[RWBY] The Great Temporal Step-Sibling War!

[AndrewJTalon]

Radian, Vale
Eight years after Salem's defeat
- - -

The rain drummed steadily against the roof of the cozy house Jaune had built with his own hands years ago, a sturdy place tucked into the Arc lands inRadian. Warm lamplight spilled across wooden beams, mismatched rugs, and the kind of clutter that only comes from children and love and too many people trying to live full lives under one roof. Yang sat in the big rocking chair Jaune had carved for her, Baby Pyrrha nestled against her chest, tiny fists clutching the front of Yang's oversized sweater. The little girl babbled softly—"Mah… bah… bwam!"—and Yang rocked on, slow and steady, eyes fixed on the front door.

Xia, their eldest, kept peeking around the corner from the hallway, clutching her stuffed Ursa. "Mama… when's Auntie Ruby coming home?"

Yang forced a smile, the kind that didn't quite reach her eyes but was good enough for a four-year-old. "Soon, Firelight. Soon." The last word slipped out quieter, almost lost under the rain.

Xia pouted dramatically. "She's so cool!"

Pyrrha blew a raspberry in agreement.

The front door finally creaked open. Jaune stepped inside, soaked through, blond hair plastered to his forehead—and Ruby cradled in his arms like a bride who'd forgotten how to walk.

Ruby's face was scarlet. "Jaune! I can walk just fine!"

"Yeah," he said, kicking the door shut behind him, "and you're not supposed to be walking at all."

The scars across his neck and chest—bite marks from Yang's dragon form in the worst days, claw gouges from Cinder's final, desperate swing—stood out stark under the lamplight. He still smiled, though, exasperated and fond in equal measure as he set Ruby gently on the couch.

"DADA!" Xia launched herself at him.

Jaune laughed, scooped her up after depositing Ruby, and hugged her tight. "You stay," he told Ruby, pointing one long finger.

"I'm not gonna—"

"You stay."

Ruby pouted harder than Xia ever had.

Xia immediately clambered into Ruby's lap. "Auntie Ruby! Tell me more stories!"

Ruby hesitated, then softened. "Well… I could tell you about this Arachne I fought once…"

Yang caught Jaune's eye over their daughter's head. He gave her the grim little nod they'd developed over years of silent communication: She's doing it again.

Yang clenched her fist until her knuckles whitened. Scales flickered briefly across her forearm—black and shimmering—before she forced a slow breath and watched them fade.

She mouthed, I'll talk to her.

Jaune mouthed back, I know.

He crossed to her, kissed her cheek, ran a gentle hand over Pyrrha's downy head and then over Yang's swollen belly. Yang gripped his fingers hard, leaning into the touch like it was the only solid thing in the room.

Pyrrha nuzzled between her parents.

Yang smiled despite everything. "She almost called me 'mom' again."

Jaune's eyes lit up. "Really?!" He knelt down and held his daughter with a grin.

"Come on, Pyr… Dada! You can say it. Dada!"

"Daaaa… Dwah… Pffft!"

Yang laughed softly. "Yeah. I'd say that counts."

Jaune sighed, mock-tragic. "One day…"

Xia piped up immediately. "Dada! I said it! Can I have ice cream?"

"Sure, sweetie." He lifted Pyrrha into his arms and let Xia take his hand, leading them both toward the kitchen. "Chocolate?"

"Chocolate!"

Ruby watched them go, expression caught somewhere between wistful and guilty.

Yang turned to her sister, channeling every ounce of disappointed-big-sister energy she possessed. "So. Have you got anything to say for yourself, young lady?"

Ruby blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, is that how you wanna play this?"

Ruby tried innocence. "Play what? I don't know what you're talking about."

Yang took a long, slow breath—careful, deliberate, because the baby (babies, her brain corrected smugly) did not need her losing her temper.

"We agreed—after your stitches popped earlier this week—that you were staying in bed until we were sure they wouldn't open again."

Ruby shifted. "I just… heard about a Grimm sighting outside the main wall. Papa Nick's still laid up! I could've—"

"Ruby." Yang's voice dropped. "That's what the town militia is for. They're trained. And if it gets bad, one call and Jaune or Izzy or half a dozen others handle it. You are on medical leave. That means no work. I cannot stress this enough."

Ruby scowled. "I don't want to sit around! There's always something to do! We saved the world—"

Yang's hand slammed down on the armrest. Claws gouged deep furrows into the wood. Her eyes flashed slitted gold. "YES. AND THAT WAS THEN. THIS IS NOW. WE EARNED OUR REST, RUBY. THE WORLD IS SAFE."

Ruby shot to her feet. "NO IT ISN'T! It will never be safe! We learned that the hard way! There's always another battle, another threat—the work is never done! IT WILL NEVER BE DONE!"

Yang's horns began to push through. Her voice deepened, edged with smoke. "AND YOU THINK FACING IT ALONE, HALF-DEAD, WILL FIX ANYTHING? NEWS FLASH, RUBY—IT TOOK ALL OF US TO DO WHAT WE DID, AND THAT WAS WHEN WE WERE AT OUR BEST!"

"Yang! Stop! You're pregnant—you'll hurt the baby!"

Yang gripped the chair until the wood groaned. She forced breath after scalding breath until the scales receded to scattered patches, claws stayed half-extended, eyes still slitted. "Haaa… thanks."

Ruby's voice cracked. "Yang… why are you so angry? I'm doing this for you. For all of you. It's what I have to do."

Yang shook her head, bewildered and hurting. "What could possibly make you think I'd want my sister to die?"

Ruby looked away. "I… what do I have? It's all I have. It's all Mom had in the end. To be a hero…"

"Summer wouldn't have wanted this." Tears slipped down Yang's cheeks.

Ruby's voice broke. "SUMMER ABANDONED US TO BE A HERO! I saw it… in the Ever After…"

Yang stared. "…What?"

"That's what I saw in the Ponderstorm. She ran off to fight Salem alone!"

Yang exhaled slowly. "Ruby. That's not how Mom died."

"IT IS! I SAW IT!"

"The Ponderstorm lies, Ruby. It likes to screw with people. For fuck's sake, it tried to get Blake and Weiss together. Blake and Weiss."

Ruby's tears fell freely. "If I'm not a hero… what am I? What do I have left?"

Yang leaned forward. "You have us. You've always had us. This place has always been your home. But only if you let it—if you let us—be that for you."

Ruby sobbed. "I… I can't."

Yang grimaced. "Then I guess that's it." She lifted her head, tears gone, expression hard and determined. "Plan C it is."

Ruby blinked through tears. "H-huh…?"

Yang raised her voice toward the kitchen. "JAUNE! WE'RE GOING WITH PLAN C!"

Jaune reappeared in the doorway, concern etched deep. "Yang… are you sure?"

Yang nodded, mock-sorrowful. "Absolutely. She won't listen any other way."

Ruby's head whipped between them. "What is this? What's Plan C? And why does it involve Jaune?!"

Jaune took Yang's hand. "You know I love you. More than anything."

Yang squeezed back. "More than sure, my heart. You gave me your word. Arcs don't break promises." Her grin turned teasing. "Besides… don't think I haven't noticed you sneaking glances."

Jaune flushed. "They were only glances… but if this is what you want to save her? I'll do it."

Yang patted his shoulder, then smirked wider. "You're acting like you wouldn't love her just as much as you love me."

"I would. I swear."

Xia wandered back in, leading Pyrrha by the hand. "Mama…? Why were you yelling?"

Yang eased herself up and waddled over. "Nothing you need to worry about, Firelight. Just… last-minute travel arrangements." She glanced between her apprehensive husband and her very confused sister. "Your dad and Auntie Ruby are going on a little trip together."

Ruby blinked. "I am?"

Jaune scooped her up again. "We are."

He carried her upstairs to the bedroom.

Ruby blushed furiously. "W-where are you taking me?"

"The bed room," he stated. He burst in through the door and dropped her on the bed.

"ACK!" Ruby scowled. Jaune closed the door. He turned back to her.

"And we're gonna…?"

"Talk," Jaune said blandly, as he sat down next to her.

Ruby relaxed a fraction. "Oh. So we're just gonna hang out and chat like… like we used to."

"Yes…" Jaune reached out and drew her against his chest, holding her close. Ruby flushed.

"G-Geez Jaune… Do you have to be so… Clingy?"

"You haven't been hugged in a while have you?" Jaune asked. Ruby scowled.

"I… It's not important-"

"Ruby… what's this really about? Why are you so determined to get yourself killed?" He stroked her cheek. "I've been so scared for you. My best friend. Why?"

She melted against him despite herself. "Someone has to, Jaune. The world still needs heroes. And it's not like I'm doing anything else."

"That Ponderstorm really messed you up, huh?" He kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry I didn't help you more. Yang and I got so wrapped up in each other… in surviving. I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? You were stuck in a fairytale hell for twenty years. Yang was a dragon. I can't even look at dragonfruit the same way."

"Even so. You were our responsibility."

Ruby's eyes filled. "Don't you think I know Summer wasn't perfect? That just means I have to be. I have to be what she couldn't."

"You saved the world, Ruby. We all did. You can let go. You can enjoy it." He kissed her—soft, then deeper.

Ruby's brain short-circuited. She kissed back, hungry, helpless. Rose genes, damn them.

Jaune murmured against her lips, "Yang wanted me to do this…"

He nibbled down her neck, hands roaming, squeezing, claiming. Ruby straddled him, humming at the heat of him. "So… this is Plan C?"

He smacked her ass lightly. "Mmhm."

"EEP! And… And Yang knows?"

"Ruby," Jaune looked hurt, "Do you really think I would ever cheat on my wife?"

"B-But-How do we handle this?!" Ruby demanded. "D-Do you love us both? Marry us both? What if we have a kid or-"

"Ruby," Jaune whispered. He touched his forehead to hers. "We'll figure it out. I love you, you know?"

Ruby went bright red.

"M-Me?"

"Yes… And we can figure it out from there," he murmured. Ruby flushed.

"S-Still… Um… Are you sure-?"

Yang opened the door. She glared at Ruby intensely.

"Ruby? You're banging my husband or I'm beating you up."

Ruby flushed.

"Well… Um… If you're both fine with it-"

"More than fine," Yang growled. "Now get to it before I beat both your asses!"

She shut the door behind her. Ruby gulped. She sucked in a deep breath. She looked into Jaune's eyes.

"Then…"

- - -

One month later…

Isabel raised an eyebrow at the much more relaxed Ruby Rose sitting in front of her on the examination table. Yang, Jaune, and little Xia stood nearby, looking anxious. Despite the tension in the room, Isabel did manage a warm smile at the young savior of Remnant.

"Well… Congratulations, Ruby. You've conceived a child. You're pregnant!"

Ruby gasped, tears filled her eyes… And then she grinned.

"Oh!" She looked over at Yang and Jaune. "Plan "C'! Now I get it!"

Isabel very slowly turned to glare at Jaune and Yang, even as Xia giggled as Ruby pulled her into her lap.

"'Plan C'?"

"Just an… In-joke, Mom," Jaune explained.

"But it's definitely growing," Yang grinned.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Hebei, Mistral


One year, six months after Vytal


- - -



The fire crackled low in the little clearing just outside Hebei. One year and six months after the chaos of the Vytal Festival, the group had fallen into a ragged but determined rhythm. Jaune sat sharpening Crocea Mors, Ruby poked at the embers with a stick, and the others lounged around the flames looking travel-worn and hungry.



"We're officially broke," Yang announced, shaking an empty coin purse. "Like, 'can't even buy stale bread' broke."



Ruby perked up. "Then it's simple! We hunt Grimm! There's probably a bounty board in town. Easy Lien, right?"



Arslan, cross-legged, shook her head. "We don't have licenses for that here. The local guild is strict. They'd fine us before we even drew our weapons."



Nora bounced on her heels. "We could just do odd jobs on the side like we used to! Delivery runs, chopping wood, beating up local thugs—classic stuff!"



"Doesn't give us money fast enough," Yang pointed out.



Pyrrha sighed. "The CCT network is still down. Weiss and I can't access our accounts."



Weiss crossed her arms. "Even if we could, most of my assets are frozen anyway."



Ren offered quietly, "We can always do honest chores. Dishwashing. Stable work. It's slow, but reliable."



"Boring!" Nora and Yang said at the exact same time.



Jaune stared into the fire for a long moment, then spoke.



"…We could do scams."



The entire camp went dead silent. Eight pairs of eyes turned toward him in shock.



Ren was the first to recover. He shrugged. "We've done it plenty of times before."



Nora's face lit up like the sun. "Yes! I'm in!"



Arslan's expression darkened. "Jaune. Theft is against the Commandments."



Jaune winced but held firm. "I know. But we need to reach Haven. We need to save the world. Sometimes… the greater good requires bending the rules a little."



Arslan sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. "Aslan forgive us. Fine. We could try asking for donations first. Honestly. Like pilgrims."



The streets of Hebei were busy but not generous.



Ruby planted herself in front of a middle-aged merchant. "Excuse me, sir! We're trying to save the world! Could you spare some Lien?"



The man snorted and kept walking.



Nora popped up next, waving enthusiastically. "Fund to save the world! Donations welcome!"



The woman didn't even slow down.



Pyrrha approached the third man with perfect poise and her warmest smile. "Good day. We're on a vital mission to protect Remnant. Any assistance would be deeply appreciated."



The guy grunted.



"I've heard that one before, kid." He walked off.



Ruby looked back at the group, crestfallen. Nora stood proudly beside her, holding up a handmade sign that read HELP US SAVE THE WORLD! Ruby's own sign was slightly crooked but enthusiastic.



Arslan facepalmed. Weiss did the same a second later.



Arslan sighed and looked over at Jaune. "We will do penance later."



"Totally!" Jaune agreed, already looking guilty.



Later that afternoon…



Ruby stepped boldly into the road in front of a slow-moving cart. She timed it perfectly—dramatic gasp, theatrical fall, dramatic cry of pain as the driver slammed on the brakes.



The driver leaped down, horrified. "Oh no! Are you all right, child?!"



Arslan appeared from around the corner like a vision of mercy, robes fluttering. "Good sir! You have struck this poor innocent girl! But fear not—I am a healer. I can mend her… for a small donation to cover medical supplies, of course."



The driver, pale and panicking, thrust a handful of Lien into her hands. Arslan scooped Ruby up with surprising gentleness and carried her into the nearest alley.



Once safely out of sight, Arslan set Ruby down. Ruby dusted herself off with a sheepish grin.



"Thanks. I feel kinda bad about that one."



Arslan sighed heavily. "I don't like this. Not at all."



Ruby nodded. "Yeah, but… we're trying to save the world."



From deeper in the alley came the sound of running feet. Pyrrha, Jaune, Yang, Weiss, Ren, and Nora skidded around the corner, breathless.



Arslan raised an eyebrow. "Jaune?"



Jaune held up a jingling pouch, grinning nervously. "Good news! We have the money we need. Bad news? We need to run. Right now."



From the street behind them came the angry roar of a mob.



"CHEATERS!"



Arslan closed her eyes and muttered a quick prayer. "Aslan forgive us…"



Weiss pointed an accusatory finger. "It was all Pyrrha's fault!"



Pyrrha, already sprinting ahead with the rest of them, called back over her shoulder, "Sorrryyyy!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

New Atlas, Atlas

Six Years After Salem's Defeat

- - -

New Atlas sparkled under clear skies on Victory Day. The central square—once a crater of war—now gleamed with fresh stone and banners of every Kingdom. At its heart stood the new memorial: a towering statue of intertwined figures, heroes and ordinary souls frozen in defiance. Pyrrha's likeness held her spear high beside Nick Arc's, among many others who hadn't made it home.

Weiss Schnee-Arc stood at the edge of the stage area, elegant in white and pale blue, one hand resting protectively on the small of her back where their son's handprint still lingered from that morning's goodbye hug. She watched Jaune with quiet concern. Six years had healed many wounds, but some scars ran deeper than anything could reach.

"Jaune," she said softly as they waited for their cue, squeezing his hand. "You've been through so much. Suffered so much. You don't have to—"

He squeezed back, thumb brushing over her wedding ring. "I'm all right, Weiss. I can do this." His smile was tired but genuine. "I have to do this. For them. For us."

High Councillor Henry Marigold—once an empty-headed dandy, now a steadier man tempered by war—smiled warmly as he stepped aside from the podium. The crowd roared as Jaune and Weiss ascended the steps together, her hand never leaving his.

"Atlasians… People of Remnant…" Jaune began, voice carrying across the square.

He glanced at his Scroll—and paled. Weiss looked over his shoulder and her eyes minutely widened.

The speech was gone. Deleted, corrupted, vanished into the digital ether.

Weiss moved instantly, ready to step forward and take over, but Jaune shook his head. He cleared his throat, looked out at the sea of faces, and spoke from memory and heart instead.

"Throughout the events of human and Faunus history, we have always dealt with the Darkness that threatened to engulf us all. A Darkness of the Grimm… and a darkness in ourselves. We had to fight that—inside and out—to end this war. It cost us… It cost us all dearly. Some more than others."

It was like he could feel Nick and Pyrrha's gazes on him.

His hand trembled in Weiss's grasp. She held it tighter, steady and warm. Jaune kept going, voice thickening but never breaking.

"It's easy to say that sacrifices are necessary to secure victory. To survive. To live. And that… that is true. It is easy to say. It is harder to go through it. That doesn't change that the sacrifice has to be made. It is easy to fall into darkness, into despair, as the losses pile up and you lose so much…"

He bowed his head for a moment, the weight of Pyrrha, his father, and countless others pressing down. Weiss's thumb stroked the back of his hand. He lifted his gaze again, found her eyes, and drew strength from the quiet love there. She smiled. He smiled back.

"I was alone for a very, very long time," he continued, voice growing stronger, "only the faint hope of seeing my friends keeping me going. Only the hope of victory. And that is what we won… A victory. And victories need to be celebrated!"

A cheer erupted from the crowd.

"And this… This is a victory! Every day I wake up with my wife. Every day I see my beautiful little boy… Every day the sun rises… I know it was worth it. The pain… The pain may not go away… But it doesn't change the fact that you've saved others from worse pains. For that reason did me, my friends, and everyone who fought in that war—whether they were on the front lines or behind them, shooting, swinging a sword, praying, or anything else… We fought together. We bled together… And the sun rose again. We made that happen… So don't forget that. Through all the pain and loss… That sun is still rising. And where there's life? There's hope."

The square fell silent for a heartbeat—then exploded into thunderous applause and cheers that rolled like waves across New Atlas.

Jaune nodded once, humble and exhausted, as Weiss guided him gently off the stage behind the curtains. The moment they were out of sight he let out a long breath and chuckled shakily.

"Phew… That was tough."

Weiss looked up at him, eyes shining with pride and worry. "I could have handled that, you know."

"I know, sweetie… I know." He cupped her cheek, thumb brushing away a tear she hadn't realized had fallen. "But I want to inspire hope, Weiss. Like you do for me… every single day."

Weiss's cheeks flushed that familiar, beautiful Schnee pink. Without another word she rose on her toes and kissed him soundly—fierce, grateful, full of everything she couldn't say in front of the crowd. Jaune melted into it, arms wrapping around her as the roar of the celebration continued just beyond the curtain.

For a moment, in the quiet space behind the stage, the weight of the world lifted. There was only the two of them, their son waiting at home, and the sun still rising on a future they had fought to keep.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

In the vicinity of Vacuo City, Western Sanus.

1 year and 8 months after the Vytal Festival Tournament.
- - -

The transition from the surreal Ever After back to Remnant felt like stepping through a dream and waking into noise and heat. Vacuo's streets were alive with movement—soldiers from Atlas, Vale, Mistral, and Vacuo itself gathered in every square and rooftop, banners fluttering, voices overlapping in a dozen languages. The city was crowded beyond belief, yet somehow still standing.

Jaune walked beside Winter, Ruby and Yang flanking them, Weiss close on her sister's other side. Blake moved a little more quietly beside them, while Nora and Ren brought up the rear after their long talk with Ozpin. The weight of everything they'd seen and lost still pressed on them, but they were home.

Then Jaune froze mid-step.

Through the press of bodies, a tall figure in full, battle-worn armor strode forward, a massive sword slung across his back. Beside him walked a smaller, curvy woman in elegant white and blue, a shawl draped over her distinctive white hair. The knight escorted her protectively through the crowd.

Winter and Weiss gasped at the same time.

"Mother!" Winter cried.

"Mother!" Weiss echoed.

Both Schnee sisters broke into a run, propriety forgotten in the dust and noise of Vacuo. Willow Schnee held out her arms and caught them both, pulling her daughters into a fierce, weeping embrace. For once, the Schnee name meant nothing—only family, only relief, only joy after so much loss.

Jaune couldn't move. His eyes locked with the knight's. The man stopped, staring back. With the helmet on, even with polished armor, the resemblance to the Rusted Knight was uncanny. Ruby and Yang stepped closer, each squeezing one of Jaune's arms in silent support. Blake gave him a small, encouraging smile from the side.

Jaune took a shaky breath and walked forward. Nick watched him approach, then slowly reached up and removed his helmet. His face—older, scarred, but unmistakably his father's—filled with emotion. Tears already glistened in his eyes.

"Dad… I…" Jaune's voice cracked. He clutched at his chest where the artificial heart his mother had built still beat steadily inside him. "Mom… she saved me, but… she…" His head bowed. "She died… because of me… I'm so sorry, Dad…"

Winter moved to his side without hesitation, slipping her hand into his and holding it tight. She looked up at Nick with quiet strength.

Nick stared at his son for a long moment, then pulled him into a crushing hug. His broad shoulders shook as soft sobs broke free.

"Son…" Nick whispered, voice thick. "Son… I am so glad you are alive… I missed you so much…"

"But—but I—" Jaune tried.

Nick held him tighter. "Your mother died saving you because she loved you. I would have done the same thing. Don't ever think any different, son."

Jaune broke. He pressed his face into his father's armored chest and cried—deep, wrenching sobs that had waited years to be released. Winter, Ruby, and Yang wrapped around him from behind, holding the family together in the middle of the crowded street. Weiss stood with her mother, Willow's arm around her shoulders, while Blake, Nora, and Ren watched with quiet, understanding eyes.

For the first time in what felt like forever, the weight of loss didn't feel quite so impossible to carry.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Arc-En-Ciel Hospital, Radian, Gallia

Six years after Salem's defeat

- - -

Jaune kicked the emergency room doors open with one foot, Ruby cradled carefully in his arms. Her face was flushed, silver eyes squeezed shut, one hand clamped around the front of his shirt as another contraction hit.

Isabel and Nick were already waiting just inside.

"All right… Let's get you the painkillers and you'll be—" Isabel began, already reaching for a chart.

"N-No! No… I'm fine!" Ruby gasped. "I-I want to do this naturally!"

Jaune adjusted his grip, looking down at her with equal parts love and alarm. "Uh, Ruby, there's no reason you need to."

Isabel shook her head. "I used painkilling techniques for all my births. There's no need to—"

"No, no! I-I'm fine!" Ruby insisted through gritted teeth. "I want… I want to welcome the baby in the old-fashioned way!"

Jaune looked helplessly between his wife and his mother. "Um…"

Isabel sighed the long-suffering sigh of a woman who had seen this exact brand of stubbornness before.

Nick clapped his son on the shoulder, laughing. "Hahaha! Sometimes you have to learn the hard way!"

Ruby cracked one eye open at him. "What do you mean by—?"

- - -

Two hours later the "old-fashioned way" was in full swing.

Ruby was flat on her back in the delivery room, face red, silver eyes blazing, both hands locked around Jaune's in a grip that could have crushed steel. She screamed through another contraction, voice echoing off the walls.

"I'LL NEVER LET YOU TOUCH ME AGAIN!"

Jaune, kneeling beside the bed, nodded solemnly while his fingers slowly turned white. "I know, I know…"

"I'LL MURDER YOU WITH THE BLENDER!"

"We got that for our wedding," he reminded her gently.

"I HATE IT!"

"Good to know…" Jaune winced as her grip tightened further. "Nnngh…! Mom, she's crushing my hand!"

Isabel, calmly monitoring the monitors, didn't even look up. "It's okay. She'll be fine…"

Nick, leaning against the wall with a grin, added, "Ha! Izzy said worse things when she was in labor!"

Ruby's head snapped toward him. "I'LL MURDER YOU ALL!"

"Owww… My hand…!" Jaune whimpered.

The door to the delivery room suddenly slammed open.

A Grimm cultist in tattered robes burst in, wild-eyed, raising a handgun. "FOR QUEEN SALEM I WILL KILL YOU—!"

Ruby, still mid-contraction, somehow found the strength to snatch the bedside lamp and hurl it with perfect accuracy. The cultist took the lamp full in the face, flew backward, and slammed headfirst through the wall into the hallway beyond in a shower of plaster and drywall.

Ruby sat half-upright, chest heaving, silver eyes glowing faintly with residual Aura. "NOBODY TOUCHES MY FAMILY YOU BASTARD!"

Jaune stared at the hole in the wall, then at his wife, awestruck. "Wow, Ruby! That was amazing!"

"FUCK OFF GODDAMNIT MOTHERFUCKER AARRRRGH!" Ruby screamed as the next contraction hit.

Nick was already out the door, tackling the dazed cultist with two hospital security guards who had finally caught up. The three of them dragged the man away while Isabel simply shook her head and returned her attention to the monitors.

A few minutes later, after one final, ear-splitting push, the room filled with the thin, furious cry of a newborn.

Isabel moved with practiced speed—injecting Ruby with a carefully measured dose of painkillers the moment the baby was clear, cleaning him, clamping and cutting the umbilical cord, wrapping the tiny form in a soft blanket. She turned and placed the child carefully into Ruby's waiting arms, Jaune leaning in close on the other side of the bed.

"Congratulations," Isabel said, smiling. "It's a boy."

Ruby stared down at the red-faced, silver-eyed infant nestled against her chest. Tears spilled freely down her cheeks. "Oh… Oh Jaune… Look… He's so beautiful…!"

Jaune was crying too, one big hand carefully cupping the baby's head. "Y-yeah…"

Ruby sniffled, then beamed through the tears. "Name him Julian! July! Like Summer…"

"That's a great name," Jaune whispered.

Ruby hugged the baby closer, eyes shining with a slightly manic post-delivery glow. "My clone has been born! My heroic legacy is assured!"

Jaune looked from his wife to his mother, still holding Ruby's (now slightly less crushing) hand. "That's our son." He glanced at Isabel. "How many drugs did you give her?"

Isabel checked the empty syringe with a thoughtful expression. "…Maybe a little too much."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Atlas, Solitas

One year, three months after Vytal Festival

---

The battleship Dominatrix, General Jinjur Hardy's flagship, hung in the cold Atlesian sky like a steel threat. Inside its main hangar bay, a squad of Hardy's personal guards stood ready as the unmarked transport airship requested landing clearance. The controllers granted it. The craft settled onto the deck with a soft hiss of thrusters.

"Still can't believe she named her flagship the Dominatrix," the first guard muttered as they approached the craft. His partner shrugged.

"Maybe she did it to improve morale. I sure wouldn't mind being her good little doggy."

"Don't talk like that, she'll have you courtmartialed!" The first guard muttered, "especially with the rebellion going on!"

The security systems in the bay flickered and died the moment the landing struts locked.

The first guard frowned at his Scroll. "That's weird… Why did the security go down?"

His colleague shrugged. "Maybe the rebels are trying to infiltrate the ship?"

The first guard laughed. "Ha! Like anyone would be crazy enough to try—"

The rear hatch of the airship slammed open.

Winter Schnee, Jaune Arc, and Qrow Branwen burst out in a coordinated blur of white, gold, and black. Swords flashed. Winter's glyph-assisted strikes dropped two guards before they could fully raise their weapons. Qrow's scythe carved a clean arc through the next pair. Jaune's shield took a spray of bullets and answered with a precise thrust that put a third man on the deck.

One remaining guard scrambled for the alarm panel. Jaune spun, Aura flaring, and unleashed a golden Aura slash that slammed the man into the bulkhead hard enough to leave a dent. The guard slid down in a heap, unconscious.

Silence fell over the hangar, broken only by the soft crackle of cooling metal and the distant hum of the ship's engines.

Qrow rested his scythe on his shoulder and grinned. "Another happy landing."

Winter shot him a sharp look as she wiped her blade. "Please take this seriously."

"You know," Qrow continued, voice full of lazy amusement, "we wouldn't have been able to mount this rescue if you and your boytoy weren't on a date—"

Winter cleared her throat with deliberate force. Jaune's face turned a deep red.

"That is irrelevant," Winter said coolly. "Let's get to the brig and—"

A rocket launcher fired from the side entrance.

The projectile slammed into their empty transport. The explosion tore the airship apart in a fireball of metal and Dust. Winter, Jaune, and Qrow threw themselves behind a row of cargo crates as shrapnel and flame washed over the hangar.

They rose cautiously, weapons ready.

General Jinjur Hardy strode into the bay at the head of a fresh squad of soldiers, a satisfied smirk on her face. Her uniform was immaculate, her posture regal, and the rocket launcher still smoked faintly in one of her troopers' hands.

"Oh, Winter," Hardy said, voice dripping with mock sympathy. "So predictable. The renegade Schnee daughter, bravely trying to save her sister and her boyfriend's idiot friends… Also you're here, Qrow."

Qrow gave her a once-over and smirked. "Hey Jinjur. Had some more work done on your tits, I see."

Hardy's expression soured.

Jaune stepped forward, shield raised, blue eyes burning. "You're going to destroy us all, General! The Grimm are our enemy! Don't you care about Atlas?! You're just going to make things harder for all of humanity, yourself included!"

Hardy regarded him with mild pity. "Foolish boy… Still the optimistic hero. Unaware of the real world's complexities."

"I didn't sell out mankind for a crown!" Jaune shot back.

"I just joined the winning side," Hardy replied smoothly. "All creatures adhere to their natures—"

"Yes," Winter cut in coldly, "just like a snake!"

Hardy tilted her head, almost amused. "You insist on clinging to ideals that will destroy us all… I intend to allow us to survive… And this…" She raised a sleek sidearm. "Is a gun."

She fired.

Winter's sword flashed, deflecting the bullet in a spark of steel.

From the floor, the cynical guard stirred and pushed himself halfway up, one hand pressed to his ribs. "Hey, I'm all right General—"

The richochet hit him cleanly through the throat.

"HURK!"

The man collapsed, blood spurting from his neck.

Hardy spun toward the body, face contorting into pure theatrical agony. She dropped to her knees, arms outstretched toward the ceiling of the hangar as if appealing to the Emperor Above Himself.

"STEVE?! NO! WHY MUST THE GOOD DIE YOUNG?!"

Her voice cracked with grief. She clutched at her chest.

"IT'S SO TERRIBLE!"

Winter stared at the performance, unimpressed.

"So's your acting."

Hardy's head snapped toward them, all pretense gone. Her eyes burned with cold fury.

"KILL THEM ALL!"

---

Much like her inspiration, General Jinjur Hardy is meant to be both menacing and slightly comedic in how over the top she can be.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Radian, Vale

Six Years after Salem's Defeat

---

The farmhouse kitchen smelled of warm bread and the faint scent of lavender from the window boxes. Afternoon sunlight spilled across the wooden table and the worn floorboards. In the middle of it all, Arslan paced slowly, rocking the small bundle in her arms with the same steady rhythm she once used to steady her breathing before a tournament match.

Petra was having none of it.

The baby's face was red, tiny fists waving, and the continuous, high-pitched cries filled every corner of the room. Arslan's usual serene expression had developed the slightest crease between her brows. Her voice remained soft, but there was a note of weary determination underneath.

"Hush, little one… hush…"

The back door opened. Jaune stepped inside, wiping his hands on a rag, and stopped short at the sound. His expression immediately shifted to concern.

"What's wrong with her?"

Arslan looked up, still rocking. "I am unsure… She's so cranky. I've changed her, fed her, cuddled her, sang her hymns…"

Jaune crossed the kitchen in a few long strides and held out his arms. "Let me handle her for a while. Give you a break."

Arslan hesitated only a moment before carefully transferring the red-faced, still-crying infant into his waiting hands. The moment Petra settled against her father's chest, the crying stopped as if someone had flipped a switch. A tiny, wet giggle bubbled up instead. Petra blinked up at Jaune with wide, content eyes and made a soft, happy noise.

Arslan's eyes narrowed.

She looked from the suddenly peaceful baby to her husband's carefully neutral face.

Jaune shrugged and coughed lightly. "I mean… babies are fickle."

"I am aware," Arslan said, voice even but dry.

"Don't take it personally."

Arslan folded her arms, watching as Petra waved one tiny hand against Jaune's shirt and cooed. The corner of her mouth twitched downward in the closest thing to a pout her composed features ever allowed.

"I shall try not to."

Jaune chuckled and leaned in, kissing her cheek.

"Don't pout."

"Stonebreakers do not pout."

"Sure, sure..."

"Hmph."