He blinked, surprise etched on his face. Raven Branwen had managed to do the unthinkable, for someone as straight to the point as her.
She had utterly confused, befuddled, backstabbed and possibly bamboozled him. Join the Branwen Tribe?! Was she mad?! Did she get infected suddenly without anyone realizing it?!
Because those were the ramblings of a Turned!
… if they could speak, that is.
But regardless those small details, what in the actual fuck! Jaune's first instinct was to "kindly" tell her to fuck right off and throw herself from a cliff. Not that it would do much good, since she could fly, damn Maiden powers, but the sentiment persisted nonetheless.
Ha had to be careful and rethink his position though. Somehow, he had an idea that it was less of a fair proposal and more like a "holding gun to his head" affair. In other words, either he accepted, or he died, no other way around it.
Ok Jaune, don't panic! She's the rational type, right?! So if he explained clearly why it couldn't be done, maybe she'll understand! Ah, who was he kidding, he knew that it wouldn't go THAT smoothly. But… maybe an accord could be reached?
With that in mind, he briefly explained his situation. Raven's grin did nothing but grow.
"Do not worry your pretty little head over that! I promise, this will be a mutually beneficial kind of deal. See, I have no intentions of keeping you here, in this smelly old camp. That would be a waste of your potential. No, your job will be outside".
Aaaaaand she confused the heck out of him once again. He hoped that it wouldn't become a pattern.
"You see, those caged individuals… Turned, as you called them, are not all of the members of our Tribe. There are more, scattered all around Remnant. The more powerful ones that my men can't take care of by themselves. I would do it, but It would take way too much time, and I'm not exactly… comfortable leaving the camp without defenses. Not while we're so weak".
Uh-huh. Sure, that was the reason. He pretended to believe her though, for he wasn't anxious to go back to sleeping with the fishes.
"So, this will be your duty. Travel to all continents, find our wayward members and finish them off. We can't hold them here and they're too dangerous to be left roaming around. Bring back their weapons, armor, anything that might be useful. Our Tribe and I will obtain better equipment, especially now that SOMEONE took our new blacksmith!"
She gave him the evil eye for a second and he gulped. Yup, if he dared to refuse, he was dead meat. It wasn't even a contest.
"While you get to keep their auras for your little quest. As to sweeten the deal, at the end I will even allow you to request something of me, free of charge. A favor, if you would. You better be grateful, these kinds of agreements are rare around these parts! Now, are you in… or out?"
Beyond the very obvious threat hiding behind those words… it was actually a decent deal. A much nicer deal than what he was expecting, in fact. There had to be a catch.
"A catch? Why, how dare you! Of course that there's a catch, who do you think I am?! The catch is…"
She raised her hand, slightly illuminated by her scarlet aura.
"You and I will form a bond. As such, I will always know where you are and what you're doing, at all times. This way, I will open a portal every time that you kill one of the targets, or whenever I need you. And don't even think about not crossing it. When I call you, you will obey me. Understood…?"
For fuck's sake, just as he was planning to keep the equipment to himself!
He sighed, knowing that he didn't have an actual choice at this point. Better to just get over it…
"You accept? Very well then! Come here, little huntsman…"
He walked up to her and she placed her hand on his shoulder. A light shudder went through him and the bond was sealed. It felt very much gross.
"Good, good! You better go get started now! I'll tell you where to begin. Your first target is hiding fairly close by, somewhere around the ruins of that train that your friends wrecked not too long ago. Careful though! This person is not alone. Good luck and happy hunting!"
Of course he'll have to go out of his way to deal with it. Why the hell not? It's not like he was on an extremely important mission that could decide the fate of their world, or anything like that.
She released him and shoved him away. Guess… guess that happened. He blinked a couple of times before starting his walk out of that… abomination of a camp.
Making up his mind on FINALLY getting that damn chest piece and gauntlet fixed, he picked up the Proof of Passage and used it on himself, to go back to Beacon and visit Gunmetal. Possibly check up on Tai as well, just to be safe.
He… he just joined the fucking Branwen Tribe! Granted, it was out of his control, but still!
Yikes… he just had to not say anything to Ruby, once she's back.
Or Weiss.
Or gods forbid, Yang!
The circle of light that spawned beneath his feet faded, and he was once again back in Vale. He passed a hand over his eyes, trying to pinpoint the exact moment when he decided to fuck up massively and have EVEN MORE on his already full plate.
Ah right, he didn't pay attention back in Raven's tent. Some habits just refused to kick the curb it would seem.
Jaune scratched the back of his head, remembering the small forge where he had picked up the Aura Reader. It felt like so long ago already…
While he went, Taiyang fell into place by his side, looking a bit tired, but unharmed luckily. The Relic was safely secured on his waist.
"Hello again Jaune. I assume that the sudden appearance of that one eyed man is your doing?"
He nodded, explaining what happened during his brief stay in Mistral. His older friend winced.
"Yikes, getting involved with Raven? Are you sure that's a good idea?"
Of course not! But it's not like he had other choices!
"By the way, everything's still fine around here. Yang's defeat hasn't really changed much, but the Turned are getting to a manageable level, finally. Just… keep watching your back, okay? I don't like the people you're surrounding yourself with…"
Neither did he, with the sole exception of Ilia of course. But again, not much of a choice…
"Well, I'll leave you to your business. Good luck Jaune, and if you need help getting something done here in Vale, just tell me and I'll lend you my strength".
He nodded and the two split ways once more. Having an ally could never hurt after all.
When he reached the forge, he slightly marveled at the sight. Everything was back in working order. The fire was lit, the tools were ready to get the job done and Gunmetal himself seemed to be waiting for him.
"Ahh, there you are, lad! I thought those stupid bandits did you in, honestly. But, I'm glad to see you're still alive. Welcome to my new forge, where I will take care of everything related to your equipment, provided you have the materials, of course".
He… supposed that made sense. It's not like the blacksmith could just… stroll out and get everything by himself. But, this shouldn't require anything of that sort.
"Let's see here… you need these repaired? Brothers damn kid! What happened to them?! Did you brawl with a Nuckelavee?!"
Yes, actually. How did he guess?
"Know what? Don't tell me, it doesn't matter. Take a seat, this won't take long".
True to his words, the repair process went by smoothly. And by the end of it, he was wearing his beloved chest piece, good as new.
"There you go! Now you look like a proper huntsman. Unfortunately, the gauntlet was unsalvageable. Too much damage, so you'll have to make do without it, at least for now. Need anything else?"
Well, that sucked. Big time. But he guessed that there was nothing to it, not like it was Gunmetal's fault. Thinking about the question for a second, he took out Crocea Mors and asked if something could be done about it.
"Reinforce it? Yes, it can be done. Do you have materials? Anything is fine to be honest, this blade is so well made that it's not gonna break anytime soon".
Anything that could be used… could it be? He took out the Metal Scraps that he had been hoarding up until that point.
"Mhhh… yes, this will do nicely. I'll take as many as I can and get to work".
The process took much longer this time around, and he decided that taking a nap in the meantime could do him some good. He hadn't slept once ever since waking up, back in Ansel.
While he slept, he dreamed of better times. Running out in the fields with his sisters, having the time of his life. Sitting close to his grandfather while he narrated stories of huntsmen and heroes, of glory and hope. Then his first day at Beacon, meeting Ruby, dealing with Weiss, constantly wondering what the fuck was up with Blake… or that time he barfed on Yang's shoes.
Oops.
Then Ren, Nora and… Pyrrha. Everything felt like a lifetime ago. And in his case, it kinda was, considering that he died and all of that. He wondered, not for the first time, where everyone else was. His family and the remainder of his team especially. He wasn't particularly worried for either party, his father was probably still with his mother and sisters, while Ren and Nora were going to be just fine, provided they were together. But he still missed them…
He missed them all dearly.
It felt like he had just managed to close his eyes when Gunmetal called for him to take his sword back. When he did it looked and felt mostly the same, but it also seemed just a bit sharper and deadlier. Satisfied with the work, he decided to ask for the same treatment for Mors Celeri, before finally leaving the forge with a quick goodbye.
Obtained: Crocea Mors+3
Obtained: Mors Celeri+1
He waved Taiyang goodbye while he used the Proof of Passage once again, to teleport back to Mistral in the exact same spot.
He stretched a bit, getting quickly used once again to the weight of his chest piece. It was a very comfortable feeling, being less vulnerable.
In much higher spirits than before and properly motivated thanks to his dream, he set off towards the place the Aura Reader indicated, deciding to leave Raven's side activity for later. He wouldn't want to get behind schedule…
Not that he had a schedule, but you get the drift.
Whatever the place is, here we go!
It took him quite a bit of walking to get to his destination. The more he ventured away from the area controlled by the Branwen Tribe and Ilia, the more Grimm started to show themselves.
None of them were an issue honestly, a couple of slashes for the Ursa and one singular for the Beowolves were more than enough to drop them dead. Yup, his sword was definitely a lot stronger than before, the trip to recruit Gunmetal had been well worth his time. He was beyond glad for it.
When he did reach the place, he didn't personally recognize it. But he remembered the story that Ruby told him, all the way back in Argus. About the place where the Apathy Grimm had almost sunk their claws in the flesh of Team RWBY and Oscar.
The sign on the entrance only confirmed his suspicions…
.
.
.
NEW AREA: BRUNSWICK FARM
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.
.
Right… Oscar! He almost forgot about the poor boy! Well, he just felt bad at that point… he'll have to ask Ozpin's shadow if he knew anything about his whereabouts…
Later. He had to focus on his task. The Reader pointed him towards the bigger house, where he remembered Ruby mentioning about the cellar. He just hoped that the Apathy wouldn't be there… even if he probably should have already started feeling the effects, if they were.
All right then, explore everything else first, leave the fight to the death for last, like a smart boy. He doubted that there would be much around though…
And he was kind of right. Still two fire dust bombs was nothing to scoff at. He doubted he would get to use them while inside, he didn't fancy caving himself in, but still, useful for the future.
Getting inside the house and then the cellar he was instantly on guard when he saw lit torches. Shield up and ahead of him, he walked forward, eventually hearing noises ahead. Someone was fighting. The closer he got, he started to make out a voice. A familiar female voice.
"Please stop! Snap out of it Ren! I don't want to hurt you!"
More sounds of fighting… then a blade tearing through flesh, followed by desperate gurgling.
No. No… nonononono NO NO!
He ran forward, making it just in time to see… a nightmare come true.
Nora Valkyrie, on the ground, still like a broken doll with blood pooling underneath her. And above her…
Dark hair with a magenta streak. Green clothes, those gunblades…
The white skin and the dark red eyes.
Lie Ren. And he was Turned.
The eyes focused on him, and his former brother got into fighting position… only that this time it wasn't for a spar. He wanted to kill him.
.
.
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LIE REN, THE ONE WHO SURVIVED
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.
.
He barely had the time to raise the shield up again before his "friend" slammed into it, faster than anything he had seen up until that point. He somehow managed to block something along the lines of ten slashes in under two seconds, stabbing with his sword the second the attacks slowed, forcing Ren to step back.
How?! How did he transform?! Judging from the way Nora spoke, this happened just in that moment, without warning. Is there something down there that caused it? Or maybe…
A kick in the face forced his head back in the game. Fight now, ask questions later!
Ren went back into the offensive, swinging his weapon, Stormflower, simultaneously from two different directions. He got hit a couple of times, but the damage was negligeable enough to allow him to slash back, ignoring the slight sting. His opponent, though, gracefully weaved in between his hits. Just like Yang, he retained a good bit of his power even after turning.
His attack having failed, he was left wide open. An opening that Ren capitalized on mercilessly, this time slashing with all his strength. Which luckily wasn't much, thanks chest plate, granting an occasion to smash his shield against his former friend's nose, allowing him to back up and take a Booster.
Bad start. Very, VERY bad start.
Ren was too fast to hit normally. Which meant that if he wanted to win, he had two options: trade with him, since his attacks weren't strong enough to stagger, or stun him and attack safely. The first was doable, but, once again, his opponent's speed meant that healing wasn't much of an option, not without taking some more damage to compensate.
Which meant that the only viable solution was the second. The question became HOW to stun. His shield could do it, but again, too slow. Parrying maybe? It would take some trial and error to get used to Ren's patterns, but again, doable. Just like with the spars…
His teammate recovered just in time for him to finish his train of thoughts. The first combo was a bust, he was way too late with the parry.
Second combo was similar, but he was too early that time around. Third combo he was JUST a tiny bit off.
Fourth combo was the one. He swung his shield just in time, connecting with Ren's attack and staggering him. Keeping his reservations on the back burner, he shoved Crocea Mors through his body and kicked him into the ground. He used another Booster while his opponent recovered and got back up.
Okay, he had a strategy, now to finish it off. At least he didn't seem to have bullets left in Stormflower, so that was one silver lining. No ranged pelting to worry about.
Ren attacked again… but this time the timing was different, making him miss the parry. The fucker switched things up!
Just like… the spars. The spars!
Of course! He probably still remembered all the spars that they had together! Which meant that, at least subconsciously, he was responding accordingly, changing things up to throw him off. Meaning that, in order to win… he had to switch things up himself to keep up.
Sheathing the blade of his sword, Mors Celeri took its place. Faster slashes, different moveset and quicker recoveries should do the trick.
And he was right. Unfamiliar with the new weapon, Ren couldn't adapt. Mistake after mistake, Jaune finally started getting the upper hand.
His opponent never managed to gain it back. One last perfectly placed parry made one of Ren's weapons fly away. In the end, just like with Vernal, he stabbed through the heart and then violently tore away. He didn't get back up.
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CORRUPTION ERADICATED
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.
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Obtained: Graceful Lotus Aura
He panted, using one last Booster to get himself back into shape, before rushing to Nora's side. She was alive… but her aura was gone. Meaning… that he had no way to save her.
He shook her to wake her up, desperately, while placing her head on his lap to make her more comfortable. She opened her eyes, saw him, and smiled.
"Hehehe… I knew… our fearless leader… was strong enough to… survive a measly explosion…"
She started coughing, blood seeping out of her mouth.
"Ren… is he…?"
Jaune's head tilted downwards, ashamed. But he nodded.
"That's… good. At least now… he won't… be suffering anymore… and… it would have sucked to… not see him on… the other side…"
Her breath became even more haggard, she continuously rasped for breath. The blood must have reached her lungs.
"Fearless… leader… promise me… promise… that you will… put a stop to this… that our sacrifice… won't be vain… please…"
Small tears gathered in her eyes, running down her face. He couldn't say no, not even if he wanted to.
"Thank… you… Renny and I… we will always… be with you…"
She grinned at him, one last time, caressing his cheek with the back of her hand.
"Go… get em… Jauney…"
With one last breath, she died in his arms. In the end, almost like a slap to the face…
Obtained: Storm Queen's Aura
Nora was gone. Ren was gone. Pyrrha was gone.
He was alone now. The only member of Team JNPR left standing…
Jaune Arc finally broke. And he screamed.
Hello?! Is this thing on?! It is?! Noice.
Welcome back, dudes and gentleladies, to another episode of Auraborne, the show where suffering is just another Tuesday.
Not even kidding like… ouch. Even I cringed a bit while writing this. To those wondering where Ren and Nora had disappeared too… I'm sure that now you wish you never knew ahahaha.
Yup, Jauney is now the last member of JNPR still alive. It's tough being a protagonist in a Soulsborne story, this shit happens all the time. Just think about the Roundtable Hold in Elden Ring. Full of characters at the start… and then at the end, it's just you, Roderika and Hewg. Sadge.
Review responses!
merendinoemiliano: Ask ye shall receive my friend. Enjoy.
Essiter1987: You are very welcome. Dedication like yours is rare these days, you have no idea how much I appreciate it, truly. Yeah, Atlas isn't difficult to guess… or is it? Maybe I'm going to throw you a curveball, who knows? For Vacuo… I'm not gonna say more, but it's not Sun or anyone else from his team. Feel free to keep guessing though! Speaking about hurting… I do be very damn evil. Yeah, I kind of strayed from the story's route as of now. The way I see it, Jaune switches his "gameplay" depending on what he uses. Sword and shield is more Dark Souls, greatsword is more Bloodborne and dagger is more Elden Ring, with the stealth aspect. Miyazaki would hate my guts probably ahahaha
That's all folks! Ta-ta for now!
