A/N: A few people were leaving reviews about how interesting it was that Ruby's flash of light in the last chapter didn't happen until Jaune had kissed her and what it could have meant. Well, I am here to tell you that it meant I'm a dumbass who forgot the rules for my own story. My bad, it's been a while since the last girl got introduced. I haven't fixed it yet, but I'll get around to it sometime this next month, along with a few other mistakes I noticed when I went back to refresh my memory.
Tag(s): N/A
Girl(s): N/A
Words: 6, 320
What had he done?
The kiss lasted longer than Jaune wanted to acknowledge, trapped in a statue of his flesh. He wasn't overcome with lust. His heart felt like it had stopped if anything. It was a simple press of lips against lips. Innocent, even. Which made the truth behind what it represented somehow that much more twisted. By the time Ruby eventually leaned backward, it felt like a lifetime had passed. And in Jaune's case, that might just be the case.
"That was nice," Ruby sighed, straightening up as she bit into her lip. Grabbing the front of her shirt, she unconsciously twisted back and forth girlishly, looking every bit the giddy young woman who was overwhelmed by her first kiss. A stark contrast to Jaune's gaunt, pale horror.
"What did I do?" Jaune lamented, absently licking the echo of Ruby's lips from his. He could still feel her, soft and plump. He could still taste her, and a part of him winced at the idea that he knew what his friend's lips tasted like. That was not information easily forgotten. "What do I do?" He had no answer for either question, left to sit there in his lumpy chair while Ruby continued to bounce on her feet, oblivious to her new husband's turmoil.
"I can't believe we're actually married!" she squealed, holding a hand over her splitting grin. Jaune wanted to agree with her. She wrapped herself in her bright red cloak as if it might be able to contain her excitement. "Oh my gosh! What is Dad gonna say when he finds out? What about Uncle Qrow?" Each name stabbed into Jaune like an accusation. It wasn't just Ruby's life that he'd ruined. His friend was also a daughter that he'd stolen. Someone's niece.
Ruby's excitement dropped suddenly as her eyes stretched wide. The first hint of fear finally registered as she fell still. "Oh man, what's Yang going to say?" And if the first two names filled Jaune with guilt, this last one taught him the true meaning of fear.
Yang. Ruby's big sister. Her very strong sister. The same very strong sister who had been looking for her baby sister hours ago. And he could imagine exactly how that would go when she eventually found Ruby wearing a golden ring on her finger and telling everyone that he was the one who gave it to her.
Jaune would have started to laugh if he wasn't sure that he would start crying instead.
Yang would be able to come to two possible explanations, that they had been dating in secret this entire time and Ruby hadn't told her, which she would only do if Jaune had been the one to ask her not to. A dubious position, no matter how he looked at it, and likely to end in his immediate execution. Or she would assume that something had been done to her sister's brain. Also known as the truth and also very likely to end in his immediate execution.
Talk about being spoiled for choice.
Maybe…Jaune needed to think on the bright side? For the first time, Jaune felt his drawn features shift into something resembling a smile. After all, if Yang killed him, he wouldn't need to live with the consequences of marrying Ruby for very long. In fact, his whole semblance issue could just go away. Death might be peaceful. Who knew? No more school. No more training. No more stress! He should really start focusing on getting his will in order and making peace with his fate.
Unfortunately, even dying had its number of hurdles. Did Jaune want to be buried or cremated? Cemetery or graveyard? Jaune had never been raised to be religious, but after everything he'd done the thought of passing without any kind of judgment felt unfair. At least he could recognize that it would be a closed casket service. Yang certainly didn't appear like the type who would spare his face.
It was when he was halfway through a mental checklist of how he was meant to contact a notary that Jaune's hysterics came to an end. Not because he came to his senses and had the mental strength to pull himself together. Gods, no. Instead, his eyes happened to catch the glint of Ruby's ring, and a new idea came to mind.
There was still a small, small chance to fix this. But any hope was better than none. Of course, that opportunity was going to get much smaller if he ended up accidentally breaking every bone in his body against Yang's clenched fist. He couldn't accept his death just yet. He needed to hide Ruby and hide her fast. Before Yang came looking in the second most obvious place that her sister would be staying.
Jaune decided that he didn't have time to convince Ruby to follow him. On his feet, he looked down at the silver-eyed girl who merely stared back at him, eyes twinkling like he'd hung the stars. That expression gained a slight exclamation as he bent over, scooping her knees out from under her without a hint of warning.
"Whoa!" she squealed, only to swallow when she found herself nestled against his chest. "J-Jaune?"
Guilt slowed him as he glanced at her, trying to shoot his friend a quick apology. But her face looked far from afraid as she felt his new muscles press against her side. She struggled with the instinct to hide inside her cloak, using his chest to mask the nervous grin that exposed how fast her heart had started racing.
Mistaking her excitement for fear, Jaune bit on his panic. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?" The last thing he wanted was to make his friend more upset.
Ruby had no choice but to glance up at his question, still flushed and still overwhelmed. But there was also some bravery as a shaking hand reached up to grasp at his shirt. "It's okay," she tried to reassure him. Her voice cracked, coming out much higher than she'd been intending. "I-I don't mind. Really. It's just…"
The young girl paused, eyes clenching tight. Jaune found himself leaning closer, his concern twisting his priorities. Sure, he had to run, but not before making sure his friend was okay!
Her eyes cracked open a second later and turned to the far wall as her face beamed brighter than Jaune had ever seen. "P-Please, be gentle with me?" She finally asked, nearly panting in his arms. "This will be my first time." She squealed again as if horrified she'd been forced to admit to something so…obvious. Her face returned to Jaune's chest as she began to shake, drawing courage from the solid warmth his body provided.
This might be scary, but it was normal for a husband and wife to do…husband and wife things, right? As long as Jaune was there, Ruby knew she didn't need to be afraid.
Jaune's brain took a second to fully comprehend what Ruby was asking. And in that time, he stopped, turned around, saw the bed sitting less than a foot away, and realized what Ruby thought was about to happen. His cheeks immediately blistered at the implications. A condition that grew worse when he considered how light and small his friend felt wrapped inside his arms.
'I'm going to prison,' Jaune decided with a creeping clarity. At least, he would if he didn't fix this mess. Unfortunately, there were only two people he could turn to right now, and both of them were well across campus.
He didn't bother explaining to Ruby that he had no intention of taking her virginity. Not today, and not ever if he had his way! And while Jaune didn't have Ruby's semblance yet, the people who saw him run past wouldn't have been able to guess. Leaving his dorm room, he started to run. The only thing he lacked was a trail of flowers in his wake. He ran as fast as he could, and he didn't stop until he was across the quad and inside the teacher's dormitory.
If someone recognized him, he didn't stop to find out, praying that Yang or the rest of Ruby's team wouldn't think to hunt him down before he gave them a reason.
To her credit, Ruby didn't struggle against the journey. There was another squeak when he'd initially dashed into the hallway, and her fingers had tightened against his hoodie when the brisk air of autumn exploded against her. Instead, she glanced at their destination with idle curiosity, watching from Jaune's arms as he struggled to juggle her and find his scroll before opening Glynda's apartment.
The door swung open a second later. Both of his wives were immediately spotted relaxing on the couch, a game controller now forgotten in Glynda's hands. They turned around at the sound of the door, only to startle at the sight of their husband and his passenger, who was carried over the threshold like a fantasy princess. And then, as if the panic on his face wasn't obvious enough, Ruby decided to greet her new sister-wives with enthusiasm.
"We got married!" The fifteen-year-old cheered, spreading her arms and legs out in celebration. They didn't so much as blink at the news, immediately turning to Jaune for an explanation. All they received was his pained expression, silently pleading for their help.
Pyrrha was the first to respond. "Jaune!" Ignoring any and all hints, she leapt from her seat to charge the married couple, matching Ruby's excitement with her own. Jaune had no choice but to let the small girl down as his much taller wife all but wrapped the younger girl in her arms, crushing her face into her chest. "I'm so happy for you two! Welcome to the family, Ruby." And if Ruby had anything to say, she wasn't allowed to speak up, muffled by the busty cushion of Pyrrha's breasts.
Jaune panted for breath after his spirited sprint. Paranoia got the better of him as he peeked into the hallway behind him, securing the door as soon as he confirmed that Yang wasn't hot on his heels. When he turned around, it was to find Glynda standing on the other side of the couch. He focused on her, the only other person he could count on to stay rational and help him with this disaster.
Green eyes met blue as she regarded him, seemingly drinking in the scene as her attention swayed to Pyrrha and Ruby before returning to Jaune. Her arms crossed over her chest as her eyes narrowed at him. He had no choice but to step closer, wincing with every step while Pyrrha and Ruby continued behind them.
"Really?" was all she asked him once they were face to face. Glynda didn't look upset, more annoyed at the situation as she gestured toward the fifteen-year-old. Jaune hung his head, ashamed. "Do you know how much time I spent on that slide show?"
"That's what you're upset about!?" Jaune's eyes went a little crazy, but his wife merely pouted.
"It was a lot of work!" she defended herself. "Just for you to go back and pick up someone we already struck from the list. If this is a reverse psychology thing, then I swear I'm going to smack you."
Jaune wanted to argue. He especially wanted to point out that he hadn't picked up anyone! This was an accident and he needed her help to fix this. But Glynda didn't give him a chance, breezing past the distraught young man toward the pair of younger women, who each stopped their discussion as soon as she approached.
Ruby's excitement dimmed in the face of Glynda, but not out of distaste or fear. If anything, it was the opposite. Glynda Goodwitch was an incredible huntress, and Ruby hadn't been lying about looking up to her when they initially met. She'd been so honored to fight beside her on that rooftop. She could have never guessed that the two of them would one day share a husband!
For her part, Glynda's expression softened as soon as she caught the nervous hesitation in Ruby's eyes. Without a word, she stepped into her student's personal space, cupping her round face in each hand and forcing the younger woman to meet her gaze. "Have you eaten yet?"
That stopped Ruby short. The younger girl almost forgot about the fingers cradling her face, allowing a hesitant smile to curl her lips. "J-Just some snacks. I was planning to head to the cafeteria when Jaune came back."
Glynda nodded once. "Then you can eat dinner with us." It wasn't a question. "It looks like we have a lot to talk about, and I'm sure Pyrrha is just as excited as I am to get to know you better. Welcome to the family, Ruby."
Ruby's eyes brightened to the point of tearing up. "Thank you! I love Jaune so much. This is all so much better than anything I imagined. I'm looking forward to getting to know you too, Mrs. Arc."
Amusement curled at Glynda's lips. "You may call me Glynda, you know? Technically, we're all Mrs. Arc here."
Ruby's smile remained unchanged. "I physically don't think I can, but thank you!"
"Yes, well. We have time to adjust, don't we? Do you like pasta? We were about to call our orders in."
The next hour passed in a surreal haze as Jaune was left to stand there, pulling his hair out as he watched his wives bond with their newest sister. The blond tried interrupting several times, only to be rebuffed as the three women talked amongst themselves. When the food arrived, he'd been the one to get it. And as the four of them ate around the living room, he'd had no choice but to watch Ruby answer questions about herself more comfortably and with more confidence than he'd ever seen in the younger girl. Not outside her team, anyway.
She fit right in, much to his horror. Everyone seemed like they'd already accepted this. Everyone but him. Because unlike Pyrrha and Glynda, Ruby had family nearby that were going to notice that their sister, daughter, and niece were acting strangely. And every second that they waited was another minute that Yang could call her sister's scroll.
Ruby had left the small device on the table once she'd sat down, forgotten in the rush of excitement. Jaune's eyes watched the bit of glass and metal, waiting for the display to light up. Waiting for the dragon to come and reclaim her precious princess.
"You haven't slept with her."
Jaune almost jumped at the sound of Glynda's voice. His portion of ramen sat in front of him as his stomach tied itself in knots. Knees bouncing beneath him, he was far more interested in chewing on his nails. The jagged edges were almost down to the nub by this point. He hadn't heard his wife approach, forcing her to repeat herself when she became the focus of his lost, uncomprehending stare. "Ruby? You haven't slept with her."
Glynda gestured toward the girl. More specifically, toward her gemless ring. The small brunette was thankfully distracted by Pyrrha, who was holding both of her hands in hers as they talked. Ruby hadn't stopped smiling since they'd arrived and nothing made Jaune want to vomit in his mouth more.
"Of course not!" Jaune flinched like her question had been an accusation. Glynda's eyebrow rose at his defensiveness. "By the time I got back to my dorm, she was already like this. I'm not going to touch her." Just in case that needed to be said.
"It's too late to worry about that now," she reminded him. "You don't really have a choice. Not once you kissed her."
Jaune refused to believe that, especially because they didn't know that for a fact. No one did. There had been a lot of theories thrown around about his semblance over the past month, but even Glynda didn't know everything.
As best as they had been able to rationalize it, Jaune's semblance manifested in three stages. First was the light stage and were how Jaune's rings had first materialized. There wasn't much known about this stage beyond the fact there appeared to be some sight-induced hypnotism that tricked women into wearing the rings in the first place. That hadn't been confirmed, but Pyrrha and Glynda had both been oddly compelled in the same way. And while he hadn't been around to see Ruby's reaction, it made sense that she wouldn't try on random jewelry she'd found underneath a friend's bed for the fun of it.
Stage two, the metal stage, was what followed after his new wife kissed him and said their vows, but before they'd had sex. Glynda had spent a whole afternoon at this level, which meant she'd been able to confirm the mental effects that had taken hold after their first kiss. First and most obvious was the illusion it cast, convincing whoever wore it that they were married to Jaune Arc. Any previous feelings or memories conflicting with this fact became irrelevant, if not forgotten entirely.
The second effect was a fledgling link to his wives' emotions. It was fragile, but it was the start of what eventually evolved into how he was able to connect to their aura and semblances. At this second stage, that connection was still limited to emotional impressions, physical sensations, and general moods that hung at the forefront of his wives' minds. None of which was particularly helpful, except for navigating erogenous zones. At least so far.
And finally, there was the gem stage, which could only be achieved after the consummation of the "wedding." That implied full penetration to count and at least Jaune's orgasm to complete the bond. A willing and conscious act on his part. Whether or not he was required to release himself inside his brides was unknown, but that was how it had worked with both Glynda and Pyrrha.
This level came with the most benefits to Jaune, including access to his wives' aura and semblance. Glynda had also confirmed that, while the compulsion wasn't more powerful than in the second stage, the effect on her mind had felt more stable and solid afterward. This final stage had also proven to be… permanent as far as he or Glynda had been able to test. At least, they'd proven that removing the rings at this stage provided no noticeable changes.
Glynda had supplied that their best chance to reverse the effects would be within the light stage when his semblance's influence was at its weakest. And Jaune had tried; the gods knew he'd tried! But Ruby had out-maneuvered him, earning her golden band. By this point, her brain had already been rewritten to see him as her husband, which meant that their chances of reversing the process were much less likely.
It was only that they didn't know this for a fact that kept Jaune from giving up hope. "She's still at the second stage!" Jaune insisted, "There's a chance we could fix this." Please, gods. Let there be a chance…
"First things first," Glynda commented, "where are the rest of your rings?"
Reaching into his pocket, Jaune found the sock that had been sitting on top of his bed. He'd grabbed it at the time he'd scooped up Ruby. The last thing he wanted was to go back to his dorm, only for Ren or Nora to start trying to kiss him next.
Glynda held out her hand. Jaune handed the sock over willingly, happy to be rid of the thing. Peering inside, the older woman confirmed that there were still two rings remaining before offering a sigh. "I'm afraid this is partially my fault. I should have known better than to allow you to keep something so dangerous in a student dormitory. With everything else on the burner, they must have slipped my mind." An impressive feat when you remembered how many burners she had to spare.
"They were bound to sow discord eventually. I suppose we should count ourselves lucky that someone worse didn't stumble upon them. Would you mind if I looked after them from now on?"
"Do you have an idea where you're gonna hide them?" It wasn't like she could do a worse job than him, right?
"I have a safe in my office. All teachers do. It's normally reserved for sensitive student documents. Nothing anyone would be interested in looking for, and I'm the only one who knows the combination." Okay, Jaune supposed that was a little better than under his bed. "I'll head downstairs after we've dealt with…" They both glanced toward the reaper in the room.
"Please tell me you still think that this can be reversed."
"That's what I theorized," Glynda corrected him. "A theory that was only based off of two other incidents. I don't have to tell you that this isn't exactly the bevy of data most people would ask for, given the seriousness of the situation. I think you need to be prepared to accept that there is just as much of a chance that you're already too late. In fact, I don't think it's even worth trying in the first place."
Jaune was surprised, "but you said-."
"That she could turn back to normal, yes. But have you stopped to think about what is going to happen in that case? There's no telling what she will or won't remember, Jaune. And in the worst-case scenario, you're putting yourself in a very vulnerable position. You might need to start thinking about how much easier it will be in the long run to simply accept Ms. Rose as another casualty of your semblance and make the most of this mistake. Like you have with Pyrrha."
A casualty? Seriously? Jaune's stomach churned at the phrase. It was just a little too accurate for his taste. Normally, he appreciated his wife's detached tone and emotionless delivery for its efficacy and transparency, if nothing else. However, hearing her talk about Ruby's fate like it was a foregone conclusion filled him with a sense of anger he didn't know what to do with. It took everything in him not to snap at her.
"I'm surprised you feel that way," he gave a humorless chuckle, cold sweat cloying underneath his hoodie. "Last time we talked, you didn't want Ruby in the family at all, remember? I thought you were worried that she was going to cause some problems. What happened to all that?"
"That is still true." If Glynda caught his tone, she didn't comment on it, continuing normally. "This will likely create quite a few obstacles for us in the future. More than even I can foresee. However, that's still not nearly as troublesome as an emotional fifteen-year-old girl who's capable of spilling all of our secrets. If you can free her, and she starts going around telling people what's happened here, that's about as bad as it gets. It's better that we cut our losses and accept that what's done is done."
And then what? Just…move on? Take her as a wife. Hide it from Yang for as long as possible? It was laughable how bad that sounded. And yet, Jaune did his best to imagine it all the same. He imagined accepting his fate, taking Ruby as his wife and then to bed, christening Glynda's mattress in her virgin blood. Heck, he might even enjoy that part once he got over her age, simply because she was a pretty girl, no matter how hard it was for him to accept that.
Naturally, Ruby would have no choice but to love it. To love him. She'd probably thank him for being so thoughtful and kind afterward.
They'd tell their friends the next day. They wouldn't have any choice once they saw the honking gem decorating the girl's finger. His team would probably take the news okay, but Ruby's might cause some trouble. Realistically, he could expect at least one broken bone before Ruby intervened on his behalf, hopefully convincing Yang to spare him. And he would take the pain gladly, desperate for any kind of penance to make up for what his semblance had wrought upon the world.
Yang would accept their relationship at some point. What other choice did she have? And he'd be allowed to continue as he had been. Training, studying, and having fun with his friends. The only change would be learning how to fit Ruby into his, Pyrrha's, and Glynda's relationship. And tonight had proven that the process would be too easy.
Eventually, he'd fall in love with her. Jaune doubted it would be hard to do. And that was the problem he faced. It was too easy to imagine himself falling for the young brunette. It wouldn't take any effort at all once she spent enough time by his side. It would be as easy as falling asleep. Effortless. And one day, he might even be able to forgive himself.
But none of that really mattered. Because no matter how much Jaune might one day love her, no matter how many children Ruby gave him or how many nights they spent asleep wrapped in each other's arms, none of that would stop him from looking down at her cheerful, cherubic face gazing upon him with so much love and wondering if a terrified fifteen-year-old girl was screaming from behind the illusion of his semblance. Trapped with no way to communicate her fear and violation.
He knew it was inevitable because he still caught himself wondering the exact same thing every time he gazed into Pyrrha's eyes, praying that there wasn't anything left of the girl who had saved him during initiation to hate him as much as he deserved.
Back then, he'd had the benefit of truly being ignorant of his actions, and that still didn't justify them. He didn't have that excuse now, and Jaune struggled with the implications of knowingly trapping his best friend in his semblance for the luxury of his safety.
Ruby hadn't done anything wrong. It was his fault for leaving the rings where she could find them. So why should she be the one who was punished?
Jaune couldn't answer that, which was how he knew he couldn't go through with this.
"I can't," Jaune shook his head, as guilty toward her as he felt toward Ruby. Glynda's nostrils flared.
"Jaune," she tried to reason with him, reaching out to take his hand in hers. Jaune let her, even if it fell limp and lifeless between her fingers. Glynda held on that much tighter. "You're really willing to gamble everything on the slim chance that your semblance will protect you and erase her memories of the last few hours? Because if you're wrong, your fate is in the hands of a child. Irrational, irresponsible, and unlikely to see how her actions impact our family beyond the scope of her own suffering.
"Do you understand? Make no mistake, Jaune. If this goes poorly, you will go to jail. That means years spent away from myself and Pyrrha. Longer if Vale deems us unable to decide for ourselves. We could be taken away from you forever. You may never see us again. Our family would never recover."
Jaune met her eyes, even as they tried their best to drill into his brain. But it wasn't that he didn't understand what she was saying or was ignoring it. It's just that there was no easy answer. No matter what he did, someone was going to pay the price. Either him, Glynda, Pyrrha, or Ruby.
The blond squeezed his wife's hand as tightly as he could, giving her his best smile. "I don't know…if I would ever be able to live with myself if I lost the two of you." Glynda's exhale came in an explosive rush as she relaxed on the couch, returning his grin as much as she was able. It made his next sentence that much harder as he finished, "But I know that I won't be able to live with myself if I ruin Ruby's life. Especially if it's because I was too afraid or selfish to do the right thing. She trusted me, Glynda. She chose to be my friend. And I refuse to make any part of her regret that choice, even if it's an echo or a shell of what she's become."
Glynda's smile faded, settling into a neutral cloud. No matter the moral complications involved, she did not agree with her husband's decision. However, she also saw that she wasn't going to convince him, leaving her with one option. "When this blows up in our faces, I want it established that I tried to convince you otherwise."
"Noted." Jaune happily accepted the responsibility for whatever happened next.
Glynda stood, smoothing out her skirt, "I suppose there's still the chance we get lucky and removing the ring does nothing. For all we know, all of this worrying could be for nothing." Jaune chose not to think about that possibility. If that happened, at least he could say he tried.
And now for the really hard part…
"Jaune!" Seeing Jaune and Glynda approach their couch the two girls froze mid-conversation. Pyrrha was still riding the high of her victory, looking at Ruby like the sister she'd always wanted. They were just two teenage girls gushing over the loves of their lives. In their cases, it just so happened to be the same boy.
Meanwhile, Ruby's entire body appeared to react to Jaune's presence, becoming both bashful and ecstatic at his arrival. "Thank you so much for bringing me here. Everyone has been so great."
Not to be left behind, Pyrrha nodded in agreement. "Didn't I tell you she would fit in well?" Ruby responded to the praise like a withered plant, leaning over until the older girl could comfortably wrap her arms around her smaller frame.
"And G-Glynda," Ruby smiled up at the much older woman, not quite able to hide the wince at using her teacher's first name. "I'd still love to hear about your and Jaune's first date. I think we got distracted before you got the chance."
Expecting another of Glynda's reserved smiles, Ruby's cheer froze when the blonde's stoic face remained the same. "I would have liked that," she sighed, carrying her shoulders like a pair of cinderblocks. "Unfortunately, Jaune has decided that we won't get the opportunity." And for the first time since Ruby kissed Jaune, something other than pure joy crept onto her features.
"Jaune?"
Crouching at the foot of the couch, Jaune looked into Ruby's worried, expressive eyes and suddenly wondered if confronting Yang might not be the most painful option he'd considered. Surely a broken femur wouldn't be as bad as this? But it was a job that needed to be done, and he forced himself to tell Ruby the truth.
"I want a divorce, Ruby."
He expected Ruby to gasp, but the sound came from Pyrrha. "Jaune, what are you saying!" The redhead demanded, holding the smaller girl that much tighter. Ruby didn't say anything, merely staring back at him as if she hadn't quite heard him right.
"I want a divorce," he repeated, not bothering to try and reason with either of them. He already knew that it wouldn't work, so he decided to try and use terms they understood. And in this instance, that meant getting a divorce. "I decided getting married was a mistake, and I want my ring back. You need to let me take it back, Ruby."
Ruby's bottom lip began to quiver, eyes watering as she pressed her hand against her chest, shielding it from him. "But…but you gave it to me," she argued, voice wet. "It's mine. Until death do we part."
It was eerie hearing the vow come from such a young woman. Jaune felt the hairs on the back of his head stand up. "I didn't give it to you," he reminded her, his eyes and face as grave as anyone had ever seen. "You found it, remember? Under my bed. But you weren't supposed to. It was a mistake. You were a mistake. And now I need to take my ring back."
Every word appeared like a physical wound inflicted on Ruby until her small frame threatened to disappear behind Pyrrha. Her other hand had found her cloak, pulling it around her like a cocoon, as if she could close her eyes and hide from the reality Jaune was forcing upon her.
"Do you hate me?" Ruby whimpered. The budding tears finally fell as they overwhelmed the ridges of her long lashes, painting her cheeks in twin trails of moisture. "Did I do something to make you upset? Because I'm sorry! Let me make it up to you. I can be a good wife, I promise. Whatever you need me to be. But please don't take back the ring."
Something inside Jaune officially broke as he was forced to listen to his friend beg. Numbness spread out from where his heart used to be, shattering his sense of empathy. It was a relief. In some ways, it made this next part so much easier. And he hated himself for it.
"Yes," he lied. And for once, he knew it was convincing. It was convincing because he needed it to be. "I hate you, Ruby. It doesn't matter what you say or do. I don't want to stay married to you. You're the last person on Remnant that I want to spend the rest of my life with. You're just a silly little girl that I let hang around me because I felt bad for you."
Jaune held out his hand expectantly. "Do the right thing. Give me back my ring."
Ruby wasn't crying anymore, but only because it looked like she didn't know what to do. Lost, empty, she didn't fight him this time. And with quivering fingers, she allowed her hand to fall into his palm.
Finding the ring wasn't a problem, even as Jaune's gaze remained locked on the glassy quality that had stolen his friend's joyful spirit. Part of him expected to feel some kind of resistance. Not from Ruby, but like a magical force fighting to keep the ring in place and maintain its hold over the girl. And yet, he felt the cool metal glide over her slender digit with the smallest of tugs.
There wasn't a flash of light this time. No dramatic speech or vow of "I do." Rather, the moment the ring lost contact with Ruby, the metal quality began to flake away like the skin of a dried fruit fading into dust. And underneath, the ring of light reemerged, a positive sign if ever there was one.
But Jaune's brief relief didn't last. Not a moment after the ring was free, Ruby released a muffled gasp as her sorrow transformed. He had no choice but to look back at her, admiring a kaleidoscope of emotions playing across her face.
Confusion came first, which no one was surprised to see. Embarrassment followed, infusing her cheeks with the healthy glow that Jaune had already started to miss. But underneath both, one emotion remained consistent while the rest played at the edges. Pain. Pain bordering on physical if the grip Ruby had placed over her heart was any indication. It was like someone had stolen her breath away as she began to choke on great heaving gulps of air.
Not a second later, the tears returned in earnest. Great, bullet-sized droplets that wouldn't stop once they'd started.
Still holding onto the younger girl, Pyrrha watched on in horror. Jaune wasn't any better, half tempted to slam the damn ring back onto her finger. Anything if it meant stopping whatever this was. But Ruby's eyes focused before he got the chance.
Jaune tracked her attention as it started on Glynda. She lingered for two shuttering breaths before her attention wavered toward Pyrrha's concerned gaze. Finally, Ruby's attention returned to him. And as soon as their eyes met, Jaune's stomach dropped out from under him at the unbridled fear that all but consumed the younger girl's face at the mere sight of him.
It was with a sudden and certain clarity that Jaune realized one important thing. 'Oh gods, she remembers everything.' And not a second later, she was gone. Vanishing in a tornado of rose petals that scattered around them like a hailstorm.
No one moved to stop her as the front door slammed open, allowing Ruby to escape into the hallway, as far away from the three of them as she could reach. Not even Glynda, despite the death grip threatening to choke the poor leather of her riding crop that she'd drawn in preparation. Instead, they were left to stare after her, the confiscated ring still burning against Jaune's open palm as he realized what this meant for their family.
What had he done?
A/N: I promised you guys that Ruby was going to get the next ring. I never said that she was going to keep it.
That's a joke before anyone gets too pissed. Can you imagine? But I hope this chapter helps people understand that Ruby's integration into the family is going to be very different from Pyrrha and Glynda's. And you also now see why I was so desperate for people not to give up on me after the last chapter. I know how it looked, but I needed that chapter to end there so that this chapter could end here.
Each wife is going to get their own unique introduction into the family. A unique experience, a unique story, and a unique reaction to Jaune's semblance. And each time it is going to make Jaune look at himself and his semblance in a different way. Does that mean it will always be positive? Absolutely not. But that's the fun of writing about a moral person with immoral powers. And now, we get to see Jaune deal with the implication that his semblance can be reversed while experiencing the consequences of doing so.
See you next month.