Today was like any other day at the prestigious Yakul estate. Radiating a very high class and distinguished atmosphere, the estate was considered to be one of the biggest and luxurious manors in all of Vale. A huge marble mansion that cast a fearful shadow, a well-maintained front yard with a circled driveway that held a marvelous fountain, containing a striking stag with jets and streams coming from under its cloven hooves. Willow trees occupied the front yard with hanging vines of flowers and scattered petals and leaves, only adding to the majesty of the home. The metal see-through gates had curled designs and swirls that created twin whirlpools that parted with its entrance. Walls defended the manor and guarded its whole like a fortress.

The backyard was the estate's crown jewel. A secluded forest within a forest, per say. Visitors call it the Garden of Eden, which contained every flora and fauna that was possible in the hands of a wealthy bloodline. Serene and calm, it was well-kept for any needs the owners may have for it, from hosting five-star garden parties to simply a quiet walk along the swept trails. This prized area made the Yakuls quite well-known among the bureaucracy and the rich, which ironically came to be through the family's investments and manufacture of state of the art weapons and artillery. However, the Yakuls often neglected the blessing. They treated it with no care each passing day, growing till it was entirely forgotten. It became a treasure lost to the passing of time, a basket of bountiful fruit left to rot, a getaway that was closed to the outside world. But, only two young bloods found purpose in this place of nature and wonder.

The crunching of leaves and grass filled the silence of the quiet garden, making several small animals scatter in their wake. A boy, barely the age of 10, stomped and fumed across the garden path, heeding no attention to what laid beneath his feet. The light passing through the evergreen leaves above touched upon the boy's silver head of tousled hair. He wore a long leather cloak over his moss collared vest and collared shirt, which was messily tucked into his pants. Strangely, the boy wore no shoes, but his feet were calloused and had been used to the wild brush for several years.
His emerald eyes narrowed. His face resembled an aged old man, even for someone his young age. The boy was more wound up than a toy doll, with furrowed brows and clenched fists at his sides.

"How hard is it to find him in here? I swear he's doing this on purpose." The boy mumbled gruffly to himself, clearing the bushes in his path with an outstretched hand.

"If I have to spend another minute trying to find the oaf, I'm gonna kill him by his own horns."

He maneuvered around the trees and brush with a familiar knowing, now taking heed of the windflowers and landscape that made him remember where exactly where he was. A map laid in the space of his mind, allowing him to recognize that he was near his destination. The boy observed his surroundings with intent and motive, deep in his thoughts as he moved ahead.
Soon, the shrubbery and thickets lessened until it revealed a opening a short distance away. The boy quickened his pace, with newfound energy, where he stopped just within the clearing and stared from his vantage point. A pool of clear shimmering water laid in front of him, sparkling and shimmering with translucent beauty. It reflected off the sun rays with perfect positioning. Reeds and pebbles littered its shore, where small iridescent dragonflies flew in and out like the indecisive insects they were. A wave of tranquility seemed to radiate off that persuaded even the most stubborn souls to succumb and relax. The boy had never grown used to this sight. Each time, he stood admiring it with same awe as the first time. He felt all the tension leave his system like a river stream. The sounds of wildlife became more distinct to his ears as he took off his hood to reveal his big folded ears that flickered to and fro. The hood had been trapping his ears forever, although the sun's position in the sky said it had merely been half an hour. A half hour since he was ordered to find his brother. His incompetent and annoying older brother. An older brother who couldn't even process the simplest of orders... The young boy sighed with irritation. He brought a hand to rest on his forehead, groaning as he leaned his head backwards.

It was like this every single godforsaken time. He had to seek his brother out from his 'playground' each time his parents ordered to with disinterest. They didn't know the pain it was to go and fetch him from his little playground, but he bit his tongue and left. It could take anywhere from minutes to an hour in this garden to find the imp, and yet he never learned his lesson. Guess the 17 years of being on this planet didn't knock any sense of reality into his brother. But this time was different. This time, his parents actually looked him straight in the eye instead of at their fingernails, making him jump a mile back. He didn't question anything. It had been drilled in from a young age to obey, not question. He cursed his body for shaking in his parents' shadows.

Now, he was here, half an hour late from his parents' demands. The boy removed his hand from his forehead and simply walked to the shore of the pond, his cloak swishing behind him. He crouched down to stare at his reflection with a cloudy gaze. All he saw was a youthful visage staring back at him: a lanky boy who had better chances of being useful in the comfort of the indoors than the world outside, where he could be a Grimm's next appetizer. Compared to his brother, he thought, he was a ghost. His brother would effectively overshadow him like he always unintentionally did. And with his older brother neglecting all that attention, the young boy was always found glaring daggers at him, hidden by his round doe eyes. Where was he? The young boy grew more and more frustrated by the minute, but he shouldn't be surprised. It was all an endless game of hide and seek, only settling when the other participant would eventually be found lounging on a branch overhead with a taunting smirk, or resting on a bed of wildflowers. He knew that his brother intentionally let himself be found; however this time there was neither hide nor hair to be found.

Every time, he disappeared entirely in a snap of a finger, leaving no trail or knowing of where he was, just like in the past. The least he would do was show the smallest of signs. Just one, it could be tiny and the boy would eventually find it. Otherwise, it wouldn't be "fun" to watch the unwilling searcher stumble around in the forest fruitlessly.
'

How frustrating' He furrowed his eyebrows, glaring at his reflection.
"I just can't just come back empty-handed. Who knows what horrible thing I'll have to face when I get back." The boy said to himself, dropping a hand to feel the cool water. A few tadpoles swam away in panic at the swiftness of his hand.

Unbeknownst to him, a shadowy figure moved in the bushes behind him. Its form had the quietness of a mouse and the gracefulness of a elk, its piercing emerald eyes striking and vibrant. The forest hushed at its presence, knowing well what power the form wielded. It slowly moved forward with a lazy yet stealthy gaunt, nearing the boy with predatory motives.

"He better come out before the night does." The young boy murmured he toyed with the water. At the bat of an eye, a dark silhouette shadowed him and moved its curved mouth close to the round shell of the boy's flapped ear.

"Or the monsters might come out to play," the voice whispered.

The young boy shrieked shrilly in surprise, piercing the atmosphere and reflexively shying away from disturbance, effectively disrupting his body's instinctively closed his eyes to brace for impact. The next moment, he heard a large splash after landing flat on his behind, feeling a sharp pain shoot up from his backside. He hissed in irritation as he felt water soak through his clothes and cling like leeches. An oddly well known mixture of a chuckle and snort rang in his ears, only adding to the pain and humiliation. It seemed to bounce in his eardrums like a drum, which made the boy wince and slowly open one pained eye.
In front of him, basking in a glorified yet mocking fashion, was the horned devil himself. His long face that was bladed sharp at the edges, a figure that was tall and intimidating with a pompous air surrounding him like a thick fog. He was as lanky as the young boy was, which only contributed to an uncanny resemblance except for his fairly tanned skin and sprinkle of freckles on his cheeks. His ever so untarnished white hair was slicked back with a few devilishly stray strands sticking out, looking like a small field where two awe-worthy trees for coffee-colored horns stood on each side of his head.

He wore a long sleeveless coat with a divided tail that matched the purest of clouds in the sky, flowing behind him gracefully as if gravity didn't exist. Underneath he wore a long sleeved pastel green collared shirt with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, as if he meant business. Dressed in fitting black pants, his short leather boots were cut to make them look flared in a untidy manner. He wore a assortment of jewellery on his fingers, including bands of gold and precious metals. The most prominent was one upon his right middle finger with a smooth amber stone. He looked the part of the typical high class count, though the male wore expression that screamed the look of a merciless troublemaker.

His laughs sounded regal yet was threaded with contempt, matching perfectly with his character. The Faunus stood proud but shook with laughter, wiping away his tears with an extended finger. "Oh my god, you're an absolute riot, brother."

The young boy flushed with embarrassment, getting up hastily from the murky pond. "Cery! What in the blazes was that for?!"

The one named Cery held his hands up as he recovered from his laughing fit, "Geez, calm down, will you? You are acting like this is the first time you've ever meet me. What more could you expect from your fair one and only brother?" Although he deigned to help the other lad from the muddy pond, it did not reverse the sullen look upon his brother's serious complexion.

"Fair is not the type of word I would describe you as. I would say you are-"

"No need to say such words, my dear Fae. Coming from you, it would probably be a downpour to my day." Cery then prodded a finger to his chest, making the younger deer Faunus back away.

"Though, I really did catch you this time, didn't I?" The white haired teen gestured with a tilt of his antlers. "How long was it? 30 minutes? You must be tired from your search. Here." Digging through his pant pocket, the white-haired teen took out a array of wrapped candies, offering it to his young brother. They looked sweet by the bright colors of their wrapping. Fae looked at it with disgust, turning away from the sickly delights.

"No way I want anything from you. It's probably been in there for days."

"It's ripe with age, not unedible. If you don't want it, suit yourself." In a matter of seconds, he unwrapped one of them and plopped it into his mouth.

"Anyways," swallowing his treat, Cery looked at Fae.

"What brings you here? Certainly not to go play on your imaginary adventures with your cute animal friends?" The younger deer Faunus felt his face grow red, clutching his wrists on either side.

"Shut up, I'm not. Mother and Father are waiting up in the house for you and all you're doing is slacking off out here. And I always have to be their lousy dog and go fetch you."

"And you do it anyways, yet you still find a way to complain like a old man." Shaking his head in fake mockery, Cery shut his eyes with crossed arms. "They should already be used to my antics, it's the same every time. 'Stay out here or risk getting a cold.' Etc. etc," He feigned in attempt at a high voice, one that resembled their mother's terse tone.

"They will just give up and forget about it, like they always do. Instead of wasting their breath on me."

"But it was highly unusual this time," Fae had a look of pure befuddlement, shifting his bright emerald eyes toward the ground.

"They didn't just wave me off with orders to get you like they usually do, they didn't have that look of apathy or annoyance. They were … different. Like finding you was urgent, but they didn't want to tell me anything. Like something bad was going to happen … " He looked back up to find his brother walking away from him, back turned as he was headed back into the leafy forest.

"Are you even listening to me?! Cery, get back here!" Fae ran after him despite his heavy damp boots, catching up to his big brother by grasping onto his tan wrist. " Just stop and listen to me for once-"

"Honestly, brother. Why would you bother over such small details?" Cery grunted, pulled himself away from the small deer boy with no wasted effort. "You shouldn't be so worked up about the smallest details. I bet they were just stressed from a long day of sitting in their offices. I bet they didn't want you to be slow with your work to find me and scared you into finding me faster." He explained exasperatedly, his emerald eyes dulling from their usual sheen.

"But," Breaking from his characteristically stubborn look, the young deer boy stood in place, his eyes glassy and his voice dropped to a whisper. "...I'm scared."

Cery stopped suddenly in his tracks, letting these unfamiliar words, which sprouted from his stubborn as a mule brother, sink in. The forest continued to be silent, as if Cery and Fae were the only beings there. Their breaths were out of sync, one shallow and the other growing ragged.

"Fae." Cery pivoted on his heel to face Fae, looking down at him with an irritated look which slowly melted to a look of remorse at the sight of worry in his brother's eyes. He sighed exaggeratedly, before kneeling to his level to see him face to face.

"Calm down, it's going to be alright, okay?" Cery rested a hand on Fae's shoulder, an action that brought Fae's newly tear-stained face to rise. "You're putting yourself in a place of doubt. There's nothing wrong out here or with our parents, the only thing you should concern yourself with is this." Cery pointed a finger to Fae's chest, a little right off from his collarbone. "It's a little beastie called fear, resting in the pit of your heart. It's the most horrifying being that drives us to exhaustion, to death. Nobody can defeat it, not even the most powerful of Huntresses and Hunters. Not even Grimm can compare to is wickedness." The older Faunus then smiled longingly, genuinely; an expression that is considered a rarity for Fae to witness. "But, you can control it. Use it to your will. Only if you confront it instead of running away from it, Fae. You can use fear to make yourself powerful, to be your ally, your sword by your side. It can make you believe that the thing you're scared of is just a trick of light. Do you understand?"

Letting out a sniffle, Fae saw the reassuring look on his big brother's face. It was quite shocking, to say the least. Maybe it was how he looked older and mature in the setting of the serene forest, or how the protectiveness and kindness eminating from his features shined like gems. He looked like the brother Fae longed for him to be, but in fact it was there all along, unbeknownst to anyone, under his wide and fake smirks and unrivaled (as well as annoying) mischief. Cery might've looked incompetent at times, but moments like these made him live up to the title of heir to the renowned Yakul Family. Fae managed a feeble nod, prompting a grin on Cery's sharp features. "There we go. I knew you had enough brain in you to know that."

Well, that thought dissipated once it started.

In an instant, Cery locked his brother in a tight lock, ruffling his hair with a snicker. Unamused, Fae struggled against his grasp with unfair odds. Brotherly times like these always ended with Fae in both an irritated fluster and messy apparel, angering him to no end with his brother getting what he wanted. Weren't these times supposed fun for both of them? Maybe that was a long shot, more than that really. However, it was a custom shared by the pair, one that portrayed their relationship as anything but normal.

Suddenly, an unexpected sound broke out. A sound so small and off in the distance that only the keenest of animals could hear it. At that, Cery stopped his actions on point, eyes enlarging as his folded ears widened like radars.

Fae noticed his frozen state, confusedly looking up at him from the comfort of his tan arms. Cery's face was unreadable, looking to his right where trees and bushes laid still. His little brother let out a questioning sound, switching his vision back and forth from his brother and the acres of trees his older brother was staring intensely at.

"Cery, what's the matter-" He started.

Snap.

The young boy heard it. He let out a quiet gasp.

Crunch.

The sounds amplified to tenfold, while the other wildlife that they heard, retreated away from the maker. The thing, or they, were a long distance away, but by the increasing volume of the noise, they could arrive at any minute. It was making a hazardous beeline towards them. The forest fell into a heavy atmosphere, the wildlife was gone and flora surrounding them, drained of color in their eyes.
Now closer and more distinct, enough for most animals but not for humans to hear, the sounds became clearer to Fae. They were footsteps. Most rapid, some stalking nearby, crunching the leaves and branches beneath them with purpose. They were human, not animal. It was definitely not from one of the gardeners or their parents, which seemed unlikely. It was not just one. The beastie in Fae's heart started to become heavy.
Barely forming words in his abruptly dry mouth, Fae questioned his brother with a slight stutter. "C-Cery-"

"We have to go."

"W-what?"

"NOW!" Cery said in a harsh whisper, pushing his younger brother in the opposite direction of their home, deeper into the garden. Out of nowhere, a rustle was heard above them. The leaves of the tree in front of them fell to the ground gracefully, in spite of the intensity of the situations. The two brothers eyes' followed the leaves till they hit the ground. The motion to look up was not needed, as the two could already formulate what was up there. A who. But, they went against the protests of their mind's warnings, looking up. It was expected. His smell and aura was one forlorn to the two brothers by their parents, one that you couldn't just bat an eye away. If you did, him, they, could act upon that very split second.

The man with a masked face stared at them amongst the branches, crouching comfortably in safety of the tree. The mask was painted white with violent red streaks, resembling blood, with cut slits to where bloodthirsty eyes looked straight at them with a powerful force. He was a accumulation of the droplet that nightmares were fashioned from.

They were the White Fang.

Quick as a flash, Cery stepped in front of Fae defensively, feeling the fear radiate off his young brother. Fae watched as Cery slowly made a grab for his weapon on his hip, fingers lingering on the handle. If he could guess the look on his brother's face, he would be burning holes into the man with just a single glare.

"Fae, run, you need to get out of here." Cery whispered, still facing the man with a solid stance.

Fae was astounded by his command. "I can't leave you here! I-"

"You can go. Right now." Through gritted teeth, Cery flashed his brother a steeled look, one that showed a fiery determination brewing behind his emerald irises. But before Fae could react, more prominent rustles came into earshot. Fae turned his around, fearing for the worst. More White Fang, coming through the bushes or the spaces that the trees there held, lingered with same masks and aura. Leaning against the bark of several trees, nearing towards them with slow steps. They all had their weapons in their holdings, all their malicious and brutal intent that transformed the atmosphere into one for a battlefield.

"Finally, we found the little princes of the Yakul Estate. For such sheltered pure breeds, you two sure know how to run and hide with your tails between you legs pretty well."

The man in the trees jumped off from his place among the branches, landing on his two wide feet. Fae turned his attention back to him, his doe eyes staring with scrutiny. The White Fang member had a slightly hunched stance, with callused hands as big as Fae's face. It was no question that he was heavy on the aspect of muscles and looked ready to tear off an appendage. He reminded Fae of a bear he saw in one of his books, adding more to the comparison on how he had hair on every inch of his skin.

Cery brought Fae closer to him, tightening his hold on his weapon with each step the man took towards them. The huge man stopped at seeing the two usher back, his ego inflating more on spotting the fear on Fae's pale face. The small Faunus clutched the backside of his brother's coat tighter, knuckles turning white and biting down on his bottom lip.

"Heh, No response?" The man fixed his head to look at Cery, whose expression didn't seem to falter at the savagery pointed towards him. "I didn't expect for the next in line to have a shut mouth."

The older Deer Faunus didn't flinch, keeping his brother in close capacity. His mouth was set in a straight line, where he had drawn eyebrows transfixed on the colossal man in front of him, as if the other enemies behind him and Fae weren't even there. The bear Faunus was the real threat here.

"Why are you people here? All of you are not welcomed here." He spoke to break the silence.

"Oh, my apologies. I didn't know that your own kind disgusted you so much, it's a shame to know that you rather frolic with petty humans than fight alongside with us."

"The Yakuls choose their choice long ago to break away, ever since savages like you are representing of what Faunuses are not. Let go of what's already been set, I rather let wild Grimm eat me alive than be compared to the White Fang . Your group's pursuits are anything near noteworthy and we do not desire to spill blood. Now, answer the question-"

"You think we're here to convince you?" The man said. "You're living in a fantasy kid, this is the real world. High status and wealth is not what we seek. you and your family think you're prim and powerful, seating on your high horse with profits from your measly firearms. But every single one of you Yakuls is the same of us. More disgraceful. Rotten. Weak." He said with dripping venom.

His last word was the trigger for Cery to snap. A mixture of a growl and grit of teeth escaping from his mouth. The tall Deer Faunus brandished his whip from its narrow scabbard. The weapon was readied with a faint glow on itself, one that easily lost to the burning bright sight of Cery's emerald orbs. The long tendril that was attached to its reed handle was studded with sharp silver edges along its length, ending to its dangling gold cracker. His hand was wrapped around its handle, his palm grazing the whip's reed knot that was made of metal with accents and designs. Cery held it by his side, his legs spread apart and his body crouching low. His body was unshakable, along with his facial expression. He was holding back a heavy supply of rage with huge restraint. Fae held back a look of surprise and was betting that the White Fang members behind them were second-guessing themselves.
For Fae, seeing his brother so serious and furious was another rarity. Usually, Cery would be the embodiment of slackery and half-heartedness. He didn't truly care for anything, resulting in his priorities being a last minute item on his to do list. He didn't care for his appearance to others and his reputation in Vale was already well taken care to the point of gossip and talk about young hunters (soon to be accurately), to be about him. "The sleepy sovereign", "The horned prince", "Yakul's Protector"

All those titles were only true by his marks in battle. It slashed the first thoughtless impressions people gave him, the condescending ones at least. Fae was the one counting all those pale revelations.

At seeing Cery's battle stance,the bear White Fang member bellowed with a hearty laugh, showing his sharp canines with a dark grin.

"You think that toy is enough to bring us down?"

His large hand reached to over to his back, unlatching the weapon with a swing. It looked like a regular baton, but transformed in front of Fae's eyes to a war axe that glinted gray in the sunlight. The bear man tossed it in one hand, in a stance that showed his stature and the grin on his strong face. Fae thought that his strength alone could be enough to be fit as a weapon. Behind him, Fae heard the other White Fang unsheathing their weapons stealthily. The young Faunus knew well that they had the same malicious grins matching the bear Faunus.

Everything faded into a blur as Cery reacted. With a furious roar, Cery bolted straight at them, taking them by surprise and leaping into the air directly afterwards. With a snap of his whip, he knocked the weapons out of their hands, disarming them all. The White Fang stared, startled at his speed.

"What the?", the leader said before yelling at the his fellow soldiers. They only managed to take a step back before Cery bound them together with his whip and electrocuted them without regards to his aura level, knocking them out in a golden fury as sparks flew around them. It was then Cery regained his composure and stemmed the flow of aura traveling through his thorned whip. While he didn't send enough aura to generate a lethal amount of electricity, it was still taxing on him to channel aura great enough to knock out the squad of White Fang and killing them off was simply more aura than he could afford to utilize at the moment.

By the time the ordeal was over the police had descended upon the place and clapped him on the back for apprehending some of the White Fang ruffians. They returned back to the Yakul Manor where their parents were awaiting them. Cery was given a stern lecture and then sent off to his room with a letter. A letter bearing the seal of Beacon Academy. The very same academy that trained hunters and huntresses to fight against Grimm and become the protectors of all that is light. With a tentative hand he opened the letter up and quickly scanned it. The corners of his mouth raised slightly in a faint smile as he read the words, "You have been accepted into Beacon Academy for Hunters and Huntresses in Training."