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Jaune's Baby-Making Arc - Chapter 2
🕑 Added 2023-12-11 05:46:26 +0000 UTCPatreon note - The Commissioner said he wanted to double check and make his own additions to the story and that it'll likely come at around Christmas. I figured I'd post this here without their changes first for anyone interested.
I'm gonna be making another chapter for Jaune Arc's Guide to (Barely) Surviving Women. Expect it in a day or two.
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Pyrrha was not happy.
It all started off so grand. Jaune has awakened his Semblance for her and they received a blessing from the heavens. Their little Pythia, the most innocent and adorable baby girl in the world. Pyrrha had vowed then and there that she would do anything to ensure that her little girl would be safe and protected, that she would be the happiest little girl in the world who'd grow up wanting for nothing.
Jaune had made that vow too. Not literally - as much as she would've adored to hear it - but by his actions. While he might've been a...work in progress as a Huntsman (she hoped he didn't hate her for thinking that), he was the perfect father material. Kind, attentive, responsible, and without an ounce of embarrassment. He'd coo at Pythia and embarrass himself in public if it meant seeing her smile.
And while she and Jaune weren't officially in a relationship yet, it was a foregone conclusion. After all, who else would he end up with besides the woman he'd given a child to? It was practically destiny for them to end up together.
It was all so perfect...
And then she showed up.
Cinder Fall. Oh, how she loathed the woman. There were many reasons for her hatred. She was cruel, selfish, power-hungry, and quite frankly, a huge bitch. She cared for nothing and no one, despite what that deluded lackey Emerald thought. She would've happily thrown them all to the beowolves if it meant accomplishing her goal.
Not only that, but she'd tried to destroy Beacon and kill her. That alone would've been enough to earn Pyrrha's undying hatred, but then she had to do something else. Something that made it even more personal than attempted murder.
She had a baby with Jaune.
Perhaps that might've sounded petty to anyone else, especially since they didn't do it in the normal way to get one, but Pyrrha took it as an affront even more than the attempted murder. Killing her was at least sensible, even if Cinder was still a sadistic psychopath about the whole thing. Having a baby with Jaune was...it was a personal insult worse than an arrow to the chest. No, she had no idea why she thought of that specifically.
She didn't blame Jaune for it. Of course not. That sweet man just saw Cinder bleeding out and understood that they needed her both for information and to ensure that poor Amber woman survived. As much as Pyrrha oh-so-badly wanted for Cinder to die choking on her own blood, she could see the sense in keeping her alive. Besides, they could always kill her later.
But that didn't happen. Oh no, it was far worse than that.
They'd expected Cinder to be uncooperative and obstinate. That would've given them the perfect excuse to lock her up for a year (or five...) with no contact to try and make her more pliable. Instead, she'd taken one look at her baby and thrown herself at Ozpin's mercy. Pyrrha thought it was just cowardice at first, the desire to survive superseding even her titanic ego, but no, it was something different. Pyrrha could see an all too familiar look in those desperate amber eyes. It wasn't fear for her own life that dictated Cinder's next actions.
It was the maternal instinct and the newfound love she found her child.
And so the headmaster took pity on her. Despite everything she'd done - trying to destroy Beacon at the top of that list - her sincere desire to stay alive for the sake of her newborn son had garnered her some mercy. They couldn't let her go unpunished, of course, but she was still given the choice to cooperate willingly despite the vocal protests of General Ironwood and many of Beacon's staff.
Cooperate she did. She told the headmaster everything she knew about that Salem monster and even agreed to enter the Aura transfer machine to give back her stolen half of the Fall Maiden's powers despite the risk of her death. Anything if it meant not being separated from her son.
In a way, Pyrrha almost sympathized. She would've done anything to stay with Pythia, and she'd gone into near-certain death because she wanted to protect her daughter from that madwoman's machinations. Any sympathy she had was soon lost when she remembered everything Cinder had done. Her sudden remorse and desire for motherhood did nothing to change her past actions.
Yes, by some miracle nobody had died in Beacon's assault, but that didn't suddenly make her blameless. She still tried to destroy the kingdom, and while no one died, many received injuries that forced them to return home and possibly ensured that their dreams of becoming Huntsmen had been permanently shattered. All because of one woman's selfish lust for power.
And now she was sitting across from her making bullhead noises.
"Here you go, Ash~" Cinder Fall, the scourge of Beacon, cooed as she slowly lifted the spoon full of baby food to the dark-haired baby's mouth, "The bullhead's coming to the dock~"
Pyrrha glowered at the woman, making sure to keep her ire focused only on her and not the baby munching on the nutritious slop. As much as she despised Cinder with every fiber of her being, her child was innocent.
A sentiment that was shared by the rest of their friends. All of them had thankfully survived Cinder's machinations and none the worse for wear. Sadly, the same couldn't be said for many of the other students. The cafeteria felt barren nowadays.
"Ugh, why's she here?" Yang groaned, vocalizing what they all thought.
"It's part of my probation," Cinder said, not looking up from Ash. Really, she named her child that. For a scheming mastermind, she sorely lacked in imagination, Pyrrha thought as she rocked Pythia gently.
"Yeah, but I don't get why you have to sit here at our table. There's a lot of other places."
"And deprive my little one of spending time with his father? Never." Cinder smirked, looking at Jaune sitting to Pyrrha's right with unashamed affection. Pyrrha gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to hurl every piece of cutlery at her smug, stupid face. It would've been so easy. Her Aura had been dampened ever since her short stint in the Aura Transfer machine. While it wasn't gone - she was still (sadly) alive, after all - she was far less dangerous than before.
Jaune - sweet, beautiful Jaune - just forced a smile on his face. He was honorable to a fault, and despite the situation, he felt a sense of responsibility for his unexpected child. It was the same sense of responsibility he felt for Pythia.
The rest of the table wasn't much more pleased. Yang still held a (very justifiable) grudge considering Cinder had Emerald trick her into shooting Mercury; Blake despised her for working with that Adam Taurus terrorist they'd arrested; and Ruby disliked her for nearly tricking Pyrrha into killing her friend Penny. Thank the Brothers she managed to realize what was going on. Pythia's cry had cut through the illusion and kept her from doing something unforgivable.
Weiss, Ren, and Nora didn't have personal reasons to dislike her, but they obviously weren't fans given her actions. That and as a show of solidarity for Pyrrha, which she silently appreciated.
It didn't stop Weiss from cooing over Ash, though Pyrrha didn't hold it against her. Like she said before, he was innocent. She just wished Cinder didn't look so damn smug when Weiss gushed over the babe. She took every compliment for Ash as if it was given to her.
"Eh, eh...!" Pythia babbled and reached out for her dad.
"Oh, come here..." Pyrrha handed their daughter over and watched with a smile as he rocked and gently shushed her. Despite having one more baby to take care of, he didn't let it hamper the care and love he showed Pythia in the least. It was just another thing she adored about him.
It was a heartwarming sight marred by Cinder suddenly speaking up.
"I hope you don't ignore our darling, Jaune," Cinder purred. Ash, seeing his half-sister gaining their father's affection, began reaching his pudgy hands out for upsies.
"Of course not," Jaune said automatically. He walked around and picked up Ash with his other arm. Just like Pythia, he immediately calmed. Was it a side-effect of his Semblance or a testament to how good he was with children? Maybe both.
A beeping sound suddenly cut through the picture-perfect scene. Cinder looked down and frowned at the beeping of the tight metal bracelet around her right wrist, "Damn, time for community service..." She scowled, only to smile again as she looked at her son, "Mommy has to go to work now, sweetie. The mean man is making me."
Pyrrha almost laughed at that. Cinder deserved so much worse than community service. She deserved to rot in a prison cell, alone and forgotten while the rest of the world moved on from her. It would've been the perfect end for someone like her. But no, she managed to get off with nothing more than public humiliation while her two goons were the ones working as indentured servants outside of Beacon.
At least it meant she couldn't pawn off her tasks to either of those two.
Yang waited till Cinder had left before she said, "Ugh, I fucking hate that bitch."
"Yang. Language." Weiss scolded.
"What? Dirty words never hurt anyone. Uncle Qrow cussed up a storm around me and Rubes and look at us. Pictures of perfect sanity." Pyrrha giggled under her breath, "But come on, don't tell me you don't agree, Weisscream. It's bullshit that she's here."
"They're giving her leniency because of her child." Ren sighed.
"What, so we let criminals off the cook 'cause they pumped out kids? Fuck that noise." Yang snorted, "I have no idea how either of you two are dealing with this," she said to Jaune and herself.
"I'm not enthused..." Pyrrha muttered.
"I have a responsibility to Ash," Jaune said, still holding the two babies in his arms.
"I mean...you don't have to be responsible for every baby you make," Ruby said slowly. For some reason, Yang looked panicked at that, though Pyrrha had no idea why. She was just trying to nudge Jaune to not feel indebted to Cinder, "Like, if you make a baby with someone else here, I'm sure they wouldn't force you to take care of them."
"Ahahaha, Ruby! Let's not talk about that now!" Yang's grin was stilted.
Pyrrha's eyes narrowed. Was Yang trying to get a little blonde babe of her own? If so, the two of them would have words. Even if she didn't plan to have Jaune take responsibility - which was what Ruby hinted, and she was sure Yang put her up to saying that - Jaune would still feel a sense of duty towards any child he brought into this world.
Besides, she didn't like the idea of Jaune sharing his Semblance with anyone. While Cinder was at the top of that list (with Weiss being a very distant second), she didn't want anyone feeling his Aura on theirs. She was quite content to keep that to herself, thank you.
"Oh, you're so cute~" Weiss cooed at Ash, "I just wish you didn't come from that awful woman!"
"There could be another cute baby from someone you're super close to-"
"Ruby!" Yang shouted. She grabbed the blushing reaper and hauled her over her shoulder, carrying her outside the cafeteria effortlessly while the younger girl punched uselessly against Yang's broad back.
Clearly, Yang was trying to hide her obvious desire to have a child of her own. Pyrrha shook her head. She should've known this would happen. Jaune had gotten so much more attention from the female half of the student body ever since he showed what an amazing father he was. The beard and wolf's tail helped, she was sure. Weiss had definitely noticed, so she wasn't surprised Yang did as well.
Why couldn't they just be like Ruby and Blake? Ruby was still so innocent and didn't treat Jaune any differently while Blake hadn't noticed Jaune's change at all. Even now she was just mumbling to herself and writing notes in that diary of hers.
Pyrrha sighed and stood up to join Jaune. At least things with Cinder gone she would have some peace and quiet.
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Cinder was not happy.
Here she was, the former Fall Maiden and would-be destroyer of Vale...picking up the trash, "Tch..." She stabbed her spiked stick at the crumpled plastic cup lying on the grass. Even the spike had been blunted, all the more so she couldn't use it to attack anyone or perhaps slit her own throat.
Not that she would. She had a son to get back to.
And so it was that Cinder sighed and continued her humiliating task. Her dampened Aura meant she couldn't even be used as a disposable tool like Emerald and Mercury, and her one request to be allowed to care for her son led her to this. At least being used as an expendable agent had some dignity to it. This was utterly mortifying. She'd gone from being one of the most powerful people on Remnant to a glorified servant.
She looked almost unrecognizable from her usual state. Gone was her red dress and dark heels, replaced instead by a drab brown jumpsuit and green vest that marked her as a sanitation worker. Her long hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and her hands and feet were covered by thick rubber boots and gloves. On her back was a basket where she was to put the trash.
She truly had been reduced to nothing more than a servant once more. Yet, she'd take it all if it meant being able to care for her son.
Another stab, this time grabbing a discarded wrapper. Cinder had honestly believed that she would care for nothing and no one ever since Rhodes betrayed her. Emerald and Mercury were useful pawns, but that was all they were.
Ash was different. She couldn't explain it, but as soon as she saw those familiar amber eyes, she knew that she'd do anything if it meant making him happy. She'd ensure he grew up better than she did. He wouldn't be anyone's slave or servant. Oh no. She would ensure that he wanted for nothing. Ruling the world was unfeasible, but a kingdom? Yes, she could see her darling boy as a king. He would-
"You missed a spot."
Her plans for the future were abruptly cut off when a can of half-empty soda landed at her feet. Cinder glowered at the culprit. Amber Brown, her former victim and the restored Fall Maiden. She'd awakened after recovering Cinder's half of the Maiden magic and had immediately tried to kill her. It took a lot of convincing from the headmaster for Amber not to burn her into a crisp.
Having Amber watch over her was an extraordinary act of pettiness on the headmaster's part. That and all the other tasks he sent her on. They were always the most demeaning, menial things. Picking up garbage, painting walls, cutting shrubs, and even cleaning toilets. Whatever small and humiliating job he could think of, he immediately foisted it off to her.
Cinder refused to break. She'd taken five years of the Madame's 'care'. She could take this as well.
"Very funny..." Cinder gritted her teeth and punctured the can with just a little more force than necessary.
"Nobody buys it, you know?" Amber said.
"What are you on about?" She picked up a bottle and put it in the basket.
"This doting mother act. Everyone knows that you're using that child as a shield to escape punishment."
How dare she?! Cinder growled, but there was no rise of power or flames burning the air around her. Nothing but impotent sounds from a weakened woman, "...Believe what you wish. It doesn't matter to me."
The afternoon sun beat down hard over her and Cinder sighed, wiping the sweat from her brow. The headmaster always timed it just right so that her tasks would be at their most annoying. Thoughts of seeing her darling boy allowed her to persevere, however. It would be all worth it once she saw his smile. He'd grow up to be the most amazing man Remnant had ever known.
Even Amber continuously tossing trash at her feet wasn't enough to deter her. She took it all with a stoic acceptance.
She was almost done with her task when a pair of footsteps drew close. Cinder turned and couldn't stop herself from smiling sincerely at the sight of Jaune walking towards her with Ash in his arms. Best of all, Nikos and her spawn were nowhere in sight.
"Jaune. Such a pleasant surprise." Cinder crooned. She wasn't sure if what she felt for Jaune was love - after all, she'd never experienced it for herself - but she did admit a lot of fondness for the man who saved her life and gave her Ash.
"Yeah, Ash was missing you." He offered the baby boy who was eagerly grabbing for his mother without a care for her unhygienic state, "Pyrrha said she had to talk to Yang about something, so I figured we could visit."
"Hm, how kind of you." She kissed her darling's forehead and cooed. Oh, this was just perfect.
...
A can clinked against her foot.
"You missed a spot."
Cinder bit her tongue to keep from screaming in front of Ash and her future husband.
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Ruby was not happy.
Why would she be? All her plans were being foiled by her jerk of a big sister! So that big jerk Cinder could have a baby but not her? It was so unfair! She could be a good mom, she just knew it! She could do a whole heck of a lot better than Cinder, at least, and no one was scrambling to take Ash away from her!
But now she had a plan. For some reason, Pyrrha said she wanted to talk to Yang, and Ruby used that chance to slip away. They'd be talking for a while, and even if they didn't, all she needed was a few minutes once Jaune got back from talking with Cinder in the courtyard.
The door to team JNPR's door was ajar. Ruby knocked on the door and smiled when Jaune replied, "Come in." She peeked inside and smiled wider when she saw that he was alone and sitting on his bed.
"Hey, Jaune," Ruby chirped, moving to sit next to him on the bed, "Where's Ash?"
"Weiss took him to see Nora and Ren." Right, they were watching Pythia, "She wants to give them a playdate. Just because Cinder's...Cinder doesn't mean that they can't start to get along."
"That sounds like a good idea." Ruby laughed. Ash really was such a little cutie. It was weird that he came from someone like Cinder, of all people, "So, I was thinking..."
Her pitch trailed off when she took a closer look at Jaune. He looked...exhausted. There were bags under his eyes and his smile was strained. The beard only made him look more like a sad dad.
Whatever thoughts she had of convincing him to use his Semblance on her fell to the wayside, "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, shifting to full-on bestie mode. Her dreams of being a super mom could wait.
"Nothing."
"Come on, Jaune. I'm your best friend. You can tell me."
"It's just..." He rubbed the back of his head and sighed, "I kinda feel like I'm not good enough."
"For what?" They'd had a conversation like this before. She remembered. During those first couple of weeks at Beacon when he doubted his capability of leading team JNPR. She and the rest of team RWBY only found out later that he'd faked his transcripts. Weiss was unimpressed, but since she kept Blake's secret, she didn't think she had any room to say anything.
"All of this." He sighed and leaned back, looking up at the ceiling, "It's like...I'm trying my best here, but everything's so crazy, you know? With Pythia I was...it wasn't perfect, but I had all you guys to help me. But now Ash is here and I just...I don't know."
"You're doing a good job with him."
"Am I?" He sighed, "I know I didn't expect Pythia, but Pyrrha's my best friend." Elsewhere on campus, a certain redhead's eye twitched at the moniker, "With Cinder it's...I healed her because if she died then everything could've gotten worse. And I know it's not Ash's fault, but I don't know what to do. I wanna be a good dad for him, but Cinder's still...well, Cinder. She did a lot of bad things."
"That doesn't mean you're not a good dad."
"I don't feel like it. It feels like I'm only getting as far as I am right now is because of you guys." He sighed, "I mean... Mom and Dad didn't have anyone. Mom was an orphan and Dad hated his entire family. But they still managed to raise eight kids without any help. I could barely handle one and that's with all seven of you backing me up. With Ash here...I dunno, I feel like I'm just gonna mess something up."
"Nope."
"What?"
"Nope."
"Ruby, you can't just say-"
"Nope!" She put her right pointer finger on his lips, her brows furrowed, "None of that. You've been doing a good job, especially since other people at least have months to get ready, even if they weren't expecting to pop out a baby after they do all that stuff Yang and Dad think I don't know about." Yes, she knew about sex, thank you very much. She was sixteen, not six.
She knew about incognito mode too. She felt like a spy whenever she used it.
"Considering you had a baby literally dropped into your lap, I'd say you're doing great!" She grinned and took her finger off his mouth, "And, well...actually, I have to tell you something."
"What is it?"
"Well...I wanted a baby of my own." Jaune blinked and looked at her with an unreadable expression. Ruby's cheeks flushed and she said her next words in more of a rush, "H-Hey, don't look at me like that! I wasn't gonna have you get naked or anything! Just use your Semblance so the basket can fall down from the sky. Easy peasy, right? I wouldn't even ask you to look after them or anything!"
"That's, uh...well, that's a bit of a bombshell," Jaune laughed softly.
"Look, the point is I read up a lot on how to be a good parent so I could prepare and you're doing everything right from what I've seen. You make sure Pythia and Ash are happy, you pay attention to them both, and you're doing it while balancing being a student and a dad."
"I mean, you guys being here really helps with that."
"Still!" Ruby huffed. Why did Jaune always have to put himself down? It really annoyed her, "Look, all I'm saying is, you're doing a good job. Are you perfect? Maybe not, but no one is! I love Dad, but he made his mistakes too when me and Yang were kids. You're gonna make mistakes too, everyone does, but that doesn't mean you're not being the best dad you can be!"
"You really think so?"
"Yeah!" Ruby beamed at his small, uncertain smile, "Besides, you'll have us to help you the whole way! Weiss really wants to be a godmother too...actually, I'm surprised she's not angling for a baby of her own."
"Ha. I'm not sure her dad would be happy about that." Oh right, her dad was a big, stupid jerk, "Hey, uh...thanks for talking. I didn't wanna talk to Pyrrha. It's not that I don't trust her - I do! - it's just...well, she's already dealing with a lot of stuff. I gave her a baby without meaning to and now she's mom. I've been trying to look as confident as I can for her sake. She'd feel awful if she saw how scared I am."
"I don't think she would be." How did he not realize that Pyrrha liked him that way? Then again, Pyrrha didn't help by not just telling him, "Listen...if you're ever feeling down again, come talk to me. I promise I'll keep it a secret from the others. Okay?"
"Yeah...thanks, Rubes."
He pulled her into a sudden embrace. Ruby's eyes widened for a moment before she hugged him back. Jaune was like a big teddy bear, and since he wasn't wearing his armor now, it felt really nice and warm.
They stayed like that for a few more seconds before they mutually pulled back still holding hands and sharing smiles, "So..." he started slowly, "When you said that you wanted a baby...did you mean it?"
"Huh? Well, yeah, but only if you really-"
Ruby squeaked as a sudden warmth enveloped her. She gasped and looked down at their interlinked hands, watching as his Aura flooded into her. It felt like...the warmest, most comforting embrace she'd ever had in her life. It made the last hug they shared feel cold and distant by comparison.
And just as quick as it came, it was gone. Ruby felt like she'd been jerked awake from a pleasant dream. She almost asked Jaune if he could do it again when a bright light shined overhead. Ruby looked up and gasped again, hands covering her mouth as a crib slowly fell down from the heavens. She reached both her trembling arms out and let the wicker basket fall into her arms.
It was a girl - she somehow knew that - with bright blonde hair that turned red at the tips. More than that, however, were her shining silver eyes, the very same ones she and her mom had.
"Oh..." Ruby was crying, though she had no idea why. She set the crib down and picked up her new daughter with trembling hands. She felt so...she didn't know how to describe it. So full of love and joy but also a slight tinge of fear and uncertainty. Her own little baby. A tiny human that she'd watch grow up to be her own person. The thought of it made her cry with joy.
And then the door opened.
Ruby's head snapped up to the door just as Cinder and Pyrrha walked in, both of them carrying their babies in their arms. Judging by the looks on their faces, the two of them were in the middle of an argument when they both turned to look at Jaune.
A pregnant (hehe...wait, focus!) silence settled over the room. Both Pyrrha and Cinder looked at Jaune, then her, then the baby she was holding in her arms. Pythia and Ash, seeing a new possible sibling, began to babble excitedly and tried to reach out for her.
None of them said a word, each unsure of what exactly to say. Ruby opened her mouth to at least attempt to form a sentence when Yang shot past the two stunned moms with a scream, "Ruby, please tell me you haven't-" Yang stopped and gasped at the silver-eyed baby in her arms. Her new kid looked up at Yang in wonder, and though she still couldn't form the words, it was as if both Ruby and Yang could hear her clear as day.
Auntie Yang.
"NOOOOOOOO!" Weiss screamed to the heavens and fell to her knees, banging her fists against the door like a woman told she only had seconds to live.
"Ehehehe...surprise?" Ruby said though she didn't know if she was talking to Yang, Pyrrha, or both.
Pyrrha's scream could be heard all across campus.
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Jaune...didn't know how to feel.
It'd been a week since giving Ruby her own daughter, whom she'd quickly named Summer, and things were...okay.
Well, they weren't perfect, but they were a lot better than he was expecting. Ren and Nora had taken it well, mostly because they saw themselves as the cool aunt and uncle of the team.
Yang was still in denial about being an auntie despite how much she doted on Summer. It was weird. She'd coo and play with Summer one second then go into a fit about how she was too young to be an aunt anytime someone pointed out the familial connection.
Weiss had gone into overdrive with the spoiling, especially when Ruby said that she could be the official godmother. Weiss had been over the moon at that and promised to be the best godmother and honorary aunt she could be.
Then there was Blake...honestly, he didn't know what to make of her. The two of them weren't the closest before he got his Semblance and that didn't really change after. Still, her recent behavior was weird. She'd keep writing in her notebook and muttering to herself while looking at him. Sometimes she'd catch disjointed words like 'fetish', 'harem', and 'beast', but that was about it.
He chalked it up to her being weird and moved on.
And then there was Ruby, Pyrrha, and Cinder. Pyrrha had...not been happy when she first walked into that room, but Ruby had assured her that 'she wasn't planning to take him', whatever that meant. She'd also said that she wasn't planning to have Jaune raise Summer, but he vetoed that. Ruby was definitely determined enough to raise a kid all on her own, but Summer was still his kid. He had a responsibility to him.
Despite the tension, it didn't boil into an actual conflict. Things were tense between Ruby and Pyrrha now, but they still considered Cinder the bigger threat. Cinder herself didn't really care. She already didn't think too much about the rest of the group and Ruby's actions didn't seem to phase her one way or another. It was almost impressive how she continued to stand proud no matter what.
All of them were in the cafeteria, as always. Classes would be starting up again soon, which meant they wouldn't have time for leisurely days like this soon enough. He was already thinking of plans on what to do when the new semester started. Taking Pythia to classes was fine when it was only her, but now there were two additional babies and their grades would start slipping if they had to watch all three of them. Plus Cinder would be busy with community service.
If only Beacon had a nursery...
"Uppy, uppy~!" Ash said. Not to Cinder, though; to Pyrrha. Pyrrha was momentarily shocked before she picked him up while Cinder looked like someone who'd been utterly betrayed.
Maybe it was his imagination, be he could've sworn Pyrrha smirked at Cinder.
He was thinking of picking up Summer and Pythia so they wouldn't feel left out when his scroll rang. Jaune read through the message quickly, "What's wrong, Jaune?" Nora asked.
"Ah, the headmaster says he wants to see me alone in his office."
"Oh no! Are you in trouble?" Ruby asked worriedly.
"I shouldn't be. Or at least I don't remember." Jaune shrugged and stood, "Maybe it's about the kids? We can't take them to class so I was actually hoping we could talk about it."
"If it is about that, then I demand better lodgings for Ash. He deserves far more than a crib bought from a hardware store!" Cinder said.
Jaune shook his head and made his way to the headmaster's office. The school staff had been busy the past few weeks cleaning up Cinder's mess. He'd heard that Professor Goodwitch in particular loved making Cinder haul rubble even though her Semblance could do it in the time it'd take to blink. It was petty, but he can't say he blamed them considering what she did.
He knocked on the heavy wooden door.
"Come in."
Jaune stepped inside and stopped at the frankly bizarre sight. There was the headmaster, sitting behind his oversized desk with his hands steepled together and his gaze facing forward with an unreadable expression. He was the very picture of calm.
Which was pretty impressive considering there was a woman that he could only describe as a humanoid Grimm standing to the right of the table. Pale skin, black eyes, tainted veins, and...dreadlocks? Okay, not what he expected, but still terrifying. He had a nightmare of a grown-up Pythia in her teenage rebellion years with the same hairstyle...
"Jaune, thank you for joining us," the headmaster said, sounding eerily nonplussed at the Grimm woman's presence."
"Y-Yeah, sure..." He looked over to the goliath in the room, "Who's um...who's your friend?"
"Ozma and I are not 'friends', but at times, we've found reason to strike an accord. This is one of those times. As for my name, you may call me Salem."
"Like the talking cat?"
"Do not compare me to the cat!" Salem shouted, whatever humanity in her voice disappearing.
"Okay, okay! No cat!" Jaune shrieked, "So, uh...wh-why did you call me here, headmaster?" He asked nervously.
"Yes, well...there have been some negotiations that took place and you're a crucial part of it."
"I...I don't get it."
"It is...a complicated tale. Salem and I have been in conflict for a...very long time. To tell you the breadth of our war would take a lifetime, but let's just say that Salem is the greatest threat that Remnant has ever known. Her only goal is to end all life on the planet." Jaune jumped and looked at Salem. She didn't deny it at all, "I've barely held her back for centuries. In this war, stalemate is victory."
"You seem really calm if that's the case...sir."
"Ah, and that's where the negotiations come in. You see, she's agreed to...change her plans in exchange for a particular service,"
"Ozma was always prone to dithering about." Salem sighed, "What he means is that I've agreed to spare this world and end our conflict."
"That's...That's good...?" Ugh, he had a headache...
"Yes, it is. You should know that Cinder's plans for Vale were because of my wishes. If needed, I could make equally dangerous plans in each of the four kingdoms. And yet I offer salvation."
"In exchange for what?" Jaune's hands clenched tightly. If what she said was true, then she was dangerous and he couldn't afford to mess this up.
"For you, Jaune Arc."
...
"What?" The answer was so...odd that he found himself floundering.
"Ah, let me explain." The headmaster coughed, "She'd seen your Semblance in action through one of her Seers - a Grimm type - during the battle for Beacon. She is...well, she-"
"I wish to have children," Salem cut in impatiently, "The problem being that it is rather difficult to find one willing to indulge in that or survive the coupling. Your Semblance allows me to bypass that problem."
"I still don't und"erstand why you couldn't use Callows," The headmaster grumbled.
"Because I have standards, Ozma." The Grimm woman sniffed, "I'd considered numerous plans to make contact with you, Jaune Arc. Having Tyrian and Hazel kidnap you was my first considered choice, but ultimately, I decided a parlay was the most expedient option. I've laid my cards on the table. Now, do we have a deal?"
"As much as I wish to say yes, this is Mr. Arc's choice." The headmaster sighed and looked him in the eyes, "Mr. Arc?"
"Uh, well..." Jaune rubbed the back of his head, "I have some questions."
"Such as?" Salem raised a brow.
"How many kids are we talking here?"
"Hm, I believe twelve shall be sufficient."
"T-Twelve?!" Jaune choked.
"For a start, yes." Salem nodded, completely ignoring his outburst, "Perhaps I shall seek more at a later time."
"Alright...say I give you kids, what then? You're not gonna raise them to take over the world, are you?" By the brothers, twelve kids...
"I shall retreat to the Grimmlands to raise them. With any luck, my progeny shall share in both my magic and immortality. I will not have to live with the pain of outliving them." She was quiet for a moment, "I was the happiest I've ever been in my countless millenniums of existence when I was a mother. It was all too brief a time stolen from me." She glared at the headmaster.
"And...that's it? You get your twelve kids and then you leave forever?"
"With the world's safety guaranteed, yes." Jaune almost wanted to laugh. He'd always wanted to save the world, but like this? It was absurd, and yet both the headmaster and Salem treated it like it was the most serious thing in the world, "There is another thing. Think ot if as an...incentive. I see that you've also chosen to make a progeny with the Silver-Eyed Warior."
"Are you talking about Ruby?"
"Yes. The one who believes her mother has perished."
"Wait, are you saying Summer Rose is alive...?" The headmaster stood.
"Indeed she is. And in exchange for this, I shall give her back."
"You've kept her prisoner..." The headmaster growled. Jaune wanted to be angry too, but he lacked the context, "What tortures did you devise for her?"
"Tortures? Absolutely nothing. There would be no point to it. She is a model prisoner, numerous escape attempts aside. She is very insistent on returning to her two daughters. We also play cards every weekend."
"I...cannot tell if you're joking or not." The headmaster pinched the bridge of his nose, "Regardless, I'm sure Ms. Rose and her family will be...happy that she's alive, though I'm sure they will despise you for taking Summer from them for a decade."
"Wait, stop, stop! Hold up!" Jaune gronaed, "Ugh, I'm getting a headache. Just...okay, let's say I agree to this, I have some terms." Salem raised a brow again while the headmaster suddenly looked nervous, "First, I want a guarantee you're not just...making immortal children so you can take over the world or something."
"And how do you know I would honor any bargains we make?"
"I don't, but if you really did break your promises like that, I doubt the headmaster would've agreed to make a deal with you."
"Perhaps." Salem crossed her arms, "Is that all?"
"Second, I wanna be involved in the lives of our kids." That got their attention. Salem blinked slowly, utterly gobsmacked, while the headmaster looked violently ill, "I know you said that you're gonna leave to take care of them, but the Grimmlands is no place for kids! If you're going to take them there then I wanna be sure they're being raised right!"
"Hmph. Any other man would be happy to be rid of responsibility."
"Yeah? Well they're my kids too. Half of me is in them, so I can't just pretend it doesn't involve me."
"Jaune, are you quite sure about this?" The headmaster asked.
"Yes." Jaune stood tall, "So...do we have a deal?"
"Very well." The headmaster choked, "Though I assure you that you'll regret this choice, Mr. Arc."
"I'll be the judge of that. Now come on, let's do this."
It felt odd using his Semblance on the Grimm woman. She was cold, and it felt like dipping his hands in icy water. Jaune held back a hissing breath and watched with mixed feelings as the all-too-familiar basket crib came down from on high.
Inside it was a miniature copy of Salem. The same pale hair, the same dark eyes, and the same tainted veins running up their arms. All except one thing: a look of complete innocence and wonder that would've been impossible in something that had been born evil.
"Ha..." Jaune smiled.
"Indeed. Now, we have another eleven more to go."
...Crap.
By the end of it all, Jaune was absolutely drained and exhausted. Yet despite it all, he knew he couldn't rest. Not yet. There was still so much to do. He had to tell Ruby about her mom...and then tell everyone that he had twelve new kids.
Well, an Arc never went back on his word. He'd make sure every one of his kids was raised right.
Comments
pilot puntastic
I know Cinder's ultra evil but seeing her try to be good for her baby is just wholesome. Ruby finally got her baby! But now Summer is about to meet Summer as the Eldest Rose comes back into the picture! On a side note it'd honestly be hilarious if Jaune used his semblance on Summer and it just produced a mini Ruby. Ruby Two electric boogaloo, Taiyang would love to have another Ruby to spoil as well. Twelve babies? Salem's got herself a sports team!
Moonkiller24
A tortured soul* FTFY
Thelurker12
He is a responsible man and father.
Moonkiller24
Jaune: thats just an harem without the fun part nooooooooooo.
