Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

So I died.

On my eighteenth birthday.

Honestly, I don't really remember it, so don't ask. I vaguely recall being asleep, and then heat, and choking, but that doesn't really tell me what happened. Afterwards I can recall being in the dark. And I'm still in the dark. It's cozy and comfortable and I don't really mind being in the dark. What I do mind is the fact that I can't really move, I mean I can roll, and twitch my fingers and toes but nothing else.

So I drift.

Dreaming and reflecting and honestly... my life wasn't anything special. It was about as mundane as anyone elses... maybe a few exciting trips to the hospital, or dealing with bullies or my pains... so yeah.

The space I'm in grows smaller as I grow bigger and now I can feel the walls, and move a bit more. Also, I'm able to feel a little something extra. And it twitches behind me... Am I a freaking animal or something? I mean I can feel something extra, a limb that I never had before.

Next thing I know I'm being pushed and shoved and screaming I greet the blurry vision that's my new world. My new home...

And my new name.

My name is Neon Volpis. Neon Fox, that's funny.

My time as an infant pretty much drags on. And I spend most of it trying to see my own tail, to tug at it and understand why I even have it. I mean, I don't understand, I have a tail. It's fluffy and a kind of orange-brown colour, I get the feeling that it will become more vibrant as I grow... and probably get a darker tip, or lighter... probably darker though.

I like it.

I'm proud of having a tail honestly. Even if I've been more or less squirreled away by my parents because of it.

In this life I have heterochromatic eyes, my right is silver, my left a dark green. My hair just beginning to properly grow is currently a dark burnt orange colour, but considering that I was blonde until forth grade in my previous life and both of my parents have darker red hair in this one, I'm pretty sure that will change in the future as I grow. My skin, is as pale as it's always been, except I feel instinctively I won't burn in this life. I just feel like I won't... And finally my tail, fluffy and obvious, almost as big as me honestly... I'll grow into it probably. But right now it makes me feel a bit like Shippo.

I open my mouth to grin and there's another difference. Sharp canines, and I share that trait with my whole family... Honestly I don't think that it's a faunus trait. After all... you can only have one.

Only one. My parents are also fox faunus, Mom with the ears and Dad, he's got whiskers. Which must make it moderately easier for him to hide what he is. I don't actually quite know why we hide, though I will admit. Faunus sounds familiar, what we are is familiar.

At night sometimes I wake up because I can feel things.

Energy buzzing and crackling in the air around me, in the plants and animals beyond what I can see in the garden and in the house. In us. It would have made me assume that the world was Naruto... or Ikioi as I always called it, but there's a difference.

It's split.

Physical and Spiritual.

Ki and Chi.

It doesn't exactly combine into Chakra mixing with Natural Energy beyond the bare minimum. Beyond enough to acknowledge that we're part of the world and that we're alive. It's strange, and rings a bell in the back of my head. But for the life of me I just can't quite catch the thought.

So instead I continue to just play the child. At one and a half I can't quite talk, but I got a headstart with understanding. It's easy when the language that the people speak around you when you've been reborn is the same as the one from your old world after all. I don't think that anyone's caught onto the fact that I can understand them perfectly fine yet though. Also, it's amazing what you can hear as a small child.

What you can discover.

Worries about money, about living conditions, looking for work. Protests and peace rallies. Aura... Like Pokémon? I don't know. Hunters and Huntresses. White Fang.

Which always makes my mind instantly jump to one person. Who probably doesn't even exist in this particular universe. Hatake Sakumo, Konoha's White Fang. At least that thought entertains me when I'm not stealing books out from underneath my parents noses and reading like the eighteen year old that I had just become(only to you know die the same day). Also, my birthdate in this new world is hilariously ironic in that regard.

May 7th again.

As if becoming one of the tricksters for real wasn't enough. It makes me snicker whenever I actually think about it. At least I won't have to worry about forgetting it.

Then again, everything else is so... strange and I do have to worry about that. Protests, and the fact that I'm now part of a group that gets oppressed and side-lined. Not like I wasn't already just based on the fact that I was studying the bible.

Religion, it's so tricky.

But then again, what isn't?

Life is a tricky game, and the fact is. Nobody gets out of it alive. Not by the end. So as I stop and allow myself to close the book I'd pulled of a shelf my tail curls around and I close my eyes. I might as well see how far I get this time.

There's a crash and splintering wood and my eyes snap back open and I turn my head just enough to see what...

What is that?

It looks like a kind of werewolf creature, and it's all black and white with glowing red eyes and lines. And... SHIT WHERE'S MY SITTER? It's growling and snuffling and is THAT CLOTH HANGING IN IT'S JAWS?

I'm not even going to live to see my second birthday am I?

Chapter Text

I'm actually not sure how long things remain still. There's just this long period of time where I'm still, and the creature is still. We're both still and it's actually a nice moment, at least until it shatters. I'm sure that people, normal people would have screamed when that thing charges towards them.

Me on the other hand.

Well, it looks cool, and I can appreciate that. I can appreciate the creepy aesthetic and honestly it's kind of alluring in this weird way and reminds me of drawing eldrich horrors in a sketchbook or trying to write about the scariest creature that I could think of. I mean come on, there are scarier things than a beast that's charging towards you with slobbering jaws.

Much scarier things. Like an angry Mom, or crying children. The world ending. So I laugh and then roll out of it's path. I push myself to my feet and give another laugh looking up at the creature my tail kind of flickering from one side to the other.

Maybe I can pull off a patronus effect if I focus hard enough.

I'm not scared.

I probably should be scared but really I can't feel fear in the face of this thing. Normal people would, but again... I've never really been normal. So I close my eyes and grin, mind drifting from memory to memory. Funny, happy, exciting, nostalgic. All of them flow across my mind and when I open my eyes again the Grimm is still there.

Yet it's backing away and I can feel the energy within me. Rushing around, pulsing and this is it! I can feel it, this is where things begin. And where they end and maybe in another world parents would be coming home to find their toddler dead. Maybe in another life I would have died. Neon would have died! But here and now, I feel powerful, I feel in control and there's nothing this thing can do to rip that feeling away from me.

I'm barely one and a half, yet I don't feel fear.

I might not be able to fight, but I don't feel endangered. As long as I remain out of reach. As long as I can avoid it. That's all that matters really. Anything else is secondary, and I won't miss a single step. A beat, a moment and I'm out of reach. A different position and I'm still grinning. Still happy and proud and I know that it's not right, I know that it's ridiculous. But I'm a child, technically speaking, and does it really matter?

The thing is so slow compared to me.

And I haven't even accessed the energy within me properly. I mean it's there, I can feel it and nudge it to flow faster, stronger through my limbs... But beyond that. I can't manifest it. I can't use it actively, only passively, and sensing. Speaking of which, the creature is void.

I mean literally, it's void. And that's probably the scariest thing about it. Not it appearance but it's feel. A gaping chasm of nothing, sucking and tearing, greedily eating the atmosphere and energy of the world around it.

It's so wrong, and yet... It fits with this world.

With this place

Revenant.

The world of RWBY. It's only taken me this long to catch on. I mean I probably should have been clued in the first time I heard mention of a faunus. But hey I've always been a bit out of touch and oblivious so sue me. Also I only just got done watching the series before being reborn... And again, I was at the time more focused on other series. Naruto, One Piece, Rugrats... and similar shows.

RWBY not so much. But it's kind of hard to not recognize a Grimm when it's snarling at you and preparing to pounce.

Honestly, I really wasn't kidding when I thought that I wouldn't live to see my second birthday.

I close my eyes, honestly if I'm to die here. I fully accept that fate. I fully accept it because it's not like I would really make that much of a difference in the long run. Not really.

Yet death never comes. Instead I'm held in familiar arms and I open my eyes and tip my head back to stare up at my mother. She's growling, fierce and angry with her ears flattened against her head as she glares at the Grimm. At where my father is facing the grin whiskers quivering and teeth barred in a snarl.

I can't help it. I laugh gleefully, happily.

This is perfect. My parents to the rescue. I have to love them in this life. Maybe they don't always have time for me, but they sure try their best to be there. To shield and shelter and this... This is my first introduction to this worlds battles and fights.

Or my first official one anyway.

And who knew that my Dad was a hunter?

Also Kama, that become Guns. That's super cool, especially because they're attached with chains... so correction he's using Kusarigama. Seriously, that's cool. And he literally doesn't miss a beat dropping the Grimm that move in with barely any effort.

Mom's no slouch either. Even though I might be dragging her down a bit she has her own rather strange weapons. I mean a shovel really? Although I've got to admit, historically it's actually justified. The fact that she's using it one-handed, her other keeping me tucked away safe non-withstanding. This is cool.

I can't even begin to describe anything and before I can properly register it, the fight's over. It's over and as the dust settles I think that I know what I want to be in this life. In this second change.

I'm going to be a Huntress.

And nobody is going to stop me.

Chapter Text

So, the problem with trying to become a Hunter is that I am absolute shit with my coordination. No seriously, I'm able to walk now, I'm two... But it's still horribly off balance and I'm lucky if I don't fall over every ten or twelve steps. Aside from that there's also the fact that my parents don't seem to be that interested in training me.

Although that probably comes from the fact that I'm only two. I mean who wants to train someone from such an age?

Aside from people in the Warring Clans Era of Naruto... and in that case I'm pretty sure people are learning to hold weapons before they're crawling and talking. So it's kind of hit and miss. And since I'm not getting trained I've got to just throw it in until I get a bit older. Coordination first would probably be a better idea anyway.

So I practice walking, and getting used to the way that my tail twitches and moves. It's actually more instinctive than you'd think. Probably because I had some time before even getting born. And it may be an extra limb that I never had before, but I don't need to think about it before moving it. I may be hyperaware of moving it, but I don't need to think to use it. I don't need to concentrate. It's like breathing, like moving my hands and legs, I don't need to think to make it work. It's like bleeding, and digesting my food. You don't need to think for it to work.

But I do still need to grow used to it. Along with my enhanced night vision, my heightened noise sensitivity(from my normal noise sensitivity), the flow of energy within me, and touch sensitivity.

It's so strange how much more I can actually hear in this life. I mean I could always hear a lot more than most, cars and dogs, footsteps on the pavement and birds in trees a couple houses down. But here, the distance is greater and I can hear more, a slight breeze, the heartbeat of the birds in the tree out front, my parents in the other room, and I'm really glad that we're not in the city. Since sensory overload is really a thing that's not pleasant at all.

Speaking of enhanced senses touch sensitivity is really a pain. Materials that are too scratchy or rough, some that make me feel like they're choking the life out of me. I can't breath, and similar reactions. It's a pain, and I was already twitchy about being touched in my previous life because even light touches and hits hurt but in this one it's even worse. Even sitting out in the wind, or the sun can make me twitchy because I'm not used to feeling it. Well... not as strongly anyway. Also now I can sense vibrations and almost get an idea of what they mean so...

I'm kind of like Toph from Avatar the Last Airbender honestly.

Just not as badass and awesome and more awkward and learning. Also I'll probably never be as good at reading people the way that she does. I mean, I probably have an extra sense for reading people and the world. The energy flow, but I'm going to be building from the ground up. She probably did as well, but she also had some of the coolest(and oddest) teachers in the world. The badgermoles.

Seriously though.

Coordination and adapting to these changes comes first. Relearning my body, and my bloodflow and the energy that's alongside it.

They call Aura your Soul... Really it's just the physical portion, your tie to your body... which is just as bad to lose as your soul. Either way the analogy works.

It works. And I can't use it yet. Which is probably a good thing either way. I mean, I can feel it, and I can make it flow faster, or slower inside me... But I can't really use it. I mean, this is entirely passive, in the background. Maybe it's reinforcing my body slightly but that's not really using it in any notable way. My parents do that automatically after all. When they're startled, or right before they have to go outside.

I get the feeling that we're not really liked.

Which is actually a logical conclusion considering that in the show faunus were the minority... I think. Anyway there was a lot of background racism. And now I'm getting shoved right into it, or well, I would be if I were actually able to go out and explore. I'm still mostly kept at home with a babysitter.

A new babysitter. And one with a weapon, and the ability to defend themself. Also moss green hair, and the name Mint. I like him. He's a dork and kind of an idiot but he tries. He tries and I like him, his moss hair and darker cocoa eyes. He's got black tipped lynx ears. And lynxes are cool, I think that the ears might be part of the reason that I like him.

"You having fun down there Neon?" he asks me trying to balance a bowl of pancake batter and a spoon in his arms.

"Yuppers!" I say with a laugh. Honestly, my first word in this life was fun. Because I already knew most of the words in the English language I decided to see if I could pull up one of the most random and strange words that I could think of as my first. No I didn't say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, though that would have been fun. I ended up saying plebeian. Everyone who heard it must have been so confused.

Where could I have possibly learnt it?

Anyway yeah, I'm likely to use more obscure words and strange words more common. Make people feel like idiots in response to their attempts to keep me down. In their attempts to dehumanize me. I'll just smile and continue to be myself. Like always.

Mint nods his head absently before returning to his cooking ears twitching faintly every once in a while.

It makes me tempted to find some pans to bang together honestly. Except that would sooner lead to sensory overload on my part rather than his. So instead I just kind up end up toddling around his legs and eventually flopping down uselessly and blowing out air in a bit of a mood. I hate been so young and trying to build a new life up from the beginning. I mean seriously, I'm still in the rely of everyone around you part of things.

I mean, technically I'm potty trained.

But I still can't really walk. I mean I alternate, walking and crawling.

I definitely can't cook, not that I was really able to anyway. And well, I have a babysitter. Someone who is always there to watch over me. Even if Mint is only just a teenager, and I've heard him admit that he's a Beacon drop-out to my parents. He apparently didn't meet the entry requirements. That doesn't mean that he can't fight though, and when he's not in the kitchen like he currently is still stirring the batter he takes me out the back and then shows off.

He calls it's training.

I call it showing off.

Although really when he does it he looks like an absolute idiot. His weapon is also nothing more than a shovel, and admittedly it's not exactly impressive. I mean if it works I guess it works but really when I sit and watch him, he looks like one of those dorky kids who try to mimic anime and cartoons... and kind of failing.

Also, he tends to whack himself when practicing... So I think that he might have a bit of a rattled skull.

Or several screws loose. But he's definitely sweet as mint. I always loved that flavour, and the smell and well. I kind of like him. As said, he's a dork. I just don't like what he represents. My lack of control in this situation.

My lack of maturity and well...

It's annoying. But what about growing up a second time wouldn't be when there's not much to really do. I mean I have some toys to play with, and stuff to adapt to. But really, there's not much to really do.

It's better than infancy with sleeping and screaming, and eating I guess. But at the same time it's worse. Because my slightly increased mobility with the lack of new items to distract myself with is hell on Revenant. I need more toys than a couple of stuffed animals and several dog-eared books. Well loved books sure, but I've pretty much read through them. And Mom and Dad have put their books up too high for me to really reach now. I haven't got a clue why either.

Mint is of course still cooking. Pancakes because he seems to think that they're the best food ever. And I suppose that they can be, depending on how they're cooked, but really...

I just wish that I could grow up already.

Chapter Text

So first of all, I learnt that it's Remnant... Not Revenant... I'm such an idiot.

Second, the place I got that information from. A certain yellow eyed, black haired cat eared faunus. And her brother(?), the red head, bull. He makes me twitchy and uncomfortable and even as Mint happily chats with him lynx ears twitching and arms gesturing. I don't like Adam. He feels dangerous.

I mean I know that the violent takeover doesn't take over until five years before canon. So when I'm ten then. I mean Blake, is two years older than me.

Five to my three.

And Adam's another seven years older than Blake. He's twelve. Mint's still the oldest person among us, and that relieves me. Because he's nineteen. Nineteen and still an idiot. Although he does do a good job as a babysitter and older brother figure. He doesn't scare me like Adam does. He's fun, and playful and kind of reminds me of my original older half brother.

Just less likely to lock you in the bathroom as a joke and then apologize. Among other things that my brother done as jokes...

I kind of get the feeling that it's not the best kind of environment for family in hindsight but eh.

Anyway, so I've met Blake now, actually Blake and Adam don't live that far from us. In the same village. It's interesting, and now that I'm three. I'm also able to go outside more often, which is what lead to our meeting. I'm not exactly easy to keep track of once I decide to bolt after all. Being outside had made me excited.

I remember running, barefoot down the dirt path and only stopping once my feet were being tickled by grass. Only stopping when I could feel the wind brushing my tail and whipping my hair around and sweeping my skin. Until I was able to simply sit down and listen. The gentle rustling of the leaves overhead, small insects as they made their sounds, a couple of birds and a rabbit their hearts beating steady.

And approaching footsteps. Light like a cat.

I open my eyes and turn around to see who's there. And my mind registers her ears first, and then her own yellow eyes. And it's strange to realize and recognise her even if she's only a little bit older than me. Five rather than three, and I blink. I blink and simply stare at the other faunus child.

At the canon character. In all honestly I had not been expecting to really meet anyone from canon until I got old enough to actually start doing things. Like going to school, or getting into one of the training schools before Beacon like Signal. It would seem that fate would have other ideas though and so I smiled at the cat faunus and offered a hand.

"I'm Neon Volpis. What's your name?"

"Blake. Blake Belladonna" Short, simple and to the point.

Also she's a canon character. That's... well, I honestly wasn't expecting to meet anyone from the canon storyline for at least another few years, I mean seriously. At the age of three, it's not like I'm out and about enough to really meet anyone.

At least, I didn't think that I was.

But here in front of me is a five year old Blake Belladonna. And that's... well I don't quite know how to react aside from offering a bright grin. As she shakes my hand.

I don't know. I mean we're three and five respectively. What am I supposed to do? She releases my hand and then turns to look up as more footsteps approach. Mint, talking with a red head. Adam... I actually feel myself twitch at the sight of the boy. I don't know why really though, I mean we really didn't see enough of him in canon to get a proper feel for him beyond the fact that he majorly made me uncomfortable.

His speech... it was worrying.

Yet here, he's well not exactly talking to Mint(it's more that Mint is babbling at him than anything) but he's walking with Mint.

He's with my babysitter, and I don't know what to do. I can't jump to any conclusions, and I won't. I refuse to be that kind of person.

So instead I watch them with a tilted head and if I had ears instead of a tail they would have been perked. Showing my interest and curiosity. As it is I can only just hear their conversation and it's confusing so I decide to give up and instead return my gaze to Blake.

"So... You like living on Revenant?" I ask with a grin teeth sparkling. The cat faunus gives me an unimpressed look and then she corrects me.

"Remnant. We live on Remnant!" I blink and my grin drops as I simply stare. "And it's okay. I get to go to the White Fang rallies!" I perk up and pay more attention as she kind of puffs up and her ears twitch in a moment of pride. "We're making a difference!"

"Cool!" And it actually is. "No one gets hurt right?" I really hope not, I remember hearing about protests and rallies and fights for equality. Pepper spray and police violence as a response and my hands grip my bare feet and my tail kind of swishes behind me.

"...No" Blake shakes her head slowly, hesitantly. "I haven't seen anyone get hurt!"

"That's good!" I say with a kind of chirp as my tail twitches and then winds around me and my smile becomes just slightly forced. Adam's closer now, so's Mint. And Mint's bragging... about me. He's saying how adorable and precious and easy to care for I am. "I AM NOT EASY TO HANDLE Mint!" I scream leaping to my feet with my tail twitching and my mouth turned down.

He jumps, probably because they're still just barely outside of a normal person's hearing range. Within sight, but normally out of range for hearing. Blake covers her mouth with her hands and I can hear the stifled snicker as well as the rustle in the branches. I know that they can hear me, I know because I made sure to shout as loud as I could.

"Stop slandering me!" I glare at him pacing my hands on my hips. "You know I'm a disaster in the making!" I really am. I know that as I grow in this world, in this place, I'm not going to stay small. And I'm going to change things. For the better, or for the worse.

Most likely the latter, but still.

It will probably be really fun getting there. But in the meantime. I really don't need Mint spreading misinformation about me. I mean I'm three and maybe I am a kind of easy child to look after that's mostly because I spend more time listening and adjusting and getting used to the changes in my senses. Vibrations and sounds, and it's all enough to keep me tame rather than the hellion of my previous life. Mostly.

So I puff my cheeks up and pout at Mint.

It's more adorable than anything and the lynx faunus teen is almost instantly right there gently petting my head and messing up my hair even more. Not that it's really neat in the first place but I still pull a face at the action and try to push his hand away. Though it's all in good fun.

It's all good. We're all friends here. Except Adam.

My eyes faintly narrow at the bull faunus as he comes closer, smile just faintly tightening. I really don't like him. He feels, well not any worse than anyone else but there's this taint to him, and it makes me nervous. Reminds me of how ruthless he came across as in the Season Three finale. Reminds me of the moment that he went from That guy in the black trailer with Blake to HE CUT OFF YANG'S ARM! It's unsettling.

Adam's unsettling and so as soon as Mint returns his attention to the twelve year old, asking where his and Blake's guardians are I duck away. And kind of slink a bit behind Blake. She feels better than Adam, maybe a bit like shadows, and slightly intangible, but better.

"What's wrong?" she still asks me, her voice soft and quiet and I almost don't really respond.

"He feels dangerous..." it's more like a breath of the wind than a statement. I didn't even know I could get my voice to do that. I didn't know that I could sound so quiet. "I don't know." She doesn't respond to me. I don't know if it's because she didn't hear or because she doesn't know how to respond though. I don't pressure her to respond either, she shouldn't have to.

It's just my opinion on Adam after all.

Just the way that I respond to him.

"I suppose that he is." she says it offhand, careless. As if she's never really thought about it before. As if it's not important. "He fights to keep us safe." she says and I blink and look at her with a bit of confusion.

"Against Grimm?" or others, I carefully don't say the latter part. Blake nods her head and I actually hum in thought feeling the coolness of the breeze and hearing the gentle chirps of birds in the trees. Soothing natural sounds, and it's calmer now. "I faced a Grimm once!" I say with a bit of cheer.

It's not really anything to be proud of but it happened. Mint's frowning and Adam's actually paying attention.

"Speed and trajectory factored into most of the encounter. Also positivity." I don't sound much like a three year old when I start to talk like this. But then again, I'm going for obscure and less used words. Trying to sound cultured, or something like that. "I hate linguistics..." I mutter furiously to myself tail twitching.

"Linguistics?" My tail fluffs up and I jolt a bit before flushing.

"Uh huh, language use and the fom-u-ation of speech." I frown when I mess up saying formulation but keep on speaking. "It's how we talk, and write, and the way culture affects the words we use and how we use them." or something like that anyway. I never really paid that much attention to the whole thing beyond my English writing classes.

And my personal creative explorations.

And the whole transformative works thing...

Unleash Your Imagination and all that.

"It's basically English... but more to do with the structure and study of language. More the how to and why than actually doing it" It's the study not the use. "Dead languages come in as well..."

"Aren't you supposed to be three Neon?" I look up at Mint and stick out my tongue. Yes, I'm only three but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to use every advantage that I have at my disposal. Language and the art behind it being only one such advantage. "At least wait until you're in school to break down such things."

"Just be glad it's not biology, or genetics I'm babbling about!" I deadpan as he lifts me up to rest on his shoulders before waving to Blake(who actually kind of looks zoned out) and Adam.

"See you later then!" he cheerfully says and I roll my eyes.

"Until we meet again." I offer a small wave and then just relax as we head back to our home. Also Remnant... Damn my memory on that one. I wonder if there are any Grimm that look like revenants though... Now that's a thought.

Chapter Text

So here's the thing. People probably don't realize it, but I notice things. I notice when things shift and change and I notice when my parents, and slowly Mint as well begin to organize more and more playdates for me with Blake. Under Adam's watch. They think that I'm oblivious, that I can't see that something is going on.

Something's coming.

From a three year old's perspective it's not like I can do much about it. But I can still observe and catch on. Understand and feel the mood. To feel how every day they feel more and more sluggish and drained when they come to pick me up from the playdates. I can feel how much of a toll whatever they're doing is taking on them. And I force myself to pretend that I can't. I push away all my questions, and curiosity and the unease that I feel and I just. Oblivious child, that's what they need me to be.

Their oblivious child.

Pronouns are an issue. And one that in this life actually became an issue pretty early on. Initially, for my first year and a half, I was fine with the usual she/her/hers/herself and all, and then something after the Grimm must have set off a trigger. I stopped responding positively to them. A certain twitch, an itch and throwing a bit of a fit. When they swapped to he and related pronouns that fit became even bigger.

Right up until they got the right ones. Gender Neutral Pronouns.

So yeah, I'll play oblivious. I'll play innocent and play up the trickster aspect of my fox nature in the process. I mean it's not like I didn't enjoy acting anyway but this entire situation is kind of painful. I want to ask what's going on, what's wearing out my parents and why Mint can't just take care of me the way he usually does.

Although the time spent with Blake is nice.

We don't actually see that much of Adam all things considered. The twelve(well thirteen now) year old boy off elsewhere in the house doing whatever it is he does. Working on whatever he seems to think is important. Which is basically leaving a pair of very small children alone. I mean seriously, I might be an eighteen year old in a three year old body but still. Small, very small children. Does he not see the obvious problem with this?

I mean there are Grimm outside, and I distinctly remember Yang's tale about how she wandered off with her baby(toddler?) sister into the woods at a young age.

Although, then again, it's not like we really ever seem that inclined to run off anywhere. I mean, I've already had my childhood Grimm encounter, at the age of one and a half. And Blake, well since I've been helping her learn to read(and isn't that weird to think about) she's not that inclined to wandering either. We must be the most boring little children to look after. Is it any wonder that Adam just kind of disappears.

Also I guess he's not that bad.

I just, I'm biased against him okay. Yang was pretty much Role Model when I began to watch RWBY, and when he hurt her. It's like when you meet that one person and the image that you had of them shatters and you can feel the entire Earth keep spinning, but everything is wrong and you can't breathe and. it's. just. not. right. So I'm biased.

Broken Pedestal and all that.

But I still think that if I ever met Yang, just... She'd instantly be a role model. I mean come on, she has passion and seems to know what she is... if maybe not entirely. Also yellow. I have a certain fondness for yellow.

Even in this life, where I can't and don't really wear it. Well okay, not much of it.

Just my shirt... and shoes.

It's not that bad.

It's not that bad. Not like how I'm trying to pretend that I'm innocent and oblivious. That I can't see that something's wrong. And in the moments when I'm alone with Blake my mask actually cracks and I allow her to see how vulnerable I feel. She's a good person, even at this age. I can see how she'd be able to just stop. How she'd still have the strength to...

"You're a good person Blake!" I say curling in on myself a bit and her ears faintly twitch as she looks over at me. "I want you to remember that okay. You. Are. A. Good. Person. A person, not an animal, not nothing. You have strong morals, and... and... please don't forget that. Don't let people tell you want you can and can't do." it's probably not the most influential or inspiring thing to hear from a three year old... But it's still something.

It's something I can tell her.

And honestly, there's nothing more uplifting than the pure unfiltered thoughts of a small child. Or someone who looks like one.

It's something that I've discovered anyway. So of course I'm going to use it to my advantage. Blake smiles at me for it, and she understands. She gets it. Or she's just humouring me, one or the other. I don't think that it really matters. Not at this point when her smile makes me grin. Makes me feel like maybe I don't have to worry that much about what's happening.

"Hey Blake... do you think that when I'm a bit bigger. Do you think that I could help hold the banner?" I ask and she looks at me before laughing. "Hey come on, I want to help to. Beyond just writing and painting slogans!" I say pressing my palms down on the ground and feeling the vibrations from her laughter.

It's good practice really. Since it's subtle, and harder to track and follow than footsteps. Speech, and laughter. And of course focusing my hearing to hear the hitches in her breath and the way that her heart is beating. As mentioned, I'm pretty much Toph. Except that I seriously need to practice and train and... I'll never be as badass as Toph.

I mean she'll be forever my out of context idol but in context... Can't meet her, can't talk to her. The Avatar the Last Airbender cartoon doesn't even exist in this world. In fact I don't think that there are many cartoons period. The most I've seen on TV is news, and a couple of games but not that many cartoons. Tournaments are a thing though and they're always eye-catching and awesome and I love watching the people fight on screen. Against others, or recently caught Grimm.

I think that it serves well enough as entertainment anyway.

I mean aside from the magic of imagination anyway. Since that's pretty powerful stuff.

"I'm sure that you could Neon!" I lift my head and narrow my eyes ever so faintly at Adam as the bull faunus walks in the room and looks at us his expression more or less unreadable. You know it's strange, because even though his eyes are uncovered and I'm looking right into them, I still wouldn't be able to say what colour exactly they are.

Maybe my mind is just blocking it out or who knows. It's probably got something to do with how my soul might or might not still be semi-tied to my original universe. My original home, and considering I literally just finished watching the series up to the end of season three... And we'd never seen his actual eyes up until that point.

So who knows. Still I smile up at him, a forced bright smile maybe a touch wider than a natural one.

"Really? You think so Adam?" he nods his head and I actually do feel a sense of happiness and hope and pride. I could help out, and wave a flag or hold a banner. "I can't wait! I'll be helping to change the world! Peace, Harmony! Defeating the Grimm through positivity!" I really want to see if I can create a patronus effect. Both Adam and Blake look at me curiously and I take a deep breath ready to explain when there's a knock and we're all distracted by that.

I can feel Mint, he's at the door. So I happily dodge past Adam and push the door open to look up at the lynx faunus. He grins down at me and ruffles my hair as Adam and Blake follow to see me off. To wave goodbye.

So here's the thing about acting... it wears on you. Draws on your energy and reserves and no matter how good at it you are. Everything has a point where it breaks and shatters into a million pieces. I mean my parents, and Mint are too busy to notice, too distracted. But I'm reaching the breaking point under the fear that's growing within the household.

And with fear comes the Grimm.

I mean none of them have come yet, but I can practically smell the fear in the air from my parents. Smell the anxiety and worry and it makes me curl up every night with my blankets in a small den under my bed rather than in it. My parents haven't commented on it, and Mint doesn't seem to care one way or another but it's a small chink in my facade. A crack in the glass that shows that I'm not as oblivious as they probably hope that I would be.

I'm good at pretending. Denying and lying. Keeping up an act, and a facade. Pretending to be less than what I am. I'm good at that, I can do that. But it wears at me, and makes me itch and want to scratch at the sheet that I'm covering myself with. To drop the curtain and just ask them what's going on.

To remind them I am a bit more intelligent than they're giving me credit for.

To reveal that I'm not just a small oblivious and innocent child. Except that when I look at them, at their relief at my so called innocence, I can't. I can't drop my act and reveal the truth of my existence. I can't stand to even imagine what kind of looks I might receive were I to do so. It's an irrational fear, but it's a fear.

Hello abandonment issues.

Then again, I did die on my eighteenth birthday and shit hit the fan hard in the last episode of RWBY. So...

I just keep pretending. Reaching up my arms and allowing Mom to scoop me up and hum as she moves through the house. It's peaceful, in these moments and it's easy for me to pretend, resting my head against her shoulder a hand gripping her shirt while the other snakes it's way into my mouth. It's peaceful, normal.

I wish that these moments, these days could last forever.

The normal days. Where I'm just a child with their parents. A normal kid, with a normal life.

Except that I have a tail, I have super senses and I can still hear the edge in my parents breaths, in their hearts. I can still hear the nervousness that they try to hide, the fear that they're keeping buried.

It's hard to ignore, it's so painfully obvious and yet I manage. I mange to pretend and continue to act oblivious and innocent.

Even though I know, out in the forest as we are. Secluded and away from quick reinforcements and help. If that buried fear attracts Grimm anytime soon...

There's no way that we'll be able to hold them off forever.

Chapter Text

Too little, too late and I'm right. The Grimm do come, and there's nothing that we can do. Nothing... Nothing except remain quiet and hope that they don't see us. Don't find us. Don't destroy everything that we have.

It's not as simple as one or two like what happened back when I was one and a half. No, it's a whole fucking pack of them! A whole pack of Beowolves. A whole pack, which is many more than ten. I think that if I tried to count them it would be an exercise in futility. But I'm guessing that there's around twenty to twenty-five Grimm in this particular pack, more than enough to overwhelm us. More than enough when there's only three of us who can fight and when I'm that big of a distraction.

It really makes me wish that I were older. In school and old enough to fight in my own way.

Unfortunately I'm only four and the Grimm are bigger and stronger and there's so many of them. Also I'm pretty cranky because I was happily sleeping, dreaming of shinobi and jutsu when abruptly I'm scooped up by a moss head and there's a lot of growling. It's annoying and I'm cranky and not happy at all with been dragged into the cold night air in nothing more than my thin Summer PJs.

I mean I know that it's Autumn, I'm only a couple of days into my forth year of life after all.

But Summer PJs are comfortable usually. Unless it's chaos and cold that you're thrusting me into. Growling snapping jaws and slashing claws. Howls and glowing red eyes. I actually wake up much quicker once the first Grimm is completely obliterated by Mint's shovel which also turns into a gun(seriously what doesn't turn into a gun here?). And if that doesn't wake you up then you're not likely to wake to anything.

But still, Mint's showing me that I was right to call him a kid who was trying too hard to look cool. Showing off, when really he's barely able to keep up with the Grimm. I can feel the excess of his Aura that he's losing. That my parents are losing as this pack of Grimm simply overwhelm them. Also, Mint can't fight and protect me half as well as he's trying to. So I wriggle and loosen myself from his arms tumbling to the ground.

I roll more than I land and quickly push myself to my feet and try to find some kind of vantage from the perspective of a four year old who's quickly being overwhelmed by the amount of noise and all the vibrations from things hitting the ground.

It's a mess of confusing sensations and I'm actually rather upset with myself when I realize that Mint was actually protecting me from sensory overload.

Which as I may or may not have already mentioned is painful. My head hurts and my ears ring as the ground trembles beneath my feet and everything just seems to get louder. It's all just a cacophony of chaos. And yet... I take a deep breath and then run. I'm not really feeling scared, more overwhelmed. Howls, to the left, to the right, duck and roll.

There's an old dead tree at the end of our yard. I've hidden beneath it before. Curled up into a tight ball with my hands over my ears, eyes squeezed shut and attempting to block out the small shifts and shakes of the ground beneath me. I can almost feel how desperately the Grimm scramble to try and reach me. To tug me out from the hole, to drag me to my doom. The roots curl too close, and form a protective cage around me. They're too big, and here I can curl and remain safe.

Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that I can't hear, can't feel and sense how my family and Mint are losing. The beowolves aren't the only Grimm close by. A screech from the air and my eyes snap open in time to see feathers stab into the ground. I can hear Mint screaming and cursing and I can feel tears at the edges of my eyes. Feel the prickles of pain as a sharp familiar scent rises through the air.

Blood. Death.

Mint's aura is gone, and my parents can't fight off all the Grimm. I feel my father's disappear first. Buried under the emptiness of several Beowolves. I hear my mother's frantic scream.

"Roan!" and the Nevermore swoops down and I can see it's claws snatch her from the ground before she can pull in her distress. Before she can gather herself together enough to continue fighting. I swallow and curl up even tighter shaking my head from side to side digging a bit of a hole in the dirt beneath me.

"Mom... Dad... Mint..." I whisper the words as there are still Grimm scratching at the roots. I can still see glowing red eyes and gnashing teeth. I could still die here. I could still die here. And yet I don't feel fear, I can't care. I just allow myself to curl up, to breath and to stare at the creatures of nightmare that try to reach me. There's a yelp and I close my eyes again. Rescue has come too late.

And I can't care...

I think that's the scariest thing.

They left me!

The people who saved me left me. They just... The Grimm are gone at least. But now I'm alone, in an empty house, with three corpses to try and dispose of and those people didn't even care when I did finally poke my head out and try to catch their attention. I might as well have been invisible for how much attention they gave me. Or the corpses of my precious people. Also I'm four, that means I'm small. Too small to be able to really do anything.

I mean, I could light a fire, and cremate the bodies, but that runs a certain risk. The fire could draw unwanted attention.

Passing strangers, Grimm that haven't been chased far enough away. I take a deep breath and wipe a sleeve over my face before shaking my head. I don't end up setting a fire. Instead I find my mother's shovel and struggle to dig into the ground. I'll only be digging one hole but I'm determined. Determined to make it deep enough, to make it wide enough and respectable enough.

It's heavy and hard and several times I feel like giving up. My arms tremble and the metal of the shovel's shaft is cold, it bites into my hands. Except I refuse to give up and grit my teeth against the strain and just continue to dig. I don't think that I've even removed a foot of dirt before I hear footsteps. I don't look up, and instead continue to struggle with the shovel.

I don't want to see who's there. If I look then they might take me away.

"Neon?"

I blink, and look up at the voice. It's Adam. I don't know how to react really. The thirteen year old just kind of stands there. His hands are tucked away out of sight and he's watching me. Waiting I think. I don't know. I don't know what goes through his mind after all. I lower my gaze back down to the shovel and stubbornly ignore him instead stabbing it back into the dirt.

"Neon..." I hear Blake's voice and almost falter again but instead just end up stabbing the shovel into the ground slightly more viciously. This life isn't fair. It's just not fair.

"Would you like-"

"No. I don't accept pity Adam!" I say without even looking at him. "I can sustain myself." Misplaced aggression is bleeding through. But I can't really bring myself to care. "They ignored me, Huntsmen and Huntresses... supposedly heroes and heroines." I can feel biting tears at the very edges of my eyes and I stab the shovel into the dirt. "And they just ignored us as if we were filth." It burns at me, and makes me want to scream. "I won't accept pity Adam... I'll find my own way. I appreciate it... but please, leave me to my own."

If he actually leaves me here on my own I'm going to seriously wonder what kind of upbringing he had. What kind of malfunction his life went through to consider that proper. He inclines his head and I can actually hear it as he breaths deeply, considering. And I don't even life my head, I don't have to look to hear and feel as he turns and walks away.

"Seriously... what's his malfunction?" I mutter to myself wiping a sleeve across my face as Blake creeps closer.

"Neon." I look up at the feline faunus. She honestly looks lost, bewildered and uncertain all at the same time.

I don't blame her, can't blame her. None of this is her fault, it's just the state of things. I sigh and rest the shovel where it is in the dirt and lift my head to meet her eyes. She frowns and she's about to open her mouth, offer her own assistance.

"Seriously Blake. I'll be able to suffice with what I have. I really don't want to accept any charity right now." I rub a hand against the back of my head and then cross my arms over my chest. "Honestly, this just gives me more to prove."

"But there are Grimm..."

"I'm well aware." I admit scuffing one of my mismatched shoes through the dirt. "And I know that I'm not strong enough to hold them back... but, I'm already going blank."

"Blank?"

"Numb, vacant, empty. Emotionless. Detached, impassive, deadpan and dispassionate." And it's true. I feel hollow inside, I know that my precious people are dead, they're gone and will return to the earth sooner or later. But I can't really bring myself to care, and even Blake here and filled with worry as she is in front of me.

I. Can't. Care.

It's not that I don't... it's that I can't hold onto the feelings. They just slide right through my fingers and then waft away like smoke on a breeze. It's not an unfamiliar sensation either and honestly I don't know whether or not I'm going to fight it. Because feeling empty, feeling hollow and feeling nothing... It's not positive or negative it just is.

"I'm void..."

"Neon... that sounds."

"Dangerous... It probably is, because I can't feel" I say and then return to the shovel. This is disassociation. I think that it is anyway, feeling nothing and just blanking out. An emotional stonewall. Nothing is getting through aside from my goal for the moment. And that goal's to give my precious people at least something of a burial. There's nothing proper about it, but at least it'll be something.

"Neon?" I pause and lift my head to look at Blake before slowly shaking it from side to side.

"Please Blake... Don't be distressed for me. Just continue with your own life. I'll manage. I'll figure things-" I'm cut off when she grips me and I find myself been spun around so that we're more or less face to face.

"No Neon. I won't let you waste your energy, you aren't allowed to live alone!"

"And why not? If anyone truly cared they would have at least taken me to an Orphanage already." I huff and narrow my eyes at Blake. Not truly angry, just going through the motions, putting up a facade. "As far as the world cares I could perish and decompose here alongside my Nakama and Family. Blake nobody cares, because we're faunus!" Harsh words, harsh but that's ultimately what I've gotten from this situation. "They just... they abandoned me here... they just... I was... walked... and" the barrier on my emotions crumbles and before I can catch myself, to restore it.

I'm bawling. Clinging to Blake and howling my woes to the sky. She curls her arms around me and just holds me until I can't even muster up the energy to try to shove her away. Lingering tears still clinging to my cheeks and my hair sticking to my skin as I sniff and unsuccessfully try to hide my anguish.

It's not fair.

It's just not fair. My parents were good people, Mint was a good person. Why'd they have to die? Why.

"Come home with us Neon... Please."

"Okay..." I murmur the word exhaustion seeping through my entire body. "Okay Blake, I will..."

Chapter Text

So, as refreshing of a change as it is to live with Blake, I honestly can't stand Adam.

Already he feels abusive to me. Though again, that might just be bias. But he's controlling and now I barely get out at all. I at least got to bury my parents but now I just don't feel like I'm allowed to do anything on my own. He controls what we eat and when, what we watch, what we do. Almost everything and it's stifling. Like a noose around our necks almost and I don't like it.

Also, we rarely get to go out. To play and be children. The few times that we do wander beyond the house is to head off to the White Fang Peace Rallies.

Adam's always watching there. It's constricting and I do not appreciate it at all. Because he's actively keeping us secluded and away from most people. I think that I might have seen Velvet at one of the rallies, but I didn't get the chance to go over and see, to check. To talk. Because Adam wouldn't let me wander. He covers it up as being worried, scared that someone would just take me away and murder me. Leave me dead in a ditch somewhere, which okay considering that I'm not yet five that's a fair fear.

But at the same time I just want to scream.

He's micromanaging us and I can't stand it. I've always sought out my independence, enjoyed my solitude and the power of choice. This though, it's too much. So the next rally that we go to. The very moment that Adam's not paying attention, I hurriedly give Blake a goodbye and drop the sign that I'm holding. Adam catches my movement but before he can reach me I lose myself in the crowd and squirm my way through the mass of bodies and out into an alley.

I shake myself off and dart away feet pounding against the stone streets.

I don't stop running until I literally can't run anymore and then I crawl into an empty crate nearby and curl into myself tail wrapping around to shield me. I don't know if Adam even saw which direction I ran, Blake probably did. And I don't know... I don't really want either of them to find me, or anyone else for that matter.

Of course, there's kind of a big hole in this running away decision.

At eighteen I could barely take care of myself... And now I'm a good month or two away from my fifth birthday.

Why the hell did I consider running away to be a good idea?

Because it seemed like the better option than sticking around with Adam... Ugh. This is a problem. A serious problem, I don't know what to do. Well I'll probably figure things out, or you know die. There are only two ways for this to really go, unless someone decides to actually fucking care and picks me up to put me in an Orphanage or Foster Home. Which isn't likely, I mean they left me alone to deal with my parents corpses.

A four year old... Alone, to deal with the corpses of their parents.

It just... and I don't want to stick with Adam.

I just. In some ways it's trying to decide which of them is the lesser evil. Do I go back and beg for forgiveness from someone who will grow to be abusive and rather cold to the major populace(considering that humans outnumber faunus by about seven to one) Or do I keep away and struggle on my own.

I honestly don't know. I mean, the whole running away thing was admittedly more spur of the moment lashing out than actually well thought and planned. Impulsive.

Impulse, it's something that I've noticed problems with in this second life. Snap decisions like this one aren't the only ones that I've made. My self-control has dropped and I tend to react more in the moment than stopping to think like I used to at least attempt to. It makes me wonder if I'm even an INFP anymore. I mean, I probably am, since that was who I was in my previous life. But at the same time... I might not be.

Since we are the culmination of all our experiences. We are built by our environments and changed by our interactions with the world.

Then again, I still keep mostly to myself, like to speculate and keep my head in the clouds, make decisions based on my feelings and keep all my options open and not really stick to a single plan to reach whatever my goal in life is.

And even that goal is kind of fuzzy because it's just be a Huntress with no extra idea of what that means or what I'll do afterwards.

It was actually kind of the same with this whole running away thing. I just wanted to get away from Adam... and didn't think that much further.

It's just, that's always kind of been who I am. I get a goal and then just kind of drift towards it. Distractions crop up along the way for sure, but I will always return to the original focus and goal at some point. But still, I really have a dilemma here. I'm a month or two away from my fifth birthday and out in the streets because I wanted to get out from under Adam's control. And now I have no control over the situation either because I don't know where to go from here. No where to turn to either.

Since most people will dismiss me off hand due to my heritage.

My tail twitches and a single hand curls in my frustration. Stupid, so stupid.

What do I even do?

Why don't I ever think?

I howl a bit and clutch at my head legs kicking out because this is so annoying. Usually I at least try to think a bit beyond get out, get away. Or similar snap thoughts that lead to snap decisions. But no, not in this case. So I take deep breaths and keep my eyes closed and my back against the crate that I'm hiding within. Truly this is wondering which of the two is the lesser evil.

Probably begging for forgiveness.

But I do not want to do that. Because screw it, I'm going to be independent. I have something to prove. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but I know that it's something as my fists curl up and I bare my teeth in something of a snarl at who knows what. I'm not going back to Adam, back to Blake. Nope, I'm a four year old out on my own... because clearly that is so much better.

I'm going to die...

I'm going to die because I'm too stubborn to go back.

Too stubborn and I have some kind of weird pride in regards to this. Because at least I'll be dying free in a way. At least I'll have picked my own path, my own way to go. So I curl up and tuck my head down closing my eyes and just resigning myself to whatever fate may follow.

A couple of weeks later and I'm honestly surprised that I'm not dead yet. I've been moving from street to street surviving by pure luck alone really. And probably the fact that those who see me instantly look away. Pretend that they don't. It's simultaneously a disadvantage and an advantage. Since it means that I can do stuff unobtrusively in the background, but at the same time, on those occasions when I do need help, absolutely no one is going to give it to me. I've got to do things on my own.

Also, the problems this gives me when I'm trying to figure out how to steal things. Since that's literally the only way that I'm able to get the supplies that I require to stay alive. Aside from shelter.

As long as whatever I'm swiping is small enough to tuck away into the pockets of my clothing and to keep hidden it's easy enough to steal since no one looks my way. I just can't steal money... or new clothes or anything bigger than a small loaf of bread or a cookie from the edge of a shelf.

It's difficult, but I'm still here, and I'm still alive and as long as people continue to ignore me I might just survive until well into my later years of life.

I might just survive. At least until I actually need to know how to steal stuff, and fight back beyond punching people where it hurts.

Also in regards to making my own weapon, and figuring out how to actually get to a point where I'll be able to even start on the path of becoming a Huntress. I'll probably be forced to pull a Ruby on that one... Probably, I mean I am Ruby's age. Two years younger than Blake, means I'm Ruby's age. And if I even want a snowball's chance in hell then I'm going to have to get into one of the Academies early. Which actually sounds like a pipe dream from where I am now, sitting in an alley somewhere with a single procured bread roll.

It's just a pipe dream at this point.

I bite into the roll and tear away a piece angrily glaring at nothing. I'm alive, but not exactly living and honestly I don't know where to go from here.

I don't know what to do. I mean I have ideas, but how to put those in place is a big problem. It's not like I could realistically find someone who would actually be willing to train me. Not as I am. I swallow the mouthful of bread in my mouth and take a deep breath. I need to think, I need to focus and plan.

It's not as simple as just surviving.

That's only the beginning. I have a goal, a set goal. To become a Huntress.

That begins with training. Which includes having a proper place to live and a proper set diet. I need to step up my game. When it comes to stealing things, I've been keeping it low key. Take only what you need to survive and no more. If I'm going to reach my goal though. My eyes narrow and I can feel a smirk cross my face.

I can feel it as I decide to step outside of my comfort zone and safety circle.

I finish off the last few bites of my roll and sigh before curling my hands by my side and closing my eyes to think and plan. Now to pick a target and figure out how to steal it... and how to start learning to fight.

It all starts with the first few steps after all.

Small steps to set in motion big events.

My footfalls are near silent as I slink down the streets. Avoiding the noisier areas, and the more bustling parts of the town/city. It's easy enough, I just need to tune in to my instincts. Follow the sounds, and the vibrations. Or in this case move away from them and keep to the shadows. My expression is very carefully neutral as I slink through the shadows and eventually come across a familiar sight.

Another peace rally.

Another White Fang gathering. Protest. People holding signs and shouting about how they need, how they deserve equal rights. How we're just as human as those who're suppressing us. I feel my tail twitch and sniff the air. It's strange to stand hidden in the shadows and just watch. Listening to the jeers of the crowd, listening to the dismissive attitudes of the people who do stop to observe the event.

It's disgusting.

Especially when some members of the police finally arrive. They don't even consider politely shooing people away, no... It's straight to pulling out pepper spray and batons and forcibly breaking apart the rally. Is it any wonder that eventually the White Fang turned violent... Sure the leadership was forcibly taken over, but still.

With the way that we're treated.

It's simply the natural progression of events. Even if I wanted to, I would never be able to prevent that. So I simply sniff and twitch my tail a couple of times before turning away and using the shadows to flee.

Honestly... I think that it would only be proper for my first big target to be the station. Now I just need to figure out the details. And it shouldn't be too hard to get the basics down.

After all... I'm just a four year old, what harm could I possibly intend?

Chapter Text

It still takes me another month or so to actually get my tail into gear and figure out where to begin when it comes to robbing the police station. Which means that I set the date for my planned heist for my fifth birthday. The exact day of my birthday in fact. Which makes it interesting. I wait until everyone is gone before walking inside. I can't feel anyone else in the building. Another note about how useless the police on Remnant are... Honestly this whole system is screwed.

It's painful. The police are useless except when it comes to judging people who need to be given a break. Then again, some criminals certainly do seem to operate in broad daylight, and an elderly man runs the dust shop. Also, the issue with Huntsmen and Huntresses being the highest authority... So I'm not that surprised that they more or less left the place completely unguarded. Well... not exactly, there are cameras. I keep to the shadows and down low. Low closer to the ground, hidden in the shadows to avoid the cameras. It's easy enough, probably because I'm so small.

Small and tiny, and who really expects a five year old who's just barely 98cm to be sneaking into the empty station. No one.

I find myself grinning as I wander through the shadows tail swishing out behind me as I walk. It's so quiet honestly, even my footfalls against the tile. Almost too quiet and it's enough to send prickles faintly over my body. Between overstimulation and understimulation I prefer the former. At least then I know that stuff is happening. The latter makes me all the more twitchy, and sure that something is going to go wrong.

An empty police station with no noise coming in from outside is more than enough to cause at least some understimulation. I appreciate at least a little bit of noise. A little bit of something to let me know that I'm not entirely alone...

I take a deep breath and up my speed racing down empty halls and noticing that most of the cameras are missing that little red light that I had observed during the days leading up to this. Something is wrong. Something is wrong, and I don't know what it is as I slow down approaching the armory. I tug my fluffy(stolen) jacket a little bit closer around me and then pull up the hood. It's time to do this. Although... there's a hole in this plan.

I glare up at the handle on the door, and the lock annoyed by how much higher than me they are. I forgot the pain of been so small honestly.

I puff up my cheeks and my tail fluffs up with my annoyance before I stop. There's a clatter from somewhere behind me back down the hall. Instantly I spin around and tune back in to my other senses. Quiet, no breeze, faint vibrations that echo across the tile, lavender? But also, a gaping feeling of nothing. Emptiness that gnaws at the edges of reality.

A Grimm? Here? In the station, what the hell were the idiot police thinking?

They probably weren't thinking. More than likely they wanted... Wait a minute. I feel a grin light across my face and race down the hall until I can hear growling. I slow and drop down peering around the corner just enough to spot my target.

Now here's the thing, all I've got in the way of a weapon is a hastily constructed slingshot. A Y shaped stick combined with a rubber band. Like what I used to make all the time as a child in my previous life. Pretty simple and basic and all too easy to load up with a pebble and tug back taking careful aim. The Boarbatusk howls when the pebble strikes true and then I stand there tugging one eye down, poking my tongue at it, and swishing my tail. More than enough to capture it's attention. I drop the antics as soon as it seems mad enough and then scramble back around the corner racing down and back towards the armory door.

It keeps sliding into the war and comparatively I have more balance. I spin around stopping in front of the door and once more stick out my tongue at it.

And now I jump up and over it, as it spins and drills right into the door. Okay, so it didn't quite end up busting the door open like I expected... But. I scramble up onto it's armored back and to the lock. It's easy enough to pick, though there's a fair bit of jiggling the picks around to get it to actually open. Then it's the simple matter of opening the door. Which luckily opens inwards. The Boarbatusk is thankfully still stuck as I begin to peruse the various firearms and blunt weapons within the room.

Half of them look like they were taken from random academy dropouts turned average street thug. I mean seriously, what use would a normal person have for a toaster that's also a gun? Or even a badminton racket gun. Or maybe these are the discarded weapons that students have made but then found unsuitable.

Eh, six of one half a dozen of the other.

But seriously... where are the regular weapons? I can't even find a regular staff... Oh, Scythe! I am suitably distracted by the three different scythes laying against the wall. Two of them are partially broken. But they might be good for practicing with... and the final one. It's the most in tact, but way too big for my small size. Luckily, all three fold up. So they're compact for transport. I can shove them into the backpack that I swiped from some school kid...

Also that kids lunch was yum as well. That day was worth it for stealing. Though the kids scroll and other personal items were tossed into the river. I didn't need them.

I needed the bag, which now has three scythes stashed within it.

Now to find an actual gun. Quickly, since the Boarbatusk is starting to get loose. Which is really not that easy, although I do trip over a weighted staff that can split into two. Both ends with guns... seems pretty simple to use. Shrinks down to a nice size as well. Oh goggles! I drop the staff and scramble over the discarded weapons to reach the plain looking goggles. In fact they are just goggles.

Orange tinted lenses and green rims. They're perfect. Absolutely. A thundering tearing sound echoes from behind me and I jolt before staring back down. At the almost forgotten Boarbatusk. Right, I'm in here with a Grimm. I should probably remember that. I jump down tucking the goggles into a pocket and rolling a bit scooping up the staff. And boom...

Well I didn't intend to fire it straight away but that works. Also one dead Boarbatusk added to my resume... Yay?

If I'm lucky no one will notice. I push myself to my feet and look around before shrinking the staff gun and tucking it away. My tail twitches and I casually walk out, and then race down the hall. I only stop for a small detour where I swipe a handgun on a desk, along with a couple of vials of dust.

The building is still empty, so it's easy enough to leave unseen but still. I would count that as an almost success... Though it will probably be on the news later as reports of a thief. But hey, I sort of got what I wanted. Sort of. Hopefully there's no one who really takes inventory because otherwise people will notice that some of the stuff is missing. Three scythes, a staff, a handgun, a set of goggles and a couple of vials of dust.

I honestly haven't got a clue what to do with any of this.

Oh well, I'll figure something out... Besides I swiped the scythes because foxes do have associated legends with the afterlife as messengers and guides... For those who've died. Adaptability and quick thinking, cunning, loyalty and honor... Huh. Scythes have some of those traits as well.

At least in regards to death. Staffs are reliable on the other hand... hmm, if I manage to work in a chain somewhere I could probably repurpose them to also have a kusarigama mode, and maybe just a kusari-fundo mode as well... That would reflect my parents a bit... Though I don't really have any fondness for considering a shovel as a weapon. Also at this point that's a bit far off in the future. I should just get used to using them separately first and then figure out the details of the combine and morph later on.

I really should not be standing in the middle of the street contemplating this stuff. So I look around and pull the backpack straps up a bit and then walk down the street. Looking for all the world like someone on their way to school. Well, if you forget the fact that it's the middle of the day and most kids would already be at school. Already taking their classes and learning, and also the fact that most faunus have problems even getting enrolled in most schools since the bias against us means most people don't care that much to let us join them. Most schools just don't let us in.

Except for those that specifically prepare you for the Academies, like Signal.

And I probably wouldn't be able to get in there yet, because that's kind of impossible at this point... Especially since I'm only now five, those schools start at the age of ten anyway. So that you're ready for Beacon, Shade, Haven and Atlas...

Of course, to even get into one of those battle schools you still need to go to a normal school. Which I can't. Not as a street kid. Not without anyone to serve as my guardian. Of course, if I pick a school carefully I could probably figure out a schedule to sneak into classes and put myself on someone's roll. Or I could forge my records, or eventually bypass that entirely and instead take a formal test elsewhere since I already know the important stuff.

Or just wing it and hope that I can bullshit my way into one of the Academies once I reach the age of fifteen.

Yeah bullshitting it sounds best. That way I can continue my regularly scheduled plan of avoiding everyone from canon until canon actually starts... Well aside from Blake, and maybe Adam as long as he's not being a complete control freak. I can deal with that, I think. As long as neither of them try to-

My train of thought slams to a stand-still right there as a loud bang goes off and I wind up covering my eyes. I squeeze my eyes shut and drop down in the middle of the path tail twitching sporadically before finally curling defensively around me. The booming is still going off, now with added sirens and I CAN'T BLOCK IT OUT.

I can't, can't make it stop and I can hear small whimpers breaking past my lips as my hands curl even further into the sides of my head. Turn of the sound, turn it off. I start screaming, trying to be louder, because maybe then it would stop and I could go back to walking.

Go back to finding a place where I can properly look over what I've stolen. Also, I'm in the middle of the street curled into myself and screaming with my hands over my ears trying to block out the noise. Why hasn't anyone stopped to find out what's going on... Oh wait, my tail answers that for me as it twitches again. Eventually I force myself up and just run, maybe I can outrun the sound.

Instead I slam into someone.

The sixteen year old hisses and her leg lances out, possibly automatically sending me crashing back into a wall. I scream even louder in response and curl up trying to ignore the sharp, sharp knifing pain that caused. I glare with narrowed eyes at the teenager, she has dark black hair and sharp dismissive orange eyes... Also red clothing and. I blink confusion taking the place of pain. She looks familiar.

In a very dangerous way.

Cinder? Cinder Fucking Fall?

What the actual fuck? Why, how? This can't be right? Can it? I mean, wasn't she supposed to be from Mistral or something? So what's she doing here, in Vale? Then again I could be completely off with my judgment... I mean I was just kicked into the wall. That kind of messes with your processing skills a fair bit. Yet I still push myself back to my feet and unsteadily sway half glaring at the teenager in front of me. Which is another go figure moment. Of course she's not an adult yet.

Just like Adam, who's only thirteen... Also is it any wonder he became a little bit possessive over Blake in canon when you consider that kind of responsibility over a child like that. A bit too controlling for my tastes but it's somewhat understandable.

"That... That wasn't very amiable" I'm whining. Mainly because my head is still pounding with the echoes of that noise, and being kicked into a wall did not help. Also Cinder's tall, very tall. Though that could be due to my own small stature. Of course that really doesn't matter right now, because here I have a chance to change something. Although, what exactly I'll be changing is yet to be seen.

"I wasn't trying to be amiable." she says and I narrow my eyes just that little bit further at her. My tail twitches and I hiss when more banging and clattering noises filter in from the street. My hands almost come and clap up to cover my ears... but... showing any weakness in front of Cinder would be horrible.

It would be giving her what she's expecting from me at this point. I can feel her smirk, and expectation and I refuse to let her receive the satisfaction of seeing me break down due to sensory overload a second time. Not when she's already kicked me, and when she wants to be feared.

"I'm not scared of you!" I hiss tail stiffening. Hands curling and head pounding due to the noise pollution. "And I'll never be scared of you." She looks perplexed. And I don't care. I just race away, leaving her with what probably seems like a random non-sequitur. Or who knows... I just need to get away and find somewhere to curl up and clear my head.

AND WILL SOMEONE SHUT OFF THAT BANGING PLEASE!

Chapter Text

Things only get better, or worse depending on which way you look at it. Now that I've run into Cinder once she keeps showing up. I don't know if I'm subconsciously stalking her, or if she's following me curious but it's annoying. Annoying and frustrating. Also it means that I have to make do. A small clear area, a back alley.

First of all, I'm going to have to practice with the staff, and the handgun. Basics.

Basics, and yet I actually don't practice with them as much as I hold them and get used to their weight. As much as I shove them back into my pack and skulk around the dust and weapons stores and examine things. As much as I begin to play around in seeing exactly how they go together.

Which is what leads to the activation of my aura.

Sitting with the handgun in my lap, fingers poking around the barrel and double checking the trigger guard. Never putting my fingers anywhere near the trigger though, I've accidentally fired both the handgun and the staff more than enough already. I've been pretty lucky so far in regards to not accidentally shooting myself, but my luck will only hang out so long.

So I keep my fingers well away from the trigger, and anything else that could accidentally set it off. Which doesn't last that long honestly. And before I really know it I'm actually disassembling it a bit. I've been playing around with them for a few days, figuring it out...

But there's something different about this time.

Something about me.

A burning, a yearning. Something pulsing and pushing. Blazing just beneath my skin and coursing through my veins. Power, and yet it's not complete, not absolute. Not that I would really want it to be. It's strange enough to know that I'm different, to know that it's growing and pulsing, with a mind of it's own. And as I remove the coil and check the casing, it flares. Like a tsunami the energy from within just pours out.

An inferno, a blaze. A magenta hue that covers my skin and seeps into the partially disassembled weapon in my hands.

It's amazing, I can't even describe it. Much like my tail though I'm now aware of every single piece. Every small detail of the handgun. From the chamber to the barrel and the small nicks and tears of wear on the grip. It's exhilarating and I can feel a grin spread across my face, from one ear to the other. So this is my aura when it's unlocked?

Magenta and peppy, like a soft drink that's been shaken before opening the bottle. Simply shooting out and spraying everwhere.

All the weapons that I have, I can feel them. The broken and snapped scythes, the fully intact one. The collapsable staff... and the goggles perched up in my hair. Each of the lenses of the goggles, the blades of the scythes, the firmness of the staff. I can feel them. And it's such a good feeling. A complete feeling, a sense of wholeness that I wasn't expecting. So this is my aura. Deep breaths and another pulse. It's so wild, and new and yet feels so natural.

Like the way my tail swishes behind me, the way the pieces of each weapon slide and click back together.

It's natural. Slowly the magenta dies down. Pulls back and seeps into my skin. Active but no longer a blazing glow that all can see. No longer a beacon to lead people back to me.

"Impressive..." I flinch and my head snaps up, whipping around at the click, click of heels against stone. It's Cinder. My tail twitches and kind of puffs up and I feel my grip on the weapon currently in my hands tighten. Muscles tensing and my lip curls.

"What do you want?" snarling. I'm snarling at the person who's going to be one of Remnant's most dangerous villains.

"I am merely..." she pauses for a moment looking around the small alley with a derisive sneer on her face. "curious. After our initial meeting, I'll admit I had questions." I tense even more, and can feel my hackles raising.

Danger, danger, abort, abort!

"Why did you say that you aren't scared of me?" orange eyes fix on my own mismatched ones, I can feel my eyes narrow and a scowl fix itself to my face.

"Because I know you! Just another overgrown bully!" There's a splintering cracking sound and I look down. Frowning at the fragments of metal that have lodged themselves into my hands, the broken, shattered barrel and pieces of the gun crumbling as they fell to the ground. "And really, in this world there are worse things to fear. The darkness that consumes and devourers, the beasts that lurk just beyond this plane of existence. The Grimm may be the most obvious danger but they're definitely not the only one..." I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

Pulling in my aura just that bit more. Circulating it through my system and focusing on clearing my head. It's true though, the Grimm aren't the only dangers in regards to the wild. Creatures borne from the void, creatures of the Grimm... they can't be the only ones.

And I can feel other things. Small flickering things that seem to be on the very edge of reality.

"I fear demons more than I fear people... More than I fear the Grimm." I say opening my eyes back up and tilting my head back stubborn. "Spirits and ghosts, those who linger... The monsters that we create and then forget. In many ways they're the worse ones!" If they exist, which they might.

But they also might not. It's likely a matter of perception. But I can feel them. I can sense them, and my tail swishes behind me as I focus on Cinder. A half smirk pulling on my face.

"So why should I fear a mere mortal? A mere human or faunus... when you're merely like a stone dropped into water?"

She looks furious. Honestly I would be to, told by a little brat that I was nothing in the grander scheme of things. But it's the truth, we are nothing. Nothing we do here or now will make that much of a difference. Her hands curl and her eyes blaze and I merely keep looking up at her with a firm set of my jaw and a slight smirk. Hands that curl and even though there's pain from the metal in them...

It's nothing.

I've won this one, and we both know that. Her expression changes afterwards. With a considering sound she turns, gives me one last glance and then sweeps away.

I tilt my head afterwards. I think that I might have just misstepped. Made an enemy that nobody would want.

It doesn't matter. I kneel down and gather up the broken pieces of my hand gun. They still flare with aura, my aura and I sigh. Maybe I can break into a metal working shop, gloves, goggles... I could figure out how to forge on my own... Or I could break in and leave schematics and a bit of stolen money to pay for them to fix it. Which would be much safer considering I am still only a five year old child.

That decision made I nod my head and shove all the broken pieces into my pack. I pull out one of the broken scythes in exchange. I sit back down and slowly move a hand up the staff until it's just below the metal of the blade. A small push, a wriggle and it comes apart. The wood of the staff taps the ground letting puffs of dust into the air. It's rough to the feel, but soft. Comforting in my hands.

But not that useful in regards to a proper weapon. Wood shatters too easily, and splinters are a pain to deal with. Still I discard the blade off to the side and stretch my hands out over the pole and frown. My tail twitches again and I wonder.

Sun, Son(?), the Monkey guy could use his tail to hold things.

Could I do the same?

A little experimentation proves that I can. It's just not the most effective thing. Probably more of a last resort option than anything. But applying aura, and stiffening my tail certainly makes it into a decent weapon on it's own. Shattering the few rocks that I've been clearing out from the area. Prehensile tails are awesome! It waves quickly behind me and I straighten. Pat myself down clearing the fine layering of dust from my clothing before grabbing my pack and pulling it onto my back.

It's time to find a work shop.

And a place to stake it out. Hang up in the rafters, hide and observe. Learn through listening and watching them work. Hot and cold. It's going to be a stretch, but hey... I am an Auditory-tactile learning. Listen and then do, that's how I learn best.

My feet kick up dust until I'm well out of my back alley. Walking on the stone path, in plain view of most people. And quickly able to disappear in the throng of children heading home from school. I have the timing down to an artform almost now. Able to easily lose myself in the crowd and navigate my way through it. Finally exiting in one of the more run down areas.

One of the faunus owned and habited areas.

My tail swishes and I raise my head. Looking overhead I try to find any smoke. After all, why would I want a human to work on my weapons? I mean even if they wouldn't know who's ordering the job, best to get them done by someone who I know won't screw me over. A more trustworthy source. Stone turns to grass, and my footsteps drift into silence. It's peaceful really, nice and pleasant. If not for the fact that all the buildings around me are crumbling.

Vines crawling and consuming, forced disarray and disrepair. Not that I mind, not that others of us mind. We can twist this around. Make it work for us...

Growing homes. The further in I go the less overrun the buildings look. The more harmony there is. Trees and vines, buildings that work with the plants rather than fight them. I've made it past the front put up by those living here to seem like it's worse off. This, this is Edegreen. The faunus town...

Smoke, the sweat scent of freshly cooked bread and laughter greets me. Honestly, the first time I had wound up here had been a couple of days after my decision to rob the police station. I made most of my plans here, and here I technically have a home.

"Hey Neon!" I pull up short and spin around to face the person calling me. A lemur tail, black and white striped, and a huge grin. "Nice to see you!" the older boy calls. I almost want to roll my eyes, he's such a dork, no weapon in sight. He's not even interested in such things, in fact I think that if he knew what's in my pack he'd chuck them in the well that's a good five meters in front of us.

"What do you want Checker?" I ask crossing my arms over my chest. It's ever so slightly defensive as the lemur boy grins.

"Nothing much Neon Nox Volpis." he says teasing me. Nox... Neon Nox Volpis, it's a nickname. Self picked and chosen. The first that I could think of when I ended up here the first time. People were asking me who I was. I kind of freaked out.

-Flashback-

Dirt and grass thread between my fingers and I pant desperately. Trying to understand what exactly had just happened. People had been chasing me, that much I'm able to remember. Afterwards though... blank. I close my eyes tightly and just focus on breathing. There's a light crunching sound off to my right and I feel my tail stiffening. Curling and I force myself back to my feet.

Hands curl, and teeth bared at... Oh... it's a crowd of faunus. All of them looking at me in confusion and/or worry. And they're all speaking.

All asking questions. My hand uncurl and move to cover my ears. I try to bite down on my other senses as well. I can feel too much, anxiety, curiosity, worry, wonder, anger and more... A swirl of emotions that simultaneously try to overexcite and overwhelm me. Yet there's a clear voice among all the rest.

"Who are you?"

"Neon... Neon Volpis" I shout, but it's somehow not enough. "Call me Nox though..." and as though it's a key word everything falls silent. I take several deep breaths, my hands still pressing and digging into the side of my head.

"Okay... Okay, welcome to Edegreen Neon 'Nox' Volpis..." I slowly lift my head to see a badger tailed main in a cloak. He nods to me before turning to the crowd.

-Present-

Well, sort of. I just blurted it out at the time. But it fits well enough. Except my aura is magenta, and my name is Neon, which is red. Nox is darkness, a spell from Harry Potter that represents darkness. And it's latin for that as well... It doesn't quite fit the theme. But, it works well enough for me.

"Whatever Checker..." I grumble blowing out an annoyed breath of air. Before I blink and allow myself to smirk. "Hey. Guess what happened today though!" I don't really give him a chance to answer. "I unlocked it! I found my Aura!"

Chapter Text

Checker is... well I suppose he's like an older brother. An annoying presence who's always there to remind me what reality is. He's goofy and a dork but also, he's like Mint in the way that I can look up to him. Maybe he's not a Huntsmen of any kind, and he abhors violence, but he's still someone who can fill that gap.

Someone who I adore in my own weird way. Which is why I'm grinning at him, beaming with the pride of actually managing to do it. To unlock my aura. He blinks and an absolutely bewildered look crosses his face. Slowly my own smile drops and I short of poke my fingers together nervously.

"Checker..."

"You... you unlocked your what now?" I actually feel a bead of sweat slide down the back of my head and sigh.

"Don't know why I expected anything different..." I mutter before simply shaking my head and linking my arms behind my back. A small smile and closed eyes. "Nevermind Checker. It's nothing important." Not really, it's just something that I have pride in. Although really, I should know better by now. Most of the people here are merely civilians.

No Hunters in sight.

Speaking of which the terms are so confusing, since anyone could be a Hunter technically in my previous life. It was just a thing people done, the hunters are out searching for game. And I once had a teacher Mrs Hunter. Huntress is obviously feminine and Huntsmen seems masculine, but I've heard it walking around. A group of Huntsmen, and off hand it's confusing. Which leads to my stated goal of being a Huntress. I specifically use the feminine term, despite the fact that I'm Agender and would generally prefer neutral terms. Although I still do the whole lean more to who the hell cares it's just a word thing.

So Huntress.

Still, it's disappointing that my greatest achievement so far in this life is going to go mostly uncommented on. Unnoticed and unobserved. Oh well, it's simply what I get for being a faunus. What I get for being born into a place and world where I'm oppressed simply for what I am…

I open my eyes back up and smile up at Checker. Waving a hand, dismissing the point and instead continuing along. Further into the Village. Further into Edegreen, into my home I guess… Even though I usually sleep wherever I end up. It's the closest thing that I have to a home anyway, and it's nice.

But it's not where my heart is.

My heart is still in the place where my family died. Where I buried them with only the help of Adam and Blake. Back in that blood stained cottage in a glade before the forest. In a home where I was born and grew to be loved. Our family was small, but it was still good.

Mint, Mum, Dad…

And all those from my previous life. Those important in my memories.

Mom, Dad, Pop, Nana, Nonna, Beth, Cordell, Freedom, Bailey, Makeita, Jane, Codee, Matilda, Andrew, AJ, Taylah, Mitchel, Joshua, Joseph, Sarina, Jamie, Vera, Peter…

So many people who made home, home.

So here, Edegreen is just a place to rest my head. Although, it does give me a sense of longing for the small town I grew up in previously. For the streets where you knew everyone and their dog, where you could just walk a couple doors down and see a familiar face. Where there was a park a couple minutes walk in either direction. It's an ache that never really goes away when I'm here. Makes my interactions with people a bit weird.

Aside from Checker.

And that's because he's so annoyingly persistent. Sure that I need someone to look out for me… And maybe I do. But maybe I don't.

So for the most part I just allow him to deal with me as he will. I treat him as I do… and I guess he really is like an older brother. Annoying and I can't help but care. He's someone who one day I'll be able to protect. To fight for. You're always stronger when there's something to fight for. A reason to fight. Something, or someone to hold onto, to protect, to keep living for.

And currently, that's Checker's place in my life.

He's my doofy older brother figure, who has a dislike for Hunters, Huntsmen and Huntresses but still puts up with them, since they're supposed to be protectors. Heroes and Heroines…

I'm not so sure about that role myself honestly. I mean my goal is inherently selfish in that regard… I just want to be one for the power, for the ability to change things in some way. Whether that way will be positive or negative doesn't really matter, I just want to change things in some way. It's not like I've been reincarnated in Naruto where I could have a proper end goal, Hokage, ANBU Captain, Jonin Sensei, Head of the Hospital… It's not like that.

Here it's just kind of a thing.

Is there any kind of end goal?

Being respected? Having the power to control your own fate? Changing people's views?

What's the point?

I'm pretty sure that by the time things get moving I'm just going to nope out of everything. Since I just don't get it. Again, at least Naruto has a clear career goal even for the Shinobi side. It's not just fighting and taking missions… even if it is mostly that. There's that much more to it… for Hunters though… It's all there seems to be, unless I manage to finagle my way into a teaching role.

I don't know…

So I forget about it, and instead fiddle with the straps of my backpack as we walk. Looking anywhere but where we're heading. Anywhere but straight ahead. Instead I look around at the buildings. Still with as much wonder as all my previous visits.

It's just… It's what I'd imagine paradise to be. Growing homes, trees that grow and arch in that weird way that creates a natural tunnel, huge leaves the wave overhead casting long shadows, natural decorative fountains and plenty of fruit that just grows. Homes that go around and up the trees and people who just smile and happily greet us.

It's like paradise.

Peace, safety, and hidden from those who wouldn't care for it. From those who would cheerfully destroy it and leave us with nothing.

This is how the faunus live. Their havens kept secret, disguised with overgrowth and crumbling buildings. And worked around to be more than they ever appear.

It gives me a strange feeling really. Because I just know, if this place exists… then surely others must. In other hidden alcoves, in other protected alleys. Menageries a mess, and yet people still live there. People complain, and we still protest, the White Fang does it's thing. Because why must we hide? Why should we be forced to hide when humans get to walk free and do whatever they want? Why is it that when we carry around dust or weapons people don't think huntsmen or huntress but rather criminal… Why do such things persist.

Oppression attracts Grimm.

Negativity attracts Grimm.

Why does nobody notice this? Why do they allow us to be crushed beneath the weight of opposition. To hide and pretend that things are worse and then hate the paradise that we make because we can't walk freely without being mocked. They call us animals… how about the try looking in the mirror sometime.

I swipe a hand over my eyes and blink rapidly beginning to make myself upset. Edegreen is beautiful. But the beauty is marred by the fact that it's all an illusion. So much trouble. Homes sell cheap, yet still become expensive. Limited access to the rest of the town, to the things we need to live… to everything.

Other kids don't notice, the adults force smiles and in it all we make a world of beauty to try and distract from the problems. It's not like we have much of a choice of where else we could live. Which creates envy for the homes that others have. Apartments packed closely together, a small house with a small garden and stone path… Not homes that blend nature and technology.

It's the price of living.

Just because you're born as what you are the world hates you. They try to kill you just because of your parents, because of your skin and your features. My tail twitches and I grit my teeth together. Hands tightening on the straps of my pack and I know. That's one of the biggest things I hate about this life. That I want to change.

Give us equal footing. Equal rights. We're not animals even though we have our extras.

There's always some problem in the world.

Some inequality.

Whether it's the call for femnism, for gender equalism. Arguments about immigration and the matter of skin colour and heritage, or religion. There's always something.

Humanity is prone to judging. To lashing out at those who're different. No matter what the small difference is. Reminds me of Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back actually… with all the cloned Pokémon, and Meowth's quote…

'We do have a lot in common. The same air, the same Earth, the same sky. Maybe if we started looking at what's the same instead of always looking at what's different, ...well, who knows?'

It's very apt at describing the problem with people… Always looking at the differences. Instead of what's the same. We all need to fight the Grimm after all, strike back against them and deal with them. We all look up at the same moon, the same sun shines on us, the same rain refreshes us… Why do we have to fight?

Why do we have to suffer…

Just because we have tails, claws and fangs, cat ears, dog ears, long rabbit ears, round mouse ears… paws instead of hands in some cases, gills, wings… scales that cover small parts of our bodies, horns and antlers… Why do we have to fight against people who see us as less. Why is justice and equality still forgotten.

Sure this world views queer people and relationships and regular, and girls have just as much power as boys but still…

Why do they still fail with this. Why is Edegreen an illusion of happiness and peace, why is it a pretty prison rather than a shared marvel? Why does this have to be our reality?

It's paradise sure… but it's also a prison, an illusion. Safety, and peace, forced because where else can we go. I don't know the conditions of Menagerie… I just know that one of the biggest problems with it is that there's too many people forced to live there. Rounded up and kept there… Overcrowding and all the issues with that. My hands tighten and I can feel the strap cut into my palms just that little bit.

I can feel the way my muscles pull together and the rush of heat that kind of gathers in my palm. I can feel it, and it makes me hate this world so much. There's no purpose to any of it. There's no reason. Hunters are supposed to be protectors, and yet they kick those who're down just as much as some of the police.

A new kind of police brutality.

I'll change it. My hands loosen and I feel myself baring my teeth. Smoke dances in the distance an I know where I'm going. Now...

Now I just need to slip away...

Chapter Text

Honestly... it's almost absurdly easy to slip away from the watchful eye of Checker. The various other people who also watch over me in Edegreen are just as easy to slip away from. Afterwards I simply find the work shop and walk inside. The man behind the counter is all smiles, messy blond hair, bright amber eyes and twin fluffy squirrel ears. I smile up at him before jumping up onto the desk at the front.

"Hey Ruben!" I cheerfully greet and the man blinks at me. Probably considering my age. I mean I am only five, still a baby by most people's standards. "Teach ME!" It's a demand more than anything else, especially as I pull out one of the broken scythes. "Teach me so I can defend everyone..." and so I can repair and make my own weapons, though that part isn't necessary to say out loud.

"Ahh, but aren't you a little young Neon" I growl and glare up at him before jumping down.

"You're never too young to begin learning!" I tap the scythe against the ground and grin. "Best to start early anyway Ruben... or you get too old and your mind isn't flexible enough to really absorb it..." And isn't that the truth, after a certain point it all becomes just too hard.

He laughs, loud and deep, laughter from his very belly. I smirk as he crouches down to my level, a very serious expression on his face.

"You sure you want to learn now Kitsuko?"

"Of course Ruben!"

"Alright then Kitsuko! We'll begin right now!" I grin broadly up at him my tail waving behind me with anticipation.

It's almost not worth it... Ruben only gets me to help out a little bit. Carrying buckets of water, finding coal and sorting out the various vials of dust. Bringing him specific types of metal and maybe looking over some blueprints for various items.

And nothing more...

Nothing more. It's annoying, but not all that unexpected considering that physically I'm only five. Only five, and still small for my age at that. More than 10cms smaller than all the others of my age group as well. In fact there are some three year olds who're taller than me. I'll always be short honestly, but this is annoying.

It's limiting me, and it's all I can do to keep from screaming at the man who's supposed to be teaching me something. Anything. It's all I can do. I drag metal pieces over the ground and he smiles at me, warm and happy, and it burns...

Because I need to learn things.

Because I know that I can learn what people are willing to teach me.

Because I need to do this.

Because I'm going to change things.

Because I can't do anything if people insist on treating me as the small child that I currently appear as. It's frustrating. Especially as Ruben closes the shop up for the day. Closing the door to any more customers.

Locking them, and smiling.

"Nice work for the day Kitsuko!" he says and that's ultimately what makes me snap. Teeth flashing and my aura flaring into existence in a magenta glow around me.

"Nice Work? NICE WORK?! I didn't even get to do anything!" I howl waving my arms around before pulling them in and crossing them to glare up at him. "How am I supposed to learn anything if you insist on making me do the petty things!?" I bare my teeth. "Small chores and errands and... and... I need to learn stuff. How am I supposed to become an Awesome Huntress if you're going to treat me like a small infant!"

"Well you are still only a small child Kitsuko" I bristle and snap at him again, barring my teeth tail lashing behind me.

"I'm five! Ruben! Old enough for at least the basics!" well, okay that depends on what your interpretation of the basics is. But it's pretty much true. Safe weapon handling, and theory, Grimm theory and stuff like that. I mean I remember when Safety Houses were a thing. That started when I was five, we'd walk around the block and they'd point out all the houses with the smiling yellow triangle.

Which wow, in hindsight that done nothing, also yellow triangles are forever tainted due to Bill Cipher from Gravity Falls. Which yeah, I'm never going to be quite over that I think.

"Come on! TEACH ME!" I whine, swapping to a more pouty expression. "Come on Ruben, at least the basics!" I plead, I'm... not exactly the best at getting what I want. Not really. My parents always just kind of let me learn. I'd get things eventually, but months later(in regards to games or technology) or my mother would get me to pay for them myself. It taught me at least a small bit about budgeting.

This is of course different, and I'm pretty sure the tail and my current age help a little bit. The slight quiver of a lip, widening my eyes and curling my tail, hands curling and a small whimper.

And he laughs, a booming echoing sound. Deep and from the belly. As he settles he looks down and catches my put out expression and laughs again.

"Alright then Kitsuko, alright then"

I think that I just made a mistake.

It hurts...

Everything hurts and I can still feel the searing heat on my face as I flop over in the shade of a tree onto the moist grass. I'm pretty sure that my tail is slightly singed and my hands are still slightly steaming. I didn't expect the basics to include actually handling things. Even if it was only banging it with a small hammer, and even with gloves superheated metal is still superheated.

Ruben definitely doesn't do anything by half.

And it hurts.

I didn't know that he was a former Huntsman.

And he's punishing about it. There's no doubt that I'm going to learn anyway. And I'm going to learn quick. It's sink or swim and I've been thrown into the deep end practically. Pounding the hammer against metal wasn't the only thing that he had me doing. Laps until I couldn't breath, that stick over the shoulders with buckets of water thing... Sit ups, push ups, chin ups and others... and just.

I'm exhausted.

I'm used to running sure, but really the thing I do the most in this life is kind of flitter around in the background.

"You done well for your first day Kitsuko!" he's smiling bastard. I can only pant and give a weak glare up at him. He laughs and shakes his head. "Rest for now, I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Slave driver..." I mutter into the grass as he walks away before weakly pushing myself up. But I'm actually happy about this. No pain no gain right? You need to work for whatever you get. Especially in this position, I'm not like others I won't have things just handed to me. Not that I've ever had things just handed to me.

School was hard, I never really could get a job, and well...

It's all about perspective really.

Girls have to deal with people bad mouthing them for the smallest things. Expectations, standards and judgment for everything. The way you wear your hair, the clothing you wear, the activities you do. Boys have to deal with similar expectations, unrealistic body goals, the expectation to be 'manly' to be tough and not show as many emotions... To be strong.

But what's strength?

And as you grow older it gets harder just because of where you were born. What you were born as, and what your background. Maybe it's the colour of your skin, or your body shape, maybe it's that you're the wrong gender. And I remember hearing complaints from those around me...

And seeing the effects.

And now I'm determined. I'll change things. One person at a time, one day at a time, one step at a time.

Here gender doesn't seem to be the major problem. It just is. No the problem is racism.

I... I actually can't remember if there were that many darker skinned characters in the series. Or whether they were treated that much differently... I think that there was Fox... and maybe Yatsuhashi? He wasn't quite light skinned anyway... Oh, and Emerald! But not that many darker skinned people, at least not that many who were named.

So I don't know if the racism in regards to skin is the same or not... I just know how it is for Faunus, and for all I know it could be in two different directions here...

I really don't know.

But whatever it is I'll still try to change things. Make things better for all. Or at least begin to make things better. I take a deep breath and straighten. One foot in front of the other I begin to walk back home. In the direction of Checker's house. In the direction of the place that I'm staying here, in the direction of safety and familiarity.

And I honestly can't help but smile.

Despite the aching in my bones, the screaming in my muscles and the sheer exhaustion that's weighing me down... I smile.

Because this is a step in the right direction. And that smile makes me stand just a little straighter. With my head a little wider, my tail a little fluffier. And my eyes a little sharper. Because this is my resolve this is my promise and the beginning down the path to the future.

Down the true path to become a Huntress and defender of those who need it.

Down the path to change.

So I smile even with bruises beginning to darken. Even with the pain, and the ache. I smile, after all..

I'm used to pain.

It gives me hope, and tells me that I'm still alive.

Chapter Text

Time passes and each day I'm worked into the ground under the careful watch of Ruben. Worked hard and pushed to the limits until every muscle is screaming. Drilled on safety and metals and, taught what he knows. He's certainly not sparing with his training. He's serious and I can appreciate it.

Spring fades into Summer, and then it's finally Fall. Or as I still refer to it as almost automatically Autumn.

It's March.

My birthday is still in May, on the seventh. And I'm sort of weirded out by the way things are because seasons and dates, and I don't know if it's adapted to match my concept of the way the seasons work or what. But either way, it's March, and the start of Autumn/Fall.

It's amazing.

Trees changing colour, and the flowers of autumn that begin to blossom and bloom. That begin to show themselves, in their own various colours. It's beautiful. I've always found the fall flowers the fanciest. I've always been the fondest of the flowers that sprout during my season.

Just personal taste really, same with enjoying the way that the leaves flash with different colours before eventually falling down to the ground. Eventually people will move to rake them, but for the moment they're just slowly falling and there aren't quite enough on the ground.

Oh there are enough to run through, and scatter, but honestly that's not enough to rake quite yet. Not that some of the other children aren't already taking advantage of the fallen leaves to rake some small piles to jump and play in. It's Autumn. Which means harvest season as well, pumpkins and bake sales.

It's amazing and my tail happily swishes behind me as I race around making deliveries to various locations in Edegreen. Whether for defence near the very edges of the town or for more decorative purposes in some faunus' homes. It's something that I can do, more training really because carting around the weapons the way I do walking a cart around takes effort.

Checker helps.

His own lemur tail swishing behind him as he watches over me. Making sure that I don't hurt myself, or strain anything. It's nice really. I grin at him and he huffs rolling his eyes before motioning for me to continue.

Really this is the last delivery of various weapons for the week. End of the week delivery. Last delivery before closing up the shop for the weekend. And that's when we'll actually get to some fun. Back and forth. I grin just at the knowledge of what I'm going to be looking forwards to on the weekend. Because I've improved. Incredibly.

My speed, my strength, stamina, the way I'm able to use my aura and call it up. Everything is just improving as I go along. And I can do more now. Maybe not enough, but more. I can't do everything yet but this weekend.

I look forwards to it. But something is different today. And as we walk Checker suddenly stiffens, his tail twitching. I stop blinking before looking up at him surprised. There's a snarl on his face, and one of his hands is curled into a fist. It's so odd that I tilt my head questioning.

"Checker?"

"What's she doing here..." he snarls and I jolt back just a bit before following his gaze and... Something in me twists and burns and it's irrational. Because, that's... that's...

"Amber..." it's more like a breath passing from my lips. A whisper on the wind. A silent plea not quite passing into the open. It's Amber, the current Fall Maiden. At least, she is if my mental representation of the timeline is correct. But then I don't know... and also.

Again, there's that irrational twist. That burn, the flare of anger and rage, and a bolt of something so much darker than anything else I've ever felt. It steals my breath and clenches in my chest, enough to make me actually choke. Anger is not something I'm used to. It is hard for me to normally feel negative emotions. But here...

Here something about this place. Abut this world just bubbles them up. Boils them until they erupt t the surface. Hissing and spitting clawing away at my senses and wanting to burst free taking over. It honestly scares me. Especially here, in this context. Because that's Amber the Fall Maiden and she's going to die in the next ten years. DIE, and Cinder Fall is going to inherit the power of the maiden... and yet...

I feel the burning in my bones that comes with an unquenchable rage. A fury that rises up and consumes everything in its path.

Irrational emotions that I can't help.

I can't let it control me. So I stop. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Feeling my chest expand as the cooling air rushes into my nose. Bringing with it the scent of pollen, small hints of smoke and wood, sweat, dust and dewy wet grass. I hold it, and breath out. Feeling the rush over my tongue and the slow death of the emotions. Again, focus on the expand and hold before blowing it all out.

In, out.

I cannot give in to negative emotions here. Not in this place not in this world. Especially when they're irrational against someone who has done nothing. Nothing to harm us. I will not allow my knee-jerk apparently instinctive reaction to cloud my judgement.

I take one last breath before opening my eyes back up.

It's just a matter of continuing ahead. Continuing with my rounds. Amber's presence here means nothing. And I guide as past easily, wearing a grin on my face. Eager to just get done with the delivery. And I studiously ignore Checker's glare at Amber, I ignore the rising tension in the village almost palpable...

It's only because she's a human.

We're faunus. We're used to most humans assuming things, being rude and mean and... Racist. It's just because Amber is a human that we're reacting like this... I keep telling myself that because the other option is... Well we could instinctively be reacting to the power that's kept just beneath the surface... possibly.

But I don't want to think about that.

Somehow... the flowers blooming around me don't seem nearly as beautiful as they did mere moments before.

"She's still here Ruben..." I hum swinging my legs where I rest sitting on one of the desktops in his workshop. "I don't get it... it's been nearly a month..." It's nearly my birthday, and Amber is still here. And everyone is still walking around as if on eggshells. It's... hard. Especially because as it wears on...

Something has been shifting.

Something has been stirring.

And I keep feeling a desperate need. Something I can't explain. But in the meantime. Ruben doesn't answer me so I roll my eyes and instead pull out the handgun instead. Repaired and reformatted, along with my other weapons, including the goggles I wear up in my hair. A surprise if anyone is ever stupid enough to seriously try anything in regards to stealing them.

"Be careful with that Kitsuko!" I huff rolling my eyes. I'm not an idiot. I've learnt how to use these now. Ruben hasn't slacked in the least with my training, and I'm not one to let useful skills slip away and slide to the wayside. And safety is one of those lessons that I am not about to forget anytime soon. It's more important compared to anything else that I've learnt thus far. Gun safety, scythe safety, laser safety, how to fall. Yet more fire safety, emotional safety and hell, s much more in regards to safety because seriously. It's one of the biggest things.

Safety, safety, safety.

So I'm not going to just forget it because I'm bored and cleaning out the handgun. Not at all. And yet, I am somewhat distracted, listening to Ruben absently talk as he forges another decorative weapon for someone else who lives in the village. AAs he hammers away at the metal and bends it beneath his hands. And... I know Amber is still here. I can sense her, feel her presence and finally.

It breaks.

Something had to break at some point. But it's just I need to know something. So I slip off the desktop, swiping my pack as I go, give one last glance back before shaking my head. I need to know. So I creep off. It's so easy to slip away. Even now, because I'm small, unobtrusive and just used to being part of the background. Because I don't expect to be noticed, and don't make a big deal about things it's as simple as letting people's minds do the work for me. Writing me out as part of the scenery. It's odd, but it's a simple fact of life. Something I've used to my advantage for so long that I don't really think about it as an issue anymore. It might worry others considering they're trying so hard to keep me safe but right now... There is a burning need a heat in my very bones that's not rage.

Curiosity is just as dangerous.

It drives me forwards as I creep around until I find Amber and then I just stop and stare at her. Breathe in, breathe out, and step forwards. One, two, three, four. Until I stop, still a fair distance from her, but even here I can feel it and it's just. How? How can I feel the power that she has, the power of the maiden and... is this why everyone is on eggshells? Is this feeling why they all avoid her? Because it's a buzz and a rush and I can feel the hair on my body standing on end, but also.

I want to reach forwards and grab onto it. To hold onto that power and wrap it around myself as a security blanket.

It reminds me of home...