It was a beautiful Saturday. Team RWBY found Team JNPR outside on Beacon's main lawn at the picnic tables. They sat together, enjoying some tea out of some thermoses. With them was an elegant older woman, dressed in a blue and white dress, sipping her tea from a very old fashioned set. Her white hair was elegantly tied up in a bun with blue ribbons, save for a single ahoge standing on the top of her head, and her blue eyes crinkled with smile lines.
"Hey guys! My uh... My Nana came to visit," Jaune explained.
Weiss breathed a small sigh of relief. Finally, a normal Arc!
"Aren't you going to introduce me to the rest of your friends, Jaune? It's very rude," Arturia gently scolded him, a fond smile on her face.
Jaune winced.
"Sorry. Um, Nana? This is Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao-Long, and Blake Belladonna. Everyone? This is my Nana Arturia."
The members of RWBY gave polite greetings back. Weiss even curtseyed, which Arturia seemed to approve of before she turned back to Jaune.
"I'm very proud of you, Jaune. Getting into Beacon! First try, too!" Arturia complimented him. Jaune flushed and looked around gratefully at his friends.
"Er uh, well... I had a lot of help," Jaune admitted modestly.
Ruby smiled back, before she asked the most natural and socially appropriate question she could think of.
"Oh... Wow. Your Nana? So she's your grandma?"
Nailed it, she thought.
"Great-grandmother actually," Arturia clarified.
"WOW! You must be super old!" Ruby exclaimed in awe.
"RUBY!" Weiss scolded.
Yang couldn't help but snicker, even as she put Ruby in a headlock.
"URK! YANG!" Ruby complained.
Arturia laughed, sipping her tea at the antics of the two sisters,
"I am!"
"Er, yeah," Jaune confirmed, looking a bit embarrassed.
Pyrrha was visibly starstruck.
"She fought in the Great War!"
"Oh, I did my part," Arturia responded modestly.
"Well, that's very impressive," Weiss acknowledged.
"You don't actually look that old," Yang commented, letting Ruby go.
"Healthy living! I keep in shape!" Arturia said, then turned her attention back to Jaune. "I hope you are keeping up with your training, Jaune?"
"I am!" Jaune assured her.
Arturia looked thoughtful as she sipped her cup of tea.
"Hm... Mind if I test you?" Arturia proposed.
"Ummm..." Jaune hesitated.
"It would be wonderful, Jaune! Can she test me, next?" Pyrrha chimed in eagerly.
"Me too! She seems SUPER fun!" Nora added excitedly.
Ren nodded, "It would be an honor, ma'am."
RWBY was left feeling confused. Though they all noted the large metal briefcase near the old woman. Arturia chuckled, and patted the case like it was an old, familiar friend.
"Oh, I'm deeply flattered! Honestly though, I don't know how much fun I'll be. I'm old, after all. And I do want to check on Jaune's progress."
Jaune looked extremely nervous, which Blake, Yang, Weiss, and Ruby noticed.
"Well uh... I mean, Pyrrha is training me—"
"Hmmmm..." Arturia eyed Pyrrha with a keen expression. "I see. I'll test her first then?"
Pyrrha's eyes seemed to shine. Ruby frowned.
She's that excited to fight an old lady? She thought.
"Wonderful! Is here and now good?" Pyrrha asked excitedly.
"Perfectly!" Arturia agreed.
"Uh, Pyrrha? You sure you want to do this?" Ruby asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I mean uh... Maybe Jaune's Nana needs to take a break? It must have been a long trip from uh... Where are you from?" Yang questioned.
Arturia finished her tea, then rose, "Radian."
"Right, there," Yang echoed. Weiss's manners took over as she stepped nearer with a smile.
"Yes! Surely we can wait, have some more tea-?"
"No, no. I do need to know just who is teaching my great-grandson," Arturia insisted. Jaune sighed, looking resigned. He then got up and picked up the briefcase. With some difficulty, he lifted it.
"Nngh… All right," He handed the heavy briefcase over to her. Arturia took it, the small old woman barely even noticing the burden she carried. Jaune sucked in a deep breath.
"Um... Just remember, Nana—" Jaune tried. Arturia reached out and patted Jaune's bicep with a fond smile.
"Oh Jaune, you worrywart! You're such a sweet lad. But your partner will be fine." Arturia chuckled and stretched, "Mmm! Honestly, she seems like she'll give me some trouble. But I like trouble!"
"Thank you, Mrs. Arc!" Pyrrha gleefully.
"Call me Nana Arturia!" Arturia replied with warmth.
"Hee!" Pyrrha giggled, her cheeks red.
As Arturia and Pyrrha walked off onto the grassy knoll, Ruby frowned deeply.
"Um... Why are we letting the... How old is she?"
"One hundred and five," Jaune answered blandly.
"One hundred and five year old woman fight the best student in Beacon?!" Ruby asked.
Jaune shook his head.
"Honestly? I'm more worried about Pyrrha," he confessed. Weiss frowned.
"Her?! What about your great-grandmother?! She looks... Well, she's well preserved but she's still really old!" Weiss countered quietly.
"Ah. So you don't recognize her," Ren noted. Weiss scowled.
"Recognize who? I'll admit she looks... A little familiar," Weiss pondered.
"Waiiit for it!" Nora anticipated with a broad grin.
Arturia then pulled on gray armor, which expanded and locked around her midsection. She donned gauntlets and greaves that automatically locked into place. She then drew a sword that glowed with Aura Energy, her eyes reflecting the same power. In a moment, Nana Arturia had transformed from a sweet old lady to a deadly knight, her face and eyes grim with the promise of battle.
Pyrrha was practically beside herself with excitement.
"Wha...?! No.. No way-!" Weiss gasped.
Blake's eyes widened in disbelief.
Arturia's sword turned invisible, and in a split second, she was hammering her mighty blade against Pyrrha's Milo and Akoúo̱ so fast that sparks flew. Pyrrha tried to rally and go on the offensive, but Arturia's speed, precision, reach, and strength were phenomenal. Pyrrha feinted and tried to flank Arturia, but the elderly woman parried her strikes, giving ground slowly as Pyrrha became more mobile.
Pyrrha then feinted and side-flipped to get behind Arturia. The knight swung her blade behind herself, unleashing an Aura Slash that Pyrrha barely dodged, cutting a tree behind her in half and sending it falling over.
All of RWBY was gobsmacked; Jaune looked relieved, Nora cheered, and Ren smiled softly.
"Haa... Haa... Haa... Very impressive, young lady." Arturia raised her sword in salute.
"Haa... Haa... You too, Nana Arturia!" Pyrrha panted, unbelievably happy.
Arturia hummed thoughtfully, turning a critical eye over the young woman.
"That said, you rely very heavily on your Semblance to fight. If you were blinded or distracted by loud noises, it could throw off your concentration. It is admirable you are so gifted and train so hard... But do not forget that true battle does not have rules," Arturia advised.
"Yes Nana Arturia!" Pyrrha responded eagerly. Arturia looked at her great-Grandson.
"Hmmm... Also... Jaune? While Pyrrha is very good at swordplay... I don't think emulating her style suits you, at least in that way. She's very mobile, you are not," Arturia observed.
"Er, well, not really," Jaune admitted. Arturia nodded.
"I will teach you my own style while she trains you in more general combat. You should know how to fight like a proper knight: Great cunning and calculation, but speed and strength are just as important!" Arturia stated.
Jaune nodded, "Um... What will Mom say though?"
Arturia sighed.
"I may have respected her wishes when you were a child, but you have clearly chosen your path."
"Thank you Nana," Jaune smiled.
Ruby got her mouth working first.
"That armor… That sword… That style…?"
Ruby's silver eyes widened.
"Nana… Arturia…P-Pendragon-Arc?!" She gasped.
Arturia chuckled softly and nodded.
"Pendragon is my maiden name. I took my husband's last name: Arc!"
Dead silence ensued until Blake broke it.
"Your Nana... Is Empress Arturia Pendragon?! Queen of Albion?! The Saber Queen?!"
Jaune coughed. Pyrrha looked like she was holding in a squeal of delight. Nora grinned broadly. Arturia chuckled, holding a hand to her cheek.
"Oh my, that was a very long time ago. I abdicated, after all," Arturia replied modestly.
"Y-You slew over ten thousand enemy soldiers in ONE DAY during the siege of Camelot!" Weiss exclaimed.
"Did I? Huh! I didn't really keep count. Couldn't afford to," Arturia said nonchalantly.
A tall old man with tanned skin, white hair, and golden-brown eyes approached, carrying bags of fast food. He wore plain black and white clothing, save for a long red coat. He smiled warmly as he came up to Arturia. He bent down to kiss her, which she happily returned.
"Mwah! Hello darling!" Arturia greeted.
"Hey," Shirou returned.
"Hey Papa Shirou," Jaune added with a wave.
"SHIROU?!" The RWBY girls gasped.
"That's me. Nice to meet you!" Shirou introduced himself. He then smirked a bit. "As for that battle? I got about half of them, but I wasn't keeping count either. Too busy watching you, beloved," the man said with a smile to Arturia.
Arturia blushed and giggled like a schoolgirl.
"Aw! Sweet as always, my beloved Shirou. Did you get-?" Arturia asked.
"Yes, just how you like them. I see you worked up a sweat!" Shirou confirmed, handing her a bag.
Arturia took out a burger and sat down with her husband at the picnic table, happily eating as Shirou smiled and joined her with his own burger.
"Shirou Arc, of Unlimited Blade Works?!" Weiss gasped.
"Holy crap...!" Yang muttered, looking back and forth between Jaune and his great-grandfather. Shirou smiled at Blake and nodded.
"Heh. Been a while since I was called that. You're a good student of history!" Shirou complimented.
"Th-Thank you sir!" Weiss thanked with a blush.
"Call me Papa!" Shirou insisted.
"O-Oh my," Weiss murmured as Blake smirked.
Ruby grabbed Jaune and dragged him aside, with the rest of RWBY and JNPR joining them a short distance away as Shirou and Arturia enjoyed their burgers. Ruby then grabbed his arms and glared up at him with adorable little pout.
"When were you going to TELL ME your great-grandparents were some of the most incredible fighters in history?!" Ruby demanded.
"You're of THOSE Arcs?!" Weiss gasped. Jaune coughed and shrugged.
"I-I mean… You didn't ask?" Jaune replied in exasperation.
"I-But-THEY'RE SO COOL!" Ruby gasped. "INCREDIBLE!"
"Yes. I know. But to me, they're just my great-grandparents. So please..." Jaune sighed.
"O-Oh, um, sorry," Ruby blushed deeply, pulling away from Jaune.
Weiss cleared her throat.
"You know, um... It is curious you didn't bring them up. With me," Weiss noted.
"Oh, so now you're interested in him?" Yang teased.
"In his family history!" Weiss clarified.
Jaune sighed heavily.
"Because of this, okay? I love them to death... But I'm not using them to get attention. I want to earn my way through life myself... Not thanks to their names," Jaune explained.
"... I... I can understand that, Ar-Um... Jaune," Weiss conceded.
"Same," Blake agreed.
Jaune smiled warmly at his friends. Pyrrha smiled back and cleared her throat.
"Completely, Jaune. I just... It's such an honor to fight her! She's still so incredible!" Pyrrha said, thrilled.
Yang grinned.
"You think I could fight her next?! Or your Papa? Damn, he still looks amazing! I am seeing the future and I like it~!"
Pyrrha turned a very brittle smile onto Yang.
"What do you mean by that?"
"What do you think I mean, P-Money?" Yang countered, her eyes flashing red as she grinned like a hungry dragon.
Weiss cleared her throat and held up her hands.
"Hey! There's no need to fight! Especially not over Arc!" Weiss interjected, though her voice lacked her usual ire with Jaune. Blake smirked.
"Says the girl who's been eyeing his great-grandpa with lust in her eyes since he showed up?" Blake teased.
"I have not!" Weiss retorted, bright red.
"DID YOU SEE THAT ARMOR?!" Ruby asked in awe.
"IT WENT ALL SWOOSH AND CRANK AND WHIRR-WHIRR!" Nora mimicked the sounds with some elaborate hand gestures.
"Indeed," Ren deadpanned dryly.
Pyrrha and Yang glared at one another over their smiles. Weiss and Blake argued, while Nora chanted "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" Ren continued to sip tea from his own thermos, looking faintly amused.
Jaune sighed. He walked over to his great-grandparents and sat down. Ruby joined him, deciding to let her friends deal with their problems herself. Shirou handed them some burgers, which they both began to dig into.
"If it helps, son, I've been where you are. With your great-Aunties Sakura and Rin," Shirou offered with a small smile. .
"What happened?" Jaune asked.
Arturia swallowed a bite of her burger, a bit of ketchup on her cheek. Shirou automatically wiped it clean with a paper towel, which she smiled thankfully to before she spoke.
"I beat them into submission and made it clear Shirou was my man and I was first wife. This will work itself out," Arturia said confidently.
Jaune groaned… While Ruby got a speculative look on her face.
"Ruby?" Jaune asked.
"Oh, um, nothing!" Ruby quickly lied with a big smile.
