Do You Believe...?

-One Week Earlier-

RWBY had contacted JNPR, soon after the Grimm vanished in the forest. They told them about what happened and even what Destiny had been hiding underneath her eyepatch, and needless to say, they found this kind of thing unbelievable. After making sure the couple had been alright, they headed back to Beacon and went straight towards the dorms.

Destiny laid in Blakes bed, with the pillows propped up so that she had been sitting up, while Cristal sat at her bedside looking at her feet, staying silent, while RWBY and JNPR looked to the two of them, not knowing what to say to them. Often at times, they looked at Destiny's eye as she pet Zwei who laid in her lap.

Sometimes, one of them went to say something, but immediately shut it, as if they were afraid they would say words that they wouldn't take back.

Cristal finally turned to look at the group.

"I know that look anywhere." She merely stated, "You all have questions."

"I--" Ruby started to say before she had been cut off when Cristal spoke again. "You guys get three." She soon said.

The group looked to one another at this, still unsure of the situation. "I… Think we might have more." Ruby soon said.

"I know." Cristal told her, "... But… It'll be overwhelming for the two of us, if you all just ask at once. So you only get three."

Both teams nodded in understanding at this, though each had been a bit hesitant as to ask, seeing as how she was only going to allow them to ask three. It hadn't been long before Pyrrha spoke first, directing her attention towards Destiny.

"When… You told me about the other secret…" Pyrrha soon said, "... Is this what you meant…?"

The child didn't reply using words, she only nodded, "I didn't say anything about it, because… I was scared of what you all would think of me. I was worried that you were going to hate me."

"Well… Hate isn't the word we would use." Blake told her gently, "We're more surprised."

Cristal and Destiny looked at the group surprised, when they realized they had the same thought as Blake did. "Gotta admit, that wasn't the kind of response I was expecting." She said.

"That almost sounds like you were expecting us to hate you and her." Ruby added.

Cristal didn't seem to add onto that, as she stayed silent for a moment. "You got two left." She told them, "What else do you want to know?"

"How…" Jaune soon started to say, "... How did her eye end up this way?"

The sisters glanced at one another again. "Want to or should I?" Destiny asked her older sister.

"You know what Princess?" Cristal said, "Let's tell them together."

"Tell us what?" Nora soon asked.

The two sisters nodded before they turned back to the group. "What we're about to tell, never, and mean NEVER leaves this room." Cristal told them with a serious look, "Never repeat this to anyone else, understand?"

RWBY and JNPR nodded their heads, before Destiny had been the first to speak up, "Well, this might be hard to believe but… To tell you the truth… I didn't always have an eye."

The group looked at the child, shocked. Right now in their heads, they were trying to process this information.

"What?" Weiss finally said.

"I know, it's surprising." Cristal said, "But it's true. Poor little Destiny had a birth defect. When she came into this world she only had one. Gave our folks a shock, that's for sure."

"But than…" Ruby started to say.

"... Than how did she miraculously get a new one?" Cristal finished for her, "That began long ago… Back when our mom was still alive." She stood up as she walked over to the window to daze at the twilight like sky. They saw through the reflection her expression changed.

"Cristal told me that… She was really close with our mom." Destiny began to explain when they noticed that she stayed silent, "They--Or we used to live in a small town in Anima. Back than our dad didn't have to steal anything. He had a job as a waiter in a small family diner, while mom ran a tailor shop. Cristal attended a school the small town had, though she told me she would often help out after the school day. They didn't really have enough money, but… They were happy. They had everything they could ever ask for. But than… Our town was invaded by Grimm."

The group lightly gasped at this as they couldn't help but feel horrified. Cristal still stayed silent while Destiny continued on.

"Dad and some of his friends tried their best to drive them out till a Huntsman arrived, or at least until Atlas had gotten there. He told me that, by every hour, the numbers of Grimm grew. Than… He said they just suddenly stopped attacking. And after they stopped, they just left. He didn't know why, at first, until he… Went back home…"

They saw that Destiny's body began to shake, as tears had been threatening to fall. Her body shook slightly as she struggled to say her next set of words, but found it had been difficult to do so.

She had only been encouraged when she felt Pyrrha give her a pat on the head.

"It's alright." She reassured her, "Just take your time."

"There's no need to rush." Yang added as she placed her hand on her shoulder.

Destiny merely nodded her head, as she rubbed her eyes to prevent tears from falling. They didn't realize that Cristal was trying to prevent herself from crying as she had been biting her bottom lip. Destiny started again, "When he… Returned home, he found the house… A complete wreck… And our mom… She…"

Finally she couldn't hold back anymore as she started to cry. What they found intriguing was as the tears from her left eye looked to be covered in black spots. The tears emitted mist, some of them even evaporated before they hit the floor. They found this surprising but decided not to make a big deal out of it since Destiny had been going through so much at the moment.

It was finally Cristal's turn to speak up; after she took a deep breath.

"Our mother… Was killed." Cristal soon finished as she went to comfort the child, "The Grimm that came into our town, was only a distraction. Someone broke into our house, and wanted to take my sister and me away. The person that attacked our town, had been controlling the Grimm. Our mom told me to just run with Destiny and not look back but…" They saw that Cristal had stopped, her hand had been shaking slightly as she tightened her grip on her arm before she picked it back up again, "... I froze up. I held onto my little sister, as I saw that damn WITCH take away the only person my dad ever loved."

The group had been taken back by the term Witch as they saw Cristal's expression change a little, to a look of anger. "She did something to my sister that day, and took away our mother. I'll never forgive her for that. Dad seems to think that our mom's death was his fault. As a kid I used to think that too, but… Eventually I forgave him, since I realized it hadn't been his fault. He just made a choice, and did what he thought was the right thing."

The group thought about the story they had told them just, as Destiny started to calm down. They all seemed to have put two and two together at that point, "That's why…" Blake started to say, "... Roman kept you both hidden this whole time. To keep this Witch from finding you."

"That's… Most of it." Cristal replied with a bit of a sneer, "If it wasn't for that Witch, Destiny and I would actually have a normal life. I swear if I ever see her, I'm going to make her pay."

They noticed the tone of Cristal's voice had changed slightly, when Blake had said the word Witch again. They couldn't help but wonder what exactly she had been thinking right now, though they decided it should be saved for another time, as they decided on their last question.

"Just now… You were able to calm the Grim." Ruby said to Destiny, "... How… Did you do that?"

"That wasn't a semblance you used." Blake said, "That was… Something else."

Cristal and Destiny looked at one another as they were a bit unsure if they should say next. Though they non-verbally communicated, they had eventually agreed with something.

"You're right, it wasn't a semblance I used but…" Destiny said, "... I'm not sure if you'll believe us if we told you."

"We believed your dad is a criminal, and the fact that you have a Grimm eye!" Nora said, "We'll believe you and your sister with anything you tell us!"

Destiny and Cristal looked at each other again before they exchanged a nod.

"Well, than riddle me this…" Cristal started to say, "... Do you believe in something called… Magic?"

At that point, their jaws just dropped.

***

-Present-

A lullaby is what Destiny seemed to hear at first. It had been a soft melody, with a voice that had been as warm as silk. Though the room she felt herself in, was cold, while there had been warmth. She felt someone, brushing her gently, as whoever had been humming continued with her song.

Though as quick as the warmth came, it had suddenly vanished. She felt herself grow cold, and heard the lullaby fill with solemnity. She heard the same person crying, and holding onto her. She seemed to hear something unclear, as the words the woman had been speaking something incoherent. One thing however was clear through her ears.

"How could the Gods let this happen…?"

And just like that, the dream seemed to have come to an end, as her vision had soon been replaced with a bright light. When she opened her eyes she found herself back in the dormitory building. She saw that Cristal and Pyrrha had been sitting at her bedside. She saw that team JNPR looked like they were talking to someone.

"Cristal? Pyra?" She groaned.

Cristal and Pyrrha looked over to her and their eyes had brightened; She soon noticed a bandage patch on Pyrrha's shoulder.

"Destiny!" They both exclaimed as they gave her a hug.

"You're okay!" Pyrrha said, "Thank goodness!"

"How do you feel Princess?" Cristal asked.

"I'm… Alright." Destiny replied as she looked to Pyrrha's wound, her expression softening slightly, "I guess."

"Hey!" Cristal soon called out, "She's up!"

The people that JNPR had been talking to made themselves known; she saw it had been team RWBY, although she noticed Yang had been missing.

"Are you feeling better?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah." Destiny replied as she nodded, "No worries."

"We got worried when Pyrrha and Cristal told us what happened." Blake soon said, "You gave them a shock when you collapsed suddenly."

"Sorry about that." Destiny said, "I didn't mean to make everyone worry."

"Don't apologize Princess." Cristal said, "It's not your fault."

"It kind of feels like it though." The child couldn't help but say, before she looked at team RWBY, "Where's… Yang? Is she taking a nap?"

Ruby, Weiss and Blake looked at each other for a moment before they turned back to her sister, who had been giving them a look of concern as well. "I can tell her if you want to." Cristal said to the team.

"No, I'll do it." Ruby said, before she replied to Destiny's question, "There… Was an accident during Yang's match with Mercury. Because of that… We were disqualified from the tournament."

Destiny gasped in horror at this, "Is Yang alright?"

"She's fine." Blake reassured her, "She just needs some time to herself, that's all."

"Still… It's terrible." Destiny said, "I'm really sorry that you got disqualified. I bet you guys would've gotten the gold medal with the way you were fighting."

"Thanks." Weiss said with a smile, "It means a lot. And I have to say… It really was a good run."

"Yeah." Blake said with a smile, "Well, better luck next festival, I suppose."

"That guy--" Cristal soon said, snapping her fingers a little, "--Mercury was his name right? How is he doing by the way?"

"From what I heard, Mercury and his team rushed back to Haven to be with his family." Ruby replied, "Until they land, no one can really question about what happened."

"Well, I hope he'll recover." Jaune said.

"If there's anything we can do, please don't hesitate to ask." Ren soon said to team RWBY.

"If that's the case…" Ruby said, "... Pyrrha?"

"Hmm?" Pyrrha said, looking over to her.

"You be sure to win the tournament for Beacon, okay?" Ruby said.

"It's what Yang would've wanted." Weiss added.

Pyrrha turned over to the side as she couldn't help but have a thought; Destiny seemed to notice the look she gave as she tilted her head a little. She soon gave what looked to be a fake smile, "I'll be sure to do my best."

"I'll be sure to watch you tonight, in case you get picked!" Ruby said with a smile. Pyrrha only nodded, still having the fake smile on her face.

"I don't know about the rest of you but… I think I've had enough fighting for one year." Blake said.

"Ditto." Weiss said, "Want to get some coffee?"

"Tea." Blake replied as she smiled.

"Mind if I tag along?" Cristal soon asked the two, "I've wanted to try the caramel tea that they got."

"I don't see why not." Weiss said with a shrug.

With that, the three of them left the dorm building. Just when Ruby was about to, Destiny quickly scrambled out of the bed and ran to Ruby's side. "Would it be okay if I go with you?" She asked, "I want to find a way to cheer Yang up!"

Ruby gave her a smile, "Of course you can. I think they have pretty good gifts over by the fairgrounds."

Destiny smiled and nodded at this before she took Ruby's hand, and they ventured out of the dorms too. "See you later Dessie!" Nora said before she shut the door.

Pyrrha looked to the strange tulip in her hand, thinking about everything Ozpin had told her. About the Maidens, about a potential war. For the first time in her life, she was unsure of what to do. She wanted to consult her teammates about her predicament, but at the same time… She couldn't tell them what Ozpin had explained.

After all… They probably wouldn't believe her even if she said anything.

"YOU HEARD THE LADY!!" Nora suddenly yelled, making Pyrrha nearly drop the flower, "NO MORE MOPING AROUND!!"

In a puff of smoke, Nora had suddenly been wearing workout clothing, though this didn't surprise any of her teammates. She started to do all kinds of workouts, all the while she yelled, "WE GOTTA GET YOUR BUTT INTO GEAR FOR THE BIG FIGHT!! IT COULD BE TODAY! IT COULD BE TOMORROW!"

Nora suddenly busted out weights that weighed over 1000 pounds and went to lift them off the ground, "IT COULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGHT OF YOUR LIFE!" Though, she failed to hold them above her head long, as she fell to the ground with a thud.

"Um…" Pyrrha started to say.

"She's right." She heard Ren say.

Pyrrha looked over in his direction and she saw that he wore a pink apron that read "Please do nothing to the cook".

"You can't let your concern for Yang hold you back." Ren said, "You need to focus. After all, you'll be defending the honor of Beacon Academy."

"Of course." She said, "I--"

"This blend of herbs and vegetables with nutrients to your body's well being." He said as he held a cup of green liquid to her, taking her by surprise. Pyrrha only took one smell and she nearly gagged at the scent.

"Well, that's--" She started to say again before she was once more cut off.

"Please, there's no need to thank me." Ren said.

"Thank you?" Nora said looking at the drink as she gagged, "That looks like slime from a lakebed!"

"Algae contains numerous and spectacular properties." Ren said as he held the cup to Nora, "See for yourself."

She took only one sip from the cup, and it was enough to make her go straight to the trash can as she started to spit everything back out. Pyrrha couldn't help but smile at her comrades wanting to help her out.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Nora yelled at Ren.

"Me?" He said with disbelief, "You're the one that wasted perfectly good juice."

"WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HELP PYRRHA! NOT POISON HER!"

"There was nothing wrong with that."

"IF IT LOOKS THE SAME COMING UP AS IT DOES GOING DOWN, THAN THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG!!"

Jaune noticed the look on Pyrrha's face, as he saw that she had been troubled. He soon thought of an idea, "Hey, how about we go and get some fresh air?"

***

-RWBY Dorm Room-

Yang sat at her bottom bunk of the room, as she had been contemplating what had transpired during her match. She knew Mercury had attacked her, she saw it with her own eyes! Why had everyone said differently about it? She was thankful her sister and friends believed her story, though she had still been troubled by it all. She was also thankful about one other thing; she was thankful that their two new friends, Cristal and her youngest sister didn't bear witness to it all.

She played with her bracelet just around her wrist as she saw JNPR making their way towards the fairgrounds. It hadn't been long before she realized that she wasn't the only one in the room as she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey there, firecracker."

She didn't have to turn around to see who it had been.

"Hey Qrow…" She greeted.

Qrow stood there leaning back on the wall for support, with his arms across his chest. "So…" He started to say, "... Why did you do it?"

"You know why." She replied.

"All I know is that you attacked a helpless kid. So either you're lying… Or you're crazy."

"I'm NOT lying."

"... Crazy. Got it."

He pushed himself off the wall, as he started to pace slowly with his hands in his pockets. "Who knows…" Yang said, "... Maybe I am."

"And here I thought your dark haired friend was the emo one." Qrow said.

"I saw my mom." She said suddenly, causing him to stop pacing. Yang saw out of the corner of his eye that he looked shocked.

"I was…" Yang started to explain, "... In a lot of trouble. Took a pretty hard hit. But when I came too, the person attacking me was gone. And I thought… I saw… Her. Her sword… Like the one in you and dad's old photo."

"You're not crazy." Qrow soon said, taking her by surprise; he finally turned to her and she saw he had a sad smile on his face, "That was your mom alright. Let me guess… She didn't say a word, did she?"

Yang stood up from the bed as she had still been shocked to hear this, "How… Do you know that?"

"I don't see my sister very often." Qrow said, "But she does keep in touch when it suits her." He couldn't help but give a small chuckle, "Sometimes I think Wren takes after her instead of me."

"You mean to say you actually talked to her!?" Yang soon exclaimed, "That was real?!"

Qrow gave her a nod, "Yeah. She found me. Had a tip off from my most recent assignment, and wanted me to give you a message."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner!?" She said.

He turned his gaze out towards the window as he gave his reply, "I was tryin' to wait for the right moment, and this sure ain't it. But I guess you all people deserve to know." He went over to her as he gave her what looked to be a solemn look of solemn, "She wanted me to tell you… She saved you once, but you shouldn't expect that kindness again."

Yang's expression as she looked to the floor, thinking about her mother's message. "Does Melody know?" Yang soon asked, "About you meeting her?"

"I sent her a message about it earlier." Qrow said as he still looked upset, "Though knowing her, she might've decided not to read it." He rubbed the back of his neck, "Look… Raven has a way of looking at the world that I don't particularly like. Not to mention that she's dangerous. Why my own kid decided to look for her, I'll never know. But something you and her got in common, is you're both tough eggs. You shouldn't let this tournament thing get to ya. You had a slip up, sometimes bad things just happen. I say, it's time you move on from it."

"Move on?" Yang asked looking at him, "Move on to what?"

Qrow soon leaned against the dresser, "Well… Raven let some info slip before she took off. If you wanna track her down, and…" He had been hesitant with his next set of words, "... Catch up with your cousin, I think I might be able to help out with that."

***

-Beacon; Dining Hall Building-

Pyrrha had managed to slip away from her teammates, as she wanted some time to herself, or at least only for a little bit. As she once more thought about what Ozpin had told her, the gentle breeze blew through her crimson red hair. A leaf from one of the trees blew onto her hand; the leaf had been in the color of brown.

She couldn't help but think of the Fall Maiden, the one named Amber.

She knew the choice she had to make was quite literally, a matter of life and death, but… She honestly didn't know what to do. She let out a sigh as she closed her eyes shut, as she leaned her head back.

Closing her eyes, she tried to think of what to do.

***

"Pyrrha Nikos."

Pyrrha's eyes shot open as she suddenly found herself in a place filled with nothing but red. She found herself sitting before a pool of blackness. A thick layer of fog had been before her, as she had been unable to tell what it was that was surrounding her.

"What is this? Where am I?" She wondered aloud as she tried to see what had been past all the fog.

"Pyrrha Nikos."

When she looked ahead of her, she jumped at the sight of a pair of what looked to be a thin like creature, standing 8 feet tall before her. It's body is covered with white bones and black and even white streaks of fur. It's back had been hunched over and had a head of a dragon's skull, and the base of it looked to be cracked. Horns laid upon its head that had been as white as the snow, looking similar to that of branches.

From the burning red eyes, she saw the creature before her, had been a Grimm. She went to ready herself, but found that her weapons had been nowhere to be seen.

Surprisingly enough, the beast before her, spoke.

"Calm yourself, Pyrrha Nikos." It said with a voice that sounded distorted, "If my aim was to kill you, I would've done so already."

Pyrrha back up from the beast, as it looked to her, giving her a good whiff of her scent; as it had towered her, she fell on her back, just taken back by the beast in general.

"Wha…" Pyrrha began to ask hesitantly, "Who… Are you…?"

The Beast let out a growl, as it sounded to be that of solemn, "Myself, and others, were once called and known by many, before our time came to an end. In such a time, we only took two titles. For now… You may refer to me as but a… A Child of Grimm."

"A child?" Pyrrha said surprised, "And yet, you have the appearance of a Grimm."

The Child of Grimm chuckled at this, "Life can work in many ways."

The Child of Grimm noticed the look in Pyrrha's eyes, as it saw a hint of curiousness. "You must have questions."

"Maybe one or two." Pyrrha looked to all that surrounded her once more, "Where are we? What… Is this place?"

"A place that was left behind… By those before us… And long forgotten, by man. " The Child of Grimm replied, "I've only heard of this land, in the stories my people told as a means to frighten us. I have never seen it with my own eyes."

"How are you speaking to me?" Pyrrha soon asked, "I thought Cristal and Destiny were the only ones that spoke to the creatures of Grimm."

"When my kind had walked among you, we were capable of human speech." The Child of Grimm replied, "Like you, we learned simple and many things from man. We learned what you learned, fought like you, and built civilizations and homes as you have done. We even took your form, to make it easier for us and your kind."

"You mean to say… You were able to talk to ordinary people like me?"

The Child of Grimm merely nodded, giving a low growl. Pyrrha couldn't help but look at the beast in awe. She reached out to it, placing her hands just underneath its chin; The Child of Grimm did not hesitate or move away as she did this.

"I can't believe it…" Pyrrha said, "Here you are a Grimm, said to be mindless, had been capable of learning, and so much more… It's a miracle."

The Child of Grimm growled softly, "It is a blessing for you to think that way about us. I am glad souls like you, still exist in this sorry excuse of a world."

Pyrrha took her hands away from the beast as she had pondered a thought. She looked into the it's eyes, as it glowed a dim red glow. "Why… Are you here?" She soon asked it.

"I have chosen to appear before you, to ask you for something." The Child of Grimm replied, "Something that I require, in order for me to take my form when the time is right."

"What… Would that be?" She asked.

The Child of Grimm soon answered, "I require only your substance of life. Or as you would refer to it… Your Aura."

Pyrrha's eyes widened slightly at this, "But you just said that you can take the form of a person, didn't you?"

"True, I said those words." The Child of Grimm replied, "But only because of the Aura we are provided. Rest assured, I do not intend to take all of it. I only need a small amount, so that I may have a life to call my own once again."

"But why me?"

"I thought it would have been obvious. You picked up my flower after all."

Pyrrha took the tulip from behind her ear as she looked to it, touching its petals softly. "Are you saying… This is you?"

"Only my dormant form." The Child of Grimm replied, "Let's just say, my kind abides by different rules, unlike the Grimm you've encountered in your time."

"And out of everyone in the world, you decided to choose me?" Pyrrha said to the Child of Grimm.

The Child of Grimm let out another growl, "You misunderstood me Pyrrha Nikos. It was not a matter of choice, for me at least. I chose to regrow because of what is to come to this place, and you happened to find me and pick me up from where I stood."

Pyrrha couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this. As she looked at the Child of Grimm, it seemed to know what her question was going to be next without having to say anything.

"You see…" The Child of Grimm began, "...We have an unfortunate circumstance when we appear. We can only appear, only when a great tragedy is about to befall. Other than your Aura, despite what pain it causes us… We have to feed off it, in order for us to stay alive and form."

Her eyes widened at this, "What kind of a tragedy?"

"That knowledge, I'm afraid, is beyond me." The Child of Grimm replied, "I don't even know when it will happen. It could happen tomorrow, it could happen tonight. All I know is, there will be a great tragedy in this place. It reeks of death, and there is an aura of grief in the air."

Pyrrha began to process this kind of information. A great tragedy, what did this creature mean by that?

"This great tragedy you're talking about…" She started to say, "...A lot of people are going to die… right?"

The Child of Grimm stayed silent, and from this she knew it's answer. "There has to be something I can do to stop it… Isn't there?"

The Child of Grimm, once again remained silent, and this time Pyrrha was not sure how to take it. She didn't know if this tragedy that the Child of Grimm spoke of had something that Ozpin told her or not, and honestly, not knowing had scared her. It hadn't been long before she felt the beast nudge her slightly.

"You should have no reason to fear." The Child of Grimm said, "You have the spirit of a Huntress after all. When the time comes… You will do the right thing."

"I'd never thought a Grimm would comfort me." She said softly as she gave the Child of Grimm a pat.

"Stranger things have happened in this world." The Child of Grimm said, "I can tell you are troubled. Your own choices are up to you and you alone and I will not force you into something you do not wish to partake in."

"If it's alright…" Pyrrha started to say, "... Can I ask you something?"

The Child of Grimm nodded it's head in reply.

"What happens… When will I give you some of my Aura?"

For a moment, the Child of Grimm remained quiet as it turned over to the pool of black. "The energy within my body will construct a proper form for me to walk upon the soils on which you stand. Until that time, you and I are to remain bonded while I remain in my dormant form. But there is no guarantee it will succeed. If you were to flicker and die before I take a form… Than I will become damaged, and most likely die as well."

Pyrrha remained silent at this, as she gave a solemn look to the Child of Grimm. It was only than she realized that the fog started to surround the beast.

"Whether you live or die will be up to you…" The Child of Grimm said, "I will await your answer."

Thus the Child of Grimm faded in the fog before Pyrrha could say anything more.

***

To her surprise when she blinked, she found herself back at the dining hall, where the leaf still sat in her hand. She took the flower from behind her ear looking at the tulip as she couldn't help but wonder if what she saw was real or not.

"Hey."

Pyrrha jumped slightly, though she calmed down when she saw it had just been Jaune as he had been holding a stick of cotton candy.

"It's no green goop, but…" He said as he handed it to her, "... I think it might do some good."

"Um… Right." Pyrrha said as she took it from him, "Thank you Jaune."

Jaune saw the look on her face and could tell she was troubled with something. He turned over and saw Nora come just from around the corner; she had been happily skipping while Ren was holding a bucket of popcorn. She looked over to Jaune though after one look on his face and she got the message. She took Ren by the arm, catching him by surprise, "Come on, let's head back to the fairgrounds! I'll win you another stuffed animal!"

Now that they were alone, he went to sit beside Pyrrha, bringing his knee close to him.

"You were the first person ever to believe in me." Jaune said getting Pyrrha's attention, "You know that right? Even when I told my parents I was going to Beacon, they told me not to worry if I ended up having to move back home. How depressing is that?"

"Jaune… I don't think they mea--"

Pyrrha let out a gasp when she felt his hand on top of her own causing her to drop her cotton candy.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is…" Jaune started to say, "... You've always been there for me… Even when I don't deserve it. And I can tell there's something on your mind. So… I dunno… How can I help you?"

Pyrrha didn't reply, and she only gave him a smile. She leaned over as she placed her hand on his shoulder making him jump.

"You're already doing it." She said to Jaune as she slowly closed her eyes, enjoying his company. Jaune gave a smile as well as he leaned his head against her own. For awhile, they listened to the breeze blow against the leaves enjoying the sounds that were around them. It hadn't been long before a certain thought came over Pyrrha's head again.

"Jaune…" She started to say, "... I… I don't know what to do…"

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked.

"Do…" She said as she turned to him, "... Do you believe in destiny?"

"Destiny?" He said with confusion.

"I don't mean her." She clarified, "I mean destiny in general."

"Oh…" Jaune said, "... I don't know. I guess it just depends on how you view it."

Pyrrha soon let out a sigh as she held the tulip close to her, "When I think of destiny… I don't think of it as a predetermined fate you can't escape. But rather… Some sort of a final goal."

"Okay… Yeah, I can see that."

"Well… What do you do if something you never expected came along? Something that had the potential to stand between you and your destiny?"

Jaune only looked more confused at this as he raised an eyebrow.

"Like what…?" He asked.

"Or what would you do if you could somehow fulfill that destiny in an instant, but at the cost of who you were?!"She said as she sounded more distressed at this.

"Pyrrha, you're not making any sense." Jaune said.

"None of it makes sense!" She exclaimed as she crossed her arms, "This isn't how things weren't supposed to be!"

"I'm sorry!" Jaune soon said as he stood up, "Please, I'm just trying to understand what's wrong…"

As her back had been to him, she soon replied as she tightened her grip on the tulip, "I always thought that I'd been destined to become a Huntress--To protect the world… But it's become increasingly clear to me that my feelings were right…"

Finally she turned to Jaune, "... But I don't know if I can do it."

"Of course you can!" Jaune said, his eyes brightening slightly, "The Pyrrha Nikos I know would never back down from a challenge. And if you really believe it is your destiny to save the world… Than you can't let anything stand in your way."

After hearing these words, she would've thought that it would bring relief. She thought by talking to Jaune, she would've felt comfort. And yet there she stood, her heart in pieces, and tears began to form. Jaune had been quick to notice this as he looked at her with worry.

"Pyrrha?"

"Stop…"

"Did--Did I say something wrong?"

"STOP!!"

Without even thinking, Pyrrha had activated her semblance. Jaune felt himself being pushed, towards the wall causing it to crack.

"JAUNE!" She exclaimed, and deactivated her semblance when she realized what she had been doing. He managed to steady himself, as he looked to Pyrrha, his eyes still written with worry.

"I'm…" She said tearfully, "... I'm sorry…"

Thus, she turned and ran leaving Jaune there, not stopping despite how he called out to her.

"... What did I say…?"

***

-One Week Earlier-

"Do you believe in something… Called Magic?"

The whole group had been currently processing what Cristal had just told them, as they all just had their jaws wide open and their eyes were widened with disbelief. The two girls before them, they never considered it. Neither of them possessed a semblance, and yet they were supposed to believe that they were in possession of this kind of a thing?

"Do you mean…" Ruby started to say, "... Magic like party magicians?"

"Nope." Cristal told her with a small smile, "I mean Magic. The kind out of fairy tales and legends."

Nora soon gave out a laugh, "I get it, it's an inside joke! Right?"

"It's…" Destiny said awkwardly, "... It's really not…"

At this, Nora stopped laughing and just froze a bit.

"But… There's no such thing as magic." Weiss told them, "Is there?"

Cristal couldn't help but laugh softly, "My mother told me once, that for most of humanity and Fanus's alike, semblances come to them at a certain time, or place. But magic on the other hand is a bit hard to describe…"

Cristal opened the palm of her hand and they were taken back when seemingly out of thin air, what looked to be a total of two spheres. One in black, and one white; a purple flame went around the sphere, and a yellow flame went around the white sphere. They noticed that Cristal's eye changed from red to gold and on her forehead she had the left side of a butterfly's wing. They both circled around the palm of her hand, as the group watched in awe.

"Rather than something we can gain like a semblance, it's something we're naturally born with." She explained as the spheres glowed dimly, "In some cases, those that have magic are able use the elements around us."

"You mean like the Dust?" Blake asked.

"If you're thinking in terms of the Four Maidens, than yes." Cristal said as she made the spheres disappear, her eyes changing back to normal and the insignia disappeared, "My sister and I on the other hand, we have elements that most wouldn't consider possible."

"That sounds…" Jaune started to say, "... Incredible! And Destiny can do this too?"

"Care to show them Princess?" Cristal asked, turning to her little sister after giving him a nod.

Destiny turned a little red, "Why me? You're better at it than I am."

"You agreed to telling them, so you're a part of it." She replied, "Besides, it'll be good practice for you."

Destiny couldn't help but gulp, "I guess." She turned to the group, "Just so you know… I'm not gonna be very good at this."

With that, the little one shut her eyes and opened the palm of her hands. The right side of a butterfly's wing appeared, and her eye changed to white unlike that of her sisters. As it had changed a white flame appeared, in her hands, and it had started to take shape. It took the form of what looked to be a flower though the image of that itself looked to shake a little.

"Wow…" Ruby said as her eyes sparkled.

"That's amazing…" Yang added, as she had been awe like her sister.

Destiny's face turned a little red again, though jumped back when the flame nearly went out of control and vanished suddenly making everyone jump; Her eye changed back and the insignia disappeared. The child looked down still embarrassed, "See? I'm not really good like Cristal is."

"No, I really liked it." Pyrrha said as she gave a clap and a smile.

"Yeah, don't look so down." Blake said, "After all, you're still learning."

"That's what I keep telling her." Cristal said giving her sister a pat on the head, "Our mom used to teach me this kind of stuff, and she wanted to teach Destiny too when she got to the right age." The young teen looked down at this, "But… With her gone, I've been trying my best to pick up where she left off. Before we got taken, before any of this, dad forbid us from doing any sort of magic, to hide us from the damn Witch. Though I started to show her what I know behind his back. It's still not enough since, to be quite frank, I'm still learning how to do this sort of thing."

The group couldn't help but look to the two of them with sympathy at the mentioning of their mother again. Ruby soon thought of an idea, "Than maybe we can help out!"

The two sisters looked to Ruby surprised and the rest seemed to have agreed with her.

"Sounds like a good idea." Yang said with a smile.

"Not a bad plan Ruby." Weiss said.

"I can see that working." Blake said.

"Whoa, whoa, hang a second." Cristal said, "Didn't you hear what I just said? Magic and semblances are two different things!"

"That maybe so--" Ruby said, "--But it couldn't hurt to try right?"

"She's right." Jaune said, "We may not know a thing about magic. But we can still do what we can to help."

"And… If you're worried about people finding out, we can find a place outside of Beacon." Ren added.

"It'll be like our own secret place!" Nora said, "Think of it like a clubhouse!"

Destiny was left stunned by this, "You mean… You would help me for my sake? Help us?"

"Of course we would." Pyrrha told her, "You and your sister are our friends after all."

The child had been taken back at this while Cristal looked shocked. "Did you just say that…?" Destiny slowly said, "... We're friends…?"

"Yeah." Ruby replied with a smile, "What else would we be?"

This time Destiny couldn't find the words to say, as she couldn't help but start to cry at this, which the group had jumped at. Cristal smiled as she shook her head; she gave her a pat on the head.

"Tone down the waterworks there Princess." She said, patting her on the back; though the group could see there were tears forming in her eyes, "You should just smile."

"I--I can't help it!" Destiny said as she continued to sob, "It's the first time--The first time that--" The child couldn't even finish her sentence as she continued to cry. Cristal continued to comfort her as she wiped away her own tears. "Seriously Princess?" She said with her voice now cracking, "I told you just to smile didn't I?"

Ruby soon approached the two of them as she gave them both a hug, surprising them.

"No matter what happens from this point on… I promise, we'll always be together." Ruby said to them, "We'll find your dad, we'll keep you safe from whoever is trying to hunt you down…"

"And we'll watch your back…" Yang said, joining in on the hug, taking them back even more.

"We'll make sure you can live your life to the fullest…" Weiss said following Yang's lead.

"... That you'll always smile…" Blake added.

"... That you'll never be without a friend…" Jaune said.

"... That you'll never be without your family…" Ren said.

"... And that you'll never be alone." Nora soon finished.

Destiny smiled as she leaned into their embrace, as she continued to sob. This time Cristal couldn't hold herself back as she finally started to cry. Though at the same time she laughed as she smiled.

"Man… You guys really are corny as hell…"

***

-Present; Beacon Courtyard-

Ruby and Destiny walked alongside one another. The little one had been skipping happily as she was holding what looked to be a corgi plushie, which she had won at the stands the fairgrounds provided. They had gotten on line to the ship that would take them straight to the coliseum as the fights were about to begin. Though it hadn't been long before they had taken notice of Velvet nearby. She appeared to be taking pictures of students that had been participating in the tournament, as they passed by without a care.

The fanus soon took notice as they approached.

"Ruby! Destiny!" Velvet said, "How are you going?"

"Hi again, Velvet!" Destiny greeted with a smile.

"Whatcha ya up to?" Ruby asked.

"Oh you know, just working on my photography." Velvet replied, "Do you guys wanna see?"

Velvet showed the pictures she had gotten to Destiny; the child was left impressed by her work, "You're really good at this sort of thing!"

"Thank you." She replied before she had shown Ruby her work. Ruby looked onto her camera, though was taken back when she saw the camera had been zoomed in on Sun's weapon. "That's… Better!" She said awkwardly.

Velvet's expression seemed to have softened at a certain thought, "I'm sorry to hear about your sister. Is she doing okay?"

"Yeah." Ruby replied, "She's fine."

"I think it's just awful what people are saying about her." Velvet said, as she put her camera away, "Yang is such a nice person."

"I know right?" Destiny said, "They don't know her like we do. But I got something that'll cheer her up!" The little one showed Velvet the little plush she had won earlier, "I won this at a shooting gallery. It took a couple of tries but I got it!"

"Aww." Velvet said as her eyes twitched a little, "That's really sweet of you Destiny. I'm sure Yang will love it."

"I'm glad to see that someone else other than Destiny thinks that about Yang." Ruby soon said.

"Well…" Velvet soon said to her, "... Most people don't know what it's like on the battlefield. Even experienced fighters can get scared and start seeing things. If it happened to someone like Coco, than it can happen to anyone."

Ruby and Destiny soon gave her a questioning expression on their faces. "Wait a minute…" Ruby said after a moment of processing, "... You mean, the same thing happened during Coco's match?"

"Yeah." She replied, "She though that she saw Yastu with her in the forest during the fight with Emerald and Mercury. But he never made it out of the geyser fields. Stress-induced hallucinations apparently."

Destiny let out a soft gasp, as she had just realized something thinking back to the fight. Ruby thought back to it as well as if she knew that what had happened, couldn't be from coincidence.

"Yeah…" She said thinking about it.

The two of them were both startled by a flash; they saw that Velvet had gotten out her camera again.

"Oh! Sorry!" She said with an innocent smile.

***

-Later that Night; Coliseum-

The two of them still had the thought about what Velvet had told them; about what had happened during Coco and Yatsuhashi's match. It was indeed disarming to the two of them, as they couldn't get rid of the thought. Finally the child beside her, had spoke up what she had been thinking to Ruby.

"Mercury and Emerald?" Ruby said with a whisper, "Are you sure?"

The child replied nervously, "I don't know exactly… But…" She started to say, "... What happened to Coco and Yatsuhashi wasn't a coincidence. Those two… Are working with the lady that took Cristal and I… Not to mention, what had happened during the match… I felt something."

"Felt something?" Ruby asked, "What do you mean?"

Destiny had soon started to explain, "... I didn't tell you or the others this, since I don't really know about it myself, but…" She held out both of her hands, "... Sometimes… I can sense if something bad is about to happen. Sometimes… I can sense when someone uses there semblances. Cristal has the same gift too."

"You mean before… When Coco and Yatsuhashi had their fight--?" Ruby started to say.

Destiny nodded her head, "I think… That lady told Emerald to cheat. I think… Made Yang lose her fight on purpose."

"But what good will that do? Emerald went with Mercury back to Haven since he was hurt."

"I'm not sure… But… There is something not right… I can hear the voice of the Grimm, saying that something is about to happen… But I'm not sure what."

Ruby gave it some thought before she said to the child, "Okay… I believe you. Once this match is over we'll go get your sister, and tell Ozpin."

"But I thought--" Destiny started to say before Ruby gave her some reassurance.

"Don't worry." Ruby said, "Once we tell him everything you told us, he'll know what to do, okay?"

Destiny looked nervous at this before she nodded her head; thus they went towards the seats that the coliseum provided for the crowd. They sat in the front row, and Ruby began to look around at all the smiling faces that had been excited for the oncoming fights. Though her expression she had seen just across from her was something she hadn't been expecting. She saw the last person she didn't expect just sitting across from the stage.

"Emerald… Is here?" She said with disbelief.

Destiny had heard this as she had been put into shock, "You can see her?"

"On second thought we can't wait after the match." Ruby soon said, "Go sit with Jaune and the others, I'll find Cristal and tell Ozpin."

Destiny stayed silent for a moment before she gave her a hug, "Be careful." She heard her say softly.

Ruby gave a pat on her head, before the child started to head over to where Jaune and his team had been. She soon took her leave as she took one of the many exits and started to go down the hall, making her way towards where the ships had been.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" She heard Oobleck say from outside, "It's time to begin the randomization process!"

Ruby had almost been outside when she heard a door open nearby. She stopped in her tracks when she saw a familiar face step into the hall.

"Mercury!?" She said with her eyes once again, widened with relief.

The match had soon been set.

"It looks like our match will be, Penny Polendina from Atlas, vs. Pyrrha Nikos!"