After the tiring battle at the docks, team RWBY and JNPR decide they want to party and celebrate their victory. They went to a club that Yang recommended the two men guarding the bar quickly backed away as they noticed that Yang was among the group. Less they get their asses handed to them again. Meanwhile, in another part of the same bar, Ash, the Malachite twins, Roman, Cinder, Salem, Emerald, Neo, and Mercury were all there to drown their stress away with drinks.
The latest heist didn't go as planned, which even had Salem come down to Vale to hear the report herself. Safe to say Roman felt fear for his life seeing her, as did Ash and Neo. His two sidekicks keeping their weapons and semblances ready to get away at all times. However, once she heard everything, Roman heard her curse someone named 'Ozma' then ask a question he never thought he would hear from her.
"Is there a bar somewhere close by?" And that is how they basically got here, drinking their misfortune away. Everyone tagged along and asked Junior for his hardest drink and a private place to get smashed.
The good guys, however, were drinking in the common area. Partying away. Once Yang was drunk Ruby followed shortly, the older sister being too smashed to stop her, which resulted in the younger girl running around like a bullet train. Weiss, for her part, had some fancy drinks. But she had quite a few, resulting in a red tinge over her face and the sky using her arms for support. Blake, when drunk, acted very...cat-like. Team JNPR was no better either. Pyrrha and Jaune were clinging to each other for support while Nora was clinging to Ren, who, to join into the crowd, was also drunk, but still kept quiet to some degree. Except for some weird, Mistralian songs.
Ash originally didn't want to drink, but the Twins challenged him, making him a chicken. For all of Auburn's virtues, there were also flaws. He chucked an entire bottle down.
Junior, for his part, simply took all of this in and only one thought came to his mind.
"This is going to be one crazy night"
Jaune Arc, for all of his virtues, was seriously considering making an oath to never drink again in his life. Currently, he was half-asleep, with a head-splitting headache to accompany his morning. The boy could barely even open his eyes, the light making the pain in his head worse. "What the heck did we drink last night? Spiritus?" He thought as he shifted around in the bed. This wasn't Beacon, that's for sure. He could tell because he heard no alarm clock, the sheets felt different, and he could hear the sound of the streets.
"Oh man, professor Goodwitch is going to be pissed that we skipped curfew. Hopefully, she won't kill us...Much" He thought, then he tried to get up, only to find himself unable to do so. Getting a better grasp of his senses, he noticed a somewhat familiar weight on top of him and some other things around him. He felt the softness and a slight breeze going around, which eventually led him to assume he was naked.
This prompted the Arc to force his eye to open slightly and check what was on his chest, only to correct him. Not what, but who. Weiss. His eyes both went wide seeing her there, sleeping on his chest, and naked as the day she was born. His cheeks went red seeing it and his mind entered into overdrive, then he scanned around the room.
He wished he didn't.
To his right, he saw his partner, naked as well, besides him, with his arm tightly held against her generous bosom. Her hair was let down, and her face was one of peace and bliss. Jaune gulped, however, and slowly turned his head around to look at who took his left. His face paled when he saw who it was; Yang. Naked as well, but laying on her back with a hand going over her exposed chest. The blanket was below them, giving the Arc a full view of the glorious mounts.
But then his gaze looked over Yang, only to see her sweet, bubbly, and innocent sister there, sleeping soundly next to him...Naked as well and most likely not as innocent anymore, holding onto her sister. The Arc still didn't know what exactly happened, his mind still being affected by the alcohol, but then he heard a low purring moan coming from behind Pyrrha, and then his eyes really went wide.
Blake was there as well, in the same situation as her teammates, but with her back turned on then. Even though the blanket, Jaune could still make out the shape of the Bellabooty, however.
"Ok, Jaune, calm down. You are in bed, naked, with the entire Team RWBY and your partner. It cannot get worse, right?" However, another moan Made him regret jinxing it. But this time, he didn't know exactly who it was. Or rather, where it came from. He lifted his head, scanning the room, only to see not one, not two, but three more girls! Two of them looking like fully mature women! One of them was strangely pale, however. Maybe a Faunus?
They were sleeping with the ashen-haired one holding onto his right leg through the sheet while the pale one was holding onto his left. The last one was holding onto the midriff of the one holding his right leg, and all of them were sleeping soundly.
That is until Pyrrha stirred awake. Her eyes fluttered open and saw Jaune, who was looking scared out of his mind. The champion was confused by this until she looked down on herself and saw the other girls around, then a furious blush overtook her.
"Please, don't-" Jaune tried to beg her in a whisper, but it was too late already.
"EEP!" Pyrrha panicked and jumped up, letting out a small yelp, and instantly reached for the blanket to cover herself, but in doing so she set off a chain-reaction through the room. After she became awake, Blake let out a tired yawn and also woke up, followed by her noticing she was in the nude with multiple girls and Jaune, resulting in her hiding behind Pyrrha out of shame. Yang seemed more laid back at first, waking up and stretching her arms around, letting her breast bounce freely...Until she too noticed Jaune and raised her eyebrow at him, which was followed by her looking to the side and noticing Ruby, who woke up and yelped when she noticed she was naked, using her semblance to run to the bathroom. Yang's eyes turned red instantly.
Then came Weiss, who after waking up and locking eyes with Jaune she blushed furiously and jumped out of bed, holding onto a pillow to cover her lower privates and using an arm to cover her small mounts.
"Jaune…" Yang said, restrained rage filtering through her teeth. "Care to explain why we are all in bed, naked, and why Ruby was here too?"
"That we'd like to know as well." A foreign voice said, making everyone look at the three unnamed women in the group. The one with white skin, who also revealed a black sclera with crimson irises, seemed especially angry with this. Beside her stood the other two, with the mocha-skinned one trying to cover up the other. "Care to explain yourself, boy?" She demanded, and immediately Jaune could feel the pressure in the room.
He is going to die here, isn't he?
Well, the good news is that he is not dead. The bad news is that he is locked in the bathroom with his clothes. Pyrrha managed to stand up for him, bringing the issue of the alcohol from last night most likely to bring the culprit here. That earned him a respite, allowing him to go to the bathroom while all of the girls talked in the main room. He was not going to eavesdrop, but he was curious about what they were talking about...Hopefully, they were not discussing how to kill him.
Currently, Ruby was on the bed, somewhat shaken being seen naked by her friend, Jaune. Her cheeks were still red and she was even asking herself questions. Frankly, she didn't think a guy might look at her in that particular way until she grew a little more. She was barely a C damn it!
Her sister, Yang, was not hiding anything. Compared to her sister, Yang was far more outgoing and had nothing against being naked around other girls. That being said, she was no shameless broad that'd show herself to a man. Her double D's are not for show. She was standing up, arms crossed, and standing before the bathroom door to stop any attempt at peeking.
Weiss, for her part, was furious. Ever since they were convinced not to kill Jaune, yet, she had been throwing curses and wished that Remnant would swallow her whole. Never in her life would she have imagined that the dork of a knight would dare to bed her. Her! Weiss Schnee! When her sister will find out she will flip. That being said, she also wanted to avoid Yang's jokes regarding her size. She stood at a good A, thank you.
Then there was Blake, who, compared to the rest of her team, was more intrigued than anything. She actually regretted not remembering anything from last night as well. Ever since she broke up with her...Ex...She had been getting pretty frustrated. She doesn't remember what happened last night, but a slight stinging feeling in her rump gave her a general idea. Of course, a boy would go for her ass. She heard how boys called it. She had to admit, they were right. She did only have C's, after all, even if they could grow into D's later.
Pyrrha, however, was between total embarrassment and happiness. On one hand, she never thought of losing her maidenhood before marriage, and on another, she was glad it was with Jaune of all people and some creepy, fat dude her parents might've married her too. Thank the Gods for that. She looked at herself, trying to see if any marks were left, and she found a teeth mark on the upper side of her breast. She felt pride, knowing it was Jaune's. Her D's did not fail.
Emerald was angry, and rightfully so. Not only had she opened her legs to a boy she doesn't know, but she opened them to the enemy! She felt so ashamed right now, and even more so since Cinder was there as well, looking over the group with a twitching eyebrow. Her anger was nothing compared to hers. And her assets were nothing as well. Emerald stood at a decent C, but Cinder was easily a D. Not to mention the way her hair flowed was attractive was well…"No! Keep straight Emerald! No time! But not too straight."
Salem, the oldest one here, simply stood next to Cinder with her hands overlapping. She had yet to cover herself, seeing as none of the other girls did, but she did make some notes about those around; A silver-eyed girl, the champion of Mistral, and the heiress to the biggest dust company on Remnant. And they all woke up in the same room, having been bedded by the same man. Granted, she herself did not remember anything from last night, due to alcohol like the rest, but she could recognize the smell of fornication in the air. She turned around, letting her modest D cup bounce as she did.
Salem was aware that Cinder and...Ruby, was it? They somewhat know each other, but luckily, the youngest did not recognize Cinder. Good, since that would've been pretty awkward and problematic. They were in the heart of the enemy territory, and even with magic, she could not get away fast enough before Ozpin sent his entire army of Huntsmen on her. She had to play it smart, and she started by getting Cinder's attention. "Do not do anything, let me do the talking." She whispered, then she went on to address everyone. "Excuse me, girls, but can someone explain what happened?" She asked, looking throughout the room.
"Isn't it obvious? He raped us! He likely took advantage of our state, dragged us here, then had his way all night long!" Weiss said, fluttering her hair around. "Ugh! When my family hears about this I won't ever hear the end of it!"
"Actually, I am pretty sure he was just as drunk as us when we did the act, if not drunker," Blake stated, coming to the blonde's defense. "If anything, it was partly consensual, meaning that he didn't rape any of us"
"Who cares?" Then Yang shouted. "He saw and, and...He laid his hands on Ruby!" She stated, eyes red with fury. "Vomit boy or not, he is not walking out of here alive!"
Cinder agreed with that statement, even Emerald did. Salem, however, felt like she had to be the voice of reason here. She looked over to Pyrrha and instantly knew that she was not as torn as the rest. Maybe a little bit, but she radiated with happiness as well. She had to use that. "Please calm down," Salem said, then she turned to Pyrrha. "You actually enjoyed waking up next to him, correct?" She asked the spartan, to which she bushed.
"I, well, you see…" She was a mess, which was all Salem needed to know it was true. The heart of the invincible girl had been stolen by a blonde knight. She might be able to use that. How does she know? She too was once a young maiden, was she not?
"Oh, come on P-money!" Yang shouted. "You actually enjoy this?"
"Yang, isn't it clear that Pyrrha must have had a thing for Jaune?" Blake asked, to which the room went silent for a moment, with the mentioned redhead hiding in her palms. "Wait, you didn't notice?"
"No, and I find that hard to believe," Weiss stated, holding the bridge of her nose. Then a thought came to her. "What if we didn't actually do anything? What if we just all went to sleep naked?" A nice hoping thought, however, not a lasting one.
"Ummm. Ma'am." Emerald muttered, getting Cinder and Salem's attention. She then pointed to the side of the bed, where the blanket was covered in what they assumed to be...Oh no.
"Wait, are those-" Weiss said, but Blake was ahead of her, pulling the blanket to reveal a box of condoms. It was closed. "No…" Weiss muttered as she backed away, allowing Blake to open it. A stench came from it, and the cat girl's eyes went wide seeing the content. Pyrrha leaned in as well, seeing what was the ultimate confirmation.
Inside the box were several used condoms, each having a name written on it as well! Blake, being the one with the box, took one out and allowed them to see it, having the name Cinder on it. Safe to say that the woman with that name widened her eyes seeing it, and felt the heat rising ever so slightly. The writing was sloppy, but it was surely her name.
The Faunus put it down, then she found something interesting on the bottom of the box. The writing was more immaculate this time, which made her look a bit at Weiss as she recognized it. Apparently, Salem had seen the memory loss coming and decided that, so Jaune knows next morning who he fucked, they will write their names on the condoms. Blake read that aloud, making every girl in the room pale to some extent. Even Salem inhaled sharply, not accepting that was her idea.
"I will regret this, but who else have their names written in...there?" Emerald asked, making every girl lean over to look at the box of condoms. Apparently, Jaune got them all. Even Ruby.
"That's it! He is about to get it!" Yang said, trying to go to the bathroom, but she was stopped by Pyrrha. "Let me go, P-money! You might have enjoyed riding that Arc D but I didn't!"
"Actually, Yang, look at your right hand...In fact, I suggest everyone looks at their hands." Pyrrha said, then everyone looked at their hands. Everyone slowly did so, then saw the mark that will change their lives.
"No way…"
"How in the blazes?!"
"Huh. I like it."
They all had rings on their fingers. Wedding rings to be exact, each having a specific design as well. Ruby's had a silver rose on it with a red stone in the center. Yang's was made of gold but resembled a dragon that wrapped around her finger and bit its own tail with a white stone on it as well. Weiss's was made of silver as well, but with hints of light-blue and with a snowflake model on it, a sapphire in the center. Blake's ring was black in color, having a purple gem with a cat-eye like design on it.
Pyrrha's ring was made of gold with crimson details on it, having an emerald on that matched her eyes perfectly. Then came the three bad gals in the room. Emerald's was, for all that was fair, pretty beautiful in her opinion. It was silver with green details on it, having not one, but 2 stones on it. Two halves cut and put together to make 2 colors, a ruby, and an emerald. One to match her eyes and another to match her name. Even Cinder had to agree that she liked hers. It was a golden ring with red details with the symbol of a flame with an ember in the center.
Salem's ring caught the Grimm Queen's eye as well. It was black and white, with a shining ruby in it. She let a small smile creep on her face seeing it. It reminded her of the old times, the good times, the times before everything.
"We are married to him?!" Weiss shouted aloud, looking at the ring. "How? When? Where did he have the money to buy those rings? Are there receipts?!" She asked, then looked around.
"There is more," Blake said, going over to the table and pulling several papers from it. The girls all gathered together to look at them, and they all remained shocked to see them. They were marriage certificates. Officially, they were all married to Jaune Daedalus Arc.
The certificates read as follows:
WEDDING CERTIFICATE
Husband: Jaune Daedalus Arc.
Wives:
Ruby Arc Rose
Yang Arc Xiao Long
Weiss Arc Schnee
Blake Arc Belladonna
Pyrrha Arc Nikos
Emerald Arc Sustrai
Cinder Arc Fall
Salem Arc.
Married under the authority of Beacon by Headmaster Ozpin.
Witnesses: Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, Ash Auburn, Melanie Malachite, Militia Malachite, Neo Politan, Roman Torchwick, and Glynda Goodwitch.
"I can't believe it…" Yang said, looking at the paper in front of her. "I DO NOT BELIEVE IT! We are married to him?! All of us?! How is that even legal?!"
"Actually, Vale's law allows such marriages if all parties involved consent. Seeing as we are all Arc women now, I guess we all agreed to it" Blake stated, by far being the calmer one here along with Salem. Pyrrha for her part, well, she was screaming inside of herself out of pure joy.
"Pyrrha Arc Nikos...Doesn't sound too bad.: She thought, then she turned to look at the other three. "I assume you are Cinder, Emerald, and Salem, correct?" She asked, to which the others replied.
"I am Emerald" The girl in question pointed out, then she gestured to Cinder. "This here is Cinder and the lady here is-"
"Salem," The Queen of Grimm said introducing herself. "A pleasure meeting you all."
"So what now?" Ruby asked, having spoken for the first time since this ordeal started. "It says that Headmaster Ozpin was the one to marry us. Do you think he can undo it as well?" She asked, to which Blake replied.
"If all of us agree to the divorce, then yes." She said, then she went to the bathroom. "But we need to put our new husband up to speed." She said, then she opened the door to the bathroom, catching Jaune as he brushed his teeth.
However, the blonde was still naked, something he quickly fixed with a towel. But the cat already saw it all. "Now that's a katana, and even one greater than Adam's"
Jaune and all of the girls got dressed. Once they all got themselves together, the large group went to see headmaster Ozpin at Beacon. Salem took the opportunity to cover her face so the general public was not staring at her strange features. The others asked as well, but she dismissed it by saying she was a rare breed of Faunus.
The ride to Beacon was tense, to say the least, and Jaune was having the entire pressure. Yang, Weiss, Cinder, and Emerald were all giving him strange looks. Ruby couldn't bring herself to look at him, blushing each time she had to avert her gaze. Pyrrha was, which was the strange part, seeming to be actually sad about something. Blake didn't seem to care much, and Salem was...Jaune couldn't quite place his finger on it.
Speaking of it, his ring was also uniquely designed. It was golden in color with silver mixed in, having his family's crest on it without any type of gem. He didn't ponder on it, only dreaded it. Weiss made it clear that if she paid for the rings he'd get bought and worked as a slave in her family's mines to give back every dime. Save to say the Arc prayed he emptied his family's account rather than having borrowed what he assumed to be a small fortune from Weiss.
Eventually, they were at Beacon but found someone waiting for them. Professor Goodwitch herself.
"Glad to see you all made it, students." She said, standing tall with her weapon strapped to her leg. Her gaze wandered around every single one of them, not missing even Cinder and Emerald which she narrowed her eyes too. But then she saw Salem.
Glynda was aware of the identity of Salem and whatnot, being part of Ozpin's inner circle. She was plenty aware of what Salem could do, she even saw it first hand in the form of the aftermath of a Grimm attack commanded directly by her. No survivors, bodies ripped into countless pieces, impossible to recognize again, villages burned and no sight of life left. Her heartbeat increased as her muscles tensed, but she knew what to do.
Get them to Ozpin as soon as possible to sort out this mess.
"Follow me to Ozpin's office, everyone...That includes you three as well" The Headmistress replied, leading them all inside of Beacon. Meanwhile, Cinder was going closer to Salem and whispered in her ear.
"This is too easy, Mistress. From what we know, the Fall Maiden is here, at Beacon, and the Headmistress herself is leading us inside the building willingly" She stated. "It might be a trap set by Ozpin to catch us"
Salem, for her part, appreciated her pupil's sharp mind, but she knew that was not the case. "Cinder, dear, don't you think he would've arrested us when we were drunk instead of now? Why wait? More so, why marry us to one of his students?" She stated, making Cinder rethink the situation.
It didn't make sense. Why would Ozpin marry them knowing full well who they were? Why would he do that instead of calling Ironwood to come and arrest them? What was his game? Cinder was thinking hard on those questions as they walked, but Salem was calmer than them. True, however, she didn't know either why her former husband would marry her to another man so easily and not take her down once and for all when she was in a vulnerable state.
Some things simply did not add up.
Eventually, they reached the elevator, everyone boarding inside of it. Blake, however, sniffed something. "What is that smell?" This caused Glynda to twitch a little.
"You will find out shortly." She replied, then the elevator beeped, showing them to Ozpin's office. Inside were also other people, namely Ash, the Twins, Neo, Ren, and Nora.
"Guys! You made it!" The bubbly girl said as she went to them and hugged Ruby tightly. "How's married life going for you? I know I like it!"
"What?" Ruby asked, to which Nora put her finger up, showing a silver ring with a pink gem in it. Everyone widened their eyes and looked back at Jaune, making Nora giggle.
"Not to him! To Renie!" She said, then went back to her husband, who sighed in defeat. "We got married shortly after you guys!"
"What?!" Everyone shouted again, except for Cinder, Emerald, and Salem. Then Yang turned her head towards the bad blood in the room and quickly got in a fighting stance.
"Why are they here?" She asked, recognizing the four individuals from past encounters. But then she noticed the rings on their fingers as well. "No way...You as well?"
"Yup," Melanie replied, she and her sister holding up their rings. They had an interesting design, the gems being cut in half, one blue and another red. But when you put the two rings together it completes itself. Neo had one as well, colored in brown and pink for the base and with a white stone.
Ash's had a black ring on his finger with a four-colored stone in it, having the colors red, green, blue, and yellow on it. The boy in question was sighing like Ren, defeated.
Then everyone turned their attention to the one holding a mug, Ozpin. "I am glad to see all of the newly married couples are here. Now, I know you all have some questions, but I assure you that they will all be answered. So go on and ask"
The first one to raise their hand - even when everyone did almost at the same time - was Ruby. Ozpin nodded and pointed his cane at her. "What exactly happened last night?"
"Good questions, Miss Arc Rose." He said, making the girl blush. Of course, she was married now, she had a new name. "You see, I was enjoying my evening coffee in my office when all of the sudden I heard my elevator running. At first, I didn't know who would visit me at such a late hour, but imagine my surprise when a golden bunch of roses came bursting through and revealed everyone here - almost everyone - before me."
"Wait, golden roses?" Ruby asked, seeming confused. "But mine are red!"
"Which you can thank your husband! Turns out he discovered his semblance that night!" Ozpin said, earning a look of surprise from Jaune. "Congratulations, you have the power to Amplify Aura, be it yours or that of others. This even results in semblances growing in power as well! Quite the interesting and powerful ability you have there." He stated, not missing the looks Cinder and Salem gave him. Of course, they would be interested in such a semblance.
However, Ozpin decided to ignore that for now. "Any more questions?" This time, it was Yang's turn to ask away.
"Why did you marry us?" She asked, sounding pissed off. Her eyes changing color was also a clear indicator of that.
"Well, you asked me of course! Granted, you were all drunk, but the consent was there! I even have recordings to prove it!" He replied, then Weiss shouted.
"No way! You have to divorce us, headmaster!" She stated, to which Ozpin simply chuckled.
"I am afraid that can only be done if everyone here agrees to that. And something tells me Miss Arc Nikos is going to have an issue with said divorce, am I right?" All eyes turned to Pyrrha, who looked guilty to some degree and slowly went to Jaune for protection. "I thought so. Any more questions?"
This time, however, it was Salem who put her hand up. "I have one, Ozma." She said, slowly removing her hoodie to reveal her pale face to everyone. Those who knew her tensed seeing her there, Ash and his wives especially as they didn't recall her getting married. "Why did you marry me to your student and not arrest us?"
"I double that," Cinder said. "Answer us, old man."
Ozpin, for his part, merely chuckled. He then looked at Salem, a serious gaze eyeing her closely. "Because this is the only way to end the war, Salem."
"Wait a minute!" Jaune shouted. "You know each other?"
"Yes, we do," Salem answered and went closer to Ozpin until the two were face to face. "In fact, we are former lovers."
The room went silent hearing this, the only sound being made by Ozpin who inhaled. "I believe they should know the truth, Salem. Care to join me in telling the tale?" He asked calmly, to which the witch complied.
"Very well. I'd love to see their faces when they learn of what you have done" She stated.
"What we both did. Remember that well" He rebuked, then began to tell his students everything, starting from the very beginning, with a young man going to save a lady locked in a tower.
Everyone was incredibly shocked to hear Salem's and Ozpin Story. The gods were certainly not something that anyone expected. Even Cinder and her crew were shocked at the revelation. "And now that you know the secrets of the world, I expect to be-" And true to his expectations, he was immediately punched in the gut by someone. However, Ozpin was very much surprised to see it was Jaune, his Aura flaring. Semblance? A good move.
"So you married us just so you can end a feud with your own wife?!" He shouted, then he remembered where he was and who Ozpin was. "I'm sorry about that, Headmaster, but this...Is a lot to take in"
Ozpin wheezed out a bit as he got up. "It's alright. Believe me, others have reacted worse than you had. Some reacted so badly I reincarnated again the next moment even!" He stated.
"But why?" Pyrrha said, stepping forth. "Why fight a battle you cannot win?"
"Because he was always that stubborn," Salem answered, making her semblance once again known. "He was always stubborn in his own way, and this shows even now."
"That doesn't excuse you, Miss 'I wanna destroy the world'" Ash shouted, baring his fangs at Salem. "You fucking tried to use us like puppets to then throw away in the trash! You are both fucked in the head!"
Cinder, for her part, was also at odds with what she heard. On one hand, she still held loyalty for Salem but said loyalty was wavering with the new information she had heard. Emerald as well. The mocha-skinned girl didn't know what to think anymore, but one look at Cinder set her thoughts straight. Where Cinder went, she went. End of the story.
Everyone was on edge with what they heard. Heck, they even considered dropping out of Beacon now. But one thing stopped them; knowing this story, can they still leave? "If Salem is married to Jaune, how exactly does that stop this war?" Ruby asked, to which Ozpin smirked. Salem also wanted to know, so she also looked back at Ozpin.
"Good questions, Miss Arc Rose. A very good one indeed. I guess it has to do with the secret of those rings." He said, then he got his mug. "Oh, and by the way, the Fall Maiden is inside the Vault here at Beacon. The elevator has a secret combination you must input to access it; 1749. If you wish to get her, Salem, Cinder, then I suggest you go now."
Now at that, Glynda, and everyone else, thought him insane. "Are you out of your mind, Ozpin?!" Glynda shouted.
Salem and Cinder were also stunned by him. "So that's it? You'd offer us the Maiden's power and The Relic without a fight?" The witch asked, to which Ozpin replied.
"Well, if you can." He said, making Salem even more puzzled. She hated it. She had enough.
"How about I reincarnate you again?" She said darkly, then looked at everyone there. "For a matter of fact, how about I end this farce by simply ending everything." As per cue, in her hand, a cloud of black smoke appeared, looming over them. She was going to start with the youngest, the silver-eyed one, but found some resistance. Jaune went in front of her, arms stretched out. "I wanted to leave you last, boy. Move." She demanded, but Jaune did not move.
"If what Ozpin says it's true, then…" He began. "Then I do not believe you are truly evil." He stated, making Cinder and Salem question him.
"What?"
"You have been alive for more than anyone, even after the Gods whipped humanity. It...It must have been very lonely for you." Sympathy? Was the boy before her showing sympathy to her? Salem narrowed her eyes at him, thinking she was being mocked. She doesn't need someone's sympathy. She doesn't need their apologies. She doesn't need anyone. "Then when you lost your daughters in that fight, you felt like the world broke off, right?" He asked, making her stop altogether. Even the magical cloud vanished.
However, she then lunged forward, grabbing him by the neck. Everyone got ready to jump to help him, but Ozpin stopped them. "What do you know about it, boy? You never lost, you have never been lonely, you have never hated!"
"I...I did." He said, then the ring on his finger started to flow, followed by Salem's. "I never lost someone, true, but I am always lonely because of what I did. I cheated my way into Beacon using fake transcripts." He confessed. "I am lonely because I am the only one who doesn't belong here, and for that, I hate myself every day!" He continued, the glow of his ring growing. Salem, for her part, didn't know why she was still listening, or why her eyes began to water.
"I am a cheat...Nothing more. But I had people to hold me up, so I didn't fall down and broke." He extended his arm to Salem, cupping her cheek. "Maybe you just need the same?" Just then, his ring's glow reached his peak, causing Salem to suddenly drop. Jaune landed on his feet, but Salem completely collapsed on the floor, tears flowering from her eyes.
"Mistress!" Cinder called out to Salem, but the witch put her hand out, commanding her to stay away. She slowly removed her hands from her face and saw something she has not shed in years; tears. But along those tears, memories flooded her mind: Her life, her daughters, and Ozpin. They were all coming back to her in waves, and slowly, she realized something she should've realized a long while ago.
"It is all my fault…" She muttered, sobbing slightly. "If I hadn't been so desperate for Ozma - for someone to love, then I would've never been cursed. If only I didn't unite humanity against them, I would've never been lonely. If only…" She bit her lips tightly before uttering the next words. "If only I wasn't so blind, my daughters would've still been alive."
"Our daughters, Salem," Ozpin said, interjecting. "And you must not take all the blame. I was also to blame for betraying you when I did and trying to run with them. We both are at fault for their demise."
"Wait a minute...What happened?" Jaune asked, helping Salem up, then turned to Ozpin.
"Those rings you all have not been bought, save for those of the Auburn and Lie couples. I made them using the little magic I have." Ozpin revealed. "The rings I made you are meant to share each other's deepest and most honest feelings. In this case, it seems Mister Arc's good heart managed to finally lay Salem's disturbed one at rest."
"You are meaning to say that you manipulated her?" Cinder asked, her eyes flaring as she stared at Ozpin.
"No!" But then Salem shouted. "He didn't. What he did was simply connect me with another person. A person whose own emotions were enough to awaken the little humanity left in me." She looked at Ozpin. "Ozma, can you forgive me? For everything?"
The Headmaster looked at Salem with sad eyes, not believing that this day would come. "Only if you can also forgive me."
"Then I guess we have forgiven each other already." She replied, showing a rare smile on her lips which had Cinder and Emerald both shivering.
"So...What now? I get that this sob moment solved a secret war, but what are we supposed to do about those?" Yang asked, holding up her ring. "Because to be honest, I am still not on board with this idea."
"Well, as I said, all of you need to consent to the divorce," Ozpin said, then he brought a divorce paper. "I only need your verbal response."
Weiss, Yang, and Emerald all gave their accord, however, the others remained silent. "You cannot be serious." Weiss deadpanned. "How? Why are you all not saying anything?"
"Well, you see, Weiss, Jaune is my friend and...To be honest, I might have had a small thing for him already" Ruby said, confessing. This had the Arc do a double-take on that, not expecting that.
"I am not saying anything because this whole experience has made me curious," Blake replied. "Besides, I can already say Jaune makes for a good husband. He is kind, caring, knows how to cook, somewhat literate, and all of that is only countered by the flaw of his overall clumsiness, but that is no issue." She then blushed a bit, remembering the last reason on her list. "And...He has a great blade."
Luckily for her, no one got the reference. Except for Jaune, who hid his face in his palms. Ash, however, patted him on the back and gave him a thumbs-up. Even Ren nodded at him in agreement. Well, at least you can always count on the bros.
Weiss groaned in dismay. "But you, Pyrrha? Surely someone of your stature wouldn't lower themselves to be the wife of such a...such a…" Her words died off as she noticed the blush Pyrrha was having. "You...You have a thing for him as well?"
"I…" She sighed. "Yes." She confessed, once again making the Arc widen his eyes.
"But why is Master Salem or Cinder saying anything?" Emerald asked, turning to the two women in question. "This was never part of the plan-"
"The plan is no more" Cinder pointed out, sounding somewhat bitter.
"That is right," Salem replied, but without venom in her voice. Instead, she seemed relieved? She looked over to Jaune, showing a kind, motherly smile. "I am also curious as to what this relationship might spark. Who knows where this might lead us."
"I swore that I will stay by Salem's side as well." Cinder added. "No matter what. Even if it means being married to...him." Finally, a somewhat normal reaction for Jaune. The Arc felt a bit relieved knowing there were still some normal ones here.
"If that is the case, then I am retracting my consent to the divorce as well," Emerald said, making Weiss facepalm. "I want to stick by Cinder, no matter what."
"Such loyalty out of you is impressive, young ladies. Very well then-"
"Wait! I will call my lawyers! Surely there is a way to undo this travesty!" The Schnee said, but Ozpin chuckled.
"Sure, if that means you are alright with informing your family of now being an Arc and that you married and consumed the said marriage" He countered, making Weiss freeze on the spot. This old man knew how to play dirty.
Ash respected that, along with the Twins and Neo. Speaking of…"What about us, Old man?" Ash asked, stepping forward. "Any chances to get the rings off?"
"Again, you all have to give a verbal response. And I am pretty sure Miss Auburn Politan is unable to do that." He replied, making Ash and the rest drop their jaws. Ok, what he did before was dirty, but this? This was downright evil. "I do accept sign language, however, but again, you need to consent-"
"We are not going to consent," The twins said in unison, making Ash turn to them with a vein-popping from his forehead. "We always wanted to tease you more, Ashie, so what is a better way than to be married to you?" Melanie replied, making Ash collapse on his knees out of dismay.
"I also refuse to divorce!" Nora shouted, then she clung to Ren. "This way I can make sure no one takes my man away from me!" Ren simply sighed in defeat, like the other men here.
Ozpin chuckled. This spectacle was entertaining for him. "In that case, allow me to hand you your marriage certificates. I only got to give the Arcs their, with you all leaving way too quickly before I even finished them. Here."
WEDDING CERTIFICATE
Husband: Lie Ren
Wive: Nora Lie Valkyrie
Married under the authority of Beacon by Headmaster Ozpin.
Witnesses: Jaune Daedalus Arc, Ruby Arc Rose, Yang Arc Xiao Long, Weiss Arc Schnee, Blake Arc Belladonna, Pyrrha Arc Nikos, Emerald Arc Sustrai, Cinder Arc Fall, Salem Arc, Ash Auburn, Melanie Malachite, Militia Malachite, Neo Politan, Roman Torchwick, and Glynda Goodwitch.
WEDDING CERTIFICATE
Husband: Ash Auburn
Wives:
Neo Auburn Politan
Melanie Auburn Malachite
Militia Auburn Malachite
Married under the authority of Beacon by Headmaster Ozpin.
Witnesses: Lie Ren, Nora Lie Valkyrie, Jaune Daedalus Arc, Ruby Arc Rose, Yang Arc Xiao Long, Weiss Arc Schnee, Blake Arc Belladonna, Pyrrha Arc Nikos, Emerald Arc Sustrai, Cinder Arc Fall, Salem Arc, Roman Torchwick, and Glynda Goodwitch.
"Wait, it says here Roman was a witness to all three marriages." Ash pointed out. "Where is he?"
"Oh, well after the last one, that being yours, Mister Auburn, he went on about how he was going to become a grandfather soon and all of that." Ozpin replied. "I tend to agree with him, seeing where you and your wives spend your wedding night. I have to tell you not to break the elevator just to elope in it next time."
"THAT'S WHAT THAT SMELL WAS!" Jaune shouted.
"Wait...Girls, tell me you are on the pill!" Ash shouted, receiving nods from the twins...and Neo shook her head. "Roman is going to kill me…"
Just on cue, the door of the elevator beeped, allowing for Roman, who was without his jacket and had his tie wrapped around his head, to come into the room with his cane drawn. "YOU ARE DEAD, ASHIE! I KNOW THE SMELL OF SEX WHEN I SMELL IT!"