I do not own Bloodborne or RWBY.
A very special thank you to Patrons; your support is the fuel that lets my creativity burn all the brighter. So, thank you to – E-Elf, Nut Guy and lee yang.
I hope this story continues to be worthy of your support.
Chapter 6 Parental Pulse
Introspection was a lethal thing.
All the more so when Jaune was foolish enough to commit such an action during combat, but the act itself carried a hidden risk in the city of Yharnam. Things hide in the dark of Yharnam, sinister things, cruel things and there were few places darker, more discreet, and more recessive than the depths of a mad man's mind.
After all, what else could he hope to call himself after he began to take pleasure in the hunt?
It started out as relief; he would, through luck and desperation, manage to survive an encounter against some random foe and feel that wave of emotion that followed a surge of adrenaline. Then it became satisfaction, a slow realisation that he was getting better and dying less and less. The problem began to arise when it changed yet again... when that satisfaction became gratification and then warped into pride at his accomplishments.
Then it became vindication.
He moved silently through the streets now, conserving bullets and Blood, only putting down those few crazed Yharnamites who stood between him and his goal. He began to think like a hunter, his tactics being only rudimentary at first, like killing his prey quietly, but soon he began to lure opponents to out-of-the-way places before engaging them. Bit by bit... he was becoming a more proficient killer.
The sense of joy he felt as he managed to successfully slay the two wolf-like Scourge Beasts while only consuming a single vial of Blood could not be understated. All of his deaths, his kills, his efforts, and failures led to this very moment. He could see the gate at the far end of the Great Bridge and his way out of Central Yharnam. All that lay between him and his freedom to progress with his hunt was but a singular ogre thing and a pack of those gluttonous Carrion Crows.
There was nowhere to hide, so he did not bother to as he approached his weapons at the ready, his eyes bouncing between his targets cautiously. His hood was down, his blond locks greased back by a splattering of viscera, staining their usual colour a filthy burgundy. When he got close enough, the obese birds finally noticed him sounding an alert with their queer barking noises.
The ogre creature also took notice, and the moment Jaune could make out even a hint of its grotesque facial features, he attacked. The muzzle of his pistol flashed, and a Quicksilver bullet was fired into its head; the beast gave a guttural roar in response as it covered its face in agony. The crows surged forward, startled by the sound, a flurry of bloodstained feathers and bizarrely sharp beaks. But Jaune was ready for them.
How many deaths had it taken before he learned to doge with such grace and ease? How many times had he been brutally slaughtered by the residents of this plagued city before he could swing his weapon with such precision? The Answer was inconsequential. Jaune danced about the rapid assault of claws and pouncing beaks, each move accompanied by a swing from his Saw Cleaver.
The serrated edge bit deep, tearing out exposed throats, dismembering wings, gutting extended stomachs. In but a few breaths, the crows were terribly maimed, one already succumbing to its injuries, but before he could put the other two to his blade, the ogre charged him. Its lumbering steps crushed one of the birds beneath its heel, the thing giving a screech of pain that was silenced abruptly as its brains were smeared over the cobblestones.
It moaned and grunted as it swung at Jaune, who kept moving backwards, taunting the creature with his apparent closeness and enraging it with its inability to land a solid blow. As its mad flurry ended, it switched tactics to highly telegraphed and much larger swings; Jaune wasted no time and dove into action. He ducked into its blows, slipping beneath its muscular arms and much greater height to drag his weapon across its ribs. But the beast, drunk on rage or Blood, ignored such a minor attack and continued to swing, Jaune however, expected this.
He weaved about its blows, swinging carefully with his cleaver, slashing its gut and back, its thighs and biceps until his goal was accomplished. The beast staggered, blood running from vicious slashes like streams as it panted heavily, groaning as it recognised the wounds it had sustained. Its fingers trembled around its improvised weapon, the large stone free of fresh blood as it had yet to land a single blow on Jaune.
The lumbering ogre groaned as it pawed at one of its cuts, its fat fingers prodding at the rent flesh curiously as it observed the crimson fluid staining its skin. Jaune, seeing it distracted, transformed his Saw Cleaver, causing the blade to strike the street and flick some stray sparks into the air. The noise did not go unnoticed, and the ogre bellowed a mighty challenge as it charged forward, brick raised.
It swung, aiming to brain Jaune, but he ducked under its prominent swing. When it brought the brick back up, aiming for Jaunes torso, he stepped back and raised his cleaver. When its arm reached the peak of its arc, he brought his brutal weapon down into the joint of its arm, and the thick blade dug deep. Dashing under its arm as it grunted in pain, Jaune yanked the weapon down, severing a slew of muscles and opening a smattering of veins.
The limb fell limp as the creature backpedalled away in pain. Jaune pressed the advantage.
He swung once more for an unguarded ankle; his cleaver hit its mark, and the ogre's left foot was crippled with a wet crunch. It tried to back step yanking its foot off the sharp weapon but immediately putting weight on the same ruined appendage. With a gasping moan, it was brought down to a knee, its strength all but spent. A two-handed swing from Jaune's cleaver destroyed its good leg as the serrated edge of his weapon tore into its Achilles tendon and ripped it apart alongside a chunk of its calf.
Jaune dashed back, wary of reprisal, but none came. Instead, the beast flopped to its side and swung at Jaune with its still functional arm. Not to strike but to ward him off. This brought Jaune up short, as he had seen fear from his opponents; the many crazed Yharnamites bore the emotion like a badge of pride. But this was the first time anything he had hunted appeared... pitiful. Its mutation did not rob it so terribly of its humanity; thus, the pained struggle it wore was all too apparent.
Seeing it felled and no longer a threat to his progression, Jaune decided to spare himself the trouble and moved towards the bridge's end. He had nary moved a step when his leg was assaulted by a sharp stabbing pain that forced him to his knees.
A crow, its bowels torn open and guts spilling onto the cold stone, was mauling his leg with gusto, Jaune's freshly spilt blood painting its face. With his teeth grit and vile curses spewing from his lips, Jaune wasted no time in bringing his cleaver down, splitting the savage cretin open, its thoracic cavity open to the world as its devastated ribs did little to shield it from Jaune's fury. With a grunt of pain and savagery, Jaune booted its mutilated form away from him, its broken body splattering into the gutter in a heap of gore and feathers.
Jaune cursed as he pulled himself back to his feet, reaching for a Blood Vial as his leg spasmed and ached fiercely. He had only just speared the vial into his leg when the grating of stone on stone alerted him to yet another danger. A brick larger than his head crashed into his chest, filling his head with the sound of his ribs shattering under sheer brute force. So tremendous was the impact that Jaune was thrown bodily backwards, crashing into the hard ground like a puppet deprived of its strings.
He couldn't breathe, he felt sick, and his entire world was subsumed by agony. His ears rang, and his eyes danced with bright piercing lights. His throat and nose were clogged with blood that seemed intent on drowning him. One of his arms would not move, so he was forced to use the other to paw for another Blood Vile, desperate to halt the pain that afflicted his exitance. Grasping one after moments of torture that lasted forever, he brought it to his face and tipped the concoction into his open, waiting mouth.
The effects of the all-powerful Blood were almost instantaneous. The pain waned, and with it, the disorientation that had been tormenting him so thoroughly, his eyes now free of the blinding white agony that had been prevalent in them, could now see his body repair itself. The brick had crushed his ribs to the point that there was a sizable dent in his chest where the bones were decimated on his right half. He watched with grim satisfaction as the dent was pushed back out by his ribs as they reknitted themselves.
Satisfied that the Blood was seeing to his injuries, Jaune turned his gaze to the being that had unleashed such trauma onto himself. The ogre, its fat meaty hand was dragging its ruined body towards him as a trail of red snaked behind it. Its face was a mask of maddened fury as bloody froth pooled at the edges of its mouth.
*Bang*
Jaune fired his pistol vengefully, the bullet flying true and spearing into the ogre's head with explosive force. But even with a hole in its head, the thing pawed forward. Jaune gave a growl that was more befitting a beast as he dropped his firearm and rose to his feet unsteadily. With his right arm still solidly out of commission with a bone jutting out of his bicep, he was forced to heft his transformed Saw Cleaver with his left hand.
The ogre was now but a foot away from Jaunes shaky feet, making it all too simple for him to put the thing down.
*Thunk*
The edge of his weapon sunk into the skull but did not cleave it as Jaune had hoped to, and far more concerningly, it did not halt the things approach. Angered by his failure Jaune adjusted his stance and attempted to pull his weapon free but found it lodged in the large oaf's thick malformed skull. His frustration finally reaching its peak, Jaune resorted to a far more brutal method to dispatch the wretch that had caused such issues in the first place.
"Will! You! Kindly! Just! Die!" Jaune barked, stomping on the handle of his Saw Cleaver repeatedly, each time causing the giant brute to twitch as more and more blood spurted from its traumatic brain injury. Jaune continued his savage assault until he felt his blade gouge through the nasal cavity and into the cretin's jaw, finally stilling the thing. Jaune watched as its head slowly opened up, and its destroyed brain slid out like some sickening, mush-like slug.
He stood there panting as he got progressively more frustrated with himself for letting his guard down. Taking a step back did little more than cause his arm to jostle, alerting him to the fact that he still had a broken humerus jutting out through his flesh.
As his bloodcurdling scream split the air Jaune let the fresh agony of brute-forcing his bone back into his arm reinforce an important lesson.
Mercy had no place in Yharnam.
YVYVYVYVY
Light danced in front of his closed eyes, the flutter of dancing flames beckoning him back to consciousness like a beacon welcoming home a lost ship. His ears practically twitched to the sound of wood crackling as fire gnawed at it eagerly.
Jaune brought a hand to his face rubbing at his eyes, eager to rid them of images that danced in his sight and memories. With eyes unburdened, he finally took stock of his surroundings, his gaze falling to the individual watching over him closely.
"You're awake..." Hella spoke up, her voice was neither questioning nor accusatory. She spoke only as a matter of fact.
Jaune swallowed audibly and licked at his dry lips as he pushed himself into a seating position, the blanket cast over his slight frame sliding down and revealing his bare flesh to the cool night air. It took only a moment of inspection to show his clothes hanging from a nearby branch, the flames illuminating them in the dark woods. Hella had detected his observation and answered the unasked question.
"I had to let them dry; nights get cold in Reach. It would not do for you to get ill, Jaune..." his mother informed him. Her amethyst eyes did not glance away from him for even a moment, their intensity making Jaune feel nervous as the events of the day recollected themselves within his head. A grimace soon followed as he recalled the past day's events, all the turmoil that had stirred loose beneath the questioning efforts of his father.
Jaune, deciding he was awake enough, cleared his throat and spoke, "... where is Father?"
Hella let some emotions slip past her stoic façade as if hearing Jaune's first question did something to relieve her. "Your father is away on a mission. I don't know when he will be back, only that it is an urgent rescue mission... the call came in during your... discussion, he wanted to chase after you, but I stopped him."
"... Of course, that makes sense," Jaune mumbled, nodding to himself, accepting that his father's duties were essential, especially if it was a mission to rescue some poor, misbegotten soul. Unbeknownst to him, though, Hella was observing him very closely, just as she had while he slept and seeing him distracted, she decided to pose a question.
"... Jaune, what do you dream of?" Hella asked, looking at him through the haze of orange flames and hot smoke. Like a gunshot, her words elicited a flinch from Jaune, who went as rigid as a statue save his eyes that darted about desperately seeking something that was not there to find.
For a while, only the crackling of their fire filled the night as a prolonged silence drew a scalpel across the peace of mind Jaune had worked so hard to weave for himself since his return. Hella seeing he would not speak, decided to try an alternative route instead. She did so hesitantly, but the situation demanded drastic measures.
She did not have to like it, however.
"Jaune... Son, do you love us? Do you love your family?" Hella's question was asked with a clinical detachment she was well known for but never had she had to struggle so fiercely to keep a lid on her emotions. Her ploy, for to call it anything else would only detract from the necessary cruelty of such a question, worked as Jaune startled and looked his mother dead in the eye, his words clear and potent.
"More than anything!" Jaune proclaimed with more seriousness than any child should be able to muster. Desperation and nervous energy were woven in his words as he changed his demeanour and sat somewhat straighter in his spot. Hella nodded at this response, already expecting it and letting Jaune stew before she asked yet another question.
"... Then is it our love you doubt? Wa-... Did you also forget how much we love you, my son?" Hella asked, having to swallow her worry to get the words out. She knew that her prodding was having an effect and would hopefully force Jaune to open up, but it pained her to poke at such fresh and open wounds.
Jaune also seemed pained by her queries wincing as if the words she spoke lashed at his heart, and for Jaune, they may as well have. "No..." he whimpered, pawing at the dirt, gritting his teeth in frustration at his own weakness and inability. "I-I know your love mother... I know my father's love too. I have felt it just as I have felt Jade's and Sky's," a sad chuckle broke his sentence as he continued. "I know that even Scarlett and Saphron love me, love me as much as they can anyway... as much as any of you can..."
Hella seeing an in, rose and crawled around the fire to sit behind Jaune, her arms coming around him to pull his tiny frame into her lap. She needed him to feel safe, to know that she could handle whatever he was so desperate to hide. "There is no limit Jaune to the depth of my love for you kids, all of you... you need not know the fathomless depth of my love... nor the things that hide beneath it... but if that's what you need, my son."
Hella pulled his head back, staring into his haunted blue eyes, her own leaking with tears of raw emotions. "My Sunshine... if you need it, I will prove to you just how much your mother loves you, if only so that you may never doubt it again." Her words seeped into Jaune, and their power was so profound that he wept silently in turn, and his hands marred by dirt reached out for her cheeks with cautious need and ran across her face as if hunting for fault.
"Is this real... am I?" Jaune asked in a whisper.
"Yes, Jaune, all of this is real," Hella promised.
"Mother... do you love me as you did before that day?" Jaune asked in a voice so vulnerable his words might as well have been explosive for their many implications.
"Endlessly Jaune, my love for you will not change so long as you are my son and even bereft of memory; I can assure you that your soul... your very essence remained the same," Hella exclaimed, placing her forehead atop his, as she hissed. "Mine Jaune... you are my son and no one... nothing can change that."
"But I can't recall what made you love me..." Jaune admitted guiltily. "Why do you love me... how can you love me? Of course, I love you... Yes... love... love my ma- my mother..." Jaune tried to scamper from Hella's lap, headbutting her in his desperation to flee. But Hella held him firm even as he struggled, as his whimper devolved into sobs.
"Jaune! Please!" Hella begged, and as if her words only worsened his plight Jaune leapt forward, his hands lashing at the campfire aimlessly in desperation.
"I can't... I'm not... I am not, not..."
"Not what, Jaune!? Not what!?"
Jaune, in his struggles, finally got loose enough to lash a foot out and, in a fit of frustration and madness, booted the campfire asunder with his bare flesh, scattering alight wood and dunking the clearing they were in into deep gloom. His final act also ended his fit as he moaned pitifully and slumped in his mother's hold, letting himself selfishly bask in the comfort of her presence.
Whimpering, he asked his mother, "can you love me, Mother, even if I am broken... even if I might never be that son again... the son who remembers - the right son?"
Hella was not one to cry, such weakness was stricken from her at a very young age, and it was only after years of care and the presence of her family that she learned not to strangle all her emotions. So there, with her hurting child, looking into her own eyes with an expression that practically bled hurt in the dying light of a few struggling embers, she let her tears fall freely.
"My foolish Jaune... I will always love you, my precious boy... no matter what pain you feel, no matter what hurt you endure... sinner or saint, you and I will always be as we are. A mother and her perfect son." Hella spoke earnestly, pressing her lips to her child's forehead, her mind buzzing with countless memories of her own acts and failures... unaware that Jaune's was much the same.
Jaune cried openly, his throat scratchy as he wept in his mother's loving embrace, allowing him to truly cherish this instant for what it was. As he wiped his eyes on his mother's shoulder, Jaune did his best to sever any thought that tied him to Nightmares or the abominable things that dwelled within them. For what more could he possibly want than this... this very instant of protection, of love... what other thing was more worthy of worship than a devoted mother?
"Mama..." Jaune choked out his speech, slipping into the gothic tongue native to Yharnam.
"What did you say, my Sunshine?" Hella cooed.
"... It means mother... you asked before what it was, I dreamed of... they are not dreams but nightmares, Mother," Jaune elucidated, looking into his mother's face, his expression one of unabashed fear.
"My darling boy... what happens in these nightmares? Is it the Grimm?" Hella asked, a spark of protective fury stirring in her eyes.
"No," Jaune replies weakly. "I am not afraid of monsters' mother... what I fear..." Jaune tried to explain, but a deep feeling of nausea struck him as he was forced to experience the rancid taste of copper fluid as it congealed at the back of his mouth.
"Jaune!"
The retching sound was all the warning Hella had before Jaune's stomach contents erupted from his mouth and splattered onto the cool forest floor in a vile stream. Hella was swift to rub her son's back and was about to utter some soothing words when her boy gave a muffled scream into the darkness.
A primal noise not of fear or dread but rage and fury.
"No! NO! No! No, no, no... it is done... Let it be done! The ghosts of dreams will not burden me!" Jaune snarled into the dirt, tearing at the soil like a possessed beast as he beat his fury into the earth with closed fists and clawed digits. But before his tantrum could spiral out of hand, he was once more engulfed in a warm blanket as his mother scooped him up off the floor and held him to her chest.
"Jaune... what do you fear?" Hella asked softly as she cradled him in her arms, ignoring the acrid scent of bile and the pitiful weakening struggles of her captive son. So there, cradled aloft in the arms of his mother, Jaune let slip the tiniest fragment of the madness that gnawed at him.
"... Alone... In my nightmares, I am alone... a sole being in a necropolis of cooling corpses as I wander empty streets... not a single soul... no one... just me." Jaune mumbled brokenly, distractedly flexing his right hand.
"Jaune, you aren't alone, though!" Hella exclaimed, gently guiding his eyes back to hers.
"Aren't I? Am I? I don't know any more, Mother... I try every day to just... be..." Jaune trailed off weakly.
Hella seeing Jaune was spent, walked over to their things and placed him down near her supplies. In a matter of minutes, she had a new fire started and had even covered Jaune's bile in ashes and dirt to mask the smell. She then walked back over to Jaune and pulled out some more blankets and bedding, making a makeshift cot for herself. Jaune gave her a questioning look but was quickly silenced as she handed him some water.
"Rinse your mouth out, then put some clothes on... you and I are going to spend the night out here tonight," Hella ordered.
"But what abou-"
"The girls will be fine with Tami; now hurry," Hella instructed once again. Jaune looked ready to argue, but his mother looked ready to drag him back to the lake should he delay any further, so Jaune made quick to put her orders into action. Cleaner and dressed in his dry, if somewhat smelly clothes, Jaune was about to head back for his blanket when his mother tugged him down into her waiting arms.
"Mother!" Jaune protested but was shushed as Hella stuffed his head into her breast.
"Hush, just for tonight, let me hold you, Jaune," Hella mumbled into his hair, her breath warm against his scalp.
"But... but I smell," Jaune moaned softly, earning a snort from Hella, who rubbed his back in circles.
"I have endured far worse scents... do not forget Jaune, your dear mother is an experienced huntress," Hella's gentle voice was mirthful as she kissed the tops of Jaune's head. "Tonight, Jaune, I will be by your side... so if you have a nightmare, all you will need to do is open your eyes, and I will be right here," Hella explained.
"... I still do not understand why we cannot do this task back home..." Jaune huffed. Hella hearing his complaint, shuffled back a little and gazed down into his young face, her amethyst eyes almost cunning as they examined him.
"I can get back to the house from here in seconds, Jaune," Hella explained, much to Jaunes amazement.
"R-really," Jaune exclaimed softly; such speed would be a feat even in Yharnam... he could probably do so if he still possessed his Hunter physique and the assistance of Quickening, but... indeed, Aura was an impressive thing.
"Mmhmm, so I promise you that if I am needed, I will be there in a flash... so trust me," Hella encouraged, nuzzling her nose along Jaune's fringe. Hella was not oblivious to Jaunes sudden acceptance of her physical intimacy. Usually, a hug would be asking a lot of him, but it seemed today's events had been more draining than she had realised.
"Do you like the outdoors?" Jaune asked out of the blue, his eyes closed as he let his mother continue to embrace him freely.
"You could say that... when I was little, I had a very severe case of claustrophobia... that's the fear of-"
"Tight or enclosed spaces," Jaune interjected, opening a single eye to give his mother a concerned glance. "Do you still suffer from such a fear?" Jaune asked. His mind ultimately returned to its usual protective behaviour, much to his mother's endearment.
Hella huffed, blowing lightly on Jaunes face, "Smarty pants... no... not as bad as I used to, at least, I did my best to confront it, and with help from your father, it is little more than an inconvenience these days."
There was a lull in dialogue, and while both parties seemed tired, neither desired to succumb to sleep just yet, as evident by Hella's patting of Jaune and his unnecessary fidgeting. Hella could not stop her thoughts from drifting to her husband's distraught face this morning. She had always left the emotional issues to Cloud, he was far more empathetic than she was, and she took comfort in knowing her husband was someone her kids could confide in.
But what if that was precisely the issue... what if Jaune didn't need someone to confide in?
"Sunshine... do you know why your father worries about you?" Hella asked, her voice again monotone as she tried to keep any inflection from her voice that might mislead Jaune. Even bereft of emotion, her words made him halt his fidgeting, his breathing becoming quieter as if he was drawing into himself.
Silence dominated the night. Even the fire crackling seemed distant as Hella put all her attention on her child, so much so that even as she rubbed his back, she could count his heartbeats. "... Because I am not the same Jaune as the one before that day," her son finally answered, his words coming out pained.
"No," Hella was quick to speak, her words sharp but not angry. Swiftly Jaune found his face being caressed as Hella all but cradled him in her arms, her strength making the task ridiculously easy.
"Jaune, your father worries because it is our job as parents to keep you safe and cared for. We have a responsibility as parents to ensure that you are healthy and nurtured. Our love is yours, and we would do anything for your guy's sake, but being a parent is a big responsibility." Hella lectured, her fingers gently massaging Jaunes ears as she spoke, her voice almost musing.
"You need to understand that being a parent can be terrifying," Hella chuckled, hugging Jaune close in a futile attempt not to let him see the concern in her gaze. She was considering possibly flipping him over so that she had the fire to her back instead when Jaune spoke up.
"... I scare you guys?" Jaune's voice was like cracked glass, and Hella knew that she needed to be very careful with her following words as Jaunes fingers began to clamp and his heartbeat picked up significantly.
"No, Jaune, we are scared for you."
This brought Jaune up short as he was wholly lost now as to what his mother was trying to convey. He wiggled about in her grasp and wormed his way up until he was at eye level with his mother on their makeshift cot. With a pout that emphasised his baby fat cheeks, he spoke up, "explain, please."
"Parenting is scary, Jaune, to have something you love so much be under your own flawed care... the constant worry that you could somehow skew this poor child with your inadequacies or flaws..." Hella trailed off, rolling onto her back to gaze up into the sky above.
"I think your good parents," Jaune chipped, resting his chin on his mother's firm bicep.
"Mmm, I think you may be biased," Hella teased, running her fingers through Jaune's hair.
"Ridiculous. I am an amnesiac, remember? That gives my opinion far more veracity," Jaune replied with a cheeky grin on his boyish face. Hella hoped the smile she gave her son was more begrudging amusement than awkward grimace, she could very well appreciate the spirit in which the joke was made, but the quip itself was... poorly orchestrated.
"Be that as it may, Jaune, and despite what you think, we still worry... there are no do-overs with kids, Jaune, and it only takes one mistake to... hurt them, maybe even permanently... that's a pretty terrifying thing sometimes," Hella whispered.
"Then, at the risk of sounding rather morose... why have children at all?" Jaune turned his back to his mother as he asked this, not wanting her to see the emotions stirring in his eyes. All this talk about fear and children was rousing memories better, left alone. A fact that was beginning to bother him as slowly but surely, he could taste metallic fluid on the back of his tongue.
"... I cannot speak for everyone, only myself. I am sure there is a myriad of reasons, expectations and causations that lead to someone deciding to have children on top of already existent biological driving factors... but for me, it was much simpler." Hella elucidated, curling her body around her only son as a soft smile made its way onto her features.
"I wanted children because I believed that in them, I might find purpose... and I was right," Hella whispered as she embraced her child. "Each of you means more than anything to me, you are my reason for living, and I would die before I saw any of you buried before me. Do you understand Jaune? You kids are my whole world, my life... no matter what path you walk in this life, know that I will support you no matter what. I will always love you, Jaune... and part of that is worrying about you, understood."
"... What would you be without us then," Jaune mused, gently leaning the back of his head into his mother's throat.
"Hmm... less, the old me was... hollow. Every day was a lot bleaker, duller, almost lacking in a way, I suppose," Hella reminisced demurely, but after a long sigh, Jaune physically felt a pure smile stretch across her face. "Then your father cannonballed his way into my life. He was annoying and noisy and so bloody caring that it was very frustrating... I had no hope looking back... that man practically beat down the door to my heart." Hella giggled quietly.
"...Father... will he be, ok?" Jaune asked, a hint of nervousness bleeding into his voice as he began nuzzling the back of his head under his mother's chin. Hella tried not to twitch as the sensation tickled somewhat, but her answer, despite the motions of her son, was firm.
"Yes, Cloud has handled everything from elder hunts to horde eradication... he knows how to take care of himself, do not mistake the urgency of the mission for its inherent danger Jaune. I do not tend to boast, but I assure you there is a reason the Arc family name carries such weight and your father more than lives up to his heritage." There was no doubt in Hella's voice; after all, she was not speaking from the perspective of a lover but rather as a Huntress who had seen her partner reduced a Goliath to a paste in a single swing when he lost his temper.
"... You have faith in him?"
"Completely. Besides, he still needs to conclude things with you. I promise he will come back, Jaune," Hella assured her son.
The two lay together silently in the dark as the campfire slowly lost some of its bluster; Hella pulled Jaune closer to keep him warm. Jaune, for his part, was busy experiencing the moment. To feel safe in the arms of someone who loved him unconditionally was... confronting.
But as his mother's heartbeat serenaded him into an utterly alien state of calm, he decided to take a vaunted risk and let sleep begin encroaching on his consciousness. As he did, he let his mind relax and felt muscles he didn't even know were strained suddenly settle.
And in the dark of that forest, in his mother's arms, Jaune Arc, a survivor of Yharnam and slayer of Nightmares... felt peace.
Kos... was this what was stolen from your child...
"Goodnight, Mother..." Jaune whispered sleepily.
"Sleep well, my son," Hella replied, her voice far more alert as she watched over her only male child.
... Orphan... you have my deepest sympathies.
YVYVYVYVY
When morning came, Jaune woke in his mother's arms, just as she had said he would. As the two got up and made their way back out of the woods to return to their home in the cool light of the early morning, Jaune was followed by a mystifying sense of safety and comfort. The feeling was alien, and truthfully Jaune spent much of their walk-in silence ruminating on the sensation, but Hella did not seem to mind.
Upon reaching home, Jaune was sent immediately to bathe and wash off the lake stink that clung to him. Hella immediately laid down the law and ensured that the events that transpired between Jaune and his father were not to be mentioned until Cloud returned.
Jade accepted this quickly, and Scarlett and Saphron did so with a begrudging nod... Sky burped, but Hella took it for acceptance all the same.
Time passed, and yet still, Cloud had not returned. He and the other Hunters were still away on their rescue mission. Jaune, who naturally worried for his father, asked Tami if everything was all right, not wishing to burden his mother with his concerns. Tami, one of the local Hunter Guild Headquarters employees, was naturally in the know and could quickly allay any of Jaune's concerns.
"Oh, this is nothing, Jaune," she exclaimed as she relaxed on the Arc's living room couch with a cup of tea. "Caravan missions are always lengthy; it's just how things are," she shrugged.
"How come," Jaune queried, offering Tami some biscuits, his manners impeccable.
"Well," Tami exclaimed as she took a handful of treats greedily. "Because we don't know precisely where they are, if we are lucky, they might be near an outpost or train tracks... but that's very rarely the case. So, not only is the mission to rescue the caravan but also to locate it in the first place... which is easier said than done." Tami sighed for a moment sipping her tea as she mulled over how to voice her following statement.
"Firstly, we don't know exactly when they sent the SOS; we also don't know precisely where from... just the direction and sometimes the general area. Not to mention that if they are in danger, chances are that they have then moved from where they sent the message in the first place..." Tami trailed off, turning her head to avoid looking at Jaune directly.
"Hence why caravan missions are always lengthy... they are a cruel reminder that despite our best efforts, Jaune, we are inhabitants of an inhospitable world," Tami complained, stretching her tail out, not noticing how Jaunes eyes followed it hypnotically.
Eventually, even months passed, yet Cloud and the other Hunters remained absent. It had gotten to the point that tensions seemed to rise across the entirety of Reach. It was discomforting having several of your protectors absent from their posts. The fact that this same discomfort led to a rise in negativity had the Hunter Guild and the remaining Hunters releasing public announcements that there was nothing to be concerned about. It reached the point that the local sheriffs began to do far more frequent patrols, all in an attempt to give the appearance of security, anything to try and restore peace.
If it worked, Jaune did not notice, and soon Tami came to Hella as a representative of the Reach Guild to ask if she would be comfortable returning to semi-active duty if only to bolster public comfort. Hella, a dutiful hunter, accepted, explaining she would do so but would not be able to pursue hunts until she was back in fighting condition. Tami, knowing that she would accept, had already brought the paperwork to allow her to return under the premise of altered duty. Thus, Jaune got his first look at what was considered training for a hunter.
It was mind-boggling.
His mother worked with such intensity that he found it genuinely awe-inspiring. Her training gear covered little of her body and allowed Jaune to witness the full scope of her physique. She was a warrior goddess, plain and simple. Her body looked as if it was carved from hardened clay and the sheered apparentness of her muscles gave her the appearance of an apex predator. With each new exercise, Jaune watched as her skin gained a glisten of sweat from strain, muscles began to bulge, and veins appeared. Her form, so much more taught and lither than that of his mountainous father, looked powerful enough to tear through even the fiercest beast Yharnam would have had to offer.
But that was not the extent of his mother's warrior visage, for on top of it all were the clear signs of battle shown proudly on her flesh. Thick pink scars stood out boldly against the colour of her warm skin as it blushed haze from her exertions. They stood out proudly as if each was a tremendous trophy and carried immense weight. The vast majority were obviously from beastly Grimm, claws and bite marks standing out clearly to Jaune's experienced gaze. But the ones that looked like bullet holes and stab marks made him bare his teeth. The mere idea of some cur having the sheer audacity to lash out against his mother to the extent of wounding her made the primal side of him rouse and crave violence.
As she finished the strength training portion of her workout, Jaune saw his mother tap some form of totem that stood out from the cemented floor of the Arc training yard. Naturally curious, he asked her about it as she rehydrated and wiped the sweat from her tired body.
"Hmm? Oh, that. That's the mechanism to control the gravitational force in the training square. It allows for greater training. I had it installed for your father as an anniversary gift a few years ago." Hella explained plainly, her features stoic as her son's eyes widened in amazement. On the inside, though, she felt her love stir at the wonder in her son's gaze alongside a small amount of pride.
"Does that not put immense strain on your body? I would think such strenuous forces would certainly have rather adverse effects on your body, would it not?" Jaune hurriedly asked as his hand hovered over his mother's elbow, curious to see if he could feel any damage to her joints, his hesitance about physical contact halting him.
"Oh yes. Very much so. That is why it is crucial that you never ever use that gravity modifier without my or your father's express permission. We are only spared immense bodily trauma due to our Aura repairing and strengthening our bodies." Hella explained, crouching down to let Jaune run his hand around her elbow to satiate his curiosity.
"Aura grants you increased strength as well as enhanced healing properties?" Jaune repeated, stunned that such a thing was possible. Aura was quickly proving itself to be the equal of the Old Blood; the gifts it bestowed on the wielder were staggering and seemed to come at a much cheaper cost.
"Yes, as well as being able to enhance combat abilities, strengthen our bodies and objects and provide a defensive shield that can keep our bodies from harm. It has other capabilities, but those are the most crucial." Hella listed as she watched her son look over her arm with intense curiosity.
His pale fingers traced along her musculature slowly as if he was drawing an image of it in his mind, his blue eyes glued to her light earthy skin. His vision finally stopped when it came to rest on one of her scars, and for the first time in a while, Hella was nervous about someone seeing them as she was unsure how Jaune would react.
He continued to examine the mark for a few more moments before distractedly uttering a few words, "this was caused by a serrated blade... a knife if I'm not mistaken... the faded nature and warped stretching are indicative of it being an old wound... you are predisposed to scar in such an obvious way..." Jaune nodded to himself before looking up at Hella and uttering a ridiculous sentence with an adorable, airy smile, "your scars are rather pretty, mother."
Hella blinked a few times before her mind rebooted, and she gave an adequate response, "Thank you, Sunshine."
"You're welcome, Mother. You should get back to training now. I don't want to be a distraction after all," Jaune smiled as he retook his seat on the back porch.
Hella did just that, her flushed skin hiding the tiny trace of embarrassment that would otherwise be visible on her face from the unexpected compliment courtesy of her child. She honestly did not think him equipped to grace someone with a heartfelt compliment... it was a happy surprise to find out that she was wrong.
YVYVYVYVY
With time and her intense training, Hella was soon prepared to reengage in her hunter duties. Nothing as strenuous as perimeter patrols or proper hunts, but happily patrolling the inner sections of Reach to aid in presenting a secure front was well within her abilities. Thanks to the local patrols, Jaune discovered firsthand how the people of Reach treated Hunters. A prime example happened when a grateful food vendor gifted his mother a whole basket of food, apparently recognising Hella and wanting to present her with a 'humble gift'.
Rather than being viewed with fear and trepidation, it seemed the Hunters of his homeland were looked upon with respect and no small amount of awe. It was a welcome contrast to the hell that was Yharnam and made Jaune happy that his parents were looked upon so kindly by the residents of their hometown. The residents did not cower or cast a suspicious gaze as his mother stalked through the streets but instead greeted her warmly, sometimes familiarly. There were children, some even older than Jaune, who looked at her with awe and even asked for autographs.
It turns out that the Government of Vale used Hunters as icons of strength and security. To further that end, Hunters who were open to it were lofted up as celebrity figures to give the public a strong sense of familiarity with their protectors and strengthen the trust between citizens and select 'favoured' Hunters. His mother and father were amongst these chosen hunters and, because of that, were local celebrities, so much so that Sky's birth made the local news.
Seeing a child ask for an autograph on a card with his mother's and father's likeness on it brought such a degree of amusement that he ended up cackling in public. It startled the crap out of Hella, who thought he might have been having a panic attack for a moment when he started the noisy action out of nowhere.
But sadly, the past months had not been without their flaws. Most keenly felt was the rising stress in the Arc household. With Cloud absent for the longest he had ever been, at least since he had kids, his children were left to feel anxious and discomforted. None suffered this discontent worse than Jade, as she was old enough to recognise his absence but lacked the maturity to rationalise it. Jaune, for his part, did carry a hint of nervousness concerning his father's absence but that could be more attributed to the fact that he had left things on a rather sour note with the Arc patriarch.
Saphron was arguably the worst off following Jade and had retreated into herself, becoming quieter than Jaune had ever seen her. She now hardly communicated with anyone, and according to a Scroll call his mother had taken, she was also being withdrawn at school. Scarlett had adopted a mask of studiousness, turning to focus almost entirely on her schoolwork, but like her sisters, she was also not immune to worry.
It got to the point that Jade was beginning to become confrontational, her and Saphron clashing on the regular, both of them blowing up at each other. Hella always quickly shut them down with a stern look and a warning of what would happen should they disturb baby Sky. But Hella was not always home, and so confrontations were unavoidable.
After a particularly harsh argument, Jaune was found sitting on the floor of Sky's nursery with his baby sister resting in his arms. The two most argumentative siblings had all but devolved into blows when Jaune had been forced to step in as baby Sky was already bawling, and it would not do for his sisters to strike one another. So, in a moment of frustration, he had raised his voice and shouted the two down with a demand for silence that must have come across far harsher than he intended, for immediately, the two were brought up short.
Saphron snarled, but Jaune's look had her choking on whatever rebuke she was ready to throw out. She guiltily retreated to her room, being sure to slam the door as the last act of defiance against her siblings. Jade's reaction to Jaune shouting at her was far worse as she devolved into a teary-eyed mess and bolted away before Jaune could even utter a single phrase.
Thus, he retreated to Sky and settled her, it took a while, but his youngest sister eventually stopped her wailing to return to an afternoon rest. So now he sat in her room, gently swaying his body as the infant rested peacefully in his arms. But while his outward appearance may have been one of peace, his mind was in turmoil over the difficulties between his siblings. He thought it was difficult trying his best to overcome the taint that Yharnam had left in his mind, but it seemed there were trials even he was ignorant to.
"Tell me, sweet Sky... how does one act like a brother... how does one be a brother... a son... how do I be me?" Jaune whispered rhetorically as he tried to piece together how one was supposed to navigate the intricacies of sibling norms.
Despite his best efforts, Jaune remained answerless and decided it would be best if he placed his younger sister back in her cot and got himself some dinner. He had only just opened the fridge when he heard a door slam with such a tremendous degree of force that it shook the entire house. The quick-to-follow cries of Sky were enough to make Jaune's face adopt a look of intense anger as he slammed the fridge closed and made his way to the foyer to investigate.
Whatever rage he felt fled him as he saw his mother. Smiling.
"He's coming back!" She cheered subtly, but Jaune knew it was the equivalent of anyone else shouting for joy.
"Hey, brats! Stop slamming the fuuuuuuuuuu-"Scarlett trailed off as she looked down the stairs at her mother, who had quirked a single brow as if daring her oldest to finish her curse.
"Uh... hey, mom," Scarlett chuckled remorsefully, giving a tiny wave.
"... Your father is on his way home. Get the others and meet me in the car. I will grab Sky. If we hurry, we can meet him as he finishes checking out," Hella instructed, already moving up the stairs to the nursery with an upset Sky inside.
"Wha- Oh! Awesome! But ahh, is Jaune going to meet us there or something?" Scarlett asked cautiously.
"Why would he?" Hella asked indignantly, thinking Scarlett was simply taking a shot at her brother.
"Because... he took off the moment you moved out of the way," Scarlett indicated, her hand pointing at the still open door. Hella whipped about and watched Jaunes blond hair disappear past the driveway as he bolted towards the centre of Reach and the Hunter Guild Headquarters.
"Damn, he's fast," Scarlett breathed as she watched him disappear.
Hella smiled as she shook her head in frustration, for all of Jaune's worries that he was not the same, that he somehow was not her and Cloud's son; he was just as headstrong as either of them. "Scarlett grab your sisters, let's not keep Jaune waiting too long for us," Hella ordered as she sped up the rest of the steps to Sky.
YVYVYVYVY
Reach was utterly beautiful at sunset, with the plateau being bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun and the tall surrounding peaks that created an impressive barrier casting colossal shadows that danced over the majestic town. It was enough to be found on the back of many a postcard. Jaune had stared at it from his yard's fantastic vantage point many times, enraptured by the glorious colours that seemed to dance amongst the horizon, colours that made Yharnam feel so very distant.
But today, he paid them not even a second glance, his feet carrying him with great haste, each footfall launching his small body with speed no typical five-year-old could hope to match. Soon residential buildings fell to the wayside, and the businesses and complexes that made up the heart of Reach became more frequent. There were many people on the streets, the late afternoon being a hectic time, but Jaune's diminutive size aided him greatly as he darted between pedestrians without even a drop in speed.
Jaune could hear his blood pound in his ears as he strained his body to move at even greater speed, he also felt his anxiety stir at the terribly familiar and deafening sound, but for once, he did not try to calm himself. He did not need to be calm, and he did not need to be peaceful. He needed to see his father, and he needed to know that he was all right. He had to apologise.
So, with his heart thundering in his chest, pushing his body to its utter limits, Jaune pushed on, picking up even more speed. Sure, people cried out in alarm or indignance as he swerved between them, but their feeling did not matter in the face of not being able to see his father again. This drive and desire had him reach the Headquarters in record time, so quickly that he arrived just in time to hear the sound of the Bullhead as it approached the landing pad.
Jaune could see the vehicle coming in from the west with the glowing sun casting its light around the approaching craft like a halo. Jaune needed to get closer. He had to see his father, make sure he was safe... but he couldn't as a small crowd had formed around the perimeter of the Guild's compound. Local sheriffs had been called in to act as security and ensure the compound stayed clear, but with the addition of camera crews from local news cramming the area even more, Jaune would have a damn hard time getting in.
Just as he was about to start pushing his way to the front through the throng of legs blocking his way, he heard something that turned the still-racing blood in his veins to ice. "Ladies and gentlemen, we will need you to back up as we need space for paramedics from the hospital to arrive... we have injured inbound!" A sheriff called out seriously, causing a stir amongst the crowd.
The Bullhead was now only moments away, and Jaune's mind was a mix of terror and desire as he was overcome with the overwhelming need to see his father as soon as possible. He looked for any way in; he could rush the gate, it was being cleared for the emergency responders, but the guards might stop him... it wouldn't do to fight them; it would waste too much time. The walls were high, but there were adjacent buildings... but the sensors on top might go off, delaying the Bullhead's landing, not to mention auto turrets might take a shot at him. The Bullhead was making its final approach now, and Jaune could make out the wail of oncoming sirens.
Sirens...
Jaune, with no warning, sprinted away from the compound, making it out of sight of the sheriffs and the bustling crowd. With the late evening traffic slowing the emergency vehicles' approach, Jaune could easily catch up to the oncoming ambulances. Hurrying to the space between two parked cars, Jaune crouched down and got ready to do something bold and dangerous. As the two vehicles made to pass by, slowing as they approached the corner through the throngs of evening traffic, Jaune rolled under the emergency vehicle and clung to the bottom.
The vehicle did not even pause as he latched onto it, his body but mere millimetres from the road below. With painful slowness, they pulled into the compound, the jostling of the vehicle making Jaune have to strain his fingers to remain latched on to whatever machinery he clung to. But thanks to his plan, Jaune was inside as the Bullhead's engines died, and when the back opened up, he was grateful he was.
Blood, a whole slew of it, spilled out, running down the ramp and onto the landing pad below; immediately, guild technicians and employees moved to offer aid. The doors of the ambulances opened, and first responders pooled out with a loud urgency. To top it all off, Jaune heard a familiar booming voice ring out, issuing orders.
"I want all of them out now! Lay them out in marked areas! Medics are on standby for the triage of our people! Paramedic's civilians will be handled primarily by you. Take the most critical to the hospital ASAP! Those with lesser injuries can remain here for the time being! MOVE PEOPLE!" Dr Kaiser roared as he marched into the Bullhead, his boots splashing blood as he went with a pack of people following in his wake.
Jaune took the sudden rushing of people to cover the sound of him dropping with his back pressed to the ground, the rough gravel of the compound stabbing into his back, but he paid it no heed. He crawled to the edge of the ambulance on his gut, looking out as bodies were pulled off the Bullhead, the pilot rushing around to help carry people off. He was stopped by a woman who marched right up to him and shoved him up against the vehicle. She was flanked by Tami and an unfamiliar man, both of whom had worried looks on their face as the woman began barking questions about what had happened.
While Jaune was curious, such things could be left for later as the only thing that mattered now was his father. The rest was inconsequential. So, he moved his way out from under the ambulance and dashed towards some stacked crates, putting him closer to the makeshift triage centre and giving him a better view into the back of the Bullhead. It was a sight that would not be unfamiliar in the worst of Yharnam's clinics; inside, bodies laid splayed out, some stacked on top of each other due to lack of room. Few were standing, fewer still uninjured, and the stench of thick and metallic blood stained the inside like a miasma.
He could even spot a few severed limbs and with each body pulled out, a fresh slick of blood ran down the ramp... there would surely be casualties aboard. Jaune swallowed sickeningly as the stench crawled into his nose. For once, he did not even have to worry about memories stirring up from the scent, his mind already conjuring a horrid slew of what-ifs concerning his father's condition. Some oncoming medics had him ducking low as they moved another bloody body to the triage centre, their voices easily audible as the crowd had lost much of their enthusiasm.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck! It's Orr, fuck!" One of them rambled, placing the wounded figure down as Jaune observed their injury, a massive abdominal wound heavily padded with makeshift fabric. The two struggled to check their vitals on their Scrolls as they panicked, Dr Kaiser having to shoo them back to the Bullhead to pull more injured off as they failed to move quick enough.
"Orr, can you hear me?" He asked as he checked her pulse and looked her over with his Scroll, the device beeping audibly. The woman who remained unresponsive was short, and she had skin that would most likely have usually had a warm bronze glow, but now it was reduced to a sickly pale mockery as she suffered from noticeable blood loss. Her clothes were baggy pants of an undistinguishable colour as they were coated in filth and blood. Her top, most likely some sleeveless muscle shirt, was in tatters and did nothing to hide her modesty. The thick layer of blood and what looked like soot kept her breasts from being blatantly on display.
"Orr?" Dr Kaiser asked again as he lowered his Scroll to look at her with his own eyes, eyes that had a distinct hint of worry. Finally, his eyes settled on something Jaune could not see as he reached for it, but as he pulled his hand back, Orr reacted with a loud, defiant grunt leaving her mouth as she yanked away from the doctor. "Orr!" Dr Kaiser cheered as he began to hold her still less she injure herself worse. "Calm down; it's me, Nick. You're back in Reach. I got you... just stay awake, stay alive. I have to help the others, Orr. Stay strong!" he called as he hurried back to the Bullhead.
Jaune noticed how Orr had been placed away from the rest of the wounded, and the familiarity that Dr Kaiser had talked to her with led him to conclude that she was a Hunter. Theorising that she might know what happened to his father, he scurried to her side, hoping she was still conscious. Getting closer, he noticed a Scroll next to her that looked far thinner than average. It had her name and a list of her injuries and current status. Jaune looked it over briefly, and once he was sure she was not about to die, he began to pat her face lightly.
"Ms Orr, I need you to wake up... please, I need to ask you some questions," Jaune whispered hurriedly. The wounded Hunter's eyes fluttered open but were unfocused and clearly showed she was out of it. But beggars could not be choosers, so clasping her face, Jaune hovered over her and asked his questions. "Ms Orr, where is Cloud Arc? He is a large man with blond hair and blue eyes. He wields a sword that is taller than you are. He calls it Hallowed Hrunting. Where is he? Where is my father?" Jaune questioned her, his voice getting louder as Orr struggled to retain her consciousness.
"Cl-Cloud?" She coughed.
"Yes, Cloud Arc, where is he!?" Jaune asked, probably louder than he should of.
Orr went to answer but began to cough and splutter violently, bits of sanguine spit splattering Jaune's uncaring face. Jaune tilted her head to the side, placing a hand over the makeshift bandages that covered her abdominal wound to keep pressure on the damage as he shifted her. When her coughing fit died down, she gasped out a reply through the fog of pain, "C-cockpit... C-co P-pilot."
Jaune carefully but quickly placed her back down flat on her pad, a hurried thanks leaving his lips as he stood up and began to run to the Bullhead. With stealth forgotten, people quickly spotted him, and soon, shouts and cries rang out, but he ignored them. One technician tried to get in his way. Jaune scooped up some gravel and threw it at the man's face blinding him as he slid under their legs, barely losing momentum.
Another tried to clutch his shoulder. Jaune pirouetted and yanked them off balance sending them sprawling in the dirt, his raised leg levering them away from him. When he made it to the Cockpit, he scrambled up the side, noticing how there was blood on the window but not letting the fear of what 'might be' give him pause. He yanked on the handle but found it jammed; the metal around it dented heavily, obviously sticking the mechanism. Jaune felt yet another person grab at him, and with strength, someone his age should not have, Jaune yanked back, tugging the person about and slamming their head into the side of the cockpit door. They fell to the dirt with a groan, but the person behind them stepped over them and reached out to intercede where others had failed. He was stopped when Jaune sent him a glare so venomous he might as well have just grown fangs.
The person backed off, but all the commotion had gotten the attention of someone who instantly recognised Jaune. "Jaune? Jaune! What are you doing here!?" Dr Kaiser bellow hurrying over his face a mask of confusion and frustration. Now while Jaune might not trust doctors nor like them, that did not change the fact that Dr Kaiser had yet to give Jaune reason to distrust him personally. And Dr Kaiser was a Hunter, meaning he had Aura.
"Doctor! My father is in the cockpit, but the door is jammed!" Jaune bellowed quickly, his voice cracking as he yelled with all his childish might. Dr Kaiser saw his downed people and the blood on the window, and rather than say anything, he charged right over and grasped at the door, his fingers seeking purchase.
"Jaune, move!" He ordered as the space above his hands began to vibrate violently. Jaune leapt down as the doctor slammed his palms flat against the door, the whole vehicle seeming to vibrate as the door shook loose, and the doctor hurled it to the side with a heavy crash. Jaune made to leap inside and check on his father but was stopped as a colossal sword nearly cleaved him in two. It took everything he had to catch the falling Hrunting and spear it into the ground adjacent to him, the blade slashing his hands asunder as the blade slid from his grip.
In his delay, the doctor had already moved in and was checking over a blood-covered Cloud, his movements giving away his urgency. "Fucking shit, he is still bleeding!" Dr Kaiser hissed, his hands pressed against Cloud's neck, where Jaune could see blood pooling around the now stoppered hole. This was enough to push Jaune into action. Crawling around the doctor and onto his father's lap, he pawed about the doctor's jacket looking for gauze and finding some readily. "Switch!" Jaune barked, slamming his hands into the open wound on his father's neck as the doctor whipped his hands away.
"Keep up that pressure. I'll get a pad!" Kaiser ordered, rushing off and dragging along one of the people that tried to stop Jaune. Jaune didn't reply, too busy looking over his father to acknowledge anything else.
"Father, please be all right... Dad, I need you to be all right!" Jaune begged as he watched his father's lifeblood quickly soak the gauze red.
"Wh- who the fuck is the kid!" A voice cried out, only for Dr Kaiser to shoulder check the man aside and lead two figures with a pad over.
"Jaune, we need to move him. Whatever you do, don't let up on the pressure... here is some more gauze!" Dr Kaiser yelled brusquely, layering more gauze into Jaunes hands. Then with ease that Jaune was sure was only possible due to having Aura, Dr Kaiser lifted Cloud and Jaune onto the pad. He growled harshly when the two who had accompanied him nearly dropped said pad from the massive weight of Cloud, the doctor forcing them both to carry one side while he carried the other, the whole time instructing Jaune on what to do.
The doctor got Jaune to aid him in keeping pressure while he scanned the wound once he reached the triage centre. With a curse, the doctor ordered Jaune to go inside his father's neck and press his finger against the severed jugular vein; the moment Jaune did, the blood loss slowed massively. The doctor had then had to leave briefly and was currently issuing orders to deal with the other injured but had promised he would be right back.
Jaune did not begrudge him this; the doctor was fulfilling his duty as well as he could, but Jaune wished he could do more. Seeing a sachet of clotting powder nearby, Jaune tried to reach for it, knowing that it would aid in halting the bleeding and would not interfere with later surgery. Annoyingly, it was out of reach, and just as he was about to give up reaching it, a long, blood-caked arm grabbed it instead. Jaune startled and looked down into his father's bloodshot eyes, who gave him a grim smile with pink teeth. He handed Jaune the powder, which a now ecstatic Jaune tore open with his teeth and poured on some fresh gauze.
"Father!" Jaune cried happily, torn between applying the powder and talking to his now awake parent. "Father, there is much I want to say, but first, you need to know that what I am about to do will hurt, so brace yourself." Jaune rambled before yanking his finger out of the hole in his dad's neck, the bleeding picking up immediately but just as swiftly; Jaune stuffed the powder-laced gauze in again. Naturally, he had no trouble locating the vein, as something like this was an area he had much experience with. As he had warned, the powder stung fiercely, and his father pounded the ground with such force that a section of the earth cratered as he rode out the wave of pain.
"Sorry, but it had to be done. The doctor is coming, but there are those injured worse than you and some who lack Aura altogether, so for now, you are stuck with me," Jaune explained.
"Lucky... me," Cloud grinned at his son, giving him a genuine thumbs up. Jaune could not describe how good that encouragement felt, but he hoped his smile conveyed at least some of his feelings.
"Mother and the girls are on their way too; I ran here. They took the car... probably for the best as I do not think Sky would appreciate all the jostling," Jaune mumbled thoughtfully, looking around for someone's help, but no one came as they were all far too busy with other wounded.
Cloud, for his part, nodded slightly in agreement before wincing as it jostled his neck. Jaune saw this, and immediately his face shifted to one of deep remorse and hurt as he saw his father in pain. All at once, the reason he had to see his father so desperately built up in his chest until the words were all but spewing from his mouth in a messy display of pent-up emotion.
"Dad... I am so sorry I failed you. I let you down. I know now how you feel about me might not be the same. Mum said it is, but that's mum and not you and I don't know how you feel and I didn't think it fair to presume to know how you felt either. But please know that what I said that day was not meant to be an accusation against you or your parenting but-" Jaune had to stop as he choked on his own words. His father urged him on a filthy hand, easily as large as Jaunes head, patting the side of his face encouragingly.
"... But it was a misunderstanding. I love you, father, I swear it. Still, when you showed me concern for my mind and my thoughts, I thought that you were passing judgment as I lacked what made you love me before the amnesia... I don't know how you feel, I don't know what you think, but I do know that you care, so even if you cannot love me as the son you know, I thank you for caring about the son I am." Jaune's rant came to a sullen end as he looked at his father with blurry vision, the words that had just split from his lips a violent jumbled mess of emotion and worry.
Instead of just replying verbally due to the current damage to his neck, Cloud wrapped a hand around Jaune's own. His other pulled his son's head down so Cloud could press their foreheads together, gritting through the pain as he did. Finally, Cloud hissed as that was the most he could manage, "you are my son Jaune... mine. Love you... always will, always have."
With his piece said, Cloud flopped back painfully, giving a smile that was more of a grimace as he patted his son's blood-soaked hands. Jaune, for his part, cried unabashedly, a manic smile on his face as he sat atop his father, plugging the hole in his neck. As promised, Dr Kaiser soon returned and quickly set about mending the wound in Cloud's neck, at least to a point where it would no longer be life-threatening.
When the rest of the Arc clan showed up, Jaune was asleep, his back resting on his father's chest as his head lay on his knees. Cloud had one of his massive arms encircled about his son as he slept peacefully. As they both lay under the power of dreams, the Arc family quickly surrounded them, each eager to be close. That night the Arc family was spared heartache. That night the family was made whole once more.
That night, blood was reunited with blood.
A.N.
There it is, the conclusion of the childhood arc...
So, I am back with exciting news! Well, exciting for me anyway, I finally found some wonderful FULLTIME employment! The money... it's so beautiful. But yeah, the delay on this chapter was due to the awesome upheaval that is having my life upturned by so many work hours.
To make up for it, take my largest chapter ever written... ever. Yeah, this thing is a fucking monster, but I hope you all enjoy a couple of thousand extra words. In regard to this chapter, I wanted to focus on Hella for a bit because kids change a lot in their teen years, but parents are already much more solid in their personalities. Thus, I thought it would be good to show them off now, and we can focus on his sisters later.
Now note about the world-building in this one, I want adult hunters to be somewhat more prominent in my fic, yes the kids at beacon will, of course, eventually be the trailblazers and have lots of words dedicated to their amazingness but seriously where the hell are all the other hunters in Remnant. So to fix that, I will mention more hunters as I refuse to accept them being so ridiculously rare that we only hear about students.
Now another thing I want to cover is Jaune's mentality as I am not sure I managed to convey my point, so to be blunt, Jaune is suffering from a minor (serious) case of disassociation. Add to that the fact that he views doctors, clinics and healers as threats, and you have a messed up little boy who sees help as hazardous.
Now the next chapter will be a skip of several years and will therefore be the start of the next story arc, so that will be exciting... hopefully to read as much to write (NERVOUS LAUGHTER). Oh, and I want to take a moment to announce that the next chapter will have my very first Omake dedicated to my Patron Nut Guy. Originally it was going to be in this chapter, but as I stated, this one is already several thousand words over my usual 10k, so it can go in the next one.
And with that, we end the first arc. See you all in the next one!
Remember, if you find yourself really, really, really liking my writing and want to show some financial support, I'm AceReaper on Pat re on, same icon as my FF account.
Pursue a dream.
And as always.
Until next time.