Practice Makes Perfect

by NeonZangetsu

She wanted a better future. He couldn't remember his past. She sought adventure. He pursued peace. A chance encounter between two strangers alters the world of Remnant forever; for better or worse, who can say? Nothing will be the same. Everything will change. Nothing will be forgotten. Wait...they had HOW many kids? NINE? Naruto fathers the Arc family. Request story.

38. Just a Little Love (Part III)

A/N: EDIT: Hardly any feedback for what's essentially a 15k chapter...why do I even bother anymore? What's the point if no one reviews? Is it me? Is it the glitches? I don't know, but I worked so hard on this chapter, despite being sick, laboring over it for two weeks, building everything up, and I was so excited to post it...T_T

Every review really does help, large or small...anything is better than nothing at all..

Can anyone even see this? Site glitches keep hiding new chapters and new stories alike for days on end. Being sick has also affected my update schedule once again. Apologies.

As ever, the fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others. I own no references, quotes, memes or themes! They're all tributes to legends far greater than me. I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that. In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know in the comments~!

Once more, hopefully I captured the feeling of a proper RWBY episode from ye olden days. I'll leave that to you, the reader, to determine.

Do tell me what you think! It really does matter! Full credit to Genshin Impact for a Penny scene here. You'll know when you see it. As well as a good-old-fashioned Sherlock scene; delivered in all its discombobulating glory. Lastly, a little reminder; due to the incidents at the docks, at this point only Blake truly knows that Jaune can use Shadow Clones. No one else. But once they do... Won't that be an amusing discovery~?

I hope you've not forgotten Child (Chelsea Arc) she's been busy, and now she returns with a vengeance.

After all, Emerald DID disappear under mysterious circumstances...

...and yes, her current outfit is very much her latest one.

Massive Sherlock tribute as well~!

"Remember the plan, my dear?

"Yes, mistress."

"Good girl, Emerald. Who doesn't love you?"

"Cinder."

"That's right. Recall everything that I showed you; don't forget how little she truly thinks of you. You're a pawn to her, nothing more. She'd cast you aside in an instant if it meant furthering her goals. But I love you just as you are, Emerald Sustrai, my beautifully broken girl...you want to see my true form again, don't you?"

"Thank you, mistress. You're too kind."

"What can I say? It's a character flaw. Keep this up and I might introduce you to Jaune sometime. Then you can truly be part of the family."

"R-Really? You mean it?"

"Of course, but only if you're good. Now, this is what I want you to tell your former master...

~Let Chaos Reign.

Just a Little Love (Part III)

Emerald had returned.

Cinder would've found that concerning under normal circumstances, downright suspicious even, but as things stood, with her paranoia at an all time high? Her plans routed, her schemes in disarray, driven from Beacon and forced to seek sanctuary in a city that was even now howling for her head?

She reacted explosively.

The instant the door to their little hideaway closed, she was on Emerald, seizing the startled girl by the collar, yanking her close-

Wait...a collar?

That implied a jacket.

She didn't own one before.

And was that an actual collar around her neck?! It was!

Scowling, she took a moment to survey her recently returned pawn, struggling to make sense of things; both what was transpiring here and her minion's new outfit.

In place of her old outfit, Emerald now wore an entirely different ensemble altogether; a mint green crop top with pulled back sleeves beneath a cropped white quilted leather, double-breasted jacket which contrasted with black notch lapels with matching cuffs alongside her emblem on the back in black alongside a belt loop at the bottom of the jacket's hem. A red gradient gem pendant dangled around her neck alongside a beaded bracelet on her right wrist.

Completing her ensemble were matching white, skinny jeans and brown chaps that end at her thighs, flared with a small open section with straps on the lower calves. The tops and bottoms of the chaps each bore a mint green trimming to them, paired nicely with a overlong belt, twice-wrapped, to which said chap straps connect to. Last but not least, she finished her outfit with a pair of brown ankle boots with metal toe plating, while her weapon holsters were kept attached the back of the belts.

All in all she looked...healthier, her hair also noticeably fuller-longer!-and her irises wider. As though she had simply spent the weekend at a spa of some sort.

While she and Mercury had been skulking in dark, fleeing from the authorities, jumping at shadows, she'd been living the high life.

The knowledge burned, galling her like nothing else.

Mercury whistled from where he lay, back to the wall. "Dang, Em. You look good."

Cinder disagreed viscerally. One upon a time Emerald's style had closely mimicked her own; if not necessarily in in substance, than in style.

Such served as a constant reminder to her thst Emerald loved her, adored her, wanted to copy her and mimic her, as only an ardent admirer could. It did wonders for her pride, to know that she had taken this girl off the streets, and made such a loyal pawn out of her, a slave that would take her every whit and whim as law.

Now?

She hated this.

It was a sign of independence, and she could not tolerate such in her minions.

"Nice upgrade," their resident assassin continued, utterly unaware of her mounting wrath. "What's the occasion? Got a hot date with yours truly?"

Emerald sniffed, a small shard of her old self shining through as she dangled in Cinder's grasp. "Hardly. I have standards."

He snickered. "Heh, you love me."

"In your wildest dreams!"

Cinder backhanded Emerald, silencing her with a harsh slap.

Mercury sprang to his feet, startled by the vicious violence. "Boss?! What was that for?!"

"Not a word!"

Emerald didn't bat an eyelash; rather than cry out and cower as she once would have, the younger girl turned the other cheek and stared up at her placidly, without a hint of fear. Bright geen aura crackled dully across her face as she met her gaze with stoic calm, wholly unperturbed. There was such a time when she would have quivered in fear for having upset her, fallen to her hands and knees and begged forgiveness. There was none of that here; a slight tilt of the girl's head served as her only reward. Her expression remained dour, wholly unamused.

"That was unnecessary."

Cinder gave her a good hard shake, rattling her to and fro like a rag doll. "Where were you?!

Much to her display, heat flared in her minion's cheeks. "Places, ma'am."

Had she been off having some romantic tryst...?!

Enraged, Cinder made to strike her again, only for Emerald to catch her wrist.

Shock rippled through her. "You dare...?!

Startled but undeterred by this brief burst of bravery, she grabbed at her other arm, only for the churl to seize that wrist as well, casually holding her at bay as though she were naught but an angry child. From there she squeezed, grinding down the nerves until her fingers popped open and her hands went numb.

"Are you quite done?" The way those words were delivered stung note than any slap ever could; a complete and utter dismissal.

When she couldn't immediately bring herself to answer Emerald, her -former?- minion rolled her eyes and yanked her forward, releasing each of her arms as she did. The sudden shift in momentum and subsequent lack of an anchor to tether herself to caused Cinder to stumble forward past Emerald until-

CRACK!

An open palm struck Cinder's backside with brutal force, simultaneously propelling her forward while sending a wave of scorching heat searing through the would-be-maiden's face. Unbalanced, she lurched awkwardly past Emerald with a yelp; clutching at her hindquarters, desperate to maintain her dignity; alas in doing so, she lost that altogether, as she tripped, forfeited her footing and tumbled to the floor.

"Huh." Emerald loomed over her, furled and unfurled her fingers, humming to herself as she made a squeezing motion. "Always wanted to do that." A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Seems she was right. You really do have a fantastic ass."

Cinder sputtered, face flushing deep to the very roots of her hair as she hadn't since the days of the Glass Unicorn. "Why you...!"

What manner of madness was this?! Emerald had never been this bold before, let alone this strong! Where had her weak-willed-and-malleable pawn gone?!

Mercury bit his knuckles to stifle a snicker but didn't dare speak; good, had he dared to laugh aloud, she would've immolated him on the spot.

"If you're quite done with your petty power plays...

Much to her annoyance, Emerald withdrew a manilla folder from her jacket, plucked it out, and held it forth for her to inspect.

...I have information on the Maidens."

Cinder's anger fizzled out at once. "Maidens...?"

As in more than one?!

"See for yourself."

Emerald tossed the folder well short of her; rather than land in her hands it struck the floor where it flew open and disgorged its contents in the form of a great many photographs. Cinder scrambled forward on her hands and knees to grab them, not at all caring for the scene she made nor how indecent she looked. Her minions would never dare speak of the scene she made; not if they valued their lives.

Fumbling fingers grasped at one photo after another, golden gaze drinking them in hungrily.

Yes, at last. This was actionable intel!

Far better than anything Mercury had managed to gather! Honestly, he was useless.

Much to her dismay she found Amber alive and mobile in said photos, with both her health and her power intact. She'd already known about the later-much to her shame-but the former frightened her. How had she restored her lost leg? They'd managed to batter and badly maim her before Branwen interfered, wounding her in both body and soul alike, which meant she shouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Yet there she was, in pictures with one Jaune Arc, out n the city of Vale no less, clinging onto his arm.

Her blood pressure spiked at the sight. "Arc...!'

"There's more."

Another folder of photos flopped against her chest courtesy of Emerald - Cinder actually managed to catch this one and preserve some small scrap of her dignity. Hastily, she rifled through the images, not understanding at first...until she saw what it was she sought. Because there, And there, blue eyes blazing with flame from an all too familiar face...

Winter Schnee.

It seemed her and Arc had some sort of spat in the city and in doing so, she'd revealed herself as a Maiden.

Of course she was the Winter Maiden. What else would she be?!

That made two maidens! Here! In Vale!

She had to have them-no, she must have them. No price was too high, no sacrifice too great. And with their might added to her own, she could access the vaults of Choice and Creation, seizing the Relics within for herself! But why stop there? Why not seize all four? Spring was still somewhere in Mistral by all accounts and shouldn't be hard to find with Lionheart's assistance, which only left the matter of Summer...

One Maiden against She, who would wield the power of Three? Child's play.

Salem had once warned her against taking the power of more than one Maiden, but what did she know?! She was just trying to limit her! Shackle her in lies and falsehoods! Keep her weak! She didn't need her; wretched witch had already cast her aside, hadn't she? What use had she for her?

Yes, yes, the more she thought of it, the more certain she became.

Opportunity knocked, and she would answer.

It would all be hers. Everything.

But how to strike...?

"Well done, Emerald." she chuckled darkly, clutching the photos to her bosom. "Well done indeed...

Once more, she considered the photos anew, noting the presence of the most annoying blond bastard throughout them all.

Oh? Perhaps she could use this.

"Jaune Arc is the key here," she decided, tapping one finger against the insipid fool's image. "Clearly, they are both fond of him, ergo they would rush to his aid, if need be. Emerald. Use your semblance and conjure an image of him for me; realistic as can be."

Her pawn planted her feet, crossed both arms before her chest and stood her ground. "Ask nicely."

Since when was she this willful? Or had she simply realized her own innate value?

This time, Mercury didn't bother to hide his snort.

Humiliating her...!

"Yes, yes, please!" Cinder all growled the words out in a rare fit of pique as she turned her back on the girl. "Would you kindly hurry up and do your job?! Or shall I return you to the streets?!"

Emerald's gaze sharpened; Cinder didn't even feel it take hold until it the air shimmered before her; in an instant Arc's likeness appeared from the void, armor and all, limbs hanging loosely at his side.

Cinder studied him intently.

As such, she failed to notice Emerald's scowl.

Mercury sighed. "Yup, that's the bastard. Even got the smirk down pat."

An alarmed Cinder noticed the discrepancy at once and swung round to glare at this girl who may no longer be her minion at all. "You can affect two people simultaneously without passing out now...?"

Emerald preened. "More, actually."

"How?!" She'd never been able to do so before!

When faced with her burning stare, the girl merely shrugged. "My semblance evolved."

Cinder didn't buy it for a moment; it was a convenient explanation, too convenient, one she'd ascertain the truth of later. If there was a later for Emerald. It might be safer to cut her lose or better yet, simply kill her. She had no use for a disloyal pawn who did as they pleased, when they pleased, to whomever pleased them.

But back to Arc, or rather, the illusion of him.

She studied him intently, cutting a quick circle around him, heels clicking against the cold floor. Seeing was believing, as they said. The boy-no, the young man-was tall, she'd give him that. Certainly he'd already proven himself well fit, enough stand head and shoulders above Mercury in terms of talent if not strength. Combat capabilities aside, he also possessed an incredibly versatile semblance that evidently allowed him to pull of feats hereinto unseen by many.

And yet she didn't see the appeal.

Falling for such a fool! Idiotic Maidens! She would wield their powers far better than they ever could! Honestly, what did they see in him...? He was handsome enough she supposed, easy on the eyes and a capable combatant, but there had to be something more at work here. There must be; how else would he attract such attention?

Her gaze strayed across Arc's chest, then traveled southward below the belt.

Might it perhaps be something down there...?

Heat crept up the back of her neck.

Emerald coughed pointedly.

Cinder shook her head furiously, forcing herself to focus. "What do we know of him?"

The little snit chipped in all too quickly, almost suspiciously so. "He doesn't get along with his family, ma'am; his father and many of his sisters especially. He ran away to Beacon to escape them...

Mercury looked up, finding his voice at last. "Are you suggesting we use that against him...?

"No!" Emerald panicked, the first hint of fear breaking through her eerie calm. "Absolutely not! We'll be slaughtered!

Now it was Cinder's turn to scoff. Slaughtered? By Arc? Hardly. He was powerful to be sure, mercury could've tested that, but power could be taken, broken, subverted. Men were so easily manipulated; you need only know what they want; and all men only ever wanted one thing.

She was an attractive woman after all, far superior to those silly little girls.

Yes, she have him eating out of her palm within the week.

A slow, cruel smile curled her lips. "Make him...kneel."

Emerald sighed. "Is that really necessary?"

"Do as I say, girl!"

She obeyed and the illusion knelt before her.

Cinder preened, imagining her inevitable triumph, then thrust a hand forward; a column of flame burst forth and immolated "Arc" on the spot, leaving only charred, ruined floor behind. Doing so made her feel powerful once more. In control. She still held all the cards here.

She was not that powerless waif from the Glass Unicorn.

She would not be seen as weak.

She would not lose...

.

..

...Never again.

Clenching her hand into a fist, she allowed it to fall back to her side; only then did she deign to look at her wayward pawn. "Who was it that brought you back to us, Emerald?"

Emerald met her gaze stoically, unafraid. Hmmm. She'd need to do something about that and soon.

...a friend." she relented at last, surrendering the secret. "She wants to meet with us."

"Does she now? And might this friend be one of Arc's sisters?"

Emerald scowled at her, but nodded once.

She'd thought so.

The girl was not so clever as she believed herself to be.

Cinder paced away, thoughts already whirling, mind moving a mile a minute. "Arrange a meeting, then. We have work to do."

The CCT still needed to be infiltrated, the virus planted. Even if she'd been outed from Beacon, there were other ways in which to work.

The attack on Beacon -on the Maidens!- that followed would be all or nothing. It must be perfect.

Alas, so focused as she on the potential prize at hand...

.

..

...that she failed to notice Emerald's sly smile.

---

(.0.0.0.)

---

Vaylin was an absolute delight to teach.

And such an attentive student!

Truly, she was.

As such, Ozma took some small parental pride in teaching his descendant -he'd much rather call her his daughter- the ancient art of magic. While his own power might have waned with the making of the maidens, he still retained enough to instruct her on the intricacies of its use and it...it had been a long while since he had a chance to bond with one of his offspring.

He wasn't getting emotional again; he certainly wasn't about to shed more tears.

Anyone who said otherwise was going to meet Long Memory.

Facefirst.

That said, it seemed Vaylin made inroads into her abilities already; she held a frightful affinity for telekinesis and lightning, for one.

She also apparently enjoyed being the center of attention, as evident by her rapt attention as she sat opposite him on the sofa, absorbing his every word like a sponge. In a perfect world, he would've taught his daughters such when they came of age. That he was able to do so here, now, with another, thrilled him to no end.

Even now she effortlessly conjured a small sphere of light and easily kept it contained between her palms as he looked on proudly.

Truly a powerful prodigy, this one.

Now if only Mister Uzumaki -or was it Arc since he'd married into the family?- would stop watching him like a hawk, all would be well. Or perhaps that was Taiyang. He wasn't particularly focused on either of them right now, but he knew at least one blond was glaring at him.

In the end he could hardly blame them.

Taiyang Xialong was and old friend and nothing if not a graceful host; he'd happily opened his home to them when they sought shelter and adeptly kept James distracted while the rest of them settled in.

Granted, he didn't entirely trust him with his daughters -perhaps rightfully so- but insofar as other children were concerned...well, from one father to another, he could understand. The man had already lost two great loves in his life, and he didn't think the poor could endure losing anyone else.

That said, he was a father through and through. Anyone who could lose not one, but two wives AND raise two daughters deserved respect; even if it was but a fraction of the thousands of years he'd endured. These days Taiyang was less of a hunter and more of a...what was the fancy slang the kids used these days?

House husband? Himbo?

Bah, semantics!

Whatever his title, the man was wary of him; not enough to bar him from his home, but enough to make him a skeptic.

He'd lost much because of him; Summer had perished on a mission not of his making, but even before that, Taiyang had never quite forgiven him for driving Raven away.

As though that one were his fault!

He had not sought to drive Miss Branwen away mind you; if anything he'd endeavored to keep her safe; prevent her from learning of terrible truths she was unprepared for; which was half the reason he kept them in the first place!

Honestly, such children. Immortality did not mean invincible. Salem could be stopped and had BEEN stopped.

He should know! He'd done it! Hundreds of times!

Take away her toys, massacre her minions, and all she had left were the Grimm. Huntsmen dealt with those all the time. She'd garnered very few victories over the years as a result, with the exception of Mountain Glenn. That had been an undeniable tragedy to be sure, but an ultimately preventable one; if it weren't for that loathsome Doctor Merlot opening the gates from within, the city may well have held. The man hadn't even been on her side for crying out loud!

But no! She took credit for that; as though it were her brilliance! He'd never hear the end of it so long as he lived!

In this case, however, he'd chosen to employ the opposite strategy against Salem. Triumph through distraction. Victory through sheer satisfaction, preferably the pleasant kind if it came to that. Give his ex-wife too many toys to play with as it were; swarm her with descendants, keep her happy and distracted and most of all sated, leave her drowning in positive emotions for the next thousand years. A most blessed reprieve.

And if that meant throwing Jaune Arc into the proverbial meat grinder...if he had to give the boy a bloody harem to save the world, so be it.

Salem would be sure to thank him for his sacrifice.

The descendants of Remnant surely would!

But oh dear, Vaylin was making eyes at Taiyang now.

No, no, and no. There was quite enough blond in this family, thank you very much! The last thing they needed was blondes blonding with other blonds! Wait, was blonding a thing...?

Shaking his head for his sake as much as hers, he returned his attention to the task at hand. "Focus on your magic, dear."

Vaylin hummed, but didn't otherwise speak; as he looked on she took the light and twisted it into the shape of a sword, veritably crackling with energy.

Oh, dear. She was certainly very...combat oriented in her spells, wasn't she?

He knew she was of his blood beyond a doubt; for she possessed the spark of magic within her, something that could not be faked. He sensed it clear as day, burning merrily alongside this...chakra substance of hers. That was something Mister Uzumaki was in no hurry to divulge, and frankly, as one who kept many a secret himself, Ozma was content to allow it.

After all, there still Eight Arc Children he hadn't met yet. Gods be good.

He supposed they were in a sense; it was a miracle one of his daughters had survived that night, a miracle they found help, and a miracle thrice over that her bloodline had persisted this far into the future. If he was this overwhelmed with but a single descendant and Salem was presently dealing with SIX...if she was learning what it meant to LIVE...

Maybe...just maybe there was a way to save her after all.

He decided to take a risk and cleared his throat.

"May I see Salem...?"

Naruto scoffed, raising his voice for the first time since they'd met. "You're joking, right? Absolutely not!"

Ozma winced as Vaylin smirked in the background, but rallied. "There's no need to be so harsh Mister Uzumaki; a simple no would have sufficed...

"No, it would not!" a finger jabbed into his forehead, seeking the gray matter beneath as the blond berserker growled down at him. "I'm well aware that the two of you have bias against each other, just as I'm aware that she basically wanted to replace humanity with her own creations, and then sought to exterminate them when that went south. Meanwhile, you took the kids and tried to leave in the middle of the night, which really didn't help matters any. Insofar as I'm concerned you are both at fault, and you seriously need therapy!"

He paused suddenly, then blanched, realizing that might've been mistaken for an invitation.

"Which I am not equipped to give! As such, and in the interest of preventing another war from breaking out, I am going to keep you and your ex far away from each other until you two sort your shit out!"

Ozma subsided with a sigh, somewhat cowed. "I suppose that's fair.

Taiyang raised a hand. "I'm something of a counselor myself these days. I could give it a go-

Naruto rounded on him so fast his heels spart sparks. "No, no, no and no!" he crossed both arms before himself in the definitive shape of an x to deny him. "My baby girl's already making eyes at you. The last thing we need is to add the Queen of the Grimm to your list of conquests!"

"Oi! I wasn't suggesting-

Ozma thumbed his chin, entertaining the idea. "I suppose that would be another way of keeping Salem distracted. Are you offering your services on that front Mister Uzumaki?"

"You're makin' it sound like I don't have a choice...

Vaylin crossed her legs, her smile shriveling up into a scowl. "Mother would be unhappy."

Naruto blanched as only a man with a wife could. "On second thought, I volunteer Taiyang as tribute."

"Hey!"

Ironwood raised his mug and took long, slow sip from it. "Why not? If we're throwing things at the wall to see what sticks-

Realizing where this was going, Naruto pivoted away. "Quiet, you! Now, if you're quite done, I have a wayward child to track down...!"

Ozma wasn't able to hide his smile. "Which one?"

"YES!"

"Come to think of it," Taiyang tilted his head, the act of which filled Ozma with dread, "You resemble someone I've seen before."

Naruto blinked, then squinted at him, somewhat flummoxed. "I do?

"Here, I think I have a picture...

Taiyang showed him a photo on his scroll.

Ozma already knew what would be found there.

"My baby girl sent me this picture just the other day. Bragging about this new buddy of hers...

Sure enough, Jaune Arc's sheepish face stared back at him from the screen, Miss Xiao-Long's arm wrapped round his shoulders. She was leaning against him rather heavily and they were, the both of them, covered in dirt and scratches; suggesting they were fresh from one of Goodwitch's sparring matches...or a far more vigorous activity.

Vaylin leaned over, peering at the picture. "Hmm, a blond? Acceptable."

Naruto stepped in it. "Oh, hey! That's my boy. Whose the girl?"

Taiyang twitched. "Jaune Arc? That's your kid?"

"Yup, why?"

Taiyang smile became sharp. "I may have to kill you now...

The Arc patriarch sighed. "For the love of...what did he do this time?"

Ironwood huffed into his coffee. "If he's anything like you? Everything."

Ozma held back a chuckle.

Tap-tap-tap.

Mercifully, someone knocked briskly on the door before the second Battle of the Blonds could commence.

Naruto must've sensed their approach; because his head whipped towards the frame in question.

"You gonna get that?"

Taiyang looked like he wanted to tell him to shove it -and place his boot there as well- but at the end of the day the man was a good host and couldn't bear to be cruel.

...you're lucky I'm a responsible parent, you blond bastard."

Vaylin crooned and leaned over the couch to watch him leave. "You can be my daddy."

Taiyang wheezed.

Naruto pinched her cheek. "Vaylin, no. Absolutely not. He's my age.

"That just makes him experienced~!"

"Absolutely not!"

Taiyang pinched the bridge of his nose and swung open the door. Brave of him. You never knew who it might be in this day and age, but the man DID have truly magnificent aura...

.

..

...as such, he was only mildly surprise to find a young girl awaiting them outside...clad in a Beacon uniform no less. Wherever had she gotten one of those? Though it somehow fit her, she appeared far too young for it, shorter than Miss Rose, even.

Who was she?

Naruto's face lit up as he sprang to his feet.

That was his first and only warning, and he barely had time to comprehend it before all hell broke loose.

"Chelsea Arc!" he stomped forward, shouldered past Taiyang, and took her into his arms in a bracing bear hug. "You are in so much trouble, young lady?!"

"Places!" her giggle was decidedly muffled against the blond's chest. "Hello, daddy. I missed you, too...

"Do you have any idea how much chaos you've caused?!"

She laughed into him. "Chaos is love, chaos is life, daddy. Let chaos take the world~!"

"Honestly, you're worse than Jaune...where in blazes have you been?!"

She smiled. "Learning things."

...dare I ask what?"

Ozma peered at the little whelp as her father set her down; to his sixth sense she practically crackled with raw magic, a warped red light emanating from her heart. It clung to her even now, suffusing her in an unseen shroud alongside her aura. But there was something wrong with her soul; why did it look bigger than her body? Such wasn't possible unless...

.

..

...aha. He understood now.

This one looked like a child but only because she chose to assume that form. In truth she was much older.

An interesting application of magic indeed, or perhaps it was simple a "jutsu" at work as Naruto so often called them.

And then she noticed him. Her bright eyes locked on like a dust missile. "Who might this be? Why is Vaylin sitting next to him?"

Her sister flipped her off, facade cracking for a moment. "Piss off, bitch I saw him first."

Ozma recoiled, alarmed by her visceral response. "Language!"

Naruto heaved the sigh of a doomed man. "This...well...his name is Ozma and-

The headmaster soughed. "Ozpin actually-

"Ozma," he corrected sternly, "Headmaster of Beacon. He's also technically your great grandfather."

Her eyes lit up. "I have a Grampa?"

A nod. "You do indeed."

Child blurred.

Taiyang and James wisely dodged aside.

Well that they did, too; because the girl practically hopped into his lap!

"Awww," the former crooned at the sight, "I remember when Yang and Ruby were that clingy."

"Its so nice to meet you!" she beamed up at him, legs kicking over his knees. "You're the headmaster of Beacon, then?"

His brow furrowed. "I am, yes...

"Excellent!" she steepled her fingers with a giggle and for a moment -a sliver of a second- he found himself looking at a mini Salem in her prime, golden hair and all. "This makes things even easier!"

Dare he ask what was easier...?

Against his better judgement he did. "What are you talking about, dear girl?"

In hindsight, he would sorely regret asking that question.

Child -Chelsea!- Arc took a deep breath.

And then she unleashed hell:

"Beacon will be attacked by the White Fang and Adam Taurus during the final round of the Vytal festival," she declared sweetly, "They'll be shuttling Grimm in from the Emerald forest to act as shock troops."

James choked.

Taiyang squawked.

Naruto slapped a hand to his forehead. "You must be joking...!"

"Hush, daddy, there's more." His daughter continued undaunted. "An agent will also attempt to plant a virus into the CCT mainframe during the school dance. Oh!" she snapped her fingers, just recalling something terribly important. "You should also update your security protocols; all those precious metal men Ironwood brought with him are about to have an awful malfunction...

The good general growled. "What manner of malfunction?"

Vaylin granted him a flat look. "Likely the kind that involves civilian casualties, what else?"

Ironwood's scroll chose that untimely moment to ring. Everyone jumped, startled by the surprisingly upbeat jingle. The man swore, yanked the device out his coat and promptly began barking orders into it.

Ozma pitied the poor soul on the other end.

Child drove the final nail into the coffin with a happy titter. "What else was there-oh! Cinder Fall wants to seduce Jaune. But don't worry! I found him a better girlfriend, one that's loyal to us, body and soul, so its alright~!"

Naruto practically spat sparks at that last remark; not that Ozma could blame him. "And just how do you know all this, Chelsea, hmm?"

"How else?" The littlest Arc preened at her papa, inordinately proud of herself and her spywork. "I have my own spy in their ranks. I spent a lot of time cultivating them, just like you taught me!"

Taiyang and Ozma looked Naruto's way, but it was the former who found his voice first. "What the hell are you teaching your kids...?"

Naruto glared at him. "How to survive."

Ozma found himself in the strange position of being both proud and exasperated. "And you are certain of her loyalty?

"Quite so." Child hummed, red light cracking merrily behind her eyes. "Emerald's a good girl."

"That's it," Naruto whipped out his own scroll. "I'm calling your mother."

Ozma didn't fault his caution. Spy or no, they needed to act on this.

Had Cinder Fall truly been cut loose by Salem?

If so...

.

..

...

The dance, the CCTV, the tournament...

...there was little they could do but prepare...

...he could only pray that Salem would show...restraint

---

(.0.0.0.)

---

Salem was nobody's fool.

She knew she was being distracted by her descendants; just as she knew the girls were going out of their way to keep her occupied. Likewise she knew something was amiss in the outside world; it was impossible to miss those wailing sirens and the commotion they caused.

Her Grimm had been banished most handily, but they'd wrought quite a bit of destruction and frightened a fair few folk.

Naruto had only deigned to seal the Breach itself; he'd not cared for the rest of the property damage.

Was it any wonder the peasants were panicking like the insects they were?

Honestly, people were made of sterner stuff in her day.

Not her girls, though!

They were such Darling little ones, and so well-behaved! Such a shame that two of them are missing, but Juniper assured her that Vaylin -aiyeeee! A lovely name!- and Chelsea -why she insisted on calling herself Child, she'd never understand- would be along soon enough.

Saphron was rather lovely herself. Such long hair, and so easy to braid. She missed her own.

Magic mixed well with this "chakra" Uzumaki had, not only resulting in powerful genes, but wild and exotic appearances. Why, apparently one of the girls have been a redhead until just recently. She had dyed her hair for some inexplicable reason! Why would you do that to your poor hair?! How she missed her beloved blonde blocks.

More little blondes were needed, clearly.

She wouldn't mind a grandson or granddaughter with Faunus features, either. Adorable pair of rabbit ears, or perhaps a tail...? The possibilities were endless!

"Grandmother?"

Oh dear, she'd gone and gotten, distracted again.

"Yes, my dear, just like that. Hold the flame between your hands and keep it focused...Saphron, no," she grabbed the older girl before she could squirm away. "Don't move, I'm not done with your hair."

...what are you doing to it, exactly?"

"Weaving a spell into so I can track you. What else? Now be still."

A chorus of agreements-one more sullen than the rest-answered her.

Salem basked in it all. When little Azula had "requested" magic lessons she hadn't thought much of it at the time. The girl clearly had a great grasp of fire, but her other siblings, such as Jeanne, had taken an interest as well. That one was sat across from them, playing with a spark of light between her hands, one she made into a barrier that shrank and expanded at will.

Magic manifested in many ways, after all.

In the erra of the gods-cursed be the brothers!-there were all manner of spells, of magic and mysticism alike

Witchcraft and wizardry, some might same.

It wasn't merely a matter of learning, either.

Your "talent" as it were, could be just about anything, and everything, there were many factors that determined one's gifts. A noble might have a meager talent for conjuring a faint breeze, while a peasant girl from some far-flung village possess the means to create incredible explosions.

For instance, those who once dwelt in the frigid north had preferred ice magic, while those in the scorching west adored fire. There were more esoteric arts as well; why, she had once seen someone animate statues, while another brought scarecrows to life! Others had been able to talk to animals. On and on it went! There really was no end to the application. Only the ability to raise the dead was frowned upon and decried as taboo.

She had thought that funny, once. Now, being cursed herself, she found no humor in it.

But was not her curse itself beginning to fade? Or if not fade, then falter?

She saw more of herself in the mirror every day.

Was the reason not obvious? She had come to truly appreciate life again for the time being, and wished to savor it awhile longer. Oh, she still fully intended to destroy the world but maybe later. Maybe a decade from now or a hundred years later, she would get around to it eventually...

.

..

... wouldn't she?

None of her granddaughters seemed to be in any hurry to procreate. Worse, that Naruto fellow proclaimed himself a one-woman man, which while quite nice to see that chivalry wasn't dead, also presented her with a rather dire predicament!

But who was going to provide her with grandbabies?!

Sooner or later, perhaps later, indeed, the Arc children would grow old.

And then they would die.

Maybe not this decade or the next, but they would inevitably perish.

Someone had to continue the bloodline, someone had to preserve the last lingering remnants of her children.

They must. They had to. They couldn't let them die out.

Which was precisely why she needed Jaune to go forth and find as many concubines as possible for himself, thereby providing her with a great many grandchildren.

What? He was related to her, after all; and she was a Queen. That made him a prince.

Naruto and Juniper had clearly invested a great deal of time and effort into his training, if nothing else.

Talent begot talent, after all.

Just like Cinder.

Ah, Cinder! She had such high hopes for that girl once upon a time; she'd been strong, clever, but most of all, ambitious. She'd put a lifetime into her, plucking that fiery feisty girl from the burning wreckage of the Glass Unicorn, spiriting in her way to the Grimmlands and making her strong. Ruthless. An instrument of her will.

And for what? Clearly, her ego had grown too big for her britches.

She needed to settle down and find someone nice, preferably someone like Jaune. Hmm. Now there was a thought. The notion of blonde children with golden eyes was a rather appealing aesthetic. Perhaps it wasn't too late to pluck the fruit from that branch, as it were Cinder clearly needed some discipline...and the bedroom often sufficed just as much as the battlefield...

And she and little Azula really did look rather similar. Could there be a thread of relation between them?

For the first time in a long time, Salem entertained another idea.

Oh, this really was a most diverting thought exercise!

She felt more alive now than she had in the last thousand years, and this was coming from a woman who regularly made a murder a pastime. Why, she almost wanted to-

The safehouse door crashed open and burst free from its hinges, startling her from her thoughts.

Juniper rose languidly from the sofa, one hand resting up on the hills of sword. Marcus Black popped his head out the kitchen, ladle in hand, fully prepared to beat the foolish intruder to death with it if need be.

Thankfully, there was no need.

A figure most familiar crashed through the opening and promptly prostrated themselves at her feet. "My goddess! I've come to save you from the blasphemers!"

Saphron blinked. "The...what now?"

Salem looked left, then right, finding no such danger in sight. "Save me? Save me from what? No, nevermind that. You've excellent timing, Tyrian." she beckoned him forward before he could think to protest. "Come here and say hello to my daughters; or should I say your nieces?"

The Faunus drew himself upright, looking sullen. "But your Grace...these clearly aren't you true da-

Her eyes flashed, promising pain. "Aren't what, now?"

Tyrian was insane, but he wasn't that crazy; he daren't finish that sentence. After all; he couldn't very well worship her if he was dead now, could he?

Azula huffed, ever the royal princess in blood, if not name. "Go away. We're busy with Grandmother."

Tyrian bridled. "You dare blaspheme her with such a title?!"

Blue fire sprang to the smaller girl's palms. "Shall I give you a lesson instead?"

Oh, this might be entertaining! On a whim, Salem prodded her descendant with the promise of power. "If you can manage to defeat him without being touched, I'll teach you a very powerful spell~!

Azula's golden gaze lit up.

Tyrian pouted. "But what of me, goddess?"

Salem sighed. "I shall grant you a lock of my hair if you triumph."

She had a feeling he wouldn't.

Juniper sighed. "Is this how you treat all your minions?"

"With bribery?" Watts looked up from a tech manual he was poring over with a curious Sabrina and Sable. "Quite. It works wonders." His piece said, he turned back to his new minions. "Now see here girls, this is how you infiltrate an enemy mainframe...

In the end, such behavior was simply too much for poor Tyrian.

Poor fool didn't like being ignored. And as such:

He pounced!

Azula met him with a rush of blue fire.

Salem sighed and settled in to watch the fireworks with Juniper and Saphron, tucking mother and daughter alike into her sides.

She could only pray that her lone grandson was staying out of trouble...

Or making grandbabies. Whichever came first, really.

The more the merrier~!

---

(.0.0.0.)

---

Breakfast proved a somewhat subdued affair.

Not that it was any of Jaune's fault this time mind you, apparently the headmaster and General Ironwood had apparently gone missing overnight. Moreover, Professor Peter Port had mysteriously vanished as well, leaving only a note behind; something about a hunt of some sort. Which in turn left Miss Goodwitch both understaffed and overworked, tearing her hair out trying to find them.

He didn't pity the poor bastards when she got her hands on them, not one bit.

An angry Miss Goodwitch, as he'd learned, was a scary Goodwitch.

Do not mess with the Witch.

He, for his part, had energy to burn, despite the dour mood; really, he felt better than he ever, practically vibrating with energy.

Even now he could've gone for another round...or nine.

Nora noticed, naturally. She was perceptive like that; or perhaps it had something to do with Pyrrha passed out, all but leaning against him.

"Somebody's looking peppy..." she squinted at the two of them, just shy of shoveling another plate of pancakes into her mouth. "Does our fearless leader have something by he wants to share with the rest of us...?"

Naturally, that got Ren's attention as well. "Have the two of you made up?"

Jaune coughed into a fist. "In a sense...?"

Pyrrha snuggled sleepily into him.

Nora grinned. "Jaaaauuune...

He told them.

By the end, her jaw gaped wide enough to fit three pancakes before she snapped it shut. "You did what?! How many times?!

Face red, Jaune muttered a number that was in the double digits.

"And you're not tired?!"

"Well, I'm not," he tilted his head toward the last member of their team, still silent as the grave. "Pyrrha is, though...

All eyes turned to the redhead, sound asleep, head resting against his shoulder.

Even in sleep, she wore the biggest smile.

Nora whistled. "Yup, that settles it. Out fearless leader isn't human." Quick as her namesake, she pivoted on her partner. "Hey, Renny, why haven't we tried that yet?"

Ren balked. "Nora, no."

"Nora yeeeeesssss. It'll be fun!"

Jaune tilted his head, mildly bemused. "So the two of you still aren't...?"

"Together? No!" She flailed her hands as the meaning set in. "I mean we're together, but not together-together, you know?"

He did, and could see the telltale signs of awkwardness between them. They had always been there of course, but he'd never noticed them, too lost in his own world.

That changed today.

As team leader, was it not his duty to help them make tactically sound decisions?

Kurama scoffed. "Oh, please, you just want to get them together."

He grinned inwardly. "I don't hear you arguing against it...

"Of course not. I approve of this pairing~!"

Mind made up, he found himself chiming in, one hand resting against his chin as he bit into a cookie. "You should try."

Nora made a tentatively pleased noise. "We should...?"

Ren nearly choked on his food. "Jaune?!"

Belatedly, he found himself recalling Pyrrha's tears, both happy and otherwise. "You shouldn't lock your feelings away like that. Its not healthy. For either of you. If you try to bury how you really feel, suppress it, hide that feeling away, it'll just blow up in your face someday."

Nora slammed an open palm down on the table, rattling their food. "See?! He gets it! We're doing this, Renny!"

Lie Ren gave him the look of a doomed man. "Lay some flowers on my grave."

"Aw, c'mon, now you're just being melodramatic!"

Jaune saw his opportunity and took it. "Speaking of which...about my old man...

Ren went silent, but only for a moment. "Did something happen?"

Words flowed out of him. About the three-day-deadline and all that it heralded.

By the end, Nora was grinning ear to ear. "You want us to break his legs...?"

Jaune winced, not particularly liking that analogy. "Not quite...

"Ohhh, so you wanna jump him."

"That." he pointed a finger at her. "Exactly that."

The duo exchanged a brief glance and to his great delight, shared a nod.

"There's strength in numbers, I suppose." Ren seconded. "Who else did you have in mind?"

A small, nervous laugh escaped Jaune's lips before he could think to hold it back. Was it really this easy? Just...ask people for help? He hadn't dared to think things would work out; maybe that was his own fault. He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and took the plunge. "Well I was hoping we could involve Team RWBY-

"Hiya, sparky~!"

Speak of the devils and they shall appear!

Yang's laugh heralded the arrival of Team RWBY, in all their colorful glory, trays of food in hand; in short order they took their usual seats at the table opposite them.

Weiss glared daggers at him the entire time despite claiming the seat beside him.

Blake met his gaze evenly and granted him a brief nod.

Ruby waved happily.

Yang was...well, Yang. Always positive, always happy, ever burning bright...

"Soooo, what happened to Pyrrha?"

...always asking the most uncomfortable questions.

His partner hummed in her sleep, still not quite awake. "Happy things...

Nora snickered into her palm as Ren quietly despaired.

Blake blinked, realizing it first.

Weiss scowled darkly, not far behind. "Such as?"

Yang inhaled in a sharp gasp. "Waitaminute...! You did the deed?!"

Weiss inhaled sharply, practically a hiss.

"I don't get it." Ruby tilted her head quizzically. "What kinda things? What deed?"

Nonono, and no. She was fifteen - going on sixteen, but still. Protect her innocence at all costs!

"Hey, Ruby." he held out a chocolate chip cookie to her, distracting her. "I accidentally ordered too many of these. Want some?"

Said confectionery treat vanished from his grasp and the plate besides as she reappeared opposite him in a flurry of rose petals.

"Mmm~! Chocolate chip!" She nommed down on her meal onto it with a happy squeal. "Marry me!"

Too cute. Must protect. So cute in fact, that he found himself reaching over to clean her cheek without even realizing it.

Yang's gaze sharpened and for a moment, her lively lilac eyes blazed a bloody baleful red.

"Jaaaaauuune", Ruby whined and kicked her legs, but hemmed in by her teammates, she couldn't escape. "Stoppit! I can do that myself!"

Nora's giggles redoubled. "Someone's going for the harem route...or maybe the Rose route...

Urk?!

Jaune choked on his food loudly, thumped his chest and forced himself to swallow.

Weiss and Blake stared while Yang began crackling her knuckles, one by one.

Danger, danger, danger! A different distraction was needed!

"Say, Ruby...

She perked up. "Yeah?"

"I was thinking about adding a ranged equivalent yo my arsenal. Any chance you could help me out?"

Nora beamed. "Oooh! Like explosions?"

"Nora, no...

The ginger tented her fingers. "Nora maybe?"

"Nora, no." he reaffirmed sternly. "I need Ruby's help for this."

With that harmless inquiry, the overwhelming sense of DOOM he'd experienced vanished like so much morning mist. Weapons were a normal topic. Weapons were a safe topic. Weapons were a lot less likely to get himself ganged up on by Team RWBY...even if he could -and had!- beaten them handily before.

There were some lines you just didn't cross.

Ruby for her part, blinked quickly, her eyes suddenly very wide indeed. "Eh...? M-Me? You want my help?"

"Well, yeah." He planted one arm on the table, careful to support Pyrrha with the other and carefully lower her onto the table lest she fall over and smack her head in her sleep. "I can't think of anyone else I'd trust Crocea Mors with."

Weapons truly were the way to a Rose's heart; her eyes lit up so much that they almost seem to shine for a second. "Really?!"

"Sure, if you like. Here, have a look."

He had made a habit of carrying Crocea Mors with him since fighting Winter, unwilling to leave such a dangerous piece of technology trapped in a rocket locker.

After all, if he wasn't careful, it might melt through it!

"I get to see the laser sword?!"

Aha. Ruby would be excited about that, wouldn't she? He held back a small chuckle.

"Sure. I've kept the blade close for safekeeping." He set it on the table before everyone, shield and all, preening a little as they all closed in. "You just press the trigger and the blade collapses like so-

With a whir and a hum, searing dust and plasma sprang to life. Thankfully he'd left it on low power to it wouldn't burn through the table.

"Mind you, it has a charge," he warned before she could think to touch it or worse, "and a power setting besides. Don't crank it too high or you're liable lose a hand."

Ruby squeaked as her entire team leaned back.

Jaune panicked and in his panic, bumbled out something he really shouldn't have. "Oh, but don't worry! I can easily grow an arm back if you lose one."

Yang perked up.

Blake's brow shot in her hair.

Ruby squawked, rather, reminding him of a peppy little bird, he once found back in the garden. "You what?!"

.

..

...

Should he...not have said that?

He swiveled back, only to find Weiss staring at him. Hard. "Just how versatile is that semblance of yours?!"

Pyrrha groaned happily into the table. "Veeeery versatile...

Blake's gaze sharpened.

Yang's widened.

Clever girls.

Wait wait wait, hold on, why were they putting their heads together and whispering all of a sudden?!

Ruby and Weiss, however, remained oblivious. Weiss especially. "You boys and your toys...

"Hey, hey!" Ruby flailed a hand at her, warding her off. "Don't dis the weapons."

"It is an utterly unrefined tool meant only for slashing through things."

His pride prickled at the insinuation.

"Yeah, I don't wanna hear that from you Miss Stabby."

Too late, he realized he'd inadvertently uttered the words aloud.

Yang leaned all the way back, eyes wide. "Oho, shiiiiit. You did not just say that."

Blake's ears were fully perked, her smile decidedly catty. "Told you he would." Up came her hand, palm out. "Pay up."

The blonde brawler huffed. "Last time I make a bet with you...

Apparently he had. Weiss recoiled like she'd been slapped across the face, went whiter than her hair, then promptly red as Ruby's cloak, which was saying something given her pale disposition. He realized his faux pas a moment later and blanched a little. Oh. He'd just insulted her, hadn't he? He hadn't meant to. It was just meant to be a bit of banter...

Ren granted him a small smile of approval while Nora applauded heartily. "Oooooh burn!"

Weiss launched herself at him.

Ruby latched onto her back like a limpet and wrestled her back to the table. "Weiss, no! No murder! Murdering is bad!"

Weiss made angry Weiss noises but allowed herself to be dragged down, and refrained from leaping over the table at him again. "One of these days, Arc...!"

Jaune tilted his head. "One of these days what?"

Weiss never got the chance to answer.

"Salutations!"

A familiar greeting had him looking up mere moments before Penny Polendina thrust herself between the two them, bodily inserting herself into the already crowded table.

Ruby recoiled, arms flailing. "Gah! Penny! Not again!"

To her credit, the ginger ignored the Schnee and turned her attention wholeheartedly his way. "Hello, cousin! Are you well?"

...hey, Penny." He managed a halfhearted greeting, still rather cross with her for keying Dad in on his location and bringing hell down on his head in the first place. "Haven't seen you in a bit. What've you been up to?"

"Studying!" she chirruped happily, planting her hands on the table, forcing a further wedge between him and a sullenly scowling Weiss as she leaned his way. "Father was most insistent after my last mistake; he demanded that I make a serious effort to learn as much about human psychology as possible. Now I understand human emotions much better! I can empathize with them and can now discern many complex feelings!"

That was...a lot to take in.

Lots of words, all at once. Hardly any of them made sense.

Blake reared back, and she wasn't the only one. "That...sounds like a lot to take in."

Penny saluted. "I am study ready!"

Ruby raised a hand. "...I thought it was combat ready?

"That as well!"

"So you're learnin' how to psycho-analyze people now, huh?" Yang had that Yangy grin of hers again, the kind that promised trouble. "Care to give it a whirl?"

Penny looked between him and Weiss, blinking guilelessly. Ren shied back as Nora looked on eagerly.

Pyrrha continued to snooze.

And then:

Penny unleashed chaos.

"Friend Weiss is in love with cousin Arc~!"

Everyone -sans a sleepy Pyrrha- shrieked at Penny's statement, but Weiss reacted worse of all, practically springing to her feet. "Nonsense! I am not!"

"Aren't you?" Penny began to count down on the fingers of her right hand, heedless of her impending doom. "You demand his time and attention, constantly challenge him to duels, and work to improve yourself after every loss. Your body temperature also spikes in his presence, your heartbeat especially-

"How do you even know-no!" she stomped a heel and slashed a hand through the air, practically balancing herself on the bench to thrust a finger in her face. "That explains nothing!"

"You also have a digital diary that claims you frequently mammrgh..?"

"NOT ANOTHER WORD!" Weiss clamped a hand over her mouth, for all the good it did; she recoiled a second later. "Did you just bite me?!"

Penny preened. "Affirmative~! Father says letting your emotions out is one of the most effective ways to process them!"

"Huh." Nora tilted her head. "Learnin' all sorts of things today...whaddya say, Renny?"

Lie Ren stoically continued eating, firmly focused on the food before him and refused to answer, ignoring both her and RWBY's squabble alike.

Jaune would've found it funny if he weren't so stunned.

Poor uncle Pietro. He really didn't understand how humans worked at all, did he?

On a whim, he opened his sixth sense and aimed it at Weiss; he could hear her heart beating so darn fast, sense her emotions, a tangled and complicated knot he couldn't hope to make sense of. Anger, fear, pride, hope, despair; so many feelings flying free at once; he couldn't handle it and swiftly shut himself down again.

Thankfully, the other girls made some small smidgen of sense; even then he didn't dare said sense upon them for fear of what he might find there.

Emotions were complicated. Girls were complicated. At least weapons made sense.

-how did you even know about that?!" Weiss wailed, snapping him back to reality.

Penny, bless her heart, tried to lie, only to hiccup. "My Semblance...?

That is no excuse and you know it! I will have satisfaction!

"Like the song...?"

Myrtenaster whipped out.

"Th-That reminds me!" Ruby interjected quickly before the situation could devolve into violence. "Jaune, we met your sister earlier!"

Jaune's smile died an ugly death, buried itself in the ground and laid a tombstone on its grave. "Which one?"

Please not Vaylin. Anyone but Vaylin.

Vaylin was bad.

Vaylin was very bad.

Vaylin was the baddest of all.

"Saphron!" Ruby's voice cut through his concerned daze. "She was a super hero; she had a cape and everything!"

Relief crashed down around him, momentarily leaving him feeling weightless. "...oh, Saph. Yeah, she's one of the nice ones."

Blake frowned, suddenly protective for reasons he didn't wholly understand. "There are bad ones?"

Geh.

Gods be good but his heart was beating so fast. At least Nora and Ren hadn't blabbed about the rest of them. Thank heaven for small mercies. He'd need to tell them eventually, but at his own pace...and soon.

And the less said about his siblings at the moment, the better!

"Moving on!"

Blake tilted her head, golden amber eyes lidded. "Are you really thinking of upgrading your weapon?

"Not thinking, doing. I'm decent at close combat-

Yang snorted. "More than decent, I'd say...

Was he? No, focus! "-but I always have to get in close if I want to fight. And your scythe-

"Crescent Rose!"

"Is also a gun, so-

Ruby sniffed indignantly. "A high impact sniper rifle actually-

"Do you think you can help me?" he finished, somewhat bemused and exasperated. "Please?"

"Well," she spluttered, pawing at his sword, "I don't really know what kinda modifications you want me to make...

"Oooh!" Yang's fist slammed into the air. "How about an explosive sword! Or maybe a shotgun!

Wasn't heard to see where she was going with this. "I don't need shotgun fists."

"Hey, don't knock it until you try it...

Blake considered him for a moment, her golden gaze, keen, and considering. "Perhaps a rifle. Something that shoots beams of light, perhaps?"

Jaune thumbed his chin, considering. "Are beams a good thing?"

"That thing is literally concentrated, dust and plasma. Tell me you're not thinking of it."

Ruby's gaze lit up all over again. "Beeaaaams~?!"

Blake smiled fondly. "You've done it now...

Penny nodded. "Beams are nice."

"Done what...?"

"I'll do it!" Ruby deactivated the blade and clutched it against her chest. "Just wait! I'll make you proud!"

Behind her, Yang wore the biggest smile. Jaune couldn't help but wonder why. Again, he had the distinct feeling he was missing a bit of byplay there...

"Lovely, Weiss rolled her eyes. "Make him even more overpowered, why don't you? As though he doesn't already need it."

And just what in the world was that supposed to mean?

Jaune frowned at her. "What's your problem?"

He expected anger, but instead she flushed and looked away. "I don't have a problem. I simply think you don't need to expand your repertoire any further."

Penny raised her hand. "I believe friend Weiss is being what they call a tsundere."

Weiss snapped at her. "Quiet, you!"

"Yes, just like that!"

Jaune ignored Penny's remark; the Shcnee's attitude had irked him. "So you're suggesting I stay the way I am...?"

"And why not?" Weiss huffed, tossing her head, flicking her ponytail behind her. "Your combat scores are practically top of the class. Why fix what isn't broken?"

Because he must.

Because if he stayed this way, was nothing would change.

Because he would never beat Dad if he stayed this weak and pathetic.

"Are you content to remain as you are, miss perfect?"

Weiss scowled. "I never said I was perfect!"

She was nothing like Winter.

Her words rankled him.

"Really," he growled, "Because you act like it! All the time!"

She shied back, alarmed by his outburst. "What's gotten into you?!"

"You have!" He slammed a hand against the table, denting it, causing her to recoil in fear. "You're not perfect, Weiss! Nobody is! That's why we're all here!" Another slam, and the table buckled beneath him. "Each and every one of us is constantly trying to improve! Don't you get it?! Staying the same is a death sentence for me!"

"I didn't mean-

His temper, already strained to its limit, finally snapped.

"NO!" he leaned across the table and shouted her down, pressing his forehead to hers in a rare moment of genuine anger. "You don't think before you speak; you never do! You're always talking down to me, disparaging me, acting like I don't matter, regardless of what I do, and for what?! Some sick twisted desire to make yourself feel better?! Well, I'm sick of it!"

She puffed out her cheeks, bridling in turn. "And I, you!"

He flung up his arms, scattering their plates. "What do you even want from me, Weiss?!"

Something in his glare must've cowed her; because Weiss shrank in on herself, eyes downcast lower lip trembling. "I...its nothing you need concern yourself with...

"Isn't it?" Seeing her like this made him feel sick to his stomach, but his rage wasn't so easily quelled; he glared at her, daring her to speak, to challenge him, refute him. "Go on. Insult me again." he shoved a fork at her, sending it skittering toward her right hand. "That's all you've ever done, and all you'll ever do. I'm tired of being your punching bag. Is that all you see me as? If that's what you call love, then no-thank-you! I'm not interested!"

Weiss made a pained noise as she averted her gaze and too late, he caught sight of what might've been tears in her eyes.

...I see," her voice fell to a whisper fists curling against her combat skirt. "Then I shan't bother you anymore."

She stood stiffly, pushed back her plate, and walked away.

He wondered if she might flee outright; she probably would have, if it weren't for everyone's eyes on her. A brisk walk carried her out the room, heels clicking harshly in the silence that followed. For once, she didn't slam the door in her wake. She simply, walked away, shoulders trembling just so, promising tears the moment she reached her room.

Guilt twisted in him, dark and ugly, choking down anything he might've said.

Had he made a mistake?

"You think?"

Nora was the first to find her voice. "Well...that could've gone better.

Jaune glared at her, in no mood. "Not now, Nora."

Ruby whimpered. "Jaune, your eyes...

"You too, Ruby?!"

Yang wasn't so easily cowed. "They look different, sparky."

Her words stilled him. "What?"

Blake reached across the table, took ahold of his chin, and held up a clean plate for him to see his reflection it.

Wait, wait, wait. They were glowing a vibrant violet, sure, but his eyes almost looked like-

Penny tugged at his sleeve, distracting him from the revelation. "Cousin...

Jaune rounded on her, still aggravated. "Now what?!"

Penny pointed.

He followed her finger and sure enough -thankfully enough!- a distant yelp captured his attention before he could snap at anyone else.. He wasn't surprised when he found the source. It was Cardin, of course, up to his usual antics, tormenting whomever he could get his hands on. Why wouldn't he be?

Today's victim was the same as the last.

Velvet.

He saw red.

Yang palmed her face. "Seriously? I thought he learned his lesson."

Hadn't he...? He recalled thrashing him earlier. So why was he at it again...?

Blake's ears -her faunus ones- went flat, her gaze even moreso. "I call dibs-hey!"

Jaune was up and moving again before he could even think to stop himself.

What would dad do here? What would dad say?

Remember, son. Knowing your enemy's weakness is half the battle.

Which was Cardin's? The answer struck him harder than one of Yang's punches.

Pride. He wanted to be strong, to be seen as a pillar of strength, no matter the cost.

Blake said something behind him, but he didn't hear her, his ears were already ringing.

Velvet saw him first, her bright eyes gone wide with surprise, and perhaps just a little awe. Cardin was second, and he exclaimed loudly. "Not you again! Are you seriously gonna get in my way a second time?!"

Never forget that when you wake up in the mood to mess with people, you might run into someone hoping you will.

"Here's a hint."

Jaune grabbed the bigger boy's wrist and pivoted inward, dragging it over his arm while simultaneously forcing him to release Velvet on the way. From there he had two choices. Break it, or toss him. He was feeling a bit vindictive at the moment, so he chose the former and committed to it. He'd probably earn a detention with miss Goodwitch for this, but it would be worth it. Tensing his muscles, he followed through.

Pop went the bone.

Oooh dislocated shoulder. Hadn't meant to do that.

He twisted further, intent on breaking the bone, only for one of the bastard's of his teammates decked him.

In truth he barely felt it before backhanding them into a table, but the act allowed Cardin to wriggle free, if only for a moment. Jaune let him go and craned his neck back to find Velvet safe; she'd taken the chance to get while the getting was good, it seemed. Pity. He would've relished giving her a chance to whale on Cardin.

Who was looking pretty pissed right about now, come to think of it...

.

..

...Jaune paused, reconsidering.

He WAS operating on a limited timetable already. Maybe a detention wasn't worth it after all. And he'd played the part of a good knight in freeing Velvet.

Wasn't that enough for now? Surely they'd learned their lesson now.

"And you call yourself men." he made a shooing gesture and turned his back on them. "Scram. You're not worth it."

"Oi, you!" Cardin snarled at his back. "I'm no man! I'm a Winchester, damnit!"

He glanced over his shoulder. "And this matters to me, because...?"

Nora cackled in the background. Jaune found himself tempted to join her.

Until Cardin spat at the back of his head.

Kurama hissed. "Did he really...?"

He heaved a heavy sigh.

Touched a hand to to his blond hair. Glanced down at it, now. Sure enough, it was damp.

"That's nice," he hummed aloud, rubbing his index finger and thumb together. "Free justification for what I'm about to do. Been a bit."

He looked back to his Team, and Team RWBY with them. Pyrrha was still sound asleep, bless her, but the rest of them were watching him with wide eyes. Well, most of them were. Blake looked all of an instant from vaulting the table to tear Cardin apart; and she would have too, if it weren't for Yang gripping her wrist. They hadn't interfered yet; they were watching, waiting to see what he'd do.

Alright, then.

Jaune lowered his palm, turned to face his would-be bully, planted both hands in his pockets and turned to face Winchester.

Cardin bulled past his teammates, one fist cocked back to swing.

His mind went cold as time itself seemed to slow.

Neither of them had their weapons.

Nothing but their fists and aura.

GOOD.

He exhaled slowly and saw everything unfold in his mind's eye.

Naruto's -Dad's!- voice breathed in his ear, old as memory:

First, distract target.

He snatched up a napkin from the table and flung it at Cardin's meaty visage.

Block his blind jab.

He did so, lazily diverting the meaty fist that sought his face.

Counter with cross to left cheek.

Aura flexed painfully as he dented Winchester's face.

Discombobulate.

Swinging both hands wide, he clap both palms against Cardin's ears.

Dazed, incoming haymaker most likely.

Sure enough, a wild punch followed.

Employ elbow block and body shot.

He did so, hammering his ribs.

Block feral left with shoulder.

Easily done.

Weaken left jaw.

An elbow swept up, cratering the bigger boy's face, causing him to lurch back. Jaune dove in after him, arms up, fists tucked in tight with a boxer's full might.

One punch sent the bully barreling backward.

Now fracture.

He gave chase, hammering his face again; sure enough he felt something pop under his fist. It wasn't aura. Another crazed haymaker parted his hair momentarily as he swayed under it, pivoted on his heel and threw a jab of his own, targeting his vitals with ruthless precision.

Break cracked ribs.

Wasn't all that hard to do.

Traumatize solar plexus.

Kidney punch.

Dislocate jaw entirely.

Cardin's jaw gave under another right hook; distantly he heard someone cheer; wasn't sure who.

Heel kick to diaphragm.

This was his favorite part by far; he reared back and delivered just that, booting him backward into the wall. Plaster cracked ominously, but the boy's aura still held, if only just. He'd give him points for that. The bully could take a beating. He slumped down it, eyes rolling in his head, and didn't try to rise again.

Jaune left him there for a moment, eyes burning, considering his handiwork.

"In summary," His father's voice rang out from the past once more, taking stock of the damage he'd done, "Ears ringing, jaw fractured, ribs cracked, three broken diaphragm hemorrhaging. Physical recovery estimated at roughly six weeks. Psychological recovery? About six months. Full reputation recovery? Six years. Good job, Jaune. Now...finish him!

Happily~!

"You're right, Cardin." growled, hoisting the broken boy upright by his collar. "You're not a man... you're a pig. Now let me hear your squeal!"

Humiliation complete, he reared back and launched him clear out the wall, over the cliff, and into the Emerald Forest below.

Cardin did in fact, squeal like the pig he was. Wee, wee, wee, all the way down to his doom.

Kurama offered a low whistle. "Well, he won't be getting back up anytime soon...

Meh. He had still had aura left. He'd live.

Probably.

Someone latched onto his right arm, yanking it down.

Jaune he whirled, expecting an attack.

It never came.

"That! Was! Amazing!" Yang Xiao-Long grinned up at him like the cat that caught the canary, cheeks flushed, lilac eyes half-lidded with delight as she nuzzled his shoulder. "Can I keep you?"

Jaune's mind fizzled out spectacularly as his face flared a catastrophic shade of scarlet. "Keep me...?!"

Ruby squawked unhappily from the table and bolted upright. "Yang!"

Nora hooted happily, cupping her hands. "Called it!"

Movement flickered out the corner of his eye.

One of Cardin's teammates shouted.

"Bastard!"

For once, Yang was quicker. Releasing him, she checked him with her hip, no doubt expecting a punch from one of his teammates. She was always like that; willing to take hits so no one else had to.

In hindsight, she really should've let him tank those.

Alas, it went as follows:

SPLAT.

SPLAT.

SPLAT.

In the subsequent silence that followed; one could've heard a pin drop.

Three creme pies fell to the floor, their bombing run completed.

It was a massacre.

Yang hissed out a low, feral breath, her once-golden mane covered in white goodness. "Who...threw...THOSE?!

All fingers pointed toward the culprits.

Say what you would about Cardin Winchester's team, but when their leader committed to blatant stupidity, they went all the way.

"Y-Yeah," Sky, Dove, and Russell gulped as one, but it was the latter who truly sealed their fate. "It was us! Whatcha gonna do about it, bitch? Gonna cry?"

Yang's lilac gaze blazed bloody baleful red. "YOU...!

Ruby facepalmed. "Yup. They're dead."

Yang flipped the table with a yowl.

Food went flying. Battle lines were drawn. In conclusion? All hell broke loose.

Unbidden, Jaune found himself reminded of a song he'd once heard.

Let the bodies hit the floor.

---

(.0.0.0.)

---

Beacon shook.

Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck- he had earned that damnable doctorate and many others besides, thank-you-very-much! - paid it little mind at first; he was far too focused on the task at hand, namely the paper he was preparing; a testament to years worth of carefully Truly, the past was such a fascinating subject.

Tests graded, quizzes stored, all the students at lunch, a blissful hour in which he could relax and work on the finer things in life.

Research~!

Youth would be youth and food fights would be food fights, but these were the finer things in life!

He'd even set down his book for this!

Case in point, he'd begun a fascinating study to see if one could possess multiple semblance, or dare he say, swap them between partners! Everyone knew the Schnees had their hereditary glyphs and whatnot-but there was so much about aura and semblances that the world -that he!- simply did not understand, and so he had to know more, nay, he MUST know more-

A sudden jolt caused the desk to jump and his thermos, left unattended atop its surface, toppled over, spilling piping hot coffee as it went.

Ordinarily he wouldn't have minded that; he'd plenty in reserve.

Unfortunately said spill splattered across his desk.

All.

Over.

His research.

Bright eyes narrowed behind his foggy spectacles. Trembling fingers clutched the sodden papers, but it was too late; they were wholly at a loss. His right eye began to twitch; followed soon thereafter by his left, then his teeth, until his entire body began to tremble.

Days.

Weeks.

Months of effort...Ruined.

Hefting the sodden papers in his hands, watching the ink drip off them, he heaved a heavy sigh.

"Remain calm...this mustn't register on an emotional level."

It wouldn't do to cause a scene now, would it?

There were rhymes. Reasons. Rules.

He absolutely must keep calm.

Maintain his cover.

He had rather come to enjoy his time at this school...

.

..

...almost as much as "Port" did.

With a long suffering sigh, he ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes.

That was the crux of the matter, wasn't it? When one sank so much time, effort and money into something, be it a project, a relationship, or even an identity, one was loathe to let it go. And he, more than most. It had taken him years to get comfortable in this guise. The idea of discarding it now in a fit of pique wasn't something he'd normally do, but...

Why shouldn't he? He could find another identity, another face, another career.

After all, he was no more "Oobleck" than "Port" was Port these days.

Nor was "Glynda" for that matter.

To be fair, the latter wasn't entirely Glynda's fault. Poor girl was absolutely cracked in the head, broken beyond belief. She had no idea who she truly was -nor did he!- but in her heart of hearts she wholeheartedly believed herself to be a teacher of Beacon, and for his part, Oobleck was content to let her live in said delusion. Or was it an illusion? Semantics, he supposed. While their goals did not necessarily align, they'd agreed to stay out of one another's way, even correspond and aid one another from time to time, as fellow "teachers" were wont to do.

Call it a nonaggression pact, if you will. They each had their own ideas and particular aims for Beacon. Schemes, if one was feeling gauche.

If one thought about it, Beacon was being run by a band of frauds; for Oobleck and Port and Glyna had never existed in the first place.

How quaint.

And Ozpin had been so kind as to hire each of them without a second thought. Or was it Ozma? Semantics again; his true name hardly mattered anymore now, did it? He simply was. That was the thing about immortals. So arrogant. So self-assured, seeing everyone as beneath them. Blind to the threats underfoot, and the dangers they posed.

To be fair Oobleck didn't consider himself much of a danger to anyone these days; not anymore, so long as he was left to his own devices.

But this...no...this would not stand. Nay, could not stand. It must not stand!

Paperwork was the bane of mankind even in this world and he...well.

He, good sir, had grown quite sick of doing and redoing it.

But without these papers, his work was ruined.

Ruined, ruined, ruined!

"Blasted brats," he rasped, speaking slower than he had in an age. "No respect for a man's hard work; they never learn unless you teach them...

After all, he was a teacher, was he not? A doctor! Therefore it was his job, nay, his most solemn duty to impart some much-needed wisdom unto his charges before they were sent out into the wild world of Remnant. After all, if they never learned, they'd never improve now, would they?

In hindsight, he knew he was making excuses for himself - he was rather furious, you see.

Food fight or no, youngsters needed to be taught a thing or two.

Jaune Arc or not!

The more he thought about it, the more he found himself warming to it. The Arc boy wouldn't die; he was an Uzumaki, like his famous father before him. That lot tended to be sturdy. His companions however...well, they'd be a useful measuring stick to see how far the lad had come; perhaps even a proper warm up...

.

..

...no, he shouldn't.

"Port" might content to fling himself headlong into the fray without a care in the world, but he was a man of science and not prone to such base emotions.

Another tremor rattled the room from top to bottom, sending sodden papers flying everywhere.

One landed upon the face of "Oobleck" prompting a sullen sigh from the doctor.

His brow twitched.

That settled it! Class was in session. Today's lesson would be pain~!

Rising from his chair, he snatched up Antiquity's Roast and transformed it, the deceptively small thermos telescoping outward into the shape of a mighty torch. A far cry from what his traditional tools of the trade, usually used, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and he'd grown rather fond of it these last few decades.

After all, there was nothing a little FIRE couldn't solve~!

A sharp crack of glass behind him simultaneously caught him flatfooted and heralded a new arrival.

Sloppy, he chided himself, pivoting to face the newcomer. His senses used to be sharper than this. In his heyday he would've sensed their arrival long before they appeared.

A man grew rusty when he wasn't out in the field wreaking havoc; small wonder they'd snuck up on him.

He was only moderately surprised to find himself looking down.

A familiar pair of mismatching eyes stared up at him, framed by pink-on-brown hair.

"Well, well." a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "If it isn't Roman's little accomplice. How is my old friend faring these days?"

The girl waggled a hand in a so-so motion.

"Quite," the doctor chuckled. "Whatever are you doing here?"

She paused and clumsily moved her hands in a different direction.

Sign language? How quaint. Seemed she too, was out of practice in some aspects of her life.

Oobleck chortled softly, bemused. He was well-versed in the art of sign language, as he was in all things. After all, he had all the time in the world. And this world has so many secrets~!

With such knowledge, it was rather simple to draw the inevitable conclusion.

"Old Peter went and freed you from captivity, didn't he?" It wasn't hard to put two in two together. "He always did like to meddle in matters beyond his ken. Well?" he began drumming the fingers of his free hand against his desk, "Did you need something from me?"

She gestured to his weapon, the thermos even now flickering with fresh flame.

Oobleck tittered merrily. "Oh, this old thing? Don't worry, I'm just going to burn a few students. Nothing critical. They'll live."

Neopolitan shook her head as gestured frantically hands flicking to and fro.

"Oho? A proposal, you say? All right," he removed his glasses and set them down on his desk. "Color me intrigued...

He ran a hand through his unruly green hair, allowing it to regain its true luster, if only for a moment. The mask slipped further still as He rolled his shoulders and cracked his back, spine forcibly realigning itself with an audible pop. It felt so nice to shed his disguise, however briefly, to make someone quiver at the sight of him.

And best of all? Neo couldn't tell a soul. No one would ever believe her.

The girl flinched the sight of his eyes. No surprise there, given how unnatural they were. They'd become rather frightening over the years, even by the standard of Remnant and difficult to conceal as a result. There was a reason he insisted upon wearing such thick spectacles after all; just as he insisted upon drinking the most potent coffee available to mankind. It kept his mind busy, distracted by the doldrums of the day to day, occupied with other matters. Why, on a good day, he could even forget his purpose here.

But now the mask had finally slipped and he found himself rather...unwilling to don it again in such a hurry.

"Why should I spare them?" he asked. "Go on. Give me a reason."

Neo winced.

The "Doctor" smiled. It was not a nice smile.

"I'm waiting, dear girl. You have five minutes to convince me...

---

(.0.0.0.)

---

Weiss hadn't even made it to her room before the entire school started shaking.

Sniffling once, she craned her head back towards the cafeteria.

No! No tears! She was a Schnee...a Schnee did not cry.

This was all Arc's fault; and Penny's too, if she was being entirely honest with herself; He might'v been the one to snap at her, humiliate her, all but chase her from the cafeteria, but she had opened the floodgates in the first place. And for what?! When she said there was no need to improve, she hadn't meant it as an insult! Merely that he should go stronger as he was, not seek to change his style based on a whim. Don't fix what isn't broken and all that.

But he'd taken it as a rebuke, and he'd been so angry, his eyes glowing like twin coals in his skull...

And she had fled from him. She'd nearly run out the caf entirely, such was her shame.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! She should've known better!

.

..

...and yet, even from here, she could hear the clamor. Another tremor came, hot on the heels of the first.

What on earth was happening over there?

Should she investigate?

Did she dare?

...blast.

Arc was back there. And he'd...he had hurt her. She could admit that much. Penny had indeed opened the floodgates, but he'd come barging through like a Grimm in a china shop, wrecking all her orderly thoughts to make her feel things, allowing her to realize feelings she hadn't felt since she was but a little girl.

Now she was emotional and she didn't know what to do with her emotions.

Schness should not be emotional; Father always said that.

And yet...

She felt her Scroll vibrate against her hip, but for once, ignored it. Whomever was calling her could wait, surely. Her team needed her. With a huff, she pivoted in place and stalked back towards the cafeteria, heels clicking all the way. As she walked, her mind began to settle into a steely trap, thoughts slowly resolving into crystal clarity.

Seizing the now-sealed doors -odd that the'd been closed- she wrenched them open.

An explosion of colorful ketchup and food met her halfway, ruining her outfit.

The culprit stared back at her from the chaos within. "...whoops?"

Her right eye began to twitch. "ARC!"

Weiss launched herself at him.

A/N: Poor Weiss being a tsundere and Jaune's too stressed to realize it...

...now, she'll have to chase him now if she wants a chance. How terribly ironic.

Food fight is a go, and its going to blow the original out the water! Would you like to see it?

Someone of you have guessed at who "Port" is, and what his endgame is. Bravo to you. Glad you figured it out.

But what of Oobleck...? I've been holding onto HIS scene for months, looking for the right place to well, place it, and here at last I found it.

Next chapter title should-eventually-be something along the lines of: Just a little Dance.

Then we have the Schnees and the Vytal Festivaaaal~! Looking forward to properly introducing teams NDGO, FNKI, ABRN, SSSN, BRNZ and the like~! And let us not forget Ciel~! She has a starring role in Far From Home, but its oh-so-nice working with characters who are essentially a blank slate!

As ever, these glorious misunderstandings remain glorious. Are we going for the single route, or the harem ending? I suppose that depends on you, the reader. We're not quite done with the story yet, we still have a bit more to go, not to mention the other continents, Lionheart, the Crown, and the like, to say nothing of the Brother Gods and WHO THE HELL IS PORT?! Why haven't we heard a peep from Oobleck either?

Or we could just end this after the imminent attack on Beacon.

Your choice! Find out next time, on Practice Makes Perfect!

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

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...Review...Would You Kindly?

Next chapter will be bonkers.

Everyone's gonna laugh~!

(Preview!)

Jaune dove into the fray.

x

Sun Wukong liked to think he was a pretty cool dude.

But this?

This.

Was!

Awesome!

Neptune obviously thought otherwise, but he was too busy flirting with the Schnee by the end of the day.

Shame he couldn't dance, though.

Wuh-oh.

Why was Arc glaring at his best buddy?

And why were his eyes startling to glow like that...?

x

...we're sitll thinking about it;

Salem perked up. Great grandbabies?"

Now it was Saphron's turn to flush.

Terra and I might adopt if we can't have a child, actually.

Still counts!

x

Can you and Weiss just make up already?"

Jaune heaved a sigh. "Ruby, no."

"Please, please, please!"

"We hate each other."

"No, you don't! I can tell!

"And how is that?"

"You were glaring at Neptune when he was flirting with Weiss. Also, you let her win the game."

"..."

"Are you going to let him take her to the dance, then?"

Jaune didn't answer. An awful thought dawned.

"Are you even going?"

...should I?"

"JAUNE!"

x

I don't mind.

Yang's head whipped around.

Yang!

What? Dad did it. Technically

Now who's making excuses?!

x

Naruto considered his watch. "Two days left...

x

You again?!

Neo waved merrily.

...what do you want."

She bounced in place on her heels, pointing past him.

...Ice cream? Seriously? You're a wanted criminal!

x

"Pssst! You awake?"

He certainly was now.

Against his better judgement, Jaune creaked an eye open. "...Yang...?"

She was leaning over his bed.

"Hey, sparky. You wanna do something we're not supposed to?"

He eyed her warily, eyes glowing in the gloom. What are you up to?

Shhhh! She shushed him and held up a finger, silencing his protest. "Not so loud...

x

The Hound cocked its head. "Friend?"

Zwei mirrored him, tongue lolling out his mouth as he panted happily.

"No!" Ruby flung up her arms. "No friends! This is not happening! Zwei you get back here right now-ACK?!

The Hound licked her, cutting her off. "Gah! Bad doggy! Down!"

The Grimm barked and licked her again.

"Noooooo!"

EDIT: Hope you enjoyed this! Have a great day and may it be filled with lots of luck!

Warm regards,

~Nz.