[RWBY] The Great Temporal Step-Sibling War!

[AndrewJTalon]

Beacon, Vale

- - -

The party in the unused Beacon dorm was in full swing—string lights twinkling like mischievous stars, bass thumping hard enough to make your eardrums throb, and plenty of teenaged bodies packed tight in a chaotic swirl of laughter, spilled drinks, and dancing that skirted the edge of "indecent."

May Zedong—Vacuo orphan, quiet sniper, eternal wallflower—hadn't planned on drinking. Heck, she hadn't planned on attending at all.

She'd come because her team dragged her along. BRNZ—Brawnz, Roy, Nolan, and her—were supposed to "bond." Instead, they'd spent the night goofing off: Brawnz arm-wrestling upperclassmen, Roy and Nolan challenging people to drinking games, leaving May to hover awkwardly in the corner, Aura Sight picking up everyone's moods in glowing overlays she couldn't turn off.

Frustration had simmered all evening. She did the work—scouting, planning, covering their reckless asses in missions—while they played leader and clowns.

One cup of glowing punch to loosen up. Two because it tasted like candy. Three because the warmth felt nice. Four because she forgot how many she'd had.

Now the world tilted pleasantly, her usual shyness drowned in liquid courage.

Her team was mid-laugh-Brawnz flexing for a crowd, Roy and Nolan cheering-when they turned to May.

"Hey, May! You wanna go get me my Scroll?" Brawnz asked, "I wanna show off how awesome I was in that fight!"

May scowled. Truly scowled. It was surprising enough that Roy and Nolan were taken aback.

"Why? Can't you get it yourself?" She demanded, her words slurring slightly as she started on a slow burn.

Brawnz for his part was merely confused.

"Well, why can't you go get it for me? That fight was so cool and I totally dominated," Brawnz went on, oblivous to the anger about to be unleashed.

"I dominated! I shot the Grimm! You guys always leave me out!" she snapped, louder than she'd ever been. "I do all the work! Scouting, planning, watching your backs—and you just fight and goof off like idiots!"

The group froze. Nolan blinked, reaching out to her. "May? You okay?"

"No!" She swayed, pointing accusingly. "I'm tired of being invisible! You're the leader, Brawnz, but I'm the one keeping us alive!"

"I didn't mean that you-" Brawnz tried, but May's temper was well and truly lost.

"I didn't even want to be here! But you still made me come because I don't get to do anything!" May raged, "I'm just your-your PACK MULE! YOUR GUN! AND I'M SICK OF IT!"

Brawnz gaped. Roy tried to salvage things.

"We just wanted you to have a good time-!"

"WELL I'M NOT!" May yelled, throwing the cup down.

Her eyes stung. The buzz soured into embarrassment. She turned and staggered away—out a side door, into the cool night air of the balcony.

The breeze hit her like a truck. She gripped the railing, head spinning, regret crashing in.

Stupid. So stupid. Now they'll think I'm crazy.

Footsteps approached—soft, careful.

"You okay?"

May turned. Jaune Arc stood there, looking concerned—one hand in his pocket, a half-finished bottle of something mild in one hand.

She huffed, looking away. "Fine. Just… air."

Jaune joined her at the railing, leaving space. "Parties are intense. I get needing a break."

May glanced at him—tall, kind eyes, that awkward sincerity everyone teased but secretly liked. Her Aura Sight overlaid his glow: steady gold, warm, threaded with quiet determination and a flicker of loneliness.

They stood in silence a moment.

Then the words spilled out.

"My team… they're great fighters, but I do everything else. Planning. Watching. Shooting. Chores... And they just… don't see me."

Jaune nodded slowly. May kept going on, quiet and ashamed.

"They-They've saved me... But they're also jerks. They make me do the laundry, the paperwork, the cooking, the cleaning... I have to do everything... They even dragged me out here and-and I didn't want to. I didn't want to see everything! I didn't want to do all this... I just... I just wanted...!"

She sniffled, and began to cry. She felt a handkerchief touch her hand. She looked up, saw Jaune was offering her the cloth. She took it, wiped her eyes, and blew her nose. She flushed, and handed it back. Jaune awkwardly shook his head and smiled softly.

"Keep it," he said. May nodded, a bit unsteady. He got close to support her.

"I... I can see everyone's Souls," she mumbled, "I can see so much and it's... It's so much. It's overwhelming... I'm so tired... I'm so tired of being the strong one..."

"I'm sorry," Jaune whispered. "I... I get that. I mean... Being overwhelmed. Not the seeing Souls thing."

May looked at him—really looked. His Aura was bright, honest. No pretense.

"I... I have Aura Sight—they think it's cool, but it's… isolating. Always seeing more than people want. I can see so much... So much I don't want to."

"That... That still sounds amazing," Jaune said eagerly. "My godfather has a similar Semblance, and he's super cool. He's an incredible archer! There's nothing he can't hit." He grinned. "I bet you're just like him."

May blushed deeply.

"I... I am a pretty good shot," she whispered, "But when you can see so much... Y-You see so much of people and they don't understand..."

Jaune's eyes softened. "That sounds hard. Am... Are you seeing anything bad with me?"

May beamed into his chest.

"No," she whispered, "I... I like seeing you..."

They talked—really talked. About feeling on the outside. About hiding parts of themselves. About quiet places they escaped to, books they loved in secret.

The punch wore off slowly, leaving warmth that wasn't alcohol.

May's heart raced. She looked up at him, voice soft but steady.

"Jaune… would you go out with me? Like… a date?"

Jaune's eyes widened. "May, I—"

Panic hit. "Forget it! I'm buzzed, stupid—"

"No!" He caught her hand gently. "I'd love to. But… you've been drinking. How about you ask when you're sober?"

May stared, then nodded—shy, hopeful. "Okay."

He smiled. "Promise?"

"Promise. Also... Sorry."

"Sorry? For what-?"

May turned and threw up over the balcony railing. She then passed out. Jaune held her, bright red.

"Oh boy..."

The next morning, May woke with a pounding headache and crystal-clear memory.

She groaned into her pillow. She'd asked Jaune Arc out. While buzzed. Like a complete idiot.

She'd yelled at her teammates too. What was she thinking?!

"Uh..."

She looked up from her bunk. Brawnz, Roy and Nolan stood in front of her, looking contrite. She flushed and wrapped herself in her blankets.

"Um... G-Guys... I uh... Um..."

Brawnz sighed.

"Hey. We're... Sorry, okay?"

"He's the most sorry," Nolan muttered. Brawnz glared at him before he looked back at May. He reached out a hand and rested it on her shoulder.

"What I mean is... We did just want you to have some fun," Brawnz said, "Because you do work so hard."

"And we do appreciate you, May, even if we don't say it," Roy agreed. He handed her a glass of water and aspirin. She took them, wincing but grateful.

"Thank you," she murmured shyly. Brawnz grinned.

"We'll get you breakfast! You need protein after all that."

"Yeah," Nolan agreed. The three headed out, muttering quietly to eachother. They shut the door behind them. May sighed, burying herself in her blankets.

Her scroll buzzed. She read the caller ID: Jaune Arc?!

Hey May. Still on for that date? Festival tonight? Sober you this time.

May's face burned. But her heart soared.

She typed back, fingers trembling.

Yes. I'd love to.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Radian, Vale

Seven Years After Salem's Defeat

- - -

Cinder frowned at her newest baby, Ingis. The six month old whined, shook his high chair, and moved his head whenever her spoon full of baby food got close.

"Come on, Ignis," she murmured, "You've eaten this before. You like it!"

"Mmpah!" Ignis bleated. Cinder sighed in irritation.

"You know you like it," she insisted. Ignis burbled, and she stuck the spoon in like lightning when he opened his mouth. "See?"

The baby smacked his lips... And whined some more. Cinder sighed.

"So picky," she muttered. There was a knock at the door. She raised an eyebrow as she picked Ignis up and headed for the door, padding in her usual red housedress. Ignis babbled, and she stroked his back to sooth him.

"There there, we'll get through your mashed carrots soon enough," she soothed. Ash and Ashley were at the hospital today, and Jaune hadn't called that he was coming home early. So who was it?

Probably Rose or Nora here to drop in unannounced, as usual, she thought with a sniff, as she opened the door. She blinked-Nobody was on the porch...

"I-I will... Slay you!" Squeaked a voice. She looked down. A small boy with pale skin and wearing a pink and blue blanket as a cape stood there, holding up a toy sword. Cinder raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And who are you?"

"I'm... Lord Baddest Dude!" He declared. "And I will defeat the heroes of the world and become the greatest villain Remnant has ever seen."

What, Cinder thought. Ignis babbled, unimpressed. Her baby's reaction made her snort in laughter.

The boy scowled.

"Hey! I really will! I-I'll be sooo powerful I'll stomp all the good guys and rule! And nobody will tell me to go to bed ever!"

Cinder shook her head.

Was I ever this bad? She wondered. Maybe, once, yes. But now...

Rather than anger, resentment, or guilt... She just saw an innocent child playing around. One who didn't know any better.

An innocence she felt very protective over.

Cinder knelt down, adjusting Ignis to keep him comfortable, and looked into Lord Baddest Dude's eyes, her own filled with amusement.

"Well, Lord Baddest Dude," she said with a grin, "It takes a lot of work to be an evil villain. Have you got it all planned out? Do you have an evil scheme?"

"Yeah huh!" Lord Baddest Dude said, "I'm gonna defeat you! Then lure in Ser Jaune and Lady Ruby, and beat them! And then you'll all have to work for me because I defeated you!"

Cinder snickered.

"Oh? Is that how it works, Lord Baddest Dude?"

"Yeah huh!" Lord Baddest Dude insisted, nodding his head very enthusiastically. "Then with your power I'll make my parents let me stay up as long as I like! So there! I mean, you already switched sides so I thought I'd start with you!"

"Ah, but there is the flaw in your plan, Lord Baddest Dude," Cinder pointed out, poking him in his belly and making him giggle, "I did turn from evil to good. Who's to say I wouldn't be pretending to go along with your plan, and then betray you at the last second? I did that to Salem, you know. Helped save Ruby and Jaune."

"You wouldn't!" Lord Baddest Dude declared... Then he winced. "Would you?"

Cinder laughed.

"Oh, I would. But you'd never know when it would come," she said, "So you couldn't trust me even if you defeated me."

"Bwawawa," Ignis added, before burping. Lord Baddest Dude frowned.

"But... Maybe I'd know you'd betray me so I'd betray you first!" He insisted.

"But I would know you would know I would betray you, so I'd know you would betray me," Cinder countered playfully. Lord Baddest Dude blinked a few times.

"Wha...?"

"Would you like to have some cookies and milk while you work that out?" Cinder asked with a little smile. Lord Baddest Dude looked suspicious.

"... Chocolate chip?"

"Only the best," she confirmed. Lord Baddest Dude nodded happily.

"Okay!"

- - -

It was a few hours later that Jaune returned from the hospital, Ash and Ashley in their buggy. The two year olds were tuckered out and sleeping, and Jaune was glad of it. He pushed the cart up the path to the house, and lifted it easily up onto the porch. He reached out for the door knob... When it opened, one Eleanor Rigby, their neighbor, standing there. She was holding a five year old boy in a pink and blue cape in her arms, who was fast asleep.

"Thanks for finding him, Mrs. Arc," Eleanor sighed in relief. Cinder chuckled back, shaking her head. Ignis was sleeping in her arms, his face recently cleaned.

"No problem at all, Eleanor. He's free to come by any time!"

"Thanks!" Eleanor sighed. She smiled at Jaune. "Jaune! Great to see you! Your wife found little Jude-"

"I saw," Jaune said with a smile, "Glad he's all right."

"We'll see you at church!" Eleanor said, waving as she carried her sleeping son off the porch and down the path. Jaune pushed the buggy inside, letting go to kiss Cinder deeply.

"Mmm... How was your day?" Jaune asked. Cinder chuckled.

"Well... I may have kept a new supervillain from rising to challenge us in the future," she said, "But I suppose only time will tell. Perhaps he'll make for a useful asset if I ever decide to return to villainy."

Jaune blinked.

"I... Suppose?"

- - -