The group of hunters and riders all stood quiet when the Arc boy and dragon approached the group, tears falling down the young knights face. No one knew what to do to comfort him. He simply stood and waited. Finally, Jaune and Luna turned to walk past them. Zenn, the Blue dragoness tried to cut them off to confront them, only for Lune at take off, caring Jaune with him. Arnold watched his old partner fly up and retreat into the winds, leaving him to sigh in defeat.
It had been almost a full year since the two had a real conversation. They merely had spoken in broken phrases and made communications through glances and simple replies to messages on their scrolls. Ever since the beginning of their senior year, since the incident, the two have almost instantly severed ties with each other. Arnold accepts the fact that he over reacted, and the fact that when Jaune revealed...that, He mistreated him, but now, he saw he did much worse with his reaction to him. Not to mention what the condition of his aunt is in. He shuddered at the thought of losing a family member. Way worse than losing a hand.
"We got a lot of work to do, guys." The blue haired rider mumbled. His other teammates looked at him with solen looks. Nim decided to lighten the mood up.
"You mean YOU got a lot of work to do. I'm pretty sure he forgave us." The small joke didn't get far, as the only response Arnold gave was a weighted sigh.
"What just happened?" Yang said. The Beacon students were a bit shaken at the broken look Jaune gave them. Both Pyrrha and Ruby looked on to see if they could find the bot in the sky. Blake was slouching in her seat and was being comforted by Sun and Neptune, as they too were disturbed by her old friend's expression. Weiss and Nora seemed to be more confused than anything, as they have seen him cry before, but never broke like that, compared to his happy smile and good attitude. Yang had just vocalized her curiosity, and ren was about to follow suit.
"Jaune and us...don't get along. Not any more at least." Spencer said as he rubbed two robotic fingers into his silicon eyelids.
"And why is that? You did just tell us that he was not only your friend but team leader." Ren said while raising a accusing eyebrow. The three riders all looked down.
"It's not like it was our salt he keeps secrets. He spent three years with that thing bottled up inside him. It was only a matter of time he popped. I only wish that I was a better partner to him. Maybe we could have been better friends than we are now." Arnold said.
"You're talking about his semblance, aren't you." Pyrrha said. The three old team mates looked up in shock.
"You know about his semblance?" Nim said.
"We kind of read his journal and found his confession. He never said he used it." The riders looked at each other.
"He used it once."
"It happened around a month into our senior year." Arnold was sitting in his and his team's room. The group decided to find the rider's lodging and continue to talk there. "We had become what many considered the star team. Our chemistry with each other and our dragons allowed us to perform maneuvers in battle and flight most experienced rides could never do. We were all friends. We related to each other's problems in life. However, the biggest problem that always loomed over us was something about Jaune. The boy had secrets for sure. He already had a lot of pressure being not just an Arc, but also the youngest student at the school and our team leader, but he seemed to add more and more stress to the load. A vault of cement that was his thoughts were pressing onto his soul. And all of a sudden, he broke."
"We were sent on our, what, eighth mission? Anyways, the mission was simple; clear Grimm out of the Rider village and collect a few herbs and notes from the area. Student stuff. When we got there, we kicked some real ass, let me tell you. Zenn was ramming into Ursa and I used my lance to skewer them nice as ice. Although he was the youngest, Jaune had the best bond between him and his dragon out of all of us, as he seemed to have some real coordinated attacks going on with him and Luna. We managed to find out that a cave held what many thought to be a Gryphon, and sent us to deal with it. It was slow going at first, and to be honest, we thought it just ran off, until we found out it was all a ruse. The whole town had be attacked in secret over a month ago by Jackal Knights and had been waiting. Waiting for us."
"Yeah, don't mean to intrude but, what's a Jackal Knight?" Ruby said innocently. The tree riders looked at each other and Spencer spoke up.
"The Jackal Knights are a group of Dragon Riders who embrace darkness. The bond with Black dragons through hate and fear. There a growing problem and the are the most feared group of Dragon Hunters to date. They also have a certain vendetta against The Arc family. The Jackal Knights take their name from a man named Jackal Cipher, who fought in The Great War only for him and his whole family to be killed off by the Arcs due to their dragon hunting habets." Arnold nodded and continued his tale.
"So The Jackal Knights wanted to capture Jaune and use him as ransom to attack The Citadel. We fought them off, but we were out numbered. The managed to wrangle our dragons and held them capteve, making us serender. We were all scared. I may have been nineteen at the time, but I still felt like a kid. We all did. There plan was to simply kill us and take Jaune. I spoke up against them, saying that I wouldn't let them hurt an Arc, let alone my partner." Arnold sighed. He looked at his right arm and began to roll up his sleeve. A solid, bland grey consumed his elbow, bicep, and shoulder. He pulled the fingers of his gloves to reveal a similarly colored hand with ball-joint fingers and wrist. A faint blue of Dust powered mechanisms glowed in certain places. "I payed the price for my outburst, proving to me then not to mess with Jackal Knights. We were pissing yourself at that point. Zenn was the most traumatized, as she could feel the pain I had through our bond coarse through her with twice the sensation. Then we saw Jaune shake. And then it happened." An eerie silence crept over the group as Arnold stopped talking. He clenched his prosthetic limb and ran hand through his now trimmed down blue whiskers.
"The whole cave went black. And I mean black. The cave front was still open, but it felt like a shadow crept and covered the exit in a smoky curtain. Men started to panic, shouting at us. Demanding answers. Then we heard the screams. In the blinding darkness, men were being picked off. Right and left with agonizing pain being sensed coursing within their dying moments. We had no idea what was happening. Then we saw a light. Yet it was not like any light we had ever seen before. It was a soul. A soul just right there in the middle of the fuckin cave. Like it was a piece of gold. It shined white with gold wisps like flames encompassing it. Then, it seemed to spin around slowly. We were all confuse, until we saw the eye. The Eyes of Darkness he called it. Two flaming infernos with with black diamond pupils, and within the pupils contained a cyclone of dark energy, like a Grimm imploded in his eyes. The darkness started to fade away, along with the soul as Jaune's body became existent again. Yet those eyes. They still haunt me. Haunt us. We didn't see Jaune in those eyes. I was so focused on Jaune that the only thing that snapped me out of my dazed state was Nim screaming her head off. The entire cave floor and walls were covered in blood and guts. Weapons and armor were scattered about, being thrown into newly formed piles of bone."
"Jaune stayed in his dark state for a while. Spencer and Nim carried me out of the cave, freeing the dragons and retreated to head back to The Citadel. Jaune didn't come home for about a week. We went to our Headmaster to explain what happened. Now in our defence, we were scared out of our skins. We requested for Jaune to be removed from our team. He broke an oath that both Riders and Hunters hold close, and that is to not take the lives of others at all costs. Yet we knew that The Headmaster had a soft spot for Jaune, he was the boy's uncle. Yet he complied. For the rest of the year, he celpt to himself. He worked alone and I was made the new leader of our team. We all kelp a distance between him and ourselves. He started to work harder. Traine more. In no time flat, he became the best Rider in the whole school. "
Arnold was silent for a while. The whole room had no idea how to process the new found information. Pyrrha and Ruby were on the verge of tears, as both Jaune was forced to kill as well as being abandoned by his team. Weiss was disappointed in Jaune being forced to make such a horrid decision, but was more disturbed by the fact his team ran away from him and left him to stew over his actions. Blake, Sun and Neptune knew Jaune the longest, and felt like they should have been there for him. Blake personally felt and remembered the recent events she faced as her true self was revealed to her team, and how well it went over and how supportive they all were for her. Ren and Nora thought back to when they lost their families and how they at least had each other, but Jaune had no one and everyone else just abandoned him. All except Luna. Yang was uncharacteristically quiet and deep in thought. Her aura started to flare about as she became more enraged. Finally, she grabbed Arnold by the collar and slammed him into a wall.
"You just left him to there!? To think over the choice he made. The choice that allowed you to live! The one that let you free your dragons and let you go back home! Not only that, instead of supporting him and helping him through his struggles, you decided to kick him to the curb!? Don't you think he has a hard time as it is knowing he has such a force of destruction within himself, let alone him having to USE it to protect the people he cared the most for. His very team. His new family. The new family that just decided to let HIM ROT!" The room was quiet and still, yet the tension seemed to be as potent as Beowulf breath. Arnold, Spencer and Nim all had downcasted eyes, all stewing in their shame. Their guilt. "Well, I'm part of his family now, and I'm not going to let him be alone again. He may have Luna, but how much can one person, let alone a dragon do? So will you excuse me, I'm going to help my friend."
With that, she released her grip on Arnold, who didn't even lift a finger to struggle, and made her way to the door. Pyrrha realized Yang was right and followed suit, along with everyone except the riders, who still sat in silence. Nim began to softly cry, but soon broke down into waterfuls of sorrow. Spencer did his best to help his partner, but there was so much one android could do for someone. Arnold also began to cry, yet held his moans in a tight grip within his throat. He wanted to apologize. He wanted to help Jaune. Arnold was lucky enough to have his two other teammates there for him after recovering from losing an arm, and soon relised the mistake they made pushing Jaune away. He lost something back in that cave along with Arnold. Arnold lost an arm, Jaune lost his innocence. He killed people to save his friends. A hard choice that not many men let alone students could make. Yet Jaune was always the one who made the choices. Arnold let out a shaky, painful chuckle escaped his lips at that. Jaune was more than an amazing rider, fighter and person. He was a Hero. Simple as that.
Jaune stood at the cliff side overlooking Emerald Forest. Luna layed next to him on his left, looking both out onto the forest and at his rider. Silence consumed them after they had landed. Jaune was weeping hard and Luna just let him cry. Eventually Jaune collected his computer and joined in to participate in the silence. The winds played with their hair and tickled their necks. Jaune spent the majority of the time to think about how to help his Aunt, and thought about doing things they enjoyed doing together. Simple chess, story telling, and even Aura manipulation. More on his part to simply entertain her. He let out a sigh as he really had no idea what to do. He had an emotional overload as of recently. It almost broke him and to be honest, he was scared he was going to enter his Dark state. He turned to Luna with a tired face.
"I really have no idea what to do. I mean, there are many things one can do right now, but for me, it's all confusing. I could go and stand by Amber's bedside till she wakes up. I can simply just go sleep this whole thing off. Or maybe this is alla strange dream." Jaune howled as he felt Luna's spear like tail prod his side.
"This is no dream, Jaune. I recommend that you simply just rest for now, and take it slow. Think it over. It is your specialty." Luna chuckled as Jaune raised his arm over his eyes and fel onto his back.
"Yeah, but I never said I thought it was fun to do. Just because I'm good at something doesn't mean I enjoy it."
"Isn't that what everyone thinks?" Both rider and dragon perked up and saw Ozpin approach from their right. It had been a few hours since the Headmaster had called the boy in to reveal the state his aunt was in. Ozpin may looked calm, but he was as distressed as Jaune was. He planted his cane into the ground and took a drink from his coffee, overlooking the forest alongside Jaune. "I find it best to look over these woods when thinking. Nature is always a good stress reliever." He said. Jaune realized the reason Ozpin was here was to help with his problems, and decided to play along.
"Have you ever found yourself in a mess like this? First I find that one of my childhood friends became a terrorist. Then my Aunt is tugged in and barely hanging onto life, and to cap it off, my old team that abandoned me after I saved them shows up making goody goody with my friends. I mean, what the-"
"We are still on school ground, Mr. Arc, and I recommend you watch your language around me." Ozpin interrupted before Jaune could continue. Jaune gave a simple 'Sorry' before becoming silent again. Ozpin sighed. "I find it that the best thing to do is to simply wait for the world to present an answer to you. If you can't see it from here atop the cliffside, then venture deeper into the woods to see the horizon from another angle. Look at this situation from your friends point of view. They are as confused and scared as you are, but with different implications. Your team must feel horrible for abandoning you, and may be here to apologize. You must realize you are not the only person with problems. It takes the better man to know that." Jaune took a sip of his coffee once more before turning to walk off. "Now will you excuse, I will leave you to your friends." Before Jaune could question the Headmaster, the knight found himself being tackled by two flashes of pink and red. Looking to his stomach, he was being squeezed into a duel hug by Ruby and Nora. Collapsing to the ground, he heard numerous giggles and laughs including a distant Ozpin. Jaune looked up and saw the rest of his team and RWBY all gathering around the edge with him. Pyrrha has squeezed her way to her knights side and held him close. The sun was beginning to set and all they could do was to simply look on. Everyone felt the presence of large wigs wrap around them as Luna joined them together.
Jaune seemed to be the only one still awake in the group. The night was still warm and the group was sound asleep with their respective partner. He giggled to himself seeing Sun and Neptune in a very...compromising pose together. He took a quick picture and decided to move out of the group. He was about to have Luna help carry everyone back to the dorms, but stopped when he sensed a familiar aura in the air. Jaune looked to notice a figure with dark blue hair both on his face and head. His eyes were a light yellow, brighter than Blake's. His face showed stress, as now it seemed to bare a few grey stays. His flight suit traded out for his more traditional outback explorer vest and cargo shorts. A button up shirt and ascot around his neck highlighted his rugged lifestyle. Jaune could not help but feel his former partner look better with the metal arm, but would never say such things. Arnold Azul had truly grown up to become an intimidating man. Jaune still saw the 17 year old mentor and older brother like figure from all those years ago. The two stood facing each other for awhile, and only started to move when Luna was about to strike the blue haired rider down. Jaune motioned his companion to hold.
"You look old." Jaune said simply. Arnold was stone for a few seconds before giving a nervous yet confident smile at the same time.
"You look tired." He replied. Silence consumed them both again. Arnolds stern and confident exterior started to fade away till he faced the ground, gritting his teeth in guilt. "Jaune, I know i'm the last guy you ever wanted to see here. I know you are trying to get by and even start over, but if you think us kicking you from the team made us forget, made me forget, all the years we spent together then you're wrong. I consider you a brother. You mean more to me than I think anyone here. The amount of guilt I have been carrying on my shoulders makes me question if I lost both my arms that day. I have not been able to say thank you for what you did. I have never been able to comfort you in your time of need. I failed more than just as a partner, but as a decent human being. I realized the best way to get over a loss it to connect more with the people you care about. To have someone cover your back. I guess since my injury was more physical than anything, I and everyone else failed to see the mental hit you had to survive. You may never be able to forgive me, but please know that I regret the whole of those two years than any mistake I have made now and yet to come." For a grown man, Arnold knew how to cry. He didn't wail or sob, but he started to breathe deeper and simply shed more and more tears.
He was quite literally pulled out of his sorrows with a strong hug from Jaune. Arnold was taken aback by this, and could only stand in shock. He looked towards the fellow rider's dragon, and saw that Luna held no anger, rage or lust for harm, but instead saw sorrow, as well as, acceptance? "I will forgive you. I have always forgiven you. I watched as you guys grew more into powerful and respectful riders and became a strong family. I envied that type of bond to have been solidified with me, but accepted that I was to wait. My only wish is for you to forgive me." Arnold was dumbstruck, and was going to question the state of things, but Jaune continued. "I live everyday knowing that I may lose control of myself like I did in that cave. I fight off the darkness so it can stay as far away from my soul as possible. You may not be the family group I have anymore, but you will always be a friend. A partner. A brother." The two couldn't take it any longer and simply started to hug each other much more intensely. Both men cried and cryed in each other's arms. Some may see them as being weak, but it really was a show of true strength as they found something neither could have dreamed of finding. Forgiveness.
The rest of Jaune's friend has woken up a long time ago, and simply stared in disbelief, but soon came to realize that it was really something to behold. Pyrrha wanted to run up and kiss Jaune after hearing his pains, while giving a slap on the wrist to Arnold as she was Jaune's partner now. The group noticed both Spencer and Nim to the side, who were either smiling warmly or crying with joy. The robot and wolf approached and entered the embrace. Team JASN reunited. As JASN started to settle down, the realized there reunion was not unnoticed, as a nose being blow was heard. The four looked and started to laugh as Neptune was touched by the seen, holding a tissue to his face to clear his nostrils and dry his eyes. Pyrrha approached and was hesitant at first to be near the other riders, but realized that Jaune was truly that type of person to forgive and forget. She embraced him, and caused Arnold to arch an eyebrow, only to show a face of shock, awe and glee as Pyrrha kissed her knight in heated and embarrassing pasion. Jaune would later look back on this day and know it as one of both lose and regained hope.
Jaune blinked as the sun lit the room of JNPR up. He looked about the room and realized he was not alone in his bed. To his left his current partner Pyrrha curled up into his sides, resting her head into the crook of his neck. To his right, and his mix of amused surprise, was his former partner Arnold. The grown man mimicked Pyrrha's position, only having his head on Jaune's heart while sucking on his prosthetic thumb like a toddler. Jaune realized that everyone had decided to have an improve slumber party. Emphasis on slumber. He felt the bed shift and saw Arnold beging to stir awake. He was glassy eyed like any man would be just waking up. He then realized his position and looked at Jaune. Both men shared a hummered and mysterious grin.
"Mr. Azul, what would your wives think of you sleeping in the same bed with two others?" Jaune said in a mock-accusing voice. Arnold only snickered.
"They would decide to marry each other and use my corpse as the alter." He replied. He sat up and rubbed his knuckles on his off hand, brushing his fingers across the two rings he had.
"I'm still surprised you, let alone anyone, can maintain that type of relationship. Don't they get jealous?" Jaune questioned as the two men silent agreed to make breakfast for everyone.
"You fail to realize that i'm the third wheel in the relationship. They had dated each other before I stepped in. If anything, i'm the one who's jealous. They're getting laid by each other while I sleep with you." Both parties let out an innocent yet mysterious laugh. Jaune took it up to himself to make pancakes as he stirred the mix, while Arnold had placed eggs into a pan with bacon on another. The sounds and smells started to wake the eleven others and soon enough the two's banter gained an audience. "So, you going to explain how you got Pyrrha Nikos to sleep in the same bed as us?" He said in a deadpan voice that was but a thin veil over his sarcastic and humorous initiative. Both Jaune and Pyrrha blushed as Nora, Ruby and Sun all snickkered.
"Pyrrha is both my partner and girlfriend."
"Is that all you going to tell us?" Spencer said in a very human way. Many still wondering as to how he was more normal than Penny.
"We met the day before initiation and have bonded together since. That's really all you need to know. And if you ask more questions, Nora gets no pancakes." All trembled as Nora growled for her food to be given to her. Jaune laughed as he knew like many not to get on Nora's bad side. As he was finalizing his work, he felt his mind drift to a darker topic, losing his smile. "Arnold, do you know why my father is here? Just to know." The tree riders looked at each other, but nodded in acknowledgment.
"Aie, but you should only speak of this with only the most trusted of your friends." He replied
"Arnold, everyone in this room I trust. Although-" Jaune pulled out his Scroll and activated the lock on the door to the room. "-We can't be too sure." Arnold nodded and went over to pull his own, less advanced but but still useful Scroll out. Everyone gathered close as they all ate breakfast in various places around the room. Jaune stepped into the center and began to speak. "As of four days ago, Amber Arc was attacked by three individuals on the road to Beacon." Many grew silent, lose of apatite, and Ruby even gasped. "The three are still unidentified, however one was identified as the same women on the docks the night The White Fang tried to attack Vale. As of now she is being held here at Beacon because of her weak state. General Ironwood has constructed a cryosleep pod to freeze my aunt so they can wait to find a way to heal her." The room was placed in a silent fog of thoughts. Many were thinking of both questions and answers.
"How did she get out alive?" Ren grimly asked. Jaune looked down, but a small smile appeared on his face.
"Qrow Branwen managed to intervene before the attackers could give the final blow. Once again my family is in debt to him." Ruby and Yang perked up and gave a glance to each other before looking at Jaune.
"You know our uncle?" Ruby asked in awe. Jaune smiled widened.
"The Citadel knows him as the town drunk and storyteller, even though he doesn't live there. I've known him for so long that he's actually allowed me to call him Uncle Qrow. He did tell stories about you two. Sorry I haven't said so earlier, but he likes to keep his work life more, private." The two sisters tried to take it all in. Eventually Ruby grinned wildly and said;
"Is he here, then?" Jaune grinned as well.
"As far as I can tell, he's going to help me to aid my Aunt to health so he's sticking around for awhile. I wanted to tell everyone here because when she does wake up, It's my job to make her stay here much more enjoyable and I may not be able to spent time with everyone." Everyone nodded, knowing in some way or another the importance of family. They all finished eating there breakfast and Jaune decided to go find his family that were now staying at Beacon.
As the group followed the knight, they caught sight of a large crowd formed looking down into the courtyard. As the friends moved to the edge, they caught wind as to why. All six dragons of the six riders were playing about. Well, four of them, as both Oden-Slayer and Sentinel were sitting and watching Luna, Zenn, Virga and Orian tussle about. Oden was more vigilant and faced the riders. It seemed as though he showed a stern yet pleased face seeing Jaune in good health again. Jaune himself vaulted over into the makeshift arena and landed with a Aura filled thud, causing all dragons to look at him. He stood up from his crouch and motioned for his old friends to draw near. He was instantly swarmed by snouts and toughness as Zenn and Virga took lead. Sentinel, being the first Metallic Dragon, was 'programed' to be polite like Oden, and simply leaned forward for Jaune to rub his palm on his snout. Oden-Slayer himself seemed to not move. Jaune was curious as to why, until he saw the large bundled coat and white hair of a one Gabriel Arc, who had slept outside once again. Jaune anticipated this, as he took out from his sachiel a tin foil covered plate of eggs, bacon and pancakes. Even cold, the smell woke Gabe up and he smiled warmly at his pupil.
"Thanks for the meal, runt." He said with fake and comedic venom.
"Anytime old leather face grump." Jaune shot back. Gabriel just snorted and started to eat. The crowd eventually dissipated as Jaune's allies made their way over to meet the elder Arc.
He may have been old, but Gabriel Arc was anything but frail. His overcoat and top hat patched and sewn to accommodate damage taken over the years gave him a rugged homeless bo. Yet under the layers of dress was the undeniable freak of brute strength and dexterity. He had little scars visible, through the stitch work and knowledge of dragon claws made it evident he has seen his fair share of dragon battles. At the same time he also passed as a Huntsmen. An old one at it but still with the large and oversized mechanical sword that Ruby thought resembled that of her uncles weapon, along with the trimmed back and well taken care hair that stood to contrast with Jaunes scraggly 'dragon-nest' Yang seemed to call. He stood up from his crossed legged position and stood about two heads taller than Jaune.
"Jaune, You are going to have to introduce me to all your friends, though I see some familiar faces." He smiled warmly at Blake, though Ren and Nora both looked at each other. Jaune, along with everyone else stood up as the knight began to introduce his allies.
"Well, I know you recognize Blake, but then there is her team. Weiss Schnee who is not as bad as you might think." Gabriel simply grunted and gave a nodd to the heiress. "Then the is Blake's partner Yang Xiao Long and there leader Ruby Rose." Gabriel focused on the sisters now recognizing who they were. The old man found himself staring at Ruby's eyes.
"You're going to say that you have never seen someone with silver eye's, aren't you?" Ruby said as Gabe gave her a look much like Ozpin did when they first met. Gabriel smiled under his beard and shook his head.
"No, I'm just thinking how much you look like you're mother. You too, Yang." Both girls were both bashful and grateful as well as confused, but thought the man was very flattering all the same.
"Then there's Sun Wukong and Neptune Vasilias. Both partners as well as childhood friends when Blake and I stayed in Vacuo for the year." Jaune stated. The monkey Faunas and blue haired gentleman extended their hands and gave as firm a grip as they could and shook the royal's hand. "And then finally there is my team, lead by me of course." Jaune stated. Gabe laughed and Jaune scowled. "This is Lie Ren and ora Valkyrie, Both excellent fighters and surrogate brother and sister to myself." Gabe grew dead silent after finding out the names of the two people that he sensed familiarity from. It was them. The two lone survivors on Kuroyuri. The two children he saved and could only take them into the heart of Vale so they could live there lives somewhat. The elder rider made eye contact with the two, and all three knew they should talk latter. "And finally this is my partner, Pyrrha Nikos." Gabriel looked to the crimson spartan and gave a warm smile. "She's helped me to improve my defencive skills as well as saved my butt a few dozen times over. She's also...My girlfriend." Jaune began to fluster while Pyrrha began to camouflage with her hair. Gabriel looked intently at the girl now, till finally looking towards Jaune with a sinister grin.
"Does your father know about this?" He said in an almost to giddy voice. Jaune sighed, causing his grandfather to grin even more.
"We started our relationship a week ago, so don't get to giddy on having a great grandson just yet." Pyrrha blushed even harder thinking about being a mother with Jaune. Laughter was heard as Arnold and his team hanged behind to be with their dragons, though still listening in. Gabe looked at him and back at Jaune, to which his grandson smiled sincerely and nodded, causing the elder to become even more pleased. Jaune then looked to his friends while resting a hand on Gabriel's shoulder. "And this, everyone, is Gabriel Arc. The eldest Arc still present and proclaimed Dragon Slayer of rider culture. He is both my teacher and my friend. He would be a father figure to me, but my own father is able to fill the bill." The group shared a soft snicker as they left to find the other Arc family members.