Jade, Yu, Joker, and Queen entered Beacon's main hall, a large semi-circle atrium with a podium at its center, where they were greeted by the cacophony of 1,000 or so students. The hall was packed with students jostling about trying to find a space to stand comfortably. However, within the chaos, a semblance of order can be seen. Hanging from the ceiling above the podium were banners designating areas for students of each year. The first year banner hung just to the left of the main hall while the subsequent years hung to the right.

Joker was the first to move, guiding the rest of the group left towards the other new students. However, as they approached, she inconspicuously pulled her cap lower to partially cover her face, a gesture Jade noticed, but did not question.

Unfortunately for them, the area near the podium was extremely crowded, so they had no choice but to hang out in the back.

"I never knew there were this many students attending Beacon," Jade gasped as they waded through the crowd.

Joker chuckled, using this opportunity to impress Jade with some of her knowledge.

"Hah, this isn't even everyone. A good majority of the people here are first years and second years. Look, if you haven't noticed, the third and fourth year banners are merged together. That's because they do a lot of field work, especially over the summer, so most might not be back yet. Some may even be on extended missions and will miss most of the first semester."

"Wow, you sure know a lot about this school."

"Haha, of course. 'Know thy enemy' as the saying goes," Joker replied with a toothy grin.

Yu scoffed quietly beside Jade.

"Simple knowledge if you've done your research..."

He was voicing his thoughts out loud to himself, but unfortunately, Jade overheard him even in the noisy crowd. Needless to say, it earned him an elbow to the ribs.

While Yu's comment was a bit insensitive, it reminded Jade of something she was meaning to ask.

"By the way, which secondary school did you attend? From your uniform, and I'm assuming it was your school uniform, it must be somewhere prestigious. I hear that only major private schools require uniforms and yours definitely seems… how should I put it…quiet regal."

Jade expected Joker to give a boastful tale about her old school, so when she suddenly went bashful, it was shocking.

"Haha, well… about that…"

However, Joker suddenly froze up when she saw something in the crowd and quickly ducked behind Jade. Confused, Jade followed her line of sight and caught what caused such a reaction from her. It wasn't particularly difficult to figure out who Joker was looking at as there were multiple students staring oddly at them as well.

The target of attention were two guys. One had spiky silver hair and wore a large intricate eyepatch that covered his right eye and a large portion of his face. The person beside him was a tall toned man with a somewhat rugged face and golden blonde hair. As they got closer, Jade also noticed something else. They wore military style uniforms as well, similar to Joker's but the color palette was reverse. Where Joker's uniform had a red theme with black theirs had a black theme with red accents.

Jade was about to mention this to Joker when the boy with the eyepatch looked their way with a hint of recognition. Then, in a pompous manner, he approached

"Well, well, well. What dost my eye of darkness espy? I feared thee lost amongst the plebeians when no tales of a girl with fiery hair was heard, but alas, here you stand now."

The boy with the eyepatch was the one that spoke. His odd speech pattern was not only hard to understand, but loud and obnoxious as well.

Upon realizing that her attempt at stealth failed, Joker let out a long exasperated sigh before emerging from behind Jade.

"Yeah, it's almost as if I was purposefully avoiding the one who will be drawing attention," Joker retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

It was just as she said. It seemed the entire new students sections had their eyes on them. Not only that, it might have been just her imagination, but the moment Joker revealed herself, Jade swore the spectator's murmuring intensified.

Jade took a position beside Joker and whispered into her ears.

"Uhhhhmm, do you two know each other?"

"I guess you can say that. We're… acquaintances."

"ACQUAINTANCES!?" the man screamed, having caught their whispering. At the same time, he seemed to have dropped the Shakespearean dialect he was going for. "Mere acquaintances? How dare you belittle the bond we share?"

This garnered a facepalm from Joker.

"Oi, oi, stop saying things that'll make people misunderstand."

But he did not stop.

"Yes, a bond forged in the furnace of destiny! For we are two forces, similar yet opposing, connected but constantly clashing. She is the fire to my ice, the light to my darkness, my eternal rival, the rival of Ace of House Spades!"

What the heck is this!? Jade thought, her cheeks red from blushing.

The guy named Ace called Joker his rival, yet the way he said it made it sound like some sort of love confession. And she wasn't the only one to think so. From amongst the crowd, several girls squealed at the drama unfolding before them.

But, after his little spiel, Ace stood frozen silently and awkwardly. With a small cough, he nudged the hulking blonde guy beside him who was staring blankly in the distance.

"What… oh… 'And I'm Kingsley of House Diam, Ace's trusted retainer and the rival of Queen.'"

He delivered the line with such monotonous dispassion, it completely deflated the mood Ace set up before. And at the same time, Queen facepalmed herself as if saying 'Why bring me into this..'

But now that Kingsley did as Ace asked, he continued.

"Yes, yes. And as rivals, we must perform a rite all rivals must face."

Joker gave him a particularly sarcastic stare.

"Hoh, and what might that be?"

"Heh, heh, why of course, it must be...a DUEL!"

A wave of 'ooooh' came from the audience at Ace's declaration. His grandiose mannerism and charisma caught the attention of those nearby, who now eagerly watch things unfold as if a show. But for Jade, something he said caught her attention.

"House Spade...House Diam…"

She definitely heard the name before but couldn't recall where nor the significance of the name. But since it looked like Joker was somehow connected to them, she decided to ask her.

"Joker…"

However, it was Ace who reacted.

"Joker!? Who is this Joker you speak of?"

"Ah, no, I was referring to her, you know, your rival and all."

Ace's eyes furrowed as if she said something strange.

"Why do you call her Joker?"

"Eh, is that not her name?"

Ace stared intently at Jade, as if to scrutinize the truth of her words. Then, he turned his gaze to Joker.

"Ace…"

Joker gave Ace a subtle warning. She had a deathly cold stare, one that contrasted with her previous personality. But Ace ignored her warning.

"Hmph, it seems you are with ignorant company. It is a shame that you fail to recognize a person of such esteem. No matter, hear me and hear me well, before you stand J- errrgh…"

He got no further. Lightning fast, Joker shot forward and landed a powerful uppercut straight into Ace's diaphragm. The strike landed with such force, it lifted him slightly off the ground. His eyes popped wide and his mouth agape as all the air in his lung was forcibly ejected. After a moment of convulsing, his eyes rolled back and he collapsed upon Joker's shoulder, unconscious.

"Oh no, he collapsed. I guess I have to take him outside for some fresh air," Joker called out, feigning concern.

She hefted the unconscious body over her shoulder, a feat that was incomprehensible for someone of her stature, and began walking towards the entrance.

"Joker, wait! What did he mean by that? Is what he said true?"

Jade called out to Joker as she passed, but she only stopped for a moment, a regretful look hung on her face.

"It was not my intention to hide who I am. For that, I'm sorry. But there is a reason I did it. Reason I can't say right now."

"But…"

There were so many more questions she wanted to ask, but that was all she got out before Joker disappeared into the sea of students. Queen gave a short apologetic bow before following suite alongside Kingsley, leaving Jade standing there dumbfounded and confused.

Jade stared at the spot where they disappeared forlornly. Another group of new acquaintances came and went without even getting to know them better. Not only that, Joker was clearly hiding a lot about herself. So much for the pleasant first day she wanted. The past hour had been such a roller coaster of emotions that she just wanted to collapse on a soft bed and just rest.

"Quite the spectacle, wasn't it?"

"Hya!"

A soft whisper was blown centimeters from Jade's ear caused a shiver down her spine. Spinning around, she came across a face. Her face suddenly lit up.

"Amethyst!"

"Yoohoo, good to see you again. And again, call me Amy."

"Oooh...Amy. Sorry."

"Ding ding ding, that's the right answer."

"I didn't notice you when we got here. Were you close by this whole time?"

"Not at all," another voice chimed in. It belonged to her companion Diamon, who came out from the crowd.

"We were up front when we noticed some commotion in the back. Amethyst being the nosy one she is, wanted to snoop…"

"Hey, 'investigate'" Amy interrupted. "Geez, you're making it sound like I was up to no good."

"But you were up to no good."

Amy gave Diamon a fierce glare, which prompted a heavy sigh from the tall fellow. As expected, their interaction made them appear like a spoiled princess and a faithful (but rather snide) butler.

"Fine, she wanted to investigate and we ended up seeing the tail end of that whole situation. I must say Miss Evergreen, I was pleasantly surprised that you are acquainted with some rather...interesting fellows."

Jade latched on to the last part of Diamon's sentence. The way he said it implied he recognized Joker and her group.

"You know them?" Jade unintentionally shouted, startling Diamon and Amy.

The two looked at each other, then back at Jade. Amethyst was the first to speak.

"Yeah. Wait, you were with them and you didn't know?"

Jade nodded embarrassingly. But this was the perfect opportunity to find out what it was that Joker was hiding from her.

"Who are they?"

"They're the Royal Flush, duh."

"Royal Flush?"

Diamon facepalmed at Amy's simple explanation.

"Honestly, Amethyst, we need to work on your speech."

To this Amy stuck her tongue out at him. Rolling his eyes, Diamon took up the explanation.

"Yes. Royal Flush. A group of families who were known for their rich history as Grimm hunters before the formation of the Huntsman Academies. Anyways, over the ages, each family had developed their own unique fighting style against the Grimm and formed their own schools to teach their techniques. Training at one of their schools was tantamount to an education at Beacon. Their schools were called Houses and there were four: House Hart, House Diam, House Spades, and House Clubs. From what we picked up from their conversation, Ace would be from House Spades, Kingsley is from Diam, and I can assume the two girls are from the last two."

"Hmmm, wait did you say 'were'?"

"Yes, currently the schools do not exist anymore. They disappeared from history after the Great War."

The Great War. Jade recalled learning of this conflict during history class when she was younger. A terrible war that occurred over 60 years ago that consumed the entire world. It was a war of ideals and individualism that shattered the already frail unity between the four nations of Remnant. However, despite being such a black patch in Remnant's history, there was a silver lining to the conflict. Had it not ended the way it did, the Huntsman Academies wouldn't have existed, she would've never been able to visit places like Vale, and most importantly, she would not have been able to experience dancing.

But, back on to the subject at hand…

"During the Great War, the four families were horrified to find their techniques were used to slaughter humans instead of Grimm. Saddened, the leaders of the Houses at the time permanently shut down their school and they faded from history. In their places rose the Huntsman Academies which carried on the ideals that they strived for. And even though they are no more, their names are still regarded with reverence to this day."

Having heard the full story, Jade realized that she did know of them, to an extent. A family of pre-Huntsman who dedicated their lives to fight the Grimm. To think that Joker is from that family. Speaking of Joker…

"So, do you know their names?"

Hoping to garner more information on the girl with all the secrets, Jade asked Diamon and Amy with glittering eyes. However, their expression dampened her hopes.

"Sorry to say, but they kept to themselves since the war. So, concerning their names, we only know as much as you do."

"Yeah, what was it? Joker, Ace, Queen, and Kingsley? Although it did sound like that Joker girl wasn't using her actual name."

"Yeah…"

While she was grateful to learn a bit more of her background, the most important part was still hidden in a cloud of mystery. She kept wondering why Joker would hide her true identity. Was it because she didn't want people to find out she was part of that family? But the other pair gave away their identity readily. And it wasn't like anyone will recognize her name if she did use her real name. Jade was starting to get a headache from overthinking this, so after a shake of her head she decided to put this matter to the back of her mind.


In the courtyard outside of the auditorium.

Joker unceremoniously dumped the unconscious body of Ace onto the grassy lawn where it made a soft thump.

"Sorry for treating your friend like this, Kingsley," Joker apologized to the hulking blonde that walked beside her.

But the guy merely shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. Most of the time, I think he deserves what he gets."

This got a chuckle out of Joker. However, he still had to deal with the mess that Ace got her into so she turned her attention back to him and gave his still lifeless figure a kick.

"Hey, you can stop pretending now. I guess I should thank you for following along, but seriously, seeing you like this is creeping me out."

At first there was no reaction from Ace. But then, like a zombie rising from the grave, his upper body slowly rose. When his body was nearly perpendicular to his legs, his head snapped forward and stared a Joker with an accusing stare.

"I thought you were past this."

Gone were his archaic speech pattern and bloated personality. In its place was a man with an intimidating gaze and intense presence. You could say this was his true self and the person he was before was all an act.

Joker avoided eye contact. She knew this was his true personality and thought she was used to it, but even now, his gaze always made her shy away. Especially when looking at the eyepatch…

"I am...I was...it's just that…" Joker stammered.

"That…?"

"I was afraid. I was afraid someone might recognize me…"

At this point, Joker clenched her fist.

"Or what I have done."

Ace sighed. He already knew that was the reason why she wanted to hide her identity. He didn't blame her. In fact, he often questioned whether to conceal his own identity when meeting new people. The weight of their history can be both a blessing and a curse, but he had already accepted it and decided not to let it bother him. However, while Joker was in the same boat, she carries a far greater burden than just her name.

"By the way," Joker redirected the conversation. "Aren't you being a bit hypocritical? You are doing that stupid act you use to do. In a way, you are hiding who you really are as well."

Ace gave a dumbfounded look. Then, slowly, he began to chuckle ominously and shot up from his sitting position with a smug look on his face.

"Oh, my dear...Joker is it? This is no mere facade. I am truly the Chosen of the Darkness, sent here to prevent the hour of the world's demise. Unlike you, who hide from the eye of truth, I embrace it, for it shall make the dull conundrum of school just a bit more amusing."

Then, a sinister smile crept up his lips and he returned to his normal speaking pattern.

"Furthermore, it's amusing for others to think I'm a fool. After all, the most dangerous people are the ones that appear the most harmless, don't you think?"

To that, Joker could only grumble to herself. It looked like Ace will continue to act like that and there's nothing she can do to stop him.

"Whatever, let's just head back. I think orientation is about to start."

She turned around and started walking back to the atrium. However, Queen spoke up as she crossed by.

"And what about Jade? Are you going to tell her?"

Joker looked solemnly at the ground before raising her head with newfound determination.

"Tomorrow. Depending on what happens during the test, I will tell her who I really am tomorrow."


Back in the atrium, a figure appeared on the central podium and rapped on the microphone placed there. The crowd quieted down and focused attention to the stage, where a woman with dazzling blond hair tied in a bun with piercing eyes hidden behind almond shaped glasses stood. Her posture was upright and prim and held an aura of dignity around her.

Jade recognized this woman. Glynda Goodwitch. She was one that provided information on the school during the flight. Unlike the holographic projection, she appeared much younger than she thought, almost as if she was a student herself. However, the aura she gave off was stern and demanding like a seasoned professor.

Ms. Goodwitch gave a thorough look at all the students lined up below her. As her gaze passed by Jade, she couldn't help but look away from her eagle-like gaze. After a moment of pause, she began to speak.

"Welcome, students. Both returning and new. I'm sure you are all ready to start school, but before we go on our way, the Headmaster will have a few words with you all."

As if on cue, the Headmaster of Beacon, Professor Ozpin, stepped forth from the shadows of the stage. He approached the microphone slowly, his sluggish pace assisted by a long dark cane. His grey hair and round spectacle gave the impression of a wise elder sage, but physically, he looked like someone in his 30's. However, something about his eyes gave the impression that he has seen much more than any man could in a lifetime.

"I will try to keep this brief," he began, his eyes slowly surveying the crowd before him.

"For the returning students, I welcome you back to my humble academy. Your dedication and service to this school and the community over the years are highly appreciated. I hope you continue to excel and once you leave this school, you will use the progress you have made for the betterment of our bright world."

Then, he turned to the new students all huddled in the corner of the auditorium.

"As for the new students, I have something more to say. As I look amongst you, all I see is children in search of knowledge, power, and purpose. Strengths needed to fulfill a goal. You assume that this school will provide you the strength you seek, but most assuredly, you will not find it here."

He let those words sink in. A commotion of whisper broke out from the new students, but Ozpin made no attempt to hush it. Instead, he merely stood there watching the students' reactions, his eyes skimming the crowd until they settled upon a particular set of bright green eyes in the back.

"No, for the strength you seek is not something that can be given. It already exist, inside each and everyone of you, undiscovered. I can only serve as a guide, a beacon, towards that which you seek. But the rest, the rest is up to you."

With that, he sauntered off the stage, leaving the group of confused freshmen in his wake. However, for Jade, his speech was more perplexing. She couldn't describe it, but his words and tone had an intimateness to them, as if he was directing the speech to her directly. It left her with this weird feeling that she couldn't put her hands on.

Thankfully, Professor Goodwitch followed up after Ozpin, dispelling the odd mood set by the Headmaster.

"Second years and above, you are now dismissed. Please return to your dormitory."

The hall soon became lively with the sound of shifting students and within minutes, the auditorium emptied out save for the handful of first years.

"New students, you will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

With a wave of her hand, doors on either side of the auditorium opened, as if by magic, beckoning the students deeper into the school.

The crowd then dispersed and headed through the opened doors, leaving just Jade and her group behind. Out of the corner of the eyes, she caught Joker and her group intermingle with the students heading in. As much as she wanted to go and confront her, she felt that now was not the best time. Instead, Jade faced her group, her gaze passing through each member.

Yu. Amethyst. Diamon.

"Well, shall we go too?"

Yu closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

Amy bounced in the air while waving her hands.

Diamon courteously directed the group towards the exit.

Each member reacted differently, but Jade could tell they were all ready. With a smile, the group hurried through the doors to catch up.

After everyone entered the ballroom, they were divided by gender, girls on one side of the hall while the boys on the other. From there, the students were reacquainted with their luggage and promptly set up for the night. The process took a few hours. Mainly due to the students bringing out some extravagant gear for their one night. Some brought large tents, while others brought out complete set ups for game consoles. Either way, everyone seemed to be prepared to spend the night in merriment as if they were out on a camping trip.

Everyone was enjoying themselves in their own way for the rest of the day and before they knew it, the bright blue sky turned brilliant orange and then navy.

Day had turned to dusk.

With the change, a lull fell over the students. They were still enjoying themselves, but with approaching darkness and light from the fragmented moon, the students, whether subconsciously or otherwise, toned down as well.

As for Jade, she had sat quietly in the corner of the hall the entire day, her head buried in her notebook, jotting down the things she saw today. Amy was with her when they came in, but immediately after setting her sleeping bag, she ran off on her own. Jade didn't mind that Amy left, but she felt a bit lonely seeing all the other groups enjoying themselves.

Now that night has fallen and the crowd had quieted down, Jade decided to take a stretch. After all, if dancing taught her anything, its that muscles will easily cramp if they are left to atrophy. And that's the last thing she wants on tomorrow's field exam.

As she stretched, she scanned the other side of the hall until she found Yu. He, like her, was situated in the corner of the hall except he was leaning against the wall, hands crossed, and eyes closed. He may appear to be taking a nap, but Jade knew that was how he looked when deep in thought. Of what he was thinking, she was unsure, but knowing him, it must be about tomorrow. Probably planning strategies and tactics to approach the test. While she commended him for preparing, it left her a bit worried. Worried about how far he might push himself.

"If you keep staring at him like that, people will start weird rumors, ya know?"

The high squeaky voice of Amy came from beside her. It seemed she came back just as Jade started stretching.

"Hmmm, rumors? About what?"

"You know…"

Amy's voice was full of mischief. She started to act out a scene, portraying two different characters at once.

"'Dear brother, oh how I yearn for your loving embrace!' 'Dear sister, oh how my heart aches for being separated from you for far too long. Come, let us share the night together.' 'Ah, brother stop, not here there are people watching…'"

"Wha- gross, stop!" Jade interrupted, her face was beat red in embarrassment. She realized where Amy was alluding to and stopped her before she crossed that line. "My brother and I are not like that! Why would you suggest something like that?"

"Haha, now that's the expression I wanted to see."

"That's not funny…"

"Hehe, sorry, sorry. You just had one of those 'angsty protagonists' look on you so I thought I should do something about it. So what's going on, you worried about your brother or something?"

To this, Jade made a difficult expression.

"No, that's not it. I'm sure...I know he will do fine. Rather, I was just questioning if I belong here or not."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, first of all, I never attended a Huntsmen school before…"

"Eh, eh, EH?! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. You're telling me you never had any formal training as a Huntsman in your life? Then, how did you even get into Beacon?"

"Well, I honestly don't know myself. I think it was when Professor Ozpin came to visit Yu about his scholarship. He asked me a few odd questions before he left, some things about goals and direction. Perhaps it was something I said."

"Hmmm, that does sound like something he would do. But if you never attended Huntsmen school, what were you doing back then?"

"Well, as of two years ago, I was a professional dancer."

For some reason, this caused Amy's eyes to light up. She grabbed Jade's hand and leaned in close. So close that she could feel her breath on her skin.

"Dancer, you say? Did you by any chance perform at the Mistral Theatre about two years ago during the Summer Festival?"

It was an oddly specific event, but one that Jade recognized. She had indeed performed as a lead dancer in an opera for some of the high society members that attend the festival. Probably one of the most glamorous performances she was a part of. But it was not a fond memory. Because that was the last major performance she did before ending before that terrible event.

She slowly nodded her head, which caused Amy to squeal in delight, startling some nearby students in the progress.

"Oh my god! I thought you look somewhat familiar. You were the main dancer for the show, what was its name, Tsukihime. Yeah, that's it. I saw that performance with Diamon when we visited the City of Mistral. Your dance was breathtaking. And your costume. Oh, it was the most beautiful dress I have ever seen."

Jade was startled by her enthusiasm. She had her fair share of fans who wanted to meet her, but they were just impersonal greetings. But for someone like Amy, whom she had gotten to know a bit, to recognize her, she didn't know how to react. Does she play it off how she usually greets fans with a 'thanks' or should she do something else. More than that, who would've expected someone attending a Huntsman Academy on the complete opposite end of the world would recognize her dance. Coincidence indeed.

"Wait."

Something seemed to click in Amy's mind. A sense of dread washed over Jade as she realized what Amy was about to say.

"If you were a successful dancer, why make the switch to a Huntsman all of the sudden?"

There it is. The dreadful question that Jade had been avoiding ever since she got here. Yu had asked the same thing earlier and she had given him a very ambiguous answer. But it was not because she was too embarrassed to say it. It was just, no matter what, she could not tell her brother, or else she fears their relationship will be broken beyond repair.

Her hesitance to tell others, however, stem from how personal her reasons are, but she knew she couldn't avoid the question forever. And while her time with Amy was brief, she got the feeling that Amy was an open-minded kind of person, someone she can trust with her past.

With a heavy sigh, she decided to tell Amy.

Jade sat down and stared at the large broken moon, basking in its brilliant light to calm herself. Inferring that she was about to start a long story, Amy sat down next to her.

"How close do you think my brother and I are?" Jade started.

"Hmmm, well I never seen you guys interact all that much together, but it looked like you guys are close. Wait, are you telling me that you guys are actually 'that' close?"

Jade gave Amy an angry look. Amy waved her hand apologetically, letting her continue.

"No, it's the opposite. While our relationship now has been fine, back when I was still a dancer and even a bit before that, we were not on speaking terms with each other."

Jade clenched her knees tightly, remembering the past she wished never happened.

"It wasn't because we hate each other or anything. More like we grew distant due to the situation we were in. He never really cared about my dancing and I though his decision to become a Huntsman was dumb. It made it difficult for us to hold a conversation without some form of hostility, a fact that grew more so after I attended a boarding school to start my career in dancing. At some point, we just stop talking altogether."

Jade remembered the feeling of regret that day she left home like it was yesterday. If only she wasn't so stubborn back then, or simply been brave enough to say something, an apology, anything, things might not have ended up the way it had. But now was not the time to dwell on the past, there was more to tell.

"Then, almost two years ago, everything changed…"

Jade had finally reached the part which she feared the most. The memory that will always haunt her. One word was all that was enough to explain her anxiety.

"Grimm."

The expression on Amy's face changed from curiosity to sympathy. Anyone on Remnant understood the significance of the Grimm. Of what they do and how it affects the people they run into.

"I was at my dorm in the City of Mistral when I received the news. Grimm attacked my village, razing it to the ground. I immediately headed back after hearing this, only to discover my parents were killed and my brother in an emotional mess."

"That's terrible. I had no idea," Amy gasped.

Jade appreciated her condolences and offered a weak smile as a way to show her appreciation. However, that moment was brief and she continued with the same forlorn expression as before.

"I lost my motivation to dance after witnessing the aftermath. 'How could I even think about going back and enjoying myself while the people closest to me are struggling to survive?' was what I thought back then. So, I decided to take a break from dancing and help my village rebuild."

At this point, Jade's eyes wander back to his brother on the other side of the hall. He had gotten up from his resting position and was preparing his sleeping bag. Beside him, Diamon appeared to be trying to start a conversation with him, but failing hopelessly. After a while, he resigned and headed back to his own sleeping area just a short walk away from Yu.

"My brother was the only family I had left and I didn't want to leave this chasm between us as it is, so I did my best to make up with him."

She let out a short, somber chuckle as she recalled something.

"Heh, you have no idea how happy I was when he finally talked to me on his own accord." Amy noticed the expression Jade had while looking at his brother was a bittersweet one. The soft smile she held was tempered by the melancholy reflected in her light green eyes. So far, Jade's story seemed to be heading in a positive direction, but judging by her look, there was still more to it. "But it wasn't enough."

"Did something happen?" Amy asked, prompting Jade to continue. To this, Jade only shook her head.

"Nothing in particular. It just took time for me to realize something about him changed. When we were younger, he thought of Huntsmans as heroes and he would train everyday enthusiastically with a smile on his face, looking forward to the day he would become like them. But now…"

This was it. This was the reason why she was so hesitant to say anything to her brother before. She was afraid. Afraid of what might happen between them if she told him. But more so, she was afraid that if she said it out loud to herself, she would realize how idiotic her decision was to come here. But it was the only way she could think of to protect the semblance of family she had left.

"He trained with a ferocity that I have never seen before. Day in, day out, he would be in the forest honing his skills, pushing the boundaries of his physical abilities and semblance. It was all he ever did, as if nothing else mattered anymore, like an obsession."

Jade put her hand on her chest feeling her beating heart.

"And every time I see him out there, his eyes full of animosity and frustration, I feel as if my heart is breaking apart. I can see the road he is taking and I didn't like it. I was afraid that if he continued this path, he would end up somewhere I can't reach. I didn't want that. So I made a decision. I wanted to help him alleviate the pain he was going through, but I couldn't do so if I'm not part of the world he's in, so I threw away dancing and became a Huntress. It doesn't matter if I'm not as capable as he is, as long as I can support him from behind and keep him from going over the edge, I'm fine with that."

She let out a long sigh. She didn't realize how painful it was to recall all the terrible things she had gone through. But when she finally told her story to someone, it felt as if a heavy burden was lifted off of her and she was able to breathe a bit easier.

Meanwhile, beside her, Amy stared off into the night sky with a glazed look, processing all the information she was given. She did provide a lot of heavy material after all.

A lot of things a princess like her might not be used to, Jade thought.

But after a moment, she came back to her senses.

"Wow, didn't expect to walk into a minefield," Amy exhaled.

"Sorry about that."

"No, no, it's fine. I'm glad that you shared this with me."

However, it was Amy's turn to look to have a downcast expression.

"But I want to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"What are you seeking out of this school?"

Jade tilted her head to the side. It was strange. Professor Ozpin said something like that too when she had the opportunity to speak with him. She gave him an ambiguous answer back then, but she felt it wasn't right to repeat the same thing. So, she decided to tell the truth.

"Honestly, I don't know yet. I don't have a direction nor the qualifications to be here in the first place. But Yu does. And as long as he has something to work towards, then I will help him get there. Maybe along the way, I can find my own way as well."

For a moment there was silence. But then, something unexpected happened. Amy started chuckling. It took Jade by surprise considering the gravity in which Amy confronted her, but considering how she acted during the day, it wasn't difficult to imagine her randomly bursting into laughter.

"Sorry. I wasn't laughing at you," Amy apologized, her hand covering her mouth as she turned away. But when she finally calmed down, her hands still poised near her mouth, she whispered something quietly, more to herself than to Jade.

"I just had a thought that we had some things in common."

Unable to hear what she just said, Jade gave her a puzzled look. But before she could ask, Amy stood up and stretched her arms. Jade's story had given her a lot to dwell on, in terms of Jade's journey to Beacon as well as her own. To cleanse her mind of these swirling emotions, she turned her gaze towards the fragmented moon and basked in its luminescent rays. And as she stood there, the lamps in the hall dimmed, signalling curfew. The last dribble of conversation began to die out and the shuffle of bodies snuggling into their sleeping bags took its place.

"I guess it's getting late," Amy remarked. "Tomorrow's a busy day so be sure to rest up, okay?"

With that, she faced Jade one last time to wave goodbye, the soft glow of the moon at her back. Even with the lights out, Jade noticed Amy's cheerful smile under the backdrop of the moon as she said farewell. It was the same smile that she always wore during their time together during the afternoon. Unlike the daytime, perhaps due to the permeating darkness around her or the lack of artificial light or just a combination of both, the moonlight made her smile shone that much brighter. But in the same sense, it betrayed a sense of melancholy that was unnoticed under the bright sun.

Jade wanted to say something, wanted to continue her conversation with Amy, but she knew it was too late. With a solemn nod, she waved back at Amy and the two settled in for the night. It had been a long day, and not long after snuggling comfortably in her blanket, the gentle caress of sleep crept up to her.

And as the night settled in, unbeknownst to anyone, a shadow hidden in the nook of the wall shifted and melted away.