"Are you really gonna bring that thing?"

Neo lifted the lacy pink parasol from the stand and twirled it a few times by the U-shaped handle. She finished with a dramatic flourish, laying it across her shoulders to hold each end and smirk back at her brother for asking such a silly question. Of course she was going to bring it.

Jaune slumped, "You're really going all out, huh?"

"You know it~" Neo winked. She was indeed going all out. For the last four years she'd tried her absolute hardest to find another girl in school that might feel the same way about her. She'd spent years getting close to others, asking them out, making her intentions known, only to be rejected time after time.

Now, another opportunity was finally upon her. A joint field trip to some abandoned ruins. Students from the all-girls' school across town would be going with them, the entire group chaperoned by professional hunters.

'This is as good a time as any~'

The vibrant pink parasol that Neo now held would only help draw attention to herself. Hopefully the right kind of attention, if she had her way. And if it turned out that none of the students in an all-girls' school had a thing for members of the same gender… Neo would finally have definitive proof that the universe was working against her.

Neo turned to the wall near the front door and waved her hand past it in a small gesture. A cascade of pink glass rippled up the side, forming into the shape of a mirror she'd illusioned with her semblance. Thankfully it worked like the real deal, and allowed her to take one final look at the outfit she'd chosen to wear on their outing.

An immaculate white coat with pink lapels, cuffs, and inner lining. The front half of the coat cut off just below her breasts, revealing the black leotard beneath and giving a perfect view of her bare hips. The back of the coat remained, drooping just past her posterior in a way she hoped others might find enticing. Two belts looped around her waist, mere accessories that did nothing to hold up the tight, dark brown leather pants she wore. White, thigh high boots with stiletto heels added a few inches to her height. The last key to the ensemble, the various black beaded necklaces draped across her upper chest.

Neo looked closer in the mirror and blinked, changing the color of one eye to brown.

"Alright, now you're just showing off."

Edna scoffed from behind, stepping closer to shove Jaune towards the door. "Let her live a little! You look great, Neo."

"Thanks," Neo smiled, raising back up to shoot Jaune a smug grin. Her eyes flickered to the Pumpkin Pete's logo on his black hoodie. "You know, if you tried a little harder you might find a girlfriend of your own~"

Jaune scowled, not bothering to argue. He stepped closer to the door and swung it open, waiting for Neo to go first. "Yeah, yeah. In case you've forgotten, we need to be there before school actually starts. Are you ready now or did you need another hour or two to fix your hair?"

Neo's eyes widened as she snapped her fingers. "Oh, right!" Looking back to the mirror, she brought a hand up and ran it over the right half of her head. A brief shimmer appeared, adding a dash of highlights to her already pink hair. "I almost forgot! You're a lifesaver, Jaune~"

Grinning smugly, Neo opened the parasol to spin it on her shoulder while stepping out past him. He rolled his eyes, but Neo could still see the small twinge at the corner of his lips, a barely suppressed smile begging to be released.

"Have fun!" Edna called after them, her well-wishes echoed by a few other siblings elsewhere downstairs.

Neo spun around and walked backwards down the steps, raising a hand to wave cheerily, "We will! Have a nice day!"

"We'll be fine," Jaune assured them before closing the door.

Gravel crunched beneath Neo's feet as she turned back around, walking slowly for a few moments while Jaune caught up. He kept his distance, eyeing the parasol with obvious distaste.

Neo smirked, stepping closer so that he was encompassed by the frilly pink cloth with her. "What's the matter, Jaune? You don't like my parasol? You were the one that picked this out in the first place, remember?"

He raised his hands, taking a weary step sideways to be out from beneath the radius of girlish fabric. "It was my only option at the time. If I'd known it would come to this then I wouldn't have taken anything."

"Are you too cool to share a little shade with your sister?" Neo pouted playfully, raising the parasol out further as if threatening to hold it over him again.

Jaune narrowed his eyes, "Why do you even need it anyway? Doesn't your aura protect you from getting sunburnt or something? I've never even seen you get a tan."

Neo snapped the parasol closed to smack it against her opposite hand as if it were a ruler, and she an angry teacher. "Looks, Jaune. Looks! I don't care about the sun. I just want the girls on this trip to notice me, that's all."

Jaune scoffed, "Fat chance they wouldn't, even without that thing." His eyes roamed up and down, eyebrows raising questioningly. "And your leotard? Looks to me like you're desperate."

Neo swung the parasol to point it at him in mock anger, only a few inches short of his face. "I think it's cute. And so will they."

Jaune sighed, hardly acknowledging the pointed tip so close to his face. "If you say so. Do you know where we're going exactly, by the way? I know it was supposed to be some ancient ruins, but…"

Neo shrugged, returning the parasol to her shoulder. "Out in Forever Fall somewhere I think? It's a big place. I hope they bring a GPS or something so we don't get lost."

"I'm sure we'll be fine."

The two devolved into more small talk along the way, eventually seeing the tree line open up ahead of them into the outskirts of the school grounds. A bus was already parked out front, the multi-colored mass of students milling about outside while waiting to depart. Neo saw many familiar faces among them, the boys and girls that made up her own class.

Past them however, stood another, smaller group. It was entirely made up of girls in matching school attire, their black vests and skirts hard to miss while serving as the backdrop to her classes' vibrant hues. Neo eyed them curiously, still a bit too far away to really make out many details.

The final group consisted of adults, their teacher among them. Five others that Neo couldn't recognize stood around her, sheathed weapons and combat gear on clear display. Neo let out a quiet breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, reassured by the presence of so many hunters.

"Everybody onboard!" Her teacher's voice called out, beginning to usher the students and their baggage inside. Neo tapped Jaune on the shoulder and nodded her chin in their direction, both picking up the pace so that the bus wouldn't leave without them.

The members of the all-girl's school filed in first, heading towards the back of the bus. They were followed by her own class, Neo and Jaune arriving just as the final students were being ushered on board.

"Oh, hey you two! I was wondering where you were!"

Neo looked back as she was about to climb the steps, hearing a voice she distinctly recognized. Her eyes lit up when she noticed Azure, a former member of their sister's team when she'd still been in school.

"Oh, hey Azure! I didn't see you over there!" Jaune spoke happily. He turned around, waiting for the huntsman to cross the distance before shaking his hand. "How've you been?"

"Heh, not too bad. I've been cutting my teeth on simpler missions like this for the last year or so, trying to get my rank up. Don't worry. You kids should be safe enough with us around."

Neo tapped Jaune on the shoulder and tucked the parasol beneath her arm. She waited for him to look back before signing, still incapable of speaking verbally around anyone other than the Arcs or Terra. The familiar itch had returned once they were surrounded by people, a cough sure to follow if she attempted to speak.

'Do you know what our sister is up to?'

Jaune translated for her and Azure shrugged, "Last I heard, she was doing some transport missions for the SDC. It's a pretty cushy job. If I had an A class license like her I'd be doing the same thing!"

Neo nodded her thanks. Their attention was stolen the next moment by an older huntsman loudly clearing his throat. He raised his hand, gesturing for them to speed it up. Azure grinned weakly, turning back to wave them on to the bus. "Better hurry this up. Those ruins won't visit themselves!"

As Neo climbed up the small flight of steps into the aisle, she raised her eyes to peer overtop her classmates. The students from the all-girl's school had taken up the back quarter of the bus. They were chatting casually amongst themselves and occasionally leaning forward to share in conversation with Neo's classmates. Her eyes scanned across them, freezing when she saw a familiar group on the furthest bench away.

Jade stared back, Ivy and Kindle noticing her locked gaze long enough to follow it as well. Conversation died out among the three of them, a mixture of nervous anxiety and embarrassment rippling through their small group. Jade smiled timidly and raised a hand, giving a weak wave in Neo's direction. Not knowing what else to do, Neo followed suit and waved back before taking her seat, sliding down to rest her knees against the cushioned back of the bench in front of her.

Jaune stopped next to her, his eyes locked on to the girls in back as well. A grimace flickered across his features, obvious distaste coming to the forefront. Neo grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him down on to the bench next to her, still coming to terms with their presence herself but not wanting to start things off with so much contention. They were there to have a good time and see some ruins, not dig skeletons out of their closet.

Jaune glared at the seat in front of them, his hands clenched into fists. "I can't believe the teachers let them come with us. Don't they know-"

Neo cut her brother off with a hard poke to the chest, shaking her head emphatically. Her hands signed quickly, 'Let's not get worked up over it. That was eight years ago." Neo's hands slowed as she considered her own feelings, '...I've moved on. So should you.'

Jaune sighed in annoyance, raising a hand to brush it roughly through his blond hair. "You might have been the one they chased off, Neo, but I was the one that found you." He glanced her way, hesitation lowering his voice into a quiet whisper. "That was the worst moment in my life. Did you know that? Seeing you huddled in the dark, not answering when I shouted your name… I thought-... I thought you were dead."

Neo smiled comfortingly and leaned over to wrap him in both arms, her head resting against his shoulder. She waited a few seconds before pulling back, still with a weak smile on her face. 'I know it was scary. It was scary for me, too. I want to move on with my life though, not dwell in the past. There's more to life than the bad things that happen to us. Letting them control what we do now won't make them any better. It will only make the pain last longer.'

Jaune stared for a few moments in silent contemplation. After a while, he gave a gruff sigh and shook his head, a smile lifting the corner of his lips. "When did you get so wise?"

Neo scoffed proudly, 'Always have been.'

With the hunters now seated at the front of the bus alongside their teacher, the large vehicle roared to life. Neo swayed into Jaune as it lurched forward, pulling out of the school parking lot and on to the main road. It would take them through the center of Arcus and on, eventually reaching the outskirts of Forever Fall.

Neo turned on the bench to sit facing Jaune, her back to the window behind her. She chatted casually with him while occasionally glancing back, getting another look at the new group of girls joining them on their trip. She could see them mostly keeping to themselves, only a few nearest her class choosing to engage with them.

Every now and then, Neo's eyes would catch on to Jade's. Unlike Ivy and Kindle seated next to her, the raven-haired girl wasn't afraid to meet Neo's gaze. The first time, both darted their heads away awkwardly. Progressively throughout the trip though, Neo found herself drifting back, admiring how good Jade looked after eight years away. She was no longer the pale, frail imitation that Neo remembered from so long ago. Her body had filled out, a beauty in her own right that Neo was finding harder and harder to look away from.

Jaune seemed to notice part way through the trip but didn't comment, choosing to ignore the entire affair to avoid his blood pressure rising unnecessarily.

The bus ride lasted several hours, longer than Neo had been expecting. The trees outside steadily shifted from green to a vibrant yellow, and eventually red. The ground and road itself were covered in a plethora of fallen leaves, giving the impression of a crimson landscape interrupted only by the spotted brown tree trunks within. Neo thought it was hauntingly beautiful, in a 'reminiscent of blood' kind of way.

"Oh gods, finally," one of the huntsman spoke up tiredly, his gaze focused past the driver's head.

Neo glanced up past them, looking out the front window to see a fork in the road. The main path remained paved, but it was down the dirt road they turned. A mountain rested off to their right, it's point cutting a wide swath through the clouds in the sky. Their bus skirted along its slope, the view of the sky quickly swallowed up by the rapidly thickening canopy of trees. Thick branches draped low over the road, brimming with translucent red leaves. They cast a constant shadow across the forest that covered everything in sporadic scarlet hues.

Neo gripped the handle of her parasol nervously, eyes scouring the forest for any sign of black-furred creatures. She flinched as she felt a hand gently rest on top of her own, turning to see Jaune giving her a comforting smile.

"It'll be fine, Neo. We have almost half a dozen hunters with us. They'll keep us safe."

Neo took a deep breath to calm herself and let it out slowly, finally nodding her head in agreement. She turned back to look out the windows, a nervous energy beating faster in her chest while Jaune's assurances left her with a clear mind. 'He's right. There's no way a few grimm could get past this many trained hunters.'

The bus pulled into a final clearing of trees, the engine giving a few pathetic sputters before shutting off. The students were left whispering in the sudden silence, many eyes darting about the location in search of the ruins they were there to see.

The older huntsman from earlier stood. His dark brown hair was streaked with white, several scars visible across his marred face. He raised a hand, clearing his throat to get everyone's attention. "The ruins are a short hike from here, about a quarter mile away. We already did a preliminary check this morning, clearing the area of any grimm we could find. Even so, be on your guard. Don't wander too far from the group, and never go anywhere without a trained hunter to accompany you. Are we clear?"

There was a quiet murmur of acceptance, apparently not enough for the grizzled warrior.

"I said… Are. We. Clear!?"

The murmur rose to a few shouts of agreement, many others nodding their heads vigorously. The huntsman seemed content, turning to step off the bus and observe the area around them. The other hunters followed suit, spreading out amongst the trees in a formation that would keep the students safe in their midst.

Their teacher stood, eyeing the nervous expressions on all her students before nodding as well. "Let's go everybody! Off the bus! We'll be touring the ruins soon enough. Just stick with the pack and the hunters should keep you safe!" She stepped off, quickly followed by a loud shuffling as all of the students grabbed their belongings in preparation.

Neo and Jaune were the first off the bus, Neo's parasol quickly opening to rest on her shoulder. She spun slowly in place, getting an eyeful of the beautiful forest surrounding them. The various red hues were captivating, constantly waxing and waning in a shifting mass as the wind blew through the canopy above. Every now and then the forest would darken as a thin, wispy cloud tried in vain to blot out the sun.

"Wow…" Jaune spoke in awe, taking the words right out of Neo's hands. She could only grin and nod in agreement, stepping further away from the bus as more students filed out.

"This way, class!" Their teacher began marching up the dirt road, leading the students along a winding path that slowly climbed the mountain's edge. The hunters flanked them on every side, the most seasoned scouting the path ahead in search of any threats.

Neo's head remained on a swivel, taking in their surroundings and committing the beautiful abundance of reds to memory. She'd never seen any place like it and didn't believe she ever would again.

At one point during her scouring of the landscape, Neo's eyes met Jade's once more, now closer than they'd been whilst separated by the full length of the bus. Confidence bolstered by her current excitement, Neo smiled kindly at the girl following in their tracks.

Neo was surprised to see Jade smile back, a small dusting of pink suffusing her cheeks as she glanced away and ran her fingers through the hair over her ear. 'Or was that from the trees…?' Neo wasn't sure, but she gained a hopeful skip to her step, fingers nervously twirling the parasol on her shoulder. She'd decided to forgive the trio long since, though seeing them had briefly brought her resolve into question. Nicholas had explained the situation to her when she'd asked only a few months after the incident, her heart going out to them each in their own way.

The trek to the ruins was short-lived, the canopy opening up to reveal an ancient structure buried amongst the overgrown vines and foliage of the forest. Standing several stories tall, it was built purely from stone, the walls and columns cracked and marred from time and grimm alike. Here and there, Neo could see the long, jagged slashes from a beowolf's claws, or an indent caused by the stone-shattering impact of a deathstalker's tail.

What paint had been on its surface was long since cracked and faded, now indistinguishable beneath the dirt and vines that matted the exterior. Neo could see the remains of a few tattered banners, their colors washed out and fabric full of holes.

The class followed their teacher inside, through the wide open columns and into the shadowed depths of the enormous structure. Small splashes of light lit their path, the vaulted ceiling above spotted with large gaps of missing stones. Students whispered quietly amongst themselves, hardly daring to raise their voices in such a storied locale. Even so, the sound echoed off the interior, creating a din of dimly heard voices reverberating out of the darkness.

Neo stepped closer to Jaune, unintentionally encompassing him beneath her parasol. He didn't mind, choosing to simply smile weakly back at her in an attempt to appear confident. Neo firmed, knowing that if anything happened it would be up to her to get them out of trouble. Without his aura unlocked, Jaune was the same as any other person, albeit more athletic than most.

Their teacher gave them all a fright when she suddenly started speaking, her voice momentarily deafening as it rebounded off the distant stone walls. She paused with an apologetic smile, then gestured off towards a particularly well-kept piece of artwork. "What you see before you are the insides of a temple, built in worship of gods that no one left alive remembers."

She began speaking about the building, it's estimated age and what little they knew of the two gods it had centered around. A male and female, ancient scripts describing their divine presence and the combined devastation they would unleash upon the grimm. The two apparently had a falling out, though none of the texts documented why. In a single night, their great empire was left leaderless, its citizens lambs to the slaughter without the protection of their divine deities.

It was in the middle of another long ramble when Neo noticed Jade slipping off into a nearby corridor. She glanced back, catching Neo's attention with a raised eyebrow and a gesture for her to follow. Heart fluttering in a brief flash of excitement, Neo cautiously closed her parasol and edged her way to the fringes of the crowd. She waited for a lapse in attention before stepping away, hurriedly following Jade into the unknown corridor.

Jade didn't appear to know where it led either. She stumbled a little in the dark, gaining further distance from the mob of students before daring to do anything else. Light appeared around the bend ahead of them, and together they stepped out of the ruins and back into the midday sun. Jade clasped her hands behind herself, shyly walking another dozen feet from the ruins before turning back around. Her eyes fell on Neo, slowly running the full length of her body before focusing on her face.

Now alone, Neo's nerves got the better of her. She smiled and raised her hands to sign, only then realizing she'd left her translator behind.

'Hi.'

Neo's eyes widened when Jade signed to her, the girl grinning upon seeing the expression on Neo's face. "I'm still practicing, so take it slow… I should be able to understand most stuff though, as long as you keep it simple."

'You know sign language?' Neo asked in astonishment.

Jade raised a hand, brushing the hair over her ear again as she had earlier. "Yeah. I started learning it a couple years after… everything happened. Your dad kept stopping by, keeping tabs on me and my mom. When I told him I wanted to apologize to you someday, he suggested I do it in sign language. To make it more special, ya know? Once I got going though… I just never stopped. Thinking about the way I treated you… I had to keep learning in case we ever saw each other again."

'You didn't have to do all that for me.'

Jade shook her head, "I wanted to. I was devastated when I heard what Ivy and Kindle did. As bad as their actions were though, it was my fault too for not confiding in them. They're good friends, even if they can be a little overzealous at times. They were trying to protect me, but… they took it too far. And for that, I'm really, truly sorry. I hope you can forgive us someday…"

'I already have,' Neo shrugged, surprising Jade with the ease at which she signed it.

Her eyes widened, mouth opening to stutter in shock. "J-Just like that? After what they did to you?"

Feeling her heart flutter more viciously, Neo stepped closer, narrowing the gap between them. 'I get it. I would do a lot for my siblings, too. For my friends. All I care about is the here and now though.' She raised an eyebrow, a mere foot separating them. Neo smiled curiously as her hands signed. 'What about you? You've said your apology. Is there anything else on your mind now that you've been forgiven? I mean, if you still want to make amends…'

Jade swallowed, backing up slightly only to bump into a tree. She stared at Neo nervously, trapped by the pair of pink and brown heterochromia eyes looking so innocently back. "You uh, you look good. I really like your parasol…"

Neo smiled, 'Thanks! I brought it along because I was hoping to catch a girl's attention. Who'd have guessed it would be you?' She laughed silently, holding the back of her hand over her mouth.

"A girl's…?" A smile flickered across Jade's lips. She stood up straighter, much of her unease falling to the wayside, though she was still visibly nervous. "I can sympathize with that. None of the other girls from my school are… uh…"

'Lesbians?' Neo smirked.

Jade laughed weakly, fidgeting with a lock of hair that hung down over her breasts. "I haven't actually learned that one yet, but… I can guess what it means…"

'Or…' Neo smiled as she leaned closer, her heart pounding in her chest, 'I could show you…?'

Jade's eyes darted to her lips, the offer obvious with how close Neo had become. She was practically standing on tiptoe, raising herself up as high as she could muster while waiting for Jade to make the last move.

Closing her eyes, Jade's hands stilled. She leaned forward, lowering her head ever so slightly while aiming for Neo's lips. Neo closed hers as well, feeling her pulse quicken with a wave of excitement.

'Finally! After all these years, a girl that likes me ba-'

Both girls froze as a chorus of terrifying howls filled the air. Gunshots echoed out of the ruins, drowning out the sound of students suddenly screaming in fear and the guttural snarls of bloodthirsty beowolves. Neo's blood turned to ice, her hand raising instinctively to hold the closed parasol like a weapon in front of herself. Her body shook, a lifelong fear rearing its ugly head.

"Wh-What should we-"

Jade was cut off by the sound of snapping twigs. Both girls turned quickly, shuddering in horror at the sight of the monstrous beast prowling around the corner of the ruin. It's dull red eyes were locked on to them, a vicious snarl rumbling from it's open maw to show off its rows of worn down, jagged teeth.

Neo and Jade backed away slowly, too terrified to turn on their heels and run. They wouldn't make it very far, even if they did. The beowolf was easily capable of outpacing a human.

"Neo!? Neo, are you out here!?" Jaune's voice echoed from the nearby tunnel, only a dozen feet away from where the beowolf now stood. It's eyes swept across to the entrance, a deep growl emanating from its throat.

'Jaune!' Neo opened her mouth to scream his name but could only cough instead, her throat protesting with Jade in close proximity. She tried again and again, only hacking more roughly as his distant voice grew closer. Tears brimmed at the corners of Neo's eyes, both from the pain, and the knowledge of what would happen next.

'No! Not again!' Visions of death and decay flashed through Neo's eyes. A town torn asunder by the beasts that stalked their world. The smell of blood, ripening in her nose as if she were there all over again. Anger boiled to the surface, an unrelenting refusal to allow a repeat of that fateful day.

Jaune stepped out of the ruins.

The beowolf pounced.

And Neo's body shattered into a million pieces.

Neo only had the brief feeling of her essence moving, a turbulent wind of shimmering glass that instantly transposed itself between the brother she loved, and the grimm she hated. Neo's body reformed, microscopic shards of glass piecing themselves back together. Her parasol was raised, her aura thrumming throughout its length in tandem with her heart.

The entire weight of the beowolf fell on its point, skewering itself to the hilt.

Neo's arm dropped, brought down by the continued weight of the now deceased grimm. She placed a foot against its chest and pulled, yanking the entire length of her parasol from its body in a spray of black ash. Neo fell to her knees and vomited, fear and adrenaline coursing through her veins in equal measure. Jaune could only stand in shock, his life likely still flashing before his eyes.

Neo didn't know what she'd done in order to get there in time, but it had taken a lot out of her. Hearing her retch once more, Jaune pulled himself back together. He rushed forward and dropped to his knees next to her, holding an unsteady hand against her back.

"N-Neo, are you okay? What-... What did you do?"

Neo could only shake her head in response, her hands trembling too much to sign properly. The quiet crunch of Jade's footsteps walked up behind them, her breathing just as panicked as theirs.

"Th-That was… Wow. I didn't know you were a huntress."

"She isn't," Jaune stated impatiently. He was too caught up with Neo's safety to elaborate, but seemed to have decided that this place wasn't the best to recuperate. "Let's head back inside. Back to where the hunters can keep us safe."

Neo glanced up, reminded of the screams she'd heard. It was already quiet inside, silence falling at some point between Jaune's exit and her killing the beowolf. Neo wiped her mouth off, finally pulling herself together well enough to sign. 'Is everyone okay?'

Jaune nodded, "Yeah, the hunters were handling the grimm pretty easily. I noticed you were missing though and came running. This was the only place you could've gone." He glanced over at Jade, then back to Neo with a sigh of vexation. "We'll talk later about how far you're willing to go just to get a girlfriend. I don't think death is a price you should be willing to pay."

Feeling some of the fear fading away along with the rapidly disintegrating grimm, Neo signed playfully, 'Am I even living if I don't have one?'

Jaune scowled, "Yes, yes you are. Now let's go. Back inside."

Neo was helped shakily to her feet, forced to use her parasol as a cane for the first few steps before getting her legs back in order. They started back down the winding corridor, heading towards the sounds of hunters and students, carried to them on echoes through the stone passage.

"Oh gods, there you are!" Azure cried out, seeing first Jaune, then the other two stepping back into the vaulted chamber. He rushed towards them with a scroll in his hand, its light casting a bright swath that flickered across the walls with every step.

Jaune raised his hands placatingly. "Y-Yeah, we're alright. Nothing to worry about."

"I don't know what I would have done if-" Azure started but cut himself off, shaking his head profusely. He looked as if he was going to be sick. "Here." He held up the scroll, presenting it to Jaune. Now that he was closer, Neo could see how the blood had drained from his face.

Jaune frowned, hands still raised. "Uh- huh? What's this for?"

"You're dad is on the line."

"My dad!?" Jaune's eyes widened as he hesitantly reached out, taking the scroll from Azure and holding it to his ear.

"Hey, uh- Dad? Look, I know what you're going to say, but it's fine. Neo and I are okay and-"

Neo was close enough to hear Nicholas's voice in the relative silence. He cut through his son's ramble with a quaking tone.

"Jaune, you and Neo need to come home… immediately."

Jaune glanced at Neo, sharing in her confusion. "What? Why..? What's up?"

"It's your sister… Ariel… sh-she's… she's…"

His voice cut out, reduced to nothing but quiet sobs.

For the first time in her life, Neo heard Nicholas Arc cry.

Oh god, what could have happened?

I hope big sis Ariel is okay…

I was a little undecided on whether or not I wanted to include Neo's ability from the train fight in Volume 2. When she nopes out after Raven draws her sword. IIRC, she hasn't used it since then in canon, but it's a cool power, sooooo… eh. I wanted to give it to her. It'll take practice to master and will likely end up functioning like a long range version of Blake's semblance but with far less uses. Some balancing required.

Thank you for all the comments. They give me that extra dash of motivation to keep going, though it's far from being in short supply as of late. Antidepressants gud.

Thanks for reading,

- Sybaen