And here we are again, the end of this goddamn prologue.

Hopefully I'll have more fun writing future chapters, because this one took a long time to feel like it was just right, and even then I still feel like something is missing. Hopefully it's just me. If not... well, I was never really good at beginnings.

I'll get to it later, though. For now, the chapter!

3 years later.

Cobalt Nemea watched, and waited. The sound of footsteps in the packed snow did not go unnoticed by him in the slightest. Even in the Forest of Forever Fall, winter still makes its mark. Luckily for him, it wasn't freshly fallen snow, otherwise he might have had trouble hearing the sound of the Beowolves that were stalking him nearby. They were weak Grimm on their own, but then again, they were rarely on their own.

Luani Nemea was perched nearby, watching his every move with her feline, yellow eyes.

Cobalt waited.

This technique was more reminiscent of his mother, who would often either sneak up on her pray or wait for them to strike first, and when she did fight, she went for the vitals, rarely wasting or missing an attack.

His father was the complete opposite in that respect. He would strike around wildly, with great force, and with little accuracy. It would be a waste if he wasn't just so damn strong. Just one strike was usually enough to crush any type of Grimm except for the truly ancient and massive ones.

Cobalt combined both of their styles. He would watch and wait for the Beowolves to strike first. And he would go for their vitals, their weak points. And he would do it hard, considering his mother used some sort of daggers, and he used a greatsword.

Truly, the only reason he was able to use a greatsword like that was because of his aura, anyone else might have fallen over trying to pick it up.

The greatsword itself wasn't even anything special, despite being nigh-unbreakable, like most weapons on Remnant. He'd chosen it out of several his dad presented to him on that day 3 years ago. One day, he would remake it to better suit a Huntsman like he would become.

But for now, he was using it to kill blackened mutts who'd strayed too close to their usual practice area.

It wasn't long before they showed themselves.

At first, it was just two stray glowing red lights in the darkness of the forest. And then another pair. And another.

Soon, there were more than a dozen, all staring with murderous blood red eyes.

One stepped forward. The Beowolf's bone white mask glittered in the moonlight, and its snarls and howls could be heard for miles.

Still, Cobalt waited, greatsword in hand.

They got closer and circled, making sure he had no way to escape, their paws crunching through the packed snow sounding an awful lot like bones cracking.

And then they charged. All at once.

Cobalt waited for the first one to get within a foot of him before he lunged.

A Beowolf jumped, attempting to grab him by the throat with its jaws, before it found a greatsword lodged firmly in its chest. Blood stained the snow.

Holding the Beowolf up for no more than a half-second, Cobalt heaved it over his head and used the now disappearing but still very much physical body of the Beowolf as a club, smashing another one that got too close with the body of its kin. With his sword now free, and the chance for a simple, precise and strong attack no ineffective at best, Cobalt began slashing.

The greatsword cut a Beowolf right down the middle, bisecting it. Another slash and a stray Beowolf head went flying and landed in the snow, dissipating a moment later. A moment later, and a Beowolf's leg ended up lodged between a tree trunk and a branch.

It went on like this for nearly a minute, until they were all gone.

Or not. They weren't gone.

Aura was funny like that. You could tell when you were being hunted, or if you were the hunter. Luckily, Cobalt was much more proficient at using his aura than he was 3 years ago, when it first awakened.

Still hadn't unlocked his semblance yet, but hey, baby steps, right?

There was one lone Beowolf right behind him, apparently thinking it was clever letting its comrades get butchered while it hung back and waited for the moment where the human would let his guard down and let it bite deep into his flesh.

The Beowolf pounced.

Cobalt ducked.

A moment later, the Beowolf yelped in pain as Cobalt's greatsword was embedded deep in its chest. Heaving the deadweight, Cobalt through the dying Beowolf off his sword and into a tree, where it dissipated a moment later.

All was quiet in the world again.

With his aura quietly fading away, Cobalt let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. White mist came out of his mouth at every breath, reminding him how cold it was out there.

He was exhausted, but he'd took down and entire pack of Beowolves all by himself, so that was pretty obvious.

"Cobalt, that was excellent!" Luani praised, jumping down from the tree she was perched in and patting his head. "For a Huntsman-in-training, that was exemplary! However," She corrected a few position errors. "Your legs are too close together. You must ignore that voice in your head that says to clam up, no matter what, okay? That is a quick way to an early grave, and neither me nor your father want to see that happen."

Cobalt cracked a smile. "You're so nice, mom. You say such nice things about me!"

Luani's eyes narrowed, but she smiled back.

"Watch it there, buster, or else me and your dad will tag team you in the next training session."

Cobalt instantly paled. He remembered the last time that happened.

He nearly died.

"But enough about that, we should get going. Don't want to miss out on your protein, yes?"

Cobalt shrugged, before taking one step and staggering, almost falling face first into the snow. He looked at his mother.

She looked at him.

"I can't move."

"Again?"

"You think I'm doing this because it's funny?"

"It would not surprise me, but you do have a point. Hup-hup!"

Luani ended up carrying Cobalt home on her back. Cobalt definitely wasn't faking it because he didn't want to walk all the way back home.

He definitely wasn't.

Cobalt was confused.

Well, bemused might be a better word for what he was feeling at that moment.

Only a few days after he eliminated the pack of Beowolves that foolishly decided to encroach upon their training grounds, his father had started acting strangely. He barely talked to Cobalt for several days, sequestering himself in his room and seemingly talking to somebody over his Scroll.

And, the thing that had Cobalt confused, was that he burst out of his room, nearly tearing the door off its hinges, grabbed him, and full-on sprinted for miles to reach the training grounds. Usually, if his father got into a mood like this, he'd be laughing, joking, and just being the jovial man everyone he had ever known knew him to be.

This time, his father was dead silent the entire way.

When they arrived at the training grounds, nearing noon by that point, Leon promptly put his son down and walked to the other edge of the barren and snowy training grounds.

"Cobalt," He called, his face grim. "You have made stunning progress these past few years."

Cobalt, despite himself, felt pride swell in his chest at the simple praise. He'd never gotten anything like this-

He'd always been here, he reminded himself for the billionth time.

"I'll be honest with you, son. When I took you home that night all those years ago, and you looked at me with that fire in your eyes and told me 'Dad, I wanna be a Hunstman!' it was the single most prideful memory I have of you and me! You have never given up, you have never backed down, and, despite some snark, you focus on what we show you and you improve yourself accordingly." Leon Nemea listed off.

Cobalt's smile could not grow any wider. The only thing that was stopping it was the fact that his father facial expression had not changed.

"However."

Cobalt's smile dropped.

"There is still one, crucial ability we have yet to find out about you, one that no Hunstman or Huntress can go without: Your Semblance."

Cobalt frowned. He had taken to most Huntsmen habits and tactics like a fish to water, a point of pride in both himself and his parents. There was just that one little caveat to it. His Semblance, no matter how hard he 'meditated' nor how hard he trained, just would not reveal itself.

Either that, or it had revealed itself, but the effect was so subtle that they could not pick up on it easily, which would really disappoint him. He'd always wanted one of those cooler ones too, like maybe super strength or speed.

"I've consulted with a few close friends, and they basically told me everything I already knew," Leon continued, rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "To be honest, I was hoping I wouldn't have to go with this method; your mother would skin me alive, and then probably make a nice, comfy rug for the den. However, if you want to unlock your semblance, which I know you do, this appears to be the only fool proof method."

Cobalt tilted his head. "What is it? Do I have to get really, really angry or something?

Leon pursed his lips. "Not far off."

He hefted the massive Warhammer that Cobalt had somehow missed – most weapons on Remnant could fold in on themselves to become smaller – and leaned it on his shoulder. In his other hand, he held Cobalt's greatsword.

"We are going to spar, Cobalt. But not like we do most of the time. This time, I will not hold back." Leon said grimly. He tossed the greatsword, and Cobalt caught it.

Cobalt was surprised to say the least.

And also, maybe a little terrified.

Despite that, however, he nodded. Even though he was both surprised and terrified, he was excited as well. To be taken seriously like this, even if it's only to unlock his semblance, was a dream come true. If he was honest with himself, he might have become a little bit addicted to fighting.

Not that that was a particularly bad thing, considering what profession he was setting himself up to go into.

"When I count to 3, we will both give it our all, okay?" Leon said, and seeing Cobalt nod again, couldn't stop the small smirk on his face. "Good! 1."

Cobalt readied his arm, keeping the tip of his greatsword firmly planted on his father.

"2."

Cobalt widened his stance, making sure he wasn't caught off guard by his father's strength.

"3!"

Leon Nemea charged.

And half the world seemingly went with him.

Snow and dirt flew in the opposite direction as the ground shook beneath him, his eyes blazed with a fire that Cobalt had never seen in person before, and his Warhammer was held high, ready to crush him beneath its immense weight.

If Cobalt were hit full force by that, he'd probably die. His father was not joking.

His father's shouts seemed to cause an earthquake as he grew nearer. Cobalt knew what he had to do.

As soon as his father's Warhammer came down, Cobalt moved to the side, and slashed his greatsword across his father's side.

To anyone else, without an aura, it would have been a fatal blow. Unfortunately for Cobalt, all it did was push Leon back a bit. Leon quickly recovered from the blow and swung his Warhammer down on Cobalt agai, though this time with the momentum from a full-on charge. Their weapons clashed, sparks hitting the ground and melting the snow where they landed.

They traded blow for blow for nearly a full minute, neither of them gaining the upper-hand. Leon marveled at his son's technique. It was truly the best combination between him and his wife's fighting styles. The blue light in his son's eyes never wavered, never burnt out, and burned brighter than he'd ever seen.

Cobalt truly wanted to be a hero, to be Huntsman, to not live the boring and sedentary lifestyle he'd had before. Leon may not have known that was the reason, but he saw his son's true desire in that moment.

And he could not be any prouder.

However, if he didn't get his son to unlock his Semblance, that would be the only thing he gained from this.

After a few more clashes that caused shockwaves to shake the trees, Leon struck with an unexpected uppercut. Cobalt was able to stop it from hitting him with his sword but was not able to keep his feet on the ground. He soared through the air for a full second before slamming into a tree. His aura may have prevented any real damage, but it did not prevent the air from being blasted out of his lungs by the impact.

"Impressive, boy. Impressive." Leon praised again. "Keep this up and I might have to activate my Semblance as well!"

Usually, Leon's words would always be friendly and joking. But, either because of the adrenaline coursing through his veins or the state of mind he gets into when he battles, what he said in that moment sounded extremely condescending to him. It made him feel like he wasn't good enough for his dad to activate his Semblance.

He would have been crushed instantly if Leon did, but it was the thought that counted.

With this in mind, he was starting to get angry.

Cobalt quickly got up and sprinted forward, sword held high, trying to cleave his father in two.

A quick motion of Leon's Warhammer made sure that didn't happen.

The clashing between the two only became more heated and desperate the more frustrated and angry Cobalt became. Leon found his blows came down harder. Cobalt's fighting style came to resemble his more, with wild slashes and brutal blows that could crush a normal man.

Leon was beginning to get a good idea what his son's Semblance was. However, he needed to make sure.

With one last roar, Leon slammed his Warhammer down. Cobalt blocked it, but instead of what Leon would normally do, he kept the Warhammer firmly planted on him, slowly crushing Cobalt with his strength and weight.

Cobalt gritted his teeth, trying his best to keep the massive Warhammer from destroying him there. Sweat beaded and fell down his face, and his face scrunched into a grimace.

"Well, boy?" Leon goaded. "Is this all you got?"

All I got… All I got…?

No. No I am not weak like I once was.

Leon would not usually goad someone into doing something, but this wasn't something he usually did. Usually, he'd turn his Warhammer into its alternate artillery form and blast an enemy from far away, only using his immense strength when he was bored or was necessary. Still, it got the intended effect.

Cobalt's eyes widened at the jab, but quickly regained their steel, and then some. It almost seemed like the angrier he got, the stronger he became. So strong, in fact, that he was starting to push Leon back, something that not many people could attest to doing without being a liar. Cobalt's greatsword and Leon's Warhammer, were in completely different positions now, with the Warhammer blocking and the greatsword attacking.

With on final roar of anger, Cobalt slashed down with all the force his 13 year-old body would allow him too.

His father was nearly thrown off his feet. He slid for several feet, trying his best not to fall over. The only reason he eve stopped was because of the tree that ended up behind him. Leon lowered his Warhammer, drank in his son's appearance. The battle had taken a toll on him, with exhaustion clear on his face and from the way he took deep breaths almost without pause. Despite that, he was still standing, his sword aimed at Leon, ready to go again if it had to be that way.

Despite this posture, however, he nearly fell over when Leon began laughing.

"Ahahahahahahahaha!" His father guffawed, shaking the nearby trees. "I see! I see, I see! So that's what it is, huh? Interesting! Very interesting!"

Cobalt merely stared blankly. "…Huh?"

"I know what your Semblance is now! Really, it is so subtle most people wouldn't be able to tell what it is, but luckily for you, you have me as both a father and an instructor!" Leon laughed.

"…What?"

"Your Semblance, boy! Did I make you deaf? Oh wait… that wouldn't be good, are you seriously-"

"No! No! I mean… I mean what's my Semblance!?" Cobalt breathed.

"Oh, that! Yes, your Semblance is rather simple, and now that I look back on it, it's been active almost every time you've been in a fight with either us or a Grimm. See, son, your Semblance is kinda simple!"

Leon coughed, before assuming a pose he no doubt that made him look academical but actually made him look a little bit like an idiot.

"Your Semblance, is the ability to grow stronger the angrier you are." Leon explained clinically. "It's a useful ability to have, but you must be careful not to rely on it. Rage is a very good motivator, but, as they say, a flame that shines twice bright only lasts twice as long. Make sure to moderate your anger, and you could become stronger in an instant!"

Leon folded his arms, a toothy grin on his face. "Now, any questions?"

Cobalt's mind was beginning to look a lot like a static television at that moment.

It was cool that he'd unlocked his Semblance. Amazing, even. Too bad he was too close to unconscious to really enjoy it.

"…Yeah, I have one." He said, raising his hand.

"Yes, boy?"

"Can I pass out now?"

"Go ahead, son. You've earned the rest." Leon smiled.

Cobalt didn't remember much after that, only a fair bit of screaming from a furious lioness and the whimpers of apology from a cowering lion when they apparently got him.

Well, that, and the constant explosions in the background that always sent him back to that day-

Several months later.

Cobalt stared at the mail in his inbox on his Scroll.

There, imprinted clear as day, was the title of one of the academies he had applied for.

Signal Academy.

His blue eyes focused on the mail, even if the title itself gave nothing away as to the contents. His hands shook with anticipation at what might be on the other side of the link to the mail he'd gotten.

He swallowed his anxiousness and pressed his finger to the holographic screen of the Scroll.

The first word he saw nearly caused his eyes to bulge out of their sockets.

Accepted.

There was not a person in the house that did not know Cobalt had been granted the right to study at a real combat school that day.

He ran down the stairs and instantly tackled his father who, while not opposed to the idea of a good wrestling, wondered what had gotten into his son. His reaction, upon seeing the mail on his son's Scroll, was a lot like Cobalt.

"Ahahahahahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Luani! Luani baby! Look! Look here! See!? SEE!? What did I tell you!" Leon laughed nearly uncontrollably, while Luani read the mail with interest.

"I…" Luani stuttered. "I can't believe it…! Leon…!" She was almost breathless.

Leon hugged her and, because of their almost comical height difference, brought her almost a full foot off the ground and twirled her around, laughing all the while. After a few seconds of that, Leon put her down, and apparently thought it was Cobalt's turn to be thrown around like a ragdoll.

This is what he's always wanted, ever since he was 'born'. To be a hero, and now he had a true, real shot at it.

The loving family life didn't make him happy at all though. Of course not, why would it? It's not like he didn't have a lot of this back when he was in the world that was destroyed in a rain of nuclear hellfire that nearly destroyed everything he was-

Cobalt shook his head, dispelling those thoughts. It had become easier with time, but those thoughts and memories always surfaced, whether he wanted them to or not.

"So, son! You not only got into a good Academy, but the one me and your mother both went to… Geez, how many years was it, baby?"

Luani giggled. "About 15 years, you big oaf."

"Oh crap, really? Feels like just yesterday I was wooing you with my excellently written sonatas-"

"Finishing that sentence would be extremely hazardous to your health, Leon!" Luani menaced.

"Ahaha! There's the beautiful lioness I fell in love with!"

Cobalt rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, a habit he picked up from his dad.

Why does it feel like I'm intruding on this? Feel like I should be somewhere else right now…

"Now!" Leon said finally addressing his son. "Son, there are no words in the dictionary that could express how proud I am of you. By this time next year, you'll be on Patch, attending Signal Academy, and then after that… Oh, I feel like I'm about to cry…"

"That's my job, idiot!" Luani said dryly.

"Ha! But, there's one thing I want you to think about before you go to Signal, okay?"

"Is it to pack extra underwear? I feel like I'll need it if the people there'll be anything like you, dad." Cobalt snarked.

"Hehe! Maybe, maybe! But seriously, this is about your weapon."

Cobalt raised a brow. "What about it?"

"It's a good weapon," Leon began. "Exemplary, sturdy. 80 years ago you would have gone far with it, however, most weapons these days are more… what's the word?"

"Complex and versatile?" Luani covered.

"Yeah, that! Like for example, my Warhammer, Sfyri, and Luani has those… those evil things she seems to think are knives-" Luani nudged Leon in the side, who got the hint. "-but both of them can turn into something else, you know?"

Cobalt knew what his dad meant. Most weapons wielded by Huntsmen and Huntresses could alternate forms between 2 or sometimes 3 forms, while the greatsword he wielded was simply that: a big and sturdy sword. Nothing really special about it.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. It was his first step into this world of Huntsmen and Huntresses and giving it up for something else would make it feel like he was giving up a part of himself.

"I'm not saying you have to make something now! Heck, you could make one while you're there, or you could completely ignore what we've said here and keep your sword, you are pretty good with it, after all!" Leon laughed. "Just think about it okay? While you do that, though, me and your mother are going to throw a massive party. We'll invite all our old friends from Beacon! Whatcha think Tai and Qrow are doing these days? Maybe we could invite Port too! Ahh, his stories are the best you know!"

Cobalt, lost in thought, retreated to his room. For some reason, the talk about his weapon, which was currently resting in the corner of the room, the light from the winding causing it to shine.

He really, really liked that sword. It had been with him the entire time he was on these 4 years of training, waiting to be accepted by a combat academy. If the mail was to be believed, he'd even gotten a scholarship!

And yet…

And then he was struck with inspiration, and from the most unlikely of places.

He didn't have to discard his old sword, he could just remake it, making the previous angst completely pointless. Then again, he was 14; it was to be expected. However, beyond that, in the fuzzy cloud of memory that was his past before he arrived here, on Remnant, a new eapon of war emerged. It would have to be adjusted a bit, but he could see it as clear as day.

Cobalt brought up a piece of paper and began drawing the concept for his weapon.

A weapon of electric Dust and rails.

2 years later.

"Asher, I swear if you-"

"I didn't do anything, honest!"

On his way to Signal, Cobalt moaned and facepalmed. "I know I said I needed more powdered electric Dust, but to steal from a Schnee Kiosk is just… ugh! We're supposed to be paragons of humanity, not thieves!"

"Why not both?" Asher gave a sheepish smile.

"And now you're not even denying it. Why are we friends again? In fact, how did you even get into this school?" Cobalt glared.

"Because the entrance exams are really lax? And because of-" He took out two swords, combined them at the pommel, and a self-strung chord running from each tip, and voila, he had a bow. A bow with no arrows, but a bow. "-this?"

"It is very cool, but there's a reason we haven't used bows for centuries." Cobalt said dryly.

"And why's that?"

"Because they knew you'd use them one day and didn't want to be embarrassed by the thought anymore." Cobalt smirked.

"Ouch." Asher staggered back, as if he was punched. "Man, you really got me good with that one. You had to reach pretty far for it, didn't you though?"

"Yeah, I-"

"Heeeeeey!"

Cobalt's face instantly brightened upon hearing that voice.

My rival…!

Turning around he caught the high five waiting for him as he took in the appearance of the person just behind him.

Bright blonde hair and violet eyes quickly set her apart from most people at the school, as well as the outfit she wore.

"Xiao Long!" Cobalt laughed. "Kick any good asses lately?"

She flashed him a bright smile. "That's only on Wednesdays, lionboy! 'Sides, not very many places around here where you can get a good fight anyway. Unless it's you, apparently!"

"Yang, today is Wednesday." Asher corrected.

"Oh, well, how about we go spar before the day's over then? Kinda bored, not gonna lie."

I'd love to, buuuut…" Cobalt hefted the greatsword on his back over his shoulder. "I got to test something real quick. Heading to the firing range to see just what it's capable of."

"Awww, you're breaking my heart here, Cobalt! Just wanna have a friendly spar with my best buddy and he goes and steps on my hopes like that? You're cruel, you know that right?" Yang sighed melodramatically. "Although, I guess seeing you play with your new toy would be entertaining too."

Cobalt made it known how melodramatic Yang was being.

Yang's response was a half-hearted punch to the face.

Asher stood there and laughed.

This summed up the three's relationship in a nutshell. Cobalt had met Yang not long after he entered Signal Academy, and after a training match in which neither gave up, they both fell with their auras depleted. They were fast friends after that, quickly seeing the other as a rival worth bettering.

Cobalt saw in Yang someone like himself, if only because of their love to fight.

Yang saw in Cobalt a way to blow off steam and get a good fight.

And Asher was there to laugh at them from the sidelines.

Truly the best of friends they were.

The three musketeers made their way to the firing range. Really, it was a glorified sand pit with railings that had targets on one side and booths on the other.

Cobalt held his old greatsword like a rifle, his thumb hovering over a button on the crossguard. His eyes were filled with malice and bloodlust, and the vicious smile he gave sent shivers up Asher's spine. Yang, on the other hand, was really anticipating what Cobalt had been working on for the past year and a half.

She absentmindedly thought that he and her sister would make good friends, if this is how he acted around weapons.

"You guys ready to see some fireworks!?" Cobalt snickered maliciously. "Well, get ready! Show's about to start!"

Cobalt pressed the button.

And the blade of his greatsword split in two. Crackles of yellow electricity surged from the weapon as the inside was revealed. Two rails ran along the inside of the now two-bladed weapon, along with a bridge to complete the circuit the powdered electric dust was making inside the weapon.

It took months to get it to activate at the touch of a button, but the results showed for themselves.

With a titter, Cobalt pressed the button again, this time keeping his thumb on it, letting the weapon charge.

1 second.

2 seconds.

3 seconds.

Nearly 4 seconds later, the railgun fired, sending a projectile at supersonic speeds into one of the unfortunate practice dummies, which was annihilated within an instant, leaving nothing behind but a crater and a few broken pieces of practice dummy that were lucky enough to survive the kinetic force of a railgun projectile.

Cobalt collapsed the weapon, turning it into a regular greatsword.

And immediately started jumping around like a kid who'd just been allowed to buy whatever he wanted from a candy store.

"Hahahahahaha! I did it! I did it, I did it! HAHA! Yang, Asher, did you see that!?"

Asher looked at his weapons sullenly, before steeling himself. He liked his weapons just the way they were. So what if Cobalt had to be flashy? He was just as effective! A lot more quiet as well.

He had his own advantages and left it at that.

Yang, meanwhile, had come up with something that would really rile Cobalt up.

She smirked. "Yeah, I could see why you Co-bolted here if that's what you wanted to show us!"

She snickered at her own joke.

Cobalt found it infinitely less amusing.

Cobalt's face instantly dropped, forming a stern frown as the tip of his sword scratched against the ground. "That wasn't even funny."

"Are you kidding? That was very punny!"

"Okay, those are words of war Yang. Usual sparring area. Now." Cobalt growled forcefully.

Yang laughed and punched the palm of her hand. Ember Celica whirring as she did so. "Thought you'd never ask!"

1 year later.

Congratulations, Cobalt Nemea! You have been one of the few chosen to attend the prestigious Beacon Academy! At the end of the year, you will be picked up via airship to begin the last leg of your journey to becoming a Huntsman and protecting humanity from Grimm and vagabonds alike! Enclosed within this letter is all you will need on the day you officially become a part of-

Cobalt breathed in and out. In and out.

It did nothing to hide the excitement that was coursing through him.

It was almost over.

4 more years of combat schooling, and he would officially be recognized as a Hunstman, as a hero. The only thing he ever really wanted outside of family. Just a few short years, and his dream would come true.

Cobalt laughed before picking up his greatsword and studying it. It looked just as it had when he first chose it almost 7 years ago. Only one thing was added beyond the mechanisms on the inside.

In small, scratchy writing, on the pommel.

Requiem.

It may have been weird, but that's what he named the sword. Requiem. It had a nice ring to it, he thought. Gave a hint at what the greatsword represented to him.

He stood up and put the edge of the greatsword on the ground, so that both his hands were on the underside of the guard. The position he was in felt suitably heroic to him.

He laughed again, feeling elated. He might as well tell his friends the good news, over the scroll of course; he didn't feel like leaving his room right now.

Cobalt didn't know why but he just didn't. Something was nagging at him in the back of his mind. Despite this, he still felt like he was filled with pent-up energy, so he began pacing.

He did that for what felt like minutes, just pacing back and forth in front of the decorative fireplace in the room. On the fireplace, sat a single coin made of some sort of brass.

The same coin that his parents told him was in the basket with him that night he was left to die in the woods. He remembered that part very clearly. He had no proof that he was being left there to die, but why else would you leave a child in the middle of a forest with Grimm about? Seem self-explanatory to him, at least.

He walked up to the coin, scrutinizing it. It was incredibly decorative for a coin, with intricate designs of leaves and flows. On one side, was a caravan of some sort. On the other, was a single word.

Taxidiotis.

The word had no meaning to him. He didn't know why he had it on him in the basket all those years ago. The only reason Cobalt kept it was because it was the only reminder of what had happened. So he wouldn't forget.

Forget.

Forget.

The blast caught him on his right, searing the skin from his face and blinding him in one eye-

Cobalt took a step back, trying to beat down the memories that threatened to consume him whole. "Shut up. Shut up! You're not real, you didn't happen-!"

"Jackson!" He screamed into the blurry and hazy world around him, desperately searching for the brother he had no doubt already lost. "Jaaaaackson! Come here! Where are you!? Get over here-!"

He stumbled back, nearly falling over. He grabbed his head to try to keep his brain in his skull. Sometimes things like this would happen. Sometimes he would remember almost completely what had happened-

What didn't happen, he reminded himself. What he was remembering had no basis in fact. From one world to the next… such a thing was impossible.

It should have been impossible-

His death was not instantaneous. He lived for days. The radiation and burns slowly destroying him until he was a husk. Only for one of the few bands of humans remaining to put him out of his misery mercifully with a bullet to the head.

This never happened. He died from exposure, radiation, and third-degree burns. All of which made his death the most agonizing he could ever imagine in a million years-

He was on his knees, his hands on his skull, trying to keep the pain from exploding any further. Trying to keep the memories down. They weren't real, he kept telling himself. How could they be real?

He did not know that that was an inherent contradiction, that his life previously is the entire reason that he was on the path he was in this life now. He refused to acknowledge this contradiction. To do so was insanity.

Not like he was much better now, was he?

He ran into living shadows; almost like him. They stained the ground the closer he got to the cause of the whole mess. Hot wind blew in his face, blowing away the last remnants of his hair from his burned skull as his bony legs soldiered onward.

At this point, it was hard to even remember his name-

His name…

His name was…

His name was Cobalt Nemea. Nothing more, nothing less.

Those memories were fake. They were not real in any way. All that remained, was him.

He stayed in that position for almost an hour, collecting his thoughts like broken ceramic on a kitchen floor. Cobalt hadn't realized it, but tears streamed down his face. Things like this happened sometimes, where he would be forced to relive the end of a life that never happened. Sometimes they would haunt his dreams. They always caused pain. Immense pain.

That was one of the reasons he stopped thinking about before.

It hurt when he remembered himself.

End of prologue.

I feel like I'm gonna struggle writing canon characters. Call it a hunch.

The next few chapters after this will be 'trailers', so look forward to that, I guess?

Aside from that, though, a small rant, if you'll indulge me.

Why is it that every OC-insert, or self-insert, or any other fucking insert, has the OC in question come across as a completely shallow and unlikable jackass? I mean, this is just coming from me so I guess I have no real right to complain, but Jesus fucking Christ! They always have this condescending and OVERLY sarcastic monologue in their mind too, and basically see the characters as nothing but toys to play around and have sex with at their leisure, and you better fucking believe they'll be having sex, and tons of it. All so the author can satisfy their creepy fantasies of sleeping with more than 5 women at once.

It's depressing, really. I see this shit everywhere and it reminds me of when I first started out, which is probably why I hate it.

I don't really know where I was going with this, but rant done. Hopefully I'll be able to avoid those stupid fucking tropes. They annoy the hell out of me and just SCREAM immaturity.

With that out of the way, I hope you have a Good Night.