Darkness, it's all a lost soul could see. And for Jaune, his mind remained secluded from the outside world. His memories replayed the constant screams and gory scenes of the bloody massacre he caused. His power at its highest, the feeling was so intoxicating; withstanding a barrage of artillery and brushing it off as if it was but simple specks of dust. Instilling such fear amongst the ranks of what was supposed to be the most advanced army in Remnant; the majority of the forces stationed in Vale reduced to a mere handful of men. But then came the aftermath, the toppled buildings, burning ruins, and wails of survivors. He intended to protect, but instead did the exact opposite. And Kat, she would not speak to him, her own mentality was on the brink had she not shut herself off. He so clearly remembered his mind losing itself to anger; he heard Kat's screams as she desperately held on to sanity. Unlike the Ursa Major she descended from, violence wasn't in her personality. Perhaps that was the reason she and Jaune were a perfect match for each other. Yet, when he so easily lost himself, she held on, all in vain sadly. He could only imagine what she went through fighting him, trying to regain the lovable fun-loving second half of her. It was her sudden break of connection that gave Jaune enough time to cool down and return to his human form. But the damage was done. The breaking point; his childhood friend, tortured while he was unconscious, confessing her love for him in her final breath, and eventually dying in his arms. It was an unbearable thing to handle, much less cope with after the fact.
As he lay in a darkened room, a pair of ruby red eyes was watching down on him. Her dead cold hand gently cupped his cheeks while she pressed her forehead against his. Upon doing so, his hardened expression began easing, relaxing him. The newcomer cringed, but continued to do this until finally, the boy's aura eased ever so slightly. It was enough to keep the hardened memories from oppressing him, for now at least. Laufeia rubbed the brow line of her forehead, indeed this boy had a plethora of painful memories, especially of what occurred many days ago, so much that it even made her feel a momentary sense of fear. A feeling she relished, she played with the blonde's hair for a while before whispering in his ear, "For tonight, please sleep well. The burdens you carry are ones that make us equal, and I shall carry with you, my king." She giggled softly to herself upon uttering that honorific. Without another word left to utter, she returned to the dwellings of the darkness, a faint feeling of empathy and offloading a majority of his pain was at most all she do at this point.
"Laufeia." Came a calm whisper.
Before descending back into the shadows, Laufeia came face to face with Jaune's other half; Katerina. The two stared one another down, ruby red vs bloody crimson. Laufeia knew what was on the girl's mind; why didn't she appear during the rampage? Wasn't it her job to protect her patriarch? But, on the other hand, because of what she did now, Kat no longer ran the risk of losing her sanity, and Jaune was finally at ease. Yet, for someone who could withstand bearing the pain of someone else, her mentality was indeed stronger than Jaune's. Much so, the ability to conceal her presence at will. Laufeia was an invaluable ally to have, but her mentality in itself raised caution.
"Thank you...for helping him."
Laufeia smiled, "It was a pleasure, after all, so long as his core emits that sickling sweet darkness, I will not allow him to fall into despair. Or at the very least, not again." She stated while disappearing again into the shadow, leaving Kat alone in the dark room.
-Next Day-
A small ray of sunshine managed to slip through the curtains, awakening the young boy resting from his ordeal. One eye slowly opened, his vision still groggy, though both opened quickly as his memory failed to recognize this...luxurious room. The walls and floor were made of peach-colored alabaster stone. The bed was double that of a queen size, filled to the brim with pillows of the softest fabrics. As Jaune set his bare feet down, a small feeling of warmth brought his attention to the floors beneath him, despite the cool temperature in the room the tiles beneath were heated. Rising from the bed, he noticed a great weight lifted from his chest; his armor was gone and replaced with some kind of a silk tunic. The door to the room opened, the figure whom entered wore a black chest plate, metal greaves, a darkened violet tunic beneath his armor, and a similar colored cape clipped to the collar of his armor.
"I see you're awake." His smile was small, though the sentiment behind his words was a great deal of care. He approached slowly, his metal greaves clanking loudly against the tiles beneath him. "I'm glad to see you're in good health, you had many of us scared."
A small glimpse of recollected memories flashed in Jaune's head, momentary split headaches caused him to press his fingers against his forehead.
"Is something bothering you, sire?"
Jaune waved dismissively towards the figure "No, just...a stinging headache." His eyes snapped open at the realization of the honorific just given to him. He turned his head slowly to see his guest, the sun's light showed a familiar pair of ebony eyes.
"Are you alright, Jaune?"
"Uncle? You're..."
Cerus smiled and patted his left pauldron, whilst giving his nephew a nostalgic glance. "It's been a while since I've worn this. A Praetorian chest plate is pretty heavy, but there are perks that come with it. Such as not getting attacked by the palace guard." A soft chuckle escaped during his last sentence.
Jaune took another look at the room, a portrait of two royals looked down on him with proud smiles. The woman had long hazel hair, porcelain skin and dark brown eyes. The man next to her mirrored Jaune, though his hair was slightly longer and braided. The man sported a more masculine appearance. Beneath the portrait was a similar set of armor that his uncle wore, this set looked as if it would fit him perfectly. Odd, since the armor had accumulated a great deal of dust, a sign that it was left her long ago. A small breeze broke the blonde from his trance, the smell was sweet and the faint sounds carried in the wind were merry. The window to his left was partially open, the curtains showed a peaceful flow of air. Jaune walked to the open window and gazed was astounded at what he saw; an entire city filled with humans, Faunus, and Grimm of different kinds, some completely new to him. The colors of almost every building were red and white, somewhat weathered yet kept intact, but the mixture of different forms of people made the scenery all the more amazing. If he could listen correctly, Jaune could hear the many different languages spoken amongst those in the streets. The architecture looked similar to the Hellenistic style of ancient ruins in the Mistral region. To the skies, there were no airships like those of Vale, but rather balloon-like airships and large flying Grimm flying peacefully over the city.
"Welcome to Florentiae; the capital city of the Kingdom of Sera." Cerus stated proudly, a loud bellow from the east brought Jaune's attention to a group of massive beasts resembling the Goliath, but with four tusks; two small and two long curved tusks. A carriage was placed on its back, either for travelers or to transport supplies, perhaps both. They stood twice the height compared to that of the Goliath, and the same banner the winged Grimm that assaulted Vale had was embedded on a crescent ornament atop their heads.
"Mamuts; cousins of the Goliaths and Mamadons, but native only to Sera. Think they're frightening from this distance, imagine fighting one up close?" Cerus explained as he stood beside his nephew by the window. Jaune was too astonished to say a thing; he never expected to see anything that size in Sera, much less a city this bustling. "Come, I want to show you something. But first..." Cerus gestured to a closet by the bed. "Get dressed, and don't pick anything too flashy." With that, Jaune was again left alone. When his uncle told him of Sera, he never expected to see it so diverse. He expected to see Grimm, but there were some even he didn't know existed. And the Mamuts, possibly the biggest land Grimm he's seen in his life, luck was definitely on his side knowing they were harmless...for now at least. Jaune was about to walk over to the closet, but was more drawn to the armor below the portrait. He took one last glance towards the city, streets filled with life of every kind, smiles were abundant. The technology was far below that of the other kingdoms, hell it might as well be ancient compared to Atlas. And yet, the people seemed content with their lives. The closest they had to the term scrolls was a rolled up piece of parchment from what he could see. Rather than vehicles for transports, the Grimm were used to make ends meet. For long distance travel, the Mamuts seemed to be the main form of getting across the continent quickly. More surprising was the light armor on the beast's legs and head, as if these overgrown Goliaths needed much protection, just seeing them for the first time and from a great distance gave the blonde a mild heart attack.
In either case, Jaune was no longer in Vale, and he was no longer a student of Beacon. Now, he is a king, and from now on he needed to live on, for Mishka. But why? Without his friends, and the knowledge that he couldn't hold back his emotions, how exactly was he supposed to lead? He could feel Kat's despair, she was still recovering from that eventful day, yet one thing ceased to fade; the voices. Jaune could hear their whispers, memories of all he devoured speaking at once. He could see them, the faces of every single Hunter, soldier and civilian he devoured in his state of rampancy. Their screams and cries, even now, drowned his hearing. His uncle was right; the Oni are the very definition of sin, the sin of wrath. And by saving a little girl and her mother, was that supposed to be atonement? No, there is no forgiveness for his actions; the world was now on its knees. The solution came in the form of the Schnee, the man who promised safety and security if they only offered their absolute silence, and obedience. Remnant is in a state of total war all because of the blonde Oni.
Jaune dressed himself in the only armor set in the room, just as he predicted; a perfect fit. Especially the purple tunic, oddly fitting with the black armor, thought the skirt was questionable. There was of course one thing left to do, Jaune found a small desk, and with luck, a comb within. He combed his hair back, exposing his forehead and allowing light to reflect off the surface of his ocean blue eyes. His hair grew more than a bit, it now reached his shoulders. Either he was out cold for a while, or this was some effect to unlocking his true form. Other than the hair growth and added muscle, it wasn't much of a difference, but a change was needed nonetheless. As he exited his room, he was met with both Emerald and Cerus, both dressed in the same armor, and somewhat surprised to see the blonde. Emerald was poorly hiding the urge to laugh, Cerus on the other hand smiled widely. "I see you fancy your mother's armor." The blonde was caught completely by surprise, and of course by now Emerald was laughing loudly. "Good to see some things don't change!" She hollered while patting the blonde's back. To think he was cross dressing again, and not intentionally this time either. Still, the pulled back hair, accompanied by the violet tunic, black chest plate, greaves, and...a skirt. Not to say it wasn't standard, both Cerus and Emerald wore similar clothing, but on the blonde, he almost looked completely feminine.
"Alright, enough games. Come Jaune, you must address the guards today." Cerus couldn't shake the wide grin on his face, and Emerald was just the same the whole way down to what seemed like a courtyard. As they exited the palace, the blonde was met with a small company of soldiers dressed in a similar manner to him, though this armored battalion held long rectangular shields with their swords visibly sheathed. The shield was painted white, thinly outlined black, the insignia on the front was two crescent moons rotated on a counter-clockwise 45 degree angle, and with a flower in the shape of a butterfly coated black at the mouth of the second crescent. The same emblem on a two banners hung above the doors to the palace entrance.
Upon seeing the feminine looking blonde, the men couldn't help but shoot a playful whistle at him. Some of the female soldiers eyed him as if he were candy. In this case scenario, he was 'fresh meat'. A few notable whispers could be picked up, though what Jaune failed to notice were the markings on his armor's chest plate and pauldron labeling him as a high ranking officer. The whispers amongst the female body were 'thank the gods, a female commander.' And while the men were a bit more subtle, their whispers were still heard 'finally, a leader I want to get behind.' Crumbling Jaune's self-esteem even more, leaving Cerus the privilege to set them straight. "Attention, all of you here. Today, Oum smiles down on us all for it is my honor to present to you all; Alaric Arktos, son of Volker Arktos and Cornelia Honoratus, our king."
Hearing the declaration, the soldiers quickly paled and kneeled before Jaune with their heads bowed low. Now this wasn't what he expected, and it wasn't what he wanted either. Bowing implied he was better than these soldiers, and Monty knows, even as an Oni, Jaune wasn't any higher of a being than them. A minute passed, and the soldiers remained on their knees, almost as if waiting for something.
"Say something, moron." Emerald whispered while nudging his side.
"R-Rise!" Jaune almost shouted nervously, as if on cue the guards rose in unison. And now, the blonde was without words. Again, Emerald nudged him. He cleared his throat and spoke aloud.
"Hear me now..."
"Praetorian Guards." The green haired girl whispered.
"Aye, Praetorian Guards…I am the son of the late King and Queen, and as the new ruler…to be honest, I don't know what to say at this point…actually, I have but one request from all of you; I ask you not to refer to me as King."
A collection of confused expressions made its way amongst the group of soldiers.
"Or his majesty...or your highness, sir, my lord. Basically, no honorifics that refer to my title. I ask instead that you call me by the name I was raised with; Jaune. I was appointed to this position; I have not earned my title. Nor do I feel that I will be an effective leader just yet, but I will do what is necessary for the good of this kingdom. With what little power I have, I will order this; may my official name be Alaric Arktos, but the guards of the palace will refer to me as Jaune. And that name will stay within the walls of the palace, clear?"
"Crystal, sir!...I mean, Jaune!" Wow, perfect unison even when nervous.
"Uncle, I think I will walk amongst the people in the city. I'm curious as to what Florentiae has to offer." Jaune commented while glancing to the bustling city.
"Very well, but I advise you to choose two Praetorian guards as your escorts." Cerus's words almost sounded like an order than a suggestion. To have people tailing him wasn't exactly what he had in mind. Nonetheless, Jaune gazed unto the collection of armored guards. There was one easy way to decided; he sent an invisible aura ping and found two perfect candidates. "You." Jaune pointed to a boy around his age, light tan skin, dark brown hair, chestnut eyes and just slightly more masculine than him. "...and you." His finger now landed on a girl just a bit shorter than the last, with dark skin and short raven hair, amber eyes and a slim figure. Both stood forward, ahead of the company. "I'll take them."
It was hard to figure out why Jaune would choose two guards with aura levels such as theirs, but then again it was hard to believe they were Praetorian guards after reading their auras. Still, Cerus wasn't about to question his nephew's demands, with a simple nod, the two young guards stood closer with great pride.
Cerus gestured the rest to report back to their posts, they all gave their King a respectful bow and left. The two young guards Jaune selected remained. The young blonde took a close look at these two, examining them both by their power levels and their physical standing. All the while his expression was anything but friendly. It actually frightened his escort detail. After a minute, his grimm expression faded almost instantly and was replaced with a calming smile. He could feel their aura relaxing with his shifting expression. "Well, you know my name, may I know yours?"
This kind of King was not at all what these young guards were expecting, but found it comforting nonetheless. The female guard went first, "M-my name is Wadjet, daughter of Philo."
Next was the male guard, "My name is Marcus Ulpia, son of Maximus Ulpia." Both announced the names of their fathers with a sense pride, though it was unnecessary. On the other hand, it did give Jaune more information on his detail. He clasped his hands with a faint smile, "Well, now that pleasantries are out of the way, let us head out. This is my first time in this city and I'm eager to learn more about this kingdom." Just as Jaune was about to search for an exit, Cerus caught hold of his shoulders, though his expression was not as merry as when he appeared with his mother's armor.
"Before you go, there is one more thing I must show you."
Unbeknownst to Jaune, where he was headed would probably bring him to his knees again. Upon leaving the courtyard, Jaune and his uncle walked a great deal in the palace gardens before standing in front of the Royal Mausoleum, within was buried every Royal member of the family, whether Oni, human, Faunus or Grimm. The blonde felt his heart twist, was his uncle about to show him the grave of his parents?
No, it was going to be worse.
Cerus guided the blonde deeper inward within the tomb. As only the royal family is allowed to enter the mausoleum, Marcus and Wadjet waited patiently outside with Emerald, awaiting the return of their King.
Cerus knew what he was about to show Jaune would be salt on the boy's wounds, but it was the best kind of offering of peace he could give. And perhaps, it would give his nephew a slimmer of peace. More so if the guest he had waiting in the medical wing woke up. They stopped in front of a newly engraved tomb, the clean gold plaque read; here lies Mishka Novgorod, first queen of Alaric Arktos. 995-1012 S.C. (Seran Calender)
Jaune indeed felt his heart clench, his hand caressed the plaque, knowing full well it was now the closest he would be to his lost love. The tombs were above ground, the coffins made of stone and carved to resemble those entombed within it.
"This was the only way we could bury her here, properly. If anyone should be reprimanded, do so to me." Cerus shut his eyes, awaiting a form of insult of lash from his nephew, but received none. Instead, the expression on the blonde was hardened. "Later. For now, I need to be away from here. I'll return before nightfall...maybe." Jaune left his uncle alone, with neither anger nor gratitude in his heart. But rather the strong urge to leave before his emotions betrayed his calm expression, although it was rather painful, Jaune couldn't help but feel relieved that Mishka received a proper burial, unlike the others amongst the ruins of Vale.
"Your friends might still be alive."
Jaune stopped instantly, was this some lie to bring back his will power, or was Cerus being honest? Cerus continued, knowing full well he was treading on dangerous emotional levels. "Ozpin evacuated the school before the blast, and Laufeia transferred both the student body and your friends outside the city using her shadow portals. It took a great deal of power on her part, and I have not seen her since we pulled out from Vale. The last I saw of your friends; they were all heading back into the city during your rampage. That was 3 days ago. The Tenko influenced the nearby Grimm to form a protective barrier on both land and sea around the city of Vale, only allowing those who are running from the Schnee to pass the Grimm unharmed. Those who choose to leave; the Grimm will not stop them. The city itself is 78% destroyed, oddly, a good portion of the stolen dust within the harbor survived and is still usable; at the very least they have an arsenal to defend themselves. 98% of the Atlesian military stationed there are confirmed dead, 30% of the civilian population was lost, a majority was slain by Atlesian soldiers in an attempt to frame you for the crime. And as of noon 2 days prior, the Schnee armies declared war on the world, their coup de 'tats were more successful in other major cities."
The good news was mixed in with the bad, leaving the blonde with the exact number of lost lives from his outburst. All the more of a reminder of what he failed to control, and how wrong it was to make him king. Still, the chance that his friends were still alive gave Jaune renewed hope.
"I suppose Ozpin will take over for now, I'm sure he'll know what to do. He's a better leader than me; I know that for a fact." Jaune commented. Though, when his uncle didn't reply, the blonde took one small glance to the old Oni, and saw the pain in his eyes. It was the same as when he spoke of his wife.
No. Jaune couldn't be responsible for that as well, could he?
"Ozpin was betrayed by Ironwood, he was already gone when I found him. I arranged for him to be buried in his homeland. His family will come to meet with you tomorrow. They wish to see the king that studied under their fallen son."
Both Oni stood silently, the atmosphere between them was dangerously suffocating, even their breaths were cautious whispers. Jaune slowly turned away from his uncle; the deaths of so many people in the wake of a war were on his hands. It should've been expected, but it hurt so much. Jaune was fighting hard not to break down. The whole reason the war began was because he played right into the hands of the old Schnee. To be so easily manipulated began weighing down his conscious. Already, Jaune began to doubt his role as a king, much less a family patriarch. Without another word spoken between them, Jaune left, rushing to the gates with his detail following nervously behind. Emerald stood by the door to the mausoleum, her eyes narrowed upon watching her cousin rush out of the royal courtyard and into the city. It was apparent her father gave Jaune the whole truth of Vale's outcome, in a way, it established a respectable trust. But, if he wasn't heading to the palace, then it meant Cerus kept the 'guests' a secret. Once her old man finally poked his head out of the mausoleum, the two stared at one another for a second before Emerald averted her eyes.
"Is she really buried here?" She asked, slightly annoyed.
"Yes, out of respect to Jaune, I believe it is..."
"No, you old bastard. I meant...her..." Her tone rose slightly, and then to an almost faint whisper.
Cerus hesitated before answering. "...yes. She is, you should visit her." He then walked towards the palace, leaving his daughter in front of the family tomb, where her traitorous mother was buried. Many years after the fact, the woman being buried here was still a major controversy, but at the risk of not sounding hypocritical, traditions were kept and silence was met with no contradiction. She was respectfully buried per Cerus' request. But, it was confusing; from what she was told, her father devoured her mother, so what exactly did they bury? In either case, it was evident enough her father, although betrayed, loves his wife even now. What kind of love is that? Emerald glanced once more to the darkness of the tomb, and then closed the doors. She could barely face her father for more than a few seconds without cringing, what would she do in front of her own mother's tombstone? Would she cry, were there truly any feelings left to express?
"A little sentimental are we?" Came an extremely close whisper followed by a brief cold breeze hitting her exposed neck. Emerald let out a somewhat high pitched help before turning to her guest. Before her was the very definition of awkwardness and disregard of personal space. And even if people gave her a form of backlash, Emerald assumed Laufeia would just brush it aside. "You and I are the same." The sudden statement caught the minty-haired girl off guard, reacting normally as to not test her anger. "How so?"
To which Laufeia was more than happy to answer. "For one, we both hate what we are. Being an Oni has cost you much, hasn't it? Be grateful you have at least one parent left."
"I don't hate my species, that is to say I'm not particularly fond of our history, but I am proud of what I am." Emerald declared, receiving a questionable, blank expression from Laufeia that almost made her blood run cold. "Don't lie to me, the only reason you're here is because there are others like you that will accept you. But has it ever occurred that maybe they do so because you are family, and it is their 'duty' to preserve the Oni?" Laufeia circled the armored girl, all the while smiling deviously. "Think about it, no matter how many times you say you detest your father, or how much the lineage of our family disgusts you, you're still here. It's because there's no place in this world for you, except here. But, isn't it time the Oni fade from history, like the Trinities? Even the very person you wanted to save rejected you."
Emerald cringed, she knew exactly who she spoke of, but rather than fall into her trap, instead took a moment to think it through. She smirked, stopping Laufeia in her tracks. It was clear now what this talk was about, and she knew something about this Oni that was even enough to make her thankful that Cerus was her father. But on the same note, Emerald knew damn well how it would end. "There are two things different from us." She stated.
"Is that so? And what might that be?" Laufeia asked, smiling widely. Though, she won't be for long.
"You're trying to earn Jaune's affection, but I think I'm doing a much better job than you, and I'm not even trying." Her comment made the playful grin on the girl before her vanish completely. Emerald then pointed to the ribbon adorned on Laufeia's head. "And, my father never sealed me away. He actually loves me." Those last words almost felt like she was drowning in poison, if only she was so lucky.
Almost instantly, Laufeia's blank expression turned hostile. Emerald barely had time to react as the young Oni lunged at her, tackling her unto the courtyard ground. She wasn't using her powers, more her physical strength than anything. The blonde Oni used one hand to grip Emerald's tunic, and the other to punch her endlessly in the face. All the while repeating "Take it back! TACK IT BACK! YOU. KNOW. NOTHING!" She shouted, her next punch was now infused with shreds of darkness, and when landed, created a massive crater beneath them. The palace guards arrived to see a cloud of smoke covering a majority of the courtyard, and only one figure standing above it all. The young Oni breathing heavily as that single punch was delivered with more power than she had used before, in this point her anger finally calmed, though with it went her will to fight.
"You're pathetic."
Laufeia's pupils dilated as an arm caught hold of her neck, arising from the dust was Emerald in her true form; long minty-green hair, twice the size she was before but still as slender, two long horns on her head above her ears, skin as darks as a Grimm's hide, same colored eyes, scleras dark as night, and two arms beneath her usual pair. Her praetorian armor broke off and was replaced with exoskeletal plating. It was mainly focused on her back with a pincer to accompany the adornment. Although, there was some exoskeleton armor covering her more private sections, her front half was nearly exposed. "You may refuse our kind, but rejecting your history will make you blind to the future. What you have is but a thin shell, and when it breaks what will you do? This is the true form of our people. Accept it, or take your own advice and leave!" Emerald gestured to her body, Laufeia was busy trying to pry herself from her cousin's grip. Though each struggle made the grip tighten. "Even from birth, your fate is already sealed. But, you'd know more about that, wouldn't you?" the green-haired Oni continued her taunting while the blonde Oni's breaths were shortening.
In a failsafe response, Laufeia used a portion of Emerald's shadow to form a spear, the tip aiming towards the girls back. The spear pierced her armor with little resistance, and was enough to distract the green-haired Oni. A fatal mistake, as with the eased pressure on her neck, the young Oni used the distraction to draw a large quantity of aura for her favorite ability. She enveloped her hands in dark energy and placed them on Emerald's arm. Within a second the dark energy soon outlined all of the green-haired Oni.
"Release me." Laufeia demanded calmly. Reluctantly, Emerald's body obeyed. Unwillingly, the young Oni was freed, and her opponent was now under her command. "Good, now take your blades." Again, Emerald couldn't control her body as her hands griped the handle of her blades. Laufeia's face was now directly in front of Emerald's, an eerie grin was but an innocent smile compared to the young Oni's current expression. With only the ability to move her eyes, Emerald glanced down and saw the Oni being balanced on an arch made from...her shadow? While only catching a glimpse of power in Vale, it was amazing to see her use so little aura for her abilities. "Now, very slowly, run it through your neck." Her command sent shivers down the line of soldiers watching, more so how easily she demanded the death of a family member. Her body showed little resistance, but the power Laufeia was using was well above Emerald's. What she lacked in physical strength, she more than made up for it in aura. Though, as the tip of the blade was to pierce her skin, a white spear literally came between them, once hitting the ground it burst, and for a split moment, it blinded everyone with pure light. The result; Laufeia's shadows were cut from Emerald's, freeing her.
Once the light finally settled, the young Oni's eyes darted to the cause of the interruption. What she saw was more of an annoyance than shock. Emerald's savior floated above her with four angelic-like wings on her back, and a pure light outlining her body. Her platinum hair and violet eyes were perhaps her most outstanding features, given that they reminded Laufeia of the Tenko. The blonde Oni dared not make a move without first assessing the new threat thoroughly, all the while Emerald was regaining her stance, only now she reverted back to her human form. Torn remains of her tunic covered what little of her skin it could.
"Thanks kid." She noted while regaining a battle stance, yet a hand gripped her shoulder from behind. She turned to see Jaune with his guards, along with Nikolai and the Tenko. All of them somewhat relieved they arrived before both fighters got the chance to continue. "Stand down, Emmy." He commanded calmly, while ignoring her annoyed glare. His attention reverted to Laufeia, whom stood alone against this sudden reinforcement. Her lips pursed for a moment before returning to her usual grin. A tentacle arose from the shadows allowing her to sit calmly on it and wait whatever backlash he had. All the while secretly dreading what he would say.
"Why don't we just leave it at that, there's no point in continuing this fight. From what I heard you instigated this Lulu, and on that matter, Emmy only added fuel to the fire." He spoke as if he was their older brother, rather than their King. Giving them nicknames was bad enough, but coming down on them as if they were children in front of the Royal guards was indeed an embarrassing moment for Emerald, more so with her being one of the Guard Captains. Though, for Laufeia, she somewhat enjoyed her new nickname, and was breathing somewhat easier. Emerald turned her gaze away, all the while trying to hide an embarrassed blush. The young Oni on the other hand merely grinned somewhat innocently, scratching the back of her head carelessly. "Get patched up and make up." Just as Emerald was about to object, a finger was placed to lips. "That's an order." Jaune then left again, though before leaving, he patted the young child that intervened. "Well done." The small one's wings had dispersed after her intervention was successful, although, she was questioning the reason behind such a deathly fight between family members.
The blonde patriarch made his way again towards the city, his detail not far behind. Nikolai assisted his niece out of the crater and towards the medical wing in the palace. The guards went back to their posts, while the Tenko was left alone with the last line of her deceased younger sister. In a way, Laufeia is just like her grandmother, but is perhaps a bit more playful. And not in the best of ways. "Making enemies are you? And with our own family? This isn't what we agreed on when I lifted your seal. You do realize what the terms of your freedom are, do you not? The few words it will take to end your contract?"
Laufeia's smile ceased to fade, though in her head, she inwardly feared the words that would send her back to the catacombs underground. In mere minutes, any wounds she had were instantly healed. "I know, Nonna."
"Do you? Then do you trust Jaune enough to tell him about you? Your past, your fath-"
The Tenko's words were cut short as if by the mere uttering of her words; Laufeia was a mere inch away from her face. "That remains with us. Which reminds me; how did tall, dark and minty know about my past?" The Tenko had no words as to how her granddaughter knew about Laufeia's past, but now was more convinced that the young Oni had to earn the trust of Jaune. "I do not know, but if she knows, the chances of Alaric discovering your sin have risen. Laufeia, I'm sure Jaune will..." However, by the time she glanced to her granddaughter, the young Oni had already disappeared. She kept refusing to talk of her past, let alone allow anyone else to speak of it in her presence. But now she had to make a decision; trust her patriarch, whom probably sees her more as a threat than an ally after her light skirmish with Emerald, or risk being sent back to the dark catacombs of Florentiae. Then again, why give her a nickname? It was apparent he gave nicknames to people close to him, so did it mean he trusted her? Or was it because he was grateful to her for saving his friends? In either case she made sure to keep a close eye on the fellow blonde, because in truth, Emerald was right; Laufeia did want Jaune to accept her, not just to keep her contract intact, but also for a personal reason. Still, she was reluctant to reconcile with Emerald. Mainly due to her own pride.
Jaune on the other hand was having a somewhat awkward walk in the city. Aside from having the young child, whom identified herself as Meiling, and his detail pointing out a few landmarks and sights to visit, the whispers of nearby onlookers were more than enough to completely shatter his ego. Just as the guards made the simple mistake, the countless passerby whom took a glance at him had the same conversation with their company; she is so beautiful. He just couldn't understand it, he didn't have makeup, and he certainly had no cleavage...although to be honest some people do enjoy a more petite appearance. There was a small scar on his neck, not garish, but enough to draw attention. He was slightly muscular, though having the armor he did, and the style of his hair, the misunderstanding was somewhat expected. He could feel the playful smirks from his company, both were trying their best not to point it out. And many onlookers said nothing as to respect the Royal guards, especially a high ranking officer. Finally, after a few minutes into their walk, they found the marketplace. The sight was something to behold; countless stores offering different spices and clothing to their right and to the left were weaponry and commodities of all kind. Clothing styles, languages, books, food, and even different Grimm that flourished in their respectful regions were amongst the crowds. Jaune watched a Taurus pull a wagon filled with barrels to what looked like a tavern, possible hauling ale. This kind of interaction was unlike those of Vale; these were tame, still dangerous but seemed content with their labor. All sorts of culture from the eight provinces of the kingdom were gathered here in the capital city. Jaune could now see why his uncle spoke so highly of it; true peace was here, a community in which the three species lived together without the need to constantly fight. It was also noted that the blonde saw a few armored Grimm alongside a few guards at certain corners of the city streets. The security detail as one would put it.
After a long sightseeing, the four decided to rest by the city ports. The merchant ships were made of wood, and they seemed to go about by the winds in their sails. Slow, but peaceful to watch nonetheless. More so when some aquatic Grimm could be seen assisting in menial tasks. What made their little venture awkward were the guards they passed saluting him, not because of his nobility, but the ranking on his chest plate. Jaune was more or less happy to no longer worry about the Schnee overlooking his every move. But then, what became of his friends, knowing them, there was no way they would stay in the city. They'd go out and fight the Schnee army head on, and by Oum, Jaune wanted to gather every single soldier he had under his command and send them in as support, but after seeing their technology there was no way the Seran army would last in the fight. Even then, there was the civil conflict with one of this kingdom's provinces. And there it was; one of the first tasks Jaune would need to deal with as King of Sera: the Zheng unrest.
While Jaune glanced to the moving ships, Marcus walked off to search for lunch, leaving Wadjet and Meiling with the young king. Both of who were extremely nervous, but for their own reasons. Wadjet was still trying to figure out why she was chosen as his security detail, especially when she had little to no practice with her semblance. Still, it's something to brag about, especially to her family whom could barely believe she was a praetorian guard to begin with. Although, this King was not exactly what she expected, what she pictured was a rush-to-judgment, eager, and emotional...basically a reflection of Cerus. Instead, the boy was somewhat moody, calm, and irritated by honorifics. Not exactly what one would call a noble, but he was new to this kind of environment, or so she heard.
While watching another merchant ship sail away and another ship dock in the empty lot, Jaune's mind began sinking back to the memories of the days before being forced to leave Vale. His heart ached when his mind played images of Mishka and Vesta, both with their usual smiles. So much so, he almost broke down had a small tug from the hands of a young child no broken his thoughts. He glanced down to see the girl known as Meiling gleaming at him. In a way, Jaune was glad she appeared; her attack did cause enough of a distraction to break the nearly fatal match between Emerald and Laufeia. Thinking back on it, he wondered why a child as young as her was nearby the courtyard today.
"Are you the one Uncle Cerus told me about?"
Uncle? Wait, does that mean? Is this child an Oni?
"Are you the kin-" almost instantly, Jaune stopped her before she revealed who he was in public.
"Yes, but let's keep that between us. Okay?" He asked somewhat nervously. Meiling thought about it before nodding. If he was hiding the fact that he was the king, then he must think as she did; not wanting to be bestowed with a role that demanded too much. Just like the guards, the young Oni was stunned with the first impression of her king. When she heard her uncle Cerus was watching over him for over twelve years, and given the former king's history, she assumed Jaune would be almost a mirror image of him. What many didn't understand was that he didn't train under Cerus, nor did the two have a pleasant history, but there was a respectful trust amongst them. Meiling couldn't help but ask about the outside world, living her whole life in the Kievan province, a land filled with mountains and blistering winters year-round, Florentiae's lush green and warm summers gave her an immense curiosity about the rest of the world. If she knew the whole truth of the wars, blood soaked lands, and unfounded hatred amongst the species in the rest of Remnant no doubt it would kill her childlike curiosity. So instead, Jaune told her of the other kingdoms, their technological advances, and many other peaceful cultural differences that set them apart from the ones in Sera. When taking a glance to his guards, Marcus had returned and was sitting with Wadjet while listening to their king speak of life outside their fortified borders. Their expressions matched Meiling's, and it was then that Jaune remembered from the book Cerus gave him; Serans, unless given special permission by both the Tenko and King/Queen, may not leave the kingdom. And to ensure this law is enforced, Raptor Grimms guard the coastlines, and Leviathans cover a vast majority of the surrounding sea. As for the skies, either the Locusts or Nevermore scout the coast with their riders. In the millennia since the founding of the kingdom, there were only a handful of unexpected visits from the outside world, all ending with the complete extermination of the visiting party. It explained why they were so curious with the subject. Another fun fact of the established laws was to execute any and all outsiders that managed to sneak past the first lines of defense. If by any chance such intruders pass the Leviathans and Raptors the next defense force is the royal guard, the personal military faction of his/her majesty. The Praetorian Guards were the royal forces of Romana. One hundred elite soldiers from each province all bred and trained to fight and lay down their lives for their ruler and homeland. Eight hundred royal forces in total, yet with the unrest in Zheng, the guards were down by a hundred. By Jaune's memory, the eight provinces are; Romana, Cairo, Germani, Sendai, Galicia, Kievan, Zheng, and Persis. The last four were mainly provinces of agricultural and rural lifestyle. Romana and Germani were competitive provinces of military production, mainly ground forces. Sendai is actually a collection of islands just off the southern coast of the Zheng province, but is known mainly for its naval forces. Cairo bred the famous Mamuts, and its people are innovators in both commodities and weaponry. Every province was known for many unique elements within its societies, however, like any changing culture; there are some whom are quick to disagree with the old laws. Zheng was not one of those 'quick-to-change' societies. The people in this land enjoyed the laws set forth by their ancestors; it provided peace, security, and unison amongst the provinces. And while there were civil conflicts amongst them, none were so costly as the civil war in Zheng when even now lives are still being taken by rebels refusing to submit to the kingdom. All of this was written so bluntly, the number of casualties from a single siege alone left no reason for celebration. In truth, Jaune wanted no part in ruling Sera, but this was his birth home, where his bloodline escaped the persecution of the ancient humans. There was no place for him in Vale, or any of the kingdoms. None would welcome a monster that caused such destruction; they would fear him, and without a second thought, they would end his life. Lost in his own train of thoughts, the blonde was brought back to reality yet again by a tug of his tunic from Meiling. Battles aside, Jaune decided, if just for now, to make sure this kingdom avoided any form of war until at the very least everyone agreed to take arms.
Emerald had left the recovery wing and took a momentary stroll through the palace gardens. She couldn't believe she was scolded in such a manner and by her king no less. Either way, she was glad it wasn't her old man, she would've decked him pretty hard. As she walked beneath the countless trees, she stopped by the pond in the middle of the garden. There stood Laufeia, her smile was replaced with a blank stare, giving Emerald a cautious feeling to grip her blades. But then it hit her, she was forced to surrender her dual blades to her uncle. Laufeia's blank stare became a small glare. She walked towards the minty-haired girl; all the while each step stiffened the tension between them. "I have but two requests, both of which are nonnegotiable."
Emerald stayed quiet, accepting to listen was her best chance to stay alive at this point. Laufeia continued "I don't care what it is you think you know, but you will not share it with anyone, especially Jaune." When mentioning her patriarch, her words almost fell into a begging tone, and it didn't go unnoticed. The young Oni waited for a response, to which Emerald reluctantly nodded.
"And second..." It was at this moment Laufeia swallowed an immense amount of her pride. "I...I need your help with Jaune."
"You know, not that there are a lot of incest restrict...actually, there really aren't any restrictions on incest for Oni, but what is it about Jaune that catches your interest?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but I made a contract with nonna to protect Jaune with my life. And I can't perform my duties if he doesn't enjoy my presence."
"Yea, I'm not feeling a lovey dovey vibe between us either." Emerald remarked
"Noted. So, will you help me?" her question felt more like a dare to reject.
Before Emerald could respond, a small figure emerged from the nearby thickets and charged at Laufeia with a dagger in hand. With relatively little ease, a shadow tentacle picked up the charging assassin by his left leg and threw him in the pond. It was done with so little reaction that it almost seemed like second nature. Both girls glanced to the emerging assassin. Emerald being the only one to face palm upon recognizing the attacker's identity.
"Tai!" Came a shout from within the thickets, Tai emerged from the pond, dripping wet. From the thickets came his twin; Kai.
"What are you two doing?" Emerald asked her siblings while the young one pulled the other out of the pond.
Kai kept quiet and twiddled her thumbs nervously. Tai on the other hand kept a harsh glare on Laufeia whilst also keeping his silence. The blonde woman wasn't exactly the patient type when it came to people who tried to kill her, regardless of them being children. Still, it didn't mean she'd punish him too harshly. A tentacle arose from her shadow and retrieved a bamboo stick from one side of the garden, and with incredible speed, ran the stick into the boy's tunic sleeves and literally hung him between two trees.
"H-hey! Put me down!" He shouted, struggling to free himself. It was kind of adorable in a way.
"But you're wet, this way we'll dry both your cloths and you." Laufeia stated matter-of-factly.
After trying to get himself down, to no avail, Tai had tears growing near the corner of his eyes while turning to his older sister. "Big sis, please help."
Almost if a sadistic spark was lit in the cove that is Emerald's heart, the girl glanced to Laufeia whom was thinking the exact same thing; they were going to play this out. Though just as their fun was to begin, a small tentacle arose from Laufeia's shadow. The thing actually made an eerie cooing noise. The blonde Oni reacted as if she understood. It was both fascinating, and scary in equal measure.
"Is that so?" She quickly dispersed the tentacle and gave a playful smirk to her company. "It would seem our little game will need to be continued some other time. There is someone arriving at the gates in a little while. Shall we go meet him?"
"Yes we should." Emerald answered quickly, picking up her little sibling and rushing with the blonde to the gates.
"Wait!" The halting shout came from the boy still hung between two trees. "I wanna go too. Take me with you!"
"Why? You're still wet." Both older Oni answered before walking off, leaving Tai to continue complaining and shouting for help, unaware of the barrier set up by Laufeia prior.
With the sun setting, returning home was the king and his company, though on his back was Meiling sleeping soundly. The small group was only able to see half of the city, but it was a relaxing stroll nonetheless. As the iron gates closed behind them, Jaune was noticed a tall woman with long braided brown hair, and hazel eyes dressed in a long sleeved Ao Dai in the middle of the courtyard with three Praetorian guards. As soon as the king came into vision with the slumbering small one on his back the group ran to him. The woman's initial worried expression lightened when she saw her little one.
"My king, thank the gods you've found lady Meiling. The guards have combed the entire palace with nary…" the guard addressing him was cut short when Jaune gave the man a small glare for using the honorific he asked to be ignored. "Many pardons…Jaune." With little strength left to argue, the blonde gestured the man to return to his post while the woman took Meiling off of his hands.
"Jaune, was it? I thank you for bringing my daughter home. I am Mei, wife of Nikolai." She bowed respectfully, though not too much as her youngest child was sleeping in her arms. The woman quickly returned to the palace, leaving the blonde and his company in the middle of the courtyard.
Today was a long day, but not even close to over, just as the three were to follow into the palace, a light pair of footsteps drew their attention to Kai, whom was wearing a new black tunic, with a red sash wrapped around her waist. Upon seeing Jaune her face almost instantly gleamed. She ran towards him with open arms, small streams of tears could be seen falling down her cheek. "Big brother!" She shouted upon jumping unto him. Either her momentum was unnaturally strong, or Jaune was getting soft that it led to Kai tackling the blonde boy down very easily. The fall was pretty rough, though as the blonde groaned in pain while arising, he could hear the small one sniffling. "Papa said we almost lost you..." her grip on his tunic tightened, her head refusing to part. Jaune gently patted her head. This child and her twin were in a new place with more family just like them, but with the blonde being the closest thing to an older sibling they had, losing him would've devastated them.
Speaking of siblings, Emerald and Laufeia emerged from the garden entrance. The minty-haired girl gave him a somewhat envy expression, while Laufeia was smiling just as eerie as she usually would.
"So, did you two make nice?" he asked.
"Nope." Both responded
To which Jaune smiled, somewhat expecting the two to not make up. "Yea, I kinda figured… by the way, where's Tai?" his question brought a quick shocked and then calm expression from the two Oni before him, both glanced to each other and then to him.
"...I think he's dry by now." Laufeia replied.
Upon entering the Palace garden, the small group saw what looked like Tai hung by his tunic on a bamboo pole which itself was stuck between two trees. The boy seemed to be somewhat sleeping, though upon hearing new footsteps his head rose up. His expression lightened instantly when his eyes saw Jaune.
"Big bro!" He struggled a bit, though it was enough to shake the pole ever so slightly.
"Uh...hey Tai, whatcha doin?" The blonde boy asked, resisting the urge to laugh.
"Oh, you know, just hanging around." Tai half-joked.
When realizing who was the cause of leaving the boy in this state Jaune yet again scolded the two Oni, much to the embarrassment of one and the joy of another. The onlookers merely watched, Marcus and Wadjet were proud to have spent a day with the new king, more so the stories he shared of the outside world. Kai and Tai were just happy their father's teachings of an Oni never returning from rampage were wrong, and their older brother was the one who defied them. Truth be told, those within the family who knew of Jaune's return from his rampage were surprised themselves. Especially the Tenko, there were rumors her own mother once told her of Oni that fell to madness, and actually recovered with their life partners intact. But, they were merely rumors and nothing more.
Afterwards, Jaune roamed the corridors alone. He ordered his security detail to take Tai to the bathhouse to warm him up. While also to escort Emerald and Laufeia to their rooms, though that last request felt more like a death sentence given that minty-haired girl had a deathly aura emitting from her being from this scolding. Laufeia played along until she was able to sneak past these petty guards and wander about the palace on her own accord.
On his aimless stroll around the royal palace, he came to a halt in front of the medical wing. This was mainly used for the soldiers after sparring practice. Given that his both Marcus and Wadjet were relatively weak in aura, if their strength matched, then they would be in here a lot. Especially with the training exercises he had in mind for them. Just as he was to turn away from the door, it opened to reveal his uncle.
"Ah, good timing. I was just about to send for you. Come, there's someone who wants to speak with you." Cerus opened the door and gestured his nephew to enter. However Jaune was reluctant to see anything or anyone presented to him by his uncle. But just as he was going to brush him off, his nose caught a whiff of familiar sweet scent. That same one that brought him joy his first night at Beacon; Jasmine. Hesitantly, the blonde entered the medical wing; the entire room was empty save for one occupied bed. Lying comfortably was a silver-haired woman, staring aimlessly at the ceiling. Without notice, Cerus shut the doors, catching the attention of the girl. Her dark violet eyes turned quickly to her visitor, her body tried to sit up after recognizing her blonde. Her expression was a mixture of fear and sadness, the very thing that the blonde feared coming from her.
Very slowly, Jaune walked to her bedside, and sat on a nearby chair. Both their eyes refused to meet, but it was evident enough that watching Jaune become the monster that destroyed Vale was not an easy subject to tread on, more so that he never trusted her enough with the secret. The two sat in an awkward silence, unable to speak, much less make a movement without feeling awkward. Jaune knew what the law dictated, if it ever got out that Vesta was an outsider, she would be sent for execution, and while she probably hates him to the very core now, he didn't want her to suffer any more than what she went through because of him.
"Your uncle told me everything." Much to his surprise, it was she who uttered the first word, though her tone was small and whisper like. "We grew up together; you were my first real friend. I hate liars, and you promised to never lie to me. Yet you couldn't trust me enough to tell me what you are? Did I really mean so little to you?" her hands gripped the sheets, her emotions fought hard to keep her expression from breaking down.
"I didn't want to involve you in my fight. Besides, I had to protect my family and the last of my people. This is a fight I must walk alo-" before the blonde could finish, he felt a painful sting on his left cheek. Vesta's expression was now more anger than anything.
"That isn't for you to decide alone! We are family! If you thought some stupid excuse like that would change how I felt about you, then how can you consider us friends?! Regardless of race, we're friends...I meant what I said." Her adrenaline died down very quickly, she didn't regret giving him a piece of her mind, or giving him that slap. But he had just found out Mishka's feelings for him were mutual, and that the war in Remnant was all on him. The last thing he needed was someone else he cared about throwing more weight on his chest. Or at the least, she hoped he still cared about her.
"I'm sorry…I…I just didn't want you two getting hurt. I wanted to prove myself to my family, to show them I could take on the mantel my parents once held. But it's too much, I'm the cause of so much sorrow; how can I be anything but a monster after what happened in Vale?" Jaune kept his head lowered, unable to face her upon receiving her anger head-on. His tears were endless streams, unable to hold himself together any longer, all the bottled up emotions came out in this very moment. Vesta herself was also crying uncontrollably, but managed to find the courage to test him; to see if he still cared. She held his head and pressed it against her chest. Jaune was stunned for a moment before returning her embrace but hugging her somewhat tightly.
"You're not a monster…but you are a fool." Vesta whispered whilst she and her blonde shed tears for their fallen friend, for the strong bond they shared, and the blessings Oum bestowed upon them to keep the two from separating all over again.
In a separate recovery room, Cerus made sure the door was heavily guarded, and the room sealed of any leaking aura. There were more survivors from the destruction of Vale; this guest was per Emerald's request. While this woman posed no threat after having her powers sealed, she was still wary in the eyes of the Tenko. The old Oni glanced at the recovering woman, her wounds were just about healed, but she herself was still filled with anger and confusion after being betrayed by her partner and left for dead. All the while her new business partner was actually a creature so powerful he wiped out the Atlesians with little effort. And yet here she awoke to a kingdom, secluded from the other three with a man offering to give her a second chance at life.
"So…" Her glance was now directed to Cerus whom was holding a fresh pair of cloths. "Have you considered my offer, Ms. Falls?"
*Nonna: Grandmother
And done! We're in Menagerie, now the plot starts to thicken, and the tests begin to have quick recoil. Thanks for reading, until next chapter!