A/N: EDIT: Flames will be flames, I suppose.

Made some edits too for content's sake, not that anyone noticed.

I just wanted to make people happy, to put a smile of the faces of my readers... T_T

As ever, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story for the time being.

Sad as it might sound, if folks don't like this, it'll be deleted. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? POOF! Gone. Completely. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. I'm working two jobs, trying to keep a roof over my family's head, and at the end of the day this is very much a HOBBY. I simply don't have time to write a story no one likes, and feedback sustains me...

Of course, reviewing is your choice. I can't force you.

Now lets move onto your questions, comments and concerns:

Q: More Arc children!

A: We still have two that haven't been revealed, don't worry.

Q: Do you have a Pa treon?

Still on the fence about that, very much so...

Q: Will we see anymore of the Arc daughters?

A: *zips lips*

Q: Pushy!Pyrrha is best Pyrrha? And why is she so blasted forward in this story?!

A: There's a reason for that; you'll just have to wait and see. And I wouldn't call this forward. She's just a bit more...blunt than usual.

Q: What about Velvet?!

A: She's not been forgotten, don't you worry. Her time is a coming.

Q: How fast is this story going to move?

A: As we've seen it varies from chapter to chapter. That said, we're moving up a few weeks now after that spar...

Q: IS PORT THAT GUY?!

A: *zips lips* I aiiiiiiin't saying a thing!

Q: You're not going to ship Naruto with anyone else in this story, are you?

A: As I said, no. No harem for Naruto in this story.

As for Jaune's choice, and HIS pairing...

...that remains to be seen.

Q: Anymore Arcane references?

A: Not many. I'm trying to control myself.

Q: Who visited Jaune?! Which sister!

A: Read and see~!

Alright then, I think I've kept you long enough.

As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. Now off we go.

Oh...and one last thing...because I nearly forgot to mention it... SMUG RUBY IS BEST RUBY.

There's some minor verbatim from Volume One here, but its nice to see the show on the other foot for once...

"He'll make a fool of himself, Father. I can take care of it for you, track him down. It;ll be easy."

"Child, you don't give your brother nearly enough credit. Jaune's a smart kid."

"Is he? Is he really? He's too soft. Too kind. Too...nice."

"Kindness is a strength in its own right."

...I'll take your word for it."

~A Discussion.

Just a Little Misunderstanding

He'd finally narrowed it down.

Naruto considered the dossiers sprawled across on the desk before him with a smile that would've put Salem herself to shame. Face limned by flickering candlelight, he reached out and shuffled two aside, leaving three upon the worn wooden frame. Perhaps that was old-fashioned of him, using something like a candle in the dead of night when he could simply turn on the light. But he wouldn't.

Wouldn't do to wake Juniper, after all. She needed her rest.

Still, her slumber didn't stop in form humming in satisfaction. "Gotcha now, ya bastard...

No reply, which meant the bulk of Kurama's attention was focused elsewhere for the moment. Likely on Jaune. Say what you would about the old fox, but he was a good uncle. How he managed to split his focus between so many children he'd never know but it was nothing short of a godsend for him.

"Cheeky fox." he stifled a yawn behind his palm. "Off having the time of his life with Jaune, and here I am doing all the work."

Weary blue eyes flitted back to the papers. Just a little more, then he could sleep. Three lists. Three pictures. Three names. Three individuals -narrowed down out of dozens by him Pietro!- each of whom might be responsible for striking at his home using Atlas resources. No one else possessed the authority, the means, or the method to manipulate the Atlesian council. Ironwood had been a suspect for a time, but sheer ineptitude ruled him out at last. What manner of general would throw away a winning hand like that? No, like it or not, he was innocent in this.

He burned his photo over the candle and let wind carry the ashes out the window.

Next came Jacques Schnee. He'd only ever met the man once during a brief trip to Atlas. It hadn't been a pleasant encounter...for Jacques. That had been, what, fifteen years ago? He'd left him with a bruised ego and a black eye besides. The less said about that the better. He seemed the sort to hold a grudge, but in the same vein, he didn't think Jacques knew where he lived. Still he had pull in Atlas. Enough to command the Ace Ops? Unlikely. But he might be able to put pressure on someone who could.

He kept his dossier and slid it aside, just in case. Which left his final suspect.

Arthur Watts. He hadn't been familiar with the name until Pietro revealed it to him. A disgraced scientist; a man who, by all rights, should be dead. Pietro believed otherwise and while he trusted in his pupil, he'd done his own research. What he'd managed to dig up hadn't been pleasant. Watts was the worst sort of man. Arrogant, vengeful, and worst of all, greedy.

But again, why strike at him? They'd never met. He would've remembered a mustache like that.

Blue eyes flitted back to Jacques' dossier, considering a new angle. Were they working together? He tapped at his desk with one finger. It seemed unlikely. And yet the notion nagged at him. It was possible. Unlikely, but possible. Maybe they wanted him to go after James? Should he track them down, root them out and demand answers? The prospect was tempting.

No, he shook his head. That would leave his family unprotected.

Saphron was strong, but she was also very distracted at the moment thanks in no small part to Terra. Sable and Sabrina were still volatile. Vaylin cared only for her training. The others were too young; those who weren't lacked the strength to take command in his absence. Juniper was good, she was very good but he wasn't willing to leave her with the kids.

His finger stopped tapping.

"Child could do it...but she's gotten so unpredictable lately...

Little bundle of chaos, that girl. He'd need to keep an eye on her. Why Juniper had insisted on naming one of their girls that, he'd never know.

Slim arms wrapped around him, enfolding him in a warm embrace. Naruto found his thoughts slipping as something soft pressed against his shoulders.

"Come back to bed, love." Juniper's voice was the sweetest melody, her lips caressing the outer lob of his ear. "I'm cold."

Naruto blew out a sigh, snuffed out the candle, and let her tug him out his chair. "Sorry, didn't mean to worry you...

"Worry?" She laughed and kissed his cheek. "You can worry me all night long."

Heat crept up the back of his neck. Insatiable succubus. "Juniper!"

Laughter trickled through the night. He could wrangle more answers in the morning.

Now if Jaune could just stay out of trouble a little while longer...

So long as he didn't catch anyone's attention...


(.0.0.0.)


Pyrrha was sulking.

Jaune could see it in the twitch of her jaw. Feel it as her fingers gripped his wrist. Hear it as she stalked up the steps, tugging him along behind her. He could have broken her grip at any time; tore his arm free and bolted for safety. But he didn't. He felt no need. It was both confusion and curiosity that held him back.

Jaune knew she was sulky. Even blind man could see that!

But for the life of him, he just couldn't figure out why. Had he done something to upset her? Nothing came to mind. Things had been good. Better than good. He was settling in; making friends, finding his way through lessons with decent grades. Weiss was...not exactly friend to him these days per se, but not frosty either. Better yet, neither of them had been called up for a spar since their bout last week.

Funny how seven days could just fly by like that.

So why, why, why was Pyrrha taking him up to the roof now in the middle of the night? And why did she have her weapons? Moreover, why did he need his?!

Kurama creaked an eye open and uttered a jaw popping yawn. "I thought that would be obvious...

Jaune groaned inwardly. "Enlighten me!"

"Nope." came the cackle. "More fun this way."

Jaune knew he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed; hell, he'd be the first to admit this fatal flaw in himself. His sisters often ran rings around him outside of combat. He could fight well -really well!- but while he held an excellent grasp in the realm of tactics and warfare, other concepts escaped him. Still having so many sisters made him more adroit in other areas, too.

...Pyrrha?" His voice warbled a little when he nearly missed a step. "Are you mad?"

"No." she wouldn't look at him as she eased the door open. "Whatever gave you that idea?" Softer, she muttered something else under her breath. "Sneaky Schnee...

Jaune frowned. What did Weiss have to do with this?

"Really? You're asking that? You held her after she lost to you. Is it any wonder someone noticed?"

His brow furrowed further, growing stormy with confusion. What was there to notice?! Her aura had been exhausted at the time. She might've hurt herself or worse; dashed her skull against the ground. Why was everyone reading into every little thing he did?!

Kurama only laughed all the louder.

In the end he let Pyrrha lead him out -because they were most certainly outside now- and found at least one question answered. A final door parted before them; then he found himself looking up at the shattered moon, at the distant spire of Beacon tower in the distance. A brief glance merely confirmed his suspicions. She'd let him out to one of the many rooftops that dotted the dorms. He could see the faint glimmering light of an open window below them, a light that slammed off the moment they drew near.

...Pyr?" she jolted a little when he used her nickname. "Was it something I did?"

Pyrrha Nikos did not huff, but she did let go of his hand and move to the edge of the roof.

Everybody panic!

Oi!

"Pyrrha, don't!" he made a blind grab, caught her by the shoulder and pulled her back. "I know you're going through a hard time, but this isn't the answer. You have so much to live for!"

"What're you talking abo-no!" Her face drained of all color as she realized what he meant. "That's not why I brought you up here!" She wriggled free, stepped back from the edge and gripped her left wrist hard enough to make the bone creak. "I wanted to ask you something! I didn't come up here to do that!"

Jaune released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Alright. Go on," he stabbed both hands in his pockets, fighting down a tremor of relief, "Shoot."

She dithered for a moment, looked him dead in the eye, and did just that. "In that last fight...you held back, didn't you...

Jaune's world ground to a halt. Panic bleated through his brain, drowning out any and all hope of sense. She knew. He didn't know how, but she did. Kurama shouted something at him, but he couldn't hear the old fox over the roaring in his ears. He had to leave. That meant knocking her out, but what then? She'd tell everyone! Did he take her with him? Oh gods, dad would kill him...!

...and that's alright!"

Pretty redhead say what now?

The world reasserted itself, leaving the faint taste of sick in Jaune's mouth. He choked it down. Pyrrha must've said something else in the interim, but he didn't hear her. He was too startled.

"Jaune," she stepped forward and touched a hand to his shoulder. "Its alright," his teammate reiterated. "I understand."

"You do...?"he choked once, swallowed, then shook his head. "No, wait, how did you...?"

"It wasn't hard." her hand came away from his shoulder to gesture grandly. "You hesitated at key moments," she counted down on her fingers. "More than once I saw you catch yourself, move slower than you should. You could've ended that bout at lease nine different ways, but you let her aura bleed out instead...

Heat hit his cheeks. "Well, yeah, I could've handled that a bit better...

"Because you were training her." she finished with a knowing air.

Know what?! She knew nothing!

Jaune's jaw clicked open and snapped shut thrice as fast. Training Weiss? Helping her?! Him?! He didn't have any of that in mind at the time; shameful as it sounded he'd been far too busy enjoying himself, relishing the chance to fight. Maybe Pyrrha didn't have the whole picture. Maybe that was a good thing. If she thought he'd been pulling his punches, if she didn't know the truth of what he really was, if she didn't see...

"Maybe that's a good thing."

M-Maybe it was. His anxiety began to evaporate. This was a horrid misunderstanding, but anything was better than him being outed.

"That's why I want to fight you." his partner put in. "At your best."

The anxiety came crashing back through the door! It brought roommates!

Red-say-what-now?

"We can train up here, after class!" she chirruped, missing his confusion entirely. "Where no one can bother us."

Jaune bit back a groan. Why did everyone want to fight him? Was this a rite of passage or something?

And why was Kurama cackling in the back of his head?!

"Jaune, everybody needs a little push from time to time." Mistaking his silence for reluctance, Pyrrha prattled on. "It doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. You made it to Beacon! That speaks volumes of what you're capable of." her eyes all but shone with glee. "We all saw your skill!"

Jaune winced. This was the moment. He could tell her the truth. Open up. Surely she'd understand.

You're wrong. A little voice bleated in the back of his head. I don't belong here. I wasn't really accepted into Beacon. I didn't go to combat school, I didn't pass any tests, I didn't earn my spot at this academy! I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts and I lied, just to fulfill my dream!

But he couldn't. He didn't dare. It would ruin everything. And he wasn't ready to give this up.

"Yeah." instead, he scratched the back of his head forced a smile to his face, fake as false glass. "I guess you're right-

"I'm not normal either, Jaune."

That got him blinking for all the wrong reasons. "Eh?"

"My family...there's a reason I left Mistral." Green eyes rose, holding his. "Left them. I didn't want anything to do with their legacy. I didn't want to be their champion." She scuffed a foot against the rooftop, tried to speak, then thought better of it. "You're running from something too, aren't you?"

Her words struck dangerously close to home.

"C'mon, a little late night exercise will do wonders for your spirit." she bounded once on her heels. "It always does for me."

Jaune shelved his suspicions." ...You just wanna fight me, don't you?"

"Perhaps." Her smile was almost cheeky. "Is that something a normal girl would do?

Unbidden, he found himself returning it; all too eager for a distraction. "Ohhh, you're gonna get it!"

He'd explain eventually. Honest, he would! He just...needed the right words. But here? Now? He just...he couldn't.

And so he made the first move, striking at her shoulders in a vicious, if telegraphed arc she was almost certain to see and counter.

Pyrrha's shield whistled at his head in a bronze discus of death, forcing him to abort his charge or risk being shortened by a head. Jaune was quick to turn out of its path and quicker still to raise his shield when it came back around. He slapped it out of the air when it boomeranged back, only to wince when she twisted it at the last seconds, stinging his fingers.

"Hey!" He recoiled with a wince.

His partner winced. "I'm sorry...

Pyrrha really was; she only ever threw her shield when she was angry. Just another one of her tells. She wasn't a bad person. She just...got a little too intense sometimes.

Thankfully she couldn't do the same to his weapons. Chakra metal couldn't be manipulated by whatever the hell her semblance was. Pyrrha called it polarity, but it seemed more magnetism than anything else. She rarely used it, and he could see why. In a world where nearly everyone used metal weapons, her semblance was a literal life hack, one she refused to use on anyone's weapon.

At least she had a Semblance.

He still didn't know what his was, or if he'd ever unlock it. Perhaps that was vain of him, with all his gifts and powers, to want more. But he did. Every huntsman had a semblance. Even jerks like Cardin. Of course, he couldn't tell anyone that he didn't have a semblance, because everyone assumed he did. His so-called "Semblance" allowed him to explain away all his esoteric abilities.

Pyrrha closed with him again and such thoughts shattered as their shields struck.

They collided in a steady percussion of blows, steel striking steel, the crackle of dust and chakra. Pyrrha was on an entirely different level than Weiss. You hit her, and she hit back twice as hard. She was a red and bronze dervish of death and against her unrestrained strength, Jaune found he actually had to try. It was glorious. Fun, even!

She gave as good as she got, meeting him almost blow for blow.

Chambering a kick, she vaulted off his shield and landed behind him. Jaune whirled to meet her, already knowing she had the drop on him. He could have sped away, but he didn't. Instead he leaned in and let her blade whistle by. Several golden hairs fluttered to the ground. His eyes widened. Had she gotten faster just now?

He blurred with a roar, and Pyrrha matched it with a cry of her own.

Her sword tickled the underside of his chin; in the same moment he pressed the inert hilt of Crocea Mors to her stomach. Pyrrha looked down and balked. In a real fight, a single flick of his finger would've ignited the blade and run her through. Thankfully he had more control of his weapon than most. A rare grin flitted past his lips at the reminder.

Gasping for air, bodies slicked in sweat, neither moved.

Pyrrha swallowed and Jaune, his senses still hyper-sensitive from their bout, watched a tiny bead of sweat roll down her chin, race across her neck and plunge into the valley of her-gah! Bad brain! Blackest betrayal! Most foul treachery!

His gaze snapped up hastily, only to find her admiring his chest, eyes half-lidded.

Green eyes met his and flitted away anxiously, caught in the act, just as he had been. "Um...well fought?"

"You fight good." Jaune cursed himself for the slip and clamped his mouth shut, but it was too late to take the words back.

Damnit! Not his tongue, too?!

Pyrrha perked up. "Better than Weiss?"

The answer seemed obvious. "Well, yeah. Way more intense!"

Weiss liked to retreat and fight from a higher ground, use her glyphs to barrage her opponent and wear them down. Not so Pyrrha. She got right up in your face. There was no time to think or strategize, just the mindless whirl of combat and the prayer that you were fast enough to keep up. Anyone else would've been mowed down. It was only his genes -and the ruthless training he'd endured!- that allowed him to stand against her in the first place.

Pyrrha made happy Pyrrha noises and settled back into a stance. "Again?"

Jaune nearly guffawed, yet found himself mirroring her regardless. "You're not tired?"

She smiled, a pure girlish thing that made her seem more real, somehow. "I'm told I have a lot of stamina."

At some unspoken signal they lunged again.

Maybe he was living a lie.

Maybe it was selfish of him to cling to it.

Maybe this would ruin everything someday. But not today.


(.0.0.0.)


Ozpin considered the footage.

Rewound it. Once. Twice.

Considered it again.

Keen eyes observed watched images of Initiation, paired with last weeks duel. Perhaps it had been foolish of him to put cameras in the training room. That had been a lifetime ago. So many lives ago, when Beacon was all too new, and the agents of Salem were everywhere. That threat may have lessened with time, but the danger Salem posed had not.

He raised the mug to his lips, drank deeply, and frowned as he watched.

Did the Arc boy have magic? He didn't want to consider it, and yet the notion persisted...

Those skills went beyond a mere Semblance; they defied the realm of possibility, of imagination itself.

.

..

...

...for all his failures, did he not have children after Salem? Before he split his power, before the Maidens? He certainly had, but he'd believed that bloodline long extinguished. Salem had seen to it...or so he'd thought. Was it possible? Had she missed one? He considered Arc's profile anew. It seemed almost too good to be true. The eyes, the shape of his face, the way he carried himself, and those unexplained skills...

His mug fell from his fingers and clattered to the floor, spilling hot chocolate on his shoes.

Ozpin scarcely noticed. In the end, only one awful thought occurred to.

...does this make me a great grandfather?"


(.0.0.0.)


A scroll rang in the dark.

Someone retrieved it from the table.

"You failed." An angry rasp greeted them. "Don't disappoint me again."


(.0.0.0.)


"You're staring again, Ruby."

"Am I?" came the happy chirrup. "Am I really?"

"Yes," Weiss fought down a yawn as she ran a comb through her hair. Her reflection gazed back at her, and her partner behind it. "Is there something you'd like to ask me?"

Say what you would about Ruby Rose, but she had far too much energy in the morning. Her illustrious leader didn't so much leap out of her bunk as she did vault, landing at her side in a cloud of red petals. Weiss waved them away with a glyph and continued her routine, refusing to be budged.

Ruby was doing all the budging. "You're not still mad at Jaune, are you?"

Ice blue eyes rolled. "No, Ruby."

"Cuz its been a week and all, and you've barely talked to him...

A long suffering sigh. "Yes, Ruby."

Honestly! Her partner meant well but she could be such a child at times.

"So, are you and Jaune cool now, or...?"

"He is a capable combatant." she allowed at last.

Silver eyes flashed with glee. "Not what you said earlier."

Heat hit her face like a physical slap. Well! No one was perfect. Not even her. Besides, he'd helped to...not unlock her Semblance, for she already had it, but to...oh, what was the word? Progress? Evolve! Ha! Perhaps that was the word. She was making great strides there.

"Am I not allowed a mistake?"

"No, no, no!" Her remark threw her partner on the backfoot. "Of course you are!"

There was more to little Ruby Rose than met the eye. In a fight, she was downright vicious. But socially...? Well. The results spoke for themselves.

Arc was more than he appeared, too. She understood that now. Beneath the facade of an affable fool lay a cunning warrior. She had seen the mask lift in the heat of battle, if only for a moment. The fire in his eyes as they had raged back and forth across the arena, the impeccable poise with which he fought. He wasn't some brute swinging a sword around. He was trained. But by whom? She had trained with the finest blademasters this side of the world -Father's money was actually good for something!- and she didn't recognized his style. Still, if he had that kind of training, why leave home? His skills must've been valued, surely.

Perhaps he'd come to Beacon to escape from something as well.

Perhaps she had misjudged him.

Perhaps.

She scowled a little when her comb caught a snag in her hair. Gently, gracefully, she plucked it out. Time would tell, and the next time they faced one another, Weiss swore to have a few tricks of her sleeve. Now that she had awakened to the true potential of her Semblance, so too did she intend to milk her new skills for all they were worth. Perhaps another visit to the Emerald Forest was in order.

If she killed enough memorable foes, she'd have an army to fling at him in their second bout.

Winter might even answer her calls and visit. Oh, she couldn't wait to show her sister how far she'd progressed! But it wouldn't do to count her chickens before they hatched. First she needed to train, and for that she would need Dust, which meant a visit to Vale; which meant a chance to observe those arriving for the Vytal festival. Two birds with one stone! Ha! Sometimes she amazed even herself!

"She's laughing again."

"Eh, just leave her. She's lost in her own little world."

Weiss snapped back to reality with a scowl. "I heard that!"

Ruby hummed. "Yeah, well, you didn't hear what else we said.

"Heh." Yang chortled as she sprawled out on her bed. "Smug Ruby is best Ruby."

Weiss brandished her comb as one might a rapier. "You be quiet!"

"Never!"

"I don't see what all the fuss is about." Ah, and here at last their resident recluse finally piped in. "Jaune is a Faunus. There's nothing exceptional about it."

Yang and Ruby exchanged a baffled look. "He is?"

"You didn't notice?!" Blake reigned her temper in. "How else do you explain those whiskers? A human wouldn't have those."

The sisters shrugged. "Birthmark?"

"He can see near perfectly in the dark." Blake barreled on. "Remember when the power went out?"

Weiss opened her mouth to refute such a ridiculous statement...then closed it. Those whiskered cheeks were rather distinctive. If he truly was a Faunus, then he'd been rather kind. Most spat in her direction. Perhaps he'd learned to rise above such petty prejudice. If so, that was another point in his favor.

"Huh." Yang's grins promised mischief. "Maybe he is. Wonder if he has any other features under the hood."

Weiss nearly choked on her own spit. "Xiao-Long!"

Ruby, pure, innocent Ruby, offered an innocuous blink. "Under the hood?"

Yang gestured. "Well, you know-

Blake's boot belted Yang in the face, sending her partner tumbling out her bunk with a yelp. "That's not how it works!"

"Yes, yes," Weiss rolled her eyes at their shenanigans, "Well, I suppose some exceptional souls can rise above their fellows.

Blake bridled. "And what does that mean?"

Weiss shrugged. "Merely that he surprised me, that's all."

She returned to brushing her hair...and failed to see Blake glaring at her back.

Perhaps had she done so, she might have spared herself a great indignity in the days to come...


(.0.0.0.)


"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" Someone thumped him over the head with a pillow. "Its morning!"

Jaune rolled over with a groan. "Nora, no. Bad Nora. Its a weekend. Go away...

"No can do, buster!" strong hands pried the pillow away, followed by the sheets. "You've got a visitor! She came all the way from the outskirts of Vale to see her brother!"

Brother? Funny how one word can wake a man up. Icy awareness crashed down Jaune like a waterfall. He stretched out his senses and caught chakra. Familiar chakra. No. It couldn't be.

Kurama stilled in his head, then ducked for cover. "Good luck! Hiding now!"

A dark blue eye creaked open. He soon wished it hadn't.

"Hello, brother of mine." bright scarlet eyes met his across the room, framed by a halo of blond hair and a cherubic smile, "Enjoying our vacation," she took a deep, hearty bite of the riot-red apple in her hand, "Are we?" Another bite came and went, drawing a wince from him. "You were quite difficult to find." Another bite, her teeth nearly clicking together in quiet anger. "I had to stir up all sorts of chaos to track you down...

Worse, she was sitting in Pyrrha's lap like she owned it! And her!

Green eyes met his, utterly unaware of her peril. "You never told me you had such an adorable sister, Jaune."

"She's very well behaved." Ren chimed in.

"Urk." Jaune managed eloquently.

How had she even gotten in here?! Had Ozpin just...let her waltz right in?!

All wrapped up in the sort of uniform one might expect of a young prep girl's school, this "child" looked every bit an innocent angel. He didn't want to know who she'd stolen it from. This little waif looked younger than her true age would suggest, but Jaune wasn't fooled. Not for a second. Why her? Why did it have to be her of all people? He would've taken Vaylin any day over her. Even Azula, fiery as she was.

"Well?" Child, the most dangerous of all the Arc children, smiled at him. "Nothing else to say?"

He choked. Of all the sisters to find him...!

"H-Hey, big sis..."

A/N: EDIT! To clarify! Yes. That was Child. From the latest season of Young Justice. Fixed a typo here that said Injustice by mistake. And thus the eighth Arc child is revealed.

FOREVER FALL NEXT CHAPTER. And its gonna be a dooooozy. That's all I'll say.

Please read this note. It has some crucial info regarding certain tings.

Second, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule.

If folks don't like this, it'll be deleted. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? POOF! Gone. Completely. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. I'm working two jobs, trying to keep a roof over my family's head, and at the end of the day this is very much a HOBBY. I simply don't have time to write a story no one likes, and feedback sustains me...

Once again, reviews are my fuel. Without them I simply cannot write.

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review...Would You Kindly?

And enjoy the previews.

POTENTIAL ONES!

Soooo! Tell me what you want to see~!

Next time: Just a little Disaster.

(Previews)

"You're living a lie here, brother. I wonder how long it will last."

"Shhhh!"


Forever Fall was beautiful.

Red as far as the eye could see, and not a leaf of green among them. Jaune whistled.

"Come along now, students." Miss Goodwitch called ahead of them. "The forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful, but we are not here to sightsee. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect a jar of spa. And I'm here to make sure than one of you die while doing so. To that end, we've enlisted the aid of team CFVY to make certain there are no...incidents.

He could feel Velvet staring at him. She looked away the moment he shifted.


Port chortled softly. "See? What did I tell you? Remarkable, isn't he?"

"Hmm." Professor Peach offered a quiet hum, her eyes narrow. "He's more than he claims to be."

"Aren't we all, my dear?" His bushy brow waggled. "Aren't we all...?"


"Did a head count." Juniper's face was decidedly cross. "One of the girls is missing. Care to guess who?"

Naruto's head sacked the table as he groaned. He knew who.

"Eh, if its her she'll be fine.

Better than fine. It would take more than a few Grimm to harm her.

And if she tracked down Jaune, all the better...


"Definitely jealous."

"Whatever gave you that idea?

"You are!" She stabbed a finger at her.


Jaune balked,"How many people do you know?!"

"Now, now." the grain voice came through. "Your mother's the only one for me, but that doesn't mean I couldn't make a few friends "You're not in Atlas, and you're not in Vacuo. That means Mistral or Vale. Which is it, Jaune? C'mon make this easier on yourself.

Jaune's blood ran cold; turned to ice in his veins.

On a certain level he knew his Father was being generous; if Naruto Arc really wanted to hunt him down, he would have done so by now. Instead he'd given him a chance. He'd delayed. Stalled. Or perhaps events had conspired to capture his attention.

If it came to a fight, he would lose. No doubt about that.

...you know I can't tell you that, dad."

"No? I'll just ask your sister, then. Where is she?"

Jaune clammed up.

"Alright." his voice remained gentle on the other end of the line. "Answer me this, then? Which one? The blond? The brunette? The redhead? Or maybe...

...I'm hanging up now."


"Velvet, right?"

The older girl thrust something at him. "Here! For you!"

Jaune blinked down at it. "Cookies?"

Ruby slammed to her feet.

"Heresy!"


Cardin growled. "You think you're hot shit, don't you?"

Something cold flashed through Jaune.

"That's enough."


Yang's head snapped back, then snapped down thrice as fast.

Too late, Jaune saw her eyes. They were red. Like fire.

She grinned at him. "Now that's a punch! My turn!

Jaune barely got his shield up in time.

Her punch still sent him flying.

R&R~!