Jaune Arc is the current Kumicho and head of the Arc clan. He is currently standing in the center of the Arc family cemetery with his personal bodyguard Pyrrha Nikos both dressed in complete black, Jaune holding a bundle of white and yellow wildflowers Pyrrha holding one of red lilies. They both stand over two different tomb stones that stand side by side. The one Jaune stands in front of reads "R.I.P Here lies Alexander Arc loving Father and Husband." The one in front of Pyrrha reads "R.I.P Here lies Dimitris Nikos loving Father. " They both lean down and place the flowers in front of their respective graves and bow their heads for a moment. They then stand up and once again look down at the graves of their fathers. As the wind blows and silence is the only thing that is heard. Jaune is the first to break the tense silence between the two. "Hard to believe it's already been two years huh Pyrrha. So many things have changed in such a short time," Jaune says looking over to Pyrrha with a half hearted smile.
"Yeah they have," Pyrrha says still looking down at her father's grave, a look of sadness in her eyes. Jaune with his hair covering his face walks over to her and gives her a spontaneous hug. "Ja... Jaune," Pyrrha stammers as her eyes go wide and her cheeks become as red as her hair quickly becoming more and more flustered. Caught off guard by the warm sudden embrace of her childhood friend.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Jaune says in a whisper as he continues to hug Pyrrha. Pyrrha's eyes soften as she smiles and separates the two. She sees a single tear going down the boy's face.
"Jaune you have nothing to be sorry for. My father died saving the both of us and keeping his promise to your father and his friend. You know I've never once blamed you for what happened that night. Both our fathers were good, kind, and honorable men who were killed because of the greed of terrible ones. But thanks to you we were able to avenge and get justice for them," she says as she lifts Jaune's face up to look directly at her's and wipes the single tear from his eye.
"So don't ever apologize for what happened that night again. If you want to do something then become the great Kumicho our father's knew you could be and make the Arc clan the greatest it's ever been." Pyrrha then gets on one knee and bows her head in front of him "And I'll swear to be right there by your side to help and protect you just as my father did for your father. And my family has done for yours for generations." A tall, black haired man in a chauffeur outfit then comes and walks up to the two as Pyrrha stands up.
" Miss Nikos it is almost time for the clan meeting, we must be on our way," The man said.
"We'll be right there Gray," Jaune told the man known as Gray. Gray nodded and started heading back to a parked limousine in front of the cemetery.
"Well are you ready to get going," Pyrrha said in a playful manner.
"Oh man don't do that," Jaune said.
"Do what," Pyrrha asked.
"Call me ."
"Ok then. Are ready to go Jaune" Pyrrha asked? Jaune nodded his head and they headed for the limo. As they drove to the clan meeting Jaune couldn't help but think back to all the events that had led up to all this in the past two years and how it all started with the loss of his father. Or to be more accurate his murder. His sake had been poisoned at a new year's party held by the head of one of the Arc clan's branch families. The Winchesters in an attempt to take over the clan. They had tried to take Jaune's life the same night they killed his father but thanks to the help of his father's bodyguard Dimitris Nikos and his daughter Pyrrha they were able to get away. Sadly in the escape Dimitris suffered a fatal wound and died shortly after getting Jaune and Pyrrha back to the main family. Three other Arc clan branch families joined the Winchesters in their "revolt". All other branch families remained loyal the the main Arc family.
The only problem was that they had no one to lead them. While Alexander Arc and his wife Serene Arc had eight children. Jaune was the youngest of them all and the only male heir. After the death of his father Jaune only felt two things. Unrelenting hatred for those whom his father had trusted and was repaid with their betrayal and crushing sadness at the loss of his father. Jaune locked himself away in his room on the Arc families main compound for two months. After those two months Jaune began ordering strikes and attacks on the Winchesters and their alias from his room through Pyrrha. While Jaune was the youngest of the Arc children and showed the least amount of fighting prowess while all seven of his sisters were excellent warriors. He was not even able to unlock his own aura at the age of nine while the youngest of his sisters was able to use both aura and a semblance at the age of six. Though he had the option of having it unlocked he refused every time.
But while he may not have been the best fighter he was a brilliant master strategist. It was like he knew his opponent's next three steps before they did. Needless to say with the support of the remaining branch families and his sisters leading the onslaught of attacks on the Winchester's and their allies Jaune systematically destroyed them by the end of the same year they started their "revolt". They consumed their territories, stole their shipments of drugs and weapons, and burned their businesses down to the ground. By the end of December they had nothing left and Jaune had his four oldest sisters gather the heads of each of the four branch families involved in the "revolt".
He told the men that they had two options. One they could walk out of the main family's compound and return to their decimated lives and families and the clan would never bother them again or they could make amends and have their families welcomed back into the fold of the clan. The men all jumped at the chance groveling and begging for forgiveness. Jaune then had Pyrrha the only person he had let get physically close to him since his father's murder bring in four Bushido knifes and place them in front of each man and stand beside him and hand him his father's old Henry rifle. He told them that while their families would be forgiven, welcomed back and taken care of they would not be. He and Pyrrha then watched as each man who had a hand in the deaths of both their loving father's shaking and crying committed Seppuku. Finally avenging them almost a year to the date of their death. Sadly after everything was said and done and Jaune was to officially become the next Kumicho he refused to leave his room for three straight weeks. Not even allowing Pyrrha to enter. His mother and sisters started to worry for him and the other branch families were beginning to grow restless.
After almost one and a half months of locking himself away Jaune was told by his mother he had a visitor. He told her he didn't want to talk to anyone. She told him that it was a close old friend of his father's. That he and his father were like brothers and that the man just wanted to talk. Jaune paused for a minute and then told his mother to show the man in. As the man walked to Jaune's room he sat down in front of Jaunes sliding doors. He asked Jaune if he remembered him. Jaune did not respond at first. The man told Jaune that he had come to see him every now and again when he was a baby. When he came over to drink and talk to his father about their lives. Jaune asked the man what his name was. The man told him it was Taiyang Xiao Long. Jaune remembered hearing his father talk about the man once or twice. Jaune also knew he was the current head of the Rose family after his second wife Summer Rose disappeared.
Jaune asked the Taiyang why was he here now? More than a year after his father's death and all the fighting was long since done . Taiyang dropped to his knees and formally bowed in front of Jaune's door. This surprised Jaune. Taiyang told him he was sorry he couldn't be there for Jaune and his family when Alex was killed or to fight his killers. But that he was dealing with some other important problems that had only recently been resolved and was still dealing with some slight fallout of being made the new head of the Rose family. Taiyang then stood up and forcefully pulled open the door to Jaune's room. Jaune jumped back moving his hands around on the floor in search of his father's rifle.
Taiyang then jumped into Jaune's room and proceeded to put Jaune into a headlock and drag him out of his room. Taiyang told him that while he truly regrets not being able to be there to avenge his friend who was like a brother to him that from this day on he would be there for Jaune in place of his father and help guide him through life and protect him no matter what. And the first step Taiyang took to guiding him was to get him out of his room and to stop acting like a self pitying child and ready for his Kumicho ceremony. Because he wasn't a child anymore and had the well being of his family and entire clan to consider now not just his own. Taiyang sat Jaune down just outside his room and sat himself right across from Jaune. He handed Jaune two boxes.
One long and rectangular and the other one large and square. Jaune opened the large square box first and inside he saw his father's black,yellow, and white montsuki. As he pulled it out of it's box he saw that it was now tailored to his own size. Jaune simply looked at Taiyang, the man was tall had short blonde hair like his own and had what looked like some slight stubble on his chin and a serious look on his face. Jaune was speechless at the sight of his father's montsuki, Taiyang told him to open the second box. Jaune sat the montsuki back into it's box and began to open the second one. Inside he saw his father's Henry rifle now attached to its barrel was the Arc family ancestral katana sheathed.
Jaune looked over his father's modified Henry rifle and the sheathed ancestral katana now attached to it. This explained why he couldn't find it earlier Jaune thought. He noticed that the katana's sword guard was slightly altered and now acted as an iron sight for the rifle. Taiyang told him that he thought this would be easier than having to carry both around separately all the time and that it made it easier for him to get to the blade should he ever run out of bullets and be put into a tight spot. Jaune thoguht about everything for a minute and then got on his knees and formally bowed to Taiyang thanking him for everything.
Taiyang put his hands on Jaune's shoulders and raised him up. Taiyang told Jaune there was nothing to thank him for. He knew if this had happened to him Jaune's father would have done the same for his own daughter Ruby. Taiyang told Jaune that if he really wanted to show him thanks that he would get dressed, become the a great Kumicho his father and Taiyang knew he could be, Lead his clan, and make his father proud. Jaune looked down into his hands and stared at his father's old… no his new weapon and began to tear up. Taiyang brought Jaune into a comforting hug as no more words were spoken between the two. That night in front of every member of the Arc clan and some members of the Rose family that had accompanied Taiyang including his two daughters Jaune swore with the ancestral Arc clan family katana to dedicate his life to and do all he could for the prosperity of the clan.
He then stood face to face with Pyrrha infront of everyone as she reached out and put her hand on the side of his face. Jaune then closed his eyes as she activated her aura and then chanted "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee." Jaune then began to glow a bright almost blinding white light as his aura was unlocked and activated. He then held out one of his hands and held his ancestral blade in the other towards everyone and then proceeded to cut his hand on the blade letting his blood run down it ending the ceremony. Everyone cheered, one of Jaune's sisters handed him a folded cloth as another brought over goths but when they went to wrap his hand the cut had already healed. Shortly after the ceremony a party to celebrated the new Kumicho began.
Taiyang walked up to Jaune and his family's table and greeted his mother, sisters, and Pyrrha. He said he wanted to introduce Jaune to his two daughters one on both sides of him. To his left he introduced his oldest daughter Yang. a also sun kissed haired girl just like Jaune and her father with lilac eyes who looked to be the same age the same age as him in a black and yellow kimono with flame patterns. And to his right he introduced his youngest Ruby. She looked a couple years younger than him and Yang and was partially hiding behind Taiyang's leg. The ends of her hair had tinges of red and she wore a black and red kimono with flower designs on it. But the thing that stood out most to him were her silvery eyes.
Jaune had never seen anyone with such eyes before. He stood up walked over to the right of Taiyang and extended his hand with a smile on his face to the silver eyed girl and said "hello my name is Jaune Arc would you like to be my friend." The girl peaked out from behind her father and looked at the boy extending a hand out to her. She slowly stepped from behind her father still eyeing the boy. She then with a smile of her own grabbed the boy's hand and said "No." Jaune froze for a second, shocked still holding her hand. Until the girl started laughing a few seconds later and continued "let's be best friends," she said shaking his hand! Jaune stared laughing with the girl shortly after. He could tell this would be the start of a beautiful friendship.
The limo came to a stop and took Jaune out of his memories and back to the present. Jaune and Pyrrha got out of the limo and made their way into the Arc clan's main compound and headed straight for the main meeting hall. But right before they reach the meeting hall a short brown haired rabbit faunus girl in a light blue kimono appeared in front of them. "Hello is there something we can help you with miss," Pyrrha asked recognizing the girl as Velvet Scarlatina one of the daughters of a maid that worked on the compound? She also attended Beacon high and was the target of constant bullying. Velvet didn't respond. She had her head facing downwards and was practically shaking while holding a small piece of folded paper. Velvet looked up towards Pyrrha and then over to Jaune. She then turned in Jaune's direction and held the paper out towards him.
"Is this for me" Jaune asked pointing towards himself? Velvet nodded. Jaune could barely hear the girl as she softly whispered that it was a message sent by the Rose family. Jaune took the paper and Velvet then ran away and disappeared as quickly as she had appeared. Jaune looked down at the paper and saw the rose family crest wax seal confirming it was from the rose family. Jaune opened the letter and started reading it. After he was done reading the message Pyrrha could tell something was wrong. Jaune's usually smile had disappeared and been replaced with that of a frown and cold look in his eyes.
"Jaune what's wrong? What did message say," Pyrrha asked as she reached for Jaune's shoulder? Jaune smacked Pyrrha's hand away and proceeded to walk into the meeting hall where his family and the heads of the branch families had all gathered for the weekly clan meeting. Jaune's oldest sister Lila Arc started to greet him but was cut off by Jaune.
"There will be no meeting this week. You all are dismissed," Jaune said cold and rather intimidatingly before turning to walk out of the room. But before he got the chance to Lila quickly grabbed his arm.
"Jaune what are you talking about? You know these meetings are import…," she stopped herself as she looked into her brother's eyes that were glaring back at her own. She let go of his arm and began to slowly back away from Jaune.
"I said you are all dismissed! Any problems you have with that you can bring up at next weeks meeting. Or we could go discuss them now in the training dojo," Jaune said in a stern tone fiercely looking at everyone in the room. No one said anything and Jaune continued to walk out of the meeting hall and pass Pyrrha who had been standing right outside the doorway. Jaune drops the message from the Rose family at her feet as he leaves the compound. Pyrrha picks up the message as Jaune's sisters and mother walk out of the meeting hall.
"Pyrrha what happened to Jaune? I've never seen him like that before," asked Lila?
"Did something happen this morning when you two went to the cemetery," asked Jaune's mother Serene?
"Yes but he was fine until he got this message from the Rose family a minute ago," Pyrrha said showing Jaune's family the note.
"What does it say," asked Sasha Arc the youngest of Jaune's sisters born only a year before him clearly worried about her younger brother? Pyrrha quickly read over the message that appeared to have stains from droplets of water on it. Her heart instantly sank as she reached the end of the message. She looked towards Jaune's mother and sisters with a frown that much resembled Jaune's and tears starting to roll down her face and said "It says that Taiyang Xaio Long was murdered last night." After hearing that they all just stood there in deafening silence. Pyrrha suddenly collapsed to the floor still crying with the message clutched in her hand.
This story got way longer than I originally meant for it to but I loved writing it all the same. Anyway this story takes place on the two year anniversary of Jaune's father Alexander Arc and Pyrrha's Dimitris Nikos death with them visiting their graves and Jaune recounting how everything came to the present. Then you have them being struck with the devastating news that the day before Taiyang Xiao Long the man who brought Jaune back from the edge was "coincidentally" murdered. I may continue this as something like a group of side stories showing how Jaune and others dealt with Taiyang's death. Who knows. Any who if you have the time I'd love if you could leave a review and tell me your thoughts.
P.S. I should have Ruby's Mafia AU file up soon