Jaune followed Raven into her tent, the beauty sitting behind her tea table with one of her subordinates waiting to pour tea. The girl looked no older than Sparrow, was quite cute, had tanned skin, and had long hair that curled beautifully; but was most certainly a bandit. Jaune even saw the small cuts and scars on her arms, and her worn khopesh swords on her hips. Jaune could tell by just looking at her that she was talented.
When Jaune sat down, the girl poured tea for both Raven and Jaune. "Thank you, Qamar. You can wait outside." The girl bowed to both her and Jaune before leaving.
Jaune looked at the tea before taking a sip of it. He sighed in content as he placed it back on the table. "You always did like your tea."
"It's quite calming, wouldn't you agree?"
Jaune stared at the steaming liquid before he glanced back at the entrance of the tent. "Was she your protegee?"
Raven stared at her drink. "You FOUGHT my protegee."
Jaune tightened his grip on his cup, holding back as much as he could, the cup still cracking a bit. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Raven took another sip before she looked at Jaune. "I don't think he's why you're here, Jaune."
"Raven... you don't like it when people play games with you. Don't do it to me," he said, not knowing his eyes were glowing.
Raven stared into his eyes. "You know, those eyes used to terrify me... when they were on HER." She sipped her tea. "Yet, on you... it feels more reassuring. Protective, even."
Jaune was getting aggravated. He then drank all of his tea in one go, slamming the cup onto the table.
"It's best to enjoy tea slowly."
"Raven!"
She stared at him before finishing her own tea. She calmly placed it on the table, looking into the empty cup. "I couldn't risk it."
"Risk it?"
"You would have tried to raise the boy, wouldn't you?"
Jaune got angry as he shot up. "Why the hell wouldn't I?! He's my son, dammit!"
"YOU'RE MY WHAT?!"
"I'm your older brother. It should be obvious," Sparrow said as he continued to eat his interrupted meal.
Argent babbled before a plate was put in front of him. He looked up with a blush to see the woman from before smiling at him. She winked before walking away. He then saw the drink the woman put in front of him and grabbed it.
"I wouldn't drink that."
Too late. Argent guzzled it down to calm himself down, only to shake his head and have a sour look on his face like he just bit into a lemon. "Why was that so hot?! It's burning my throat."
The bandits cheered, surprising Argent.
"NICE GOING, KID!"
"WE'LL MAKE A BANDIT OUT OF YOU, YET!"
"YOU MIGHT BE THE YOUNG MASTER'S LITTLE BROTHER AFTER ALL!"
"Uh, what's going?"
"You just guzzled down a glass of whisky like it was nothing."
"I did what?"
"It's honestly impressive. The tribe hasn't been that amazed since I drank some of Shay's moonshine when I was five, thinking it was water."
"AND HE DIDN'T GET SO MUCH AS TIPSY!"
"THAT'S THE CHIEF'S SON FOR YA!"
"ALRIGHT, MORONS! WE CAN'T LET THE KIDS OUTDO US! DRINK TIL YOU DIE!"
The bandits cheered, while Sparrow sighed as he continued to eat. Argent wanted to talk to his older brother a bit longer but didn't know what to say. So, instead, he ate what the pretty lady gave him. His eyes shot open. "Delicious."
He then felt like he was being watched and looked towards the bar, seeing the woman watch him, resting her head on her hand, smiling at him. She giggled when he noticed her and gave a little wave. Argent looked down with a blush and began to eat to distract himself from the older beauty.
"That night after our mission..."
"And the nights you spent in the camp," Raven stated. "Did you really think nothing would come of those nights? We didn't even TRY to wear protection." Jaune looked away. Raven gave a mischievous smirk. "Did you think that just because I was an older woman, I wouldn't be able to conceive? For your information, I STILL haven't hit menopause." Jaune's pale face brightened up before he shook his head, making Raven do what she rarely ever does, she laughed.
Jaune sat back down. "Stop messing with me and tell me the truth: Why didn't you ever tell me?"
Raven poured herself more tea and offered the kettle to Jaune. He took it and poured himself more. "For the same reason you and Ruby kept Argent's parentage a secret."
"What?"
"I didn't want anyone to know the truth, you especially."
"Why?"
Raven sipped her tea. "Because if you were in the boy's life... he would have grown into something the Branwen Tribe did not need... a hero."
Jaune's eyes widened. "You... You didn't want me to raise my own son."
"Of course not. I'm not getting any younger, Jaune. The Tribe needed a successor, but no one has ever reached my standards for succession. If you weren't such a good man, a literal hero, and worst of all, a Huntsman; you would have been quite the successor with a few more years of training." She then sipped her tea. "Honestly, you're so much like Tai it's infuriating."
Jaune looked down. "Does Tai know?"
Raven chuckled. "He and Yang would be the absolute last people to know."
"I hope so. Yang would squish them before ripping it off if she knew I slept with her mother," Jaune said before sipping more of his tea.
"Mm, can't have that. You're one of the best partners I've ever had."
"I can fight your rival tribes just fine without them. Rather not but I still could," Jaune said as he sipped his tea.
"I meant in bed, lover boy." Jaune spat out his tea to the side to completely avoid Raven, coughing violently as he did so, making Raven giggle even more. "Still one of the few people who can make me laugh, hero."
Jaune sipped more tea before looking at the older beauty before him. "You kept Sparrow a secret from me because you didn't want me to influence him. Why?"
Raven glanced at Jaune before she sighed and put her cup down. "Like I said before, the Tribe needed a successor. I'm not getting any younger. I thought I would need to choose a tribesman to succeed me. If Vernal hadn't died, it would have been her... Haven't had another like her since. Then you came along. A big-time hunter, nicknamed the Vale Knight, asking the big bad Bandit Queen for help." She giggled. "Sounds like the beginning of a legend. In fact, Sparrow's birth might as well be a fairy tale. The Bandit Prince: Son of A Queen and a Knight."
"Mm, it does sound like a fairy tale."
"Indeed. You gave me the greatest successor I could have ever hoped for. The perfect heir."
"I don't think Yang would like to hear that."
"Yang was never meant to be my heir. She may be my daughter, but she's not my successor. She could never lead the Branwen Tribe. If anything, she's Tai's heir. Sparrow was different. He was talented, brave, brilliant, resilient, and most of all; cautious. He never once obeyed my orders to the letter. He would question me, argue with me, even doubt me. He disobeyed my orders many times, and every time he did, he made me proud, most of all because each time he did, he succeeded in ways even I didn't imagine. He obeyed many of my orders, true, but he disobeyed just as many and succeeded by doing so. You can't even imagine how proud I was when he successfully raided a New Mantle train with only three raiders. They honestly couldn't believe he was just five."
"FIVE?! YOU HAD SPARROW ROB SCHNEE COMPANY ASSETS AT JUST FIVE?! I JUST STARTED TO TRAIN ARGENT AT SWORDPLAY WHEN HE WAS THAT AGE!"
"That so? As one of the few men to have ever shared a bed with me, I must say, I'm disappointed in your teaching methods, Jaune. He killed his first Grimm at four and learned to use his Semblance a few months after."
Jaune fell onto his cushion. "Raven, that's insane."
"I agree."
"What?"
"I didn't expect Sparrow to grow so quickly. To exceed my expectations so wildly. To grow into a leader at such a young age." Raven sipped her tea. "He was almost perfection itself."
"Almost?" Raven looked up. "What do you mean by almost."
Raven stared at Jaune before closing her eyes to sip more tea. "It's his only flaw, but it's extraordinarily minor."
"And that flaw is?"
Raven looked at Jaune. "He's male."
Jaune was silent for a bit before realization hit him. He then held up his hand... and conjured a small flame.
"Exactly. Sparrow can't inherit the Spring Maiden power. Though, given what his father has become, he might even become more powerful than-"
"Don't finish that sentence." Raven looked and saw the rage in Jaune's eyes. "This power... must NEVER spread. If you thought the Maiden powers were a curse, you don't know the meaning of the world. I'm the only one who needs to suffer through this, no one else. Sure as hell not my sons. Am I clear, Raven?"
Raven stared into Jaune's eyes and smiled. "Crystal. Honestly, I actually approve of that way of thinking. The world doesn't need a repeat of Salem. If you can put an end to that legacy, by all means," she said as she placed the cup down. "Still, the Maiden powers aren't as easy to erase. It needs a host."
"Why not Yang?"
"Absolutely not. It needs to stay within the Tribe."
"Why?"
"Because I said so." The two glared at one another, looking ready to continue this argument before Raven sighed. "Besides, that boy of ours made it much easier by falling in love."
"Huh?" Jaune then remembered. "That girl from before? The one listening in on us right now behind the tent curtains?"
"Mm!"
"The exact same girl. Come in, Qamar." The girl did as she was ordered. "It seems those Grimm powers increase your senses more than I thought."
"You have no idea. All I'm missing at this point is x-ray vision."
Raven looked at Jaune before looking down at her chest.
Jaune blushed and desperately waved his hands. "Not what I meant! Not what I meant!"
"Well, not that it matters. You could just ask," she said with a teasing smile, giggling when steam rose form Jaune's head. "Now then, this is Qamar, Sparrow's lover."
"Sparr- How old is our kid?! Shouldn't he be twelve?!"
"He'll turn thirteen in a couple of months."
"AND HE ALREADY HAS A GIRLFRIEND?!"
"Oh, don't be so surprised. Argent has his eyes set on that Lyra girl, doesn't he?"
Argent shuttered, blushing.
"What," Sparrow went.
"N-NOTHING," he went as he threw the knife, hitting the target right on the bull's-eye, the bandits clapping, genuinely impressed.
"How... How much do you know about our lives?"
"Enough. It's amazing how little you people pay attention to a passing raven." Jaune groaned as he buried his face into his hands. "Wait, I've heard raven caws at night... when me and Nimueh-"
"Are incredibly loud, but it's nice to know you haven't lost any of your talent in bed." Both Jaune and Qamar went red when Raven said that.
"Anyway, this young lady is named Qamar. About three years ago, Sparrow saved her from a pack of wolves. She was skin and bone when he brought her. He asked me to allow her to stay. I approved on the condition that he train her."
"And how did that go?"
"Exceptionally well. Our son is quite the teacher. In just a year, Qamar has proven her worth to the tribe. She even was able to avenge herself by assassinating the 'family' that threw her out to begin with. Time and time again, she has shown that the Branwen Tribe is her one and only family, and that her loyalty is strongest with our son."
Jaune could sense that Raven's praises were embarrassing the girl... because they were all true. She loved the Tribe, the new life she lived, and most of all, she loved Sparrow.
"I have already given her my blessing to be with my son when the time is right... and have chosen her to be the next Spring Maiden."
"She's the next Spring Maiden?"
"That's what I chose her to be. Or rather, that's what Sparrow chose. It seems fitting, the next Chieftain to have the Spring Maiden as not only his second in command, but also his wife," Raven said as she sipped her tea.
Qamar blushed at the unofficial fact that she has a fiancé and that the woman she admired was the one who approved it.
"So... you're going to marry my son one day, huh?" The girl got serious. Though she has respect for Jaune's legends, she didn't quite yet respect the man himself. "Are you sure you can marry him, knowing I am his father?"
The girl looked towards Jaune, ready to berate the Knight for trying to force his way into Sparrow's life as his father. Then, she froze the moment she looked into his eyes. Those beautiful yet terrifying eyes, even redder than Raven's, darker than her feathers, and possibly even more powerful. Though Jaune was the one sitting, the girl felt like he was towering over him. She visualized him looking down at her like a king.
No... A god.
Moments passed before she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood before stomping and pounding her chest. "I am Qamar, a proud member of the Branwen Tribe, follower of the Great Bandit Queen... and lover of the Bandit Prince! I swear on my pride as these three facts that I will marry Sparrow Branwen, prove worthy to inherit the Spring Maiden power, and happily carry the Arc and Branwen blood!"
"Oh, already promising to make me a grandpa, are you?" Qamar darkened when she realized that she might have oversold it. "Well, that's fine. Just as long as you keep my son safe and be there for him. Something I couldn't do, RAVEN."
"Well, in your defense, I never gave you a choice."
"No, you didn't."
"But I take it she has your blessing?"
Jaune looked at Qamar, who looked nervous now that she knew how powerful Jaune truly was. "Yes. She does."
Qamar looked relieved, a smile sneaking onto her lips. "Thank you, Master Arc."
"Jaune."
"Jaune," she went awkwardly. "I'll be sure to raise the next generation of Branwen to be proud warriors, even if they awaken the Grimm within them."
"Whoa, there. Just because Sparrow is my son doesn't mean he'll inherit my curse. I'm only like this because someone injected me with pure Grimm Pool Water. No one will do the same to my sons. At least I hope not," Jaune mumbled the last part.
"Hope," Raven began. "That's a risky word. We can hope that no one will be psychotic enough to try and inject the Waters into Argent and Sparrow, or even crazier themselves, but we still need to be ready. It's like how we need to be ready if anything happens to you," Raven said as Qamar poured her more tea.
"What do you mean by that," Jaune asked.
Raven was sipping her tea when Jaune asked this, glancing at him before putting the cup down. "You don't have full confidence in your control over your powers, right? I made sure that my Tribe will be ready if the worst were to happen... especially him."
Jaune's eyes widened. "You... trained Sparrow to fight me. You expect him to kill me if necessary."
"Only if necessary. Jaune, you have to understa-"
Jaune slammed his fist on the table. It was a miracle it didn't turn into splinters, showing how much Jaune was holding back his strength and anger. "ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
Qamar reached for her swords, only for Raven to raise her hand, making the girl stand down. "Jaune, you yourself said that the world can't have another Salem."
"I know."
"Then you of all people should-"
"But that doesn't mean I want my own son to have to put me down like a wild animal. I'd rather have you do it."
Raven's eyes widened. "What?"
"No boy should be forced to kill his own father, even if they know it's for the best. Raven, Sparrow will have to carry many burdens being your successor. Don't make taking my life be one of them."
Raven and Qamar were shocked. "You... don't mind being killed... as long as if not at our son's hands?"
"Or Argent's. If I have to be stopped... I don't want my sons to be my killer. Don't force such a burden on blood, let alone children, Raven."
Raven stared at Jaune before she laughed softly. "You just keep reminding me why I fell for you in our brief time together. You really were worthy of sharing my bed." She smiled at Jaune. "I'm truly glad that you are Sparrow's father."
Jaune looked away. "I'm not. I'm just the sperm donor now."
"No. You're his father, no matter what anyone says," Raven stated proudly. She then looked down with a smile. 'He respects you enough for you to have earned that title anyway.'
"You're taking me being your little brother weirdly well. You weren't even shocked when you found out dad was your... dad."
"Well, our Chieftain... my mother told me many tales about him. Awesome stories that made me greatly respect my father."
"Like dad's stories about my mom?"
"From what mother told me, exactly."
"Wow."
"But you're taking me being your brother oddly well."
Argent then gave a toothy smile. "Why not? You're seriously cool!"
Sparrow looked at Argent with a surprised look before he smiled with a raised eyebrow. "What an odd little brother I have. Also, how long are you going to tease him?"
"Hm?" Argent looked to see the grown man still struggling to pull down the ten-year-old's arm. "Oh, right. Sorry." Argent then slammed the man's hand onto the table. The bandits cheered.
"There's #20! Give me my lien!"
"Ah, I'll pay ya in booze!"
"I'll hold ya to that!"
The man groaned. "You HAD to be using your Semblance!"
"Oh, you wouldn't stand a chance if I did."
"OOOOOOOOOOH," the bandits went.
The woman from before laughed at her brother. "I LOVE that kid!"
The brother growled.
"How about this? I'll use my Semblance and arm wrestle with my pinky," Argent said.
"DOUBLE OR NOTHIN'!"
"YOU'RE ON!"
"Why you cheeky, little- How are you NOT a Branwen?!" The man grabbed Argent's little pinky somehow.
The ref grabbed the man's hand. "Ready? . . . GO!"
Half second later, Argent didn't just slam the man's hand onto the table, subsequently breaking it, but sent him flying into a tent.
"Whoops. Over did it."
The bandits either cheered or fell to the ground, laughing so hard, they were holding their sides. Even Sparrow was laughing. "And that's my little brother."
Back in the tent.
"Now then, Jaune, it's time we finally got on topic, why did you need my help?"
Jaune sighed in relief before looking at Raven seriously. "Raven... I need to know where you hid Jinn."
Raven stared at Jaune before she sighed and took another sip of her tea. "Qamar, leave us."
"Yes, ma'am."
"I mean it, this time. No standing outside the tent. Jaune can sense you and so can I. Just go to Sparrow. That's an order."
"Yes, ma'am," she said respectfully as she left the tent.
Raven stared at what's left of her tea. "It's gotten lukewarm."
"That's when it's at its worse."
"Indeed." She still drank more anyway. "I take it you want to ask her about your powers?"
"If I can revert back to a human. Not look like this for the rest of my life."
"It's only been fifteen years, Jaune. By the time the Lamp is usable, Sparrow will be close to ninety."
"That would be true... if not for my Semblance."
"Explain."
Jaune held up his hand, making it glow. "Aura Amp. You know that I can increase the Aura of anyone... and anything. The Relics pretty much run on Aura, making my Semblance the ultimate power source for them. It's why I can use Nimueh without dying. Normally, she would use up all of her wielder's Aura and their life force in order to use her power, which we've all seen is devastating."
"So says your final fight against Salem with the rest of your team."
"It's a miracle I didn't die that day. Even more so that it was me, Ren, Nora, Oscar, and Team RWBY against her in the final fight." Jaune chuckled. "She was trying her damnedest to kill me, just because I was the current wielder of the Sword of Destruction... Ozpin's sword when he was the King of Vale."
"A fact that Nimueh herself didn't seem to enjoy."
"It seems like none of the Relics liked Ozpin that much. Well, except for Glynda."
"So, you believe that your Semblance can reawaken Jinn?"
"Nimueh seems to have me convinced. After all, who better to believe than a fellow Relic?"
Raven giggled. "Good point." She then drank the last of her tea, Jaune doing the same before the two both stood up. "Alright. Fine. However, it will just be the two of us. No Argent. No Sparrow. Not even Nimueh. Understand?"
"Understood. It's for the best. I'd rather Nimueh take care of Argent while I'm away. I take it Sparrow doesn't know where it's hidden to begin with."
"No. No one does. I had planned to tell Sparrow when I had gotten too old."
"Oh, please. By the time that happens, it would be past time for Jinn to answer three questions," Jaune said with a smirk and arms crossed.
"Flattery won't get you anywhere, hero," Raven said as she walked by and seductively brushed her hand across Jaune's face. She didn't even need to look to see him shutter in arousal.
"God, I'm a cheat," he complained.
"I'm sure Nimueh doesn't mind. She is your #1, after all," Raven stated before leaving the tent.
"She's also pretty damn jealous," Jaune said before he followed.
The two walked through the camp, seeing that they were throwing a sort of party while the two were talking. The bandits were either eating, drinking, or participating in contests like knife throwing or arm wrestling. The two walked to the center of the camp to see Sparrow dancing with Qamar, the bandits cheering them on, Argent happily clapping along before the cook from before pushed him onto the area and started dancing with him, the boy laughing as they did so.
Qamar was laughing as Sparrow held her while she leaned down against his arm. Her laughter immediately stopped as her eyes widened, her face brightening. When Sparrow noticed this, he looked up, his eyes also widening. "MOTHER!"
The celebrations stopped as everyone looked at their leader, all of them standing at attention, brushing themselves off of dust or food and hiding their booze behind their back. Sparrow quickly held Qamar up and stood next to the embarrassed girl who couldn't look her idol in the eye, still bright red and Sparrow cleared his throat and regained his cool composure form before. "I mean, Chieftain, are you done speaking with the Vale Knight?"
Raven didn't respond. "You know, I heard that you were quite the dancer, Jaune, so I blame you for this."
"Wha- Hey!"
Raven flicked his nose. "I'm kidding, you fool. No need to stop on my account. In fact, The Vale Knight and I will be departing for an unknown amount of time. As such, Sparrow, you're in charge."
"Yes, ma'am."
"And there's no need to be so rigid around your mother. We're not soldiers," Raven said with a motherly smile.
Sparrow then let out a relived sigh. "Thanks, mom."
"ONE EIGHTY," Jaune went in surprise, making Sparrow blush in embarrassment, while Qamar giggled. She yipped when Sparrow pinched her butt.
Jaune sighed before turning towards Argent. "Kiddo?"
"Yeah, dad," Argent asked as he walked up.
"You're staying with the Tribe for a bit. I suggest you do as your older brother says. . . That's weird to say."
"It kinda is," Argent said with a nervous laugh and blush. "But still cool that I have an older brother."
Jaune smiled. "You sure do see the brighter side of things, don'tcha?"
"Shi-shi-shi."
"But, just in case..." Jaune placed his finger on the tip of Nimueh's hilt and used his Semblance. One bright flash later, the beauty was standing next to the boy.
"Hi, mom."
She smiled down at Argent. "Hey, sweetie." She then looked at Jaune sternly with her arms crossed.
"Uh... something wrong, honey?" She then punched him in the face, making his groan as he held his face. "Mmm, even with Aura, that punch hurts."
"That's what you get for being a cheat."
"Oh, I guess she did mind," Raven said.
Nimueh glanced at Raven and pointed a finger back at her. "Just bring my idiot back in one peace... with only TWO of you."
"Don't worry," Raven said as she held up her hands defensively. "I've long since marked Sparrow. Once we find what we're looking for, I'll open a portal straight back here."
"You'd better. Now go and bring my sister back, alright? I have questions, too."
"Alright. Ready?"
Jaune stood up, rubbing his nose. "Ready."
Jaune then spread his wings, while Raven transformed.
"Later, honey. Later, kiddo." With that, Jaune shot into the air, Raven already ahead of him as the two flew off into the distance.
"Get back, soon, sweetie. Now then..." she turned towards the bandits. "Weren't you idiots having a party, or do I have to outdrink you fools?!"
The bandits cheered, both at the fact that they can continue partying and the challenge issued by the Spirit of Destruction herself.
"And you, be careful with how close you get to my kid," Nimueh said in a no-nonsense tone.
"N-Noted," the woman said nervously.
