(A/N) After so many years away from this site, I'm back. This will be pretty far removed from the last RWBY crossover I wrote (it really has been a while, huh) but I like the direction I'm taking it for the most part.

Until I find the motivation to rewrite my older stories, they won't be touched. In the meantime, I wrote a good chunk of this bad boy right here, along with a separate Fairy Tail fic I put up earlier today. Neither will have a set update time until further notice but expect the following chapter to be up soon(ish). It is already written at the time of me typing this message.

Hope you enjoy!

XX

I wasn't one to play with my food, but I couldn't help doing so as I was lost in my own thoughts. I could tell that mom and dad were trying to pretend they didn't notice, but their efforts to mask their concern for me were poor, to say the least. Frankly, of the ten of us at the table, only Jaune was oblivious to it all. From the corner of my eye I could see my little brother dig into his delicious homecooked meal with gusto.

"Jeanne, honey, tell me what's wrong," mom called out to me. I guess she decided it was time to address the elephant in the room.

I let the food fall off my fork, as I stopped twirling the utensil uselessly between my fingers. I looked at mom, but I didn't have the emotional strength to look her in the eyes right now. I settled for staring at her forehead.

"It's… Professor Ozpin, I guess." My voice felt soft. Well, softer than usual, rather.

Dad placed his hands on the dining room table. Tilting his head in a shooing motion, he called out, "Let's go, kids, your mom needs to have a talk with your sister. It's your turn to do the dishes tonight, Saphron."

"But daaaaaad," she drawled, but a pointed look shut her up. Eventually, it was only mom and I left in the room.

Once we were alone, she quirked her brow, letting me know that was my cue to speak my mind. I felt my fingers curl around and clench the hem of my skirt.

"I'm fine doing these missions for the headmaster, really. I–" I forced my hands to relax, letting them fall slack at my sides, "I like that I'm able to make a difference in the world. A real difference. It's just that he… he told me that I'm a candidate to be the next fall maiden since she won't be with us for much longer."

My mom got up from her spot at the table across from mine, and relocated herself to the one next to me. She took my hand in hers.

"Sweetie, I know you're scared. I'm scared for you too. But for all of Ozpin's duties and eccentricities, I'm sure he has your wellbeing in mind. If he chose you, it's because he thinks you can handle it. And if not," she pulled me into an awkward side-hug, "you'll always be able to rely on your parents, no matter how old and rusty we get."

The humour in her voice at the end helped to calm my nerves. Despite the big decision ahead of me, I smiled.

XX

Mom and dad were out on a mission again. Being professional huntsmen themselves, it didn't surprise me all that much, but it would've been nice to have a little heads up. I they left me was a note I found this morning, and instructions to look after my siblings for the weekend.

At least Professor Ozpin decided that he'd give me a break for a few weeks. It wouldn't do to leave my siblings alone for more than a few hours.

I loved my siblings, really, but sometimes they were… rambunctious, to say the least.

Speak of the devil, my precious little brother was staring at me with a sparkly smile which I'm sure is reserved just for me. The kid smiles plenty, but I can tell there's a little something extra in his eyes when he's with his "dear big sis".

He's adorable.

"Hey, Jeanne! Can you teach me how to fight like you? Pleeaaaaseee….."

Adorable, but a bit of a satellite.

"Now, Jaune," I crouched to meet him at eye level, "you know that dad wouldn't like that. He would be very angry if I'm teaching my kid brother dangerous things, right?"

It wasn't anything against Jaune personally. Dad didn't want any of his kids to be huntsmen after what I got myself into with the professor. As much as he tries to hide it, I can tell that the thought of me getting hurt really scares him, and he doesn't want that worry to spread thin over seven other heads.

"C'mon, no fair! Why can't I be a cool hero like you? Just show me a bit, pretty please with a cherry on top?"

I sighed.

"Only a little, but don't tell dad okay?"

He cheered, his tiny body jumping up and down with glee. He ran through the front door without even making sure that I was following him. I smiled a little despite myself. What could it hurt to humour him just a little?

It's not like calling me a "cool hero" inflated my ego or anything.

XX

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?"

Dad's angry voice bellowed, easily resonating throughout the house. It wasn't often that I saw him angry like this.

"I didn't– "

"NO! You're right… You weren't thinking! Now you've got Jaune thinking that he's gonna grow up to be some hotshot huntsman. He's going to get himself killed."

It was rare for me to talk back to my father, but my annoyance simmered for too long, and was slowly becoming anger. Jaune is still just a ten-year-old kid, so it wasn't fair to say that he would do poorly as a warrior. He, however, showed great attention to my instructions in the admittedly few days I was training him and seemed to have a constitution fit for a future huntsman-in-training (if that potential were allowed to flourish, that is). I knew why my father wasn't the greatest supporter of the continuation of the Arc huntsman line, and I sympathized with him, to some degree. But if being a huntsman was truly what he wanted to be, I would do everything in my power to make sure that Jaune had the freedom to make that decision himself.

"You don't know that! Just because you're afraid doesn't mean that your kids shouldn't live the life they want to live!" I spat back hotly at my father. Despite knowing that I was getting emotional, I still surprised myself with the bite held within my voice.

Dad looked like he wanted to rip a chunk out of me, but luckily, he was stopped by mom marching into the room with Jaune hiding behind her pant leg.

"JACQUES!" she shouted, pulling her husband back by the shoulder.

"Isabelle–" he tried to start, but was cut off by his wife.

"You're scaring the kids, Jacques. Jaune came to me and begged me to get you to stop yelling at his big sister."

"But– "

"But she's right," my mom came to my defense, surprising me, "As much as you try to hide it from us, I can tell how much Jeanne's… duties bother you. You keep your worry bottled in all the time. Something like this was bound to happen eventually. If Jaune wants to be like his big sister that badly, we could at least make sure that he stays safe, no?"

"…"

"…I'm putting him through the wringer. If I think for even a moment that he's not serious about this, then all bets are off, got it?"

Dad's words surprised me and drew Jaune out from behind mom's back. "You mean...?" he asked tentatively.

"You aren't sleeping in anymore. You're up and outside by six every morning before school, got that? Jeanne, you're helping too?"

As Jaune ran to give his dad a big hug, shouting "thank you thank you thank you" over and over again, I couldn't help but smile.

XX

I frowned as I separated Jaune from Saphron. The two were giving each other glares strong enough to set a Grimm on fire, without silver eyes that is, and if it weren't for my arm blocking Jaune's path, I'm sure he'd be back to pulling his older sister's hair.

A slight frown found its way on my lips. "Would you two mind explaining what's going on?"

Jaune was quick to answer my question. "Saphron told dad about you training me!"

"I didn't want you to hurt yourself!"

"That doesn't mean you have to– "

"Enough, both of you," I cut their argument short. I looked to Jaune "Apologize to your sister. She was just worried about your safety."

I never even thought that dad would find out through one of my sisters, but in retrospect, I should have expected it. He's always said how dangerous being a huntsman is, so it was little wonder how his children would adopt the very same aversion to the profession.

Other than Jaune, evidently.

My troublesome little brother looked away and grumbled out something that I'll allow to pass for an apology.

"Saph," my eyes softened as I ruffled the girl's hair, "I know you're worried for your little brother –trust me, from one big sis to another, I get it– but you gotta trust me on this one. I'll keep him safe."

She swatted the hand off her head, but I could tell she wasn't really upset. She pouted and averted her gaze. Cute. She'll be a beautiful woman in a couple of years. Just like mom.

"M'kay?"

"M'kay…" she parroted in a smaller voice.

I couldn't help but run my hand through her hair again lovingly. She –all of us– really loved Jaune regardless of how much we all like to mess with him for being the only boy of the family.

"Jaune, dad wanted me to get you. He said he wants to get some more training in before it gets too dark," I addressed my darling little troublemaker, who up to that point had been fairly silent.

"Saphron," this time I turned to my little sister, "you can come to watch if you want. I'm sure Jaune would love to have an audience, and you might even see dad do something cool."

Her eyes brightened. She was both a curious soul and a daddy's girl, so I'm sure she wouldn't pass up the chance.

"Kay!"

XX

"HWOOMF"

I winced as dad knocked the air out of Jaune again. Poor kid's rear hit the ground hard enough to tear the soil out from underneath the bed of grass.

"That shouldn't have hit you Jaune. I know you're able to dodge that." Dad had a slight frown on his face, resting the pole of his flag-spear on his shoulder. He had to raise his voice a little to be heard over the sound of Saphron laughing from her seat on the porch's front steps.

"No fair!" the abused shouted. He can really take a hit if nothing else, "You're bigger than me! Your arms are too long!"

He was arguing for the sake of arguing. Dad knew it, I knew it, Jaune probably knew it too. "Jaune, be serious," I admonished lightly I paused in thought, "I have a relatively safe mission coming up soon. I talked with dad and he said that if he thinks you're up to it you can come with me."

He definitely wasn't expecting that, if his slack jaw was any indication. Hook, line, sinker. This worked two ways: it would encourage Jaune to really give an extra doubling of his efforts in training, and it would give him an opportunity to see what it would be like to be a huntsman in a relatively safe and constructive environment.

"HELL YES!" he squealed. Motivation renewed, he jumped to his feet and charged dad.

"Watch your language, mister!" I scolded him. I'm not sure he heard me though, since he was knocked into the dirt for what must have been the tenth time in the hour.

Despite myself, I cracked a smile. He's definitely well on his way for a kid, but he for sure still has a long way to go.

XX

"Do you remember what I told you?"

"Always listen to what you say, no matter what!" Jaune exclaimed in a no-quite-austere voice. It's hard to look serious when you're practically vibrating with excitement.

"And?" I quirked a brow expectantly.

"…And never leave your sight without telling you!"

"Good." With that, I picked up my leather drawstring bag and slung it over my shoulder. I put on my metal headpiece and strapped La Pucelle to my hip. The sword didn't have any fancy mechashifting function, but it didn't need any. I can run my aura through it as if it were an extension of my arm. With my semblance, that makes it better than any weapon I can think of.

Jaune followed my example. He flung his bag over his shoulder, so obviously trying to imitate the way I did it. I think he got that bag because it looks like mine too. Cute. It was time to say our goodbyes to the rest of the family.

"Jeanne," dad got my attention, "I know you have to slow things down for your Jaune's sake, but make sure you're back in time for graduation next Tuesday. I know it's just a piece of paper, and Ozpin seems to think that you're the greatest huntsman to ever walk the earth and all–

I could hear the well-humoured sarcasm in his voice as he said that.

"–but if you want to be an actual huntsman and get paid, it's an important piece of paper nonetheless."

I nodded with a smile, understanding that perfectly well. Before I could move on, however, dad surprised me by pulling me into a hug.

"Be safe, ma belle."

My surprise melted back into a content smile as I hugged him back. Despite trying to play the part of the stone-hard huntsman patriarch, I knew he was simply a very loving, and very worried father.

"I know dad, I will."

He pulled away and took a knee to look my kid brother in the eye. "Jaune," he said somberly, "Jeanne will take good care of you, but where you two are going there are going to be a lot more creatures of Grimm than there are here. It's dangerous. Stay alert at all times, and don't goof off."

"Yeah, dad, I got it," the boy answered back almost flippantly. Though despite his attitude, I knew that he took dad's words to heart.

As how the ritual went after so many missions, I gave each of my sisters a big hug which I knew they all returned with love (despite some of that "love" being tempered by the throes of puberty). Following my example, Jaune did the same.

I faced mom and gave her a big smile, which she returned with equal enthusiasm. Pulling her in for a tight hug, I rested my chin on the crook of her neck. I think I may even be a little taller than her now.

Some of my classmates from Beacon would argue that it's unbecoming of a huntsman to be so attached to their parents at this age, but I didn't care. I love my family with all my heart. I cherish their goodbyes now much the same as I have in the past, and will continue to do in the future.

XX

"So how long has it been you said? This must be fairly recent if there still hasn't been a Grimm attack," I asked the town mayor as I got up from the seat facing his desk. I looked out his office window and observed the seemingly peaceful village from above. The soft light of the approaching sunset belied the true danger this village was in.

"It's been… I'd say ten days, maybe two weeks," replied the mayor, "I must confess that we were slow to comprehend the severity of our situation, so I can't be too sure."

Jaune, sitting in the chair next to mine, looked to me for what I'm guessing to be some sort of explanation. Unfortunately, I had none for the moment.

The mission assigned to me by Professor Ozpin was, in essence, quite the simple one. A border town near Mistral reported an unexplained spike in negative emotions, namely fear and onset of seemingly random phobias. Being a huntress, I was sent to serve as a symbol of security for the townspeople to quell the fear they have been experiencing. Essentially, make myself a known presence, cheer everyone up, and leave once they've calmed down somewhat.

The issue with that is that the mission report failed to express just how odd everyone in this town was acting. The sudden emergence of negative emotions in one place isn't anything new, but everyone Jaune and I have encountered thus far have been unreasonably skittish and paranoid around us despite what it is that my profession represents. Even the mayor, the one who had requested our presence had been eyeing myself and my barely five-foot brother wearily for the entirety of our –as of now– twenty-minute discussion.

"Mister Mayor, I'm going to visit the town square for a while to interact with the villagers; hopefully I'll be successful in spreading some positive energy. Would that be fine with you?"

The man nodded, though still reserved. "Of course. Please try your best, Miss Arc."

I tapped Jaune on the shoulder as I made my way to the door. He understood my signal well enough as he promptly took to his feet and followed after me.

Though I wish he had remembered to properly excuse himself to the mayor before leaving. He's still young, but that's no reason to forget your manners, mister.

Jaune turned to face the older man as he reached the doorframe, "Thank you for your time mister mayor! Please excuse me."

I smiled as I kept walking. I stand corrected, it would seem.

XX

"Grimm attack!"

"Run!"

"Take the kids, I'll–gGRRK!"

It was a disaster. I had just been talking to a young couple about their plans for a honeymoon while Jaune carried grocery bags for a weakened elderly woman. My plan to rejuvenate the flow of positive energy was going well until, out of nowhere, a Beringel barreled through the town gates followed by a stampede of Grimm of all sorts.

The quaint little border town was now nothing more than an all-consuming bonfire of death and destruction, and no one here would be able to stop it from spreading except for me.

I would stop it.

"Jaune!" I yelled, "find as many people as you can and get them out of sight!"

"But–

"GO! NOW!"

The boy scurried off looking a little rattled; it's the first time I've ever really yelled at him, I think. Seeing everything turn to hell before me, I could do nothing but regret my decision of bringing my little brother on this mission. This shouldn't have happened– no. All I can do now is hope that Jaune is alright. He's young, but he has a bit of combat training. He's the townspeople's best chance at surviving this.

I pulled La Pucelle from its sheath. Glowing a bright white due to my semblance, I brought the sword up just in time to block a vicious swing from an Ursa Major with minimal effort. With a yell, I forcefully tore through the creature's clawed paw and sliced my blade cleanly through its waist.

I didn't wait to see the monster turn to black ash. I dashed forward, cutting down any and all Grimm that appeared before me.

"AAAHH!"

I turned my head to face the origin of the scream. I bit my lip to hold back a worried gasp as I saw a wide-eyed Jaune struggling to hold back a Boarbatusk while a group of catatonic villagers hid behind him.

I steeled my gaze. I couldn't allow this to go any further. La Pucelle shone brighter than ever before, and with a wide sweep of my blade, a titanic wave of purity given form crashed into the surrounding Grimm. Those that remained immediately backed away before retreating. It was over.

I let out a sigh of relief as I approached my little brother. "Jaune are you o-

"M…Monster...!"

"One swing?"

"S-STAY AWAY!"

I felt my feet plant into the ground in front of me before I even understood what was going on. The townspeople were all looking at me as if I were some sort of demon from hell. As if I were a Grimm.

"Now hold on, there's no need to be scared, the Grimm are all gone," I tried to reason with them softly as I once again made my way slowly towards Jaune. They must have taken this as a sign of aggression, however, since they immediately took Jaune by the arms and pulled him away. He didn't have his aura unlocked, so training or no, he was no match for the physical strength of even two or three adults. One of them took out a farming sickle and held it to Jaune's throat.

I started, stricken by panic, "What are you doing!? He's just a kid! LET HIM GO!"

I could see the discomfort on their faces. One of them bumbled out, "He… No, He… He's like you! He came with you! I saw– no, we all saw the black magic you used to defeat the Grimm. No human could do that! That's it… you're not a human, you're a Grimm! Like them, right!? A WITCH! WITCH!"

"WITCH!"

"WITCH!"

One by one, the other townspeople started to chant along with the man who spoke. Finding strength in mob mentality, another yelled, "Burn the witch!"

The others seemed to like that idea.

"Yeah!"

"Let's tie her up!"

I forced myself to calm down. This was getting out of hand very quickly. What was going on? This wasn't natural in any way. Thankfully, setting me on fire wouldn't do much thanks to my semblance and aura, but it would seem that they didn't know that. For now, I needed to make sure that Jaune would be kept safe.

"That's fine," I said loud enough that I was sure everyone packed in the destroyed plaza could hear me, "I will surrender myself willingly. IF you do nothing to the boy."

Jaune gave me the most heart-wrenching, horrified look I'd ever seen on his face. That's right, I'd never properly explained my abilities to him, had I? A mistake on my part; one that I'll be sure to never make again. For now, we both needed to get out of this alive, preferably without harming anyone here, as misguided as they were.

XX

I felt the rough fibers of the rope dig into my skin as they strapped me to what I assumed to be a wooden pole of some sort. Laying under my feet were stacks of hay that I assumed they had taken from the nearby barn.

I looked ahead to give the agonized little blond boy a comforting smile. He was tied up similarly to me, but was kept far away from any kind of execution platform. He'll be safe for now at least.

I saw the matchstick fall into the pile of hay under me, but I barely registered the flames as they crawled up to lick my skin. I was still trying to figure out how I'd manage to–

"What's going on!?"

"She's not burning!"

"She really isn't human!"

"Quick, kill the kid! He can't be human either! THEY'RE BOTH GRIMM!"

Oh no. Not good.

Not good. Not good not good not good.

The villagers were out of their minds. They were leaping to conclusions and making completely irrational decisions. Because of this, they were going to kill my baby brother–

I saw it.

In the shadows cast on the alley between two buildings, two red orbs stared at me. It was an odd-looking creature, resembling an anorexic and shriveled human. The difference between this creature and a human was its pitch-black skin, absurdly long limbs and lack of any facial features other than its beady red eyes.

It was a Grimm.

I felt the blood drain from my face as I realized exactly what type of Grimm that was. Back home, parents would tell stories of it to frighten naughty children, my own included. In those stories, they'd call it bête noir.

Once I began my studies at Beacon academy, however, I learned more about the real creature behind those stories. It was called a dread, a creature speculated to be in close relation to an Apathy.

Like its relative, the dread moved in large numbers, invading entire towns, villages, and even cities. They caused anyone close to them to feel inexplicable fear, and a loss of rational thought. They amplified emotions much in the same way that an apathy repressed them. They rarely showed themselves, much preferring sticking to the shadows, which usually meant that huntsmen wouldn't be able to find them before it was too late.

It was too late.

I didn't notice before, but now that I knew that dread had invaded the village, I could tell that these villagers were nothing more than husks of their former selves, all form of reason having long escaped them. Their souls have already been claimed by the bête noir.

I turned to look at my frightened little brother for what I would assume to be the last time. I knew what I had to do to keep him safe, even if it may be a little… difficult. I gave him a sad smile.

As another sharpened farming tool that I wasn't familiar with approached Jaune's collar, he tucked his head inwards to brace himself in whatever way he could. But before the blade could pierce his flesh, the golden glow of my semblance covered him, stopping the blow. The bladed weapon merely dug into his bindings and involuntarily unbound him.

At the same time, I had to suppress a wince as the previously harmless flames began to burn away at my exposed flesh. My semblance was a fickle thing; while it allowed me to confer a blessing of light on any object, living or not, it was difficult to spread it thinly over such a distance. By protecting Jaune as far away as he was, I was allowing my own defenses against the fire to crumble.

I forced a smile. "Jaune! Don't be afraid, alright? I cast my semblance on you, so no one can hurt you. Run away, and I'll catch up to you!"

I could tell he was trying his hardest not to cry. "Big sis… You better be right behind me! You're the strongest person I know, so you better be okay!"

"Of course! These flames will never be able to hurt me," I lied, "so hurry along! Don't let them get you! Live, Jaune!"

The tears began to trickle down his cheeks against his will, and it was everything I could do to prevent my own. I'm only nineteen, so of course I don't want to die; I have –had, at this point– a whole life ahead of me. However, if I had to chose to save one of us between myself and my brother, without fail, I would choose my brother every time without question.

Jaune headbutted the man holding my weapon, dazing him. He took advantage of the villagers' surprise-induced inaction to grab La Pucelle and bolt.

As he got further and further away from me, I could feel the flames burn hotter. My flesh was past bubbling at this point and was starting to peel off. I had to hold back my screams until I knew that Jaune was completely out of harm's way.

After what felt like an eternity, the connection I had to my semblance was cut off abruptly, indicating that Jaune was too far away. Even though the fire was now devouring my unprotected body, I smiled knowing that at the very least, Jaune would be able to see another day in my stead. I guess the flames don't hurt much anymore, huh. My nerves must have burnt away, or something.

With the last of my conscious thought, I knew that I had to put an end to the evil in this village. Both the soulless husks of the victims and the dread. I couldn't allow someone to come here by accident, only to meet the same end as me.

I love you, Jaune. Please, grow up to be the big, strong, and kind young man I always knew you'd become. And… It may be a little selfish of me to ask, but please live in my stead too, alright? Do the things I won't have the chance to do, now that I'm like this. Be there for our sisters when they need you, look after our parents when they really do become old, weak and frail. Find someone… nice, and fall… in… love…...

I couldn't hold back my tears anymore. I don't think I truly acknowledged that my tear ducts had already turned to ash.

I needed one last push. Every last bit of my soul needed to go into this.

Luminosité Éternelle

In a magnificent show of fire and white light, the village around me –and everything in it– met its end.

XX

I don't know how long I've been walking. I don't know where I've ended up. I don't know where I'm gonna go.

I don't think I cared though.

I still haven't processed everything. I still don't understand everything. Big sis was supposed to be right behind me. She said she would be. She promised she would be. But she wasn't though.

There was nothing left. The village full of those crazy bastards was completely wiped out.

She's… gone.

It's been three days, I think. Three days since big sis…

I kept walking through the thick, green forest. I would surely reach civilization at this rate… or not.

I needed to do… something. I don't know what that something is, but I don't know what I'm going to end up doing to myself if I'm left alone to think by myself any longer. I'm starting to feel like I'm walking in circles. I'm starting to feel like I'm talking in circles.

I don't think I care, though. I don't think I–

"GRAAAAAAAAHHHHGGH!"

I fell to my knees, screaming at the ground as I smashed my head repeatedly against the tree trunk that was unfortunate enough to be right in my line of sight. I was bleeding. I think I… I don't–

Why am I still moving? Why am I still alive? Why isn't sis–? Is it worth it? I'm tired, so I think I'll go to sleep for a while… Yeah, that sounds–

Hurry along! Don't let them get you! Live, Jaune!

I stopped moving. Something hot was dripping down the side of my face. I took a deep breath, hugged my sister's weapon close to my chest, and forced myself to calm down.

This cycle has repeated itself countless times now.

I would crack, remember my sister telling me to live, cry, then calm down. Rinse repeat.

I forced myself to my feet. This couldn't keep happening. I needed to find civilization –sane civilization– and I needed to find it soon before I snapped for real.

I doubt I was too far from that point.

I took one step. Then another, and before I knew it, I was gunning it at full speed. I didn't care about how my legs burned, or how my chest felt like it was about to explode. I kept running, and running, and running, relishing the feeling of endorphins wash over me. I wouldn't stop until I reached… something. Anything.

It took me two more days to find that "something", after passing out from exhaustion at least a couple times along the way. I hadn't eaten in nearly a week. Eating hadn't even occurred to me. However, the moment I caught a glance of the port town overlooking the water, the first thing I thought was "I need to eat, or I might really die."

The town was lively, much more than mine back home. I'm not saying that it wasn't a happy place, but this felt like more of a city to me. The place I grew up in was more… quaint.

Walking down the streets, everywhere I looked there was a vendor at a stall, selling all kinds of trinkets. I'm sure that if I would have been begging to take something home if I were here with mom or–

I started to walk faster, almost bumping into someone. Pushing past them, I ignored their shout of protest in order to find something to eat. Not that I know how I'm going to get anything since I left my bag with all my money to burn in that village.

A hand planted itself on my shoulder, not letting me take another step. I turned around to face a pretty lady with red hair and glasses.

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings young man. You nearly knocked this poor vendor right into the melon cart. As a hopeful Sanctum attendee, you should be alert at all times."

I had no idea what this lady was saying. Sanctum? The hell's that?

Regardless, I turned to face the melon guy and bowed my head. "Sorry, it won't happen again." And with that lackluster response, I tried to leave again.

The crazy lady looked like she wanted to say something more, but I cut her off before any sound left her lips. "Look, I'm sorry, really, but I need to find something to eat."

The lady held her tongue and paused to give me a once-over. "Kid… What on earth happened to you?"

It took me a second to get what she was saying, but now that I think about it, I must look pretty bad, huh? My clothes were singed and in tatters, I was barefoot, and I could feel the aches of the injuries I got when I escaped. I'm pretty sure there was still some dried blood on my forehead from hitting it repeatedly against hard surfaces.

Now I wasn't about to tell this stranger anything, so I had to make up some sort of "alternative truth". It had to be believable and well thought out.

"I hurt myself playing in the forest."

"…"

"…"

Okay, that was pretty bad.

"You… hurt yourself playing in…" the lady sighed in what was probably exasperation, "never mind. Now, I couldn't in good conscience leave you like this. Where are your parents? Are you lost? Is there anyone I can help you get in touch with?"

In another kingdom, very lost, and the person you can help me get in touch with isn't where I want her to be. I'm scared, sad, and I have no clue what I'm doing. I'm not comfortable telling you any of that though.

"I'm… here alone. I'm from Orleans, near Vale."

Her eyes widened. "That's… very far. How did you manage to get all the way here?"

I looked away. I knew I was being rude –mom and big sis always said that it was bad to be rude to people– but this lady was being awfully pushy for someone who just told off a stranger.

The lady looked like she was deep in thought. She was absentmindedly brushing strands of her bangs behind her ears over and over again.

"Look. I need to pick my daughter up in an hour or so, so how about I get you something to eat in the meantime? Atlas military is stationed here in Argus, so after I get her, we can take you down to the base. I'm positive they'd be able to contact your family in Orleans. Sound good?"

Wow. That's really… nice of her actually. The first turn of good luck I had all week. I feel kind of relieved. I'll be able to go home, see my family, and…

I shot my hands up to my face as quickly as I could to stop anyone nearby from seeing the tears that were flowing freely.

"Th-thank you, Miss." The hands in my face weren't able to muffle the waver in my voice.

She smiled kindly. If she knew that I was crying –which she definitely did– she didn't show it.

"You can call me Thetis. Now come, there's a great place around the corner."

XX

Thetis was right, the food was pretty good. My only complaint was that I wasn't allowed to order a burger because she said that "A growing boy should have a healthier diet."

It's not as much of a complaint any more though. As I took another bite of my avocado-chicken salad, I discovered that I might actually like avocado. Who knew?

"So Jaune," said Thetis, "I couldn't help but notice the blade you have with you. I can tell it's huntsman quality, but it's a little large for someone your age, right?"

Thetis has been very nice to me, so it was the least I could do to be a little cooperative. I put down my fork for the first time since my meal arrived.

"It's not mine. It's– it was my sister's. She…" I had trouble deciding what to say next. "Something happened, and… I lived, but she–

I was beginning to lose my appetite, despite the fact that this was the first meal I had in a week. I couldn't finish that sentence.

Thetis' face softened in sympathy. "You must've gone through a lot, huh? Don't worry Jaune, I'll make sure that at the very least you'll get home safely. Just leave it to the grown-ups now."

I couldn't find it in me to say anything. I just nodded my head.

"You're really strong for someone so young, you know?"

"NO! No way… It's because I wasn't strong enough that… That!..."

I was beginning to hyperventilate. Much in the same way that mom would, Thetis got up from her seat and sat down next to me at my booth. She was rubbing circles comfortingly on my back.

"You are strong, Jaune. Terrible things happened to you, but instead of giving up, you kept going. You're strong in here." She placed her hand over my heart.

"I'm sure that your sister is so proud of her brother," she said gently.

I cried.

I broke down, and I cried in the arms of a woman I just met less than an hour ago.

I couldn't find it in me to care.

XX

"So, this is…?" I asked, looking at the fairly large, cool-looking building in front of me.

"Sanctum. Sanctum Academy. My daughter should be out any minute now," Thetis looked at me strangely for a moment, "and now that I think about it, you two are roughly the same age, I believe."

Interesting. "So, this Sanctum academy place… it's your daughter's school?"

"Oh, no," Thetis waved her hand dismissively, "not right now at least. It's a huntsman prep school affiliated with Mistral's very own Haven Academy. I brought her here for the orientation for potential applicants. She's a prodigy for her age, so she's been checking out all the prep schools in the kingdom to see which one she thinks is the best for her."

The bragging was pretty evident, but I guess that was fine since it is her daughter she's talking about. And hey, that's pretty cool, right? She's aiming to be a hunter like me.

Not a minute later, a young girl my age walked up to us. She looked like a mini clone of Thetis, short hair and all. The only evident difference was that her hair fell straight to her shoulders as opposed to curling inwards into a bob like Thetis'. She wore a simple, sleeveless red dress that went down to her thigh.

Something metal reflected the sunlight on her hip. It looked to be nothing more than a plain six-inch tube, but if my limited combat training taught me anything it was that the tube was probably a mechashifting weapon.

"Hi mom!" she noticed me. She gave her mom a confused look, which Thetis answered with a smile. She took it as a go-ahead to introduce herself. "And hello! I'm Pyrrha, nice to meet you!"

I put out my hand, which she took in a handshake without missing a beat. She completely ignored the way I look right now "Hi Pyrrha, I'm Jaune. Nice to meet you too."

She seemed nice.

"Alright Pyrrha, before we head out, we're going to take Jaune here to the local military base. 'Kay?"

I felt kind of bad for taking their time like this.

Pyrrha smiled and nodded her head "That would be just fine. Though if it wouldn't be impolite to ask, what exactly is going on? I do not believe we've been acquainted before today."

She speaks really proper-like, huh?

"I met Jaune here," Thetis placed her hand on my shoulder, "on the way to pick you up. He's in a bit of a bind, and he's a bit far from home. Atlas could probably give him a hand."

"I see," the girl clasped her hands in front of her, "I hope everything goes well for you, Jaune."

As we walked at a leisurely pace through the city, I noticed Pyrrha giving La Pucelle glances from the corner of my eye. This continued a while longer before she gathered the courage to say anything.

"Say, Jaune…" she trailed, "That sword… Are you by any chance undergoing huntsman training?"

"Yeah," I rested my hand on La Pucelle's pommel, "I come from a family of huntsmen, so they're training me."

"How grand!" Pyrrha seemed fully invested in the conversation now. I have no clue how many people my age would be into this kind of stuff other than me, but I guess she's one of them. "I'm positive that coming from a family familiar with the field, you'd have no trouble finding a great weapon in the future."

While I agreed with her overall, I felt the need to vocalize something. "Actually, there's no weapon I'd rather use than this." I gestured with the French sword in hand.

"Are you sure?" it was kind of annoying that her confusion sounded real. Like she had no confidence in La Pucelle at all from the get-go.

With a small frown, I replied, "Positive. La Pucelle is the best weapon ever."

"Well it is quite elegant, but from what I've learned in my teachings, something less… tailored would–

"I don't buy that!" Not even I knew how angry I was starting to get before I opened my big mouth. "La Pucelle is just fine."

"I appreciate your fondness for your weapon," she looked like she was trying to explain something to a toddler, "but even if it's just for training, it wouldn't be ideal. Why are you so insistent?"

"I'll show you why right now! You're supposed to be some hotshot, aren't you? If you think it's such a bad weapon, then prove it."

Pyrrha's face looked stricken, and Thetis looked worried.

"I… I'm sorry, Jaune. Please allow me to take back my–

"No way." I have no idea why I'm so out of control like this. Dad would be mad if he heard how I was behaving. "I will show you why you're wrong."

Pyrrha's expression morphed from regret to resignation in a way that looked weirdly grown-up on someone my age. "Very well, Jaune. But please do not get angry when you lose." She detached the strange pole that she had at her hip and it morphed into a full-blown spear with a gentle flick of her wrist.

My hands started to tremble with anger. She sounded way too sure of herself.

Thetis decided it was time to intervene. "That's enough, both of you. It would be a show of poor character to start a brawl in public like that. You've been taught better, Pyrrha."

The shorter redhead didn't have time to answer her mother as I pounced at her, ignoring the kind lady's words. Both of their eyes widened in surprise at both the sudden movement and the strength behind my swing. Pyrrha barely had any time to bring her own weapon in defence.

I was young. I was inexperienced. I've never actually used big sis' blade, and I was kind of scared to mess up. Despite all of that, I've been taught by dad– by a huntsman– to put strength and conviction in every blow.

Young, inexperienced, but not weak.

My opponent got over her momentary loss of focus and pushed away from the contact. After she retreated to a distance she was more comfortable with, she knocked my blade aside and directed a thrust to my chest in the same instant with the back end of her spear.

Fast! It was my turn to be caught by surprise. Maybe her confidence wasn't just her blowing hot air. Dad's faster though.

It was a close thing, but I retracted my sword in time to redirect the blow. I moved in again with a sweep that Pyrrha was forced to jump back from.

"Hey, hey… what are those two doing?"

"That's not something you see every day, is it?"

"Is that even allowed?"

"Who cares? They're putting on a hell of a show for a couple of squirts. It's probably some Sanctum thing… or something."

I was vaguely aware of the crowd that we were slowly gathering. That awareness quickly faded though, as my frustration was starting to get the better of me.

Why–

Swing

Can't–

Clang

I–

Swipe

Hit–

Whoosh

You?!

As I swung harder, faster, my opponent showed to do the same. I tried to take the upper hand, and she just seemed to get more focused and pushed me back even more. How annoying! Stop insulting m–

"Enough."

It wasn't loud. The tone of the voice was more than enough to get both of us to stop in our tracks, and quickly got rid of the now-spooked onlookers.

"They've got some scary teachers at Sanctum, man."

"Yeah, she wasn't even talking to us, but I think I might've pissed myself anyway."

"…Let's hit the road just in case though."

"You said it."

It took Thetis close to a minute to get her bearings and process what was going on –though it felt like longer– but the second she did, she decided that she would not allow for the fight to continue.

"I'll start to get mad. Put your weapons away. Do you even have your aura unlocked, Jaune? What would you have done if Pyrrha didn't have the presence of mind to avoid injuring you? What if you hit her, and she didn't have any aura of her own?"

Pyrrha was breathing hard like me, but she looked kind of relieved that she didn't have to fight anymore. Man, she's really good in a fight though.

"I…" I had no words to describe the utter shame and embarrassment I was feeling. My sense of reason returned to me in a wave of cold understanding of what I just did.

I don't know why I got so angry over a sword; hell, she was probably right anyway. This sword was made for sis' semblance alone. I'd have to apologize to Pyrrha. She didn't deserve any of this.

Jeanne would say that it's the right thing to do. I wouldn't want to let Jeanne down or any–

"I'M SORRY! Thetis, Pyrrha, Jeanne… I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I–

Oh. I was crying again. How embarrassing, crying in front of a girl my age like that. On my knees, I forced my head down with degrees of guilt and shame that not even I could fully understand

I thought it was all out of my system already. I had no clue how long grief would stick to me. Jeanne… Jeanne died. I couldn't even acknowledge that. I couldn't even bring myself to say her name. Even now… I just couldn't accept it. She died because she had to protect her useless little brother.

I felt small arms wrap around my lowered head and pulled it into an equally small torso. I stilled.

"When I'm sad, this is what mom does to help me."

"I…I'm sorry… Pyrrha, Miss Thetis," I can't believe I did something so disagreeable to people who were just trying to help me, "That was beyond rude of me, I…" I trailed off. I didn't know what to say to make things better.

Thetis crouched to ruffle my hair. Her expression softened into a smile. "Jaune, you're grieving, and understandably so. No one would hold that against you. No child should have to be going through what you are," her smile turned into a teasing smirk, though still retained a little force, "though your efforts to refrain from doing something of this sort in our presence again would be greatly appreciated, and definitely not with anyone else. You're lucky my little Eleos is talented as she is."

"Moooom…" Pyrrha whined. From what little I could see from my awkward positioning, her face flushed from embarrassment at her mother's nickname.

Thetis ignored the younger girl's discomfort. "Alright, you two. If you're both done your squabbling, the military base is little further than a couple of blocks away. Jaune, at the very least, they'll probably contact your parents through their cross-continental transmit system before the day is out."

Pyrrha and I pushed away from each other and scrambled to our feet once we realized that we were scrunched together for a little too long.

"So, Jaune," began Pyrrha once the tension caused by our spat dissipated somewhat, "if you don't mind me asking, what did I do to make you so angry? I would like to make amends, if at all possible."

I looked down to my feet, shame lingering. She's the same age as me, but she's so much more mature. She's even trying to apologize for something that I know was my more my fault than hers. I owed her an explanation for that, at least.

It's what my sister would do.

"Please, there's no need to apologize." Thetis slowed her pace a tad, allowing us to pass her and reconcile amongst kids in privacy. I gripped the French sword tightly for support. "You were right, I just didn't want to admit it. La Pucelle is –was– my big sister's weapon. She… died… recently. Trying to protect me. This is all I have left of her. I felt like I –no, rather I still feel like I need to follow in her footsteps. I need to be a great huntsman for her."

"I'm… so sorry. I didn't know. I would have never said those… things otherwise." The girl looked like she genuinely felt bad for me. I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Please, don't feel bad. As I said, I'm the one who escalated things, so what happened isn't your fault." I took La Pucelle halfway out of its sheath, "You're right either way; my sister had this blade custom made for a really specific fighting style. It's a French sword, but it's not the right size, and it's not the right weight."

A silence came between us again for no more than a few moments, after which Pyrrha inquired, "If you want to be a huntsman, will you go to a prep school like Sanctum?"

I took a moment to really think about that question. Before going to Beacon, I didn't think that Jeanne went to a prep school. Rather, dad trained her personally for some reason. On the other hand, Pyrrha is plenty strong, and she seemed to think that going to a prep school was the best way to improve herself.

"I'm… not sure. I'd have to ask dad."

"Well, that's fine!" She gave me a big smile, much like the one she gave me when we first met earlier that day. "If you do though, I'd love to have a friend at Sanctum with me."

"Well," I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, "I live in Vale, so I'd probably go somewhere a little closer if I did…"

"Oh."

For some reason I couldn't understand, she looked really sad. I panicked and tried to think of something I could say to make things better.

"Um…! We… We can still be friends though! Yeah, definitely!"

Thankfully, she seemed to brighten up a little. "Oh… Yes, I would appreciate that very much. Thank you, Jaune."

I meant that, really, I did, but it was basically just a gesture at this point. We live in completely different kingdoms, and I'm sure that she'll make plenty of friends at Sanctum either way.

We arrived at a fortified bridge at the end of the town's waterfront. At the other end, I could see a huge facility blocked off by tall gates; neither fit in very well with the rest of the city. This was probably the military base.

A huge man dressed in a white uniform approached us before we made it halfway down the bridge. "Halt! State your business with Atlas military base, Argus branch!"

Thetis walked right past us for the first time since she fell back on our way here. "I am Thetis Nikos, and this is my daughter Pyrrha." The big man seemed to recognize their name, somehow. "This young man is the unfortunate victim of a Grimm attack and has been stranded here for a week. I would be very grateful if you'd be able to get him in touch with his parents in Orleans, Vale."

He pulled out a black scroll-looking thing from his breast pocket. Without saying a word, he pushed the button on the side and held it to his ear.

"Hello, ma'am? Missus Nikos is here with a child. Caucasian, blond hair, blue eyes, I'd say ten to twelve years of age. He has a weapon –French sword– but it does not seem to be fit for his stature. She's saying that he's from Orleans in Vale... Yes, ma'am, Missus Nikos, yes… Orleans, ma'am… Yes, ma'am, I'll let her know… Yes, ma'am."

He put the scroll-thing away. "Specialist Cordovin has allowed entry to the boy. Luckily, there is a bullhead scheduled to leave for Vale proper tomorrow morning. We'll have to make some calls, as well as pass some security checks, but there should be no issue dropping him off in Orleans on the way."

I was surprised by how… smoothly that went. Was Thetis someone really important or something?

"Good, good," Thetis waved it off like she expected this outcome, "I trust you'll be able to give him board until then?"

"Naturally," the Atlesian straightened, "we will offer the young lad the utmost care during his stay. The Specialist sends her regards, missus Nikos, and I've been told to inform you that if there's anything more you need from us, not to hesitate to ask. I trust that would be all?"

"Yes, quite, and please do extend Caroline my thanks."

I'm going home.

I turned my back to the bridge-man to look Thetis in the eyes. I took a deep bow, down to my waist like how dad taught me to do when I'm thanking someone for something huge like this. "Thetis… I have no words. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything you've done for me. You've done more for me today than I could ever repay, and you put up with me at my worst."

I raised my head to look at her daughter. "And Pyrrha, sorry for putting you through that even though we just met. You're a great fighter and a very kind person from what I've seen. I'm sure you'll do great at Sanctum."

Almost synchronized, they took a step back and smiled.

"You're more than welcome, young man."

"I'm sure you'll do splendidly as well, no matter the path you chose to follow. Best of luck, Jaune."

I smiled back.

XX

It took Jaune a week and a half by bullhead to get back to Orleans. By then, his whole family was worried sick. When they heard what happened, it was heartbreaking. His mother fell to her knees, sobbing into her hands. His sisters weren't in a much better condition.

However, the worst was his dad. He'd try to comfort the rest of them, but when he'd be left alone, he would sit by himself at the kitchen counter, staring into nothing.

Tonight was one such instance, even though nearly two weeks had passed.

It was late, so everyone else had gone to bed. Everyone except for the Arc household's sole male child.

He walked up to the kitchen table and quietly pulled out the chair facing his father. Taking a seat, he softly said, "Please, I need you to start training me again."

"No."

"Dad, I know you're upset, but I can take care of– "

"I said no."

Jaune frowned. They've had this recurring conversation ever since he'd returned from mistral. "Do you… blame me for what happened?"

That seemed to snap Jacques out of it, if only slightly. "No! Never. You're just a child Jaune. There's nothing you could have done."

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!"

The head of the family looked taken aback. Neither of them would be too surprised if that scream woke up the whole family.

Jacques wasn't expecting the outburst, but he wasn't too surprised. Ever since he returned, Jaune had been very quiet. He'd smile, try to cheer up his younger sisters, but his normal exuberance just wasn't there. It was exactly how he himself acted the first time a mission went truly terribly for him, and admittedly, how he was acting right now.

"If I was actually strong, Jeanne wouldn't have needed to protect me! If it was just her… If she wasn't stuck with a liability like me, then she would have definitely made it home, no question. You'd know that best, dad."

Jacques didn't know what to say, so he opted to keep his mouth shut for the moment.

"If you make me strong, nothing like that would ever happen again."

Closing his eyes, Jacques silently rested his forehead against his fist. "You've had a taste of how terrible this world of ours can really be, in the worst way possible. But let me tell you now, Jaune, that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's nothing fair about any of this. It doesn't matter how strong you are, or even how prepared you are. You'll never be able to promise something like that won't ever happen again. It can happen again, and if you're trying to be like your sister, it probably will happen again."

Jaune let his arms fall into his lap, and his eyes followed.

"It was futile of me to think that I'd ever be able to end our family's cursed fate. The moment you started to look up to Jeanne –no, the moment I allowed Jeanne to walk that path– you lost all your chances of leading the simple life I wished for all of you. It's time I finally admit to myself that preparing you for what's to come is the only thing I can do now."

The boy froze, "You mean–

"I mean, I'll be driving you into the ground from now on. When I'm done with you, you'll either be locked in this house for the rest of your life, broken by physical stress, or good enough that if you get stuck somewhere along the way, it'll be because you did something stupid, and not because someone got the better of you. Like I did with your sister, I'll coordinate your studies with your school so that you can spend as much time with me as possible. Unlike what I did with your sister, if you're not studying, you're either eating, sleeping, or training. If you're not prepared, you will break. Am I understood?"

His son's eyes widened like those of a deer caught in the headlights. It sounded rough, and possibly even illegal and kind of like child-abuse, but…

He resolved himself, pushing back his chair to get to his feet. "I won't disappoint you."

If he gave up now, then he'd be spitting on his sister's sacrifice.

XX

"RRRHAAAAAAAH!"

Jaune brought down a large metal pole in an overhead swing. Despite his young age and relative inexperience, the strength behind the motion was significant enough to rustle the grass in the clearing with a small gust of wind.

"Again. You were distracted."

Jacques was not satisfied. He wasn't satisfied with this swing, the last one, or the last fifty his son had performed that same morning. However, that wasn't to say that his son was not making good progress.

Only once the boy would be able to defeat him soundly with his eyes closed, both hands tied behind the back, all while wrestling a behemoth would he be satisfied. That is to say, probably no time soon.

"HAAAH!"

The kid didn't complain though. Three weeks in, and not even a grumble of disapproval.

It was torture.

Even Jacques would admit it wasn't much of an exaggeration. Once Jaune's body began to weaken, his mind would strengthen to pick up the slack. When his mind started to lose its footing, he would push forward with nothing but power of will.

However, even that could only take him so far. Eventually, he'd collapse, and Jacques would bring him to bed. The next morning he'd go to classes until noon, come home for lunch, then the whole cycle would repeat itself.

"Again."

"HaaAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

That last swing displaced the air strongly enough to snap the smaller branches right off the tree ten meters in the distance.

THUMP

Before his exhausted body hit the ground, Jaune's father caught his son in his arms.

Despite himself, the man allowed a smile to sneak itself onto his face. "You're getting better, Jaune."

"Quite."

Jacques' head snapped to the side to face the clearing's surprise visitor. Narrowing his eyes in contempt, he growled out, "What can I do for you today, Ozpin."

The new figure sighed. "I suppose I cannot blame a grieving father for his animosity. Despite what you may think, I came first and foremost to offer my sincerest condolences for your loss. None of us expected or wished for things to go the way they did."

Jacques narrowed his eyes. "I'm sure you didn't. What do you want?"

"Cutting right to the chase, then. That's fine."

…

"Beacon –Remnant, rather– needs that boy."

Jaune's father grit his teeth. "Absolutely not. I won't send my son to your cult of a school to die."

Ozpin sighed, scratching his temple with his index, "Whenever you see it, just sitting there, unused, collecting dust; you feel guilty, don't you?"

"Never. That cursed thing is nothing more than a way for the gods to hold us prisoners with our own power, proving to the world that we're nothing but tools used to run their errands."

"That may be true…" Ozpin took a moment to think of how to best phrase his argument, "but complaints such as those will lead to nothing but tragedy. What you say… it's the same for the maidens, the silver-eyed, and even me. However, refusing to fight means that the ones who can't won't have a choice other than to take our place."

"I won't give him Luminosité Éternelle."

"And how did that handicap work out for your daughter?"

"OZPIN!" Jacques grabbed the bespectacled man by the collar of his shirt, "WATCH YOUR MOUTH YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

"WOULD YOU QUIT BEING SUCH AN IDIOT!?" Ozpin very rarely raised his voice, let alone screamed, but the urgency of the situation coupled with Jacque's unwillingness to listen to reason got to him. He took a deep breath to try and calm himself. "If I could feel it, then I'm sure you've already realized yourself that Jaune already has Luminosité Éternelle. I can't change that, and neither can you. Whatever this is–" he said referring to the unconscious boy sleeping not-so-soundly on the hard ground "–it won't be enough. You may think me heartless, but I don't want to see that boy end up like that poor girl."

"I know that," whispered Arc, "everything you just said… I already know. I was going to give it to Jeanne as a graduation present –I was delaying it for long enough– but then she…"

Jacques was a towering man. Even with his greying hair and beard and wrinkling skin, he cut an imposing figure. The mistiness in his eyes didn't suit him.

His shoulders slumped, his hands finally letting go of the Headmaster as they dropped down to his side.

"He'll get it once he's ready."

"And Beacon?"

"…I'll think about it."

"I can protect him. Even if it's just for a little while I–

"I said I'll think about it. Please leave, Ozpin."

Ozpin's lips thinned in what could have been a smile. "I understand. Before I leave though…" he placed a wrapped parcel in the larger man's arms, "this is what we could recover. Everything else was burned to ash. I'm sorry."

Gently removing the wrappings, Jacques smiled sadly at the contents. It was his daughter's headpiece, the beads once attached having been singed off.

"Thanks."

With a tap of his cane, Ozpin was gone like the wind.

XX

A beautiful teenage girl stood with a pleased expression on her face. She held a simple, brandless scroll to her ear.

"Your Majesty… Everything went splendidly. We'll return by sundown tomorrow."

The girl's healthy, dark hair and her elegant-yet-youthful summer dress didn't at all suit the burnt and desolate landscape that surrounded her.

XXX