The hand of the clock twitched. Moving forward second by second, painstakingly slow in Neo's mind as she desperately tried to psyche herself up. The first day of Jade's return had so far been uneventful. The raven-haired girl seemed more than ready to ignore Neo's existence. Even so, her return had at least brought some mild relief from the darting eyes and accusing glares of her fellow classmates. Curiosity proved victorious, many now directing their attention towards Jade instead of herself.

The clock was winding down it's final minute towards the beginning of their gym period, a time when Neo hoped to speak with Jade and find out what she'd done to deserve such terrible treatment. She didn't have a firm plan of action in mind. Neo only knew that she wanted to speak with Jade before entering the locker rooms, to avoid any chance of being singled out again while alone.

'The sooner Jade can tell everyone that nothing happened between us, the better.' Neo would finally be able to start making friends, at least with girls her own age and not the boys that had 'graciously' allowed her presence thanks to Jaune's interventions.

Neo's heel tapped a nervous beat against the floor beneath her seat. She sat on its edge, ready to dart out ahead of everyone else and wait for Jade to leave in order to pull her aside. Neo had already written a long paragraph in her notebook, detailing how she was sorry if she'd done anything to offend her, and was more than willing to start over as friends. Neo had rewritten it several times over, making sure both her grammar and handwriting were pristine. Anything that might further the other girls' aggression was unacceptable, no matter how small.

Neo's eyes were scanning the page one last time when the bell finally rang. Heart pounding in her chest, she leapt from her seat and walked quickly up the row of desks, weaving past those in her way. She opened the classroom door and stepped out, nervously cradling her notebook while waiting for her chance to pull Jade aside.

The rest of the students filed out. Some gave Neo only a casual glance, others a reproachful glower. Jaune flashed her a thumbs up and mouthed the words 'good luck' before following the rest. Neo had turned down his offer to remain nearby, on the off chance that it might upset Jade to know they were being watched.

The amount of students within the classroom gradually dwindled until finally, only Jade and her friends remained. The pair stepped out first. They saw Neo standing in the hall waiting and reacted in unison, bunching up shoulder to shoulder as if protecting the figure behind them. Jade followed them out and stopped. Her eyes fell on Neo, her body imperceptibly flinching away at the sight of the girl tightly clenching her notebook.

"Come on, Jade. You don't need to be around her," Kindle announced vehemently after a few awkward moments of silence. She reached out to put a hand on Jade's arm and steer her away, but was surprised when the other girl remained in place. Jade stared uncertainly at Neo, a silent debate taking place through the brief emotions flickering across her face

"You two go ahead. I'll… I'll catch up…" Jade spoke quietly, pulling her arm free from Kindle's grasp.

"But-" Ivy's argument stopped in its tracks at a simple look from Jade. She exchanged a glance with Kindle, neither happy about the turn of events. Eventually they acquiesced, walking further down the hall but not leaving completely. Both waited in the wings, ready in case things took a turn for the worse.

Neo's fingers tightened further around the notebook in her hands as Jade made her slow approach. The taller girl's eyes flickered to Neo's briefly before darting away, her own fingers fretting with the material at the end of one long sleeve.

Neo hesitantly turned the notebook around in her hands. She held it up with both, out far enough so that Jade would be able to read it without moving any closer.

Frowning slightly, Jade started to read. Her eyes skimmed the page briefly. To Neo's surprise, she stopped almost immediately and sighed, raising a hand to gently push the notebook back towards Neo.

"You… you don't have to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong," Jade spoke breathlessly, a hitch in her throat. "I'm sorry about the rumors the other two were spreading. I promise to clear it up with everyone else. I… I just-" Jade coughed, clearing her throat briefly as an undeniable raspiness began to form. "Just stay away from me for now, okay? I- I can't…"

Jade's eyes fell, tears starting to form. "I can't look at you."

Neo didn't even have the time to nod, let alone write out a reply before Jade turned to leave. She walked hurriedly with her head down, refusing to acknowledge her friends as they worriedly joined to follow in her wake. Only Kindle glanced back before they'd rounded the corner, a glare filled with hate in her eyes.

A few moments passed in silence. Neo waited until she was sure they wouldn't come back before letting the tension in her muscles relax. She leaned against the lockers for a minute in contemplation, now with more questions than answers.

'Nothing I can do about it here…' Neo sighed and stood up straight, heading off in the same direction for the gym. While she didn't technically take part in activities with the rest of the class, she wasn't sure how the teacher would react if she was late.

Neo arrived at the gym and waited until the locker rooms were entirely empty before heading in herself. She changed in a rush and exited, heading upstairs in the hopes of doing a few flips to clear her mind.

Neo was in the midst of a particularly challenging somersault when she heard a familiar voice from near the stairs.

"So… doesn't look like it went well. Or did it? Jade didn't seem too happy when she got here."

Neo finished with a tumble and turned to face Jaune. Slightly out of breath, she briefly held her hands up in mock exasperation before signing, 'She said she was sorry. She said they wouldn't spread any more rumors. She wants me to stay away, and we can't be friends.'

"Well…" Jaune walked over to a nearby weight bench and sat down with a troubled frown, "At least things should change for the better if she keeps her word, right? The other girls will stop avoiding you."

'If,' Neo signed glumly.

"I've had her in some of my classes before. She's never seemed like the bullying type," Jaune shrugged, "Now that she's back she should be able to pull Kindle and Ivy back in line."

'I still don't know what I even did.'

Jaune was quiet in thought for a few moments before a grin split his face. "Maybe she was just threatened by your overwhelming cuteness. New competition on the block, ya know?"

Neo rolled her eyes, more than ready to tease him back, 'Maybe she's jealous because I get to go home with you.'

Jaune laughed, "Who wouldn't be?"

'Anyone with a pair of eyes.'

Jaune reeled back, putting a hand to his chest as if offended. "You shouldn't talk to your big brother that way. You could hurt his feelings."

'We're the same age.'

"I'm taller."

Neo pouted, crossing her arms for emphasis before withdrawing them again to sign, 'I just haven't hit my growth spurt yet.'

Jaune nodded, "Give it a few years. You might gain an inch or two."

Neo stuck her tongue out at him, the conversation growing silent when she went back to the flip she'd been practicing. Once again, she failed to stick the landing, ending up sprawling across the mats with the air knocked out of her lungs. Neo stood back up and tried again, to much the same results. Even so, she was determined to learn.

"You're really into this, aren't you?" Jaune stated evenly, still sitting on the bench and watching Neo instead of rejoining the rest of their class downstairs. "Do you want to be a gymnast or something?"

Neo paused long enough to reply, 'It's fun.'

"I can see that," Jaune hummed, tapping a finger against his chin. "You aren't going to get much better though if you only practice for half an hour each day."

Neo landed on her butt, letting out a huff of air on impact. She frowned up at Jaune, choosing to blame him for distracting her.

'What do you suggest then? We don't have mats at home.'

Jaune shrugged, "No, but the soccer season starts up soon. I'm sure mom and dad would let you stay here after school as long as we could walk home together once practice is over."

Neo's eyes widened, thoughts of staying late and getting in hours of undistracted practice stirring in her mind. 'Do you really think they'd let me do that?'

"I don't see why not. You'd have your big brother with you after all."

'Still the same age,' Neo narrowed her eyes playfully.

"Yeah, yeah. You can argue when you're taller than me." Jaune stood from his place on the bench, turning as if to leave. "So, what do you say? Sound like a plan?"

Neo didn't have to think it over long before nodding her approval.

Jaune smiled, walking away while waving over his shoulder. "Cool. I can't wait to see some cool flips. Catch ya later, sis."

'Catch you later,' Neo signed it despite his back being turned, a smile on her lips.

'Now if only I could get this one down.'

Things at school finally started to look up. As Jade had promised, word quickly spread through the populace that Neo hadn't done anything wrong. The misunderstanding was on Jade's part, not her own. It wasn't long before angry glowers and uncertain glances shifted into looks of curiosity. Eventually, many of the other girls in class even started to approach her, offering up their presence to the girl that had previously been an outcast.

Neo tentatively accepted their offers, joining some of the other girls for various group exercises over the coming weeks. She studied with them, sat with them at lunch, and introduced herself to whoever she could outside of classes. Her notebook was soon filled with the names she'd learned, likes and dislikes, and the occasional number from someone she'd hit things off with particularly well. While Neo didn't have a scroll of her own, her mind was already churning with ideas on how best to acquire one.

Through it all, Jade and her friends remained distant. Jade skipped several days during the week, leaving her lackeys increasingly confused as to what was truly wrong. During these times, Neo could sense their animosity. Could hear the whispered words. The pair still sent her the occasional glare whenever Jade wasn't around, unconvinced that Neo hadn't done something worthy of retribution.

Neo wholeheartedly wished she knew what was wrong. If there was anything she could do, she would do it. Jade was deteriorating with each passing day, growing absent more and more often as the first few weeks came and went. By the fourth week, she'd skipped nearly its entirety. Jade only appeared on that final Friday of the month, a pale, hollow-cheeked imitation of the girl Neo had first met.

'I wonder if I should talk to her… Has enough time passed?' Neo wondered to herself, not quite paying attention to the class at hand. The teacher was announcing their inclusion in some sort of parade, an event that Neo was sure to skip. She idly fidgeted with a pen in her hand, looking up from her notebook to shoot Jade a secretive glance every so often.

The teacher's voice drifted in and out, some words catching Neo's ears while others went unheard, her attention diverted. "-class will be helping create some of the costumes used during the parade."

'Could she have seen my scars on the first day?' The thought brought a nervous skip to Neo's chest before she ruthlessly cast it aside. She'd been sure to keep her neck covered well enough the entire day, and even then, the sight of her scars wouldn't constitute such a long-lasting deterioration in someone else's health.

'Even if they are hideous…'

The teacher's voice faded back into conscious thought, "-here today in order to teach you how. Now, I'd like everyone to give a warm welcome toooooooooo- Mister Braaawn!"

The note of cheer in the teacher's voice finally drew Neo's attention back to the front of the class. She frowned, seeing that whoever it was had been waiting for their introduction before stepping inside.

'What's with all the fanfare? It's just a para-'

Neo's breath caught in her throat, eyes widening in horror.

Bone white claws jutted ominously from pitch black fur. An otherworldly growl, deeper than Hell itself and promising death, emanated from the corridor beyond. A deathly pale mask appeared from around the corner, it's eyes hollow, jagged teeth stained with the blood of those it had already devoured.

The screams of people being torn to shreds. Her mother's hand on the back of her head, forcing her not to look. The ragged breathing in her ear as her mother ran from alley to alley, leaving behind all those that called for help. The smoke burning her throat. The tears in her eyes and the unspoken questions on her lips. Mother had told her to stay quiet. Always quiet. They couldn't risk being heard. Otherwise, they would end up dead like all the others.

The air was torn from Neo's throat in a scream she couldn't voice. Her chair was knocked to the floor as she threw herself backwards, slamming against the opposite wall while staring in horror at the Grimm inside their classroom. She cowered in place, scenes of a fiery nightmare burning their way into her vision, obscuring the present with vivid memories of her past.

Jaune was at her side in an instant. Neo could hardly tell it was him at first. Could only feel his hands on her shoulders, his quiet voice whispering to her that everything would be okay.

Neo came back to herself on the floor, pressed against the wall behind her while Jaune crouched at her side. Her entire body shook. Her lungs burned as if she'd run a marathon, in reality only spending a brief few seconds trapped within the twisted labyrinth of her own mind. She could vaguely hear someone yelling, her teacher angry at the man that had come to their class dressed as a Grimm.

Neo breathed roughly, willing her body to still. She was mildly successful, but didn't trust her legs to support the weight of her own diminutive body. She looked up into Jaune's eyes and sighed deeply, a bit more of her terror beginning to ebb away. Though they were plagued with concern for her, his clear blue eyes were an oasis from the thoughts trying to tear their way to the forefront.

Neo took one final deep breath and stilled. 'I'm okay,' she signed slowly. Neo glanced up from her place on the floor to look past Jaune's shoulder. The man with the Grimm costume had taken it off completely and was now peeking his head around the corner, fake Grimm suit tucked beneath his arm. Neo shivered on instinct and glanced away. Her eyes caught the worried stare of Jade for a moment before the raven-haired girl followed suit, diverting her attention away from Neo in kind. Neo was sure Jade's skin was even paler than it had been minutes before.

"Neo? Are you alright? Do you want to go home?" The teacher asked, now standing closely behind Jaune. Neo considered the question for a few seconds before shaking her head. The terror had passed, replaced with a queasy unease at the sight of the all too real looking Grimm costume. Even so, Neo felt better now that she knew it was only a man inside and not a bloodthirsty monster. She could handle this much.

'As long as he doesn't growl again,' Neo signed to Jaune so that he could translate. The man with the costume heard and shook his head profusely, stuttering out a promise to keep his hands far away from the soundbox attached to his costume.

Content, Neo allowed Jaune to help her back to her desk. She picked up the chair along the way and set it back in place, letting out a tired sigh while plopping heavily into it. Jaune flashed her a few more worried glances before inevitably returning to his seat as well. Class continued, though Neo easily noticed the subdued tone that was left behind, and the frequent worried glances in her direction.

'Nothing for it but to try and act normal I guess.'

Neo spent the rest of the class with her chin in her hand, desperate to look as casual as possible and not embarrass herself any further.

Unknown to her, someone else was flashing a secretive smile in her direction.

"Are you okay?" Jaune asked as casually as he could muster, walking through the halls with Neo at his side. A few days had passed since the initial incident with the Grimm costume. Now the class had begun creating their own, learning how to stitch in order to walk in their outfits during the parade. The materials used weren't on par with the instructor's, not by a long shot. Even so, Jaune had caught Neo's looks of unease during the last few hours of the day.

'I'm fine,' Neo replied, briefly poking an open-handed thumb to her chest.

"Are you going to stay late again while I'm at practice?" Jaune glanced out the window, seeing the roiling mass of dark clouds on the horizon. "It might start raining soon. I don't know how long we'll be out there."

Neo followed his gaze out the window and frowned in thought. She shrugged weakly a few moments later, apparently undecided. 'I'll see what the other girls have planned first. I think Saph was going to invite Terra over for a movie today. I'll have to ask what it is.'

Jaune smirked, "Not a fan of their usual, huh?"

Neo rolled her eyes, hands moving rapidly. 'Romance movies just don't make sense! The guys are always so lame!'

Jaune laughed and patted Neo on the head, earning a look of ire from the shorter girl. He heard the sound of rushing feet passing them by, and looked up to see some of his teammates already headed downstairs towards the locker rooms. Practice would take place outside on the field, for as long as conditions allowed. "Looks like I gotta go. Just make sure you wait for me if you decide to stay, okay?"

Jaune waited for Neo's nod of acceptance before bidding her farewell and following after his team. He rushed down the stairs two at a time, catching up by the time they'd made it to the locker rooms. Only a few words were spared before they'd all changed and exited out on to the field, ready to begin their drills for the day.

Jaune inhaled deeply, smelling the scent of freshly cut grass.

On the field at least, he was in his element.

Neo found the majority of the Arc sisters standing with Terra near the front exit, speaking excitedly with each other about what they would do once they were all home. Saphron noticed Neo approaching first and drew the others' attention with her hearty wave, a smile gracing her lips.

"Hey Neo! Were you going to walk home with us today? Terra rented a new movie for us to watch!"

'That's not a good sign.' Neo glanced at the movie case that Terra held. On the front, a man stared in shock while the woman in front of him desperately held her skirt down, fighting against the wind. Neo had to stifle a grimace. She loved hanging out with Terra most days. She was smart, helpful, and always had a soft spot for the short multi-colored girl. But her choice in movies…? 'Another romantic comedy? I'll pass.'

Neo avoided letting her true thoughts show while shaking her head in response. 'There's a new move I've been wanting to get down. I'll head home with Jaune later.'

"Okay! Stay safe!" Saphron waved goodbye while some of the others echoed theirs as well. Together they departed, a small sea of fair, golden haired children gathered around the darker skinned Terra. Neo watched them go with a hand to her chest, feeling the seed of warmth within. She would be forever thankful to the Arcs. Thankful that they'd chosen to accept her so readily as one of their own.

'But for now…' Neo glanced back over her shoulder, seeing that the majority of students had cleared out. She spun lightly on her toes and set off for the gymnasium locker rooms, ready to change back into her gym clothes in order to practice once more.

Jaune and the other boys had already left by the time Neo arrived, the empty gym echoing with the sound of each of her steps. She made her way into the locker room and changed into a loose t-shirt and shorts, making sure to tighten her scarf a little bit more to keep it from coming loose. Neo wrapped it around a few more times for good measure. She could never be too careful, not with her most fragile of secrets.

Neo walked upstairs, stepping into what felt like her second home. The mats were already laid out across the floor from when she'd been using them earlier. She slipped off her socks and shoes and did a few stretches, paying special attention to her calves and shoulders.

Fortunately, the aura she'd unlocked was also adept at healing strained muscles, not just wounds. In only the few weeks since she'd started staying after school to practice, Neo had noticed a visible difference in the muscle tones of her body, along with the flexibility she'd managed to achieve.

Neo moved to the head of the mats and prepared, shaking the nervousness from her hands and psyching herself up for the tumble she wanted to perfect. Now concentrating completely, she darted forward in a few quick steps, reaching the beginning of the mats at a run. Neo shifted her weight forward, bending one knee briefly in order to straighten it back out and catapult her legs skyward. Her hands met the mat, momentum carrying her legs overhead. She twisted her body in the process, spinning so that both feet would impact the ground in the opposite direction from how they'd begun.

Neo grit her teeth, focusing on her body and the pure rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. She continued with her momentum, tumbling backwards while her hands sought out the mat once more. They contacted awkwardly, but well enough for her to keep going with the motion. Her feet raised above her head and back towards the ground, the last time before she decided to put her plan into action.

Putting in as much strength as she dared, Neo launched herself up and tucked her knees closer to her chest. The world rotated in a blur, the ceiling lights flashing in her eyes once, twice. Neo's breath caught as she uncoiled, seeking to contact the ground once more after completing her double backflip.

Neo's gut wrenched as her feet found no purchase, only empty air before her back slammed against the mats. The sound exploded out across the empty room along with the air in her lungs, echoing through the gymnasium while she gasped for breath. Neo rolled on to her side and propped herself up with one arm, waiting for the dizziness to subside before standing back up.

'Well, I wasn't expecting to get it on the first try.'

Neo shook off her failure and walked back to the head of the mats, mentally preparing for her next attempt. She was about to start running forward when she heard the sound of a great many things slapping against the roof above her. She looked up and squinted her eyes in annoyance, realizing it had already begun raining.

'That was fast…'

Neo pouted silently to herself for a few moments, then sighed. If it was already raining then Jaune and his team would be heading in soon. Even if she wanted to practice, she didn't want to keep him waiting. The longer they were there, the worse the rain would likely become.

Neo picked up her shoes and walked back downstairs barefoot, intent on changing quickly so that she'd be ready to leave as soon as Jaune was. She stepped into the locker room and headed for her own, notebook and school clothes resting inside right where she'd left them. The locker opened with a metallic creak as Neo pulled her clothes back out. She walked a few feet over to the benches and set them down, already reaching for the hem of her shirt in order to change.

Neo pulled her shirt up, halfway over her head when she heard the door to the locker room slam open. Neo froze, shirt falling back into place while the sound reverberated in the relative silence. She stared towards the source of the noise with wide eyes, her heart beating a wild drum in her chest.

A quiet shuffling sound could be heard, just around the corner. Neo's ears strained as her breath quickened, growing more anxious by the moment. She couldn't call out even if she'd wanted to, couldn't hope for a response to an unvoiced question. Neo's eyes flickered behind her, seeing only the emergency exit as a viable route if she needed to escape.

'C… Class is just getting to me. I'm in s… school. There couldn't be a Gri-'

An unearthly growl rumbled deep in the creature's throat, coming from around the corner. Neo's heart froze in her chest as she backed away, legs shaking. She bumped into the side of the lockers, hands scrambling against the metal in order to feel her way back towards the exit. Her eyes were glued to the corner, burning from her refusal to blink and the tears already starting to form. Visions flashed in her mind's eye.

Death. So much death. The stench of fire, of burning corpses and buildings. The heat surrounding them. The howls that urged her mother on, long after the point of exhaustion. They had to escape. Had to find some place quiet, away from all the screaming. Wet tears stained Neo's cheeks. She could feel them on her forehead as well, though those were not her own. They were the tears of a mother, desperate to save her child.

A bone chilling howl pierced the air. Neo only had long enough to see familiar black fur, and the dull white bones covering the figure's body before she turned to run. Neo couldn't scream. Though she tried, her throat refused to cooperate. She could only run, slamming into the emergency exit so hard it dented the metal. Neo fell through, tumbling to the ground while her feet scrambled for purchase in the newly slicked mud. She dared only glance back for a moment, and shuddered anew upon seeing two black-furred creatures starting to give chase.

Neo turned and ran. She had no plan in mind, no means of escape aside from putting as much distance as possible between herself and those things. Visions of blood and death plagued her mind, forcing her into a dead sprint. She weaved past trees and bushes alike, pushing herself harder against the fresh rain that slapped her face, and the jagged rocks that lanced painfully up into the soles of her bare feet.

'I have to find somewhere to hide!'

Neo breathed raggedly as she ran, with no clue how far she'd already traveled. She didn't dare look back, memories of that hellish nightmare fighting for dominance, overlapping with the rainswept reality of the here and now. Her mind could hear them howling in their chase. Still behind her. Still pursuing. Only a single step away from tearing her into bloody shreds.

Tears and rain alike blurred her vision, but Neo's eyes latched on to a road in the distance. It ran through the forest, connecting the town with somewhere else. Neo didn't have the time to consider where it might lead, instead focusing on the medium sized culvert that ran through its side. It was large enough to fit someone of her stature, but not much more. Water ran through it, a small stream gurgling out to splash against the grass, creating the beginnings of a small puddle.

Neo used the last of her strength in getting to it. Her feet sloshed through the puddle before she could dive inside, knee banging painfully against the metal exterior. Neo scrambled forward, pulling herself deeper into the pipe. She breathed heavily, exhausted from her mad dash through the forest. Neo sat with her back against the wall and her knees pulled up, wide eyes staring back at the entrance.

No howls echoed in her wake. No furry bodies moved past the entrance, prowling while they waited for their chance to devour her. Were they trying to trick her? Neo trembled, clutching her knees tighter and burying her head against them. Water dripped down from her hair, her clothes soaked through by the rain she'd spent so long in.

Memories of her mother's voice assailed her. 'Ssshhh, quiet Neo. Hush. Be a good girl now. Don't make any sound, okay? Can you do that for me? Can you do that for mommy?'

Neo shivered as the adrenaline began to fade and her body grew cold. Tears fell unabated as her mother's words guided her. They were the only thing keeping her alive.

'Don't move, Neo. Stay still. They won't find us. I promise…'

More memories of the burning town followed, trapping her in a nightmare that she could not escape.

The light began to fade, taking with it what little warmth remained.

"Alright boys, get everything back inside, quick!" The coach shouted out loudly, trying to be heard over the wind whipping across the field. The rain had come on more suddenly than anyone expected, a light shower turning into a torrential downpour in the span of a few minutes. Jaune hefted the sack full of soccer balls he'd collected higher on to his shoulder then trudged inside, following his teammates' muddy footprints into the gym.

Everyone else was already gathered inside, shaking the rain from their hair and dropping their equipment on the floor. Jaune followed suit, tossing the mesh bag to the floor with a moist slap. A small puddle started to leak out from beneath it.

"What a waste of a time," his coach spoke in annoyance as he entered, carrying two armloads of leftover equipment. He dropped them unceremoniously and pulled out a ring of keys to open up the storage closet. "Alright boys, just toss it all in here. We'll get it sorted out next time. You kids need to get home, pronto. I doubt this rain is going to let up any time soon. Might just get worse, to be honest."

Jaune wasn't going to argue. He hefted the bag once more and threw it into the open closet. It hit the opposite wall with a satisfying smack, leaving a wet splatter against the concrete. The other boys followed his example, and soon enough the equipment had all been stored away. It wasn't pretty, but at least they'd gotten the job done.

Their coach nodded acceptance and gestured off towards the locker rooms, "Hurry up and get out of here. Grab a coat or an umbrella if you've got one. Might be some in the lost and found, too. You've got my permission to take what you need."

Several of the boys nodded acceptance before heading off. Jaune backed up a few steps and raised his eyes, trying to get a view into the workout loft above. He put his hands together, cupping them around his mouth. "Hey Neo, you up there!?"

No response came. No sounds, nor sight of pink and brown hair. Jaune waited only a few moments longer before deciding she must have gone home with the others. He couldn't imagine Neo leaving in the middle of the rain storm, at least not alone.

Jaune was just about to enter the boys' locker room when he heard another door open, followed by the quiet giggles of a pair of girls. Jaune peeked his head back around and frowned, seeing Ivy and Kindle stepping out of the girls' locker room.

"Hey, was Neo in there?" Jaune asked, feeling a pang of suspicion flicker through his mind.

Both girls turned to look at him, smiles still on their lips. Kindle answered for them both, shaking her head emphatically. "Nope, haven't seen her."

Jaune had his doubts, but couldn't see any clear reason why they would lie. He raised an eyebrow regardless, curious as to why they were there in the first place. "What are you doing here?"

Ivy shrugged, "We stayed late to work on our costumes. I think they're really starting to come together, don't you?" Her question was directed at the girl next to her, who nodded agreement.

"Oh yeah, they worked like a charm."

'Worked?' Jaune frowned once again but shook his head, deciding to ignore the two girls. Every moment wasted was another the storm would have to pick up. He could already hear the droplets beating heavily against the roof above, a thick downpour increasing exponentially by the second.

Jaune stepped into the locker room and changed quickly. Unfortunately, he hadn't thought to keep a coat with him at school. Several of the other boys were victims of the same circumstance, and had already begun plundering the lost and found for whatever they could find. Jaune followed suit, waiting until the rest were done to begin digging through the many shirts, shoes, and shorts in search of something to help negate the rain.

There weren't any coats left, not so much as a thick sweater. Jaune was losing hope until he found the end of an umbrella buried near the bottom. He grasped the handle and pulled, heart instantly dropping as the frilly pink material was exposed.

'Who the heck even brought this to school!?'

Jaune blanched at the idea of leaving with nothing but the girlish accessory to protect himself from the inclement weather. 'I can't be seen with that!' The vast majority of boys had already cleared out though, with only a few stragglers left on their way out the door. Gritting his teeth, Jaune hung the handle against the side of the large box and dug once again, praying that he had missed something the first time through.

He hadn't. Jaune cursed his luck, eyeing the umbrella queasily. The dull rumble of thunder, muffled by the door outside, was the only thing that made the choice easier for him. Jaune sighed and pulled it back out warily. He snuck over to the door and peeked outside, looking out into the rain in search of anyone that might see him leaving.

Thankfully, the property appeared to be vacant. No one had thought it best to dawdle in the middle of a storm, a thought that Jaune found he agreed with. Grasping the base of the umbrella, he pushed the rods up and out, spreading the material and revealing the lacy pink frills in all their glory.

Jaune frowned up when he still felt a few wet droplets hitting him in the face, then let out a sigh of vexation when he noticed the numerous small holes decorating it's surface. 'It's not even an umbrella. It's a stupid parasol.' Jaune only knew the word from living with so many sisters. Shaking his head, he set off regardless. It was better than nothing, and there weren't any replacements at hand.

'Good thing Neo left early. She'd have mocked me over this until the day I died,' Jaune thought glumly. Each step brought with it a noisy squish, the dirt road to his home now soaked in a quagmire of muddy footprints and tire tracks. He could hardly see fifty feet in front of himself, the air obscured by a thick downpour that drowned the world in all directions. His breath fogged in front of him, the sun's rays long since vanishing over the horizon.

The walk home felt longer than it ever had before. Jaune was shivering beneath the parasol by the time he saw lights in the distance, the final stretch of road opening up before him after the last bend. His clothes were matted to his skin, wind and rain alike soaking him to the bone.

Jaune cast his eyes around the property as he neared, looking for a place to hide the parasol before going inside. Neo would have been bad enough, but at least she was good at keeping a secret. If any of his other sisters saw him with it, he'd need to start life over with a different name in order to escape their teasing.

Spotting a rather thick bush near the edge of the house, Jaune started angling off in its direction. He'd only made it a few steps towards the corner however when the door opened from inside. Jaune hid the parasol behind his back, fingers quickly clawing at the metal clasp in order to shrink it back down.

His father stepped out, a worried frown on his face when he saw Jaune standing there alone. His eyes raised to sweep across the road, a question already on his lips. "Where's Neo?"

Jaune frowned in turn, suddenly forgetting the object he'd previously been so desperate to hide. "What do you mean? Didn't she come home with the girls?"

His father's expression darkened, apprehension crinkling the skin around his eyes. "No, Saph said she stayed there to practice. You didn't see her?" His voice was harsh, nearly accusatory, though Jaune knew it was only out of fear for the young girl.

It was a fear he happened to share, Jaune's mind reeling at the chance he may have left Neo behind on accident. 'She wasn't in the loft, so where was she!? Where could she be!?'

'We stayed late to work on our costumes. I think they're really starting to come together, don't you?'

'Oh yeah, they worked like a charm.'

Jaune's stomach dropped upon remembering the earlier conversation. He spun on his heel in the mud, slipping for only a moment before taking off in a dead sprint through the howling wind and heavy rain. His father called out after him, words lost to the rumbling storm above. Jaune didn't wait to listen. His arms swung at his sides, years of drills put into motion. Fear for his sister's safety gave him a surge of strength, frigid flesh forgotten as memories of her terrified figure flashed through his mind.

Jaune made it back to the school in record time. He grunted heavily as he slammed through the doors back inside, lungs haggard from inhaling the cold, harsh air. "Neo!" Jaune strangled out the name despite his throat's protests. He raised both hands and nearly smacked himself with the parasol before realizing he was still holding it.

"NEO!" Jaune shouted even louder, voice echoing through the gymnasium.

There was no response.

Social decency forgotten, Jaune walked quickly to the girls' locker room and threw the door open. He stormed inside, eyes darting around the interior. He spotted Neo's school clothes sitting on the bench and groaned, his stomach roiling with unabated fear.

'Where'd she go?' Jaune looked around frantically. She had left all of her clothes behind, even her socks and shoes. Her notebook rested near the pile as well, something she would never normally be seen without.

Eyes scouring the interior, they finally rested on the emergency exit near the rear of the changing rooms. The door itself was left partially ajar, a large dent in the wide metal handle used to open it. Jaune hurried over and opened it to check outside, staring out into the windswept forest that lay adjacent to the rear of the school.

Jaune's eyes fell to the ground, spotting the tracks that had yet to be washed away. He could see the imprint of toes, bare feet hitting the ground in a hard sprint away from the building. 'Neo…' The pit in Jaune's stomach fell even further, his heart wrenching upon realizing his sister was out in the storm somewhere.

Wasting no time, Jaune grit his teeth, and followed.

It was slow going. Despite her height, Neo's strength was formidable. She was fast, capable of taking long strides while running that were now working against him. Jaune's eyes scoured the ground as well as they could, at times relying on a flash of thunder to find the next set of tracks to follow.

He was forced to reopen the parasol eventually. Though some drops still fell through, it allowed him some reprieve from the droplets obscuring his vision, and the wind chilling his eyes. Terror stabbed through his heart with every minute that passed, the tracks growing more and more faint as time went on. The dark became oppressive, a constant force that combined with the rain to obscure the path ahead.

"Neo!" Jaune began calling out as he walked, in the hopes of drawing her to him. It was hard to tell the landscape around him, but he'd grown up playing around this town. He had a sense for where he was, and knew he'd be approaching a road any minute now. With any hope, Neo might have taken the road back into town. The thought gave him a small burst of strength, and got his feet moving more quickly in that direction.

Eventually, Jaune spotted the road ahead. The tracks had finally run dry a minute before, but Neo hadn't changed direction while fleeing from the school. He had no reason to believe she might have after going relatively straight for so long.

Raising his hands to hold himself more tightly, Jaune picked up his pace towards the road. Even with hope in sight, he continued to survey the landscape, not wanting to risk any chance of missing a sign of Neo's passing. The road rose up partially on the course he was heading. A shallow stream had formed, steadily pouring out of the culvert built into the small crest. Jaune's heart dropped anew when he saw it, realizing it was the perfect size for a scared child to hide.

Jaune had come this far already. There was no chance he was going to leave without checking this final place. He waded into the stream, water sloshing up past his ankles as he made his way over to the edge of the steel cylinder. Jaune peeked inside, struggling to see further than a few feet.

Lightning flashed, momentarily illuminating a hunched figure inside.

'No…'

"NEO!" Jaune called loudly, voice echoing through the tunnel. There was no response, no movement that he could hear or see. He stabbed the parasol into the hillside and pulled himself inside, frantically scrambling forward as quickly as he could to get to Neo's side.

"Neo! Hey, Neo!" Jaune called out again. Still there was no response. He crawled forward until he reached her, sitting with her back against the wall of the culvert and her knees pulled up to her chest. With what little light he had, Jaune could see that her eyes were still open. Neo stared into nothing, her body shaking as her shivers went unsuppressed.

The only bright ray of hope was the breath misting in front of her face, a clear sign that she was alive. Jaune grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her in close, wrapping her in a teary-eyed hug.

"Neo, please. It's okay. I'm here. I've got you." Jaune's voice wavered, his teeth threatening to chatter with every syllable. He could see more clearly now due to the occasional ripple of light, a weak shimmer of pink aura emanating from Neo's body to illuminate the space around them.

Jaune hugged her harder, rocking back and forth as if comforting a baby in his arms. "There aren't any Grimm here, Neo. It's safe. You're safe here, with me. We have to go home, right? Don't you want to go home?"

At the mention of home, Neo's eyes finally blinked. She stirred softly, slowly turning in Jaune's direction to look him in the eyes. Jaune could see relief welling up along with her tears. Neo let go of her knees and threw herself forward, arms wrapping around him in a death grip. She cried anew, chest heaving as she buried her face against his neck.

Jaune only hugged her back, ignoring the chill in his bones in favor of the warmth in his heart. He made no mention of leaving again just yet, waiting instead for Neo to let out her anguish. He was there for her. He always would be.

A few minutes passed before Neo finally settled down. She pulled away and raised a hand to wipe the tears from her face, only to replace it with the water that soaked her skin. She glanced around and sunk into herself anew, fear dancing in her eyes.

Jaune shook his head, imagining what she might be thinking. "It's fine, I know how to get back into town from here. We just need to follow the road north and we'll be there soon enough."

Neo hesitated before nodding. She gestured for Jaune to take the lead, both pulling themselves back out of the culvert and into the ankle deep puddle beyond. Jaune heard a loud splash while he was reaching for the parasol and whipped his head back around. Neo had fallen to her knees in the water, and was struggling to stand.

Jaune held his hand out worriedly, "Are you okay? Can you walk?"

Neo accepted his help and tried once again, only to fall weakly back into the stream. She shivered and raised her hands, signing slowly due to the frigid temperatures. 'My legs are numb. I don't think I can walk.'

Jaune nodded. He picked up the parasol and opened it up to hand it to Neo. She accepted it with a questioning frown. Jaune winced, "Don't ask," then turned back around to kneel in front of her. He bent his arms at his sides, moving into position so that he could carry her on his back. "Hop on."

Neo sloshed forward, struggling for a moment to get her legs into position. Jaune reached down to help, grasping each leg behind the knee and waiting for her to wrap an arm around his chest before standing back up. He swayed in exhaustion for a moment, already having run miles on his own two feet, now walking with the added weight of a soaking wet Neo on his back.

"I've never… been happier… that you're… so small…" Jaune struggled out, carrying Neo up the embankment before finally getting back on to level ground. His feet crunched against the rock-lined road, each laborious step calling upon his years of exercise.

With one hand holding the parasol and the other keeping herself in place against his back, Neo couldn't respond. She chose to headbutt him weakly instead, a gesture that brought a smile to his lips.

"Yeah, yeah… You'll hit… your growth spurt… soon, right?" Jaune chuckled. Neo started to slip so he was forced to focus again, hands scrambling to retain their purchase. He breathed heavily, winded after having so much demanded of him. After demanding so much of himself.

Jaune thanked the Gods when he spotted lights in the distance. They wound their way through the trees, making slow progress around a few more bends. Jaune practically staggered into town, heading for the first brightly lit shop he could see along the road.

The bell above the door jingled as he stepped inside and collapsed to his knees, barely maintaining his balance instead of sprawling forward on to the floor. The shop owner looked up at the sound and paled, eyes going wide upon seeing two soaked, disheveled children.

"Are you kids okay!? Where are your parents!?"

Jaune waited a few seconds to try and catch his breath. "They're probably… out looking… for us… Can I give you… their number?"

The shop owner agreed immediately and dialed up their father. In only a few minutes the bulk of the Arc family had arrived, rushing in through the door to find a blanket clad Neo and Jaune sitting with cups full of hot cocoa in their hands. Tears of relief were shed as the girls and Jaune's mother embraced Neo in turn, Neo herself falling victim to the wave of emotions and beginning to cry anew as well.

Once Jaune's father was certain Neo would be alright, his eyes fell on him instead. His expression softened at the brief look of fear in his son's eyes, replaced with tired concern. His father sat down next to him, eyes meeting his in search of the truth.

"What happened?"

Jaune gulped down the last of his cocoa and sighed, thumb idly tapping against the mug's handle. "I'm not sure. I think two of the girls from our class scared her. I saw them leaving after practice was canceled, and Neo wasn't there."

His father frowned, "They 'scared' her? How did they do that?"

Jaune raised a finger to his chin, scratching it awkwardly. "Our class has been making Grimm costumes for the parade. I think they dressed up and… surprised her, while she was in the locker room."

His father didn't respond. Jaune waited a few moments, then opened his mouth to speak before being cut off by the sound of wood snapping. Jaune looked down. His father's hands were white-knuckled, gripping his seat with enough force to splinter the wood. He followed Jaune's gaze and let go abruptly, raising his hands to clasp them together instead.

"I'll be sure to speak with the principal," his father stated simply.

Jaune gulped, for the first time afraid for the life of someone older than himself.

Though his father had done his best to hide it, Jaune could hear the steely resolve in his voice.

Nicholas tapped his foot against the floor, his patience wearing thin. His arms were crossed, large hands tucked into fists while he sat on the bench outside the school office. For three days he'd been forced to wait for this meeting, the school doing an internal investigation of its own after the recent events involving Neo.

The door knob ahead of him clicked, finally announcing the arrival of someone. A young woman looked out at him, face paling slightly upon seeing his expression. "M-Mister Arc? The principal will see you now…"

'About damn time.' Nicholas nodded and stood up from his place at the bench, easily towering over the young woman whose face paled three shades lighter. She opened the door wide and backed up, allowing him entry into the sparsely decorated office beyond.

A nervous man in a fine suit sat on the other side of the desk. He wrung his hands nervously, standing as Nicholas entered to gesture towards one of the chairs. Nicholas was surprised to see another woman inside, already taking up the seat next to his own.

"Please, Mister Arc. Come in, come in. Have a seat."

Nicholas took a moment to gauge the situation before complying. He hadn't been expecting someone else to join them. Better to have a handle on the situation before flying off it.

The principal gestured nervously to the woman as well, beginning greetings. "This is Miss Laurel. She's the mother of Jade, another girl in your daughter's class. She has some insight into why things escalated the way they did, and wanted to meet you in order to say her part…?"

Laurel nodded, not hesitating to look Nicholas in the eye. He could see a gaunt fatigue to her figure, fingers a little too thin, shoulders a bit too frail.

"I'm sorry for the actions of my daughter's friends, Mister Arc. Truly. She confessed everything to me after her friends told her what they'd done. Jade was horrified to hear the truth, and came to tell me immediately to make sure your daughter was okay."

Nicholas grumbled noncommittally, crossing his arms once more, "Did they say why they did it?"

Laurel bowed her head in apology, now incapable of meeting his eyes. "They did, yes. It might take a little explaining…" At a gesture from Nicholas, she continued. "My husband and youngest daughter, you see… they… they died at Ferdinand…"

Laurel's hands slowly clenched, fingers grasping the cloth of her dress. Her shoulders shook for a moment, but she suppressed it with a heavy sigh. "They were visiting a friend of his. Jade was sick with a fever at the time, so she couldn't go with them. I stayed behind to care for her. When we got the news… We were both so devastated…"

Laurel raised her eyes, still incapable of meeting Nicholas's gaze and vying for the wall instead. Tears brimmed at the corners, held at bay by her shaky resolve. "I don't know where exactly she heard the rumor from, but one day, after a few weeks had passed, she told me there was a girl being held at one of the nearby hospitals. A survivor from Ferdinand. She'd been described as short, probably the correct age to be my little Sage… I knew it couldn't be true, but when I saw how much Jade was improving, how even that little bit of hope was giving her the strength that I no longer had…? I couldn't… I couldn't take that away from her…"

Laurel sighed, sniffing heavily to clear her throat. "When your daughter showed up in class, Jade's hope was shattered all over again. She tried not to hold it against her, but seeing Neo was a constant reminder that her own sister was gone. Jade stopped eating, stopped taking care of herself. My bright little gem lost the last thing that was keeping her together… Her friends noticed. Jade didn't… didn't tell them what happened. All they knew was that your daughter seemed to be causing her distress. They could only watch as she fell apart, with no way of knowing how to help…"

"I understand." Nicholas allowed his arms to relax, raising one hand across the gap to hold Laurel's firmly. "I'm sorry for your loss, Ma'am. We Hunters… We did our best. In the end, it wasn't enough. The only one I was able to save was Neo, and I thank the Gods every day that I even managed that much. It came at a cost, but… I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be willing to pay it a thousand times over. I'll protect that girl with my life. I can only imagine you'd do the same for yours."

Laurel nodded, raising a free hand to wipe her eyes clear. "I'm glad your daughter is okay. Jade is mortified to have any hand in what happened. After everything… I've decided to pull her out of school for the time being."

Nicholas turned to the principal with a raised eyebrow, "What of the other two? The ones actually responsible?"

The principal cleared his throat, hands clasped atop his desk. "I assure you we are handling the matter with all due gravity. This was a serious transgression. As such… they've been expelled. There's a smaller establishment across town that they'll be able to attend if their parents so choose, otherwise they'll need to be homeschooled, like young Jade."

Nicholas sighed, sitting back in his chair. "I hate to see children so young being punished like this, but… perhaps it's for the best. For them, and for Neo. If word gets out about what they did, I doubt they'd be able to continue comfortably here."

"Agreed. This is the best solution for all parties involved."

Nicholas stood, once again towering over everyone else in the room. His eyes softened as he looked down at Laurel, guilt forcing him to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know it's hard to deal with loss. It always is… The only thing that can keep us going is to cherish what we still have, though. You have a daughter to protect, and she isn't the only one that hasn't been taking care of herself…" He squeezed gently, bringing attention to the frailness of the woman's body.

"Lead by example. Be there for her, every step of the way. I promise you there's light at the end of the tunnel."

Laurel swallowed, breathing shakily. "I'll try…"

"That's all anyone can ask for." Nicholas let go of her shoulder and stood up straight, nodding once as he left.

He'd be sure to check in on them occasionally.

His failures should only follow him to the grave.

I wasn't planning on pre-Beacon taking this long originally. The pay off all boils down to my attempts at forging a deeper connection between Jaune and Neo. I hope their sibling love and appreciation for each other is coming through.

There should be a few more chapters to go before we get to true 'pre-Beacon', when things will start winding towards their inevitable participation at initiation. I've got some changes to canon lined up, things that should help spice up which teams are formed.

Hope you're looking forward to it!

Thanks for reading,

- Sybaen