Sometimes, life just goes a way you don't really expect.

For Ruby Rose, life was fun. For eighteen years, she lived as any girl would. She studied in an academy for budding hunters, fought against bad guys and monsters, and occasionally went out to sing karaoke on the weekends. Okay, maybe not the most normal way to live, but it was her life. While others went to normal high schools and such, Ruby had studied to be a huntress. She trained herself to wield steel and fire against the Grimm, creatures that had long ravaged Remnant.

It was a harsh life for some, and those types generally ended up crushed by the weight of all of that pressure. Ruby was the kind of person who happily embraced such a life. When she was younger, she was motivated by thoughts of it being like the stories her older sister would read to her before bed. Now, a little more mature, Ruby still reasoned that it was a good life to help others out. She knew, from personal experience by this point, that there were no heroes. Instead, she opted to do what she could. And so she studied, improved her knowledge as much as she could to make up for what her lazier younger self would not.

Today was a routine hunt for Ruby. As of late, she'd taken to going on missions outside of the academy on her off days to make a little extra money on the side. She would be graduating soon, and she wanted to be able to find a place to live afterwards. Of course such a desire came from the fact that most of her friends, and her sister, have moved off of campus and out into town. The freedom of your own place was much nicer than the dorm rooms they lived in, and Ruby wanted to experience such a thing for herself. So while the week belonged to her team, the weekends belonged to Ruby Rose, the Huntress!

The mark this time was supposed to be a Beowolf pack. Known for being quite aggressive, their kind rarely tended to live long enough to truly become dangerous to your average hunter. For Ruby, they often counted as little more than a warmup. But the job this time had a rather unusually high pay out. Ruby didn't put much stock in this little oddity. The job mentioned that it was just a pack, and the client was a small settlement on the outskirts of Vale. Those types of places, expecially those in their early stages like this one, had a tendency to pay high due to their budget for security oftentimes being rather large due to the lack of security personnel so early on. It was a situation Ruby wasn't going to pass up. It was her or somebody else who would get the contract, and she honestly would prefer that it be her.

When she was closing in on the settlement that put out the contract, Ruby noticed something. Or technically, it was a lack of something that caught her attention. In her range of vision, she could see the gates to the place, and yet they were barren. No guards, no workers. Nobody. She didn't even hear anything. Even at her distance, some sort of clamor should have been been in her auditory range. Even focusing her aura to her ears, Ruby didn't pick up on anything. Heck, even screaming or yelling would be welcome from this eerie silence. Putting her hand to the mechanical sniper rifle and great scythe hybrid, Crescent Rose, on her back, Ruby picked up her pace. Now running, she made her way to the place with all necessary haste.

The Hunter's Association had a rather sizeable number of rules. Of course most were common sense, and a lot dealt with normal morals. One of the more well known rules though, one that everyone knew, was that civilian lives had priority no matter the situation. Protect those who cannot protect themselves. And regular soldiers and security personnel could only do so much, especially when a majority of the people here were construction workers and engineers. Hoping to find anyone, Ruby rushed in.

When she entered the settlement, however, she was met with a feeling of dread. Before her eyes lay a sight that would make all but the most hardened of warriors retch. Littering the streets were corpses. Hundreds, or so it seemed. With limbs, digits, and bodies thrown everywhere, she couldn't exactly grasp the number of casualties from a quick glance. And with the situation not being very favorable, she couldn't afford to act on her base instinct and reel back from the disgusting sight. There may have been survivors, and she had to find them if there were.

"Hello! Is anyone here?! My name is Ruby Rose, and I've come from the Hunter's Association to take on the request to slay the nearby Grimm! If anyone is alive, please answer me!" Ruby ran around imploring any survivors to come out. She shouted at the top of her lungs, but yet she never received a response. Desperate, Ruby further increased the volume of her voice until it dawned on her. It was hopeless. There was nobody left here. Nobody to respond. Quieting down in a small moment of shock, her features quickly twisted to anger. Anger towards the Grimm who made it their mission in this world to hunt down and slaughter the innocent to the last.

While Ruby thought of how long it would take her to find the pack, her shouts were met with a response. A low, throaty growl. Stepping out from the other side of a half-complete office building, a large black creature came into Ruby's view. It's forearms and face covered in a white bony plate with red markings, she knew exactly what it was. A Grimm. A Beowolf. One of her targets. And it could not have come at a better time.

As soon as it saw Ruby, the beast opened it's maw to growl at her. But this was no movie, nor a film. Without waiting to let it finish it's threat, Ruby whipped out Crescent Rose as fast as was physically possible for her, pointed towards the creature, and fired. It was over in an instant. The head was blown clean off of it's shoulders. Lifeless, it's body shuddered a little once, and then fell to the ground, already dissipating into the inky black smoke that all Grimm became upon death. Looking at it, Ruby could see it's claws were a strange shade that resembled rust. And Ruby knew precisely what it was. And that only angered her further.

Moving toward the direction the Beowolf came from, Ruby could hear it. Growling. Roaring. Her enemies. Moving swiftly and with a purpose, Ruby charged toward the sound, scythe in hand. She knew where her enemies were, and it was time for a hunt.

It took no time for her to locate the Grimm, especially with her speed. Before her stood several dozen Beowolves, all staring at her like a meal. A funny thought that would be at any other time, especially considering Grimm didn't even eat. No, they simply killed because it was their nature. Pointing the barrel of Crescent Rose's rifle behind her, Ruby didn't hesitate to pull the trigger. With that one click, the recoil sent Ruby flying towards the opposition at incredible speed. Before they could even register what she'd done, three of their number had lost their heads. Where the Beowolves once stood, now lay three crumpled black masses, roses streaming around the bodies in the wake of Ruby's swift assault.

"..."

No words were necessary for Ruby right now. Shouting in anger, or trying to mock the Grimm was a waste. They couldn't be provoked, only destroyed. And Ruby had every intention of doing so right now. Her vision clouded by the color red, she tore through the pack with efficiency and brutality. Not a single swing of her precious scythe went wasted, as each passing of the blade reaped the life of at least one of the pack's number before her. The thoughts of the dead were wiped from her mind, and the misdeeds of the Grimm forgotten. All that remained was a serene state of mind where only one thought existed. The idea that she had to destroy the enemy before her, or they would destroy her.

By the time she had calmed down, the Grimm were wiped out. Strewn around her were a great many eviscerated Beowolves, all in the process of disappearing. With at least the feeling of having gotten some small measure of revenge for the people here, Ruby turned back towards the direction of town to report about the town when a noise caught her attention. Turning slightly, something entered her vision that defied all logic. It was a Beowolf, she thought. But not. It stood twice her size, and had as many plates armoring it as a old Boarbatusk. It's size alone told Ruby that this thing was formidable, more so than any Grimm she'd fought before.

Before she could even take a stance, it charged her. Despite it's great size, the 'Wolf was capable of incredible speeds. By the time she managed to get her weapon ready, it'd gotten close enough to take a swing at her. Accelerating as fast as she could, Ruby launched off of the ground and leaped as high as she could, clearing the creature easily. Taking careful aim, Ruby fired twice towards the head. Neither shot could get through the thick covering over it's skull, however, and the Beowolf merely roared at her in response. After landing, Ruby continued to fire shots at the beast, to no avail. It was well protected, something that showed the Grimm's age better than anything else. This was not the type of Grimm that could be beaten by a lone huntress or huntsman. But she had no choice. If it got away now, no doubt it would only cause further harm.

Leaping off the ground, Ruby moved in to better utilize her scythe. Before she could swing, her path was intercepted by a large claw. With reflexes beyond what a normal Beowolf should have, the thing swiped at Ruby, sending her flying. Even protected by her aura, Ruby felt that one. After braking, Ruby gingerly felt the place that was hit, and winced from the pain. She's been hit and thrown around a lot by Grimm, but none have ever quite damage her this much. Steeling her resolve, Ruby looked again to the foe before her. This battle would not be easy. But she couldn't flee.

Feeling around her belt, Ruby grabbed for something that was inside of the pouch on her hip. It was a magazine, marked with four arrows pointing inwards in a sort of 'X' pattern. Ejecting her current magazine, Ruby put this one in, cocked her weapon, and pointed it again at the enemy. These were some of her strongest bullets. If these didn't dent the thing, nothing would. Firmly planting her feet, leaning slightly forward, and burying the tip of her scythe in the ground, Ruby took aim as though manning some sort of ballista. After a millisecond, she fired. When impacted, the rounds exploded against the Beowolf, causing it to visibly flinch and shudder. The recoil from such a shot nearly sent her flying though, and she had to reposition herself for another. Taking aim again, Ruby shot at the Beowolf's chest, and struck. This time, she was met with a loud and wrathful roar as one of it's arms were blown clean off, along with a good portion of it's shoulder. But it did not stop.

Moving as though unaffected, the Beowolf leapt at her. She couldn't correct herself in time, and she knew it. Throwing one of her arms forward as though to protect herself, Ruby cried out as a searing pain leapt through her body. The Beowolf had grasped her arm in it's maw, and tore it completely off. And as it opened it's mouth one more time to take yet another chunk off of her body, Ruby gave a small grimace. Her remaining arm, after having pulled back the bolt on Crescent Rose, repositioned the gun to the Beowolf's great, gaping maw. Without slowing, she fired, taking both it's head, and a portion of it's upper torso, clear off. Unfortunately, she shot back into the ground by the recoil, leaving Ruby without even have the energy to stand. Right now, all she could feel was a sick, burning feeling coming from the area her right arm used to be. But it was strange. She also felt cold. Strangely and utterly cold. It was a chill that slowly worked it's way around her body. She couldn't quite tell where it was coming from, but to her it didn't really matter. She had to make her way back. But she was so tired. All she could do was lay where she was. So she would take a quick nap. Yeah. Rest real quickly, grab her arm, and head back to Vale where she could hopefully get it re-attached. But first, she just wanted to close her eyes real quick.

There was no dream. No images, no sounds. Simply darkness, and silence. It was creepy, and yet oddly comforting in a way. And yet, she had no idea what it all meant. Normally, there would be a dream. Even in such a situation. One of possible hope, reminding her of what she needed to return home for. Then she would wake up and find her strength again, and carry on. That's how it was supposed to be, right? That's how it always was in the movies, and in those books that Blake always lent her. So then why was she not dreaming? Why did she feel weak? Why...?

That had all happened four years ago.

Today was another bright day as usual, and she knew it. While her name used to be Ruby Rose, she'd long since come into this new world as another. The proper word for it was reincarnation. Right? Sometimes she would ruminate on it, and others she would simply let things be. As much as she could tell, the girl named Ruby Rose had died. After having lost an arm to the Beowolf she'd fought, she bled out and eventually succumbed. But it was strange. She imagined the afterlife to be different. More cookies and milk, and less of this.

Ever since her previous life had ended, she wound up being born into this place as Alexandra Crux Du Noire. While her name and family had changed, she had not. When she was born, she was noted for being the only one in her family to have such dark red hair, almost to the point of being black. And her eyes were of an unusual silvery sheen. When she looked into a mirror, she could still see Ruby Rose, and it was a sort of comfort for her. Here, she was born to the family of a well ranking knight who held the position of being an instructor for the vanguard of the kingdom's elite forces. Overall, her status of birth was quite okay.

Her memory from before had returned shortly after her second birthday. A little incident falling off of window sill and onto a rock gave her mind a jolt. As she lay unconscious for what was apparently a few hours, her memories came flooding back into her. When she awoke, she was both Alexandra, and Ruby. And the way the world seemed to her was strange, alien. It was like those novels she'd taken to reading before, the ones about someone dieing and reincarnating in another world. But this place wasn't like an RPG sort like the novels usually had, nor were there any apparent levels and such. On top of it all, no higher being came to give her a special, powerful ability to compensate her for having died how she did. No. She simply came here with her memories intact. And she felt kind of ripped off from it.

It was an odd feeling to look at the world through the eyes of a child while holding the soul of an adult. Even with Ruby's naturally impish and excitable personality, her maturity had long since calmed her down. So while the rest of world she now grew up in saw her as having completely changed after her accident, Ruby- no, Alexandra, saw the world as being wrong. It took her nearly a year to be able to play the child again, and only after finally being able to accept that ever seeing her old family or friends again was completely impossible. In fact, she didn't even know where to begin if such a thing were even possible.

And so instead of simply pining for the family she could never again see, she tried to love the new family that she had been given. One older brother, one older sister, and a set of fraternal twins (one a boy, and one a girl) younger than her. These were the siblings she had now. She was the third child in the Noire family out of five, enjoying a nice position as the middle child. And so she grew up as a child in that household.

When she was four, she found herself wanting to be able to fight again. The thought of studying aside, she desired a chance to train herself. But something was missing. Her Aura. In Remnant, one's Aura supplemented their abilities. It could be used to strengthen, defend, and heal oneself. And based upon the person to whom it belonged, one's Aura could even perform other abilities. These abilities were referred to as a Semblance, a specific aspect of one's abilities that reflects their nature. Ruby, when she was such, could increase her speed to something unimaginable by an ordinary hunter. Of course such speed came at the cost of wearing down her stamina quickly, making it good for use to end small fights quickly, or try to eliminate bigger threats as fast as possible in larger fights. A prolonged fight was often the bane of her speed. And this speed was reflected in the hyperactive persona she used to have as Ruby, always being excited and cheerful during those days.

One day when night descended upon the house, she decided to sneak out. For most, unlocking their Aura required outside help, especially as the intricacies of doing such a thing were fairly... difficult. But as someone who'd done so before and held extensive experience using hers, Alex was more than capable of unlocking it on her own. Wandering back into the fields below her room, she took a quick glance around her to assure herself that nobody was watching. Of course anyone who saw a young girl suddenly glow brightly would be worried like crazy.

When one's Aura was unlocked, they would shine with the force of their soul entering into the visible spectrum for a brief period. Oftentimes due to their age at the time, most would be fairly weak, leading to a dim glow. Aura could be strengthened over time with repeated use and training, so she wasn't expecting too much this time. After confirming that she was indeed alone, she proceeded to do so.

"It is at the end that we reach our beginning. Here we become the epitome of virtue and glory to rise, unceasing in growth and unrestricted by the thorns of strife. Free this soul, and let my fate be unbound." After finishing, she could feel it coming back to her.

See, the process of using such a chant to unlock one's Aura did not exactly stem from it being any sort of magical spell or anything. The chant was used simply as a focus to allow one to clear their mind and do precisely what they want. In simple terms, it's like providing a guide of sorts for your mind to reach the desired state you need to either unlock your own, or the Aura of another. Like placing tracks before a railroad to guide it's path. Something like that.

After finishing though, Ruby noticed something. Her surroundings were lit up brightly. This was less the sort of Aura one would have at the age of four, and more the kind of Aura Jaune had back in Beacon.

Oh, right. To explain a little more, Jaune was a friend Ruby had made back when she studied at Beacon Academy. The two entered at the same time, became leaders of their respective teams, and got along rather swimmingly due to both having similar cases of social anxiety. When she had free time, she would often play video games with him or simply just hang out. That or train him in ways that often left him a sweaty mess on the ground. Regardless, his skill may have been below par, but his sheer stamina and Aura capacity led to him being one of the tankiest people Ruby had ever fought with. Wearing him down in a spar was something Ruby would often compare to besieging a castle.

But enough of that. The young Alex now had an Aura capacity to rivaled Jaune's back during their first hear of studying in Beacon. Of course this wasn't an issue for her. In fact, it was a blessing that Ruby almost considered to be a positive upside to the situation. Sure, she may not have been granted overpowered abilities or anything, but with her Aura capacity as it was, it would be possible for her to take up her weapon like before.

After successfully unlocking her Aura, Alex was left feeling quite fatigued. Wanting to get back and rest, she climbed her way back up to the second story from which she'd come and hopped back into her rather large and comfortable bed. After snuggling with the extra pillow she always kept, she let her mind wander into comfortable places before finally succumbing to the sweet temptation of sleep.

In the morning, Alex was awoken by something. It was something she should have gotten used to, and yet still hadn't. The something in question? Her older brother, Michael, tickling her awake. Ever since she could remember, he'd had a fondness for messing with her. But not in a cruel way. It was almost playful. Michael was already ten years of age, and had been training with their father for the past five years to learn his swordsmanship. As per tradition, once he came of age he would become a squire under their father, eventually taking his place as a knight in service of the kingdom later. This was what the male heirs of the Noire family had always done, and would continue to do in the future.

Even with his training in the morning, he always found time to come and wake his little sister up with a surprise attack. And yet despite him doing it, Alex never grew to hate it. If anything, it only endeared her more to her older brother. It was the sort of thing Yang, her sister when she was Ruby, would often do. If anything, he reminded her a little bit of Yang. His hair was a light gold color, bordering on platinum in some places, and his eyes were a gentle and light amethyst color. Overall, he was her favorite sibling for these reasons, and a few others. After being woken, Michael ran out of her room, laughing like an imp. Before he left completely however, he reminded Alex to hurry down for a breakfast.

After climbing out of bed and rummaging around for some regular clothes, she eventually settled on a simple white skirt with a red blouse. Going to her mirror, she used her little comb to try and tame her bed head. And when she felt she had done what she could, she descended the stairs and headed towards the dining area. When she arrived, she was greeted with the sight of her father sitting at the head of the table, Michael to his right. She could hear her mother in the kitchen. And from the sounds, it seemed like her sister, Elizabeth, was also helping out. Elizabeth was only a year younger than Michael, and so was older than Alex by a full five years. And yet she was a wonderful older sister. Having gotten more from her mother's side, she had a soft brown hair color and eyes to match.

With her younger siblings nowhere in sight, she assumed they were likely still sleeping. Still, the two of them were not even a year old yet, so it was likely they were exhausted from crying through the night. Taking her usual seat right beside Michael, Alex saw her mother walking out from the kitchen carrying a pot in her hands, followed by her sister holding another platter.

"I'm sorry it took so long to finish dear. This new grit stuff took a little longer to properly soak in than our normal rice. Why I ever let you convince me to try it is a wonder to me." As she set the pot in her hands down onto the table, she gave a gentle smile and a small shake of the head, as though teasing her husband.

"I'm sorry, but the boys I was teaching the other day swore that these were a great meal for the morning time, and that it had them feeling more energetic for practice. I just wanted to try it out." Immune by this time to his wife's little antics, Sebastian Williams Du Noire gave a wide grin as he reached for the pot. "Plus, I did offer to hire some staff to handle the kitchen work. After all, it's strange that despite having such a good income you still decide to do the housework."

"Well dear, I just think it's more fun to do my own cooking. It's a good skill to have and improve." After placing down the towels protecting her hands from the pot's heat, Marriene moved back in the kitchen to grab something. A small clay pot filled with butter. "I hear these go well with some fresh butter, so help yourself."

Without much else, the family sat down and began to enjoy their simple meal for breakfast. A pot of grit porridge, and a tray with thinly sliced strips of pork and beef heated in a pan greased with lard over a flame. In a manner of speaking, both pork and beef bacon. Something so simple, and always agreed upon by most to be completely irresistible. After grabbing a couple of slices of the bacon, chopping them up into her bowl, and getting some of the porridge as well, Alex mixed it all up with a small spoonful of butter, and began to dig in. Again, it was such a basic meal, and yet it was something she would never trade away. It was so simple, and yet so precious. During the meal, the conversation between her father and brother eventually turned to training once again.

"So father, I was wondering if we could hold another practice session after our meal. I was hoping you could show me that counter move you told me about during your story of your duel with the warrior captain." Michael said, his desire to fight evident in how he presented himself. It was not bloodlust. It was more the inborn desire most young boys have around that age. The desire to improve their skills and stand out as warriors.

"Huh, I dunno. You might not be able to take another round of training. Maybe later. Plus, I do have to go to work. There was some talk last time of a subjugation party being sent a little south towards the Evergreen Sea to dispatch a small village of monsters that has been reportedly setting up there, and the odds are good that I am selected for it."

"But wouldn't a warm up be just the thing to get you ready for such a trip father?"

"Well, I mean it would. But I'm not so sure..." Her father was sounding hesitant to try again with Michael, but by this time another thought entered Alex's head. Her skills had probably grown a little rusty in the four years they've been made to stagnate. Seeing an opportunity, she wanted to try.

"Papa!" She said, her voice coming out a little louder than she meant to. Dialing it back, she looked to her father and saw his eyes focus on her. Taking a small breath, she continued. "I was wondering if it would be okay for me to join you and Mikey for practice today."

With this request, all noise seemed to pause at the dinner table. Not for a single minute had any of them considered letting Alex try fighting. For starters, she was only four, and had only been so for less than a week. And on top of that, she was a little on the smaller side. Of course her father would hesitate when asked to teach his daughter swordsmanship, especially with how small she seemed. But looking at her, all he could see was her begging with her upturned eyes, small and adorable. Begging to allow her to join in. Now as a man who'd seen the battlefield many times and lived through it, he could not be considered a weak minded man by any standards. But under that precious gaze, he could usually only give in after a short while.

"Urk, I'd rather not sweety. I mean, I don't think you can even hold a sword properly right now." He resisted, however he could. But Alex was determined.

"So if I can hold the sword, I can join?" She asked, fully turning up the cuteness of her gaze. As a child, she had the right asset, and with the mind of an adult, she had the right nature to use that asset. Eventually, he folded and relented to her request.

"But only if you manage to actually hold the sword for more than a few seconds."

"Yay!" Ecstatic at the opportunity to fight again, Alex quickly finished up her meal, brought her bowl into the kitchen and to the washing bin, and then ran up to her room. "I'm gonna go change real quick!"

"Oh boy. What have I done now..?" Her father could only scold himself out loud as the sound of his daughter excitedly preparing to fight entered his ears.

"Well father, you did begin to teach me around her age." Michael offered, hoping to somewhat ease his father's apparent worry.

"Yes, but you're going to eventually take my place. Plus, I already know that you and your sister can utilize magic, and have already been taught to do so. But we don't even know what her Arcane Aspect is yet, let alone if she even could." Yes, here magic was a vital portion of being a knight. But that was an explanation for another time.

"It's fine father. Once she realizes the sword is too heavy, she'll likely do her cute little pout, complain a little, and then sit off to the side like always and watch us."

"Oh, alright then." Sebastian could only give a small smirk as he thought about it.

Outside, waiting for Alex to come were her father and brother, both sporting a similar tank top and pants for fighting practice. Meanwhile, she was wearing a similar top, albeit blue instead of beige, with a skirt and shorts to match underneath. It was an odd appearance to want to fight in, but they didn't question it. In front of Alex, a simple straight sword lay on the ground. It wasn't a weapon Ruby was wholly familiar with, instead having sacrificed basic training with such in order to learn and utilize her scythe better, but it wasn't one she was completely unfamiliar with either. Regardless, it was a good weapon to start with.

"Alright then. Alexandra, I want you to pick up that sword, draw and, and hold it up for one minute. If you can do that, I'll allow you to join your brother and I today." Her father said, arms crossed across his chest as though to display his authority.

"Right," she said, moving to pick it up.

"Come on Alex, you can do it." Michael offered some light encouragement from the side, honestly thinking it wouldn't be possible for the small girl to do so. If anything, the sword was the same size as her. It would be like holding her precious scythe again with the sheer weight.

But it wasn't a problem, not for the her right now. Feeling for her Aura, Alex allowed it to suffuse entirely throughout her body, making her feel lighter than before. Leaning down and grabbing the sword by the handle, Alex lifted it up with one hand, easily drew it from it's sheathe, and held it before her as though ready to strike. And this was done to the astonished expression on both her father and brother's faces. After a full minute had passed and Alex remained showing no sign of her arms growing tired, her father agreed to let her start training.

"Amazing. I can't honestly belive you pulled it off. But a promise is a promise. For now, I want to see how well you can do. Stand over there and ready yourself. I'm going to have you fight with your brother for a practice match. But first, hand me that sword. I don't want you two killing each other, so use this practice one instead." After tossing her a wooden sword, Alex set herself up a fair distance from her brother and turned to face him. After the two kids had taken up their positions about twenty feet from one another, he continued. "The rules here are simple. No aiming for the face, and no trying to seriously harm each other. And if you successfully manage to strike one another, please let it be in a place the bruise won't be visible. If your mother saw that I let you two beat each other up, I think she'd be the one to kill me."

After giving a wry little grin, Alex tried to put herself into some sort of stance. Granted, her total amount of time training with a sword accounted to the amount of time she was jokingly using Jaune's Crocea Mors in the practice hall (which accounts for not very much), Ruby still knew enough. Spreading her feet slightly, gripping the blade with both hands, and holding before her towards her brother, she prepared to fight him head on. When she did this, Michael's eyes widened slightly.

"Wow Alex. If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say you've had practice." He gave serious praise to how his little sister was able to enter a basic fighting stance despite apparently having no training. Her father also didn't miss this.

"Huh, she might just end up being some sort of prodigy with a blade. Well, we can only tell so much before she actually tries fighting though." After saying his piece, Sebastian motioned to Michael to prepare himself. After taking a stance as his father had taught him, he gave a small nod back. Once the two seemed set, Sebastian called the start of the battle. "Alright you two, fight!"

At once Michael kicked off the ground and started sprinting towards Alex. For him, finishing this fight quickly would be best, especially as he didn't want to harm his precious little sister too much. His intention was to knock Alex's wooden sword out of her hand, tackle her to the ground, and pin her with his practice sword to her throat. They were practical maneuvers his father had taught him, and they allowed one to finish a fight with the least damage to either side. It was the perfect sort of technique to utilize here.

But Alex didn't flinch at all. When Michael grew close enough to swing at her blade, she finally moved. Lowering her sword's position to interfere with the opposition's swing, Alex lightly flicked the blade to her left, knocking away Michael's incoming strike. It was a little shaky, especially with her lack of knowledge on the finer methods of sword based combat, but it worked fairly well. Especially with her Aura enhanced strength. After deflecting his attack, Alex then aimed for a swing at his chest.

Michael, honestly not having anticipated much from his sister, was thrown off for a second. But his father's training kicked in, and he managed to duck below his sister's strike and put some distance between the two of them. After that, he didn't dare try to charge in again. He didn't know how she could do that, or where she may have possibly learned such a thing, but he knew that his sister wasn't just an average little girl with a sword in her hand.

"Father, are you sure you've never taught her how to use a sword?" Of course this question was justified, especially since this girl less than half his age just knocked away his strike with relative ease.

"I have not." Sebastian could say, a little hint of intrigue creeping into his voice. He had no idea that his daughter could potentially be such a prodigy with a blade. If she showed even more promise than this, then it wouldn't be a stretch to say she could possibly even enter knighthood. Especially with how there were plenty of females in the various orders nowadays. Such prodigious skill would definitely serve the kingdom well.

Carefully considering his next move, Michael barely moved an inch. As for Alex, she wasn't quite so patient. Wanting to capitalize on her momentum, she kicked off the ground this time. And unlike Michael before her, her steps were like a gale force wind. Swift and aggressive. With the kind of speed nobody there save Alex herself expected, she moved before him sword in hand. Gripping the handle with both hands and positioning the blade down, Alex drove the blade into the ground, launching herself high into the air. After spinning forward like a wheel, she intended to bring her blade down onto her brother. It was only when she was just a foot away that her father's blade intercepted her on her descent.

"Whoa!" He could only exclaim as he took the brunt of her attack with his own blade. It had more weight to it than he expected, but he stood firm. After she stopped, he confiscated the sword from her hands. "Alexandra, what were you thinking? I don't know how you learned to use a sword like that, but any further and you could have seriously injured your brother."

"Is his Aura really so weak though Papa?" Alex asked, unsure of what the issue was. One's Aura would easily protect them from this level of damage, even if it was the Aura of a ten year old child. If her sword had been metal, that would have been an entirely different story all on it's own.

"Huh? Aura? Sweetheart, anyone would be injured if they took a direct blow from that. It didn't matter how strong their body was. That sort of attack, while simply amazing, would definitely have broken your brother's shoulder if you'd connected."

This made only a little sense to her right now. To Alex, her memories as Ruby gave her the impression that any warrior should have had their Aura unlocked. But yet her father started talking as though there was no such thing. So was it possible that only Ruby knew what it was? And how would that be possible? Surely somebody here must have learned how to use it, right?

"Oh, I'm sorry Papa." Alex immediately switched to apologizing. "And I'm sorry Mikey. I didn't mean to try and hurt you," She said, slight tears welling up in her eyes.

"No, no. It's fine Alex, see? I'm unharmed. Plus, I was planning to block you anyhow, so it's completely fine." He started, a little panicky after seeing his sister's tears begin to form. Lightly patting her on the head, he continued on. "Hey, it's all fine. If anything, I'm amazed by how well you could fight. You almost looked like a pro with how you did that leap."

"Yeah. I'd wager she holds the Aspect of the Wolf. Or at the very least, maybe the Aspect of the Panther. I've never seen such a wild method of fighting."

"I'm sorry Papa, but what is an Aspect?" This was Alex's first time hearing this term. So of course the confusion she felt would be considered normal.

"Oh right. You haven't learned about them yet, have you? Well, you know about magic, right?" At this word, Alex's ears perked up slightly, and her eyes widened. Magic? Actual magic? "An Aspect is a person's nature. It's a representation of how they grow. Some are better for situations like combat than others. Some are better for information gathering. And some are better for day to day things. But everyone is born with one, sometimes two Aspects. For instance, I hold two of them. The Aspect of the Wolf, and the Aspect of the Dragon. They're both very powerful Aspects rated highly among warriors and fighters. They also allow me to utilize fire magic, lightning magic, and frost magic." To show her, her ignited a small flame in the palm of his hand.

"As for me Alex, I have the Aspect of the Wolf too. It allows me to use frost magic as well!" Michael said, holding out his chest proudly.

"You see, an Aspect also gives insight as to how one will grow in the future. Certain Aspects that work better for fighting are those like the Dragon, the Wolf, or the Bear. Those types tend to note that one will grow faster in regards to physical strength or endurance. And there are many others. With how you fought there, it wouldn't be a surprise me if you had one of those stronger Aspects."

"Wow!" At this point, Alex's eyes had shifted from the sharpened steel of battle, into the wide-eyed bright silver of innocence. "So how do I find out what I can do? What's my Aspect?"

"Well once every year the church will gather all of the children who are of seven years of age and test them to find out what Aspect they may have. They actually hold it about a week after your birthday yearly. You can take the exam and see what your Aspect is when you reach seven years old. You can even enroll into the Royal Academy of the Arcanists if you feel that you're suited for learning magic. Your brother decided to follow in my steps and become a knight, and your sister wanted to follow in your mother's steps and become a gentle lady."

"Yeah, that sounds so amazing!" Alex was completely excited. She could use magic here. No Dust, actual magic! It was so amazing. "I wanna get stronger for that day and learn magic!"

"Well, I don't think you should train with your brother any more. While he's rather sturdy already, I don't forsee him being able to walk away from your little wild style. I'll practice with you."

"Really?!"

"Yup. So," he said, tossing the wooden sword back at her. "Come at me however you want. I'll try to help you grow as well as you can."

And so for the next three years, Alex studied properly under her father's tutelage. When she grew to the age of five, a home tutor was hired to provide her with basic instruction and education. While she sweated it out with her father and brother in the mornings, and studied properly through the noontime, she also took time at night to continuously train her Aura.

Never forgetting for even a day to practice, she would constantly invoke her Aura to tain herself when nobody was around. One thing she noticed was that here, Aura felt a lot different. Compared to Remnant, the defensive properties of Aura here formed a physical shield of sorts around her. With training, she eventually grew able to project it into a sort of proper barrier, expanding it around her person. To top it off, she felt other small differences. Before, her Aura could only enhance her abilities a bit. But here, she could better manipulate it into her limbs and senses. After some experimentation, she found that could use it to enhance her hearing and vision. On top of it all, she could increase her already fairly high mobility further, and improve her muscular strength. In game terms, it was like she could now buff herself instead of just having a small passive status boost. It really highlighted how she was not in Remnant any more. Everything was different, strange. But it still was her life, and she lived it.

And when she became seven , her moment had arrived. The week between her becoming the right age and being able to learn her Aspects had been the hardest for her to deal with. Of course her restlessness could be seen in how during her sparring sessions, she was even more energetic than usual. By now, Michael was able to properly take her high speed assault and and somewhat hold his own. Of course Alex wouldn't utilize her Aura to fight him or her father, believing it would be an unfair advantage. Of course, a few things became obvious over the years. Namely, only she really had an Aura here, and only she could make it work how she was used to. Nobody else had this ability. It was strange to her, but there wasn't much she could do to change it. It was just how it was.

The day before the test, Sebastian had decided against training his daughter to give her some time to rest and prepare for the next day. With the extra free time, she decided to read up a little more. Poking around her father's study, she looked for a book on magic. Of course she'd been interested, but now that she was close to learning about what she could do she was downright excited. She wanted to learn at least the basics to prepare herself for tomorrow. When she couldn't readily find one, she did the only other thing she could think of. She asked her father if he had one.

"Well, I'm proud that you want to learn so badly. But the test is tomorrow, so maybe you should just take some time to rest up today?"

"But Papa, I want to at least know the basics. The other kids there tomorrow might already know something and I don't wanna lose to them!" In her adorable silver eyes, Sebastian could see a little steel poking through. That fire in her eyes was likely his fault, always having had such a competitive spirit himself. Of course he eventually relented, unable to say no to her earnest request.

"Alright then. But instead of a book, I'll teach you myself."

"Oooh!"

"Yeah. I'll start by teaching you how to control the energy that comprises our magic. We call this basic energy Arcana. It exists in all living things, and is the basic component in any sort of magic." Starting his lesson, Sebastian began to lead Alex out of the house and towards the open field in the back. "Of course magic can take many forms. But the magic itself is mostly a result of three things: Knowledge, Imagination, and Will. You must have knowledge of how the world works in order to change it. You must have the imagination to envision a change. And the will power to see that change through. Do you get it?"

"Kind of," Alex said, though the confused look in her eyes betrayed her. "Can you show me?"

"Sure thing. I'll start with something simple that anyone can do. It's a basic spell called Lantern. It simply creates a small ball of light that illuminates your surroundings." Saying so, he held out his hand. "To start, try to feel the Arcana around you. Just calm your mind and focus on your hand. Then envision a small ball there, and hold that image in your head. And finally, will the energy you feel around you to form and go into that ball you envisioned. And finally, you get this," And with that, a small ball of light formed in his hand. It was maybe an inch and a half or so in width, and gave off a small amount of light only. But still, it amazed Alex to no end.

"Whoa."

"Now you try. Do what I told you, and you should be able to do it too."

"Alright." Focusing on the world around her, Alex tried to feel for this energy her father spoke of. The only thing she actually felt was the Aura around herself. And no matter how hard she focused it was all she could feel. "I can't feel it Papa."

"Keep trying. You should be able to by now."

Giving it another go, all she could feel still was her Aura. Not sure of what else she could do, Alex decided to try what she did with her Aura's protection. Willing the Aura to flow into the orb she imagined, she was met with a peculiar feeling. One that felt like a few ants crawling along her arm. But before she could determine if it felt bad or not, she succeeded in creating the light.

"Oh wow!" She was excited. It was simply amazing. Her Aura, something that anyone could use back in Remnant, was this world's magic. And she was using it. She was actually able to use magic. Not just to run fast, but to actually do something cool.

"Good job. You actually succeeded on your first try. Now sever the flow of Arcana to the light to make it disappear." Doing as he said, the light disappeared from her hand. "Now that's one of the most basic things you can do with magic. But further studies should really wait until you learn what your Aspect is. Trying to use magic outside of your natural Aspect can actually cause harm to you. It's best that you find out what you can do before trying. Promise me, okay?"

"Alright Papa. I promise to wait until after tomorrow."

"That's my girl. Who knows? You may just have the ability to go to the Arcanic Institute and learn proper magic."

For the next few hours, Alex spent her time just making and dissipating Lanterns. No matter how many times she did it, it always served to make her eyes widen in awe. But it was too simple, right? Her father did say that imagination played a key role in determining how magic was used. So maybe she could change the color? With that thought in mind, she tried to figure out how she would. Maybe if she thought about a lens or a filter of sorts being in the light? So after getting rid of her current one, she thought about making a new one. This time, she tried to imagine there being a bulb of sorts around the light. A red bulb, to filter out all of the other colors. After getting a concrete picture in her head, she tried it out. She supplied her Aura, or Arcana, whichever it was to be called, to the picture in her head. And in a brief second, a new light was formed. But this one wasn't the same white light as a normal Lantern. It had more of a maroon sort of hue to it. It was fairly dark, but it was still a red light. Changing the mental image and putting it into a little more focus, the light in her hand became a little more clear. Of course a normal child might not be able to focus so well. It was her adult mentality that gave her an edge with this sort of thing.

For the rest of the day after that, Alex tried imagining new and different ways to make a Lantern. Each time, she would try to change the color, the shape, and even the size. By the time she was ready for bed, she had gotten the hang of completely altering the Lantern spell to suit her tastes. It was actually fairly easy when you got the hang of it. And tomorrow, she would finally learn what she could try next.

The next morning, Alex was awake far earlier than she normally was. Heading down to the dining area, she took a look around and saw that the light in the kitchen was on. Peeking in, she saw her mother hard at work preparing breakfast. Not wanting to bother her, Alex wandered out to the back of the house where the practice swords were kept. Picking one up, she began to practice with the basic forms her father had taught. After getting it into a rhythm, she continuously switched between them, swinging her blade around faster and faster as time progressed. Eventually, after what felt like almost an hour, she finally slowed down, eventually coming to a stop. The sword that before was larger than her had since come to rest perfectly in her hands, and had become rather familiar. But she still yearned for her scythe. Maybe if she could ever find time and the materials, she could create a new Crescent Rose.

Though her muscles felt tense, and her blood ran like fire through her veins, Alex felt satisfied. It was this feeling that she enjoyed, this feeling of completely having ran wild with a weapon in hand was her bliss. Turning around to head inside, she could see Michael watching her from the side. Stepping forward a little, he tossed a towel at his little sister.

"About to go for the exam, and you're still swinging that thing around like crazy. You're incredible Alex. I've been learning from dad longer, and yet you're already more than a match for me. On top of it all, I heard you can make a Lantern now?"

"Uh yeah. Papa taught me yesterday when I begged him."

"Care to show me?"

"Sure. Just give me a sec." Concentrating in front of her, Alex imagined a Lantern blooming into existence in from of her. Not much later, a small rose shaped Lantern appeared before her and Michael. "See?"

"Wh-what is that? That's not a Lantern."

"Yeah it is." Alex said, looking at her brother fairly seriously. "All I did was imagine a new look for it. Just have to determine how to filter the light and change the focus." As though it were so simple, she said is nonchalantly. However, Michael could barely follow his sister's words.

"You did what? How did you make a Lantern shaped like a red flower? What did you do?"

"Mikey, I'm all sweaty here. Can I please go take a bath? I promise to explain it to you later." Alex said, trying to get out of there. She really did want to take a bath and get herself dressed into something nice. Plus, if she had to explain it, she'd have preferred the time be better for her. As in when she had less to worry about.

"Fine. It's a promise though, alright Alex?"

"Yes Mikey. I promise. Now if you don't mind, I kind of stink right now and I wanna clean up before breakfast." Moving past her older brother, Alex quickly walked toward the front. There would be time for questions later.

After bathing and changing into a black top with a black and red skirt, Alex headed in to the dining room to find breakfast ready and waiting. Taking her usual seat, she settled in and grabbed for a piece of bread when her father asked her a question.

"So, Alexandra," Sebastian began, as Alex tried to fit a piece of buttered bread into her mouth. "I hear you were practicing this morning. I'm amazed by your diligence."

"Thanks Papa," She said finishing off her piece of bread. "I woke up kind of early and felt like swinging a sword around a bit."

"Ahh, I see. And from what I hear, you can also make a Lantern of a different shape?"

"Yes...?" She said hesitatingly, not sure whether this was a bad thing or not.

"Do you mind showing me?"

"Here at the table?" After a short nod from her father, Alex did as she was asked. In front of where she sat, she made another rose shaped Lantern appear. It gave off a gentle crimson light.

"Amazing. How did you learn to do this?"

"Uh, you said that magic requires three things. And among those, you said that imagination allows you to envision a change, and will to see that change through. So I wanted to imagine that the Lantern was red and looked like a flower."

"And you figured that all out on your own?" After she nodded, he continued. "So how did you envision the change of color?"

"Uhm, well... I imagined a red glass ball around the light. To make the light that shines through appear red."

"Oh my," her father exclaimed, surprise evident on his face. "It's amazing how you figured that out by yourself. What gave you the idea?"

"The stained glass windows in the cathedral. The light that comes through those is so pretty. I thought maybe with a dome of glass like that, I could change the color of this light."

"I feel that today is going to yield some interesting results at the test."

"I know father. I can't wait to see my little sister be a Wolf."

"You know," began Elizabeth. "Alex can always end up more like her big sister than her big brother.

"Pfft. With her skill with a sword, Alex would definitely make a better Wolf than she would a Dove. She's much better at fighting than supporting."

"There's nothing wrong with having the Aspect of a Dove. Specializing in support and illusion magic is not a bad thing." Elizabeth said, almost insulted by her brother's tone.

"Yeah, but Alex definitely isn't some little bird. She's definitely a warrior. Have you seen her fight?"

"Honestly, Michael does have a point," Sebastian interjected. "Alexandra does fight in a way I've never seen before. With how she leaps around and remains so agile with a blade in her hand, it'd be hard to imagine her as anything but a Wolf or Panther."

"Dear, I don't believe we should be speculating right now. It could be that Alexandra has more than one Aspect. And it could be that she has none of those Aspects. We'll find out later. For now, just finish your breakfast. We have a big day before us." Admonishing her family so, Marriene went back to her own food too. She was not wrong. It was always a big day when a family got to see what Aspect their child had. And in a few years, they would be there again for the twins.

After the family finished their meal, they confirmed the time. With the hour approaching, they all left their house and began to make their way to the city's central cathedral. A large, highly decorated building, the cathedral was considered one of the grandest pieces of architecture in the country, second only to the castle. It was here that worship of the Gods was performed, and ceremonies of blessings and such were done. It was a grand building, and as always, it was host today to the Aspect Exam.

When she entered the massive structure, Alex could see a central podium of sorts. There, she saw two crystal orbs set beside each other on two different stands. Behind the orbs sat five elderly men, each dressed in luxurious and well decorated robes. Several of the rows in the front were occupied solely by the children here for the exam, while the remaining seats were taken up by the families and spectators. Saying bye to her family, Alex made her way over to the seats with the rest of the children her age. Considering how often she had trained, on top of her home being located toward the edge of the city, she was not very familiar with others of her age group. She didn't recognize a single person here. Not that she could if she wanted to, as she'd never seen any of them before. After a while, one of the men stepped forward to speak.

"Today, we are gathered as we are every year to celebrate the passing of this generations young ones to their seventh years, as well as learn of the destinies granted to them by the Gods. Today, we ask that those in attendance grant their well wishes to these children as they take the first step into the rest of their lives. Now, would any of you like to come forward first?"

Wanting to hold back a bit and observe what the others got, and what constitutes for a good Aspect or not, Alex remained in her seat for the time being. But it did not take long. A brave soul stood up, and began to walk to the central area.

"Very good. Now please, place a hand onto each of these orbs. The one to your left shall show you your first Aspect. The one of the right shall show you your second Aspect, if you have one. Now please child, if you will." Listening the the elderly gentleman, the boy placed a hand onto each orb. While there was no reaction from the one on his right, the left orb began to glow. After settling on a light violet color, she could hear the voice of the elder call out. "Your Aspect is the Aspect of the Cat!" At this call, the boy visibly showed signs of relief. So it seemed that his Aspect was not one of the worse ones, and may even be a decent one. Before he left, the elder handed him a scroll of paper. "These scroll can read your Aspect and define it for you. They will explain the points and traits of your Aspect for you. Now, would another step forward?"

For a while this continued. There were a surprising number of kids here. A rough estimate put the number at around a hundred and fifty or so. Alex couldn't quite get a good grip on the number as she was more focused on the results of the people before her. Some got interesting Aspects, while others hung their heads after being told theirs. It seemed a mix of those who got the ones they wanted.

The next child up now was a young blonde girl. She was sightly bigger than Alex was, and was dressed like a fancy nobleman's daughter. Probably from a wealthy noble family. While her father held rank, he was technically not a noble, so she didn't understand that life. But regardless, this girl's results soon caused a commotion.

"Your first Aspect is the Aspect of the Tiger! Your second is the Aspect of the Hawk! Oh my, there's something else. A third Aspect. The Aspect of the Lion! Oh my, what a rare genius to have here today!" Apparently she had three Aspects, something that was supposed to be nearly impossible. But it seems that people like that are born every so often, and end up generally becoming powerful figures. And the Aspects she got seemed pretty powerful too. After the girl accepted her scroll and gave off what seemed to be a small gesture as though to say 'it's to be expected', she exited.

The next one to go up was a young man who caught Alex's eye. The boy was dressed in a pristine white blouse that he wore with a certain grace that made Alex assume he was of high birth. His deep black hair was tied into a short ponytail, and his eyes looked like emeralds. But they also seemed to hold a strange look. One that appeared to Alex to be loneliness or sadness. She didn't really get a good enough look to tell. But when he placed his hands on the orbs, another shocked announcement was heard.

"Your first Aspect is the Aspect of the Dragon!" At this, a audible gasp could be heard running through the people assembled. It was one of the rarest Aspects, and one of the most sought after. Those with it often were peerless warriors. "Your second Aspect is the Aspect of the Bear!" Two great Aspects. Even compared to the girl who had three from before, the ones he had made him no less successful than her today. Taking his scroll, the young man left the area. After he took his seat again, Alex stood up.

"Would the next child step forth?" Finally, it was her turn. Walking towards the orbs, Alex could feel a sense of anxiety welling up in her. This moment would determine how her time in this world would be. This moment would define her. And she felt every bit of pressure that entailed. While she was outwardly calm, inside she was nervous as she could possibly be. But her family was watching, and she didn't wish to disappoint them. After taking a small breath, she placed her hands upon the orbs as the previous children did before her. Almost immediately something seemed strange. The orb to her left glowed a strange pink color, tinged around with green. Inside, she could see a little symbol, the symbol of her Aspect. It was a small figure that resembled the profile of a person, but it had what appeared to be butterfly wings attached to it's back. The other one was just as strange. It was a deep blue and it showed something like a wolf's head, but it showed multiple of them. According to her father and brother, the Aspect of the Wolf only had one.

"Your Aspect is, uhm... Well, what is your Aspect? I've never seen these before." Turning to the other men behind him, the elder gave a look of query. And yet none of them showed any understanding either. Turning back to Alex, the elder gave a short bow. "I beg your pardon, but it seems you have an Aspect none of us recognize. If you may give us a minute to call for the archpriest." After saying so, the man turned and began to hurriedly leave.

What did he mean when he said that she had two Aspects they'd never seen before? Were they uncommon or something? Maybe they were new Aspects? Her Curiosity also held a great deal more anxiety than she began with. What if these two unknown Aspects were bad ones? Looking around at the people behind her, she could see her family. Her mother and sister held worried expressions, her father held one of confusion. Her brother was the only one giving her a small smile, as if to encourage her. Looking towards some of the other kids, she saw a diverse number of expressions. Some showed a look of confusion to mirror hers. Others appeared to be surprised, while some showed faces that appeared to be envious of her. And yet there were still those who showed a smug look, as though they thought she had acquired the most useless Aspect possible and they were making themselves feel better over it. The only people unaffected were those who'd gotten good Aspects, including the black haired young boy and the blonde girl from earlier. While she looked uninterested, the boy stared at her blankly, as though he were simply observing and analyzing what would happen next. It was a strange look.

Turning back around, Alex saw the elder who left coming back with a new gentleman. This one seemed older than the elder, and yet he held an air of authority and presence far greater, as though to reflect his great experience. Looking at Alex, he spoke.

"Child, would you please place your hands upon the divination orbs once more?"

"Y-yes!" Doing as she was asked, Alex again placed her hands down and saw the same things from before. The elder, no, the archpriest took a good long look at the results. He remained silent for a long minute, just looking at the orbs and nothing more. After another minute, he broke the silence.

"You have two very interesting Aspects child. And two very rarely seen ones. Your first Aspect would be the Aspect of the Fae. It is an Aspect which has a focus on healing and nature, while associating your growth with agility and speed. The Fae were beings embodied magic back in days when our ancestors knew nothing of the arcane arts. To bear their Aspect is indeed rare. And your other Aspect, it is the Aspect of the Pack. It is an Aspect that embodies the spirit of the hunt, and of teamwork. It is an Aspect that emphasizes leadership and capability. To have received these two Aspects together, I can only say that you have a strange fate child." Finishing what he was saying, he handed the scroll to Alex, the scroll that would explain everything to her. "I look forward to what the bearer of the Fae's Aspect can do. Your future will be a great one indeed. Would you tell me your name, child?"

"Uh, I-I'm Alex! Alexandra Crux Du Noire!"

"Hmm, Alexandra. 'Protector of man', is it? An interesting name for one of your potential. I look forward to your growth very much, young Alex." As he gave a small bow to Alex.

"Y-yes sir!" Alex said, bowing her head to the archpriest.

When he was finished speaking, the people gathered immediately began to speak. Looking back at the crowd, Alex could see expressions very much different from what she saw before. Shock, disbelief, envy. And yet only on four of those faces in the crowd could she see anything different. Her mother, father, ", and sister all wore an expression of support. Unsure of what would happen next, she quickly descended and made her way back to her family. Instead of those kids she did not know, she would rather be around her family. Weaving through the crowd as quickly as she could, Alex found her family, and together they left the now loud and restless cathedral. After quickly making their way home, the family took a seat at the table. Looking at "Alex," Michael was the first to speak.

"So, what does the scroll say Alex? What's your Aspect's specialties?"

"Patience, Michael. Your sister will check it when she's ready. Now Alexandra, we won't pressure you. Open it when you're ready. We're here for you no matter what it says."

"Right. Thanks Mama. I'll open it then." Unfolding the scroll, Alex saw characters begin to form on the page, as though it were invisible ink being revealed by water. As the words and such came into focus, she began to check through them. "'Aspect: Fae. Magical Affinities: Wind, Plant, Lighting, Healing, Protection.'"

"Wow, so many." Michael said, openly impressed by the number of things his sister could use. "Even including the Healing and Protection magic, you have Wind, Plant, and Lightning. I don't know much about the others, but Lightning is really strong."

"Now, now. Let your sister finish. Continue Alexandra, if you want." Her father gently nudged her to proceed, so she did just that.

"'Growth: Speed, Agility, Wit. Traits: Strong Mind, Nature Affinity. An Aspect that embodies nature and a wild side with a personality that has a strong mind and a trickster's heart.' That's what it says for The Fae."

"Interesting," Her father said. "So it seems like a supportive Aspect, and yet still capable of fighting or fleeing if necessary. And what does the other one say?"

"Uhm, 'Aspect: Pack. Magical Affinities: Alchemy, Enforcement. Growth: Wit, Reflex, Strength. Traits: Natural Leader, Strategist, Cooperative, Dominant. An Aspect that embodies leadership, with a personality to take the lead and pave the way for others to follow.'"

"Whoa, that sounds so cool!" Michael suddenly shouted, startling Alex. "But what's with Alchemy? Isn't that mixing potions and medicine?"

"Not necessarily son. You see, Alchemy has two forms. The Alchemy you know of is more of a study of herbs and chemicals, whereas the magic of Alchemy is converting one thing into another. It's an uncommon magic, and so it may be hard to find someone who can teach it to you."

With this new information, a lot of question weighed on Alex's mind. What should she do now? The archpriest, he said that her Aspects could be considered fairly rare. But she didn't know what kind of use they would be in a fight. What could she do to try and become stronger? While the family sat around the table discussing her Aspects, they suddenly heard a knock coming from the door. As the first to get up, Alex went to answer it. When she opened the door, she found a kindly looking man, probably in his thirties or so, standing in front of the door, with a few others behind him. They all wore some sort of fancy clothing, so one could tell they weren't your average people.

"Uhm, hello."

"Hi there. Are your parents home, perhaps?"

"Yes, we are." Sebastian stepped into the doorway just as the question came. He took a second to sie up the man in front of him. "And might we know your name?"

"Yes, my apologies ser Du Noire. I am Augustus. Augustus Bren De Orleans. The ones behind me are my associates. We are from the Royal Academy of the Arcanists, and we would like to invite your daughter to study there."

"The Academy, huh? While that is a great opportunity, our family is not so well off that we can send her there so easily." It was a good chance, and Sebastian knew it. But he also knew what the tuition was like from what he heard on his job, and he knew that he would be hard pressed to pay such an amount for the next several years. It pained him to reject such a chance for his daughter, however.

"Oh no ser, you misunderstand me. We were present when her Aspects were announced, and we hold a great curiosity for what she could accomplish. We are willing to offer a full scholarship for her to attend. Room and board will be provided, and the dorm even has meals included. With her being such a rare child, we're more interested in cultivating her growth rather than receiving some money." The man, Augustus, said. "And anyhow, I am the current chairman of the academy. I find it would be no issue to allow such an exceptional child to study there. Of course she would have to take the entrance exams like all others, but I have high hopes for her."

"Really?!"

"Yes. So how about it, Alex? Wanna come to my school?"

"Well," Sebastian began, looking down at his daughter. She looked so excited at the opportunity that he couldn't hold her back. "She can go and take the exam."

"Alright then. The exams for this year's entrance will be held in a fortnight at the academy grounds. I hope to see you there."

'Oh, you will,' thought Alex. This was a chance. A chance to become stronger. Strong enough to be able to fight against monsters like her father does, and like how she used to. And this was only her first step.

Hey there, Dravyn here.

First let me say that this is simply something I'm putting up because I wrote it to break my writer's block. I'm just putting it here to see if anyone finds it entertaining. As for Red Queen: Crusade, the drive with those files was left behind due to certain circumstances (namely, I grabbed the wrong backpack). For now, I can only apologize for the delay. The updates should come in about a day or two for TRQ: Crusade.

For now, any comments you'd have on this would be nice. Trying to write this story for a friend, and any advice would help. Thanks!

And again, sorry for the delay with everything else. I have no words to express how stupid I feel.

Well, Dravyn out!