Light. Bright, blinding light. It's all I could see.

Crying. Piercing, ear shattering crying. It's all I could hear.

What the hell is going on? Where the hell am I? My mind reeled, trying to think back to where I remembered being last.

It was an alley, in Austin. I'm a college student, and a couple of my buddies decided it'd be fun to make the trip, seeing as it was just a couple hours away. They'd heard "stories" about 6th Street, as they so eloquently put it. I humored them, having nothing better to do with my weekend.

I mean sure, I could be working on that paper due Tuesday, but that was a Monday me problem. He could handle it.

So that's how I found myself in that alley, looking for my friend who stumbled from a bar barely sober enough to stand. He "had to take a piss in the alley," he said. Thought "it would make a good story."

So, when I went looking for him, I expected to find a man, well, pissing. Not to find myself looking down the barrel of a gun.

I mean honestly, where the hell were we? Houston? Come on, it's Austin. I'm supposed to see parties on every corner, and hipsters shooting around on Hover Boards or whatever they're called, all while knowing all too well I had one back home.

But no, I'm looking at a gun. A loaded gun. A loaded gun that is pointed right at my face. And behind the gun? Some asshole with a loathsome grin on his face. I was waiting for the cliche "give me your money" routine, so I could throw my debit card at the prick telling him I didn't have any cash, and then proceed to cancel it.

But, no, life decided it had better, and I use the term as loosely as it can allow, things planned for me. Plans that involved me getting shot. By the gun that was pointed at my face. Meaning, I got shot in the face.

There's no walking away from that one.

So, my question. Where the hell am I? Surely not hell, right? That would be a massive let down. The first thing I noticed was the ever present blinding light. Maybe I'm in heaven?

But, then, what's with the crying? And why are my lungs starting to burn?

Do dead people even need to worry about their lungs?

Oh, god, I need to breath. I took the biggest breath I could manage, feeling uncomfortably out of place in my body.

Speaking of my body, what the hell was wrong with it? More than just my lungs, my throat was also burning. And my ears, the pain from the insufferable crying not letting up. I couldn't move, or it didn't matter that I did, I should say. The most I could manage was flailing my limbs around.

I was also cold. Oh, so cold. I felt wet, and I don't think I have any clothes on. I tried to speak, to see if anyone would respond to me. And that's when I noticed it.

I was the one crying. My throat was burning because of the air constantly being forced from it. I need to stop, I had to stop. It was driving me insane.

Once I was able to force myself to calm down, I noticed that my eyes were finally starting to adjust to the light. And that's when I saw something that terrified me more than I'd care to admit to anyone.

Right there, standing above me, was a woman. A nurse, by the looks of it. And she was massive.

Are angels giants?

Trying to make sense of what was happening, I was greeted by the giant's voice. It was pleasant, and comforting. Much more enjoyable than that crying from earlier. My crying, I remembered.

"Poor little guy. To be all alone like this." She had what looked to be the beginnings of a tear in her eye, as she proceeded to wrap me in a blanket.

Oh sweet warmth.

She continued speaking, "and that poor woman, to be attacked by a Grimm like that and make it all the way to the hospital, just to figure out that wouldn't make it."

She turned to the giant next to her, that I previously hadn't noticed, a man that appeared to be a doctor.

The man spoke, "yes, I agree that it's quite sad, but at the same time I greatly respect the woman. Instead of worrying about her own life, the first thing she asked about was her baby. After we told her he was fine, she smiled. One of the most genuine smiles I've ever seen."

The man looked down at me, placing a hand along the side of my head.

'How warm.' I instinctively closed my eyes.

He then spoke to me directly, looking me in my now open eyes. "So, little guy. We're going to need you to be brave, alright? You are surviving a remarkable woman."

At this, I blinked. Something clicked in my head at those words.

I'm the baby they were talking about. As I cast my eyes downward, I see the doctor unwrapping part of the blanket to wipe me down. And I see the blood.

Blood I now believe to be of the woman that's supposed to be my mother.

I feel a strange calm wash over me, as the man finishes cleaning my off. Wrapping the blanket back around me, he turns and leaves with the nurse.

I'm a baby. My 'mother' is dead. What did they say it was? A Grimm? That's an unfamiliar term, something a plan to remedy soon. I attempt to speak, just to see if I can, but it looks like this body doesn't have the vocal cords for it yet.

I think back on my life, or my old one anyways. My life wasn't the best, sure, but I enjoyed it. I had a loving mother that raised me by herself, and a little brother that loved to cause trouble. Two things that I'll never have again.

It hurts, thinking back on them, but I figure this might be the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'd guess I just became something a bit special.

Not only have I just learned that reincarnation is, in fact, real, but I also kept my memories. Something that, as far as I'm aware, definitely isn't normal. After all, I didn't have memories of a life before my previous one. And if everyone else did, they sure didn't act like it.

So, that's how I found myself reborn, with what is looking to be a real advantage in life. Thinking about it, I now had the opportunity to reinvent myself in any way I could imagine.

With the mind of an adult, or a young adult anyways, in the body of a kid, I can set myself up on any path I so desire.

I want to be one of those prodigies that go to Harvard at the age of eleven? I could do that. Or, so I thought, until I turn my head and see a window, curtain open to let the moonlight into the room. That light coming from a moon very unlike the one I'm familiar with. I mean, for one, it's shattered.

So, my question from before. Where the hell am I?

The orphanage really wasn't that bad. The lady in charge was nice and all, but I just had little to do. I had already read all the books the place had, a fact I kept to myself because it might seem a little odd that a two year old read what numbered to be fifty something books, but that was about it. I didn't exactly care for the idea of... playing with the other brats, wanting to keep myself from those filthy little monsters, but I had to interact to some degree.

Didn't want them thinking me to be some sort of problem child.

But, I guess all the free time did leave me room to ponder. Think about what to do once I was old enough to start sharing my opinion.

One thing I noticed almost immediately from the books was that I was on another world.

Like, not just a different planet, but a different world. There was this thing called Aura here. I didn't know too much about it, the orphanage's library being rather limited, but I knew it's something a normal human being wouldn't have.

Also, another dead giveaway were the Faunus. Heavily discriminated against, because of their animistic traits, they lived along side us. Regrettable, really, that I was born in a time where this was such a problem. I could only wonder how they'd be getting along 200 years from now...

Shaking my head, I had more pressing matters to attend to. For one, what was I going to do? Long term, I mean. In those books I read about a profession entitled Hunter.

These Hunters would, well, hunt the Creatures of Grimm. I normally wasn't one for danger, but technically the things did kill my mother. They're the reason I'm stuck in this godawful place.

No, that's not reason enough. I didn't know my mother, and honestly this place really isn't that bad. But, I kept going back to what it'd be like to be a hunter...

and think about just how bad ass I could be.

Thinking about it, I could technically start training right now. That would put me massively ahead of the people that would fit into my age group, should I choose to attend one of those "Hunter Academies."

Definitely sounded better than regular schools.

Realistically, I could be the top dog here. Milk this whole "still have my previous memories" thing for all it's worth. Why settle for a peaceful life, hoping to be adopted by some "nice" family that's just trying to make themselves feel better by taking in someone "less fortunate" than themselves?

Which didn't sound bad, honestly, if I was taken in by a rich family I'd have more resources available to me. But, at the same time, chicks dig a sob story. What better than a lonely orphan...

Shaking that line of thought, because honestly that's still years down the line, I move onto thinking about what I can do right now. From what the limited library said, there are two ways to unlock an Aura.

Firstly, the most common, someone would simply unlock it for you. Easy, simple, done. Thing is, they need it be unlocked themselves. And, you know, probably wouldn't do it for just anyone that asked, especially some two year old that shouldn't even know what an Aura is.

So, that leaves the second option. If, between now and whenever I attempt to join a combat school, I manage to unlock my aura naturally, I'll be a step above the rest. Generally speaking, students will have their Aura unlocked on the first day of class, unless they have Hunter parents/siblings.

Also, to unlock an Aura naturally would allow me to gain a quicker understanding of my Aura, and develop my control earlier on.

As to how I go about doing that? No idea. For now, I guess I just bide my time. Either until I get adopted, or I start attending school. At either point, I'd have more knowledge available to me...

My first day of school. Oh, how I've awaited this day. The orphanage sends us all off at once, leading us to the nearest bus stop.

Yes, the orphanage. I've decided to stick around. And that's not to say I can't be adopted, but rather I make sure no one wants me. Usually a simple, downtrodden, "my mommy was eaten by a Grimm," will scare off any potential parents. They act heartbroken, and try to comfort me, but in the end they always choose someone else. Much easier to just pick a happy-go-lucky three year old.

So, yes, I've decided to make sure I never get adopted, which will get easier as I get older. I've really come to care for our caretaker, Maria being her name, an old woman who dedicates all her time to making sure everyone lives a happy life.

I try to help her the best I can. The first thing I'm going to do when I become a big, fancy, super rich and famous hunter is go back to that orphanage, and renovate the entire place, as well as officially endorse it by providing all the funds necessary to keep it running, and then some.

She always seems upset of the fact that she can't give us more.

Anyways, back to school. I'm sitting on the bus, eagerly awaiting our arrival. One of the older kids had told me about how we were allowed to check out books from the library whenever we wanted, so long as we returned them within the week.

It was finally time to start making progress on this whole Aura thing.

And with that, we arrived. After our homeroom teacher giving us a brief tour of the building, we stopped by the library.

"Alright class, you can pick out any book you like, but keep in mind you have fifteen minutes."

Smiling, I look around at my fellow students. We were sorted into the "advanced" class, which really just meant that all of us could read.

Making my over to where the books on Aura would be, I did a quick search. I wasn't looking for anything general, I wanted specifics. How can I unlock my Aura? I needed a book that told me that.

After scanning the titles, I came across something that looked rather promising.

"Aura: A Manifestation of the Soul, the Beginners Guide on Basic Control." I read aloud.

Long title, very technical, looked to be composed entirely of facts with no fluff. I smiled.

Just what I was looking for.

Making my way over the the teacher, I look up at her with my vibrant green eyes, putting on the goofiest grin I can manage. "Miss Stone! I found the book I want!"

She looks down at the book, a smile on her face. A smile that quickly faded into a frown. "You know, this book will probably be boring. Wouldn't you want something more exciting?" She asked, trying to help out.

I kept my stupid smile on my face, trying to pass as a naive kid. "I want to be a Hunter when I grow up!"

At this, she smiles. Of course, the kid saw a book about Aura and grabbed it, likely not checking to see what it actually contained.

He would likely return it tomorrow, in favor of something a bit less like an... encyclopedia.

"Well, make sure when you're big and strong you come back and let me know, alright?" This time, I smile a bit more genuinely. What a likable teacher.

Little did she know, however, that I actually returned the book two days late.

Two years. It's been two years since I started going to school, and making use of the library every opportunity I had. I was now six years old, and I stood in the back yard, covered in dirt. My left eye was swollen shut, and my hair was an absolute mess.

See, I learned something throughout these two years. Unlocking Aura? That's hard. Like, really damn difficult.

After two years of constant effort, I've made zero progress. So, feeling a bit annoyed, I did something a bit reckless. I had, at one time, read about how in times of great need, it wasn't uncommon for someone's Aura to unlock, as a sort of defense mechanism.

So, I decided to try it out. How? By picking a fight, when our caretaker wasn't around, with the three biggest kids in the orphanage. All of them were five years older than me.

So, that's how I found myself getting beat senseless in the backyard. And was it working? No, it just really hurt.

After taking a rather nasty right hook to the ear, I wanted to call it quits. I was tired, weak, and could barely stand. The other kids, however, had no intention of stopping. It wasn't until I was on the ground, sporting a recently broken right arm, that Maria would no doubt worry incessantly over, that I began to feel a warm tingling sensation begin in my stomach.

Did I know what it was? Not for sure, but I had a pretty good idea. And I began to smile.

The sensation spread, blooming from my stomach, and covering my whole body. When I opened my eyes, I was giving off a faint green light from every inch of my body. The other kids had stopped, starring at me with wide eyes, when I sat up.

Oh boy did I want to test this out. And, would you look at that. Three volunteers.

After giving each of the boys a solid punch to the gut, which sent them back a couple feet, I smiled. I told them I wouldn't tell Maria about what they did to my arm, so long as they never told her about the glow. They quickly agreed, which may have been due to, in part, my still glowing form.

As I walked away, I started to form a plan. Discreetly train, as to not worry Maria, and slowly prep myself for Combat School. By this point, I was thinking Signal. It was close, and one of the best there was.

After that? Why, I wouldn't settle for anything less than Beacon.

I stood, with a smile on my face, as I inspected myself in the mirror. I had abs. Like, real abs. It's been a long time coming, but we've finally made it.

Sure, I guess I had abs in my previous life. They weren't especially impressive or anything, but they were there. It was enough for me.

But, here? I wanted to look as impressive as possible. I was striving towards perfection, and wanted to become what I always envisioned as the 'perfect' me. Plus, I was ten. A pretty good head start.

It had been four years since I unlocked my aura, and I managed to keep it a secret. I was still three years away from applying to Signal, and I wanted to cross that bridge with Maria when I got to it.

I hadn't made much progress in the way of discovering my semblance, but as for basic Aura control I was getting pretty good. I practiced channeling it to my limbs to give myself bursts of strength, and have basically just run myself dry more times than I could count.

I had read about how, much like any muscle, your Aura will get stronger the more you use it. And, while some people naturally had larger Aura reserves, it was possible to increase the size of your own by draining it completely. Each time it refilled, it would have just a bit more.

Already having four years of practice under my belt, I felt ahead of the curve.

Of course, I also trained myself physically. I planned on being the fast, dodging around type, so I wanted to build my body up in that way. I never cared too much for those guys that built themselves up excessively. Always thought it to be impractical.

Further examining myself in the mirror, I inspected my face. Aside from my body, I was pretty much identical to my previous self. Shaggy, slightly curly brown hair that got more unruly the longer it was. I still had my annoyingly fair skin, that never seemed to allow me to tan. I had piercing, bright green eyes with a faint yellow ring around my pupils.

My mom would always tell me how lucky I was that I got her eyes. My brother, on the other hand...

'I miss them.'

Shaking off the sad thoughts, I got dressed. Ready to start the day, I waved goodbye to Maria, and started leading some of the younger kids to the bus stop.

Just three more years, and my hard work will pay off.

Twelve years old. That's how old I was when I came home from school, to find the orphanage burning.

I could hardly find a single part of the building that wasn't covered in flame. I watched, as firefighters fought the flames back, and kept the ever growing crowd at bay.

To the side, I saw Maria and all the children of the orphanage crying. Listening to the conversations around me, I learned what happened.

A group of... of racist bastards didn't like the fact that Maria also took in Faunus, giving them a home. Sure, no one was injured, and according to Maria that's "all that matters," but I was pissed.

My home, of twelve years, burned down because of conflicting ideologies. I turned away, and walked down the street, picking a seemingly random direction.

I wanted payback.

Did I know who did it? No. But, every once in a while, I encountered some jack ass harassing a Faunus. And they may as well have.

If that line of thinking didn't exist, I'd still have a home. Maria would still have a home. Those thirty something kids would still have a home.

About an hour later, I found myself in a police station, staring down the officer who had just put me in a holding cell. See, I went on a bit of a... rampage, of sorts. Every time I came across someone giving a Faunus a hard time, I broke his legs. Simple, and quick.

I'd break them, and then I'd leave. Searching out the next oh-so-deserving victim. Eventually, the police caught on. Hard not to when some twelve year old is going around hurting people.

Realizing it'd be better to, well, not fight the police, I silently went with them.

I remained in the cell for hours, refusing each and every time the officer would offer me food. He'd slide in the trey, and I would dump it on the floor and break it in half.

He got the message after the third time.

After what seemed like an eternity, a man came into the room and stopped in front of me. I looked up, and saw his gray hair, as well as his cane at his side.

"Hello," he offered, smiling in what seemed like a genuine way. After meeting only silence, he continued.

"I watched the footage. Of your little outing, I mean." I smiled, enjoying the way he phrased it. Outing, huh? Was that all it was?

"I noticed, each time you would attack someone, there would be a flash of green light. Aura, if I'm not mistaken. So, tell me, how is it that a twelve year old orphan came to unlock his Aura, seemingly on his own?"

At this, I decided to be honest. Well, vaguely honest, anyways. "I practiced," I gave, looking into his green eyes. "I want to be a Hunter."

The man smiled, looking down on me fondly. "Well, I can tell you that I'm certainly impressed. I happen to know a few people at Signal, and could probably pull a few strings... how would you like to begin your training, young man?"

I frowned, looking down at my hands. This is what I wanted. To become a Hunter, to go to Signal, then Beacon, and become a name known throughout the world. But...

"I refuse." I stated, plainly. I was only a year away, and I wanted to help Maria now more than ever. I'd get there, in due time. For now, I had a family to get back to. I didn't know what was going to happen to everyone now, but I wanted to do everything I could to make sure they would be alright.

Meeting the gray haired man's eyes, I was met with an even wider smile than before. He gave a quick farewell, told me the officer would release me shortly, and left the room. Meeting his ever present assistant outside, he only have a brief statement, "a truly remarkable individual. Keep on eye on him for me, Glynda." Before he left.

Thirteen years old. I was thirteen years old, sitting in my shared bedroom along with 3 other children, who were strangers to me. I had been moved to a new orphanage, as did every other kid that lived in the old one, but I made sure to request to be moved to whichever one Maria would be put in charge of.

She appreciated it, and from that point on I made her life as easy as I could by helping out with chores and such, before I finally broke the news to her about wanting to become a Hunter, and about my having already applied to Signal.

At this, she simply smiled. "I knew this day would come. After all, you were pretty loud with your practice in the backyard, dear." After a brief hug, she looked me in the eyes. "Do be safe."

Smiling at the memory, I looked down at the acceptance letter in my hands. Sitting there, at the top of the page, was my name.

"Congratulations on your acceptance to Signal, Silva Orien." I read aloud, pleased with myself.

The name given to me by the mother I didn't have the pleasure of remembering. I carried it with pride.

Authors Note: Hello, everyone! How did you like it? If you can't already tell, I got my inspiration for this story from Reiteration, hands down my favorite fic on the site. In that story, a man is reborn into the world of Remnant, and he retains all of his past memories. Seeing his situation, I couldn't help but wonder how I, myself, would react in such a situation. Ergo, this story! It's technically a self-insert, sort of, but I'm definitely embellishing a little. As Silva said in the story, he's attempting to make the perfect "him." If I had a chance to relive my life, I would make it as awesome as possible.

Anyways, until next time!

~YeOldDoorHinge