[RWBY] The Great Temporal Step-Sibling War!

[AndrewJTalon]

Amethyst groaned as she leaned back in his chair in the small study room the Future Children had gathered in. Petra was meditating near a pillar, occasionally typing things out on her Scroll. August was on another desk, lying back and typing while staring up. Nicholas was surrounded by books, and scribbling down notes almost frantically. She glared over at Xander, who was typing on his own Scroll at the head of the room, putting in data points from the various kids. Many of whom weren't even around! The jerks.

"Can we take a break?" She whined. "And can't I see Moses? I feel like Dorothy's been hogging him!"

"I am not!" Dorothy huffed, floating overhead.

"Are too!" Amethyst protested.

"We're almost to bed time, there's not much point in a break now," August sighed, flipping through images on his holoscreen, "Hmm... The pass has more defenses now..."

Leandra and Leander appeared out from behind a pillar, making Amethyst squeak.

"Eep! Little warning next time you do that?" She complained. Her half-siblings snickered.

"That would defeat the point," Leander smirked. He held up some supplies. "Got what you wanted from the store, Xander!"

"Great, put it down there," Xander indicated.

"Though teleporting all the way out to Vale is a trek for us," Leandra groaned, sitting down across from Amethyst. She dumped her bag of supplies on the table, and began sorting through it. "Let's see... Who wanted Winkies?"

The snack cakes vanished in a burst of golden petals, and Julian Arc-Rose reappeared nearby, eating the confectionary happily.

"Mmmm... So much sugar," he moaned. "Not as good as Mom's but pure sugar!"

Xia walked in after him, looking a bit awkward.

"So, this where we doing our homework?" Xia asked, holding up her Scroll.

"That's right!" Dorothy cried, descending from the ceiling with a grin. Amethyst twitched again, as Dorothy hovered nearby.

"Do you have to do that?"

"It helps me think," Dorothy said cheerfully, "Besides, there's still a lot more to get through."

Amethyst moaned and slammed her forehead into the desk.

"I'm a jeweler, how much could I possibly know?!" She demanded. Leander reached out to pat her on her shoulder.

"There there..."

Nicholas grinned as he saw a message on his Scroll.

"Klein and Granny have agree to look into some more parts we need," he said, shaking his head, "It's amazing how much tech changes in just twenty years."

"Doesn't help that all of our stuff uses magic, which isn't exactly in widespread use now," Julian mumbled, munching on more sweet treats. He vanished in a flurry of petals to reappear near a stack of books, which he began to flip through.

"Applied magic in our timeline," Dorothy volunteered, "Though it's mostly tracing glyphs with Aura and Dust to create a set of logic gates to emulate Boolean logic in computers."

"Ah," Nicholas said with a nod, holding up his sword, "My weapon uses similar glyph logic gates to enhance my Glyph use. With it, I'm able to mix and match the Dust amounts I deploy to every Glyph."

"WOW!" Julian enthused, shooting over to look the weapon over, "That's cool! I use something similar in Crescent Rose: Take Two!" He proudly held out his sniper scythe. "No physical gears needed! Just Glyph Gates that act as magnetic bearings!"

"Big deal," Amethyst scoffed, "I use Magic Glyph Gate tech in my studio! It's common in my timeline!"

"It's common in all our timelines, but it only became common with the defeat of Salem," Theodore spoke, teleporting in and hovering down to the floor in front of them all, "Right now, there's nothing."

"So we need magic to interface with this stuff," Julian said cheerfully, already scribbling some notes on a holopad. "Or at least some workarounds until we find some!"

"Maybe we could ask Granny Izzy to loan us some magical items from Radian," Xia suggested, "I think half the things in Nana's basement were magical artifacts."

"Yeah, but without actually knowing how to use it, it was all mostly junk," Theodore sniffed, looking over some supplies as well. "A mirror that insults you, a hairbrush that turns you blond..."

"Why would she have one of those?" Leandra asked with a frown. Theodore shrugged.

"Got me. Her side of the family collected all sorts of magical items from before the Moonshatter."

"Weird," Xia pronounced. She scanned around with a frown. "Where are Ash and Ashley?"

Nicholas shook his head, going back to his books.

"They're working on something in private," he said. Dorothy frowned deeply.

"You're... Not worried about that?" She asked quietly.

Amethyst scowled.

"Their mom... Their mom isn't evil in their timeline," she said flatly, "And neither are they!"

"I'm not saying they are," Dorothy said carefully, "But when it comes to family? It's hard to stay objective."

Theodore grinned.

"Well! There's an easy way to find out. Excuse me."

He dropped through another Glyph, sending up a gust of wind that blew several papers and books off the desks. Xander rolled his eyes.

"He did that on purpose," he muttered.

"What was your first clue?" Xia asked sarcastically.

- - -

It was a tight spot. Between the wall and the insulation in the castle, behind a suit of armor on display. Ash tapped directly into a network bus, while Ashley worked on her Scroll. The screen glowed a low blue in the dark confines, lighting up their faces.

"Any reply yet?" Ash asked, keeping an eye on the transceiver array they'd cobbled together.

Ashley sighed.

"No... But that could mean anything."

Ash stared intently at the screen, and slowly nodded.

"Yeah," he murmured. He reached down and squeezed her hand. "It'll take time."

Ashley nodded slowly. He smiled.

"It's going to be okay," he murmured.

"Well, well, well!"

Both twins brought their dagger pistol hybrids up to point overhead. Theodore Arc grinned down at them, his head poking out of a Schnee Glyph. He held his hands up.

"Hey! Easy with those things!"

"How did you find us?" Ashley demanded. Theodore shrugged.

"I use this little nook at Beacon too," he said, "Usually when I want to get some downloads of new Mistralian animes. Or to hide from Shu when she's mad."

The twins gave him a deadpan look in unison. Theodore shook his head.

"So... Contacting your mom?"

"And if we were?" Ash asked, tense. Ashley adjusted her grip on her gun.

Theodore chuckled.

"I'm sure you know what you're doing... But be careful. And keep me in the loop, huh?"

Ashley's eyes widened. Ash scowled.

"That's it?" He asked.

"That's it," Theodore said with a shrug, "She's your mom. You'd do anything to save her. And hell..." He grinned and winked. "I'm not about to abandon my family either, am I?"

Ash and Ashley stared up at him. Theodore grinned and saluted.

"Anyway, don't run off to meet her without telling me, eh? She's still working for the bad guys. And when you got a moment, join us. We're gonna need your intel most of all."

"We can wait for a reply later, I guess," Ash murmured. Ashley nodded.

"Sure... We all want to kill that witch," Ashley stated.

Theodore grinned.

"Works for me!"

A Glyph opened up under Ash and Ashley. The two fell through, squealing. They landed on the floor of the study room, not enough room to land properly. They glared up at Theodore, who appeared via another Glyph overhead and floated in the air.

"Yay! Now we're all together!" Theodore cheered.

"And you say I'm the immature one," Julian muttered, eating more sweets.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

"I hate dealing with half-days," Glynda Goodwitch sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She had just entered the teacher's lounge a few steps ahead of her peers, who had finally stopped congratulating and teasing about her, engagement was probably the best term, with Jaune Arc. The end of this congratulatory teasing had allowed other topics to be the center of their conversation, and so Glynda had begun this year's version of an annual complaint. "Too many students let themselves be distracted by the extra free time to focus on their work and I have to dole out double the discipline to keep everyone on task. Having to deal with a whole week of half-days is a chore and a half."

"You could always make this a review week," Professor Peach suggested as she went to the lounge's fridge in search of a beverage. "That's a lot easier than trying to break new ground on a week like this."

"That's easy for you to say Thumbelina," Glynda groused as she placed a stack of papers on the room's central table. "Dust Studies has a lot of basic formulas people need to have memoized that you can base a refresher corse around. Nothing in my combat classes is standardized and all of my student's fight differently enough that nothing can be standardized." Her eyes flicked over to Professor Mombi, "And don't you dare suggest making my students watch a film in class."

"I wasn't going to suggest a movie or anything like that," Mombi raised her hands defensively, "But what about the Vytal Tournament of Seventy-three? You already have the student's not fighting take notes and comment on the students who are fighting, what's wrong with having them take notes on an older match?"

"It's the principle of the matter," Glynda scowled at the librarian. "If other teachers can keep normal classes going through the holiday then I'm going to do the same."

"Some of us have an unfair advantage on that front Glynda," Professor Oobleck interjected as he rubbed a smudge off of his glasses. "For instance I usually make my classes on the week of the Emerald Festival about the festival itself, recounting its' origins and the historical context of the traditional festivities everyone will take part in once classes are finished for the day. If you could find a way to make your class about the holiday you'd probably have an easier time keeping your students' attention."

"Bartholomew's right you know," Professor Port chimed in, "It's a tactic I've used to great effect for the last five years! I've had to hunt more than one unique Grimm over his holiday season and the stories of those hunts have captivated my students every time!"

"Perhaps you could find a way to theme each day's matches?" Mombi suggested as she took a seat at the table.

"And how would I do that? Throw necklaces at them while they're fighting?" Glynda rolled her eyes.

"A reenactment!" Oobleck exclaimed while snapping his fingers, "You could use an arena with one of the new holographic generators to recreate one of the more pivotal moments in the Siege of Vale and have your students act it out!"

Glynda frown at the suggestion, but the frown was more thoughtful than annoyed.

"I suppose having each team figure out how they would have handled the defense of the Southwestern Bastion could be a good exercise... but I'm not sure I have time to prepare a lesson like that this year..."

"SALUTATIONS!" Penny Polendina joyously exclaimed as she rocketed in through one entrance to the lounge before scooping a startled Glynda up and rocketing out the lounge's other doorway.

Silence reigned for a moment.

"I guess we'll finish this brainstorming session later," Oobleck muttered with his fellow teachers nodding in response.

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

A small smile graced May's face as she left the airfield. Sharing a meal with her long lost parents had been delightful, and the post meal conversation had filled her with a bubbling warmth that would stay with her for days to come. However all good things must come to an end, and not long after Theodore had shown up and whisked August away for some project May had come to the conclusion that her team might have been left unsupervised a little too long.

And so she was making her way back to the campus proper to touch base with Bronze and the others. Her pace was relaxed as she was in no real hurry. The evening was cool and pleasant, perfect for a relaxing stroll as she listened to the sounds of life she wouldn't have heard back in Vacuo. The singing of songbirds, the chirping of insects, the occasional croak of a frog...

...The rapidly approaching rockets.

"SALUTATIONS!"

"Eep!" Was all May managed before Penny scooped her up and changed corse for the VIP Guest section of the dormitories.

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

Emerald sighed as she shifted through her belongings, namely her clothes, trying to determine which outfits hadn't been ruined by the fire-suppression fluid.

Jaune's father had offered to help, and she had almost taken him up on that offer, but in the end going through her things felt a little too personal and she insisted she needed to do this herself.

Fortunately the 'salvageable if you wash it right' pile was noticeably bigger than the 'irreversibly stained with fire-suppressing chemicals' pile. The list of things that needed to be outright replaced was small enough to not put a dent in her savings, so she tried to find comfort in that.

Emerald's eyes slowly slid away from her own possessions to the other storage spaces in the room. She knew in her gut that she'd ultimately be the person responsible for sorting out the things her... former... teammates... had left behind. Mercury's chest. Neopolitan's wardrobe...

...Cinder's dresser...

Emerald forcible tore her gaze from her former mistress' space in the room. She closed her eyes and silently counted backwards from ten before turning so Cinder's things were behind her, and only then did she open her eyes again.

"GAH!" Emerald exclaimed.

"SALUTATIONS!" Penny enthused before firmly grabbing the mint-haired thief around her shoulders and rocketing off with her.

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

"I'm not fond of the internationally recognized constellation system," Arslan commented as she and Pyrrha looked up at the darkening sky, looking for the first stars to appear.

"Oh?" Pyrrha looked over to her rival with an inquisitive tilt to her head.

"All the major constellations in that system are Creatures of Grimm," The nun crinkled her nose in disgust. "The glory of the full Starry River illuminating the night sky filled our ancestors with wonder, and that wonder helped keep the Grimm at bay on the long nights before the first great walls were built. It feels a bit sacrilegious to fill the night sky with the terrors it kept us safe from, instead of filling it with the heroes that inspired us to greatness."

"I never thought about that before," Pyrrha murmured as she looked back to the sky. "I know the system used by the old Hellenic League only had a handful of monsters, and each of those monsters was accompanied by the hero that slayed it. So you're right it does seem odd that the International Constellation System's is basically all Grimm."

"The system Aelia Paravel used since before the mortal life of The Breaker told a story about The Tree of Life and how mankind lost access to it, with each constellation being a different character or object in the story," Arslan explained. "Heroes and sacred stories seems to have been the norm across most cultures."

"So why is the international system all Grimm?" Pyrrha frowned as she brought a hand to her chin in thought.

"If you asked the International Astronomers Union they'll sell you some dreck about not placing one culture's stories above the others," Arslan rolled her eyes at the thought. "Personally I think the real reason is that the committee that voted on these things was filled with people who never lived beyond the protection of a major city's walls, and so they had no problem adding more terrors to the night."

"I suppose..." Pyrrha's response trailed off as polarity sensed something rapidly approaching slightly before the sound of rockets filled her ears.

"SALUTATIONS!"

"Penny?!?!"

The ginger haired gynoid only slowed down for a second, and in that second she hooked her arms around Pyrrha and Arslan before rocketing off with the pair.

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

The room was a small parlor not far from the VIP guest quarters meant to host informal get togethers without directly bringing outsiders into the private spaces reserved for guests. Penny rocketed into the room with Yang slung over one shoulder and Jaune slung over the other. A cloud of rose petals rushed in right after her and materialized into Ruby as Penny plopped the two blonds into separate chairs.

"Penny, why'd you grab them and rocket off like that?" Ruby panted as she got her bearings after the high speed chase.

"I knew you could keep up Friend Ruby, so grabbing you was unnecessary!" Penny enthused as she spun around and hugged her friend.

"Okay..." Ruby glanced around the room before returning the hug, taking note of everyone present. "Did you abduct everyone else here?"

"We were basically already here," Blake gestured to herself and the Schnee sisters, "So she just texted us to come to this room when she went off to get everyone else."

Ruby pulled away from the hug and looked her friend in they eyes, "And why didn't you just text or call all of us?"

Penny raised a finger and opened her mouth as if she was about to answer, but then she froze as still as a statue. The gynoid held that pose for almost ten seconds before she jolted back into motion and answered, "After reviewing my memory banks I have concluded that I was too excited to think of that at the time."

Glynda cleared her throat to get Penny's attention, then asked, "And why did you bring us all here?"

"I have devised a schedule that will allow each of you to have one on one time with Friend Jaune this week," Penny pronounced. Everyone perked up at this news and seeing that she had everyone's attention Penny continued; "With the Emerald Festival being a holiday born from a week long victory celebration it offers a wide variety of different activities that can provide a romantic atmosphere. Having compared all of your search histories to the officially registered venues I've determined the best days for Jaune to take each one of you out on a date."

"...Comparing our search histories..." Winter murmured before springing to her feet in alarm, "Penny! Did you go through our scrolls?!"

"No, of course not! That would be a gross violation of your privacy," Penny chided. "I simply purchased all of your information from a legal data-broker."

Winter's jaw worked up and down unable to articulate anything as the other girls all shared looks with varying levels of concern. Emerald looked a little queasy while May looked like she wanted to disappear between the couch cushions she was sitting on. Yang, Ruby and Glynda quickly pulled out their scrolls to double check their last ten searches. Pyrrha and Weiss shared a look as they wondered what Penny could have gleaned from their carefully monitored and managed social media accounts, and then both of their eyes widened as they were both simultaneously hit with the realization that Penny might have been able to find their secret personal accounts. Blake broke out in a cold sweat as she suddenly found the floor very interesting to look at.

Arslan pinched her nose and sighed, reminding herself that she shouldn't assume anything from the subtle panic the other women were going through. There were tons of reasons someone could be embarrassed by their search history, it didn't have to be evidence of degerqnacy or any other kind of deviant behavior.

"...Alright, let's come back to that later," Jaune interjected hoping to move the conversation past this bout of awkwardness. "Who am I taking out this week and when?"

"Monday works best for Specialist Schnee and Friend May," Penny turned to him with a voice brimming with excitement. "Tuesday is the best day for Friends Pyrrha and Blake. Wednesday would be wonderful for Friends Ruby and Emerald. Thursday is great for Friends Arslan and Yang while Friday is the best day for Friend Weiss and Professor Goodwitch!"

Two dates a day if he wanted to get to everyone this week, which he did. Jaune mentally counted the hours between the early end of the school day and the time he'd be expected back on campus if he joined the festivities in the city. He could see himself squeezing a pair of short dates into that timeframe. He just needed to figure out the specifics.

"Could you send me the list of venues you matched everyone up with?" Jaune asked.

"Of course Friend Jaune!" Penny smiled before staring off into the middle distance at nothing in particular. Jaune's scroll pinged with the e-mail received notification and Penny's focus returned to normal.

As Jaune pulled out his scroll to look things over Winter finally found her voice again.

"Penny," The military woman started, "Could you tell me about the data-brokers you found?"

Well somebody was going to be on the chopping block tomorrow. Jaune zeroed in on the activities Penny had lined up for Winter in the hopes of finding something that would help her destress from everything...

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

It was pretty chaotic. Pyrrha and Weiss, of all people, nearly came to blows before anyone else over the schedule. Ruby and Jaune were able to help calm things-Better than Glynda or Winter, for some strange reason. May tried to be a bit assertive, but she still pulled her punches out of insecurity. Yang was a bit quieter, but when Blake pushed a bit harder she stepped up with a bit more irritation than he expected. Emerald was surprisingly quiet, but given the gimlet eyes she was getting from Arslan and Pyrrha, that was only to be expected.

Ultimately though? They were able to hammer out the schedule and everyone agreed to it. Thankfully without an actual hammer, though Yang still made the joke.

He did appreciate the levity though, as Penny projected a holographic schedule:

Monday:
Winter
May
Tuesday:
Pyrrha
Blake
Wednesday:
Ruby
Emerald
Thursday:
Arslan
Yang
Friday:
Weiss
Glynda

"Sensational!" Penny cheered, at the nodding heads and some smiles around her, "I am so happy to be managing your romance, Friends! I will give it 100 percent of my efforts to ensure it is fruitful!"

Ruby blushed, and she wasn't the only one. Jaune coughed.

"Ah... Thanks Penny," Jaune managed.

"It's late," Glynda stated, her voice carrying its natural authority, "And we have a long week ahead of us. I believe we should avoid any... Further night time activities?" She raised an eyebrow at the others. Yang snorted.

"Bit rich given you were up and about last time," she shot back. Glynda cleared her throat, suddenly looking a bit embarrassed.

"I-I was doing my job-!"

"Ma'am," Pyrrha said, as polite as ever but with an edge, "We all know that's not the case."

Glynda flushed.

Jaune sucked in a breath.

"Guys? Again... We've agreed to a plan. Let's stick to it," he said firmly. He kept his voice calm and even. Pyrrha nodded first, smiling gently at him. Arslan followed. Glynda had a bit of pride in her eyes, which admittedly was something he had wanted to see from his teacher. Winter's look was unreadable, while May and Emerald both looked a bit relieved.

Yang was a bit chagrined, but she smiled almost dreamily at him.

"Sure thing, Stud," she agreed. Jaune's ears went bright red, as everyone else all stared at Yang.

"'Stud'?" Weiss asked, her tone as piercing as glass.

"Yang," Ruby said warningly. Yang shrugged, tossing her hair back theatrically.

"Well, after that kiss, I'd say he's earned a nickname upgrade, hm?"

The tension in the room skyrocketed.

"Kiss?" Pyrrha asked tightly, her plastic smile truly terrifying.

"Sorry, kisses," Yang specified with a smirk. "It was a LOT more than one~."

"YANG!" Ruby growled. Yang shrugged.

"What? You kissed him too!"

The fury was split between the two sisters, though Ruby moved towards Yang for protection out of instinct. Jaune took another deep breath.

He had authority here. He had to use it.

"Yes. I kissed them both," Jaune said, calm and authoritative. "And I'll be kissing all of you on our dates... If you want. So there's no need to get upset."

Everyone's eyes locked onto him. Weiss let out a long, slow breath, though still shot Yang an angry look. Blake wasn't much better, but looked more composed.

Glynda recovered first. She slowly nodded.

"It's not productive to fight like this, you're right," she said.

Ruby winced guiltily, but with a nudge from Yang, she found her voice again.

"That's true. Things haven't changed. We do need to keep our focus on our goals... Wh-Which do include kissing Jaune and being fair about it," she said at some looks, "But we should try not to provoke everyone else... Too much."

"How much is too much?" Pyrrha asked a bit sharply. Penny beamed and stepped forward.

"Have no fear, friends! I will monitor the situation and ensure everyone gets equal access in Friend Jaune's harem!"

"It's not a harem!" Jaune groaned.

"You really need to stop being in denial about that," Emerald suggested wryly.

"Indeed, it fits the basic definition," Blake pointed out.

"There are worse things to call it," Arslan observed.

Jaune was about to ask the nun what those were, when the door to the room opened and someone cleared their throat significantly. All eyes locked onto Isabel Arc, standing in the doorway. She gave them all a small smile.

"Hello all," she greeted, "I would like to speak with my son alone, if you don't mind?"

"We're pretty much done for tonight," Winter stated. She gave Jaune a small but eager smile, "I-I'm looking forward to tomorrow, Jaune."

"M-Me too," May professed, not quite meeting his eyes but her blush and smile gave her away. Jaune smiled and nodded back.

"Me too. To... To all our dates," he said. "See you all tomorrow."

"What, no good night kiss?" Yang joked, though she winced at the glares she received. "What? I wouldn't limit it to just one!"

Blake already made to move towards Jaune, but Arslan held her back.

"Let's avoid anymore fights tonight, okay?" Arslan advised. Blake sighed, but relented.

"Very well... But I must ask: What happened to Faunus solidarity? I would have shared."

"One, we're all going to have to share," Arslan stated, a faint blush on her face, "Second, simply because we are both Faunus does not mean we have anything else in common."

"We're both cat faunus!" Blake protested. Arslan shook her head.

"I am a lion faunus. There is a distinct difference."

"Great, she found a new argument buddy," Yang sighed. She looked over at Weiss. "Guess you're out of the running, Weisscream."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss demanded.

Despite the arguments and bickering, they all managed to say goodnight to Jaune, Penny and Isabel before heading out. Jaune reminded himself to track down his children and father and tell them goodnight as well, before he turned to Isabel. She in turn looked over at Penny.

"I did say alone," Isabel said, with a gentle but firm authority. Penny smiled.

"My orders are to defend Jaune Arc, Doctor Arc! But I will not repeat anything you two discuss!"

Isabel raised an eyebrow.

"I suppose that will suffice," she managed. "Jaune?"

As though girding himself for battle, Jaune nodded grimly.

"I'm ready, Mom."

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Isabel and Jaune sat on opposing sides of one of the many little tables in the meeting room. Penny politely moved off towards the center of the room, her eyes glowing slightly as she stood like a statue.

"I am now in privacy mode," Penny said cheerfully, "For I am a perfectly normal girl!"

Jaune blinked.

"Um, Penny? I know you're a gynoid-"

"Perfectly normal girl!" Penny reiterated with exactly the same inflection and tone as before. Jaune blinked, as Isabel hid a smile.

"You certainly are, Penny," Isabel said, and Penny beamed.

Mother and son then looked at each other in silence. Isabel worried her lower lip.

"It's been a while since it was just us together, huh?"

Jaune nodded.

"Yeah... Last time was... Before I left."

Isabel smiled wanly.

"You had just gotten your acceptance letter to Ambrose... I was very proud."

"I know," Jaune sighed.

Isabel shook her head slowly.

"You could have just waited for me to unlock your Aura, then run off to Beacon, you know," Isabel said, her voice soft with hurt, "It would have been much safer for you. I would have done it."

Jaune sucked in a deep breath, and looked to the side. Isabel's frown deepened.

"I mean, you did forge your way into Beacon. Why didn't you just lie to me?"

Jaune slowly looked back at her, forcing himself to stare into her eyes.

"Fraud is one thing but... But lying to you? I just... I couldn't do that, Mom," Jaune said quietly.

She shook her head, her voice a bit tight.

"I was going to be angry when I found out, Jaune. But I would prefer you alive and a liar than dead."

His hands twitched, as he resisted the urge to reach out to comfort her. He fixed her with a steady stare.

"I wanted to fulfill my dream, mom. Not yours. And lying to you is just... It would be too far."

"You lied about you going to medical school," Isabel stated, an edge to her tone. Jaune shook his head, eyes determined.

"No, I just promised I would pass the tests to get into medical school. I didn't say I'd go, Mom!"

"You just used semantics!" Isabel argued, her posture tense. "You still lied to me!"

He clenched his fists and glared at her. A hundred old hurts and resentments boiled up and he couldn't hold them back. Not when it was just them... And Penny, he supposed, but she may as well not have been there.

"Well that's what I had to do to get around you because you just wouldn't let me make my own choices! Everything had to be what you wanted, what you decided! You were probably arranging my marriage, too! Why did all my sisters get to choose their own paths but I couldn't?!"

Isabel opened her mouth, her face red... Then she shut her eyes and mouth, her posture becoming calm. Her Aura thrummed around her as she used her Semblance. She took a very deep breath, and opened her eyes to look back at her son, who glared back, undeterred.

"You're right," she said softly.

Jaune's jaw dropped.

"H-Huh?!"

"You're right," Isabel repeated, "I did... I did want to plan out your life, Jaune. I wanted you to follow my path."

"Why?" Jaune demanded, still angry, "Because I was the sickly runt of the family?! Because I had to spend half my childhood in the hospital?! Because I was too nice, too kind?! You always told me that I couldn't handle it! That I was too soft!"

Isabel closed her eyes, and again used her Semblance to calm down. Part of Jaune felt guilty for forcing her to do this, but damnit... All the old hurts were still there, fighting with his love for her.

She slowly shook her head, thoughtful, before she spoke again:

"I talked with your father and saw your combat footage. You... You have massive potential, Jaune. Honestly, I always thought you did have incredible potential to be a Huntsman. You grew up so strong, so smart."

"Still in the bottom 20 percent!" Jaune growled.

"You've gone from an untrained civilian to able to kill Ursas in, what, a year? That kind of growth is phenomenal, Jaune," Isabel said softly, "That's faster than your father or me when we were your age. It's astonishing how fast you're growing."

"Then why?!" Jaune demanded, hurt breaking his voice. Isabel looked down at her hands, which were gently clenched.

"... Because I was afraid of losing you, Jaune," she whispered. "I'm terrified of losing any of my children-What mother isn't? But you..." Her voice was even, but tears began to slide down her cheeks. Jaune stared, again his hands twitching to reach out to her but still he resisted.

"I had had seven children, everything had been just fine," she continued, "Nothing I couldn't handle. Then you were born... And you were close to death from the moment you came into the world. I didn't know what I had done wrong. I spent every waking hour I could to save you, to keep you alive. Three agonizing weeks you were in an incubator under constant Aura treatment. I had to invent new ways of keeping you alive on the fly while recovering from labor. I saw you, so tiny, fighting for your life and... And I couldn't figure out why."

She slowly looked up at him, tears streaming from her blue eyes as her voice remained unnaturally calm.

"Then... When you were stabilized, we got an emergency call from Mount Glenn. Nick and I had to rush over, help save whoever we could. We tried... We tried... Then they blew the tunnel and..."

Jaune's hands defied his anger, and reached out to grasp Isabel's. She squeezed him back, and sniffled.

"Mom," he murmured.

"I suppose," Isabel said softly, "These things combined made me decide that... That no. I will not let any of my children go through that. And especially not you, Jaune. So many children were lost and all I could think about was... How would I feel if they were mine?" She closed her eyes.

"And in the end, my children ran off because I pushed too hard. I'm a selfish, foolish old woman."

"Mom," Jaune murmured again. He got up and scooted around the table, letting her hands go just long enough to wrap her up in a tight hug. She returned it, and he rubbed her back to try and sooth her. They sat in silence for a time, the hug familiar and comforting.

Her Aura again thrummed. She looked up at him, calm and controlled.

"And now you're... You're going to save the world," she said, her voice level but with a touch of awe. Jaune shrugged.

"I'm not the only one who does," he said.

Isabel smiled. She reached up to cup his cheek and stroke it.

"I know," she said softly, "But you're the key. And... And I have to admit, Jaune. I'm terrified for you."

"I'm... I'm scared too," Jaune admitted quietly, his eyes going down to stare at her lap. He forced them back up.

"But you and Dad taught me that it doesn't matter if you're scared: You have to push on. Too many people are depending on you."

Isabel smiled softly, tinged with sadness. She hugged him again, very tightly.

"When did you grow up?" She sighed.

"Well," Jaune said carefully, "I think becoming a dad helped."

She snorted.

"Telling bad jokes, just like your father," she murmured, "at the worst times... You're so much like him." She pulled back and again cupped his cheek. "What did you get from me?"

Jaune thought about it. He then shrugged.

"Your stubbornness?"

She stared at him... Before she sighed.

"You're right."

She worked her jaw.

"I'm still... Not totally okay with this," she admitted, "But... I'll do my best to support you. And your harem."

Jaune flushed.

"It's not a harem-"

"It is a harem, Jaune," Isabel scolded, "So you should start acting like it! And it's not unprecedented! Your Nana and Papa have one!"

"What?!" Jaune gasped in denial, "No! Great Aunt Sakura and Great Aunt Rin are just very close members of the family who stay at their house a lot and... And..."

A hundred little memories all linked together, and he buried his face in his hands from the weight of his horrified comprehension.

"Oh Breaker... Is that why you told me not to date any of their great-granddaughters?!"

Isabel smiled wryly.

"Yes... But it did work out in the end, didn't it?"

Jaune groaned.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The old abandoned military base had a situation room that was still well furnished enough to be an ideal place for the local leaders of The White Fang to hold council. Adam Taurus sat at the head of the long table, a map of the world behind with several notes about current events pinned to it. The seat immediately to his right was empty, that place of honor reserved for the absent Belladonna. The next seat to his right, normally occupied by Ilia Amitola, was also empty; the missing chameleon having not yet returned.

To his left sat an exceptionally tall and muscular man the rank and file of their particular cell called Bonesawthanks to his choice in melee weaponry. Few people could effectively wield something as unruly as a chainsaw like a sword, but the large and muscular man could do so single handedly with one almost as tall as he was. The man wore the nickname with pride and had gone by it almost exclusively for years, only using his birth name on official paperwork and in communications to those higher up in the organization's leadership. As his leader Adam had the right to use the man's real name, but the mystique of calling one of his most loyal soldiers a codename as raw as Bonesaw meant he had never indulged in that privilege.

Next to Bonesaw sat another agent that preferred to go by a codename, a redheaded beauty with golden scales framing her face known as Salamander. The lizard faunus had chosen the name in homage to the mythological beast after discovering her semblance's link to flame, though not before scouring her family tree for any amphibian faunuses so she could silence any critics' claims of appropriation. She would proudly declare she had newt ancestry, that she was only one sixteenth newt wasn't something she'd mention unprompted.

The woman's pyrokinetic powers had made her a talented if unsubtle assassin and those skills alone might have been enough to earn Salamander her position as one of Adam's lieutenants, the fact that she possessed decent management skills simply cemented her place within his inner circle.

The last individual in the room sat next to Ilia's empty seat, a spider faunus named Trifa who was presenting the information this meeting was about.

"Play it again," Adam frowned as he leaned forward and steepled his hands in front of his chin. "All of it, from the beginning."

"As you wish Lord Adam," Trifa nodded in a short bow as her spider-like fingers danced across the keyboard before her.

Multiple holographic flatscreens flared to life, all of them showing Beacon's Training Field 12 from different angles. Some of the footage was shaky and obviously amateurish, but most of it was steadily and well shot enough to qualify as semi-professional. Standing there in the center of the shots was the human that would lead Blake even further astray, delaying the inevitable realization that she belonged with her people while seducing her into his good little house-pet.

Behind his mask Adam's good eye narrowed as he took in the features of that accused human, the vile tempter Jaune Arc. As the young human sparred with his father Adam took carful note of every movement the blond made. From the grand slashes and thrusts to the large steps and dodges to the subtle twitches and expressions on his face not a single detail escaped the bull's sight.

His experienced gaze could see the unrefined potential the young human possessed, it was clear that in a few short years the boy might stand where Adam did now in terms of strength and skill. Some small part of Adam almost regretted that his confrontation with the blond swordsman would take place before the boy had reached his zenith, for such a confrontation would have been worthy of songs and poems that would have echoed through history for thousands of years.

The pinnacle of human martial might clashing against the pinnacle of faunus fighting power, the Valean Knight against the Menageriean Ronin, Longsword and Shield-sheath against Katana and Rifle-sheath, a guardian of the old world order against the herald of the new. The two of them clashing against each other over the heart of the rightful Queen of All Faunuskind, perhaps on a cliffside at sunrise or atop the top deck of an airship at sunset or on a bridge under the light of a full moon; whichever one got Blake's blood pumping faster.

But alas such a thing was not to be as Adam's confrontation with the young knight would happen long before the blond boy was ready to challenge the bull. When the saga of his life would be retold for future generations of faunus the narrative crux would not hinge upon a duel for the woman who represented the future of faunuskind, but upon the father of the knight seeking revenge for his boy. Now being challenged by vengeful parents wasn't a bad narrative in and of itself, but it lacked the symbolism and personal weight of a climatic duel with the young knight Jaune Arc.

If only there was a way to eliminate the father before the boy...

...There had to be. If the future was not set in stone then it would be possible to arrange events into the narrative for the future he planned to build. To create a story that would inspire for generations to come. To tell a tale that Blake would enjoy her role in, even if she didn't realize it at first...

...The tools Cinder had provided allowed them to corral a substantial number of Grimm around Mount Glenn... Including a surprisingly large number of ancient and powerful Grimm... An old Huntsman dying during one last hunt was a common enough occurrence...

The video went on. Jaune Arc exchanged blows with his father until the older man was satisfied with the younger swordsman's performance. Then he switched out for the team Blake had been placed in, Team RWBY.

Blake had made good use of her teammates against some of the basic operations the White Fang had conducted around Vale. The three humans were competent enough combatants that they would have actually been worthy companions for the Belladonna if they had been faunus. The Reaper and the Brawler in particular would have made excellent bodyguards and handmaidens for the Menageriean princess, so it was honestly a shame the blessings of The Animal God had not graced their bloodlines. If those two had been the only humans Blake had consorted with he could have almost pretend that she hadn't strayed that far from their shared vision, but the third human ruined that illusion and made it clear how much she had abandoned when she left.

A Schnee. And not just any Schnee; the legally recognized heir to the SDC and all of its' sins. To fraternize with that thing in the shape of a woman, to trust it to watch her back, had Blake also abandoned her senses?

And the video showed just how foolish the idea of trusting a Schnee truly was. Team RWBY was performing well against the senior Arc right up until the Schnee broke formation. His lieutenants laughed to see the older swordsman humiliate the thing, but the flow of the fight had irreversibly shifted in favor of the elder Arc.

Blake still gave a good showing, right up until some words the cameras failed to record from the blond swordsman distracted her. With a humiliating blow to the head she was taken out of the fight, a slight Adam would need to repay at some point.

The conclusion of the match gave Adam a good measure of speed and reflexes an Arc could achieve. A glimpse at the potential Jaune Arc would have achieved if time travel hadn't brought their inevitable fight to the death so much closer to the present, for while father and son were clearly different there were enough similarities to make it clear that the son could become as skilled as the father.

And more of that skill was revealed as the next match started and the reigning champion of Mistral's arenas stepped forth to challenge the knight's father. Alongside Ms. Nikos stood a worshiper of the Tamed Lion, an unknown sniper and Cinder's sycophant, an interesting lineup to say the least.

The worshiper of the Tamed Lion rushed forward first and displayed the martial prowess that had let her face off agains Pyrrha Nikos in the finals more often than not. The roaring she opened the match with made it clear she would have to die, for any faunus that preferred the Tamed Lion to The Animal God harbored a weakness that would only weaken their people in the coming age.

In spite of her weakness she was quite skilled, making her an excellent yardstick to measure what Arcs were capable of. Then she was joined by Nikos, and the Arc stood firm against them both.

The battle played out the same way it had when they watched it before, with the Arc outmaneuvering and then pulling off a win against the so called invincible girl and the runner-up. The man's skills were truly something else, and a testament to how dangerous Jaune Arc could be if he wasn't dealt with soon.

Adam grit his teeth at the thought. A hero was only as good as their enemies, and given a year or two Jaune Arc would have been the perfect foe at the climax of the story...

...But the time traveling twins had spoiled one of the endings for Blake. Adam clearly remembered the romance games they had played together; once Blake had found an ending she enjoyed she would almost exclusively play that rout at the expense of the others, and it would take a whole lot of prodding on his part before she pursued the routs they had agreed were better. If Blake thought the ending the twins came from was good could he even get her to entertain the idea of other endings while Jaune Arc still lived?

And how would killing the young knight at this juncture affect Blake's views on him? Eliminating the option that was bad for her didn't necessarily mean she'd be drawn to the option that was the best for her and their people after all.

The future was not set in stone. He just needed to figure out the right narrative that would lead her back to him, and then arrange events in a way that would let that narrative play out. Perhaps a climatic duel over the fare princess' heart was still in the cards. A perusal of the books she left behind might be in order...

...God's Horns and Antlers what if she had taken her favorites with her? If this was going to work it had to be perfect, down to the last detail. They had discussed so many different stories over the years that some of them were blurring together in his memories, would he even notice a title missing from the collection? What if she only left the books she didn't like?

The arrival of Jaune Arc's mother in the video and her keelhauling of her husband let Adam put such questions on hold. The woman's railing accusations painted a different story than their spies had provided, and it was time to discuss the discrepancy.

"The spat between the human's parents appears to confirm one of the rumors circulating around Jaune Arc," Trifa began as she shuffled documents and pictures around on the scrolls before her. "Namely the rumors that Jaune is the subject of multiple marriage contracts and that the big fight yesterday was caused by the arrival of multiple Arc cousins that supported one contract over the others, and they started a dispute over which contract would actually be fulfilled. This rumor is becoming the dominant one, but our spies insist that the time-travel story they told us earlier is true."

"The mark of the Animal God's blessings fell upon our main spy's ears," Adam noted in a neutral voice, "It wouldn't be surprising for him to have heard things the human's didn't realize he could hear."

"So how can we test the two stories?" Bonesaw rumbled as he shifted forward in his seat. "I mean one of them has to fall apart under enough scrutiny, right?"

"The marriage contract story is probably easier to examine," Salamander noted as she casually scratched at a patch of scales on her wrist that looked ready to shed, her eyes entirely focused on the holographic flatscreens. "Let's start with motive. Why would Ghira and Kali be willing to saddle their heir with this human?"

"I did some digging into Jaune Arc's family history," Trifa tapped away at her keyboard, bringing up a family tree. "His father was an orphan with no known records, but his mother is actually part of the main-line of the Arc family. The family claims to be decedents of the Warrior-Queen known as Joan D'arc from the age of founding myths almost immediately after the Moon-Shatter, and that claim to legitimacy resulted in members of the Arc clan founding a few ruling dynasties in what's now northern Vale. Jaune's direct ancestors ruled a kingdom known as Gallia from the settlement of Radian, and the end of their reign is notably different from the end of most dynasties. The crown prince Roland III overthrew his father and then almost immediacy relinquished his power out of fear of becoming a petty tyrant like his old man had started to become, allowing Gallia to be absorbed into the friendly Kingdom of Vale. This noble act set the family on the path of becoming land rich and money poor, as well as historically irrelevant until The Great War."

"And what happened in The Great War?" Bonesaw leaned in while actually sounding curious.

"Shirou Arc happened," Trifa explained as she brought up a black and white photo of a man in uniform. "Shirou earned a name for himself during several major battles, and in so doing he caught the eye of Queen Arturia of the Vytal Empire. Marrying him was one of the reasons Arturia abdicated her throne when the war ended and made Vytal part of Vale. The two of them are Jaune Arc's great-grandparents, as their oldest son Jonathan Ilya Arc was Isabel Arc's father."

"Was?" Salamander prompted.

"Jonathan and his wife were killed by Grimm on a trip beyond Radian's walls," Trifa elaborated, "leaving Isabel as the head of that part of the family and ultimately responsible for her younger siblings. Seeing as the family fortune had been spread so thinly across all of her aunts, uncles and cousins Isabel took it upon herself to become a breadwinner and pursued a career as first a Huntress and then a Medical Doctor. She now owns and operates the Arc-En-Ciel Hospital, which is widely regarded as one of the if not the best hospital outside of the Four Kingdom's Capitals."

"An impressive enough family legacy," Bonesaw muttered. "A marriage to the boy could significantly raise Menagerie's legitimacy in the eyes of the Four Kingdoms, since he's actually a decent claimant to the thrones of a pair of the Old Kingdoms. That gives us motive."

"Then our next step is to establish when the Belladonnas could have met with the Arcs to create the marriage contract," Salamander surmised.

"I couldn't find anything," Trifa confessed as she brought her left hand to her temple and started to rub away at a bit of stress. "Not a single bit of publicly available information that even hints that the two couples had ever been in the same place at the same time before today. No newspaper clippings, no formal events the were both invited to, no candid photos or videos with them together."

"Khan would have known if Blake was engaged to anyone," Adam added with a frown. "And our shared agendas mean she would have informed me the instant she caught wind of any arrangement like that."

"So an intermediary Sienna wouldn't have suspected would have to be involved," Salamander summarized. "What about the twins? If they're truly Arc cousins then perhaps their part of the family was the go between?"

"I might have a lead on that," Trifa quickly tapped away at her keyboard, highlighting several areas on the Arc family tree as she spoke. "The old kingdom of Gallia was one of the better places to be a faunus during its era of relevance. As a result a couple of faunus clans chose to serve the Arcs in exchange for protection, with the Sith Clan in particular becoming direct vassals and even receiving a few minor titles of nobility. It wasn't unheard of for important Arc men to accept Sith girls as lesser wives or concubines or for an Arc woman to have a Sith handmaid that she'd invite to her husband's bed, and some of the less important cadet branches of the Arc family were willing to let their daughters marry some of the more important Sith men."

"To shackle themselves to their oppressors so thoroughly..." Adam's frown deepened, "Has this relationship persisted to the modern age?"

"It has," Trifa confirmed as she pulled up a publicly available map of Radian. "In fact the lands currently owned by the mainline branch of the Arc family directly borders the lands currently owned by the mainline branch of the Sith family, and apparently one of Isabel Arc's daughters is publicly engaged to the eldest son of the current Sith patriarch. So yes the Arcs do have some faunus relatives that could have acted as intermediaries between the Arcs and the Belladonnas. On top of that most of the Siths are feline so the twins would fit right in."

"Do we have pictures of these Sith?" Adam inquired as he glared behind his mask at the holographic flatscreens.

"We do actually," Trifa confirmed as she started to pull several pictures up and place them on the screens. "I've gathered a pretty even mix of historical photos and pictures from public social media accounts."

More than two dozen pictures were displayed before them, each depicting different cat faunus going about their lives. Mostly blonds with a few redheads mixed in, all clearly related to each other with a handful of them showing traits Adam was already recognizing as being distinctively Arc in origin.

"Mix in the photos we have of the twins for comparison," Adam commanded, already knowing in his gut what would be revealed but wanting his lieutenants to see for themselves.

Pictures featuring the twins with Blake joined the photos of the Siths, and after a few moments of observation Adam could tell his lieutenants were starting to notice the crucial detail.

"The twins are clearly Belladonnas of the royal lineage," Adam surmised. "The Siths don't have a single drop of Belladonna in them."

"That's... you're right..." Disbelief flavored Salamander voice as she sat up straighter in her seat. "The only traits the twins have in common with the Siths are the traits some of the Sith share with the Arcs... And with the twins next to Blake you can't deny they're Belladonnas..."

"This casts doubt on the marriage contract rumors," Bonesaw concluded in a contemplative tone. "While it passes muster on a casual glance you can't say the twins are part of the Sith Clan when they're so clearly part of Menagerie's royal family, but anyone familiar with that lineage could tell you that there are no naturally blond Belladonnas... Yet there they are..."

"But, to say time travel is the alternative..." Salamander tried.

"I know," Bonesaw agreed. "It feels wrong somehow, like we're starting a witch hunt in response to finding misshapen fruits in the garden instead of thinking things through to find a more rational explanation. But the more rational explanation has some rather glaring holes were staring at right now."

"This can't be..." Trifa muttered as she pulled up more pictures of the Sith Clan, placing those pictures next to the clearest photo of the twins. "There should be someone..." But there wasn't. Three dozen more pictures later and she hand't found a single Sith that looked like they could be related to the twins, who were damnably Belladonna. "Why isn't there anyone...?"

"If you need more proof look at Emerald," Adam prompted. "She's a nobody, correct?"

"That's right," Trifa stopped her mad shuffling of photos, "Her lack of records makes her a clear nobody."

"So how could another nobody show up and pull her away from Cinder?" Adam reasoned, "The slavish devotion the thief showed to the fire woman in our meetings shouldn't have disappeared if marriage contracts were involved, nor would Cinder be absent from those videos if this was the end result of things arranged long ago."

"Those are fair points," Salamander allowed. "But still, to move through time and upend fate like that..."

"Is it really so hard to believe?" Adam shifted his head just enough to make it clear he was looking at her even with the mask on. "There are enough esoteric semblances in this world that the possibility can't be honestly ruled out. While a round of DNA tests would fully prove or disprove either rumor I feel like we have enough circumstantial evidence to start our planning."

"Yes..." Bonesaw nodded slowly. "The more rational seeming explanation isn't holding up to scrutiny. That makes the less rational seeming explanation more likely, so we must take it into account as we plan..."

Trifa started closing all of the photos she had brought out, her disturbed shock reflecting in her eyes as she clicked away at her scroll.

"There has to be, but there isn't, so the impossible..." The spider faunus muttered as she felt the ground beneath her settle into a new shape.

Salamander thought about it for a moment longer before nodding in acceptance. "So how would time travel being real affect our current plans Lord Adam?"

"We have to assume our current plans are compromised on some level," Adam reasoned. "Even if the twins don't know the specifics they could easily be aware of enough of the broad strokes to point Ironwood's soldiers in our direction. On top of that our spies at Beacon reported that Sister Ilia was actually captured by the twins and brought to Beacon by them. As Ilia hasn't reported back we must assume she hasn't escaped yet, while I doubt she's cracked we can't assume our enemies haven't gotten anything out of her and-"

"Lord Adam?" Trifa hesitantly interrupted. "Our spies at Beacon actually know exactly where Sister Ilia is..."

"They do?" Adam turned to look her way. Trifa had been the primary contact with the spies at the school since it was less risky for her to have regular calls with them, as such she was the only person besides Adam that knew who the spies really were. "Could they get a message to her or help her escape without breaking their cover?"

"Umm.... Well... You see..." Trifa began to blush as words failed her. She cleared her throat and tried to start again, only for her blush to grow more luminous and syllables that didn't sound like words to come out of her mouth. In the end she clicked on a few things with her scroll, displaying a new set of photos on the holographic flatscreens.

The photos showed Ilia sitting on a bench next to a monkey faunus with an open shirt that did a good job displaying his sculpted physique. Ilia was snuggled up next to the blonde monkey who had an arm wrapped around her and was holding up an ice cream cone for her to lick, which she was doing enthusiastically. The reason the boy was holding the cone for her was obvious: ropes crisscrossed Ilia's torso pinning her right hand to her left shoulder and her left hand to her right shoulder.

It took a minute before anyone in the room could find their words.

"So it looks like she's already cracked," Salamander managed.

Adam heaved a heavy sigh, "Sister Trifa, take Ilia's seat."

"My Lord?" Trifa tore her eyes away from the images, her mouth incredibly dry for reasons she would have a hard time putting into words.

"Since she's clearly lost to us you'll be taking her place and assuming her duties," Adam scowled behind his mask. "In the meantime we'll be relocating to... Bonesaw do you have a location Ilia didn't know about?"

"Let me check my notes," The large man pulled out a binder and started flipping through its' pages...

 

[AndrewJTalon]

If Ren was being honest, he had been trying to blend in with the background since this craziness began. That was where he was most comfortable, just observing. He had to admit, it was extremely entertaining watching his best male friend get into these ridiculous situations. Not that he was heartless, no. He just felt that being the quiet support out of the splash zone was where his talents were best used.

But it was also where he could avoid confronting his own issues.

Perhaps that is why Nora had dragged him to the infirmary to see Nicholas Arc. That desperation in her eyes for him to finally join in.

The tall blond man grinned up at him as they entered, still in a hospital bed.

"Nora! Ren! Great to see you!"

"Father," Nora began, squeezing Ren's hand, "This is Renny! Er, Lie Ren! I think..." She blushed, "I think he's dreamy. And I really like him! And... And he likes me. A lot."

Nick looked faintly amused, even as Ren tensed a bit.

"Is this true, Ren? Do you like Nora?"

"I..." Ren glanced at Nora, who was beaming like the sun. He slowly turned back to Nick, licked his lips. His Semblance was helping him stay cool and calm, but only so much.

"I do... Sir," he added, out of habit if nothing else.

Nick studied him intensely, a shrewdness to his gaze that seemed almost out of place on the jolly man. He then turned to Nora.

"Let me speak with him alone for a bit, Nora," he said, "Then we'll get Izzy here and talk about your adoption, huh?"

Nora beamed. She sniffled happily.

"You... You mean it?" She whispered. Nick beamed back, less intensely than before but no less honest.

"Absolutely," he said. Nora hugged him, practically tackling him into the bed. Nick laughed happily, and stroked her back.

"Now now... There will be more hugs in the future, promise! All the hugs you can handle, and more," Nick said, patting Nora on the head, "But I gotta sound out your boyfriend. It's tradition."

Nora pulled back, her smile practically glowing under the LED lighting.

"Of-Of course... Dad!" She sniffled. She beamed at Ren too, and his heart skipped a beat despite his Semblance. She hesitated a moment before planting a kiss on his cheek. She then dashed off, leaving them alone. Ren sucked in a breath.

They'd talked about their future children. The future children had mentioned their offspring, so many times... Yet here, it seemed... Real. He looked back at Nick, who was smiling gently.

"Ren," Nick said, his voice warm but carrying the gravel of a man who'd seen too many battles, "turning your lifelong friendship into romance can be scary. One of the only times I was really scared was when I realized I loved Izzy, and I didn't know what to do about it."

Ren's eyes flicked to him, his voice soft but curious. "Yes, sir?"

Nick nodded, his grin softening. "Yep… but I also realized I was more scared of not having her in my life than I was of my feelings. So! I admitted I loved her… and she said she loved me back!"

Ren's gaze dropped, his hands clasped in his lap. "It's… not easy for me. I've suppressed my feelings for so long. Out of necessity, survival."

Nick's eyes crinkled, understanding etched in his weathered face. "I know. But you need to answer some simple questions. First: do you love her?"

Ren hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. "…I'm not sure."

Nick tilted his head, undeterred. "Well, could you imagine sharing every aspect of your life with any other woman?"

Ren's jaw tightened. "…No."

"Could you handle her being with another man?" Nick pressed, his voice gentle but unrelenting.

Ren's calm fractured, a flicker of pain crossing his face. "…No. At the same time, I don't know how to… to be closer to her. Even knowing eleven futures, I'm still..."

Nick's laugh was a low rumble, his hand clapping Ren's shoulder. "Ha! I didn't either, son. But I learned. And so will you. You don't have to leap into anything if you're not sure—it's easy to get caught up in Nora's enthusiasm. You don't need to get married right now; you have a choice in this too! But you do need to choose whether or not to take the first step. Because believe me, you don't want to think you missed your chance."

Ren's brow furrowed. "Oh?"

Nick's grin faded, his voice dropping to a somber cadence. "Izzy got taken by this Count Whatever. He was holding her hostage, though we didn't know it at the time. She had to lie in front of him, otherwise he would've killed a lot of innocent people. He made her tell me she never loved me, that she thought I was pathetic and could never be someone she loved. Now… I knew she was lying. I knew she wasn't telling the truth, and we did save her and defeat Count That Guy… but it was terrifying to think of her saying those things and meaning it someday. Imagine that happening with Nora."

Ren's eyes widened, his breath catching as he pictured Nora's bright smile twisted into rejection, her voice cold. His hands clenched, the thought a blade in his chest.

"Doesn't feel good, does it?" Nick said, his voice quiet.

"No," Ren murmured, his calm shattered.

Nick nodded, his gaze steady. "So… what choice are you going to make?"

Ren took a deep breath, his resolve hardening like steel in a forge.

"Dad! Renny!" Nora called, coming back into the infirmary. Isabel and Jaune were close behind her, followed by an ever smiling Penny, "Mom and Jaune-Jaune and Penny are here and-"

Ren got up and turned, his steps deliberate as he crossed the infimary floor to Nora, who looked up, her turquoise eyes sparkling with curiosity. Without a word, he pulled her into a tight hug, his arms enveloping her, his face buried in her orange hair.

Nora's voice was a startled squeak. "R-Renny?"

Ren's voice was low, steady, but laced with a rare vulnerability. "…Nora. I think it's too soon to think about getting married."

Nora's shoulders drooped, her voice small. "O-Oh…"

"Because we need to go on a date first," Ren finished, his lips curving into a faint smile.

Nora's face lit up, her grin brighter than the sun, her eyes shimmering as she gasped, "R-Really?"

"Yes," Ren said, his voice firm. "Really."

"YAYYYYY!" Nora squealed, launching herself at him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she planted a fierce kiss on his lips. "MMMM!"

Nick's laughter boomed in the infirmary, throwing a fist up in triumph. "Hahaha! Once again, my fatherly advice does the trick!"

Jaune Arc, slouching slightly, shot his father a weary look, his blond hair falling into his eyes. "You told me I just had to be confident."

"And it worked, didn't it?" Nick grinned, winking.

Jaune's groan deepened, his voice exasperated. "You didn't have anything to do with the time travel!"

"And yet, you still have a harem! Haha!" Nick laughed again as Jaune groaned. Isabel sighed, and walked to his side. She lightly bonked him on the head.

"Idiot," she said affectionately.

"Yes, but I'm your idiot!" Nick declared, holding up his wedding ring, "Forever!"

"Don't I know it," Isabel sighed. She beamed at Nora and Ren. "So! I believe we were going to talk about adoption?" She smiled warmly at Nora.

Nora turned to Isabel, her eyes shining. She looked back at Jaune, face hopeful. Jaune grinned, and shrugged.

"Looks like we're gonna end up family sooner than I thought, huh?" He said.

"You... You really mean it?"

Isabel sighed softly, but nodded.

Tears boiled out of the sides of Nora's eyes. She leaped and tackle hugged Isabel, who barely stayed standing thanks to her tremendous strength.

"M-MOM! MAMA!"

"OOF! N-Nora! CALM DOWN!" Isabel laughed in exasperation and affection.

"I AM NOT GONNA CALM DOWN!" Nora declared, sobbing in joy.

Ren smiled as well, and rubbed Nora's back as she continued to cry. Isabel's own eyes warmed as she hugged Nora tightly. Nick reached out despite his groan of pain, and pulled his wife and newest daughter into a hug.

Jaune smiled as well, discreetly wiping his eyes. It was a wonderful moment, in a day full of emotions and revelations. He would like nothing more than to just go to bed...

But his family still needed him.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Willow was looking over several documents in the rooms Beacon had given to her, Klein and Whitley. While not the most luxurious she had stayed in, this was of no concern to her as she continued her work. There was a knock at the door, and Klein headed off to answer. A moment later, Klein returned, General Ironwood in tow.

"James," Willow said with a soft smile.

"Willow," he returned gently. Klein moved to pull out a chair for him, and the general sat down opposite her.

"Would you like the usual brandy, sir?" Klein said. Ironwood shook his head.

"I'm afraid I must decline. Too much work to do," he said.

"Tea then," Klein agreed, "Much better at this hour than coffee, sir."

"Thank you," Ironwood said with a nod, as Klein headed off to the kitchen. Willow smiled softly.

"You seem a bit overwhelmed," she observed.

"No more than you, I believe," James returned without any heat. Willow reached across the table to take his right hand, and squeezed it. He squeezed it back, just as gently.

"It is good to see you sober," he said softly. Willow grimaced.

"It's not as good to be it. Klein has me taking oxy pills to keep my head clear." She sighed. "I'll probably need to see Isabel about dealing with withdrawal. I... I can't afford to drink. Not now."

She gave James a wan smile.

"It's going to be hellish the next few days," she said quietly. Ironwood slowly nodded.

"I need your help, Willow," Ironwood said, direct and to the point as always, "Ozpin is hoping to announce a new alliance between Atlas, Vale, Pandu, and Menagerie in the next few weeks. In light of our... Future revelations."

Willow bit back an incredulous laugh.

"He doesn't think small, does he?" She asked. "And you need my help?"

"I do," Ironwood said, "If we're to defeat Salem... We need as many resources as possible. What would it take to get Jacques onboard... Or out of the way?"

"A lot," Willow admitted. "My grandsons have been giving me some hints and clues, but they didn't memorize all the details of how he was brought low. I'm looking through Warden's papers and some other things. There's plenty to build from, but as much as I hate to say it... Jacques is cunning."

Willow sighed and looked down at her hands.

"It would have been nice if I'd realized how cunning he was," she said softly. "If I had been more insightful. More cautious... Less foolish..."

"That won't help," Ironwood stated, firm but not unkind. Willow looked up at him and laughed quietly.

"No. No, it won't. Old habits are hard to break," she admitted softly. Ironwood nodded in quiet understanding.

"I suppose so," he replied.

Willow gave him a nostalgic smile.

"I am glad you are taking care of my girls, James," Willow said quietly, "And glad to have you with me in all this... Insanity. I wish you had been there for Whitley, too. I'm only now beginning to realize how... How much I failed him. Failed them all..." Her head bowed again.

"Self pity won't help," Ironwood reminded her gently. He reached out to tip her chin back up. She stared in surprise. "It never has, Willow. Whatever your challenges... I will do what I can to assist. I will offer protection for you and your family. I swear it."

Willow flushed slightly. She looked to the side and let out another small laugh.

"You know... I rather like you being this way," she admitted.

Ironwood shrugged, withdrawing his hand slowly.

"I suppose, in a way, we are family now," he said quietly.

Willow nodded.

"I think we've been that for longer. Though I didn't notice."

The door to the room opened. Winter Schnee entered, with Theodore walking alongside her. They both came to attention in front of the table, and Ironwood stood in greeting.

"Sir," Winter stated, "My son has completed the preliminary report from all the future children."

"I'm still working on Moses' side of things," Theodore said, handing over a holochip, "But he's sleeping in his mom's lab while she monitors him. Granny Izzy is going to give him an examination, see if she can't help his symptoms. But this is all the relevant information I could find on the Vytal attacks and some other White Fang operations."

Ironwood nodded, his smile faint but proud.

"Thank you," he said. Theodore nodded.

"There are... A few other details I haven't mentioned," he added. Winter gave him a frown. Theodore shook his head. "I ask that I be allowed to exercise my discretion in this matter for the time being. It is... Delicate."

Ironwood raised an eyebrow. Theodore remained very stoic and serious, a rarity from the young man.

"Does this involve the children of Cinder Fall?" He asked. Theodore slowly nodded. Ironwood frowned, but slowly nodded.

"I see. I will trust your discretion in this matter for the time being," he said. Theodore nodded, smiling softly.

"Thank you, sir." He turned to his mother, who frowned. "Trust me, Mother. Please."

Winter sucked in a breath, and slowly nodded.

"I believe you have earned it," she said, "But keep us apprised?"

"I will. Promise," Theodore said with a smile. "Now! Mother?" He handed her a holochip, "Here's everything I can tell you about your relationship with Dad. May I suggest you try something nice and casual for the first date? I've included a few pictures of things Dad really likes you to wear. I've got to handle a few other things."

Winter shook her head.

"Remember to get some rest, huh?" She awkwardly reached out and squeezed his shoulder. He smiled gently back, and squeezed her hand.

"I will," he said. A Schnee Glyph appeared behind him and he stepped back, vanishing. Winter inserted the holochip into her Scroll. She projected the first image... And blushed bright red at the very abbreviated outfit her future self was wearing.

"Oh my," Willow murmured, "Well, that will definitely get his attention."

"M-Mother!" Winter cried, turning off her Scroll. Ironwood raised an eyebrow.

"Given he's an Arc, you will need to be as direct as possible. Subtlety doesn't work on them."

"Absolutely," Willow nodded, "In fact Winter? You should wear less."

"Mother!"

"Given the competition you are up against, you will need every weapon in your arsenal to keep up," Ironwood added, "In this case, an all out assault would be the best approach."

"S-Sir!"