So, here's another chapter!
I might or might not make a one-shot
about Yang and Jaune in the near future
based on this story's lore and Jaune's future-past
I don't know, I just enjoy the whole idea
and how the two fall in love
But I feel a flashback wouldn't get the romance across well
IDK lol
Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY
Chapter 23: The Sacrifices We've Made
"Don't forget, mid-terms begin next week! Now would be a good time crunch in extra study sessions, should you need it. Planning for the inevitable failure you might or might not have, is a good plan to have." Dr. Oobleck called, zipping across the classroom with his mug of burning coffee. "…and there goes the bell. Class is dismissed."
A series of gasps of relief echoed across the room, much to the doctor's annoyance. The students stretched their backs and legs, hobbling along as if their lives had ended. While as pointless as complaining was, it was understandable. Their mid-terms were coming up and the Winter Break they'd been yearning for, was just around the proverbial corner. For the first year students, that was music to their ears.
Rumors and speculation filtered through the first years, telling them of how difficult the mid-terms were for Dr. Oobleck and Professor Peach. As annoying as it was – Oobleck spoke too fast and Peach was never there except for the first day of classes and the final examinations. Some of the upperclassmen even said that she was objectively worse than Port when it came to self-proclaiming greatness. To make matters worse; some overheard that her mid-term and final exam revolved around field trips into the Emerald Forest and the Forever Fall.
Every student remembered the last time they were sent to Forever Fall. As heroic and incredible the story was – there was no doubt in anyone's mind that it was possibly a fluke. The sheer amount of first years of this generation was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. In hindsight, they all knew the mission was destined for failure. Even then, they failed the mission regardless and was given a failing grade – everyone. Despite that, every student worked hard to make up the missing marks. It was difficult and frustrating but they made it work.
A small smile grew on the blond's face, his thoughts whirling in his mind. Ignoring the looks and walking through the crowds, Blake stayed close to him, with his arm around her waist. Yang and Pyrrha stood beside him, all three women talking aimlessly with one another, all the while, stealing glances at the blond boy between them. Behind the four, Weiss and Ruby walked with Ren and Nora. As clear as day, two teams were close – closer than ever. After all the crazy things they'd been through leading up to the docks, to the absolute craziest thing they've done – they did it together.
And much to Ruby and Nora's excitement, Ren's offhandedness and Weiss's understandable disgust – the polyamorous relationship, or shitty excuse to have a harem as Weiss would put it, was accepted wholly.
All it took was a few dates from Yang and Pyrrha's parts to finally make their relationship official. Of course, without all the publicity. Rosemary, Clair and Doré were absolutely livid that Jaune would even do something so stupid, but after intense persuasion from Blake, Yang and Pyrrha, the three women relented and Jaune escaped with a black eye and just a few broken ribs. His sisters were prideful women and thought their brother would respect the fairer sex – not collect them. Good thing Rosemary saw Blake like another little sister – otherwise, it would have been a painfully lost cause.
Thinking of everything thus far – the first semester was coming to a close without a single incident from the White Fang. Since the battle of the docks a month-and-a-half ago, the White Fang almost completely disappeared off the radar. They were defeated, yes, but Jaune didn't think they'd outright go off the grid. Something like that was worrisome – especially since he knew that Salem now had Adam Taurus and Roman Torchwick. Both were key players in the past and now both were seemingly recalled from the fight, replaced with this team RRGE – a team he'd never heard of or encountered in the past.
Ignoring the women talking around him and giggling, his blue eyes darkened slightly. Salem played her cards well. If she knew to send RRGE that quickly through a portal, then she had eyes among his peers. She had eyes somewhere among his forces – or worse, his friends. But if that was the case – who could it be? Everyone he brought into his force, were subjected to intense background checks. If there was a single traitor among his forces – he would know in an instant. Loyalty was something the Arc made sure to instill.
Shaking his head, the voices of his lovely ladies rushed into his ears. Continuing his walk, the eight burst through the front doors of Beacon and into the courtyard, finding a nice bench beneath a massive oak. Almost as one, they collapsed together into the seat, sighing in instant relief. Blake slipped out a pocket book; Pyrrha and Yang both whipped out their scrolls. Ruby and Nora, unsurprisingly, immediately began to drift off, leaning into one another's shoulders. Weiss pulled out a nail file, relishing in the silence and began to file her nails.
Then, there was Ren and Jaune.
Ever since the introduction of several other teams and Jaune's own; the power disparity and attitudes each team had was palpable. It was almost laughable. So Ren took it upon himself to ease the stress everyone was feeling and close the distance of power between each person and team. Meditation was key to aura manipulation – something Ren had practically mastered along with Fox and himself. Jaune wasn't meditating to strengthen his aura or create a constant shield of awareness like Ren does – he was looking inward trying to piece together everything he has so far.
Jaune knew the White Fang were a tool influenced and twisted by Salem and her lackeys. Now that Cardin had revealed everything he'd done and the true extent of his past – there was the Brotherhood. Salem's forces were a mixture of Faunus, Human and Grimm. Her personal team, team WTCH, was made of humans and Faunus. There was no doubt in the back of his mind that she has a hand in the Brotherhood, pulling some strings, if any. She had to – being able to play both humans and Faunus in the same stroke would prove useful to someone like her.
Given everything thus far, Jaune could see her already making moves to have agents among the members of the Brotherhood. Grimm amassing in Sanus is just a ploy she was willing to use to move her plans along, most likely. He wouldn't be surprised – after all, Roman Torchwick robbing Dust shops all across the City of Vale, was a plan to disrupt the economy and bring a constant source of negativity among the disgruntled populace. Now that he was taken out of the picture and the White Fang defeated so quickly – Jaune was certain he forced her to look at different options while going over the ones she currently had.
Now that Torchwick was gone, she had only one more choice to build the negativity. The hordes of Grimm rampaging through Sanus were too strong, along with Greater Grimm leading, the refugees were her tool. He frowned, leaning into his seat. Salem needed negativity to attract the Grimm – especially the Greater Grimm. Destroying outlying villages and cities throughout the continent created millions of homeless and devastated people, creating the refugee crisis they were having. With the Council's hands so preoccupied with quite literally anything but – the people were losing more faith.
It'll be like the refugees of Mountain Glenn all over again… Jaune shook his head.
Shaking his head for a moment, Salem's only moves so far were sending team RRGE and creating one of the greatest hordes of Grimm Sanus had seen in over eighty years. The amount of people she'd slaughtered through the use of her creatures was uncountable. But it was manageable at least. Rather than letting her agents scurry around like rats, she chose to bring out her big guns. Something about that team RRGE really put off the blond. He has been itching to visit that Reggie Teale in prison, but exams and schooling had taken most of his time. Also having three girlfriends is tiresome.
To respond to Salem's moves, he finally brought his friends into the fold, informing them of the truth – letting them all know the fight that was going on in the shadows. Reorganization of their teams into Fireteams of huntsmen and huntresses was top priority, specializing their abilities in the best way possible. He'd built an army in just a few months and received several commendations and companies to aid him this time – it was about time he took a moment to reorganize and reequip. They beat the White Fang because of their element of surprise and superior technology – the same victory won't happen twice.
Salem caught them off guard the first time. Everything unknowingly depended on the CCT Tower of Vale – when it fell, every Kingdom was left to internal communication, but no way of knowing how the rest of the world was doing. Salem used that to her advantage, keeping the Four Kingdoms in the dark for as long as she could; all the while, equipping the White Fang of the different kingdoms. There was a bit of time between then and the siege of Mistral – Jaune had enough proof to believe that was when Adam usurped Sienna Khan of her place as leader of the White Fang.
But there was something that just didn't add up to him. Tyrian himself, as crazy and mental he was, even stated that the White Fang and Roman Torchwick, were just tools to be used. They had no importance aside from what Cinder had given them. They were plastic soldiers and tin cans to be thrown away at their leisure. So, why? Why did Salem find it so important to kidnap both Roman and Adam? Adam was only useful because he was a good fighter – but I ended up killing him. Does Salem intend to turn Adam and Torchwick into whatever the hell Reggie is?
Tch. Enough of that for now… Jaune sighed. Today is a good day. No fighting, no training, no yelling or anything. Just peace and quiet for once…
His blue eyes trailed over to his left, gazing upon Pyrrha and Yang, both giggling to each other as they watched videos on DustTube. Pyrrha's green eyes shimmered with joy, her smile spreading ever so wide. Jaune felt his breath catch in his throat. Her teeth looked like porcelain, clean and pristine. Staring at her, the girl looked up, meeting his eyes for just a moment before blushing and giving him a wink. She immediately returned to watching videos with Yang, the hint of a blush remaining on her cheeks. Pyrrha, damn it, was a literal goddess.
Beside her, Yang's lilac eyes trailed over to watch his, gazing upon her figure. She pursed her lips and gave him a knowing look. Before he knew it, a blush formed on his cheeks from the intense, passionate gaze the blonde was giving him. Her beauty was unmatched, in an entirely different league than Pyrrha's – than Blake's. She had an allure about her, an amorous aura that exuded her attraction. Yang didn't change, Yang couldn't change. Licking her lips as she stared at his figure and blushing face, the girl gave him a small wink before returning to her videos.
Jaune fell back, sighing in silence, arm snaking around Blake's waist, holding her close to him. She smiled, reciprocating and nuzzled into his shoulder. A soft nibble on his neck later, one of her legs crossed over the other. She saw the blush on his face and beamed as she placed her face deeper into his neck. Grunting, her cat ears tickled against his cheek. Popping his neck, he quickly kissed her cat ears, biting softly, eliciting a small, almost silent purr from the Faunus curling up into him. Digging his face into her hair, the boy smiled.
People were surprised and several students seemed even more enamored by her appearance but once they saw his arm around her waist, they backed down. While a lot of people didn't seem to like the relationship – some humans and Faunus even going so far to disapprove of it, neither party seemed to care all the much. Goodwitch, much like on the docks, reacted like a caring, loving mother and embraced Blake and congratulated her on her decision to no longer hide from the truth. Ozpin gave his own support in his own special way and much of the faculty, much to Blake's surprise, knew of her heritage, despite her attempts to hide it.
Nevertheless, the acceptance she feared would never come, smashed against her like tidal waters. It was almost overwhelming at first, but then it turned into everything the dreamed it would be. At least, that's what Jaune was told. Blake was never one to really talk about her feelings, always having to be the one to steel her emotions, lest have her many enemies find a way to exploit them – she always found a way to confide in him, in ways that she never could with anyone else. While she would barely outright say what was on her mind, the things she would say instead, he understood without a doubt in his mind.
Smiling softly, he tightened his hold on her, placing another kiss on her scalp. Pyrrha sacrificed herself for him. Blake sacrificed herself for him. Yang sacrificed herself for him. These beautiful women, cared for him – loved him enough, albeit one was just a close friend at the time, to give their lives to save his own. At the time, in that dark past, he was nothing. He was a fool with a sword and shield with a lot of aura. He had minimal training and almost no direction. He was, for all intents and purposes, actually nothing. But these women, these three beautiful, amazing, loving and caring women, saw something in him.
Even now, with the weight of the world resting on his shoulders, the weight of their future-past deaths, these women found a way to be with him. While Blake was far from expected, it was a welcome change. She was incredible in ways he hadn't experienced with Pyrrha yet. While each girl was amazing, what made it better – each one had something that the others lacked. Blake had her mind, her grave understanding of the world around her; Yang was the life of the party, the light to Blake's dark. Pyrrha was the mother, the one who, without the darkness of Blake nor the rowdiness of Yang, remained balanced in childish antics and maturity.
His thoughts drifted, lingering upon the past lives they had and the terrible things they'd been through. The women were strong, powerful and incredible warriors, but that was their hubris. They drove themselves to become the best they can, to help those who couldn't help themselves. Most of the time, it was he who needed to be saved at the expense of friends and those he loved. They didn't ask questions, they didn't make commands they couldn't follow through themselves. They were women who took charge and made reckless decisions in the past.
The sacrifices we made. They made… Jaune thought to himself, as he leaned into Blake's shoulder, slowly drifting. It will not be in vain. Not this time, fate. I won't let you take this from me…
While Yang and Pyrrha giggled away and Blake immersed herself in her new book, there was one girl, still awake and left with nothing to do but wander in her mind. Her icy-blue eyes stared at the sleeping boy beside her teammate. He groaned in his sleep, mumbling just moments after he knocked out. Beside her, Ruby and Nora leaned against one another, snoring in their sleep, one mumbling about pancakes and the other about chocolate chip cookies. Infuriating really, and Ren did nothing to stop the two – like a caring older brother to Ruby and whatever he was to Nora, he simply let them do as he pleased, snaking his arm beneath their heads letting them us his limb as a pillow.
She watched him carefully. Ren gave Blake a nod and the two began to move, slowly removing Jaune from her shoulder and lowered his head into her lap. Jaune seemingly smiled at the action and shifted his weight to be more comfortable in the new position. Once that was over, Ren and Blake shared a small smile. Bringing his left arm up, he rested his hand behind his head and shut his eyes. It wasn't long before he too fell asleep, leaning his head into Nora's own.
Weiss frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. Eyes trailed to the stone tiles beneath her feet, glimmering with a hint of sadness. Beside her, everything, everyone, looked like a family. A family. Weiss leaned into her bench, feeling a harsh cool breeze rip through the air, seeping through her thin jacket. With a sigh, she leaned into Ruby, locking her arm with the sleeping girl, absorbing her heat. Eyes trailed to the sleeping Arc between everyone, locking with his form. Blake had him, Yang had him; Pyrrha had him.
Weiss looked to herself. With a chaste laugh, she knew she was great and all…
But compared to them?
Jaune wouldn't even bat an eye in her direction.
Around the same time, a boy could be found, face down against a table. His arms shielded his face from the blaring lights. Surrounding him, several small towers of textbooks and biographies, along with tenth edition textbooks centered on Grimm anatomy and species, known and legendary. Beside him, comic books stood in a tall stack, while on the other side, an open bag of potato chips and a half-empty bottle of water was on the verge of falling over and spilling all over his shoes.
His team had just finished their schedule of studying and had left their leader to nap it out before going for round two. Little did they know, a young bunny had just entered the library to crunch in extra studying. She hopped along, a slight joy in each step she took. It had been weeks since the incident of his reveal, and their relationship had never been stronger. She swears, it was only a matter of time before he decided to ask her out – or better, she asks him out. Coming to a halt, she skidded against the carpet, spying his sleeping form, hunched over against the table.
Walking over, her skittish tendencies rose once again, causing her to stumble slightly. Her bunny ears bent, slowly lowering to cover her face in the great shadows. She almost wanted to turn around, fearful of becoming a bother – but Yang's words of encouragement echoed in the back of her mind. The boy doesn't seem like the type to enjoy shy or skittish people. Velvet agreed to that sentiment, snapping upright, letting her ears stand tall like normal. Walking along, a soft blush spread across her cheeks, she ran a caring hand across the boy's hair, running her fingers through the follicles, slowly rousing him from his nap.
"Bun…?" The boy sat up, eyes still half closed, blushing.
"Cardin." The accented voice dribbled into his ears. "You need to stop sleeping and get to studying."
Looking up, his indigo eyes were bloodshot. Sliding to truly sit up straight, a yawn tore through his lungs, bringing a small giggle to come from the bunny beside him. He smiled at her. "Jeez, get off my back, mom."
"I wouldn't have to mom you, if you'd be responsible, Cardin." Velvet rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms. "Studying is just as important as combat classes. You need to stop playing favourites with your subjects and get on with it. I don't want the future lord of House Winchester and the future left hand of the King to be lagging behind on his information and knowledge."
"W-What?" He looked at her with wide eyes.
"I know what I said." Velvet smiled, slamming a massive book upon the table. "I am supposed to be your caretaker, right?"
"Y-Yeah, when I was in physical rehab, but I'm fine now." Cardin was silenced when she pressed a lone finger against his lips.
"Now, my mission has expanded." She smiled devilishly. "You have a mantle, Cardin Winchester – I won't sit back and let you squander your chances."
"Don't you think this is a bit, excessive?" The boy deflated as he opened the first page of the new textbook.
"Nothing is too excessive when you're thinking about the future, my dear bird." Velvet pulled up a seat and a notebook and pencils. "Well, if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask."
"I thought being afraid was your thing?" Cardin raised a brow.
"I-I mean." She gaped. "I just don't want you falling behind…"
"Please, bun." He wrapped her in for a big one-armed hug. Once he released her, she yelped slightly, a burning blush spread across her face. He bent over, pulling her chair closer to his and threw his arm over her shoulder. "You're not getting rid of stupid ol' me that easily. Punk grades can't hold me down…anyway…what the hell is trigonometry supposed to do?"
"Ahem!"
Snapping awake, Jaune flinched. Springing up, his hand rose to shield his face from the burning rays of the late afternoon sun. Around him, teams JNPR and RWBY had fallen asleep on the bench since the end of their last class. His eyes still groggy, Yang was sleep on Pyrrha's sides, while Pyrrha slung against the arm rest. Blake's neck had bent back, as she snored. Her book was closed and laid on the ground between her feet. Beside the Arc, Ren's head was tilted down, eyes sealed shut. Nora, Ruby and Weiss had somehow ended up hugging one another in their sleep creating an entanglement of limbs.
With a groan, he elbowed both Blake and Ren, immediately waking them up. Like a chain reaction, one by one, the remaining members of each team opened their eyes. Yang smacked her lips, completely forgetting where she was and ignoring the imposing shadow looming over them. Pyrrha was much the same, at a loss of where she was. Unsurprisingly, Weiss squealed and forced herself from the mosh pit of limbs while Nora was already bubbling with energy. The eight students suddenly came to, realizing where they were and froze in anticipation.
"Sleeping outdoors is bad for your health." Glynda frowned, gazing down at them with her most heated stare. "You could all catch a cold. I believe there's a reason we have dormitories. Now, you may all resume your rest in your assigned rooms but I must borrow Mr. Arc for a few moments."
"You guys heard her." Jaune nodded his head, wiping his face. "I'll be at the rooms later."
"But…Jaune~." Ruby whined softly. "Can you carry me?"
"Sorry, Rosy." The boy smiled. "Maybe Ren can."
The magenta eyes narrowed, but quickly relaxed, along with a sigh escaping his lips. Kneeling, Ruby jumped upon his back. With a grunt, the boy led the group of girls back to their dorms. Now, Jaune followed Glynda Goodwitch through the halls of the Hunter Academy. Passing by students racing to and fro, trying to find a good place to study that isn't already hogged by another group of students. He took a deep breath, running a hand through his blond hair, uncertain of what Ozpin would want to talk to him about.
There were times where he wanted to seek the old man out and speak to him about his predicament, he wasn't too sure whether or not the man would listen. In fact, Jaune didn't have a reason why he never went to seek the headmaster out. No doubt, Ozpin would be the first to tell his father about the army he was building. But as he stepped into the elevator leading up to Ozpin's office, a reassuring hand rested on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, Jaune." Glynda nodded her head. "You have nothing to be afraid of."
One the elevator came to a sudden halt, the door hissed and slid open, revealing Ozpin and a man with a large collapsed greatsword at the base of his spine. He had a few greying strands of hair and a tattered flowing red cape.
"Qrow Branwen?!" Jaune tilted his head in surprise. "I thought you'd be out in the Wilds hunting down Salem's goons around this time."
"Around this time, eh?" Qrow pulled out his flask. "Looks like the kid is all you chalked him up to be."
"Qrow." Glynda glared, walking past Jaune. "Don't be a pest."
The scythe reaper smirked. "Don't be a buzzkill."
"Before these two go at it again; do you know why I called you here?" Ozpin sighed with a small smile.
"Because of the incident at the docks. I have been wondering when you'd speak to me about it." Jaune looked at the headmaster. "From what I remember, you spoke to Blake almost immediately after the incident in my timeline."
"While I won't say I know what past you speak of; I will tell you why I decided to wait." Ozpin rose from his seat, his cane already extended. "You carry an immense power that hasn't been seen in millennium – if ever. Do you know what your semblance is?"
"I can copy semblances." Jaune raised a brow.
"You steal semblances." Qrow took a heavy swig of his flask. "And that's only one of your semblances."
"You mean of the ones I was born with?"
"Yes." Ozpin coughed. "Your second semblance is the Arc family semblance. Similar to how the Schnee have summoning and the Winchester can create explosions with their fists or weapons – the Arc semblance is hereditary. Your sisters – Doré, Clair and Rosemary have the semblance as well. But on to why I decided to wait."
"You see; Roman Torchwick and Adam Taurus – both are a thorn in Vale's side and have been for many years – were suddenly captured by that team RRGE." The room grew tense. "Even though we managed to capture that woman, Reggie Teale of the team – she has proven resistant to our interrogation techniques. So – have you ever seen these types of people before, Jaune?"
"No." The boy shook his head. "In the past – the worst I've faced was Greater Grimm and the White Fang. As far as I knew, the only people Salem had in her faction that had skills like that – were team WTCH."
"Hehe." Qrow laughed. "Seriously, that's their name?"
"Qrow." Glynda growled. "Let him explain before you make jokes."
"You yell at me as much as my mom used to. Jeez."
Jaune took a deep breath, trying to ignore the two. "WTCH is made up of her top agents – Dr. Arthur Watts, Tyrian Callows, Cinder Fall and Hazel Rainart."
"No…" Ozpin took a deep breath. "Are you certain, Jaune?"
"I am." The boy was confused. "Professor? What's wrong?"
The man took a sip of his coffee, steeling his gaze. "Hazel Rainart and Arthur Watts…they are men from my past. Men that I thought were dead for many, many years. After all, I killed them myself."
Silence had fallen upon the room, save for the ticking gears above them. Jaune and Ozpin shared a look, sapphire meeting green. The boy didn't know what to think – Ozpin in the past, said nothing of this to him. Oscar must have known, but the boy didn't find it necessary to spill the proverbial beans? Jaune didn't know whether to feel angry, or surprised. Glynda seemed sad and Qrow simply took another swig of his drink. Jaune clenched his fists, staring at the headmaster in front of him.
"Well…going back to what I was talking about…Reggie Teale did manage to tell us something." Ozpin sighed. "She is something Salem dubbed a Yūrei. Someone who's consumed the flesh of Grimm."
"W-What?!" Jaune's eyes nearly popped from his head. "Is that even possible?!"
"Apparently so. I don't know what to make of this revelation."
Qrow nodded. "Neither do I, Oz. This goes beyond anything I've seen what she's created."
"So, what do we do?" Glynda asked the million Lien question. "We know what she's doing, what she's created and what her target seems to be. What do we do from here?"
"We can't do anything substantial until Cinder Fall reveals herself." Jaune piped. All eyes turned to him. "In my timeline, Cinder Fall made her first move when she infected the CCT tower with a virus. Thanks to the virus, she had access to servers across the city – Beacon included. After General Ironwood arrives with his army in Vale – no thanks to the council – Cinder somehow manages to spread the virus into his machines."
"But how?"
"Arthur Watts." Ozpin finished. "He was a master technician and mechanic. He must have created a program that could infiltrate our firewalls."
"What would you say we should do, kid?" Qrow asked, raising a brow in his direction.
Jaune took a moment, thinking. "I say, do nothing. At least until Cinder Fall makes her move."
The two professors turned to Ozpin, waiting for his response. But instead of reprimanding or a counter plan, the man simply smiled. It was unsettling.
"Good."
"Good?"
"Good, Jaune." Ozpin walked around. "Now, as Qrow said before – you steal semblances. I assume you know of the maidens?"
"Yes." Jaune frowned. "Cinder still has her powers doesn't she?"
"Yes, sadly." Qrow shook his head.
"What was her name?"
"Amber."
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. "I assume you want me to take the power from Cinder and give it back to Amber."
"Heh, he catches on quick." Qrow smirked. "But in a nutshell, yeah, pretty much. If Salem gets the maiden's powers under her control – it'll be the end for us."
"I know." Jaune frowned. "In my timelines, Salem had the powers of the Winter and Spring maidens. But here's the problem – I've never given semblances to people and I've never forcefully taken someone's abilities, they've always been willingly given. And if I steal semblances – why do Pyrrha and Blake still have theirs?"
Suddenly, Qrow burst into a half-manic laugh, choking on his whiskey. Beside him, Glynda fixed her glasses, huffing with a slight tinge of red spreading across her cheeks. Ignoring the choking man and the huffing woman, Ozpin shook his head, rolling his eyes and sloshing his mug.
"Having your aura unlocked by another – especially one of the opposite sex, in a way binds you to that person and vice versa. A piece of their soul is in you and a piece of yours is in them. Daresay, you are already married to Miss Nikos already."
"Hahaha!" Qrow kept laughing. "And for the emo one –"
"Qrow!" Glynda slapped the back of his head. "While none of us approve of what happened – we theorize that you have her semblance by your engagement in coitus."
"BAHAHA!" Qrow fell over, tossing his flask away. "Oh man. What a semblance! If I had that, oh man, I'd have semblances for days. Hahaha!"
"Gods." Ozpin rolled his eyes again. "Jaune, we will call you back here once you finish your exams next week. We have more things to discuss. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your day."
Turning on his heels, Jaune nodded and walked into the elevator. Pressing the bottom floor button, he took a deep breath, sighing to himself.
"How the fuck did they know Blake and I…" A deep blush formed on his face. "Gods…"
Claude took a quick drink. "Marie…are we making the right decisions?"
"What do you mean?" The beautiful Faunus looked up from her glass. "The council? Our children?"
"Everything…?" The man sighed. "I've been so tough on Jaune for so long – I feel I've neglected him in care for his sisters. Now, he's off fighting terrorists and Grimm. It hurts to say this, but I don't even know my own son. I barely know any of my children, Marie. I've concentrated so much, sacrificed being a father for the sake of being a councilman."
"And what have I accomplished?" Lowering his head, his hands left his glass and wrapped around his temples. "Grimm hordes, White Fang, the Brotherhood and don't get me started on the refugee crisis on our hands."
"Claude…" The woman leaned into him, her wolf tail swinging over, wrapping around his waist. "Don't beat yourself down. You're a good man, a great councilman."
"A shitty father?"
"A difficult father." Marie corrected. "You aren't perfect – no one is. But at least you're trying. I can see where Jaune gets his determination. He never gave up trying to please you, he never gave up trying to train to fit the mold his sisters created. In the same sense, you, Claude, never gave up trying to lead this house and Vale."
"The terrible handling of Mountain Glenn was dropped on your shoulders after your father, uncle and older brother kicked the bucket trying to defend the city, but you didn't break under pressure." Marie wrapped her arm around his torso. "You stayed strong, you sacrificed your own happiness to keep the Kingdom running. After all, an imperfect Vale is better than a perfect Vale run by any Argent. If you feel you're straying your path – don't. I promised you when I married you – I'll be here to knock you straight."
"Heh." Claude smiled, leaning into the woman. "I love you, and thank you, Marie."
Sharing a short kiss, the two broke and went back to drinking. "Have you talked to any of our children yet?"
"Rosemary is working with Carolina again." Marie smiled.
Claude choked. "Gods, help whoever gets in their ways."
"Violette is working with one of my friends, Tukson." Marie's smile turned into a dangerous smirk. "She also told me that Jaune apparently has a girlfriend now."
"He does?!" Claude's blue eyes shimmered with pride.
Licking her lips, Marie kissed his forehead. "You Arcs and Winchesters are so similar you know."
"What do you mean?"
Marie giggled. "You men need a Faunus to keep you in line."
"He's dating a Faunus?"
"And this is where things get interesting, my love." Marie winked. "Her name is Blake Belladonna."
Claude was silent. His eyes stared at his wife as quiet as can be. Taking a quick drink of his whiskey, he tilted his head, thinking of the name.
Suddenly, it hit him.
"HOLY S–"
"You are strong." A voice hovered over him. "Incredibly strong. I'm proud and impressed, young Adam."
The man coughed, falling to the floor. Steam hissed off his body and climbed into the air. Beside him, Blush and Wilt laid on either side of him.
"You continue to make me proud."
Adam took slow, deep breaths. "I do my best to please, your grace."
"Now, Adam." Salem smiled, walking up to him. "It's been over a month and a half; no need for such formalities. We're all friends and allies here."
"As you wish, Salem…" The boy was helped to his feet by her pale, deathly white hands. "What do you need of me?"
"I understand you have a bone to pick with the King of Vale, yes?"
Adam's demeanor changed immediately. His fists clenched and his crimson accents began to glow. "I might."
"Hehe." Salem giggled slightly, latching her arm to one of his own. The two walked through the halls of her castle, hearing the screams of tortured souls and howling screeches belonging to monstrosities he had never seen. "Comedy. The only jokes we have here come from the manic musings of our dear Tyrian – I assume you've had the honor of knowing him?"
"He was…" Adam took a moment, having flashes. "Interesting."
"Modesty is unbecoming." Salem poked the bull Faunus. "Tyrian is a basket case – we all know it. It's my fault and I have no qualms admitting it. But damn if he isn't one of the most useful agents I have. Maybe you can prove your worth?"
"If it pleases." Adam nodded his head. "You promised me…you said that I could kill the King of Vale and take back the one I love…did you mean it?"
Salem's blood-red eyes glowed. "Adam…I gain nothing from lying to you. If you didn't agree to my terms, I could find another just as useful tomorrow. Friendships and partnerships are built on trust."
"We're friends?" Adam raised a brow at her.
"Why have enemies when one can have friends?" The woman smiled. "Don't be so naïve to believe the world is as black and white as Human and Faunus. Our world is…a special place, wouldn't you agree?"
"I would be remiss if I didn't." Adam nodded.
"I'm glad you see reason." Salem pressed her palm against his face. "Now, Adam. I understand you have issues with some of my men. Namely, Arson – care to explain?"
"He…" The bull couldn't meet his mistress's gaze. "He infuriates me."
"How so?"
"He's reckless, without form. He makes demands that he could easily handle himself. His personality gives me and many of the others aneurisms and I'm certain Hanzo and I would kill him if you'd let us. I don't know what Dr. Watts found in that man. Regardless, whatever skills he has, I can meet with Wilt and Blush, ten times over. He leaves much to be desired."
"Ha!" Salem laughed, holding the Faunus tenderly. "No one has the courage, nor the balls to insult the Arson Rom so brazenly. I'd give you the name Nero if it kept up. Regardless, Arson has a role to fill, just like Eton and Byz. Reggie already filled hers."
"What is my role?"
"How badly do you want your darling back? How badly do you want to slaughter the humans who butchered your family?" Salem gave the boy a heated gaze.
"More than anything." Adam glared into nothingness.
The two continued walking from the training room he had first collapsed. He was so invested in the short conversation, he didn't even notice they'd left the castle. They stood against a cliff face, below them, all types of Grimm waited, howling, screeching and clawing at the pair. Adam turned to look at her as she unclasped him. The smirk she had, grew dark. His eyes were wide, his jaw loosened with a look of betrayal.
"You'll need that desire." Salem pressed her hand on his chest. "Feel the rage. Feel the anger – immerse yourself in your fury. Power isn't something I can give – it has to be earned…"
"How?"
With the strength of a gust of wind, Adam was pushed off the cliff.
"Sacrifice."
So what did you think?
Review, Follow and Favorite!
Soon, Ren will start his own harem
:D
Also, shower thoughts; It would be super cool if
someone made some cover art for this lmfao
I don't have any artwork programs on my computer
so I bloody can't, sadly
Ja ne!
gottahavekyuubi