WAIT, WHAT! HOW MANY I'M MARRYING!?

Chapter 2

"WHAT!?" Jaune shouted, shocked.

'You're getting married, Jaune. All those contracts are valid. And the names on them are the names of those that you will be marrying.' Aurelia said.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

'Honestly, we don't have a good excuse, Jaune. We forgot about this for a long time. But as soon as we remember them, we try every way to void them without needing the other parties' consent. But nothing came up. Then we looked everywhere to get in contact with them. Yet, as we just said, they want this to happen. And to void the contract, we need both parties' consent.' Jett answered.

"When did it happen?" Jaune asked. "When did you sign the contract?"

'Over a decade ago. I believe you were around six or seven.'

"So... during your drinking years?"

'Unfortunately.' Aurelia answered.

"Figures." Jaune said. 'I wonder if Ruby's Uncle and my parents know each other.'

'We're so sorry, Jaune.' Jett said.

"I know."

'Are you mad or upset with us?' Aurelia asked.

"No, I'm not. It's just- I'm just-"

'You're having a hard time processing this.' Jett said.

"Yeah."

'That's understandable. It's something that has never happened before in Remnant.'

"I can imagine. But this really complicates things."

'It does. But we're here for you, honey.' Aurelia assured.

"Thanks, guys. When is the wedding supposed to take place?"

'Well, there are different dates. And that's because most of the families have different wedding traditions. But the earliest wedding date will be in about four months, which will land us in February.' Jett answered.

"FEBRUARY! THAT'S SO CLOSE! WHY DID YOU WAIT UNTIL NOW!?" Jaune shouted.

'Ah, that's not our fault, Jaune. That's the fault of Vale's City Clerk's Office.' Aurelia said.

'She's right, son. We wanted them to send it out much earlier. But it seems like they only now decided to send the letter.' Jett added.

"Do we have a date of when I'm going to meet my future wives?"

'Not yet. After we're done, we're going to call the others and let them know that you now know about the marriage. And once we have the dates, we'll text them to you.' Aurelia answered, causing Jaune to sigh.

"I'm going to have to call you guys back. This. This is just too much for me to handle at the moment." Jaune said.

'Alright, dear.' Aurelia said.

'Are you still going to come visit us during your break?' Jett asked.

"Of course. And I'm going to visit when it's Adrian's birthday. Oh, speaking of which, I just sent the box home. And in it are my gifts for Adrian." Jaune answered, smiling. But it soon left as his mind instantly returned to the marriage contracts.

'Okay. Talk to you later, son.' Jett said.

'See you soon, dear.' Aurelia added before ending the call. But as soon as it did, Jaune placed it next to him before putting his face in his hands.

"What am I going to do? This is just... too much." Jaune said with a sigh.

Clenching and unclenching his fists, Jaune pondered what he should do next. Typically, when he was in a puzzling situation, he would always seek out advice from someone that has experience so they could share their insight. But, while there have been and still are arranged marriages, they generally consist of only one bride and one groom. They did not consist of EIGHTEEN future wives. So, Jaune highly doubted there was someone that could give him some much-needed guidance. Not only that, but his experience when it came to DATING, which is something that happens before marriage, is basically non-existent. So to say he was clueless and in the dark would be a severe understatement.

"What should I do? First things first, I should probably get a job to pay for the future expenses that will surely come my way." Jaune said, rubbing his face.

"What expenses?" A voice asked, startling Jaune.

"Oh, hey, Ren." Jaune said, turning to his teammate as he closed the door. "How was class?"

"Tough, but alright." Ren said as he placed his books on his desk. "But you still have to tell me what expenses."

"Well... Um... It's... Uh... I'm going too... um." Jaune stuttered, unsure of how to tell Ren.

"Is everything okay, Jaune?" Ren asked, worried for his friend.

'Might as well. I can trust Ren after all.' Jaune thought with a sigh. "Ren."

"Yes?"

"You know what an arranged marriage is, right?"

"Yes, of course. An arranged marriage is when two families agree to marry their children to each other." Ren answered before realization dawned on him. "Wait. Why?"

"Something happened. Something my parents did a long time ago during... their... more adventurous years. And it's something that I only just learned."

"Don't tell me. Your parents put you in an arranged contract?" Ren asked, now worried. While he couldn't speak for all of them, Ren knew that most arranged marriages weren't happy ones. And he didn't want to see his best friend in one. But also, Ren knew of Pyrrha's and Nora's crush on Jaune. And he didn't want to see them possibly have a breakdown at seeing their crush being married off to someone else.

"Yes."

"Do you know who you are getting married to?"

"I can't say who."

"Why not?" Ren asked, confused. "Or do you not know her name?"

"Oh, no. I know their names."

"Names? Don't you mean "name" as is in the singular form?"

"No. Names. I'm in an arranged marriage with EIGHTEEN different girls." Jaune said, lifting the stack of contracts. Ren was undoubtedly shocked at hearing that his friend was going to marry eighteen people. At first, he thought Jaune was simply playing a joke on him. But that changed when he saw the official stamp on the top paper. And as such, he made the only appropriate response.

He laughed his ass off.

"It's not funny, Ren." Jaune said, slightly annoyed.

"Sorry, Jaune. But it kind of is." Ren said, calming down. "And you are either the luckiest or unluckiest man on the face of Remnant."

"For everyone else, maybe. But not for me. And I feel like it's leaning toward the latter."

"Kind of like when you hit your funny bone."

"Sort of."

"So, what are their names, and do you know any of them?" Ren asked, finally calm.

"I knew a few of them. But the others I never heard of." Jaune said.

"Tell me then. I might know one or two of them."

"Alright." Jaune said as he grabbed the papers. "The first name is Arslan Altan."

"Okay. I don't know her."

"Next is Blake."

"Blake?" Ren asked, surprised. "Blake from Team Rwby?"

"Apparently."

"Well, get ready to possibly have your eyes clawed out."

"Remind me to get some painkillers, eye patches, and eye drops."

"Will do. Who's next?"

"Ciel Soleil."

"I don't know her. But maybe Weiss does. I think I heard her say that name once before."

"Coco Adel."

"Get ready to run if that is the case."

"Yeah. I'm probably going to find a bunker in Atlas to try and escape her hail of bullets." Jaune said. "Emerald Sustrai."

"Don't know her."

"May Zedong."

"Don't know her."

"Melanie Malachite."

"The name rings a bell, but I'm not sure."

"Miltiades Malachite."

"Oh, now I remember. Those two are the bouncers from the... bar... Yang crashed."

"Oh, crap. This is going to be painful." Jaune said, feeling a shiver go down his spine.

"W-who's next?"

"Neon Katt."

"Again, Weiss might know."

"Next is someone called Trivia Vanille." Jaune said, almost messing up pronouncing the name. "I have no idea who she is."

"Me neither."

"Next is... oh."

"Who is next?"

"It's Nora. Nora from our team." Jaune answered, shocked.

"Okay. I was not expecting that." Ren said, equally shocked but also happy that Nora now can get together with her crush.

"Yeah. And next is also a shocker."

"Let me guess. Pyrrha?"

"Yup."

"At least you know them." Ren said, internally glad that his closest friends would finally be together. While he was still unsure of the others, Ren was grateful that the marriage wouldn't be entirely unhappy.

"True."

"Who's next?"

"Ruby Rose."

"That might get complicated. But at least you two are good friends."

"True. Next is Reese Chloris."

"Don't know her."

"Next is Velvet from Team CFVY."

"Do you want me to start planning your funeral for when Coco riddles you with bullets?" Ren asked, wincing as everyone knew how protective Coco was of her partner.

"Please." Jaune said, feeling the blood leave his face.

"Who's next?"

"Weiss."

"Yeah. After this, I'm going to check on our First Aid supplies."

"Next is... Winter Schnee."

"Your parents are trying to kill you at this point since that is Weiss's sister. And from what I overheard, she's a specialist in the Atlas Kingdom."

"I'm starting to think that."

"Who's the last one?"

"It's Yang."

"Okay. I just have one question." Ren said.

"What is it?"

"How do your parents know all of them?"

"I have no idea. And because I want to remain somewhat sane, I'm not even going to question it."

"Good idea. But this is what you meant by the expenses, right?"

"Yup."

"Well, all I can say is good luck."

"Thanks, Ren." Jaune said, rolling his eyes.

"But do you know anything else about this? Like when the weddings are or if you are even going to meet them beforehand?"

"My parents said they'll text me once they have the dates of when I will meet the others. But that reminds me, I should probably tell them I already know some of them." Jaune said, grabbing his scroll and texting his parents.

"And the weddings?"

"It will be spread out over a while. But the earliest one is in February."

"February? That's only four months away."

"Yup. That's what I told my parents."

"You have so little time to get ready."

"Unfortunately. I should probably start looking for a job tomorrow since it's already late." Jaune said, rubbing his forehead.

"If you want, I can't help you find one. I think I saw a few shops that are hiring. While they might not pay much, they are flexible with their schedules. They should hold over until you find a better-paying job."

"Thanks, Ren." Jaune said, smiling.

"No problem, Jaune." Ren said as he stood up from his bed. "Now. How about we stop thinking about your arranged marriage for now? We can go over it and figure out what you should do tomorrow when we both have a clear mind. But for now, let's get ready for the movie night. Nora and Pyrrha should be here soon. And Team Rwby should also be here soon."

"Right. We better get ready." Jaune said, getting up and putting the contracts in his desk drawer.

"Also. Quick question."

"Yes?"

"Do you think any of the others know about it?"

"Considering how I am still in one piece, I'm going to say no."

"Well. Let's just hope they are understanding and acknowledge that you didn't know about these arranged marriages either."

"Let's hope." Jaune said, still worried.

Meanwhile

In the Bullheads flying to Beacon

"Okay. So what movies do you think we will be watching?" Pyrrha asked, still surprised they were the only ones on the bullhead aside from the pilots.

"I know the first movie is Secret Obsession. The second is a movie called 12 Angry Men. But I'm not sure what movies Team Rwby picked." Nora answered.

"Hopefully, it's a romantic movie or something similar." Pyrrha said, looking forward to having an excuse to laying her head on her crush's shoulders and possibly hold his hand.

"Speaking of which. I got something to help us." Nora said, digging through one of the bags.

"What did you get, Nora? And what's it supposed to help us with?" Pyrrha asked, confused and curious.

"Oh, you know, Pyrrha. Getting our Jauney's attention and asking him out."

"W-what are y-you talking about?" Pyrrha asked with a blush on her face.

"Oh, come on, Pyrrha. We all know about your crush on our fearless leader. And you're not alone."

"What do you mean not alone?"

"You're not the only one with a crush on Jauney. And don't worry. I'm not going to steal him from you. We're going to share our fearless leader." Nora said with a wink.

"WHAT!?" Pyrrha asked, shocked. But being honest with herself, Pyrrha wasn't surprised that Nora was also crushing on Jaune. There was just something so charming about the goofy knight. And while she was nervous for a second about Nora getting Jaune before her, she was internally relieved that wouldn't be the case. And, being honest again, Pyrrha wouldn't mind sharing Jaune with Nora. Not that she would say that out loud where everyone could hear her. However, that left one question. "Do you think Jaune would even be open to that kind of relationship?"

"I'm sure. Jaune is very open-minded. But I think we should take it slow so we don't overwhelm him, considering he hasn't been in a relationship before, which is honestly shocking. "

"True." Pyrrha agreed, happy that she didn't have to compete with her friend and now had an ally. "But what did you get that would help us?"

"I got us some perfume. I got a Fruity-Smelling one for me and a Campfire-Smelling one for you." Nora answered as she gave Pyrrha the Campfire-smelling perfume.

"Why these ones?"

"I remember Jaune always loving those scents whenever we went to the mall. And the Campfire one is because Jaune said the scent always reminded him of home."

"Right. Good thinking, Nora." Pyrrha said.

"Thanks."

"But what should we do next? And should we use them later during the movies?"

"I think we can use them. But I don't think we should make a move until tomorrow or the weekend. We're all pretty tired from Mid-Terms."

"True. Those were brutal."

"Attention passengers. We're about ten minutes away from Beacon. Gather your belongings, as we will be landing shortly." The pilot announced over the intercoms.

"Wow. That was quick." Nora said before standing up. "Can you watch the bags, Pyrrha? I need to use the bathroom."

"Sure." Pyrrha answered.

"Thanks. I'll be right back." Nora said before running to the bathroom.

"Well, this was certainly a turn of events. But I'm not complaining." Pyrrha said. While it would be unconventional, she knew they could make it work. And the thought of finally being together with the love of her life sent her heart racing. But the sound of her scroll ringing snapped Pyrrha from her thoughts. Taking it out, she smiled when she realized her mom was calling. "MOM!"

'Hi, sweety.' Pyrrha's mother, Athena, said as her image appeared on the scroll's screen. 'How are you doing?'

"I'm doing great. How about you?"

'I'm doing well. It's a little lonely here. But hopefully, that might change in the future.' Athena said.

"Of course, it will change. I'm going to visit as soon as I can."

'I would love that. What are you doing now?'

"I'm with my friend, Nora. We're heading back to Beacon. We were in Vale getting some supplies for our team's movie night. It became a sort of weekly tradition for us to unwind. Although we typically do it on Fridays, we decided today because Mid-Terms just finished, and they were tough."

'I can imagine. I remember struggling to get through them when I was still in school.' Athena said with a giggle. 'Anyway. I'm so glad you made some friends.'

"I'm glad too. They're great friends. I'm really grateful I met them." Pyrrha said, pondering if she should tell her mom about her crush on Jaune. However, she became confused and curious when she noticed that her mother seemed to be wanting to tell her something. "Mom, is something wrong? You seem like you want to tell me something."

'Yes, sweety. But first, before I tell you, I need to ask you this. Do you remember all those fake dates your sponsors tried to set you up on? And remember how they tried to make you get together with those fake suitors?'

"Of course. I hate those times. But I'm glad you managed to bail me out." Pyrrha said, loathing how her sponsors attempted all that. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

'Well, a lot, actually. You see, your sponsors were looking into ways to solidify a relationship with someone without needing your or our consent. And saying those 'suitors' were terrible would be a severe understatement. So, your father and I decided to do something about it.'

"What did you guys do?" Pyrrha nervously asked.

'We got into contact with some old friends that we trust. *Sigh* Pyrrha, we didn't want you to be in an unhappy and possibly abusive relationship. So we put you into an arranged marriage with their son. And we chose them because we know how they raised their children. And while we're not sure if it would be a loving marriage, we're confident it would be a safe and kind one.'

'Why?' Pyrrha thought, struggling to hold back her tears. "What's the name of the family and their son I'm marrying?"

'His name is Jaune Arc.' Athena answered. But as soon as she said this, Pyrrha's whole world froze.

"Wait. Arc. As in Jaune Arc?" Pyrrha asked.

'Yes. His name is Jaune Arc, and he comes from the Arc Family.'

"You mean-" Pyrrha began, quickly looking through her scrolls images before pulling up a photo of her and Jaune when they were eating at the Ramen shop. "You're talking about this Jaune Arc, right?"

'Yes, dear. That's him.' Athena answered. 'Wait. How do you have a photo of him?'

"Mom. He's on my team. Jaune is the leader of my team and my partner."

'That's good. So you know him already. Is he nice?'

"More than that, mom. While I prefer to tell you all of it in person, I tell you this. I have a crush on Jaune. It might be a little early to say this, but I think he is the love of my life." Pyrrha said, feeling happier than she had ever been before.

'That's great, dear. I'm so relieved that we picked him now. And I'm sure wherever your dad is now is also smiling and relieved.' Athena said, sighing in relief.

"Does Jaune know about this?"

'I'm not sure. But his parents should probably be telling him later today or early tomorrow.' Athena answered. 'But... there is something else I need to tell you.'

"What's that?" Pyrrha asked, curious.

'We're not the only ones that came to the Arc Family for an arranged marriage. While I'm not sure if the total has increased since the last time I checked, there are seventeen other families that want their daughters to marry him. I hope you're willing to share him, sweetie, because it's happening.'

"While not ideal." Pyrrha began, unsure if she should tell her mother about her and Nora's goal. "I think I'm willing to share Jaune with the others. And I'd stick to his side if the others aren't... friendly."

'Thank you, dear. I'm so proud of you. And I know your father is too. Well, I have to go now. I need to finish making preparations for the wedding ceremony. Take care. I'll also be sending you more information about the marriage and dates later. Oh, and before I hang up.'

"What is it?"

'I do hope to see grandkids in the near future. Bye, Pyrrha.' Athena said before hanging up while Pyrrha blushed fiercely. But after a moment, she stood up.

"YES!" Pyrrha cheered. "I can't believe this is happening!"

"What is happening?" Nora asked as she returned. Pyrrha turned to her and noticed that she was also smiling.

"Something amazing just happened. Well, it started off badly but became great a second later. I have great news."

"Well, I also have amazing news." Nora said. "You go first."

"My mother called me. It started like any of our conversations. But she then told me that she and my father put me into an arranged marriage. At first, I was devastated. That is until they told me who it was."

"Who are they making you marry?"

"Jaune. Jaune Arc. They put me into an arranged marriage with Jaune Arc. That means I'm going to marry the love of my life!" Pyrrha said, barely able to contain her excitement.

"Really! That's great!" Nora said as she and Pyrrha hugged each other.

"IT IS! But what's your news?" Pyrrha asked.

"Ironically, it's the same as yours. My parents called me and told me they put me into an arranged marriage a long time ago. And just like you, I was upset they did this. But also, like you, I became excited when I learned they're making me marry Jaune." Nora answered as they let go of each other.

"Oh, my, Oum. Imagine the odds."

"I know, right?" Nora said as they felt the bullhead touch down.

"Yeah. I never expected this to happen."

"I don't think anyone, especially us or Jaune, could have expected this."

"But speaking of that." Pyrrha said as they grabbed the bags and exited the bullhead. "Did your parents tell you that we're not the only ones that are in an arranged marriage with Jaune?"

"Yes. They told me there were seventeen others. I know there's you now. So that means there are sixteen others."

"Do you think we know them?"

"I'm not sure." Nora answered. "But still. Jaune has to be the luckiest person on Remnant."

"I'm not sure he would think the same." Pyrrha said, chuckling.

"When should we bring this up with him?"

"Maybe tomorrow or the weekend. He's probably going to freak out."

"Yeah, I wouldn't blame him. But when he does, we'll be there to help him get better." Nora said. "Anyway. We should probably hurry. Jaune and the others are probably getting worried."

"Right." Pyrrha said as they raced to their dorm.

Two Hours Later

'Hey, listen, Snow. You stick to the plan. You better do your job, or I'll hit you with a Sherman Tank. Got that?'

'A Sherman Tank? Toss my caber, Langral. I got other things to do.'

"What was the name of this movie again?" Blake asked.

"It's called Lockout." Yang answered.

"Well, while I'm not particularly fond of these kinds of movies." Weiss began. "I have to admit. Its plot is a nice break away from the same, generic plots other movies follow."

"But you do have to admit. Snow's sarcasm and jabs are on another level." Blake said.

"What do you think, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, leaning into him.

"Uh..." Jaune said, struggling to think of something to say. "It's a great movie."

"While I prefer movies with more explosions or romantic movies in general, this is still nice." Nora said, laying her head on Jaune's shoulder.

"Yeah." Jaune said, blushing.

But internally, Jaune felt a whirlwind of emotions inside him. Here were two of his future wives, leaning into him like they were already dating or married. And how they were doing it caused him to blush red like a tomato. Not to mention, there was the scent of their new perfumes. One smell reminded him of the fruity smoothies and drinks his mother used to make when he was younger. And the other brought up the times when he and his sisters used to go out camping behind their house and made campfires. However, a question kept bouncing around his mind.

How did he feel about Nora and Pyrrha?

Yes, Jaune did like them. And he did care for them. He would help them with whatever they needed. But did he love them? Perhaps he could find out if they went out on a date. But should he do that?

'Maybe I should give it a chance? Who knows what will happen? Maybe I will find out I do love them, and I just haven't realized it yet?' Jaune thought, still blushing as Nora and Pyrrha snuggled into him.

However, the knowledge that Jaune would be marrying his friends and others he didn't know weighed heavily on his mind. And he didn't know if their parents told them yet. Jaune just hoped they could remain friends afterward. Although, he was still nervous about the others he didn't know. But Jaune knew worrying about it wouldn't do anything. He just had to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

'I just hope everything works out alright.' Jaune thought as he focused back on the movie. As Ren told him earlier, it would be better to think of what he should do next with a fresh mind. And it would be easier to think when Pyrrha and Nora weren't leaning into him so much. Letting out a breath, Jaune took a risk and grabbed their hands. They tensed a bit before relaxing and holding his hands tighter. Smiling, they enjoyed the moment, unaware of what was going to come in the coming days and all the hilarious and dangerous trouble that was coming Jaune's way.

Notes:

I initially planned on having this as a one-shot. But I'm not that evil to leave everyone guessing as to who they are, so I made this chapter.

I also had more people in mind to add to the arranged marriages, like Vernal and Dew, but had trouble coming up with somewhat sound reasons why their parents made the arranged marriage happen. This is also why Glynda and a few others aren't here, as it would make little sense for that to happen for reasons.

But if you all want me to continue this, I will. And if that happens, what should be the order be for in which Jaune meets his future wives?