A/N: This has been sitting on the back burner for a while after her permanent introduction to the story. Would I add her perspective after an already long chapter? Would that be too much? And strangely enough, I received a few comments and messages asking if I was going to add any "omakes" or "holiday themed specials" considering how "out of their realm" both Chisa and Sibyll are. The answer is yes. I intend to add Chisa's personally insight and perspective, but wanted to give them their own space. A step away from the heavy atmosphere and content from The Longest Hunt but still have something light to look forward to.

Don't get me wrong, I still intend for Chisa's perspective to show and contrast Sibyll's in the main story. This is merely the part where the lighter and more humorous stuff comes into play from an intentionally darker fanfic. I hope this sits well with you all as I enjoyed taking a step away in order to write this. In terms of updates, it would usually coincide with time availability, plot progression, or the occasional holiday that may be upcoming (or quickly passing) as to how I feel it fits.

Cover Art credit goes to my good friend Nessa_OH16 for creating a concept fanart for Sibyll. While he does have more BROWN hair, it is confirmed that Sibyll's hair is actually an ASHEN color as the cover art image was done way before Chapter 1 came out.

Like always, please leave a comment of your suggestion or feedback, be it positive or constructively negative. I look forward to any and all reception. Enjoy!

"Here we are little one. This is my workshop and where we will stay."

Chisa looked upon the old building, unsure of what to make of it. It was so far into the forest, so removed from other people that she couldn't help be nervous. In her home town, there were people around and the buzz of their activity would often fade into the background. The calls and orders of the market, the conversations, the discussions, the guards on duty, or the occasional cart rolling by carrying its wares proved comforting in a way. There was a sense of uniformity in a community, to be a part of something whole and cherish that feeling of inclusion.

Yet the "silence" of the forest was different.

The sounds of rustling trees, the occasional scurrying of an animal, bird calls and chirps hung in the air as dusk fell around them. There would be no sound of a town settling in for the night, no laughter of the guards off duty or the traders drinking at the inn, or off the shops closing for the night. The only voices that would pervade air is her and Sibyll's, and that only served to make her more nervous.

Even the building itself had this unnatural sense about it, shadows hanging in the windows, the tall gates around the place, or untended landscape in the yard as weeds and overgrown grass claimed it as theirs.

"What do you think?" Sibyll asked as he surveyed the area, careful not to drop the bags they had brought with them after their trip.

Chisa was still wary of the new people she had met, their towering size making her feel much smaller. Even if they were really nice, she stuck as close to Sibyll as possible. Miss Nora always tried to play with her ears or carry her while talking excitedly around her. Mister Ren would always then make sure she was on her best behavior, which the young girl thought was odd for someone much older than her. Then there was Miss Pyrrha and Mister Jaune who was really nice and showed them around the store nears the airship station. Although, Chisa found it weird that Mister Jaune was acting weird, always looking around nervously. Maybe he was new to the city too?

Still, she'd never think a city inside the kingdom would be so big and full of people. Even the shops they went to had so many things, much larger than the traders which would come by. And the trip back to Beacon always amazed the young girl, with all the students and adults around getting ready for something. Team JNPR left afterwards after helping them around the first part of the city and with that came the long trip into the Emerald Forest. The sounds of people began to fade and they stopped at a house that looked…

"Is it haunted?" Chisa asked, stepping closer to Sibyll.

"Hmm… I do not believe so. If it were, I would have already dealt with whatever malicious spirit took residence here. There is no need to worry though. I have made sure nothing of danger is here or around us," the young hunter replied.

Chisa turned, craning her neck to look up at Sibyll.

"You can fight ghosts?" she asked, more surprised if anything.

"I would not say all ghosts, but those with enough malice or sorrow to manifest onto the physical plane. Only then can my blade banish them for good."

"Sibyll, you're talking weird again," Chisa stated as she shifted nervously in her spot.

"Ah, forgive me. What I mean to say is that sometimes a person's spirit will stay, either from anger or sorrow. The pain that they feel forces them to stay, unable to move on where all spirits go. When they stay, they grow stronger and maybe that is enough for them to appear in our world and wander about. But there is no such thing here. Come now, let us go inside before night falls."

Even with arms full with bags and boxes, the young hunter extends an arm to her. She tentatively takes the sleeve of his shirt as she is guided beyond the gates and into her new "home".

Despite how dark the empty space was, Chisa's eyes saw open and… old it really was. There was nothing in the way of furniture or cupboards, which explained why he had gotten them sleeping bags. Sibyll placed the bags to one side of the room and began to light candles, slowly illuminating what she had already seen.

"I know it may not be much now, but with time and patience it will slowly come together," he spoke as he began to put a few logs into the fireplace. "For now, how about we settle in with some dinner before we retire."

She nodded her head, following after him to lend a hand whenever needed.

Chisa work up startled.

Another nightmare filled her dreams, one she couldn't quite place but she remembered the shadowed hallways. They would say things she couldn't understand and their shape would always change. It was always something big and scary, long arms, sharp fangs, or maybe it would have long wild hair as if chased her. The shadows would snarl and yell at her, and if she didn't get into her room in time they would come after her.

She pulled the edge of her sleeping back up to her chin as her eyes darted about the room. The firelight gave enough brightness that her eyes no longer were able to see into the darkness around them. Beside her lie Sibyll as he lay sleeping contently. Was it a grown up thing? To not be afraid of the dark? He made it look so easy. Chisa's eyes returned to the shadows dancing on the ceiling above her, flickering and shifting forms. Back and forth it danced across the firelight, trapping her eyes as if caught in a trance. She could almost hear their voices, clawing at the walls and banging against the windows. They would come in to get her now… They would get her and her pa—

In a split moment, the shadow grew wide, monstrous before her eyes and she cried out in fear. She pulled the edge of her sleeping back over her eyes, hoping to hide from it, hoping it would go away and leave her alone. Chisa wanted to cry, the sense of fear building up inside her and she locked to face the darkness inside her bag. Maybe it's in there too, waiting to pull her deeper and away from everything, and then it would eat her like it ate the rest and there would be no one to help her or hear her cry or—

"Is everything alright Chisa?"

She peeked out of her bag, catching his eyes in the firelight filled with concern.

"I had a bad dream," she answered honestly.

"You as well?" he asked.

Chisa frowned slightly. He was having a nightmare too? But he didn't look like he was having one.

"And the shadows," she added, "are scary. They remind me of the bad dream."

She watched as his eyes wandered to the ceiling, the shadows continuing their dance unbothered by her distress. If anything, they looked to be more erratic now more than ever. His gaze returned to the young girl, a thought forming in his mind. He patted the space next to him, indicating her to move closer.

"Perhaps you would feel much better over here? That could—oof!"

Chisa had climbed onto his stomach and laid herself across his chest, draping her sleeping back over her like a blanket. She could hear the strong beating of his heart, a steady tempo she found comforting. Just like her papa's whenever she would come into his room at night from a different nightmare.

"Can I stay like this?" she asked tentatively. Chisa felt his hand rest upon her back, rubbing small, comforting circles.

"If that is what you wish."

She nuzzled herself against him, careful not to let her eyes stray to the other shadows in the room.

"Tell me about your nightmare. It could help you sleep better if you understand them."

So she told him her fears, of the looming figures that chased her down the halls. He listened quietly whenever she shivered over how their shapes keep changing, and how they sounded when they gave chase. When she finished, she looked up to find him watching the shadows on the ceiling.

"This reminds me of a story someone once told me," he spoke out of nowhere.

"I thought you didn't remember where you came from?"

"That is still true, yet bits and pieces are slowly coming back to me. And like you, I was also afraid of the shadows I woke up too. So terrified, that I would stay awake until morning and suffer the rest of the day for it."

"What did you do?"

"I am not sure… Perhaps I resolved to solve it on my own, but I do not feel that was something I had done. Rather, someone came for me. And it was she who told me this story."

His hand began to run through her long hair.

"For as long as anyone had known, there was always darkness. And in that darkness lived a Shadow unbound to any form or shape, and greater than the lesser of its brethren. For while, that was the way the world remained, covered in a darkness where many resided but their names unknown."

He paused, motioning over to the still burning fireplace.

"That is until Fire was born, coming to life in such a lonely world. As it opened its eyes, the world came to form and all the creatures and lands that would known to Man became revealed. Fire would walk forever, slowly illuminating the darkness, yet it too was lonely. There was none like it and should it ever touch another living thing, it would be destroyed."

"But that's sad though!" Chisa spoke up.

"You are right little one. It is sad to be new to a strange new world, yet never be a part of it. To ruin anything you wish to understand, to learn, is a lonely existence. And yet Fire walked, bringing light to the darkness across the world. When it reached its end, the world was no longer veiled by darkness, but by light. And the one that always followed was the Shadow."

"I don't understand Sibyll. If the world doesn't have darkness, how can there be a shadow?"

"Curious, no? If we were to remove the darkness, where would it go? Would it be gone forever? No, I would think not."

"Why?"

"Because the Shadow remained, stuck beneath the foot of every creature, tree, or stone that Fire would pass. And the Shadow would watch as the Fire brought light but could not reach out. Kindred beings in loneliness, the Shadow wanted to ease the Fire's sadness."

"So what did it do?"

"It danced for the Fire."

Chisa lifted her head to meet his gaze.

"Danced?"

"Mhmm. It would dance, changing its form whenever it felt like and would take one a size so great or small. It would dance out the stories of the animals, the stories of the forest, the sands, the seas, and always, it invited the Fire to dance with it. The Shadow reached out, even as the Fire stepped away in fear of destroying it. The world's creatures would stay away from it, so why hurt the only thing that approached it?"

With his free hand, Sibyll reached out and snatched something invisible.

"Yet the Shadow took hold of Fire and found they could never hurt one another. So they danced and danced, together in their loneliness in the bright world. And they would always be in each other's company."

"Forever?"

"No… Not forever."

"Oh…" Chisa lowered her head, returning to the sound of Sibyll's heartbeat as she watched the fireplace.

"Like all things, it came to an end. The absence of darkness had made the lesser shadows more envious, and they slowly grew as Fire's power began to wane. The Shadow tried desperately to restore it, tearing down trees or giving it the creatures of the land to keep the Fire from dying. But it was not the same Shadow that the Fire came to know. It had changed, become more violent as it kept the lesser shadows from feeding of Fire's dying light.. And in Fire's sadness… it left. The light around the world began to dim and darkness returned to cover the world."

"…Was the Shadow alone again?"

"It was. And it would wander the darkened world, tracing everything the light once shown. The Shadow vowed to never hurt another living thing if it meant that Fire would return to the world. It would wait and wait, hoping that its friend would return. And then it did."

"The Fire came back and brought the light with it, right?"

"Mhmm, but this Fire was different."

"Different?"

"Very different. This new Fire looked different, more vibrant and wild, accidentally destroying things in its path and growing angrier when all the creatures fled from it. And in its anger came Shadow once more to guide it, to show the world for what it was and to be a companion. Over and over, Fire would die and become reborn. Different Fires for different ages, and the Shadow would always be there to greet it and send it off."

"But it's never the same Fire though."

"True, but that is okay."

"How?"

"Because like Fire, people can change as well. No two lives are the same, but at the heart there is a familiarity with it. It is as if you knew a stranger from a life before. Morning comes, day, dusk, and then night. Over and over, yet no two days are the same."

"The shadow is the same!"

"And it will always be the same for that is the nature of all shadows. Even if their shape were to change, at the core a Shadow is a necessary darkness. It may be frightening but there is no need to fear it."

"You're saying that because you're older…" Chisa countered surly.

"It is quite the contrary. I am saying this because I too am afraid of the shadows and what lurks within it. Yet I do not let that fear stop me from hunting the beasts in the darkness. I am fearful of the dark, but I have also come to respect it as it keeps me hidden as well."

Chisa felt Sibyll shift in his place, returning his gaze to the dancing shapes on the ceiling.

"There are times where the hunt takes me to the deepest and darkest of places, where the light from the outside cannot touch it. And I too find myself much braver in a torch's light than to remain in place where I cannot see. But if I always carry the light, the beasts would always know where I tread. So for a time, I put away the light and embrace the darkness."

"Isn't it scary?" she asked.

"It is. Not because of the darkness or the beasts that live in it, but of what I might become when I step back into the light. I am afraid that I may change too much and not like whom I have become. The light Fire brings dispels the dark and shows a person for what they are. Yet I need the darkness as I need the light, like one would need both night and day. It is a confusing thing, no?"

"Very confusing…"

"In any case, what I am trying to say is that it is okay to be afraid of the dark or the shadows. It is okay to be fearful of what you do not know, but do not let the fear overtake you. Maybe… the shadows we see on the walls are trying to take the fear away, reminding you that the nightmare cannot touch you. They will keep you company for as long as you need them until the morning comes."

"But what if they find us? What if they come after us like the first time? We're alone here…"

And for a moment, Sibyll went still.

Chisa felt his hand pause, the soothing circles on his back coming to a halt. His breath seemed much quieter now and if she listened closely… his heart skipped a beat.

"Then I will protect you from whichever wishes to harm you. I will make sure they never pass the gates and I will be your guard until the morning comes. Until the last of them falls or until the others arrive, none shall touch you. I will be your Shadow, my little Firelight."

Chisa felt her eyes grow heavy. Something about what Sibyll said soothed her, taking away the fear she had felt from the nightmare which still lingered. But it felt much smaller now as his arms wrapped around her.

"Do you... *yawn* remember the one who told you this story?" Chisa asked sleepily.

"I am afraid not, little one. She is all that I can recall, but it is familiar as if I have known her for a long time."

"...I...hope you...remember...soon..."

"I wish the same as well little one."

In those fading moments, she watched the fireplace continued to glow and the shadows danced before her eyes.

They didn't seem as scary when she fell asleep.

The morning light filtered into the workshop, its warm rays meeting blinking eyes. Drowsy, Chisa sat up from her sleeping bag as she stretched. A sleepy yawn escaped her lips as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. The room was still empty, save for their bags and belongings, yet the windows and shutters were open. Sibyll was nowhere to be found yet she could hear him in the yard, at work with something.

Carefully, she helped herself up and made her way to one of the windows, his coat hanging on th windowsill. She found him, sleeves rolled up as she set about clearing the weeds and using his sword to clear away the taller grass. His ashen hair slick with sweat as his eyes focused on the task at hand, only pausing when he felt another eyes watching him. Sibyll turned and smiled at Chisa, greeting her a good morning as the girl ducked slightly behind the windowsill.

"We have more business in the city," he spoke, "but perhaps we could make do with a wash. There is a clean stream nearby, and afterwards we could talk about what to do with the yard. It would be a shame to not use it."

"Can we have a vegetable garden?" she asked.

At this, Sibyll gave a small grimace and prompting her to speak further.

"I think a vegetable garden would be nice…"

"Would you not rather have a flower garden?" he asked, hoping to dissuade her from growing anything too leafy and edible. Yet the young girl's eyes grew wide as an idea formed in her mind.

"Can we have both? So that the yard won't be too empty?"

"I suppose… Are you sure on the vegetable garden though?"

"Sibyll! Vegetables are good to eat! Even the green ones!"

"Perhaps—"

"SIBYLL!"

"Oh alright… To think you would have such power over me."

Chisa laughed as he stood, stretching his back before extending a hand out to her.

"I have prepared some your clothes. We would not want to look unpresentable to Mister Arc and his team now would we?"

With that, Chisa climbed through the window and ran toward him. She took his hand into hers and he lead away into the forest. Still, the young girl found herself looking back to the old building in their departure. It looked old and scary from a distance, but she found it strangely welcoming. That somehow… in the scary looking place she would be safe.