Wraith
Chapter Thirty-Two
Beta: Smithrooks
Infinite and Unbound
Vale, many years ago…
Red and gold flashed, sword shearing through something she really didn't want to think about.
Pyrrha hated this.
Before her, a nameless Faunus screamed as Pyrrha drove her sword into his shoulder. He didn't have aura, so the wound was messy, perhaps even as messy as it had been when Jaune had been stabbed with the same blade.
Unlike Jaune, this man was likely going to die.
Vale was flooded with Grimm, and one man without aura and down a limb wasn't going to survive. That was simply how Remnant worked sometimes.
Pyrrha had separated from RWBY the moment they arrived in the city. Safety in numbers was a nice thought - but the entire team, Yang in particular, seemed to have set themselves solely on beating Jaune.
Beating him. Fighting him, killing him…
Jaune had killed people, and from what Pyrrha could decipher from the agonised and furious shouts of Ruby and Yang two of those people had been their father and uncle respectively.
But it was worse than that. The cameras hadn't stopped, Jaune had kept screaming. The panicking and confused people within the stadium had been ordered to evacuate, some of the air buses had left so obviously a few people had made it out… but the others? The cameras hadn't spared any details, people screaming in terror and fear as their bodies dissolved into ashes around them, as avian Grimm began to pound away at the barriers, as Jaune seemingly didn't notice and killed the beasts with unbelievable strength.
But hungry, hungry… what was that meant to mean? Why that word? How was that connected with what had happened? Why was he screaming that?
RWBY had no intention of speaking to Jaune rationally, no intention of finding out why this was happening. Ruby and Yang wanted revenge, Blake and Weiss wanted justice.
Pyrrha wanted neither of those things.
Pyrrha wanted to know why.
Why this was happening, why all those people died, why the White Fang had suddenly appeared…
She didn't know where the rest of her team was. Russel still barely interacted with her due to his utter hatred of Jaune. Ren and Nora… they had been in the Colosseum. But their aura should have protected them, surely. Bought them enough time to escape at the very least…
She… she had to get to Jaune before RWBY did. They may not kill him, not intentionally, but they would attack first and ask questions later.
Red and gold flashed again, another nameless and faceless White Fang terrorist being taken out of the fight in a single instant. They were in the way. Jaune was her friend. Perhaps not her first, given that she and Ruby had bonded over him, but certainly her best friend. A man she could tell anything to, trust absolutely.
She wasn't going to leave him to die, not at the hands of the White Fang, not at the claws and teeth of the Grimm, and certainly not by being on the now falling Amity.
She had seen the fiery comet of his exit from Amity. He was in the city somewhere, fighting, or perhaps in pain. It didn't matter.
Amity lurched from its position in the sky, the stadium tilting oddly in the air.
It was falling, but that was expected given the obvious damage the Grimm and Jaune had caused. It would hit Vale… but something was wrong. The angle… it was still falling. But it was falling… sideways?
Despite her confusion, Pyrrha didn't stop running. She couldn't… Jaune needed her.
But she kept her eye on Amity. Something was wrong there, gravity didn't work like that. And she would know, after sparring with Jaune a few times one tends to become familiar with how gravity and mass works - mostly through Jaune hitting several tonnes above his weight class admittedly - but Pyrrha could tell that the stadium shouldn't be falling like that. It should be falling down, not towards… Forever Fall?
No, no, she had to focus. Get to Jaune and get to safety.
Pyrrha growled as a Beowolf rushed at her, the Grimm snarling ferociously with its maw opened wide.
One swing of her arm, and its head rolled across the ground.
"You're in my way!" she shouted furiously at the lesser Grimm. The White Fang numbers were thinning, so now it was mostly just Beowolves and Ursai that littered the streets.
They were only lesser Grimm, thankfully. None of the true monstrosities that walked Remnant were present for this battle; even the dragon attacking Beacon would only barely classify as a greater Grimm. Had something more… troubling appeared, then Vale may have been a lost cause. True horrors such as a Hydra, a Gleam-Eyes, or a Leviathan would have likely tipped the scales somewhat.
A flash of blonde hair caught her eye.
It was far, but there were two people, both blonde, surrounded by the Grimm. Mostly Beowolves and Ursai, but there were Griffons circling overhead…
One of the blonde figures was on the ground, slumped forwards into a vague sitting position with his arms reaching upwards. The other was locked in battle, his sword swinging with wild abandon as he hacked at the surrounding Grimm.
Pyrrha drew in closer, green eyes sharpening onto the two figures. The was something on the ground beside the kneeling man that she couldn't make out, but what she could make out was who they were - Jaune and his father.
She only recognized John Arc from the picture of him that floated in Jaune's contact list on his scroll. But Jaune… he barely looked conscious.
"Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted as she drew near, a feeling of odd lethargy settling over her, "Jaune!"
Any Grimm that were in her way died, their bodies rent and torn beyond salvation as Pyrrha rushed to her friend. She had to save him, to find out what was happening.
"No!" John Arc yelled at her as Pyrrha drew near. "Stay back!"
Pyrrha barely heard the words. Her aura… why was it so low? Why-
The world seemed to shake as Pyrrha fell to her knees, an intense sloth coming over her. Vision blurred as she tried to look towards Jaune, green eyes unable to focus.
"Damnit!" John Arc swore, the man suddenly standing over her, "Shit, fuck. Okay, I can still fix this, I can still save-"
Pyrrha could quite hear the rest of what John was saying, the words becoming slurred in her ears. What was happening? Gods, she was tired… she just needed a little nap…
A sudden jarring explosion of hellish red and orange stole her attention for a moment. The ground shuddering as Amity met Remnant in the distant reaches of Forever Fall. What…?
"Listen to me!"
The voice demanded attention, Pyrrha's slothful gaze snapping to John Arc's face.
"Try not to die, but there's nothing else I can do…"
Something dropped to the ground next to Pyrrha, green eyes meeting green for a moment.
"S-S-Salutations!" It wasn't a stutter, it was a mechanical repeat.
The gleam of her own blade caught Pyrrha's eyes for a moment, Milo being shoved into the hands of the… half girl, robot? Thing? Beside her.
"Try not to die!"
John Arc vanished between one slow blink and the next from Pyrrha, her foggy mind unable to keep up with what was happening.
Where was Jaune? With herculean effort, Pyrrha looked over towards where he had been, but… no… there was John. In his arms was Jaune… why were they leaving? Where were they going…?
The last thing Pyrrha saw before she passed out was John carrying his son away.
Beacon, many years ago…
Ozpin was a man of many skills.
He could create wonders, teach others to do the same, quell conflicts, save lives…
And he could murder.
The boy, Mercury if Ozpin recalled correctly, gurgled wetly as the cane twisted within his chest.
Truly, Ozpin did not enjoy what he had done. The death of one who was little more than a child was always something to be regretted, but it was necessary.
Ozpin withdrew the cane, ignoring the wet noise as he flicked the blood free from his weapon of choice. Mercury had been skilled for someone his age, but he was still a child, and his control over aura reflected that. The boy had been too busy panicking in the dark to guide his aura into anything beyond its natural defensiveness - thus one attack later his aura had been distracted, and then with the aura routed to other areas of the body it had been simple to overcome the paltry amount that had remained and force his cane through the boy's heart.
A pity.
"Still hiding in the dark, Miss Fall?" Ozpin questioned, natural eyes utterly blind but with the light of his aura sight to guide him. "I believe you accused me of that; rather hypocritical of you to do the same, don't you think?"
'Hiding' was perhaps the wrong word, as Ozpin knew exactly where she was. But directly attacking was a risky venture indeed - he had to protect the casket that contained Amber, and so playing this defensively appeared to the the wiser option now that the weakest link had been removed in the form of Mercury.
The wave of fire that sprouted from the darkness a moment later was sudden, but not unexpected. It was very large and powerful, and Ozpin was more than aware that the assault was likely more aimed at what he protected rather than himself.
Not that it meant anything.
The aged headmaster slammed his cane down, the flames sputtering and dying as they washed over him.
This woman was powerful, that was beyond question. But he was stronger - perhaps if she had been able to take the full power of the Maiden she may have beaten him, but now?
That attack of hers had confirmed it. She was strong enough to take out most hunters, but Ozpin wasn't like most hunters.
In fact, one might even say that Ozpin was nothing like most hunters.
Ozpin crossed the distance between the two of them in an instant, partly in thanks to his casual use of gravity Dust to expedite things, but mostly under his own power. Interesting thing about mass and gravity; it was actually velocity that determined how damaging most things were, not mass - so when Ozpin slammed his cane into Cinder's face it wasn't that it was particularly heavy, most of the damage came from the speed at which he struck.
Cinder flew backwards, her body slamming into the wall with earth-shattering force.
Cinder recovered admirably, fire sprouting around her body to provide hellish illumination. Twin swords creaked within her hands, the blades blazing with fiery energy. "I won't let you win this, Ozpin. I won't let you take from me what is rightfully mine."
Rightfully hers? An interesting way of looking at things, considering that she had attempted to steal the power in the first place.
"We shall see," Ozpin replied, not unkindly, "I must disagree with you on who the rightful owner of the power is, however."
Cinder scowled, red aura twisting to show her hatred. In a flash she charged forwards, curved blades hacking downwards towards the aged headmaster.
Ozpin spared a moment to block the blades, barely pausing as he flicked his cane around and stabbed its tip into his attacker a half dozen times. Kids these days, so slow…
Cinder skidded back across the room, swords shattering into glass as she dragged her hands through the ground. With a single twist of her body, a dozen razor-sharp shards of… glass? Molten stone? Whatever, materialised in the air. With a grunt of effort, they screamed towards Ozpin.
But that was easy.
Ozpin swung his cane around him, the powerful attack utterly failing to reach him as he blocked it completely. The headmaster sprang into motion, legs carrying him towards his opponent in an instant.
Again and again he slammed the point of his cane into Cinder, and to her credit she managed to block a few, but not all. With one final attack to finish the flurry Ozpin punched Cinder in the face with thunderous force, dully noting the sensation of her nose breaking as the blow connected.
"This is not a fight you can win," Ozpin informed his enemy lightly, "you would be wise to surrender."
To the eyes of Ozpin's aura sight he could see that her aura was low, dangerously so. The powerful attacks she had been throwing around would have been more than enough to crush most hunters, but they were evidently draining as well. All it would take from Ozpin was one more flurry to kill her.
Cinder snarled at him, "I won't surrender, I-"
The entire world seemed to shake and shudder for a moment, stone and masonry cracking and breaking as something rocked the ground with thunderous force.
The shaking was immense, Ozpin's focus breaking as his aura sight failed for just the barest moment. A second later it was back in place, but the moment of distraction was all his opponent needed.
The last of Cinder's aura poured into the fireball that slammed into the ceiling, the already damaged masonry shattering utterly under the new force. Stone and concrete rained down upon and before Ozpin, the courtyard above becoming exposed as the roof fell through atop him. It wasn't an attack meant to kill, it was meant to… delay.
It hadn't hurt, as such, but the attack fulfilled its purpose. Ozpin and the metal casket of Amber were blocked behind behind a wall of stone and broken roofing.
The sounds of the slowly dying battle above reached Ozpin's ears, screams of the dying and wounded seeping through the stone as though to taunt him.
Cinder was still there, on the other side. But now, peering at her soul as Jaune had taught him how, Ozpin couldn't help but wonder why it looked so… amused.
"You can't see it Ozpin," her voice speared through the stone; weak from fatigue and failure, but darkened by the spiteful hatred. "But I can, the damage that your favourite little student has wrought. When you break free you will gaze upon the broken remnants of your 'peace', and you will see what your beloved Amity has become."
Ozpin didn't reply. His inner eye gazed intently at her mutilated soul as Cinder ran away.
Cinder had lost, and Ozpin had prevailed.
A scream rang out from above him, the death cry escaping the mouth of a dying student.
But at what cost had this victory come?
Beacon, present day…
Glynda Goodwitch liked to consider herself a good judge of character.
She was the personal trainer of the next generation of huntsmen and huntresses. She had seen hundreds of students pass through Beacon, and she fully planned on seeing hundreds more pass through.
She had seen students attain hard-earned triumph, seen them achieve victories they had worked towards their entire lives. She had seen students lose friends and teammates, watched as despair poisoned their spirit and life.
But never had she seen something like this.
Jaune Arc…
At first he had seemed just like one of the many others, a child eager to gain 'glory' and become a hero like so many before him. Initiation and the following days of classes had done little to shift that opinion of the boy.
He had been happy, average and normal.
But now…
The boy sat before Ozpin, Ironwood and herself in the headmaster's office. He looked like a walking corpse, his face gaunt and his skin sallow. But it was his eyes that really captured her attention. The deep ocean blue that had once been uninteresting but full of life were now just… empty. It was as though there was just nothing left in him.
They had found the boy when Ironwood, Ozpin and herself had returned to Beacon - they had felt the power being thrown around, the tidal wave of energy that was Nihilus suddenly just… vanishing. So when they returned, they weren't sure what to expect.
However, seeing Jaune Arc staring at the ashen body of the alternate Ruby Rose with a look of such crushing despair as though he had lost the most important thing in his life… no. That was wrong, he hadn't been looking at the body at all. His eyes were there, but his mind had been elsewhere.
But that had changed. Where before there had been unbelievable sorrow, now there was just… nothing.
"So you claim that Miss Rose was the one to defeat him? How did she achieve this?" Ironwood demanded.
Glynda stared at Jaune. Something was terribly wrong; with the apparent defeat of the Lord of Hunger - as pretentious a name as that was - Jaune should be elated that his captivity was now over, pleased that his… counterpart had been slain.
"That's right," Jaune said blandly, dull blue eyes never wavering as he stared forwards. "Ruby did something before he killed her - I don't know what, and then he faded away. He's gone."
Perhaps it was intuition, or perhaps it was mere experience dealing with people his age, but something told Glynda that the statement wasn't entirely true. Not entirely false either, but something about it just rang as incorrect in her mind.
Glynda shivered, a silent chill settling onto her for a moment.
Dull blue eyes sharpened for a moment and settled onto her, moving for the first time since the conversation had begun. Jaune Arc stared at her, something akin to hatred or perhaps sorrow colouring his eyes for a moment before he looked away.
What had that been?
"Are you absolutely certain, Mr. Arc?" Ozpin enquired softly, compassion evident on his face. "I know it must be hard for you, but-"
"I'm sure," Jaune interrupted, "Nihilus is dead."
"Perhaps," Glynda hedged, emerald-green eyes settling onto her employer, "it would be best if we allowed Mr. Arc to take some time to recover from his ordeal. Some time in the infirmary, and then he can rejoin classes when he is feeling better." It went unspoken that Glynda believed that this interrogation had gone on long enough.
Had anyone ever asked, Glynda would deny it to the day she died. But she couldn't help but feel pity for the boy. Whatever horrors the Lord of Hunger had inflicted upon him had obviously left their mark, enough to put him into such a sorry state that he looked… dead inside.
Although perhaps that was unsurprising, given the story Miss Nikos had told. If she were to be believed he actually did die, and the Lord of Hunger had… revived him.
"We are nearly done," Ironwood hastily replied, "only a few more questions then-"
"No," Ozpin commanded, voice cutting over the other headmaster. "I believe we know enough, and perhaps Mr. Arc will feel that he is able to tell us more when he is in better health. Glynda, could you escort him to the infirmary?" Unsaid was the uncertainty of Jaune being able to make it there himself.
Ironwood looked like he might argue, but the combined looks from both Ozpin and Glynda were enough to quell any debate. The cyborg man settled back, blue eyes staring intently at Jaune with his brow furrowed. That was the look James wore when he was planning something, and Glynda wasn't eager to find out if it involved her student.
"Of course, Headmaster." Glynda rose to her feet, lightly gesturing for her wayward student to do the same.
The elevator door opened as the two of them stepped forwards, Jaune slouching with downcast eyes while Glynda hovered closely, ready to help him at a moment's notice.
Glynda knew that, as a teacher, she was obligated to be impartial. But she knew she cared for all her students, even ones that had only come into her tutelage recently. So seeing Mr. Arc like this… she didn't like it. Regardless of what or who the Lord of Hunger had been, he was lucky he was gone now, otherwise Glynda would be seeking… words with him.
Painful words.
She was aware, of course, that Nihilus was the alternate version of Mr. Arc from the same world as the team RWBY that had unfortunately perished. But looking at the student next to her and comparing him to the monster she had only briefly met in person was nigh impossible. How greatly had the world failed him for Nihilus to become the monster he was? How thoroughly had her alternate counterpart failed as a teacher for him to reach that result?
It wouldn't happen again, she resolved quietly to herself. In this world, in this time, she would ensure that this particular student of hers didn't fall onto the path of madness. She wouldn't allow it.
But how to go about it? Subtlety wasn't exactly Glynda's forte, she much preferred dealing with things directly. But… perhaps it would be best to simply be kind. Kindness and compassion were two of their greatest weapons against the dark, after all.
"Are you…" Glynda asked lowly, "okay, Mr. Arc?"
The boy- nay, man, was silent, and for a moment Glynda thought he simply hadn't heard her.
"Is there meaning in taking a life?" Jaune asked quietly, eyes downcast. "Is the act of murder justified if the circumstances are right?"
Glynda held back a wince. Questions such as these weren't uncommon among the older and more experienced students, but usually it was Oobleck that played the role of therapist when a student was forced to take a life. But given the story Mr. Arc had told them, as well as the story of Miss Nikos…
Jaune had spilled enough blood to drown in.
It wasn't his fault, this she knew. Hopefully with the poisonous influence of Nihilus gone Mr. Arc would be able to return to some semblance of normality, but that would take time. Time enough to wear away whatever guilt he had eating away at his soul.
"The taking of a life is never easy, Mr. Arc," Glynda answered slowly, eyes never leaving the student. "But sometimes… sometimes a choice must be made, a choice between what is right and what is easy."
"And if there is no right choice?" Jaune whispered desperately, dull blue eyes finally settling onto Goodwitch. "What if there is no choice? Only the option of saving yourself or saving everyone else?"
Glynda closed her eyes and breathed deeply. That was another difficult question, and another question frequently asked by those with some form of survivor's guilt. Tricky, tricky… would that she could defeat all the enemies of mankind herself, spare her students from the life of hardship that awaited all hunters.
"In that scenario, Mr. Arc," the elevator slowed down, nearing the ground floor, "I believe we must trust ourselves to find the correct answer for all, even if that is not the correct answer for ourselves."
Jaune didn't respond. Blue eyes settled onto the floor once more, words unspoken hovering in the air.
All Glynda could do for now was give support where needed. Beyond that… simple kindness was all Mr. Arc needed, kindness and time.
She could only hope that it was enough.
Beacon, present day…
Weiss Schnee liked to think she was above rumors and petty gossip.
She liked to think many things, but that didn't actually make them true.
She and the others, as well as the entire student body, had returned to Beacon shortly after Professors Goodwitch, Ozpin and Ironwood had given the all-clear. Apparently the Lord of Hunger had been defeated and killed by the special huntress she and RWBY had seen prior to their failed attempt to retrieve Jaune.
That didn't exactly ring true, especially given that RWBY and JNPR had watched the fight - something else had happened, the huntress had died in vain.
Regardless of the suspiciously incorrect details of Nihilus' defeat, he was doubtlessly gone - the rumor mill of Beacon was quick at spreading that particular detail.
Weiss fully expected to feel pleased that such a dangerous criminal had finally been put to justice.
But for some reason she felt… disquieted.
Logically there should be no reason for her unease, and despite the fact that she had spent - not that she would ever admit it - the last twenty minutes brooding on the matter, Weiss couldn't see why she felt like something was wrong.
She was meant to be sleeping right now, as were the rest of RWBY given that it was already gone eleven at night. Yang was the obvious sleeper in the group, her snores enough to rattle Weiss' teeth even from across the room. Blake gave herself away as sleeping just by how relaxed she was, the lack of her usual tension the only indicator on the otherwise silent sleeper.
Weiss could tell that Ruby, however, wasn't asleep. The younger girl had a tendency to mumble and kick randomly during slumber, something that she wasn't doing.
It had been pretty obvious that prior to going to bed she was doing the Ruby equivalent of brooding - which looked more like a constipated puppy than actual brooding. The business with the Arc boy had been wearing on her, especially given that he had shooed them away so the Lord of Hunger couldn't hurt them - a wise decision as far as Weiss was concerned, but to Ruby…
However, the source of Ruby's angst was clear; she was still foolish enough to believe in heroes that saved all and were loved by all and could never fail. Weiss' own dilemma was… less clear.
It was as though something was hovering just at the edge of perception, like a memory that was just on the tip of the tongue but not actually there.
Perhaps she should just let it go for now, sleep on it and let the issue clarify itself when she was better rested. Yes… that seemed like the best solution.
Muscles relaxed as tension bled away. The day hadn't been particularly physically strenuous, but mentally it had been challenging.
Sleep seeped into the edge of consciousness, washing away at her…
"Why do you even bother anymore, Ruby?"
Weiss jerked in bed, the voice ringing in her ears.
Or more precisely, the sound of her own voice ringing in her ears.
Panic gripped at Weiss as she tried to rise, but her body failed to move as all her muscles flexed and tightened. Words failed her as she tried to call for help, for anything really, though nothing escaped her.
Something was pulling at her now, she could feel it. It was as though it were tugging at her aura, not quite draining it, but just… pulling.
Weiss' body jerked, her mind slipping into something not her own.
"I do it because we're better than he is, Weiss. Because I need him to know that, I need him to know that… that I didn't mean to."
Resignation. Sadness. Regret.
"Ruby, he was captured a year ago now. He only spoke that one time, you heard what he said…"
"I will never forgive you!"
"I don't expect him to speak back to me, Weiss. If not for Penny telling me that he was still alive I'd think that he was dead. The way he's chained there…"
Shame. Sorrow. Pride.
"I know, Ruby. It was my family that made the chains. But you know as well as I why they keep him."
"But is what Ironwood doing to him right? I know what Jaune did, but…"
Disgust. Hatred. Revulsion.
"Ironwood is only doing what he thinks is best, Ruby. Even if it is… distasteful."
"Please, Weiss… just, just… stay with me this time? You don't have to speak to him, just let me tell him that you're there."
Melancholy. Sadness. Regret.
"Argh, fine Ruby. But I won't waste my time speaking to someone who won't speak back."
"Yes! Thank you, Weiss! I'll set up the connection now."
Happiness. Sadness. Acceptance.
"Salutations, Friend-Ruby and Friend-Weiss! It is a pleasure to see you!"
"Good afternoon, Penny."
"Hi, Penny!"
Trepidation. Anxiety. Regret.
"I did not expect to see you today Friend-Weiss, will you be joining Friend-Ruby on her weekly conversation with Friend-Jaune?"
"Yes. Would you put us through?"
"Certainly! Friend-Jaune always looks forward to his conversations with Friend-Ruby, I am sure he will be most excited to speak with you!"
Change. Revulsion. Forced Empathy.
Hunger.
Disgust.
"Hello, Jaune."
"Hi, Jaune."
Nerves. Shame. Anticipation?
"..."
Nothing. Absence. Empty. Hollow.
"How has your week been, Jaune? I know mine has been pretty hectic."
"..."
Silence. Disappointment. Vindication. Acceptance.
"I brought Weiss with me, I told you I would. Aren't you going to say hello?"
"..."
"Anyway, stuff is pretty full on as usual. Me and the girls have been going on more missions lately, but nothing to do with Atlas. We still don't trust Ironwood."
A stirring. Hatred. Rage. Understanding.
"..."
"I'm still trying to convince Blake to come speak sometime, it's gonna happen I swear. I got Weiss, didn't I?"
"..."
Regret. Disbelief. Fear.
"Well, it was nice talking to you Jaune. I'll see you again next week, yeah? Say goodbye to him Weiss."
Acceptance. Exasperation. Melancholy.
"Goodbye… Jaune."
Disquiet. Nervousness. Desolation. Loneliness.
It ended abruptly. The imageless vision ceasing with a snap and a gasp.
Weiss was sweating, her hands shaking and her skin clammy. Just what the hell was that?
1237
A/N
Okay, I have had a few people complain to me both in reviews and via PM that I write too much introspective stuff. To which I have only one thing to say:
I am a full-time writing and philosophy student, what do you expect?
I study philosophy… which is all introspection. Seriously, it's like, all I do with my life. My writing reflects this.
That being said, onto the reviews:
The Powder Keg:
Thanks for reviewing.
Indeed, on pure technicality moving Amity could be classified as a team effort.
In regards to the dragon: It depends. Bearing in mind that currently Jaune is still unable to see Grimm, he is also unable to achieve unassisted flight just yet. That being said, however, should Jaune actually be functional enough to know what was happening (let's be honest, he was tripping pretty heavily last chapter) and should the opportunity present itself Jaune could kill the Dragon quite easily. Imagine what Ren did to the head of the King Taijitu in initiation (canon) and that basically covers it.
Alas, that won't be happening. John Arc is determined to see his son out of Vale, everyone else be damned.
And yes, there is much more to come…
TalonIbnLaAhad:
Thanks for reviewing.
I admit I may have done it on purpose. I liked the impact of it.
Jaune is on a similar path to what Nihilus himself once walked, and though there are differences it will be interesting to see (and write) how he turns out. The fact that Jaune carries the curse Nihilus bestowed upon him will be a game changer for sure, and I'm sure you'll be in for a surprise at some of the things Jaune does with his new found freedom and power.
Both Jaune and Nihilus are... less than they were originally. Death has a way of putting things into perspective, and what they were is gone - perhaps not forever, but for as long as they are alive. They both stopped being Jaune Arc when they died the first time, and yet Jaune clings to that name like a lifeline - false as it may be for him now.
As for names, congratulations - you are the first person to guess this. Jaune will indeed take on a new name in time, though like Nihilus the name Jaune takes for himself will stand opposed to his claim to Lordship. Nihilus, Nihilism, is the inherent lack of desire or want - the belief that life is pointless. Whereas the Lord of Hunger, Hunger, is the need for sustenance and the desire to live. Nihilus was both these things. Jaune's name will show the same dual nature, standing in contrast to what he is and yet finding harmony in the middle.
I loved your review.
Cicada 3301:
Thanks for reviewing.
I think the reference is pretty neat too, that's why I made it. I like to think I matched the characters to the lord titles fittingly.
Shaded Azure:
Thanks for reviewing.
Yeah, I can see how it would have that effect.
Death-The-Horsemen:
Thanks for reviewing.
Thank you.
Thank you all for reading, and remember to leave a review!
