Disclaimer- NOTE: This is the only time I shall say this, as everyone who actually bothers to read the story should see this notice on top. I do NOT own RWBY, or the other licensed material will find in this work. Wish I did, but I don't. The concept of this story is mine, along with certain plot elements, and ripping me off without permission will bring my wrath upon you. That is not, I repeat NOT, something you want looming over your head. Thank you for reading this disclaimer, and please enjoy the story.

WARNING

This story will contain obscene language, mass & articulately detailed violence, philosophical undertones, and more than likely sexual content. If you can't stomach such content , and have the gall to flame me after reading this clearly labeled text of forewarning, you can go die in a pit & hope that I do not feel enraged enough to hunt you down so as to devour your waste of a soul.


From the Ascending Shadows

Canto III- Sepolcro dei Sogni

Jaune rushed along the path he traveled, hoping against hope to arrive at the Kaldwin Residence before any of the murderous invaders did. As he ran, he couldn't help but despair as he saw his world burn & crash around him.

The boy ran by the old trading outpost, almost well-fitted enough to be referred to a general store. Now the shop's windows were shattered, its doorway smashed in by ballistic ordinance, its merchandise either destroyed, stolen, or fluttering in the wind.

The shop's owner had offered Jaune a job when he heard about his failure to enter Signal. Jaune's hard work had been close to earning him a promotion to manager. The cadaver of that dream now cooled amongst the corpses of the townspeople.

The boy ran by the library. It wasn't a large library, certainly not as expansive as the grand repositories of knowledge found at the capitals of 4 great Kingdoms. The library didn't even have a database or SchneeNet connection. Just a dusty assembly of tomes, scrolls, novels & comics. Yet Jaune had loved the old building all the same.

Jaune had grown up listening to stories while at the library's day-care center, of valiant heroes & dastardly bastards. He would frequently borrow comics imported from Vale, starring Hunters like Glynda Goodwitch & Professor Ozpin of Beacon Academy. Jaune had actually used his connections to secure some imported SchneeNet cables from Atlas, so that the library could finally expand its collection of works. Said building now rose to the sky as ashes, its wonderful texts & Jaune's beloved memories devoured by a Dust-fueled inferno.

The boy ran by the barracks. The town had no police station, outside of kingdom boundaries as it was. No, only watchmen protected this town. Former soldiers, Hunters, mercenaries, escaped Menagerie gladiators, and plain volunteers. Jaune's grandfather had been commander, guarding the walled town from rampant Grimm, roving bandits, and ravaging rapscallions of all types.

After the death of his parents, Jaune's grandfather had taken him to little Domrémy, hoping to train the boy to become a Hunter, like his family before him. Despite Jaune's failure to be accepted the first time around, Justinian Arc refused to lose faith in his descendant. He had begun to groom him to become the new commander of the watch, Lord Protector of the town. The watchmen & their barracks were the first to fall, obliterated by Vale artillery. Justinian Arc fell with them. Pipes underneath the barracks were badly ruptured, flooding the area, drowning any survivors, and Jaune Arc's redemption of honor.

However, the young Arc had no time to grieve or reminisce. His one key to the future, his one chance at having a family, his one-year old daughter, was at risk. He had to rescue her. Who knew what would happen to her if she was found by the invaders. The Faunus might take her, and that wasn't the worst option. What if she was found by HUMANS? Jaune had no desire to find out. The Kaldwin residence within viewing distance, Jaune began to slowly make his way to the household, having spotted Vale banner nearby.

Jaune quietly inched forward, drawing out Crocea Mors with his good arm. He soon reached the metal fence surrounding the residence.

The Kaldwin residence was no mansion, what with Domrémy being the small township that it was. However, when the former Kaldwin patriarch (Jessamine's grandfather) had escaped from Menagerie, land of the exile Faunus, he brought along with him many treasures "reappropriated" from his former Corporate Overseers (read: slavers). This included a massive cargo of weapons-grade Dust. Selling the Dust in exchange for sanctuary for his fellow escaped Faunus & a hefty sum of lien to the township, the elder Kaldwin was able to build a nice, pristine condo, with glass windows, white paint, several floors, a barred fence & gate, and several servants, both faunus AND human.

Now the gate had been flattened by a troop-transport. The painted walls were now spotted with black, charred bullet-holes. The bodies of security personnel & common servants alike were strewn across the lawn, the servants having been executed after the guards had been liquidated. The front door had kicked in, slanted on its hinges. Jaune could hear a woman's screaming from inside the household.

There was only one soldier outside from the house, as far Jaune could tell. Jaune could see his armor, black, with red cloth under it, and red visor on his similarly black helmet. The symbol of Vale was proudly red & emblazoned on the back of the soldier's armor. There was no mistaking the soldier's identity, but the coloring deeply troubled Jaune. This was no ordinary soldier. The soldier leaned against the driver's-side door of the transport.

A few gunshots rang out, as a young wolven faunus ran out the door, clutching his injured arm. Another shot rang, and blood spirted from the boy's chest, the bullet in his back having destroyed his heart & ripped through his ribcage. The boy quickly fell to the ground, dead.

Jaune's eyes hardened with anger when he saw this. He knew the boy. He worked as trainee butler for the Kaldwins, and would help babysit Emily whenever Jessamine or her parents were occupied. Jaune turned his glare to the porch stairwell, a new figure emerging from the entryway, most likely the boy's murderer. And soon those aforementioned eyes scrunched in confusion.

For this man, like the kingdom soldier before him, did not dress in standard Vale military uniform. No, his outfit was much more garish. He wore a purple shroud, with a pointy end & two holes for his eyes. On the forehead was thin silver cross, surrounded by a circle, with a dot between the lines instead of a clean cross & overall resembling a gun's crosshair. He wore a similarly purple tunic, with an amulet resembling the same symbol on his forehead lying on his chest. The silver cuffs of his tunic resembled bear-traps, and his shoulders had two ropey & equally silver epaulets on them. Upon the man's lower body, in addition to his white pants & black boots, he wore a silver smock across nether regions, chains securing it to his hips, bearing a blue emblem resembling a bull's skull. Finally, the man had what appeared to be a bird's cage strapped to his back.

Behind him, two similarly dressed men followed, only with pink tunics, white embroidery, black pants, white boots, and a reverse-colored smock. They also lacked the strange birdcage that their evident leader wore. Jaune knew that the latter was the leader, for when he ordered his two compatriots scalp the faunus-boy's corpse, they jumped to attention. The man began to reload his simple blackdust revolver, and then clean it, ornately pommeled & embroided as it was. Jaune's heart overflowed with rage at the man's casual attitude to murder & the desecration of a corpse.

The subordinate pair soon drew a pair of strange tri-hooked gauntlets each, the hooks beginning to whir like a buzzsaw, and began to cut into the wolven faunus's skull. Jaune recognized the weapons. The skyhooks, an Atlasian military weapon used by naval crews to repel borders & for STAG-police units to scale buildings when chasing criminals. What were Vale-military troopers doing with Atlasian weaponry?

The young Arc then shook his head, chastising himself. Now was not the time for questions. He needed to punish these murderous bastards for daring to desecrate someone's corpse in such a manner. Jaune began to move forward, his heart raging with a flame for retribution. That is, until a voice began to douse his inferno.

*Be wary, young nephelim… for they are no simple murderers. Those men are from the Zookeeper Assembly, an international paramilitary order of anti-faunus fanatics… dedicated to the elimination or enslavement of all faunus found living outside of Menagerie… they were also founded by a former member of my cult. The purple one before you appears to have used one of my artifacts gain the one of powers of my followers, if his strange aura signature is anything to go by…*

"How are you speaking to me? It's not as if we've made a pact yet."

*You still where my bone charm. It allows me to telepathically communicate with you.* Jaune's good eyebrow rose, many questions filling his mind. He then laid a massive facepalm upon himself, forcing himself to focus on the situation at hand.

"Doesn't matter… I've got to stop these fuckers. Besides, Emily's still in there. I don't think that they'll let me waltz right in. Yet I can't get around the house without being seen. Direct confrontation it is…"

Unfurling his collapsible shield, despite the strain on his mangled arm, Jaune moved to approach the murderers, sword at the ready & shield arm lagging behind him, barely keeping its guardian implement off the ground.

Jaune dealt with the Vale trooper first. Bringing Crocea Mors all the way to his shield arm, he then swung his blade in a clean arc, separating the soldier's head from his shoulders. The helmeted skullbox went soaring into the air, landing by the pair of pink Zookeepers, who could only watch in horror as the soldier's neck spurted with a fountain of blood. The headless cadaver fell to its knees, and then embraced the ground, falling forward.

The two murderers were not speechless for long, however, and they soon rushed the young Arc, screaming in rage, skyhooks whirring with equal fury. The first one came at his left, probably having noticed his injured eye. Jaune bent a knee to the ground and forced his shield over him as the Zookeeper attempted a downward slash, skyhook getting caught on the edge of the shield. Jaune forced his shield & the man's arm up, exposing the latter's stomach. Jaune took advantage of this opening, slashing across the murderer's lower body, guts falling to the earthen floor. Two down.

Jaune retracted his shield while keeping an eye on the second Zookeeper, the damn thing weighing too much on his mangled arm. He needed more mobility. This Zookeeper, initially stunned at the death of his comrade, screamed with a maniacal anguish and charged at Jaune, wildly swinging his skyhook. Jaune in turn stabbed Crocea Mors into the ground, then spin-vaulted over its pommel, launching an overhead kick onto the man's skull.

The Zookeeper stunned once more, Jaune pulled Crocea Mors out of the ground from behind him. Keeping the blade at his back, Jaune motioned with his mangled arm as if to backhand the Zookeeper. Instead, he unfurled his shield, slashing the man's throat with razor edge of the guardpiece. Blood sputtering from his windpipe, the Zookeeper dropped the skyhook, clasping the bleeding wound. Jaune finished the battle with a swift stab through the chest, shoving the corpse off his blade as it spasmed in death.

Jaune put a knee to the ground, dropping his blade & clutching his heart, panting with exhaustion. That is, until, he felt a barrel placed against his head, a the click of a pistol's safety being removed. Jaune had forgotten about the leader.

""You've caused us alot of trouble, fornicator. I hope you're proud of your last moments before you put you down like your faunus bedmate." The Zookeeper gestured, to the half-scalped wolven faunus. He spoke with a notable Atlasian accent.

"Stand up and face me." The young Arc obeyed the officer, glaring into the eyes of his captor; the only visible part of the latter's face.

"Normally, I would simply put a bullet in your brain & be done with it. However, you… you have murdered two of my brethren, not to mention one of our allies. No, I intend to make you suffer for your blasphemy. You like these animals so much? Maybe you won't mind entertaining few for a meal!" And with said, the Zookeeper raised other hand, a mutated hand. It only had four fingers, shaped as a raven's talons, orange and ringed as well.

Suddenly, an assembly of ravens crows, jackdaws, and all manner of other carrion began to assail the young Arc. Some scratched at his face, others picked at the dead flesh on his mangled arm, and another ripped out his already injured left eye. The Outsider began to call out to him-

*Your aura, young Nephelim! Draw out the wings of Oum!*

And as Jaune's pain worsened, he felt inclined to listen to the voice in his head. Igniting his aura, the ethereal wings which manifested when the young Arc first called upon the Outsider appeared. Shielding the young Arc, they soon spread, batting away the carrion as if leaves in the wind. Despite being entirely composed of energy, they radiated a force so strong that they defend against even material threats.

As his wings faded away, Jaune slowly turned to the Zookeeper, who he had turned his back upon during the avian assault. The young Arc slowly began to march towards the murderer, the wounds of his body, save his eye & arm, having been entirely healed. The Zookeeper, despite the utter terror drowning his heart, clumsily drew a sword from behind his back, the clawed fingers of his mutated hand fumbling with the blade.

Jaune withdrew Crocea Mors from is sheath in the ground.

Mustering his little remaining courage, the Zookeeper lunged with a forward stab of his blade. Jaune quickly parried, swiftly closing the distance between him & his opponent, making spiral flourish around his opponent's sword arm. Said arm quickly fell to the ground.

Dropping his pistol and grasping his stump, the Zookeeper howled in agony. The howl was swiftly silenced, as Jaune slammed the pommel of his blade into the murderer's throat, crushing his windpipe. As the man bent over, gasping for a breath that he could not retain, Jaune slammed his knee into the Zookeeper's face, planting the murder's nose into his brain, and ending the battle.

Disregarding the murderer's corpse, Jaune instead turned his attention to the murderer's arm, wondering why it remained so mutated.

*Have no fear, young Arc…. For this this man used my magics without my blessing… His mutation is a curse that all thieves of my power shall receive. Whence you pledge yourself to my service, you need not fear such disfigurement.*

Nodding his head, Jaune proceeded to loot the corpses for anything useful, the irony of the situation not lost upon him, what with his robbing the corpses of murderous raping looters. Asides from some coinage, Jaune confiscated the Zookeeper Officer's pistol, and armed himself with one of the other Zookeeper's skyhooks. It was a far more dexterous tool for his mangled arm than his shield for the moment.

Having gathered the items he wanted, Jaune began to make his way to the doorstep of the Kaldwin household.

Jaune cleared the first floor fairly quickly, what with the only resistance being more Zookeeper grunts & what he now assumed to be imposter or rogue Vale troopers. The young arc liked to call them pseudo-troopers Jaune made his way to the stairwell, pausing by an ornate bureau. Asides from the standard family framed-pictures, there was a small photo of Jessamine, Emily & the young Arc. It was taken last summer when Jaune and Jessamine had rekindled their relationship. His one good eye shed an equally singular tear for another dead dream.

Sheathing Crocea Mors to his side, Jaune withdrew his ornate pistol, slowly activating the spin function on his skyhook. It was a wise move, as a pseudo-trooper jumped down to him from the above floor. Rapidly spinning his skyhook, Jaune drove it into the man's chest, impaling & vivisecting the ambusher in midair. At the same time, a Zookeeper ran down the steps shotgun in hand. Jaune shot him twice, once in the shoulder, and then another bullet to the crotch. The murderer folded quickly. Shaking the corpse off his skyhook & idly bisecting the Zookeeper's face with the same weapon, Jaune made his way up the Steps.

When he arrived, there were more invaders in the hall, but Jaune quickly dispatched them with a bullet to the nearby radiator's gas tank, a propane-fueled inferno consuming his enemies as starving man did his new meal. Normally, Jaune would have paused to gawk at the mass destruction that he had caused, but he remembered hearing screaming outside, and Emily was still at large.

Jaune began to kick down the doors, killing any remaining troopers that he found. He had picked up a few grenades earlier from the corpses on first floor and simply checked them into any room that lacked a cradle. It wasn't until he reached the final door that he put the grenades away, guessing that this was where Emily was. Jaune quietly prodded the door open with his foot, keeping his pistol at the ready. What he saw maid his blood boil.

Castilla Curnow, governess of the Kaldwin household & Emily' primary nanny, lay draped over a cradle, her back shielding its wailing occupant from harm. Alice Liddell, a beautiful rabbit faunus, and Jessamine's best friend was huddled near the room's bed. She was naked, and held her hands to her face as she wept.

Heard some shuffling to his left, and quickly pointed his pistol in said direction. Tuning his head, he found an unarmed Zookeeper, all naked save for his mask. Looking at the weeping female faunus, her state of attire, and considering her distressed manner… any boiling blood in his vein vaporized as an inferno raged in his heart once more. Not even bothering to question the rapist, he quickly emptied his last bullet into the man's skull.

Rushing over to the weeping faunus by the bed, Jaune pulled one of the sheets of the mattress, trying to cover the girl and preserve some of her dignity. The rabbit faunus didn't react well lunging at him, trying to stab his eye with her clawed fingers. Jaune grabbed her wrist, and then simply put his arm around her hugged her. The girl bit into his shoulder, clawing at his side with her free arm, until she calmed down began to weep again. The two stayed in that position for a while, until a wailing arose from the crib once more.

Letting the Liddell girl go, Jaune gently placed the sheet over her quivering form, and drew himself over to the crib. With an equally gentle touch the young Arc removed the body of Castilla Curnow, placing her by the crib. And then he took his first glimpse at his daughter. Mind, you he had met Emily before. Even babysat her a few times. But this was his first time looking at her as HIS daughter.

She was beautiful. Her little nose was scrunched, her lip pouting at her young father. Little tears were swelled at her eyelids, but this nothing to detract from the absolute affection Jaune felt for her at that moment. Her little fists were balled up, one of her little feet kicked in a twitchy motion. Her face was a little red from her earlier distress, her black hair mussed, probably from rolling in the crib. Two little ears perked up at the sight of a familiar face.

Jaune folded the blades of his skyhook and holstered his pistol. He took the little faunus babe in his good arm, her head resting against his chest as she sat on the crook of his arm. Emily looked up at him with big, golden-flecked brown eyes, her little hand reaching to trace the scar on her daddy's face. Despite the pain of the contact stabbing all the way to his missing, Jaune refused to flinch and ruin the moment.

Jaune quietly began to stroke the little ears on his daughter's head, and for a small moment, Jaune was at peace.

Jaune had begun to make his way back to the fallen House of Oum, with Alice holding onto his bay daughter behind him. Jaune was careful to guide his two charges through the least noticeable rout, explosions still raining overhead as the Zookeeper forces & faunus revolutionaries continued their bloody conflict throughout the streets of the township.

Alice had wrapped Emily in a large blanket, strapping the babe to her back as a makeshift sling. The faunus of the Liddell family herself now wore white armor over a blue & white petticoat, with a flowing skirt covering her legs. Her blonde hair was held together by a blue bow, her bunny ears tucked behind as well.

Jaune had made a small detour at the behest of the Outsider, heading to his grandfather's former house & looting the old shed in the backyard. It wasn't far from the Kaldwin residence, mind you. Jaune's grandfather, as Lord Protector of Domrémy, was expected to live close the mayor's residence, so as to ensure that the mayor of the village always had protection nearby. Not that it had mattered. Justinian was one of the first casualties of the massacre, and Jessamine's parents were swiftly executed by the Zookeeper troops.

The aforementioned shed had been filled with strange runes that Jaune assumed were involved in some ritual that worshiped the Outsider. In it, he found a large bag, which the Outsider informed him was full of useful materials that Jaune would later require once he pledged his service to the primordial entity. In addition, there was strange, thin blade folded up when Jaune pressed a button near its hilt.

That being said, Jaune had no time to ponder about the strange items, as his little group had arrived at the fallen House. However, all was not well, as a group of porcelain-masked faunus stood outside the doors of the Sepulcher, likely so as to take refuge heavy artillery & ballistics pouring into the town.

Their leader, a pink-haired faunus with a feathery mohawk & red ballroom attire, frilly cuffs and al, cracked a whip impatiently as the men tried to force the chapel's door to open. It was a strange whip, resembling a chain of flamingos spitting out one-another as the whip extended. Its handle resembled a pair of avian legs, with a clawed pommel at its end. Like the other faunus he wore a porcelain white facemask, marred by a black, five-clawed effigy that decorated it. It had small eyeslits as well.

"Push, you lumbering buffoons! I will not be made the laughingstock officer of the Black Talon! I have no intention of dying from mortar fire before I even get to slaughter a few of the human scum. Push, I say!" the flamingo cracked his whip once more.

Jaune motioned for Alice to lay low, as he slowly made his way towards the group. Jaune withdrew the folding sword, as it was smaller, lighter & quicker than Crocea Mors, which was exactly what he needed for the operation he was about to attempt. Pulling out his last grenade, Jaune crept a little closer towards the group, and then let the micro-ordinance fly.

There was utter pandemonium. Initially a group of seven, the Black Talon forces were son cut down to four, as three were sent flying by the grenade with various mortal wounds. The others not assailed by the blast were still unsettled & spread in disarray, the explosion blind or disorienting them.

Jaune seized this moment to rush the group, folding blade in one hand and skyhook in the other. Stabbing the kidneys of one Talon, he at the same time drove his skyhook into the neck of another, activating the spin function so as too free his goring instrument. Two bodies hit the pavement. The flamingo attempted to catch him with a quick lash of the whip, but instead the beaklike scythe-blade at its end caught in the neck of his remaining subordinate. Undaunted, the pink Talon tugged his weapon free from its prison, leaving his compatriot to die in spurting agony.

The flamingo tried for another go, but Jaune was ready for him. Lifting his skyhook, Jaune caught the whip with his own weapon, activating the spin function once more. This forced the flamingo towards him, and the young arc quickly finished the battle, driving his blade through the faunus's jaw into its brain, killing his foe instantly.

Jaune motioned for Alice to come out of hiding, and the rabbit faunus quickly complied, staring at the scattered bodies in shock. Jaune used his aura to increase his strength, pushing the door open & the statue that had kept it barricaded to the side. Noting the Outsider still floating above the altar, and the lightly breathing Jessamine, the young Arc rushed over to his lover's side, motioning for Alice to follow.

"Jessie! Wake up! I'm back, and I've brought Emily! Alice, too. See, we're going to make it out of this okay!" Jaune was elated to finally be reunited with his girlfriend.

Eyes flickering open, Jessamine could not help but smirk a little at her love's optimism. Yet her eyes were very somber.

"…Jaune, love, let me see our Emily…" Eyebrows furrowed at her sad tone, Jaune complied with her request. Ushering Alice to hand him his daughter, he cradled the little lovable bundle before placing his baby in its mother's arms. Jessamine's lightened in mood a bit, her ears perking at the feel of her little daughter nestled in her chest.

"…So young, and yet you've braved so much loss already. You're so much like your father… I hope that you grow to be as kind as he is as well to compliment his fiery courage… be a good little kitten, my little Emmy, for Alice as well as your Daddy." Emily, though fast asleep, nuzzled her head into her mother's chest, as if acknowledging the instructions that she received.

"…You didn't mention anything about her being good for you…" Jaune's eyes drooped in sadness. Jessamine smiled ruefully, and stroked the back of her hand against his face to console him.

"Tis as I said before love; I won't live to see the end of this horror around us… I'm just so glad that I could spend my last moments with you, and our daughter, and even my best friend…" at the mention of this, the friend in question smiled, despite the tears flowing from her crying blue eyes. Jessamine motioned for the rabbit faunus to come over, and Alice complied. The panther faunus in turn handed her baby to the rabbit girl, sorrow once more filling her eyes.

Turning her attention back to her lover, she now clasped his face with both of her hands.

"Jaune Arc, I want you to know…" she began to cough, blood spattering as she did so. The girl then continued.

"I want you to know… that I love you, that I always loved you, and that you a darling knight in shining armor, MY darling knight... and that I don't regret and never will regret a single moment of the time we shared together." At this her lover began to tear up.

"But… but what *sniff*… but what am I going to do without you? What will Emily or even Alice do without you? You're all we have!" The aforementioned tears began to flow even more freely.

*If I might interrupt… I may have a solution to the boy's problem…*

"And what might you suggest, dear specter?" the Kaldwin girl's voice was less hostile then when she initially encounter the Outsider, as the creature had kept up its end of the bargain so far. At the same time, she motioned for Alice to take Emily to the priest's quarters, which was one of the few surviving rooms of the House of Oum, as well one secluded from the hall of worship, where the group was assembled. The rabbit faunus quickly complied, unnerved by the presence of the foreign entity.

*Regardless of whether or not the boy decides to care fro the youngling, of which I have no doubt he does… the boy shall require guidance in making decisions while interacting with others… for he is till young, and impressionable, despite his prowess n battle…*

"And…?" queried the panther faunus. Weary as she was, she still mustered the strength to raise an eyebrow.

*…I think you have a fairly strong idea of what I mean to imply… my moniker is not merely for show… as a being foreign to the realms of the material… I can offer the young earthbound only so much guidance as to the nature & intentions of his fellow men… be they faunus or human…*

"And…?" the Kaldwin heir queried once more.

*As you are guaranteed to die regardless of any efforts your lover or I may apply in attempting to rebuke such a fate… there is a way to actually preserve your soul… or at least a fragment of it…. so that you may still guide him as he travels at my behest…*

"And what might this 'preservation' entail?" unease flowed unfiltered from the faunus girl's voice.

*The boy must take your heart for his own… rip it from your chest, and place it in his own… whereupon I would use my magics to bind your remaining life-force to his…*

"WHAT?!" At this Jaune Arc rose to his feet, prepared to draw his sword on the Outsider. Only Jessamine's hand tugging at his arm stayed his hand.

"Here him out, my love… listen to him... you are bound to serve him either way… let him help you…" as the panther faunus said this, the life began to fade from her eyes.

"No, Jessie!" Jaune quickly dropped his knee again, cradling his love as she began to draw her last breaths.

*… I originally wouldn't have even considered a soul bonding, young nephelim… I would simply have taken her heart & handed it to you, filled with but mere traces of herself… this way, you shall always be together… it is what she wants, my boy… can you really deny her last request?...*

At these words, despair reflecting tearing from his eyes, looked at the Outsider, and then the swiftly expiring form of his lover…

Jaune entered the priest's quarters, taking note of the rabbit faunus Alice and his little baby sleeping on the old clerical mattress. Jaune himself quietly closed the entrance to the hall of worship, and made his way over to a chair by a desk.

On the desk was a handheld mirror, and the young Arc forced himself to observe his visage. His face remained scarred here the crows had plucked out his injured eye, one lone baby blue staring back at him in the reflection. The… procedure that the Outsider had made him go through had completely turned his hair a pale, unmarred white.

Forcing himself to look at the rest of his body, he first observed his injured arm, black & red charred flesh, his ring finger missing as well. Putting the mirror in said four-fingered hand, he observed its counterpart, now carrying the Mark of the Outsider. Finally, he looked at the new scar on his chest, obscured by his whalebone charm, it was right near the center of his chest, just next to where his own heart was. Yet there were two beats thrumming in their chamber…

The boy's hand began to quiver, and he dropped the mirror to the floor as he put both hands to his face. He and Jessie could never have that family together now. And so, Jaune Arc began to sob, a fallen angel amongst a tomb of fallen dreams…


So yeah…. this was an assload of a chapter. Don't expect one near its length for a while. And yes, I know that I'm a dickwipe for what I'm doing to Jaune. Feel free to express your righteous fury.

I've also expanded upon the competition from last chapter. Each person that guesses the correct translation for all the chapters, including this one, gets acknowledged next chapter, be it by PM or review. In addition, whoever can tell me from which American, deviant-art based comic series I am borrowing Alice Liddell (other than Alice in Wonderland) will get the same treatment

And, if you haven't guessed it by now, the third Series from which I'm going to be borrowing a lot of material from is Bioshock. Especially Bioshock: Infinite. Mind you, there'll be more material from other media, you wait and see.

I should warn you, the next update might not be for a week or two, depending on my college workload. That said, I hope to have one, if not two new chapters by the end of next month. Until then, start contemplating the potential directions the story could take, or other minor/major crossovers that you guys might like to see (or at least cameo). I guarantee, despite Dishonored, RWBY & Bioshock providing most of the beef for this story, there's still a lot more room for the potential integration of other universes. Don't be afraid to offer suggestions. I might actually listen, no joke. I take world building very seriously.

Again, don't be afraid to add input, be it praise, or (constructive) criticism. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions. I've decided to make it a general policy to try answer any and all inquiries that I receive now made via PM or review, so long as I don't mistake the questions as being rhetorical. I'll do my best to avoid spoilers. Yes, anonymous people can get their answers too. That said…

Flames will be stomped out & their ashes snorted while I dance hard techno, if they are not constructive criticism. Then I shall piss those ashes out upon the graves of the flamers, which shall be covered in a fresh, fertilizing mound of manure.