Darkbloom

Chapter 7


Jaune could only stare, numb, as his father stepped inside the tavern. Slowly, Jason Arc approached his table, then pulled out a chair for himself and took a seat. He leaned in, giving Jaune a harsh glare.

"What were you thinking, son?" he demanded.

Jaune shrank beneath his father's gaze. He looked over to Cinder for guidance, but she just sat there, sipping at her wine and looking very unconcerned. Sensing that she'd be of no help, he turned back to his father.

"I…" he began, his voice coming out hesitant. "I… knew you wouldn't approve-"

"So you figured you'd run off on your own," Jason finished for him. Jaune winced, and his father's eyes narrowed. "Do you have any idea how worried we all were?"

"Father-"

"Don't," Jason warned him. Jaune instantly quieted down. "Just listen, son. Do you have any idea what your absence has done to your sisters, and to your mother? They're all worried sick about you. Vermilion has been asking for you from her hospital bed non-stop for the past week." Jason leaned in. "Did you think about what your disappearance was going to do to the family, Jaune? Or did you care too much about chasing your dream to consider something like that?"

"Of course I thought about it!" Jaune protested.

"So you simply decided that putting yourself in danger was worth more than the rest of us. Is that it?"

"No, it's not! Dad, I know where you're coming from, but-"

"You have no idea where I'm coming from with this, son," Jason warned him. "Put yourself in my shoes – one child injured, nearly dead; one child missing, having disappeared in the night to parts unknown with not even a note left behind to tell us where he went. At first, I suspected that you simply needed some space, but after that call with your mother a few days ago, I knew I was going to have to come get you."

Jaune caught on immediately. "...How long have you been following us?"

"Not long," Jason said. "My Semblance makes it easy, of course – Treasure Finder let me lock on to Crocea Mors, and from there, it was child's play. I just had to wait for your companions to go off on their own… save for one, it seems."

His gaze finally drifted over to Cinder, and Jaune felt his blood run cold. His father's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Who are you to my son?" he demanded.

"I am nobody but who Jaune needs me to be," Cinder answered, nonchalant.

"I asked a direct question; I expect a direct answer rather than a riddle."

"Who I am is of no consequence to you," Cinder pointed out. "You came to find your son, and you have found him. The question now, of course, is what you intend to do now that you have reunited with him."

Jason let out a small, irritated growl. "You are familiar, for reasons I cannot place. I will deal with you in time. For now, I have more pressing matters." He rounded on Jaune again. "Come with me, Jaune. We're going home."

He rose to his feet and began to walk away, but Jaune stayed rooted to the spot. Jason made it just a few steps before realizing his son wasn't following after him, and turned around, his eyes all but ablaze with anger.

"Jaune," he said, his voice low. "We are leaving."

"I'm not going," Jaune declared.

"Son-"

"Dad, I know why you're doing this," Jaune emphasized. "And I understand. But I can't go with you."

"Then you don't understand," Jason growled. "I already almost lost one of my children; I will not go through that again. This is for your own good, son."

Jaune's face fell. He looked down to the floor. "...I'm sorry, Dad," he offered. "But I can't."

Jason Arc blinked, then let out an irritated sigh. He marched back over to Jaune, then grabbed him by the arm and hoisted him to his feet, leaning in close enough that they could stare at each other eye-to-eye.

"Do not make this harder than it has to be," Jason warned. "Please."

And with that, he began to drag Jaune out of the tavern. Jaune dug his heels in and tried to stop himself from being pulled away against his will, but all he succeeded in doing was wearing a scuff mark into the wooden floor. The two of them had just about made it to the door when Cinder spoke up.

"If I may suggest an alternative," she said, her voice calm as ever.

Jason paused, then rounded on her, anger palpable against his face. "This is none of your business."

"On the contrary. Jaune and I have an… agreement of sorts."

"What kind of agreement? If it's money you want-"

"Oh, no, nothing quite so earthly as that," Cinder said, without even looking back. She raised her glass to her lips and took a sip. "I would elaborate, but this is neither the time nor the place. Instead, I believe a proposal is in order."

"And you really think I'll listen to anything you have to say, when I don't even know who you are?" Jason demanded. "Who are you to interfere in my family's affairs?"

"As I said before, I am nobody but who Jaune needs me to be," Cinder answered. "And, in fact, I believe I am just the person to make this suggestion. After all, who better than an impartial observer to make a suggestion?"

"I don't know who you are, but you're anything but impartial," Jason said.

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Cinder mused. "It matters not; what is important is that you cannot afford to ignore my proposal."

"Why not?"

"See how your son digs in his heels? How he fights with every fiber of his being to prevent himself from being separated from his dream? You would sacrifice everything to bring him home, even his love for you. Tell me, Arc – is it truly worth saving your son if you lose him in the process?"

"At least he'd be safe," Jason countered.

"And do you intend to keep him locked away for his entire life?" Cinder questioned. "Do you truly think he will not again attempt to escape you to pursue his dream? You do not strike me as a foolish man, Arc – even you should be able to see where this leads."

Jason fell silent for a moment, but then nodded softly. "What is your proposal?"

"I propose a simple test, of sorts," Cinder stated. "You and Jaune shall fight each other. If he wins, then you will leave him to pursue his dream. If you win, then he will return home, no questions asked, and will never again entertain the thought of such a dream."

Jaune's eyes widened. "You can't mean-"

For the first time, Cinder looked back at the two of them out of the corner of her eyes. Jaune met her gaze, and in that moment, he knew she had something planned. Whatever it was, he couldn't figure out, but Cinder was up to something – there was no way she was going to let her servant be taken from her so easily.

He was just going to have to trust her.

Next to him, Jason nodded. "Those terms are agreeable, I suppose. Jaune?"

"Y-yes," he managed to stammer out. His heart pounded in his chest with every word. "Yeah, that's fine."

"Very well. Meet me outside, son."

And just like that, Jason marched outside the tavern, taking up a spot in the town square. Jaune stared at him for a moment, then looked back towards Cinder.

"What are you planning?"

"Does it matter if you know?" Cinder replied. "Make haste, now. You must not keep your father waiting."

Jaune swallowed nervously, but did as he was told, stepping outside to meet his father.


The two Arc men stood across from each other. Jaune's father stared him down, one hand on the hilt of his sword, and Jaune stared back, doing his best not to let his fear and anxiety show.

Jaune loved his father, and his father loved him, but Jason Arc was well-known as a powerful Huntsman. He'd faced down not only ancient Grimm, but also monsters in human skin, too. Jaune, meanwhile, had little more than a few Beowolves and Ursai to his name.

Whatever Cinder had planned, he could only hope that it paid off for him.

"Are you ready?" Jason suddenly announced from across the town square.

Jaune swallowed his fear and did his best to stop his legs from shaking. Slowly, he unsheathed Crocea Mors, and with sword and shield in hand, he nodded.

"Read-"

That was as far as he got before his father rushed him, one hand cocked back. Jaune let out a yelp as he stumbled backwards, but it was too late – his dad's fist collided with his face. It felt like…

...Like nothing, he realized. Jaune blinked as his father's hand all but bounced off, a small flicker of black in front of his face the only thing to indicate it'd even made impact. Jason stared, surprised, and Jaune seized his opportunity, lashing out with his sword. Jason grunted as Crocea Mors bit into his Aura, and hurriedly leaped back. He stared at his son, surprised.

"You have your Aura unlocked," he surmised. "When?"

"About a week ago," Jaune offered.

"And already using it subconsciously… hm. Don't tell me – that woman?"

Jaune blinked, then looked around. To his dismay, Cinder was still at the tavern, standing outside with a glass of wine in her hand and looking completely nonplussed about the fight going on in front of her. He grimaced, then looked back to his father. He didn't say anything, but Jason's eyes narrowed.

"I see," he announced. "I suppose I won't be able to hold back as much as I'd hoped."

Jaune's eyes widened when his father reached for his own sword and shield – Jaune recalled that his father had once referred to it as a 'Spatha', whatever that meant. In any case, Jaune could only stare as the blade was slowly unsheathed, glinting in the sunlight. His heart began to pound again, out of both fear and excitement.

If nothing else, he'd forced his father to fight him on more even terms rather than hold back.

His elation lasted exactly as long as it took for Jason to rush him once more. Again, Jaune found himself on the backfoot, forced to hide behind his shield as his father laid into him with blow after blow. His Aura flickered with each strike, streaks of inky black peeling away from him as his defenses were slowly whittled down.

Out of desperation, Jaune lashed out with his sword, only for his father to suddenly parry the blow and leave him wide open. The flat of Jason's sword collided with Jaune's torso, forcing the air out of his lungs and bringing him to his knees, gasping for breath even through his Aura. His father stood over him, staring down. For the first time since the fight started, Jaune was able to look into his father's eyes.

He saw nothing but pain.

"Give up, son," Jason all but pleaded. "You know you can't-"

Jaune didn't let him finish, instead forcing himself up off the ground and leading with his sword. Jason barely even moved, instead raising his shield and blocking the incoming blow.

"Blind thrust out of rage," he said. "Incoming haymaker from right side – block, then follow up with punch to sternum."

Jaune's eyes widened in disbelief, even as he made the exact moves his father narrated just a split-second earlier. Sure enough, when his sword came around, Jason blocked it with his shield, and while Jaune was over-extended, Jason punished him with a strike to his torso. Pain blossomed across the center of Jaune's chest, and he was quick to scramble away, leaving a trail of black Aura behind him to dissipate into the wind.

Jason exhaled softly through his nose. "You're outmatched, son," he said. "Just give in. Don't make me do this."

Jaune answered his father's plea with a shout of his own, rushing him down. Jason's eyes narrowed.

"Overhead slash, uncontrolled due to desperation," he narrated, stepping to the side to avoid exactly that incoming move. "Shield bash to blind spot."

Pain burst across Jaune's side, and he grit his teeth, rounding on his father.

"Avoid blind stab," Jason said, leaning out of the way of Jaune's strike. "And finish with leg sweep."

Just like that, Jaune was on his back, his father's sword pointed at his throat. The two men stared each other down, Jaune gasping for breath and dripping with sweat, and Jason looking completely nonplussed.

"You're not bad," his father complimented. "In fact, you're far better than you should be with just a week of training. You have a knack for the blade, it seems… hm. Perhaps I underestimated you, Jaune. Tell you what – when we get home, I'll train you up some more, and when you're ready, I'll let you join the town guard."

A vein pulsed in Jaune's forehead. "You'll let me?" echoed. Shaking his head, he added, "That's what you don't seem to get, Dad – I love you, but I'm not looking for your permission."

"You wanted to be a hero, didn't you?" Jason questioned. "I'm offering you the chance to do exactly that, in a controlled environment where I can watch over you."

"You know that's not what I want," Jaune lamented.

His father frowned. "Jaune, please don't make me do this," he all but begged.

"We had an agreement," Jaune pointed out. "And I still haven't been beaten yet."

Before his father could react, Jaune grabbed hold of his blade and roughly yanked it to the side, uncaring of how the spatha cut into his own Aura. Jason stumbled, and Jaune seized the opportunity, lunging forwards with his sword cocked back. Crocea Mors came screaming through the air, and collided with his father's head. Jason was knocked back several feet, his golden Aura flickering around him and his heels digging gouges into the ground. His spatha slipped from his grasp, landing point-first in the dirt below. He stood there, wide-eyed with shock, one hand clasped around his cheek, where a large bruise was starting to form.

Jaune stood across from his father, also wide-eyed. Slowly, a grin split his face. If nothing else, he'd done more than just get in a good hit – he'd managed to impress even his own father. No matter how the fight went from here, he could at least be proud of that.

Suddenly, Jaune heard several people begin applauding, and looked around, confused. To his surprise, a crowd had gathered around them, no doubt drawn by the sounds of combat. Jaune was able to make out Weiss and Blake, both looking on eagerly, but it took him a moment to find Cinder. Eventually, he saw her, still seated at an outside table and drinking from her glass of wine. Rage pulsed within him at how nonchalant she was being.

Whatever her plan was supposed to be, he hadn't figured it out yet. He was beginning to wonder if she even had a plan in the first place, or if that was just her being cryptic again.

His moment of rest was suddenly broken by his father standing up straighter and clearing his throat.

"Okay, Jaune," Jason growled. "You want to act like a Huntsman? Then I'll treat you like one."

That was all the warning he got before Jaune found himself face-down in the dirt, gasping for breath, Crocea Mors flying out of his hands and landing on the ground several yards away. Sensing another attack coming, Jaune tried to bring his shield up to protect himself, but it was too late – the incoming kick sent him directly into the side of a building. Jaune collided with the wood back-first, then fell to the ground, moaning in pain even through his Aura.

"Does it hurt?" his father asked as he approached. "You wanted to be a Huntsman, right? We deal with worse than this on a daily basis. Stay down if you can't take it."

Jaune cast a spiteful glare up at his dad, then began to slowly rise to his feet. Jason scowled, then marched over and roughly shoved Jaune to the ground.

"Why do you insist on dragging this out?" he demanded. "You've lost, Jaune."

"I still… have some Aura…" Jaune managed to gasp out.

Jason closed his eyes. "...So it's going to be like that," he muttered. Opening them once again, he exhaled before saying, "I'm sorry, Jaune. But this is for your own good."

And then he moved, almost faster than Jaune could see. Desperate, Jaune raised his shield, and was just barely fast enough to block the incoming blow. But his father must have anticipated that, because this was the harshest strike yet – the sheer force of the slash reverberated up Jaune's arm, instantly numbing it. His shield dropped involuntarily, and that was exactly the opening his father needed. Jaune watched the next strike come, the world seeming to slow down as the flat of the blade came rocketing towards him.

When it made impact, Jaune didn't feel it initially – the first sensation he felt afterwards was flying through the air. The final vestiges of black dissipated around him as he soared backwards, and a pain-filled shout escaped him when he felt sheer agony spread across his torso.

And then he hit the wall, and things got so much worse.

There was a loud snapping sound, and a scream tore its way from his throat. White-hot pain flared up in his right arm, matching that in his torso to create a symphony of hurt that spread throughout his entire body. Jaune chanced a look over at his arm, blanching when he saw it bent at an odd angle and the white of his arm bone jutting out of the skin.

Footsteps caught his attention, and Jaune turned to find his father sprinting towards him, his sword still in hand. But this was different – gone was the silent rage, replaced by a father's worry for his only son. Jaune could see the panic and remorse etched across his father's face, even through the bruise he'd left on it earlier.

But that wasn't going to stop him.

Somehow, he'd ended up next to Crocea Mors. With the last of his strength, Jaune reached for the sword with his good arm, then began to struggle to his feet. Blood poured down from his face, and his stomach and arm screamed at him to stay down, but he refused to listen.

Jaune managed to make it upright with sword in hand just as his father reached him, and the two men stared each other down once more, their gazes meeting each other. Jason froze at the sight of it, unsure of what to do at first, but then his eyes widened in realization. It only lasted for a second, but Jaune knew, in that moment, his father had finally seen the truth behind their fight.

Jason closed his eyes and took a breath, then loosened his grip on his sword and shield, letting both of them come clattering to the ground.

"...I yield," he announced. "You win, son."

Jaune had just enough energy left to grin softly before unconsciousness took him.


Jaune wasn't sure how long he was out, but by the time he opened his eyes again, the crowd had dispersed, leaving just Weiss, Blake, and his father. Cinder was in her usual spot back at the table, though her glass of wine was now absent.

He was lying on the ground, his head propped up by something – he quickly realized it was his father's leather jacket, rolled up and placed underneath his head. Jaune tried to sit up, letting out a groan in the process, but someone gently forced him back into a lying position.

"Take it easy, son," his father said, his voice dripping with remorse.

"Dad…?" Jaune managed to get out. "What happened?"

"I… went too hard on you," Jason admitted, lowering his head. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Dad," Jaune assured him.

"No, it's not," Jason disagreed. "I could have killed you, Jaune – and all because I got angry at you and lost control. What kind of father am I?"

"The kind who's willing to do anything to keep his son safe, even beat his ass," Jaune said. "Is that it, then? I lost?"

To his surprise, Jason shook his head. "I yielded," he told him. "You beat me, Jaune."

Jaune blinked, his eyes going with with surprise. "Dad, I…" Tears filled his eyes, and a lump formed in his throat. Unable to say anything, Jaune did the only thing he could – he threw his one good arm around his father and pulled him in close. Jason returned the hug, and father and son sat there for a moment, simply holding each other tightly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jaune was able to catch a glimpse of both Weiss and Blake staring at him. For some reason, they both lacked their usual emotions – gone was Weiss' annoyance with him, and Blake's thinly-veiled distrust. Instead, they both wore matching looks of longing. Why, Jaune wasn't able to figure out, but they were there regardless.

After a few seconds, his father pulled away. Jaune couldn't help but notice the tears in his eyes.

"I guess I'd better get home," Jason offered. "The girls are going to be worried sick."

"What will you tell them?" Jaune asked.

"Simple – I'll tell them that I found you, but that you're safe, that you're in good hands, and that there's nothing to worry about," Jason said. His eyes suddenly narrowed. "Don't make me regret this, Jaune. If you get yourself injured or killed… I'll never forgive you."

"Unlikely," Cinder chimed in. "For reasons I shall not elaborate on."

Jason rounded on her, a scowl etched across his face. "And you," he growled. "I don't know exactly who you are or why you seem so familiar, but know this – if you ever do anything to hurt him-"

"As I stated previously, Jaune and I have an agreement," Cinder said, that same airy, careless tone leaking into her voice. "I shall not harm him."

"See to it that you don't, or else," Jason threatened. He turned back towards Jaune, giving him one last look before waving goodbye. "Stay safe, son. And, if it's not too much trouble… call us more often."

"I will, Dad," Jaune promised. "Count on it."

And with that, Jason Arc turned and marched out of the village, not even stopping to pick up his leather jacket. Jaune watched him go, tears stinging at his eyes until his father disappeared into the forest.

"And just like that, it is over," Cinder announced, rising from her seat. "As expected."

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked.

She approached him, kneeling down and taking his hand. "Stand still, Jaune."

"What are you-"

He paused when he felt a gentle warmth begin to spread through his body. His Aura suddenly flickered black, and Jaune let out a sigh of relief as he felt the pain from his wounds begin to dissipate.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Perhaps it is time I elucidate you as towards some of the benefits of our contract," Cinder muttered to him, softly enough that neither Blake nor Weiss would be able to hear. "We are connected, as it were; our souls intertwined. A bond, if you will."

Jaune's brow furrowed. "I never agreed to that."

"You agreed to it the moment you accepted the contract, whether you were aware of it or not," Cinder informed him.

Realization flashed through Jaune's mind, and he stared at her in shock. "...This was your plan the whole time," he said in disbelief. "You knew I couldn't beat my dad in a fight."

"I also knew you would never give up," Cinder said. "The only way for him to stop you was to kill you. And I knew he would never cross that line."

Jaune fell silent as Cinder's words ran through his mind, the implication behind them becoming apparent in an instant.

Cinder was the reason he'd made it. She'd set the whole thing up herself – she'd been the one to propose the test between him and his father in the first place, knowing that there was no way Jaune was going to be able to lose to his father, but also knowing just how far he was going to have to take it in the first place.

The only way he could have possibly lost that fight was to give up prematurely. And she knew he'd never do that.

"...How long did you have this planned?" he tentatively asked.

"From the moment you first said 'Dad'," Cinder answered.

A chill went down Jaune's spine. She'd been in control the entire time, from the moment his father had first entered the picture. For the first time since leaving home, Jaune was reminded of who she really was – she was Cinder Fall, Demon Queen of Hell. It had been so easy to forget what that truly meant while he was traveling with her, but now… now, it was coming back full-force.

Cinder was powerful, sure, but more than that, she was never not in control. The only time something hadn't gone according to plan had been the incident with the Ursa, and even then, she'd immediately re-stacked the deck in her favor by unlocking his Aura while he was unconscious.

And that realization, more than anything, proved to him just how dangerous she truly was. If this was what she was like without all the power she'd lost while in isolation, then he could see why the Brothers had considered her so dangerous that they'd cast her down to hell.

Cinder finally took a step back. "How does that feel, Jaune?"

"...Better," he admitted. "Thank you."

"Hm. I am your Queen – of course it is my duty to keep you in good condition. Of course, you will require several days of bed rest, but we can discuss that later."

With that, Cinder turned and walked off. Jaune watched her go, even as Weiss and Blake both approached and began to look him over, then bombard him with questions. He paid no attention to them, though – rather, his focus was squarely on Cinder as she disappeared back into the tavern, no doubt to obtain another bottle of wine.

As she stepped into the building, the scene changed for a fraction of a second. In that moment, Jaune saw her for who she really was – a woman with pale-white skin and jet-black hair, completely nude, chained to a frozen lake underground and trapped waste-deep in the ice. The howling, freezing winds tore her flesh from her bones, and blood ran out of her in thousands of thin rivulets, collecting on the ice below. Two horns curved back from her head, and six small, leathery wings were splayed out behind her. A thin black tail, tipped with a spade-shaped blade, lashed back and forth from her lower back, flowing with the wind as it came in the form of a blizzard. And all around her, the souls of the damned screeched in eternal torment, the noise combining with the screaming winds to create a macabre symphony of sheer anguish.

The vision faded as quickly as it had come, and as soon as it was gone, unconsciousness took him yet again.


A very special thank-you to Ickbard for helping put this entire chapter together. Like, for real, the two of us spent a lot of fucking time tweaking this chapter until it felt right. This is probably the single-most edited thing the two of us have worked on together, which is saying a lot.

And speaking of Ickbard, a word from the man himself:

"It was a fun premise I threw to Minaris, how we wanted this fight to not just be your archetypal coming-of-age story beat, but to also reinforce that Jaune's greatest strength was always his moral, mental, and physical endurance (sans child punching)."

This is important to keep in mind for this story - what Jaune's greatest strength is, I mean. I'd go more into detail but that's probably getting into spoiler territory so I'll refrain for now. But keep his inner strength in mind, because that's going to keep coming up, assuming I do my job correctly.

As for everything else... I know some people are going to think Jaune's father came off as overbearing and/or abusive, but that's not the intent. It's more like he's willing to do anything to protect his only son, and he absolutely got carried away in the heat of the moment when he realized Jaune wouldn't back down at first. So believe me, he truly does love his son (and the rest of his family) but he does get carried away from time to time in the name of protecting them.

I don't really have much else, other than to say thanks to Ickbard once again. Seriously, man, I couldn't have done it without you.

Now if you'll all excuse me, I need to get to work, because typing this AN made me a little late lol. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you next time!


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