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G.N. Chapter 12
🕑 Added 2023-01-24 19:42:39 +0000 UTCI apologies for this chapter being delayed I will be making a post soon to explain.
I do not own Bloodborne or RWBY.
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Chapter 12 Release (From) Fear
The day of Jaune’s release was entirely mundane.
No one except his family knew the date, so there would be no outside parties to ambush the boy on his turnover. Besides, the day was also the first day that many of the mandated restrictions were released. As such, people had been out and about enjoying a day of relative normalcy.
The day had been delightful, with the Huntsman manning the border reporting a notable decrease in Grimm presence. Without fresh negativity to drag the accursed spawn in, the Huntsman, both local and from Vale, could handle the stragglers. As if to make their job easier, the Guild announced that Reach would remove all restrictions in two days due to this decrease in Grimm numbers.
With so much happening, Jaune, a name now spoken of only in whispers and hearsay, was all but forgotten, which was fine as far as Sheriff Jett Throw was concerned. He had no desire to let a repeat of the past two months occur again. The fact that it was only the start of the year was concerning because if it followed this trend, Reach might not survive.
Sheriff Jett, in his office, was at present looking at his terminal with a sense of relief, the local council would begin restoration duties starting tomorrow, and he would be relieved of his emergency powers. While he had not had to make full use of them and place Reach on emergency lockdown or, even worse, in a state of emergency, that did not mean he didn’t view the powers as a great weight. Some may enjoy the feel of such power, but Jett wasn’t one of them.
Mainly because if the time ever came, he had to use those powers fully… Reach would be facing its darkest days.
Jett did his best to cast away such thoughts; he also had a responsibility to the Huntsman not to let too much negativity fester. A struggle for sure, and he would ensure all officers under his command had a chance to relax following the return to normalcy. It was a Council mandate that Jett himself couldn’t agree with more.
A knocking on his door was a welcome distraction as Jett looked up to see one of his minions standing at attention. Xera was a Faunus with messy black hair that hung to her shoulders and two rusty red ears that sprouted from the top of her head. There was an open betting pool going on to guess what critter she shared traits with, the rules stating that if you were wrong, you had to wait a month before you were allowed to guess again.
Jet had given it two tries, both wrong, but he had recently contacted a zoologist, and his next bet was going to be the one. He had a good feeling she was a Vacuan Spotted Jackal… problem was she didn’t have a damn tail, so he couldn’t tell if she had spots.
‘Tricky’.
“Sir?” Xera spoke up, giving her boss a concerned look as he scrutinised her.
“Huh? Oh! Yes, Xera, what is it?” Jett inquired, moving his eyes back to his terminal, not doing an image search for Spotted Jackals.
The pictures on his computer were just dogs in a desert.
“Sir, Hellebore Arc is here… she is armed, sir,” Xera reported.
Jett, after enduring nearly two months of the woman’s scorn, just snorted at such information, “I would be more worried if she weren’t, to be honest.” Jett closed the tab, glaring at a pair of dirty blood red ears that looked very familiar.
“So today’s the day, right?” Xera asked, moving to follow her boss as he made his way to the elevator.
“Yep,” Jett responded, pressing the button to take them both to the sublevel cells where the precinct Jail was.
“… He was really polite when we moved him from holding to the jail proper before his trial,” Xera commented, remembering when all the ‘excitement’ began two months ago.
“Yes, he was,” Jett agreed as the elevator continued to descend below ground level.
“It’s been bizarre having an inmate that is so tidy… his cell is cleaner than some of our workspaces,” Xera finished thinking of one particular officer.
“Stone does need to clean up… maybe spend less time on his grooming and more on not leaving crumbs all over his desk,” Jett agreed as the elevator opened up on the lowest floor.
The two moved through the jail level swiftly. Many of the cells were empty, which pleased Sheriff Jett as it meant that despite the chaos that had gone on, order had still been maintained. As they made their way to one cell in particular, Jett couldn’t help but notice that the few cells with occupants were watching with rapt attention.
Coming to a stop, Jett couldn’t help the snort that flitted out as he beheld the inmate sitting patiently on a perfectly made bed, his bags packed and his face its usual stony countenance.
With little fanfare, Sheriff Jett Throw threw open the cell door and took a step back, an arm raised, directing the very tall boy inside to exit. The young man moved to do so calmly, rising to his full height, his face gaining a ghost of a smile as he left his former cell and stood before the Sheriff expectantly.
Jett kept things short and sweet, eager to rid himself of the chaos that seemed to trail the only son of the Arcs. “Arc… Congratulations, you’re a free man,” Jett proclaimed.
Jaune did not reply verbally, but the earnest smile on his face was more than enough expression for the officers to pick up on his mood.
YVYVYVYVY
Jaune was a reserved young man, he wasn’t afraid to express emotion, but after the ‘Eternal Night,’ he didn’t have much experience with positive emotions. His happiest memory was when he remembered his family as he lay in his childhood bed, followed shortly by the births of his other younger sisters.
Jaune undeniably loved his family.
So when he saw his mother at the front desk of the Sheriff’s Precinct, he threw his reservations to the wind and embraced his mother tightly. She returned the embrace just as swiftly, and no one dared make a noise as the two Arcs held each other closely. Time was an illusion as Jaune enjoyed the warmth of his mother’s hold on him, running her fingers through his hair and nuzzling into the side of his head.
When he pulled back, he saw a flash of annoyance in her eyes as her gaze moved to the crown of his head. Jaune quickly realised why.
“Sorry, mother, it seems they fed me too well.” Jaune jested, smiling as he shrugged his shoulders.
“… Sunshine… who said you were allowed to grow taller while I wasn’t around?” Hella sniffed at her only son.
“Apologies, mother… you know I have no say over it,” Jaune complained.
Hella seemed to be thinking of something before, at last, commenting, “you are going to match your father at this rate….”
“I know,” Jaune agreed.
“Let’s get you home… I believe there will be nothing else, Sheriff?” Hella asked, her casual clothes doing little to hide the lethal form of a Huntress as she gave the Sheriff the stink eye.
“No, Hella, he’s all yours, but if you do not mind me asking though… how’s Saphron?” Jett asked, hating himself for not having the courage to look Hella in the eye.
Jaune watched his mother’s shoulders tense, shift, and relax; her face remained locked in a piercing inquisitive stare. Jaune wondered if the Sheriff detected his mother’s body language but judging how he didn’t flinch, Jaune guessed he didn’t.
“She is… recovering… we do not know yet if she will return to school, but we believe that decision should be hers,” Hella explained, not wanting to go into much detail with all the strangers around.
“Well, I wish her the best, Hella, and I know you and Cloud have some leave right about now, so I hope she feels better having her mum and dad around,” Jett spoke earnestly.
“We will be there for her… goodbye Sheriff Thr-“
“Mother, he was just doing his job,” Jaune cut in, noting his mother’s animosity. Hella’s expression softened as her eyes darted to her son for a blink before she spoke again.
“… until next time Jett,” Hella spoke in a much more genial tone, giving the lawman a curt nod.
“For what it’s worth, Hella, I sincerely hope next time is under far betters circumstances,” Jett spoke, giving a wave as the two Arcs turned about to leave the building.
Just before they departed, Jaune stopped at a particular table, noting the embellished whiteboard and giving an amused snort. The board that had captured his attention was used to tally the bets on what animal Xera got her traits from; it also had the current pool and the previous guesses listed on it. Jett could only watch in trepidation as the boy asked his mother for some Lien before placing it on the table and writing down his guess.
With his guess submitted, he departed, no one daring to speak a word as he and his mother left.
He was not even gone from sight when two officers dashed over to see what he had written.
“What the hell is a Vacuan Spotted Jackal?” Stone called out to Jett, whose face twitched as he looked at Xera with concealed dread.
“Huh… he got it right,” Xera admitted getting many surprised and disappointed exclamations from those within earshot.
Jet could only palm his face as he let loose a long tired sigh.
“Of course he did,” Jett grumbled, already making his way back to his office.
With his door closed, Jett sulked in peace, head pressed flat against the wood of his desk as he mourned his lost prize.
“Bloody Arcs,” he grumbled, ready for the day to be over.
YVYVYVYVY
The drive home was done in silence, Hella was not speaking a word, and Jaune was too busy observing the town to comment. Jaune wasn’t expecting to see too much of a difference after his confinement, but one change was easily detectable.
There was absolutely no one out and about despite it only being the early evening.
“Mandatory curfew, a precaution due to Grimm being more active at night. This way, if something does happen, there is less chance of civilians being caught up as collateral.” Hella explained, picking up on Jaune’s curious examinations.
“… It’s quiet,” Jaune whispered, his mind recalling the looming silence of another city devoid of life.
“Yes… Yes, it is,” Hella agreed, pulling away from the town centre as they moved towards their home.
On the way home, Jaune took note of the school as they pulled past. There were signs of construction, with the main office building being amid repairs, obviously stalled due to the lockdown. He also saw a glimpse of the gymnasium, and it still had police tape about it. He wondered if this was also thanks to the lockdown or simple indifference.
‘That reminds me, I will need to apologise to Chester for borrowing his tools,’ Jaune thought, craning his neck to keep the school in sight as the car pulled away from it.
“Do you think Jade would be amicable to ask someone at school what they would like to receive as a gift?” Jaune asked, turning back to his mother, who spared him a confused glance.
Rather than answer Hella pulled the car over, stopping in a bend, their house was less than a minute away, but Jaune figured his mother desired to talk in private. “Jaune, are you all right?” Hella asked, proving Jaune’s suspicions correct.
“Yes, mother,” Jaune answered honestly.
“… Your siblings and father have planned a surprise ‘welcome back’ meal at home… do you feel up to something like that?” Hella enquired, her amethyst eyes brokering no deceit as she inspected her son.
“That sounds rather wonderful… I have missed you all dearly,” Jaune admitted, his hands scratching at his thighs, his nails noisily scraping the jeans his mother had brought him to wear during his incarceration.
“Jaune I-… I missed you too,” Hella spoke, obviously intending to say something else but cutting herself off. A pervasive silence descended in the car as Hella proceeded to mull over something, her hands clenching on the steering wheel, causing the mechanism to creak slightly.
“Mother?” Jaune asked, confused by his mother’s indecisiveness.
Rather than reply verbally, Hella turned the vehicle back on and drove the rest of the short way home, only speaking again when they pulled into the driveway. “Let’s head inside. I think it’s more than time for us to welcome you home, my son,” Hella stated, caressing her son’s face briefly before heading into the house.
Jaune lagged behind a step, his mind puzzling away as he tried to discern the complicated stew of emotions he had beheld upon his mother’s features. But his train of thought was thoroughly derailed upon nearing the entrance to his home.
“Welcome Home!” Jaune did not have to try hard to act surprised, startled by the cacophonous cheer from his family; his widened eyes were very much authentic.
But despite his thoughts derailment and the wall of noise smacking him in the face, Jaune could do nothing to hide his happiness as he beheld his family in the foyer, overjoyed to greet him.
His father, tall and unmissable, stood proudly at the back, shooting a beaming smile at Jaune as he held two wonderful cargos aloft. Cradled in his colossal arms were the twins, Lapis and Lazuli, having stunned expressions on their little faces, no doubt startled by the sudden eruption of noise.
To the right of his father’s imposing 7’4 frame was Tami, Jaune’s beloved Aunt, if not by blood, then most assuredly in spirit. The Faunus stood there, her tail bobbing behind her as she gave a beaming grin, her very notable bob cut with the two tufts made to look like ears even more attention-grabbing with a party hat atop it.
To the left of Cloud was Scarlett, holding a massive card in her arms that read ‘congratulations on escaping prison!’ Jaune found it quite amusing, and judging by the proud mischievous grin on her face, so did Scarlett. In front of Scarlett were Jade and Sky, both girls having struck posses to frame the amusing card and giving Jaune smiles that would stay in his heart for the rest of time.
Finally, standing in front of Cloud was Saphron. She looked leagues better than the last time he had seen her. The only sign of injury he could spot at first glance was the splint around her fingers. But more so than that was the look on his elder sibling’s face that had the most profound impact on Jaune.
She looked genuinely happy to see him.
It had been years since their relationship deteriorated to the point that they were strangers in the same house. At some point, it was so bad that they would go weeks without even interacting, so to see such a drastic turnabout had a powerful effect on Jaune.
Then he looked at what she had held in her hands.
It was a plate of his favourite food, the fried flesh of swine. Bacon.
The smile Jaune gave could have lit up a room.
YVYVYVYVY
The party was indeed an occasion Jaune would be hard-pressed ever to forget, the sensation of returning to his family, whole and happy to be with him. It was almost too much for the survivor of Yharnam. It seemed impossible to be so thoroughly overjoyed, yet that was how he felt.
His family pulled him into the lounge, where they sat him on the enormous couch so his siblings could crowd around him. Even Saphron joined them on the oversized couch, which caused Jaune’s mood to soar to even greater heights. He was readily presented with food, from his favourite rashes of bacon to other party foods, including pizza and wings.
It was a genuinely wonderous feast, and his whole family descended on it like locusts.
There would be no leftovers.
Tami was cunning, as only someone who worked with Aura users could be and absconded with the desserts while everyone else feasted on the rest of the spread. The resulting chase ended with Scarlet holding a bowl of chocolates aloft with her superior heights and Jade and Sky clambering over a struggling Tami. The poor Faunus never stood a chance, and her retribution was swift.
Saphron, still sore in places, stayed out of the roughhousing; instead, she did something she had not done in years. She spent time with Jaune, and they talked about all manner of things. Jaune eagerly desired to learn more from his sister, who had been even more distant than Scarlett used to be.
Whenever topics crossed into territory that roused unappealing memories, Jaune would swiftly pick another matter, he was all but spoiled for them, and he had no desire to torment Saph. Rekindling his last fractured relationship within the family was indescribable. It was as if he was putting a piece of himself back together. Jaune could have spent the whole night with Saphron, but his other siblings would not be ignored.
Most preciously were Lapis and Lazuli, who, when handed to Jaune, seemed to in synch palm at his face. Their baby babble was adorable, and Jaune listened to it with rapt attention. His parents were not left out, Cloud, of course, telling tales of how the entire Guild plotted his jailbreak, which Jaune initially thought was just a jest.
Then Tami showed him ‘the whiteboard’, and suddenly Jaune was grateful that things had not needed to escalate to such an act.
They had a lot of ordnance.
But for the extent of the party, Jaune could not help but note how his mother seemed hesitant to engage with him. Although she still spoke and interacted, there was a hesitance to engage that could not be played off. Combined with her mannerism on the drive home, Jaune wanted to address it but did not think a party was an appropriate venue for such discussion.
Eventually, the evening grew long, and Cloud announced that younger parties would need to retire to their beds. Jaune admired his father’s attempt, but with all the sugary food and the excitement of having their favourite (only) brother back, it was doomed to fail. Hella of all people suggested a family sleepover in the loungeroom, a suggestion met with grandiose cheers from Jade and Sky.
Jaune could not keep the enthusiasm from his voice as he agreed. He had always enjoyed sleeping with his family close by. It made him feel secure in knowing they were still there. Scarlett and Saphron swiftly agreed, with Tami claiming a recliner with the all-powerful evocation of dibs.
With their plan of action set, chaos reigned anew. While Cloud handled the twins, Tami took charge of getting Jade and Sky ready for bed. Scarlett announced that Hella and she would take care of the clean-up, their mother agreeing almost immediately, leaving Jaune and Saphron alone while the rest of the house went about their business.
Jaune suspected he was in the midst of a ploy but seeing as its objective was to leave him alone with his elder sister, he cared not.
Saphron took a steadying breath before speaking, suggesting they head to the back porch to enjoy the night air. Jaune agreed, understanding that she most likely wanted privacy to discuss topics better kept from little ears.
As the two siblings sat upon the steps, the ruined moon of remnant welcomed them, Jaune enjoying the feel of the cold grass beneath his feet as he lounged on the steps. He greedily inhaled the cool night air enjoying the fresh scents of nature that crashed into his nose. The atmosphere in the jail had not been nearly so appealing; the jail floor had smelt… stale.
The two Arc children sat in companionable silence; this was more than enough for Jaune. Just being with his sister felt like such a vast improvement that asking for more seemed unnecessary. But whatever it was that kept Saphron from speaking soon faded as she began to broach a topic that seemed to cause her no small amount of frustration.
“I… umm how-… I don’t….” She tried stumbling over her words.
“Sister? Are you all right?” Jaune queried, looking up at her as she sat on an elevated step.
Saphron fiddled with some strands of her hair, her face marred by consternation as she seemed to chew on her words. Finally, when she spoke, the words erupted from her mouth as she palmed her face with both hands, “urgh! How did you and Scarlett do this? It’s so damn awkward!”
Jaune tried to understand but found himself lost, “I am afraid I don’t know what you are referring to, sister. Could you elaborate?”
“This, the talking, the… the reconnecting!” Saphron exclaimed, her hands rapidly gesturing to the space between them. “I asked her how to do it, and she said it was easy that I just had to approach you and- and that everything would work out!”
Jaune nodded at this, his voice far calmer as he responded, “yes, that is how she went about it. After I aided her with that disgusting stalker, she approached me with far more frequency in the following months.”
“Months!”
“Yes, at first, she was still awkward around me, which I suppose is to be expected as, again, we had not talked in what felt like years at that point,” Jaune explained, closing his eyes as he remembered how it had been after he had finished cleaning up that night.
“Jaune… it was years,” Saphron deadpanned.
“No, no, we did converse just as you and I have, like when she would need my assistance with groceries or request the television,” Jaune argued, his voice light.
“… I… I don’t think you can count that as ‘conversing’, Jaune,” Saphron mumbled, feeling like a titanic piece of shit.
“… Well, I count it,” Jaune proclaimed stubbornly, turning back to face the night sky.
Saphron seemed unsure of how to reply to such a childish statement, and as such, the silence returned with a vengeance. But Saphron had not spent her month with idle thoughts. On the contrary, she had spent no small amount of time preparing for this conversation.
It had been the preferable thing to think about.
“… So how many months was it before you and Scarlett were… umm, you know, like tight with each other?” Saphron asked.
“Tight?” Jaune asked, leaning back again to show his face and the mask of confusion adorning it.
“Yeah, you know, close, how long until you two were… were like real siblings again,” Saphron finished quietly, old pain in her voice as she rested her head on her knees.
“… About half a year, the biggest advancement happened when the twins were born, I have always possessed a great degree of free time, and Scarlett’s job gives her much freedom. Hence it fell to us to care for the twins if mother and father were unavailable.” Jaune explained, remembering how much fun it had been watching Lapis and Lazuli with his eldest sister.
“… that feels like a long time,” Saphron mumbled from her elevated position.
“It did feel rather prolonged, but it was not my place to force things with Scarlett… I was too scared of pushing her away again to force the matter, and I was just grateful that she was interacting with me again,” Jaune shared.
“What? Jaune, we were the ones who pushed you away! We were the ones who treated you horribly. Why would it be up to you to- “
“I am the one who took the place of the brother you had known… I am not so obtuse to not recognise the discomfort you and Scarlett felt, how both of you were forced to endure the presence of… of an alien in your brother’s form.” Jaune sighed as he shifted in his seat, fixing his posture so that he was at eye level with Saphron.
Even with his sister behind him, Jaune was sure he could feel her startled stare. “I don’t even remember how the two of you are supposed to interact with me… I remember your hugs after the Boarbatusk attack, but I also remember the suspicion and distrust that you looked at me with the following morning.”
“Jaune…” Saphron whined, her voice a pained breath.
“I wanted for us all to be close. It was and still is my most selfish desire. I wanted to know the love I held before the attack. But I could understand why you two didn’t want anything to do with me. I was nothing more than a painful reminder of what the two of you had lost and-“
“Stop it!” Saphron suddenly snapped, her voice bitting as her hands clutched fistfuls of his shirt. “You don’t get to excuse me for being a bitch. No one does! What I did was wrong! Dammit Jaune, I am the guilty party here, and you are the foolish caring idiot who rushed off to rescue his bitch of a sister!”
“… You should not refer to yourself as a bitch,” Jaune admonished, his face expressing disappointment, earning a sardonic laugh from Saphron.
“Well, I was! And so was Scarlett!” Saphron ranted, jabbing a hand roughly toward the house's second floor.
“… She used a Menagerian word to describe herself when we had this conversation,” Jaune noted.
“Oh… well, I guess I’ve been a cu-
“I believe that will be enough of the crass language, sister! You have made your point!” Jaune spoke, raising his voice and halting Saphron’s self-degradation.
“… How can you think this is your fault, Jaune? We ostracised our little brother. You were injured and vulnerable, and we just…just….” Saphron trailed off as tears that had been building in her eyes finally began to trail down her face.
Jaune gently pried her hands from his shirt and pulled his sister to his side instead. It was not a hug, as Jaune was not sure this situation was befitting of said embrace, but it would suffice for now. “You were scared, Saphron… scared of me, of change, and I am not in the habit of blaming children for being children.”
“You are a child, doofus,” Saphron sobbed into Jaune’s shoulder, headbutting him lightly as she rocked her body into his.
“… Saphron, your apology has been received, and I still believe that, like Scarlett, there is nothing to forgive… you have my forgiveness all the same, you are my sister, and I could never hate you.” Jaune whispered, his voice barely loud enough to be heard over her sobs as he rubbed his older sister’s arm.
When Scarlett came to let them know that the showers were free, she quickly became captivated by the sight of the two siblings leaning into each other. So Scarlett forsook notifying them about the shower and instead sat on the steps sandwiching Jaune between his two older siblings. The boy did not even make a noise of acknowledgment, although he did lift his arm so that Scarlett could hold it in her own.
Scarlett and Saphron had avoided Jaune for a long time as children. It was due to his disconcerting habits and his lack of recognition regarding many things. By the time both were solidly into their teens, it had become like second nature, a pattern neither sought to break, if only for the sour feelings it conjured for both of them. On the cusp of adulthood, both realised that their actions were immature and hurtful, but to admit such would only solidify their guilt, so the avoidance continued.
Both had acted shamefully. Both had harmed their brother in some foolish attempt to relieve their discomfort. Yet, both were so easily forgiven that it made their guts churn and their hearts ache as if punched.
And both were loved by Jaune all the same. He had endured too much to let such flimsy things drag him from those he cherished.
The night had been long. It had taken much… he would not lose more needlessly.
YVYVYVYVY
The family had all gathered in the lounge room, the furniture having been moved until it was ready for the Arcs and Tami to sleep comfortably. Tami took her recliner, hugging a thermos to her chest as sleep took her, it was filled with hazelnut cocoa, and she held it as if it were her own young.
Cloud had attempted to put the twins in their room, but they put up such a valiant fight that eventually, the man took advantage of his Huntsman strength and carried their cot down to the lounge room.
They were out in a flash, and Cloud stared at them in such abject confusion that his entire brain must have short-circuited.
When Jaune returned, cleaned and dressed for bed, he immediately took a spot on the floor, Jade and Sky joining him as they pulled blankets and pillows in to form a makeshift pillow nest. Scarlett, hesitantly, joined them, lounging next to Sky, the younger girl squawking as she became the eldest Arc child’s teddy bear.
Saphron moved to join them but was summarily scooped up and plopped on the couch by Hella, who raised a brow in challenge.
“Right… injuries, sorry, ma,” Saphron whispered, fiddling with her hair.
Jaune, not wanting her to feel left out, let one of his hands flop back. Saphron saw this and let her fingers rest in his palm with a grateful smile. Then, seeing their children sorted, Cloud and Hella took their place on Cloud’s recliner, the custom-made chair easily able to handle their combined weight and spacious enough for the two to sleep proximal to each other.
Whether it was thanks to long days or emotional turmoil, all the Arcs swiftly descended into the realm of dreams.
But none so readily as Jaune.
Ever eager to assume his position, a hunter turned guardian, ready to watch over the sleeping consciousness of his most precious family. But his plan to spend his night watching over his family’s dreams peacefully was shot when a barbed dissonance began to stab painfully at his awareness.
With practised ease, Jaune followed the feeling to the source. It was not unusual for him to chase the occasional night terror. Jade and sky both had them on occasion. Truthfully he was expecting the sensation to come from Saphron. He knew she was still hurting, so he was confused to see her resting dreamlessly, her mind barely active enough to conjure the faintest form of idea.
Instead, Jaune was drawn to, of all people, his mother.
Jaune halted his approach. He did not suffer through the long night successfully by not learning caution. He had never attempted to traverse his parent’s dreams, both possessed Aura, and he had no idea how having their souls unbound would react to his… abilities.
In the end, remembering his mother’s expression from earlier that night made up his mind for him. So, with great care, Jaune entered the fitful consciousness of his mother, ready and prepared for anything.
YVYVYVYVY
Hella kneeled in the dark, always the dark.
The floor crunched as she shifted her knees, crushing feeble things as she rose unsteadily to her feet. Blood painted her vision red, and bodies lay strewn about, faceless and distorted. The void of nothing that enclosed her world moved to and throw like waves on the shore.
Distorted and paper thin, like shadows cast by dancing flames, the world around her shifted, each step progressing a cobbled-together tale.
A tale of loss and rage.
She saw the figures form from darkness, clothes of Mistrali origin, weapons too, shadows once seen with frequency now trapped in the recesses of her memory. They charged her madly, and she cut them down swiftly.
Her hands held scavenged blades, deteriorated and better left cast aside.
They drew blood eagerly in her grasp.
Their screams were artificial and echoed unsurely in her head, but she lunged into the fray savagely all the same.
The pleading cries of her Sunshine urged her on.
A battered kitchen knife crashed through an eye socket. Viscera splattered her, devoid of temperature or substance.
A broken sickle pried apart a chest cavity as she opened a carotid.
For the two felled, two more rose out of the undulating dark.
She leapt, grace and strength, her feet crushing atop unsteady shoulders as her broken knife lodged into a skull with a resounding thunk.
She flung herself over the other with familiar acrobatics and raced towards her son's cries.
Darkness parted as footsteps, pounding and unnaturally loud, echoed behind her.
A wooden execution stand. Unnaturally tall, covered in creeping moss. Wood as dark as a haunting stump.
Her son, small, feeble, her child weak and pleading with tears streaming down his face crying out for her.
A raised blade, ceremonial and razor-sharp, poised to execute.
A silent screaming ache pierced her chest and split the air about her.
She moved with even more desperation but still could not reach her child.
A hand clasped at her. She severed it with the broken sickle.
She tries again to leap, but the ground is slush, a swamp of gore that halts her ascent.
She sees her son writhe on the block, squirming forward, his tiny frame unable to escape his bonds.
The blade swings.
Hella Screams as she kneels, cradling her son’s head.
Executed… as a criminal.
Her sobs blanketed the world as the undulating void of her hell swarmed forward, trapping her in an abyss of fear.
…
…
…
*Drip* *Drip* *Drip*
Hella’s tears crashed against her son’s severed head with the force of thunderclaps, the noise of splattering tears powerful and beckoning.
*Drip* *Drip* *Drip*
Hella’s sobs and thunderous tears were soon joined by the sound of a noisy breeze that pulled and caressed her hair. Still, she sobbed. Still, she grieved for her son stolen by the law.
Even the sound of someone moving across noisy grass did not break her from her grief,
Only when tiny luminous flowers bloomed about her did Hella lift her eyes to look upon a figure silhouetted by an unshattered and full moon. Hella did not move.
The figure kneeled, his face pale with eyes startling blue features so gut-wrenchingly familiar as golden hair framed his face. Still, Hella did not move.
The beautiful figure reached out, taking up her hands and pulling her from her feet, filling Hella with a strange levity as they pulled her away from… something. Hella moved her feet in step with the beautiful figure.
A small smile, familiar and as expressive as any grin, lit his features as he pulled her forward, Hella following her chest bubbly with an emotion that made her tears halt.
Before she knew it, she could see her home.
Her husband.
Her daughters.
Her…
Her Sunshine!
With a manic relief, Hella scooped her obnoxiously tall son up in a powerful hug spinning him about, his lanky frame half folded over her shoulder.
Laughter and light became her world.
And so she danced and spun, her family cheering, their words unintelligible but their joy pure and felt.
Hella Laughed under the moon and danced with her Sunshine.
Her son was safe and once again returned to her.
YVYVYVYVY
The morning following the party found Jaune awake and conflicted, his thoughts awash in turmoil by what he had witnessed that night.
He had hurt his mother.
It was neither intentional nor in a manner that many would recognise, but Jaune had inflicted the pain all the same.
His mother had awoken from her slumber a while ago and swiftly departed for the yard so that she could train. Jaune had watched her go, watched her linger to assure herself that he was present and whole.
With her gone and the rest of his family still slumbering, Jaune was left only with horrible guilt and the realisation of his blame. His mother’s nightmare had shown him first-hand the consequences of his actions. He had acted in aid of his sister, but in doing so, he had been blinded to the effects his actions would have on the others he cared for.
Hellebore Arc loved her children, and for two months, she had been afflicted with a gnawing fear as one of them existed under the threat of judicial punishment. Jaune knew how much she loved him; worse yet, she knew how much the idea of harm befalling any of her kids worried her.
So right after learning of Saphron’s situation, Jaune inflicted fresh suffering through his incarceration.
And that cost her dearly.
His lack of forethought had drowned his mother in fear and pain. That dream last night, seeing how Hella’s mind processed her fear, how she was drowning in fear of losing him. Jaune felt sickened. He had known with a substantial degree of certainty that things would go his way and had taken steps to ensure it.
But his parents were left clueless.
Hellebore had no other reasonable avenue to pursue aside from gestating in her concerns. Jaune did not want to think about how many of those horrid nightmares his actions had led to, but what he did know was that it was his fault.
And it was still affecting her.
Jaune rolled over, pushing himself to his feet, his movement immediately disturbing Jade, who had until just now been buried in his ribs under his arm. His younger sister’s eyes flashed in a blinking flurry as she rubbed at them.
“Jaune?” Jade breathed, her mind still heavily clouded by the fog of sleep.
“’Tis morning sister… I need to do something, but you can continue to rest. There is no school today,” Jaune placated his younger sibling pulling his pillow to her grasping arms.
“Mm, what you?” Jade mumbled serenely.
“… Do not fret, sister. Your brother isn’t going anywhere,” Jaune assured her as he stepped over her sleeping form. As he left, he heard her mumble something but sleep quickly reclaimed her, and as such, Jaune did not stray from his course of action.
YVYVYVYVY
Jaune had always been fascinated by watching his parents train. But, unfortunately, he had not endured such tribulations during the Eternal Night. Instead, he had merely been plunged into a sea of opposition and had sunk or swam by his skill and volition. A trial by fire as it were, and indeed if the ‘Night of the Hunt’ served any purpose, it was to function as a crucible.
For it destroyed him.
This was just another reason Jaune had to keep them safe… he had to keep them all safe no matter what. Because without them, he was lost. He was just another walking corpse spat out of a blood-soaked city, cursed to bear the weight of his madness without relief or reprieve.
That’s why he had to fix this. He had to make right what he had ruined.
With no time to stop or change, Jaune made his way outside, his dark flannel pants immediately becoming damp around his ankles as he walked into the cool, wet morning. The dew that hung from the grass like overripe fruit jumped onto his pants legs, causing the laden fabric to cool his flesh.
Hella was presently performing a ‘kata’, a series of choreographed fighting manoeuvres. Her blows flew with targeted precision, her hands cracking into the dummy on highlighted areas meant to signify points of vulnerability.
Hella heard Jaune’s approach with ease, the crunch of the grass under his feet alerting her to his presence. Hella finished her last set with a violent kick before turning to face her approaching son.
“Mother… good morning,” Jaune greeted, bowing his head respectfully.
“Jaune, I would have thought the prospect of sleeping in after everything would have been too tempting to resist,” his mother commented.
“… We have to talk,” Jaune stated abruptly.
Hella sniffed at this, “about what?” She asked, her voice carrying a concise inflection that alerted Jaune to her desire to do the exact opposite.
“Mother, you do not need to be afraid,” Jaune proclaimed, voice adamant as he cut straight to the point. Hella did not so much as twitch at his words, her face remaining tactfully blank, her stance unshifting.
Seeing she would not reply, Jaune continued, “in the car, you wanted to say something… you stopped yourself, I saw it then, but I didn’t know what it was… you were scared.”
Hella continued to remain silent.
“Mother, you don’t need to be afraid. All of us are fine and-“
“NO!”
Jaune was stunned by his mother's explosion, her voice so powerful it echoed around in the quiet of the morning. Hella’s face had shifted from a textbook poker face to a raw, broiling, emotion-laden expression.
“No, Jaune! Things are not fine! You were arrested, you foolish boy!” Hella admonished him, her hands grabbing his arms as she shook him, her eye beginning to water. “My daughter was attacked, and what did my other children do? They went and acted like vigilantes! Of course, I had to learn all this from Tami, who was terrified and panicking!”
“But-“
“But nothing! Gods be damned, Jaune, the first thing you should have done is contacted me!” Hella snarled, releasing her grasp on Jaune to back away as if the space might help her get ahold of her feelings.
“Saphron couldn’t tell you,” Jaune argued.
“I didn’t say Saphron; I said you! You Jaune, my son, my only son, my child who should not have run off to fight children six years his senior who could have been armed and dangerous!” Hella ranted, whipping around to jab a damning finger at the ground.
“… But the pictu-“
“You don’t think I don’t know how to kill someone before they get to their damn Scroll,” Hella hissed softly, marching back to Jaune, a flash of the killer she was bleeding through.
“… I did not think of it at the moment,” Jaune admitted.
Hella’s eyes widened at this, “that’s my bloody point, dammit, you didn’t think, you didn’t pause to consider what you were doing, just flung yourself into danger! Just as you do all the time, damn it!”
“I don’t-“
“The day your father returned, you broke into the HQ. Before that, you ran into the woods alone, thinking you were hurting your family! And then-“ Hella cut herself off, her face going slack as she turned away and began to walk towards the house.
“… Then I got hurt rescuing Jade,” Jaune spoke, his voice sullen.
His words, while not shouted, smacked into Hella with enough force to freeze her in her tracks, Jaune’s mother keeping her face hidden from his gaze. “I… I wasn’t going to….”
Jaune forced back ugly memories, not wanting to let such thoughts colour his mind while he was in the midst of such a critical confrontation. “Mother… I know I have been hurt in the past, but… well, I sustained no injuries. I helped Saphron!
Hella flinched, visibly flinched at Jaune’s words, her shoulders tensing as she whipped around with fire in her eyes. “You got lucky,” She hissed as if the word was a curse.
“I assure you only a few sections were left up to cha-“
“You were arrested, your crime was violent, and the guilty little shits were terrified, had those parents had their way, you would have joined them on the chopping block and what then, Jaune? What would I do? What would your sisters do, your father? What would I do knowing I had lost my son to his ridiculous foolishness and his stupid need to put himself in harm’s way!” Hella demanded, her eyes ablaze with a torrent of rage and fear.
Jaune would not be deterred and instead stayed the course, trying to reassure his mother with his logic. “I had considered that should such a course of events come to pass, I would have chosen exile and-“
“Are you out of your mind!” Hella raged, her hands wrapping around her son’s face forcing him to meet her gaze. “You would choose death!”
“No, I said exi-“
“What hopes would you have in the wilds, Jaune? You are a boy! A child! Are you so foolish to think that because you bested a single fresh Grimm, you could handle a full-grown pack of them!” Hella rambled, her voice cracking as it became overburdened with emotion.
Jaune though pressed on, “it would allow me to remain as close as possible to you all-“
“You would die!” Hella exclaimed again, looking moments away from trying to shake sense into Jaune violently.
“… No, mother, I wouldn’t,” Jaune denied, his hands coming to encapsulate her own.
This had most assuredly been the wrong thing to say as Hella’s face fell and a look of defeat overcame her features. Her hands slid from his face as her arms slackened, her voice defeated as she spoke, “so that’s it? You know the world better than I, a Huntress? Jaune men and women like me perish daily, a child… what chance would you have?”
“…” Jaune couldn’t reply. He wanted to, by Kos, did he want to, but how did he explain the madness of his situation when every time he thought of it, he began to feel his heartache and his vision blur with fog that wasn’t there?
Hearing his silence, she pressed on, “if things had gone even a bit differently, I would have lost you. I would have lost my son because he thought himself invincible… you say I don’t need to be afraid, Jaune? You are wrong. I have every damn reason to be afraid, and I rightfully am.”
“Mother, I assur-“
“Enough! Nothing you say, Jaune will excuse your recklessness, you foolish child; I am finished trying to talk sense with you,” Hella announced, turning about and walking back towards the house.
Her words barely registered in Jaune’s mind. All he could see were the tears she was fighting to restrain. The same tears he had seen her shed in the nightmare the night before.
“I was in no danger!” Jaune bellowed after Hella, his voice a strange mix of desperate and adamant.
Hella paused in her retreat, turning over her shoulder to give Jaune a look that made his blood freeze. His mother, her eyes swimming with tears, looked at him, and Jaune saw the betrayal and hurt on her features. Her words came out hoarse when she spoke as if each syllable was a struggle, “I will not bury one of my children, Jaune, not ever.”
Jaune cursed inside his head; this was always the way of things; no matter how much he desired to, he could not communicate the truth of his being. Even now, as he watched his dear mother walk away from him, he could hear the wild screams holler in his skull.
This was his fate, to suffer unendingly, too feeble to even talk.
…
“Oh, a hunter, are ya? And an outsider?”
Jaune froze. Through the madness trapped in his head, a familiar and treasured voice cut through the howls setting his body rigid as yet another ghost seemed eager to haunt him.
“What a mess you’ve been caught up in.”
His vision, so often haunted by terrible dreams and haunting fog instead, flashed with the moving image of a wood-carved beak mask.
“Still lingering about? What’s wrong?”
Jaune felt his heart beating so furiously in his chest slow, the calming voice of an old companion soothing as he felt his own eyes moisten.
“A Hunter, unnerved… Heh heh…”
Jaune felt his fists unknowingly clenched, relax as he smiled at one of the most treasured memories he could confidently call his own.
“No matter, without fear in our hearts, we’re little different from the beasts themselves.”
Jaune blinked away the lingering stream of horror that sought freedom from his tortured mind, his will igniting as he settled on the only course of action.
“What are you still doing here?”
Jaune batted aside his foolishness. He was afraid and damned, but that would not stop him. If he could not speak of his hell…
“Enough trembling in your boots.”
Jaune felt his body tremble, the familiar feeling of trepidation and excitement that had first afflicted him in Yharnam settling in his bones. A mad mixture of curiosity, fear, desire and madness, the insane concoction that had seen him through the early steps of his journey.
That had been how he fought until Yharnam, and the Nightmares stripped him of his very self, piece by piece.
But this wasn’t Yharnam.
And he didn’t want to be that drained, haunted thing anymore.
Slowly he shifted his posture until he was in a position of readiness.
He brought a hand back, fingers splayed, reminiscent of a claw, as he cocked his limb back,
He wiped at his eyes, casting aside his tears and the memory of a beloved mask.
The vision dissipating with parting words reviving in Jaune a forgotten adage.
“A hunter-“
“MUST HUNT!” he roared as he speared his hand forward and through the practice dummy his mother had been training on previously.
The yard was filled with the tremendous sound of wood splitting and splintering as his hand pierced through it, his visceral attack causing his limb to sink up to just below his elbow.
Either by his roar or the sound of the devastation he had wrought on the dummy, Hella turned around only to be shocked by what she saw.
Her son, whom she knew for a fact did not have Aura had his arm somehow plunged through the wooden training dummy, his face set in a defiant scowl as his eyes rose to meet hers with a burning intensity.
In a further display of impossible strength, she watched as Jaune wrenched his arm free, splitting the dummy in two and tossing its pieces to the wayside brutally. Jaune rose back up, and at that moment, it was as if Hella was gazing at an entirely different person.
She stared on, confused, as the hairs on her neck rose. She struggled to relate the person she was seeing to the son she knew. Her Jaune was caring and quiet, a little strange but kind and well-mannered.
Since when could he spear his hand through treated wood? Since when did his eyes have such an intense edge to them?
When did her son become someone that could intimidate her?
“Wha-“
“Mother… fight me,” Jaune growled, much to Hella’s confusion.
“What? No!”
“Mother, you think me reckless, and maybe you are right, but… But I will not perish. I will not abandon you ever!” Jaune snarled.
“You are bei-“
Hella was silenced as Jaune reached out, his hand finding its way around the handle of a bokken, the training weapon fitting into his hand comfortably for only a moment before he hurled it towards her.
Hella was a trained Huntsman, a professionally trained killer who slew Grimm with ease and once upon a time had hunted the corrupt and the criminal.
So when the hilt of the bokken flew at her, she effortlessly snatched it out of the air.
That didn’t spare her the surprise of it stinging.
“What the?” she breathed, looking at her limb as if it had betrayed her.
“I will show you, mother….” Jaune called out, his hand now holding a pair of training weapons, a bokken much like her own accompanied by a shorter one that was more akin to a tanto. “I will show you why you need not fear for me ever again.”
Hella scowled hearing her son’s words, “Jaune sto-“
*Clack*
Hella blocked Jaune’s dual downward strike, only thanks to her training, his weapons crashing into her bokken with startling force.
Hella got over the shock and instead felt her ire boil over. ‘Fine then,’ she thought to herself, pushing against Jaune and forcing the boy back as she slid into a stance, her elbows bent and her weapon held near vertically.
Whatever reaction she was expecting from this, it was not for Jaune to give her a beaming smile as he slid into a stance he had no right knowing. Hella did not recognise it, but whatever it was, it was designed for aggressive attacks as it showed no defensive elements.
Hella did not have long to analyse it as Jaune was on her rapidly, his blades a flurry as he moved with savagery and agility.
It was beyond strange. He had never trained, not to her knowledge, so how…
How was it possible he was forcing her back?
Jaune’s attacks were primarily rapid slashes. His longer blade would swing wide and forcefully, but his shorter one was just as deadly, seeking openings and constantly forcing Hella to split her attention.
He was aggressive and near wild in his assault and knew what he was doing.
Hella parried a hefty blow from her left, only for his shorter weapon to make its presence known and force her to backstep again, giving Jaune time to recover and resume his attack.
This was madness. Jaune couldn’t be this good.
Sure she could use her Aura, but to do so against Jaune… no, it would be madness.
Hella gave a frustrated growl switching her stance; her weapon was now held closer to her body and positioned slightly over the shoulder.
When next Jaune charged in, she danced around his initial assault, his opening stab altogether avoided, his shorter blade inhibited by his own body.
She brought her weapon down her target, his exposed back.
*Clack*
In a show of impressive flexibility, Jaune had twisted at his hips, the body nearly perpendicular to the ground to catch her stroke against the training dagger. His balance was incredible, Hella noted, as he used the momentum to twist around his footwork exceptional as he tried to stab at her again, pushing her back.
Hella met him head-on this time, her attacks precise, swift, but distinctly mortal.
Jaune avoided them all.
He practically glided across the ground.
He weaved and shifted, his weapons parrying and shunting aside only when necessary. He never wasted energy on a block, his body in constant motion as he looked for openings and performed perfect counters.
‘This is impossible!’ Hella screamed in her head, her frustration mounting.
*Clack*
Their blades locked, Jaune holding hers at bay with a shaking limb, her Huntress strength still superior to his own. But the test of power did not even last a second as he swiped at her with his bokken forcing her to duck low.
Jaune stabbed down, she rolled, recovered and swiped up, but Jaune was already in motion, her attack missing by a wide margin.
Their dance continued, Jaune showcasing an extraordinary talent and Hella being pressured in a contest of skill against her ‘untrained’ son.
Finally, Hella saw an opening, Jaune having overswung in an attempt to parry a feint.
She did not hesitate. Confident she could end this farce, she delivered a powerful overhead swing, her bokken whistling through the air.
*Crunch*
Jaune’s forehead smashed into Hella’s nose without restraint, the blow forcing Hella to see lights in her vision.
The opening had been a ploy, her overhead blow had left her open to Jaune’s improvised attack, and he had capitalised on it ferociously.
Hella was rattled, her head flinging back as she lost her balance.
Her feet left the floor as her momentum from trying to avoid Jaune’s impromptu headbutt carried her back.
But the pain from her nose kickstarted refined instincts, and she reacted.
A brief flare of colour, her Aura coming to life, a hand catching her fall quickly and channelling her momentum, her arm functioning as a fulcrum, her body coming to rest in a position akin to a sprinter before a race.
An instant was all it took in a fight.
A single move could mean the difference between life and death.
Hella had been trained to act and react with all haste.
This is why she was swinging her weapon with all the speed and strength afforded to her as a Huntsman with Aura before she could even consider her actions.
From her stance, she lunged forward, a bastard quick draw in motion as her weapon rose to meet Jaune from below.
Hence, she was stunned when instead of connecting with Jaune’s exposed sternum, her weapon was intercepted by Jaune’s own, his longer blade attempting to block hers.
It was not enough.
Her bokken didn’t so much as impact his weapon as it splintered it, the training weapon slowing her weapon’s momentum down only marginally.
But long enough.
His second weapon, the shorter one that imitated a dagger now held in a reverse grip, met her bokken with a booming crack.
The shorter training weapon was visibly cracked but not broken.
The momentum of her blow carried through to Jaune, who was spun about her, his feet dragging over the grass even as his arm shook from halting the swing.
When it was done, they had switched places, with Jaune now standing where she had initially.
Like that… the fight was over.
Hella, her mouth agape, could only stare at Jaune, her son, who stood undaunted by the colossal blow she had just delivered.
He was dirty; grass stains marred his clothes with thick green streaks, and his cheeks were flushed a bright red. He was breathing heavily, his hot pants coming out in spouts of hot air that were visible thanks to the cool morning.
But it was her son’s face that stunned her the most.
No pain, no fear, no hesitation.
Just a quirked little smile and bright blue eyes overflowing with determination.
Between pants, she heard him speak in a breathless, light tone, “I will not die… not that easily, so worry not… your Sunshine will not disappear on you mother.”
Hella felt her fears and worries build up like a sickness in her throat. Her eyes became itchy and her vision blurred with tears.
With a heavy sob, she dropped her weapon and embraced her child, tears trailing down her cheeks as she squeezed her body to his.
All the while, Jaune held her tightly, his hand rubbing circles on her back as she cried.
“I was so scared they would take you away,” she gasped.
“I’m not going anywhere, mother,” Jaune whispered as he let his head rest against hers.
“Promise?” Hella breathed quietly.
“I promise,” Jaune replied resolutely.
The two stood there for a while enjoying the embrace until Hella broke it off, her face splotchy and red and Jaune’s eyes noticeably moister.
Hella appraised her son, noting his height, posture, gorgeous blue eyes and wild blond hair that hung down to the top of his shoulders.
Her boy was growing up.
With one last sniffle, Hella wiped at her eyes before speaking, “well, now that was quite a lot of excitement… I didn’t know you knew how to fight… is this like your… anatomical knowledge?” Hella asked cautiously, knowing how certain subjects could affect her only son.
As if to prove her point, she watched as Jaune looked away from her, hiding his gaze from her own as he nodded his head demurely.
“I see… You’re good… You’re excellent, actually,” Hella praised, enjoying how Jaune seemed to stand straighter. He had always shone under praise from his family, taking it as the highest of honours.
“Thank you, mother… But I am still no match for you,” Jaune replied humbly.
“Yes, but I have the benefit of age and Aura…, and you still managed to keep pace with me,” she mumbled, glancing down at the shattered bokken. “… As I said, you’re good… but….”
“But?” Jaune queried.
A cunning smile grew upon Hella’s lips, “you can be better… Let’s go eat; your training starts today!” Hella ordered, broaching no arguments as she began to shepherd her son back inside.
Jaune chuckled at his mother’s determined words, “I see… are you still afraid, mother?” Jaune asked, looking at her with worried eyes.
“… I will always worry about you, Jaune, regardless of age or location… but no, I am no longer as afraid as I was… Thank you for that, my Sunshine,” Hella concluded, leaning her head to rest on her child’s.
“You are most welcome, mother,” Jaune replied, the two walking inside, mother and son once more at peace with one another.
A.N.
And that is another arc done!
The next arc will be the one determined by the poll on the Pat-reon.
This was a tricky chapter but fun, I got to tease Eileen and show off some of Jaune’s combative skills.
Also, his sisters are both officially cured of their issues. I hope I explained what happened with their relationships and how it all originated from a place of guilt and confusion and eventually evolved as both sisters failed to connect with Jaune due to his peculiar nature.
Eventually, their avoidance became a habit and then nature, and, in the end, even though both knew it was wrong, it just stuck.
It can be tough to change your nature, and siblings are not necessarily close. You can trust me on that one.
But this is fantasy, and so if I wanna say siblings can rekindle their relationship, then I damn well am gonna.
Also, as of the end of this arc, we officially will have Jaune beginning his Remnant training.
What fun.
My life was all over the place at the time of writing this, so I just wanted to say that I appreciate all the support.
Thank you all. I hope I continue to be found worthy.
Tell a parental figure you love them.
And as always.
Until next time.
Comments
SkeletalPheonix Games
All I have to say after reading this chapter is that you are a amazing writer
DocBot200
Well that's not terrifying at all in a sparring match. 4 years of training is gonna turn him into a force. I just wonder if those skills were enough to beat Gerhman, or if he even fought Gerhman. I have many questions about Jaune's Yharnam run. I presume all will be revealed in time.
Laplase
I can only hope that his semblance will be something like making him the new owner of the dream and restoring his Abilities and his weapons. At the end one of the true endings of the game you become a great old one, so I Wonder if Jaune isn't just one shaped like his old human form.
