Author's Note:

I'm not entirely happy with the Coral segment, simply because I don't think I quite captured how nightmarish a bully older sibling can be. At the same time, I'm not sure if I like the overly negative depiction. People are more than their worst moments even if it characterizes them, and I think Jaune would love her in a way I don't quite capture here.

That said, I was tired of that section holding up the next chapter, and so I decided to release it anyway. Hope you guys enjoy.

Jaune wasn't grounded for the rest of his life, but it had been a close thing. Especially when he argued with his parents over whether or not he had been kidnapped. For a month following "the incident", Jaune wasn't allowed outside his room except to eat, do chores, and go to school. Even after his grounding, he wasn't allowed outside his family's sight for months on end.

A bit of everything had changed around him following "the incident", as his family had dubbed it. At the same time... it felt like not much had changed either.

Jaune no longer searched through the grass for money. And yet, he had explained to his family that this was because he now knew that the fairies that littered the grass with currency were no longer around. The explanation was almost a relief for his family. For all their faults with his lackadaisical attitude toward "the incident", he had not been overly traumatized by what had happened. He continued treating his sisters well, doing his chores, and keeping reasonably good grades- and for his family, this was enough.

Nicholas made his trip to Vale without incident. The huntsman came back with a brand new mechashift weapon in hand, and no information to name Jaune's "kidnapper". He took to practicing the new, better weapon in the backyard, all while pretending that he didn't enjoy its features and weight far better than the historical, inherited weapon that had been Crocea Mors. Juniper saw right through him.

And Jaune's sisters...

It was inevitable. The Arc Family had bade Saphron a fond farewell, both sides crying as she went off to university. It was a farewell drenched in warmth, pride, and happiness. It was also a farewell that Jaune's parents had dreaded.

Saphron was by far the most responsible of the Arc children. Without her, Juniper and Nicholas had lost the last of the siblings they could trust with responsibility (a position Jaune had once held before "the incident". The two had responded as most parents would- by foisting responsibility on the older siblings anyways.

Some responded better than others.

"Get back here. If you go too close to the woods again I'll tell mom. We don't want you, ah, getting taken by your fairy godmother again." Coral told (ordered) Jaune. She smiled as she said the last sentence.

Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, Jaune decided.

Jaune followed a familiar routine after his meeting with Nayriel (or his kidnapping depending on who was asked). He continued his house chores, but had started to practice other familiar skills as well. Grip and athletics training disguised as over-exuberant tree climbing. Martial training and katas masquerading as him playing with sticks, even if it was a bit unusual for someone as old as him. Long runs around the backyard excused as him burning off excess energy.

And Coral had dragged him away from each and every one of his routines today. She called it watching after him. He called it (within his mind) her acting like a bitch.

So instead, Jaune focused on the household chores he had, aiming to get as many done as he could before his mom got home. Even then, he wasn't spared.

"Make sure to do the dishes while you're at it." Coral remarked idly. Jaune fumed. It was her day for that. He hated doing dishes.

"Did you know you were adopted?" Coral remarked idly, as Jaune fed the chickens. Jaune resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the remark, instead keeping a close eye on the poultry as he fed them. Old habits died hard, and all of his old habits warned him that poultry were to be feared. "I know what you're thinking- Coral's lying to me. But it's true. Have you ever wondered how you're the only boy mom and dad had?" It would have been absurd and funny to Jaune, if Coral hadn't proceeded to tell him a vaguely insulting backstory to his supposed parentage for the next few minutes as he tended to the chickens.

"Try to avoid breathing in the glass cleaner." Coral lectured to Jaune. "You only have so many brain cells remaining."

Jaune dearly missed Saphron.

"Why do you bother?" Coral asked. Jaune, used to her badgering him throughout the day ignored her. He put his focus toward his current task- chopping firewood. Their firewood stock was good for the winter- and Nicholas had been very proud of Jaune over dinner when bringing this up- but his neighbors still needed to stock up. Wanting an excuse to work out, he had volunteered his efforts a few days ago. His family really couldn't get back soon enough.

Coral went on speaking anyway, regardless of Jaune ignoring her. "Why do you even bother training to be a huntsman?"

At this, Jaune paused. He looked over at Coral, who now wore a look of triumph on her face. She had nailed what he was doing.

"I'm not planning on becoming a huntsman." Jaune said unconvincingly.

"Liar. Dad doesn't believe you either. I guess someone delusional enough to think they were kidnapped by a fairy would try to be a huntsman. But if dad can barely cut it as one, how will you?" Coral said snidely. "How are you going to be a huntsman if you never joined a combat academy? Who would take a moron like you as an apprentice? You think dad would let you ever become a huntsman? You think you could save anyone?"

Jaune gently put down the woodcutting axe, sizing Coral up. She had a victorious look to herself. Coral had always been a spiteful girl. She had always enjoyed making family members cry.

Maybe if he was actually 11, he would have broken down crying by now, after a long day of insults and taunting. Jaune knew that Lavender or Amber certainly would have. Instead, he was just confused.

"Why are you like this?" Jaune asked.

"Why am I telling you the truth? You really are stupid, aren't you?" Coral asked.

"No, no. Like..." Jaune struggled to find a way to say it tactfully, before settling on something decidedly untactful. "Why do you act like such a bitch?" Coral sputtered at his sudden curse, but Jaune went on. "I don't know why you enjoy it. No one in the family likes being around you. You're stuck inside your room all day. Your friends at school are the kind of people you make fun of. I just don't get it." Jaune went back to chopping the firewood. Everything was quiet for a long moment, before Coral went on speaking.

"I mean it. No one's going to take you on as an apprentice. Huntsmen don't even take apprentices anymore. You're not getting into an academy either, not without dad's help." Coral said. Jaune looked up briefly at his sister again. She looked victorious, as if she had claimed something over him. Jaune just shrugged, before going back to chopping firewood.

If she was looking to get her kicks off of hurting him emotionally, she would have to go for someone who wasn't part old-man.

Should have stuck to interrupting my workout, Coral.

"Mom..."

Juniper turned around slowly, seeing her son at the doorway. It had been a long day at the doctor's office, what with Lavender's fragile health and the ceaseless testing that it required. But all of her exhaustion washed away at the terrible sight before her.

Jaune was crying. Jaune. Jaune hadn't cried in front of her for years. Even when he hurt himself as a child, he had patched himself up without complaint. It had driven her crazy at some points. He was never the vulnerable one. The last time he had cried that she could recall...

It was when Nicholas had found him. He had found Jaune crying in the woods, after "the incident".

"Jaune, are you ok? Are your sisters hurt?" Juniper said, quickly going over to him. He didn't look hurt, but Jaune had always been good at hiding his pain.

"Mom- gaaaassspp, moooom!" Jaune said, before bursting into tears. Tears and snot rand down his face as he embraced her. She held him tight, rocking him back and forth as sobs rocked his body. Juniper patiently held onto Jaune as he kept crying. It was familiar territory to her by now, even if Jaune hadn't needed it since he was a young toddler.

Once he calmed down enough, she gently prodded him again. "Jaune, what's wrong?" Juniper asked, running a hand over his hair.

"Am I adopted?" Jaune asked quietly, barely bringing his face up from her chest.

"What." Juniper said blankly. Not asked. Said.

"Coral said I was adopted and that my real mommy didn't want me and that you adopted me because you wanted a son." Jaune said, sobbing still. Juniper breathed in deeply, and exhaled slowly.

"No Jaune. No, you're not adopted. I gave birth to you in a hospital in Vale." Juniper said calmly.

"But Coral said you'd lie to me. How do I know...?" Jaune responded, his lip quivering. Juniper calmly breathed in and out again, headache mounting. She didn't need something this absurd after the day she had.

"Your father rented a car while we were in the city giving birth to you. He got a ticket for parking too long without a pass at the hospital. We called you our little ticket baby. I still have it somewhere in your father's drinking room." Juniper outlined calmly.

"Can I see it?" Jaune asked softly. Juniper smiled.

"I'll show it to you tomorrow. Would you like me to tuck you in?." Juniper asked. Jaune nodded shyly.

A few minutes later.

"CORAL!"

Jaune settled comfortably into his bed, satisfied over a job well done. Jaune might have been a hero once. But a saint? He doubted there was a lifetime where those who knew him personally would call him that. And Coral? She had struck a nerve today.

She shouldn't have interrupted my workout.

While Jaune wasn't happy being watched over still, it wasn't as bad when Sable was his babysitter. Despite being Coral's twin, they two had very different personalities. Both were quiet, but where Coral chose spite, Sable chose kindness. Jaune liked to think he got along quite well with her.

"Hey, just so you know." Sable began. "You shouldn't take anything Coral says seriously. She told me how she got in trouble, and the whole adoption thing was a stupid story she came up with."

"I know." Jaune said with a faint smile. The two settled into a companionable silence. Jaune and her shared either side of the couch, browsing through their preferred subjects on their scrolls- Jaune, details on Ursa Grimm behavior, and Sable, the latest gossip piece.

"So you want to be a huntsman?" Sable asked. Jaune idly looked up at her.

"Sorry, what was that?" Jaune, half-distracted hadn't heard what she said.

"I noticed it too. You keep working out. You're saving up your money. You're training. You want to be a huntsman, like dad." Sable asked.

Jaune gave her an appraising look. "Mom and dad really don't give you two enough credit. You both understand." Jaune said.

"You? Of course we understand, we're your sisters." Sable said, confused.

"No, you two see things others don't. You both understand people." Jaune said in a meaningful tone.

Coral and Sable were the kind of people he would have called magical in Hyrule, despite them possessing no magic whatsoever. The kind of person that Remnant would call cold readers. Spend enough time around them and they could see right through you. Coral knew the right insults for the occasion, and Sable knew how to console someone. They had known Saphron was attracted to women before Saphron had known- and oh boy, had that been an awkward dinner.

Sable would make a good therapist with those skills, Jaune thought. Coral could use hers to write realistic people. It really complimented her hobby as a writer. And failing that, she could always become an especially perverse serial killer as her backup career.

"You're really something, you know that Jaune?" Sable told him. She sat up on the couch, looking at him seriously. "Do you really think you can be a huntsman? Even with dad stopping you?"

Jaune looked back at her seriously. It was in moments like these that Sable could see a trace of iron under Jaune's gaze. The sign of something serious, something beyond an overly-responsible kid. Something that reminded her of their father when he went out on mission. When he went out to protect others.

"Yes." Jaune told her. His voice was even, brave, older... She felt like she was listening to the proclamation of a future hero, that this was one of those moments in history that few would understand was some big turning point, that...

"I mean, I am the reincarnation of an ancient hero." Jaune continued. Sable's thought processes stopped as she processed his words. She burst out laughing.

"Noooooo, you were so cool tooooooo..." Sable said despairingly, leaning over to punch his shoulder lightly. Jaune laughed at her reaction, grabbing her arm and pulling her into a brief hug.

"I'm serious." Jaune said, between giggles.

"Yeah, sure." Sable said, using her superior height in the only way an older sibling could.

Jaune collapsed under the weight of her noogie.

Jaune's sisters continued growing up, of course. Jade was the next to leave home. She had taken to working on the family's electricity generator at an early age, and shown a strong interest in Dust since. She was quickly snatched up as an apprentice for a job servicing Dust machinery in frontier towns, straight out of high school. It was a little dangerous, as all jobs were in the frontier, but seemed to pay well enough.

She called back often.

"Yeah, the village I'm in was attacked yesterday. It's over, but..." Jade said, the mood darkening. "Jaune, I know you're hearing this. Don't ever run off again. I saw how the Grimm treated the people they caught, and... I saw some scary stuff." She said the last bit in a low tone. Despite his sympathy for Jade, Jaune couldn't help but be annoyed. You run off one time and your family becomes convinced you were kidnapped by some master human trafficker with an illusion semblance.

Besides, he had seen far worse in his previous lives. Sometimes, he even saw them again in his nightmares.

"Let's not focus on that. How much longer do you have on your apprenticeship?" Juniper asked. Jade switched subjects, though Jaune Link could tell there was something there. She wanted someone to talk to about this. Even if Jade wasn't aware of that herself. Link hoped she could find someone.

Hazel knew she shouldn't have been this offended. Her family didn't do this intentionally.

It wasn't Saphron's fault that her success overshadowed Hazel, or Coral's fault that her problems drew so much of their parent's attention. Or that Jaune had been born and became the precious son that Juniper and Nicholas wanted. That Lavender had been born prematurely and required health care and more attention than the other children, or that Amber was the cutest thing ever.

Just, just, just they had forgotten about her birthday! What kind of family did that? They celebrated everyone else's birthday, even though the amount of children in the family made the events feel like a weekly occasion. But her?

Everyone forgot about little Hazel Arc. She wasn't anything special. Plain grades, and no idea what to do after she graduated this year. And oh so quiet, probably the quietest in the family. At least if you counted Jaune making an uproar when he was ran off that one time.

Hazel grinned at a stray thought about her brother. Maybe she should run off in the woods for a few days, just to get the attention he had.

She sighed at the idea. It was ridiculous, and she would never put the family through that for attention. Just, just, would it kill them to remember she existed? She idly took some food out of the fridge and began preparing her lunch when Jaune came in.

"Happy birthday Hazel." Jaune said, grabbing from the loaf she had taken out. He didn't even bother spreading the egg salad on the bread, simply dipping the entire slice in the container before swallowing it whole.

"Glad you remembered." Hazel said, putting the food away. Jaune paused at that.

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked.

"No one else remembered it was my birthday. Mom didn't say anything." Hazel said. She tried her best to hide it, but Jaune heard it anyway. A slight quiver in her voice. Brother instincts activated.

"Hazel." Jaune walked over. "Is this just about your birthday? Last year you didn't even want to have a party."

"Yeah-no, it's not." Hazel said, frustratedly. She took a few moments to speak, not sure what was going through her mind. "Do you think anyone in our family thinks about me when I'm not in front of them?"

"I thought of you when I woke up. It's your birthday. I'm happy you're alive." Jaune said tenderly. Hazel smiled despite herself. Jaune's honesty was disarming in the best way.

"Yeah, but you're... you Jaune. Sometimes I'll go days without anyone talking to me. Sometimes I feel like everyone forgets about me. They always remember you. They always wait for calls from Saphron and Jade. Hell, everyone's kind of memorable in this family. Except me." Hazel admitted. "Like, you're the only one to mention my birthday today. No one else did."

Jaune did the thing in response to her words. Something that Hazel had noticed, and always appreciated. He nodded to her words. He took the time to consider them. And then he spoke.

"I guess it must feel lonely." Jaune commiserated.

"It feels like bullshit. Like just because I'm not special like the rest of you means everyone ignores me." Hazel said.

"You're right." Jaune confirmed. "It is bullshit."

"Thank you! I-I, arrrgggghhhhh." Hazel said angrily. She plopped down at the dining room table angrily, and began chomping on her small lunch. Jaune leaned easily against the wall, letting her gestate in her anger. Another thing that Hazel appreciated. Jaune knew when to talk in a conversation. He was just a good listener in general.

"You wanna go grab something from the market? Margaret's selling cheesecake." Jaune offered.

"I already spent my allowance on some books." Hazel said half hopefully, knowing what Jaune was likely to say in response. She wasn't guilty with herself in the least when Jaune responded.

"I didn't." Jaune said with a smile. "Come on, we can grab those skewers you like while we're at it."

"You goof, you're the one that likes them- and you just ate!" Hazel said. Jaune laughed at the remark as Hazel raced to grab her jacket.

"Oh hey Jaune, where have you been?" Juniper asked as he walked inside later that night. Hazel walked silently past them, heading to her room. Jaune waited a few moments for her to go upstairs before speaking.

"Celebrating Hazel's birthday." Jaune said.

"Oh shit that was today." Juniper winced. Jaune gave her a blank look in response.

"I thought you were planning a surprise party." Jaune said. Juniper winced at that again.

"Did she take it badly?" Juniper asked. Jaune sighed in response.

"What do you think? She already knew you forgot."

"I'll... go talk to her. Thanks for taking her out. How much did you spend? I can pay you back."

"It's nothing. Just... she won't be living here forever. She's already about to graduate. How many birthdays do you think we have left to celebrate with her?" Jaune asked rhetorically.

Birthdays were one of Jaune's favorite parts of Remnant. He liked it when people celebrated that someone had been born. That someone was alive. He liked to celebrate that they were alive too.

Jaune was glad that his sister Hazel was alive. He knew his family was as well. He just wished they would remember that more.

Lavender lived a frustrating childhood.

She had listened to her brother about going to check on something in the woods. And then a few days later, she found out it was Jaune being kidnapped, right in front of her.

Kidnapped. Even at a young age, she had heard horror stories in school from her teachers. The areas outside of the reach of the cities were prime targets for kidnappers. Even before she knew what they would do with their victims, it had always been spoken with dark, alarming tones. If you were kidnapped out here, some terrible fate awaited you. And you'd probably never be seen again.

She let her brother get kidnapped, and he only made it back home through a miracle.

She couldn't trust her brother to watch out for himself. And so she started watching out for him.

Lavender also also began running track and field as she grew up. She was born ill and fragile, and after years of frustrating rest had propelled herself into athletics. It was liberating, racing against others, to finally be something other than the little girl to be watched over.

It had ended when her body collapsed under her in the middle of training.

It turned out that she would always be ill, the doctors told her parents. She might be healthy enough to walk around and take care of herself. But she should never carry heavy loads. Or work a physical job.

Or take part in sports.

She had tried arguing with the doctor over it. Tried arguing with her parents. But just like when Jaune was kidnapped, she was helpless here as well. And they were right. Walk around all day and she was fine. Try to run marathons or track and field in general again? Her body would just call it quits. No treatment was available for what she had. There was nothing the doctors could do. All because she had been born a few weeks too early.

Months stretched into frustrating years as Lavender grew up, knowing that she was helpless. Knowing that her family watched after her, constantly worrying over any little illness she had. Feeling especially frustrated when their overbearing care wasn't overbearing, when a flu was enough to threaten her life.

Lavender would always have to live close enough to be flown into the hospital. Lavender would always have to live with someone who could help her if she overexerted herself.

Lavender lived her life to its fullest, of course. She was more able than most children born as early as she was, and she was lucky enough to have a fully-developed brain. She made friends, got hobbies that weren't physically intense, and lived like any ordinary girl.

It's just that sometimes, something would come up that would remind her of her helplessness.

Like seeing Jaune work out all the time. He was a young teenager now, with a body that often turned her friend's gazes (much to her disgust, she didn't want to hear about her brother like that!). He could run laps around most adults, climb a tall tree in seconds, and do all of this while weighed down by his school backpack.

He was unburdened by anything he experienced. Maybe even unburdened by reality, going by his insistence that he wasn't kidnapped. He could do everything that Lavender couldn't. And even though she adored her big brother, and understood he wasn't trying to make her feel weak...

She couldn't help but feel jealous of him.

"Look at you!" Saphron said, rubbing Jaune's hair. As usual he bore it with a grimace, pushing the long strands out of the way of his eyes once she was finished. "You've grown up so much. You look like dad but smaller!"

"Thanks Saphron. I missed you." Jaune said honestly. He extended a hand toward Terra, Saphron's surprise girlfriend. "It's nice to meet you."

It was the semester break at the university Saphron was attending in Mistral. For the past few years Saphron had worked in between semesters, but found herself with a sizable scholarship this year. With money leftover, she was taking the time to visit her family instead, bringing her girlfriend all the way to Vale. With Terra following Saphron all the way to another continent for this visit, Jaune liked to think they would have an announcement for the family soon.

"Please sit down. Would you like tea? Coffee?" Juniper offered warmly. Overwhelmed by the attention everyone was giving her and Saphron, Terra managed to stammer out her preference for coffee.

The house was loud for hours, as Saphron eagerly recounted her stories from university, Terra chiming in from time to time. Eventually, as day turned to night Jaune volunteered to put a clearly-flagging Amber to bed.

"Can you tell me another one of your stories big brother?" Amber asked wondrously.

"What story would you like to hear today?" Jaune asked kindly, as he tucked her into bed.

"Tell me the story about the twilight princess again! But don't make it end sad this time." Amber demanded.

"But I would be lying if I did that." Jaune Link responded. Amber's face scrunched up.

"Then tell me the story of the boy with no fairy." Amber demanded. Link chuckled.

"Alright. Once, the Kokiri inhabited a mysterious forest known as the Lost Woods. They were a kind frolicking people, and would be young forever..." Link began.

"And so the evil demon was defeated, the great sages consigning the monster to another lifetime, for another hero." Link finished. Amber was nearly asleep at this point, barely hanging on to his words.

"And they lived happily ever after?" Amber murmured, her eyes barely open.

Where was Navi?

Blank stares met the adult dressed up as a childish Kokiri.

But he was a child of the forest. Why...

"More or less." Link said quietly. He gently traced his fingers over Amber's brow, watching as his youngest sister fell asleep.

"You're really good at telling stories Jaune." A quiet voice stated from the doorway to Amber's room. Link gently walked out, and toward Saphron, who was standing outside. The door was shut behind him.

"I have a lot of them." Link said in a low voice, not wanting to wake Amber.

"Is that what you want to be when you grow up? An author?" Saphron asked.

"No. I'm going to be huntsman." Link said simply. There was no point lying now. Almost everyone in the family knew this by now. Link Jaune could tell by the quiet whispers that Juniper and Nicholas spoke to one another that they still knew. By the way that everyone in the family tiptoed around on eggshells over the topic. By the way Nicholas had started screening their mail to make sure that Jaune wasn't trying to join any combat academies behind their back.

"Dad's not going to be happy with that." Saphron chuckled. Jaune shrugged.

"I don't want to worry you guys. But I can't stand by when I could make a difference." Jaune responded.

"Why not become a doctor? Or join the militia?"

"Because that's not me. Because the militia wouldn't let me roam and help others. We need more huntsman." Jaune said. And while it wasn't stating the entire reason he wanted to be a huntsman, the last part was certainly true. People in Vale may have grown content during peacetime, but Grimm attacks were as fierce as ever. After decades of peace following the Great War, the need for more huntsman was overlooked- not to mention the grueling nature of the job turned so many away.

It was one thing to dream of being a hero. It was another to realize that heroes lived for months in the wilderness, with no one to save you when you eventually made a mistake.

"Are you sure you know what you're getting into here Jaune? You do know many huntsman don't even make it to dad's age?" Saphron asked him gently.

"I've been training for years Saphron. I know myself, and I know I can't leave this for other people to do." Jaune said.

"I just think you don't..."

"Mom and dad put you up to this." Jaune stated simply. "They think I'm delusional. They think I don't know what I'm doing." He spoke the words without bitterness. He understood them, even if he did not agree with them.

Who would want their child to grow up to be a huntsman? Who would want their child to bear the tragic fate of a hero?

"I wouldn't say that-" Saphron started, only for Jaune to interrupt.

"Because you're polite. Don't worry, I have a plan." Jaune responded. Saphron wasn't sure why those words filled her with so much dread, but she hoped for her brother's sake that this plan was a good one.

Little did Jaune realize how soon he would have to put his plan into action.

Jaune's talk with his parents - through Saphron's mouth - hadn't come out of nowhere. Only a few months after Jaune was kidnapped, he tried to volunteer for the village militia at the ripe age of ten. His father had come by to bring him home only an hour later. There, he was given the talk that so many young teenagers of Remnant were given by their parents.

"You don't want to be a huntsman Jaune." Nicholas said simply. Jaune didn't bother being coy or lying. It would have been fruitless.

If Jaune put a good enough showing with the local militia, he would be able to use that experience to apply to a combat academy. Nicholas knew Jaune too well to know why he would help the militia with their nothing, when so many other chores in the village could demand Jaune's attention. In turn, Jaune respected his father too much to lie to him.

At the same time, Jaune was perfectly happy to give his father the silent treatment. He had just been dragged away from his goals, after all. Seeing that Jaune was not going to respond, he continued.

"I've never told you about my team from Beacon, have I?" Nicholas said. After a second, Jaune shook his head.

"We didn't last long after school. I wasn't as good as they were, and I had already settled down with your mother. They wanted to go around the frontiers of Vale and be heroes. One of them died a year into the job. They were fighting Grimm when Hubert, the idiot charged ahead. There was an older Grimm waiting for an opening, and it jumped him when he was ahead of the others." Nicholas bore a bitter look on his face. "They didn't get to him in time. He bled out on the way back to the village they were protecting. They buried him there. They got a few nights free at the inn as a reward for their troubles." Nicholas gave a pointed look to Jaune, and then continued.

"Mary retired after a few years. I think it was after Coral and Sable were born. She was trying to save a town from the Grimm, but she had to run away. There were too many. She had to run while the town was... destroyed. She had to leave the people there to die."

"I know it's not glorious dad." Jaune said quietly. Nicholas stared at him before sighing.

"I'm glad you don't. I was worried you did. But it broke her, you know? Mary was always the protector of the group. Great big woman, even bigger than me. But when you leave people to die like that Jaune, when you have to, it changes something about how you view life. It makes you think about how we can be the best there are, and still do nothing." Nicholas said.

Jaune wondered if there was another story there. He wondered who his father had to leave to die.

"I think Mary's training kids at a combat academy now. Me and Troy are the only ones still in active service. Last I heard, Troy lost part of his head and his hearing from some idiot in a local militia. The ass- the idiot, he blasted Troy and some Grimm with a grenade launcher. Wasn't even a pack of them, I heard. Just panic." Nicholas said, stretching unconsciously on the couch he was on.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that no one's going to remember us but our loved ones. No one remembers Hubert, and every idiot remembers Mary, like they would have done anything but run or die in that situation." Nicholas continued. "The only reason I'm still a huntsman is because my family never wanted me to be anything else Jaune. I can't do anything else and take care of this family. And I know it's hypocritical, but I don't want you to have to go through what I did. Even if I'm that ass- jerk- fuck it, asshole dictating your life like my family did."

The room was quiet. Without a word, Jaune stood up. Nicholas sighed and leaned back, thinking Jaune had ignored his words entirely- only for Jaune to come back, beer in hand for his father.

"You're a good kid Jaune. You really are." Nicholas said, sighing. Perhaps a better kid than he deserved.

"I'm glad you care enough to want to protect me." Jaune said quietly. For a second, he wanted to say more. He wanted to tell his father that he would become a huntsman anyway, with or without his help. Or his allowance. Or the literal allowance that Jaune was only now beginning to receive again.

But it wouldn't have done any good, Jaune knew. And so instead, he sat with his father in silence.

"You want a taste?" Nicholas offered. Jaune nodded and took a careful sip of the beer.

It was disgusting.

Jaune had a lot of "little talks" with his family in the years following that conversation. After enough time and training, everyone kind of understood that Jaune hadn't given up on his ambitions. His mother's "little talks" consisted of her leaving career pamphlets in his room, and watching him through the kitchen window as he trained himself. His father's "little talks" consisted of him searching the mail carefully, making sure Jaune wasn't applying to combat academies.

His sisters varied. Some saw the iron-will determination he had, but clearly thought it a fool's dream. Some, like Lavender, Jaune knew worried constantly about him. Sometimes, he wondered if they knew how much more effective that kind of reaction was, over simply denying him training.

He sometimes wondered what it would be like to be a normal kid without the memories he had. Would he still want to be a huntsman? What if he had? Would that Jaune would have chafed under the restrictions, grown resentful and done something stupid? Maybe he would have devised some insane method of getting into an academy.

In all likelihood though, another Jaune would have just folded. You would have to have an iron will to want to be a huntsman with the lack of training Jaune had in this life.

But this Jaune Link? He was more than just a child, more than just a barely-fifteen teenager. When it was time for him to go, he would be ready.

Saphron's visit continued. Before anyone knew it, it was almost over.

Saphron and Terra would have to leave in the morning to make their flight back to Mistral. Juniper put together one last grand family dinner to celebrate Saphron's visit- and in her words, "to welcome her newest daughter to the family". Everyone had paid attention to Terra's blushing at the words, but Jaune spotted Saphron's knowing smile. There was definitely an announcement coming in the next few months.

Terra had taken to talking to each of the Arc family members while she visited. She was personable, kind, and beautiful. Jaune was happy for his sister.

"You know, I don't think we've talked much at all while I've been here." Terra said, looking at Jaune.

"Jaune's always been a quiet boy." Juniper said fondly.

"Saphron's told me. You've always been a mature little guy, haven't you?" Terra said, ruffling his hair.

Jaune took back his kind thoughts. Saphron had found someone as demented as she was with his hair.

"I guess." Jaune said softly, patting his hair back into place once she was done.

"So, what do you like to do? Saphron didn't say." Terra asked.

"Just outdoor stuff. Camping and fishing." Jaune said softly.

"That's nice. What do you want to be when you grow up?" Terra said.

The table grew quiet at the question. Terra looked around in surprise, uncertain as to what had caused the silence.

"I'm going to be a huntsman." Jaune said quietly. Nicholas sighed. Juniper gave a twisted smile. Coral and Lavender exchanged a look.

"Soooo Terra, tell them about that job offer you got!" Saphron jumped in, a little too eagerly. Terra, embarrassed quickly took the opening to talk about something else.

Jaune relaxed into the sofa, taking in the conversation around him. Most of his sister had gone upstairs by now, presumably to go to bed. He had been offered a beer as a sort of "grown up" moment for him, but had taken a glass of milk instead. He didn't enjoy drinking.

Despite the awkward moment during dinner, it was still a very pleasant evening. Juniper was busy recounting for the third time how she had met Nicholas in the dinky diner she had worked at. The conversation drifted here and there, to warm topics of love found, of family made, and of a comfortable life.

Jaune quietly excused himself. It had been good meeting the newest member of their family, but it was getting late, and he liked to think himself an early riser (though his parents would call him in turn a chronic napper). His happy thoughts were shaken when Coral followed after him.

"I can't believe you're still doing this to everyone." Coral said to Jaune, on the stairwell.

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked wearily. Jaune had been ready to go to bed without much ado.

"Your huntsman thing. I can't believe you're still bringing that up. Do you know how much it hurts mom and dad when you do that?" Coral pointed out.

"When did you start caring about hurting other people Coral? Did mom leave the heart inside that chicken you ate for dinner?" Jaune sniped back irritably. Was it immature? Absolutely. But Jaune was tired of being the mature one.

He had made his decision, and it wasn't his fault that his family hadn't accepted it.

"Believe it or not" Coral began, tensing her voice quietly rather than raising it to a yell appropriate for her anger. "I do care that you live, you brat. You think this is easy on us? You think any of us like that you look at us like we're the problem?"

"Maybe you shouldn't be a problem then." Jaune said angrily back. "Maybe you should all stop standing in my way, because I'm going to be a huntsman with or without you guys. You think you can stop me forever?" He went to march upstairs, only for Coral to grab his arm.

"You think any academy is going to take-" Coral began to repeat, only for Jaune to expertly peel her hand off his arm. Before she could react, he swept upstairs past her grasping arms, and into his room.

Only to find the room in chaos. His belongings had been upturned, desks and drawers opened at a whim. His wallet was open, and Jaune had to take a second to make sure his lien was still there. Even the sheets and the mattress had been moved. Coral stood conspicuously outside his doorway, looking in. Jaune turned back toward her.

"Why is my room like this?" Jaune asked, anger mounting. Coral's face was blank, and she offered no response. Nearly vibrating with anger, Jaune closed the door slowly- otherwise, he would be slamming it.

He began looking through the room. This had clearly been done in a panic, Jaune noted. The first few drawers in his dresser were closed, with some effort to hide what was happening- only for the other drawers to be left askew. It had slowly escalated, with more and more of the room upturned. But nothing was taken, not even his valuables. He checked his wallet again. Definitely no money missing.

They were looking for something. And Coral knew about it. With mounting dread, Jaune moved toward his closet.

After Jaune Link had returned from his journey with fate, Nicholas hid Crocea Mors away, worried that Jaune would take up the sword again. To be fair, it turned out to be a reasonable fear.

Once his family stopped watching him so closely following the incident, Link began searching the house for his sword and shield. Eventually, he found it in the attic.

Nicholas had hidden them away inside a chest containing some of his sister's belongings, the late aunt that Link Jaune would never meet. Link offered his respects to the fallen warrior quietly, and then left a few hairs on the back of the chest's hinge- five to be exact. If the chest was opened, they would be out of place, and he would know that the sword and shield were being checked on.

And so he had left them there. And then checked back a month later. And then another month later. Eventually, he took the sword and shield from the chest, and hid it away in his closet.

Link knew it was irrational, but they were the last attachments to his old life. To his old era. At times, he was tempted to bury the sword and shield for safekeeping, trusting the fairy magic to keep them safe and whole- only to be unable to shake the fear of what would happen if he needed a weapon quickly.

And so they were hidden in his room for years, waiting for the day that Jaune would become a huntsman. Yet his sisters had seen right through him. Jaune opened the door to his closet, only to find Lavender clutching sword and shield in hand.

Sword held in the arms of a sister incapable of wielding it, Lavender had Jaune at her mercy.