When you've seen what I've seen, and done what I've done, how could there be any room for redemption?

Summer burst through the foliage and into a clearing, fumbling with the strap she used to secure her weapon.

Why was she trying so hard?

I want to be a hero. A protector of the people of Remnant. Damn memories, now wasn't the time.

Her body was running on instinct alone; a fact that wasn't lost to her as she drew a pair of scorched metal from her back, the razor edges glowing a dull red. She could feel the familiar heat of her blades, her hands grasping at the leather hilt of her twin swords, curved into crescent moons by the base- khopeshes, or sickle swords. Either way, she fiddled with her fingers until they reached the hidden mechashift latch at the base of the hilt.

Ember Rose.

Flames flickered to life as the crescent moons bent down to the hilt and grated metal against metal, creating sparks.

She saw Jaune, almost before he saw her appear in the clearing- the Ursa taking note of the new arrival and growling.

Summer stood unperturbed. She had dealt with many Ursa before, her memories assured her, but it was her body that truly knew.

Twelve meters, defense strongest by the hide, weakest at the abdominal.

Her fingers moved with precision, sliding comfortably into her combat pouch, and drawing a handful of dust rounds which were promptly loaded and fired.

Jaune didn't know what to do as the Ursa turned its attention away from him. Instead he froze and stared in wonder as a hail of fire forced it onto its knees. This was the strength of a hunter, the strength to be a hero. Something he could never hope to be. No teacher, no talent, a child out of his league.

Negativity, it was exuding off of Jaune in waves.

Jaune watched with a sinking feeling as the Ursa turned its gaze back to him, the dust rounds ineffective against its hide.

Summer knew she needed to move fast when the Ursa turned away from her. Her bullets were ineffective, but she already knew they wouldn't have worked. They were merely a distraction to buy enough time for the Arc to hull ass and move. Something that seemed to have had slipped his mind. Now she needed to get in close for the kill, but didn't have enough time to do so.

"Use your Aura."

Huh?

"I'll do it for you."

She felt it come in a wave, the sheer euphoria flooding her with power as a red haze surrounded her, and with it, a single steady light flickered on within her pouch before disappearing as Summer Rose's scroll registered new information.

Suddenly Summer could see everything, feel everything, the world was in her grasp and she utilized it. Her weapons mechashifed in seconds as Ember Rose ignited its dust rounds from within its hollow chamber.

Flames flickered to life in raging torrents, propelling her forward, and leaving embers and rose petals to the wind as she disappeared from point A, to point B.

Her Aura protected her from the heat and blunt force of her initial slice directly into the beast's hide, face impassive as she stabbed in her other blade and bisected the Ursa in half- the flames from her sword extending and melting clean through anything she cut.

Jaune watched silently as the Ursa vanished before him, eyes left to wander over his saviour's form. "Y-You came?" He asked uncertainly. Huntress or not, he had believed he had annoyed her too much to be beyond saving.

Ignoring the Arc's question Summer cut in with her own.

"Are you alright, Arc?"

"Y-Yeah," Jaune muttered as he winced from his injuries. "Mostly." He looked up hopefully, reading the mood. Perhaps now... "Will you train me," he asked.

You don't have to be. The words rung in Summer's head. She could help, create a better outcome for the characters she knew to be fiction.

"Didn't you want to be a hero?"

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Stupid voice. She didn't even know where it was coming from. "Still strangers," she muttered out with a small smile. Stupid voice. She would try it for now, be something that she wasn't.

Jaune smiled, understanding that he had at least had a chance. "But strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."

Ozpin sipped at his coffee, unzipped black suit and buttoned vest, unwrinkled and contrasting greatly with his green cowl. He was the perfect image of calm, a far cry from the brash man in front of him. Legs kicked up onto his desk, and metal flask trickling alcohol into his lightly bearded mouth. The man glanced up, red eyes glaring dangerously as his black bangs, normally swept back, shadowed his eyes. "This better not be a joke, Ozpin," the man said.

The reports said otherwise. The sudden activation of a signal long since lost said otherwise.

"Oh I assure you, Qrow," Ozpin clicked a button on his desk and a file uploaded into Qrow's scroll. "This is not a joke."

Hunter's Registration# 003497

Summer Rose: Graduate of Beacon

Status: Inactive Error-

Checking Aura levels...Verifying results.

Status: Active

Well, this sets up the entire setting. Longer chapter will be ahead.

P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious