Violence.
It was Pyrrha's most fluent language, a truth wrapped around her heart, even as it was concealed beneath the pleasant exterior of the Mistralian champion. Even as she graciously accepted praise from believers and nonbelievers alike, even as she was the very figure of demure politeness, even as she doted on her beloved, the truth dearest to Pyrrha's heart was that she was a weapon, sword, spear, and shield, and none were ever truly far from her hand.
This battle was a mess of factions and individuals, with Atlesian Specialists and Mistralian bandits and Cinder's group and whatever was going on between Sun and his team, plus, Pyrrha was starting to get the sense she didn't really trust Coco and her… "interest" in her. But that was a matter for later—now was the moment of blood and steel.
Atlesians were the real danger—as much as it burned her not to tear Raven apart with her bare hands, Pyrrha knew her role in this, her purpose. She was here to rescue Jaune, to save him from danger first and to wreak her revenge second, and nothing would be gained if she focused on beating Raven into a bloody pulp only for Jaune to be snatched up by the Specialists and taken to some fortress. Pyrrha would pursue them, she would raze all the cities of Solitas if she had to, but preventing further harm to the man she adored. And besides, she'd been training all her life to fight the dog of Atlas after all.
The tournament fighting was never Pyrrha's real purpose. Oh, she was passionate about her bouts and really did find meaning in being a champion duelist, an inspiration to the Enlightened, especially the young believers, but all her skills in the ring had a real purpose, and right now, pitching herself against the Atlesians, she felt a sense of rightness, that she was doing as her Goddess commanded, as her community had raised her. In this instant, she was making Mr. Rainart proud. She was making her mother proud as Miló seemed almost like it was a part of her arm and she moved to battle.
The tall, brown haired Specialist, the one who seemed to be the spokesman of the team, he seemed to make the same calculations as Pyrrha rounded on him, her weapons out. He said something, some lame attempt at casual humor, but Pyrrha wasn't listening. She was watching as he carefully reached down, a trick of sleight of hand, to grab a horseshoe from his uniform and fling it at her, fast as a striking cobra.
Child's play to use her Semblance and just catch it out of the air and smack him right in the face with it.
It only knocked him down, but Pyrrha knew the real blow was to his pride. Atlesians… arrogant government stooges, the jackbooted tools of oppression, the ones who had most aggressively persecuted the community of the faithful—they had earned her ire. But more so, as the rest of the Specialists tried to move in to fight, Pyrrha felt that purpose course through her veins as she slipped so smoothly into her role, it was almost as though she was carrying out one of Jaune's holy Commandments.
If there was ever a raid on one of their worship sites or compounds, Pyrrha knew what to do. She was a member of an illegal, underground faith, and the inevitability of reprisal had been drilled into her from a young age. When the elite law enforcement was sent in, there was no "winning" the fight. Just buying time for the possibility of escape, but Huntsmen were highly mobile and the hegemonic powers of the State made it hard to flee.
But if she could tie their attackers up, if she could fight an army herself… Pyrrha could buy time for other Enlightened to escape. Every skilled fighter she didn't need for backup was one more brave member of the faithful who could escort the civilians, the elderly, the children to safety. It was this motivation, imagining a day like today, trading blows with a powerful Atlesian Specialist, using her Semblance to throw off her hammer blows as she launched a furious assault, that drove Pyrrha to excellence.
The Tournament stuff was her passion, but this was real. As she smashed her shield into the face of a pale, slender man, catching him off guard with her quick, Semblance accelerated strike as he rocketed forward on glowing aura whips, she ducked a haymaker from the other Specialist and-
Faster than she could track, another Specialist, a dark-skinned woman with an unbearably smug smile, slammed into Pyrrha, taking her right off her feet and slamming her to the ground. "STAY DOWN!" she barked as she pinned Pyrrha's arm to her back.
Okay, hell with it.
Her opponents always wore so much metal.
With a cry of rage, she flung her attacker off her back and called Miló back into her hand. Shifting it to rifle form in midair, she let loose a fierce barrage of shots into her foe, shredding her aura as she tumbled through the air. As she hit the ground with a groan, Pyrrha felt an unbecoming smirk, the kind she could never show in a tournament, come to her lips. Seems this girl, quick as she was, lacked the stamina for a real fight.
One down.
Dueling her sister… it was unthinkable, but right now, Weiss knew that there was no other path. Myrtenaster met her sister's blade with a great clash, reminding her of nothing more than their childhood sparring matches, learning directly from Winter's strict discipline how to keep up her stance, to anticipate strikes, to fight like a Schnee, a name that meant perfection.
Back then, she was always pushing herself to her limits, only to find how far her older sister eclipsed her. Winter exceeded her in everything—she was the impossibly distant star that Weiss would give anything to impress, fearlessly blazing her own trail, relying not on her family name to become her own woman, climbing the ranks of the Atlesian military. To fight Winter, for real, not in a spar, was to lose. Weiss had learned that lesson very many times.
But Weiss, only a single semester into Beacon, had grown more in those months than she'd ever thought possible. Glyphs flashed and Dust flared as they dueled, but Weiss held her own. Yes, Winter was the better fighter—stronger, more experienced, and with a far greater mastery of her Semblance, but even she couldn't hide her surprise at the ferocity Weiss was bringing forth. Because unlike her sister, coldly carrying out orders, Weiss was fighting for something.
"I won't let you take Jaune," she insisted, parrying a strike that had moved almost faster than she could see. "He's not a pawn for anyone's political advantage!"
Winter shot her a look of Are we really discussing this now? Which Weiss answered with a determined Yes we are.
"You don't know who he really is," Winter explained through gritted teeth, "He's an agent of Salem—a woman who would see the whole world drowned in Darkness!"
Weiss shook her head. "You don't know him. Jaune's kind and sweet—he's nothing like the world we grew up in! And an agent? Just because he comes from a dangerous family, well, I think we can speak to what family means of a person!"
"He may have charmed you," Winter replied with a sneer that made Weiss's blood boil, "But you have no idea what you're talking about. He's dangerous, and I won't let-"
"Won't let me?" Weiss taunted, "Surprised to see you take so much after Father even after you left!"
Winter's face curled in anger at the comparison. "You are being a child!" she cried, striking at Weiss furiously, "You're being petulant and refusing to see reason because of a boy!"
"I'm old enough to make my own choices!"
"Then you should be old enough to realize you're making a bad one!"
Winter pressed the attack, and now Weiss was seeing what it looked like when the strongest Schnee went all out. Narrowly dodgig a glyphed Grimm—a skill Weiss had yet to master—Weiss rolled to the side, only to find Winter's saber coming right at her. She blocked, but the force of the blow rang up the length of her arm, leaving her response too sluggish as Winter caught her in the chest with a sudden kick, knocking Weiss to the ground.
"You can't beat me," Winter said, a hint of triumph in her voice as she loomed over her fallen sister, "Surrender. You'll understand, in time, that Atlas knows what's best for everyone."
"That's why I went to Beacon," Weiss shot back, still knocked to the ground but hearing the pride ringing in her voice. Not the pride of the SDC Heiress, not the pride of a Schnee, but Weiss's pride in who she herself was! She had friends and had learned the errors of her arrogance and had a boyfriend she had crossed two continents to rescue!
Her defiance, however, caused something within her older sister to snap, her frustration reaching a peak as she drew her sword back and-
CLANG!
Ruby's uncle, Qrow, who Weiss had heard so much about from Ruby and Yang, now stood between Weiss and her sister, blocking her saber before she could swing it and take Weiss out of the fight properly.
"CAN YOU STOP BEING AN ATLESIAN LUNATIC FOR FIVE MINUTES AND LISTEN?"
"NEVER!" Winter shouted back, either not listening to what Qrow had actually said, or… legitimately committing to lunacy. With Winter it… it could be either way.
At once, a furious duel between the best of Vale and Atlas ignited, and Weiss saw how far out of her league she truly was. The power of two real Huntsmen, not students, filled Weiss with a sense of awe as she got back on her feet and debated… what was she supposed to do now? Would she just get in the way if she-
"Go!" Qrow urged as he fought a furious Winter, "Getcher boyfriend and get him out of here!"
She shoved the commander right in the way of the hammer swing. The titanic blow took him off his feet and right into a tree. He slumped down with a painful groan, for sure taken out of the fight.
But Pyrrha wasn't done.
Startled by the friendly fire, her foe suddenly turned apologetic, her Semblance stuttering from her sudden panic: opportunity presented itself. Pyrrha launched herself forward, shield up, striking her right in the chest, and while her foe was big, the simple truth was that faith was stronger!
Whirling, she caught the pale Specialist with the hilt of her sword, her Semblance accelerating the blow to unanticipated speed and force, cracking him hard across the jaw and taking a good chunk of his Semblance off. For all their arrogance, their training, their sense of superiority… these "Ace-Ops" were nothing before the strength of a true believer!
He wasn't down yet, but this-
"STAY!"
And- she couldn't- she couldn't move!
"Holy hell," she heard the voice say from behind her, "This is… "
"About time you helped out," grumbled the pale man, rubbing his bruised face. Pyrrha strained against this Semblance, but it wouldn't let her move!
"I thought you had this! There's only one of her and I thought we were here to fight bandits, not… students..." his voice grew strained, "T-take her out, would you? She's- she's really fighting me."
The pale man looked at Pyrrha through narrowed eyes. "I don't like striking helpless opponents, but we have a mission to-"
Suddenly, Pyrrha heard a sharp groan, but more importantly, she could move again! Launching forward, the pale man's eyes went wide as he raised his arms in defense, but it was too late! Pyrrha's attack was savage, another blow across the face dropping her opponent, bringing the last Specialist of the team down.
The best of Atlas... no match for the faith of a true believer.
"Well, well, well," she turned to see that arrogant bastard Mercury behind her, standing over a bested Specialist, "Couldn't bear to see folks ganging up on a helpless woman. Specially not one as lovely as you. Just ain't my- AGGGHK!"
His words were cut off as Pyrrha smashed her knee right into him. She didn't trust any of Cinder Fall's lackeys right now, and, besides… she didn't like his tone.
"You bittttttch..." he wheezed as he crumpled to the floor, right on top of the Specialist he'd downed.
Looking around the battlefield, she could see the fight had gone in a predictably incoherent direction.
Weiss's sister was fighting Yang's uncle, though neither was really fighting at their best capacity, instead, just throwing wild swings as they screamed at each other in fury… and a lot of specific accusations from their travels together. All around them, Pyrrha's allies were fighting bandits, though the fight seemed decidedly in their favor, particularly as she saw Ren and Velvet, back to back, more scything down their inferiors than fighting anyone as Coco and one of the Mistralian students, the blue haired one, were just… flirting with a female bandit. And Ruby… Ruby was dueling… Sun?
"I don't know why we're fighting!" Ruby cried.
"I don't either!" Sun said, deflecting scythe strikes with his staff, "Do you know how to stop?"
"No!" she wailed.
Pyrrha gave them both a shove from her Semblance, breaking their fight up as they tumbled to the ground. But she didn't have time for this. She needed to find Jaune, to get him back and fulfill her mission, to redeem herself in his eyes. She was so close, and now that pang of longing for him practically hurt. But she realized she didn't see Raven in the fight… an escape plan?
She hadn't gotten this far only for her foe to escape in the confusion. She wouldn't fail Jaune again!
"Pyrrha," she heard a voice snarl behind her.
But she wasn't done here yet.
"Cinder," she growled as she turned to see her adversary.
She had just finished taking out Fox, with Emerald dueling Yatsuhashi behind her. Her true colors shown, her boundless rapacity for power at the cost of everything else, Cinder was now her enemy. And Pyrrha knew how to deal with enemies.
"So you turn your back on Salem… and for what?" she spat, a fire burning within her, her contempt for apostasy blistering her throat.
But Cinder just laughed, a wild, furious, delirious sound. "I- I have not turned my back on anyone, I have always done what was best for Salem's aims! Before you and… and that boy," Pyrrha bristled at her words, "arrived, I had a plan to take the powers of the Fall Maiden, to seize the Relic of Choice, to bring Beacon to ruins and you… you ruined everything! All for- for some boy!"
Pyrrha, her blood boiling, raising Miló and readying her stance, stepped forward-
Jealousy was one of the seven sins every Salemist needed to overcome.
That thought, unbidden, sprang to Pyrrha's mind. Reminding her of the repressed anger she felt towards Velvet, even towards Weiss, Jaune's chosen consort, festering like a wound as she tried to pretend that everything was good and it was all fine. Trying to be the perfect Salemist and deny her own feelings…
Were she and Cinder really so different? Struggling to uphold their Goddess's commands while still having a human heart, with human desires…
Her anger softened, she lowered Miló, and with her eyes downcast, she said, "I… I'm sorry for that."
Cinder's eyes went wide in surprise. Of every attack in Pyrrha's considerable arsenal, she had not expected a sincere apology.
"You're right," Pyrrha admitted, "I… I didn't think of how Jaune's commands would disrupt your work. I was preoccupied with my own advancement. I was not… I was not your sister in Salemism, and for that, I am truly sorry for the harm I caused."
But the only response she received was Cinder blinking, struck dumb in confusion. Pyrrha took a knee, lowering her eyes once more in a sign of contrition, as her mother had taught her when she was a little girl. As her faith had taught her, to swallow her pride, to admit her faults, to be the woman… to be the woman Jaune thought she was.
Then she heard a sniffle.
Looking up, she saw the emotion clear on Cinder's face, even as she struggled not to let it overtake her. "I j-just wanted someone to acknowledge my work," she said, tears starting to run down her cheek, "for someone to just say I'm doing a good job!"
"You are!" Pyrrha said, "Your work in Vale was exceptional, and you deserve all credit with our Queen for what you did!"
"It was- it was so much work!" Cinder wept. Pyrrha rose from her knees and embraced her rival, soothing her as she held her close. "I- I did so- so much for- for- waaaaaaah!"
"There, there," Pyrrha said, stroking her back as she hugged her, "I know you worked hard. And I'll make sure that Jaune and our Queen know that you deserve to be praised and rewarded for your service. Jaune is… he's a good man, you'll see."
Cinder looked up, her eyes red and puffy from her tears, looking nothing at all like the cool, collected mastermind… but everything like Pyrrha's sister in devotion. "Do you- do you really think-"
"Jaune thinks the world of you," Pyrrha reassured her former rival, "And I've learned… there's no need to be jealous of his attention. He's a good and generous man, and his light shines upon all who seek it."
Cinder clasped Pyrrha tighter. "I want… I want that. Just… someone who appreciates all I do. Someone who's nice to me..."
Pyrrha suddenly felt a glare more livid than she ever imagined as she looked up and saw Emerald, victorious over Yatsuhashi, but staring at her with a burning jealousy. But there was no need to be jealous. Not as fellow worshipers. Not with Jaune. And so Pyrrha gestured for Emerald to join in the embrace, to feel the warmth of redeeming love, the love for Jaune and their Queen Salem.
And Pyrrha knew there was love enough for all!
Well, this was just about the craziest thing Yang had ever been a part of.
Honestly, made her feel a little self-conscious. She used to think that her brawl at Junior's certified her as a bad girl, but hell, that had been small time! She was embarrassed that she'd been so proud of it, when right now, Cereal Girl was fighting a Special Ops team, her prissy teammate was having an emotional duel with her sister, her own little sister was… well, Ruby seemed to have gotten a little turned around in the fighting, bless her heart, but as Yang clocked a bandit, she had to admit, she didn't feel like she could really call herself the Bad Girl of Beacon anymore.
Oh wait! Wait! She had something up her sleeve! She could go fight her mom, and that would totally give her a spotlight for this fight, just… where was she?
She turned to Nora, who was just… shooting grenades at everyone while whooping in joy (that should so be Yang's place to be shooting wildly while laughing!), and asked, "Hey, did'ja see where my mom went?"
"Uncle Tyrian went after her," Nora explained, then suddenly whirled on Yang in a panic, "But he might need backup! He sometimes… forgets his limits."
"I got your back, Nora," she nodded to the cheerful cultist who had become one of her best friends. Punching her fist into her palm, she cheered, "Let's go beat the shit out of my mom!"
Nora cheered as well, firing grenades wildly to cover their exit… or just to shoot Magnhild, Yang had come to assume that Nora wasn't someone you held assumptions about. But with a cloud of smoke and fire behind them, they took off after where Nora recalled Tyrian heading.
Crashing through the woods, Yang started remembering bits and pieces she'd been able to wheedle out of folks about her mother. No, not her parents, they did not talk about Raven Branwen, except in highly allusive, very aggravated tones, but her Uncle Qrow had been a trove of information about her mother. And about her family history—she'd learned a lot about the Branwen Tribe from her Uncle's semi-sober bitchfests where he laid out information… information she now found useful. Hearing her uncle talking about how her grandfather used to lecture her mom and uncle about where to place a camp and how to conceal it, well, the lessons she'd picked up there told her that they were getting close.
And wouldn't you know it, she saw the black hair that- wait, what was she doing?
Cause… cause Yang could see her mom had Nora's uncle pinned down… no, not pinned down. P-pinned against a tree and…
In the middle of a battle, her mother was just... shoving her tongue down an enemy's throat like- like a godsdamn teenager!
"I DIDN'T NEED TO SEE THIS!" she screamed, causing her mother to whirl around in alarm.
"It was- I don't-" it was impossible to believe that Yang was seeing her deadbeat mother again for the first time in years and she was flustered for the worst possible reason, "We were fighting and one thing led to-"
"Wait, wait, wait!" Nora interrupted, "Does- does this make me and Yang sisters?"
"No!" Raven shot back, to Nora's obvious dismay, "It's just- And you cannot judge me, Yang! I am still your mother, and if I have needs, then it's perfectly normal-"
"This is not a conversation I want to have!" Yang shrieked.
"Oh, grow up!" Raven snapped at her, "It was just… Things happened, and Tywin-"
"Tyrian."
"Whatever," she rolled her eyes at the scorpion Faunus, "He was available and we were there, and it had been a long time, and you'll understand when you're older!"
Yang wanted to retch.
"I still don't see how this doesn't make me and Yang sisters," Nora chimed in, as though this is what needed to be discussed right now.
But, of course, it seemed that they would be discussing that. Because Tyrian chose to speak up.
"Because I haven't done this yet," Tyrian said, getting down on one knee. "Would you, Raven Branwen, do me the honor..."
Yang's eyes went wide. So did her mother's… right before she slapped him hard across the face.
"OBVIOUSLY NOT!" she cried—and Yang had to admit, it was equal parts surprising and satisfying that her mother could be so scandalized. But it gave her the footing to take control of this very weird encounter, even as Tyrian's shoulders slumped in obvious dismay.
Punching her fist into her palm, Yang looked at her mother with a glare. "Well, if we can move on from that topic… You best be ready to hand over Jaune before I beat your ass."
"Before we beat your ass," a voice cut in. Yang looked up to see Weiss, her sword drawn and pointed right at Raven. And while Yang was excited to see her teammate come in with a badass one liner and show of support, just like she always dreamed Beacon would be like, she had to admit… come on! This was Yang's moment! She was entitled to a bit of catharsis-through-battle, just like Weiss got with her sister!
But instead of taking a fighting stance, Raven just sighed and, rolling her eyes, said, "Alright, fuck it, you win."
"What."
Raven just threw up her hands in exasperation. "It's not like this plan's worked out how I hoped it would, and the one good thing I was getting out of it," she cast an eye to Tyrian, who suddenly lit up in hopeful expectation, "made everything weird, and I don't have the energy to try to salvage this. So whatever. Take your boyfriend back, I don't even care anymore."
Yang was about to refuse that bullshit, but before she could say anything, Weiss stepped forward and whispered to her, "I… can we just take the win? Today's been… a lot, and I just want to get Jaune back."
...damnit, Yang had to admit that she had pledged to support her teammate and make sure they'd gotten her boyfriend back. Even if she wanted to have a dramatic fight, she knew… she knew which was the better way.
"Alright," she grunted, "Show us where he is, but I'm warning you… If you try to trick us, I'm not gonna hold back just cause you're my mom!"
Raven gave her a contemptuous look before turning to leave, not even responding to Yang's threat. Which hurt, but it wasn't like Raven had been a mother in any other way so far. So she and Weiss just followed close behind.
"It's okay, Uncle," Nora said, sympathetically patting Tyrian on the back, "There's plenty of fish in the sea… I think Weiss probably has a mom if you want to keep trying that route?"
So Jaune had now met both Yang and Ruby's mothers.
And it turns out, they were both the spitting image of their daughters, with a slightly different color scheme and also, very frightening women! But unlike Raven, whose fearsomeness was worn like an aura of violence and terror, Summer was terrifying in her friendliness. She was clearly a top-level Huntress, but as she led Jaune from the camp, she was all smiles and laughter, even as Jaune could practically feel the coiled potential for violence within her.
"So, uh," he started, "are you part of, the, um, the cult? That I'm… apparently related to? Somehow?"
"Oh no no no," she cheerfully shook her head, "I'm not a cultist, just someone with a… better insight into global politics, let's say, than most, and having met Queen Salem, I've figured a few things out on… positioning myself. And I suppose I owe your family a favor—I first met your Aunt when your little sister had just been born, and if I hadn't been able to bond with her over raising little girls, well," she laughed, "I don't think I'd still be alive!"
Jaune felt his blood run cold. Even as Summer's voice remained cheerful, he couldn't not hear that his aunt, who used to bounce him on her knee when he was little and sing him songs, was the type that might have killed Ruby and Yang's mother. "Wait," he cut in, "You… you know my aunt. So can you… can you tell me about her? Like, I grew up knowing her, but not the person… not who everyone's telling me she is, and I just need to know-"
Summer, though, only waved his concern off. "Oh, we have plenty of time to talk about such things… but there's other matters, I think, we should be talking about first. Like, for instance, you know my daughters, and trust me, they've told me all about you! Nothing but good things, but of course, I'm sure you know you've quite charmed the both of them! And I couldn't be happier, really." Jaune really couldn't tell where she was going with this, but he got the feeling he wasn't going to like it as she raised her hands in an understanding gesture. "I know, I know, you don't want to be breaking either one of their hearts by choosing, sweet boy that you are, but tell me… I know a dance happens to be coming up, and I remember my first year at Beacon, waiting for my Tai to ask me out..."
There were about… five or six different parts to that story that Jaune was struggling to put together, but there was definitely one point that was very much standing out to Jaune in Summer's statement.
"Are you… trying to set me up with your daughters?"
Summer just laughed. "Of course not! I'm just encouraging you to… consider your options and also, could you blame a mother for wanting what's best for her daughters? And a charming young man like yourself, who happened to carry Queen Salem's favor, why, I think you might just be the best son-in-law I could imagine!"
Jaune shifted nervously, very aware of the sheer martial skill that seemed to hover about this woman. "I, um, I'm… flattered, but I… have a girlfriend already?"
Not that it deterred Summer. "Yes, the Schnee girl…" she said, darkly, "Jaune, I learned a very important lesson at Beacon, about how some couples formed at school aren't… necessarily built to last. Or perhaps," a sudden and terrifying growl entered her voice, "sometimes, people end up with the wrong partners, instead of who they'd be truly happy with."
Then she brightened, as though nothing at all had changed. "But my Yang and Ruby are nothing like some Atlesian princess. After all," she laughed, "does this 'Weiss' even know how to cook, much less Valean cooking-"
"I don't… I don't really think Ruby and Yang know how to cook," Jaune stupidly interrupted, remembering the last time he'd seen either sister in the Beacon kitchen… and the disaster they'd left behind.
"They can learn!" Summer snapped, suddenly reminding Jaune that she was a professional Huntress who was very frightening, particularly when it came to her children. And this Mama Ursa looked at him with narrowed, silver eyes, "Surely you're not suggesting that my girls might somehow be inferior to some spoiled Atlesian?"
"N-No! Not at- not at all, M-Ma'am!" Jaune smartly replied.
"Wonderful!" Summer said, clapping her hands together, "Now, I know that Yang might come off as a bit headstrong, but she's a very sensitive and lovely girl when you get to know her. And I know, a boy your age, well… you surely can't do better in that department! But if you prefer Ruby, and believe me, she thinks the world of you! But she's such a sweet girl, isn't she? And she's very much my daughter when it comes to… adventurousness..."
Jaune very much did not want to be having this conversation, particularly with Ruby and Yang's mother, though, by the gods, this explained so much about Yang. But in a burst of discomfort, he forced himself to speak up and ask, "So, uh, how long before we get back to, um, Beacon?"
Summer seemed to think it through in her head before answering, "Well, we are pretty deep in the wilderness, could take us a while to get back to civilization… especially with having to evade the Branwen Gang and their patrols. Could take us a good while if I play it safe… but I mean, if I had some good news to deliver to my daughters… maybe you could… return sooner, hmmm?"
It was starting to dawn on Jaune that this was less a rescue and more a second kidnapping.
How was this his life?
Thanks to Renarde for feedback on this chapter!
Dramatic family drama in this chapter, though mostly in the form of "awkward conversations with moms." But really, I know what everyone actually cares about from this chapter: Will Tyrian ever find love? So I think you'll all be understanding as I temporarily boot Jaune from this story while Summer's got him kidnapped so we can focus on Ren and Nora as they coach their Uncle Tyrian through the minefield of the modern Remnant dating scene! Though I don't think there's an established Willow/Tyrian ship name, so it might take a while to figure one out, and that'll set back how soon the next chapter could feasible come out... So I suppose I have to do the narratively responsible thing and just keep the focus of the next chapter on the post-fight detente allying everyone together to figure out who stole Jaune and rescuing him.