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To Thrive and Be Victorious

CHAPTER 15

Almost a week had passed and all I could still think about was that night of The Fall. I couldn't go one minute without reliving that night and thinking about how much I hated myself. Pyrrha should be the one safe at home, being surrounded and supported by friends and family instead of me. I didn't feel like I deserved this one bit; I didn't have anywhere to go while she would return to being a Huntress and being a far better hero than I would be.

Every time I look at the stuffed rabbit she won sitting in my drawer, I'm reminded of the happy moments we cherished together and I lament the fact that I will never get to make more of them with her ever again. I couldn't help but ask why. Why did she have to save me? Why couldn't she just let me face my fate after everything I did? Why couldn't she just let me go so she could continue saving the world?

Why did she even love me? Even I knew that I wasn't worthy of her. I was hesitant to show my feelings for her that it almost took an entire school year for us to date, and now I could never have the chance to progress our relationship even further ever again.

It kept on haunting me no matter what I did, it just wouldn't stop. Sometimes I could barely sleep while at other times I found myself oversleeping, lacking the will to wake up. Sometimes I feel like I just wanted to sleep and never wake up. I already felt like I was in a neverending nightmare anyway.

I barely ate since I got home, most of the time I never even touched my food. I didn't even make much contact with my own family members as I usually lock myself in my room and take the occasional solitary walk. My family tried to help and comfort me, but I kept pushing them away because I don't feel like I deserve their pity. I just wanted to let myself drown in my own guilt as if it would bring her back, even though I knew it won't. But at that point, it felt like it was the only thing I wanted to do.

I didn't even know why I bothered coming to dinner for this particular night. I've lost my appetite since the Fall and I could only give my food a bite or two before leaving. So I just sat there, poking my food with a fork still lost in my thoughts.

This went on for a few more minutes before Rouge could no longer bear watching me be despondent and silent about it. So she slammed the table, causing everyone at the dinner table to jump. "You really need to snap out of it!"

Mom was taken aback by her sudden outburst. "Rouge!"

"I can't bear to see him like this anymore. Jaune, I know that Pyrrha's death hit you hard but this has to fucking stop now!" Rouge's voice was filled with frustration.

I groaned. This was one conversation I have wanted to avoid. "We've been through this. You're not making this any better for me. I couldn't stop thinking about it even if I wanted to."

"So you just want us to leave you like this? To keep feeling like shit and be sorry for yourself? Is that what you want then?!" She yelled at me while the rest of the family watched, her voice rising with every word.

"Well, yes! I mean—I don't know. I just don't know." I stammered indecisively, not knowing what else to respond with.

"Then what is it then? What the hell do you exactly want? How do we even help you at this point when you don't even want help?!" Rouge continued to vehemently question me while I was in my depressed state which prompted Dad to call her by name.

"Rouge."

She turned her attention towards him, trying to bear with what he had to say for the moment. "We'll settle this later. Right now, just finish your dinner. Your brother will be fine." He calmly told her. Rouge gave him a questioning glare but she seemed to have been reassured by his following response. "Trust me."

She calmed down and went back to eating but not without giving me glares that try to remind me to snap out of it.

By that point, I decided that I couldn't bear to be in the dining room and put my family through my distress any longer. So, I stood up from my seat and made my way out.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked, feeling concerned as she noticed me leaving.

"For a walk," I replied, trying not to look back. I believed I was doing them a favor by leaving so they wouldn't have to keep seeing me in my depressed state or waste their time trying to comfort me.

Verte spoke out, knowing the possible ramifications when doing so while I'm in this emotional state, not that it was going to change my mind. "But we can't let you just go out in the dark while you're—"

"Let him go," Dad calmly interjected.

"But—" Verte proested.

"He'll be alright. Don't worry about him." He reassured them, remaining composed in his demeanor. I was unsure of why he was insisting everyone to leave me alone but it didn't matter to me much.

I headed out and gazed at the starry night star before following the pavement without a destination in mind. I was slightly hesitant because I made my family to be even more worried about me, but all I could think of was wanting to get away. I thought that no one should waste their time over me, and that I was nothing and I deserved to be treated as such.

I kept on walking through Arcshire's meadows downcasted, not knowing or caring where I was heading. I just walked and walked. I didn't even know how long I'd been walking and how far I went—all I knew was that I was still somewhere in Pucelle, seeing that I was still in the same grassland I'd always lived in as a child. But the swamps nearby were a sign that I had wandered too far from home.

Deciding to stop for a brief moment, I looked around and thought the place where I was looked familiar. The darkness made it difficult to see, but I recognized the nearby forest and had a feeling I'd been there before.

It turned out I have. Upon realizing it, another surge of unpleasant memories came to mind, realizing what the place was and I just wanted it to stop.

Eventually, I saw something creeping out from the grove—a moving silhouette that I struggled to see in the darkness. As I approached, I realized it was an Ursa, slowly crawling toward me.

An Ursa. It always had to be an Ursa, I thought. I instinctively reached for my belt only to find out that I didn't bring any weapons with me. All I could do was tremble in fear as I prepared myself to run away from danger once again. Even when I barely had the will to live, I was still adamant about protecting myself. I was that much of a mess.

The Ursa's growling became more pronounced as it neared me, sensing all my negative energy. Something told me that it wouldn't be the last Grimm that would come after me if I kept on staying there. I knew I had to make a move and fast and my only option was to run back.

Just as the Ursa was about to pounce, someone suddenly appeared, brandishing a sword and a large pistol before I could take another step back. It didn't take more than a second to make me realize that it was none other than my own father especially with the distinct outfit he wears.

He fired three shots at the Ursa with his dust-enhanced hand cannon before charging toward it. He slashed the Ursa a few times with a sword and ended it by stabbing its head. The Ursa collapsed to the dirt before its body began to evaporate.

I noticed that the sword he sheathed on his belt was the Crocea Mors instead of the chainsword he always uses. [1] The sight of the weapon brought back memories of Cinder using it to kill Pyrrha, and I was trying my best to repress those thoughts. My father looked at me with a mixture of annoyance and concern. "You know, I would normally respect your space and leave you alone to mope, but you're going too far now."

I figured he was following me, otherwise, he wouldn't have been this far, but that wasn't something to dwell on. Regardless, I wasn't sure if I should be glad that he still cared for me as I still felt unworthy of pity. "Look, I'm sorry. I just don't know what to do with myself anymore." I replied ashamedly.

Before he put that to a discussion, his attention diverted to the decaying Ursa and the nearby forest on the dirt road where we were standing. "Let's just get out of here before more of the Grimm come."

He gently placed a hand on my back, guiding me out of the forest and back in the direction toward home. I followed without objection.

Getting back to Arcshire took a while because of how far I wandered off. We stopped at a hill for a break before continuing on. There was a familiar-looking tree next to the hill that gave me a feeling of déjà vu.

It took me a minute to realize that this was the same hill I sat on when I was a kid. The same hill where I made a wish that I wanted to be a hero like my parents, and the same hill where Dad comforted me when he saw me crying with a broken wooden sword a couple of days after Wendy and York died in the same forest where we encountered the Ursa. Brothers above, it must have been a while since I wrote their names, the mere thought of them hurt.

Even after years of trying to let go of that particular memory, I remembered everything like it was yesterday. That day shaped me into what I am, and it was something that I could never forget, no matter how much I desperately wanted to.

I never wanted to go back to this; I had even gone as far as to avoid mentioning it in my memoirs, in hopes that I would eventually let go of it, but at this point, I couldn't help myself anymore.

=o=

1. Caiaphas used to wield the Crocea Mors as his weapon of choice before switching to a saber that was upgraded to a chainblade later in his career.

I was young, optimistic, and cheerful despite the fact that I didn't get along much with the other kids aside from my sisters and my two best friends, Wendy and York. Whereas other kids would either avoid or bully me, depending if they knew or didn't know that I am an Arc, Wendy and York were always there to fill an empty void in my childhood, encouraging me to be myself and follow my dreams.

This was back when I wanted to follow in my family's footsteps to becoming a Huntsman… a hero.

Even though Dad was too busy with work to spend time with me, he was the one I looked up to the most. He was the one that inspired me after I heard tales about his heroics and I decided that someday, I will become just like him.

But around that time, Dad didn't approve of it. He told me that Huntsman work wasn't worth it and that I should pursue something else in life. Remember back when I said that it was mandatory for Arcs to be trained and have their auras unlocked? That wasn't always true. He used to make sure that I would never become a Huntsman, even though he didn't seem to have any problem training my sisters either to become Huntresses or to learn self-defense. I couldn't figure out why he wouldn't let me train and it upset me, I just wanted to be like him.

It didn't stop me from still wanting to be a hero though. I thought that he just didn't see my potential yet. Wendy and York think I'd make a great hero and that I still had to start somewhere. Then that day came…

We were only twelve and were feeling adventurous that day. Being tired of going to the same old places all the time, we wandered around the area, thinking we'd be fine since we thought there wasn't too much Grimm activity in Pucelle compared to other places. Then we ended up in a forest… the same forest where the Ursa attacked me earlier.

The forest looked empty, apart from a few deers and rabbits roaming around. After getting used to muddy swamps, it was one of the most beautiful places we came across, especially with how peaceful it appeared.

We had fun inside the forest at first, we ran around, climbed trees, and even played with some of the animals there. It felt like we had nothing to worry about, then we decided to play Hide & Seek…

"Looks like you're it," York said to me as I lost a three-way game of rock-paper-scissors.

Accepting the outcome, I faced the nearest tree behind me and began counting to thirty. "One… two… three…" The footsteps of my two friends faded as I continued to add up the numbers until I was done. "Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty! Ready or not, here I come!"

I went to search for the two hiding around the forest. confident that they hadn't gone far as it was only half a minute. But after a minute of searching, things began increasingly tense and uneasy.

The more I trekked the forest, the more I realized that it wasn't as safe as it appeared. I was scared, I wasn't used to roaming around in such a place alone. My heart raced as I felt a sense of danger lurking in the air. The peace and beauty of the forest had vanished, replaced by a growing fear.

A few minutes have passed and I haven't caught either of them yet. I came to the point where I gave up playing the game and started calling them while trying to stay calm. "Alright guys you win, you can come out now!"

There was still no answer. I continued to call them as I became increasingly more frightened. "York? Wendy?"

When I heard something approaching me, I initially thought it was one of my friends, but the steps were too heavy. I turned to face the source and found myself staring at a Beowolf. It growled as soon as it saw me.

For the first time in my life, I was genuinely terrified. I never faced a Grimm prior to that so I didn't know what to do, the only thing I knew was to run. I ran the fastest I've ever been.

As I was rushing away, I finally found Wendy hiding behind a tree. I figured that she was trying to hide from the Beowolf. I took her hand as both of us bolted away, finding a way to safety. We finally heard York's voice calling us and saw him standing on a tree branch.

"Guys!" he yelled We looked up and saw him standing on a tree branch, "Get up here!"

We climbed up and stood on the branch next to him. We were safe for a moment in the tree as the Beowolf couldn't reach us. But that didn't stop it from trying to go after us; it scratched the tree trunk and tried to climb, only to slip back down.

"We'll have to keep moving!" York said, knowing we couldn't stay there for long. We had to keep jumping to the nearest tree and keep repeating the process until we were safe.

We moved from one tree to another. The second one was a little further but Wendy and York managed to reach it. Unfortunately, I wasn't as athletic as the two so I fell after trying to jump, making myself vulnerable to the Beowolf as I found myself back in the ground.

York tried to save me by jumping on it, he had it restrained at first but the next second it shook him off before it proceeded to maul him before my very own eyes. That was the very moment when my life began to change forever.

The Beowolf then shifted its attention to me. Before it could make another step, however, Wendy got off the tree and threw a rock at the Grimm to buy me some time to escape. The Beowolf was crawling toward her and it was my chance for me to run away. But I was hesitant, I didn't want to leave her like that. I saw her scrambling herself backward as the Beowolf drew near her.

I knew I had to do something but I don't know if I could do it. I tried to think what my dad would do if he was in that position, I didn't want to just stand or run away. I wanted to be brave like him.

So I charged in front of the Beowolf, swinging my wooden sword at its face. It didn't do much of course, I only seemed to have slightly annoyed it that it shoved me away, making me drop my sword.

The Beowolf was about to turn to me until it sensed Wendy's fears as she begged these words: "Jaune, please run! Don't try to be a hero! Just run!"

The next thing I remember was hearing her screams as I was trying to get back up. My pupils dilated as they breathed heavily. A part of me wanted to let myself get killed by the Beowolf after seeing both of my best friends die, but I couldn't help but follow Wendy's last wish for me. It was the only thing I could do.

I reached the end of the forest with tears dropping from my eyes when two rangers happened to be passing by. As soon as the rangers saw me and the Beowolf, they wasted no time rushing to my aid, shooting the Beowolf down while one of them grabbed me and took me to safety.

"You alright there, boy?" The ranger asked. I wasn't even able to speak, I was too paralyzed with shock to utter a single word. I was beyond repair at that point. "What happened to you?"

I still couldn't answer even if I wanted to. Instead, I fainted. When I regained consciousness somewhere in a clinic in a nearby village, I thought it was a nightmare, only to realize everything that happened was real.

Everything else after that was a blur. All I could remember was that I stayed in that village for a little longer before my family heard about what happened and took me home. Even after I was home, I still couldn't speak, not until a couple of days had passed, but my family was eventually able to find out what happened.

The parents of York and Wendy were greatly affected by the deaths of their children, one of them had it worse than the others. It didn't take long for them to start distancing themselves from my family until we never heard from them again. And that's all I could remember from them. Maybe it was for the best that I never found out know more about what happened to them or where they are now. But regardless, I couldn't help but feel responsible.

My life was never the same again. Remembering Wendy's last words, I gave up my dream of becoming a hero. I ripped off the Huntsman poster that kept me motivated and threw away all my drawings that depicted me as a hero. I was entirely convinced that I am not fit to continue my family's legacy and that Dad was right about me.

The other children became kinder to me after the tragedy, but I suspected it was out of pity. I lost the desire to return to school and struggled to believe in the sincerity of the condolences offered to me by others. My trust in people outside my family diminished, as I became warier with the cruel reality of the world by that month alone.

One of the biggest changes was my dad's sudden change of heart toward training me. He was determined to prevent such a thing from happening again, so he finally unlocked my aura and trained me to fight like a Huntsman, just like my sisters. If only he was this encouraging sooner, I would have been enthusiastic that I was finally going to become like my ancestors. But at this point, I only felt like I was taking it out of necessity.

Months passed and I was able to recover. I became closer to Dad than I ever did as I grew stronger from my training. It took me a while to adjust but things were going back to normal. Sadly, what happened that day will continue to scar me for years to come. The best I could do was keep my mind off of it, I even went as far as to train in the same woods where Wendy and York died, even killing some Grimm there. It did help me alleviate my trauma against forests and Beowolves, but the thought of my only friends dying remained.

Ever since then, I could only think of the last thing Wendy said to me: Don't try to be a hero.

When I tried to save Pyrrha on the Beacon, I thought I could prevent it from happening again with how far I came, only to fail once more. Pyrrha kept reminding me of Wendy, from telling me to get away to the way she died to protect me. Even Ozpin's defeat echoed York's death to an extent.

I trained hard so something like this could never happen again, yet in the end, I felt like it was all for nothing. I still kept running away from danger, even leaving people behind and when I actually tried saving someone I care for, I ended up failing. All I got from this was unmerited glory, painting a manipulative illusion that I was carrying the legacy of my forefathers, the type of glory that my friends should have got instead and it only made me hate myself even more.

I wasn't sure if I could handle it anymore…

It begged me to ask why Dad brought me here, especially after revisiting a forest that reminded me of one life-changing tragedy after I had just experienced another. Haven't I been through enough pain already?

Dad seemed to understand my thoughts, as he noticed my expression. "I know what you are thinking, and that's why I brought you here." He gazed at the starry night sky above us as we stood on the hilltop.

"What exactly do you want from me?" I dolefully asked.

"I just want to remind you that you're still alive because there are people who still care about you. Throwing your life away like that will only undermine their sacrifice," he replied in a wise and calming tone.

Even if that made sense, it barely alleviated my pain. The idea of my friends sacrificing themselves for me was not something I was proud of, even if it was what my cowardness preferred. "But why? What good am I anymore? Those people have brighter futures than me, while I'm nothing but a disappointment of an Arc, yet I'm the one who gets to live." I hung my head as I sat on the grass. "What do you even see in me, Dad? I'll never be as great as you."

Dad shook his head and sat down next to me. "You're not one to judge that, Jaune. You're still young, you've still yet to fully discover what you're capable of."

My self-doubt continued to weigh heavy on my mind despite my father's words. Being a failure was all I could think of myself. "I don't know. The thing is, I'm not cut out for this. I've trained at Beacon for a year and I don't feel like I've done something right. To tell you the truth, everything I did was just a sham to keep myself safe. Everyone thinks I'm a hero for doing things that a great Huntsman would do, but that was only because I was stupid enough to put myself into dangerous situations that I just wanted to get out of. And I couldn't help but maintain that illusion because I was afraid of what would happen to the Arc name if people found out the truth—that I was a fraud."

I carried on with my self-critique, one that I believed to be rightfully deserved. "The reason why I even bothered trying to save Pyrrha was because she believed in me, and I wanted to give myself a chance to see if I really am what everyone thought I was, and maybe I can finally save someone important to me this time around. But I still couldn't. Even with all the training I had, I was still helpless. Cinder used the Crocea Mors to kill her while I watched. There was nothing I could do."

I wiped away a tear, the weight of my life's shortcomings and setbacks bearing down on me. "I'm a failure. You were right, Dad. You were right when you told me that this life was not worth it. I should have never wished to have become a Huntsman in the first place. I should have known my place and never followed this stupid dream. I should have known that I was never meant to be like you, a true hero…" My voice trailed off as I hung my head in shame. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being a bad son. You thought that I might be able to carry your torch someday, but in the end, I'm just a disappointment. I'm really sorry…"

I sobbed, filled with nothing but despair. I felt like there was no hope left for me and the only thing I knew was to go back to being a simple nobody, burdened by guilt for the rest of my life. But then, Dad said something that caught me by surprise. "I wouldn't call myself a good father either."

I opened my eyes to look at him gazing at the night sky. "If anything, I'm the one who should be sorry. If I just encouraged you to follow your dreams and trained you sooner, you wouldn't be hating yourself this much." He turned to me, his brown eyes full of remorse. "I made a lot of mistakes, Jaune, but my biggest regret is not being there for you when you needed me. You may call yourself a failure, but I wasn't much better myself."

He took a moment to breathe before explaining why. "When you were a boy, you reminded me too much of myself, and I was worried that you'll also have to go through what I've experienced. I didn't want to put you into that kind of life because I believed you deserved far better. But it turned out, I only made things worse by pushing you away from your dreams."

He lowered his head. "And ever since that day, you've become depressed enough to make yourself a bigger target for the Grimm. I knew I had to do something, especially after I took you for granted for so long. I didn't want to end up like your grandfather, he died in battle before he could see me grow up, and I was his only son. [1] So I stopped working for Ozpin [2] for a while just so I could focus on making everything up to you and give you the training you deserved."

"But why make me a Huntsman?" I asked, given how I could have just taken the training and avoided the trouble of becoming one just like half of my sisters did.

"Because it turned out you were a natural fighter when we first started to train you. Ozpin would have eventually noticed, I know how he works and that he would have come for you whether you liked it or not. I wanted you to be prepared as much as possible. The world needs more heroes, and there may be many Huntsmen, but not enough to change the world," Dad explained.

"But he's gone now. I couldn't save him. I couldn't save Pyrrha. Maybe I'm not what he saw me as," I muttered, especially knowing that I went through the entire school year without a genuine desire to be a Huntsman, making me believe that everything I'd trained for was a waste.

Dad gave me a sad smile. "I used to say the same thing to myself. I was like you too, Jaune. I got my reputation by trying to avoid problems I don't want anything to do with, only to come out with results that made me look like a hero. I used to lie and hurt people who looked up to me while trying to uphold an image I didn't feel like I earned. The only reason why I even went to Beacon and became a Huntsman was because I thought it wouldn't be as bad as being a soldier for the Atlesian Military. It was a miracle that I was even able to get this far alive."

The only way I could describe myself after learning that was that it left me completely speechless. All this time, Dad was not so different from me. He too thought he was an ingenuine coward not deserving of his own reputation. Just by looking at his eyes, I could tell that he was being sincere. Sincere enough that it couldn't have been a vain attempt to sound relatable in order to coax me.

"I felt like I fooled everyone, especially you. You used to call me the biggest damn hero the world has ever seen. Well, you were young and didn't know what I actually was, but being a better father and seeing you grow stronger after what you had to go through is enough to convince me that I was a true hero after all. I really missed seeing your face when I told you my stories, even though they were probably one of my exaggerated tales. I remember you being a boy who dreamed big with a huge smile on his face despite his troubles." He then placed a hand on my shoulder while giving me an encouraging smile. "And I know that boy is still in there somewhere."

I could feel my doubts slowly fade as he kept on consoling me. At that moment, I felt like I wasn't in vain for once. He continued. "You're not alone in this, Jaune. All of us Arcs almost had the same struggle. We all tried looking for a peaceful life, only to be entangled with our own destinies. And we all have our doubts, especially when it's about ourselves. But we still kept on moving forward, whether it would be so we could keep fighting for our own peace or simply because we have grown to believe in it. We may call ourselves selfish, cowardly, or maybe fraudulent, but we won't also let ourselves go down that easily. In some ways, you were a lot better than I was when I was your age, at least that's how I saw it. And with that, I know that you'd make a great Huntsman. I just want you to know that I'm proud of you no matter what you might be thinking right now."

After days of feeling nothing but self-loathing, I finally found myself smiling again. I still wasn't sure if I was truly worthy of being called a hero, I guess I might never even know, but it was enough to feel better. My father has always been my hero, and that hasn't changed even though he admitted to being a scoundrel like me. I knew that I was right to look up to him.

I proceeded to give him a hug while tears continued to stream down my face, only this time these were tears of joy. Dad returned the gesture, wrapping me in his embrace as he patted my back a couple of times. This lasted for a minute before we let go of each other. We decided to stay on the hill for a little longer so we can watch the starry sky together for old times' sake.

There was still one final concern as I remembered the sword my father used earlier. "I just have one more question."

"What is it?" he replied, facing me.

"Would I still be able to hold the Crocea Mors again after I saw it stab my partner?" I questioned.

He gave me a concerned look after he heard the question but he was nonetheless happy to answer. He unsheathed the Crocea Mors from his belt and looked at it. "This sword is no stranger to taking the lives of good people. I don't even think your great-great-great-grandfather was that much of a saint. But don't forget that the sword has also saved lives, including yours. The Crocea Mors is always known as a weapon of the righteous, and in the right hands, it still is. It doesn't always have to be remembered for shedding the blood of the just and innocent, and a single person using it for evil shouldn't change that."

I used to dream of wielding the sword without knowing the lives it took, believing it to be a true hero's weapon. But it turned out to be just as dirty as us Arcs. I was convinced that its reputation didn't matter anymore, and even when Cinder used it to kill Pyrrha, I still couldn't bring myself to hate it. After all, Dad did use the sword to protect me, so that weapon is better off being seen as a tool, one that does its job right despite what it's been through. "I guess you're right," I said in agreement.

Dad smiled before he stood up. "We should go home. The girls are waiting for us."

"Good idea." I nodded as I followed. After this eventful evening, I thought that it was best to finally call it a night.

We made our way back to the Arc Family. I felt better, so I wasn't too worried about the Grimm anymore, especially with Dad beside me.

I felt better, so I wasn't too worried about the Grimm, especially with Dad beside me."I always was a crybaby, huh Rouge?"

She stared at me for a moment, looking at Dad giving her a nod before she let out an amicable smirk. "You always have been."

Classic old Rouge, and I wouldn't have it any other way. "Look I'm sorry for what happened earli—"

"Oh, forget about it. Just go easy on yourself, alright?" she told me as she playfully tousled my hair, not that it bothered me much since it reminded me of the happier days when I was younger.

Mom and the others soon came in to check on me. Dad placed a hand on my shoulder, and we both smiled to reassure them. "Don't worry about me, guys. I'll be fine as long as I'm with you," I said.

They all smiled brightly as they proceeded to give me a familial hug. One that I finally become grateful for, I guess I was wrong for shying out on them. It was enough comfort to restore all hope I have for myself. I may still have my deepest regrets, but at least I know my family will always be there for me.

Later that night, I went to my bedroom with a huge sigh of relief. It was a long night and it was finally time to let myself unwind and hope for a better day tomorrow. I may not be able to forget about the Fall of Beacon, but at least I know I would also have this night to remind me that not everything is lost and that I still have something to live for.

I suddenly heard the door open. I didn't lock it this time because I was willing to talk to my family if they needed something from me. Noire and Blanche entered my room with an acoustic guitar. I remember them teaching me how to play it not too long ago. When you live in a Gallican countryside, this is one of the things you should expect.

"Hey, you don't mind if we sing you a song for a bit?" Noire asked.

They used to sing me lullabies back when I was a kid. Obviously, I'm too old for those now but hearing them sing was something that's always welcome for me. Semblance or not, their voices were very pleasing to hear. "No, not at all go ahead."

They grabbed the nearest chairs and sat beside my bed. Noire played a very familiar tune which was later followed by Blanche's singing.

"When the night has come

And the land is dark

And the moon is the only light we'll see…"

It was one of my favorite songs. The one that they use to sing to me when I was younger. The one that they used to teach me with, and the one that helped me keep moving forward during dark times.

Once they reached the chorus, the twins sang in harmony.

"So darling, darling

Stand by me, oh stand by me

Oh stand, stand by me

Stand by me"

The song continued for another verse, and I just listened with a smile on my face as I felt my spirits rise with the magic of their songs.

"Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me

Oh stand by me, oh won't you stand now, stand

Stand by me…"

I was more than satisfied when it ended, feeling like I just lost more of my troubling thoughts that would have still made sleeping difficult. "Thanks, guys."

"Your welcome," Noire said with a cordial look on her face. "We always look out for our little brother."

I made a faint chuckle over her playful use of that name. Never once was I actually bothered by being called their little brother because it just shows that they cared for me, even if they really like to tease me for it.

"Sweet dreams," Blanche grinned before they walked out of the room and closed the door. Shortly after that, I slipped into a deep slumber.

=o=

1. Captain Edwin Beanadder Arc was killed in action at a military operation during a campaign against a militant Nordic Khornite cult that was terrorizing Atlesian vassals. Caiaphas Arc was only eleven years old when this unfortunate event happened. His mother would soon die of disease following his father's death and he was put under the care of his maternal aunt before being sent to a military boarding school where he would receive his initial training.

2. While Caiaphas was working in Ozpin's order, he also worked as an assistant teacher for Miss Goodwitch in Beacon, teaching students teamwork, tactics, and some combat advice. Ozpin accepted his leave after learning about his son.

I slept soundly that night, free from any nightmares or unpleasant thoughts. After a week of trauma, I finally felt at peace. The next morning, I felt refreshed and more well-rested. For the first time in a while, I felt grateful.

Getting up, I noticed Pyrrha's scroll and the stuffed rabbit sitting on my desk, once again reminding me of the Fall of Beacon. I didn't want to be burdened by these thoughts and wanted to remember Pyrrha for more than just her death. It's what she would have wanted.

So I picked up her scroll and opened the gallery. Aside from a few self-portraits and scenery shots, there was an album filled with memories from our days at Beacon. There were pictures of our team and Team RWBY throughout the school year, whether it be a group photo in the cafeteria after initiation and on the first day of the second semester with us covered in food, to the dance, to Taco Tuesday (well, with burritos in this case), to moments from the dance, to us in the Bullhead after we beat Dr. Merlot on his own island. You get the idea.

As I looked through the photos, I couldn't help but smile and feel nostalgic. Even though I was usually scheming my way out of the worst of Huntsman work, I had made cherished memories and genuine friends that I never expected to have. I could only hope that they were all well, now that we were separated and the academy was overrun.

The album also included a few videos. Most of them were just recordings of some matches and other sparring sessions, and some were of Pyrrha practicing her speeches for fan meet-ups. Then I saw the most recent video, recorded the night before the Fall.

Curious, I decided to watch it.

Pyrrha was standing in front of the camera, she was noticeably on the rooftops of the first-year dorms. Her smile, which I had been missing since her passing, lit up her face.

"Hello again! If you are seeing this, then I am no longer in possession of this scroll. I am leaving you all this message in case I'm placed in a position that I could not escape or if I'm unable to see my friends and family ever again."

She frowned at the thought, then continued, "As much as I hope that it won't be the case, I'm afraid there is a heavy responsibility that awaits me. I am not certain of what will exactly happen to me, but all I know is that I will never be the same ever again."

Her smile eventually returned. "So I want to show my gratitude to all my friends and family while I still can. I chose to become a Huntress because I wanted to find more of myself. I wanted to become more than just a famed athlete and use my abilities to help save the world I live in, but I ended up gaining more than that. I met incredible friends and teammates who showed me that everything I fight for is worth it. My life would have been empty without them."

"Sadly, all good things must come to an end. I know this is difficult to accept and I also wish that it didn't have to end like this soon, but whatever happens, I'll be happy knowing that I was able to fulfill what was missing from me. Please know that I am doing this for all the people that I believe in, as a Huntress and as a friend. I am doing this not only because it's my duty, but because I also care for all of you."

"Once again I thank you all. I'm grateful to my family who raised me well and made me the best I could be, to my teachers who helped me grow both mentally and physically, and to my friends and teammates who taught me the value of life beyond competition."

"And last but not least, I especially thank my leader and my partner, Jaune, who was always there for me when I needed him. You filled the a gap in my life that would have left me lonely at the top and I am very grateful for that. I could never imagine what life would be like without you. I'm sorry that I have to go. I wish I could stay with you too, but just know that I am very glad to have you in my life and I will always treasure our moments together. I hope you stay strong and don't lose hope. Remember that no matter what happens, I'll always be here for you. You always were a true hero to me, don't lose sight of that."

"I am going to miss you all. Farewell, my dear friends. Keep fighting for what you believe in. I wish you all the very best."

The video ended and I could only stare at the screen as small tears of joy streamed down my face. I was very glad to see her face and hear her voice again, even if watching this video was now the only way for me to do that. Although she's gone, she'll always hold a special place in my heart. I think it's about time for me to honor her sacrifice and keep moving forward for her sake.

Living well is enough to return all the favors I owe her, and with a new day dawning, I'm ready to do just that.