[RWBY] The Great Temporal Step-Sibling War!

[AndrewJTalon]

"You look great, son! You'll really knock her socks off!" Nick exclaimed as he gave Jaune a firm, reassuring pat on the back."

"Your father is correct, Friend Jaune," Penny agreed. "Your preparation time was utilized very effectively."

"Thanks." Jaune took a calming breath as he stepped out of JNPR's room and into the hall, his father and Penny close behind. Nick grinned a bit wider than usual, which was saying something.

"Now I need to go apologize to your mother for running out on the meeting." Nick turned and started walking in the opposite direction from where Jaune needed to go. "You go have fun with your girl!"

"I will." The words slipped out of his mouth reflexively, startling Jaune a bit. Then he squared his shoulders and did his best to own those words. "I will."

And so Jaune exited the dormitory, Penny following behind, somewhat confident that he had cleaned up nicely and wouldn't immediately embarrass himself standing next to a woman as elegant as Winter. He fiddled with his tie to make one hundred percent certain it was straight, and to keep himself from messing with his hair. He had managed to comb down the few parts that wanted to stick up and wanted them to stay combed down long enough for the date to actually start.

"Hey, Dad," a voice called out a few moments after he and Penny had cleared the doors.

"Hey, Theodore." Jaune paused and turned to face his son with Winter. "Do you need something?"

"I'm here to help you, actually," Theodore answered as he stepped away from the wall he had been leaning against.

"That makes sense." Jaune nodded thoughtfully. "You have advice about your mother, then?"

Theodore shrugged non-chalantly.

"Eh, not advice per se." Theodore reached into his pocket and pulled out some anti-nausea medicine. "I'm just here to give you this for the flight and to tell you that I looked up what's going to be Mom's favorite cafe here in Vale."

"You did?" Jaune took the medicine, checked the recommended dosage, and popped the pill dry.

"Yeah, it does exist in this time period, and the reviews are good," Theodore revealed. "It might be a better destination than wherever you're currently planning to take Mom."

"Really? Where is it?" Jaune smiled. That was fantastic news and a great idea.

"It's near that library with those guardian sphinx statues. Let me send you the exact address." Theodore pulled out his scroll and quickly typed something on it. Jaune's own scroll gave the message-received sound, so he pulled it out and put the address into his map app.

"Okay, I know where that is," Jaune confirmed after scrutinizing the map for a bit. "Anything else I need to know before I pick up your mom?"

"Nah, you got this," Theodore shook his head with a grin. "I mean, I did set up a surprise she won't like, but that's on me, not you, and it will give you a chance to show off how kind and caring you are!"

The white-haired boy promptly disappeared through one of his teleportation glyphs.

Jaune stared at the empty space for a long moment before running his hand down his face and heaving a mighty sigh. Part of him wanted to hunt Theodore down and make his son explain himself, but the rest of him acknowledged that he didn't have time to do that. Whatever it was, he'd just have to deal with it whenever it came up. In any case, he couldn't imagine Theodore doing anything that would sabotage the date, so Jaune could safely put the exchange on the back burner and not worry about it until it became relevant.

"Well then... I suppose..." Jaune muttered in exasperation. "Hey, Penny?"

"Yes, Friend Jaune?"

"Winter's still meeting us at the airfield, right?"

"Specialist Schnee is, and she's on her way," Penny cheerfully confirmed.

"Then let's just go to the airfield." Jaune stood straight and began walking with purpose, reading the reviews of the cafe he'd be taking Winter to as he went.

The walk to the airfield wasn't long, and it wasn't hard to spot the Atlasian beauty in the crowd of people going back and forth. Winter stood slightly to the side of the main thoroughfare, wearing the same outfit she had been wearing that morning with the addition of what could generously be called a suit jacket but was more a pair of sleeves made of suit jacket material, the same color as her pencil skirt, to go with her sleeveless blouse. If the jacket was buttoned up, it would have covered her bust and not much else, making the addition to her ensemble seem just a bit risqué despite the blouse being there to make everything kosher.

"Jaune!" Winter smiled as she saw them approach and waved them over. Jaune could see a hint of the same nervousness he felt lurking in her eyes. "Do you mind if we use my personal airship instead of a public Bullhead? I have priority docking throughout most of the city."

"No, that'd be great," Jaune managed to keep his own nerves out of his reply. "Where's your ship?"

"This way." Winter gestured for Jaune to walk beside her, and the two of them made their way through the crowd at a sedate pace, both doing their best not to let their anxiousness show and doing a good enough job that the only people to notice were themselves and perhaps Penny walking at a respectful distance behind them.

It didn't take long for her to lead him to a rather unique-looking aircraft with a tapered cockpit and fuselage with four nacelles arranged in an X-shaped configuration. Long, ribbon-like banners in the ice-blue color the Schnee family favored were attached to the nacelles in such a way that they'd trail behind the airship while in flight.

Jaune let out an appreciative whistle. "That's a beautiful ship right there."

"You like it?" Winter preened. "It's a 1991 Taggart Cloud-skimmer, a perfect blend of utility and grace. They only made ten of this model, and my family owns all of them. Two of them have never been flown; they're supposed to be graduation presents for my younger siblings."

"And I'm guessing you got this one when you graduated from Atlas Academy?" Jaune asked, and Winter nodded in confirmation. "How much does maintenance cost? 'Cause if there's only ten of them, you can't have that many spare parts lying around..."

"More and less than you'd think," Winter started to look a little bashful. "Every part is a custom order... but Taggart became a subsidiary of the SDC in '95, so each order is discounted. Fortunately, Taggart built the Cloud-skimmers to last, so it hasn't happened very often."

They then boarded the Specialist's airship, and Winter gave him the ten-cent tour, briefly showing him the Cloud-skimmer's rooms, from the cargo and passenger spaces to the sleeping quarters, high-end kitchen, and bathroom for when a trip could take you away from civilization for weeks at a time. It was without a doubt the most luxurious airship Jaune had ever seen, and as they entered the cockpit and prepared for departure, he found himself sitting in the second most comfortable chair he had ever sat on.

Winter received clearance to depart without any real fanfare, and Jaune experienced the smoothest takeoff of his life to that point. As the vessel cut through the sky, Jaune directed Winter to the docks closest to the cafe Theodore had told him about. The two of them spent the flight engaged in mostly meaningless yet pleasant small talk about the city's skyline that lasted until they landed. The two of them departed the private airship while Jaune checked his scroll one last time to make sure he knew how to get to their destination. As they left the airship, with Penny trailing behind, Winter casually slid her hand into the hand Jaune had left unoccupied with his scroll.

She sent a demure look his way, which Jaune returned with a bashful smile. The two of them made their way through the streets in silence, Jaune leading the way. Roughly five minutes later, their destination was in sight.

"The Checkmate Cafe," Jaune read the building's sign aloud. The facade was made up to look like a castle with bricks in a black-and-white checkerboard pattern. A handful of the waitstaff could be seen milling about through the windows in outfits that vaguely resembled pawns, while the till was manned by a woman whose uniform resembled the rook piece. A chef came out of the back to put new pastries in the display case, their hat stylized to resemble the bishop piece.

"A chess-themed cafe?" Winter sounded intrigued.

"Not just themed," Jaune explained. "The tables all have holographic game boards built in that can play every variant of chess recognized by the Four Kingdoms Chess Association, as well as a few other classic abstract strategy games like Go, Checkers, Halma, and Stratego, just to name a few. You either pay for the food you eat or the games you play, whichever one ends up being cheaper on a slow day, or whichever one is more expensive on a busy day. With the festival going on, it's a slow day, and they have a ton of free tables..."

"Are you sure this is what you want to do with me?" Winter asked with the air of someone trying hard not to sound like they were bragging. "I was the reigning champion of the Atlas Academy Chess Club, which let me play a game with Grandmaster Troff. I managed a draw. Everyone agreed I could have become a grandmaster myself if I had applied myself to the circuit."

"Well, I learned how to play from my Great-Grandmother, and I didn't always lose," Jaune matched her tone.

"Your Great-Grandmother Arturia?" Winter sounded eager.

"The one and only," Jaune confirmed with a proud nod.

Winter looked at the cafe with hungry eyes before glancing back at Penny. A hint of hesitation crossed her face.

"Are you going to come in with us, or...?"

"My mission is to provide security, not to intrude on your date, Specialist Schnee, Friend Jaune," Penny answered cheerfully. "I am more than capable of providing overwatch from that bench over there in my incognito mode."

Penny placed a pair of sunglasses on her face while pulling a collapsed hat from her pocket that popped out into a fedora. She placed the hat on her head while pulling a bundle of cloth from her pocket that unfolded into a trench coat.

"Are you sure you'll be fine by yourself?" Jaune asked.

"I am currently sharing cat videos with Friend Whitley," Penny replied as she pulled the trench coat on, buttoned it up, and cinched the belt at her waist. "I am sufficiently entertained."

With that, Penny turned and left them for the bench. Jaune and Winter looked at each other again.

"Shall we?" Jaune offered his arm.

"We shall," Winter took his arm, and the two of them crossed the street.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Beacon

- - -

Learning about Jaune's family and seeing photos of herself as a baby with her mother, Yang, Dad... It was amazing. Ruby could see the same happiness in Yang's eyes. But it also made her feel a bit self conscious, as Isabel showed off an image of the two of them with Jaune in a mud puddle, all messy.

"It took us hours to clean you up," Isabel snickered. Athena gasped, clapping her hands together.

"Oh Pyrrha! I remember when you got into the garbage as a child! I might have a picture here..." She rummaged through her Scroll. Pyrrha paled as evil grins appeared on the faces of the other future brides. Save for Glynda, she just smirked very slightly.

"Darnit! Where is it?" Athena wailed. "Oh Pyrrha! I'm such a terrible mother! I don't have enough pictures of you as a baby to show off! HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?!"

"Easy Athena, easy," Barsara consoled her, as Orestes sighed and produced his own Scroll. He flipped through and held up a picture of an unrepentant toddler Pyrrha grinning out of a trash can.

"M-Mother!" Pyrrha blushed deeply. Athena smiled, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"I... I was upset but you were so cute and I just... I really do remember it fondly," she admitted softly. Orestes gave Pyrrha a small, encouraging smile. Pyrrha looked back at her mother and smiled back.

"Thank you... It is still embarassing."

"I think that's the point," Blake muttered.

"So we'll see your baby pictures next?" Ruby grinned. "When you were a baby kit?"

Blake glared.

"No."

"She's just kitten around!" Yang laughed. Blake glared harder.

"You...!" She looked over at Arslan. She blinked.

"What are you looking at me for? I bet your baby pictures were cute."

"They were," Logos nodded, holding out his scroll and showing off a cute little Arslan covered in flour in the kitchen. Arslan chuckled.

"I was cute, wasn't I?"

"Very cute," Barsara agreed. Arslan smiled at Pyrrha. Pyrrha shrugged gently.

"I suppose we were both messy as children," she said.

"That's children for you," Logos laughed.

Emerald fidgeted. Isabel smiled, and hugged the green haired girl around her shoulders.

"This is part of being family," she murmured softly. Emerald flushed, and nodded.

"I... I see," she murmured.

Ruby's grimace grew. She turned and slipped away, heading to the garden entrance. She took a few deep breaths.

"It's okay," said a voice. Ruby jumped and looked behind her. Arjun stood there, smiling kindly, "To need time to yourself after all this."

"I just, um... A-Aren't you supposed to be helping May with her date or... Something?" Ruby stuttered. Arjun shook his head.

"Saia's handling it. I'm not much on women's fashion I'm afraid," he shrugged, "Though I did once have to wear a skirt because of your mother."

Ruby's eyes widened. She looked at Arjun intently.

"Really?"

"Yes... As did Jaune's father, and your father, and Qrow," Arjun chuckled. Ruby grinned.

"Can... Can you tell me about it?"

"Certainly," Arjun said with a nod.

A moment later, Julian teleported into existence, slamming into Ruby.

"URK! JULIAN!"

"MOM! SAVE ME!" Julian cried. Ruby yelped, nearly bowled over by her son's inertia, but she held on and hugged him.

"What? What is it?!" Ruby cried.

"ARC! GET BACK HERE!" Cardin roared. Julian winced.

"He knows I'm dating his daughter in the future and I-I accidentally mentioned I might have... Ya know... Kissed her and junk and so-"

"GET BACK HERE ARC!" Cardin shouted, rounding a wall and snarling at Julian. Velvet was close behind bright red.

"N-No! Cardin! Don't! He hasn't done anything yet!" Velvet cried.

"Does the concept of secrecy just not exist in Vale anymore?" Arjun sighed. He glared at them both. "Enough! Act like adults, not children."

Arjun's glare made Cardin take pause. He grumbled.

"But he... Urgh... Fine," he glared at Julian. "Stop blathering like an idiot about stuff that makes me want to punch you!"

"All I said was that Serena has incredible thighs!" Julian insisted. "It's not like I-I did anything to them!"

"How did that even come up?!" Ruby groaned. Velvet and Cardin flushed. Ruby shook her head. "Nevermind! I don't want to know!"

"Besides, Ash is dating Serena and Lian at the same time!" Julian cried. Ash and Ashley came around the corner next, Ash scowling.

"Not cool, bro," Ash stated. Cardin spun around and glared at Ash, who didn't flinch.

"Seriously?!"

"Yeah, and I'm gonna marry them both," Ash said firmly, "Because I love them both. What's the problem? Also, Velvet, you look amazing."

"Aw, thank you-Ash, right?" Velvet beamed.

"And you'll still look amazing after thirty kids," Ashley grinned. Cardin went pale as Velvet blushed and squealed.

"Thirty?!" Velvet cried in joy, hugging Cardin happily.

"Th-Thirty?!" Cardin choked.

Ash and Ashley gave Julian and Ruby smug looks. Arjun smirked a bit as he gently pushed them away from the scene.

"Well played," he murmured.

Ruby, being no fool about sibling distractions, hurried her son along with Arjun following.

- - -

They made it to the Pandavan Royal Airship, which Ruby and Julian both geeked out over for a bit:

"Look at those thrusters! So retro!"

"And that Vishnu Tech Autocannon! The servos are a work of art!"

Before they entered the airship and sat down in the galley. A supply of cookies was provided, and both Julian and Ruby ate them happily.

"Mmm... Lots of cinnamon," Ruby enthused. "And ginger!"

"Really good," Julian agreed. Arjun nodded, eating some cookies with them. He chuckled.

"You got your sweet tooth from your mother, though your father was certainly no slouch when it came to sweets," he said. Ruby beamed at him.

"Really?! Hey, you were going to tell me about the skirts and the bet-!"

"Granpa Tai bet that they couldn't trick Qrow AND Grandpa Nick into wearing skirts because he was from a bunch of nomad bandits who didn't know any better that girls wear skirts, not boys," Julian said, munching on another cookie, "And so Granpa Arjun and Tai had to wear a skirt to convince them, because if Granpa Arjun did it, then it had to be true. So they won the bet, but they all had to wear skirts and look like dorks!"

Ruby laughed in disbelief. Arjun sighed.

"I see you've heard this story. Well... Here is the picture." He held up his Scroll and showed the picture. Ruby stared at the image of her teenaged father, uncle, Nick, and Arjun, all in Beacon uniforms... With skirts. All making silly, girly poses.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ruby cackled, holding her sides as she laughed herself silly. Julian also giggled, though he choked on a cookie in the process.

"URK!"

Arjun slapped his back, even as Ruby made to move to help him. Julian coughed up the cookie into a napkin Arjun provided, and took a few deep breaths.

"I'm good!" He announced, before resuming eating cookies. Arjun smirked over at Ruby.

"I did that for your parents and Nick too," he said. "You may have to do it for Jaune."

"Heh, yeah," Ruby giggled. Arjun nodded slowly, and sighed.

"I am sorry it took the spacetime continuum turning inside out for me to talk with you, Ruby," Arjun said quietly. "I did make attempts to reconnect after Summer's death. I was at the funeral with Saia. You were probably too young to remember."

"I-I mean..." Ruby shrugged, looking aside, "You're a king and junk... Probably busy..."

"I was, but it's a poor excuse," Arjun said quietly. "I did promise that I would seek you out when you were old enough. Tell you about our connection."

"Our connection?" Ruby asked, looking back at him with wide eyes. Arjun nodded gravely.

"The Sarkaran Semblance is one of the few that is hereditary," Arjun stated, "The Schnees are another."

"Why aren't there more people with hereditary semblances?" Ruby asked. Julian winced.

"Umm..."

"Well Ruby, that's because in many cultures those with powerful Hereditary Semblances formed groups and gangs that conquered and ruled over normal people. Or were used as weapons, and often got genocided," Arjun stated in a very flat tone. Ruby winced.

"O-Oh... So... The Silver Eyed Warriors-?"

"Yes, unfortunately," Arjun sighed. "That was also why I stayed away. Ozpin suggested we not draw too much attention to you. That said, we are kin in a way."

Ruby gasped.

"Are you like... My father's brother's cousin's nephew... Uncle?" She asked, eyes wide and sparkling. Arjun smiled.

"No," he stated. Ruby coughed.

"R-Right! Right... Because that... That would be stupid, right..."

"Super stupid, "Julian said while he chewed on more cookies. Ruby scowled.

"Don't talk with your mouth full!"

"Sorry!" Julian mumbled, sipping some milk. Arjun shook his head.

"What I mean is, Aura Vision came to be because long ago, my ancestors intermarried with a clan of Silver Eyed Warriors," Arjun said, "And our Semblance is a faint echo of the kinds of power you can wield."

Ruby gasped, eyes widening and practically sparkling.

"Is there a super secret set of ancient stone carvings and tomes of forbidden knowledge that can teach me how to, like... Summon a giant samurai ghost warrior, or-or make black holes with my eyes?!"

"Yes there are tomes and stone carvings. For abilities? Definitely not the second one," Arjun chuckled, "The first? Possibly. Julian?"

"I mean, um," Julian coughed, looking a bit awkward as he fiddled with a cookie in his hand, "I've only learned a little... But yeah, there is all sorts of cool stuff! But uh, I forgot to bring my instruction manual."

Ruby glared. Julian shrugged.

"What? Was I supposed to know I would get sent through time?"

"I... Suppose not?" Ruby managed. "You would have packed a toothbrush, right?"

"Totally," Julian nodded.

"Well, good thing I didn't forget anything," Arjun said wryly, pulling out a tablet and making it display ancient Pandavan text. "It's been translated. I sent Summer copies, not sure where she kept them. I'm guessing Taiyang forgot to give them to you due to his mission and all the ruckus. But I will do right by her, you, Julian, and Jaune by sharing this with you."

Ruby gasped happily. She hugged Arjun.

"Mmm! Second favorite uncle!" She declared.

"After Qrow? I'll have to try harder," Arjun deadpanned, "Shall I buy you an airship?"

"Would you?!"

"No, he won't," Saia stated, walking out of the rear cabin. Arjun frowned.

"But my love, Summer would have wanted me to buy her an airship. And teach her to fly it. And do the same for her and our grandchildren."

"And also put autocannons on it!" Ruby insisted. "She totally would have!"

"Yes, she would," Saia sighed in nostalgic exasperation, "Still no."

"Awwww!" Ruby pouted.

"I'll wait until Aslanmas then," Arjun decided.

"But that's so far away!" Ruby huffed.

Saia sighed, rolling her eyes. She saved it for her husband in private, after all, shouldn't waste it.

"Come on May! We need to finish getting you ready for the date!" Saia called.

"I... I'm a little nervous," May mumbled. She emerged in a tight black dress, held on by tiny straps over her shoulders, with a cut over her right leg. A wide black hat and a black choker completed the ensemble, which left... Very little to the imagination. Ruby gaped. Julian blushed and immediately looked away.

"Is... Do I look okay?" May asked nervously, her hands clasped in front of her stomach self consciously.

"Um, y-yeah," Julian mumbled.

Arjun smiled approvingly.

"You're beautiful, Maia," he said, "Just like your mother."

Saia beamed and hugged May gently.

"I... Wha... You...!" Ruby immediately grabbed her milk and began chugging it frantically.

Saia sighed.

"You'll be fine too, Ruby," she said, "If you'd like, I can also help you when your date with Jaune comes around-?"

"YES PLEASE!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

I started my new job this week so my brain is a bit exhausted. But we're still going, we just might need to slow down a bit for the holidays.

- - -

Willow and Weiss had helped Winter prepare for her date. Willow did the make up, Weiss made the clothing selection. After she left, mother and daughter sat down in the guest quarters dining room, silent, as Klein prepared tea.

Willow was the first to break the awkwardness, clearing her throat.

"I... I think Winter was very pleased with what you did for her," she managed quietly. Weiss slowly nodded, fighting against the resentment that sprang up.

"I hope so," she murmured. "This is... Difficult."

Willow nodded slowly.

"I... I can imagine," she said softly.

Silence fell again, as Klein set down a platter of sweets. Weiss dug in, trying not to look directly at her mother. Klein smiled gently.

"You can tell her the good news, Mistress Willow," Klein said encouragingly. Weiss looked up, curious.

"What good news?"

Willow sipped her tea, trying to calm her nerves. Her hands shook a bit.

"Whitley has ensured Fafnir and Jacques won't be interfering any time soon," Willow said quietly, "And James-General Ironwood-Is working with Headmaster Ozpin to bring him down permanently."

Weiss gaped in shock at her mother. Willow sighed and bowed her head.

"It's... Very late," she said softly, "Very late indeed. It doesn't begin to make up for what I've done to you, Weiss. I... I don't expect forgiveness any time soon."

Weiss sucked in a breath. She slowly shook her head.

"I... I'm not sure how to take this," she admitted, "It's been such a whirlwind. So many things happening, so much change. I'm rivals with... All my friends and my own sister."

Willow slowly nodded.

"I know," she said softly. She smiled. "But as I said before... You have a chance at true love. You know how the story ends. You just have to seize the opportunity. Don't miss out on it, Weiss."

"It just... It seems impossible," Weiss murmured, "After what I did to him, and my competition... Even Winter..."

Willow hesitated, before she reached out. She set her hand over Weiss's. Weiss looked up, startled. Willow wet her lips.

"Nicholas Arc was my assigned bodyguard when assassins backed by the Hardy family tried to eliminate me," she said, "At first, I thought he was a fool. A moron. I insulted him. Struck him, even. He just kept smiling and helping me through it all. He nearly died to protect me. Even when I had treated him so poorly, he fought for me with all his might and saved me. Isabel actually slapped me for being so difficult."

Willow chuckled softly, shaking her head.

"I deserved it," she admitted, "And I begged his forgiveness while he was recovering in a hospital bed. He just grinned, gave a thumbs up, and said he knew that deep down, I was a good person. And it was his way to protect people with all his might, and to forgive them for their sins."

Willow sighed heavily. She squeezed Weiss' hand.

"I have no doubt that Jaune is the same as his father," she stated, "And he would love you with the same devotion. Your son is proof of that. You just have to push forward."

Weiss flushed, and slowly nodded.

"Yes Mother," she murmured. She bowed her head with a sigh.

"It's just... I-I don't want to hurt my friends, or my sister."

A beat.

"Anymore than I already have," she admitted. "N-Not that I care that much about them! Or Jaune!"

Willow giggled. Actually all out giggled. Klein sighed and shook his head. Weiss started and stared.

"What?"

"Nothing, just... Nostalgia," Willow sighed happily.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The two of them were seated by the cafe staff as soon as they crossed through the doors, and only a few moments later the pawn themed waitstaff had taken their order and explained the basic functions of the holotables. The minutes waiting for their food to arrive were spent familiarizing themselves with the controls and setting the board up to play.



It honestly surprised Jaune how calm he felt in this moment. The prospect of this first date going wrong should have been setting him on edge... but after the last few days this was fine. It was like the part of him responsible for generating anxiety had given up and collapsed from exhaustion a few hours ago and the part that would normally take over had refused to come in and start their next shift early. Or maybe those parts of him were on strike?



Well he hoped they'd stay on strike for the rest of the week.



"So, Argusian or Vytalian tournament rules?" Winter asked as she gave herself pieces that looked like they were spun from icy glass and crowned with sapphires. "I'm assuming your Great Grandmother favored her own country's rules when she was teaching you?"



"She did," Jaune confirmed as he gave himself pieces that looked like they were carved from ivory and then heavily inlayed with gold. "But Nana made sure I was proficient with both, so I'm good with either."



"Vytalian then," Winder decided with a nod. "Since we chose blue and gold for our colors instead of the traditional white and black shall we flip a coin to determine who goes first and then use the Walker Rule of alternating turn order?"



"That's fine by me," Jaune answered with only a moment's thought. "Are we using a real coin or do we let the table flip a coin for us?"



"We can let the table flip," Winter allowed. "Heads or tails?"



"Heads."



The table generated a coin toss. Tails. Winter would go first.



Their food arrived at that juncture; a plate of apple and cherry strudels as well of a plate of cookies made for dipping with large mugs of hot chocolate to dip them in. Winter grabbed a cherry strudel before moving her queen's pawn forward. Jaune grabbed one of the apple strudels as he moved his queenside knight.



"So tell me, out of everything you could have chosen to do, why chose to be a Huntsmen?" Winter inquired as she moved another pawn forward.



"Starting off with the big questions, huh?" Jaune answered as the laid the groundwork for a queenside castle. "Well, I had a lot of reasons to want to be a huntsman growing up. I spent a lot of my early years in and out of the hospital, and because of that I wanted to do something that actually mattered with my life. It's part of what kept me going when I was feeling like a burden to my family; the idea that one day I'd walk out of the hospital and do something of real consequence that proved I was worth all the time and effort they put into me."



"Something of real consequence..." Winter mused as she probed Jaune's defensive line, rapping her fingers on the table during his moves as if to distract him. "Our line of work does give us the opportunity for such things. But you could have found similar opportunities on other paths, so what's the rest of the story?"



"Well, it started with stories," Jaune completed the castle and rebuffed Winter's probes. "Some of them fictional, others form history with some from family history in particular, all of them meant to give sick kids a reason to believe in a future. Most stories have a hero, and being a Huntsman is as close as you can get to being one of those heroes."



"Not every Hunter fits the hero's mold," Winter noted as she started to aggressively advance her pawns, the first exchange of pieces was imminent. "But enough of them do that I can see why you'd chose the Huntsman's path if your goal is to be a hero. You still had other options though. The Valean Rangers might be criminally underfunded right now but they still do good work with what they have, and every town worth the name has a militia you could have climbed the ranks of. Why be a hero here instead of there?"



"There's the good reason and the kinda dumb in hindsight reason," Jaune carefully placed his defensive line. "The good reason is that as a Huntsman I'll basically be my own boss so long as I'm decent at it and manage my money right. I can pick my own contracts for my own reasons and take the contracts others ignore because they don't pay enough or aren't high profile enough or whatever. Do good for the sake of doing good and do the right thing because it's the right thing without having to worry if it's convenient or not."



"That's a very admirable reason," Winter acknowledged as she took one of his pawns. He took that pawn with another pawn. She took with a knight. He took with a bishop. She took with her queen. He threatened with a rook protected by his own queen. She withdrew her queen, neither of them truly ahead after the exchange. "As a specialist I've traded that flexibility for the security of Atlas directly backing all of my missions. It's worked out well for me, but if our current leadership was less righteous I could see myself envying that flexibility. Now what's the dumb in hindsight reason?"



"Stubborn pride," Jaune shrugged before taking a pawn with a knight. Winter shifted her defenses in response as Jaune continued, "When I first told my parents I wanted to be a Huntsman my Mom gave me a firm and definitive no. She then spent next several years doing everything she could to push me in a different direction, namely medical school, and at the end of the day that made me want it more."



"So your mother still wanted you to follow in her footsteps, even though she wanted you to skip the hunting portion of her career?" Winter surmised as she took a pawn with another pawn. The took her pawn with a knight, she took his knight with a bishop, he took with his queen. With his queen in a different position she felt confident to advance a rook.



"I guess that's one way to look at it," Jaune allowed as he adjusted his defenses, "It felt like she was trying to cut me off from the rest of the family legacy though, like I was supposed to ignore everything about our history in favor of the new direction she wanted to take things in."



"Is that so?" Winter reached for her next piece.



"Yeah, and I guess that's another thing that was part of my choice," Jaune reflected, "The family legacy of heroism is just too big for one person to decide all of it needed to go in a completely new direction, even if that person's my mom."



Winter's hand hovered over her queen, hesitation evident in the flexing of her fingers. She made to grab it once, twice, and a third time always stopping before she had properly touched the piece. A frown of deep thought had taken over her face, and in the end she reached for a cookie to dip in her hot chocolate instead of making her next move.



"That's..." Winter dipped the cookie, took a bite out of it, dipped it again. Her chewing was contemplative as thoughts beyond the game swirled behind her eyes. She found some words after she finished the cookie, "It really would be a shame for one person to change the trajectory of a family legacy as long and storied as your own, even if the new direction didn't detract from the old legacy..." She reached for her queen again and took Jaune's bishop, not noticing his rook was ready to take, "Though reaching back to the older legacy is probably easier when the new blood hasn't eclipsed the old blood in reputation."



Jaune took her queen, and Winter's eyes grew wide as she comprehended her blunder. One fury of exchanging pieces later and it was clear that Jaune would win the game. Winter conceded the match with an impressed look in her eyes and they reset the board for the next game, Jaune moving first this time.



"My family legacy isn't the only one you're thinking about right now, is it?" He asked as he moved a pawn forward to assert control over the middle of the board.



"You're right, it isn't," Winter sighed as she dipped another cookie in her hot chocolate. "My Grandfather pioneered revolutionary new Dust extraction techniques that lifted thousands of people out of poverty and helped build the new Kingdom Atlas from the ashes of the old Kingdom of Mantle. The man wasn't just a captain of industry leading a fledgling economy to new heights, there were a couple of decades where he was the nation's economy. That's why the Schnee name became revered."



Winter aggressively advanced her knights as she found the words to continue, "Hardly anyone talks about that now. My father has fully supplanted my grandfather in the public's mind, and people use the family name with wariness or contempt. As the eldest I was old enough and aware enough to notice the change happening. As the presumed heir at the time I was expected to support my father in what he was doing... and I became so disgusted with it I wanted to cut myself off from the family name and legacy. So I went to the one place where I could make a legacy that was separate from the family name; the military, where I aimed for a position that could only be obtained through merit."



"Well, I'm guessing the legacy you wanted to make for yourself is already pretty impressive," Jaune moved his kingside bishop forward to threaten one of her knights. As she pulled it back he continued, "I mean you're the right hand woman of Atlas' top general and you're only, what? Four or five years older than me? How'd that happen?"



"I suppose it started all the way back during my first year at Atlas Academy," Winter mused as she probed Jaune's defenses with a rook. "I was made leader of Team Whiskey-Alpha-Foxtrot-Love, and we rapidly became the top team of our year."



"Whiskey-Alpha...? W-A-F-L? Waffle?" Jaune asked as he repositioned one of his knights.



"Ah," Winter blushed as she advanced a pawn, pointedly not looking Jaune in the eyes. "Yes. WAFL. We were called WAFL."



"Well don't worry, I won't tell Nora you're on the other side of the Pancake vs. Waffle debate," Jaune gently joked.



"Oh? Well. Good," Winter internally sighed in relief that he hadn't thought of the other definition of waffle, something the rival teams at the academy had thrown around every chance they could. Sure having a team named after breakfast food was an embarrassing source of teasing, but it was one that could be done in a friendly manner.



"Anyways," Winter pushed on past the subject of her team name, "As my team climbed in the school's rankings there was a string of unexplained disappearances around school grounds... this isn't really the right place to share all the grizzly details but the long and short of it is another student had a psychotic break and became a serial killer. My team figured out who they were, how they were committing their crimes and how to counter their shadow-bending semblance. We were suitably reprimanded for capturing them ourselves instead of informing the school faculty first, but it all worked out in the end and it put us on the top brass' radar."



"So Weiss being immediately down with vigilante stunts is actually a family trait then?" Jaune smiled as he grabbed a couple of the dipping cookies.



"I suppose it is," Winter chucked at that. "But vigilante stunts wasn't the only thing that made my team noteworthy. As a top team we were selected for some joint training exercises with Shade Academy in Vacuo, and while there we stumbled upon and vanquished a massive Grimm Wyrm. We also had respectable placements during both of the Vytal Festivals, and we all graduated with top honors." Fondness graced her smile as she reminisced for a moment, "That was honestly a surprise to me. Don't get me wrong they were all great teammates and I couldn't imagine myself going through the academy with anyone else, but we drove each other crazy half the time and I honestly thought they'd get me expelled more than once."



"I think I can relate," Jaune contemplated aloud, "I have no idea how I'd manage Nora without Ren there to balance her out. I wouldn't trade her for anything but she's like three of my more hyperactive blood sisters rolled up into one, and that's a lot of concentrated enthusiasm to deal with."



"After meeting her on Saturday I can see that," Winter chucked. "In any case Team Whiskey-Alpha-Foxtrot-Love didn't stay together long after graduation, but before we split we..."



The words hung in the air for a moment. Winter absentmindedly moved a couple of pieces around the board as her eyebrows scrunched together in deep thought. They were still good moves in spite of her apparent distraction.



"...So when WAFL split up...?" Jaune prompted as he organized his impending attack.



"Sorry," Winter apologized as she refocused on the present, "I just realized I don't know how much of that mission is classified or not. In any case after the team split I... no wait that mission is definitely classified." She moved her queen forward, making Jaune reassess his plan of attack, "Then there was the mission in Balto where I... Oh. That's classified too." Winter frowned, "After that I was assigned to Rana Niejta where I... No if that isn't classified it ought to be..." She suddenly snapped her fingers with a eureka look on her face, "I survived a fight with a Jormungandr! Destroyed one of its' eyes too! That's not classified!" Winter suddenly looked doubtful, "At least it shouldn't be."



"So you did a bunch of stuff I might have to sign a NDA to get the full details of, and that's why you've obtained a position that'd normally go to someone twice our ages?" Jaune surmised as he took one of her bishops with his knight.



"More or less," Winter agreed as she took his knight with a rook.



A comfortable silence fell between them as they focused more directly on the game. The rapid exchange of pieces did not let up. Within a few moments they found themselves in a rook and pawn endgame.



"This is going to be a draw, isn't it?" Jaune noted with some embarrassment in his voice.



"It is," Winter agreed equally embarrassed. "Letting you take my second knight was a massive mistake on my part."



"I shouldn't have sacked my bishop to take your queen," Jaune highlighted what he thought was his biggest error in this game.



"No... I think that could have worked out for you if you had followed up with the other bishop."



"A double sacrifice play?" Jaune considered it. "Maybe. Do you want to game it out?"



"...Yes. Yes I do," Winter set the board up to resemble that moment, "Now if you sack the second bishop you could threaten with the queenside rook..."



"...Which would let me move the knight if you try to cover with that pawn..."



"...Yes... and if I try to cover with my bishop instead then you could-"



"Hey guys, It's good to see you're having fun," Theodore beamed from right beside them where he hadn't been the split second before. Winter and Jaune may or may not have jumped a little at their son's interruption.



"Theodore!" Winter gaped in surprise, "Why are you here?"



"Yeah, sorry for interrupting," Theodore sounded sincere enough and just a bit embarrassed at having barged in. "I just need my semblance boosted by Aura Amp for a little project I'm doing. It will just take a moment and you guys can get back to your date."



"How much of a boost do you need?" Jaune asked as he turned to fully face his son.



"Eh, doesn't really matter," Theodore shrugged. "Any serious use of Aura Amp will supercharge the beneficiary's semblance for roughly twenty-four hours so long as a minimum amount of aura is transferred. So like think about the amount of aura you'd use to sooth a stubbed toe and you'd be in the right ballpark for that minimum."



"Okay," Jaune frowned as he placed a hand on Theodore's forearm and focused on his semblance. Aura flowed between them, and Jaune removed his hand once he guesstimated that he had transferred enough of it.



"Thanks," Theodore smiled before turning to his mother with a hint of trepidation. "Alright, so fair warning: I didn't actually need to borrow your hair dye to touch up my roots this morning. I'm a natural snow-hair."



"What," Winter's eyes grew wide.



"Yeah, me and all my full blooded siblings have natural white hair," Theodore sounded more and more chagrined with each syllable leaving his lips. "The gene just skipped you for some reason."



"Then why did you ask for the hair dye?" Winter's bewilderment was obvious.



"Well you see I had a can of experimental nanites on me that are supposed to destroy dyes and restore someone's natural hair color and I didn't want to keep lugging it around everywhere and I saw a chance to get rid of it," Theodore shrugged with a nervous grin. "Anyways if you used it to touch up any of your roots while you were getting ready for this than they should have done their work in ten, nine, eight, seven,"



Theodore abruptly teleported away.



Winter scrambled for her scroll and turned the camera on, using it as a mirror to check her hair.



A look of terror grew across her features as an inch wide stripe of black faded into existence starting from her bangs over her right eye and going straight back into her bun.



"He's grounded," Winter hissed. "No. Court Marshaled. Latrine duty until he graduates. No. Until he's sixty. Fifty laps around the city walls every day. The outermost walls. Potato peeling every night until..."



Jaune waved to a waitress for the check as Winter's list of appropriate punishments grew longer and longer. Winter didn't even notice him paying. Her ranting continued uninterrupted as he gently coaxed her out of her chair and guided her out of the cafe. Penny followed them at a distance as he guided Winter through the streets as venomous words continued to spill forth from her lips.



"...He'll disassemble every bullhead in the fleet all by himself and polish ever bolt before reassembling all of them by hand..."



Jaune was finding her ranting disturbingly impressive, coming up with new and unique punishments for over five minutes was an inspiring display of creativity. Also lung capacity, because he wasn't entirely sure she'd paused to breathe at any point. In any case he saw something that might help derail the rant and maybe help her feel better about her looks.



Winter only noticed he had pulled her into a photo booth when the camera flashed. This turn of events surprised her enough that she stood stock still as Jaune did goofy poses around her. Soon the strip of photos he had paid for were printed out and he presented them to her proudly.



"Wow, these turned out great," Jaune smiled at her as she finally returned to the present moment. Winter took the strip of photos and couldn't help but snort at her deer-in-the-headlights expression, its contrast to the dopey smiles and coy looks Jaune was sporting as he posed around her still-as-a-statue form was enough to finish derailing the last of her rage.



"Do you want to talk about it?" Jaune gently asked now that she was calm.



"Ugh," Winter sagged as she sat down on the booth's bench. "I have my father's hair. The Schnee blood ran true for all of us but we each got something that was unquestionably from him. Whitley got his eyes. Weiss got his ears. I got his hair."



"And you don't want to look like him," Jaune concluded.



"No, no I don't," Winter forlornly agreed. "I didn't want to be like him when when he was just a crooked business man and a lousy father, and now that the future has shared his secrets... he's done so many terrible things already. I never want to be like him. I never want to look like him. That's why I started dying my hair. It was like I cleansed myself of the thing that marked me as his."



Jaune sat down next to her on the bench and carefully gave her a side hug. She leaned into it.



"Sooo... I've seen photos of him in the newspaper recently. He has white hair now," Jaune cautiously ventured.



"He started dying his hair to give his image the authority of age now that he's too old to maintain the image of youth," Winter scowled. "I dyed my hair first, and I am not abandoning the classic Schnee look now that he's doing it to."



"You know, I'd bet he'd never give himself an off center black stripe," Jaune theorized.



Winter's scowl became contemplative, "No... No he wouldn't."



"You want to take a few more pictures? See if this look that'd be all your own suits you?"



"...It wouldn't hurt..." Winter allowed.



Jaune paid for a few more rounds of photos.



The first couple of photos were serious, the kind of practical photos one would take for examining a look. Then Jaune struck a dramatic pose, and in the photo after that Winter adjusted her stance to be a good match for his.



The pictures continued in the vein one would expect of photo booth fair. The two of them went from pose to pose, some dramatic, others silly. They poked and prodded each other as the poses demanded until they were embracing in the side hugs one would expect, Winter laughing as she tried to give Jaune moose antlers.



The last three photos were as follows:



In the third to last Winter pecked him on the cheek.



In the second to last she kissed Jaune full on the mouth.



In the final photo Penny reached into the booth to pull them out, her Virginity Alarm blaring.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Ten Miles Outside of Vale

- - -

Theodore's Glyph flashed into existence, lighting up the dark tunnel as he, Julian, Xia, Ash and Ashley emerged into the gloom. Xia made a face, immediately flaring her Aura with her Semblance to light up the area.

"Geez... Where are we?"

Julian looked around, his keen eyes adjusting to the darkness.

"The Mount Glenn railway tunnel," he pronounced. Theodore grinned.

"Ding ding ding! We have a winner!"

Ashley raised an eyebrow at Theodore.

"You're not thinking of assaulting Mount Glenn with just us, are you?" She asked.

Ash grinned, cracking his knuckles.

"Sounds kind of fun," he stated. Ashley scoffed.

"You would think that."

"So are you, you're just denying it," Ash teased. Ashley smirked.

"One of us has to seem like a mature, responsible adult around here," she stated. She looked over at Theodore. "Still, while I'm confident we could win... I think our odds could be improved."

"As much fun as that might be," Theodore admitted, "We'd probably just get yelled at. No, I'm just gonna make things easier on everyone. But I wanna make sure it all works out."

He walked gracefully over to the train tracks, signs of recent construction activity all around the tunnel-Pickaxes, shovels, even a back hoe. He stood in the middle of the train tracks, and stared ahead intently.

"At this moment," he said, "The White Fang's filled their train with enough Dust to blow up twenty city blocks. Team RWBY in all our timelines is able to sabotage it so only the front train cars hit... But if it did hit at full force, it might have been devastating. So! We're gonna make sure Mount Glenn is out of action for a good long while. Xia? I need you to generate as much Aura as possible. Ash and Ashley? I need you to feed it into me. And Julian?"

"Yes? Yes?" Julian asked, very eager. Theodore grinned like a proper big brother should.

"You're going to infuse my Glyphs with your Silver Eyes Energy... Which should kill almost every Grimm for several miles."

Julian whooped.

"OH YEAH!"

Xia frowned.

"This... Just sounds crazy!" She grinned savagely, her eyes glowing green, "I'm in."

Julian then started, and looked to his two half-siblings from Cinder.

"But wait! What about your mom? Do we know for sure she's not at Mount Glenn?"

"We can't get an exact lock on her location, but we can tell the general area she's in," Ash replied with a small smile, "She's not at Mount Glenn."

"Still," Ash said, pulling out his Scroll, and a small, complicated looking device. The Twins used both their Scrolls and triangulated the device between them. Ashley sighed in relief.

"No... She's not there," she said.

"You guys have been trying to contact her, huh?" Xia asked dryly. The twins looked guilty. Xia shook her head, hands held up. "It's okay, I get it. She's still your mom."

"We've been trying," Ash sighed, "No luck yet."

"Well, we'll keep trying!" Julian said cheerfully. The twins stared at him. "What? I want a happy ending for all of us! Who doesn't?"

Ashley sighed and hugged him.

"You're too cute sometimes," she muttered. Julian grinned.

"HA! I'm cute all the time!"

"I almost feel bad for siccing Cardin on you," Ash added. Julian glared at him, then smirked evilly.

"Ohhh, don't you worry about that. I'll get my revenge soon enough," Julian hissed. Theodore clapped his hands.

"Fantastic! Everything's sorted out! So! Let's get this show on the road!"

"Yeah yeah," Xia huffed. She powered up with a flare, her Aura burning like a small sun as lightning crackled around her and her eyes burned like emeralds. Ash and Ashley moved between her and Theodore, holding hands. Ash held his other hand out to Xia, and her Aura slipped off her like mist being drawn by a breeze into his palm. His eyes glowed. Ashley's eyes began to glow as well, and she held her hand at the small of Theodore's back. The Aura burst from her palm, pouring into Theodore and lighting up his golden-white Aura. The tall white haired teenager grinned.

"Ohhh yeah, that's the stuff," he muttered.

"Weirdo," Ashley sniffed, but she was grinning too.

Theodore held up his right hand away from himself, and formed a blue Glyph.

"Amplification: Blue," he murmured, as the Glyph glowed brightly, lighting up the tunnel even further. He raised his left hand, directly opposite his right, and formed a blood red Glyph.

"Reversal: Red," he mumbled. Julian stood behind his elder half-brother, silver eyes glowing... And wide with growing excitement.

"Oh boy oh boy oh boy...!" Julian whispered.

Theodore slammed his hands together, the Glyphs joining together into a brilliant, purple sphere that roiled and glowed with so much power the tunnel began to shake around them.

"Inverse Purple...! NOW!"

Julian's eyes erupted with silvery light, joining with the merged Glyphs. Theodore let them fly down the tunnel, the world shaking and trembling and sending debris down on their heads. Theodore stumbled, but formed a Blue Glyph.

"GO!" He shouted. They all ran through, emerging on top of a small grassy hill with various trees. Ahead of them was the imposing edifice of Mount Glenn. Theodore panted for breath, as Xia checked on him.

"Hey, you okay Shades?"

"Yeah... Hoo... Channeled a lot of energy into that one," Theodore managed. He looked up. "But we should see a small explosion in about-"

The land in front of Mount Glenn exploded in a long line, like thousands of explosives laid out linearly went off in sequence. Trees and boulders were tossed up and aside like toys swept up by a massive invisible hand.

This was merely a prelude to the climax.

A massive deluge of earth and fire erupted from the base of Mount Glenn, and the land shook and convulsed around it. Earth was blasted up into the air like a small volcano going off, filling the air with smoke. A burst of silvery energy radiated outwards, crackling around the mountain base like a massive EMP.

All five teenagers stared at the huge blast in stunned silence.

Then, Julian jumped up and cheered.

"WOO HOO! HELL YEAH! THAT WAS AWESOME!"

Xia grinned.

"Wow... We did that?!"

"We did that?" Ash and Ashley high fived eachother.

Theodore winced.

"We did that...? Crap..."

He then adopted a silly grin.

"Eh... Worth it, in the end!"

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune and Winter were both blushing hard, and not looking at eachother as they sat on a bench outside the airship port. Penny lurked nearby, still in her disguise but staring intently at them over a newspaper while people went back and forth.

Jaune was the first to speak.

"I... Uh... I-I did... I had a fun time," he admitted quietly. Winter slowly nodded.

"I... I did too," she admitted. She worried her lower lip. "Sorry if I got a bit... Carried away-"

"N-No! No, that's fine! I-I didn't mind that.." Jaune winced slightly. Winter chuckled, as elegant as a bell to summon the butler.

"You're a strange person, Jaune Arc."

"I... Absolutely am," he admitted. Winter nodded.

"I did read a few studies into the levels of... Eccentricity among Aura activated individuals," Winter confessed, "It was... Interesting how well it corresponded with levels of ability, but some dysfunction in regular life."

"I did too," Jaune admitted, "I'm guessing your team made you do it?"

Winter smiled softly.

"Guilty as charged."

"Yeah, same," Jaune admitted with a wry grin.

"Mm," Winter nodded, "Of course. When you fight alongside someone, even if you despise them in normal every day life, there is a bond between you. Trust when lives are on the line... But not in other areas. It's complicated and stressful but..."

"You love them anyway," Jaune finished. Winter nodded.

"Exactly. Though I will admit, they test that love at times."

"Same with family," Jaune chuckled. "Which is, um, literal for me now, I guess."

"And me," Winter nodded with a small smile. "It's strange... That boy is so infuriating and yet..."

"Yeah," Jaune agreed. They stared into eachother's eyes for a time... Then someone cleared their throat. Their heads snapped to look at Arjun, walking up with a gently amused expression on his face. Saia was alongside, floating in silence with a slightly smug look on her face.

"Your Majesty," Winter greeted, immediately standing and inclining her head respectfully. Arjun shook his head and chuckled.

"Easy, young Winter. You're family now, after a fashion. There is no need for formality," he stated.

"He says that all the time," Saia sighed. Arjun rolled his eyes.

"And so few listen," he sighed. He brightened. "In any event, I believe it is now May's turn."

"I..." Winter glanced at Jaune, then back at the two. She nodded slowly. "Of course."

"Where is she?" Jaune asked.

"Um..."

Saia and Arjun moved to the sides, parting like the Narrow Sea. Still no May. Saia smiled encouragingly at the space behind Arjun.

"Sweetie, come on," she said. "He's waiting for you."

"W-Well... Um..."

May stepped out, trembling a bit.

Jaune's jaw dropped.

May stood there, looking awkward. She was in a tight black dress with thin straps holding it up on her curvy frame-It was so tight it practically looked painted on. A small choker highlighted her slender neck. and the wide, black hat gave her a lady-like appeal. Her cheeks were bright red as she stepped forward. Jaune stared in absolute shock, his cheeks also turning red.

May glanced at Saia, who smiled encouragingly.

"I uh... Um... Oh uh... H-Hello, Jaune," May managed quietly. Arjun eyed his wife, and rolled his eyes.

"What?" Saia asked. Arjun pulled out a black jacket, and helped May get into it.

"Thank you, F-Father," May said, grateful. Saia pouted.

"What?"

"Let's let her go at her own pace, dear," Arjun said. He glanced over at Winter, who was fuming but trying not to let it show. While Penny studied the situation with her usual detached smile. Saia looked over at Winter, made an 'o' with her lips, and nodded.

"Right. Apologies, Winter, May," she said gently. She hugged her daughter one last time. "Ooh! May? Jaune? Can we get a photo? Our little girl's first date and all?"

"I, s-sure," Jaune managed. Winter locked eyes with May. She flushed deeply, and hesitated, before staring back intensely. Winter slowly nodded.

"Of course. Just a moment."

She grabbed Jaune and pulled him into a deep, tongue swirling kiss. Jaune's eyes widened. May's jaw dropped.

"I-You-Ah-!"

Penny's Virgin Alarm went off... But stopped as Winter pulled back with a small, icy smile.

"Of course," she said softly. "Until next time, Jaune."

"I... Uh..." Jaune weakly nodded. "Y-Yeah..."

Winter headed off, her gaze defiant. Arjun gave Jaune a pitying expression while Saia had a respectful look on her face. May took a look at the smug expression on Winter's face... Took a deep breath... And then marched over to Jaune and took hold of his hand.

"Um... L-Let's... Let's take the photo," May said, holding onto her hand with both of hers. Jaune nodded shakily.

"Yeah," he managed. "Um, Penny? Where are we going?"

"The Yak and Yeti restaurant!" Penny said brightly. Saia beamed.

"Oh! Our first date," Saia chuckled. Arjun sighed.

"No, that wasn't our first date. It was at the garden in the Denslow Park."

"What? That wasn't our first date," Saia insisted. Arjun took her hand in his and smiled gently.

"We walked under the moonlight, I picked a flower for you, and I implied that I cared for you more than a maid," Arjun stated. "There was music."

"That doesn't count as a proper date," Saia insisted.

"It did for me," Arjun said warmly. Saia flushed and giggled.

"Oh you..."

She smiled and held up her Scroll. Jaune managed a smile, even as May struggled a bit. A flash of the camera and Saia sighed happily at the picture. "Oh, May, Jaune... You look wonderful!"

May blushed, and tried to hide underneath her hat. Jaune squeezed her hands.

"She does," he said earnestly. May shyly stared back.

"I... Um... Oh... Th-Thank you," she murmured, "You look good t-too..."

"Reservations for the restaurant have been made!" Penny said cheerfully. "Please proceed in this direction!"

She pointed down the street, her finger flashing a green light. Jaune blinked.

"Er... Penny? Why do you have that?"

"I am a normal girl!" Penny said brightly. "This is normal for navigation!"

"Um... If you say so?" Jaune managed. He looked over at Arjun and Saia. Arjun shook his head.

"Go on. We'll just be in the area. Out of the way."

"Though if you need any help, we'll be right there!" Saia insisted. Jaune winced.

"R-Right..."

Arjun sighed.

"Only if necessary," he stated firmly. Saia pouted.

"Of course..."

Jaune gently escorted May down the street, following the glowing Penny.

"You okay?" Jaune asked quietly.

May nodded.

"Y-yes... Despite everything... I-I am glad to be here-OH!" She tripped on her high heels, and Jaune caught her. She turned a much darker red as she clung to him.

"S-Sorry... I'm bad on heels," she admitted.

"It's okay," Jaune said, "We'll go one step at a time, promise."

In all ways, Jaune thought to himself.

- - -

Arjun gave his wife and queen a Look. Saia flushed.

"What? That wasn't me, I promise!" She insisted.

"Keep it that way," Arjun said, "Jaune has enough pressure on him, and so does Maia."

"I know, I know," Saia sighed.

A random passerby stopped and stared at them.

"Hey! Are you the King and Queen of Pandu?"

"No," Arjun said smoothly, "We're just cosplayers. Would you like to take a photo for 500 lien?"

The tourist grinned.

"Sure!"

Saia gave Arjun a deadpan look. Arjun posed with the tourist and took the photo.

"Thanks!" The tourist said, heading off on his way. Saia's eyes narrowed as Arjun shrugged.

"What? It's the perfect cover!"

"Did you have to charge him for it?" Saia sighed. Arjun grinned.

"It keeps the taxes on our people down, doesn't it?"

"This is why I'm in charge of the finances," Saia huffed.