He was once Francois Jaeger then he was The Good Hunter now he is a Great One. The so called "God" of The Hunt and being the God of a hunt he was. The Doll tended to him as he rested in Gherman's Wheelchair in The Hunter's Dream. Ruby Rose was an interesting human, the first human who had seen him in his entirety and yet she had chose to worship him rather than go mad. Her eyes saw more than any human could see yet she never went mad, well not as mad as he went during The Hunt anyway. His hunt had ended life cleansed from the diseased city one diseased monster of a hunter wiping out the mutations of the blood.
When he slew Gherman and The Moon Presence he was little more than an animal driven by the madness and need for blood. She prayed to him after most battles and in times of need. She had done a ritual once in the past calling upon his power to wind back the clock so she could defeat her enemies finish her hunt and he had far more than she expected every time she died time would rewind to the night it all started the night she had chased Roman Torchwick and won her place in was perhaps time to take a more active role as she had been fighting her enemies for many years and had failed every time and he was sympathetic in spirit.
Ruby Rose woke with a start her hand flying to her chest where moments before in her memory she had been pierced through. She turned to her bedside table where there was a familiar pocket watch. It was silver with engravings of blue flowers she looked at it and she could see her whole life all at once. She once had it examined by Ozpin who had told her it was her timeline her past compressed into a single was the one trinket that her god had bestowed upon her that had withstood her constant hunt.
The Hunter awoke in Vale as the cosmic power of the Great Ones receded from the world Ruby Rose was back in her bed and he, he was in Vale the gift of his sympathetic spirit was himself as a more active ally for what hunt could not end if its very god was your ally. The identity was made in the mortal realm of Sanguine Jaeger seventeen year old prospective student of Beacon Academy. The passport rested within the pocket of his Old Hunter's Armor yet the traditional Hunter's Hat rested upon his head rather than the wide brimmed hat of the Old Hunters norm. A fanged smile slipped onto Francois's face, no he was Sanguine now, behind his cloth face mask which as always smelled faintly of decaying blood.
Sanguine watched that evening as Ruby took out her opponents using kid gloves. The malice of the hunt was in her every move yet she made no moves to kill, not yet, that would come soon. A death this early would only accelerate her enemies plans as they would perceive that her killing was preemptive aggressive action from Ozpin and not simply the grudge of what felt like a thousand lifetimes.
"It's been three hundred years since you entreatied The Great One that embodies the blood of the hunt Ruby Rose. Look how far you have come." Ruby was greeted with this as she walked out of the police station where she had been invited to Beacon. She turned on heel to see a figure in a leather armored coat feathered cap and cloth facemask. "Who are you? How do you know that?" She said.
"Sanguine Jaeger raised in the wildlands in a settlement overrun by grimm, future student of Beacon, well that's what it says on my passport anyways. Francois Jaeger, Vileblood by birth half cut Hunter of The Beast Blood by trade. I serve the same god you do, I reside in his Dream and bear his blood. As do you, you were seeded with beasthood long ago so blood empowers you as it does me. I am a gift from your god, an ally if you would have me at your side. Anyways come sit here on this bench with me and we shall drink." "Francois? Sanguine? Why the change of name?" She asked as she walked over and sat beside him on a small bench. "Color names are the norm here with few having non-color names, Francois would stand out and blood or sanguine red is my favorite color. Now to drink"
He said before drawing a bottle wrapped in bandages, popping out the cork releasing a truly pungent smell of spilt rotting blood before he took a swig stifling the smell as he drank. Passing the bottle to Ruby he said "Drink and slate the thirst you know not that you even have." She chugged a few gulps of the Pungent Blood Cocktail before handing it back her silver eyes now ringed with diseased red of beasthood. "It's good, blood I presume? I've had a drink or two before but never one of such potency." "Beast Blood of Yharnam, The Blood of The Gods straight from the Healing Church to our lips. Hahaha, how nice now all I need is a beast to slay and drink dry and the night will be complete." "Grimm don't last too long once slain, doubt you'd have enough time to drink all its blood." "Grimm? Bah, don't need no grimm I need a beast but none to be found here, they were all in Yharnam and Yharnam's dead drunk dry by me in my madness."
"Madness? You seem ok." "I'm also not in the state I was when I completed my Hunt. I was little more than a mad beast driven by my thirst for ever stronger blood to consume. I miss it now, the Hunt, the blood, the thirst, but I gave that up when I completed my Hunt. It's why I've come now, the blood boils and the spirit is sympathetic so it's time to hunt beside the most fascinating worshipper of the Great One that embodies the Hunt." Time wound down and drink drank down as they talked before finally Ruby excused herself citing that she needed to be home or her dad would go nuts. Farewells said they parted Ruby home for the last few days she had before her hunt began again in earnest and Sanguine off to the forest to regain his confidence in moving a physical body though killing some of the local flavor of beast, Grimm they were called, well they still bled and died.
It wasn't long before Beacon's year started and everyone was on the Airship. Sanguine listened idly to conversations as he sat down in the airship. Ruby talked with Yang slowly acclimating her to a more mature Ruby with her more mature responses over the past few days and here and now on the airship. Soon it had landed and Ruby and Sanguine departed Ruby deftly dodged Weiss's luggage when Yang ditched her and left her spinning.
Sanguine walked over as soon as Ruby gave a short goodbye to the confrontational Weiss who was wondering why some girl was near her luggage. Blake walked over and shamed Weiss well Weiss's father's company when Ruby "Innocently" asked who the "Princess" was. He trailed behind in Ruby's view yet not interacting with her as she talked with Jaune. When weapons came up Sanguine lightly raised his Hunter's Pistol and the Rakuyo so she could see out of the corner of her eyes.
They made their way to the assembly hall where a short speech that Ruby had heard what felt like a hundred times. Sanguine paid no attention to the speech he had heard it vicariously many times. They were soon told to go to the ballroom where they settled down for the night Sanguine placing his hat over his face before resting. He didn't dream, he never did any more it was just existing while the physical body was not aware.
The morning came and so did initiation they stood on the cliff as Ozpin addressed them before he addressed Sanguine saying "And who are you mister...?" A ripple appeared in the air before it evaporated as the power of the cosmos interfered in reality. Ozpin's nose started bleeding as he said "Ah mister Sanguine you will be.. Wait we don't have any room for...Why? Why is my nose bleeding? What's going… The Gods! Why are they?" Another ripple as once more the cosmos intervened, Ozpin's nose started bleeding more. "And launch!" The platforms launched.
Sanguine fell in a way that generally meant he would be waking up in The Hunter's Dream in a moment. A Beast Roar ripped out of his throat with a shockwave that stopped his momentum feet above the ground. Landing gently Sanguine pulled down his cloth mask as Beowolves emerged from the shadows of the trees. He smiled a horrifying smile his dentistry looking like a cross between a rabid wolf's rancid maw and a long fanged vampire after feeding. A lunging Beowolf was caught one hand on his neck and the other on his outstretched claw before the hunter's maw clamped onto its neck before drawing the poor grimm's blood out like a leech. After the hunter had its, his, fill the Beowolf fell to the ground twitching from blood loss before the hunter drew the sabre known as Rakuyo and slit its throat and belly open with two slow deliberate movements. The cloth mask was pulled back up concealing the Hunter's bloodthirsty maw as more Beowolves walked out eager for blood.
The next Beowolf was greeted with a knuckle guard to the face before it was stabbed in the chest with a delayed molotov before being kicked away. A tick two ticks three ticks and the Beowolf burst into flames screeching in pain. A Beowolf lunged at Sanguine who spun into the lunge slashing the Beowolf across the chest before severing its spine on the tail end of the spin via a stab with the dagger end of the Rakuyo. A breath two breaths another Beowolf was caught by the arms before the Hunter ripped them off in showers of gore before slashing the beast across its throat mercifully ending its life. A final beowolf ran up only to be met with the Hunter's arm entering its chest ripping forth its still beating heart. A roaring howl of victory emerged from the Hunter's throat.
He walked off his job done for now. He arrived at the temple just as Yang screamed out "Can we have two seconds before something else crazy happens?" He replied calmly "I doubt it, but we can try." Weiss fell from the Nevermore in the sky before she was caught by Jaune. The Nevermore came back around as "Good the teams all here now, now we can die together." was said by Yang and the Deathstalker Pyrrha had tracked in advanced on the group. Ruby took charge "Jaune, Pyrrha keep the deathstalkers claws busy, Yang, Ren aim for the eyes, Blake try and sever its stinger, Nora When the stinger's severed and your safe land a large hit on its back, Weiss I need acceleration Glyphs in from of my Crescent Rose's barrel Go!" Startled into action the group did as she said. As Ruby aimed at the Nevermore's eye Glyphs appeared in front of Crescent Rose's barrel before she fired ripping a hole in the skull of the Nevermore killing it in a single blow. Jaune and Pyrrha kept the claws busy as Ren and Yang rained fire on the Deathstalker's eyes blinding it and wounding it grievously. A throw of Blake's weapon in Kusarigama mode severed the stinger whereupon Nora hammered the stinger home killing the Deathstalker.
They then made their way through the ruins and up the cliff where Ozpin and were waiting. They were then ferried into the assembly hall where they were given teams. Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora made team JNPR (Juniper) when " And finally Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long, and Weiss Schnee" Ozpin shook and his nose bled slightly "And Sanguine Jaeger the four, five of you got the white knight pieces making you team RWBYS (Rubies) led by Ruby Rose." "I'm so proud of you!" Yang squealed as she hugged Ruby.
They were assigned dorms and were dismissed. There were only four beds in the room but Sanguine simply sat in a corner and "slept" there. The morning came and Ruby smiled a nostalgic smile as she blew a whistle in Weiss's ear. Chuckling Sanguine walked into the bathroom in his Hunter's garb and walked out in his school uniform the four girls stopped and stared at Sanguine's face now that it wasn't covered in a cloth mask and shadowed by his hat. He was handsome or could have been handsome scars criss crossed his face a series of claw marks across his right eye looked like they had been deep enough to gouge out his eye and possibly part of his skull and of course his teeth his jaw looked oddly shaped as if he had grown a snout at some point only for it to have collapsed back into a relatively human jaw. Fangs peeked past his lower lip before he smiled the canine esque razor sharp maw looked wrong in a smile, it looked more like a tribal or animal baring of teeth rather than a proper smile. His eyes burned a bloody red looking more like the eyes of a beast than a man.
"Are you a faunus?" Blake asked "Hahaha, of sorts miss Belladonna, Beast Blood runs deep in my veins." "Faunus aren't beasts!" Blake said passionately "I know miss Belladonna but think then what beast's blood must I have to look the way I do." Sanguine replied. Ruby stepped forward in the uneasy silence and with a practiced air brought up decorating. The four girls got to work putting up their possessions when suddenly Yang stopped in the middle of her work and asked "Hey Sanguine why aren't you putting your stuff up?" Sanguine smiled a fake smile and replied "My home was overrun by grimm, my hunting gear are my only I do have a book to add to the bookshelves." Reaching into his coat he pulled out a well worn copy of How to Pick up Fair Maidens "How to pick up fair maidens? That sounds very dated." Blake commented seeing the title. "It was my mentors copy, I keep it to remember him in a small way." Sanguine replied. Soon enough the room was completed but the beds were piled in the middle of the room awkwardly. "Maybe we should ditch some of our stuff?" Yang proposed. With a nostalgic smile Ruby said "Or we ditch the beds and replace them with bunk beds!"
A small disagreement resolved itself in Ruby's favor before the beds were quickly put together and a hammork for Sanguine was sat up in a corner. "Objective complete!, now second order of business is classes at nine we have…" "Wait did you say nine its eight fifty five!" Weiss said before the four girls raced out of the room Ruby smiling all the way. Sanguine walked out calmly towards the classroom seeing team JNPR racing behind his own team.
"Monsters, Demons, Prowlers of the night, Yes the creatures of grimm have many names but I just call them prey! HAHA" Ruby fell asleep as Professor Port talked "And you shall too upon graduating from this prestigious academy…" Sanguine tuned him out. "The moral of the story is a true huntsman must be honorable dependable strategic well educated and wise who among you believe you have those traits?" "I do" Sanguine said coming out of his trance just a second later Weiss said "I do sir!".
"Ok you both shall go You first mister Jaeger, hmm not going to change into your combat outfit or get your weapon? A man after my own heart!" Professor Port then unleashed a boarboartusk from a cage. The beast paused for a moment then ran directly at Sanguine who grabbed it by the tusk and pulled it up. When the beast was lifted off the ground with a squelch he plunged his hand into the boarboartusk's chest before ripping it and the beast's heart out. With a thud the heart and the grimm fell to the floor.
Sanguine went back up to his seat uncaring that he and his uniform were covered in grimm blood as was the floor. Most of the students looked displeased or disgusted at his covering of grimm blood. "Very good! A bit messy but very good indeed!" Professor Port said enthused. It was now Weiss's turn to fight a boarboartusk. Weiss fought well killing it quickly while Ruby did not cheer she simply said "Go on Weiss! Go for the underbelly it doesn't have armor there." Weiss walked off with a small smile to change back out of her combat attire Ruby simply sat three hundred years of dealing with her team had forged a deep understanding of them. Later that night Ruby didn't finish her homework and Weiss came by to get her a coffee cream and five sugars. Ruby smiled nostalgically at the experience and Weiss's small confession.
Late into the night Ruby lay staring at her pocket watch at her timeline reliving all the good times she had had, all the memories that kept the madness of three hundred years at bay that kept that desire to kill and the thirst for blood suppressed. Sanguine sat below his hammock on the ground leaned against the wall caught in thoughts of his own, more accurately his ascension to a Great One. His defeat of Gherman and the Moon Presence wasn't one he was proud of. His killing of Mergo had driven him blood mad his pupils had burst and it was only the fact that he had put the Hunter's Nightmare to rest that it didn't swallow him as it does all blood drunk hunters. He had returned to the dream the doll had directed him to Gherman who he had attacked feeling his hunter's blood, the Moon Presence descended and attacked him he had driven The Burial Blade into Its neck killing it after a long battle.
A wave of blood and power had transformed him into a Great One. It was almost funny years of study from the Healing church had failed to make them Great Ones but one blood drunk hunter acting on instinct becomes a god through complete accident. He looked at the Old Hunter Badge on his neck and smiled. He had liked Gherman and it felt right to wear his badge out of all the ones he had collected. With a small smile He rested and fell into The Hunter's Dream.
Authors Note: Here it is the rewrite of The Blood Calls. Feel free to PM me if you have questions.
I don't own Bloodborne or RWBY.