Lavender sat on the floor of the closet, her legs sprawled awkwardly on the ground. She had hidden herself to the side of it, all to try to hide from Jaune.

As Lavender was the one who had to hide from him. As if she was the one who had to be afraid about what would come from this.

"Lavender, what are you doing in my room?" Jaune Link asked slowly, every word dripping with weight. He was worried, genuinely so. Fate had come for him so many years ago in this lifetime, and for once left him with everything he had.

The irony of his own actions taking that away from him...

Lavender had been timidly sitting on the ground, shocked at being caught with the Golden Sword and Fire Shield. But something in Jaune's words seemed to break her out of her shock, as she snapped back at him.

"What am I doing? What about you? You're not supposed to have Crocea Mors." Lavender fiercely responded. Absently, Jaune registered his bedroom door opening behind him, where Coral watched the two.

He decided to go for honesty. "I guess I missed it. They're good weapons. But you shouldn't be in my room."

"Do you think dad's going to be mad at me?" Lavender pointed out incredulously. "I knew you had a plan for becoming a huntsman still. Coral didn't believe me, but I knew."

"I don't think he has a plan beyond running off when he got older." Coral said.

"Is that what Coral was doing? Distracting me while you looked through my room?" Jaune asked incredulously, looking back toward her briefly. Coral met his glance without an ounce of shame, the monster, though Lavender looked appropriately admonished.

"Can you blame me? What are you even doing with this? Were you going to run off with Crocea Mors and lie your way into an academy? No one's going to take you as a without experience." Coral pointed out, quite redundantly.

You're half right, Jaune thought to himself, with more than a little satisfaction at the thought. Catching the expression on his face, Lavender's own expression hardened.

"You were, weren't you! Were you going to just hope you got in? Fake your transcripts?"

"It's none of your business." Jaune said, his tone going cold. He was as tired of his family doing this, as he was afraid of it. At this point, it was just bothersome. What did they think he'd do once he turned 18? Did they think he was going to give up? Did they think he didn't have a plan, after years of working toward this? Jaune was about to deliver this rant, however foolishly, when Lavender interrupted the thought.

"You don't think it's our business we want you to live? Just because you're you doesn't mean you can kill a Grimm!" Lavender nearly-shouted. Jaune might have let that pass, might have kept trying to talk this out, were it not for Coral's words behind him.

"I'm getting dad."

Jaune wanted to enjoy the life he had, and the family that came with it. Even though he was half-impostor, he still loved the family he had in this life. He wanted to keep making memories with them, for as long as he could before becoming a huntsman.

And there was no grand destiny calling for him, no goddesses to subtly guide him down the right path. There was no divine healing to rely upon, since the last of the great healers of Hyrule died with Nayriel. He needed to be ready, and his 15-year old body wasn't quite there.

But it would have to be enough. Because with Coral's words, Link Jaune knew that his father wouldn't let him keep the sword and shield. The fear of what his father might do to keep Jaune from having them was nearly crippling.

He would not let Nayriel's gifts be lost forever.

With a sudden yank, Jaune Link pulled both the sword and shield out of Lavender's grasp, nearly dislocating her shoulder as he did so. Hardening his heart to her scream of pain, he began throwing his unpacked camping gear into his backpack as fast as he could. He could hear footsteps pounding up the stairs, as Coral began screaming something- what, Link couldn't hear over his own heartbeat.

He didn't have time to pack clothing. He didn't even have time to pack all of his camping gear, scattered as it was on his floor. It would have to be enough. It wasn't the worst he had been equipped for a journey.

Link Jaune hastily threw his boots on last, unable to even tie the laces as Nicholas rounded the doorway. His father now barred his bedroom door. His sisters were nearby, and he couldn't risk them getting hurt. He needed a way out, and there was only one way left in his second-story bedroom.

Link slung his half-packed backpack across his shoulders. He braced his shield forward. Before his father could do anything to stop him, he threw himself out the window.

Sounds of shattered glass and screams followed after him as he jumped out the window. Link expertly rolled forward, grunting as some of the glass pressed painfully against his skin. The ground hit hard, despite his trained roll. Link ignored the pain, hastily brushing glass shards off of his body as fast as possible. With a few more motions, his boots were tied. With but a few more seconds, his backpack was zipped shut, camping gear and powdered glass alike sealed inside. It still wasn't fast enough.

His father emerged from their home, starring at Link.

"What the hell Jaune?" Nicholas asked incredulously. He started to move forward, only to stop as Link raised his sword forward.

The two stood still for a second, watching each other. All other sounds and distractions ceased but for a second. Link's front was entirely silhouetted by the light of their home, the only part that shone forward. The Golden Sword glistened in the light, almost seeming to shed its own in the darkness of the evening. Barest glimmers of light shone past Nicholas's back, his face and front obscured.

And then the moment ended.

"Calm down son, I don't want to hurt you." Nicholas said cautiously, putting his hands up. Link almost didn't register those words at first. All the built-up stress toward this moment, all of the emotion wrapped up in this familial problem, all of it came out in a short reaction.

Link Jaune giggled.

"I'm not the one who's going to get hurt here." Jaune said, sword and shield in hand. For a second, Nicholas said nothing. Finally, he spoke again.

"I don't know what's wrong with you right now Jaune. And I know you might not want it right now. But I promise we're going to help you. Please put down the sword Jaune." Nicholas said calmly, hands still splayed calmly toward Jaune, as if to calm down a wild animal.

"I'm going to become a huntsman with or without your guy's approval." JauneLink said.

Nicholas stared at his morbidly-laughing son, shards of glass still caked within the visible crevasses of his clothing. No matter how hard he blinked, Jaune still held the sword he had come back with after being kidnapped- holding it toward him, his own father.

Jaune looked half-mad.

"I'm sorry about this Jaune. I promise we'll get you some help. I promise you'll thank me later." Nicholas said. He took several quick, long strides toward his son, closing the gap in an instant.

Link evaluated Nicholas within that instant. He was bulkier, built with a truly-developed huntsman's strength, and had longer legs than those of Link's. He couldn't hope to outrace Nicholas.

His only choice was to defeat him.

"I'm sorry too." Jaune said, quietly. Without pausing to see if his father heard his words, Link instantly assumed a stance, sword in left hand, shield in right. Nicholas, cloaked in aura grabbed for Link's shield, only for Link to sidestep his father perfectly. With an upward swing, the Golden Sword cracked into Nicholas, sending him stumbling back several feet.

Power

Link did not hesitate. With a surge of force, magic erupted into the blade. Link brought forth the sword in a grand sweeping motion, swinging toward the huntsman. Nicholas, only seeing the swing coming wide of him moved in for another tackle in the apparent opening- only to be hit by a grand arc of energy. He went slamming to the ground. Reeling, but acting on trained instinct, he quickly sprung to his feet.

Link could feel Nicholas appraising him in a new light.

"I've been training to be a huntsman. I've developed my strength, my technique, and my instincts. Did you think I was just playing around in the backyard?" Link Jaune asked rhetorically, spinning the sword around. Casting forth beams of magic from his sword had been something he had learned many lives ago. It was simple in magical theory, but tricky in practice- requiring him to be healthy, cast it in a wide sweeping motion, and was difficult to aim. But the blow itself was as strong as an actual sword strike, and easy to incorporate within his fighting style. Using it was a no-brainer.

Nicholas inhaled, and then exhaled for a slow moment. At the same time, Link Jaune was dimly aware of his family coming outside to watch, but ignored whatever they were shouting.

Against this mountain of a warrior his father, Link could not afford to take his eyes off him. Was his father finally about to acknowledge his goals?

"You've gotten good Jaune. Better than I ever could get by myself. But a few good hits and a trick doesn't make you a huntsman. Even if you are able to manipulate Dust." Nicholas said. He dove in again. Link prepared himself to deflect Nicholas again, only for the warrior to suddenly throw his hand forward. Detritus flew into Link's eyes. Nicholas surged forward as Link was suddenly blinded by the trick.

Nicholas threw forward his leg in a high kick, seeking to knock the sword out of Link's hands. A warrior's instinct, trained in how people reacted when they were blinded, aimed forward where he predicted Link would back up in reaction.

Instead, Link moved forward. Nicholas's strength hit him at max aura-infused power, the kick sending him flying through the air. Juniper screamed, Jaune's sisters gasping after her as he rolled on the ground. Nicholas came to a halt, horror suddenly falling over his entire being.

"Fuck, shit, Jaune, are you ok?" Nicholas said, yelling. The force of his kick, the distance he had been sent... it would be the equivalent of a car crashing into his son, concentrated on a single point on his body. Wild horror flew through his mind, imagining the gaping hole in his son's chest... only for the horror to be chased out of his mind at the sight greeting him.

Jaune's body glistened gold. The barest illumination outlined his son. Jaune had unlocked his aura. Nicholas watched in awe as his son stood up, fixing him with a rigid look.

Courage

"Your aura is unlocked." Nicholas stated. Jaune nodded in response. "Who unlocked it?"

"I did." Jaune responded. At Nicholas's snort, he continued. "I told you guys that I understood myself. That's all you need. Most people just don't know how to look inward- or are afraid to."

For a second, Jaune was sure that his father was going to dismiss this again. To his surprise, Nicholas simply nodded.

"I underestimated you Jaune. I shouldn't have. You're a strong kid. Let's go inside and talk about this." Nicholas said softly.

"Are you going to let me be a huntsman?" Jaune asked in return.

"Yeah." Nicholas replied. "Let's go inside son." Nicholas said. Jaune walked toward his father, tears about to come to his eyes. His father had finally accepted that he would be a huntsman, he wouldn't have to flee home!

Slowly, the two men came up to each other. Link was tentative, unbelieving. But he Jaune wanted to believe. Nicholas slowly reached a hand forward...

And put it on Jaune's shoulder.

"Give me Crocea Mors Jaune."

Cold washed over his body immediately. Jaune immediately stepped back, sword and shield clutched protectively. Betraying himself, Nicholas instinctively reached out to yank the sword out of his son's hand, damage to aura be damned, only to have the hand slapped by away by a quick flourish of the blade.

All the courage he had shown to give love a chance and talk things over with his family vanished in an instance, replaced by an iron will. Everything that was the mask of Jaune vanished under the mask that was Link. Seasoned warrior instincts took over.

He could not lose here.

"I thought we were going to talk this out Jaune." Nicholas said, trying to salvage the situation. Jaune might have responded to the remark. But the mask that was Link was silent, preparing to fight the huntsman before him. With nary a reply from Jaune, Nicholas reached a hand into his pocket. House keys tingled in the night.

"Nicholas, what are you doing?" Juniper yelled in horror. With a flick of his fingers, the keys in Nicholas's hands began opening, Dust mechanisms working overtime to unfold the matter contained within.

In a matter of a second, Nicholas had a sword within his right hand, shield in left. The Breadwinner, Nicholas's newest mechashift weapon was brought into the fight.

"He has aura. Once I've broken it, I'll be able to put it away." Nicholas called out.

Wisdom

Link silently evaluated his Nicholas's stance. Rigid, but clearly well-practiced. He had been a huntsman using sword and shield for longer than Link Jaune had been alive in this life, and it showed. Nicholas may have been one of the worst huntsman to graduate from Beacon Academy by his own admission. But he had survived for over twenty years as a huntsman. Link would not win this fight for free.

Link made the first move. He began to move his sword through the air in a wide arc again, magic glowing at its tip. His father immediately moved to the side, assuming another sword beam- only for Link to abort at the last second anyway. It wasn't like one would come after that kick to his chest, anyway.

Instead, Link revealed the feint for what it was. He kicked forward, aura enhancing his strength. He shot forward, tip-first at Nicholas, like a human-sized spear. Instinctually, Nicholas quickly raised his shield to deflect the blow, sending Link to his side. Nicholas in turn slammed at Link with his shield, only for Link to raise his own shield in response, the clashing of metal producing a loud clack between the two fighters. Yet Link was the one sent back by the blow, courtesy of Nicholas's superior mass.

The two moved immediately after that exchange. Link swept in with his sword via strong slash, only for the blade to be knocked away by his Nicholas's dangerously powerful tackle forward, shield used as the powerful barrier it was. Link once again stepped away, forced to give ground. Experimentally, he swung his sword overhead, only for the blow to once again be knocked away.

He's using his own aura and mass as a tank! Is this how he fights Grimm? Link thought to himself incredulously. Nicholas would have to have insane aura reserves, not to mention a bulk unheard of among most hunts-

It actually made a lot of sense when he thought about it that way.

Nicholas continued moving forward, shield forcing Link to constantly give ground, or shuffle to the side, forcing him to block. Neither men were landing blows, though Link knew this mattered little. Whatever his aura reserves were, they meant little in a fourteen-year old body like this. All he would need was a good hit or two, and all of his aura would be spent preventing his body from being pancaked. That blow nearly came as Nicholas blocked an overhead strike from Link with his sword- only to bring his shield down with mighty force, nearly caving Link's head in with the rim. Time seemed to slow down as Link saw this coming. He used his father's strength to aid him, allowing his sword's block to push him down- only to erupt in a roll that gave him a few meters of distance.

Nicholas crossed the distance in a second. It was more than enough time for Link to think, for just a second.

Uses bulk to attack foes. Clearly intended for Grimm, rogue huntsman would evade and shoot from afar. No gun or bow to use against him here. Shield is a battering ram. Can't deal more than a glancing blow with it active.

Nicholas's shield truly was the crux here. Crocea Mors clearly had held Nicholas back, as his new shield was easily twice the surface area of Crocea Mors- something that suited Nicholas's fighting style a lot better. Link coolly evaluated the chance of disarming his father of the shield. Strapped to his arm like that, it didn't look likely-

Strapped to his arm, Link thought to himself as he dodged another blow. Something tickled within his brain at the thought. It would require precision most swordsmen couldn't dream of. And it would leave him exposed.

He would have to set this up as much as possible for this to even have a chance of working.

Link allowed himself to fall back into the pace Nicholas was trying to set. Backing away from blows, trying to land some blows in return against Nicholas, all in the name of provoking a certain move from the huntsman again.

Nicholas began to press Link harder, sensing that he was falling into the motions. Link barely backed away from a sudden sucker punch, acting as if he was off balance slightly. With a roar, Link swung his sword overhead as if trying to recover with one fell move, committing his body to Nicholas's left with the blow.

Nicholas once again raised his sword to block Link's, before bringing his shield up to smash down on Link. Link was more committed, closer up. There should have been less room to move.

Link once again allowed Nicholas's strength to push him. But instead of rolling away this time, he moved inward- inside Nicholas's reach. The huntsman nearly stumbled as Link ran into him, their bodies slamming into one another. Link's breath was nearly knocked out of him by the force.

Nicholas's reliance on cheap tricks to break up the fight. His over-reliance on his shield. And his trust in his bulky aura. Link knew how Nicholas fought. And he wasn't impressed.

Link slipped the Golden Sword into the strap of Nicholas's shield, sword awkwardly lodging itself against the strong reinforced strap, and the aura-hardened flesh of Nicholas's arm. Stumbling, Nicholas brought his arm up, trying to either free himself of the awkward positioning, or disarm Link.

Instead, Link slung his shield across his shoulder, clinging with both hands to the sword. His legs swung up, feet pressing against Nicholas's upper arm and shoulder. It looked comedic for the briefest second- the fourteen year old boy clinging to his father's bulky arm, sword tangled up in the strap the older man's shield.

And then Link pulled on the sword as hard as he could, against the direction that Nicholas's elbow usually closed. The Golden Sword had become a lever to use against the older huntsman.

And Nicholas's elbow was fulcrum.

"Arrrggghhhhhhhhh" Nicholas screamed, as Link pulled on it. Only aura saved the arm from being broken in half. Desperately, Nicholas tried falling to the ground to deny Link space to pull at the arm. Link was ready. He quickly swung around Nicholas's arm, bringing it into a more natural position- against Nicholas's front, sword pointed forward. In the flurry of limbs and straps and the older huntsman's strength, the sword fell forward awkwardly, but stabbed against his side all the same. Link pressed with all of his strength, shifting his back to try to take the sword blows in retaliation against the Fire Shield. He was mostly successful.

And then the strap snapped. Link was sent off balance as the Golden Sword, so deftly created by Nayriel cut through the reinforced leather like butter. Link found himself falling beside the older warrior, and tried to stand up again- only for Nicholas to roll over and try to grab him with his now-free shield arm. In retaliation, Link swapped hands holding the Golden Sword- and slammed down on the grasping arm. Nicholas once again screamed in agony as Link slammed the Golden Sword down on his arm, one, two, three times. But even as Nicholas's aura began to flicker, he did not let go of Link. Desperately, Nicholas dropped his sword and tried to grab onto the same leg, trying to bring Link down.

Link decided to meet Nicholas where he wanted. He allowed himself to be pulled at- only to wind up atop the older huntsman. Sword held in both hands, he plunged down.

The Arc family watched in horror and disbelief as the fight proceeded. Blows came fast, half-illuminated by the clashing of their aura, and whatever light from the house reached the fight. Yet the darkness did not hide when Nicholas kicked with all his strength at Jaune, sending him flying through the air. Juniper unleashed a guttural scream, confident that her husband had just murdered their son- only to watch as Jaune stood back up.

Glowing with aura.

For a second, it looked as if this was going to be the moment of peace they were looking for. A moment where they could talk things out, figure out what was happening here- and maybe, just maybe hear Jaune out about becoming a huntsman after seeing this display.

And then it was all ripped away again in an instant.

"Nicholas, what are you doing?" Juniper screamed in horror as The Breadwinner unfolded.

"He has aura. Once I've broken it, I'll be able to put it away." Nicholas called out. The family watched in shock when Jaune met his father blow for blow.

The fight only got more violent as it proceeded. Blows that would have been fatal for anyone without aura flew back and forth. Attacks hit shields that would have dislocated an arm without aura. Impossible rolls and last-minute sidesteps were the norm.

And then Jaune went for the kill. In an outrageous feat of acrobatics, Jaune scrambled around his father's arm, pulling on it with gruesome leverage of the huntsman's own strength, and the straps of his shield. Within moments, Jaune had fallen down beside his father. A hand went around Jaune's leg, as it seemed like Nicholas might be able to use his superior bulk to wrestle Jaune into submission. And then Crocea Mors came down. And then came down again. Juniper's heart stopped as Jaune allowed himself to be pulled down, plunging the sword tip-first toward his father's chest.

Nicholas grabbed for the sword's blade, aura wavering. At first, he tried to roll around, only for Jaune's knees to come down on other side of his chest, stopping Nicholas's movement. Then, he tried moving the blade itself to the side- only for Jaune to lean his bulk against the blade even more.

A horrifying truth occurred to the family at roughly the same time. Jaune was about to murder Nicholas.

"Jaune, stop, stop!" Juniper screamed. Jaune continued to ignore her, face bent in fury as the sword's tip grew closer to Nicholas's chest. Nicholas's aura strained against Jaune's, struggling in their awkward position to hold it back, to hold back certain death.

"He's not listening! Someone do something before that idiot kills dad." Coral commanded. To their horror, Lavender listened.

"Don't do it Jaune!" Lavender screamed, flinging herself against her brother. For a second, Link kept pressing, his adrenaline-rattled brain registering a new threat trying to stop him. Then, he realized they were sobbing against his shoulders.

Link Jaune rolled off of his father, gasping for breath. Nicholas allowed Jaune to do so, gasping as well as his aura flickered on and off.

Just a second or two longer... Jaune thought to himself. Just a second or two longer, and his father would have died. A cold shiver ran down his spine at the thought.

But some instinct in him still prompted him to stand up. To move forward.

Jaune stood, idly aware of his sister Lavender leaning on him. For the last time that night, he pried Lavender off of his body. He turned awkwardly to look at his family. And he winced as several very shocked, and scared glances met him.

"I'm sorry. About all of this. But I'm going to become a huntsman. And I'm not going to let any of you get in my way." Jaune said breathlessly. His body ached, his stomach especially so. He could still feel shards of glass clinging to his clothing, feel faint familiar aches that came with blocking with a shield. He didn't even have all of his camping gear packed. But it would be enough. It would have to be enough.

Otherwise, Jaune wasn't sure he'd be able to walk away again.

"Jaune, please..." Nicholas said, grunting. Jaune spared one last glance toward his father and mother.

Nicholas looked at his son. The son who had unleashed Dust magic, or maybe even a semblance at his father. The son who had unlocked his own aura.

The son who defeated him, a decades-long veteran huntsman.

Every fiber of Nicholas that was a father wanted to beg Jaune not to leave. Not to become a huntsman. But... a lot of complex thoughts were ringing in his brain, clouded as it was by the pain in his fingers. Something that realized that no matter what, Jaune was going to be huntsman. There was more, more Nicholas could not parse now. But he needed to talk to Jaune.

"Jaune, where are you going?" Juniper asked, her voice light. Nicholas peered over at his shocked family.

Juniper is never going to let me live this down, Nicholas thought to himself.

Jaune had been walking away, into the forest. But just for a second, he stopped. Nicholas saw his son's face briefly twist into something like regret, or guilt, before growing firm.

"What I've told you all I was doing for the past few years. I'm going to be a huntsman." Jaune said finally. He began to move back toward the trees he had disappeared into so many years ago.

"Jaune, wait. Let us help you. We can get you into a combat-" Nicholas began to say.

"I'm not falling for that again." Jaune said, not even slowing down this time. Before anyone else could call out to him, he sprinted into the darkness.

And with that, Jaune disappeared into the night.

Authors Note:

What a chapter! I hope I did it justice- and hope I can keep carrying forward the interesting concept of this story. I feel like a lot of "reborn" stories can kind of get lost in the weeds after the initial opening concept, and want to make something meaningful.