New chapter! And also managed to break the 1.5k fav barrier yaa! Next goal... break the 2k follow barrier. That's going to take some work. Anyways enjoy! I did Yule Tide instead of flat out Christmas cause I felt like it.
Yule Tide dinner was a happy occasion at most places; Jaune had enjoyed spending time catching up with his seven sisters and mother. Blake was with her father and mother, enjoying a tasty fish dish Kali had whipped up. Sun was back with his family, playing with his little sister as they both ate some bananas. Ren and Nora were with Junior and the Malachite twins eating dinner together. Ironwood had somehow managed to rope Glynda into having dinner with him while he was overseeing the reconstruction of the CCT in Vale. His arm was still not up to his usual standard, but he was fine with it for now. Back in Patch, Ruby and Yang were celebrating it with their whole family. Dew was doing fine with her family, although she still had not spilled to her parents that she was in a serious relationship.
The most surprising of these celebrations was in Atlas. During Yule Tide Eve, the workers in the mines were grumbling about how unfair it was that Jacques wouldn't let them have the day off tomorrow. It was time for family, but for Jacques, that meant less time for profit. And yet they couldn't just quit, as they needed the Lien.
"Makes me wonder why I bothered coming here to Atlas," grumbled one of the Faunus miners. Some of the others agreed, especially the females.
He looked to see so many other Faunus workers just like him. Sure, there were a few humans here and there, but those humans had no family to celebrate the day with. The ones that did were generously given the day off for both days. And yet, they couldn't just quit. They needed the Lien to support their family, and it was hard to find another job at Atlas. They had been lured by the promise of jobs, and while there were jobs, sometimes they felt like it wasn't worth it. They couldn't unionize because the greedy man known as Jacques Schnee had found several legal loopholes that prevented it. It was around five o'clock in the afternoon when the supervisor told them all to stop, clean up, and gather up in the main hall, as apparently, Jacques Schnee had some sort of announcement.
"Wonder if he's going to grow a heart and let us have at least half the day off tomorrow," said another Faunus. The others laughed, saying it would be impossible, that pigs would fly first. As the mutterings and chats grew, they all stopped when Jacques Schnee stepped up in front of them all. Although they hated him, they still gave him the 'respect' he deserved.
"Greetings, everyone. I have an announcement to make," declared Jacques Schnee. Everyone twitched at that. Announcements were usually never good for the Faunus workers. It usually involved longer hours or shorter benefits, or possibly even being replaced by automation, which they wouldn't put past the Schnee. As they braced for the news, Jacques continued. "After some... introspection, I have decided on some changes. Klein, open the doors."
The butler Klein opened a huge door that they had seen before that lead to a banquet hall and was shocked to see a buffet of delicious food waiting there. The aroma caused a few to drool.
"Great. Is he just teasing us now?" grumbled one of the Faunus workers. Many seemed to have the same thought. Jacques seemingly ignored it.
"Today, the SDC will be hosting the Yule Tide Eve dinner for all employees. Including all of you. This will not deduct from your wages, so enjoy your time. I will still be paying your wages, so take this as free hours to enjoy while being paid. The cleaning crew will be here after 9 to clean up, so that's when it will close. And don't come in tomorrow. We won't be open, so take that time to spend with your families."
All the Faunus workers were so shocked that their mouths dropped to the floor in unison. Jacques Shnee, the tyrant, the jerk who doesn't play fair, was giving them a banquet and the day off tomorrow? They all pinched themselves, and when they still didn't believe it, they had their friends slap them in the arm to see if it was a dream. It wasn't.
"And... since Klein was so insistent on it. Here's something he thought would be funny."
Klein grinned and pulled a rope. A pig with attachable wings came running before the wings started to flap and took off flying. Pigs were indeed flying today.
"So have a nice evening. Be sure to still show up the day after, though, otherwise there will be trouble."
With that, Jacques turned and left the building. Klein quickly got the pig back and left with it. The Faunus were still in shock, not moving until one of them took a step forward. She kept walking forward, expecting the doors to suddenly close. As if to taunt them, to tell them it was just a cruel joke. When she saw it didn't, she went over and grabbed some food, tasting it and finding it delicious. That caused all of them to surge forward into the banquet hall, grabbing dishes, getting food, getting drinks, and cheering for the delicious dinner. There was no alcohol, unfortunately, but they didn't mind. They had no intention of going home drunk.
"Wonder what caused him to be so... magnanimous?" asked one of them.
"Maybe he grew a conscience? Pigs did just fly after all, although my Lien's on that one being Klein's joke," answered another.
"Nah, probably got threats from the White Fang. Maybe they finally got to him?"
"Don't even joke about that. The White Fang of Vale went insane once that Taurus brat took over as their leader. If anything, that would've caused our boss to be even more harsh with us."
"I think the daughter, Weiss Schnee, had a hand in this part."
"The next Heiress? Here's to hoping she's kinder than her old man. Can you imagine Whitley as the Heir?"
"Don't even joke about that. If he did become the heir, I'd quit. Screw jobs here, he's worse than his old man."
"Three cheers for Jacques and Weiss Schnee?" asked a random Faunus. Everyone thought about it and could get around it.
"Cheers to them then!"
Meanwhile, Jacques was in his limousine riding back to his mansion. It had felt, good putting a banquet for the filthy ra... no, he swore he would try to be better. So what word to use... Faunus. Just Faunus.
"Sir? Are you alright?"
Jacques shook his head, breaking out of his thoughts before replying to Klein that he was fine. Klein smiled and continued to drive on, happy that Weiss had managed to convince her father to not be so penurious with his employees. She would make a fine Heiress. What was even better was that all of them would be having Yule Tide dinner together. Winter had managed to get some time off to come back home to eat. Now if only Whitley would stop hitting on Ruby when she visited, as it was clear she was not interested in him.
Adam Taurus was sitting in his cramped jail cell at a high security hidden Atlas prison. He winced as he felt his right arm shoot up in pain. Damn that bimbo's mother, the milf bimbo. She had left him alive without his right arm and dozens of cuts all around his body, including his back. They hadn't bothered treating him to heal up all the wounds, just enough so that he lived in constant pain.
"I swear, I'll kill you, Raven Branwen," growled Adam, "I'll kill you, the blonde bimbo, Jaune Ryu-Long, and then… I will finally get you, my love."
He was staring at a photo of himself and Blake together, side by side, with a smile. Their arms were hooked together while they looked at each other in the eye. He grew angrier and ripped the photo in half, before throwing it out. He sat inside his cell to plan out what he would do when he heard muffled noises, followed by explosions and gasping breath. Then, it became all silent. He backed up into his cell, ready to tackle whoever was coming. Most likely people wanted to kill him and didn't want him to just serve his life sentence. Pitiful. They thought they could reform him. Well, he would drag them all down with him to hell if they wanted his life. The door opened, and Adam gave a roar and charged forward, his only hand going for the throat.
"Adam, it's me."
Adam screeched to a halt when he saw the person in front of him change colors in skin and hair. He looked to see a Grimm mask with horns on it and he quickly recognized her.
"Ilia? What are you doing here?"
"Breaking you out," replied Ilia, slowly taking Adam's hand into her own. She shuddered with glee when he didn't resist, and closed her hands on his.
"How did you..." trailed off Adam. He was surprised to even see any of his faction here, breaking him out. He was sure that Atlas would've put a lot of effort in concealing his whereabouts.
"The alliance you were in. They came looking for us and offered to break you out in return for our help," replied Ilia as she took him out of the cell.
Adam looked around to see his faction ruthlessly stabbing humans and grinned. It wasn't over yet. His revolution had just begun.
"Why, if it isn't little Adam. You look... disappointing."
Adam turned around to see Tyrian Callows with a smile. Adam resisted the urge to punch his smiling face.
"Shut up!" shouted Ilia. Tyrian just grinned before walking away.
"Forgive him. He's in a bit of a rut because of what happened to his tail."
Adam turned around and was surprised to see a human with a mustache and a well-dressed suit. Nobody seemed to be stabbing him.
"Umm, I know what you said about humans," said Ilia hesitantly, "But this is Arthur Watts. He's the one who gave us the information about your whereabouts. And he's also in the same faction as Cinder was."
"Indeed, I'm sorry you had the misfortune of dealing with Cinder," chuckled Watts, "But rest assured, where Cinder failed, I will not. Come, I will take you to see our mistress, Salem herself. There, we will fit you with technology even better than what Atlas could even dream of. We have the resources and the intelligence to do so."
At that, he turned around and left. Adam looked around to see his loyal members, awaiting his order. They had broken out any Faunus that had been in the same prison as he was.
"What of the White Fang?" asked Adam.
"They declared that they had nothing to do with your 'outrageous' ways," replied Ilia, "They renounced anyone who believed in your tactics. High leader Khan, with the urging of ex-leader Ghira, made the announcement that anyone who still believes and follows your ways is to be expelled from the White Fang. So with this attack, that means all of us are no longer associated with the White Fang. The Albain brothers are still within the White Fang, acting as spies for us, while I lead the others... Until we rescued you. Now, I pass the leadership to you."
Adam looked at Ilia with an inquisitive stare, causing Ilia to blush, her hair changing red before handing him a Grimm mask. He looked down at it before grinning and donning it on his face, turning around to everybody else. Ghira had always disliked him, and the feeling was mutual. Such passive tactics like boycotting would never work.
"The White Fang truly have become a bunch of cowards who are unwilling to do what is right to make progress. We are the ones who will usher the Faunus race into a new era. Our Era. Today, I announce the creation of the True Fang, the Blood Fang!"
All of them roared in unison at this. Ilia smiled when she was suddenly swept into Adam's arms. Before she could say anything, Adam kissed her on the lips. Ilia turned red in embarrassment but passionately kissed back.
"And you, my dear, will be my second-in-command. My queen," whispered Adam softly into her ear as he slowly pulled back. Ilia looked ecstatic at the news while melting in his arms.
'And soon, my love,' thought Adam maniacally, 'I will make it so you have nowhere to run, nobody to turn to but me.'
Meanwhile, Watts was walking until he stopped in front of two cells his mistress had told him to free. He took out his Scroll, typed in a few codes, and the door opened up, revealing Mercury and Emerald.
"Come. Salem still has use for you two."
"About time," stretched Mercury as he walked out. They had confiscated his weapon prosthetic and replaced them with a civilian model, "Can I get my weapon legs back? I feel naked without them."
"In all due time," said Watts, "Salem has Merlot working on some new ones for you."
"Sweet."
Emerald, however, remained silent. Like her soul wasn't in her body right now. She looked lifeless as she followed Roman.
Watts walked to another location where there were two cells. He typed in some more codes and opened to reveal Roman Torchwick and Neo.
"It's about time," grumbled Roman as he walked out, "Where's my hat? They didn't let me have it while I was inside."
"The first thing you look for after a jailbreak is your hat?" asked Watts, amused.
"It's part of who I am, thank you very much," retorted Roman. As Watts turned to leave and guide them, Roman and Neo looked at each other and nodded.
The new Blood Fang and a few more violent prisoners were gathered outside all eager to escape. Roman and Neo had managed to find their gear, including the hat, and was leaning against the wall, waiting. Soon, a black air transport arrived to transport them to freedom. As everyone made it in, Watts turned around to see Roman and Neo still leaning against the same wall.
"Come on. We don't have all day," exasperated Watts.
"Ah, well, there's a problem," grinned Roman, "Our employment was with Cinder, and with Cinder gone, I'm afraid our contract has been…. terminated. Neo, if you would?"
Alarm bells went ringing inside Watt's head as he pulled out a gun and fired at Roman just to see him shatter. He and Neo were gone.
"Don't think you can hide from us," sneered Watts as he opened his Scroll to activate the tracking device he had put on their weapons. It was so small that it was impossible to notice unless you knew what to look for. Once he had a track, he would activate the explosive device inside to maim them, not kill. They would be alive long enough for him to bring to Mistress Salem and see what their punishment was.
As he looked at his Scroll, he tilted his head in confusion. It said that they were on the ship right now.
"Hey, where'd you get the cool looking cane?" asked a Blood Fang member
"One of the prisoners gave it to me, begging for me not to hurt him," laughed another.
"This cute girl gave me her umbrella. It even has a hidden sword in it. I think she thought I was cute when she winked at me," commented another female member.
Watts whirled around to see their weapons in the hands of the Blood Fang. He had been outmaneuvered.
"Let's see how long you live without any weapons to help you," growled Watts as he got on board and departed back to Salem's castle. Once they were out of range, he detonated the building.
"Whew. Close one," said Roman as he and Neo watched the prison explode from afar.
They had managed to grab some supplies they had secretly stored in their prison cell and got away, apprehending an Atlas snow vehicle. Neo looked at Roman in curiosity, her eyes asking questions.
"What?" asked Roman, "I told you before, we join the winning side. And I'd say the side with a big dragon is a pretty good argument."
Neo rolled her eyes before pointing behind her to reveal several Atlas prison wardens all bandaged up but blindfolded.
"I can't make a good impression if I'm one to let people die," replied Roman, "No worries. We get to Atlas, drop this vehicle off, and hightail it back to Vale. I'm sure Junior will put a good word for me to get in."
Neo chuckled before drawing a question mark and a direction sign.
"Neo, Neo, my dear girl. You think I would ever get lost?" grinned Roman as he tapped his hat that now had an antenna on it.
"Do you have to go? Can't you stay until it's time for you to head to Haven?"
Jaune was already suiting up, getting ready to leave and head back to the nesting grounds to pick up Oobleck before heading to Vale. Yu wanted her son to stay a bit longer, she had lost so much time to be with him thanks to Vlad and now they were together again.
"Got to. I promised Ren and Nora we'd head over to Kuroyuri to let them pay their respects to Ren's parents. After that, it's straight to Haven. That, and I need to make sure Oobleck gets back to Vale safely. Who knows how he's doing in the nesting grounds?"
I am so HAPPY!" shouted Oobleck to nobody in the cave as he was transcribing a few books Jaune had given him.
"I see," said Yu, frowning. She may not like it, but she would respect her son's choice. "Then promise me you'll call us sometime."
"I will," promised Jaune before giving her a hug. Jaune was then dog piled by the rest of his family, all wanting hugs. Jaune laughed before walking out the door and linked up with Alaerth, spreading the yellow-scaled wings. With a great flap, he shot off towards the nesting grounds.
"There he goes," smiled Xanthe softly.
"I do hope he doesn't bring my grandchildren too soon," coughed Yu. Jaune had used the time to also tell all his family about his dragons. Yu wasn't too happy about her son having his own little harem at first but learned to accept it. Xanthe and Saffron helped out, as they had already known about it earlier.
"He'll be alright," soothed Saffron, "He's probably one of the strongest Huntsmen in Remnant. What could hurt him?"
"Are the preparations complete?"
In a dark murky castle, Salem was gazing into her Grimm seer. She had received word from Watts that they had successfully broken Adam out of the Atlas prison and was now heading their way.
"But of course, my lady," said Merlot, "I have the healing tub ready for young Adam Taurus, as well as a new arm for him. One that will make him even more deadly."
"And the... 'additions' I asked?" asked Salem.
"But of course," smiled Merlot, "I really must thank that Dragon Slayers group. To think they had some of the ancient dragon relics that they looted from the Dragon Clan."
"Excellent. Hazel, how goes the search for the new Fall maiden?"
"Slow," muttered Hazel, "Because Cinder's last thoughts weren't on anyone but the Ryu-Long, the power went to a random source."
"Of course," acknowledged Salem, "Put the search on hold. See if you can't get in contact with the leader of White Fang, Khan. Try to... persuade him to see that an alliance with us will be beneficial."
"As you wish," hummed Hazel.
"As for you," Salem turned towards to the representative of the Dragon Slayers, "Is your group finding the other Maidens?"
The representative had dark hair, tan skin, and wore robes that hid his face.
"The Winter Maiden, Ales, has been traveling through the mountains with her guardians. She is not so easily found, but with time, I am sure we will be able to kill her. Your new 'representative' for that maiden is currently fine. The Spring Maiden and Summer Maiden have upped their caution ever since they found out what happened to the previous Fall Maiden. The winds barely speak of their presence, but they cannot get far. We have already begun triangulating their location."
"Good," smiled Salem. She distrusted this new group, but they had proven themselves useful. If they could really take care of the dragon situation, she didn't mind.
Jaune managed to pry Oobleck from the nesting grounds. Oobleck had been crying, saying he wasn't done with the place yet. When Jaune allowed him to take one of the ancient tomes, Oobleck suddenly became obedient. Jaune could only sigh as he flew into the air with Oobleck hanging off his arms. The two of them managed to make good time, reaching Vale four whole days before the new year. After dropping Oobleck off to Beacon, where the staff was all busy with reconstruction, he decided to head off to Patch to visit Ruby and Yang. As he flew down to the cabin, he heard barking. The door opened up, and Zwei came running out, barking and running around him.
"Zwei! Down boy!"
Taiyang came out laughing before picking up Zwei and greeted Jaune. A few seconds later, a red blur jumped out the door, slamming into Jaune.
"Oooh, I missed you! Did you miss me? Did you? Did you?"
"Of course Ruby," laughed Jaune as he hugged Ruby before giving her a kiss on her forehead.
"What about me, big boy?"
Yang came walking out, wearing an orange tank top. She had a civilian model arm for her right side for now. Ruby had finished the design and sent over the instructions to Vulcan. He estimated it would be done within two weeks. Then, they would head over to Atlas, where Yang would undergo surgery to remove the wilted nerves before attaching new ones they had been growing in the lab into the arm. Thanks to the data they stole from Merlot, they were able to make a lot of breakthroughs.
"You too, Yang," grinned Jaune as Ruby let go. He went over and kissed her, to which Yang immediately deepened, grabbing him with her left hand and keeping him there.
"Hey! Not in front of me!" shouted Taiyang,
"Oh grow up, she's old enough now."
Raven stepped out of the cabin, wearing her usual clothes, along with Qrow.
"She's capable of doing what she wants, as long as the two of them act.. 'responsible' for their actions," she added, lightly glaring at the two of them.
"Yes mom," said Yang as she rolled her eyes. She had already planned out what she wanted to do. Ruby wouldn't be included, as she deemed her little sister too young. Even though they were actually cousins, Yang still saw Ruby as her little sister.
"Well, you guys enjoy yourselves," stretched Qrow, "I need to turn in my report to Oz. Any of you guys wanna join me?" When nobody answered, he frowned, "Fine. Be that way. Leave me alone in a room with him."
Everyone laughed at his expression as he left. Zwei barked and decided to go with Qrow. He could look for the man with glasses and see if he would give him some more treats like before. Ruby decided that she wanted to spend more time with her dad, and so she rushed out to chase after him. Raven, looking at her daughter, smiled before hooking onto Taiyang's arm.
"Taiyang, it's been a long time since we've had some time alone. Why don't we head to Vale for a bit? Just you and me."
When Taiyang started to stutter and argue, Raven whispered in his ears, "We can get ourselves... acquainted in bed again. Nobody to interrupt us. No worries about anyone hearing us."
Taiyang could only nod his head in reply. A few seconds later, they were gone.
"Guess they're going to 'reaffirm' their love," laughed Othim.
"It has been a long time since they met according to Qrow," said Aryz.
"Well, that happened," shrugged Yang, but inside, she was grinning. This was the perfect chance! Suddenly, her arm flared up again in pain. She sank to the floor, her left hand gripping her right stump.
"Yang! Are you alright?"
She looked up to see Jaune looking with worry.
"Yeah, I'm alright," she replied, "Just this stupid injury acting up again. Can't wait till I get my new arm again. Could you go grab the aspirin in the kitchen? I need to head upstairs for a bit."
Jaune shrugged and entered the house. Meanwhile, Yang immediately rushed up the stairs, changing her clothes to something a bit cleaner as well as changing her underwear. She wanted to feel sexy for this next part.
Jaune came back with the aspirin, to which Yang took one pill before grabbing Jaune by the arm.
"So, lady killer. Want to come with me for a walk in the woods?"
"But of course," replied Jaune with a smile before leaning over and giving her a small kiss on the lips.
Yang led him into the forest on a path she clearly remembered. An hour later, they reached a cabin that Yang had first seen when she had taken Ruby to find clues about Raven. In the past, it had been falling apart. Now, the wood had been replaced and stood strong. The whole place had been refurbished, thanks to Yang, Ruby, Taiyang, Raven, and Qrow, all spending some family time together to reconstruct the old cabin. When Yang opened the door, they were ushered into the first room. Inside, it was quite empty. It was clean, free of dust, but nothing inside except for a suspicious box of tissues and a specially made trash can that burned anything thrown inside.
"Futons. Out. Now," commanded Yang. Jaune quickly understood what was happening before grabbing them out and laid them on the floor before turning to Yang.
"Are you sure about this? I mean, you don't have to do this if you're not comfortable."
"I've been waiting ever since Pyrrha told us what you did," said Yang lustfully, "And I can't wait anymore. Whether you decide to put a Mate Mark on me or not is up to you. You told us you haven't done so with Blake. I'm doing the same."
At that, she pushed Jaune onto the while she began to strip sensually. However, as soon as she got her bra off, her right arm twinged once again, causing her to drop to the floor. Jaune quickly went down to her side in worry.
"If you're in too much pain, we don't have to do this now. I don't mind, I don't want you to hurt yourself," said Jaune, but Yang shook her head.
"No." She refused stubbornly before firmly adding "I want this. I want this now," but Jaune could see that there was something else inside her eyes. Like a sort of desperation.
"Yang, answer me truthfully," said Jaune, "Why do you want to do this so badly? It's not because of love, but rather, I can see something of desperation in your eyes."
Yang was silent for a minute, her eyes shadowed and covered. Then she looked up with tears in her eyes.
"I'm... afraid," whispered Yang, her usual attitude gone, "I'm scared that you won't want me anymore because of… because of what happened. I'm afraid that you'll throw me away."
"I'd never do that! Why would you even think that?" asked Jaune in genuine concern.
Yang didn't answer, but rather touched the part where her fake arm and real arm was connected. Jaune immediately understood before hugging her once more.
"It doesn't matter," said Jaune softly, stroking her hair with his right hand, "I love you just like I love the others, all equally. This isn't your fault, it's Adam's. Your mother took care of it, though I would've loved to deal with him personally." At this, Jaune couldn't help but tighten his grip on her waist with his left. "But never think I will stop loving you."
Yang nodded and put her head on his shoulder for a bit, just breathing in his scent. When Jaune slowly started to sit up, she growled, "Where are you going? We're still doing this anyway. I made up my mind long ago." She pulled him down before giving him a passionate kiss. They slowly fell onto the futon, discarding each other's clothes.
Jaune woke up to see Yang cuddled up, laying on his chest, her large breasts squeezed tightly against him. He sighed in content as he remembered what had happened. Yang had been jealous and wanted to take one of Jaune's 'first time'. She ended up being the first one to pleasure him with her breasts, as she had the biggest one out of the group. Yang snuggled even closer when she felt Jaune move. It had been magical, just like Pyrrha said. She had a few flings back at Signal, but none had been serious. Sure she had groped a few boys she dated, but at most, they had gone up to third base with just touching with her hands. It was why she didn't feel icky when she had grabbed Junior's balls back at the beginning of the year, before heading to Beacon.
"Want to go... one more time?" asked Yang with a smirk as she lifted herself over him with her good arm, letting her beautiful breasts hover over him, making him lick his lips.
"It would be an honor." He said as he kissed her nipples. She smiled as she leaned forward before giving him a kiss. Both of them closed their eyes, ready to go again.
"Bark! Bark!"
They suddenly opened their eyes at the noise.
"Yang! Jaune! Where'd you guys go?"
"C'mon boy. Sniff them out for me."
'Crap!' thought Jaune and Yang as they quickly got dressed as fast as they could. They could hear Qrow getting closer and closer, along with Ruby and Zwei. As soon as Yang finally got her top on her, the door opened to reveal Qrow, Ruby and Zwei. Qrow's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the room. It was empty except for the futon. There was a box of tissues but the trash can itself seemed empty. But he knew they had done something. The smell of sex still lingered, even though they had opened the windows.
"What's that smell?" asked Ruby innocently. Zwei barked in agreement.
"Umm, cleaning!" shouted Yang. Qrow just gazed at Yang with a deadpan expression, causing her to look away.
"Wait a minute...," started Ruby, looking around and staring at Yang and Jaune. She took two and two together before finally reaching to a conclusion and shouted: "You did it!?"
"Yes," replied Yang with a blush. "I wanted to do it. And I can tell you, I don't regret it."
Qrow just shrugged. He remembered this was about the same time he started sleeping with others. Although he wasn't quite comfortable with the fact that his niece just had sex or the fact that he and his daughter had nearly walked in on them. Still, he gave Jaune some slack since Yang did it with consent, and Jaune wasn't a bad person. Qrow reached for his flask and started to drink, he had been trying to cut down lately after revealing to Ruby her true father, but he needed this.
"Where are your parents?" asked Qrow in an attempt to change the subject.
"Out in Vale on a date," replied Yang, grateful for the subject change.
"Really? Not like my sister to do so."
"Don't look at me," said Jaune as Qrow turned to look at him in suspicion, "She has her own agenda."
"Whatever," sighed Qrow, "I was going to tell them first, but I suppose you two need to know about this too. Just got this information from Ironwood. Some White Fang defectors somehow managed to get hold of where Adam Taurus was and broke him out."
"WHAT!?"
"The one who took one of your mate's arm escaped?" growled Lung Wang, "Should've killed him back at Beacon."
"I'm more worried how he managed to escape," said Alaerth.
"We'll be prepared," said Fafnir, "Jaune has grown much stronger. Soon, he will learn why he should've stayed inside."
"You think it might be the group Cinder was in?" asked Jaune in worry.
"Maybe," replied Qrow, "I wouldn't be surprised if their information network reached that deep. Salem did always have spies everywhere."
"Salem?" asked Ruby, tilting her head.
"...Shit. You guys aren't supposed to know that yet," said Qrow. He raised his hand to forestall any arguments, "It's not my place to say. I'm sure Oz will tell you more about it next time you meet. Especially to you, Jaune."
Satisfied with that answer, for now, they all left back for their home.
Taiyang and Raven arrived 10 minutes later, looking refreshed and slightly glowing.
"I hope I'm not getting another nephew or niece. You're too old to have another one," smirked Qrow.
"I will end you someday," growled Raven, although she couldn't deny she enjoyed her romp with Taiyang. It had been too long since she had a real one scratch her itch. Jaune stayed for dinner for the night, enjoying some of Taiyang's cooking. The Branwen siblings had no cooking skills at all, and so they waited at the table. As they finished and were enjoying some tea, Raven decided to ask something she remembered back at Beacon.
"So Jaune. My daughter and niece say there might be something that you can do to control my little brother's Semblance. Something about a Dragon's Mark?"
Everyone went silent as they stared at Jaune and Raven when she spoke out first.
"Hmm. There might be a chance," mused Jaune, "The Dragon's Mark does help improve some semblance and control. An example would be Nora, who can now control lightning when someone hits her with it and spit it back at them. The only problem is I wouldn't know which one to use, nor would it work if Qrow isn't willing to follow the conditions set."
"Conditions?" asked Qrow.
"Set of rules to follow," clarified Jaune, "Unfortunately, one of them would probably go against your current order. You'd have to aid my clan, and so that means going above Professor Ozpin's orders."
"Of course there be rules," sighed Qrow, "So that means no Mark for me." His face showed actual disappointment. It seemed like he really wanted to have control of his Semblance so he could be near his loved ones.
"As for relics... there might be one," mused Jaune, "Although I don't know where to even look. I have no idea where the Dragon Clan's village is, only the nesting grounds. And last time I checked, I didn't see any relics."
"A shame," sighed Taiyang, "Unless Oz is willing to compromise, there's no chance for Qrow to get the Mark."
Qrow took a swig of his flask, looking at Jaune for a bit. In his mind, he was going through the pros and cons of this deal.
"What dragon would you use anyways for me," he asked in interest.
Jaune shrugged, "I only have Ryo-Wo and Aryz, the water and wind dragon. Neither of them are exactly the best with you."
"What if... I did accept your mark?" asked Qrow slowly. Taiyang and Raven slowly looked at Qrow in shock. The man that was basically loyal to Ozpin was now seeking to be free. To be rid of his curse.
"Hmm. Tell Qrow that my Dragon's Mark might help him," said Aryz, "His Semblance, as he said, is apparently not under his control. It is similar to how wind works. Always present everywhere. Free. But for us, the ones who use the wind, we can control it. It might stand to help him control it. That, and he has the secondary ability to transform into a crow so he can fly in the air."
Jaune nodded and retold Aryz's message to Qrow. He looked down, thinking about his choice. He raised his head, eyes full of determination.
"I've lived and served as Oz's eyes for a huge portion of my life already. I've missed out on my daughter's life, and my wife. I've paid him enough. I want to be in control."
"Looks like you're growing a brain," teased Raven.
"If you're sure," replied Jaune, ignoring Raven's comment, "I was thinking you could still do what Ozpin wants you to do, as long as it still falls within the conditions."
"Let's just get this over with before I get cold feet," grunted Qrow as he stood up, walking towards Jaune. Jaune stood up and raised his hand, telling Qrow to clasp his hands with him. The lights were dimmed down as Jaune began.
"In my hands, I trust you to with my blessing. To defend those who cannot do so, and to aid my clan. To be able to protect those worthy with your new power. Will you do so, Qrow Branwen?"
"Sure, I guess," replied Qrow. When he saw he was being glared at by his daughter, he amended it to, "I do."
"Then by my power and contract, I bless you with Aryz'sDragon Mark. Prove to me you are worthy of her mark."
Qrow felt his left shoulder burn for a bit when Jaune poured in the Aura for the mark. After they let go, Qrow pulled his sleeve and looked over to see a green dragon's claw on it. He closed his eyes to concentrate. He opened them in shock. His Semblance, which usually was like an uncontrollable whirlwind around him that struck at random, was actually calm. He could feel it just waiting for him to turn it back on. His Semblance was now under his control.
"I... can control it!" gasped Qrow, "I can tell it when to turn it on or off! I can finally be with my family!"
Ruby squealed in delight before rushing over to hug her dad, to which Qrow hugged back eagerly. For once in his life, he didn't go for his flask for a celebratory drink. Just hugging her daughter without worrying about the consequences was enough for him. After that, Qrow was able to finally sleep without worrying about his bad luck infecting other people nearby. He was used to sleeping alone because of it.
Blake arrived the next day, and the four of them decided to head to a nearby lake to swim. Jaune would be leaving the next day, heading over to Vale and picking Ren and Nora up. They hoped to arrive at Mistral before the new year and spend it with Pyrrha and her family. While they swam, Blake decided to have one last romp with Jaune before they wouldn't be able to see him again for a whole semester. She took Jaune away from Ruby, who was having too much fun with Zwei and Yang. Yang noticed but decided to let them off. She had hers already, but she wouldn't say no to one last one after Blake was done.
Jaune left Patch, and together with Ren and Nora, they headed for Mistral by airship. Blake, Yang, and Ruby took an airship directly for Atlas. It was New Year's eve when they finally made it to their location.
"Jaune! Welcome!" boomed Hephaestus as he greeted them in, "Ren, I have your weapon finished. I'll give it to you next year."
"What?!" shouted Nora, "But we can't wait one whole year! Ren needs his weapon to be super awesome and-"
"Nora," said Ren calmly, "He just means tomorrow. It is also technically next year, as today is new year's eve."
"Oh... Well don't surprise me like that," pouted Nora, causing everyone to chuckle.
Pyrrha hugged Ren and Nora before coming up to Jaune and giving him a passionate kiss.
"I missed you," sighed Pyrrha in content as she stopped kissing.
"I missed you too, love. It's good to see you're doing alright," replied Jaune with the same loving tone, "Everything alright at Mistral?"
"You have no idea how many business proposals we got for her," said an irritated Gorga as she joined in the conversation, "Ever since it's common knowledge that Jaune, the 'Hero of Vale', is dating Pyrrha, 'Goddess of Victory', we had a 200% increase in offers. They want Pyrrha to model in some sort of wine commercial now. And they're hoping to get Jaune in on it too. Also, we had some... marriage offers for her."
At this, Jaune's eyebrows twitched, as did Pyrrha's.
"Stupid idiots thought they could get my daughter and be the one to comfort her," grunted Leonidas, "I showed them the end of my spear several times to get the point across that my daughter was happy in her relationship, and had our approval. Those more stubborn were introduced to my spear and Hephaestus' hammer."
"There was one who wouldn't take no for an answer until I personally showed him I had no interest," commented Pyrrha in disgust.
Both of them grinned as they recalled one particular stubborn man who attempted to woo Pyrrha. Even when rebuffed, he tried to grab her, thinking she was a delicate flower after that event. Leonidas and Hephaestus were proud when they saw the man go flying from Pyrrha's enhanced shield bash to the balls. The man flew for miles before he landed.
"Well, let's just forget about that, and prepare for the new year," smiled Hephaestus.
They all went out, finding a perfect spot to watch the fireworks, ready to go off. Traveling through Remnant during his younger years and training, Jaune rarely had time to stop and enjoy the festivities. As the time arrived for the new year, they watched the fireworks go off. Pyrrha was sitting in front of Jaune, leaning back and enjoying the warmth of his chest. Her head was tucked under his chin as she snuggled closer. Nora was sitting on perpendicular to Ren's legs, with the side of her head snuggling in between Ren's neck and collarbone. The two couple enjoyed their respective dates as the last of the fireworks went off.
Alright, next up, heading to Ren's village! Hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and review it if you can! It motivates me to write more! I hunger for it!
Thanks to my beta readers, UGX7, TheMischieviousPuppy, and Jauneforever, as usual. They help edit and catch mistakes that I might skip by accident.
Also, since I didn't upload the Dew chapter, I'm going to upload a triple chapter in the special scenes. Wasn't much to write about Dew's scene.
On a side note, cookies to who can guess who I based the Winter Maiden off of. That, and people assumed that Sun was getting a harem involving Neon Kat. She isn't part of it, it was more of a joke thing.
As usual, got a poll up for my next story. Also, go check out my other story, Big 4 to Hogwarts. Involves Rapunzel, Hiccup, Merida, and Jack, all going to Hogwarts with Harry. Harmony story.