As Ash followed Ruby and Yang through Beacon's courtyard, he took in the grand academy, still trying to process the whirlwind of emotions from his earlier discovery. His whole life, Raven had never once mentioned having another child. And now, here he was, being practically dragged around by his newly discovered sisters.

Before he could dwell on it too much, they stopped in front of two more students—one with long black hair and a bow on her head, the other with white hair and an air of elegance.

"Blake! Weiss!" Ruby called out, waving enthusiastically. "Guess what? We have a new little brother!"

Weiss blinked, looking utterly baffled. "I'm sorry… what?"

Blake raised an eyebrow, eyeing Ash with curiosity. "You… adopted him?"

"Pretty much!" Yang said with a proud grin, slinging an arm around Ash's shoulders and pulling him close. "Meet Ash Branwen—our brand-new little bro!"

Ash coughed, feeling his face heat up. "Uh, I don't think that's how this works—"

"Too late," Ruby cut in, grinning ear to ear. "It's official. You're stuck with us now!"

Weiss crossed her arms. "That's ridiculous. You can't just claim someone as your sibling."

"Oh, can and did," Yang said smugly, ruffling Ash's hair.

Ash groaned and swatted her hand away. "Will you stop that?!"

Blake studied him for a moment before her eyes flicked to Yang. "Wait… Branwen?"

Yang's smile faltered just slightly, but she quickly masked it with her usual confidence. "Yep! Turns out we share a dear old 'mother of the year.'"

Weiss' confusion deepened. "Your mother? You never talk about her."

"And I'd like to keep it that way," Yang replied with a dismissive wave. "The important thing is, Ash is here now, and that means he gets to deal with all my big-sister energy."

Ash sighed, rubbing his temples. "This is moving way too fast…"

Blake smirked slightly. "You'll get used to it."

Ruby grinned and grabbed Ash's arm. "And now that you're part of the team, we have to celebrate! Oh! We should go get cookies!"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Of course, that's your priority."

Ash shook his head, still trying to process everything. Raven had always drilled into him to be independent, to trust no one… yet here he was, surrounded by people who, in the span of a few minutes, had decided he was family.

And the strangest part?

It didn't feel so bad.

Moments later...

The cafeteria buzzed with energy as students gathered at their tables, chatting and enjoying their meals. Ash followed Team RWBY through the large hall, still trying to wrap his head around everything that had happened since arriving at Beacon.

"Alright, little bro," Yang said with a playful grin, wrapping an arm around Ash's shoulder. "Time to meet the rest of the family."

"I'm still not sure how this 'brother' thing happened…" Ash muttered, but Ruby ignored him as she bounced ahead excitedly.

At one of the tables, four students sat, engaged in conversation. As Team RWBY approached, they looked up.

"Hey, guys!" Ruby greeted cheerfully. "We got someone new to introduce!"

The blonde boy with a goofy smile tilted his head. "Oh yeah? Who's this?"

Yang smirked. "Everyone, meet Ash Branwen—our brand-new little brother!"

Jaune blinked. "Wait… what?"

Pyrrha, the redheaded warrior, gave a polite smile. "Oh, um, it's nice to meet you, Ash."

Ash nodded, grateful for at least one normal greeting. "Nice to meet you too."

Jaune scratched his head, looking between Ash, Ruby, and Yang. "Wait a second. I'm not seeing the family resemblance here…"

"Yeah, well," Yang said with a shrug, "if you haven't noticed, Ruby and I don't exactly look alike either."

Jaune opened his mouth to argue, then paused. "…Huh. Fair point."

Before Ash could say anything, a sudden blur of orange invaded his personal space.

"OH MY GOSH! A NEW LITTLE BROTHER?!"

Ash barely had time to react before Nora latched onto his arm, grinning wildly.

"So where are you from? What do you fight with? Do you like pancakes?! Do you—"

Ash sweatdropped as he tried to keep up with the barrage of questions. "Uh—wait, what?"

Nora leaned in even closer. "Wait, wait, more importantly—ARE YOU STRONG?!"

Ash leaned back slightly, feeling overwhelmed. "I… guess?"

Nora gasped dramatically. "We HAVE to spar sometime!"

"Let's… maybe start with a normal conversation first?" Ash suggested weakly.

Before Nora could continue, Ren gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Nora, give him some space."

"Aww, but Ren—"

Ren gave her a calm but firm look.

"…Fine," Nora huffed, finally releasing Ash. "But I'm not letting this go, Branwen!"

Ash let out a small sigh of relief, sending Ren a grateful glance. "Thanks."

Ren simply nodded. "You'll get used to her."

Ash exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Everyone keeps saying that…"

Jaune chuckled. "Yeah, welcome to the chaos, man."

Yang grinned and gave Ash a playful nudge. "Told ya, lil bro, you're officially part of the family now."

Ash still wasn't sure how to feel about all this.

A few moments later...

Ash stared at the towering stack of pancakes in front of him, a single sweatdrop rolling down his temple. The golden-brown towers of fluff and syrup sat on every plate at the table, all because of one excitable girl.

"Alright, troops!" Nora declared, standing on her chair with one foot planted firmly on the table. "The rules are simple! Whoever eats the most pancakes wins, and the winner gets to make one request that everyone must obey! No exceptions!"

Weiss groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This is ridiculous. Why must I participate in such a childish game?"

"Because, Ice Queen," Yang smirked, "you don't wanna be the odd one out, do ya?"

Weiss glared. "Don't call me that."

Blake, in contrast, remained indifferent, casually flipping through a book as she nudged her stack slightly away. "I'll pass."

Jaune, however, paled. "Wait… if we eat too much, will we—y'know… explode?"

Nora gasped dramatically. "I never thought about that! What if our stomachs pop like balloons?! That would be SO COOL—"

"Nora," Ren sighed, rubbing his temples, "that's not how digestion works."

Meanwhile, Yang cracked her knuckles. "Bring it on! I've been training my stomach for a moment like this!"

Ruby bounced excitedly in her seat. "You're going down, Yang! I eat cookies all the time! Pancakes are basically the same thing!"

Ash, however, wasn't paying attention. He simply stared at his plate, a deep frown settling on his face.

This was… new.

Growing up in the Branwen Tribe, he had never experienced something like this. His life had been built on survival, rigorous training, and strict discipline. Meals were just fuel for the body, nothing more. There were no games, no pointless contests—only efficiency, necessity, and endurance.

So why… why did this simple, silly moment feel so foreign?

Ruby, sitting next to him, noticed his distant expression. She tilted her head. "Ash? You okay?"

Ash blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. He quickly shook his head and gave her a small smile. "Yeah. Just… thinking."

Ruby narrowed her eyes slightly, unconvinced. "You sure? You looked super deep in thought there."

"I'm fine," he reassured, picking up his fork. "Let's just… do this."

Ruby still looked at him curiously but decided to let it go for now.

"Alright, enough talking!" Nora announced, raising her fork like a battle cry. "On your marks… get set… EAT!"

The table erupted into chaos.

Yang and Ruby instantly dove into their pancakes, stuffing their faces with reckless abandon. Jaune took hesitant bites, still paranoid about the whole exploding stomach thing. Weiss sighed in frustration but reluctantly ate, determined not to lose to Yang of all people.

Meanwhile, Ash hesitated before taking his first bite. As the warm, fluffy texture hit his tongue, he blinked. It was… good. Sweet, soft, and unlike anything he had in the tribe.

Inside the dimly lit confines of Raven's hut, the air was thick with the scent of steel and aged wood. A single candle flickered, casting dancing shadows along the walls. Seated on a worn-out mat, Raven methodically ran a whetstone along the edge of her blade, the soft grinding sound filling the quiet space.

The entrance flap rustled, and Vernal stepped inside, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable. "You're really sure about this?" she asked, voice laced with skepticism. "Sending him to Beacon? He's still young. Inexperienced. And if the stories are true, the Fallen Maiden won't be easy to track down—let alone take."

Raven didn't respond immediately. Instead, she continued sharpening her weapon, her movements precise and deliberate. Only after a few more strokes did she pause, her crimson eyes gleaming in the candlelight.

"He'll get the job done," she stated simply. "I raised him, after all."

Vernal scoffed, leaning against the wooden beam of the hut. "Tch. You sure that's the only reason you sent him off?" A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. "Or maybe you just didn't want him hanging around long enough to start asking the wrong questions?"

Raven's grip on her sword tightened ever so slightly. "Watch your tone, Vernal," she warned, voice low.

Vernal's smirk faltered slightly, but she pressed on. "I'm just saying… What happens if he finds out? About everything?"

Silence stretched between them. Raven's jaw tensed, her fingers flexing around the hilt of her weapon.

Finally, she stood, towering over her subordinate. "He won't find out," she said firmly. "I've already made one mistake. I won't make another."

Vernal's teasing demeanor faded as she studied Raven's hardened expression. "And if he does?" she asked, quieter this time.

Raven exhaled slowly and then she answered, "Then I will have no choice but to end him."

Vernal stiffened.

"Out of love," Raven continued, her grip tightening around her blade. "I will not lose him… not to her, not to Ozpin—not to anyone. If that means cutting him down before he turns against me… then so be it."

For the first time, Vernal had no snarky remark. She simply stared at her leader, trying to read the emotions hidden behind that cold, unyielding mask.

She wasn't sure if she saw strength… or fear.

"…If that's what you think love is," Vernal muttered before turning on her heel and walking out.

Raven remained still, the flickering candlelight casting her in a somber glow. She closed her eyes briefly before reopening them.

No matter what happened, Ash would never know the truth.

She would make sure of it.