Alright, this turned out to be much longer than the first chapter, but then again, once the actual story begins, this shit is gonna get LOOOOONG. I was listening to My Immortal - Band Version by Evanescence while writing the last part of this, sooo, yeah, get ready.

Enjoy! :D

She strolls into the meadow, the wind flowing gracefully through the tall deep green grass around her. She stops walking, letting herself get swept away by the soft wind blowing through her long straight black hair with several streaks of teal.

This place hasn't changed a bit. Just as beautiful as I remember it. She thinks with a small smile. She turns her head to glance at a patch of grey in the middle of the sea of green. Her smile fades into a frown, her face darkening as she walks over to it.

It's a gravestone.

As she stares down at the name engraved in the polished stone, she stands in silence, not even daring to breathe as if it will disturb the dead.

I was only thirteen when it happened. She closes her eyes and remembers that fateful day.

Five years ago

The leaves crunch beneath her feet as she dashes through the forest of green. There's a wide enthusiastic smile on her pale face as she makes her way towards the clearing. It's mid-day, bright white light seeping through the tiny holes in the wall of green leaves covering the sky as she runs. When she makes it to the open pasture, she stops to catch her breath, looking around her to scan her surroundings and look for a certain someone. To her left is a large lake. She walks over to the banks of the crystal clear freshwater lake, gazing at all its wonder. The shimmering waters are just so magnificent. Everything about this lake is so beautiful to her. The way the water shines in the sun's warm spring light. The way she can see her reflection in the water almost as clearly as a glass mirror.

She gazes down at said reflection, smiling down into the sparkling waters. Her long hair falls down in front of her, so she brushes the long silky hair behind her ears, not breaking her gaze. A cute round face. Button nose. Flashing green eyes.

"Danielle," a feminine mature-sounding voice calls softly. This causes an even bigger smile to form on the girl's face as she glances up at the reflection of a young woman standing behind her with a loving half-smile.

Danielle springs up and turns to face her. Flawless pale skin. A beautiful round face. Soft purple eyes. Long and luscious straight teal hair that flows effortlessly down her back, the tips touching the small of her slender back. A light purple tank top that hugs her curved figure and a pair of blue jean short-shorts that fit her very well. Precisely shaped legs to top it off. Danielle is certain no one else in the whole wide world is nearly as gorgeous as her. She wants to be just like her. But it's not like it would never happen. Danielle isher younger sister, after all.

"Aqua!" she exclaims joyfully, leaping into her sister's arms. Aqua returns the hug, and after what feels like forever, the eighteen year old beauty releases Danielle and gives her a warm affectionate smile, earning her a wide grin in return.

"Want me to braid your hair?"

Danielle's face lights up even more, nodding.

So, Aqua sits down crisscross at the edge of the water, patting the grass in front of her. Danielle plops down in the spot with her back facing Aqua, the beautiful lake to their left.

As Aqua tenderly combs Danielle's hair with her fingertips, Danielle closes her eyes. They sit in silent bliss as her older sister does her braid.

"Okay, Dani, take a look," Aqua's gentle voice whispers to her.

She opens her eyes and peers down at the water eagerly. She beams when she sees the flawless results of her sister's work. Her hair is weaved into an amazing fishtail braid that runs down her back. It's the same as she always does it, but that doesn't make it any less exciting for the boisterous young girl.

Turning to face her sister, she grins, "I love it!"

"I'm glad you do."

"Could you teach me how you did it? Pleeeaase?" Danielle gives her a pout with the cutest little puppy-dog eyes.

Aqua giggles, amused by how lively and energetic the girl is. Purple pupils gazing into her youthful green eyes, she utters, "Sure. Anything for you, Dani."

"Yay!" Danielle smiles. Aqua smiles back at her as she thinks to herself, My little Dani… I'd bend over backwards for her if she asked me to.

Aqua undoes her braid and shows her step-by-step, Danielle watching closely using their reflection in the water. When she finishes, Aqua tells her, "You have really beautiful hair, Dani."

"Ehhh? No way, your hair is sooo much more beautiful than mine," Danielle argues, shaking her head. "You're the most beautiful woman in the world."

Aqua giggles at this, sighing. "Thank you, but…" Aqua trails as she looks down at the passionate green eyes gazing back up at her.

"When I grow up, I want to be just as beautiful as you are."

"Dani, I believe you will be even more beautiful than me."

"How do you know?"

"Because you already are," Aqua says with a warm smile, planting a gentle kiss atop her head. Danielle beams at her.

Dani's cheeks redden, saying bashfully, "Really? No, You're just saying that."

"Really, I mean it," she chuckles as they stand up. Aqua looks up at the sky. The once clear blue sky has now been replaced by dark thunder clouds. "Let's get going, Dani," she says to her little sister. "It's gonna rain pretty soon."

Danielle nods and grabs Aqua's hand. As the two girls are leaving the meadow together, they hear a low roar. The two girls freeze.

Grimm, Aqua thinks, narrowing her eyes. It's close.

Suddenly, an Ursa rampages out of the brush and charges at puts her guard up, ready for a fight. She curses herself for not bringing her weapon with her, but she decides she'll be just fine. After all, she has the lake. She knows what she must do.

Danielle gasps, clinging to her sister.

"Run, Dani!" Aqua commands.

"But-"

"GO!"

Danielle gulps and nods, stepping back a bit, reluctant to leave her sister behind, but one desperate look in Aqua's purple eyes when she gazes back at her and she does as she was told. As soon as she reaches the forest again, she stops, hiding herself behind a tree to watch from a distance.

As the Grimm nears Aqua, she activates her semblance, extending both arms towards the lake and raising them. The water shoots up like a geyser, and as Aqua aims her arms towards the now shocked Grimm, a huge twenty foot tall wall of water rushes in the direction of its target. The tidal wave crashes down on the beast, washing it away.

Of course, she knows that won't be enough to take it down. The Ursa gets up and roars at her. Unfazed, she forms a water whip and whirls it around her until she hits it against the Grimm's face with a piercing crack. She does this again and again, hitting it at all different spots, hoping to wear it down enough so that it collapses or flees. She hopes it's the latter; she knows it would take a lot more to bring it down.

Meanwhile, Danielle watches in awe. Wow, Aqua is so strong!She's seen her sister use her semblance before, but never like this! It was always just making a few waves in the water or making it shoot up in the air like a fountain. Not a whip or a tsunami! That's so cool! Go, Aqua!

Aqua leaps back as the Ursa swipes at her with its sharp claws. She lands on her feet and starts reforming her water whip when the Ursa swipes again. Aqua cries out in agony as three claws dig deep into her flesh and slash across her chest, crimson blood gushing out and staining the grass. She hits the ground on her side, rolling onto her back, unable to move. The Ursa towers over her bleeding body with one claw wound back to strike her one last time.

Mustering up every ounce of her strength, she extends her arm out towards the lake and makes a slashing motion as a giant water claw shoots up and grabs onto the Grimm. It roars and squirms in its grasp as the claw then carries it down into the lake. Aqua grits her teeth, ignoring the excruciating pain as she holds the Ursa down under the surface until it drowns. Once she's sure it's dead, she lets go, the lake settling out as she finally allows her arm to hit the ground. She takes in a deep breath and winces, the pain becoming overwhelming as she still lies on her back, staring up at the dark clouds hovering over her.

"AQUA!" Danielle screams frantically, rushing over to her.

Aqua barely reacts to the cry, her strength completely gone, the pain and weariness overtaking her.

Danielle drops to her knees beside her fallen sister, grabbing her hand and holding it in both of her own. "Aqua!"

"Dani…" Aqua chokes out, coughing up blood.

"Aqua, hold on! I'm going to get help!" Danielle tells her.

Just as Danielle was going to spring up and run for help, Aqua croaks, "No, Danielle. Stay… please."

Danielle gazes down at Aqua in worry. "But if I don't get help-"

"No, no. My sweet Dani, I'm already… too far gone."

Too far gone? No… no, not my big sister. She's strong. She can make it… She has to.She squeezes Aqua's hand tighter, not willing to accept it. "No, you can't be! You have to be okay! Please! Please be okay!"

Aqua merely gives her a weak smile.

Danielle's world collapses around her as she finally comprehends the full weight of the situation:

Her sister is dying.

"Oh, G-d! Aqua, no! Please don't leave me! I need you!" Danielle cries out, gasping for air at the end of each phrase as tears stream down her face.

It's becoming quite difficult for Aqua to speak, but she tries her hardest to get her words out. "D-Don't cry, Dani. S-…S-Stay strong. Stay strong… for me."

Danielle swallows a huge lump in her throat and nods, sobbing, "Anything for you, Aqua."

Aqua's heart melts. She reaches up and caresses Dani's cheek, gently wiping her tears away with her thumb. Dani places her hand atop hers, which still rests on her cheek, as the dying girl speaks. "I know… someday… you're going to grow up into an… a-amazing and… beautiful young lady. N-…Nev-" Aqua pauses to clear her throat and take a deep shaky breathe. "Never change, my little Dani. I love you." Her last words come out as a faint whisper, but Dani hears them loud and clear.

After giving her one last warm smile, Aqua gives in to her weariness, her eyes gradually closing themselves shut and her head tilting to rest on its side as her muscles release all tension. Her hand begins to slip off of Dani's cheek, and the girl's breath hitches as she tries to maintain her grip, but only manages a weak grab, given her anguished state. Time seems to slow down as Aqua's hand slips down off her face, through her fingertips, and then falls to the ground beside her.

"No… Aqua, please… don't go…" Dani begins to tremble, the tears flooding her eyes and pouring down her face. "Aqua… Aqua!" Unable to hold back all of her emotions building up inside of her now burning chest, she screams out, "AQUAAAAA!"

Present Time

Danielle can't tear her eyes off the golden words engraved into the gravestone.

"In memory of a beautiful daughter and loving sister. Rest In Peace, Aquamarine Ravenwolf."

Danielle takes a shaky breath, finally forcing herself to turn away. Staring out into the lake now, she gulps, walking over there and sitting down on the edge of the shimmering waters.

Reaching behind her head, she combs her long raven-black and teal-streaked hair with her fingers before taking it all in her hands, slowly and steadily doing her hair into a fishtail braid, identical to the one she did the day she died. She could never forget it. She had never remembered anything so clearly in her life.

She looks down at herself in the reflection of the water. The once young and naïve girl of thirteen years has blossomed into a mature young woman. Only, the bright cheery grin she always wore on her face as a child had faded into a frown.

She had changed.

There's a soft ripple in the water that distorts her view of her mirror image of herself. She's crying. Her breath catches as another tear drops down her cheek.

Her chest aching with a pain she's come to know all too well, she whispers, "I'm sorry, Aqua."