[RWBY] The Great Temporal Step-Sibling War!

[RandomDragon]

ah, knowing the dangers of paperwork thanks to the DMV and such? Yeah, Goodwitch especially would need all the help she can get with that crazy school of training super-humans that can do allot of collateral damage. Also eating allot due to Aura being a second health bar and those teenagers needing ALLOT of fuel to keep up all the growth and training on top of that, along with schooling.

Man ozpin is going to be asking so many questions.

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

"You guys just talked, really," Dorothy said, "Got along very well despite the age gap. I think Dad said it was because you'd kind of skipped a lot of your life just for work, so your social skills were about the same."

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How old do you think Glynda is? I kind of think early 40's or so.

 

[RandomDragon]

How old do you think Glynda is? I kind of think early 40's or so.

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potentially early 30's, just high stress job?

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

potentially early 30's, just high stress job?

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There's supposedly an age limit to becoming a Maiden, which Glynda must be beyond, otherwise Ozpin would have chosen her.

Raven must have had Yang after Beacon, which means she is at least 38 years old. (Beacon at 17, for four years equals 21, and Yang is 17 at the start.)

The Spring Maiden disappearing seemed to be a recent thing, so Glynda must be a fair bit older than Raven, since Raven could hold the mantle.

 

[JT'Tales]

There's supposedly an age limit to becoming a Maiden, which Glynda must be beyond, otherwise Ozpin would have chosen her.

Raven must have had Yang after Beacon, which means she is at least 38 years old. (Beacon at 17, for four years equals 21, and Yang is 17 at the start.)

The Spring Maiden disappearing seemed to be a recent thing, so Glynda must be a fair bit older than Raven, since Raven could hold the mantle.

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<Sssssllllch> Actually~
Lionhart mentions the original Spring Maiden ran off "over a decade ago", when Raven would have been, by that math 28yrs old, if not younger depending on how much "over" a decade was.

There's no reason to believe Glynda isn't younger than Raven. She just has to be older than the arbitrary cutoff, so at or in the early 30's, is still on the table.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

<Sssssllllch> Actually~
Lionhart mentions the original Spring Maiden ran off "over a decade ago", when Raven would have been, by that math 28yrs old, if not younger depending on how much "over" a decade was.

There's no reason to believe Glynda isn't younger than Raven. She just has to be older than the arbitrary cutoff, so at or in the early 30's, is still on the table.

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So we need an actual reason for Glynda not to be selected. One the show never bothered to come up with.

 

[Kenainath]

So we need an actual reason for Glynda not to be selected. One the show never bothered to come up with.

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Potentially too important in the role she was filling as Ozpin's deputy to also be placed in the role of a Maiden? Or possibly too visible in her role as Ozpin's deputy to be easily transitioned to a less visible role to conceal a Maiden from Salem, who would really like to get her hands on the Maidens?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Potentially too important in the role she was filling as Ozpin's deputy to also be placed in the role of a Maiden? Or possibly too visible in her role as Ozpin's deputy to be easily transitioned to a less visible role to conceal a Maiden from Salem, who would really like to get her hands on the Maidens?

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Possible. She couldn't go on the front lines if she was going to take over for Ozpin. That said, if it was an emergency she'd be just as viable a candidate as Pyrrha.

Maybe they tried with Glynda but it didn't work? Maybe it's not compatible with everyone due to magical reasons.

 

[Vahn]

Isnt winter in her late 20s? shes a maiden.

 

[JT'Tales]

So we need an actual reason for Glynda not to be selected. One the show never bothered to come up with.

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Maybe something as simple as not putting all your eggs in one basket?
Glynda's an A grade level 100 badass, that the show literally wrote out for being too OP. Having too many assets with one person, could put too big a target on Double G's back.

After all, you got hax eye Ruby right there, too. Seems simple logic to combine your best weapons. Heck, lotta fans thought she would be the chosen "Guardian", before we even knew what the Maidens were.

Maybe just a matter of spreading out your available Quality tools

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

Possible. She couldn't go on the front lines if she was going to take over for Ozpin. That said, if it was an emergency she'd be just as viable a candidate as Pyrrha.

Maybe they tried with Glynda but it didn't work? Maybe it's not compatible with everyone due to magical reasons.

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Maybe compatibility is about more than just age, maybe it's governed by personality as well?

 

[dwennon]

Maybe they tried with Glynda but it didn't work? Maybe it's not compatible with everyone due to magical reasons.

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Could be there's some kind of Maiden Factor there's no real way to test for beyond trying to transfer the powers. Maybe also a maximum age the transfer can normally happen, could even be for women who can even take the transfer they're only compatible with one of the maiden powers. So there's a thing that limits such a thing, but there's only one way to test it that's rather not worth doing most of the time. Maybe, not sure how well it'd actually work.

 

[RandomDragon]

maybe its part personality traits along with the powers of said maiden working in conjunction. The fall maiden seems to be more akin to fire and fierceness, while the winter colder and calculating, while the spring maiden is flightily and more free-willed and spirited.

could mean those things after all, ozpin's reincarnations usually share his own personality traits if i recall correctly, it would be similar way if the maidens also "incarnate" incorrectly as well.

 

[Midnightson41]

To say Blake Belladonna had a lot on her mind was an understatement. So it should have come as no surprise that she had retreated to the best thinking spot she had found in Beacon's Library; a little side room her team had used to study on more than one occasion. Like those past study sessions Blake wasn't alone, her twins were also with her though they were doing more reading than pondering at the moment.

Leander had a book on meditation and motorcycle maintenance, while Leandra's book dealt with how the migrations of normal animals affected the migrations of Grimm.

In the companionable silence Blake put her mind to work. She needed to talk with Jaune. Preferably one on one. No, definitely one on one. What would she say? No. Don't overthink that part. Jaune was patient enough for her to figure that part out in the moment so long as nobody interrupted them. So she just needed to figure out a time and place to get Jaune alone. The roof? No, Pyrrha would interrupt them there. The dock by the river? Too public. Here in the library? No, all of her friends knew this spot. Off campus then.

As her mind raced through the places she new in the city of Vale her thoughts started to veer further and further afield. Thoughts about getting Jaune alone had already lead to her getting Jaune out of the school, then they drifted off to getting Jaune out of the city. Then the country. Then the continent. Before she knew it she had her scroll out looking at ticket prices for trains, boats and airships.

Jaune got airsick easily, so that meant airships should be a last resort. There was a cargo ship leaving the port of South Harbor in two days heading for Menagerie and making port close to Kuo Kuana. Once there she could take Jaune to her family home and they could lock themselves in the pantry and then nobody would be able to interrupt them! She just needed to figure out the train schedule between Vale and South Harbor and figure out if she was buying tickets or if they were stowing away and tickets for four would cost her...

Leander looked up from his book and saw the look on his mother's face. "Ah shoot," He muttered before elbowing his sister and saying "Leandra, Mom got bit by The Good Idea Fairy."

Leandra closed her book and sighed, "I'll go get Dad."

"Wait!" Blake looked up and grabbed her children's wrists. I'm not ready to talk with him, is what she thought. "I haven't figured out our itinerary yet!" Is what came out of her mouth.

"Itinerary?" Leandra asked.

"To get us all to Kuo Kuana!" Blake's mouth was really running before she was thinking today.

"We're not kidnaping Dad, Mom." Leander looked at his Mother with a glare.

"You kidnaped Ilia!" Blake objected.

"We Were Panicking!" Leander explained in an adamant tone, "We were panicking and went with the first plan we came up with! That doesn't change the fact that it was a horrible plan that could have blown up on us at any moment! There's a reason Dad does the planning Mom! Cause when we don't think things through there are all kinds of unintended consequences!"

--------------------

In the dorm that had been assigned to him Sun Wukong was doing his best to relax against the headboard of his bed and read the space opera comic book he had bought earlier in the week. A task made significantly more difficult by the tightly bound woman next to him doing everything in her limited power to snuggle up close to him.

"Can I untie you now?" Sun glanced her way.

"No!" Ilia barked.

Sun closed his eyes, and counted down from ten. Once he reached one he stood up and said in his best team leader voice; "Alright, this is what's gonna happen. I'm going to untie you. We're going to head into town and check out that bowling alley that opened up last week. We're going to have a normal conversation while we play a normal game and hang out like normal people. Afterwords we'll visit the mom and pop burger joint I've been eyeing up since I got to Vale, where we will sit down and eat a normal meal and talk to each other like normal people. Got it?"

"Oh-Okay," Ilia squeaked as her skin changed from one interesting shade of pink to another interesting shade of pink. Sun being so gentle had been doing things to her, him switching to an authoritative tone while still showing care was doing different things for her.

Sun reached down and started to undo the knots around her arms. Soon she was free enough to stand, and she followed him to the door.

"Umm... you'll still tie me up again sometime, right?"

"Only if you're good."

--------------------

"It's said that a smart person learns form their mistakes," Leandra interjected herself into the conversation with a firm tone, "And that a wise man learns from other people's mistakes. You wanted us to be wise Mom, so you told us about all of your mistakes."

Blake looked to her daughter, a feeling of apprehension growing in her gut. "What mistakes did I talk about?"

"You tried to deal with everything yourself," Leandra answered, "And trying to be responsible for everything lead you to all of your other mistakes: You thought Grandma and Grandpa Belladonna weren't solving the world's problems fast enough, so you decided to do it yourself and joined the White Fang. You saw how troubled Adam Taurus was and you thought you could fix him yourself, so you started a relationship that damaged you and created your worst enemy. After the big terrorist attack at the Vytal Festival you took it upon yourself to deal with your worst enemy on your own, and that's when you got the big dramatic scars you always showed us when you wanted us to understand that aura doesn't make us invincible."

Leandra pulled up a picture on her scroll and showed it to her Mom. The first thing Blake noticed was Jaune standing there on a beach with sculpted abs she could get lost in on full display thanks to the swim trunks he was wearing. Jaune's chest was disappointingly hidden by her legs, as he was carrying her on his shoulders. Blake was able to bring her eyes up from older Jaune's well developed physique and looked at herself posing on his shoulders. She saw the scars Leandra was talking about, as her bikini did nothing to hide them.

Dear God, how did I survive that? Blake thought as she took the image in. One scar started at her left shoulder and went down in a diagonal line beneath her right breast, and it combined with a second scar starting at her right shoulder and ending beneath her left breast to make an angry X across her chest. A third scar started at the top of her navel and ended an inch into the bottom of the sternum. Leandra then flipped over to an image that showed Blake from behind, and it became clear from the scar on her back that the attack that left the scar on her belly had run her all the way through.

"You had caught up to Adam at a train station and you had a big showy sword fight that ended when he gave you those scars." Leandra explained, "Fortunately Dad was only a minute or two behind you, and he arrived in time to save your life. Threw his shield while Adam was gloating and knocked the bastard onto the railroad tracks right before an express train went barreling through the station. Creep came back as a cyborg two years later but he was dealt with enough then for Dad to figure out his semblance and heal you."

"You started letting other people help you deal with things after that," Leander picked up for his sister. "Because you started letting other people help you started accepting criticism and stopped making big mistakes. When you stopped making big mistakes you started getting things done. Dad and your friends helped you get Menagerie recognized as Remnant's Fifth Kingdom. You helped Auntie Weiss reform the Schnee Dust Company. Faunus-Human relations are the best they've ever been because you accepted the fact that you weren't solely responsible for making it happen."

"Also cause you run your ideas past Dad first," Leandra grinned cheekily.

Blake took Leandra's scroll from her and started flipping through the images from the beach trip. The scars were visible in most of them, and while the story behind those scars was weighing heavily on current Blake's mind it was clear that future Blake was not ashamed of them. That lack of shame clearly stemmed from the way future Jaune was doting upon her, and present Blake felt her cheeks grow warm seeing the closeness between herself and future Jaune.

She still needed to talk to Jaune one on one, but she supposed she could trust her friends to give them some privacy if she asked for it. Now she just needed to figure out what to say.

As she continued flipping through the image gallery the pictures of her and Jaune were interspersed with pictures of children who were obviously Leandra and Leander's siblings. Blake felt her heart swell with joy to see her kids so obviously happy and carefree. Living evidence that she and Jaune had built a better world for them to grow up in.

...Though there were more of them than she expected. Eventually she came across a group photo, and her mind slowly ground to a halt. Her jaw dropped and slowly worked up and down like a fish out of water. Eventually a thought came together in a manner coherent enough for her to voice it.

"How Twenty? How?" Coherent but not elegant.

"You had twins every time, except the two times you had triplets."

Blake's eyes rolled to the back of her head, and her children barely caught her before she hit the floor.

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It's Alright I did the Math Triplets(3) Twice(2) is Six Minus Twenty is Fourteen and she had Twins(2) every time is Seven bring back the "Triplets Twice" and the Answer is Nine Blake had Twenty Kids in Nine Pregnancies which means either Blake really likes the Sex or the Arc Bloodline has some Really Strong Swimmers..

 

[AndrewJTalon]

It's Alright I did the Math Triplets(3) Twice(2) is Six Minus Twenty is Fourteen and she had Twins(2) every time is Seven bring back the "Triplets Twice" and the Answer is Nine Blake had Twenty Kids in Nine Pregnancies which means either Blake really likes the Sex or the Arc Bloodline has some Really Strong Swimmers..

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Or more likely both.

 

[Vahn]

Or more likely both.

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This a play on cat having litters isnt it!

 

[AndrewJTalon]

They had all presumed that Blake would be in the library, and Glynda's office was just a short detour on the way there from dorms so it had made sense for Jaune to stop by and check on Ms. Goodwitch before they continued their search for the final member of Team RWBY. As Jaune rejoined the group he began to contemplate what he would say to the faunus girl, yet as he turned the corner he realized those thoughts would have to be put on hold.

Approaching the group from the direction of the exchange student dorms with a purposeful stride was Arslan Altan, with Petra following slightly behind at her right and her teammate Reese following slightly behind to her left. Arslan carried a thin box in front of her as if she was presenting it to someone, but that wasn't the detail that stood out to Jaune. Arslan wasn't wearing the red waist sash embroidered with the endless knot she normally wore, having replaced it with a simple black cloth belt.

"Is it permissible for me to have a more private discussion with Jaune Arc?" Arslan asked the group as a whole. Jaune's friends and his children with them all glanced at each other for a few moments before looking to him. Jaune nodded before gesturing to an empty classroom slightly down the hall and making his way towards it.

"Pyrrha," Arslan called out as she followed Jaune, "I would appreciate it if you joined us as witness."

Confusion flashed across the spartan's face, but that didn't stop her from following at a brisk pace.

Jaune had an inkling of what Arslan was up to, so he also called out, "Reese, could you join us as witness?"

Reese was quick to follow.

Once the four of them were in the room and the door was closed Arslan took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to do.

"I have committed a grievous sin against thee Jaune Arc," Arslan began in a highly formal tone, "As a mark of my guilt I leave something precious to me in thine care, only to be returned when I have completed my penance to thee."

Arslan held out the box to Jaune, and he removed its lid to see what was inside it. Red cloth embroidered with the endless knot.

"You're giving me your sash of mastery?" Jaune asked in a bewildered tone.

"I attempted to rob thee of thy progeny this day," Arslan continued in the same formal tone, "Violating my covenants with the Divine. I shall not be worthy of wearing it until my penance is complete."

Jaune carefully placed the lid back on the box before taking it from Arslan in a reverent manner. He closed his eyes for a moment of thought as he tried to remember how thees and thous worked. Then he opened his eyes and answered:

"I accept thy offering, under the condition that thou accept that thou art forgiven by me once I return it to thee." Part of Jaune wanted to return it right then and there, but if Arslan was going to the trouble of a proper penitence ritual he'd respect it and keep ahold of the sash for at least a week so she'd feel like its' return was justified.

"Thy condition is agreeable, Jaune Arc. As thou hast said, so shall it be." Arslan bowed her head with a mixture of relief and surprise on her face.

"So shall it be," Jaune bowed his head in turn.

Pyrrha was looking at her partner in mild bewilderment, but she kept her silence as Arslan looked up to Jaune with inquisitive eyes.

"You're familiar with the ways of the Temple?" Arslan asked in a less formal tone.

"My Dad was an orphan with no surname living on the edge of civilization picking through dumps and scrapyards to make a living," Jaune explained with a shrug. "A wandering Paladin-Monk of the Broken Table took him under his wing and taught him a few things, like how to fight. It's how he got good enough to get into Beacon in spite of his circumstances."

"I see," the inquisitive look on Arslan's face grew. "There are a lot of things I want to ask you right now, but satisfying my curiosity will have to wait. While you're the one I committed the most egregious sin against this morning you're not the one I committed the most intimate offense against, and I must begin my penance with her like I've begun it with you. In light of that are you willing to stand as witness?"

"I am," Jaune answered with a serious nod.

With that Arslan took a deep breath and turned towards Pyrrha while she removed the prayer bead necklace from her neck. She held the necklace out to the spartan and addressed her in the same formal and reverent tone she used earlier, saying:

"I have committed a grievous sin against thee, Pyrrha Nikos, my rival. As a-"

"We aren't rivals!" Pyrrha objected in an apologetically panicked voice. She never had any beef with Arslan! Okay she had beef for a few moments during the fight this morning but other then that she had never harbored ill feelings towards the chocolate skinned warrior. She needed to make that clear. "We were never rivals! I never thought of you in that way!"

Arslan seemed to crumple in on herself as she replied in a small voice, "Looking back, I understand that now. But the rivalry was real to me. Every time I've trained in the last six years I kept this rivalry in the center of my mind, pushing myself forward in anticipation of the day I could beat you. I don't know how to think of you in any other way."

Pyrrha put on her best showroom smile of sympathy. "I don't hold that against you, and with time I'm sure you'll be able to let it go. Moving forward I hope-"

"Umm, Pyrrha," Jaune interjected, "I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding happening here."

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.

"Arslan's a Stone Breaker," Jaune lifted the box holding Arslan's sash for emphasis, "And Stone Breakers believe that one of the best ways they can show gratitude to the Table Breaker is to commit themselves to a life of self improvement, so a rivalry means something different to them than most people."

"It does?" Pyrrha's showroom smile dropped in favor of a look of confusion.

"It does," Jaune confirmed. "Rivals are supposed to keep each other honest about how much they've grown, cause it's easy to lie to yourself when your the only person tracking your progress. With a rivalry you'll be having regular head to head competitions that will let you know if you're actually where you think you are as you measure yourself against a near equal. There's no implication of animosity in their definition of rivalry, and it's generally understood that a rivalry works best when the two people involved don't hate each other. It isn't uncommon for a Stone Breaker to consider their rival one of their best friends."

That information put all of her past interactions with Arslan in a new light, and Pyrrha's mind raced through all of them. There weren't as many as one might expect: her mother had made sure she only interacted with competitors she approved of outside their bouts in tournaments, and her mother didn't approve of the chocolate skinned girl who waxed poetic about her rivalry with Pyrrha at the start of every match. Her mother had explained her disapproval by saying Arslan was an upstart trying to hitch her wagon to Pyrrha's rising star by boasting about a non-existent rivalry.

The two of them had also shared the minimum possible classes at Sanctum Academy, and that was in part thanks to the money her mother had donated to the school so she could be sure her daughter spent the least amount of time with those who could damage Pyrrha's reputation. So it didn't take long for Pyrrha to review everything she remembered Arslan saying to her, and with all of it fresh in her mind Pyrrha had a startling realization.

"The way you talked about rivalry in our first few fights, were you trying to become friends with me?" Pyrrha asked with a small degree of incredulity in her voice.

"I was," Arslan admitted, "I only changed my rhetoric because I thought you weren't interested in a relationship outside of the ring. You didn't know that's what I was doing? Because I thought you did."

"Why would you think I would know that?" Pyrrha asked.

"I first declared our rivalry in front of your mother," Arslan explained, "And I was under the impression that she would explain things after I wasn't able to talk to you afterwords; our mothers' shared a rivalry after all."

"My mother's was an actress, how could they share a rivalry?" Pyrrha raised a confused eyebrow.

At this juncture Reese spoke up for the first time, "Arslan's the daughter of Basara Altan." She paused as if she expected that to explain everything.

"I don't know who that is," Pyrrha admitted.

"Basara's the only woman to win Best Actress four years in a row," Reese elaborated. When that didn't spark recognition in Pyrrha's eyes Reese continued, "She played the Pirate Queen in the Sky Captain movie series." Pyrrha's face grew more confused, Reese's explanation grew more frantic; "Your Mom Co-Starred With Her In The Movie Roaring Lion Swooping Wyvern!"

Pyrrha pulled out her scroll and looked up her mother's filmography, and there was Roaring Lion Swooping Wyvern: the seventh movie her mother had a leading roll in. She opened the link to the page that talked about the movie itself and she saw her mother, Athena Nikos, on the poster with a woman who looked a lot like Arslan.

"That's odd, I don't think Mother's ever shown me this one." Pyrrha noted in a detached manner, her mind beginning to pick up unpleasant implications.

"Our mothers frequently competed for the same rolls during the casting process," Arslan explained, "The movies they stared in frequently went head to head in the box office, and they were usually nominated for the same awards at the big award shows. My mother proposed a rivalry to your mother as a way to mutually hone their acting skills, and your mother agreed. My mother always told me that the rivalry she shared with your mother was one of the best friendships she had during her acting years, and she always regretted how she fell out of contact with your mother after they left the industry."

And this information was casting her mother's actions concerning Arslan in a new light as well, and she wished she could say she was surprised by the way the new light was making things look.

Pyrrha heaved a heavy sigh as the new knowledge changed her thoughts around.

"When you hid yourself from my semblance it was like our first fight all over again," Pyrrha admitted. "Maybe we should take things back to the beginning?"

"I would like that," Arslan's voice trembled with restrained hope. "But before we can do that I must make amends for what I tried to do to you and your son this morning."

"It was on sight for me as well," Pyrrha demurred, "So you don't have to do anything."

"Pyrrha, did you break a vow to your God this morning?" Arslan asked in a very serious tone, "Because I did. No amount of splitting the blame can change that fact. The laws of Justice and Mercy agree that some form of restitution must be attempted, my conscience will accept nothing less."

"Oh, I see," And Pyrrha did see, or at least she could appreciate where Arslan was coming from. She turned her gaze to the necklace that was still in Arslan's hand, "And giving me that will help?"

"These prayer beads have been in my family for twelve generations," Arslan explained, "Their value to me makes them an unquestionable token that I will make things right between us."

"And I give them back to you once you've done that?" Pyrrha glanced at Jaune, and reasoned that if he hadn't given the sash back immediately it would probably be an insult to give the prayer beads back straight away.

"That is correct."

"Then I'll keep them safe."

"Very well, let me start over at the beginning." A small smile graced Arslan's lips as she once again adopted a formal and revenant tone, "I have committed a grievous sin against thee, Pyrrha Nikos, my rival. As a mark of my guilt I leave something precious to me in thine care, only to be returned when I have completed my penance to thee...

 

[Jao]

My best friend is Juane Arc's oldest kid," Moses explained. The dismissive part of Ozpin's mind wanted to chalk up that undescriptive description as an effort to protect his friend, but the way Moses said it made Ozpin dismiss that dismissal. Something odd was happening here. "Juane Arc's second oldest inherited his Aura Amp, only they can shoot in in a beam, and they zapped us with it as I tried to jump. They're a prankster who get's a lot of dumb ideas you see."

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Jaune*
Jaune*

"My memories are all jumbled up," Moses whined. "This is like a week before Juane started dating his wife, and we're here now and things are changing..."

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Jaune*

"I BROUGHT ALL OF THEM HERE! OKAY!" Moses snapped, "Every possible version of Juane Arc's firstborn is here! And each and every one of them has some harebrained scheme to make sure Juane marries their mom! I need to find a way to supercharge my semblance and grab them before they do something crazy!"

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Jaune*
Jaune*

A deep BOOM reverberated in the distance, followed a few seconds later by the gonging sound of something hitting the office's window. Ozpin slowly turned his chair around, and was treated to the sight of a boy who looked like a younger version of Juane Arc with Ruby Rose's hair color and silver eyes. The silver eyed boy was pressed up against the glass and slowly sliding down it as if this was a humous moment in an animated feature instead of real life. Then the silver eye boy pushed off the window and dove through the air back the way he had came

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Jaune*

Pyrrha Nikos was fighting back to back with a redheaded boy who had Juane's eyes; their opponents Blake Belladonna, a handful of female exchange students Ozpin couldn't quite recognize at this distance, and kids who were probably the children of the exchange students. A pair of blonde cat Faunus, obviously male and female fraternal twins, were running around with a hogtied Yang Xiao Long slung over their shoulders while being chased by a girl who could only be Yang's daughter, the sliver eye boy, and a distraught Ruby Rose. A boy who looked a lot like a Schnee was yelling at Weiss, who stood as still as a statue with a look of disturbed incomprehension on her face. A girl who Ozpin believed was Emerald Sustrai was holding a child in a fireman's cary while running as if their lives depended on it; and if the way her team leader Cinder Fall was chasing her while screaming things like "Traitor!" and "Ungrateful Harlot!" loud enough that Ozpin could sort of hear them in his office was any indication, they very well could be

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Jaune*

"Our best bet is to trust Moses,"A redheaded boy named Xander declared with all the authority he could muster. "He finds a way to recharge his semblance, he takes us back to the future, and none of us have to worry about which one of us is from the real timeline because we didn't change anything

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Moses, "A*

That was the plan Moses had given them before he ran off, and as far as Xander was concerned it was a good enough plan to stick to. Sure there was a degree of uncertainty that he'd still be around to see it finished, but he wasn't going to risk the stability of the space-time continuum to alleviate his own fears. If he was the true son of Juane Arc destiny would see things though, and if he wasn't it would't. There were times and places where one should defy fate, and this wasn't one of them

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Jaune*

"Alright, look," Xander grabbed her shoulders and looked Dorothy in the eye, "My mom can probably beat the breaks of of their moms, so I'm going to get her and try to regain some control over this situation. If you can't get your mom then you can at least get out their and catch some of the slower ones, right?"

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out of their*

there*

And that was a line of thought Blake was hesitant to entertain considering the train-wreck that was her last relationship. Yet Sun's charm was completely different from the dark charisma of Adam Torus, there was a gentle and supportive warmth in the monkey faunus' nature the older bull faunus had lacked. Blake could tell that if she let down her defenses she could be quite happy settling down with Sun.

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Taurus*

"Yeah you're not our Dad Uncle Sun," Leander confirmed

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Dad, Uncle*

Our Dad's Juane Arc," Leander provided, "and you'd probably have a better idea of where to find him than we do."

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Jaune*

"Then we just need to get to your father before anyone else does." Emerald nodded decisively as she adjusted her grip on Amethyst. The girl was a little large to want to cary, but getting ready to do so felt right. "What's your daddy's name?"

"Juane," Amethyst sniffled, "Juane Arc."

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carry*
Jaune*
Jaune*

Surprise ran through Emerald's mind, and yet the surprise wasn't exactly unpleasant. She had spied a bit on Juane for Cinder, and he was attractive for a boy. He was naive and rough around the edges but he did have some real potential. Potential Cinder planned to cut short, but surly her mistress could make a few adjustments and

Click to shrink...

Jaune*

"My Guru, I must convince you of a truth that would appear as a falsehood at first with only the evidence I have in my mind," Petra answered. "For my scroll is not with me, and all else I cary will mean nothing to you

Click to shrink...

carry*

Opening the schedule program, slightly surprised the schedule program didn't hav its' own password but whatever. Navigating to today and... oh no

Click to shrink...

have*

The startling realization that his Father's strict adherence to a schedule was a result of his mother's influence was a little disheartening, as this meant his plans needed a serous overhaul

Click to shrink...

serious*

"Our mothers frequently competed for the same rolls during the casting process," Arslan explained, "The movies they stared in frequently went head to head in the box office, and they were usually nominated for the same awards at the big award shows. My mother proposed a rivalry to your mother as a way to mutually hone their acting skills, and your mother agreed. My mother always told me that the rivalry she shared with your mother was one of the best friendships she had during her acting years, and she always regretted how she fell out of contact with your mother after they left the industry."

Click to shrink...

roles*

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Blake was where they thought she would be, in Team RWBY's favorite study room at the side of the library. She was sitting on a couch between her twins, who were showing her pictures on their scrolls.

As Jaune made his way over his prospective wives and future children began milling about at a respectful distance to give Jaune and Blake a measure of privacy.

"Hey," Jaune called out as he got close.

"Hey," Blake returned the greeting.

"Could you guys give me a moment with your Mom?" Jaune asked the twins from the archway entrance of the study room.

"Sure," Leander replied as he got up.

"Remember, no surprise trips Mom!" Leandra teased as she got up.

"What was that about?" Jaune asked.

Blake sighed, "The two of them have spent the last hour regaling me with my life story as they know it. Apparently most of my problems are the result of me making an impulsive decision and then doubling down on it when I should have gone back on it." Blake's face morphed into a scowl, "And I can't disagree with them."

Jaune stepped all the way into the study room, and hesitated as he considered where to sit down. A look of hesitation crossed Blake's face as well. Before the moment could grow too awkward Blake scooted over so she wasn't in the middle of the couch and patted the now open space beside her in invitation. Jaune then sat on the couch leaving an appropriate amount of space between the two of them.

A moment of silence hung over them, only to be broken as they both spoke up at the same time:

"Soooo" "How"

They both stopped. "You go first." Again at the same time. "No you!" Once again. They both sighed then chuckled. Jaune made a hand gesture for Blake to talk, and so she did:

"Do you believe in coincidences? Or do you think fate is driving force in the world?"

Jaune brought his hand to his chin in thought, "Well, the world's a big and complicated place. I'm not sure the two ideas are mutually exclusive. Why?"

"This was the book I was reading when my twins found me," Blake pulled the book from her purse. Temporal Troubles: A Sci-Fi Anthology, read the cover. Jaune remembered reading the book with Ruby a few weeks ago, and he was pretty sure Blake had Ruby's copy.

"Oh, Oh wow," Jaune stammered, "I can see why that looks more like fate than coincidence."

"I know, Right?" Blake sighed, "But with all of your other children being just as real as mine? You can't say fate's at the wheel ether, no matter how badly I wanted that to be the case."

"You wanted your love life to be out of your hands like that?" Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"Jaune, my last relationship was a disaster so big it created my arch-nemesis," Blake drooped. "After that the idea of starting a new relationship was terrifying, no matter how much I wanted it. Then Leandra and Leander come out of the blue and I suddenly had a guaranteed happy ending, a relationship I couldn't mess up because I knew how it turned out. But we don't know how it ends now, I have to figure out how I can get to that happy ending and all I can do is mess this up."

"What makes you think you're going to mess this up?" Jaune asked in a gentle tone.

"Well, for one thing I don't know you nearly as well as I should," Blake admitted with regret in her voice. "You're Ruby's best male friend and our teams do things together all the time. In spite of that the only thing I really know about you is that you're one of nine kids and somehow the only son. I don't know what foods you like, I don't know what kind of music you listen to or what kind of movies you like or your views on monarchy verses democracy! If I knew any of those I'd have a place to start, but I don't, so I don't."

"Blake," Jaune placed a comforting hand on hers, "That problem goes both ways. I don't know that much about you either. That's okay, none of the kids are born for a few more years, we have time to learn." Jaune looked down, "I mean, if you want to."

"I do," Blake affirmed, "Though with time travel involved I'm not sure 'time to learn' is a solid bet."

"Hey, we don't know how a time travel semblance really works yet," Jaune pointed out. "For all we know it could be a multiverse thing like in the Cyborg Saga of the Drake-Sphere series. We'd have all the time in the world if it's like that."

"Drake-Sphere's author made things multiversal because of his editors sticking their fingers in cause they didn't think the main villain was scary enough," Blake quibbled. "He was originally going to use the time travel rules from The Exterminator series, and that had only one future changing because of decisions being made in the present."

"Well, at least we know we aren't using Get Back to the Present rules," Jaune tried to keep things positive, "Because our current limbo seems safe so far."

"There is that," Blake admitted with a small smile.

A comfortable silence fell between them, and while nether of them knew what to say next everything seemed alright. The silence didn't last all that long though, as Blake found more to say.

"It's Just," Blake sighed wistfully, "The future the twins showed me is beautiful, and I want to make it real."

"Can you tell me about it?" Jaune leaned in closer with curiosity.

"You helped turn the deserts of Menagerie into verdant farmlands," Blake explained in an awed tone. "We took ice dust into the mountains, made self sustaining glaciers on top of them, and dug irrigation canals for the resulting rivers. My people finally have room to grow thanks to increased food and wealth. Thanks to your advice Menagerie gained the diplomatic clout it needed to be recognized as a proper Kingdom, and faunus are considered equals with humans almost everywhere you go."

"What can you tell me about us?" Jaune pressed.

Blake's face lit up in a massive blush as she stammered, "We, we built this beautiful house by a newly formed lake. We raise a large family in that home, and it becomes the beating heart of a new town. We teach at a new combat school that's quickly growing into a new Huntsman Academy. The two of us go dancing the first Friday of every month, and we take the boat out on the lake every weekend."

"That sounds nice," Jaune whispered as he looked Blake in the eyes.

"It does," Blake whispered back as she lost herself in his blue orbs.

Blake had read hundreds of books featuring romance, and in most of them this would be a moment where the male and female leads would kiss. For a moment she imagined Jaune as the Wolf Knight Navarre as he gazed into the eyes of the Hawke Princess Isabeau in the Cathedral of Aquila, and she imagined the perfect kiss.

Blake's biggest problems had always come from being impulsive. She shot forward, pressing her lips against Jaune's in a hungry manner. Jaune's eyes shot open in surprise before he melted into her feminine touch and tried to meet her enthusiasm out of instinct. She reached her hands up to cup the back of his head and-

"BLAKE!" A half dozen female voices called out, and the two of them separated as Blake realized her impulsiveness might just bite her in the behind once again. She didn't think she'd regret doubling down on this one though.

"Hush!" The Librarian hissed at the group as she passed by with a cart of returned books.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

There was a knock at the door of Team BRNZ's dormroom. May started. Brawnz narrowed his eyes.

"Who is it?"

May was the team's lookout and booby trap. Her Aura Sensing Semblance was so powerful it was basically the only real advantage they had against others.

So even though she knew exactly who was behind that door, and their intentions... It didn't put her at ease.

"It's Dad," August answered for her. Brawnz slowly nodded, and stood up. He cracked his knuckles, as Nolan cracked his neck and Roy stretched his arms over his head.

"We got this, May," Brawnz said.

"Uhhh," May said, "Please don't do what you're planning on doing?"

"We're not gonna rough him up," Brawnz said, "Not unless we have to."

"He wipes the floor with all of you. Easily," August said dryly.

"Well, maybe in your future," Roy said, "But-"

"No, he could do it now," August stated.

Brawnz looked from his future nephew to May. She coughed.

"He's right," she said.

Brawnz huffed.

"Fine..." He went to the door, and opened it. There was Jaune, looking and feeling as nervous as she felt.

Jaune opened his mouth, but Brawnz beat him to the first words.

"Listen, Blondie. You so much as think of breaking May's heart, and I don't care how strong you are: We'll hunt you down and beat the living shit out of you!"

"Yeah!" Nolan growled.

"That goes double for me, the favorite future Uncle!" Roy contributed, waving two fingers in Jaune's face.

May winced, as August cringed. Jaune slowly nodded, his face serious.

"If I do that, I'll let you beat the shit out of me," he stated.

Brawnz scowled a bit longer, before nodding. He looked back at May.

"If he tries anything-"

"I'll be fine, thank you, really," May said with a smile. Brawnz nodded slowly, as did Roy and Nolan. They parted, allowing Jaune to enter. They still glared at him as they left, Roy in particular making the "I'm watching you" sign with his fingers. They shut the door, leaving Jaune, May, and August alone.

Jaune looked to August first. May couldn't blame him, that was slightly less awkward.

"Hey," Jaune said, "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to... To talk to you until now, August."

August smiled.

"It's uh... It's okay," he said, "There is a lot going on, and with my Semblance? I don't like to socialize a lot."

"Oh? What's your Semblance?" Jaune asked, curious.

"Aura Sight," August explained, "I can see Aura and tell you all sorts of things about the people who have it. Mom can do the same, just a lot better."

"Wow," Jaune said with a smile her way, "That's really cool."

"I know right?" August grinned. He coughed. "Uh... Trouble is, I gotta tune my Aura to not interfere, since I've got so much. And when I do that, I can see so much it can get really overwhelming. Uncle Ren taught me a lot about how to control it. He's honestly really amazing!"

Jaune's smile grew.

"He is," Jaune agreed. "Um... I will talk to you later, August, but right now, I gotta talk with your mom. Is that okay?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," August said with a quick nod. "No problem, Dad."

"Just... Keep your uncles from trying to kill me, okay?" Jaune asked.

"Heh, no problem," August said cheerfully.

Jaune clasped August on the shoulder. Of all his future kids, August was easily the tallest. He stood out the most, yet he wanted solitude. It was strange, but May could tell her son was also very kind. It made her feel a bit less frightened.

A little bit.

August left, shutting the door behind him. Jaune turned to May, and smiled awkwardly. She smiled back in the same way.

Silence reigned.

"So," Jaune started, "Um... I..." He sighed. "You'd think I'd have... Gotten used to this..."

"It-It hasn't really stopped being awkward, I-I think," May admitted.

Jaune sighed.

"Let's... Start simple then. Um, I'm Jaune Arc. I'm from Radian, North Vale. I have seven sisters, and my parents own a farm. My dad's head of the militia, my mom's a doctor. How about you?"

May coughed.

"Um... So... I-I'm May Zedong. I was from from Pandu Kingdom in Mistral. I was raised in Chang'e Village in Vacuo. My... My parents are dead. They were exiles from the kingdom when Arjun took it over, and died of illness when I was ten."

Jaune's face fell.

"Oh... Gods May-I-I'm so sorry..."

"It-It's okay," May stuttered. "I mean, it's not, but..." She sighed, and shrugged. "I... I unlocked my Semblance from an early age. My village used me to look out for enemies and Grimm. I got to go to Shade Academy... Where I met my team."

She shrugged.

"They're... I mean, they're very rough around the edges. Brawnz is the leader on paper, but... I make most of the decisions. And manage them." She sighed in mild exasperation. "They can be... A handful."

"Heh," Jaune chuckled, "My teammate Nora can be that, too."

"Th-The girl with the hammer?" May flushed. "Oh my... Um... Yeah."

"Yeah," Jaune said with a nod, "Though I don't think I have it as bad as Ruby."

"Did they really fight a giant robot?" May asked.

"Ohhh most definitely," Jaune said with a nod.

"That sounds... Exciting," May offered.

Jaune chuckled wryly.

"You have no idea..." He smiled warmly at her. "So um... I mean... I think the main issue might be that... Well..."

"We don't know each other at all," May nodded, "I know. If... If it helps, you opening the door for me for Combat Class was... Was very nice."

Jaune nodded.

"My dad insisted I treat ladies properly."

May blushed an even brighter red.

"I... I'm a lady?"

Jaune nodded.

"Yeah... Definitely."

"O-Oh... Thank you," May mumbled. She looked up at him shyly.

"I-I just... Um... I guess this situation is just... Kind of..."

"Crazy?" Jaune asked. He nodded. "Yeah. No disagreement... But we're all in this together. I guess I'm just... I'm a little shocked you started fighting too. We barely know eachother."

"Well..." May shrugged. "One... I didn't want to fight. I really didn't... But I also realized that if my... If my family, my child, was at risk? I'd do anything to protect them. My parents risked everything to escape the Mistralian mobsters backed by the government to get me to Vacuo. I... I could do no less."

She smiled up at him, cheeks very red.

"And... And two? I can tell when people are lying... Though not what they're lying about. August was honest... So was everyone else. S-So are you... Very honest. I..."

She sighed.

"If I'm being honest? I became a Huntress in training because... Because I didn't have a lot of choice. Not in Vacuo. If you're strong, you advance, you survive. If you're weak, you fail. But... But I guess..."

Jaune sat down next to her, and leaned in. Just a little. He was considerate of her feelings, which she appreciated.

"What?" He asked.

Trembling, she reached into her hoodie, and pulled out a locket. She opened it up, and showed Jaune the picture within. It was of May, her mother and her father in formal dress-South Mistralian, he believed. Her mother looked very beautiful in her fine red and gold dress with a matching headscarf. Her father was handsome in his dark red busy mustache and white suit with golden sash. Little May herself was in a blue and white dress with a small tiara. All three were smiling happily for the camera.

"I... I wanted to be... A bride," May admitted with a deep blush, "To-To be a good wife, and good mother... To have a family again."

Jaune was silent. He slowly put a hand over hers and helped her hold the locket.

"I... I want to make sure you get that chance," he said quietly. "But I..."

May smiled warmly.

"You can't bare the thought of losing any of your family?"

Jaune shook his head.

"I... I saw that about you from the day we met, Jaune," May admitted, "And... And I liked it very much."

They stared into each other's eyes for a time... Before Brawnz pounded on the door and kicked the door open. He was being held back by Yang, Ruby, August, and Pyrrha.

"DAMNIT ARC! KNOCK HER UP ALREADY!" He bellowed.

Ruby shouted as well.

"DON'T YOU DARE, JAUNE!"

"I WASN'T!" Jaune shouted, bright red. He turned back to May, who seemed to be blushing brighter than her hair. "I-I really-I mean-!"

May's eyes rolled back into her head and she fainted. Jaune managed to catch her bridal style just before she hit the floor.

Jaune looked back at the large crowd outside of the door, and gulped.

"IT ISN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! I SWEAR!"

As much as May didn't want to admit it, as she lost consciousness... A small, petty part of her enjoyed how all the other women felt jealous of her.

- - -

May's backstory and Semblance is my own invention because Rooster Teeth didn't bother to give her one. So there. Nyeh.

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

May's backstory and Semblance is my own invention because Rooster Teeth didn't bother to give her one. So there. Nyeh.

Click to shrink...

Aura sensing would be pretty useful for a sniper, so good choice on May's semblance.

 

[Electrotechman]

Aura sensing would be pretty useful for a sniper, so good choice on May's semblance.

Click to shrink...

You know, if May was present instead of Ruby at that night at that Dust Shop, she would have been able to ID Cinder regardless of her disguise.

Man, how that could have changed things...

Though I haven't watched RWBY and don't ever plan to, so I can't speak on anything else.

 

[James Wilt]

Hmm...interesting that you went with the Fanon farmer backstory for Jaune, and that he's from a town inVale and not Domremy in Mistral.

Still, it looks like Jaune will either go the Super Harem Route (with Pyrrah as the Main Wife) or will make a trip to the local sperm bank. Though the second one happening would be hilarious as he could end up with even more children in the future, with them possibly being twins or triplets...

Honestly, the Arc Clan could end up one of the most influential families by the end of this!

Though I see Nora isn't one of the potential wives, but that's obviously because her heart belongs to Ren and Vice Versa...

 

[Blasterbot]

Though I see Nora isn't one of the potential wives, but that's obviously because her heart belongs to Ren and Vice Versa...

Click to shrink...

because that would require Nora to survive something Ren doesn't. and lets be frank Nora is ride or die. If something gets Ren she is going to kill it and die doing it.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The secret White Fang base deep in the Forever Fall Forest was bare bones and simple. An old base from when Vale had a military. The barracks and headquarters were still serviceable, and they were deep enough in the wild that they attracted little attention.

Adam Taurus was meditating in the old headquarters atrium. Here, plants were growing free and unrestrained, and light shone through the still intact windows overhead. It was almost peaceful... Yet he needed this solitude to focus his rage, not to gain peace.

Blake...

To think she had betrayed them, betrayed him. Ran off in the face of the grim necessity of their work.

His Aura flared like a bonfire before he brought it back down. His rage was only useful if it was focused, concentrated, and honed: Like a fine blade.

He envisioned that blade... How he would use it on Blake. Pinned down, tied up, helpless before him... She had enjoyed such things in the past. It was how he would break her.

How he would save her.

Yes... He would even take inspiration from her erotic novels. She'd love that-

His Scroll rang. He growled in irritation. He pulled it out and opened it up.

"This had better be-"

He stopped. Cinder Fall's face was on the screen.

"You're not supposed to call me directly-"

"We have enough encryption anyone watching won't know anything. Long enough for this," Cinder stated. The woman seemed far more agitated than usual, and was just barely keeping it under control. Adam would admit that he despised this human who presumed to order him around, but he didn't underestimate her.

"What is it?" He demanded.

Cinder then told him... The impossible. Time traveling children from the future? It didn't make any sense...

But the urgency in Fall's tone and face made clear this was no deception.

After all the Semblances he had seen... Well... Time travel was hardly impossible, now was it?

"They are all children of Jaune Arc..." An image of a fairly unremarkable looking blond human boy with blue eyes, smiling awkwardly for the camera, appeared, "And at least eleven other women."

Cinder's eyes narrowed a bit.

"Blake Belladonna included."

Adam's grip on his Scroll tightened.

"What," he hissed, his rage threatening to erupt.

"Mercury got several pictures before he had to escape," Cinder stated. These pictures appeared on the screen. Each one of a trio or pair of teenagers.

All from a distance, but enhanced enough that features could be made out.

The one that caught his interest the most was that of Blake. She was standing in one of Beacon's many gardens, smiling softly at two blond cat Faunus. Both were around Blake's age. The shapes of their faces betrayed their relationship to Blake: Both every inch Menagerian aristocrat. Yet there was a bit of the human in their noses, eyes, chins, and of course, hair.

Her children with... Her children with...!

"He is dead," Adam stated, hard as steel.

"No," Cinder stated, "He is too valuable as a hostage. We will find a way to get our hands on him. But we cannot rush into this. It will take careful planning. I will get him into our clutches. You? Concentrate on our main plan."

Adam glared hatefully at the image of Jaune Arc... Yet slowly nodded.

"All right."

Cinder stared at him.

"That's it?" She asked.

"I will have him," he stated firmly, "He tasks me. He tasks me, and I shall have him. Spin your webs and plan your machinations. We will have him... And then he will be mine. You will deliver him to me."

Cinder's scowl became far more dangerous.

"You don't get to decide-"

"It's that, or the White Fang no longer works with you," Adam stated. "This is non-negotiable. He will be mine."

Cinder held back a riot of complex emotions, just barely detectable behind her face. Including... Regret?

"... Very well," Cinder murmured.

The communication ended. Adam stared at the images of the children, Blake... And Arc.

Time travel is real, he thought, Blake mated with... With this... Human... In the future... Had children...

He felt... A rush. As though he was standing at the threshold of the gods. Indeed, it was. To have such power... It was terrifying. Unbelievable.

Yet multiple children from multiple timelines meant... That the future was not set in stone.

Adam Taurus sucked in a deep breath. He focused his rage.

Blake... You fell for this... Interloper in the future. I won't let that happen. And in the end...

He envisioned his blade going through Jaune Arc... Those blond children becoming redheads...

He smiled darkly.

You will be mine.

- - -

 

[Midnightson41]

And Adam once again Wins the Award for Yandere of the Year.

 

[James Wilt]

And Adam once again Wins the Award for Yandere of the Year.

Click to shrink...

A lofty goal considering his competition...

Seriously though, I thought he was going to break out the whole Khan Rant there!

 

[xyzinc]

He envisioned his blade going through Jaune Arc... Those blond children becoming redheads...

Click to shrink...

Honestly a really fucked image to think about. Temporal cuckoldry of the retroactive kind. Kind of crazy to think about, let alone seeing it happen in real time.

Hope things work out for jaune and his many wives to be.

 

[Oculus Observatum]

May Zedong

Click to shrink...

To be honest, everytime I read her name my mind immediately goes to Mao Zedong.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Neopolitan had been having a rather hectic day so far, and not the kind of hectic she enjoyed.

The day had started out like the other days she hand spent infiltrating Beacon with Cinder and her crew. Wake up, spend some time in one of the school's gyms, eat a hearty breakfast that left Mercury wondering where she was putting all that food, and then splitting off from her 'team' to scout out the campus for any useful secrets.

Today she had been looking for discrete ways to sneak out of and sneak into campus. Sure she had already found a few good ones, but those were the ones she had shared with her 'team' and she'd rather have a few more in her back pocket just in case she needed to ditch them for any reason. Like with the party that was supposed to happen tonight, it'd be a perfect opportunity to slip away and check up on a few things in person.

Then she had returned to her 'team's' dorm room to find it destroyed: Emerald's bed had burned down and everything else had been soaked by the fire suppression system. That had been concerning for a number of reasons, and those concerns only grew when she found the glass knife in the ruins of Em's mattress.

Emerald had been Cinder's chief sycophant, and basking in Em's praise had been one of the few things that made Cinder look kinda happy if you squinted real hard. Because of that Neo had always figured that it would be Mercury's behind or her own that would burn if the fire bitch ever snapped, and that their best chance of survival would be Em interceding on their behalf.

The fact that Cinder had apparently lashed out at Em with killing intent meant that Neo's plans for dealing with Cinder' anger issues were kaput. And if Em was dead and the mission was now falling apart? She and Roman weren't' off the hook, which meant Cinder would be turning the screws on her and Roman to make up the loss of Cinder's right hand.

Before she could spend too much time thinking about the implications of that she got a text from Mercury that read:

Just got a new leg. Need help sneaking out of the infirmary. Maybe wear a different face.

That had been a pretty easy job; the nurses were distracted by two kids with rather nasty burns on their faces, and the only complication to the extraction had been Mercury's insistence that they get a few pictures of the other people in the infirmary. That had annoyed her in the moment, but once they were out and Mercury had explained the situation to her she saw the value of those pictures.

Time travel. Kids from the future who all shared the same father but had different mothers. The father in question? Jaune Arc, team leader of Pyrrha Nikos and an obstacle to Cinder's plans. One of those future kids being a child of Emerald, meaning Em had to have betrayed Cinder for that future to happen, and that's what set Cinder off.

The two burned kids in the infirmary being Cinder's somehow. Cinder fleeing Beacon to avoid fighting everyone else all at once.

The rest of their day leading up to this moment had been spent sneaking around the school taking inconspicuous photos of the time displaced kids and their mothers, while keeping their ears pealed for what the rumor mill had already picked up. They needed as much information as possible to keep Cinder happy.

And that brought Neo to now; waiting with Mercury at one of the discreet ways in and out of Beacon for Cinder to arrive. It was an abandoned artificial grotto down by the river where one could easily take a paddle powered boat to sneak in or out of school grounds.

It didn't take much longer for Cinder to arrive, seated in a canoe big enough for four. She didn't row. The canoe glided across the water as if Cinder was moving it through sheer force of will alone. As the little boat entered the grotto Cinder tossed a rope to Mercury, who dutifully tied that rope to the little dock in the grotto so the canoe wouldn't drift away.

Once the canoe was secure the false maiden disembarked and fixed Mercury with a glare. Yet to Neo's keen eyes there was an almost imperceptible degree of hesitation in Cinder's movements, and there was a hint of something in her glare that Neo had never seen in Cinder's eyes before: uncertainty.

And while the growl of her voice did a lot to hide the uncertainty of her words, Neo could still hear it as Cinder leveled an accusation against Mercury:

"You helped Emerald get away. Do you really think the pictures you sent me makes up for that?"

"No," Mercury drawled, "But the information we've collected makes up the difference."

"I'll be the judge of that." Cinder hissed.

"The burned kids' names are Ash and Ashley," Mercury began, and if Neo wasn't looking for it she might have missed Cinder's flinch, "When they were brought into the infirmary they were drifting in and out of consciousness, and during that time they were calling out for their mama, their daddy, and their Auntie Em. If you had killed Emerald they might have just gone poof," Mercury made a popping hand gesture, "Because she was super important to their timeline."

Cinder stood still as a statue with an inscrutable expression, and for a few moments the only sounds that could be heard in the grotto was the whistling of the wind and the flowing of the river.

Seeing that he wasn't going to be interrupted Mercury continued, "Only reason the two of them aren't dead is cause their daddy figured out his semblance and used it to share his aura with them. So while they might be scarred they still have faces."

Flickers of emotion threatened to break through Cinder's stony facade, and Neo saw hints of anger, relief, wrath, sorrow, rage, and regret all waging war in the shadows for the chance to show themselves on Cinder's face.

"They were asleep when Neo helped me sneak out," Mercury continued as he pulled out his scroll, "I guess even with magic healing helping you out having your head set on fire will take a lot out of you." Mercury opened up the pictures he had taken of Ash and Ashley, holding up his scroll to show them off.

Cinder's hands twitched as if she wanted to reach out and take the scroll and have a closer look at the pictures. Although she didn't move beyond that Neo could see the way Cinder's eyes were drinking in every detail. The strength of their jawlines, the look of their noses, the cut of their hair, the color of their cheeks.

The mirrored burn scars in the vague shape of a feminine handprint. Cinder's hands slowly flexed open and closed as slight trembling shook her frame.

"I also got good pictures of Moses, the kid with the time travel semblance, you want to see them?" Mercury asked.

"Yes," Cinder hissed in a strained tone.

"Alright then, brace yourself cause this is supper weird," Mercury began as he pulled up a new image. "This is Moses:" The photo displayed a young man that would fit in with Valean high society; pale white skin, almost silvery red hair, brown eyes and aristocratic cheekbones. Mercury then pulled up a second image next to the first. "This is also Moses:" The new picture displayed a young man that looked like he belonged on a Mistrali farm; with a farmer's tan, dark almost brown red hair, hazel eyes and rounded cheeks.

"I was looking at him the whole time and never noticed anything strange," Mercury explained, "But when I took these pictures this really stood out. If you hold up one of the photos next to him he looks like the other photo. Compare him to both and he looks like a blend of the two, and it's not a consistent blend."

A clearly readable expression finally dominated Cinder's face: bewilderment.

"How? No. Perhaps? No. Maybe? No." Cinder seemed to pick up and discard a dozen different ideas in just as many seconds. Eventually she reached a conclusion: "This is going to make recognizing him without seeing him in person first difficult, isn't it?"

"Probably," Mercury agreed.

"A problem for later then," Cinder mused. "We have a different problem now. I trust the two of you gathered the few incriminating things we had in our room?"

Mercury nodded, Neo gave a casual thumbs up.

"And I don't suppose Emerald dropped her scroll when she ran off, leaving it where you could collect it?"

Mercury shook his head. Neo gave a thumbs down.

"Then she still has it," Cinder concluded. "Meaning she has documents, notes, addresses and other bits of useful information that threaten our operations. While eliminating Emerald would be best for operational security we don't know what killing her would to the fabric of space-time, so the next best thing we can do is deprive her of her scroll."

Cinder turned her gaze towards Neo, "Neopolitan, you have the best shot at stealing her scroll. If you can't steal it, destroy it. Mercury and I will follow from the shadows and create a path of retreat should you be discovered after getting it." Cinder's eyes became dangerous, "Don't try and retreat if you failed to get it or destroy it."

Well, the challenge should be fun at least. Neo bowed in a dramatic fashion as her answer.