It was a packing frenzy reminiscent of happier days with his family. Only in the place of seven golden-haired sisters, it was two monsters in the guise of human flesh.

Ruby and Weiss had been moving back and forth all morning in their effort to prepare themselves for the upcoming trip to Vale. The fact that they possessed only meager amounts of personal property made it all the more confusing. Or perhaps that was what made it so difficult for them. Maybe they simply didn't know what they should bring along. Truth be told both of the girls could likely fit their entire lives in a single suitcase. Their entire stolen lives.

Most everything they were bringing along had been provided to them by the faculty. Changes of clothes. Personal hygiene products. Even cheap burner scrolls so that they would be able to communicate with one another like any normal teenager. Jaune wondered if they would even know how to use the devices. He supposed he could teach them on the way to Vale. There would be little else to do on the long flight.

Weiss in particular seemed to be freaking out over the situation, and the fact that she was desperately trying to cram her bed sheets inside her luggage gave Jaune pause. He didn't think anything that the eccentric girls would surprise him anymore. However as he continued to learn, he should always expect the unexpected when it came to his hybrid friends.

"Weiss, you know Beacon will have their own sheets, right?" he asked.

Her had snapped over to regard him, a pair of icy blue eyes staring at him with all seriousness. "I must ensure that I have enough material to construct a nest for our young."

Jaune blinked. "A nest."

"Yes," she nodded. "Though I wonder, if our children are born while in Vale, will they have dual citizenship with both here and the human kingdom?"

Truth be told, Jaune didn't even know where 'here' was. He had never bothered to ask. He doubted anyone would tell him either. This was merely Salem's realm as far as he was concerned. With its unique, perpetual twilight, he very much doubted it was marked on any maps.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. But still, that wasn't the weirdest thing Weiss had brought up. "Uh, so about the nest. Can't you just use... whatever it is you're wearing for that?"

The item in question was the bizarre, almost bandage-like top that currently covered Weiss' upper chest. Her bare midriff was exposed, before yet more bandages surrounded her hips, extending to somewhere below the waistline of her blue jeans. Weiss in blue jeans. What a bizarre sight. A light brown vest completed her ensemble, making her looks like an oddly stylish and beautiful mummy more than anything.

"Professor Fall said that this is something that young people wear," Weiss stated proudly. "I shall not use my shirt as nesting material except in the most dire of circumstances."

"Yeah, these things are cool!" Ruby agreed, picking at the bandage-like material of her own top with a thumb and forefinger. "A little tight around the chest, but still. Human clothes are so neat!"

"Brag about it more," the other girl grumbled.

Ruby wore the exact same attire as Weiss. Apparently when Cinder had been sent out to shop for what 'young people would wear', she had decided to get them all the same outfits.

If the bandage-like top was tight on Ruby, Jaune could only hope that Cinder had made the appropriate compensation for Yang's bust. Or gotten her something else entirely.

"I can't wait to see what else Professor Fall got for us," Ruby said excitedly. "I think I saw a black skirt somewhere in there. Really makes me wish I could wear my regular black dress to Vale."

"It's kind of, uh, tattered," Jaune pointed out. "Probably best to wear something that won't make people think you're a bum."

"Yes, Ruby. Try to look less like an ass while we're in the human kingdoms."

"An ass?" Ruby questioned. Her focus shifted from Weiss back to him. "Jaune why did you call me ass!"

"I didn't?"

"Ass," Weiss stated matter-of-factly. "A synonym for bum. Butt. Buttocks. Rear end. Backside. Need I go on?"

"Please don't, Weiss. We don't need to hear any more about butts."

The white-haired girl folded her arms across her bandaged chest. "I didn't hear you complaining about my butt the night of the dance."

Jaune's mind was drawn back to the night in question. Yeah. He definitely hadn't been complaining then. A little bit of dancing had gotten Weiss all wound up. Once they had made it back to their room, she wanted to do a lot more than just dance.

"Mine too!" Ruby added quickly. As if she needed to keep up with Weiss.

She didn't. But it didn't stop them from competing for his attention that night. Two girls at the same time. Yeah. The night of the dance was one he would remember for the rest of his life. However short or long that life might last.

"Anyway," Jaune said pointedly. "A bum is a homeless person. It wasn't calling you a butt, Ruby."

"Oh." Silver eyes blinked. "But we'll have dorms in Vale, right?"

"Yeah. I mean, we should. We're exchange students after all."

"Then why would I be a bum?"

"Ass," Weiss sniped.

"I'm not an ass!"

"Neither of you are asses!" Jaune exclaimed. Words that surprised him, once more proving that he should never become too complacent in a place like this. "Just... just forget I said anything, okay? Your new clothes are beautiful, and you should definitely wear them to Vale instead of your old stuff. Happy?"

Weiss preened proudly under the praise. Like many of his sisters, all it took was a simple compliment about her looks to placate her.

Ruby looked a little less convinced, considering she was under the assumption that she had been called an ass. But a soft smile from the boy's lips was all it took to turn everything around, and Ruby's own face lit up with a smile of her own when their eyes met.

"Thanks," the redhead mumbled bashfully. Silver eyes darted over to his own suitcase before back to him. "Are you done packing already?"

There hadn't been much to pack, really. Jaune had come to this school with only one suitcase filled with clothing and items he believed were essential to attending a huntsman academy. That, along with his weapon, accounted for all of his belongings here. It didn't take long to pack everything back up.

"Yup. I'm all set."

"Gah!" she griped. "Packing is so stupid! Why can't we just buy everything we need once we're in the human kingdoms?"

"Because lien doesn't grow on trees?"

"False!" Weiss snapped. "Lien is made of paper. And paper comes from wood. Hence, lien does grow on trees."

"Lien notes aren't paper," Jaune smirked. "They're plastic cards."

Weiss glared at him, as if the fact that she was proven wrong was offensive. Despite her fiery temper, those cold glares of hers never failed to send shivers down his spine.

"I'm just saying..." he muttered.

"Well say it less. The last thing anyone likes is a know it all."

He wanted to burst out laughing. That was rich coming from a know-nothing know it all like Weiss.

"Yes, Weiss," he sighed, as if he was talking to an overbearing wife. In a way that's what Weiss had become. More than just a friend or a roommate. She was his mate. Just as Ruby was. He loved them both dearly. "Anyway, I'm going to head to the kitchen to make some snacks for the trip. I doubt the Bullhead we're going on is going to have any in-flight meals."

"Oh, oh!" Ruby shouted, jumping up before rushing over to a familiar sleeping fur ball. "Get the dog food too, okay?"

Jaune's eyes narrowed. The last time he had thought about dog food was the time he had been forced to eat it upon first arriving at this school. Before he had been given permission to make use of the kitchen. "Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"Because Zwei's coming with us!" she gushed, picking up the corgi in question and cradling him in her arms like a baby. "We can't leave you all alone here with Blake and Wesson now can we?" she cooed to the dog. "No we can't! You're coming to the human kingdoms where you came from!"

The boy smiled. Yeah, that made sense. Cat faunus or not, he had a feeling that Blake did not fear Zwei. Now that he thought about it, he would have feared for the dog's safety if he was left here all alone with a creature like Blake lurking about.

The sight of Ruby cradling the dog sent a jolt of electricity through his heart. He wondered how she would handle actually being a mother. What if she did one day desire a child from him? Would he be okay with that? What would he or she even look like? Would it be half Grimm like Ruby?

Of course if Ruby bore his child, Weiss would want one as well. How was it that simple things like family structures had gotten so complicated? For all the dreaming he and many other boys did about having relationships with multiple women, it was never quite that simple in practice.

He shook the thought from his head. "Yeah. Sounds good. Make sure to leave room in your suitcase for the bag, okay?"

Ruby's face dropped, and it looked as though she had been stabbed in the heart. "But... but that makes things even more complicated! I don't have enough room as it is!"

Jaune smiled as he turned an moved to the door. "I'm sure you'll manage, Ruby. I believe in you."

"I'm putting it in your suitcase!" she shouted after him as he stepped outside. It sounded more like a threat than anything.

He shook his head, closing the door behind him before walking down the hall. His head was on a swivel as he went, taking in all the sights which had become so familiar to him. This would be his last day in this horrible, awful place. At least for now. An academy once filled with Grimm hybrids, their numbers cut down to so few. A brutal world where survival of the fittest ruled the land. One filled with horrors he never could have imagined existed. Yet... one filled with people he had come to love. Each in their own distinct way.

But he would be going home soon. Not literally to his home, but back to civilization. Back to safety. Back to a world which made sense. Soon he would no longer be the fish out of water, but his friends would. Did they know enough to blend in? Could they hold their human guises long enough to not be outed as monsters? Salem seemed to think so. It was why she had chosen Ruby, Weiss, and Yang to accompany him as a team in the Vytal Tournament. Blake being left behind was an obvious choice. Her instability made her a liability. As for Wesson, well, the less said about Wesson the better.

Pretty soon they would all be at Beacon Academy. What would life there be like? Life at a true huntsman academy? Going out to downtown Vale to shop. To eat. To find entertainment. It would be a whole new world to the girls. Most of them at least. Yang had apparently been out on missions already, which was where she had picked up her shotgun. Hopefully she would be able to help wrangle her little sister and Weiss.

Then again, was Yang truly all that stable too? Learning what he had about her past, about her birth mother, made him realize there was more bubbling underneath the surface than met the eye. Yang had been abandoned as a baby by the woman named Raven. Yang had taken Ruby out in a hopeless search to find her mother, and that was when they had been abducted by Salem. Jaune was still in the dark about anything that might have happened after that. All he knew was that there was a lot of anger in Yang's heart. Unresolved and simmering anger. It made sense why she loved to fight so much.

Speaking of fighting, Jaune spied the familiar form of his most hated teacher in the distance. Leaning against the wall with his arms folded, Tyrian stood as the figurative final barrier between him and the kitchen. Jaune wondered how long he had been waiting there, and if it had been specifically for his arrival. Considering the scorpion faunus had seemingly made it his mission to torment the boy since day one, it wouldn't have been surprising.

All hopes of Tyrian ignoring him as he passed by were lost as the man's head rose, a pair of golden eyes honing in on him. "Why, Mister Arc," he said with the usual emphasis when it was just the two of them. "What an unexpected surprise to find you here."

Unexpected his ass. They both knew that Tyrian had been waiting for this encounter. The only question was, why? "Professor," Jaune nodded back, keeping up appearances that weren't necessary when it was just the two of them. They were both in on his secret, after all.

"Going to the kitchen I see. Preparing yourself and your teammates a nice meal, I take it?"

Jaune shrugged. "Something like that."

"Yes, yes, you will need all of your strength for when you arrive in Vale." The man paused, a knowing smirk growing on his lips. "Vale," he repeated. "It will be ever so much fun to go back to the safety of the human kingdoms, won't it, Mister Arc?"

Going anywhere but here would be an improvement. Away from the psychopaths and evil men and women who chose to be here willingly. Naturally Jaune knew he couldn't say as much to the man who could end his life with a single poke from his stinger. "I guess," he wound up saying diplomatically.

"Finally back home. Away from all the scary monsters who go bump in the night. Why, you could simply stay there and never come back! Leave all of this behind, little more than a bad memory as you live out the rest of your days. Have you considered doing this?"

He hated to admit it to himself, but he had. Jaune had considered doing all that and more. Once he got to Vale he would be out of reach of Salem and her minions, unless they decided to specifically hunt him down and murder him. He wouldn't put it past them to do so. To find him and his entire family, and put them all to the sword for his impudence. Not even because he would expose them and all their secrets. No one would ever believe him anyway. No one would believe that Grimm-human hybrids existed and planned to infiltrate the kingdoms of men. No one would believe that magic existed, nor that an ancient, immortal woman named Salem controlled the creatures of Grimm from the shadows.

No, if they wanted to kill Jaune, they would do it simply out of spite. To show that he would never be safe from their reach.

"No," he lied.

"Oh come now, boy. I'm sure you must have thought about what life would be like if you were to escape all of this. Leaving poor little Ruby to her fate, friendless and alone once more. Weiss, wondering why the most powerful hybrid who she had given herself to was seemingly no longer interested. Yang, abandoned once by the one she loved, abandoned yet again by someone she confided in. And then there's Blake. Poor, shy, sweet Blake. What would she do without you, Jaune? Why, she might be driven even further over the edge if her new favorite toy was taken from her."

Tyrian painted a picture of loss and betrayal for each of the girls he had come to care for. It was simply another reason he couldn't leave. He couldn't abandon them to this fate. To a world where they were Salem's minions. A world where their lives had been stolen from them. A world with no hope to ever return to a normal life.

No, Jaune would not abandon them. He would not allow them to return to this place alone. Even if that meant sacrificing his own life to come back with them. He wanted to be a huntsman. He wanted to be a hero. He would be a hero. Their hero.

"I'm not leaving them," he stated with bitter resolve. "They're my friends." And in some cases, much, much more.

Tyrian's hands came up and he clapped merrily. "Oh goodie! I look forward to your return then, Mister Arc. We have so many more things to teach you here. So many more wonderful experiences for you to enjoy. You've already become quite intimate with Ruby and Weiss. I'd be a very poor matchmaker if I didn't set you up with Blake as well. Since Adam's untimely demise, she's had no one to indulge her with her tentacle play..."

The idea of an intimate relationship with Blake in her hybrid form sent shivers down Jaune's body, and made him squirm particularly below the belt. He couldn't, or rather, didn't want to imagine what kind of things Blake would want to do with him in that form.

"I intend to purchase more of her favorite brands of Mistrali graphic novels to sate her for the time being. I'm sure they will give her plenty of ideas for activities in time for your return..."

Again, it was not an image Jaune wanted in his mind. "And should that day ever come, I'll make her see how beautiful her faunus form is. You may want her to be a monster, but I'll show her a better way."

"That's the spirit! A fighter to the end!" Tyrian grinned evilly, teeth bared like a wild animal. It wasn't too far from the truth. "It's always so much more entertaining when a victim goes down swinging, after all. To snuff out the glimmer of hope in their eyes, when they realize that all their struggle amounted to nothing, there's no more satisfying feeling in the world than that."

Anger and bile rose in Jaune's throat in equal amounts. Tyrian was indeed a sick, depraved man. This time Jaune had no qualms about saying as much. "You're disgusting."

"Says the man who loves and fornicates with monsters." The faunus shrugged. "At least, that is how the outside world would perceive you. In all honesty, the fact that a mere human such as yourself has taken Salem's glorious children as his partners makes you an exemplar of your species. If you were to embrace them, embrace our goddess, then things would be very different for you, my boy." Tyrian's face darkened. "However you instead choose to continue to insult our goddess and demean her works. You wish to disturb perfection. That, is why I hate you. Why I have hated you since the first day you arrived and called her children monsters. They are more beautiful and perfect than you or any other weakling human could ever hope to be."

The man was deranged. A fanatic. Jaune had always known it, but Tyrian's deluded monologue only made it stand out more so. "You're just a faunus too," Jaune commented.

"A humble and worthless servant who knows his place before his goddess," Tyrian corrected. "Before this is all over, you shall know yours too. One way or another."

For long moments Jaune merely held the man's gaze. It was a wonder that he could even do that. How did one respond to a fanatic like Tyrian? Words meant nothing to a madman.

In the end it was Jaune who broke eye contact first, and Tyrian's body shifted in an instant. His arms unfurled, a hand gesturing toward the kitchen doors giving permission for Jaune to proceed. "But by all means, enjoy your meal. Enjoy everything while you still can, Mister Arc."

Jaune wasted little time taking the opportunity he had been given. As he passed by, the psychotic cackling of the faunus filled his ears, laughing at a joke that only he could understand.

Against his better judgment, Jaune found himself in front of Blake's door once more. She left him a message, arranged from the bones of some small creature Jaune couldn't name on sight. Maybe that rabbit she ate what felt like a lifetime ago. It made his blood chill, knowing Blake hadn't put on a display like this in a while. If anything, she was more familiar now. Creepy, yes, but almost expected.

This went past creepy and was worrying. 'Come To My Parlor, Said The Spider To The Fly'.

'Welcome to my parlor,' was the first thing Blake ever said to Jaune. Her room, a den of darkness and misery that he rarely ventured near again. He could pin why she'd ask him to do this easily enough, what changed between the dance and now. The announcement the next day. Jaune, Ruby, Weiss and Yang would be forming a team, while Cinder and her two helpers would hook up with some third party minion to make their own team.

Blake and Wesson, unable to maintain a human shape for very long and in Blake's case, too unstable to be left in public often, would be left behind. Abandoned, a voice in the back of Jaune's head spoke up. Like her, Ruby's real mother. Summer Rose. He gritted his teeth and tried to focus on the present. If Blake felt slighted by this, maybe even outraged or betrayed, he couldn't blame her for lashing out. With this morbid turn, he feared the worst.

Yet, he stood before her door without sword or shield. Nor was he wearing his, by now very battered, armor. Not that he was sure he would have taken them even if they had been available. For as worrying as Blake could be, he wanted to believe in her. The day before he was instructed to leave them with Watts, for repairs and a modification to Crocea Mors that he specifically requested. Sword and shield were good for options, but Jaune came to realize over the months of fighting hybrids, sometimes you needed to hit things harder. Ruby helped him develop the concept, something she called the sword-sword, though it wouldn't do him much good here.

Wanted to did not equate to actually trusting her. Mostly because Jaune wasn't sure he could trust her at the best of times. So he stood in wait before her door, feeling almost naked in nothing but his hoodie. Small favors he wasn't actually naked, he supposed. Though, knowing Blake's tendrils, she could easily solve that 'problem'. Steeling his resolve, he closed his eyes and opened the door, stepping blindly into the darkness.

Only after hearing the door shut behind him did he open them again. He managed to bite back a scream as the desecrated, silently screaming head of the Faunus he know knew as Adam waited for him. Still in his jar, still in Blake's possession, now on a table raised up to be eye level with Jaune. Blake was nowhere to be seen.

"He was so sweet to me. So dear. So much hatred, I never truly appreciated it..."

Her voice came from everywhere, Jaune not even bothering to look. "Hey, Blake."

"Did you know I was going to abandon him? I was actually going to leave my beloved behind and break his heart. Then they came," movement behind him, a wisp of hot breath along his neck. "My angels. They descended on us and whisked me away. Dear, sweet Adam, he followed them, fought through the difficult terrain and emerged at the dread castle to save his one true love. His one and only, the one who held his heart in a vice."

Jaune saw, out of the corner of his eye, a flash of glimmering red. Was it her blade or her eyes? He couldn't be sure.

"I didn't break his heart, but I did eat it. I was so wasteful. Youth," a sigh, coming from Jaune's left. "What I would do to have him alive again. I could hurt him in so many better ways..."

"Blake." Jaune kept the tremor from his voice. He found he wasn't afraid of her, but deep down more afraid that he would disappoint her. That he would betray her. She deserved to be saved, just as much as anyone else in this awful hellhole. "I'm not leaving you, you know."

A high pitched noise nearly made Jaune drop to his knees, even as a dozen appendages briefly seized around his arms and legs. Only after it was done could he wonder if it was laughter or screaming. The appendages held him fast, Jaune trying not to fight back.

"But you are! Dear mine, dear me, you are, you are, you are! Leaving away with the girls you prefer to kiss. The girls you've given more flesh and spilt more blood for. Leaving, leaving me, leaving this horrid, nasty place and all those who deserve to be here. You are, you are, you are!"

Suddenly, before he could cry out from the pressure put on his limbs, the appendages were gone. They seemed to be grabbing him from every direction. Starting to turn, trying to find his voice again, he was startled when Blake dropped down in front of him. Her hair was withering, twisting tendrils, her eyes glowing a deep, mesmerizing purple. Her mouth was covered by that mask once more.

"You love them. Never me. I don't deserve your love. I have to take it. I always have to take everything. I took Adam's love, and I took my parents' love, and I have to take yours too. I hate it!" The mask started to crack, the tendrils that was her hair each sprouting their own blade. Jaune started to stumble back, unsure what to do. "I hate it, I hate it! I hate this, I hate Salem, I hate Adam, I hate my father, I hate myself!" More and more she became less humanoid, even as her eyes glowed brighter and brighter. "You! You Jaune! You!" She surged forward at him, Jaune bringing his arms up to protect himself.

She passed straight through him. An illusion. Jaune's heart was pounding, breath coming in fast and heavy. A weight settled on his back.

"I can't hate you." Something nuzzled against him, between his shoulder blades. "I love you. I love you so much. I love you! I love you! Jaune, I love you!" Jaune could feel a pressure around his throat. "I love you, love you, love you! I could just eat! You! Up!"

Jaune turned to face her. She was gone. The pressure around his neck was not.

"Blake, I'm not... I'm not leaving because I want to."

"But you do. You do want to. You're leaving with Yang and you're leaving with Ruby and you're leaving with Weiss. Leaving with everyone and everything important to you. How nice? How sweet! You're free now Jaune! Free of the monsters! Free of the horrors! Aren't you so happy now Jaune? It's everything you ever wanted!" Tighter the pressure grew, as her cries increased in volume and frantic pace.

"Not without you!"

The pressure at his neck stopped.

"I don't... I can't say I love you, Blake. You scare me. You terrify me. But I can't abandon you! You never asked for this, you never chose this!" Jaune was shouting now, spittle flying from the grip still at his throat. "I'm so sorry that this ever had to happen. I am so, so, sorry you ever had to suffer through all of this. I can't say I love you, but I would never want to leave you! I could never reject you!"

The grip was gone. The pressure lifted, Jaune falling to his knees gasping for breath.

"Silly boy. Tell me something I don't already know."

Jaune's eyes widened, looking up at Blake sitting on the side of her bed, legs dangling off. They were healthier looking, fuller. Beautiful, if he was going to be honest. She started to uncross them, Jaune forcing himself to look away. He noticed that she was actually wearing the mask, but otherwise she looked slightly healthier than usual. Not human, but not as horrifying as before. Maybe more balanced?

Jaune didn't dare hope.

Blake quirked an eyebrow at him. "Dear me, dear mine. My dear Jaune, you are just the cutest thing. When I take you in bed, the faces you will make will be etched into my fondest memories. Maybe even supplanting my dear, sweet Adam."

A light laughter filled the room, Jaune trying to bring his breathing back to normal.

"Were you just messing with me?"

Blake tilted her head. "Why ever would I do that? Is that the kind of thing I would do, beloved?"

Jaune did not respond. Blake's hidden grin grew in size, Jaune seeing the hint of teeth at the edges of her mask.

"No, I brought you here for another reason my sweet, earnest little bunny."

The boy felt his face burn, realizing that Pumpkin Pete was exposed for all to see. Blake's eyes ran over him top to bottom.

"You've bulked up, dearheart. Mm, so much coiled, taunt muscle, just waiting to be tasted," Blake's tendrils briefly went across Jaune's torso, Jaune trying not to react. "But no, that's not why you're here today. When I bring you to bed, you won't be expecting it. Regardless of your intentions, you will be leaving this school soon. Salem below knows if you will ever return." Blake leaned forward. "Aren't you worried about the woman, held in the dungeon? Don't you want to speak to her, just once?"

Jaune gulped, throat dry. "Yes. More than anything."

"Will you lie to her?"

"No. I'm going to tell her that I'll save her daughters. I'll save her."

"So you will lie to her."

"No!"

Blake leaned forward further, getting closer to Jaune. "I can take you to her."

He eyed her uneasily. "How?"

"Wrong question. How, why, these things don't matter." Blake ran a tentacle along Jaune's arm, ending at the back of his neck. "The better question is what is the catch? What do I want in return?"

Jaune nodded, noticing the other blade skim along his right arm to meet its sibling. "What... can I do for you, Blake?"

"I want a kiss. One kiss, freely given. A show of our bond, of your sincerity that you won't abandon me when you get out there in that big, open world." Blake brought Jaune forward, just a bit. Edging him along with the tips of her blades to the back of his neck.

Jaune swallowed, struggling to think. "Going to be hard to do that, with the mask in the way."

Blake's eyebrow rose again, before one of her strands of hair became a tentacle and sliced away the bonds holding the mask. It clattered to the ground between them, revealing her face.

Her face like Jaune never saw before. Not fully the gruesome maw he was accustomed to by now, but also not her rarely glimpsed human face either. Instead, across the front of her face were two beautiful, painted red lips, but the skin of her jaw only went as far as they did. Her horrible, monstrous teeth and extended, inhuman jaw were on full display on either side of her face. Yet somehow, she seemed complete like this. Perfected. This was Blake. Human and Grimm, beautiful and horrifying.

Her lips parted, twisting into a small smile. "Well?"

Jaune closed the gap, bringing his lips to hers. With Weiss, almost every kiss was a battle somehow, a test of will and honor that had some nebulous purpose and outcome. With Ruby, they were sweet, enjoyable, even thrilling. There was passion and love, but they both only knew so much about the act. Willing to learn but lacking in knowledge all the same. Blake was almost exactly like the first time she took his breath away, to so speak.

Powerful, dominating, forceful. Passionate. Jaune felt her tongue invade his mouth once more, slithering down his throat. She grabbed him tight, bringing him in close. Pressing her body against his, he quickly became aware that he was suffocating. Yet, he didn't exactly want to break away either. It was vexing, the feelings welling up inside his chest. The tinges of terror came as black spots started to appear over his vision, when Blake finally let him go.

He dropped to the ground, gasping for air. She smiled down at him, picking him up with her tentacles.

"I guess I just take your breath away."

Jaune couldn't even summon the energy to groan at the joke.

"See, Jaune, I'm not worried about you abandoning me. Even if you tried, even if you tried your very best," she was suddenly in his face again, her lips gone and nothing but teeth exposed, teeth that latched onto his neck. "I will always be in your shadow, following you. Forever."

This time he did black out. He wasn't sure why or how, but the next moment he was being shaken by smaller, human hands. Opening his eyes, he became aware of a voice calling to him. A somewhat familiar voice.

"Are you okay? Who are you? Hello?"

Jaune's eyes shot open. Summer Rose. He was dumped at her feet, almost literally, like a dead mouse that a cat brought to its owner.

"Ma'am!" His voice was raspy, throat probably damaged by Blake. He started coughing. "Sorry, just a second." He rubbed his neck. Something that he imagined could be mistaken as hickies covered it on either side. "I'm Jaune Arc."

Summer sat back, body language wary. "What does Salem want with me now?"

"No, I don't," he started hacking. Damn it, Blake! "No. I'm the same age as your daughters. Ruby and Yang?" Jaune couldn't stop the question coming. Did Summer consider Yang her daughter?

Her face twisted into a frown. "Sure. The Witch loves to recruit you young and stupid."

"No! I hate her!" Jaune finally felt his Aura fixing his throat, the muscles easing. "I don't work for her. She trapped me here and has me...I don't even know. I don't know anything more than you do. These past few months has just been so much. So much bloodshed, so much," Jaune stopped himself, knowing that this wouldn't be the best time to talk about how intimate he was with her daughter. "Too much."

Summer's look of distrust, coming in clear even with the blindfold, did not waver. "I'm sure you've had it very hard, Mr. Arc."

Jaune sighed. "You really don't believe me, do you?"

"Would it matter if I did?" Her question made Jaune pause. She continued. "Either you're a trick by Salem, to give me false hope for some ungodly reason only she could fathom. Or you're genuinely some idiot child who fell ass-backwards into the worst place to ever exist, having to fight for life and limb while Salem's perversions whittle away your humanity and resolve." She sat back against the pillar. "Either way it goes, it doesn't matter at all."

He wanted to refute her. He wanted to say something comforting. That Ruby was being more human, that Yang was making something like progress. But looking over the bitter, defiant woman before him, who had for years suffered the knowledge that Salem twisted her daughter into a monster. A monster that didn't even remember who she was, nor care. A monster that was paraded back and forth, without respite, without end, for no sensible reason but absolute cruelty.

What could he say to her?

Oh I've made your daughter smile more, that'll help us stop the immortal witch goddess who has us at her mercy at all times.

It made his chest ache worse than any wound he suffered in his time here. "I'm sorry. I'm, even if it kills me, I'm going to save you. You and your daughters. Everyone that I can."

Summer did not soften. "It will. And you won't."

Jaune wanted to reach out for her. To embrace her and try to make her understand how genuine he was. But would that help? No, he didn't think it would. Getting to his feet, he turned to Summer one more time. "We're going to be leaving soon. Most of the surviving students. Including Ruby and Yang. We're going to the human world. Beacon, I think. I just wanted you to know."

He turned away, not expecting a reply. This was so stupid. What did he even have to say to her?

Her voice stopped him. "If," she paused, breathing in. "If you see a man named Qrow, do not engage him. Do not let him know about the girls."

Jaune blinked. "Why?"

"He will kill them. If he doesn't, Raven will."

Raven. Yang's mother. Jaune sighed.

Then a question occurred to him. "Why are you here? Why didn't Salem try to turn you into a hybrid? Kidnap your daughters?"

Summer raised her head. "I'm here, I can only guess, to test Ruby. Salem never felt the need to explain herself. The reason why we're both here, however." Summer brought her hands up to her blindfold. "Do you know the tale of Silver Eyed Warriors?"

Jaune reached back into his memory, trying to recall if he had ever heard of such a phrase. With a sad frown he shook his head. Not that it would have done the blindfolded woman any good. "No. I don't think I have."

"Ruby, and I myself, are Silver Eyed Warriors. I can only guess that Salem wanted to see if her infernal scheme could corrupt our power and render it inert. She captured Ruby because she was too young to use the power at the time, and she couldn't use me," Summer grasped the blindfold. With a tight tug, she forced it down. "Because it wouldn't have mattered either way."

Jaune, in all his time here, still had to count this as one of the most horrific sights he saw. Summer's eyes were burned out, what was left sewn back together. They looked, for whatever it was worth, clean, but still horrific. Jaune's voice caught in his throat as Summer fixed her blindfold back.

"She keeps me healthy. Makes sure I move around, feeds me. I can only guess why, maybe to keep me as close as Ruby could remember. But Salem took my eyes during my capture. Too much of a liability, even for her. I'm sure Qrow must think I'm dead, the blood that was left behind." Summer laughed, a soft, bitter laughter. "Tai must have killed himself by now. I truly have nothing left in this world but Ruby. And Salem has made sure that she's as far away from me as the moon is from its reflection in a lake."

"I'm," Jaune felt fresh tears, and renewed outrage bubble up. "I'm so, so-!"

She cut him off. "Please. If you can make Ruby smile, if you can make Yang just a bit happier...please. Do that much for them." She lowered her head as she returned to the ground. "When you die, die for them. That's all I can ask. I wish I could do as much."

Jaune wanted to save them. He wanted to save her. But, could he truly promise that to this woman? This woman who suffered so much, for so long? He closed his eyes. "I will. I promise, I will never make them cry."

"Maybe you can keep that one." Summer's head shifted. "Leave, Jaune."

Before he could ask why, Salem stepped out from the darkness. Fear, hate and every negative, ugly emotion he ever felt came to the surface all at once. Yet, here he was without armor, without weapons, standing even less of a chance of doing anything than usual. Salem smiled at him.

"You've been doing well, Jaune. I'm very proud of you." She looked down at Summer, resting a hand on her head. "Run along now, I have to speak with my guest."

"If you-!" Jaune suddenly found Seer Grimm grabbing him up by his limbs, dragging him up the stairs. "Salem!"

She smiled as Jaune was dragged away. "He's a sweet boy. Very emotional. He's done wonders for Ruby, you would be so proud. Maybe not of how often he's fornicated with her, but..."

Summer rose to her feet, glaring at the woman without the eyes she long ago lost. "Are you here to kill me?"

"Of course not. That will be Ruby's job, when she returns."

Abruptly he was thrown out into the hall, unharmed and untouched. Screaming, he punched the stone floor, shattering it.

"Do mind your little temper tantrums, Mr. Arc," the dry accent of Watts called out.

Jaune sprung to his feet, heart jackhammering in his chest. Watts was carrying a pack, holding it out to him. "You're not here to-?"

Again he was cut off. "Child, I have better things to do with my time than to entertain your sadomasochistic need for punishment. Within is your new gear and weapons, take them and prepare. You will be expected to leave soon."

He shoved the pack into Jaune's arms. The weight surprised him. Turning to leave, he stopped for a moment. "I was unable to fashion you a new shoulder pauldron in time, so you will have to make do with one. I considered adding gold trim to this new armor of yours, but it seemed a touch gouache. Enjoy, Mr. Arc, and do us all proud."

Somehow the man managed to sneer those final words.

Jaune fell back against a wall, sinking to the ground. Even here, even now, so close to something like freedom, he was still Salem's pawn.

For the first time in a long time, Ruby was nervous. Not about going to the Kingdom of Vale. No, she wouldn't be nervous as long as she had Jaune by her side. A real life human, and more than just that, a human who loved her, would ensure that she was able to fit in and succeed there. No, her reasons for being nervous were far more personal.

Her mother had summoned her.

As Ruby ascended the steps, she wondered what it was that Salem wished to speak to her about. It couldn't have been concerning Jaune's true nature. After all, Salem would have been the first to know out of everyone that he wasn't one of her children. She would have been the one who allowed him to attend this school in the first place. So the question was, why was she being summoned so close to their departure for Vale?

Maybe she had grown too close to a human? But would that make sense considering her mission in life? A mission to infiltrate the kingdoms of men and get close to humans? Then again, those missions were all just ruses. She and her siblings would merely be playing roles in a greater plan. Her love for Jaune on the other hand was genuine. And maybe that was the problem.

She swallowed hard. She hoped against hope that Salem would not tell her that she couldn't love Jaune. That she couldn't be with him. That what they had was wrong, and that his life did not play a part in her plan.

Her plan.

A plan which revolved around hatred. Negativity. Destruction. Ruby had been having her doubts about the merit of such a plan. Why hate when love was the better way? Love had made Ruby finally feel at peace with herself and her life. Love had brought a human and a Grimm hybrid together when her natural instinct should have been to kill him. Love had brought Yang back to her when the girl's Aura had been unlocked. Love was the right way. Not whatever Salem's plan was.

A chill ran through her body. Did her mother know? Did she know that Ruby had her doubts? Would she be punished for daring to go against her mother's wishes, even only in thought?

She would soon find out. The doors to Salem's chamber stood closed before her. All she needed was the prompt to enter.

It came eerily in sync with when Ruby's feet came to stand upon the final step of the staircase. The door slowly opened inward as if a stiff breeze moved it, and the redhead took it as her cue to step inside. Like so many other places in the academy, dark candles lit a room bathed in the swirling red and purple light of the sky. Sparse pieces of black furniture, carved from obsidian itself, stood in the center of the room. There, all the way on the other side, Salem stood with her back to the new arrival, looking out a window with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Ruby," the woman greeted in an almost motherly tone. One which betrayed her position as the Queen of the Grimm. "Thank you for coming."

Queen of the Grimm. Only now did Ruby remember that she was still in her human form. Should she perhaps revert back to her true form in front of her mother? Would appearing human before her be some sort of offense to the woman who created her?

She didn't get a chance to transform before Salem turned around, glowing red eyes regarding the girl before her. "You look lovely today, my child."

Ruby felt butterflies in her stomach. Apparently her human form did not bother Salem in the slightest. "T-thank you," the girl replied meekly.

Salem glided toward her, unseen feet concealed by a long, flowing black dress. Ruby wondered if she was even walking at all, or if some sort of magic moved her instead.

"Do you have any questions concerning your mission to Vale?"

Questions? The only questions Ruby had were concerning the very nature of their existence. Why choose hate over love? Why choose destruction over protecting those you care for? Of course she could not bring up such philosophical nonsense to Salem. Even if there was time for it, she wasn't sure how the woman would react to the challenge.

"Uh, nope," Ruby said. "I think we're good."

A warm smile graced Salem's lips. "Very well. Rest assured, Ruby, you are in good hands on your mission. Jaune will look after you, Yang, and Weiss."

Positivity welled in Ruby's stomach. Yes. Jaune would be there for her. Just as she was there for him. "Because he's human, right?"

The smile on Salem's face did not waver. "Yes. He has played his role here to perfection. The fact that you did not murder him on the spot when you learned that he was human proves that. He was able to influence you and your sisters in a way that mere classroom education would have never been able to duplicate. He has helped you all foster the humanity within you."

Ruby couldn't help but smile herself. Yes, Jaune had certainly done that. He had found a lonely, savage girl and made a human out of her. Where she had once dined exclusively on raw meat and bone marrow, now she enjoyed the delicacies of human cuisine. Especially cookies. She desperately wanted to eat cookies once they got to Vale. Apparently there was such a vast variety of flavors and recipes that it would be impossible to try them all in one sitting. She couldn't wait to enjoy more of what humanity had to offer.

"I really like him," she admitted embarrassedly.

Salem came to stand before her, and a delicate white hand came up to Ruby's chin. She raised the girl's head so that the two could stand eye to eye. "I know you do. And for his services to my cause, he will be rewarded."

Silver eyes lit up. "Rewarded? How?"

"You're special, my child. As a result your bond with Jaune is second to none. I'm sure he feels the same way about you."

Heat crept up on Ruby's face, her skin darkening from the sudden flow of blood. To not only be praised as special, but to have her special bond with Jaune acknowledged, made her blood pump and her heart flutter.

"Maybe," she agreed, her tone bashful and low.

Salem's fingers left Ruby's chin, and the woman turned around, walking back over to one of the windows in the room. "When you return from your mission to Vale, I will personally see to it that the two of you are married. I will preside over the ceremony myself."

Ruby's breath caught in her throat. Married! She and Jaune were going to be married! By Salem herself!

Wait, what was married?

"Does this sound acceptable to you, Ruby? An appropriate reward for the boy's services?"

It sounded acceptable. Salem apparently thought it was. She made it seem like a big deal. Ruby wasn't about to question it by admitting she didn't know what it was. She didn't want Salem to dare reconsider the offer.

Ruby nodded furiously. "Yes. Yes, mother. Very acceptable! I can't wait to marry Jaune!"

Never mind the fact that she didn't know what she was accepting. Jaune would, however. She wondered if he would agree to such a thing, knowing what getting married was.

Salem turned back around to regard her creation. "Very good."

Ruby smiled and nodded, her gaze falling to the floor after acknowledging her mother's approval. One could never stare for too long into the intense crimson eyes of Salem. Even her own children.

"Thank you," the hybrid offered timidly. "We won't disappoint you in Vale." Even if Ruby secretly wondered if that meant choosing the wrong path.

"I know you won't. Now hurry along. It's a long flight to Vale."

Ruby nodded and turned to leave. Her chosen teammates were probably waiting for her as it was. She didn't think any of them had a special audience with Salem scheduled. Unless maybe she planned to marry Weiss and Yang to Jaune as well? Somehow, despite not knowing what it was, Ruby didn't think that was the case. It seemed to be because he shared a special bond with herself that he didn't with any of the others.

Not even stupid Blake being the one to get his stupid first kiss. Or stupid Weiss being the one to stupidly mate with him first. None of that mattered. What she herself shared with Jaune went far beyond physical affection. They had an emotional bond that went deeper than any of the other girls. That was probably why Salem would marry the two of them.

Just before reaching the door, Ruby was stopped in her tracks by her mother's voice. "And Ruby."

She pivoted on her heel to face the Queen once more. "Yeah?"

"You are going to make me so proud," Salem said warmly. "I can't wait to see what you're capable of."

Ruby didn't know how or why, but she wasn't about to turn down praise from her mother. "Thank you. I'll do my best. I promise."

"I know you will, child. I know you will."

Salem turned back, and Ruby took this as her cue that it was okay to leave. She stepped outside the doors and breathed a sigh of relief. All in all, that had been a very nice talk. Salem even approved of her and Jaune being together! And getting married! She couldn't wait to tell Jaune!

She only hoped that he would agree that it was a good thing.

"Jaune, what's married?"

Jaune had heard and seen a lot of strange things since coming to this school. But hearing Ruby's question still caught him off guard.

He turned to regard the curious silver eyes of the girl next to him. They stared up at him, innocence and wonderment radiating from her as her question hung in the air.

"What?" he asked in turn.

"Married," she repeated. "What does it mean to be married?"

It was an odd question. Not simply because of the content of it, but just because... well, they were in the middle of something.

Jaune along with Ruby, Weiss, and Yang were strolling outside along a long and narrow platform which led to the air ship landing pad. Like the heroes in an action movie walking in slow motion as they approached the transportation which would take them on their final mission. To the climax of the third and final act.

The last time Jaune had been here was when Tyrian had taken him out to fight in the wild lands. To live or die at the claws and fangs of the creatures of Grimm. Live he had, along with a whole slew of things. He had unlocked his Aura. He had discovered his Semblance. Jaune Arc had transformed into a vulnerable, useless human into someone who could protect himself. He had grown so much since that day. He could hardly believe that months had passed by. He could hardly believe that he was finally going home.

For now, at least...

"Marriage," he started, not quite knowing where to go with it.

To him it was such a simple concept that it needed no explanation. For a Grimm hybrid, however, who was perfectly comfortable with having a relationship similar to a pride of lions, would the idea of monogamy and pledging oneself to another for life be alien to her?

"It figures that a child like you wouldn't know what marriage is," Weiss interjected.

Or maybe not. Apparently Weiss knew what it was. If he had to guess Yang did as well. Maybe it was only Ruby who wasn't in the know. As advanced as she was in some areas, she was also lacking in real world knowledge compared to her sister.

"What is it then, Weiss?" Ruby challenged. Apparently she had not taken the other girl's slight well. "If you're so smart."

The white-haired girl nodded confidently. "Marriage. Also known as the old ball and chain."

Jaune raised his eyebrows. In all honesty he was surprised Weiss was familiar with such an idiom. "I'm impressed, Weiss."

Weiss stuck her nose up in the air, as haughty as ever. "You underestimate me, Jaune. I'll have you know that my extensive research of human customs knows no limitations."

No limitations, sure. But there was often a major disconnect between Weiss' interpretation of her studies and reality.

"What does a ball and chain have to do with anything?" Ruby asked.

"From my understanding, once a male is married to a female he is given a large ball and chain to wield," she explained. "Presumably in order to protect his new Mate and offspring from outside threats. The ball and chain may also be worn on the ankle as a status symbol to show other females that he has been claimed."

A grin was quickly creeping onto Jaune's face. Never change, Weiss. Never change.

"The ankle clasp may also be painted gold. This is what's known as a wedding band. The female will wear a matching golden ankle clasp studded with precious stones."

"Whoa, that's so cool," Ruby breathed in amazement. Her attention returned to Jaune. "That means Salem's going to give you a brand new weapon?"

Wait, what? "A new weapon?"

"Yeah. A ball and chain now in addition to your sword. I guess it's important to have options when it comes to protecting your Mate."

Jaune was seriously lost now. "Wait, how did this turn into me getting a ball and chain?"

"Because we're getting married, duh!"

Jaune stopped. With him the three others did as well. "What?"

Ruby smiled and nodded. "Yeah! Salem said that when we come back she's going to marry us! Isn't that great?"

Married? At his age? To... a Grimm hybrid? Jaune wasn't about to start getting cold feet about being in a relationship with both Ruby and Weiss, but marriage? Would that even be legally binding?

He loved Ruby. He loved her dearly. But the idea of marriage was something that had never even crossed his mind. And now that it had, he didn't even know if it was possible. But apparently it was. Apparently if Salem herself had said so, then it was a fully approved concept for both her and the hybrids.

She seemed excited about it. He didn't want to rain on her parade, especially before they would be taking a long flight to Vale. "That sounds great," he agreed.

The redhead grabbed onto his arm with hers, pressing herself against him and hugging him tight. Her head came to rest on his shoulder. "She said it was your reward for doing such a good job."

A good job. A good job as a human surviving in this monstrous place. The words were unsaid, but Jaune knew what was implied. He had been brought here to perform a duty. To aid Ruby and everyone else in their training and education. They had all come such a long way since he arrived. He had done an admirable job in his assigned task. Apparently this was his reward.

He supposed it was better than being disposed of once his purpose was fulfilled. It was a better fate than what had happened to Summer...

Jaune shook his head. At the moment there was nothing he could do about that problem. He would save Summer, but for now he had to focus on Ruby. He had to focus on those he actually could protect. Summer would come later. Right now he had to make Ruby and her own happiness his top priority.

Jaune decided to play off Ruby's words as the lie he had perpetuated since day one. Of being the strongest hybrid in the school. "Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense. Being the strongest hybrid and all."

Ruby's head came up before she looked up into his eyes. A knowing smile crept on her lips. She was in on the lie. She was in the know of what he had just said.

"Yup. The biggest, strongest, and best hybrid I know..."

Time seemed to stand still as he gazed into those loving silver eyes of hers. Getting married to Ruby? Even if it turned out to be little more than a shotgun wedding on Salem's part, he knew that he could do far worse than her. Ruby loved him for him, and he loved her for her. It transcended the fact that he was a human and she was a hybrid.

But what was Salem's game here? Why would she promise to marry Ruby to him when they returned? There was something he was missing. He just couldn't fathom what.

A sudden pressure from beneath his and Ruby's linked arms separated them, and to his surprise a head of White hair sprang up in between them like a submarine surfacing from the ocean's waves.

"Excuse me, but where do you get off discussing marriage with Ruby and not myself?" Weiss asked disdainfully. "As your first mate, I believe that I should be in this discussion."

Weiss stood between them now as they walked. A look past her revealed a confused, but surprisingly not angry expression on Ruby's face. Jaune refocused on Weiss, wanting to resolve whatever jealousy issues she seemed to have.

"Is getting married something you want too?" he asked.

The girl nodded. "If Salem plans on officially making you and Ruby Mates for life then I wish to become one as well."

Mates for life. It seemed that despite her ball and chain misunderstanding, Weiss did indeed know what the concept of marriage truly entailed.

Again he looked at Ruby. She didn't seem displeased by the idea. The pack mentality of the hybrids struck again, it seemed. Official relationships or not, they appeared fine with the idea of sharing.

"You guys are so gross," a surprisingly quiet Yang spoke up. "Next you'll be talking about having kids."

Kids. Weiss had apparently been so into the idea of baring his children that she had constructed a nest. Never mind that she seemed to be completely clueless about how the process actually went. Her knowledge was a mishmash of factual information from not only human reproduction, but that of a number of different animals as well. It would probably come as quite a surprise to Weiss that children were not born of eggs. That a snipe was not involved at all. Rather, it involved nine hard months of carrying the child inside of her before a painful birth.

Would Weiss be so into the idea if she realized the harsh truth of what came with pregnancy?

"Indeed," Weiss agreed. "And I have already decided that the first son I bare shall be named Jaune 2."

"Jaune 2?" he questioned.

"Precisely. A worthy name to carry on your legacy of strength and power. Wouldn't you agree?"

He wouldn't. He was about to suggest that his hypothetical son simply be named Jaune Jr., but was cut off before such an explanation could be voiced.

"Look, I'm gonna start gagging if you guys talk about your little brats the whole way to Vale," Yang said. "Can't you just talk about something normal like fucking for the fun of it instead of making kids?"

Sure, Yang. Because that kind of conversation was normal.

"Very well," Weiss agreed. Her attention returned to him. "Jaune, I wish to discuss with you a potential schedule so that Ruby and I may most efficiently share you. Or at the very least, come up with a solution so that we do not need to fight over lower horn rights while mating with you at the same time. Our post-dance intimacy was a fiasco that I do not wish to replicate any time soon."

Stepping up into the Bullhead, Jaune sighed.

Yeah. This was going to be a long flight. For their pilot Hazel's sake, he hoped that they wouldn't insist on joining the mile high club today.

Author's Note: Oops I did it again. I meant to get this out yesterday, but was unable to do so. But better late than never, right?

Speaking of yesterday, I did post something! Do you like smutty Nora's Arc? If you do, then you should definitely check out my new story called Hands-on Education! And if you like cracky White Knight, I posted a new one shot called Jaune's Schneecret Admirer last week too!

Now that the self-promotion is out of the way, I want to thank everyone for reading. And thanks to Burkion and Lightningstrxu as always for their contributions, no matter how big or small they may be from chapter to chapter.

Weiss' ball and chain misunderstanding is one of my favorites. I don't know why, but I just love it. I love her ignorance as a whole. She's always a joy to write.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, as well as the rest of the chapter, as much as I did. Let me know if you did! Thanks.