[RWBY] The Great Temporal Step-Sibling War!

[Joshuahaderach]

Thanks for the updates and good to see the world building continuing.

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

This was another good one

 

[FinalFormer]

Reposted From The SpaceBattles Thread

Childhood Memories: The Gift

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Arc-Belladonna Household, Lake City of Ebisu, Menagerie. Leander and Leandra Arc-Belladonna. Ages: 16.

The beautiful city of Ebisu was established, as it was told to them by their grandfather, 3 years after the Defeat of Salem and 1 year after they were born. When the lake introduced a new source of fish for the citizens and fishermen.

In the heart of the city was the Arc-Belladonna Household, beautifully built to resemble the home Blake grew up in, with a small nods to Jaune's family home. It had to undergo multiple renovations and expansions after they had more twins and the triplets... Both sets of them.

It was Blake's birthday and Jaune had taken her out for a night on the town. The twins, Leander and Leandra, promised them that they would watch over all their brothers and sisters, make sure none of them got into any trouble or got hurt.

That, however, didn't apply to Leander and Leandra. At least, that's what they thought.

"Can't you two just do something normal for Mom? Like make a bracelet or something?" Whined their little sister Pyrrha.

"Listen, Pyrrha. We're only going to be gone for an hour at most," Leandra reassured her. She then took a hearty bite out of her bagel (With extra salmon and cream cheese of course) "We'll be back before you know it!"

"Leandra, don't talk with food in your mouth," Leander reprimand, Leandra pouting in response. "Pyrrha, we know what we're doing. The trip to Vale will be instantaneous. We'll be gone for at least an hour. I think you can handle that. Do you remember what the others can't have?"

"Sienna isn't allowed to have any boys over, as per Dad's rules. Pierre and Sylvester are allowed to go fishing with Tsubaki and Shiro if they finish their homework. Kuroka, Arturia, and Itsuka aren't allowed to get any red fruit juice. Period. And the others are with Nana Kali, so I don't have to worry about them. Is that everything?" Pyrrha asked. She really hated when they threw their responsibilities onto her whenever they come up with some hair-brained scheme, but she's gotten so used to it, she figured that she might as well memorize everything about her siblings.

"Sounds about right," Leandra grabbed her brother's arm and ran to the nearest bookshelf, preparing to use her Semblance. "We'll be back soon!"

And in an instant, the twins were at the docks of Vale. Leander looked around, confused as to why they weren't at the bookstore like they had planned.

"Leandra, what are we doing at the docks?" He asked his sister. His ears folded, showing his displeasure. They were in Vale for something important. It was best if they didn't waste time!

"Well, it's been awhile since we went to Vale, so I figured why don't we go sightseeing for a bit! I heard they have lobster sandwiches on the other side of the docks!" Leandra said excitedly. Her and Leander's ears began twitching at the mention of seafood. Leander's stomach began to growl. He only had a light breakfast. (It was the same as Leandra.)

"Well...," Leander rubbed his chin, pondering. "I've never had Vale lobster before. And I am quite hungry..."

Leandra stared at her brother expectantly. Then he finally made up his mind.

"Ok, sign me up. But remember, we have to get to the bookstore before it closes. We don't want Pyrrha thinking we ditched her with the others for no reason." With that, Leandra led the way. The smell of lobster and yummy clam chowder began hit their Faunus senses. Maybe a few minutes of sightseeing wouldn't hurt.

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

"Leandra?"

"Yes, Leander?"

"How the hell did we end up in this situation?"

The twins were currently in the middle of a shootout. It started when they finally made it to the bookstore after being sidetracked (again) by the smell of sweets and fish and almost getting pickpocketed. Apparently, someone from the Sons of Adam had recognized them. What ensued was a city-wide chase that caused, what Leander estimated, 500,000 lien in damages. It was very unfortunate that they didn't bring their weapons. But then again, they weren't exactly expecting to get jumped by their mom's oldest enemies! So right now, their best option was to run to a safe enough area to teleport back home.

"KILL THE IMPURE!!!" Yelled the high priest. "KILL THE MONGRELS OF ARC!!!!"

'Ok. That was mean.' Thought both of the twins.

"We have to get out of here!" Leander shouted.

"We've got to get them off our tail first! We can't jump if they can see us!" Leandra reminded him. It was the one thing the two hated about their Semblance. They needed a big distraction in order to pull a fast one on these stooges.

Their ears picked up a pair of footsteps from above. The skylight above them shattered as a swirl of red flower petals burst towards their pursuers.

"AUNT RUBY!!!" They both cried out in relief. Ruby turned, her face suddenly full of confusion.

"Leander!? Leandra!? What the heck are you two doing in Vale!?" Ruby asked. She swung Crescent Rose into its sniper form and opened fire. She took down a few of the cultists, scaring off a few of the others.

Before the remaining ones got a semblance of courage to go for a full charge, they were all bombarded by shotgun blasts. Their other aunt, Yang Xiao-Long, had entered the fray.

Once the last of the cultists had been neutralized and the authorities arrived, the twins took it as an opportunity to--

"Where do you two think you're going!?" Both Ruby and Yang yelled at the two before they could leave.

"What were you two thinking picking a fight with a cult!?" Yang yelled at Leandra.

"Don't you guys know who these guys are!? They literally want to kill you!!" Ruby yelled at Leander.

Their ears drooped. It wasn't like they wanted to get chased across half a damn city.

"We were just getting a birthday present for our Mom! We weren't looking for trouble this time!" Leandra defended their actions. "Wait.. Crap! We've been gone for three hours! Leander we have to go home!"

They had to promise Ruby, Yang, and Mr. Ozpin that they wouldn't do this again (Despite the fact that they never even did anything!) before they were allowed to leave.

In an instant, they returned home. Leandra immediately rushed to the bathroom. Leander winced, hearing the unholy noises coming from the his sister. He forgot that she got queasy when they traveled with his Semblance.

"What the hell took you too so long! Mom and Dad are back! They're asking where you were!?" Pyrrha yelled at Leander. Her tail was stiff. Oh, yeah. She's mad.

"Look, it's a long story. We'll pay you back, we swear." Leander bargained. Leandra exited the bathroom, her face a little green and her ears slightly drooping.

"Pay her back for what?" Before Pyrrha could even respond to whatever deal Leander was trying to make,, the calm voice of their mother cut her off.

Blake Arc-Belladonna had entered the room. She looked about 4 months pregnant. Her hair was tied into a braid. Next to her, with their youngest kids hanging off him, was their father Jaune.

"Pay her back foooor, pitching in for this!" Leandra gathered up enough strength to take control of the situation. She raised the wrapped present to her mother. Blake took it, Leandra turned to Pyrrha and winked. She hoped she would appreciate the gesture.

Blake unwrapped the present, and her eyes widened with surprise.

"I-I can't believe it. An original copy of 'Devious Machinations' Volume 1? How did you two--?"

"We went through your collection and we noticed that of all the books you have, 'Devious Machinations' was the only one that was missing a first volume." Leander explained.

"So, we searched everywhere on every website, went to the trader's district of Vacuo, the Barter's Corner in Mistral, and even asked Auntie Weiss to guide us through the Auction Houses of Atlas until we got a call from Moses that a bookstore in the Market District finally had a copy in stock!" Leandra happily regailed their search for the perfect gift.

"Happy birthday, Mom!!" The twins said in unison.

Blake hugged her children. She couldn't believe they went out of their way to get such a meaningful gift!

"Should I be concerned that our kids casually bought you smut?" Jaune asked.

"Hush. It's actually really tame." Blake shut down his attempt at being funny. She wanted to take in the kindness of her children's hearts.

The next day, their parents saw the news report of the twins' misadventure in Vale. Leander and Leandra were promptly grounded for the next two weeks.

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

In celebration of Blake's birthday, here is a fun story of her twins!

I like to think that Blake named a majority of her and Jaune's kids after book characters, with the exceptions being Pyrrha, Sienna, Arturia, and Shiro. I always have fun thinking of names for the rest of the kids' siblings.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Ozpin's Office



- - -



After making use of Theodore's codes, Ironwood and Ozpin opened up the communication lines. Ironwood naturally got into contact with his military attaches and contacts across Remnant. Arjun contacted his intelligence services and a few other members of Pandu's government. Ghira and Kali did much the same for Menagerie. Ozpin called several people in Mistral and other locations, keeping it private for the most part. Isabel herself made some calls, mainly to Arc-En-Ciel but also to many family members.



Things were going to get even more complicated even faster, it seemed.



The meeting dissolved into several smaller ones across the office after that. Ozpin, Ghira, Arjun, and Ironwood were in deep discussion, which often consisted of angry whisper-shouting. Mainly on Arjun and Ironwood's parts.



"We literally have one old air dreadnought! We don't have the room to base more than that!" The Pandu king hissed.



"Well getting a base in Pandu would certainly make the Atlasian Council more strongly consider an actual alliance!" Ironwood said defensively.



"Still doing better than us," Ghira groused, "We only have cruisers and destroyers. And an Atlasian base on mainland Menagerie is out of the question."



"Then allow us to clear one of these island chains for you," Ironwood stated, "There are several you've claimed but are disputed and are run by pirates and bandits. One of those would be an easier sell."



"Atlas doing that would be extremely... Dicey," Ghira stated, "To say the least. It would look like you would want a forward base to invade us with."



"We could do that with the bases we already have, Chieftain," Ironwood replied. Ozpin gently cleared his throat.



"The VDF has a number of air carriers, destroyers and cruisers," Ozpin said, "They haven't been used in warfare in some time, but Vale's Defense forces aiding yours with Atlasian support might be less dicey."



"We're going to need an army of diplomats and miracle workers to sell a full alliance," Arjun mused.



Glynda was talking with Taiyang and Qrow.



"He hasn't moved out of Haven," Glynda said, eyeing some images of said Mistralian Hunter's Academy, "No signs of him anywhere else."



"If he's been working for Salem this long, we can't assume anything," Qrow stated grimly. Glynda nodded. Taiyang hummed.



"If only we knew why he'd betrayed us."



Qrow shrugged.



"Lot of reasons for a man to turn on his allies. In Leo's case? Hm... Wealth doesn't seem like one. Power maybe? He always came off as some sniveling little weasel."



"I guess we'll just have to ask him, when we clobber him," Taiyang stated, slamming his fists together.



Qrow smirked and nodded.



"Violence can help loosen a man's lips."



"Though we'll have to wait for his teeth to grow back," Taiyang added with a grim smile. One his brother from another mother returned. Glynda held in a sigh with long practice.



"Please, try not to kill him," Glynda stated firmly, "I have no love for traitors but he can't tell us anything if he's dead."



"We'll do our best," Taiyang promised.



"And if we do kill him? We'll find someone with a necromancy Semblance," Qrow shrugged, swigging some whiskey from his flask, "Gotta be someone with that around here. Hell, maybe one of Arc's kids has that power. He's got enough of them."



"Must you be so crass?" Glynda sighed. Qrow smirked.



"What? For all we know, it's one of yours with him! How many did you have with him, anyway?"



"Nine, with a tenth on the way," Glynda stated icily. Qrow gaped at her.



"Seriously?! Boy's got stamina!" He turned to Taiyang. "But we've got her beat with our two girls!"



"This is not a competition!" Glynda hissed. Taiyang shrugged and smiled.



"You're right! We already won!"



Glynda smacked them both over the head with her powers. Qrow and Taiyang winced and rubbed their heads in unison.



"Geez. I feel sorry for your future husband," Qrow said. His face slammed into the floor. "OW! JUST KIDDING!"



Which left Isabel and Kali to discuss things. The cat Faunus Chieftainess had produced several holographic dossiers on doctors and locations in Kuo Kuana for her appraisal. Isabel hummed, looking through the holoscreens with a keen eye.



"This location," Kali pointed out one, "Was an Atlasian hospital when they still controlled this part of Menagerie for their mining operations. We've been using it ourselves while we built a new one. Construction on that one has been delayed so this facility is still in use."



Isabel shook her head.



"It would cost a lot to refurbish it to modern standards," she mused, "And the power systems are totally inadequate, but potentially fixable... What about the other facilities?"



Kali flipped to another building, one which was clean and well maintained but clearly abandoned.



"This is a warehouse we are constructing for the docks," Kali explained, "We ensured it had backup power and water systems so it could be used as a shelter in case of attack." She summoned up another image of an old red brick building. "This used to be a factory we were hoping to refurbish for Dust refinement, as it has many rooms and power facilities, but the Dust mine we were hoping to open up turned out to be worthless, so it's been sitting there."



"Hmmm..." Isabel hummed. "The old hospital is probably our best bet, though it's still going to need an enormous amount of work. It's already a hospital but a severely outdated one. And Valean power systems aren't compatible with yours."



Kali nodded and made some notes. She then smiled warmly at Isabel.



"I'm sure we will solve these issues," she said confidentally. "After all, you turned a thousand year old castle into a hospital!"



"Yes," Isabel allowed, "But we're still paying off the debt on that conversion. My ancestors put in extensive sewage and water lines into the castle to allow it to withstand a siege, so all those tunnels were usable when modern technology came along. However, we still had to cut a LOT of holes into the system and do a massive amount of renovation to make it safe and sanitary. Converting an old hospital into a more advanced one is easier in some ways, but we'll have a lot of challenges still."



She sighed as she looked over the many Faunus doctors.



"For example, your people accepting humans among them," Isabel stated. Kali nodded.



"I know," she said, "Our isolation and the White Fang have cut both ways: Many Faunus in Kuo Kuana have never even met a human before, but have nothing but horror stories by the pro-White Fang elements. Blake being free of them means we have more options, but it's going to take time to convince them."



She smiled warmly at Isabel.



"All that said? It will be worth it," she said. "Blake's shared her future with me. It's... It's honestly beautiful. Humans and Faunus living together in peace. It's like a dream come true."



Isabel nodded slowly.



"I don't disagree that that's a wonderful goal to work towards," Isabel said softly, "I just know it's not going to be easy."



"No," Kali agreed, "But nothing worthwhile ever is." She smiled a bit more softly, and leaned in. Her voice got softer.



"That, and I have a selfish motivation."



"Your daughter's happiness and all those grandchildren?" Isabel murmured back. She nodded and smiled softly. "I can understand that."



"That, and..." Kali held up her Scroll. She flipped to an image of... Isabel's eyes widened slightly.



There was Kali, looking a bit older but still beautiful. She was in a hospital bed, surrounded by Jaune, Blake, and Ghira, with Nick grinning and waving in the background. And in Kali's arms was a small baby Faunus, his face scrunched up and his ears flat against his head.



"I wanted to give Blake siblings," Kali confessed, "But poison ensured that..." She trailed off, her eyes filled with pain. Isabel frowned deeply. She reached out and squeezed Kali's hand.



She'd met many women who had suffered miscarriages at Arc-En-Ciel. Her medical techniques had ensured it was rare, but it still happened. It was always devastating for the parents, and she couldn't help the surge of compassion she felt for this woman.



"The twins told me that you are the reason I had their uncle," Kali murmured, "I... I know it's selfish but..."



Isabel smiled softly.



"Yes, but it's okay," she murmured, "It's wrapped up with a desire to help all your people. There's nothing wrong with that and... And I hope I can help you and Ghira... And Blake."



Kali smiled and nodded. She quickly dabbed her eyes, so quickly a normal person wouldn't have caught it.



"Thank you," she said in a slightly calmer voice. Isabel nodded and turned back to the holo-windows.



Yes, she was being manipulated. Isabel knew that. She also knew the other parents would try similar things on her... Yet Kali was being honest about her manipulations, and she couldn't fault her for that.



The elevator door chimed, and then opened. Out stumbled four figures. Isabel looked up from the holoscreens and her eyes widened. Taiyang and Qrow grinned. Ironwood's eyes narrowed while Arjun smirked and Ozpin raised an eyebrow.



"OZPIN OLD MAN!" Professor Peter Port cried, charging up, "How could you leave us out of the festivities?! You had a jolly good brawl here and we missed it!"



"All because you insisted on driving us to the bar," Professor Bartholomew Oobleck observed, sipping his ever present mug of coffee.



"That led us into an exceptional adventure!" Port protested, "Why, we had to fight off a Grimm Chimera!"



Professor Celestia Peach, a beautiful woman with peach colored hair descending in a waist-length ponytail and dressed in a white dress shirt, black vest, and long green skirt over leather boots stomped up, looking quite irate. The Dust Mistress had several vials and rounds of it on her belt, many recently used.



"Yes, because you drove us into its lair!" She sighed heavily. She brushed her hair out of her face. "Then when we defeated it, we still went to the bar!"



"It's bad luck not to celebrate your victory over a massive Grimm with libations!" Port chortled. The fourth member of the group, Professor Mombi Lang, walked up. She was pale but curvy with black hair in a tight bun, and wore an all concealing black dress. She adjusted her glasses and coughed. As the school librarian, she was generally quiet unless someone disturbed her books.



"Ah, y-yes, well... After that we got in a bar fight-"



"Oobleck started it!" Peach defended herself.



Oobleck sipped his coffee and nodded.



"If someone is going to state gross inaccuracies about the Third Dynasty of Mistral's Golden Emperor, I must challenge them!"



"I agreed with that, but not the violence after!" Mombi said quickly.



"I was fine with the violence," Peach grinned, "Got to use some of that new Quick Lightning Dust!"



"And what a battle it was with those ruffians!" Peter chortled, "Why, we nearly leveled the entire inn!" A pause. "Which is why we had to flee and wait until the heat was down. Apologies, Headmaster. I will contribute whatever I can towards the repairs, I promise."



"I... See," Ozpin managed, his eyebrow twitching a bit. Port grinned.



"Then we heard about the incident this morning and raced over! And what a fantastic story! Miss Adel told the whole thing! I'm sure she edited in some places, maybe exaggerated things here or there, but nevertheless..."



He then pulled out a large gift box, wrapped with golden ribbon, and held it out to Glynda.



"Congratulations, Glynda!" Port cried, "So you lost your chance at Nick! You at least get the son! I knew Mister Arc was manly enough to end your spinsterhood!"



"It's unconventional," Oobleck allowed, as Glynda's face rapidly turned red, "But congratulations! Do try to be hard on him-You wouldn't want to be accused of favoritism!"



"Y-Yes, congratulations," Mombi mumbled with a sigh. "I'm he's just like his father... Kind. Handsome. Hard working..." She blushed and mumbled.



"If he's anything like his father," Peach sighed happily, "He'll definitely make you happy! That's why that witch Isabel snatched him up like a cu-" She paused and looked over at Isabel. She blinked.



The four teachers finally noticed Isabel. Mainly thanks to her teeth grinding almost audibly. Kali scooted away from her in alarm.



"Isabel!" Port cheered. "How wonderful to see you again! I can't wait to see your husband! He was always my favorite student! Also, congrats! Your son is the manliest man I've ever taught!"



"Thank... You..." Isabel growled, glaring death at Peach and Mombi.



Mombi gulped and hid behind Oobleck. Peach coughed and waved nervously.



"Oh! Hello Izzy! How's every little thing?"



"Just fine, thank you," Isabel growled.



"How's Nick?"



"TAKEN."



Oobleck sipped his coffee and looked to Ozpin.



"I take it there's more to the story than mere libertine antics?"



"You mean hedonistic antics," Arjun corrected. Oobleck shook his head.



"No, Hedonism is the philosophy of finding joy in life, libertinism is more focused on the sexual aspect."



"I thought that was Bohemianism?" Ghira questioned. Oobleck again shook his head.



"No, that refers to a Gallian intellectual movement focused on rejecting money and power in favor of free love and artistic expression free of the confines of the modern world."



"Ah, I always get those mixed up," Arjun observed dryly. Ghira nodded with a slight smirk himself.



Ozpin snipped his coffee.



"There is indeed an explanation for the extraordinary events that have taken place in your absence," Ozpin said.



Isabel sucked in a deep breath and calmed herself. She smiled at Ozpin. No matter what her feelings, she knew Ozpin would always come through for her.



Ozpin nodded.



"Namely... It's all Nick's fault."



Isabel gaped.



We're going with that already?!



"And somewhat Isabel's," Ozpin continued.



"WHAT?!" Isabel cried.



"And Glynda's desperation," Qrow snarked, just before a mysterious force slammed his face into the floor. "URK!"



Glynda blushed.



"I am NOT DESPERATE!"



"Indeed!" Port cheered, "You are sensible! My own wife chose me because no Faunus man could satisfy her! Something I demonstrated on the night before our wedding after slaying another Grimm Chimera-"



Isabel planted her face in her hands and groaned.



- - -

 

[Col'O'Knowl]

Huh

I was just wondering where Oobleck and Port went… they were having a adventure offscreen…

And the 'Throw Nick under the bus' is already underway!

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

There misadventure sounds hilarious

 

[GrimmKenway8646]

"Indeed!" Port cheered, "You are sensible! My own wife chose me because no Faunus man could satisfy her! Something I demonstrated on the night before our wedding after slaying another Grimm Chimera-"



Isabel planted her face in her hands and groaned.

Click to shrink...

You can always depend on Port to be his bombastic self. Always lifts up the mood.

 

[Muramasa]

Another hint that some of the brides see Jaune as just a replacement for Nick.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Radian, North Gallia

Three Years After the Defeat of Salem

- - -

The Fuujin-style garden was hidden in a copse of trees on the Arc Family farmstead. A little pond with fish, Fuujin-style fountains and stonework, and a stone garden presented a place of peace and tranquility.

Honestly? The tranquility was definitely something Yang could use. She sighed as she sat on a bench and tried to relax.

She couldn't help being a little twitchy though.

She saw Jaune entered the garden. The bench was situated to give the person sitting there a good view of the path. Even in a place meant to relax, there were security measures. Strange paranoid little features, but Yang could appreciate them.

"Hey," she called out to her boyfriend. Jaune smiled back and waved.

"Hey." He walked around and sat on the bench with her. "I've got great news!"

Yang smiled nervously.

"M-Me too!"

Jaune grinned.

"Oh? That's great! You want to go first?"

"I..." Yang shook her head. "N-No... How about you, Stud? I'm all ears."

Jaune frowned and looked about. Yang raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Well, I mean... No corn?" He asked. "I feel a little disappointed."

"Your big sis wouldn't let me take any," Yang pouted a little, looking a little more relaxed. Jaune laughed, and then took a deep breath.

"I... I got accepted into the medical training program at Ambroise Medical School," he said. Yang's eyes widened.

"Wha... You did?!"

"Well, I mean, their entrance exams haven't changed much in a few years," Jaune admitted, rubbing the back of his head, "I'd do most of my coursework here though on an internship at the hospital."

"I-I see," Yang nodded, "That's great! But... I mean, I thought you didn't want to be a doctor?"

Jaune sighed.

"I mean... Back then? No," he admitted, "I just... I wanted to be a hero. Had this idea about... About what that meant."

Yang slowly nodded. She took his hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Yeah," she said quietly, "You know... She would have been proud of you."

Jaune smiled softly at Yang.

"She'd have been proud of all of us," he said firmly. "But... I mean... After everything..."

He took a deep breath.

"My ancestor Jeanne... She said something after she beat the Witch Queen of Argus. That she had seen all she wished of death and war. She had all the glory she wanted, but now? She only wanted to devote herself to bringing forth and healing life. I..." He shook his head, and rubbed his throat-The scar from the blade that nearly took his head off was still there, like a band across his neck.

"I guess... I've had enough of being that kind of a hero. Enough for a lifetime."

Yang slowly nodded.

"I see," she said, keeping her face carefully neutral. He looked at her in concern.

"Are... Are you okay with that, Yang?" He asked. "I-I mean... Your dream was to explore Remnant. To be a Huntress. I don't want to deny you that."

She smiled warmly at him.

"And after that, what did I say I want? I want to settle down," she said. She shrugged and laughed softly. "And hell... We've seen a lot of the world. Explored a lot of it. And... Seen a lot of action."

Jaune stared at her. She blushed.

"Come on, Stud. My mom was my hero. She was still our mom even when she went out on missions. She kicked Grimm ass and still cooked for us and tucked us in... I-I've always wanted to be like her. And not like..."

"Raven," Jaune murmured softly. Yang sucked in a deep breath, and nodded. She stroked his hands: Both of them. She stared at the scar across his neck. A scar he had taken for her from Cinder. If it wasn't for his Semblance and Healing Dust she had desperately applied, he would be dead.

She should have taken the hit for him. He was their healer, a leader... Her boyfriend... But he refused to back down.

And on that day, she achieved Burn Level 3... And killed that bitch once and for all. And THAT had been enough to convince Raven to bring her forces into help... Just before they fought Salem.

"Yeah," she muttered. "By the way, she's still a bitch even after helping us save the world."

Jaune nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "So uh... I mean, my plan is to stay here for a while. Open up my own practice one day... I... I want you to be with me, Yang."

Yang smiled warmly.

"I want to be here with you," she said earnestly, "Which uh... Which makes this part easier. My news..."

She pulled his hands over her stomach and smiled nervously.

"My news is... Um... I-I'm pregnant."

Jaune stared. He was frozen and silent. It lasted for about sixty seconds, after which Yang got worried.

"Stud? Jaune? Jaun-"

"YAHOOOOOOOO!!!"

Jaune lifted Yang up and spun her around. He then pulled her into a hug, whooping for joy. She laughed in shock, then joy as she hugged him back. They kissed passionately in front of the koi pond, only the fish and birds witnesses to their celebration.

"Mmmm... Well... Guess that makes this easier then," Jaune mused.

"Wh-What?" Yang asked, breathless.

He dropped to one knee, and pulled a golden ring out of his pocket. He held it up to Yang with his happy smile.

"I'm... I'm an old fashioned guy, Yang," he said, as she turned bright red, "I love you. I've loved you for so long, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So... Will you marry me-URK?!"

Yang pulled him up and into a passionate kiss. One he eagerly returned.

They broke the breath, wearing happy grins.

"YES! God yes, Jaune!" Yang giggled, "Like I could say anything else!"

- - -

Short but fun. This fic is still rolling, we're just dealing with some RL stuff right now.

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Gah to wholesome! Going down.....

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Now that said... I will tell a story of when Xia was 8. Her Grandmother Raven kidnapped her to try and make her into a Bandit Queen.

It didn't end well for Raven, as you can imagine. And Xia's not going to be happy to meet her again in the past.

 

[Gur40]

uploaded the chart to Spacebattle PLEASE let me know what i missed!

 

[AndrewJTalon]

uploaded the chart to Spacebattle PLEASE let me know what i missed!

Click to shrink...

Working on it!

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

Now that said... I will tell a story of when Xia was 8. Her Grandmother Raven kidnapped her to try and make her into a Bandit Queen.

It didn't end well for Raven, as you can imagine. And Xia's not going to be happy to meet her again in the past.

Click to shrink...

Raven - "What do you mean you don't want to squat in the woods, and attack innocent villages like a rabid animal?"

Thanks for the short!

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Naturally in a few of the timelines, a few of Jaune's sisters die. Aqua and Tangy are very prone to dying given they are Aura unlocked and fight.

May dies several times too. Neptune dies as well. Athena died in some. Taiyang and Qrow have also died in a few timelines too, as has Glynda.

Naturally Cinder dies in most of the timelines, save for the one where she marries Jaune, and Glynda's timeline where she ends up in the Ever After and chooses to ascend.

So, who else might have died and how did they do so?

 

[Phoenix Invictus]

Now that said... I will tell a story of when Xia was 8. Her Grandmother Raven kidnapped her to try and make her into a Bandit Queen.

It didn't end well for Raven, as you can imagine. And Xia's not going to be happy to meet her again in the past.

Click to shrink...

Burn Level 4 incoming.

Is it still matricide if she's your mother-in-law?

Spoiler: And if she runs away...

View: https://youtu.be/haThIxPnYro?si=MGfsxCrfzQJN1L0E

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Many people in the world think they know exactly who they are, what their place in life is, and how the world is supposed to work. Even if they don't know everything they know how to work with the things they do know, and they are perfectly content with not knowing much more than that. Most of those people can go their entire lives not knowing they don't actually know who they are, what their place in life is, or how the world is supposed to work. Still, sometimes... sometimes one of those people is hit with the revelation of how limited their knowledge actually is.

Such revelations normally come slowly with little moments of insights changing their perspective over the course of weeks, months, years, or even decades. There are times, however, when someone can have such a revelation in a singular day that upends everything they thought they knew.

For Cardin Winchester, that singular day of upheaval came relatively early in his first semester at Beacon Academy. The day in question was part of the class trip to the season-locked forest of Forever Fall, during the sap harvesting section of the trip. A group of Grimm had somehow managed to slip past the sentries and had attacked the harvesting operation with virtually no warning. That led directly to the moment where Cardin's world turned on its' head; with him lying prone on his back in the dirt, the three guys he had trusted to always have his back running away in a panic, and the ridiculously underqualified wimp who had lied his way into Beacon being the only person standing his ground to protect him.

It would be an understatement to say this turn of events had a negative effect on Team CRDL's morale. Russel, Dove, and Sky had spent the week after apologizing every chance they got, but even the most sincere and contrite apology couldn't heal the rift their betrayal of trust had gouged into their friendship. And so Cardin did what he had to do: he signed his team up for group therapy with Professor Port.

The first session went well. All four of them got important things off their chest, like the shame Russel felt for leaving a lifelong friend behind without a thought, the doubt weighing on Dove and Sky for having panicked when a Grimm popped up when they didn't expect it, and the anger Cardin was keeping locked up about the whole thing because he had no idea how to direct it without breaking something or someone he'd regret doing that to. In the end, they all agreed to more sessions, as well as scheduling one-on-one meetings with Port.

It was during these sessions that Cardin had a series of epiphanies about who he was and his place in the world. Of these epiphanies the one that would change the course of his life was this: He was a jerk to a lot of people he had no good reason to be a jerk to, and that needed to change.

The professor told him the best place to start was to apologize to those he had wronged and that made enough sense for Cardin to try. He ran into a bit of a snag though: very few people thought he was being sincere. Those who didn't think it was a ruse of some sort were convinced he would quickly backslide the instant they let their guard down around him so nobody was really accepting his apologies. He needed to find a way to convince people he was serious, and after some thought, he had an idea! If he could make things right with someone the doubters didn't think he could, it would prove how serious he was about this!

And so Cardin sought out The Rabbit, Velvet Scarlatina, and forced himself to say he was sorry. While she was skeptical like the others were, she could see how much effort apologizing like this was taking him, so she told him she'd let him make it up to her. Making it up to her ended up meaning he'd spend the next two weeks helping her with her hobbies that her teammates had no interest in, namely lugging around a bunch of lighting equipment for her photography.

During those photoshoots they talked, and not just about the shoots themselves. They talked about pretty much everything, from mundane small talk to deeper conversations with personal things laid bare. By the end of those two weeks he was no longer thinking of her as The Rabbit, Velvet Scarlatina, but simply as Velvet. It was almost disappointing when she declared he had made it up to her, and then it was oddly exhilarating when she asked if he wanted to just hang out sometime. He had said yes before he knew what he was doing, and so they had made time to hang out every other week outside of school.

Over time those hangouts started to look more and more like dates, and the realization that they had indeed become dates in all but name surprised Cardin by how happy the thought made him. And so yesterday Cardin had planned on asking Velvet if they were actually dating and if they were boyfriend and girlfriend now... But then she started kissing him and he forgot to ask. He figured the rather intense make-out session made the question unnecessary because girls didn't kiss guys they didn't consider their boyfriends like that, right?

Well if it wasn't clear by the end of the week he'd try asking again. Until then he'd play the role in the hopes that he wasn't misreading things, and today playing the role of boyfriend meant carrying camera equipment again.

"Alright, so we're going to Training Field 12," Velvet explained as she handed him a set of carrying cases that he remembered being for her video camera setup. "I got a message from Yang telling me that a fight's about to go down, that she'll want to show her kids someday, and we're gonna film it."

"Who's she fighting?" Cardin asked as he hefted the case and followed Velvet down the hall.

"Jaune's dad is a former alumnus of Beacon, and he's going to test all the girls who want to marry his son," Velvet answered as they turned the corner. Cardin stumbled in shock.

"They-What?!" He gasped in disbelief. Velvet smiled nervously as they came to the doors to the gate that led to the training fields.

"Oh, Ruby actually came to my team's dorm room to ask Coco for a dress and she told us everything," Velvet admitted as she opened the door for Cardin so he could navigate through it with her carrying cases. "Um... Basically, they all got engaged to Jaune, some members of the Arc family who think their choice of bride for him is the best came and told them, and so they started fighting over him."

Cardin blinked slowly several times.

"Over Jaune? Seriously?"

"He's a good guy!" Velvet said defensively. Her ears twitched in a way that Cardin knew meant she wasn't being entirely truthful. She must have realized he noticed as she sighed. "The truth is... Well... A LOT more complicated and I can't say any more."

Cardin stared at his... Probably girlfriend? She kept smiling nervously. Cardin sighed, grumbled, but nodded.

"All right."

Velvet nodded. Cardin then gave her a slightly worried look.

"You're not engaged to Jaune too, right?"

"What? No! Not at all!" Velvet insisted, shaking her head rapidly. Cardin relaxed a little.

"Good. Then I'll accept it for now. I mean, what's the alternative? That time travel's involved?"

Velvet winced. Cardin gaped.

"Wait, it is?!"

"I... It's complicated," Velvet said, pressing her hands together in front of her chest, pleading, "Please don't pry too much?"

Cardin stared at his hot and sexy sort-of girlfriend... And nodded.

"Okay. I trust you," Cardin said. She smiled back as the two of them finally went through the doors that led to the training fields. "But I heard a lot of weird things from the grapevine."

"It's... Much weirder than you think," Velvet said. Cardin shrugged.

"Yeah? Well, I'd say time travel is a much more reasonable explanation for how almost a dozen girls started fighting over him than half the rumors I heard yesterday," Cardin justified himself as Training Field 12 came into view. "I mean the most common rumor I heard yesterday was that he was dating all of them behind each other's backs, but I think you'd agree that idea is less believable than time travel after watching Jauney Boy fumble Weiss for most of a semester."

Velvet scrunched her nose at that, "I hate that your reasoning makes sense."

"As long as that's the only thing you hate about me," Cardin teased gently. Velvet smiled back.

"Dork," she said affectionately.

They arrived at Training Field 12 shortly after that, and Velvet wasted no time in directing Cardin to set up her camera's tripods and other equipment at the spot her expert eye determined to be the best spot to film everything that would go down on the field. As he finished adjusting the last piece to Velvet's satisfaction he turned his eyes to the field to see Jaune and someone who could only be Jaune's old man going through a series of warm up exercises, both of them seemingly oblivious to the crowd that was gathering to watch.

Apparently, word that there would be some fights that would be worth watching had gotten around. Cardin could see students from every year and every school either finding a place to sit in the stands or milling around the corners of the training field. There were several faces he could recognize in the gathering crowd, like the third-year teams of PLCC and TNMT and the fourth-year Team SLVR. Other students were also pulling out cameras or their scrolls getting ready to film, but Cardin doubted any of them would get a better angle than Velvet.

The sound of a gong brought Cardin's eyes back to the field itself and he beheld the first clash of steel.

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

Sword met shield with Jaune angling said shield to deflect his father's strike upwards, allowing him to dive forward under his father's swing and attempt to jab his old man in the stomach. Nick sidestepped the thrust and blocked Jaune's attempt to follow up with a swing before bringing his sword around for another strike. Jaune deflected this strike with his own blade and swung his shield around attempting to hit Nick with the pointed bottom of the shield. His father danced back from that with a grin growing on his face, and then Jaune was on the defensive as Nick started a series of rapid thrusts. Jaune deflected each thrust with either his sword or shield as he slowly gave ground and looked for an opening.

"I see you're favoring deflection instead of blocking," Nick observed as he switched from rapid thrusts to relatively slower and tricky swings.

"Blocking is normally a contest of raw strength," Jaune explained as his shield deflected one of his father's swings away and downwards, giving Jaune an opening to try another thrust of his own. Once again his blade failed to hit but Jaune kept his momentum and attempted another strike, "Deflection's almost entirely about the mechanics of leverage so strength doesn't mater as much."

"Good," Nick grinned wider as he stepped back from another one of his son's swings. "Deflecting when you can't dodge would be the right call If I was going all out," Nick ducked under Jaune's next swing and jabbed up at his son's armpit, forcing Jaune to actually block with his shield, "But I'm matching your speed and strength right now, so if blocking will give you the opening you need take it."

Jaune grunted in acknowledgement as he sidestepped away from his father, the two of them circling one another searching for an opening. The two of them paused, and then suddenly lashed out at one another with Jaune ducking under his father's sword and landed a solid hit on his father's leg...

...only for his father's blade to change direction and hit Jaune on the back at the same moment. Jaune stumbled forward but managed to spin around in time to deflect his father's followup attack and disengage.

He had landed a hit. Sure he had gotten hit in turn meaning he still needed to land five hits but up until that moment some small part of him hadn't expected to land any hits at all even with his father pulling his punches to fight on his level. He had landed a hit on his father, which means he could land more of them.

He could even land five of them.

He could do this.

He could win this.

With that determined thought Jaune sprung into action again, leading his charge with his shield in the best position to block. Nick was forced to sidestep with Jaune taking a swing at his father's retreating form, only missing by a handful of centimeters. Nick laughed in delight seeing his son doing his best to control the initiative of the fight before taking the initiative back with a flurry of swings that forced Jaune to backpedal. But then the younger Arc saw the pattern behind those swings and with that pattern an opportunity.

Jaune raised his shield as he stepped into his father's next strike. The clash of steel on steel brought his father's blade to a stop long enough for Jaune to thrust his own sword forward and land a hit on Nick's bicep, and Jaune successfully leaned back far enough to duck under his father's sword as it swung back around.

That was one.

"Nice block Son," Nick congratulated as he took a hand off Nogg's handle, changing his stance to present a smaller profile as he started to wield the blade one handed. The elder Arc then launched into a series of rapid thrusts that pushed Jaune's guard to the limit, with two of Nick's thrusts slipping through and hitting Jaune in the shoulder and hip.

In spite of those hits Jaune's guard didn't break, and soon he had a measure for the timing of the thrusts. On the next thrust when his Father had reached the point of maximum extension Jaune swung with his shield and bashed the blade aside, swinging as quickly as he could with his sword into the resulting opening landing a hit on his father's forearm.

That was two.

Nick shifted his stance again, flexing his left hand and bringing it up into a fisticuff position as he judged his Son's defenses. The elder Arc threw a haymaker with the fist that Jaune reflexively blocked with his shield, leaving him open to the stab towards his belly. Jaune barely managed to get his own sword down in time to block the strike, and for a moment their swords shifted back and forth in the bind. Then they slipped past one another and both Arcs hit each other in the ribs.

They both disengaged and circled about for a moment before Nick moved in again with two horizontal swipes from Nogg that Jaune backpedaled to dodge, but this still got Nick close enough to punch again with his left hand. This time Jaune ducked under the punch and rolled forward to get behind his father, taking a swing at the older man's leg in the passing that landed a hit on his thigh.

That was three.

"Well done," Nick laughed as the two of them spun around to face each other again. Then Nick tossed Nogg into the air and caught it with his left hand. "Now let's switch things up a bit!"

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

The civilians and time travelers were up in the stands, watching the fight unfold. Almost all of the kids had a keen interest as they watched.

"It is cool to see Grandpa Nick in his prime," Nicholas said with a grin, "I only saw videos of him before."

"Why is that, Nicholas?" Willow asked, her eyes locked onto the older blond swordsman.

"Um, well... He died in my timeline," Nicholas said. Willow snapped her head over to her grandson and gasped.

"He what?!"

"It's all right, Mistress, it hasn't happened yet," Klein soothed, pouring her tea from a thermos.

"E-Even so," Willow mumbled.

"Weird," Theodore observed, "Granny Izzy died in mine. Grandpa Nick is still hale and hearty, but he's always been very sad..." He sighed. "Geez..."

"Oh that's even worse," Willow murmured.

"He's doing fine in my timeline," Xander volunteered, "He helped train me for my tournaments, and trained Mom and Dad when they were fighting Salem."

"Oh yeah! Same!" Julian cheered. "Geez, you wouldn't expect him to be able to swing that sword so fast but BAM! WHAM! He just whips it around and you go flying!"

"Granny Izzy taught me a lot," Xia bragged, flexing a bicep, "Especially in how to beat the crap out of someone!"

"Indeed," Petra grinned, "She and Mother got on so well, they invented a new martial art style the Church now teaches across Remnant."

"Well, that happened in my timeline too!" Xia insisted. Petra smirked.

"Shall we see whose style is more formidable?"

"Oh definitely," Xia grinned, her eyes flashing green briefly.

"Muscleheads," Leandra and Leander muttered.

"Hey, she taught me too!" Amethyst insisted. She flushed at the looks from her temporal half-siblings. "I mean, about a lot of non-fighting things. She's a great teacher!"

"She is," Ash agreed, "She helped us get our Semblances under control."

"Yeah but Grandpa Nick is a lot more fun," Ashley insisted, watching the fight keenly.

"He is," Athena agreed, "Jaune seems to be a lot less aggressive than he needs to be, if he's using my daughter's style." She slipped into a darker tone, her body language far harder and colder.

"He must strike without hesitation, drive himself forward with his power. He must conquer all he sees, for the Riddle of Steel is in who wields it, not in the weapon itself-"

"Miss Athena," Orestes warned. Athena blinked and flushed.

"Ah, sorry. I was thinking back to Red Sanya... You remember that movie, right Basara?"

"I remember that I still chafe from all the horseback riding I had to do," Basara grumbled.

"Grandmother!" Petra gasped, scandalized. Logos laughed.

"I remember it too, dear... Be grateful you didn't have to get knocked off the horse so many times for stunts."

Jaune's potential brides were having their own conversation further down the stands where they watched and waited for their turn.

"He really has improved immensely," Blake murmured. "Going from untrained civilian to that good in just a semester or two? It's amazing."

"You know, it really is!" Ruby chirped.

"You did well with him," Arslan complimented Pyrrha, who smiled and blushed happily.

Blake's eyes shone brightly.

"He's just like Genji from Genji the Gutsy Ninja!"

Yang turned a tense smile to her partner.

"You mean the blond idiot ninja who married the dark quiet girl who loved reading?"

Blake shrugged, exuding cat-like smugness.

"It hadn't crossed my mind~."

"Yeah?!" Ruby demanded. "Well, I think he's more like-like Eddard in All Metal Alchemist!"

"Oh, where he marries his childhood friend who happens to be mechanically inclined?" Blake scoffed. "What a coincidence!"

"You guys keep referencing fiction, this is real life," Yang pointed out.

"Says the kissless virgin," Weiss deadpanned. Yang growled, her eyes flashing red.

"I told you that in confidence! And like you can talk, Ice Queen!"

"Brainless brawler!"

"C-Can we all please stop fighting?" May asked. "We um, we do need to think about... Um... Fighting."

"That's Team RWBY," Emerald sighed, "They constantly argue and bicker and you have no idea how they could possibly be a threat. Cinder certainly didn't think they were-She thought they just lucked out. She thought you were her greatest threat, Pyrrha, which is why she focused so much on eliminating you."

"Oh... Um..." Pyrrha blinked, considered, "... Thhhhank you?"

"I don't think that was a compliment," Arslan deadpanned.

"I'm working on it!" Emerald huffed.

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

His father was just as good at swinging a sword with his left hand as he was with his right. Being ambidextrous with a blade was one of the better flexes a swordsman could show off, as someone who wielded their sword with the southpaw had a distinct advantage over someone who didn't. The reasons for this were multifaceted, with the most prominent facet being the fact that naturally left-handed people were uncommon enough that your average swordsman would never have a chance to practice against a left-hander. This uncommon nature also meant that defenses were designed with the expectation that your opponent would be right-handed.

For Jaune the big problem was that his shield was on his own left where it would naturally block the angles a right-handed person would be comfortable striking from. Now the blocking was falling entirely to his sword-hand, and it wasn't easy. He blocked high, low, high, high, mid, low, high, low, mid, mid, high again, his father slipping through his guard four times to land three solid hits.

That said while his shield wasn't as useful for blocking against his Father's new angle of attack the second half of Crocea Mors was not idle. Jaune punched with it, swung it like he was trying to cut with its' edge and he twisted his body to try and find a stance that would put the shield at a good angle to resume blocking duties.

It was during one of those twists that Jaune saw a possibility for a new opening. His body was turned the right way while his legs were tensed in the right position for him to hold his shield in front of him in a charge, and so that's what he did. Leading with his shield and shoulder he charged like a professional Grifball player at a moment where Nick had to dodge towards Jaune's right, allowing the younger Arc to take a passing swing that managed to slip over his father's attempt at deflection and hit his old man on the shoulder.

That was four.

"Not bad," Nick grinned before tossing Nogg into the air again and catching it with his right hand. Yet he didn't catch it by the handle, he caught Nogg by the blade, "I hope you're ready for this!"

Nick shot forward, using the blade of his sword like a handle and swinging it about as if the pommel was the head of a mace. Jaune blocked the first, second and third strikes of Nogg's pommel with his shield but the fourth saw his father hook the crossguard of Nogg over the shield half of Crocea Mors like the claw of a hammer and wrest it from Jaune's arm.

Jaune danced backwards as he dodged his father's next strike and the one that followed it. The next few moments were spent franticly dodging his father's strikes with no attempts at blocking or deflecting them, because Jaune knew in his gut that if his father could pry off his shield by using Nogg's crossguard like a hook that easily then any attempt to block or deflect with his sword would just result in losing his weapon.

A jump to avoid a vertical swing to his right. A limbo duck to avoid a horizontal swing. A twist to avoid a jab that would have seen Nogg's pommel hit his kidney. Jaune's mind raced as he looked for options, and after getting hit on the hip and dodging two more swings he thought he had one.

Jaune jumped forward to his father's right and flared his aura as he let his father hit him, sending him crashing to the ground. Yet Jaune managed to land in a role, letting him use the momentum of the hit to create significant distance between him and his father. That extra distance was the head start Jaune needed to run to where his shield had been tossed aside.

He didn't try to put the shield back on, his father would be on him too quick for him to have the time to do that. As he grabbed his shield at the top he made sure to scrape it along the ground so it scooped up a shovelful of dirt as he ran past it. Then as he heard his father's footfalls get closer Jaune spun around flinging that shovelful of dirt in the general direction of Nick's head. Jaune immediately followed this up by throwing his shield at his father's chest and then charging forward with his blade held high a moment after.

Nick raised his free hand to keep the spray of dirt out of his eyes and swung Nogg to knock away the shield, but since he was matching Jaune's speed for this match that left him open long enough for his son to strike him in a leaping pass. Jaune lashed out with the sword half of Crocea Mors as he sailed through the air on his father's left, scoring a hit on the elder Arc's shoulder blade before hitting the ground and rolling away from any possible reprisal.

Jaune came to a stop on his back, slightly winded, but otherwise fine.

"That's five!" Nick announced to the world as he wiped the dirt that got past his hand from his face. Returning Nogg to its' sheath with a pleasant smile gracing his lips Nick walked up to his son and held out a hand to help his boy up. Jaune accepted and was pulled to his feet in short order.

"So how'd I do?" Jaune asked once he was back on his feet. His father pulled him into a brief yet snug hug before pulling back with his hands on Jaune's shoulders.

"Wonderfully Son!" Nick enthused before turning and taking a handful of steps to retrieve the shield half of Crocea Mors. He handed the shield back to Jaune as he continued, "You have a great foundation to build on, and I already know what I'll want to teach you this week. We'll have you at the front of the pack in no time!"

This wasn't the first time someone had praised his progress, Pyrrha brought it up almost every time they trained together and each of his friends had commented on it at least once, but hearing it from his Father just hit different. Jaune's vision became blurry for a moment as he blinked back a tear born of a confusing mix of relief and joy.

"That's great Dad," Jaune smiled up at his father. "What do you want to teach me first?"

"Good question," Nick brought a hand to his chin and stroked his beard for a moment, "I have a whole list of things I've always wanted to teach you, but, well, you know why it didn't happen." Nick looked chagrined for a second before his eyes lit up with excitement, "Have you learned any Aura Blade techniques while you've been here?"

"No, I haven't," Jaune admitted as he returned his shield to its' sheath configuration, brushing a bit of dirt off of it in the process. He sheathed the sword and returned Crocea Mors to its place on his belt.

"Then that's where we'll start," Nick nodded with conviction. "There's a technique that every swordsman of the Arc family needs to know. Your great-grandfather Shirou taught it to me when he and Arturia realized I'd be part of the family one day, and when I had mastered it Shirou declared me a true Arc. This technique has been passed down from one generation to the next all the way back to the founding of our family, and I'm honored that I'll get to teach it to you."

Jaune felt the weight behind his father's words, and as they sank in a question bubbled to the surface; "We have a Family Aura Blade Technique?"

"The family symbol's two crescents for a reason Son," Nick grinned with pride. The elder Arc then turned his eyes to the stands where Jaune's future wives sat waiting for their matches and he opened his mouth to speak again. Then he closed it. His face became contemplative for a moment and then he spoke; "There's something else I want to talk to you about, but it should probably wait until I've seen what your harem's made of."

Jaune bit down on the reflexive objection to the idea that the girls were his harem. The reflex wasn't helpful right now, even if he and his possible wives hadn't agreed to being a harem. That wasn't a call Jaune felt comfortable making on his own.

"Get some water and send Team RWBY down for their fight," Nick instructed with a grin, "I've figured out the rules we'll use for your wives' matches."

"What are you thinking?" Jaune asked.

"I fight them with Nogg, and if they force me to draw Blont Joyeux we can call it their win," His father answered as he gestured to the railgun sword on his back. "That should be fair, right?"

"Right..." Jaune tentatively agreed while wondering if that was the only handicap his father was going to give himself...

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Nice Cardin bit. And honestly Jaune getting so good in the short amount of time he had really says a lot. Especially when he's compared to everyone else.

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

Nice Cardin bit. And honestly Jaune getting so good in the short amount of time he had really says a lot. Especially when he's compared to everyone else.

Click to shrink...

This.

I wonder who will do the best against Nick?

I'd say Glynda or Winter, but they have the age advantage over everyone else.

So, for Jaune's age group, I'll say Emerald.

Thanks for the chapter!

 

[AndrewJTalon]

This.

I wonder who will do the best against Nick?

I'd say Glynda or Winter, but they have the age advantage over everyone else.

So, for Jaune's age group, I'll say Emerald.

Thanks for the chapter!

Click to shrink...

Glynda would take down Nick pretty easily. He's insanely tough and strong but he's most powerful at close range. Her forte is ranged combat and she's not bad at close range either. He'd put up a heroic fight but she creams him.

Winter is a more even match. She's faster and has more options at range, but Nick is tougher and has a LOT more experience and cunning.

 

[NightDranzer]

Glynda would take down Nick pretty easily. He's insanely tough and strong but he's most powerful at close range. Her forte is ranged combat and she's not bad at close range either. He'd put up a heroic fight but she creams him.

Click to shrink...

No kidding, people in the FNDM really fail to understand just how much a beast Glynda actually is. To be fair to the FNDM, though; it's not like Rooster Teeth has shown her in action on screen but both the books (RWBY: After the Fall) and word of author (the CRWBY discussions) really drive home the point that, excluding Ozpin, Glynda is THE strongest Huntsman (not just Huntress, but Huntsman; as in mankind, as in both male and female) in Vale, if not the world (even including Maidens).

Glynda has complete and absolute mastery over her Semblance, and she is also an expert in using multiple weapons as well as an expert in unarmed combat. She is also very adept at using Dust for both direct combat and for setting traps during confrontations.

Glynda is so far one of the very few people that CRWBY confirmed could take on a Maiden and comfortably win. The only possible exception to this is Raven, and mostly because Raven herself is also a legendary Huntress in her own right. It says a lot that the only way to reasonably offscreen her defeat was to imply that she faced Salem directly (and put up one hell of a fight) and lost. You know, Salem; as in the woman who has often been described as a walking natural calamity.

 

[cazador]

Seems kinda late to teach arc family techniques

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Seems kinda late to teach arc family techniques

Click to shrink...

One, Isabel didn't want Jaune to become a Huntsman at all.

And two... Isabel had zero talent with a sword. Her trying to wield a blade for anything but surgery was basically a total cringefest.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune: "Wait. Mom, why didn't you learn anything about sword wielding? You're an Arc, after all!"

Isabel: "Well... Um... You see..."

Nick: "Hahahaha! Good question, my son! You see, if it's anything other than a scalpel or a kitchen knife, your mother is absolutely hopeless with blades!"

Isabel: "NIIICKKK!"

Jaune: "Wha... How?"

Yang: "This I gotta see."

Weiss: "How is that possible, Mrs. Arc? You're a master combatant with total control of your body!"

Isabel: sighs "Nick?"

Nick hands over Nogg. Isabel swings it a few times.

Isabel: "Okay Jaune, try."

Jaune: "Um... Okay?"

Jaune swings... Isabel deflects... And Nogg is sent flying through the air. Nick catches his sword.

Jaune: "Wha... How...?"

Weiss: "Th-That has to be a fluke!"

Isabel: "I assure you, it is not."

Fifty tries later... Isabel has been disarmed instantly every time, or she's thrown the sword into a wall, or she's broken a starter blade.

Jaune: "Wha... How...?!"

Isabel: shrugs "Well, I suppose after generations of Arcs being among the greatest sword wielders in Remnant? Someone had to have zero talent with it."

Penny: pinned to a wall with an errant sword "Fascinating! Also, can you get me down now?"

- - -

Because Isabel having a weird stat-based quirk was an amusing thought. Hey, she is fairly sensible and level headed but she's still an Arc.

 

[Col'O'Knowl]

So Isabel could be an Archer, just an unconventional one

 

[Dragon Bob]

So Isabel could be an Archer, just an unconventional one

Click to shrink...

Most archers who fight with swords throw them. Isabel fights with swords and can't keep a hold on them.

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

One, Isabel didn't want Jaune to become a Huntsman at all.

And two... Isabel had zero talent with a sword. Her trying to wield a blade for anything but surgery was basically a total cringefest.

Click to shrink...

Can she butter a slice of toast?

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

But has she tried shooting them from a bow?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Can she butter a slice of toast?

Click to shrink...

Yes, she can. Anything bigger than a dagger is something she has trouble with.

 

[cavalal386]

Can she butter a slice of toast?

Click to shrink...

sorry, couldn't resist