A/N: WAZZUP, MY FANFIC READERS?!
...Y'know, for the life of me, I can't seem to sit still in spite of my procrastination. I mean, I've got the latest chapter for MegaMan: Edgerunners almost done, Blade of Olympus still needs a LOT of work, not to mention The Hunter: Warden of Vytal - God, I haven't updated THAT MESS in like FOREVER! - ... Y-you see where I'm going with this?
UGH, MY LIFE IS A F$# ING MESS RIGHT NOW!
(Okay, KT. Deep breaths, remember what the shrink said.)
...Okay, I feel a little better now. So, where was I?
Oh yeah!
I'm gonna try to think up an update schedule to get these stories done and HOPEFULLY I can have them balanced out enough to even start THINKING about writing a new fanfic!
Word of warning, there is in fact a nine-year timeskip in this chapter, but it's all for a good cause, trust me! Also a VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE at the end of the chapter!
AND NOW, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO!
I PRESENT TO YOU ALL…..
Arc Of The Morning Star
CHAPTER TWO: Of Family and Friends: Season's Greetings!
Nine-year-old Jaune Belmont was currently in the training yard/obstacle course with a wooden sword in hand, parrying a strike from his father. The pair were practicing their morning training session within a sparring ring whilst his mother Sypha was overlooking from a nearby wooden post. Since it was a rather nice December morning, he and Trevor were currently wearing basic chainmail training armor with exterior leather padding and boots. The Belmont matriarch, on the other hand, had on a baby blue cashmere sweater and a pair of white pants.
It had been nine years since he was reborn into this world - strangely enough, called Earth - and already Jaune found it interesting.
For one, there were seven continents instead of four; the one they were currently in now was in Europe. More specifically, they were in a country called Romania; just a bit south of the Transylvanian Alps region. Given that he was from a world where there were only four city-states due to the fact that most of the land mass was practically surrounded by Grimm, the former Arc was baffled by the thought of multiple countries; he lost count after two hundred.
Second, the fact that there is such a thing as the supernatural world that most of the mortal public are unaware about - save for a select few groups. 'And here I thought Salem and the Brother Gods were powerful' He thought to himself as Sypha gave the signal to start the match. Luckily, his family were among those few. And as he grew up asking many questions, Jaune was able to get answers from his parents.
Apparently, the Belmont Clan were notorious for being powerful supernatural hunters despite their mortality. Ducking from a vertical swing from his father, the young Belmont recounted his family's history from what they told him.
Originating from France since the fall of the Roman Empire, it wasn't until the year 1094 that a Leon Belmont would arrive to Wallachia in search of his missing betrothed Sara Trantoul. Once there, he would find himself fighting various night creatures all across Wallachia to rescue her from the clutches of a powerful vampire lord by the name of Walter Bernhard. Fighting his way through the hordes of night creatures and even defeating Walter himself, Leon could not save Sara from the curse of vampirism, but was able to avenge his beloved from the vampire's grasp and establish a branch of the Belmont Clan in Romania for the purpose of hunting the night. Together with an local alchemist he rescued by the name of Rinaldo Gandolfi, Leon had built the Lion's Den - a rather large, three-story estate with various powerful Boundary fields of five to seven miles in diameter - as a home base for future generations of Belmonts to this day.
Eventually, the good Eastern Orthodox Church didn't like the fact that the Belmonts were amassing power and knowledge in order to better combat the night. And thus, the clergy saw fit to banish and excommunicate them from the rest of society. Belmonts were ostracized for over two hundred years by the naïve mobs of the public to the point where the Belmont Castle in the heart of Western France was absolutely razed to the ground. It was only due to Archangel Gabriel's intervention that it never escalated from that point forward, but the damage had already been done: never again would any of the Belmont Clan willingly set foot in a church or cathedral unless absolutely necessary.
This "divine judgement" made by the corrupt clergy of the Church would only serve to pave the way for something worse...
In the year 1475, a bishop of the clergy of Wallachia - in all his zealousness and blind faith - had judged and cruelly executed an innocent woman. She was a healer working in one of the many smaller towns nearby. They seized her, dragged her to Targoviste, wrongfully accused her of being a witch, tied her to a wooden post, and burned her to death as was the custom.
Her name was Lisa Tepes.
Loving human wife to the greatest and most powerful vampire to ever exist; one whose power nearly rivaled that of the long-dead Original Lucifer.
His name was Vlad III Drăculea Tepes, or as to most of the mortal and supernatural world, he was known and feared by one name and one name only:
DRACULA.
In just one year, the Apex Vampire laid waste to Europe in his war against God and humanity; terrorizing civilizations across the Old World and even parts of the New. He commanded his vampire generals, his legions of night creatures, years of advanced magical and scientific knowledge centuries ahead of time that he had accumulated over the possible centuries of his existence. Not for conquest, not for the need to subjugate those weaker than himself. Lisa was the one who showed Dracula the potential for goodness in mankind. So, when she was unjustly executed because a corrupt bishop wanted to garner more influence amongst the public and the clergy, the Dark Lord deemed that there was no chance for the redemption of the human race and sought their complete extermination.
And to do that, he had enlisted the services of Daemon Forgemasters: mortals who have turned their backs on human society for various reasons in exchange for vast forbidden knowledge of any and all black magic, alchemy and spiritual metaphysics. Utilizing prime and raw materials with their specially-crafted tools, they could craft anything from massive weapons and arsenals to magical living beings for Dracula and his army to use. The first to feel the might of the dark forces was the major city of Targoviste itself. Soon, one by one, other cities fell before the night creatures and vampires alike. Not even the villages were spared. Kingdoms, countries - eventually all of Europe and large parts of Western Asia would fall under his grasp. It was here that the Vampire Race were at the height of their power.
At first, the Church sent armies of their own exorcists to combat this threat - warriors of light sworn to combat the forces of darkness and evil in the name of God. However, it would soon prove to be futile as the might of Dracula's forces would quickly crush their opposition and shatter morale. After that, not one of the Three Factions were able to combat the threat.
The Church had all but gone to lick their wounds, the Devils were still in the cusp of their civil war, and as for the Grigori? Being the only one of the Three Biblical Factions with the fewest members, they had opted to stay out of martial affairs officially, whereas unofficially they had helped set up areas of refuge for any survivors trying to hide from Dracula's wrath. But the people of Wallachia were suffering, and in need of a savior - a warrior to help fight back the legions of darkness.
And it was just a year later in 1476 that they found one in the form of Trevor C. Belmont, his father's namesake.
Wielding the Vampire Killer in hand, Trevor set out to cut through the hordes of night creatures, stormed Dracula's castle, and slew the legendary Dark Lord. In doing so, he had earned the Belmont Clan prestige, fame, and recognition from the Supernatural World as a whole; the Church begrudgingly undid the excommunication at the insistence of Archangel Michael.
Shortly after Dracula's demise, however, Trevor Belmont would find himself as part of a gathering of like-minded individuals:
The first Sypha Belnades, a mage of Wallachia who assisted Trevor in killing Dracula who would then marry into the Belmont family and would also be Jaune's mother's maiden namesake.
Fräulein Gabriel van Helsing of the Holy Roman Empire, whose descendants would later found the Hellsing Organization. Gabriel's thorough study of alchemy, runes, and the occult would help her to save whatever countrymen she could before seeking refuge in the Black Forest by utilizing archaic runes with a hidden signature, undetectable to vampires.
Ser Philippe Rentier of France, whose family line would later travel to North America and found the Rentier Institute some centuries afterward. A natural chevalier and a born soldier, Ser Philippe utilized his knowledge of both military tactics and the workings of his kingdom's catacombs to form a pocket resistance for any and all Frenchmen, common and nobility, willing to defend their home.
Boris of Blazkowicz of what would later be called Poland and start up his own hunting parties of what would later be called the Night Sentinels. He was responsible for reclaiming the parts of Western Asia lost to Dracula's forces - at times, even by himself if need be. A lone peasant hunter amongst the harsh western climate of the Muscovy Kingdom, he was naturally able to hunt down and kill animals which were larger and more dangerous than himself. Night creatures were no different - all Boris really needed was preparation, stronger weapons and plenty of trap-making to better adjust to his newfound quarry.
And finally, Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes, the wayward dhampir son of Dracula better known as Alucard. As the only other companion of Trevor in his quest to end his father's reign of terror, it was Alucard who proposed this gathering of humans willing to take up arms and fight their common enemy. Although Dracula had been slain, his castle destroyed and the vast centuries worth of research and materials confiscated, he had informed them that there was still the problem that his generals and Daemon Forgemasters were still at large, albeit disorganized. however, should any of them accumulate enough power and influence, then this nightmare that had plagued the world in darkness would never cease.
At first there were some slight disagreements in who would be in charge. But in the wake of receiving news upon Carmilla of Styria - one of Dracula's former generals - attempting to establish herself and the Council of Sisters as the sole leading vampiric power, eventually they came to an agreement on how they would go about the Liberation of Europe, as many in the Supernatural World would come to know it by. Each individual would pool their expertise and resources as one in the effort against the darkness and despair; with each ground gained, they set up training regimens for locals. It wasn't until 1781 that this joint-collaboration of night hunters were finally able to liberate nearly all of Europe from Dracula's remaining clutches.
This was the first gathering of what would later be known as the Jäger Brotherhood
'And that's pretty much how the whole thing started-DODGE!'
Jaune just had enough time to focus back on the spar to side-step the quick jab of his father's training sword. Without wasting a single breath, Trevor closed in on his son's position to throw a left haymaker to his face. Rolling beneath Trevor's overextended arm, Jaune spun on the balls of his feet before raising his wooden sword to block Trevor's overhead strike. Unfortunately, the former Arc found himself pinned by the weight of his father's attack.
"Oh? Lemme guess: you've been going over our family history in your head again, weren't you?" the elder Belmont grinned down at his son's strained face.
"Grah!" Jaune yelled out before shoving the opposing training sword off of his own, jumping away to put as much distance between the two of them. Leaning forward, he sprung at his father with a controlled swing at his midsection. Chuckling to himself, Trevor easily blocked the swing before deflecting Jaune's weapon upwards and brought up a knife to his throat, ending the spar. "And that's the match. Better luck next time, son."
"Wh-WHAAAAaaaaaa-Huh?" The older male just broke out into laughter at Jaune's dumbfounded look. "Hey! No fair, Dad! You said that you'd take it easy on training today!"
To which Trevor Belmont, second of his name, raised an eyebrow and said to his son. "And you actually believed me? Jesus, kid." But then he schooled his features and gave Jaune a scolding look. "Learn this lesson well, Jaune. Whatever enemy you face out there can and will use everything to their advantage - even if it means costing their lives to kill you. No matter what, always be prepared for the worst. Understand?"
Jaune blinked at his father's words...and grit his teeth in frustration as he nodded his head in affirmation. 'How could I have been so stupid?!' the young Belmont mentally ranted as they made their way back to the mansion, 'I just took his word for it, and didn't think he'd have his fingers crossed the whole time! DAMN IT! It's that kind of thinking that cost us Beacon and Vale! If we'd have known what Salem's agents were planning beforehand then maybe Pyrrha would-' His eyes widened at where his thought process was leading him before he shook his head, clearing his mind in doing so. 'No, NO! Stop it, Jaune! There's no point in opening old wounds. Pyrrha's dead, Penny's dead, I'm technically dead. Cinder's also dead, thank God. I'm not even gonna START to think if she actually survived that - I swear, it's like she had comic book plot armor from the get-go!'
"Something on your mind, son?" The former Arc was jolted out of his thoughts when he felt his father call out to him. Struggling to fight off a yawn - and failing! - he turned to look at the older male.
"Uh, Dad? Do you know when you're going to train me on how to use a whip?"
Trevor rubbed his chin in contemplation as Sypha walked over to greet them. "Hmm, I dunno. You weren't exactly on your A-game in today's spar, so there's that."
"Dad..." Jaune replied dejectedly.
"I'm kidding, Jaune!" his father chuckled at the younger male's mini-brooding moment. "I was planning on having you start off with a light-whip anyways, so be ready in about five days."
"Alright!"
"HOWEVER..." Both father and son tensed up at the tone of Sypha's voice as she had finished checking up on the both of them for injuries. "That doesn't give you the excuse to slack off on your studies, young man! And I'll know if you let him skimp off, Trevor..."
*gulp* "Y-es, mom/dear..."
"Now, Jaune, can you tell me the difference between a chort and a fiend?" Sypha asked her son as Trevor carved the smoked pork shoulder on a large oak table. Currently the pair were having breakfast in the living chambers within the center of the manor's interior by the fireplace, which - if you'd be willing to believe it - was actually made out of a massive Horned Balrog Skull the size of a truck when its previous owner was slain then decapitated by Simon Belmont in 1691 while searching for its lair deep within Norway's Svalbard Archipelago; the feat alone cemented Jaune's ancestor as the most famous Belmont in history. And it should go to note that a Balrog is extremely rare even by supernatural standards, but by no means an easy prey. It would be akin to fighting a fallen Elder God, and this one in particular - albeit a juvenile, if one could consider it as such - was just about to prematurely start Ragnarök just from waking up.
To this day, each and every faction still calls the whole endeavor Simon's Quest.
There were scrimshaw carvings on two of its horns. One was of Leon Belmont's quest to rescue/avenge Sara Trantoul. And the other was of Trevor I Belmont's exploits of thwarting Dracula's campaign against all of humanity.
Furthermore, there were draperies of scarlet and gold framing the windows, and an area rug made form several Worg pelts.
"Trick question if you know what to look for, Mom." The former Arc replied. At his mother's raised eyebrow, Jaune continued: "Both the chort and the fiend are similar: Hulking mountains of muscle embedded with incredible speed, strength, and the single-minded desire to kill." Having paused his explanation to receive his plate of smoked pork and eggs with blackened bacon and a cup of cold milk, the boy thanked his father before picking back up. "They both have three eyes and four powerful limbs eager to turn anyone and anything into a bloody paste if they felt like it. Although one looks like a deer and the other a ram, the real difference is that the fiend's third eye causes a state of hypnosis; it would often use it to lull its victims into a trance-like state. The chort, on the other hand, doesn't have this ability despite also having three eyes, but it's no less dangerous."
"Very good, young man" Sypha said with a smile. With a wave of her hand, a chest-sized block of ice appeared on the other side of the room. "But have you practiced with your Signs?" And with an upward flock of her fingers, she sent the ice into the air before letting it fall back towards the ground.
Without hesitation, Jaune raised his hand at the falling ice block and whispered: "Igni."
A ball of flame shot out from his palm and crashed into the ice block, instantly melting it into vapor. As he lowered his hand, he turned to see both of his parents applauding his demonstration.
"So you did brush up on on those..." Trevor stated with a grin.
With a slight huff, the younger Belmont quickly dug into his morning meal. "Yep! Wouldn't be much of a Belmont if I didn't." It was true; magic ran deep in their blood for hundreds of years, so it was natural for Jaune to learn both sides of his family's trade: Magic lessons from his mother, whereas his father taught him the necessary skills to hunt night creatures. But for both skills to be utilized seamlessly, Jaune had to study a simple yet versatile spells known as Signs to better help him in combat.
*SMACK!*
"OWW!" Jaune winced as he rubbed the back of his head from where Sypha slapped him. "Moooooom..."
"Jaune, what have I said about talking with you mouth full?" She asked with a condescending tone.
"Urk...not to..." came the defeated reply. 'Guess no matter which world I'm in, moms sure are scary...'
"Hmm..." With narrowed eyes and a pleased hum, the Belmont matriarch focused back on her breakfast.
There was a relative tranquility premating the silence of the room as the family sat down to enjoy their breakfast as the fireplace crackled with life. Once they had finished their meal, the three gathered their empty plates and made to clean what they'd used.
"Oh, Jaune?" The former Arc turned to face his parents, only to see his mother give him a smile. "We'll be hosting the other Founding Families of the Brotherhood for the annual Yuletide Festival in two weeks. So be sure to act on your best behavior, okay?"
Jaune couldn't believe his ears.
'All four Founding Families? Here? On CHRISTMAS?!'
Two Weeks Later...
Annual Christmas Festival...
The Lion's Den was now full of life as soon as the guests had started arriving. Wreathes and decorations littered the interior hallways and rooms; the smell of roasted turkey and smoked pork shoulder permeated the kitchen. Plateaus of heavy snowfall six feet high were just outside of the Boundary Field; it's special properties allowing the mansion's residents to enjoy any kind of weather without any of the hazards - courtesy of the Hellsing Organization and its fruitful research.
And while Trevor and Sypha Belmont were entertaining their guests withing the estate, Jaune had his own gathering to attend to...
Meanwhile, Outside
"AAAAAAAAAHH!"
"HHRRRRRRNG!"
"Come on Jaune, get him!"
"You've got this, Billy, don't let us down!"
Jaune Belmont found himself rolling around in three feet of snow wrestling another boy at least two years older. He was a bit taller and stockier than the former Arc, with short brown hair, green eyes, and a faded cut on his lip. Surrounding them were an audience of kids cheering, picking sides as to who they wanted to win. They were all guests of the Belmont Clan - most of which were from a nearby village.
Two in particular, however, were distinctly different.
One was a girl his age, brown hair done up in pigtails as her amber eyes glowed in mirth with a wide smile on her face.
The other girl, this one of short, shock-white hair and ruby red eyes, looked on with amusement, a small smirk forming her lips.
Their names were Mina Helsing and Ashe Rentier respectively, and the boy he was currently wrestling against was William "Billy" Taggert.
All four heirs of the Founding Families of the Jäger Brotherhood, gathered in one place.
"OOF!"
Jaune felt himself be thrown onto the ground before Billy pinned him. He could hear the crowd counting down from five out of excitement. Thinking quickly, the young Belmont manages to somehow flip his opponent over, keeping him down until the crowd finished the countdown and cheered at his victory. Getting up, Jaune extended his hand to Billy in an offer to help him up.
The older boy took one look at the hand and snorted...before grinning as he took it and got back up on his feet. "What does that make, again?"
"2-to-2, even." Ashe drawled in her western accent, rolling her eyes even as Mina slugged her playfully in the arm. "I'll never understand how you two are still friends
"Oh come off it, Ashe!" The brunette chides in a slight British accent. "It's not like you're any better when we have our bouts!"
Cue the angry tick mark on the top of Ashe's head. "Oh, yeah? Wanna test that out?" She growled with a dangerous tone. Mina only had time to grin mischievously before the white-haired girl tackled her to the ground, which started another round of cheering from the other kids.
"...It's like those two refuse to get along..." Jaune muttered as he and Billy watched the catfight taking place in front of them. "What do you think, Billy?"
"...Yeah." was the muttered reply.
'Billy, you're a man of many words...'
"AHEM...!" All of the kids stood ramrod straight at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Turning around slowly, they saw some of the adults had come outside to see their little bout. More specifically, Sypha was looking at them with a raised eyebrow. "And what do we have here? I wasn't aware that we had a pack of wild hill trolls right outside the manor. Jaune, William, I hope you have an explanation." She finished with an authoritative tone.
"Ahhahaha..." The younger Belmont sheepishly laughed as he nervously scratched the back of his head. "Uhh...it's just a game?"
Sypha's gaze remained unwavering, even as Trevor walked to stand behind her. "They're fine, honey. Just let them be kids."
"Trevor, they are the future of the Brotherhood. We can't just coddle them forever-"
"I know, I know..." He whispered into his wife's ear as he rubbed her back soothingly. "But it's best that they enjoy themselves now while they still can, Sypha."
Sypha Belmont sighed in frustration as both Ashe and Mina kept wrestling each other to the ground, uncaring of what was transpiring around them. By the time the rest of the gathered adults had managed to get ahold of the pair, Ashe had a grip on Mina's hair and sweater whereas the brunette was pulling her "opponent's" cheeks apart. At the sight of Jaune's mother they stopped immediately; their limbs were tangled together in a mess.
"...Oh, alright!" the Belmont matriarch finally relented as she raised her hands in resignation. "But promise me that you won't let this get out of hand! ALL of you."
As they made their promise, Jaune couldn't help but think to himself: 'Y'know, they kinda remind me of Headmaster Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch if they ever got married...'
The Next Day, Christmas Morning...
"MERRRRRRRRRRRRY CHRRRRRRRRISSTMAAAAAAAAASSSS!"
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire~
Jack Frost nippin' at your nose~
Yuletide carols, being sung by a choir~!
And folks, dressed up like Eskimos~!
The Great Hall was filled with life and joy on this Christmas Day. The large, oaken table was filled to the brim with an assortment of food and game from the Balkans: Smoked wild boar, roasted venison of Giant Red Stags and the Carpathian Chamois, grilled lemon trout, mashed potatoes, salads, mac 'n cheese, stuffed roasted pheasant, baskets and cornucopias of fruits and loaves of bread, various cakes, puddings and pies, pitchers and goblets of eggnog, hot chocolate, warm coffee, orange juice, apple juice, and last but not least warm or iced apple cider.
Everybody knows~ A turkey and some mistletoe~
Helps to make the season bright~!
Tiny tots, with their eyes, all aglow~!
Will find it hard to sleep tonight~!
The hall itself was also impressive. Decorating the vast walls were incredibly detailed tapestries of Belmont hunts, wars, feasts, and traditions throughout the centuries. Added on were the Yuletide decorations of wreaths, various lights and candles that illuminated the homily feel. Chandeliers of massive stag-daemon horns hung from the ceiling, a giant pelt of a cloned Yule Cat ran across the polished wooden floor as an area rug, and even beautifully crafted dining chairs made out of the wooden spoils of several leshen - a type of agressive wood spirit/demon that's native to the Balkans and Germany's Black Forest. Also, there were trophies of night creature skulls, such as Wargs, Trolls, Terror-Birds, there was even one of a basilisk just above the fireplace.
But the best eyecatcher was the near thirty foot Christmas Tree standing proudly in front of the massive window, nearly bursting with lights and ornaments with mountains of presents below.
They know that Saaaaaantaaa's on his way~!
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh~!
And ev'ry mother's child is gonna spy~
To see if reindeer really know how to fly~
Jaune was sitting on one side of the table with his friends, showing off some of the gifts they had received from friends and family whilst eating a plate of Moussaka, scrambled eggs, hash-browns and a side dessert of Chocolate Baklava . There were gift exchanges, lighthearted jokes, the occasional tussle (which earned them a look from Sypha), but it was fun. Mina got him a red wool scarf for cold winter days, Ashe gifted him with leather boots with spurs - "For when you go out riding", was what she said. - And Billy even got him some fingerless gloves.
And so, I'm offering a simple phrase~
To kids, from one to ninety-two~
Although it's been said, many times, many ways~
Merry Christmas, to you~
But what got to him the most was:
"Jaune?" the young Belmont turned to see his parents holding out a rectangular present. "This is from us, son. Merry Christmas."
The former Arc's eyes widened at the present and thanked his parents before starting to tear it open. It was a small chest made of sacred oak, bearing the sigil of House Belmont. Wanting to see what was inside, he carefully opened it.
And what he saw made his eyes get. Very. BIG.
It was a thick leather bullwhip, about a good six to eight feet. The handle was all black with the Belmont crest near the pommel. It looked simple enough, but it was what it represented that gave it true value.
This was the staple weapon of which the Belmont Clan had used to combat the forces of darkness and evil for centuries. Despite being a training whip, it made no difference in causing untold amounts of damage against any foe.
"Dad...Mom...I-I don't know what to say..." Jaune breathed out with shock. Trevor smiled as he ruffled his hand through his son's hair.
"Just promise not to get carried away with it, Jaune." Sypha quipped with a smirk. The younger Belmont eagerly nodded with a smile as he rushed to hug his parents. Laughter could be heard as gifts were still being exchanged and food was being eaten. Jaune was reminded of the many Dustmases he spent with his old family: his parents, his eight sisters, and other members of the Arc family. Although he missed them greatly, he would cherish this new life he was given with his head held high and a smile on his face. Hearing the radio being turned up, he finally joined the impromptu choir along with his parents and sang:
And so, I'm offering this simple phrase~
To kids, from one to ninety-two~
Although it's been said, many times, many ways~
Merry Christmas, to you~!
-End-Chapter-
A/N: Alright! Another chapter fresh off the press just in time for the holidays! As promised, I am just about halfway done with the latest chapter for MegaMan: Edgerunners and will be pushing it out shortly!
SO! UNTIL THEN!
Merry Christmas, everyone. God bless you, your friends and families.
-KTWriter