Chapter 20: "Alice in Wonderland" Pt. 2
So many positive reviews all around! Over 1,000 favs & reviews, and 500,000 views now! This is awesome! Glad that you guys loved the song at the end. Didn't know whether or not it would be good, glad to know that you all approved. Now then, reviews Ho!
PolishFreelancer115: Glad you liked my choice. As for the yellow eye bit, sort of. It's more of a shoutout to the Sith rather than a reference. It was more to show the power of his inner hollow that he unconsciously tapped. Remember, his yellow eyes were surrounded by the blackness, hinting at the power of the hollow within showing a bit.
warrior of six blades: I'm happy you liked lullaby. As for Jaune's true feelings showing through, I wanted to show the audience how he though he truly cared for Weiss, he was willing to let it go for her happiness. Even if it only served to break her own heart unknowingly. Can't catch a break can he?
Argus456: I always planned for Jaune to find Alice. Yeah, he does has some experience with babysitting, but you're right, he needs help. Family's a smart choice, but it would take them a few days to head to Beacon. So until then, he's sort of stuck with what he's got. I also found it hilarious how everyone just assumed that this would be an Alice in Wonderland crossover chapter. How? I specifically put that this would be a future scenario, and I'm absolutely positive that Alice from the movie had taken some 'shrooms from the forest before falling asleep. Imagination can run wild, sure, but how does imagination alone explain all that crap going on? I'm not sure if Jaune ever did drugs, but he sure as hell doesn't here. Aside from his teammates finding out and reporting it, the professors wouldn't be so forgiving if they saw one of their students high off their ass. I could've had the chapter worded differently I suppose, but I'd run into similar problems. "Papa Jaune"? Someone already made a story with the name, and I didn't want people to assume it was a reaction of that. Anything else that had Dad/Papa/etc. would just be too on the nose so I didn't bother with that. So, here we all are, Jaune as a dad, and Alice heading to an uncertain future. Pray that Nora doesn't do something too bad... They're doomed.
X3runner: That does sound funny. Though I'm trying to work another angle with Whitley. No spoilers, but this chapter should hint at what I'm trying to do, if not beat everyone with a stick at what my plan is.
gorillageek: What's 'under the red hood'? I'm serious. I have no idea what that is.
Azrael Zero: Thank you for the continued support. Though I haven't had much thought into those universes. Perhaps later on when I'm finished with Guardians.
Redgrave Antony: Uhh... you do know that this is a story centered around him, right? If you hate Jaune so much, why are you even reading this? I agree that with alternate universes, having them falling in love with different versions of Jaune is wrong, and to be honest unfair to the women in question. But that's why I had them mixed with future scenarios to balance them out. They're to show what the future, they're future, can become. They are not just crushing on a different version of Jaune from a separate life, they're crushing on their version of Jaune in their life. What they see with the purple orbs can actually happen (which means that Alice does in fact exist here, and if Jaune didn't choose to go train alone, she'd be dead, and no one would know). That's also why they're reacting as they are. They are seeing the future, of course they would be heavily invested in this. As for the Gods, well why do you think I had the holiday chapter made in the first place? Sure, it was festive and all, but I had another reason for it. I knew that the Brothers were assholes for what they did when Salem's past was revealed, and I also knew from the beginning that people would be suspicious of the motives of some god they never heard of before (it's happened so many times in other react fics, not just RWBY ones). So I had the raffle done in order to lower said suspicions, showing everyone that not all gods are jerks. Having their daughters be with them, if even for a short time, helped immensely with that (I originally planned to bring them at a later date, but someone else took the initiative). If I wanted to make a holiday themed chapter, I could've just posted the Family Guy 'North Pole' special like I originally planned and save myself the work. Oma was always meant to be their daughter, the addition of 3 more didn't matter to me. I wanted Salem and Ozma to watch as Oma (name similarities for the win!) helping her children, their grandchildren, ascend; finding out that they aren't as alone as they thought as we continue. I can't help the Glynda situation, it is what it is with most people, myself included. As for the leader thing, well I thought he did well in Vol 4 when he was forced to lead. I thought that if he had the proper experience, then he'd be even better. Lastly, he's a teenager. Of course he wouldn't admit to it. I know I wouldn't at that age, so why would I look down on him for doing the same? It's a rather human thing to do, not admitting to such huge mistakes/problems. Does that excuse him? No. But we should also know that not many people would admit to it either.
andres888: I had no idea who that was, thought it was some other author, so I googled it. Imagine my surprise when I found out it was a game, hahaha XD
UnlawfulGentleman: Nope, just a calming universe. The cooldown was what I was aiming for, glad you picked that up. I also felt that the audience needed the break, what with the last viewing, so I had them falling asleep too. Both as a way to show just how magical his singing can do, and how wired up they all were.
Alexdel27: Those people make sense. Which is why I chose to have neither of them be the mom. Way too obvious and done to death in some cases. That's why I left a small hint in the last chapter as to the identity of Alice's new mom.
Delekmaster: I tried, but most of the songs I looked up don't have lyrics, and that sort of defeats the purpose. I do have a few choices so don't worry, however they are few and in between, so I'm gonna have to switch to English songs soon unfortunately (though they will not be traditional lullabies).
0akarigan0: Happy you enjoyed. Hope you like this one just as much.
WearyCurmudgeon: Ah yes, I remember that fic. That was pretty hilarious, and was part of the reason for why I brought her. I think that Lazerwolf1 was the only one who actually brought Willow into the multiverse's shenanigans. I'm not entirely positive though, I've seen more and more react fics popping up recently. Your 'booty call' comment really made me laugh though. I do like your idea of Ozpin's plan going to shit, but I have another universe where Jaune becomes King. No spoilers, but I think that will be epic, plus it would show how charismatic Jaune could really be. I still have Troy and 300 on the list if you want something like Gladiator, though the second one will be more historically accurate than the movie (no man-kinis for one). As for the nationality, I agree to a point. I do think that the statue in Beacon looks like an Arc ancestor, and the Mistral architecture doesn't really fit. But remember, the Arcs are far older than the 4 Kingdoms. That statue really could be Jaune's ancestor; and since the Arcs came first, technically they aren't Mistral citizens. Really, some are, and that's to keep up appearances and seats of power. There's also the symbol highlighted in blue on the floor of Haven's vault to address. That symbol looks remarkably similar (if not the same) to the ones used in France during their colonial days. I'm not sure why it's there, doesn't match the rest of Mistral's architecture, but I'm using it as a marker that some Arcs were present in the Kingdom. But you are right, most of the Arc civilians would be in a seperate location from Mistral. Somewhere safe and out of the way. Where their numbers can grow with no worries. And with their contingencies, there's bound to more than one location. As for Alice, well how would he have been able to do that? It will be tough to buy tickets to Vale since the Vytal Festival is in full swing here. His grandparents were in Vale because they planned to go there and still had to wait, and they're Councilmembers. Lastly, because they all had to deal with the last viewing, that emotional roller-coaster would've left Salem and Oz tired. Since it was just the one song, they'd think that they were more tired than they thought.
AnimeWatcher1014: Your praises fills me with joy. I'm happy you hold such a high regard to my work.
guillermocejas767: I'm not doing that to Zwei. He's too fluffy and cute for me to put a bullet in his brain.
Again, so much love for the song. I'm happy that my research bore such fruit! Speaking of that, I would like to point out that France does have Celtic ancestry, it's just what remains of their legacy rests mostly in Ireland in Great Britain. Don't worry, this won't be the last we'll hear of Jaune's singing talent. Now, on with the show!
Disclaimer in the prologue.
After a few hours of undisturbed rest, the audience began to wake up.
The first to do so were the new additions. They rubbed their eyes as they wondered what happened. As they rubbed the sleep from their eyes, they began to remember what it was that happened. Many began to smile, the melody so soothing to hear, and hoping that they would hear it again.
One after another, more began to wake up. Jack began to pass out cups of coffee to help wake them up sooner. It took a minute, but they were finally awake.
"Wow..." Ruby said in a soft voice. She never imagined that Jaune could sing so beautifully, nor handle little Alice so expertly. 'He really would make a great dad.' That thought got her to blush.
Weiss, Raven, Sienna, and Glynda were also thinking in similar wavelengths. They got out their cd's gifted to them from SomberFlight and wanted to hear the songs even more.
The parents smiled as they remembered the expert handling of the child. Ilia, seeing Chibi Blake resting on top of Ghira's head, reached over and started to cuddle with her like she was her child.
The mothers all felt like they could go for another kid, and began thinking of ways to make that happen. The husbands began to feel a shiver run down their spines for some reason, confusing them. The most confused was Ozpin, who didn't know why he felt like he should lock his door and start building a crib.
Yang blushed heavily. Raising Ruby after Summer's passing had made her acting more on her maternal instincts than a sister at times. The sight of Jaune cradling baby Alice stirred her maternal instincts once more, and the thought of the two of them raising a child together had her loins burning. 'I mean, from what I saw, he's certainly experienced at being a dad...'
Coco looked at her friends in awe. "Did any of you know that he could sing like that?" She saw almost everyone shake their heads, but also noticed that his team nod.
"Well duh." Nora said, "He's been singing lullabies to us for weeks now." Her parents looked at her in shock, but also in slight regret at missing their opportunity to share in those moments. 'No more.'
Saphron widened her eyes as RWBY looked at her in shock.
"Wait," Weiss said as she stood up and pointed at her in accusation, "if he was so good, then why did he sound so terrible when he tried that on me?!" Her family looked at her in shock, causing her to blush and sit back down, much to the amusement of her teammates.
Nora shrugged, but Saphron looked to the heiress with confusion, "Well, he tends to get nervous whenever he has to perform under pressure." She paused when her little Adrian called to her from the crib, having trouble seeing from the brown cloak now covering his little head (1). Giggling, she went over to pick him up. Lowering his hood, she whispered a quick "Peekaboo" as he clapped. Kissing his cheek, she turned her attention back to Weiss, asking "Tell me, what was he trying to do?"
Before Weiss could answer, Ruby said "He was trying to serenade her in an effort to ask her out." "RUBY!" Weiss shouted in embarrassment, especially when her family kept looking at her. She squirmed under their gazes.
Saphron nodded, "Yep, that'd do it." She then looked at her brother's team with kind eyes. "Although, that's not to say he's bad at other dialects. He certainly can sing, it's just rare he'd sing in that dialect. That's why I'm so surprised really." Seeing everyone's attention on her, she smiled. "Usually, he only sings our lullabies to family members." She turns to look at his brother's team, "He must think very highly of you three. Those songs are a part of our heritage, and sacred to all in the Arc Clan." Her smile turned melancholic, "Many were sung to us from the Four Pillars themselves."
Many were surprised, though Whitley looked confused. "Is there something special in regards to that? Aren't they just simple lullabies?" The new people nodded along, not understanding why these 'Pillars' were so important.
Jack took the chance to explain the significance. "Indeed." He nodded, bringing everyone's attention to him. "As she said, those melodies are sacred to the Arcs." He points to Saphron, "Most of those were passed down from the Four Pillars, the Arc Clan's first ancestors. Those 'simple lullabies', as you said, are old. Far older than the 4 Kingdoms themselves, or really almost every Kingdom in your history."
Whitley's eyes widened, along with everyone else who didn't know just how old the Arcs truly were.
They looked back at Saphron, who just shrugged.
Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha puffed their chests out in pride while their friends and teachers looked at them in awe. "We're awesome!" Nora shouted with a smug grin and fist pump.
Glynda leaned over to Ozpin, after ripping out his fake beard of course and causing him to sigh. "Bart would kill to look at their history." Her friend and boss nodded, knowing how their friend was in regards to learning more of the past. 'He'd probably sell his soul to study their historical records.' They thought with a sweat drop.
After the shock wore off, Jack continued with the viewing.
The screen cuts to Beacon's drop-off area as a Bullhead is shown dropping down. After it touched down, Jaune stumbles out, carrying Alice close to his chest.
The adults sighed in relief at seeing the two safe and sound. Sure, they were safe on top of that tree, but they would be constantly under threat from the Grimm. Being on official school grounds would be so much safer.
Adrian, seeing this, pouted and crossed his chest. Saving her was one thing, he didn't want his 'Oncl' Jan' time to be taken away.
His actions had his mommies giggle and snuggle him close.
He was once again cursing the fact that he was cursed with motion sickness, 'At least I didn't throw up this time. Thank Oum for small mercies'. Alice, seeing the face he was making, began to giggle. She then started to look around in wonder. The new things she was seeing were very bright and pretty to the little girl. Jaune himself was relieved to be back, taking in the grand beauty of the school with a smile. He caught his charge's wonderous gaze and smiled to himself. 'She really is so cute.' he thought, then looking ahead, he saw the main tower.
"I really have to speak with the Headmaster about this." He whispered. 'He had cameras hidden everywhere during initiation, there is no way he wouldn't notice a student out and about at night.' He glanced at the girl as began the march forwards. 'I just hope that he will let me keep her.'
Ozpin shook his head, "I wouldn't dare to take a child away from her father."
His students sighed in relief. So too did the Faunus, knowing how terrible the orphanages were to orphans of their kind.
Zwei bounced a bit in excitement at the chance of having a new playmate.
The screen cuts to the Headmaster's office, with the man sitting on his fancy chair occasionally sipping from his coffee mug as he listened to one of his favorite students' tale. His deputy was sitting in one of the nearby couches, feeding some formula to the little angel. He of course noticed the cat ears, not exactly a subtle feature for her, but he didn't care. He was not one of those racist pricks like another certain, admittedly disappointing, student.
The students growled, knowing full well who he was referring to, while the teachers sighed in disappointment.
Though Glynda did smile as she saw herself feeding the little girl. 'She's just so cute.' She squealed. She quickly thanked her stars that no one could hear her thoughts.
He noticed Glynda's smile as she fed the girl. 'She always did love children, and the baby's cuteness is just too much, even for me. Thank goodness Mr. Arc gave the child to her, I don't think that I would have lasted as long.' It took all of his willpower to not take the child and snuggle her like he used to do with his own children, all those years ago.
Thoughts of their children had Salem and Ozpin wince, while everyone else raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Wait, he has kids?" A few asked.
Jack just shook his head at his guests' forgetfulness, 'Though I suppose they had something else to focus on.' He ultimately decided not to mention it. After all, if no one figured out the reason for why two children were suddenly clinging onto him while the other to were with Salem, then they were all idiots.
As Jaune was completing his story, Oz mentally shook his head from the painful memories and brought his attention back to the here and now. "And after reading the letter, I saw it was too late to safely walk back to school, and the last Bullhead to fly had landed a few hours before. So I thought it would be best if I stayed at the grove for the night, taking vigilance over the area until it was early enough to call on the first lift out of there." Jaune finished.
Ozpin nodded in acceptance. "That was probably for the best, a walk in the forest at night, with an infant no less, would have been a disaster waiting to happen. Well done." he congratulated. "Although," he added just as Jaune smiled at the praise, "That does leave us with the task of what to do with the child."
A few grew worried at that, though those who knew him felt that Oz was merely setting the young Arc up. That still didn't stop Glynda from glaring at a now sweating Ozpin.
Jaune's heart clenched at the possibility of her being taken away from him. "Sir, with all due respect, the child's mother hoped for someone to take care of her. And I gave my word that I would do so." He argued, "I'll be honest, with her heritage, and the money stored in that card, there is little chance that she would live a happy life."
Ozpin nodded, agreeing with the young man. During the chat, he had taken a look at the card that was with the letter and the account it was linked to, and it was hefty to say the least. A few hundred thousand was in that account, all for the purpose of taking care of the child. Mr. Arc was correct, if she was placed in foster care, and with her Faunus heritage, then there would be little chance for her to ever see that money spent on her.
The Faunus were scowling at the thought of Alice being swindled out of her inheritance, growling softly as they hoped that Jaune would continue to press for his guardianship role.
The students were horrified at the thought of someone being so cruel as to steal the inheritance of a child who just lost her family.
Mercury and Roman weren't happy. Sure they stole and killed before, but they always made it a point to never target children whenever they could. The idea of someone stealing from an infant didn't sit well with them.
The parents weren't pleased either. Willow, Salem, and Summer glared at nothing, while Tai and Ozpin wanted to go and beat that crap out of anyone who would even think pf doing something like that.
Raven, Vernal, Neo, Emerald, and Sienna held their new children close.
"I fully agree Mr. Arc, however I cannot help but feel that you may not be up to the task as well." He raised his hand when he saw Jaune begin to speak up, "Let me explain please. You are a young man, with responsibilities to this school. You are also leader of a team of hormonal teenagers. I cannot in good conscience allow a teenager to take care of a child if they are unable to give the proper time to taking care of her." His gaze became stern, "Are you certain that you can balance all this?" This was a test for the boy. He knew that if given the chance, he will step up to care for her, that is not in question. However he must be made aware of his situation to be certain of his own dedication, he would not wish for the infant to feel neglected after all.
Many of the adults nodded. They knew that taking care of a child was a heavy responsibility, and a teenager with schoolwork and leadership duties was stressful and time consuming enough. Although they didn't like how Oz was basically manipulating the young man, even if this was for a good cause it wasn't fair to Mr. Arc.
Jaune's friends and family smiled though. They knew what choice he would make, even if it was the more stupid one.
And he was not disappointed. Jaune's eyes turned sharp, like when he faced the Grimm, and his words showed how strong his conviction was. "I understand Headmaster. I know she needs all the attention and love she deserves, and I give you my word as an Arc that I will do whatever it takes to cherish her as if she was my own."
Saphron nodded in pride, Terra smiling as she saw her brother-in-law steeping up to the task. Adrian was clapping his little hands as he cheered for his uncle.
The students beamed with happiness. They knew he would take responsibility.
Those with crushes blushed as they saw the resolve in his features.
Emerald and Mercury wondered what would've happened if their families were around/not a complete prick. Maybe they wouldn't have turned to a life of crime.
Weiss, Winter, and Whitley felt slightly jealous of the child. They always wondered what it would've been like if Jacques was a kind father. Seeing Jaune show such love and care to a baby not his own brought some feelings of resentment, though they were quickly crushed. They didn't want to blame a child for their father doing a shit job. Still, they wondered how Jaune would take to the roll.
Willow saw all of this, and felt a deep sadness for her children. In her efforts to drink her troubles away, she abandoned her own flesh and blood to her horrid husband's machinations. It made her regret what she did, and prayed to the gods that she'd make things right.
Tai, Odin, Klein, and Ozpin looked at the young man with respect to the new father. Even Ghira had to begrudgingly nod his head as he crossed his arms in a pout, causing Kali to giggle.
Even Glynda was shocked by his words, the small blush evidence of how his speech had affected her. Ozpin himself was proud of the man that stood before him. He nodded, knowing that the child would be in safe hands. He got out a piece of paper that he had Glynda prepare beforehand, and signed it after making few changes, specifically he added to the child's name. He then handed the paper and a pen over to him.
Jaune looked it over, smiling at the name for the child. "'Alice Arc'. Heh, gotta admit it has a nice ring to it."
Saphron nodded as she smiled. Terra hugged Adrian as he clapped at the newest family member of the Arc Clan.
Many smiled or laughed at his reaction to the name change.
Some, like Pyrrha and Ruby, blushed as they mentally replaced 'Alice' with their own names.
He signed with no hesitation, then handed the form back. As they both rose up, they shook hands, one in gratitude the other in pride. The two then walked over to the two ladies. There, the audience saw Glynda burp Alice, and Jaune went to pick up his new daughter.
Glynda pouted a bit, wanting to spend more time with the adorable little angel.
Salem, Frigga, Willow, Summer, and Kali smiled at this, remembering all the times they used to feed their children at that age; the latter picked up Chibi Blake and held her like she was an infant, making the mini cat girl blush in embarrassment. Regular Blake saw this and pouted. Raven didn't have any memories really, what with her abandonment of Yang, but with Robin she felt that she would know soon enough.
Maria cooed as she saw the little angel acting all cute. Klein smiled as he remembered how adorable his charges were at that age.
Terra and Saphron grinned at the other mothers, knowing that Adrian was still young enough to feed him. The snugged closely to their boy as they watched the screen.
All this did was make the mothers want another chance for babies.
He also have Alice wave at the teacher, "Say bye to the nice lady ok?" He whispered to her, the girl laughed and smiled at the pretty lady who fed her. Glynda felt warm as she waved back at her, smile more prominent.
The young family then went to the elevator, but before they left, Ozpin had one final thing that he wanted to tell him. "Oh, I almost forgot. I will have Miss Goodwitch send you some baby supplies as well as a key for your new team dorm." At his shocked expression, Oz smiled. "I am aware that your current dorm is not be suitable for a child, and I'm also sure you have no baby supplies."
Jaune nodded in appreciation and thanks for the help, while Glynda glared at her friend for dumping even more work for her to do.
Glynda turned and leveled a glare at Oz as well, with the man swiftly turning away to look at the screen. 'Well,' she thought as she lessened her glare, 'at least this time it's not for an asinine reason.' She rubbed her forehead as she remembered all the stupid shit she was forced to do. All the things she was forced to clean. 'Seriously, am I a professor or custodian for the school?'
Kali and Eve did the same to Ghira and Sienna. Kali knew that she had been saddled with the brunt of the paperwork when the two were in charge of the White Fang, but at least he gave reasons for it, even if they were suspect. Sienna had no such reasons, and just dropped piles of reports on Eve to work on.
Winter breathed a sigh of relief. 'Thank Oum General Ironwood isn't that lazy and does his own work.' Glynda, Kali, and Eve suddenly felt a bit jealous for some reason.
Though that glare lessened when Jaune picked up Alice.
As the two went to the elevator, he turned around and waved to his professors, "Thank you again professors." He then looked to Alice and softly nudged to them, "Say 'thank you' to Big Sis Glynda and Grandpa Ozpin." She giggled again, and waved at the shocked adults.
The students awed at the cuteness of little Alice, and Yang, Coco, and Nora laughed at their teachers' new titles.
Glynda softly smiled, picturing herself as the child's older sister, and actually didn't mind the image.
Oz felt a warm feeling settling in his chest, and he quickly wiped a few stray tear off his face as he repeated the words Jaune made in his head, 'Grandpa Ozpin.' The more he thought of it, the more happy he felt.
Salem just frowned, knowing that if history played out differently, she'd be swarmed with grandbabies of her own. Yeah, if only.
Glynda was shocked, as was Ozpin, at the new titles. But even so, the two adults waved at the cute family as the doors closed, the former even blushing lightly as she saw the new loving family forming in front of her eyes.
The sight had many of the students gushing.
Velvet was cursing herself for leaving her camera behind, but she at least was able to take some pictures with her scroll. Even if they weren't as high in quality.
Jaune is walking with Alice in his arms outside in school grounds, taking his time to allow her to view her new surroundings. He smiled at her as she whipped her head around to look at the new place she was in. Chuckling a bit, he lead down and kissed the top of her head, right between her kitten ears, causing the child to look up at him in confusion. With his smile still on he said, "Liking the sights, sweetie? Well, don't worry, you'll have all the time in the world to explore. This is your home now." She smiled as if understanding him.
Ruby was squealing softly at the cute pair, picturing herself with them as they all walked through Beacon's halls as a family outing. She wasn't the only one.
"And guess what?" His smile widened a bit. "I get to be your new daddy. Welcome to the family, Alice Arc." Alice giggled and reached up to give him a hug.
Coco blushed as she grinned. "That's so cute." She then smirked as she started rubbing her chin, looking at Velvet with mischievous eyes. "You know, he's well on his way to becoming an official Grade-A DILF, don't you think so too Vel?"
Velvet blushed, smacking her friend's arm with a scandalous look on her face. "Coco!" She yelped, embarrassed as her friend laughed her ass off.
The ones with crushes, and a few who didn't, nodded as they looked at the screen.
The Faunus in the room all smiled at this human readily calling the small Faunus child his daughter, though a few blushed once they heard the girl's remark.
Jaune's children blushed in embarrassment and modification. Even more so when they saw their mommies nodding along with the weird but fashionable girl's praise of their dad. Robin and Lucy facepalmed at their mothers perverseness, seeing them have nosebleeds.
Hugging his baby girl, he looked forward and noticed that he was already near his dorm building; heck, he saw his door from here. "Huh, I didn't know we were close." It didn't take long to arrive, and before he unlocked the door, he turned his head to address his daughter as she continued to look at him, "Welcome home." He then opened the door...
Nora squealed and grabbed Ren and Pyrrha in a strong hug. Grinning, she said "Ooh, we get to her first, guys!" She didn't notice, or care, that her teammates were trying to create a new shade of blue.
Only to see his teammates, his second family, all fast asleep.
"Nooo!" Nora wailed, dropping the two as she sulked.
Said two were coughing as they tried to get some much needed oxygen into their lungs.
'I guess it makes sense, it's still early in the morning.' He saw his team scattered around the room. Ren was seated in his chair, no doubt uncomfortable as hell; Nora was laying sideways on her bed, legs off the bed and right arm over her forehead as she snored, he could see her covers on the floor; and his partner and best friend, Pyrrha, was lying on her bed on her right side, covers thrown off next to her, pajamas in full view with her facing the door.
After escaping death, Ren winced as he saw his other's resting spot. He rubbed his back, already feeling phantom pains.
Pyrrha blushed, knowing full well why she was sleeping like that.
Nora was still sulking in her seat.
The rest of the students snickered.
Jaune sighed softly and turned to his daughter.
Alice was looking at all the new people, wondering if they are as nice as the pretty lady.
Nora jumped up and grinned at the screen. With a thumbs up, she said "Of course we are." Picking up Pyrrha again, she announced "Big Sis Nora and Pyrrha are way more fun than that mean old scary teacher."
"Excuse me?" Glynda asked, glaring at a now frightened Nora for the crack at her age as her coworkers decided to slowly back away. The woman's glare caused the mad bomber to begin stuttering as Pyrrha was trying to pry herself free and not be in the crossfire.
He went to his bed, pulled off the covers, and gently set Alice down with her head resting on the middle of the soft pillow so that she wouldn't accidently roll off. As he went to leave her, she started to squirm in discomfort. She didn't want her new daddy to leave, and began to tear up at the thought.
The glare was replaced with a soft cooing. "Oh, it's ok sweetie. Your papa's not going anywhere." Glynda tried to reassure the little angel, not wishing to see her new sister cry.
Oz wanted to say something, but felt he was on thin ice already. "You do know she's not your kid, right?" So he let Qrow do it for him. 'That poor fool.' He shook his head, seeing Glynda absentmindedly whip her crop at the man and flung him at a pillar, eyes not leaving the screen as she still tried to calm Alice down.
Raven shook her head at the idiot that is her brother. *Sigh* "And that's my brother." She bowed her head in shame. Robin though looked at her mom in shock, 'I got another uncle?'
He quickly kneeled down next to the bed, hoping to calm her down while not waking anyone else. With a whisper, he said "Don't worry, sweetheart. I just need to do some things, I won't be long. I'll still be right here." He softly stroked her cheek, getting a purr and smile in response, and slowly rose back up to make sure she wouldn't get upset again. Seeing no danger, he went around to do his team leader duties.
The mothers smiled at the young man's quick thinking for calming Alice down.
The students wondered what he meant by 'team leader duties'. Though NPR felt worried for some reason, as if they didn't want everyone to see what would happen.
First, he went to Ren's bed and tossed his covers away, then he went to his brother's body, and gently picked him up. Mentally thanking the gods for him being a deep sleeper and Nora's strength training, he went to his bed and tucked him in.
Yang, Nora, and Coco laughed at Ren being carried like a child.
The other students giggled or smiled in amusement. Velvet tried not to laugh, but was taking pictures of everything. Unlike her partner, she thought it was cute that Jaune would do this.
The teachers chuckled good-naturedly as they witnessed some team building happening.
Emerald, Roman, Neo, and Mercury couldn't breath they were laughing so hard.
Ren just blushed as he sunk back in his seat.
Next, he went to Nora.
Nora stopped laughing.
He first picked her up and gently laid her down in a more proper position, then he picked up her covers and aired them out as quietly as he could. After he was satisfied, he gently placed the covers up to her neckline. For the pièce de résistance, he kissed her forehead like he used to do with his little sisters back home.
Now Nora joined Ren as their friends and the thieves laughed harder.
'Wow, I'm surprised she didn't wake up from all that. Must've had all her energy spent from the previous day, wonder what happened?'
Lastly, he went to his partner's bad, taking a moment to notice how cute her pajamas were on her. 'Is that a Pumpkin Pete's logo on her chest?'
Pyrrha joined the rest of her team. 'Wait, did he say I was cute?'
Shaking his head, he gently placed her on her back, then he put her covers over her like he did with Nora, but before he could place a kiss on her like he did with the mad bomber, much to the crimson Spartan's dismay, she began to stir ("No... why couldn't you have waited for a few seconds?"). "Jaune?" she moaned as her eyes began to open.
Jaune gently shushed her and patte her head as he tucked her in, "Easy there, Pyrrha, it's ok. Go back to sleep". "Ok, glad you're back..." she began closing her eyes again. As she was doing this, he kissed her forehead ("Yes!") before getting back up, not wanting to let her feel left out, even if she didn't know it. If he looked at her, he would've noticed the faint blush on her cheeks. Looks like a certain someone was awake enough to know what he did.
Pyrrha was a happy camper. Sure, she didn't get the kiss where she wanted most, but it was something, and she'll take what she could get.
He walked to his little angel, seeing that she was close to sleep. "Makes sense," he whispered, "It has been a trying day, and she deserves to sleep in a proper bed than a tree." He yawned, realizing that he may need to sleep as well, a tree branch after all is not the best for your back. He took off his armor, then his clothes until he was only in his boxers.
The girls could see his figure, and were happy to see it filling out. Though more than a few noticed the rather impressive bulge between his legs and blushed heavily.
Some of the men noticed too, even if they didn't want to, and felt very self-conscious at the moment.
After putting his dirty clothes in the hamper he laid down, careful that he didn't wake Alice, and pulled the covers over them. As he was about to call it a day (AN. It's still morning dude.), Alice rolled over 'till she was snuggling on his chest, his aura more calming than any lullaby and they both went to sleep with smiles on their faces.
A few hours later and Nora was waking up.
A bit groggy at first, she wasn't all there yet, she went to sit up and stretch her legs before she noticed that she was fully covered up. 'I guess Jaune's back.' She smiled happily, the feeling of being tucked in like this was heavenly for her. It's one of the many reasons why she appreciates her leader. "He always treats us like family" she whispered to herself, not wanting to wake her team, her family, just yet.
Nora smiled, remembering when she decided that her team was her family.
A family. She was an orphan for much of her young life, only gaining a family with Ren, and for a while that was enough.
Frigga and Odin smiled sadly, wishing they were there for her back then. They hugged their daughter, promicing that even though they weren't there then, they'll be for her now.
She was content. But one day, she was having trouble sleeping...
XX Flashback XX
She was jumping on her bed, too excited from the awesome day she had, and the excitement for the weekend.
Nora gasped, remembering that day, and quickly motioned everyone to quiet down so she wouldn't miss anything.
Ren and Pyrrha sat up in their seats, remembering this as well. The three began to smile as they leaned forward.
Their friends were confused by NPR's actions, but settled down so that they would see what would happen here. A few were hoping something funny would happen.
"Oh man, I can't wait for the weekend to start! No boring classes, no homework! Nothing but pancakes and a hike later, wee!" She jumped and did a backflip, she was so excited. Ren was trying to get her down so that she could go to sleep, but she always had a lot of energy thanks to her semblance. As Ren was trying to get her to sleep so she'd wake up in time tomorrow, Jaune came to the rescue.
The young Arc walked over and crouched beside his bed, and took out a small box. Taking the box, he walked over to the still bouncing Nora. Pulling up a chair, he sat down next to her, and he said, "Oh Nora~?"
Nora looked at him as she continued bouncing. "Yes, fearless leader?"
He grinned, "If you come down, I'll give you a present~."
Nora gasped and immediately stopped, flopping on her bed as she looked with shining eyes. "A present?! For me?!" She pulled herself up to her knees and grabbed his shoulders, "What is it? What is it? What is it?" She tried taking the answers she sought by shaking him back and forth.
Nora's friends laughed at her childish actions, while her parents chuckled.
Laughing, he stopped her and raised a palm up. Pyrrha and Ren stopped what they were doing and watched in curiosity. Jaune then opened the top of the box, and reached inside. Giving her a wink, he pulled out a stuffed sloth plushie.
Nora squealed at the adorable toy, taking it from Jaune and snuggling it to her heart's content. "Oh, aren't you just the cutest thing ever!"
Adrian, Zwei, and Chibi Blake took offense to that.
Lying back on her bed, she said "I think I'm gonna call you, Ren Jr."
Ren blushed again when his friends started to chuckle again.
Distracted by Ren Jr., Jaune stealthily started to tuck Nora in. After he finished he patted the top of her head, causing her look at him and giggle at his silly action, already onto his plan.
"Hah, if you think this'll get me tired, you got another thin-", to the surprise of everyone, he just grinned and took out his scroll. Fiddling around with it, he pressed something and music started to play.
Then, he started to sing.
(Play "Tri Martolod")
"Tri martolod yaouank, tra la la la la la la
Tri martolod yaouank o vonet da veajiñ
Tri martolod yaouank, tra la la la la la la
Tri martolod yaouank o vonet da veajiñ
O vonet da veajiñ, gê, o vonet da veajiñ
O vonet da veajiñ, gê, o vonet da veajiñ"
Several gasped, not knowing that they would hear another song so soon. The students and teachers smiled at how the song was affecting Team NPR.
His voice turns soft, and more elegant than the one they were more used to coming from him. He resumed his head-patting, it becoming more soothing, trying to let her know that she is safe.
Pyrrha and Ren smiled, enraptured by the lyrics. They never heard something so soothing before. Their parents had tended to sing the more popular lullabies to them when they where children. They glanced at each other before quickly heading to their own beds, knowing that they will get a good sleep from this.
Several of the parents laughed at their eagerness.
"Gant 'n avel bet kaset, tra la la la la la la
Gant 'n avel bet kaset betek an Douar Nevez
Gant 'n avel bet kaset, tra la la la la la la
Gant 'n avel bet kaset betek an Douar Nevez
Beteg an Douar Nevez, gê, beteg an Douar Nevez
Beteg an Douar Nevez, gê, beteg an Douar Nevez"
Nora's eyes start to droop, she never had someone do this for her before. Ren always tried his best, but usually he'd just lets her expend her energy. This was her first time having someone singing a lullaby to her. She smiled.
All the children smiled, and started to snuggle up to their mommies.
Nora, Ruby, and Yang did so too, causing Summer and Frigga to giggle. Even Blake did this, partly because she wanted to, and partly due to her being jealous of her Chibi self. Either way, Kali was certainly happy.
Noticing all this, Willow smiled sadly, knowing that with the mistakes she'd made, her own children wouldn't want anything to do with her.
Seeing this, Weiss, Winter and Whitley all went over to her and hugged her too. Willow gasped as she was surrounded by her children, but she smiled as well. As she returned her babies' hug, she started to tear up.
They all returned to the screen, and the young man's song.
"E-kichen mein ar veilh, tra la la la la la la
E-kichen mein ar veilh o deus mouilhet o eorioù
E-kichen mein ar veilh, tra la la la la la la
E-kichen mein ar veilh o deus mouilhet o eorioù
O deus mouilhet o eorioù, gê, o deus mouilhet o eorioù
O deus mouilhet o eorioù, gê, o deus mouilhet o eorioù"
The three began to nod off, feeling as if something was compelling them to rest. An aura of warmth, like a soft hearth, seeping into their bones and calming them, drawing them closer to the sweet embrace of sleep.
The teachers nodded to the song, feeling its gentle beats washing over them and relieving them of the memories of the last viewing. They saw the worst of the Arc, now they're seeing the best of him. The kindness of his soul, and promised to make sure that his pure light wouldn't be snuffed out.
"Hag e-barzh ar veilh-se, tra la la la la la la
Hag e-barzh ar veilh-se e oa ur servijourez
Hag e-barzh ar veilh-se, tra la la la la la la
Hag e-barzh ar veilh-se e oa ur servijourez"
Jaune let the song continue, seeing Nora close to falling asleep. He looked around and spotted the rest of his team in the same spot. 'One more verse ought to do it.' He looked back to Nora and finished with the song.
"Pelec'h hor graet konesañs, gê, pelec'h hor graet konesañs?
Pelec'h hor graet konesañs, gê, pelec'h hor graet konesañs?
E Naoned er marc'had, tra la la la la la la
E Naoned er marc'had hor boa choazet ur walenn
E Naoned er marc'had, tra la la la la la la
E Naoned er marc'had hor boa choazet ur walenn"
As the song ended, he looked around to see his team fast asleep. He even noticed the small smiles on their faces.
Once the song finished, many began clapping.
The parents applauded the young man, knowing that he was well on his way of becoming a great father one day.
His friends loved the song, wanting to know what it meant and hoping to hear a private concert one day.
He grinned and went to go to bed himself, wanting to get some much needed rest for tomorrow. Little did he know how his nights would change in the coming days.
The screen closed in on Nora's sleeping form, then the image started to waver, like the picture began to change into liquid. It cleared up, and they saw her, only different.
"Woah, what happened?" Yang asked.
Ruby scratched her head, "Maybe we're watching a dream?" She turned to Jack, and saw him nod his head.
Frigga and Odin gasped, seeing their little girl as... a little girl.
Nora, now tiny, is walking down a small hill in a large meadow with cute little critters frolicking around. She looks so happy here, her tiny arms holding a sloth plushy close to her chest. Many cooed at the sight. Suddenly a group of people started to appear ahead. She see her brother, Ren, to her right; to her left, she sees her big sister Pyrrha; and to her front she sees her big brother Jaune. All were smiling down at her, happiness clear in their faces and love in their eyes. She smiled widely and ran to go embrace her family.
Her friends rushed over to hug the blushing bomber, happy to see that dream again, and smiling widely as her team and parents giving a big group hug.
The next day, after their hike they were in their dorm room, listening Jaune explain why he did what he did last night. "Well," he shrugged, "it's what I would do for my baby sisters whenever they're too hyper to sleep." And thus began the new team tradition of forc-giving him the privilege of him singing them to sleep.
RBY hummed, looking at Weiss with a silent question. She saw this, and deadpanned at her team. "No."
XX Flashback End XX
Nora smiled at the memory, happy that she got a new big brother, and went to wake her team up the only way she knew how. But when she turned to wake her fearless leader up first, she quickly placed her hands over her mouth to muffle the scream that threatened leave her lips.
She sees Jaune, no surprise there. But the reason for the near team wakeup-call was just who was lying next to him. There, gently nestled on Jaune's chest, was a little girl with her thumb in her mouth.
The mothers cooed, happy to see the father-daughter duo again.
She quickly but quietly, 'don't want to wake up the little cutie now do I?', went to grab her scroll. She took it, and after giggling at Pyrrha for her choice in sleepwear, took many closeups of the cute family.
"Yes!" Nora cheered, happy for her other's smart decision, and quickly joining her soon after. Many others joined as well, and the area was filled with the sounds of pictures being taken.
After taking the pictures she wanted, and saving them for later selling, she gently shook Jaune's unoccupied shoulder.
Nora snickered, picturing herself swimming in pancakes from all the lien she'd get. Coco and Yang quickly ramped up on their own picture taking, either for clothes or haircare products.
It took a few shakes, but eventually he started to wake up. The first thing he saw was Alice's sleeping face, causing many of the women to squeal and take even more pics. He gently kissed her forehead, but a snicker to his side made him turn his head to Nora's grinning face. "Hi. Watcha doing~?"
Jaune took it in stride, by now somewhat expecting that he would have to explain himself about the situation. "Good morning Nora" he whispered as he gently, with her help of course, go off his bed. Placing Alice back on the bed, he placed the blanket back over his daughter. "I know that you may have questions Nora, but can it wait until everyone's awake?" He asked her. "I don't want to have to repeat myself constantly."
"Sure thing Jaune. By the way," she said, sniffing him. "Take a shower, you smell like tree and bark."
He noticed the smell too and was already grabbing a pair of clothes to change into, his muscles still on display.
Coco, Yang, and Nora laughed.
As he went to the showers, he stopped and turned to Nora, who was watching Alice sleeping, and asked "Hey Nora, do you mind if you watch over her please?" He got a salute and cheeky smile for an answer.
After the shower, which disappointed many a fair maiden over the loss of a free show, he stepped out of the bathroom in his footie pajamas to see that the rest of his team were awake and staring dumbly at the baby, who was now awake and looking around for her daddy.
A few snickered at the faces they saw, but mostly they laughed at the young man's choice in sleepwear's.
Robin and Altani glared at them, and released some of their spiritual pressure. The laughs died quickly.
When she spotted him, she started to make some baby noises while reaching out to him. Her actions got Pyrrha and Ren to look at what she was interested in, and saw their leader and friend standing there.
"Uhhh, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, gaining his attention. "Why is there a baby in your bed?" She was a bit disturbed that the boy she loved may have just stolen a child. Ren felt similarly, and silently asked the same thing.
Coco waved a hand dismissively, "Oh you know, saved a little girl from becoming Grimm food, spent a night in a tree, and adopted said girl as my daughter. No big deal."
Jaune sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, while Alice giggled. "Hehe. Uh, guys," he started, gently picking up little Alice and kissing her on the cheek, earning a smile from the little girl, and aww's from Nora and Pyrrha, "this is Alice, my daughter. Say 'hello' sweetie." He got her to wave at them.
They started to wave back, before their brains processed what he said. "DAUGHTER?!"
The students laughed, and the orb left the screen to join the others.
"Well, that was sweet." Kali said, snuggling with her now two children. Turning to her husband, she smirked.
Seeing her expression, Ghira grumbled and crossed his arms. Seeing the slight glare, he begrudgingly nodded.
A small flash appeared, and they turned to see that Adrian was wearing a baby version of Jaune's onesie. The mothers all cooed at him, while his mommies squealed and snuggled him close.
Another flash, and a basket with a letter and sloth plushie is seen resting on a pedestal.
Jack sighed in relief, and went to go pick another orb from a shelf, when a portal appeared overhead. Sighing again, this time in pain, he summoned a child slide that reached all the way up to the opening. From there, a small child fell and went on a ride on the slide. Laughing in delight at the unexpected ride, the little one enjoyed the slide up to the end.
Once at a stop, everyone saw that it was little girl, about two years old. With long wavy blond hair and bright green eyes that looked around in wonder. For clothes, she's wearing a knee-length blue dress with puffed sleeves, white apron over the dress with small pockets on the sides, long white stockings, and black ankle-strap shoes. (2) On top of her head, she has a small black bow resting in-between a pair of small cat ears.
Even though she was clearly older, everyone recognized her as Alice Arc.
Coco squealed as she took a few pictures of the cutie's little dress.
Looking at team JNPR, she began to stand up and walk over to them. Seeing her walking, the mothers cooed and encouraged her to continue. Hearing their words of encouragement, Alice smiled and walked just a bit faster. Once she was close enough, Nora quickly scooped her up and held her to her chest. Alice giggled and hugged her, saying "Anti Nowa!"
Hearing Alice call her aunt caused her to tear up and kissed the side of her head.
Ren and Pyrrha smiled as they stepped closer to join in the hug.
Alice looked, and waved at them. "Anti Wenny!" Yang and Coco busted a gut while Ren faceplanted. Nora giggled, knowing that that was probably her fault. She then looked to Pyrrha's expecting gaze and smiled brightly.
Pyrrha smiled softly and waited, hoping that Alice would call her the magic word. 'Please let it be "mommy".' Her heart shattered though when she said "Anti Pyr!" She started to tear up, but quickly went to hug the little girl when she looked at her sad face in confusion.
After a bit, Glynda and Ozpin stood up and went over to the team, wanting to spend some time with their new sister/granddaughter.
Alice, after feeling the love from her 'Anti's', looked over to the approaching adults, and squealed in delight. She squirmed in Nora's arms, and reached over to the two grinning adults. "Gwanpa!"
As the two reached her, Oz smiled in glee at hearing his title. Ignoring Qrow's quiet laughter, 'Gonna have to punish him later for trying to ruin this moment', he went to take Alice into his arms. Alice welcomed her grandpa with a smile and a tight hug.
Saphron smiled in glee, knowing now who Ozpin's true identity is she hoped to one day tell him about his family. 'Soon All-Father. Soon.' In the meantime, she just sat back and hugged Adrian. 'I hope the two would play well together, my baby needs some friends his own age.' (3)
"Now now, Oz, let me have some time with my sister." Glynda smirked and took Alice from her pouting friend's arms.
Alice giggled at her grandpa's pout, and reached over to pat his cheek. Oz smiled at the gesture, while Qrow just laughed harder. Looking back to Glynda she clapped her hands, earning aww's from most of the mothers, and shouted with all the love she could Glynda's title, "Momma!"
END
Woo, finished! Thank goodness I got this out in time. Had to rewrite a bunch of times due to the songs I wanted to incorporate into this chapter. Eventually I settled for this one due to the more festiveness of it. Speaking of which, a bit of history/geography time! This song is from the 18th century in Lower Brittany. Brittany is located in Western France; if you look at a map of the country, you'll see a peninsula that is pointed towards the Atlantic Ocean. That's Brittany. It's also well within the Celtic sphere of influence.
Now, I bet you didn't see Glynda's new title coming did ya? Sure, I could've used Blake, but that has been done plenty of times. Why Glynda though? Well, I always thought that she could use a family. I also placed a few clues as to the identity of Alice's 'mother' throughout this arc.
First: the eyes. Her hair is blond, which could mistake her for Jaune's kid for sure, but the eyes? Only three women have green eyes: Pyrrha, Penny, and Glynda. This knocks out most of the candidates already. Since Penny didn't even know the boy at that time, and had no interaction in this viewing, that knocks her out. This leaves us with two.
Second, and most important: when they were at Ozpin's office. What was Glynda doing while Jaune explained himself? Feeding Alice like a mother would do for her child. Pyrrha had no time whatsoever to show how she interacts with Alice, however Glynda had shown just how much care she has for her.
Now, while I'm done with this arc for now, we will see more of this one later on. Hope you all liked this one, but with Midterms coming up I'll not be updating for this week. Now, I was originally gonna post a chapter on Halo for next time, but for some reason I can't find the file. Luckily, an author asked for me to make a reaction out of his story and I agreed, with his permission to make a few edits to make it fit into the story better. So until then, I'll see you next time for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day (RWBY version)" by Lukepace414!
Translation:
Three young sailors, tra la la la la la la
Three young sailors, went traveling
Three young sailors, tra la la la la la la
Three young sailors, went traveling
Went traveling, oh, went traveling
Went traveling, oh, went traveling
The wind drove them, tra la la la la la la
The wind drove them, to Newfoundland
The wind drove them, tra la la la la la la
The wind drove them, to Newfoundland
To Newfoundland, oh, to Newfoundland
To Newfoundland, oh, to Newfoundland
Next to the windmill stone, tra la la la la la la
Next to the windmill stone, they dropped anchor
Next to the windmill stone, tra la la la la la la
Next to the windmill stone, they dropped anchor
They dropped anchor, oh, they dropped anchor
They dropped anchor, oh, they dropped anchor
And in that windmill, tra la la la la la la
And in that windmill, was a servant girl
And in that windmill, tra la la la la la la
And in that windmill, was a servant girl
Where have we met before, oh, where have we met before?
Where have we met before, oh, where have we met before?
In Nantes, at the market, tra la la la la la la
In Nantes, at the market, we chose a ring
In Nantes, at the market, tra la la la la la la
In Nantes, at the market, we chose a ring
There are two versions that I used for this. The first one is to set the tone of the lullaby, while the second one is for the lyrics for the song. Sadly, the lyrics for the second half isn't listed for the first song. The reason is because the one I used for the lyrics doesn't have them and I didn't want to try to decipher what letters to use. The links are below, 'A' for the lullaby and 'B' for the lyrics:
A) www . youtube watch ?v= nWHiQo4Sfj8
B) www . youtube watch ?v= xHS9MVL0DKQ
1. A mini-version of Jaune's cloak from 'Revenge of the Arcs'. With everything going on, I forgot to add that in earlier. But really, since it's just a cloak, it wasn't a priority for me to remember.
2. Tried to describe the dress from Alice in Wonderland. So just picture that, only child-sized.
3. I did put down that Adrian is a toddler here, and a toddler is 12-36 months old (1-3 years old), so with Alice being 2, it would make sense for Saphron to want the only toddlers in the room so far to get along.
