Here a short one thats been on my mind for a while now.
Chapter 7: Jaune Xiao-Long 1
Concept: Summer adopts Jaune.
Appearance: None
-Mistral Village-
Fire and fear, as far as the eye could see the flames raged and the Grimm gathered, the small village of Ansel. Grimm of all variety swarmed the people tearing them apart. As an Alpha Beowulf lunged towards its next prey a woman clutching a infant an old ancestral blade tore through the Grimm bisecting it. Julius Arc glared at the beast advancing upon him and his wife, he looked back to his wife Aria.
"Aria run away! Get Jaune out of here!" Aria looked to her husband they both held a deep pain after all Julius and her had failed their children each one was cut down and devoured by these beasts. Julius looked back on the Grimm he had decided he would die here and in return he'd take everyone of these soulless beasts with him.
"Jean, Aqua, Claire, Fuchsia, Gardenia, Jasper and Saphron … Please forgive me." Julius's aura surged forth intertwined with it was all his rage and sorrows creating a beacon of sort to all the nearby Grimm.
"I promised I would protect you! I have broken that promise… I'm sure I won't see our ancestors alongside you, in fact I feel a failure like me is destined for a much hotter place but at least I can protect your brother and mother!" Julius converted the shield to its sheath and placed strapped it on his belt before he gripped the ancient blade in both hands. Allowing his aura to flow into the sword creating an extended aura blade.
Please Corcea Mors… I know someone like me, a man who failed his family and an Arc who failed his word has no right but still I plea … Give me the strength to protect them… I will give you all of my aura and if that fails to be enough then even my soul.
the old sword let loose an odd howl before the blade begun to glow extending the auric blade by another meter.
"Thankyou…" Julius turned to his wife.
"Aria, leave." The Arc woman looked to her husband tears running down her eye.
"But Julius." The man stepped towards her taking in her beauty for what he was sure would be the last time before he took her in his arms and embraced her. When he finally pulled back he looked to his son placing a hand on his head all the rage and sorrow vanished leaving only a father to look upon his child.
"Grow to be stronger then me and kinder then your mother." The man turned back to the Grimm once more letting loose his hatred. Aria could practically feel the negative emotions seething from his body, she knew what he was doing. Using such feelings and staining his soul with them he was drawing all the Grimm to himself, practically blinding them from her and Jaune.
"I love you…" With a heavy heart Aria ran in the opposing direction of her husband.
"…'exhale' Come! let us all meet our end here!"
-Village Outskirt-
Aria ran with all her might through the hell scape the village had become, holding Jaune tightly against her chest she rushed away. Her husband's sacrifice wouldn't be in vein she wouldn't let it, upon reaching the tree line she leaned against a tree as she recuperated. She looked down to her son who begun to stir from his sleep. Seeing her but not his father tears begun to swell up Aria let out a bitter smile.
"What a selfish child… even now you refuse to be happy till you're the center of attention." The baby begun to cry till a tear fell upon his face. He paused before looking up to his crying mother.
"I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry Jaune." Aria fell to her knees.
"Aqua, Claire, Fuchsia, Gardenia, Jade, Rosa Ruth! Mamas So Sorry!" She couldn't hold back anymore as she cried out only for a small hand to touch her face. Aria looked down to see her baby looking up to her ceasing his tears. Aria wiped her face.
"How shameful being consoled by an infant."
"hehehehe ~Yes, What a bad mother you are~" Before the woman could react a piercing pain ran through her shoulder. Aria jumped forward out of the tree line holding Jaune close as she begun to rise she fell back to her knees.
"~Oh my aren't you feisty to manage to stand even if only a moment is an admirable feet for a mere villager like you. Especially a woman at that~" Aria looked up to see a lanky scorpion faunus with mad eyes.
Poison.
"~I never would have expected to find such a fun cleansing happening here… truly my goddess has blessed me~"
Goddess?
"W-who are you?" The man smiled at the question.
"I am Tyrian, Tyrian Collows." The man made an exaggerated bow to the dying Arc.
"What do you want?"
"~Why to observe of course~"
"Observe?"
"Why yes to see my goddess's glory. Now then please tell me, who is that adorable little child in your arms." Aria's eyes widened.
"Come on now answer, thou I suppose it hardly matters after all he'll be joining you soon." Tyrian grabbed the woman by her neck, raising her to level with himself.
"Oh well I suppose I could live without knowing after all with his little dying breaths and your sorrowful face I'll manage." Tyrian's tail struck forward however, to his surprise the Arc woman shifted her weight shielding the child and receiving his stinger.
"~Oh, how surprising… Oh I have a fun idea.~" Tyrian's tail withdrew from her body before stabbing forth once more.
"~I wanna see that child's skull break as he falls to the ground. So, I'll just fill you with poison till you die and let him go. ISN'T THAT A FUN IDEA!~" Tyrian's tail continued to stab into Aria filling her body with poison.
"Jau-ne." With every ounce of will she could manage she held her son, yet she felt her limbs going numb.
"HAHAHaHAHA! How amazing! You held out much longer than I thought you would. Heheheh, hahahaha!" Tyrian smiled and decided to get to the fun part as he looked into her dulling eyes. His stinger rose to her face.
"Well our time is up."
"AHHH!" Tyrian felt a great force launch him away into the nearest tree, Aria begun to fall before she was abruptly grabbed by a petite woman in a white hood. Tyrian looked onward to see the figure before him and sneered it was two of the people his goddess had warned him of.
"Well shit… If it isn't one of the Silver Eyed heretics and the detestable crow of Ozpin's." Qrow and Summer glared at the man before them with Summer's aura radiating a deep hatred as she looked down to the woman cradling her child. Qrow didn't bother to speak opting to launch forward and stabbing at the faunus. Tyrian rose his wrist blades to block the large sword.
As Tyrian looked up to meet Qrow's eyes a flood of silver light erupted from behind him ignoring him Qrow lunged at Tyrian. Before he could think his instincts took over and he leaped back, before rushing away.
Dammit dammit dammit!
Deep in his heart Tyrian vowed he would kill the two who interrupted his fun. Qrow begun to follow only to be stopped by his partner, turning he saw Summer holding the woman.
"Are you okay?" Aria looked up to the woman she looked so young and frail and yet she could feel a deep strength radiating from her.
"Please… protec… my child." Summer gripped the woman's free hand looking down to the infant who couldn't be any older then Yang. The baby cried out as if knowing his mother would leave, without hesitation the leader nodded.
"Thankyou…" The woman looked down to her child she knew she wouldn't have long but she'd make sure she spent it with him. Raising her hand she stroked his cheek before smiling the action making the boy silent.
"Please don't cry my brave little knight …mommy's going somewhere you can't follow with daddy… so you'll need to toughen up… but just know me and your dad will always be watching over you." Her numbing hand brushed the blond hairs on his head with tired affection.
"Mommy knows you're a good boy, its okay to act up every once in a while but always apologize and don't forget to eat, get plenty of sleep…" He was so warm, or perhaps it was merely that her body was growing cold.
"Oh and remember to be nice also you don't need many friend but please make some after all I know it may seem tough and meeting new people can be a bit scary, but just remember friends are just strangers you haven't met yet…" Each breath grew heavier as her body struggled that much more to continue. However, she still needed to say one last thing before she passed.
"Never… Forget, we love you… my. little… knight… " Aria leaned towards her son and kissed his forehead, her final moments weren't in pain or fear but peace. Jaune looked up to his mom his little hand struggling to touch her as she begun to lose heat the child cried out. Qrow looked to the dead women and nodded.
"You lasted just long enough to do your job as a mother huh, guess you beat my sis on that note." Summer looked to the infant and took him from his mother's embrace despite his cries she wasn't deterred and pressed him to her modest chest, hearing her heartbeat the tiny life began to calm before falling back to sleep.
"Tsk, Lucky little bastard." Summer looked to the city she wanted to go but with an infant she couldn't exactly risk it.
"Don't even think about it." Qrow stepped towards the village.
"You watch the kid, I'll check the village."
"But?"
"No buts, with a kid you'll just be risking two lives instead of one… besides I can't spot any Grimm." Reluctantly Summer agreed she looked to the bundle in her arms and then back to the burning village.
Recognizing Qrow she begun to make way to him noticing a rather plain sword and shield in his hand. Before she could even speak he kneeled down to the woman and checked her body pulling out a locket with two crescent moons on it. Summer was shocked when she saw her partner begin to shake in rage as he looked at the picture inside.
"Qrow what's the matter?" Qrow didn't answer instead he tossed her the locket looking inside Summer froze as she saw the woman and Jaune alongside a rather handsome man but what broke her heart was the seven other kids.
"I managed to find each one of them… but… there were no survivors besides that kid there."
"What about the dad?" Qrow looked to the sword in his hands.
"When I found him, he was clenching this."
"So then that sensation we felt."
"'sigh' Yeah, it was him… If I had to guess he had made himself a beacon for the Grimm to buy those two time… He killed all them, but he didn't make it… I found him standing dead, I don't know if it was from exhaustion or succumbing to his wounds." Summer let the words sink in before she finally gathered herself and looked to Qrow.
"So what should we do now?" Qrow shrugged.
"We need to leave before more Grimm come." As Qrow turned towards Mistral Summer spoke.
"And the child?"
"I'd hate to, but we'll leave him at an orphanage in Mistral. He's cute so I'm sure he'll be adopted soon enough." Summer found herself actually getting angry at the remark but didn't speak instead looking down to the child. She was surprised to find him looking up at her, his bright blue eyes focused upon her silver ones as if there was nothing else in the world. The baby let out the quietest cry of delight.
"No."
"Huh?"
"We can just call Lionheart and inform him over a scroll call." Summer looked down to Jaune and smiled she had made up her mind.
"We're heading back for Patch after we get some formula."
"Wait… you don't mean?"
"Oh, and diapers we can't forget those… hmm, I can't think of anything else. Well I'm sure Tai will know."
"Summer wait just a minute." Summer looked over to Qrow.
"This is happening so don't even bother."
"But come on with what just happened with Raven us three already got one kid to take care, of we're lucky Tai let both of us go on this mission with how much attention Firecracker needs. Now here you are about to bring another kid into the mix." Summer's gaze hardened.
"So am I supposed to just leave him to strangers?"
"We're strangers." Summer looked over to Aria, before she looked down to see the infant Arc sleeping in her arms.
"No we're not, we're the ones she entrusted her child to, the ones she trusted to protect him…And that's exactly what I intend to do." Qrow recognized that look in her eyes and reluctantly relented before the two made their way back.
-Patch-
Summer smiled as she stepped into the house, an eager Tai stepped towards them in his arm was a little ball of Sunshine with bright red eyes. Yang was currently using all her energy blowing her top as she cried loud enough to hurt the threes ears and wake up Jaune.
"Summer please take her she always calms down when you take h- Who's the kid?" Summer stepped towards Tai taking the young Yang in her other arm.
"'sigh' Tai you really need to learn how to calm her it's not that hard."
"Hey that's not true! You're the only one she calms down with now can you tell me who the kid is?"
"He's Summer's kid." Tai went wide-eyed.
"Wait what!"
"Qrow! Don't say things that can be misunderstood… look it's a long and… disheartening story… huh? that's funny she never quiets down this quick." Looking down Summer saw Jaune holding the little girl's hand both letting out joyful coos and baby noises to one another.
"Well seems Firecrackers happy with her new brother." Taiyang ignored Qrow and instead looked to the little miracle who had actually managed to calm his Little Sunny Dragon. Looking to Summer he asked.
"So you got a kid." The rose looked away her nervousness plain to see as she tried her best to look anywhere but to her teammates and crushes face.
"Y-Yeah…" with a fear she'd not even shown at the most perilous of missions she looked up to Tai.
"Are you mad?" before she could face him she felt a kiss on her forehead looking up she saw him smiling at her.
"I'm sure you had a good reason and besides…" Taiyang put his hand on Jaune's head.
"If my Sunny Dragon's this happy with him I can hardly say no." Qrow slapped Summer's back earning a yelp from the leader.
"See told you there was nothing to worry about… now then you remember what Oz said right. We can't use his real name till he's an adult otherwise some bastards in Mistral might try to take him. So what are we calling him?"
"That's a good question…" Both Qrow and Summer looked to Jaune and then to Taiyang before smiling. The man himself rose a brow.
"What?"
"He has the same kind of eyes and hair."
"The resemblance is real close, he's even pale like Raven and you." Both smiled, Tai looked to the two for a moment and then Jaune before it clicked and he slapped his face.
"Oum Dammit Qrow."
