[RWBY] Cuts of RWBY

[AndrewJTalon]

Set after the Dance...

- - -

Weiss Schnee had worked very hard to cultivate patience. Patience went with control, and control was paramount. It had been a core part of her for her entire life.

Beacon had tested that control, severely. Every single one of her buttons was jammed, jabbed, and slammed on. She had had to re-evaluate herself in many ways. To change.

And as she stormed out of her dorm room out into the night, stomping and gritting her teeth, she felt like none of it had fucking mattered!

She used her incredible speed to get all the way out to a balcony near the unoccupied part of the dorms. She went outside, took a deep breath... And kicked the railing.

"Fuck Blake Belladonna!" She snarled, kicking the railing pillar over and over, until the pain made her stop. She leaned against the railing, gripping it and panting hard to regain her calm. To regain her control.

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. She blinked furiously, tried to keep them back...

Someone offered a handkerchief. She took it without thinking, as though she was back in the family mansion in Atlas. She dabbed her eyes, careful to not further ruin her makeup.

"Th-Thank you," she said to her benefactor.

"No problem."

She lowered her handkerchief, and looked to her left. Perched on the railing was a familiar blonde monkey Faunus, still with his white shirt wide open. She blinked in confusion as Sun Wukong gave her a small smile.

"Wha-What are you doing here?" She demanded, pulling back out of instinct. He held up his hands.

"Hey, hey! Take it easy! I was just out for some exercise, Princess!"

Weiss opened her mouth to yell some more... Then she slowly closed her mouth and looked away.

"I... Sorry," she murmured, "It... I'm not mad at you. Really."

"Blake, right?" Sun asked. Weiss glanced back at him. There was... A knowing look on his face.

"Yes," she agreed. She sighed softly. "It's... Stupid. I don't have a problem with her as a Faunus. Not really. I promise."

"It's just that most Faunus you've met were part of the White Fang," Sun said with a nod. She stared at him, and he shrugged. "Am I wrong?"

"... No," she admitted. She closed her eyes and sighed softly. "I... I am sorry. But..." She opened her eyes and glared out at the night.

Sun leaned forward.

"You want to talk about it?"

Weiss glanced at him, and looked back out at the stars.

"I... I'm not sure if I can-"

"Hey," Sun said, spreading his arms wide with a smile, "I've got a thick skin. I can take it. Besides," He sighed, "I owe you for Neptune."

Weiss scowled deeply.

"No... No, those were his choices," she muttered, "I-I don't blame you for him being... Him."

Sun chuckled.

"Yeah, but... I could do a better job as team leader," he said, "Keep him from getting himself killed, at least. Anyway, enough about him. What about you?"

"Aren't you with Blake?" Weiss countered. "You sure you want me to talk badly of your girlfriend?"

Sun shook his head with a sad smile.

"She's not my girlfriend. She made that clear."

Weiss blinked, then looked away again.

"Oh... Sorry," she murmured.

"It's better to just get this stuff out, ya know?" Sun asked, scratching the back of his head, "Me, I'm live and let live. You need to vent? I'll listen. You don't want me around? I'll go."

Weiss licked her lips. She stared out at the stars again. Cold, distant, always beautiful. She sucked in a breath through her nostrils, and let it go.

"... She always acts like she's the wounded party, and I am never an equal," she started, "As if the White Fang didn't kill members of my family. As though they haven't tried to kidnap me and my family members. As if they haven't threatened..."

She trailed off, going pale. She shuddered. Sun reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. She started and looked at him. He didn't pull back. His face was compassionate.

"You're right. That's not fair," he said. "You didn't do the terrible things your father did."

Weiss opened her mouth, but her throat was choked with emotion. She blinked back more tears, and dabbed her eyes again.

"I... Thank you," she said quietly, "I-I... I don't approve of what he does. He's... He's a monster to everyone." She sighed. "I want to stop it. I want to change it. I just... I don't really know how."

Sun nodded, smiling warmly.

"That sucks," he said succinctly. She snorted in a most unladylike manner.

"It... Yes, quite," she managed. Sun leaned back, lowering his legs to sit on the railing. His tail wagged a bit as he smiled at her. She managed to smile back.

"She-She can be so self-righteous," she went on, "Like she didn't do bad things! I-I know she's trying to repent! I understand that! But she makes it so hard..."

Sun sighed and nodded.

"Yeah. She keeps lecturing about how the White Fang wasn't supposed to be like this. Well, nobody put guns to their heads to bomb trains. Nobody made them bully Faunus who didn't go along with their bullshit."

"They-They do that kind of stuff to Faunus too?" Weiss asked. Sun nodded.

"Yeah. Lot of assholes will take any excuse to hurt people and feel justified," he snorted, "My best friends are humans. When I was orphaned in Vacuo, a human monk is the one who found and raised me. White Fang members thinks that makes me a bad Faunus. So screw 'em."

"What happened to your parents...?" Weiss asked, then winced. "Sorry-"

"No, it's okay," Sun sighed, shrugging. "Tang-That's the monk-found me in a village hit by Grimm and bandits when I was a baby. Everyone else was dead."

Weiss stared at him in sorrow. He smiled wanly and shrugged.

"Could have been worse," he said, "Tang raised me like his own, with some other orphans he had found. We went around collecting alms for the poor, tending shrines, teaching martial arts. He trained me and my bros, Zhu and Sha. We were all Faunus kids, but he didn't care; He loves us all, and we love him. He had wanted me to become a monk too, but..." He chuckled. "I wanted adventure. He had an old friend at Haven Academy, one of the teachers, and got me a scholarship. So, here I am, all thanks to a kindly human."

"I... I'm really sorry," Weiss murmured. "I... It's amazing that you're still able to laugh and smile after all that."

Sun beamed at her, his tail forming a curl.

"Tang's like the best dad a boy could have ever had! And I grew up with two great brothers! I got to go see the world, meet some great friends, and have great fights!" He winked at her. "And meet some pretty girls, too."

Her cheeks burned red. She shook her head.

"I-Don't flirt, please."

Sun blinked in confusion.

"Who's flirting? I'm just being honest," he said. Weiss sighed and looked away.

"Ugh, do you have to do that?" She grumbled.

"It's my honest feelings," he said firmly with a nod.

"Well... Thank you," she said. She turned and smiled shyly at him. "It... It occurs to me I haven't really talked to you before. I'm sorry about that."

Sun waved his hand.

"Nah, don't worry about it," he said. "I'm just glad I can talk about Blake. I mean... I really like her and all, but..." He sighed and shrugged. "She doesn't seem to like me the same way."

"Then she's an idiot," Weiss stated firmly. Sun glanced at her, and grinned.

"Sure you're not just saying that because of my abs, Princess?"

"I'm sure, and stop calling me that!" She retorted. Sun chuckled.

"As the Princess demands."

"Ugh!" Weiss grunted. "You're so..." She scowled. "You're not very polite for a boy raised by a monk."

"I never said I was a great student," Sun replied with a laugh and wink. Weiss fought another smile.

"I suppose that's fair..."

They talked a little bit more after that. If it wasn't for her team, Weiss didn't think she could have opened up to Sun at all. But he did tell amusing stories, and he really listened to her problems. She found herself losing track of time during the conversation, a complete rarity for her.

"I... I need to get to bed," she said, with a shocked glance at her watch, "I'm sorry. It was... It was great. Really."

Sun yawned theatrically, which turned into the real thing. He rubbed his face.

"Yeah, same. And it was nice," he smiled at her.

"Could... Could we talk again?" Weiss asked shyly. "Just... You know, the two of us. Privately?"

Sun nodded.

"Sure!"

"It's not an imposition-?"

"If it was, I wouldn't do it," Sun said with a nod. "I mean... I liked talking to you."

"Really?" Weiss gasped. "I-I'm not too... Um..."

"Snooty?" He asked. He tilted his head in thought, then shrugged. "Well yeah, you are snooty."

"Thanks a lot," Weiss scowled. He kept beaming.

"But snooty is fine when it's you," he decided.

A furious blush on Weiss's face was his reward.

"I uh... Thank you," Weiss managed, looking away from his. She scowled. "I'm still angry with Blake, but... You helped a lot."

Sun beamed.

"Always happy to help a friend," he said.

"That... That's what we are now?" Weiss asked, uncertain. He grinned.

"Sure! If you want to be?"

"I... I would like that," Weiss decided, after a few minutes of thought. She then gained a truly wicked grin.

"You know... There's another way for you to help me. With Blake."

Her idea was very petty, she would admit it. But she didn't mind Sun's company too much, and he had his own issues with Blake. It might be good for both of them.

Of course, it all depended on whether or not he agreed.

Sun hummed.

"How so?"

She told him. And he laughed.

- - -

The next morning, Blake was with most of her team in the cafeteria, picking at her food in distraction. Weiss wasn't there and neither was Sun. And both were on her mind.

Maybe I should apologize to Sun. I need to explain I'm not looking for a relationship right now, not after what happened with Adam. Maybe I was... Too hard on him, She thought, And maybe I should go a little easier on Weiss. She doesn't mean to be insensitive, but-

She looked up from the breakfast table and sees Sun walking with Weiss hanging off his arm. The entire cafeteria went silent, all eyes on the apparently couple.

"What...?" Jaune mumbled. He had given up hitting on Weiss, but this was a shock to him.

"The fuck?!" Blake hissed, clenching her hand around her fork as hard as she could.

Weiss looked around the table, smiling prettily at her team.

"Good morning, Ruby! Good morning, Yang!" A smirk developed on her face as her eyes came to rest on Blake. "Good morning, Blake. How are you doing? I was just talking with Sun. He was kind enough to escort me to breakfast."

Blake grit her teeth.

"Was he?" She hissed.

Sun beamed happily.

"Yup! We're friends now!"

"Very good friends," Weiss said, practically purring.

"Ooh, plot twist!" Nora gasped over the rage pounding in all four of Blake's ears!

Weiss turned to Sun, and stood up on tiptoes.

"Thank you, Sun." She gave him a peck on the cheek. "Have a good day!"

Sun smiled back, a mild blush on his tanned cheeks.

"Thanks Weiss. Appreciate it! Later!" He turned and waved, heading to his team's table. Neptune was staring daggers at Sun, which the monkey Faunus didn't even seem to notice!

The Schnee heiress sat down next to the gaping Ruby, somehow looking more smug than the actual catgirl.

"So! What's for breakfast?" She asked brightly.

"You-Wha-Why-?!" Blake tried. Weiss's smirk became positively deadly.

"Well, you're always telling me to be more open-minded," she said, almost sing-song, "Aren't you glad I'm expanding my horizons?"

"Good on you, Weiss!" Ruby cheered.

"But you... He... You...!" Blake sputtered.

Yang patted Blake on the shoulder, but clearly was trying not to laugh.

"Snooze you lose, Kitty Cat."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Ruby did not think she could be as mortified at Beacon as she was when she got detention for that food fight. Or getting hit in the face with pudding during said foodfight-That was honestly a bit worse.

This though? This... Was the worst.

"Hello Class!"

Taiyang Xiao-Long, her father, was standing where Professor Goodwitch normally was during combat class. Yang cringed and hissed behind her.

"I'm your Substitute teacher, Taiyang Xiao-Long," he said with a cheerful smile. "I'll be filling in for Professor Goodwitch for this week while she's on vacation!"

"This is your fault," Ruby muttered to Yang, "You finally drove her around the bend-"

"How is this my fault?" Yang muttered back, "Blake's the one who got us into vigilantism!"

"So yeah, this is Blake's fault," Ruby said with a nod.

"It is not!" Blake muttered, "It's just your father, how bad could it be?"

"Says the girl who hasn't spoken to her parents in two years," Weiss muttered.

"Hey!"

"Take your seats, take your seats," Taiyang said, still cheerful. He winked at Ruby and Yang. Both Ruby and Yang smiled back weakly. Finally, everyone sat down. Taiyang looked around.

"Now, I've looked over your combat performance records," he said, "I've seen a lot of great standouts-Miss Nikos, and my daughter, Yang, among them."

Pyrrha waved modestly. Yang managed a weak grin.

"I've also seen some students struggling," Tai said, and Jaune visibly winced all over his body. He smiled warmly at them all.

"Now... To start us off? Let me show my combat records from my first year."

The holoscreen behind him shifted, and showed a much younger Tai grinning awkwardly at the camera. A lot of murmuring picked up. Tai smiled around the classroom. Ruby and Yang goggled at the ratings... Primarily how bad they were.

"What do you think?"

"You were rated deadlast?" Jaune gasped. He coughed. "Uh, sir?"

"Yup!" Tai said cheerfully. "I had been trained in my family martial arts since I was a kid... But I was reckless. Cocky. And stupid. I thought I could just power on through anything on my own." He shrugged. "I was wrong. Got my ass kicked a lot, too."

He looked around.

"That's the point I want to make clear," he said, "Some of you struggle at some things, some of you excel at others. That's why you're in teams. You work together to take down things you never could alone. You want to be good on your own, sure, but never forget that you're combining your efforts together. You all contribute different things to the fight: Insight, leadership, muscle, range, stealth. And you grow stronger the more you work together."

Taiyang nodded in nostalgia.

"Me? I thought my Semblance made me hot shit. And it did... Until I got my ass beat by my teammates because I thought it made me invincible. That's the thing about Semblances: They're just one weapon you have at your disposal. You can't just rely on it alone to get better. Like every other skill, you have to train it, hone it. Your team will help you do that. And thanks to that team... Well... Let me show you."

He grinned.

"You're gonna love this. What you're seeing is my normal state."

He narrowed his eyes... And his Aura flashed into existence as a bonfire, and his eyes burned red. Yang and Ruby gasped along with the rest of the class.

"This is my Semblance, Burn. My daughter Yang has a very similar one," he said, "Hers takes kinetic energy damage and turns it into more Aura, supercharging it. Mine does the same, but it can also be activated at will, with enough practice. And... Like any other Semblance, with enough practice... It can evolve."

"Evolve?" Ruby chirped. She didn't know this about her dad! From Yang's look, she didn't either.

"Yup," Taiyang said with a nod, "I don't break this out often. I haven't practiced it a lot lately... But this...? This is to go... Even further..."

He grunted, and his Aura flared brightly.

"BEYOND!"

With a loud bellow and an explosive flash of Aura energy, his power blew up the sand from the pit and made cracks in the railing around it. The students gaped as one as the dust settled, revealing Taiyang. His eyes burned green, as his hair flared and sparked with lightning bolts. He smirked out at the gobsmacked class.

"Sorry about the mess... This is Burn... Level 2..."

He vanished. Everyone gasped. They all looked back, as the bright light was unmistakable. Taiyang waved at them from the back of the class, before vanishing and reappearing back in the ring.

The power died down, and he returned to normal. He smiled warmly.

"So... If I can go from deadlast, to being able to do that? There's hope for you all," he said with a nod.

"Maybe this won't be so bad," Ruby murmured, a smile on her face. Yang though was glowering at their father.

"When was he gonna teach me that?"

"When you grow up," Taiyang said, not even looking their way but still smirking. Yang flushed.

"So! Who wants to spar first?" He asked the room, still cheerful.

- - -

Taiyang shouldn't be some loser who does nothing. We don't even know what his Semblance or Weapon is. That's just ridiculous. He's crucial to the backstory of the fucking plot involving Summer! Which is integral to the entire fucking story! So I gave him some awesome.

He's not able to maintain his transformation as easily anymore, he's out of practice. But he's going to find reasons to get back into shape, very soon.

 

[stephen the barbarian]

he's gone super saiyan

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Let us suppose Ren and Nora worked out their feelings a bit earlier in canon and came to Beacon with...

- - -

After the newly formed teams of JNPR and RWBY defeat their respective giant Grimm... There's a loud, keening cry from a backpack Nora's been carrying all this time.

Nora: "Oh! One sec...!" She opened her pack and pulled out a baby she rocked "Aw, there there, sweetie, Mommy's here!"

Jaune: "... W-Wait... is that a baby?"

Nora: "Yup! Sure is! Good eyes, Jaune-Jaune!"

Pyrrha: "You-You brought a baby with you?!"

Weiss: "WHY DO YOU HAVE A BABY?!"

Ruby: "Did you steal a baby?! Why would you steal a baby?!"

Nora: "Pfft, of course I didn't steal a baby! This is my baby! His name is Thor!"

She begins to breastfeed him.

Weiss: "In-In public even!"

Blake: "H-How... Lewd..." blush

Jaune: "... You-You two-?!"

Ren: "What? We're legally married."

Nora: "We just keep the separate names so things don't get confused!"

Yang: "You... You have a baby-?"

Ren: "He's two months old."

Weiss: "TWO MONTHS?! You're back in action, fighting Grimm, after having a baby TWO MONTHS AGO?!"

Nora: "Sure am! What, like it's hard? I'm not letting my hubby fight alone!"

Ren: "It is appreciated."

Jaune: "I mean... You did bring a baby to fight Grimm..."

Ren: "I activated his Aura. Much easier than figuring it out on your own when you're a child, believe me."

Nora: "Yeah! He slept through the whoooole fight! Who's my good little Thor? Who's my good little boy?"

Jaune: "I uh... Um... W-Wow... Uh..."

Nora: "I know he's young but I swear, Fearless Leader! He'll contribute!" After Thor is finished feeding, and she buttons her shirt back up, she holds Thor up to Jaune "See? He's a fearsome little warrior! Go on Thor, show Mommy's leader how badass you are!"

Thor yawns cutely and gurgles.

Nora: "... He's still learning! PLEASE! DON'T THROW US OUT ON THE COLD STREETS, JAUNE!"

Jaune: "I-I would never-!"

Nora: "YAY!" hugs him "RENNY! WE FOUND THOR'S FIRST UNCLE!"

Ren: nods "The title is not worn lightly."

Nora: "AND AUNTIES! Who wants to be an aunty?!"

Ruby: "ME! I DO!"

Pyrrha: "M-Me too!"

Nora: "HOORAY! I KNEW THIS SCHOOL WAS THE BEST!"

- - -

If Ren had sorted his emotions out sooner and realized "Yeah, I wanna marry my crazy shortstack best friend and have babies with her".

Let's just say they were both over seventeen when it all went down and Nora's going to turn 18 soon, okay?

 

[ATP]

Possible,they could have 2 babies if they started when Nora was 15 or 16.

 

[Blasterbot]

Possible,they could have 2 babies if they started when Nora was 15 or 16.

it took some time for Nora to wear down Ren clearly.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Ruby sighed in relief as she sat down on her bed with her Scroll rolled out. The dormroom was finally deserted, and she could get some game time. She adjusted her headset and grinned as her stream began.

"Hello Roseheads!" She greeted her fans as she went to the log-in menu for her favoritest MMORPG ever: Fantasy Galaxies of Conflict: Shadow Raids of Legend, "Sorry it's been a while! I just started Hunter Academy early, so I haven't had as much time for streaming! But I'm still here!"

She beamed as the comments section lit up with supportive messages... And some angry ones. She rolled her eyes at those. Her cute doggy girl anime avatar wagged its tail as she logged in.

"Anyway! Today we're gonna be doing a Shadow Fortress Dungeon!" Ruby announced, as she guided her Level 130 Space Wizard Shadow through the catacombs of a dark Space Wizard's lair, "This one was ruled by Lord Gorbaz, who in the expanded lore was a master of Space Wizard Necromancy trying to bring back his deceased wife and son, who then had to be slain by the Light Space Wizards in a laser sword duel! He turned back to the Goodside at the end and was reunited with his family's spirits in the afterlife! It's a really touching novel and comic! And it was in Paladins of the Ancient Republic, too!"

She made a face as she killed some low-level undead.

"And in the Wizney-verse, he was turned into an abusive wife beater and child abuser," Ruby groused, "Because Wizney hires people with major daddy issues. I don't have daddy issues! I could write a way better novel! Especially the tech parts! In fact, I-"

She paused as she entered the antechamber of the dread fortress. Her eyes narrowed, and she hissed into her microphone.

"You."

A painfully familiar game avatar turned to face her, wielding a red laser sword in each hand. The avatar was, unlike her red and black wearing Light Space Wizard Shadow, in bright white and black armor. He wore a samurai-like face mask and helmet and was tall and menacing.

It was her nemesis. A nasty, mean, sarcastic jerk of a gamer who had dogged her since she'd started streaming two years ago. He always toed the line, never becoming truly abusive so that he'd get kicked and banned. And she had to admit, quietly, he was quite competent. His streams, while filled with invective and insults, were very informative and showed a deep love and passion for the game and Fantasy Galaxies of Conflict.

But he was still a dick.

The worst part was? Whenever she encountered him, her streaming numbers went way up. Even as unpleasant as it was... Well... She did want to make her fans happy.

Even if it meant she had to deal with this jerkoff for a while.

"Lord Darkarc!" She growled as the avatar sent a very insulting emoji her way.

"Hello RoseScythe," a digitally altered voice greeted her, "Still min maxing your way through everything, I see."

"It's the only way to really play the game!" Ruby sneered, "It's intelligent gaming!"

"Or maybe you just pay to win," Lord Darkarc said mockingly.

"I DO NOT!" Ruby shouted back, as her comments section went crazy, "I only buy skins! And I got a really good one for completing Quest of the Doom Nova!"

"Everyone did Quest of the Doom Nova," Darkarc snorted.

"Back when it was easy, yeah!" Ruby growled, "But then they made it way harder!"

"In the dumbest ways possible!" Darkarc replied, "I guess that's why you liked it! You just min maxed your way through it like you do everything! Honestly, your streams are so boring!"

"THEY ARE NOT!" Ruby shouted. "You're just jealous I get more views!"

"You only get more views because you pretend to be a cute girl!" Darkarc taunted, "I bet you're a fat ugly cow in real life! Goes with your gaming skills!"

"AND I BET YOU'RE A-A TOTAL FAT LOSER WHO LIVES IN HIS MOM'S BASEMENT!" Ruby snarled.

"Ooh, so scathing! What ya gonna do, uwu at me?" DarkArc laughed.

"THAT'S IT! PVP MODE, RIGHT NOW!" Ruby snarled.

They did fight... And Ruby's Stealth mechanics did let her get in some good hits. DarkArc was only two levels above her-It shouldn't have been an issue!

But then he called down an Aetheric Lightning Storm, and she was hit with every status effect known to man.

"Wha-NO! NONONONO-!"

Her character went down. DarkArc's synthetic laughter filled her headphones as she gaped at the GAME OVER: RESPAWN? screen.

"YOU CHEATING-HACKING-SON OF A BITCH!" Ruby shouted angrily. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"I'll have beaten the quest before you even respawn!" DarkArc taunted, running out. "Later sweetheart! Drown your sorrow in shitty cookies, ya fat hag!"

"MY COOKIES ARE NOT SHITTY!" Ruby bellowed. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

"HA! My best friend's cookies would wreck your shitty cookies any day of the week!"

"WHO'S YOUR BEST FRIEND?! YOUR RIGHT HAND?!" Ruby shot back.

"Oh, that'll burn really bad when I finish the last boss," DarkArc jeered. "LOSER!"

"ASSHOLE!"

"BITCH!"

"DICKHEAD!"

"FEMCEL!"

Ruby respawned and chased after DarkArc. She avoided most of the mobs to get to the main boss-She was at a high enough level, she'd be fine.

She confronted Lord Garboz and fought him, summoning her companion characters to aid in the fight. It was honestly pretty rough, but she'd practically automated the AIs to work with her timing perfectly.

She finished off the boss, and whooped loudly.

"YEAH! GOTCHA!" Ruby cheered. "HA! Seven minutes, twenty seven seconds! Beat that!"

She heard DarkArc's taunting voice again.

"Read your messages and weep."

She checked the messaging channel. Her jaw dropped at the screenshot.

"Wha-FIVE MINUTES?!" She screeched.

"Oh! Oh! Is that the sound of despair?" DarkArc mocked her. "What a pity! What a pity! Guess your autistic screeching didn't avail you, sweetheart!"

"OOOOH! YOU'RE GONNA REGRET THIS, DARKARC!" Ruby snarled.

"I'm shaking in my boots!"

"You-!"

She froze. She studied the screenshot a bit more. She caught sight of a familiar Scroll desktop wallpaper behind the game window. It looked like the corners of a picture... A picture she'd taken for...

"Sorry Roseheads, BRB," she said, pausing the game and the stream. She pulled off her headphones and opened the door.

She walked across the hallway and opened the door to Team JNPR's dorms, slowly and quietly. She peered inside.

"Well DarkArc Fans," Jaune Arc cackled, "I guess we'll see RoseScythe another day. And kill her. Now! Who wants to go to the lobby and murder some overconfident newbs?"

Ruby gaped in shock. She shut the door behind her, loudly. Jaune started, and slowly turned to stare at Ruby.

"Ruby?" He muttered.

"... DarkArc?" She whispered.

Jaune stared in silence for a bit longer... Before his eyes widened.

"... RoseScythe?" He croaked.

- - -

Jaune and Ruby being rival gamers before they even meet in real life is a very stupid but potentially fun idea.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Blake had not enjoyed this mission at all if she were being honest. Weiss even less so, which made their bickering worse.

They were to accompany Team JNPR on a low-level mission to a village out in East Sanus to protect it from Grimm, and to resolve the issue that caused Grimm to multiply. Apparently the local farm workers were demanding higher wages, and the company that employed them was denying them those raises.

Blake had initially sympathized with the farm workers when they arrived and started killing Grimm. She'd even encouraged a few of them to strike back at the company. Then they'd gotten mad with her, and so had Ruby and Jaune.

Jaune had taken her aside when they got a moment of peace between Grimm raids in one of the fields.

"Blake," Jaune stated, "This isn't helping the mission."

"These people are clearly being oppressed by those with more power-"

"Blake!" Jaune growled. "I thought that a reformed terrorist would have realized the world isn't so black and white."

Blake winced.

"I-How do you-?"

"Ruby told me," Jaune stated, "I asked for information on anything that might compromise the mission. I think that's a pretty big red flag."

"So what, you're going to hold my past against me-?"

"I won't hold anything against you as long as you obey Ruby and I and keep these people alive," Jaune retorted, his voice hard as steel. That took Blake aback briefly.

Blake glared heatedly at him, expecting the goofy young man to back down. He always did when Weiss snarled.

"Injustice isn't something you can just ignore-!"

"The argument between these people is going to get everyone here killed," Jaune stated firmly, glaring back at her, "If we don't resolve it, more people will die. We can fix people being poor or rich later, but right now? The priority is people's lives. Got it?"

She frowned, and slowly nodded. In all honesty, she'd gotten used to Ruby's style of leadership: Get yelled at until they finally did what she wanted done and fight whatever was threatening them.

Jaune... His team obeyed him without question. He didn't have to yell, except when things were loud. Even Nora, the hyperactive ball of energy, followed Jaune's orders. Not always to the letter, but she got it done.

He was very... Focused. Honestly, he hadn't hit on Weiss once. Something the heiress seemed to disbelieve, given the looks she kept giving him.

The real eye opener was the meeting at the village hall, with the company representative on one side of the wooden assembly room, the worker's rep on the other, the village mayor at her desk on the top of the square, and Teams RWBY and JNPR on the bottom.

The farm workers rep began. She was a built woman with her brunette hair in a tight bun and wore overalls. She angrily decried the company not paying them overtime due to the Grimm attacks, accusing them of being like the SDC with price gouging.

Weiss had very nearly leaped to her feet at that, but Jaune had reached out and held her back without looking. All of Team RWBY was very surprised at that. Pyrrha had just smiled warmly, while Ren remained calm and Nora grinned.

Then the company rep, a local, equally well built balding redheaded man in somewhat nicer clothes than the rep, gave his side of things.

"We haven't been able to increase wages because the Grimm attacks are hurting our ability to get resupply through," he stated, "We're not hording anything. We're not being greedy. Those are the damn facts, you stubborn jackass! If we could get spare parts for the farm equipment, we wouldn't have this issue! But you keep attacking us and drawing these damn Grimm here!"

"You're the one who keeps sending our workers out to the fields when Grimm are around!" The worker rep shouted back.

"Would you rather starve?! We paid Hunters to come out here-!"

"Hunters in training! A bunch of kids!" The worker rep sneered.

"And they did the job!" The company rep shouted. He glared. "If I could hire them instead of you bozos, I'd do it in a heartbeat!"

"Oh you'd like that, wouldn't you?! What if we all walk off the job?!"

"Where's the food gonna come from, jackass?!"

"You've got plenty of fertilizer coming out of your damn-!"

Jaune nodded to Nora. She slammed her hammer onto the floor, making a loud BANG! Everyone started. Jaune nodded.

"Okay, now that I have your attention," Jaune said, "We were asked to arbitrate and settle the dispute. So that's what we're going to do." Jaune turned to the farm worker's rep.

"It is true, given all the work I've seen you guys doing under these conditions, you could definitely use a raise," he said, "Fighting Grimm even as a Hunter is difficult, fighting them off while farming? That's really tough. So yes, you're absolutely right. Under these conditions, you should get more money."

The farm worker rep smirked in triumph, as Weiss balked. Blake smirked a little herself.

"However," Jaune turned to the company rep, "The company isn't your enemy here. If they don't have the money and can't get supplies through, then that's the fault of the Grimm, not them. You both need eachother. Plain and simple. The company rep is a guy from your village-You're in this together, he's not some guy with no stakes in this at all."

The company rep smirked nastily back at the farm worker rep. She glared back.

"And both of you need to stop treating this like your own personal feud," Jaune went on, and both reps glared at him.

"How dare you-!"

"You little-!"

"You're divorced," Jaune said blandly. The village mayor coughed, and shrugged as both reps glared at her.

"He did ask about you two before we began," the mayor said.

"So," Jaune said, "With that in mind? Let's work on figuring out what we can do about the current situation, in a way that we can all agree on. At least for the time being."

As it turned out, the farming equipment all required one main component to function: An energy converter for Dust to electricity. Jaune had some of the worn out ones brought in. He handed them to Yang and Ruby.

"You guys know motorcycles and engineering," he said, "Is there any way we can fix these?"

"Hmm," Ruby hummed, "Maybe. The thing is, the conversion coils wear out and get warped over time. If we had a really strong magnetic field, we might be able to get them into some kind of working condition?"

"It wouldn't be a long term fix," Yang warned, "But I've been able to keep Bumblebee running on refurbished converters for a few months longer than they would have lasted otherwise."

Jaune turned to Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha?"

Happily, Pyrrha used her Semblance, with Ruby and Yang's guidance, to warp the coils back into some shape. They then went out to a tractor, and tested it out. The converter failed to start once, but the next time, the machine roared to life.

"Okay," Jaune said, turning back to the mayor and the two reps, "If we can refurbish some converters for you, can you resume work long enough to get the supply chain going again?"

The farm worker rep frowned, but slowly nodded her head.

"I think we can," she said, side eyeing her ex-husband, "We'll have to go slow but it's doable."

"Slow is better than nothing," the company rep agreed, "If you could do the same for a few of the supply trucks, we might be able to get some more from a trading outpost nearby?"

Jaune looked at Pyrrha, who beamed.

"Leave it to me, Jaune!"

"All right," Jaune said with a warm smile, "I'd call that a done deal!"

- - -

Pyrrha worked very hard with Yang and Weiss to fix as many converters as possible. Blake and Weiss had helped out wherever they could, mostly by going on patrols around the village. On one such patrol, she went out with Jaune around the perimeter. They didn't say much until they got outside. Then...

"You were... Surprising," Blake admitted.

Jaune blinked.

"Hm?"

"Tonight," Blake said, "You stayed calm and in control the whole time. You found a solution to the problem."

Jaune sighed and shook his head.

"We bought them some time. Pyrrha, Yang and Ruby figured out the solution," he said, "It's temporary, and it doesn't solve a lot of their other problems-"

"No, but it keeps people alive," Blake said quietly. "Isn't that the main priority?"

Jaune stared at her for a long moment... Then he smiled. She found it in herself to smile back.

"Yeah," he said.

"I do have to ask," Blake continued, "How did you... Keep cool? Negotiate so well?"

Jaune shrugged, scanning the horizon.

"My dad's head of Radian's militia. We don't have a police department, just a Ranger station. They mainly deal with crimes outside the walls, so the militia has to handle a lot of disputes. Domestic stuff, whose cow tramples whose fence, stuff like that. My dad did a lot of conflict resolution, and brought my sisters and I along. My mom's a doctor and pretty well respected, too, so she handles stuff like that as well. And my sister Tanya? She's a really cutthroat businesswoman. She was trading in candy, toys and money since she was like, seven."

"But you're... At Beacon, you're always so..." She trailed off.

Jaune shrugged.

"I guess... I feel more comfortable here," he admitted, "People living their lives, trying to sort crap out. I-I can't afford to be bumbling or a goof here." He smiled and shrugged. "I guess... Here I know how to be. At Beacon? Not a clue."

"I think acting like this would be a good start," Blake said softly.

"Really?" Jaune asked, blinking.

"Definitely," Blake smiled. "Even if you don't know what you're doing, acting like you do? That can definitely make all the difference."

Jaune nodded.

"Maybe... Thanks Blake."

"Any time."

- - -

That... Just sort of happened.

 

[Blasterbot]

Competent Jaune? "impossible" says Weiss. more news at 11.

 

[Skitzyfrenic]

Lmao Tanya showing up.

Still managing resources. But luckily this time she hasn't been drafted into the military. Yet.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

It was rare Weiss got a call from her father, and never pleasant. In this case... It was confusing.

Jacques: "Weiss. I want to know one thing. Is there a Jaune Arc at your school?"

Weiss: "Yesss...?"

Jacques: "Of the Radian Arcs? Uses a sword called Crocea Mors?"

Weiss: further confused "I... Think so?"

Jacques: "Good. I want you to steer clear of him. Have nothing to do with him at all!"

Weiss: "I-Wait, what? Why?"

Jacques: "The Arcs are our family enemies. They thwarted my efforts to acquire Dust mines in North Sanus! His father insulted me at a town meeting, and mocked my manhood! He convinced the local council to reject my business offer! They are persona non grata to me, and should be to you, too!"

Weiss: "... Really?"

Jacques: "Yes! In addition, his mother is a real... She refused to become our exclusive physician. She refused ME. They are not to be trusted, or associated with. Understood?"

Weiss: "Yes Father."

Jacques: "Good. Remember: Nothing to do with that boy at all!"

Weiss: "Of course Father!"

Later...

Weiss: "Jaune."

Jaune: "Hm? Oh, hey Weiss. Sorry about asking you out all the time-"

Weiss: "Apparently our families are mortal enemies."

Jaune: "... What? They are?"

Weiss: "Yes! My father truly hates your family entirely! And wants me to have nothing to do with you!"

Jaune: "Well... I mean, if you want I'll just-"

Weiss: "So you're taking me out on a date Friday night."

Jaune: "... I... Am?"

Weiss: "Yes, you are."

Jaune: "Even though our families are supposedly mortal enemies?"

Weiss: "Yep!"

Jaune: "... Okay?"

Weiss: "Dress nice. Bring flowers." She heads off with a smile

Jaune: "... What the hell just happened?"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

As far as Cinder Fall was concerned? Today was almost perfect.

Vale was in chaos as the Atlasian drones and airships fired on everyone. The Grimm surged into the city like an army of locusts, killing and devouring. The Headmaster lay dead at her feet, and the power of the Maiden was hers.

She heard activity in the elevator to Ozpin's office, and she smirked.

Now the best part of the day was here. The true cherry on top.

That Spartan... She'd been an annoyance to her from the moment she came to this wretched school. Even more than Ruby Rose. Her grace, her poise, her smiles and her strength... She had been looking forward to breaking her. To see her fall into despair and accept how hopeless it all was, before Cinder ended her.

It was a delicious thought, and she turned to the elevator. A good gloat was on her lips, and she prepared to let the so-called Invincible Girl have it...

The doors opened. Out stepped... A blond young man in white and black armor. Cinder gaped, but quickly recovered.

This was even better!

"Oho? What are you here to do, boy? Fight me? Prove you're not the pathetic deadlast? Or do you think your little girlfriend will be impressed if I kill you first?"

Jaune Arc looked up into her eyes. There was some fear, yes, but his gaze was focused and stoic. He began to walk towards her. Cinder laughed again.

"Well... If you want to die so badly, I suppose I should grant you a quick one," she sneered, "Then I can show your body off to your pathetic little friends and watch their faces fall!"

She threw a massive fireblast right at him. He vanished into the blaze, and a massive explosion erased where he was standing. Cinder cackled again, the overwhelming flow of the Maiden powers leaving her almost lightheaded!

"Ohhh this magic is amazing!" She laughed.

"It's not magic."

Cinder started. She looked up. Standing on the edge of the dome of the office, Jaune Arc stared down at her.

"You-Wha-?!"

"It's not magic," Jaune repeated, looking a little shaken, but still incredibly calm. She unleashed another fire blast, and Jaune blurred, clinging to another part of the ceiling as she blasted a hole through where he'd been standing.

"What do you know about it?!" Cinder demanded, preparing a dozen glass arrows to shoot at him.

"My great-grandmother taught me what it was," Jaune said, his tone soft but still filling the room, "It's an energy field generated by all living things. It guides us, it penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together. It's the energy of life itself, with a will of its own."

Cinder sneered.

"What? Your old hag worked for Ozpin? As one of her pawns?"

"No," Jaune said, shaking his head, "She was something else. She didn't want to reveal it to this world... She told me to keep it a secret. Because if I showed it off? If I let everyone know...? There could be terrible consequences."

He dropped to the floor. He pulled his sword from his folded-up shield which was serving as a sheath for the blade. He then did something she didn't expect-He broke the hilt of Crocea Mors and dropped the metal blade to the floor.

"But I don't have any choice left," he said, "And I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

Cinder growled.

"Who do you think you are, you pathetic weakling?! A hero?!"

"No," Jaune said, and Cinder was taken aback. The boy had always been goofy, harmless looking. His eyes bright and wide. Now? Now looking into his eyes, she could only see a mountain there: Implacable, immovable, and untroubled.

He tapped something on the sword hilt... And a blue energy beam burst into life. It formed into a blade of coherent energy, as he took a somewhat familiar fighting stance. Like a blend of Niko's, and something else.

"I am a Jedi."

- - -

Last edited: Yesterday at 2:43 PM​

 

[Ash's Boomstick]

Hehe, I did wonder if we would have that. I've considered the power a Jedi might have with aura and vice versa, esp if its all about life and if someone high in midichlorians has aura activated then would it create an aura more powerful than standard?

Any clue as to the grandmother?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Hehe, I did wonder if we would have that. I've considered the power a Jedi might have with aura and vice versa, esp if its all about life and if someone high in midichlorians has aura activated then would it create an aura more powerful than standard?

Any clue as to the grandmother?

Given the utter mess Disney has made of Star Wars, I'd keep it vague and allow anyone who writes it to choose the era of Star Wars this takes place in. It's probably also best to just make it an OC.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Yesterday is canonically Pyrrha's birthday! So let's all write some bits to celebrate our shy redheaded Amazon!

For starters...

- - -

Pyrrha Nikos sighed mentally as she kept up her professional smile. This Weiss Schnee was proving quite persistent this early in the morning, and was saying things she had heard a thousand times before in various forms. Nothing new. If she was going to make a fresh start at Beacon Academy, she really didn't think falling into the old ways was going to do it.

"Hey, name's Jaune Arc-"

Pyrrha's eyes widened and she spun around, her ponytail waving behind her dramatically. Her eyes locked onto the speaker-A tall blond boy with blue eyes, white armor, and a black hoodie. Her jaw dropped.

"J-Jaune?!" She gasped.

Weiss Schnee scowled deeply.

"What? Has this idiot bothered you before, Pyrrha?"

Jaune, for his part, stared in shock.

"Uh, have we met before?" He managed.

Pyrrha beamed.

"Jaune, it's me! Don't you remember?!"

Never in her life had she wanted to be recognized by someone more than this moment.

Jaune blinked, blinked again... Then the light of recognition filled his eyes, and he sucked in a deep breath.

"... Pyr?"

"YES!" Pyrrha laughed giddily. Jaune laughed with her and reached out with his long arms to pull her into a hug. One she gratefully, eagerly accepted. She bowed her head and sighed happily at his familiar warmth.

Off to the side, Weiss Schnee gaped at this embrace in utter disbelief.

"It's been so long!" Jaune laughed. "I really missed you! I kept sending you letters but you stopped replying!"

Pyrrha winced, then narrowed her eyes. She looked up at him apologetically.

"I-I'm really sorry, Jaune," she said earnestly, "After my fighting career took off, my mother became very, um, restrictive about my mail."

She hadn't thought that Mother could be so cruel to deny her letters from her childhood best friend. Well... She'd have to re-evaluate their relationship when next they met. Severely.

"W-Wow, looking kind of scary there, Pyr," Jaune chuckled nervously. Pyrrha coughed, and was all genuine smiles again. It felt good.

"Sorry, just... Nothing to do with you," she said quickly. "How are you?"

"I'm pretty good," Jaune said with a nod, "Trying to fulfill my dream. You're doing well, right?"

"Are you kidding?!" Weiss demanded. "You didn't recognize her?! She's PYRRHA NIKOS! Four time champion of the Mistral Regional Fighting Tournament!"

Jaune blinked, then grinned at Pyrrha.

"Really?! That's amazing, Pyr! I'm so proud of you!"

Pyrrha blushed heavily. His earnest praise meant more to her than millions of likes on her Facetagram.

"She's a model for many magazines!"

"That explains how you grew up into such a beauty," Jaune went on, "When we were little you were super cute, but I couldn't imagine how you'd grow up!"

Oh, this was a dream. A dream come true!

"SHE WAS ON THE FRONT OF PUMPKIN PETE CEREAL BOXES!" Weiss shouted, now sounding thoroughly exasperated. Why, Pyrrha didn't know or care.

"Oh cool! I got a hoodie by eating that! Sent in fifty boxtops," Jaune said cheerfully.

Weiss Schnee looked close to a conniption. Pyrrha Nikos could not care less.

"So," Jaune rubbed the back of his head, "Um... I was wondering if you'd like to-"

"Yes," Pyrrha said with a quick nod, "Anything. Including marriage."

Oh Gods why did I say that?! Pyrrha thought to herself frantically, Now he thinks I'm some kind of psycho!

Jaune went bright red but laughed it off. Her mortification vanished.

"Er... That's a little quick on the draw there, Pyr," he said, "I-I mean, last time we met you made me eat mud pies."

Pyrrha flushed deeply.

"They were good mud pies?" She tried.

"I'm sure they were," Jaune said dryly. "Anyway, if you wanted to team up, I think it would be-"

"Of course!" Pyrrha said happily. She took his hand in hers, blushing all the while. "I did say 'anything'."

They walked past the gobsmacked Weiss Schnee. Jaune chuckled.

"Well yeah, but a guy might take advantage of that."

"Not you," Pyrrha said with utter surety, "Definitely not you."

"Well, thanks Pyr," he said. "... So... Did you actually try the cereal before you agreed to be put on the box?"

"Yup."

"Did you know it's actually terrible?"

She laughed and leaned against him as they walked out into the sunlight.

All of her worries about Beacon were far, far away. Where they belonged.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Jaune Arc was... Well, Pyrrha Nikos wasn't quite sure what to make of him. Indeed, most of the student body wasn't sure what to make of the very odd boy, aside from a macabre betting pool on when he would die.

The first thing she had noticed was how he had appeared. He'd shown up at Beacon in an orange gi with a Mistralian character (Fuujin for "Turtle", she believed) on his back, boots, arm warmers, and nothing else save his luggage. He'd made fast friends with Ruby Rose, the other oddball of this year's hopefuls: A 15-year-old prodigy with terrible social skills. Yet she at least had a weapon. Jaune had nothing.

The second thing? Those bunny pajamas. He'd worn them without a hint of shame, right in public That had set a lot more tongues wagging-Quite cruelly, in Pyrrha's opinion.

The third thing that everyone else missed? His easy confidence.

Confidence and ego were not in short supply at Beacon. Young hotshot hunters with incredible power and grades were ready and willing to prove themselves, and trumpeted their abilities loudly to form a hierarchy.

Jaune though... He didn't move like some novice who didn't know what he was getting into. Nor did he strut. He walked calmly, easily, as though he was in complete control and didn't even pay it mind.

It was... Similar to how she moved, if she was being honest.

He took every insult and snide remark with a gentle smile and a nod like it didn't even faze him.

Yet... While she had heard of the Arcs from ancient history (Who could forget Jean de Arc's defeat of the Witch Queen of Argus? Or Roland de Arc's conquest of Mistral?), she'd never heard of one without armor or weapons.

So, her curiosity piqued, she used Polarity to ensure her locker choice was nearby his. She headed to the locker room, and locked eyes on him.

She blushed a bit. He was pulling on his shirt, and-Wow. His physique was... W-Wow...

Ahem.

She walked towards him with her usual casual grace, but made her footsteps just a bit louder. Funny enough, she could see him twitch in response. Curiouser and curiouser-

"Hello Miss Nikos!" Weiss Schnee cried cheerfully, popping up in front of her. Pyrrha kept her casual smile up, even as inside she cursed.

Sneaky little...!

"Hello, Miss...?"

"Schnee! Weiss Schnee, of the Schnee Dust Corporation?" Weiss asked, shaking Pyrrha's hand eagerly. "I'm sure you've heard of us-So, are you thinking of joining a team? Because I believe we'd work together extremely well-"

"Hm? Oh, hey!" Jaune said cheerfully with an easy wave. "Pyrrha? That's a nice name."

Pyrrha blinked, and flushed. It was... A simple compliment, but so earnest.

"So, would you like to join my team?" Jaune asked both girls cheerfully, "Plenty of room."

Weiss made a face.

"Who'd want dead weight like you?" She scoffed. Jaune shrugged.

"Pyrrha might? You're really strong, right?"

Pyrrha blinked. He asked that in such an odd way, as Weiss goggled at him.

"Do you even know who she is?!" She demanded.

"Nope!" Jaune said cheerfully. Weiss gaped, and Pyrrha had to admit, a small, mean part of her really enjoyed that look on the heiress's face.

"Wha-Four Time Mistralian Regional-Professional Model-Pumpkin Pete's-!"

"Oh," Jaune looked sad for a moment. Pyrrha frowned.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

"Oh, I just lost my Pumpkin Pete's hoodie when I got washed out to sea," Jaune explained, "Along with my family armor and sword." He sighed sadly. "That was my great-grandfather's."

"Wha-You were carrying around armor and weapons from the Great War?!" Weiss demanded in shock. "Are you an idiot?!"

Jaune hummed.

"Master Krillin says it's good to admit you're an idiot because then you can learn to not be. So... Yeah, I guess so?"

Weiss glared.

"Well what do you intend to do without any weapons or armor?"

"Protect people from the Grimm and other threats," Jaune said with a shrug and smile, "Isn't that why everyone's here?"

"I... You...!" Weiss sputtered.

"Would all Hunter-in-Training candidates please report to the Initiation Cliff," Professor Goodwitch announced over the PA system.

Pyrrha grabbed this out like it was the last parachute on a burning airship, and beamed.

"We should really get going!" Pyrrha said urgently, "We don't want to be late!"

"Good thinking!" Jaune said brightly, and all three headed for the cliffs. Weiss walked ahead of them, muttering angrily under her breath.

Again, he never lost that quiet confidence... And while his clothes were baggy, Pyrrha could certainly admit with an internal blush, she liked what she could see. A lot.

- - -

The Initiation was everything she'd been told it would be. Getting launched up into the air to land in the Emerald Forest, and fight your way back to Beacon. She had kept an eye on Jaune the whole flight, wondering what he would do.

He did not disappoint. Much to her amazement, he slowed himself down with his Aura flaring around him and landed easily in the forest.

She landed just as easily herself and made her way towards where he had landed.

She heard a great deal of violence in the forest clearing ahead and increased her pace. She breached the clearing... And stared in horror.

A pack of Beowulves were charging Jaune, at least six. They had completely surrounded him on all sides, and his back was to her. She sucked in a breath to yell a warning as they lunged, and drew Milo to open fire-

"KIENZAN!"

Jaune formed a yellow-white disk of pure energy from his hand, then threw it. It dashed around like a buzzsaw, slicing all of the Beowulves in half, then faded away. The Beowulves all vaporized, as Jaune leaned over, rested on his knees, and panted.

"Haa... Haa... Haa... O-Okay... Still... Takes a lot out of me," He muttered, "G-Good to know..."

Pyrrha's jaw nearly went to the center of the Earth. A warm, hot feeling enveloped her insides. Jaune seemed to sparkle in her vision.

"J-Jaune-!"

"YAH!"

Jaune spun around and punched the air... Which sent a blast of wind right into Pyrrha's face. Dumbstruck, she was blasted right off her feet into a tree.

"Oh... Crap!" Jaune cursed, as she blacked out.

Her vision and senses slowly returned. She blinked away a sudden headache as her Aura healed her, and stared up at Jaune's worried face.

"Oh geez, oh Gods, oh geez, I'm so glad you're okay, Pyrrha! Hey! How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three," Pyrrha managed vaguely, staring intently at him. Jaune sighed in relief, and then stood up. He helped her to her feet, even as her knees wobbled.

"Ummm... I'm really sorry about that," he said, "I'm still working on energy sensing. Master Krillin said I think too much, and uh... Well, I really do, eheh... You okay?"

Pyrrha very slowly nodded.

"Y-Yes," she said, "That was... Incredible."

Jaune grinned.

"Turtle School training!" He said cheerfully. "Though uh, I'm still working on the higher level stuff. So... Wanna be partners?"

Pyrrha had grown up idolizing the ancient Amazons of Mistralian myth and legend. Powerful female warriors, who wouldn't love those tales? The most interesting ones though were when a worthy man defeated an Amazon. Proving his valor and courage, the Amazon allowed herself to become his wife.

It was perhaps a bit strange, but Pyrrha had loved the idea of a noble man who could match and then beat her in combat becoming her companion, her lover, her everything, and becoming stronger and better together.

Like an answer to her prayers, here he stood, goofy, earnest smile and all.

"Yes," Pyrrha breathed, "Forever."

Jaune beamed.

"Sure thing!"

Giddy with excitement, she accompanied the orange wearing blond towards the cliffs, already thinking of what kind of lingerie she was going to order that very night...

- - -

In another world that the hapless Jaune Arc had wandered into and then wandered out of, on a tropical island dominated by a small pink beach house with KAME HOUSE written on the side in English, a bald man with no nose looking out pensively over the ocean water. His small blonde daughter (also without a nose) played with crabs nearby. His beautiful wife, a statuesque blonde with intense blue eyes, relaxed on a beach chair in a bikini, while an old man in an orange shirt, sunglasses, and a large turtle shell on his back paced behind the younger man.

"Do... Do you think I did a good job, Master Roshi?" The noseless man asked.

"Only time will tell, Krillin," Master Roshi said, "But I chose you as heir of this school for good reason. Watching you train that boy demonstrated to me you have that potential. So I wouldn't worry too much about that kid."

"Besides," his wife said with a smirk, "If nothing else? He'll do well with women. You've ensured that much."

"I just taught him to be kind and help people with his power," Krillin argued.

"Worked pretty damn well for you, didn't it?" Roshi laughed.

Krillin beamed at his master, his wife, and then at his daughter who waved at him. He chuckled.

"Yeah... It did. Go forth, Jaune Arc. And I hope you do well... With saving your world, and women."

"MOSTLY THAT LAST ONE! EHEHEHEH!"

"ROSHI!"

- - -

A belated tribute to Akira Toriyama, and hey: The Krill-Master would get along GREAT with Jaune Arc.