labcoat. Her chin was pointed, her lips red, and her cheeks rather round with light freckles from the sun scattered across them.

She looked a few inches shorter than Yang, but her grip was so strong Yang couldn't even think of breaking free.

Then again, she thought, the ghostly feeling of nothing under her right shoulder, I... I'm not exactly in good shape myself...

The thought made something inside her break. Tears began to pour from her eyes. She clutched at her stump with her remaining hand, as sobs began to tear their way out of her throat.

The woman wrapped her strong arms around her, and hugged her tightly. She stroked her back, then rubbed circles into her shoulders.

"It's all right, it's all right," the woman murmured, "It's all right, I'm right here. You're safe..."

"... R-Ruby?" Yang gasped between sobs.

"She's safe, she's all right," the woman said, "Jaune got you, her, and a few others here. You're all going to be all right, I promise."

"Where... Where's here...?" Yang whispered.

The woman smiled against Yang's forehead.

"Radian, Gallia Province. North Sanus."

She held Yang as she cried, comforting her. It might have been drugs, it might have been the emotional exhaustion, but Yang slipped back into unconsciousness.

At the very least, she didn't have any bad dreams this time around.

She woke up some time later. The blinds had been opened, and sunlight streamed in. She blinked back against the glare, and her eyes slowly adjusted. Again, her hand went to her stump. Her heartrate skyrocketed again but she forced herself to calm. She breathed again and again, as deep as she could. She grit her teeth huffing and puffing through her nostrils.

C-Calm... Calm... Calm... Calm...
"Yang?!"

Yang opened her eyes. She looked at the open door. A small form in a blue sundress and ill matching black boots stood there with wide silver eyes and short black hair with red tips.

"Ruby!"

Ruby sobbed, and practically tackled Yang in her hug. Yang wrapped her arm around her, tears pouring down her cheeks. Ruby was ugly crying, loudly sobbing into her hospital gown.

"Y-You were so pale--I-I couldn't hear your heartbeat-The whole trip-I didn't-I couldn't-!"

She broke down into incoherent sobs, but all were very thankful and relieved. Yang hugged her little sister tighter, resting her chin on the top of her head as she cried too.

"It's okay, it's okay... It's okay... A-Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Ruby looked up and shook her head. She glanced over at Yang's stump, and winced. She buried her face in Yang's chest and sobbed again. Yang sniffled, but held her tightly.

"It's okay... I-It's okay," she managed, her voice choked with emotion.

The two sisters cried for a time. Yang didn't really know how long, but Ruby finally pulled herself together long enough to look up into Yang's eyes.

"I-I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I... I should have-"

As painful as it was... Old instincts came to Yang. She shook her head.

"This isn't your fault, Ruby," Yang said firmly, "O-Okay? This-This isn't your fault..."

"I... I could have... I should have..." Ruby whimpered.

"It isn't. Your. Fault," Yang said firmly, even as her voice wavered, "It isn't... It isn't, okay?"

Ruby still whimpered and hid her face in Yang's chest again. Yang found her fingers going through her short hair, just as she'd comforted her little sister when she was much younger.

"It's okay, it's okay," she whispered. "It's okay..."

"Hello? Can I come in?"

Yang and Ruby looked back at the entrance. The blonde woman from before stood there, smiling gently.

"S-Sure," Yang managed. Ruby smiled and looked up at Yang.

"Th-This is Isabel Arc. Um, Doctor Isabel Arc," she said, "Jaune's mom."

Yang's eyes bugged out as the older woman walked in and began to check on the various machines plugged into her hospital bed.

"Y-You're Vomit Boy-Um, I-I mean, Jaune's mom?"

"Guilty as charged," Isabel said wryly, taking Yang's remaining wrist and checking her pulse. She then shined a penlight in her eyes. "Good, good... May I check your injury?"

Yang winced, but managed a nod. Isabel kept her eyes locked on hers, a kind, gentle smile on her face.

"It's all right, I'm just going to examine it," she said softly. She pulled up the sleeve, and ran her hands over the bandages that wrapped the base up. She sighed softly as she pulled some up, and checked the stump itself.

"Good, good... No infection," she said, "It's healing properly. We'll be able to attach the prosthetic properly."

"Prosthetic?" Yang asked, shocked. Isabel nodded with a small smile.

"Yes. We're relatively close to Atlas, so we get good rates on Hunter and Military-rated prosthetics. The neural interfaces take some getting used to... But you'll adjust, and be back to 100 percent."

Isabel nodded and squeezed Yang's other hand.

"I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear right now. And it will take time to heal in... Other ways..."

Yang winced. Isabel reached up and squeezed Yang's shoulder.

"But I promise... You're going to be okay again," Isabel said softly. "Okay?"

Yang looked down at Ruby. She managed a nod.

"O-Okay," Yang whispered.

"You-You mean it?" Ruby asked. Isabel again smiled warmly, and reached down to rub Ruby's head. For a moment, Yang saw another woman in her place. A redhead with silver eyes and different features, but the same kind, maternal warmth radiating from her.

"I mean it," Isabel said quietly. "Now... Do you feel up to another visitor? He's been very anxious since he brought you all in."

Ruby gave Yang a pleading look. Yang managed a slow nod.

"I... Sure," she murmured.

"Come on in, Jaune!" Isabel called. A moment later, a tall blond young man walked in.

For a moment, Yang was confused.

"Jaune?" She asked quietly.

The young man looked... Different. He wore a long brown coat over his armor and jeans, but his sneakers were replaced with muddy boots. His face was covered in thin stubble. There were bags under his eyes... Eyes that looked so hard for a moment.

Then, relief flooded his features.

"Yang? Y-You okay?"

He walked over to stand at her side. Yang managed a slow nod.

"I... As much as... Yeah," she finally decided on. "Mmph!"

Isabel shoved a straw into her mouth, a straw attached to a water bottle.

"Sip, sip, sip," Isabel ordered, and Yang obeyed. Ruby scooted out from under her arms to stand by Jaune. "Good, good... You're being hydrated by the saline but the old-fashioned way is best. You'll be getting meals from now on and you're going to eat everything you get, understood?"

"Mmph... Y-Yeah," Yang agreed, after sipping the entire bottle down, "How long was I out?"

"A week," Jaune said grimly. Ruby sniffled, and Jaune wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Ruby barely left your side."

Ruby flushed. Yang managed the tiniest of smiles at her little sister.

"The nurses will be bringing your food," Isabel said, sighing as she checked her watch, "We've got a lot more patients to look after."

She turned and hugged Jaune and Ruby tightly.

"Take it easy for a while you two," she ordered, "Or I'll find out and make you."
"B-But, Mom-" Jaune tried, but Isabel's steely glare shut him up.

"No excuses. For either of you," she stated. Ruby winced, but nodded.

"Y-Yes ma'am," she said weakly.

Isabel smiled, and strode out of the room. Jaune slowly walked to some chairs near the far wall, and dragged them to the side of Yang's bed. Ruby sat down in one, and Jaune took the other. Yang stared intently at Jaune, this feeling of disbelief still strong inside her.

"I... What happened, Jaune?" She asked. "How the hell did you get us all here?"

Jaune sucked in a breath, and rubbed his face. Ruby squeezed his other hand.

"Well... Pyrrha..." He paused for a moment. He gritted his teeth and didn't look her way.

"What... What happened to Pyrrha?" Yang asked. "What happened to everyone? What happened to Vale?!"

"Yang, I..." Ruby bowed her head and looked at the floor. Jaune forced himself to sit up straight and looked into her eyes.

"Beacon... Beacon was overrun by Grimm," Jaune continued, "Vale is... Vale is in bad shape. The CCTNet was hit pretty bad. We're getting reports from it sometimes, and the radio networks still work, but... It looks like at least half the city's been wiped out. The police, local militias and Hunters are being organized by the surviving members of the government and Professor Goodwitch. We're doing what we can, so are other provinces, but it's ugly."

Yang stared intently at him. Jaune shook his head.

"Pyrrha... Pyrrha went to fight Cinder on her own," Jaune continued slowly, as though he was trying to force the words out, "Shot me away in a rocket locker. I landed near the library. Some... Some of my friends from Radian had brought their own airship here to watch the Festival, and managed to get to me to lead us to where they'd landed. Nora and Ren met me, they'd fought their way with a few of the other students. We... We found you in the wreckage of the library with Blake. She'd bandaged your wounds as best she could, then handed you over to me before she ran off. I uh... I carried you to the Bullhead."

"I... I see," Yang murmured.

Jaune sucked in another breath. Ruby pressed her face into his shoulders and bit back a weak sob.

"Pyrrha... Pyrrha fought Cinder on the top of Beacon tower," Jaune said quietly, "But then a Grimm dragon broke out of Mount Axis, attacked the tower and..."

He bowed his head, before looking back up and staring right into Yang's soul.

"Pyrrha's dead. Cinder killed her," he muttered, his voice dead and empty of anything.

"Gods, Jaune," Yang breathed.

Jaune fell silent. Ruby hugged onto his arm, and he held her close, trying to comfort her.

"I... I saw her kill Pyrrha," Ruby whimpered. "I... S-Something happened, and... I-I blacked out..."

"The dragon turned to stone after that," Jaune took over quietly, "We managed to get to my friends' Bullhead. We crammed as many people as we could into it... Then your Uncle Qrow showed up and handed over Ruby. She was unconscious. He told us to take care of her, and he'd meet back up with us later."

"He-He has," Ruby said quietly, "He's helping us out. Dad's gonna come and visit soon."

"G-Good," Yang managed. Jaune nodded.

"Yeah..." Jaune took a deep, slow breath. "A-Anyway... Ren and Nora made it with us, along with Velvet, Cardin, Neptune, May Zedong, and a few others from the other schools. Weiss got taken by her dad's people to Atlas. Blake... No idea where she is. I'm sorry."

Yang shut her eyes tightly and slowly shook her head.

"I... I'm sure she's all right," Yang muttered, but her heart wasn't in it. She was a little grateful to Blake but... Where did she go?

"Anyway... Um..." Jaune tried, "We've been working with the militia. My dad runs it here in Radian. We've been rebuilding the outer walls, taking in refugees, fighting Grimm... Ruby was sleeping at my family house."

"They uh, they loaned me this dress," Ruby mumbled.

"The outer walls?" Yang asked. Jaune nodded.

"Yeah. Uh, Radian... Radian used to be a lot bigger when it was the capital of Gallia. We've got the current walls but outside of those are the old walls which we stopped using. But there's a lot of ruined houses and fields and rivers for people to stay in, so we've been rebuilding the old walls and clearing out any Grimm. We've been getting a lot of refugees. The CCNet sabotage and the panic caused by Vytal caused a lot of Grimm attacks. We have't been the hardest hit but... It's rough."

"I see," Yang whispered. Jaune managed a small smile.

"It's going to be all right. I promise," he said.

She knew the look in his eyes. It was a look she was familiar with. One she'd seen on her face in the mirror, dozens, hundreds of times, when Mom died and Dad just... Checked out.

He was holding it together. He was hiding his pain, and his fatigue, all for the sake of everyone else.

"I..." Yang shakily reached out her hand to Jaune. He stared at it for a moment, as though not sure what to do. He then reached out and squeezed her hand.

"Thank you," Yang whispered. Jaune shook his head.

"Don't," he said quietly, "You-You don't have to-"

"I do," Yang insisted, her eyes flashing red for a moment, "I do."

Jaune met her gaze, then slowly nodded.

He squeezed her hand back, tightly.

"We're going to make it through this, I promise," he said.

He said it with such conviction. The same conviction that was in his mother's voice.

Despite how empty and wrung out she felt right now, it was like a little candle lit up inside her.

"I know," she murmured. "I know..."

- - -

Bit random, but... How would this work out? What would happen? How would these characters manage in this situation?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

At breakfast, Jaune's Scroll went off. He opened it up, checked the caller ID... And groaned.

"Trouble, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked in concern.

"Yes," Jaune sighed.

"What kind of trouble?" Blake asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just my family and-"

The Scroll screen changed, and a window opened. A doll-like blonde woman with very intense blue eyes glared out at Jaune. Jaune yelped.

"What the-?!"

"You were taking too long to answer, little brother," the young woman spoke coldly. Jaune winced.

"Um... I was just thinking about how to greet my wonderful sister after not seeing her for so long?" He said with a smile.

The woman's eyes narrowed to slits.

"You're an absolutely terrible liar."

"Well you didn't teach me anything now did you?!" Jaune demanded. The woman huffed.

"I did. You just didn't pay attention."

Jaune sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I should have called sooner."

"You should have," the girl stated.

"Who is that?" Ruby asked.

"My sister Tangerine," Jaune sighed.

"Tanya!" Tanya growled.

"It's what Mom and Dad named you!"

By this point, everyone had stopped pretending not to watch and had crowded around behind Jaune.

"And they named me wrong, so there," Tanya huffed, "Anyway, given that I ran off into the world to do my own thing, I can hardly fault you for doing the same. I'm glad you did."

"Oh... That's good," Jaune said with a nod.

"But I'm still annoyed it took you this long to pick up a Scroll," Tanya growled.

"I-I had to get a new one!" Jaune protested.

"Sorry, not good enough," Tanya stated, "Now you get your REAL punishment."

Jaune blinked, and paled.

"You didn't tell Mom. Please, tell me you didn't-!"

"Of course I didn't!" Tanya scoffed. "I'm not that sadistic! You'll have to work your shit out with her yourself!"

Jaune sighed in relief.

"Thanks sis."

"Don't thank me," Tanya coldly hissed, "I have a far worse punishment for you in mind."

"What kind of-?"

The image shifted to one of a very beautiful, matronly looking young woman with her blonde hair in a high ponytail. She was sitting in a comfortable looking living room, the walls covered in photos of the Arc family. She wore a blue and white farm dress, simple but elegant. She had the same features as Jaune and Tanya-The chin, cheeks, and eyes were nearly exact. But this woman looked so sorrowful it made Jaune feel like someone had reached into his chest and squeezed his heart.

"L-Lilac...?" Jaune whispered.

"Jaune... I missed you... S-So much...!" Lilac sniffled and sobbed. "I-I thought you were dead! I was so worried! We all worried for so long and looked for you-Ohhh Jaune...! How could you...?"

She sobbed so painfully that Jaune clutched at his chest. He bowed his head as shame filled every part of him.

"I... I'm so sorry Lilac! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to... I just... I got so wrapped up...!"

"You brute!" Weiss sniffled. "She's devastated! How could you do that?!"

"Not cool, Jaune," Nora nodded.

Jaune sighed. Even Pyrrha was looking hurt. He turned back to Lilac.

"I am so, so sorry Lilac. I did you so much wrong... Please, forgive me, and I will do better. I promise."

Lilac ceased crying, as though someone had flipped a switch. She was all smiles.

"Oh, I can't stay mad at you, my snookie wookie pumpkin little brother~!"

Tanya stomped back on camera and glared.

"Damnit Lilac! That wasn't nearly long enough!" Tanya complained.

Lilac sighed.

"But he looked so sad, Tangy! I can't bare to see my pookie wookie baby brother so sad!"

"UGH! You're impossible!" Tanya groaned. "And it's Tanya!"

Lilac turned back to the camera, all smiles.

"Anyway Jaune, since you're gonna be a big strong Huntsman, I got you a gift!"

She pulled out a large rocket launcher and held it up proudly.

"Is that a Mk. 41 Spelunker Surface to Surface Missile launcher?!" Ruby gasped in ectasy.

"Where did you get that?!" Tanya demanded.

"My boyfriend Primo fixed it up when Mister Lopez wrecked it! He said we could have it! Though unfortunately, I don't think I can mail you the ammo. Apparently that's illegal." Lilac huffed. "Which is just so silly! How are you supposed to work the thing if they don't include the ammo?"

Tanya blinked.

"Wait, your boyfriend fixed it? He works on cars and motorcycles, not military hardware!"

"Oh come on, how much difference does that make?" Lilac laughed. She held up the rocket launcher scope to her eye. "Hm, I think this is the night vision button."

The launcher ignited, and a Dust powered rocket flew out the back of the launcher through the window. There was the sound of a distant explosion and a car alarm going off. Lilac blinked as Tanya and Jaune both gaped in disbelief.

"Well, that wasn't the night vision. I still can't see anything!"

Tanya scowled at Jaune.

"I'm going to fix this, but you're gonna get it even worse, you brat."

"Bye Jaune! Love you!" Lilac waved cheerfully.

The call ended. Jaune winced, and slowly turned to face his staring friends.

"... What?" Weiss managed.

"Is... That normal for your family?" Yang asked.

Jaune sighed, leaned back against the table, and shrugged.

"Prrretty much."

"And so much is explained," Weiss muttered.

Ruby grinned.

"I don't see anything wrong with this!"

"Me neither!" Nora cheered. "Can you adopt me, Jaune? Can you? Can you?!"

"We'll see," Jaune deadpanned.

- - -