Jaune's Pineapple Jam Part 2 Ch. 15

Nicholas blinked as the topic of their conversation marched towards them.

He would’ve wondered why, but the sight of his son, Blake Belladonna, and another Faunus together told him the story.

They must've discovered Ghira’s bodyguard and were obviously marching in to confront them.

Case in point, Blake Belladonna was already angrily stomping towards a weary Ghira.

“You had us followed?!” 

Nicholas had to stifle a chuckle as he saw Ghira stand up with a groan to face his daughter. Somehow, it just reminded him of the days his own daughters came to him to complain. Of course, back then, their troubles were a lot lighter than what they had now.

“It was for your own safety, Blake.” Ghira declared stoically as Nicholas nodded in approval.

There were nothing fathers wouldn’t do to protect their daughters. Especially considering what was plaguing Vale now such as murderers, terrorists, and who knew what else.

So was it any wonder Nicholas was going to be supportive of Ghira?

“It’s a gross violation of privacy!” Blake shouted, a red flush adorning her face, even as Nicholas discreetly shook his head.

Privacy was important. Gods knew his own daughters had used the same argument against him when he stalked their would-be-boyfriends, but privacy was a non-factor when it came to his little girls’ safety.

Nicholas only kept silent, however, it was not his place to argue against another man’s daughter.

That job was Ghira’s.

And it seems he was already doing it admirably.

“You weren’t even supposed to know Ilia was there.” Ghira answered exasperatedly before turning towards the other Faunus with narrowed eyes. “I picked her as your guard for a reason.”

“I’m sorry, Sir. I let my guard down.” Ilia bowed abashedly, but Ghira only waved a hand dismissively.

“There were at least no incidents, I hope?” 

“None, sir. They were safe.” She answered woodenly, and eyes immediately gathered on her.

As parents, they were inclined to detect lying, especially from their children. While Ilia might not be their child, her answer had a huge bearing on how safe their children actually were here in the Academy.

So the moment she turned stiff? Suspicions suddenly flared within them. If there was an incident inside the Academy, then they deserved to know. 

Before they could crack the girl with their stares, however, Blake was already there, blocking their sight.

“That is not the point! Do you even know how violated I felt?! What if we were doing something no one else was supposed to see?!”

“Were you?” Ghira raised an eyebrow, but Blake only bristled at that.

Nicholas’ eyes went to his son, and immediately, he noted the way his son glanced away from them before trying to straighten his back.

Something happened, and whatever that something was, it was enough to make Jaune hesitant in front of Blake’s father.

He didn’t think Jaune would stay silent if it was actually something dangerous like someone attacking them, so that could only mean one thing.

It was embarrassing.

Or private, at least.

Nicholas didn’t know whether to laugh or give son a high five, but he knew doing either of those things would ruin the serious mood Ghira was trying to cultivate.

So he only stayed silent, even as Blake Belladonna bristled and flushed like a cat. 

It was her mother, however, who deescalated the tension between father and daughter.

“Honey, your father just wants you to be alright. Things haven’t actually been safe lately.” Kali said comfortingly as she laid a hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

Blake, however, only looked at her confusingly at that.

“What do you mean not safe? It’s just the Vytal Festival, right? The most we’d run into outside the arena are rabid fans.”

The silence that followed was telling.

Ghira and Kali had just arrived themselves to tell them of a murder that just happened in Vale, and how the council was keeping things in wraps to avoid a mass panic.

Nobody knew how to broach that particular topic to their children. Huntsmen and Huntresses they might be, but murder was a whole different thing compared to killing Grimm.

Eventually, it was Ghira who broke the silence with a loud sigh of reluctance.

“You probably don’t know this, but tensions between Humans and Faunus are currently high. We don’t want anyone starting trouble with the both of you.” Ghira deflected, not really 

Blake Belladonna, however, only rolled her eyes at that 

“Tensions have always been high, dad. It’s why the White Fang turned out how it is. Besides, we can take care of ourselves.” 

Somehow, Nicholas doubted that, but if she had been expecting Ghira to falter at her reply, then she was sorely disappointed as her father only gathered determination from that.

“Not like this, Blake. It was never like this. You thought it was tense before? Well, it’s charged now, and you don’t even see it.” Ghira shot back gravely.

“What changed?” Blake asked, frowning at her father’s sudden seriousness.

“The Breach.”

“I suppose knowing the White Fang was responsible for it would cause humans to be angry-” Blake started, but she was immediately cut off by her father.

“No.”

“No? What do you mean no? Are humans not angry at Faunus because of the attack?” Blake looked incredulously at him at that, but Ghira only shook his head.

“I mean they are angry, but they’re not the only ones. The Faunus are angry as well.”

“At the White Fang, right?” Blake asked, but upon seeing the silence from her parents, she could only widen her eyes in denial. “Please tell me they’re angry at the White Fang and not humans.”

“I’m afraid it’s more complicated than that, Blake.” Kali said softly, intending to soften the blow to her daughter, but it was not to be.

“How could it be complicated?!” Blake whirled incredulously, her voice rising as she looked at them with wide eyes. “What the White Fang did was wrong! They attacked Vale! Innocents died because of what they did!”

Ghira, however, only tilted his head confusedly at his daughter.

“Do you really have no idea why Faunus would be angry at humans?”

“Not more than usual, no!” She shrieked, prompting her parents to look at one another before nodding hesitantly at the same time.

“Alright, I suppose you do have a right to know about it, but first, tell me what you know about the Breach.”

“What is there to tell? The wall was breached, Grimm poured in, and we fought them back.” Blake shrugged, frowning as her parents continued to stare at her inquisitively.

“That’s all?”

Blake blinked at the question before shrugging uncomfortably at them.

“The White Fang snuck through the evacuation, I guess. Weiss and I ran into some…..dead policemen while trying to chase Adam with the Atlas military.”

Nicholas winced.

He could already see how the information about what their daughters saw pained Ghira, Kali, and Willow.

Nicholas himself had no desire of having any child of his see a dead body, but he knew it was only a matter of time before Jaune saw one in his future line of work if he had not seen one already.

He turned to his son at that, and he could see Jaune snapping towards Blake in disbelief.

It seemed even he did not know that tidbit of information about his lovers, and he looked just as stricken as Ghira, Kali, and Willow.

“Then you ran into the aftermath of the catalyst, I’m afraid.” Ghira started, nodding slowly with a pale face as he winced at his daughter.

“What do you mean?” Blake asked, fidgeting uncomfortably at the stares leveled upon her body.

Ghira took a deep breath at that, but eventually, he looked at his daughter with serious eyes.

“The reason why the Faunus are angry is because of what the Vale Police Department did during the evacuation.”

“Why? What did they do?” Blake asked, fearful of what could make her father so serious.

She was right to be afraid.

“They shot the Faunus civilians.”

“WHAT?!” Blake shouted even as Nicholas sat in shock.

Even he did not know Vale’s Police Department did that. Ever since he arrived in Vale all those months ago to pick up his son, he had been so busy cleaning up the Grimm who managed to penetrate Vale’s sewer system, arranging for his family to come here, and waiting for his son to arrive. 

It was his first time hearing about this as it was the first time for everyone else.

“A certain Captain Roger gave the order.” Ghira continued, sharing the details as his eyes darkened grimly. 

“Captain Roger? He wouldn’t do that.” Jaune, however, interrupted with wide eyes upon hearing a familiar name.

It was the first contribution his son had made to the conversation, so Nicholas took it as an invitation to join in.

“You knew him? This Captain Roger?” He asked, raising an eyebrow even as Jaune jolted towards him.

“We all did. He was there after we first fought Roman Torchwick and the White Fang at the docks. He didn’t seem like a racist.” Jaune answered, but Nicholas only frowned towards him.

“The docks? How many fights have you been in?”

Jaune’s eyes immediately widened before shaking his hands frantically with a nervous smile on his face.

“Not that many to mention.”

Nicholas only sighed at that. He was sure that Jaune had been in a lot more trouble than what he was saying, but this was hardly the time and place to interrogate his son.

So he only stayed silent as Ghira continued grimly.

“There’s a video of it circulating online, you know? He and his men shot down the Faunus fleeing the Grimm before Adam and White Fang arrived. The kingdoms do their best to get it censored, but it’s great recruiting material for the White Fang whenever they manage to show it. Even Menagerie was in uproar when they heard about it.”

“It’s why your father and I are here, Blake, other than to see you, of course.” Kali added, doing her best to smile as she steered the conversation to lighter topics.  “We’re here for peace. To calm our people down and show that we do not support what the White Fang did. Your upcoming wedding also helps with that.”

Ghira, however, seemed set to make the atmosphere serious.

“Which, in fact, would make you bigger targets. See why I wanted a bodyguard to follow you now?”

Framed like that, Nicholas could see why Ghira would be so willing to assign Jaune and Blake a bodyguard, not that he was against it in the first place.

Hopefully, Blake could also see the logic in her father’s arguments.

“I-” She started hesitantly, but before she could even say anything else, Jaune was already stepping forward in front of her.

“Thank you for your concern, Mr. Belladonna. We see now that you have your reasons for it, but what I believe Blake is saying is that you should put more trust in us. Maybe tell us about these things first before assigning a bodyguard without our knowledge? I know we may not look like it in your eyes, but we can take care of ourselves.”

Silence greeted his son’s words, and Nicholas closed his eyes as every single parent there pondered his words.

Nicholas knew his wife. She was probably already reacting with worry, pride, and resignation.

To Nicholas, however, Jaune’s words elicited wholly different emotions.

Sadness for one, because really, when did his son grow up so fast?

It was enough to make his eyes wet.

Second, however, was disappointment. Not at his son, but himself.

Nicholas had enough self-awareness to acknowledge that he had no involvement in his son’s growth. 

This, however, brought out the third emotion.

Grim determination.

He wasn’t there to help his son grow, but he would be damned if he wouldn’t do his best to make him ready for the future now.

And murderers, terrorists, and who knew what else were what his son was probably going to encounter.

Taking that into account, Nicholas could only see one way he could contribute.

So when he opened his eyes, he made sure to put in some hardness in them as he spoke to his son with a cold voice.

“Can you, really?”

Everyone froze as the tension suddenly skyrocketed.

That’s right. Nicholas Arc was going to be the challenge his son needed to overcome.

It pained him to have to do this, but it was what was needed for him to be certain that Jaune had what it took.

Besides, what father wouldn’t be proud of a son who surpasses them?

Jaune, however, still refused to acknowledge the tension building between them, as he only called out to him hesitantly.

“Dad?”

Nicholas scoffed.

“It’s obvious now that you are not going to stop no matter what we tell you to. It might not be now, but who knows when you’ll sneak away from your guard and get into trouble?”

“You make it sound like we look for trouble.” Jaune replied jokingly, but Nicholas only shook his head.

“This is not a joke, Jaune. Can you really keep you and your family safe?”

He looked towards Blake at that, one of his future daughters-in-law. It was clear that his words had angered her, but if they really were set on being stubborn and standing on their own two feet, then it was his duty to test them.

“Nicky-” Juniper started, but Nicholas only raised a hand to placate her.

“No, Juniper. If he’s going to get married and be his own man, then he needs to prove that he is his own man.”

“What are you saying?” Jaune frowned, and finally, finally his son was starting to take this seriously.

Nicholas stood up slowly, his voice low as he narrowed his eyes at his son.

“What I’m saying is you haven’t even shown us what you can do yet. Do you even know how to use that sword you stole from me?”

Jaune winced, but credit where credit was due, he stood his ground.

“Maybe I wouldn’t have had to steal it if you trained me at using it.” Jaune shot back, Nicholas, however, only shook his head.

“You weren’t ready.”

It was true. Jaune was not ready no matter what he wanted to think. He was lazy, whimsical, and halfhearted. How was he to know that he was actually committed to being a Huntsman?

Still, that was then, and this was now.

There was no stopping Jaune as he bristled, and stepped up towards him.

“What about now, dad? Am I still not ready?”

To be honest, Nicholas was almost proud of the action just for that, but this was no time for pride.

It was the time for action.

But before Nicholas could even say anything, however, a sharp voice rang out.

“What is happening here?” Pyrrha Nikos cut through the tension with hurried steps.

His eyes turned towards, and immediately, he saw Weiss following with a worried look.

Great, his other daughters-in-law with one of them was carrying his grandchild as well.

It was all the more reason to do what he was already planning.

It was time to teach his son a lesson.

—--------

Ba-dump!

Jaune’s heart beat loudly in his chest as he and his father stood facing one another.

“Standard tournament rules?” He asked, watching as his father cracked his neck.

Ba-dump

They were in one of the training arenas, courtesy of Pyrrha having the quick thinking to suggest doing…..whatever this was somewhere appropriate.

“Ring out, Red Aura, or knockout.”

Right, good to know they were clear in beating each other up.

“Are you sure about this, Nicky? Are you really really sure?” His mother asked worriedly, his father, however, only answered without a care in the world.

“Don’t worry, Junebug. I won’t hurt him….much.”

“Maybe we should just talk about this some more.” His mother tried for one last time, but his father would not be appeased.

“The time for talking has passed. Now is the time for fighting.”

Jaune could only smile wryly at his father's enthusiasm.

“You really don’t want me to become a Huntsman, huh?”

“I just think you’re not ready for it.” His father answered, and that, more than anything, hurt the most.

Still, Jaune was a lot different compared to the child he was before. He snuck into Beacon, had a life-changing dream, trained a lot, got laid, and even managed to lead the defense that saved Vale.

In his own humble opinion, he was way past ready for it.

And he was damned sure he was going to make his father see that.

“I see, then I just need to make you think I’m ready.” Jaune said, glaring as he took his stance.

Shield up, grip tight, front foot forward. He had practiced it so much that it was practically instinct.

“Are you ready now?” His father asked, a smile curling his lips upward as he looked at Jaune casually.

He didn’t even bring out his sword, and while it grated at Jaune, Pyrrha had taught him to take every advantage he could get in a fight. 

And if his father underestimated him, then so be it. Jaune would just have to take full advantage of that and show him his mistake.

“I’m ready.” He nodded, breathed, and just like that, things ramped up to 11.

He crouched, intending to dash forward, but the next thing he knew, his father was right in front of him, pulling his shield to the side and off of his arm in one smooth movement. 

Inevitably, his arm followed the movement, moving sideways and leaving him wide open for an attack.

His eyes widened, and he only had a moment to react as he suddenly saw his father raise his foot.

“Shi-!”

That was it.

That was his reaction as in one quick motion, faster than he could see, his father’s foot landed on his chest in a full-frontal kick.

Light flashed as his Aura reacted, but air was already leaving his mouth as he flew out of the arena.

—-----

Nicholas released a deep breath as his son flew backwards.

He felt his muscles twitch in pain as the strain from his Semblance made itself known, but he kept his expression flat.

Limit Break, his Semblance, gave him the ability to surpass his normal limitations by leaps and bounds in quick, instantaneous bursts.

At first, one might think that it was just the same as what Aura does for the human body, but they would be wrong.

Because the increase Limit Break granted him was always exponential. 

A stomp could crack the ground into a crater around him.

A dash could be accomplished within the blink of an eye.

And a kick could absolutely send someone flying.

Amazing, right?

But while his Semblance allowed him exceptional feats of strength and skill, it was not without its own drawbacks.

Chief among them was the damage it did to his own body. Every single time he used it, it tore muscle fibers in his body. Good thing Aura was a thing, because it was the only thing preventing his body from coming apart while using his Semblance.

If he didn’t want to destroy his body and drive himself to an early grave, then he had to adhere to having a cooldown period between uses.

Nicholas, however, had long learned to work around the cooldown by only allowing certain parts of his body to activate his Semblance at a time. 

This allowed him the option of continuous use in battle up to a point.

Still, it meant that he couldn’t use it so carelessly.

Every strike was intentional, every movement precise, there were no wasted movements as each attack was explosive.

This meant, however, that most fights ended up in had to be quick and short. A fact that Jaune was currently getting to know firsthand now.

But as his son flew towards the arena wall, Nicholas allowed himself a brief moment of anticipation.

This….this was the level of danger his son had to be ready for. 

Nicholas didn’t even bring his sword out. If he had, he would have absolutely just speared it through his son’s leg and immobilized him. If Jaune couldn’t even handle this, then he had no right talking about how they didn’t need bodyguards.

And he watched as moments flowed, time speeding back up to normal, and his breath caught in his throat as he heard a loud sound.

BANG!

A grin crawled up his face as he saw Jaune suddenly fly towards him while holding a gun.

—----

BANG!

Jaune’s heart beat rapidly out of his chest as Argent Rose fired Gravity Dust.

He knew from first-hand experience under Pyrrha’s hand that Gravity Dust had large stopping power. It bruised and threw people around, but it hardly killed people who had their Aura’s up. 

It was the perfect ammunition for someone like him, who only got a gun because he wanted to stop people from afar.

Good thing, it can also throw him back when he doesn't have a foot on the ground. Something that was very useful right now.

BANG!

Another shot rang out as he adjusted himself midair to have his sword pointing towards his father.

Speed and momentum was his friend as he watched the distance between them shrink. He readied himself for any counterattack, and he was not surprised when his father suddenly drew his sword and parried Crocea Mors upward.

Sparks flew between them as blade slid against blade as he body slammed his father.

“Guh!” He grunted as their Aura’s flashed at the impact, and credit where credit was due, his father kept his position like a brick wall while their swords grinded against each other.

To stop his momentum like that, his father really was strong, wasn’t he?

Yet right now, Jaune had the advantage because of one simple reason.

He had a gun in the middle of a sword fight.

He grinned as he immediately brought the barrel of his gun to his father’s chest.

BANG!

He watched as Gravity Dust did its work, and his father lost his footing.

Nicholas Arc, however, did not get to where he was by just being thrown around.

Oh no, he’s survived Grimm from almost all the continents, survived the Fall of Mountain Glenn, and managed to settle down with his family while still being active in hunting down the Grimm.

His feet dug into concrete, and cement flew up in pieces as all the attack did was push him back a few meters.

“Since when have you used a gun?” He said as the dust between them settled.

“Since Ruby and I made it.” Jaune answered, his father, however, only smiled at that.

“Not bad, but not good enough.”

And just like that, his father disappeared again. This time, however, Jaune Arc was ready.

His Semblance roared to life, and light flashed brightly as their swords met each other once again. Jaune wasn’t blown back this time, but the force of their clash still sent shockwaves across his body that rattled his teeth.

Swords grinded against each other, and again, Jaune aimed Argent Rose at his father’s chest.

BANG!

The air around them rippled and blew back against their clothes, but other than that, his father kept still, albeit looking a little rumpled.

A grin crept up his father’s face at that, and Jaune’s eyes widened as he suddenly felt the resistance against Crocea Mors disappear.

How?!

Was it his Semblance?! What was his Semblance in the first place?!

Haune, however, did not have more time to think about those things, as his father stepped back and pulled back his own sword in one quick motion.

Inevitably, Jaune tilted forward at the sudden lack of resistance, and he could only watch with wide eyes as his father raised his sword up high into the air.

“Like I said, not good enough.”

And just like that, he brought his sword down towards Jaune.

There was no time to shoot, as Jaune immediately brought Crocea Mors up to intercept with wide eyes.

He felt the weight of the attack as the sword crashed against his shoulder and forced him to a knee. His Aura worked overtime to hold back the damage, but Jaune had to let go of his gun to use both hands to push back if he didn’t want to be smashed into the ground.

It meant, however, that they were purely sword fighting now, and from their position with his father looming above his kneeling form, Jaune was at a disadvantage.

His father raised his sword once again, and immediately, Jaune took the opportunity to roll away just as a sword crashed where he had just been.

The ground cracked, and concrete exploded upwards, but Jaune only took the time to gather his breath as he stood up.

So this was the difference between training with Pyrrha and having a full-blown fight against a bona fide Huntsman.

Sweat caked his forehead, but despite the situation he was in, a grin was creeping up his face.

His father was actually fighting against him.

Sure, he might be belittling him, but he wasn’t ignoring or dismissing him. 

Again, his father was actually fighting against him.

Some people might think it awful that father and son were fighting like this, he even thought so at first, but to Jaune right here right now?

It made him happy.

Because for the first time in his life, it felt like he was finally touching the same stage as his father.

And that, more than anything, fueled Jaune’s determination.

His Semblance ignited, lighting his whole body up as he looked towards his father.

Blue eyes locked with each other, and as if by some unspoken agreement, they clashed in a storm of sparks and steel.

—---------

“Oh, I can’t watch! Please tell me when they stop trying to kill each other!” Juniper Arc cried out as she tried to hide her face behind her hands. 

Her eyes peeked through her fingers, however, as she beheld her boys fighting against each other.

Sparks flew between them as the sound of swords clanging against each other repeatedly rang out across the arena.

“Don’t worry, Juniper. I’m sure they won’t go that far.” Athena called out comfortingly, laying a hand on her shoulder as she looked towards her daughter. “Right, Pyrrha?”

Pyrrha Nikos, however, one of Juniper’s future daughter-in-laws, only looked upon the battle with wide eyes.

“They’re….smiling.”

And just like that, Juniper was done hiding her face behind her hands as she snapped upwards with fury in her eyes.

“They’re what?!” 

Here she was having her heart broken, and they’re smiling?!

The audacity!

Another voice, however, cut in their conversation.

“They’re men. What do you expect?” Ghira shrugged wistfully, and eyes immediately snapped towards to see the far-off look on his face.

So shocked was Juniper by his words, that she couldn’t say a word, as she could only gape at him.

His expression, however, did not go unnoticed by the others as a grin crept up on Kali’s face.

“Honey….are you jealous?”

Ghira’s eyes snapped towards his wife at that.

“What?! Why would I be jealous?!” He said in denial, but Kali only chuckled at him.

“Don’t worry, dear. Since Jaune is going to be your son-in-law, you can also play fight with him.”

The man had the audacity to pout as he crossed his arms while looking away from his wife.

“It is not play fighting. It is the manly art of roughhousing.” 

This, however, finally snapped Juniper back to reality.

“My boys are trying to kill each other, and you call it roughhousing?!” She growled, and Ghira’s eyes immediately widened as he finally realized the callousness of his words.

“Apologies, but please look at their Aura. Other than the initial clash, they’re not actually getting any damage done to each other. Jaune even actually managed to regain his Aura.” He turned towards her slowly with a pale face.

Juniper’s eyes, however, could only widen as she looked up at their Aura.

Jaune Arc - 100%

Nicholas Arc - 85%

What?

Juniper rubbed her eyes, but the reality did not change.

It was her husband who was losing, and she wasn’t the only one to notice.

“What? How could that be? Nicholas even kicked Jaune so hard that he sent him flying. Shouldn’t he be the one with less Aura?” Willow asked, her head craning upward as they both stared with wide eyes at the screen showing the boys’ Aura levels.

“It’s Jaune’s Semblance, Aura Amplification. He can amplify the effects of Aura as a whole on himself and others. Whether it be strength, amount, durability, or regeneration, he can amplify it.” Blake explained, and their eyes snapped towards her even as she nodded at Willow. “You’ve seen him use it on you, Mrs. Schnee, but here, you’re seeing it in real action.”

“Please call me Willow.” Willow nodded absently, her eyes turning back to the boys even as her breath left her mouth in wonder. “So that’s how he lasted so long during the Breach.”

“It has its limits and drawbacks, of course, but he’d have to be using it at maximum output for almost a day for him to even feel them. I’m actually more impressed that Mr. Arc hasn’t taken any hits at all.” Weiss added, a proud smile on her face as she nodded towards the both of them.

“Of course! He’s my husband, you know?” Juniper smiled back at that before turning to look back towards her husband with a wistful look. “I’ve never known Nicky to lose.”

The worst she had seen him be was….during Mountain Glenn. He was bleeding and crying with a broken leg, but he was alive. She was just a med student then, wanting to be a full-fledged doctor, who suddenly found herself to be in over her head. That event scared off of being a doctor, but Juniper could not deny that the event itself wove her and Nicky closer than they ever were. 

Of course, she wasn’t the only who has seen Nicky in action.

“I did watch him kill a dragon once in Solitas.” Willow piped up, and immediately, everyone snapped towards her with wide eyes.

“He killed a what now?” Juniper blinked, but Willow only chuckled at her while putting a hand to her cheek.

“It was a small one, just larger than a bullhead, but he did manage to decapitate it with Crocea Mors. He thought he could make me summon one with my Semblance if he killed it in front of me.” She reminisced with a smile on her face, and Juniper couldn’t stop the jealousy burning within her.

Nicky never killed a Grimm in front of her!

It was always, it’s too dangerous Junebug, I don’t want you to get hurt, Junebug.

Yet here she was hearing that he killed a dragon for Willow Schnee?!

Unfair was too small a word for what she was feeling.

She gritted her teeth, but before she could say anything, someone else was feeling unsatisfied.

“Damn it, I have to up my game! The most I’ve done was wrestle a salt water crocodile off the coast of Menagerie!” Ghira shouted, and this time, Juniper had to take a deep breath in as she only had one thought in mind.

Men.

Ugh.

“It’s not a competition, dad.” Blake rolled her eyes exasperatedly, but Ghira only nodded his head seriously.

“We’re in-laws now, Blake. It is absolutely a competition now.”

“A friendly one, I hope.” Juniper reminded flatly, and thankfully, Ghira had the sense to blush embarrassedly at her chastisement.

“A friendly one.” He repeated, even as Kali chuckled amusedly beside him.

“Forgive my husband, he doesn’t have enough male friends to spend some time with.”

“I have friends.” Ghira pouted, but Kali only laid a hand on his arm comfortingly.

“Friends who also see you as a leader and chief, dear. You need more people who would see you for only you.”

“Jaune’s good at that!” Pyrrha piped in happily, as Weiss nodded beside her.

“Yes, he is surprisingly good at seeing people for themselves.” She said embarrassedly, and Juniper had to stop herself from laughing at the girl.

Truly, her son was blessed to have girls like them hype him up.

“See, dear. You’re not so much against it now that you know we have wonderful in-laws.” Kali grinned, smiling up at her husband, who only sighed while crossing his arms.

“I already said yes, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but it helps a lot to know you like this arrangement as well.” Kali laughed before turning her smiling eyes towards her daughter. “Isn’t that right, Blake?”

Blake blushed, embarrassedly rubbing her arm even as she leaned against her father.

“Yeah, thanks a lot, dad.”

Though as the Belladonnas took the time to strengthen their family bonds, Juniper could see the Schnees shuffling awkwardly while Pyrrha and her mother had sad wistful smiles.

It was a reminder that not everyone had such a happy family. Case in point, her own boys seemed determined to beat each other up.

Juniper’s eyes wandered back to the arena, and there she saw the two of them fighting. 

She wasn’t that well-versed with fighting despite being married to a Huntsman, but even she could see that they were locked in a stalemate as they attacked, blocked, and counterattacked alternatingly.

Jaune used his Semblance to replenish any Aura he lost in their exchange, while Nicky relied on his superior skill and experience to defend against Jaune.

“What happens now? How does this fight end if they can’t hurt each other?” Juniper sighed, getting everyone’s attention again as they all turned to the fight.

“They agreed to standard rules, so either ring out or-” Pyrrha started, but whatever else she was going to say was drowned out as a loud sound engulfed them.

—----

This cannot last. 

Jaune thought as he blocked another blow from his father before sliding in for a counterattack.

As expected, his father pulled back, blurred, and launched his own counterattack.

Light flashed, and all Jaune could see was a kaleidoscope of colors as he wobbled unsteadily. Instincts, however, saved him as he raised an arm and focused both his Semblance and Aura there to block his father’s follow-up attack.

He grunted as he felt a dull pain, but he was too busy shaking the dizziness out of his head,

What….What just happened?

“Keep your guard up, or I’ll ring your head like a bell!” His father shouted, attracting Jaune’s attention once again, even as he tried to push down with his sword.

“Did you just punch me?” He frowned, but he only saw his father shrug as he shoved upwards with his sword at the ready.

“We’re fighting, aren’t we?”

“We are.” Jaune scowled, watching as his father pulled back.

Like he said, this could not last.

Sure, he could take every beating his father gave him and replenish himself, but that was no way to win if he wanted to prove a point.

No.

He had to be decisive.

And with that in mind, he charged forward. Crocea Mors whistled through the air as he brought it down in a downward arc.

His father, however, only smiled ruefully at him as he predictably parried it to the side.

“That’s not going to work, you know?”

Jaune clicked his tongue, but deep inside, he was smiling as he saw his father’s blade swipe towards him.

Normally, this would be the time Jaune retreated to make space or blocked it with his own sword to body check his father, but this time, he had a different plan in mind.

So caught up was his father with their previous pace of exchanging blows, that he reacted too late, as Jaune suddenly brought his hand up.

He watched as his father’s eyes widened, but who could blame him? It wasn’t every day that you saw someone fearlessly try to catch your sword mid-swing. Jaune, however, was one of the few who could try with his Aura and his Semblance. 

“NO!” His father shouted, but whether he realized what Jaune’s plan was or if it was concern for him, it did not matter.

Sword grinded against Aura, but Jaune kept his hand tight and steady as he began to pour Aura into his sword.

Crocea Mors glowed with power, his Semblance amping it up so much that it was like he was carrying a miniature sun. 

It was a dangerous move, born from Jaune’s lack of a finishing move. Even Pyrrha didn’t dare to take this attack head on and preferred on dodging it for one simple reason.

Concentrated Aura gathered at the edge of his blade before being released in one big burst? The results when hit were catastrophic. Grimm disintegrated, trees exploded, and Nora even gave him a hug because of it for becoming an explosion buddy!

Jaune, however, only grinned as he brought it down in one swift motion.

After all, his father was strong.

He could take it.

—-----

Nicholas had wanted to see what his son was made of.

Well, he saw alright.

Jaune favored a heavy fighting style, tanking hits and relying on his Semblance to see him through the day. He was an immovable mountain to those who fought him, and did stuff that others could hardly think of. 

Case in point, he just caught Nicholas’ sword mid-swing with his bare hand without a single doubt or hesitation.

He didn’t know whether to praise his bravery or call him out on his stupidity, but he had to be honest, it was on brand for Jaune to be both. The fact that he stole the family sword and snuck into Beacon without awakening his Aura only supported that theory.

Still, Nicholas could not deny that the move worked. It pinned him in place, took away his means of attack, and opened him up for a counter.

Add to that, Crocea Mors was glowing with power right in front of his face!

Truly, his son was made of sterner stuff than he thought.

Time slowed to a crawl, and he took the time to take Jaune’s features in.

Blonde hair, determined eyes, and a battle lusty grin on his face?

Nicholas couldn’t be more proud of him.

Still, just because he was proud didn’t mean he was just going to stand there and take an attack.

A grin crept up his face that could match Jaune’s just as he let go of his sword.

He saw Jaune’s eyes widen a fraction, but it was too late.

Time snapped back into motion as Nicholas called upon his Semblance in one big burst.

His muscles ached, but he powered through the pain as his whole body blurred together.

He crouched forward, using his feet to gather enough force just as he slammed both palms onto Jaune’s chest.

The air shook as Jaune’s Aura buckled and glowed, his feet leaving the ground as Nicholas released a breath.

It was a simple move, designed to push back an opponent.

But when done with his Semblance?

It was explosive and could even break a Goliath’s leg.

He would know, he’s tried it before.

He wasn’t worried though.

After all, his son was strong.

He could take it.

Case in point, his attack didn’t even break Jaune’s Aura as he watched the light glow brighter.

Crocea Mors, glowing with power, missed him by a couple of inches.

What Nicholas failed to take into account as Jaune flew farther from his range, however, was just because he pushed Jaune away from him, it didn't mean he aborted his attack.

He had already relaxed his aching muscles, and was still grinning like a fool when Jaune released the Aura stored in Crocea Mors in a single burst.

BOOM!

—------

The ground shook, and dust fell down from the ceiling as Merigold Arc kept her sisters near with a frown on her face.

“Woah, was that an earthquake?”

Yang Xiao Long, however, only shook her head as she punched through a robot with Ember Celica.

“Nah, we wouldn’t have heard that large boom if it was. Somebody is probably just practicing for the Vytal Festival.” She said casually with a grin on her face, eager to show off to her fellow blondes as she posed in front of a pile of robot corpses.

The Arcs, however, kept their worried expressions.

“Is that normal around here?” Jade asked, but to assure them, Yang only shrugged.

“Before? Not really. Now that the tournament is right around the corner?  Yeah, a little bit.”

“Can you do something like that?” Bleu asked next, her glasses framing her wide eyes, even as Yang looked awkwardly away from her.

Could she make explosions that could shake the ground? She could, but it would take a lot from her. Specifically, it would take her having to bear lots of strong hits with her Semblance to generate enough force.

“I could, but it would take a lot from me.”

“So they’re stronger then?” Mauve followed up, but this time, Yang couldn’t stop the pout that left her face.

“Hey, just because I don’t make explosions like that with these babies, doesn’t mean I’m weak!” She shouted, waving her hands with Ember Celica around before shadowboxing.

It was Violet Arc, however, that asked the most important question of them.

“But would you lose? If it came down to it, my brother’s life on the line, and you’re fighting someone with that kind of power, would you lose?”

Yang paused at the question, and she watched five pairs of eyes immediately snap towards her as a realization came to her.

These girls were testing her.

Or more like, they wanted to see if she would be a good fit for their brother.

She turned the question around her head.

Her fighting a person that could make explosions that shook the school?

Well, it took more than explosive power to win, and while it helped a lot, it was not the end all be all in fighting.

There was skill, there was perseverance, and there was the right Semblance to turn the tide, just to name a few.

All of which, Yang had in spades.

And with that in mind, there was only one way she could answer.

“Nah, I’d win.” She grinned.

—-----

Damn.

He lost.

That was all Jaune could think as he extracted himself from the wall.

Despite his Semblance, despite the moves he pulled out, it did not matter as he found himself outside the arena.

Ring out.

He lost by ring out.

It was a good reminder that no matter what perceived advantage he had, it did not mean he was invincible.

Even now, he could feel a sharp pain in his chest as his Aura tried to heal him. 

That last attack felt as if he got hit by Magnhild right in the chest. A veritable canon that almost crumpled his Aura into nothingness before his Semblance snapped in to beat back the damage. 

Who knew his father could muster such a fearsome attack on a moment’s notice? Better yet, why didn’t he use it immediately after Jaune lost his gun?

Questions, questions, that only one man could answer.

He breathed deeply, tasting the bitter taste of defeat as he watched the dust from their last exchange settle.

He could still remember his last attack. It was one born of desperation, eager to fling back any damage he could at the moment of his lost. He never made contact, however, and he doubted whatever damage he could do can take his father out of the fight.

But as he watched his father’s silhouette appear, however, his eyes widened as he took in the man’s form.

His clothes were rumpled, and dust coated his cheeks, while his Aura flickered red before dying out.

A grin, however, was on Nicholas Arc’s face as he looked back at Jaune.

“You’re right. You are ready.”

And then he fell backwards.

—---------------------------

It was three days before the Vytal Tournament proper when Willow Schnee would publicly post an update on the social media app called Schneesbook that would change the world.

It read as such:

I am happy to announce the engagement of my wonderful daughter, Weiss Schnee, to Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, and Blake Belladonna!

P.S. More to come.

And below the caption was an image, showing Weiss Schnee, Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, and Blake Belladonna together with people who could only be called their parents.

----
AUTHOR'S NOTE:

So this took a long time, but I finally did it!

Main objectives for this chapter was to strengthen the bonds with the families, as well as put Nicholas Arc somewhere in the power scale.

You can think of Nicholas' Semblance, Limit Break, as being a lite version of One for All's basic enhancement. Boundless strength, and exceptional speed at the cost of breaking down his body. Coupled with experience, however, it makes him a formidable fighter that could hold the frontier.

In short fights, he reigns supreme if it comes down to melee. Survive his initial barage of attacks, however, and he starts slowing down to conserve Aura and save his body. Additionaly, he has no answer to ranged attacks other than block, run, and disengage.

Maidens would body him.

Hazel could outlast him.

Tyrian could surprise him.

He would snap Watts' neck however, if he gets his hands on him.

Anyways, lets see what his role would be once shit hits the fan and everything is on the line.