Ren woke with a start. His heartbeat thundering in his head. Feeling as if he was five seconds away from having his skull split open. When he tried to remember the nightmare. His headache doubled in intensity. Almost knocking him straight out. Wiping away some cold sweat on his brow, Ren flinched. Feeling how he was burning up.

Throwing his legs over the side of his bed, he made his way towards the bathroom. Blinking dumbly when he kicked into the coffee table instead of finding the door. Taking a shuddering breath and calling on his semblance, a blanket of silence settled over him. The headache still there, but muted, pushed away. Looking around the room with new mental clarity, he stepped into the bathroom. Shaking his head when the telltale smell of puke tickled his nostrils.

Had it been any other day he would have cringed, knowing it was because of him. Something that Nora and Jaune hadn't been able to completely wash away.

Leaning on the sink, Ren regretted looking in the mirror. Over a dozen soft violet eyes stared back, surrounding one large cloudy eye of grey. Forcing his semblance into overdrive to wash away the eyes. A raspy breath escaping him as he spat a phlegm of spit into the sink. Hating himself for how the bubbles seemed to feel like a hundred judging eyes.

Walking out of the bathroom on steadier feet than he felt, he grabbed his yoga mat. Lying it out in the corner and taking a shuddering breath in a vain attempt to calm himself.

It was only when he began the first movements of his tai chi routine that he felt some semblance of control over himself.

"You looked too much, too greedily. Adaption is the key to human's ability to understand. Do as the hunter. See, understand, then challenge what you have seen to gain understanding. An unattended child may learn to swim if thrown in an ocean, yet they may as easily drown." Iosefka whispered beside him. Her ghastly form gently floating through the air. Sending jealous looks towards Violet, sleeping as usual at Jaune chest.

Ignoring the jealous spirit, Ren instead focused on his tai chi. Feeling his erratic breathing settle into a steady rhythm. Slowly he loosened the hold of his semblance, allowing him to feel the lingering emotions brought by his latest nightmare. Boneshaking, bladder emptying terror being the most common, together with confusion and majestic awe.

Ren would be the last to call himself religious, but it felt almost as if he had touched upon what the old philosophers called 'The Tao' while he had dream walked into Jaune's dream. It was an experience that was as mysterious as it was near, and as cloudy as it was clear. Trying to explain what he had seen, what he had experienced would forever be an effort in futility. The written language simply didn't have enough words to even begin to describe a hint of what he had experienced.

'But it doesn't need to.' Ren thought to himself, for if there was a single silver lining between all the nightmares and day terrors. Then it was that he had gotten a unique perspective for how to further practice his Onmyōdō techniques. He had gotten lost in human limitations. When instead he should have leaned more on the spiritual aspects of the art. Infusing his talismans with more intent that simply the what the word was. Fire was fire. However fire infused with protection, the feeling of a welcome home, warm emotions, love, lust, passions. That was a completely different fire. One with direction. One that would coat his weapons and not burn him to cinders.

"All philosophies made from mortal hands, will undoubtedly include mortal flaws." Iosefka tried to helpfully point out. The spirits cutting remarks would have been grating to hear to most, even Ren felt his patience for the spirit running thin from time to time. The way she could read his mind unnerving him. Yet, Iosefka was also different from the other spirits he had stumbled upon. Never had he seen spirits scramble to get away from her as if she was the plague made manifest. Some especially cowardly spirits instantly passing onto the afterlife the second they spotted them. Their fear for her seemingly drowning out what grudges they clung to.

"That they may be, but if the universe itself is imperfect. Why should we mortal men strive for perfection?" Ren whispered to himself, making sure that no one would be woken up by their discussion. For while Iosefka drove him up the wall sometimes. She was also a font of wisdom. What tragedy that had been forced onto her following her in death. Trapping her somewhere between human and something else.

"No human art, no matter what legacy it stems from will ever be able to capture even a hint of the magnitude that is the cosmos." Iosefka whispered, rim frost appearing on the windows as she floated by.

"Don't push the failures of your school onto me." Ren mumbled, choosing to carefully chose his words as the temperature in the room plummeted. "The cosmos has never been in the equation, neither will it be."

"Your Way, is intimately connected to the cosmos. Your talismans borrow it's power directly." Iosefka replied airily, cold and slender arms wrapping around his neck as she whispered in his ear.

"No, I don't think so." Ren whispered with determination. The wonders he had seen wasn't planets or stars. It was of colour, of emotion both primordial in its age and naive in its youth. He had experienced moments of the past, the future and the present simultaneously. He had stood at the gates of the city of the dead, the him of yesterday, of tomorrow and of today, all turned away as he saw other visions of himself walking through it's great doors. It was of grey clouds, of seven dancing colours of light, of information both mundane and earthshattering. The cosmos, while magnificent in it magnitude, wasn't what he had seen.

Was it the Way, another Realm both overlaying and hiding from the mundane, a hallucination of his own psyche and spirituality. The more Ren thought about it, the more questions he stumbled upon.

Stopping his spiralling thoughts, Ren broke form to wipe away a drop of blood that trailed from his nose. His semblance surging as he gave himself to the calm. Focusing on only the movements as he fully focused on calming himself. Iosefka not letting go even as he fully focused on his movements. Not before long he found himself slipping into a simple trance where he forgot everything else. It was just him, his still rolling spirituality, and his movements as he transitioned from one movement to another with well-practiced ease.

"What did I say." Jaune drawled the moment he got out of bed. Looking over at his friend, his words were silenced before he could even speak as Jaune held up his hand. "Don't. We will talk. We need to talk. But not now, let's save it too when we are done with the assignment."

"Understandable." Ren said calmly, letting out a long breath. Feeling far more centred and grounded than he had since performing his suicidal plan. He had known it had been a bad idea going in, but he had underestimated the scope of how bad, bad could be.

Looking at Jaune, Ren ignored how red poppies sprouted after him. Instead trying to not let anything onto his face as he looked at Aurora. Now that his spirituality was more settled, he could see things he hadn't been able to notice earlier. The beautiful black butterflies coating her being one such thing.

"Death and blood always follow the hunter. You have just been unable to see." Iosefka whispered. "Another already owns the little one. One us healers have sworn to stave off, one who is patient, one who loves you, one who is inevitable."

Rising an eyebrow at the spirit, Ren had a pretty good idea of what, or who, she was speaking of. But he just coulndt make sense of it. If someone else 'owned' Aurora, how was Jaune able to materialize her. Was it more to his semblance, or was materialisation his semblance, the dream being something else. 'Who Owned Jaune?' He was almost going to ask, only for ice to grip his veins as Iosefka froze. The spirit going completely still on his back. Following her gaze, Ren felt himself spiralling. On the silvery reflection of the kitchen hood, a hundred violet eyes stared at him. A hand made of porcelain and metal joints coming up to mimic zipping ones mouth.

Instantly a harrowing scream escaped Iosefka. Ectoplasm splattering against his side as he saw how her tongue ripped out of her mouth. The spectre's scream leaving his mind completely blank as all thoughts were ruthlessly shoved out of him. Silver splatters of grey clouds escaping him as he was left standing as an old and rusty puppet.

Like an old computer booting up after sitting untouched for the better part of two decades, Ren felt his mind return to him. Shivering as he tore his eyes from the reflective surface. Thankful that the eyes were long since gone. Shaking his head, Ren did hist best to ignore the terror that bubbled inside him. Instead all he could muster was a wry smile. 'Is this how Jaune feels? Questions upon questions. Having the attention of beings that just observing makes your brain bleed out your ears. Answers that make you wish you were ignorant?'

Forcing himself out of it, he stepped into the shower before either Pyrrha or Nora were up. Turning on the cold water, he hoped it would be enough to bring some clarity to his mind. It didn't help. His mind was still a muddled wasteland with swirling questions and an almost insatiable curiosity. He had seen behind the curtain, was it so weird to imagine that he wanted to understand more? "A man who understands the Tao in morning can die content in the evening." Ren mussed absentmindedly.

Drying himself up, he stepped back into the studio apartment proper. Curiously looking at Jaune cooking something. "What are you doing?" Ren asked, needing something mundane to focus on. The last thing he wanted right now was being alone with his thoughts, and a spectre that still bled ectoplasm from her mouth.

"Spicing up the paralytic poison with an earth leading earth and gravity dust mixture." Jaune answered evenly. Never taking his eyes away from the pot. Moving with more quick and practiced motions now that he was childfree. Creating a garden of red poppies at his feet. "I…" Jaune started, shooting him a serious look as he mulled over his words. "I am also brewing a batch of hemlock broth."

"Do you really think lethal poison will be needed?" Ren asked softly, sharing a hard glance with Jaune.

"I don't hope so." Jaune replied nonchalantly. Not at all helping Ren with the chill he felt trailing down his spine at the casual dismissal.

#####

"So you are the brat's Ozpin asked me to babysit?"

A bone-weary sigh escaped Jaune as he glared at the huntsman that waited for them at the fountain. Greying, but still vibrant black spiky hair. There was the barest hint of stubble along his chin, and his eyes were of a shaded red. Dressed in a grey dress shirt with long tails, black dress shoes and pants. He would have looked well put together if it hadn't been for the pocket flask he drank from. His frayed red clock not doing him any favours.

"He's a drunk." Aurora commented. A barely restrained scowl threatening to break out on her face. Speaking his thoughts entirely.

"Yes." Jaune sighed tiredly even as his eyes trailed over how the huntsman slouched. More akin to a spring, able to spring into action at any moment. His finger's caressing the cork with a mixture of paranoia and addiction. Faded scared lined his forearms, and Jaune could see how meticulously his weapon was taken care of. It was like looking in a mirror. A mirror he refused to acknowledge. "He is a drunk."

"Ey. I will have you know that I am perfectly able to hold my alcohol. Thank you very much." The huntsman snapped back. Sending them a self-righteous glare. Running a hand down over his face when both Aurora and Violet hid behind Jaune's back. "I didn't sign up for this. Sheese kids, I'm not going to bite. I have nieces of my own, I will have you know. Busted my ass to get back early when I heard they got in way over their heads."

"Are you the licensed huntsman in charge of our assignment?" Jaune asked, taking charge of the conversation before Aurora's patience bubbled over. His hand gently resting on her shoulder, not wanting to explain to the headmaster why the huntsman assigned to them was poisoned. 'Or dead.' His mind supplied, multiple shades of regret polling in his stomach as he remembered the twenty throwing daggers he had given her coated with lethal poison.

"Yup. Name's Qrow Branwen kids." Qrow introduced himself, shaded red eyes trailing over them as he pocketed his hip flask. "But let's get this show on the road. You all know the mission?"

"Routine patrol in the sewers." Nora called out with excitement he didn't feel. Violet and Aurora turning to him as one. A multitude of emotions dancing in their eyes, as they tried to wordlessly plead. The expression on both sisters falling as he only nodded.

"Boring, yes. Routine, yes." Qrow continued as they began making their way towards the airdocks. "Unfortunately for you, until the kids are in a healthier state of mind, or they can be away from blond and blue eyes for a while, those kinds of assignments will be all your team will be assigned. Ozpin is rightly concerned with allowing them to follow you on this assignment, that's why I'm here instead of crashing at home."

"I, well, I do have a method for the girls to stay away from me further than the normal distance. But the more distance between us the quicker it disappears." Jaune informed. If the girls eyes pleaded with him earlier, now they looked downright betrayed.

"What happens if you don't return in time?" Qrow asked with a lacklustre drawl. Partly to make conversation, partly to fish for information.

"Have you ever seen morning fog during midday?" Jaune replied cryptically. Not letting anything onto his face when Qrow sent him a confused look. Realisation dawning slowly on him. A hand coming up to caress his hipflask. "Well fuck me, and here I thought my semblance was bad."

"Don't I know it." Jaune mumbled, fishing out his, Gilberts, pipe. Snapping his fingers as herb mixture number fifteen tickled into his lungs. Sharing a long-suffering look with Qrow. Who for his part didn't chastise him, only raising his hipflask at him and taking a sip.

"Are we taking the flying metal carriage?" Violet asked, voice quaking from both excitement and fear. Then in an instant she was off, a pearl of laughter trailing after her as she ran towards the airdocks. Her innocent excitement contagious. And before he knew it Pyrrha and Nora were racing with her towards the docks. Ren taking up the rear. Even Qrow let a smile on his face as he shook his head good-naturedly.

"What is a flying metal carriage?" Aurora asked nervously. Her fingers brushing by her throwing daggers.

"It is in essence a wooden carriage. Only made of metal, and instead of being pulled by horses, it flies through the air." Jaune replied, ignoring the way Qrow rolled his eyes at the question. He didn't have time to answer the questions of a paranoid huntsman, especially not when Aurora looked so thoroughly confused and out of her element.

Violet had taken to Remnant like a fish to water. Approaching everything new and interesting she saw with innocence and naivete. Meanwhile Aurora was a Yharnamite to the core. Cautious to a tee, distrustfully of everything new, and treating everyone she met as if they could turn into a beast next night.

His lips quirked into a smile as he remembered the first time Violet saw a scroll. 'Luminous Rectangle' she had whispered with awe before reaching for it. Finding joy in simply tapping on apps and watching the screen change. Aurora had looked one breakdown away from decreeing him a witch that should burn on the stake for using one.

"Is it dangerous?" Aurora asked, hard blue eyes scouring his face for any trace of deceit. "No, it's not dangerous. It can be, if the carriage is knocked out of the sky. Just as a normal carriage can be dangerous should the horses run wild. Otherwise it is harmless." He answered, Aurora nodding slowly at him. The young girl falling into step with him as he walked.

Puffing on his pipe, he blew a smoke circle through the air. Aurora doing her best to not look at it in amazement as they neared the airdocks.

"While I'm probably not the one to tell you this. But aren't you a bit young to be smoking? And should you do that before little miss glare right there?" Qrow asked, waving a hand nonchalantly at Aurora. Who for one looked second's away from trying to gut him.

"And should a drunk be walking around with pleasant company?" Aurora snarked back. Qrow thoroughly having raised her heckles. Making Jaune wonder if it was his semblance, or if Qrow just was a bit of an obstinate bastard.

"What better time to drink than with pleasant company?" Qrow shot back with a smug, self-satisfied smirk. Taking a sip from his hipflask for added effect. Steam was coming out from Aurora's ears at this point as she glared at him. Tearing her eyes away and picking up her pace. Unfortunately with her short legs, her stride was the same pace Qrow kept with his lacklustre steps. Something that only served to irritate her further.

Instead of saying anything, Jaune just smiled wryly. Taking another puff from his pipe. The herb mixture filling the hole left behind by his bloodlust, anger, and cruelty. It had been a great idea. It was a great idea. Performing the organic order ritual on himself to suppress and banish the cocktail of violent emotions behind a mnemonic trigger. Two clicks of his molars, and the emotions would be coming crashing back in full force. Another two clicks, and they would be banished to the back of his mind. Removing the weight from his shoulders that was managing his temper all the time.

'In hindsight, I really should have thought more about what would happened when such a large amount of emotion was pushed away.' Jaune thought humourlessly. Without the haze of red that had followed his every waking moment, he had thought he would get better. That he could give him some time to heal. Maybe even try to find a way to allow himself to cast the mind mend spell on himself. Using magic to heal himself of any and all mental ailments, given his mental problems didn't have any underlying physical causes. Which he doubted, but he remained hopeful that it wasn't so.

Instead he had been rewarded with all his other emotions, drowned out under the haze of red and left to fester under a blanket of fear and bloodlust making themselves known.

Guilt, resignation, fear, curiosity, cruelty, love, affection, passions. All emotions bubbling and churning within him. It was going from being warmed up inside by anger and bloodlust, to having snakes of green twisting trough him, apathy snapping at him from a thousand different angels. His empathy was back, having never been drowned out in the first place. But without the haze of red, every atrocity he had performed in Yharnam came back to bite him with even more force.

'I will, never be able to sleep normally.' Jaune realised with absolute clarity. Taking another puff of his pipe as he saw the airdocks coming into view before him. Aurora's verbal spar with Qrow dying down as she her lips thinned into thin lines. Blue eyes landing on him again, before darting back to her sister who stood beside his team.

His eldest stood rooted to the spot, terrified eyes never leaving the bullhead that landed on the airdocks. Instantly she reached grabbed his hand, squeezing it with all the might a terrified young girl could.

Squeezing her hand comfortably, they made their way over to the bullhead. Qrow giving them a little gaze, the unsaid questions on his lips. Jaune was certain that the man had been briefed about his semblance and would tell the headmaster everything when they finished. He hadn't exactly tried to hide the fact that Aurora and Violet were raised in a different culture, but with Violet it had never come up publicly before. The only time her different upbringing really shone was when she asked him if she also would have a tail like Sun. With Aurora, she wore her different upbringing on her sleeves. And neither did he have it in himself to force her to change. For the little time she had left, he wanted her to simply be herself.

"Come, come, come." Violet babbled, jumping in place. Dashing forward and taking her sister by the hand and dragging her into the bullhead. The rest of his team already lounging around inside. The academy was practically deserted. All the years having their assignments the same week. Not even the students from other schools were spared.

"Violet, Aurora, this will be a short trip. Five minutes max. But if you feel your stomach doing topsy turneries. Please open these bags and puke in them instead." Jaune said the instant they stepped into the bullhead. Holding out one paper puke bag for each of his girls. Aurora taking it unsurely, Violet reaching for it with an unsteady hand. Already green as he could hear her excitement come to a screeching halt.

Looking up, he coulndt help but chuckle at Nora's shellshocked expression. Ren had long since resigned himself.

"Do you think it will be three for three?" Ren asked nonchalantly as the Bullhead took off. Aurora latching her arms around him tight, shivers racing through her as prayers left her lips.

Prayers that came to an abrupt halt as her hands raced up to her mouth. Panick shoot trough her eyes, before they it was washed away by petty maliciousness and an all too familiar mischievous naivete. Aurora's eyes latching onto Qrow, pushing away from him on unseat legs. Her steps growing steady as Qrow's faded red eyes glared at her.

"No." Qrow said, glaring at Aurora how one would glare at a rabid dog that was contemplating biting. "I am not above hitting a child. Don't test me." He continued, inching backward with each of Aurora's steps. Panic setting in when his back was up against the wall.

"Blergoguh." Aurora vomited, somehow managing to maintain her smug grin while she painted Qrow's dress shoes green. A veritable waterfall of curses escaping the huntsman as he dashed away from her. Only for Aurora to follow after him like the vindictive little brat she was.

"At least you are listening to me." Jaune sighed, placing a hand on Violet's shoulder. His apprentice looking up at him with her big blue eyes, before opening her mouth. Vomit spewing out like a waterfall. "Don't you dare." Jaune whispered, glaring at his friends. Who for their sake had long since vacated to the other side of the bullhead. Pyrrha doing her best to hide her smile behind her hand as her shoulders shook.

"Four for four." Ren quipped teasingly.

"I swear to whatever fucked up deity you believe in that I will sprinkle blister powder into all your boxers." Jaune swore before turning back to Violet. Runing gentle circles over her back as he whispered into her ear. A shrill scream echoing through the Bullhead. Qrow in a feat of unimaginable bad luck stepped in a pool of vomit, only to slip and fall. Aurora throwing herself after him. The victorious, and slightly vindictive, grin she wore quickly washed away as her eyes shot open and another waterfall of puke escaped her.

#####

"Believe it or not, this isn't actually the worst start to a mission I have had." Qrow sighed at them. Doing his best to start some idle conversation as they stood around the manhole cover. Dressed in a clean set of clothes. "Top ten definitely, but not a top three, maybe even not a top five."

"I…don't want to know." Jaune sighed, glad that Isolde, or the Dream, had cleaned his clothes of vomit from him. The look of envy Qrow had sent him when he told him 'Semblance bullshit' something he would forever treasure.

"Trust me, you don't want to." Qrow nodded. "But let's get back on track. There is a time to dick around and there is a time to be serious. Now is the later. You read the mission parameters, kid?"

"Yes, we went through them as a team yesterday." Jaune replied with a curt nod. "We have mostly been waiting for you, or whoever the headmaster would see to trust most with children. We are stocked up and have prepared. Everyone has a first aid kit, enough rounds to handle whatever we may stumble upon, and knows their roles. Plus some more knickknacks we thought useful."

"Sure you are first years?" Qrow whistled approvingly. "Took us until third year to get our heads in the game."

"I'll go first." Jaune sighed, bending down and moving the manhole cover to the side. Nothing on his face when the smell hit him. He had smelled worse. "Then Nora, the girls with Ren and Pyrrha taking up the rear." Shooting a look over to Qrow. "I'm not really sure where you fit in, if you are a temporary leader of sorts or if you are just here to observe. But you do you?"

Not waiting for an answer he jumped down, boots echoing on old bricks as he landed on the walkway. Inwardly glad that Vale was an old city. It made constructing anything new a hell of a job, but it was also the reason he wasn't waist up in sewage. Vale's sewer system being a mix mash of 'new' pipes who were large brick pipes with no sides, and older pipe systems with walkways from a more 'civilianised' age. Snapping his fingers his hand lantern sprang to life. Casting warm light over red bricks. Large rats scurrying between his legs as they ran.

"Clear!" He called out. Nora landing beside him with a heavy thunk. Magnhild in hand and ready to go. Her nose scrunched up as she looked around.

"It smells like shit in here, fearless leader." She groaned, stepping to the side as Qrow landed solidly. One girl over each shoulder. Violet whopping in excitement while Aurora threw herself of his shoulder the second they were down. Hurriedly stepping over to him, sending Qrow a glare the entire time. Her hands never trailing far from the pockets with throwing knives.

Compared to her sister who happily dressed in a smaller version of his hunter garb. It had been an uphill battle to get Aurora to dress in 'a man's clothes'. After what had felt like hours she only buckled slightly. Agreeing to change her mary janes to the seven-mile boots he and her sister wore. The vest looked off on her. Not matching her dark blue dress in the slightest. But it gave her a simple way to carry over a hundred throwing knives. Most were of course the standard ones. And only twenty had the lethal toxin, another twenty were coated by the dust infused paralytic poison, with forty coated with the 'normal' paralytic poison.

Ren and Pyrrha were the last ones down. Closing the manhole lid after them. Darkness falling over them. His hand lantern the only source of light until Ren and Nora took out their flashlights. Scrolls could work as well, but when Nora lit up the entire corridor, all the way down to where the sewer pipe spilt, they were simply outclassed.

"A!" A shrill scream escaped Aurora, a throwing knife racing through the air. An army of big fat rats screaming and scampering away from Nora's death beam.

'At least they aren't Yharnam big.' Jaune thought idly. Whistling in appreciation as her throwing knife domed a large rat. The mischief of rats somehow scurrying even faster, leaving their dead companion behind. 'And neither do they share their brethren love of cannibalism.' He noted. Feeling almost giddy at the normalness of it all. Having prepared for this assignment as if it would be another jaunt through Yharnam.

"Good throw, just remember to aim for the head or neck next time." Jaune complimented. Ruffling Aurora's hair. "You nailed it's spine. Something that works on smaller types of animals. But while it could disable bigger beasts if it were to hit a nerve, it isn't enough to be lethal. A flesh wound at best. And not even that if the blade bounces off."

Aurora nodded, somewhat confused, somewhat relived, and somewhat proud. The smallest of smiles splitting her lips. He could see in realm time as confidence followed her realisation.

Jaune had heard how some people often said they felt nine feet tall after getting their hands on a gun. This was the first time he had seen something close to it happen in real life. It was the first time he saw the fear that never seemed to leave her recede. If only a bit. It might not be much, neither way it be strong. But it had proven that she had power of her own. Something he was sure she had never felt before.

Compared to her sister who stood stock still, Violet glared at her sister in jealousy. It was impossible to miss. Even Qrow who hadn't been with them for more than one hour could see the obvious jealousy. "And here I thought my relations ship with my sister was bad." The huntsman whispered almost silently.

Almost being the keyword, Violet's jealousy disappearing like the clouds on a midsummer's day. Guilt, flashing in her eyes for but a moment as she looked at her sister. Holding out his other hand, the guilt was replaced with glee. Violet skipping over to him, taking his hand in hers. Smiling like her birthday had come early. 'When is their birthday?' Jaune thought with gnawing guilt. Never having asked.

"The mission parameters never included a route." Jaune said, turning ever so slightly and looking over at Qrow. Focusing on something else making it so much easier to damp the guilt. "Are we just to walk around? Or are we specifically hunting for grimm, or something else?"

"Little bit of column a, little bit of column b." Qrow replied nonchalantly. "You know how grimm form right?" At their nods, he continued. "It doesn't happen often, but grimm can form in sewer systems and other hollow spaces in or under large cities. So that's what we are on the look for. Young grimm that are newly spawned or older grimm that have evaded other patrols. Unfortunately they are constantly on the move, so we don't have any concrete patrol routs. As what route would work once, may never work again. You aren't the only students assigned to the sewers. Many hands making light work and that. I will act as an observer, only stepping in when you do something stupid, or really fuck up. Otherwise, you are in charge kid. As leader of your team and all that."

"Huh." 'Maybe this isn't so different than a jaunt through Yharnam after all.' He mused. Drawing his partner, he twirled her around his hand. Her keen edge producing a keening whine through the air. Walking forward, down the largest sewer pipe, he felt how his gait settled into familiar long strides. Absentmindedly puffing on his pipe, the edges around his eyes tightened. He might have slammed most of his cruelty and bloodlust behind lock and key. Yet he had been baptised by Yharnam's bloody streets. This almost felt like coming home.

He felt Violet relax as they began walking. Skipping beside him while still holding his hand. He apparently not being the only one that felt the similarities.

There wasn't a lot of lamps down here, even if there were old scones made to hold torches and ancient lightbulbs of another age entirely. Thankfully his hand lantern was more than enough to lead. While the light was helpful, having over a thousand lumens shining down his back wasn't pleasant. 'I really should have known she would do something like that when I asked her to buy two flashlights for safeties sake.'

'I need to buy my team something nice after his.' He thought absentmindedly, skipping over a stream of sewage. Landing on another walkway, Violet giggling as she landed beside him. Navigating the twisting sewage system more on instinct than with sense. It didn't take long before they stumbled upon their first grimm. An Ursa by the looks of it, that didn't reach higher than his knee.

Violet froze, prayers left Aurora's lips together with words such as living demon. The Ursa roared, standing on its hindlegs in a weak attempt at intimidation. His boot smashed into its chin. Sending it crashing into the brick wall. A throwing knife dug deeply into its eye for extra measure. The sound of metal clinking against brickwork rang trough the sewers.

"Wha-"

"Dem-"

"Be so kind and shoot some warning shoot's behind us, will you Ren." Jaune ordered absentmindedly. His friend shooting him a sceptical look, before first aiming one of the flashlights back and turning it on. A mischief of seven giant grimm rat's stared at them from the other side of the walkway.

"Why is it always giant rat's." Jaune sighed tiredly as all hell let lose. A shrill scream escaped Aurora as two throwing daggers trailed through the air, nicking one and anchoring it in the air. A scream more akin to a battle cry left Nora. Launching herself through the air, Magnhild transformed to meet them head on. Both Pyrrha and Ren giving her covering fire as she charged. Each of his partners shoot sharp and precise, the powerful dust rounds blasting of limbs and tails before she too charged at grimm. Ren focusing on giving them a steady light source as they fought.

Giant grimm rat or not, Nora and Pyrrha made quick work of them. The dead grimm's dissipating into black miasma and disappearing into thin air. His runemark burning as normal, signalling that even if he hadn't directly participated, he still earned some blood echoes. He didn't know why, the how's and why's of how he earned blood echoes something that escaped him. But, in this instance it was almost as if the dream, his runemark, or what was responsible saw his teammates as extensions of his will. It was at least the only way he could see himself earning blood echoes while not lifting a finger.

Ice raced trough his runemark after the warmth left. What scant blood echoes he had gained taken as tithe by the dream. Sighing, he was at least thankful that it didn't violate his person as it had when he touched either the blood gem or rune tool's. Just remembering those moments sent shivers racing down his spine.

"Those were grimm." He explained matter-of-factly to the two confused girls. Receiving two blank stares in return. "They are also known as 'Creatures of Grimm', while 'Demons' and 'Creatures of Night' also works. They are 'spawned' from miasma, or negative emotions, if you want to be more academically correct. Don't think too much about the why's or how's. Just know that they are all soulless and their diet is us."

He could see that his explanation wasn't enough to answer all their questions. However, both his girls were smart enough to realise that right now wasn't the time to badger him for more questions.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath before choosing a direction seemingly at random. Acting as if he was back in the labyrinth. Following his gut and marching down the corridor he felt most 'drawn' towards.

####

Pyrrha didn't recognise Jaune.

And she wasn't the only one. Out from the corner of her eye she noticed Nora going through much the same she felt now. The only ones who didn't really seem affected was Ren and the girls. Even Qrow seemed a bit put off by how quickly Jaune had changed. But then he had only raised an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders, before taking another sip from his hipflask. Clearly not giving the matter any thought.

Looking at her friend and partners back, guilt gnawed at her. Jaune had confined in them time and time again about the dream. Sometimes pushed, sometimes of his own volition. Even when he had confined in her about his fears and taken memories, even when she had seen him conjure up mirages of monstrous beasts that made most grimm seem tame. Even when she had seen how he went from a bumbling buffoon that had never held a sword properly into a seasoned killer that was racing up the ladder in skill. She had never taken the time to sit down and think over where his sudden growth in experience came from. Neither had she wanted to think to deeply about what it had cost.

However, that wasn't the entire truth. When they were still a newly minted team, she had went looking in the library after books on semblances. Wanting to find something that could help Jaune better control his semblance, maybe even find if there had been others with similar semblances. She had only found two texts that mentioned semblances similar to what Jaune had. And that was in a library that was connected to the Grand Library of Vale. A library that had stood for well over a thousand years.

The first mention was a monk who wandered Mistral ages ago, spreading his teachings. His semblance was just like Jaune's. The difference being that he had another 'Dream', one born from his faith. It was called 'Enlightenment of Nirvana', each night when the monk slept, he wandered through one of the six hells of his faith which consisted of the realms of Hell, Hungry Ghosts, Beasts, Demons, Humans, and Heavens.

Each time the monk woke, he had 'reincarnated' trough another hell, gaining abilities tied to what hell he reincarnated from. From being able to manifest real illusions, use the semblances of others, he could even control minds.

Unfortunately for his semblance to work, he would have to personally undergo the torture of each hell to be able to reincarnate. In the start, the monk had used his semblance to spread his faith, using it to spread compassion and healing those he could. But when the numbers of reincarnations he underwent grew, the scars they left grew deeper. Until something had to break, and it was his soul that broke first. His body and mind forged through multiple reincarnations too strong. From his broken soul, he turned into a living asura. Murdering everyone he stumbled upon before he was put down. Having ended up no more than a grimm in human form.

The other mention she had found was different, but it shared the same trend and ending. The only real difference was that this time it was a female raider from before Mantle. One of the first settlers on the icy continent. Her 'Dream' was aptly named Valhalla. A place where she feasted, fought, died, and woke again to do it all over again. Her martial prowess only matched by her unshackled ferocity. Feared so greatly that all berserkers that came after could be seen as her spiritual successors.

Compared to the monk whose compassion saw him undergo constant torture until his soul broke, The Berserker grew to see herself above death. A claim that was proved false when her head was lobbed of by her eldest son when she slept.

Having found nothing more on the subject, she had chosen to drop her search when Jaune had begun smiling more. 'Healing', her mind had thought. When the truth of the matter was that he had simply grown used to it. Or he was simply putting up a front for their team.

Looking at his back, Pyrrha didn't know what was real or false anymore. Had the kind boy she had grown to love been nothing but a mask. Had it been a silent cry for help? Or was Jaune the seasoned killer who walked with great strides and was soft spoken and kind.

'Who was the real Jaune?' She wondered as she looked at him. 'Maybe he had been forced to develop split personalities?'. She almost coulndt believe that someone could change so much in only five steps. Jaune was still Jaune, that much was true. He still had the same kindness in his eyes, the soft smile he always wore around the girls. It was everything else that sat her on edge.

How he spoke, how he walked, how he held himself, how he managed to lead them into five small groups of grimm in the scope of fifteen minutes. All the while seemingly choosing a path at random.

"If any of you are a bit squeamish, you might want to stay behind for a little moment." Jaune called out gently, bringing Pyrrha back to the world of the living. Before she could ask him why, Jaune squatted down, his blue eyes trailing over a face down corpse. It's smell drowned out under the sewers general stink. Poking the corpse with his sword, Jaune nodded to himself. Grabbing it by the shoulder and turning it around.

Pyrrha's composure breaking as a group of rats escaped out a hole in the stomach. Thankfully no one thought less of her for emptying her stomach in the sewer.

"Male, young adult, between eighteen and twenty something, fit, some kind of tattoo around the neck." Jaune called out with clinical apathy. Throwing a look back at Ren. "Write it down. It's none of our business, but we will inform the cops. I'm leaning more towards gang hit than missing person. But who knows."

"Most likely." Ren chimed in. "Missing people don't end up in sewers. And if he did, he should have had a scroll on him to call for help if he coulndt move a manhole cover. Did you check him for any other identifiable marks."

"The neck tattoo is most conspicuous one. Unfortunately it's halfway eaten." Jaune said with a shrug, going back to expertly searching the corpse. Hands deftly walking over pockets. "He is dressed in a dress shirt, cheap material. So monetary status could be poor enough to buy dress shirts, but not poor enough to buy something good. He also doesn't have a scroll, weapon, or anything on him."

"Fuck me." Qrow whispered to himself, deciding to take control of the situation. "Are the two of you some sort of junior detectives? And why are you tending to the corpse and not, I don't know, make sure two underage girls don't get an eyeful of corpse."

"Is that a thing? I thought Sun was bullshitting." Jaune called out, some curiosity seeping into his voice.

"Aren't you be supposed to see dead people when walking through the city?" Violet asked curiously. Tilting her head to the side cutely as she stared at Qrow.

"What the fuck." Qrow whispered mildly horrified. Eyes darting between the sisters and finding nothing but innocent curiosity in their eyes. His horror only growing when Aurora also looked at him in confusion.

Pyrrha would have been horrified at the implications if she hadn't already expected something like this. Aurora was all to blaise with killing, even if it was only rats. While Violet was constantly pouting because Jaune wouldn't allow her to test her saw-cleaver against the grim. The weapon's many teeth glinting in the warm light Jaune's lantern cast.

Giving the corpse one last look over, Jaune grabbed it by the shirt and rested it against the brick walls. "Qrow, should we inform the police of this now, or should we simply leave it in our report and have the headmaster handle it?"

"Leave it to the headmaster to handle." Qrow replied after humming nonchalantly to himself. "This isn't something that usually happens. Most missions are outside the walls and includes some type of grimm extermination. If you stumbled upon something like this again, contact the closest authorities. This mission was given to introduce the girls to grimm in a safe manner while also having another team scour the sewers. We aren't paid to do detective work."

Jaune nodded, rising to his full heigh. Idly slipping out a molotov and lighting the cloth on fire. "We have company." Jaune said like he was talking about the weather. Gently lobbing the molotov over the sewer steam and into another tunnel. An inferno springing to life with rats, both mammal and grimm, burning alive. The normal rats running madly around, brushing against another in a vain attempt to put out the fire. Meanwhile the grimm rats charged at them. Fire coating them as they threw themselves over the sewer stream, only to be met with blades and steel. Being made quick work off.

Without a word, Jaune skipped gently over to another walkway. Turning to them to follow him before he continued down where the rats had come from. The smell of burned hair and cooked rat seemingly having no effect on him.

Pyrrha didn't feel ashamed when her stomach emptied itself again. Not when Nora was right beside her. Even Qrow looked nauseous. Jaune was the only one who didn't look affected. Violet looked queasy, even if she shoved a brave front. Aurora looked like death warmed over, feet rooted firmly to the ground as she saw what path Jaune was leading them down. Ren also looked put off. Scrunching his nose as the smell hit him.

Sniffing the air, Jaune looked at them with a raised eyebrow. "It isn't that bad. I have smelled worse."

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Note: The Tao is only used in a purely religious manner, as it is Ren trying to find words to describe his failed/successful dream walk. There will be no cultivation, neither as wuxia/xianxia powerups. If cultivation is said, it is meant as a religious practice, or something I will most likely will explain later. There will be no ascending heavens and all that. It is simply Ren finding religion, in a manner of speaking. While i like myself a good wuxia and xianxia story, and while the setting is somewhat acceptable of such a system in the broadest terms of the word, there will be no cultivation as a way for Ren to gain power.

Note: On another note, this might be the last chapter in a while. I don't particularly want to leave it here, but neither do I want to pad this chapter into next chapters large story points. The deadline of my bachelor paper is twentieth something may, and it will be required most of my focus. Of course I will be writing in my free time, it is a great stress reliever. But I can't promise a chapter weakly, or whatever it is my upload schedule is.