AN: Alright so I just wanna apologize for the wait. This chapter was originally supposed to be a lot longer but I had to cut out a bunch of stuff from this chapter since it doesn't advance the plot at all.
I don't have anything else to write so I'll just leave this as it is now.
Dream Cycle: The Father and the Sinner
Jaune stood frozen like a statue, standing before the fog gate that hid the world that would allow him to escape the nightmare. He took a deep breath and after holding it in for a bit, he let it go.
'One more time' he reassured himself 'This time, it'll be different'
He pushed through the fog gate, entering the world hidden behind it. Just as soon as he set foot onto the soil, the veteran hunter had immediately bolted towards him, dragging the axe along the ground.
'That's getting old' Jaune thought.
He raised his blunderbuss and fired. Pellets bellowed out from the barrel of the gun, and slamming into the veteran's chest, stunning him. Jaune used this opening to dash in and deliver a visceral attack. He kicked Gascoigne away, blood spraying all over him and dashed in once again, not letting the pressure up. Gascoigne was barraged in a whirlwind of attacks that ripped away of his flesh, never once dodging, and fired off a random buckshot, scaring away the young hunter.
Jaune backed off as Gascoigne reloaded the gun and fired off another buckshot. Once distance was made, Gascoigne tricked his axe into its elongated form and began his assault on Jaune. The veteran leapt for him and he dodged the attack with ease. He was about to greet the attack with his own counterattack, when suddenly, Gascoigne kicked his foot into the soil, driving dust into his eyes.
Gascoigne slashed at his abdomen, the attack, so strong that it knocked Jaune away from him. The mask protected any contents from entering his mouth, as he hit face first onto the soil. His instincts screamed at him and he rolled away just in time to dodge another attack. His vision now clear, Jaune procured two blood vials from his back pocket and stabbed them into his thigh. The effect was instantaneous, and the wound he sustained immediately healed.
The two hunters continued their dance, the battlefield becoming more and more destroyed as Gascoigne continued his destruction with unnatural strength. Jaune took out another vial and injected it into himself, before reaching for another, only to feel empty air in his back coat.
'Shit' He looked back, losing focus.
He felt a metal spike pierce into his stomach and looked to see Gascoigne holding his axe in a thrust stance. Raising his blunderbuss, Jaune fired at Gascoigne. The veteran snapped his head to the left, avoiding any lethal damage, however his ear was blown off. Jaune used this small second to pull out the spike and hauled Gascoigne into his range, using his own axe. He then hacked away at the surprised veteran, coating himself in more blood.
As more blood continue to coat him, he couldn't help but smile. He wanted more – no, he needed more! Jaune tackled Gascoigne to the ground and sawed away at him, with Gascoigne's shrieking becoming less human. Jaune raised the saw cleaver high, intending to cut down the hunter.
Suddenly, light exploded from the veteran, knocking Jaune away from him. He hit his back on a gravestone hard, knocking the air out from him momentarily. When he looked up, the hunter he had been fighting was now replaced by an unsightly beast.
The beast roared at him and leapt at him. Fear rushed through his body and he barely moved out of the way when the beast crushed the gravestones after landing, causing debris to fly everywhere – one even nearly hit his head.
'If we fight here, the debris is gonna kill me more than this thing!'
He turned away from the beast and bolted for the stairs he had been to before. As soon as he got to the top, he was knocked down onto the floor. The beast had threw a gravestone at him.
'W-what the hell!?'
He forced himself to stand despite the pain, however there wasn't enough time. The beast was already upon him and it grabbed him by the collar before smashing him into the stone floor. He raised the blunderbuss in hard labour and fired, it did nothing more than anger the beast.
The berserker opened its maw and bit into his left arm. He was then thrown away and he crashed into a wall, near a broken fence. He slumped down and stared at where his elbow is supposed to be.
"Oh…" he moaned out.
He could hear them, the booming footsteps of the berserker as it approaches him to finish the job. But with each step, a tiny item slowly inches its way out of his pocket, until it fell to the floor. His eyes snapped open and he stares at the berserker as it screamed, gripping its head in pain, all the while a tiny melody played in the background.
With scarce strength and determination driving his body; he stood, gripping his saw cleaver tightly before swinging at the beast with reckless abandon. He then used his singular hand to trick the saw cleaver and stab the weapon through the beast's heart.
The beast gave off a bellowing moan before exploding into mists and Jaune slumped the onto the slate floor, his eyes growing heavy. He was going to bleed out soon if he doesn't find a way to patch up his missing arm, not that death matters anymore.
He stands up weakly and picks up an item that dropped from the beast.
'A key… for that gate?' he queried.
He turned his attention away from the gate and limps towards where he crash landed and picks up the item that fell from his pocket, it was a tiny music box that was covered in blood, most likely the hunter's and his.
The music box seemed familiar to him, but he just couldn't place the feeling. He's been so busy just trying to kill the hunter that he forgot some of the stuff that he's been doing before. And why did that beast rea-
"My m-mum wears a red jewelled brooch. It's so big and beautiful. You won't miss it!"
His eyes widened as he bored his eyes into the contraption. A rotten scent reaches into his nose and he looks to his left to find a corpse of a blonde woman. And on the woman's chest, was a red jewelled brooch.
"If you find mum, give her this music box!"
He turned his attention back to the music box, his body feeling even heavier.
"Vio-" he slumped down to the floor, melting into mists.
PREY SLAUGHTERED
Location: Central Yharnam, Flashback
The ladder shook once more as the giant ramped itself into it, attempting to knock him down as he scurried up the ladder. Once he reached the top, he scampered backwards, away from the ladder until he hit what felt like a metal gate behind him. The ladder shook once more, but after waiting for a full minute, it had stopped.
He was breathing heavily, his lungs threatening to be crushed and his heart was hammering at his chest so hard that he thought it would burst out. That is, until he heard a tiny soothing melody coming from a nearby window.
There was a red lamp next to the window, with what he assumed was incense coming off it, and a spiked metal fence surrounding the building – forcing any thieves from climbing into the building from the window. Or maybe it was for beasts.
He just wiped the sweat off his forehead and approached where the soothing tune was coming from.
"W-who are you?" a little girl called from within.
He stopped dead in his tracks – just in front of the window "O-oh! Hi, my name's uh… Jaune. Jaune Arc"
"I don't know your voice" the little girl said "But I know that smell… are you a hunter?"
He sniffed himself and grimaced, he was coated in blood. No wonder the girl could smell him, he smelled of blood and shit, literally.
"Uh… yeah" he chuckled, embarrassedly.
"Then please, will you look for my mum?" the girl begged.
"What happened? Why would your mum go out during the hunt?" he asked, shocked.
"Daddy never came back from the hunt, and she went to find him, but now she's gone too… I'm all alone… and scared…" she sniffed.
Her dad was a hunter? Then her parents should be safe for now. But to leave their daughter all alone… there was no need to think, he already knows the answer.
"I'll find your parents and bring them back" he said.
"Really?" she gasps.
"Yeah, really. I swear it on my name, and an Arc never breaks their promise" he swore.
"Oh, I mustn't forget" the window lifted up slightly and a little arm poked out of it, a tiny music box resting upon the palm "If you find my mum, give her this music box!"
"I will, don't worry" he said, picking up the music box "I swear I'll bring them back"
"Hehe, I know you will" she chuckled "Oh! How rude of me, I haven't even introduced myself yet"
She opens the window so that he could see her clearly. She had crystal blue eyes and blonde hair tied into a ponytail by a beautiful white ribbon and she wore a light violet dress. But what stood out about her, was the hopeful smile on her face, compared to the gloomy environment it was like a ray of sunshine.
"My name's Violet!" She introduced.
"Ah and-"
"Jaune right?" she asks.
"Heh, yeah" he chuckles.
He lays his weapons onto the stone floor and sits across from the window, breathing out a sigh of relief. For the first time since arriving in Yharnam, Jaune felt as though he was out of harm's way.
"So, Violet" he says as he takes off his mask "What's your favourite food?"
Location: Hunter's Dream, Present
"Good hunter?" the doll called.
No response from Jaune. He only stared at the tiny music box which was still covered in the blood.
"Good hunter?" Doll tried again.
Still no response. He was still so transfixed to the bloodied contraption, disregarding everything around him.
"JAUNE!"
Something shook his shoulder, snapping him from his trance. He snaps his head upwards to find the doll holding onto his shoulder, the look of concern painted over its face. He blinks owlishly before he realized that he had never moved from the spot he arrived in the dream.
"Oh uh… hi doll" he greets, dusting himself "What's wrong?"
"Good hunter… I have already called you twice and you have not responded" it explained "and you seem so transfixed to that contraption. Is something wrong?"
He gazes back at the tiny music box; the silent machine still coated in the blood of the father he promised to bring back. For a second, an image of the hunter-turned beast flashed through his mind, and his grip tightened on the music box.
"No… nothing is wrong" he mutters, shakily.
"Excuse me?"
"I said nothing is wrong" he says louder.
The servant's eyes furrowed and sighs in frustration. It takes hold of his hands and brings him over to the spot which it usually resides. It sat him down along with itself, still holding onto his hand.
"Tell me good hunter" it says "what troubles you"
He didn't speak and avoided eye contact with the servant. The doll however only kept on waiting, until at least two minutes have passed without him speaking. Eventually, he spoke up.
"It all started with this thing" he gestures to the music box "I got it from a little girl called Violet"
"If you find mum, give her this music box!"
"She was sweetest person I have met out of everyone in Yharnam" he continued "She had this beautiful ribbon, and she resembles her mother so much"
The image of the corpse of Violets mother flashed through his mind.
"Her parents had went out during the hunt a-and" he hesitates, voice becoming shakier "and they never came back… so I made a promise to… to bring them back… I promised…"
The doll hugged him, attempting to console the hunter.
"Her mom's dead a-and…" he pants "I had to do it!"
"He was becoming a beast no?" it asked, to which he nodded to "Then you have shown him mercy. A life of a beast is a life no one deserves"
They sat together in silence, with doll holding onto his hand a lot more tightly than it should've. The act however brought him some small comfort.
"…"
"…"
"Thank you, Doll"
"There is no need to thank me good hunter" it replied.
"Yes, I do" he insists "Whenever I have a problem you would always be there to comfort me… always there to help. You deserve it"
"Well…" the doll said "It is my job to-"
"Take care of me" he finishes "I know"
He takes a deep breathe before letting it go, the crushing weight he felt was now slightly lifted. He stood up and once again dusted himself.
"I should go" He announces.
The doll nods as he kneels before the headstone.
"Central… Yharnam"
~~AMONGST US~~
Location: Tomb of Oedon
He lights the lamp and leaves the area of gravestones, heading back up to the area where he had fought Gascoigne. He didn't unlock the gate right away though and approaches the corpse of Violet's mom.
There laid against her chests, was the red jewelled brooch.
"Sorry…" he apologizes as he takes it off the corpse.
He was about to leave but he paused for a second before nodding. He wasn't going to leave, not when he hadn't paid the respects that she deserves.
He kneels down and clasps his hands together, the brooch held in between. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came. He took a deep breath and let it go.
"I'm… sorry" he mutters "for everything. If I had come sooner, if I had saved you. Then maybe, Violet would still have a mother. I… I will do everything I can, to protect her, even if it costs me everything"
He stands up from the floor and leaves the corpse alone.
How ironic. To have died in a tomb where the graves of the dead resided but never getting one yourself. A shame.
~~AMONGST US~~
Location: Cathedral Ward.
He pushed through the doors which reveal unto him a new area. He set foot in the setting, scanning the area around him. Aside from the large amounts of pots that were set around and the lamp in front him, there's nothing special. Except…
"What are you?" he asked the weird looking creature.
"Oh me?" it spluttered "heh, y'don't need t'worry 'bout mi…"
His eyes narrowed at that dubious comment.
"Ahh, but you… a hunter are ya?" the thing sniffed the air "The incense must've masked your scent. Good, good"
"Get to the point" he growled.
"Oh! No, no, no. I do not mean to impede you!" the thing exclaimed "These hunts have everyone locked up inside. Waiting for it to end… always does… always has, y'know?"
"And?"
"But it won't end very nicely, not this time"
"What do you mean?" he hissed, he's too tired to care right now.
"The folks hiding inside, they themselves are goin' bad" it answered "The screams of wimminfolk, the stench of blood, the snarls of beasts... none of em's too uncommon now. Yharnams done fer, I tell ya!"
"But you said you were waiting for me… why?"
"Well, if you spot someone with their wits about 'em… tell them about this here, Oedon Chapel"
"And why would I do that?"
"They'll be safe here! The incense wards off the beasts!" it practically shrieked "Spread the word... tell 'em to come on over. If you wouldn't mind... Hee hee..."
Jaune scanned the area once more. There were indeed incense and if he looked closely then he could see the wisps of smoke in the air.
'That's why there are so many pots' he hummed.
"This will be a safe haven?" he asked.
"Yes! Yes!"
"… You promise that they will be safe and that no harm would come to them?"
"Yes! I promise" the creature nodded furiously.
"… Fine" he grunted.
"Oh, oh thank you very much! I promise that-"
"I'm only doing this because there is someone I need, safe. Nothing more and Nothing less" he sighed "However… you don't seem like the type to lie… and you look like you genuinely want to help, so I'll trust you… for now"
The smile on the creature never left its face and he sighed again. He lit the lamp in front of it and looked back to the creature, confused.
"You don't find this confusing?"
"Ah! I can't actually see you doing anything so…"
The creature was blind. Good to know since he doesn't need people to start questioning him on why he starts to disappear.
"I'll be leaving"
"Goodbye, hunter! And I know I shouldn't be askin' again but-"
"I know, where do you think I'm going?"
"Oh! Carry on then!"
He grunted and left the chapel, descending to the library downstairs. He skimmed through the titles of books that laid about on tables as he walked by but stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes laid on a particular black book.
"The limits of Man" he read. That wasn't what caught his interest "by Old hunter, Merlot"
He ignored it; he'll have a look later when Violet is safe.
~~AMONGST US~~
Location: Central Yharnam
"It's not fair…" Violet whimpered "It's not fair!"
The little girl sobbed as she held onto the last memoires of her deceased parents close to her. Meanwhile he could only stand and watch this pitiful scene, unusually silent.
"Why did you kill him!?" she shrieked "Why!?"
He didn't answer – he wanted to but kept his mouth shut. Instead, he looked down and stared at the floor as Violet continued to bawl. This went on for minutes, eventually the crying stopped and the only thing that filled the silence in the air was her snivels.
"… I did it because he was sick" he finally said "too sick…"
She didn't speak and he continued.
"I had to put him down" he looked at her "To spend your entire life as a beast is no way to live"
"…"
"…"
"Come on" he called "We should go now"
"Not yet… I don't want to go yet…" she whimpered.
"… okay, I'll wait but we need to leave soon"
She ignored him, staring at the red jewelled brooch and the music box, both still coated in the blood of the parents. He sat down near the window and laid against the metal fence awaiting for her to signal for them to leave.
As time passed though, his eyes grew heavier. He assumed it was fatigue from the fight with Gascoigne and fought against the urge to sleep. But eventually, sleep triumphed and his head slumped down.
Location: Arc Household, Dom
"Oh, Jaune~"
He grunted at the annoying voice and swatted empty air. Can't they see he was trying to sleep? Oh well. They'll go away eventually, whoever they are.
"Jaune~ if you don't wake up, I'll have to wake you up myself~"
He grunted again, swatting the area where the voice came from but hitting nothing.
"Don't say I didn't warn you"
His eyes snapped open, sensing incoming danger and his arm moved by itself to catch the hand of someone trying to slap him. He gripped the hand tightly and traced it back to the perpetrator. It was his sister Valerie.
"D-damn!" she squeaked "You know I would've said buy me dinner first if you weren't my brother!"
"Val?"
"Why don't you let go of me now huh?" she strained "It's starting to really hurt…"
"Oh uh, right"
"Jeez, never knew you were that strong. You working out?" she joked.
He didn't respond but instead, eyed her like she was some sort of alien.
"Oh, come on! You always laugh at my jokes! What changed?"
"…"
"Silent treatment huh? Oh well, mom sent me to get you ready for breakfast" she held his arm "Don't make me drag you now"
He nods and stands up from the bed to leave but immediately drops to his knees. Pain was shooting throughout his whole body, but it was his left arm that hurts the most, it almost felt as if something has chomped it off.
"Woah, you good there?" Valerie asks, rushing over.
"Y-yeah" he strained.
"Hey, don't lie to me" she warns as she picks him off the floor "Come on, we don't want you to fall over during breakfast now do we?"
They made their way to the noisy living room, albeit slowly with Jaune's pain. The reason as to why the living room was so noisy was because Valerie and Augustus was back which would mean one of them have to deal with the younger siblings pestering them about their adventures as a huntsman.
When he sat down at the dining table he was immediately met with concern by Maya, who sat to his left.
"Jaune, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine"
They stopped speaking then, although Maya would glance at him from time to time, which he caught quite easily. This brought him a tiny smile, even if they were awkward with each other, they still care for each other's wellbeing. Afterall, they were family.
"Alright! Breakfast is ready!" Jeanne shouted from the kitchen.
When his mother came over, he was greeted with a heart-warming meal, the scent of it was enough nearly bring a tear to his eye. However…
'Do I… even deserve this, after what I did?'
AN: So to clarify something about the Short hunter's appearance in the omake below. His cape is like the cape from Kianna's Divine prayer battlesuit without the crosses. Just search that up if you don't know about her or Honkai Impact 3rd. If you didn't go to my profile, you would've known that I was sick before so I couldn't really work well. Well anyways that's all I have for now I guess. Sleep.
By the way, fare warning. I don't know Japanese so before you type a hate review or something, please just keep that in mind.
Joke Story: Ray of Sunshine PT.1
The sun was out, it was bright and red, almost as if it were like a shining ruby you would find in a mine. It was a normal day out in Yharnam, at least that is what the citizens would think. The two people hiding behind the building though. Oh, they knew better.
The duo consisted of a short and tall person, with the short person only reaching up to the taller one's shoulders.
The short one was garbed in a weird black outfit that had gold trinkets hanging off the outfit like talismans, there was also a weird cape flowing from the back that split into what resembled isosceles-acute triangles. He wore leather gloves, with a metal gauntlet clinging to his left glove. To end it off, he wore a black Yharnam hunter cap that had a dirtied white feather poking out from the right side of the cap, along with a black mask that hid most of his face.
The taller one wore similar gloves but was garbed in navy clothing with a cape flowing down his back. The man wore a wide brim hat that had a similar dirtied white feather poking from the right side and wore a white mask that also had some trinkets tied to it.
These two were obviously foreign hunters, but why were they hiding behind the building like cornered rats? The short hunter sweated like he had sprinted home while it was raining, while his partner though, looked like he jumped into the river with the amount of sweat that is streaking from his face.
"Today of all days…" the tall hunter says, shakily "Why is my luck so shit?!"
"How the fuck did she even find us?" the short hunter pants.
"I don't know man" the tall hunter coughs out "Look, we just need to wait till nightfall, then we'll be safe"
"Will it even become night?' the short one daunted.
"It has to!" the tall one yelled "i-it must!"
Across the open street, a door opened and a Yharnamite looked at them with a raised brow but shrugged and left his home. His only haven.
"NO STOP!"
"YOU IDIOT!"
The warning came too late and the Yharnamite stepped into the rays of the bright red sun.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
The skin bubbled and seared with steam coming off the Yharnamite's skin. The shape of the Yharnamite then started to shift and the bubbling skin became smoother and more otherworldly.
"Fuck…" the hunters said, synchronised.
The Yharnamite turned to look at them, revealing his horrid transformation.
His eyes are more rounded and bigger than they are normally, his pale skin now brighter than it was supposed to be. But what set them off was the happy, manic, and shining smile on his face. One they know too much of.
"Teehee! Rawr" the thing squeaked.
The duo back away further into the shade, pulling out their weapons.
The short hunter pulled out a katana-like weapon. The trick weapon's name was "Kane Ya" (Chime Arrow), a weapon which can turn into a bow that can fire arrows with various imbuements. Additionally, the arrows themselves can be used as daggers as well.
While the tall hunter pulled out an odd weapon. It was a small pillar made of marble, attached to a sword's hilt. The weapon's name was "Gigantes' Pillar", a unique trick weapon which in its first form, functions more like a bat but when tricked, it will split into several parts, turning it into a giant whip. One that can demolish a small squad of church hunters.
"Chad… what do we do?" asks the short hunter.
"It's okay…" Chad reassured "It's only one of those freaks, as long as nobody else comes out, we'll be fine"
And like a curse, the doors to the many buildings starts to open.
"…"
"…"
"Think we can run?" asks the short hunter.
"YOU IDIOT!" Chad screamed "If we go out there then we'll turn into one of those things!"
"Remember what happened last time?" the short hunter asked "You lived! If we're fast enough then we might be able to get to the tomb of Oedon!"
"IF" Chad stressed "You have the worst stamina out of us both"
"rawr?"
They turned around to the origin of the noise, only to find the street nearly covered by infected Yharnamites.
"Shit"
"You know, Acies. I think you might be right" Chad said suddenly.
"Finally" Acies groaned "So… book it?"
"Book it"
And so, the duo charged through the horde of infected Yharnamites, blood scattering and painting the street red as they endured the burning light of the red sun, killing any freak that tries to hold them down, all while the freaks chanted "BTS" (more like squeaked really).