So I've been thinking, due to the fact that I am still battling with a lack of motivation, I will stop trying to lie to you all and just say that I can only update the stories that I have motivation to write for. Not to say that I intend to drop any of them, it's just that until I can get back onto my feet, my updates are more than likely going to be slower than usual. Just trying to drag my feet through wet cement getting out a single chapter for a story I'm not inclined to write for at the moment is really draining. So I'll just try to write for what I know I can. Maybe a little confusing, but I hope you can understand. I fully intend to continue all of them, but now some of them might advance much quicker than others. For example, this one. Didn't think I'd be writing another chapter of this before my first story, but here we are. In any case, I am sorry for the inconvenience, but at the very least I want all of you to know that I am trying. So without further ado, I will leave you to the chapter. Enjoy!
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Oh, as for the Poll I set up a while ago, Velvet is definitely being added to the love circle.
Jaune simply stood there, breathing in all of that fresh air. His eyes were closed, simply trying to accept he fact that he was here. The sun shining on his form, the wind rushing through his hair...
After five long years, he was back home.
He opened his eyes to reveal the same deep blue sapphire oceans that were his eyes. He looked at the small home that he had lived in for so many years of his life. The paint was starting to peel in certain places, and there were several places in the railings where he remembered his sisters had broken when they threw each other through the window. And the various cluttered toys and gadgets that stayed on the roof due to no one really feeling like getting them from up there. So many times he had come home crying because of a splinter he got from pretending to be a hero with a random branch. Where he spent countless hours either being a dance partner, house maid, chef, or even a shoulder to cry on. Every moment of it nearly boring him to death.
Sweet memories.
He wiped a tear from his face as he finally realized that he had been standing there for a few minutes at this rate. He looked over himself once more, making sure that he looked somewhat presentable.
His outfit had changed considerably these past few years. Though it wasn't a complete overhaul. He still kept a pair of fingerless gloves. However, these ones were black in colour, and had metal studs woven into the knuckles for maximum effectiveness. His 'shirt' was a long sleeve jacket that barely reached his stomach. It wasn't even designed to close, as there was no zipper or buttons to do so. It's sleeves were a royal blue color that stretched over into the shoulder and upper back areas. The rest was a plain white with everything having black highlights. He wore nothing underneath it, showing the built and chiseled physique that he had spent the better half of a decade tempering, beating, and molding into the perfection that he left on display. The scar he received from the Beowulf shortly before he was able to escape into the alcove also able to be seen clear as day. The jagged cuts telling of how lucky he was to have survived such an attack. The fact that those claws had scrapped along his ribcage reminded him that he couldn't take that kind of luck for granted.
His legs were adorned with seemingly normal pants. Also being dark in colour. In fact, these pants were woven with the same kind of fabric Luffy's chef used when he had been part of the crew. Guaranteed to endure any kind of abuse that would come his way. His shoes weren't all that special, just ones he had been given by Luffy as well.
He tried to keep his hair the same, thinking that it might help with convincing his family and friends that It was actually him. Though, it had only grown more wild as the years went on. His sharp jaw had also proven to he troublesome in trying to keep it clean shaven. Every morning was a battle trying to keep up with training and proper hygiene. Luffy did not make that problem any easier.
Speaking of whom...
"Are you going to go up there or not?" The rubber man said next to him. Now that he didn't have a fruit to look after, Luffy really didn't know what else to do other than to go with Jaune back to the surface and meet all of his friends. He also had a new mission.
Where he had a majority of the Devil Fruits in that same vault the Marines left them in, he had taken a small number of specific one's and left them in the care of his musician. However, when Luffy had taken Jaune to introduce the two after his training was complete, he had learned that his musician and his ship had both been attacked. The violin player had been able to fend off the assailants easily, however, when he went to assess any damages to the ship, he learned that the attack itself was a distraction. They had stolen the fruits he had been keeping safe.
So now he was hunting down the son of a bitch that took his Family's Fruit.
"I'm just...it's been five years. I'm not sure what to say. I'm not even sure if they'd believe that I'm really me. They think I've been dead this whole time." Jaune said, suddenly getting cold feet. Luffy shook his head before starting to walk up to the house. Jaune sighed, knowing that Luffy really wasn't going to give him much of a choice. Though, he should have known better. He knew that if Luffy was able to see his own family again, he wouldn't have hesitated for a moment.
"Alright, alright. But I'm pinning the blame on you if this goes poorly." Jaune said as he stepped in front of the Pirate King to knock on the door instead. Luffy nodded, stepping back to allow his pupil to do so.
Once again steeling his nerves, Jaune let out a breath before raising a fist to knock on the door.
"Here we go." Jaune whispered to himself before rapping his knuckles on the wood twice. He waited with building anxiety as he heard a voice call out from inside, followed by a brief argument, and ending with someone else saying something to silence the others. Then, he heard footsteps approach the door. He wasn't quite sure who would answer that door. It could have been any one of his sisters. Perhaps Samus? Or Maybe Cynthia. Or...
"Can I help you?"
Or his mother! Yeah, that works!
"Er...Hi, mom." Jaune said. He really didn't know what else to say. What? Was he supposed to pretend like he wasn't her son, and try to ease into telling her that he was? He didn't have that kind of way with words! He was barely sociable at best, and that was before he went off the grid. That was all he could come up with!
His mother looked confused for a moment before looking deep into his eyes. He smiled awkwardly, feeling all kinds of nervous. He didn't know if she would recognize him after five years of thinking that he was dead, or if she would just shut the door on him and get his father to kick him off their property thinking that he was some crazed lunatic.
His fears were unfounded however, as she broke out into a huge smile and jumped up to wrap her arms around his neck and try to hug the daylights out of him. Which was impressive, given the fact that he was six foot eight and she was only five foot four. How she was able to pop out more than four kids was a wonder, let alone eight.
"Jaune! You're home! I thought we'd never get to see you again after you up and left like you did! We were worried sick! I'm so sorry that we made you feel like you needed to run away!" His mother cried as she continued to hug him. He smiled as he hugged her back. He missed this. More than he even realized he did. There really was no warmth that could match a mother's.
Wait. Why was she only talking about the fact that he ran away? Something...something wasn't right.
"It's okay. I shouldn't have run off without at least leaving a note saying what I was doing. I'm sorry I didn't come home sooner." Jaune apologized. He really should have at least called, back when he could do that. Still, he wanted to test something. If she was going to react the way he thought she was...
"It's okay sweetie. I'm just...glad you decided to come home. We have so much to talk about...and so much to catch up on. Where did you get that scar!?" His mother asked, finally letting him go and landing on her feet. That was when she noticed the four angry claw marks on his chest. That wasn't what he was worried about though.
She reacted as though he had only been away from home for almost a decade. Not like someone that thought their son was dead. This raised a number of questions. Maybe for later though. If she believed that he was coming home, who was he to tell her otherwise? Besides, he was just happy that he was able to come home in the first place.
"I'll tell you when we get inside. I have a lot of stories to tell. Oh, that reminds me, I have a friend of mine here. His name's Luffy, Monkey D. Luffy. Do you mind if he comes in with us?" Jaune asked, moving to the side and gesturing to the man behind him. His mother looked at the Pirate, who was currently picking his nose with his pinky, as Jaune knew he tended to do. He however, wiped a hand on his face, seeing as this was not he greatest way to make a first impression.
"Luffy, could you at least try to mind your manners? This is my family for Oum's sake." Jaune said, exasperated with his mentor. Luffy at the very least looked a tiny bit sheepish...kind of.
"Sorry, I didn't know you were looking. Hi, I'm Monkey D. Luffy. I'm-" Luffy started, going to say that he was the Pirate King, but one stern look from Jaune reminded him that he would have to hold that off until after they were able to settle with the fact that Jaune was finally home. So Luffy just deflated a bit before continuing in a much less enthusiastic tone.
"Never mind." Luffy said, almost dejectedly. Jaune's mother didn't pay heed to it however, and simply smiled at him.
"A friend of Jaune's is more than welcome in this home. Come in, I'll whip us up something to eat." Jaune's mother offered. However, at the mention of food, Luffy perked right back up and was ready to rush into the house. He was stopped by Jaune's arm as the blonde spoke.
As amazing as his mother was, not even the great Elizabeth Arc would be able to satiate the bottomless pit that was Luffy's stomach.
"No thanks mom, we already ate. Didn't we, Luffy?" Jaune stressed, looking at the raven haired man. Luffy went to argue, but another look from Jaune, and Luffy conceited. They had talked about what they would do when they got here. Jaune made it very clear that Luffy would not be allowed to eat. Otherwise, he would break his family's bank trying to feed him. That was a definite NO.
"Okay then, if you're sure. Oh! That reminds me. Cynthia and Lux are here. They just got done with a mission and were just about ready to head to their homes. They are going to be so happy you that you're here!" Elizabeth stated, gesturing Jaune and Luffy to follow her into the house.
"Cynthia! Lux! Guess who came home!" Jaune's mother called as they entered the home. Jaune just looked around and saw the same old pictures he remembered seeing before he left, along with a few new ones that had more than likely been added after. One he took particular interest in was of his sister Saphron and her wife Terra with their kid, Adrian. Last he remembered, he was just an infant. Now he guessed the little guy was five, pushing six. It made him realize just how much time had passed since he had last seen anyone.
He wanted so badly to return to Beacon. To tell everyone that he was back. To tell...
"What's up mo-" A woman began to ask, walking down the stairs of their home. Her hair was blonde, big surprise, with a hair band keeping it out of her face. Going down to her mid-back, it was straight and brilliantly bright, just like her personality. Her combat attire, which she always wore, was a simple black leotard under various metal plates that acted as her armor. She specialized in Aura attacks and channeled it through her Aura-conductive staff.
She stopped mid sentence to look at the tall blonde man standing next to her mother. She stood there for a moment before coming down the rest of the stairs and scrutinized his face a little closer. She had seen this person before, but where?
"Hey there Lu. It's good to see you again." Jaune greeted, smiling at her with his signature grin. At that moment, her eyes widened and she realized who this was.
"Jaune!" Lux cried out. She hugged his form, and pressed herself against him. Even though the armor was a little uncomfortable, he didn't mind. This was his sister after all.
"It's good to see you again too, Lu. Now where's-" Jaune was going to ask, but was interrupted as another person jumped from the second floor onto him. He was able to keep his balance, but it did answer what his question was going to be.
"You're back!" His other sister, Cynthia cheered. She, much like Saphron, chose not to be a Hunter, but instead became an archeologist and scholar. She usually dressed in black clothing, but today she apparently decided to wear her leisurely outfit of a blue shirt and white pants. She was normally a reserved, if not very witty person to interact with, but if you introduced her to certain subjects in her life such as archeology, ice-cream. or in this case her brother...
"I'm so happy I think I'm gonna cry!"
She became, how would you say...emotional.
After their greetings had been exchanged, they decided to head to the living room and talk.
"So...what do you guys want to know first?" Jaune asked, looking at the rest of his family that sat across from him. He looked at each of them, and he figured he knew what they were going to ask him first. Technically, his mother had already asked earlier when they were outside.
"Where'd you get that scar? It looks old." Cynthia asked, her stoic demeaner coming back ever so slightly. He brought a hand up to trace the blemish, remembering the feeling of those claws digging into his flesh still fresh in his mind. Further from that, the circumstances that even allowed a hand to hand fight with a Beowulf was going to have to be a conversation in and of itself. Not to mention, they acted as though he hadn't been missing for the past six years. He'd have to head to Beacon and figure that out for himself later.
For now, he just wanted to spend time with his family.
"An excellent question. I got this one from a Beowulf in the Grimlands." Jaune said, trying to emulate his inner Port in telling a story. His mother and sisters' eyes widened in shock. He what!?
"The Grim Lands? You went there?" Lux asked. She only had a few encounters with the place. Only for an hour each, at most. She was an exceptional Huntress to be sure, but her brother being able to go in there and live through it...
"I had been separated from the rest of my team, staying behind to try and buy them some time to escape. I had to fight an Ancient Giant Nevermore with nothing but my fists and the clothes on my back. I ended the scuffle with nothing else but a single strike. From there, I had to try and find a way out of the accursed place. It took me almost five days of nonstop walking and trying to avoid the Grim that lurked in those woods. Without even the faintest taste of food or water, I was tired, weak and just about ready to collapse. I saw no sign of rescue, and I was only traveling further and further into the Grim Lands with no sign of civilization." Jaune continued, recalling his experience trekking his way through that forest. He of course embellished some details. He absolutely stayed behind for his team and RWBY to escape, and he did kill that Nevermore with a single punch. He did walk for about five days consecutively. He just made it seem like it wasn't any big deal to him.
"Oh my gosh. That must have been terrifying. How did you get out?" His mother asked, almost astounded that her own son had survived such an encounter, let alone walked away in one piece.
At this, Jaune thought to when he had nearly given up all hope. When he was ready to just lay down and let the elements take him. There was only one thing that gave him the strength to continue.
"I just thought about all of you, my friends...ones I loved. Knowing that you were all waiting for me to come home gave me the will to move forward. Eventually, I was able to make it to a camp, but not before being chased by one of the most infamous Grim out there." Jaune stated, remembering the monster that had been chasing him the entire time he had been in that forest. It's red eyes still sometimes haunt him every so often.
"I was chased by a Regi Gigantice." Jaune concluded, making his mother and sisters gasp in shock. He was chased by one of those!?
"How did you escape?" Cynthia asked, knowing a bit about this species of Grim. They were one of the older ones that had been mentioned in tablets dating back as old as fifteen hundred years ago. Only five hundred years after the last voyage to the Red Line.
"As it chased me, I was able to jump into a hole in the ground where a pond layed. It still chased after me, but I was able to swim onto a patch of land and slip through a crack in one of the cave walls. I was lucky enough to find a small camp where I met my friend Luffy." Jaune told, making he three women looked to the pirate next to him. Luffy hadn't really said anything, as it wasn't really any of his business to be here in the first place. He was just going to stick around until Jaune was ready to leave, or something else came up that needed his attention.
"When he came in, he just about collapsed after only a few steps into my camp. I was there on guard duty. I did my best to heal him up, but his Aura didn't start coming back until the scar tissue had already set in." Luffy explained. As far as telling them the actual specifics of how he ended up in a situation like that, they weren't too keen on telling. Besides, even the Captain could tell that they weren't clued in on his apparent disappearance.
So with that in mind, he decided to cover for his protégé. If he could just go back to being able to talk with his crew again...
"I...wow. You've really been busy, huh Jaune? I don't think even I'd be able to escape like you did." Lux exhaled, feeling floored at Jaune's tale. What else could she say? Her little brother had been able to not only succeed as a Hunter, he thrived. He was doing things that she had only ever heard her father being able to do. To think not too many years ago she had been against letting him going out on his own to be a Hunter.
Guilt suddenly took hold of her heart.
"Jaune...I'm sorry." His mother apologized suddenly. It made Jaune pause, wondering why she did that suddenly. What did she have to apologize for?
"Sorry? What do you have to be sorry for?" Jaune asked, not understanding what his mother was trying to get at. As far as he knew, she hadn't done anything wrong.
Elizabeth took a breath, closing her eyes for a moment before looking into his own. To him, it looked like she was going to cry.
"I'm sorry for not believing in you. I should have tried to help you when you said you wanted to be a Hunter. But all I did was try to keep you from your dreams." She apologized, her tears streaking down her face as she looked down. She was unable to look at him in the face at the moment, too ashamed of herself for not being a proper mother in supporting her son of his own dream.
Jaune looked to her with wide, concerned eyes before seeing that both of his sisters had similar looks of shame. He sighed to himself before getting up and striding over to them. Before they had any time to try and say something, Jaune ducked down and scooped them all up into a tight hug.
"I never blamed you guys for even a second. I was just a stupid kid that had no idea what he was getting himself into. You all kept telling me how dangerous it was, but my stubborn ass just wouldn't listen. If there's anyone that should be apologizing it should be me. You guys are always going to be my family. There's nothing in this world that can ever change that." Jaune stated as he held them tight. For their part, his siblings and mother hugged him back and cried just a bit more.
Luffy simply tipped his hat down to cover his misty eyes. Even if his pupil didn't know it, he himself shared a similar statement with his crew so many years ago. How he had been reckless regardless of what they had been telling him. Always made him realize just how much he appreciated them. How he would give anything just to go on one more adventure with them.
"Now come on, you know I'm not good with emotional scenes. We still have a lot to talk about. Me and Luffy can only stay for a week at most before we have to head out and attend to some personal matters." Jaune cleared up, trying to dismiss the somber scene before he started chocking up too. The three women in front of him sniffled a bit before nodding, getting up and moving to the back yard.
"Of course. We can catch up some more on the patio. Lux, would you get on the Scroll and tell the others that Jaune's home? I'm sure they'll come rushing here to see him again." Elizabeth asked her daughter. The woman in question nodded a bit, only hesitating for a moment before pulling out her Scroll and doing just that.
The next two days Jaune stayed in his childhood home and simply enjoyed the happiness of spending time with his family again. To be able to be here without any of the shame he thought he'd have was relieving to him. He was able to tell them all about his exploits while out in the Grim Lands. Of course, leaving out the fact that he had been missing for the past five years. He along with Luffy were still wondering how they hadn't learned that little tidbit of news. They were still able to entertain his two sisters and mother with his stories. For once, Jaune actually felt like an accomplished Hunter. One that he could hope that his ancestors would be proud of.
Then came the third day, when the rest of his family came home.
He along with Luffy had been in the rather spacious back yard of his home out in the forest, practicing a bit of his Observation Haki.
Just simple observations of what his surroundings were. Nothing too serious...god, he wondered if even Yang would laugh at that one. Even so! He stayed motionless as Luffy would move around the area, sometimes moving into the trees in the blink of an eye without so much as a sound. To which Jaune would then call out to the best of his ability to see where exactly his mentor had changed positions to. A simple exercise, but he could only do so much while he was here without raising some questions he would rather leave unanswered for now.
Of course, with his senses as high as they were, Jaune perked up when he senses the large amount of people coming through the house and into the back yard. He hadn't senses any ill will or anything of the sort, so that could only mean that those were his sisters!
"They're here, Luffy. I think it's best that we leave this off for later. I'm willing to bet a pretty penny that they're just itching to talk to me." Jaune said as he looked up to the tree he was sitting in front of. The Pirate nodded, jumping down before walking with the blonde towards his house.
"You know that I'm only letting you slack off because it's your family, right? And the fact that you've been starving me is kind of annoying. Why can't I eat again?" Luffy remarked as he kept his arms behind his head. Jaune rolled his eyes at the Straw Hat before answering him for the millionth time.
"I already thanked you for letting me take a break from our usual routine, and second, you do eat. It's just that I don't want my family to go broke trying to feed you on a daily basis. I'm surprised that pond didn't go dry in the first few days." Jaune said, a little agitated that Luffy would bring this up again when they'd been talking it over near constantly. Even before they actually went to get here.
"I get that I can eat a lot, but you have a family of ten people! Surely they can afford to feed one of me, right?" Luffy argued. While Jaune understood the fact that he had an abnormally large family, he still knew that Luffy's appetite was worth far more than just ten people.
"Luffy, as far as I'm concerned, I'm more than certain that you are worth ten thousand people when it comes to your hunger. So please, try not to indulge yourself too much here. I can take you to a local fishing spot if you're interested. the fishermen are usually overwhelmed by the amount that come around anyway." Jaune offered, making Luffy perk up at the notion.
"Deal!" The Pirate King agreed almost instantly. Jaune just smiled at how easy it was to placate his friend before he rounded the last tree and saw them.
Each of his sisters were spreading out from the back door of their home, looking around. No doubt looking for him. There was the already established Lux and Cynthia. With the rest of them only seeming a little different from the last time he saw them.
Samus, the bounty hunter she was, scanned the property with her hawk like eyes. She was wearing her 'power armor' as she liked to call it. She always did like to be prepared for anything.
Then there was Lucy, one of the more bubbly of the group. She liked to go with the whole 'magical girl' motif. Her outfit surely giving that away. Still she, like the others, was looking for him with an excited gleam in her eyes. She was the one that liked to put him in dresses the most. Horrifying times.
The twins were next, looking about as identical as ever. Same bangs covering the opposite eye of the other. Both wearing baggy clothing, and just generally being lazy bums. Belle and Mignonne were the shortest of the bunch, and would complain just as soon as you would notice about how they didn't want to do anything. Still, from what he's heard, they were scary when they got serious during a mission. Despite the fact that they also liked video games and comics about as much as he did, they were able to pull their weight when the time came. Still, it warmed his heart to see them actively looking for him.
Last, was Saphron. She was with her wife Terra, and next to her was his nephew, Adrian. He smiled at the little guy. He remembered when the little tyke was just an infant, just learning to vocalize himself.
How much time had passed, as the little boy was walking around calling for his name, not even knowing why, but doing so because his parents were doing the same. It made him a little sad, knowing that he had been away for so long. But just the same, he was here now. And he was going to make sure that little Adrian would remember him this time.
"Hey there guys! You miss me!?" Jaune shouted as he strode forward, gaining their attention.
It was time for a proper family reunion.
Getting past the initial greetings and hugs and tears, they all started talking to him about various things while he was gone. The missions they'd been on, or in Saph's and Terra's case, the various activities that parenthood foretold. He in turn told them about his own adventures. Both before and after he was in the Grim Lands. Even entertaining little Adrian with his tales. He felt like a proper storyteller with how he regaled the boy with his stories.
"I want to grow up like uncle Jaune!"
Those words struck him something fierce. Even as he ruffled his nephews hair and gave him a bright smile, he couldn't help but let a few tears loose.
"He's a lot like you, you know." Saphron stated as she gave her kid a juice box and sent him off to talk to one of his aunts. Jaune didn't turn to her, still fixated on Adrian. He let out a small chuckle before nodding.
"Yeah. Hopefully, he wont be as clueless, huh?" Jaune teased. His sister laughed with him as they settled into a comfortable silence, enjoying the sound of the rest of their family chatting.
"You could have at least called. We thought you died for a minute." Saphron stated. Jaune stayed silent for a moment, thinking on that. He just shrugged it off before replying.
"Maybe, but then I'd get complaints from you guys how I should just come home already in person." Jaune countered, making his sister chuckle in mirth.
"I know there's something on you're mind, Jaune. You can tell me, if no one else." Saphron offered. Her brother pursed his lips into a fine line. She had always been the closest among their siblings, so he wasn't terribly surprised to be called out like that. Still, he figured that he would at least bring the truth forward with someone. Might as well be Saph.
"Alright. I'll tell you. Later, though. Let's just...enjoy this while we have it, okay?" Jaune almost begged. His sister looked at him with worry before smiling at him and nodding.
"Only because you asked. Love you, Jaune." Saphron said, bringing him in for a side hug.
"I...yeah. Love you too, Saph."
So, it's already pretty obvious, but this chapter was rushed. I've been ripping my hair out these past few months trying to get something out. So I figured that I would get this out to tell you all that I'm working on a few chapters at once. The progress is slow, but there's still progress. My deepest apologies, but I hope you can forgive me. With that said, I will leave you with that info. I guess that's it from me. Until next time, whenever that is, I will see you later. Toodles~!