Infected Rose

by Fred Bobson

War brings many things. Death. Tragedy. Toil. Grief. But a second chance at life? John Diamond is given just that when he is thrown into a strange war on an even stranger world, 20 years younger. Will he crumble under the pressure of the ever-growing darkness? Or will John find his victory in the simplest of souls? ADOPTED from TheLongVersion2. Paralogue I is up.

5. Chapter V: A New Friendship

Uploaded 20/5/2020

Ike_/ *Muffled incoherable talking noises*

Fred_/ Bro, take your mask off.

Ike_/ Ah, sorry about that. I forgot I had it on, to be honest

Fred_/ Well, current events aside, a MASSIVE thanks to all our readers and those that took time out of their days to review!

Ike_/ It's difficult to express how much it means to us when we get new reviews.

Fred_/ Not for me! We absolutely love to hear from you guys! We all take time to read every review we get, and always try to give a response the next chapter. It's very encouraging to hear from you guys, even if all you have for us is constructive criticism.

Ryan_/ I felt kinda bad for never responding to reviews. My sister and I used to love reading what few reviews we got.

Fred_/ I'm sure all your readers know you appreciate them. On that note, we weren't planning on releasing another chapter until this whole Covid thing blew over, but Infected Rose hit 20 follows and 20 favourites! We are straight-up having a good time. So we booted up Skype and got working for you fine folks!

Ike_/ For those who are wondering, the next chapter after this one probably won't come for a couple of months (about as long as this one took). Ryan is busy taking care of his parents, I'm working overtime cause of the virus (plus I just got married), and Fred is gonna be too lazy to write on his own while the rest of us are otherwise occupied. But regardless we will try to release content as quickly as possible.

Fred_/ Lazy you say? I will have you know that I am at least a third of the writing force around here! Ryan, back me up here man!

Ryan_/ No, I don't think I will. Enough of this A/N crap, let's get to the story!

Fred_/ Bruh.

Chapter V: The Start Of A Beautiful Friendship

'thought'

Flashback

"speech"

*sound/action*

---

November 1st, 75 A.G.W

Land Of Darkness...

Third Person POV

"He what?" Salem asked slowly. Her tone was even and she appeared calm, but everyone in the room could feel her angrily manifesting her magic. All of Salem's other agents were present for the mission report, as it was expected that the power surge had been something significant. Tyrian smiled maniacally, obviously hoping Entity or Lucien or both would be punished. Cinder looked down, avoiding looking at her master for fear of being an outlet for her rage. Arthur's gaze darted back and forth between the Seer and the empty seat that Lucien normally occupied at the grand table. Hazel, as usual, appeared indifferent but no doubt was dealing with a wave of emotions as he avoided eye contact. Two gigantic Alpha Beowolves stood guard at the door, keeping their heads bowed. But not even Lucien, who was not present and only portrayed by the Seer and had done nothing wrong, did not dare look Salem in the eyes as he repeated himself.

"He exposed himself to the entire town, milady. Not even the children were spared his ungodly sight. What's more, he refused to cooperate with me. We fought, and I won without much trouble" Lucien repeated. Salem's eyes narrowed at the man through the Seer. She pressed her hands together and closed her eyes.

"Is he dead?" Salem asked slowly, without looking up. Lucien's gaze flickered to the side quickly, before returning his attention to his queen. Apparently, Lucien had beaten Entity 303 badly enough that he had to check.

"Not yet, milady. I thought it best not to kill him without your consent," Lucien spoke cautiously. Salem was quiet for a moment, then her eyes snapped open and she stood.

"Show him to me," Salem commanded. Lucien nodded and disappeared. A moment later, a severely burnt and scarred face with glowing red eyes appeared. He was beaten and bruised, though one couldn't easily tell with the condition of his skin.

"Your majesty," Entity 303 choked out. Salem spared no time or mercy for formalities.

"Explain," Salem demanded, her voice no longer calm.

"I do not need to explain myself to you," Entity 303 spat out. A window cracked behind her, and the Beowolves guarding the door whimpered.

"DO NOT THINK THAT I WON'T KILL YOU, YOU PATHETIC CREATURE! WE BOTH KNOW YOUR MASTER CAN FILL YOUR SPOT WITHIN MY RANKS WITH EASE!" Salem shouted angrily, tentacles from the Seer shooting forward and wrapping themselves around Entity 303's neck. Though he clawed at the tentacles and gasped for breath, Entity 303 smiled through rotted and bloodied teeth. Defiance shined brightly in his eyes, and Salem's anger intensified. Just as her floodgates were about to burst open, Lucien spoke from somewhere behind Entity 303.

"If I may milady, would you not be granting his wish by killing him?" Lucien asked cautiously but quickly. Salem nearly turned the Seer and its barbed tentacles upon him, but then the sense of his words broke through her unbridled rage. Slowly, her grimace fell from her face, once again replaced with a serene facade. The other agents present all collectively released the breath they hadn't realized they had been holding.

"Indeed. I will allow you to live, Entity. But next time, it will be to the pools with you," Salem warned lowly, the tentacles loosening and finally releasing Entity 303. He crumpled to the ground, and his agonized gasping and coughing were still audible even as the Seer turned to Lucien.

"Clean up this mess, Lucien. Once he has outlived his usefulness, dispose of him. Should you fail..." Salem spoke in a tone that commanded obedience. Her warning went without saying, but Lucien seemed unfazed.

"Right away, milady. To my dying breath, I shall not fail you," Lucien spoke respectfully, taking a dramatic bow.

"And Lucien?" Salem spoke loudly, just before Lucien got up.

"Yes, milady?" Lucien asked expectantly.

"Do not speak up to me again,"

---

Meanwhile in Patch...

Third Person POV

By the time Qrow finally pulled John aside to talk, it was three in the morning. Ruby and Yang hadn't lied when they said they planned to stay up late watching scary movies with John. By the end of it, John was positive that he would never trust a clown or jester again. As a nasty side effect, it took much longer to get the girls tucked in. As soon as Tai had done as much, Qrow confronted him in the hallway.

"I've gotta talk to him, Tai," Qrow said plainly. Tai sighed and ran a hand through his messy golden hair. His normally vibrant blue eyes seemed rather weary tonight, no doubt because of all that had transpired.

"I know. I don't entirely understand what happened tonight, but it proved that John has some explaining to do. Go ahead, he's in his room. I'm gonna go sleep, you can fill me in tomorrow," Tai said tiredly. He walked down the hall to his room and closed the door. Qrow stood alone in the dark hallway for a moment before he quietly opened John's door and crept in.

John sat on his bed facing the door, now changed into jeans, a white T-shirt and a jacket. His sword was still buckled to his waist, and he looked expectantly at the door as Qrow opened it. Obviously, he had no illusions as to what the rest of his night would entail. Qrow made eye contact with him and a silent understanding passed between them. 'Not here'. John stood, and followed Qrow as he walked silently down the stairs and out the front door. Once they were outside, John spoke.

"I know a place we won't be bothered," John said in a hushed voice. Qrow just nodded, as if he knew already that John had such a place. They walked in utter silence the rest of the way, John taking the lead as they entered the town. The streets were dark and devoid of life, barely lit by halos of white light cast down by rows and rows of street lights. The wind picked up a little bit, chilling the air without dropping to freezing cold temperatures, as only autumn wind could. But neither John nor Qrow was bothered.

With a sharp turn, John led Qrow down an alleyway to a manhole cover obscured from view at a glance by the dumpster. John wordlessly pulled it aside and climbed down. Qrow waited until he heard John get off the ladder and followed. By the time he got off the ladder himself, John had lit a torch and illuminated the man-made cavern. Qrow followed John through the twisting pathways and tunnels, mentally noting how he never would have been able to find John's hiding spot without being led to it. The kid was smarter than he looked. They came to a vault door, and John handed the torch to Qrow. As he pulled a brick from the wall to retrieve a key, Qrow spoke.

"So this is where you always disappear to. You're a clever kid, it isn't the kind of place someone would come across by accident. I even knew you had a spot down here and I never would've found this," Qrow admitted begrudgingly. John raised a brow at Qrow's statement but his carefree smirk remained.

"Well if it's any consolation, my pride is hurt too for never noticing you following me. I'm usually pretty good at keeping an eye around for tails," John replied, as he turned the wheel of the large steel door. To Qrow's surprise, John used a single arm to effortlessly swing the huge door open. He entered and Qrow curtly followed. The door swung closed on its own and the deadbolt fell back into place behind them.

"No one will bother us here," John said, turning on the lights and putting out the torch.

Qrow mentally noted how the room looked more akin to a master craftsman's workshop than a child's secret hiding place. John moved deeper into the room and pulled two beat-up wooden chairs from within the organized chaos of the room. Bringing them over to where Qrow stood, he put them down and motioned for Qrow to sit with him. Qrow obliged, and they sat looking at each other in the dimly lit room for almost a minute before someone broke the deafening silence.

"Start talking kid," Qrow said. There was no sign of hostility in his tone, but his glare told John that there would be if he lied. John leaned back in his chair, causing it to creak with the strain of him shifting his weight, and pondered on where to start.

It was strange to John. In all his thirty-four years of life in Minecraftica - even while he was still a child - if someone had told him that he would reincarnate as a young lad on another planet after he died, he would have laughed at them. John was no fool, as much as he acted like one sometimes. And yet here John found himself; sitting in a sewer under a broken moon twenty-three years younger. John's lip curled up in a barely visible smile.

'I always tend to find myself in the strangest situations, don't I?' John reminisced. But to his dismay, there would be no time to look back on better times. Qrow sat several feet from him, looking at him expectantly. John sighed internally, hoping beyond hope that he could trust Qrow. Whether or not he could, he didn't have much choice at this point. And so, John opened his mouth and spoke the seven words that could make or break him.

"Do you believe in magic, uncle Qrow?" John asked quietly. The playful smirk he normally sported was gone, and a haunted look had entered his eyes. Despite this John was surprised to see his uncle's eyes widen ever so slightly in surprise and his lips set in a thin line, rather than the disbelieving glare and scowl John had expected. But to Qrow's credit, he did a fine job of playing it off.

"Why, you gonna put on a show?" Qrow asked sarcastically, moving his arms around in a mocking manner.

"I am being serious. You want to hear this story or not?" John asked wearily. Though John was no stranger to going fortnights without sleep, his new body was still young and unaccustomed to such states of unrest so a single night was all it took to tire him. Qrow wasn't much better off, but he shrugged off his fatigue in favour of confronting the enigma that his nephew had become. Qrow motioned for John to continue.

"To be perfectly honest, I have no clue where to start. I suppose the first thing you should know is that I'm thirty-five years old," John spoke, uncertain on how to explain himself to Qrow. Regardless, the pieces were beginning to fall into place for the roguish huntsman, and he mumbled something to himself along the lines of 'just my luck'. When he remained silent, John took it as his queue to continue.

"I have a lifetime of stories to tell, and a library of things to explain. Far too much to cover at three in the morning in a sewer. To put it simply, I'm from another world. This is my second run at life, and that is the brutal and honest truth. I picked a fight with a sizable dragon, and though I came out victorious I reckoned that my wounds would kill me. My memory is a bit fuzzy after that, adrenaline and blood loss, you know the deal. I jumped into a portal, I guess cause I figured it would take me home. Next thing I know I wake up in a red forest surrounded by Grimm," John said with a weariness that had nothing to do with his lack of sleep. Qrow glared at him, pondering what he said. Outlandish, yes. Ludicrous? Perhaps. Would it explain a lot? Absolutely. But Qrow had heard plenty of crazy lies before.

"And what makes you think I'll believe any of that crap?" Qrow questioned in a hard tone, levelling a glare at John. John didn't flinch under his gaze, but rather, he met it with equal intensity.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me I'm lying," John challenged.

Qrow gazed into John's eyes and was surprised by the raw emotion within them. Pain, love, hate, but more than anything John looked tired. Not in a physical sense, but a mental and spiritual sense. John had the eyes of a man who had seen far too much, regardless of his age. Qrow remained silent and averted his gaze, pulling out his flask and taking a swig. He didn't have nearly enough alcohol in him for this conversation. Only after the last drop of golden liquid had left the flask did he put it back in the inside pocket of his jacket. The two men were silent for a minute, the crackling of the fire in the forge being the only sound in the room. Finally, Qrow asked the question that he wasn't sure he wanted the answer to.

"What's your story, kid?" Qrow asked. John chuckled bitterly.

"You got a couple of hours?" John asked. Qrow only nodded. John began to speak, his eyes becoming distant as his mind wandered off to another world. The more John told Qrow, the more Qrow believed his story. Qrow could see the truth in John's eyes, the haunted eyes of a genuine war hero. Despite bringing good and bad memories alike back to the forefront of his mind, John felt a weight lift from his shoulders as the words flowed from his mouth. John's story explained a lot. But it also created a lot of new questions. When John finished, Qrow was looking down at the floor thoughtfully and they both fell silent again. The silence permeated the small room and even the sound of the furnace and forge seemed to fade. It seemed like hours passed when in fact only minutes had gone by when Qrow spoke.

"What will you do now?" Qrow asked tiredly. John sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I don't know. I've only just recently come to terms with the fact that I will never see my friends and family again, and now some insensible donkey from my world shows up and tries to kill me. All I know for sure is that I'll be damned if I let anything happen to my new family," John said with a mix of confidence and indecisiveness. Qrow almost smiled and met John's gaze again.

"You're gonna stick around then?" Qrow asked. John scoffed.

"Of course! Family means everything to me. You know as well as I do now that I will die before I let anyone touch Ruby, Yang, or Tai," John said. Qrow narrowed his eyes.

"What if someone comes lookin' for trouble again, kiddo?" Qrow asked. John leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. The fact that someone who quite likely hailed from his world had shown up and attacked him was troubling. It was more than possible that enemies from his past might come looking to settle the score. But then, John would do what he had always done. He would fight, and he would win. He had to.

"I'll deal with them," John said, and as Qrow was about to cut in John continued. "But you have a point. The warriors and monsters of Remnant are like nothing I've faced before. I could use a good teacher..." John said, looking at Qrow pointedly. The implications were not lost on Qrow. This time, he did smile.

"Get through elementary school here in Patch, then enlist at Signal as soon as you're ready to take pointers from a real warrior. I'll be waiting," Qrow said with a smirk. John's trademark smirk reappeared, and he stood.

"Not for long you won't be!"

---

November 2nd, 75 AGW

3rd Person POV

"You're sure?" Tai asked tentatively. Qrow nodded. He and Tai stood on the porch, leaning over the railing. The girls had gone to bed and John was in his room writing in his journal. It seemed like now was as good a time as Qrow was going to get to privately catch Tai up.

"I'm sure. The kid's from another world, and he has a hell of a lot of enemies that might follow him here," Qrow reiterated. Tai looked down thoughtfully.

"You know, after learning about Salem and that magic exists, I thought that there was nothing left to learn that would surprise me...what do we do?" Tai asked. Qrow sighed. How ironic it was that the more him and Tai tried to keep the girls away from the terrible truths of the world, the more it came bounding to the forefront. Not that they could avoid it forever anyways, with Ruby's silver eyes and Raven's less than legal activities.

"We prepare ourselves for war," Qrow said simply. His statement seemed to frustrate Tai.

"Qrow, you know as well as I do that I left Ozpin's secret war behind permanently to start a family. I have no intention of joining your little gang again," Tai shot. Qrow crossed his arms and stared at Tai with a neutral expression.

"I'm not asking you to. I'm asking you to be prepared to fight for your family. John's attacker used magic, Tai. He raised the dead for dust sake! Oum only knows what will happen if they discover Ruby has silver eyes! Like it or not, a fight is inevitable," Qrow shot back. Tai deflated and collapsed back into a folding chair. He ran a hand through his messy golden hair tiredly.

"I know, it's just... I wish they could grow up like normal kids," Tai spoke softly. Qrow's expression softened at that. In Remnant, very few kept their innocence for long and he knew this better than most. Qrow sighed. He agreed with Tai, but someone had to be sensible and realistic between the two of them. Oum, he hated being the sensible one.

Qrow sat down beside Tai, pulled out his flask and offered it to the man. Tai graciously accepted it and tilted his head back as he took a generous swig. A moment later Tai withdrew the flask from his lips and started coughing.

"Dust, this stuff has a kick!" Tai exclaimed, making Qrow chuckle.

"This is Mistralian burn dust whiskey. I would be disappointed if it didn't," Qrow said, taking his flask back and taking a swig himself. The two sat in silence for a moment before either spoke again.

"What have you told Ozpin?" Tai asked quietly. Qrow remained silent, not answering until after he had taken another swig from his flask.

"Nothing yet," Qrow muttered. Tai quirked a brow at him.

"You haven't? You tell Oz everything. He knew Yang was born before I knew Yang was born," Tai exclaimed.

"That isn't true," Qrow said defensively. Tai laughed.

"I got a congratulations text from him while I was holding Yang for the first time. I still don't even know how you told him while we were together all day, but I know it was you," Tai said with a smile, pointing an accusatory finger at Qrow. Qrow smiled involuntarily thinking back on that day. He wouldn't ever admit it, but he was as excited to be an uncle as Tai was to be a dad. And it had been one of the last happy memories he had with Raven.

Qrow's smile turned into a frown. Team STRQ was the best bloody thing that had ever happened to Qrow and Raven. They had been happy, for the first time in their lives. How could she leave? Why would she leave? Qrow screwed his eyes shut and cleared his mind with another swig of cheap whiskey. He was getting off topic.

"I haven't said anything because I'm not sure who to trust," Qrow admitted. Tai looked at him with unrestrained surprise, and Qrow quickly clarified.

"I trust Oz with my life, don't worry about that. My point is, as far as we all knew up until this point Ozpin and the maidens are the only ones capable of magic. But there's someone out here who can use magic. Raise the dead. And he's from another world, to boot. This should have never flew under our radar," Qrow said, slipping his flask back into his vest and eyeing his brother-in-law suggestively. Tai's eyes widened.

"You really think...?" Tai asked quietly, picking up on the implications Qrow was making. Qrow nodded solemnly.

"We have a traitor in our midst."

---

November 25th, 75 A.G.W

Xiao Long Family Home...

3rd Person POV

The wind blew gently, throwing John's growing hair into his face. He brushed it back with his hand absentmindedly, gaze fixed on the sunset. John sat on the roof of the house, giving him a perfect view of the horizon over the tops of the trees. The clouds reflected orange and pink as the sun sunk towards the horizon, striking John with the same sense of awe that it had since he was young.

The sight washed John with a wave of nostalgia, remembering the days when things were simpler. Back when he and Shay would sit outside and watch the sunset together, and just talk.

John was snapped out of his memories when a bang followed by an 'oomph' alerted him to the arrival of someone else. He looked over his shoulder and spotted a head of golden hair. Yang pulled herself up over the ridge of the roof lethargically but looked a bit surprised when she spotted John.

"Hi John," Yang greeted dejectedly, carefully stepping down to sit beside John. She kicked her legs over the edge anxiously and looked down. John raised a brow. It wasn't like Yang to act so depressed.

"What's troubling you?" John asked. Yang sighed.

"Nothing," Yang tried to deflect. John scoffed.

"It is very obviously something, dear sister," John started, before softening his tone. "You can talk to me, Yang. I happen to be an excellent listener."

Yang looked up at him as if trying to decide if she should talk to him or not, then looked out at the sunset and set to work undoing her pigtails. Yang stuffed the hair ties in her pocket and shook her head, letting her hair shake loose and cascade down her back. Then, with a breath to steady herself, she began to speak.

"I found out that Summer wasn't my real mom," Yang started. John watched and listened intently, waiting for Yang to continue.

"I overheard Dad and Qrow talking. Her name is Raven. And she's still out there somewhere," Yang continued, playing with a lock of her golden hair.

"I see. How are you feeling about all this?" John asked delicately. Yang glanced at him briefly before she answered him.

"I...I don't know. I don't know how I should feel. I'm sad I never knew her. I'm happy that I still have a mom out there somewhere. I'm angry that dad didn't say anything," Yang said slowly. John nodded in understanding. Neither of them said anything for a minute, just watching the sun touch the horizon.

In the time John had spent on Remnant, he had come to know a thing or two about his eldest sister. She was headstrong and determined, and there was no changing her mind once she was dead set on doing something. John had a pretty good idea of what she was planning.

"You want to find her," John said. Yang looked up at him with wide eyes, frightened that he might tell Tai. John was quick to put her worries to rest.

"I won't tell. I won't stop you either. I honestly don't blame you for wanting to know where your mom is. If I had a chance to find mine, I would take it in a heartbeat. Just promise me something?" John explained. Yang looked at John intently now.

"What?" Yang asked curiously.

"Wherever your mom is, I'm sure that she has a very good reason for being there. So just be careful." John said warmly. Yang smiled.

"I promise," Yang said appreciatively. The two siblings returned their gaze to the sinking sun. Pushing back a wave of nostalgia, John resolved to keep tabs on his sisters' search.

'Notch only knows that kids don't have the restraint of an adult,' John thought to himself.

---

December 18th, 75 A.G.W

Patch...

John D. Rose POV

Sparkling white snow fluttered down from the dark sky, collecting on the ground and softly crunching under my boots as I walked home. Cones of bright white light burst out from the numerous street lights along the roads of Patch, reflecting off of the snow on the ground and effectively illuminating the road and sidewalks. I adjusted my scarf, then cupped my hands and exhaled several warm breathes into them. As I rubbed my hands together to extend my temporary relief from the cold, I noted how completely serene Patch seemed right now. Not a soul aside myself seemed to be outside right now and without any wind, the snow fell quietly and slowly to the ground. It wasn't a heavy snowfall, but enough to coat the ground in almost three inches of snow in the four hours it had been snowing for. In the Kava mountains where the Order Of Rose hid on multiple occasions, the snowfall was never light nor was it windless, always accompanied by biting cold gusts and ungodly low temperatures. We would dig out igloos below the huge snow dunes, and melt ice for water. But here, the only use for such skills and experience is building dope snow forts and winning epic snowball fights.

Fortunately, these skills were not wasted, as the girls and I had ambushed dad and uncle Qrow on a couple of occasions. The first time was easy, they never saw it coming. The second time, I changed the location of our snow fort and made it blend with the surroundings better, that way they didn't see us in our old fort and were lulled into a false sense of security. The third time, I built a camouflaged fort I knew Qrow would spot, put a winter hat inside so the fort appeared occupied, and the girls and I sat in wait behind a snow dune. After that, Qrow and Tai started sneaking around to the back door. A clear sign that we needed to double our efforts. So on the fourth try, Ruby and Yang hid behind forts on either side of the house, and I climbed onto the roof. Sure, I got scolded for being reckless. Was it worth nailing Qrow in the face with a snowball, and the priceless look on dads face when he was pelted from three different directions? Most definitely, it was. After that little stunt though, and just before our next plan could be put into action, most of the snow melted. I can only chalk it up to bad luck, I suppose.

I was reminded suddenly of my reason for being outside in the snow at seven-thirty at night. Since Qrow typically only visited once every other week he was in Vale right now, probably in some bar refilling his flask. Dad was working another late shift at his second job, and Ruby and Yang had gone to bed early. I wasn't tired, so I decided a night walk would be relaxing and hopefully tiring enough to get me in bed. And so I put on blue winter boots, a white winter coat, and a white wool hat, and set out. I took a deep breath, enjoying the distinct lack of smell that the cold, dry air of winter always had. A loud bang from somewhere down the street briefly caught my attention, but I dismissed it as a raccoon knocking over a trash can. The snow was beginning to come down more heavily now, and I considered that it would probably be best to turn around and go home before it got much worse. Then again, I could easily find my way back in much worse.

I was suddenly pulled from my thoughts as my hyper-sensitive hearing picked up a shrill cry from the same direction as I had heard the bang, thanks to my infection. I got a bad feeling in my gut, telling me to be on guard and I cursed myself for not bringing Custos Vitae for once. Without another thought, I pulled my hands from my pockets and ran across the street towards the source of the sound. With my ability to see in the dark, I saw the source of the noise beside a broken street light. A girl with flowing silver hair speckled with snowflakes was lying flat on her back in the snow, with her arms and legs spread out as if she had been making snow angels. She wore a t-shirt and jeans, an unbuttoned black double-breasted coat that reached down to her knees, and a grey scarf over top. Her skin was incredibly pale and almost flawless save for a small scar barely visible below her left eyebrow. I slid to a stop beside her and fell to a crouching position as I checked her for any injuries. She wasn't bleeding and she seemed to be breathing normally.

"Are you alright, miss?" I asked.

"I'm fine, thanks," She replied Briskly, seeming more annoyed by my question than anything. I raised a brow at that but stayed where I was. Her eyes fluttered open after a moment and met mine, a beautiful shade of red so light that it was almost pink. She seemed surprised that I hadn't left yet.

"Do you often lay in the snow in the dark, or is this a special occasion?" I asked in amusement.

"Only when I want stupid boys to pester me," She shot back. I smirked and offered my hand to shake.

"John Rose, eleven years old, pleased to meet you," I greeted. She stared at my hand for a moment before shaking it.

"Likewise. Frost, thirteen," She greeted back. I lay down beside her with my hands behind my head. Frost kept her eyes trained on me the whole time.

"Would your parents want you to make friends with a stranger? Where are they anyway?" Frost asked sharply.

"I could ask you the same, Frosty," I deflected.

"Touché," She mumbled, looking back up at the sky. I followed suit, noting how there were no visible star patterns for me to memorize tonight. The snow continued to fall around us, quickly covering our clothes with a thin layer of snow. Several minutes went by, and Frost broke the silence again.

"Aren't you cold?" She asked, looking at me again. I shook my head.

"Chilly, maybe. Why, hoping I'll leave?" I joked.

"Kinda," Frost admitted, looking back up. Well, at least she's honest. I hummed and followed Frost's gaze up to the unlit street lamp.

'Ah, I see what happened. That explains all the banging,' I thought.

"So, what's on top of the street light that's worth falling off for?" I asked. Frost blushed and looked at me with wide eyes.

"H-how did you-" Frost stuttered until I interrupted her.

"I may be a child but I am no fool," I said, sitting up. I pulled off my coat as I continued. "You'll never get up there in this weather with that coat on, the snow makes it too slippery. The trick is to use your bare skin to grip the pole."

Frost sat up and looked on dumbfounded as I pulled off my boots and socks and began to climb the ice-cold metal pole. As I neared the top, I noticed a necklace with a silver cross with a single red gem in the center, hanging from the top of the lamp and swinging in the wind. Shrugging off the biting cold, I grabbed the necklace and slid back down the pole.

"Here you are, milady," I said, handing Frost the necklace. She was hesitant to take it at first, looking nervously between me and the necklace. Then, finally, she reached out and took it.

"Just like that? No catch?" She asked. I nodded, a smile still plastered on my face.

"Why? Why would you go through that for me?" She asked in genuine confusion, as I put my socks and boots back on.

"What, a guy can't help someone out cause he wants to? Is chivalry such a foreign concept here?" I asked rhetorically. Frost stood up as I put my coat back on and smiled at me.

"Thanks. Really," She managed. I laughed to myself, finding her sudden discomfort amusing. But then, the more I thought about it, I frowned. Why exactly was this necklace, which seemed quite precious to Frost, hanging from a street lamp twenty feet in the air?

"So, you new here? I haven't seen you around the school," Frost asked. I nodded, waiting until I had my socks and boots back on to respond.

"Yup. I have to take an IQ test first though, so they know which grade to start me in," I explained, shoving my admittedly cold hands in my coat pockets. Frost tilted her head ever so slightly.

"What do you mean? Why don't they just put you in fifth grade?" Frost asked in confusion.

"I'm from outside the kingdoms. The education system where I'm from was...different, to say the least," I said. To be honest, only nobles got an education to begin with, but only royalty and the sons of scholars got a good education. Everything I learned, I learned on my own or from snotty nobles that thought they were proving how superior they were by telling me something I didn't know. Education comes in many forms.

"Huh. Well...see you there, I guess," Frost said awkwardly, before turning and walking off into the night. I watched her go until the falling snow fully obscured her, wondering if I would see her again.

"It seems I've found myself a friend..." I mumbled to myself, turning and walking back in the direction of home. "Now how am I going to explain my wet coat to dad?"

---

December 24th, 75 AGW

Xiao Long Family Home...

John Rose POV

Waking up to Ruby blowing a whistle and yelling at me to get up was bemusing, to say the least. Not even when I was in the army had I ever been woken in such a manner. You would wake up on your own, wake up to the breakfast bell, or wake up to an ambush. Unless of course, you were a new recruit, in which case you were woken up as your bed was overturned by Siegfried at five in the morning. Gods, I miss that old sonuva gun. On Remnant, however, unusual wake-up calls were becoming commonplace. I winced as the curtains were pulled aside and a beam of sunlight hit my eyes, burning away what little hope remained of falling back asleep.

"WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP!" Ruby cried, blowing her whistle again for good measure. I sat up and threw my legs over the side of the bed, making sure to spare Ruby an apathetic glare.

"Oh, don't be such a Scrooge John! It's Christmas Eve, and today is the day we decorate our Christmas tree!" Ruby cried excitedly, getting ready to blow the whistle again. I quickly jumped out of bed and snatched the cursed device from her hand.

"That'll be enough of that, thank you," I mumbled tiredly. Ruby giggled.

"Just wanted to make sure you were up!" She said innocently. I yawned and stretched, enjoying the feeling of my muscles stretching out and relaxing. A morning routine that I have been more than happy to get used to.

"And what, pray tell, makes this tree so important that you had to wake me at..." I glanced at my alarm clock, "...four in the morning?"

"It's our family Christmas Tree. Every year we decorate the tree on Christmas Eve morning, then have hot chocolate and cookies!" Ruby explained matter-of-factly. I blinked.

"We put up the other decorations two weeks ago. Why didn't we do the tree then?" I asked curiously. Ruby tilted her head.

"I dunno, it's just our tradition. Anyways, come on! There's no time to waste!" Ruby said excitedly, bolting out of the room and down the stairs. I chuckled and made my way out of my room and down the stairs. The smell of cookies baking wafted out from the kitchen, but I resisted the temptation and joined Ruby in the living room. Christmas wreaths and Christmas lights and festive candles littered the house, setting a happy tone for the holiday. Above several of the doors was a bunch of mistletoe, a trap I had no intention of falling for.

Tai came out of the kitchen, lugging a white cardboard box with him. He set it down carefully in the middle of the room and abandoned it for an old dinosaur of a radio in the corner of the room. Yang followed behind him carrying a blue plastic bin that had 'tree decorations' haphazardly scrawled across the side in sharpie. She put it down beside the couch and sat on the floor with her legs stretched out in front of her.

The old radio suddenly crackled to life in the Living room, courtesy of dad, as our slightly dysfunctional family crowded around a beat-up white box in the living room. The box had traces of black and green ink on the top, likely having once described the contents of a pristine package on a store shelf. Now though, there was hardly anything decipherable on this scraggly box, barely holding together even with the help of an indistinguishable amount of clear packing tape. If it weren't for my keen powers of observation, I wouldn't know that there was supposed to be some sort of tree within this pitiful cardboard box. Ruby and Yang were excitable and giddy and had mentioned something about decorating a Christmas tree. That normally would have indicated for me that the 'Christmas tree' is of some cultural significance. Seeing the state of this less-than-festive box, however, which was by no means large enough to fit a tree, had me rethinking that sentiment.

"Is Qrow gonna be here?" I asked offhandedly. Ruby and Yang's faces were downcast momentarily but quickly recovered.

"Naw, he doesn't usually come until New Years," Yang explained. I raised a brow. Clearly they want their favourite uncle here, so why the hell isn't he here?

With the press of a button and a loud click, dad finished fiddling with the radio and festive music began to play. He turned around sporting a big grin and crouched down by the box to open it. The box opened up lengthways to reveal a metal rod painted forest green with smaller rods attached which seemed to fold down horizontally like branches. Short wires covered in strips of green plastic, presumably meant to resemble pine needles, ran out from the smaller rods. Unfortunately, most of the fake pine needles seemed to have fallen off and piled up at the bottom of the box.

"Okay, who wants to put the base together and who wants to help me fluff the branches?" Tai asked as he stood up the tree, which wobbled like it was ready to buckle.

"This is meant to be your Christmas tree?" I asked incredulously. Tai looked back at me with a raised brow.

"Yeah, why?" He asked confusedly.

"No offence dad, but that tree is as miserably inadequate as the box it's in," I said blatantly. He chuckled.

"Come on John, it's Christmas! No need to be such a killjoy," Yang teased, nudging me with her elbow.

"Mom thought it was pretty bad too, but she loved it anyway..." Ruby said with a sense of melancholy, smiling despite the mention of her late mother. Yang and Tai smiled sadly as well.

"John is right. This is hardly a tree anymore. It was our families' first Christmas tree, but it would be impossible to replace it the day before Christmas." Tai thought out loud. I tilted my head slightly.

"Couldn't we just cut our own?" I suggested. It would be really simple, considering our backyard is a forest that we can do as we please with. Ruby's eyes went wide as saucers.

"A real tree..." Tai mused to himself.

"I've always wanted a real Christmas tree! Can we dad?" Ruby cried. Tai sighed, then shot me a 'you did this' look.

"Okay everyone, go grab your coats!"

---

Vale...

Qrow sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. He trudged down a street in the industrial district of Vale, ignoring the cold as best he could. His head was pounding from yet another hangover, and yet still he reached for his flask. Tilting his head back slightly and positioning the flask over his lips, he swallowed a generous gulp of cheap whiskey. Though it burned his throat, it did help a bit with the cold and the headache. At least, Qrow thought that it did.

Suddenly, Qrow's scroll made a loud screeching noise. He fumbled with his flask for a moment before reaching into his vest and fishing out his scroll. Qrow narrowed his eyes at the offending text, grumbling something about troublesome nephews.

John - Hello dearest uncle, Tai gave me your number :) I need a favour. Show up at the house at 3:00 for Christmas, and for Oum's sake bring presents. P.S, did you like your new ringtone? ;)

Qrow unlocked his scroll and furiously typed in a response. How on Remnant had John even gotten access to his scroll to change the ringtone? For someone almost twice his age, John sure did act childish sometimes. It was no wonder he fit in with the girls so well.

Qrow - Why

John - Christmas spirit?

Qrow - No

John - We have cookies

Qrow - Try again

John - A favour from me isn't enough?

Qrow - A favour from you doesn't mean jack until you're legal drinking age

John - I'm going to pretend I didn't just read that

John - But seriously, get your lazy drunk butt over here. Don't make me use my trump card

Qrow scoffed. As if John had anything up his sleeve that would convince him. Then he saw it. The text loaded and a gif played, showing Ruby's face morph from happy to her infamous pouty face over and over again. The face that no sane man could say no to, endlessly repeated. It wasn't fair, in fact, it was blatant cheating and Qrow would definitely get back at John for it at some point. But for now, he had to concede. Qrow huffed and sent one last text as he headed towards the docks, hoping to catch a last-minute flight to Patch.

Qrow - you owe me

---

"Well, what do you think?" Tai asked, standing proudly in front of our new tree. It was haphazardly balanced in a large bowl with a plank of wood screwed in on either side to hold it in place, sitting in the corner of our living room. I raised a brow.

"I think we should have bought a stand," Yang said skeptically. I nodded, mentally shaking my head at the DIY disaster holding up the tree. To think that we had successfully cut it down, brought it home, and shaken out the snow without injury only to risk disaster by mounting it on a dish.

"Nonsense, I know a thing or two about Christmas trees. This is fine!" Tai said confidently. Obviously, his reassurance was good enough for Yang and Ruby because they just shrugged and started opening the bins of decorations. I facepalmed. Return of super dad, knower of all things, trimmer of hair and destroyer of laptops. But safety concerns aside, it was a nice full tree. It was our tree. Even if it was likely to fall and crush us.

We spent the next hour decorating the tree with ornaments and lights. Between the music and the company, all of us had a really fun time. Hell, everyone laughed at my bad jokes. Since when did people laugh at those? After the lights and decorations were up, we all put a single gingerbread man cookie somewhere on the tree. Ruby explained that they had a tradition where they put up a cookie, and then on Christmas morning, they would eat their cookies together before presents. A strange but nice little tradition.

There was a knock at the door, and everyone's attention was immediately upon it. Tai furrowed his brow, and put down the string of tinsel he was holding.

"Who could that possibly be..?" Tai wondered out loud. He walked over to the door and pulled it open halfway.

"Hey," Qrow greeted, carrying a large brown bag.

"Qrow? What are you doing here?" Tai asked in surprise. Qrow raised a brow at his reaction but carried on.

"John invited me. Should I... Should I go?" Qrow asked unsurely. Tai cast a knowing glance at me, before turning back to Qrow.

"No, this is a pleasant surprise! Come in, come in!" Tai urged, practically dragging Qrow inside.

"UNCLE QROOOOOW!" Ruby cried as she and Yang shot across the room to give him a crushing hug. As much as he had tried to avoid coming, his lopsided grin betrayed his true feelings. Which does beg the question; why does he avoid us?

'Oh well, that's a question for another time I suppose' I thought to myself. Qrow chuckled as he lifted his arms, a girl hanging from each one.

"You girls miss me?" He asked with a barely suppressed smile. I smirked at him.

"Nope!" The girls responded in tandem, with big lopsided smiles. They giggled, and Qrow chuckled.

"To what do we owe the honor of your presence, oh grand and elusive uncle?" I teased, taking a dramatic bow. Qrow let his arms drop and shook his head at me, still sporting a smirk.

"Yeah yeah, kiddo. Go play with crayons or something," Qrow poked at me. I accept your challenge, uncle.

"Only if you tell us a story from your youth, old man," I shot back. He chuckled, and ruffled my hair, earning him a spiteful glare.

"It's good to see you too, John. So, I heard there were cookies...?" Qrow trailed off suggestively.

---

January 6th, 76 A.G.W

Third Person POV

It was a sunny day with a light breeze on the small island of Patch. Though a southern wind had melted most of the snow a day prior, small patches of the crystallized water still littered the small town. Life continued for the residents as normal, adults driving to and fro to get to work or run errands. Children and teenagers alike walked or ran in groups down the streets and sidewalks, dressed in casual wear and carrying bags of varying shapes, sizes, and colours on their backs. They all converged on a single building, Patch Public Elementary. Here, children were educated by their elders about the world around them and got to know their peers better. Three students, in particular, clung together like glue as they walked along conversing lightheartedly. Ruby Rose, John Diamond, and Yang Xiao Long. Witty banter, teasing and encouragement were thrown back and forth between them like a man juggling balls, drawing the attention of other nearby students now and then. Lucien watched them through the scope of a rifle on the roof of a building, completely befuddled how a boy could have bested the Entity in combat. Sure, Entity 303 was weak compared to himself. Ant-like even. But to be beaten by a child? Truly, henchman standards had drastically fallen in recent years.

'Bah, it is beyond me why Salem kept that bumbling fool around for so long. No matter, a single bullet will defuse the situation...' Lucien trailed off in thought, his index finger brushing against the safety and coming to rest on the trigger. His rifle was chambered in .305 Accel, the same bullet type used by Atlesian Specialists, and his trigger was magnetic. It wouldn't even take a pound of pressure, a simple twitch could instantly put an end to Salem's most recent headache. And yet, when a streak of silver passed into his view, he hesitated. When Lucien saw Frost Tiana Gemini his beloved daughter wave to his target and run to greet him, Lucien caught his breath. His finger immediately left the trigger and flicked the safety back on.

'Why the hell is my little girl in Patch!?' Lucien thought, a wave of emotions crashing over him. As if things couldn't get more complex, the raveonette girl beside Lucien's target turned around to reveal a big smile and silver eyes. Shock, a mostly alien feeling for Lucien, jolted him into a state of melancholy. With the appearance of a silver-eyed warrior and the presence of John Diamond, His daughters' fate was surely sealed. And yet, Lucien could not bring himself to carry out his mistress' orders. With a shudder, Lucien resigned himself to watch from a distance.

---

John D. Rose POV

"Hey, Frost!" I called, waving back to her. I honestly didn't expect to see her again so soon.

"Huh? John, you made a friend and you didn't tell us about her?" Yang asked incredulously, elbowing me in the side. An obvious attempt to make me vulnerable to teasing.

"Only because I thought you might scare her away," I shot with a smirk, as I stepped forward to greet Frost. Ruby pouted and called me a meanie as Frost came to a stop in front of me.

"Hi John!" She greeted excitedly. Her light red eyes shone brightly in the natural light, looking much more akin to rose quartz than iris's, but behind her excitement, I saw worry. Well, Yang and Ruby seemed anxious about school as well, particularly because they don't like it. So I'm sure it's nothing.

Frost wore the same black coat and scarf as before, this time buttoned up and the scarf wrapped snugly around her neck. Rather than the boots she had on before, she wore grey running shoes. Black skinny jeans clung tightly to her legs, but not uncomfortably so. Her hands were shoved in her coat pockets, and her lips curled upwards in a big smile. Her cheeks and nose were tinged red by the cold, but she didn't seem to mind at all.

Frost's gaze shifted behind me to Ruby and Yang curiously, and I realized suddenly that I had neglected to introduce anyone yet.

"Hey, Frost! Allow me to introduce my sisters; the cute one is Ruby and the blonde one is Yang. Ruby, Yang, this is Frost," I quickly introduced. Ruby and Yang waved excitedly and Frost waved back politely.

"So how did you guys meet, huh?" Yang asked, as curious as she was eager to get teasing material. Frost seemed to shrink back for a moment, then continued as if nothing was wrong.

"W-well, it was snowing out and I was having trouble trying to get my necklace. John showed up and climbed a light post to get it for me," Frost explained coyly. Yang blinked. Then Ruby blinked. Then they both blinked and looked at me incredulously.

"You climbed a light post?" The two of them asked in unison. I laughed awkwardly.

"Yeah, but maybe don't try that yourselves. It's very dangerous," I urged, hoping I hadn't inadvertently started something.

"You should practice what you preach John, we wouldn't want our big bro to pull a hamstring," Yang teased. Man, she is way too good at this whole banter thing for her age. Wait, is that my fault? Ruby suddenly put one hand on her hip and pointed an accusatory finger at me with the other.

"Yeah, you big fat hippopotamus!" Ruby cried with a smile, joining in on her sister's joke. It was my turn to blink. Then I blinked again for good measure. Hippopotamus?

"Rubes, I think the word you're looking for is hypocrite," I said. Frost smiled in amusement at our banter but then looked at me curiously for a moment.

"Why were you out in that snowstorm anyway, John?" She asked.

"If you must know, I was simply out for a walk," I explained. Frost quirked an eyebrow at that.

"You decided to take a walk... out in a snowstorm?" Frost asked rhetorically, a teasing smile growing on her face.

"And climbed a light post?" Yang added in with a nudge. Oh dust, they're teaming up on me!

"What can I say, I take very enthusiastic walks!" I said, raising a hand in defense. The bell rang suddenly, jolting the four of us out of our conversation and prompting several other lagging groups to break into a run towards the school.

"Crap, that's the five-minute bell! See ya later John!" Frost cried, running for the school. Ruby and Yang had a similar idea.

"See ya after school, bro! We need to book it!" Yang called, as she and Ruby ran ahead to reach their classes on time. I stopped and pulled out a folded piece of paper that Tai had practically shoved into my hands this morning.

'Report to the office to sign in at 8:40, bring pencil...' I read internally. I shrugged and stuffed the paper back into my pocket, and started towards the school at a brisk pace.

"And thus begins a new adventure..." I mumbled to myself.

---

January 7th, 76 A.G.W

Patch...

John Rose POV

"Curse the man who invented long division..." I mumbled in frustration, erasing yet another wrong answer from my homework sheet. Frost looked up from her own sheet of homework, which was very nearly complete, and quirked a brow at me. We had learned the basics of math in class and the teacher had seen fit to teach us long equations. Because apparently long is better.

"It's really simple once you get it, ya know. I can show you if you like?" With my pride effectively stomped upon, I pouted and slid my sheet between us so we could both see it. Frost leaned over, brushing her silver hair out of her eyes, and studied the offending equation for a moment.

"...ah, see here? All you need to do is carry the one," Frost explained. I blinked, and looked at her in bewilderment.

'You can carry ones?' I thought, begining to feel a headache coming on. Frost sighed, and launched into a detailed explanation that took the better part of an hour to get through. Math, as it turns out, is much more complicated than Minecraftian's thought. Or our scholars were all dirty liars, which would be an unsurprising revelation.

"So the answer...is sixteen?" I said hesitantly. Frost smiled and nodded.

"Yup! Don't worry about having trouble with this, you're still two grades behind me," Frost explained, doing her best to be encouraging. She almost succeeded. Maybe if I weren't technically quadruple her age I would've been encouraged, but being tutored by her is getting frustrating. Particularly because she does a better job of teaching me than the teacher.

"Two grades-! Dust Frost, we got the same homework!" I cried, throwing my hands up in defeat. Frost tilted her head, noticing that I was right.

"Huh. That's weird. Maybe your teacher hates you?" Frost suggested casually. I quirked a brow.

"Perhaps, yes. Or perhaps it is possible that our teacher hates us," I said suggestively. Frost looked at me in surprise.

"We're in the same class? How is that possible?" Frost wondered aloud. I shrugged. Who am I to question the ways of the almighty Schoolboard?

"...John, what period is your math class on day one's?" Frost asked with narrowed eyes, as if catching on to something. I reached into my coat pocket and fumbled with my schedule for a moment before pulling it out and unfolding it. Frost scooted closer to see it better.

"...John, do you realize our classes happen in a different order on odd and even days?" Frost asked slowly. I blinked. Well that seems like a stupid scheduling system. Why didn't anyone explain this to me?

"I wondered why I had different classmates every day..." I muttered, feeling particularly foolish. Frost face-palmed.

"No wonder you're struggling, you've been attending math classes in two separate grades, you idiot!" Frost cried, pointing an accusatory finger at me. I laughed nervously and rubbed the back of my neck.

"I guess so. Is that why you usually ignore me, cause I was embarrassing you in front of your friends?" I teased. In truth, I'm pretty sure she just tries to focus on the lesson and tunes the rest out. But who am I to pass up on a faucet for teasing?

"Nah, I don't have friends. I just get super focused," Frost said indifferently, shrugging. I feigned great offence, giving her an incredulous expression and bringing a hand to my chest.

"No friends? Frost, why doth thou wound me so? Doth thine face be ugly?" I accused, with a wiggle of my eyebrows. Frost smirked.

"Yup, ugliest I've ever seen," Frost shot back casually. I laughed and so did she.

"...yeah, I walked right into that one."

---

January 9th, 76 A.G.W

Third Person POV

Lucien paced back and forth in the mouth of a small cave on the South side of Patch. Entity 303 watched Lucien pace worriedly in bemusement, shifting to a more comfortable position. The thick hempen rope keeping him secured to a boulder and numbing his limbs made it rather difficult to stay comfortable in any position for long, but he was more or less ignorant of their presence at the moment. No, Entity 303 was far more interested in his colleague turned captor.

"...no use separating them...Can't risk catching her in the crossfire...where does he disappear to..." Lucien mumbled to himself periodically, further piquing Entity 303's interest. Finally, he decided to speak up

"Having trouble with the child?" Entity 303 spat out mockingly. Lucien snapped out of his stupor and a fierce pink gaze met his own.

"I would not expect an amalgamation of filth and magic such as yourself to understand! The situation has escalated beyond your understanding; things are far too sensitive to allow misstep!" Lucien snapped back. Entity 303's expression morphed in genuine surprise. He had not expected to get such a reaction from the normally bubbly and carefree Lucien Gemini. Lucien dropped his face to his palm and sighed.

"I can't believe I'm saying this... I need your help," If Entity 303 hadn't seen this coming, he would have been flabbergasted. Lucien was best known as a prideful man. The only one he ever bent the knee to was Salem. For him to ask Entity 303 for help? Truly, the situation had to be desperate.

"And why would I help you?" Entity 303 asked.

"Because if we succeed, John will be dead and I will forget I ever saw you here," Lucien bargained.

"Oh? What of your precious queen?" Entity mocked, spitting out Salem's self-proclaimed title with venom. Lucien narrowed his eyes but remained steadfast.

"She will not be a problem," Lucien responded confidently.

"And why pray tell, is that?" Entity 303 asked, truly curious.

"Because Salem believes my loyalty lies with her. If I tell her the problem has been dealt with, she will believe me," Lucien explained. Entity quirked a brow at him but kept quiet.

Lucien got to work untying the rope, and Entity pondered his situation. On one hand, Entity could probably get away with using enough magic to kill Lucien, then get on with killing John. His master certainly wouldn't be happy that he killed a member of Salem's faction, however, so that was off the table. On the other hand, there was an opportunity here to gain an ally within Salem's trusted circle. If Lucien's loyalties lie elsewhere, Entity 303's master could take advantage of it to bring one more lost soul under his wing. One more soldier for their army.

"The boy's name is John Diamond. He spends most nights keeping himself busy. He's a naceur by habit and nocturnal by nature, you see. His skill with a sword is unsurpassed and with a bow, he is nothing to be scoffed at, but right now he is weak. We are best to strike sometime soon, at dusk while he is alone," Entity explained, hoping a show of good faith would put him on better terms with Lucien.

Lucien acknowledged the information with a nod and finished untying the knots. The ropes fell loose, and Entity stretched his arms. Not that it made much of a difference, what with the constant burning of his flesh. Lucien offered him a hand, which he took, and pulled him to his feet. Reaching into his pocket, Lucien pulled out two oddly shaped objects that were painted to appear like skin and had small receivers on the backside. Lucien put one in his left ear and handed the other to Entity.

"These earpieces will allow us to communicate over distances up to a mile. They perceive your words by vibrations through your bones, not by the sound waves of your actual voice, so you don't need to speak louder than a whisper to use it. By that I mean please don't use it by shouting, I'd rather keep my hearing in this ear," Lucien explained. Entity nodded and put the small device in his left ear.

"We will follow him until an opportunity presents itself," Lucien stated, stalking out of the cave and grabbing his rifle.

"When do we start?" Entity asked plainly, collecting his spear and following behind. Lucien smirked.

"Now."

---

January 10th, 76 AGW

Rain poured from the skies, pounding the ground and creating a loud pitter-pattering that could be distinctly recognized as rain even from a distance. The trees swayed lightly in the wind, shaking branches and rustling leaves adding to the white noise outside. Winter had transitioned into spring, and with it came the dreary weather April was infamous for. Frost turned up her collar and adjusted her umbrella as she walked down the gravel road to the Xiao Long family home. A modestly sized cabin popped into view around the tree line and Frost clutched her school bag to her chest nervously. Suddenly, it seemed very rude of her to show up without any prior warning and Frost froze in place.

'Maybe I should have called first' Frost thought anxiously.

A small voice in the back of her mind reminded her that her mother had no clue she was here. Frost pushed that thought away, reasoning that her mother wouldn't care if she never found out. Mother tended to assume Frost was studying alone rather than with friends. Bitterness rose like bile in her throat and Frost made her decision. To hell with social queues, even if she was refused the rain is better than home. Frost marched past the shed and up to the front door and knocked twice. Almost a minute passed before the doorknob turned and the door inched open.

"Hello? Oh, hi Frost!" Yang exclaimed, opening the door fully now. Frost's poor mood defused, and she responded with a smile.

"Hey, Yang! Is John here? I was hoping we could study together," Frost asked hopefully. Yang looked thoughtful for a moment before realization dawned upon her.

"He went out back, but he'll be back soon! You can come in while you wait, Dad is making hot chocolate!" Yang said excitedly. The rain died down a bit, and Frost folded her umbrella hesitantly. As much as she liked the idea of meeting John's family - they seemed nice - Frost would rather meet them with John present.

"Thanks for the offer Yang, but I'll go looking for him," Frost said politely. Yang nodded.

"Okay, see ya in a bit!" Yang said, disappearing behind the door as she closed it. Frost sighed in exasperation. It was difficult to be so nice. She circled around the house and headed down an overgrown path, intent on finding her new friend.

Diamonds, John mused bittersweetly, are as fragile as they are sturdy. If one did not know what they were doing. During the mining process, so much as a tap at an odd angle could rupture a diamond vein and render the valuable resource useless. Hitting it just a tad too hard with a hammer during the forging process could shatter it like glass. A poor job on the grindstone could dull and mar what could have been the sharpest and shiniest blade in the land. And yet, once fully forged and enchanted, a diamond construct was nigh indestructible. For this reason, John liked to think that he related to the precious gem in more than just namesake.

Once a fragile and naive boy, John had been forged into an indomitable warrior (or so he liked to think) in the flames of war. However, this sharp blade that was ready to strike down any foe was beginning to dull. John Hated dull blades. What kind of fool didn't maintain the one tool that could make or break him? For this reason exactly, John found himself in the forest behind his new home after school, practicing his forms. Muscle memory allowed near flawless execution of the martial techniques John exercised, despite the rain and chilling wind. His muscles, however, underdeveloped in comparison to his fully grown body, did not appreciate doing something that they hadn't done in almost a year. The wrist, waist, and ankle weights John had sneaked out of Tai's room added to both the quality of John's training and the burning of his muscles.

"Perhaps if I was not so out of practice, Entity 303 would not have posed such a significant threat...' John thought to himself in frustration.

Of course, that was half the reason John was out in the freezing rain training. He had grown too comfortable with his new family, he had let his guard down. From now on, John would be prepared to protect his loved ones from anything that dared to rear its ugly head before them. At least, as soon as John regained his peak physical form. Sure, his infection made up for a lot, but John was nowhere near his prime.

Sweat and rain poured down John's bare torso and soaked his trousers as he gracefully moved about, swinging his sword in smooth flowing motions borne from the combination of several martial arts and many years of practice. Not a single movement was wasted, not even a breath. Even the biting cold and weight of his soaked clothes didn't break John's focus. These pour conditions were perfect for a good training session, in fact. To train without an opponent is one thing, but to train in a serene atmosphere in perfect conditions? One would just be setting themselves up for failure on the battlefield. Considering his background, this weather was mild, at best. John's focus on his forms was so great, that he almost didn't notice the footsteps fast approaching him.

With a start, John realized that if this person was literally anyone except Yang or Qrow, he would have to endure an awkward conversation about his scars. Unfortunately, since John did not bring a shirt or coat in any form, his options were limited to stay there or run and hide. John didn't particularly feel like hiding. John pivoted does he was facing the direction the footsteps were coming from and was surprised to see Frost walking briskly towards him through the muck and branches, to a surprising degree of success. John sheathed Custos Vitae and a moment later Frost came trudging through the brush and into the clearing.

"Heya John!" Frost greeted nonchalantly.

"Hey, Frost. As glad as I am to have some company, may I ask what you're doing out here?" John inquired politely.

"Well, I was hoping we could study together. I know we aren't in the same grade, but I don't have anywhere else to go. I don't really have anyone else to study with, and my parents aren't home," Frost lied. In truth, John was the closest thing she had to a real friend. John nodded his head slightly, seeming to accept her explanation. Frost took a moment to actually look at John, and quickly realized something was missing. She tilted her head curiously.

"Why aren't you wearing a shirt? Or a raincoat, for that matter?" She asked innocently. John blinked. He had expected her to ask about the variety of scars littering his chest. Not that he minded avoiding that particular string of conversation.

"I'm training and I didn't want to ruin my shirt, so..." John said, trailing off. Ideally, John would have liked to train in the wind and rain with the weights and full armour on. But the Ender Dragon Queen reduced his leather armour to scraps and his plate armour was back in Minecraftica.

"Oh, you can fight? That's really cool!" Frost said excitedly. She hesitated to say something for a moment and seemed to mentally debate about it for a moment before she opened her mouth again.

"I've always wanted to learn to fight. But my mother says I'm not suited for it..." Frost trailed off. John raised a brow.

"Oh? Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, but they can still be warriors with the right amount of training and discipline," John said. Frost shook her head a bit.

"No, it isn't that. My mom just worries about me, she doesn't want me getting hurt," Frost explained sadly. John hummed in thought and debated for a moment on what to say. He wasn't sure if this was wise, but...

"I could teach you if you like?" John offered. Had John learned at her age? Younger, actually. Had he trained anyone before? Many times. Was it a bad idea to go against a mother's wish and drag his new friend into a training regimen? Absolutely it was, but bad ideas that somehow managed to work out were kind of John's whole schtick. A large crow perched in a tree above the two cawed loudly, almost as if it was laughing. John glared at it.

'Stupid bird...' John thought. The bird stopped cawing and flew away, presumably to crap on someone's car as birds often do.

"Really? You would do that?" Frost asked incredulously. Of all the things Frost had expected, it wasn't this. A conversation that pointed Frost in the direction of the person that tutored John, perhaps. John offering to tutor her? Completely unexpected, but not altogether unwanted.

"Of course, as long as you realize it won't be easy," John said tentatively. Before Frost could answer, the ring of metal on metal echoed through the trees. John perked up, eyes wide and attentive and his hand flying to the handle of his sword. The tension became as suffocating as the silence for almost a minute, shattering when the distant sound of fast-paced combat rang out once more.

Frost became nervous, the sound of fighting and seeing her relaxed friend turn so tense made her so. Her mind finally seemed to process the scars marring John's fair skin, and the dots started connecting in her mind. The wind picked up, rustling branches and leaves and effectively masking the clashing of tempered blades. John's eyes became wild, darting back and forth quickly as if he was expecting something to come crashing through the bushes. Frost's anxiety increased, if only for the fact that John seemed liable to rush headfirst into whatever battle was taking place.

"John?" Frost asked unsurely, seeking reassurance. But no sooner had she opened her mouth and John's eyes turned to her, a man garbed in a billowing white cloak dropped silently from above, spear poised to run John through.

---

After a week of watching and waiting, Lucien couldn't believe it. He had followed John back to his home hoping to catch him alone. Even a moment of vulnerability was all he needed. And lo, as if the brothers themselves smiled down upon him from the heavens, the boy took to the forest alone to train. It was the perfect opportunity, with as little room for error as one could hope for. Even Entity 303 was in position should things awry. Lucien climbed a tree and positioned his rifle for a clear shot at John. The boy was practicing with his sword, with a competence that surprised Lucien. Though Entity had warned him of the boys' skill with a blade, he hadn't quite believed it initially. But no matter, there would be no need for a close quarters encounter anyway. Even from eight-hundred meters, Lucien doubted he could miss if he tried.

But then, as if Lady Luck herself had a vendetta against him, his daughter came waltzing into the clearing with John. Lucien was a crack shot, but with his daughter in the kill zone, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Lucien released a string of curses under his breath that would make a sailor blush and switched the safety back on. Lucien kept an eye on John through his scope, but he paid little attention. His mind was racing a hundred miles an hour trying to find a way out of his situation.

Lucien felt trapped. He couldn't risk hurting his daughter. Frost was the only thing he had left in this world, and she was still so young. He refused to get her involved with his situation, or anything to do with himself for that matter. She was better off growing up innocent and blissfully unaware of him and the horrors of the world. But on the other hand, sparing her friend would only guarantee her demise. The wind switched, blowing a few loose strands of hair into Lucien's face. A crow cawed and took flight, flashing past his vision in the scope. It flew over the tree line, and towards him.

"I'm in position," Entity 303's deep voice alerted through Lucien's earpiece. Lucien's eyes widened. He was so lost in thought that he had forgotten about his partner. He clicked his coms on frantically.

"Disenga-" Before Lucien could finish his command, the distinct sound of metal scraping as a mechashift weapon unfolding stole Lucien's attention, and he leapt off the tree just in time to avoid a large sword. The titanium blade sliced through the trunk of the tree like butter and followed through narrowly missing Lucien's thigh. Lucien hardly had time to find his footing on another branch before Qrow was on the offensive again. With a spin, Lucien switched Lullaby to scythe mode and blocked the oncoming attack. Lucien wrenched Qrow's blade away and tried to knock him away with the pole of his scythe, but Qrow expertly weaved under it. Balancing on the end of a tree, Qrow thrust his sword and Lucien reflexively reposted. Once again Qrow evaded his attack with ease. Lucien cursed under his breath and leapt to another tree to gain some distance.

'This guy is familiar with my attacks? He must have scythe training!' Lucien thought to himself, anxiety increasing. This only decreased his chances of getting to his daughter in time.

Before Lucien could think more on the subject, Qrow's blade folded back to reveal two intimidating black barrels, and a shotgun blast reduced the tree Lucien was standing on to splinters. Lucien dove down, catching a branch with his scythe and swinging himself onto a sturdy branch. Another shot rang out, and Lucien deflected it with a spin of his scythe. And then it was silent. Lucien barely kept himself in place, his impatience almost getting the best of him. As desperate as he was to reach his daughter, he knew better than to give this huntsman an opening.

The faint sound of flapping wings alerted Lucien and he spun around just in time to defend against a powerful attack from Qrow's sword. Qrow pushed harder, forcing Lucien into a deadlock and putting his back to the tree trunk. Lucien grit his teeth frustrated that his opponent knew how to effectively restrict his movements with his scythe. Lucien's offhand shot into his black long coat and pulled out his sidearm, an AC-45 pistol. Unfortunately, Lucien's foot slipped on the wet branch as he fired three shots in quick succession, allowing Qrow to jump out of the way.

'Curse my terrible luck today...' Lucien thought absently, adjusting his aim. In the time it took him to rebalance himself, Qrow had managed to get out of his sight again. Lucien's brow furrowed in frustration. Although he implored hit and run tactics in his own fighting style, it was obnoxious and unsettling to be on the other side of his own tactics for once.

Leaves rustled above Lucien as Qrow dove down from above the tree line with his sword poised to impale his opponent. Lucien's face reflected the surprise he felt, but regardless he reacted quickly and fired six more shots up at the diving huntsman. Qrow brought his sword up defensively, deflecting each shot as he fell. The last shot ricocheted off the flat of Qrow's blade into the branch Lucien was balancing on, splintering and cracking the branch.

Cursing loudly, Lucien fell with the broken branch, rolling to break his fall when he hit the ground at the cost of dropping his pistol. Without looking, Lucien spun his scythe around himself protectively as he got to his feet, deflecting several shotgun blasts courtesy of Qrow. Without another thought, Lucien broke into a sprint towards his daughter. Qrow followed, keeping pace despite keeping to the branches above. Qrow continued firing shots at Lucien as he ran, but Lucien weaved and ducked each slug with fluid movements that didn't reduce his speed. With a grunt of frustration, Qrow changed to his bird form and flew ahead inconspicuously.

The absence of his pursuer did not go completely unnoticed by Lucien, but he didn't have the luxury of being cautious anymore. But to his surprise, Qrow came flying out of the foliage in front of him, blade already in motion. Lucien dropped to the ground, rolling underneath the attack which sliced completely through the trunk of a tree. It creaked eerily before coming down with a loud crash, taking the branches of countless other trees down with it. The cracking and snapping of branches and the scraping of trunk against trunk caused a ruckus that would probably gain the attention of the family living in the nearby cabin.

Lucien faced Qrow with a scowl, parrying a strike aimed at his neck and countering with a jab from his pole and a subsequent roundhouse kick. Qrow deflected the jab and leaned back to avoid the kick, but Lucien had what he wanted. He was back on the offensive. A sweeping attack with Lullaby forced Qrow to jump back evasively, and with a quick shift to sniper mode, Lucien had Qrow on the run dodging dust infused bullets that would tear through his aura.

Unfortunately, Lucien only had a few shots in a single clip, and therefore very little time before he was out of bullets and the huntsman was back on him. So the moment Qrow didn't have a direct line of sight on him, Lucien activated his semblance. With a shimmer Lucien faded from sight, blending in with his surroundings and disappearing from sight. Qrow stopped and raised his guard the moment he picked up on Lucien's absence. In the new-found silence between him and his foe, Qrow could make out the sound of combat nearby. He kicked himself mentally for assuming the sniper was alone when he took action. Leaves crunched right beside Qrow, and his instincts screamed at him to evade. He dropped to one knee and drew his blade over his back between his shoulder blades. Lucien's scythe collided with it in the next instant, the blade ricocheting and catching Qrow in the ribs. It dug into his aura, and he switched to firing mode and pulled the trigger. The invisible man cursed loudly as the slug impacted his chest, causing his aura to flare and he momentarily flickered between visible and invisible. That was all Qrow needed and they both knew it. Qrow swung his sword up and it was deflected by Lullaby, showering the area with sparks. Then once again, the clearing fell into relative silence.

This time, Qrow was on his guard. Bad luck for his opponent was good luck for him, but luck was still luck. He had almost been cleaved by Lucien and his invisible blade. Qrow stood stock still, guard up and knees low. A slight impression appeared in the dirt in front of him, and Qrow quickly fired three shotgun blasts in that direction. Lucien was expecting it this time and deflected each slug, but it left him open to a thrusting attack from Qrow. Lucien jumped back as quickly as he was able but the tip of Qrow's blade glanced across his side, slicing the rest of the way through his aura and opening up a gash just above his hip. Lucien made some distance between him and his opponent and deactivated his semblance to preserve his nearly depleted aura. Qrow charged forward and swung at Lucien's chest. Lucien spun his scythe and launched it forward to decapitate Qrow, but in the last second Qrow changed the direction of his attack. The tip of the scythe opened a thin cut from below Qrow's left eye down to his jawline, but the sacrifice had been worth it. Qrow's blade continued past Lucien's guard, rending a deep cut into Lucien's thigh.

Lucien instinctively threw a flying knee kick at Qrow with his good leg, and though Qrow was able to block it he was still thrown back by the force of the blow. Both men fell into their defensive stances, breathing heavily and staring each other down. Neither made a move for what seemed an eternity until Lucien spoke.

"You're one of Ozpin's cronies...Aren't you?" He asked slowly. Qrow narrowed his eyes at the man.

"And you're one of Salem's. Gotta say, I wasn't aware she was hiring old geezers," Qrow provoked with a smirk. A vein on Lucien's forehead bulged, betraying how much the comment really offended him.

"I'm not that old," was all he offered in return. Normally, Lucien was a provocative fighter. It wasn't very nice having the tables turned. The two combatants circled each other slowly, looking for openings to exploit. Water mixed with sweat dripped from their hair and clothes, reminding them of the dreary weather. And then something exploded beyond the tree line, sending wood chips shooting through the bushes. In a moment of reckless worry for his daughter, Lucien spun on his heel and dove for the site of the explosion with Qrow trailing behind.

---

John grunted as he twisted his body to block the spear thrust that threatened to impale him. Sparks flew as the spearhead dragged across the flat of John's blade, and John reposted with a murder stroke. The crossguard of Custos Angelus struck Entity in the shoulder, allowing John to jump back and gain some distance while also placing himself protectively in front of Frost.

"You again? Come to have another go at me, have you?" John poked, hiding his anxiety behind a confident grin. Entity scowled at him and stood up.

Frost sat with her back against a tree, staring with wide eyes at the encounter. She had no clue what was going on, much less what she should do. John felt much the same, his attackers' motivations were yet unknown to him and Frost was yet untrained. And, much to John's frustration, he was once again unarmored and his body wasn't refined to fight.

Entity took the initiative, thrusting in quick succession three times. John parried each strike easily, and with a flick of his wrist, he made a slashing attack aimed for Entity's wrist. He adjusted the angle of his spear just in time, deflecting the blade with the pole. Entity had no time to recover however, as John used the momentum to bring his sword about and make a powerful two-handed sweeping attack. Entity dropped down and rolled underneath it, standing up in time to guard against a thrust aimed for his throat.

Entity took several steps back and fell into a more defensive stance, but John didn't take the bait. Entity stood sideways with his knees bent and his spear poised to strike or defend, while John stood forward-facing with his sword held out in front of him in a basic guard. The sound of weapons clashing with immense force and occasional gunfire rang out.

'His footwork is really strange for a spearman...could he be proficient in another fighting style?' John pondered, widening his stance in case Entity made a move for Frost. If his enemy was hiding his true skill, then he couldn't take risks like he had on Halloween. Entity subtly shifted stances, and John became aware that Entity had used magic before.

'Could he be capable of arcane maneuvers? No, that couldn't be. He almost certainly would have used those skills against me by now. Best be on guard, just in case though...' John thought as he adjusted his stance.

---

Frost was, for a lack of better words, anxiously confused. She had no clue what to do. On one hand, she could run, save herself as John had told her to. And why shouldn't she? Frost had never thought twice about taking the best course of action for her own interests, as her mother had taught her to do. Sure, Frost's apathetic and distrustful attitude meant she had no friends, but she had learned from experience that friends often failed you. And yet here Frost was, sitting like a lamb waiting for slaughter while her best friend fought for their lives.

'Best friend...' Frost thought again, taken aback by her own thoughts. It was strange to call someone that. But what else could she call him? Since they had met John had been nothing but friendly and selfless towards her, despite her attempts to push him away. Was he after something? Or was he genuine?

'What if it's all a trick?' The thought echoed from the back of her mind, but Frost pushed it away. If John's friendship was a trick, it was sure as hell working. She can here to see him, against her better judgement. She asked him to teach her to fight, regardless of how adamant her mother was that she could never be a huntress. And here she was, refusing to run from almost certain death. All because of John.

Gunfire snapped Frost out of her thoughts and she realized that the sounds of battle were no longer coming from John and the white-cloaked assailant. They had come to a standstill, staring each other down. Was someone else coming to hurt them? The urge to get up and help flooded through Frost, but she still didn't know what she could do. Frost slowly reached out for her discarded umbrella, but stopped when noticed the white-cloaked man's spear begin to glow. Her legs moved before her mind could process what was happening, and she dove towards John.

---

"You should know..." Entity began, speaking for the first time since his assassination attempt failed, "Tis not the spear with which I am proficient."

John raised a brow, his grin morphing into an expression of morbid curiosity. He stood taller, while keeping his guard up, and put a hand to his chin dramatically. This was obviously a trap of some sort, but curiosity had always been John's weakness.

"Oh? And what are you proficient in?" John asked with a grin. Entity pulled his hood down, revealing his disfigured face and a set of glowing red eyes. He fell into a stance that struck fear into John and smirked.

'Sweat mother of Jeb, he is a mage!' John thought in a panic. Though, why he hadn't used magic from the beginning was beyond John. Perhaps it had something to do with this 'Lord Of Darkness'.

"pénte spathiá!" Entity spoke with an accent John hadn't heard in ten years, thrusting his lance forward. For a moment, it seemed as if Entity had split into five separate versions of himself, all striking with their spears simultaneously. John instinctively parried the first and second strike, his blade a blur of blue light. The third strike was too quick for John to deflect, so he deftly pivoted to the left avoiding the spearhead by inches. The two strikes that came after redirected their momentum at the last second, and although John managed to jump back he felt the blades carve deep gashes into his torso. John hissed in pain but didn't dare drop his guard to assess the wound. Entity shot forward in a blur of white and black, and John met him halfway moving equally as fast. The blades clashed with an ear-piercing ring, and an extremely well-executed riposte from John broke through Entity's guard and opened a deep gash in his shoulder.

Entity ignored the pain and pressed forward, performing a three-strike maneuver. John deftly dodged the first two strikes and deflected the third, redirecting Entity's momentum and throwing him off balance. Taking advantage of his split-second opening, John brought his sword down past his opponent's guard, rending a long deep cut from his shoulder to his pectoral. Black blood gushed from the wound, and Entity's left arm fell limp. However, he was not going to lose this time. His spear began to hum with magical energy, and let off a faint red glow. John fell back into his guard, preparing for the magically charged attack. He recognized this as a blasting strike, inspired by the palm strike of the monks in the Temple Of The Fist. It was like punching somebody with a stick of TNT in your hand, and when applied to a piercing weapon it could easily turn a suit of armour into scrap metal.

"Svino!" Entity grunted, unleashing his magic-infused attack.

Entity's spear flew forward, trailing a red afterglow as it shot towards his target. John prepared a riposte, but never got the chance to execute it. Frost crashed into John, tackling him out of the way of Entity's strike and tumbling to the ground with him. The spear flew overhead, striking a tree in their stead. There was a sharp crack as the impact reduced a large chunk of the tree trunk to wood chips. Sharp wooden splinters rocketed out, tearing apart whatever they hit. One particularly large chunk lodged itself in Entity's leg, forcing him to drop to one knee. John heard Frost cry out in pain as a splinter stick her in the arm, and decided it was time for a tactical retreat. The idea was reinforced when Qrow and a man with midnight grey hair came crashing through the brush locked in combat.

The man had a profusely bleeding gash above his hip, but despite that, he fought back with ferocity. Qrow was managing to keep up with him, if only for the fact that the trees limited what the man could do with his scythe. Qrow blocked a strike from his opponent and pushed him back. They separated, each jumping back to gain some distance and sized each other up. Their eyes flicked back once they realized they weren't alone, assessing the situation. John didn't miss how the silver-haired man seemed to internally panic when he saw Frost's arm steadily bleeding.

"When I say go, run as quickly as you can. I'll be right behind you," John said quietly to Frost, who was nursing her arm. She nodded and took a few steps back as the two of them stood up. John stepped in front of Frost, raising Custos Angelus.

"Qrow," John called, "Can you cover?"

Qrow seemed to catch his meaning and nodded. He flicked a switch on his sword, and the gears in the center began to turn. The sound of mechashift filled the air as the blade curved back and the handle extended, becoming a wicked scythe. Before Entity or Lucien could react Qrow spun the scythe around his body, cutting clean through several trees. John used the chaos of the falling trees to turn and signal Frost.

"Go!" John shouted. He and Frost took off sprinting in the opposite direction, ducking under branches and hopping over fallen trees. John let Frost lead, setting the pace so he wouldn't leave her behind and allowing him to intercept if they were pursued. Frost made a turn to head back to the house, but John grabbed her uninsured arm and yanked her away.

"No, they'll be expecting us to go that way! I know somewhere we can hide!" John explained briefly, dragging her in the opposite direction. Frost complied without a word, following him while clutching her injured arm. There was a crunch behind them, and John glanced over his shoulder. Entity and the silver-haired man were giving chase and strangely enough, a large black crow was in tow behind them. John cursed under his breath and decided he had to do something drastic before they caught up. John had been trying to avoid using magic so far, but he was desperate.

'Hopefully, this doesn't come back to bite me...' John thought absently. A warm tingling sensation ran down John's arm as he began to channel his mana into Custos Vitae.

"Ignesco!" John spoke, accent slipping into that of his native tongue. Custos Angelus suddenly burst into brilliant blue flames, and with a fluid motion, he sliced cleanly through a large tree as he and Frost passed it. A fire ignited from the cut and ran up the trunk and branches, inflaming the entire tree. It fell with a crash, narrowly missing John and Frost's pursuers. It did, however, force them to find a way around. A wire fence came into view up ahead, separating the forest from the town. John ran ahead, making a long cut from the middle of the fence down to the bottom. He pulled the wire aside and Frost promptly ducked through, John following behind after a quick glance to make sure Entity wasn't too close. The fence gave way to a familiar alley, where Frost was waiting anxiously, looking at John expectantly. He dashed to the manhole cover partially hidden behind a dumpster and pulled it aside. Frost looked at him incredulously.

"R-really?" She asked.

"Would you rather stay out here with tall, white and edgy?" John deadpanned sarcastically. Frost considered her options and quickly came to the conclusion that the sewer was better than almost certain death. She hesitantly climbed down and John went after her, pulling the metal plate back into place. Moments later Entity 303 came soaring over the fence, furiously searching for his target with wild eyes. Lucien came out from the cut it the fence, much more calmly than his associate. After a quick glance around the alley, he sighed.

"Entity, where are they?" Lucien asked casually. Entity spun around to face him.

"...T'would seem that the plebeians outran us! They must have ducked into the sewers," Entity seethed. Lucien nodded slowly with a look of indifference. The sewers in Patch we're well known for being labyrinthian in nature, and thus pursuing a target down there was paramount to walking blindfolded through a forest while looking for a rabbit.

"So in short, they escaped. Is that right?" Lucien asked rhetorically. Entity didn't respond, but for Lucien, that was answer enough.

"I see. In that case..." Lucien trailed off, suddenly lashing out and striking Entity in the jaw with his fist. Entity, who had not been expecting an attack, recoiled back and faltered as his injured leg gave out.

"You bastard!" Lucien growled, grabbing Entity by his collar and throwing him against the wall. "Do you want to die?"

"Is that an offer?" Entity sneered through bloodied teeth. Lucien was not impressed by his snark. He threw his knee into Entity's stomach and threw him to the ground. Entity coughed up a bit of blood and lifted himself off the ground on all fours.

"I take it you're not happy they escaped?" Entity asked sarcastically. Lucien snarled and planted his boot into Entity's back, pinning him prone.

"I ordered you to disengage! Not only has your carelessness allowed our target to escape, but Frost was-," Lucien stopped himself, but it was too late. His tongue had slipped. Entity laughed condescendingly.

"You fool! You care for the girl?! Rest easy knowing that your actions are in vain, for nothing on this island will be allowed to live!" Entity cackled. Lucien's eyes widened and he cursed loudly. Of course, how could he be so naive? Salem would not simply let these people off easily after they had seen Entity's magic.

A police officer rounded the corner, thumb hooked in his belt as he assessed the situation. The sound of someone loudly cursing had attracted him, but as soon as he saw what was in the alley he grabbed his radio and called for backup. As he saw it, a huntsman had incapacitated a man matching the description of the cop killer from Halloween. He drew his gun from his holster and announced himself.

"This is the police, show me your hands!" He called. Lucien slowly rose his hands, scowling. He already had one headache to deal with.

"Evening, officer. I'm a huntsman, this man was attempting to break into a home. I was just about to call it in," He said smoothly. The officer nodded.

"Matter of fact, that guy matches the description of a cop killer. I have back-up on the way, good job taking him down for us," The officer said, relaxing a bit but not lowering his pistol.

Lucien resisted the urge to facepalm. Of course Entity had killed a cop, the insufferable imbecile. They were fortunate not to have been spotted sooner, considering how much Entity stood out. But then something else occurred to Lucien and he smirked. If Entity was locked away in a cell for the rest of his miserable life, he could report to Salem and tell her that he had dealt with John, Entity, and all other witnesses with none the wiser. Of course, he would still need to wipe out the town eventually, but this way he would have enough time to smuggle his family out of Patch.

"Of course, officer. I'll stay and assist with his arrest."

Qrow watched from the tree line, perched on a branch in bird form. This was a troubling turn of events. This had confirmed that Salem and John's old enemies were in cahoots, literally the worst-case scenario. Worse still was the man Qrow fought, highly skilled and very determined. The man's daughter being Frost further complicated the situation, and suggested that perhaps he had conflicting loyalties. Qrow continued to watch as countless other police cruisers pulled up along with an ambulance, and the paramedics tended to Salem's Agent's wounds. Qrow didn't stick around to see the officers haul off the white-cloaked man, flying back to the forest and shifting to human form. This situation had escalated beyond his control, and his hand was forced. Qrow pulled out his scroll and sent a single text to Ozpin. A coded message that only the two of them would understand.

Qrow - I have a hangover. Drinks tonight?

---

John Rose POV

"Ewwww," Frost whined, pinching her nose, "I wouldn't have come down here if I knew it smelled this bad!"

I chuckled and lifted the newly lit torch higher to better illuminate the mossy stone bricks that the tunnel was constructed from. The flickering yellow danced on the gently flowing murky waters that separated the pathways on either side of the tunnel. Old copper and aluminum pipes gave off a dull sheen as the light hit them, proving that at least some form of maintenance was performed down here. The sound of our footsteps and heavy breaths were all that accompanied Frost and me as I led her towards my bunker. Frost let out a sudden hiss as she moved her arm the wrong way, inciting a sharp pain that shot up and down her arm.

"We're almost safe, and then I can fix you up. You're taking this all incredibly well, Frost," I encouraged, flashing her a smile. She averted her gaze and shook her head.

"No, I'm not. I'm still really scared," Frost muttered with a shaky voice. Not surprising, it's likely that she's never been close to a fight before. We arrived at the familiar steel door of my bunker hideout and I turned the latch and pulled it open, ushering Frost inside while I checked to make sure we weren't followed. After the heavy vault door was shut tight and the deadbolts were in place, I motioned for Frost to sit down and rushed to one of my chests to grab medical supplies. What little I had, anyway. I pulled out a leather strap, a small knife, rubbing alcohol, gauze and my Potion of Greater Regeneration. The last of my potions from the raid on Endor. Returning to Frost, I kneeled in front of her and got to work inspecting the wound. A jagged splinter of wood had lodged itself in Frost's left arm, midway between her shoulder and elbow. It was about two inches long and a centimetre in diameter, a big one but not as big as it could have been. Luckily it didn't seem to have hit anything important, but then, I've never performed field medical on a pre-teen before. I tied the leather strap tightly around her arm above the wound and cut her sleeve open so I could better access the injury.

"Brace yourself, Frost. This is going to sting a bit," I warned. She nodded and gripped the arm of the chair tightly with her right hand. I got a good grip on the splinter and yanked it out. Frost cried out painfully and gripped my arm with her left hand, no doubt straining her injured bicep. After seeing that Frost was relaxing a bit, I turned my attention back to the wound. It wasn't very deep and definitely didn't need to be cauterized, thank Notch. I cut a piece of fabric from my pants and poured the alcohol on it, then used it to clean the area around the wound. Frost hissed in pain and gripped tightly again, and I popped the cork off of the potion. Frost looked at the sparkling pink liquid curiously, and I explained.

"It's a potion. Putting some on the wound and drinking the rest will heal it right up. Whatever you do though, don't itch it," I explained. She nodded silently, and I got to work.

---

Frost Gemini POV

My arm throbbed with a dull pain as John spoke to me, making it difficult to focus on him. The sound of crackling fire and a low scraping that sounded vaguely similar to a furnace filled the room, distracting me. The fear in the back of my mind that the man in white could come barreling into the room at any moment was hard to ignore. But regardless of any distractions, I heard John say 'potion'. I watched my only friend fight an adult with real weapons. I saw him bleed black and attack five times at once. I saw John Light his sword and an entire tree on fire. John Rose, this boy younger than me whom acts so much older, and has a million scars and can fight like a real-live huntsman, is a mystery to me. Granted, we haven't been friends for more than a year so it makes sense we wouldn't know each other well. But still... could it have all been a lie? Is he really my friend, or was mother right about everything?

John poured some of the sparkling pink liquid on the gauze and pressed it to my arm, and the pain immediately started to recede. He tore a piece of his pants off and wrapped it around my arm to keep the gauze in place, and handed me the potion. I stared at the strange-looking bottle of liquid, too lost in thought to consider drinking it. All these years my mother has taught me that no one can be trusted. That people would only try to hurt us. I didn't want to believe her. But the bullies at school proved her right. Then John came along and was nice to me. He acted like he really cared. I thought that maybe mother was wrong after all, and it made me happy. But with everything that just happened, can I trust him? Do I even know him?

'Who are you?' I thought absently. John looked up at me with a subtle look of surprise. Had I said that out loud? He smiled at me, but he looked sad.

"I'm John, no one of consequence really. I'm your friend," He said. There was that word again, friend. I shook my head.

"I know what your name is. I meant... how do I say this...?" I trailed off, trying to find the right words.

"You mean to ask what my story is," John stated. I nodded awkwardly.

"Well, I suppose you already know that I'm from outside the kingdoms. In my village, there were terrible monsters that always attacked. I was being trained to fight them. They gave me most of these scars. My brother and I were among the best, if I do say so myself," John said fondly. John has a brother? But I thought his only siblings were Ruby and Yang...

"If only it could have stayed that way. My brother was slain by men who wanted the monsters to succeed," John said sadly, looking down. I almost dropped the potion in shock, hearing that. John looked like he was on the brink of tears talking about it, and suddenly a pang of guilt for asking about it stabbed me in the heart.

"That's terrible. I'm...I'm sorry I asked," I said guiltily. John smiled again and shook his head.

"Don't be. The world is full of bad people, so it's good to have people you trust to talk to. If we're going to continue being friends, you deserve to know more about me. That is, if you still want to be friends after this?" John asked hopefully. Does John trust me? Does that mean I can trust him? I hope so. Here he is again, stubbornly pushing through my walls. I gave him the best smile I could muster and nodded. His smile grew.

"That's good," He started, taking a seat in the chair across from me, "I don't really have any friends besides you and my sisters are family,"

"I don't have any other friends either, to be honest," I admitted sheepishly. We sat in awkward silence for a moment, listening to the drone of the furnace.

"Tell you what, let's get to know each other better. I'll start. You sip away at that potion and I'll tell you about myself!" John suggested enthusiastically. I narrowed my eyes at him but nodded in agreement. This better not just be a ruse to make me drink medicine...

"So, in my village, we had a man named Darien that ran a small militia of men and women to protect us from the Grimm. Anyone that was recruited was trained by his inner circle personally and let in on a secret," John began, as I took a sip of the potion. It tasted bittersweet, but more on the sweet side like someone had put a little too much sugar in their coffee. The consistency was comparable to syrup, and flowed a little faster than I expected it would. Several moments later, a tingling feeling ran down my arm followed by an insatiable itching feeling around the wound. It didn't hurt, it was just incredibly annoying. I leaned forward a bit, anticipating the reveal of the secret.

"Their secret was this; they could control the elements without the use of dust. Magic in its purest form!" John said dramatically. I gave him an incredulous look, paired with another sip of the strange potion.

"Yes, magic is real. It works similarly to aura, from what I can tell," John explained. I hummed in thought.

"That would explain a lot of what I saw today... but how come it isn't common knowledge?" I asked speculatively. John looked up and scratched his head in thought.

"That is a good question. My best guess is that the council works very hard to keep magical happenstance swept under the rug. We had a zombie invasion Halloween night, and it was written off as mass hallucination caused by a gas leak. Or maybe the kingdoms just haven't discovered it yet," John murmured thoughtfully. He waved a hand dismissively and looked back down at me.

"Anyways, I ended up getting recruited by these guys. They used magic to enchant their weapons and tools and such - none of them could get the hang of using magic offensively - and I was trained to fight and use magic to enhance my gear. But there was a group plotting against us. They used the monsters to weaken our defences, and then they struck. These men had mastered the art of incorporating magic into their attacks, and some of them were also skilled spellcasters. We..." John trailed off at the end, his eyes seeming to lose focus and travel towards the ground. A moment later he shuddered, and looked back up at me with wet eyes. I sat awkwardly, wanting to do something to help but unsure of what to do.

"...We lost three men and countless civilians that day...among them was my brother, Shay," John said quietly. An awkward silence fell again, and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. It was hard to believe, but the way he said it made me believe him. Finally, after what felt like forever, I worked up the courage to speak.

"I'm sorry that happened," I said, trying my best to sound comforting. John smiled appreciatively.

"Yeah. But it's in the past now, I've moved on," John explained. A pressing question arose in the back of my mind, pestering me with uncertainty.

"Is...is that why you can trust so easily? Because you moved on?" I asked quietly. John rose a brow, but responded in kind.

"Not exactly. I'm an optimist, you see. I look for the good in everybody, and most of the time I find it. You yourself have never given me a reason to mistrust you or think poorly of you. That's what this is about, isn't it?" John asked knowingly. My silence seemed to confirm his theory for him.

"You're my friend, Frost. I trust you, I wouldn't have told you any of this otherwise. Now, do you trust me?" John inquired. I looked down as I felt another pang of anxiety and guilt.

"I...I think so? Ugh, I don't know!" I growled in frustration, bringing a hand to my face, "I don't know who to trust!"

John remained silent and motioned for me to continue when I looked back at him. Gosh, this is so embarrassing. Why does having a friend have to be so complicated? Ever since we moved here, mother has told me never to trust anyone, not even my teachers. She forbids me from making friends, and always tells me I'll never make it as a huntress or a policeman. She never told me why, not once! I suddenly realized my cheeks felt wet, and my face felt warm. Was I crying? I hadn't cried in years...

"I just...I want to be like the huntresses in my storybooks! I want to see the world, I want to have friends I can trust, and I want to be myself! But...but I can't," I ranted, freely crying now. Tears streamed down my face, and I struggled to keep an even voice.

"I'm just a kid. A scared little girl, with no friends and no spirit and no skills! You're amazing, and you're younger than me! Mother was right..." I cried. I sniffled and gripped the potion bottle as tightly as I could. Why am I even telling him this? He probably thinks I'm a loser now...

"She's wrong, you know," John said firmly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"You're the smartest person I know. Do you remember the first time we studied together? You solved those math questions like a pro! And when we were attacked, you had the courage to get up and push me out of the way. Don't undersell yourself, and don't let others tell you what you can't be. You can be anything you want to be if you put your mind to it," John encouraged firmly. I broke down into soft sobs, the potion slipping and spilling its contents on the floor.

"S-s-sorry...*sniffle*...I-I didn't mean-" I started before John cut me off with a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about it. Your arm is all healed up now anyway. That spot will be a bit tender for a while though..." John said, trailing off. He seemed to suddenly notice for the first time that he was also injured. Blood dripped steadily from two parallel red lines running diagonally across John's chest, which I noticed seemed to have gotten smaller since the cloaked man had wounded him. John casually started cleaning himself off with some gauze, as if completely unworried about it. I sniffled and narrowed my eyes at him.

"Do you have your aura unlocked?" I asked curiously. John blinked.

"Erm...should I?" He responded quizzically. I resisted the urge to facepalm. What kind of idiot is he, fighting without aura? I must have been imagining how bad it was. I smiled and wiped away my tears. A few minutes passed in silence, letting me get my thoughts together.

"So...how long do we have to stay down here?" I asked, changing the subject while John began wrapping bandages around his torso. He hummed in thought.

"...I guess we should keep our heads low until Qrow comes and tells us it's safe. Could be minutes, could be hours," John estimated, tying off the bandages which now covered his chest and shoulders.

"Oh. What do we do until then?" I asked, awkwardly shifting in my chair again.

"I don't have any cards stashed around here, unfortunately, but we can get to know each other better. Is that okay?" John asked. That's something friends do, isn't it? I nodded.

"Promise me something first?" I asked. John motioned for me to continue.

"Let's stay friends no matter what, okay?" I proposed hopefully. John smiled brightly and nodded.

"I promise, Frost. I think this is the start of a long and beautiful friendship!"

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Ike_/ Well, that was another whopper.

Fred_/ And not just in words either. At least half of the chapter has been scrapped and rewritten multiple times.

Ike_/ Yeah, sorry about the delay everyone. I'm too OCD to upload chapters I'm not completely happy with. And I know I said I wouldn't write chapters quite as long as the last one, and yet here we are.

Fred_/ Forgive us, readers, for we have sinned! Jokes aside though, we hope you enjoyed the chapter regardless of how long it took to upload. Ryan, you wanna close for us?

Ryan_/ Sure thing. Don't forget to favorite, follow, and review you beautiful sons of mothers! Their writing machine runs on naught but feedback, and ya'll gotta fuel it up! Also, let us know if you would prefer longer chapters (like this one) with a longer wait time between uploads, or shorter chapters and slightly faster uploads. Stay safe out there!

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Review responses!

Gizmo Gear - Indeed, the response has been great! And I can confirm that STRONK coffee is the best coffee, although Ryan can go a little overboard (he puts a pinch of salt, four creams and three sugar, and two shots of espresso in his. Like...what?!). We're happy to know you're enjoying the story so much, and we hope you continue to!

Chase15T - Thank you for your support and encouragement! We hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you enjoyed the last :)