Once upon a time, in the Kingdom of Menagerie, there was born a most sweet and innocent princess. Her hair was black like the night sky, her eyes a shining amber and upon her head emerged two small, delicate cat ears. Her parents were cat Faunus of the house Belladonna, a noble and strong house, with a proud lineage. King Ghira Belladonna and Queen Kali were just and fair rulers, much loved by the peasantry, both human and Faunus. Under their rule, the Kingdom experienced an age of peace, strength, unity, and prosperity. They had longed for a son, but upon seeing their daughter, were overjoyed. And so, they named her Blake.

She became the heart and soul of their lives. They doted on her endlessly, teaching her the proper manners for a young princess and the duties and responsibilities of a future queen, providing her with the best tutors, and young Blake grew to be a sweet, gentle and idealistic soul, adored by all the kingdom.

As the years passed, Princess Blake grew in grace and beauty, becoming far more lovely with every passing day. And as she did so, she attracted many suitors. They were a most colorful collection of individuals. Some were merchants, others were of noble birth, a few were even princes. They would come from the farthest reaches of the world and brought with them the finest treasures as gifts. They would bring the finest silk and jewelry, chests filled with the purest and refined Dust, and the most wonderful flowers.

But the Princess rejected them all. For Blake Belladonna believed in that sweet idea of true love, the kind which causes your heart to race and your face to turn bright red whenever your gaze should fall upon the person who loves you for your heart, and not because your eyes shine like the brightest star or your skin is as white as snow. To Blake, her suitors had to prove they could live up to this ideal. They could not be greedy, proud, self-serving or boastful. She would test them in one way or another, to discern the contents of their heart. All the suitors failed her tests, unable to control their vices or conceal what lay in their hearts. Her parents were most understanding but were still anxious that she should find someone worthy of her affections. She wouldn't stay young forever, and her looks would fade.

And then one day, there came a suitor who was completely unlike the others. When asked for his name, he introduced himself as Captain Adam Taurus, of the Royal Army. He was a young bull Faunus who had served with distinction in the war, praised for his bravery and fearlessness in the face of the enemy, much loved by his comrades for his selfless and noble heart. For his deeds, he had been raised to the rank of captain and was considered a war hero, with many awards and honors. With hair red like a raging fire and a voice sweet like the spring rose, he charmed the Princess, and soon, she was deeply in love with him. He passed her tests effortlessly, displaying nothing but kindness and generosity, and her parents were most pleased with their daughter's choice for a husband. At long last, Blake Belladonna had found her one, true love. Now, she had everything her heart could possibly desire.

But alas, the world is not kind. For on Princess Blake's fifteenth birthday, the King and Queen were called away from the castle on important business. Blake was put in charge of it until they returned, her parents trusting their daughter to be a responsible young lady. The servants had been preparing to celebrate her birthday for months in advance and had invited some of her closest friends. But everyone knew that the guest Blake was most eager to arrive was her beloved, for it was her most sincere and dearest wish that on this day, they would finally become engaged.

And so, as the party began, Blake waited patiently for Adam to arrive. But, strangely, her love did not show. So, to pass the time, she enjoyed herself. After all, the party was in her honor, and it would be disrespectful to not partake in it. She danced with the guests, joked and told stories with them, ate some of the most wondrous dishes that the cooks had poured their heart and soul into. She never forgot her manners, paying each guest a compliment and humbly thanking those she was given.

And yet, all the while, she would check to see if Adam was coming. But each time, there was no sign of him. As the sun began to set, a snowstorm began to brew and rage and young Blake became more and more anxious, worrying for her lover. Her friends tried to reassure her, explaining that he must be late, or that perhaps he had gotten lost. But Blake was beginning to fear the worst. Was he attacked by creatures of Grimm? Could he be lying buried under the snow, freezing to death as he called out for her? Despite the guests' pleas and attempts to console her, Blake prepared to venture out to find him.

Then, at that very moment, there came a knock at the door. Relieved, Blake rushed to the door, expecting to find Adam. He would doubtless apologize for having been late, giving her a bouquet of roses, and she would be ever so forgiving. Why she had even saved a serving of the very best food just for him! She knew he would simply love it.

When she opened the door, however, it was not her Adam, but an old beggar woman, clad in robes the color of autumn leaves. Shivering, the beggar woman asked to be let in from the cold, as well as something to satisfy her hunger. Princess Blake obliged her, ordering that food and drink be brought out at once. The woman thanked the Princess, and as a reward, gifted her a single rose. When a dish was presented to her, the woman instead requested the serving prepared for Adam. The Princess refused, explaining that it was not for her, but her true love. Again, the beggar woman requested the food, pointing out it was growing cold and one should not let hot food go to waste. When the beggar woman sat down in front of it, however, the Princess refused again, coldly taking it from her.

At this, the beggar woman shed her robes to reveal herself as a beautiful Enchantress. Offended at having been denied her request, the Enchantress put a curse upon the princess, transforming her into a terrible, monstrous beast. As for the Princess's faithful servants and dear friends-

"Ugh, please make it stop, Sage!"

Sage Ayana shut his eyes in mild annoyance, sighing as he closed the book. "Okay, Sun, I'll stop," he said, very irritated at the interruption. In hindsight, he shouldn't have read out loud.

Sage slumped in his sleeping bag, groaning. It was too early in the morning for this to start. He tucked his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. While, more like staring through a hole in it and the one above that, through which he could see a clear, blue sky. The sound of birds singing was pleasant to listen to. Sage watched as a single large crow passed overhead, its cawing drowned out by the songs of other birds.

They had found an abandoned house on the edge of Kuo Kuana, the largest and most populated town in Menagerie, and simply moved in. While it was run down and in clear need of repair, with a massive gaping hole in the walls and ceiling, at least it was out of sight of the White Fang. Of course, the downsides were that the house was cold, wet and would undoubtedly leak during a rainstorm - something Neptune was dreading. Currently, they had set up their sleeping bags in the living room, situated around a Dust lamp and away from the hole, just in case. They assumed it had been a living room, anyway. It was large, spacious, and had several pieces of abandoned furniture, such as a worn out and broken red couch, which was leaning against the wall. There was even a faded picture framed on the wall of what could only be a father and his two daughters, one of whom had black and red hair which contrasted sharply with the yellow of her relatives. They were smiling, a perfectly normal, happy family. Sage wondered if they were still alive. Probably not, given this was the White Fang's de facto capital.

The boys were all thieves, made orphans by the Great War, and banded together as brothers. Sun Wukong was a monkey Faunus with bright yellow hair and remarkably toned abs - which Scarlet David had been examining more than once - and the natural leader of this little band. He was reckless, mischevious, daringly irresponsible but undeniably earnest. And brave. And compassionate. In short, he was many things. Sometimes Sage was certain he was a natural born thief. Not that he would ever tell Sun that.

Neptune Vasilias was a lady's man, always to trying to play himself off as the cool guy of the group. Sadly, the shallowness of this facade was ankle-deep. Not that he was given any stick about it by the rest of the group, aside from the occasional playful jab. Dancing and swimming weren't his strong suits, however, lock-picking and being smooth as a slushie were. Well, he was smooth when it came to girls...most of the time. There was no denying, however, he was a skilled combatant. All of them were fairly good, having been trained by a hard life in the art of brawling, but Neptune's father had been a naval admiral who'd refused to have a son who couldn't fight. He'd even given them a few pointers every now and then, during their own little spats.

Scarlet was the...odd one. A bit absent minded at times but he could also be rather perceptive. Focusing on things no one else would pay attention to, and his Semblance was tailor-made for the life of a thief. He was probably the most good-looking of the band, so some people didn't notice his odd tendencies or slip-ups. Most of the time, they assumed they were flirting with him, not having their wallets stolen and bank accounts cleaned out behind their banks. Of course, Scarlet made his awkwardness when it came to flirting with women blatantly obvious.

Sage had a hard time trying to keep them from getting into trouble, especially when he couldn't keep an eye on them. Sometimes it was like babysitting children. A bunch of annoyingly immature children. To ease the stress, he always returned to his favorite past time: reading. Whenever the others remarked on his wits, he simply reminded them books had a lot of very interesting things. Like how to make your own telescope or what kind of herbs worked best for treating wounds, which were effective drugs or could be used to make smoke bombs.

They'd been all over the world, from Vacuo to Mantel to Mistral. By and large, it wasn't the kind of life any of them wanted to live, but they had gotten used to it after a while, and very good at it. Things had been going well for them while they were in Mistral, but then the law enforcement began stepping up its game. Things had gotten so dangerous that in the end, they had been forced to flee, stowing away on a boat, much to Neptune's discomfort. Cleaning up the vomit had been filthy work for the other three boys and while they all agreed they should have taken an airship, there hadn't been any available that they could hide on. So, at the first possible moment, they'd gotten off, for Neptune's sake. He'd been remarkably good-natured about it, however, simply joking about how disappointed his dad had been when Neptune first ran away screaming from the ocean. Just like every other time.

Sun Wukong sighed in relief. "Thank the gods! I wasn't sure how much more of that bullcrap I could take." He sat up in his sleeping bag, stretching his arms and yawning. He turned his head to face Sage, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Why do you even read that?"

"Because I enjoy it," Sage answered, before silently adding, "and it gives me some form of stress relief." He wasn't exactly fond of Sun's attitudes toward fairy tales. Too "full of that stupid make-believe and true love crap" to be worth reading. Of course, the other boys knew there was another reason entirely for Sun's distaste of fairy tales, but it was not something they would ever bring up. Sometimes, secrets were better left buried.

"But Princess Blake died three years ago when her castle was attacked by Grimm! You know that, and so do the rest of us! Everyone in Menagerie knows that! The whole world-"

"Yes, we know, Sun, we know!" Scarlet David snapped suddenly. The red-haired boy groaned as he woke up, rubbing his eyes, staying in the sleeping bag as he shot Sun a dirty look. "Some of us are trying to get our beauty sleep, so keep it down."

"Sorry," Sage replied, frowning a bit before he started to think. Normally, he was okay with letting his friends sleep in, but not this time. He turned to face Scarlet, smirking. "You know, now is a good time to get up. Early bird gets-"

"Leave me alone," Scarlet groaned, sounding tired. Though, Sage thought he might be faking it.

"Scarlet, you should get up. We agreed last night that this was going to be a tough day, even with most of the White Fang out of town. If we get ready now, we probably won't have as much trouble as we usually do." Sage tried to sound reasonable but got the feeling Scarlet wouldn't see it that way.

"Well, I didn't get enough sleep last night. Now, let me rest," Scarlet retorted.

Sage groaned. "Come on, Scarlet, do you really have to do this now? I know it's been a long journey, but you can rest later."

Sun nodded, before turning back to the redhead. "Scarlet, come on. It's gonna be a long day, so we might as well get up now. Right, Neptune?" Sun smirked, turning to his friend. However, he perked when he noticed something. He counted four sleeping bags, one for each of the boys, and yet, one of them was empty. His tail started to twitch. "Wait, where's Neptune?"

Now it was Sage's turn to face someone, in this case, Sun. "Oh, he got up early to scout out the marketplace."

"What?!" Sun cried, sitting bolt upright. "I said I would go last night! What if the White Fang spot him? He'll be torn to pieces!"

Sage sat up straight in the sleeping bag, holding up his hand. "Sun, relax. You were asleep, and he didn't want to wake you."

"How do you know?"

"He told me," Sage answered. "Neptune can handle himself, and we've managed to avoid the White Fang several times before. The guards should be changing shifts now, anyway."

Sun rubbed the back of his head, staring at his lap. "Yeah, you're right, Sage. I just wish he had told me before he left." Out of all his friends, Sun was closest to Neptune, by far. They went way back.

Scarlet propped himself up on his elbow, mildly frustrated, as he muttered quietly about no one listening to him."Well, I'm not getting any more sleep." His hair needed combing and eyes were rather droopy, and there seemed to be something hanging from his nose.

Sun shrugged, smirking. "Hey, I think that's a good look for you." Sun barely avoided the pillow that came sailing through the air at him. Scarlet shook his head as he zipped open his bag and began looking through it for a tissue and comb.

"Though, Sage, that book? You should get rid of it," Sun said, changing the topic flawlessly.

"Why?"

"But it's not even been a decade, and already people are writing the most ridiculous pieces of crap I've ever heard about what could have possibly have happened to the princess," Sun continued, sitting up on his elbows. "Turned into a hideous beast by some magical witch-"

"Wait, didn't the story say it was an enchantress?" Scarlet interrupted, confused, stopping his search to look back to Sun.

Sun sighed and rolled his eyes. "Witch, enchantress, it's all the same. So, as I was saying-"

"No, it's not," Scarlet interrupted again, sitting up straight. "How are witches and enchantresses the same? Sure, they're both women who practice magic, but they're completely different!"

"How?" Sun asked, curling his tail in agitation. Course, he was very used to it by this point.

"One enchants things, the other turns people into frogs and things."

Sun stared at him for a few seconds, slightly stunned, but definitely amused at Scarlet's answer. Then he leaned towards Scarlet, resting his chin on the back of his hand and raising an eyebrow, smirking. "And just what did the enchantress do to Princess Blake?"

Scarlet opened his mouth to speak, then realized what Sun was getting at. He slumped back into his sleeping bag, covering himself up to his neck. "I'm going back to sleep now."

Sun waved his friend's statement off. "Scarlet, don't be such a grouch. It's morning, and about time we were getting ready. Sage, what time is it right now, anyway?"

Sage turned to his bag and began fishing around before he retrieved a small pocket watch, slightly rusted around its sides, but otherwise perfectly fine. Pressing a small button, it opened to the pair of hands turning with a soft tick. "I'd say it's about 6:50," Sage answered.

"See? Just the time to start the day," Sun said as he turned back to Scarlet, smiling triumphantly with his hands on his hips. "Come on, Scarlet. We all agreed we should wake up early last night if we wanted to make a killing today. And if those rumors about the White Fang having moved some of the men out of this town are true, we have an even bigger chance of making the biggest haul of our lives."

Scarlet didn't say anything for a few seconds, just laid in his sleeping bag, thinking about how he could get to sleep, until he simply admitted defeat and then spoke up, mentally cursing Sun. "Can I have my pillow back?" he asked.

Sun shook his head. "Sorry, man. What I say goes, remember? And I say, it's time for you to get up!"

Scarlet groaned, rolling his head to the side. "Of course, oh fearless leader," he said, waving his hand dismissively, "how could we ever forget how you heroically managed to swindle that gorgeous rich lady back in Mistral? You know, the one with all the white makeup?"

Sun stiffened, practically deflating. His lip quivered a bit. "Why did you have to bring that up, Scarlet?" He threw his hands up into the air, staring skyward."I'm still having nightmares about her! Her teeth were rotting out of her skull, and her singing!" Sun shuddered, hugging himself tightly. "It was dreadful..."

Scarlet stared dumbly at Sun, mouth hanging open. "Are you being absolutely serious, Sun?"

"One hundred percent, buddy," Sun answered. He was looking away from Scarlet and was doing a good job of keeping his laughter in check.

Scarlet was confused, surprised and altogether not sure what to make of this information. "But I thought the two of you-"

"PLEASE DON'T REMIND ME!" Sun cried out in anguish, dramatically striking a pose as he placed the back of a hand on his forehead and outstretching his other hand towards Scarlet in an act of mock desperation, still looking away but this time, he had closed his eyes, letting Scarlet see part of his face.

Scarlet just…..stared, unsure of what to do. "Wow, she was really that bad?"

It was then Sun burst out laughing, unable to control himself any longer. Scarlet caught on at that moment. "Oh, you little-" he fumed, trying to steam in rage but starting to chuckle himself.

Sage laughed at his friends' antics. Then his expression got serious as he considered something. "Think we'll get a good haul this time?"

Sun shrugged his shoulders. "Hopefully. What you are guys hoping to find?"

"A new copy of The Monkey and the Princess," Sage answered, smirking slightly.

"No," Sun said firmly, quickly shooting a glare at Sage. He had been hoping to read that particular book for ages, but Sun had been doing his best to make sure he would never find it.

Scarlet joined in the conversation, having wiped his nose. His hair was still a mess, but he had gotten out his comb and was brushing it into shape. "Oh, never heard of that one, Sage. What's it about?"

"A monkey who falls in love with a princess," Sage answered. Sun groaned, and quickly changed the subject, seeking to avoid the teasing.

"Okay, can we get to talking about what Sage was just reading? Princess Blake Belladonna was turned into a horrific beast? Who wrote that story?"

Sage picked up the book to his face, turning it over in his hand as he examined it. The Tale of Princess Blake Belladonna was embroidered across it in worn, golden fabric, finely stitched together. Actually, it was the only thing on the brown, faded hardback, and seemed completely out of place. He looked it over twice, checked the spine as well as the back to find the name of the author. "Doesn't say, actually," Sage answered, mildly curious as he set it back on the floor.

"Where did you get it?" Scarlet asked, his hair starting to take on its distinctive shape.

"It was just lying on a bench in the last town, and I thought it might be interesting," Sage answered. "It's not that bad, really."

"Well, it's stupid," Sun replied, crossing his arms across his chest. He was seriously wondering how anyone could have thought it was in good taste to write about the Princess when not even a decade had gone by since her demise. How insensitive could someone be? "And another thing, the way it describes Adam Taurus sounds like some rabid fangirl trying to paint him as a noble hero. Adam Taurus, of all people!"

"Yeah, I'll admit, that does bother me," Sage agreed. Adam Taurus has quite the reputation across the world as one of the White Fang's most ruthless members. Some rumored that Adam was still grieving the loss of Princess Blake Belladonna. The story of their young romance was well known, but Sage really couldn't believe that man had ever been capable of love. Not after what he'd done to Menagerie.

"Hey, guys. You're finally up?" The friends started and turned to the doorway. There was the fourth member of their posse, Neptune Vasilias. He flashed them all a smile and was dressed in his usual attire, a pair of goggles perched on his head. In his hand was a rolled up piece of paper. He was smiling, having overheard the interesting conversation they were having. "So, I got good news and bad news. Which would like to hear first?"

"Let's start with the bad news," Sun said, putting his hands on his knees. He was relieved that Neptune had come back okay, and the smile on his face plainly said so.

Neptune shrugged his shoulders as he entered the room, taking a seat on the floor. "Okay, so, the bad news is, we're in Kuo Kuana, the de facto headquarters for the White Fang in Menagerie. The whole town's crawling with them, and they usually patrol in groups of three. If we want to avoid getting caught, we've got to be extra careful about this."

"Neptune, we already knew that." Sun pointed out, rolling his eyes. He was aware of how big a risk they were taking coming to Kuo Kauna, but there hadn't been much choice.

"And the good news?" Scarlet curiously asked.

"Those rumors we've been hearing? They're all true." His friends perked up at that. Neptune seized the opportunity by going more into detail. "Most of the White Fang's troops are gone, and so is Adam Taurus," Neptune explained, feeling rather pleased with himself at the moment. "From what I gathered, they've been called away to deal with bandit attacks in southern Menagerie, so security isn't as tight as it normally would be."

"But we should have a plan in case we do get caught stealing," Scarlet pointed out, before turning back to the map.

"Well, we can't lead them back here," Sun pointed out. "If just one of us ends up in hot water, but not the rest, we should find somewhere to hide out for a while, until things calm down."

"Where, though?" Sage asked. "The forests are infested with Grimm, and the White Fang would be looking everywhere."

Sun thought about that, closing his eyes. When they snapped open, it was clear that he had an idea of some kind, or at least, the beginning of one. "How about the Belladonna castle?"

The silence seemed to practically sweep in among them. Sun had the widest and most confident smile he could muster plastered across his face, but was the tiniest bit nervous, having just come up with the idea on the fly. He wondered if any of the other boys could see through his facade. But of course, they had known each other so long, it would be hard for them not to. Scarlet's mouth had parted slightly in shock, Neptune was confused, staring at his best friend like he had grown a second head, and Sage stared at him wide-eyed, unable to believe what he had just heard.

Sun took a small breath and then began to explain. "Okay, yes, I know that the forest is supposed to be overrun and infested by Grimm, but did anyone else notice how few we actually ran into on our way here?"

That got them thinking. They exchanged glances with each other, waiting to see who would speak up first. "I was wondering about that," Sage said. "From the rumors, Kuo Kuana's forests were supposed to be home to all kinds of Grimm, but we only ever ran into one measly pack of five Beowolves."

"Exactly! And we didn't have any trouble with those, did we? So, if one of us does get in some hot water, we can just hide out there and wait for everything to calm down," Sun folded his arms across his chest, feeling rather proud of himself. Course, he was aware of more than a few flaws with his plan, ones he would either have to work around or just take a gamble with.

"But where is the castle?" Neptune spoke up. Sun blinked, thinking a bit on it, before he unfolded his arms, stretching his legs out from underneath him as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"You don't know, do you?" Sage asked deadpan, obviously rhetorical.

Sun sighed, throwing up his hands in defeat. "No," Sun admitted, "But I'm sure we can find it!"

"How? We just got here," Sage pointed out. He was often the one to notice the flaws in his friends' schemes, and right now, he could name so many of them with Sun's.

"We can ask for directions, or find a map," Sun replied. "I'm sure someone would be willing to let us know where it is."

"Right," Scarlet said, unconvinced. "Like someone is going to tell a completely random stranger where they can find an abandoned castle."

Sun was about to speak when Neptune cut him off, deciding to change the subject. "So, what exactly are we doing today?"

Sun paused, a bit surprised before he started explaining. "We're going to try and steal some stuff, obviously."

"What's the plan for that?" Sage asked, stroking his green hair.

Sun answered that one. "We'll split up into pairs. Try to keep it low key, guys. Scarlet, Sage," he paused then. He had to think about this. Sage was the rational one of the group, though he did have a tendency to rush into things sometimes, and while Scarlet could be a bit scatterbrained, he was still very perceptive and could focus on things others would often overlook. Together, they were able to balance each other's flaws. Most of the time, anyway. So, where should he send them?

"Neptune, let me see that map," he asked. The blue haired boy quickly rolled it out for him. Sun studied it, pursing his lips together for a moment before nodding. "Scarlet and Sage, you two will go down to the market at the docks. Try to pickpocket some people and swipe anything which looks valuable. Neptune, you and I will be checking out the neighborhood. Scout out and plan a break in for tonight."

The three boys nodded in agreement. However, Sun could feel their discomfort at the idea of actually breaking into a house. Last time hadn't gone so well. Even now, he was sure people were still looking for those "four hoodlums who defiled the sanctity of the Marigold house!" So, he clapped his hands together. "Look, I can promise, we'll be able to pull this one off without a hitch. Ready to get going?"

"Shouldn't we get dressed first?" Scarlet asked. They had worn nothing but pants and underwear for pajamas, and were all currently bare-chested, save Neptune, of course.

Sun thought about it, then nodded. "Yeah, good idea."

The three boys got their bags and decided to find somewhere private to get changed. None of them liked the idea of changing in front of each other. There was something called personal space, after all.

While Sun and Scarlet were getting ready, Sage elected to finish reading the book. "Now, where was I..."

As for the Princess's faithful servants and dear friends, they were cursed to be trapped in the castle, their lives linked with the princess's fate. Sneering, the Enchantress declared that unless she found her true love by the time the last rose petal fell and was herself loved by them in return, she would forever remain a hideous beast.

The princess was horrified at this drastic and terrible turn of events, but knew that she had already won, for had she not already found her true love? And thus, she waited for his return. But when Adam discovered Blake, he was shocked by her appearance, and it was only the sound of her voice that stayed his blade. Alas, to the surprise and horror of both, the curse was not lifted when they declared their love. Adam deduced that the Enchantress had lied about how the curse could be broken, no doubt as a cruel trick, and vowed to find her and make her undo it. But then young Adam told his love the most terrible news. The King and Queen had died in a horrific accident, and alas, he could not stay to comfort her, as attacks by the Grimm were becoming more and more frequent across the kingdom. And so, he was entrusted by the Princess to restore order to the realm. But, he promised to visit her as often as he could.

The forest surrounding the castle soon came to be infested with the creatures of Grimm, unable to enter it due to the enchantment placed upon it, but prowling its borders, waiting. And thus was the Beast trapped, unable to leave the castle because of her fearsome appearance, along with her loyal servants and friends, and as time wore on, her belief in true love began to waver. For if her the love of her life could not break the curse, then whoever could?

"Hey Sage, hurry up! We aren't just going to sit around waiting!"

Sun's voice was surprisingly patient, but that was to be expected.

Before Sage got going, he turned the page, getting ready to mark the next one, only to find it was completely blank. He blinked, bewildered and began to flick through the rest of the book, finding nothing but blank pages. Only the first few had any content to speak of. And what was with that last part? The Princess couldn't leave because she was a Beast and not because of the Grimm which were waiting just outside the castle? "Sun's going to love this," he mused. Best to not let him know about it, then.

Though, he did find it odd someone would just leave an unfinished book lying about. It could have been ruined by...well, anything. He began to think about why someone would just leave it lying around, unattended.

"Sage, hurry up!"

Sun's voice snapped him out of his train of thought. Sage slipped the book in his bag, straightened his jacket, and then headed out to join the others. He would think on it later.

The others had gathered at the back of the house, and now that Sage was here, we're ready to get started. Sun was leaning up against the house but quickly noticed Sage had arrived and stood up straight. "What took you so long?" he asked.

"Had a little trouble finding my boot," Sage answered, which was sorta true. He couldn't remember where he had left it last night, but it hadn't been much trouble finding it.

The four friends quickly split off into their pairs, Sage and Scarlet heading for the docks while Sun and Neptune would move into the housing districts of Kuo Kuana. That would be rather tricky, but they were sure they could manage.

It was a clear day for November, no question about that. The sun was shining through soft, grey clouds, the wind was sweet and cool, birds fluttered and sang through the air, and the people of Kuo Kuana were starting to get up. Slowly, the streets began to get crowded as people went about their business. It was rather quiet, at first but a low hum started as they greeted each other. Children, both human and Faunus, were laughing and chasing each other, people chatted with their neighbors, put the washing up or brought it inside, the usual routine for any clear, sunny day, especially one so close to winter. There were a few humans here and there, of course.

Two, in particular, stood out, a boy with black hair, wearing dark green clothes and a girl with red hair and stunning blue eyes, who was wearing a grey jack over a white shirt, along with a pink skirt. They were begging by the side of the road. In front of them was a large grey hat, overturned, with a small number of lien coins. Whenever someone would pass them by without giving them anything, the girl would yell and insult them, shaking her fist, much to the boy's embarrassment. Sun felt a bit bad he didn't have anything to give them but would try and find something they might like. He should ask them what, though.

However, none of the four boys had ever seen so many Faunus in one place before.

Sun couldn't help but remark on that. Neptune playfully rolled his eyes. "Well, can't say you're wrong there, pal." Neptune wasn't exactly wearing anything here, as most of the Faunus in this part of Kuo Kuana didn't mind humans. The White Fang? They were a whole other story.

Sun shrugged. "I'd heard Menagerie was founded by Faunus fleeing or exiled from the other kingdoms, but I never would have thought that there were so many!"

"You just said that," Neptune pointed out, then swiped a small pouch, the former owner not suspecting a thing. He was careful to ensure that no one had seen him before he tucked it into his pocket. The sound of jingling coins indicated it was probably a rather good sum.

"I know, I know," Sun answered, lazily kicking a pebble into the grass. He had watched Neptune's actions, and while normally he would do so with some small degree of pride and amusement, instead, he found himself….not. "It's just...well, maybe I should settle down here someday soon."

Neptune gagged, shocked. He knew Sun was one for jokes, but his tone of voice said this was anything but. He turned to Sun, studying him keenly for a moment, then put a hand on his shoulder, bewildered, stopping him. "Wait, are you serious?" The idea of Sun Wukong, someone who has traveled all over the world, has never expressed an interest in settling down once, ever, doing just that, caught him completely by surprise. And he was his oldest and best friend.

The two friends did not resume walking. All the while, Sun did not answer him. Finally, after a deep breath and letting it out, Sun answered his friend. "I'm tired of being a thief, Neptune. Always having to run from one place to another, avoiding the law, risking our lives to get whatever we can...It's not something I enjoy anymore."

Neptune nodded his head slightly, knowing where his best friend was coming from. It was certainly getting harder for them nowadays, especially after what had gone down in Mistral. They were lucky to get away with their heads still attached to their necks. Truth be told, he was even now having serious doubts as to whether or not they should continue to be thieves, and wondered if Sage and Scarlet felt the same way. Sooner or later, they would get caught.

"How long have you been thinking about it?" Neptune asked him. Sun was about to answer him when something gave him pause and he froze, his face becoming tight, eyes staring straight up the road. Neptune stopped, unsure and confused as to what was bothering him. He was about to have a look when Sun suddenly sprang into motion, shoving him out of the road and behind one of the houses. Neptune was stunned by this development. He opened his mouth to speak when Sun put a finger to his lips, motioning for him to be quiet.

"White Fang," he whispered. Neptune froze. Sun stuck his head around the corner.

They had just turned the corner and were coming down the road, keeping an even and steady pace with each. One was large and broad-shouldered, wearing a sleeveless shirt. His wolf tail hung lazily from behind him, wagging slightly from side to side. The other was a girl with small antlers, a bit on the slim side, with bright red hair. Both were wearing masks which covered the upper half of their faces, leaving only the bottom half visible. They were both dressed in black and white outfits, as per the White Fang dress code, and Sun could see what looked like weapons strapped to their sides, a sword and pistol combo. As they approached, any humans fortunate enough to see them coming quickly ducked out of the way, running into their homes to avoid their looming gaze.

Sun turned back to find that Neptune was peeking around the corner, eyeing the White Fang carefully. "You better hide," Sun told him. "I'll tell you when the coast is clear. Hopefully, they won't cause any trouble."

But Neptune was still watching them, however, and then his face changed its expression to brief shock and panic, before being followed by a mixture of dismay, pity, and simple resignation. "Too late," Neptune said softly, slowly pointing his finger behind Sun.

Confused and alarmed, Sun turned back around. What he saw made his breath catch in his throat.

One of the White Fang goons, Wolf Tail, was slowing his pace and tilting his head slightly to the side, then held up his arm, stopping his partner, who seemed surprised for a moment. Then he pointed at the two beggars. Neither one had spotted them yet, the red-haired girl just shaking her fist at a yet another passerby. The two seemed to study them for a few moments before Deer Antlers smiled and pressed a fist into her open palm. Any other day, Sun and Neptune would have thought she was trying too hard. Sadly, thanks to the fact she drew her cutlass alongside her partner as they began to advance on the homeless pair, this would not be one of those days.

Sighing, Sun reached behind his back, pulling out a pair of red and gold nunchucks, which Sun had affectionately named Ruyi-Bang and Jingu-Bang. Neptune watched him in mute frustration, not exactly surprised. Of all the stupid times he had to be a hero, this was not a good one.

When Sun turned to him, he was clenching his fist, his lips pressed together tight. The monkey boy could see the pain in his eyes. He parted his lips slightly, trying to think of something to say, but his mind decided to not be cooperative today, drawing a blank. So instead, he gave him a signature smirk. "Dude, don't worry. I can handle this."

Neptune sighed, unclenching his fist in resignation. "You think we can find that castle?"

"Positive." And then Sun was gone, blending into the crowd. Ruyi-Bang and Jingu-Bang were out and ready to play as well.

"What am I going to tell Sage and Scarlet?" Neptune asked himself, shaking his head.