Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

'No matter how long you live, life will still find ways to surprise you,' Ozpin reflected as he took a deliberately slow sip from his coffee mug, keeping his eyes locked on the young man sitting across from his desk. Said young man was more child than teen, barely old enough to be starting Signal Academy. He had been caught snooping around Beacon's offices, trying to break into the records room. The secret records room only five people on campus were supposed to know about. Glynda caught him of course, and she brought the young man straight to the headmaster's office once she uncovered a few irregularities with the boy's identification.

A library card, a student ID from Signal, and a medical information card were all spread out on Ozpin's desk. All of them said the boy's name was Moses Nebogipfel, and the boy responded to the name too reflexively for it to be fake. All three of them either had an accurate picture of the boy or an accurate physical description, which lended credence to the idea that the cards were as real as they looked. Yet the cards were impossible.

All three cards agreed that the boy's birthday was Victory Day... five years from now. The cards claimed the boy's mother was a Dr. Weena Nebogipfel, a woman both Ozpin and Glynda knew personally, so while the boy did bear some resemblance to the theoretical physicist the idea that he was her secret child was absurd.

When confronted with these facts the boy had immediately cracked; "My semblance is Time Travel!" That confession had lead to a series of tests that convinced Ozpin that the boy could indeed jump forward and backwards in time. Glynda wasn't quite as convinced, but she could wait the twelve hours it would take to prove time travel was the way the boy had gotten a duplicate of the headmaster's staff. Still lingering doubts or no it was the right place to continue the interrogation.

"Now tell me Moses," Ozpin began as he placed his mug down, "Why did you come to this place and time?"

"It was an accident sir I swear!" Moses pleaded.

"Accident's happen," Ozpin allowed, "Just take a few deep breaths and start from the beginning. You're not in trouble with me, and the more I know the more I can help."

"Okay," Moses breathed, "Okay. So time travel's funny right? The reason I was poking around your records room is cause I was looking for a way to supercharge my semblance. Give myself enough juice to jump back to my own present. I usually only have enough juice to jump back and forward a few minutes at a time, but sometimes I have enough in the tank to jump back and forward a few weeks. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to how much juice I have in the tank, so I was with my friends and we were experimenting, trying to figure out its' hard limits you know? Well someone asked If I could bring someone with me on my time jumps, and I didn't know the answer. So my best friend volunteers and..."

Moses trails off as if he's at a loss for words. Ozpin remains silent, hoping to let the boy gather his thoughts. Glynda is less patient.

"So you brought your best friend here too?" She asks as she continues to bore a hole in the back of Moses' head with her glare.

"Yes," Moses answers in a distracted tone, a frown of deep thought growing on his face.

"Then could you tell me what they're up to and what they look like so they can join us in this discussion?" Glynda presses.

"My best friend is Jaune Arc's oldest kid," Moses explained. The dismissive part of Ozpin's mind wanted to chalk up that undescriptive description as an effort to protect his friend, but the way Moses said it made Ozpin dismiss that dismissal. Something odd was happening here. "Jaune Arc's second oldest inherited his Aura Amp, only they can shoot in in a beam, and they zapped us with it as I tried to jump. They're a prankster who get's a lot of dumb ideas you see."

Ozpin wasn't sure what Aura Amp was, but given the context he could guess it was Mr. Arc's semblance, and from the name it probably supercharged people's Auras. A useful bit of knowledge Ozpin could use to help his student once this time travel mess was sorted out. Ozpin put that musing aside as Moses continued.

"Anyways the brat zaps the two of us... the three of us?" Moses' thoughtful frown grew deeper. "Me and them makes two... no three. No more than three cause twins. No more than two cause there's only one of them."

"Excuse me?" Glynda asked.

"My memories are all jumbled up," Moses whined. "This is like a week before Jaune started dating his wife, and we're here now and things are changing..."

Alarm filled Ozpin's mind with that statement. "Are you saying," Ozpin inquired in a calm tone that hid his concern, "that your presence here changes who Mr. Arc marries, and you're remembering a different friend than the one you brought here?"

"Kinda," Moses began to rub his temples.

"Elaborate Mr. Nebogipfel," Glynda's tone didn't hide the alarm she was feeling, and apparently that was enough to set the young man off.

"I BROUGHT ALL OF THEM HERE! OKAY!" Moses snapped, "Every possible version of Jaune Arc's firstborn is here! And each and every one of them has some harebrained scheme to make sure Jaune marries their mom! I need to find a way to supercharge my semblance and grab them before they do something crazy!"

A deep BOOM reverberated in the distance, followed a few seconds later by the gonging sound of something hitting the office's window. Ozpin slowly turned his chair around, and was treated to the sight of a boy who looked like a younger version of Jaune Arc with Ruby Rose's hair color and silver eyes. The silver eyed boy was pressed up against the glass and slowly sliding down it as if this was a humous moment in an animated feature instead of real life. Then the silver eye boy pushed off the window and dove through the air back the way he had came.

A moment passed, and Ozpin grabbed his coffee mug while standing up. He took three nonplussed strides to his window and gazed out upon the scene of bedlam taking place in the courtyard.

Pyrrha Nikos was fighting back to back with a redheaded boy who had Jaune's eyes; their opponents Blake Belladonna, a handful of female exchange students Ozpin couldn't quite recognize at this distance, and kids who were probably the children of the exchange students. A pair of blonde cat Faunus, obviously male and female fraternal twins, were running around with a hogtied Yang Xiao Long slung over their shoulders while being chased by a girl who could only be Yang's daughter, the sliver eye boy, and a distraught Ruby Rose. A boy who looked a lot like a Schnee was yelling at Weiss, who stood as still as a statue with a look of disturbed incomprehension on her face. A girl who Ozpin believed was Emerald Sustrai was holding a child in a fireman's cary while running as if their lives depended on it; and if the way her team leader Cinder Fall was chasing her while screaming things like "Traitor!" and "Ungrateful Harlot!" loud enough that Ozpin could sort of hear them in his office was any indication, they very well could be.

Nora Valkyrie stood off to the side cheering the chaos on, occasionally firing a grenade into the scrum when it looked like Pyrrha and her probably son were getting overwhelmed. Jaune Arc stood beside Nora clearly at a loss as to what he should be doing. Lie Ren had placed a comforting right hand on his team leader's shoulder, and was facepalming with the left.

Ozpin took a long sip from his coffee mug, a quick glance to his left and right confirming that Moses and Glynda had joined him at the window. He then drawled; "Well, the good news is that doing something crazy didn't collapse the space-time continuum. Mr. Nebogipfel, if you'd follow me to the nurse's office, it looks like you've developed a bit of a migraine."

"Yeah, I have actually." Moses admitted as he rubbed his temples, shifting memories and friends being unbelievably stupid could do that.

"Alright then," Ozpin stepped away from the window, "Ms. Goodwitch, I believe you have a riot to suppress."

"With prejudice sir," Glynda agreed as she brandished her riding crop.

Chapter Text

The time: Several hours before Glynda Goodwitch catches Moses Nebogipfel snooping around Beacon's records rooms.

The place: A camping ground on the edge of Beacon's campus, a dining hall specifically.

"Our best bet is to trust Moses," A redheaded boy named Xander declared with all the authority he could muster. "He finds a way to recharge his semblance, he takes us back to the future, and none of us have to worry about which one of us is from the real timeline because we didn't change anything!"

That was the plan Moses had given them before he ran off, and as far as Xander was concerned it was a good enough plan to stick to. Sure there was a degree of uncertainty that he'd still be around to see it finished, but he wasn't going to risk the stability of the space-time continuum to alleviate his own fears. If he was the true son of Jaune Arc destiny would see things though, and if he wasn't it would't. There were times and places where one should defy fate, and this wasn't one of them.

Unfortunately most of his paradox half siblings didn't see things that way, and it was taking all of Xander's knowledge and experience with wrangling his own younger siblings to keep everyone from running off to do who knows what to history. This experience was somewhat dulled by the fact that everyone else here was also an older sibling who knew all the same tricks, but at least he had backup in from the most forceful personality in the room; a girl named Dorothy who also agreed that Moses' plan was the best plan.

"The butterfly effect is something nobody should be messing around with," Dorothy affirmed. "If Moses had mastered his semblance then maybe we'd be able to take some risks, but we all know he hasn't, so we shouldn't."

The round robin meeting they were holding was a compromise all the half siblings had agreed to in order to avoid a fight. Even those unhappy with Moses' plan knew that trying to break off to do their own thing would just get them dogpiled by everyone else whose existence was also at risk. And so as long as everyone stayed here until Moses got back a terse détente could be maintained.

"Um..." a silver eyed boy raised his hand.

"Yes Julian?" Xander called for the boy to speak.

"Where are the Faunus twins?"

The dining hall erupted into a cacophony of motion, and pandemonium reigned.

--------------------

"You okay Leandra?" A blond cat faunus boy asked as a girl who looked a lot like him dry heaved. The two of them stood atop a skyscraper in downtown Vale, and the boy seriously hoped the girl wasn't about to dump her breakfast on an unsuspecting pedestrian below.

"Ugh, I'll be fine Leander," Leandra groaned as she returned to standing straight. "Why is it whenever we travel with your semblance I get a tummy ache, but when we travel with mine you're always fine? We have the same semblance! You should get a tummy ache too!"

"It's a mystery for the ages," Leander agreed as he pulled his twin sister away from the roof's edge, "But we can't dwell on that now. We need to plan. What do we know about how mom and dad got together?"

"Umm... Mom was seriously considering asking Uncle Sun out, but decided to ask Dad out instead after she introduced Aunt Ilia to Sun and she saw how well they got along?" Was what Leandra pulled from her memory.

"That sounds right," Leander nodded, "So the first thing we need to do is find Aunt Ilia and get her to Beacon."

"Okay, that's step one, let's go!" Leandra rushed to the legs of the Skyscraper's water-tower, her brother only a few steps behind her. The water-tower's legs were only a few inches wide, not nearly big enough for someone to disappear behind them, yet disappear is exactly what the twins did.

The wind blew over an empty roof.

--------------------

"Now we're going to find them, and we are going to do that as a team!" Xander declared after order had been restored to the dinning hall. "We are going to move as a group, and we are going to keep a close eye on one another-"

"The other twins slipped away during the ruckus" A Schnee looking boy interjected.

The tension in the air spiked, and Xander felt what little control he had over the group slipping from his fingers. He needed a dragon of a threat to keep everyone in line, but his go to threat wouldn't work in this situation. He needed to think of something else fast. Unfortunately Dorothy was faster, and her threat was the reflexive one Xander was trying to avoid.

"EVERYONE STAY WHERE YOU ARE OR I'M TELLING MOM!" Dorothy bellowed.

At that moment Xander knew the situation was unsalvageable. The whole problem was that everyone here had a different mom, meaning the prospect of getting mom involved was less of a threat and more like something that sounded like-

"That's a good idea!" Julian grinned with genuine glee right before he dashed out of the room before anyone else could react.

That was when the damn broke, and within a few seconds Xander found himself alone with Dorothy as the other kids stampeded away.

Silence hung in the air for a few moments, and then Xander sighed as the tension left his shoulders. "Well, are you going to get your mom?" He asked Dorothy.

"Oh Gods," the girl replied with the air of someone who just had the most horrific realization of their life, "I can't go get my mom to help out on this!"

"Alright, look," Xander grabbed her shoulders and looked Dorothy in the eye, "My mom can probably beat the breaks off of their moms, so I'm going to get her and try to regain some control over this situation. If you can't get your mom then you can at least get out there and catch some of the slower ones, right?"

"Right," Dorothy agreed as confidence returned to her eyes. She charged from the room, Xander following close behind.

--------------------

A few moments after they were gone the other twins pulled themselves out from under the desk they had hidden behind. The two of them had messy black hair and eyes perfect for sitting in a corner and brooding.

"You want to get mom Ash?" The female twin asked her brother.

"Nah, mom was a doomsday device short of being a supervillain at this point in her life. It'd be counterproductive," Ash replied. "What do you think we should do Ashley?"

"Hmmm..." Ashley cupped her chin in deep thought, then after a whole minute she gave her answer; "We should find the armory. Get some heavier ordnance than what everyone else is packing right now. Then we put Mom's competition in the hospital long enough for Mom and Dad to notice each other."

"That's a pretty dark plan."

"This is literally an 'us or them' scenario Ash. We don't have time for paragon behavior."

"Fine, but when this bites us in the ass you're the one explaining this to Dad, capeesh?"

Chapter Text

Julian Arc-Rose waited and waited... Until he found the perfect moment to confront the past version of his mother: When she was in the dorm common room kitchenette making cookies. 

It was, quite frankly, surreal to see her like this. Younger than him even! Wow.

However, if he and his siblings were going to still exist, he had to make sure he did this right. 

He had to use stealth. Subtlety. Grace.

"HI MOM!"

"GYAH!"

Okay, teleporting right behind her while putting cookies into the oven wasn't the best idea.

But hell, he'd always been good at improvising.

Ruby Rose had been enjoying an early morning bit of baking. Her plan had been to make a nice big batch of cookies as snacks at the party tonight. She was absolutely going, thank you very much! She was a student, so she was going! So what if she couldn’t drink? Neither could anyone else!

She had just pulled the cookie sheet (only weirdos called it a ‘cooking sheet’) from the oven, to look over her wonderful creations. With a contented smile, she sniffed the chocolate chip delectables and beamed broadly. 

“HI MOM!” An unfamiliar voice chirped behind her.

“GYAH!”

 She swung around as the cookies all fell to the floor. She gaped down in horror. The stranger  gaped in horror to and fell to his knees at the carnage he had wrought.

"NO! NO! WHAT HAVE I DONE? NOT THE COOKIES!"

Ruby clutched at her chest, her heart beating like a drum in a dryer. Still, she hadn’t completely taken loss of her senses. She studied the boy carefully, even as she caught her breath.

He was pretty tall-At least a head taller than her, though very slender. He had tanned skin, and a pointed jaw and nose that were strangely familiar. His eyes were silver, and his hair black but with a fringe of yellow blond hair around the tips. He wore a long red and black jacket over black Huntsman armor on his chest. His pants were black, as were his tall military grade boots. On his back was a… Sniper-Scythe? 

He looked up at her with those silver eyes, overly dramatic tears at the corners. 

"I'm sorry Mom! I was stupid! Please, forgive me!" He cried. He held up the broken cookies with a sniffle. “Oh the humanity…!”

Normally when one of her teammates ruined a batch of her cookies, she was the distraught one. To be on the other side of this situation was… Well, unique. So Ruby immediately went to her first impulse: Comfort this stranger.

"Ummm... It's okay?" Ruby said, reaching out to pat him on the shoulder and head. "Why are you calling me Mom? Who are you, anyway?”

The boy looked up with a bright smile. It was warm and inviting and strangely familiar. Any tension she had felt before just dried up.

"Oh! It's like that really old comic, X-Ray and Vav, issue 198, when-"

Ruby’s jaw dropped. 

The hair… The eyes… The sniper-scythe… It… How…?!

"Their future kids come back in time to help them?!" She gasped. The boy nodded eagerly as he beheld the light of comprehension in her silver eyes.

"YES! Exactly!" He cried. He got up and hugged her tightly. “I’m your son! Julian!”

“J-Julian?!”

“Like July! Summer! After Grandma!” Julian went on. 

Ruby froze. 

Oh, wow… That is a really nice name… I’d probably name my kid that-WAIT! FOCUS!

“I… Uh… But… How-?”

“Oh! Oh right, they had to prove it in that issue,” the boy groaned. “Um, okay. You snuck a drink of whiskey from Grunkle Qrow when you were nine and threw up immediately. You never drank again.”

Ruby’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

“H-How-?! You-?!”

That’s what he went with?! She thought frantically.

“Um, also, your nickname was Crater Face!” Julian pressed. “Zwei’s Semblance is Spacial Compression! And you tuck Crescent Rose in every night when nobody’s looking! He likes ‘Goodnight Moon!’ So do I!”

“H-How did you-?” Ruby managed as she felt a strange mixture of terror and elation. She’d wanted to be a hero, after all. Go on adventures. Her son from the future…!?

“My best friend Moses has a time travel Semblance,” Julian explained quickly, “My little sister Pyrrha overcharged it with her Semblance so instead of going back a few hours? We went back in time a few years… Like uh… Twenty. So… Um… I mean…” He shrugged. “We might be causing a paradox, but uh… It’s a long story. I-I just wanted to get all that out of the way so we could get to the important stuff!”

“Well… I mean…” Ruby nodded, “I-I suppose that’s a good point. Why bother wasting time with a bunch of lies if like, things are really dire?"  

She looked at her son in concern.

“Right?”

“It is,” Julian said with a firm nod. Ruby bit her lower lip. She would come back to that, but the most important question of all appeared in her mind. 

"So, uh... If you're my son-"

“Yup!”

“Then… who's your dad?" Ruby asked cautiously. 

Julian grinned broadly.

"Jaune Arc, of course!"

Ruby blushed brightly.

"W-W-W-W-Wait?! Jaune!? I-I-I marry him?!"

Her bestest best friend in the world?! Her first friend?! Wonderful dorky Jaune?! 

… It didn’t sound so far-fetched, actually. Sure, it wasn’t like she was interested in romance but… Oh, just hanging out with Jaune at the dance and laughing had been fun! And-And she had been very curious about how he thought she looked! It had seemed so important…

Did this mean she… She actually beat Weiss at something?! And Pyrrha?!

That… That couldn’t be.  She’d drunk so much milk and-and he’d never noticed…!

"What? This is the day of your first date!" Julian insisted. "Well sort of! At the party! You've gotta make sure you go on it, or I won't exist! Or my nine siblings!"

"NINE?!" Ruby gasped, before she began hyperventilating.

NINE?! NINE?! Wait, plus Julian means TEN! TEN?!

"Ohhh... Maybe I shouldn't have said that," Julian groaned. "But seriously Mom, please? Go on a date with Dad!"

"B-B-B-But-I, I'm too young! I-I'm not as pretty-I'm not as-Anything-!!" Ruby tried, stuttering while red. Julian shook his head furiously and tightened his hug.

"Mom... Trust me. He... He loves you! Or-Or he fell in love with you! You were his best friend! I know, I know... He will love you."

He quickly pulled out a Scroll, a model she’d never seen before. He opened it up, and brought up some photos. Ruby’s jaw dropped.

It was… It was her. Older and… And curvy! Still short, but hey! She had boobs! She was hugging on a much older, much taller , much… Beardier Jaune! She flushed as she saw how tightly his blue shirt stretched over his muscles. 

Oh wow… Oh wow… I…

She spied his arm. Her keen eyes widened at the artificial metal that formed his right hand.

Already she traced over it with an engineer’s gaze. She leaned in with wide eyes.

That… That’s my handiwork… It’s my designs…!

Then she realized she should probably focus on the kids. Her eyes went even wider.

Ten of them. Julian was up front, being the oldest, but the others were clustered around them. They all hugged on one another, grinning for the camera. Some holding bunny ears behind their siblings’ heads playfully. The look on Jaune and her face was so… So warm. So happy.

Just like those pictures of Mom with Dad, Yang, and me, she thought. She couldn’t help a dreamy expression on her own face.

With Jaune… All of this… Is it possible?

“Mom,” Julian went on quietly, and she looked up with a start. He smiled. “You told me that you always felt like an oddball growing up. You also told me that Dad was the one who helped you feel not weird in the world.”

"... Really?" Ruby asked softly. Julian nodded happily.

"Yeah! And uh... I mean... I hate to rush you, but I'm kind of on the clock here."

Yang probably taught him to pun like that , Ruby thought, before the impact of his words hit her.

"Eh? Why?" Ruby asked.

Julian sighed.

"I think that it might be... Get Back to the Present rules. See, when we showed up... There were like, a dozen other people claiming to be Jaune Arc's firstborn! All from different moms!”

"Oh geez," Ruby gasped, "Like multiverse theory?"

"I don't know," Julian shrugged, "But I do know if you don't date Dad... Then I-I cease to exist. And my siblings do too."

There it was. That fact. It just... It looked like it had landed so hard on his heart. He bowed his head.

"My whole family... I-I don't..."

The prospect of losing all that... Of never being born... It hit Ruby like a brick wall. Yet her son stayed calm and focused, even though somehow, she could tell he was terrified.

The fear was there... But he wouldn't let it control him.

"You and Dad... You have always been there for me," he said, "You... You two are so amazing. When I'm with you, I've-I've never felt scared, or worried. Because you were there. I..."

He stared intently at the picture, unable to meet her eyes. She could imagine what he was thinking: Will it fade away? Will I fade away too?

An instinct rose in Ruby’s mind. A feeling rose in her chest. It told her this boy was hers. She would not let him down, she would not lose him. Nor would she lose her father.

They were a family. She would never, ever give that up without a fight. 

Just like you did, Mom…

She reached out and took his hand. He started. Her eyes narrowed in determination as she spoke calmly, but firmly.

"I won't lose you, Julian," she said softly, "You won't lose me... Y-You won't lose us. I-I promise."

Julian smiled brightly. He pulled her into a hug, and she returned it. It felt… Right. Natural, in a way she hoped would become her normal. Well, someday. Maybe not right now.

"So," Ruby said, pulling back, "We just need to get to Jaune first!"

"Right!" Julian said cheerfully.

Ruby pulled open her Scroll.

"I'll just call him and... And..."

She frowned.

"Eh?! Why won't it work?!"

"Huh?" Julian asked.

Ruby scowled.

"The network is down?! How is it down?!"

Elsewhere, Theodore Arc-Schnee, son of Jaune Arc and Winter Schnee, finished the last touches to his plan to isolate the Beacon network.

"And... There," he said with a nod, "Now to find Mother!"

"It might be one of the others," Julian said, "My Scroll's network access is down, too."

"Well!" Ruby said cheerfully, "We'll just have to find Jaune ourselves!"

"Yeah," Julian said with a nod, "But uh... What about the other kids? Pyrrha's son is pretty, uh... I mean-The stories you told me about Auntie Pyrrha mean he’s really tough! They’re probably all after their moms or Dad!”

Ruby's Silver Eyes glowed, even as she smiled. It happened sometimes when she really focused her Aura power. She pulled out Crescent Rose, and shifted it into scythe mode. She spun it around with a flourish, and grinned. 

"Don't you worry about that, Julian. Mama's got this!"

Julian looked simultaneously relieved, scared, and excited. It was so much like Jaune it hardened her resolve even more.

Sure, she didn’t know much about romance. So dealing with that with Jaune would be tricky.

But she’d have plenty of time to practice that with Jaune… After she beat up every other girl after him!

“So! Exactly who and what are we dealing with?” Ruby prompted. “I’m gonna need to know everything!”

“I mean, they came from different timelines, so I’m not sure,” Julian admitted, “But I have a surefire way to deal with Pyrrha’s kid!”

“Well then,” Ruby Rose felt a fiercely competitive grin emerge on her face, “ That’s a start!”

For the first time in her young life, a fire ignited in Ruby Rose over a boy… If put into words, it would say:

BITCHES! HE’S MINE!

Chapter Text

"This is a great spot," Sun grinned as he flicked his fishing pole and sent his line out into the river. On his left was a bucket and a cooler filled with drinks and fish he had already caught. To his right Blake was sprawled out on the wooden planks of the dock soaking in the sunlight, her head propped up by a pillow and a new book in her hands. It was a perfect place to spend an day with a friend... or maybe more than a friend.

"Yep," Blake found herself agreeing with Sun's assessment: the sound of the river flowing past, the cool breeze contrasting with the warmth of the midmorning sun, the fish eagerly biting every hook sent into the water promising an epic cookout later. It was the perfect place to relax with a good book and enjoy the quite company of a friend... or maybe more than a friend.

And that was a line of thought Blake was hesitant to entertain considering the train-wreck that was her last relationship. Yet Sun's charm was completely different from the dark charisma of Adam Taurus, there was a gentle and supportive warmth in the monkey faunus' nature the older bull faunus had lacked. Blake could tell that if she let down her defenses she could be quite happy settling down with Sun.

That was a terrifying notion, and the part of Blake that agitated for a better world rebelled against it. Could she really let herself become content and happy when there was so much that needed doing? And so the last lines of her defenses remained up and rigorously patrolled by the revolutionary's spirit. The book helped.

The book wasn't part of her standard fair of romance and intrigue; it was a science fiction anthology recommended to her by Ruby. The book had a unifying theme that could honestly have edged it into the horror category: time travel gone wrong.

In one story a man built a time machine only for the machine to get stuck between moments like an elevator stuck between floors, leaving the time traveler stuck between the tick and the tock for all eternity. In another a serial killer travel to the past and framed his younger self for a murder, setting the younger version of the man on the path that would make him a serial killer. The third story which she was currently working her way through involved a young man constantly dodging killer robots sent from the future for reasons that were unclear, but Blake could feel the reveal fast approaching.

As Blake turned the page a solid THUD shook the dock, and she looked up to see a peculiar sight. A large wooden luggage trunk was now on the dock resting between the two young faunus who had obviously carried the thing to where it now sat. How the two kids had gotten the thing on the dock without her or Sun noticing was another mystery, and the way the two of them were gasping for air made it clear they shouldn't have been that quiet.

"You kids alright?" Sun asked as he pulled the most recently caught fish off his hook. One of the kids held up a finger, a near universal sign to wait a moment. Sun put away his fishing pole and Blake placed her bookmark and tucked her book away in her purse. The two of them stood and they got a real good look at the kids as they finally caught their breaths.

The kids were both cat faunus with blond hair and perky feline ears. Even though one was a boy and the other a girl they bore such a close resemblance to one another that there was no question if they were related or not. They appeared to be really close in age, twins maybe? They also looked unsettlingly familiar to Blake. Were they related to her somehow?

The kids caught their breath at the same time, looked up with the same motion, locked eyes with Blake in the same instant, mirrored smiles broke out across their faces and they cried out with the same voice as they shot forward: "MOM!"

What. Thought Blake. "Wha-ooof," said Blake as the kids collided with her and wrapped her up in a bone-creaking hug.

"Uhhh... who are you two?" Sun asked the question Blake could not.

"I'm Leander," the young boy answered.

"I'm Leandra," the girl continued.

"Why did you call me mom?" Blake found herself asking in a tone that fully conveyed her bewilderment.

"Cause you're our mom," Leander explained as he took a step back.

"Our friend Moses has a time traveling semblance!" Leandra explained as she hugged tighter.

And in that moment Blake believed them. Seeing the two of them up close made several features unique to the Belladonna family stick out, though those features were somewhat diluted thanks to the influence of their father's genes. Blake squinted at them trying to find the features they got from their other parent, their hair was a particular shade of blonde that reminded her of Sun's hair, and as she squinted at their noses-

"I'm not your dad, am I?" Sun questioned, interrupting Blake's train of thought.

"Nope," Leandra chirped.

"Yeah you're not our Dad, Uncle Sun," Leander confirmed.

What. Thought Blake. "What," said Blake.

"Yeah you started dating Dad after you saw that Uncle Sun and Aunt Ilia were made for each other," Leandra explained as she finally broke her hug.

"That's half of why we're here," Leander continued for his sister as he moved back to the large wooden luggage trunk. "We need to introduce Aunt Ilia to Uncle Sun!"

Leander popped the trunk open, and Leandra reached in and hoisted someone who had been trapped inside into a sitting position. She was definitely wearing Ilia Amitola's White Fang uniform and mask accompanied by a gag in her mouth, and she was making several angry sounds confirming to Blake that she was indeed Ilia Amitola. Ilia was tied up with several interesting knots Blake remembered reading about in several interesting books and seeing them on a friend was making Blake feel very uncomfortable.

"What." Said Sun.

Brothers of Light and Darkness my kids are crazy! Thought Blake.

"Why did you kidnap her!" Was what managed to come out of Blake's mouth.

"This is an emergency situation! We didn't have enough time to do anything else!" Was the excuse Leandra started.

"We aren't the only people who traveled back in time!" Leander continued for his sister. "A whole gaggle of time travelers arrived here today that are trying to change the past by having Dad marry someone else! If they succeed history could be changed forever!"

Blake had a whole book in her purse about why messing with history was a very bad idea. The revolutionary's spirit within her stood up and took notice. The weight of the world was falling upon her shoulders in this moment, and she'd be damned if she buckled under that weight and failed to rise to the occasion.

"Where's your Dad and who's your Dad?" Blake found herself asking as she pulled her weapons from her purse.

"Our Dad's Jaune Arc," Leander provided, "and you'd probably have a better idea of where to find him than we do."

"Yeah, we spent way too much time looking for Aunt Ilia," Leandra agreed.

"Well then we don't have time to waste, follow me!" Blake called out to her kids as she took off in a dead sprint, a sprint that was quickly matched by the twins.

And that was how Sun Wukong found himself standing on a dock with a bound and gagged stranger.

"Uhhh... So that just happened," Sun began.

Ilia made a grunting noise that might have been agreement. Sun frowned as he walked up to her and removed her White Fang mask, tossing the bone-white identity concealer into the water. He was met with the beautiful face of a very ticked off girl.

"You're really part of the White Fang, right?" Sun asked.

Ilia growled a response Sun had a much easier time interpreting now that he could see her eyes.

"Cool cool, If I untie you will you hurt me?"

Ilia snarled.

"Alright so untying you is a bad idea," Sun muttered.

Ilia's eyes widened as she realized her mistake.

"And I can't just leave you here," Sun mused to himself. After a moment to think he addressed Ilia directly, "Alright, I'm going to carry you to the nurse's office. If anyone asks we'll say I found you like this, which is technically true, and I'm taking you to the nurse because I don't know how to untie these knots. Sound good? Good."

With that Sun lifted the bound and gaged woman in a bridal carry and set off towards Beacon's main campus. As the beautiful woman completely at his mercy squirmed in his grip Sun found himself thinking: Gods, I really hope this doesn't awaken anything within me.

As Ilia found herself unable to do anything other than squirm against the chiseled muscles of a man who was being so very, very gentle with her she started to turn into an interesting shade of pink while thinking: Brothers of Light and Darkness, is this awakening something within me?

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

All in all? Mercury Black was having a good day. He got a solid eight hours of sleep, the mountings for his prosthetic legs weren't itching at all and the academy's cafeteria served some really good omelets for breakfast. To top it all off the Queen Bitch, Cinder Fall, had woken up on the right side of the bed this morning so all the subtle put downs normally sent his way hadn't been, and Emerald's fawning over the Queen Bitch had been significantly more tolerable as a result.

Then things took a sudden turn for the worst in the most mind bending way Mercury had never imagined.

Mercury had been at his desk, doodling an upgrade for the boots he wore over his prosthetics on a sheet of graph paper. Cinder was at her vanity making calculated adjustments to her makeup. Emerald was sitting on her bed flipping through her scroll in an effort to keep the team abreast of the latest news and gossip. It was a rare moment of simple peace for a group that usually intended nothing related to that concept.

Then the door to the dorm slammed open and immediately slammed shut. Mercury spared a glance in that direction expecting the return of Neopolitan, and he found himself doing a double take because the kid standing in front of the closed door looked nothing like the ice cream girl's current disguise. The kid looked a lot like a younger Emerald, but with somewhat lighter skin and with hair that was obviously dyed purple. The girl's eyes roamed over the room in an unfocused state until they locked on Em, at which point the kid launched her self forward while sobbing "MOM!"

That accusation of maternity froze Emerald in place as the sobbing child slammed into her with enough force to lay her out across the bedspread. Well honed survival instincts then forced the dark skinned thief to move out of that prone position into an 'edge of her seat' position on the corner of the bed. Yet in spite of these movements Emerald failed to dislodge the kid, and for reasons beyond Emerald's comprehension she started clinging back almost as hard as the child was.

"Who? What? Who? How?" It was an eloquent response from the thief. Mercury gave it an 11/10.

"Ma-ah-ah-om," the girl sobbed as if it was painful that Emerald didn't recognize her, "I, I'm Am-am-ethyst."

Emerald felt something inside her freeze with that name. In her wildest fantasies where Cinder knew about her feelings and they lived a life of luxury together she would imagine them adopting kids with troubled backgrounds like theirs. She had imagined a whole daycare of children she and Cinder saved from the streets and given new names matching her own jewelry theme, starting with a girl named Amethyst. Emerald felt her tongue become as lead, leaving her unable to speak.

Amethyst apparently took the silence as an invitation to continue, because she blubbered on, "My-my friend Mo-Moses has a Time, Time Travel sem-semb-lance, and, and we were wonder-ering if he could take o-other pe-ople wi-with him. Then things we-ent wrong and, and we, we went too far back and now, now I'm going to Diiiieee!"

While the mention of a Time Traveling semblance might cause disbelief in most situations Mercury found himself believing it. He had seen enough weird crap in his short life for time travel to not seem that far out there, and time travel made a lot more sense than a kid trying to con Em by pretending to be Em's kid.

On Emerald's part the mention of time travel caused everything to slide into place. A con didn't make sense, and it was impossible for a con to open up with the name Amethyst. That could only mean that the strange feeling of familiarity she felt with this girl was because the girl was by some miracle genuinely the flesh of her flesh, the bones of her bones. Emerald felt her tongue become loose, and she did her best to console her child.

"Mommy's got you my shining gemstone," Emerald murmured into Amethyst's hair, tears threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes. "Mommy's got you. Tell me what's wrong and we'll fix it. We'll fix it."

"We, we. This is, be-before you and, and dad got together," Amethyst cried, and that was all the explanation Mercury needed; he had seen the time traveling movie where the main character accidentally made their parent's break up. Then Amethyst continued, "So-so Moses-es ended, ended up pul-ul-ling, pull-ing every, every other eldest kid Da-dad could have, have had with, oth-other wo-women he could-could have married instead of yoooooouuuuu!" And that was a twist Mercury didn't see coming. He could see why the kid was upset; imagining your parents in a different relationship was only fun if one of your parents was a bastard, like his own pops. But Amethyst didn't stop there; "And-and they're all, all stronger, and-and braver, and-and better than me! And they're all, all trying to get, get dad with, with their moms, and, AND I'M NEVER GONA BE BORN! I'm gOnA DiE-iE-iE before i'm even boooorrrrrnnnn!"

Dude. That's some heavy shit. Mercury leaned back in his seat and let out a slow, silent breath.

Emerald's grip tightened around Amethyst. She had know about her daughter for less than five minutes and she could already feel her slipping away. At that moment every bit of steel Emerald had within her settled within her spine. There was an obvious way to protect her shining gemstone, and Emerald spoke the words that would change the course of her life:

"Then we just need to get to your father before anyone else does." Emerald nodded decisively as she adjusted her grip on Amethyst. The girl was a little large to want to carry, but getting ready to do so felt right. "What's your daddy's name?"

"Jaune," Amethyst sniffled, "Jaune Arc."

Surprise ran through Emerald's mind, and yet the surprise wasn't exactly unpleasant. She had spied a bit on Jaune for Cinder and he was attractive, for a boy. He was naïve and rough around the edges but he did have some real potential. Potential Cinder planned to cut short, but surely her mistress could make a few adjustments and-

"I. Thought. You. Liked. ME. Emerald."

Mercury felt his blood run cold at Cinder Fall's venomous tone. His eyes flicked over to her vanity to see the Queen Bitch looking over her shoulder at Em with the most intense gaze he had ever seen on the Bitch's face. She slowly turned in her seat without moving her head like some kind of demonic owl.

Mercury got up and slowly made his way to the door as quietly as he could possibly manage.

The raw hostility in Cinder's tone drove a wrench into the gears of Emerald's thoughts, and Amethyst froze like a rabbit under the gaze of a hawk.

"I. Thought. You. Were. In. Love. With. ME." Cinder hissed like a viper. "I. Thought. Your. Loyalty. Was. Unquestionable. You've spent years working to get into my good graces, years lapping at every shred of affection I've gifted you, all with some vague hope that I'd bring you into MY arms and MY bed. And now some phantasmal possibility made flesh throws itself at you and it makes you question your relationship with ME?"

New shocks forced their way through Emerald's system. A large part of her had always deluded herself into thinking that the only reason Cinder was so cold and distant was because Cinder was unaware of her feelings. But to know without a doubt that Cinder had been aware the whole time and was still so cold, distant, and sometimes subtly cruel? Something in Emerald's heart was tearing.

"And to think you'd be tempted to turn your back on MY plans, on ME, for what?" Cinder growled like a blasting furnace. "A weak Looser giving you a weak and pathetic child who can't take care of herself? Who can't defend her own pathetic life? That's what makes you reconsider your relationship with ME?"

Cinder stretched forth her hand, conjuring a knife of glass in the air within Emerald's reach. "Take. It. Take it and prove you are willing to Cut. Out. The. Weakness. That. Would. Take. You. From. ME."

Emerald's grip on her daughter tightened. She couldn't even look at the knife.

"So. Be. It." Cinder stood up from her vanity, bringing the knife to her own hand and enveloping it in flame, "Prepare to die, Traitor."

Mercury threw the dorm room door open: "RUN EMERALD! RUN!"

Those words broke Emerald out of her mental gridlock, and she sprung forward with all the speed her aura-enhanced legs could muster, heaving Amethyst onto her shoulder so she could efficiently run with her child. A split second after she started moving the burning glass knife struck the bed where she had been sitting, engulfing the furniture in flames.

Emerald tore from the room with her heart thundering in her ears. The hallways were dangerous, and too enclosed. She needed room to maneuver. A courtyard would have enough space to not get instantly fried by a fireball. She needed to get to a courtyard.

She ran.

Cinder Fall burst out of the dorm room a moment later, knocking Mercury to the ground in the process. Cinder tore through the hallways with tears made of flame running down her face.

"GET BACK HERE YOU LYING WHORE! I'LL BOIL YOUR BLOOD! I'LL COOK YOUR MARROW! I'LL TEACH YOU FOR TRICKING ME INTO THINKING YOU LOVED ME! DIE! DIE! DIE!"

Back in the dorm room Mercury tried to sit up and take stock of the situation. His flesh seemed unburnt. His left leg prosthetic was slagged though, so getting anywhere would be a drag. Emerald's bed was on fire, so that meant... yep there was the fire suppression system kicking in. Now he was stuck on the ground and he was soaking wet. At least there wasn't any more fire.

"SON OF A- ugh! FOR THE LOVE OF- hrrrrnn! AND TODAY STARTED OFF SO WELL!"

Chapter Text

It wasn't as though Pyrrha was expecting anything unusual to happen today. Just her standard Saturday routine: Do some training, join her team for breakfast, then some relaxation time. Nora had been pestering her for the last month to just ask Jaune out, and as tempting as it was...

She just couldn't muster the courage to do it. This feeling of cowardice made her frown as she jogged on the treadmill in the school gym.

She wanted so badly to just be honest, but... The prospect of rejection froze her to her very core. How could she make him understand that she'd fallen for him at first sight? Even someone as socially inexperienced as her realized that it would sound crazy. She had lived most of her life wearing masks, concealing her true feelings. It had been vital for survival and success, but now?

It paralyzed her with fear at someone seeing the real her. Especially Jaune.

Ha... The Invincible Girl, afraid of being rejected by the one she loves, she thought with a mental sigh, It would be funny if it wasn't so sad...

After finishing a workout that would kill an Atlasian Specialist (her daily routine), Pyrrha went to the showers, washed up, and emerged in her school uniform. She paused as she entered the hallway, and frowned.

Wait... That's another electromagnetic field powered by Aura... Why am I feeling another-?

"Hello Mother."

Pyrrha started and turned around. Her jaw dropped. The young man before her was... Was tall. Redhaired, with deep blue eyes, aristocratic cheekbones, and a pointed chin. He wore armor similar to hers, but with segmented plating under strong pauldrons. A red cape hung from his shoulders, and a leather band was around his head under his short hair. A Clipueis shield was on his back, while a mechashift Spatha hung from his belt. His walk was confident, but not arrogant-Almost painfully familiar.

Pyrrha blinked a few times. Her mind went to the most likely possibility for this unusual young man to be standing before her calling her mother.

It was a fairly short list, after all.

"Um... I have run into stalkers before, so, I'm sorry but I can't be your-" Pyrrha began, as politely as she could. The young man shook his head and groaned. He held up a hand to his face, and calmed himself before he spoke again.

"Ugh, no, I'm not a stalker. I'm..." He sighed again, and looked right into her eyes.

"Okay... You told me that you fell in love with Dad from the moment you pinned him to a tree in the Emerald Forest during your Initiation. Is that true, or false?"

Pyrrha's jaw dropped. Her face went bright red.

"I-You-What do you-?!"

"I know this is going to sound crazy, but I'm your son Xander," he introduced himself, "I'm from the future. My best friend, Moses, has a time travel Semblance. We accidentally got sent back in time... To the day of your first date with Dad. Jaune Arc."

Pyrrha continued to stare in shock. Xander bowed his head.

"I know how it sounds. This-This isn't a scam. and I know it's a lot to take in, but..."

"Eeeeeeeeeee...!"

Xander started and gaped at her.

"Mom?"

Pyrrha's shock slowly turned... Into an ascendant joy. A joy she just couldn't keep contained as she squealed softly.

She grinned, her eyes lit up, and her soul seemed to fly!

Her keen mind rationalized that this was too insane to be a scam of some sort, and who would know of when she fell for Jaune but her own son? She would tell her children the story, over and over, with their father, her Jaune, her Jaune, alongside! Share with them all the love and affection she was denied in her life, and make sure her children knew they were the product of true love!

She hugged her tall son, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. She beamed up at him, and relief flooded his face.

"I believe you," she said. Xander grinned and hugged her back.

"Thanks Mom... Thank you... That means everything. Though uh... We might have a problem. I mean, along with the date-"

"What problem?" Pyrrha asked, maternal concern emerging in her heart as naturally as breathing. Xander winced.

"Um... Basically, if you don't go on that date, I will never be born. And uh... I've got a lot of temporal half-siblings. Other kids from other timelines where Dad... Didn't marry you."

Pyrrha's jade eyes narrowed.

"What."

"I-I mean, if I'm the destined son of Jaune Arc, then you know, it doesn't matter, but they're all going to try to hook Dad up with their mothers to-"

"What."

Xander cringed as Pyrrha's face became grim. Oh, she could be a scary mother. Good to know. She hoped she would be loving but also able to command respect and fear when necessary. Mostly love! But also fear where required. She wasn't going to raise her kids like her mother did!

"Um, yeah, so they might be gunning for Dad and then my siblings and I will never exist-"

"What."

Pyrrha pulled out her Scroll and summoned her locker. The rocket locker flew in through the open archways. The moment it was in range, she yanked it down to the floor with Polarity so hard it left a crater in the tiles. She yanked out her gear and got dressed in no time. She swung back around, Milo and Akuo in her hands. She didn't pay any mind to Xander's embarrassed blush.

"M-Mom, did you have to change in the middle of the-?"

"Yes," Pyrrha said, slamming her shield and sword together hard enough for sparks to fly off them, "Nobody's erasing my baby from existence. Let's find your father!"

Xander grinned in relief, and it filled her heart with song.

"Thank you Mom... That means everything to me."

"This means everything to me too, son," Pyrrha said. Her serious countenance broke for a moment into a shy blush.

"Just... Out of curiosity, how many children do your father and I have?"

Xander smiled.

"Uh... Nine? I think you were trying for a tenth when I left but-"

"Eeeeeeeeeeee!"

Xander stared at his mom. Pyrrha coughed and shook her head. The excited teenage girl retreated... And the Spartan warrior emerged.

"Come on son... We're getting my man."

Chapter Text

Beneath the shade of a mighty oak tree overlooking Beacon's main campus echoed the voice a young woman singing an ancient psalm in its' original tongue, a dead language known as Ozymandilian that many sacred texts were first written in. With each stanza and verse the woman danced through the various fundamental katas that she had learned durning her study at the Temple of the Broken Table. Her rhythmic movements slowed as the psalm reached its' final verse, and as it ended she smoothly slid into a crosslegged sitting position on a stone she had placed beneath the oak tree beforehand.

With her morning communion with the divine completed, Arslan Altan moved on to more personal meditations.

'The mark of a good friend is that they make it easier for you to be a good person.' So said Guru Kirkpatrick when she informed him of her decision to stop her studies at the Temple and to attend the more secular institution of Sanctum Academy instead. 'The mark of a good rival is similar, they make it easier for you to be a good warrior.'

She had found many good friends at Sanctum, but she had only found one good rival. Pyrrha Nikos was a singular combatant that always pushed Arslan to the absolute limits of her body and soul. The two of them had clashed countless times in the school's combat classes, in the school's tournaments, and as representatives of the school in the Minstral Regional Tournament. As steel sharpening steel the two of them sharpened one another, and they both climbed higher for it...

...Or at least that was what she had thought at the time. It was clear that Pyrrha had not thought the same considering she didn't enroll in Haven nor did she invite Arslan to follow her to Beacon. And now that Arslan was here as an exchange student at Beacon for the lead up to the Vytal Festival Pyrrha had ignored her requests for any formal duels or friendly spars in favor of private training with her team leader Jaune Arc.

And so Arslan was forced to face an unpleasant truth: while Pyrrha had been a good rival for her she had not been a good rival for Pyrrha. This truth was evidenced by the fact that Pyrrha was taking the raw materials that were Jaune Arc and sculpting them into her vision of a perfect warrior.

Had she truly been such a lackluster rival that Pyrrha felt she was better off making a new rival in her own image?

And so she closed her eyes and altered her breathing using techniques she had learned at the Temple meant to help one recall and review old memories with fresh eyes.

Every clash with the Invincible Girl flashed through Arslan's vision. Every punch, every kick, every thrust of her dagger, every swing of her rope dart, every bruise, every sprain, every drop of blood spilt. All of her experiences fighting the redheaded warrior paraded through her mind and were examined from every angle she could conceive. The picture hindsight painted was not pretty.

A little over a hundred clashes, and Arslan was pushed to her limits every single time. Yet she had only pushed Pyrrha to her limits twice, and one of those times had been their very first fight. She had managed to make Pyrrha sweat for her victory in twenty-three of their bouts, and of course she had never won.

With a track record that abysmal it was no wonder that Pyrrha was looking elsewhere for a worthy foe. If someone with that bad of a record had considered her their rival Arslan knew she would have a hard time taking them seriously. It was clear now that the tournament of the Vytal Festival was her last chance to prove herself to the Invincible Girl, her last chance to prove that she was a good rival. If she failed she would need to find another worthy foe.

But if not Pyrrha, who? No one else came close to the champion, and she had climbed so high in her efforts to reach her... It was like she was a lonely mountain's peak, separated from the surrounding lands while trying to catch the moon.

With that sobering thought Arslan opened her eyes, and was surprised by the sight before her.

A younger woman who also wore the garb afforded to someone who had studied at the Temple of the Broken Table sat before her on the grass in a similar meditative pose to her own. The girls face looked similar to the face Arslan saw in the mirror every morning, though her skin was a few shades lighter and her hair several feet longer while being tied into a braid that hung over her left shoulder. A cousin she had never properly met? That was a likely possibility. Her great-great-grandfather had taken the commandment from the holy books of 'Be fruitful and multiply' very, very seriously.

The younger woman held her hands in front of herself in the sign of The Table, and then with a flourish changed them into the sign of The Broken Table.

"My Guru," The young woman spoke, not in the modern tongues of Minstral or Vale, but in the dead languages taught in the Temple, "I am Petra, initiate of The Temple of the Broken Table. I seek your wisdom in my time of trial."

"I am Arslan, First Degree Stone Breaker," She replied in kind as she stiffened her spine. She had never acted as someone's spiritual guide before, but as the senior member of The Order present her duty was clear. It was time to see if the student could be a teacher. "I will freely share the truths that I know."

"What is truth? And why do so few find it?" Petra began her questions with a doozy; something that should be simple and yet people felt this compulsion to make it more complicated than it was.

"Truth," Arslan began, "Is a knowledge of how things really are, how they really were, and how they really will be. So few people find it because truth is as uncompromising as the sky; so when the sun shines too brightly, or the stars move in ways unpleasant to behold they seek to place clouds between themselves and the truth."

"If one finds oneself in a land completely overcast the clouds become the sky," Petra pressed on, "And the people of the land will act accordingly."

"Though clouds cover the whole sky, the Sun, Moon and Stars remain unchanged behind them," Arslan explained. "Such is the nature of truth. Though it may be obscured by the philosophies and conveniences of the day it remains unchanged by them, and it will outlast them. Clouds cannot hide the Sun and Stars forever, for the Sun and Stars will persist long after the storm is a forgotten memory."

"Then tell me, my Guru, how should one act during the day of obscurement?"

"As one who has seen the Sun and the Stars you must not forget how they shined in the sky," Arslan instructed. "For forgotten truths cannot guide you through the storm."

A moment of silence passed between the two, with Petra deep in thought. Part of Arslan felt she should wait for Petra to fully mull things over and present her next question, but the rest of her was curious and figured asking a question of her own could help her better help her impromptu student.

And so Arslan inquired, "What trial do you face that makes you ask these questions?"

"My Guru, I must convince you of a truth that would appear as a falsehood at first with only the evidence I have in my mind," Petra answered. "For my scroll is not with me, and all else I carry will mean nothing to you."

"Interesting..." Arslan mused, "Then tell me of this truth that appears false, that we may discuss what you would need to share to prove if it is of the sky or of the clouds."

"I believe that you believe I am a cousin of yours," Petra began, "Yet I am not. I am the fruit of your field's first harvest, fallen through a hole in time to an era before my father sowed my seed. If I fail to convince you of this, and you fail to secure my father's hand in marriage my life is forfeit, for the day of my birth will never come."

Arslan felt her eyebrows rise to a hight they had never risen too before. That... was definitely hard to believe, especially without physical proof. Still, there were ways...

"Is there something known in the time you claim to come from that isn't known now, but can be proven now?"

"Is the nature of Pyrrha Nikos' semblance common knowledge in this time?"

"It is not..." If Arslan thought her eyebrows couldn't rise higher they proved her wrong that very instant.

"Pyrrha calls her semblance Polarity," Petra explained "It's most basic application allows her to become a living magnet, allowing her to attract or repel any metal she wishes."

Arslan brought her hand to her chin. That... that made waaaay too much sense. Hindsight told her that she had never landed a hit on Pyrrha with her Dagger/Rope Dart. Every attack that had connected with the Invincible Girl had been made with her feet or fists. However, even those hits were few and far between, so how...

"Another basic application of Polarity allows her to sense the metal around her, letting her know where attacks are coming from. I'm unsure how refined this ability is right now, but in my time she can sense the iron in your blood."

That... that also made sense. She might not be consciously doing the blood thing yet, but Pyrrha had definitely dodged punches she shouldn't have seen coming.

"She can also control the metal around her in a manner that looks telekinetic, something I know she has practiced but has not yet been forced to use in a way that can be seen."

Manny things were falling into place. How Pyrrha was able to keep track of everyone in a four vs one. How challengers who normally had solid stances slipped against Pyrrha because they were wearing metal boots or leg guards. How weapon strikes that should have been solid hits never connected.

If this was true than Arslan was still the lone mountain peak that had stretched into the sky to touch the Moon...

...But Pyrrha was no longer the Moon. Her invincibility was tied to her semblance, and there were ways she could work around that. She could have a fair fight and prove her worth as a rival...

...If it was true. This still needed to be proven... so another question was warranted.

"Are there no witnesses that could corroborate your story, did anyone see you fall through time?"

"Nobody saw me fall, but I did not fall alone," Petra answered. "There were fourteen of us. First is my friend Moses, who's semblance allowed the fall in the first place. The rest are all children of my father, from different times where you are not the mother. Not all of them chose to name their mothers, but among those who did were Julian son of The Reaper, Ruby Rose; Leander and Leandra children of Menagerie's Queen, Blake Belladonna; Xia daughter of the Raging Dragon, Yang Xiao Long; Xander son of the Invincible Woman, Pyrrha Nikos; and Nicholas son of Weiss Schnee."

Those were all pretty impressive titles for her fellow students. Which of course lead to the question: "Who is your father, that so many worthy women take notice of him?"

"My father, your husband, is Jaune Arc."

The raw clay Pyrrha sought to mould into her own image. If what Petra was saying was true then the man had enough potential for Pyrrha to succeed in that endeavor. She could see the appeal of a man like that.

It also meant that it didn't matter if it was sky or cloud; Pyrrha would believe what this Xander told her, meaning Pyrrha would hold nothing back if she tried to fight her for Jaune's hand. The prospect of fighting Pyrrha at her most dangerous was as daunting as it was exhilarating, especially since she had never beaten the girl before...

Yet if what Petra said was true then Jaune Arc was going to grow into a man who's affections would be worth any challenge. Arslan was definitely interested in getting to know a man like that.

Arslan stood up, and extended a hand to Petra. Then she spoke, not in Ozymandilian, but in the modern and far less formal language of Vale.

"I don't know if you're my daughter, or if Jaune Arc is my future husband. But I'm willing to find out. I'm going to have to find a wooden dagger though."

"I have something else that could help," Petra offered, also in the modern language of Vale, as she accepted Arslan's hand and rose to her feet. "There is a technique I can teach you in something like, ten minutes. It uses your Aura to conceal all of the metals naturally found in the body."

Arslan felt a very sinister grin grow across her face. A giggle escaped her lips, which rose into an unhinged cackle that lasted for an embarrassingly long period of time. Why was this making her feel so giddy?

Definitely something to meditate on later.

Chapter Text

Weiss Schnee prided herself on her punctuality and sense of timing. Her routine was so exact, she could time it herself with an internal clock. Get up at six AM, finish morning rituals at six-forty five, go work out until seven fifty-five, shower, dress, then return to the dorm at eight-thirty sharp for her morning tea.

A morning tea that had already been prepared. Even from the dorm room door, she could smell the characteristic scent of Klein's special brand of Darjeeling, and how it had been prepared. She could also see her favorite cookies (biscuits, as Klein would call them in his Albion accent) in a neat pile on a plate. She frowned deeply and moved towards the spread with Myrtenaster at the ready. She'd gotten into the habit of carrying her weapon whenever possible nowadays.

"Yang? If this is one of your pranks, I swear to the Gods I will-!"

A Schnee Glyph appeared behind her, sealing the door. She gasped and scanned around.

A glyph... But I don't recognize it... Who-?

"I hope you like the spread," a male voice spoke. Weiss turned and glared at the newcomer, who emerged from the RWBY bathroom. A tall, platinum blond young man, dressed in blue, white, and red combat armor. Strangely, it reminded her of Arc's armor, save for the long white coat he wore over it. He also wore his collar high, high enough to hide his mouth and nose.

Weiss' glare intensified. The boy's body language was... Hesitant. Yet familiar. He looked at her intently, as though seeing someone else.

"Who are you?" She demanded. The boy sighed softly.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked, "You're not a dolt, right?"

"Insulting my intelligence is a hell of a way to make a first impression!" Weiss growled, her own Glyph spinning in front of her.

The boy winced at that. So much so that Weiss hesitated. He was an intruder with Schnee Glyphs, a Semblance that was only available to those of the Schnee bloodline... He looked so strangely familiar... Almost like Uncle Warden, actually, but his eyes and nose were wrong...

"Are you... A relative of mine?" Weiss asked, a bit softer in tone this time.

The boy... Laughed strangely. He nodded.

"Yes, you could say that," he said. He nodded to the spread. "I had hoped using Uncle Klein's recipe and the Glyph would be enough, but... I guess your life isn't insane enough at this point to contemplate... Time travel."

Weiss stared in shock. She fell back and sat down on a chair roughly, dropping her weapon and her Glyph. She gaped at him.

"T-Time travel?" She whispered. The boy nodded.

"My name is Nicholas Warden Schnee," he murmured, "I was named for your grandfather, your father-in-law, and your favorite uncle. I will never call that old bastard Jacques my grandfather. I'm from the future."

"I... I see," Weiss managed. Inside she was a roiling torrent of emotions-Fear, shock, astonishment...

He smiled warmly at her.

"You found love in the end, Mother," Nicholas said gently, "You found happiness. My father is a great man, a kind man. He helped you reform the SDC, he made Schnee Manor into a place of warmth, cheer, and love. I love you both dearly and have never wanted for anything. Our family is huge and wonderful. It's not perfect, but..."

He pulled out a locket and held it out to her.

"I have never felt unloved or neglected," Nicholas said softly, "Because you and Dad made sure we knew we were precious to you."

He handed her the locket, and she took it with shaky hands as she opened it. A holographic image appeared: An older version of herself, with slight lines around her eyes from smiles. And what a smile her older self wore! It wasn't forced at all, it was truly open and happy!

(She was also secretly pleased she'd grown some curves-She was voluptuous and fit and beautiful in her later years! Take THAT, Xiao-Long!)

Her eyes bugged out a little at the huge number of children around her and her future husband.

"T-T-Ten?!" She gasped.

"My Father said it runs in his family," Nicholas said with a small smile.

It was then that Weiss studied the face of her future husband. He was handsome, absolutely. Tall, fit, with a beard and kind eyes. He held her around her waist with genuine love his eyes, a love her future self returned. Strangely, he almost looked like...

"No," Weiss whispered. She dropped the locket like it was burning hot and scooted back. "NO! I-I can't-I marry JAUNE ARC?!"

Nicholas barely caught the locket in time. He stared at his mother in disbelief.

"Uh, yeah," he said, "Jaune Arc is my father-"

"NO WAY!" Weiss shouted. "AS IF I WOULD EVER MARRY THAT-THAT IDIOTIC, GOOFY, GANGLY DOLT! YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!"

Nicholas blinked.

"Um, no Mother, you really did-"

"NO! NONONONONONO!" Weiss's cheeks heated up. "I-I DON'T HAVE ANY FEELINGS FOR HIM! ESPECIALLY NOT AFTER THE DANCE AND NEPTUNE-NO!"

She rapidly shook her head again.

"Did-Did that idiot put you up to this?!" She demanded. "With-With drugs and-and holograms?!"

"How would he afford those?" Nicholas asked, dismayed, "He was a farmboy from Radian!"

"NOOOOO! I-I do not-I don't believe it!" Weiss cried. "I-I mean, even if he is a decent sort now, he's still a DOLT! A complete imbecile! Even if he does end up a good husband and father, NO!"

"Mother," Nicholas said urgently, "If you don't go on a date with my father, I'll cease to exist! All my brothers and sisters will cease to exist! You don't want that, do you?"

Weiss shook her head vehemently.

"NO! Of course not! But I-I mean..."

She trailed off and looked at him nervously.

"Are you absolutely sure it's him?"

Nicholas sighed heavily.

"He told me you were difficult during this time, but he really undersold it," he muttered.

"I AM NOT DIFFICULT!" Weiss screeched. "And-And I don't like him at all! Not one bit!"

Nicholas, with a deadpan expression, opened the locket and showed the hologram again. Weiss' face turned red at the sight of the older Jaune.

"N-NOPE! NO! NOT EVEN A LITTLE!" Weiss declared.

Nicholas sighed again.

"Mother, please," he said, "If you don't succeed, someone like Auntie Pyrrha, Auntie Yang, Auntie Ruby, or Auntie Blake might scoop him up first!"

"WHAT?!" Weiss cried. "They-Those-NO! I-I'm-!"

"Mother!" Nicholas growled. "Mom, please! Just talk to Dad! You'll see what you told us you saw in him, I promise!"

Weiss flushed deeply.

"I... I'll go and talk to him," she managed, "Though I'm sure this is a ridiculous prank... And-And I don't like him and never will!"

Nicholas sighed yet again. This was proof in her mind that this was a charade: No child of hers would be so disrespectful to their mother!

Though maybe that was Arc's influence-NO! NO! THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN! NOT EVER!

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

The doors at the north end of the courtyard slammed open with an echoing wham, drawing the eyes of everyone currently milling about on their free day. They all saw a crimson haired war goddess emerge in her finest battle raiment and a look of tightly bridled fury on her face. Following close behind her was a crimson haired man who's imposing figure was only rivaled by the intensity of his purposeful gaze. The two of them scanned the quadrangle for a face both of them knew well.

The masses collectively decided it would be a very good idea to be somewhere else, less they incur the wrath of Pyrrha Nikos on the warpath. People rushed for whatever door was closest to them, all hoping against hope that the Invincible Girl wasn't there for them specifically.

From the thinning crowds emerged two figures approaching from the opposite direction, and Pyrrha's eyes narrowed in recognition of the woman leading the pair. The chocolate skin, the almost white yellow hair, the olive-green eyes, the sacred robe worn in a manner leaving the left shoulder and arm bare while providing a voluminous sleeve for the other, and the confident stride of a woman who genuinely thought she could win this time all added up to make the Golden Lion of Haven Academy: Arslan Altan.

Pyrrha remembered Arslan very well from her days at Sanctum. The warrior nun had grabbed every opportunity to fight Pyrrha with both hands and refused to let go for any reason; the girl was convinced some kind of great rivalry existed between the two of them for reasons Pyrrha hadn't felt the need to understand at the time. Arslan was undoubtedly looking for another fight, but Pyrrha was in no mood to entertain her. Finding Jaune and getting him away from conniving strumpets that would threaten her and Jaune's future children was far more important that whatever Arslan and her companion... Wait... Oh no.

Arslan's companion had Jaune's features! Those features were severely diluted by Arslan's visage, but Pyrrha would know Jaune's nose and eye ridges anywhere! That meant that somehow, someway, Arslan had the power to take Jaune from her!

"Pyrrha Nikos!" Arslan called out to confirm her dreadful realization, "I've come to challenge you for the right to pursue Jaune Arc! Son of Nick and Isabel Arc! Father of Petra and her twelve siblings!"

TWELVE! Arslan had twelve! no... add Petra and it was THIRTEEN! Arslan had thirteen kids with Jaune! Pyrrha's eyes narrowed; she would have to boost her own numbers.

"Why!" Pyrrha called out with rage building in her heart, "You don't even know him!"

"But I do know of him," Arslan replied. "After all, how could I not take notice of the man my rival's moulding into the perfect warrior? Add in the stories Petra has told me and I know I could spend a lifetime trying to find a man more noble than him. Why shouldn't I pursue a relationship with him? See where it goes?"

"Because you're not leaving here with working legs," Pyrrha focused all of the magnetic senses Polarity provided to her on Arslan. Her foe... Her... Her Rival, had her right hand hidden in her sleeve in a bit of subterfuge Pyrrha had seen a dozen times before. Arslan would turn her dagger into its' rope dart form and use her sleeve to obscure the moment and direction she launched it. But Polarity could feel the metal of the dart and track its' movement. This subterfuge was wasted on her.

"I figured you'd say something like that," Arslan noted before flicking her arm forward, sending the dart flying.

Or at least that's what Pyrrha's eyes saw. Polarity's magnetic senses insisted the dart was still in Arslan's hand. This disconnect almost cost Pyrrha dearly, and she almost failed to tilt her head out of the dagger/dart's path before it would have struck her in the head.

A single crimson lock fell to the ground.

With a quick tug of the rope the dart returned to Arslan's right hand, and she held it where Pyrrha could see it. The dart was a dagger made of Aura sharpened wood.

"Petra taught me a technique that lets me manipulate how the metal that naturally exists within my body interacts with magnetic scanning, letting me make the metal in my hand look like my dagger," Arslan explained with a savage grin. "Or I could make it look like there is no metal in my body at all."

Arslan took a deep breath then exhaled, and just like that she vanished from the magnetic senses Polarity provided Pyrrha, and Pyrrha felt her heart drop. How did Arslan figure out the secret of her semblance and- oh right time travel.

The Golden Lion of Haven Academy chuckled, "Let's see if your reliance on Polarity has dulled the rest of your senses!" Arslan threw her rope dart again.

Pyrrha raised her shield a second too slow, and the dart landed a solid hit on her shoulder. As Arslan pulled it back again Pyrrha remembered something of vital importance: that her very first fight with Arslan was one of the few fights where she felt like victory was in question, all because of how difficult it was to track the rope dart's unusual movements even with Polarity letting her know where the dart was at all times. She had learned a lot about tracking the movement of metal from those early fights with Arslan, but only now did Pyrrha realize she failed to learn how to track the dart with her ears and eyes.

She didn't have time to learn now, meaning she had two options if she wanted to end this fight quickly. The first was to create distance and shoot, but she knew Arslan wouldn't let her get out of the rope dart's range. That meant her best option was to charge into melee.

Pyrrha charged, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Xander charge Petra with his spear held high while Petra counter charged with a pair of wooden hook swords. Then she was within melee distance with Arslan and she couldn't spare them any of her attention.

Pyrrha's blade was a fury of motion, and Arslan deflected and parried using her wooden dagger with all the skill and finesse Pyrrha expected of her old foe, her, her Rival. Pyrrha did her best to keep Arslan on the defensive, but it didn't take long for Arslan to find the right tempo to shift Pyrrha's relentless assault into a risky back and fourth between the two of them. One moment Arslan would be on the offensive, Pyrrha the next, both of them searching for openings in the other's guard.

It galled Pyrrha to admit it, but without Polarity letting her know where Arslan's hands and feet were she was having a hard time keeping track of them. Sure Pyrrha was occasionally slipping through Arslan's guard and landing good hits, but Arslan was slipping through Pyrrha's guard just as much if not more and landing hits that were just as good. She could still win, she had to, but the fight would be over already if Arslan hadn't found a way to bypass Polarity!

Then Polarity picked up something big coming in fast from above, and Pyrrha leaped back to avoid the impact. Arslan reacted a second too slow and was sent tumbling though the air an impressive distance before she used her rope dart to arrest her momentum and land on her feet.

Pyrrha looked at the figure standing in the dust from the crater and felt her heart swell with relief and gratitude as she saw Yang step out. Her friend had seen her in need and was coming to her aid and...

...A second figure emerged. A girl with a mixture of Yang and Jaune's features. Pyrrha felt her heart twist as she realized her friend was her foe.

"Sorry P-Money," Yang drawled as she pulled her fist back, "But Mama's gotta do what Mama's gotta do."

Yang punched, and Pyrrha pulled her shield up in time to block it and the followup blast from Yang's wrist mounted shotgun. Pyrrha noted that Yang's daughter was charging Arslan, and then she turned her focus onto Yang. The blonde brawler was furious in her assault, but Pyrrha could sense her with Polarity. Every punch, every kick, every shot felt like it was telegraphed from a mile away when compared to the attacks that had been invisible to her magnetic senses.

This was much more manageable. All she had to do now was wait for Yang to overextend herself and then she could take her out of the fight with three well placed strokes and then she could-

Her magnetic senses screamed another warning, and she jumped just in time to avoid getting shot by Gambol Shroud. Blake Belladonna then swung in with twin blonde cat faunus and the three of them attacked the previously fighting pair.

The twins wasted no time lashing out at Yang with weapons that were obvious imitations of Gambol Shroud, while Blake herself was all action and no words as she engaged Pyrrha. Blake was good in a straight up sword fight, but Pyrrha was better. They both knew this, so Pyrrha prepared to charge forward the moment Blake prepared to disengage and-

A knightly young man who looked like a mixture of Jaune and a Schnee tackled Blake to the ground, while Pyrrha had to limbo-duck to avoid getting skewered by Weiss' rapier.

"WEISS!?!?" Pyrrha exclaimed as her sword crossed with the heiress' blade, "But you don't even like Jaune!"

"I'M DOING THIS BECAUSE JAUNE WILL BE AN EXCELLENT HUSBAND AND FATHER! NOT BECAUSE I LIKE HIM OKAY!"

The absolute insanity of that statement made something snap in Pyrrha's mind. Dropping all subtlety with her power she grabbed Myrtenaster with Polarity and ripped the blade out of Weiss' hand with a thought, hurling it through the air and embedding it deep within the trunk of a tree. She then backhanded the ice queen with her shield, sending the heiress tumbling head over heals through the air.

It was time to end this farce. Pyrrha stretched forth her hand with the intention to grab every weapon with Polarity and disarm all her opponents in one fell swoop-

Arslan delivered the people's elbow to the back of Pyrrha's head.

--------------------

Using her Aura sensing abilities should have made finding Jaune Arc a breeze, but May realized her mistake the instant August pushed the doors to the courtyard open.

She already knew that August's aura felt a lot like his father's, so it stood to reason that all of Jaune's kids had auras that felt like their father's. That meant the biggest concentration of Jaune feeling aura hadn't been Jaune at all, but rather a bunch of his kids in one place.

The scene before her was absolute chaos. Pyrrha and a boy that looked a lot like her were wrestling with Arslan and a girl that looks like her. Weiss had just destroyed a tree and was locked in a furious sword fight with Blake. Two young cat faunus were dueling a boy who looked like Weiss, while Yang and a girl that looked like Yang were charging towards the wrestling Pyrrha and Arslan.

"That's them?" May asked unnecessarily.

"That's a lot of them," August confirmed.

May's heart sank with sorrow knowing this was the way things were going to be. Was there a way to stop this? Make everyone calm down? If there was she couldn't see it. She pulled her rifle from her back with a heavy heart and-

-the glint of a sniper's scope on a rooftop shined in the corner of her eye. A surge of adrenaline made May roll forward before a lightning dust round impacted the ground where she had been standing. Flipping back up she fired in the direction the shot had come from, already knowing that she wouldn't hit anything.

To her left August had just finished an almost identical roll and fire maneuver. May gritted her teeth with knowing that she was now in a sniper duel with Ruby Rose or possibly Ruby's kid, and that her son was in a sniper duel with whichever one wasn't shooting at her.

Now sniper duels are normally all about stealth, a nasty game of hide and seek usually won by who fired first unless someone messed up. Stealth was out of the question in this scenario, meaning this was all about mobility and the speed of the draw.

As May fired at the red clad reaper and ran along the edge of the courtyard she knew she was at a mobility disadvantage, and their were good odds she'd never hit Ruby. Fortunately, Ruby wasn't just a sniper. She was also a blender with a scythe, meaning if May could avoid getting hit for long enough Ruby would abandon the high ground to attack her in melee.

That wasn't much better, but if Ruby came down then maybe she could trick her into switching dance partners and she could sneak away and try to find Jaune again?

It was a long shot but it was better than nothing.

--------------------

Two people walking by a window overlooking the courtyard were engaged in a conversation about what flavor of jelly went best with peanut butter when the sound of gunshots caught their attention. They both looked out at the window and came to a stop at the sight before them.

"Renny," the shorter of the two started, "Is that all our friends and a bunch of strangers trying to kill each other?"

"That's what it looks like," Ren confirmed.

"Huh," Nora shrugged as she reached to open the window and pull Magnhild from behind her back.

Ren stopped her by putting his hand on her shoulder, "Maybe we should get Jaune to help out with this."

"You're right, we wouldn't want him to miss the fun!"

--------------------

As Xander rolled under the swing of Nicholas' sword and jumped over a Glyph the boy had placed as a trap he noted that while things could be going a lot better, they could also be going much worse. With a swing of his spear Xander swept Nicholas' legs out from under him, forcing the knightly boy to dismiss his Glyph lest he land in his own trap. And yet before Xander could take advantage of his opponent's prone state Yang Xiao Long was suddenly in his face tying to blast him point blank, forcing Xander to backflip away while delivering a solid kick to Yang's jaw. Yang probably would have tried to pursue him once she stopped stumbling back from the hit, but by that point Nicholas was up off the ground and Yang found herself blocking the knightly boy's sword strikes.

The whole fight was going like that. The instant someone looked like they were getting an upper hand over their opponent someone else butted in and forced the party that had been winning to disengage and look for an opportunity to reengage by stepping into someone else's fight. It was a vicious cycle that Xander wasn't seeing an easy end to anytime soon.

While this was all happening May and August were running circles around the courtyard firing at the rooftops where Ruby and Julian were also running circles around the courtyard shooting back. Then, as Xander charged Xia, May did something Xander didn't expect. The hoodie clad sniper flipped her rifle around to its' ax configuration and dove into the wild melee behind Xia. All of a sudden Xander found himself between Ruby Rose and her target, and he spun around just in time for an angry cloud of rose petals to slam into his chest.

The red reaper rematerialized as her rifle Crescent Rose shifted into its' scythe mode, which she brought down in a vicious overhead strike Xander blocked with his spear. The two of them proceeded to turn their two polearms into whirling windmills of death as they both prodded the other's defenses. They struck at the same time, but Xander used his variant of Polarity to make sure Ruby's strike was off, forcing her to step back in order to avoid a spear to the face.

"Oh, right," Ruby muttered as she flipped the switch on a hastily cobbled together add-on attached to the side of Crescent Rose where it couldn't interfere with the weapon's form changing. The add-on hummed for a second, and then Xander felt his eyes widen as the entire scythe disappeared from his magnetic senses. So that's what the weird dohicky on Julian's weapon was for.

Ruby's next strikes were much harder for Xander to parry, because while he could still sense the movements of Ruby's hands and the positioning of her footwork with his variant of Polarity knowing those things didn't tell him the length of Ruby's next strike as her hands moved up and down the grips of the now invisible to magnetism scythe. But he could do this! It was just blindfolded combat practice in reverse! He had been tapping in and out of fights with Petra and Arslan, this should be easier than that!

Yet as he tried to focus on Ruby's next swing Xander felt an enormous weapon being aimed at him from the edge of the courtyard, and he saw Ruby's eyes widen in shock. Xander rolled forward. Ruby jumped high.

Crimson energy seared through the air the two of them had occupied the moment before. Xander looked over his shoulder and saw Ash and Ashley standing in one of the courtyard's entrances, both of them armed with some extremely heavy ordinance.

Ash tossed the laser bazooka to the side and pulled out a minigun that had been modified to shoot wooden stakes, while Ashley leveled a recoilless rifle at the crowd.

"Say Hello To Our Little Friends!" The dark haired twins yelled in tandem. Then they opened fire and everyone was looking for cover.

--------------------

Jaune Arc groaned as he looked up at the sky with his back on the grass. Dorothy chuckled as she reached out a hand to help him back up.

"You got a lot closer that time," She grinned as he accepted her hand and let himself get pulled back to his feet.

"Thanks," Jaune rolled his shoulders and rubbed at a spot that was thinking about bruising, "It's always good to know you're improving."

"I have to say you're being a pretty good sport about this," Theodore observed. "Not a lot of people would put up with getting knocked around as much as you have."

"Well, I'm just happy to help," Jaune smiled, "And it's pretty obvious you guys need the practice."

"What do you mean by that?" Dorothy tilted her head in confusion.

"I can tell neither of you have been on the same team before," Jaune explained as he took a swig of water from his bottle. "If I was as fast as my friends I could have waltz through the holes in your coordination."

"He's not wrong," Theodore allowed.

"In fact, if we go again I think I can get close enough to make you pull out your weapon," Jaune boasted.

"I don't have a weapon," Theodore shrugged, "My teleportation glyphs are ideal for ranged combat, so there isn't much point in me getting close to anybody."

"What if the bad guys get close to you?" Jaune pressed.

"If they're human or faunus then I'll use my three black belts to hold them off until I can teleport away," Theodore answered as he picked up a rock. "If they're a creature of grimm or a mindless robot? I do this," He made a blue glyph and a red glyph in the air in front of him closer together than any of the glyphs Jaune had seen him make before. Apparently there was a reason for that, as the two different teleportation effects interacted with each other when they got that close, turning both glyphs purple as they visibly distorted the space between them. Theodore tossed the rock through the distorted space, reducing it to fine sand as it came out the other end. The Schnee boy then waved his hand, demonstrating that he could move the shredding distortion about according to his whims.

"That's so cool," Jaune whispered in awe. Theodore couldn't stop himself from preening at that praise.

Jaune then looked to Dorothy, "What about you? You have a weapon you haven't used yet?"

"If I'm touching it I can control it," Dorothy replied, "I usually steal other people's weapons and turn them against them or improvise with the large objects my semblance lets me pick up."

"Respectable." Jaune nodded before asking, "Why haven't you turned my sword or shield against me then?"

"Uhhh... it didn't seem fair?" Dorothy demurred.

"If you hesitate in a training environment you'll hesitate in the real world," Jaune admonished. "Let's have another go, only this time-"

The door to the training yard slammed open and the familiar voice of Nora called out: "JAUNE! PYRRHA'S GETTING GANKED! RUBY'S GETTING GANKED! WEISS IS GETTING GANKED! YANG IS GETTING GANKED! BLAKE IS GETTING GANGED! A WHOLE BUNCH OF STRANGERS ARE GETTING GANGED WITH THEM!"

"What!?! Who!?! Where!?! Why!?!" Jaune whipped around to see his teammates in the doorway.

"We don't know why," Ren explained in a voice that was somehow both calm and urgent, "But there's a big free for all fight in the Star-Maiden's Memorial Courtyard, all our friends are involved and it seems like they're all seriously trying to hurt each other."

Jaune turned to Theodore and Dorothy, "We have to go help my friends!"

Theodore and Dorothy both look as if their minds had skipped a gear and they didn't know what to do, so Jaune turned up the pressure of his best 'please help I need you' face that had always gotten his older sisters to act. Something in Theodore's eyes melted, and Dorothy seemed to choke up a bit.

"Alright," Theodore sighed, "I guess this is what we're doing now."

The five of them started running.

--------------------

Ash did his best to suppress the cackle that wanted to bubble out of his throat as he pressed down the trigger of the stake shooting minigun. Seeing the chaos unfold before him tickled a part of his psyche he didn't have before he was eight, and he always hated feeding that part of him. He and his sister were probably in for a long talk with their therapist if they managed to get home. Next to him Ashley openly giggled as she fired another round from the recoilless rifle.

As he turned the minigun to make another sweep over the yard a cloud of yellow rose petals came down from above them, and suddenly Julian was there driving his scythe into the mechanisms of the gun and ripping it apart. Ashley tried swinging the recoilless rifle at the silver eyed boy, only for August to charge in from their left and cut the gun apart with his axe.

Without any suppressing fire the brawl resumed with Yang and Xia charging Pyrrha and Petra, Arslan charging Nicholas, Ruby charging the faunus twins and so on until everyone was engaged in a new fight except for May, who was doing her best to army crawl out of the battlefield.

With Julian and August right on them Ash and Ashley were forced to draw out their daggers and defend themselves in melee. A melee that slowly migrated into the greater fight in the center of the courtyard...

Chapter Text

Humans were never meant to be creatures of instinctual habit, as evidenced by the fact that the instinctual human response in unexpected or high stress situations is usually the wrong one. Take a person who grew up in a place where it never snowed and make them walk on a sheet of ice and you will instantly see this in action; as that person will instinctively want to lock up their legs in a stiff position for stability, thereby making slipping and falling an inevitability.

In mildly bad weather the wrong instinctive response can be funny, hilarious even. In a genuine emergency the wrong instinctive response can be fatal.

And so the vast majority of training regiments are designed to break people of their bad instinctive responses. Even your most basic fire/evacuation drills are meant to break a bad instinctive response, for panicking people relying on instinct will almost always exit a building the same way they came in; even if the way they came in is the farthest exit possible.

For example, consider the current predicament of Emerald Sustrai; her daughter slung over her shoulders as she runs from the literal raging inferno known as Cinder Fall. To say Emerald was acting more out of instinct than than rational thought at the present moment was an accurate assessment, the panic caused by Cinder's unexpected flip to homicidal hostility had not had a single moment to subside as a result of the false maiden's relentless pursuit and unceasing attacks. Shards of molten glass and gouts of flame shot past the dark skinned girl that she expertly dodged, showing that practical combat experience had broken all of those bad instincts and replaced them with better ones, and yet the path she was taking showed she hadn't done that many evacuation drills.

The rational part of her mind still working through the panic realized the best bet for survival for her and her daughter was to get to a wide open space with more room to maneuver. Her mind's eye pictured a courtyard she had visited several times the previous week. A courtyard on the other side of Beacon's campus. Emerald wove a winding path through the school, charging through halls and empty classrooms, up a flight of stairs and down another, zigging and zagging trough locker rooms and public spaces with Cinder leaving a trail of burning destruction and activated fire sprinklers in their mutual wake.

Throughout this chase Emerald had passed over twenty open windows she could have easily jumped through, six doors that were already open and leading outside, fifty doors she could have easily kicked open and passed through before Cinder could have caught up and one hole in the wall that hadn't been fixed from some aura enhanced rough housing the day before. In other words it was a miracle that Emerald reached the doors of the Star-Maiden's Memorial Courtyard without her and her daughter being reduced to ash by Cinder's blind fury.

Emerald kicked the doors open to see a scene of battle before her.

She ran out and into it, for hellfire and death was behind her baying for her blood and calling her a hoe.

--------------------

Jaune Arc pushed open the doors leading out into the Star-Maiden's Memorial Courtyard and stepped out into the sunlight with Crocea Mors drawn and its' shield deployed. To his right Nora and Theodore stepped out with battle ready looks on their faces, on his left Ren and Dorothy stretched their arms in preparation for a coming fight.

Scanning the battlefield Jaune took note of Pyrrha, Weiss and Blake locked in a three-way sword fight, Yang and a Girl that looked a lot like Yang trying to wrestle a spear out of the hands of a guy who kinda looked like Pyrrha. Ruby was dodging a rope dart being thrown by Arslan Altan, while a silver-eyed boy swung his scythe at a pair of blond cat faunus. That Emerald girl had another girl slung over her shoulder and she was being chased by her team leader Cinder, who was yelling things that would have made Mama Arc bust out a bar of soap to wash her mouth. That was all he was able to take in before he felt someone grab his right pant leg.

"May!?!" Jaune cried out in surprise as he looked down and saw the sniper from Shade Academy who had apparently been army crawling towards this specific door.

"Jaune? Oh thank god," May cried out in relief as she got up off the ground with some help from the blonde swordsman.

"May, what's going on?" Jaune asked.

"Time travel," May replied in a shaky voice, "Everyone out there you don't recognize is a kid of yours from the future trying to make sure you can only marry their mom."

"Say what?" The words came out of Jaune's mouth as it felt like his mind was slowing down and speeding up at the same time. The part that was speeding up quickly made the connection that if the strangers were his kids then their mothers would be the people he knew that they looked like. The part that was slowing down was counting girls and added them up to nine, and that didn't seem right. He couldn't even get the one girl he had tried asking out to like him! And yet here she was with eight other girls seriously attempting bodily harm to one another to keep the other girls from marrying him.

The math wasn't lining up even though he couldn't add things up any other way.

"I hoped we'd be able to talk things out," May carried on in a desperate tone, "But when I got here everyone was already fighting, and I was getting shot at before I could even get a word in! Now that you're here maybe we can find a way to talk things out and-" May noticed something out of the corner of her eye, and her face shifted into a snarl before she shrieked; "YOU CAN'T TOUCH MY BABY LIKE THAT!" And with that she charged into the fray axe held high.

Jaune staggered back, with Nora and Ren placing a steadying hands on his shoulders. Even though his mind was racing in circles he could still hear Ren ask Theodore and Dorothy a question:

"Are either of you time traveling kids of Jaune?"

Dorothy chuckled nervously, and that was all the confirmation the speeding up portion of Jaune's mind needed to know she was, bringing the number of mothers up to ten. Yet Dorothy had said her last name was Goodwitch. Goodwitch! That didn't add up at all!

Back in the battle Pyrrha grabbed Weiss' rapier for a second time with Polarity, and sent it flying before punching the heiress away. Theodore stretched out his hand and caught the blade with one of his glyphs, teleporting it into his hand. An incredulous look crossed the his face as he looked over to where Weiss had landed. He then stormed forward, eyes twitching while yelling, "Aunt Weiss! What! The! Hell! Do! You! Think! You! Are! Doing! Your Semblance Is Best Used At Range! You Are A MAGE That Can Stab Things That GET TOO Close! Key Words: GET TOO! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO ENGAGE THE WORLD'S BEST SWORDSWOMAN IN A MELEE FIGHT IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO?!"

Theodore called Weiss his Aunt, the part of Jaune's mind that was keeping count added the mothers up to eleven. The other part that was keeping count realized the Aunt part meant Theodore's mother was Weiss' sister Winter. Another thing that didn't add up.

Math was breaking. Jaune turned his head to look at Dorothy as if she could give some kind of answer that would clarify things.

"Umm... Well..." Dorothy wilted under his gaze, "You see Dad... I thought... We thought... My friend had a plan that fell apart pretty quickly and we needed to do something... and it was... Ah, Screw it! HEY PETRA! YOU AND ME ARE FIGHTING NOW!" Dorothy flew into the fight.

"Well, I know who I'm rooting for!" Nora grinned as she pulled Magnhild out from behind her back and started launching grenades into the scrummage. "YOU CAN DO THIS PYRRHA! WHOOHOOO!" She yelled.

One of the grenades hit a silver eyed boy who could only be Ruby's kid while he was activating his semblance, knocking him off course and sending him hurtling off into the distance. The two cat faunus who could only be Blake's had somehow procured a large amount of rope and had somehow pinned Yang to the ground long enough to tie her up. Yang's daughter and Ruby apparently reached some kind of nonverbal accord and charged the two cat faunus as they hoisted Yang into the air and ran off with her. Cinder continued to yell fire while spiting fire as she tried to burn Emerald and Emerald's daughter to a crisp. Theodore kept yelling at Weiss for her terrible tactics.

Jaune knew he couldn't stand there and do nothing, but what could he do? And so he asked, "Ren, as the brother I've never had, do you have any brotherly advice to give me?"

"Uhhhh..." Ren's grip on Jaune's shoulder tightened, "Maybe we could... No... Perhaps we could..." Ren facepalmed, "No that's a terrible idea."

And so the battle raged on as two young men grappled with the age old question: How do you talk down a bunch of girls going full crazy?

--------------------

The term Nurses Office normally invokes the image of a quaint little room off to the side of a major hallway where with a handful of beds where a sick child can wait for their parents to swing by and pick them up for a trip to the family doctor's practice or a hospital. The Nurses Office of Beacon Academy didn't match that description.

Beacon's Nurses Office was a full blown medical wing packed full with state of the art medical equipment, a suite of high end examination and operating rooms, and enough beds to hold all the students and faculty that would be on campus during a normal semester of school. As such it was only called the Nurses Office in the common vernacular of students and faculty because of the way it was normally staffed: five nurses guarding the medical cabinets to make sure nobody tried to swipe the opioids and other such drugs for recreational purposes.

Now Beacon did have a full blown doctor on hand at all times, but she spent most of her days in a classroom the next hall over teaching students first aid and field medicine.

Now the reasons for such extensive facilities with such a small medical staff were multi faceted. For one thing virtually everyone on school grounds had their Aura unlocked, as such any minor injury would resolve itself fairly quickly and any injury worth getting additional medical attention for would require the state of the art surgical rooms. In other words it was logistically easier to have a miniature hospital on school grounds and fly additional medical staff in as needed than it was to fly critically injured students into a hospital in the city.

Now medical emergencies like that didn't happen every day, once again because everyone on campus has an unlocked aura, so when Ozpin brought Moses down from his office to deal with the boy's growing migraine he expected to have the full attention of the nurses on duty. That was not the case.

Three of the nurses were fussing over a rather resined looking Mercury Black. A pair of prosthetic legs sat on the table beside them, one of them noticeably melted, and the nurses were debating about how salvageable the mounting points on Mercury's legs actually were. Ozpin supposed the young man got caught up in whatever mess that was causing his team leader to chase their teammate Emerald around the courtyard.

The other two nurses were giving Sun Wokong and an attractive young woman (a chameleon faunus if the way her skin colors kept changing meant anything) an in depth lecture/demonstration of all the ways you could tie someone up without restricting blood flow or causing any other long term injuries. They were also making the two practice, having Sun tie-up and untie the chameleon woman again and again until his knots met their professional standards.

It always made Ozpin glad to see students take their education seriously: the ability to properly restrain a recently captured foe when aura suppressing cuffs weren't available was an incredibly useful skill for a Huntsman or Huntress to have. Ozpin mentally commended Sun for taking the initiative to learn these skills on his own. Though perhaps it should be made a proper class next year. An elective perhaps? Thoughts for later.

Not wanting to distract the nurses from their work Ozpin simply lead Moses to an available bed and attended to the lad himself.

"Do you have any medical allergies?" The old wizard asked as he examined the over the counter pain medications stored near the bed.

"Nah," Moses muttered, "I don't."

"Then take two of these, and if things don't get better within an hour you can take two more," Ozpin instructed as he selected a bottle of pills and filled a glass with cold water, "but don't take more than six."

Moses took the recommended dosage and drank all the water in three long gulps. The boy then fell back into the bed with his eyes scrunched shut.

"Now my recommendation is for you to try and sleep through the worst of this headache," Ozpin said as he pulled a piece of equipment from behind the bed's headrest. "Now I'm going to place this headband on you, it will monitor your brain activity and get the attention of the nurses if anything alarming happens, alright?" Moses allowed him to place the headband, and Ozpin wrote a note explaining what the nurses needed to know about Moses.

With the note written and placed where the nurses would find it when they turned their attention to the boy Ozpin quickly glanced around the room to see what everyone was doing. The nurses on duty were still focused on what they were doing before he came into the room, and Moses seemed pretty out of sorts. That meant he was free to flex a mystical muscle or two without real scrutiny.

Ozpin ran two of his fingers over Moses' forehead, muttering words in a language that had died the day Salem spat in the face of the Gods: a simple cantrip to help ease the mind into pleasant dreams. As Ozpin felt the spell take root in Moses' mind he turned to leave, only to hear Moses whisper two words in that dead language:

"Thanks Dad."

If a wizard trips over his own two feet, but nobody noticed, did he actually trip over himself?

On most days Ozpin is honest enough with himself to admit the answer is yes.

--------------------

Finding a few seconds respite, Ash activated a switch on the side of his dagger, making it shift in size to the length and girth of a proper longsword. The new length added to the blade made it easier for him to force Petra to keep her distance, as his weapon now had superior reach when compared to her wooden hook sword. If the girl had still had two of them then perhaps the reach advantage wouldn't have mattered as much, but Petra had lost one of her blades to Dorothy a couple of exchanges ago.

And yet as Ash tried to press his newfound advantage Nicholas was suddenly between them using his glyphs as shields that blasted both of them back when their swords made contact. And with that Petra was now fighting Nicholas, while Ash suddenly found himself fighting Leander while Ashly grappled with Leandra right next to them.

How many times had he switched opponents now? Six? Seven? More? He knew he hadn't crossed blades with everyone here, but it sure felt like it.

At this point it was clear that Ashley's long shot plan was toast. It kind of hinged on their Dad getting to know their Mom under conditions where both of them could be vulnerable, hence the need to get everyone else out of the way. But now their Mom was here chasing Auntie Em around like a rabid dog and screaming expletives like a raving lunatic in front of Dad, and it was hard to imagine Dad letting his guard down after seeing that.

Ash jumped over Leander and kicked behind himself while Ashley performed a similar maneuver on Leandra, and suddenly the faunus twins were fighting Pyrrha while Ash and Ashley were back to back keeping their eyes peeled for the next approaching challenger.

"You didn't happen to come up with a backup plan at any point, did you?" Ash asked his sister.

"Nope," Ashley popped the p.

It was then that Ash noticed his father take a step forward from the edge of the courtyard towards the battle, then another, and another; a look of determination growing stronger and stronger with each step.

Jaune Arc took a deep breath, and then projected his voice the way he had seen his own Father Nick do when things got out of hand.

"HEY! CUT IT OUT!" Jaune bellowed, "NONE OF THAT! SHAME ON YOU!"

If Ash and Ashley hadn't already been standing still the raw authority their Father managed to put into that shout would have made them freeze in their tracks. Apparently all of their paradox half-siblings were of the same mind, for all of them came to a complete stop by the time their Father had completed the first syllable. It didn't take long for the mothers to follow suit. Pyrrha, Weiss, May, Blake and Arslan all froze by the time the second syllable was finished. Ruby, Yang and Auntie Em all came to stop in the middle of the third syllable, and their Mom...

...Their Mom wasn't stopping.

Their Mom wasn't stopping and her eyes were filled with all consuming fury.

Their Mom wasn't stopping, her eyes were filled with an all consuming fury and her face was a rictus of rage.

Oh Gods; Their Mom was going to KILL Auntie Em!

Ash moved, and Ashley moved beside him. In three leaping bounds they were between their mother and Auntie Em, their hands stretched out before them as they both cried out: "Mom! Sto-"

Cinder Fall lashed out with both hands wreathed in arcane flames, and Ash and Ashley's world was filled with searing pain...

--------------------

Cinder had learned at a young age that anything she didn't directly control could and would hurt her. The so called 'family' that raised her. The huntsman who taught her to fight. The witch who made her an apprentice. All of them made that truth as clear as the sun on a cloudless day. And so Cinder had sought power for control, for if she had enough power she could control everything and then there would be nothing that could hurt her ever again.

Emerald's infatuation with her was a useful tool to that end. That infatuation meant the dark skinned thief wanted to be under Cinder's control, and made her actively labor to that end. All Cinder had to do was whisper a honeyed word there, show a small smile there, leave an implication dangling down the road and Emerald would do all she could to place herself beneath Cinder's power.

That devotion and willingness to be under Cinder's complete control made Emerald different from everything else in the world: Emerald was safe. Emerald could never hurt her, for Emerald had traded away her ability to do so for the low low price of the occasional indulgence in the idea of a possible romantic future between them. And so Cinder would give those small indulgences even though she felt no tangible attraction, for the value of having something that was actually safe in this world was incalculable.

And then the time traveling child had abruptly barged into the room and ruined everything. That child meant the price payed for Emerald's submission would go up and up and up until Cinder couldn't pay it. That child meant Emerald would have a reason to labor for something other than Cinder's favor. That child meant Emerald's infatuation would disappear and be replaced with a love for someone else. That child meant Emerald was no longer safe.

And so Cinder threw down the gauntlet, and then Emerald proved that the child had already pulled her out from under Cinder's power; proved that Emerald could now hurt her. Rage had filled Cinder's heart, and she lashed out at the one who had lied about her unshakable devotion and the child that made that devotion shake.

Everything after she threw the burning glass knife was a blur. If she were to try and recall it later she would only be able to say that Emerald fled, and so she pursued. Through the halls, up and down the stairs, through classrooms and locker rooms and out into the courtyard was all just a blur as she chased the false promiser who had lured her into a false sense of safety and security.

When two strangers jumped in front of her there was no thought beyond the instinct of the fighter: grab their heads and knock em together. The desire to burn the false promiser bled into the action, enveloping her hands in the Maiden's flames.

Twin screams of agony pierced through her rage. How could they not? They were almost identical to her own cries when others had hurt her. Cinder stepped back and looked down at the two fallen figures, writhing in pain in the same way she had writhed when Salem had shown her the true nature of power. She could see their faces, so much like her own even as fire danced across half of them and burned into their aura. The two of them were somehow hers. Somehow there was someone who could make her feel safe enough to risk the vulnerabilities of pregnancy and motherhood.

How? Who?

She looked up, and saw that the eyes of everyone in the courtyard were locked upon her. Then the boy Jaune Arc charged towards her, the others followed.

Cinder turned and ran. As she built up speed the powers of the Maiden surged within her. Flames gathered in her hands and feet and soon they shot out like a rocket, propelling her into the air and away from those who pursued her. In a few moments Beacon Academy was far behind her and she was a speck on the horizon.

--------------------

No one pursued Cinder Fall. Jaune Arc didn't even notice her running away. All he knew was that the two kids screaming the most agonizing screams he had ever heard were somehow his kids and he'd be damned if he didn't do something, anything, to help them.

Jaune went to his knees on the ground between them, placing his hands on their shoulders in an effort to stop their violent thrashing about. The instant he made contact with them he felt something strange happen with his aura; it was actively being pulled out of him and into the kids. He felt faint and lightheaded for a moment, but through that lightheadedness he noticed that the burning consuming their faces was slowing down, and so he let the pulling happen.

Then the eye each kid had that wasn't wreathed in flame stoped twitching about in an unfocused manner and gained focus locking onto his own in shock. Then they shocked Jaune by closing their eyes and twisting the parts of their faces that weren't burning in a look of concentration, and Jaune felt the pulling on his aura stop.

Why did they stop? They needed his aura to stop having their faces burn off! This was bad, very bad. So very very bad.

But if they weren't going to take his aura, then maybe... maybe he could give it.

Jaune's face contorted with focus and grim determination, and he felt his own aura surge within him. As it surged he did what he could to push it through his arms. That was surprisingly easy. Then the tried to push it out his hands. Also easy. Out of his hands and into them? Now that he was doing it it was easy.

Jaune's aura moved through the two kids and pushed back against the flames trying to consume their faces. As Jaune focused and pushed the flames were overwhelmed and extinguished, and the burnt flesh knitted itself back together; albeit not the way it was before.

The two kids had mirrored burn scars on their faces in the vague shapes of a hand. The boys covered his right eye, the girls her left. It didn't look pretty, but their pain subsided and they slipped into blissful unconsciousness.

Then the doors to the courtyard slammed open again.

--------------------

"STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS AT-" Glynda cut herself off as she saw that the riot had somehow ceased before her arrival. Instead of a scene of violence she instead saw the sight of Jaune Arc trying to cradle and comfort two black haired fraternal twins who had fresh burn scars on their faces, both of them in some kind of fitful sleep. The women and children who had been fighting so violently just a little while ago stood around Jaune in a manner that was simultaneously protective and confused.

Of course now all eyes were on her.

Glynda heaved a mighty sigh before she took control of the situation. "Mr. Arc, Lie Ren, please take those children to the infirmary and then join us in the Headmaster's office once they've been settled in."

"Yes Ma'am" both boys replied.

"The rest of you will be following me," Her tone brokered no argument, "And if you try to slip away I will look for you, I will find you, and you will wish you didn't try to worm your way out of what's coming."

Nobody present was foolish enough to object.

Chapter Text

Making everyone tell their side of the story had taken a while, but if there was going to be peace among them it needed to happen. Ozpin could tell that some people hadn't shared everything; Emerald had seemed quite uncomfortable talking about Cinder for instance, but everyone had shared enough for today's purposes. The old wizard smiled as the stories sowed the seeds of empathy, and when they were done he began to work his metaphorical magic.

"Now before we continue there is something I want to make clear," Ozpin noted as his eyes roamed over the crowd assembled in his office, looking each time displaced child in the eyes, "I understand why you chose to do what you did. The situation you've found yourselves in is completely unprecedented and all of you understandably believe your lives and the lives of your siblings are in danger. I won't say you shouldn't be scared, this is uncharted territory after all. However, I want to assure you that I will be doing everything in my power to ensure each and every one of you will make it through this alive."

Ozpin then met the eyes of every mother in the room except for Glynda. Part of him wondered if his deputy headmistress had realized the Dorothy girl was hers; Glynda had shown no sign of recognition and the identity of Dorothy's mother hadn't been mentioned in anyones retellings of this morning's events. The girl was doing her best to always have someone between her and her mother, a nervous and embarrassed energy emerging from her every time she looked in her mother's direction. Irregardless of that drama Ozpin addressed the mothers:

"I'm not going to blame any of you for getting swept up in a feeling of maternal protectiveness and lashing out at a perceived threat to your child. Having such maternal feelings is probably a first time experience for most of you, and almost everyone makes the wrong choice the first time around." Ozpin's expression turned from being a kindly and understanding one to being the stone cold face of a judge pronouncing his sentence as he addressed the crowd as a whole; "That being said further acts of violence to solve this issue will not be tolerated in any way, shape or form. Don't test me on this: I have lived a very long life and I can get extremely creative with displaying my displeasure, so don't give me any reasons to get creative."

The crowd shifted nervously, and Ozpin pressed on, "To ensure that all of you know where I am coming from your children will be shadowing you over the next few weeks. On Monday you will be shadowed by your own child, on Tuesday you will be shadowed by someone else's child, on Wednesday you will be shadowed by a third child and so on until you've been shadowed by every time displaced child here. At the end of each day you will write a short paper detailing how well you got to know the child you were attempting to erase in your little skirmish today."

And there was the uncomfortable squirming he wanted to see in them; the moral implications of their rash decisions were starting to sink in. Ruby, Pyrrha and Yang were starting to look like they were going to be sick. Blake and Arslan's eyes were starting to widen from a realization of horror. Weiss was still wearing the look of flabbergasted incomprehension she had worn since Glynda had brought her into the office so Ozpin figured she was still processing, but May and Emerald were interesting. May Zedong had a look of sorrowful guilt on her face that made Ozpin think she already knew where this might end up, and if that was the case he might have to do something to apologize for raking her over the coals with the others.

Emerald had a look of relieved acceptance, which Ozpin figured was fair. The girl hadn't technically participated in the skirmish; she had spent the entire fight trying to not get murdered by her team leader. The girl probably figured the rules he was laying out meant she had a chance to fight for her daughter in the arena of social combat. She was right to think that, but she might be caught off guard by the ways Ozpin planned to shape that arena.

Satisfied that the process of leading the girls to come to the difficult realization on their own had begun Ozpin once again adopted a more kindly demeanor to continue his address.

"Now, I'd like Mr. Arc to stay behind for a more private discussion, but while that happens we should get our time displaced guests settled in for the day. If you could all go down to storage closet A113; it should have a wide selection of cots, sleeping bags and pillows that will let everyone sleep in the same dorms as their mothers tonight, we'll figure out more long term arrangements tomorrow." Ozpin then focused his gaze on Emerald, "Ms. Sustrai, since Ms. Fall destroyed your dorm room would you rather spend the night with Team JNPR, Team BRNZ or Team ABRN?"

Emerald appeared to think for a moment, trying her best to not glance at Jaune while everyone's eyes were on her. "I think Amethyst and I will stay with JNPR sir."

"What about the children who's mothers aren't here sir?" Glynda asked before Ozpin could dismiss anyone.

"From what you've told me Ash and Ashley will remain in the Nurses Office tonight," Ozpin answered. "Have Theodore come back here once he's collected his cot and other necessities. I'll get in contact with General Ironwood and find out when he plans to bring Winter back to campus." Ozpin then looked to Dorothy and asked, "Is there a particular reason you aren't telling her?"

"Nooooooooooo," Dorothy shifted back and forth on her feet, "It's just, this is super, super awkward."

"Then there's no point delaying any further: rip the band-aid off." Ozpin instructed.

Dorothy sighed and then turned to face Glynda, taking purposeful strides towards her mother. Glynda's eyes became wider and wider with each step, until Dorothy stood directly in front of her.

"Hi Mom," Dorothy grinned nervously.

If the school's chief disciplinarian fainted, and everyone was there to see it, did she really faint?

The answer is no if the witnesses know what's good for them.

After the excitement of Glynda fainting wore off and the deputy headmistress had recovered enough to lead the group out, AFTER GLYNDA HAD NO ISSUES WHATSOEVER AND SHE LEAD THE GROUP OUT, Jaune Arc was left alone with Headmaster Ozpin.

"What did you want to talk about sir?" Jaune asked once the elevator doors had closed.

"I'm guessing you're feeling overwhelmed right now, am I right?" Ozpin asked.

"Yeah," Jaune chuckled mirthlessly, "You could say that." Ozpin remained invitingly silent, which prompted Jaune to continue, "I mean, I always expected to be a father someday, after I became a successful huntsman you know?" Ozpin nodded in agreement, he had met enough promising young men to know. "And now I'm suddenly meeting kids who could be my kids one day and they all seem like great kids I'd be proud to call my own, but they all have different moms and that means I'm going to have to chose which one's my real kid. But how can I? They're all my kids! How does someone even think about doing that?"

Ozpin got up from behind his desk and walked around so he could sit in a chair directly beside Jaune. The old wizard then looked the young warrior in the eye and told him, "Well, your first priority is getting to know their mothers better."

"I guess that makes sense," Jaune allowed.

"Just take things day by day for a little while and see where things go. I'm confident that as long as you keep your best foot forward all of this will work out in the end."

"How can you be so sure?" Jaune asked.

Because there's enough of you to go around and you'll eventually prove that to your future brides as long as you remain your earnest self, Ozpin thought but did not say. Instead he smiled and said, "I've had a lot of experience with complicated relationships, I know how these things shake out."

"Right," Jaune murmured in thought for a moment. Then he brought up the concern eating away at the back of his mind; "But what are we going to do about Ash and Ashley's mom?"

That was the million Lien question.

What were they going to do about Cinder?

There were numerous safe houses around Vale that Roman Torchwick made use of. These same safe houses were now accessible by Cinder. She'd run to the first one she could remember, a small but comfortable loft apartment in the old industrial sector of the city.

She'd stormed in, locked the door, and just... Raged. She'd stewed, she'd seethed, and blasted apart the TV and the furniture...

Then she collapsed on the one couch that had escaped destruction, breathing hard, sweat beading on her forehead.

Children... I... I was a mother... A mother in another timeline... A future...?

The looks of pain, shock, and betrayal on their faces as she burned them were stuck in her mind. She couldn't excise them, and unlike the other times, countless times really, she had caused pain to others... She couldn't take any pleasure in it.

Her Scroll rang. Cinder slowly reached for it. She checked the caller ID: MOTHER.

She trembled in fear. She took a deep breath, and opened it.

A pale, ghostly visage greeted her, as the Queen of the Grimm glared across the airwaves.

"H-Hello, Mother," Cinder managed.

"Cinder," Salem stated flatly, "You're not in Beacon. What's going on?"

Cinder sucked in a deep breath.

"Things have become... Complicated, Mother," she replied.

"Simplify them," Salem sneered.

So Cinder told her everything she could remember. About the time traveling children. About Jaune Arc.

Nothing about her losing her temper and trying to murder Emerald and her child. It didn't seem relevant and wouldn't help her situation at all.

When she was finished, Salem slowly nodded.

"I see... Well. Most likely, your current plans for Vytal will have to be revised. If this Jaune Arc survived in these future timelines, and they all reacted like they did to you? They know what you were doing."

"I... I understand, Mother," Cinder murmured.

"For now? You must gain more intelligence," Salem stated, "I'll have Watts start working on a new virus, just in case his part in the plan has been revealed. You must continue the plan, but come up with a new way to accomplish it."

Cinder slowly nodded.

"Of course, Mother."

"You will do this with your future children," Salem stated.

Cinder paused.

"M-Mother?"

"You can lure them out," Salem said, "Even after what you did in your foolish anger. You can use their feelings for you against them. That... Or you can lure this Jaune Arc out. Indeed, capturing him should be a priority. He is at the center of all this: Taking him hostage could grant us a great boon..."

She smirked.

"And killing him would ensure only our future comes to fruition."

Cinder hesitated.

"M-Mother... Killing him might... Wouldn't it possibly destabilize all of space and time?"

"Perhaps," Salem allowed, "Which is why it will be a last resort... But I am eternal. And you will be too, as long as you serve me."

Her keen red eyes seemed to pierce Cinder's very soul.

"Unless... You have feelings for the boy?"

Cinder's chest clenched tightly. She... Well. A few dreams about the buffoon, a few kind conversations with him... No! No, she felt nothing!

"Of course not, Mother, b-but... If he did fall for me in a possible future... I-I could... I could keep him. As a pet. As-"

"Do you really think you can deceive me, Cinder?" Salem growled. Cinder gulped.

"N-No, of course not Mother-!"

"You do have feelings for him. I can tell," Salem smirked. Cinder fell silent.

"Just... Nothing significant-!"

"I'll make this very clear, Cinder, since you're having so much difficulty handling things as it is," Salem stated, cold as the grave, "If you even think of putting this Jaune Arc before me in your allegiance, I will kill him. Slowly. Right in front of you. If you get pregnant, I will rip out your child from your womb and crush it before you. I am the only priority in your life. I am your only master. Let your feelings get in the way of your service to me, and I will happily remind you of what you should care about. Is that clear?"

Cinder was silent, then slowly nodded.

"Yes Mother."

"Now, dear," Salem said, smiling softly, "Don't worry about that foolish boy, or your feelings for him. Such things do not last. Power is what matters. Power is eternal. Use their feelings against them, and you will have all the power you could ever want. Tear out your weakness, and do not fail me."

"Of course, Mother," Cinder murmured. The transmission ended, and Cinder was left sitting along in the ruined room. She stared at the wall, as the image of her twin children's screaming faces dominated her mind. She wiped her eyes, fighting back tears... And failing.

Damnit...

Chapter Text

"Ozpin needs to speak with us, in person, as soon as possible."

That transmission from General Ironwood had seen Specialist Winter Schnee take her personal airship out of her patrol's formation and make for Beacon Academy at best speed. She arrived at Beacon's airfield at the same time as Ironwood's transport, leading to the two linking up with a silent nod as they purposefully strode through the school's grounds to the headmaster's office. It wasn't until the doors of the elevator leading up to the office closed that ether of them spoke.

"Do you have any idea what this is about, sir?" Winter asked.

"Negative," Ironwood replied, "But he was defiantly using his 'it can't wait' tone when he contacted me, so it must be important."

Winter nodded in acceptance of that, and the rest of the elevator ride was spent in silence.

When the elevator doors opened, they were greeted not only with the expected sight of Ozpin sitting behind his desk but also with the sight of a young man rapidly typing away at a computer while comparing the code he was typing to the code displayed on his scroll.

The young man was a total stranger, yet he looked disturbingly familiar to Winter for reasons she couldn't place. He looked like he could be closely related to family, which was, of course, impossible; the Schnee family was far too small these days for her to be closely related to a stranger. Or distantly related, for that matter.

Then there was the fact that he was wearing Atlasian style light armor under his smart looking black and white coat, it was enough to make one think he was a student at Atlas Academy. Yet a Schnee lookalike would have stood out enough on the student roster for her to know who they were.

The mystery intensified as the stranger noticed their approach. He smoothly rose from his seat and stood at perfect attention before snapping out a crisp salute and addressing the two of them.

"General Ironwood," He looked at the General with a familiar respect, then his eyes turned to her. "Specialist Schnee," His voice was steady, yet there was an almost imperceptible hitch in his voice as he addressed her; almost as if he had wanted to say something else.

"At ease young man," General Ironwood ordered after returning the stranger's salute. The stranger's posture relaxed almost the exact same way Winter's own posture would relax. Some kind of alarm bell was going off in the back of Winter's mind, but she had no idea what it was so it didn't show on her face. Ironwood continued, "I don't believe we've met before."

"I'm Theodore Arc, Sir." The stranger introduced himself. Yet the way Theodore had said the name Arc, it was like he wanted to tack on another name at the end.

"Theodore is the reason I called you in," Ozpin explained. "The full explanation is a bit of a doozy, so please sit down."

The General obliged, and so Winter took her own seat a moment after with Theodore sitting down a moment after her.

"Alright then. I'll cut right to the chase," Ozpin began, "Theodore is a time traveler from the future."

"Is he now," Ironwood looked at the boy in a contemplative manner that showed he believed Ozpin straight away.

Winter wanted to cry foul to that ridiculous notion, but she had seen just enough of the world's strangeness for that protest to die before it reached her lips. It still reached her eyes though, and Ozpin must have seen it for he looked to Theodore and asked, "Would you mind demonstrating your semblance so there's no room for doubt?"

"Of course Professor," Theodore replied as he rose to his feet. A blue glyph appeared beneath him. A glyph that could only belong to a Schnee. A red glyph appeared on the floor a few yards to Theodore's right, and the boy teleported between the two glyphs before dismissing them and returning to his chair.

Winter could not deny that she had just seen a variation of the Schnee family semblance, meaning Theodore could only be a Schnee. And Theodore could only be a Schnee if the claim he was a time traveler was true.

"How are you related to me?" Winter asked with a bit of awe slipping into her voice.

Theodore looked her right in the eyes as he answered, "Directly, Mother."

That answer took Winter aback, and she found herself unable to form proper words. Fortunately, Ironwood was there to continue the questioning.

"How did you travel through time?" Ironwood leaned forward with interest, "And more importantly, why did you do it?"

"My friend Moses' semblance is the how," Theodore answered, "And the why is that it was an accident. Moses is still mastering his power, and he wanted to know if he could bring other people with him through time. I volunteered to go with him, and as he was about to make the jump, my sister thought it would be funny if she hit him with her supercharger glyph. A jump that was supposed to take us back a few hours ended up taking us back many years instead. The time jump landed us here shortly after sunrise, and things got worse after that."

"Worse how?" The General asked in a tone that was both concerned and fascinated. Winter found herself leaning in even as she processed her surprise.

"Today is apparently a day upon which history turns," Theodore explains, "Because this day is the day that would have sparked my Father's romance with my Mother."

Winter's breath hitched with that statement. She had spent the last few years with a singular focus on furthering her career in Atlas' military. The idea of romance was as far removed from her thoughts as green grass in the middle of her namesake season. And yet she was supposed to meet her husband today? Winter suddenly felt self-conscious and had to suppress a strong urge to find a mirror she could use to check her appearance.

"How do I meet your Father? And who is he?" Winter asked. Theodore had the surname Arc, but the only Arc she could think of was that classmate of her sister Weiss, Jaune, who Weiss had complained about in almost every letter she had sent to Winter. It seemed highly unlikely she would fall in love with someone her sister's age and it was possible her husband simply shared a surname with her sister's classmate by coincidence, but what if he was Weiss' classmate? How would she even make that work?

"My Father is Jaune Arc," Theodore answered, and Winter focused as her son continued, hoping clarity would dispel her concerns. "As for how you two got together? There's a party that's supposed to being around 19:30 that my Father was planning to attend with his friends. You came to the party somewhere near its' end looking to speak with Aunt Weiss, and the two of you ended up having a rather nasty fight. Father found you afterwards, and the two of you talked until the sun rose the next day. You both spent the next month working out how to define your relationship, and in the end, you decided to pursue a long-term commitment that led to marriage, me and my nine younger siblings."

A husband and ten kids? When a single thought of romance hadn't entered he head for years until this moment. Winter blinked as she didn't know what to say.

However, Ironwood did. "And how does Winter's love story make today a day upon which history turns?"

"Because everyone else who ended up here with me and Moses has a story about how their mother ended up with Jaune Arc because of something that happens at the party tonight."

"Elaborate," the word snapped out of Winter's mouth before she realized what she was doing, in the same tone her mother had used when she or her siblings had said something alarming.

Ozpin spoke up at this point, "Apparently the party acts like a temporal fulcrum, as Jaune Arc could have ended up starting a serious relationship with more than one woman in attendance and jumping to a place before the party with Jaune Arc's firstborn created uncertainty in the space time continuum as to who Jaune Arc's firstborn actually is. As a result, the firstborn child of every woman Jaune Arc could have married is now on campus."

Winter's eyes widened as she fell back in her chair, with these words slipping out of her mouth; "How many women are after Jaune?"

"With you included? Eleven." Ozpin answered, "Which is honestly a relief."

"Eleven is a relief?!" Winter shot Beacon's Headmaster an incredulous look.

"Mr. Arc is exactly the kind of young man every good father hopes their daughter marries someday," Ozpin explained. "We're lucky a child didn't pop up for every unattached woman on campus."

With that mental image in her head, Winter could begrudgingly see why eleven was a relief.

General Ironwood had other concerns, "Is this... temporal uncertainty... damaging time in some way? Do we have to worry about reality falling apart now?"

"If reality was going to collapse because of this it probably would have happened when nine of the eleven mothers and their kids had a huge brawl in the middle of the Star-Maiden Memorial Courtyard right in front of Mr. Arc," Ozpin shrugged. "So while I can't be one-hundred percent certain we're in the clear at this point, we probably have enough room to breathe and figure things out." Ozpin then glanced over at Winter's son, "And it's probably safe for Theodore to share with you the things he shared with me while we were waiting for you."

"Right," Theodore sat up straighter as Ironwood and Winter returned their gazes to him, "So when you were coming in I was trying to figure out if the security programs on my scroll could be backported to today's equipment. This is supper important because Doctor Arthur Watts isn't dead: he got poached by Salem and so she has access to every single backdoor he put into his code, and there are a lot of them."

General Ironwood was suddenly very glad he was already sitting down. Dr. Watts had practically invented the programming language Atlas' military was currently using in all of its computers. That meant every modern airship, every modern vehicle, and every robot was compromised. Oh Gods, if every robot was compromised, then that meant...

"Dr. Watts used those backdoors to steal project P.E.N.N.Y. after she was successfully made into the Winter Maiden," Theodore continued. "For about six months, Salem had two Maidens following her orders, and the only reason you guys were able to turn the situation around is because Emerald Sustrai switched sides and stole Watts' scroll, thereby freeing Penny from her digital chains. Penny stated writing her own security codes after that, and it would be prudent for her to start writing her own security code now."

That... That would be prudent. Sure it would give project P.E.N.N.Y. an unprecedented amount of leeway and the potential to ignore certain orders, but in order for project P.E.N.N.Y. to be a success she needed to be unhackable. And if the only way to have P.E.N.N.Y. unhackable in the amount of time Fria had left was to give her more freedoms so be it. A truly immortal Maiden opposing the Witch and her Grimm was more important than a perfectly controllable Maiden anyway, especially if perfect control just meant the Grimm Queen could steal her and use her against Atlas.

"And that brings us to Emerald Sustrai and Cinder Fall," Theodore went on, "Emerald was Cinder's self-appointed seneschal, and Cinder is Salem's primary puppet. Cinder's the one who stole Amber's powers, and they were planning a terrorist attack on the Vytal Festival to finish the job."

Ironwood's eyes narrowed, and Winter leaned in again. They had identities to look for now. They could be proactive for a change.

"We need Cinder alive," Ozpin interjected, "And Emerald's a non-issue at this point in time."

"Care to explain why?" Ironwood asked.

"Because we don't want reality to collapse because of time travel," Ozpin answered with a wry grin.

"You mean both of them are part of the eleven?" Winter asked with concern lacing her tone.

"They are, and as a result Emerald is still here on campus where we can keep an eye on her." Ozpin answered.

"Like I said earlier, Emerald switching sides is the only reason the world didn't end in my timeline," Theodore put his two cents in. "And considering the fact that none of my Paradox Step-Siblings had a negative reaction to Emerald I think it's safe to say she switched sides in every timeline. Her loyalty was ultimately to Cinder, not Salem. Cinder burned her bridges with Emerald today during the brawl, and that means we can get Emerald fully on board and convince her to tell us everything she knows if we play the gentle hand."

Ironwood grunted in acknowledgment while Winter made a mental note to keep a very close eye on Emerald.

"As for Cinder," Theodore went on, "Her twins are devious and pragmatic, but they didn't come across as actively malicious. They also had legitimate student ID cards for Signal Academy, which they wouldn't have if Cinder was still Salem's servant in that timeline. That means Father had to have found whatever goodness she has that hasn't been snuffed out yet and brought it to the surface. Of course all of my paradox step-siblings except for her own kids had a strong negative reaction to her, so ten out of eleven timelines she stays bad."

"In any case we don't know what killing her at this juncture would do to the timeline," Ozpin interjected, "So it's better to play it safe until we've found a way to solve our little paradox here."

"Very well," Ironwood sighed. I'll give the men who'll be looking for her orders not to engage until someone strong enough to capture her alive is on the scene." Ironwood then stood up. "Winter, until further notice, your orders are to remain here at Beacon and to integrate yourself into the life of Jaune Arc."

"Sir?" Winter asked.

"Theodore has done his nation a great service today. Giving him a shot at being the kid who comes out on top of this paradox is the least we can do to show our thanks."

Her superior officer had just given her orders to romance a man. This was shaping up to be one of the weirdest days of her life so far.

Chapter Text

A pleasant aroma rolled though Reese Chloris' sinuses as she turned down the hallway leading to the dorm rooms Team ABRN had been assigned, hoverboard slung over her shoulders as she returned from her morning of sliding and grinding on every surface she could find in the training yards. The fragrance was vaguely familiar to Reese, and grew stronger and stronger as she approached the dorm room, leading her to the conclusion that her team leader Arslan was burning incense.

And it wasn't the budget stuff Arslan normally burned, Reese would have placed the smell right away if it was; her team leader had busted out her stupendously expensive frankincense she saved for really special occasions...

...or when she was feeling phenomenally guilty about something. Reese came to a complete stop and strained her ears, and while she was still a good ways away from the door she could still hear Arslan and another girl chanting in Ozymandilian. Though perhaps wailing was a better term for what she was hearing. The tone was defiantly regretful, and while Reese didn't know how to speak the dead language she had heard Arslan use enough Ozymandilian expressions over the years to recognize certain phrases. If the repeated "Forgive our great trespass, Judge of Our Souls," and "Grant us Mercy, Soul Shepard," meant anything Arslan and that other girl were really torn up about something.

Reese opened the door and stepped into the dorm with a carefully calculated level of noise; loudly enough that Arslan would know she was there, quietly enough to not interrupt her team leader's prayers. What she saw in the room was more or less what she expected to see; Arslan and the other girl (Who looked a lot like Arslan, a cousin perhaps?) sat on the ground by an open window facing one another with their hands locked around the other girl's forearms. They moved back and forth in an unsteady rhythm with their eyes closed, chanting mournful words into the smoke rising from incense burner between them.

After putting her hoverboard away as silently as she could manage Reese moved over to her bed to sit down a respectful distance away and watch. As the smoke from the incense burner slowed down so did the fervent prayers of the two chocolate skinned girls. Eventually their words came to a stop, they let go of each other's hands, and Arslan reached for her box of frankincense. Deft hands pulled a block out, and prepared to place it in the incense burner.

"Dude, are you going through the whole thing?" Reese slapped her hands over her mouth surprised at her own interruption.

Arslan paused in her movements, placed the frankincense back in the box, and heaved a heavy sigh, "Things went catastrophically wrong this morning."

"Do... Do you want to talk about it?" Reese asked.

"No," Arslan emphatically replied. "But I should. No. I must."

Realizing this would be a long talk Reese pulled off her boots so she could sit crosslegged on the bed.

Arslan stared off into the distance, while the stranger who was probably related to Arslan bore holes into the floor with her own glare. Silence hung hot and heavy in the air for the next few minutes as the Golden Lion of Haven Academy looked for the right place to begin.

"I almost became a murderer today," Arslan broke the silence in a trembling voice. "If I had accomplished what I set out to accomplish this morning twelve innocent souls would have been consigned to oblivion."

Reese suddenly felt rather inadequate for the conversation ahead, and she silently cursed the fact that Bolin and Nadir had headed off into the city proper for the day to help a bunch of boys from Shade smuggle booze onto school grounds for the party tonight. Bolin would be much batter at helping Arslan through an emotional crisis of this magnitude; and yet she was the one here, and needs must.

"What happened?" That was always a good place to start.

"This is Petra," Arslan began by introducing the stranger, "Daughter of Jaune Arc, and myself."

"Uhhh...." Reese blinked. Once. Twice. A third time. "That's logistically impossible."

"My friend Moses has a semblance that lets him travel through time," Petra spoke up in a voice that trembled as badly as Arslan's. "We were trying to figure out its' hard limits, and he didn't know if he could take another person with him. Well my sister got it into her head that supercharging his semblance would be a good idea for a prank, and so Moses and I ended up here, the day my Mother and Father first got to know each other personally instead of the day Moses was trying to take us to."

Reese knew Arslan was honest to a fault, and the vibes this Petra girl gave off were waaay too similar to Arslan's earnest honesty for Reese to dismiss the crazy talk as a lie. She'd roll with it for now, question the wider implications later when Arslan and Petra weren't drowning in regrets.

"How does time travel result in you two almost committing murder?" Reese pressed on.

"Mother and Father got to know each other at the party tonight, but fate isn't set in stone..." Petra began and then trailed off, apparently thinking hard about her next words.

"You're planning on going to the party tonight?" Reese asked Arslan with a raised eyebrow. Her team leader didn't drink, so why would she come?

"I was, because somebody has to make sure nobody takes advantage of your drunk carcass," Arslan replied with a halfhearted shrug. That made sense considering the last party Reese attended. Arslan went on, "Apparently the way the party was supposed to go involved Pyrrha Nikos getting blackout drunk, and then some punks from Shade tried to take advantage of her intoxicated state. I would intervene at the same time Jaune Arc does, and the two of us got to know each other during the resulting fistfight and as we carried Pyrrha to her bed where she could recover."

"But fate isn't set in stone," Petra picked up again having found her words, "And Father could have easily gotten closer to another woman tonight. Since Moses and I arrived before fate had been decided a paradox occurred and the children of the other women arrived with us. Moses told us to stay put while he looked for a way to get us home, to not have us interfere while history played itself out. We didn't listen, and we all set out to make sure fate picked us instead of anyone else."

Reese nodded to show she was following along, and the crazy sounding story was consistent enough to be real so far.

"Petra came to me and explained the situation," Arslan looked up to the ceiling as if she was looking at the sky beyond it. "And when I found out one of the other women was Pyrrha my vision became clouded..." A tone of self loathing took over her voice. "I saw an opportunity to fight my rival with neither of us holding anything back. Instead of seeking out my future husband to talk things out I sought out Pyrrha, and we fought. The other mothers came across out battle, and they fought. All of us seeking to end the lives of the other's children because I let my desire to prove myself worthy of being Pyrrha's rival overtake my common sense."

Mulling over Arslan's story Reese could sort of understand why her team leader was beating herself up over this. She was probably still missing context, but there was enough to start a real conversation now.

"Did anyone actually die?" The skater girl asked.

"No, thank the Divine," Arslan looked towards Reese. "Jaune Arc arrived and put a stop to things before they could get that far, and then Professor Goodwitch took us to Professor Ozpin. The Headmaster put things into perspective, and now I clearly see my sins."

And if the Headmaster was involved in that way the crazy story was defiantly real. Reese was glad she decided to roll with it instead of objecting to anything.

"And what are your sins?" Reese asked, hoping to see if her leader was blaming herself for anything that wasn't her fault.

"Firstly, I knowingly committed to a plan of action that would have ended the lives of a dozen children." Arslan counted off on her fingers, "Second, I sullied my rivalry by knowingly committing to a plan of action that would have ended the life of my rival's son. Thirdly, and most importantly, I knowingly committed to a plan of action that would have killed my husband's children. I attempted murder today, in three horrifying flavors." Arslan shut her eyes and shuddered, "And to top it all off I lead my daughter down the same path when she came to me for guidance, dragging us both to the gates of hell."

Reese already knew she wasn't qualified to be having this conversation. Heck, she wasn't sure Bolin was qualified either. Yet she was the one who was here, and needs must.

"But you haven't gone through the gates of hell yet," Reese began, and it felt like the right thing to say. "And nobody's dead yet, so what can you do to turn things around?"

Arslan and Petra shared a look of contemplation as they thought over Reese's question. The looks of despair slowly faded away, and Reese felt relief knowing she had asked the right thing.

"We must make restitution to those we harmed today," Arslan answered after fully mulling things over. "A tall task, but doable."

"Who do we start with, and how?" Petra asked.

"Let us start with your Father and my Husband, he would have lost the most if we succeeded," Arslan reasoned. "Then we will move on to Pyrrha, the violation of our rivalry was defiantly the most personal offense. Then the other mothers and your step-siblings."

"So we have the order, now we need the how," Petra noted.

Talking about the best way to apologize to someone? Now that was a conversation Reese was fully qualified for. "Do you know what kinds of foods they like?"

And so the hour continued with three young women brainstorming the ultimate apology tour.

Chapter Text

Emerald Sustrai had lived a hard life. Growing up on the streets having to pickpocket for her next meal most days had hardened her into the woman she was now. If she hadn't learned how to steal, if she hadn't learned how to fight, if she hadn't learned how to kill she would have died years ago. The day Cinder Fall had taken her under her wing and promised she would never go hungry again had changed everything.

It was by Cinder's hand she was fed, she was clothed, she was sheltered. Through Cinder's indulgences Emerald had first experienced things resembling happiness in her life, and so she was willing to give her entirety to Cinder's every whim.

Having all of that ripped away in a short but terrifying chase through school grounds had been harrowing, and in many ways the only reason Emerald hadn't broken down from the sudden shock of it all was because her daughter was right there giving her tangible evidence that the moon would still rise even if Cinder wasn't there to hang it in the sky.

Amethyst was the only thing Emerald had left at this point, and now she needed to move mountains to keep her precious gemstone safe.

It was for that reason that Emerald chose to attach herself to Team JNPR when Headmaster Ozpin asked her where she wanted to spend the night. She needed to get as close to Jaune Arc as possible as quickly as possible in an emotional sense if he was going to chose her and her gemstone, and the Headmaster's question had given her the best opportunity she was going to get.

There was no question in Emerald's mind that the greatest obstacle to Amethyst's future was Pyrrha Nikos; as a member of Jaune Arc's team and his official partner the Invincible Girl had an ability to monopolize his time that none of the other competitors could hope to match. But now that she was going to be sharing a dorm room with JNPR for the foreseeable future Pyrrha's monopoly was effectively broken. She just needed to tread carefully and not give Pyrrha any reason to kick her out.

And Amethyst was working wonders in weaving the two of them into the dynamics of Team JNPR sans Jaune. Now that the imminent threat of temporal erasure no longer appeared to be breathing down her neck Amethyst had relaxed a great deal, and now as they were carrying the cots an other related supplies to JNPR's dorm room her daughter was chattering up a storm with her Auntie Nora.

Xander had volunteered to carry the cots, while the pillows and blankets had been divided between herself, Ren and Pyrrha, leaving Amethyst free to pull out her scroll to show Nora pictures as they walked.

"And I made this bracelet for your birthday last year! Or... err.. how many years from now? Anyways it was a year ago for me," Amethyst proudly displayed a picture of an absolutely gorgeous piece of jewelry made of pink gold and silver that Emerald's experienced eyes could immediately place as worth over a thousand Lien.

Apparently her daughter had an apprenticeship with one of Vale's most famous jewelers and she was already churning out professional pieces that any high society socialite would be happy to show off at the years biggest events. Amethyst flipped through her portfolio to many oohs and aahs from Nora. A set of earrings worn by Lisa Lavender at a new years gala, cufflinks worn by Shane The Boulder Jackson at charity dances hosted by the Vale Wrestlers League, a choker that Annalisa Rosecroft, last living claimant to the throne of Mistral, had worn while giving a speech at a Vytal Tournament.

Yet for every unrelated celebrity wearing her work there were more pieces made for family and friends. A set of anniversary rings made for her grandparents Nick and Isabell Arc, necklaces made for her biological aunts, bracelets for Nora, a tiara for Pyrrha, jewel encrusted brass knuckles for Yang, a rose shaped belt buckle for Ruby.

Seven complete sets of royal regalia for a Felix Belladonna, Blake's yet to be conceived kid brother and heir presumptive to the throne of Menagerie. Amethyst had a very obvious crush on the faunus boy who was a few years older than her that Emerald was having a hard time not finding adorable.

Not a single piece of Jewelry had been made for Cinder Fall.

With how violently her former mistress had blown up at Amethyst's presence Emerald knew she shouldn't have been surprised. While the lack of jewels didn't explicitly spell out that Cinder became her enemy in her daughter's timeline it certainly hinted at it. Knowing that the break was inevitable didn't make it hurt less, and in spite of herself she wanted to know more.

Though asking directly about how she got together with Jaune in front of Pyrrha seemed like a bad idea. The Invincible Girl had a fragile but politely neutral look on her face ever since they left the Headmaster's office, and Emerald didn't want to see what could cause hostility to break through that facade.

Still, there were certain rules of societal convention that could get her the answers she was looking for in a roundabout enough way to not provoke the champion's ire. Probably. And so when her daughter's portfolio presentation hit a lull Emerald spoke up and asked:

"How did your mother get together with Jaune, Xander?"

All eyes looked to the redheaded young man, who didn't take long to answer; "It's pretty straightforward actually. Mom had feelings for Dad since initiation on their second day here at Beacon. During the party that's supposed to happen tonight Mom got a bit tipsy and finally confessed to him. It took Dad a couple of days to process that confession, but by the end of the week he had admitted to himself that he returned Mom's feelings and they started going steady. That lead to the wedding, me, and all of my siblings."

He was right about it being straightforward, yet there was a beauty in its' simplicity. The uphill battle for her daughter's future was starting to look a bit steeper than it had a few minutes ago.

The rules of societal convention then kicked in: Xander had shared his story meaning it was now expected for Amethyst to share hers, and Pyrrha couldn't get mad about it.

"Mom and Dad only told me a fanciful bedtime story about how they got together, never the real thing," Amethyst began. "It starts out with Mom completely wrapped around the finger of a Warlock." Oh dear. They never even mentioned Cinder's name to Amethyst? Why? "Like Mom was practically the Warlock's slave but she didn't realize it because the Warlock tricked her into thinking it cared for her, and so she cared for the Warlock. Then one day Mom and the Warlock had to attend a party for appearances sake. There were drinks at the party that made people tell the truth, and so Mom drank a few and told the Warlock how she felt about them, and that made the Warlock very upset because it couldn't continue its' lie with all the truth drinks it had had. So the Warlock let mom know how it really felt, and Mom ran off in tears."

Even in with the way the story abstracted its' details Emerald felt a sting in her heart. Unaware of the silent pain her mother was feeling, Amethyst carried on:

"Now Mom's spat with the Warlock was pretty noticeable cause it happened right in the middle of everything, and it kind of killed the party so everyone left. Dad came across Mom and he tried to cheer her up. Not knowing what to do without the Warlock Mom latched onto him and things looked like they were going to be alright. Then the Warlock stumbled across them."

At this point of the retelling Amethyst had put away her scroll and she began gesturing dramatically with her arms, "Now even though the Warlock didn't want to be with Mom the way Mom had wanted to be with it it didn't want her to be with someone else, so when it saw Mom holding onto Dad it got super angry and tried to kill them. There was a really big fight that got all of my honorary aunts and uncles involved and Dad saved Mom's life like, five times. It all ended with Auntie Nora caving the Warlock's skull in, and then Auntie Ruby killed the weird bug-thing that came crawling out of the Warlock's corpse."

Well that answered why Cinder wasn't given a proper name in the story. Emerald forced herself to keep pace and forced herself not to cry. Cinder didn't really care about her, she proved that today when she tried to murder her and Amethyst. Hearing about her die shouldn't be making her upset. It shouldn't!

"With the Warlock dead its' spells were lifted off of Mom, but without them Mom didn't know what to do and she fell apart. Dad helped Mom put herself back together and that's how they fell in love, The End!" Amethyst concluded as they turned down the final hallway leading to JNPR's dorm room. Like all eager story tellers Amethyst looked about her audience to see how her childhood story was received. It was at that point she noticed the haunted look on her mother's face.

"Mom, are you okay?" Amethyst asked in a deeply concerned tone. Emerald swallowed and bit back tears. "Mom, it's just the story you told me before bed why are you..." Amethyst came to a complete stop as her eyes widened in realization. "...the story was real."

Emerald nodded. Amethyst's mind finally made a connection with events earlier in the day.

"Oh Gods, that scary fire lady was the Warlock, wasn't she? The Warlock's real and the Warlock's not dead And The WARLOCK WANTS US DEAD!" Amethyst grabbed Emerald and pulled her so they were both 'hidden' behind Nora, her eyes darting wildly about with all the terror of someone who realized their childhood boogyman was real and out to get them.

"Don't worry kid," Nora boasted, "If I crushed their Skull Once I CAN CRUSH IT AGIAN!"

Emerald looked at the others present as she wrapped Amethyst up in a comforting hug. Ren was radiating a calm confidence as he opened up the door to JNPR's dorm room. Emerald wished she could borrow that calm instead of dealing with the contradictory emotions rolling about within her. Xander stood with all the strength of a mountain, like he didn't fear the prospect of Cinder returning. If only she could be that confident in her own strength.

Pyrrha was looking at them with a conflicted mixture of wariness and sympathy. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them she was all sympathy and confidence.

"Amethyst," Pyrrha reached out a hand and placed in on the trembling girl's arm, "Cinder would have to go through all of us to hurt you. You're going to be safe here."

It took a few moments for Amethyst to calm down, but she did. They got into the dorm room and placed the cots and blankets down. Emerald still felt out of sorts, but she could work with this.

Amethyst's story was true. That meant Jaune Arc could put her back together again as long as she was willing to let him. Things would be okay...

...so long as she didn't do anything that would convince Pyrrha to kick them out. She'd manage. She was used to placating women who were more powerful than her.

"Should we set up the cots now or should we do that when we're ready to turn in for the day?" Xander asked.

Nora looked towards Emerald and Amethyst. "It's almost lunchtime and I think they could use some good grub to take their minds off things."

"And setting things up later means we can ask Jaune where he thinks the cots would fit best," Ren noted.

"Alright then," Pyrrha agreed, "Let's get ready for lunch."

The trip to the cafeteria didn't take long, and their paths converged with most (but not all) of the other people involved in this most complicated of issues. As a group they moved through the food lines and collected their meals in relative silence, letting Emerald hear the hushed whispers of the rumor mill starting to wake up. She could see the curious faces of the crowd were tempered with a wariness that kept them from directly approaching a group that had so casually torn up a major courtyard for answers. It was clear everyone's eyes would be on them through the entire meal.

Everyone involved reached a silent agreement to eat their meals outside today...

- - -

Jaune had taken his lunch alone. Between his future children, his future potential brides, and everything else? He'd felt more than a little overwhelmed.

Even Pyrrha, his partner, wasn't really an option to talk to because... Well, she was directly involved.

Ren and Nora were trying to help corral their "nieces and nephews". Everyone's eyes were on him.

It didn't look like anyone was going to be erased from existence, which was a Godsend... But even so...

"Hey, Vomit Boy."

Jaune jerked his head up and stared at Ruby. She stood there awkwardly under the same tree he'd picked out for lunch. He managed a small smile back.

"Hey Crater Face."

Ruby fidgeted.

"Can... Can I sit here?" She asked quietly. Jaune nodded.

"Sure."

She sank down next to him, leaving a large tree root between them. Probably as much for her as it was for him. They looked anywhere but directly at one another for a few minutes, as Jaune chewed on an apple.

Finally, Ruby spoke:

"I'm really sorry about-"

"No! No, it's... It's fine," Jaune said quietly. He shook his head. "Hell... If my future kid had come up to me and begged me to help. I might have flown off the handle too. I've seen enough comics and films about it."

"Y-Yeah," Ruby said, smiling nervously, "I just... It's family, ya know?"

Jaune nodded.

"Yeah."

Ruby sucked in a deep breath and contemplated her next words for a moment before she resumed speaking.

"I never knew my mother. I mean, not really. She died when I was a baby, so I... I don't really remember anything."

"Ruby," Jaune murmured, looking at his best female friend in sympathy. She smiled back at him, tinged with sadness.

"Yang was... Yang kind of became my mom, as weird as that sounds," she admitted, "And I... I mean... I'm not really great at talking to people. I-I don't blame her! It's not her fault. She did her best, but... I don't really understand romance. I-I mean, it... I like the idea of it but I don't really get it, you know? Outside of stories and stuff."

Jaune nodded slowly.

"I... I mean, I did date a few girls back in Radian," Jaune admitted. At Ruby's raised eyebrows, he quickly added: "They never went anywhere. My sisters and parents are super protective. But I... Yeah. I don't really have much experience with... With the kind of love where you want to spend the rest of your lives together. Have a family."

"If you could date though," Ruby said, "Why did you go after Weiss? I-I mean..." She blushed. "We... We hang out. We did go to the comic book shop, the coffee shop... Stuff like that. You and Pyrrha... I-I mean..."

Jaune let out a long sigh. He stared at the cloudy sky for a moment.

"... I think... I think I just set myself up for failure," he admitted. "I mean... I know what everyone thinks of me. The dead last, the weak link. Even if I'd known you or Pyrrha or... Or hell, any of you amazing girls could care for me..." He shook his head.

"I don't think I would believe it," he said quietly. Ruby frowned and reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder.

"Jaune..."

"Hell, in one timeline, I end up with Cinder," Jaune snorted, "Who was planning a horrible terrorist attack on Vytal! She burned her own children, Ruby!"

He sighed.

"And yet... They all look to me like I did my father. For... For strength. For support. For reassurance that-that everything's gonna be okay! I... How am I supposed to handle any of that? I barely manage myself in combat class, and yet I..."

Ruby reached out and took his hand in hers. She blushed, but she kept her voice steady.

"Jaune... You're just new at this," she stated. "In every timeline, in every conversation I overheard... With everything Julian told me? You become amazing.Like, we all do, but you? You become a great soldier, a great leader. Someone who-Who takes command, who stays calm! All your kids respect you! You're rough around the edges now, but this... This is proof you're gonna be a great guy!"

She smiled warmly.

"And... And you didn't need to be a great fighter for me to like you."

Jaune stared at her, touched.

"Ruby..."

"I-I mean, I don't know if what I feel is... Is love," Ruby admitted, "Like, lovey-dovey. I just know... If I had to pick someone to spend the rest of my life with? I'd pick my best friend."

Jaune smiled back warmly.

"Ruby... Thank you," he said with a nod.

"It's gonna be tough," Ruby admitted, "But... But I believe in you, Jaune. You believe in me, right?"

"Of course I do," Jaune said, shocked. "Why would you think otherwise-?"

"I did try to shoot my sister and friends over our time travelling kids," Ruby said with a blush. Jaune sighed and smiled.

"Like I said? It could happen to anyone..."

"Then... We'll get through this together," Ruby said firmly. She blushed and pulled her hand away.

"N-Not that I'm trying to get an edge on the others! I-I promise! I wasn't thinking of pulling you into a closet or-or anything!"

Jaune blinked... Then laughed quietly.

"Thanks Ruby. I really needed that laugh."

Ruby laughed with him, though hers was a tad more nervous than usual. Eh, he'd take it one step at a time...

- - -

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

To say Blake Belladonna had a lot on her mind was an understatement. So it should have come as no surprise that she had retreated to the best thinking spot she had found in Beacon's Library; a little side room her team had used to study on more than one occasion. Like those past study sessions Blake wasn't alone, her twins were also with her though they were doing more reading than pondering at the moment.

Leander had a book on meditation and motorcycle maintenance, while Leandra's book dealt with how the migrations of normal animals affected the migrations of Grimm.

In the companionable silence Blake put her mind to work. She needed to talk with Jaune. Preferably one on one. No, definitely one on one. What would she say? No. Don't overthink that part. Jaune was patient enough for her to figure that part out in the moment so long as nobody interrupted them. So she just needed to figure out a time and place to get Jaune alone. The roof? No, Pyrrha would interrupt them there. The dock by the river? Too public. Here in the library? No, all of her friends knew this spot. Off campus then.

As her mind raced through the places she new in the city of Vale her thoughts started to veer further and further afield. Thoughts about getting Jaune alone had already lead to her getting Jaune out of the school, then they drifted off to getting Jaune out of the city. Then the country. Then the continent. Before she knew it she had her scroll out looking at ticket prices for trains, boats and airships.

Jaune got airsick easily, so that meant airships should be a last resort. There was a cargo ship leaving the port of South Harbor in two days heading for Menagerie and making port close to Kuo Kuana. Once there she could take Jaune to her family home and they could lock themselves in the pantry and then nobody would be able to interrupt them! She just needed to figure out the train schedule between Vale and South Harbor and figure out if she was buying tickets or if they were stowing away and tickets for four would cost her...

Leander looked up from his book and saw the look on his mother's face. "Ah shoot," He muttered before elbowing his sister and saying "Leandra, Mom got bit by The Good Idea Fairy."

Leandra closed her book and sighed, "I'll go get Dad."

"Wait!" Blake looked up and grabbed her children's wrists. I'm not ready to talk with him, is what she thought. "I haven't figured out our itinerary yet!" Is what came out of her mouth.

"Itinerary?" Leandra asked.

"To get us all to Kuo Kuana!" Blake's mouth was really running before she was thinking today.

"We're not kidnaping Dad, Mom." Leander looked at his Mother with a glare.

"You kidnaped Ilia!" Blake objected.

"We Were Panicking!" Leander explained in an adamant tone, "We were panicking and went with the first plan we came up with! That doesn't change the fact that it was a horrible plan that could have blown up on us at any moment! There's a reason Dad does the planning Mom! Cause when we don't think things through there are all kinds of unintended consequences!"

--------------------

In the dorm that had been assigned to him Sun Wukong was doing his best to relax against the headboard of his bed and read the space opera comic book he had bought earlier in the week. A task made significantly more difficult by the tightly bound woman next to him doing everything in her limited power to snuggle up close to him.

"Can I untie you now?" Sun glanced her way.

"No!" Ilia barked.

Sun closed his eyes, and counted down from ten. Once he reached one he stood up and said in his best team leader voice; "Alright, this is what's gonna happen. I'm going to untie you. We're going to head into town and check out that bowling alley that opened up last week. We're going to have a normal conversation while we play a normal game and hang out like normal people. Afterwords we'll visit the mom and pop burger joint I've been eyeing up since I got to Vale, where we will sit down and eat a normal meal and talk to each other like normal people. Got it?"

"Oh-Okay," Ilia squeaked as her skin changed from one interesting shade of pink to another interesting shade of pink. Sun being so gentle had been doing things to her, him switching to an authoritative tone while still showing care was doing different things for her.

Sun reached down and started to undo the knots around her arms. Soon she was free enough to stand, and she followed him to the door.

"Umm... you'll still tie me up again sometime, right?"

"Only if you're good."

--------------------

"It's said that a smart person learns form their mistakes," Leandra interjected herself into the conversation with a firm tone, "And that a wise man learns from other people's mistakes. You wanted us to be wise Mom, so you told us about all of your mistakes."

Blake looked to her daughter, a feeling of apprehension growing in her gut. "What mistakes did I talk about?"

"You tried to deal with everything yourself," Leandra answered, "And trying to be responsible for everything lead you to all of your other mistakes: You thought Grandma and Grandpa Belladonna weren't solving the world's problems fast enough, so you decided to do it yourself and joined the White Fang. You saw how troubled Adam Taurus was and you thought you could fix him yourself, so you started a relationship that damaged you and created your worst enemy. After the big terrorist attack at the Vytal Festival you took it upon yourself to deal with your worst enemy on your own, and that's when you got the big dramatic scars you always showed us when you wanted us to understand that aura doesn't make us invincible."

Leandra pulled up a picture on her scroll and showed it to her Mom. The first thing Blake noticed was Jaune standing there on a beach with sculpted abs she could get lost in on full display thanks to the swim trunks he was wearing. Jaune's chest was disappointingly hidden by her legs, as he was carrying her on his shoulders. Blake was able to bring her eyes up from older Jaune's well developed physique and looked at herself posing on his shoulders. She saw the scars Leandra was talking about, as her bikini did nothing to hide them.

Dear God, how did I survive that? Blake thought as she took the image in. One scar started at her left shoulder and went down in a diagonal line beneath her right breast, and it combined with a second scar starting at her right shoulder and ending beneath her left breast to make an angry X across her chest. A third scar started at the top of her navel and ended an inch into the bottom of the sternum. Leandra then flipped over to an image that showed Blake from behind, and it became clear from the scar on her back that the attack that left the scar on her belly had run her all the way through.

"You had caught up to Adam at a train station and you had a big showy sword fight that ended when he gave you those scars." Leandra explained, "Fortunately Dad was only a minute or two behind you, and he arrived in time to save your life. Threw his shield while Adam was gloating and knocked the bastard onto the railroad tracks right before an express train went barreling through the station. Creep came back as a cyborg two years later but he was dealt with enough then for Dad to figure out his semblance and heal you."

"You started letting other people help you deal with things after that," Leander picked up for his sister. "Because you started letting other people help you started accepting criticism and stopped making big mistakes. When you stopped making big mistakes you started getting things done. Dad and your friends helped you get Menagerie recognized as Remnant's Fifth Kingdom. You helped Auntie Weiss reform the Schnee Dust Company. Faunus-Human relations are the best they've ever been because you accepted the fact that you weren't solely responsible for making it happen."

"Also cause you run your ideas past Dad first," Leandra grinned cheekily.

Blake took Leandra's scroll from her and started flipping through the images from the beach trip. The scars were visible in most of them, and while the story behind those scars was weighing heavily on current Blake's mind it was clear that future Blake was not ashamed of them. That lack of shame clearly stemmed from the way future Jaune was doting upon her, and present Blake felt her cheeks grow warm seeing the closeness between herself and future Jaune.

She still needed to talk to Jaune one on one, but she supposed she could trust her friends to give them some privacy if she asked for it. Now she just needed to figure out what to say.

As she continued flipping through the image gallery the pictures of her and Jaune were interspersed with pictures of children who were obviously Leandra and Leander's siblings. Blake felt her heart swell with joy to see her kids so obviously happy and carefree. Living evidence that she and Jaune had built a better world for them to grow up in.

...Though there were more of them than she expected. Eventually she came across a group photo, and her mind slowly ground to a halt. Her jaw dropped and slowly worked up and down like a fish out of water. Eventually a thought came together in a manner coherent enough for her to voice it.

"How Twenty? How?" Coherent but not elegant.

"You had twins every time, except the two times you had triplets."

Blake's eyes rolled to the back of her head, and her children barely caught her before she hit the floor.

Chapter Text

It didn't take Jaune long to figure out that Pyrrha would be on the roof of their dorm. It was a very familiar place to them both, where they'd... Well... Bonded deeply for the first time. Where they had shared so many moments that in hindsight, were far deeper than Jaune could have guessed.

He opened the door to the roof and just paused at the threshold. There she was, sitting on the edge, her back to him. Her long, perfect red hair waved like a flag in the light breeze.

Xander was standing on the roof too, looking very uncomfortable. Jaune took a moment to get a good look at... Well, one of his sons. He was tall, holy shit. His redhair was Pyrrha's shade, but messy like his father's. His eyes were clear blue and gentle. He definitely had the Arc chin, something his grandfather and uncles possessed, but his cheekbones were more akin to Pyrrha's.

He wore brown and white Vitulus-style armor (the empire that had arisen after the Hellenic Empire under Iksander had fallen) but he made it work: It was sleek and advanced over a black bodysuit. He sported a red cape, which waved in the breeze. His broad convex shield and his mechashift rifle/sword/spear were strapped to his back. A neural interface system that resembled a half crown of laurels was wrapped around his head.

His son flushed at Jaune's gaze and looked down at the roof.

"Uh... Hey Dad," he said.

"Hey Xander," Jaune said with a tight smile, "Um... Everything okay?"

Xander sighed.

"She uh... She's doing the... The too-polite smile," he said. Jaune winced.

"She still does that?"

"Only when she's really upset," Xander mumbled. He shook his head. "If it was killing a Grimm I... I'd be able to handle it, but..." He sighed. "I'm kind of useless for this-"

Jaune rested a hand on his son's shoulder. He looked up shocked.

"It's okay," Jaune said quietly, "You helped your mom. That's the important part. But... We have to work this out ourselves, okay?"

Xander nodded, looking a little relieved.

"Thanks Dad," he said gratefully. "Um, do you need-?"

Jaune shook his head, wincing.

"No... If she decides to kill me, it won't matter."

Xander winced back.

"Wow... You really are my dad," he chuckled nervously, "Um, yeah. Good luck. Also..."

"What?" Jaune asked. Xander stared into his eyes for a moment then smiled.

"I just... Nevermind. I'll tell you about it later," he said quietly. "I'm just glad... You can see me."

"Okay?" Jaune nodded, a bit confused but accepting.

Xander walked through the access door and shut it very quietly.

Jaune sucked in a breath, and mentally girded his loins. He walked out toward Pyrrha and then sat down about a meter to her right.

He stared out at the valley with her, as the afternoon sun hadn't reached the tops of the mountains yet.

"... So," Jaune tried. He looked at Pyrrha. She was... She was crying? Silently, but yeah-Those were tears.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune gasped. He moved to embrace her but hesitated.

She sniffled and turned to look at him. She sighed and bowed her head.

"... I'm sorry, Jaune," she mumbled.

Jaune blinked.

"For... For what?" He asked.

"I... I don't know!" Pyrrha broke, her voice angry for the first time he could ever remember, "J-Just... I started this entire fight! I charged in, just... Just thought I could win you like you were a prize or-or something! I felt... I felt like you were mine and I never even...!"

Screw it. If she killed him, so be it, but he wasn't going to let his partner, his friend, his mentor, his... Mother of a future child cry alone and uncomforted. Jaune reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned in against him, quietly sobbing.

"... How long?" He managed to ask.

Pyrrha didn't meet his eyes.

"... Since the day we met," she whispered.

Jaune's jaw dropped.

"I... Huh?"

"I... Almost every person in... In my social circle, at my level?" Pyrrha sniffled, "They have an agenda, or want something from me. Th-They just see me as a product, or-or an asset! I-I don't know who I can trust! Not even my own mother!"

She kept crying.

"And then... Th-Then I met you! You just... You just come right up to me... Treat me like everyone else! N-No agenda, just... I'm a pretty girl, who could be a good Huntress for your team. That's it. You... You want to be a hero, you want to help people..."

She shook her head and trembled.

"I just... I'd never felt like this before and I... I didn't know what to do!" She cried. "All I know how to do is... Is fight and look pretty and..."

"And teach some loser who forged his way into Beacon," Jaune said quietly, "Encourage him. Believe in him. Help him, especially when he's being a stubborn idiot. Always be there for him..."

Jaune hugged her more tightly. She scooted up against him, still sniffling and not looking up at him.

"... I'm sorry I didn't notice," he said. "Even if I did... I-I don't think I'd have done anything about it, because you... You're so above me-"

"I'm not," Pyrrha stated firmly. "I was... I was never out of your reach. All you had to do was-was ask, Jaune."

Jaune sighed heavily. He turned her face to his. He stared into those reddened green eyes.

"That and... And I wouldn't want to risk ruining our friendship," he murmured. He shook his head. "You... You honestly came off like one of my sisters... No offense."

Pyrrha stared at him with a terrifyingly blank expression.

"Your sisters?"

"The sexier ones?" Jaune tried, smiling weakly.

Pyrrha's lips twitched... And she laughed. Not one of her picture-perfect interview laughs that sounded like bells tinkling, but an honest-to-goodness belly laugh. Jaune laughed with her, a bit more awkwardly, as Pyrrha's tears were now of mirth.

"Haa... Heehee..." She sighed and shook her head. "We're... We're both pretty hopeless, huh?"

"I think we all are," Jaune sighed, "But... It's kind of nice, ya know? I'm not just some idiot loser... We're all kind of idiots."

"Yup!" Pyrrha giggled.

They rested comfortably in the silence. She then sighed.

"So... What will you do now?" She asked.

"Talk to everyone involved," Jaune said, "And... I don't know... Work together? Cinder's still out there. I..." He shook his head. "I need to talk to her, too."

Pyrrha looked up in worry.

"Jaune," she said quietly, "She... You've heard what she does in the future from the others. It's all the same: She's a horrible monster. In a few timelines-!"

"She kills you," Jaune said grimly, holding her tightly, "I know..."

He heaved a sigh.

"But she hasn't done those things yet," he said, "And there are two kids in the infirmary who prove that... That she can turn... Back to the good side."

Pyrrha stared intently at him. He coughed nervously.

"Look... I have to try," he said firmly. "If there's a way for all of us to-to live? To find some kind of peace? We have to try to find it. I mean..." He closed his eyes.

"Ash and Ashley got scarred by their own mother," Jaune murmured, "How much more will it hurt them if their dad has to kill her?"

Pyrrha was silent for a time. She slowly nodded.

"I... I understand," she murmured, "I don't like it, but I do."

"Neither do I," Jaune said with a shrug, "But... I have to try."

Pyrrha beamed at him. She leaned forward, her lips parted...

"AHEM."

Both turned. Weiss, Ruby, Yang, Nora, Ren, and the other kids were standing on the roof. Xander looked guilty.

"S-Sorry Mom, Dad," he said, "They uh, they all insisted."

"Sheesh dude, you were wiping the floor with half of us," Xia grunted. "Why are you such a pushover?"

"Hey! I got in some good hits!" Julian protested.

"I got in more," Xander muttered.

"Did not," Nick grumbled.

"No more fighting," Jaune, Ruby, Pyrrha and Weiss all ordered, before looking at each other oddly.

"At least not until all the emotional BS is through," Yang said with a grin. Her daughter grinned back.

"Auntie Nora," Julian whined, "Auntie Yang is plotting violence!"

"That's normal for her," Nora chirped, "Carry on!"

Glynda Goodwitch stared at her future daughter across the deck in her tidy office. Dorothy stared back.

Glynda worked her jaw. Her usually keen mind and quick wit just seemed to desert her at this moment.

"So," Dorothy said, "Do you need your whiskey? Top drawer, right?"

Glynda started.

"Pardon-?"

"Or did you hide it behind the bookshelf?" Dorothy asked. Glynda stared in horror.

"Don't tell me... I'm not an alcoholic in the future, am I?"

"What? No!" Dorothy waved her hands almost frantically. "Nonono! J-Just... You know... This is the kind of situation you said a drink or two was allowable for."

"I..." Glynda sighed. "No, no. I don't..." She shook her head. "I'm just trying to understand how... How this happened."

Dorothy leaned back in her chair a little, and hummed thoughtfully.

"Well... Obviously I don't know all the details," Dorothy admitted, "But when you broke up the party, you assigned Jaune to detention with you that moment. You got to your office and-"

"And, what?" Glynda cried, "Did-Did he seduce me right then and there?!"

"What?! NO! Ew!" Dorothy made a face. "Why are you even asking me that kind of stuff, Mom?!"

"I..." Glynda shook her head slowly. She quickly pushed some hairs back into her bun that had gotten loose. "Continue."

"Right, well," Dorothy resumed, "Apparently Auntie Terra had some software that made all your paperwork woes go away. Like, seriously. They made things that took hours take minutes, at best. You thought Dad was bribing you, but he actually just wanted to help you because he felt bad about how much you had to do. So you... Bonded, is the term you used. You actually made him your part-time assistant."

"I-I see," Glynda said, her mind awash with possibilities. Paperwork had basically dominated her life, and the school had been too cheap to pay for anything to reduce the workload. If Jaune-Arc she reminded herself-had truly done that for her... Well, her estimation of the young man definitely went up.

"You guys just talked, really," Dorothy said, "Got along very well despite the age gap. I think Dad said it was because you'd kind of skipped a lot of your life just for work, so your social skills were about the same."

Glynda winced.

Well... That's not untrue, she thought.

"He then went to volunteer at St. Lucy's Orphanage," Dorothy continued, "Where you volunteered on the weekends. You saw how he worked with the kids and you got even closer."

She sighed heavily.

"Then... Vytal happened. Auntie Pyrrha ended up in a coma. You got seriously wounded. Dad figured out his Semblance and managed to save you both... Though..."

She held up her Scroll. An image of an older Jaune Arc, with a slightly older version of herself, appeared. She stared: The bearded Jaune Arc was missing his right eye, covered by an eyepatch. He still smiled, but she could tell he had seen much.

"His eye," Glynda murmured.

"Cinder Fall took it from him," Dorothy said darkly, "He managed to save you and Auntie Pyrrha from her, but... Yeah."

It was a noble, handsome face. She could admit that Jaune Arc was not unattractive. And with a beard, he-

No, no, none of that. Focus on something else, you desperate old woman.

Dorothy was front and center, beaming, along with... Glynda's jaw dropped.

"Is that... Eight children?" She murmured.

"You were pregnant with number nine, my youngest brother Clarence, at the time," Dorothy said with a soft smile. "Anyway... After Beacon fell, you all fought to retake Vale. You were able to do it, but it was costly. Auntie Pyrrha was shipped to Atlas to be treated. You and Dad worked alone a lot. I..." She shrugged. "I guess you two hit it off because a few years later, I was born."

"Then... Did we beat Salem?"

"A lot of details aren't public but... I think so," Dorothy said with a nod. She smiled. "There are still Grimm but... But everything's at peace. I mean, mostly. Magic being real means there are problems with warlords and junk trying to use it, and there are Salem cultists but..." She nodded.

"It's wonderful. I-I wouldn't trade it for anything," she said sincerely, "Or you two."

Glynda slowly nodded. She sighed quietly.

"I... Well..."

There was a knock at the door. Glynda checked the camera feed... And sighed.

"Dad?" Dorothy asked with a poorly disguised smile.

"Yes," Glynda admitted.

"I'll just go in the back," Dorothy said, getting up and walking through the door into Glynda's quarters. She sighed heavily and looked back at the door.

"Come in, Mister Arc."

Jaune entered, looking a bit nervous but he kept his eyes on hers. He shut the door quickly behind him.

"Hey, Professor. Ma'am," he greeted.

"Mister Arc," Glynda repeated. The silence stretched on. Jaune then shook his head.

"I'm not expecting anything," he stated, "And I won't take advantage of it."

"I... I appreciate that," Glynda said with a slow nod.

"But," he shrugged, "We... We will have? Could have? A daughter. And... And I want to work with you to at least be... Be helpful to her."

He sighed.

"I know you're not fond of me, Professor, and I'm sorry. I really don't-"

"I'm harsh with you because you need the most work, Mister Arc," Glynda said quietly, "But don't confuse that for dislike. I am cruel to be kind."

Jaune stared at her, and slowly nodded.

"Because you've seen a lot of your students die," he murmured.

Glynda stared back, worrying her lip. In that moment, he'd looked so much older.

"... Yes," she admitted softly. "I... I do find your perseverance admirable, though sometimes misplaced. Especially with Miss Schnee."

Jaune nodded.

"Yeah, that... That was not a good idea," he admitted. "I just wanted you to know that... That I just want you and Dorothy to be happy. I want everyone involved in this to... To be happy, or at least, at peace. If I can do anything to make that happen? I'll do it."

"A very big responsibility, Mister Arc," Glynda replied wryly.

"Yeah, but it's mine, and I'm taking it on," Jaune stated, quiet but sure.

Her heart beat a little faster at that. She'd met men three times his age who didn't act this mature-

Stop that! Glynda admonished herself. She cleared her throat.

"Well... I heard from... From Dorothy, that your sister-in-law could provide some assistance with my paperwork," she said. "Do you... Do you think you could do that?"

Jaune smiled broadly.

"Sure! I can definitely do that!"

He called Terra on the Scroll, and he asked a few things of her. She must have responded positively, as Jaune then plugged his Scroll into her computer and installed the new software. He instructed her in the operation of the software, then stood back as she put it into practice.

Her eyes bugged out. Everything was sorted, collated, and combined into files ready to send off to whoever needed to read it in seconds.

"There," Jaune said with a grin, "See? I think that will make things a little easier for you. The last thing you need during all this is paperwork stress."

"Little" easier, he said. He'd saved her three days of arduous, headache-inducing work.

"... Mister Arc," she said carefully.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome!"

"Now please get out of my office before I do something that would get us both in a lot of trouble," Glynda stated huskily, her cheeks bright red.

Jaune stared into her eyes. He blinked. He blinked again, and blushed.

"Y-Yes ma'am," he managed, turning and heading out. She watched him go... And then sighed and buried her face in her hands.

"So," Dorothy piped up, "I don't need to sleep over somewhere else tonight, right? That would be a first."

Glynda groaned.

Chapter Text

They had all presumed that Blake would be in the library, and Glynda's office was just a short detour on the way there from dorms so it had made sense for Jaune to stop by and check on Ms. Goodwitch before they continued their search for the final member of Team RWBY. As Jaune rejoined the group he began to contemplate what he would say to the faunus girl, yet as he turned the corner he realized those thoughts would have to be put on hold.

Approaching the group from the direction of the exchange student dorms with a purposeful stride was Arslan Altan, with Petra following slightly behind at her right and her teammate Reese following slightly behind to her left. Arslan carried a thin box in front of her as if she was presenting it to someone, but that wasn't the detail that stood out to Jaune. Arslan wasn't wearing the red waist sash embroidered with the endless knot she normally wore, having replaced it with a simple black cloth belt.

"Is it permissible for me to have a more private discussion with Jaune Arc?" Arslan asked the group as a whole. Jaune's friends and his children with them all glanced at each other for a few moments before looking to him. Jaune nodded before gesturing to an empty classroom slightly down the hall and making his way towards it.

"Pyrrha," Arslan called out as she followed Jaune, "I would appreciate it if you joined us as witness."

Confusion flashed across the spartan's face, but that didn't stop her from following at a brisk pace.

Jaune had an inkling of what Arslan was up to, so he also called out, "Reese, could you join us as witness?"

Reese was quick to follow.

Once the four of them were in the room and the door was closed Arslan took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to do.

"I have committed a grievous sin against thee Jaune Arc," Arslan began in a highly formal tone, "As a mark of my guilt I leave something precious to me in thine care, only to be returned when I have completed my penance to thee."

Arslan held out the box to Jaune, and he removed its lid to see what was inside it. Red cloth embroidered with the endless knot.

"You're giving me your sash of mastery?" Jaune asked in a bewildered tone.

"I attempted to rob thee of thy progeny this day," Arslan continued in the same formal tone, "Violating my covenants with the Divine. I shall not be worthy of wearing it until my penance is complete."

Jaune carefully placed the lid back on the box before taking it from Arslan in a reverent manner. He closed his eyes for a moment of thought as he tried to remember how thees and thous worked. Then he opened his eyes and answered:

"I accept thy offering, under the condition that thou accept that thou art forgiven by me once I return it to thee." Part of Jaune wanted to return it right then and there, but if Arslan was going to the trouble of a proper penitence ritual he'd respect it and keep ahold of the sash for at least a week so she'd feel like its' return was justified.

"Thy condition is agreeable, Jaune Arc. As thou hast said, so shall it be." Arslan bowed her head with a mixture of relief and surprise on her face.

"So shall it be," Jaune bowed his head in turn.

Pyrrha was looking at her partner in mild bewilderment, but she kept her silence as Arslan looked up to Jaune with inquisitive eyes.

"You're familiar with the ways of the Temple?" Arslan asked in a less formal tone.

"My mom's the Arc. My Dad was an orphan with no surname that almost got himself killed trying to make a living as a pickpocket," Jaune explained with a shrug. "A Paladin-Monk of the Broken Table took him under his wing and helped him turn his life around before teaching him a few things, like how to fight. It's how he got good enough to get into Beacon in spite of his circumstances."

"I see," the inquisitive look on Arslan's face grew. "There are a lot of things I want to ask you right now, but satisfying my curiosity will have to wait. While you're the one I committed the most egregious sin against this morning you're not the one I committed the most intimate offense against, and I must begin my penance with her like I've begun it with you. In light of that are you willing to stand as witness?"

"I am," Jaune answered with a serious nod.

With that Arslan took a deep breath and turned towards Pyrrha while she removed the prayer bead necklace from her neck. She held the necklace out to the spartan and addressed her in the same formal and reverent tone she used earlier, saying:

"I have committed a grievous sin against thee, Pyrrha Nikos, my rival. As a-"

"We aren't rivals!" Pyrrha objected in an apologetically panicked voice. She never had any beef with Arslan! Okay she had beef for a few moments during the fight this morning but other then that she had never harbored ill feelings towards the chocolate skinned warrior. She needed to make that clear. "We were never rivals! I never thought of you in that way!"

Arslan seemed to crumple in on herself as she replied in a small voice, "Looking back, I understand that now. But the rivalry was real to me. Every time I've trained in the last six years I kept this rivalry in the center of my mind, pushing myself forward in anticipation of the day I could beat you. I don't know how to think of you in any other way."

Pyrrha put on her best showroom smile of sympathy. "I don't hold that against you, and with time I'm sure you'll be able to let it go. Moving forward I hope-"

"Umm, Pyrrha," Jaune interjected, "I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding happening here."

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.

"Arslan's a Stone Breaker," Jaune lifted the box holding Arslan's sash for emphasis, "And Stone Breakers believe that one of the best ways they can show gratitude to the Table Breaker is to commit themselves to a life of self improvement, so a rivalry means something different to them than most people."

"It does?" Pyrrha's showroom smile dropped in favor of a look of confusion.

"It does," Jaune confirmed. "Rivals are supposed to keep each other honest about how much they've grown, cause it's easy to lie to yourself when you're the only person tracking your progress. With a rivalry you'll be having regular head to head competitions that will let you know if you're actually where you think you are as you measure yourself against a near equal. There's no implication of animosity in their definition of rivalry, and it's generally understood that a rivalry works best when the two people involved don't hate each other. It isn't uncommon for a Stone Breaker to consider their rival one of their best friends."

That information put all of her past interactions with Arslan in a new light, and Pyrrha's mind raced through all of them. There weren't as many as one might expect: her mother had made sure she only interacted with competitors she approved of outside their bouts in tournaments, and her mother didn't approve of the chocolate skinned girl who waxed poetic about her rivalry with Pyrrha at the start of every match. Her mother had explained her disapproval by saying Arslan was an upstart trying to hitch her wagon to Pyrrha's rising star by boasting about a non-existent rivalry.

The two of them had also shared the minimum possible classes at Sanctum Academy, and that was in part thanks to the money her mother had donated to the school so she could be sure her daughter spent the least amount of time with those who could damage Pyrrha's reputation. So it didn't take long for Pyrrha to review everything she remembered Arslan saying to her, and with all of it fresh in her mind Pyrrha had a startling realization.

"The way you talked about rivalry in our first few fights, were you trying to become friends with me?" Pyrrha asked with a small degree of incredulity in her voice.

"I was," Arslan admitted, "I only changed my rhetoric because I thought you weren't interested in a relationship outside of the ring. You didn't know that's what I was doing? Because I thought you did."

"Why would you think I would know that?" Pyrrha asked.

"I first declared our rivalry in front of your mother," Arslan explained, "And I was under the impression that she would explain things after I wasn't able to talk to you afterwords; our mothers' shared a rivalry after all."

"My mother was an actress, how could they share a rivalry?" Pyrrha raised a confused eyebrow.

At this juncture Reese spoke up for the first time, "Arslan's the daughter of Basara Altan." She paused as if she expected that to explain everything.

"I don't know who that is," Pyrrha admitted.

"Basara's the only woman to win Best Actress four years in a row," Reese elaborated. When that didn't spark recognition in Pyrrha's eyes Reese continued, "She played the Pirate Queen in the Sky Captain movie series." Pyrrha's face grew more confused, Reese's explanation grew more frantic; "Your Mom Co-Starred With Her In The Movie Roaring Lion Swooping Wyvern!"

Pyrrha pulled out her scroll and looked up her mother's filmography, and there was Roaring Lion Swooping Wyvern: the seventh movie her mother had a leading roll in. She opened the link to the page that talked about the movie itself and she saw her mother, Athena Nikos, on the poster with a woman who looked a lot like Arslan.

"That's odd, I don't think Mother's ever shown me this one." Pyrrha noted in a detached manner, her mind beginning to pick up unpleasant implications.

"Our mothers frequently competed for the same rolls during the casting process," Arslan explained, "The movies they stared in frequently went head to head in the box office, and they were usually nominated for the same awards at the big award shows. My mother proposed a rivalry to your mother as a way to mutually hone their acting skills, and your mother agreed. My mother always told me that the rivalry she shared with your mother was one of the best friendships she had during her acting years, and she always regretted how she fell out of contact with your mother after they left the industry."

And this information was casting her mother's actions concerning Arslan in a new light as well, and she wished she could say she was surprised by the way the new light was making things look.

Pyrrha heaved a heavy sigh as the new knowledge changed her thoughts around.

"When you hid yourself from my semblance it was like our first fight all over again," Pyrrha admitted. "Maybe we should take things back to the beginning?"

"I would like that," Arslan's voice trembled with restrained hope. "But before we can do that I must make amends for what I tried to do to you and your son this morning."

"It was on sight for me as well," Pyrrha demurred, "So you don't have to do anything."

"Pyrrha, did you break a vow to your God this morning?" Arslan asked in a very serious tone, "Because I did. No amount of splitting the blame can change that fact. The laws of Justice and Mercy agree that some form of restitution must be attempted, my conscience will accept nothing less."

"Oh, I see," And Pyrrha did see, or at least she could appreciate where Arslan was coming from. She turned her gaze to the necklace that was still in Arslan's hand, "And giving me that will help?"

"These prayer beads have been in my family for twelve generations," Arslan explained, "Their value to me makes them an unquestionable token that I will make things right between us."

"And I give them back to you once you've done that?" Pyrrha glanced at Jaune, and reasoned that if he hadn't given the sash back immediately it would probably be an insult to give the prayer beads back straight away.

"That is correct."

"Then I'll keep them safe."

"Very well, let me start over at the beginning." A small smile graced Arslan's lips as she once again adopted a formal and revenant tone, "I have committed a grievous sin against thee, Pyrrha Nikos, my rival. As a mark of my guilt I leave something precious to me in thine care, only to be returned when I have completed my penance to thee...

Chapter Text

As Jaune made his way over his prospective wives and future children began milling about at a respectful distance to give Jaune and Blake a measure of privacy.

"Hey," Jaune called out as he got close.

"Hey," Blake returned the greeting.

"Could you guys give me a moment with your Mom?" Jaune asked the twins from the archway entrance of the study room.

"Sure," Leander replied as he got up.

"Remember, no surprise trips Mom!" Leandra teased as she got up.

"What was that about?" Jaune asked.

Blake sighed, "The two of them have spent the last hour regaling me with my life story as they know it. Apparently most of my problems are the result of me making an impulsive decision and then doubling down on it when I should have gone back on it." Blake's face morphed into a scowl, "And I can't disagree with them."

Jaune stepped all the way into the study room, and hesitated as he considered where to sit down. A look of hesitation crossed Blake's face as well. Before the moment could grow too awkward Blake scooted over so she wasn't in the middle of the couch and patted the now open space beside her in invitation. Jaune then sat on the couch leaving an appropriate amount of space between the two of them.

A moment of silence hung over them, only to be broken as they both spoke up at the same time:

"Soooo-" "How-"

They both stopped. "You go first." Again at the same time. "No you!" Once again. They both sighed then chuckled. Jaune made a hand gesture for Blake to talk, and so she did:

"Do you believe in coincidences? Or do you think fate is driving force in the world?"

Jaune brought his hand to his chin in thought, "Well, the world's a big and complicated place. I'm not sure the two ideas are mutually exclusive. Why?"

"This was the book I was reading when my twins found me," Blake pulled the book from her purse. Temporal Troubles: A Sci-Fi Anthology, read the cover. Jaune remembered reading the book with Ruby a few weeks ago, and he was pretty sure Blake had Ruby's copy.

"Oh, Oh wow," Jaune stammered, "I can see why that looks more like fate than coincidence."

"I know, Right?" Blake sighed, "But with all of your other children being just as real as mine? You can't say fate's at the wheel ether, no matter how badly I wanted that to be the case."

"You wanted your love life to be out of your hands like that?" Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"Jaune, my last relationship was a disaster so big it created my arch-nemesis," Blake drooped. "After that the idea of starting a new relationship was terrifying, no matter how much I wanted it. Then Leandra and Leander come out of the blue and I suddenly had a guaranteed happy ending, a relationship I couldn't mess up because I knew how it turned out. But we don't know how it ends now, I have to figure out how I can get to that happy ending and all I can do is mess this up."

"What makes you think you're going to mess this up?" Jaune asked in a gentle tone.

"Well, for one thing I don't know you nearly as well as I should," Blake admitted with regret in her voice. "You're Ruby's best male friend and our teams do things together all the time. In spite of that the only thing I really know about you is that you're one of eight kids and somehow the only son. I don't know what foods you like, I don't know what kind of music you listen to or what kind of movies you like or your views on monarchy verses democracy! If I knew any of those I'd have a place to start, but I don't, so I don't."

"Blake," Jaune placed a comforting hand on hers, "That problem goes both ways. I don't know that much about you either. That's okay, none of the kids are born for a few more years, we have time to learn." Jaune looked down, "I mean, if you want to."

"I do," Blake affirmed, "Though with time travel involved I'm not sure 'time to learn' is a solid bet."

"Hey, we don't know how a time travel semblance really works yet," Jaune pointed out. "For all we know it could be a multiverse thing like in the Cyborg Saga of the Drake-Sphere series. We'd have all the time in the world if it's like that."

"Drake-Sphere's author made things multiversal because of his editors sticking their fingers in cause they didn't think the main villain was scary enough," Blake quibbled. "He was originally going to use the time travel rules from The Exterminator series, and that had only one future changing because of decisions being made in the present."

"Well, at least we know we aren't using Get Back to the Present rules," Jaune tried to keep things positive, "Because our current limbo seems safe so far."

"There is that," Blake admitted with a small smile.

A comfortable silence fell between them, and while nether of them knew what to say next everything seemed alright. The silence didn't last all that long though, as Blake found more to say.

"It's Just," Blake sighed wistfully, "The future the twins showed me is beautiful, and I want to make it real."

"Can you tell me about it?" Jaune leaned in closer with curiosity.

"You helped turn the deserts of Menagerie into verdant farmlands," Blake explained in an awed tone. "We took ice dust into the mountains, made self sustaining glaciers on top of them, and dug irrigation canals for the resulting rivers. My people finally have room to grow thanks to increased food and wealth. Thanks to your advice Menagerie gained the diplomatic clout it needed to be recognized as a proper Kingdom, and faunus are considered equals with humans almost everywhere you go."

"What can you tell me about us?" Jaune pressed.

Blake's face lit up in a massive blush as she stammered, "We, we built this beautiful house by a newly formed lake. We raise a large family in that home, and it becomes the beating heart of a new town. We teach at a new combat school that's quickly growing into a new Huntsman Academy. The two of us go dancing the first Friday of every month, and we take the boat out on the lake every weekend."

"That sounds nice," Jaune whispered as he looked Blake in the eyes.

"It does," Blake whispered back as she lost herself in his blue orbs.

Blake had read hundreds of books featuring romance, and in most of them this would be a moment where the male and female leads would kiss. For a moment she imagined Jaune as the Wolf Knight Navarre as he gazed into the eyes of the Hawke Princess Isabeau in the Cathedral of Aquila, and she imagined the perfect kiss.

Blake's biggest problems had always come from being impulsive. She shot forward, pressing her lips against Jaune's in a hungry manner. Jaune's eyes shot open in surprise before he melted into her feminine touch and tried to meet her enthusiasm out of instinct. She reached her hands up to cup the back of his head and-

"BLAKE!" A half dozen female voices yelled out, and the two of them separated as Blake realized her impulsiveness might just bite her in the behind once again. She didn't think she'd regret doubling down on this one though.

"Hush!" The Librarian hissed at the group as she passed by with a cart of returned books.

Chapter Text

There was a knock at the door of Team BRNZ's dorm room. May started. Brawnz narrowed his eyes.

"Who is it?"

May was the team's lookout and booby trap. Her Aura Sensing Semblance was so powerful it was their only real advantage against others.

So even though she knew exactly who was behind that door and their intentions... It didn't put her at ease.

"It's Dad," August answered for her. Brawnz slowly nodded and stood up. He cracked his knuckles, as Nolan cracked his neck, and Roy stretched his arms over his head.

"We got this, May," Brawnz said.

"Uhhh," May said, "Please don't do what you plan on doing?"

"We're not gonna rough him up," Brawnz said, "Not unless we have to."

"He wipes the floor with all of you. Easily," August said dryly.

"Well, maybe in your future," Roy said, "But-"

"No, he could do it now," August stated.

Brawnz looked from his future nephew to May. She coughed and shrugged.

"He's right," she said.

Brawnz huffed.

"Fine..." He went to the door and opened it. There was Jaune, looking and feeling as nervous as she felt.

Jaune opened his mouth, but Brawnz beat him to the first words.

"Listen, Blondie. You so much as think of breaking May's heart, and I don't care how strong you are: We'll hunt you down and beat the living shit out of you!"

"Yeah!" Nolan growled.

"That goes double for me, the favorite future Uncle!" Roy contributed, waving two fingers in Jaune's face.

May winced as August cringed. Jaune slowly nodded, his face serious.

"If I do that, I'll let you beat the shit out of me," he stated.

Brawnz scowled a bit longer before nodding. He looked back at May.

"If he tries anything-"

"I'll be fine, thank you, really," May said with a smile. Brawnz nodded slowly, as did Roy and Nolan. They parted, allowing Jaune to enter. They still glared at him as they left, Roy in particular making the "I'm watching you" sign with his fingers. They shut the door, leaving Jaune, May, and August alone.

Jaune looked to August first. May couldn't blame him; that was slightly less awkward.

"Hey," Jaune said, "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to... To talk to you until now, August."

August smiled.

"It's uh... It's okay," he said, "There is a lot going on and with my Semblance? I don't like to socialize a lot."

"Oh? What's your Semblance?" Jaune asked, curious.

"Aura Sight," August explained, "I can see Aura and tell you all sorts of things about the people who have it. Mom can do the same, just a lot better."

"Wow," Jaune said with a smile her way, "That's really cool."

"I know, right?" August grinned. He coughed. "Uh... Trouble is, I have to tune my Aura not to interfere, since I've got so much. When I do that, I can see so much, but it can get  overwhelming. Uncle Ren taught me a lot about how to control it. He's honestly really amazing!"

Jaune's smile grew.

"He is," Jaune agreed. "Um... I will talk to you later, August, but right now, I gotta talk with your mom. Is that okay?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," August said quickly. "No problem, Dad."

"Just... Keep your uncles from trying to kill me, okay?" Jaune asked.

"Heh, no problem," August chirped.

Jaune clasped August on the shoulder. Of all his future kids, August was easily the tallest. He stood out the most, yet he wanted solitude. It was strange, but May could tell her son was very kind. It made her feel a bit less frightened.

A little bit.

August left, shutting the door behind him. Jaune turned to May and smiled awkwardly. She smiled back in the same way.

Silence reigned.

"So," Jaune started, "Um... I..." He sighed. "You'd think I'd have... Gotten used to this..."

"It-It hasn't really stopped being awkward, I-I think," May admitted.

Jaune sighed.

"Let's... Could we start simple then? Um, I'm Jaune Arc. I'm from Radian, North Vale. I have seven sisters, and my parents own a farm. My dad's head of the militia, my mom's a doctor. How about you?"

May coughed.

"Um... So... I-I'm May Zedong. I was from Pandu Kingdom in Mistral. I was raised in Chang'e Village in Vacuo. My... My parents are dead. They were exiles from the kingdom when the current King Arjun took it over, and died in a Grimm attack when I was ten."

Jaune's face fell.

"Oh... Gods May-I-I'm so sorry..."

"It-It's okay," May stuttered. "I mean, it's not, but..." She sighed and shrugged. "I... I unlocked my Semblance from an early age. My village used me to look out for enemies and Grimm. I got to go to Shade Academy... Where I met my team."

She shrugged.

"They're... I mean, they're very rough around the edges. Brawnz is the leader on paper, but... I make most of the decisions. And manage them." She sighed in mild exasperation. "They can be... A handful."

"Heh," Jaune chuckled, "My teammate Nora can be that, too."

"Th-The girl with the hammer?" May flushed. "Oh my... Um... Yeah."

"Yeah," Jaune said with a nod, "Though I don't think I have it as bad as Ruby."

"Did they really fight a giant robot?" May asked.

"Ohhh most definitely," Jaune said with a nod.

"That sounds... Exciting," May offered.

Jaune chuckled wryly.

"You have no idea..." He smiled warmly at her. "So um... I mean... I think the main issue might be that... Well..."

"We don't know each other at all," May nodded, "I know. If... If it helps, you opening the door for me for Combat Class was... Was very nice."

Jaune nodded.

"My dad insisted I treat ladies properly."

May blushed an even brighter red.

"I... I'm a lady?"

Jaune nodded.

"Yeah... Definitely."

"O-Oh... Thank you," May mumbled. She looked up at him shyly.

"I-I just... Um... I guess this situation is just... Kind of..."

"Crazy?" Jaune asked. He nodded. "Yeah. No disagreement... But we're all in this together. I guess I'm just... I'm a little shocked you started fighting too. We barely know each other."

"Well..." May shrugged. "One... I didn't want to fight. I really didn't... But I also realized that if my... If my family, my child, was at risk? I'd do anything to protect them. My parents risked everything to escape the Pandu revolutionaries to get me to Vacuo. I... I could do no less."

She smiled up at him, cheeks very red.

"And... And two? I can tell when people are lying... Though not what they're lying about. August was honest... So was everyone else. S-So are you... Very honest. I..."

She sighed.

"If I'm being honest? I became a Huntress in training because... Because I didn't have a lot of choice. Not in Vacuo. If you're strong, you advance, you survive. If you're weak, you fail. But... But I guess..."

Jaune sat down next to her, and leaned in. Just a little. He was considerate of her feelings, which she appreciated.

"What?" He asked.

Trembling, she reached into her hoodie, and pulled out a locket. She opened it up, and showed Jaune the picture within. It was of May, her mother and her father in formal dress-Pandavan fashion, just like his godparents wore. Her mother looked very beautiful in her fine red and gold dress with a matching white headscarf. Her father was handsome in his dark red and white suit with golden sash. Little May herself, a baby at the time, was in a blue and white dress with a small tiara. All three were smiling happily for the camera.

"I... I wanted to be... A bride," May admitted with a deep blush, "To-To be a good wife, and good mother... To have a family again."

Jaune was silent. He slowly put a hand over hers and helped her hold the locket.

"I... I want to make sure you get that chance," he said quietly. "But I..."

May smiled warmly.

"You can't bear the thought of losing any of your family?"

Jaune shook his head.

"I... I saw that about you from the day we met, Jaune," May admitted, "And... And I liked it very much."

They stared into each other's eyes for a time... Before Brawnz pounded on the door and kicked the door open. He was being held back by Yang, Ruby, August, and Pyrrha.

"DAMNIT ARC! KNOCK HER UP ALREADY!" He bellowed.

Ruby shouted as well.

"DON'T YOU DARE, JAUNE!"

"I WASN'T!" Jaune shouted, bright red. He turned back to May, who seemed to be blushing brighter than her hair. "I-I really-I mean-!"

May's eyes rolled back into her head and she fainted. Jaune managed to catch her bridal style just before she hit the floor.

Jaune looked back at the large crowd outside of the door, and gulped. He had good reason: Every one of his potential future wives that he had gathered so far was shooting daggers at him, May, or both.

"IT ISN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! I SWEAR!"

"ANOTHER BLAKE!" Ruby raged. "SKIPPING AHEAD!"

"We didn't define a hierarchy!" Blake protested.

"YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID!" Weiss growled.

"Yang?" Blake asked her partner. Yang shook her head, her eyes burning red.

"Not cool, Kit-Kat."

"After all, you're all about equality," Pyrrha said, with a dreamy look towards Jaune, "If you and May got one, we should all get kisses with him!"

"I didn't kiss May!" Jaune insisted, "I-I just hugged her and she fainted!"

"WELL THEN WE DEMAND HUGS!" Ruby declared.

"YEAH!"

As much as May didn't want to admit it, while she lost consciousness... A small, petty part of her enjoyed how all the other women felt jealous of her.

Jaune and his growing entourage were heading down the hallway away from BRZN's dormitory. It was a bit difficult: The rest of the student body had heard plenty about what had happened, and it wasn't hard to overhear what they were muttering.

"... weirdo playboy..."

"... are they all together...?"

"... be he's a creep..."

"... sluts..."

Ruby winced. Yang and Weiss strode forward, and squeezed Jaune's hands on either side.

"Ignore it," Yang muttered.

"It's meaningless," Weiss added.

Pyrrha nodded her agreement, and squeezed Ruby and May's hands. The other girls calmed, and Jaune relaxed.

"Thanks," he murmured. He really was grateful for his friends. Honestly, whatever their futures, he was thankful to have such good friends in on this frankly insane situation.

"Some things never change," Nicholas sighed.

A Red Schnee Glyph appeared on the wall, and Theodore Schnee-Arc appeared through it. He grabbed Jaune's shoulder, as his Glyph turned blue behind him.

"Borrowing Father, see you all later!"

"Wait wha-?!"

Theodore yanked Jaune back into the Glyph, and in a flash of light, they were in an empty conference room. Jaune gaped at his son in disbelief, as he adjusted his sunglasses with a smug look.

"Wait, I thought you could only teleport via line of sight?" Jaune asked.

"Not unless I know the exact coordinates of each location to teleport to," Theodore said, "And I memorized many coordinates around Beacon that would be useful to know."

Jaune blinked a bit. A strange instinct pushed the next words out of his mouth.

"You don't have the women's showers as one of those locations, do you?"

Theodore coughed and adjusted his sunglasses again.

"Of course not, Father! I-I would never abuse my power like that!"

Jaune's eyes narrowed.

"Oh really?"

"Really!" Theodore insisted. "Also, you should talk to Mother!"

He vanished through a Blue Glyph, and a moment later, it turned red. A tall, beautiful woman who strongly resembled Weiss was shoved through.

"Wha-HEY!"

She glared back at the Glyph. Theodore appeared and shrugged briefly.

"Sorry Mother, Father: You always told me it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission when the stakes were high enough."

He vanished again, leaving the two of them alone. Jaune gripped the back of a chair nervously, as Winter Schnee fidgeted and looked anywhere but directly at him.

"Er... Hey," Jaune managed, "Sorry about all this. He's uh..."

"Impetuous?" Winter asked. Jaune nodded.

"Yeah... No idea where he gets that from."

Winter's lips twitched slightly into a small smile. Jaune's heart skipped a beat.

Geez...!

"Probably both of us," she said quietly, "I've read the reports about your... Shall we say... Misadventures? And my sister wrote me extensively about you."

Jaune winced.

"Oh... Um... Well. Since you're not beating me up... It wasn't all bad, right?"

Winter chuckled.

"I could read between the lines," she said, "She does like you. It's just difficult for her to admit it, the life we've both lived."

Jaune nodded slowly.

"I guess I can understand that," he said. He mustered up his courage.

"I-I... I mean, I'm not expecting anything and you don't have to-"

Winter strode forward and wrapped her arms around him. She blushed heavily as he gaped at her.

"In all honesty," she said, "I was... I worried that I would never be able to find love. Learning that there is a future where that's possible is... Very reassuring."

"Oh, uh... I-I mean, um... That's good," Jaune admitted, "I always hoped I would marry and find happiness. Y-You know if I didn't die."

Winter smiled softly and nodded. She squeezed him a bit more tightly.

"A similar fear," she said, "The other problem is that I've devoted my life to serving and protecting Atlas. Having a family feels... A bit incompatible with that goal."

"How?" Jaune asked, blinking. "I-I mean... If we're not going to have happiness and joy, what's the point of fighting?"

Winter chuckled.

"That is fair," she admitted. Her eyes became very warm. "But more than that... Our children will, in the future, protect Atlas even better. Theodore may have saved all of Vale and the Vytal Festival."

She began to stroke his hair. She blushed deeply, which did make her look even cuter.

"S-So... It is not just for my personal happiness! But a part of my duty to protect Atlas and all of humanity!" She licked her lips nervously.

"So, um... As it is a military imperative, I was hoping we could progress to-?"

"Dating?" Jaune guessed, his high pitched tone sounding a bit desperate.

Winter flushed.

"Is... Is that necessary?" She asked. "We know the outcome-"

"And that doesn't matter, because there are eleven different outcomes," Jaune stated, narrowing his eyes. He pushed away from Winter. "I'm not gonna have kids or-or use the future as an excuse to be selfish."

Winter stared at him, looking like she had been slapped. Jaune flushed and stuttered.

"N-Not that-I mean-You're absolutely beautiful and-and from everything Weiss had told me you're incredible! Amazing! I-I don't even see how I would have had a chance with you! But I... I can't be selfish. And neither should you. Not like this. We're not producing weapons, we're making a family! Or-Or will... Or might... You know what I mean!"

Winter stared at him for a time, and then bowed her head.

"... You're right," she murmured, "I'm sorry. I... I am used to resolving issues in the most straightforward way..." She looked back up. She extended her hand.

"I am Specialist Winter Schnee. It is nice to meet you."

Jaune smiled and took her hand, gently shaking it.

"Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you, too."

She again pulled him into a hug.

"This... Is this all right?" Winter asked with a blush. "I... I seldom have the chance to get hugs."

Jaune flushed, and then nodded.

"Um, s-sure..."

The doors slammed open. Weiss glared.

"SISTER!"

"What?" Winter demanded. "I am only following my orders!"

"YOUR WHAT?!" The rest of Jaune's potential future wives and children shouted.

Theodore again adjusted his sunglasses and smirked. Jaune narrowed his eyes.

"Don't think I won't put you over my knee, young man!" Jaune barked. Winter blushed, but adopted her own stern look. A much more effective one.

Theodore coughed.

"Yes Father..."

Chapter Text

Neopolitan had been having a rather hectic day so far, and not the kind of hectic she enjoyed.

The day had started out like the other Saturdays she hand spent infiltrating Beacon with Cinder and her crew. Wake up, spend some time in one of the school's gyms, eat a hearty breakfast that left Mercury wondering where she was putting all that food, and then splitting off from her 'team' to scout out the campus for any useful secrets.

Today she had been looking for discrete ways to sneak out of and sneak into campus. Sure she had already found a few good ones, but those were the ones she had shared with her 'team' and she'd rather have a few more in her back pocket just in case she needed to ditch them for any reason. Like with the party that was supposed to happen tonight, it'd be a perfect opportunity to slip away and check up on a few things in person.

Then she had returned to her 'team's' dorm room to find it destroyed: Emerald's bed had burned down and everything else had been soaked by the fire suppression system. That had been concerning for a number of reasons, and those concerns only grew when she found the glass knife in the ruins of Em's mattress.

Emerald had been Cinder's chief sycophant, and basking in Em's praise had been one of the few things that made Cinder look kinda happy if you squinted real hard. Because of that Neo had always figured that it would be Mercury's behind or her own that would burn if the fire bitch ever snapped, and that their best chance of survival would be Em interceding on their behalf.

The fact that Cinder had apparently lashed out at Em with killing intent meant that Neo's plans for dealing with Cinder' anger issues were kaput. And if Em was dead and the mission was now falling apart? She and Roman weren't' off the hook, which meant Cinder would be turning the screws on her and Roman to make up the loss of Cinder's right hand.

Before she could spend too much time thinking about the implications of that she got a text from Mercury that read:

Just got a new leg. Need help sneaking out of the infirmary. Maybe wear a different face.

That had been a pretty easy job; the nurses were distracted by two kids with rather nasty burns on their faces, and the only complication to the extraction had been Mercury's insistence that they get a few pictures of the other people in the infirmary. That had annoyed her in the moment, but once they were out and Mercury had explained the situation to her she saw the value of those pictures.

Time travel. Kids from the future who all shared the same father but had different mothers. The father in question? Jaune Arc, team leader of Pyrrha Nikos and an obstacle to Cinder's plans. One of those future kids being a child of Emerald, meaning Em had to have betrayed Cinder for that future to happen, and that's what set Cinder off.

The two burned kids in the infirmary being Cinder's somehow. Cinder fleeing Beacon to avoid fighting everyone else all at once.

The rest of their day leading up to this moment had been spent sneaking around the school taking inconspicuous photos of the time displaced kids and their mothers, while keeping their ears pealed for what the rumor mill had already picked up. They needed as much information as possible to keep Cinder happy.

And that brought Neo to now; waiting with Mercury at one of the discreet ways in and out of Beacon for Cinder to arrive. It was an abandoned artificial grotto down by the river where one could easily take a paddle powered boat to sneak in or out of school grounds.

It didn't take much longer for Cinder to arrive, seated in a canoe big enough for four. She didn't row. The canoe glided across the water as if Cinder was moving it through sheer force of will alone. As the little boat entered the grotto Cinder tossed a rope to Mercury, who dutifully tied that rope to the little dock in the grotto so the canoe wouldn't drift away.

Once the canoe was secure the false maiden disembarked and fixed Mercury with a glare. Yet to Neo's keen eyes there was an almost imperceptible degree of hesitation in Cinder's movements, and there was a hint of something in her glare that Neo had never seen in Cinder's eyes before: uncertainty.

And while the growl of her voice did a lot to hide the uncertainty of her words, Neo could still hear it as Cinder leveled an accusation against Mercury:

"You helped Emerald get away. Do you really think the pictures you sent me makes up for that?"

"No," Mercury drawled, "But the information we've collected makes up the difference."

"I'll be the judge of that." Cinder hissed.

"The burned kids' names are Ash and Ashley," Mercury began, and if Neo wasn't looking for it she might have missed Cinder's flinch, "When they were brought into the infirmary they were drifting in and out of consciousness, and during that time they were calling out for their mama, their daddy, and their Auntie Em. If you had killed Emerald they might have just gone poof," Mercury made a popping hand gesture, "Because she was super important to their timeline."

Cinder stood still as a statue with an inscrutable expression, and for a few moments the only sounds that could be heard in the grotto was the whistling of the wind and the flowing of the river.

Seeing that he wasn't going to be interrupted Mercury continued, "Only reason the two of them aren't dead is cause their daddy figured out his semblance and used it to share his aura with them. So while they might be scarred they still have faces."

Flickers of emotion threatened to break through Cinder's stony facade, and Neo saw hints of anger, relief, wrath, sorrow, rage, and regret all waging war in the shadows for the chance to show themselves on Cinder's face.

"They were asleep when Neo helped me sneak out," Mercury continued as he pulled out his scroll, "I guess even with magic healing helping you out having your head set on fire will take a lot out of you." Mercury opened up the pictures he had taken of Ash and Ashley, holding up his scroll to show them off.

Cinder's hands twitched as if she wanted to reach out and take the scroll and have a closer look at the pictures. Although she didn't move beyond that Neo could see the way Cinder's eyes were drinking in every detail. The strength of their jawlines, the look of their noses, the cut of their hair, the color of their cheeks.

The mirrored burn scars in the vague shape of a feminine handprint. Cinder's hands slowly flexed open and closed as slight trembling shook her frame.

"I also got good pictures of Moses, the kid with the time travel semblance, you want to see them?" Mercury asked.

"Yes," Cinder hissed in a strained tone.

"Alright then, brace yourself cause this is supper weird," Mercury began as he pulled up a new image. "This is Moses:" The photo displayed a young man that would fit in with Valean high society; pale white skin, almost silvery red hair, brown eyes and aristocratic cheekbones. Mercury then pulled up a second image next to the first. "This is also Moses:" The new picture displayed a young man that looked like he belonged on a Mistrali farm; with a farmer's tan, dark almost brown red hair, hazel eyes and rounded cheeks.

"I was looking at him the whole time and never noticed anything strange," Mercury explained, "But when I took these pictures this really stood out. If you hold up one of the photos next to him he looks like the other photo. Compare him to both and he looks like a blend of the two, and it's not a consistent blend."

A clearly readable expression finally dominated Cinder's face: bewilderment.

"How? No. Perhaps? No. Maybe? No." Cinder seemed to pick up and discard a dozen different ideas in just as many seconds. Eventually she reached a conclusion: "This is going to make recognizing him without seeing him in person first difficult, isn't it?"

"Probably," Mercury agreed.

"A problem for later then," Cinder mused. "We have a different problem now. I trust the two of you gathered the few incriminating things we had in our room?"

Mercury nodded, Neo gave a casual thumbs up.

"And I don't suppose Emerald dropped her scroll when she ran off, leaving it where you could collect it?"

Mercury shook his head. Neo gave a thumbs down.

"Then she still has it," Cinder concluded. "Meaning she has documents, notes, addresses and other bits of useful information that threaten our operations. While eliminating Emerald would be best for operational security we don't know what killing her would to the fabric of space-time, so the next best thing we can do is deprive her of her scroll."

Cinder turned her gaze towards Neo, "Neopolitan, you have the best shot at stealing her scroll. If you can't steal it, destroy it. Mercury and I will follow from the shadows and create a path of retreat should you be discovered after getting it." Cinder's eyes became dangerous, "Don't try and retreat if you failed to get it or destroy it."

Well, the challenge should be fun at least. Neo bowed in a dramatic fashion as her answer.

------------------

Ozpin cupped his chin in deep thought. Today had been chockfull of surprises and unusual revelations, and it wasn't over yet. From the time displaced children upending his own personal theories about time travel to the bits of conversation he had overheard while monitoring them implying that Salem had faced a true defeat in more than one possible future, he had learned a lot of things that meant a paradigm shift or two were in order.

He was most interested in true defeats Salem had faced for obvious reasons. He had no idea at this point if they were permanent defeats or only major setbacks on the Witch's part, but right now he didn't care. If they were permanent then fantastic! Half of his problems were gone for good. If they were only major setbacks then fantastic! Man and Faunus would have a generation or two to push back against the darkness and take back lands lost to the Grimm, and if he pulled the right strings civilization would be much better entrenched by the time Salem had recovered.

Of course before any of that could happen they needed to navigate the temporal paradox they were currently in the middle of. He had a plan, and from the looks of things that plan was getting off on the right foot, but he hadn't gotten to where he was today by never getting a second opinion on things, or by refusing to acknowledge when things were outside his wheelhouse.

His normal second opinion was Glynda, but she was too close to the situation to be objective about his plan and temporal mechanics wasn't her wheelhouse either. Contacting the grandparents of the time displaced children and getting them to Beacon was a better use of her time and talents at this juncture anyways, and so that was exactly what she was doing right now.

General Ironwood wasn't the best place to go for second opinion in this case; he was too invested in the outcome and military action was a very different wheelhouse form temporal mechanics. The other headmasters were out because this was too sensitive to trust to international communications; none of them were free to come for an in person meeting, and the fact that this wouldn't be in their wheelhouse any more than it was in his went without saying.

That left him with one option, and while he wasn't sure if she would be objective about this he knew this was in her wheelhouse.

And so Ozpin gave Dr. Weena Nebogipfel a call on the most secure channel available to him.

The call began the way all video calls with her began; with Weena holding her scroll too close to her face.

"Ozpin? Is that you?" A set of thick rimmed hexagon shaped glasses over a set of baby blue eyes took up most of the screen, "That's convenient; I've been thinking about calling you for the last couple of days!"

"Really? What about?" Ozpin kept his expression warm and welcoming. Weena's tone was worrying; it sounded halfway between a thousand yard stare and existential dread which was at odds with the easily excited scientist he knew.

"You know the new sensors I'm testing? To put in the Grimm early warning detection systems? Meant to pick up on more esoteric energies?" Weena would have normally put her scroll down on her desk at this point, letting the person she was talking with see her whole body, but she kept it close to her eyes.

"I remember helping you design them," Ozpin pointed out, "So I know which ones you're talking about."

"Right, right," Weena continued with a distracted sounding voice, "So my semblance isn't high speed regeneration like I always thought it was. The sensors say I'm generating a lot of Temporal Energy. I haven't been regenerating, I've been rewinding my body back to an uninjured state."

"That's fascinating," Ozpin noted. It also meant that Moses' power didn't come out of the blue.

"It's horrifying," Weena gasped.

"How so?"

"Oz, I'd be easier if I showed you," Weena finally put her scroll on her desk, allowing Ozpin to take in her full image. Her frizzy orange hair was in its' usual unkempt bun, her earrings looked like stopwatches today, her purple lab coat was open to show her shirt had an hourglass pattern on it. "Once I knew how my semblance functioned I did some experiments and, well watch:"

Weena closed her eyes in concentration, and she started visibly aging before Ozpin's eyes. She went from a woman in her thirties to her forties, then fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties, over a hundred and then like a skipping record she was suddenly a newborn baby aging rapidly through childhood, her teenage years and then her twenties until she finally landed on her normal age in her mid thirties. Then she took a deep breath, and repeated the entire process in reverse.

"And that's not all," Weena got up from her desk and walked towards a set of tesla coils at the back of her lab, an old project of hers meant to outright vaporize Grimm that had been abandoned once it had proven too difficult to aim. She dramatically pulled a remote from her pockets as she stood between the coils, "CHECK THIS OUT!"

"WEENA WHAT ARE YOU-" Ozpin called out too late to keep her from hitting the power button on the remote. Ozpin's screen filled with a blinding white light while his speakers crackled from trying to play a sound far too loud for them to play. When the white light cleared away Weena was nowhere to be seen, a scorch mark occupied the ground where she had been.

And then suddenly like a video skipping a frame Weena was back, and the scorch mark was gone. She staggered froward towards her desk while cackling like a loon.

"Oh thank the Gods," Ozpin whispered as he clutched his chair's armrests in a death-grip, his heart knocking against his ribcage like an unbalanced washing machine.

"You see?" Weena asked as she got back to her desk and plopped down in her chair. "I can't die of old age or rewind myself out of existence! Even complete disintegration doesn't put a dent in the temporal energy I'm generating! I'M IMMORTAL!" She wailed as she threw her hands in the air with a voice of despair.

That wasn't a normal reaction. Sure Ozpin had gone through a similar crisis, twice, but that was after he had lived through ten different lives. To see someone go through this exact crisis while still in their thirties was disconcerting to say the least.

"You found out you could control your age and then jumped straight to vaporizing yourself?" And sometimes even when you're older than civilization itself you can't stop the first question from popping out of your mouth.

"Okay, so the first vaporization was an accident," Weena admitted, "But I was getting desperate to find anything that would make my temporal energy go down!"

"Why?" And sometimes you can't stop the incredulous follow up question from popping out of your mouth.

"You don't understand Oz!" Weena pointed a dramatic finger his way, "I'm going to outlive everyone I know! I'm going to watch every architectural wonder built today crumble into ruins, and then I'm going to watch those ruins crumble into dust! The day will come where the language my mother taught me and the culture that raised me will be nothing more than a footnote in a history book nobody will read!"

Weena pulled her hand back and continued in a calmer yet haunted manner, "And sure I'll have all the time in the universe to unravel the mysteries of physics and quantum mechanics and all the other secrets of how things work, but with all the time in the universe the day will come where I'll have learned everything there is to know about how the material world works. Then I'll be left with questions I'll never be able to answer, because the answers all lie on the other side of death."

Ozpin allowed that somber note to hang in the air long enough to be sure Weena was done with her rant.

"I understand your going through a crisis right now," Ozpin began, "But your son's in a lot of trouble and we're going to need your help to figure out how to fix it, so I need you to pull yourself back together Weena."

Weena looked towards him with confusion, "I don't have a son."

"His semblance allows him to manipulate temporal energy like yours does."

"Time travel," Weena gasped as her eyes grew wide, "And if he's... maybe I won't be alone..."

"If I have anything to say about it, no, you won't," Ozpin gave her a small smile.

"What kind of trouble is he in?" Weena asked.

"He traveled farther back than he meant to, caused a paradox. I need to know if my solution to the paradox is going to work."

"Right, so you need me to come to Beacon then?"

"Yes," Ozpin nodded, "We'll have a lot to discuss once you get here."

"If I start packing now I'll be ready to get there before lunch tomorrow," Weena mused. "Some of my instruments are going to be finicky."

"I'll prepare a room for you, and a lab," Ozpin stood up from his desk. "Oh, by the way, welcome to the Immortals Club. You might be the first member to have an existential crisis before hitting their first century."

Weena had gotten up to start packing, so her head whipped around when she heard that, "BUHWHA?"

"Like I said; we'll have a lot to discuss once you get here."

Chapter Text

- - -

Radian was once the capital city of the Northern Sanus kingdom of Gallia. The Kings and Queens of the House of Arc ruled from this circular mountain city for centuries. The ancient castle Arc-En-Ciel still stood in the center of the ringed fortifications, houses, shops, and fields like a marble sculpture. The white stone and large windows gleamed brightly in the late afternoon sun, illuminating the town that surrounded it with a gentle glow. It was said that on the sunniest summer days, the knights beholden to the Arc dynasty could find their way by the bright white tower guiding them home.

Trumpets would blow, and banners would wave as the great Gallian armies returned home from successful campaigns to families, children, and friends. Yet time took its toll, and things changed. The Arcs joined the Emerald Emperor of Vale into one great allied Kingdom to stand against Albion's massive Empire, then allied with them against the menace of Atlas, Mistal, and Vacuo's attempts at world domination. The Arcs were reduced to Wardens of the North, then landed nobles, then middle-class landowners as their influence and the need for their leadership faded. Their cousins, the Pendragons, ruled Albion until abdicating with the collapse of that empire in the Great War and joined them in the country as regular citizens.

Arc-en-Ciel was abandoned by the Arcs and left to the democratically elected Council of Gallia. Then they got a new town hall, and the castle was going to be torn down. Yet the desire for tourism and the Arc's work in the medical field transformed the ancient fortress, and it took on a new mission: to defend life not with force of arms but with medicine.

Within the castle, instead of a grand entryway for horses, there now stood a wide, well-lit, and clean lobby with couches, chairs, and a grand reception desk. The troops wore scrubs and doctor's jackets instead of full plate armor and mail. The Arc who resided in the castle did not wear a crown or fine robes—just the same medical garb as anyone else.

She was about five feet nine inches tall and curvy from motherhood and exercise. Her shining blonde hair was held back in an elegant bun with a few wisps of hair left untucked. Underneath her white doctor's jacket, she wore a dark green dress with black stockings under flat shoes. A pair of glasses, black-rimmed and round, decorated her pointed nose, which served to emphasize her aquamarine eyes.

She strode through the hallways, her gait quick but measured. She smiled gently as she walked through her hospital, gently nodding to patients and staff alike.

"Doctor Arc!"

She turned to face an older woman with graying brown hair, tanned skin, and much wider curves in her purple scrubs.

"Yes, Meredith?"

"You have a call on your private line in your office," she said, "It's from Beacon."

Doctor Arc frowned deeply.

"Any idea what it's about?" She asked, shifting her gait towards her office. Meredith quickly matched the doctor's stride.

"Just that it's about Jaune," she said quietly. "You gonna be okay, Isabel?"

Doctor Arc shook her head, subconsciously steeling herself.

"I hope so," she said quietly. "Could you please tell the Director's meeting I'll be a little late?"

Meredith smiled in understanding.

"Of course, Isabel."

Doctor Isabel Arc went down the stairs and headed for her office. It was one of dozens of such offices, all with large windows that allowed her to see the epic vista of the Albus mountain range. The window let her see her farmhouse near the old Arcadia Manor.

She took a few deep breaths and slid into the chair behind her desk. She quickly looked around at the many family photos on her walls and desk: her handsome husband, her seven darling girls, and her wonderful son.

Isabel rested a hand against one of the photos—the last one that had all ten of them together. They'd been on a camping trip in Argus. All of them were dirty and exhausted from hiking to the top of Mount Orias, though. They were smiling broadly.

She had never thought Jaune would just run off like that. Not when he'd had such a great future ahead of him. She had hoped he would give up on becoming a Huntsman, come home, and make the best use of his talents in something much safer.

Nick had said to let Jaune go. Let him try. If he failed, well, they'd welcome him back. They'd teach him that just because he couldn't achieve one dream didn't mean he couldn't find another—a safer one.

And yet...

She turned to her computer and activated it.

"Isabel Arc here," she said.

A familiar blonde woman with green eyes and very severe glasses appeared.

"Hello, Isabel," Glynda said, looking tense.

Isabel sucked in a breath as her entire body tightened up like a coiled spring.

"I was told it was urgent. Is Jaune...?"

Glynda shook her head, her expression gentle.

"He's safe and healthy, Isabel," Glynda said, "I am sorry if the message gave you any other impression."

Isabel's body slowly unclenched. She nodded.

"That's good to know," she said, "So what is the situation?"

Glynda sighed.

"It's... Complicated," she said. "I would much prefer to discuss this with you and Nick in person, with the other parents."

Isabel frowned deeply in confusion.

"Other parents? What's this about, Glynda? Did...?"

Her eyes widened.

"Oh... Oh my... Am I going to be a grandmother soon?"

A beat.

"Again?"

Glynda sighed.

"In... A manner of speaking," she said carefully. Isabel's jaw dropped.

"What do you mean? Am I or am I not?"

"Again, you should come down and meet the other parents. It's going to require some explanations," Glynda said.

Isabel glared at the Deputy Headmistress of Beacon.

"What? Is the mother someone of great importance? Is there a huge scandal involved? Did my son end up with the Schnee heiress? Pyrrha Nikos?"

Glynda slowly nodded.

"Them... And nine other girls."

Isabel gasped in disbelief, holding onto the arms of her rolling chair for dear life.

"Are you telling me... My son impregnated eleven women?!"

Glynda nodded slowly.

"Yup. And I'm one of them."

Isabel fell out of her chair and down to the floor in a dead faint.

Gallia in Northern Sanus was a mountainous region, with great broad valleys between the Albus ranges carved out by great glaciers long ago. Yet there were flat, vast plains in the kingdom-turned-province, significantly further north towards the sea. The island Vytal, which held Albion, could be seen from the beaches of Port Accalon, a large Gallian city. It had once been Gallia's principal port, making the kingdom very rich. Now, Accalon was one of Vale's busiest shipping ports, sending and receiving goods from all over Remnant in quantities rivaled by the capital city of Vale itself.

Great sea walls had been constructed around the city port. In the tradition of most Valean cities, they built another ring of walls out further from the older ones and put in more towns and farms. The same is true of the sea walls and the expanded harbor: The older, smaller harbor walls sheltered smaller craft, while the gigantic sea walls allowed massive container ships to dock.

These walls were well guarded... But there were always weaknesses in the city's defenses. Given the vital nature of Accalon, it was only natural for Hunters to be hired to deal with Grimm.

Nicholas Jacques "Nick" Arc mainly retired as a Huntsman. After a fairly successful career as a Huntsman, settling down in Radian to become the head of the local militia and a trainer of militia Huntsman was far more lucrative. Yet the seven-foot-tall blond man, built like a mountain with pale blue eyes and a broad grin beneath a bushy beard, could never turn down the chance for a real battle again.

It simply wasn't in his nature.

It did annoy his wife, but she hardly minded the extra lien his "special" jobs brought in.

He stood in front of the western wall of Accalon, his six-foot-long railgun sword held behind his back. His armor plating was white and blue, with some black interlocking sections. A blue scarf waved around his neck as his messy dark blond hair waved in the ocean breeze.

A gigantic crab Grimm, the size of a small car, trundled out of the surf. It was joined by a few fellows, all hissing and clicking their giant pincers together ominously.

"Cancer, eh? Whoever named them that must have been a real asshole, huh, Arjun?" Nick laughed. He looked over at his companion: A dark-skinned man in a purple and dark blue cloak with white armored trousers, tall black boots, silvery-blue eyes, and a silver-white bow at his side. The dark-skinned man sniffed behind his balaclava.

"A most unfortunate name indeed," Arjun observed.

The first of the Crab Grimm charged... And Nick slashed it in half with one mighty swing of his sword. The blond man sighed and jumped over the next, slamming his massive blade through it hard enough to shatter the Grimm. More brutes assaulted the two Hunters, but their lack of speed significantly hampered their attack.

"Ah... Isn't this the life?" Nick chuckled, ramming his blade through the face of a Cancer, "Just two good friends, drinking beer, killing Grimm..."

"Cheap beer," the dark-skinned man laughed, taking a sip before he raised his bow. His arrow crackled with Lightning Dust, and he loosed it with a keen eye. The arrow shot out onto the surface and detonated. The electric attack hit Many Cancers, and the monsters fell to pieces from the impact.

"That's ten for me!"

"That's cheating!" Nick growled, lopping off the claws of another Cancer before stabbing it through the face. "Eight for me the proper way!"

Arjun rolled his eyes and let loose three more arrows, blasting apart three more Cancers.

"Thirteen."

"Grrr...!" Nick hefted up his mighty sword and swung it with a roar. He triggered the Lightning dust in the hilt, and unleashed a railgun round empowered with a bolt of his massive Aura. A considerable shockwave issued forth, blasting apart five more Cancer. "HA! We're even!"

Arjun just unleashed another Lightning Dust Arrow and smirked with his eyes at his best friend.

"Eighteen."

"Hmph!" Nick pouted. He kicked another Cancer's claws off before beating it to death with the hilt of his massive blade.

"So, how fares your son?" Arjun asked. " Last I checked, he was at Beacon."

"Well... He hasn't come home yet," Nick grunted, chopping another two Cancer into pieces. Arjun sighed.

"I know your wife likes to baby him, but honestly. You shouldn't discourage him if he wishes to be a Huntsman."

Arjun unleashed four more arrows.

"Twenty-two."

Nick leaped up and cut through four more Cancers in quick succession.

"I agree, but... There is something to Isabel's desire for a peaceful life," Nick said. He stabbed another Cancer with his blade as it tried to ambush him from underneath the sandy beach. "Twenty-three!"

"Yet you earned that through martial prowess. We all did," Arjun observed, once more putting arrows between the eyes of Cancers. "You and Isabel? Your happy life. Myself and Saia? A happy life. Twenty-five."

"Does anyone want their child to pay the same price?" Nick asked, unleashing another Aura Slash on a group of Cancers. "Twenty-six!"

"I'm training Abhimanyu to fight," Arjun said, "If you want peace, prepare for war. I am sparing him the horrors I suffered, but I am still preparing him to face such things."

Nick sighed.

"Maybe you're right..."

A genuinely gigantic Cancer rose from the waves, larger than an Atlassian battle tank. It stomped through the surf, making the ground shake. It roared as both Arjun and Nick stood up.

"Ah, the mother Grimm," Arjun stated, "Finally."

"Yep! Now that's a real challenge!" Nick laughed with a bloodthirsty grin, "Now we can-!"

A cheerful ringtone broke the tension. Nick tapped his earbud.

"Hm? Isabel, sweetie, I'm in the middle of something-"

Nick lifted his massive sword to block the gigantic claw of the Alpha Cancer. He was driven back by the sheer bulk and strength of the beast but held his blade up firmly. Arjun leaped up and unleashed a volley of Dust Arrows, blasting the Grimm with Fire and Lightning. The Alpha Cancer swung its claws at him, but he dodged and darted like a shadow.

Nick's eyes widened.

"WHAT?!"

"What? What is it?!" Arjun shouted back, taking out the beast's eyes with his steady aim. The Alpha Cancer roared in pain as it reared back. Arjun fired off Ice Dust, freezing the beast in place. Nick charged up his Aura, his entire body and blade burning with white fire. He roared triumphantly as he swung his railgun sword, ramming it into the beast's underbelly. He fired four powerful railgun rounds into its body, blasting them right out the back of the Cancer. Nick yanked back his blade just as Arjun unleashed Ice Dust arrows through the holes. The Ice froze the water in the aquatic Grimm's body, cracking and shattering its armor from within.

"FINAL SLASH!" Nick bellowed, unleashing a gigantic Aura blade that cut the beast's belly apart. It collapsed into the tide, its struggles slowing. Arjun unleashed one more powerful arrow that pierced through it. The crab shuddered once more and then stopped moving as it began to dissolve.

Arjun looked over at his best friend with a raised eyebrow.

"Nick? Nick, you all right-?"

Nick laughed giddily and thrust his sword up into the air.

"MY SON MADE ME A GRANDPA!" He cheered. "ELEVEN GIRLS! HE GOT ELEVEN GIRLS PREGNANT! AND THEY ALL KNOW ABOUT EACH OTHER!"

Arjun blinked slowly.

"... Your son is truly a man among men," Arjun breathed softly.

"I KNOW RIGHT?!" Nick laughed. "HAHAHA! LIKE ME, HE WINS AT ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE!"

"Except I beat you," Arjun stated, a bit smugly. Nick scowled.

"What?! I landed the final blow on that Alpha Cancer!"

"But I landed the killing blow," Arjun smirked.

"IT STILL ONLY COUNTS AS ONE!"

Chapter Text

If someone had told her when she got out of bed that morning that she would be spending a good chunk of her afternoon in the medical wing waiting for complete strangers to wake up she might have looked them in the eye and asked 'Why would Cinder need me to do that?'

Amethyst had wanted to check up on her friend Moses after they had finished lunch, and so Emerald was in the medical wing waiting for complete strangers to wake up. It was fascinating in a way, the stranglehold her daughter had upon her even though they had only met this morning. The small part of her that was still a street rat trying to survive in a big and scary world was telling her that throwing herself into being someone's primary pillar of support when she had just lost her's was a terrible idea, but what else could she do?

Moses groaned and shifted in his bed and for a moment Amethyst and Emerald had their focus completely riveted to the boy, but he didn't wake. With that false alarm over Amethyst went back to designing a new set of rings on her scroll, and Emerald found her eyes drifting across the way to the other patients of the medical wing.

Ash and Ashley, the burned twins. Cinder's children. Living evidence that her former mistress actually had room in her heart for someone else.

Just not her.

That was a fact she needed to get through her stubborn and bleeding heart. Even now some small treacherous part of her wanted to call Cinder and beg for clemency, to regain the clear direction and purpose of her mistress' plans. Emerald squashed that part with the hindsight blessed knowledge that Cinder always put her own happiness before Emerald's, and that meant any future that ended in her own happiness couldn't come living beneath Cinder.

It honestly hurt to look at the twins and think the thoughts they brought to her mind, and part of Emerald wanted to leave so she wouldn't have to. But Amethyst wanted to be here for her friend, and she needed to be strong for Amethyst.

A welcome distraction then came into the room. Dorothy, the time displaced daughter of Ozpin's right hand woman Glynda was entering the infirmary. The blonde girl waved off the nurses as she made her way into the room, and it didn't take long for her to join Emerald and Amethyst at Moses' bedside.

For a brief moment Emerald felt her hackles rise as Dorothy seemed to size up Amethyst in a way that Emerald didn't like, but that sense of unease was for not. Amethyst looked up from her scroll and smiled at Dorothy, and the taller blonde flinched. Dorothy's countenance was suddenly all sheepish awkwardness, and an uncomfortable silence stretched out as Amethyst's smile went from welcoming warmth to polite confusion.

"Ahh..." Dorothy finally managed, "Can I sit next to Moses?"

"Sure!" Amethyst beamed as she popped out of her chair and went to get another one. In short order Dorothy was in the chair by Moses' bed, and Amethyst was in a new chair right next to it showing Dorothy her current project while whispering in hushed tones to not disturb the sleeping boy.

Listening to her daughter prattle on about goldsmithing to a captive audience was a delight, and it was more than enough to keep Emerald's mind off the burned twins and the implications their existence brought. Or at least it would have if Ash and Ashley weren't just across the way, occasionally shifting in their sleep and muttering barely audible cries for a parental figure. These cries were so quiet in fact that Emerald might not have even heard them...

...if they weren't occasionally murmuring for their Auntie Em amidst the normal calls for mama and daddy.

And with that the small treacherous part of her mind was whispering again, spinning yarn about how she could still be a mother if she contacted Cinder and devised a plan to get Jaune away form the others...

...THAT idea Emerald crushed with extreme prejudice. If that was a viable option Amethyst would have come from the same timeline as Ash and Ashley. She didn't. Standing with Cinder could only result in borrowed motherhood via borrowing Cinder's children. If Emerald wanted to preserve her own flesh and blood she needed to stop entertaining any thoughts of returning to Cinder's shadow...

...Why was that so hard? Cinder tried to kill her this morning! This should be EASY!

Emerald's self recrimination came to a halt as a large group crowded around the Infirmary's main entrance, and at it's front stood Jaune Arc. Amethyst's Father. A man who helped her get over Cinder in a another time and place, as evidenced by Amethyst.

The crowd piled into the reception area and remained there while Jaune split from them and approached her group around Moses' bed.

"Hey Emerald," Jaune began in a warm yet uncertain tone. "Can we talk?"

Jaune held out his hand and helped Emerald out of her seat, the two of them making their way just a little bit further into the infirmary where they wouldn't disturb the still sleeping patients.

"So I'm not really sure where to start," Jaune admitted with an apologetic tone. "I mean if we want this ting to work we need to get to know each other. We've talked with each other a couple times before, but from what I understand that was you putting on a face so you could spy on my team. How much of the real Emerald was in those conversations?"

"I don't know," surprise filled Emerald's eyes as that answers slipped out from her lips. She hadn't meant to tell him anything like that! But now that she had, she might as well keep going, "For as long as I've known her I've always been the person Cinder needed me to be. I'm not really sure who I am without her."

"Have you been with Cinder your whole life?" The concern in the blonde boy's voice was oddly soothing to the parts of her heart that still ached.

"No," Emerald drooped as old memories came to the surface, "But I wasn't in a good place before she found me. I was a street rat before she took me under her wing." Emerald chuckled darkly, "My semblance lets me manipulate someone else's senses, making them perceive the world the way I want them to, and how was I using it? To pickpocket people who looked rich! With a semblance like mine I could have been living on easy street! But there I was, squandering my talents stealing barely enough money to make ends meet. I was a lowlife with no ambitions beyond my next meal, a nobody going nowhere."

Emerald's voice grew hollow, "Before her I was nothing. Where does that leave me now?"

"More than nothing," Jaune affirmed, "And I'm not just saying that to say it. I was sick a lot as a kid: there were plenty of days when I couldn't do anything for myself. The fact that you survived on the streets means you were never that worthless, right?"

Part of her wanted to tell him that he shouldn't be self-deprecating. Another part was latching onto the glimmer of positivity he was trying to push forward like a shipwrecked sailor clutching a life preserver. The two impulses ran headlong into each other, killing any words trying to form and leaving her only able to nod in response.

"And you have a direction you want to go, right?" Jaune went on, "If you have a direction to go you can always end the day in a better place than where you started it. That's what my dad told me when I was feeling down, and he spoke from experience. He started life on the streets but set a goal to be a huntsman. That got him here to Beacon where he met and impressed my mom. He married her and became an Arc, and today he's the beloved patriarch of our branch of the family."

Jaune took Emerald's hand in his and looked her in the eye with more compassion than she had ever felt sent her way before. "Feeling like you're a nobody just means you're free to become anybody, you just need to know who you want to be."

After a pause, Jaune frowned.

"That sounded better in my head."

Emerald snickered. Then she giggled.

"That's... Really silly and cliché," she softly mocked. Jaune winced.

"Er..."

"But... I know you meant it," she said quietly with a blush on her dark cheeks. Jaune beamed.

"Every word."

Her heart was soaking in that sincerity like a sponge. It felt good, and it flowed into all the cracks and rips that had been building up all day. For a moment Cinder's looming shadow was completely gone from her thoughts, and as that moment ended she ached for its' return. Fortunately she could see a path to more moments like it within the blue eyes before her.

"Well I'm not exactly sure about who I want to be, but I have a general idea," Emerald allowed a small smile to grace her lips, "If you're willing to help me figure out the finer details?"

"Definitely," Jaune beamed at her, and Emerald let her heart soak it all in again. Exquisite.

A comfortable silence grew between them, and for a moment all that existed in Emerald's world was the warmth of her hand in his and the tenderness of his gaze.

Then two loud groans caught their attention, and they turned to see Ash and Ashley sitting up in their beds and stretching.

Ashley looked their way and blinked with bleary eyes, "Dad? Auntie Em? Why are you here? Did I wake you up? Sorry, I just had a new nightmare and..." Ashley had been reaching up to rub the sleep from her eyes, and so she touched the scar upon her face, "...oh..."

Emerald took a deep breath and steeled her resolve. The twins weren't their mother. She could be kind to them without compromising her future, or Amethyst's.

She gripped that thought tightly as she followed Jaune to their bedsides.

Chapter Text

It wasn't like Taiyang Xaio-Long was completely ignorant of his daughters' exploits. The insurance bills and Qrow kept him up to date on a lot of their... Misadventures.

Even so, to have Glynda Goodwitch calling at this hour was unexpected. He held back a wince and sat down at his desk as the holoscreen blinked urgently. Zwei, ever loyal, hopped into his lap. Taiyang patted his loyal corgi, and calmed himself. The potpourri he had just add to the room helped him maintain his focus, the scents of lavender and Frankenberry wafting through the room like a calming breeze.

Only then did he hit the 'answer' button on his computer.

"Taiyang Xiao-long speaking?"

Glynda's face appeared, looking grave. Taiyang held his breath.

"Glynda?"

"First of all, Taiyang, your daugthers are all right," Glynda said firmly. Taiyang let out the breath and smiled a little.

"Oh thank goodness... So! How much did they destroy this time?"

Glynda winced. Taiyang blinked rapidly.

Since when does she wince?

"Nothing we couldn't cover," she said slowly, "Your premiums will be unchanged."

Again, Taiyang's heart soared as relief replaced anxiety.

"Oh good, good... So! What's up?" Taiyang asked brightly.

Glynda coughed.

"Well... It's a bit difficult to explain..."

Taiyang blinked. He scoffed.

"What? Did some boy knock up one of my... Girls...?"

Glynda's wince became worse. Taiyang blinked... And then his eyes narrowed. Zwei wisely hopped off his master's lap and put some distance between them.

Taiyang's Aura flared into existence like a furious bonfire of rage. His eyes burned scarlet as his hair waved and turned into pure white flames. Lightning began to crackle around him as his chair was burned to a crisp.

It completely ruined the aroma of the room, but this was immaterial.

"WHO TOUCHED MY RUBY?!" Taiyang snarled.

"Ruby? What about Yang?" Glynda blurted out.

Taiyang paused, and then shrugged.

"Well, her getting teen pregnant is less surprising. I'm still gonna kick the ass of the guy who-Wait, BOTH OF THEM?!" Taiyang demanded, clenching his fists so hard the air crackled around them. Zwei whimpered.

Glynda nodded.

"Well yes, sort of... Not yet though."

Taiyang blinked a few times. His Semblance petered out.

"Huh?" He asked intelligently.

Glynda sighed heavily.

"It's honestly a bit complicated and-"

Ozpin poked his head up from behind Glynda.

"X-Ray and Vav, issue 198," Ozpin stated blandly.

Taiyang blinked a few times... And his eyes widened.

"Time-travelling children from the future?"

Ozpin sipped his coffee mug and slowly nodded.

"Mmhm."

Taiyang blinked.

"So... Ruby and Yang's future kids came back in time-?"

"Along with thirteen other children by different mothers but the same father. One Jaune Arc."

Glynda blushed and glared at Ozpin.

"Is it wise to be so blunt about things?!"

"Taiyang is in the know about much already, we can afford to be a bit more open," Ozpin said, "Besides, you're personally invested in this situation and I wanted to make things easier for you."

Taiyang blinked rapidly as Glynda's blush deepened.

"Wait, your future kid-?"

"Just get here already!" Glynda said sharply, glaring at him, "The other parents are coming and so should you!"

"Did you tell Qrow?" Taiyang asked.

A disheveled, muscular man in white and black stumbled into the room, blinking the hangover out of his eyes.

"Tell me what?" Qrow yawned.

"Yang, Ruby, and Glynda. X-Ray and Vav, Issue 198," Taiyang recited.

Qrow blinked a few times in disbelief, his brain processing all this. He gaped.

"Time travel?! Future kids?!"

"All by one father," Taiyang said with a wry smile. Qrow narrowed his eyes.

"I knew it. I knew that Arc kid was another you! Another freaking blond himbo with harem powers!" Qrow glared at Ozpin. "How could you let this happen again?!"

"Personally, I blame the parents," Ozpin observed wryly, as Glynda's blush deepened.

"Can you all please act like adults for five minutes?" Glynda demanded.

"I wouldn't be talking, Miss Future Cradle Robber," Qrow pointed out with a smirk.

If looks could kill, Glynda's would have been an Atlasian cruise missile. Taiyang frowned.

"Jaune Arc... Jaune Arc... He's not the son of Nick and Isabel Arc, is he?"

"The same," Ozpin said. Taiyang grinned and cheered.

"WOOHOO! Rich and stable! Come on, Qrow! Let's go meet the grandkids and our well off in-laws!"

"And beat the shit out of mini-you?" Qrow asked.

"Yes and stop calling him that!"

"Never!"

"No violence against Mister Arc! The temporal situation is so unstable we have no idea what might happen!" Glynda ordered angrily.

"Right, wouldn't want to harm your future baby daddy," Qrow observed.

Glynda's glare felt like an MRI machine starting up at full power. It was so intense, Zwei hid under the couch.

The men managed to stand their ground, just barely. They'd had to deal with Raven, after all.

"Just get here as soon as you can!"

"We will, we will," Taiyang said cheerfully.

"And congrats Glynda, on escaping your apartment full of cats," Qrow tossed in.

Glynda's eyebrow twitched, and the transmission abruptly cut out. As though the electronics on the other end all abruptly exploded due to some unknown but violent force.

Taiyang looked over at Qrow in concern.

"You do realize she can kill you, right?"

"Hasn't killed me yet," Qrow chuckled. Taiyang rolled his eyes.

"Yet being the operative word..."

Athena Nikos sighed in her country manor in Mistral. She looked out upon the gardens of her estate, standing in repose. She was a beautiful woman, with neatly coiffed red hair, glasses, and a figure that rivaled her daughter's. She wore a red house dress and expensive jewelry. She was surrounded by the very finest of furniture in tasteful arrangements.

Her daughter had brought her family so much success. So much glory. And yet... And yet...

"OHHH I CAN'T HELP BUT MISS HER!" Athena wailed, turning and rushing over to a gigantic, wall covering poster of Pyrrha. She sobbed and pressed her hands against the poster. "OHHHH! WHY DID I AGREE TO LET HER GO TO BEACON?!"

She bit on a handkerchief as rivulets of tears poured down her cheeks.

"I should have just said no! Put my foot down! But she's such a good girl! I couldn't refuse her anything! Ohhh...!"

A tall, thin man with a five o'clock shadow and short curly blue hair entered. He wore a simple black suit and tie. He sighed.

"You really shouldn't cry like that, Mrs. Nikos," he stated, adjusting his large glasses, "You're ruining your makeup."

"To hell with my make up!" She sniffled, "Orestes, can't you be a little sensitive? My little girl is off at Beacon all on her own!"

Orestes Nemes sighed again.

"I am aware, ma'am," he said, "But that's typical. Besides, she wanted to be somewhere away from her fame."

"But what if my daughter needs her mother?!" Athena cried. "I should call her again! I can call her right now!" She pulls out her Scroll and dialed. Her eyebrows twitched.

"What?! Blocked again?!"

Orestes gently pulled the Scroll out of his employer's hands.

"You really need to not overdo things, ma'am," he said gently. He helped Athena up to her feet, even as she whimpered. "She's doing just fine, and you shouldn't smother her. She's left the nest. Let her spread her wings, hm?"

Athena sniffled... And then bawled. She hugged Orestes tightly.

"Ohhhh Orestes! You're soooo kiiiiind and wiiiiise!"

Orestes sighed quietly, and patted her on the head.

"There there, ma'am. There there-"

Athena's Scroll rang. Orestes hummed, and checked the caller ID.

"Miss Glynda Goodwitch, from Beacon, ma'am," he said, opening up the Scroll. Athena gasped as she saw Glynda's face.

"GLYNDA! GLYNDA! Is Pyrrha okay? Is she hurt? Is she doing well? Is she eating right-?!"

"Yes, no, yes, yes, YES," Glynda sighed. She shot a commiserating look at Orestes, one the fellow put-upon servant returned in mutual understanding, "However, there is an unusual situation that has sprung up involving her and... Jaune Arc."

Orestes raised an eyebrow. Athena grabbed the Scroll.

"What?! What is it?! Did they get together and ELOPE?! IS SHE PREGNANT?!"

"No, no! And... I mean... It's rather complicated," Glynda sighed, "Let's just say we require your presence, along with Jaune's parents. But please, keep it calm and restrained? This situation is delicate enough."

Athena glared harshly at Glynda.

"Come on Glynda! Is she pregnant? I can take it! I can handle it! If she has to take a year off from her career, that's fine! I'll even babysit the sweet little thing!" She sighed happily. "Ohhh! What if the baby has her eyes and his hair? Or the other way around? They'll be SUCH beautiful children!"

Glynda looked over at Orestes pleadingly. Orestes coughed.

"Ma'am, I'll make the travel arrangements."

"DO SO! And we must buy baby gifts! Supplies! My grandchildren will NOT do without! I need to make sure they're shown as much love and affection as possible!" She pointed dramatically out the window. "MAKE IT SO, ORESTES!"

"Yes ma'am," Orestes deadpanned.

"I'LL MAKE THE REST OF THE ARRANGEMENTS!" Athena wailed, rushing off like a charging bull. She went right down the stairs, and out the front doors with a dramatic flourish. Orestes watched her run off, and sighed heavily. He looked back at the Scroll.

"You don't know how lucky you are," Orestes deadpanned.

"Oh believe me, you have no idea of your own luck," Glynda sighed.

"Tell me... Is this Jaune Arc a good man?" Orestes asked. Glynda nodded.

"He is."

"Good. I won't have to kill him," Orestes stated. Glynda scowled.

"Given your background, that's not funny at all."

The former Mistralian hitman grinned and spun a butterfly knife around his fingers.

"You can either laugh at the universe, rage, or cry. I think laughter is much more suitable, don't you?"

Glynda closed her eyes and shut off the call. Orestes sighed, folded the butterfly knife up, and tucked it into his jacket. He walked down to the ground floor, and walked out the wrecked doors.

On the front lawn, a small airship lay burning on the lawn. Athena, covered in smoke and grass stains, smiled nervously at her butler/bodyguard.

"Um... Orestes? Eheh... I kind of forgot I don't know how to pilot an airship. Can you fly the other one?"

Orestes sighed heavily.

"Never a dull moment..."

Chapter Text

"How often do you get nightmares?" Jaune inquired as he got close to Ashley's bedside. Her brother answered for her.

"Before we turned eight, never," Ash got out of his bed as he carefully felt around the edges of his scar. "After we turned eight? About once a week, sometimes more?"

"What happened?" Emerald asked with genuine concern in her voice.

"Home invasion that ended with us unlocking our semblance," Ash explained, "it was a bad time for everyone involved."

"We have the same semblance," Ashley picked up for her brother, "We call it Aura Syphon. It's kind of an inversion of your Aura Amp, Dad. Instead of supercharging your aura and letting you share it with other people like Aura Amp, Aura Syphon lets us drain someone else's aura to supercharge our own. Neither of us like using it because it's insanely dangerous; we can completely drain someone of all their aura in less than a minute, and that's kind of fatal..."

Concern grew in Jaune's gut, "Does that mean...?"

"That we killed the home invader?" Ash shuddered, "Yeah... Yeah we did. And then we weren't able to turn it off and almost killed Mom and Aunt Saphron. If you weren't there things would have been a lot worse. So yeah, the nightmares started after that."

"Can we pause this conversation for a bit?" Ashley asked as her stomach growled. "I need to stretch my legs and I'm kind of hungry."

"Right, you guys slept through lunch," Jaune looked toward's the infirmary's door in thought. "There's a vending machine with sandwiches between here and the Pastoria fountain, you think that will tide you over until dinnertime?"

"Probably," Ashley rubbed at her stomach as she got out of her bed.

After a few short moments Jaune and Emerald had the all clear from the nurses to take Ash and Ashley for a little stroll, and it wasn't long before the four of them had gotten to the vending machine. The twins made their selection, Jaune payed for them, and they returned to the Infirmary without any real problems.

When they got back to the twin's assigned beds the rest of Jaune's children and potential wives had moved past the entrance area and were loitering about Moses' bedside. This was far enough away to give an illusion of privacy, but it was still close enough that it wouldn't be hard for them to listen in on his an Emerald's conversation with Ash and Ashley. For the most part Jaune was willing to let that slide; considering who the twin's mother was and what she did in most of the timelines it was important for everyone to hear about the timeline where she was good.

Or at least he hoped she was good. Jaune turned to his children with Cinder as they finished off their sandwiches and sighed. "Alright then, we should probably start with the most important question: How did your mom and I get together?"

Neopolitan frowned. For how simple of a plan 'Find Emerald and Steal Her Scroll' was, it was hitting all kinds of snags. It had taken far too long for them to find the green-haired thief, and when Mercury had finally spotted her she was in the infirmary with all of the time displaced children and most of their mothers.

That complicated getting in and out. Well more the getting out than getting in. Her semblance was more than up to the task of sneaking past everyone on the way in. That would not hold true on the way out. Emerald was a good enough thief that she would notice her scroll getting pulled from her pocket, meaning Neo would be exposed the instant she grabbed Em's scroll. Neo would have to book it at that point, and the odds were longer than she was comfortable with.

Four snipers, plus four Schnees multiplied by the fact that one of said Schnees was the top specialist of Atlas' military, plus Pyrrha Nikos times two, plus who knows what else the others had up their sleeves added up to a chase sequence Neo wasn't arrogant enough to think she could pull off.

The smart play would be to wait for Emerald to be alone. The boss lady didn't have the patience for the smart play, and insisted that if she was right there besides her they would have no issues with the retreat.

And so Neo was now sneaking through the infirmary with Cinder's right hand clamped on her left shoulder, uncomfortable anticipation building in her gut.

They entered the infirmary from the far end and moved slowly down its' central aisle, approaching Emerald as quietly and carefully as possible. Then Emerald shifted in her seat and Neo had a clear view of who was on her other side; Ash and Ashley, Cinder's twins.

Cinder's grip on Neo's shoulder tightened like a vice, and her free hand shot up to grab Neo's bicep. The false maiden then frog marched her reluctant underling to a spot where they could look at the burned twins with no obstructions, and then Cinder planted her feet like a tree and held Neo firmly in place.

Noepolitan's frown deepened, and since the boss lady couldn't see her face she rolled her eyes. She had a sudden sinking suspicion that getting Emerald's scroll was just an excuse for Cinder to look at her kids with her own eyes. And the more she thought about it the more it made sense: Cinder didn't need to return to campus to help Neo and Mercury tie up loose ends. That was fine and all, she just wished the boss lady had been upfront about her real objective before they snuck into the infirmary.

She glanced Cinder's way, and the false maiden seemed completely enraptured with watching the twins demolish a vending machine lunch. Soon the meals were finished and the twin's father, Jaune Arc, sighed and spoke:

"Alright then, we should probably start with the most important question: How did your mom and I get together?"

Cinder tensed, and leaned in with calculating eyes.

Ash looked his father in the eyes as he began; "Well, Mom didn't like talking about her life before she married you, so most of what we know we learned from Aunt Em."

"From what she told us," Ashley continued for her brother, "The two of you got together at the party that's supposed to happen tonight. Aunt Em never went into the specific details of what went down, but it was basically an accident on Mom's part."

"In other words Mom was so drunk she didn't remember how it happened," Ash supplied, "But when she was sober she decided roll with it for a couple of reasons. Dating you was a good excuse to be close to the teams she wanted to spy on for the Vytal Tournament for one thing, and she thought you'd be an easily manipulated rube for another. There was one thing that didn't enter her calculations though: since you didn't know the relationship was fake you put in some serious effort into making things work."

"It didn't take you long to charm your way past mom's defenses," Ashley explained with a smile. "You gave her a whirlwind tour of every kind of fun she had missed out on growing up, and at the top of a Ferris Wheel she realized she liked you for you. Then The Breach happened, and she realized she didn't like seeing you get hurt."

"That's when she talked to her master, the Grimm Witch Salem, about you," Ash went on. "Mom asked Salem for a way to get you out of Vale so you wouldn't get caught in the crossfire of her grand plan. Salem refused to do that. When Mom insisted Salem snapped and ordered Mom to kill you; to cut out the weakness," Emerald flinched at that turn of phrase, "You were causing to grow within her. Mom told Salem she would, but she kept putting it off because deep down she realized she couldn't go through with it. Eventually the day she had been planning for came around and Mom kicked off the tumult of the century."

"It didn't take you long to find her in the middle of the chaos she was causing," Ashley continued the tale. "The two of you had your first and only big fight right outside of the elevator that leads to Ozpin's office. We don't know the details, but in the end you talked Mom into standing down and surrendering."

"The next couple of years were hard on Mom and Aunt Em," Ash sighed, "You were the only person who trusted them at that point. Sure Uncle Ozpin was in a forgiving mood, but that was because of everything Mom and Aunt Em were able to tell him about Salem and her inner circle. Mom had to earn everyone else's trust, and it wasn't until you all had finished dealing with Salem that the last of our honorary Aunts and Uncles came around."

"It didn't help that Mom's default response to mistrust was to get all cold and prickly," Ashley allowed a small smile to grow on her face. "Aunt Em told us it took Mom three years before she warmed up to Aunt Nora, which is kind of funny since Aunt Nora was one of the first people to warm up to Mom."

"The two of you got married on the first anniversary of Salem's defeat," Ash pulled out his scroll and showed off a wedding photo, "Though Mom was half convinced the Witch would still show up in spite of the shellacking you all gave her. Ashley and I were born about nine months later, and our family just kept growing after that." Ash swiped over to a different photo, and Jaune did a quick headcount.

"So there are nine of you?" Jaune asked.

"Yep," Ashley grinned, "Mom runs a pretty tight ship in spite of all the ruckus our younger siblings cause. Mom's a great Mom!" Her smile shrank, "Please don't let what happened today be a mark against her, she isn't really like that!"

"You mean she won't be like that," Emerald reminded in a gentle tone.

Ash and Ashley looked away at that and Ash's eyes turned to the crowd around Moses' bed, where he saw a peculiar sight. August and his mother May were staring very intently at an empty space beyond his and Ashley's beds. May tugged on Ruby's cloak, and whispered something to the silver-eyed girl and her son Julian. The silver-eyed boy looked at the empty space and his eyes seemed to glow for a moment before he let out a completely silent gasp. Julian then had a rushed and whispered conversation with his mom who also stared at the empty space with a look of extreme concentration, then her eyes started to glow like her son's. Surprise dominated her features, only to be replaced with steely determination.

Ruby stormed forward, her eyes glowing brighter and brighter with each step. "I Know You're There!" She called out to the empty space, "There's No Use Hiding! I. Can. See. Your. Souls."

A sound that could only be described as the kind of pained yelp only a mute person would make came from the empty space, only for that emptiness to shatter like glass. Ash could hardly contain his own surprise as he saw his mother standing where the emptiness wasn't anymore, squeezing the shoulder and arm of Neopolitan far too tight with a look on her face comparable to a cornered and panicking tiger.

She threw Neopolitan forward into Ruby and took a fighting stance. The tension in the room skyrocketed as almost two dozen weapons were drawn, just as many Schnee glyphs appeared in the air and Amethyst screamed something about a warlock.

"HOLD IT! HOLD IT! HOLD IT!" Jaune Arc yelled with all the authority he could muster as he sprang up from his seat. Surprisingly everyone held it. "Everyone just hold it for a minute, Okay!" He walked cautiously into the infirmary's aisle with his left hand behind him towards his entourage in a signal to stop, while his right hand stretched out in front of him in a placating manner.

"Cinder," Jaune addressed Ash and Ashley's mother in the most soothing voice he could manage right after yelling. "Cinder, we need to talk. Can we do that? Just talk? You and me? A nice, quiet conversation with no violence before, after or during?"

Neopolitan and Ruby got off the ground. Ruby cautiously joined Jaune. Neo marched to Cinder's side with a scowl on her face.

Cinder looked rather out of sorts all things considered. Like someone caught between two conflicting thoughts.

"Can we talk?" Jaune asked again hopefully.

Moses rolled over, somehow still asleep.

Chapter Text

The Four Kingdoms of Remnant: Vale, Atlas, Mistral and Vacuo. As far as the average citizen of these four nations is concerned, they have stood alone since the end of The Great War, when the few smaller nations that hadn't been destroyed in the conflict allowed themselves to be absorbed by the big four as a means of protection and economic rebuilding. Civilization ends beyond the Four Kingdom's borders.

This view isn't completely accurate. Several political entities, such as towns, villages, and even some fully fledged city-states, exist outside of the Four Kingdom's domains. While most of these independent entities are impoverished and barely eking out a living in the unforgiving wilds some of them are actually quite prosperous with their own native industries and defenses worthy of the name. However, in spite of this prosperity, none of them have the wealth and gravitas necessary to be considered a "Proper Kingdom" by the Big Four...

...Or at least none of them have the wealth and gravitas yet. A handful of these wealthy independent entities have advanced to a point where they are Kingdoms in all but name, with only a handful of political and material hurtles keeping them from being recognized as Remnant's Fifth Kingdom.

At the forefront of these "Aspirant Kingdoms" is Menagerie. While not quite as prosperous as some of the other independent polities, Menagerie has the largest territorial claim and is by far the most populous of the Aspirant Kingdoms. Its capital of Kou Kuana is in some ways more developed than the city of Vacuo, only lacking a high-end CCTS Tower and an accredited Huntsman Academy. Neither of these material shortcomings were true obstacles to Menagerie's ascension; no, the reasons Menagerie hadn't been acknowledged as the Fifth Kingdom by now were entirely political.

Vale was cautiously supportive of the idea of recognizing Menagerie as the Fifth Kingdom. Mistral was vehemently opposed. Vacuo was tepidly supportive on a really good day, and indifferent the rest of the time. Atlas wasn't opposed... so long as a White Fang terrorist attack wasn't dominating the news cycle.

Ghira Belladonna sighed as he looked through the reports on his desk. A White Fang terrorist attack was dominating the news cycle. A cell in Atlas had highjacked an airship. They held several employees of the Schnee Dust Company hostage, demanding the release of several White Fang prisoners in exchange for the lives of the hostages.

Now the bidding war over building a modern CCTS Tower in Kou Kuana had abruptly stopped, as the Atlesian communication companies he had tempted into the job couldn't commit to it anymore without a public backlash at home. Now he'd have to start the whole process over again in a few months or even years. Ghira cursed Sienna Khan under his breath for the fifth time since he had started on the afternoon's paperwork. Every piece of news crossing his desk involved this or that trade deal or treaty falling through because of something the White Fang had done over the last few weeks.

He should have never stepped down as the White Fang's High Leader. He should have been less lenient with Sienna when she started publicly questioning his leadership. His mind raced with other should haves, would haves, and could haves, and he growled.

A cup of tea was placed on the desk before him, and his wife pulled up a chair beside him. Kali leaned against him and started rubbing soothing circles along his back. Ghira took a deep breath and then relaxed into his wife's affections, and for a moment the stresses of the day were replaced with her comforting presence.

Unfortunately, they couldn't luxuriate in each other's warmth for long. Wanting to stretch out the moment a bit longer, Ghira sipped his tea at a sedate pace, only speaking when he had finished the drink.

"We need a way to separate Menagerie from the White Fang in the eyes of the common man," Ghira opined as he set his teacup back in its saucer.

"A tall order," Kali observed with a frown, "People's memories might be short, but they all remember we founded the White Fang."

"A tall order," Ghira agreed, "But not an impossible one. Blake leaving them made it possible; Sienna can't use our heir against us anymore."

"That's true," a dark look crossed Kali's face as her hands went to her stomach. Ghira winced at accidentally bringing up the problem of their heir.

Technically speaking Blake had disqualified herself from inheriting the Chiefdom the day she ran away and joined a terrorist organization, but as their only child she was the only candidate the people of Kou Kuana would accept. At the time the solution to that problem seemed simple: make another heir. While the impetus of Blake leaving was unpleasant Ghira and Kali had already been discussing the possibility of expanding their family now that their lives were more stable without the additional strain of leading the White Fang. At the time their only regret was that Blake would miss the childhood of her younger sibling...

...The doctors all agreed the catastrophic miscarriage was the result of poison. The doctors also agreed that Kali still hadn't truly recovered from the ordeal, making trying again an incredibly risky endeavor.

In ancient times, criminal investigations started with a question: to whom is it a benefit? The answer to that question was obvious to Ghira and Kali. So long as the Belladonna heir was a lieutenant of Sienna Khan, any and all criticism the two could level against her would ring hollow in the ears of the people. Therefore, it was a benefit to Sienna to ensure that Blake was the only possible heir.

Unfortunately, they weren't able to find any concrete evidence to prove their suspicions, and Sienna remained popular enough among the undecided faunus that accusing her of the crime would only be seen as a baseless effort to use a tragedy to smear a political rival.

Once again, Ghira wanted to curse Sienna under his breath, but his breath was better spent on things he and his wife were in a position to actually do something about.

"Ozpin's last message said Blake's team is planning to participate in the Vytal Tournament," Ghira mused. Without a modern CCTS Tower updates concerning their daughter's time at Beacon were far more sporadic than ether of them liked, as international communication was spotty and expensive using the multiple small and outdated towers that had been salvaged for Menagerie's current network. Most of the updates had been emails with a handful of photos, or as an aside about Blake in voice only business calls to Beacon when they weren't pressed for time. "Everyone will see she's no longer with the White Fang once that happens. We could try to capitalize on that."

"Isn't she hiding her identity, though?" Kali objected. "How will people recognize her?"

"You saw the picture of her in that black and white outfit?"

"Yes."

"Apparently, and I just found this out this morning: That's what she thought made a good disguise," Ghira smirked.

"No..." Kali's jaw dropped, "Just the bow?"

"Just the bow," Ghira confirmed.

Kali brought her hand to her mouth to catch the undignified snort that popped out. More followed. Soon, her hand had abandoned catching snorts and giggles in favor of grabbing her husband's arm in support. Her other arm wrapped around her middle as she began to cackle in a most unladylike manner. Ghira joined her in a low and deep chuckle that reverberated down the hall, and for the next few minutes, the guards posted outside their chambers looked at one another with concern in their eyes.

Eventually, Kali's laughter devolved into wheezing, so she forced herself to stop at that point.

"God must be watching out for our little girl," Kali noted as she wiped a mirthful tear from her eye, "Because she obviously has no idea what she's doing."

"Yes," Ghira agreed as his own chuckling slowed down. "She probably-"

A chiming sound came from Ghira's scroll, in the tune he had selected for contacts from the Huntsman Academies. He raised an eyebrow as he pulled his scroll from his pocket, and then both of his eyebrows shot up to his hairline when he saw it was a video call. A video call of exceptional quality. The caller was putting down half a week's wages for this at the bare minimum. Ghira accepted the call and put it on his desk's screen.

"Chieftain Belladona, Chieftess Belladona," Glynda Goodwitch greeted them with a strained smile. "I hope this is a good time?"

"It is Professor Goodwitch," Ghira replied, then asked, "What's this about?"

"The two of you need to come to Beacon as soon as possible; a complicated situation is unfolding, and Blake needs your support."

"What kind of situation?" Ghira asked.

"It would be best to discuss it with the other parents involved." Glynda smile strained some more.

"Other parents? Did our little girl hurt someone?" Kali gasped.

"Ye-NO!" Glynda's smile broke a little, "There was a fight, but Blake didn't cause any permanent damage."

"What was the fight about?" Kali asked.

"Like I said it's a complicated situation so it would be best if the two of you-"

"What was the fight about, Glynda?" Kali pressed with a hiss in her voice.

Glynda pushed her glasses up and pinched the bridge of her nose. "A boy. The fight was over a boy."

Kali perked up and glanced at her husband.

Ghira leaned forward, "Does this boy have a name?"

"Jaune Arc, his name is Jaune Arc," Glynda sighed as she pulled up a picture of the boy in question.

Pale skin with blue eyes and messy blond hair. A nervous yet warm smile on his face. Ghira scrutinized the young man for a long moment before nodding in approval.

"It's good to see our daughter's taste in men has improved," He noted with the voice of a man weighing his options.

"Oh definitely," Kali's eyes gleamed, "He looks like the exact opposite of Adam Taurus in every way that matters. I'm not seeing any faunus traits, is he human?"

"He is," Glynda confirmed, then narrowed her eyes. "That isn't a problem, I hope?"

"It's not a problem at all," Ghira stroked his beard, "In fact, I can think of several reasons why him being human might be better than him being a faunus."

Glynda looked taken aback by Ghira's statement, but before she could comment on it Kali started speaking again:

"There's more you're not telling us, isn't there?" Kali leaned in. "What's the real reason you need us there? I mean if Blake didn't hurt anyone and she isn't hurt then it shouldn't be all that complicated unless..." She trailed off for a moment, then her eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "Is someone pregnant?"

"Yes and No," Glynda answered in a put-upon tone.

"What do you mean Yes and No?" Kali frowned.

"I said things were complicated," Glynda sighed, "This is one of the things that makes it complicated."

"Well is Blake an expecting mother or not?" Kali demanded.

"Twins." Was Glynda's flat reply.

Kali gasped. Ghira looked to his wife with a smile threatening to break out across his face. The two of them embraced with Kali squeeing like a schoolgirl. Ghira spun his wife around for a moment of ascendant joy before his duties as a father reasserted themselves and he put Kali down so he could speak to the Professor again.

"We'll be at Beacon as soon as possible, and I'll assess Jaune's ability to take care of my little girl." The firmness in his voice didn't quite hide the excited undercurrent the word twins had prompted. Then, part of his brain reviewing the last few moments pointed something out to him; "You said 'one of the things' making the situation complicated. What are the other things?"

"Blake isn't the only girl, expecting," Glynda said, rolling that last word as if it were an euphemism instead of a regular descriptor. She's one of eleven."

Ghira frowned and then muttered, "I guess it'll be putting the boy through a particularly thorough assessment then."

"Blake isn't at the bottom of the totem pole is she?" Kali asked with worry in her eyes.

"Uhhh..." Glynda looked thrown for a loop by the question, "I believe this is too recent of a development for any kind of hierarchy to have formed."

"Good," Kali nodded before looking to her husband, "We'll need to put our best foot forward for his family. If you need me I'll be putting the dowry together." And with that she ran off.

"I also have several arrangements to make," Ghira told Glynda. "We'll be at Beacon before the day is over tomorrow. Is there anything else I need to know before I go?"

"No, everything else can wait until you get here."

"Very well. We'll see you soon."

The rumor mill of Kou Kuana would go into overdrive for the next week or so. While the exact details would vary from one retelling to another a few bits and pieces would consistently reappear and hint at true facts: That Ghira and Kali had upped and left overnight to attend secret meetings in Vale at Beacon Academy, and that they had taken jewelry and gold set aside long ago for Blake's dowry with them.

The speed of gossip can be truly astounding at times. They can be so fast in fact, that these rumors would reach the ears of Sienna Khan well before the Belladonna's transport would even leave for Beacon...

Chapter Text

Cinder stared. She worked her jaw for a moment, before she held up her hands.

"All I want to do is talk," she said quietly. Much scoffing ensued. Emerald glared daggers at her former mistress. Xander's glare was a thing of legend, his weapons out and fully charged.

"You snuck back into Beacon for that?" Xander scoffed.

"Just say the word, Dad, and she'll be gone," Theodore stated.

"That goes double for me," Julian growled, fists tight around his sniper scythe.

"Like hell. She's mine," Xia snarled, slamming her fists together. Her mother followed suit.

Jaune looked back at his future wives and children, and then back at Cinder. He kept his breathing nice and even. In and out. In and out.

"Then we'll talk," he said.

"Alone," Cinder asked, very deliberately trying not to look at her children. Ash and Ashley's eyes narrowed at this.

Jaune glanced back at the twins, then back at their mother. He slowly nodded.

"Okay."

The entire infirmary was filled with loud, angry voices.

"You can't be serious, Jaune!" Ruby shouted.

"She killed so many people!" Nicholas added, his Glyphs spinning around at full power.

"At least let us tie her up!" Leander protested.

"I talk. Then I leave. I won't hurt anyone, if you don't hurt me," Cinder said softly.

"Vomit Boy, don't!" Yang hissed.

Pyrrha winced at the looks some of the future children shot her. It wasn't something Jaune missed. He sucked in another deep breath.

"... Ruby. May. Julian. August. Keep an eye on her friend here," he said, nodding to Neo. The shortstack in the bowler hat smirked and winked at Jaune, something he ignored. "And us. We'll be right outside in the hallway. If anything goes wrong..."

His eyes locked onto Cinder's, grave and cold.

"You know what to do," he said quietly.

"Dad-" Ash tried, but Jaune looked back and him and shook his head.

"Follow my orders," he stated. Ash grimaced, but slid back. Jaune turned back to Cinder.

"Hallway. Now," he ordered, calm but with an edge. Cinder slowly nodded. She backed out into the hallway, keeping her eyes on everyone the entire time. Jaune tried not to look back at everyone's staring eyes. He had a pretty good feeling about what he'd see, and in who's faces.

Yet he had a funny feeling. Something deep in his heart. Something that told him that Cinder wasn't here to fight.

He didn't really know why, nor why the faces of two children he didn't know flashed in his mind... It just felt right.

They stepped out into the empty hallway, facing one another like gunslingers in an old West Valean film. Cinder licked her lips nervously, eyes going anywhere but towards Jaune.

"I... I'm sorry," she murmured, "I-I lost myself... The entire situation was so overwhelming and-and I-"

Her poise and acting were so overwrought it pissed Jaune off immediately.

"You burned your own children," Jaune stated, a cold anger rising up in his chest. Cinder actually paused, staring at his shoulder. Away from the infirmary. Her face faltered a bit, towards something more honest.

"Yes... I... I didn't-"

"I know about Salem, Cinder," Jaune said calmly, "I know about your past. The twins and Emerald told me."

Cinder stared at him in disbelief and shock.

"They... They know... You know-?"

"Not all the details," Jaune admitted, "But enough to make some... Guesses as to why you'd trade one master for another."

"I didn't trade anything!" Cinder snarled. "Salem... She saw my potential! She saw what I could do! She offered me power! Power to-"

"To hurt? To harm? To destroy people's lives?" Jaune asked quietly. Cinder glared.

"All people did to me was hurt me. Use me. Enslave me... She's eternal. She... She would make sure that I would never be hurt again."

"And yet, here you are, hurting," Jaune murmured.

"I'm not-!"

"You know what I mean," Jaune stated.

Cinder stared at Jaune.

"... I didn't mean to," she said, just as quietly.

"Which means maybe sometimes the world didn't mean to, either," Jaune argued, taking a step forward, "Maybe you don't need to hurt people who never did you harm to be safe. Maybe... Maybe you found it in that future. I know you found it in that future."

"With you?" Cinder sneered. Jaune slowly nodded.

"Yeah... I know I'm not much right now, Cinder... But it happened. In one future. In one future, you were free."

"I'm free now-"

"Bullshit," Jaune snorted, "What did Salem tell you when you called her?"

She gaped at him.

"How did-?"

Lucky guess and bluff, Jaune thought. Outwardly, he shook his head.

"If my plan had been upended by time travel, I think I'd at least let my boss know," he said, "What did she tell you?"

Cinder fell silent. Jaune's arms twitched. The conflict on her face, the anger she was just barely reining in... Part of him wanted to run and let his friends just demolish her.

Yet... Something in her eyes. Something about the discoloration around her neck. Something about how she'd looked when the twins were brought up...

That hurt inside of her was deep. Intense. Yet there was just the hint of regret. A moment of... Of empathy.

Maybe he was imagining it. Maybe she couldn't be saved. Yet...

"I'm guessing," Jaune said quietly, "She said some things you didn't like."

Again Cinder said nothing, glaring holes into the wall nearby.

Jaune steeled himself and took a step forward. Cinder looked at him, but didn't react otherwise.

"She's not your master in the future, Cinder," Jaune said quietly. He took another step forward, slow and steady.

"She can't be destroyed," Cinder murmured, "What kind of fool would oppose power like that?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Jaune admitted, taking another step, "But she can be defeated. You really think I'd have kids in so many timelines where she was still a force to be reckoned with? You think she'd suffer someone like me to live?"

Another step closer. Slow and steady. Still she didn't bolt.

"That... That proves nothing," Cinder gritted. Her fists were clenched tightly. Jaune took another step, placing him within reach of her. He stopped, and again steeled himself.

"Your kids... Our kids still care about you," Jaune said softly, "They still love you. Even with what you've done."

"I didn't ask them to love me," Cinder hissed.

"But they do... And that has to matter to you somewhere, Cinder. Somewhere deep down inside," Jaune murmured. "Otherwise you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't feel like this."

"You don't know how I feel-!"

"I've got a pretty good idea," Jaune countered. Cinder looked up at him sharply.

"You've got yourself a virtual harem! Why would you care about me?"

"Because there's a way for you to be happy. To be at peace. To not fear for your life, or lash out at the world," Jaune said softly, earnestly, "And I want that... I want that for everyone."

"You can't give everyone a happy ending," Cinder hissed, "You can't change all the pain they've suffered!"

The blond knight slowly nodded.

"You're right. I can't. I can't change what happened to you. To Emerald. To Yang and Ruby's mothers. To May, Winter and Weiss's families. To Nora and Ren's home and loved ones. To Blake's people, or any bad things in Professor Goodwitch's or Pyrrha's pasts. I can't change any of that."

He then did what might have been the stupidest thing he could have done: He reached out and took Cinder's hand in his. She started, and instinctively tried to pull away. Jaune didn't let go, but he didn't squeeze too hard. He applied just enough pressure for her to pull away if she really wanted to... But just enough to keep her there.

"But maybe we can change our futures. Maybe I can change yours. Isn't... Isn't that worth thinking about, at least?"

Cinder stared into his eyes. For a moment, he thought he could see a glimmer of hope...

She then yanked her hand away, and turned her back to him.

"... I'll consider it," she muttered. "I won't be Ozpin's lapdog-"

"I didn't say you'd-"

"And I will choose the time and place of our next meeting," she stated firmly.

Jaune slowly nodded.

"Fine. Somewhere neutral... So we can trust eachother."

She shot a glare at him over her shoulder. He shrugged.

"A little."

"... Fine," Cinder managed. She glared at the door. "Call off your watchdogs."

"Don't call them that, and I will," Jaune retorted. Cinder stared at him for a moment, before nodding. Jaune looked back.

"Let her go, guys," he said.

Ruby and August grimaced, but they let Neo go. The bowler hatted girl grinned devilishly, and moved her hand towards her sleeve-

"Enough, Neo," Cinder barked. Neo pouted at her. "No... No violence. Take it out on some goons when we get home."

Neo huffed, but nodded. She then pranced up to Cinder. She gave Jaune an appraising look. One none of the other present women missed.

"HEY! Ogle someone else's beefcake!" Yang growled. Neo flipped her off. "Oh that's it, let me-!"

"Ease up, Yang!" Blake stated, gripping her partner's arm.

Cinder and Neo stood next to each other. Cinder narrowed her eyes.

"I'll get a message to you somehow," she stated.

"I... Look forward to it, I guess," Jaune managed.

"Hmph," Cinder snorted. She looked at the packed doorway, where her twins stood and stared. "... What are your names?"

"Ash," the boy volunteered.

"Ashley," the girl said.

Cinder slowly nodded.

"I see..." she whispered. "Until next time."

Cinder summoned up the Maiden magic within her, unleashing smoke and blinding flashes of light. Everyone held their arms up to their eyes. Jaune coughed hard. He felt something slip around his pockets, but couldn't see a thing!

"DAMNIT! WHY DO MY EYES NOT WORK IN THIS CRAP?!" Julian shouted.

"LANGUAGE!" Ruby coughed back.

"Oh for...!" Weiss summoned up a Glyph and used Wind Dust to clear the hallway. May, Ruby, Julian and August scanned around. May grimaced.

"I can't see them," she admitted, "They must have booked it to get out of range."

"Ugh... My eyes," Ruby moaned, rubbing hers, "They're super eyes, but they still get hurt thanks to crap like that?!"

"Language," Yang chided her, and Xia and Julian snickered a little.

Jaune sighed and looked back at Ash and Ashley. The twins looked a little less tense.

"Well...?"

"That... Probably went about as well as it could have gone," Ash admitted.

"That so?" Weiss asked.

"We aren't dead, after all," Ashley opined.

"I suppose she has a point," Leandra muttered.

Radian

Arc Farm

The Arc farmhouse was an old, stately home on what was left of the Arc ancestral lands in Radian. . It was painted in white with green shingles and a roof that seemed to blend into the smattering of trees surrounding it. A tower with a widow's walk dominated the front of the house, while the rest was fairly boxy but long. Opposing it was a large aluminum barn, and surrounding it was a partially paved staging area. A well-tended garden ringed the structure, green foliage, and colorful flowers helping to conceal the porch that girded the farmhouse. Isabel Arc barged in through the front door, and the impact made the many family pictures hanging from the walls shake.

"ACK!" Lilac Arc, a beautiful young woman of twenty-three with her hair in a loose ponytail over one shoulder, started. She looked up from the living room couch where she'd been working on the finances for the farm. "Mom, what is it?!"

"Your brother got himself into trouble," Isabel stated brusquely, hurrying upstairs. Lilac got up and walked to the bottom of the stairs. She stared up in disbelief as her mother began ransacking the closets.

"Wh-What kind of trouble?!"

"Very official trouble," a female voice said behind her. Lilac yelped and looked behind her. A beautiful dusky-skinned woman with reddish hair and green eyes smiled at her. She wore humble white and blue robes with a hood over a red and gold sari that showed off her belly and impressive figure. Her forehead bore a single red jewel, and she held an elaborate silver staff in one hand.

"Aunt Saia?!" Lilac gasped. "Aren't you supposed to be... Being the queen of Pandu or-or something?!"

"Oh, I left Brother Karna in charge of the kingdom," Saia said with a laugh, "Besides, my husband the King was off playing hooky. I believe the queen has the same right. Especially if I can help out dear old friends."

Isabel emerged from her room, carrying several large, heavy-looking suitcases and bags. She stomped down the stairs, smiling at Saia.

"Glad to see you taking initiative, Saia," Isabel said gratefully. Saia chuckled, her laugh like the sound of tinkling bells.

"Well I was on my way to Beacon anyway. Arjun wanted me to be a representative for the Vytal Festival while he and Nick cheered for your son."

"And he didn't tell me that because...?" Isabel prompted. Saia smirked slightly.

"You didn't ask," she said wryly.

Isabel rolled her eyes.

"Of course. Jackass."

"That's my husband you're talking about. Please, call him a royal jackass, it's more appropriate," Saia encouraged. Isabel scowled.

"Not in the mood for jokes, Saia."

"I know... But it's better to laugh at the universe than cry," Saia said with a sigh, "Tears do nothing. Not after..."

The queen looked very solemn, a hand resting on her belly. Isabel frowned in deep sympathy for her long-time friend and her loss. Lilac reached out to hug her aunt. Saia returned the hug, smiling gratefully.

"Thank you dear."

"Anyway," Isabel smiled at Lilac, "Just manage the farm as usual until we get back. If you have any issues, call us. all right? Hopefully this won't take too long, but I'm honestly not sure how bad things might get with Jaune."

"Well, uh... What kind of trouble specifically is he in?" Lilac asked.

Isabel sighed heavily. Saia smirked a bit.

"Your brother decided to outdo Saphron and Terra," she said, "And has impregnated at least eleven women. Who all know one another."

Lilac's jaw dropped.

"E-E-ELEVEN?!"

"At least," Isabel sighed. "Just try to keep it quiet, Lilac? This will inevitably get out, but the more preparation for the media storm, the better."

"R-R-Right! Right!" Lilac said, nodding vigorously.

Isabel hugged and kissed her daughter goodbye, before she turned to the door. Saia opened it up, and Isabel managed to squeeze through with all the baggage. The two women hurried over to a large silver and red airship hovering over the front drive of the farm. They leaped up into the open hatches, which closed, and then the large airship turned and began to head to the south.

Lilac watched them go and waved her hand at them, dazed. She shook her head.

"Eleven?! Oh my... That's a lot of knitting! I'd better get started!"

She sat down and pulled her her knitting needles. She went to town on several bundles of yarn, her needles clicking loudly.

A few minutes later, twin blonde women of twenty-two entered. One had her hair in a short, spiky bob with orange streaks going through it, while the other had green streaks in her wild, curly locks.

"I'm just saying, Verdy," the orange-streaked twin said, "There is a fine line between a prank and terrorism."

Verdy stuck her tongue out at her sister.

"And I'm saying, Coral, as long as Sarge says it's cool, it's cool! And he said it was cool! So did Caboose!"

Right after them, a shorter blonde woman with a neat pageboy cut and glasses on her nose walked in with a frown.

"Caboose said he was no longer on speaking terms with that pile of explosives," she stated.

"There, see? Like Orchid said: We didn't even blow up one of his friends, so what's the issue?" Verdy asked. Coral sighed as Orchid shook her head.

All three sisters looked over at Lilac, who looked up with a smile.

"Hello Verdy! Hello Coral! Hello Orchid!"

"Uh, hey Lilac," Verdy said, frowning, "Why are you knitting?"

"Because Jaune's got at least eleven babies on the way, and we need to get on top of the situation!" Lilac said cheerfully.

Verdy's jaw dropped to the floor. Coral gasped. Orchid adjusted her glasses.

"E-ELEVEN BABIES?!" Verdy cried.

"How many mothers?!" Coral exclaimed.

"At least eleven!" Lilac said brightly, her knitting needles clicking like a Geiger counter on top of a mountain of uranium.

Orchid blinked.

"Huh... I would have thought there would be a few twins."

"THAT'S ALL YOU'VE GOT TO SAY?!" Verdy cried. Orchid shrugged.

"What else is there to say?"

"I-I mean, a lot of things?" Coral suggested.

"Are you three going to stand there and argue or are you going to help me knit?" Lilac asked tensely.

"Shouldn't one of us let the others know?" Coral asked, as Lilac's smile was looking just a bit terrifying.

"Oh! O-Of course!" Lilac agreed with a nod. She finished a pair of red booties, and smiled happily, before she set them aside and got back to knitting at high speed. "Verdy! Coral! Get to work on scarves and hats! Orchid! Make the calls!"

Somewhere in the wilds of Mistral, Aqua Arc stared in disbelief at her Scroll. The rest of her team was busy dealing with a bandit tribe they'd been tasked by the locals to deal with. The members of the tribe were scattered around them, unconscious or tied up.

Her partner, one Kazuma Satou, was trying to console a bandit while the other two members of their team kept watch on or looted the others.

"It's okay, it's okay, Megumin's explosions were set for non-lethal," he soothed the shaking man.

"So huge...! So terrifying!" The bandit wailed.

Kazuma looked over at Aqua in concern.

"Something up?" He asked.

Aqua slowly looked over at her partner/boyfriend and shrugged helplessly.

"Um... It looks like my little brother is going to be a father."

Kazuma chuckled.

"Little Jaune, huh? Well, good to know! Little young but hey! Good on him!"

"Eleven times over," Aqua deadpanned.

Kazuma blinked a few times.

"... And the mothers aren't going to murder him?"

"Apparently not," Aqua shrugged.

Kazuma sobbed, clenching his fist.

"That lucky bastard...!"

Aqua summoned some water with her Semblance and blasted him into a rock.

"IDIOT!"

Tangerine "Tangy" Arc blinked rapidly at the message on her Scroll. She scowled deeply as the cold Solitas wind blew her blond hair out of her face.

Her assistant, one Viktoriya Ivanovna Serebryakov of Mantle, looked at her boss in concern.

"Something wrong, ma'am?"

"Well... No... Sort of," she sighed. "My idiot little brother knocked up some girls."

Viktoriya beamed and gasped happily.

"He did? Oh that's wonderful! I love babies! They're ever so cute and adorable and-" She blinked. "Wait, girls?"

"Eleven," Tangy deadpanned.

"Oh." Viktoriya winced. "Um... Oh dear..."

"They all know about eachother and they're all getting along, mostly," Tangy went on. Viktoriya beamed.

"OH! How wonderful! Shall we get some gifts for them?"

"We pretty much have to," Tangy sighed.

"Boss!" A handsome blond man shouted. Tangy looked over at him. He, with a few other men, were holding a group of bandits under armed guard near an armored train.

"Any of them willing to talk?" Tangy called.

"No ma'am!"

"All right! Guess we'll pick one at random to start torturing! Maybe that will loosen some lips!" Tangy chuckled, as the bandits all paled.

"Um, w-we're willing to split the entire fortune on the train with you?" One of the bandits offered.

Tangy snorted.

"Please. The system only works if we all agree to play by the rules. That's business 101. Sure, I'll get as much as I can and sometimes I'll push the line, but dealing with a bunch of assholes who just steal as they please and generate no value is a losing proposition."

A psychotic smile came over the short blonde woman's face.

"And just for that? Guess who gets to be tortured first~?"

In Argus, Saphron Arc-Cotta scowled deeply at her Scroll. Terra Cotta, her wife, sat across their kitchen table. Their infant son Adrian was sucking from a bottle, utterly at peace.

"Uh, Saph? You okay?"

"Jaune's going to be a father," Saphron scowled. Terra's eyebrows rose.

"Oh? Well, good on him! He's a little young but-"

"To eleven kids."

Terra's jaw dropped.

"From eleven women."

Terra choked. Saphron, still scowling, reached out and slapped Terra on the back.

"E-E-ELEVEN?!" She gasped.

Saphron nodded, her mouth a thin angry line.

"He's beating us at the grandchildren game, Terra! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!" She declared. "Call the sitter! We're making more babies RIGHT NOW!"

"... Right now right now or-?"

"RIGHT DAMN NOW!"

"Yes dear!"

Chapter Text

Aelia Paravel was one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities still standing within the Kingdom of Mistral, and perhaps the whole world. As such it has carried many titles over the centuries: The Crossroads of Anima, The Lower Court, The Oasis of Justice, The City of Kings, The Holy Place, The Table of Fate, The Broken Table.

It is said that the city was built around an artifact left behind by ancient gods known as The Stone Table. According to legends this Stone Table governed the births, lives and deaths of mortal souls, both human and faunus alike. The legends go on to say that because of the Table's power a Witch with mastery over ice and snow conquered the city in her quest to live forever. It is said that the Ice Witch would sacrifice young men and women upon the Stone Table in a ritual that added their lifespans to her own. For a hundred years her tyranny covered the city in winter, but it all came to an end through the sacrifice of the Table Breaker.

According to the faithful the Table Breaker was born with the spark of the divine within him. This divine spark gave him otherworldly knowledge and the power to work miracles no semblance could hope to replicate. He healed the sick, gave comfort to the weary, and taught truths that confounded the wise. He gathered a following of disciples who did their best to record all his teachings, and this following caught the attention of the Witch's secret police.

The Table Breaker's followers expected him to confront the Ice Witch in an epic duel of cosmic powers, and they were all shocked when he willingly gave himself up and allowed the Witch to sacrifice him upon the Stone Table. For three days and three nights his body lay upon the Table, and the Witch mocked those who morned him. Then on the dawn of the fourth day the ground shook, the earth cracked, and the Stone Table broke in two as the Table Breaker's spirit returned to its' body and lived again.

Breaking the Table killed the Ice Witch as she had tethered her life-force to the "unbreakable" artifact, and her power was scattered on the winds. As for the Table Breaker? The sacred texts claim his time in death had allowed his divine spark to come to the surface, and he had returned as a being that could only be called a god. He remained within the Holy City of Aelia Paravel for a year doing good and teaching doctrine before he departed for a place beyond the world, where he would build a paradise of growth so that all those who believed on his name could escape the dooms engraved in the Stone Table.

Believers spread the good news of the Table Breaker far and wide, and Aelia Paravel became a site of pilgrimage for those who believed. This kept the city relevant over the millennia through the rise and fall of empires. Aelia Paravel was conquered, freed, conquered, conquered, conquered, freed again, conquered again and again so many times over the centuries that any other city would have faded into obscurity and disappeared, but thanks to the wealth brought in by faithful pilgrims the city was always able to rebuild. Even as the faith began to loose popularity in the continent of Anima it had enough adherents in other far flung lands to keep Aelia Paravel relevant in the world.

In the modern era the city is is still the beating heart of the faith in spite of the central government of Mistral's best efforts, so many of the faithful have dreams of living there. Among those living that dream are the Altan family; a clan with a membership so sprawling and massive and intertwined with the city that whenever one of them starts dating they have to check with their local genealogist just to be certain their paramour isn't a lost cousin less than four times removed.

In a modest mansion overlooking the old city lives a relatively small branch of the Altan family. Heading this branch is Logos Altan, retired stuntman and hobbyist mechanic. At his side stands his wife Basara Altan, retired actress and hobbyist artist. Together they have brought eight children into the world, seven sons and a daughter they named Arslan.

This day started off like many other Saturdays for the family; with Logos getting out of bed first and cooking a hearty breakfast for everyone currently home. Then after the meal was spread across the dinning room table Logos would lead his family in prayer, imploring the Divine to keep a watchful eye on those members of the household who were now grown and making their own way in the world.

Once the meal was finished and the dishes and kitchen cleaned Logos and Basara retreated to the garage. There Logos worked on restoring this or that old vehicle while Basara painted murals on the sides of the vehicles he had finished in the neighboring bay. This kept them occupied until lunchtime when they returned to the kitchen and fixed themselves a humble meal of simple sandwiches.

After lunch the two of them spent the early afternoon strolling arm in arm through a local park, taking in the beauty the gardeners had labored so hard to bring forth. While at the park they ran into handful of fans who recognized Basara from her acting days which lead to an impromptu autograph signing that took up a surprising chunk of time. All in all it was a full afternoon.

As the two of them returned home Logos looked to his wife and asked in his deep baritone voice, "Should I cook something, or do you want to cook something, or should we order something?"

"Hmmm...." Basara contemplated the question for a moment, "It would take too long to thaw out the mutton we have in the freezer, and you grilled yesterday. I say we order something."

Logos solemnly nodded and pulled a wheel of chance from behind a cabinet, seven high end restaurants with a ten minute delivery time to their home decorating its' face. He placed it upon the table in a purposeful manner before stepping aside so his wife could spin it. She ceremoniously stretched forth her hand, but then her scroll ringed.

Frowning at the unexpected call Basara pulled her scroll from her pocket and redirected the call to a screen on the dinning room wall. They were treated to an unexpected sight: Glynda Goodwitch, the deputy headmistress of Beacon Academy, who looked frazzled and near the end of her rope.

"Have I reached Logos and Basara Altan? Parents of Arslan Altan?" Glynda sounded desperate, "The Arslan Altan who's fought Pyrrha Nikos in the finals of multiple tournaments?"

"How many of my distant cousins did you accidentally call while trying to reach us?" Logos asked dryly.

"None, I got your number directly from your daughter's transcripts," Glynda clarified, "And she needs the two of you to come to Beacon as soon as possible, a complicated situation has arisen and she could use your support."

"What happened?" Basara asked with a layer of concern blanketing her words.

Glynda took a deep and resigned breath, "Congratulations, you're grandparents."

Logos and Basara looked to one another with raised eyebrows, then they looked back to Glynda.

"Has our daughter eloped?" A layer of confusion was evident in Basara's speech.

"The situation is complicated, but no she hasn't," Glynda ran a hand through her hair, "It will be easier to explain things in person with the other parents."

"Has the man been arrested?" Logos asked in a deadly serious tone.

"Beg pardon?" A strand of hair popped out of Glynda's bun.

"Our daughter would never willingly have a child out of wedlock," Logos explained in a dangerously even voice, "So there is only one way for us to have become grandparents. I ask again, has the man been arrested?"

For a moment Glynda gaped at them, as if his perfectly reasonable question was the last thing she had expected to hear and she had been left speechless. Then the teacher from Beacon began to squeak in a rapid-fire manner.

"Wait Wait Wait! Hold On For A Second! It's Not Like That!" Glynda flailed about, "Jaune Arc Hasn't Touched Your Daughter!"

The two parents filed away the name of Jaune Arc while Basara asked, "If he hasn't touched her how are we grandparents?"

"That's the complicated part that we need to talk about in person! Everything will-" Glynda tried only to be interrupted by a voice calling from offscreen:

"Glynda! I told you to look up Basara's filmography before calling them!" The male voice admonished.

"HOW DOES THAT HELP!?!?" Glynda yelled back in frantic exasperation.

Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy stepped into frame and looked at the Altans with an apologetic look. "The complicated part of all of this is like the premise of The Argus Experiment, but in real life and in reverse."

Logos and Basara looked at each other again with surprise on their faces this time. They remembered The Argus Experiment well, they had first met during its' filming after all. It involved a woman (played by Basara) getting hurled forward in time as a result of exotic dust tests and having to stop a second larger exotic dust test. In real life and in reverse could only mean...

"You're saying our grandchild is a time traveler," Logos summarized in thoughtful voice.

"She is," Ozpin confirmed, "And we need your help untangling the paradox she's gotten herself into."

"I see," Basara nodded, "We'll be there as soon as possible." She then looked away from Ozpin and back towards the flustered Glynda and asked, "Why didn't you lead with that?"

Glynda took off her glasses and messaged her temples. "Now I know why Dorothy thought I needed a drink," She grumbled.

Chapter Text

It was a minor miracle they'd managed to escape. Salem had given Cinder maps of the ancient castle's secrets. Cinder had not asked how Salem had gotten them, though she had some guesses.

They'd got down to the grotto, clambered into the boat with Mercury, and set out into the river back towards Vale's underground water works tunnels. The whole time, Cinder had been silent. As had her companions, thankfully.

Mercury had looked concerned. Well, more concerned that she might lash out and barbecue him. Something that in the past seemed like it would be appealing if only to stop his yammering.

Right now, though, she didn't have that luxury. Her plan was in shambles, her most loyal minion had betrayed her, and...

A mother... I'm a mother to... I could be...

Her children stared at her in pain and fear as flames consumed their faces...

She clenched her fists as the waves gently lapped against the boat's hull.

No... No, that can't be... I can't...

Power. She wanted power. That was all she had ever wanted. Power to make those who would harm her suffer and die. Power to be feared and obeyed. Power to crush all who would oppose her.

It was still what she wanted. It was all she wanted...

"Ah, hey, Cinder?"

Cinder looked up and glared at Mercury. The assassin winced.

"What?"

"We're going to a safehouse Emerald doesn't know about," Mercury said, "Uh... Neo's got some news?"

Neo held up a Scroll and tapped out a message.

"I couldn't get Emerald's Scroll, but I put a hack chip on Arc's. You'll be able to access his data and anyone else's."

Neo made a face.

"I hate being subtle, but sometimes you gotta do that."

She smirked at Cinder.

"So, do you need a mistress for your future husband? I'm game if you are."

Cinder shot a deadly glare at the smirking little imp. Her fists flared with flames. Neo didn't even flinch.

"I could kill you now," she hissed.

"But you won't. Cause you need me," Neo typed back, wiggling her eyebrows.

Cinder seethed. Her flames burned white hot, making the boat steam. Mercury winced and began to scoot towards the stone dock nearby. Neo remained motionless, her smirk unchanged.

Cinder took a deep breath and released the flames.

"Keep it that way," Cinder spat as she rose and stalked onto the stone dock. Mercury gave her plenty of room as she stormed past him. Neo jumped up onto the pier and smirked after her.

Cinder threw open a wooden door and stomped up some stairs. She threw open another door and practically flew through the plainly decorated safe house. She found a bedroom, threw open the door, and stormed inside. She slammed it shut behind her and went to the bed.

She laid down on it and glared at the ceiling, her rage roiling inside her. It made the Grimm parasite within her grow. Yes, that's what she needed. She needed to turn her conflicted feelings into power. Her rage, her sorrow, her grief...

It all went into her Grimm. It all made her stronger, better. It was what she wanted... it was what she wanted...!

Her children stared at her in pain and fear as flames consumed their faces...

Her Scroll pinged. She pulled it out and opened it. Inside was a message from Neo, with a smirking emoji attached.

"Click here to check up on your boytoy~."

Cinder snarled under her breath. She wanted to fry that irritating little gremlin, burn her to a crisp...!

She took a deep breath. She opened the link.

She began to go through Jaune... Arc's... That idiot's files. Games, pictures, so many pictures of his team and Beacon... It was all so disgustingly wholesome. Pictures of him hanging out with his teammates. Pictures of his large family, sisters, and parents hugging him. Pictures of him with his baby nephew... It was impossibly saccharine! Who could live like this?!

How could she have fallen for such an idiot?!

Cinder tossed the Scroll aside, letting it clatter to the floor. She sat up and bent over, breathing hard. She clutched at the bedspread, fighting with all her might to keep her flames at bay.

No. No, that wasn't her. That wasn't her. She didn't fall for him; she wouldn't fall for him; she chose not to. Her future was her decision! Her choice!

She didn't want love! She didn't want him! She didn't want THEM!

"I don't want it," she seethed, "I-I don't need love... I don't want it... I can't have it... I-I choose not to have it! I choose power!"

She glared at the mirror, her lips twitching violently. Her eyes shone with tears.

"I want... You want power," she hissed at the mirror. "You want it! You've always wanted it!"

Her children stared at her in pain and fear as flames consumed their faces...

She got up and stormed to the mirror, slamming her hands down on the dresser. Her hot hands left deep, burning imprints on the wood as she glared at her reflection.

"You don't want him. That other you... She was weak. She failed. She-She can't be happy! She can't have what she wants! You can't have it! YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!"

Her children stared at her in pain and fear as flames consumed their faces...

She bit back a sob.

"YOU WON'T GET IT!" she screamed, blasting the dresser with flames. The dresser collapsed to the floor, the fire consuming it as the mirror shattered. She stared down into the spiderweb, panting hard.

She shut her eyes and willed the flames to die away. She turned and fell onto the bed, face first.

"I... I can't have it," she muttered into the fabric, "Even if..."

She clutched at her bedsheets.

"Even if I..."

For the first time since her shitty rotten excuse for a childhood, Cinder Fall cried.

Schnee Mansion

Atlas, Northern Solitas

Willow Schnee sat on her couch and lazily watched the goings-on in her garden. Her cranes were looking healthier than before. She would have to thank the vet next time he showed up.

Or both vets. At the time, she'd been a bit soused, so she wasn't entirely sure if it was one or two.

She was about to lift her glass to start her breakfast when Klein, the head butler, entered the warm gardens briskly. She looked over at him in curiosity.

"Mm? Klein, is something wrong?"

"On your private line, ma'am," he stated firmly, holding out a Scroll. "It's from Professor Goodwitch. She says it's about Weiss and Winter, and that it is urgent."

Willow bit her lower lip. A tiny pang of guilt shot through her chest at this. For all her depression and self pity... She did care for her children.

"Does Jacques know?" She asked quietly.

Klein smiled politely underneath his bushy mustache.

"Mister Schnee is regrettably detained by a private meeting at this time, and asked to not be disturbed," he stated. Willow smiled just a bit.

"I see... Then I'll take care of this," she said. She took the Scroll, and opened the chat window. A somewhat frazzled Glynda Goodwitch greeted her: A far cry from the stoic, taciturn and neat woman she'd met briefly at a party to celebrate Weiss entering Beacon with top scores.

"Professor Goodwitch," Willow asked quietly, "Is Weiss all right? How is Winter involved? I don't understand that at all."

Glynda slowly nodded.

"They're safe, there's no need to worry about their physical well being," she said, "However, an... Incident involving a young man has... Well..." She sighed. "It's... Complicated."

Willow frowned deeply.

"Who is this young man? Has he... Done anything to them?"

She couldn't imagine many young men who could do anything to her girls. Not easily, at any rate.

"Nothing bad, I assure you," Glynda said firmly, "I can vouch for his character in this matter. But it is... complex. You should come and speak to him and his parents."

Willow blinked. She blinked a few more times. Despite her alcoholism, her keen mind could still be roused to action when the situation called for it.

"You almost make it sound like he's... Put them into a family way," Willow said with a light smile to indicate she was joking.

Glynda's expression did not change. Willow blinked. She blinked again.

"Wait... You're not telling me that he... They're both...?!"

Glynda sighed tiredly.

"It is, and is not like that," she stated, "But it is a delicate situation nonetheless and I believe you are better suited to handling it than Jacques."

Willow frowned and squeezed her thigh out of nerves.

"I, well..." She cleared her throat. "How soon do you need me?"

Glynda glared at her.

"As soon as possible."

Willow slowly nodded.

"And you can't give me any more details?"

"Not over the Scroll, no," Glynda stated. "You'll understand when you arrive, I promise."

Willow hummed.

"Can I at least see the man my daughters are... Involved with?"

Glynda pulled up a picture of a handsome, brightly smiling young man with messy blond hair and blue eyes. Willow's eyes widened.

"Is... Is he by any chance, related to a Nick Arc from Radian?" She asked.

"He's his son," Glynda said, cocking her head curiously, "Are you familiar with him?'

For a moment, Willow wasn't a burned-out, depressed trophy wife kept prisoner in her own house by an uncaring, cold, two-faced bastard of a husband.

She was a young upstart in the Atlasian social scene, her father a newly made millionaire. She still made frequent trips to the mines, though, to see her father and all the dear "uncles" who made up the head teams. Her brother Warden among them, God rest his soul.

She'd met a young man who was part of a Hunter-in-training team from Beacon. Brash, blond, always confident, grinning, and kind. He'd been her bodyguard when a rival company tried to kidnap her.

He had taken bullets for her, all with a happy grin on his face. Even as his team leader healed him, he refused to move from in front of her. When she'd asked why, he just smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

"Because it's my Huntsman's way! I'll never let any harm come to someone I'm protecting. Not ever!"

Her heart still fluttered at the memory, even now. She'd entertained the fantasy of running off with the sunny, brave boy... But Nick's goals lay elsewhere. Besides, it was clear his blonde medic leader had designs on him. Oh she had denied they had any attraction, but even at that age, Willow knew when someone was infatuated. The way the medic's eyes had softened around Nick had been too obvious for it not to be love.

That, and she loved her father too much to run away.

Of course, after that, she'd met Jacques. She thought him like Nick: Dashing, warm, even courageous. Yet it was all a facade, and by the time she realized it... It was too late.

She clenched her fists tightly. She looked over at her cranes. Their chicks had just hatched, and the proud mother and father were both doting on them shamelessly. Showing them love and affection as they fed them, a mated pair.

How she had felt like that, back in the day... How things might have turned out, if not for...

She nodded.

"Yes, I am. I'll be there in a day."

"Good," Glynda said. The call ended. Willow allowed herself a small smile. She set her wine glass on the side table, and stood up.

"Klein, please prepare my airship and my luggage."

"Already done, ma'am," Klein said. She looked at him oddly, and he blushed.

"I uh... Well... I hoped you would want to go, ma'am. Despite everything, when you show an interest... The girls were always happy."

Willow frowned deeply, and nodded.

"I know," she said quietly. "If-If you could? Get Whitley, too. He should come as well."

"Of course, ma'am," Klein said, "And what should we tell Mister Jacques?"

A little smirk came over Willow's face.

"Nothing. He asked to not be disturbed, after all."

Klein was too professional to smirk back, but she knew the glint in his eyes.

"Of course, ma'am."

"I just need to look over some of my luggage first," Willow declared, striding confidently for the door to the gardens. She had a few outfits that would be good for her daughters.

And even better for Nick. Just because she was married didn't mean she couldn't show off, right?

Chapter Text

Neptune Vasilias had been out in Vale all day, trying to pick up tourists here for the Vytal Festival. While he'd had some bites, most of the girls he'd talked with had not been interested. The blue-haired young Hunter-in-Training was thus quite depressed as he trudged back into Beacon proper, Sage Ayana and Scarlet David walking behind him.

"Seriously, I have been so damn off my game," Neptune sighed.

"Could it be you feel guilty for dumping Weiss?" Scarlet asked. "Oh wait, I forgot, you don't feel that emotion."

"I do too!" Neptune protested, scowling back over his shoulder as they walked through the hallways of the dormitory, "I-I just don't see any reason to feel guilty here! I thought she just wanted a nice simple fling!"

"Women of her social level can't really afford to have affairs like that out in the open," Sage commented, tapping out a text message on his Scroll, "That, or they want genuine, sincere love from someone they can love back."

"Well I know that now," Neptune protested. His friends sighed in unison. Neptune scowled directly at Sage.

"Besides, who made you the authority on women anyway?!"

"I have an actual girlfriend," Sage stated in his usual, patient monotone. Neptune scoffed.

"Yeah, whom we've never seen before!"

"To be fair," Scarlet smirked, "That would mean actually interacting with you, Neptune. I can see why he's spared her that."

"Oh haha!" Neptune snorted as he turned and they resumed their trek for their dorm, "I'll have you know I'd be a perfect gentleman!"

"You stole Ferrous' girlfriend last semester," Scarlet deadpanned. Neptune flushed.

"W-Well, he had it coming! His fault she was so cute and lonely!"

"He didn't see things that way," Sage observed, still calmly tapping on his Scroll and navigating around the hallway with no issue.

"He should have appreciated her more!" Neptune protested, "And anyway, they're back together again, right?"

"After she managed to stop him from cutting your head off," Scarlet smirked. Neptune coughed.

"Th-That was all part of my plan as a master of love!"

His friends shot him extremely dubious looks. He could tell without looking.

"That's my story and I'm sticking to it!" Neptune stated. "Besides, Scarlet got into that drama with those twin brothers!"

Scarlet huffed and brushed his hair back over his ear.

"That was not my fault. The older one was pretending to be his brother. How was I supposed to know?"

"They have different tattoos on their chests," Neptune growled.

"I didn't know that until they stripped down!" Scarlet sniffed. "What, you think I'm easy or something?"

"Yes!"

"Not as easy as you," Scarlet shot back.

Sage rolled his eyes as Neptune and Scarlet continued to bicker. They passed by some students chattering about many things. Well, mainly one thing. Neptune picked up on this as they went along.

"... new students fighting..."

"... all those girls over Arc..."

"... Even Professor Goodwitch! That's what I heard..."

Neptune's gossip senses tingled, and he frowned.

"Something big go down involving Arc?" He wondered aloud.

"I'm sure it's not that big a deal," Scarlet sighed. "You know how this school is, making a big deal out of everything."

"Teams RWBY and JNPR fought terrorists though," Neptune pointed out.

"Like I said, a big deal out of everything," Scarlet sniffed.

"Come on man, how can you dismiss stuff like this? It's totally bogus!" Neptune retorted.

Scarlet glared at Neptune as Sage took the lead. The green haired young man opened the door to their dorm.

"I'm going to do my best to ignore the fact you just said 'bogus'," Scarlet stated, "And point out that if something big had gone down, surely Sun would have told us by now?"

"He texted us that he had a date," Sage observed.

"Ha! He finally got the kitty cat, huh? Good on him," Neptune said. He frowned as he saw Sage stop short and stare into the dorm. Neptune elbowed him and stepped inside. "What's your deal, Sage? Move, I gotta-!"

Neptune's jaw dropped. Scarlet peered in and his eyes widened.

Sun was eating some leftover burgers with a cute chameleon Faunus girl. A cute chameleon Faunus girl who was tied up, as Sun held the burger up to her mouth as they sat on his bed and watched TV.

"H-Hey guys," Sun managed, "This, uh... This... This is Ilia!"

"H-Hey!" Ilia managed, blushing brightly.

"... Are we interrupting something?" Sage managed in his usual deadpan.

"No! Nooo, not at all!" Sun said with a smile and a blush, "She's uh... She's just more comfortable tied up!"

Ilia nodded rapidly.

"Yup! Very comfortable!"

Neptune blinked.

"... How comfortable?"

Sage and Scarlet looked at each other, communicated silently, and as one, grabbed Neptune by his shoulders and dragged him out.

"H-Hey, wait, hang on, it's a legitimate question damnit!"

August sighed in some relief as everyone settled back down to keep an eye on Moses. Save for Miss Winter, who had headed out to search the school with some Atlas soldiers. He was still worried about Cinder, but he was pretty confident everyone would be able to handle her. He knew the stories about Aunt Pyrrha, after all.

Speaking of which, he smiled warmly at the redhead.

"I uh, I just wanted to say, Aunt Pyrrha, I'm really glad you're still okay," he said. Pyrrha started, and stared at the tall teen.

"Oh?"

"Yeah! I've heard you weren't in a lot of other timelines," he said with a sigh, "And in mine. But I'm so glad you're good here. Mom and Dad had a memorial raised to you in the royal palace!"

"Oh, well, um, thank you," Pyrrha managed, flushing a bit in confusion, flattery, and some frustration.

His mother May frowned deeply, as did his father, and Xander.

"Royal Palace? What do you mean, August?" May asked. "Does your father become a king in our-um, I mean, your future?" She cast some nervous glances at some of the other girls.

"Eh? No, he's your..." August trailed off and his eyes widened. "Ohhh. Oh, this-this is before you find out. Dang, uh..."

"Find out what?" Jaune asked.

August winced.

"I-I really shouldn't say-The timeline's a big enough mess as it is-You really shouldn't-"

"Just tell them, dipshit!" Ash shouted with a glare. August coughed.

"Um... Dad? Arjun Sarkara is still your dad's best friend, right?"

"Yeah," Jaune said with a nod and a grin, "Uncle Arjun's the best! He's super busy but he and Aunt Saia show up for the holidays!"

Weiss, Blake, Pyrrha, and Emerald all gasped in shock. Arslan looked deeply startled.

"Wait, you don't mean King Arjun Sarkara of the Kingdom of Pandu, do you?" Weiss cried. Jaune blinked and shrugged.

"Well, yeah. He's my godfather."

Much staring.

"Why didn't you ever tell us?!" Nora shouted angrily. "I COULD HAVE BEEN A PRINCESS!"

"It's not that big a deal!" Jaune insisted. "When my parents helped him and Aunt Saia retake his throne from the Kaurava Crime Family-"

"Your dad and mom helped overthrow a government?!" Ruby gasped, eyes sparkling, "And restored an exiled prince to his throne?! THAT'S SO COOL!"

"Why didn't you tell us your family was so awesome?!" Yang demanded.

"I did," Jaune deadpanned. Yang and Ruby winced.

"Oh... I guess we weren't listening," Ruby conceded bashfully.

Blake looked immensely jealous for some reason, though she didn't voice her thoughts on the matter.

"That's... Wow," Pyrrha beamed, "To know you're the godson of King Arjun himself... He's such an inspiration! A noble warrior, a compassionate ruler-!"

"A fearsome fighter against corruption," Arslan nodded, as Petra nodded with her.

"Someone my father tried to buy out but failed," Weiss breathed in amazement.

"A cunning tactician," Ren added.

"And a snappy dresser!"

Everyone stared at Yang. She shrugged and grinned.

"Had to lighten the mood a little, right?"

"Mom," Xia moaned.

"Anyway, anyway!" August said quickly, "Um, their only daughter was kidnapped by Kaurava sympathizers when she was a baby... And thought lost and dead..." He shyly met his mother's eyes, "Until the Vytal Festival."

May's jaw dropped. Her dusky cheeks went bright red. She began to sway unsteadily even as she sat on her chair.

"Y-You mean... I'm... I'm...?"

"Uh, yeah," August coughed, "You're actually Maia Sarkara, the future Queen of Pandu. Dad's your consort... Maybe I should have mentioned it sooner?"

"HOW MANY HIDDEN PRINCESSES ARE AT THIS SCHOOL ANYWAY?!" Nora demanded.

Once again, May Zedong fainted.

Aboard a small Pandu airship, some distance to the north...

Arjun piloted the craft from the pilot's seat, while Nick was in the copilot seat. Notably, his controls were all shut down and triple-locked out.

Nick sighed and looked over at his best friend.

"This really isn't necessary. I learned my lesson last time, promise!"

"One airship crashing, I could forgive," Arjun stated, "Two? I could tolerate, if the circumstances warranted it. But you crashed three of my airships, Nick. No more piloting for you, ever."

"Oh come on!" Nick groaned. "That last one was a fluke!"

"Two would be a fluke, three is enemy action."

"Come on, I've been practicing!" Nick complained. "Tex let me in the simulator back in Radian! She said I was doing better!"

"You crashed the simulator."

"I didn't crash it as fast that time!"

Arjun rolled his eyes. Nick held his hands together with a pleading expression on his face.

"Come on Arjun! You have any idea how embarrassing it is to have to ask my wife or children to pilot me anywhere?"

Arjun sighed, checking their readouts. Everything was on course and looked good.

"Any more embarrassing than crashing every air vehicle you've ever tried to pilot?"

"Uggggh," Nick groaned, leaning his head back and fidgeting like the very mature adult he was.

Arjun then adopted a sly smile.

"Of course... I might be persuaded to be patient enough to teach you how to fly properly... If one of your daughters married my son."

Nick's head snapped up and he scowled.

"No."

"Oh come on!" Arjun groaned. "It would make us family! True family! That's something we've wanted forever!"

Nick wavered a bit.

"That's true, Arjun," Nick said, his voice thick with emotion, "You are my brother in every way but blood."

Arjun smiled, filled with the same manly emotions.

"And you too, my brother," Arjun nodded.

"But," Nick sighed, "Isabel made it very clear: No arranged marriages. Also, your son is twelve."

"Abhimanyu is very mature for his age!" Arjun protested. Nick gave him a deadpan look.

"Besides. Saphron is already married and a lesbian, Aqua is practically married and a disaster I wouldn't inflict on anyone, Lilac is engaged to Mercer Sith Junior, whom she's been in love with since childhood, Verdy and Coral would eat him alive, Tangy would probably depose him for the money, and Orchid would have to look up from her books for five minutes to take notice of him."

"... So Tangy and Orchid are my best bet?" Arjun asked.

Nick sighed. Arjun smiled.

"Come on. We would get to be together all the time to arrange their dates. We could do all the fun things our wives forbade us to do in the name of ensuring our children got married!"

"I know, damnit!" Nick sighed, "We could have had that with..." He hesitated.

Arjun sighed and nodded sadly.

"With Maia and Jaune. I know. But unless she's one of the eleven women your son knocked up? Abhimanyu it is."

Nick sighed.

"... Is he interested in video games?"

"A few."

"Well, that's a start for Orchid," Nick nodded, "Let's set it up!"

Chapter Text

Things were surprisingly calm in the aftermath of Cinder's departure. Sure Winter had led a quick yet efficient search of the school's grounds to confirm that Cinder had indeed left, but other than that not much exciting had happened before dinnertime rolled around. They decided as a group to eat in the infirmary in part to keep an eye on the slumbering Moses, and in part to avoid the rumor mill for just a little bit longer.

The dinner itself had been a somewhat tense affair at the start, but as the meal wore on things relaxed, and the air was filled with more pleasant conversation that carried on long after the meal was finished. Jaune looked over his children and their present mothers and took it all in. Seeing everyone more or less getting along despite the big fight that started the day did a lot to put him at ease. Jaune closed his eyes and for a moment he let the murmur of the mixing conversations wash over him, picturing himself in the dining room of a home he had imagined building one day. With his mind's eye, he took in his dream home and did his best to place each of his possible wives within it, trying to see how it would change under each woman's feminine touch.

He could picture Ruby cleaning her beloved Crescent Rose right there at the dinner table, popping out of her chair as the timer buzzed signifying it was time to take the snickerdoodles out of the oven. The vision shifted and he could see Yang corralling a small herd of blonde kids into their seats. Another shift saw Pyrrha tutoring a pair of redheads with homework strewn about the table. Shifting again put Weiss at a piano in the far corner of the room, helping a platinum blond girl find the perfect pitch. A shift and a young cat faunus snuck up on Blake in an effort to ambush their mother, only for Blake to use her semblance and reverse the ambush at the last moment to the shrieking delight of the child.

It was a bit harder to envision the women he was less familiar with in that dream home, but as Jaune squinted his metaphorical eye he could see it. He could see Arslan with him at the head of the table, reading a story from The Good Book to a set of attentive children. He could picture May comforting a child who had scraped their knee. Winter congratulating a boy for a job well done. Glynda organizing a group of children for the post-meal cleanup. Emerald cradling an infant in her arms.

Jaune was pulled from this reverie as he tried to envision Cinder in his dream home by a slight hiss of pain not far from his right. He opened his eyes and looked to see Xia rubbing at a bruise on her wrist.

"You got me good Petra," Xia admitted, "I'm kind of surprised you don't normally fight with hook swords."

"Well I can't exactly use my Chain Sickle when sparing against Aunt Pyrrha, so I decided to broaden my weaponry repertoire for those spars," Petra explained. "Those wooden hook swords are the alternatives that felt the most natural to me, so I always used them for my fights with Pyrrha."

"You must spar with her a lot if you're that good with a substitute weapon," Xia observed as she poked at another bruise on her tummy.

"Pyrrha's one of the few people who can keep up with my Mother and Father, so I spar with her every chance I get," Petra explained as she prodded a bruise on her neck. "Who taught you how to do the suplex you used on me? I'm going to be feeling this for weeks."

The protection granted by Aura could be a funny thing at times; it could keep you from getting crushed by a ton of bricks all day every day so long as you had it active, yet it didn't always keep you from getting bruised. If you did get bruises it usually meant the natural healing provided by your Aura was dealing with more important injuries so there wasn't enough left over to deal with the bruise. In those cases, there was nothing to do besides treating the bruise gently and waiting for things to heal naturally.

Jaune frowned. There was nothing to do...

...There was something he could do. Jaune shook his head ruefully as he got out of his seat and walked up to his daughters. He placed his hands on their shoulders and flexed his newfound semblance, pushing some of his aura into their aura reserves. Both Xia and Petra stopped talking as their father's soul embraced theirs. Within moments the bruises were gone as if they were never there in the first place.

"Thanks, Dad," Xia beamed.

"Thank you, Father," Petra smiled.

"You're welcome," Jaune smiled back. From the familiar happiness on their faces, this was something he normally did. Would do. Could do. Should do. He patted his daughter's shoulders and moved on to help everyone else with their bruises and sprains.

He quietly moved through the throng topping off people's aura reserves as he went, starting with his children figuring they wouldn't need an explanation for what he was doing. As he went about his work he overheard several peculiar conversations.

"...So that's why I think no-bake oatmeal cookies are better than oatmeal raisin cookies," August shrugged.

Julian squinted at his paradox half-sibling, "Blasphemer. How can you call it a cookie if you don't cook it?"

"...Pure gold doesn't go with your complexion," Amethyst advised Dorothy, "Silver or copper-colored jewelry would be a much better bet."

"...I don't care how good your reflexes are," Nicholas objected to Theodore, "Blocking a guy who gets too close with a shield would be a lot safer than blocking with martial arts. Get a shield man."

"...You guys the only set of twins in your timeline?" Ash asked Leandra.

"Not even close," the catgirl grinned.

It didn't take long before he had topped off all of his children, and he turned his attention to his potential wives. Their conversations were just as varied.

"...Wait wait wait, you mean you're a legit nun?" Yang asked with confusion in her voice.

"I am," Arslan answered, "Why is this a surprise to you?"

"Well, you have a daughter over there," Yang waved in Petra's direction, "Are you going to quit?"

Arslan heaved the heavy sigh of someone who's had to explain something far too often for their liking. "Monasteries of the Broken Table don't practice celibacy, we practice chastity."

"There's a difference?" Yang tilted her head.

"Yes, there is," Arslan affirmed, "Chastity is the idea that carnal relations should only happen within the bounds of a divinely sanctioned marriage, and is built upon the commandment to not commit adultery. Celibacy is the idea that carnal relations shouldn't happen ever under any circumstances; it is a heresy practiced by monasteries of the Ash Bride. People who don't like the Church will frequently conflate our monastic traditions with theirs in the hopes that the confusion will make learning the teachings of the Table Breaker less appealing."

Blake butted in at that point, "So you're saying I can be a real sexy nun, wear a real sexy nun outfit, and still have sex?"

Arslan pinched the bridge of her nose, "The answer to that question is yes, but the way you asked it makes me want to say no."

"...Neither of us are princesses, but we both grew up in high society," Weiss gestured to Winter as she talked with May, "Both of us would be more than happy to coach you on proper etiquette before you find yourself in a situation where you'd need to use that etiquette."

"Right, right," May answered in a haunted tone, "Um... when movies show fancy dinner parties they always make jokes about the absurd amount of silverware... and how you can offend someone by grabbing the wrong fork or spoon... that's not real, is it?"

"It's real," Winter spoke this time, "Unfortunately. But a sniper of your caliber has the brains necessary to learn these things quickly. You'll be fine."

"...So if I'm dead in Julian's future," Pyrrha whispered to Ruby, "How did he know how to make an add-on for Crescent Rose that would make it invisible to Polarity?"

"Some tech-whizz bad guy is going to invent a magnetic sensor system for an army of evil robots," Ruby whispered back, "He showed me photos of the robots: It's going to be so cool fighting them together!"

It took him a little bit longer to slip into and out of those conversations as he sought to top off their aura reserves, he needed to explain what he was doing after all, but he did it. He felt a bit stretched out afterward, yet knowing none of his present-future family would be dealing with any aches or pains tomorrow made that stretched-out feeling worth it.

Just before he could settle down again to let the rolling sounds of the disparate conversations wash over him again the doors to the infirmary were dramatically flung open by an invisible force, and Glynda Goodwitch strode in.

His combat instructor (and potential future wife) looked far less put together than she normally did; her cape was askew, her hair was popping out of her bun, and her stride was off-tempo. Despite this, she looked over the crowd and announced with dignity:

"It. Is. Finished."

"Uhhh... what's finished?" Ruby asked for everyone.

"I've contacted everyone's parents," Glynda explained, "All of them should be arriving sometime tomorrow to help sort all of this out."

A new wave of murmuring washed over the room; some of it excited, most of it nervous. Yet before this din could grow much louder Ashley's voice cut through all of it as she heckled: "I bet you missed someone!"

Glynda blinked owlishly in response to that, and the sight of that was so unusual it ground all of the murmurings to a halt. The deputy headmistress then pointed into the crowd and to everyone's surprise started a headcount.

"I called Isabel Arc," Glynda pointed to Jaune, who nodded in resigned acceptance. "I called Taiyang," Glynda pointed to Ruby and Yang, with Ruby squeaking while Yang blanched. "I called Willow," she pointed to Weiss and Winter, who shared a surprised look. "I called Athena," she pointed to Pyrrha, who put on a strained smile. "I called Kali and Ghira," she pointed to Blake, who suddenly looked like she wanted to hide behind something. "I called Logos and Basara," she pointed to Arslan, who nodded in acceptance like Jaune albeit slightly less resined. "Everyone else is listed as an orphan so yes I contacted everyone."

"May here isn't actually an orphan," Leandra supplied with a grin in her voice, "She was kidnapped as a baby and presumed dead, so everyone just thought she was an orphan!"

Glynda looked at May Zedong like a cow looks at an oncoming train, "Who are your parents?"

May sputtered from being put on the spot like that, so Jaune stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder before answering in her stead, "Her parents are the other half of my parents' Beacon team; Arjun and Saia."

Glynda took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes with her free hand, "Of course they are. I'll be back after I've called them-"

"WAIT! Don't Call Them Yet!" May shouted to her surprise. Glynda looked back at her with a raised eyebrow, and May found it within herself to keep going, "I only found out about them a few hours ago. I'd kind of like some more time to adjust to the idea before I have to meet them. Would, would that be alright?"

Glynda stared at the young sniper, who fidgeted a bit under the deputy headmistress' gaze. Glynda then closed her eyes and sighed, "I'll call them tomorrow."

"Thank you," May sagged a bit as tension left her body. Jaune smiled at May before turning to Glynda and frowning at the frazzled state she was in.

"Ms. Goodwitch? Are you okay?" Jaune asked as he approached his teacher.

"I'm fine," Glynda replied in a tone that wasn't a perfect facsimile of fine, "Today's just been one of those days."

"Yeah, it's been one of those days all around," Jaune agreed. "You looked kind of drained, let me help." He put his hand on her shoulder and flexed his semblance.

"Mr. Arc, what are you-?" Glynda started before the rush of Jaune's aura flowed into her body, rejuvenating her and pushing away the stress of the day.

"My semblance lets me share my aura with other people," Jaune explained. "I'm still figuring out how it works, but I've used it enough over the last hour to know how to top off someone else's reserves and... ...oh," Jaune suddenly felt lightheaded, and the stretched-out feeling stretched beyond a point it probably shouldn't, "...I guess... I was... closer to empty... than I... thought..."

Jaune's eyes closed as he fell forward face-first into Glynda's bosom.

--------------------

Silence hung in the air as everyone stared. Soft snoring escaped Jaune's lips as he slept half-standing with the support of Glynda, who's face blushed a deep crimson as the sleeping young man nuzzled closer to the soft things he had landed against.

Winter slowly approached the two of them and gently pulled Jaune away from the frozen Professor. Jaune remained asleep, even as Winter moved him into a chair. She let a nurse give him a quick one over: simple aura exhaustion, he'd sleep it off.

"It's a bit early to turn in for the night," Winter observed after the nurse's prognosis, "But it isn't too early to do so at any rate. I'll take him to my quarters so he can rest up."

"YOUR Quarters!" Glynda sputtered. "Why would you take him to your quarters?"

"Cinder Fall has a proven capability to sneak onto and out of school grounds undetected," Winter explained as she pulled out her scroll and started typing orders into it. "As long as she's free the two central figures of this temporal paradox are at risk. I'll organize a security detail to make this location as safe as possible for Moses, and I'll take Jaune to the most secure location I know on campus; my quarters." Winter looked up from her scroll and came to the sudden realization that she was surrounded.

"Why are your quarters the safest place on campus?" Pyrrha asked with a frighteningly polite smile.

"I know every possible avenue of approach," Winter tried to justify her idea, "And Theodore will be with us, meaning we can rapidly relocate Jaune if Cinder shows up. We can stand guard over him as he recovers."

"If it's a question of keeping Jaune protected he should be with Team RWBY," Yang cracked her knuckles. "Us plus our kids equals nine huntresses and huntsmen to keep watch. Can't get much safer than that."

"The security systems we brought from Atlas more than make up the numbers difference," Winter looked to her sister for support. "You've seen what I've done to my room, tell them."

"That would leave you alone with him," Weiss narrowed her eyes at her sister.

"Theodore would be with us!" Winter pointed out as she began to comprehend the real objection.

"Theodore could step out," Weiss' eyes narrowed further.

"And it's better with all of you?" Emerald glared at the girls of RWBY as she stepped up besides Pyrrha, "Team JNPR's dorm is right across the hall from yours; you don't need to have him in your room to help keep him safe. Unless you have some kind of team plan involving him."

The girls of Team RWBY made scandalized noises at that accusation. But before they could fire back Arslan stepped forward with her hands outstretched in a placating manner.

"Hold on a moment," Arslan began in a beseeching manner, "If trust is a primary concern here then I should watch over him. My vows as a Warrior-Nun of the Broken Table forbid any promiscuous behavior outside of marriage, and with Reese here," Reese waved, "To keep me honest you can be certain nothing with happen tonight."

Blake fixed Arslan with a wild eyed expression, "You'll just sneak off with him to a drive through chapel and elope!"

Arslan's eyes became unfocused as shock overtook her features, "Drive through chapels are a thing in Vale? That's an option?" Most of the women present eyed Arslan with suspicion. Blake's teammates eyed her with the same suspicion.

"Alright that's enough," Glynda blustered, "As deputy headmistress I'll watch over him. My reputation as a rule keeper is ironclad, you can trust me with him."

"That's exactly what somebody about to abuse their power would say!" Emerald accused, and everyone's glare shifted to Glynda in solidarity with that accusation.

"Well he's My best friend-" Ruby started.

"I've loved him since the day we met!" Pyrrha objected over her.

"We know," Team RWBY and Glynda replied as one, before splitting off to accuse each other of trying to weasel out an advantage over the others.

The argument circled about for several minutes like this, with nobody willing to give ground and the volume of their voices slowly getting louder and louder.

Eventually Reese rolled her eyes and pulled out her Hoverboard, switching it into its' gun formation of twin revolvers with bayonets. She fired two shots into the air. Instantly all of Jaune's potential wives had their weapons out and pointed at Reese, except for Arslan who was staring at her teammate in confusion.

"Now that I have your attention let me just say as someone with very little skin in this game that this is pointless," Reese began, "Considering the fact that Ren, Nora and all the kids took Jaune to JNPR's dorm room while you've been arguing."

They all looked to the chair that Jaune had been in when the argument started. He wasn't there.

It wasn't exactly a mad dash. It was a little more organized than that. That being said the group made good time from the infirmary to the dorms.

The door was ajar, and they crowded around to look in. Ren and Nora fixed the lot of them with a glare and Nora held a finger to her lips in the near universal shushing gesture. Jaune was in his bed, the children gathered round.

"Goodnight Dad," Julian whispered.

"Night Dad," Xia also whispered.

"Sleep tight Dad," Leander and Leandra murmured in tandem.

And so it went down the line, each child wishing Jaune a good night's rest in a hushed tone before shuffling out of the room.

The potential future wives looked at one another with embarrassment in their eyes.

"Umm... we... we'll be across the hall if you need us," Ruby whispered to Nora who was still giving everyone the skink eye.

"We'll, we'll sleep somewhere else," Pyrrha whispered as she and Emerald made their way into the room and grabbed their pillows and blankets, not wanting to be under Nora's suspicious glare longer than they had to be, "I think there's an empty room down the hall."

A few more awkward farewells were exchanged, and everyone separated to turn in early for the night.

Chapter Text

Blake was very good at faking being asleep. Her mother had trained her in the art of the kunoichi, and she'd been a very good student. So she waited until everyone was asleep, snoring away softly, before she made her move.

Granted, this was more difficult than usual. Everyone was on high alert. Who wouldn't be, with what was on the line?

Blake though... Well... The simple fact was? While she might have sniffed at Yang's brash competitiveness... She didn't like to lose any more than anyone else.

Less, in fact.

She left a shadow clone in her bed as she stole out through an air vent, sparing a loving glance at her sleeping twins before she moved out. She slithered her way through it like a snake out to an empty dormroom. She dropped down, and went out the window. Scaling the side of the dormitory, she snuck to the other side across the roof and dropped down on ninja claws to the window.

She peered in, eyes locked on Jaune's sleeping form. He looked so peaceful in the bed, an innocent smile on his face.

Blake scrutinized the other inhabitants of the room: Nora and Ren were fast asleep in the adjacent bed, Nora snoring loud enough a normal person could hear it through the glass. Well, no matter.

It would help her plan, which was not impulsive or misguided!

It was perfectly simple: Take Jaune somewhere isolated and talk with him. Just talk. Nothing more. If the subject of eloping came up naturally, well, who was she to refuse her future husband?

She slowly opened the window, and crept inside. She crouched over Jaune, staying up over him as though she was about to do a pushup. She smiled down at him.

I didn't realize he was so handsome... I didn't pay him any attention because I was so wrapped up in my own affairs, she thought, But I promise you Jaune, for the sake of our children, and our future, I will be completely unselfish and-!

AWOOGAH! AWOOGAH! AWOOGAH! AWOOGAH! AWOOGAH!

Blake screamed as Jaune shot up. He wrapped his arms around her and shoved her to the floor, looking around frantically.

"AH! ABANDON SHIP! MAN THE TORPEDOES! ABANDON-WHAT?!" Jaune shouted.

Blake squeaked and blushed. Okay, so... She wasn't totally inexperienced but a handsome, muscular man pinning her down to the floor was not something she'd experienced in a while...

"Hello Friend Blake!"

Blake looked up. She coughed as she beheld the upside down visage of Penny Polendina. The orange haired girl's eyes were glowing as she waved with a cheerful smile.

"Uh... Hello, Penny," Blake managed. She winced as Jaune stared down at her in shock. She winced more when Nora and Ren got up, murder in their eyes and their weapons in their hands.

"Uh, Penny? Why are you here?" Jaune asked groggily. "Blake... Same question...?"

Penny beamed.

"Friend Jaune! You have been deemed a Very Important Person and Vital National Asset by General Ironwood! As such, I have been assigned to your security detail! Your very existence is vital to the survival of mankind! Isn't that neat?"

"Uhhh... Yeah, but, don't you need to sleep?"

"No! But that's fine, as I am a perfectly normal human girl!" Penny chirped.

"Then why were you... Bleeping?" Jaune asked.

"Oh! That is my Virgin Alarm!" Penny explained, "My Father installed it-I mean gave it to me-To go off before a young male could on me! I have extended it to you to ensure you remain pure and unsullied!"

Jaune went bright red.

"P-PENNY!"

Blake's blush became incandescent.

"Do you remain unsullied?" Penny asked, tilting her head curiously.

"I-I mean-!"

Blake coughed. She didn't like drawing more attention to herself but... Well...

"Um... I was just... Making sure you were safe," Blake mumbled. Ren pulled Jaune up, and pushed him back into bed. Nora scowled at Blake and bonked her on the head lightly with her fist.

"OW!"

"No! Bad Kitty! No despoiling innocent maidens on our watch!" Nora declared.

"I'm not a maiden!" Jaune complained. Nora gasped.

"Who took you, Jaune? Who despoiled you? WHO VIOLATED MY BABY BOY?!" She hugged him tightly, and glared at Blake. "You?!"

"N-NO! I didn't even get that far!" Blake said defensively. At everyone's looks, she continued her weak self-defense: "Not that I was planning on that sort of thing!"

"How dare you, Blake!"

Everyone started and looked out the window. Ruby was scowling at them from the sill, her cape waving dramatically in the wind.

"You snuck out and tried to-to make off with Jaune, didn't you?!"

"No I didn't!" Blake insisted. "I-I just wanted to talk!"

"Why are you here, Friend Ruby?" Penny asked. Ruby blushed.

"Um... To check on Jaune?" Ruby offered weakly.

"Uh huh," Ren stated flatly, "Which is what the rest of you are doing here, too?"

"Rest of-?" Ruby asked, before Ren opened the closet door. Pyrrha, dressed in black workout clothes with a mask tied under her nose, yelped as she stumbled out.

"PYRRHA!" Ruby hissed.

"RUBY!" Pyrrha gasped. She looked at Jaune and blushed furiously. "It-It's not what it looks like!"

"Wow! That's very impressive to sneak into the closet without me sensing you!" Penny complimented her. Pyrrha flushed darker.

"I um... I'm very flexible... But-But I didn't have anything nefarious planned for Jaune! Honest!"

"Y-Yeah! Nothing nefarious! Maybe some kissing!" Ruby said defensively. "B-Besides! I'm not the only one-LOOK!"

She pointed at a corner. A moment later, Emerald appeared as the former thief's illusion dropped. She flushed.

"I just wanted to check up on him," she said lamely.

Nora scowled.

"Anyone else? Come on!" She shook her hammer ominously.

The front door opened. Glynda, Winter and Yang guiltily shuffled in. The air vent overhead popped open and Weiss slid out. Arslan poked her head in from the other door into the dorm. May poked her head out of the closet, cringing at everyone's incredulous looks. Ruby scowled at her sister.

"Yang?! Really?!" Ruby demanded.

"I was just going to talk to VB! Maybe look at the stars or-or something," Yang defended herself.

"Sister? Really?" Weiss demanded, brushing her dress off. Winter scowled, though her red cheeks betrayed her.

"I was doing a security sweep! It-It is my job!"

"The Deputy Headmistress does need to check on the students," Glynda defended herself.

"I just wanted to talk to Jaune in private," Arslan admitted. At everyone's stare, she shrugged. "There is no use in lying."

"There's plenty of use in lying!" Emerald said defensively.

"How did I not notice you?" Pyrrha demanded of May. The sniper blushed.

"Um... I-I'm very good at sneaking around."

"You gotta teach me that," Emerald said, impressed.

"ENOUGH!" Ren barked, raising his voice for the first time ever. Even Penny looked taken aback. He glared around the room. "All of you go. To. Bed. You can work things out with Jaune when it's daytime and he's awake. All of you!"

There was a great deal of grumbling but all the would-be Future Brides departed save for Blake, Pyrrha, and Ruby at the window.

Blake looked over at Jaune. Despite his embarrassment (or perhaps because of it), he had passed out again and was softly snoring.

"R-Right," Pyrrha said, looking very guilty.

"Goodnight everyone," Ruby managed, just as abashed.

"Ahem, sorry," Blake added. She went out of the window with Ruby, Pyrrha joining them a moment later. Penny leaned out of the window, smiled, and waved.

"Goodnight, Friends! I hope your romance goes well!" She said happily.

"Thanks Penny," Ruby mumbled.

The three of them stood on the roof in awkward silence. Ruby then held up her chin and scowled.

"No more stupid junk... Agreed?"

"Agreed," Blake and Pyrrha sighed.

"At least until tomorrow," Blake muttered.

"What?" The other girls asked.

"Nothing!"

Nora grumbled as she made sure Jaune was tucked in.

"Stupid freaking harems, so noisy and inconsiderate," Nora huffed. She beamed at Ren. "I'm so glad we're not degenerates like them, aren't you Renny?"

"I don't think Jaune is a degenerate," Ren said smoothly, as he cleaned up what had fallen out of the closet.

"Well of course he isn't," Nora stated, hugging the sleeping Jaune to her chest, "Aw, my pure captain!"

"I find the entire situation fascinating," Penny chirped, "Time travel and complex human romantic interactions? The data I am processing is sensational!"

She blanched.

"Uh..."

"Which is exactly what a normal human girl would say!" Nora said happily. Penny beamed.

"Correct, Friend Nora!"

"Great!" Nora cheered. She pulled Ren down onto the bed and hugged him. "Mm... Though... I am a little disappointed."

"Why?" Ren asked.

Nora pouted.

"Well... Why didn't our future kids show up? None of them thought that grabbing onto a guy with a time travel Semblance when it was overloading was cool?" She sighed. "Where did we go wrong?"

"We'll have to correct that when we have them," Ren said, patting his childhood friend/partner/future wife on the head. Nora pouted and snuggled up to him.

"We'd better!"

Somewhere in Mistral...

Raven Branwen enjoyed her solitude. As fearsome a warrior as she was, even she needed a break from time to time. She lounged in the bedroom of a manse whose owners had been devoured by Grimm, luxuriating in the fine robes they had left in their marble finished bathroom. The hot bath had left the room filled with steam, and it felt so good to relax after being immersed in hot water.

It was fortunate they'd saved this home after dealing with the Grimm they had unleashed. They would have to move on, but maybe this village would make for an effective hideout in the future. For the bathroom, if nothing else.

Not that she would tell her followers that. To the strongest went the spoils. She had earned this.

Her Scroll went off. Her eyebrow twitched in some annoyance. She let it ring for a while, before she very slowly reached out, picked it up, and slid it open.

"This had better be good, Khan," she stated flatly to the leader of the White Fang. The tiger Faunus scowled back at her through the screen.

"We have a significant opportunity here," she stated, "Tell me... How would you like the full support of Menagerie? Not just the White Fang?"

Raven's eyes narrowed.

"I'm listening."

"Ghira and Kali Belladonna are heading to Beacon," Sienna went on, "My sources tell me they went very quickly, with only a minor security detail. If you were to assassinate them... I could seize control of Menagerie."

Raven kept her face a steely mask. Inwardly, she pondered the possibilities.

Having an ascendant Minor Kingdom in her debt was an appealing prospect. Slaughtering such weak leaders who had somehow gotten such power was also appealing. However, Raven Branwen was not stupid.

"If I do so, your people will want my head," Raven stated. Sienna shook her head.

"I can spin it easily. Most people do not know you are the Bandit Queen. Only that you were once part of a prominent Vale hunter team. It will look like Ozpin wanted the leaders of Menagerie dead. That is to both our advantages."

Raven pondered this for a moment.

"It will not come cheap."

"I will not be cheap," Sienna said, "Imagine what you could accomplish with our full backing. The kind of kingdom you could build."

Raven snorted.

"I have no interest in settling down and becoming soft."

"Then make slaves handle the busywork, rule as the warrior queen you wish to be," Sienna stated, "But this opportunity is too great to ignore."

Raven slowly nodded. As much as she hated to admit it, the Faunus had a point.

"When do they arrive?"

"Tomorrow morning. I'm sending you their itinerary," Sienna said, and the info popped up on her screen, "Remember: They both need to die."

"What about their daughter?" Raven asked.

Sienna smirked.

"Leave her to me. I turned her when she was in a spot of emotional turmoil before: I can do it again. Through her? We will have Menagerie."

Raven hummed... Then nodded.

"It will be done."

"Good... Though fair warning: Your ex husband and brother might also be there."

Raven smirked.

"They won't be a problem..."

"See that they aren't."

The call ended. Raven stretched her arms up over her head and sighed softly.

She was going to get some sleep. Best to be rested before causing worldwide chaos.

That was one thing she agreed with Summer on.

Chapter Text

Jaune stood in the middle of the Beacon Star-Maiden Courtyard. It was night, the stars and the broken moon shone high overhead. It was so bright it was like it was daytime. He looked around, seeing no one else around.

"Hello?" He called out. His voice echoed throughout the trees and marble pillars and fountains. No one answered, as he wandered through. "Hello? Anyone?"

"D-Dad..."

Jaune looked and gaped as he saw Julian lying on the ground. He ran over to him, and began doing the emergency medical checks his mother had drilled into him and his siblings. Julian looked up faintly, his eyes pale and glassy.

"Julian! Julian, hey! Are you okay? What happened?" Jaune asked.

Julian sniffled, and tears fell from his eyes. His hands desperately grabbed onto him, and his eyes were wide.

"Please... D-Dad... Don't erase me," he begged, "Please... I-I'm scared..."

Jaune felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned. His jaw dropped as he saw Xander staggering there, his very being fading in and out like a bad special effect from an old movie.

"Pl-Please Dad... She's loved you... Loved you for so long..."

"W-What about me?" Xia begged, now at his feet as she flickered like a bad lightbulb. She looked up into his eyes. "Please Daddy... It hurts...!"

The rest of his children appeared, all desperate. All crying. Theodore were glitching like a character in a buggy game. Ash and Ashley were burning away, like paper caught on fire. August fell over, clutching his stomach as he began to dissolve into dust.

Amethyst simply faded away, as Nicholas fell to his knees and pixels ran over his body. Petra was praying, crying for her mother, for him, for God to spare her. Leander and Lea sobbed as they sank into darkness. Dorothy wept as she melted, and looked up with a distorted face.

"Dad!"

"Daddy! Help us!"

"SAVE US DADDY! PLEASE!"

"Don't you love us, Dad?! PLEASE!"

"PLEASE CHOOSE!"

Jaune's hands went to the side of his head. He was hyperventilating as fear and horror and grief filled his entire being.

DO SOMETHING! His mind screamed. DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING!

"I-I can't!" Jaune shouted. "Who can I choose?! I don't want to lose you all! I-I can't just choose one! I CAN'T! I CAN'T!"

They all faded away. A terrible cold wind blew through the courtyard. Jaune fell to his knees, and sobbed.

"I can't... I couldn't...! I couldn't...!"

"J-Jaune..."

He looked up. He was in the ruins of Ozpins' office. Everything was on fire, wrecked. He spotted Pyrrha, bloodied, bruised, and on her knees. Arrows stuck out of her chest. Cinder stood in front of her, flames burning in her palm and a cruel smile on her face.

"J-Jaune... Please..." Pyrrha cried. "Please... Save me...!"

"PYRRHA!"

He couldn't move. WHY COULDN'T HE MOVE?!

The flames erupted from Cinder's hand, and Pyrrha screamed as she was consumed.

"NO! PYRRHA!" Jaune screamed.

"J-Jaune..." He looked around. May, Emerald, Arslan, and Glynda lay in the ruins, bloodied, dying. Again he couldn't move, he couldn't do anything...!

"Please..." Glynda rasped through a mouth full of blood. May faded away, tears rolling down her cheeks. Arslan was already dead, pierced by many arrows, her head bowed as through in prayer in her last moments. Emerald tried to speak, but a glass arrow from Cinder punched through her chest, and she went still. Jaune looked back at Cinder, who loomed over him like a giant.

"You could have stopped this," Cinder hissed, as her face melted and she transformed into some hideous Grimm-like abomination, "You could have stopped all of this...!"

"N-No! I don't even-!"

"JAUNE!"

He was older. His hair was cut short. His armor was different. He was standing on a bridge in a metal city-Atlas, he thought. He looked down, and gaped in horror. Penny lay there in pieces, a hand desperately reaching out to him.

"Jaune... Please..." She begged. "Please... You can end this... Please...!"

He lifted his sword up and brought it down on Penny. No matter how hard he resisted, his blade went right through her.

"NO! NO! STOP-NO!"

"JAUNE!"

He was old, and wore rusted armor. The land around him was a topsy-turvy kaleidoscope of color and madness. He turned and saw Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang sinking into oblivion. A horrifying cat monster loomed over them on one side, as a female figure, pale and white, stood on the other.

"JAUNE!" Ruby screamed. "HELP US! PLEASE! WHY AREN'T YOU HELPING US?!"

"SAVE US!" Weiss shrieked desperately.

"WHY CAN'T YOU EVER HELP?!" Blake roared. "WHY CAN'T YOU EVER SAVE ANYONE?!"

"JAUNE! DON'T ABANDON ME! PLEASE!" Yang bellowed.

He couldn't move... He couldn't move...!

"MOVE! MOVE, PLEASE!" Jaune screamed. "PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU! MOVE!"

His mother walked into view, his father alongside her.

"You couldn't save anyone, Jaune," Isabel Arc stated, "We told you: We were expecting you to come home. You should have listened."

"Now you've lost everything," Nick sighed, "Everyone is dead... Everyone is gone... Because you couldn't step up."

"You should have come home, Jaune," Isabel said, as RWBY's screams cut off, "You shouldn't have even tried."

"No... No... Please...!" Jaune wept. "PLEASE...!"

Cold water splashed over his face. Jaune woke up, his heart racing a mile a minute in his chest. gasping for breath.

"Friend Jaune?"

He looked over at Penny, standing there with a concerned look on her face. Ren held a bucket of water. Nora stood by him, another bucket ready to go.

"P-Penny... Penny, you okay?" He asked, reaching out to squeeze her wrist. Penny smiled.

"I am functioning at 100 percent capacity! ... As I am a perfectly normal human girl," she added quickly. Her concerned look returned. "Are you okay?"

Jaune couldn't meet the eyes of his friends.

"... I-I'm fine," he mumbled. "I'm fine... J-Just a nightmare."

"You're sure?" Nora asked. "You want to talk about it? It helps me to talk about! Like this one time, I dreamed I was fighting the King of the Potato People in a gingham dress and-"

"NO!" Jaune barked out harshly. Ren's eyesbrows rose, as Nora gasped. Penny blinked a few times. Jaune shook his head, and held his hands up apologetically.

"N-No... I'm sorry Nora. I just... I-I don't think I can talk about this. Not right now."

"... Okay," Nora said softly. The softest he'd ever heard her. He pushed himself onto his feet and reached out to squeeze her hand. He forced his face into a reassuring smile.

"It's okay... It's not your fault. I'm sorry," he said quietly.

Nora nodded slowly, but didn't meet his eyes.

"You are under a lot of stress," Ren observed softly. "You should go out. Clear your mind."

"Y-Yeah... Yeah... Thanks Ren," Jaune said with a more genuine smile. "I... I think I'll do just that."

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Jaune relaxed against the bulkhead of the Bullhead airship, smiling a bit as he sat on the bench. Arslan was on one side of him, while Emerald was on the other. Yang and Ruby were across the passenger compartment, Ruby still pouting a bit. May lingered near them with Pyrrha, sitting on the bench. Weiss and Blake were squabbling again nearby, while their various kids all watched with varying levels of exasperation or amusement. Winter stood nearby Penny and Glynda ahead, closer to the cockpit.

"It was nice going to church again, I guess," Yang commented.

Emerald shrugged.

"I've only been there to uh... Rob them. Or for free food," she admitted.

"I found it fascinating!" Penny chirped, "How about you, Friend Ruby?"

"It was kind of boring, though the singing part was fun!" Ruby enthused.

Arslan nodded.

"Pastor Trenton does tend to ramble," she admitted, "But he does have great insights."

"It's been a long time since I had a Sunday off," Glynda said, clearing her throat a bit. Winter nodded.

"S-Same," she said.

"I do not believe in the same way," Pyrrha admitted, "But I did like the sense of fellowship."

Weiss broke off her argument with Blake and sighed. She stalked over, standing in front of Jaune. Blake was only a step behind, still scowling at her.

"Church back in Atlas was just an excuse for my father to look good," Weiss sniffed, "So... This wasn't all bad."

"If you could stop making business connections for five minutes," Blake snorted.

"You couldn't shut up about Faunus and religion!" Weiss shot back.

"We did have to pull you away twice, Blake," Yang grinned, "Guess we shouldn't have let the cat out of the bag, huh?"

"Ugh," Ruby and Blake groaned. Penny laughed.

"Ahahaha! Because she is a Cat Faunus! Hilarious!"

Everyone stared at Penny for a bit. Jaune sighed.

"Yeah, that is kind of funny," he said, though he looked carefully at Blake. She flushed and shook her head.

"It... I'm fine, really," she assured them, "I know I have a tendency to be... Uh..."

"Thin-skinned?" Weiss snorted.

"Look who's talking!" Blake growled.

"Wow, it's like we didn't even go back in time," Theodore observed. Winter scowled.

"Theodore!"

"Am I wrong?" He posed to his sort-of siblings. All the other kids nodded or avoided looking at their parents.

"He really isn't," Leander said.

"You guys just seem to fight for fun," Leandra stated. "I thought that's how you made friends. Boy, was my face red after I argued with half my class."

"Same," Nicholas moaned.

Jaune laughed. A few others did, too. His eyes rested on May, who had not stopped looking pensive and nervous since they set out.

"Hey, May? You okay?" Jaune asked kindly.

Pyrrha hesitated before she squeezed the shorter girl's shoulder. May took a deep breath.

"I-I'm fine," she mumbled, "I'm just... Uh... I mean, the service was nice! My parents... Adopted parents, I guess... Practiced the Pandu religion um, I did go to a few Tablebreaker churches... Mainly for the free food."

"It's about your parents, huh?" Emerald asked, though not unkindly. May flushed and nodded. She snorted and leaned back.

"Hey, at least you still have some."

"Speak for yourself," Weiss muttered.

"You have nothing to worry about, May," Glynda said in a gentler tone than usual. "Arjun and Saia went to Beacon with me. I know their characters. They are wonderful people."

"They do love my family, me, and their son very much," Jaune further encouraged her, getting up to stand across from her with a warm smile. "My dad told me how devastated they were to lose you. I know they'll love you."

May winced.

"I... I did name my son after the man who kidnapped me," she mumbled. August walked over to his mother and shook his head.

"Grandpa Arjun understood. The guy wasn't a monster. I mean, yeah, he took you away, but he did try to raise you and loved you," August said kindly. "You have a great relationship with them in my time!"

"This is going to be pretty awkward for all of us," Yang sighed, "But hey. Least your parents are good people, right?"

"R-Right," May mumbled. Ruby beamed and bumped her happily.

"And hey! You're a princess now! Isn't that neat?"

May looked far more frightened than she had before. Ruby winced as the sniper girl began to mutter under her breath.

"Um, whoops?"

"It's all right," Glynda said kindly, "You will all meet your parents, and we'll sort this all out in a calm, rational manner."

Pyrrha winced. Jaune looked over at the redhead. Arslan also looked concerned. Pyrrha sighed.

"Y-Yeah... Sure," she muttered.

"What about your parents, Miss Goodwitch?" Jaune asked, trying to distract from Pyrrha's reluctance. "Um, I mean, I'll do my best-"

"You needn't worry about it," Glynda said calmly, "They died in a Grimm attack when I graduated Beacon."

Much wincing occurred. Jaune walked up to Glynda and hesitated before he extended an arm to rest on her bicep comfortingly.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. Glynda nodded.

"I've... Had time to process and grieve, but thank you," she said. Winter nodded in sympathy.

"It will... Be difficult. More for some than others," she said carefully, "But I'm... I'm confident we will resolve everything."

"If Mother even bothers to show up," Weiss grumbled.

"She will arrive today; she said so herself," Glynda said calmly.

Winter and Weiss wore identical grimaces at this. Jaune shook his head, and Ruby stood by him.

"Like Winter said, I'm confident we'll resolve everything," he said with a smile. He looked at his many children. "Right?"

"Well," Xia mumbled, rubbing the back of her head, "Uh, I mean, mostly? Though I think Aunt Ruby is still kind of pining for you in my timeline, Dad."

"I am?!" Ruby gasped.

"She is?" Yang growled.

"And you're still single and just wandering around in mine," Julian volunteered. "I like your cats, though! They're friendly!"

"Urk!" Yang gasped.

Blake looked extremely smug. Theodore hummed.

"Really? In my timeline, Auntie Blake was cheating on Uncle Sun and Aunt Yang, and it caused a huge scandal."

"Ack!" Blake cried. Yang glared at the cat Faunus. Weiss smirked at her.

"Weird," Amethyst hummed, "Auntie Weiss keeps visiting our house in skimpier and skimpier clothing. You're super annoyed with it, Mom."

"I would never!" Weiss cried, her cheeks red. Emerald shot her a glare. Arslan sighed.

Well, at least her daughter wasn't stirring things up-.

"Oh? Aunt Pyrrha does the same thing!" Petra observed with a hint of mischief in her eyes, "Like, constantly. Even follows Dad into the bathroom sometimes!"

Arslan sighed in mild annoyance as Pyrrha went bright red.

"Yeah, same here," Ash smirked. The Invincible Girl squeaked.

"All the time, it's kind of getting weird," Theodore threw out, as Pyrrha looked faint.

"GUYS!" Xander cried, red-cheeked and scandalized.

Jaune groaned.

"Okay, enough of that!" He barked.

"Honestly, act your age!" Glynda added.

"We kind of are," Ash pointed out.

"Yeah," Ashley smirked, "And we're not students, so what are you gonna do?"

"I'll ground you," Jaune growled. "All of you."

"For what? We could be telling the truth, ya know!" Julian protested. Jaune's glare intensified. The children all winced.

"Sorry," they muttered in a confused chorus.

Jaune noticed that a lot of warm looks were being directed at him from his future wives. He did his best not to pay them any mind. He was just doing what his dad had done on many occasions. It wasn't anything special.

"That's better," Jaune said with a nod. He looked over at Penny. "When are we gonna get back to Beacon, Penny?"

The gynoid beamed.

"We will arrive in five minutes, twenty-seven seconds! However, we are being redirected to an auxiliary landing pad as there has been a massive incident at the main pads!"

"What kind of incident?" Glynda demanded, as the air of joviality fell away, and everyone got serious. Penny tilted her head.

"Some kind of attack-"

"Take us to the site of the attack immediately!" Winter barked to the pilot. The pilot winced.

"Er, ma'am, we've been told to"

"The directions are overridden by my authority and hers," Glynda stated firmly. "Get us there!"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Do you think our parents are involved?" Weiss asked worriedly.

"Come on Weisscream," Yang snorted, "What are the odds of that?"

They touched down and emerged onto the wrecked airship field. Several firefighting Bullheads were putting out fires with hoses, while a cordon was set up around the area to keep any onlookers away. Glynda almost immediately went to work, waving her riding crop and letting her Semblance begin to repair the damage to the grounds and various aircraft.

Near the center of this chaos, Jaune tensed. A familiar tall blonde man with a beard and gigantic sword cheerfully and loudly talked with Headmaster Ozpin, while an equally familiar shorter blonde woman in a green dress, lab coat, stockings, and glasses argued more seriously next to him. Several other people were around them. All of whom turned and looked over at the group emerging from the Bullhead.

"Pyrrha!"

"Mother, Orestes," Pyrrha returned, just before a redheaded woman in a red dress practically tackled her. It did nothing to the much stronger Pyrrha, but the dead-eyed look in her eyes was not faked at all. A dark-haired man with gray streaks in his hair and a black suit walked up, smoking in some exasperation as Pyrrha's mother cried out dramatically.

"MY PRECIOUS BABY! WHERE DID I GO WRONG?!" She wailed.

Pyrrha didn't even bother with a smile, she just looked exhausted. Xander gave her a nervous but encouraging smile.

"There there...?"

"BLAKE!"

"BLAKE!"

Blake cringed nervously as a tall panther Faunus man with dark clothing and a beard hugged her on one side, and an attractive older black cat Faunus woman in black robes hugged her on the other.

"You're pregnant! It's wonderful!" Kali cried happily.

"Where's Jaune Arc?! I'm going to beat him senseless!" Ghira growled. "And then find me, Adam! I'll rip HIM apart!"

"Uh, h-hey, Mom and Dad," she managed.

Weiss looked smug... Before her mother, butler, and little brother approached. Her eyes widened, and she cleared her throat.

"H-Hello Mother, Klein, Whitley," she managed. Winter stood by her, a bit awkwardly. Willow actually smiled.

"It's good to see you well... I can't tell you how... Um... Confused, I am. Though pleasantly." She looked over at Jaune with a blush.

"The spitting image of his father," she sighed.

"Mother?!" Winter and Weiss asked in disbelief. Klein raised an eyebrow as Whitley smirked.

"Congratulations on actually fornicating. I've heard that can be difficult for you two."

"WHITLEY!" Winter, Weiss, Willow, and Klein all shouted. The white haired boy winced.

"Wow, boy Weiss is kind of cute," Ruby observed.

"In a femboy sort of way," Emerald added.

Whitley flushed.

"I AM NOT A FEMBOY!" He protested angrily.

A tall blond man in a brown vest and shorts ran up and hugged Yang and Ruby, while a dark-haired man with a giant sword walked up to Jaune.

"Yang! Ruby! At last, you've fulfilled my dreams!" Taiyang cried.

"What dreams?" Yang demanded.

"Marrying a well-off- I mean, a good guy!" Taiyang insisted. Ruby grimaced.

"Dad! It hasn't happened yet-!'

"It had better," Qrow growled, pointing a sword at Jaune. The blond gulped. Winter pulled away from her mother and knocked Qrow's sword away with her own. Penny took up a defensive stance in front of Jaune.

"Would you mind NOT threatening my future husband?" Winter demanded. Qrow choked.

"YOU TOO!?" He glared at Jaune. "You damn harem protagonists are all alike!"

"Huh?!" Jaune cried. "N-No, I'm not-!"

"HA! Like you ever had a chance!" Winter sniffed.

"Well, I might have!" Qrow protested. "But hey, least you're not a cradle robber like Glynda-HEY!"

Glynda waved her riding crop, and Qrow was flipped upside down onto his face. He groaned.

"Nice to see you too, Glynda," he muttered.

A pair of dark skinned blonds, a man and a woman, approached Arslan. Arslan bowed, as did Petra.

"Mother, Father," she said, "My motherhood is unexpected but-"

"Time travel, we got it," Logos chuckled, as Barsara sighed.

"No dramatic timing."

"Well, that's why you were the actress, dear," Logos smiled. "And you must be our granddaughter?"

"Petra," Petra introduced herself.

The two hugged Arslan and Petra tightly together. Though without as much blubbering and guilting as Blake was getting.

"Hello Jaune," intoned a familiar voice. Jaune winced and turned away to face... His parents. Penny respectfully stepped out of the way as Nick and Isabel stared at him. Godfather Arjun and Godmother Saia stood back a respectful distance, watching him with amused and encouraging looks.

He stared back at his parents and took a deep breath.

"Hello, Mom. Hello, Dad-URK!"

Nick grabbed him in a tight hug.

"Hahahaha! That's my boy!" Nick cheered. "You're the manliest man who ever lived, son! Great job!"

"D-DAD!" Jaune choked. "IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!"

"Then what is it like?!" Isabel demanded with a glare. She then glared at Glynda, who blushed. "You're a damn teacher and you-you just formed a gigantic harem for him?!"

"N-no, I didn't!" Glynda insisted. Dorothy sighed.

"It's all right, Grandma! It ' s- It hasn't happened yet-!"

"Grandma?! I am not that old!" Isabel protested. "I mean, yes, I am a grandmother, but he's still a toddler! And I suppose all these other girls are pregnant! I'M NOT THAT OLD!"

Dorothy rolled her eyes.

"No, I mean, you're our actual grandma! Thanks to time travel!"

Isabel started. She looked around at the other future children, eyes widening in growing shock.

Julian and Xia waved. Leandra and Leander beamed. Theodore shot a smug grin, while Nicholas waved awkwardly. Ash and Ashley beamed as well, synchronized perfectly. August sighed and shrugged. Petra looked away from her mother's parents and nodded grimly. Amethyst, standing with Emerald, offered a nervous wave. Xander coughed and then shrugged.

"Hi, Granny Isabel and Grandpa Nick!" They all announced.

Nick blinked a few times. Isabel gaped in utter disbelief. Glynda facepalmed.

"Wha... WHAT?!" Isabel cried. "That's ridiculous! Magic, immortals, time travel-next you're gonna tell me that Arjun and Saia's long-lost daughter is here too!"

"Ummmm..."

May stepped out of the Bullhead. Arjun and Saia both stared intently at her. August stepped next to her, and waved awkwardly at his mother's parents.

Arjun moved like a gust of wind, practically teleporting in front of May. His eyes glowed as he looked her over, his hands resting on her shoulders. Saia was only a few steps behind, grabbing onto May's other arm.

"... Maia?" Arjun whispered.

"Is... Is it you?" Saia asked, her eyes filling with tears.

May managed a slow nod, her own eyes wet.

"Y-Yes... It's me... M-Mother... Father...?"

Arjun smiled, hugged his long lost daughter... Then fell into a dead faint, still holding her in his arms. Saia hugged May so tightly the sniper choked a bit as both of her birth parents collapsed against her.

"MAIAAAAA!" Saia wailed, crying hard. August smiled encouragingly at his frightened mother.

"It's okay, it's okay," he said.

Nick blinked a few times. Jaune looked up at his father, wondering what his response would be.

The mighty paladin blinked a few more times... Before he threw his head back and laughed.

"YES! BEST DAY EVER! COME TO MY ARMS, GRANDKIDS! I WILL SPOIL YOU ALL WITH LOUD ELECTRONIC TOYS AND CANDY!"

"WOOHOO!" Julian cheered.

Isabel, at a complete loss for words, just buried her face in her hands and moaned.

Ozpin sighed as he settled into the chair at the head of the Poucet Lecture Hall's conference room. The room was on the first floor of the Lecture Hall, which was a newer addition to Beacon. Built only five years ago when the school's budget experienced an unexpected windfall after a former alumni, a Poucet Thumbling, left half of his fortune to the school in his will. The old Lord Lear Lecture Hall had been showing its age, so it didn't take the school long to decide what to do with the extra money.

The Headmaster had chosen to hold this meeting here not just because it was large enough to comfortably seat everyone involved within earshot of one another, but also because there were several smaller and more private meeting rooms directly across the hallway he expected the families to use once he had concluded the primary meeting.

He had started the day with a simple yet straightforward plan for this meeting: He would bring all the parents in and sit down with them and explain the situation to them before calling in their children and their time-displaced grandchildren. It would have been a nice and relatively smooth introduction that would have given him a chance to head off any potential negative reactions...

...Mostly he wanted to be sure Isabel wouldn't try to kill Glynda.

Raven threw a wrench in that plan. Fortunately, the completely uncontrolled introductions at the airfield, while messy, hadn't turned violent. They had also been just as confusing as they were dramatic, and it had taken far too long to get everyone corralled into the conference room and into their seats.

Everyone was grouped up with their families; a straightforward arrangement that nobody objected to, even though some probably wished they could. There was a subtle and uneasy tension amongst the Schnees, like thin ice over a turbulent river. Pyrrha looked like she wished someone was between her and her blubbering mother. The Belladonnas had Blake firmly in the middle as if they were boxing her in so she couldn't run off; Blake in turn looked like she was fighting her own urges to attempt just that.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Altans were all clearly content to be in each other's presence, while Ruby and Yang seemed to be relieved that their father and uncle were being supportive.

Jaune seemed to be caught between optimism and dread, which was understandable between his father's joviality and his mother's broiling exasperation with everything. It didn't help that he was getting glares from Ghira, Taiyang, Qrow, Athena's butler, and Klein.

"Alright then," Ozpin began as he looked the assembled grandparents in the eyes, "Since I now have your attention, I'd like to introduce all of you to Moses Nebogipfel. In the hopes of removing all reasonable doubts he's going to display his Semblance in action." The Headmaster looked to his son, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," Moses affirmed softly, before he flickered like a video skipping a few frames. The young man was now holding a set of black and white fighting gloves with dust slots in the palms and armor around the knuckles. He walked over to Isabel, then presented his prize to the Arc matriarch.

"These are your combat gloves, Mrs. Arc? Battement they're called, I believe?"
Isabel frowned thoughtfully.

"They look that way," she admitted slowly.

"Can you tell any differences between this pair and the one you currently have?"

Isabel took the gloves in her left hand and compared them to the gloves she pulled from her pockets with her right. Isabel knew her Battement. She knew them like she knew her own face in the mirror. She scrutinized the gloves with eyes far keener than any normal human, with fingers far more sensitive, both taking in almost microscopic imperfections unique to the gloves she wore almost every day.

"They're… identical," She admitted, with a small amount of wonder. She took a sniff with a nose far more sensitive than a bloodhound Faunus could hope to have and took in her own scent that was present in a strength that could only come from years of use. She shook her head.

"Even the best duplication Semblances would have a hard time creating something this exact. Nick, do you see anything wrong with them?"

Nick took the second set of his wife's gloves, and gave them a careful look over. While not as familiar with her weapons as she was, Nick knew the feel of her hand in his, and Battement was frequently part of that.

"They're just like the originals," Nick admitted, grinning in astonishment, "Incredible!"

"That's cause they are the originals," Moses explained, "I'm going to be grabbing them from Mrs. Arc and taking it back in time in three... two... one."

A second Moses flickered into existence and put his hand on the Battement Isabel was holding, and with a second flicker, the second Moses and the gloves were gone. Isabel took her gloves back from Nick with a look of contemplation on her face.

"I hope that's sufficient proof of time travel for this conversation," Ozpin began, before being interrupted by the youngest Schnee.

"No it's not!" Whitley objected with a scowl, standing up. "It could still be a duplication Semblance with Mr. and Mrs. Arc in on this scheme to tie my sisters-"

Moses flickered out of existence again, only to flicker back holding a second Whitley by the collar of his expensive shirt.

"Bwah?!"

The first Whitley fell silent as the two identical boys stared at each other in shock. Then a second Moses flickered into existence next to the first Whitley, who proceeded to grab the Schnee boy by the collar of his shirt before they both flickered away.

Whitley silently left Moses' side and returned to his seat beside his mother with a cowed expression on his face. Willow grabbed her son tightly, and the boy was too shocked to protest.

Nick was grinning like a loon, as was Ruby. Ozpin hid a small smile at their enthusiasm.

"Anyone else need a demonstration?" Moses asked dryly. After nobody volunteered, Moses looked to Ozpin and shrugged, "Back to you I guess."

"Right," Ozpin adjusted his glasses. "So, with the existence of time travel established, let's start from the top so we're all on the same page: Several years from now Moses will be experimenting with his Semblance trying to find the hard limits of his abilities. Assisting him are some of his good friends, the children of Jaune Arc. At some point in the experimentation, Jaune Arc's eldest volunteers to help Moses see if he can bring other people with him on his time jumps. Now Jaune Arc's second oldest has a Semblance that lets them supercharge other people's auras at a distance, and they decided to supercharge Moses while he was attempting to do a time jump with Jaune's eldest. As a result, Moses jumped back in time significantly farther than he intended, and now he can't jump far enough forward to return to his own time."

A low murmuring flowed through the room as the grandparents regarded the time-displaced children. The idea that their grandchildren had traveled through time was already a shock that needed time to adjust to; the idea that their grandchildren were stuck here was another shock on top of that. The prevailing tune of the muttering was sympathetic, so Ozpin decided to let it run its course.

The Headmaster then continued once the worst of the murmuring had died down, "That brings us to yesterday morning, when Moses arrived with Jaune Arc's eldest in tow. Apparently the events that started Jaune Arc's romantic relationship with his wife was going to happen at a party yesterday evening, and it was a party that could have gone many different ways. Since Moses' time jump took him and Jaune's eldest to a point in time before Jaune was in a relationship with his wife a temporal uncertainty occurred, and the resulting paradox meant Moses arrived here with every possible version of Jaune Arc's eldest child that could have resulted from the party going one way or another." Ozpin vaguely gestured to all the displaced children in the room.

The old wizard carefully scrutinized everyone's reactions to that bit of news. Up until this moment the Grandparents might have been operating under the assumption that all of the children came from the same future; the news that each child came from a future where Jaune only married their daughter would change things.

Oz could see relief on Isabel's face at the news her son wasn't a shameless playboy. Similar relief appeared on the faces of other parents at the realization that their daughters hadn't fallen prey to some suave Don Juan stringing them along. Yet that reaction wasn't universal. Taiyang was looking back and forth between his daughters with the dread of a parent realizing their children were at odds, with a similar look crossing the face of Willow. Athena looked ready to flop dramatically again-Which she did, hugging Pyrrha and wailing softly. Pyrrha for her part was stoic, save for a worrying twitch of her eyebrow and corner of her mouth.

Still, Ozpin was hopeful that the grandparents' attitudes were a step forward towards ensuring the continued existence of Jaune's children.

"With only a few hours before Jaune Arc got together with a woman that might not be their mother Jaune's children panicked," The old wizard continued. "Fearing that time travel was working on Get Back To The Present rules, all of them were convinced they would cease to exist if they didn't do something fast. So most of them went to get their mothers for help. The end result was a large fight in the Star-Maiden's Memorial Courtyard, which thankfully didn't collapse the space-time continuum."

"Well, since the kids are all still here we're obviously not using Get Back To The Present rules," Barsara observed before looking over to Mrs. Nikos. "What do you think, Athena? Clock Crooks? The Argus Experiment? Yesterday's Tomorrow? Maple Lake?"

"What?" Athena tilted her head in absolute confusion away from her twitching daughter.

"Time travel rules," Barsara elaborated. "We have twelve different time travel movies between the two of us. We can figure out how this works."

"That's absurd!" Whitley managed, having calmed himself down and his rational mind asserting itself, "Time travel wouldn't work like in some old movie!"

"Do we have anything better to go off of, Boy Weiss?" Qrow deadpanned.

"Hey!"

"Oh geez," Athena frowned then looked far stiffer and more formal, a transformation that made Pyrrha grit her teeth, "It's quite possible that with a more thorough understanding of the Heisenberg compensators and reversing the neutron flow, we could-"

"Moses' mother, Doctor Weena Nebogipfel, is the best theoretical physicist currently alive," Ozpin reasserted himself in the conversation with some mild annoyance at the interruption. "She is going to arrive relatively soon and will be conducting experiments with the aim of figuring out what time travel rules Moses' Semblance operates with. Until then speculation is just that: speculation. Regardless of what the rules end up being, your grandchildren are stuck in this time period until we find a way to safely supercharge Moses' Semblance again, and we've called you here in the hopes that you can lend a hand until they can go home."

There were varying levels of hesitation, but most of the parents began to nod or murmur their assent.

Shifting in his seat to stand, cane at the ready, Ozpin decided to wrap things up.

"Now, I believe your children and grandchildren can fill you in on the more personal details you'll want to know. The meeting rooms across the hall can give you all the privacy you'll need to get to know each other better. Glynda can get in contact with me once you've finished and I'll come back to answer any questions that might arise. Unless one of you has a burning question for me that can't wait until you've spoken with your grandchildren?"

None of the grandparents spoke up, and a few of them shook their heads. Good.

"I'll leave you all to get acquainted then," Ozpin tapped his staff against the floor ominously as he left the room.

"In the meantime, I have a birdcage I want to triple check the locks on..."

Chapter Text

The Roses and Xiao-Longs

- - -

Ruby had led her father, uncle, sister, son, and kind of/sort of niece into the nearest meeting room. She was filled with nervous anticipation, one that only grew as her father took his sweet time walking in after them!

"Will you hurry up already!" Julian whined, "Geez! You're even slower than in my time!"

"Well, that's not a nice thing to say to your grandpa!" Taiyang said with a teasing grin.

"He's doing it deliberately," Xia sighed.

"Well, I don't want this amazing moment to end too quickly," Taiyang reasoned, closing the door behind them as Qrow pulled up some stately wooden chairs, "I'm meeting my grandkids for the first time, after all."

"Just like XRay and Xav, issue 198," Qrow pointed out with a chuckle. Xia and Yang both rolled their eyes.

"Ugh... You're such nerds," Xia sighed.

"Please, Yang was the biggest fan of Professor Paradox!" Ruby argued, plopping down in a chair across from her dad and uncle as Julian remained standing. Yang blushed bright red.

"O-Only when it had hot lead guys who could act and good writing!" Yang argued. "Then they got some smug hag off a police show and ruined it with a lot of stupid crap!"

"Oh Breaker, you're still going on about that in my time," Xia moaned, "'The first reboot of Paradox was the best and this second is just recycled storylines.' You call them nerds!"

"We are, and proud of it!" Ruby cheered.

"Yeah!" Julian threw in. He smirked. "Besides, I bet you're just like my Aunt Yang! You're still a total nerd, just in denial!"

"That sounds like her," Ruby snickered.

"I am not!" Yang growled.

"You married Dad, of course you're a nerd," Xia sighed.

A bit of laughter ensued as Yang pouted. Ruby savored it, before she looked over at Yang and her son. Julian frowned. Yang slowly nodded. Xia squeezed Yang's shoulder.

Ruby finally turned back to her father and uncle, and took a deep breath.

"So, um... We know about... Salem."

Taiyang's face went dark. Qrow swore under his breath, and went for his flask. He took a long drink, as Taiyang sighed.

"So... Um-"

"She's been defeated," Xia said with a smile, "For good. In... In all our timelines. Granny... Granny didn't die in vain."

Taiyang's jaw dropped. Qrow gaped in shock.

Taiyang... bowed his head and sobbed. Ruby and Yang got up and were by their father's side in an instant.

"Dad? Dad?!" Ruby insisted.

Taiyang looked up, crying... Yet a big smile was on his face. Qrow reached out to squeeze his best friend's shoulder tightly. Taiyang kept crying, but his smile was still so wide. He pulled his daughters into a tight hug, and he kept crying.

"I... Granny... You mean Mom...?" Ruby asked in shock. Julian winced, looking very awkward as his grandfather sobbed.

"Yeah, uh... They... They went on a last mission to try and stop Salem and... Granny..."

Ruby sniffled. Yang felt her own eyes get wet.

Qrow sighed, bowing his head.

"We failed... She stayed behind to let us escape and..."

"Oh, God, Dad..." Yang whispered.

Taiyang sobbed happily, and tightened his hug. He grinned out at his grandkids.

"That... That's the best news... I have ever heard... Th-Thank you," he whispered.

"N-No problem, Grandpa," Xia managed, awkwardly squeezing her bicep as she fought her own tears. Julian also wiped his eyes.

"Um... Uh... D-Dry air in here," Julian muttered. Qrow barked out in laughter.

"Yeah kid. It's going around," he said.

Taiyang got himself under control, and nodded to his daughters. They slowly pulled away, as he took a few deep breaths.

"Well... I'm... I'm gonna need some time to process that, but... Thank you," he whispered.

He looked up at Yang and Ruby with some regret. Yang shook her head.

"It's okay," she murmured, "I... I'm getting better about it."

"Why didn't you tell us about... About what happened?" Ruby asked, looking hurt. Qrow snorted.

"How do you think that would have gone? 'Hey Ruby, some evil immortal witch killed your mom for her eyes and you'll be next?'"

"He did actually say the same thing in my timeline, apparently," Julian mumbled.

"Oh good, I'm not a complete idiot," Qrow snorted.

"No, just most of one," Xia stated. Qrow glared at her.

"You're a mouthy one. Thought Arc would teach you respect."

"Yeah, but he knows you," Xia shot back. Qrow glared over at Julian.

"You just as mouthy?"

"Um... Sometimes? It takes me a little," Julian winced.

"Don't bully my son, Uncle Qrow!" Ruby pouted.

"I wasn't!" Qrow said quickly.

Taiyang sighed.

"Most important question then... Are you guys... Happy? Does Jaune take good care of you all?"

Ruby and Yang blushed.

"Dad!" They squawked.

"He does," Xia said with a grin. "He's a great doctor, a great dad, a great husband-"

"We both have nine siblings, what do you think?" Julian snorted. Qrow glared at him, and Julian flushed. "Um, er..."

"All right!" Taiyang cheered. "Qrow? We're not killing him."

"But we are making sure he makes honest women out of 'em, right?" Qrow asked.

"Of course we are!" Taiyang grinned. He flared his Semblance, flaring his Aura. "Count on it."

"NO BEATING UP JAUNE/DAD!" Ruby, Yang, Julian and Xia cried.

"He's got it coming!" Qrow growled, "Damn harem protagonists!"

"Yeah!" Taiyang snarled, "They need to be kept in line!"

"Like you can talk," Qrow huffed.

"For the last time, I'm NOT a harem protagonist!" Taiyang cried in exasperation.

"Sooo," Yang tried to head off an old and well trod argument, "Are... We going to talk about Raven at some point?"

Xia tensed up a lot. She clenched her fists tightly. Something Taiyang, Yang, Ruby and Qrow couldn't help but notice.

"Xia?" Yang murmured. Xia shook her head. Taiyang grimaced, seeing the pain in his granddaughter's face. He cleared his throat.

"At some point," Taiyang allowed, "But right now? Let's just enjoy the moment. Ruby? I'll get Summer's journals. I meant to give them to you when you were a little older, but…" He shrugged and smiled at his younger daughter, "She'd be happy you were reading them. And, well… Very proud of you. Both of you. All of you."

Ruby smiled broadly. She hugged her dad, and then Julian.

"Thank you Dad!"

"And I'll teach you too!" Julian said happily. "I mean, you've been teaching me how to use my Eyes! So I'll teach you!"

"How much do you actually know about your eyes, kid?" Qrow asked dryly.

"Um, well…" Julian shrugged. "A few things? Like… Making them flashbang people, and see through illusions, and uh… Other stuff…"

"So we'll both be doing some studying!" Ruby cheered, squeezing her son tightly.

Yang looked over at her daughter. Xia smiled back and looked to Taiyang.

"So in that case," Xia asked, looking a bit less tense, "Can you teach me how to go Super Level 3? Or, as you would know it, Burn 3?"

"Not before I learn it!" Yang insisted, leaning forward with a grin.

Taiyang blinked.

"Wait, there's a third level?"

Xia and Yang both slumped, depressed.

"Ooh," Julian winced. "Time travel, huh?"

"Shut up, brat," Xia muttered.

- - -

The Sarkaras

- - -

May had a few memories she treasured deeply. Hugs from her mother and father (Her adoptive parents, she supposed now). Their little garden that they tended outside their small house in the village they lived in. The flock of birds that would sing when the sun rose.

Those memories were precious to her, moreso than almost anything in the world, after Grimm destroyed her village and drove her out into an uncaring world.

Now, being held by the Queen of Pandu, those feelings... Those feelings were back. The Auras of both her biological mother and father were so comforting, so familiar...

August's smile and calm Aura helped her comfort her even more.

That said... Even with all of that...

"I... I am sorry," May mumbled.

"What for?" Saia sniffled, looking deeply into her daughter's eyes. Arjun sat next to her on the couch they had plopped down on in the side room. August stood off a bit, still feeling awkward.

"I... I mean... I-I'm not... It's a little um..." She sniffled. Her tears kept coming.

Arjun slowly nodded and stroked her hair gently.

"We are... Just as overwhelmed," the King of Pandu admitted. He looked over at August. "Did I react similarly in your future?"

"Heh, yeah," August admitted, scratching the back of his head, "Dad and Grandpa Nick love telling that story."

"They probably would," Arjun muttered, looking like he was trying to be annoyed but failing. May blushed, as Saia cuddled her more tightly.

"Where were you?" Saia asked. "What happened? Who... Who took you?"

"Um... W-Well, I grew up in a small village called Al-Hambir," May said, "Central Vacuo. My father... I mean, adopted father... Was named August. My adoptive mother was named Parvati. They raised me, then died when Grimm assaulted our village. I went into an orphanage after that, and was recruited for a Hunter's Academy when they learned my Aura was unlocked. I um, I then went to Shade, joined my team and... And well... Here I am. Did... Did you know my... My parents? Um, foster parents?"

Arjun and Saia's faces darkened. May winced.

"Yes... August was a mercenary for the Kauravas," Arjun growled. "So was Parvati."

"The Kauravas?" May asked, blinking curiously. "I-I mean, I heard about them but... Um... I don't know much about them."

"They were once rulers of Pandu," Saia explained, as Arjun glared out into the air, "Long ago. They were overthrown by our family nearly a century past, because they sold our people out to foreign empires."

She grimaced.

"They were also Grimm cultists. Practiced human sacrifice. Most of them were exiled after the Great War, and they formed criminal organizations to stay rich and powerful."

"Not uncommon in Mistral," Arjun sighed. He looked intently at May. "Your great-grandfather Pandu helped free our kingdom from the yoke of the Vytal Empire after the Great War-Though through peaceful methods. Mistral tried to enlist us into their Kingdom after independence, but we refused. We had been under their rule before and had no desire to trade one master for another. The Kauravas began to gain power by working with Mistral's criminal organizations, and when Indra, your grandfather, took the throne, began to plot to overthrow him. It took them years, but the Faunus Revolution gave them an excuse. They accused Indra of supplying the Faunus rebels with arms, and used that as a justification to back a takeover. Your mother and I fled... The only survivors of the royal household."

May gaped in disbelief. She'd heard about all this, sure. Bits and pieces of it, though Shade's curriculum didn't focus heavily on foreign history. Still... To know her father felt the same pain she did...

"We came to Beacon, met Nick and Isabel Arc," Saia continued, stroking May's hair, "And became good friends. They later helped us reclaim the throne, and cast out the Kauravas. But..." She closed her eyes tightly. "Their supporters still remained, here and there. Shortly after you were born, you were..."

She swallowed a sob, and held Maya more tightly.

"You were taken from us," she whispered, "We searched everywhere, Maia. We used every connection, every resources..." She burst into tears and sobbed into May's hair.

"We... We are so sorry," Arjun said, stroking his wife's back and looking gravely at his daughter, "We are sorry... That we could not find you. That we could not bring you home."

He bowed his head. He sunk to the floor, and bowed down to her.

"It is my greatest failure, not finding you," he whispered. "Please, Maia... Forgive me?"

May shook her head, sniffling a bit. It was... it was so overwhelming! Yet she knew what to say.

"Of... Of course I do," May whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. The smile on the faces of her parents made her cry harder, but in a good way.

August hesitated for a moment before he spoke.

"Grandfather, please... Don't be so sad. I-I mean... Yes, August and Parvati stole Mom, but they couldn't bear to kill her. Those were their orders!"

"How could you-?" May gasped, but August shook his head.

"You met Shakuni, the chief Kaurava, in the future. Well, Mom and Dad did, anyway. He managed to escape Grandfather's revolt, and went into hiding. He confessed to the whole scheme, and said that August and Parvati would not murder an innocent child. He tried to have them killed, but... They escaped."

"That rat bastard," Arjun snarled, "I should have killed him with Duryodhana when I had the chance-!"

"He helped save the kingdom, Grandpa!" August said, moving in front of him and waving his hands, "He... He recognized the futility of fighting when the world was at stake... Though he did die for it." He shook his head.

"The future is... Really complicated. But I do know that you once told me that you should always think twice before taking a life. Only do it when necessary. And never out of rage."

Arjun stared up at his future grandson. He then chuckled a bit mirthlessly.

"You're a good student," he said, slowly standing up. He looked to his daughter and his wife. "So... Maia... Or May... The most important question to ask is: What do you want?"

"I..." May looked down, flushing deeply. "I... The future... The future August told me about sounds w-wonderful... But I don't know if it's possible anymore. And-And um... I mean... I don't think I'm cut out to be a princess. I-I'm just a sniper, and not a good one-"

"I was a maid, dear," Saia chuckled, again affectionately stroking May's hair. It felt good. "Your father's servant. If I can become a queen, you can become a princess. But it really is up to you."

"I..." May nodded. "I... Th-Thank you... I haven't had a family for a long time. My team is... Well... I care for them but... It's not the same."

Arjun nodded.

"A slightly more pressing matter though... What is your relationship with Jaune?"

May blushed deeply.

"U-Um... W-We... He was nice to me... We-We've talked," she mumbled, "And... And I do like him... I-I'd like to get to know him better... F-For August's sake, if nothing else."

"Thanks Mom," August said with a wry smile. Arjun nodded.

"Well then, in that case? We have the home field advantage. I am Jaune's godfather, after all. Your mother is his godmother. And Nick and I always wanted our families to be joined."

He grinned.

"We'll have you two happily married in no time!"

"B-B-But what about everyone else?!" May cried in shock, her cheeks burning brighter, "If they don't get married, all those other children might disappear!"

The king frowned and rubbed his chin.

"Well..." Arjun hummed thoughtfully, "Vale does allow for polygamy, as I recall. So did Pandu! Though we abolished that law."

"Yes, we did," Saia glared at her husband. Arjun coughed.

"I wouldn't change it for me, darling! Honest!"

"You'd better not," Saia growled playfully. Arjun sighed.

"Always so jealous. You never acted like this around Isabel."

"We both know she only had eyes for Nick," Saia chuckled. Arjun smirked.

"It took them forever to admit it, though," he murmured.

Arjun then smiled at May, and reached out to squeeze her hand comfortingly.

"Everything else aside, I am glad you grew up into such a kind, caring girl. We'll think of something, Maia. I promise."

May blushed, but smiled at the praise. She'd gotten it so rarely. To receive it from her father was... Was truly special.

Arjun hummed and looked at her weapon.

"That said... A sniper rifle? Really?" He looked between May and August with distaste. "Both of you?"

"There's nothing wrong with sniper rifles, Grandpa," August sighed, as though this was an argument the two of them had had many times. It wouldn't surprise May: She had an inkling that while her father was very caring, he could be very stubborn.

"Why not a bow? Bows are superior to sniper rifles in many situations," Arjun said, "It's the tradition in Pandu! Your uncle is learning the bow!"

"Uncle Abhimanyu was so good at the bow he got bored with it and switched to rifles," August deadpanned. Arjun gasped.

"What?! Impossible! How can you get bored with bows?! They're BOWS!"

Her father argued with her son over the utility of bows versus sniper rifles, while her mother sighed and continued to stroke May's hair. The sniper blushed and smiled softly.

No matter what the outcome... She would not regret this day. She would not regret her decisions. Because this memory was another precious moment she would treasure forever.

"YOU CAN'T CURVE BULLETS LIKE YOU CAN ARROWS!"

"I CAN!"

"IT DOESN'T LOOK AS COOL!"

Most of it, anyway...

- - -

The Altans

- - -

"It's good to see you're well, Little Lion," Logos Altan smiled at his daughter as the door to the meeting room closed. Then a small concerned frown danced across his face, "You are actually doing well, right? You're not just putting on a brave face?"

"I am doing well father, mother," Arslan reassured her parents. "Though our circumstances are unprecedented I'm doing well, Petra is doing well, and our path forward is unclouded. That being said I'm extremely glad the two of you are here; your advice will keep me grounded and away from rash action."

"What do you mean by rash action?" Barsara asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yesterday," Petra answered before Arslan could, "When everyone was panicking we were war bringers instead of peacemakers."

"Were you now?" Barsara's voice held no judgment. "Does this have to do with why you're not wearing your sash of mastery or the family prayer beads?"

"Yes," Arslan confirmed with shame coloring her words. "Instead of thinking the situation through I sought out my rival and instigated a fight. If I had given the situation the thought it deserved I would have realized I was putting peoples lives at risk by doing that. If the time travel had been operating under Get Back To The Present rules I could have killed my husband's children..."

Tears started to flow down Arslan's face as the full force of regret returned, and Petra's tears soon joined her's. The mother and daughter pair leaned against each other as their tears threatened to grow into full blown sobbing.

Barsara strode forward and embraced the two of them, forcing herself to relax as she rested her forehead against theirs. A comforting rumbling sound emanated from the retired actress' throat, and the two anguished young women leaned into the elder woman's purring. Logos gently pulled the trio towards the couch along one of the room's walls and once they were sat down he sat down sandwiching his daughter and granddaughter between himself and his wife, who's rumbling purr was soon accompanied with his own. So situated between their loving elders Arslan and Petra physically relaxed allowing their own purring to rumble fourth. The four of them sat there purring until the tears ran dry and Arslan and Petra were ready to talk again.

"So you're seeking to make amends?" Barsara gently prodded as she rubbed her daughter's shoulders.

"Yes," Arslan nodded, "I gave Jaune my sash, Pyrrha the prayer beads, and I gave the other mothers items of similar personal value to me."

"And what else are you doing?" Logos wondered with a curious gaze.

"Reese is going to help us prepare a surprise dinner for everyone ether tonight or tomorrow," Arslan supplied. "Basically as soon as we figure out everyone's preferred meals we can put together an apology feast."

"Then it sounds like you're off to a good start," Logos sagely nodded, "It's difficult to hold hard feelings towards someone who does a good job feeding you."

"You said you're worried about rash action," Barsara circled back to the beginning of the conversation. "What are you afraid of doing?"

"I don't know," Arslan admitted with a shake in her voice, "This is completely uncharted territory for me. I know who my husband is, yet he doesn't know I'm his wife because this isn't happening organically in any way shape or form. On top of that I'm in competition with people who have had the chance to develop an organic relationship with him. This is a recipe for desperation and desperation leads to terrible mistakes."

"I see," Logos hmm'd in thought. "This is a tricky situation, and I understand why you're worried. Have you done anything before we got here?"

"As far as grand romantic gestures go? Nothing unless you count organizing a trip to church as a romantic gesture," Arslan sighed. She looked to her father and pressed on, "As far as simple moment to moment actions go? I've tried to remain in close proximity to Jaune while doing my best to not contribute to the drama surrounding him, and I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a moment where I can be helpful to him. Beyond that? I've been trusting that God has a hand in this that will see me through."

"Staying close and not contributing to the drama is actually a very good move on your part," Barsara noted as she pulled slightly away from her embrace to show her daughter her approving look. "Your'e not accustom to the social power games women play to assert their place in the pecking order, so you would be at a disadvantage if you tried tried to play those games. Yet even if you were an expert in those kind of games there are plenty of situations where the wining move is not to play, and I'd say this is one of them."

"How so?" Arslan asked while Petra also sent an inquiring look Barsara's way.

"Get a large enough group of women together and you'll almost inevitably have a bossy diva doing her best to push everyone who isn't a fellow diva around," The retired actress explained with reminiscing eyes. "Get more than one diva into the group and they'll clash over who's the true queen bee. This is where the winning move is not to play any of the social power games: by being a true neutral the divas will ignore you in favor of clashing with the other divas. If you find a way to be helpful to everyone while remaining neutral than all the girls in the group who aren't divas will eventually come to realize that you won't backstab them and that you're the most trustworthy person to confide in. Once that happens you are effectively the queen bee calling all the shots, and it's fifty fifty wether the divas notice or not."

Arslan considered her mother's words for a moment. It made enough sense, however; "I don't think it matters if they're divas or not. Everyone's going to try and be the queen bee."

"Well, that brings us to the other reason not playing the game is a good thing here," Barsara elaborated. "You're all competing for the affections of a man, and most men only have so much patience for pointless drama. If you don't contribute to the pointless drama you'll inevitably stand above those that do, especially if you can help him deal with any fallout caused by the pointless drama." She smiled encouragingly, "You have a shot here Little Lion, and if you need us to help steady your aim we'll be glad to help."

"Thank you," Arslan sighed in relief.

Logos turned his attention to his time displaced granddaughter, "Since our daughter's our Little Lion, does that make you our Littlest Lion?"

"I'm not a little lion I'm a BIG cat!" Petra protested before she blushed at her reflexive response.

The grandparents chuckled for a moment before Logos asked, "Alright then Big Cat, what can you tell us about yourself?"

"I, I have a lot to live up to," Petra began as her embarrassment died down. "Mother and Father saved the world, so a lot of strangers expect me to live up to their legacy do things just as great. That really isn't fair because there's no way I can defeat an immortal witch; Mother and Father took care of the only one! As the eldest I also had a pretty busy childhood helping out with all my younger siblings, which was a tall task since Mother and Father never really stopped having more. My favorite stories growing up were the Tales of Saint Reepicheep and the Parables of Puddleglum. When people ask if I decided to become a warrior-nun to be like my parents I tell them I wanted to be like Grandpa Nick; because Mother and Father are Mother and Father to me, not modern legends."

"And your Grandpa Nick is a modern legend?" Barsara asked with genuine curiosity in her voice.

"Mother," Arslan began with stars in her eyes, "He's Nicholas Arc of Team AARN; the first team in a century to slay a Grimm Hydra! He's the last student of Ser Jaune Saint George, and was practically Saint George's adopted son! He became a fully initiated Paladin of the Church at the same time he graduated from Beacon! He helped restore the rightful rulers of the Kingdom of Pandu! He's THAT Nicholas Arc and if anyone deserves to be called a modern legend it's him!"

"And he's going to be your father in law," Logos observed.

"Yes, he's going to be-" Arslan stopped as if someone jammed a rod into the gears of her thoughts. Her starry eyed look became distant as her voice jumped an octave; "Jaune Arc is my husband. Jaune Arc is the son of Nick Arc. Nicholas Arc is Jaune's father. Jaune Arc is my husband. I'm related to Nicholas Arc through marriage."

The warrior nun was already sitting down, so she didn't fall to the floor when she fainted.

- - -

The Arcs

- - -

Isabel led the way into the conference room, and Jaune, Emerald, Glynda, Dorothy, Amethyst, Ash, and Ashley followed. Nick had begged off, saying he would be back in a bit.

The second the door closed, Isabel rounded on her future grandchildren and locked onto Ash and Ashley.

"All right, sit down," she instructed, guiding them to the couch, "Let me see those scars."

The twins glanced at each other in relief and some familiar exasperation, but they complied. Isabel examined their faces with a surgeon's eye while Jaune, Emerald, Glynda, Amethyst, and Dorothy sat across from them. Amethyst and Dorothy non-too-subtly pushed their mothers to sit on either side of Jaune while taking up seats alongside them. Jaune felt a bit nervous but did his best to hide it. Emerald flushed, but she stayed close to Jaune. Her precious daughter was proof this man was someone she could trust completely.

She... She hadn't even had that with Cinder. So, the temptation to be close to him was too strong for the thief to resist.

For her part, Glynda kept a bit more distance between her potential future husband and herself. Yet the disapproving frown on her face over Emerald's closeness was a bit stronger than she would have liked.

"Hmmm..." Isabel murmured, "Who healed you? It's excellent work. The scarring will take more effort, but any underlying damage will be completely repaired."

"Dad," Ash and Ashley said, pointing over at Jaune. Isabel looked back in shock. Glynda and Emerald nodded. Jaune flushed and nodded as well.

"His Semblance, Aura Amp, lets him transfer his own Aura to another person," Dorothy reported, as though she was in class, "With nearly 100 percent efficiency."

"100 percent?!" Isabel gasped, nearly staggered. "The best modern healing dust can do is twenty percent efficiency!"

Ashley nodded, smiling with genuine pride in her eyes at her father.

"He can also enhance others' Semblances, evolve them to become much more powerful!"

"I can?!" Jaune gasped.

"He can?!" Glynda, Isabel, and Emerald asked in shock.

"How long does it last?" Glynda asked urgently.

"Around 24 hours, I think, depending on how much you do," Ash contributed, "Later on, he learned how to restore his own Aura and enhance everyone else's in range without touching them. Like an instant Aura and Semblance booster."

Isabel's eyes were shining with pride and amazement. Glynda rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"No wonder I could fix the airfield so quickly," she murmured. She looked at Jaune with some admiration. "That's quite the talent you have, Jaune-Mister Arc."

"No wonder we were able to defeat Salem," Emerald breathed in awe.

"I... Um... Thank you," Jaune said modestly, "But uh, we haven't done it yet, so-"

"Ooooh!" Isabel hugged Jaune tightly with a beam. "I knew it! I knew it! You're going to be a shoo-in at Ambroise Pare University! Before, you would have made the grade, but this? You could be valedictorian! You could make the Deans' list-Screw it you WOULD be the Dean's List!"

Jaune felt the old argument rearing its head, and his old resentments began to rise. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

"Mom," he tried.

"Oh, and a fellowship at Arc-En-Ciel-Who would care if it looked like nepotism?!" Isabel babbled excitedly, "You can heal with a touch!"

"Mom."

"We could write your first paper together and-"

"MOM!" Jaune shouted, pushing Isabel away. He took a deep breath and ignored her hurt and confused look.

"I told you before," he said, "I'm not going to be a doctor! I've chosen my path!"

"But Jaune!" Isabel insisted, "Your Semblance-You could change the world!"

"I already HAVE changed the world!" Jaune growled. "In eleven futures! If I hadn't joined Beacon, I... For all we know, the world might have ended!"

"It absolutely would have," Dorothy stated as Ash, Ashley, and Amethyst nodded.

Isabel gaped.

"But-Surely now that we know, you could quit! Your Semblance-!"

"His Semblance is why the world was saved, Nana," Ashley stated flatly, "And not just that: His leadership, his kindness. He turned our mom from serving the greatest source of evil in the world, the witch Salem, into a great hero who saved everything."

"S-Same in my timeline," Amethyst offered, a bit shyly.

"Same in all the timelines, Grandma," Dorothy added, shaking her head. She sighed. "Geez, I knew you were controlling, but this is a bit much-"

"I am not controlling!" Isabel growled. "I just... I want what's best for this family! For everyone! Many impossible and frankly insane things have happened, and I'm just... I'm just trying to-"

"Isabel," Glynda said softly, "I know. But can you convince Jaune-Mister Arc to turn his back on this situation? Would you turn your back on this situation if you were in his place?"

"I..." Isabel looked back at her son, who stood firmly. "I'm not asking that... I just... We know what the future holds. We know we win against this Salem person-"

"And what?" Jaune demanded. "I shouldn't fight her?"

"I... " Isabel stood awkwardly, "I mean if we know, and we could build an alliance... Your father and I are a little out of practice, but we could fight while you stay safe and-!"

"No!" Jaune growled. "I'm tired of this, Mom! Even after everything, you still treat me like a baby!"

Isabel scowled.

"Well, what am I supposed to do, huh?!" She demanded. "Do you think you have any control over the situation?! You're a father 13 times over with eleven potential brides! You're a key point in a temporal paradox; someone has already tried to kill you! How else am I supposed to respond?!"

Emerald got up and took her place at Jaune's side. She scowled at her future mother-in-law.

"Maybe recognize he's a MAN and not a child?!" Emerald demanded. Isabel scowled back, not backing down.

"You barely know him! You just met him! I am his mother-!"

"And in the day or two I've known him, I've seen the kind of man he is!" Emerald insisted. "I-I can see why I fell for him! Why I trust him! Why I would have children with him!"

She took the stunned Jaune's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"He's shown me more care and kindness than anyone I've known!" She insisted, "And you don't get to act like he's some idiot teenage father in over his head!"

"Emerald," Jaune murmured. Emerald blushed deeply, but the happy smile on Amethyst's face and the scowl on Isabel's hardened her resolve.

He appreciates me... It's all I've ever wanted... I refuse to back down!

"Auntie Em, it's okay," Ashley contributed, "Nana chills out eventually. She did for our mom and you. And Uncle Mercury."

"Speaking of, we have to get him to defect next," Ash nodded. "He taught us lock picking."

"Really? You too?" Amethyst asked in interest.

Isabel groaned.

"What kind of women will you marry in the future?!" Isabel demanded, exasperated. She turned and glared at Glynda, who coughed.

"Wonderful ones, even if some need more help than others," Jaune shot back defiantly. This made Emerald and Glynda blush while Dorothy, Amethyst, Ash, and Ashley grimaced.

Isabel scowled.

"I just... It's not easy to understand," she said quietly, "Or... Well..."

The door slammed open. Nick entered, his arms full of cakes and candies. He grinned.

"Hey! I'm back! Sorry, I didn't know what everyone would want, so I got some of everything!" He dropped the pile of snacks onto the coffee table. "Now, first things first... Glynda?"

"Ah, yes, Nick?" Glynda asked. He motioned for her to stand up. She did so... And he captured her in a gigantic bear hug. "Urk!"

"Welcome to the family, daughter-in-law!" Nick laughed. He dropped the blushing deputy headmistress before walking over to Emerald and caught her in a big hug. "And you too, daughter-in-law! Emerald, right?"

"Y-Yes, sir?" Emerald managed, her cheeks much darker at the affection and power in Nick's hug. The tall man put her down and beamed. He turned to his grandchildren and held out his arms.

"Plenty more where that came from! Bring it in, then, snacks!" Nick cheered.

"Nick!" Isabel protested, even as the grandkids got up to embrace Nick, "The last thing we need is a bunch of junk food!"

"This is exactly the time for a bunch of junk food!" Nick insisted. He hugged Amethyst (who squealed happily and returned it), Dorothy (who giggled and kissed her grandpa's cheek), Ash (who tolerated it while trying to hide how pleased he was), and Ashley (who sighed in exasperation but patted Nick's head).

"And also," Nick continued, "Tell me all about this evil witch!" He grinned and punched his fist into his other palm. "Do I get to punch her in the schnozz?"

"Nick!" Isabel groaned in exasperation.

"Okay, does Jaune get to punch her in the schnozz?"

"NICK!"