WARNING: ALL CONTENT BELONGS TO THE ORIGINAL OWNERS, SPECIFICALLY RT. I DON'T OWN RWBY AND I ONLY INTEND TO MAKE MY OWN ORIGINAL STORY INSPIRED BY IT. NO ORIGINAL CHARACTERS IN THE RWBY SERIES WERE MENTIONED. THIS IS ALL A DIFFERENT TIMELINE.

"People don't cry because they are weak,

It's only because they've been too strong for so long.

-Anonymous

"Children, you all may only choose three books of your choice and after that, head straight to me. I'll be here in the lobby.", the headmistress said as she headed back to the lobby. Today's the national book month and as of always, our orphanage was one of the privileged ones that could participate in the event. Every year, we were sent here to borrow three books and return them before the winter season. Even though I'm not that interested in reading books, I felt that it was a good opportunity to find the last book of my favorite series, "A Sequence of Unfortunate Phenomenons". And yes, it is the only series I've read my entire life.

I took a deep breath as the other kids ran across the library, looking for some book with an eye-candy cover rather than looking through its contents. Almost every kid in the orphanage annoyed me. They were usually loud and laugh most of the time and some even pick on you even though you weren't really doing anything to them. I usually spent my time alone to avoid them but they just wouldn't stop.

As I walk towards the fiction section, I scanned every shelf, looking for the last book of "A Sequence of Unfortunate Phenomenons." Staring from one book to another, it seems that the book I'm searching for is not around or probably already borrowed by some other kid. I took a book from some shelf, I mean, it's better to borrow something than wait for the next month to borrow something right? No?

The library was surprisingly large and it seemed larger than any other building I've been ever been to since I got into the orphanage. I heard that the mayor renovated this place after the last book month. Probably it's because this is the only place people would go to when they're done with society. I was born a faunus, so I should know.

BLAM!

"It hurts." I hit the floor as soon as Richard, the oldest one of us, laughed after throwing some books at me with his so-called servants, Henry and Gared. "It better be, faunus." he said as he continued to throw more books at me. "Freak!" he shouted loud enough to create an echo throughout the library. Some of the children looked at me with pity. Some laughed along with Richard and the two. I was never good at handling with guys like him, I just couldn't do fight back. I tried to stood up but my legs were numb and I was once again, frozen. "Help..." I whispered to myself, hoping for something as refuge. It was like the walls are being closed upon me and I lay there, numb by the pain and my helpless self. I could only do nothing but to close my eyes and hope that everything fades away.

"Please... make it... stop..."

"Stop it!", a girl suddenly appeared in front of me, blocking out the books being thrown at me. She seemed like she was exactly my age and her hair was incredibly longer than the other girls at the orphanage. "Go mind your own business Snow White, you won't like it when we-", before Richard could even finish his statement, the girl threw a book at his face. "Blah, blah, blah... Go find somebody your own size.", she said as she stood up and offered her hand to me. I looked at her, staring in awe. She looked pretty. "Don't you want to stand up or what?" She said as she snapped her fingers, took my hand and helped me stood up. "Don't forget about us! You stupid little girl! You don't know who you're fighting with!" Richard starts to shout, the children started to circle around us. What in the world did I get myself into?

"Oh, I didn't forget about you, orphan boy." She said as she crossed her arms, ready to fight the taller kid. As Richard approaches her and tries to hit her, she immediately dodged every single attack with her arms still crossed. "You little!" He was about to hit her again when,

"That's enough!"

"Headmistress!" The children said and the crowd immediately dispersed. "What were you doing, Richard?! Young lady, are you hurt? Are you-" "No, unfortunately, I wasn't. If I was, he could've been adopted by Father and forever serve as our servant at the palace." She laughed. The three boys looked irritated as the headmistress explained that the girl was a daughter at one of the professor's at Vale. She was the daughter of Vale's "Silver Knight". "I-T-thanks for..." "It's okay, just remember that I wouldn't be there the next time you got into that kind of situation." She said as she offered her hand to me again, "The name's Grachel... Grachel Herzchen."

"I'm... Lance... Fenrier..."

"Cool." We shook hands.

"That was... quite intense?", she laughed. "I guess." I wasn't sure why I said that pathetic response but I did so I decided to speak up. " It's... just... happening too fast." Wow... I screwed up pretty bad.

"Well, time is faster when you're doing something."

"But I haven't done anything!"

"I know! You broke the laws of physics!" We both laughed.

I suddenly realized that it was the first time someone talked to me this much. I couldn't describe what the feeling was but it was great.

"I see you're interested in hunters and huntresses?" She points at the book I'm holding-little did I know that I was still holding that darn thing. "Ah-not that much but their work is amazing."

"Yeah, it is. My father's a hunter! He usually takes us to Mistral every summer to train with some hunters and-darn... keep this a secret okay?" I nodded. "Every summer, we get to kill some grimm! Can you believe that?!"

"Seriously?!"

"Heck yeah! You know, you should come by at our place sometime!"

"Well, I can't."

"Why not?"

"Well... I'm stuck here. H-here in the orphanage... I'm going to have to reach 15 in order to leave this place. I mean... study at some school..."

"GRACHEL! WHERE ARE YOU?!" a woman in red suddenly appeared behind the shelf. "THERE YOU ARE YOU LITTLE ANGEL! WE WERE WORRIED SICK LOOKING FOR YOU!" She said as Grachel hid behind my back. "I don't wanna come back yet! Father's not even back yet!" She looks down at me and smiles, "I see you've met a friend." She pushed me aside and took Gracel by the hand, she was being scolded as she was taken away.

"I see. Well, if you're going to study at some school, you better study at Vale, okay!", she says.

"I shall."

To be continued...

AN: This story was posted in wattpad a long time ago but it was discontinued because I had issues with my co-writer and I had to re-write this story again... This was a series my friend and I made a long time ago and dang I missed writing about here so, here... I hoped you all liked it!