Chapter 1: The Cost of a Dream and Moving Forward

The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.

-Ernest Hemingway

Yesterday is but today's memory, and tomorrow is today's dream.

-Khalil Gibran

"Again."

A loud crack echoed throughout the clearing as fist collided with stone.

"Good. Next."

Jaune slammed a kick into the stone fracturing solid rock.

"Focus on your Aura, bring it out in a single strike."

Aura flared on his right fist casting the entire clearing into sharp relief. The light flickered slightly as Jaune nearly lost control but regained its strength. What remained of the stone was obliterated in an explosion of light as his fist struck.

"Hold. Back to rest."

Que stepped forward from where he had been watching walking around Jaune examining him and then the piece of earth he had just destroyed.

"Your form is improving, I'm positive now that your semblance allows you to amplify an aspect of your aura. You still need to focus more on rooting yourself, it took you six hours to destroy that rock."

Jaune nodded at Que's words focusing on maintaining a steady breathing rate ignoring the urge to gasp for air. He would say Que was being unfair wanting him to destroy a rock roughly 4 times his size if he hadn't seen Que's demonstration obliterate a rock the same size with a single punch.

A fist came flying at his face only to be redirected with his arm. Immediately he responded with his own fist aimed at Que's gut only for his arm to be twisted into a lock by Que who had managed to slip past his fist.

Instinct that had been beaten into Jaune kicked in. Jaune rotated his arm slightly before he kicked himself into a flip over Que's head unraveling himself from the lock. Jaune landed softly on the ground centering himself and locking eyes with Que. Cold green bored through him.

"Fight as if your life depended on it because someday it will." Que's utterance signaled the start of the spar if it could be called that. Every punch Jaune threw was redirected or flat out blocked. Every kick was dodged or forced him into another lock.

Jaune wouldn't have it any other way.

Heart thundering as adrenaline rushed through his veins a wild wolfish grin on his face.

Jaune kicked outward at Que's head letting Que lock it only to amplify the aura already flowing through his leg averting his gaze. Even then he was nearly blinded by the searing white flash, Jaune spun the leg currently free into a kick supporting himself on his arms.

Que shifted somehow able to tell the kick was coming Jaune's foot passing an inch away from his face. Jaune felt the grip on his leg tighten and with a crunch of wood he was sent straight through a tree. Dazedly Jaune blinked a couple of times till his teacher's amused face swam into focus.

"That was a solid plan Jaune. Still, you made a mistake thinking I needed my eyes to see that kick coming. A kick like that generates to much wind to go unnoticed. Next time I recommend a more direct approach instead of letting yourself get locked into an unfavorable position."

Que held out his hand which Jaune clasped, with a deceptively gentle tug Jaune was pulled up to a standing position.

"Good work today Jaune, let's head on back."

Trees soared over their heads shading them as a cool breeze blew through the trees hinting at the beginning of fall. A comfortable silence stretched between Jaune and Que as they traversed the forest.

Three months had passed since Que started training Jaune, literally from the ground up. Que retaught him how to throw a punch, and then made him throw that same punch a thousand times each day for each hand. Any time Jaune broke his stance Que unceremoniously sent him to the ground and made him do it again. After Que was satisfied with his punches, the same thing was done for kicking, making him repeat the movement a thousand times for each leg. Only then Que had begun to teach him how to consciously utilize Aura. He had already noticed that he was overall more physically adept than he had been and that minor wounds would heal instantly. Apparently hitting a rock for three days had done something for him as after he had relayed the white light appearing on his fist to Que and demonstrated it Que had told him that he had managed to unlock his Aura. An absolute essential to becoming a Hunter.

Que then set him to punching rocks, these ones thankfully smaller than the first, with intermittent sparring sessions until Jaune collapsed. This was the first day Jaune could walk without assistance from the forest.

"So Jaune, when are you going to tell your parents?"

Jaune winced, he had come home after those three days to parents who had been told by Que that he was merely staying with him for a while so that he could cool down. Things had been… tense since then, no questions had been asked of why Jaune kept heading out of the house every day when he had finished the compulsory schooling offered by the village. Jaune's father, Sable hadn't even attempted to bring up any apprenticeship opportunities. Still, Jaune knew if he brought up what he was doing with Que, the armistice would be broken.

"I don't really know, I'm not even sure what to say."

"You'll have to face it eventually Jaune, one of the things I've learned in life is that you can't run from something forever."

Jaune grimaced and nodded looking down, only for a hand to ruffle his hair.

"Don't worry too much about it, I got your back no matter what."

They had arrived at Que's house and with a gentle pat on the back Que walked inside leaving Jaune to his thoughts.

Walking through the village was something that Jaune had become accustomed to through the course of his life. He waved at the various villagers that greeted him too focused on his thoughts to do much else to reply. It was with a small sense of dread he came to the Arc family's home, a rather large two-story building that was comfortably able to fit the entire Arc family. Walking through the door and down the hallway, he arrived at the kitchen to find his Mother; June Arc and sister Olivia quietly discussing something which immediately halted when he entered.

Both Olivia and June had dark orange hair and green eyes, traits shared by most of his sisters, Jaune being the only one to inherit his Father's blonde hair and blue eyes. The room was quite for a few moments until Jaune spoke, "Hey Mom, Hey Olivia, do you guys know where Dad is?"

"He's out back," his Mom said her normally cheerful tone dulled significantly.

Jaune nodded and walked past them, opening the back door to see his Father slicing through the air with strokes too fast to see. His Father's sword paused and then was swiftly sheathed, still no words were spoken. Jaune walked forward until he was standing a couple feet from his Father.

Sable Arc was a man that usually had a perpetual grin on his face. Not laughing at the world but with it, a man who those who knew him would describe as disconcertingly cheerful, especially for the profession he chose. His expression currently though was lacking in amusement. Instead, his lips were formed into a small grimace as he looked down at Jaune.

"So, are you ready to tell me where you've been going these last three months." Sable's voice usually filled with warmth was disconcertingly quiet.

"I think you already know Dad." At his words, Sable slumped slightly before giving a small nod.

"Should have known Que would take you in," Sable muttered, and then spoke again in a louder voice, "If you passed his test then that means you won't stop this foolishness, will you?" Sable's voice broke slightly.

Jaune shook his head mutely, unable to verbally respond to his Father.

"I won't stop you Jaune, but I can't support you in this either." With that Sable Arc walked away, heavy footsteps thudding into the earth as he went into the house.

Hot wet trails made their way down Jaune's cheeks. A pang in his chest made itself known and he slowly slumped to the ground.

"You sure about this Jaune?"

A nod. He had caused them enough pain already, this was for the best.

Que sighed, "Well let's go then."

The pair shouldered their packs and without a backward glance started down the road out of the village. They would not return for many years.

Six months. Six months since he had last seen his family, since he had left his home to fulfill his dream.

They had moved east from the Jaune's village heading towards Vale. During the trip, Que had increased Jaune's training by forcing him to keep his aura active whenever he was awake. Furthermore, Que had directed more attention to his semblance having Jaune work on increasing the amplification factor of his aura while only activating it consciously.

Before Jaune had used his semblance unconsciously every time he activated his aura which while increasing his power, drained him at an insane rate and made controlling the power of his strikes all but impossible. Thankfully his aura reserves according to Que were incredibly large for his age which allowed him some leeway in using his aura inefficiently. Indeed, while using his semblance aptly named Amplify took a large amount of aura, he barely felt the drain except for extended periods of time

Any question of Jaune getting his own weapon had been halted for now as a particular experience had made both of them rather… wary.

"Just flow your aura through the dagger."

Jaune nodded and concentrated lightly gripping the hilt lightly. White light traveled along the blade glowing softly encompassing the entire blade in its light.

"Good! Now- "

CRACK

A cragged line appeared on the blade before

BOOM

Metal shards exploded glancing off the auras of Que and Jaune.

Jaune was left standing with the shattered hilt of the dagger eyes wide with shock.

Attempting with another dagger had resulted in the same outcome. Even now that Jaune had gained some control over his amplification his aura still destroyed any weapon that he attempted to flow it through. Que had eventually declared that Jaune would have to rely on his body till he gained full control of his semblance.

His birthday had passed quietly, Que had given him a small cake and two sturdy steel arm guards that served as part of the next step in his training. That is now, Que would kick his ass with his weapon, a straight sword that transformed into a bladed whip.

Even now after nine total months of training Jaune had been unable to land a solid hit on his mentor. The fights while increasing in duration only grew harder as Jaune capabilities increased it seemed that Que held back a little less.

They were currently stopped at the village of Ryul, another day's travel from Vale said Que, it was rather large, certainly larger than Jaune's home. The streets bustled with activity a clamor of voices hawking their wares and discussing day to day business. Que causally maneuvered his way through the streets, Jaune in tow, arriving at a moderately sized inn.

With a quick exchange of words and lien Que procured a room for the pair, the innkeeper a tall lanky man with short brown hair led them up the stairs and with a gesture showed them their room.

Two beds with a bathroom, typical, though not unwelcome. Traveling on the road had given Jaune a new appreciation for amenities he had taken for granted. Jaune collapsed on one of the beds with a huff.

"Tired?"

Jaune nodded, between keeping his aura on passively, the pace that Que set while traveling, and the frequent training sessions that comprised their 'breaks' he was mentally and physically exhausted.

"Take a nap, I'll be back in a bit, shouldn't be gone too long."

"Where are you going?" Jaune sat up his tiredness forgotten.

"Nowhere too important, just to get your first mission?"

"What!? Really!?"

Que smiled and ruffled Jaune's hair, "You've made a ton of progress, now it's time to put all that training to the test." With a casual wave, Que exited the room.

Jaune tapped his foot as he waited for Que to return. He didn't even know how to describe the emotions rolling through his body. He was excited but at the same time incredibly nervous. What if he screwed up? What if he wasn't strong enough to actually fight the Grimm? Any Grimm that he had encountered while traveling had been easily dispatched by Que, he had no idea how he compared to the enemies of mankind.

The door clicking open disturbed him from his thoughts to see Que walk in. Pulling out his scroll Que handed it to Jaune.

Mission:

Extermination of Grimm population

Location:

To the southwest of Ryul

Time Limit:

Within 3 days of receiving

Status:

Accepted

"Come on kid, let's get some sleep, no sense fighting Grimm in the dark if there's a choice." Que yawned walking into the bathroom. The sound of rushing water barely registered in Jaune's mind as he laid back down on his bed. The tiredness was making itself known again and after slipping beneath the covers he could no longer fight it.

It was early the next morning that Que awoke Jaune. Dressing in his black hoodie with cut sleeves, dark blue cloth pants, boots, and steel arm guards Jaune followed Que out of the room.

Daylight had just begun to settle on the earth as they walked through the village gates. Jaune had barely said more than a few words as they walked through the forest his mind strangely empty. The nervousness he had felt yesterday was strangely absent replaced by a certain sense of calm.

A black shape caught his attention causing Jaune to spin to see a large Grimm standing on its hind legs with burning red eyes set into a bone white mask. It happened in a blur of motion, the Grimm leaped at Jaune, with a shift of his feet Jaune grounded himself instinctively. Focusing his aura through his fist he triggered his semblance causing his fist to flare a bright white.

Jaune flicked his fist out colliding with the mask of the Grimm which shattered under the force of the blow sending the Grimm's body flying from the force. Jaune sidestepped dodging a blow from another beast which he slammed a kick into. More Grimm began to emerge from the forest causing Jaune to take a loose position arms hanging by his sides with his feet grounded.

Everything was still for a moment before the Grimm with a roar launched themselves forward. As the first Grimm came into range Jaune spun into motion delivering a devasting haymaker to the stomach of the Grimm before slipping around the strikes of two others. Bringing his foot around in a roundhouse kick he sent those same two Grimm flying.

His world became an onslaught of pitch-black bestial limbs trying to tear him apart. Yet for all, that each strike aimed at him seemed slow compared to Que's. Maneuvering his body into a flip he struck out breaking another Grimm mask with a punch.

A paw slammed into him but Jaune rolled with strike rolling back into a handstand twirling aura enhanced legs so fast that the aura that shone off them looked like a solid white shield. Slamming two Grimm to the side he flipped too his feet bringing his left fist forward to slam into another of the beasts.

Blocking the swipe of another Grimm with his forearm he countered with a punch of his won sending the beast rocketing backward. Surveying the clearing he saw more Grimm begin to emerge from the trees, this time he was the one who launched himself forward fist cocked.

The hissing of dissolving Grimm filled the clearing as Jaune stood in the center breathing heavily. Grimm lay strewn across the ground bodies slowly dissolving

Soft footsteps caused him to look up to see Que walking across the clearing. Que had vanished as soon as the fight had begun and now as he walked towards Jaune his lips were quirked in a soft smile. Coming to a stop in front of him he softly ruffled Jaune's hair.

"Ya did good kid."

He really was one step closer to his dream.