"H-hey Dad... Long time no see?"

The room was silent for what felt like forever.

Jaune's father broke the silence by sheathing his sword. His heavy footsteps thudded on the floor as he approached.

Oz had stepped away, circling the man who had practically broken into his office. There was no one standing between Jaune and his father anymore.

"Look, I know you're probably mad. I know I haven't called. And I know I should've, trust me I do! Things have just been really busy and I-"

His father shut him up by grabbing his shoulders and pulling him into a choking hug.

"Do you know how worried we all were? Who raised you to be such an idiot? Because it wasn't your mother!"

Jaune was shocked, stunned even. He had expected anger, disappointment, he had half expected his father to strike him for what he did. Concern and jokes hadn't been on his register at all. Jaune's brain was on autopilot as he tried to process the information and responded for him.

"I think that means I got it from you."

His father brought his fist directly on top of his head.

"Ow!" Jaune instantly shouted. "I'm sorry!"

"As you well should be! We all expected you to be out here training for next year's initiation. Not fighting off Grimm invasions and terrorists. What the hell were you thinking?" his father scolded.

"I guess you saw me on the news then?" Jaune responded.

Crack

"I said what were you thinking!" His father shouted after landing another bone-breaking blow to his scalp.

"I don't know! What do you want me to say? I'm a huntsman now, it's kind of my job to do that sort of stuff."

"That's another thing! How the hell did you get in? There's no way you could have made it through initiation like you were." Nicholas turned to address the professor, only to realize he was no longer standing there. He growled in anger. "If this 'master' of yours thinks he can get out of talking to me about this, he has another thing coming. Explain now, from the start."

Jaune wasted no time in giving his father the full rundown with no details spared. He started with his departure and arrival in Vale. He didn't bother to hide the acquisition of his faked transcripts. Then was the initiation where he unlocked his aura and his class before fighting off the White Fang. Finally, he described the weeks of training and all his missions. His father already seemed to know about the breach, so he didn't bother explaining that.

By the time he finished, the moon had already started to make its way down toward the horizon. He barely even felt tired though, he was still too stressed from the interrogation.

"Hrm. Fine, I can see how everything happened. I'll say one thing, you are a lucky bastard if nothing else. At any stage, you could have lost your damn life, you idiot. Who ignites an entire dust container in their face as a survival instinct, honestly. There are a few details you got wrong though." His father stated.

How could I get the details of my own story wrong...?

"You didn't steal Crocea Mors. I left it for you."

"What? No, it was up on its holder, you were all asleep." Jaune countered.

"If I hadn't have wanted you to take that sword, there wouldn't have been a thing you could have done to take it. Tell me, what is the family sword famous for?" Nicholas asked.

"It's never been broken through all the generations. It's a sword that breaks through any defense. You and Granddad are famous for your feats of strength with the blade. I've seen you cut through trees in a single swing like it was an axe." Jaune answered instantly. He'd heard the stories enough times that he could never forget them.

"Exactly. Now tell me, is the blade particularly sharp? Sharper than any other blades?"

Jaune drew it and ran his finger along the edge to confirm. It was sharp, but there were plenty of sharper weapons.

"No..."

"How about its weight? Pretty light I'd bet. Most weapons capable of that kind of force would be heavier, no?" His father pushed.

"I mean, yeah probably. I thought it was just because of how strong you and all the other wielders were." Jaune responded.

"That's only half of it. The truth is though, that Crocea Mors has a secret. One that no amount of observation can reveal. Only the heirs of the Arc family who dedicate themselves to the blade learn about it, and only when they've earned the right to be its true owner."

Is he talking about the feature that my observe skill never reveals?

"It's time for you to learn." His father stated. "Channel your aura into the blade."

Jaune raised an eyebrow at his father but did as he asked.

"Not like that. Do it like you're activating dust. Don't just rest your aura in the blade, but give your aura to it." His father corrected.

Like activating dust?

Jaune tried to imagine it. At first, nothing happened, but eventually, something clicked. The aura he placed within the blade was absorbed entirely. It disappeared without a trace. The instant his aura disappeared the blade seemed to grow heavier. Not by much, maybe half a pound at most, but for a three-pound blade, it was noticeable.

"The truth is, Crocea Mors is a one of a kind blade from a time before mechashift was invented. Huntsmen and soldiers alike searched for a way to create stronger weapons. Something to give them an edge in their fight against the Grimm. Crocea Mors was the only successful product from hundreds of attempts. A perfect fusion of dust with steel in a permanent and stable manner. Our family's blade is as strong and durable as it is because it is made of a gravity dust alloy. One that has never been replicated since its first creation, despite numerous attempts. It is incredibly dense, dense to the point where its creation required entire teams of men. The dust within the steel controls its weight. With time, the wielder can make it as light or as heavy as they desire." His father explained.

"How heavy are we talking?" Jaune asked.

"Heavy enough that not one member of our family has ever unlocked its full potential. The Arc training style is and always has been simple forms and overpowering momentum. We train from childhood until retirement with that in mind. When I was its owner, the blade would have weighed easily forty pounds."

"But it didn't-"

"That's right, it didn't. The night we told you to give up on your dream, I intentionally re-sealed the weight of the blade. Your mother and I wouldn't be able to force you to stay home forever. If it hadn't been that night, it would have been another, and there's nothing we could have done to stop you. Short of tying you up in the basement for the rest of your life at least. I left you that sword so that when you did leave, you'd at least have something to rely on.

Jaune once again didn't know what to say. His mouth just opened and closed as he failed to find the appropriate response.

"I don't know if you thought you couldn't call because you were ashamed, or afraid of our response. But there is one thing I need to make clear." His father placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "We have always believed in you. It was my decision to leave you without aura, one which I made with the best intentions in mind. By the sounds of your story, that makes it my fault that you went as long as you did without a class. But class or no class, I was always proud of who you were. I'm proud of who you are Jaune. I'm just sorry that you had to shoulder all of this by yourself. You are just as much an Arc as everyone who came before you."

That was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

He had proved to himself that he could be strong and fight like a hero. His friends had shown that they valued his leadership and his skill as a fighter. He had been called a hero, not once but twice by people who barely knew him. And now his father had told him that not just had he become worthy of his family name, but that he had always been worthy.

Jaune cried. Silent tears and shaking shoulders that he couldn't control no matter how much he wanted to stop.

He'd never been happier.

Jaune wound up sneaking back into his room to get some sleep before the sun came back up. He secretly held the hope that when he got back, Pyrrha might still be asleep in his bed. The nap he had shared with her had been one of the most comfortable, satisfying experiences he'd had. Sadly, she was asleep in her bed this time.

Mentally and physically exhausted, Jaune crashed instantly.

/-/

"Wakey wakey Jauney!" Nora shouted as she shook Jaune awake. "It's breakfast time! If we hurry we might get a full breakfast this time!"

There was no point trying to resist, Nora wouldn't give in until he was up anyway. Jaune rolled out of bed and groggily got ready for the day.

"What took you so long last night?" Pyrrha asked.

"Ahh right, sorry. I had an unexpected guest last night and I was up late talking to him." Jaune explained.

No sooner than he said that, a loud thump echoed on the door.

"The sun is up Jaune, I don't recall teaching you to waste daylight hours!" His father's voice called from beyond.

"Is this the same person?" Ren asked.

"Yep, I suppose I should introduce you all," Jaune said.

He opened the door and gestured for his father to come inside. With him came team RWBY who had apparently been watching from their room.

"Do you guys know the meaning of the word privacy?" Jaune asked.

"'A state in which one is not observed or disturbed by other people'." Blake sarcastically responded.

Smartass…

"Pyrrha, Ren, Nora… This is my father, Nicholas Arc. Dad these are my teammates and a bunch of other grubs that I'm constantly harassed by, team RWBY." Jaune introduced.

"Wait, this is what Jaune's future looks like? Pyrrha you lucky girl." Yang teased.

"And what exactly does she mean by that Jaune?" His father sternly asked.

Jaune hadn't included this part in his explanation of everything that had happened.

With a look in Pyrrha's direction to warn her what he was about to do, he sighed. "Pyrrha is my partner. And as of three days ago, my girlfriend."

His father looked Pyrrha up and down.

"She looks like she could kick your ass son." He stated matter-of-factly.

Yang openly laughed in his face while Pyrrha tried to utter some excuses to the contrary.

Nicholas leaned in close. "Like father like son I suppose. Well done kiddo."

He placed a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder and gave her a shining smile. "You look after my boy. I promise he's worth it. With that said though, it would be best if you all said your goodbyes."

"What, why?" Jaune asked. "I'm not quitting or going back to-"

"Of course you're not you idiot. You're coming with me to train. Your friends can see you again in two weeks."

"What?! Jaune is undertaking secret training without us! Who will help Ren cook our meals?" Nora shouted.

"Who will keep Pyrrha warm at night?" Yang asked just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"I swear I never… Jaune wouldn't… I mean I'm not saying I'd be against it, but…" Nicholas raised an eyebrow. Pyrrha realized there would be no recovering from that one and just shut her mouth.

"So… I guess we'll see you at the tournament then?" Ruby asked.

"Trust me, I'm as shocked by the news as the rest of you. I'll see you then, I guess." Jaune replied.

Ruby jumped forward and hugged him. Soon after, Nora pounced on him too.

Finally, Pyrrha came forward. The other girls broke away to give them the space they needed.

"I'll be back before you know it. We were already training apart, so it's just mealtimes and bedtimes." Said Jaune, trying to convince himself just as much as her.

Pyrrha gave him a long hug and he kissed her on the cheek.

With his farewells given out, his father took him straight to the bullheads and they flew into Vale.

"Where are we headed?" Jaune asked.

"Camping trip. We need a lot of space." His father responded.

"I see…"

The trip was strangely quiet. There was very little small talk coming from his father.

"Is there something I should be worried about? Is the training going to be dangerous? You're kind of giving off some eerie vibes here." Jaune mentioned.

His father just nodded.

Was that meant to say that the training would be dangerous? Or was he merely in agreement that he was giving off eerie vibes?

His father led him out of the city to the north into a small patch of forest. It was nothing compared to the Emerald Forest or the Forever Fall, but it held some nostalgia. Camping had been an Arc family tradition his whole life.

Suddenly, something small slammed into Jaune. Jaune let out a grunt as the wind was knocked out of his lungs.

"Jaune's here!" A high pitched voice declared.

Looking down he saw a small blonde girl with her arms struggling to reach around his waist. She looked up at him and shone the biggest, widest smile he had ever seen.

"Amber?" Jaune asked. "Dad what is Amber doing here?"

"Not just Amber." Was his father's succinct response.

"Jaune!" half a dozen other voices shouted.

That was all the warning he received before five of his six remaining sisters all tackled him to the ground.

Jaune tried to wriggle his way out of their grasp but found himself too heavily weighed down to move an inch.

"You think I would be able to see you on the news like that and not tell your mother? They were on the first express flight straight to Vale. No stops, just a 12-hour flight with barely any time to pack. Even Sapprhon managed to make it. You'd better make it up to them." His father explained.

"Yeah, you'd better make it up to us." His two twin sisters Coral and Sabel simultaneously parroted.

"That's enough girls, let your brother up." Jaune craned his neck to look towards that familiar voice. "It's good to see you again Jaune."

"It's good to see you too, Mom," Jaune admitted. "But what are you all doing here? I mean… Is it okay for you all to just fly over like this? It must have cost a fortune."

"Give your old man some credit. I've been a huntsman for over two decades. I can afford this much." Nicholas stated.

"Besides, my little brother is 'The Vanguard of the Breach'. How could we not come to visit?" His older sister Sapphron teased.

"Are you going to win the tournament Jaune?" His younger sister lavender whispered, pulling on his arm.

Jaune looked between his family members as they all waited for a response. It was his father who gave one.

"Of course he is girls. Do you know why?"

"Because Big Brother is the coolest!" Amber shouted.

"Because he is too stupid to give up?" Jade asked, bonking him on the head with her fist.

"Because he is sleeping with the champ," Coral stated.

"Coral!" His mother chided.

"She's technically right…" his father muttered under his breath. His mother gasped as if she'd been burned by hearing that. "No girls, the reason why Jaune is going to win, is because we are all here to make sure he does."

"They're what?" Jaune asked.

"Starting today and for the next two weeks, you will be training with us. We're going to pound into you all the lessons we couldn't while you were still classless. I hope you're ready." His father explained.

Each of his sisters had a glint in their eyes. He didn't like the look of it.

"Girls, go get your gear ready for when you're called up. Your father and I are going to have a chat with your brother," Juniper ordered.

"'Kay!" they each responded, rushing off.

"You're going to train me? For the tournament?" Jaune asked.

"Not for the tournament alone. We were so worried about you this last year. As much as we'd all love to have you back home, we know that's not going to happen. You've already accomplished so much, oh, we're so proud Jaune!" his mother cooed.

"What your mother is trying to say, is that we want to give you what we couldn't give you all those years. We want to give you the tools to forge your destiny, not just to win a competition. Your mother, your sisters, and I are all in agreement on this." His father added.

They both looked so determined, so happy. Who was Jaune to deny them this?

"Let's get started!"

/-/

His father was a Hunter. Not just by trade, but that was his class too.

Just like professor Port, his father had dedicated his life to the slaughter of Grimm. Hunters gained an uncanny sense of how to exterminate their chosen enemy. But that didn't mean that they didn't know how to fight other creatures too.

Jaune's father wielded a sword if it could still be called that. Roughly the same length as Crocea Mors, but several inches thick and made of black metal.

"It's very hard to find a sword as heavy as Crocea Mors. This metal is dense, but even then, I needed a lot of it to use my regular fighting style." His father explained as he saw Jaune ogling the blade.

"I can see that," Jaune responded.

"I'm going to be your first opponent. You might be better than you used to be, but we need to see just how much better. Use everything you've got Jaune, don't hold back." His father ordered.

Jaune never had any plans to. He had always been in awe of his father's strength. He idolized him. There was no chance he would underestimate his father or try to use anything less than his best.

On the sidelines, his 7 sisters and his mother sat and watched. It was like having eight personal cheerleaders.

"Kick his ass dad!"

"Bury him!"

"Make him suffer!"

On second thought, it was like have eight cheerleaders all working for the other side.

"To be clear, the goal is to show you what I've got right? Not to 'win' or 'survive'." Jaune asked.

His father nodded.

"Right… well, here I come then."

Jaune activated his aura awareness. He observed the white aura that burned within his father. It was brighter than most people's aura when active, and by the looks, he wasn't even using it yet.

Drawing forth his aura, Jaune supercharged his muscles to their limit. Allocating the rest of his aura to his shield, Jaune drew Crocea Mors and began to slowly close the distance.

"Look at that honey! Our boy has some skill with his aura!" his mother shouted.

Jaune looked over at his mother, and he saw for the second time something new.

Compared to his father, his mother's aura was duller. It appeared as bright as the ordinary persons did when they weren't using it. The difference though, was that even while inactive, it filled her entire body to the brim. It was as if she had more aura than her body knew what to do with.

"What the hell is with your and Mom's aura?" Jaune asked.

"I'll tell you after. Focus on the fight." His father sternly replied.

Right…

Jaune had no idea what he was working with when it came to his father's real potential. So Jaune decided to pass on the planning and scheming and try to learn instead.

Jaune kicked off the ground, clearing the space between them in an instant. With both hands, he brought the now heavier Crocea Mors down atop his father's head. In a straight-up match of strength, this was the strongest possible move. He had the advantage of gravity, while his father had to fight gravity from an awkward angle.

"Please…" his father muttered.

Jaune's attack wasn't just stopped. It was blown away. His father had swung his weapon in an upward arc with a single arm, colliding with Jaune's strike. The vibrations alone left Jaune's arms numb, but the force launched his body backward.

"Tell me you didn't get this far with that level of skill." His father taunted.

Against strength like that his shield was pointless. His father could blow through his guard and break his arm without breaking a sweat. Jaune shook off the numbness in his arms and prepared for the second attempt.

If he was certain to lose a test of strength, then perhaps speed was the way to go.

Jaune dashed in head-on again, using his willpower to feint another head-on attack. In the last second before contact, Jaune ducked down low and tried to slip behind his father. Jaune spun around as fast as he could to take advantage of his father's temporary blind spot.

But he was looking right at him.

I must have been too slow once I got behind him. One more time.

Jaune tried to circle behind his father once more. This time he used Pyrrha's more advanced footwork rather than pure speed. Jaune took his father's flank and began to swing at what he thought was a clear shot.

But then his father just about disappeared.

He had moved like a blur. He was faster than Pyrrha easily. Not as fast as Oz though, whose Semblance was some kind of speed or acceleration power.

His father's boot found itself planted in his backside, launching him away once more.

"That didn't work either. What's next?" His father asked.

Speed and power had failed, time for a bit of trickery.

Jaune collected himself and went through the motions of dusting himself off. He turned and strode straight toward his father, sword loosely at his side.

He made it into both his range and his father's without a response. The older man just watching with a hint of disinterest.

Jaune twitched his blade and fired his will up. It was primitive as far as feints go, but his father took the bait regardless.

A slash that would have intercepted his own come downward from Jaune's left. Jaune dodged into it, once more trying to take his father's back.

Jaune managed to get into position a fraction of a second before his father finished his swing. Jaune launched his retaliation at his father's legs.

Then, all of a sudden there was a boom and an explosion of dust that left Jaune blinded. His father had followed through and cleaved the very earth. The force of his blow throwing dirt and sand into the air.

His father still wasn't using his aura, so Jaune had no way of seeing his precise movements. Fortunately, he could keep track of the man's position.

Jaune slashed at where he believed his father's chest was and struck steel as the man blocked him once more.

"At least you've learned how to fight witho-"

Jaune preyed on his father's speech and with his new gauntlets, slugged his father right in his open mouth.

The impact felt like he was striking a brick wall. Incredibly tough and it hadn't moved an inch. His father had activated his aura shield to absorb the force of his punch.

Jaune didn't let that stop him though. He loosed another slash with his sword and followed it with a kick to the groin. It was stopped just short by his father's free hand.

"A cheap shot followed by a groin attack?" his father asked. He almost sounded impressed.

Nothing Jaune was trying was working. His father was stronger and faster. His counters weren't working, and the hit that he did land didn't even seem to phase him.

"I suppose the only other thing to test is how well you can take a hit. You better don that shield." His father advised.

The tone in his voice told Jaune that he wasn't merely taunting him. Jaune instantly jumped backward, away from the dust cloud, and donned his shield.

For the first time during their match, his father held his blade with both hands.

"Block this, and you're done. Ready…"

His father dashed into range and swung.

"Or not!" He shouted.

Jaune caught the attack with this shield but as his guard caved, he felt the impact through his whole body. He dug his feet into the ground and lowered his center of gravity as much as he could. Trying to absorb the force and avoid being sent flying. With the slight angle on his shield and his lowered center of gravity, the attack slid towards his head. Jaune pushed one final time, trying to fight the overbearing strength of the attack. He brought his sword up underneath the blow and pushed it just above his head as he ducked.

Jaune collapsed from the strain and the release of tension one second later.

"What do you think dear? Somewhere between Jade and Hazel?" his father casually asked as Jaune lay panting on the ground.

"Maybe Coral if she doesn't get serious?" his mother replied.

"Not even then," Coral responded.

"Whatever the case, you should be proud Jaune. You've come a long way." His father praised.

"But I didn't land a hit, I wasn't even close!" Jaune refuted.

"Of course you didn't. You're 17 years old. I've been killing Grimm longer than you've been alive. You weren't supposed to win, just show me what you had. You did well. Take five minutes with your mother, then your training can really start." Nicholas stated.

Jaune sat down with his mother as asked, but he had no clue what kind of training that had planned for him. That last attack had completely shot his aura. It would take a few hours to recharge.

Or that's what he'd thought at least. He had been looking at his scroll to confirm how low he had gotten. When all of a sudden he felt a warmth, and the meter on his screen began to move. Within seconds he was back to full aura.

"Is that better sweetie?" his mother asked.

"Was that you?" Jaune asked.

"We decided not to talk much about our Semblances or aura when you were around. We didn't want to make you jealous before you could unlock yours. My Semblance is Charge. I can share my aura with others, charging their batteries so to speak. It's always been very helpful when it came to training you kids. The enlarged reserves that came with it were always useful too, though you know about that I suppose. 30 points, that's quite a lot." His mother praised.

"Wait… So how often can you do this?" Jaune asked.

"For you with your capacity, three times in a row. But I could pull it off roughly once an hour if I meditate." His mother explained.

"Mom, that's awesome!" said Jaune.

Juniper flexed her bicep at her son with a proud smile. "Your mommy has always been cool Jaune, don't you forget it this time."

"Juniper dear, help Jaune weight up his sword! Jaune, I want you to make that sword 'just a little too heavy'. Find your comfortable limit and go just a bit beyond that." Nicholas shouted out.

Jaune did as asked and slowly channeled his aura into the blade while his mother kept him charged. Every few seconds he would give the blade a few test swings. After draining his aura twice over, it finally felt heavy enough to be just out of his comfort zone. If he used muscle augmentation, it would be fine. Right now though he could feel it taking a decent amount of effort to control.

"Good, now get over here and repeat after me!" his father ordered.

What followed was a series of movements, like the ones that Pyrrha had taught him, but different too.

They didn't focus on flow or efficiency. Rather they seemed to focus on simulating every movement he could make with the blade.

"This pattern of movements will become your bread and butter. If you fail to complete a task I set, you will repeat this for an hour. If you find yourself with spare time, you will repeat this for an hour. If your sword feels too light, you will make it heavier and then you will repeat this for an hour. This pattern has been refined over decades to train every muscle needed for fighting. All while adapting your body to your blade's weight in as little time as possible." His father explained.

Jaune nodded and continued moving through the steps. What was interesting was that he could feel muscles burning that he had never even known he had before. Muscles that were normally redundant were now being used to control the descent of the blade. Back muscles underneath his back muscles strained to lift it back up.

"Good. Now… Amber, your brother wants to play tag!" his father shouted.

"Yay!" Amber cheered as she ran over.

"What?" Jaune asked, stupefied by the sudden change of pace.

"There is a circle drawn around our camp in the dirt. Neither you nor your sister is allowed to cross it. If you're 'it' after 20 minutes, you'll be drilling those movements until you puke or pass out. Whichever comes first." His father stated.

"We're going to have so much fun Jaune! I've gotten really good at tag, even Saphron thinks so!" His youngest sister excitedly explained.

"Amber is 'it'. Your twenty minutes starts now!" Nicholas shouted.

His sister didn't disappear as such, her speed wasn't as extreme as her father's. But Jaune had barely blinked before she was already halfway on him.

Jaune kicked backward as hard as he could and turned to run. By the time he showed his sister his back, she had tagged him.

Jaune's hand lashed backward to try and tag her back, only to find she was already bouncing back out of reach.

"Catch me if you can!" Amber teased, pulling her eyelid down and sticking her tongue out at Jaune.

They never said aura wasn't allowed.

Jaune boosted his dexterity and began to race after his sister. He was faster than she was in terms of pure speed and he was catching up to her steadily. But now and then she would cut a tight corner around a tree and set him back to square one. Jaune had to slow down and turn to follow her.

"Too slow! Too slow!" His younger sister mocked, slapping her butt.

"What the hell have you been teaching her!" Jaune complained loudly.

"15 minutes." Was his father's dry response.

Shit. Okay, think. There has to be a reason for this training, I doubt we would just be playing tag for no reason.

Jaune chased after his sister, with increased fervor. Once again she seemed to turn on a dime.

How is she doing that? Is it because of her Acrobat Class? A movement skill?

Two or three more times she pulled off the same trick, only using it when Jaune gets too close for her liking. The endless taunts were getting frustrating, especially when he kept gaining on her only to lose it.

"10 minutes." His father shouted.

Jaune activated his aura awareness, hoping to catch some trick.

Closing the distance once more, he finally saw something. The tiniest layer of aura was visible on the sole of her foot.

Jaune stopped chasing his sister to process what he had just seen. It was an aura skill, but it wasn't a 'technique' so to speak. It seemed like it was just pure aura control.

"I can do that." Jaune confidently stated. "Aura control has been one of my focuses this year."

Jaune took a few practice attempts in shaping his aura. His sister slowly approached closer, trying to provoke him into chasing her once more.

When he thought he had it, he dashed for his sister. She instantly pushed herself backward. Jaune steadily closed the distance between them.

He could see her slightly veering toward a tree, and he knew that she was about to do it.

Amber zipped around the tree and Jaune was right behind her. He channeled the aura and kicked off with it, turning his body and feet preemptively.

His foot hit the ground with even greater force than usual, crushing the ground beneath him. Unfortunately, the rest of his body maintained its velocity. Jaune's ankle caved and he spun out, crashing into the dirt at his high speed. He skidded several meters before rolling into a tree and finally coming to a stop.

"'Aura control has been one of my focuses this year.'" His sister Coral mimicked his voice from nearby. "Shame you're still a total klutz though."

It seemed she found his fall a lot funnier than he did. She always did enjoy seeing people hurt themselves by being stupid.

"Shut up Coral!" Jaune shouted back in embarrassment. He really shouldn't have tried to act cocky as he did.

"I give! You win Amber, you're way too fast for me." Jaune admitted.

"You know the punishment Jaune." His father responded.

Jaune drew his sword and got to work.

/-/

Jaune washed his mouth out with water, trying to rid himself of the taste of his vomit. His father watched from nearby while his sisters were all lounging around. The river near their camp was perfect under the midday sun. Meanwhile, his mother rubbed his back comfortingly.

"If you're going to make me do that again, you need to teach me more about aura first," Jaune stated. "I've been stuck trying to learn aura emission."

"Don't worry honey, Nicky was the same. His Semblance is compression, super-dense aura." His mother said, trying to ease his concerns.

"You both have aura related Semblances…" said Jaune. "You guys act like you're experts on the subject. So why was it so out of question to just unlock mine?"

His mother and father shared a look and didn't say anything for a while. Finally, his father spoke up.

"It's exactly because of our Semblances that we didn't want to unlock yours before you were ready." His father explained.

"Because of the Grimm? Not having aura doesn't keep people safe, Dad. There are plenty of people back in Vale who can attest to that." Jaune's voice was getting louder.

This was an issue he thought he had moved on from. It had been dug up with all the focus on aura from the same people who refused to unlock his. He couldn't help being frustrated or wanting a better answer.

"Listen… You're right. You said your class unlocked because your stat average broke 20, right? With your aura, we could have saved you a few years. You could've gone to a huntsmen prep school and trained with your peers. We didn't know until now, but you can blame us for taking that from you. But if you're going to blame us, at least do it knowing we only had the best of intentions."

His father began to lift his shirt over his head. Jaune at that moment realized he hadn't seen his father shirtless, not once. Because if he had, he'd have remembered what he could now see.

His father's abdomen was gouged. Three identical scars ran across his stomach, half an inch deep at least and pale white.

"When I was a boy just after I officially entered a huntsman school, I had my aura unlocked. Denser than everyone else's, I was like a beacon for the Grimm. I had my class, and aura, and a weapon. But that didn't make me invincible. This wound could have killed me. It did kill my team who fought while trying to save me. I know more than anyone what the risks of aura were and I didn't want that for you or your sisters. But I knew what you were like so I compromised for your sake. I spent a decade training you. I turned you into someone who even without aura could have defended himself against the odd Beowolf or two. And that's all I wanted for you. I wanted my son to be strong enough to stay alive. I wanted you to be strong enough that you wouldn't have to live with the regret of someone trading their life for yours." His father explained, pulling his shirt back on to hide the scars.

Jaune sighed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. And you're right, I guess. No amount of aura, training, or backup can guarantee that anyone will be safe from danger. I just… wish things had gone differently." Jaune apologized.

His mother hugged him.

"We understand Jaune. You had a… disappointing childhood in many ways. You're allowed to be upset." She said.

"It's our job as parents to try our best to prepare you for your future. The decision to unlock your aura would have been the right one. We know that now, but at the time it was a gamble we weren't willing to take. All we can do is try to make up for it. June, charge his aura. We're going to teach our son to emit his aura or our last name isn't Arc." His father boldly declared.

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Jaune Arc

Level 14 [+3]

Novice

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Strength: 23 (57) [+2]

Fortitude: 26 (65) [+3]

Dexterity: 16 (40)

Aura: 30/30

Base Aura Regeneration Rate: ~4/hour

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Known Skills

[Observe]
Focus on an item or willing creature to glean information about them.

[Construction: Level 0]
Reduced mistakes when performing construction or repair jobs.
An innate understanding of structures comes with skill level.

[Dedication] (Passive) (Class)
Double all base attributes.
Able to unlock all skills through training.
No benefits from leveling.

?
Increase the effect of aura skills.

[Aura Control: Level 5]
Able to feel and manipulate aura.
All stats increased by 25%
All Aura abilities are 50% more efficient.

[Aura Shielding: Level 4]
While active, aura will be absorbed to mitigate damage. 10 Aura: 14(21) Damage

[Aura Channelling: Level 4]
Aura can enhance weapon attacks. 1 Aura/minute: 14(21) % Increased weapon damage.

[Aura Healing: Level Max]
Passively siphon up to 50% of aura regeneration to heal injuries or recover stamina.
Active use of skill can siphon 200% faster.
Recovery speed is equal to +150(225)% per aura/hr drained.

[Aura Awareness: Level 4]
You can feel the shape and movement of anything within the area covered by your aura. Additionally, within the same radius, you can observe aura in all creatures that have it.
Precision: Low.
Maximum Radius: 100(150) cm.
Drains 1 Aura/minute/meter when using aura.

[Muscle Augmentation: Level 4]
Strength and/or Dexterity increased by 14(21) % per aura point used.
Aura depletes at 1 aura/minute while active.
If Strength and/or Dexterity exceed 1.9xFortitude, injury can occur.

[Meditation: Level 7]
Aura Recovery Rate +170% while meditating.
Base Aura Recovery Rate +20%

[Footwork: Level 8] (Passive)
Affects hit and dodge rate.

[Sword Skill: Level 9] (Passive)
Increase damage with all sword-type weapons by 90%
Increase hit rate with all sword-type weapons by 9%
Increase parry efficiency with swords by 45%

[Shield Skill: Level 7] (Passive)
Increase damage reduction of blocked strikes by 70%
Increase damage with all shield attacks by 35%

[Hand to Hand Skill: Level 4] (Passive)
Increase damage with all unarmed attacks by 20%
Increase hit rate with all unarmed attacks by 4%
Increase unarmed defense efficiency by 20%

[Willpower: Level 1]
Force your will onto others through your aura.
Can simulate emotion or even cause a variety of mental conditions in the target.
Use of this skill is also the defense against this skill.

[Heavy Strike]
Increase the force of your blows by using the full potential of your weapon's weight.
Deal 10% extra weapon damage per pound of your weapon's weight.
Cooldown 1 second.
Recharge 3 seconds.

[Leap Slam]
Jump and Strike! Put the weight of gravity behind your swings.
Leap a horizontal distance of up to 10% of your strength.
Upon landing, attack with increased damage. Damage increase is based on your weight.
Current damage increase: 20%
Current distance: 9 meters.
Cooldown 1 second.

[Coup de grâce!]
A finishing blow to an injured opponent.
Deal 2% bonus damage (max 50%) with a strike for every point of damage a target has taken.
Deal 100% bonus damage if target has an injury.
Cooldown 3 seconds.
Recharge 60 seconds.