A/N

Wow! I just love the reviews, and don't worry, Jaune will get Crocea Mors, and he won't be Dust-incompetent. I've got an idea for the sword and shield/sheath that I hope you'll like.

Jaune Arc does NOT currently have a way to use Dust (his Aura is still locked). If you've noticed, he still has no idea what Aura is, and he currently believes that it is rare to have a semblance.

Silly knight.

Jaune has a classic canon appearance, he won't change drastically unless he gets a good reason to change.

I do have another story idea, or three, but I will write and edit them AFTER I write and edit these chapters.

Oh god that Arc/Archer pun... didn't even think of it.

I am, and have been sick, but it is slowly getting worse, so chapters might come even later. Sorry :/

I think I've used enough space up for random subjects, on to the story!

Do enjoy.

Chapter Four: Leaving the Nest

Woods Near Arc Family Home

"You need to focus Jaune. Stay calm and steady your shot." A soft, feminine voice spoke from the woods, followed by a green blur rushing after a gray-white shape.

"I would love to stay calm and focused, Ve. Although I've got to say, it would be much easier if you weren't CHASING ME WITH A FUCKING SPEAR!" The gray shape shouted to the green. Jaune was apparently running from a highly deadly, extremely fast, and madly grinning Verte, who had lowered air resistance on her weapon using her semblance.

"The Grimm aren't going to stand around waiting for you, stupid. At least I gave you a warning, a beowolf would have just killed you!" Verte responded, her efforts to make a Jaune-kabob redoubled.

"Saying 'Hey Jaune, guess what?' Before impaling my bed is NOT a valid way to warn someone! You almost killed me! Thank god Rou's semblance increases her reaction speed." Jaune panted, before taking aim and barely hitting the target tree on the opposite end of the clearing.

"Aww, the fun's over already?" Verte said, sad that Jaune was able to escape her and hit the target.

"Well I suppose we can start again next week, since I've only got a month left until I take the test." Jaune said, hoping to cheer Verte up. Unfortunately, all he managed to do was remind Verte that he would be leaving home to try to make a living in Vale. She was hoping he would stay at home while the girls tried to convince their dad to let him join the combat school in Atlas, but Jules Arc had no idea Jaune even had a weapon to go with.

"Let's get back to the house, Ve. Dad should be getting up about now, and it's time for us to train. Jaune, isn't grandpa expecting you right now?" Rouille said, looking at the sky, trying to judge how much time had passed.

"Yeah, I suppose he is. Well, I'd better get going, before Chance tries to kill gramps with food poisoning." Jaune said, resting against the tree he had been shooting at since the early morning. It was nearing midday, and the girls would be training their area or something. Maybe the area they could use their semblance? It didn't matter to Jaune though, as he had no semblance.

Jean Arc's Home

Just walking up to the house, Jaune could hear fists smacking off wood. He knew that Chance was a prodigy when it came to unarmed combat, but hearing the creaks and groans the wood was making had Jaune rethinking any idea of pissing the little bunny-eared girl off anytime soon. Reaching the door, he heard the wood finally give with a loud snap. Taking back his previous mental note, he replaced the 'soon' with an 'ever'. That little girl was scary.

"Jaune is here, you may greet him." No sooner had Jean uttered that sentence than Chance had body tackled Jaune to the floor, most likely bruising his ribs. Chuckling at the sight, he waited for Chance to give his grandson the sweet mercy of air.

Finally managing to pry Chance off himself, Jaune relished the sweet and cool midday air. Deciding to prepare himself better next time, he slowly pushed up from the ground, wary of Chance, lest she kill him by suffocation. Finally looking at his grandpa, and seeing the man's smirk, Jaune decided to get even.

"Hey Chance, wanna help me cook tonight? You can make the main course!" Jean's face could pass for the reaper itself, and Jaune loved every second of it.

Chance shook her head furiously, before pointing at Jaune. She had found out that the blond haired boy, living with his sisters, had to help his mother cook, as everyone else was just too tired or grouchy. That's not to say his sisters couldn't cook, but they would rather make him do it. Much less work for them, that way.

"Yes, Jaune's lunches are wonderful, so let's not disturb him while he cooks. Oh, and before I forget, we will be doing a traditional Arc pastime after lunch, so try not to each too much, Jaune." Jean said, heading into the back as if to retrieve something.

"Alright, Chance, what am I cooking today?" He asked, already having a general idea of what she wanted.

Chance excitedly vibrated across the floor, grabbing seemingly random ingredients. After sorting through everything he had been handed, Jaune was able to put together an improvised recipe for soup that (hopefully) wouldn't kill anyone.

One Hour Later

The soup, while not the tastiest (and certainly not the healthiest), was pretty good. Jaune outdid himself trying to make do with the ingredients he was given. While he contemplated how he could have improved the meal, his grandfather slowly got up, catching his attention with a gesture. Jaune began following Jean out of the kitchen, and then on through the house, to the back yard.

"I suppose it's time we get down to business. There's a shield and a sword sitting on the table over by the workshop. Grab them, and familiarize yourself with them." Jean said while waving his hand towards the shop.

Coming closer to the sword, Jaune thought it looked familiar. Arriving at the table, he knew he had seen it before. Picking up the sword, he realized what it was. The metal of the sword was polished, and Jaune could have sworn it's edge cut the light glinting off from the slowly setting sun. The grip was tailored with blue cloth and leather, while the guard was made out of a dense, bronze-like material. The shield, at first appearing to be a simple heater model with gold trim, had visible lines where Jaune knew little pieces of complicated machinery would allow it to transform between shield and sheath.

"Crocea Mors..." Jaune spoke reverently. The invincible shield and the sword that can cut through anything, if the old stories had any truth to them. There were fairy tales, fantasy stories, and even children's books dedicated to the sword.

"I'm giving you the family sword, should you choose to use another weapon instead, I only ask that you pass Crocea Mors on to your own child, or to one of your sisters." Jean said, standing with his back straight and his chin held high.

"I have another gift for you, but it won't be ready for at least a month, so it will be awhile before you can see it." He added.

"So, did you want me to start training with this sword?" Jaune asked, worried about how much time it would take to train his sword skills.

"While I will be training you, it won't be lessons geared towards being skillful. I'm going to teach you how to survive when fighting against a superior opponent." The old man said, drawing a long sword from a sheath buried under a few layers of grass.

"Meet my oldest friend, my weapon from the war. A piece of deadly art, crafted to take a life." He spoke slowly, and fondly.

"What's it's name?" Jaune asked, admiring the carefully constructed sword, obviously recently cleaned and sharpened.

"Nothing made to take a life should be personified, Jaune. There is no need for it to be remembered, lest it be remembered in blood." The boy took a second look at the weapon. The guard is a simple oval, the grip from a classic hand-and-a-half design, and the blade was jagged and very long, about five feet, he assumed.

"Then why does Crocea Mors have a name? It was used in both wars, and it was made to kill, wasn't it?" Jaune asked, confusion on his face.

"You see, Jaune, Crocea Mors was never meant to be used as it was in the war. Crocea was meant to be a symbol for the light. The sight of the sword and shield, while admittedly intimidating, was a sign of hope to the people. Crocea was built to kill Grimm, not humans, nor Faunus. During the wars… well, things happened, and to defend his family, your great great grandfather needed to spill blood." Jean answered, sorrow on his face.

"Enough, this is not a history lesson, get into position Jaune, it's time to fight for your life." Focusing in on his target, Jean slowly positioned his blade behind himself. Breathing deeply, he glanced over Jaune's stance, and thought about it critically. Legs shoulder width apart, good. Shield off to the side, prepared to swing in, most likely to off balance him after his swing, even better. Sword was held at an awkward angle, far too close to himself to be safe, but he would learn that soon enough. Shoulders stiff but prepared, head raised, eyes focused on his own, perfect.

It almost looks like… aha! little brat is copying his father! Jean thought, amused. Alright then, Jaune Arc, lets see how well you fight! With a final, calming breath, Jean jumped towards his grandson, swinging his blade using full-body momentum. Jaune braced his legs, turned his body, and prepared to hold back his new teachers sword. Collision, Jaune's stance doesn't hold very well after contact, knocking him backwards, but he picks up his legs and uses the momentum to back flip, bringing his shield up as soon as he can. Looking over the top of his shield, he could see his grandfather preparing for another swing. Checking over himself, he realized he couldn't take many more hits like that, feeling his forearm going numb from just the first swing.

Deciding to take the initiative, and catching Jaune off guard, Jean charged again, this time stopping early, just a few feet away from Jaune. Realizing he was at a disadvantage, Jaune prepared to roll away from his attacker, and quickly brought his sword in front of him to roll. Jean, having seen exactly what he was waiting for, brought his full body into a kick aimed at Jaune's shield, knocking his blade into his face, leaving a long cut across his cheek. Jaune lost his balance, slipping onto his back. Looking towards the sky he saw the flash of a long sword and then nothing.

Jean looked at Jaune, and checked his condition, chuckling at the fear frozen on his grandsons face. He would wake up later, wondering if he was alive, but until then, Jean had to make sure Chance knew Jaune was okay. As he began to walk away, he heard the sound of coughing behind him. Surprised, he turned around, watching as Jaune slowly rose to a knee, taking deep breaths.

This kid is going to be a bloody nightmare when he unlocks his Aura. Jean chuckled, admiring his grandsons will to be better, no matter what it would cost him. It was a sad fact, but no men in the Arc family could unlock their own Aura until they reached a form of inner peace. While this was a heavy cost, it came with an equally beneficial reward, most often being an extremely vast supply of Aura.

"Rest and relax, We'll begin training again tomorrow." Jean said, shooing Jaune away with his hands. He supposed he would need to up the ante in Jaune's training, so that he could adapt against most opponents. That was a matter for another time, in any case, he needed to check up on Chance, maybe show her some new weak points on the human body. This little girl was going to be a terrifying fighter when she grew up, but until then, training was going to be her main focus.

Arc Family Home

He should have known something was wrong. He noticed the back door was still unlocked, and when he got inside, his senses told him something was different. He couldn't hear ANY of his sisters, even though only Verte and Rouille should be training right now. He couldn't smell anything from the kitchen, and, glancing at the clock, he could only wonder when his mother was going to make breakfast. Sneaking upstairs, he could hear mumbled conversation between a couple of girls. Opening the door to his room, he was met with a very imposing sight. His father, Jules Arc, wearing full body plate armor, carrying Munio, a large kite shield on his back. Noceo, his spear, was sitting on his lap. His eyes showed no anger, and his body seemed relaxed.

"Now, Jaune, it has come to my attention that you are training to be hunter. Is this true?"

"Yes." There was no lying to Jules Arc, ever.

"And you've been training with your sisters behind my back?"

"Yes."

"Your punishment depends on your answer to my next question. Why do you want to become a hunter?" It seems like this was the most important question, as Jules eyes seemed to sharpen, and he sat a little more tense.

"I want to help people, I want to kill the Grimm so everyone can finally have a good night's sleep without worrying about if the wall will still be standing when they wake up. I want to stop the blatant racism that seems to run rampant through the kingdoms. I want to save lives, to protect the innocent. I want to be strong so that others don't have to." Jaune gave his answer barely moments after being asked. He had thought and wondered to himself every night trying to find an answer this very question.

Apparently seeing this response as the best one he would get, Jules Arc rose from the bed. Standing a full two feet over his son, he peered down at the boy. A contemplative look came over his face, showing that he was weighing the pros and cons of his next decision.

"Jaune, I am very happy with your answer, and even though it is dangerous, I'm going to let you become a hunter. There is a slight problem though. We can't send you to a combat school, because your Aura is still locked." Jules Arc began, choosing to follow through with his unspoken decision to help his son.

"Wait wait wait," Jaune began, startled by what his father was saying, "what do you mean, 'still locked', what the heck IS Aura, anyway?"

"Hahahaha! 'What is Aura' whoo, good one, son!" Jules laughed, until he noticed the deadpan look his son was giving him.

"Oh my god you really don't know. Didn't your sisters tell you about it? I mean, they knew it was going to be locked for a long time, but... I mean, nothing?" He asked, disbelief covering every feature on his face.

"Not a word. Wait, does this mean I have a semblance too? I always wanted to have super powers!" Jaune cheered, oblivious to the slowly mounting confusion on his father's face.

"Jaune... everyone has a semblance. It exists along with your Aura, residing in the energy of your manifested soul." Jules face seemed to have become stuck between confusion and anger.

"Well, I read about the soul thingy somewhere, but I can't remember the name of the book..." Jaune was slowly inching himself to the door.

"Hahh... it's not important right now. Jaune Arc, would you like to become a hunter? I might have a way for you to train... but it will be extremely difficult. You... might not make it, but I owe it to you to let you know about this. There is a small hole by your grandfather's house. If, and only IF, you accept, I will show you the entrance." Jules finally said, sighing softly to himself, and looking into his son's eyes.

With a determined nod to himself, Jaune carefully decided on his next plan of action, but first, he had a few questions.

"What's inside the hole? What reason would I have to go in it? Why don't I like the sound of this training?"

"I can't tell you what's in the hole, but I guarantee it will help you become a better hunter. To answer your third question... the last person to go through the hole and be found again was your grandfather, Jean." Jules answered the questions in the order they were asked.

"If it helps me become a better hunter, I'll do it. How long will it take?" Jaune asked, feeling slightly overwhelmed.

"You'll be gone for at least two years. I'll tell your sisters you went off to train in Vale, since that's what you already had planned. Your mother already knows what we are talking about up here. You'll head into the hole in about a month. That should give you enough time to train with my father." Jules informed Jaune, still making plans on how to keep his daughters out of the loop.

One Month Later

Jean Arc's Home

The noise of a powerful sword being used to bludgeon a shield could be heard in the early hours of the morning. Jean Arc could be seen cutting away at his grandson, attempting to cause bodily harm. Jaune was doing his best to keep himself healthy by dodging and defending against the onslaught.

Ducking and rolling into a kneeling position, Jaune took a deep breath and watched his grandfather's movement's, trying to get the timing of his swings. Deciding he knew what he needed, Jaune charged towards his opponent, just as they breathed in to swing their sword. Seeing this, he leapt forward, catching his target off guard and bashing his sword out of his hand.

"Point, Jaune. That makes it 1 win, 26 draws, and I lost track of how many loses. Go Jaune!" Verte cheered from the porch, sitting in between Rouille and Chance. Rouille clapped while Chance moved around, obviously pleased by Jaune winning.

"Well Jaune, it's time to head off, I'll let you say goodbye to your sisters." Jules said, walking up from behind three girls. He was sad knowing this was the last day he would see his son for awhile, but he had no choice, as Jaune chose to go on this self given quest.

"Uh, hey Violette, Cerise, Rouge, what's up? eheh…" Jaune chuckled, backing away from the new arrivals. Terrified of his sisters, he doesn't notice when Verte and Rouille walk up behind him. Grabbing their brother by his arms, they drag him up to the rest of their sisters. Throwing him onto the ground in the middle of a hastily made circle, the girls assume waiting positions.

"So, when were you going to tell us about you trying to leave?" began Cerise, obviously pissed Jaune hadn't told his older sisters about his plans. Not actually expecting an answer, she nodded to her twin sister Rouge, as they both pulled back their hands, and swung at Jaune. Since Jaune had been training all day with an admittedly sadistic teacher, and because his fight or flight instincts were on edge, he rolled under their hands, not realizing he was rolling to Violette, until he hit Temptation, her high impact rifle with a sword built into the stock. Temptation had a standard long barrel with an attached scope, a stock that went nearly to the end of the barrel, which was used as a sheath, and a sleek four foot blade, with a purple grip. She used two different types of ammunition, in labeled magazines. The first, 'Dull', was a simple metal bullet. The second, 'Pretty', was a mix of different types of Dust rounds, all with short-range explosive capabilities.

"I suppose we should be very angry with you, but we'll take that aggression out on Ve and Rou over there." At the confused looks she was receiving, Violette face palmed. Deciding it would take too long to explain everything, she simply pointed at the two sisters and said, "They didn't react when we were told Jaune was leaving soon, so they obviously knew beforehand."

"Oh shit." Verte was stunned, she had forgotten that only Rouille and herself were in on Jaune's plan.

"'Oh shit' indeed, sis. You are going to learn VERY quickly that I don't like being surprised." Violette responded, before looking back at Jaune. Looking him over for a bit, she wondered what she should do next. She knew the story about going to Vale was a lie, because her dad hasn't told anyone about Jaune communicating with them after he left. In fact, he had avoided the subject altogether, which meant Jaune wasn't going to one of the kingdoms. Cerise, seeing her sisters turmoil, and knowing they didn't have long before Jaune had to leave, decided to simplify the situation with a few words.

"Hey Jaune, girls?" She began pleasantly, with an innocent tone, "Dog pile." She finished with a sadistically pleased grin.

"Oh Fu-!" Jaune tried to roll away, but he was too late, and he was buried. It wouldn't have been so bad, but Violette, Cerise, and Rouge were all still wearing armor from their training session, and Verte had jumped on top with Rouille and Chance, who both seemed far too pleased to be slowly killing him.

"Alright, alright, break it up, let Jaune get some air, he needs to be well rested for the trip. Jaune, head up to the house, your grandfather has a going away gift for you. Viol, Cer, Rou, Ve, Ro, come on, we're heading back to our house, your mom made supper." Jules said, returning from wherever he had been waiting before, trying to get his daughters off his son. Nodding to Jaune, he began to walk back to the van, opening the side door to let the girls in.

Jaune took a deep breath as he watched them go, and exhaled in a long, drawn out breath.

This is it, time to see what's so scary about this stupid hole. Even though he seemed confident, his hands were shaking and he was nervous. What could possibly be so dangerous that no one has tried it since my granddad? No, that couldn't be right, my dad said no one since Jean Arc… had come back from the hole. Maybe some people tried and didn't survive. His breathing was getting quicker, he was beginning to second guess his choice. He nearly jumped when he felt a weight settle on his back, and arms wrap around his neck. Looking up, he could just barely see the tops of two brown rabbit ears, meaning that Chance had jumped on his back.

"Thanks, I needed some help calming down, Chance." Jaune said, reaching up and patting the little bunny girl on her head. Slowly sliding her off of his back, he walked up to Jean's house, striding inside with full confidence, walking into the living room.

"This took me three months to make Jaune. I began it as soon as I learned about your plan to become a huntsman. The fibers are all laced with Dust, and made in a style that I think you'll like." Smiling, Jean slid a cardboard box to his grandson. Looking inside, Jaune found a black sweatshirt with orange inside, laced with a mix of Dust that made a gray color, usually used to reinforce a piece of clothing to withstand a Grimm attack, and as an added bonus, the clothes could knit themselves back together, as long as they don't get torn to literal shreds. Along side his clothes was the quiver he could have sworn was still in his backpack at home.

"Alright Jaune, follow me out to the back yard. The tunnel is in the tool shed." Jean spoke as he headed to the back door, motioning for Jaune to follow him.

"I thought it was supposed to be a hole?" His grandson asked with a slightly confused tone. Quickly throwing on his new hoody and checking to make sure Crocea Mors was on his waist, he put his hand down into a tube on his jean leg, drawing and looking over Fulmen.

"Yes, it's a hole that leads to another place. A tunnel. Your father didn't tell you much about it because he doesn't know what's inside. He chose not to take the test." The withered old man said, opening the door to his shed. Jaune noticed that his grandfather seemed to have aged dramatically just by standing near the opening.

"What test am I going to take? Is this hole the test?" Jaune said, gesturing to the round hole, just big enough to fit a man into.

"Well, it's more of a trial, instead of a test. It's name is the Trial of the Arc, and this hole is the first test. Go on, Jaune. Show me your determination, get in there and prove you deserve to carry the name 'Arc'!" Jean shouted, encouraging Jaune to jump into the hole.

"See you on the other side, grandpa! I'm gonna go kick some aahh!" Jaune shouted as he slipped into the hole.

A/N

So, how was that? Should I try to make longer chapters? Do you like how the story is going so far? Did I have any spelling errors/inconsistencies?

I thrive off your opinions, so please don't hesitate to tell me what you think!

Next chapter mi~ght be coming out a little bit quicker than usual, but that's because I feel like writing this week. Of course, I might be lying to you, and the next chapter will never come out, but that's the risk in not having a plan before hand.

Speaking of next chapter, who wants to read about Jaune taking the Trial of the Arc? Cause I have no idea what to do next :D

Have a nice day!