It was a dry yet warm day in Nicks home village. A decent sized colony placed on an island between Vale and Atlas. People from both kingdoms moved here as a trading colony for those traveling to other kingdoms. Today, Nick and his mother decided it was a good day to go buy supplies at the market.
While his mother was distracted buying goods, he ran down the side of the street, looking a way to entertain himself. He didn't get very far, though. Without paying attention, he knocked into a girl his age and took them both to the ground.
"Sorry!" He said quickly, he stood up and looked at who he tackled. Her knee length skirt, and short sleeved T-shirt, were dirty from falling into the street. Her short blond hair was messed up by the fall, and simple yet pretty face was also slightly covered in dirt. Embarrassed, Nick held out a hand to the girl who looked up at him, she whimpered.
"M-My tail," she whimpered and looked up at him with almost teary eyes. Nick realized one of his feet were now standing on what appeared to be a fox's tail. However, instead of being attached to a dog, it snaked up her legs and disappeared under her skirt.
Nick quickly stepped off her tail, and held out his hand again to help her up. She clasped his hand and pulled herself up. She pulled her hand away once she was standing and glared at him.
"I'm sorry." Nick repeated, he looked down towards the ground guiltily as she brushed herself off.
"It's fine, you really should watch where you're going." She huffed in response and looked at the strange boy who tackled her. He had dark brown hair, an attractive long face for his age, a pair of jeans and a black tank top shirt.
"Umm, why do you have a tail?" Nick asked curiously, she stared at him for a minute.
"I was born with it." She responded cautiously and seemingly confused on why he asked.
"That's really cool!" He blurted out, "I've never met someone with a tail before!" He added on. The girl stated at him in slight shock some more.
"You've never met a Faunus before?" She asked. The boy shook his head.
"Nope, I don't go out much so I don't know a lot of people," he responded. "What's a Faunus?" She stutters for a minute, as if she was unsure what to make of him.
"Umm-" she tried to start but was cut off.
"Well, you look really cute with that tail!" He said, she blushed slightly from the compliment.
Before the two could talk anymore, Nick was grabbed from behind by his shoulders and turned around to witness his mother, her face coated in anger.
"What are you doing?!" His mother yelled into his face. Nick would've stepped back and tripped again if she wasn't gripping him so tight that he couldn't move.
"I got bored, and wanted to walk-" he was cut off.
"No! What are you doing talking to that, thing?!" His mother asked in anger, she gestured toward the girl, who stood there watching the scene unfold uncomfortably. "Don't you know they're dangerous?! They certainly aren't cute either! They're just manipulative creatures that will hurt you!" She continued to yell. The girl finally had turned and ran away from the crazed mother. "We're going home this instant!" She declared and began dragging the eight-year old Nick down the street by his arm, despite his protest. Once they returned to their house, she dragged him into the houses main room. "You will not speak to her or anyone else like that! Do you understand me?!" She scolds. Nick shook in fear of her, but he somehow worked up the nerve to respond.
"Why not? She was really nice and I liked her!" Nick yelled, matching her tone for a second before he lost his confidence again.
His mother stared in horror and shock at him for a minute before she said anything else.
"You what?!" His mother screamed at Nick.
"I-I just think she's cute... With that tail of hers..."Nick managed to stutter out. He didn't understand his mothers outburst. He didn't understand why commenting how found the Faunus' girls tail cute to deserve this. He teared up, and began to cry.
"Shut up! No child of mine will be wooing over those things! They aren't even human! It's unnatural!"His mother screeched at him again.
"I- I'm-" Nick began to speak though his sobbing, but was cut off by his mother.
"Get out of my house! You're not my son if you're attracted to those creatures! You're as bad as those savages!"She shrieked. She grabbed young Nick by the shirt collar and began dragging him through the house. Nick struggled to no avail until they reached the front door. Nicks mother opened the door.
"Don't ever come back! You're dead to me." She growled and then pushed him out the door.
Nick heard the door lock after she had slammed it shut. He laid there on the porch and cried for an hour or so, before finally he stood. He ran down the dirt street of his village. A few other people on the town's road saw him running and crying and gave him concerned looks, some even asking what was wrong. He ignored them all. Nick's life had changed forever, forced into the new dark reality he lived in. His mother cast him out, with nothing except the clothes on his back and her raving yells of hatred scared into his mind. All because he thought a Faunus girl was attractive.