Jaune and Courage the Cowardly Dog
Chapter 100: Wedding
"Are you ready, Jaune?" Ren asked, smiling as Coco helped me finish putting on my tuxedo.
"More than ready." I confidently answered.
"I can't believe it. My baby bro is finally getting married." Saphron squealed.
"And to a storm goddess, no less." Nora added.
"I'm so excited to see my son growing up." Muriel said, causing me to smile.
"And done. Now, try not to mess it up as this suit wasn't cheap." Coco said as she stood up. She then grabbed the pocket-handkerchief and tie from the table and gave them to me. Initially, we wanted to make a kilt using the family quilt pattern, but complications arose that made us think of different ways we could incorporate it into my suit. And after much debate, we decided to make a tie and handkerchief with the quilt patterns instead. "Looking good, Jaune."
"Thanks." I said, smiling as I looked myself over. While I was never fond of wearing suits, I had to admit that I looked good in them.
"You know, Jaune. I'm surprised you're so calm about this. I figured you would be freaking out." Pyrrha said, sounding surprised.
"Who said I wasn't?" I asked, smirking. "I might look calm on the outside, but I'm freaking out on the inside."
"You don't need to be-"
"I'm kidding. I'm only a little nervous, but you can chalk that up to jitters. Or the caffeine I had earlier. Honestly, I'm excited as I finally get to marry Iris."
"How about meeting her parents?" Nora asked, smirking.
"Okay. Excited about the ceremony, not about meeting Iris's parents."
"I'm sure you'll do fine, Jaune. Just be your usual self." Saphron assured.
"You mean the goofy klutz?" I asked.
"Jaune." Pyrrha warned.
"I'm kidding." I said, smiling. "But anyway, got any tips?"
"Just be your usual, charming self." Saphron answered.
"I'll try." I said, feeling my nerves calm down a little.
*Knock Knock*
"Who could that be?" Muriel asked, curious. But before she could open the door, it flung open with Yang, Blake, and Courage entering afterward.
"BACK! BACK YOU SAVAGES!" Yang shouted as she, Blake, and Courage tried to close the door to prevent the numerous reporters from entering.
"NOT UNTIL WE GET AN INTERVIEW WITH THE GODDESS'S SOON-TO-BE HUSBAND!" One reporter shouted as he and the rest tried to force their way into the room.
"THIS WILL EASILY BE THE SCOOP OF THE CENTURY! WE'RE NOT MISSING IT!" Another reporter added.
"A LITTLE HELP HERE!" Blake grunted.
"COMING!" Nora shouted as she quickly went to the door and, with their combined might, managed to close the door. However, we knew that locking the door wouldn't do anything as they would simply bring it down. Luckily, Courage had a solution to the problem. And his answer was to place seven locks on the door, barricading it with wooden boards, and adding a layer of cement as the finishing touch.
'That should do it.' Courage said, adding an anchor in front of the door as added security.
"Hopefully, this will give us a few moments." Blake huffed.
"I really, really wish that nobody else found out about my wedding." I said, annoyed. Somehow, someway, news about my wedding with Iris got leaked out and made its way to Remnant. Although, I shouldn't be too surprised, as rumors can get to even the most remote and desolate locations.
"I know. Hopefully, they don't see it or make their way over here." Ren said, referring to my birth family.
"I doubt they will. If there is one thing the Arc Family is not known for is listening to rumors." Saphron said.
"And hopefully, it stays like that." I said, hoping they wouldn't appear today.
"But enough about that, Jaune. It's your big day." Yang said, turning to me and looking me up and down before smirking. "But I have to admit; you look good in that suit. Rawr."
"He better." Coco said.
"Anyway." I said, rolling my eyes. "How's Iris?"
"Sorry, lover boy. But we ain't taking you to her until the ceremony begins."
"But she is doing fine. A little nervous but more excited than anything." Blake answered.
"Have all the guests arrived?" Muriel asked.
"Almost everyone. Although, I am curious how you managed to get the wedding invitation to a foreign planet so Robot Randy can come." Blake said, curious.
"You can thank Di Lung for that." I answered.
"That guy?! How did you even manage to make him do something like that for you?" Yang asked, shocked.
'Mei-Ling forced him. At first, he didn't want to, but after learning the reason behind it, he agreed.' Courage explained.
"Huh, I wasn't expecting that. But at the very least, almost everyone is here." Ren said.
"Who has yet to arrive?" Coco asked.
"The Sandman. Dr. Zalost and his rat. Jean Bon and his wife. William and his brother. And the Valkyries and their goblin husbands. But they did send a message not too long ago that they would be here soon." Blake answered.
"And what of Iris's parents?" I asked.
"They won't be here until mid-way through the ceremony. They got held up by some godly duties." Yang answered.
'At least that gives me some time to prepare.' I thought.
"Speaking of which, how long until the ceremony starts?" Pyrrha asked.
'In about an hour. We only have a few things left to set up. After that, we have to wait for the priest to finish getting ready, and then everything can start.' Courage answered.
"Do you have the ring, Courage?" I asked.
'Yup. Right here.' He answered while taking out a small black box and opening it. And inside was a beautiful gold tungsten carbide wedding ring. However, it was no ordinary wedding ring. What made it unique was the added dust elements we added to make it more durable and can withstand corrosion and lightning.
"Remind me to thank Weiss later." I said as it was Weiss who managed to add the extra layers of protection.
"Do you two want to practice one last time? I think a fresh reminder would do you both some good." Muriel asked.
"I think that would be a good idea." I agreed.
'And it will give me time to look over my best man speech.' Courage added.
"Just try not to get the suit messed up." Coco reminded.
"Alright." I said, slightly annoyed but understanding as Coco did make this suit from scratch.
"Want us to help?" Pyrrha asked. Smiling, I was about to answer but stopped when someone knocked on the door.
"Who could that be?" Saphron asked, curious but also worried as we hadn't heard the clambering of the reporters since Courage sealed off the exit.
"It's me, Terra. I'm here with Adrian and Weiss. Don't worry about the reporters." Terra answered.
"Okay. Give us a second." Ren said as Nora and Yang effortlessly removed all the locks and the cement wall before opening the door.
"Hey, guys." Terra said as she and Weiss entered the room. We were about to ask where the reporters had gone but didn't when we saw them frozen in the hallway.
"Hi, honey." Saphron said, getting up, heading to Terra, and kissing her on the lips. She then grabbed Adrian and took him from Terra's arms. "Hi, sweety. Did you miss me?"
"How's everything going?" Weiss asked.
"So far, fine. We were just about to head downstairs and help Jaune and Courage practice." Ren answered.
"That's good. Extra practice never hurts anyone."
"But, unfortunately, none of you might get to practice." Terra said with a sad voice, getting our attention.
"What do you mean?" Pyrrha nervously asked.
"Some members of the Arc Family arrived." Weiss answered.
"WHAT!?" We all shouted, shocked.
"Do you know which ones?" Blake asked as she and the others readied their weapons.
"I believe their names were Cerise, Hazel, Henna, and Coral." Weiss answered, surprising us.
"Okay, that's not so bad." Saphron said, surprising the others.
"Why's that? I thought everyone aside from you were cruel and borderline abusive to Jaune?" Yang asked, confused.
"They are our youngest siblings. There are seven girls in the Arc Family and one male, who used to be me." I began.
"Who were the older two?" Pyrrha asked.
"Jade and Olive. They were the two oldest of the Arc Family. I was the third, with Jaune being the fourth born." Saphron answered.
"But why did you say them being here wasn't so bad?" Coco asked.
"Mr. and Mrs. Arc were the cruel ones. And Jade and Olive often took after them. They loved to join in when Mr. and Mrs. Arc did what they did to me. And even when all was quiet and calm, they tried to find anything to make my life a living hell. They even encouraged other kids to bully and harass me under the excuse that it would mold me into a better person." I began.
"But Cerise, Hazel, and Henna were never liked that. They always tried to help me out whenever they could. They even risked letting Jaune out of his punishments or teachings early so he didn't have to suffer. And many times, they snuck food, drinks, and clothes to Jaune, so he didn't starve or become dehydrated." Saphron finished.
"What about Coral?" Muriel asked.
"That's a little hard to explain." Saphron answered.
"She is, in all essence, the middle child of the family. That means she grew up hearing how my birth parents called me weak and a failure. Initially, she thought that was how you were supposed to treat your siblings or people weaker than you. However, she later learned how wrong it was from some of her friends and stopped helping the others. But because she was the middle child, the Arc Parents were watching her constantly. And because of this, as much as she didn't want to continue, she had to participate in shaming me."
"Did she ever apologize?" Ren asked.
"No. But I could tell she hated what she was doing."
"Do you want us to make them leave?" Weiss asked.
"No. I need to face them. If I don't do it now, I'll have to do it down the road at some point. And besides, at the very least, they were never cruel to me." I answered.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Pyrrha asked.
"I'm sure."
"Want me to come with you?" Saphron asked.
"I think that would be for the best."
'Do you want us to come with you as well?' Courage asked.
"No. This is something we must do ourselves." I answered while Saphron gave Adrian over to Terra.
They seemed hesitant but nodded in understanding. Saphron and I exited the room and headed downstairs. However, we stopped midway on the steps and looked toward the couch. On it were Cerise, Hazel, Henna, and Coral. They seemed to be enjoying the coziness of the farmhouse. And we couldn't blame them as it was heaven when we compare it to the Arc household. Yet, despite the warmth, they seemed apprehensive about being here. It was almost as if they were debating whether they should stay or leave.
"Hello." I said, trying to keep my voice sounding neutral. But it came out almost like a growl instead.
"Jaune. Saphron." Cerise, Hazel, Henna, and Coral said, surprised. But they didn't sound like how I expected. They sounded genuinely happy to see us, but they also had a slightly deeper voice. It was then that I finally realized how long it had been since Muriel adopted me.
'Right. It's been almost three years since I left Vale and came to live with Muriel.' I thought as Saphron, and I walked down the rest of the stairs. However, we did not sit next to the others but remained standing in front of them.
"It certainly has been a long time." Cerise nervously said.
"Indeed." Saphron agreed.
"What do you want?" I asked, trying not to sound harsh.
"And how did you four find us?" Saphron added.
"That's a long story." Hazel said.
"Then make it quick as we are busy today." I said.
"What's happening?" Henna asked.
"You... you don't know?" I asked, surprised.
"We don't know." Coral answered, flinching when my gaze shifted to her.
"I'm getting married."
"WHAT!?" They shouted, surprised.
"I'm getting married. In an hour, so can we make this quick."
"Okay. Where do you want us to start?" Coral asked.
"How did you find me?"
"And when did you start searching." Saphron added.
"About six or seven months after the Arc Family disowned Jaune." Coral answered.
"As to how we found you, well, it wasn't easy. We searched everywhere we thought you could have gone in Vale first. But after getting no clues about where you went, we decided to travel to other kingdoms." Hazel began.
"First with the Atlas Kingdom. Then we traveled to Vacuo and Mistral. But we still didn't find any trace of you. And after searching the entirety of Mistral, we decided to travel to any remote place where you could have gone. But we still didn't find any clue." Henna continued.
"Then we started searching and listening to any rumors we could find. We even started looking through the best investigative reporting on the planet: The tabloids." Cerise added.
"The tabloids? You all used the tabloids?" Saphron asked, shocked.
"Hey, when it comes to rumors, they are the best." Coral defended, causing us to chuckle.
"But anyway, what happened next?" I asked.
"After about another month of searching, we overheard some people discussing this place where the strangest of events occur. By this time, about a year and a half had passed since we started searching. Seeing as we had nothing to lose at this point, we decided to travel there next. We would have come sooner, but we needed to take up some jobs to make the necessary lien to get here."
"What about the Arc Family? Did you tell them what you were doing, leave a message or anything?" Saphron asked.
"And aren't they looking for you all?" I added.
"No. We didn't tell the Arc Family or leave them anything." Cerise answered.
"They did look for us for the first month since we left the household. We know this as they started putting up missing person posters, but they took them down a month later. We did keep tabs on them to see if they continued searching for us, but nothing came up. I think they gave up, no longer cared, or thought we died." Coral answered.
"That's good." I said, relieved that I did not have to deal with the rest of the Arc Family yet. But I knew that moment was coming soon. "Anyway, why did you all search for me?"
"We wanted to apologize to you. We know what you went through is wrong. We also wanted to make sure you were fine and safe."
"Well, as you call clearly see, we're doing fine." I answered, not believing them.
"I know you don't believe us, especially me, as I did join the rest of the family in hurting you. But we are genuinely sorry for all the trauma you went through by my hand and the hands of the Arc Family. We are also genuinely sorry for not stepping in and stopping the others from harming you." Coral said, with the others nodding. "We don't expect either of you to forgive us so easily. But we want you to know that we are willing to do anything to make it up to you."
"Are you?" Saphron asked with a critical eye.
"Yes. We are sorry for everything. We just want to be family again and start over from scratch." Cerise answered.
"Can you give us a moment?" I asked while subtly motioning for Saphron to meet me in the dining room.
"Sure. Take your time." Hazel said. We nodded as we entered the dining before closing the door.
"So, what do you think?" I asked Saphron.
"I'm not sure." She answered before looking through the ajar door. "They genuinely seem like they want to patch things up with you. Well, Coral, at the very least, since she did harass you in the beginning."
"She does seem to be sorry. But honestly, I can't tell. Aside from Coral, they always did try to help me. But even then, Coral did know what she was doing was wrong and tried to change."
"But she was in a tough spot, so she didn't have much of a choice."
"True." I agreed. Looking through the ajar door, I saw the others seeming distraught yet remaining hopeful. But after looking at them for a few moments, I came to a conclusion. "I think. I think we should forgive them."
"Why?" Saphron asked. But it didn't seem like she was against the idea but wanted to know if I was sure.
"We can't go through our lives with grudges, especially against people who don't deserve it. Even Coral, as she did harass me at first, she didn't know at the time and stopped when she did know it was wrong. And the others tried to help me whenever they could."
"That's true. But I want to know if you're sure about this, Jaune. I don't want to see you get hurt again."
"I'm sure." I answered.
"Should we invite them to the wedding?"
"Of course." I answered, smiling. With our decision made up, we exited the dining room and headed back to the others.
"Well?" Cerise asked, sounding hopeful but also worried.
"Okay. We forgive you as none of you genuinely tried to harass me." I began.
"But?" Coral began.
"This one is for you, Coral. While the others never did anything to me, you, on the other hand, did. As such, you're not off the hook yet. Don't take this wrong way. I do forgive you, but I just want some assurance as I don't want to be hurt again."
"Anything. I'll do anything to make it up to you, Jaune. I just us to be a family again." Coral said, sounding determined. "Just tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do it."
"I'll tell you later. But don't worry about it right now." I said before smiling. "Now, how about we have our first family hug?"
"Yes." They shouted before we all moved closer and gave each other one big hug.
"Oh, I'm so glad everyone is getting together." We heard Muriel say. Looking up, we saw Muriel and the others walking down the stairs with worried expressions.
"Is everyone okay?" Pyrrha asked, confused.
"Yes." Saphron answered before adding. "We were just hugging after becoming a family again."
"Oh, how lovely." Muriel said, smiling.
"Who are they, Jaune?" Hazel asked, curious.
"This is Muriel, my mother. She adopted me when the Arc Family disowned me."
"Thank you for taking him in." Cerise said.
"No problem, dearie."
"You all remember Terra and Adian."
"Of course."
"The others are my old teammates and friends I made at Beacon. Their names are Yang, Weiss, Blake, Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, and Coco."
"Hello." They all said.
"Wait a moment. Where's Ruby?" I asked, curious.
'Oh, she's helping Taiyang, Summer, and Raven set up a few things.' Courage answered.
"Wait. Are we going crazy, or did we just understand what the dog had just said?" Coral asked, worried.
"You did. And before you ask, that's the least strange thing you will see today. Oh, and his name is Courage." I answered.
'Hello.'
"Now that everything is seemingly patched up, will you all be staying for Jaune's wedding?" Muriel asked.
"If Jaune allows us." Henna answered.
"Of course, you all can stay." I said, smiling.
"Oh, who is Jaune marrying?" Hazel asked.
"Her name is Iris. Also, she is a storm goddess."
"Wait, really? So the rumors were true?" Cerise asked.
"We need to find out who's spreading these rumors." I muttered before clearing my throat. "Yes. They are true."
"Wow." They said, amazed.
"Damn, you're lucky, big bro." Coral said, smiling."
"I sure am." I agreed, silently wondering how I became so lucky to have a loving family and to have found the love of my life.
"Can we meet her?" Hazel asked. But before I could answer, Ruby barged into the room, followed by Glynda, Winter, Shirley, and a man that seemed familiar.
"Everything okay, Ruby?" Weiss asked, removing some rose petals that landed on her head.
"Great, actually. Everything is ahead of schedule, thankfully." She answered.
"How did she go that fast?" Coral whispered.
"Her semblance. I'll explain more later." I answered
"Who are they, Jaune?" Winter asked, raising an eyebrow while grabbing the hilt of her weapon.
"They are my sisters. Cerise, Hazel, Coral, and Henna. And before you say anything, we made up, and they apologized." I answered.
"That's good. Always nice seeing a family get back together." The mysterious man said, smiling. And it was only now that we realized that he was wearing a safari outfit and holding a giant snake.
"Who are you?" Saphron asked, worried.
"HORST!? Is that you?" Muriel asked, shocked.
"Ah, Muriel. So nice to see you." Horst said, smiling as he shook her hand.
"I take it you don't know who he is?" Shirley asked.
"It's coming to me." I said.
"He is the dead brother of the stupid one."
"So, you're Horst. The one we spoke to about the box and to never let anyone else guide my life." I asked, shocked.
"The very same one." He answered, slightly annoyed at being reminded about the box. "But before we continue, where's my idiot brother?"
"He's in town looking for some supplies. He won't be back for a while." Muriel answered. And even though we didn't give him the whole story, Horst knew the real reason why we sent Eustace into town.
"That's too bad. But anyway, I'm glad Muriel finally has a kid. And I'm even happier that my nephew found a loving family away from that hellhole."
"Did you know the Arcs, Mr.?" Coral asked.
"Just call me Horst. And yes, I did. Well, not the current ones. I knew your grandfather when he was in his prime and his father. But if you think they were any kinder, sorry to say this, but they weren't. They were just as bad, if not worse, than your birth parents." Horst answered with a slight growl.
"I can imagine." Glynda said.
"Thanks for bringing him back to life, Shirley. Even if it was only for a single day." I said, whispering to her.
"No problem."
"So when does the ceremony begin? And who's the best man?" Horst asked.
"Courage is the best man." I answered with Courage waving. "And, wait. How long before it begins?"
"That's why we came here. The ceremony is about to start. You're needed now." Ruby answered.
"Wow. Time sure does fly. Come on." I said, putting away my scroll after taking it out to check the time.
"Right. Break a leg, bro." Saphron teased as we rushed out of the house.
Half an Hour Later
Near the Farmhouse where the Arbor is
"This is Lisa Lavender reporting from the middle of Nowhere. Here we are witnessing firsthand the unification between Jaune, a normal kid from Vale, marrying Iris, a storm goddess. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and we are bringing it to you live on Vale's most trusted news network." Lisa Lavander said before motioning for her cameraman to angle the camera to me. And while she said this, all the other camera operators did the same. However, my attention wasn't on them but rather on my soon-to-be bride.
'She is beautiful.' I thought as Iris walked down the lane with the chorus playing Here Comes the Bride. Everyone was present. Everyone friendly creature/person that Courage and I met along our crazy adventures had come to my wedding. Turning back to my future bride, I noticed that the figure walking her down the aisle was a person I had never seen before. But from what Saphron has been signaling to me for a while now is that he is Aeolus, the God of Storms. And in the front seat next to the lane was Mariamman, the Hindu Goddess of Rain. Mariamman was Iris's mother.
'Focus.' Courage whispered, snapping me from my thoughts as Iris and her father reached the arbor. And once they reached it, Aeolus smiled at his daughter before leaving to sit next to Mariamman.
"You look beautiful." I said, smiling.
"Thanks." She said, smiling. Like my suit, Iris's wedding dress is custom-made by a tailor her parents knew.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man, Jaune, and this woman, Iris, in holy matrimony. A sacred ceremony where two people who love each other become one under the heavens and other gods. Now, for the exchange of the vows."
'This is it.' I thought, barely able to contain my joy and excitement.
"Jaune. Do you take this woman to be your wife, to live
together in holy matrimony, to love her, to honor her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do."
"Do you, Iris, take this man to be your husband, to live
together in holy matrimony, to love him, to honor him, to comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do."
"Now, repeat after me." The priest said, turning to me. "I, Jaune, take you, Iris, to be my wife."
"I, Jaune, take you, Iris, to be my wife."
"To have and to hold."
"To have and to hold."
"From this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health."
"From this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health."
"To love and to cherish, till death do us part."
"To love and to cherish, till death do us part." The priest then turned to Iris.
"I, Iris, take you, Jaune, to be my husband."
"I, Iris, take you, Jaune, to be my husband."
"To have and to hold from this day forward."
"To have and to hold from this day forward."
"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health."
"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health."
"To love and to cherish, till death do us part."
"To love and to cherish, till death do us part."
"Now the rings." The priest said.
'Here you go.' Courage said as he gave me Iris's ring.
"And here is yours." Glynda said as she handed Iris my ring. It honestly surprised me when I first learned that Glynda was Iris's maid of honor.
"With this ring, I, Jaune, take you, Iris, to be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you and trusting what I do not yet know, I will respect your integrity and have faith in your abiding love for me through all our years and in all that life may bring us." I declared before putting the ring on her finger.
"And with this ring, I, Iris, take you, Jaune, to be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you and trusting what I do not yet know, I will respect your integrity and have faith in your abiding love for me through all our years and in all that life may bring us." Iris declared before slipping the ring on my finger.
'This is it.' I thought, smiling as Iris and I looked into each other's eyes.
"Please, join hands now." The priest said. Nodding, we grabbed each other's hands. "By virtue of the authority vested in
me under the heavens and deities, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
"Come here." Iris said, pulling me into a deep passionate kiss.
*CHEERS*
'This is it. We're finally married.' I thought as we pulled apart. Seeing a tear going down her face, I raised my arm and wiped it away.
"I love you, Iris."
"I love you, Jaune."
We kissed again, and this time didn't separate until breathing became a necessity.
Two Hours Later
"Congratulations, Jaune." Charlie said as everybody was relaxing and having a good time. With the wedding ceremony part over, it was time to eat and enjoy the celebration. However, there was one part left, and that was the cutting of the cake. But that was still a decent time away as the cake had yet to arrive.
"Thanks, Charlie." I said, smiling. He nodded before leaving to enjoy his food. Some of the guests and people we invited had left already. One is the snowman and his friends as they had to go to avoid melting. Another was William and his brother, as they lived far from here and wanted to get home as soon as possible.
"This is nice." Iris said as she grabbed some food and placed it on her plate.
'Just wait until you see the house.' I thought, relieved that the others and I had finished the construction of the house.
"Hey, love birds." A raspy voice said. Turning to our side, we smiled when we saw the Queen of the Black Puddle and Triton coming up to us.
"Hey, guys." Iris said, smiling.
"How's it going?" I asked.
"Fine, for the most part." Triton answered.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong. Well, on this end anyway. Just some trouble back home."
"Well, hopefully, everything fixes itself." Iris said.
"Anyway, you happy you finally tied the knot?" Queen of the Black Puddle asked.
"More than happy." I answered before kissing Iris.
"We can see that." Triton said, smirking. "Well, we'll leave you two alone for now. Goodbye."
"See you." We said.
"You certainly met a lot of friends." Iris said as we continued to grab our food while observing the party.
"A lot and all of them are strange and unique." I said.
"Luckily, they are all getting along." And it was true as we saw everyone conversing with each other. Although, we were slightly concerned when we noticed Di Lung, Robot Randy, the General, and the lieutenant together.
"Alright. Let's go enjoy our food." I said as we finished grabbing our food. Iris nodded, and we left to find an empty table. However, before we could dig in, Iris's parents sat down with us.
"Hello, kids." Mariamman said with a neutral expression.
"Hi, mom. Dad." Iris said, moving to grab my hand.
"Jaune." Aeolus said, staring me down.
"Mr. Aeolus." I said, swallowing a lump in my throat. However, I felt my nerves calm down when his face changed into a smile along with the mother.
"You don't have to call me that." He said, chuckling.
'Oh, thank, Oum.' I thought in relief.
"I know we might seem intimidating, but we're not, especially to our son-in-law. And a perfect one at that."
"Wait, what?" I asked, confused.
"You see, despite what many would think, gods, are not perfect. Just like mortals, we make mistakes as well. Some many more than others." Aeolus explained.
"We were worried that our daughter would never find love or be tricked into a relationship with a greedy, selfish man. But our fears are unfounded as Iris found you. A man with a pure heart and mind and is willing to put his life on the line to protect others." Mariamman said, smiling.
"You made a great choice, honey." Aeolus said.
"Thanks, dad." Iris said, blushing.
"But I have to ask, when the day is over, where are you two going to go?" Mariamman asked.
"To the home I built." I answered, surprising Iris.
"You built us a home?" She asked.
"Yes. It was supposed to be a surprise, but oh well." I answered but smiled when Iris gave me a peck on the lips.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome, love."
"We'll get out of your hair now. Enjoy the rest of the day." Aeolus said as he and his wife got up and left.
"That went better than expected." I said, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"I told you not to worry."
"I know." I said, grabbing Iris's hand and kissing her.
"So you're our sister-in-law." Coral asked as she and my other sisters, including Saphon, Terra, and Adrian, came up to us.
"Yes. Who are you again?" Iris asked.
"They are my sisters." I answered.
"The ones who hurt you?"
"No. They didn't. And we made up; everything is fine now." I answered.
"Okay. I believe you." Iris said, never taking her eyes off my sisters.
"So you're really a storm goddess?" Cerise asked.
"Yes." Iris answered before creating a small storm.
"Wow."
"Storm." Adrian said, giggling when water droplets hit his face.
"That reminds me. Will you two be getting busy later on?" Saphron asked, causing everyone except Adrian to blush heavily.
"Like we told Blake and Yang, no, we're not telling you anything." I answered.
"Oh, come on. We need to know all the juicy details." Yang whined as she and the others came up to the table. Luckily, it was big enough for everyone, including Glynda, Winter, and everyone's parents.
"And it will make great book material." Blake added.
"Stop it, you two. If they agree to it, they agree. However, they do not, so stop asking." Glynda warned.
"Plus, even though they are your friends, this constant questioning of personal information could be considered an invasion of personal privacy." Winter added.
"But either way, it's nice to see a cute couple getting married." Summer said.
"But I do wonder when do we get to tease our own children and when will they get into a relationship." Raven added.
"There will be a lot of teasing when that happens." Willow said, causing my friends to groan.
For the next hour, we spent talking with each other about what had been going on in our lives and what we had planned for the future. Although, Iris and I did want to vanish several times during the conversation when the others brought up embarrassing moments or questions. Yet, in the end, we just chuckled and went along. And after about another twenty minutes of talking, we decided to get up and chat with everyone we invited. It was nice being able to see all the people and friends I made along my journey. And once we finished, we returned to the food table as the cake wouldn't be here for another half hour, and we were getting a bit hungry. But this time, we decided to eat from the meat statue Jean Bon made of us.
"Today has been perfect." I said, leaning into Iris as we sat at our table.
"It sure is. Nothing can ruin this moment." Iris agreed, leaning her head on mine. But the moment was interrupted when we felt the ground begin to shake.
Typically, I would blame it on the universe or fate when something monumental happens that ruins a fun time. Whether it be hanging out with friends or simply having some fun time by myself. However, this time I didn't, as I knew what was happening was inevitable. We've been putting it off and hoping the people would eventually forget about us. But we knew that was a fool's wish as they were determined and didn't give up quickly.
And what was happening was Ironwood and Ozpin had finally found us. They finally found the mysterious Maiden that has been eluding them for so long.
"What's going on?" We heard Robot Rany ask.
"I don't know." The Black Puddle queen answered.
"Unfortunately, we do." Glynda and Winter answered.
"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.
"Ozpin and Ironwood have finally found us." I explained as Vale and Atlas vehicles arrived at the farmhouse.
"There she is." We heard Ironwood say as numerous Atlas and Vale soldiers exited the vehicles.
"And here I see that Glynda, Winter, and huntsmen-in-training have failed to say anything about her whereabouts." Ozpin stated.
"With good reason." Penny said as she and her father stepped up.
"There is no reason good enough to hide a maiden." Ironwood countered.
"Okay. I had heard about this Maiden thing for a long time. What is a Maiden?" Horst asked.
"A Maiden is a person that acts as a vessel for magical powers that existed in Remnant for thousands of years." Ozpin answered.
"If that's the case, why do you think she is a Maiden when she is not from Remnant?" Robot Randy asked, startling everyone. Despite being an enormous robot, he is surprisingly silent and stealthy.
"Wow. Um. Who are you?" Ironwood asked, trying to remain calm while the soldiers shrunk down.
"I am Robot Randy. A being from another planet."
"Well, I find that believable. But that is not the point now. We need to transfer this Maiden back to Remnant where we can monitor her." Ozpin said.
"Right. Knights, capt-" Ironwood began but stopped when he noticed that all of his troops were now asleep.
"Thanks, Sandman." I said as the Sandman dusted his hands.
"No, problem, Jaune." He said, smirking at all the knights and soldiers sleeping. In any other circumstance, I would ask how he managed to put machines to sleep, but I wasn't going to look a gift in the horse's mouth.
"Wait. Mr. Arc. Is-" Ozpin began, but I cut him off.
"Jaune. Just Jaune. I am no longer an Arc and do not want to be associated with them anymore."
"Very well, and understandable. But I must ask, why are you here?"
"After you expelled me from Beacon, I was in a low spot. But the same day, Muriel Bagge adopted me and brought me to my new home, where she became my mother."
"That is nice to hear, especially after all the rumors I heard about the Arc Family."
"Oh, those aren't rumors. They are real." Horst interjected.
"And who are you?" Ironwood asked.
"It doesn't matter. You won't be separating Jaune from his wife." Glynda and Winter said, their aura flaring like never before.
"Please, calm down, you two. There is-"
*BOOM*
"You were saying?" Robot Randy asked after using his weapon to blast a hole behind Ozpin and Ironwood's vehicles.
"There is no need for violence." Ozpin said, gulping.
"And yet, you bring guns and soldiers to take away my daughter from her husband and lock her up under the guise of protection." Aeolus growled.
"Who are you?" Ozpin asked.
"I am Aeolus, the God of Storms, and this is my wife, Mariamman, the Hindu Goddess of Rain." Aeolus answered while changing the wind directions to aim at Ozpin and Ironwood.
"We were not kidding when we say they are gods. And Iris here is not a Maiden. She is a goddess and my wife." I said, moving to stand in front of her. At this point, anyone with a gun or weapon had taken it out while the rest moved to stand between Ironwood and Ozpin's forces and us.
"Mr.- I mean, Jaune. How can you be so sure that she is not a Maiden?" Ironwood asked.
"As Ozpin said, Maidens are native to Remnant and carry magical powers. Iris and her parents are not from Remnant, have never been there, and have godly powers, no magical abilities." I answered.
"As much as I want to believe this, we cannot take the risk." Ironwood began but went silent when Summer, Raven, Taiyang, Willow, and Qrow effortlessly took out the knights.
"You can try and take them, but all you will leave here in body bags." Yang warned as she, the rest of her team, Team Npr, and Team Cfvy went to stand in front of us.
"You do make a good point." Ozpin said with a sigh. "Alright. While some might think otherwise, Ironwood and I are reasonable men. We might be cold in some cases, but we are not cruel, and the last thing we want to do is separate people who obviously love each other. We'll tell you this. If you can prove to us that magic outside of the magic from Remnant exists and prove some of the strange rumors true, we'll drop this whole matter and let everyone go. How does that sound, James?"
"I agree with Ozpin. If you can prove to us that they are not the Maiden and prove that other strange things happen here as well, we'll let everyone go." Ironwood answered.
"Okay. So, how do you want us to prove it?" I asked. But before we could answer, we heard the unmistakable sound of the windmill stopping.
"Oh, this can't be good." Ruby said.
"Definitely not good." Pyrrha agreed.
"What do you mean?" Ozpin asked.
"You're about to get your proof." I answered. And before he could ask what I meant, the Windmill Vandals appeared in front of us. And they did not seem happy.
"What are those?" Ironwood asked, fear in his voice.
"Windmill Vandals. Impossible to kill." Pyrrha answered as the Vandals raised their weapons. But before they could strike down anybody, they suddenly vanished. And in their place was an image of Farmer Jiles Galette. Yet, unlike the last time, he glared at Ozpin and Ironwood. But after a few seconds, he also disappeared with the windmill powering back on a moment later.
"Is that proof enough for you?" The general asked.
"I would say so." Ironwood said, using all of his aura to fuel his semblance to stay calm.
"So, can you leave and let us enjoy the rest of the day in peace?" I asked, beginning to get annoyed.
"Very well. We are sorry for the intrusion. Soldiers, pick up the remains of the knights and get them on board." Ironwood answered.
"And congratulations on the marriage, Jaune. Hopefully, you and your wife have a nice life together." Ozpin added.
"Uh, thanks." Iris and I said, unsure of what to say.
"Not so fast, you two." Winter and Glynda said.
"What-"
"We're not done with either of you. When we return, we will punish both of you for nearly ruining this day." Glynda growled.
"Right." Ironwood said, knowing it was futile to answer and that he and Ozpin bot messed up badly today.
"We deserve the punishments. And again, we're deeply sorry for this disturbance." Ozpin agreed.
"You better be." Aeolus and Mariamman said.
"We'll be leaving now." Ozpin said. But before either of them could give the order, a cold but familiar voice interjected.
"I knew you were always weak, Ozpin." The voice of Mr. Arc mocked.
"And here I thought Ironwood would be better, but I guess I was wrong." Mrs. Arc added. Turning to where it came from, we saw my birth parents and my older sisters, Olive and Jade, step out of a small car.
'Oh, no.' I thought, worried.
"So you are the one that maltreated my son." Muriel said, scowling as she grabbed her rolling pin.
"If he weren't so weak in the first place, we wouldn't have done all that in the first place." Jade said, laughing.
"Care to say that again?" Iris threatened, a storm appearing above her head.
"Don't. It's not worth it." I told her, but she didn't listen. Sighing, I turned to the Arc Family. "What do you all want, and why are you here?"
"To bring you home, of course." Mrs. Arc said with a sickly-sweet smile.
"What?" I asked, surprised and insulted.
"To bring you home, son. All we wanted was for you to be worthy. And now you are. You can come home with us and be a family now." Mr. Arc explained, opening his arms. However, I instantly saw through his lie. And had this happened years ago, I would have jumped at the chance of being accepted. But now, I knew better. And now, I wasn't going to let them push me around anymore.
"NO."
"What? What do you mean, no?" Mrs. Arc asked.
"I mean no. I am not coming to that prison that is tat Arc household."
"WHAT? WHY!?" Mr. Arc asked, shocked.
"One. I am my own person. Two. I am no longer your son. You both disowned me. Now, we might share blood, but we are not family. And third, I don't want anything to do with the people who abused me."
"WE NEVER ABUSED YOU!" Jade and Olive shouted.
"Just like your great grandfather and his father. Liars and abusers." Horst said, stepping up.
"And who are you to spit on our family's name?" Mr. Arc asked.
"The name is Horst. I worked alongside your father and grandfather. I know firsthand how you scumbags are and how you treat anyone you deem as weak or unworthy."
"Why you?" Mr. Arc growled.
"We're done talking about this. We're taking our son home and punishing him for making us worry so much." Mrs. Arc said, storming over to me. But before she could grab me, I grabbed her arm and pushed her to the floor, where Iris and her parents forced her further back.
"Don't touch my son." Muriel said, stepping in front of me.
"Or you'll have to deal with all of us." Pyrrha said as she and everyone else took a threatening step forward.
"I see you are still a weak, pathetic man, Jaune." Mr. Arc said before spitting.
"It doesn't matter what you think about me. What matters is what I think about myself and what the people I care about." I countered.
"And all of them must be weak or blind to be with you." Olive mocked.
"Especially your wife. Why did she go with you-" Jade began, but Iris and her parents struck her down so hard she was practically in a coma.
"There it is. Ozpin, Ironwood. You now have your proof to take them away." Mr. Arc shouted.
"And for severely harming my innocent daughter." Mrs. Arc added.
"Indeed we do. Soldiers, arrest them." Ironwood ordered. Mr. and Mrs. Arc seemed smug for a moment but soon turned surprised when the troops arrested them.
"What's going on?" Mrs. Arc shouted as two soldiers handcuffed him.
"You are all under arrest for child abuse, child neglect, and a multitude of other crimes." Ironwood answered.
"WHAT? How dare you accuse us of that! We never abused our kids!" Mrs. Arc shouted before spotting Cerise, Henna, Coral, and Hazel. "Kids. Tell them how we are both loving parents who would never raise a and against our children!"
"Yeah, no. We're done with you as well. You forced us to watch so many cruel things that we are amazed that we're not traumatized." Coral answered.
"Unfortunately, the same can not be said about Jaune." Hazel added.
"YOU TRAITORS!" Mr. Arc shouted before a soldier gagged him and tossed him into a vehicle, followed by the others. But Jade went into another vehicle as she needed to go to the hospital because of her wounds.
"I honestly can't believe the rumors about the Arcs were worse than I imagined." Ironwood said.
"What are you going to do with them?" Cerise asked.
"Lock them up for a long time." Ozpin said before checking his scroll. "Anyway, it's getting late. We better get going as it's a long way home. Again we apologize for everything today."
"It's fine. Just be more careful next time." I said, annoyed. Ozpin and Ironwood nodded before ordering the drivers to head to the airport.
"Are you okay, Jaune?" Muriel asked.
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Iris asked, worried.
"I am. Honestly, I feel like a great burden has been lifted from my shoulders." I answered, smiling.
"But now what?" Penny asked. But before anyone could say anything, the sounds of a truck honking got everyone's attention. Turning around, we saw that Jean Bon had returned with the wedding cake.
"Anybody ordered an extra-large wedding cake?" He asked as some guests helped bring the cake to a nearby table.
"To answer your question, Penny. I saw we part the cake and enjoy the rest of the day." I answered, smiling.
"Now, that is something we can get behind." Coco said, eyeing the enormous cake. Chuckling, we went to the cake and began cutting and serving everyone here.
'Today is the best day of my life.' I thought as Iris, and I ate our cake. 'And I can't wait to see what the future holds for us.'
Feeling mischievous, I walked up behind Iris and gently pushed her head into her slice of cake. Everyone stopped and stared at me. I thought I had gone too far for a moment when Iris lifted her head and glared at me. But that feeling faded when she laughed before throwing her slice at me, hitting me in the face. But I laughed it off, with everyone soon joining. Smiling, I pulled Iris into a passionate kiss as the sun began to set on this perfect day. And as it did, one thought came to mind.
And that was whatever would come to us in the future; we would face it together as a family and loving wife and husband. And we would not face it alone as we knew our family and friends would be there to support us.